The Bard: A Story

  Part of Silliane wished he were with Brinn now. Truthfully, he missed traveling with his friend. He was a great companion and a good friend who you never had to doubt whether he had your back or not. That and the situations and dangers he’d get himself into were some of the finest experiences Silliane had experienced. As a traveling adventurer, Silliane had thrived and lived on the edge for so many years it was all he knew now. When his sword and Brinn’s bow were together they had some of the greatest adventures he’d been on. But then there was Glorianna.

  The love of his long life made everything all right now. Glorianna walked with a determination that told him that she was ready to get it on now. Her staff was the crux of her power. Not only did she have the innate ability to shape and direct the magical energies that flowed throughout the world but, having the staff made of glyphwood, allowed her to prepare a few more spells to add to her repertoire. She had received the staff from a Master Druid at one of the rare groves around the world for a service that she had done him. He had engraved enough storage markings to allow her to prepare an extra three spells and the staff was currently fully charged with some of her most powerful spells.

  Silliane’s wizardry was more material than Glorianna’s. In his long adventuring life he’d picked up many skills that had made him a jack of all trades. His wizardry had come when he’d helped a wizard out of a very tight jam with a thief’s guild. The wizard had offered to teach him the basics of magic for payment. Silliane, a true collector of knowledge, jumped at the chance. He was no where in Glorianna’s league but he knew a few helpful spells that could help protect him, lend him knowledge of his surroundings and also gave him a little extra power when he needed it.

  They topped the ridge and looked down in to a small depression that was about a mile or two long. Silliane stepped up next to Glorianna to take in the view. There were trees everywhere that rose and fell with the lay of the land.

  “Doesn’t look like it will be too hard for us to find the Goblin outpost,” Silliane said sarcastically.

  Glorianna stood stock still and looked out over the valley. Her attention was completely taken in by something she saw. Silliane wondered if she had already spotted the outpost they were going to be attacking. He knew her full blooded Elfish eyes would be able to pick out details and buildings at a far greater distance than his.

  “See something?” he asked.

  Glorianna raised her arm and pointed out over the little valley.

  “Far end,” she said. “There is a tower out there that is sticking up a good fifty feet over the tree line.”

  “Think that could be the outpost?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” Glorianna said. “Goblins aren’t known for building anything permanent. They usually just steal caves or other buildings that usually end up completely unlivable after they leave or are driven off.”

  “Well,” Silliane began, “a mile or two is too far off for us to get to tonight. Let’s make a cold camp here and hit it tomorrow.”

  Glorianna smiled at him and the two walked off the trail and into the surrounding brush. Silliane trailed behind to cover their tracks just incase a raiding party came their way. When he caught up to her, Glorianna was starting to clear the brush so there was enough space for the two of them to sleep. A cold dinner later and they were lying together and trying to sleep. Usually for someone in their job it was easy to fall asleep. Most of the time you didn’t get the rest you needed so you learned to crash where and when you could. But tonight Silliane was thinking too much as Glorianna was curled up next to him, her head on his chest. He wondered if he should propose to her. He wondered if she’d accept or make him feel the fool. She was such a free spirit that he didn’t know if he had the right to try and bind her to himself.

  Before he knew it, the sun was coming up for the new day. They awoke and started cleaning up the area. Silliane led them from their camp and slowly emerged onto the main trail they had been following the day before. He squatted down and noticed a few new tracks.

  “Goblins came by here sometime last night,” Silliane announced. “I don’t see their return this way, though.”

  “Well, hopefully that will be a few less Goblins to deal with,” Glorianna stated. “Let’s get going.”

  They traveled quietly for most of the day avoiding the few goblins they came upon when they could so their approach wouldn’t be detected. Of the few contacts they made, they dispatched their adversaries quickly. Glorianna took care of one group of Goblins with a quick spell that put them to sleep while Silliane crept up on another group and slit the throat of one then took the other two out with a few well placed cuts from his sword. Soon enough they were at the tower.

  An area of trees had been cleared around its base to provide the occupants with a clear view of any approach.

  “This doesn’t look right for a Goblin outpost,” Glorianna stated.

  “They are never this organized,” Silliane said, “and I haven’t seen any evidence of their comings or goings in this area for at least the last half mile.”

  He stared at the tower. Gray stone served as its base while the upper levels were made out of something that was black and glinted in the sun. Two windows were situated at its upper most level a good hundred feet in the air. Silliane checked the straps of his leather armor while Glorianna continued staring at the tower.

  “This is a wizard’s tower,” Glorianna stated. “See those windows,” she said as she pointed to the top most level. “They are pointing along a mana line that runs through here.”

  Silliane shivered. Wizards, powerful ones, were tough customers to deal with. And if one had set up his home along a mana line they were probably in for a serious fight. If this one had set up relations with a Goblin tribe he could be serious trouble for the surrounding area. Goblins could move long and fast and if they had a powerful wizard as an ally, he didn’t want to think about it.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to back out and wait for Brinn to free himself up?” Silliane asked knowing full well what Glorianna’s answer would be.

  “No,” she responded succinctly. “This needs to be taken care of now. And if the wizard isn’t part of the Goblin’s plans then it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission.”

  “Well then,” Silliane said, “let’s go find us a way in then.”

  They scouted around the tower, keeping to the trees and brush to hide themselves. Glorianna went left and Silliane went right, that way they could cover the entire base in half the time. By the time they regrouped on the other side of the tower, he was confused.

  “So how do we get in?” Silliane asked. “I didn’t find a door or a window low enough for us to climb in to.”

  “Neither did I,” Glorianna answered, “but I have an idea. Draw your sword and get ready.”

  Silliane drew his blade and waited. Glorianna began chanting as she looked at him and then he was floating. He caught his balance as her flying spell took a hold of him. Her gaze left his then and he was off with a point of her fingers. Changing his view, Silliane saw that he was headed right for one of the windows. He brought a basic offensive spell to his mind and readied himself as he flew through the window.

  Head first, Silliane rolled and came to his feet in an offensive crouch with his sword blade outstretched. Quickly he took in his surroundings and a form moved to his right. With a bark of his voice, his hand flinched as it released a bright, blue bolt of pure force and hit its target, shattering it with a loud noise. It didn’t sound right so he took a moment to really take a more deliberate look around. He was in a round room that contained tables and jars. He surveyed the damage he’d wrought and found mirror shards, some with a metal frame that suggested it had been round before he’d dealt his damage, scattered on the floor.

  “You better hope this wizard is a forgiving type if he’s not involved with the goblins,” Glorianna stated as she landed in the room. “That mirror wa
s a minor component object.”

  “How can you tell?” Silliane asked as he stood with his blade still out.

  “Those glyphs on what’s left of the metal frame,” she stated. “It was used for a focus item for some type of summoning or communication spell. Now then, where’s the door out of here.”

  They looked around for a few moments until Silliane found a hatch on the floor. He lifted it with his blade pointing towards the opening just incase there was a surprise behind it.

  “Well,” Silliane began, “here is a way out but there is another problem.” He stared down the hole.

  “What’s that?” Glorianna asked making her way to his side.

  “No stairs,” he replied.

  They stared down together and found the whole tower empty. No stairs, ladder or floors, just a straight drop down to blackness at the bottom.

  “The flying spells should still be good for a few more minutes,” Glorianna told him. “Let’s go.”

  With that she dropped down into the hole and floated downwards. Silliane followed her just staring at the darkness beneath their feet as it came closer and closer. He didn’t like not knowing what was coming so he summoned up a small spell as he pulled a coin from one of his pouches. He rubbed it as he mumbled the spell until the coin began to glow like a torch. He dropped it hoping it would show them what was coming. The coin then vanished, the blackness swallowing it up.

  “Damn!”

  “Did you think this would be easy?” Glorianna said chuckling beside him.

  “I just don’t like not knowing what I’m walking, or in this case floating, in to,” Silliane stated.

  “Beggars can’t be choosers,” Glorianna said. “Now get ready.”

  Their feet touched the darkness and they floated down and in.