The Book of Terrus: The Wise and Powerful

Chapter 4 - To Kill a King

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All was quiet in Castle Armathain. Moonlight filtered through the stained glass windows, casting wane strips of color onto the floors. In the Hall of Thrones, the prince's golden tree gleamed softly even in the meager lamplight. When the guard changed at midnight, the Knights of Amenthis moved slowly, quietly, oddly graceful for men in full armor. Outside no wind stirred. It was a warm summer night, perfect for dreamless sleeps and early mornings.

One soul in the castle would find no rest that night. Moving quickly and carefully, a shadow slipped out of the Tower of the Elements. Her slippers whispered across the carpets as she walked, and even that felt like too much noise. There was no room for carelessness tonight.

Margalee skirted around a pair of servants with ease. Even if she hadn't been an Obad, gifted with keener senses than the average person, it would have been easy for the lithe northerner to avoid them. She couldn't afford to be caught up in any chance encounters.

On the fifth level of the castle, Margalee came at last to her destination; the famed Skybridge of Castle Armathain. Soaring high above the palace gardens and city rooftops alike, the Skybridge spanned the distance between Castle Armathain and the Lair; the great stadium of Amenthere. During festivals and other chief celebrations, the bridge made it easy for partygoers to traverse back and forth between the Lair and the castle, all the better to never miss a toast or a joust. Besides the front gates, it was the only way into Castle Armathain. Like the gates however, the Skybridge was closed for the night. Every night at sundown, the castle guards threw a lever which retracted either side of the mighty stone bridge. The resultant gap dropped away to fatalistic heights above the slumbering city. Only those approved by the king and his Chief of Staff could remain within the palace after dark.

A pair of knights flanked the doorway to the Skybridge. Their heavily embossed armor, ribbed vertically across sculpted chest plates and tapered at the waists, cut an impressive form for the men within. Beneath their featureless helmets no sign of weakness or even humanity could be seen. The Knights of Amenthis didn't intimidate Margalee though. She was an Obad, and no soldier, even one of the castle's hand-picked guardians could stop her.

Only a light trance would be needed for this simple spell. Still, it wasn't one that Margalee particularly liked casting. Taking a moment to center herself, tucked behind a statue in an alcove, she allowed her eyelids to flutter shut. Almost immediately the familiar current of magic came at her call. Margalee dearly hoped neither of the guards would hear nor remember the faint, quiet murmur of her casting hum.

Luck was with her. Neither of the silent sentinels moved. That was, until the effects of the spell reached them. It started as a few snuffles, then a loud sniff or two. Then one of the knights moved his hand as though to touch his helmet. Margalee continued her quiet, monotone hum, nudging just a little more to unleash the flow.

That did it. A trickle of blood ran down the neck of the nearest knight from beneath his helmet. On the other side of the Skybridge door, his companion was likewise struck with a violent nosebleed.

"Argh, I need a moment," the first said.

"You need a moment?! Not before I do, can't you wait a minute?"

"And bleed down 'by armor?"

"Whad, you doo?"

Their voices going progressively thicker as blood clogged the back of their throats, the knights admirably managed another several seconds before both giving up and pulling off their helmets. Red rivulets ran freely down both of their chins, already staining the edges of their gorgets. Swaying slightly, the men made a mad dash for the nearest privy, leaving the Skybridge unattended. Seeing as the bridge was retracted, they probably figured it was a safe enough risk. Margalee hoped they didn't get into too much trouble for it later.