Chapter 9
It had been two days since their incarceration. Or, at least to Yokig, it felt like two days. The truth was that Yokig didn't really know what day it was. After the first few hours, time turned into one long endless blur. However; in spite of his circumstances, He had the same mysterious vision quite a few times since the metal doors were shut and locked, trapping him in with Dresmael in the cell.
Dresmael and Redbeard were still asleep. Yokig tried to focus on the yelling man, pretending his mentally disturbed tyrade of words was, instead, a gentlemanly talk about how the weather was outside.
A wall at the end of the dungeons hallway silently slid open. A kingsman tiptoed his way through the opening and closed it behind him. He made a quiet beeline to Yokigs cell, saw the boy staring right at him and pressed his fingers to his lips . The kingsman removed a key from a hidden pouch inside of his breastplate, carefully gripping it in his fingers to keep it from falling and alerting his fellow guards on the other side of the dungeons main wooden door. The mysterious kingsman unlocked the cage, stepping inside to come to a complete stop in front of Yokig. He brought his mouth close to the boy's ear.
"Sorry it took so long" The kingsman whispered. Blackpaw is safe, I was able to secure most of your belongings. They're waiting for you at the den"
The yelling prisoners voice stopped and Yokig looked over the kingsmans shoulder to see the man staring straight at the group. The kingsman looked to see what Yokig was looking at.
"What about him?" The boy questioned the guard.
"Oh, don't mind him, he won't tell anyone. And if he did, nobody would believe him. Besides, he's not, you know, aware enough to fully understand what's happening." The guard assured the boy as he unlocked Yokigs shackles.
Yokig massaged his wrists. They pulsed with pain. The chains had left a red ring imprint on his delicate skin.
Dresmael awoke to the sound of Yokigs voice. Luckily the kingsman grabbed her mouth before she had the chance to let out a terrified scream. "Shhhhh." The guard pressed a finger to his lips again, and made sure she agreed to silence before releasing her mouth and ridding her of her chains.
The giant opened his eyes in the next cell and saw the kingsman releasing Dresmael. "Quiet" Yokig told Redbeard before the giant had a chance to speak.
When all three travelers were released, the kingsman led them to the wall he entered from and pressed on one of its many bricks. The wall slid open to reveal the secret passageway. The guard led them through and shut the entrance to the passageway behind them. After they were safe the kingsman removed his helmet, revealing his real identity. It was Gremleddle, one of the kingemen that arrested the group as they entered the city.
In the passageway the kingsman pulled out a large brown sack from inside a secret compartment under the stone floor. "We don't have much time!"
He rummaged through the sack and pulled out three oversized grey robes with the golden circle stitched into the center of each robe. "Here, put these on!" The kingsman instructed.
The group did as they were told and changed into the priestly robes.
"It took a while to sneak those out of the storeroom, but I hardly think they'll be missed. Hasn't been a new ordained priest in years. I personally think it's because nobody can live up to the bishops high expectations, so people have stopped trying." The kingsman said as he waited for the group to finish changing.
The kingsman led the group through a series of hallways and stairs before they came across another wall that slid open as the guard pressed a hidden switch. "Hoods up, look down and stay silent" he ordered as they entered the cathedral's main lobby.
He ushered them through the heavy wooden doors, past the kingsmen posted at the door and through the cobblestone streets. Yokig felt the nights chill soak through the light fabric of the robe as they walked at a brisk pace, ducking and weaving down streets, past closed shops and open bars until they reached an alleyway with a single door.
They entered through the back of a closed shop and quickly made their way down the rows of fruit and up a flight of stairs in the back to another lone door.
"Everyones waiting" the kingsman exclaimed, opening the door, revealing a room full of people in black robes and dark masks. Yokig couldn't see the floor but he could see a man in purple robes, complete with a purple mask, standing in the center of the room. The group of black robbed members formed a circle around the figure. Around his chest hung a silver amulet that consisted of three raised rings , one inside of the other inside of another. On the innermost ring sat one long triangular piece of silver that intersected the second ring in its center and touched the outermost part of the outermost third ring. Three smaller silver triangles reached from the center ring to the outermost part of the second middle circle. Between the four points on the middle ring sat four more silver triangles with their base on the second ring and their tips touching the outermost part of the outermost ring. Yokig assumed this person in the purple was the leader of the brotherhood of Negathor and what he wore on his chest was what they came for.
The crowd parted to make way for the travelers to come through. At first Yokig felt a slight pull, but as he walked closer to the purple robed man he felt his energy being pulled from his body, toward the object on the man's chest.
As they neared the man in the purple robe Yokig noticed, sitting at the man's feet, kneading her paws into the cold stone floor, Blackpaw, waiting for them eagerly.
"So," the purple robed man addressed the room. "This is the boy with dreams?" The man walked forward to meet Yokig and placed his hands on the boys shoulders.
Yokig felt his world start to go black. The pull from the silver thing on the man's neck had become overwhelming. Yokigs consciousness faded and the boy fell motionless to the floor.
"Give him space!" A voice commanded as Yokig slowly began to regain awareness of his surroundings. The people in the room had formed a circle around the boy. Someone rushed over and shoved a bowl of water into Yokigs hands "Here, drink this!" The mysterious person demanded, forcing Yokig to drink.
As the liquid entered Yokigs stomach, he felt a calm and cool sense of relief wash over his entire body.
Dresmael launched herself at him and placed his head in her lap. "What happened?" She cried. Yokig could sense her concern.
"I...I really don't know" Yokig lied. He knew as soon as he walked in, that artifact around the purple robed man's neck was pulling his consciousness to it. Yokig worried that he might upset the group that saved him from the cell, so he kept quiet and feigned ignorance. Yokig rubbed the back of his head and struggled to stand up, leaning his weight on Dresmaels shoulder to prop himself up until he regained his strength to stand for himself. The fall had given Yokig a mild concussion. From the pain on the back of his head, he could tell that the skin on his skull had been bruised.
The purple robed man now stood on the back wall as far away from Yokig as he possibly could without leaving the room. He curiously eyed the boy from afar. "You did well Gremleddle" The purple robed man congratulated the kingsman who rescued the travelers.
"Thanks high brother," the kingsman said, bathing in a round of applause from the entire group. "Oh, before I forget!" Gremleddle pushed his way through the crowded den, disappearing in a sea of black robes only to reemerge again with the travelers lost leather sacks. He struggled to carry all of the bags; a fellow brotherhood member relieved him of a bag and helped him carry them to the waiting travelers.
"Oh my, it can't be!" Dresmael fell to the floor and rummaged through her returned belongings. Triumphantly she pulled out her little green spellbook and held it tightly to her chest. "But how?" She beamed.
"Well, it wasn't easy." Grimleddle admitted, his face turning a bright pink. "In fact, all of you are lucky I was in the group that found you first. Hell, something must have been looking out for you, though I don't think it was the New Religions 'One God'"
Yokig looked into his bag. Almost nothing had been missing. Grenalda had packed him extra clothing and a warm blanket, but that's pretty much all he had on him except for a small knife she gave him for protection that was missing. "My knife!"
"Like I said, it wasn't easy." Gremleddle consulled Yokig, kneeling down and placing a hand on the boy's head.
The giant went through his bag and only gave a small grunt at its contents before giving Yokig a thumbs up.
"Your friend Blackpaw here, didn't say much about you, other than you were a boy with dreams" The high brother spoke and the room fell silent. "So, what brings a 'boy with dreams' to my city?"
"That." Yokig pointed at the silver compass dangling from the high brothers neck.
"Huh." the highbrother scooped the artifact into his hands. "This."
Yokig sensed a tense energy filling the room. The highbrother clutched the artifact in his hands. "And what does a boy with dreams need this for?"
"We're going to find him." Yokig didn't break eye contact with the man in the purple robe. There was no hesitation in his voice.
The brotherhoods den erupted into silent murmerings as the members gasped and discussed this revelation amongst themselves.
"This Compass was bestowed upon my predecessors by the last old one himself. It is the relic on which the entire brotherhood, in every part of Abahlon, rest its claims, and owes its entirety to." The voice behind the purple mask sounded upset and angry that someone would request such a thing as what he wore around his neck. "And, as it was entrusted to us, we have a responsibility to keep it safe, and thereby doing so, we keep the last old one safe!" The man's voice echoed throughout the small room. "What business do you have, that you would need to find the last old one?"
"We need to ask him..." Yokig paused. He was unphased by the tone of the high brothers voice. They came to Negathor for a reason, for a clear purpose and he was not about to stop now. "..if I'm the boy king."
"There have been other boys you know, who have had dreams. And not one of them was the boy king. If you have come here to ask me for this important artifact in your trivial quest to ask the old one such a silly question, then I'm sorry. This is where you will fail in your endeavor."
"But what if he is?" Dresmael desperately tried to plead to the high brother.
"Im sorry young lady, but that is not a risk I'm willing to take." The purple robed man coldly replied. "I do have good news for you travelers however. We have been discussing your visit for the past two days. And we, as a brotherhood, have decided that you may rest your feet and your heads in our den tonight. I suggest you use this time to plan out what you will do next. I personally will escort you out of the city in the morning, until then this meeting is adjourned."
Yokig felt hurt. He had not expected to be denied, especially by the head brother of Negathor. He thought that the brother would certainly be sympathetic to the boy with dreams cause and aid Yokig on his mission. Now Yokig felt only lost and betrayed.
The spirit of the entire travel party had been crushed. The members of the brotherhood gave their condolences and filed out of the den, one by one, to return to their unknown homes in the great city beyond. The travelers gathered in the center of the room, wallowing in their failure and disappointment.
"Was this all for nothing?" Yokig was utterly defeated.
"Well it was worth a try" Blackpaw finally spoke after remaining silent during the meeting.
Redbeard punched the floor, the weight of his fist combined with his immense strength was enough to shake the entire room. The high brother was the last to make his way to the door to leave. As he reached the exit, Yokig couldn't help but to scream out to him. "Wait!"
The high brother glanced over his shoulder at the boy. Yokig could tell the high brother was interested in what came out of his mouth next.
"It's been calling to me." Yokig knew that this was his last chance to convince the Head brother to relinquish the artifact to him. Once the brother walked out the door, their chance would be gone forever. "Ever since we arrived in Negathor I've felt its pull!"
The high brother withdrew his hand from the door knob. "Im sorry, what?" He said, loud enough for all the hear.
"The relic has been calling to me. Pulling me towards it." Yokig repeated himself making sure to clearly say each and every word, so that there was no possibility of the High brother misunderstanding him.
"Huh." The head brother joined their circle on the floor, standing above them. "Interesting."
The darkness, and the pulling, once again overtook Yokigs body. As he came back into awareness once again, he found himself surrounded by the traveling party and the high brother. The brother had removed the silver compass from his neck and he held it in his hands examining it like an old friend.
"You know, I remember when it called to me." The high brother reminisced. "It was hard for my predecessor to relinquish it to me; now I think I know why." The purple robed man rubbed the silver in his hand gently. "This relic has always been a funny thing. It's always had its own mind, and once it's decided on something, that was it. You couldn't convince it otherwise, it would pursue what, and who, it wanted, until what it desired had no choice but to submit to its will."
The high brother held the compass at eye level. "I didn't want to believe it at first. I guess I wanted to hang onto it just a little bit longer. But when it's time, it's time. Hold out your hands boy with dreams."
Yokig held out hinds as he was told to do. The High brother placed the relic into his waiting palms, and closed the boys fingers around its cool silver. Instead of fainting, Yokig could feel a surge of cool energy run through his entire body, from his hands to his shoulders, eventually overtaking his face and his legs. Yokig felt light and powerful at the same time, and strangely energized. He felt like, with this compass, he had the power to do anything. With the relic in his hands he felt oddly safe.
"There's a trap door in the shop below, under the display of oranges. The High brother dusted his robe off and stood up. "It leads out of the city and into the ruins of Negathors long lost sister city Lingathor" The Brother took one last look at the relic. "Goodbye old friend."
The high brother left the room, closing the door behind him shutting the travelers in.
They had found what they came for; now they could rest easy, knowing that the next thing they needed to find would be the last old one.