Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 21:40:14 -0400
From: DABEAGLE <dabeagle@nycap.rr.com>
Subject: Through Time 4

	The door in the stonewall opened into a passageway concealed in
shadows. Roland said he would stay behind so as not to raise suspicion and
make things harder for us if he was found to be missing. The orbs in our
packs began to glow and Kody removed one and held in front of him to guide
us down. We descended a slow spiral that was filled with cobwebs and small
creatures that scurried out of our way. The orb initially gained steadily
in strength and then it's color slowly turned milky, and then began to
fade.
	I was second in line and was vaguely disappointed that William
wasn't in front of me. A wave of guilt washed over me about my complaining
about his lack of speaking. How awful that must be to not be able to talk,
to not ever speak words of love or passion. I felt my cheeks growing hot at
the thought of that and turned to glance at William, silent and catlike as
he walked behind us. He grinned shyly and I returned it and turned back
around in time to stumble into Kody.
	"Jeez, watch what your doing!" He hissed.
	"Sorry." I mumbled.
	We continued to descend in the fading darkness and the orb
continued to lose it's light until it winked out entirely. We continued to
spiral downward in the total darkness when I heard William flail suddenly
and stumble unto me, arms moving wildly.
	"Wait, what's wrong? Hold on!" I whispered loudly. He ceased his
thrashing and I reached for him in the darkness. I found a huge spider web,
or what felt like one on his face. I slowly removed it, savoring the
feeling of touching his smooth face, and trailing my fingers over his
mouth. Strictly to remove cobwebs, you understand. I ran my fingers through
his hair thoroughly and got all the offending wisps off of him and then
helped him to his feet. I wish I could see his face right now!
	"Did I get it all? You ok?" I asked, immediately wondering how he'd
answer me. He reached out and fumbled for my hand and then raised it to his
face to show me he was smiling. Smiling! I glowed inside right up until I
got an elbow in the ribs.
	"Hey, look there's some light!" Kody said. Little pest! We moved
forward and found the source of the light streaming through a crack in the
wall, another secret door but slightly less concealed I guessed from the
gap that showed the light that was flickering and wavering under the bottom
of the door, must be torchlight. How far down were we?
	I felt around the edges of the door but found nothing that would
release the panel. William gently nudged me aside and then took my hand in
his, not that I fought it off or anything, and placed it about knee
level. I felt a small indent in the rough surface, but he kept dragging my
hand until I found the edge of the door, which was beveled. Inside the
doorway was a small circular stone, which he forced my fingers to
depress. The stone slid easily into the door and the door slid silently out
of the way, like an elevator door almost cause it slid rather than swung
out. I poked my head out and looked into the passage we had been led
into. It was very dim with torches festooned to the walls every fifteen or
twenty feet. Kody and William had stepped into the passage with me and as
the door closed I realized I was still holding Williams hand. I withdrew
quickly and began to feel very grateful for the dimness of the corridor so
my burning cheeks could not be seen.
	"Which way?" I asked William. Strangely he had a slightly hang dog
look on his face. I wonder why? He started off and I realized that there
was a gentle slope downwards in this corridor and it grew cooler as we
went. At last we stepped into a large antechamber, which was the
cellblock. We huddled in the arch as we surveyed the room. The lone guard
was slumped in his chair, head at an odd angle. Couldn't be comfortable for
sleeping, that's for sure. Quietly and with great care William led the way
and we followed down the cellblock peering into the cells, many crammed so
full that people who very likely were dead were standing pressed tightly to
the bars of their prison.
	We continued on to the end of the chamber where a smaller corridor
led to a smaller cellblock, and here the horror truly began. A woman was
hanging, hands impaled on iron hooks and the skin on her back flayed
open. Her... her groin was caked with dried blood, as though abused in a
most vicious manner. The woman dangled, fine satin gown puddled on the
floor, spun golden hair soiled and missing in clumps where only ragged
flesh remained.
	William opened his mouth in a silent scream and dropped to his
knees, mouth straining to vocalize the pain his heart felt. Large tears
puddled in his eyes and I felt my stomach heave and I released my stomach's
contents on the floor. William continued to stare, eyes looking as though
they would fall out at any moment, pain in evidence as his mouth moved in
vain. Slowly, he stood and went to help steady him.
	William tottered and gasped as his mouth moved in silent prayer. He
opened his eyes and walked unsteadily towards the woman and kneeled,
placing his hands on his lips and then over her heart. He then rose and
removed her impaled hands, catching her tattered body and laying it gently
upon the stone floor. I stepped to him slowly.
	"Who was she, William?" I asked in a low voice.
	He pointed to himself and then to the sky.
	"Your mother?" I asked, still very quiet.
	He nodded yes, and then pointed over his head again.
	"Yeah, I guess she went to heaven." I said with sadness.
	He shook his head and pointed up, then made as if he was placing a
ring or something on his head. I looked at him in confusion and he repeated
the action, and then placed his imaginary circle over the woman's head.
	"She's the queen?" I asked, "Roland's Mother?"
	He nodded affirmatively.
	"But then, you and Roland are..." He nodded with a sad smile. I
turned this over in my mind. He took the tattered remnants of the dress
and, after closing the wide and staring eyes, covered her face. He stood
then and began to inspect the room. It was circular and had four doors in
it, one closed. He went immediately to the door and peered through the
peephole set in the door. He pushed on the door and found it locked. We
would need the keys from the sleeping guard. I headed back out to the main
chamber and crept silently to the guard who moved not at all. Boy, what a
deep sleeper!
	The keys were on a small ring of hammered steel on the rough-hewn
table next to the guard. As I reached for the keys I got my first real
glimpse at the guard. His eyes were wide and staring, much like the woman
in the other room. His neck had looked odd because it was, a purplish band
running around its visible surface, bulging in a very un normal
way. Suddenly my stomach revolted again and I spilled my stomach on the
floor, I stumbled away from the mess and leaned against the wall for
support. William stepped out and placed a concerned hand on my shoulder. My
skin was torn between the electricity of his touch and the scenes that
played in my head of that poor woman and this young guard. I stood again
quickly, forcing my feet under me and grabbed the keys, unmindful of their
jingling due to the indifference the guard was sure to have. William and I
strode to the one locked door and I inserted the first key, which failed to
turn. I tried six more before the tumblers fell. William pushed on the door
that squealed open in protest.
	Chained to the wall was a man, dark hair who was facing away from
us. His skin was flayed open on his back, mush like the woman's had
been. He turned his head slowly, painfully and we saw the defiant power in
his eyes.
	"William! Thanks be! Help me, these bindings are laced and I cannot
break them." The man said vigorously. William took the keys from me and
worked them to the lock on the restraints, finally getting the right key,
and the man fell to his knees with exhaustion.
	"The guard," He panted, "dead?" He asked haltingly from pain as the
wounds on his lashed back broke open and blood ran feely down his broken
skin. William nodded and twisted his own head for emphasis.
	"I thought so, but I couldn't be sure. My physical self is so weak
I can't do much, I couldn't feel if I got him or not. The shackles were
laced with belladonna, and you know that limited me even further. But as
days pass, I find I grow in strength as the sun glides ever deeper into
shadows."  He glanced at William and gave him a small smile, "I felt you
coming, so the guards time had come, poor misguided lad." He rubbed his
wrists and slowly stood to his feet. He took stock of Kody and myself, as
we still stood in the doorway, side by side by side by side.
	"And you two, we have been waiting for you." He said, with a small
smile on his face. William glanced at us in curiosity.
	"William, do you know who they are? Think carefully and remember
your teachings, though they may have stopped. Can you think of any
knowledge that might apply to them?" He said quietly, his voice carrying
power.
	William, for his part, looked confused as he studied us. I was
growing uncomfortable, like an animal on display, and was wondering how
William could possibly tell him what his answer was, should he have one at
all.
	"No? Well, open your mind as Asmodean teaches." He said to William
and then turned to us. "You have much of my power with you. You carry it
even now. You have heard my voice and taken instruction, and now we should
know of each other. Your packs, please." He said holding out his hands.
	As if in a trance we handed our packs to him, practically in
unison. Why am I doing this? I wondered. It has all our food and clothes,
but I seemed powerless to stop.
	"When the surprise attack cam I was only able to cast part of the
slow time spell, and that is why we repeat the day again and again." He
said while unlacing the tops of the packs. "Malodur shackled me and drained
as much as he could from me, but he's greedy and instead of destroying it,
he hid it in hopes he could add it to himself somehow. Now it will return
to me."
	He set the packs on the stone floor and reached into one, and it
glowed bright blue, almost as a blue sun would, and he held it aloft in his
hand. His feet lifted off the ground about a foot and the orbs began to
float out of the packs, slowly spinning and orbiting the wizard. Asmodean
slowly turned as well, and when his flayed skin was visible, an orb crashed
into the broken skin and ruptured, spraying blue over his tortured body.
	I stood in shock, as he did not disintegrate as the bullet and gun
had earlier, but the blue glow seemed to tug at and seal the ragged breaks
in the flesh, making a bloody ruin whole and healthy again. The glow
continued over his body until he was a blue sun being orbited by small
azure suns. These orbs slowly began to seep their eerie blue contents and
swirl in to a dazzling blue aura that whipped around him without disturbing
the air at all. The swirling blue, which looked vaguely like clouds,
swirled ever closer and finally settled on the wizard's body, sinking into
him.
	"At last! I have my strength, and my wits to defend with!" He spun
on his heel, "William, do you have the answer?"
	William jumped as if he had been in a trance and nodded his head to
the affirmative. He lifted his hand to show a ring, intertwined colors ran
on circles, like a twisted rainbow. The Blue and Green bands were shining
with a light all their own.
	"Yes, they have come at last," Asmodean turned to see us again as
he spoke, "Legend, which gave way to myth and was almost forgotten to time,
foretold of your coming. And your eyes confirm my hopes and suspicions."
	I Turned to Kody and nearly jumped out of my skin as his eyes were
glowing the brightest blue, the white gone altogether. He in turn had
backed away from me, and I was grateful and worried at once. What was wrong
with him?
	"Aaron, your eyes!" Kody whispered in awe.
	"Mine?' I said, "Yours are glowing blue!" I exclaimed.
	"Yours are Green, really bright. Like everywhere you had white it's
all green now!" Kody said with more wonder than fear in his voice.
	"My eyes turned green?" I said worriedly, nothing else looked
green, like I wasn't looking through a tint or anything. I turned and
looked at Asmodean and William.
	"What's happening?" I asked nervously.
	William looked at me in awe, as though I was a strange bug under a
glass, and I can't say I was happy about it. Asmodean merely smiled
benignly and motioned us out of the cell.
	"We must find a safe place first, soldiers are coming and it is
usually wiser to avoid conflict if one can." And with that he strode out of
the chamber with us in tow. William kept giving me sidelong glances and I
grew more nervous and embarrassed with every step.
	We passed the overcrowded cell and the dead guard and headed into
the passage we had used to reach the prison. Asmodean halted quite suddenly
and turned to Kody.
	"Watch closely." He said. And moved his hands in half arcs over the
wall and the wall parted as if it were liquid, showing a hidden
passageway. He reversed the motion and the rip in the wall closed as if it
were never there.
	"Now you try." He said to Kody. Kody looked at him wide eyed and
asked just how he was supposed to do that.
	"Listen carefully." Asmodean said with patience, "You have energy
locked in you right now, magic has been worked near you and awakened the
abilities you have. The same for your traveling companion. You must begin
to wield the magic as soon as you can, and so start with something simple,
like opening a sealed passage."
	Kody looked at him like he had three heads and was sprouting a
fourth.  "I can't work magic, or whatever it is you just did to that wall!"
Kody exclaimed.
	 Asmodean looked at him patiently but with purpose as well. "The
presence of the blue energy in your eyes indicates you have the power to
perform magic like this." He moved his hands in the half arcs again and the
wall in front of him parted again, and once again he closed the passage the
same way. He turned to Kody. "Now place your hands like this and
concentrate on seeing the wall shift as you saw it do a moment ago." He
said placing his hands out, palm out in front of him.
	Kody hesitated for a moment then placed his hands in a similar
stance. Asmodean instructed him to move his hands in the fashion he saw
when he had opened the doorway, and Kody complied. He inhaled sharply and
the wall shimmered and them parted.
	"Good, let's go." Asmodean said matter-of-factly and entered the
passage. "Seal the door behind you." He said to Kody as he waited for us on
the other side of the doorway. We stepped through, William and I standing
behind Asmodean and Kody as Kody moved his hands over the doorway and it
sealed us in darkness.
	A blue flame leapt from Asmodean's hand and lit the passageway. He
showed Kody his finger and asked him if he could see the pattern. What
pattern? Kody nodded yes and a moment later a small blue flame leapt from
his pointer finger. I was in shock, to say the least, what the hell was all
this?
	Asmodean moved down the passageway until we reached a cavern like
opening. With a small wave of the lit finger, torches around the room leapt
to life and the shadows were chased form the room. He sat down with his
legs crossed and slowly lifted off the ground about three inches.
	"Now is the time for questions and answers. First, some important
information." He said looking at us seriously as we took seats on the
floor. We waited for him to continue.
	"Names?" He said looking from Kody and then to me and back
again. "Or shall we dub you the Green and Blue Wizards?" He asked. William
chortled and I felt my cheeks warm. What did he mean wizards?
	"I'm Kody and he's my best friend Aaron. Are we really wizards?" He
asked excitedly.
	"Yes, both of you. To our people you are known as Quantum Wizards,
because you have a foot in more than one plane of existence. It was
foretold you would come to free this land from it's shackles of war and
unite it under the banner of peace and acceptance."
	My mouth must have looked like it unhinged. He was nuts! Quantum
Wizards and planes of existence? HE looked directly at me.
	"No I a not 'nuts' as you put it and that is what you are, like it
or not." He looked back and forth at the two of us. "The Quantum Wizards
are very special, and very powerful. They each work with nature, n harmony,
usually with one element. For example, Kody's eyes turned blue due to his
ability to work especially well with the planets energy. He can still work
general magic, like the doorways, but his real strength lies in
energy. You," He said looking at me, "Have green eyes due to your abilities
with nature and weather. You'll find Earth and plants will respond to your
bidding, and weather will become a close friend of yours."
	I have to admit my curiosity was getting the better of me, but I
was still skeptical.
	"If I can work magic, why did I see no pattern when you asked Kody
if he did see one? He said he did, but I didn't." I asked.
	"Because Fire is an energy, if it had been a wind spell you would
have seen it. Like this." He said and held his hand out, palm down. Air
began to shift under his face down palm and a small cyclone sprang t life,
tossing dust about and sucking it into a whirlpool of air. And I did see
something, it looked like... Almost like a circuit board, like the pattern
of the metal paths engraved on the board. It was like a map.
	"Yes, like a map, a template or recipe, whichever suits you
best. And now that you see it, follow my example." He said quietly.
	 I placed my hand out hesitantly and faced it palm down. I imagined
the circuit in my head and felt a small breeze, but nothing happened. I
looked at Asmodean and he nodded to try again. I looked at his pattern
carefully, and noticed a part I hadn't thought of, and so tried again. I
felt a small suction on my hand and looked down in surprise as a small
cyclone spun and danced on the floor near my feet!
	"Good, now Quantum Magic works well when mixed properly. For
example," He said placing a small piece of wood on the floor, " Aaron,
concentrate your wind here instead of focusing under your hand." I did as
he told me, and the suction on my hand was gone, replaced by a small
whirlpool if air dancing in the wood.
	"Now, Kody, place fire on the wood." Asmodean instructed.
	Kody pointed at the wood and blue flame erupted from the wood,
spurred into fiery life by the wind that fed it.
	"Cheers, you have worked tandem magic. Now you see why Quantum
Wizards are so dangerous?  For one wizard to balance two spells is
difficult at best, but for Quantum's to work together, it can be
devastating. They have to be trained carefully, to be masters in order to
cooperate in battle and in peace. They are more powerful than any single
wizard alone, when combined the Quantum Wizards harness the very
planet. And that is why you are so important, why we have sought you
out. To save Roland, and his mother, the Queen."
	William turned his head sharply and looked at Asmodean at this last
statement. Asmodean would not or could not face William. "She endures day
after day, and each day she lives and dies. Tomorrow that changes." He
looked at us; "Watch carefully, this spell will hold us in time much more
solidly, not haphazardly as the spell that is working now does. Time cannot
be stopped altogether, but it can be bent as most rules can."
	He spoke in something that may have been close to Latin, and much
that sounded like little more than grunts. I felt the hairs on my arms
stand up and then I swear I saw time wash past us, like a wave of
luminescent water.
	"Now we have time to work." He said and nodded to William, "Take
Kody and go get Roland. Show him some spells for practice on the way, and
then bring Roland into the circle. I will take Aaron with me."
	What? I wanted to be near William! I opened my mouth and Asmodean
cut me off.
	"He does too, but there is much to do and I need your help. Don't
worry, there will be time later." He said, not unkindly. My mouth dropped
and my cheeks burned, I looked at William whose eyes went wide and he
hooked Kody's arm and disappeared down the passage the way we had come. I
turned to face Asmodean.
	"Ok buster, I'm not moving an inch until you explain a few things!"
I said. Asmodean shook his head, "Later." He intoned and began to turn from
me. I don't know where it came from, but I suddenly reacted, lashed out
with a pattern I didn't know like it was second nature to me, and I saw the
air tighten into a grip around Asmodean, binding him in place.
	"I, ah, oh boy." I gulped, "I want some answers." To say he looked
surprised would have been to use understatement as the British do. It took
no more than a moment for him to undo the spell, and he turned to face me.
	"Already the planet speaks through you." He shook his head in
wonder. "All right, let us speak then, here and now." He settled on a
cushion of air once again and began to speak.
	"Quantum Wizards used to be more commonplace than they are now, but
they grew unruly and the planets resources began to deplete. While they
worked the planets magic they would not die naturally, age was no factor to
them. The planet would rejuvenate them and keep them young and vital. That
was until Callas."
	"Callas was a very powerful worker of magic, mostly of Air. He had
a mastery of the weather that is still unequaled. Unfortunately, wind is
also the most temperamental of the Quantum lines, and the weakest. Air ebbs
and flows like the seas, and he simply passed in his sleep one evening, old
and gray he was found to be in the morning. That should have been a herald,
a wake up to the others, but casting and manipulation of the planets energy
had become commonplace and so much a part of everyday life that it was all
but impossible to stop. One by one the energy did not exist to sustain them
and they began to die off, some quietly like Callas, some much more
violently. Energy workers were the worst to see die, it must have been
painful, I know it was painful enough to see it happen." Asmodean grew
quiet.
	"So if I'm one of these people, I'm going to die like this?" I
asked with just a little alarm in my voice. Just a little.
	"That was thousands of years ago. The planet has healed, and
Quantum Wizards are very rare, most people now cannot feel the planet's
energy, and therefore cannot be taught to use it. Others are so strong that
they only need magic to be worked near them to fan the sparks inside them."
	"Like with me and Kody?" I asked.
	"Exactly." He replied.
	"Ok, but what are we supposed to do with this power? And why did
you tell William to teach Kody stuff? And how come it seems like.."
	"I can read your mind?" He finished. I nodded, open-mouthed.
	"Your thoughts are unprotected and near the surface of your
conscious mind. Because we work in magic, our thoughts are more easily
laced together. As to what your supposed to do with this power, your here
for Roland, and the planet."
	"What does that mean?"  I asked with frustration.
	"The planet is broken into many pieces, one at war with many
others. States give way to countries that fall to outside attack, and then
the conquerors are swept away by yet another set of invaders. Pillage and
plunder is the normal behavior. Together we will change that, we shall
unite the nations under one banner. And you were here to start with because
you saw Roland in the mural in the practice chamber."
	"Practice chamber? You mean where the portal is?" I asked.
	He nodded, "New magic workers are trained an that room, and it was
ideal to let you taste what you could do." He said.
	"What do you mean, what I can do?" I asked, again laced with
frustration.
	"It was your energy that opened the portal, heightened by your
need. And by your desire for Roland. In the end, your desire was not
enough, but Kody's was ample, coupled with need to open the fickle portal."
I was once again open mouthed about how matter-of-factly he spoke about the
attraction between Kody, the two princes and myself.
	"You asked about William. He was once very strong as well, and many
spells can be cast with hand motions and concentration. But the more
powerful spells require speech, and when he lost that ability, he lost the
desire to work magic. You have to understand William; he was to be the
warrior prince, as the younger of the two brothers he was considered
expendable in political terms. The only way he could make his mark, please
his father was through combat. When Orund surprised him on the battle
field, that all came to a stop." Tears stood in Asmodean's eyes. "William
was my best student, better than Roland, all he can work is general
magic. He worked very hard and it was doubly hard on him to lose that
power. Now, he has a purpose again. He can teach, he can be instrumental in
bringing peace despite the loss of his voice."
	I digested this very carefully. William was obviously loved by his
brother, and his mother was very important to him. Well, wait, was she? He
was shocked, but he recovered quickly.
	"We have little time for grief right now, so he moves on out of
necessity, not from uncaring." I looked at him in frustration; I didn't
like my thoughts to be read.
	"It's not so bad really, why do you think William stays close to
you?" Asmodean asked, a small smile skirting his features.
	"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.
	"William can feel your thoughts and emotions as well. In fact, I
felt him reach out and test your thoughts a few days ago, something he
hasn't done in ages." Asmodean stood and stretched, "Certainly beats
sitting in a pub and staring longingly all night wondering if he or she
likes you enough that you dare to try and make friends, much less love."
	"Hey! Who said I was interested?" I replied indignantly and a
little fearfully.
	"Your heart did, of course. Don't be alarmed about that! There is
very little prejudice to do with your emotions. I do not share them, but
naturally I want to see the princes happy." He said in a reassuring tone.
	"And... Do I make him happy?" I asked cautiously.
	"Very. Now, time for your lesson. Your strength lies in Earth,
although as we saw wind and weather are quite reasonable in you as
well. Watch closely, I am going to teach you a spell called surface
ripple." I pulled myself from thoughts of William and watched his motions
carefully. The magic seemed to swell around him like a small green nimbus
cloud, swirling and dancing in luminescence. He then pointed at the ground
and a small ripple moved through the dirt, as if it was water and a pebble
had been dropped on its surface.
	I was impressed.
	"Now, you try." I nodded slowly and brought the pattern to mind,
and then pointed at the same spot. Nothing. I tried to focus harder, but to
no avail.
	"Do you see the pebble in the middle of the floor?" I looked and
nodded. A small piece of dirty white quartz sat on the floor.
	"Use it as a focus point, see the earth ripple around it. Focus
calmly in your mind, there is nothing but the stone and earth."
	I looked at the stone and imagined the earth as a still pond, and
just like that the earth rippled away from the stone in the center.
	"Wow." I breathed.
	"It's a nice parlor trick, you might think. Imagine it taking place
in the center of an army, with earthen waves standing as tall as
hills. Make no mistake, the Earth has rage." He stretched and stood. "Time
to move on, even if time has stopped, we don't have all day!"
	"Indeed, you are right, your time has run out!" Intoned a deep
imposing figure emerging from he darkened tunnel.


	William and Kody moved back down the passageway to the blank
stonewall. William nudged Kody and held up one finger in a gesture to
wait. He then pointed at the wall where the passageway was and moved his
hand in a slashing motion. The gateway turned translucent and they could
see into the passageway.
	"Wow, can they see in from the outside?" Kody asked.
	William shook his head no. A guard was stuck n place with his back
turned to them, seemingly frozen by the thickening bands of time. William
passed his hand over the gateway and it solidified again. Kody made the
same slashing motion and the wall shimmered into an opaque translucence
again. After being sure the guard would not see them, Kody opened the
passageway, then sealed it behind them. The hurried up the passage to the
stonewall where the door to the passageway was hidden.
	Suddenly the Keep was alive with sounds, the shouts of men, the
clang of armor and guards yelling. William's eyes sprang wide open and he
quickly depressed the button to open the passageway. AS the door slid open
four armed guards stormed around the bend in the passageway heading in the
direction of the jail. They charged the boys, who darted into the
passageway.
	"William, we have to stop them now, we have to fight! If they find
this passageway it'll endanger Roland!" Kody said urgently.
	William nodded, and turned to face the threat as they entered the
passage. As the last of the four stood in the doorway, William moved his
hands and the stone door to the passageway slammed shut, with the guard
trapped in the wall. The three remaining guards were unaware of the fate of
their comrade and charged up the stone steps towards the boys. Kody pointed
at them and a small blue flame leapt from his finger, growing longer and
brighter as it did. Soon it was like a flamethrower and the guards tried in
vain to retreat, but they were trapped against the stone walls. They began
to scream as the heat began to reach them and they realized that they were
about to die. William brought his thumb and forefinger together in a circle
and their voices were suddenly silenced as he cast a spell of Quiet. In a
matter of minutes it was over, all that remained was burnt bones and
charred breastplates and the smell of burning flesh hung in the air,
gagging the two as they climbed away from the carnage as quickly as they
could.
	"How'd that happen? Asmodean's spell should have almost stopped
everything, right?" Kody wheezed as they climbed side by side.
	William held out his hands in fists, one next to the other and then
pulled them apart.
	"Someone broke the spell?" Kody asked. William nodded the
affirmative in reply. They climbed in silence until they reached the top of
the stairwell. Kody extinguished the flame on the tip of his finger and
William made the door opaque. A guard sat in a chair across from them, and
Roland was bound to the bedpost with rope that was firmly tied and he
appeared to be unconscious. The guard was talking, but there was no sound
permeating the wall.
	Kody looked longingly at Roland and thought to himself, 'oh man, if
only the timing wasn't so bad!'. William nudged him in the ribs and Roland
began to stir. Kody looked at William who just smiled and shook his
head. William pointed at Roland and then began to move his fingers. The
rope began to untie itself, slowly at first, and then with more speed. The
rope moved across the room and began cinching the guard in the chair
tightly to his perch. The guard woke suddenly and Kody cast Quiet, as he
had seen William do earlier, and the guard was disabled. The heavy blanket
from the bed lifted and crossed the room as well, and covered the guard so
that the room was not visible to him. Then William opened the gateway and
we entered the bedchamber.
	Roland was dazed on the floor slowly trying to stand. Kody took his
wrists in his hands and began rubbing them to encourage circulation.
	"What happened? I felt Asmodean cast, but then there was a counter
casting, and his spell was gone. And hey!" He stood suddenly looking from
William to Kody and back, "Who thought it was interesting to see me tied to
the bed?"