Viggo and Astrid, with exquisite speed and expertise, hurled themselves at them before they could recover and with precise knife-slashes took their lives. It was all over in the blink of an eye, and the two of them moved aside quickly to avoid being affected by the gas.
A third flight of stairs took them down to another level. The damp was now visible on the walls, which were not properly finished and seemed to be exuding water. Lasgol touched the wall and put his finger to his lips. The water was salt. They must have reached sea level.
“We’re very deep down,” he said in a whisper.
“I can see light ahead,” Astrid whispered back.
Lot of magic ahead, came Camu’s warning.
“I think this must be it,” Lasgol said. “It’s a chamber.”
“Keep pinned to the wall so they don’t see you,” Viggo said. “Astrid and I are going to take a look inside.”
Keeping to the shadows, the two of them lay on the floor and like two snakes hiding in the shadows, peered inside. It was a sizeable chamber which seemed to run under the great courtyard two floors above their heads. It was more of a cave than a chamber, as if it had been excavated after the building of the fortress. The walls and floor were natural rock and the dampness was even greater, so that the walls seemed to weep sea water. There was very little light: no more than half a dozen torches hanging on the walls, with no apparent natural light.
On the left, beside the wall, they saw the Sorcerer. Nobody had the least doubt that this was Olagar. Not only because of his clothes – a purple-and-black robe – or the staff he held in one hand, but because of something even more striking: he too was a transformed being, a squid-man. A tall, gaunt man with the head of a squid with huge eyes and tentacles his own length that fell to the floor. It was a horrible sight.
In front of the Sorcerer was a round well full of blue, bubbling seawater. Over this the Sorcerer was conjuring, and as he did so the waters were turning magenta. At the same time, it was bubbling more and more intensely, as though the water were boiling. A little further away, the floor of much of the cave blended with sea, as if it had sunk. Beyond it they could see the quiet waters of the bay.
To one side of the well were the prisoners, watched over by the group of guards they had seen before, who were waiting for instructions from the Sorcerer.
Olagar signaled to one of his acolytes. This man was dressed similarly and was also a squid-man, although his tentacles were shorter. His eyes, on the other hand, were equally impressive. He showed him a book, and Olagar went on conjuring as he read from the arcane tome.
Viggo turned to his friends at the sight of the guards, Olagar and his acolytes all gathered around the well. “This looks like a seafood restaurant in a busy port!”
Astrid put her finger to her lips, then gestured to Lasgol and Eicewald to take a careful look into the chamber.
Lot of power, Camu warned Lasgol.
Transformation magic?
Not know. Powerful.
Understood. Listen carefully to my instructions, because the situation is about to get complicated. We’re going to have a fight on our hands very shortly.
I ready.
Ona gave a muffled growl, and Lasgol knew she too was ready.
This place was more than gloomy, it sent shivers down their spines – and still more so with the sorcerers and acolytes and the spell they were preparing.
A second acolyte approached, carrying a basket. He knelt and showed the contents respectfully to Olagar, which were good-sized crabs. The Sorcerer gave his approval with a nod. The acolyte picked a specimen and carefully deposited it in the well, which was boiling blackly.
“They’re going to cook crab,” Viggo murmured. “Oh, how I love it!”
Astrid rolled her eyes and gestured to him to concentrate and be ready to spring into action. He nodded and showed her his knives. Astrid did the same, then reached for her belt and took out a container, from which she poured a substance along the edges of both their knives.
“Powerful poison,” she whispered. “Be careful.”
“I will.”
Olagar stopped conjuring and looked up, then gestured to one of the guards to bring him a prisoner. The unfortunate man chosen was a Rogdonian, dark-haired and white-skinned, although not as white as the Norghanians. An octopus-man pushed him over the edge of the well. A moment later Olagar was conjuring, moving his staff as he did so. A column of smoke rose, purple this time, and an enormous flash of magenta-black lit up half the chamber. The Sorcerer meanwhile went on chanting arcane words in a deep voice. Suddenly the prisoner emerged from the well, but he was no longer the same person. The transformation was complete, and now man and crab had blended to form a new being: a crab-man in Olagar’s service.
“Right,” Viggo said, brandishing his knives. “I’ve seen enough. It’s time to do something about this wrong-headed cuttlefish-sorcerer.”
“Wait,” Astrid said as she seized his arm. “Don’t forget the distraction!”
Eicewald nodded.
“Let’s follow the plan,” Lasgol said.
Outside, opposite the quay and beside Olagar’s ships, the boat carrying Ingrid, Nilsa and Gerd had nearly reached the position they had decided was most ideal.
“Now! Quick!” Ingrid said, and the three of them rose to one knee and nocked their bows.
“Aim carefully. Remember what we decided.”
For a moment they aimed, gauging the shot.
“Ready,”
