Ransom Note

Muld and Syndi are contacted by the mysterious wizard.

6.

Ransom Note

 

 

Syndi paced continually, stopping at every few laps to stare anxiously at Muld’s crystal ball.    Muld just sat in front of the scrying device, wondering how the conversation would go and trying to reassure Syndi telepathically.

* Why doesn’t he contact us?   It’s past the time he specified!*   Syndi said frantically to him in her mind.

* He may be watching us to make certain there is no one else present.   He told us to both be seated by the crystal ball, so why don’t you come over here and sit down. *

Syndi sighed and complied with his request.    As soon as her rear touched the chair, the crystal ball began to glow a deep purple color, clouding over for a moment before snapping into clarity, revealing a figure wearing an off white hooded robe.   The room he was sitting in was very dim and only his mouth and chin could be seen, the rest of his face was concealed by shadows.

“Excellent; you complied with my requirements.”   He spoke with the controlled tone and good diction of a master spell caster.

*Notice his chin.*   Muld said to Syndi telepathically, *It is more pointed than usual; I’d say he is an elf or half-elf.*

“My name shall not be disclosed to you, but you can call me the Wizard of Windhaven.”

“What was the meaning of your message to us, sir?”   Muld asked.

“I will not waste time with cordialities and small talk, Master Muld.    I have been watching both of you and your successful guild.   Until recently, I was employed by Hobnail, the lord of the northern pirates.    Regrettably, he met his fate after having dealings with you.    Since that time, there has been a power struggle among what is left of his people.”

“None of his lieutenants view me with as much favor as their late chief, and frankly it is a sentiment that I return.    However, one does not simply leave the employment of pirates.    Many in their ‘employment’ are not much more than slaves.     I have a sister being held as a hostage to guarantee my obedience.    But with Hobnail gone, her fate is uncertain, as no one is clearly in charge now.”

“There are several tasks I shall require from you, and I will only tell you of each one after the previous task has been successfully completed.    To insure your assistance, I have regrettably had to resort to the strategy used against me.    Last night, the Airship carrying the King and Queen of the Losasidhe Kingdom was boarded by a pirate crew commanded by me.    I know that you have been informed of what occurred and that your parents, Princess, were not amongst the dead.”

 

Syndi paled squeezing Muld’s hand tightly as she asked, “So you have them?”

“Yes, and both are well and safe.”

“I want to see them!”

“In time, you will be allowed to verify their state of being.”

“Yet you killed the crew of their airship,” Muld stated.

“It was unfortunate, but I want you to clearly understand that I would not hesitate to kill your fiancée’s parents if you both don’t do exactly what I require of you.”

“We’ll comply, but I must know that they are safe,” Syndi said, struggling to maintain her composure.  

“That is understandable and I will allow you both to speak to them, but first I must make you aware of the situation and the tasks I have for you.”

“But-“  Syndi started to say, yet Muld squeezed her hand and mentally told her to just let the wizard speak for now.

The wizard’s mouth formed a slight sympathetic smile, “I do not want to harm them, Princess.     If you do as I say, I assure you that they will be returned to you in perfect health.     But I am desperate and I won’t banter with either of you.”

“So what do you want from us?”   Muld asked.

“First, I need a new airship, as mine was seriously damaged while kidnapping Princess Syndi’s parents.    There is a new airship that is to be dedicated the day after tomorrow.   You know of the one I mean, for both of you toured her today.    I want the two of you to steal the Queen Eioldth.”

Muld and Syndi just blankly stared at the crystal ball, unable to believe the wizard was serious.

“You want us to actually steal the new airship?”   Muld finally asked, dumbfounded.

“By whatever means you like.”

“You can’t be serious!”   Muld exclaimed, “Sir, it is highly guarded and the whole city will be attending the public unveiling of it!   How in the world could we possibly steal it?”

The wizard’s mouth smiled as if he was amused at Muld’s reaction.   “Why, you are a creative and imaginative man, Master Muld, and I am certain you can come up with a way to obtain the airship.”

Muld just shook his head in disbelief, “But even if we were able to get it, how could we get far?    Every other airship in Marksylvania would converge on it.”

“Perhaps I would not have you travel far.    All I require from you is to steal it.”

“But we’d have to know where to take it!”

“East,” The wizard said almost casually, “You would fly due east and I would intercept you and take control of the ship.    Then all your responsibility would end and the first of three tasks would be successfully completed.”

“What are the other tasks, then?”   Syndi asked apprehensively.

“Not yet, Princess, not yet.   First things first.   You will have until dawn, the day after tomorrow, to steal the airship.”

“Yesh, have mercy, you can not be serious!”   Muld exclaimed.

“When you have taken the ship, fly due east and I will intercept you, then you will be allowed to speak to King Eiolmoel and Queen Synthaeia and see that they are well.    Then we’ll discuss the second of your tasks!   You have a day and a half to take the Queen Eioldth, remember my instructions to you!”

“Wait!”  Syndi and Muld said together, but the image on the crystal ball faded out.

Syndi burst into tears, frustrated at not being able to see that her parents were safe.

Muld just held her, letting her weep as his mind rushed over the terrible task ahead of them.

 

***

 

In a darkened study on the opposite side of town, a group of people stretched and shifted around after the image had faded from a large crystal ball in front of them.

“Lights,”   Queen Aurei called, activating the arcane lighting immediately.

“So neither Muld and Syndi, nor this wizard was able to detect our watching them?”   King Eleazar asked his mother-in-law, Alleania.

“No, and I doubt the wizard would suspect us to use his own methods to spy.” She answered, “The telepathy rings I gave them to use were enchanted so I could find them by scrying device and see what they see.   I did not tell them about this enchantment.”

“Do we contact Muld and Syndi?”   Reverend Mother Zeatt asked her sister.

“No, the less that they know, the better, for then they won’t be able to accidentally pass the knowledge over to this ‘Wizard of Windhaven’.”

“Windhaven is more of a myth than an actual place.”   Baron Alvis said, “I spent this evening looking through maps in the royal library and it didn’t appear on any of them, which is not surprising if it was an artificial floating island.”

“That could be a problem tracing them to the source.”   Eleazar commented.

“That is why we contacted you.”   Zeatt said, glancing at her sister, “We theorized that sooner or later, Muld and Syndi will encounter this wizard in person and maybe by us watching them, it will tell us where the last of these pirates are hiding and hopefully allow a rescue of King Eiolmoel and Queen Synthaeia.”

“So you doubt that completion of this wizard’s tasks will free the Losasidhe royals?”   Aurei asked her aunt.

“I don’t know, child, but it would seem doubtful.    They’d want revenge after being released.”

“Yes, but killing them would cause Muld and Syndi - and the whole Losasidhe kingdom- to seek revenge.”

“Unless they don’t release them or kill them,”   Eleazar said, “They just might continue to hold the two of them to force compliance by Muld and Syndi and keep away any attempt to find them.”

“Plus”, Alvis added, “That would give this wizard leverage over Muld and Syndi again if he ever needed other favors.     It would never end, I would imagine.”

“The key is the airship,” Archmage Drake finally spoke up after sitting contemplating the situation, “We know that this wizard wants this new airship and that he will take delivery of it as soon as Muld and Syndi steal it.    So I’d suggest that we make it as easy as possible for them to steal - without seeming to be easy-  and have some well concealed stowaways on board.    This wizard will be watching closely for a trick by Muld and Syndi, but hopefully he won’t expect us to act.”

Everyone assembled agreed with Drake’s idea and for the rest of that night, secret plans were made.