Once inside the house, Daryn looked at Cil. “Ok, so what are we supposed to do?” he asked. Cilen shrugged, and looked at the others. Briyen was climbing up out of the cellar, carrying a rolled up piece of parchment. Shanaya looked just as clueless as Cilen felt.
“This’s a map of Tir Aronyl.” Briyen said, waving the parchment. “Mom made it years ago. I doubt Rethlon’s changed it much.”
“How’d you know about it?” Cilen said, stunned.
Briyen shrugged. “I saw Mom and Dad put it away one night, and snuck a look.”
Daryn shook his head, and unrolled the parchment. “Aina’aikanaro!” he muttered, earning a glare from Shanaya. “It’s huge!”
Cilen nodded. “Yes. I think Lan and Tek are being held here.” He pointed to an underground level.
“How do we get there?” Shanaya asked.
“There’s a tunnel system leading to the level below. We could use that.” Briyen said.
“Where’s the entrance to it?” Daryn asked.
“In the cliff behind the castle.” Briyen told him, pointing. “We’ll have to climb to it, though.”
“How high?” said Cilen, looking at the map. “Oh boy…it’s good fifty feet, at least.”
Briyen nodded. “Yeah. But it’s the only way in, aside from the gates.”
“Then we take it.” Shanaya said.
“Won’t Rethlon know we’re coming?” Daryn asked. “Dad told me he had a…stone of some sort, or a mirror or something, that told him whenever a stranger was coming.”
“Oh yeah…” Briyen said. “I forgot about Ayanalis.” Seeing Shanaya and Daryn’s confused looks, Briyen added, “Ayanalis means Eye-stone. That’s the stone your father told you about.”
“Oh.” Shanaya said. “Great. How do we get in if he knows we’re coming?”
Briyen thought for a moment. “I don’t know…” he said at last.
“That’s the problem.” Cilen said. “Everything else could work, if Rethlon didn’t have Ayanalis.”
“If this Ayanalis could be destroyed, we might have a chance.” Daryn said.
Briyen looked up. “That’s it!” he cried.
“What’s it? Cilen asked.
“Destroying Ayanalis!” Briyen said, excitedly.
“You know as well as anyone else you can’t destroy that thing!” Cilen told him, slightly annoyed
Briyen shrugged, then his face lit up again. “There is a way to destroy it.” He said. “I’ve just remembered.”
“How?” Cilen asked, skeptically.
“The Dagger of Indoran.” Briyen replied.
“That’s just a legend.” Cilen scoffed. “It’s not real.”
“Yes it is.” Briyen said. “Rethlon hid it somewhere, though, so no-one would use it. I think it’s over the mountains, near the Western border.” The fifteen-year-old boy ran to a nearby bookcase and pulled out a small book, bound in copper-colored leather. Opening it, he flipped through the pages, then showed the others what he had found. It was of a mithril dagger, a single, electric blue stone on the hilt, just below the blade.
“That’s the Dagger.” Briyen said. “Says here it’s kept in Karal tas Marianta.”
“The Chamber of Magic.” Cilen said, suppressing a shudder. “Not many can get in there, and most never return.”
“Who can get in, Cil?” Daryn asked.
“Sorcerers.” Cilen said. “Mages. None of us, anyway.”
“But…you said that Briyen could be a mage or sorcerer.” Shanaya pointed out. “Could he get in?”
“I don’t know.” Cilen said. “Maybe.”
“You got any better ideas, ‘Len?” Briyen asked. Cilen shook his head. “Ok, then.”
“It’s getting late.” Daryn said, glancing out the window.
“Yeah. And we want to start early tomorrow.” Cilen said. “Let’s get some sleep.”
Go to Chapter Six.