Metamor Keep -- First and Last
By Christian O'kane & Wolf

Part 6

"Amazing!" Caroline said in awe as they walked. "I've lived in the pass my entire adult life and I never knew this road was here."

"Jon will have a fit when he hears about this," Matthias said.

Misha chuckled. "He will at that. He'll head out here and spend days looking this thing over."

"I wonder where it leads?" the rat asked.

"Up," Caroline said pointing up the mountain. "It switches back and forth all the way up the mountain."

As they moved upward on the path there was no doubting it was man-made. At each turn where it switched back there was a stone marker, each with same symbol carved into it; a broad, twisted sash. An emblem no one recognized.

The route was steep, but broad and easy walking so the group made good progress on their journey. The hours passed slowly as the group climbed higher and higher. The peaks of lesser mountains were left far below as the road took them constantly upward. Gradually the plant life thinned out and finally stopped all together. Eventually even the clouds were left behind as the

valley floor disappeared in the mists below. By noon the air was growing colder and they began to notice patches of snow on the ground. The stops for rest grew more frequent as the thinner air began to take it's toll. And still the road kept climbing higher and higher.

The journey ended suddenly, when the road turned and led straight into the mountainside through a tunnel instead of into another switchback. The four pursuers halted at the tunnel mouth and peered carefully inside. It was a short passage barely twenty paces long and daylight was clearly visible at the other end.

Slowly Misha made his way down the tunnel. Above him he could plainly see the square openings of murder holes in the ceiling. Would boiling water or oil suddenly come pouring out of them? He would die a painful death if that happened as the tunnel left nowhere to hide. The opening on the other come up quickly and he gratefully stepped into the daylight.

Misha found himself standing in the courtyard of a ruined palace. Tall, weathered columns rose into the sky next to ruined and collapsed walls. Broad, stone blocks paved the courtyard underneath his boots. In one corner he could make out the vague traces of a painting on a wall that was now barely knee high. In spite of the interesting view Misha didn't let his guard down. He scanned the ruins carefully, looking for the slightest sign of an ambush. Nothing, no ambush, but Bolva's tracks were clearly visible in the rubble. Without breaking stride it seems he had walked deeper into the ruins. With a wave of the paw he motioned his friends forward.

No one spoke for a moment as they stood together in the courtyard. "What is this place?" Caroline asked in a whisper.

"It must be a Suielman fortress," Matthias commented.

"Why would someone build a castle on top of a mountain?" Caroline asked.

"That's easy to answer; someone who wanted privacy, and security," Rickkter answered. "Or it could be a final refuge, a place to fall back on if all else failed."

"I know several emperors who were paranoid enough to build such a final refuge," Misha commented.

"Why hasn't someone seen this before now?" the otter queried. "Every inch of this valley has been walked on or flown over countless times. How could we have missed something as big as this castle and that road running up the side of the mountain?"

"Magic could have been used to hide them. I've heard of something similar having been done," Matthias said.

Rickkter nodded in agreement. "Agreed, but it would take a huge expenditure in time and effort."

Caroline chuckled. "Just building this place must have been a major job. It must have taken years."

"I think it's the Amber Orders stronghold. It could even be the orders lost library," Misha said trying to contain a growing excitement. "If it is, this place could be priceless."

"I don't see what else it could be," Rickkter said. "It would explain why Bolva was so anxious to get here."

"Speaking of Bolva, where did he go?" the rat morph asked.

Misha pointed to Bolva's trail and without being asked they started moving in that direction. The four moved past the remains of walls, doorways, and numerous columns. Occasionally a doorway led into darkness instead of rubble and daylight. A quick inspection would reveal a stairway leading downward to some unknown destination. As much as they wanted to explore every niche and room they had to take care of Bolva first, so they would keep moving.

Eventually Bolva's trail led to one particular doorway. Unlike the others this one had been destroyed recently, the remains of the door were still smoldering. The hallway beyond the opening led straight into the mountainside. Misha knelt by the door and examined the tracks. "He went in, that's for sure, but he also came back out."

"Why?" Matthias asked.

Misha shrugged. "No idea, he was in there for several hours though."

"Which way do we go? Do we go where he's been or where he's headed?" Rickkter asked.

The fox pondered the answer for a moment. "We have to catch Bolva first, we can find out what he's looking for later."

"It could be a trick to make us loose his trail," Caroline commented.

"I doubt it," Misha answered. "He hasn't tried anything before, why should he try it now?"

"That worries me. Why hasn't he tried to hide his trail?" Matthias asked. "It's like he doesn't care if catch up to him."

Rickkter chuckled. "Why should he care? Bolva is a powerful mage, Madog is a powerful fighter. In battle the automaton will rip us apart with his teeth while the mage blasts us with magic. A perfect pairing."

"Madog won't attack us," Misha said in a quiet tone of voice.

"Are you so sure?" Matthias asked. "I thought I detected a note of

doubt there."

"We'll find out the truth when we finally catch up to them," Caroline answered. "I for one still believe in Madog. He could have killed Misha yesterday, but he didn't."

"True," Rickkter commented. "But he still attacked him."

"What do we do when we catch up with them?" Matthias asked.

"The biggest danger is from Bolva, we have to cripple or kill him first," Rickkter answered.

Misha nodded in agreement. "We have to keep him from casting spells, those are his biggest threat."

"What about Madog?" Caroline asked.

"When we kill Bolva his control of the automaton should stop," the raccoon explained. "We have to delay Madog until we can finish off the mage."

"Agreed," Misha added. "But first we have to catch up to them." The fox morph pointed away from the doorway. "They went in that direction," he said and started off after Bolva. His three compatriots followed without any further comments.

The four walked past countless walls, towers, and ruined buildings all now devoid of life. They paused for a moment at a mural that decorated the stonework below the shattered remains of a balcony. In spite of being faded with the passing of time, the picture was clearly visible. Two tall humans in the painting stood facing each other, arms extended, but whether in greeting or battle it was impossible to say.

Moving on they followed Bolva's trail deeper into the ruins. They climbed a set of steps upward as a squat tower loomed over them. Suddenly there was a deep, rumbling noise and the ground shook underneath their feet.

"What..." Misha started to ask but was cut off by another rumbling noise. Everyone froze as the ground shook again. As suddenly as it had started, the rumbling stopped. From the tower ahead of them a thin pillar of smoke started to rise. Misha didn't need to give any orders, everyone started to move forward on their own, towards the tower.

The smoke was wafting from a doorway set in the base of the tower. Next to it was the shattered remains of an stone door, at least two feet thick. Rickkter knelt by the ruined door and examined it. He brushed the dust and debris off of it, revealing symbols and runes carved into the stone. "The warding on this was very powerful. Spells this potent are used to protect something very, very valuable." He broke off a hunk of the door, the marble crumbling in his hand. "An he managed to blow this thing like it was butter!"

Misha stared at the open doorway, the darkness beyond seemed to beckon to him. Inside was Bolva and the answer to a lot of questions. He slipped his axe across his back and drew out a long sword. In the tight quarters underground the five foot long axe would be unusable. He looked back and saw that Rick was still kneeling by the slab, the others standing around. All were looking at him.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rickkter asked.

"We've come this far," was Misha's response as he stepped through the doorway. A set of steps led down into an unknown darkness. The tight stairway reeked with the smoke of burning wood and chemicals. Misha stopped long enough to let his eyes adjust to the darkness and then started downward.

****************************************************************

Bolva stood before the final doorway. Three hours of searching for the library had turned up nothing, but that was of secondary importance, there was a more valuable prize to recover.

The ward spell guarding this door was plainly visible for him to see. He knew better than to attempt to use his magic to remove it. All the other obstructing spells had been easily battered down, but not this one. This warding spell was different, it had been designed specifically to stop him. No spell that he possessed could break through it. It had worked for a long time, but the spell had one flaw; a certain automaton fox. With a flick of his black, armored hand he motioned the automaton forward. "Remove this block," he ordered coldly.

The fox slowly walked up to the stone doorway and a ward spell that Bolva could never breach instantly snapped out of existence. Madog touched the massive door with one paw and it swung open without a sound.

The mage brushed Madog aside as he eagerly rushed into the room beyond the doorway. The oval chamber was empty, the only things of note were two doorways. "The incantation hall," he said aloud.

"Do you remember this place Madog?" Bolva asked as he walked slowly across the stone floor.

"I remember," the metallic fox replied in a quiet voice. "I remember noise, lights, and people chanting."

"I remember the magic we worked here, the power we wielded," the mage said softly. "This is where we created all of our automatons. Including the Alpha, and the Omega, the first and the last. Where is he hidden?"

"He who?" Madog asked.

Bolva brought his metal fist down on the fox's skull with a resounding clank. Madog staggered back, a deep dent in his head. "Where is the one, the last, the end? Where is Omega? Where did they hide it?" the Mage asked coldly, raising his fist to strike again. An arrow sliced through the air and buried itself in the mage's upraised fist.

Turning around, Bolva saw the four Metamorans slowly fanning out in a semicircle on either side of the door.

Misha swung his great axe in a long arc. "I don't like you hurting my friends."

The black, armored mage stared at the fox morph for a moment before answering, "You should be dead tinkerer."

"Funny, you don't look dead Misha," Caroline said nocking her long bow. Next to her, Matthias moved his staff with a grace and dexterity inherent to the Sondecki.

Bolva looked at the arrow that was buried in his right hand. With his left hand he grabbed the shaft and held it. After a moment smoke began to rise from the missile and it burst into flames. The burning debris dropped to the floor. If it hurt him he didn't show it as he made not a sound, and didn't flinch.

"Neat trick," Caroline commented.

Rickkter muttered a curse under his breath and pulled one of his special metal sheathed arrows from his quiver.

"Like I said before mage," Misha commented in a quiet tone. "I don't like how you're treating my friend."

Bolva laughed a deep, cold laugh. "What I do with my property is none of your affair."

"Madog is not your property," came the vulpine's answer.

"Simply cleaning Malabrinum, doesn't make you his owner. Only I have his control words. He answers to me alone," Bolva said, and hit his chest with an armored hand producing a dull hollow sound.

"Just because you managed to uncover his commands in an old tome doesn't mean you own him," Caroline said.

Bolva laughed even louder then before.

"What are you after Bolva, if that is your real name," Misha asked edging slowly to the left.

The mage didn't speak, but looked first left and then right. As they had talked, the four had slowly spread out. Caroline and Misha were to his left, Matthias and Rickkter to his right.

Bolva gave a flick of the wrist and suddenly a six-foot scythe appeared in his left hand. Without a command being given the four Metamorans attacked at the same time. Caroline and Rickkter shot at the same simultaneously, Rick's arrow burrowing deep into Bolva's chest as Caroline's bounced off. Misha charged forward swinging Whisper in a giant arc aimed for the mage's throat as Matt rushed Bolva from the other side.

Bolva swung the scythe downward towards the floor at Misha's feet and a wall of flame sprang up from the stones and engulfed Misha. With a scream the fox morph threw himself forwards to get away from the flames. He landed on the pavement in a heap just a body's length away from Bolva. His axe skidded across the floor and out of his reach. He was alone with the mage, and his three friends were trapped on the wrong side of the flames. Bolva advanced on Misha. As he raised the scythe up for a strike flames danced along the blades razor sharp edge.

On the other side of the burning wall Matthias brought his hands down in a chopping motion and the flames disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared. Rickkter shot his bow three times in quick succession. Two arrows buried themselves all the way up to the feathering in Bolva's chest near the first. The last one glanced off the oddly shaped helmet.

Caroline rushed forward, a long sword in her hand and stood over her lover. Rickkter's missile didn't seem to slow the mage down as he slashed at the otter with his scythe. Caroline dodged the stroke and slashed back at her assailant, keeping that deadly scythe at bay.

Rickkter dropped his bow with a curse and drew his katana, before charging into the fray. Bolva backed away from his attackers as he parried blows from both the otter and the raccoon with frightening speed. The rat moved to help his fallen friend.

Matthias helped Misha get to his feet. All the fur on the fox's face had been burnt off and his armor was blackened from the flames. "Are you all right?"

The vulpine nodded. "I'll live, but my whole body hurts." He pointed at his axe which lay across the room and said, "Whisper, to me." The five-foot long great axe rose from the floor and swiftly floated into his outstretched hand. Together Matthias and Misha moved to join their friends who were still dueling with Bolva.

The steel clad mage looked at the figures advancing at him while still fighting Rickkter and Caroline. He swung and parried and twisted as the two keepers attacked him. He released his hold on the scythe with his right hand. "Fhocla tesho," he whispered and ball of white light appeared on his finger tips.

Misha had been caught off guard last time, but not again. Holding the axe by the very end of the hilt he swung it in a circle in front of both himself and Rickkter. The white ball flew from Bolva's hand and straight at the fox and raccoon. The ball hit the spinning axe blade and ricocheted straight back at its caster. The ball struck Bolva right on the breastplate and exploded with a blinding flash and a thunderous roar.

That was the opening Rickkter had been looking for. While Bolva was still stunned, the raccoon brought up his paw and cast his own spell. A ball of green incandescence swelled a moment on the morph's fingers then slammed into Bolva's face, snapping his head back and sending him reeling.

All four Keepers pressed home their attacks slashing, hacking, stabbing, feinting and parrying, not giving him the chance to cast a spell. Bolva fought back with speed and strength, and he even managed to wound Matthias on the arm, but he was outclassed. The mage was slowly forced backward as the four morphs unmercifully attacked.

Bolva loosed his right hand from the scythe moved his arm in a circle. "REFAW MITA..." Caroline's sword slashed the mages right arm ruining the spell. Misha laid open the Mages side with a slash of his axe. The mage stepped backwards to gain some room, but Rickkter moved faster. The raccoon aimed his katana not at Bolva but at the blade of his scythe. The two blades collided with the ringing sound of steel on steel.

Bolva shrieked as the blade of his weapon shattered. Raising his hands over his head he shouted, "YA BO LARTENUM SHOO," and brought them down to his side.

Caroline stabbed at Bolva and felt her sword strike something with a bone jarring jolt that sent her stumbling backwards. Rickkter attacked and was sent reeling backward into the otter after his katana hit something invisible just short of their enemy.

Misha carefully extended his axe toward Bolva. Five feet from the mage a soft chime sounded and he backed away. "He's protected by some sort spell wall."

Rickkter held his hand out and then nodded. "A very powerful one."

"Bolva, what are you?" Matthias asked.

All three other keepers looked more carefully at the mage. Where Misha's axe had laid open Bolva's side there was a rent in the armor. A blow that strong should have cut deep in the mage's flesh, nut no blood flowed from the wound. Through the torn armor they could see several metal gears and rods where bones and organs should have been.

"You're an automaton!" Caroline said.

"A most astute observation feshoi," Bolva answered.

"He's not only an automaton, he's also the last of the amber mages," Misha explained.

"He no Amber mage. Other's remove his sash and call him enemy," a voice said from a dark corner.

Turning, the group found Madog standing in front of an open door.

"Malabrinum," Bolva said angrily. "You said he was dead."

"Did I?" the metal animal replied.

The mage pointed to Misha, "Kill him. Kill them all," he ordered Madog with all the confidence in the world that it would be carried out. The metal animal looked at the four keepers and then sat down on the floor.

"Wo Tana Fe show, Malabrinum," he ordered coldly. "I order you to kill him. You must obey my commands. I hold the command words."

Madog looked the mage squarely in the eyes, "No," he said in a quiet voice. "I have listened to you for too long."

"I AM AN AMBER MAGE," Bolva screamed. "I AM YOUR CREATOR! I AM THE ALPHA, THE FIRST, AND I WILL BE THE OMEGA."

Madog looked up at the black figure that towered over him with a calm detachment. "You not create me. Eli create me and all living things."

Bolva snarled in blind rage and raised his fist over his head. Lightening crackled and danced in his hands as he prepared to destroy Madog. Suddenly the stones around Bolva begin to shift, buckle and flow like water. As they watched the rock wrapped around his legs and pulled Bolva to the ground.

From the door behind Madog a figure rushed into the room and threw itself at Bolva. Madog hurriedly backed away as the two grappled and wrestled on the ground. Bolts of raw power crackled from the prostrate forms, and danced along the ancient stones. Bolva twisted and threw his attacker across the room. The figure slammed into the wall and the stones buckled around him. "Molotefarnum pala shu teso," Bolva shouted and moved his arms in a complex gesture. A deep red glow appeared in both hands.

Rickkter held his katana in front of him like a shield, which is exactly what it was. A ball of blinding, white flame exploded from Bolva's upraised hand and swept through the room. Misha had time to yelp in surprise as the flames reached and washed around them without touching any of them. For long moments the flames roared drowning out all sounds. Then the fire diminished into nothingness, leaving a strange silence. Suddenly Rickkter let out a yelp and dropped his sword. As it lay on the floor they could all see the katana was white hot.

The sound of metal scraping against stone brought every ones attention back to the center of the room. Two tall metal figures stood facing each other. "It's the scene from the mural," Matthias said.

"I don't care what it looks like, but I do recognize the start of a wizards duel when I see it," Misha commented.

"We leave right now," Madog said and moved toward an open door. No one argued the point and all four followed. Misha was last through the doorway, behind him there came a deep rumbling and the crackle of electricity. Without a thought he slammed the door shut. "Move! Before the spells reach us," he shouted. Madog raced off down the corridor and the others followed as a roar and an explosion shook them all. As they ran dirt and rocks started to rain down around them.

They reached a set of stairs and started climbing as fast as they could. The stairway filled with blinding, choking dust and they had to grope and move by touch. The ground shook and rocked again and again as a rumbling noise drowned out all other sounds. The five raced destruction to the surface as the stairwell collapsed behind them. Suddenly a light appeared above them and they staggered out into the sunlight, moments before the stairway collapsed completely.

They were safe.

Forward to Part 7
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