See Part One for Disclaimers

Chapter Seven

The palace loomed ominously in the darkness.  Its great hulking form blotted out the stars as the small group approached it.

Davyn set his men just out of sight of the palace.  He had given then order to wait for his signal before they rushed the main palace gates.  The plan was for a small team, consisting of Davyn, Rizgin, Kaliandra, Sinbad and his crew, to enter at the dungeon gate.

Ahmed was till on duty as they approached the dungeon gate.  Reluctantly, he let them through.  As Davyn had suspected, he did not know where they were keeping Firouz.

Once they got inside the gate the small group split up.  Davyn and Rizgin went to open the main gates for Davyn's troops to enter, while Sinbad and the others began to search for Firouz.

They had not gotten very far down the corridor when they heard the tread of heavy boots coming towards them.  They ducked into the shadow and waited.

Kedel came around the corner and Doubar grabbed him slammed him up against the wall.  "Where is he?"

"Who are you?" Kedel fought against the big man.

Doubar leaned his elbow across Kedel's windpipe and the other man stopped stuggling.  Doubar eased back a bit.  "Where is Firouz?"

Kedel sneered.  "Never heard of him."

"Why I ought to..."  Doubar drew back his fist, but Kaliandra grabbed it.

"Let me."  Before anyone could move, she yanked one of Rongar's dirks out of its sheath.  She thrust the blade up against Kedel's naked throat.  "I would suggest you answer his question."

"You're crazy!" Kedel tried to pull away, but Doubar held him fast.

Kaliandra pressed the dirk harder against his throat.  A trickle of crimson started to run down Kedel's neck.  "Yes, I am crazy.  And if you don't want to suddenly find yourself without a head, you had better tell us where the sailor is."

Kedel hissed in pain as the blade jug deeper into his skin.  "Down the corridor.  Third door on the left.  Here are the keys."  He pulled them off his belt and thrust them at Kaliandra.

"Thank you."  She pulled the blade away and quickly retreated behind Doubar.  The big man clubbed the guard on the back of his head sending him into oblivion.  He drug the guard back into a shadowy corner and dropped him.

Kaliandra stood with her back to the small group.  Rongar cautiously walked over and pried the dirk out of her hand.  She turned to stare at him, her eyes wide.  Her hands started to shake uncontrollably.

Sinbad laid his hand on her shoulder.  She looked up at him.  "That was the most unbelievably stupid thing I have ever done in my life."

"It worked," Sinbad said.

"That's the unbelievable part."  She shook her head.  Taking a deep breath, pulled herself together.  "Let's get your friend out."  She shook and keys and them and started down the corridor.

******

Kaliandra fitted the key into the lock of the door and tried to turn it as quietly as she could.  The lock mechanism wasn't going to cooperate though.   It gave a squeal and clunk and as it turned.

Light poured into the tiny cell and they could see a lone figure chained to the wall.  He raised his head and squinted at the sudden light.  The whole left side of his face was swollen and bruised looking.  Blood streaked his face and tunic.

"Firouz," Sinbad said in alarm.  He motioned for Doubar to keep watch in the corridor.

"Hi, Sinbad!  Hi, Maeve!" Firouz waved enthusiastically at the small band trying to sneak into the darkened room.  The chains attached to his wrists clanked loudly.
"Shh!" Sinbad desperately motioned for him to be quiet.

Rongar slipped in quietly and clamped a hand over the inventor's mouth.  Firouz's eyes went wide when he realized what they meant.  Rongar looked at him and put his finger to his mouth and then let got of his mouth.  Rongar then took out one of his dirks and started to work on picking the locks on Firouz's manacles.

"I'll be real quiet," Firouz said in a loud whisper

Sinbad rolled his eyes and hissed, "Quiet."

Firouz nodded so vigorously he lost his balance and Rongar had to grab him to keep him from falling over.

"He's drunk!" Maeve whispered indignantly.

"He's not," Kaliandra said.  "It's one of the side effects of the elixir."  She cradled his face in her hands and asked, "How do you feel?"

Rongar had managed to unlock Firouz's chain and helped him to his feet.  "A little woozy," Firouz said, holding his thumb and finger close together.   "But, I feel fine."

Suddenly, Firouz's eyes rolled up into his head and he pitched forward.  He would have fallen flat on his face if Sinbad hadn't grabbed him.

"He's out cold," Sinbad said easing the inventor gently to the floor.  "Can you give him the antidote now?"

Kaliandra shook her head.  "He has to be conscious, otherwise, he'd choke on it."  She knelt beside the fallen man.  She started to examine him.  "Kedel worked him over pretty badly.  I doubt he could walk even if he were awake."

Sinbad shook his head.  "Then it looks like we are carrying him out of here."

"Sinbad," Doubar stuck his head into the room.  "We've got to get moving.  They just closed the outer gate.  They must have found that guard."  Behind him, they could hear yelling and the clash of weapons.

Kaliandra grabbed Sinbad's arm.  "The only way out of here, now, is they main gate.  Davyn and Rizgin should have it opened by now."

"You're right."  Sinbad turned to Doubar.  "Grab Firouz.  Rongar!" He motioned for the moor to follow him.  "We'll keep them busy while you get out of here."

Maeve helped Doubar hoist Firouz on to his broad shoulders.  "Sinbad."  The young captain turned back to face his brother.  "Be careful."

Sinbad gave him a roguish grin.  "Always am."

Group pushed out into the corridor.  In the direction of the gate, they could hear the rush of guards.  Maeve opened her mouth to say something to Sinbad, but suddenly her eyes took on a far away cast.

"Maeve, what is it?" Sinbad said quietly.  He had seen this look before and it made warning bells go off in his brain.

Slowly, her eyes came back into focus.  "There is a great evil here, Sinbad.  I can feel great hate centering on you."

"Are you sure?  Do you know what it is?"

She closed her eyes in concentration.  Suddenly, her head snapped back. "It's Gatharian," she said breathlessly.  "I haven't felt evil this powerful since," she paused with a shudder.  "Since Turok."

Sinbad tightened at the name.  His jaw clenched at the memory of the evil sorcerer who had exiled Dim Dim.  He sighed and pulled out his sword.   "We'll just have to deal with that when we come to it."

Maeve grabbed Sinbad and kissed him hard on the mouth.  His eyes shot open and then closed, savoring the kiss.

Maeve pulled back, breathless, and stared at him.  "For luck."  She turned and started down the hall.  Kaliandra smirked at him and took off after the Celtic woman.  Doubar shifted Firouz limp form on his shoulder and followed.

Sinbad stood there in shock for a few more moments, but the sound of the approaching guards brought him back to reality.  Sinbad looked to Rongar.  "That kind of luck, my friend, I could get use to."

******

Kaliandra lead Doubar and Maeve through the winding catacombs of the dungeon. Men cried out to them as they passed row after row of cells.

"Who are all these people?" Maeve asked.

Kaliandra put her head down and kept moving.  Soon they halted at the bottom of a flight of stairs.  Maeve grabbed Kaliandra's arm.  "You didn't answer me."  Then she saw why Kaliandra had not said anything.  Tear were streaming down her face.  She was bitting her bottom lip to keep from crying.

After a moment, she composed herself enough to speak.  "They are my friends.   Anyone who has had the guts enough to say something against Gatharian.  That is how he had kept control of Korath for so long.  Anyone who had the power or ability to stand against him simply disappeared.  You have no idea how I feared one of my brothers would wind up here."

Her eyes were suddenly drawn up the stairs as they heard the clash of swords and sound of battle cries.  "Davyn's men.  They must have the gate open now."  She started up the stair and Maeve and Doubar hurried to keep pace with her.

Doubar paused on one of the landing to ketch his breath when he hear Firouz moan and felt him struggle to move.  "Kaliandra!" the big man yelled at the girl.  "He's waking up."

Kaliandra stopped and pushed her way back past Maeve to check the injured man.  "We need to get the antidote into him while he is awake."   She looked around them in agitation.  "There."  She pointed to a small room leading off the stair well.

The room looked like it had started off life as an armory, but now it was just used as a storage room.  Broken chairs, old tables, and dusty rags filled the room.  Kaliandra quickly piled the filthy rags into a makeshift pallet.  Doubar lowered Firouz onto it gently.

Firouz's eyes blinked open and he stared at them hazily.  He looked at them for a moment.  "Doubar?  Maeve?"

Maeve smiled down at him.  "You're safe now, Firouz.  We're breaking you out."

Kaliandra tugged the tiny vial out of her bodice and quickly pulled the stopper off.  Firouz saw the tiny vial full of purplish liquid and started to back away.  Fear clouded his features.  "No, you're not going to make me take anything.  Not again!"

He staggered to his feet and shoved his way past Maeve.  His sudden lunge threw her off balance and she toppled over gracelessly landing on her rump.

"Doubar, grab him!" Maeve watched hin horror as Firouz lurched towards the door.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him pinning him in place.

"No!"  Firouz howled and fought like a madman.  It took all Doubar had to keep hold of the inventor's writhing form.

"Firouz, what's wrong with you?" Doubar demanded trying to keep a hold on him.

"It's not him, it's the elixir."  Kaliandra hurried to his side and tried to get closer to Firouz.  He managed to get an arm free and took a swing at her.  She ducked and backed up.  "Try to hold him still!"

"What do you think I'm doing?  Playing paddy cake?" Doubar said with a growl.

Maeve watched Doubar struggle to control Firouz and Kaliandra try to duck and weave her way closer a moment long.  Then, she made up her mind.

"Kaliandra, stand back."  She pulled back her fist.  "Sorry, Firouz, but this is for you're own good."

She punched him the stomach.  Firouz doubled over gasping in pain.  Kaliandra ruthlessly grabbed his nose and poured the contents of the vial into his mouth.  She forced his mouth shut and clamped her hand over it.

"You'll going to suffocate him," Doubar said in alarm.

"He's got to swallow it," Kaliandra said matter-of-factly.  "I hate to do it this way, but we have no choice."

Firouz's face was starting to turn a frightful shade of purple.  Finally, he swallowed convulsively.  She let go of him and he started to choke and gasp.  He sagged against Doubar.  The big man lowered him onto the floor.  Kaliandra settled his head onto her lap.  Firouz lay there panting limply.

Doubar watched them for a minute and then glanced at Maeve.  "Remind me never to let you give me any medicine."

Maeve glared at him.  "Well, I didn't see you coming up with any better ideas."  She turned back to Kaliandra.  "What do you we now?"

Kaliandra cupped Firouz's bruised face in her hand and pushed stray strands of his curly hair away from his forehead.  "Now, all we can do is wait."

******

Sinbad jumped back avoided the sword the guard had thrust at him.  This was getting tiresome.  He and Rongar had managed to either disarm or disable most of what was supposed to be Gatharian's top guards.

The guard lunged at him again.  He ducked and the guard's blade struck the stone wall and shattered.  I'm going to have to remember to thank Rizgin later, he thought.  He swung his sword and smashed the guard in the face with the hilt of his sword.  A startled cry spun him around. A guard stood there, his sword raised to strike him, but the man tumbled slowly forward.  Sticking out from between his shoulder blades what one of Rongar's dirks.  Sinbad nodded at Rongar.  "Thanks."

More guards started to pour into the cramped corridor.  "Let's get out of here," Sinbad said grabbing Rongar's arm.  The Moor nodded and followed him down the hall.

They ran through the winding tunnels and finally came to a set of stairs running up into the palace.  They started up and were surprised to find Doubar waiting for them about halfway up.

"Doubar," Sinbad said in surprise.  He looked in the room and saw Kaliandra leaning over Firouz.  "Did he take the antidote?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?" Sinbad glanced back at his brother.

"It's in him, but he wasn't too keen on the idea of taking it."  Doubar grimace, "Long story."

"Well, save it for when we get back to the ship."  Sinbad looked back down the stairwell.  He could hear guards shouting in the distance. "Kaliandra, can he be moved?"

Kaliandra looked up.  "Yes, but carefully."

Sinbad nodded grimily.  He looked at Doubar.  Doubar nodded and started to were Firouz lay.  Kaliandra helped him hoist Firouz on to his shoulder.  She winced as Doubar shifted the injured man like a sack of flour.  They started for the door.

Rongar pulled out one of his dirks and nudged Sinbad.  He pointed up the stair.   "Someone's coming."  Sinbad pulled out his sword.

From around the bend in the stair, Davyn and three of his guards appeared. "Sinbad!"

Kaliandra rushed up to hug her brother.  "You're alright," she said in relief.  She looked around him quickly.  Her eyes widen in fear. "Rizgin?"

"Guarding the top of the stair," Davyn said squeezing her shoulder.  She relaxed and smiled.

"Is that your man?" Davyn asked pointing at Firouz.

Sinbad nodded.

"He isn't...?"

"He's still alive and Kaliandra has given him the antidote."

Davyn smiled at his sister and then turned back to the captain.  "We need to get moving.  I've gotten most of the upper palace secure, but Gatharian is still missing."

The group followed Davyn and his guard back up the stair and into the main audience chamber.  Rizgin hugged his sister quickly and turned to Sinbad.   "You found him."

"He should be fine," Kaliandra said.  "But we need to get him back to the forge as soon as possible."

Davyn motioned to a few of his men and then quickly made a litter of one of the tapestries hanging along the wall.  Kaliandra looked up at Sinbad.   "I'll take good care of him."

Sinbad smiled at her and wiped at the grime on her face.  "I know you will."

Kaliandra and guards quickly left with Firouz in the direction of the forge.

Davyn quickly gave orders to his men and then he turned back to face Sinbad and his crew.  "We need to find Gatharian.  We've managed to capture Hezar and a good part of his guard."

"You'll find the rest of the guard down in the dungeon," Sinbad said rubbing his chin.

"I'll send Wern, my second in command and the other men after them.  We have got to track down Gatharian."

"We had best split up, that way we can cover more the castle," Rizgin said coming to stand beside his brother.

"Agreed."

They quickly paired up and headed off.  Sinbad and Doubar headed up the stairs while Maeve and Rongar, and Davyn and Rizgin took the main floor.

Sinbad and Doubar passed through what looked like living quarters.  They paused outside of an ornately carved door.  "Must be Gatharian's room," Sinbad said.  He reach for the door latch and pushed to door open.

He raised his sword and cautiously stepped inside.  Suddenly the door slammed shut behind him.  Doubar bellowed and slammed into the door.  Sinbad pulled at the handle, but it would not budge.

"It will not open."  A voice behind him said.  Sinbad whirled and found Gatharian standing before him.

"Doubar," Sinbad said.

"Oh, don't worry about your brother.  And don't count on him charging through that door to rescue you.  Magic is holding it shut, not even a great mountain of a man like you brother can make it budge."

Sinbad held his sword in front of himself and started to circle the sorcerer.  "You won't get away with this."

"Honestly, Captain."  Gatharian studied him for a moment.  "I really do have to say I'm impressed.  You are much younger than I would have expected.  I do have to admit, though.  I am a but disappointed.  I finally found the man who killed Turok, and he's just a simple sailor.  I guess I just had my sights set to high.  I had expected a sorcerer or at least a spellcaster.  You must be very lucky, Captain."

"I've found myself to be," Sinbad said.  "Was Turok a friend of yours?"

"Turok?  Oh, my no.  I hated him.  You really did me a favor by killing him, but that isn't going to help you now."

"Really," Sinbad said neutrally.  "Perhaps your not familiar with the concept of good defeating evil.  Davyn's guards are all over this place.  There is no way you can win."

Gatharian laughed.  "I can't win.  I can't win, because I am evil and you are good?  Winning has nothing to do with good or evil, Captain.   It's about power.  He, who had the power, wins.  And right now, I have the power."  Black lightening leapt from his hand and streaked towards Sinbad.

Sinbad threw his arms up over his face.  The band around his wrist flared in a prism of light.  The rainbow of light blazed around him holding the snaking trails of black lightening at bay.  In a sudden flash, it hurtled the lightening back a Gatharian.  The Sorcerer shrieked in agony as the black tendrils wrapped around his anguished form.  The blackness ate away at him swallowing him whole.

Sinbad dropped to his knees as the light died away.  In his head he could hear Gatharian's rough voice.  "You may have one this time, Sinbad, but this is far from over."  Gatharian's voice dwindled to nothingness leaving a dull ache in Sinbad's head.

"Sinbad!"  Doubar crashed through the door.  With Gatharian defeated, the magic that held him out was gone.  Doubar rushed to his side and helped Sinbad to his feet.  "Are you alright, Little Brother?"

"I'm fine," Sinbad said a bit breathlessly.

Doubar looked around the room.  "Where is Gatharian?"

"Gone.  His magic turned back on him.  I think we have seen the last of him for a while."

They heard feet pounding on the marble floor of the hall.  Maeve, Rongar, Davyn, and Rizgin rushed into the room.

"What happened?" Davyn asked quickly.

Sinbad related what had happened leaving out Gatharian's threat.  He saw Maeve watching him, and could tell she knew he was not telling everything.

"At least it's over," Rizgin said.  Davyn nodded.

The group started out the door, but Maeve hesitated.  "It's not, is it?"

Sinbad sighed and shook he's head.  "I heard him, in my head.  He said that this wasn't over."

Maeve leaned wearily against the door frame.  "Evil is like that, it just keeps coming back."

Sinbad knew she wasn't talking just about Gatharian, but about another evil.  Rumina.  He put his arms around her and pulled her close.  "And when it does come back, we'll be ready."

Maeve gave him a sad smile and pulled out of his arms.  "That we will."

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