Bells and Bucets

This story is set in the same AU as With Good Intent and Hilo's Tower Tales. As always, I welcome your comments and emails, and thank you for reading! –Guinevere A. Hart

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Céde was the last to arrive at the simulation chamber. The chamber was fifty feet across and about two and half stories high, with a balcony circling the perimeter. The other Sorcerers were seated on a long bench against a wall, waiting for the Scepters to give them their instructions. Slightly out of breath, she tucked herself in beside Kami and worked on getting her wet hair into a braid. Her friend grabbed a lock of hair and raised her eyebrows. Kami said, "Mm-hmm. I take it Jorak didn't object to your little ritual thingy? How was it?"

Céde felt her blush creeping up her neck, but she pressed her lips together and gave Kami a look. Her friend was not to be put off. With mischievous laughter in her voice, Kami persisted, "You could answer, or I could ask again, a little louder. Should I ask you louder, Céde?"

"Oh Gods, Kami, shut up!" The Scepters were coming in then. There were three of them in their heavy, dark gray robes. Commander Findé was with them. The woman was dressed in her leather armor, with her blades at her sides. Always impeccably crisp, if a person could be starched, Céde supposed Findé would be a fine example of it. The raven, Kruptos was with the commander, but Mordas was not present.

Kami leaned in and whispered, "Tell me one thing, just one, and I'll leave you alone."

Céde smirked at her friend and said, "Messy. It was messy, Kami. Now, be quiet!" Kami looked as if she was disappointed with Céde's answer, and she might press for more information, but Kruptos started speaking.

There was no small talk from the bird. "The Scepters and I are here to help you work together, but you all come from different places and different backgrounds. It takes time. How much time, depends on your willingness to cooperate with one another. You will report to the Scepters daily, and your skills will be practiced and challenged until we are satisfied with your performance as a whole."

Someone raised a hand and the bird sighed. "What?"

"What about our work? And some of us have started taking classes."

"You'll have a new roster waiting for you in your box this afternoon. If you've a problem with it, speak to the steward."

Another Sorcerer asked, "Where's High Scepter Mordas?"

"Family emergency. Now, if there are no more inane questions, Commander Findé will get you organized." Without waiting for more inquiries, the bird flew up to perch on the balcony railing. The Scepters left through a side door and soon joined the raven on the balcony. The wizards began casting spells, causing lines of glowing Aetherium to appear on the simulation floor. The bright lines began to rise and solidify, and all of the Sorcerers stared at the workings of it, some murmuring amongst themselves.

Findé snapped, "Listen up! I say something one time. If you don't catch it, you better get it from somebody else. If I have to repeat myself, you won't like it. This is a big room, and I can watch you little girls and boys run around and around it all day long. Now, do I have to repeat that?"

Céde was not sure what was going on, but she shook her head in the negative, as Findé was clearly waiting for an answer. Several of the others shook their responses, but a few piped up with, "No, ma'am."

"Chime in, or skip your training session and run laps for the rest of the day."

Atien started to say, "Hey! You can't..." The look he received from the commander was one that could cause frostbite. He snapped his mouth shut, swallowed hard, then said, "I mean, no, ma'am."

Céde and the others all spoke up then, and Findé nodded her approval. "Good. As a squad, you will answer to your squad leader, Mercédeon."

Céde immediately balked. She shook her head and raised a hand to argue, but then she received the full force of the arctic stare. She dropped her gaze and her hand to her lap. Kami put a warm hand over hers and gave her a gentle squeeze.

Findé continued, "It's easier for our Scepters to observe and assist smaller groups. So, for the time being, you will be divided into four units of four. Each unit will work the challenges separately. As you progress, we'll put your teams together. Eventually, you will work this floor as a whole squad. Mercédeon, choose your unit leaders."

Céde's heart thumped in her chest as every pair of eyes in the room turned to her. Who was she to pick leaders for anything? She wished she had not said anything, and that she could just go to work in the library and keep her head down; but then Jorak always said, a wish was about as good as a hole in the pocket. She took a breath and studied the faces that looked to her.

If she made Kami a leader, then her friend would be on a different team than hers. However, Céde knew that Kami could lead. People knew her, liked her, and would listen to her. Atien was her friend too, and he looked at her expectantly, but he was no leader. His friend, the male sut'nim, Taziel, was sharp and assertive. Then there was a myn'nim woman that worked with Céde sometimes at the library. She was brilliant and very practical.

Céde hoped she sounded confident, even if she did not feel it. "Kami, Taz, and Moira." Kami and Taz only nodded their acceptance. Moira blinked at Céde in surprise, then slowly nodded her head as well.

Findé said, "All right, leaders pick your teams." It took them a minute to sort themselves out into groups of four. The commander watched with her piercing gaze, patiently waiting for them to figure it out. "If you have a problem with your unit, see your unit leader. If you have a problem with your squad, see Mercédeon." She looked at Céde then. "Questions about your organization and practical matters come to me, questions about magical practices go to Mordas or Kruptos. Understood?"

She started to nod her head, then thought better of it. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Mercédeon, your unit's up first." While they had been organizing themselves, the summoned Aetherium had been formed into high walls that made up a large maze. The mages had even simulated earthen ground, complete with grass, flowers, and small trees. Findé turned slightly and indicated the entrance to the Scepters' creation. "Your objective is to collect the four rings from the center of this maze behind me. Then hang the rings from the hooks." She pointed to four places on the ceiling that had been changed to look like a blue sky with a few puffs of cloud. Amidst those clouds were small hooks that glinted in the magically created daylight. "You have ten minutes to complete your objective."

Céde said, "If you think we can fly up there to hang the rings, what's to stop us from just flying across the maze to the center? Why bother with the maze at all?"

Findé smiled, "You're working against three very experienced wizards and whatever the Hells Kruptos is. Good luck with that." Céde was not sure what that meant, but she was fairly certain it would do her no good to ask.

Then Atien asked, "What happens if we don't finish in ten minutes?"

The commander turned her sharp toothed smile on him and asked, "Do you like to run, Atien?"

"No, not particularly."

With false sensitivity, Findé pouted, "Aw, that's too bad, but look on the bright side. I've got a feeling you're going to be a real marathon athlete by the time this is over."

That raised a laugh from the group, until Findé glared at them all. "Did I say something funny?" The laughter stopped abruptly. She turned her eyes to Céde, "Why are you still here? Nine minutes, thirty seconds and counting."

She was fairly certain that Findé was not joking, and she definitely did not want to spend the day running around in circles. The goal sounded easy enough, but the veiled threat suggested otherwise. Céde glanced up at the wizards on the balcony, then looked at her group. "Well, let's go."

Her unit entered the maze, and they turned right because it was the only way to go. She said, "We'll follow the inner wall for now and see what's going on here."

As they walked, Seren spoke into her thoughts. "I understand why you chose Keegan. He's dependable and cooperative. But why Atien and Heather? Atien is a whiner, and Heather fears her own shadow. They are the weakest of the lot. I wouldn't have chosen them."

Céde kept her responses silent through their mental link. "I chose them because they need help. Maybe Keegan and I can bolster them. And as for what you would and wouldn't do, who's in charge?"

She felt the smile in Seren's thoughts. "That'd be you, chief."

"Thank you. And I think I like that much better than 'ninny'."

They paused for a second when her group came to a three-way intersection. They kept to the left wall, occasionally turning back on their path when they came to a dead end. They had kept on for a few minutes, when they started to hear a strange susurration coming from the adjacent walls of the maze. Keegan put his finger to his lips and whispered, "Something's in here with us."

Céde nodded and gestured for her friends to come closer to her. She whispered, "We only have ten minutes. We need to go up, get a look at the layout, and see whatever it is making that noise. Maybe see if we can go across the top of the walls." They froze, listening as the sound came very close then slithered away, further into the maze.

Atien pouted, "Last I checked, none of us had wings. Anyway, will our Power even work on this stuff? I mean, how can they test us if none of it's real?" He kicked at the dirt beneath his feet, dirt that felt real enough to Céde.

Keegan shrugged. "One way to find out." He concentrated his energy on the ground beneath the wall. As if it were actual earth, dirt and rocks shook loose and piled up along the wall. When he was finished, the dirt pile took up most of the corridor, and he had formed rudimentary steps in it leading up the wall. With a grin, he said, "Yeah, works just fine." He started up his steps and held his hand out to help Céde.

Heather said, "I don't think we should do that. It's like cheating, isn't it? Aren't we breaking the rules?"

Céde said, "I don't think we really have any rules, except for the time limit, Heather. Let's just see what's up here."

They helped one another climb Keegan's dirt mound until they reached the top. The sight was not encouraging. Roaming the maze was a giant serpentine creature, like a snake with legs. It stretched its long neck, stuck its head over the wall, and peered at Céde and her friends with glowing yellow eyes. It opened its mouth and hissed at them, saliva dripping from knife-like teeth.

Heather shrunk back. "Oh Gods," she whined. "They won't let that thing eat us, will they?"

Céde felt much bolder than she thought she should. She chided Heather, "Of course not. You're being silly. I think if the thing catches us though, we're out."

Atien glared at her, "You talk like this is some kind of game."

She gave him a smile. "Sure it is! So, let's win."

She turned to study the layout, finding no reason that they should not use their Powers to cut across the top. However, the serpent was not the only problem, for at the center of the maze, a massive ogre was curled on the ground, asleep. Fortunately, the ogre's leg was chained to the floor, but Céde was not sure the chain looked strong enough to hold him if he really wanted loose. Atien asked, "Aren't we supposed to get some rings from the center? Where are the rings?"

Céde said, "They're on the ogre." The napping ogre had a large gold ring in his nose, one at his navel, and one in each earlobe.

Atien said, "What!? Aw, shit. The Scepters are fuckin' sick!"

Keegan said, "At least it's not a dick piercing."

Heather punched Keegan in the arm and squeaked, "What the Hells is wrong with you? We can't do this! They can't do this to us, can they?"

"Apparently, they can." Céde was about to suggest walking on top of the walls, so that they could keep an eye on the maze creatures, when a loud whooshing noise called her attention back to the center. As if lighting an accelerant, flames ignited on top of the wall and quickly spread outward from the center. She cried, "Down! Down!" Grabbing both Heather and Keegan, with Atien pressing close behind, she ducked and leaned into the wall as she rushed down the make-shift steps.

She was sure that the Scepters would not actually injure them. However, everything in the simulation chamber felt real enough, including the searing heat from the flaming walls. Whether it was real or not, Céde was not the least interested in being burned or eaten by whatever that snake thing was. Then, she had her companions to deal with. When they got back on the ground, Atien started swearing, and Heather started to cry. Both of them turned to walk back the way they had come in.

Céde jumped in front of them. "We go forward, and we get this thing done."

Atien fumed, "No fuckin' way, Céde. We didn't sign on for any of this shit!"

"Look, the mages can't really hurt us, and besides, we all have Velith in us." Atien's shoulders relaxed a little, and Heather's tears started to dry up. When she was sure they were not going to run away, she continued. "I know which way to go. We just have to be quick and quiet. It'll be all right, I promise."

She asked Seren, "Can you go ahead of us and maybe lead the snake away?" She asked him out loud, so that her companions would know what her plan was.

"Of course, I can," the cat replied, then he struck out on his own ahead of the group.

Trusting in Seren's ability to distract the snake-like creature, Céde led the group on a quick march. Now that she had been up and seen the path, it was locked in her mind. Unless the Scepters shifted the walls, she had the fastest route to the center. They had not gotten far when Seren frantically called to her mind, "Cat's not on the menu! It's coming back for you!"

"Shit!" Céde mumbled, though it was enough to call the group to a halt. "All right, new plan. It's coming this way, so we stop it." Her thoughts raced, and she spoke as it came together for her. "Keegan, loosen up the soil, good and deep, for about five meters ahead. Heather, conjure water and turn it all into mud. Once the snake-thing is caught in it, I want you to draw all the water out again and fast. Dry it up hard so that the monster gets stuck. Then Atien, you break down the walls at the right and left, and try to control the stones to land on it."

They could hear the slithering, scrabbling sound as the serpent approached. Heather breathed, "What are you going to do?"

Céde barely heard Heather's question as her pulse started to pound in her ears. The familiar tingle of Power pricked the inside of her skin. It was a feeling she rarely tried to fight anymore, and it was almost a comfort. She answered the girl with a tight smile, saying, "I'm going to tie it up."

She was already extending her Power, calling on the grass and weeds that grew at the base of the walls. As it thrummed, pulsed and burned inside, she held the full force of it in check, only affecting change on the patches of weeds she wanted. She pulled and coaxed, and within seconds the weeds became long writhing loops of thorny vines. Velith's Vines grew all over the land, and most civilized sentient races used magic to keep those vines at bay in their cities. Céde found that her Power worked on any natural thing, but she felt she had the strongest control when working with the flora.

As Céde prepared her vines, Keegan worked the soil. Heather had a knack for using water, and could even manifest it where there was none. She knelt on the ground at the edge of Keegan's dirt and began creating mud. Atien stood with his hands out to his sides, a look of hard concentration on his face.

Typically, Atien had to be angered before he could use his Power for destruction. Knowing this, Keegan said, "Hey, Atien, next to your mom, Kami is a real paragon of chastity."

Through gritted teeth, Atien said, "You know, scared works, too. And I'm a little scared right now, you fucking bastard."

"Just trying to help!" Keegan snickered.

"Yeah, well do me a favor, and quit helping." Atien's skin was getting red, and his hands trembled. Stones in the walls started to shift, and Céde prayed the ylf'nim noble could hold it together until just the right time.

"That's not what your mom said last night." Keegan was playing too much. If he kept it up, the walls would come down too soon, fill up their mud pit, and spoil the whole plan.

Céde rolled her eyes, "Keegan! Enough 'helping' already. Can we at least pretend like we know what we're doing? Please? Gods, I'm ready to tie you down myself and let Atien pound you!"

"It's always been a fantasy of mine to get tied down and ravaged by an elf princess. If you want Atien to play too, that's all right. What's a little elf prick between friends, huh?"

Then Heather actually laughed. "You keep going that way, Keegan, and it's a big orc prick you're going to have to worry about!"

The serpent came from around the corner, but it was crawling on the side of the walls, digging in with the claws of its many feet. Its long body undulated as it pulled itself along. Colors flashed and reflected off of its pale, iridescent scales. Using the walls instead of the ground, it was going to bypass their mud trap altogether.

Céde growled, "Oh, no you don't." She looped the waiting vines around its sinewy neck and lassoed as many legs as she could. The thing jerked and twisted, claws scrabbling to hold on. The more it struggled, the tighter Céde pulled.

She dragged it down into the pit, just as Atien's Power let go and the walls collapsed in on it. Mud splashed everywhere. It was too early, and the rocks and slick mud were barely a hindrance to the serpentine creature. Early or not, this was what they had, and she had to make it work. Céde held on, looping more vines over the monster and tying it to the rocks on top of it. She cried, "Heather, take the water away! Hurry!"

"Oh!" the girl cried. "Sorry!" The girl dried up the mud by heating it up. As she drew energy away from any source of heat, the temperature in the chamber suddenly dropped. The flames along the top of the maze walls went out all at once. In seconds, the only heat came from their mud pit. Heather's face was locked in concentration as she heated the mud impossibly fast.

Steam rose from it and the mud began to boil. The trapped creature writhed in its torment, but Céde used her vines to hold it down. She did not need her physical muscles for the job. Velith gave her all the strength she needed. It cried, struggled, and tugged, but Céde held it fast. She felt bad for the thing as it started to cook, but she reminded herself it was only the Scepters' conjuration.

Keegan looked at Heather and grinned. "Smells like chicken. Now, I'm horny and hungry."

Heather licked her lips, then she tucked her lower lip between her teeth. She openly stared at the bulge in Keegan's pants, and he let her look. A side effect of using their Goddess given life magic was a nearly overwhelming urge to mate. Céde felt it as well, a pressure in her abdomen, moisture gathering between her thighs. Even the stimulus of her own clothes brushing against her skin was difficult to bear. The tension was suddenly heavy between the four of them.

Atien grabbed himself, adjusting his stiffening cock under his clothes. He very carefully did not look at Céde when he asked, "We done here? Up and over?"

She nodded. "Up and over. We can't have much time left." Her people followed as she climbed over the baking serpent in the rocks and headed for the ogre in the middle of the maze.

They stood just outside the circular center. The room was all stone, not a weed or blade of grass in sight. A low ring of a stone ridge surrounded the place where the monster slumbered. A look at its chain told Céde that ring marked the creature's reach. Ogres were hardly known for their good humor, and even in repose, his pinched up face was locked in an irritable frown. The huge being's musculature was covered in a thick layer of blubber that jiggled as he snored and twitched in his sleep. In spite of everything, Céde had to clamp a hand over her mouth to suppress an involuntary giggle.