Among wind spells, the rune ‘Dorn’ is the most commonly known. The name of the rune is likely derived from the name of the Windlord Dorinal. By drawing the rune and invoking a prayer to the wind with a strong conviction, one can have limited control over the very wind itself. Dorn is the most used wind spell due to its versatility. It can be used to power windmills and blow away leaves. Magic scholars have noted the potential of Dorn in combat as well. It can be used defensively, to create large gusts of wind to ‘fly’ on, or offensively, to push foes away. As with most spells that invoke the elemental spirits, Dorn can be augmented with runes to increase its power or area of effect. The most powerful of Dorn’s derivatives, Sadorndein, has been known to annihilate entire villages. The spell is mostly used by the druids of the Verdant Circle, although it has been used by the mages of Laguna and the elves of Avantessia for more mundane purposes.” --Sage Soriac, “The History of Magic”

***

The lovely conversation Simon was having with Robin the kobold was cut short once a city guard came downstairs to keep watch over the two. He sat at a chair and read from a book and didn’t really bother either of the prisoners, although he did have one order: no talking.

Although at that moment Simon’s mind wasn’t on the guard reading a book. It was on what was to become of him for the crime he’d committed. The guard captain did seem to offer a hint of leniency, but even so there was a pretty good chance that he’d be here for some time. Better than the death penalty, he thought to himself.

The guard captain came down to visit Simon at that very moment. “It seems there is some truth to what you were telling us,” he told the young man. “We’d not noticed in our initial investigation, but it seems that whoever it was that killed Lady Belise was rummaging through her belongings. We’ve found no sign that the lady was involved in the slave trade, although it’s possible that such evidence may have been stolen by this Angela you spoke to us of.” Simon then asked how Lady Belise died. “A puncture wound to the heart, apparently from a thrown dagger, and in her own room. Apparently she’d walked in on Angela and paid for it with her life.”

“So what happens now?” Simon asked.

“Unfortunately it’s not for us to decide anymore. An envoy representing General Kruge is on his way and wishes to interrogate you on the matter. Afterwards you are to be transferred straight to Laguna Palace.”

This revelation completely caught Simon off guard. Simon knew of Kruge as the highest ranking officer in Laguna‘s army, but what he wanted with Simon was anyone’s guess. “What does he want me for?”

“I don’t know,” the captain replied. “I don’t meddle in Kruge’s affairs.” With that, the captain turned to the guard already in the room. “Keep an eye on him until the envoy arrives.”

“Yes sir,” the guard replied, but just as the captain was leaving the guard remembered something. “What of the kobold?”

“Yes, what of her?” Robin said, somewhat anxious to get out of the prison.

“I think she’s harmless,” the captain replied. “I spoke with the apothecary and it seems she does in fact deliver herbs to her from Elemina.” The captain paused briefly and looked at the kobold. “Still I think we should keep her here until the envoy leaves. After all, we found something interesting among her belongs. An emerald wrapped in petrified wood.”

“You think she might be a druid then?”

“It’s possible. And given what’s happened at Laguna recently I can’t take any chances with her. I’ll let the envoy decide what to do with her.”

Robin seemed even more frustrated at this turn of events. “Now listen here! I’ve done no wrong! You can’t keep me here!”

The captain turned to the kobold and sighed. “As I said, it’s not in my hands anymore.” And with that the captain went upstairs, leaving the guard to his reading material.

Simon had heard a few things about the druids of the Verdant Circle, specifically that they had fallen out of favor in Laguna due to suspicion that they were agents of the Firelord. Only a few weeks ago everything hit the fan when the king of Laguna, under the pressure of the mage guild, declared a nationwide ban on the practice of druidism. Although most of the druids lived in the elven kingdom of Avantessia and its surrounding forests, there were quite a few druids in Laguna who did not take kindly to this ban. However, rather than provoke the mage guild into hunting them down as heretics, most of Laguna’s druids preferred to remain in hiding. Simon wondered if Robin was one of these druids.

Minutes passed, and the prison remained quiet as ever, with the guard reading his book and Simon and Robin being prohibited from disturbing him. Simon wondered when the envoy would come, and what would happen then. For some reason, however, he felt that the lenience that he might have gotten with the captain wouldn’t apply to Kruge. Even so, Simon wondered why Kruge would even bother getting himself involved in this. Delnor was a small town three days away from the palace, and while Lady Belise was probably the richest person in Delnor, she wasn’t anyone significantly important to Laguna. How did Kruge even find out about the assassination so quickly anyway? Perhaps he and the envoy had the aid of sorcerers? Or perhaps he simply happened to be in the area?

“That’s it. I’ve got to get out of here,” Robin said nervously. Simon was about to warn her of the guard, but quickly realized the guard was nowhere to be found. Apparently the guard had left both his post and his book while Simon was in deep thought, perhaps in search of food or drink. Regardless, the guard wouldn’t be missing for long. “I can’t take my chances with Kruge,” Robin continued.

Simon would have asked if Robin was a druid, but deduced that Robin wouldn’t be this nervous, nor would she even talk about trying to escape, if she wasn’t. Instead he asked, “Can you get me out of here, too?”

“I don’t know if I should,” Robin answered with some thought in her voice. “You must have done something really bad to get Kruge after you.”

“But you can trust me,” Simon replied. “I’m not a bad guy, really.”

“Isn’t it that kind of thinking that got you into this mess in the first place?” Robin asked in that teasing tone of voice again that caused Simon to wince. She had a point. “But let me see what I have to work with here and I’ll think about it.” With that Robin began talking to herself as she took in her surroundings. “Metal bars, can’t do anything with that.” Simon heard a pair of taps on the floor as Robin continued her assessment. “The earth’s pretty solid, too.” He then heard the rattling of the bars as Robin shook them. “Well, that’s an option I guess, but…” Simon noted the kobold‘s hesitation, and when he asked about it, she said, “Let me just try to find another way out, okay?”

But Simon was more worried about when the guard would make his return. “We don’t have time! Just do it!”

He could hear the kobold’s heavy sigh. “All right, but don’t blame me if anything goes wrong.” Simon only answered by urging Robin further. “Oh, and make sure you stand in the corner away from your cell door, just in case I get this wrong.”

Get it wrong? What did she mean by that? Simon didn’t have much time to contemplate this as Robin began chanting a runic spell. “Kaika teppelvat…Dorinal…tainuu olkhi…dorn…ga!”

At the sound of the word “dorn” Simon could feel a faint breeze blow through the prison. Once the word “ga” was uttered however, he heard what sounded like a bomb explode in Robin’s cell. Immediately the gate to her cell was thrown all the way to the far wall, making a noise loud enough to wake the dead as it crashed into the wall and fell to the floor.

“By the light, what was that?” Simon practically shouted as he jumped from his position in the corner of the cell at the loud noise. “You didn’t tell me that would happen!”

“You didn’t give me a chance to,” Robin said, still out of his line of sight. “You just told me to do it. Now let’s get out of here before we have a squad of guards down our throats!”

“All right,” Simon said, “but let me take cover or something so I don’t…” He stopped what he was saying when he realized both that there wasn’t much cover to take, and that a young woman wearing a leather tunic and burgundy trousers was grinning and dangling a set of keys from behind his cell gate. Although he almost mistook her for a human in the dim light, the black-tipped canine ears and small tail clearly marked her as a kobold. More specifically, it had to be Robin. She unlocked the cell door, then urged him upstairs, stopping only when she noticed an old sword hanging from a weapons rack on the floor above.

“Are you any good with this?” she asked, picking up the sword.

“Sort of,” Simon replied, but before he could elaborate on the response, Robin threw it into his arms. After taking a large staff from the rack as well, the two could hear a large number of footsteps. Obviously the aforementioned squad of guards sent to find out what the noise was. Before Simon could get a better look, he was quickly pushed into a room, and Robin followed behind.

Simon got a look at the room, only to find it very cramped. Small wonder, as it was a water closet. “So now that we’re out of our cell, what do we do?” Simon asked.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead, actually,” Robin responded nervously. She then noticed the toilet behind Simon and an idea formed in her head. She quickly lifted the cover of the toilet, revealing an entrance to the sewer below. “Get in!”

Simon raised an eyebrow as a putrid stench rose from the hole in the ground. He thought about protesting, but the sound of guards outside quickly made him change his mind as he dropped down into the darkness. Robin grabbed the lantern hanging from the wall and followed him down into the unknown. Neither of them knew what awaited them in this place, but at least it had to be better than what was above them.