Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 18, Part 1

3 August 2026

This week we begin a new chapter, the penultimate in this novel, the second book from our Redemption series, Staff of Shigmar, as the chosen decide what to do, now that they have Shigmar’s fabled staff. . . . (5 October 2015) We remind all readers that this book, Staff of Shigmar, as also the first book, is free for download from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 2, Book 1

Chapter 18, Part 1

Of all the races, the vedem are the most enigmatic and reclusive; they rebuff all efforts toward friendship and turn back all delegations, refusing to treat with, or even speak to, anyone not of their race. Thus, we know little of them or their ways. . . .

from Annals of Melbarth, Fifth Series, Early Lectures of the Hierarchs
Lecture by Sedra Melbarth

“I do not think we should go directly to the hill,” Rokwolf said. They sat around the fire; Klaybear still knelt off to the side, holding the unconscious Klare, now wrapped in a blanket, tightly to his chest. “Everything that has happened, especially the way Gar and the morgle have anticipated our every move, tells me they will know where we will go when we have the staff.”

“How could they know that we have gotten the staff?” Tevvy asked.

“The morgle should know by now, as he has the rod,” Thal said. “We will not be safe anywhere until we get the rod, as whoever holds the rod can locate us in an instant.”

“I had forgotten,” Tevvy admitted, “but I thought the verghrenum masked our location,” he added, holding up his arms.

“They mask us from mental scrying and attack,” Thal said, “but the sword, rod, and staff are connected, so anyone who knows how, can, holding one of the three keys, find the other two.”

“Which is exactly why,” Rokwolf said, “I think going directly to the hilltop would be a mistake.”

“And it is also why,” Thal added, “we cannot stay here, or any other place, for much longer.”

Tevvy looked around nervously. “Perhaps we have already stayed here too long.”

Rokwolf nodded. “We need to get Klare to a safe place,” he said, lowering his voice.

“Why not our sanctuary beneath Shigmar?” Tevvy suggested.

“We closed the door when we left,” Thal said, “so time, in the chamber has stopped, and I do not think even the sword or staff could penetrate.”

“Why not open a door to the entrance hall, or the sewers?” Tevvy asked.

“Or the school Infirmary,” Rokwolf added.

Thal was shaking his head. “When any city is under attack,” he said, “defensive ortheks are enacted that will prevent someone hostile from teleporting directly into the city.”

“But you said the sword and staff did not use teleportation teka,” Tevvy protested.

“Not in the same way,” Thal replied, “but it was Melbarth who designed the teka, with the help of Shigmar, so I’m certain they would have included the three keys in that defensive teka, in case the keys fell into the wrong hands. We could try,” he added after a moment, “just be prepared for failure.”

Blakstar stood up, drawing his sword. He thought for a moment. “How about the room where we met with the Headmaster?”

Thal shrugged. “That’s as good as any.”

The kortexi drew the circle on the ground, his sword surrounded by golden light, then drew the arch in the air; nothing happened.

Thal smiled, but said nothing.

Tevvy stood suddenly. “I know where,” he said, checking his pockets and pulling out a rusty key.

The others looked at him, surprised. Thal looked closely at the key. “Isn’t that the key the Headmaster gave you to open the sewer gate?”

Tevvy nodded, grinning.

“So you are suggesting we go to that shelf of rock, and enter the sewers?” Thal asked.

Tevvy nodded again.

“It won’t work,” Blakstar said, “we could not take the horses onto that shelf, let alone, take them into the sewers.”

“We could put Klare on my pony,” Tevvy suggested, “it would fit, and I could take Klare to our sanctuary, or up into the school, for that matter.”

“You couldn’t get into the school, since the passage into the dungeon collapsed,” Klaybear said.

“I could use a different sewer grate,” Tevvy said, “or enter the teleport house. They would take her, a fellow, injured kailu, to the school.”

Klaybear looked up; he spoke in twin. “You must go with her,” he croaked, “since I cannot. I must destroy those who have hurt her.”

Rokwolf opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he saw the look in his twin brother’s eyes. He nodded. “Get your pony,” Rokwolf said to Tevvy. He looked to Blakstar and Thal. “You’ll have to take the other horses with you. I think it would be best if you made several doorways, moving to several different places: that might confuse, or at least slow down, the morgle. I’d go to the place we left when we opened a door into Kalbant to escape pursuit.”

They nodded, following Tevvy to retrieve the horses. Rokwolf moved to his brother’s side. “I’m sorry, bearman,” he whispered in twin; “I failed you.”

“No, wolfman,” Klaybear replied, “you did not fail, not here, not when Marilee was given the illness that marked her and Delgart. Thal’s right, these kinds of things will continue to happen to us as long as someone among our enemies holds the rod.” He looked up, his face grim. “We will catch the beast on the battlefield and destroy him along with his army, and then the rod will be ours, and Thal can repair the damage done to my mate.” His eyes grew distant. “And then, we will destroy Gar, and end this once and for all.”

Rokwolf looked at his twin for a long moment before nodding; the look on Klaybear’s face was frightening, filled with anger and granite resolve. But then his face changed, and he looked around.

“What is that sound?” Klaybear asked.

“I hear it,” Rokwolf replied, looking down. “Your staff,” he said.

Klaybear picked up the staff where he had dropped it beside him, felt it humming as the sword had done. “We’ve got to get out of here,” Klaybear said.

“Give me Klare,” Rokwolf replied, “and open a doorway to that shelf Tevvy spoke of.” He took Klare as Klaybear stood. They heard the sounds of running feet and hooves; Klaybear turned and jogged toward Tevvy. “You heard?” Rokwolf asked without turning.

“We did,” Thal replied.

“I did not see the shelf outside the sewers,” Klaybear noted, “so I cannot open the door.”

“But if I open the door,” Tevvy protested, “the staff will be with me.”

“Both of you hold the staff!” Thal exclaimed, “Tevvy can open the door, then step through and release the staff to Klaybear.”

“Are you sure it will work?” Klaybear asked.

“No time,” Tevvy replied, pointing at an archway starting to open. He grabbed the staff below Klaybear’s hand and started to draw, green light flaring from the emerald eye; nearby, Blakstar was doing the same, his sword surrounded by golden flames. Tevvy’s doorway opened first, and Rokwolf leapt through carrying Klare. Tevvy followed, releasing the staff and leading his pony through. Thal sent forked lightning against the purem who had come through the morgle’s doorway. Blakstar’s door opened; Klaybear lifted his staff and closed the door, and he turned and sent a bolt of green fire through the door opened by the morgle, striking the purem leaping through. Thal stepped into the archway leading three of their horses; Klaybear sent another bolt of green fire into the morgle’s arch as he took the reins of Blakstar’s horse and his own, stepping through the archway. The kortexi followed, lifting his sword and closing the archway, rolling forward to dodge the bolt of red fire that followed him through, winking out as soon as the archway closed.

“Well that was . . . ,” Blakstar started to say, but before the words were out, a net fell over his head, dragging him to the ground; he felt a blow to his head, his consciousness winking out, wondering how they could have been so stupid. . . .

On Wednesday we will follow Rokwolf and Tevvy as they return to their sanctuary beneath Shigmar. Until then, get a full ebook copy from Smashwords for free! If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading!