A Goblin's Greed (#11)

by LightningStar626

Chapter 5: The Silver Tower

Chapter 5: The Silver Tower.

~Ingeus was horribly fat, a monstrosity of squat green flab with sharply pointed ears and cold, calculating eyes that glinted like emeralds. His bald head glistened in the sun, as did the gold chain that hung from his bulging neck and decorated the black caftan that he wore. Time seemed to stand still as he approached the group on the quay side. An oppressive silence hung over everything. No sailor dared venture down the gangplank to join Captain Sirt, for they lived in dread of the goblin.~

"So, you have arrived," Ingeus addressed the captain in a husky voice that carried a barely hidden menace. He looked first to Rarity, then to Sunset, then to Fluttershy and then to Renesmee. "Which one of these is the princess? And who are these other girls?" He demanded.

"If it pleases your Eminence, sir, this one 'ere is Princess Renesmee." The captain answered, pointing to her. "The others we caught spyin'. Brought 'em along for your wisdom to judge. Or shall I 'ave 'em killed now, sir?"

"I shall see what they are worth first." Ingeus gave an oily smile. "You have done well, Captain. Better than I expected." He reached into his caftan and drew out a large ruby which he tossed to the captain. "A Bonus for you, my friend."

"Why, thank you, sir!" The captain grovelled, staring at the gem in his hand.

"When I have departed," the goblin continued. "You can fetch the gold from the keep. I know your miserable crew will not dare come ashore until I've gone."

"Your Eminence is most kind." replied Captain Sirt, still leering over the ruby in his calloused palm.

Ingeus turned to his wolves and addressed the leader of the pack. "Take them away, Ulris. These eight go to the kitchen. And the princess…" He paused. "Take her to the Silver Tower."

Ulris snarled and bared his fangs. "At your bidding, Eminence…"

~The wolf fixed his baleful yellow eyes on the captives and, filled with fear, they had no option but to obey. Surrounded by the rest of the pack, they stumbled off along the quay while the goblin followed at his own leisurely pace. Ingeus' fortress stood on the summit of the island at the head of a long winding track. It looked grey and forbidding, with tall towers and stern turrets frowning over the forest. The trees stretched away in all the directions from the rocky outcrop upon where the fortress stood. The sour stench of the wolves was everywhere and the girls' hearts sank as they passed under the gloomy archway that led into the main courtyard. Here they split up.~

"Don't be scared," Sunset shouted to Princess Renesmee as she was led away. "We'll think of something, don't you worry."

~She turned and smiled weakly. The brief warmth of their companionship made her loneliness feel all the more bitter.~

---

~The Rainbooms were immediately put to work in the basement kitchens where piles of unwashed dishes and sacks of vegetables awaited their attention. Lizard-like guards, whom the girls later found out were called Zards, watched over them as they worked. The guards had long tails and claw-like hands and their scaly, pinkish brown skins gave them the appearance of being made of jointed seashells. Each one carried a sword, the flat of which hit the girls' shoulders whenever they slacked at their labours or attempted to speak to one another. Rainbow Dash and Applejack scraped and chopped the wrinkled skin off white root vegetables, while Lightning, Sunset and Twilight tried to peel purple things that looked like sprouts and smelt like dirty socks. Rarity tried to hold her breath as she, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie scrubbed at a stinking pile of dishes in the sink. They slaved like this all afternoon, and it wasn't until late evening that they were allowed any food. By the time they were thrown into dungeon for the night, all eight felt ready to drop.~

"I'm completely exhausted," huffed Rarity as they flopped down onto straw filled sacks.

"Me too!" agreed Pinkie. "What a day! I thought it would never end! I've never seen so much washing up in my life! It was more than a dozen cake trays!"

"And don't forget all we did this mornin' on the ship," Applejack added. She rolled over to face the others.

"What are we going to do...?" Fluttershy trembled.

"I don't know," Lightning replied. "But, I don't fancy being a slave for the rest of my life!"

"That's for sure." nodded Rainbow. "Those Zards are revolting! And who knows what those awful wolves have done with Renesmee."

"I do hope Renesmee's alright." said Sunset. "Do you think it's really that jewel they're after?"

"Can't think what else it can be, can you?" said Lightning.

"Then why didn't they just kill Renesmee, or at least knock her out, and steal it?" Twilight quired. "Perhaps it's not as simple as that…" She answered her own question.

---

~Renesmee, meanwhile, had been taken to a large room at the top of the Silver Tower. She was completely alone and the door was locked. To her surprise, her prison was not what she had expected. Instead of a bare, cold room, the Silver Tower was comfortably furnished with all that was needed to make her feel at home. There were two comfortable chairs, each with embroidered cushions. Against one wall, next to a brass bedstead, stood an elegant oak wardrobe. In the centre of the room was a table laden with plenty of bread, cheese and fruit. She picked up a red apple and sniffed it, suspicious that it might be poisoned. She decided to eat the bread and cheese instead. When she had eaten her fill, she opened the wardrobe. To her astonishment, she found it filled with exquisite clothes, all her size, and of better quality that she had ever seen. With nothing else to do, she tried some on, and particularly liked the look of a silvery-white gown that she decided to wear for a while. Perhaps this adventure was going to turn all right after all. At least she was being treated as a princess should be. Then her mind went back to her newly found friends. What would become of them? Nor could she forget that she was a prisoner herself, however nice the room might be. She paced to and fro across the floor.~

"Why doesn't anyone come for me?" she muttered. "What does that ugly creature want, anyway?" She felt the Sodal Marble about her neck. "Well, he's not having this, that's for sure. It belongs to me and me alone. So there!"

~She gazed out of the windows. The view was stunning. Not only could she see the courtyards and battlements of the castle below, but the whole expanse of the forested island and the blue sea beyond. In one direction, across the sea, she could make out the hazy outline of a distant, mountainous coastline. She wondered where it was. She also wondered what had become of Crow. Why hadn't he come to find her? At long last, as the sun was setting and an ominous green mist was rising from the trees, there came the sudden rattle of a key in the door. She sat on the bed, gripping the covers tightly as the door opened. One of the scaly-faced Zards entered.~

"His Eminence requires your presence at his table," he said briefly. "You are to accompany me now."

~Knowing it was pointless to argue, and curious to discover what was to happen, Princess Renesmee allowed herself to be escorted down the stairs. They passed along many corridors lit with burning torches until they reached a pair of large doors flashed by two guards. At a sign from her escort, the doors were swung open and she was ushered into a spacious hall. Before her stood, Ingeus, and beyond him she could see a table loaded with more food. A fire burned brightly on a massive hearth, casting flickering shadows around the walls.~

"Ah, welcome Princess Renesmee. Welcome to Trekle." His voice possessed a silky huskiness, but she knew it concealed malice. There could be no mistaking those eyes. "I see you have found garments more becoming for a princess. I trust they are to your liking. Won't you please join me for dinner?"

"I don't know who you are," she replied coldly, "but I've been kidnapped, maltreated, and brought here without any explanation whatsoever. I am extremely cross and require you to release both myself and my companions this instant." Her face flushed with anger and she clenched her fists.

The goblin smiled. "Forgive me, dear princess. I will explain everything. First, however, let me introduce myself. My name is Ingeus, and I am the ruler of this island. You will have realised by now that my power also extends far beyond its shores. As to the reason I have brought you here: you have something I want, something I dearly desire." His eyes glittered with unconcealed greed and she shrank back with distaste. "You see," he went on, "I am a collector of beautiful things. I have amassed treasures more than you can imagine, vast caverns of gold, silver and jewels. Works of art that would dazzle you. These bring me great satisfaction...yet, alas, beautiful as they are, they are lifeless. There is no real power in gold. But you have something more," he continued, "You possess the Sodal Marble of Asteral. That is what I most desire."

"The Sodal Marble is mine," she replied in a steady voice, though her heart was thumping hard. "I am not prepared to give it up."

Ingeus smirked. "We shall see. I am very rich, and am prepared to pay a great price for this jewel. You would be an exceedingly wealthy princess. You could wield great power with the treasures I would bestow upon you for this...this trinket. It could be all yours to do as you pleased. Just think of it!"

"The Sodal Marble is not for sale," she replied shortly. "That's all there is to it. Now let me go back to my room while you plan how you are going to return me to the mainland."

The goblin glared at her determined face. "Very well! For the moment, that is how I shall leave it. But first, there is something I must put to the test. Guards!" Two Zards rush in. "You! Seize her!" he commanded one of them.

~Before the princess could move, her arms were firmly pinioned behind her back.~

Ingeus spoke to the other guard. "Remove the marble that hangs about her neck."

~Princess Renesmee fought vainly, lashing out with her feet as the scaly creature approached. His shell coloured claw took hold of the chain and he lifted the marble from her dress. Yet, the moment he touched the Sodal Marble itself, a sigh of endless sadness escaped his jaws, and at once he fell dead at her feet. The other guard released her with a start and sprang back, while the princess stared horror-struck at the fallen creature.~

"Then the rumour is true," muttered Ingeus. "No matter. No matter," To the remaining Zard, he flung an order: "Return the princess to the tower and lock her in securely."

~Princess Renesmee sat in bed an hour later with a certain satisfaction in her heart. She fingered the Sodal Marble with an affection that she had never felt before.~

"Hm," she thought, "he won't try that again in a hurry. I feel sorry about the guard, but that wasn't really my fault. Perhaps there's more power in the Marble than I thought. Maybe things will turn out alright after all."

~With that, she lay down to sleep. Yet, it would not be a pleasant night for Princess Rensmee. The moment her head touched the pillow, it began to throb. Her mind was filled with the image of the crystal ball in the gypsy caravan and try as she might, she could not shut it out. Once again, weird voices began to jabber in her mind. She broke into a cold sweat and tossed and turned in her bed. A cool wind whistled through the windows, blowing the curtains into wildy contorted shadows. Things fell, the room span. At times she thought there were people walking around. She heard strange surrying noises and couldn't tell whether they were in her head or under the felt terribly afraid. Then the wolves began their blood-chilling howls from far below. Shivering, she clutched at the bedclothes and wished for the dawn.~

In his room, Ingeus smiled grimly as he sat, fingertips touching beneath his chin. "Stubborn she may be," he mused to himself, "but we will see what a night in the Silver Tower will do about that!"

---

~King Dalton was ruler of the Great Forest of Caisar. The son of the High King and Queen of Asteral, he was also brother to Princess Renesmee. It was early morning, and pae sunshine filtered through the oak, ash and pine trees, promising a fine day. Dalton put on his travelling cloak and heaved a brown canvas travelling pack onto his broad shoulders.~

"There! Ready to go." Dalton smiled at those around him, but his eyes were serious and already focused on the journey that lay before him.

~Alongside King Dalton stood Lord Tad, the King's chief advisor, a manticore of great courage and wisdom. It was Tad who had led the forest-folk during the dark year of tyranny under Hexia the Crone.~

"I will accompany you to the ford," Tad told Dalton. "The sprites will travel as far as you wish. Their task is to relay messages back and forward as necessary."

~Dalton nodded. Near him, three sprites were standing to attention. Famed to their bravery, these three sprites were knights of honour in Dalton's kingdom.~

He turned to address them. "I suggest that we aim for you to be stationed a day's journey apart. Fumble, you will travel with me for one day; Mumble, you for two days; Grumble, you for three.

"Yes, sir!" said the three sprites in unison as they saluted, even though Fumble did manage to smack Mumble in the eye by accident as he did so.

Tad raised his eyes heavenwards. "Good speed," He sighed, and with that the company departed, the bright morning sunshine lighting their path through the forest canopy.

~The reason for Dalton's journey had to do with a strange vision he had experienced two days earlier. He had been sitting alone on the bank of the River Dustle, idly, watching a fish feeding in the shallows. His thoughts had drifted peacefully, his eyes half closed. The fish and the river faded, and Dalton became aware in his mind's eye of something else. It seemed that he could see a glistening, transparent jewel, that floated on the dark, storm-tossed sea. So furious was the storm that the jewel kept vanishing beneath the waves. Dalton thought it would sink forever but, just as it seemed lost, the peak of an ice-capped mountain emerged from the raging sea. It bore the precious stone upwards and carried it to safety. The peak rose higher and higher out of the sea. Then the jewel burst into a brilliant blue light that shone like a star, blazing out from the top of the mountain. As unexpectedly as it had come, the vision vanished. Dalton was aware of his surroundings once more, but his mind remained troubled by what he had seen. What did the vision mean, he wondered? There was only one way to find out. He would go to the enchanted glade, to the magical heart of his forest kingdom. The glade held the Islastone, whose power gave life to the forest. As Dalton passed through the sentinel stones that marked the entrance to the glade, the sweet fragrance of the air had cleared his head, but the unsettling images from his vision still remained fresh in his mind. A life-giving energy flowed from the Islastone and it intensified as Dalton drew near to it. The pool lay alongside the Islastone, and it was into its gentle glowing water that Dalton had gazed. For a moment he had seen just his own reflection, but then the water swirled and he saw the face of his sister. She seemed to be in great distress, and was surrounded by howling wolves.~

"Renesmee!" he breathed.

~Dalton was convinced by his vision, and by what he had seen in the pool, that his young sister was in some kind of trouble. Her disappearance had something to do with the Sodal Marble. Did she realise its importance? He had to find her, and quickly.~

---

~Lightning and the Mane 7 were all awake very early on the morning following their imprisonment on the island of Trekle. Each of them felt extremely stiff after the labours of the previous day and a night on hard wooden bunks.~

"My arms are killing me." Sunset groaned as she tried to stretch.

"Me too," Rarity winced as she gingerly pushed herself upright. "What about you, Lightning, darling?

"Hm, not too bad, I think." She staggered to her feet, and heard a crack. "Doh! Yep! Spoke too soon. My knees hurt."

"It's all that deck scrubbing." said Rainbow.

~They spent the next few minutes stretching and stumbling around their cell trying to ease the aches and pains. The thought of another day in the kitchens made them feel even worse.~

"We've just gotta escape from this place somehow," said Applejack, pacing up and down. "Does anyone have any ideas?" She heaved the bars on the window. "No chance here, these bars are as solid as a rock."

"Well, unless you use your strength. Then we'll be out in no time!" Lightning declared.

"That would be too good to be true," her tech friend, Twilight commented. "We've got to get Renesmee out as well, but we don't even know where to find her."

"That horrible creature said the Silver Tower," Rarity remembered, "wherever that is."

"I wonder if Renesmee's still got that jewel?" said Fluttershy.

"If that's what he's really after," Rainbow challenged.

"Well, I don't think it can be anything else," Lightning retorted. "I'm sure my theory is right."

"How?" Rainbow exclaimed, trying the door.

Lightning looked miffed and Applejack intervened before she and Rainbow could start squabbling. "Come on, you two. Let's not think about that right now. What we really need is to keep our eyes open today and see if we can find an escape route. Maybe we can find some way of talkin' to Renesmee as well."

~Just then, a Zard guard came for them and led them away to the kitchens, where they were allowed to wash and have breakfast before being set to work.~

---

~That same dawn came as a mighty relief to Princess Renesmee. She had never known a night as bad as the one that had just passed. Though she must have dozed at times, she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. She stared mournfully in the mirror at the dark shadows under her eyes.~

"Ugh, what a sight!" she exclaimed. "I don't want to go through that again." She shuddered at the memory of the past hours. However, the morning light often fills the fearful with fresh courage, and she set her jaw firmly. "Well one thing is for sure," she declared, "He's not going to get the better of me."

~She ignored the dresses in the wardrobe and deliberately donned her old peasant's garb, then sat on the bed and waited to see what would happen. It wasn't long before the guard came and took her again to Ingeus. The goblin looked at Renesmee with half-amusement as she shambled into the room.~

"Good morning. I trust you slept well," he said, sardonically.

"No I didn't, and you know very well that I didn't," she snapped.

"I am sorry to hear that," he lied. "Maybe I can offer you breakfast to make amends?"

~Princess Renesmee hesitated for a moment. In spite of her resolve, she was actually feeling very hungry. She glanced at the table and, with a curt nod, she sat down and helped herself to the food. Ingeus sat near the fireplace, watching her in silence. While she was on her last mouthful of food, he spoke again.~

"Last night, I offered you vast wealth in exchange for the Sodal Marble," he said, "yet you refused to part with it. I must say I was surprised at your foolish reluctance- because if which, by the way, one of my guards died."

The princess flashed him a sharp glance. "I was sorry about that. But it was hardly my fault, was it? You shouldn't have tried to steal it." She stood up abruptly and strode towards him. "Why do you want the Sodal Marble, anyway? You're obviously rich. What's so special about this?"

Ingeus' eyes glittered and seemed to bore right into hers. "You appear to know very little about the treasure you carry," he said quietly, "Deep mysteries and powers are hidden in the depths of its inner light. One such as I could unlock those secrets. That is why I wish to gaze upon it, to understand it, to…"

"You mean you wish to use it for your own ends," she interrupted.

"Oh, yes, if you mean there is power in knowledge," he breathed. "But what is so wrong with that? And after all, you had power when you were a princess."

"Yes, but mine wasn't...isn't evil."

The goblin shrugged. "What is evil and what is good? I treat my servants well and I am generous with my favours. When I possess the Sodal Marble shall be even more lavish onwards those who serve me. Surely you are being evil by not letting me do that?"

The princes did not know how to reply. She was silent for a moment. Then she blurted out, "I think what you're saying is a lot of nonsense. And you're still not having it." She walked over to the fire and stood warming her hands. Without turning she asked, "Why don't you just kill me? Then you could have it, couldn't you?"

"Alas, that is not possible," he replied with a sigh. "The moment you were to die, the Sodal Marble would simply vaporise and be lost forever."

~Renesmee had not known this. It gave her considerable comfort to know that whatever else happened, Ingeus would not dare let her die.~

The goblin decided to change his approach. "Why do you cling on to this jewel? Why is it so important to you? I am not sure you even know why you have it."

"I've been taught never to give it away," she said slowly, "because if I do, I shall cease to be a princess. I shall lose my name."

Ingeus' eyes gleamed. "What utter rubbish!" he cried scornfully. "Superstitious nonsense. As if your name depended on keeping the Sodal Marble!"

Princess Renesmee turned on him hotly. "Well, that's whatI've been told. Why should I believe otherwise?"

"My dear child, has it never occurred to you that your name is simply what you call yourself? Who you really are has nothing to do with either your birthstone, or what your parents have told you. You don't need this...trinket. In fact, removing it would show how grown-up a princess you really are."

His words touched the princess. She felt confused. "I-I don't know about that…"

Ingeus followed through quickly. "Listen I admire your independence. The way you left home to follow your own fortune marks you out as a real princess. You are someone who will make up your own mind." The goblin smiled at Renesmee. "It's time you became the woman you were made to be, a woman of destiny." Ingeus knew that his persuasive tongue was having an effect. He gave Renesmee a wry look, his head tilted to one side. "Of course," he mused, in a fatherly tone, "It's not much use being a woman of destiny without money." He stroked his chin, quietly confident that he found his way through her defenses. "The real value of your Sodal Marble is the fortune that it can bring you. Sell it to me, and I will pay you handsomely."

~Princess Renesmee moved quietly to the window and for a long time stared out the courtyard below.~

---

~The Zards were not so strict with the Rainbooms on their second day. There were times when they could whisper hurriedly to each other while bent over their chores. They were beginning to get some idea of the layout of this part of the fortress. The kitchens proved to be only one short flight of steps below the main courtyard, which was surrounded by a covered walkway. Many windows and lofty towers overlooked the gravelled square. The Rainbooms observed all this when the Zards marched them up the stone steps into the daylight and across the courtyard to a wooden side gate. Beyond the gate horse-drawn wagons rolled to and fro,carrying provisions from the pirate ship King's Wolf and delivering them to the castle. The girls were ordered to carry sacks, crates and boxes back across the courtyard and down to the kitchens and storerooms. Lightning was finding this heavy work very difficult. After three or four trips she was longing to stop for a rest, but the guards were always watching. Her chance came when her Zard guard was replaced by a new one, who went outside the gate to talk to a wagon driver. Lightning seized her opportunity to rest.~

"I'm going to take a break!" she hissed at Applejack. She was passing her on her way up the kitchen steps as she was coming down, carrying a bulging sack of potatoes on her back.

"Well just be careful!" she hissed back, giving her a wary look.

"Don't worry, I will," she replied. "and I'll try to have a look around at the same time."

~With that, Lightning slipped behind one of the pillars of the covered walkway. She saw that the low wall supporting the pillars ran the entire length of the courtyard. This gave her an idea. Ducking down, she began to creep behind the low wall, keeping out of sight of the guards. She had almost reached the far end of the courtyard when she spotted a movement at one of the first floor windows. To her delight, she recognised Princess Renesmee! Would she see her? Throwing caution to the wind she stood and waved. For a moment there was no response. Then she spotted her. She saw her hand give a tiny, surreptitious flutter in answer. Just then she heard an angry shout of a guard who was striding towards her. Lightning's stomach lurched, knowing she was in trouble. She ran for it. She made it back to the gate, but there's no escaping punishment. As she looked back to see if the guard was chasing her, she crashed into Sunset Shimmer, followed by Rainbow Dash, followed by Twilight, until the whole gang of eight tumbled to the ground. With a snarl, the Zards grabbed them cruelly by the arms and dragged them up to their feet, where they cuffed them round the head before putting them back to work. They all winced in pain, but Lightning knew that this was the price of finding out something very important: that the princess was not kept locked in the tower all the time. Princess Renesmee's heart leapt when she saw Lightning: her eager wave gave her new hope. Although it dismayed her to see her caught so quickly, this only filled her with fresh determination not to give in.~

She turned to Ingeus. "I want my friends released," she demanded. "You have no right to keep them like slaves."

Although he blinked with surprise at her response to the offer he had just made, the wily goblin quickly recovered. "But of course," he replied smoothly. "though 'friends' is rather a grand term for girls you hardly know, isn't it? Commoners at that. Nevertheless, they will be released - the moment you hand over the Sodal Marble. Otherwise, they remain victims of your...um...selfishness, don't they?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "You're wasting your time. I'm not going to let you have it and that's that." She glared at him and put her hands on her hips. "So what happens now? Are you going to lock me up again?"

"Why, no. As a princess you are perfectly free to roam the grounds. You should not try to escape, of course, nor make any contact with those commoners. But I wish you to enjoy my hospitality. It is, after all, the least one member of royalty can do for another." Princess Renesmee shuddered at this comparison between Ingeus and herself. "I will see you at lunch," he went on, "and please," (he gave a disdainful glance at her frock) "do try to dress as is becoming for a princess!"

~Later, she sat alone on a wall in the garden and gazed at the Sodal Marble. The beautiful blue light twinkled from its depths and for a moment she felt strangely comforted by its glow. But then suddenly it seemed that the other lights- sharp and threatening- flashed in her head. Her eyes began to sting. She rubbed them, and the Sodal Marble appeared to have lost it's brilliance. There was no comfort left in looking at it. Heaving a sigh, she replaced it within her dress.~