The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #426: A Randomly Picked Thirteenth Hour Reading

A randomly picked section from The Thirteenth Hour and read out loud for the show.

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #426: A Randomly Picked Thirteenth Hour Reading

https://archive.org/download/podcast-426/Podcast%20426.mp3

This week’s episode is a randomly selected section of The Thirteenth Hour.  Eyes closed, I flipped through the book and landed on this section near the start of Chapter 21.  Note: There are a few perspective shifts in this section.  When the text becomes purple and gets italicized, the point of view switches, in this case to Aurora.  Let’s go!

… Aurora nodded.
I was silent for a time. “Seems a bit … anticlimactic.”
Aurora laughed. “Yeah. I’ll tell you one thing, though. When we get back, I’m going to get a hot bath and lie in the water all day. And then eat a huge meal. Speaking of which, I’m starving. Aren’t you?”
“Yes. But I’m always hungry.”
“Let’s find the nearest town and get something to eat. Stock up for the voyage home, too.”
“Good idea if we had money. Maybe we can barter.”
“Do we have anything of value?”
“Well, let’s see,” I said, emptying my pockets. Aurora dropped the book of poetry onto the sand.
I noticed her dress was stained red in one corner.
“Aurora, what happened there?”
“Oh, the cut on my leg opened up again. I scraped it or something; I didn’t even really notice. It’s okay.”
She showed me the cut caused by the dragon. There a long, dull, red scab, and near the edge, a shiny red glob where part of the old scab had broken off.
I whistled. “I think that one’s for life,” I said. “We better wrap it tight for the ride home.”
After that was done, we continued with our inventory. “There’s our clothes, a pocketknife, a pot, a sack, the scroll, the book of poetry, Lightning, and the trident.”
“We need our clothes, the pot, knife, sack, scroll, and Lightning for sure. And I’d like us to keep the book,” said Aurora.
“Well, that kind of goes without saying. And I’d sure hate to give up the trident. It might come in handy yet. We still have a long voyage home.”
“Hmm. Well, this figures as much.”
“Let’s just get out of this desert and see what happens,” I said as I unfolded Lightning.
“I’m for that. Got nothing to lose, I guess,” Aurora said.
But that’s just the thing. Whichever god that ensures folks get what’s coming to them, the great leveler, that accountant in the sky, makes sure that just when you get to thinking you have nothing to lose, you find out you really do.

* * * * * * * *

“Lightning, what’s the nearest town?”
“The nearest town? I’ll check my maps.”
Minutes passed.
“Sorry, guys. There’s nothing around within a sixty mile radius.”
“Wow. Well, just take us in the direction of the Castle in Tartec, and we’ll find a forest or something along the way. As long as we get out of this desert, we’ll find something.”
“Got it.”
After a time, Lightning beeped. “Logan, look ahead! There’s a castle coming up on my maps. Just popped into view as we got a little closer. Hope the desert isn’t playing tricks on me!”
“Well, I’m not seeing it yet, but we should probably check it out. We need food and water,” I said.
The castle certainly could have been a mirage. The closer and closer we came, the more out of place it seemed. There were no surrounding houses or buildings. The thick walls and turrets were all made of black stone, which immediately struck me as being unusual. You would have thought that the castle would have been made of lighter stones to reflect the strong rays of sun.
We alighted at the entrance, and I folded up Lightning and put her in my pocket. Before we could even call out a greeting, a giant wooden drawbridge lowered over a sandy moat to let us in.
“An interesting welcome,” I commented. I was suspicious, but I’d encountered lots of suspicious things over the course of this trip.
The drawbridge closed behind us.
Not good.
Inside was completely black, and I took Aurora’s hand so we wouldn’t get separated. Our eyes adjusted gradually to the darkness, which was stiflingly hot. Beads of sweat gathered on my head and forehead. We walked slowly down what looked like a giant, deserted hall. I couldn’t see the floor well, but our footsteps sounded crisp reverberating off the stone around us.
Then an icy cold wind swirled across the bottom of the floor. It initially felt great, but given how out of place it seemed, it was disconcerting. Aurora tightened her grip on my hand.
It was about now that I started to get a feeling this really wasn’t a good idea. I swear, I think I must have been dropped on my head as a baby or something because that part of your brain that warns you of dangerous situations seemed to work extra slow in mine.
“Logan, look!” Aurora said in a whisper.
Deep within the shrouds of darkness, a pair of scarlet red eyes shone at us like rubies flashing in the sun – the same ones that Aurora had described in the Last Fortress of the Earth. I looked to my left – another scarlet pair of eyes. They moved closer. Suddenly, the eyes seemed to multiply in the darkness. There were hundreds of pairs, looking at us, moving towards us. I regripped the trident nervously in my left hand.
Suddenly, there was a flash of blinding smoke ahead of us, and we fell. I lost my grip on Aurora’s hand. When we recovered, someone was standing above us. I looked up – tall, large, with broad shoulders and arms folded across an expansive chest. The figure was dark and robed; I couldn’t see a face but got the feeling that I didn’t want to.
“Welcome. I’ve been expecting you … for a long time.”
The sight of the dark figure sent a tingle up my spine (that, as you may have guessed, happened a lot during this trip). I scurried to my feet and looked for Aurora, seeing her silhouette not far away.
“W–Who are you?”
“That is none of your concern right now. What is important is that you have completed your quest.”
“How did you know about that?”
“I know about many things.”
“Those men – the ones with the red eyes in the Last Fortress of the Earth – you sent them, didn’t you?” I asked.
The robed figure chuckled softly. “Yes, yes, I did. Just to check on your progress. Now, I assume, you know the secret to eternal life.”
I gathered what confidence I had and replied, “The secret’s for King Darian IV of Tartec. If you want it, why don’t you ask him.” I do admit to feeling like a tool saying that, but give me a break, it’s all I could think of at the time.
The robed figure laughed deeply. His laughter echoed through the room.
“That’s a good one. For Darian IV.” Shaking his head, he said, “Well, let’s just say I could make it well worth your while if you told me first. Servants!”
Several of the dark figures with the red eyes approached out of the shadows. Up close they weren’t quite as scary as long as you didn’t look directly at their eyes. The robed figure whispered something to his servants, and they scurried away like little mice. They returned with a giant chest that looked very heavy. The sound of the chest hitting the floor echoed across the stone walls. They opened it to reveal a huge mound of gold coins and sparkling gems.
“This is only one such chest filled with the Earth’s treasures. I have hundreds more. They mean nothing to me, but they would make you a very rich man. Even richer, I grant you, than your King. They can all be yours if you give me the secret to eternal life.”
“I don’t want your money,” I said cautiously.
The figure stiffened, and said, “Reconsider, Logan. I’m not used to receiving ‘no’ as an answer.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
“You’re making a big mistake, Logan,” said the figure gravely.
You may have noticed by now I don’t take well to being ordered around. Looking back, it’s been a failing of mine that has gotten me into trouble over the years. It would have been so easy now for me to say yes. What did it matter to me? But something about his impatient, authoritarian manner annoyed me and brought out the stubbornness of my childhood. This guy was just like Darian and Aron (may he rest in peace), and all the others that had pushed me around throughout my life. I was used to people like this using me as a doormat, and I was getting tired of it.
“I said no,” I said firmly.
“All right. If that’s the way you want it. Maybe you won’t tell me now. But you will. I have ways. Guards!”
Two huge, muscle–bound men carrying battle–axes approached from the shadows and bowed to the robed figure.
“Seize the girl!”
“Run, Aurora!” I shouted. But it was too late.

“And seize the boy, too! He’s getting on my nerves! Bring the girl to me!”

“Hey! Take it easy!” shouted Aurora, as the huge, hulking men grabbed Aurora and dragged her, kneeling, before the robed figure.
All I could do was stand by helplessly, feeling like an idiot, as two more of the huge guards pinned my arms and ripped the trident from my hands with so much force that I wondered if they’d broken my wrists. They wore black hoods over their heads so I couldn’t see their faces. I’ll wager they probably weren’t friendly. They also smelled like they hadn’t taken a bath in ages, although it wasn’t my place to talk.
He bent over Aurora and tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. “Perhaps your friend, Logan, won’t talk, but I have ways.”
Her face turned pale, and she fell backwards.
“W–what do we have to do with you?” stuttered Aurora, struggling in the guards’ grips.
“Oh, you have everything to do with me,” the figure began. “I need the answer, the secret to eternal life. You found it. I need it. It’s what will grant me the freedom that was taken from me so long ago.”
“You mean just knowing it? That’s all?”
There was a pause. “Tell me the secret, and everything will be fine. I’m sure your King won’t care if someone gets a little advance notice. You tell me what I need to know, and you get to go on your merry way.”
I didn’t really believe him, but I wasn’t sure what else to do. There were too many guards to fight, and there was no readily visible way to escape. If I could get on Lightning, maybe I’d have a chance in the air … until we crashed into something in this confined space. And what about Aurora? No, that was a lousy plan. But there was one I figured was worth a try … I could sacrifice the scroll the Dreamweaver had given us. It probably wasn’t the answer this guy was looking for, but it might buy us some time, especially if he were distracted. If I could pull out a knife along with the scroll … who knew what kind of mayhem could ensue.
So, I explained I needed to get to my pockets. Unfortunately, as quickly as the guards’ vice–like hands released me so I could pull out the scroll, they clamped down again. The dark figure grabbed the scroll out of my hand greedily and opened it. A deep, guttural laugh came from his throat, and he fell back onto his throne.
“At last! After all these years! Thank you, my boy, now I have all I need. Guards, get rid of the boy, and bring the girl here!”
Not good for me …
I knew it! I said a lot of bad words and started struggling with the guards like there was no tomorrow. I had almost broken free when the figure spoke again.
I wasn’t listening to what this lunatic was saying. There was an empty feeling in my stomach, and my arms were beginning to cramp from the guards’ crushing grip and my continual efforts to wriggle free. My eyes darted left and right, trying to find an exit, a possible way out of this mess. I couldn’t see in back of me, but I had a vague idea where the guards’ legs were. If I could kick them … then Logan might have a chance …
“Logan, Logan. What did you really expect from me? After all these years, why should I trust anyone? So why bother to struggle? You’ll only die tired. Besides, your little friend won’t come to any harm. I’ll make sure of that.”
I told him to fornicate himself.
He laughed. “Now, what did you think I was going to do to her? Sacrifice? Torture? Rape?”
Well … the thoughts did cross my mind.
“Now, Logan, I’m very much the gentleman. No harm will come to her. She will have the best care. I have been watching this one, and she can help me in my plan. And who knows. I was never promised a bride. Perhaps … this one will do …”
I almost fainted right there. I looked over at Aurora; her face was whiter than I’d ever seen it. There had to be a way out of this!
Better do something now before this goes any further …
He must have seen my stunned look, because even though I couldn’t see his face, I sensed he was grinning. Better do something now! C’mon, Logan, think, think! The guards have axes. If only I could …
“But you, my boy, you’re a problem. If I let you go, who knows if you’ll somehow spoil my plan? Guards! Kill him!”
“No!” shouted Aurora, and she drove an elbow back into one of the guard’s ribs. He grunted, but didn’t budge, and when she tried to kick her leg back into his groin, he only lifted her high up in the air in a clean military press.
With all my strength, I shouted and burst free. I drove a side kick into the hip of one of the guards, elbowed the other in the ribs, grabbed one of the battle axes from the fallen guards, and ran to swipe at the guard holding Aurora. Then there was a blinding light, and I couldn’t move. My arms were pinned over my head, my head locked in position, and the shout coming out of my mouth was suddenly muted, though my mouth stayed open. I tried to close my eyes, but they wouldn’t move. I was frozen.
“Well, Logan, that should hold you. And what have we here? Well, this is a touching situation. How are you, up there, Aurora?”
“Ah, screw you!” she yelled.
“She’s a perky one, isn’t she? Well, how about this. Logan, I won’t kill you. I think, Logan, if the situation here had been different, I think we could have even been … friends. I like your spirit. In many ways, you remind me of my brother, the bastard that trapped me here. So I’m going to test you. It’ll be an interesting experiment. You’ll live. But you may wish you hadn’t. Guards, throw him in the dungeon! Servants, bring her to me!”
His laugh echoed across the vaulted room.
“Aurora …” My newly found voice came out as a whisper, and my heart ached as I heard Aurora calling my name as she, too, was dragged away.
Slowly, my muscles regained sensation, signalled by a burning tingling, like they had just woken from sleep. In their lethargy, all I could do was watch as the guards picked me up and dragged me away. It was as if the spell knocked the fight from my spirit as well as from my body. I felt totally defeated, worn out, and didn’t think I’d have the heart to put up a struggle even if I were physically capable of doing so.

Thanks for listening!

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