The Fortress Inventory

---Indigo---

The next time I was summoned to the throne room, it was to receive a task. "Since your little friends are so insistent on fighting me, I'm going to give them the fight they asked for." Lord Victor was polishing an obsidian sword as he spoke. "Indigo, you're going to help me with making sure everything is in order. You can start with the inventory and checking in with various generals today."

My eyes widened involuntarily. This was a momentous task. Lord Victor was entrusting me to go through his fortress's inventory. Was he not worried I would sabotage something?

"Here's a pass. Show this to any guard, and they will let you in to the rooms you desire. You're free to roam the fortress as you please." Lord Victor beckoned towards the side, and a soldier emerged holding a small tray. In the center of the tray laid a black diamond-shaped object with swirl-like engravings in the center. I picked up the cold, flat object carefully.

"Indigo, you're not going to say anything to me?" Lord Victor sounded mildly hurt. "Are you not happy with your new privileges?"

"No! I mean, yes, I'm happy! I'm very happy!" I hurriedly dropped into a deep bow. "I am so honored to be entrusted with this pass. I will give my all in helping with battle preparations and accomplish all tasks assigned to me, no matter how difficult. My lord, if you need anything done, I am more than happy to assist!"

"Ha ha ha! That's what I like to hear. Now, go on and finish your tasks. I have no doubt that you will be exceeding my expectations." Lord Victor made a shooing motion with his hand. I bowed once more and exited the throne room, clutching the pass in my hand. 'You're free to roam the fortress as you please.' Finally, after a week of being held in this prison, my opportunity has come.

With Lord Victor's pass, I was able to gain access into hallways and rooms I've never been into. Whenever guards started to eye me suspiciously, I would hold up the pass, and they would immediately bow and move out of my way. Slowly, I made my way to the inventory, which was on a lower level than the throne room. Soldiers were going in and out of the large storage room—some fetching weapons, some storing gunpowder, others reporting to a tall man wearing a fur coat and standing in the center of the room, gazing up and down the shelves.

As I walked in, the soldiers in the room cast suspicious glances at me. I paid them no attention and approached the man. "I'm here to make sure everything in the inventory is in order and well supplied. Orders from Lord Victor." I held up the pass.

The man looked at me sideways. Annoyance and contempt was written across his entire face. "Everything is fine here. I've got it under control. Don't impede military operations, girlie."

I glared at him. "Lord Victor ordered me to check the inventory, and that is exactly what I will do. I am merely letting you know, so that you do not impede me."

The soldiers around the man seemed angered by my disrespect towards their leader. Three of them unsheathed their weapons by a full six inches. "How dare you speak to General Wyatt that way!"

I looked at General Wyatt, the pass still held up in my hand. He waved his hand at his soldiers. "Men, leave her be. Orders are orders, whether they are to me or to this girlie." He cast one more look of contempt towards me before turning away. His men glared at me before slamming their weapons back into their sheaths.

For the first time in my life, I thanked Lord Victor. This pass was amazing. While General Wyatt and his soldiers conducted their business on the right side of the room, I began on the left. The fortress was well-stocked, and I couldn't help but think how all of these supplies would be so useful for Lionel's army. Alas, I still had to help Lord Victor in order to maintain my cover.

I made my way towards a wall full of weapons. My hip felt uncomfortably light without my sword hanging by my side, and I desperately wanted it back. I wondered if it had been confiscated when I was captured, but I couldn't find it in the inventory. I did find a small, slender case made of mahogany, buried under a pile of sheathed swords and daggers. It seemed about the right size for a dagger. Wondering what kind of dagger would warrant a case—maybe an antique had accidentally gotten mixed up with other weapons?—I unlatched the top.

A flash blinded me temporarily, catching me by surprise. I hurriedly shielded my eyes with my free hand. Cautiously, I peeked through my fingers. The object lying on a layer of velvet looked like a spear head with a very stunted shaft. The head was made of a quartz-like material, which had reflected the light in the room at just the right angle to shine in my eyes when I opened the top.

"Is this a new style of dagger?" I said to myself quietly. "What an interesting design." There were some carvings on the shaft, which was only half the length of the head. I carefully lifted the entire weapon from its case to study it closer. Tracing across the carvings with one finger, I felt a small round groove along the side. Without thinking, I pressed it. 'Clack.'

The carvings started to glow gold. Another segment suddenly extended from the shaft, followed by another, then another, and another, until there was a full-length spear in my hand. The glowing carvings, seemingly an enchantment of sorts, ran down the entire length of the spear. Then as quickly as it begun, the glow faded.

"What did you do?" General Wyatt's voice boomed from behind me, laced with anger and danger. "Who told you to go around touching things you're not supposed to?"

I shook myself out of my astonished stupor and turned to face him. "It's just an extendable spear. Lord Victor told me to make sure everything is in order, and that's what I'm doing. I have to report my findings to him, don't I? Unless, this spear is something that General Wyatt doesn't want Lord Victor to know about?"

He was taken by surprise by my sudden question. "Uh, no, no, of course not! I have never seen that spear in my life. I didn't even know we had an extendable spear in the inventory." His soldiers nodded in agreement. "You can report back to Lord Victor all you want."

I pressed the hidden groove again, and the spear shrunk back down to its original size. I placed it back in its case and tucked it under my arm nonchalantly. "Well, General, thank you for cooperating. I've finished with this side of the room, and I trust that you have made good progress on your side. I will be proceeding to my next task. Good day to you all."

I heard a huff from one of the soldiers, followed by some hushed whispering. I could feel General Wyatt's annoyed gaze following me as I calmly walked out the inventory and turned into an empty hallway. My heart was pounding in my chest. I looked at the mahogany case that I had casually taken and thought about the glowing carvings.

Is this the prophesized spear of light?

Why does Lord Victor have it?