Adventurers Wanted, Book 4: Sands of Nezza by M. L. Forman Page B

run-down now. The entrance to the dungeon, and the tower where he hoped to find the magic bags of the adventurers, was close by. He flew to the top level of the tower only to find that the windows on the top level had all been bricked shut, but that seemed like a small problem now that he was out of the dungeon.
    Dropping down one level, Alex found a barred window that he could slip through. He landed in a dusty storage room full of books and scrolls and returned to his own form once more.
    The door was unlocked, and Alex pulled it open just far enough so he could see the hallway outside. There were no sounds, and the dimly lit hall appeared to be empty. Alex pulled the door shut behind him and moved toward the near end of the hall, looking for a stairway that would lead him to Magnus’s rooms.
    At first Alex moved with caution, thinking that Magnus would have guards posted. Finding no one to block his way, though, he realized that all the guards must be in the dungeons below, searching for him. How long had it been since the search had started? The moon had been setting in the west, so it had to be four or five hours since he’d first entered the dungeons. How long would it take to search the entire dungeon?
    It doesn’t matter. I need to hurry, Alex thought.
    Finding the stairs he was looking for, Alex started to climb as quietly as he could. He didn’t know for certain that Magnus would be in the dungeon; that was only a guess. He let his thoughts and magic move outward, searching for any signs of magic or any kind of trap that Magnus might have left on the stairway. There was nothing, and there was no magic around the locked door at the top of the stairway either.
    With a twist of his hand and a little magic, Alex opened the door to Magnus’s private rooms. Everything was dark except for a strange ball of pale green light to Alex’s left. Closing and locking the door, Alex moved toward the ball of light. At the center of the ball was an iron lockbox sitting on a polished table.
    The ball of light completely enclosed the box, and bending down, Alex could see the bottom of the ball extend underneath the table. The spell was obviously meant to keep the box safe. He needed to get the box out of the ball of light, but breaking the spell would alert Magnus to Alex’s whereabouts, and that would mean trouble.
    Leaning his staff against the wall, Alex magically lit several candles around the room. He put his hands under the edge of the table and lifted. The table and the box together were heavier than he thought they would be. He checked his grip and lifted the table a little higher. The ball of green light stayed where it was, and so did the lockbox. Grunting with the effort, Alex lifted the table even higher. The box scraped on the table and moved a few inches, but the ball of light didn’t move at all.
    Alex took a deep breath and jerked the heavy table even higher. The box suddenly slipped, scraping the tabletop and crashing to the floor. Alex almost dropped the table, his eyes darting to the door as his heart raced with fear.
    Magnus’s spell remained where it was, and there were no sounds of anyone racing up the stairs to see what all the noise was about. Alex took a few deep breaths and reached for his magic bag. He would take the box with him and open it when he was someplace safer.
    Having placed the lockbox safe inside his magic bag, Alex was about to put out the candles when something else caught his eye. Next to the table was a large desk, and sitting on that desk was a dark crystal ball that Alex recognized as a scrying orb. He knew they were like an oracle’s crystal, only not as powerful or as clear to see things in. Next to the orb was a folded letter. Alex wondered who would be sending letters to Magnus.
    Alex moved behind the desk and picked up the letter. Unfolding the page, he held it up so he could read it in the candlelight.
Magnus,
     
We have been informed that your foolish lord has imprisoned a