This no-longer-little fantasy story is dedicated to Karnit
for she was the one who I originally wrote it for
Lord Cracker
The Dwarven Saga
Prologue: A dragon's flight
''The legacy of the Crackers spans back in history to the
days of king Pelican, first of the Lighters royal legacy.
Obviously the Crackers were there before, but aside from
being known as one of the four dukedoms that supported
Pelican when he defied the ruling of usurper queen Aleida
there are no known historical records of this house. Ever
since the successful rebellion, the Lighter lineage was
famed for its wise ruling and its ruling was never
threatened. And wherever the Lighters went, the Crackers
were right beside them. Katherina Silverthread once said
that she couldn't imagine the one without the other. The
Crackers are famed for being wise and courageous. While many
said that they could have taken the throne to themselves and
that they would enjoy a wide-spanned popularity, the
Crackers were and apparently will always be devout to the
Lighter Legacy'' - History of Elvalie's Nobles by Kalisto
Sender.
Look at the skies. In this nice pre-dawn autumn morning, the
sky is clear of clouds and clean as only a non-industrial
world could be. If you span the whole world, you could see
that only one part of the skies is obscured - by the smoke
that rises from the ever-smoking volcano ridge of Gahulein.
But then, Gahulein is in the middle of the Great Wilderness
- a place that no living soul has managed to come back from
for a very long time. If you move a bit south, you could see
what would first seem to be a small cloud over the edges of
the wilderness, where the savannahs of Nartit mark the
beginning of civilization. But if you moved closer, you'd
see that this is not a cloud. It is a huge, graceful,
silvery beast. Its eyes burn in the golden fire that marks
him as one of the Savannah Dragons. This dragon flies south,
gliding through air currents in immense speed. The dawn
catches the silver dragon as it flies above Fort Savin,
where the human magi nurture rare flowers and the mystical
turrets shine even during winter's heart. The sun to his
left pats the land with its rays of light, waking up the
cattle in the farmlands around the Baronies of Kor and
Ka-Tarak. The dragon elevates along the mountains of Nelmar,
where the human capital of Balforge hosts millions of
humans. The dragon lowers himself above the plains of Baaka,
knowing that the humans in Castle Greybow and the
surrounding area will take it as a good omen. Then he turns
left and elevates again towards the coastal-mountains known
as the Cold Cliffs. He elevates more as he approaches the
Dwarven Wedge in Bloodbane's pass. Then he lowers, letting
his burning eyes enjoy the view of the wooden plains that
surround the elven border fort of Dar-Periana. He glides
through the air above the Oak land where the elves nurtured
the oaks in such amazing craftsmanship that the giant oaks
are always green and their whereabouts always warm. The wind
seems to sing in his ears as he passes the mountain of hope.
He circles for a moment above the elven capital, Elvalie. In
days long gone, the elves managed to hybrid a tree with a
stone. Nobody today knows how this magic has been done, save
maybe for the long-living dragons. But even if the elves
lost the secret of the making, the Rooted Stones are the
sole material from which this city is built. The dragon
knows that you can make a Rooted Stone divide itself and
that with slight magical guidance you would make these
stones grow the way you want. The city pounds with the
magical life of these stones and it is considered the most
beautiful city in the world. Not for naught, thinks the
dragon. He lowers and turns left towards the steeps of
Kau-Lain, the lands where wheat grows tall as trees and
fruits of all kinds blossom in everlasting beauty. He passes
over the road that leads west from Elvalie, ignoring a lone
rider that hastens his horse with a riding crop. There,
above the village of Nag-Aranth, the dragon circles and
lowers for landing. There, in the castle that watches over
Nag-Aranth, the dragon lands. A lone elf is standing there
in the yard. The elf doesn't cower back. He holds a sword in
his hand. His silvery blade glistens in an odd sheen. The
blade has met this dragon before. The elf narrows his eyes
at the dragon.
Part One: An old acquaintance
''The Scepter of Galtor is considered one of the three most
important icons of the Lighter regime. It is about half a
meter long, made of ivory. Its body is covered with gold
runes and its head is a flawless Sapphire. The scepter has
disappeared during the reign of King Mockingbird Lighter. It
was stolen by dwarven agent in some mysterious and yet
unknown way. The scepter was found four hundred years later,
during King Sparrow Lighter's reign. It was recovered from
the warding of a Lich by one Lord Jay of the Cracker house
and one Baron Ehud of the Gat human noblehouse. What
struggles they passed, no one knows. They never talked about
it. However, the restoration of the scepter proved a great
benefit to the diplomatic relations between the humans and
the elves'' - interlude from Pegenia Lander's ''Relics of
the realm''.
''You're early, Piros!'' said Lord Jay Cracker. ''Or maybe
you just trained until late?'' suggested the dragon. ''I
didn't!'' said Jay, ''ok. Well, maybe a little. What can I
do? I like this sword!''. ''Yes,'' the silver dragon nodded
his reptilian head, ''that's what you say every time we
meet. Ever since you got that sword, you don't think about
anything else. Eight years already! I bet Siana is not very
pleased with this''. ''Piros,'' Jay chuckled, ''You may be
the king of the Savannah Dragons but I tell you... I've had
enough of talking about Siana!''. ''That's another thing you
never learn,'' complained the dragon, ''the First of the
Savannah Dragons is not a king. He is merely the first among
equals''. ''One day,'' said Jay, ''I'll make you explain
this first among equals thing in simple Elvish!''. ''Oh,''
the dragon moaned, ''I won't go through that again. We were
talking about your sword''. ''Look,'' Jay nodded towards the
elaborate tracery that decorated the blade, ''I know I'm a
good swordsman, but this blade... it fits me. It just seems
to be a part of me. You know, all these intricate moves, I
could do them with a normal sword but... Keith-Kanan seems
to do them without me. This sword dances. Her weight fits me
perfectly; her length is easy and... I don't know. I'm fond
of the blade''. ''Soon enough,'' observed Piros, ''you'd
start talking like a human. Naming your sword was the first
step and now saying you are fond of it. What's going to be
next? You'd start talking about a Martyr's death and all
that stuff?''. ''By the gods Piros,'' Jay shook his head,
''You're getting grumpy at your old age!''. ''Old?'' Piros
snarled, ''Boy, I am almost four thousand years old. That's
nearly half the normal length of a Savannah Dragon's
life-span. I won't be hearing anything about old in my
whereabouts''. As if touched by magic, the silvery blade
suddenly glistened. ''Whaa,'' Jay stared at the sword with
amazement. But the blade was again cold-silvered. ''Piros!''
Jay looked at the sword, ''what the...''. ''Here we go
again!'' murmured the dragon, ''No Jay. I don't know how it
does that or why. The blade is not magical and I was not the
only one to tell you this. It was probably some sort of a
trickery of light. No, I don't know where it came from. That
day at the cave, it was just lying there before I got into
the cave. And once again, no, I've never seen or heard about
that blade before''. Jay's mouth flung open. ''Sorry,'' said
the dragon apologetically, ''did I just ruin an opportunity
for you to carry your favorite speech? Did I answer your
questions before you asked them? I must be forgetting
myself''. Jay shut his mouth, smiled and shook his head
gently. ''You're one hell of a dragon, Piros,'' he chuckled,
''Come on. Lepress has made the blue tea again''. ''Ah,''
the dragon's approval was clear, ''hold on while I change''.
The dragon began to waver. He was blurred by a sudden quick
shift in his size and form. And there stood an elf with
silvery clothing. He winked at Jay with a golden-fire eye.
''Why don't you ever change the eyes?'' Jay asked. ''Because
they are my eyes,'' answered the dragon, ''They represent
the soul. Shape shifting will not change your soul so the
mirrors shouldn't change either''. Jay shrugged and led the
dragon-in-disguise inside. An aging maid hastened to furnish
them with cups of hot tea that was so dark that it seemed
blue. ''Thank you, Lepress,'' Piros nodded at the maid, ''I
trust that it will be as good as always''. The maid nodded
with a slight smile and departed. The dragon sipped the tea.
''Ah,'' he sagged back, ''there's no better tea then this
one. You should commend Lepress heartily for it. She's a
world-wonder''. ''Lepress?'' Jay nodded, ''a wonder is just
the word. I can't commend her. She was my nanny when I was
young, you know. She's the one who commends... and scolds
too. She's so wise and so... you remember that time when you
came in with mud on your boots? She said, 'I don't care if
you're a king, a dragon or the Messenger god with the
snake-tailed sandals. I will not have you soiling my carpet!
Clean them or take them off!'... Look, if I needed to pick
one person to come with me to a lone island, she'd probably
be the one I'd pick. She magnificent''. ''I almost thought
you'd take Siana,'' teased Piros. He remembered the boots
incident too lively. Lepress did scold him then. And he
found himself regretting that incident so much that he
always made sure his boots are clean. ''Siana?'' Jay's brows
rose, ''Piros, I know we're engaged but I don't... Look,
this is all about noblehouses, agreements and relations. I
was engaged to Siana before I knew anything about her. Now,
I didn't make a fuss about it because she was Swan's sister
and I don't like causing havoc anyway but... I like her.
She's smart and she's elegant and pretty but... she's not...
outgoing. I mean- she is social but she... I bet she never
rode a horse. She thinks that griffins stink and she can't
figure out why the hell I wave this sword all the time.
Lately, she started saying that men think with the hair on
their chest! I don't have hair on my chest!''. ''Elves
seldom do,'' mentioned Piros, ''I didn't know she's
acquainted with human females. Only human females say
that''. ''I didn't know either but...'' Jay shrugged, ''she
says that there are lots of balls and galas and the gods
know what other events to be outgoing to''. ''Be happy that
these are your troubles,'' complained Piros, ''if you knew
what Pyrael said about me going to drink tea with elves and
other types...''. Jay couldn't help a smile. Pyrael was
Piros' female and according to Piros, she couldn't agree
with him about anything. ''Say,'' Jay couldn't help himself,
''what would happen if you told her that the sun rises in
the morning?''. ''Why you little!!'' Piros almost choked on
his tea, ''If you say that-''. Piros was cut by the entrance
of a messenger. The messenger was escorted by two armed
guards that were part of Jay's militia. The messenger seemed
baffled and exhausted. ''He came on a horse, lord'' said one
of the guards, ''he rode since dawn. He says he's got a
message from the king''. The messenger, breathless and
panting, reached for a scroll that was tucked into his belt.
He handed Jay the scroll. ''Thank you,'' Jay nodded,
''Sergeant, find Lepress and tell her that this man needs a
warm meal and a soft bed. I'd rather not send him back in
the night''. The guards escorted the thankful messenger and
Jay turned to the scroll. The seal held the mountain of
hope. The sun was rising behind the mountain and the shape
of the mountain cut the sun so that it looked like a crown.
It was the seal of King Sparrow the second, the current
ruler of the wise Lighter lineage. Jay broke the seal and
unrolled the scroll. It was a call to see the king.
''Interesting,'' Jay mentioned, ''it's a summon to-'' but
Piros cut him. ''To see the king at once,'' said the dragon
who somehow read the scroll though it was with its back to
him. ''I'll have to leave tomorrow morning,'' Jay noted,
''I'll miss Condor's arrival by few hours''. ''Your older
brother can do without your welcome,'' said Piros, ''in fact
it won't do you any bad if you don't hear about the news
from your lands. After all, Condor is the heir to the
estates. You just get a title and bunch of griffin riders to
lead. Speaking of which, you could use your griffin to get
there today. The king did say he wants you at once!''.
''Yes, but I told Rumpus he could have the day off. He won't
like it if I call him. You know how far logic gets you when
you speak to a griffin. I bet that if griffins had leaders
they would be... hmmm... first among equals''. Piros
snorted. ''Did you know that some humans think that you tame
the griffins?'' he asked. He snorted again and chuckled. Jay
chuckled back. Griffins could not be tamed. The flying
beasts had a fairly high intelligence and a strong
independent will. However, the elves earned the respect of
the griffins a long time ago and an alliance was formed. The
griffins were a dangerous war-beast, especially when they
were mounted by warriors. ''But you know,'' Piros raised his
brows, ''you don't need your griffin to fly''. Jay chuckled
as he fathomed what his friend meant. ''No, Piros, I
don't,'' he smiled, ''not when I have a dragon handy. I'll
tell Lepress to count me out of dinner and we'll go. I don't
need another lecture from her''.
At any other place, the beat of the giant wings would raise
a gust of dust. Not in Elvalie. As Piros landed in the
square, small bursts of hot air carried a few leaves to the
air but that's it. The legend claimed that the Rooted Stones
repelled dust. Nobody knew how they did it but still, they
repelled dust as effectively as orcs are repelled from
running water. Even better - orcs may be forced to cross
rivers if their leader is strong enough. Jay crouched and
touched the ground. He always did it when he entered
Elvalie. The touch of the Rooted Stones, with their strange
life pulsing in them, always made him feel good. Jay knew
that the stones weren't exactly stones. They felt like very
strong pebbles, but they pulsed in an enchanting warmth and
Jay learned that in the two times in recent history that
those stones were cut, they bled a fernlike substance. Using
magic to guide the Rooted Stones, elven masons built this
city to intolerable beauty. Every time he left the city, Jay
felt a terrible loss, as if he was leaving his home. And one
could say that it was Jay's home. Aside for the cottage that
the Crackers had in the city, the soul of every elf was
bound with indestructible strings to Elvalie. It was the
heart of the elven nation. ''You can never get used to it,''
mentioned Piros. The elves walked by Piros as if the dragon
was a common visitor. Actually, it wasn't all that wrong.
Being the heart of the elven nation, Elvalie attracted
Savannah and Mountain Dragons always. While not a day-by-day
occurrence, it was not uncommon to see a dragon, usually
silvery or bluish, landing in one of the big squares in the
city. Certain folk were even polite enough to nod towards
the dragon or hail him. Piros gazed at the towering minarets
and the glistening houses. ''I've known this city since we
aided defeating Rancor's Volcano dragons. It was over 800
years ago, when this city was still young. And yet, I never
got used to it. It's so beautiful. I bet you that even
Healer Dionne wouldn't imagine what beauty her skills would
bring to the world. If she did... no. Never mind. Forget
what I said. I better be on my way. I'll meet you when the
time allows. You know how to call me''. Jay nodded and
showed his right hand, where a sliver and gold ring
decorated his fourth finger. Piros nodded. He waved his
wings, bringing gusts of warm air as he climbed, catching
the wind and heading north. Jay stared after him. Healer
Dionne? He never heard the name. Piros implied that he knew
this healer and implied that this healer was the one who
found the way to create Rooted Stones. But it was probably
before the Draconians of Azirgoth stormed the walls of Elara
and reduced the former elven capital to dust. Many skills
and vast knowledge were lost in that calamity. When the
elves finally reunited themselves, they had only few bits of
live Rooted Stones and the secret of creating them was all
but lost. But since the Rooted Stones could multiply, the
elves attempted to root them. The lands seemed to repel the
stones. Until they came here. In the shade of the mountain,
a ragged band of refugees managed to root the stones. That
was the reason that this mountain was called the mountain of
hope. And this city flourished as well as the elven nation.
Yet, the lost skills and knowledge were gone, most of them
forever. And so much memory was lost. Jay learned history as
every elven noble did - even better than most due to a
teacher that knew how to teach him without boring him to
death. He was sure that if he ever heard of a healer named
Dionne, he wouldn't forget. And from the way Piros talked,
Jay gathered that this healer Dionne was an important
character. Jay shrugged and promised himself that he would
ask the dragon about it next time they meet. It wasn't
likely that the dragon would reply but Jay had to try. The
dragons held many of the elven lost secrets but they refused
to talk about it, claiming that those secrets and the lost
history are not theirs to share. They were waiting for
something to happen and then they would give those secrets.
But right now, it wouldn't do Jay any good to repeat recent
history in the square when he needed to see the king. He
took the path that led through the Garden of Tears. Usually
Jay would rather go through the Moonstone Ally but it was a
longer-if-nicer route and he was in a hurry.
Jay stopped in the gates and showed the scroll to the
guards. One of them entered, murmuring something about
coming just before sundown. Jay waited patiently until the
guard came back, with a servant. ''The king will see you
immediately,'' said the servant, ''follow me''. Truth is
that Jay didn't need guidance. He walked in the palace so
many times that he could draw a map of the palace while
sleeping. But that's the way you act with royalty. The
servant led him to the throne room and apologized when he
asked him to wait in the side until the king finishes his
current session. Jay nodded. He sat down and observed. King
Sparrow sat on the throne and listened to the talker. It was
one of the eastern dukes. He had a list of complaints that
started from crops, ranged through everything other than war
and ended in crops. King Sparrow listened, nodding in the
right places and seemingly giving the duke his full
attention. Sparrow was merely 30 years older than Jay but
looked twice as old. He projected wisdom and power as well
as the sun projected heat and light. Jay's long acquaintance
with him taught him that the king was indeed wise. However,
Jay knew that the cold look in his eyes was no more than a
reaction to what he felt to be wasting time. Sparrow was
calm and logical, but unlike the rumors, he wasn't cold and
emotionless. It was merely a mask. Once the eastern duke
left, the king smiled. The emotionless mask dropped,
revealing what Jay always knew and Sparrow never let himself
forget - he was no more than a mortal, now tired and
restless. ''Jay,'' he said, ''you early arrival warms my
heart. Funny enough, I don't know you as someone who's
hasty''. Jay knelt. ''When the king calls, I come at best
speed'' he answered formally. ''Oh come on Jay,'' King
Sparrow shook his head, ''stop dirtying your trousers on the
floor. I bet that I'm not the only one who remembers the
little elf that told your mother about what I and your
brother did in the Mages-guild yard''. Jay blushed. He was
young then, and did not differ between foul games and
harmless tricks. But he rose from the shining floor. If King
Sparrow used this tone with him, Jay figured it won't be a
real formal meeting. ''I was young then,'' Jay admitted,
''and meant only for the good''. ''And Condor started
calling you 'my little snitch brother''' chuckled the king,
''well I could use this now''. Jay frowned. He didn't like
that reminder. And what did the king mean, ''He could use it
now?''. The king sagged back in his throne. Suddenly he
really looked a lot older than he really was. ''Yesterday,''
he said, ''one of our magi in Carmel made a hasty magical
communication with Arch mage Flinders. She told me that he
implied that Carmel was in some kind of trouble but the
communication was cut abruptly. It seems like nobody knows
what's going on there. One of the magi used some travel
spell to get there and see what's going on. He didn't call
and didn't come back. Something's wrong with our biggest
city in the eastern realm and I have no idea what. I need
someone skilled to go there and do some reconnaissance. Now,
I know that my best Griffin Riders unit is the one that you
hold under your command. So I need you to choose your best
men and send them to do some recon. I can't wait for
horsemen to do it. Understood?''. Jay nodded. As part of his
militia, Jay nurtured the Griffin Riders brigade, because he
knew how useful the aerial cavalry could be. ''My king,''
Jay bowed with respect, ''I would take pleasure to choose my
best men and lead them there. With the speed of a griffin,
we can make it there and back again in four days. I shall
personally make sure that you get the best information about
whatever is going on down there''. ''And some say that the
nobles nowadays are too busy in balls and parties?'' the
king raised his brow. ''Pardon?'' asked Jay. ''Never mind,
Jay, I was... thinking aloud. Is there anything you'd like
to talk about? No? Fine. Dismissed, Jay''.
It was already dark outside. Jay walked to his family's
cottage in uptown Elvalie. It was a relatively small housing
but Jay didn't need anything more than a bed and dinner at
that moment. He waved his hello to the surprised servants,
had a quick dinner in the kitchen and fell to bed. He didn't
bother thinking about Carmel. The city was the most
important trade post in the human-elf borders. It could have
been taken by Dwarves that came through the wedge of
Bloodbane's pass, it could have been burnt to ashes by
draconian raiders, it could have been flooded by the sea,
destroyed by earthquakes or be under some sort of magic. Any
guessing would be a waste of time. Jay didn't bother
thinking about the dangers of this mission. He wouldn't send
his men without him. It was stupid and also demoralizing. A
commander must never order his men to do something that he
wouldn't dare doing himself. And about the risks - well,
king Sparrow Lighter asked him to take them. And even though
the Lighters wore the crown, everyone knew that the Crackers
were the one who put it on their heads and most probably the
ones who'd make sure that it stays there. The Crackers were
devout to the Lighters forever and Jay knew that he would
give his own life to the crown without thinking twice. It
was the way the Crackers always were.
Rumpus didn't like the fact that he had to fly all the way
to Elvalie and back, but he didn't complain. The griffin was
loyal and Jay knew he could count on him in emergencies.
Griffins, a bizarre hybrid of a lion with the wings and head
of an eagle, could teach dogs about loyalty and sometimes
teach mules and stones about stubbornness. They were useful
war-beasts, acting both as a flying mount and using their
claws and beaks to add powerful support to the fighting.
Rumpus wasn't the griffin's real name. In the griffin's
telepathic language the griffin's name was something like
'Rough pussycat eater with seven souls and ten thousand
reasons to hate three headed calves' but the language was
somewhat twisted when they talked with elves and Rumpus was
the best association Jay could come up with. Rumpus and the
three griffins that joined this reconnaissance mission were
disappointed when they heard that battles are not a likely
option in this mission but Jay knew that they were hoping
they get a chance to slash and tear. Intelligent as they
were, they were still predatory beasts. The other three
riders were picked by their abilities in stealthy and
evading actions and also for their scouting skills and
intelligence. They were not there to fight, and if they were
to be attacked, they would probably be outnumbered and would
probably be better to run away. Ok. That's what
reconnaissance is all about and a griffin can outrun most
creatures. The spy that scouts and gets away, gets to spy
another day.
It was a day and a half later. The griffins lowered and
hovered above the tree tops. Jay wanted to lower the
visibility of his party before anyone in Carmel would be
able to see them. In the east, the towering buildings of
Carmel were already visible. Jay eased a bit when he saw
that the city still stands. There were no signs of fire
smoke or destruction from this far. ''Land,'' Jay shouted
over the beat of wings, ''I don't want to be seen too
early.'' His riders followed him to a small bare spot in the
forest. ''I don't like this, lord'' said one of them, an
aging sergeant that served in the unit before Jay was old
enough to spell griffin correctly. ''Why not?'' asked Jay.
He chose this particular sergeant especially for his long
experience. This sergeant had seen right about everything.
''The road,'' the sergeant tucked his thumb north, ''it's
empty. There's not one merchant, not one traveler. This is
not the road to Hal-Arak. There's always traveling on this
road. Even during night time. It's the best route to human
lands''. ''You're right,'' Jay admitted, ''We haven't seen a
soul. I knew I would be wise to take you along, Sergeant
Latcher''. ''Thank you lord,'' the sergeant bowed his head,
''I'm proud to serve''. ''We'll walk through the trees,''
said Jay, ''until we find a place to observe the city. I
don't like this atmosphere. Come on, bring the griffins.''.
His men nodded and they started walking. Two hours later
they came to a small hill. ''If we climb it, we may be able
to see what's going on,'' said Jay, ''but make sure keep
your heads down. I don't want to reveal myself too early''.
One of his men stayed with the griffins as he and the other
two crawled to the top of the hill. Jay drew a speculum from
his bag and studied the city. He handed the speculum to
Sergeant Latcher who studied the city for some time before
handing it to the other rider. ''I don't like it, lord,'' he
repeated, ''the city's wrong''. ''The sergeant's right,''
said the other rider, ''I've never heard of a trading city
that closed its gates in daylight''. ''Hand me the speculum
again,'' said Latcher. He received the speculum, looked and
then handed it to Jay. ''I think those guys on the wall are
too short and too bearded to be elves,'' he mentioned. Jay
looked at the city through the speculum again. He didn't
bother observing the guards in his first session because
they were too small to justify the waste of time that
studying them would take from this far. But when he did
study them he had to agree with Sergeant Latcher. First of
all, even from this far, he could note the hairy beards -
elves don't grow facial hair. And when he compared them to
the door that led to an observation tower, he noted that
they were too short to be humans or elves. They were
Dwarves. Jay would bet his life on it. ''Dwarves,'' he said,
''in the city!''. ''Yes,'' his men agreed. But it didn't
fit. Carmel was pretty close to the dwarven wedge. The wedge
was stuck like a bone in the throat of both the human and
the elven nations. The wedge's center was Bloodbane's pass -
a long and narrow pass in the mountains. It was nearly
impossible to fight there - the narrow pass promised that
few men would be able to fend off a whole army and the
dwarves added bastions on each side of the pass. Attacking
the bastions would be costly and thus neither the elves nor
the humans tried. However, the pass was the best way towards
the coast and the dwarves won't be able to mobilize large
forces through it without alarming the elves and the humans.
And laying a siege on Carmel would take sometime - the city
was fortified with walls and towers and the defenders were
competent. Yet the dwarves managed to take the city without
allowing a warning to escape. How did they do it? Jay
reckoned that it would take a very large army to take the
city. And still... ''Sergeant Latcher,'' Jay turned to the
older soldier, ''if you had to take down the city, what kind
of forces would you use?''. The Sergeant shrugged. He was
just a Sergeant but Jay knew him well enough to count on his
advices. ''I'd use at least two thousand foot soldiers,''
said the Sergeant, ''catapults, battering rams, siege
ladders... but I'm just a Sergeant, I always want more than
I can have''. ''And still you think they need a large
force,'' insisted Jay. ''Lord, you can't just lay siege on
this city. It's a trade post. It's got supplies that would
keep it fine for years! To take a city like this one, you
need a real quick strike. But I don't know how they could
bring a thousand foot soldiers to the city without alerting
any one. This whole thing smells like a fish that was rested
a week on the docks, lord''. ''I agree,'' Jay nodded,
''let's head back. The king has to hear about it''.
The guards didn't say anything but their disapproval was
pretty obvious. It was late. ''I know it's late,'' Jay told
the servant, ''but his majesty must hear about this
immediately''. The servant shrugged and said, ''Lord
Cracker, you must understand that it's well after
dinnertime. Can't it wait for tomorrow?''. ''No, it can't!''
said Jay. The servant shrugged again but the opening door
cut his reply. ''By the gods!'' said the elf that exited,
''I'd think you'd learn to use your brains, Pigeon. If Lord
Jay Cracker asks to see the king in the middle of the night,
then Lord Jay Cracker will see the king even if it is the
middle of the night! Come, lord. Excuse the servants
please''. ''Thank you, Owl,'' Jay nodded his thankfulness
towards the king's advisor, ''I thought I'd have to force my
way through''. ''The servants... are too... ahm... mindful
of the normal hours. Pigeon, wait here. There's a human
nobleman that is supposed to come here soon. Lead him in
with all due respect. Understood?''. The servant nodded. Jay
let the advisor lead him to the king's meeting room. The
room was full of advisors of all sorts. On the large Rooted
Stone table lay a map of the area of Carmel. ''Jay,'' King
Sparrow nodded, ''good to see you made it back''.
''Majesty,'' Jay knelt, ''I bring bad news''. ''Rise and
take a sit,'' said Sparrow, ''I know. The city of Carmel has
been taken by the dwarves''. ''You know?'' asked Jay,
baffled. ''A day after you left, this human baron rode into
Elgadara. He demanded to see the local lord. Lord Crusher
gave him a hearing and... few hours later a messenger landed
his griffin in the main yard. He said that the human
intended to follow him once he rested so that I could hear
what he saw in Carmel from first hand. I'm told that he
should arrive soon''. ''Good,'' Jay nodded, ''maybe we can
figure out how they did it. But one thing's for sure - there
are lots of beards on the walls of Carmel''. There was a
knock on the door. The servant that argued with Jay entered
and gestured towards the outside the room. ''Majesty, the
human baron Ehud Gat'' he said. Jay's inhaled deeply as he
watched the human march in. The Baron was about a 175
centimeters tall, massive and muscular. He had short brown
hair and his brown eyes reflected his experience. Even
though he was dirty, weary, unshaved and obviously
bewildered, Ehud Gat projected his nobility all over the
room. It was a man that could force things to change by the
sole power of his will. He gazed across the room. His eyes
stopped over Jay, and he smiled in remembrance. But of
course, formality comes first. He turned to King Sparrow and
bowed deeply. For a second, Jay could hear some of the elves
in the room breath deeply. Haven't they learned yet? Across
history, humans were always too proud to kneel before
anyone, even kings. This alone caused a few clashes and even
a moderately-spanned war between the humans and the elves a
few thousands of years before. But finally the elves decided
to live with that awkward pride. And King Sparrow knew
better than to expect any more than that deep bow. ''Your
highness,'' Baron Gat said in good albeit heavy-accented
Elvish, ''it is an honor and a pleasure to stand before you
again. I hate the ill-consequences that were the cause to
this honor but I still rejoice in seeing you in good health.
I bear news from the city of Carmel''. ''You're welcomed
here again,'' Sparrow nodded towards a chair, ''even though
I'm most eager to learn what you saw in Carmel, I find Lord
Crusher's hospitality to be less than satisfactory. You're
falling off your feet''. Gat sat down and shook his head.
''Lord Crusher was a perfect host,'' he said, ''I do believe
that he would have given up his own bed for me. But I fear
that I hastened to bring the news myself so I had to reject
his generous hospitality. The messenger was here, I
understand''. ''Yes,'' Owl told him, ''but I admit that his
majesty is not the only one who'd like to hear what happened
from first hand''. ''Surely. Thank you,'' Gat received a cup
of boiling tea, sipped it and sighed. ''Ah, this tea only
gets better,'' he observed, ''so... about Carmel. I was
staying at an inn there, with a few soldiers of mine. We
were on our way back from some sort of a... diplomatic
mission in the barony of Stormheim. We decided to make the
journey a bit longer and take a short trip to Carmel, buy
some tea and stuff. So, we were in that inn. It was five
days ago, sometime before dawn''.
Kara woke him up. ''Something's wrong!'' she warned but it
was a waste of air. Kara would never wake him up so late- or
maybe so early- if something wasn't wrong. ''Everyone's
awake,'' she said, ''There are sounds of fighting in the
streets but... I don't know. We should check it out''. The
Baron jumped out of his bed and dressed quickly. From the
opened window, he could here steel clashes with steel. The
screams of the dying mixed with roars of anger. The dwarves
took the city by surprise. He never found how they passed
the gates. He only had ten men with him. Eleven if you'd
count Kara in. There was nothing much they could do so he
decided they would try and escape, to bring the warning
forth. They went through small alleys and backyards,
attempting to evade the dwarven parties. They were near the
gates when they were spotted by a group of Hammermen.
''Baron,'' cried one of his soldiers, ''in this alley, a
lone man could halt an entire army. Go. We'll delay them''.
He was about to argue, about to join his men in this lost
battle but the soldiers halted him. ''You've done everything
you could, Baron Gat,'' said one of them, ''it was an honor
and pleasure to serve you! We all vowed to give our lives
for you. If now is the time... songs of glory were sang over
lesser acts. It's time for you to go, Baron. Spread the
word''. He may have argued yet but Kara caught his hand and
stumbled towards the opened gates. Behind him, his men
cried, ''For the Silver Eagle! For the Barony!''. Tears
filled his eyes as he stumbled with Kara. His men died
behind to give him the breathing-length he needed for the
escape. And yet, they barely made it past the gates.
''We bought two horses from a fleeing merchant,'' Ehud
finished, ''I've sent Kara to warn the queen and rode as
hell till I got to Elgadara. Lord Crusher was about to force
me into bed but I managed to change his mind. He provided me
with a fresh horse and here I am. Now, I don't know how they
managed it but there was no fighting near the gates. Not one
corpse of a dwarf in the whereabouts. I'd bet that if I had
the time to check, I'd find that the guards died from sliced
throats. I'd wager there was some sort of betrayal there''
he sagged back in his chair, tiredness washing him. ''We
have to do something about it,'' said king Sparrow,
''capturing the city is most severe. Carmel doesn't only act
as a major trading post. It sits on the main road to human
lands and also, it surely is only the start''. ''Carmel
could be an advantageous base of operations for them,''
mentioned Jay, ''it's got supplies and weapons for years.
It's dangerous''. He forced himself not to yawn. ''I see you
are tired,'' said King Sparrow, ''Smony, take Lord Cracker
and Baron Gat to the guest quarters''. The maid hastened to
act before Jay could argue. Jay followed her out of the
room. He wasn't all that surprised when Ehud suddenly leaned
on the wall. He expected it. ''It's been a long time Jay,''
said the baron. ''Yes,'' Jay sighed his agreement. ''I don't
suppose you still keep that bloody ruby with you, do you?''
said Ehud. ''No,'' Jay shook his head, ''Piros said it was
too dangerous. Cagestone or something like that. He took it
with him. I don't know what happened to it since. Guess he
destroyed it. But I got to keep the sword''. ''How'd you
call it back then?'' the human glanced at the scabbard,
''Fire of Dragons or something like that?''.
''Keith-Kanan,'' answered Jay, ''Dragon's Fire. It fits, if
you think how I got it''. The human nodded. Albeit the time
that passed and their tiredness, both remembered that quest
too vividly. If it wasn't for Piros, they would both be
zombies, serving under that damnable Lich. ''Come on,
Ehud,'' said Jay, tired and somewhat reluctant to remember,
''We'll have plenty of time to bring memories from the past.
If you could wait eight years, you can wait another night''.
Ehud chuckled, ''didn't anyone tell you that we humans are
very impatient? Yeah, ok. I'll wait for tomorrow''. The maid
showed them the way. Jay fell into his bed without even
taking off his boots.
When he woke up it was already noon. ''...and they even
remembered to leave a razor,'' he heard Ehud Gat saying.
''What?'' Jay sprang out of his bed. Ehud was studying
himself in the mirror. He was bathed and shaved. He wore
fresh garments in black and silver. His family's sigil, a
silver eagle over a black background, was imprinted on the
shirt's chest. ''I'm sorry,'' the human smiled, ''I'm always
talking to myself when I dress up. I don't know where your
guys managed to dig these garments from, and trust me, I was
sure they'll forget to provide me with a razor... no
offense, it's a common mistake''. ''Not for the king's
guests,'' observed Jay, ''the king's hospitality is never
less then perfect. If you were a dwarf, they'd even provide
you with a beard-comb. They've got knitters that could
imitate most kinds of garments in an hour''. ''Imitate?''
the baron span around to show, ''this is not an imitation!
I'd swear this is one of my own garments! They didn't even
forget the silver stitches! And as for the hospitality - If
the guest was a drakeman, would they remember to provide him
with a live rabbit to butcher and devour?''. Jay chuckled as
he observed his friend. Wearing black silk shirt with a
silvery collar and dark trousers, clean and shave, Ehud Gat
seemed to be taller than his 175 centimeters. Actually, Jay
once saw him making an elf seem short next to him. It was an
amazing feat if you think that the elven average is a bit
over 190 centimeters. ''It's been a long time,'' said Jay.
''Eight years,'' Ehud replied, ''since that crazy quest
thing. I see you still have that awkward sword-thingy. What
about the dragon?''. ''Piros?'' Jay chuckled, ''I sometimes
wish that I did let him pay his life-debt to me by serving
me! God! When we meet, he just can't stop complaining. But
he's nice. And less grumpy than he looked back then''.
''Well,'' Ehud chuckled back, ''I guess that being chained
by a lich and nearly being eaten to death by ghouls can make
anyone grumpy. It seems that time did you only well''. ''I
had an easy time,'' replied Jay, ''My brother Condor's
taking over more and more authorities. Mom really likes it.
She says he reminds her of my dad. How about you?''. ''Did I
ever tell you I hate being a diplomat?'' Ehud grunted, ''You
have to hear this. After we retrieved that damn scepter,
relations between us and you guys got to peaks that no one
had ever dared dreaming about. So Queen Irulain keeps on
giving me more and more diplomatic missions''. ''And?'' Jay
asked. ''And well... I'm not a really responsible man, but
when I'm given responsibility...''. ''You don't fail it''
continued Jay, ''I've heard that before. But you still let
your sister do the day-by-day governing, don't you? I
remember that you said you couldn't possibly be expected to
spend your life caged in an office. But never mind that.
Let's tell the servants we're awake. We'd probably be called
to the king once he's got any ideas about what he wants us
to do''. ''Us?'' asked Ehud. ''Oh, come on,'' said Jay,
''this Kara girl could wait a few days until we solve this
problem, no?''. ''You think Kara is...'' Ehud shrugged and
chuckled, ''She'll cut off my ears for getting stuck here
but... oh what the heck. It's our problem just as it is
yours!''.
They found a servant waiting outside the room. The servant
hastened to make sure that everything is ok with them and
then went to tell the king that they are awake. They were
called to see the king soon after. The servant led them to
the throne room and left them there. King Sparrow sat on his
throne. He looked as firm as always but his eyes were red
like someone who didn't sleep too much in the former night.
He held a scepter in his hand. The scepter was made of
ivory, with imperceptible runes inscribed in gold on its
body and a large flawless sapphire on its head. The legend
claimed that runes kept the scepter safe from the
destructive powers of simple entropy and also bestowed
calmness and wisdom on the holder. Jay saw the scepter few
times in the past. It was a royal heritage and was usually
used on three types of occasions: Possible Death-Sentence
trials, official balls and ceremonies and during the
declarations of special events and special measures. But Jay
knew that this time was a little bit different. ''Ah,'' Ehud
smiled as he bowed to the king, ''I see the scepter is still
in perfect shape. I'm glad that our quest eight years ago
was so successful''. Sparrow's eyes softened as he turned
them towards the scepter. ''It served to prove the human
nation's good intentions even to our most radical
hotheads,'' he said, ''and of course, it was about time this
scepter returned to Elvalie. It is, after all, part of the
king's equipment, eh?''. ''It was and is yet a pleasure to
serve,'' answered Ehud, ''I may not be an elf, but I promise
you, highness, I shall shed my blood to your request''.
Someone else might have said it as an honorary show of
respect, but Jay knew that Ehud meant every word. He was
that kind of guy. ''Ok,'' said King Sparrow, ''I don't mind
telling you guys that I have quite a problem here. Most of
the local militias are preparing to march north - it's no
secret that the draconians have been too quiet for too long.
So I have relatively small forces to invest in this problem
in Carmel. Of course we can issue a call to banners and make
emergency recruitments but I don't wish to panic the
civilians and it would have a rather unhealthy effect on the
agricultural and economical structure. But before I get to
the point, I'd like to hear you estimate how many warriors
they have there''. ''Sire,'' Ehud closed his eyes,
''normally it would take at least a thousand and five
hundred warriors to capture a city like Carmel. But...
catching the defenders in their beds, by surprise and inside
the gates... I think I could do it with three hundred
warriors. But still, they managed to bring three hundred
warriors unnoticed into the city... maybe they can bring
more like that. Surely, if I commanded the force that holds
the city, I'd want at least a thousand warriors there. With
two thousand I could hold the city forever!''. ''I dare say
that even more. I'd assume that there are at least three
legions in the city!'' said Jay. ''Who would put three
thousand warriors in one city?'' the king's brows rose. ''I
would,'' said Jay, ''and maybe more. I'd start using it as a
base of operations. If I was to start a war against you
sire, theoretically speaking of course, Carmel is one of the
three best starting moves''. ''Duke Brewer estimated that
they have no more a thousand there'' said the king, ''he
said that you couldn't possibly sneak more people in
unnoticed''. ''Sire,'' Jay's head lowered with shame, ''I
loath to speak ill about Duke Brewer, but we used to believe
that you can't sneak an ant unnoticed to Carmel. If you can
sneak 300, you can sneak 10,000. And as far as I remember,
the bloodiest battle Duke Brewer ever saw was when that
human theatre thing played 'Reina and the three archers' in
the Great Hall. Duke Brewer certainly is a wise elf. He has
already forgotten more economics than I would ever learn. I
would trust my farmlands in his hands without thinking
twice. But he's not... ahm... a warrior''. ''Don't be shy to
show other people's flaws,'' said the King, ''Especially
when you are well aware of yours. You are right. Now, Jay,
your militia is ready to march, is it?''. ''At a day's
notice,'' Jay replied, ''but with the kind of forces we
suspect they have, I'm not sure my militia won't be
enough''. ''That's why I asked baron Gat to join us,'' said
King Sparrow. ''I can't commit Queen Irulain to anything,''
said Ehud. ''Of course not,'' said the king, ''but this
morning I spoke with her via the channels of magic. She said
that she would send your woman, eh, Kara was it? Yes, Kara.
When she arrives, Irulain would send her to mobilize your
militia for you. When you come to Carmel, your troops would
already be on their way. She also added some Dragonriders
from the active reserve. We will not forget this aid, of
course. Jay, I want you to take Baron Gat with you. Ready
your forces and march there. I want this city back in the
rightful hands - ours! Afterwards, we can discuss some
countermeasures against the dwarves. Be on your way''.
''Every time I meet you, there are always troubles'' said
Jay as they went out. ''Hey Jay,'' Ehud looked at the
griffin that was assigned to him, ''I'm not looking for
troubles. I just seem to run into them, one after the
other''. ''Really? Well ever since our first acquaintance,
troubles seem to follow me around!'' said Jay. ''Jay?'' Ehud
sniffed the air, ''do you want more troubles?''. ''No!''
said Jay. Ehud smiled nastily. ''Then kill yourself,'' he
said, ''that's the only solution for such a case.
Understand?''.
Part two: Unity
''Before we could know, they stormed us. We held our ground
and fought valiantly. Spearmen and Swordsmen forced the
swarms of draconians away from the archers. The archers
rained arrows on the drakemen. We were the ones who halted
the attack. But it was the elven cavalry that broke it. They
plowed through the draconians, their swords and lances leave
blazing paths of death behind them. The effect was so horrid
that the draconians simply broke and fled.
Description of the battle of Balad-Naran - by Count Gerard
Mascot of Kor
It took three days until everything was ready. Mobilizing an
army the size of Jay's militia was far from being a simple
task. Luckily for Jay, his older brother Condor was there to
assist and so was Ehud Gat. The king sent them five magi, to
aid in the battles and to maintain contact with him. Jay was
skeptic as to aid, because magic usually made him lose his
own eyebrows, but he was thankful for the ability to
communicate with the king. Finally, they started marching.
Jay's militia counted 500 spearmen, 100 swordsmen, 200
archers, 200 light horsemen and about an equal number of
heavy cavalry men. This, in addition to the 80 Griffin
Riders he commanded personally, was a force to be reckoned
with, to say the least. Jay wanted pikemen to add defense
against cavalries but was denied. Luckily, dwarves are
naturally not riding. Aside for mules, the only dwarven
cavalry you can find is the aerial cavalry that is based on
magically-controlled Wyverns. And since pikemen are far from
being the answer to aerial cavalry, Jay didn't argue when
the king told him that all pikemen from the royal forces are
needed somewhere else. A small train of supply wagons
followed them as they marched. The wagons would be refilled
when they would arrive Elgadara, the closest city to Carmel.
Jay forced the army to march at fast pace. It tired the
soldiers but Jay promised them that after Elgadara, they
would slow down. It was a fair compromise between the need
for speed and the tiring the soldiers before they arrive
Carmel. They arrived Elgadara at the noon of the fifth day.
The local Lord, descendant to the noble Crusher legacy,
offered them rest and supplies. They took a day's rest to
let the soldiers regain their strength. Lord Crusher also
had some news. ''I keep an eye on them beardy guys,'' he
told them, ''they burnt some of the forest around Carmel. I
think it's meant to allow greater visibility from the city.
There are two camps outside the city too. They also sent
about 300 axmen and hammermen to Fort Laguna. They caught
the fort but... The garrison had a mage with them. When it
was clear that all was lost, the mage blasted half the fort
with his spells. The survivors told me that even though they
lost the battle, the fort is now as open as a wench-house in
New Years Eve. Sorry, I was quoting what they said''. ''We'd
go through there anyway,'' said Jay, ''but the warning is
well taken. Thank you''.
They marched on from Elgadara. Things changed now. The light
cavalry was now ahead, acting as a scouting screen. There
were always at least five griffins above them, adding their
point of view to the scouting screen. About five leagues
before Fort Laguna they ran into a dwarven patrol. The
dwarves were armed with war hammers and stood no match
before the wrath of the griffins and the enveloping
maneuvers of the light cavalry. All twenty dwarves were
slain without losses. Ehud rejoiced the successful battle
but Jay was worried. If the dwarves were bold enough to send
patrols out of the fort... It was almost nightfall but Jay
hastened his men to keep marching. ''I want to be there by
midnight,'' he told his officers, ''before they realize that
their patrol is not coming back. I want to take the fort by
surprise''. Some of the soldiers muttered under their
breaths but no one argued. When they closed with the fort,
Jay saw that Lord Crusher wasn't exaggerating when he said
that the mage blasted half the fort. The inside keep was a
scattered pile of debris and Ehud mentioned that 'there were
more holes in the wall than spots on a panther'. Jay nodded
and then ordered that no fires will be lit. The moon was
just rising when Jay gathered his unit commanders. He
quickly declared his plan and then mounted Rumpus, his
griffin. Beneath him, Ehud was leading the spearmen on a
horse he borrowed from Lord Crusher's stables. He explained
that he felt safer on the back of a horse. Jay let Rumpus
take his place in the lead of the griffins and then drew his
sword. Keith-Kanan reflected the moon's light so brightly
that for a second Jay felt a nagging unease. Something was
surely not right with the sword. He let magi examine it.
They said that there was no more magic in the sword than in
his brains. Jay wondered. If Keith-Kanan wasn't magical,
what was she? No one told him that there are a dozen of
possibilities of enchanting a weapon without one drop of
magic. Curses, Soul-cages, Soul-Reincarnations, Blessings,
certain fountains that had special capacities to their
water, Unicorn Blood, Dragon Blood, the green and yellow
creature from legends and the list goes on and on. But Jay
never heard about that. He wasn't ignorant, nor was he a
fool. His education simply concentrated on other, more
pragmatic subjects, such as how do you make a dragon bleed
and what sort of blessings do you need when your farmers
meet up with the green and yellow creature from legends.
However, Jay returned his mind to the present. Beneath him
the five magi saw the light reflecting in his sword and
showered a rain of fire on the yard of Fort Laguna. A second
rain, this time a rain of arrows, followed and then the
spearmen charged towards the holes in the wall. Jay cried,
''Charge!'' and his griffin riders charge down towards the
surprised dwarves. The plan worked brilliantly. The dwarves
were not expecting an attack since the army crept in, using
darkness to mask its arrival. To this surprise added a
sudden rain of fire that hurt mostly sleeping dwarves. Then
the arrows. And then an attack by what was an obviously
larger force. And then the griffins. The dwarves' morale
flushed down. They scattered, trying to flee for their
lives. And then, from holes in the other side of the wall,
the cavalries rushed them, enveloping them. The few dwarves
that managed to escape the slaughter surrendered
immediately. Only three spearmen died in the battle, and
only a dozen more were wounded. Jay's spirit lightened. His
plan went so well that he told his men that they will spend
a night and half a day in the fort to rest. Carmel was now
two and a half days away and Jay started making his plans
for the reconquering of the city. Or was trying to make such
plans. He was forced into a great dilemma there. Carmel was
a fortified city with virtually endless food supplies. A
force of 2000 soldiers could hold it against almost
anything. The king preferred that they conquer the city with
minimum damage. This took siege engines and artillery out of
the equation. They needed to find a way into the city or
else they would just grind the teeth of the army on the
walls. Jay gathered his commanders, Ehud and other people
who could have something to enlighten him with. He told them
about the problem. There was a short moment of silence.
Then, reluctantly, Sergeant Latcher raised his hand.
''Yes?'' Jay gestured. Some lieutenants and captains looked
aside - they were the ones who didn't know the Sergeant yet.
The ones who did know Sergeant Latcher leaned forward across
the table, listening carefully and deliberately. ''Lord, May
I suggest... a different tactic?'' asked Sergeant Latcher.
Five minutes later, Jay called out to bring him the highest
ranked prisoner. It took merely two minutes before two
swordsmen pushed Sir Regart Ironstone into the room. By
then, Jay was all alone in the room. ''Sir Regart?'' Jay
raised a brow, ''a knight surrendered?''. ''I've been bashed
on mi head,'' answered the dwarf, proudly, using
mildly-correct Elvish. ''I'd die b'fore I surrender. Not
like you stinkin' elves!''. ''Sir Regart,'' Jay ignored the
insult, ''You are aware that your race has conquered an
elven city and killed elven warriors. It was an unprovoked
act of war and we will retaliate''. ''So?'' the dwarf raised
a furry brow. ''So I could kill you here and now,'' said
Jay. ''Go ahead,'' said the dwarf, gallantly, ''do thy
worst, elf''. ''But on the other hand...'' Jay let his words
trail. ''Ye offerin' anything, elf?'' asked the dwarf,
suspiciously. ''Yes,'' Jay smiled, ''I'm offering a
cease-fire. Enough blood has been spilt. When we arrive to
Carmel, I would send you with an offer that would allow your
forces in Carmel to retreat peacefully and evade the destiny
that took your troops here tonight''. The dwarf spat on the
floor. ''Gutless bastard, eh elf? You can't stand tha look
o' blo'd?''. Jay opened his mouth but the door opened. Ehud
tucked his head in. ''Did you think my offer?'' he asked,
''that gold is- oh damn! You could tell me you're
interrogating a prisoner''. ''I'm not,'' Jay shrugged, ''I'm
offering him a one-time job as a messenger''. ''I told you
that without war, the offer is-'' Ehud shut his mouth and
his face twisted in anger, ''Later, Cracker, we have to
talk''. He slammed the door behind him and Jay shrugged.
''Humans,'' he said with a sigh, ''so hasty. Never think
twice about what they're going to do''. ''I could say the
same ab'ut you, elf,'' answered the dwarf, ''fine. Mi life
surely is worth this fool's errand. After all, I won't be
risking anything elf. When we arrive Carmel, I'll carry thy
message''.
Jay's soul shivered in terror and anger. Who could be
heartless enough to do this? He looked at the burnt grounds.
The ashes of a thousand trees lay around Carmel, where the
dwarves 'widened their line of sight'. Jay looked at the
skies and cried. It was a scream of agony and pain, a wail
of pure despair. It was far less then a true moratorium for
these trees that died but it was all he could come up with.
Near him hundreds of elves joined him, wailing and moaning
their songs of grief. Ehud was the only one who was
untouched by this grief. He was a human after all, and thus
was not aware of the souls and lives of the plants and
trees. But he knew the elves well enough to understand.
Untouched or not, when the wailings started to cease he
marched forward to the edge of the burnt grounds and said,
in a clear and loud voice, ''Pride and Honor to the dead!
The living will go on but will never forget! May the gods be
with you where we can't yet follow!''. His face turned
towards the elves. He felt he hadn't said enough. He
suddenly drew his sword. ''NEVER AGAIN!'' he cried. The
elves stared at him for a long silent moment but then, from
the throats of a thousand elves, the cry echoed, ''NEVER
AGAIN!''.
It was just a bit before nightfall. Jay was in his tent.
Tomorrow, he will send Regart with the scroll. Today...
today was far too long for it. A shout made him jump out of
his seat. He hastened outside. There was a lot of commotion
in the camp. Soldiers were pointing towards the east. Jay
strained his eyes. Yes. There was a large trail of dust.
Riders. A lot of them. Riding quickly. Jay ordered his men
to prepare for battle. He didn't expect the dwarves to be
stupid enough to meet him on the plains but... and dwarves
don't ride anyway. The riders came closer and Jay could
distinguish some flying characters too. Five minutes passed.
Then somebody shouted, ''Humans!''. Jay narrowed his eyes
but didn't sheath Keith-Kanan. But yes. There were about
four hundred humans there, armored and mounted on horses.
About forty dragons were flying above them. As they drew
nearer, Jay could distinguish the lone rider that led them.
She wore a dark satin riding dress. Her hair was black as
the night and her eyes were the midway between turquoise and
white. She could have been considered beautiful if not for
her narrow lips and her small mouth. She led her black mare
towards Ehud. She stopped near him and climbed down.
''Kara,'' Ehud smiled, ''you made it''. ''Yes,'' she jumped
and hugged him, ''I rode fast and left the infantry a bit
behind. They'd probably join in another day or too. Gods, I
missed you so much''. Jay thought he would be introduced but
to his surprise, Kara's dazzling eyes were fixed on Ehud in
a worshiping gaze. Later Jay would be ready to testify under
oath that he thought her to be a mixture between a woman and
a cocker-spaniel. And it seemed that Ehud was paying her a
lot of attention. Jay turned to his tent. Meeting the
reinforcements could wait till tomorrow.
Sir Regart Ironstone liked being clean. The elves supplied
him even with a beard-comb to make his most important piece
of hair look fine. The cowardly elven commander, Cracker or
whatever was his name, said he wants to send him clean. He
even promised him to return him his weapon when he delivers
the letter. Sir Regart snorted. Elves. If it was the other
way around, Regart would have slit Cracker's throat in a
second or at least put a large ransom over his head. But
then elves were such wimps. Skilled warriors, he'd admit
that, but wimps. The tent's entrance suddenly blacked as a
shadow blocked it. Regart blinked as the form cleared. It
was the human. The human stared at the two guards. ''Out!''
he commanded. ''But, Baron Gat,'' said one of them, ''our
orders are-''. ''Changed!'' said Baron Gat, ''I want to
speak with our messenger alone''. ''Fine,'' said the guard
as the two elves walked out stiffly, ''we'll be at hailing
distance''. ''Bah'' Gat spat in anger, ''elves. Listen to
me, Regart or whatever your name is. I don't like you
anymore than I like them but... in a certain cellar in the
city there's a huge amount of gold. If war was to erupt,
well, everyone would think your guys found it and took it
away, yes? I offered the elf 50-50 share but... the
spineless dweeb couldn't decide whether I was insane or
possessed. Idiot. Listen to me dwarf. Tell your leaders that
I would do even with 30 percents. I only need that amount.
Ok? Tell them that if they want to win and keep this damned
city, perhaps they should listen to my offer''. ''Ye would
betray your allies for gold?'' said Regart, ''I never
imagined that''. ''Then your imagination needs repairs,
Dwarf,'' the Baron shrugged, ''gold is power. Power is not
easily distributed but some start to think that the Raelur
legacy has lasted long enough. Think about it, dwarf''.
''Ha,'' Regart spat, ''Betrayal! I could think better of
ye''. ''I'm a nobleman, not a saint'' answered the human,
''think of it Regart. Tell your leaders that if they want to
hear more, I know a certain bare spot north from here. I'll
be there tonight, at nightfall''. He went outside and soon
afterwards the two guards walked back in. Ten minutes later,
the elf, Cracker, went inside and gave him the scroll.
''...and he said he wants the gold?'' asked Count Barlak
Amethyst. ''Yes,'' Sir Regart nodded, ''He wants thirty
percent. He wants to launch an uprising against the human
Queen''. ''Do you believe it to be true?'' asked Count
Amethyst. ''I find reasons to believe him. First of all,
he's definitely not a saint. He's a womanizer. There's this
human female that follows him in the camp, staring at him as
if he was a boot-size emerald. And then, the way he looks at
that Lord Cracker guy... I'd watch my back if I was the elf.
And you know humans, when they hear the word gold... greed
and lust are humanity's motives. And like every human, he
wants power. He wants to be in control and all that
nonsense. Humans. But he might have a way to defeat this
elven army. Perhaps we should give him a little attention''.
Amethyst nodded. ''You may be right, Regart, I will give him
my attention''.
The sun disappeared behind the west horizon. The messenger
crawled forward. The bare spot was there and he could see a
horse. He heard two human voices speaking. ''You sweet
little pie,'' said the human male. ''I love it when you call
me pie,'' answered the female. The messenger stood up. The
two humans lay one near the other. Definitely, that human
was a womanizer. ''I bear-'' the messenger stopped. ''You
can talk near her,'' Ehud answered an unasked question,
''Kara won't tell, would you dear?''. The female shook her
head and put her puppy-loving eyes at the baron. Ehud stood
up. ''I bear greetings from Count Barlak Amethyst. I am here
to hear more details of your offer''. ''Details?'' the
human's brow rose. ''Yes, when and how'' said the messenger,
his eyes shrinking in impatience. ''Fine,'' Ehud shrugged,
''it has to be tomorrow with dawn. By noon tomorrow, we'll
receive reinforcements that include siege engineers and a
lot more soldiers. The elven king said we're 'taking off the
gloves'. If the elves can't have Carmel, no one would.
Anyway, if you storm out of the city, we will be in a
cavalry-first formation. My riders will be the first lines
and the elves would be ready to flank from left and right.
The footmen would be behind my cavalry. When your forces
will close with us my cavalry would route and scatter to
left and right, leaving the door opened for you to burst in.
then we would regroup and attack the elves from the flanks.
In addition, I would keep my dragonriders out of the battle
until this happened and then let them finish the griffin
riders off. That's it. It's your only way to victory''.
''I'm in no position to accept or decline your offer'', said
the dwarf. Ehud couldn't shake the feeling that that was a
lie. ''Do as you like, dwarf, but remember, this is a
one-time chance. Tell your Count that if he wants to do it,
he can tell it to me by lighting the signal fires above the
main gate of the city. Understand?''.
''Do you think they'll buy it?'' asked Jay. Ehud shrugged
and his gaze went back to the city gates. Kara was behind
him playing with the top lace of her tight black silk dress.
Jay wondered about the woman. He was sure that Ehud isn't
married to her. He would have heard if the Baron had
married. Was she simply an 'Arrangement for the time being'?
Obviously, she didn't think so. Her puddle-gaze was fixed on
Ehud. She went everywhere he did. Jay thought that what the
baron did in his tent was nobody's affair but he felt uneasy
when she followed the baron to the command tent. But then,
Jay was sure that if he tried to send her out of the
meeting, she'd start groveling. He couldn't stand the
thought so he didn't try. But she still bothered him. She
gave up her mind and her free will for the baron. Such acts
always bothered him. ''Look'' Ehud pointed. Above the main
gates to Carmel, a signal fire was burning.
Part Three: Massacre at the gates of dawn
''War is simply a waste of lives and resources for a cause
that is usually unachieved'' - Healer Dionne's reply to a
question by a young war orphan
The dwarves marched in disciplined lines. They were already
briefed about what was going to happen in this gloomy dawn.
There were clouds in the sky. The sun was rising slowly, as
if reluctant to see the bloody occurrences that this morning
was about to bring. The united army marched to meet the
dwarves on the plains. The human cavalry lead the quad,
riding slowly in four lines. Behind them marched the elven
spearmen. They were arranged in eight tight lines. The
archers and swordsmen followed them. On both sides of the
quad rode a column of elven light cavalry and another column
of elven heavy cavalry. Later, counts would estimate the
number of the dwarves that marched forward at 3000 at least.
Most of the dwarves were hammermen or axmen. There was a
thin line of mule riders that held short lances riding
behind the footmen. Behind them, about a hundred slingers
loaded their slings with large stones. Above the
battlefield, in the skies, the griffins hovered silently.
From time to time, the sun's cold rays shined on a blue
scale of a Mountain Dragon as the human dragonriders hovered
above and behind the quad. The dwarves strode forward. The
second the elven archers pulled their bowstrings, the
dwarves started running. A rain of arrows landed on the
dwarves. A second followed and a third. Dwarves were
falling, wounded or dead. But the archers were forced to
stop as the dwarves closed with the quad, in fear of hitting
friendlies. The human heavy cavalry suddenly scattered and
fled to the left and to the right. The dwarves ignored the
humans as they charged forward towards the surprised
spearmen. But to their horrid surprise, they found the
spearmen forming a tight wedge, charging at them, crying and
roaring. But the dwarves didn't have the time to understand
that they were cheated. Steel clashed with steel and heads
rolled. Blood was spilt and heads were cleaved. From their
flanks, the elven cavalry plowed and harvested death. The
griffins charged at the slingers. Jay led his men bravely.
Keith-Kanan was a blazing thunder in his hand and Rumpus'
claws and fangs added to Jay's bloody onslaught. Above them,
the dragonriders commander looked until he found what he
sought. Along with the mule riders, he could see a large
banner hovering in the air. It surely was the dwarven
commander's banner. Following his orders, the dragonriders
dived towards the mules. Both Jay and Ehud learned the
ancient phrase: ''Cut off the head and the body shall
fall''. The Mountain Dragons blasted the mule riders with a
frozen barrage of ice balls. The icy breath of the dragons
wreaked havoc between the mule riders. Soon there was no one
alive in that section. The dwarves, pressed, outflanked,
surprised, demoralized and now leaderless, scattered and
began to flee. But they found the human heavy cavalry
waiting for them. Pressed from all sides and from the air
the dwarves were broken. It was no longer a battle. It was a
massacre, a bloodbath.
''The human betrayed us'' murmured a dwarf that stood near
the walls of Carmel. He wasn't part of the battle. ''And to
think I let that dumb Amethyst convince me into crawling a
mile just to meet with that treacherous womanizer''. His
face twisted with anger. ''We've lost here. But not for
good,'' The dwarf smiled nastily, ''come to me, Agarzul''.
The thing that flown to him looked like a cat-sized Wyvern.
''Now, my dear familiar,'' the dwarf chuckled humorlessly,
''remember the human we saw last night? Find him and Kill
him! Then return to me. I will be in the Tempest Bastion''.
The mini-wyvern screamed its reply and then hovered to the
air. The dwarf's eyes narrowed and he whispered a few magic
words. In the blink of an eye, the dwarf was gone.
The dragonriders and griffin riders flew above the walls.
The dwarves did leave a small garrison inside the city, in
order to 'keep the peace'. But when the army on the plains
was beaten back, the small force couldn't prevent the
griffins and dragons from taking the gates. And with the
main gate in their control, the elves and humans practically
controlled the city. When the cavalry rode through the gates
the dwarves inside were left with a poor choice: Bend their
heads or have them cut off. Carmel was in elven hands
again.
Unlike the morning, the afternoon was hot. Boiling actually.
Jay looked sadly at his shirt. The stains of blood won't go
out when he washes it. He fought well enough, and had the
needed luck, not to get hurt in the battle. Ehud had a small
cut around his left wrist but was otherwise unhurt. ''What a
success,'' he said, ''Jay, allow me to advise you. Make that
Latcher guy a lieutenant. No, make him a captain! Hell it's
the least you could for him. His plan brought us victory''.
''No can do,'' Jay looked at the opened city gates, ''he
won't let me. You see, Sergeant Latcher is one of nature's
Sergeants. But trust that I always ask his opinion. And so
does everyone else that has some brains and a bit of
familiarity with Sergeant Latcher''. ''I'd remember that,''
winked Ehud. ''Say,'' Jay lowered his voice, ''about
Kara...''. Ehud looked behind his back, to the place where
the woman was observing her black satin riding dress. ''What
about her?'' he asked. ''Why's she... no'' Jay shook his
head, ''That is not my business. Sorry. You know, I kind of
regret that I didn't get to see the dwarven commander's face
when he realized you tricked him''. Ehud grunted. ''A
wretched lot of good it would do you,'' he exclaimed, ''with
that forest that dwarves have for a beard. Hey, that Regart
guy should have listened when I warned him. I'm a nobleman,
not a saint''. Jay chuckled and nodded. ''Do you think
they'll be ready with this Parade thing soon?'' he asked,
''I've got to ease my bladder''. ''Go,'' Ehud chuckled,
''We'll wait for you''. Jay nodded and turned away. He found
a bush and eased himself. He turned back towards the baron.
He was eight paces away from the baron when he saw the
thing. He drew Keith-Kanan and humped forward, screaming,
''Ehud, Look out!''. But he already knew it was too late. A
faded silvery flash passed his head quickly and he saw the
little monstrosity rolling twice before it fell down on the
ground. ''Yuck'' Ehud looked at the little wyvern. A small
silvery dagger was stuck in its chest. Jay turned back and
said, ''Kara?''. The woman's normal puddle-eyes were gone.
Her gaze was an intense, witty and intelligent blue. She
waved her right hand and a small dagger appeared out of
nowhere. It danced between her fingers. She smiled faintly
and started cleaning her nails with it. ''You!'' Jay's mouth
flung open. Ehud's hand clasped Jay's shoulder. ''She's a
Rogue,'' he told Jay. Jay's wild stare widened. He heard
stories about that secret order. About men and women that
took oaths to defend their employers to the death. Men and
women that were trained in weaponry, unarmed combat and
magic too. But... ''It's impossible,'' said Jay, ''Rogues
always wear black! And... and... And they are not seen when
they don't want to be seen... and...'' he shut his mouth. He
saw her with four different sets of clothing and all were
black. Kara's brow rose and she smiled faintly again. ''Who
really notices a little love-maid like me?'' she asked,
''after all, I'm just the little puppy that follows the
baron everywhere hoping he would throw me a bone''. She
winked and chuckled. Then she put the cocker-spaniel look on
her face again, like a mask. She took out her tongue and
imitated a panting dog. Jay stared at her and started
laughing.
Part Four: To all things comes a beginning
''The order of Carapsha, known better as the secret order
of the Rogues is yet shrouded in mystery. Its history dates
a thousand years back to the days of Alan of Kel-Anak. Alan
was a mage in the human order of the Angels. It is unknown
why, but Alan's family was prosecuted by a local nobleman's
order. Alan arrived home too late to save all of them from a
death punishment, save for his younger sister. Alan forced
his way into the mansion of the nobleman and stabbed the man
in his bed. He later rescued his sister. The facts that he
had no permission to leave the order and also used steel
weaponry were enough to banish Alan from the order of the
Angels. He lived as a vagabond, living from occasional
bodyguard jobs. The Guardian Angel's fame spread and
eventually, people started coming to him, wishing to learn
how to combine magic with steel. The rogue mage's order
started in a no-longer existing city named Carapsha. During
the centuries, rumors and legends were spread along the
peasantry. But the facts are dazzling enough. The Rogues are
expert in disguising themselves, are skilled warriors and
skilled magic users. The Rogue swears to give his life for
the client but usually the Rogue is the one who takes life.
In places where a pack of guards would be a sign or even a
provocation, a lone Rogue could follow his client virtually
undetected. Rogues are mainly apt to shadow, air and water
magic'' - interlude from ''Orders and Sects in human
culture'' - by Lady Clair Gavin
The crowd roared and screamed their thanks to their saviors.
Jay and Ehud led the parade. The citizens of Carmel cheered
as Jay waved his hand faintly. He could hear Kara muttering
about hating parades. To Jay's surprise Kara didn't follow
them on her black mare in her disguise as a love-struck
girl. Actually, it would seem that she wasn't there at all.
''It's a trick of Air and Shadow,'' she explained Jay
earlier, ''I break the light around me. It seems as if I'm
not there''. And she really was invisible and her mare was
too. But Jay could hear her whispering to herself. He knew
she had good reasons to hate parades or any other crowded
events. Among the crowd a man could hide easier than in the
thickest forest. All you need is one small crossbow and one
bolt covered with fast-working poison and you can take your
target virtually unnoticed. Jay wondered what she could do
against such things. He noted to himself that he should ask
her - such information may come in handy one day. The parade
advanced towards the mayor's house. Jay already knew that
the mayor and the city council have been executed by the
dwarves. He was ordered to keep the city under his rule
until reinforcements would arrive to relieve him. There were
things Jay intended to do and find out before he leaves. The
most important of these were the methods with which the
dwarves managed to move a large force from their borders to
the city unnoticed. This and how did they manage to get past
the gates without fighting. The parade reached the manor and
Jay could hear Kara grunting. ''What's wrong?'' he asked
silently. ''Too many windows,'' he could almost see her
shrugging, ''I don't presume I could talk you into choosing
a different place to stay in''. ''The manor is the city
hall,'' answered Ehud, not turning towards them, ''if we
want people to get used to our ruling, we better start by
giving them a familiar feeling. It's written in B.D. Kogar's
'Ruling and Management'. I read it''. ''B.D. Kogar?'' Jay
scratched his head. He was sure that he never heard of any
book by such writer. Kara exhaled heavily. Jay could swear
that she rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see them.
''Lord,'' she said, ''the baron forgot to... ahm... mention
that Kogar is not the surname but the first name. In more
civilized nations such as yours, he's known as Kogar Brog
the red-faced''. ''The red-faced?'' Jay's brows rose, ''you
read that in a book written by the red-faced?''. ''Yes
yes,'' Ehud murmured in disgruntle, ''I read it in his book.
Everyone has flukes sometime. Even B.D. Kogar does''. They
dismounted, and Jay handed the reins to a waiting groom. The
groom turned to take Ehud's reins and was surprised to find
that instead of one horse and one griffin, he had two horses
and one griffin. Rumpus sent Jay a look that told him how
displeased he feels with having to carry his weight on the
ground. The lion legs of the griffin were already tired,
after carrying his master merely two kilometers but then
griffins are not made up for long walks, especially when
mounted. Jay sent Rumpus an apologetic look and followed
Ehud into the manor. There were two servants in the entrance
waiting to lead them towards the council hall. Ehud surveyed
the entrance quickly and then flooded the two servants with
questions such as 'where did you come from?', 'how long do
you work here?' and even 'is that a real Northmen crystal?'.
Jay was quite baffled but then the door moved and Kara
stormed Ehud, hugging him. She wore the puddle-expression
again. Jay figured that Ehud distracted the servants so that
they won't notice how she suddenly 'popped' into the room.
She gave him a short quick glance. Jay nodded, knowing that
she would notice it even though her eyes were fixed - or
more correctly glued towards Ehud. She asked him not to tell
about her identity. Jay wouldn't tell even if she didn't ask
him to, but she didn't know him yet. She followed them as
the servants showed them to the council hall and Jay could
almost fall in for the disguise. Jay remembered what Piros
said about his fiancé, Siana - ''She hangs her heart
out on a pin for you''. Jay never figured that phrase until
he met Kara. Jay found it hard to believe in such ethereal
things as unconditional love but Kara proved that even if it
didn't exist, one could still imitate it. They sat down near
the large table. One of the servants went to fetch drinks.
Ehud looked around and suddenly jumped on his feet.
''Look!'' he said, ''When's the last time you dusted off
this bookshelf?''. The remaining servant's eyes widened.
Then he nodded and said, ''I shall go and take care of it
immediately''. He hastened out of the door. Ehud slumped
back into the chair and choked down a burst of laughter.
Kara's eyes returned to normal. ''Where did you learn this
from?'' asked Jay. He never found a way to get rid of
servants when they really wanted to be with you. ''It's
written in B.D. Kogar's'' answered Ehud. Jay looked puzzled.
He got only one opinion of Kogar Brog the Red-faced books.
An old and wise librarian told him to: ''Keep away from
these books! Run boy! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!''. Jay didn't think
that the Red-faced could have flukes that would cause him to
write something that is true. But Ehud proved that every
principal has its exception, even Kogar Brog the Red-faced's
infamous advices. He suddenly scratched his head. ''Ehud,''
he asked, ''What does B.D. means? Is it some sort of a
title?''. ''You could say that,'' said Ehud. Kara chuckled
and said, ''It means Bloody Dumb Kogar''. ''Bloody Du- oh I
see. Now it all makes sense,'' Jay chuckled. Ehud shrugged
and said, ''It's a title he earned rightfully. But never
mind that. We've got some pressing matters to deal with.
Jay, I still keep my impression that the city wasn't just
surprised when the dwarves arrived. It was betrayed. Someone
gave the city to the dwarves on a silver-plated tray!''. ''A
tough accusation,'' mentioned Jay, ''but a logical one,
nevertheless. But what can we do? Simply start asking who
the hell slit the guards' throats and left the doors
opened?''. Actually, Jay found himself reluctant to deal
with that matter - to elves the word 'betrayal' is like
'snow' to desert nomads - something that happens to someone
else. ''Ha,'' Kara snorted, ''my old instructor used to say:
'in the place mischief takes respected place, gold can
replace respect'. Was a very smart guy, my old instructor''.
Jay chuckled. He heard such phrases before. He smiled and
said, ''My old nanny, Lepress would have said: 'Thieves sell
their souls for gold'. She's a very smart woman''. ''I'd
bet,'' Kara nodded. ''So then,'' Ehud raised a brow, ''we
just post an announcement that calls for everyone who knows
who the hell betrayed the city to come and sell us the
info?''. ''Of course not,'' Kara shook her head, ''Good
thing I'm not getting extra payment for thinking for you or
you'd get broke in a week!''. Her tough words were softened
by the lively wink she gave them. ''So how?'' asked Ehud,
''I admit you know more about the darker alleys than I do''.
''Post an announcement that calls for everyone who has
information about what happened that night to come and
receive a prize for it. It would be clear that you want to
know what the hell happened''. ''Good idea,'' Jay nodded,
''let's get to it''.
''It didn't come back!'' said the dwarf in the red cowl,
''and I've heard news that the human is still alive!''. His
face twisted with anger. The messenger cowered in terror at
the sight of the angry dwarf. The messenger thanked whatever
gods that were listening for the fact that he had to carry a
message for the cowl dwarf. He was sure that if he wasn't so
important, he wouldn't leave the den alive. ''Tell Baligor
Goldrock that he has to hasten the mobility of this army and
get it to conquer the city back! Carmel is the key to
victory! Now go!''. The messenger went out. Actually, to be
more loyal to the facts, he fled the den, thankful to get
out in one piece. Behind him the red cowl shivered in rage.
''It took me almost a year to train Agarzul!'' the dwarf
snarled at what could be considered 'the air', ''a year gone
for naught! I'll have my revenge at that human. Soon!''.
Part Five: A man named anonymous
''There were ten corpses in the ally. I forced myself to
ignore them. The wilderness may have been a mystery, but
those dead people were even more. They were all humans. I
never thought that someone would send a whole party into the
wilderness. I admit that I would pass the 'pleasure' if I
didn't have to finish the quest. The bodies were fresh so I
guessed they were killed no more than few hours earlier.
These anonymous humans intrigued me. They were slain in a
fight and yet there was not one sign of any attacker that
was hit. There were weird tacks going from the bodies, like
foot prints that were half erased. I followed the tracks,
intrigued. The Dead City as I called it was so weird. I saw
six Stone Warriors standing in a giant square. They were
erect and motionless as their former comrades but I knew
that if I came too close they would wake up and charge at
me. There were three more bodies down a second ally lying in
various stages of dismemberment. This time, there were no
more tracks but a weird snake-like trail in the sand. I was
sure that whatever killed these anonymous humans were not
the Stone Warriors. They left normal footprints behind - if
really large footprints. I carried on. Then I saw her. She
was leaning on a wall, panting heavily. Her hair was black
and her skin was pale blue. Each one of her six hands held a
long and curved falchion. Her human torso ended in a
gigantic snake tail that started just below her waist. At
sight of me, she stretched and raised her six rapiers. 'More
humans?' she said in a snake-like hiss, 'I thought your kind
was smarter then this. Why do you hunt me, humans?'. 'I'm
not hunting anyone' I told the Naga, 'I'm merely looking for
the City in the clouds. I wasn't with them and I don't wish
to fight'. She shrugged and leaned back, apparently eased.
''I don't know anything about this City in the clouds but if
you're not looking for a fight, then you're welcomed to join
my campfire tonight'. I joined her, leaving my thoughts
about these anonymous humans behind'' - Interlude from Baron
Ehud Gat's ''To the Great Wilderness and Back !''.
Jay waved his hand reluctantly. He had enough visitors in
the past two days. Most of them were simply liars who tried
to gain some gold for fake information and the few who did
say the truth knew only that there was no battle at the
gates and that the guards were indeed murdered before the
dwarves got into the city. The servant ignored his
reluctance and gestured towards the door. Jay's brows rose
as the human walked in. He wore a cheap wool shirt, a pair
of brown, ancient-looking trousers and a grey pair of
overused boots. He was pretty tall for a human and his body
was heavily built. His bright hair was already growing few
spots of gray and he was shaved neatly. Starting from the
left temple, a jagged scar crossed his face all the way to
his chin. He looked angry but Jay thought that it might be
the outcome of the jagged scar. Or not. Jay had to admit
that he saw humans grow frustrated, restless and even
murderous over smaller flaws. His eyes were dark brown and
Jay couldn't shake the uneasy feeling as if the eyes were
calculating and reckoning his worth. He was unarmed but Jay
had to fight an urge to touch Keith-Kanan - it would be
embarrassing. ''Yes?'' he asked, ''what is it that you
want?''. ''I have information about the night the dwarves
came'' answered the man. Jay shrugged. ''What's your name?''
he asked, ''I have to file a report and I must have your
name for it''. It was a lie and Jay felt almost ashamed of
saying it but there was something very bothering in that
human. He wanted to make sure that someone keeps an eye over
that human. ''My name is-'' the human was cut abruptly by
the opening door. ''I'm sorry, eh, lord,'' Kara wore the
puddle-mask again, ''Baron Ehud promised me I can draw him
today in the council room''. Jay subdued an urge to ask what
she meant - Ehud went outside to tour the city earlier and
until that very moment Jay was sure that she followed him.
But there she was, with a canvas sheet, an ink bottle and a
raven-feather quill. ''Ehud went outside earlier,'' Jay said
and then, by a second's intuitive thinking he added, ''But
I'd love it if you draw me''. ''I don't know,'' she cocked
her head slowly, almost shyly. ''I'm sure Ehud would like
it,'' Jay added some temptation to his voice. ''Ok,'' she
smiled as if the gods just gave her a palace made of gold.
She took a chair and sat down. She wet her quill in some ink
and started sketching. ''You could talk near Lady Kara,''
Jay nodded towards the human, ''she's allowed to know
anything I or Baron Gat know. Why don't you take a sit and
let's get on with it. What is your name?''. The human sat
down. He looked at Kara and for a split-second Jay could
swear that his face twisted in anger. But the human gazed
back at Jay and shrugged. ''My name,'' he said, ''is John
Doe''. ''What?'' Jay's brows rose. He knew enough of the
human language to understand that. ''Your name is John
Doe?'' he asked, ''you call yourself anonymous?''. ''Does it
matter what I call myself?'' asked the human, ''I could have
told you that I am called Seonid the vagabond or simply John
of Ka-Tarak and you won't have any reason to suspect that I
lie, would you? But I'm not here to tell lies, Lord. My real
name has nothing to do with what I do here. And if you ask
in the streets, everyone knows John Doe. If you don't like
it, there's a tavern up the gateway alley called the Howling
Moon. For a mug of ale people there would be glad to sell
you their names, occupations, their own mothers and a
bucket-full of fairytales about that night. Should I be
going out now?''. ''Stay,'' Jay fought back an urge to tell
the guards to throw him out, ''tell me your story and make
me believe that it is not a fairytale''. Kara seemed to be
deep in her drawing but Jay had the feeling that her right
hand is ready to draw a dagger from somewhere and instantly
nail John Doe's throat to the back of his sit. John Doe's
face twisted in disgruntle but he forced himself calm and
said, ''You will have your proofs, Lord. If you go outside
the main gate, into the newly created bare spots, you will
find a hole, merely twenty meters from the gate. It is well
hidden by dirt but if you know what you're looking for -
that is a spot that looks like a big mole-mound - underneath
a wooden panel you will find a tunnel that leads all the way
to Typhoon Bastion in the wedge. It is about two meters wide
and a meter and half tall''. ''Impossible!'' said Jay,
''erecting such a tunnel would take a dozen of years! Only
the safety matter would prohibit any faster digging''.
''Impossible?'' John Doe's hand scratched his head, ''not
for magic-users!''. ''Magic-users?'' Jay chuckled, ''Dwarves
don't have magic-users! Dwarves are completely unmagical!''.
John Doe started laughing. It was a deep-throat, humorless
and completely artificial laugh that sent shivers down Jay's
spine. ''There is more to the world than seems'' said the
human, ''ask whomever you want to tell about the rumors that
were spread about the 'cowl dwarf'. It will give you the
proof you want''. He rose and walked to the door. ''Wait!''
said Jay, ''if I find proofs to this story of yours, where
do I find you to give you your reward?''. John Doe turned
and said, ''Keep your gold, elf. I'd rather sell my mother
for gold than become a snitch''. With not a word afterwards,
the human turned and went outside. Immediately after the
door closed, Kara put the canvas on the table and sagged
back on her chair. ''A dangerous man,'' she observed, ''I
don't like him''. ''I could tell about him being
dangerous,'' replied Jay. ''But from all the wrong
reasons,'' muttered Kara, ''but never mind that. Ehud and I
were on our way out when I saw him coming towards this
manor. I thought I should attend to this... meeting. I think
he is... no, forget it! He gives me too much of the creeps
to think anything about him. But note that I don't like
him''. ''And what do you think about the information he gave
us?''. ''Hah,'' she smiled bitterly and Jay couldn't shake
an uneasy shiver that crept down his spine, ''some things
may sound too crazy to be true - but that exactly is the
reason for not using them as lies! A tunnel is certainly a
good way to bring the army forth unnoticed''. ''And a
dwarven magic-user?'' asked Jay, ''I know enough about
dwarves. They are unable to use magic but they are also very
resistant to magic. Can this be true?''. ''Dwarves can use
self magic'' answered Kara, ''Do you know about the three
realms? No? Ok magic is divided into three realms. The
elemental realm which is the source of power to most kinds
of wizards and magi is divided to four: Earth, Fire, Air and
Water. The powers negate each other - This is the reason
that Rogues use Air and Water but not Earth and Fire - Fire
negates Water and Air negates Earth''. ''I don't understand
what it has got to do with the magic-using dwarf'' said Jay.
''I'll get to it, Lord,'' Kara shrugged, ''the elemental
powers come from nature and its wonders. The second realm is
the realm of the Self-magic. Self-magic is divided to: Body,
Mind and Spirit. These powers come from living creatures,
from the thoughts and from the feelings of the living. While
dwarves are naturally immune to elemental magic, they can
use Self magic to some extent - but Self magic has got
nothing to do with tunneling, unless this magus could put
Giant's Strength on a thousand dwarves. Forget it, no one,
even not the High-Lector of the Healers Guild could use Body
magic in such large scales. Body magic may not be used along
with Spirit magic - they are too opposite to each other to
be used without immense danger to the caster - and same for
Mind and Spirit. The third and most important is the Arcane
realm. The Arcane realm is divided to the two powerful ranks
of Shadow and Illumination. While commonly and mistakenly
called Darkness and Light, the powers of the Arcane realm
have nothing to do with godly powers. Shadow and
Illumination must never be used together - the contradiction
may render the fabric of magic to pieces and cause a
holocaust. The Arcane realm draws its power from all
paranormal and transcended powers and also from the sun and
the moon and the stars. Dwarves cannot use it and are only
somewhat resistant to it''. ''So what you say is that
there's no such option?'' asked Jay, ''that John Doe was
stupid enough to think we'd believe this story? Or is he
simply crazy?''. ''I tend to believe that he is crazy,''
answered Kara, ''but there's nothing simple about John Doe.
I tend to believe him actually - the Arcane realm allows
certain... actions... to take place. Do you know about
Cagestones? Soul-Cages?''. ''Soul-Cages?'' Jay shrugged,
''I've heard these words before but I never got to figure
out what they meant''. ''Out of the most dangerous spells
known to Arcane spellcasters, Soul caging is the most
horrific I can think of. This magic allows you to capture a
soul inside a precious stone. It puts the soul in some sort
of suspended situation - there's no time or danger inside
the prison. The trapped soul would dwell among its prison
until released or until the end of time - whichever comes
first. . If you capture a simple soul there's no danger in
the Cagestone. But if you capture a powerful soul - a
priest, a magic-user, a magical-beast or a dragon - the cage
becomes dangerous to the holder. The strength of the trapped
soul may overcome the boundaries of the cage and affect its
whereabouts. For some unknown reason, the soul cannot even
suggest its release to the living creatures around it but it
can communicate and if it's powerful enough it could even
manipulate magic and compel the weak-minded to its will. If
a dwarf got hold of such powerful Cagestone, he might be
able to channel the imprisoned soul's powers through him -
making it seem as if he is using magic. I thought that maybe
the dwarf had some sort of artifact that helped creating the
tunnel but - do you remember that... thing... that tried to
kill Ehud after we took the city?''. ''Hard to forget a
cat-sized wyvern'' answered Jay. ''Wyvern?'' Kara shook her
head, ''You could call it a monstrosity but it was never a
wyvern. The users of Arcane magic may be able to summon and
bind certain... paranormal... souls to their will. These are
called Familiars. Most Arcane spellcasters have one, as it
proves useful from time to time. The thing that tried to
kill Ehud was a Familiar. That's why I tend to believe that
this crazy story is true - Some magic user sent it and only
a powerful Cagestone can give that sort of power to a dwarf.
I have to see that hole - if it really exists, I can tell
whether there was the usage of magic there''. ''You could?''
asked Jay. The lecture has overwhelmed him - he was
completely ignorant to magical affairs due to a naturally
rigid distrust towards the mysterious arts. Oh, like every
noble in Elvalie he went to the mages' guild when he was old
enough to take the tests but he never forgot the way he
breathed lightly after they told him he won't do as a
magician. ''I could feel it,'' nodded Kara, ''and so would
any user of the Elemental magic. Earth is the most probable
way to dig a tunnel though you could do something with a
combination of Air and Water''. ''How'd you sense it?''
asked Jay, ''it's been weeks since it was dug- if it was dug
at all''. ''Did you ever see a forest on fire?'' she asked,
''did you smell a campfire before? Of course you did. You
surely noticed that a campfire's smell disappears after a
few hours and a forest fire's smell hangs in the air for
weeks. It's all a matter of power - I could smell someone
who built a castle on the sands the seashore an hour after
it was completed - and I could sense something forceful like
the digging a large tunnel weeks after - though it would
probably be waned and weak by now''. ''You smell it?'' asked
Jay, baffled. ''Not exactly. I use Air, Water and Shadow
magic. I feel the magic auras of these divisions like a sort
of familiarity - I feel like I know it. The opposing magic:
Earth, Fire and Illumination feel like some sort of oily
feeling on my skin - something hostile and dirty and
disgusting. Ehud and I once traveled with an Angel. The
wizard was very useful at certain parts of that... ahm...
journey... but every time she showed her usefulness, I felt
a need to take a shower. It was because Angels concentrate
on the Elemental realm and this particular Angel was using
Fire and Earth. I guess she felt the same about me''. ''When
was that?'' asked Jay, ''Ehud never told me he traveled with
mages. I know he's even more suspicious about magic than I
am''. ''It was...'' Kara shook her head, confused, ''it
was... I don't know!''. ''Kara?'' Jay lunged forward,
''Kara! Are you ok?''. ''My...'' Kara moaned, ''Head...''.
Her eyes flickered and she would have slipped out of her
chair if Jay wasn't there to hold her.
Part six: Short of a helm
''The Loper charged, so fast that I could barely follow his
trail. He passed through the lines, leaving a trail of blood
and death behind him as he strived towards Devian. Everyone
who confronted the monstrosity was bashed aside or torn to
shreds in seconds. Devian stood and the silvery blade
glistened in his hands. I feared for his life but I was but
a scribe - I couldn't help him where skilled warriors
failed. The Loper sent two guards flying in the air and was
facing Devian. 'If so it must be,' said Devian, 'come then.
Let us finish this'. The Loper leaped forward, screaming in
anger. Devian's hands rose, their speed matching that of the
Loper. The silvery blade met the Loper's right claw and
simply cut through it. Devian's speed was faster than I've
ever seen him before or after. The silvery blade was no
longer glistening - it was shimmering in a light that
rivaled that of the moon and defeated that of the torches.
The blade flashed once and twice and the Loper fell down,
cut to pieces. Devian fainted shortly afterwards and when he
woke up he didn't remember anything that happened between
the moment that the Loper charged at him and the moment that
it went down'' - Interlude from Rhag-Ara's ''The 13 knights
of Lady Felion''.
...there were a dozen dead bodies down the eastern road.
Two wolves were feeding on one of them. At the sight of the
humans, the wolves backed away, growling. Kara ignored them.
They posed no threat to her or her companions. She leaned to
examine one of the bodies. The clothing told her everything
she needed to know. These were the guardians of the amulet.
It was stolen. ''We didn't make it in time,'' said Ehud,
echoing her thoughts. ''The Feather is gone,'' moaned
Arathel, ''without the Feather, the towers would keep on
draining until completely destroyed! Fort Savin would be
ruined''. ''Calm down, Arathel,'' said Kara, ''we'll find
that damned amulet. I promise you that we-''. ''Baa,'' the
wizard spat on the ground, ''don't promise me anything,
Rogue. The word of a Moonshadow is as slippery as ice''.
''Fine, Angel,'' Kara's tone went up and she gestured
violently with her hand, ''find it yourself then''. She was
fed up with that weakly mage's opinions and her
provocations. She and Ehud weren't forced to aid that
weakling - they volunteered and she could at least show them
some respect. Arathel tried to say something but Kara
wouldn't let her. ''After all,'' she said, ''you Angels are
so omnipotent and omniscient and omni-stupid that you don't
need the help of the lesser ones, right? You could find it
yourself, Angel, you don't need us. We'll go''. Arathel
snorted, ''That's right! I don't need you! I'd rather die
then be assisted by a Rogue. Your barbaric ways and your
primitive casting makes me ill''. ''Ha!'' Kara spat, ''I'd
rather think that you Angels would be advanced enough not to
need barbaric items such as amulets and rings. Baa''. ''Stop
it!'' commanded Ehud, ''We're not here to fight''. ''Stay
out of this, Baron,'' replied Arathel. ''I said,'' Ehud's
eyes narrowed and his voice took a deep threatening pitch,
''SHUT UP!!''. Kara saw it happen before but it didn't
help her. She couldn't resist that command. ''Arathel,''
Ehud's tone became normal again, ''look at yourself -
standing here with your eyes coming out of your head and you
mouth moving like a fish thrown ashore. You need our help to
regain the Feather Amulet. We will assist you but you can't
take us for granted. You may be an Angel but you're no more
than human. Maintain your self control or leave us. And
Kara. Kara... Kara? Kara...''
''...Kara, wake up. Kara! Snap out of it! Kara!'' the voice
seemed to come from miles away. Something pressed her right
thigh hardly. She tried to roll to her left but something
held her to her place. ''Where's that healer?'' cried the
voice, ''Don't just stand there, Jay, get that healer over
here now!''. ''He's on his way,'' answered a second voice.
Kara's eyes opened. ''Kara?'' the face hovered over her
head, vaguely familiar. ''Ehud,'' she murmured, ''where...
what...''. Ehud's hand flickered over her lips and she
realized he was wiping something of them. She touched her
lips with her tongue. ''Phooze'' she tried to spit. The
taste of her lips was sour and acidic. ''Are you feeling
ok?'' asked Ehud. ''No,'' she tried to shake her head but
the cold floor she lay on gave her a dizzy feeling. ''What
happened?'' she asked. ''You said something about an
Angel,'' answered the second voice and this time Kara knew
Lord Jay Cracker's voice, ''then you suddenly rolled your
eyes and fainted. Scared the hell out of me''. Kara tried to
get up but something heavy was leaning against her chest.
''Don't try to get up,'' said Ehud and she realized that it
was him who was lying, his chest on her, forcing her to the
floor. ''There're a thousand better ways to get me into bed
then this,'' she commented. No one chuckled. Things were
really bad then, she figured. ''You were under some sort of
a seizure,'' said Ehud, ''you were twisting and I feared
you'll hurt yourself. And there was foam all over your lips
and... gods, I thought I'm going to lose you''. ''You're not
getting rid of me that easily,'' she replied but nobody
smiled. She closed her eyes and tried to understand what
happened. She remembered giving Jay a lecture about magic
and then - there was some sort of a dream. Only it seemed so
real. Kara was sure she never heard of any Angel named
Arathel. For that matter, Rogues and Angels didn't go along.
She would never even imagine traveling along with an Angel.
It was unthinkable. That must have been some sort of
hallucination that was a result of this seizure - whatever
sort of seizure that was, she had no idea. She whispered a
soft spell, and Ehud hovered away from her. She rose slowly
but she felt alright. A figure stumbled through the door.
Kara wasn't surprised to find that the healer was human -
Carmel was a mixed-breed city due to its location. The
healer leaned towards her. Kara could smell some sort of
unnatural odor coming from the small bag he held in his
hand. The odor repelled her, making her uneasy. ''Get
away,'' she said, ''I'm fine!''. ''Kara, you had some sort
of-'' one glance at Jay caused him to shut up. ''It's ok,
healer,'' she said, ''I've epileptic seizures from time to
time. It's not deadly. They're just not used to it, that's
all''. ''Right,'' the man shrugged, ''today everyone thinks
they know better. First of all, I'm a doctor, not a healer.
I don't use magic. Second, child, I'm here to make sure that
you're fine''. He took a step towards her and drew a long
stick with some sort of small holes in each of its ends.
''This is a Status Cane,'' he declared as if he performing
some kind of magic, ''I will listen to your heart with it''.
Kara shook her head. ''Keep the death stick away from me,''
she said, calmly. ''This is not a death stick'' the 'doctor'
protested. Kara waved her hand, drawing one of her daggers.
To side-lookers it would seem that hands of the 'doctor'
suddenly fell intolerably in love with his thighs - the arms
tightened on his waist and his hands seemed glued to his
thighs. The 'doctor' started sweating. ''You don't want to
check me with a death stick,'' said Kara, as if giving him a
friendly advice. ''Come to think about it...'' the 'doctor'
was pale, ''I don't want to check you with a death stick''.
Kara nodded. ''Good,'' she said, ''You want to go home and
rethink your life''. ''In fact,'' the 'doctor' shivered, ''I
really want to go home and rethink my life''. ''Good,'' Kara
started cleaning her fingernails with the silvery dagger.
The 'doctor' grabbed his bag, dropped the 'Status Cane' into
it and fled. ''What was that?'' asked Jay. ''It's called
aggressive persuasion'' she answered. A gust of air suddenly
wrapped Jay's arms and pushed them towards his body. A
second later it was gone. ''What?'' Kara's eyes widened,
''how'd you break the spell?''. Jay shrugged but was not
unmindful of way Keith-Kanan's hilt suddenly grew cold under
his hand. ''But I get the idea,'' he told Kara, ''even if I
still don't understand why you threw him out''. ''I don't
trust people who cut people open in order to cure them. And
no Ehud, before you even dare asking such a stupid question
- I don't suffer of epileptic seizures''. She smiled at
Ehud's annoyed frown. ''A dashed lot of good would a Rogue
with epilepsy do. I was simply weak'' she said, ''It was all
the emotional distress - I don't like the idea of a
magic-user dwarf more than I like the idea of challenging a
Loper to a one-on-one. I think I should take a rest, if you
won't mind''. ''Sure,'' Ehud nodded, ''I don't know how I'd
manage if I lose you''. ''You almost persuaded me this
time,'' she winked and went out. Ehud dropped to a chair and
snorted. ''So you heard?'' he asked Jay, ''about that magus
dwarf?''. ''Yeah,'' Jay nodded, ''I didn't have the time to
update you with what happened to Kara''. ''She's ok,'' Ehud
shrugged, ''she's not the kind that would deny it if she
feels unhealthy. Anyway, you wanna hear what I heard? It was
a very surprising meeting. I met-''. ''...A man calling
himself anonymous?'' asked Jay. ''Nope,'' Ehud's eyes
narrowed, ''what sort of joke is that? I met Eric of Kor.
He's here in the city''. ''It's no joke,'' answered Jay,
''the man we met called himself John Doe. Who's this Eric of
Kor guy? You sound as if I should know the name''. ''Oh
don't you remember?'' Ehud's eyes widened, ''down on the
slopes of mount Nejamor, I recited a ballad. Remember? Orcs
and the morbid end of Lady Lleyn?''. ''You mean to say that
Eric the Orcslayer is here?'' asked Jay, ''that Eric? I must
meet him. I never met a living legend before''. ''Anyway,''
Ehud shrugged, ''the guy didn't lose his talent. He's had
some interesting info. He said he maintained low-profile but
was already compiling some sort of a resistance group... I
tell you, that man only gets better with time. Anyway, he
heard rumors of a dwarf in a red cowl that was using magic.
He said he wasn't sure whether to believe in the rumors or
not but when rumors kept on creeping he started making
some... the word he used was 'inspections' as to that cowl
dwarf. He didn't have time to reveal what these inspections
revealed but he said he will surely stop by later to give us
any help we need''. ''Good,'' Jay smiled, ''let me fill you
in on this John Doe. Start by that that he was the reason
why Kara ditched you alone in the dangerous streets. She
burst in and started painting me. Anyways- What's so
funny?''. Ehud took the canvas sheet from the table.
''Kara's very talented in a lot of things but-'' he showed
Jay what looked like a pyramid with a lightning at each of
its top's sides. ''She's can't draw a round circle. She
draws them triangular. Why'd she leave me then?''. ''Well,''
Jay looked at his portrait and shrugged, ''this John Doe
guy. He- how do you humans say... doesn't smell right.
Actually his eyes could give the creeps even to a lich...''
In Baron Gat's room, Kara sagged back into her chair.
''Impossible,'' she murmured, ''it was just a hallucination.
No more''. But doubt gripped her stomach with freezing
hands. Kara had no talent whatsoever in future-related
magic. The Rogues checked every apprentice for such valuable
skills but those skills were rare and usually only partially
controllable. But that dream or hallucination, whatever it
was, with the added seizure... a vile taste stood in her
mouth as she thought of the possible consequences. She
thought of the amulet. That Arathel woman (like all Rogues,
Kara refused to think of the Angels as more than
petty-squabbling weaklings that use dull magic because they
can't do anything else) talked about an Amulet. The Feather,
that's how she called it, and she talked about it as if it
was some sort of an immensely important relic. Kara never
heard about an amulet under the name of The Feather and
also, that Arathel woman said it was important to restore
Fort Savin's turrets. Kara knew about the turrets, as did
any other magic user - Six of the turrets on Fort Savin's
walls were imbued with defensive spells and with magical
enhancements that were the main reason for Fort Savin's
prosperity. Kara thought for a moment - she wanted to know
more. The whole occurrence was too disturbing to simply
forget about it. Finally, she rose from her chair and looked
under the table. The shadows there were big enough; she
decided her mind and whispered a Shadow spell.
Somewhere far away from there, a small magical bell rang.
Someone in a dark cloak looked at the bell, scratched his
head and then nodded in agreement. He went away, and came
back after two minutes. He held a big brown book. He lit a
lamp, positioned it so that it laid shadows on the large
dark table. He put the book on the table and a second later
the book wasn't there.
Kara sat back in her chair and looked at the book. ''Return
it soon,'' said a small note on the brown leather cover,
''Good luck. Sumper Veinnes''. Kara smiled at the irony of
receiving the book from a teacher who once told her that
she'd never learn to read and write if she keeps on thinking
with her dagger. She opened the book and browsed the pages
until she found what she needed. It was a drawing - a rough
one that was obviously made in haste. In the drawing's left
side, six Angels held strange feathers near the base of an
unfinished wall while in it's middle a seventh angel held
another feather and seemed to be casting some sort of
incantation. Kara looked at the drawing and sagged into her
chair. ''This is it then'' she murmured.
''Not enough has been done,'' the red cowl shivered in
anger, ''our forces are ready to march but that is not
enough. Human, I will not accept a second defeat. Our forces
will come armed with siege machines''. ''And my job?'' asked
the taller figure. The cowl dwarf snorted. ''Cut off the
head and the body shall fall, human. Have you started on
your reconnaissance job?''. ''Yes, master,'' the human
bowed, ''I made... contact... with the leaders. They're not
so trusting but I surely will be able to convince them into
trusting me''. ''The human and the elf are a nuisance. Rid
us of them. Are they heavily guarded?'' asked the dwarf.
''Not as heavy as they should, usually all they have is a
couple of swordsmen and the woman''. ''The woman?'' the
dwarf snorted again, ''a petty noble hopelessly in love!
Ha!''. ''I saw her,'' said the human, ''I'd believe that
there's more than meets the eye here but... I will rid you
of them. Then, I will my have my revenge. Agreed?''.
''Agreed, human,'' the dwarf chuckled humorlessly,
''agreed''. He patted the weird glowing ruby that hung on
his chest and whispered gently. A blinding flash caused the
human to blink and when his eyes opened, the cowl dwarf was
gone.
''I went through the wall, and into the hole, to find the
mole and retrieve her doll,'' Kara chanted softly. ''What?''
Jay's eyebrows rose. ''It's a children song, lord,'' Kara
shrugged, ''I couldn't help thinking about it. Ok. I found
the hole. The information was correct. Measures are about
1.50 high, 2 meters wide and goes beyond visual range - I'd
buy Typhoon Bastion as its other end for the moment. And
yes, before you ask, I need to have a bath after being in
the vicinity of such powerful Earth magic spells, even weeks
after. Disgusting''. ''So he was telling the truth?'' said
Ehud, ''well, we need to find him then. Maybe he knows
more''. ''Yeah sure,'' agreed Jay, ''but note that we
shouldn't yet trust him. I'm telling you, Ehud, the guy just
freaks me out. You have to see it to understand but trust
me, once you do...''
It was not exactly a council. Jay and his commanders, Ehud
and his commanders, Kara, Sergeant Latcher, Eric of Kor and
John Doe sat around a long stone table. John Doe recited
what he knew about the cowl dwarf - the dwarf had some
powerful magical abilities but John claimed to be unsure
about their source. Most of the people around the table
didn't appreciate John Doe too much. Actually, Jay noticed
that Sergeant Latcher was alert from the second John entered
the room. That alone could tell worlds about John Doe - Jay
knew that Sergeant Latcher was a witty judge of character.
Eric of Kor added his information but he knew little about
the dwarf himself. He did say that he can deliver more
information after he consults with members of that
resistance he was trying to create. Unlike most of the other
humans, when Sergeant Latcher suggested they send a
reconnaissance flight to Typhoon Bastion, Eric didn't snort
or ignore the aging elf. ''I agree,'' he said, ''Sergeant,
that's a very good idea. I support it''. He turned to Jay
and said, ''you're lucky to have such clever men under your
command, Lord Cracker''. Sergeant Latcher blushed - a feat
that amazed Jay. But then again, not every day you get to be
commended by a living legend. ''I think I'll head the recon
flight myself,'' said Jay. Sergeant Latcher looked as if he
was about to say something but then he reconsidered and
turned his head away. ''What do you say, Ehud?'' asked Jay.
''Yes,'' Ehud nodded, ''but I suggest that we wait until
tomorrow at midday - this way the group will be making the
most dangerous part of the journey by the cover of
darkness''. ''Agreed,'' said Jay, ''tomorrow, at midday
then''.
Jay waited till everyone left the room and then gestured
towards the waiting Sergeant Latcher. ''You wanted to say
something, Sergeant?'' he asked. ''Yes, Lord, if I may speak
freely?''. ''Go ahead man,'' Jay's eyebrows rose at the
Sergeant's carefulness, ''you know you can always speak your
mind with me!''. ''Lord,'' the older elf said, ''it is my
opinion that you shouldn't be in the recon flight to Typhoon
bastion. I'm quite sure that whatever information we may
gather there can be gathered without your supervision and
I'm reluctant to think of leaving this city without its
high-commander''. ''You know, Sergeant,'' Jay scratched his
head, ''when you point it out this way...''
''...remember, this is a reconnaissance flight. Stay out of
troubles!'' Jay concluded his briefing to the two warriors,
''ready your griffins. When the sun reaches it's zenith,
start on your way. Be careful, guys. May Shalla and Quan-Chi
be with you in the errand''. ''They will, Lord,'' the
younger one winked, ''won't they, Eagle?''. ''Surely,'' the
older one nodded, ''me and young Parrot would be jus'
fine''. ''I bet,'' Jay nodded and smiled, ''oh, Parrot, wait
a second. Why are your helm-stretches untied?''. ''They got
torn last week, Lord,'' the young elf, ''I hadn't had the
time to turn it for repairs''. ''You can't go out with an
untied helm, Parrot,'' said Jay, ''but I see you don't have
time to repair it now. Here, take my helm. Take good care of
it, yes?''. ''Sure thing, Lord,'' Parrot patted the
eagle-head helmet with a soft smile. He saluted and joined
his waiting companion. Jay had a feeling that by the time he
gets his eagle-head helmet, it would need repairs too. He
shrugged off the thought and went to find Ehud.
''The sun was almost at mid-sky,'' the voice said, ''just
like now. Two of the orcs were busy skinning one of the cows
when we found them''. Jay stopped at the door and looked at
the three people on the balcony. Ehud and Kara were sitting
with Eric of Kor. Eric must have been telling them one of
his tales. Curious, Jay didn't move forward, not wanting to
cut Eric's tale. ''So there were the four orcs resting and
the other two skinning. Sir Mollin the Maelstrom and I
jumped forward. The orcs were surprised and they had no
chance. I swung my longsword with the fury of the righteous
facing the unholy. And then- oh, look, they took off''. Jay
looked and saw the two griffin riders emerging from the
stables. ''It's a nice helmet, isn't it?'' asked Eric, ''I
mean, I liked their usual horned helms but Jay's eagle-hood
is quite remarkable''. ''A remarkable helm for a remarkable
warrior,'' said Kara, ''wouldn't you say so, Lord Jay?''.
Eric and Ehud turned back, surprised. ''Jay,'' Ehud's
eyebrows rose, ''aren't you a bit late?''. ''I've been
standing here for five minutes already,'' said Jay,
''listening to Eric's tale. Didn't want to interrupt. But,
if I was an Orc...''. ''We'd all be dead by now,'' said
Ehud. Eric pointed out at the griffin riders that were
ascending over the city. ''If you're here than who's up
there?'' he asked. ''Oh, I changed my plans because of
something I've been told,'' said Jay, ''but Bladesman Parrot
was short of a helm so I lend him mine''. ''I see,'' Eric
nodded. He turned his eyes back to the ascending griffins
and suddenly he lunged forward from his chair. He waved his
hands frantically and screamed, ''Look out!''. But he was
too late. A broadhead arrow shot from the woods surrounding
the city, straight into Parrot's chest. Sensing his rider's
distress, the griffin circled and dove back towards the
cover of the walls. The other rider attempted to follow but
a second arrow hit his griffin between the ribs. Elf and
mount fell together just outside the walls. From that
height, they didn't have too much of a chance. Jay gave a
shocked gaze at Ehud and then both of them jumped forward
and ran. Eric and Kara were soon to follow and Jay couldn't
help noticing that Eric's mean-looking longsword was in his
hands.
Intelligent as it was, Parrot's griffin didn't land in the
stables. It dove towards a big inn that was turned into a
hospital for the soldiers wounded in the last battle. Alas,
even that wise act was undermined by the fact that the arrow
was well aimed - it pierced Parrot's heart punctually,
killing him immediately. The small party arrived in time to
see the healers shake their heads sadly and turn away from
Parrot's body. ''Well?'' Jay demanded. ''I'm sorry, sire''
one of them said, ''It hit him right in the heart. There was
nothing we could do''. Jay shook his head in disbelief. ''It
could have been me!'' he said. Everyone was silent for a
second and then Ehud pointed at the tightly-fastened
eagle-head helmet. ''I think it was meant for you, Jay''. He
crouched to examine the arrow that the healers cast aside.
''Orcish,'' he said, ''I think''. ''Don't touch the tip,''
Eric warned as he crouched, ''Orcs like to poison their
arrows''. Jay felt Keith-Kanan's hilt grow cold. ''Be
careful, love,'' said Kara, ''I don't know what I'd do if
you were poisoned''. ''Hmm,'' Ehud said, understanding the
hint, ''I think we should all act as if it was poisoned''.
Kara winked towards Jay. Jay looked at Parrot's face once
again. ''Poor bastard,'' he said, ''you should have given
your helm for repairs''.
Part Seven: Developments
''Little is known about the origins of the Dragons. It is
well agreed upon that the dragons were part of the world
before any of the other sentient races has taken its form.
What is known is that the dragons originated in the land of
the Great Wilderness. Known as the Dragonlands in those
days, the Wilderness is said to have been a mystical land
that was green year-round and always peaceful and
prospering. Some sort of war or cataclysm has separated the
once united race into four divisions - some dragons left the
Dragonlands for the southern savannahs and the eastern
mountains while others stayed in the Dragonlands. Some
magical disaster has rendered the Dragonlands into the
wastelands they are today. What exactly happened is shrouded
in the mists of prehistory and the dragons refuse, even to
this day, to shed light upon it. It is known that after the
holocaust, the Savannah Dragons and the Mountain Dragons
deemed the Great Wilderness as Cursed Grounds and have never
entered it anymore. Within the Wilderness, some surviving
dragons took holds of the newly formed Deserts and Volcano.
While the source of the cataclysm is unknown, it is agreed
that the Desert and Volcano dragons blamed the ''lesser
races'' for it and savagely attacked them time after time
until they were forced back by combined human and elf
alliance that was reluctantly aided by Savannah and Mountain
Dragons. Sometime during the reign of King Mockingbird
Lighter, the last remnants of the Volcano and Desert dragons
have disappeared and are considered to be extinct. It is
virtually unknown what connection lays between the dragons
and the Draconians of Azirgoth. The drakemen appear to have
some sort of connection with the dragons as they treat them
like gods and bring gifts and praises for them. The dragons,
at least overtly, are either disgusted or humiliated by the
mere existence of the Draconians but they do tend to treat
the awkward race with special ways. The Dragons will not
attack the Draconians and would sometimes even defend the
Draconians to a certain extent. As with the amiable
semi-substantial Pylons and with the horrid Lopers, the
Draconians' origin has been traced to the Great wilderness
but how and why remains a mystery'' - Juno Johansson
''Beasts and Birds of our World''.
''...Well, I don't doubt that the arrows were Orcish but I
can't prove that there were orcs in the forest. You see, so
many people walk through the forest everyday now that the
dwarves are gone so there are so much footprints and hoof
marks that I couldn't tell goat from sheep'' the human
ranger shook his head, ''and they've had quite enough time
to disappear and cover their tracks. I don't mind telling
you that I've never heard of Orcs so far south''. ''Well
what else could it be?'' asked Jay, ''are you sure you
looked through every-'' Jay silenced as Ehud clasped his
arm. ''Jay,'' Ehud's brows rose in a meaningful way, ''Boar
can find a needle in a haystack. If Boar found no evidence,
then they must have covered their tracks all too well''.
''Or might not have been there at all,'' suggested Sergeant
Latcher from his seat, ''you don't have to be Orcish to use
Orcish arrows, yes? And I'd wager my next salary that they
were looking specifically for the Lord''. ''But that would
mean that-'' Jay's eyes widened. Ehud's mouth twitched as he
said ''That means not only that we have a snake amongst us
but also that we have embraced the snake into our hearts. He
was in the council when we decided upon the reconnaissance
mission''. ''Lord,'' Sergeant Latcher sighed, ''may I speak
with you and the baron privately?''. Jay's brow rose towards
Ehud. The Baron nodded and said, ''Boar, keep up the good
work. I'll see you later''. The ranger nodded and went
outside. ''Go ahead, Sergeant,'' Ehud gestured with his
hand, ''spill it out''. Sergeant Latcher glanced towards
Kara but before anyone could say that she's ''of no harm''
he sighed and said, ''I'll tell you the truth. I don't care
too much for that John Doe fellow. He strikes me as quite an
unnerving person. Not that I have any proof, mind but-'' the
Sergeant shook his head, at loss of words. ''But he cramps
you stomach,'' said Jay, ''and we all know how your gut
feelings are never wrong, Sergeant. Thank you for the
advice''. In fact, as far as Jay was concerned, it was not
quite an advice but rather more an evidence - Sergeant
Latcher's instincts never failed him. ''May I suggest
that-'' the Sergeant halted, searching for the right words,
''someone would go and see what information can be
discovered about that guy?''. Ehud nodded and Jay said, ''It
would have to be a very experienced man with proven skills
and strong wits. Would you like to take it upon yourself,
Sergeant?''. The Sergeant shrugged. ''I could do it,'' he
said, ''but I thought that maybe the lady here would be the
better choice''. Jay's mouth fell open. Ehud moved uneasily
in his chair. Kara was surprised enough to drop her
puddle-eyes mask. The Sergeant shrugged and lowered his head
apologetically, ''I know most of the guys think the lady is
a petty noble with the worse case of unconditional love
they've ever seen but I can identify awareness when I see
it. And certainly these large sleeves are big enough to
conceal a dagger or two. Not to mention that she's the first
lady I've ever seen wearing trousers on a day by day
basis''. Ehud's eyebrows rose towards Kara and Jay couldn't
conceal his amusement. Kara stared at the Sergeant for a
moment, weighing her next steps. Then she smiled, not her
puddle-smile, but a warm and gentle smile that brought a
certain beauty to her face. ''Your reputation is well
earned,'' she observed, ''I find it quite disturbing that my
mask was so fragile but if it is you who's seen through
it... I don't see any reason to be surprised''. Sergeant
Latcher's cheeks reddened at the compliments. ''It was your
awareness that caught me,'' he said, ''You make me think of
a caged panther. You loll in your cage, apparently fast a
sleep, but once the cage door would be opened, you'd be
leaping outside before anyone had the chance to flicker
their eyes''. Kara's smile grew warmer. ''I'll take it as a
compliment,'' she said, ''anyone else figured that out?''.
''I doubt it, Lady,'' Sergeant Latcher shook is head, ''I
loath to speak ill of my comrades but none of them has the
experience I've gained during my long years in service''.
Kara nodded. She folded her arms on her chest and said,
''My old instructor once told me: 'you may be talented as
much as one could be but talent will not be enough, lassie.
Experience is what you need to gain!'. Took me quite some
time to understand that he wasn't trying to make himself
look better but really saying the truth''. Jay nodded.
''Lepress once told me, 'wits may be something you are born
with but intelligence is something you have to gain and earn
respectfully''. Kara couldn't help chuckling. ''She'd do for
a great Rogue instructor, that nanny of yours'' she said.
Jay was about to reply that her old instructor might do for
a very good nanny but the opening door cut him. Eric of Kor
stepped in. ''As you requested, Baron Gat,'' he nodded
respectfully towards, Ehud, Jay and Sergeant Latcher, ''I
have taken the time to collect and refine all the
information we've gathered about the cowl dwarf''. ''Have a
seat, Eric'' Jay gestured, ''it's good to have you with us.
What did you come up with?''. Eric sat down on one of the
heavy wooden chairs and produced a small parchment. ''The
cowl dwarf is most probably a magic-user. By information we
gathered from certain independent sources it appears that he
uses magic that involves the earth and fire. While the means
of how a dwarf developed magical skills is quite a mystery,
it appears that the cowl dwarf does hold some peculiar stone
close to his neck. It appears that the precious stone is
highly magical as the dwarf is very possessive about it and
can get quite enraged simply by someone who looks at it for
too long. The cowl dwarf wasn't the commander of the dwarven
operation but it appears that he was leading the dwarven
commander, one Count Amethyst, from the shadows. By rumors
heard from several sources, we gather that he is quite a
hothead and tends to have outbreaks of violence and rage.
Now there is one piece of information that I gathered but
hadn't had the time to verify it - it appears that some of
the cowards that tried to gain something by becoming the
cowl dwarf's aides are still in the city. As I said, I
didn't have time to verify it but I rather trust the source
who gave it to me. Furthermore, my source claims, one of
them cowards is a routine attendant to Buford's Inn but he
never had the time to check who it was''. Sergeant Latcher's
eyebrows rose silently. That made Jay raise a hand and ask,
''Buford's Inn? Is that a tavern?''. Eric nodded. ''Yes,
lord,'' he said, ''in the less-majestic parts of the city,
the slums. Now, I don't like that John Doe guy anymore than
I should but the back alleys are more his territory than
mine, so he might have more information for us''.
Few minutes after Eric has left the room, Jay dispatched
Sergeant Latcher to see if he could find John Doe.
Meanwhile, he contemplated with Ehud and Kara as for the
next moves about John Doe - Taking Sergeant Latcher's
advice, Jay was quite fond of the idea of sending Kara to
'Sniff' for information. Kara agreed to do so but warned Jay
and Ehud that they are sending her to a greatly important
task but ''from all the wrong reasons''. However, she didn't
care to elaborate. Before Ehud had time to press for her
reasons, the door was opened and Sergeant Latcher, his face
cramped with distrust, gestured John Doe to move in.
''No, Baligor,'' the cowl dwarf pointed at the dwarven King,
''It is either now or never! Either you hand me the command
and we start this war now or all will be lost!''. The dwarf
king sagged in his plain stone throne. ''Perhaps, Inigar
Roundstone, you take me for a gullible fool,'' he said,
''but I am not! We've lost two thirds of the army that went
to Carmel! And now you tell me that you need more troops?
Yes, I know exactly how many of the Brick-builder tribe are
eager to volunteer for the mission but I don't like it!''
the king's brownish-gold eyes seemed enflamed behind his
long and well nurtured beard, ''For a year now, Inigar, you
tell me that you've been given forces from the gods! You
tell me children stories about a great treasure of precious
stones buried beneath the elven capital, a treasure they do
not even know about!
Do you expect me to send more dwarves
to their death on your whim, Inigar??''. For a long
moment, the cowl dwarf did not answer. His hand rose to his
chest, touching something hidden under his heavy woolen
cape. ''I will not let any one harm you, my precious one,
don't worry'' He whispered. He turned back to the king and
said, in a voice not quite his own, ''
Baligor! Do as I
say! Carmel must be ours! You will mobilize the army! You
WILL do it! NOW!''. The flame vanished from the
brownish-gold eyes, leaving them pale and grey like
something long dead. When King Baligor spoke, his voice was
slow and strained. ''
Yes - Inigar'' he said, ''
I - will -
mobilize - the - army - now!''. He shook his head suddenly
and cried, ''Branok! Branok! Where are you? Get over here
now! Ah, there you are. Branok, Tell general Noark
Brickbuilder to ready his troops for movement! Now! I've
reached a decision! Carmel must be ours!''.
''Yes,'' John nodded, ''now that you mention it, I do recall
something about some group of cutthroats and other crooks
that did all sorts of petty assignments for the cowl dwarf.
I don't know about Buford's Inn but I do remember that they
had some sort of secret mark to recognize each other. It was
like that,'' he touched his right earlobe with both his
thumb and his smallest finger and pulled it gently. ''I
see,'' Jay nodded. Ehud imitated the secret mark. ''Might
serve to pull them out of the hideout,'' he commented,
''should help us recognize the guy in Buford's Inn, if
there's one''. Kara watched as John Doe left the room and
then, when the door was closed, she mentioned, ''I believe
that if Eric says that there is one, then there is. Do you
still want to send me 'sniffing' after mister Doe?''. ''From
all the wrong reasons,'' Jay couldn't conceal his chuckle,
''but after tonight. Tonight, I think, we're going to visit
Buford's Inn''. ''I'll go change,'' said Kara, ''and
prepare''. Ehud shrugged and said, ''Women! They always have
to mend themselves before they can do anything! What's the
idea? Oh, and by the way, Jay, did you notice that John Doe
knew an awful lot about those guys? I mean, where the hell
did he dig that secret mark from?''. ''Yes,'' Jay nodded,
''and did you figure his words? Cutthroats and other crooks,
that's what he said. Looks kind of a cutthroat himself,
no?''.
Change was the right word for what Kara did. She wore a
black pair of soft leather trousers that were covered by an
intricate pattern of silvery laces and covered dark
ranger-boots that were laced by a thin silverhay thread. Her
leather shirt's long sleeves were wide enough the hide an
entire armory inside - which Jay was sure to be exactly the
case. She combed her hair into one long braid that rested on
her left shoulder. Her hands were hidden within smooth
black-velvet gloves. She had a silent and deadly aura around
her, like a panther on the hunt. She seemed like some
terrible incarnation of a war goddess. Looking at her fierce
gaze, Jay decided that for the first time since he met her,
Kara really looked like the Rogue she was. Of course, the
deadly impression didn't last too long - as soon as Kara
opened her mouth, she became human once again. ''Why are we
moving around the slums at such hours?'' she asked.
''Because it's the time that all the crooks go to inns?''
suggested Jay. Kara grunted. ''And all the burglars break
into houses?'' added the Rogue, her tone somewhat sarcastic.
''We won't find the guy we're looking for in better hours,''
Jay tried to calm her. ''...And these are the hours in which
all bandits slit throats for a purse with three coppers in
it,'' Kara shrugged, ''I don't like this area. Why do we
have to come here this late?''. ''Because I say so!'' said
Ehud, his voice irritated, ''You can go back home and leave
me unprotected if it stings you that bad to be out of bed at
such hours- No! Kara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I've
got a creepy feeling and... I don't like this area either
but- look! There's Buford's Inn''. ''We'll have to postpone
the mug of ale,'' commented Jay, his voice calm but sharp,
''looks like we've got company''.
There were seven of them, carrying daggers, curved cutlasses
and clubs. They attacked silently, without even the courtesy
of asking for their moneybags. Jay dodged a club and fumbled
the sheath of Keith Kanan. With his peripheral vision, he
could see Kara swinging in the air and kicking some bandit's
face. Ehud left his sword sheathed and preferred using his
fists and his agility against a cutlass-yielding brute. Jay
tried to punch one of the attackers but the bandit
sidestepped and thrust his wooden club at Jay's sternum. Jay
fell to his knees, struggling for his breath. Suddenly, he
felt a sure hand squeezing his shoulder. ''Hold tight,''
called Kara, ''these guys are repulsive''. A wild gust of
air swirled around them, pushing the attackers away. Kara
pulled Jay to his legs. ''Draw your sword,'' she said,
''it's not over yet''. Jay nodded and drew Keith Kanan. The
hilt was warm against his hand, reassuring and comforting
him. Ehud already held his heavy saber and Jay noticed that
Kara held a black rapier in her right hand. ''I take it
they're not gone?'' Ehud observed. ''No,'' Kara's eyes
glowed in an unearthly golden glow. ''They just received
reinforcements,'' she said, ''prepare for a new wave of
attackers''. Jay struck en guarde as the bandits leaped at
them. One ran towards Kara, waving a nasty-looking cutlass
over his head. Kara made one step forward and suddenly
launched a rapid kick into his lower abdomen. She
sidestepped a clumsy thrust and her rapier left a slash on
the bandit's left shoulder. Jay's attention focused on a
wild-eyed brute that charged him with a short sword. Jay
feinted high, stepped left and struck towards the brute's
middle torso. The bandit parried and riposted in a ferocious
top-to-bottom slash. Keith Kanan met the short sword in the
air and both swords were pushed aside. Jay stepped in, using
his left hand to punch the bandit's throat. With a sickening
crack, the bandit neck broke and he collapsed, choking on
his own bones. Jay heard Ehud shouting, ''There's too many
of them''. Kara muttered a reply that Jay couldn't make out.
''But don't kill,'' said Ehud as he suddenly pulled Jay
towards him, ''Someone sent them and I want to know who!''.
Kara let another gust of air repulse the attackers. ''Put
your hands on my shoulders,'' she ordered, ''Whatever
happens, don't let go of me!''. Jay grabbed her left
shoulder and drew close to her. She waved her dark rapier
and suddenly lightning danced on the edge of the sword.
''This should stun them,'' she muttered as the lightning
seemed to spread around them. Jay felt Keith Kanan's hilt
growing intensely cold. Abruptly, the lightning went wild.
The alley was filled with the flashing lights of electric
charges as lightning balls incinerated bandits. A cat that
was shaken by the sudden electrical storm jumped out of a
garbage heap and immediately screamed as a lightning doomed
it to disintegration. After a short moment, the lightning
wavered and ceased. Jay pushed the remnants of a bandit with
his foot. ''Whoa,'' he said, ''what was that?''. ''The spell
went wild,'' Kara's eyes were wide and she seemed shocked,
''suddenly it... jumped... out of my control and went
crazy''. Ehud raised a brow and asked, ''Jumped out of your
hand?''. ''Ehud,'' Kara's tone was impatient and disturbed,
''imagine yourself carrying a lit torch. The flames glow
steady and give some light and a bit of warmth. And then,
someone comes and throws a handful of siege-powder into the
flame''. ''Explosive,'' Jay nodded, ''so someone thrown a
handful of storm-powder into your lightning spell?''.
''Someone,'' Kara nodded, ''or something''. ''What thing?''
Jay shivered as he suddenly had the urge to sheath
Keith-Kanan. ''I'd give a lot to find out, Lord,'' Kara
shrugged, ''I don't think these corpses would have anything
to tell us about who sent them, eh? I say we get that mug of
ale and get out of here''. As they moved towards Buford's
Inn, none of them noticed how the shadows behind them moved.
John Doe crept slowly into the light of the street corner.
He looked after the three. His hand touched the scar on his
cheek and as his gaze fell on Kara's back, his eyes filled
with the rage that burned inside him. As he looked at Kara
making he dark Rapier disappear, his angered eyes promised
vengeance and death.
Buford's Inn was quite warm. Around 15 people, mostly human
males, sat around the tables. Ehud walked into the main hall
first. He approached the bar and ordered a mug of ale. As
the bartender filled the mug, Kara walked in. in her fine
dressing and her presence, Kara attracted the attention of
anyone in the hall. She walked straight towards Ehud, her
hand making a subtle pull on her right earlobe, a pull that
none would notice but ones who'd expected it. Ehud nodded
and, after calling for a goblet of wine, led her to a side
table. Jay wished he could walk in and join but elves
weren't expected - or welcomed to say the truth - in such
dens. From his position near one of the broken-shuttered
windows, Jay saw how they lowered their heads and voices, as
if conspiring. It was a well orchestrated act and when a
tall human moved from across the room, his hand slightly on
his earlobe, Jay couldn't help feeling that it was almost
too perfect to be real. The tall human said something and
Jay saw Ehud answering harshly. The baron gestured towards
the door and the three started towards the door. Ehud
stopped but once, leaving a silver coin in the hands of a
dirty-looking waitress, and then carried on. The moment the
door shut behind them, Kara caught the tall human from
behind. She used some intricate arm-and-elbow maneuver that
sent the human to the ground. ''My friend,'' she said,
''You're under arrest for betrayal!''.
There were still few hours before dawn. He held the scroll
tightly as he read what it said:
We Come
Prepare our way
It was as simple as that. He needn't a signature or a seal
to know who sent it. The message could only be sent by one,
short and hairy, person.
The light of dawn caught them in the left gate-turret. The
human soldiers were quite interested in Eric's stories about
the time he dealt with orcs and goblins on the far reaches
of the Northmen territories. Eric had joined them for a very
late supper - or a very early breakfast if you'd like - and
his stories were binding, astounding. Using a chicken-leg to
demonstrate, Eric described strikes and blows and how he
once cut a goblin to three parts with one slash. Just as the
sun was peeking from the eastern horizon, they heard someone
squeal. They rushed downstairs. On the top of the gate,
between two square battlements, lay an elven archer, his bow
lying on the floor near him. Ordering the others to search
for attackers, Eric knelt and checked the body. He called
the Sergeant to him and pointed. From the elf's chest,
shaped from the bone of a calf and enhanced with strings of
steel, protruded the hilt of a poisoned Orcish dagger.
Kara sat in a high-backed armchair and her legs were
straightened forward on the large wooden table. ''We've been
here all night, Markon,'' she said, ''and you still haven't
told us anything. My patience is wearing out''. ''As I told
you already a thousand times,'' the man named Markon
shrugged in his chair, ''My name's Markon Sandero and I am
no more than a petty dock worker''. ''And that's why you
crept towards us using the secret mark of the cowl dwarf's
men?'' asked Jay who was leaning against the wall. ''My ear
needed a good scratch,'' answered Markon, for the thirtieth
time that night. ''You know,'' he looked straight at Ehud,
''You got nothing against me. I don't know anything about
the cowl dwarf or his men''. ''Yeah sure,'' Kara smiled,
''and I'm a dwarf in disguise''. Markon's smile was uneasy,
humorless and teasing. ''Your beard certainly gives you
out,'' he said. Kara's movements for so quick that Jay had a
hard time trying to piece out what happened then. Her legs
twirled from over the table and suddenly she was standing
and the armchair was in her hands. She threw the heavy
armchair effortlessly towards Markon. ''Kara!'' Ehud's shout
may have come too late but Kara didn't need the warning. The
armchair stopped in the air, only a few centimeters from
Marko's face. It hovered there for a few seconds and then
landed gently. Kara waved a tired hand and sagged on a small
stool that floated towards her. Markon's face were white and
his eyes red. He was soaked with sweat. ''You've got nothing
against me,'' he said again, ''I'm going out of here!''. He
rose. ''Stop where you are, Markon!'' commanded Jay. Markon
shrugged and walked to the door. ''Stop or you'll never
leave this room alive!'' Kara was on her feet once again and
a silvery dagger danced between the fingers of her right
hand. Suddenly, Ehud rose from his seat. ''I've had enough
of this,'' he said, irritated. Markon shrugged again and
opened the door. Both Kara and Jay lunged forward. They all
stopped when Ehud's voice suddenly took a deep unearthly
tone. ''Enough!'' he ordered, ''Seat down!''. All three of
them found seats before they knew what they were doing.
''Now,'' Ehud pointed at Markon, ''You will tell me all I
want to know!''. Jay's mouth flung open as his body resisted
any attempts of his mind to make it stand. Kara's gaze was
irritated and frustrated. Markon, his eyes wide with
disbelief and surprise, started talking. His eyes fixed on
Ehud, Markon spoke with a quick streaming speech, telling
the baron all he wanted to know.
''Nothing more than a handful of rumors!'' said Ehud as the
guards took the prisoner away, ''he doesn't know anything we
didn't already know''. ''I disagree,'' Kara shrugged, ''he
gave us a possible reason for this war''. Ehud shook his
head. ''Do you believe that obscene rumor about a stash of
wonderful precious stones buried under Elvalie? Jay, have
you ever heard of such a thing?''. ''A treasure buried under
Elvalie?'' Jay shrugged, ''not that I know of. There are
legends that a powerful artifact is buried somewhere beneath
the rim of the Avenue of Light but... it's just a legend''.
Kara's brows rose at the mentioning of the scared Avenue.
''Isn't that the place where sentient flora is grown?'' she
asked, ''them intelligent flowers and trees, no? Do mind
that most legends have some sort of truth behind them. And
it does strike me as peculiar - you know, you need more than
simple magic in an artifact to make it spread life - or
sentience - into Sand-Lilies and Poppysnaps. But a Cagestone
buried shallow enough may shed its life into those of the
plants - making them sentient. And it does fit the theory
whereas the cowl dwarf is barely a knife in the hand of a
powerful Cagestone''. Ehud nodded but offered no agreement.
''Mind you that Markon admitted it to be no more than a
rumor''. Jay shook his head. ''What interest would the
dwarves have in attacking Elvalie?'' he asked, ''I know for
sure that they don't like us very much and I can't say we
care for them either but that's not enough. There has to be
a stronger motive. Now, what sort of motive are we thinking
about? It was no retaliation for we hadn't made any move
against them in the past seven years and the move seven
years ago was closing our borders with them because they
threatened peaceful travelers. So what's next? Economic? We
have nothing they need! They are into metals which the elven
nation has not - we buy most of our ores from the baronies
of Stormheim and Seleny. They have no use for our trees -
unless they're into casting long-oaks and wide-birches into
their furnaces! Their food production is more than
self-sufficient - I've heard that during the famine in the
harsh winter five years ago, Stormheim bought some of their
surplus! What then? Living space? They don't like the
aboveground anymore than I like damp caves filled with
ghouls!''. For a second, Keith-Kanan glistened, sending
shivers down Kara's spine. ''Yes yes,'' Jay patted the hilt
of the sword, ''I know I got you in a damp cave filled with
ghouls but it doesn't mean I like this kind of caves''. At
an instant, Kara bounced forward, sending Jay a look so
terrifying that it made him take a step back. ''Ehud,''
Kara's eyes didn't leave Jay's belt as she spoke, ''may I
speak with the lord in private, please?''. The baron's brows
rose but he strode past the table and exited. Kara looked at
the closing door and then said, ''Lord, what's the story
with that blade?''. ''What do you mean?'' Jay put his hand
on Keith-Kanan's hilt, suddenly feeling protective for it.
The hilt grew cold for a short instant and then warmed
again. ''Here she goes again!'' Kara's eyes widened as she
spoke. She seemed restless. ''Lord,'' she said, ''Remember
that 'Doctor' guy? Remember that I forced his hands down
using Air magic? And then I tried showing you what I did but
the spell fizzled? Did it occur to you that something odd
turned a stunning Zap spell into a harmful Chain Lightning
last night? Did you notice how that sword of yours glistens
from time to time? Did you know that I just tried to make it
come to me with a simple Air spell that fizzled the second
it touched it? What is your sword?''. Jay shrugged.
''Here,'' he drew the silvery blade and put it on the table,
''check it for yourself. Everyone says it's not magical but
go figure''. Kara nodded. She concentrated in the sword and
Jay heard her muttering some magic words. Suddenly she was
pushed back by some invisible force. She bounced backward
and her back hit the wall forcefully. For a moment she
leaned against the wall, panting. Then she shook her head,
trying to clear her head. A small trickle of blood streamed
from the corner of her mouth. ''Damned thing'' she muttered,
''I tried to examine it and it forced the string back at me!
But I did get a result. It's not magical, that's for sure''.
Jay took Keith-Kanan in his hands and sheathed it. ''What
then?'' he asked, ''nobody knows what it is. The only one
who said something good about it was High Templar Lirr
Draper. He said, 'This is a fine sword. If you don't take
good care of it, you won't live long enough to regret it'. I
think I'm taking good care of it but I'm not to tell. But I
tell you this. I know it's a special sword. Shalla help me
if I'm wrong but I don't think that damned lich kept it just
because it was nice looking. Not to mention that I never
need to clean it or sharpen it''. ''I'd love to hear the
story about that lich sometimes,'' Kara observed, ''Ehud's
not willing to talk about it. But forget it for now. How
about piercing armors?''. ''Never had a problem with that,''
Jay winked. Then he scratched his head, deep in thought.
''But there was one time,'' he said, recalling, ''I was
training with my brother Condor and when suddenly I hit his
sword and the hardened-leather training sheath got torn. But
I didn't notice it until I was in the middle of a blow
towards his chest. That plate he was wearing stopped
Keith-Kanan as if I was trying to push it through a wall of
bricks''. Kara's eyes widened. ''Lord,'' Kara waved her hand
and suddenly she was holding one of her silvery daggers, ''I
want to take a little experiment. Throw this at that
armchair''. Jay took the silvery dagger and examined it. It
was a short dagger and its point was extremely cold. It was
finely balanced for throwing purposes. ''What for?'' he
asked Kara. The armchair glistened. ''Just throw it, lord,''
she said. Jay shrugged and threw. The dagger flew towards
the armchair but was deflected by some invisible force.
''Air Shield,'' Kara mentioned, ''even stronger than
adamantium plate mails. Now strike the armchair with that
sword''. Jay drew Keith-Kanan and lunged a blow towards the
armchair. Completely ignoring the Air Shield, Keith-Kanan
pierced the armchair's wooden back like it was made of
butter. ''Impressive,'' said Kara, ''this is very
interesting. What was your brother's mail made of?''.
''Simple Mithrill alloy'' answered Jay, ''nothing as fancy
as adamantium''. Kara's eyes widened. ''Simple Mithrill,
lord?'' she said, ''that thing was stopped by simple
Mithrill? Impressive indeed. Do you think this weapon knows
the spirit of its owner?''. ''I've never heard about
intelligent weapons,'' answered Jay, ''oh yes, there are
these never-missing arrows but they're not truly
intelligent, they only know their target and can correct
their course to make sure they hit it but... Do you think
this is an intelligent weapon?''. Kara shrugged. ''I
wouldn't know,'' she said, evading a discussion. She was too
tired to ask herself anything right now. Suddenly the
sleepless night was overwhelming and she felt she must rest.
She told that to Jay. Jay yawned and nodded, mentioning that
he was having the same idea. But as the Rogue stepped out of
the door, she felt a weak and slow gush of Air slapping her
bottoms gently. Looking at Jay who was walking the other way
she smiled faintly as she thought, ''Intelligent weapons
with a sense of humor!''.
Part Eight: First among equals
''The leader of a dragon race is called the First of
dragons. It is certain that the First of dragons is never
the wisest, strongest, eldest or bravest of its kind. Also,
it is certain that unlike kings or other types of rulers,
the First of dragons has only a limited range of
authorities. The dragons usually gather in a council to
decide ways and means of action. The First of dragons, known
also as First among equals has the deciding voice in any
debate. Also, the First may act as a directing authority and
may cast veto among certain decisions. The First of dragons
may also act on its own volition in certain manners but only
in a state of emergency''- Juno Johansson ''Beasts and Birds
of our World''.
It was a very rude awakening. Jay felt a strong hand shaking
him and the bright light of a torch searing his eyes.
''What?'' he asked, confused. ''Baron Gat needs you in the
council room,'' said a human voice. Jay needed a few more
seconds to place the voice as Eric's voice. ''What happened,
Eric?'' asked Jay, shaking his head and trying to arrange
his thoughts. ''I don't know,'' said Eric, ''he asked me to
come fetch you so I did''. Jay nodded. He gave himself a
moment to reorganize himself and then walked out of the room
and joined Eric for the short walk it took to get to the
council room. Ehud was standing there, fronting a petty
Carmelian noble. When Jay approached, Ehud signed with his
hands and said, ''Now tell him what you just told me''. The
elf nodded and bowed his head towards Jay. ''I was walking
outside the city walls, in the woods,'' he said, ''when I
heard a voice whispering something. I was hidden by a large
tree when I saw a dwarf walking in the forest. He was
grumbling something and I then I saw another dwarf rising
from a hole in the ground. There were more dwarves inside
that hole''. Jay thought for a moment. ''that would probably
mean another attack group,'' he said, ''but I don't see how
they could ignore such a loss as they've taken and raise
another army so fast without taking any other measures
before it. Are you sure you really saw dwarves there? What
did the dwarf look like?''. The nobleman scratched his head.
''Well,'' he said, ''he was about the height of my waist,
with a short quarterpike and a hairy beard''. Jay, still
startled and missing his bed terribly, burst into laughter.
''Did you hear that?'' he said, ''Come on, Ehud, enough with
the fantasy! A hairy beard? Look, mister, instead of wasting
my time, why don't you get out of here before I run out of
patience?''. The elf nodded with wide eyes and then
scrambled out of the room.
''What was that good for?'' asked Ehud. Jay scratched his
head, deep in thought. ''I don't know,'' he admitted
finally, ''but I was just thrown out of my bed for this
little children story? I don't see how this attack can be
carried out so soon''. Ehud shrugged. ''Me neither, Jay,''
he said, ''but I've sent Boar to take a look anyway. We've
got nothing to lose, right?''. Jay nodded. Eric cleared his
throat and said, ''if you don't mind, I'd like to fetch
myself a drink. Should I bring you too?''. Jay shook his
head. This city had an awfully lousy tea and its wines,
well... Everyone who's not an ignorant peasant knows that
elves can't drink alcohol. An elf that drinks alcohol
usually ends up trying to breathe water or walk through
stone. Ehud asked for a mug of ale. Eric closed the door
behind him and Jay sat - well actually he fell - into an
armchair. sagging back, he asked, ''What does Kara has to
say about this story?''. Ehud shrugged. ''She went on a
little errand,'' he said, ''she's stalking mister John Doe.
But I'll bet she'll have something wise to say when she
returns''. ''She usually has wise things to say,'' commented
Jay, ''she and my old nanny, Lepress, would do just fine
together''. Ehud's reply was cut by a knock on the door.
''Enter'' he called. Boar stuck his head into the room,
looked at Jay and Ehud and then entered. ''Well, Boar?''
Ehud gestured, ''what have you found?''. The ranger
shrugged. ''I don't mind telling you that this story sounded
all too bizarre at first'' he said, ''but I saw dwarves
there. There were at least fifty of them, hiding in the
forest''. Jay's eyes widened. So this wasn't some fairytale.
Jay felt at a loss of words. He needed someone that had
something wise to say. He needed someone who would be able
to interpret what the dwarves are doing. He needed... he
needed a wise and old and experienced warrior. ''Boar,'' he
said, ''would you mind finding Sergeant Latcher and fetching
him?''. The ranger nodded. ''At once, lord,'' he said and
departed. Unmindful of his acts Jay started toying with the
silver and gold ring he worn upon the fourth finger of his
right hand.
Even though she succeeded, it was harder then anything she'd
ever done. John Doe was a man hard to stalk and if Kara's
guesses were correct then she knew exactly why. If she was
correct, John Doe was a man to be reckoned with to say the
least. If she was correct than when she gets the chance to
sneak into his small house, she would find evidences for
John Doe's being a traitor of the worst kind.
They were still waiting for Sergeant Latcher when Eric
returned. The news obviously startled him. He gulped his
wine quickly and took a sit. ''I hate surprises,'' he said,
''it reminds me of the time we were chasing Orcs in the
northern territories. We ran into a pack of Northmen. Now, I
don't think you two know about the Northmen enough to
understand how powerful warriors they are. Everyone knows
how the Northmen are quiet and introvert. But they are
powerful, that's for sure. They use only four kinds of
troops. There are the hoplites - they only carry plate mails
and small bucklers for defense, they carry spears that can
be either thrown or used for melee and also they have short
swords, which they use with merciless efficiency. The
hoplites don't ride - they come marching to battle and go
away marching. But I tell you, they can outrun a horse
sometimes, that's how fast they can run. They use phalanx
tactics and act as shock troops - meaning that they shock
their enemies into submission. Now there are the Swordpairs.
The Swordpairs are the backbone of any militia they have.
One of the pair is carrying the Giantslayer - it's a very
long greatsword, about two meters length. The other one
carries the Defender - it's a large and wide tower shield
that can defend both the holder and the Giantslayerman.
While the Ginatslayerman thrusts at the enemy, often using
the superior reach to chop horsemen before they get into
range with their own weapon, the Defenderman uses the
Defender to block arrows and thrusts. The third and most
terrifying are the Farriders. They are the only Northmen
cavalry. Completely unarmored, they use the fastest horses
you'll ever see. They have large Morning Stars and they can
also use composite bows with deadly efficiency. And then
there are the dreaded Sword Dancers. They use two short
swords, one for each hand, as they strike and evade with
such speeds that they appear to be everywhere in one time''.
Jay whistled, impressed. ''How do they achieve such
speeds?'' he asked, ''magic?''. Eric laughed. It was
humorless chuckle. ''They despise magic, lord,'' he said,
''they never use magic for anything. I've also learned that
they are somewhat magic resistant so I guess it makes it
even. To achieve these speeds they train inside rivers. You
should see them, practicing their techniques in water as
high as their necks. They are ordered to do everything as
fast as they can. The outcome is horrific. They run so fast
and strike so fast that you think that there're twenty where
there is only one. But I'm getting far from the story. So,
we ran into a pack of hoplites. Now you know how cheap they
can be about entering their lands? They can kill a man for
moving few meters beyond their borders. Good thing they're
not into conquest or we would all be doomed. Well they were
perhaps forty hoplites and we were over four-hundred men.
They caught us by surprise in the midst of night. They,
well... they more or less wiped us out easily. They took
twenty of us, me included, as prisoners. Later we were
ransomed by Baron Hind of Kor. But ever since, I don't care
for any sort of surprise''. Jay nodded. He could understand
why. ''Was it part of the great Orcslay wars, Eric?'' he
asked. Eric nodded, frowning. ''It was the end of the
Orcslay wars. Not that I would call this group of uneven
clashes a war but-''. Eric's but was cut by the opening
door. With a worried frown, Sergeant Latcher walked in. He
was escorted by an elf that wore silvery clothing. The elf's
eyes burned in golden fire and Jay couldn't hold back his
smile. ''Piros,'' he said, ''what are you doing here?''. The
First of the Savannah Dragons smiled. ''Jay,'' he said,
''didn't you summon me with the ring?''. Jay touched the
silver and gold ring. He remembered playing with it an hour
ago, yes, but... ''Not on purpose, Piros,'' he said, ''but
it doesn't matter. I could use your advice right now''.
Actually there were not many choices. They could not afford
to ignore the dwarven party that was lurking outside the
city. Fearful of another betrayal, Jay ordered a triple
garrison around the gates while they were attempting to find
an alternative to the dangerous plan of rushing outside of
the city walls.
Kara found Jay and Ehud in the council room where they were
talking to Piros about the quest in which the three first
met. For some reason, as soon as she came in, they silenced.
She might have pondered that but she didn't. Immediately
upon entering, she recognized the elf in silvery cloth. Not
that she have met him before but- she knew him the instant
she entered the room. ''Ah, Piros,'' Jay smiled, ''meet
Kara''. The flaming eyes met Kara's gaze. ''The First of the
Savannah Dragons,'' Kara bowed her head gently, ''it's a
pleasure to meet you again''. Jay scratched his head.
''Again?'' asked Piros, ''I don't recall meeting you''.
Kara's eyes widened. ''But of course we met, First of
Dragons,'' she said, suddenly confused, ''outside the moat
of Fort Savin. The instant you saw me you started calling me
Moonshadow. The turrets were still cold and we talked
about... about...'' she shook her head, her blue gaze
blurring, ''we talked about... err...'' her eyes rolled and
she fell to the floor.
...The turret felt cold under the touch of her hand. ''It's
warmer than before,'' mentioned the dragon, ''but not as
warm as it should be. Not even close. It only regained some
of its powers''. Kara tried to scan the turret for magic
traces. There was an echo but it was... faint... ghostly.
''Why is it happening?'' she asked, ''the spell has been
removed, First of Dragons. Why is the magic not
returning?''. Piros thought about it. ''The turrets' powers
are embedded in them through especially enchanted Phoenix
feathers. It strikes me as possible that the feathers'
enchanted auras may have been damaged when the spell drained
them. It occurs to me that if such is the case the feathers
will not return to their normal state until the enchanted
aura is restored''. Senior Angel Sanor said, ''How can we
restore them? The powers can not be simply reinitiated,
right?''. Piros nodded. ''We need the seventh feather,'' he
said, ''When the turrets were constructed, six feathers were
imbued through the channeling of a seventh feather''.
''Yes!'' Sanor nodded, ''I remember it now. The seventh
feather was inscribed into an amulet. It was stashed in the
Royal Treasury during the harsh years. We must send for it
at once!''. ''Look out,'' Piros warned, ''there's no telling
what a magical transportation may do to the Feather''. ''We
will ask King Roland to send it with an escort,'' said
Sanor. Piros nodded. ''But I suggest we send someone from
here to meet with the escorts. What say, Sanor?''. ''After
the past few days,'' Sanor's shoulders sagged, ''I can only
send one of my Angels''. ''Ah that's ok,'' Piros smiled,
''I'm sure Baro- I mean mister Erwin and Kara would be happy
to go on this little errand, no? What say, Moonshadow?
Moonshadow? Hello, Moonshadow...''.
''...Snap out of it Moonshadow,'' a magical tendril probed
her from the inside. ''She appears to be fine,'' Piros
shrugged towards Ehud and Jay as Kara attempted to rise.
''Didn't I tell you that there are a thousand better ways to
get me into bed?'' she asked Ehud as she gathered that once
again, he was on top of her. ''Not funny, Moonshadow,'' said
Piros, ''I don't see how can you be joking about such a
seizure. In all my years I've never seen or heard about
something like what happened''. Kara pushed Ehud away and
sat up. ''Look, First of Dragons,'' she said, suddenly
impatient, ''this... seizure... I've only ran into it once
in the past. It's not like it's something that happens
everyday. And if you don't mind I feel fine without your
magical probing. It has nothing to do with magic, ok? I'm a
Rogue, see? I'd know a magical spell when I'd see it. And as
I said, I feel fine. Except for the horrid taste in my
mouth. Let it lay a sleep, First of Dragons''. Piros
shrugged. ''I could tell you were a Rogue, child. I
personally met with Alan of Kel-Anak when he started his
order. I know a Moonshadow when I see one. But if it had
nothing to do with magic then how come you knew who I was
and claimed to have met me? I've not set foot in glorious
Fort Savin for more than a century. And if you don't mind me
saying, Moonshadow, it occurs to me that your mentioning of
the turrets being cold implies that something damaged them.
The Phoenix feathers keep them ever-warm. As far as I could
tell, that looked like some kind of future vision,
Moonshadow''. Kara snorted. ''Ridiculous,'' she said, ''I've
been tested for Visionary capabilities twice and had no
inkling of chance in it''. Piros roared in sudden laughter.
''Of course you have been tested, Moonshadow,'' he laughed,
''but maybe, just maybe, you should retake those tests''.
The moon hovered above the gates of Carmel. Restless and
uncomfortable, Kara stood on the porch, staring towards the
walls. Moonshadow. When Alan of Kel-Anak was banished from
the order of the Angels, the Senior Angel cursed him,
telling him that not only that even the night will not stand
his looks but also he will be despised by anything except
those monstrosities that live under the shadow of the moon.
Word has spread and the first Rogue never found a place
where no one called him Moonshadow. The insult was later
forgotten and the word Moonshadow became a synonym to Rogue.
In the beginning no one dared calling a Rogue Moonshadow to
the face and later the nick became uncommon. Today only a
few people that weren't Angels knew about the nick and no
one used it when Kara could hear. But the First of Dragons,
Piros, used it so naturally, as if she didn't have a name
but Moonshadow. And of course, Kara felt it was only natural
to address him as First of dragons or simply First. She
never met a First of Dragons before but it was simply...
right. This day was too long, she decided, and much too
intensive. Good thing it was over.
There's an unwritten convention about claiming to know
something for fact. The universe has its ways of proving a
puny mortal that he or she is wrong. That is why you should
never say, ''It couldn't get any worse''. The universe will
take painstaking efforts to prove you wrong. Yes. It was a
very long day for Kara. And it was about to get longer!
She was about to turn back into the mansion when she saw
something blazes near the gatehouse. It was too dark and she
was too far to see faces but Kara easily distinguished the
drawn sword and the falling figure of a dying man. She
reacted immediately. The waning moon cast shadows large
enough upon the wall. She muttered the spell quickly and
stepped into a shadow. Immediately she stepped outside a
second shadow, below the wall. ''Hey!'' she cried, summoning
her dark rapier from within shadows. The attacker lift his
head. The outline was obviously too massive to be elven. It
was a human male for sure but she still couldn't distinguish
his face. She charged forward but a burst of bright light
stunned her for a second. When she looked towards the
gatehouse again, the assailant was gone. Suddenly fearful of
the possible meaning of this attack, Kara concentrated her
will into a powerful Air spell. ''Wake up!'' her voice rang
all around the city like some colossal alarm bell,
''Danger!''. The effect was amazing. All around the city
windows sparkled when lanterns and torches were lit. Outside
the walls, a low bass voice cried something in Dwarvish.
Kara didn't understand the words but sounds of running feet
told her what it meant. ''Retreat! We've been discovered''.
The rising sun caught Jay near the gatehouse. Yawning, he
examined the two bodies. ''Well?'' he asked. ''I saw no
faces, lord,'' Kara shrugged, ''it was too dark and happened
too fast. Sorry''. Jay shook his head. ''How did he
disappear? Magic?''. Kara shook her head. She crouched and
picked up a small flask that had the remains of some black
powdery substance. ''Siege powder'' she said, ''half blinded
me for a second''. Jay crouched and touched one of the
bodies. ''A clean stab'' he mentioned, ''it didn't bleed at
all''. ''Flaming weapon, lord'' answered Kara, ''magically
enhanced to scorch wounds instantly. Very painful''. Jay
nodded. He heard about such weapons before. ''You know,'' he
said, ''the wounds look familiar. I think it was in that
cave...''
...Jay wiped the elven saber on a piece of cloth. ''It
doesn't stop raining,'' he embittered, ''look baron, the
savannahs are completely warm and springy and here is this
cave under constant winter. I don't like it at all''. Baron
Gat nodded. ''I hope we find the damn scepter soon,'' he
answered ''and then we could get the hell out of this damned
place''. They walked further into the cave and came across
two bodies in an early state of decay. ''Unlucky
adventurers?'' asked baron Gat, ''what do you think killed
them?''. Jay examined the two bodies and then heard the
scratching noise. He looked up and then pointed. ''I think
they killed them,'' he said. Ehud's gaze followed. Bare
bones scratching the floor as they walked, came four
skeletal figures. ''Skeletons!'' he warned. ''Baron,'' Jay
readied his saber, ''how do you kill something that is
already dead?''. The human shrugged. ''You don't,'' he said,
''don't stab them, Jay. Break and slash. That's our only
chance''. Jay rushed forward. His first lunge, a
cross-woodpecker strike was met by a rusted longsword. Jay
noted that each of the skeleton warriors held one in his
hands...
Jay examined the bodies again. ''That's got to be it,'' he
suddenly murmured. He turned towards the crowd that was
gathering and smiled as he noticed John Doe among them. He
walked towards the man. ''John,'' he said, ''mind if I asked
you to do me a little favor?''.
As the day carried on, everyone noticed the sounds of
hammering that came from the woods. Ehud dispatched Boar to
see what the dwarves were up to. Boar came back with a large
gash in his left thigh. ''A dwarf saw me,'' he mentioned a
healer examined the cut, ''but he saw me too late, Baron.
They have over four thousand dwarves there and they are
building siege engines''. ''They're going to storm the
city,'' said Jay, ''we must notify the king''.
Aided by a mage, they notified King Sparrow Lighter about
the recent events. Jay was only mildly surprise to hear King
Sparrow's reply. ''Carmel must not be damaged!''. They had
to leave the safety of the walls and fight the dwarves on
the plains. Jay was aware of the possibility of the dwarves
having greater numbers of soldiers than they could handle.
He couldn't help recalling his friend Raven Crusher saying
once that, ''Providence tends to stand behind large
battalions''. In accordance with the king's orders they
would charge tomorrow at dawn. Jay had to find some sort of
solution to the problem. Suddenly he smiled nastily. He
strode out of the room and towards the porch. The First of
the Savannah Dragons and Kara were up there, looking towards
the woods. ''Piros,'' Jay couldn't hold back his smile,
''remember all the favors you owe me for? Because there's
something I want to ask you to do''.
The night fell upon Carmel. Unable to sleep, Jay sat on the
porch and tried to relax. Ehud joined him sometime before
midnight. ''You know, Jay,'' the baron noted, ''If they
really have such great numbers as we suspect, I don't see
how we can defeat them''. Jay shrugged. ''When we have two
hundred dragons by our side,'' he said, ''what's to wary?''.
Ehud cleared his throat, uneasy. ''Where are you going to
get 200 dragons from?'' he asked, ''I mean, we barely have
the forty dragons that queen Irulain sent us. And they are
pretty weak... for dragons''. Jay shook his head. ''Those
are Mountain Dragons you're talking about, Ehud,'' he said,
''I'm not talking about them''. Ehud thought for a moment
and then jumped to his feet. ''I get it!'' he cried, waking
up half the city, ''your friend Piros, the king of the
Savannah dragons, right?''. Jay nodded with a small smile.
''First among equals, Ehud,'' he chuckled, ''not king. Just
first among equals. He'll try to raise them and bring them.
Hope they don't arrive too late''. Ehud shrugged. ''If they
arrive too late,'' he noted, ''they would probably have to
avenge our deaths. Not that I'm that worried, mind you. I'll
take down at least fifty of them damned beards before I go
down and in fact, I'd rather die that way than dying as an
old man, ill and confined to a bed''.
The gates were opened at dawn. As elves and humans marched
outside of the city, Jay's eyes strayed constantly towards
the northern horizon. Piros and his dragons were nowhere to
been seen. From the back of Rumpus, Jay could see the units
below him organizing. He was not surprised to see dwarves
rushing from the woods. Watching the dwarven hordes, he
estimated that Boar was wrong. There were not only 4000
dwarves there. There were a lot more. Jay ordered Rumpus to
seek for Ehud. The griffin circled and then landed near the
baron. Ehud was giving final orders to the commanders of the
infantry. He would lead the cavalry from the black warhorse
Kara brought him. Jay guessed that the horse was quite a
weapon for itself - its eyes were wild and its hooves
appeared to be looking for a target to kick. ''Ehud,'' Jay
said, ''There are more than four legions there! I'd say six
legions!''. From nowhere in particularly, Kara's voice said,
''divide and conquer, lord! The magi! They must find a way
to divide the dwarves!''. Jay nodded. It was quite a good
idea. He turned towards the five magi that were standing
close. ''Can you create a moat?'' he asked, ''when the
dwarves charge, you must find a way to create a moat that
would divide their legions. It's our only chance, ok?''. The
magi nodded and started consulting one another as to the
best way to create such a moat. ''We can't wait any longer,
Jay,'' said Ehud, ''give the order''.
Rumpus hovered back towards the waiting griffins. In
addition to their blades, each rider was equipped with a
short horn-bow and a quiver, to add to their power. ''Not
that it would truly matter,'' thought Jay, ''there are too
many of them dwarves for it to make any real change''. He
patted Keith-Kanan's hilt and readied his horn-bow. Then,
his voice echoing from the walls, he cried, ''Charge!''.
Trumpeters gave the charge notes and humans and elves
charged. Following an ingenious battle plan, the dwarven
lines separated to two, trying to outflank the united army.
The ground roared and as elves and humans met with the left
section of the dwarves, the ground to their right erupted,
creating a long and deep moat. Magical fire roared in the
bottom of the pit, obstructing any attempt to climb through
it. Aided by salvos of arrows from their back and from the
air, the cavalry met with the dwarves. The dwarves came
ready. Aside for their axes and hammers, the dwarves held
the shortened pikes that humans called quarterpikes. Jay
watched as the cavalry struggled against the pikemen. His
shot his arrows towards the back of the dwarven lines,
attempting to minimize the chances of friendly fire
casualties. In the right section, the ground erupted again
but to Jay's horrified understanding, he reckoned that the
cowl dwarf is attempting to cover the moat. The magi, their
offensive spells ineffective against the magic-resistant
dwarves, gave more powers to the moat. With a terrifying
shriek, a small group of wyvern riders suddenly charged from
the woods, their beaks and venom-tails striking at the
surprised magi. Two magi fell before the human dragonriders
were able to come to their aid. While Mountain Dragons and
wyverns fought the remaining magi were unable to keep the
powerful cowl dwarf from covering the moat. The dwarven
right section was finally able to join the battle.
On the ground, Baron Ehud Gat was covered by the blood of
his enemies. Waving his saber with a quick and deadly power,
the dwarves were unable come close enough to strike at him.
Close to him Kara waved her black rapier with frightening
effects - she was still invisible and yet the dwarves who
fell at the point of her rapier proved that something was
there. Then Ehud heard the roaring of a thousand voices and
to his right the dwarven legions joined the assault. He
turned to meet the new threat but the dwarves were too many
and coming from all sides.
Jay saw the dwarves rush Ehud. The black warhorse fell under
the strike of a wild quarterpike and Jay saw Ehud being
buried under a throng of short, bearded, axmen. Rage and
frustration filled Jay as he knew he couldn't do anything
for his friend. A sudden gush of air repelled the dwarves
and Jay sighed in relief as he saw Ehud rising to his feet,
apparently unharmed. ''Kara,'' Jay breathed deeply, ''thank
the gods!''. Ehud gave up his cavalry saber. He held a
dwarven axe in his right hand and a short elven falchion in
his other. Jay suddenly remembered something Ehud once told
him. ''I can use a sword with skill,'' he said, ''but my
teachers taught me how to use an axe too. They said that my
brutal fighting is much more effective with it. But you
know, the axe is not the weapon of a nobleman so...''. Now,
waving the dwarven axe and the short falchion in a
berserker-like fashion, Ehud looked like he could defeat the
dwarves alone. All around him dwarves were being hacked and
slashed at. Bellowing from the top of his lungs, Ehud had
spread the psychological effect of some ancient and
monstrous war god, sending dwarves into a frenzied retreat.
But Jay knew it wasn't enough. Soon enough the dwarves might
understand that he was only one man and then... then it
would be lost. The griffin riders finished their last arrows
and were attaching their horn-bows to the saddles, preparing
to join the melee. ''I hope Piros will be here soon,'' Jay
murmured to himself, ''or all is lost''. ''Yes yes,''
grumbled a voice out of nowhere, ''We've arrived''. Jay
turned towards what looked like a pack of mist. ''Piros!''
he said, ''you've made it!''. A large pack of flaming eyes
met Jay's own. ''Yeah yeah,'' Piros grumbled, ''I have
called my entire race, two hundred and twenty dragons in
all. They have left their hunting grounds, their lairs, even
some youngs were left behind...''. Jay smiled. The First of
the Savannah Dragons could always find something to complain
about. ''Piros,'' he said, ''don't worry! I'll make it up to
you''. Piros grunted. ''If you don't,'' he said with a nasty
smile, ''you'll have a lot of fire breathing dragon cubs to
baby sit''.
Their spells ineffective, the Savannah Dragons reverted to
the crude and effective technique of fire breath. Hovering
above the battlefield, they spat fire at the dwarves,
scorching and burning. Some of the elder dragons, ones that
already learned how to master their inside temperatures
switched from fiery blows to icy balls that rolled on the
battle field, crushing dwarves like a shower of rocks from a
trebuchet. From that moment on, it was only a matter of time
until the dwarven lines scattered and they began to flee.
Part Nine: Betrayer
''...inspired by the feeling of betrayal, Krijahn and
Krij-ahh led their men to the woods. Motivated by their
human half, the twin half-elves felt an intolerable urge to
avenge the death of their father and the demoting of their
house. Facts that were revealed later concluded that indeed
Lord Krishor Sounder was not guilty of the charges that were
laid against him. But it was all too late for him, or his
sons. In a raid that was carried out with the help of their
human mother, the twins attacked Elvalie. Attempting to
minimize collateral damage they concentrated their efforts
on the Climber Vila. They forced Duchess Vinna Climber out
of her house and slain her, avenging the death of their
father. They retreated and that might have put an end to the
uprising. But Krijahn, blinded by his bloodlust, swore
vengeance upon the elven king, Sparrow. Witnesses claimed
that Krij-ahh objected and a bitter argument was held,
ending only when Krijahn drew his dagger and stabbed his
twin. Horrified by his own acts, Krijahn then took his own
life, practically ending the uprising'' - interlude from
''The Great wars of the elven nation'' by Lord Raven
Crusher.
''What is going on there?'' the cowl dwarf shivered in rage,
''why are you fleeing?''. The younger dwarf sagged, his back
leaning on a tree. ''Can't you see?'' he asked, his voice
trembling, ''they wiped us out! They had dozens- no,
hundreds of dragons! They wiped us out!''. The cowl dwarf
spat and then whispered a spell, vanishing immediately.
The human was not surprised to see the cowl dwarf appearing.
''You lied to me, human!'' the cowl dwarf roared. ''Have
I?'' the human asked, ''If I lied to you, then why do you
think I let you find me here alone, dwarf?''. The cowl dwarf
spat. ''You assured me they had no more than forty dragons,
human!'' he said. The human nodded. ''These were non-mount
dragons,'' he told the dwarf, ''wild Savannah Dragons. They
came to the aid of the elf''. The dwarf trembled, trying to
contain his rage. ''Human,'' he said, ''Are you telling me
that the elves control them?''. The human shrugged. ''Just
Lord Cracker,'' he answered, ''he's befriended the leader of
the Savannah Dragons''. The dwarf thought for a moment. ''If
you kill the elf, they'd be gone, won't they?'' he asked.
The human nodded. ''Do this, human,'' the cowl dwarf roared
in anger, ''do this or I shall personally kill you!''.
After she made sure that Ehud was fine, Kara hasted to John
Doe's house. She couldn't shake a feeling of urgency that
lay upon her ever since the battle was over. She was happy
to discover the house locked and empty. Locating a shadow
large enough, she transported herself into the house. In the
bedroom, near a painting of John Doe when he was younger and
scarless, she found what she was looking for. In an iron
case, broken just above the hilt, lay the dark rapier of a
Rogue.
Responding to an urgent call, Jay waited alone in the
council room. Keith-Kanan was loose in its scabbard and
beneath the table, Jay's right hand was toying with a small
dagger. The door opened and Jay was not surprised to see
Eric of Kor walking in with his hand behind his back.
''Eric,'' Jay smiled, ''Come in. There's something I have to
tell you''. Eric looked at him suspiciously. ''Really?'' he
asked, ''What's that?''. Jay smiled and said, ''I, too, have
a dagger!''. With a swift movement of his wrist he threw the
dagger towards Eric. Eric evaded and then threw his own
dagger. Tensed and surprised, his movement was clumsy and
the dagger missed Jay by half a meter width. Jay drew
Keith-Kanan and readied to fight. Eric was already fumbling
the sheath of his longsword when Jay moved forward. ''Why?''
he asked Eric, ''why do this?''. Eric spat and lunged
forward, his longsword making an intricate
cross-body-panther strike. Jay blocked it with a
smooth-silken-cloth maneuver and then attacked with a
frenzied-gnasher strike. Eric parried with a rain-deer-horn
and feinted a top-woodpecker before slashing forward with a
wounded-loper maneuver. ''It's all because of you, elves!''
Eric cursed as Jay parried and riposted, ''do you think I
don't know what happened with the Northmen, Lord Jay?''. Jay
slashed, was parried and had to parry another quick riposte.
''Look Eric,'' Jay shook his head, ''we didn't do anything!
You're wrong''. Eric forced Jay to evade a tall-vampire
maneuver before he answered. ''Do you take me for a fool,
elf?'' he spat, ''the baronies of Kor, Stormheim and
Ka-Tarak sent warriors north to bring end to the Orcish
raiders''. Jay parried, riposted and was parried. ''I've
heard about it, Eric,'' he gasped, ''the Northmen sent a
lone Farrider to warn queen Irulain that they don't like the
presence of human armies in their lands. Irulain ordered you
guys to return home! The Koriens refused! You brought that
upon yourself!''. Eric noted how his foe was weakening and
pushed harder, trying to find a puncture in Jay's dedicated
defense. Keith-Kanan and the flaming longsword met once and
again before he spat again. ''She knew we wouldn't let the
Orcs get away, elf,'' he snarled, ''probably by an elven
advice, she made sure we would be left alone. If the
warriors of Stormheim were still in the left flank, we would
never have been surprised by their hoplites. We would have
destroyed them!''. Jay's breaths came out painfully as he
struggled to stop Eric's nasty blows. Eric was a true master
of the sword and his attack was fueled by the sheer power of
his hatred. Jay knew he wouldn't hold out much longer. The
longsword forced Keith-Kanan aside and Jay couldn't evade a
kick to his stomach. He fell, gasping for air. Eric's
longsword was raised and- with a hollow 'thunk' Eric fell
backwards, his face twisting in pain. ''You've got the gods
own timing,'' gasped Jay, ''what took you so long?''. John
Doe smiled nastily. ''I had to evade the tracking of that
little dedicated girl of yours. Hmm. Kara was it?''. Jay
nodded. John helped him sit down. ''How did you know it was
him?'' he asked. Jay prodded Eric's body with the tip of
Keith-Kanan. Eric was dead alright. John Doe's dagger
protruded from his back, punctually puncturing the heart.
Jay couldn't help shrugging. ''It took me a while to
understand it was not you,'' he admitted, ''but when I saw
them two guards in the gatehouse. You see, they were
attacked from the front but none of them had the chance to
draw his sword. I thought it had to be someone they knew and
trusted. You know, someone who could draw his sword in front
of them without alerting them. And then I saw the punctures
- very delicate and quite punctual - they had to be a move
of a true master wielding a longsword. Then I came to think
about poor bladesmen Parrot and Eagle - they were killed by
Orcish arrows. And the gateman who was killed by a poisoned
Orcish dagger... you know that Eric ransacked a dozen Orcish
encampments? told me that himself. I figured, he must have
taken a souvenir or two, eh?''. John was about to answer but
the opening door cut him.
Kara rushed in, holding her dark rapier unsheathed. She spat
towards John Doe. Her face was red with anger and her blue
eyes seemed enflamed. She trembled uncontrollably. Through
clenched teeth she hissed, ''Betrayer of the order! Defiler
of the oath! I come to bring justice, you bloodless
goat-milk sucker!''. In a near stoic shrug, John Doe ignored
the insults. ''Kara,'' Jay rose, ''what's it? Certainly you
don't mean that John here is the traitor amongst us, do
you?''. Unlike her common calm and polite manner, Kara spat
again. ''Bah, Lord,'' she said, ''Paul Steel-Jar is a
traitor of a worse kind. The worst kind, Lord!''. Hearing
the name Paul Steel-Jar, John Doe's body shivered for a
split second. Then, he whispered a magic spell and Eric's
flaming sword danced in the air, coming to his right hand.
He gripped the hilt and spat back towards Kara. ''I won't be
hearing words of loyalty from a fool like you, child!'' he
grunted, ''I forced hellmaids of the unworthy body of Gullit
Bog before you could spell Rogue! I saw what blind loyalty
leads to! You are a fool!''. Before Jay had a chance to
understand what is going on, Kara sent her hand to touch a
medallion that Jay never noticed. ''You betrayed the
order!'' she roared, her hand gripping the miniature of a
dark rapier, ''defiling your oath you have turned against
the man you were supposed to protect! Heathen swine! The
blood of Gullit Bog is not the only crime you must pay for!
What about the three brothers that were sent to get you?''.
In what seemed like a controversy to the whole stand, John
smiled. ''I told them I wouldn't come without a fight!'' he
answered, ''say, when they taught you about the betrayers of
the order, did they tell you why I turned against dear
mister Gullit Bog?''. Kara whispered something that Jay
couldn't figure and suddenly a spike of ice left Kara's left
hand, flying in immense velocity towards John Doe. The ice
bolt hit John and was pushed back by some invisible force.
Before Jay could blink, the ice bolt hit the floor,
immediately melting to water. A second later, Kara's magic
was barely fast enough to fizzle a lightning that rushed
from John's newly acquired sword. Jay moved in between the
two before they could continue throwing magical attacks at
one another. ''Time out!'' he cried, recalling something
Ehud once told him, ''Time out! What in the name of Shalla
is going on here? Who in the world is Gullit Bog?''. John
spat. ''He was a gutless pig,'' he said. Kara snorted. Jay
felt a magical wall of air trying to force him out of the
Rogue's way. Keith-Kanan's hilt grew cold as the spell
fizzled. Kara sidestepped, trying to get past him. Thankful
for having Keith-Kanan still unsheathed, Jay forced Kara
back with the broad side of the sword. The sword glistened
brightly as Kara tried to push it aside with her sword. In
Jay's hand, Keith-Kanan seemed to achieve a life of its own
as Jay swung it powerfully and forced the dark rapier away.
Kara gave up trying to pass Jay. ''Lord,'' she said, ''let
me pass and take the life of that swine! He is a traitor''.
Jay's patience was coming to its limits. ''Yes yes,'' he
said, ''I've heard that already. Tell me why! How did he
betray? Who was betrayed? What oath did he defile? Who in
the name of the gods is Gullit Bog?''. Kara shrugged
suddenly and moved a step backwards, her eyes studying the
glimmering sword in Jay's hands. ''That man,'' she pointed
with her dark rapier, ''was once a Rogue. He was charged to
keep the life of a human diplomat called Gullit Bog. After
three years of dedicated service, he suddenly turned on
Gullit Bog and killed him. Then he escaped. Three Rogues
chased him, to bring him to justice. In Cragmorton's
marketplace, he fought them, killing two and wounding the
third. Then he disappeared. Justice must be served Lord!''.
Jay looked towards John Doe. ''Is it true?'' he asked.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, John Doe nodded. ''I wouldn't
deny that I killed Gullit Bog,'' he said, ''and that I
dispatched the three fools who came after me''. His left
hand rose to the scar on his face. ''Not that it was easy,''
he added, ''but say, lord, why don't you ask your little
Rogue why did I kill Gullit Bog?''. Kara grunted and spat
again. ''Irrelevant,'' she exclaimed, ''what reason is good
enough to betray the oath?''. John Doe smiled again, a cruel
and humorless smile. ''You may spit upon me Rogue,'' he
said, his teeth gnashing, ''just as your order of fools spat
upon me! Does it matter? Little Rogue, did you ever stop to
think why did the hellmaids want Gullit's blood so much? Did
it ever occur to you that in three years, Gullit was
attacked nearly a dozen times by them? Ah, of course not!
They don't tell you that, little Rogue. They don't tell you
that Gullit accompanied the Ka-Tarak incursion to the
wilderness. They don't tell you how fifty men went in and
after but a week, merely three came back! They don't tell
you about two dozens of hellmaids that were carried captive
from the wilderness! They don't tell you that Gullit kept
six of them enchained in his basement!
THEY DON'T TELL YOU
HOW GULLIT BOG WENT TO HIS BASEMENT EVERY FEW NIGHTS AND
RAPED THEM!!!''. Jay stepped backwards, awed by the
terrible hatred that danced in John's eyes. Even Kara backed
a bit in front of it. ''Ah little Kara,'' John forced
himself calm, ''they don't tell nice dedicated children like
you how I confronted Gullit Bog and asked him why! They
don't tell you, little Kara, how Gullit Bog shrugged off my
questions, how he ignored them! 'Rogue,' he told me, 'it is
not your job to put your nose into my businesses'. 'What do
you care for them, Rogue?' he said 'They are merely
hellmaids'. Like that,'' John snapped his fingers, ''he
treated them as if they were cattle, not sentient beings
with feelings and thoughts! Ha! They'll never reveal how I
begged to untie the oath! They don't tell polite ladies like
you how I demanded that the hellmaids be freed! They'll
never tell you, little Kara, how they refused! All they tell
you is what they told me! The oath is everything! Bah! The
oath is nothing!'' he spat on the floor and furiously kicked
a chair, ''cursed be the oath! What is the oath? Huh? What
is it if it blinds us and stands against our morality? If
you were one of them pale ice-cold hellmaids, little Kara,
If you were there when I accidentally stepped into the
basement, if you were there to see them, weak after years of
captivity, dry faced because they had no more tears to cry,
heartless because their souls have been robbed by the hands
of
that fat pig!''. Once again John forced himself calm.
When he spoke again, his voice was calm and quiet. ''If you
were there,'' he said, ''you would do just as I did, and to
hell with the oath!''. Jay was amazed to see Kara dropping
to her knees. ''Impossible,'' she whispered, tears running
from her blue eyes, ''the order would never-''. ''The order
acts on a single, simple volition,'' John cut her, his voice
warms with a sudden empathy, ''the oath is everything. I
didn't find it any easier to believe than you do, Kara. I
will go now. If we meet again, Kara, I will not hold what
happened here against you but, if you try again to attack
me,'' he tore his shirt open, revealing two punctual scars
right above his heart, ''then I would have to add another
mark to my list of sins''. Kara clutched the hilt of her
rapier. She started to rise, hissing, ''You lie!''. Jay foot
landed on the rapier. Shocked and speechless, Jay could only
gesture towards John. Nodding, John passed him and went
through the door. Jay could hear him trying to calm a few
nervous servants that stood outside the door. He dropped to
his knees and hugged Kara. All her manners and
characteristics thrown aside, Kara seemed so much like a
lost child that Jay couldn't resist the urge to hug her.
Leaning her head against his shoulder, Kara cried. Unable to
mouth his feelings, Jay simply crouched there, hugging the
Rogue. He was suddenly glad that the horrid day is about to
be over soon. He knew that Kara would have some very good
questions to ask next time she meets with other Rogues. And
also, Jay had a feeling that no matter what happened, he
would never meet John Doe, or Paul Steel-Jar, again.
Part Ten: Pride of Balad-Naran
''Never let pride overcome facts. Pride may be the weak
spot in your armor. Wounded pride is a dangerous and
powerful motive. Never forget it'' - Healer Dionne,
'Addresses to King Coot the first'
Modern science claims that nothing moves faster than the
speed of light. That is incorrect. Rumors and bad news
travel a lot faster. While in Carmel, humans and elves
celebrated their victory and in the dwarven halls, dwarves
mourned their dead, news about the betrayal of Eric of Kor,
Sir Eric the Orcslayer, Hero of the Orcslay wars, Defender
of the Barony and all the rest of the long list of titles,
reached Balad-Naran very, very fast. There is a lot to be
said about the capital of Kor Barony. Balad-Naran is famed
for its impressive fortifications, for its brave and proud
warriors, for hosting a large school of magic, second only
to Fort Savin's academy and, also, for giving quick and
merciless punishments to petty criminals. While considered
barbaric by most others, the Korien punishment of cutting a
thief's hand off has made sure that in Balad-Naran, there
are few thieves and even less pickpockets. Balad-Naran's
stables host powerful horses and a legion of Hailwolves.
Sometime, long lost in the mists of the past, a magic user
has found a way to bind the awesome large wolves to the will
of humans. Ever since, Balad-Naran has been famed by the
brutal force of its Wolf-riders. Using the force of these
powerful units, a petty Korien noble named Delwin Hind has
helped securing the rule of King Doran Raelur, the first
king of the Raelur dynasty. In return for Delwin's aid, King
Doran handed Delwin the title of Baron and charged him with
the ruling of Kor Barony. Since that day on, the Raelur and
Hind dynasties were close to one another. This started to
change in the last days of King Elorwin. Noticing that the
king had no sons to take over the throne after the aging
king would pass away, Baron Findu Hind tried to arrange the
marriage of his son, Benedict, to the eldest princess,
Irulain. Irulain refused, preferring the intended heir to
the barony of Seleny. Devoted to his daughter's pick, King
Elorwin gave the blessing to young Baron Cheyle Gavin, who
soon became King Cheyle the first and adopted the surname
Raelur. Neither Baron Benedict nor Queen Irulain had
forgotten the feud that raged after that pick. While it
never came to open hostility, it was clear for all to see
that not much love was lost between the house of Hind and
the royal family. This was the main reason to the Korien
defeat that concluded the Orcslay wars. Warlike but far from
barbaric, the Northmen sent a single Farrider to meet queen
Irulain and demand that human forces would withdraw from
their lands. While quite reluctant to stop hunting the
Orcish raiders, Irulain knew better than to cross the
Northmen. She immediately sent messages via the channels of
magic to the armies that hunted Orcs in the northern
territories. The forces of Ka-Tarak and Stormheim obeyed
immediately, breaking camps and marching south. Under the
leadership of Osric Hind, young brother of Baron Benedict,
the Korien forces ignored the order and stood their ground.
At night, a group of hoplites attacked the Korien forces,
slaying any who tried to resist and taking the few who were
smart enough to surrender as prisoners of war. After that,
there was nothing more to be said between queen Irulain and
Baron Benedict. Of course, no one anticipated the feelings
of betrayal that festered in Eric's heart. Not until he
revealed these feelings to someone who was accidentally
connected to the dwarves. Recognizing a weak spot, the Cowl
Dwarf reckoned the possibilities and, using Eric's feelings
against him, he managed to convince the hero that queen
Irulain, together with the elves, had betrayed the forces of
Kor in attempt to weaken the barony. Devout to the barony,
Eric sought for revenge - and the cowl dwarf was once again
there to point the city of Carmel as a perfect starting
point in the dwarven attempt to bring the demise of the
elves. Victim of his own pride and prisoner of his own
interpretation of events, Eric has thrown in with the mortal
enemies of Kor. The outcome is known. And, since bad news
travel faster than light, the news got to Balad-Naran very,
very fast. At his convenient mansion, Count Bleys Mascot
heard the news from a very reliable source. Knowing that
this was more volatile than the dwarven imperfect
self-controlled-and-admirably-fast-mining-machine, Count
Mascot, bannerman to Baron Hind, hasted to Spiral-Keep.
Baron Hind met him in the large hall of his castle. Knowing
that Count Mascot is far from being a fool or a gullible
idiot, the Baron made sure that Count Mascot would be
brought to him the second he heard that the Count claims to
bring important news. It took Baron Hind only a few minutes
before he burst out of the hall, crying for his scribe and
for the commanders of his army.
Meanwhile, in Carmel, people were still trying to cope with
the terrible outcomes of the battle. Though they emerged
victorious, the human and elven armies lost about one third
of their forces in the fierce battles. Knowing that the war
may be far from over, king Sparrow was already gathering
forces to be sent as reinforcements. Until those
reinforcements arrived, the Savannah Dragons have promised
to stay and make sure that the dwarves don't try anything
nasty. Concentrated on her own doubts, Kara sent a message
to an old friend of hers, begging for her advice. No one
paid attention to the rumors that claimed that Baron Hind of
Kor had mobilized his army and... well... disappeared.
Two weeks have passed. The morning found Jay and Piros
seating on the porch. They both held some sort of hot
steaming drink that could not - even at the worst
circumstances - be called tea. ''You'd think,'' mentioned
Piros, ''that in a city with two years of supplies in case
of siege, there would be enough tea for more than three
weeks''. Jay smiled. Whenever the dragon complained and
grouched, Jay couldn't help smiling. ''You know, Piros,'' he
said, ''this drink's not that bad''. Piros gave a rather
dragonish moan. ''Yes,'' he nodded, ''if you close your
eyes, pinch your nose and put some hot beeswax on your
tongue, this drink is not bad at all. How is the Moonshadow
doing?''. Jay's eyebrows rose. ''Kara?'' he asked, ''I don't
know. She's not very talkative lately. Ehud said she sent
for a friend of hers to come and help her get over what she
heard''. Piros grumbled. ''Reality is hard to face'' he
observed. Jay shrugged. ''Lepress says that Truth cuts
deeper than any dagger'' he said. Piros smiled. ''Your nanny
is a very smart woman,'' he said, ''and she also makes great
tea. I could almost swear I heard that saying a long time
ago''. Jay snapped his fingers suddenly, recalling something
he forgot during all the rush of events. ''Piros,'' he said
slyly, ''maybe you heard Healer Dionne says that, eh?''. The
dragon in elf form gazed at him for a second. ''Nah,'' he
said finally, ''it's a phrase that would fit her but... I
think not. But I don't want to talk about-''. Jay's hand
rose, cutting Piros. ''Yes Piros,'' he said, impatiently,
''I know how you dragons don't tell us anything that has
been lost in the mists of the past but by the gods, for
once, I'd like to know who Healer Dionne was! Is she the one
who invented the rooted stones?''. Piros weighed the dilemma
and finally decided towards his friendship with Jay. ''Just
this once, Jay,'' he said, ''yes, Healer Dionne was the one
who invented the rooted stones. She was the only one who
could create them''. Jay, interested in the mysterious piece
of history, asked, ''Was she of any other importance? Why
didn't she share the secret with others?''. Piros waved his
hand to shut a burst of questions. ''I said,'' He said,
''that she was the only one who could create them. She was
important, oh yes. She was old, older than any elf I've ever
met, and yet she kept her youth. She was the only elf I've
ever seen that was powerful enough to master Rune Magic.
Before you burst again, Jay, Rune Magic, in complete
controversy to the three realms of magic, is not something
you can simply learn. It is a powerful form of magic that
affects future possibilities. The three realms affect mainly
present and immediate future events - A Rogue chaffs the
humidity from the air and turns it into a frozen bolt of ice
for example. Rune Magic affects the possibilities of the
future. For example, let's say that seventeen masters of the
sword burst into the porch and try to kill you, what do you
do?''. Jay thought for a second. ''I'd jump,'' he pointed
towards the end of the balcony, ''I'd have a better chance
surviving the fall''. Piros chuckled. ''A wise pick,'' he
admitted, ''A Rogue may attempt to capture the assailants in
a prison of air. An Angel might try to create seventeen
surprising cases of spontaneous combustion. A master of
self-magic may strike them with paralysis. But a master of
Rune Magic will simply look into the future and pick the
option he prefers. There's for example the possibility that
the seventeen assailants are not here - poof and they're
gone. There's the possibility that they are not really
masters of the sword but actually quite a clumsy bunch of
children using heavy wooden sticks. You see? So anyway, not
many creatures aside for us, dragons, are strong enough to
control Rune magic, not to mention master them as Healer
Dionne mastered them. Using her powers to the good of the
realm, she brought peace and prosperity to elven kingdom and
- later - brought the first true peace between humans and
elves. She was a smart woman and quite a charming
personality. And then, one day, she woke up and addressed
the elven king. She said she has to journey into the cursed
lands that you call the Great Wilderness. She disappeared,
giving only a cryptic warning ''be prepared''. I don't know
what happened to her next though I'm quite sure that she
didn't simply die in some niche. Few years after her
disappearance, the Draconians stormed the walls of Elara and
forced the elven race into a century of nomadic life that
ended when the grassy land beneath the Mountain of Hope
received the Rooted Stones and the city of Elvalie has been
founded. That's it''. Jay would have asked more but the door
opened. In the form of an elven female wearing a silvery
toga, Pyrael was an enchanting figure. Before they met, Jay
only knew about Piros' mate through the stories Piros told -
stories that made Jay look for a dangerous monster. But
through the last weeks, Jay grew fond of Pyrael. She was a
bit hotheaded for a dragoness but she was wise and, when not
upset about something, quite a lively companion for a nice
chat. ''Piros,'' she said, ''excuse me for interrupting but
Ronar thinks he located some sort of large army marching
from the direction of the human lands. I wouldn't be
surprised to discover that the young fool has spotted a
large band of dwarven circus-show performers but... I have
sent Anraka to see''. Piros released another moan.
''Woman,'' he grumbled, ''you would be the fall of me! You
complain about Ronar's inexperience and then send Anraka?''.
Pyrael didn't seem impressed by Piros' disgruntlement. Jay
would have tried to wonder about ''Young Ronar'' and
''Anraka'' but suddenly both Piros and Pyrael raised their
heads and appeared to listen to something Jay couldn't hear.
They listened for a moment and then looked at each other.
Piros nodded at some question that Pyrael didn't bother to
ask. She rushed outside. ''Jay,'' Piros reseated himself,
''two of my dragons have just spotted a large band of humans
marching towards the city, holding the banners of Kor
Barony''. Jay pondered the meaning of this. ''Offering
assistance as an act of apology?'' he wondered. Piros shook
his head. ''I think not, Jay,'' he said, ''They raise a red
banner too''. Jay's eyes widened in astonishment. ''Red?''
he said, ''but that's the color of vengeance, no?''. Piros
nodded. ''The color of an army that comes to forcefully
vindicate a mischief'' he said. Jay jumped to his feet. ''I
have to find Ehud,'' he said, ''He would know the meaning of
this''.
''Damned be that traitor,'' Ehud spat in anger, ''they come
to demand that justice would be served! Jay, I know them
Koriens good enough to know how they pride themselves noble
and gallant. They'd never believe one of theirs, especially
such hero as damned Eric was, would throw in with the
dwarves''. Jay looked towards Kara, hoping the Rogue would
be able to explain the whole situation better. But the Rogue
seemed absorbed in deep thoughts and Jay had the feeling
that these thoughts had nothing to do with the news about
the Korien army. In the past two weeks, Jay finally learned
how much the order of the Rogues was important to Kara. Jay
felt that Kara's main part of life was collapsing and she
needed to find something else to replace it. Unfortunately,
Jay couldn't figure what would do to replace such important
loss. ''Look Jay,'' Ehud reckoned Jay's embarrassment,
''there's not one human barony that hates the dwarves more
than the Koriens. They would see their children starve to
death and won't accept aid from the dwarves. And we're
blaming their goddamned war hero in treason. Do you have any
idea what it does to their pride?''. Jay shook his head.
''Betrayal is a mystery to me,'' he replyed, ''treachery is
not something common in the elven people. I'll be darned, we
don't even have a word in Elvish to describe it''. Ehud
snorted. ''Really?'' he said, ''I think I remember a case,
you know, that half-elf who wanted to kill your king because
he found his father guilty of rape he never committed? Rings
a bell?''. Jay's shoulders sagged. Much to his dismay, he
remembered that case all too well.
... Jay caught Krijahn's shoulder and cried, ''Krijahn!!!
Stop!!!''. ''No, Jay, I must do it!'' said Krijahn. From the
side of his eye, Jay saw Krij-ahh stabbing Duchess Vinna,
impaling her between her breasts. It was a sure heart-kill.
''Krijahn, please!!!'' cried Jay, ''you got her, what more
could you ask for?''. Krijahn's eyes were bloodshot.
''Jay,'' said, ''we spilled the same blood in the same mud,
you know it's my duty!''. That hurt Jay more than anything
his friend could say. ''Very well,'' said Jay in a freezing
voice, ''I'm sworn to protect Elvalie from its enemies. That
is my duty!'' and he posted a battle position. Krijahn drew
his short elven blade. ''I don't want to fight you, Jay!''
he said. Committed to his duty, Jay ignored him and struck
forward with a rock-down-the-slope strike...
''Ehud,'' Jay shook out of the memory, ''I'd really rather
not to talk about it''. Ehud shrugged. ''Suit yourself,'' he
said, ''I was just making a point of being stubborn as most
humans try to be. Jay, wounding a man's pride is worse than
wounding his body. Wounding the pride of a whole barony? I'm
sure that deep in their heart they know that there're no
lies here. They come to bury their shame. You'll see''.
The defenders of Carmel watched warily as the Korien army
closed with the city. Jay noted some of the infernal
chain-bolt machines carried behind the scores of wolf-riders
- a giant mechanical monster that could rapidly send wooden
bolts flying in outrageous speeds. ''I count twenty of them
machines,'' said Sergeant Latcher, ''if we send the dragons
against them half of them will die''. Jay looked at the
machines and wished he had any way to counter them. He knew
he wouldn't send the dragons against the Korien army. He
knew he would never be able to look Piros in the eyes and
tell him that. ''They're waving a flag'' said someone.
''Gray,'' said Jay, ''they wish to negotiate! We may still
be able to find a way out of this!''. Not far from there,
Ehud saw the flag too. More familiar with the human mind and
the Korien ways of thinking, he didn't bother to nurture
hopes.
''...seeing that no other option is available,'' finished
Jay, ''John killed Eric with his dagger''. Some swordsmen of
the Korien honor-guard moved uncomfortably. Jay took it for
a good sign. But Baron Benedict Hind's eyes were colder than
ice as he weighed Jay's story. Finally he shrugged. ''You
expect me to believe this children story?'' he asked,
''where are your proofs? Flaming weapons are not rare and
Orcish weapons can be bought in any weapon smithy that
prides itself. Do you have any solid proofs to this story,
elf?''. Jay shook his head. ''Look, Baron Hind,'' he said,
''I need no more proofs. I am an elven lord and a man of
honor. My word is truth''. Jay hoped that it would suffice.
To Jay's amazement, not only that it didn't suffice. Baron
Hind jumped to his feet, sending the chair crashing on the
wall behind him. His face reddening, baron Hind screamed,
''A man of honor, elf? Your word is truth? I spit upon your
words!
Eric was a man of honor! Eric's words were truth!
There has never been someone more loyal and honorable than
Eric! You give me lies and half-truths and tell me that you
are a man of honor! Bah! You're worse than a draconian! At
least the draconians don't pretend be righteous!''. Insulted
and enraged, Jay's face turned red and his eyes grew darker.
''You dare say that?'' he cried in anger, ''You are the one
who pretends to be righteous! Eric was a traitor! You let
your fancy pride and so-called honor blind you to reality
and now you wish that we all pay for you blindness! You
claim to come here in the name of justice! You claim that
you want to discover the truth! Bah! Baron, You come here in
attempt to cover Eric's shame! You do not wish to dig the
truth out! You wish to bury it deep under the bodies of me
and my men! You are a coward, Baron! You fear to face
reality!''. That did it. It's common knowledge that there's
no better way to enrage a Korien than to blame him in
cowardice and dishonor. ''Lord,'' cried Kara but Jay didn't
need the warning. Furious, Baron Hind jumped towards Jay,
sending his hands towards Jay's throat. Jay managed to push
the baron off him but that was not enough. Cursing and
bellowing, the ten swordsmen of the Korien honor-guard drew
their swords. Quickly reacting, Kara and Sergeant Latcher
jumped forward, hands sent to their weapons. Other elves
joined them. The council hall was about to turn into a
bloody battleground. But then, Ehud jumped to his feet and
quickly climbed on the table. ''
Enough!'' he cried in a
voice not quite his own. The cry echoed off the walls and
elves and humans froze immediately. Surprised by the effects
of his cry, Ehud stood there, silent. Then he shook his
head. ''Is that what the Korien honor has come to?'' he
asked. ''Entering under the gray flag and then taking
hostile actions? Is it honorable, Baron Hind?''. Baron hind
thought for a minute and then said, ''No. you are correct,
Baron Gat. We will leave now, peacefully. But once we return
to our forces, there's no peace between us. Honor must be
satisfied!''. Ehud pondered that for a short moment. Jay
didn't need that moment. ''All this honor nonsense sickens
me,'' he hissed, ''in the name of honor, you'll fight us,
we'll have our losses and you'll have yours. Ha! What next?
Should we arrange a jousting arena and start bashing each
other in duels? Should we call for- hey, wait a minute.
Baron, I have a suggestion for you. This is not between Kor
and Elvalie. This is between you and me. Let's settle this
in a duel. We'll ask priests to stand witness and testify as
to the godly decision. If I speak truth, surely I'd be able
to defeat you. If I speak lies, surely the gods will find a
way to bring my fall. How does it sound?''. Baron hind
thought for a moment. ''You are right, elf,'' he finally
said, ''this not between Kor and Elvalie. Two are
responsible for these words of lie and deceit. You and
him-'' he pointed towards Ehud, ''we shall arrange a double
duel if it fits your point of view''. ''And supposing one of
us wins and the other loses?'' asked Jay. Baron Hind
shrugged. ''A duel of winners,'' he said. ''I agree,'' said
Jay, ''if Ehud concurs''. Ehud ignored Kara's sudden
movement. His hand rose, gesturing the Rogue to stop. ''I
agree,'' he said, ''tomorrow morning sounds fine?''. Baron
Hind nodded and smiled.
Jay stood on the porch, watching the horizon become
brighter. The sun would soon be up, he knew, and the time to
battle will come. They agreed that the battle would take
place on the plains outside the city. One priest of Kof, the
god of Nature and the Wild has volunteered to stand witness
and so did two priests of Quan-Chi, the Warrior god. The
temple of Shalla, the Amazon Goddess sent a fourth
volunteer. Ehud had to fight off a dreadful number of
priests from the Temple of Letty, the Assassin goddess, as
all of them wanted to 'get the best seats for that sportive
event' as one of them described it. Speaking of the which,
Kara attempted to convince Ehud to step out of this duel. As
a Rogue, her job was to keep him alive. In an honorable
duel, she couldn't even create an Air Shield to defend him.
Obviously, even her best tries were unable to convince the
baron. As a descendant to the Gat legacy, Ehud would hear
none about sacrificing troops for a cause, certainly not
when he can prevent it. Jay was quite worried about him. Jay
knew that his sword mastery could probably equal Baron
Hind's mastery. But Ehud, while quite a skillful warrior,
was far from being considered a master of the sword. He
would face Count Bleys Mascot, an experienced warrior and a
famous swordsman. Jay was worried.
Four banners flapped in the wind above the city. The Silver
Eagle over black honored Gat noblehouse and Jay stopped to
pray before Crown and Two Swords of his house. He noted
Baron Hind's Hailwolf in a storm and Count Mascot's Hailwolf
tearing a stag. In the back of his mind, Jay wondered who
held the banner of the Stag. In front of the eyes of the
priests and numerous other folk, baron Hind took off his
shirt. Jay noted the few scars that proved baron Hind to be
an experienced warrior - and one that was good enough not to
take any serious injury. Jay took off his shirt too. It was
not part of the duel rules but Jay had not intention to seem
as if he is trying to armor himself with clothing. Baron
Hind was tall and wide. Muscles pumped in his hands as he
tested the longsword that was the Koriens' preferred weapon.
The sword was almost twenty centimeters longer than
Keith-Kanan, giving the baron a longer reach. Saluting, Jay
took his place. Behind him, Ehud was cleaning his saber and
impatiently ignoring Kara's last protests. Baron Hind waved
his sword in a wide salute and then jumped forward and took
his place. Almost immediately he lunged forward, his sword
producing an intricate through-the-needle's-eye stab. Jay
evaded and than tried a hunting-dog pierce. Baron Hind
forced the blow off with a powerful falling-tree block. He
feinted a falling-copper-coin and slashed forward with a
howling-wolf maneuver. Jay didn't fall for the feint and the
silver-bowl pushed off the howling-wolf. A broken-trident
blocked Jay's tall-vampire and Jay easily forced off a
wide-sickle stab. Then Jay feinted a wounded-loper and tried
to force baron Hind's sword aside with the entangled-dragon
slash. The longsword met Keith-Kanan in midair and stopped
Jay. But Jay noted how Keith-Kanan's tip left an unlikely
dent on the longsword's blade. Recognizing the advantage,
Jay struck a falling-leaf. Baron Hind's reaction was a split
second too late and Keith-Kanan's tip left a small slash on
the Baron's arm. ''First blood!'' called the priest of
Shalla. ''Have you come to satisfaction, gentlemen?'' asked
the priest of Kof. Jay nodded. That would decide the battle
to his favor. ''I'm satisfied,'' he said. ''No!'' Baron
Hind's voice rumbled, ''Never! To the death!''. He charged
towards Jay, faking a wounded-loper and then sending a
powerful howling-wolf towards Jay's stomach. Using a frantic
leprechaun's-dance defense, Jay fended off the attack. He
feinted another entangled-dragon and slashed towards baron
Hind's face with a top-woodpecker. Baron Hind forced
Keith-Kanan back with a slippery-ice and struck a
thin-sickle. Keith-Kanan met the longsword and with a loud
clang, fifteen centimeters of the longsword's tip were
broken and cast aside. Baron Hind watched the jagged crack
at the top of his not-so longsword and took a step back. Jay
launched a quick frenzied-gansher. The baron used his broken
sword to stop the maneuver but Keith-Kanan slid across the
crack and left a scratch on baron Hind's shoulder. Jay took
a step back. ''It's over baron!'' he said, ''By breaking
your sword, the gods show you the truth! Give in, Baron! A
broken sword is pointless!''. Behind him, Jay heard Ehud
chuckling at one of Lepress' favorite sayings.
If it was only about Eric, Baron Hind might have
surrendered then but it was no longer just the truth that
mattered. Baron Hind's pride was wounded dreadfully by Jay's
insults. By the gods, the damned elf called him a coward and
a dishonorable man. Enslaved by his wounded pride, baron
Hind was beyond logic. He struck towards Jay with a
dragon-hatchling strike.
Jay was not about to shed more blood for this foolish
matter. He tried to fend off the attack with a
smooth-silken-cloth but once again, Keith-Kanan slipped on
the jagged crack and Jay lost his balance. His slipped
forward. Recognizing his foe's weakness, baron Hind leaped
forward with a wounded-loper. Frantically attempting to
evade the powerful stab, Jay wave Keith-Kanan in a whirlwind
defense. Baron Hind, carried forward by the inertia of his
leap, lost his balance and fell forward, impaling himself on
Keith-Kanan's tip. Jay left the hilt of the sword and
crouched near the fallen baron. Alas. There was nothing Jay
could do as Keith-Kanan pierced the top of the baron's
chest, breaking ribs and impaling his airways to the back of
his neck. The baron died immediately. ''Poor guy,'' said
Jay, ''you could have chosen the easy way out''. He saluted
towards the priests and sheathed Keith-Kanan. He stepped out
of the way and gestured to Ehud. The baron rose, giving Jay
his seat. ''Good luck,'' said Jay. ''Thanks,'' Ehud nodded
and smiled. Jay took his seat, next to Kara. The Rogue, for
the first time in weeks, seemed to be attached to reality.
''He's dumb,'' she told Jay, ''he's going to get himself
killed!''. Jay patted her shoulder gently. ''Everything will
be fine, Kara,'' he said. She looked surprised. ''And the
sun would freeze into a ball of ice,'' she answered, ''and
I'll be jobless. You better ready for another fight, lord''.
Jay shook his head. On the field, Count Mascot was already
waving his awkward-colored longsword, warming up before the
battle. ''That's Holler'' said Kara, ''the Cursed Sword of
the Mascots. It is said that it is red because it was forged
with the blood of innocents''. Jay shrugged. ''After meeting
a Flaming Longsword, what would a red one matter?'' he
asked. ''You'll see, Lord,'' promised Kara, ''Holler is a
weapon to be reckoned with. It's rumored that it already had
the blood of two dragons''. Behind them, someone chuckled.
Jay turned back. Pyrael smiled at him. ''The sword had the
blood of two dragons,'' she agreed, ''and two dragons had
the blood of its holders. Holler is as dangerous to the
holder as it is to the opponent. The Cursed Sword. A fitting
name, Moonshadow''. Kara shrugged at the dragoness. On the
field, Ehud took his place, holding his heavy saber. ''Do
you fear to take your place, Count of the Eastern Glades?''
he taunted, ''Does the gods' justice fill you with awe?''.
Count Mascot leaped to his place, his face cramping in
anger. ''Talk is cheap, Baron,'' he answered, ''Ale costs
money. When this is over, I shall feed your liver and heart
to my wolves!''. Ehud snorted. ''That would give them pups
of yours the worst kind of indigestion!'' he replied, ''come
at me then''. Count Mascot waved his longsword in a small
circle and struck forward. Ehud blocked, feinted, riposted
and was blocked. Count Mascot tried to trick Ehud with a
feinted howling-wolf and then struck a frenzied-gnasher.
Ehud didn't fall for the trick and was able to trip Count
Mascot. His saber flashed upon the Count's cheek, leaving a
bloody gash. ''What are you doing, Ehud?'' cried Jay,
''don't toy! Finish him!''. Ehud must have had a different
idea. He stepped back. ''First blood'' called the priest of
Kof, to the sneers of the priests of Letty. ''I am
satisfied,'' said Ehud, ''I suppose them pups would go to
sleep without dinner tonight''. Ever insulted by the talk
about his Hailwolves, Count Mascot screamed, ''No! I will
feed his corpse to the ravens!''. He jumped to his feet and
fell into En Guarde position. He struck forward quickly.
From that moment on it was his skill and experience against
Ehud's youth and agility. The heavy saber met Holler dozens
of times as moments rushed on. Jay watched the two warriors
duel, enchanted by their dance. Later he would be shocked to
discover that it lasted nearly half an hour. By then, both
warriors were soaked in sweat. Jay could see how Ehud's
youth becomes a greater and greater advantage over Count
Mascot. Gasping for air, it was clear that only his long
experience and his pride kept Bleys Mascot standing. But
then Holler met the heavy saber thrashed it aside.
Weaponless and too tired to evade, Ehud couldn't block the
thrust that punctured his chest. Jay had to restrain Kara as
she jumped to her feet and only the powerful aid of Pyrael
could push her back to her seat. Count Mascot attempted to
withdraw his sword from Ehud's chest but the blade had hit a
rib and was stuck. Aware of his foe's desperate condition,
Count Mascot let got the hilt of his sword and stepped back,
waiting for his enemy to fall. ''Wolves would have heart and
liver for dinner,'' he said, smiling sinisterly. Crying an
eagle-like shriek, Ehud's caught the hilt of Holler. He
pulled and the Cursed Sword gave in and slid out of his
chest. He spat blood and his hands were all but red. Blood
foamed on his lips and his face was pale. Waving the Cursed
Sword in the air, Ehud grinned a bloody grin towards his
shocked enemy. Exerting his remaining forces, he hurled the
sword towards Count Mascot. The sword met Count Mascot high
in the chest, breaking ribs and slashing organs. Mascot's
eyes fixed on Ehud's bloody hands. Ehud shook his head.
''They may have my liver and heart'' he told the dying man,
''but you won't be the one to feed them''. As if by some
signal, both men fell down.
''You know, Piros,'' Jay gestured off towards the walls,
''I'm glad I could pull this off and put the fire down
without having to fight their army''. ''In such battle,''
the dragon noted, ''the odds would be against you''. Jay
nodded and sighed. ''I just wish...'' he started. ''Wish
that the price wouldn't be some damned painful, Jay?'' asked
the dragon. Jay nodded silently. ''Well,'' Piros suggested,
''look at the bright side. You didn't have to battle the
whole lot of them''. ''Piros,'' Jay looked at his friend,
''don't you be telling me to take a look on the bright side.
You were not the one that had to explain to Kara why!''. The
dragon nodded silently. ''You were not the one that had to
look at them when they washed the bodies and dressed them!
And worst of all, Piros! You're not the one who lost his-''
the dragon raised a hand to stop his friend's fast-paced
talk. ''No Jay,'' he sighed, ''I'm not you and I don't have
to go through what you are going but... come on! It can't be
that bad! Think about it again Jay. You could easily have
ended up fighting the whole lot of them''. ''Easy for you to
say, Piros,'' Jay shook his head, ''as I was saying I nearly
lost my sanity! You should know that I'd rather fight the
whole lot of them than listen to his complaints any longer!
From the minute he woke up he keeps driving me and Kara
nuts! 'Jay,' he tells me, 'I can't spend a year in bed! I'll
get too damn bored!' Oh, here. He wakes up again. Let him
drive you crazy a bit, Piros''. ''Am I that bad?'' asked
Ehud. He pulled the blanket around him. Jay nodded. ''I've
heard you don't like it being in the bed,'' said Piros. ''I
don't mind telling you two,'' he said, ''I like sleeping
late and this three days sleep was quite to my liking. But
being in bed? A whole year? I once broke my ankle and had to
spend a week in bed. I almost went crazy out of boredom. Ok,
I liked that three days sleep I just had but can't this
healing process get any quicker?''. Piros shook his head.
''A cursed weapon pierced your lung,'' he said, ''you're
lucky the healers were able to maintain the blood out of
your lungs or you'd be drowning in your own blood.
Unfortunately for you and... all of us, I suppose, it was
the best they could do so you'll have to spend about a year
before you are fully recuperated. Consider it... err... a
long vacation!''. Ehud shook his head. ''Vacation? Piros, do
you know what is Kara doing? She's arranging for a wagon to
take me and her back to castle Greybow! Do you know what may
parents would do when they've heard? They would marry me to
a ladyling I never even met in order to get a heir from
their only son. By the gods, Piros, I would have to start
learning how to count coppers! It can't be done! I want to
go drinking, wenching and brawling till I'm 70! Hell! I'd
rather be carried into battle on a stretcher!''. Piros
grunted. ''You do just that,'' said the dragon, slightly
annoyed, ''and we'll see how that little Moonshadow of yours
gets you out of it!''. He turned and walked stiffly out of
the room. Ehud studied Jay's scolding look. ''What?'' he
asked, ''Was it something I said?''.
The End.
And here's a little teaser for second saga which is
currently underway and will probably be ready for publishing
in a few months:
Dark Angel Saga
Prologue: That Jewel you hid
''Queara was first to speak. 'This will bring an end to us'
she said, 'elves and humans aided by our brothers from the
Savannahs and Mountains! Too many they are, I say! We can
not prevail! Something must be done, Rancor'. The First of
the Volcano Dragons pondered that statement for a short
moment. 'You are right,' he agreed at last, 'and something
will be done. We must hide! We must refresh our powers!'.
'Our brothers will never let us the time,' I observed, 'they
will hunt us down! They will destroy us!'. Rancor considered
my words. I may have not been the wisest of our race but my
words were true enough for all to know. 'I have means' he
said finally, 'if we seem to weaken too much to be of
threat, they would not genocide us, would they? Look my
brothers and sisters at this'. From Shadow he drew a
precious red stone. 'many a stone I have gathered,' said
Rancor, 'most of us would be enslaved in soul cages for
sometime - until we are no longer considered a threat - and
then we would break them free and take our enemies by
surprise. Here, Danier, why don't you be the first?'. I
agreed and was the first to hide in the cagestone. It had
saved me from the fate that took the others - a combined
elven-human attack aided by the other dragons took hold of
the other Cagestones. But not me. Rancor carried my cage
with him, asking my advice every now and then. But then
Rancor was killed in that foolish, nearly desperate attack
on the elven capital. My cage had wondered for a long time
until I took hold of the dwarves. Later, I was the first of
my brothers to be released from the prison. Now my revenge
awaits'' - Danier, First of the Volcano Dragons, telling
Ronar about the hard years.
The wagon creaked and its noise broke the silence of the
forest. ''Kara,'' the man in the back whispered, ''is it
going to take any longer?''. The Rogue shrugged. ''I don't
know,'' she said, ''I've been hoping to find an inn but this
area seems desolated. How's your fever?''. ''Not any
better,'' the baron muttered. Kara reached back and touched
his forehead. ''Not any better, you say?'' she exclaimed,
''by the moon you are boiling. Where are them damn healers
when you need them?''. The baron shook his head weakly.
''Are you sure you can't transport us to Castle Greybow with
your magic?'' he asked faintly, ''not that I'm in any rush
to meet my parents but... well...''. ''I told you,'' she
answered desperately, ''Shadows are hard to pull through. To
transport myself - that's not much of a deal. Poof and I'm
gone. But with other humans it's harder. Other humans don't
poof that easily. I can try it but it's greatly dangerous.
Let's carry on and hope we find someone soon''.
But by the fall of darkness, Kara knew they would not find
anyone. The area was scarce of population and the Rogue
started to worry. The baron's fever was getting worse - he
was only dimly conscious when she stopped to make camp.
Towering over his lying body, the Rogue knew she had little
choice left. The Shadow transportation might kill Ehud and
her too but the way she saw it, the baron might die anyways.
Still weak from his wound, Ehud could do nothing to fight
off the fever and Kara, while quite resourceful in many
other trades, knew nothing about healing fever. Reckoning
that his condition is getting worse, Kara knew she had to
act. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The camp fire
threw big shadows around it and Kara knew it was her best,
or at least the lesser evil, of choices. Concentrating in
her magical meditation, she did not hear the sound of big
fat feet hasting through the forest. Putting her hand on the
baron's shoulder, she opened her eyes and whispered a
prayer. Then she muttered the spell. Something blazed in the
shadows and she knew the spell was becoming unstable. ''By
the moon,'' she swore as she concentrated, trying to hold
her spell intact. Something blazed and she noted a thin
string of Illumination magic touching her Shadow spell. She
would never have believed such thing could be done - the
combination of Shadow and Illumination is volatile and
unstable and could rip apart the whole fabric of existence!
A voice that could only be described as 'painstakingly
annoying' called, ''Transporter room!'' and with a flash,
she and the wounded baron disappeared.
''Now look what you've done,'' called a human voice, ''where
have you sent them?''. ''Me?'' the annoying voice replied,
''it wasn't me! Scottie beamed them up!''. The human sighed,
''I'm sure Chief Engineer Scott had nothing to do with that.
Where in the world are they now, Adraftza?''. ''With Carmen
Sandiego!'' answered the other voice. ''You are aware of the
fact that now we must find them, you knucklehead?''.
''Yes,'' agreed the creature called Adraftza, ''but could we
stop for an ice cream first?''. Another flash lit the camp
area and the two figures were gone.
A mere second later, a third flash, nearly blinding, scared
away half the forest animals. Baron Gat, healthy and in
shape and wearing the clothing of a peasant was crouched
over the wounded body of the Rogue. ''Kara,'' he called,
''you can't die!''. Blood streamed from a wound below the
Rogue's left breast. Her blue eyes sought his own. ''It's a
Rogue's honor to die for the master,'' she whispered. ''Oh
no you don't, Kara,'' said the baron, ''you're not going to
die on me, you hear? I need you still, Kara! Don't fade away
Moonshadow!''. ''There are no healers around, remember?''
she whispered. ''I know,'' the baron sent his hand into her
clothing, ''now where is it?''. ''Baron,'' she smiled
weakly, ''are you taking advantage of my weakness?''. He
shook his head. ''Kara,'' he said, ''I know of a way to save
you! Where's the trinket?''. She shook her head weakly.
''You don't fool me, Moonshadow,'' he told her, ''where's
the jewel? I told you to throw that thing but I bet you
didn't. You were waiting for your chance on Arathel and not
my command would have stopped you. Where's that jewel you
hid, Kara? Ah, there. A hidden pocket in an unlikely place,
eh?'' he pulled a small Sapphire from inside her trousers,
''come on Kara. How do I put you in this?''. The Rogue shook
her head weakly. ''I don't want to be trapped in a soul
cage,'' she said. ''You don't have a choice, Rogue,'' the
baron answered, ''I give you an order. Tell me how to use
it?''. ''But I would-'' the Rogue gasped. ''You're
weakening, Kara,'' the baron shook her shoulders gently,
''look, we know how to open one of them damn Cagestones now,
don't we? I'll make the journey and free you or I'll die
trying and free myself from marrying some ladyling I haven't
even met and bringing children to this world. Poor Jay.
Mithrill drives him crazy with the way she speaks, you know?
Come on Rogue, how do I use this?''. Kara shut her eyes,
breathed deeply and then took the Sapphire from him. ''Don't
touch it until it stops glowing,'' she warned, ''
Imadae
Tourilis Trianus Elenia Kara Kedina Dolak Terian''. The
Sapphire seemed to blast in a flashing starburst. It took
several seconds before the glow subdued but when it did,
Baron Ehud Gat was alone in the woods and his hand clutched
a blue Cagestone.
