by Clark Bolton
“Troll-killer!” Fesmbol replied with apparent genuine glee. “I was hoping as much as we are hunting similar foe today.”
“Are we my lord?” Haspeth asked with a slightly confused look upon his face. He was then happy to see Murac arrive with two horses that were saddled and ready.
Autbek was not sure of what to make of Fesmbol’s comment but for the moment decided to ignore it as he motioned toward Murac. “I’ve asked Murac to accompany Haspeth as a precaution my lord.” He didn’t think he would need to elaborate on the fact that there was still a lot of mistrust between the two of them.
“A true honor to have you, Murac!” Fesmbol announced without hesitation as if he had anticipated the move. “The more the merry and your reputation as a swordsman makes you all the more welcome.”
Murac mounted his horse before replying, “Always happy to be of service my lord, though I thought being a bodyguard was in my past.” Murac gave Autbek an annoyed glare as he said it to remind Autbek that he was doing this as a personal favor.
“Thank you Murac.” Autbek said softly as the rest of the group prepared to ride out. “Will you be returning this day, my lord?”
“Plan to Lord Councilor, though with mages one can never tell what the future holds.” Fesmbol replied as he spurred his horse into action.
Haspeth had expected Fesmbol to ride for the East Gate of Astrum but instead the lord took them down the very road they had ridden upon the day before. It lead along the cliffs that bordered the sea north of the city and then on down toward the fens. At an apparent random point Fesmbol called the party to a halt and dismounted.
“We will begin here!” Fesmbol announced to his men who included a squad of eight men-at-arms and a commanding sergeant as well as Lord Bek. “I don’t think the city guard has begun to search this area yet, so let us be the first.”
Murac glanced at Haspeth and shrugged as he dismounted and walked over to peer down upon the sea far below. Here there was no beach to speak of and so no means for a person to walk along the water’s edge for any great distance. Any person, friend or foe, that wanted to travel from the fens to Astrum’s harbor, was forced either to scale the cliffs or to go by boat, or to travel the paths and simple road that led up from the henge.
Haspeth dismounted as well and began to examine the contents of his travel bag that he had hastily grabbed before they had left the mage-tower. It contained his usual collection of spell-scrolls and one of the locator devices built by Tenric that had so often come in handy. Pulling the device from the bag Haspeth placed it upon a small boulder and began fiddling with it as the soldiers walked along the cliffs edge in both directions.
“Trust you don’t have Halfling-blood with you.” Murac stated as he eyed the horizon.
Haspeth shook his head, “Nope, but that’s not what we are looking for I think.” He replied as he fiddled with the device until he was content that it was level and ready for use. Looking up then he sought to locate Fesmbol so as to offer his services in the search. Fesmbol, however, was at the moment busy leading several of his men out onto a point overlooking the sea.
“What’s the bait?” Murac finally asked when he got bored of watching the sea.
“Oh, blood I guess?” Haspeth concluded as he looked to Murac with a sinister grin.
Murac simply shook his head, “No skin or blood of mine for that bastard!” He announced as he motioned off toward Fesmbol.
Haspeth stood and looked around for a possible alternative donor and saw that Bek was not far away with several soldiers standing near him. “My lord?” Haspeth called out hesitantly as he waved for Bek to come over.
With a reluctant look on his face Bek led his men over to where Murac and Haspeth were situated. “What do you have there, Haspeth?” Bek asked with some suspicion.
“A device for locating things my lord, but it needs a drop of blood!” Haspeth replied with a smile.
The soldiers as well as Bek recoiled immediately at the suggestion Haspeth would be performing sorcery involving human blood. “What’s wrong men?” Murac chuckled. “You want to spend all day climbing on rocks or have this mage here locate us something to chop at?”
It was clear by the looks on their faces that they were unwilling to provide blood until Haspeth spent some time explaining the principals involved until Bek finally tired of it all. “You!” Bek said as he pointed to the nearest man. “Give him a drop.” He then walked off giving all the impression that it meant nothing to him to see his men bleed.
It took a couple other men to firmly grasp the one that had been volunteered and force his shaking hand out to Haspeth who quickly poked the man’s finger with a small dagger. The distraught man closed his eyes tightly as Haspeth shook a drop of blood lose onto the end of the device. All three of the soldiers then backed up several paces as they watched with apprehension as Haspeth knelt down and quickly cast a short spell.
The device promptly pointed to Fesmbol and his group of men that were now several hundred paces away. “Damn!” Haspeth cursed as he stood back up. “They are too close!” He then began yelling and motioning for the men to move away from the cliff which finally got Fesmbol interested enough to return.
As they moved away from the cliff and began to walk back toward them Murac watched the needle on the device closely. After a moment and without a word he walked back over to the cliff’s edge and began studying the shoreline below. After several minutes Fesmbol was close enough for Murac to call out to him.
“Here!” Murac yelled as he stepped back from the cliff edge and pointed off down the shoreline a short ways.
Fesmbol and his men took a few seconds to glance down at where he indicated. “You see something we don’t?” Fesmbol demanded to know.
“Don’t see a thing.” Murac replied. “But your mage will tell you down there is the place to search.”
Fesmbol looked quizzically at Haspeth who was currently motioning for them to move aside which they did at Fesmbol’s direction. Haspeth then stood up tall and pointed in the direction Murac had indicated. “People, or blood anyways, down there!” Haspeth yelled out.
Everyone gathered at the edge of the cliff, which at this point was a hundred or more paces high, and peered down hoping to see something. “Nothing there!” Bek finally announced as if he was being put out.
Meanwhile Murac had gathered up what lengths of rope they had brought. “Not enough, sergeant!” He announced as he handed the rope to the man. “Our mage will have to get us down the rest of the way.” The man looked to Fesmbol for direction as he accepted the coil of rope.
Fesmbol looked unsure as to what to do until Bek spoke up. “You want us to send a man down? Seems a waste of time as we have a league or more to search.”
“You sure of this, Haspeth?” Fesmbol asked as he appeared to stall in making a decision.
“Yes, my lord! There is someone down there, or what’s left of him.”
Murac then added, “The locator does not go far through stone, am I right Haspeth?”
Haspeth inhaled as he thought about the question. “Not very far, I would guess the man is either hiding among the rocks down there or maybe in a shallow cave.”
“If he moves we may not find him again!” Murac cautioned.
Fesmbol looked to Murac and Haspeth for a few moments while looking rather indecisive until finally saying, “You said yourself we don’t have enough rope!”
“Yep!” Murac replied as he walked over to the very edge of the cliff. “And I said our mage will do the rest, now if you’ll go second I’ll gladly go first.” He then spread his arms and looked to Haspeth.
All then watched in fascination as Haspeth cast another spell and so without the aid of a rope Murac began to walk down the impossibly steep slope of the cliff. The men at first exclaimed disbelief in what they saw followed by curses and prayers as Murac dropped out of sight for a moment only to emerge safely at the bottom of the cliff. Murac then waved for Fesmbol to follow.
“D
on’t do it my lord!” Bek warned as he glanced at Haspeth. “At least tie a rope around you.”
“And when I get to the end of it?” Fesmbol asked with a bit of contempt in his voice, he then looked to Haspeth nervously.
Haspeth could guess that the lord was stuck between a rock and a hard place as if he refused to go he would be seen as a coward, and if he did go he was going to have to put his life in someone else’s hands. “Ready my lord.” Haspeth announced with a firm nod. Before Fesmbol could refuse he cast the levitation spell upon him and then motioned for him to walk off the cliff.
“Mage…if you fail me!” Fesmbol screamed as he began sliding slowly over the cliff face on his side. “Ahhhh...ahhhh!” He yelled out as Haspeth lowered him slowly down. When his feet reached the rocks near the water’s edge Fesmbol sat down immediately upon a boulder to rest his trembling legs. Here he saw that Murac was already searching the cliff face as he stepped carefully through the jumble of rocks.
Haspeth lowered all but two of the remaining men and himself down to the rocky beach as they had decided to leave some above in case they needed to be sent back to the city for assistance. The effort of levitating a total of ten men down the cliff left Haspeth a bit exhausted and so he motioned to Murac that he needed a few minutes to rest and so made himself comfortable as best he could on a rock as the others searched around him.
After a few minutes Murac walked over to join Haspeth. “You need to do another sighting with that thing…” Murac said as he motioned toward Haspeth’s bag where the locator was stored. “…but before you do put up a shield spell between you and the cliff. I see several possible cave mouths here and if there are archers they might just have the sense to put an arrow through you.”
Haspeth nodded his head, “Already in place thanks to this.” Haspeth said as he tapped the Ausic ring on his finger. He had with Neustus’s guidance been exploring the inherent powers of the ring, one of which was the instant casting of shield spells that would repel most arrows and similar missiles.
“Good!” Murac replied quietly. “Now I just need to get junior out of harm’s way before we have to explain to daddy why he came home tied to the saddle.” Murac then had the sergeant follow him over to where Fesmbol and Bek were standing.
“Can he tell us where these men might be hiding?” Fesmbol asked as he continued to look along the face of the cliff.
“In a minute he will, but before you get an arrow in you come stand down here with me.” Murac said as he stepped down to stand behind a tall set of boulders that would cover them from any attack coming from the direction of the cliff.
Neither Fesmbol nor Bek looked pleased at Murac’s commanding tone but when the sergeant spoke up to plead with Fesmbol to take precautions he relented and so joined them behind the boulders. “This had better not be for naught!” Fesmbol warned Murac as he watched Haspeth setup his locator device again.
“Don’t point!” Murac called out to Haspeth when it looked like Haspeth had made a reading. “Just let us know with your eyes where you think they are.”
Haspeth nodded and then looked to the cliff face itself where it met the rocky shore about a hundred fifty paces from their position. Murac could see at least one possible cave entrance near where Haspeth indicated but with the many boulders strewn about the area he guessed others were likely hidden from them.
“Let’s hope it’s not a hermit’s cave!” Murac muttered as he began climbing across the rocks toward the cliff face. “Everyone stay put and keep your eyes open, and warn me if you see movement!”
“Take a man or two with you Murac!” The sergeant demanded.
“No, right now we just look to be passing by so they aren’t likely to come out and attack a single man.” Murac replied above the sound of the surf as he continued on.
They all watched silently as Murac bee-lined it to the cliff face and then began moving along it while occasionally glancing back at Haspeth. Eventually Haspeth waved his hand to indicate Murac had reached the spot where the locator had pointed. Looking above him and then down toward the shore Murac indicated he thought it likely the hiding place was between him and sea, which was a good fifty paces away.
After a few more minutes of poking around Murac indicated they should circle around further to the south and join him where he was crouching. It took them a good five minutes to accomplish this and when they arrived Murac had everyone gather around.
“See this tiny trail of water there?” He whispered as he pointed. “There is a small spring here coming out of these boulders below us and there are a few boot-marks there.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for more men?” The sergeant asked when it became apparent that no one else was going to.
“What do you think Murac?” Fesmbol asked with similar apprehension in his voice.
Murac could see that the man was completely inexperienced in military tactics which surprised him not at all. “No, we would have to get word up to the men up top and then wait for a company of men to make their way here and then climb down this cliff. It would be dark by then and if these Hon-Chi, or whoever they are, have a boat stashed around here they will have sculled off like rats.”
“We could guard the place until morning when more men are here.” The sergeant suggested.
Murac shook his head, “Ever fought in the dark?” Murac asked.
“Not much.” The sergeant admitted.
Murac guessed the guy hadn’t seen much action but was not about to criticize him for that. “That’s what we will be doing if we wait!” He warned as he looked to Fesmbol.
Fesmbol shook his head, “You don’t know how many are in there, Murac!”
“Not many, I can tell that much.” Murac replied confidently.
After a bit of silence Haspeth spoke up, “After you Murac!” He was tired of waiting now and could see that Murac was more than willing to take the lead.
Fesmbol grudgingly agreed and so Murac crawled carefully over to where the trickle of fresh water immerged into a hidden sandy bed between some boulders. “You got something to draw them out?” He whispered to Haspeth who was right behind him.
“Yes!” Haspeth replied eagerly as he fished out a scroll. “I need to see in to cast this though.”
“What’s it do?” Murac asked skeptically as he could see Haspeth was dying to cast it which meant it likely did something dramatic.
“Poison vapors! Won’t kill anyone though…just stinks like nothing you smelt before!” He whispered back with a grin.
“Ok!” Murac said with a nod and then he motioned for Fesmbol to come over. “We need them to come out else they could hold up in there for days. Let them come out before attacking, understood?”
Fesmbol nodded his head, “Yes, I’ll have the men wait.” He said as he licked his lips and fiddled with his sword as if preparing to draw it from its scabbard but then deciding not to do so.
Watching Fesmbol mess clumsily with his sword reminded Murac of a detail he had forgotten. “Haspeth!” He hissed guessing that the sound of the surf and wind was preventing them from being overheard by any Hon-Chi that might be about. He then drew his blade and held it out toward Haspeth and motioned to Fesmbol to do the same.
As the arcane-power flowed through him and onto Murac’s blade, making it glow a soft blue, Haspeth smiled at Fesmbol who once again looked to be at a loss. “Your blade, my lord!”
Fesmbol stared at Murac’s blade which now looked to have a keen edge that was finely etched in a deep blue complete with mysterious runes. When Murac sheathed it he hesitated for a moment before carefully drawing his own. When Haspeth reached out and tapped the blade the sword seemed to lighten as it also began to glow softly. Testing the balance a bit as he crouched beside Murac a smile came to his face as the sword seemed to move effortlessly and almost as if of its own accord.
“Marvelous!” Fesmbol whispered as he reluctantly sheathed it.
“A moment!” Haspeth whispered as he scurried back to the others to enchant
their blades. He found many of the soldiers reluctant to have him do it but with some nodes and pointing from Fesmbol and Bek they all relented and soon each of them possessed a glowing weapon.
“Let the men and the mage do the fighting, my lord!” Murac said sternly as he motioned for Fesmbol to move back behind his men, he then turned to Haspeth and indicated for him to proceed. When everyone looked to be in position Murac gave the final go-ahead for Haspeth to cast his spell.
Peering very carefully around the edge of a boulder Haspeth could see now the cave mouth which looked to be almost the height of a man but hardly wide enough for more than one person at a time to enter. He then cast the spell which immediately formed a cloud of greenish vapors that began seeping into the cave. Haspeth then turned and scrambled up the rocks past Murac while doing his best not to look like he was running in fear.
Murac figured the first man must have been just out of sight within the cave as he came running out almost immediately. With sword drawn the strange looking man staggered around blindly as he tried desperately to wipe the stream of tears from his eyes as great strings of mucous hung from his nose and mouth. It was at this point that Murac got his first whiff of the noxious vapors.
“Uuughghh!” He groaned as he turned to look at Haspeth. “Was that dragon-fart!” He muttered as he began slowly moving toward the man who was still oblivious to his fate. Two others had immerged now and all were hunched over and coughing profusely. Murac ignored the three as he motioned to the sergeant to move in and then he quickly dropped down so he could step into the cave.
As the wave of vapors hit him Murac was forced to step back as tears filled his eyes, finally with determination he forced himself to go into the darkness.
Haspeth watched as the sergeant and five of his men raced down to subdue the wheezing and coughing men who still looked to be largely unaware of their presence. “I need them alive!” Fesmbol barked as he followed the men with his sword in hand, leaving Bek and one other to hold the rear.
“Thwwwkk!” The familiar thud of arrow into flesh caused Haspeth to jerk around toward the cliff just as a crossbow bolt bounced off his shield-spell with a “TINK!” Then the screaming started as the sergeant and his men began raining down blows upon the nearly defenseless strangers. The loudest screams came from one of Fesmbol’s men who had been positioned behind Bek and now had a crossbow bolt protruding from his belly.