“If you will not give me what I want, I will take it from your mind,” the Black Dragon said and then slammed the fire poker up, caving in his own skull with a crunching sound.
Bergmann left the dying body and slammed into the Einode man’s body. To his surprise, he found a determined mind. The man held him at bay. “Take me not, Spirit. Your answers I will not give.”
Jerrie worked the thin blade out of the inside of his bracers. The blade was only an inch long and wasn’t much help in a fight, but it would serve him now. He pulled the thin blade free and ran it along the rope that was digging into his arms. It took a moment and he was struggling to get the short blade up at the right angle, but he finally cut through the rope. He ran to the corner and grabbed his weapons. The ropes were holding the Einode man’s body inches off of the ground. The man’s feet fell to the ground after he cut the ropes holding them. Jerrie could hear him yelling at the spirit that was trying to take his body. That gave him pause. He cut the rope that was holding the man’s arms to the bed, but did not untie it from the man’s wrist. He picked the man up and carried him out of the room.
The woman coming up the stairs started when she saw him. Jerrie slammed his elbow in to the woman’s face. She fell back down the stairs. She settled at the bottom, face first on the ground with one of her feet still on the stairs. He stepped over her and made his way out into the street. He stood in the entrance for a few moments, waiting. Patrols came down these streets often. He waited until he saw one.
“Guards!” he shouted.
The six soldiers came running over to him. “Sir, are you all right? What has happened to the Einode?”
“I am Jerrie, personal friend of King Patria and advisor to his nephew, Prince Stoneheart. The woman in here aided Black Dragons in my capture. If you would please collect her and escort me to the palace.”
“Of course we will, sir.” The leader nodded and two of the soldiers ran inside the Sand Shark. A moment later, the two soldiers came out with the woman’s arms draped over their shoulders.
“Sir, you seem injured. Might we carry the Einode back? Is he all right?”
Jerrie noticed the man had stopped shouting at the spirit. He let the guards take the man off of his shoulder. They made their way toward the palace. Jerrie was leaning heavily on the patrol leader, the burn on the inside of his leg was searing and the leather of his pants had melted to his leg with the heat of the poker. He felt the agony of his skin being pulled every time he took a step.
Bergmann was trapped. The man he had attempted to abduct had been more capable than he could have imagined. He had fended him off, but when he had tried to let go, the man had reached out and grabbed hold of him with his mind.
Bergmann delved into the man’s mind. The man pushed back, and Bergmann let go, letting himself be pushed away. This time, before the man could grab hold of him again, he was already free. He was about to slam into the body of one of the soldiers, but he hesitated. He was hesitant after what had just happened, but then he realized that if he didn’t kill this man, he would tell Stoneheart everything he knew about how to find the Forgotten Kingdom. He slammed into one of the soldiers carrying the woman. The man offered very little resistance and, in a single breath, he had control. He drew the man’s sword, dropping the woman to the ground. In a flash, Jerrie turned. Bergmann ignored Jerrie and thrust at the Einode man. Jerrie was faster though, and Bergmann’s sword was knocked harmlessly aside.
Another of the guards drew his sword and turned on his companion. “What are you doing?” he shouted.
“It’s a phantom. He is not in control. Try not to kill him,” Jerrie replied.
Another guard slammed the pommel of his sword into the back of the man’s head. The soldier dropped. The captain turned to his men. “Put your weapons away. Leave the woman. We have to get Master Jerrie and the Einode to the palace. Any of us who draws his weapon has been abducted by the phantom. The other four of us will be able to stop them unarmed.”
The guards immediately responded, and Jerrie had to admire the man’s quick thinking. They ran toward the palace, leaving the woman and the unconscious soldier on the ground. All of a sudden, one of the soldiers leapt onto the Einode’s back. The soldier grabbed hold of the man's head and was trying to turn it. The Einode man came awake and tried to resist, but his neck was about to break. One of the soldiers who had been carrying him had been knocked to the ground. The other had only stumbled and now his foot came across, slamming into the man’s head. The phantom-abducted soldier fell off of the Einode. The soldier helped him to his feet and together Jerrie, the Einode man, and the four remaining soldiers made it to the palace gate. The guards recognized Jerrie and moved out of the way at his command. The four soldiers followed him into the palace. They waited in the foyer while one of the servants ran off. A moment later, King Patria appeared with Anna and King Stoneheart at his side.
Chapter Thirty-three
A Couple More Days
Bergmann was about to slam into one of the guards and make another attempt on the Einode’s life, but the Patria wizard came into the room. He could feel the power of the man’s magic, and it made him uncomfortable. It was far too similar to the magic of the necromancer. He didn’t want to give himself away in the man’s presence. He decided he could wait. The Einode man was in excruciating pain and likely wouldn’t be telling them anything today. He could take his time.
“What happened to you?” King Patria asked.
“Bergmann. It has to be him. I went to meet the Einode, and we were ambushed. One of the Black Dragons held back and, when I was poisoned, he killed one and ran the other off. He started torturing the Einode for information about the Forgotten Kingdom. When he realized he wasn’t going to get what he wanted, he killed himself, but then the Einode started crying out against the spirit who was trying to take control of him. I believe the Einode was able to fend him off though, because all of the soldiers we called to our aide started attacking us. If it weren’t for this man’s quick thinking,” he motioned toward the patrol leader, “we may not have made it back at all.”
King Patria turned toward the patrol leader. “Thank you, Sergeant. What is your name?”
“I am Sergeant Adams, Your Highness,” the man answered. Red and blond fought for control of his hair. The freckles that covered his face showed that the red was winning.
King Patria stared at Jerrie for a moment. “Jerrie, I trust your judgment in these things greatly. What is your honest assessment of this man’s ability?”
Jerrie didn’t even turn to face the sergeant. “Your Highness, I have already stated that his quick thinking led to us safely arriving back here. That speaks to his mental discipline. I watched him effectively fight off his own men, blocking without causing them any real harm. I cannot speak to the man’s personal habits, because I do not truly know, but I can say that the skill and leadership he has displayed in my presence is far above what I would have expected of a man of his rank.”
Patria gave a slight smile. “That is exactly what I needed to here.” He turned back to the soldier. “Attention to orders!” All of the soldiers in the room snapped to attention. “Sergeant Adams, with the authority of the throne of Patria, I declare you to be a lieutenant. I also declare that you are to be transferred from city watch to the King’s Guard. You will pick a single squad of soldiers to be transferred as well. You will need to choose one sergeant. If the man you want is not a sergeant, he will be promoted to the rank. Your first task will be to the personal guard of a palace guest. Master Brennin will take you to have your promotion and transfer papers drawn up. If you intend to have a man promoted to sergeant, give Master Brennin his name and he will draw those papers up as well. Your squad should be assembled by the end of the day. You will be placed in charge of the protection of our guest first thing tomorrow.”
Lieutenant Adams placed his open hand over his chest. “It will be done as you commanded, Your Highness. Thank you, Your Highness.”
&
nbsp; “Thank you for making sure to get these men back to me. I will see you tonight. Master Brennin, if you would please go take care of Lieutenant Adams.”
They all waited as Master Brennin led the newly promoted lieutenant and his men out of the room.
King Patria turned to King Stoneheart. “It looks like you will be staying a little longer. The Einode man won’t be able to travel for at least a week. Those burns looked pretty bad, and Jerrie could surely use some time to recover. I am not sure of the extent of his wounds, but he has to be in pretty bad shape if he is showing such a heavy limp.”
They all looked to Jerrie. No one spoke, but their question hung in the air. “I am fine. Bergmann burned the inside of my leg with a fire poker. He burned the Einode much worse. The man is no stranger to pain. He suffered a great deal before giving up anything to Bergmann, and what he did give up was vague information that anyone could gather if they asked the right people.”
“Do you think he knows more?” Grizzle asked.
Jerrie nodded. “He knows more then he gave up, and what he doesn’t know I am confident he knows where to find the information. The man is determined. If he decides not to help us, there will be no persuading him. At one point, Bergmann dragged a red hot poker across the man’s stomach, and the man still did not tell him what he wanted to hear.”
“Let us hope that Bergmann has not hardened him against helping anyone. For now, there is nothing we can do but wait. Jerrie, you need to get that leg looked at.” Grizzle turned toward his son. “Well, we were hoping we could take Dobo and Gobo, and this might give them enough time to get here before we leave.”
“Dobo and Gobo are coming?” Rundo asked excitedly.
“It looks like they will be able to make it in time,” Grizzle answered with a knowing smile.
“Who are Dobo and Gobo?” the woman who had been standing in the background asked.
Grizzle turned toward the woman. “Dobo and Gobo are two of the most capable fighters in all of the dwarven kingdoms. They helped us retake Tiefes Loch, and then I sent them to Shinestone to help with the preparations there.”
“They are also the only two dwarves I have ever met who share a glutinous hunger to match Rundo’s,” Grundel said.
King Patria let out a laugh. “Last time they were in Patria with Rundo, the kitchen was nearly emptied. We should warn the cooks.”
“And who is this then?” Grizzle asked.
“This is Selina.” Patria turned and looked to her and she nodded. “Her real name is Selina Sandaria. She is the lost daughter of Aurthur Sandaria, the king of Selfsom. She came to our aid when the Black Dragons attacked us on the road. She is quite the capable fighter, and her falcon is magnificent.” When he finished talking, he noticed everyone was smiling at him. He turned toward Selina and realized that her cheeks were flushed. He felt his own face warm with redness.
“You are a falconer?” Rundo asked with honest excitement.
Selina nodded, obviously happy to redirect the conversation. “I have a falcon named Jaya. She is the most loyal and intelligent bird I have ever seen.”
Jerrie laughed out loud. “You will have to excuse my friend. He is a druid, so he gets excited about animals. Don’t be offended if he shows more interest in your Jaya than he does in you.”
Selina smiled. “I am sure Jaya will be excited by the attention.”
Jerrie looked at King Patria. “How is it that you discovered the heir to Selfsom? It is rumored that she and her mother were killed years ago.”
“Her brother was killed, but her mother escaped with her. She has remained in hiding ever since. When she came to our aid against the Black Dragons, I was able to put the timeline together. Her father has been invited to Patria. No one else knows who she is, and we have decided to keep her identity a secret until her father arrives. It will be up to King Sandaria to decide how he wants to reveal the return of his lost daughter.”
“That is why you looked so familiar,” Anna said.
Everyone turned to Anna. Anna continued to stare at Selina. “My father brought me to Selfsom a few years before he died. Our fathers arranged a marriage between your brother and me. You were very young, but I met you and your brother then. I believe you really are her. If you are not that girl I saw twenty years ago, you have to be a close relative.”
“How do you remember her so well if she was just a little girl?” Jerrie asked.
“I was going to meet the boy that I was going to marry. I knew why my father was taking me there. I remember everything about that trip. I also remember your brother. He had kind eyes. He was a good man, I was sad to hear what happened to him.”
“Thank you, Queen Stoneheart. Now that you mention it, I do remember that. I never knew of our parents’ intent. My brother was a good man. He died defending my father. Thank you for your kind words.”
Anna had no words that could continue the conversation or make it any less uncomfortable so she just nodded.
The conversation was becoming more uncomfortable and less productive, so King Patria decided to end it. “I think that is enough for now. Jerrie, I will send a healer to your room. King Stoneheart, let me know what you want to do about the Einode and your preparations and I will do everything I can to help.”
Grundel and Rundo went with Jerrie up to his room. Jerrie waited on the bed for the healer to arrive. They were only in the room a few minutes before the knock came at the door. The healer came in before anyone responded. “Master Jerrie, I was told you were burned. Your friend’s wounds are being tended to already. He will be sore for some time, but he should recover. It seems you were not burned as badly. If you would let me take a look at that leg.” The old man moved toward the bed Jerrie was sitting on, pulling a small blade out. With ease that could only come from experience, he cut a circle in the leather around the burn that fused the pants to his leg.
“If you would remove your pants, Master Jerrie.” It was more of a command than a request. Jerrie did as he was told and laid back on the bed as he pulled his pants free of his legs. The old man uncorked a small vial. “Sir, you will want to take this. What comes next will be very painful.”
Jerrie stared at the bottle for a moment, his mouth watering. He could almost taste the bitterness on the back of his tongue. He knew it would be bad if he did not take it, but he knew that it would be worse if he did. He didn’t fully recover from the addiction for weeks after he stopped taking it. He looked to Grundel and Rundo. “Hold me down.”
Grundel placed his huge hands on Jerrie’s chest and held him to the bed. Rundo wrapped his arm around Jerrie’s wounded leg at the ankle. Jerrie nodded to the old man, who gave Jerrie a nod and then slid the tip of the blade into Jerrie’s thigh. His pants had fused with the first few layers of skin. The healer turned his blade sideways and cut under the seared skin. Jerrie clenched his jaw, and his muscles all flexed, but he did not cry out. The healer was quick. It only took a couple of seconds, but it might as well have been an hour to Jerrie.
Grundel and Rundo let him go, and Jerrie sat up, leaning back against the wall. His leg was straight out on the bed. The healer pulled a dressing from a pouch and moved to place it over the freshly bleeding leg.
“This will stop the pain,” the old man said.
Before the bandage touched his leg, Jerrie’s dagger slammed into his arm. The bandage dropped to the ground as the old man screamed in pain. Grundel trusted Jerrie’s instincts. He didn’t hesitate; he just grabbed the old man and slammed him against the wall.
Jerrie climbed out of the bed and stood on one leg. “I have spent my entire life fighting the Black Dragons. The smell of reaper’s leaf is one I learned early in life.”
“Reaper’s leaf?” Rundo asked.
Jerrie continued to stare into the old man’s eyes as he responded, “Reaper’s leaf is a plant that grows in darkness. Its leaves are so a dark blue that it almost looks black. The leaves are extremely poisonous, so rubbing the oils on your skin will slow your heartbeat
and breathing down so much you will seem to be dead. If you eat just a little bit or if it makes its way into your blood, it is certain death. It is a very rare plant and assassins don’t use it lightly, because it is so hard to come by. The fact that this man has it, means that he is working for the Black Dragons. The question is why?”
Chapter Thirty-four
Turning the Tide
Jerrie stood next to the old man who had tried to kill him. Grundel stood on the other side, holding the man in place. King Patria sat on his throne in the throne room.
“Tell him what you told us,” Jerrie commanded the kneeling man.
“Your Highness, I have always been your man. The Black Dragons have my daughter and my grandchildren. Not an hour before I was told to go assist Master Jerrie, a soldier at the rear palace gate gave me the bandage with the reaper’s leaf on it. He told me they had my family and I was to use it on the members of King Stoneheart’s group. He said if I had not used it by sundown, my family would be killed. When Master Jerrie came in with the wounded leg, I tried to bandage his wound with the reaper’s leaf. Master Jerrie discovered what I was doing and stopped me. Your Highness, I will accept whatever punishment you demand, but please save my family. Do not let the Black Dragons kill them.”
King Patria stared at the man for a moment. He looked to Jerrie. “There is not much time until sundown. This man will pay for his crimes, but we cannot give the Black Dragons this power.”
Jerrie nodded. “Your Highness, I do not hold this man responsible for what he has done. It is the Black Dragons who did this.”
King Patria looked to the guards at the door. “One of you go find Commander Thompson.”
One of the guards saluted and left the throne room. A short time later, the guard returned, following Commander Thompson.
“Your Highness, you sent for me?” Commander Thompson asked as he placed his open hand over his chest in salute.
The Phantom Dwarf Page 17