The Vordalyn 2

by Michael T Payne

  Tamina transformed herself again with an illusion, making herself resemble Venalina in her Vordalyn form. She flew low enough to be seen by the hordes, flying over the entire force, inspecting them. The fighting among them stopped and they started to drop to their knees and prostate themselves before her in servitude. Um’Vec knelt, looking up, watching her flight, until she made her way to him. She dropped down with such force and power, the ground shook, sending fear through the creatures nearby. Um’Vec smiled at his mistresses’ power and fell forward before her, laid out on his belly like a snake, his face in the dirt.

  “My Dark Goddess O’on.” He said, “I await your orders.”

  “Gather four and prepare to come with me.” Tamina commanded. Um’Vec wasted no time and stood, he walked to a bowl picking it up, then grabbed a stone dagger from his side. Um’Vec killed a random goblin and drained his blood into the bowl. It did not die right away and fell to the ground gurgling. Others fell upon it, devouring the unfortunate creature as Um’Vec went through the crowds around him, placing his hand in the bowl then marking four of them with a slap leaving the bloody handprint on them. The sign of the chosen. Tamina enjoyed the spectacle, and ritual of the creatures. It was a wonder to behold, to see the inner workings of their society and their strange interactions with one another. Each of the chosen growled and roared, raising their fists in the air in celebration, turning around looking at the horde around them that roared their approval for each. They gathered weapons and joined Um’Vec, taking a knee before Tamina. “Our goal is stealth. Not a sound shall you make, and your reward will be the sweetest of flesh!” She growled. All those that could hear her, roared in delight of the treats offered for obedience. Tamina snapped her fingers and the six of them teleported to the lake, opposite of the camp where Velen and his family were. They followed her as she began to round the lake through the forest, animals fled at their approach and as much as Um’Vec and the chosen wanted to feast on them, they ignored them, staying on Tamina’s heels. As they approached the camp Tamina pointed with two fingers on her right hand to her right and two fingers with her left hand to her left. Two gnolls followed her direction to the left and two to the right. Um’Vec remained just behind Tamina’s right shoulder. She stood at the very edge of the camp, the farthest edge lit by fire. She saw the children were asleep in their tent. While Velen and his wife made love by the fire, under the stars. Tamina watched for a time as they indulged in their passion before her and her minions. Tamina began to speak a spell, her hand aimed at the lovers. Still, they could not hear her, for it was her wish not to be heard. Then, Velen was overtaken by the spells affect and fell asleep atop his wife. “Take them!” Tamina ordered and the gnolls entered camp. Jesa was not affected by the spell because she was not its target. She could suddenly hear and see the monsters around her as they entered camp, one kicking her unconscious husband from atop her, while the other grabbed her by the hair and yanked her naked body up from the ground, dangling from its grip. One gnoll began to beat the unconscious Velen with its fists. Jesa struggled and screamed for Velen. The children came out of their tent to see what was going on and were quickly scooped up by the other two gnolls.

  “No!” Jesa screamed in horror.

  “Take the children, feast! I want their bones.” Tamina commanded. The gnolls immediately began to tear the screaming children apart and devour their flesh. The gnoll that held the screaming and kicking Jesa, watched on, licking his lips. Jesa cried as her children vanished from her forever into the belly of those beasts. Tamina nodded at Jesa and the gnoll dropped her. She lay in the dirt pounding her fist against the ground in anguish, her children no longer screaming, dead. “You can thank your king, the mighty Dracon for what has befallen you.” She said to the crying Jesa, who looked at the two gnolls eating her children, she was still screaming, oblivious to Tamina’s words. “What are you waiting for? She’s yours, finish her until only bones remain!” Tamina ordered the hungry gnolls, who wasted no time. Jesa fought as hard as she could, but one bite after another, the fight left her. Um’Vec joined the two gnolls, gorging themselves on her flesh. Tamina walked over to Velen, examining him, naked and unconscious. She knelt, whispering to him, her words oozed from her mouth in a green mist that entered Velen’s ears. “It was your friend Dracon, and his woman, Venalina, who murdered your family before your very eyes. They forced you to watch as they fed them to the foul creatures of his monstrous army. All because you would not turn your back on Ganlin, in favor of him and his evil bride. A dark lord has risen in Dwerma and he is Dracon. Poisoned by Venalina, no longer the man you knew. Now, your hated enemy! Your only refuge will be in Urixis, go there, seek out allies to avenge your family! Your only salvation is with Queen Menina.” Tamina stood up and faced Um’Vec, “When they are bones, leave them in a pile right there, next him. Then we will leave.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sevum joined a caravan returning from Qinkas to Ulk, the city on the shores of Cold Lake. He secured his passage the night before it was to leave and during that night, he stole Terrax’s Battle-Axe, making his escape well out of the city before its theft was discovered. Cricket came upon Sevum before the caravan departed and decided to join Sevum. He opted to leave Qinkas, when Sevum informed him he was not going to deliver the battle-axe to Click as he was supposed to. Cricket knew Click would blame him for its loss, being that he introduced the two. Sevum had enough money to get them both rooms in Durlan’s bustling tavern, named, Durlan’s Spirited Spirits. It was so busy, Sevum made money just coming and going from the tavern. It was standing room only, with hardly a place to stand without being up against someone. Sevum picked pockets and kept his full. It seemed, not only did the tavern serve drinks, but it served as a hub, where many merchants did business. The tavern was in a constant state of construction, trying to grow with the business it thrived from. Expansion couldn’t happen fast enough. Cricket, too, profited from the overstuffed tavern. Unlike Sevum, he spent his loot as fast as he made it, and constantly showed up at Sevum’s side penniless, always when he was sitting down to eat. His only redeeming quality was his ability to learn, very quickly, all the gossip that was worth knowing. Sevum learned a lot about Qinkas, and even more about Dracon and what he did there. He learned about Venalina and what exactly a Kina was. Some, he knew was embellished, but even if a little of the tales were true, they were still fantastic. They both found out separately, that Durlan Olana, the taverns owner, had ventured to the once great city of the Vordalyn, from where Dracon’s wife to be hailed, supposedly. Durlan was hiring men to explore the city after returning with a taste of what lie inside. There was no cap on the number of men he was hiring and was throwing his money around like it was endless. This perked the interest of both Cricket and Sevum. After hearing Sevum’s plan to investigate, Cricket decided he would stay in Ulk and find profits from the tavern customers instead. A decision confirmed after hearing the tale of the Gyona and the Naga.

  Sevum went to the staging area where Durlan commissioned several boats to ferry men and equipment back and forth from the shores of the dead city. Once there, he quickly spotted where men were being interviewed and hired. He made his way to the first line along with several other men looking for jobs.

  “Name?” The man at the table asked, barely looking up at Sevum. He had a quill pen in his hand and was writing down the names of the men they hired. His fingertips were stained with ink.

  “Adrien Stroud.” Sevum answered.

  “Trade?” The man asked writing down the name Sevum gave him.

  “Locksmith.” Sevum said, which made the man stop writing. He thought for a moment then slowly looked up at Sevum. He was an older man, and by his gruff demeanor, Sevum assumed he was a former soldier, or mercenary, which was correct, a mercenary. He looked Sevum up and down.

  “Specialist, eh?” He asked.

  “I am an expert, sir, worth twice what you’re paying them.” Sevum pointed at the others around them.

  �
�Now why would we need a locksmith?” The man asked, he had a suspicious smile on his face knowing what a locksmith was in truth. It didn’t bother Sevum though, all locksmiths were thieves, or at least were, at one time or another.

  “I hear tell you’re going to an underground city?” Sevum asked, making the man nod.

  “Yes, but we need laborers, for carrying treasure. Not locksmiths.” He said narrowing his eyes at Sevum.

  “Will every door in the city be opened freely? Do you hope to find locked chests of gold? Or do you suspect it’s lying on the floor at your feet for the taking?” Sevum asked putting both hands on the table, speaking softly to the man, keeping their conversation private, “Do you throw your coin on the floor when you get home, or do you keep it safe?” The man eyed Sevum, considering his words.

  “We’ll call you an archaeological specialist,” He said, “Keep that locksmith business to yourself, understand?”

  “I do.” Sevum stood back up from the table.

  “We have ships leaving on the hour, for the next four, gather what you need and be on one.” The man scribbled on a parchment and handed it to Sevum, who folded it and put it in his shirt. Sevum smiled, giving the man a nod, then left the line, making way for the next man. Sevum walked to the docks edge and looked out over the massive lake. He couldn’t see the other side, the water simply disappeared into the horizon. He had never seen anything like it. It made him smile. The lake was alive with activity. Birds flying about, men doing the same, unloading and loading provisions, goods. It was a fairy tale world he stumbled upon.

  “Thank you, Prince Dracon.” He said to himself, if not for the portal, Sevum would still be in Ganlin, running for his life. If only he still had that remarkable amulet, life would be perfect. Sevum went back to the tavern, retrieving his belongings, most of which he hid, then settled up his tab. When he returned, he could hear the bells sounding the last call before the boats were leaving. It was a bigger boat than most on the dock, holding about twenty men and provisions. Sevum had meager provisions that he could hold or lay in his lap when he sat. He never carried much, taking what he needed when it was needed. His prize, Terrax’s Battle-Axe, he hid in the woods outside the city of Ulk.

  The voyage across the lake was like nothing Sevum ever experienced before, he had no idea how it would affect him. The choppy waters had an unexpected effect on his equilibrium and his stomach content. He spent the last three hours of the voyage hanging over the side, throwing up. The other men on the boat, used to life around the lake, laughed at him and offered him food. They told him disgusting things to make him throw up even more. Sevum swore he would never cross the lake again by boat, he swore he would go around, no matter how long it took him!

  When they arrived at the shores, the others exited the boat promptly, while Sevum lingered, being the last to leave. It was raining and the cool waters from the sky made him feel better once his feet were on solid ground. Men were working everywhere, building tents large enough to accommodate as barracks, some off in the distance, appeared to be digging graves. There was a foreman taking papers from each of the men exiting the boats and giving them orders then pointing to areas for them to go. Sevum took his time and was the last in line. While he waited, he scanned the area. He could see through the trees was a large cave opening, in the side of a sheer cliffs face. Men were carrying crates into the cave, ordered around by a fat man, who was eating and drinking while he gave his orders. He was dressed in such opulence, Sevum knew immediately he must be the one whose expedition it was. Sevum looked at the to the top of the cliff, then followed its edges with his eyes. He saw two men at the very top of the cliff. They weren’t out in the open, and he couldn’t actually get a good look at them, but their movements indicated to him that they were hiding, spying on the work being done there.

  When Sevum finally made it to the front of the line, another boat was arriving. His head and belly settled by then. “Archae…” The foreman started to read the parchment Sevum handed him, “What’s this say, then?” He asked.

  “Archaeological specialist.” Sevum answered.

  “Well,” He said sitting back in his seat, then tipping his hat back on his head, “Ain’t you a fancy one?” Sevum looked around to see if anyone else was near enough to scrutinize his title. Most had already left the line without much care of the others around them, and the men behind him hadn’t come off the boat yet. “What job is that exactly?” The foreman asked.

  “I specialize in unearthing old relics, that’s what we’re doing here right?” Sevum asked.

  “Oh, then you’ll be needing to see the man himself.” He turned to his left, put his fingers in his mouth and whistled, getting the attention of another foreman who was directing men and provisions. “Take mister, here, over to Lord Durlan, he’ll want to see this one right away.” He told the other foremen, who nodded then led Sevum across the camp to the caves opening.

  Chapter Thirty

  Dracon looked down at his plate, swallowing what was in his mouth. He looked at the chicken, the carrots, and the potatoes, spread across his plate. The meal was almost finished, but had no memory of any of it. There was a bowl of chopped cheese in little squares, another with grapes and yet another with figs. He sat still, considering what it was he just swallowed and ran his tongue over his teeth, trying to discern what, in all that lay before him, he just ate. He had no memory of how he arrived at the table, or any idea how long he had been there. He simply came to, sitting there, eating. The meal was still hot, he could see the steam rising from the sliced potatoes. Dracon’s last lucid memory was having a meal with his brother, Prince Charnio, at that very table, there in the dining hall. He wondered if he was dreaming, he wondered if this memory would become a mottled experience, he would soon forget the next time he blinked.

  “Is it delicious my lord? You’re ravenous this evening.” Talila’s voice pierced the silence. He did not react, numb, still looking down at his plate, waiting for everything to fade away, only to find himself in yet another part of the palace, wondering how he got there. Her voice echoed, he could hear her, as well as feel her voice in his mind, furthering his assessment that he was only dreaming. Images and experiences the Unholy Reaver showed him. He felt Talila’s hands on his shoulders, but he did not look back at her. He had a fork in his hand, his eyes darted around the table, then around the room in front of him.

  “Where is everyone?” He asked, his own voice, hardly recognizable to his ears, tired, listless. His question made Talila giggle.

  “After your return from the outer region covered in flesh,” She began to massage his shoulders, “bone, the blood of… who knows?” Dracon tried to remember what she was talking about, “Your servants left the palace, first. Then, after you fell from the dizzying heights of your special room you use to stare out into the expanse of death and stood up with hardly a scratch. Of course, you did that in front of an audience too, then walked away without an explanation. After that, your guards left the palace, first, to the walls. Then, to the grounds around them, outside, in the city.”

  “Everyone has left?” He asked, looking down at his plate. He scooped up some food and put it in his mouth, slowly. As he rolled it around with his tongue, his hunger spiked and he began to chew.

  “Not at first, but this morning, I flew up above the wall and looked out over the city. I couldn’t see anyone. Just a goat, and that chicken on your plate. It could be a rooster? They look the same on a plate.” Talila chuckled.

  “Dragon’s Claw is empty?” He asked grabbing a handful of grapes, shoving them into his mouth, “When will these nightmares stop?” He chuckled. Talila walked down the side of the table toward the far end.