Clutch Of The Cleric (Book 4)

by Craig Halloran

  “Er, well … you’re a wizard and an Elf. We’re not so used to that. We fear that if you get too upset, things will explode.”

  Bayzog sighed and took the mug in hand. “Is it that obvious?”

  The Man nodded.

  Bayzog took a sip. It was good, soothing like the Man said. He had a seat on a bench and leaned back. “Perhaps I am overreacting,” he said.

  The Man sat along his side. Another Man pulled out a small set of pipes and played. It was upbeat, but not fast. The children clapped. The women and men swung arm in arm and danced.

  “I must admit,” Bayzog said, “you people certainly have a way to overcome dreariness. Such a great spirit among you.” He drank the rest of the cup. “Refreshing actually.”

  “We’re used to hard times,” the older Man said. “Life’s filled with the good and the bad. You just have to deal with it. The rainbows will come again. The crops will grow. They always do.”

  The front door banged open. The room jumped and gasped. A large cloaked figure filled the doorway and stepped inside. A Man was in his arms. It was Ben. Bayzog jumped to his feet when the figure removed his hood. It was Dragon.

  “Is he—” Bayzog started, but he didn’t want to say.

  “He’s wounded, but he lives,” Dragon said, laying him down on a table. “Find something for him to drink.”

  Ben’s face had a nasty gash and there was a large purple knot on his head.

  “What happened?” Bayzog said. “What about Sasha? Did you find her?”

  Dragon shook his head and held out something in his hand. It was her locket. The chain was snapped.

  “Nooooo!” Bayzog slumped to his knees. He punched Dragon in the arm. “What happened?”

  Two more figures made it inside and shook off the rain. Brenwar and Garrison.

  Garrison’s arm dangled at his side. His face was pale and he shivered.

  “Get him something to drink,” Brenwar ordered.

  The villagers did so. Someone threw a blanket over the young soldier.

  “Thank you,” Garrison said, taking the first hot sip, wincing. “My arm hurts.”

  “Dragon,” Bayzog said, “what is going on? What happened out there? Where is Shum?”

  “I’m here,” Shum said, stepped through the door and closing it behind him.

  “Anything?” Dragon asked.

  Shum shook his head. “All the tracks are washed away. Assuming there were any.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Bayzog demanded, rising to his feet.

  “Tell him what you told us, Garrison,” Dragon said. “Recount it all again.”

  Bayzog’s mind raced. Maybe the Ettins came back. Or the Orcs followed. What in the world could it be?

  Shivering, Garrison said, “We decided to make for the village. Slog through the rain. I was leading when the horses stammered and screamed.” He winced. Adjusted his arm. “Something knocked me from my horse and I landed hard on my shoulder. I couldn’t see much in the rain, but I heard Ben scream, ‘Sasha, get behind me!’ That’s when I saw it. It grabbed Ben and flung him like a doll out of sight. It grabbed Sasha ...” He swallowed and his eyes watered.

  “Go ahead, Garrison,” Dragon said. “You’re doing well.”

  He sniffled. “It was horrible. Fanged. The wings spread out and it just scooped Sasha up and leapt into the night. I-I-I was terrified.” He looked right at Bayzog. “I’m sorry. I wanted to help, but I was too slow. And I was scared. That thing’s eyes were pure evil.”

  “Sansla Libor did this!” Bayzog said, pointing at Shum. “You know it!”

  “We don’t know that,” Shum said.

  “Don’t you dare defend him!” Bayzog shouted. “He’s a murderer. And knowing you and your Rover kin, you probably had some idea he was near. Well I’m going after her.” He bumped past Shum and slammed open the door. “No thanks to you!”

  Brenwar wrung out his beard and said, “Now that’s my kind of Elf. Humph.”

  ***

  I’d never seen such emotion from the Elf, but I reminded myself that Bayzog was part human. And even though my friend was angry, it was good to see a little color in his cheeks. I checked the wound on Ben’s head. It was ghastly but not fatal.

  I sighed. Ben had been through much since coming to know me. The young Man had fought a Jackal-were, even killed it. Almost been sacrificed by the Clerics of Barnabus. Battled Ettins. Been punched out by me, and now this. Flung over the rocks by the winged ape.

  “Sometimes, Ben, I wish we’d never met,” I whispered, handing a vial to one of the village women. “Rub a couple drops in his wounds every hour or so.” I put my clawed hand on Garrison’s head. “You, take care of that shoulder.”

  “Wait, where are you going?”

  “After Bayzog and after Sasha.”

  “But I want to go. I can help. I’ve seen the monster.”

  “And lived to tell about it,” I said, walking away. “Live storytellers are better than dead ones. Share this adventure with your fellow soldiers.”

  ***

  Garrison watched the Dragon, Elf and Dwarf depart and hissed in relief. He’d fooled them. There’d been a moment when he doubted himself. When Dragon looked at him. His eyes. Those golden eyes he swore saw right through him. But as he’d been taught, it’s easy to hide a lie with a layer of truth.

  He drank his Honey Tea and closed his eyes.

  Garrison hadn’t lied about one thing. The winged monster had terrified him. He’d rather face the Ettins than face it again. It was evil. And even though he’d known it was coming and had led them right into the trap, he still hadn’t been ready for what he’d seen.

  It wasn’t Sansla Libor.

  It was a winged Draykis.

  What they don’t know might kill them. Heh. Heh.

  He dabbed a damp cloth on Ben’s head. He felt bad for him. For the second time he’d almost gotten the young Man killed. Once by Dragon, again by the monster, yet Ben still lived.

  “You’re different,” Garrison said. “Lucky and unlucky. But it’ll catch up with you sooner or later.”

  He thought about Bayzog. The look on the Elven wizard’s face when he told them about the winged-ape. Almost made that Elf cry. Now that was a performance. He checked the figurine in his pocket. It was time he sent word to his master. The last trap was about to be sprung. He just wished he would be there to see it.

  CHAPTER 32

  There was no stopping Bayzog. He insisted we take him to where Sasha was abducted, which we did. He scoured the spot where the necklace was found, holding a small rod in his hand. It glowed like a lantern but was fueled by something else. Magic. It formed a wide beam of light, illuminating the ground.

  “That’s not going to help,” Shum said. “Even with a full day of light, the water washed all signs and tracks out. I can’t make out one single hoof print.”

  Bayzog kept going about his business. On his knees, he rubbed his hands in the dirt where the locket was found.

  The rest of us did our best to assist him. Even Brenwar dug around.

  After hours of stumbling around, the rain came to a stop and dawn began to break. Birds chirped and the distant sound of a rooster’s crow caught my ears.

  “We can broaden the search now,” Shum suggested.

  “Oh, can we now, Ranger?” Bayzog said. “Perhaps you can lead us right to him, unless you’re protecting him.”

  “You know better,” Shum said.

  “Shum, I hardly know you at all, or your kind. You’re practically shunned by the rest of Elven kind, and now I’m supposed to trust you?” Bayzog extinguished his rod with a word and stuffed it in his robes. “Your king snatches women and children. Is accused of murder. Is cursed. A monster. And now he has Sasha!”

  “We don’t know that for certain,” I said, stepping between them.

  Bayzog turned on me with his fists bunched up. “What?”

  “We only know what Garrison said he saw,” I said, “and I don’t fully tru
st Garrison. Maybe Ben saw something else. It was dark.”

  “I don’t follow,” Brenwar said. “What is it you sense with Garrison, Dragon?”

  I smiled grimly at Brenwar. He knew the sense I had. A detection. I could tell the truth from a lie most of the time. “I’m certain Garrison is holding something back from us. Maybe from fear, or maybe from embarrassment.”

  Bayzog swung himself up into his saddle.

  “Where are you going?” I said.

  “Wherever I have to go to find Sasha.”

  He trotted off, leaving the three of us looking at each other.

  “Let’s just follow him,” I said. “I’m certain he has his own way of tracking her.”

  We spent the next few hours scouring the plains. Bayzog cast detection spells here and there and kept his eyes up often.

  Shum rode along my side, talking. “It’s possible it is indeed Sansla Libor, Dragon,” he said.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “As I’ve said before, I think you two were connected when the both of you met. He searched you out, remember?”

  “Of course,” I said, “but why would he take Sasha? Why not come right after me? Besides, we were far north the last time.”

  “Anything can happen,” Shum said, riding his horse away.

  “Look!” Bayzog cried out from afar, pointing into the sky.

  There are many things that fly, particularly birds and Dragons. But this was neither. Whatever it was, it was shaped more like a Man. A big Man.

  Bayzog was already at a full gallop. Everyone else was riding behind.

  The creature was high in the air and seemed to hover at times, but I couldn’t tell. It wasn’t getting any farther away and we weren’t getting any closer. Bayzog wasn’t going to stop and we weren’t either.

  All my doubts about Sansla Libor faded away. It must be him. What else could it be? And I’d expected a lengthy search, weeks if not months to find the Elf King turned monster. And now there he was, flying high above us.

  It seemed Garrison had been right after all.

  We’d kept pace for a few more miles when it finally dipped and dove into the mouth of the crater. Bayzog stopped and looked back at me. He wasn’t the only one. Shum and Brenwar’s eyes were intent on me as well. In a world full of monsters I shouldn’t have been surprised. Perhaps all along the winged-ape had been hiding in the crater. Back in the caves that I wanted to search through earlier. Now, it must have sniffed me out. Been waiting. Perhaps luring me within. It wanted me for some reason. Perhaps another fight like the last time, but this time I’d be ready.

  “I suggest we leave the horses,” I said. “They’ll be alright.”

  Shum swung his long leg out of his saddle and hopped to the ground. He whispered in his great stallion’s ear and turned to face us.

  “Aaryn will keep them safe,” the ranger said, slipping his small spear from the saddle and hooking in behind his back. “He’ll lead them out of danger if need be.”

  Brenwar unhitched his small chest from his horse and dropped it to the ground.

  “Brenwar,” I said, “Careful, there are potions in there.”

  “So?” he said, unhitching the catches and opening it up. Rows of color-filled vials popped up. “See anything you need, Dragon? Wizard?”

  Bayzog came and leaned over.

  The bottom of the chest was filled with trinkets and other items I hadn’t noticed before.

  Bayzog slipped his fingers around two of the vials.

  Brenwar grabbed a strange metal horn and stuffed it in one of his pouches.

  The chest made me think of my father and his throne. When he banished me he didn’t let me take a thing. But he let Brenwar take what he thought would be needed. I reached inside and wrapped my fingers around a large bright marble. It was a Dragon’s Eye. Not a real one of course, but it might aid us on our search.

  “Got everything ye need?” Brenwar said. We shook our heads yes. He grabbed the Cloth of Concealment, sealed the chest shut, carried it to the edge of the woods, and covered it up.

  “You sure that’s safe?” Shum asked.

  “You sure you’re an Elf?” Brenwar grunted and headed into the woods.

  But it was Shum who led us to the lip of the crater. “There’s a path up ahead,” he said, “that took us out of here before. I don’t advise that we take it back down again.”

  “I say we go in right here,” Bayzog said, twisting a ring on his finger. “Stay close.” He jumped off the edge and floated down. “Hurry!”

  “Dwarves don’t float,” Brenwar said.

  Shum and I grabbed him by the arms and jumped after the wizard.

  “You dare!” Brenwar said. That, and a few other things, all the way down.

  We landed soft as a feather and trekked into the woods on quiet feet before stopping briefly to speak.

  “I say we search the caves first,” I suggested.

  Bayzog disagreed. “We should split up. Cover more ground.”

  I looked him in the eye and said, “This needs to be a united effort. We stay together.”

  Bayzog glared at me. It was a new look. I’d never even seen the Elf rattled, for that matter, but now he was.

  I didn’t blame him. I put my hand on his shoulder. “We will find Sasha.”

  Bayzog nodded, kept his chin down and said, “Agreed.”

  The leaves on the trees started to shake.

  Thoom. Thoom.

  CHAPTER 33

  Brenwar’s brows buckled. “Good, another Giant.”

  “No,” I said, keeping my voice down. “We aren’t taking this one head on.”

  “Why not?” he said.

  “We’re here for Sasha,” I said. “We won’t be fighting anything if we can avoid it.”

  “Says you,” Brenwar said, smacking his war hammer into his hand.

  Thoom.

  “I’ll take us around,” Shum said, “and let’s hope there aren’t many more around.”

  “I might not be a Giant anyway,” I said.

  “Oh, it’s a Giant alright,” Brenwar added, following along after Shum and Bayzog.

  I took up the rear. I didn’t want any of us to get separated.

  Ahead, Shum led us away from the heavy steps of the Ettin, Giant or whatever it was. Fighting that would let the entire crater know we were there. We just needed to get in and out. Be quick about it.

  Navigating the forest wasn’t difficult. The Dwarf and the Elf both had keen vision, as did I. But Satyrs did too, so we had to be careful. They were dangerous and known to be vengeful.

  Shum stopped and held up his hand.

  The heavy Giant steps had faded away, but something howled. A predator. Wolves, I believed. The crickets and bugs still chirped, however. That was a good thing. If danger or evil were near, they’d fall silent.

  Shum signaled back to me with his fingers flashing in the air.

  I’ll be right back.

  I signaled a reply.

  Wait!

  He was gone as if he’d never been there at all.

  Brenwar slung his hammer over his shoulder, shaking his head.

  Bayzog stood with a frown.

  I trusted Shum, but in truth I didn’t know him that well. Not like Brenwar and Bayzog, both of whom I trusted with my life. I brushed my hair out of my eyes and sat down. Shum didn’t have any business running off like that. Not at a time like this.

  I could feel Brenwar’s eyes on me. He was saying something. Nodding a little.

  I looked away from him. I got it. I just didn’t want to admit it. The feeling you get when someone runs off without your permission. It makes you worry a little.

  Minutes later Shum emerged and we gathered around.

  “The Gnolls and Goblins are gone. Disappeared. No tracks,” he said.

  That was odd. There had to be tracks of something.

  “Did you notice anything else?” I asked.

  “Just the entrance to the tunnels. Wide open.”


  “Tunnels, you say?” Brenwar said. “Guess I’ll be leading then.”

  “Hold still, will you?” I said. I pulled out the marble. The Dragon Eye.

  ***

  The tunnels were many. Some Goblin sized. Others large enough to ride a horse inside. We needed to choose one out of the many.

  Brenwar kneeled at the mouth of one, tasted a handful of dirt and spit it out.

  “What do you think, Brenwar?”

  “It’s dirty.”

  “Well, yes,” I said, “I think that’s obvious.”

  “No,” he said raising to full height. “Evil dirty. Bad something in there. Real bad.”

  “Shum,” I said, “don’t you find it odd that Sansla would live in a cave?”

  “No,” he said, “we use caves for shelter and hide outs all the time. It’s not uncommon, not for us anyway.”

  “I’m going in,” Bayzog said. “Brenwar, will you lead the way?”

  “Certainly,” Brenwar said, marching inside.

  “A little caution please,” I said, holding out the Dragon’s Eye. “Let this be our guide. No offense, Brenwar.”

  He turned his cheek and harrumphed.

  I flicked the marble into the tunnel. It glowed a pale green like a lantern bug and hovered forward into the darkness until it disappeared.

  “Lead the way,” I said, gesturing to Brenwar.

  “I thought we were following your little bauble,” he said, marching along with Bayzog right in step behind him. “What’s that thing do anyway?

  “Sees what we cannot. Warns us of any danger,” I said.

  “Good, then I guess we don’t have anything to worry about now, do we?” Brenwar said, marching off.

  The tunnels led from one to another. It only made sense to head through the openings big enough for a large ape to manage.

  “Look,” Brenwar said.

  In a cave nook were some gnawed up bones and other remains. Cloth, ashes and embers from a fire. We kept going, seeing traces of life here and there. It made me think of the Goblin hideout we had ventured through before.

  “Hmmm,” Brenwar said, stopping and pulling at is beard. He eyed a cave wall and ran his hands over the rock. “Seems there have been some civilized settlements here after all. Sloppy work. Probably from Orcs or some other beast that’s not smarter than the pick it swings.”