The Serpent Cult

by F. P. Spirit

  “Yes.”

  Aksel shook his head and chuckled. “It’s good to have you back, Seth.”

  They reached the camp and Ves gently placed Martan down in one of the tents. Lloyd brought blankets for them to wrap themselves in while their clothes dried. Ves took the wet clothes and laid them out by the fire. Meanwhile, Glo passed out plates of cooked fish.

  As Glo handed Seth his plate, the halfling asked in a casual voice, “By the way—why is the lighthouse burning?”

  Glo dropped the plate in Seth’s lap, spun around, and walked away without a word.

  Aksel tried hard not to laugh. “Long story. We’ll tell you later.”

  The reunited companions had dinner with the two Greymantle sisters. Ves sat next to Martan, hovering over him like a mother hen. Aksel noticed Glo eyeing the pair. When he caught Aksel staring at him, Glo gave him a wan smile and shrugged his shoulders. Seth related his and Martan’s story while they ate. A couple of miles north, they ran into a small party of goblins. The goblins were riding wolf mounts.

  Aksel truly disliked goblins. They were small, yellow-skinned creatures, about the same size as halflings. They were typically scrawny, except for their large heads, which were far too big for their bodies. Goblins were nasty, though. They traveled in packs and attacked anyone unlucky enough to cross their path. Worse, these filthy little creatures would eat whoever or whatever they caught.

  Seth and Martan, both accustomed to the wild, managed to evade the goblins at first. As luck would have it, the wind shifted and the wolves caught their scent. The duo was forced to retreat up into the trees. Through a combination of Martan’s archery, Seth’s acrobatic/knife wielding skills, and the clever use of some modified smoke bombs, the pair dispatched the goblins and a number of wolves. The rest of the pack chased them down to the cliff’s edge. Having no other options, Seth and Martan jumped. Martan had been severely injured on the way down, but luckily, Seth was able to stabilize him.

  Aksel was surprised that Seth had healing skills. They would have to talk more when they got a chance. When Seth was done with his tale, Aksel told the story of their encounter at the lighthouse.

  When he was finished, Seth wore a wide smirk. “Don’t worry, Glo. It’s not like that’s the first time you’ve blown something up. Admittedly, the top of the tower at Stone Hill only had a small cauldron of oil on it. This beats that by far!”

  Glo refused to respond to Seth’s taunting. Instead, he stood up, snatched the halfling’s empty plate out of his hand, and stalked off toward the water with the dirty dishes.

  Seth continued, undaunted by his friend’s reaction. “So then, is anyone else seeing a pattern here? We find a scouting party of goblins to the north where the fake lighthouse signal would have been. Then you find the lighthouse occupied by another party of goblins and a goblin demon. I’m just saying, probably not a coincidence.”

  “You may just be on to something.” Aksel’s hand went absently to his chin. “Finding goblins at both sites could very well point to a conspiracy. That, in turn, might explain all the sunken ships off the coast.”

  Glo walked back up from the water. “Goblins are not bright enough to come up with that kind of scheme themselves. A barghest, on the other hand, just might be. However, sinking ships does not seem like a demon’s style. They are more likely to be found in the center of wanton death and destruction.”

  Seth laid back on the sand and peered up at the night sky. His voice sounded distant, as if he were thinking aloud. “Agreed. Someone else is pulling the strings here—someone who is far more interested in disrupting trade and looting treasure.” Abruptly he sprang up. “Is it me, or is this all starting to sound vaguely familiar?”

  There was a moment of silence, and then Lloyd cried out. “You mean the orc raids on the caravans!”

  “Exactly.” Seth nodded approvingly at the young man.

  Aksel continued to rub his chin. This was all starting to make sense. The attacks on the caravans and the sinking of the ships could be related. The means were similar, using orcs or goblins to do the dirty work.

  Lloyd wore an expression of deep concentration. “Do you think the same dark mages that were funding the orcs could also have hired out these goblins?”

  Aksel was impressed. Lloyd was thinking things through now, both on and off the battlefield. “I thought the same thing. The real question though is why? How does disrupting trade to Ravenford benefit these mages?”

  Glo let out a gasp. All the color had drained out of the wizard’s face.

  Lloyd placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “What is it, Glo?”

  The tall elf turned toward Martan. When he spoke, his voice was hushed. “Do you remember what Voltark said that time you caught him talking to himself?”

  Martan’s face went blank. He appeared rather weary, but managed to recite the words. “Things are going as planned. We have them cut off on all sides.”

  A sudden chill went up Aksel’s spine. That sounded far too much like what was happening here on the coast and along the west road. This was bad.

  “Well, things certainly took a dark turn,” Seth commented.

  Lloyd’s eyes swept around the circle. “Let me get this straight. Are you saying the dark mages and Voltark were all in league with each other?”

  Aksel nodded. “That pretty much sums it up.”

  “So then the Serpent Cult is behind all of this—the attacks on the west road, the sunken ships, and the plot against Andrella?”

  “It would appear so,” Glo agreed.

  It grew quiet as they all huddled around the crackling campfire. The night air had become decidedly chilly. The dark shadows outside the firelight appeared to lengthen, despite the silvery moon overhead.

  Ves’ voice broke the eerie silence. “What is this Serpent Cult?”

  Martan, the expert on the matter, repeated the story he had told them back in the Dead Forest and again in Ravenford. He related everything he knew about the Black Adders and the Serpent Cult. The entire group listened in silence until the archer was done. When Martan finished, Ves stared at him intently.

  “You’re certain that these mages can shape shift into serpents?” she asked slowly.

  “I never actually saw Voltark change, if that’s what you’re asking,” Martan told her. “But those were the rumors that were flying around, even in Kai-Arborous.”

  Ves appeared thoughtful. “Interesting.” Her voice sounded distant, her mind a million miles away.

  Without warning, Maya jumped up from her seat by the fire.

  “Did you hear that Ves? Shape-shifters. Ooh... scary.” The little girl made a frightened face, her tone spooky as she waved her hands in the air as if afraid. After a moment or two, she fell over onto the sand giggling and snorting wildly.

  Seth’s eyes flickered to Aksel. “Does she do that often?”

  Aksel nodded. “Seems like it.”

  “Maya, get a hold of yourself,” Ves admonished.

  Maya ignored her sister and continued to roll on the ground, snorting and laughing. The conversation halted at that point, everyone waiting for the little girl to finish her bout of snorts and giggles. Finally, Maya laughed herself out. Obviously bored, she got up and traipsed down to the water’s edge.

  Glo sat forward. “Just one more thing. Maltar asked me to check the cargo for a pendant he was expecting.”

  “A pendant?” Seth repeated. “Did he say there was anything special about it?”

  Glo shook his head. “Not really. He just said he would make it worth our while if we found it.”

  Seth smirked. “How much you want to bet it’s some kind of artifact?”

  Aksel stroked his chin. “If Maltar wants it that badly, then you may be right. But we’ll know for sure if we do find it.”

  It was late
in the evening now, and the chill in the air became more pervasive. They all decided it was time to bed down for the night. Martan offered to take the first watch. Ves said she would only allow it if she could stand watch with him. Martan didn’t argue the point.

  Glo had been resting peacefully when he heard something outside the tent. His eyes snapped open. It was still dark—if he had to guess, about four in the morning. The flap of the tent pulled back, revealing the silhouette of a small figure. It was Seth. He motioned to Glo to step outside. Aksel still slept peacefully under his blankets, so Glo got up as silently as he could and exited the tent.

  The moon hung just above the top of the cliff as it traveled west across the sky. Its pale light still illuminated the beach below, giving it a silver sheen. Soon the whitish orb would drop behind the cliff face. The beach would be totally shrouded in darkness until the sun rose a few hours from now. Seth led Glo down toward the water where another figure awaited them. It sat on a rock facing the sea. In the moonlight, Glo could clearly see short pale hair and a leather tunic. It was Ruka. She had finally returned.

  “I see you two have met.”

  “Yes,” Seth and Ruka replied simultaneously. The duo cast a sidelong glance at each other, not sounding very trustful. Glo found their behavior rather amusing. What he heard next, though, wiped any traces of a smile from his face. Ruka kept her eyes fixed on the sea as she related the details of her chase.

  “I followed the demon to the shore. Once on land, it took off up the cliffs and into the forest. I tracked it for few miles north, where it turned inland. A couple of miles west, it entered a large clearing.”

  Ruka paused and spun around to face him. In the pale moonlight, he could see her serious expression.

  “There must have been over a hundred goblins camped there. There were also wolves and wargs sleeping around the campsite. When the demon arrived, the entire camp came to life. The wolves began howling, and the smarmy little creatures came pouring out of their tents.”

  Ruka paused again. Glo estimated their chances against a small army of goblins and wolves. No matter how he figured it, they were sorely outmatched. Ruka continued with her story.

  “The demon marched through the camp, with all the little toadies following it. As the thing got close to the center, five black-robed figures came out of a big tent. The creature and the black robes stood there for a minute or so. There was a lot of hand waving going on, but there was too much noise from the twerpy little goblins and their stupid howling wargs to hear what they were saying. After that the demon and the black robes went into the big tent.”

  Ruka jumped down off the rock and stretched her lithe form.

  “I figured I had seen enough so I headed back. It wouldn’t surprise me though, to find an entire army of goblins at our doorstep in a few hours.”

  Glo had to agree. That was indeed what they could expect. “Thank you, Ruka. I believe you are right. It won’t be long before we’re neck-deep in goblins. Without your timely warning, we’d be in for the fight of our lives. At least now we have some time to decide what to do.”

  “It also confirms what we already thought. The Serpent Cult is definitely behind all this,” Seth pointed out.

  Ruka stared at him curiously. “The what?”

  Glo quickly repeated their discussion from last night. Ruka’s reaction was a bit different from her sisters, though. Her eyes gleamed, and she rubbed her hands together. “Sounds like there might be something of real interest down in those ships.”

  “It’s definitely worth a look,” Seth agreed his voice ripe with anticipation.

  “Um, you two do realize that we might have to fight off an entire army of goblins to get to whatever is down there?” Glo reminded them.

  “And?” Ruka and Seth said in unison.

  If things hadn’t just gotten so dangerous, Glo might have laughed out loud.

  Ruka eyed Seth speculatively. “I like your priorities.”

  “I could say the same,” Seth replied.

  Glo shook his head. “I hate to interrupt this mutual admiration society, but I think we should wake Aksel and tell him what’s going on.”

  A short while later, Ruka finished repeating her tale to Aksel. All signs of sleepiness left the gnome’s eyes once she was done. “It sounds like it won’t be long before we’re neck-deep in goblins.”

  “That’s exactly what I said,” Glo half laughed.

  “We should probably start the salvage operation as early as possible,” Aksel mused aloud. “But a party that size will take a while to mobilize. He paused, stifling a yawn. “There are still a couple more hours until dawn. Since we really can’t do anything until it is light, I suggest we all get a bit more sleep.”

  “Probably a good idea,” Glo nodded.

  They all went to the tents and tried to fall back asleep, or in Glo’s case, rest. All except for Seth, who remained on watch. Glo found it difficult to relax, especially knowing what would soon be on their doorstep. The elven wizard lay on his blanket, trying his best to meditate in preparation for what was sure to be an eventful day.

  The Sunken Ships

  The sunken ship lay partially on its side, its tall masts jutting out at an angle away from the reef

  Lloyd’s eyes snapped open, immediately alert. He heard breathing to his left—Martan lay peacefully under his blankets. Lloyd silently rose and gathered his things. He carefully lifted the tent flap and exited, leaving Martan to his much-needed rest. The sun rose over the sea to the east. Still low on the horizon, the bright orb glowed with an orange hue, its light reflecting off the waters, making them appear as if aflame. The sky was clear, foretelling another beautiful day. Lloyd immediately spotted Seth sitting on a rock down by the water’s edge. No one else appeared to be about. Lloyd strapped on his swords and strolled down to join him.

  “Morning, Seth. Guess I’m the first one up?”

  “Not by far. The sisters are already out fishing. It’s interesting that they don’t use poles or anything.”

  “Ves said it was unfair to the fish.” Lloyd scanned the waters for any sign of the girls.

  “Yeah,” Seth scoffed, “like that’s real important.”

  “It is to them. They have some kind of connection with the sea creatures.”

  Seth spun around to face him. “Yeah, about that—Aksel told me a bit about the sisters. What do you make of them?”

  Lloyd paused to gather his thoughts. “They seem nice enough. I mean Ves is, and Maya is cute. Ruka is a little rough, but not any more than you are.” He finished with a thin smile.

  Seth nodded a slight smirk on his lips. “Point taken, but what about all these strange abilities they have? Doesn’t that concern you at all?”

  Lloyd stretched his body as he answered. “Honestly, I don’t think they’re all that strange.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, yeah. Then again, I’m used to strange,” Lloyd admitted. “After all, as a spiritblade I can do things that most people can’t—and I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. You should see some of the things my father can do.”

  “I would imagine they’re quite impressive.”

  “Very—and look at Glo. Kid all you want, but that fireball took off the top of the lighthouse and incinerated a whole platoon of goblins. That demon looked pretty singed, too.”

  “I wish I had been there to see it.” Seth chuckled softly, a wide grin spreading across his face.

  “And look at yourself, Seth. Half the time, I don’t even know where you are. How many wizards have you killed in the last few weeks? You’re pretty darn deadly, if you ask me.”

  The grin faded from Seth’s face, his expression turning grave. He spun around to face the sea, speaking softly over his shoulder. “Thank you, Lloyd.”

  The response took Lloyd by surpri
se. He was so used to Seth’s sarcastic wit that he expected a smart comeback. Yet Seth appeared almost humbled by the compliment. Just what kind of upbringing had Seth had? Lloyd wondered. His own father was a tough taskmaster, but even he gave out encouragement now and then. Seth, on the other hand, acted as if he never heard a kind word in his life. Lloyd had no idea how to respond. He stood quietly looking out to sea until Seth broke the silence.

  “So you don’t find the sisters just a bit off?”

  Lloyd shrugged. “Well they definitely have some kind of secret, but whatever it is, it’s really their business. I’m sure they’ll tell us eventually.”

  Seth spun around to stare at him. “Simple, naïve Lloyd...” A smirk briefly crossed his lips. “But don’t let the world change you. It needs people like you to balance out people like me.”

  The word “naïve” irritated Lloyd. It was something his older brother accused him of constantly. When he heard the rest though, his anger swiftly dissipated and a grin broke out across his face. “I guess we do kind of keep each other in check.”

  A sudden splash disrupted their conversation. A lithe figure popped out of the surf. Short blonde hair and a dark leather tunic revealed it to be Ruka. The girl held a fish in her mouth and one in each hand.

  As she waded her way toward the shore, Seth murmured under his breath. “Like I said, strange...”

  The Greymantle sisters made breakfast. The smell of fresh fish cooking roused the rest of the party. Lloyd saw Martan exit their tent. Aksel and Glo followed close behind the archer. Martan looked like a brand new man—the only trace of yesterday’s near fatal encounter was the large crack in his bow. While still intact, the bow could not be drawn hard enough to fire an arrow. Martan insisted though, that it could be repaired once they got back to Ravenford.

  During breakfast, Ruka recounted the story of her demon chase. Lloyd was not surprised to hear about the goblin army. Where there was one goblin, there were usually a lot more. Nor had he been surprised to hear about the five men in black robes.