The Broken Key (02) - Hunter of the Horde

by Brian S. Pratt

  I think we have the numbers on our side. He waited for a response from Bart but none was forthcoming. Bart? Still nothing. Bart, talk to me! When again there was no response, he came to the conclusion that Bart must have slipped back into unconsciousness. At least he hoped that was the reason.

  Kevik moved to catch up with Riyan and rode next to him. “Bart said Durik has five other men with him,” he announced.

  “How do you know that?” Tad asked. He was riding on the other side of Riyan.

  Riyan turned to his instructor and said, “He’s a magic user.”

  “Oh,” Tad replied.

  “Are they there yet?” Riyan asked.

  “No,” Kevik told him. “I think he lost consciousness again before he could say more.

  At least he knows we’re on our way.”

  An hour later, the outlying buildings of the small town of Kemmet appeared out of the darkness ahead. “It’s on the south side of town,” Riyan announced to the others. They rode through the quiet streets of Kemmet. This time of night there weren’t many people out. One building had light coming from the windows. The raucous laughter coming from there led them to believe it was a tavern.

  Upon reaching the southern outskirts of Kemmet, Seth asked, “How much further is it from here?”

  “I’m not sure,” admitted Riyan. “Bart wasn’t too specific about that when he told us about the place.”

  “Keep alert then,” Tad said to the others. “Look for lights away from the road that might indicate the estate.”

  When the lights of Kemmet finally disappeared behind them, Chyfe exclaimed,

  “There!” Off to their right was the undeniable glow of light coming through a window.

  “Think that’s it?” Tad asked Riyan.

  “Only one way to find out.” Turning off the road, Riyan led them cross country towards the light. As they came closer, it was clear the light was coming from a house of some size. From the description Bart had given of Durik’s estate, this could definitely be it.

  Tad brought them to a stop when they were still a couple hundred feet out. “Now what’s your plan?” he asked.

  Riyan was silent for a second then said, “Storm the place and rescue him.” Tad looked a bit scornful at his plan. “That’s it?” he asked.

  “Pretty much,” replied Riyan.

  “Maybe we can come up with something a bit less reckless than that,” he said. “Do you have any idea where in the house they are taking him?”

  “The basement,” he said. “There’s a room below the house set up to interrogate people.”

  “Hmmm,” murmured Tad as he thought about what Riyan just told him. Turning to Kevik he asked, “What can you do?”

  “Not very much,” he replied.

  “He’s still just an apprentice,” added Chad.

  Kevik gave him a quick rundown of the spells he felt confident he could perform quickly.

  “Everyone dismount,” he said. Once they were on the ground, he said to Kevik, “You and I are going through the front door.” To the others he said, “The rest of you make your way around back and find another way in. Don’t do anything until he and I have made our move.”

  “You got it,” Riyan said.

  “And be quiet!” Tad warned as they headed out. Then he and Kevik walked at a leisurely pace to the front door to allow the others sufficient time to get into position. Tad glanced to the magic user walking next to him. “This better not be the wrong place or we’re going to look rather foolish.”

  “I’m sure it’s not,” assured Kevik.

  “We’ll see,” Tad said. Figuring the others should be in place by this time, he quickened his pace and they were soon before the front door. It seemed a bit odd to him that there were no guards or lookouts around. You would think they’d have someone keeping an eye out, especially seeing as how they just snatched someone who might have friends looking for them.

  “Ready?” he asked Kevik. When he received a nod, he had Kevik stand to the side of the doorway where he would not be immediately seen when the door opened. Reaching up to the door, he knocked loudly three times.

  “What was that?” Durik asked. He stood beside the table in the basement as his men finished securing Bart to it.

  “Sounded like someone knocking on the door,” the man whose name Bart had learned was Pyck replied.

  “Take Loren and see who it is,” Durik told him.

  Pyck nodded and left the room with another man who had to be Loren.

  Once his two men left, Durik motioned for the remaining two to move to the side of the room. He then stepped closer and stood next to the table so Bart was able to see him.

  “I understand you sent me a warning,” he said.

  Smack!

  He struck Bart across the face with the back of his hand. “Though for the life of me I can’t seem to recall what it was.”

  Smack!

  Again he struck Bart across the face. “Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?” he asked.

  Bart turned his face to his captor and remained silently obstinate. His things sat on the table in the smaller room adjacent to the interrogation room. They had even taken the ring from his hand with which he could have communicated further with Kevik.

  Then he saw one of the two remaining men move to the fireplace. A moment later he heard the sound of flint being struck as the man got a fire going.

  Durik sighed and said, “So you wish the hard way. It really makes no difference to me. I’ll find out what you know about the King’s Horde one way or another.” Turning to the man by the fireplace he said, “Make it hot.”

  “Yes sir,” replied the man. It didn’t take long before the odor of burning wood began filling the room.

  Kevik stood by the door and heard it open. “What do you want?” a voice from the other side of the doorway asked.

  “We’re looking for a friend of ours who is lost,” Tad told the man. “We were wondering if you might have seen him?”

  “There ain’t nobody here but us,” the voice said. “Now get the hell out of here.” Kevik watched Tad’s face for his cue. When he saw the all but imperceptible nod, he quickly left the side of the doorway and joined Tad. “That’s them!” he cried when he saw one of the men from the vision he had received from Bart. Then he unleashed his goo spell.

  When the man saw Kevik appear, he readily recognized him and began pulling his sword. He was only able to draw six inches of the blade from its scabbard before he was coated in goo. The other man that had been standing behind him pulled his sword and raced back into the house. He didn’t get far before Seth and Soth appeared from a side door and engaged him. Alone, neither was the man’s match. But together, the twins were able to hold their own.

  Tad maneuvered through the doorway and around the man entrapped by Kevik’s spell. Before he could reach the battling trio, the man scored a hit on Seth’s leg. It wasn’t very deep but the injury hampered his ability to meet the man’s attacks.

  “Atta…” the man started to yell as he continued facing off with the twins. His cry of alarm died when the hilt of Tad’s sword clubbed him in the head. Dropping to the floor, the man slipped into unconscious.

  Chad appeared at the entrance to the main hallway with Riyan and Chyfe right behind. They were quick to assess the situation. “You okay?” Riyan asked Seth.

  “I’m fine,” he replied. “Just a flesh wound, nothing serious.” Riyan nodded. To Soth he said, “Stay here and take care of him. If we need you we’ll holler.”

  “Be careful,” Soth cautioned as he began tearing off a strip of cloth to use in binding his brother’s injury.

  Riyan glance to the goo coated man and gave Kevik a grin. “Nice work,” he said.

  Then to Tad, “Bart said the entrance to the basement was over by the kitchen.”

  “Then let’s go,” Tad said and motioned for Riyan to lead the way.

  They worked their way cautiously through the house, peering through
every doorway and opening that led off the hallway. There were others here in the house and they didn’t want to be surprised by them. When Riyan saw the kitchen down one of the adjoining hallways, he stopped. Ten feet away from where he stood looked to be the door Bart had described which led to the basement.

  He glanced back to the others, nodded, and indicated that their objective was just ahead. Tad moved to stand next to him and together they went to the door with the others close behind.

  The fire was beginning to catch. Durik showed Bart a nasty looking length of metal with barbs on the end before setting it within the coals. “I know you and your friends know something about the King’s Horde,” he said to Bart as he set the tool of torture into the budding flames. “It would be best for all concerned if you would tell me what you know. You would save yourself much pain.”

  Bart stared defiantly at the ceiling and said not a word.

  Durik looked at Bart’s stony visage a moment then left his side. Moving to a rack with over a dozen knives of varying shapes and sizes, he pulled down one that was half a foot long. “This is one of my favorite toys,” he said. Bringing it over to Bart, he showed him the wicked looking knife. One side held serrated teeth while the tip boasted a narrow, jagged hook.

  “Came across this on one of my excursions to the south,” he told Bart as he brought it over and held it before his eyes.

  Bart tried not to look at it but it was impossible not to. The thought of that instrument being used on his flesh sent an involuntary shudder through him.

  “Now, where did you find those silver coins?” he asked. “That was the largest discovery of the King’s coins in history. I want to know where you found them.” He looked Bart in the eyes with a promise of pain if he remained silent.

  Kevik and the others were on their way. He had to stall for time. “In the mountains near the village of Quillim,” he said.

  Durik’s eyebrows rose at the unexpected answer. “So, you can be accommodating,” he said.

  Allowing his fear to show, all the while still keeping it under a tight rein, Bart made out like he had cracked. “Just promise not to hurt me!” he cried.

  Durik grinned. Pulling the knife away from Bart’s face he said, “If you tell me what you know there will be no reason for me to hurt you.” In Bart’s mind he knew the assurance he just received was false. As soon as Durik felt he had received all the information Bart had, he’d be dead. Kevik, where are you!

  “Where in the mountains did you find the coins?” he asked.

  Bart licked his lips as he paused a moment. “A little north of east,” he replied.

  “There’s a box canyon with what looks like a stone tree at its mouth. Midway through the canyon, you’ll find what at first looks like three large boulders resting one atop the other.

  Upon closer examination you’ll see that it’s manmade.”

  “And?” Durik asked. His eyes were veritably dancing from the information Bart was giving him.

  “Water,” Bart said, mustering a crack in his voice. “Could I have some water?” Durik turned his head towards one of his men and nodded.

  Bart laid there quietly as the man brought a bucket of water with a ladle over to him.

  Holding open his mouth, he tried to catch as much of the water that the man poured as he could. Most of it didn’t make it into his mouth, rather it ran across his checks and chin to pool on the table beneath him. When the ladle was empty, the man returned back to his previous position taking the bucket with him.

  “Now,” prompted Durik, “if you’ll continue.”

  Looking up at his captor, Bart could see that Durik was buying his pack of lies as truth. He prayed Kevik and the others would arrive before he ran out of imagination.

  From behind the door leading out of the basement, they heard the stairs creak as someone made their way down. “About time,” Durik said. He glanced to the door as it opened. His eyes widened in surprise when instead of Pyck and the other man whom he had expected, Riyan and Tad raced in with swords drawn. Behind them came Chad and Chyfe with their swords drawn as well. Kevik was bringing up the rear.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Durik demanded. Pulling his sword, he and his two henchmen formed a front against the intruders.

  Tad took one look at Bart lying on the table then turned his attention to the instruments of pain displayed on the wall. “Maybe we should ask you the same thing?” he asked. Turning back to Durik, all he could feel was loathing.

  “Man, am I glad to see you guys,” Bart said.

  Riyan started moving to Bart’s side when Durik laid the edge of his sword against Bart’s neck. “Come any closer and your friend dies.” Stopping abruptly, Riyan knew Durik would make good his threat and kill Bart. “Just let us take him and no one has to die,” Riyan said.

  Durik gauged the situation. He and two men against four sword wielding men and a magic user, he wasn’t too thrilled by the odds. Moving his gaze from Riyan to Tad, he could see that Tad was the senior of the group before him. “So, are you the leader of this group?” he asked.

  Tad shrugged and replied, “I guess so.”

  Moving his sword a short distance away from Bart’s throat, he started to speak when he was hit by a sudden gust of wind. The force of the wind knocked him and his men away from Bart a couple feet. The gust also struck Tad and Riyan, propelling Riyan across the supine Bart while Tad hit the side of the table and fell to the floor. Then arcane words spilled forth from Kevik just before Durik and his men were covered in goo.

  Durik’s eyes burned hatred as he struggled ineffectively against the sticky mass holding him.

  As Riyan got up off of Bart, Kevik came to assist him. “Sorry about that,” he apologized.

  “It’s alright,” replied Riyan.

  “Get him loose,” Tad said to Chyfe with a nod to Bart. Regaining his feet, he glanced to Bart and recognized him from a previous time he had visited Riyan and Chad. “Why did they want you?”

  “Information,” he replied. Before the question burning behind Tad’s eyes could be voiced, he added, “Information I did not have.”

  The question Tad was about to ask died on his lips. He offered Bart a hand up off the table once the last manacle had been removed. “What should we do with these three?” Bart turned toward Durik. “My guess would be he’s too well connected with powerful people,” he said. “Any charges brought against him wouldn’t last long.” To Durik he asked, “Am I right?” Encased in goo as he was, Durik was unable to answer.

  Bart moved closer to the trapped man. “I once told you that to come against me again would set events into motion,” he said as he stared into Durik’s eyes. “The next time I lay eyes on any of you it will be your death.”

  Durik glared murderously at Bart. He tried to say something but the goo was obstructing his mouth. His two henchmen remained silent and still.

  Turning back to the others, Bart said, “There’s still one more around here somewhere.”

  “Most likely gone to ground after we arrived,” suggested Chyfe.

  “Maybe,” replied Bart. To Tad he said, “Keep an eye on these for a minute would you?”

  Tad nodded. “What are you going to do?”

  Bart gestured for Riyan to accompany him as he said, “There’s something I’m taking with us.”

  “Don’t take too long,” Tad said.

  “We won’t,” he assured him. To Riyan he said, “Come on.” Bart first went to the small room adjoining the one they were in. There he retrieved the items that had been taken from him. Bart then passed back through the room and entered the stairwell leading up to the ground floor.

  Riyan followed Bart out of the basement then down the hallway to the right. They passed the short distance to the hallway that led back to the outer room where Seth and Soth remained with the first two men they had taken out. Bart turned down the hallway away from the outer room. As Riyan entered the hallway he saw Seth standing in the outer room looking towards him. “The
re’s still another man on the loose,” Riyan said.

  Seth nodded understanding.

  “Come on Riyan,” Bart said.

  Riyan turned to find him at the mouth of a stairwell leading up. Hurrying to catch up, he entered the stairwell and asked, “What are you getting?”

  “His journal,” came the reply. “There were several maps in it and I think one of them may be of the lake with an island.”

  Understanding came as Riyan remembered the passage he had read in the tome back in the hidden section of the Archives. “You think he might have found it?” he asked.

  Coming to the top of the stairwell, he turned to follow Bart down the hallway.

  “Possibly,” he replied. “Though he may not have understood its significance.”

  “Let’s hope not.” Riyan continued to follow Bart as he went down the hallway a short distance before turning into a doorway. In the gloominess of the room, Riyan could make out the map on the wall riddled with pins that Bart had told them about.

  “Just wait by the door,” Bart said. “This won’t take but a minute.” Moving to the chest, he removed his two general purpose picks and soon had the lid open. He reached inside and removed Durik’s journal. Slipping it within his pack, he stood back up and rejoined Riyan at the doorway.

  “Won’t that make him even more likely to come after us?” Riyan asked.

  Bart gave him an evil grin. “I hope so.”

  Riyan thought about that and decided he didn’t share Bart’s anticipation of encountering the Hunter of the Horde again. He followed Bart as he descended the stairs to the ground floor. Bart paused at the top of the stairs leading to the basement and hollered down for the others to come up.

  Kevik was the first to ascend the stairs.

  “How long will the goo last?” Bart asked him.

  “Another half hour,” he replied. “Maybe longer.”

  “Good. That will give us a decent head start.”

  Tad was the last one out of the basement. They made their way to the front room where they found Seth and Soth still standing guard over the two men.