by Hans Bezdek
“Why didn’t you tell me that before we came to help him?!” asked Zeke. “If he was working with them, I would’ve just left him!”
“I-I wasn’t working with them!” cried the gnome. “H-Honest!”
“I was going to question him while the undead were chasing you,” explained Sloane, ignoring the gnome. “Since I was the one to do it, I didn’t think you needed to know that ahead of time.”
“C-Can you two hear me?” asked the gnome.
“In the future, let me know things like that before we spring into action, okay?” sighed Zeke, holding the bridge of his nose as he shook his head.
“That’s fair,” nodded Sloane. She had actually held back on that piece of information on purpose. Zeke had already wanted to abandon the gnome, and they surely would’ve left him if he thought the gnome had worked with the undead. They could’ve missed out on so much gold.
“C-Could you stop pointing that bow at me, please?” asked the gnome.
Sloane looked him over. He didn’t seem like a threat, and she couldn’t see why he would want to work with the undead. She ultimately lowered her bow.
“T-Thanks,” stuttered the gnome.
“Why were you with the undead if you weren’t working with them?” asked Zeke.
“They ambushed me as I was walking through the forest,” explained the gnome. “I didn’t see them until it was too late!”
“I find that hard to believe,” said Sloane. “Those creatures aren’t great at hiding, especially thanks to their stench.”
“It’s true, though!” exclaimed the gnome.
“What kept you so distracted?” asked Zeke.
“I was reading up on a new spell,” said the gnome, reaching into his bag and pulling out a scroll. “It was really fascinating, and it must’ve slipped my mind to pay attention to where I was going.”
“That wasn’t very smart,” pointed out Zeke.
“Right you are,” nodded the gnome. “Thank you both for helping me. My name’s Delvin Blunderbuster, by the way. Pleased to meet you!”
“I’m Zeke, and the one who almost shot you is Sloane,” said Zeke, walking over to where his dagger was and picking it up.
“Sorry about that,” shrugged Sloane. “I’m sure you understand.”
“Not exactly… but I’m glad you didn’t put an arrow in my head,” laughed Delvin nervously.
“Speaking of helping you… I’d say that’s probably worth something, wouldn’t you?” asked Sloane, squatting down to get to the gnome’s level.
“Very much so, yes!” exclaimed Delvin.
The three stared at one another in silence.
After an uncomfortable amount of time passed, Sloane had to break it. “So…?”
“Ah, yes,” laughed Delvin. “You see, the thing is… I don’t actually have any money.”
“You don’t have any?” asked Zeke. “It’s okay if you do and just don’t want to pay us, it’s just surprising to hear.”
“It’s true,” he nodded sadly. “I spent it all on this scroll, and actually I’m in a bit of debt.”
Sloane groaned and walked away. This had been a complete waste of time. She should’ve listened to Zeke and just left the gnome to die.
“Come on, Zeke,” she sighed. “Let’s keep moving while the sun is still out.”
“Where are we going?” asked Delvin.
“We?” repeated Sloane.
“Yes! I now owe the both of you a life debt!” remarked Delvin.
“That’s really not necessary,” said Zeke, waving the gnome off.
“I’m not comfortable having a servant,” said Sloane. “Thanks for the offer, though. You can just consider our help a freebie.”
“Please let me go with you!” begged the gnome, folding his fingers in front of him. “I won’t feel right until my life debt is repaid!”
Sloane looked over at Zeke. She felt like the gnome would get annoying, and fast. It sounded like the gnome was mostly a scholar. She also wasn’t a fan of traveling partners. She viewed Zeke as an exception, and him being The Elf Thief more than made up for it.
“Could be nice to have some company,” shrugged Zeke. “Besides, if he helps us find the Lost Citadel, he’ll have paid off his debt to us and be able to do the same to the person he bought the scroll off of.”
“The Lost Citadel?” gasped Delvin. “You guys really know where that is?”
Sloane sighed. Who knew, maybe the fainting gnome would come in handy one day.
“Fine, you can come with us to the Lost Citadel,” said Sloane, giving up any hope of fighting this. “But he’s not getting any of my half of the loot!”
“I’m okay with that,” agreed Delvin as Sloane turned back towards the river and began following it up north.
“Don’t worry,” Sloane heard Zeke whisper. “You can have some of mine.”
Chapter 8
It began to rain a few hours later. Zeke pulled out his cloak from his bag and did the best he could to stay dry. The rain brought with it an uncomfortable cold, which even his cloak didn’t protect him from.
“Should we stop and set up camp?” he asked.
“I’d prefer not to,” said Sloane. “The rain will get in everything then, and it’s still not that late.”
“Let me try something,” said Delvin, closing his eyes and mumbling something.
Zeke hoped he was casting a spell that would teleport them out of the rain.
He didn’t.
“Right, so the rain will only remain here for another two hours,” smiled Delvin, opening his eyes.
“Are you a seer or something?” asked Sloane.
“Not quite, although I know a handful of spells from the prediction school of magic,” he explained.
“How accurate is the spell you cast?” Zeke asked.
“About seventy percent,” smiled Delvin.
“So not very,” shrugged Zeke.
Delvin looked hurt.
“Since it’s just a couple of hours, hopefully anyway, we could try and find a cave or something and wait it out,” suggested Sloane.
“Oh, I know a better idea!” chimed in Delvin. “I passed by a small outpost earlier in the day. We could stop over there, maybe grab a bite to eat as we wait out the storm.”
“I’m down for some food,” nodded Zeke. He was looking forward to some of that venison that Sloane got earlier in the day, but it would’ve been a pain to set up a fire in this rain. Even after it left, they’d have a hard time finding enough dry twigs and brush to keep a fire going for long.
Sloane agreed, and they followed Delvin off to the east in search of the outpost. It only took them about half an hour to find, and Zeke’s low expectations weren’t exactly met.
“This is it?” he asked, looking around. Zeke didn’t know what he was expecting, but was still disappointed.
There were just three buildings here. A tavern, an inn, and a small guard building.
“He said outpost,” shrugged Sloane. “I think this looks pretty nice for one. Have you been to nicer outposts?”
Zeke had never actually been to an outpost before, but The Elf Thief probably had.
“I’ve seen nicer,” he lied. “I guess this’ll do for keeping us warm, though. Good job bringing us here, Delvin.”
The gnome looked ecstatic at the praise.
The three passed by the guard building, where two chubby men sat under a giant umbrella. One was human and the other an elf and both were enjoying whatever was inside their large mugs.
“Must be nice to get to drink on the job,” mumbled Zeke.
“Sorry?” called out the human. “Can’t hear ya over the rain!”
Zeke was about to just keep walking but then thought back to what had just occurred. If there were groups of undead walking around here, they could eventually stumble upon this outpost. The guards would need to be ready for it.
“We’ve got some news,” said Zeke, speaking louder and approaching the two men.
�
�Of Lord Kutarm’s expansion?” asked the elf.
“No,” said Sloane. “At least, hopefully not.”
“Spit out then, yeah?” asked the man.
“We just killed some undead back by the Sinter River,” explained Zeke.
“They were just waiting for travelers passing by!” added Delvin. “It was very scary!”
The two guards looked at each other, then burst into laughter.
Zeke and the others failed to see the humor in it.
“We’re serious,” added Sloane.
“Uh huh, sure you are, cupcake,” laughed the elf. “There ain’t no undead around here.”
Zeke noticed Sloane’s hand come to rest on her hilt. He made a mental note not to call her ‘cupcake’ in the future.
“It’s true!” pipped in Delvin. “These two-”
“Enough, yeah?” barked the man. “We get it. You lot think it’s funny to try and pull one over on us guards. You’ve had your laugh, now move along.”
“We’re trying to help you,” insisted Zeke.
“Oh, so you’d rather us arrest you?” asked the elf.
Zeke sighed and shook his head. There was no helping these two.
Waving for the others to follow, Zeke made for the tavern. The building was just a single story and looked to be in need of some repair. The door creaked loudly as he pushed it open, getting the attention of the barkeep. The room had just four tables in addition to the bar. Zeke realized this outpost must not be particularly bust.
“What can I get fer ya?” asked the dwarf barkeeper. He appeared to be the height of a human, but Zeke guessed that the platform behind the bar must’ve been raised up to compensate. He had a long red beard, which he kept in a hairnet.
“How about a round of mead?” asked Zeke. “We could use some rolls and meat, too. Chicken, if you’ve got any.”
“Ya’ve got it,” smiled the dwarf, disappearing to the back.
The three of them took the table nearest to the bar.
“I haven’t had chicken in ages!” squealed Delvin.
“Sloane’s also packing some venison,” said Zeke, “so get ready for that for the next couple of meals.”
“Lovely!” smiled Delvin.
“You mentioned you were reading a scroll,” said Sloane. “Are you a priest, or a wizard?”
“Wizard,” nodded Delvin. “I specialize in illusion magic, actually.”
“An illusionist wizard?!” asked Zeke with a huge smile. He’d never met one before but heard some of the things they conjured up was spectacular. He looked over to Sloane to see if she could believe it, but she didn’t look the slightest bit impressed.
“So, another companion that can’t really fight,” she sighed.
“I-I do know some battle magic,” said Delvin, trying hard to get on her good side. “It’s just that my focus is on illusions. They can prove to be plenty helpful in fights, you know.”
“Wait,” said Sloane, sitting up a bit straighter. “That green demon was one of your illusions, wasn’t it?”
Delvin nodded, his face turning a light shade of pink.
“That looked so real!” exclaimed Zeke. “But, why did you faint? Was that just a trick?”
“Not exactly,” laughed the gnome nervously. The barkeep came by and placed their food and drinks on the table, along with their tab, then took his place back behind the bar. “I take a lot of pride in making realistic illusions. The only downfall is that they are so good, that sometimes I frighten myself…”
Zeke burst out laughing.
“I’m not joking…”
“Oh,” said the elf, taking a bite of his meal and sharing a look with Sloane. If the gnome was trying to get on Sloane’s good side, it didn’t look like he was succeeding.
The door creaked open, catching Zeke’s eye.
Two humans rushed in, holding a third in their arms. The man being held was bleeding badly and looked to be barely alive.
“W-We need a priest!” shouted one of the men holding his injured friend.
“Sorry, but there ain’t no priests in this outpost,” said the barkeep, jumping over the bar. “I know a bit of healin magic and such. I’ll see what I can do. Bring him to the back.”
Zeke hurried over and helped them carry the man to the back room, which was filled with dozens of barrels. The dwarf cleared a small space off to the side near some shelves, and they laid the man down.
“Leave me be, now,” said the dwarf, waving them off. “I’ll need me space. Help yerselves to anything ye’d like behind the bar, and we’ll sort it out later.”
“T-Thank you so much,” said one of the men, bowing at the dwarf before leaving.
“And thank you for your help,” said the other man to Zeke.
“No problem,” he shrugged. While he had helped them into the back, Zeke noticed that not all the blood on the two men had come from their friend. While they were in much better shapes, they still looked like they had just seen battle. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to the three of you?”
“We’ll need some drinks for that,” sighed the man as they made it back to the main room.
Zeke left them at the bar as he rejoined his friends.
“Think the man will make it?” whispered Delvin.
“Dunno,” shrugged Zeke. Even if they got him to a proper priest, the man’s fate wouldn’t have been certain. “He didn’t look great. Thanks for helping us, by the way.”
“I’m too short!” said Delvin. “I’d have gotten in the way!”
“They didn’t offer me anything for the trouble,” shrugged Sloane, taking a swig from her mug.
Zeke didn’t know what he expected.
The two men came over with mugs of their own and sat down at the table.
“W-What happened to your friend?” asked Delvin.
“We were part of a resistance force sent north along the Sinter River,” explained one of the men. “Lord Kutarm has recently made a push for the northern territories, and we were headed off to try and stop the advance.”
“I thought he was being pushed back at Springlake?” asked Sloane.
The other man shook his head. “They won that city just a few days ago. Wouldn’t want to be one of the survivors there…”
Sloane nodded solemnly, while Delvin looked scared. Zeke hadn’t dealt with any of Kutarm’s men before, and everyone was making him feel lucky for it.
“What happened at the Sinter River?” asked Zeke. “We were just by there a couple of hours ago and ran into a group of undead.”
“Undead?” said one the men in surprise. “You serious?”
“They saved me from some,” nodded Delvin.
“Strange,” said the other. “We didn’t run into any undead. Instead, a group of Lord Kutarm’s men jumped us and our party as we were passing by. The three of us are the only ones that escaped.
Zeke tapped his fingers on the table as he thought. This wasn’t good news. If Kutarm was sending men to the north, he was getting close to the Arcane Staff. While he thought they’d have a bit of trouble getting to Nurem, it now sounded like it was becoming increasingly deadly. No wonder Bronwen and the others tried to keep him back in town. It wasn’t safe around here at all.
“Was it just humans that attacked you?” asked Sloane.
The two men shared a look.
“I’m sorry if it’s too difficult to talk about,” said Sloane, shaking her head. “I understand if you’d rather not.”
“No, it’s not that,” said one of the men. “It’s just that… it wasn’t just humans. We’ve fought against Lord Kutarm’s forced before a couple of times, but it was always the same. This time, though, was different. When it looked like we were going to win, something horrible came out of the water.”
“Out of the water?” repeated Zeke. They had been next to the river for quite some time and hadn’t seen anything. How close had they come to being attacked by a river monster?
“Yes,” nodded the other man. �
��We know it sounds crazy, but we saw it with our own eyes! The creature moved around on land with no problem, and only attacked our forces.”
“Not any of Kutarm’s men?” clarified Sloane.
“Right,” nodded the man.
“C-Could you describe it?” asked Delvin.
“It had two head, each one with rows and rows of sharp teeth,” shuddered the other man. “It was about the size of a horse, and had six flipper-like legs that it crawled around on.”
Zeke shuddered involuntarily. That sounded like a nightmare.
“Not only that, but the thing could shoot lightning from its mouth!” added the other.
“Phasathenes,” nodded Delvin.
“Bless you,” said Zeke.
“No, that’s what they’re called,” explained Delvin. “I’ve read about them before. They are fae creatures that live in or near large bodies of water. They can breathe whether on land or not, and can use electricity to hunt with. I’d never heard of any being in the Sinter River...”
“There have been many strange occurrences lately,” nodded one of the men. “Don’t see undead in these parts very often, either.”
“Do you think we should keep following the river?” Zeke asked Sloane. “It sounds like that might not be our best path forward anymore.”
Sloane shook her head as she pulled out her map. “We’ll have to plot a new course north. I have no desire to get eaten by one of those things.”
“Wise decision,” nodded one of the men. “I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone. Not even Lord Kutarm himself.”
“Eh, I wouldn’t mind that one too much,” chuckled the other man, taking a long drink from his mug.
Chapter 9
Sloane finished outlining the route they would take and pocketed her map. It would take a bit longer than they had initially planned, but it was better to be safe rather than sorry.
The dwarf appeared in the doorway and looked over at them.
“The two men,” he said, “I’ll be needin to speak with ya.”
“Of course,” nodded one of them, as the other downed what remained of his drink. “It was nice talking with you three. Best of luck in the future.”