Behemoth (The Jharro Grove Saga Book 6)

by Trevor H. Cooley

  “Oh,” said Tarah and started down the stairs in that direction.

  The servants’ houses were much like the homes in other parts of Roo-Tan’lan; squat square buildings made of white stone. Sometimes these buildings were stacked on top of each other, though here on the Palace Grounds the buildings were only stacked two stories high unlike the five or six story buildings at other places in the city.

  “Are you certain they are here?” Tarah asked as she approached the group of buildings. It seemed a bit odd. Vannya had been given a laboratory on the far side of the palace from here where she could do her experiments. Willum usually assisted her there. “Why?”

  The small elfchild shrugged. “It’s where Vannya sleeps at night.”

  “Right,” Tarah said. She had forgotten about the Protector’s reluctance to have the Mage housed with the rest of the guests inside the palace. Vannya had been given one of the servant rooms so that she could still be near her laboratory.

  “They wanted to be alone evidently,” Esmine added.

  Tarah paused in her strides, her eyes widening. “You’re kidding.”

  “Kidding? Why?” Esmine wondered, looking back at her.

  “You mean right now? This moment? They’re . . ?” Tarah gestured.

  “Laying down and smooshing their faces together,” Esmine finished for her.

  “Oh,” Tarah said, relieved that she wasn’t about to interrupt something more intimate. She walked on.

  “Among other things,” Esmine continued.

  Tarah’s shoulders slumped and she placed a hand on her forehead. “This time of day?” It was just before dinner. The sun would still be up for two hours yet. “Surely there’s better times for such things if you’re trying to be discreet.”

  Esmine cocked her head. “When you were with Djeri did time of day matter to you?”

  Cletus leaned in, his interest suddenly piqued. “What did the fuzzy girl say that time? I could only kinda hear it.”

  Tarah sighed. “Which door is hers?”

  Esmine vanished from Cletus’ shoulders and reappeared in front of a nearby building, pointing at a door. “This one.”

  Tarah approached and raised her hand, but stopped before knocking. Maybe this was just the wrong time? Then again, Willum stayed in the palace at night and once she left the grounds she wouldn’t be back for another day. Tarah really wanted to do this now.

  She lowered her hand. “Alright, Esmine. I have an idea. Why don’t you warn ’em that I’m coming?”

  A devilish smile appeared on the child’s face. “Right now? You’re okay with that?”

  Tarah frowned, worried that she was restarting a rather awful habit. The rogue horse was able to make her chosen child-like form appear anywhere within two miles of her staff and unfortunately she had a cruel sense of humor. Esmine had used those powers to frighten and embarrass many people in many awkward situations throughout Roo-Tan’lan. This had included many respected guests to the palace grounds.

  Tarah had pleaded with her unsuccessfully to get her to cease these antics but stories of a wicked elf-child ghost had run rampant through the area until the Protector himself had to intervene. It was only when armed with his threat to banish the staff from the city that Tarah had finally convinced her to stop.

  “You’re watching ’em anyway, aren’t you?” Tarah said. The child shrugged in response. “Then just this once I give you permission. Go ahead and tell ’em I’m almost at their door. Let me know when they’ve composed themselves”

  Esmine giggled and moments later Tarah heard a muffled shriek from within the building, followed by a thump.

  “They were surprised to see me,” the child said.

  Hushed voices spoke urgently and Tarah heard the patter of feet approaching. A bolt was moved aside and the door creaked open. Mage Vannya stood before her, looking completely composed. Her long blond hair was braided in the Roo-Tan style with blue ribbons at the sides of her face. She wore a flowing white blouse and a pair of those baggy trousers that Beth had made so popular among the locals.

  Tarah was impressed with her swift readiness. Not a stitch looked askew. “Hello, Mage Vannya.”

  “Tarah,” Vannya replied, still standing in the doorway. “How nice to see you. Is there something I can help you with?”

  “Actually, I came to see Willum. Esmine said he was here with you?” Tarah asked as if she didn’t know what she had interrupted.

  “Uh, just a minute!” called Willum and he soon appeared at Vannya’s side not looking quite as composed. His shirt was partially untucked and his hair was a tousled mess. “Hey, Tarah. Did you need me for something?”

  “Hi, Willum!” Cletus said.

  “Hey, Cletus,” he said. “Where have you been?”

  “Running down the valley with all the snake arm things,” he said proudly. “Got Scholar Aloysius’ robe. Didn’t lose a boot!”

  Willum blinked. “You what?”

  “I would like to borrow Theodore for the evening,” Tarah interrupted. “If that’s okay with you.”

  Willum looked away from Cletus to her in confusion. Then a laugh escaped his lips and he glanced at Vannya, who giggled back at him. “Hold on,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Willum darted away and soon returned with the waraxe in hand. He held it out to her. “Here you are!”

  The axe was a wicked looking thing with a handle two-feet long. Its blade was wide and curved while the other side of the head ended on a long and sharp spike. The surface of the weapon was covered with red runes. From previous conversations with the imp Tarah knew that much of the redness of the runes came from the imp’s own blood.

  She grasped the handle and heard Theodore’s voice immediately. It echoed from within her mind and yet also sounded as if he were standing right beside her.

  “Ho-ho! What an interesting turn of events! Tarah Woodblade wishes to speak with me and what spectacular timing. You should have seen poor Mage Vannya’s face when that child appeared. Her cheeks went from red to white in an instant!”

  Tarah didn’t reply immediately, she was still forming in her mind what she wanted to say to the imp. “Thank you, Willum. When do you need him back?”

  “Take your time,” Willum said eagerly, wiping his hands on his pants. “I’ll get hold of you if I need him.”

  “Okay then,” she said and with a farewell nod and another giggle from Vannya, they shut the door.

  Shaking her head, Tarah turned and left the servant buildings. She followed the path that led back to the gates, carrying her staff in one hand the axe in another. Cletus picked up some stones off of the pathway and followed behind her, juggling the rocks while whistling a complicated tune.

  “I go,” Esmine announced and disappeared without further explanation. She often did this. The rogue horse’s thoughts were likely watching many events scattered through her sphere of influence. Taking her mind off forming this particular illusion allowed her to maintain another focus elsewhere.

  “Willum sure seemed eager to get rid of you,” Tarah told the imp.

  “He did at that. Ho! How ungrateful of Willy,” the imp complained. “You know, I could have warned them of your approach myself if he hadn’t made me swear to stay hidden inside my world until he called for me.”

  “And yet you evidently watched ’em anyway,” Tarah said.

  “What else would you expect me to do? Sit alone in utter boredom at the exact moment those two finally did something more than flirt with each other?” Theodore scoffed. “Ho! Besides, I was careful with what I agreed to. Willy usually pays much more attention to the wording of our agreements. He was just so distracted at the time!”

  Tarah passed the guards at the gate and headed down the main street. She felt a surge of guilt for interrupting the couple, especially since she knew how much Willum liked the mage. That had truly been their first time together? Why was it that her timing tended to be so awful.

  Tarah snorted in disgust at the unscrupul
ous imp. “What is it about you creatures bound to items that makes you so perverse?”

  “Me perverse? Ho! How holy you sound, Tarah. Especially, for one who . . . Ho-ho! For one currently pregnant with the dwarf’s child!” The imp chittered with joy at his discovery. “Oh my. Who have you told? Please tell me I’m the first to know!”

  Tarah came to a sudden stop, her teeth clinched. It hadn’t occurred to her that the imp might be able to use his magic to discover her secret. A few villagers that were walking her way took one look at her face and moved to the far side of the street. She considered throwing the axe into the nearby canal.

  “You will tell no one!” she sent forcefully.

  “Won’t I?” said the imp gleefully.

  Cletus’ whistling cut off mid-song. “I won’t, Pretty Tarah! I won’t tell no one that . . . What am I not telling?”

  “I wasn’t talking to you, Cletus,” Tarah snapped and started walking forward again. She reminded herself that she didn’t need to talk to the imp aloud. While she was holding the handle of the axe they had a partial mental connection. He could speak in her mind and she could speak back mentally, but he was not able to read her thoughts.

  Esmine reappeared in front of her, walking backwards at the same speed as Tarah’s anger quickened strides. Her child-like arms were folded, an impish smile on her face. “You want me to talk to the axe for you?”

  “No.” I can handle him, Tarah replied mentally, knowing that the imp couldn’t hear her thoughts unless they were directed at him.

  “Ho-ho! It seems that I have some very important information here, Terri. Information that could be quite useful in our negotiations.”

  That information is non-negotiable, Tarah replied, noting with irritation that Theodore had gone back to playing with her name. She was definitely going to need to re-establish respect with the imp. You are going to help me and you are going to do so without demanding some ridiculous price in return.

  “Tsk-tsk, Terri,” said Theodore, his voice no longer teasing. “Everything is negotiable.”

  “Hmm, I think I tire of carrying you,” she said. “Cletus?”

  “Huh?” said the gnome warrior, who had gone back to juggling his stones.

  “No-no-no, Terri. You’re not giving me to that-!”

  “Juggle this,” Tarah said and sent the axe to Cletus with an underhand toss.

  The wicked axe spun through the air and Cletus, seemingly without effort, added it to his routine. Alternating the axe with his stones, sending it in high spinning arcs.

  They had drawn near to Roo-Tan’lan’s center market and a crowd of people oohed as they walked by, in awe of the gnome so deftly handling the evil-looking axe. Others backed away wide-eyed, worried what would happen if Cletus dropped the thing.

  Tarah spared the gnome’s antics little more than the occasional glance as she continued walking. She was mad at herself for taking up the axe without a solid plan in mind. She took the opportunity to calm herself and put together a proper strategy for dealing with the imp.

  They had passed through the market and were heading towards the outskirts of the city when Cletus barked out a sudden fit of laughter. Despite his stomach’s convulsions, he didn’t have a problem keeping up his agile juggling.

  “He is funny! He yells at me every time I touch him!” Cletus laughed again. “He keeps saying something about a baby! A baby dwa-! Ouch! Ha! Hot!”

  Flames had appeared on the handle of the axe. The gnome continued to juggle, touching the axe for only a fraction of a second at a time.

  “Okay, that’s enough. Give it to me, Cletus,” Tarah said. “And you better not burn me, Theodore or I swear I’ll bury you in the mud!” she added just as the gnome sent it spinning her way.

  Wincing, hoping that the imp had taken her threat seriously, Tarah reached out and caught it. She let out a grateful sigh. The handle was cool to the touch.

  “Disgusting! Being in the hands of that witless gnome . . ! You wound me, Terri,” grumbled the imp. “All of you! None of you treat my wishes with respect. Ho! I was treated better in the hands of goblins.”

  “Nonsense,” said Tarah, deciding to let his use of her name go for the moment. “If I didn’t respect you I wouldn’t have come to you for help.”

  “Oh yes. You come to me when in need, but ignore what I want,” the imp said.

  “I didn’t say I would ignore your wishes, but I won’t be trifled with,” she replied. “And I won’t have you telling anyone my secret! If you wish to have an accord, I will demand a fair dealing. And that means I will not stand for disrespect.”

  “You speak like I am the one coming to you. Ho-ho! But that’s fine. I like it when your vocabulary rises a notch. It intrigues me when Terri Woodstaff, back woods tracker puts on the role of smooth negotiator.” The imp chuckled. “What is it you need from me?”

  “I need you to help me interpret my dreams,” Tarah said.

  Chapter Seven

  “Oh-ho! So your dreams have changed! Interpreting the dreams of humans with spirit magic is always interesting,” said Theodore enthusiastically before adding with sinister tone. “But what could you offer me in exchange for such a service? Hmm, I shall have to think on that.”

  Tarah scowled as she continued on her way through the outskirts of Roo-Tan’lan, her staff in one hand, the axe in the other. Every time she thought she was getting somewhere with the imp, he reminded her that he couldn’t be trusted. “No wonder Willum gets tired of having you around.”

  They were passing one of the poorer parts of the city now where many of the buildings were stacked many stories tall and the walls weren’t made of white stone, but brown stone or brick that was painted white. The Roo-Tan laborers and craftsmen lived here alongside many of the lesser warriors in the army.

  This was the part of the city hardest hit by the treaty disaster. Most of the walls here were marked by a green emblem painted in the shape of a Jharro leaf. This marked a house that had lost a warrior in service to the Grove. Some houses had two or more such emblems.

  Tarah did her best not to notice them. Cletus, on the other hand, counted them out loud while waving to every person they passed. The people waved back and several children ran up to him, begging him to do tricks. Cletus had become a common visitor to this area as he traveled from Beth’s house to the palace and back and the children all knew what he could do.

  The gnome walked backwards while pulling out his thin chain weapon, then began performing feats of skill to the children’s delight. He clipped blue weighted bags to the ends of the chain and began sending them in high looping arcs then jerking the bags down towards his face, dodging comically out of the way at the last minute.

  Tarah continued on, knowing that Cletus wouldn’t fall too far behind. The gnome took easily to children, perhaps because in many ways he was like a child himself. They came to the end of the street and walked next to the city’s outer wall, heading for the gate that was closest to Beth’s house.

  “Willy gets tired of me?” the imp scoffed suddenly, still stewing over Tarah’s earlier remark. “Perhaps it is I who is tired of him!”

  Tarah replied to him mentally, not wanting to look crazy to the many people now watching the spectacle of the lanky gnome. He tires of your constant need to play games with his mind. Especially lately. He thought you had gotten better.

  “I? Ho-ho! My way has worked for two thousand years. Hundreds of wielders have played by my rules. Then he comes along and thinks he can change everything? No, I think not!”

  Tarah knew the story well from the many weeks she had spent with Willum on the road. The imp’s relationship with previous wielders had been torturous, with every power earned or lost by their performance in his games. Everything he changed was for your benefit.

  “For his convenience!” the imp insisted. “No ledger. No punishments. I give him of my powers freely and for what?”

  “Friendship,” Tarah reminded him aloud.

  “Friiieeen
dship!” Cletus sang from above, having climbed up top of the city wall. He was walking along in perfect balance, still spinning his chain. The children walked along underneath him watching with rapt gazes.

  The imp snorted in disbelief. “Ho-ho! Friendship? What need have I of that? And what kind of friend ignores me for hours at a time, shutting down our connection so that he cannot hear me? That was not part of our agreement.”

  Friendships aren’t based on agreements. They are based on mutual respect and trust and . . . Tarah chuckled as she realized what this was all about. This is because of mage Vannya, isn’t it? You’re jealous!

  Theodore growled. Jealous of a human woman? Ho! Preposterous!

  It’s because Willum is focused on her instead of you, Tarah continued. Despite all your griping, you like the freedom he’s given you. You like having his constant attention and now he’s focused on somebody else!

  “We are friends. We are friends. Everyone is friieends!” Cletus cried in a high falsetto that wasn’t at all unpleasant. Then he made a show of falling off the outside of the wall, disappearing to the children’s disappointment though he was really hanging on by his fingers, ready to pounce back up to their delight.

  The imp yawned exaggeratedly. “Ah, Terri Woodstaff, how little you understand. Ho, this conversation bores me. If your dreams are more interesting perhaps I will watch them. If not . . .”

  With that Theodore fell silent. Tarah took that as a victory. She was certain she had won that debate and from what she understood about the imp, she thought it likely he hadn’t truly retreated. He was still watching her movements.

  They came to the gate where two guards stood at attention. Another change since the treaty disaster. The guards on this side of the city had always been so much more lax, but ever since that day they stood as straight as if their spines were metal rods.

  One of them was Poz, the Academy warrior that was in Malaroo training with the Roo-Tan. He nodded at her as she passed through, his freckled face stoic. Poz’s presence reminded Tarah of the other Academy warrior, Aldie, who had been swallowed by the behemoth. The blond fresh-faced youth was somewhere in the swamps being remade into something fearsome.