The dragon saliva did give him slight pause however. According to the stories he had heard, dragons were gigantic winged lizards that had once been a powerful race that ruled the planet. After intervention from the Gods, they were still gigantic winged lizards that now had their intellect greatly diminished. They lived in secluded caves deep underground, where they slept for centuries, only awaking to eat or gather more plunder used to decorate their lairs. Vast treasures were said to be held in the home of a dragon, however, no one that ever went into dragon’s lair ever returned to confirm that legend. The idea of having to obtain the saliva from a dragon that was alive did nothing to bolster his confidence, but he decided it would be the last component he quested for. He was so excited to finally have something to do, he refused to allow a task even as impossible as that to dampen his spirits.
The next ingredient the scroll called for was the soul of a humanoid. Elf, Dwarf, Human, Friian, Kritchet, basically any of the civilized races of the world. The soul could be given willingly or unwillingly, yet the scroll did mention that if the soul was given willingly it would make the ring function much better. The scroll went on to explain that the soul was used to give the ring a form of awareness, so that when the caster was casting his spells, the ring knew which component to use and kept them organized and replenished within the ring. The subject whose soul was in the ring would never die and would be mostly aware of what was happening around the caster. They wouldn’t be able to directly affect the world around them but occasionally, depending on the strength of the caster, the subject would be able to communicate with the ring bearer from time to time. Tartum couldn’t think of a worse kind of hell to be in. Imprisoned for eternity in a ring that was worn by someone you may or may not have wanted to entrap your immortal soul. The idea of being nothing more than a slave for the rest of time as your master went on to greatness you would never know made Tartum sick to his stomach. He had no idea who would ever willingly volunteer to do something like that and would have been disheartened by the prospect of having to find a participant, had it not been for the scroll saying the subject could be unwilling. This seemed to be a much more likely scenario to him, and he began making a short list of whom he might subdue when the time finally came to cast this enchantment.
The final parts required to create his ring were the biggest variable. The scroll described how he needed to gather up as many different spell components as he could find. The more he was able to acquire the more diverse his regent ring would be. The way the scroll described it, in order for his ring to be used to cast his fireball spell he would need to have infused it with sulfur during its creation. Otherwise, he would still need to carry around a source of sulfur with him in order to cast that spell. If the ring wasn’t enchanted with the spell component he required for the spell he was trying to cast then it would be useless and the spell would fail. The immensity of the task before him hit him suddenly. He would need to travel further than he had ever been in order to gather the required ingredients just to make the ring all the while he would need to obtain as many diverse and exotic spell components as he could find as he came across them. The gathering process of spell components alone could take him months or even years to accomplish! The smile that spread across his face threatened to split his head in two.
“Finally!” he thought to himself, “I have a purpose again!”
The one bit of good news about the spell components was that he only needed a tiny amount to use in the enchantment. A pinch of sulfur, a single rose petal, one sapphire, a drop of water, would be all that was required in order to infuse the properties of the item into his regent ring. Jumping up from his desk, Tartum opened the largest chest in the room and began placing samples the spell components he currently had inside. It didn’t take him long to finish, and now he stood over the chest inspecting the contents. A leopard frog’s tongue, a rose petal, some barley, a copper rod, a bit of sand, a small granite stone, sulfur, a sapphire, some ash, the biggest spider’s leg he had, some candle wax, a sparrow’s feather, a snake’s skin, a shard of glass, a rose thorn, an acorn, some salt, a golcock eye, and some aloe took up a small section of the chest contained in various jars and pouches. It was a weak start to his ultimate goal, he knew, but looking down at his small collection, he felt like he’d accomplished more today than he had in the past six months.
Thinking it over, he decided to place the scroll back into its case and place it inside the chest with the components. Locking the chest, he covered it with a blanket and cast his warding spell. Moving with the urgency of a man with a mission, Tartum gathered up his traveling gear and began attaching his spell components to his belt. It had been so long since he had carried it all on his person that the weight surprised him. He found he had not missed the burden of his pouches; he smiled as he realized that when he finished his quest, all he would have to do would be to slide a ring on his finger in order to be prepared for his next journey. Quickly stuffing supplies into his packs, Tartum attached the pouch that carried his diamonds to his belt and filled a large bag with gems from his cache to use as a bribe on Varnar. If he loved gemstones as much as he hoped he did, he would be unable to resist Tartum’s request.
Retrieving his spell book from behind the desk, Tartum tucked it into his pack and then slung it over his shoulder. Picking up his staff, he whistled for Buddy, moments later he heard the door he had installed for him creak as the hinge swayed as Buddy passed through it. Trotting up, Tartum saw he had an expectant look on his face. Tossing him a treat, Tartum looked down at his pet and smiled.
“Are you ready for another adventure, Bud?” he asked.
The look in Buddy’s eyes led Tartum to believe he had understood every word. Spinning in a circle, Buddy jumped up and licked his face and excitedly barked his approval.
Laughing, Tartum playfully pushed Buddy off of him. “Ok! Ok! Me too! Let’s get going!” he said. He was very pleased to see his dog shared his enthusiasm.
Walking outside, Tartum saw it was still mid-morning, according to the current position of the sun. The smile never left his face as he locked the door behind him and recast his warding spell just to be certain. He planned to use this house as his base of operations to store his items as he acquired them, as well as to research his next move when tracking down the dragon’s lair and troll’s blood he required. Taking one last look at his home, Tartum spun on his heels and was about to begin heading north when a thought occurred to him. Changing his direction, he began heading east towards the richest section of town. With a little luck, by the time he concluded his business with Varnar, the next step of his quest would be set before him.
With Buddy at his side, they made their way towards Dannurn’s home. They found him sitting on his front porch enjoying the weather, whittling away at a piece of wood. He saw Tartum coming and put down his work. Buddy bounded his way towards him and jumped into his open arms, greeting him with sloppy dog kisses. Tartum laughed, the sound of his laughter caught Buddy’s attention which put an end to his barrage of licking. He walked over and retook his place at his master’s side. Dannurn was laughing as well and wiping Buddy’s slobber off his face.
“Morning, Dannurn, sorry about that. He’s a bit excited today. We came by to ask for a favor.” Tartum began.
Dannurn looked up with a smile on his face. “Bah! It’s fine, Tartum! Buddy is a great dog, and I try to get affection like that wherever I can!” he said, “What favor do you ask of a simple man like me?”
Grinning, Tartum replied, “I actually have two favors to ask. Buddy and I are going north to pay a long overdue visit to the dwarves. While I’m gone I’d appreciate you keeping an eye on my house. It’s locked, and I’ve cast my warding spell on the door, but I would feel much better if I knew someone trustworthy was watching over it while we’re away.” he said. He knew the flattery wasn’t necessary but figured it couldn’t hurt.
Dannurn nodded, “Of course, I’ll watch over your house. Just don’t ask me to go insi
de. After seeing what happened to Schicer, I still get nervous even walking through the threshold of your home.” Laughing at his own joke, Dannurn gave Tartum an enquiring look, “Why are you going to the dwarven lands so suddenly? And what is this other favor you have to ask of me?”
Tartum saw no reason to lie, “I’m going to visit a friend of mine, I have some work for him to do. I was on my way there when I happened across Yucoke, and those plans were put on hold for a while. Now seems like as good of a time as any to continue my journey.” he explained. Seeing Dannurn frown, Tartum smiled. “Relax, my friend; I’m coming home after I’ve concluded my business there. Which brings me to the second favor I must ask of you.”
Dannurn seemed relieved to hear that he intended to return, but now he looked dubious as to what his next request would be. “Go on…” was all he said.
Sighing,Tartum continued, “I have need of troll’s blood and dragon saliva. I was hoping that while I was gone, you could ask around and see if anyone around here might know of where I could possibly find their lairs. Perhaps a merchant passing through town might have heard something. I don’t know. Just ask around, and if you find out anything let me know when I return.” he explained.
Dannurn looked at him for a long time without speaking. Tartum could tell he was analyzing what he had just told him; trying to make sense of such a strange request. All Tartum could think to do was wait for him to come to a decision on whether or not to honor his request. He wished the man would hurry up and decide already, he was eager to be off. After what felt like an eternity, Dannurn began to speak.
“So you’re leaving town to go to the dwarven keep to have some sort of work done. When you return, you plan to track down a dragon and a troll to try and gather their blood and spit. Do I have this right so far?” he asked. His tone was cynical; he had the look of a man that thought a joke was being played on him.
Tartum simply nodded. The smile on his face was gone, he felt like they were negotiating something now. He didn’t see where Dannurn was going with this.
Dannurn looked down and shook his head. “Why in the Gods’ names would you want to find either of those creatures, let alone attempt to obtain fluids from them? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? How idiotic?! Even if I did find someone that knew where they could be found, why would I tell you? How could you ask me to send a friend to certain doom?” Tartum was about to reply, but Dannurn cut him off, “Don’t try to tell me otherwise, Tartum! A dragon is a huge beast comprised of muscle, teeth, and hatred. Trolls are the same only slightly smaller. The minute they see you, they’ll kill you and not even your fancy magic will be able to save you. Get yourself killed, if you wish, I’ll have no part in it!” he finished gruffly. Leaning back in his chair, Dannurn folded his arms in front of him and fixed Tartum with a defiant glare.
Tartum’s anger rose as Dannurn’s rejection of his request was given. He was about to reply equally as harshly when the little voice in the back of his head stopped him. Tartum suddenly felt guilty for asking so much of the man and with the feeling came clarity. He realized just how much he was asking of the man, he knew how fond of him he was. Tartum knew Dannurn saw him as a son or, at the very least, a favored friend. It had been wrong to ask this of him, to ask him to send someone he cared about into perilous danger. He wouldn’t ask him to send Betty or Vessa into an active volcano would he? Tartum was suddenly very ashamed of himself. Placing a hand on Dannurn’s shoulder, Tartum began to speak.
“I am so sorry, my friend. It was wrong of me to ask. Please, forget I said anything. Will you at least still watch over my house?” he asked. Tartum couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so ashamed. The guiding voice in the back of his head was silent now, but he felt he had done the right thing by apologizing.
Tartum saw the defiant look in Dannurn’s eyes disappear and a softer one took its place. Softer, but still harsh, “Bah! Damn it, boy!” Dannurn seemed to be struggling internally with something. Before Tartum could inquire about it, Dannurn knocked his hand off his shoulder and jumped out of his seat. “If you want to get yourself kill that’s fine by me! I’ll watched your damned house, and I’ll find you a dragon and a troll if I can. People pass through here all the time claiming to know the locations of all sorts of things, I have no doubt someone will know where to find those beasts. Wait here! If I’m going to do you these favors, you will damn sure have to do something for me!” With that, Dannurn stormed into his house slamming the door behind him.
Tartum was blown away by Dannurn’s reaction. The voice in the back of his head felt like it was laughing. Tartum was very confused but couldn’t see what else to do but wait for Dannurn to return. He could hear the sounds of doors slamming and glass breaking coming from inside the home. Whatever he was doing in there he wasn’t being careful about it. After a few minutes the sounds stopped, and Dannurn came bursting through his front door. He had a large bag that had been filled to bursting with what looked to be a small fortune in gold coins. Dannurn thrust the bag at him as he blurted out his instructions.
“When you get to Windswept Keep, find a man named Thorinnson Vrok. He was a citizen of Yucoke a few years ago. He left after the Boggs murdered his wife, he was a tiny man at the time that had made friends with one of the dwarves that used to pass through here. When he left, he told me he would head north to Windswept and see about becoming an apprentice, start a new life in order to forget about all he lost in this one. That was almost three years ago, and we haven’t seen him since. This is his share of the gold we earned from selling the property he left behind. If he still lives, then you find him and give this to him. Tell him we miss him, and that there is always a place for him back in Yucoke. He may take us up on the offer if you tell him the Boggs are dead.” Dannurn looked away from him then and wiped at his eyes. “Do this, and I’ll watch over your home and find you the locations of your damn beasts. Damn fool’s errand if you ask me.” he finished.
Tartum took the bag of coins from Dannurn. He was about to apologize again, but before he could, Dannurn walked back into his house and slammed the door. Tartum stood there for a moment, going over their conversation in his head. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it but decided that he could just as easily think it over as he traveled. Stuffing the bag of coins into the bottom of his pack, he tossed Buddy a piece of dried meat and began his trek north towards the dwarven keep of Windswept.
CHAPTER 35
They had been traveling north along the road for over a month now. The weather was getting colder, and somehow, it felt like the entire journey had been uphill. Tartum was beginning to think he had made a mistake, and more than once, he entertained the idea of turning back for Yucoke. The memory of how bored he had become there and his desire to create the regent ring kept him pushing forward towards the mountains. The trees were growing sparser the further he traveled; he could just make out the outline of mountains on the horizon far in the distance. Seeing them had bolstered his resolve at first, but no matter how far he walked, they still seemed impossibly far away.
For a week, Tartum watched as the trees disappeared altogether, and the road began to change from packed earth to a soft mud. The weather began to change for the worse as well, as the temperature dropped and a constant drizzle fell around him. His spells kept them both dry, but he could do nothing to shield them against the cold. He refused to give up on his quest before it began, the thought of returning to Yucoke as a failure sickened him and kept him pushing forward. Yet as the days dragged by, even Buddy seemed to want to return home. He was no longer enjoying their journey, and it was only pride that kept him going.
Early one morning, about six weeks after beginning his journey, Tartum and Buddy were sitting at their fire on the side of the road, trying to warm themselves against the miserable cold, when the sound of horses coming from behind them caused them to start. They had not encountered any other travelers since they left Yucoke, and to see signs of life now had them both as excited as they w
ere nervous. Tartum could see the horses clearly as they made their way up the road towards them. They were pulling a large wagon that looked to be made of stone. There were eight horses pulling it with two men sitting on a bench, situated on the top of the wagon, keeping them on course. Tartum found the wagon very impressive. It appeared to be hewn from a single large boulder that had been crafted to function as a mobile fortress. He had seen wagons before, he had lived in one with Isidor for much of his childhood, but never had he seen a wagon as formidable nor as massive as this one.
He cursed himself for allowing his guard to drop so low when he was so exposed. For him to allow a team of horses pulling a stone fortress on creaky wheels to sneak up on him was unforgiveable. Savall would have run him through, if he had been around to witness this. Now he and Buddy stood on the side of the road waiting for the wagon to pass. He wasn’t sure if they were friendly or hostile, but he was too cold and weary to put up much of a fight. Tartum saw one of the men steering the horses look at him and yell something into the wagon. A heavily bearded man popped his head out of one of the windows and peered at him. Tartum immediately recognized the man was a dwarf. Smiling, the dwarf in the window began talking to the driver that had alerted him to his presence. Tartum opened himself to the magic just in time to hear the last part of the conversation between the dwarf and the driver.
“…eeds a ride!” was all he heard.
It was enough, his feet ached, and his back was sore from sleeping on the rough earth of the road for so long. He didn’t care how much they asked of him, even if they only took him up the road for a mile or so, he would happily pay them every coin he had. The driver of the wagon whipped the horses to hurry their pace. It wasn’t long before the wagon pulled up next to him and came to a halt.
The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 2 Page 30