by Jeff Sabean
The closest Chondri attacker to the wagon reached to grab the small, innocent looking Halfling from the tailgate. Hankish looked up at the beast while he calmly strummed his tune, and as its hands reached his throat, the halfling slid under the attack, swinging his instrument upward. What previously appeared to be a decorative design that ran under his left hand from the head, down the neck, and to the belly of the lute proved to be an axe blade, as sharp as any sword ever made. The Chondri never saw the attack coming as Hankish buried the blade in its throat, then kicked it to the side. His tune took on a livelier note as his companions engaged in battle, inspiring them to move faster and strike stronger than they knew was possible, the notes of the song weaving in and out with each move of their weapons.
Aki, surprised by the sudden burst of energy he felt as he listened to the bard song, jerked his tonfa from the sides of his pack and set them to spinning dangerously. He activated the shadows of his weapons, which swirled around the shafts, blurring his movements and distracting the Chondri as he waded into the midst of them. As he connected squarely with the jaw of a particularly large beast on his left, the blades of his weapons burst from the side of the shaft, cleanly slicing through and removing its lower jaw. As the monster howled in pain, Aki rolled his shoulders down and to the left, avoiding a swipe of its sword and coming up with an uppercut, the spike at the front of his tonfa protruding as he punched his opponent in the gaping hole where its jaw used to be. The spike stuck through its mouth and into its brain, stopping it dead as he retracted the spike and whirled to find another opponent.
The remainder of the group, seeing they were outmatched by the smaller party of defenders, turned and fled around the corner, Aki and his companions in close pursuit. Several paces around the corner, a manhole cover was ripped open by the first Chondri, and they began diving down into the sewer. The last disappeared into the hole as Renout caught up, and he peered into the hole, deciding whether it was worth following.
“This is as far as I go,” Abugraic stated, looking into the sewer. “If you choose to follow, it will be without my brother or me.”
“Aye, lad, I ain’t fer chasing them beasties into a sewer either. Ye promised food and ale, not a trip into a sewer,” agreed Bendiac. “Ne’er let it be said a dwarf were scared to go underground, but a sewer is best left to rats.”
Nodding his agreement, Renout placed the cover back on the hole and turned to the group. “We need to report this to Shenroc immediately. We thought most of the Chondri were already removed from the city, but if they are regrouping under the city it could become problematic for us.” He paused to look at the manhole cover again before continuing, “Come, my friends, let me get you that meal I promised.”
“What am I getting myself into,” Aki wondered as he fell into the procession again, now more on guard as they worked their way through the burning city. "I need to find the guys and figure out a way home before I get myself killed in someone else’s war.”
◆◆◆
The remainder of the journey proved uneventful: there were several more times the group was forced to turn around due to fires, but no more ambushes presented themselves. After about an hour of this, Aki found himself standing before the keep in the center of the city. A moat surrounded walls that were easily three times the height of a normal man, with a single draw bridge in the center of the wall facing them. He looked over the edge and could see a variation of alligators swimming in the water at the bottom, although they were larger than any alligator he had ever seen.
“This was the residence of the former tyrant, Jim,” Renout explained as the group stood staring at the massive gates that lead into the compound. “It should be no surprise that he liked to keep himself safe from the, ahh, unmentionables of the city.” As the drawbridge was lowered in front of them, he continued, “No one ever saw Jim enter or exit this compound, but he would appear in The Portal to conduct his business. We have never figured out how he accomplished this, although seeing our friends disappear into the sewer, I believe I have a better understanding of how he was able to travel without making himself vulnerable.”
When the bridge was fully lowered, the group crossed it, feeling very vulnerable in the center with no protection from ranged attacks. As they entered the compound, the drawbridge was raised behind them again.
“Shenroc plans to have the drawbridge removed and have a permanent bridge built, but until the former regime is removed completely there remains a need for security,” Renout stated apologetically as he noticed the looks of concern on the faces of those around him. “Rest assured, my friends, you are in no danger here. It is for our protection at this time, not to keep you inside.”
“Unless them sharks attack from the inside,” muttered Bendiac as he kept a wary eye out as his brother set down the wagon next to the stable and rejoined the group.
They entered the house within the walls and were quickly escorted into a banquet room with a long table down the center lit by torches running along the walls. High-backed chairs lined each side of the table, and there was an enormous unlit fireplace at the opposite end of the room from the door. The group were given water to wash with, then taken to seats along either side of the head of the table, which remained empty, as did the seat to the left of the head. Trays of meats, fruits, and bread were delivered, and they began eating immediately, wondering at the two empty seats.
A short time later, a side door opened, and an unlikely pair entered the room together. On the right walked a man with green skin and tusks like an orc, but his skin was a lighter complexion and he carried himself with more bearing than the beasts Aki had encountered on the road. He wore leather armor with a pair of wicked looking daggers at his waist and carried a gigantic claymore with a kris blade in his right hand, the blade resting easily on his shoulder. He stood around six feet tall, his jet-black hair hung loosely around his shoulders, and his red eyes locked onto Aki as soon as he came close to the table.
Walking on his left was what appeared to be a dwarf, except that he stood closer to seven feet tall than six! His features resembled the dwarves at the table, with red hair pulled back into a single braid that ran down his back, his waist-length beard braided into two thick braids, and his mithril armor gleaming in the torch light. He carried a mithril war hammer in his right hand and a shield engraved with a hammer and anvil in his left. A curious scorch mark marred the otherwise flawless face of the shield, denoting a battle sometime in the past against an opponent capable of scarring mithril.
As the two approached the table, Aki stood and gave a polite bow to the orc-man, who he rightly assumed to be Shenroc, the new leader of Terminus. To his surprise, Shenroc rested his blade against the chair at the head of the table and wrapped him in a bone-jarring embrace.
“You must be Aki, of whom my good friend Heishi has spoken often in the past weeks,” the surprisingly well-spoken orc stated as he released him from the bear hug. “You appear exactly as he described you, although you do not seem to be older than dirt.”
A smile spread across Aki’s face at that. "This guy clearly knows my slightly disrespectful student and team leader,” Aki thought to himself. “Yes, sir, I am Aki, and clearly you have been listening to my friend tell lies about me,” he replied out loud, causing both newcomers to chuckle. “However, you have me at a loss, as I am not acquainted with you or your companion.”
“I am Shenroc, previously a guard of this fair city. I met Heishi a few weeks ago when he arrived in Kartos, and was, ahh, thrust into a quest to recover an item of power for Jim. There were originally four of us in the party, until we came across your companion Tiane upon the path to orc mountain. We completed our task, rescuing an enchanting elf maiden along the way, and Heishi convinced us it would be in the best interest of the town to remove Jim from power. And that leads us to the happenings of the town this morning: Jim is dead, and before escaping on a ship, Heishi ensured the filth was purged with fire. We are in the process of restructuring the powe
r of the town and removing the last remnants of Jim’s reign of terror.”
As he paused in his tale, the oversized dwarf to his side nudged him, setting him off balance a bit.
“Where are my manners. Also complicit in my tale is this oaf, my best friend and companion Yutri, of the clan Wetree,” Shenroc stated sheepishly as if quite embarrassed to have forgotten to introduce his friend.
“You-tree?” Aki asked, trying to pronounce the name as Shenroc had.
“Nah, I’m not a tree, I’m a dwarf. What is it with you humans thinking I’m a tree?” Yutri asked, looking confused.
“You must excuse my large friend,” Shenroc laughed, “his brain is not proportionate to his body.”
“Proportionate?” Yutri asked, looking at his laughing friend and rightly assuming he was the brunt of a joke he did not quite understand.
“Aye, ya oaf, he’s sayin’ yer the size of an ogre and have the brain of one too!” Bendiac interjected from his seat at the table, howling with laughter and spilling his ale.
Yutri turned toward Shenroc and seeing him laughing along with the dwarf at the table, punched him in the side of the head, sending him reeling. Shenroc recovered, eyes blazing, and tackled his gigantic friend, knocking over chairs and sending weapons flying as the two wrestled, punching and biting. The two clawed, punched, and kicked until Renout dumped a mug of ale over each of their heads, ending the fight in sputtering laughter from the two.
“My apologies to our esteemed guests,” Shenroc exclaimed, taking his seat at the head of the table and piling food on his plate. “My companion is as loyal as any I have ever met, but there are times I cannot help joking at his expense, as he is not the sharpest weapon in the armory.
“Now, with that out of the way, there are many faces here I do not know. I vaguely recognize the two dwarves as traders who have visited Terminus on previous occasions to sell their wares, but I am not acquainted with either of you or the other two here. And I would very much like to hear the story of how you came to be here with us, Master Aki.”
◆◆◆
After introductions were made, Hankish regaled the group with the song he had composed on the journey to town of the fierce human who fell from the sky, weapons spinning and orcs dying every way he turned. As he sang, the torches in the room danced in time with the song, flashing colors and brightening to accent the bravery of the human from the other world, and Aki himself began to believe he was the hero of a story of old as he was wrapped up in the music. The song ended rather abruptly, with an apologetic smile from Hankish.
“My apologies, I still do not have an ending. Maybe Master Aki will die a brilliant death to give me the epic tragedy I have been working to write my entire life,” he said wistfully while staring at the flame from the closest torch to him.
“I’ll see what I can do for you, but don’t hold your breath waiting,” Aki remarked dryly, leading to a chorus of laughs from the table.
As the laughter died down, Shenroc resumed control of the conversation. “The report brought to me by Renout the Honorable, Captain of the Guard, is disturbing. We thought that by clearing out this keep we had destroyed the remnant of Jim’s power here in Terminus, but it would appear we have more work to do.
Master Aki, would I be right to assume you wish to rejoin your companions in Harmonui?”
Nodding, Aki replied, “Yes, sir, I would very much like to rejoin my companions. I would also like the full story of what has been going on here in my absence. By my reckoning it has been less than half a day since we were separated, but you have mentioned several times the weeks you spent with Heishi.”
“I will tell you the full tale later this evening when we are alone, as there are details which I do not wish to share with anyone else,” Shenroc replied. “, I feel the need to disclose that most of the ships in our port fled as the fires razed the city. It could be several days, or maybe longer, before I can secure passage for you. I owe everything to Heishi, so this will be my top priority, but you must understand that it could take some time considering the mess the city is in at this time.”
Aki nodded his understanding, and Shenroc continued.
“With that said,” he turned his attention to the rest at the table, “I also am not sure when the market will be safely operational again either.”
The dwarves, never ones to sit idle, grumbled their response to the implication that they might have to wait to sell their wares.
“I would not want any of you to feel obligated to join in the war that has erupted, and you are all welcome to stay in one of the inns until you can complete your business here, or we can escort you safely to the gate in the morning and see you on your way if you do not wish to wait.
“May I offer an alternative? We are working toward making the lives of all in Terminus better. No more oppression of the weak. No more good people starving in the streets while the upper crust hoards food. No more taking advantage of those who cannot fight back against tyrants. If you would assist, I would pay you what I have available, and give you first access to the marketplace when it reopens. What say you, good travelers? Will you stay and assist in making Terminus safe for good people?”
Aki agreed immediately, as he had no other options with nowhere to go and no money to get there. Bendiac and Thrazzoun decided to stay at an inn and wait out the market, as Thrazzoun was adamant that he was not a fighter and Bendiac stated he would rather be wealthy than dead. Hankish readily agreed to assist, to the glare of his brother, who finally agreed to stay for at least a few days.
The celebration that followed continued late into the night, with many rounds of ale and stories of both worlds being told. Aki still was not sure what he had gotten himself into but decided this was his only chance to link up with his team, so he decided to take advantage of the companionship in the meantime.
Chapter 3 – Not the Sewers!
Early the next morning, Aki awoke with the sunrise streaming through the window of his small room. It took him a few moments to fully grasp where he was and remembered Shenroc asking him to find him this morning. He quickly dressed, thinking he needed to acquire some era-appropriate garb before exiting the compound, and pulled his pistol from his backpack. He had not fastened it to his leg the day prior, thinking it best to not draw extra attention to himself by carrying weapons from a different world, but Shenroc had mentioned Heishi carrying his pistol and it felt like a security blanket to Aki as he strapped on his thigh holster and slid his pistol into it.
Wandering back into the meeting hall, he found Shenroc and Yutri sitting at the table having breakfast, as small fire burning in the fireplace by the table. The two were deep in conversation, huddled close together at the end of the table, and were surprised when Aki took a seat to the left of Shenroc.
“Well met, my friend. I trust you slept well?” Shenroc greeted him with a smile.
“It’s going to take a while getting used to a guy with tusks smiling at me,” thought Aki, trying not to stare. “Yes, the bed was surprisingly comfortable, although I need to teach you people what curtains are so I can sleep past sunrise...”
“I know what curtains are, human,” Yutri stated with a huff. “That is what ladies do for royalty, but I do not know what that has to do with sleeping,” he added with a lewd wink.
“He said CURTAINS, not curtsies, you oaf,” Shenroc laughed. “Curtains are pieces of cloth hung in windows to keep the sunlight out.” He turned to look at Aki and said with a wink, “So uncivilized.”
“The irony of an orc calling someone uncivilized. This place is very strange,” Aki thought as he laughed along with the two. “Well, now that we have THAT cleared up, what is it you wanted to see me about this morning, Master Shenroc?”
“Bah, you can leave off the ‘Master’ nonsense. Two days ago, I was lucky to have a position as a guard for the city and was treated as an outcast by the ‘respectable’ people of Terminus due to my orc heritage. But I help kill ONE tyrant, and suddenly, I am a beacon of
hope for all the underdogs of the city, and everyone wants to be my friend. I suppose it is better than being spat upon, but I do not need the extra fawning from you too.”
“Fair enough, Shenroc it is,” Aki conceded. “And I don’t need to be called ‘Master Aki’ either, just Aki is fine.”
“Why would we call you ‘Just Aki’?” Yutri asked, clearly confused by this turn of the conversation.
“I had never thought of it like that before,” Aki deadpanned as he stared at Yutri. “I guess I should just stick to ‘Aki’ then and leave the ‘Just’ part off.”
Yutri nodded his agreement that this made much more sense and returned to his breakfast.
Shenroc, stifling a grin, nodded his approval to Aki for figuring out so quickly how to ignore the dumb things Yutri said without embarrassing his friend. “Back to the reason for my desire to meet with you privately,” he began again, “I wanted to give you the details of my journey with Heishi without the others overhearing. I have no reason to distrust them, but I left out a detail of my story that I do not wish to share with any who do not need to know it.
“Big Jim, the former ruler of Terminus, sent your friend to retrieve an orb of power from an orc king under the mountain. We were not sure what this orb was or what we would find when we got there, but just knew we had to bring it back to Jim if we wanted to continue to draw breath. Heishi killed this Sgel the Nasty, and when he picked up the orb, he saw...things. He described them to us, and from his description we all agree he was getting a glimpse of future events: three armies of evil converging on an elvish city named Harmonui, presumably to destroy the good races of the world.