by Kieron Uchee
We quickly got the Caravan ready to leave as soon as we could. I let the girls sleep and had the Diggerduggers hook up the harness. Soon we were on the road, and once again life seemed to slow down to a walking pace. Both girls soon poked their heads out and greeted me. Then returning to the room they began to prepare breakfast and soon the smell of food and kava was greeting my nose.
As the girls stepped out and sat down they passed me a plate of potatoes and fried meat, along with a hot mug of steaming goodness. In between bites I told of what had occurred and of Yakoff and his demands to Ingar. The girls stared with narrowed eyes and then asked if they should help him to have an accident.
I smiled and said, “No that little prick is mine, he crossed over several lines and will have to pay the price, just watch out for him, he is a toady little bastard.”
The rest of the day passed peacefully with the girls sharing the watch duties and driving the wagon. I had entered the cabin after breakfast and shoved the Wyvern egg into the hot fireplace, it needed heat to continue to develop and hatch.
Laying down I opened the scroll I had retrieved and slowly began to read.
The time has come to begin to foray into the lands of men and Dwarves, the Dark Masters are at work, and soon the world will be plunged into shadows. Go forth and harm all, slay what you can and destroy all the works of the people. Our allies number in the hordes and soon we will be triumphant over the light.
My thoughts were troubled as I fell asleep, I was thinking, What the Hell, this is more than just intertribal warfare amongst the Dwarfs. There was a darkness moving on the land and had been for years building its strength as it remained hidden. It would seem that the time for the darkness to hide was over.
Chapter 33 The Dark God
The sky was gray and overcast, the weather was turning colder and soon winter would hit. This far south we could expect little snow and what would fall would not last. This was what made it possible to run the Caravans all year. We had been on the road for a month now and had gone through two villages setting up shop for a couple of days and then packing up and moving on.
Tonight, Ingar has mentioned we would be at the third village and would have the amenities of an Inn. I think that everyone was looking forward to having a hot bath and relaxing, we had fended off two bandit attacks with little trouble, but were still on edge over it.
Looking up the road I could see Tasia making her way back to our cart. As she pulled up and swung onto the seat she greeted me with a smile and asked, “You ready to get your lazy ass off this bench and do some real work?”
I smiled at her, the last month had proven to be a time of friendship and I had enjoyed getting to know both Reona and Tasia on a friendly level. We had not progressed beyond that friendship. I suspected that both of the girls were more than willing but since Ama’s death, I had lost interest in the lust of the flesh. Not that it stopped me from admiring the beauty of the girls with whom I shared a small room.
Hearing us talking Reona opened the door and looked out then smiling at Tasia she slid out of the door and seated herself on the bench, making a Torn sandwich with me in the middle and a girl on each side. We talked for a few minutes longer then I handed the reins to Tasia and reached into my bag and removed the four rings I had looted from the hidden attic of the House of Pain.
Smiling at the girls I gave them each two rings and said, “You two deserve this if anyone does. I hope that they serve you well, I don’t want them wasting space in my bag when they could be used by you two. The girls stared at the rings in amazement, they were flawless and of epic quality, all four were BOE and would level as the girls leveled. Back in the old days of WOW, the first super popular MMO game, gear like this was called heirloom I recalled as I handed it to them.
As the girls fussed and marveled at the stats of the four rings I let my thoughts go back to when I was at school. I had become a bit of an info sponge, especially after I had purchased the old Google Glasses. What luck to have found them, I thought when suddenly I wondered if it was luck at all.
Perhaps things were a little predestined in my life, with the knowledge that the world that I knew was no more real than the game world of Gods and Men, I could guess at how my life had been manipulated in small ways. Did I truly have free will, or was it all pre-arranged, I wondered.
Taking a deep breath, I exhaled and allowed the tension to flow out of my body. Turning to Reona I asked, “So what rings did you choose?”
As she looked at me I could see a glow on her face, she seemed happy, but then without trying to be a sexist pig I had to wonder if receiving rare and expensive jewelry always made most women happy.
Reona smiled at Torn, noting that the tension he now carried was somewhat relaxed and for that she was grateful. “I chose the spell power and intellect rings, the first one increased spell power by ten per level and the intellect the same.” Looking at Torn, she thought, he is so generous with us.
Torn smiled back at Reona and then turned to Tasia and asked, “How about you, what stats do your new rings give you?”
Tasia stared at the rings in shock and slowly responded, “They are amazing, it is plus ten per level towards strength and agility. With my training and levels, these rings have put me far ahead of the curve. Thank you, Torn.” With that Tasia turned and kissed Torn, and while not overtly sexual there was no doubt that it could lead towards that avenue.
Not to be outdone, Reona also grabbed Torn and kissed him, while whispering “Thank you.” Torn half smiled and half blushed, it felt good to be kissed by two attractive women but he still was not ready to walk down that path with them.
Suddenly Ingar was striding beside them and spoke up, “Torn we are approaching the next village, our Scout has returned and informed me that they are eagerly waiting for us. Also, it is the Innkeeper’s brother’s daughter’s wedding and we are all invited to the feast, it is held at the Inn so we will be there regardless.” With that he strode off to inform the others, I kept quiet, the idea of going to a wedding feast did not appeal to me.
The girls, on the other hand, were more than excited and were already discussing what to wear and if there would be a dance. Tasia mentioned that most small villages usually had no musicians and as such no dances.
Reona gave a laugh and poked me in the side, and said, “You have not heard Torn then, it is enough to make you want to throw your undergarments at him as he sings, it is so amazing.” Seeing Tasia look at me with surprise Reona also declared, “You will hear him sing tonight at the dance, it will be amazing. I promise.”
The girls ignored my protestations as they began to seriously plan the entire night with me as the center of attraction. Giving them both sharp looks which they ignored with ease caused me to hasten my departure from the cart. I began to walk alongside the Caravan looking at the bushes and the low trees that covered this part of the country.
As I reached the front of the Caravan we crested a small hill and the village was below us. The wood burning smoke coming out of dozens of chimneys provided a pleasant smell as we descended into the small valley. The village was nestled on a bit of higher ground with a small river running through it, with several small foot bridges joining the village together. There were two larger bridges as well, they were clearly meant for wagons and carts.
Eventually, we pulled up at the Inn and backed our carts against the wall, then began the process of taking the harness off the Oxyacs and moving them to the large stables. Once they were inside the Diggerduggers went to work. They began by bringing them hay and water, and then they pulled out small combs of rock and began cleaning and grooming the beasts.
My four animals were always clean and well-groomed in the morning; the fact is they seemed to enjoy having the little Diggerduggers pamper them. I smiled at the sight of the huge beasts gently bending down their massive heads so that they could be combed.
Making my way into the Inn I was informed that the girls had secured a room, free of charge for us.
The Innkeeper explained that the girls had traded my singing for the free stay and that the dance would begin at nine bells and would last to twelve bells. All the ale or mead I could drink was provided free of charge as well as snacks.
Smiling and nodding I slowly made my way up to my room, it was a two-bedroom suite, possibly the best room at the Inn. Entering I discovered the girls in various stages of undress as they began to try on different clothing, Reona was sharing with Tasia from her trunks. I walked into the far room and saw that my bags were placed on the chest next to the bed.
Grabbing a change of clothing and a towel I walked towards the door stopping to say that I would be in the pool room having a bath. The girls looked at one another and nodded and then both spoke in unison saying, “We will join you.”
I could not help but smile at the girls and said, “I am waiting so let’s go.” Seeing them both grab a small bag I held the door for them and we all trooped down the stairs and towards the back of the building.
We entered the pool room area and were hit with a blast of hot air and steam. The first room was basically a steam room. The next room had a warm and cold pool and benches along the walls. The last room was broken into many small alcoves, each with a small pool of warmed water.
I quickly stripped and wrapping my towel around my waist I turned to see both Reona and Tasia staring at me. It was the tattoos of Runic script and the roses and swords tattooed on my arms. I looked at Tasia she was a little pale and I could tell that she was burning with questions, as she guessed who I was. I had already decided that she should know and this was the moment.
I walked over and taking her hand I said, “Tasia it is the time you know the truth, I am Tor.” I left it there and stood back and watched her. I know that for the last six years the King and the whole upper tiers of the city had blamed me for the absence of the Gods and probably for anything else that they could.
Her hand trembled for a moment as she took in a deep breath and suddenly she relaxed. “I have suspected that something was different with you from when I met you, first you killed a Sea Giant then you appeared to be waiting for us when we docked and of course you saved both Reona and me, something that a party of 5 with higher levels would have had trouble doing.”
Tasia continued to speak and asked, “What are you Torn, I don’t believe you are evil, I know you’re not a Demon but Torn was a human and now you’re a half-elf?”
I shrugged, it was hard to explain what I was and what I was becoming. Speaking softly, I said, “I am who I am, and while not a Demon, I am a Demon Prince. Truthfully, I came back after dying to find my family and friends and find a safe place to live my days. That is no longer possible, but I give you my word, I am not the enemy. There is a growing darkness and I fear that we are all being manipulated by something more than circumstance.”
Looking at Tasia I saw that the doubt was still there flickering in her eyes when Reona spoke, “Believe him, Tasia, I was present when he died and he has reason to hate me more than any other. Yet he has forgiven me. Trust him, I think we are all going to need to trust one another.”
Seeing Tasia give Reona a shocked look I stood for a moment and then said, “I am for the pools I want to get clean.” Then I walked to the next room and jumped into the warm pool and began to splash about. Soon I was joined by both Tasia and Reona who looked like they had been discussing deep things. Things I did not want to know.
Tasia began by saying, “I am sorry for doubting you Torn, I should have known better, I was just shocked.”
I smiled and nodded, “Apology accepted, I would have been shocked also in your place.” And with that the peace and friendship had returned, it was a good feeling.
Turning to Reona I noted that she was smiling as she stood at the edge of the pool, I knew she had gone out of her way to reassure Tasia. Swimming over to her, I grabbed her leg and tossed her into the water and then dived as Tasia began to splash water on us. The next hour passed with us both having fun and getting clean, it was a nice break.
As we toweled off and got dressed Reona asked what I was planning on wearing to the dance. I really had no thoughts on what to wear and told her that. Which might have been a mistake as her eyes narrowed and she looked me up and down then said, “Come with me. I will help you with your evening attire.”
The rest of the evening was spent with both girls going through their stuff and working with needle and thread. When they were done, I was pleasantly surprised, I looked good, with dark gray pants and a light gray shirt.
The girls changed into outfits both frilly and feminine and then with a smile we all went downstairs. The common room had been opened up with all the table against the wall, and a large open area ready for dancing. At the far end was a small raised podium where I would be performing.
Coming to greet us was the happy couple and both set of parents. As I shook hands and greeted them I noticed the bride had a younger sister about 14 years old. She looked like a smaller version of Nadia who was the young woman getting married. Her name was Stephany and she was pretty excited about the whole thing.
Soon the hall was filled with all the guests and the ceremony began. It lasted about an hour and was pretty typical of a wedding, filled with promises and hope. Once it ended the bar opened and I was directed to the stage to prepare myself. Opening up my PIM I went through my playlist finally choosing a number of the old classics.
Choosing Here Without You by 3 Doors Down I began to sing. As the magical music began to fill the room I saw the dance floor fill with couples as they began to slowly dance. I smiled as I sang, I had seen Ingar taking Tasia by the hand and escort her to the dance floor. Reona was already dancing with a tall man from the village.
My next song was by a band called Cutting Crew and was called I Just died In Your Arms Tonight. The evening wore on with more songs sung, some faster and some slower until it was time for the last one. Having already selected the final song I began to sing Dance with Me by Johnny Reid.
I watched with a smile as many of the older couples took to the dance floor along with the younger folks. As I continued to sing I could see more than a few tears appear on the faces of both men and woman as they held the ones they loved close. It had been a great evening and I had enjoyed it, seeing people happy was a damned nice feeling.
As the music ended I made my way to the bar and grabbed the flagon of mead that appeared in front of me. As I was about to take a swig Ingar suddenly appeared next to me and whispered, “We have a problem, come outside quick.”
Putting my drink down I followed him outside stopping only when people grabbed my hand and thanked me. Once I was outside I saw Ingar and a couple of the other guards standing by the wagons. Walking over I nodded and asked, “What’s happening?”
Ingar grimaced and then said, “I should have listened to you and gotten rid of that little shit Yakoff. The fucker has grabbed young Stephany and run off. He was seen by these men feeding her booze and when she left the dance he followed her outside, grabbed her and left the village. He was seen going into the bush on the west side of town just past the river.”
I nodded, it was the kind of thing that prick would do, I began to feel a rage build up within me as I thought of Stephany alone with him in the bush. Suddenly Ingar and the men stepped back and Ingar said. “Your eyes appear to be on fire, Torn.” Taking a moment to calm myself I looked away until I felt the rage die down to a simmer.
“I will get the girl, but don’t expect Yakoff to be coming back,” I said with a grimness in my voice that startled even me. Just thinking of that bastard with the young girl was enough to bring out the Dragon from within me.
Thinking fast I told Ingar to tell Reona and Tasia what had happened and have them find the parents and tell them privately. Turning I went to leave when Ingar asked, “Wait, you have no weapons or gear. Take the time to equip yourself, man.”
Shouting back at them, “There is no need,” I continued to jog towards the outskirts of town. I
finally reached the bush line and began to search for a trail, a drunk girl being dragged would leave a lot of evidence of her passage and soon I discovered where they had entered the bush. I easily followed the trail as the darkness hid nothing from me with my Dragon eyes.
After two hours, I began to hear crying and then what sounded like a slap. I could see that something was happening, there was a glow of a fire hidden amongst the tree. Going into Shadows, I went from tree to tree until I could finally see what was happening.
Stephany was there laying on her back as Yakoff looked on with a sadistic smile, and standing beside Stephany was a Dark Orc, judging by his attire, a spell caster of Dark Magics. He was holding a knife and growling out a prayer to whatever Dark power he worshiped.
I had seen enough and without a sound, I cast lightning into the Dark Orc, which froze his muscles as it blew him backward about twenty feet. Taking a quick look, I noted the damage was only about 10 percent of his hit points, the damn beast was at least level thirty and his gear must have been pretty good.
Having stepped out of Shadows next to Yakoff I reached both arms across my chest and pulled out my swords. They came free with an eagerness and felt light and deadly in my hands. My status as a Knight of Ilumberia had given me knowledge of weapons and my experience with Judo and other martial arts back in the real world had allowed me some practice in swinging Bokken the Japanese wooden swords used for training.
All of this flashed through my mind as I lunged forward at Yakoff as he started to spin around with a look of fear and horror on his face. I managed to stab him in the back and on the back of his left thigh for a double Icy crit as he started to run. Both swords had also produced a bleed effect on the bastard and I could see that he only had about twenty percent life left and that was going down at about one percent per tick.