Web of Deceit fl-3

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “Will we be allowed to leave the jungle after we return from Angragar?” asked Bakhai. “Or are we to be confined to the jungle for the rest of our lives?”

  “You are much like your father, Bakhai,” Dumo smiled sadly. “I think the three of you have proven your trustworthiness. While I would like to see the three of you remain here forever, nothing will be forced upon you except the need for secrecy. If Rejji is indeed the Astor, the Qubari are his to command, whether that be here in the jungle or elsewhere.”

  “I would never assume to interfere with my grandfather’s rule, regardless of who I am,” retorted Rejji.

  “You would not be interfering,” corrected Dumo. “I am a mere chief. While the Qubari will follow me into battle, the Astor is the indisputable leader of our people. You have asked us not to bow or kneel in your presence and we have obeyed, but that does not change the fact that you are the instrument of God. Every Qubari will obey the Astor without question.”

  The talk of the Astor was disturbing to Rejji and he yearned to put the jungle behind him.

  “My first task towards restoring Fakara to prosperity is to create a port to open up trade with Fardale,” Rejji said. “Do you have any ideas where I should do this?”

  “There is a small village at the mouth of the Ghala River,” offered Yltar. “It has a fine harbor. It is far enough away from the rest of Fakara that no tribe has claimed it as their own.”

  “I thought the Qubari never left the jungle,” interjected Mistake. “How do you know about this village?”

  “Qubari leave the jungle on scouting expeditions,” answered Yltar. “When Dumo spoke about only two people leaving, he was referring to a more permanent state. Those two chose to live outside the jungle. If we do not send scouts out into Fakara, how will we know when we are to be attacked?”

  “Where is this village?” asked Rejji.

  “The Ghala River runs eastward from the Bone Mountains to the sea just north of the jungle,” answered Dumo. “You would have had to cross it to get to Mount Kiator, although it was nothing more than a stream where you ventured. The mouth of the river is actually quite close to the edge of the jungle.”

  “Wouldn’t your people be kind of obvious outside the jungle?” queried Mistake. “I mean loincloths and spears are not exactly standard Fakaran garb.”

  “That would be the case,” laughed Dumo. “Our scouts wear traditional Fakaran garb when they go scouting. They also do not take their spears. They use one of these.”

  Dumo reached into his belt and produced what appeared to be a short section of bamboo. “It is a blowpipe,” Dumo smiled. “We have various darts for it. Some are poisonous, some carry acid from plants here in the jungle, and some carry tyrik venom which causes an almost instant paralysis. We have had many generations to perfect playing the role of a Fakaran. Our scouts are never caught.”

  “Impressive,” nodded Mistake. “Do you think I could have one of those blowpipes?”

  “I think you should each have one,” stated Yltar. “They are easily concealable and yet they often come in handy.”

  “Well I see no reason to put off this trip to Angragar,” decided Rejji. “I do not think we will learn much more from the records in the temple. I think we should leave in the morning.”

  “You are anxious to put this jungle behind you grandson,” nodded Dumo sadly. “I shall not make the mistake I did with your father. I will have my people alter armor for the three of you today. The least we can do is to make sure you are protected as best we can. I do hope that this is not farewell, but that your absence will be temporary.”

  “It is temporary,” smiled Rejji. “It sounds like Ghala is close enough to allow for periodic visits. I am warmed by the welcome I have received here and I do look forward to coming back, but I do admit that I feel the time to leave has come.”

  “Not without a feast this night,” grinned Dumo. “The whole village will turn out to honor our new Qubari. And our new friend,” he added as he smiled at Mistake.

  “I will let it be known that we seek three volunteers to accompany you to Angragar,” interjected Yltar.

  “Three volunteers to enter Angragar,” corrected Dumo. “I will be sending a score more to escort you to the gates of the ancient city. They will be there to make sure nothing follows you out of the city.”

  “You will keep in touch with us via the Air Tunnel?” Yltar asked Mistake.

  “I will try to,” nodded the small thief. “Has Lord Marak agreed to others learning the magic?”

  “He has,” smiled Yltar. “He was reasonably hesitant at first, but I sense a kindred spirit in Lord Marak and will obey his restrictions regarding the spell. There are not many here that have the capability in any event, but it will be a great aid to us.”

  “And we can communicate from Ghala too,” reasoned Mistake.

  “Yes,” Dumo nodded vigorously. “I had not thought of that. That will ease an old man’s mind.”

  “That will not stop us from visiting,” Rejji said as he hugged his grandfather. “Thank you for understanding my need to move on.”

  “I know that you are being driven by God,” responded Dumo. “That makes me proud to see you go. I wish I had felt that way of Hyram. I am sure he was driven as you are. Protect your brother in Angragar. I do not want to lose either of you.”

  Bakhai rose and joined in the family hug. “We shall protect each other, Grandfather. It will take more than hellsouls to defeat us.”

  Dumo did not look convinced at the display of bravado, but he smiled just the same.

  Chapter 24

  Angragar

  Rejji saw the huge gates as they rounded a bend in the trail. Murmurs ran through the column of Qubari warriors and Rejji saw more than one spear being held at the ready. As they approached closer, Rejji saw the immenseness of the gates. Finely crafted, thick, metal bars allowed Rejji to peer inside the massive stonewall that surrounded the city of Angragar. He looked down a broad avenue of stone, which was bordered by the shells of destroyed stone buildings. Around the exterior of the wall was an open space devoid of trees or brush.

  “Do the Qubari keep the wall clear of the jungle?” Rejji asked Mobi, who was one of the three chosen to enter the ancient city.

  “No,” answered Mobi as he walked back along the trail and picked up a long stick. “Watch.”

  Mobi walked forward and touched the stick to the stonewall. The end of the stick burst into flames. Mobi shoved the end of the stick into the moist soil and extinguished the flames.

  “Nothing can touch the wall without being burned,” explained Mobi. “Only the gates may be touched. Try to open them Bakhai.”

  Bakhai approached the gates and pushed on them. Nothing happened. Bakhai put his shoulder to the gates and grunted as he tried to force them open. Finally, he admitted defeat and shook his head.

  “So it has been for thousands of years,” declared Mobi. “Voltak, Grank, prepare to enter. The rest of you make camp away from the wall. You are to wait for five days. If we have not returned in that time, return to the village.”

  When the Qubari warriors, who would not be entering the ancient city, had moved back to the edge of the jungle, Mobi nodded to Rejji. Rejji approached the gates and prepared to push on them, but as soon as his hand touched the gate, it swung open. He looked back surprisingly and saw the Qubari all bowing to him. He shook his head and strode through the gate. His five companions swiftly followed and when they were inside the gate, Rejji touched it again and the gate swung closed.

  “I can’t believe that,” Rejji stated.

  “Believe it,” smiled Mobi. “Some things are ordained by God and we must learn to accept them. You lead and we shall follow.”

  Rejji nodded and started walking up the broad avenue. The buildings along the avenue were reduced to rubble and large round stones were everywhere. Rejji pictured the elves beyond the wall with large siege engines hurling stones into the city. He wondered why the gates had been left intact.
He shook his head and continued marching towards the center of the ancient city. As they progressed, they passed cross streets and the damage to the buildings lessened. As they got further into the city, Rejji was astonished at how well the city was preserved. Since he had entered the jungle he had come to believe that things rotted here faster than anywhere else, but Angragar was well preserved.

  The first real feeling of uneasiness struck Rejji only a few blocks into the city. He had a feeling that someone was staring at him and turned quickly to look at the other members of the party. Everyone was scanning the sides of the broad avenue and he returned his attention to the city. In many ways, Angragar reminded Rejji of Khadoratung without the people. Each street he crossed appeared to go on forever and he knew that the city was much larger than anything he had ever seen other than Khadoratung. He tried to imagine the civilization, thousands of years old, which would have lived here, and could not.

  Rejji again felt like he was being watched and, as he glanced down a cross street, he thought he saw movement. His hand automatically went to his sword and stayed there. In the distance before him, Rejji saw a break in the rows of buildings that lined the broad avenue and picked up the pace a bit. Mobi suddenly appeared at his side.

  “There are beings here,” Mobi whispered.

  “Have you seen any?” Rejji asked.

  “When we crossed that last street,” Mobi replied. “I did not get a good look, but the glint off a sword caught my eyes. It looked human.”

  “Tell the others so they are prepared,” ordered Rejji.

  Mobi nodded and disappeared behind Rejji. Rejji heard the soft whispers of his fellow travelers and pushed them out of his mind. He drew his sword as he approached the next cross street. They crossed the street without an incident and Rejji relaxed somewhat. He looked forward and the break in the buildings began to look like a large square. He was thinking about where he should search for the mysteries of Angragar when he heard a cry of alarm. He whirled around and saw three men dressed in black cloaks emerge out of an open doorway. They carried swords and the Qubari warriors moved to put themselves between the beings and Rejji. As the warriors took a defensive stance, one of the attackers moved to go around the Qubari. Grank moved his spear in an attempt to knock the attacker’s legs out from under him.

  “Don’t play with him!” shouted Mobi as he shoved his spear into the heart of one of the attackers. “Kill him.”

  Mistake whirled and threw a dagger into the throat of the attacker Grank was toying with, while Voltak speared the last attacker. Rejji nodded gratefully and picked up the pace even more. Mistake went to retrieve her dagger and Voltak turned her around.

  “Leave it,” Voltak said. “We need to get out of this area before more come.”

  Mistake nodded and hurried to catch up to the others. As they passed the next cross street, Mobi appeared alongside Rejji again.

  “The bodies of the men we killed are gone,” he whispered.

  Rejji halted and turned around. He gazed down the broad avenue and saw nothing but the rows of buildings on each side.

  “Did you see who took the bodies?” he asked Mobi.

  “I saw nothing and heard nothing,” frowned Mobi. “Where are we heading?”

  “I don’t know,” admitted Rejji. “There is a large square coming up in several blocks. I think we will start looking there. Investigating each of these buildings would take years. I intend to concentrate on the larger public buildings, but I do not even know what we are looking for.”

  The nagging feeling of being watched became constant for Rejji and he frowned as they entered the large square. There were six large buildings around the square, two on the side they had entered and two on the opposite side. On one adjacent side was a large temple and on the other was a palace. Rejji turned towards the right and entered the first large building, which was three stories tall.

  “Let’s split up into pairs,” said Rejji. “Each pair can take a floor. Mistake, you take Grank and cover this floor. Bakhai, take Voltak to the second floor.”

  “What are we looking for?” asked Mistake.

  “I have no idea,” frowned Rejji. “If you find something important, take it. Otherwise, just try to remember what you have seen and we can discuss it later.”

  Rejji raced up the stairs with Mobi on his heels. The third floor appeared to be a series of dormitories and they completed their search swiftly. As they checked the last room on the floor, Rejji walked over to the window overlooking the square. He gazed out the window at the square below and the buildings surrounding it. He frowned as he noticed the length of the shadows and realized that night was fast approaching.

  “We are going to need a place to sleep for the night,” he said to Mobi. “It will be dark soon.”

  “Maybe we should have waited outside the gates for a new day before entering the city,” pondered Mobi.

  As Rejji gazed out the window, he saw shadowy figures several blocks down the broad avenue where it continued on the other side of the square. He leaned out of the window and peered at the street that ran in front of the building he was in. He looked far to the right and far to the left and saw other shadowy figures converging on the square. The figures appeared to be keeping to the shadows and Rejji figured that they were trying to approach unseen.

  “There are more hellsouls coming,” Rejji stated. “They are approaching from every direction, but they appear to be more cautious than impatient. Do you think we can hold this building?”

  “Depends on how many of them there are,” answered Mobi. “If the group that attacked us are any indication, these creatures are slow. I cannot see how they could protect the city from anyone. I would prefer a building with less entrances though.”

  Rejji peered out the window again and looked around the square. He saw a hellsoul enter the building across the square, which looked identical to the building he was in. His eyes landed on the temple and he nodded.

  “The temple might be better for us then,” Rejji stated. “I can only see one door to it.”

  “If it is like our temple in the village,” offered Mobi, “there will be no other entrance.”

  “Let’s join the others and move there before it gets dark,” suggested Rejji.

  Mobi followed Rejji down the stairs to the first floor. The others were waiting by the door.

  “Any thing important in this building?” asked Rejji.

  “There is an armory on the first floor,” offered Mistake. “I grabbed a few more daggers.”

  “Nothing on the second floor,” Bakhai offered. “Just dormitories.”

  “I think I will see what the armory has,” Voltak said. “I don’t think we can have too many weapons in this city.”

  “Just dormitories on the third floor too,” reported Rejji. “This was probably a barracks of some kind. We are heading for the temple next. It has started to get dark out, so we will spend the night in the temple. The hellsouls appear to be converging on the square, so we should keep together.”

  A shout and a clash came from down the hall and the group sprinted around the corner. Rejji slid to a halt beside the body of a hellsoul with a spear in his chest. He looked into the armory and saw Voltak nursing his hand.

  “What happened?” asked Rejji.

  “I don’t know where he came from,” Voltak said. “I was just picking up a sword and he slashed down on my hand with his sword. I dropped the sword I had just picked up, but my spear was not far away. Sure glad he wasn’t any faster.”

  “Are you all right?” asked Bakhai.

  “Yes,” Voltak replied. “It was just a nick on the hand. I will be fine.”

  “Retrieve your spear,” ordered Mobi. “We are moving to the temple.”

  Voltak nodded and pulled his spear out of the hellsoul. Rejji led the group out of the building and into the square. He saw hellsouls darting for the shadows and into buildings around the square. He marched the group out into the square to avoid walking near any of the buildings
, and then turned towards the temple. He tried to lead the group at a fast walk, but fear gripped him and he ended up running for the steps leading to the temple. The others followed right behind him and as soon as they entered the temple, the group let out a collective sigh.

  “Mistake,” ordered Rejji, “take Grank and see if there are any other entrances to this building. Bakhai and Voltak watch the door. Mobi and I are going to find something to barricade the door.”

  Rejji and Mobi trotted off and returned carrying a large wooden table. They shoved the table against the door. Mobi ran off again and returned with a large vase and propped it on top of the table.

  “That should at least alert us if they try to get in,” stated Mobi.

  “No other entrances,” reported Mistake as she and Grank returned.

  “Good,” responded Rejji. “I think we should eat and then get some sleep so we can get an early start in the morning. We will take turns guarding the door during the night.”

  “Can we have a fire or will that alert them to where we are?” asked Grank.

  “I am sure they know we are here,” frowned Rejji. “Light a fire if you wish. I am going upstairs to a balcony I saw from the other building.”

  Rejji climbed the stairs and Mistake followed. They found the balcony with little trouble, although the inside of the temple was quite dark. They stepped out onto the balcony and Rejji noticed that the sun had set. They city was a maze of shadows of gray and black and Rejji knew it would be all black soon. They walked cautiously to the edge of the balcony and gazed down on the square.

  “There are hundreds of them,” he frowned. “We cannot kill all of them. Look, they infest every building even. I think they allowed us to get to the city center so that they could make sure that we never left.”

  “Not every building,” corrected Mistake. “They seem to be avoiding this one. There is not even one on the steps below.”

  Rejji looked below and nodded. “I wonder why?” he queried. “Do you think they are afraid of the temple because they know we are in it?”