Another Stupid Trilogy

by Bill Ricardi

  The paladin began to explain the mission.

  “If you recall, the Adventurer’s Guild and Arcane University had several teams in the field a couple of years back, attempting to deal with the portals that had been opened to the Plane of Negative Energy. There were some setbacks and tragic losses until a friendly mercenary company, known as the Company of Glass, volunteered to help. Several of our people were saved, and the bodies of several more recovered for proper burial, because of these brave men and women.”

  Toby gave Max a nod. The image wall flickered, and an illusion came into being. “This is the Glasson Desert, which is also where the headquarters of the Company of Glass happens to be. It’s not a very hospitable place. But to them, it’s home.”

  We all stared at the large dunes surrounding a featureless plain of sand. I for one would find a better home.

  Toby continued, “Our friends are calling in their marker. Supply and weapons caravans, key to the company’s continued operations and the survival of their members and families, have been getting ambushed. The chaos witches of the Glasson Desert are responsible. We know this, because they have all but declared war on the Company of Glass. Negotiations with the witches have broken down.”

  The scene flickered, only to be replaced by a face half shrouded in a red cowl. “This is their leader. Her name isn’t known. We do know that her control of chaos magic is one of the primary weapons being used in these caravan ambushes. She claims that these attacks are ‘in retaliation for the fire elementals’. Which means this might tie into our other problems. That is why it’s us making the trip and not someone else.”

  After a moment, the wall was just a wall once more. The big paladin said, “Losses on both sides seem pointless. As the mercenary company has no idea what the witches are talking about as far as elementals go, they need neutral representatives from the Guild to broker a peace. That’s us. Questions?”

  Leeson hesitantly raised a hand. The young man said, “Begging your pardon Toby, but if all we’re doing is negotiations, why isn’t this a group of politicians?”

  The minotaur pointed out, “That’s one of the reasons you’re a good choice for this, lad. As well as myself and Ames, who have had a lot of experience in recent years with shaking hands and saying nice things. Negotiation needs to happen, but this is a dangerous place. And if talks break down, the chaos witches have already resorted to violence with the Company of Glass, who’s to say they wouldn’t turn on the negotiators? So we need to be ready for anything.”

  I added, “Our preparations should be broad. Combat is important, but so is research and communication.”

  Leeson nodded. The young human said, “Of course Sorch. I shall try to keep a balance of spells for the mission and not overly focus on melee magic. I won’t let you down.”

  Echoes of my son saying those exact same words rolled through my mind. Now I was worried that my ‘little brother’ might get hurt too. I banished the thought from my mind, reminding myself that Leeson was actually a far more seasoned adventurer than my Benno.

  I forced myself to smile, and then said, “I know you won’t.”

  Toby waited to see if there were any more questions, and then stated, “This is a hazard pay situation. The Adventurer’s Guild is offering 1,500 gold pieces each. They figure that they owe the Company of Glass at least that much for services in times of need. Assuming everyone is alright with this, get your hot weather gear packed and we’ll meet at the Circle of Transport in two hours.”

  I told Ames that I would meet them back at the guest room shortly. I walked with Leeson so that I could talk quietly to the lad as he headed back towards his room to get ready.

  “Is Jess okay with all of this? This one seems a bit hairy.”

  Leeson swallowed visibly. He admitted, “We’ve been fighting, Sorch. About stupid things. Well stupid to me I guess, not stupid to her. Da- I mean, Master Gideon says that she gets like this sometimes. Something about were-wolf blood. I just need some time away. I need to think.”

  I squeezed my young friend’s shoulder. “At some point you might want to discuss a wedding, kid. Assuming that this fighting is a temporary thing. I mean you’ve been together for years now.”

  Leeson asked, “Haven’t you and Ames been together for longer than that?”

  “Um. Yeah I guess we have. You’re right, none of my business.”

  The young human started to say, “What I mean is Sorch, why aren’t the two of you m-”

  I spoke over him, “Yup, yup. None of my business. I’ll see you at the Circle in a while.”

  As I headed back upstairs towards the guest quarters, I pondered the answer to the question that I didn’t allow Leeson to ask. The truth was: Ames had never asked, and I had never offered. Marriage was never a consideration in our lives. But now with Benno grown up and the two of us taking on dangerous missions once again, maybe it was a discussion worth having. Establishing legal heirs and all that. And an outward sign of… something more.

  I shook my head to clear it, and then increased the length of my stride. “Get your head in the game Sorch.” I muttered to myself. An elf peered at me as I passed him. He caught me half-jogging and talking to myself like a loon. I sighed. This was probably another rumor about ‘that crazy orc’ being born. Lizard crap!

  Chapter 10

  The ‘garden’ in the rear of Omi-Suteth’s temple in Glasson was lifeless. Any yet, it was beautiful in its own way. Clergy members and parishioners had made the fine sand in the courtyard surrounding the Circle of Transport into a ‘meditation garden’. They would use large sticks and trowels to inscribe fascinating patterns into the ground. Some of the vast spirals and waves extended to the low stone walls that contained the courtyard, spanning nearly a hundred paces. Other patterns were no more than a pace wide, drawn with small sticks or even fingers. In many cases, these tiny displays were no less impressive. I found the setting to be relaxing, almost hypnotic.

  In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say: I’m not sure that I would call Glasson a proper city. When we stepped out of the confines of the temple garden, the first word that came to mind was ‘outpost’. And a sprawling, disorganized outpost at that. Over a stretch of tens of thousands of paces, there was a myriad of structures: Tent cities, permanent stone buildings, caves carved into rock outcroppings, and bazaars. All of these enclosures combined to form the most unlikely of urban ecosystems. And yet, it all somehow worked. The kind of shelter that one utilized depended on how mobile they had to be and what they could afford. The end result was Glasson. I saw it as a community born from necessity. A place that was balanced between practicality and dreams. A city of survival.

  And of heat. I was glad that Leeson took the time to give us some tips as to how we should dress for this trip. He spent a couple of seasons here pursuing spells for his particular speciality.

  As a result, none of us wore armor or formal robes. All of that sort of thing was stored in our rather bulky packs for the moment. In fact, we were wearing next to nothing at all. I opted for shorts, a very light shirt, and boots. Leeson opted for mostly the same style, but wore ‘harem pants’ which was the trend among young people in this area, apparently. Our furred companions went bare-hoofed and bare-pawed, wearing only short breaches and a chest wrapping in Tara’s case. If anything we were overdressed. It wasn’t uncommon to see both men and women of all races walking around in nothing but a loincloth. If that.

  Certain folks, however, went a different route. They shielded their skin from the sun with full body wrapping. As I understood it, this was far more wise if you were planning to spend a significant amount of time in the sun, as it would burn the skin rather quickly through constant exposure. Luckily we had a specific, and local, destination. We wouldn’t be out in the afternoon sun for long. Our meeting with the head of the Company of Glass was in half an hour, and we had already been assured that casual dress was both expected and encouraged.

  The headquarters of the Company of G
lass was on the North side of the more dense part of the city. They owned a couple of stone buildings that were about two thousand paces from the Temple of Omi-Suteth. Even conserving our energy, the group was on time. The crossbow wielding perimeter guards reviewed our paperwork and then waved us through. Neither of them looked very happy.

  We walked up to the larger of the two buildings and knocked on the door. There was no reply.

  I asked, “Maybe it’s the other one, Toby?”

  The big minotaur peered around. “They said the big building. Maybe we’re a bit early.”

  Then we heard the rattling of chains and the ‘thump’ of a wooden board being dropped to the ground. The heavy sandalwood door swung open, revealing a tired looking, middle aged half elf. He was wearing an eyepatch and towel.

  “Crap. I thought you were… nevermind. It’s been hectic, I was just trying to brush the dust out of my hair. Please, come in, have a seat at the big table. Close and bar the door behind you. I’ll be right out.”

  After the man scurried off, we all had a chuckle. Ames rumbled, amused, “He did say ‘dress casual’.”

  We stepped inside of the large stone structure. As requested, the door was barred and the security chain attached. Security was, in fact, a theme around here. Each of the small windows was barred. Every chest and drawer bore a lock. Even the legs of the ‘big table’ were chained to the floor, though who would be able to make off with the massive thing was beyond me.

  The three smaller members of our party sat, while the minotaurs leaned against the wall. There were no chairs sturdy enough or large enough for them. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait very long for our host to return. I noticed that the half elf opted to wear almost exactly what I had picked out. He did not sit down.

  After adjusting the covering over his right eye, the man said, “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I’m alone here right now, my lieutenants are out dealing with other matters. Primarily finding replacement food and water supplies so our people don’t waste away. I’m Kev Turnbull, head of the Company of Glass.”

  Toby pushed off of the wall so that he was standing properly when introductions were made. “Toby McGoldberg, paladin of the Order of the Snow. These are my companions and friends, Leeson, Sorch, and Ames. And this is my mate, Tara.”

  Kev ran a hand through his freshly brushed and slightly damp hair. “You have… really, you have no idea how glad we are to have you here. I mean. Things are a mess. I’ve only been running the company for a year, but I’ve served for five. And I’ve never seen things this bad.”

  We traded glances amongst the group before looking to Toby.

  If we weren’t going to get a pep talk, the minotaur decided that perhaps our host could use one. He said, “Not to worry Mister Turnbull. After what your people did for the Guild, it is our pleasure to repay the favor. Your bravery and sacrifice saved not only dozens of our people, but potentially thousands of innocents as well.”

  The half elf offered a grateful little half smile. He said, “Nice of you to say. I wish we were in that sort of shape right now. I’ve been told that I can’t blame myself, but who else is there?”

  Ames said, “I think it only fair that we hear the whole story from you before jumping to any conclusions.”

  Toby was nodding as the were-cat spoke. “Ames is correct. From what we heard, circumstances beyond your control are very likely where the blame rests. Could you tell us more about the current situation?”

  Kev drew a deep breath, and then let it out in a sharp sigh. “I will. At least let me offer you some water as I do that.” The half elf walked over to the open canteen area and started to work the hand pump. He slid a thick glass pitcher under the mouth of the spout.

  “The Company of Glass was doing fairly well. I had taken over from my uncle about a year ago, after I lost the eye. I couldn’t aim a crossbow for crap anymore, and Uncle Dunny said it was about time anyway. He retired to… gods know where. Somewhere cool and wet I imagine.”

  As in if on cue, water burbled from the spout and started to fill the pitcher. Tara thoughtfully went out to the canteen to gather six wooden mugs as Kev continued his story.

  The half elf said, “Then two seasons back, it all went to the hells. Caravans started to go missing, and we’d find the drivers tied up and the guards either knocked out or worse. As the attacks continued, we were less likely to find survivors. Sometimes we would just find ash. I can’t say for sure that one of our people didn’t fire the first shot, or slight someone at some point. I wish I could. But as it turned out, however it might have escalated, something bigger was ultimately at work.”

  There was a pause as water was brought back to the table. Ames took up pouring duty.

  Toby asked, “Why do you say that?”

  Kev scowled suddenly. The half elf asked, “What the ‘first shot’ thing or the ‘something bigger’ thing? Nevermind, I can answer both of those questions. One of the first people found in a pile of ashes was a huge hothead. I’m not making a morbid joke there by the way. The man was a complete… well. I won’t speak ill of the dead. But I wouldn’t be shocked if he started the violence. As far as something bigger, that was implied with the first threat that got delivered.”

  The commander dug out a piece of parchment that was in his pocket. He slid it across to Toby.

  The minotaur read it aloud. “Your naked aggression will be answered in kind. The fire elementals tell the tale. What you’ve done will be undone. As will you.”

  Leeson commented, “Less than friendly, I think. Someone has anger issues.”

  Kev pointed at the young human and nodded his agreement. “I know, right? That’s exactly what I thought. And what are they talking about fire elementals for? None of our mages are going to sit there and summon one of those damned things for half an hour. It’s also banned by the company, given how easily it could burn down supplies and wagons by accident.”

  I asked, “What about weather manipulation?”

  The half elf peered at me. “I’ll be honest, I have no idea. I never saw such a thing when I was on the line. I somehow doubt it though. Why?”

  Toby launched into the rather long and involved tale of our issues with elementals elsewhere on Panos. The news, if anything, made the company commander even more somber.

  Kev drained his water, spinning the wooden mug as he set it down on the table. He said, “Crap. This is even more depressing than I thought. If there’s one thing we didn’t ask for in this gods forsaken place, it’s angry fire elementals. And people messing with the weather. Because what we really need is more sun, less rain, and bigger sandstorms.”

  It was Tara’s turn to provide some verbal comfort. She gently placed her mug on the table before saying, “We’re here to deal with the immediate issues that are facing your company. But please rest assured, the Adventurer’s Guild and the Arcane University are committed to discovering the cause of these other issues as well. I would add, most major governments on Panos are providing material and financial support in these endeavors.”

  I glanced over at Tara, impressed. She could give Toby a run for his money in the realm of flowery speech.

  The half elf nodded, slowly. He said, “Good to hear. That’s all I have for you. Oh, except for the drop point.”

  Toby tilted his big head to one side, curiously. “Drop point?”

  Kev said, “Yep! Uhhh. Hang on, let me get a map. Finish up your water please, I don’t want to get this thing wet.”

  We quaffed our water as requested, while our host went back to his private chambers to get the map. The five of us had all of the mugs collected and the table wiped down with a dry rag before he got back.

  The half elf unrolled a large, fairly detailed map of the area. “Thanks, thanks for that. Right. We’re here, see? And a couple dozen miles up to the North-Northeast is a triangle of big rocks. And in the middle is a smaller rock, all hollowed out. That’s one of the witches’ drop points. They consider it a sacred site. No violence there
if they can help it. So yeah, it’s where you can drop off messages for them. Not that it did us any good, they’ve ignored everything. But at least our messengers weren’t incinerated.”

  Toby considered. He said, “We may leave more than a message this time. This is a great starting point, thank you commander. I think we’re ready.”

  Kev gave us a tight smile. He said, “Well, now comes the best part. Hitting the open road. Let me tell you something: As much as I used to bitch and complain about the conditions, and the knucklehead locals, and the terrible food… ha! I was about to say ‘I’d give my right eye to have it all back.’ But that’s kind of the issue, isn’t it? Ah well. Go ahead, don’t let me keep you. I have a dozen things to do today, all without getting killed.”

  We all shook the half elf’s hand, and then made our way out. The door was immediately barred behind us.

  Ames commented as we made our way out of the compound, “Under-confident. Paranoid. Slightly bitter. That’s who I want in charge of a bunch of crazy mercenaries.”

  Toby snorted. “Well he’s doing the best he can in the situation that he was thrust into. He may yet grow into the role.”

  I said, “Sure. Max is overconfident, paranoid, and extremely bitter. And he turned out to be a fairly good Headmaster. Kev just needs to achieve that level of assholeishness and he’ll be all set.”

  Leeson tut-tut’ed me, and Ames smacked the back of my head. I deserved it.

  Toby changed the subject, saying, “A couple of dozen miles is not an easy jog, even if we travel at night. We’re going to need proper provisioning. We may wish to get the three of you camels. It won’t help our overall pace since Tara and I will still have to walk, but-”

  Leeson interrupted the big minotaur, “I can Reduce you both.”

  The two bovines stopped, cringing visibly at the suggestion.

  Tara quickly tried to avoid that fate. “No, no Leeson. We would have to rest a number of hours for you to commit the spells to memory, miss the cooler part of the day.”