* * *
The sun was setting as Karl Gree emerged from the trees with a freshly killed deer. Two elves hurried to greet him and take the deer from him. Karl nodded in thanks and seated himself on a log. Prince Garong immediately joined him.
“How are the interrogations going?” asked the Cordonian hunter.
“We are finally starting to get some cooperation from the Dielderal,” answered the elven prince. “I think they have come to realize that they will not be allowed to die until they have satisfied our curiosity.”
“Your people are patient,” Karl replied. “I would not have let them live this long. It has been three days since we captured them.”
“They would have welcomed a quick death,” the prince responded. “Once they have accepted the fact that they are going to die, the waiting becomes interminable for them. Today they started offering information to speed their deaths. I suspect by morning we will know everything there is to know.”
“Good,” sighed Karl. “I am anxious to put this time behind me.”
“What do you plan to do next?”
Karl frowned as he stared at the ground. “I am not sure. Life seems pointless with no enemy to focus on.”
“There is more to life than revenge.”
“Is there? My friends and family are dead. My wife no longer recognizes me, and I cannot simply return to hunting. What am I supposed to do with my life?”
“You are more than a hunter now,” smiled Prince Garong. “You are a capable warrior with a touch of elf in you. You served under King Arik once before. Why not do so again? He can certainly use all the help he can get.”
Karl turned and looked at the elven prince.
“We may have eliminated the ones who attacked your village,” Prince Garong continued, “but the Dielderal did not act alone.”
“What do you mean?” asked Karl.
“The Dielderal are working with humans who seek the downfall of Alcea,” answered the elven prince. “The purpose of the raid on Hega was to drive a wedge between the elves and the humans.”
“So the Dielderal were only the instruments of death.” Karl nodded in understanding as he gazed quizzically at the elven prince. “For someone who is trying to get me to control my revenge, you are strangely perpetuating it. Now I have humans to blame for the deaths of my kin.”
“I seek not to play on your feelings for revenge,” replied Prince Garong. “Such emotions get in the way of true justice, but you have skills that are badly needed for the coming confrontation. I am offering you a reason for being. Come to Tagaret with me and listen to what Valon is facing. Your purpose in life will become clearer to you.”
* * *
Eltar was not sure what had woken him, but he opened his eyes and stared up at the night sky through the canopy. A strange chill enveloped his body. He sat up and stared around the campsite. The elf next to him must have sensed his movement as he also awakened and sat up. Eltar glanced at his fellow elf and then rose to his feet. The other elf also stood.
“What is the matter, Eltar?”
Eltar gazed at the dense fog encroaching on the camp and frowned. “I am not sure. Are you chilled?”
“I am. Yet the air feels no colder than last night.”
Although their voices were soft, the talking soon awakened the rest of the elves. Eltar tried to gaze at the captives, but the fog had already enshrouded them. Suddenly, one of the elves nearest the captives began gasping loudly. Eltar raced across the camp and dragged the elf out from under the fog. The elf’s face was blue and he gasped for breath.
“I could not breathe,” the elf complained weakly. “I felt smothered.”
The chill in Eltar’s veins increased, and he backed slowly away from the fog, bringing the other elf with him.
“Light the fire and stay away from the fog!” shouted Eltar.
Two elves hurried to bring the fire back to life as Prince Garong and Karl Gree rushed into the campsite.
“What is going on?” asked the elven prince.
“I am not sure,” answered Eltar. “I believe the fog to be unnatural.”
The fire flared to life as the fog started to spread into the campsite. The Elderal elves backed cautiously away as the fog advanced. As the fog reached the fire, green flames arched upward on the side nearest the fog. Unexplainably, the fogbank suddenly reversed its path and receded from the camp. As the fog receded, the first lightness of dawn filtered through the canopy. The elves watched in stony silence until the fog had disappeared. Already knowing what he would find, Eltar walked cautiously towards the Dielderal captives.
“They are all dead,” he announced.
Chapter 21
Zara
The abandoned warehouse was in poor condition. The cool night air swept through holes in the roof, and strong gusts of wind made the building creak as if it were about to collapse. Puddles of water littered the floor from the rain earlier in the day, and rats skittered away from the gathering host of humans entering the dark building.
One by one the Snakes arrived and knocked on the door with a prearranged sequence of taps. Although the door was old and weather beaten and its hinges were crusted with rust, it slid open noiselessly as each person arrived. Opening the door was a man, neither tall nor short. While he would not be described as handsome, neither would he be considered ugly. He was neither fat nor lean. In fact, Fletcher was so common looking that it would be hard to pick him out in a crowd. With the proper attire, Fletcher could pose as a young trades apprentice or a soldier. He could pass himself off as a merchant or a sailor. In truth, Fletcher had portrayed each of those professions in the past. His skill at changing his appearance had earned him the nickname of Chameleon, and his exploits had aided his rapid rise in the Snakes. He was now the second most important Snake in Alcea.
Fletcher waited silently in the dark for the final arrival for the meeting. When the signal was finally tapped out on the exterior of the door, Fletcher silently slid the door open to admit an imposing figure. The huge man stepped through the doorway and shook the rain off his head.
"What kind of meeting place is this?" growled the large man as Fletcher closed the door. "Are we reduced to meeting in sewers now?"
"Keep your voice down," Fletcher quietly advised the new arrival.
"Why?" scowled the large man. "Do you really think I would be foolish enough to let myself be followed?"
"No," Fletcher smiled tightly, "but I doubt that Tedesco would appreciate your remarks. He chose this meeting place."
"Tedesco is here?" gasped the large man. "Why didn't you say so?"
"I just did," smirked Fletcher. "Follow me."
The large man followed closely as Fletcher picked a path across the debris-strewn floor of the dark warehouse. Another crusted door opened silently, and the two men entered a large room, which was illuminated by dim mage lights. As Fletcher eased the door closed, the large man reflexively whistled at the large number of Snakes present. The room was packed with warriors, mages, and thieves, and Tedesco stood tall in the center of them all.
Tedesco was taller than average, and his build spoke of constant training. His biceps strained the sleeves of his tunic, and his right cheek was marred with the scar from a knife fight. His bald head and square jaw presented quite an intimidating figure. The hilt of a large two-handed sword rose above his shoulder, and his eyes were a piercing blue as they turned to stare at the newcomer.
"This is not the first time that we have had to wait for you," Tedesco snapped at the newcomer.
"I had to be sure that I wasn't being followed," shrugged the newcomer. "You wouldn't want me bringing Red Swords to the meeting, would you?"
"The streets around this building are well guarded," Tedesco replied with a scowl. "The fact that you did not note them shows that you need more training."
The newcomer mentally balked at the rebuke, but he knew better than to anger Tedesco. "I am sorry," he said softly. "It will not happen again."
; Tedesco glared at the man for a few moments before abruptly turning his eyes towards the rest of the gathering.
"Now that we are all finally assembled," Tedesco began, "I will explain the urgency for this meeting. Several Temples of Balmak have been attacked recently. While each attack was made to look like there was a plausible explanation for the destruction, my sources indicate that the Knights of Alcea are behind the battles. As cell leaders, each of you is hereby instructed to break off all contact with the temples."
"The temples have been invaluable for information," interrupted one of the men. "How can we function without that information?"
"K'san's papers were taken from at least two of the temples," replied Tedesco. "Those priests keep too much information on paper. It is not safe for our names to be written down. If you must gain information from the temples, use someone who is expendable to procure the information. Whoever you use as a courier, make sure that they know nothing of the structure of your organization, and eliminate them once they have given you what you need."
"We will go through a lot of people with that method," frowned another Snake.
"There are plenty of Alceans to go around," shrugged Tedesco. "A courier need not be any more than a child. In fact, choose someone who cannot read. It is safer that way."
Nods of assent rippled through the crowd, and Tedesco waited for the point to sink in before moving on.
"I am also accelerating our plan," Tedesco continued. "There will be less need for interaction with the temples. Now that the Knights of Alcea have seen fit to enter the game, they must be eliminated. I have discovered the identities of a few of them and their general locations. We will also be accelerating the part of the plan that deals with the assassinations of leaders."
"Their leaders are well protected," offered a Snake. "Aren't we better off focusing on the Knights of Alcea first?"
"Do not underestimate the Knights of Alcea," scowled Tedesco. "They will be harder to kill than the leaders. Three K'sans are dead. Think about what that means?"
"Dead?" gasped one of the Snakes. "I thought they were immortal?"
"Evidently they are not immortal," sighed Tedesco, "and their deaths show the power of the Knights of Alcea. Each one of those Knights must be considered to be a potent enemy. Again, do not underestimate them. If you do, you and your team will die."
"The king and queen are Knights of Alcea," stated one of the Snakes. "If two different teams are assigned to them, won't they get in each other's way?"
"The attack on the Royal Palace will require a special team," answered Tedesco. "The king and queen are not the only Knights of Alcea there. The Royal Sorcerer is one as well. I had assigned that task to several teams, but now the new team will work under the direction a single leader."
"An assault on the Royal Palace will require an army," frowned one of the Snakes. "It is well guarded."
"There will be no open attack on the palace," replied Tedesco. "The attack will be accomplished with a team of mages. Magra," Tedesco continued as he nodded to a small impish man in the crowd, "you will lead that team. Request the men that you need, and I will see that they are pulled from other teams to be at your command. There is to be no open warfare during the attack. It must be stealthy and deadly. Get in unseen, kill the three knights, and get out. Can you do it?"
"Do you have the layout of the palace?" asked the small mage.
"I have everything that you will need to know about the palace," smiled Tedesco.
"Then I can do it," Magra replied confidently. "I will only need a small team to accomplish the goal. Too many men and you increase the chance of getting caught before the task is complete. I will need eleven mages to accomplish the task. There are six from my team that have the necessary skills. I will need to choose five more from the other teams."
"What skills do they require?" asked Tedesco.
"All of the team members must be highly skilled in illusions," answered Magra. "Each target will require two teams consisting of two mages each, one primary team and one backup team to ensure our success."
"You shall have whatever you require," declared Tedesco. "Give me the names of the people you need, and they will be assigned to you. When will you need them?"
"Right away," grinned Magra. "I have already thought long and hard about this. While I had not planned on a third Knight of Alcea being present, the Royal Sorcerer will not stress my plan. We will be in and out before anyone even knows there is a problem."
"You already have a way into the palace?" asked Fletcher.
"I do," Magra smiled as he nodded. "They will never know what hit them."
* * *
The crowd outside the Temple of Balmak in Tagaret waited patiently for the doors of the temple to open. The people represented a broad cross section of the population. Shopkeepers and soldiers mixed with peasants and seaman. Some spoke about their devotion to the new god, while others appeared to be waiting to learn more about Balmak. The crowd was not unruly or loud, but Arik knew that would change with time. He subconsciously pulled his hood closer about his head.
"Stop that," whispered Tanya as the royal couple waited in the crowd. "I am sure that K'san has people watching this crowd. If you continually play with your hood, you will be scrutinized more closely. Leave it alone."
"We cannot afford to be recognized," the king whispered back. "It would appear as an endorsement of this foul religion."
"Rid you mind of those thoughts," warned the queen. "It is suspected that K'san uses magic to search the minds of those who enter the temple. Stop thinking of it as a foul religion. For the next hour you must control your mind closely. It is alright to be in there in a questioning state of mind, but any thoughts of revulsion or outright rejection will draw attention to you."
"That might be easy for a mage like you," Arik retorted softly, "but I am not used to mind games. Perhaps coming here was unwise after all. I know the council would scream if they knew where we were."
"Try this," sighed Tanya. "Any time you are tempted to think ill of K'san or Balmak, try thinking about me. It will make your thoughts appear pleasant to anyone scrutinizing the crowd."
"My thoughts of you are always pleasant," grinned Arik, "but won't that let them know who you are? I mean if they are reading my thoughts…"
"That is not how it works," replied Tanya. "They are not reading people's minds. They are trying to sense hostility. Strong emotions often give off an aura that can be sensed by those talented in such areas. That is what they will be looking for. If they do sense hostility in someone, then I would expect one of their mages to attempt a mental probe of some type. We must avoid getting to that point. Trust me on this, Arik. Think of me whenever you feel your control slipping."
The doors to the temple suddenly opened, and the crowd grew alert. A black-cloak emerged from the temple and gazed out over the crowd. His eyes roved over the masses for several minutes before he stood aside and allowed people to start entering the temple. Arik and Tanya merged with the crowd, their plain gray cloaks blending well with the drab garb of the commoners. Within minutes they were inside the temple in a large room with an altar at the front of it. The crowd spread out peacefully until the room was packed.
Some worshippers who obviously attended other sermons knelt and placed their heads to the floor. Others around the initiated began to mimic them. Tanya tapped Arik's hand and then guided him to his knees. The king nodded in understanding as he also mimicked the other worshippers, but he could not stop his eyes from trying to take in everything going on around them.
The room remained silent for several minutes and then K'san appeared. Murmurs echoed around the room as the tall, black priest ran his eyes over the audience. Arik thought he felt a moment of light-headedness, but it passed quickly. The two black-cloaks moved towards the priest and flanked him. K'san began speaking, and the room grew silent except for the priest's words.
Most of the sermon dealt with the need for sacrifice to allow Balmak to return and
usher in the era of paradise. That matched what King Arik had expected to hear from reports on other temples during their early days. That indicated that there was time yet before the sermons became increasingly radical and called upon the people to rebel against authority. Arik found his mind drifting until K'san started talking about the attacks on other temples.
"There are people who fear the return of Balmak," bellowed K'san. "Despicable people who think they have the right to rule over others. These power-hungry elitists have attacked several temples already. They have murdered worshippers and set fire to temples. These people do not wish to see the era of paradise delivered. These brigands seek to keep the populace in bondage to enrich their own lives. They seek to enslave you. Will you have Balmak taken from you so that you can be slaves?"
The response from the audience was tepid, and the priest glared at the people gathered before him.
"Do you wish to be slaves?" shouted K'san.
"No," shouted the crowd.
"Will you allow these people to attack this temple?" K'san continued.
"No," the crowd responded.
"And well you shouldn't," K'san said as he moderated his tone. "Balmak has heard your offer to protect this temple. Starting today, this temple will be surrounded at all times. Day and night there will be a ring of protection around this place of worship. Is that understood?"
"But many of us are not warriors," one man called out. "What help can we be?"
"There will be no need for weapons or warriors," K'san said with a thin smile. "Those who surround this temple need only to refuse to leave. Balmak will watch over them. In fact, those who protect this temple should be the weakest of our people. Let the eternal ring of protection be made up of women and children. Yes. A ring of women and children shall encircle this temple at all times, day and night. Those families who do not participate will have shown their disaffection for Balmak and be denied the era of paradise. As I have spoken, let it be."
Knights of Alcea Page 27