Marissa had stepped outside and stood looking overhead. She glanced around once before settling on facing east. Something caught her attention.
“I have no idea, but it’s a good sight to see her out of that filthy Kesh-stenched barn,” Agatha remarked, no love lost between her and the brigands.
Within seconds, Marissa raised her right arm outright and Argyll landed on it with a wild flapping of his wings, creating more than a little commotion and bringing several of the others out to see what the fuss was all about.
“Is that the druid’s bird?” Olga asked, walking off the porch to stand and view the barn.
“Get out of the way,” Horace said loudly as Olga blocked his view.
Olga moved, while Monique, Karz and Jons came out to watch as well. Cedric could still be heard snoring inside despite the commotion as he had stayed up late reading, as was usual. One Kesh caravan they had ambushed contained hundreds of candles, and no one but Cedric appreciated their booty. The result was many of them burned while Cedric read late into the night.
“What’s she saying?” Olga asked, looking back at the others who all shrugged.
The group stood in silence till the bird screeched loudly, waking Cedric, and it took off in flight, disappearing to the east behind the cabin. Karz and Jons ran through the cabin to see if they could see Argyll from the backdoor, eliciting a stream of complaints from Cedric.
Marissa walked back inside the barn, and the group turned to each other in confusion before Estelle spoke. “Well, I hate to say it, but it was good to see that bird again, alive and well.”
“Northern Snow Falcon, actually,” Cedric corrected her from the porch where he stretched his arms out above his head and let loose a big yawn.
“Time for you to get to work, young man. The garden won’t be tending to itself, and we need to store some of them there taters before the summer season is over,” Agatha said, moving back toward the cabin door.
“Hello, what’s that?” Horace said again, forcing everyone to stop and look at the barn yet again.
The left door opened slowly, and Core’s large snout could be seen poking out, taking a good long sniff of air before the bear emerged, forcing the door to open. Marissa was sitting atop the bear as she often did, as if riding a horse. The bear looked once at the group and then up in the air and then back at the group, and then it took off east toward the forest.
Marissa also looked at the group and waved, seeming to be in high spirits, and then she gripped the bear’s fur tightly as it ran off, disappearing from sight as it ran behind the cabin. The entire group, including Horace, who had jumped bolt upright, ran to the edge of the cabin so that they could see the northeast edge of the clearing that the structure usually blocked from their porch vantage point. They arrived just in time to see the bear and child disappearing into the forest, heading due east.
“Now where in all of Agon do you think they are going?” Horace asked, scratching his head as he had dropped his crossbow when he stood up.
“I don’t know, but they look like they’re in a hurry,” Olga said.
“Yeah, but them dimwits are headed in the wrong direction,” Agatha complained in her high, screechy voice.
“What direction is that?” Monique asked.
“They’re headed toward Kesh,” Estelle answered for Agatha as the group stood dumbfounded.
The trip took not more than a few hours, and the men took no rest, though occasionally they had to slow their pace to ensure that their footing was secure. The sun started to rise toward midday when the tower became visible in the distance. Malik was correct; it stood by itself, and any sign of the ancient ruined city was not visible from their vantage point.
“So that is our destination?” Bran asked, looking at the formidable tower still a half hour’s walk away.
“Yes, it is. When we arrive there, it would be best if you stay in the courtyard area and wait for my return. I think it best if we don’t surprise it; there’s no telling what it would do,” Malik said.
Bran nodded, though the younger scout couldn’t see the motion. “I agree. I’ll stay behind till you give the all clear. You know, we don’t have to do this.”
“I know, but my decision was made years ago. I wasn’t sure how to begin the task, and when the Kesh took out all of our realm, I despaired until the Lich consoled me and bent my grief into resolve.”
“Grief? You seem to have been content at all the death around us, even adding to it. What grief could you possibly be referring to other than your family?” Bran asked.
“My family is enough. The agreement was for the removal of the king and his cousin so that they would no longer rule and someone else could take over, someone who had the best interest of all Ulathans and not just the ones who were favored by the court.” Malik’s voice took on a steely tone.
They traveled in silence for several minutes more before Bran responded. “Do you think this undead demon of yours could have played any role in the Kesh betrayal of your agreement?”
That got Malik’s attention enough for him to look back at the Ulathan commander. “What are you inferring?”
Bran didn’t hesitate. “You said yourself that this Lich thing may have been a Kesh wizard once. Could it still be in cahoots with those bloody wizards?”
Malik stopped for a moment, and Bran was obliged to do the same, as they walked single file on a narrow and perilous path toward the tower. Malik had warned that the swamp could take a man easily in the peat bogs and marshy parts where there was no escape from its suction of death.
“I will think upon this further,” Malik said, turning to resume their trip. “However, I don’t think it has a way to communicate with its fellow wizards, and it wouldn’t really need my help if it could.”
“Fair enough,” Bran said, looking down and resuming his pace behind Malik. “I sense danger in speaking to it. I don’t know why, but I do.”
“You are wise to think so,” Malik answered. “The creature is dangerous, and I also sense it could kill us easily, though for some reason I trust it enough to work with it.”
“That may be your undoing. This creature has other motives, and I don’t think they have become evident to you yet,” Bran said.
“Now it’s my turn to ask, why do you say that?” Malik said.
“I have many years of experience dealing with court politics. You know, of course, that I am not fond of them, but they have graced me over the years with the ability to see plans behind plans, designs behind designs, and to read intent that is almost always never displayed. Mock me if you will, but I sense this creature would not share with you its true intent,” Bran said.
“So it doesn’t want to destroy Kesh and overthrow the ruler of Ulatha?” Malik asked, continuing to walk toward the tower which was now steadily rising in the distance.
“Perhaps those goals are acceptable to it, especially if they are used to obtain your consent. It can do great damage with someone like you working on its behalf.”
Malik stopped for a second time and looked at Bran intently. “I haven’t thought of what you are saying to me, yet it has the ring of truth, no, better to say possibility, to it. We will be careful, then, but you must speak to it and make your own assessment. For myself, I desire to raise a force, perhaps not an army, but something large enough to make a difference in the fight with the Kesh.”
“That would be a noble cause, though a bit too late. I had an army . . . well, at least a fighting force strong enough to turn those brigands back, except for those wizards and their wicked spells. They turned the tide of battle.”
“Yes, they did, as did their trolls,” Malik said, resuming his march.
“Though we took a great many of them out,” Bran countered, proud of his men and what they had accomplished.
“By my reckoning, you killed them all except one. That one I followed back to Korwell and lost track of it when it was in the city. You do know that they burned most of Korwell down?” Malik asked.
“Not at first, but we were told by a couple of survivors that we encountered from our early raid that the retribution for it was severe. I fear we lost many of our countrymen that day.”
“Well, most of them were taken to Kesh, and I don’t think anyone survived that last attack. At least, I didn’t see anyone leave the castle after dark, and I stayed a good long while.”
“I think we put some fear into them,” Bran said, continuing to keep his eyes focused on where he was stepping, trying hard to ignore the dark tower looking in the distance. “They seem to have retreated from the South at that time, and it helped us to get a great many of our folks out of Ulatha and headed toward Safron.”
“Do you think you can recruit from that group?” Malik asked, continuing his pace and not looking back.
“Doubtful,” Bran said. “The group was mainly the elderly and the young. I already conscripted every male from fifteen to fifty.”
“Perhaps Rockton, then?”
“Maybe. We lost word from them when the attacks began. I have no idea of they have been overrun the same as us or if they are holding out against the Kesh. That would be ideal to know right now.”
Malik stopped and looked at the tower not too far away before turning to Bran. “Let us hope that you can convince this creature that you can find an army somewhere. Now, before you argue with me, head down that small path until you reach that broken wall just outside the tower. Do you see it to the right?”
“I see it, though it’s hard to see the path you’re talking about. Aren’t you coming with me or going first like you said?” Bran asked.
“Yes, I’ll go first, but I’m going to circle around back and come out on the other side past you and that low wall. If there is anything dangerous about, your arrival will flush it out for me,” Malik stated after motioning behind the tower.
“So you’re saying I’m bait, then?” Bran asked, a sour taste in his mouth.
Malik seemed to ponder the man’s words for a moment and then decided not to even try to explain himself. “Yes, you will be bait, and I’ll kill whatever attacks you.”
Bran nodded. “Very comforting.” And he took off down the barely visible path, wondering how this young man could see something so diffuse in the dim light. It didn’t matter that it was daytime; the entire swamp had overcast skies and were like this for the last two days.
Malik left and quickly disappeared behind the tower, moving far faster than Bran could. The Ulathan captain understood that despite having to travel farther than himself, the young scout would cover the ground quicker and arrive ahead of Bran in order to cover him. Add the fact that the scout knew this terrain very well and it made perfect sense to Bran, especially the part where he was the bait.
The worries were unnecessary, as Bran arrived at the wall without incident. Wall was a fairly liberal term to describe the waist-high barrier of stones that circled the tower, forming a sort of barrier or mark for the tower complex. Bran could imagine the wall being much higher and acting as another defense for the structure, but for now, it was a nice place to sit and rest.
Malik came out from some low brushes and moved toward the doorway of the tower, motioning at Bran to stay put. Bran was too tired to do much more than nod in agreement, and he was relieved that there was no glow coming from the interior of the tower. Perhaps the diffuse light of the day kept him from seeing it, but he was relieved nonetheless.
The doorway had no door. The wood having rotted off long ago, and it only had rusted metal hinges that were barely visible. The interior will be damp and dirty for sure, Bran thought to himself, looking around at the bleak landscape. Escape from this place would be difficult as there were few places to hide. The only redeeming quality was that despite the daylight, there seemed to be a limited visibility to the entire area. One could see a good distance away, but not to the horizon. The overcast skies took care of that.
At first Bran didn’t notice his companion’s absence as the seconds turned into minutes, but when the minutes started to pile up and Bran felt that he had been there for at least a half hour, he started to worry and drew his blade. The faint sound of the blade scrapping across the metal fasteners of his leather sheath sounded too loud, and Bran winced for a moment and looked around, half expecting an attack from any direction.
The noise must have gotten Malik’s attention, as the scout appeared at the doorway with his sword sheathed, and he motioned for Bran to come over. The walk was only about a hundred feet, but it felt like an eternity as each step was laborious for Bran. Bran was fairly certain that Malik had his sword out when he went in, and wondered why it was sheathed.
“You put your sword away. Is the creature gone?” Bran asked.
“No, to the contrary, it awaits our arrival,” Malik answered. “Put your own sword away. I doubt it would do much good here.”
Bran ignored the advice, keeping the sword in front of him and stepping into the base of the tower. The first thing he noticed was that it was damp and dirty, much as he had imagined it. Then he saw it was ruined in many places, the rock interior crumbling and what looked like broken debris of an unknown nature on the floor. The large chamber was mainly dark with little light coming through the doorway and no arches or kill slits for bowmen to shoot out of.
Bran was just about to ask where the creature was when a faint glow illuminated the top of a crumbling stairway that had no railing. Slowly it became brighter until the bony foot appeared at the top of the stairs, followed by another one. Somehow the creature managed to walk, and it had a discolored robe or cloak that hid most of its body. Quickly, however, the rest of it appeared, and a skull was staring at him with bright red pinpricks in its eye sockets.
The Lich finished descending the stairs and walked straight toward Bran. The deathly, evil-looking glow of neon black permeated throughout the room as it emanated from the undead creature. Bran felt his blood turn to ice as his body suddenly seemed to become paralyzed. It wasn’t that he was actually paralyzed, but rather the visage of the creature was so overwhelming that his mind forgot how to move. It could only focus on the creature approaching.
The creature stopped and turned to look at Malik for a moment before resuming its attention on Bran. The creature approached, and Bran’s sword remained pointed straight out at the undead Lich. The blade passed through the flimsy material hanging from the creature’s body, and Bran could feel the slight adjustment and vibration as the blade scraped along its rib cage.
The Lich stopped only when it was mere inches from Bran, and it gazed with its red lit eyes into Bran’s, holding him there for a long moment. It looked down for a second at Bran’s sword, and Bran swore it wanted to smile, but with no facial muscles to convey the emotion, Bran was left with the evil grin coming from the Lich’s exposed jaw and teeth. It seemed to be grinning evilly all the same.
Bran felt a tingling from every hair follicle in his body and understood that at that exact moment, death would be a welcome companion for the war-tested Ulathan captain. Better death than to suffer the fate this undead creature would inflict.
Finally, as if showing mercy, the Lich stepped back, freeing Bran’s sword, and Bran felt he could move again, stepping back himself until the unyielding rock wall of the tower stopped him from further progress in that direction. Then, with his blood chilled, Bran heard the creature speak. No vocal chords were working, but the disembodied voice was clear and real.
“Well met, Bran Moross of Ulatha. I am Azor, the incarnate.”
Bran felt himself getting dizzy as the room darkened, and he slowly felt darkness engulf him before he passed out, falling to the ground.
Chapter 15
Druid
“No, wait,” Targon yelled, jumping as Dorsun drew his sword and attacked the figure.
The area was dark, lit only by the faint light of the fire and starlight peaking from the small opening in the canopy below. It was hard to distinguish the features of the figure, but something was more than a litt
le familiar about it as it moved quickly to meet Dorsun in the middle of the small glade.
Dorsun’s Kesh blade rang out as it hit the other figure’s staff, and the blow was stopped above its head. Targon had seen the Kesh chieftain in battle and knew a blow like that would not be halted so easily. With one fluid motion, the staff of the other man swung down, circling to his side in an arch, and came flying down at Dorsun’s head in a return gesture. Dorsun parried the blow and then cried out in pain as the blade erupted into molten metal as the other figure spoke. “Dor Akun.”
Dorsun dropped the hilt of the blade before the liquid metal could burn his hand. The other figure quickly reached out with one hand and shoved Dorsun back nearly a dozen feet, and the large brigand fell backward, temporarily incapacitated.
Targon noticed that Salina had moved to support the Kesh warrior and Khan leveled his staff at the figure, speaking and summoning the magic of Agon as the staff started to glow, with the gemstone on top glowing the brightest. “Privosti ogon, unichtozhi!”
A fireball erupted from the tip of Khan’s staff, and the effect at such a close distance was spectacular. Targon had wondered if the Kesh wizard, or apprentice, if that was what he was, had lost any ability or potency with his craft denied to him for the entire summer. Instead, Targon swore it had increased, if that were possible.
The ball of fire sped almost instantaneously to the figure, and the bright light of the fire clearly showed the features of their shadowy attacker. There, illuminated in the glowing ball of fire, was Elister. His skin was an ashen grey, as if turned to granite, and his brown, hooded cloak had turned a blackish color. His brown staff had a green gemstone glowing brightly atop of it, and the dead druid’s eyes flared a dull crimson color, which gave the ancient Arnen an air of evil.
The fire engulfed the druid, and he was lost to sight for a moment, only to reappear once the flames diminished, having spent their energy in consuming the charged particles that Khan had brought to bear on the dead man. Elister scowled at Khan and started walking intently toward the Kesh wizard.
Dead Druid: Claire-Agon Ranger Book 2 (Ranger Series) Page 21