It was sad still, trying to figure out why Venir insisted on them checking on her and the boys. It was as if he knew he wasn’t coming back. She had no sense of what had happened to the man; she only had what he had left her inside her belly. She couldn’t tell if she despised him for it or not, but one thing was for sure: whether Venir was there or not, he kept things interesting.
“Er … is everything all right, Kam?” Lefty said, walking over and reaching for her hand.
She jerked it away, “Yes, I’m fine.”
Lefty withdrew, looking back at the men.
The halfling boy hadn't seemed right since her sickness. Gillem Longfingers, as charming as the halfling man could be, couldn’t be trusted. No man that charming should ever be trusted. She still swore Palos had something to do with it; she just had been too busy to bother figuring it out. The guilt that had once been in Lefty’s face was now gone. He was no longer the playful boy she knew him to be, but more of a crafty sort. Every week he acted more like Gillem. She told herself that was how halflings were, that it was for the best.
“So Lefty, how many flowers did you deliver yesterday?”
“Oh, it was awful. Master Gillem ran me until my heels gave out,” he said, in a semi-dreadful voice.
Gillem stuck his thumbs in his belt and said, “Tis true; I work the boy hard. It keeps him out of trouble. That’s how we halflings do it. He’s not to be running the streets like a wild urchin, getting into all kinds of mischief.”
Georgio shoved his way past Lefty and Gillem, almost knocking them both over.
“Excuse you, Boy,” Gillem said, puffing his pipe.
Georgio glared back at the thief and took his place on the stool behind Kam, arms crossed and head down.
Mikkel reached over and rubbed Georgio’s curly head. “Chin up, Boy. We’ve got some mintaur games to play later. You got to be fired up. Of course, if you’d rather pick daisies than swing steel, I’m certain Master Gillem can arrange that.”
Georgio eyed Lefty and pounded his fist into his meaty hand.
“Naw, I’m good.”
Billip cracked his knuckles, gave Kam a short bow and said before he exited, “How about I go stir up some business?”
“Thank you,” she said. It was like this, now; a family was growing all around her, as well as inside her. She took comfort that she still had control over the one inside her, and that it let her know that Venir would always be with her.
Eep was home in his mystic dimension, for now. All he did these days was watch the world of Bish destroy itself, without his help. It left him clutching his claws with jealousy and rage. All he could to was dream that someone or something would summon him soon.
Verbard stood, shoulders back, chin up, as he faced Master Sinway, who sat looming on his jewel-encrusted throne like a giant. The black robes of the Master of all underlings spilled to the floor, where they resembled a ruffled void. The silver-eyed underling Lord cared little now for that warning Master Sinway’s son, Kierway, had given him. Upon his arrival he felt nothing more than welcome. He was getting the kind of treatment he had become accustomed to over the centuries, the kind of awe that he relished.
Master Sinway’s voice was quiet, but the power was still there.
“Verbard, your recount of your journey is fascinating, almost believable.”
He felt his chest begin to tighten as his anger began to swell. How dare—
“The part about you living and Catten dying was the hardest part to swallow, but here you are, alive, with your brother's eyes in my palm.”
Sinway was rolling the golden orbs of his brother’s eyes like a child’s toys between his hands. “So, you felt the Darkslayer’s heart in your hand, did you? It beat like a racing horse, you say? I know that spell. It’s a serviceable one ...”
The iron eyes of Master Sinway locked onto his. He felt his thoughts being invaded, a black light probing his mind like a sickness. He wanted to fight against it, but could not. He had nothing to hide. He had to catch his breath as he was released.
“… no doubt it should have killed the man. Yet, it did not. It’s a fascinating account, Verbard, and I hate to say it, but I have no choice but to believe it all.”
Verbard allowed himself a slight bow.
Master Sinway twirled Catten's eyes in the air, the orbs hovering as a shadow of his brother formed.
“I miss your brother, though. Perhaps he can be resurrected. Would you like that, Verbard?”
“I confess, I could not have succeeded without him, he —”
“Is that so? It seems you were better off without him. Maybe it was he that held you back, not you holding him back?”
Verbard wanted to believe it, and had believed it at one time, but his brother deserved some of the credit.
“I can’t say, but my brother has always been my best ally over the years. It would do us both a great honor if he were to come back. I prefer to leave that decision to you; it is and has always been yours to decide, Master.”
“Now you are beginning to sound like your brother, Verbard. It doesn’t suit you.”
Master Sinway made a sharp sound with his mouth. A hulking Vicious stepped from the shadows. It’s feline face and muscular body were like those of a statue carved from black marble. He watched as the golden eyes sailed through the air. The Vicious snatched the pair in its claws and slipped away and out of sight.
Master Sinway leaned forward, hands clasped, elbows resting on the throne.
“Smile Verbard, the Darkslayer is gone. I felt the effects not long after the two of you left here. The human race is on the run; the villages are once again filled with fear. The Royals have gotten careless, fat, and lazy. Our time has come. The underlings will take over the land of Bish, one city at a time.”
Verbard allowed himself a smile as the fire behind his silver eyes began to glow. He had heard this speech many times before, as the scales tipped back and forth. Something now hung in the air of the world of Bish that had never been there before. Whatever had held the underlings back before, no longer held them back now. They were hungry dogs that had been chained too long. Now they were truly free to hunt on their own. The Darkslayer was gone.
“I am ready, Master!”
“Go home, Verbard; celebrate your victory. I’ll keep you informed.
Home. Lord Verbard had little desire to see his ghastly wife. The beastly pregnancy was not something he could stand. No, he made his way to Catten’s home, to pay his respects and comfort his brother's widow.
“You can’t be serious?”
“Aye, but I am.”
Fogle Boon stood at the foot of the Nameless Mountains. He could see the clouds rolling over the icy peaks that were thousands of feet above. He had never been cold before, but a shiver of ice coursed through his veins. He could see a glimmer in Mood’s eyes. He was certain the King of the Blood Rangers was insane. He had to remember why he came: to help Chongo and find Venir. He was beginning to think that becoming an adventurer was a stupid way to live his life.
“I didn’t think anyone lived in those mountains. I thought it was too cold.”
“This is Bish,” Mood said, as he led his mount up the base of the mountain, “there is something always livin’ anywhere and everywhere.”
“Why would a druid live here? I thought they lived in forests.”
“What makes you think there ain’t a forest up there?”
Fogle Boon held his hand up to his eyes and said, “Because I don’t see any trees.”
“Ho! Ho! That’s because you aren’t looking hard enough. Come on.”
Fogle followed, pulling his robes around him. He had heard the stories of how the underlings lived below these mountains. The mouths of their caves were yawning open nearby, and he half expected to see the evil race come pouring out.
He said under his breath, “I guess it’s safer above them, than below them.”
“What’s that?” Mood said.
He heard that? “Nothing,
” he said.
Up the mountain they went, like two flies on a jagged wall, trying to find a druid that could heal a dog, that could find Venir, the man who was key to it all.
About the Author
Craig Halloran’s stories are fast-paced, action-packed and easy to follow. His plots have universal appeal as his characters struggle to overcome a variety of calamities from one page to the next.
He resides with his family outside of his hometown Charleston, West Virginia. When he isn’t writing stories he is seeking adventure, working out or watching sports. To learn more about him go to: www.thedarkslayer.com
Other works by the Craig Halloran
The Darkslayer: Wrath of the Royals (Book 1)
The Darkslayer: Blades in the Night (Book 2)
The Darkslayer: Underling Revenge (Book 3)
Zombie Day Care : Impact Series: Book 1
In the works by Craig Halloran
The Darkslayer: Book Four (Early 2013)
The Darkslayer, Hunt for the Brigand Queen (A short Darkslayer novel)
Zombie Rehab: Impact Series: Book 2
Connect with him at:
Facebook: The Darkslayer Report by Craig
Twitter: Craig Halloran
Table of Contents
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The Darkslayer: Book 03 - Underling Revenge Page 39