by F. P. Spirit
Brundon fixed her with a smoldering gaze. “I just recognize beauty when I see it, and beauty comes in many forms. It’s not just in fair hair and pretty eyes. There is beauty in strength and muscle as well. From here, I see all that and more.”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied him, but then her face noticeably softened.
“Don’t let this one sweet-talk you,” came a cold voice from behind her.
Rough hands grabbed him and pulled him up into a sitting position. Brundon swiftly surveyed his surroundings. He sat in the middle of a camp. Two covered wagons were parked on either side of a campfire. Two men strode away from him, each wearing bronze-colored half plate across the torso, their lower halves garbed in leathers with a longsword sheathed at the waist. A third man dressed all in leathers sat by the fire—perhaps a woodsman like himself. In front of him stood a figure in dark robes. Brundon could make out nothing of its features, its face hidden by a low hanging hood. The half-orc female now stood to one side. She wore leather from her midriff up to her neck, with a necklace of large tusks hanging down across her chest. Her arms were wrapped in the same thick studded leather that covered her legs.
“Like what you see?” she said with a thin smirk.
She was impressive, he had to admit, but then Brundon admired strong women. He cocked his head to one side and gave her a wink. “So far, love. So far.”
The half-orc’s eyes widened. It was hard to tell from her skin coloration, but he thought she was actually blushing. Their flirtation was interrupted by the figure in dark robes. Its tone was contemptuous.
“Enough of this frivolity.”
Brundon slowly turned his gaze toward the figure. The voice was most definitely male, human-sounding, in fact. “Wondering how you got into this mess?” the man asked. His tone was condescending.
Brundon berated himself. Oh I know how—I got careless.
The man mimicked his thoughts. “Quite careless of you, wasn’t it?”
Brundon stared back at him. That was probably just a lucky guess, unless this ‘man’ was some kind of mage. If that was the case, then mind-reading was quite possible.
The man laughed. It was a cruel sound. “You’re wondering if I can read your mind, no doubt. Not exactly. Let’s just say I have a talent for studying people. You are in a particular predicament and are reacting in a typical manner.”
Brundon also made a quick study of people. This man was arrogant. He could have let Brundon believe he read minds, but instead chose to brag about his ability to read reactions. Well two could play at this game. He would feed the man’s ego and see where it led. “Fair enough. You’re obviously the man in charge. What can I do for you?”
The man in black robes snorted. “Ah, you are a smooth one. Very well, all you have to do is answer a few of my questions, and you’ll be set free.”
Right. More likely you’ll slit my throat. Brundon kept his tone even. “I tell you what—I tell you what you want, and then you let me join your merry little band.”
The man scoffed. “Join us?” He turned toward the half-orc warrior, his tone biting. “You hear that Tazira? He wants to join us.”
Tazira looked him carefully up and down. Brundon met her gaze with a bit of a smirk. “Perhaps he does like what he sees,” she answered with an appreciative nod.
“No doubt about that, love.” He turned back toward the man in black. “Look, I’m just a mercenary for hire. You caught me off-guard, but I’m not bad in the woods or a fight. I also don’t care exactly what I do, as long as I’m well paid for it.”
The robed figure did not move. “Go on.”
Brundon shifted his weight around and got more comfortable. “You’re obviously a smart man—not one to run into battle without knowing his enemy. So, I’d wager you want to know about the group up at the keep.”
“Yes,” came the cautious reply. “Who are they? Where are they from?”
“They don’t have a name as a group. Some folks call them the Heroes of Stone Hill.”
The man scoffed. “Heroes of Stone Hill?”
A small smile crossed Brundon’s lips. “I know, it’s a stupid name. Anyway, I was with them last week when they raided the ruins and killed a dark wizard.”
There was the slightest hint of concern in the man’s voice. “A dark wizard? You wouldn’t happen to know this wizard’s name?”
It wouldn’t hurt to tell him. The wizard was dead, after all. “Telvar. His name was Telvar.”
The note of concern disappeared from the man’s voice, once again replaced with that arrogant tone. “Telvar. Yes, I believe I’ve heard of him. A third-rate wizard at best. Do you know what he was doing at Stone Hill?”
Brundon had to be careful here. The information he gave the man had to sound valuable, but he didn’t want to tell him too much either. It was a fine line, but Brundon knew the best lies were hidden in half truths. “He was searching for the secret to golem creation.”
“Telvar? That fool couldn’t create a golem if his life depended on it.”
So he did know of Telvar. According to Glo, Maltar had much the same opinion of the now-dead mage. Brundon’s face twisted into a half smirk. “Oh trust me, he didn’t, but somehow he managed to get his hands on one.”
The man’s voice took on a dangerous edge. “What kind of golem?”
“A stone golem.” Brundon proceeded to describe the Boulder.
When he finished, the dark-robed man remained silent as if weighing the truth of his words. “And what happened to this golem?”
They had reached a delicate point in the questioning. From his tone, it was obvious the man did not trust him. Still, he was rapt in Brundon’s story. If he could twist it around just right, he could gloss over the fact that the companions had a golem. That might give them an advantage in the battle that was sure to come. “They destroyed it.”
“They destroyed a stone golem?” His tone was incredulous.
Brundon snorted. “It was more luck than anything else. They found its control ring and smashed it.”
“Really?” the man drawled. He paused as if mulling over the possibility. “That’s actually rather clever.”
Brundon let out a short laugh. “You’re giving them far too much credit, my friend. They nearly got themselves killed doing it. If the little thief they had with them hadn’t stolen the ring, they’d all be dead.”
A cold, soft laugh came from underneath the dark cowl. “And then they killed Telvar?”
“Yes. They buried him just outside the keep.”
“Good. Good.”
The robed figure’s voice rose just a bit as he asked the next question, “So then, what are they doing back here now?”
Here it is. This was crucial. “Not much of a surprise there. They went back to town and celebrated for a few days. Once everyone sobered up, they grabbed a wagon and headed back up here. There’s a lot of fine items stored in that basement.”
The figure was quiet for a few moments. Brundon kept a smirk on his face, acting far more confident than he felt inside. Abruptly, another chilling laugh came from underneath the hood. “Excellent. Now, tell me more about this group.”
“Well, they have a wizard, a cleric, and a large warrior. They also have this bard—a real showoff. Then there’s that little snot halfling. He brags about being an assassin, but he’s a second-rate thief at best.” Brundon allowed a trace of annoyance to seep into his voice. That was not hard. It was easy to be annoyed with Seth.
“Are there anymore?”
Brundon shrugged. “Just one. Another mercenary—a warrior in full plate.” He did his best to sound indifferent, but it proved harder than he thought as a vision of Delara popped into his head. If he didn’t die from this, she would kill him for getting himself caught.
Tazira snorted contemptuously. “
Humph, a friend of yours?
Brundon’s heart skipped a beat, but somehow he managed to maintain his outward composure. “Oh, we’ve been on a job or two together, but we’re not close; no good mercenary is.”
She eyed him carefully, then a thin smile spread across her face. Her tone was suggestive when she spoke, “You obviously haven’t been hanging around with the right mercenaries.”
If Delara were here, she would have taken Tazira’s head off. Brundon kept his emotions in check, giving her a sly wink. “That remains to be seen, love.”
The man stepped in closer, his tone menacing. “That’s enough of that, you two.” The hood turned toward Brundon. “Tell me about the wizard.”
“His name is Glolindir. He’s an elf, from the west. He’s an apprentice of the wizard, Maltar.”
The man’s voice took on a slight edge. “Maltar? He’s involved in all this?”
Brundon immediately realized his mistake. He should never have mentioned Maltar. He covered it with a derisive snort. “Are you kidding? Maltar wouldn’t waste his time with something as small as this.”
There was a short pause. When the man spoke again, his tone was smug, “Okay then, an apprentice of Maltar’s. That I can deal with easily. And this warrior. What of him?”
Brundon gave them a knowing look. “Now he’s a big one. Really strong, but slow as an ox. Just don’t let him hit you, and you’ll be fine.”
“No worries there,” Tazira boasted. “I’ll take care of that one.”
Now that will be a battle to see. Half-orcs were notoriously strong and from the looks of it, this Tazira could handle herself. Hopefully the little bit of misinformation he had just fed her would make the difference. At that moment, something flashed over by one of the wagons. The cloaked figure spun around and strode over to it. It was a crystal ball. He gazed into it a moment then stood back up. “Well, they’re coming this way.”
“Good,” Tazira responded. “That’s better than having to hunt them down.”
The man whirled around toward Brundon. “Now you stay there until we get back.”
Brundon feigned disappointment. “Wait. I thought we had a deal.”
The man’s tone was arrogant. “We still do. If your information proves to be good, then we will discuss you joining us.”
Sure. And I’m the Queen of Lanfor, Brundon thought wryly.
With that, his captors walked off. Hopefully those little twists of truth would buy his friends the edge they needed in this upcoming battle.
Battle in the Dead Forest
The raw power in these two behemoths was frightening to behold
Seth sat high in the branches just above the outskirts of the camp. He had taken to the trees after sensing something large in the forest below. It was a good thing, too. When he finally spied the thing from above, he saw that it was an earth elemental. Those creatures were deadly opponents on the ground. They moved through the earth as easily as people did through air. They could sneak up on you underground and grab you before you knew it. More than that, they were incredibly strong; once they got a hold on you, escape was near impossible.
Seth was certain that was what had happened to Brundon. He stuck to the treetops after that, leaping his way toward the glow of the campfire. The trees ended, and below him lay a long clearing, sparsely filled with leafless brambles and the occasional rocky outcropping. The camp was set up at the southern end. Seth immediately spotted Brundon tied up at the other end of the campsite. A figure in black robes and a female half-orc in warrior’s garb stood over him. There were three other men moving around the camp. Two were dressed in half plate with swords strapped to their sides. The third sat by the fire—a bowman loading his quiver with arrows.
Seth also caught sight of a dark bird perched a few branches over. It was Raven. He reached into his backpack, pulling out a small piece of parchment, a thin quill and a small vial of ink. He scrawled a quick message and tied it to the bird’s leg. He then waved the bird off, mouthing the word, “Go.”
Raven took off into the darkness.
Seth turned back to the camp. He was too far away to hear the conversation with Brundon. He could sneak down there, but there was always the chance that the figure in black could see the invisible. Thus, Seth thought it best to remain hidden until the opportunity arose. He would then enter the camp and free the tracker. Of course he would rub it in that Brundon had been caught in the first place. A while passed before an object flashed in the middle of the camp. The robed figure went over to it, then called out to the others, “Well, they’re coming this way.”
That flash must have been from a crystal ball. It had to be focused on his friends. Hopefully his message had reached them in time.
The companions entered the north side of a long clearing. The moon had risen above the tree line, throwing its pale silver light across the area. The glade was mostly empty, with just a few dead brambles and a couple of rocky outcroppings; the glow of a campfire outlined a pair of wagons behind a slight hillock at the other end. The companions rode in a wedge formation with Lloyd in the lead. Titan and Glo were fanned out a couple of horse lengths behind him. Aksel and Elladan brought up the rear, driving the wagon, its bed covered with a canvas sheet.
A sudden whizzing sound caught Aksel’s attention. His gnomish eyes barely caught sight of an arrow as it crossed the clearing. It was headed straight for Glo. He had no time to even shout out a warning as the projectile found its mark. Yet, instead of embedding itself into solid flesh, the arrow passed right through the elven wizard. Glo’s body appeared to waver back and forth, then popped out of existence as if it were never there. His horse continued on rider-less.
At that same moment, the ground in front of the wagon began to shake. It broke apart, two large, rocky hands reaching up out of the dirt. They grabbed the horses, stopping them in their tracks. The spooked animals whinnied in fear but could not break free of that powerful grip. A huge form rose out of the ground. It grew in height until it towered over the frightened horses. Aksel immediately recognized it as the earth elemental. Seth’s message had warned them about the creature. Still, his knowledge of the situation did nothing to assuage his fear.
Elladan suddenly spun around and yanked the tarp off the back of the wagon. “Now!”
Aksel forced down his fear. He held out his hand, the pale ring on his finger gleaming in the moonlight. “Attack the elemental!”
A large figure rose out of the back, a huge leg swinging over the side. The wagon tipped, almost knocking Elladan and Aksel out of their seats. The figure swung its other leg over the side and landed on the ground with a huge thud. The cart rocked wildly in the opposite direction; it was all they could do to hold on to their seats. The wagon righted itself with a thud. When Aksel’s eyes focused he spied the earth elemental lumbering forward to meet its new foe, the Boulder.
A head popped out of the wagon behind them. “Wild ride there!” Glo cried. “So did it work?”
Aksel pointed toward the impending battle. “We’re about to find out.”
The stone golem and earth elemental came together, the sound of rock grinding on rock as they locked their hands. The strain was visible as both creatures threw their weight into the struggle. Two pairs of stone feet dug deep into the soft earth as the titanic battle ensued.
Up ahead, a dark figure rushed out of the bushes. Two blades gleamed in the moonlight as it leapt off the ground directly at Lloyd. It appeared as if the warrior would be cleaved in two. At the very last moment, Lloyd flipped backwards out of his saddle. The dark figure went flying over the empty saddle, barely missing the young warrior.
Lloyd landed in a crouch. He stood and drew his blades, falling into a defensive stance. A few yards away the figure spun to face him. It was the half-orc warrior he had been warned about. The figure was smaller than he expected, but the moonligh
t revealed it to be female. It made no difference though; half-orcs were strong, and this female had already proven to be quite agile. He was definitely in for a tough fight.
His opponent slowly walked toward him. “And here I thought you were slow!”
Lloyd shifted his footing in preparation for the coming attack. “You’re fairly quick yourself.”
The half-orc halted a short distance away and fell into a defensive stance. A wicked grin crossed her face. “This is going to be fun.”
As one, the warriors launched themselves across the intervening space, weapons raised and battle cries on their lips.
The sound of steel against steel rang all around them. Blades flashed swiftly in the moonlight as the two warriors traded blows. They appeared evenly matched, Lloyd’s foe just as fast as the spiritblade.
Off to their right, Titan faced off against two more warriors. The pair launched staggered attacks against the silver-clad warrior, but Titan ably fended them off with her own sword and shield.
Bam! Bam! The noise was so loud that Glo nearly jumped. The Boulder had just shrugged off a pair of blows from the earth elemental. The force of those strikes was so great that it traveled through the golem’s body and into the ground, causing the very earth to shake around them. The Boulder’s response was immediate. It wound up its huge grey arms and struck back with frightening speed.
Bam! Bam! The earth elemental shook visibly from the two-fisted blows, as did the ground surrounding them. The raw power in these two behemoths was frightening to behold. In between those huge booms and the ringing of steel, the sound of falling pebbles could be heard—tiny pieces chipping off the two earthen creatures.
Elladan wrestled with the reins, doing all he could to keep the horses from bolting. The poor creatures whinnied nervously, shying away from the nearby battle. As awesome as that battle was, Glo wrenched his eyes away. He spun around slowly, sweeping the clearing with his keen elven eyes. There had been no sign of the archer since the one arrow cleaved his false image. That image had been Elladan’s idea. He had said it was a standard battle tactic to take out the opposition’s casters. Glo was thankful he had listened to the bard. Still, he was more worried about that black mage. The last time they had faced one, they were all nearly burnt to death.