The Staff of Sakatha

by Tom Liberman

  The four men looked at one another but said nothing, their eyes wide as they gazed at the terrible creature, and it rose up on its forepaws. “The staff is embedded in the central stone of the white marble Temple below. To unlock it from its hidden location you must strike it forcefully with one of my talons.”

  “But, we are apparitions, we are not really here,” said Sorus his eyes wide and his mouth agape. “How can we take one of your talons?”

  “You cannot,” said Chusarausea. “But, upon the same stone in which the Staff of Sakatha is embedded rests one of my talons left for expressly this purpose.”

  “We were right there,” said Jon. “There wasn’t anything.”

  “It is there,” said the great green dragon with a hard look in its eyes. “You must look closely, but it is there.” With this final pronouncement the conversation seemed over.

  “Thank you Great Green One, your words and your vision are both noble and true. My father will hear what you said, that I promise,” said the young gray knight and bowed deeply to the dragon. The creature looked at him through tremendous green eyes and a small smile curled on its face as it nodded its head. Then the creature closed its eyes and put its head down upon its paws.

  Chapter 29

  “How do we get back?” said Sorus with a look towards Jon and the others and then he glanced around and realized that they stood in the center of the stone circle with the lizard priests, back underground, as if the strange interlude never happened at all. “Oh,” he finished.

  It took the lizards a moment to orientate themselves to the new situation and by then the well-trained warriors, Odellius, Jon, and Vipsanius, had swords raised and ready, “Tie their hands behind their backs,” ordered the First Rider to Odellius, “and hurry up about it. I can’t imagine it will take long to reinforce those darklings and ghouls.”

  Odellius quickly found a length of rope in his pack, tied neat knots behind the creatures, while Jon went over to the massive crystal block in the center of the stone circle and stared intently at it. His gaze traveled up and down its sides as he looked for the curved shape of the talon and for a long moment he could not see it. Then the shape suddenly seemed to appear on one side of the block and he stared again for long moments.

  “Hurry, Jon,” said Sorus but the gray knight did not reply, his eyes fixed on the block.

  “Here goes,” he said and reached forwards, grabbed at the block, and clasped his hand. When he pulled it back it held a thick green talon which he raised over his head and plunged down into the stone with all his strength. The talon slipped through the stone block like a rapier through unarmored flesh, the jade rock shattered into a thousand glass shards and left behind a long staff that looked like a mummified crocodile.

  The reptile men immediately dropped to their knees and began to murmur in prayer while only the leader of the creatures kept a wary eye on Jon who bent down to pick up the staff.

  “I’m sorry to take this from you,” Jon said holding the staff in his right hand and the claw of the great green dragon in his left. “This is the claw of Chusarausea the Great and I imagine you might find it useful. While I cannot let you have the Staff of Sakatha, I offer you this in exchange. Perhaps not a fair trade but it is better than nothing.”

  Usharra did not understand the words of the human warrior but the intent was clear enough. He knew the Staff of Sakatha was momentarily lost to his people, but the fact that it was once again found meant the death cult would try to obtain it, use it to not to bring Sakatha back to life but to control the lich thing hidden in the vaults below Darag’dal. He nodded his head and said, “Take what you must warrior, I accept your gift in return, but I do not speak for all my people and others will learn of this and chase you to the ends of the world.”

  Jon didn’t understand the language of the creature nor did the others, although the two remaining reptile priests looked at their leader with open mouths and swaying tails. Jon lay the talon at the feet of the leader and then looked to his friends, “Perhaps now is the best time to beat a hasty retreat before the darkling forces return in great numbers.”

  The First Rider smiled and Sorus nodded his head, “Let’s get out of here!”

  With that all four men backed out of the center of the great stone circle and towards the exit as they kept a careful eye on the reptile men, “The knots will hold for a bit,” said Odellius with a huge grin. “Let’s go!” The four began to trot towards the exit at a quick pace. When they cleared the stones a couple of darklings stood at the doorway across from them while a pair of reptile men, apparently survivors of the earlier battle, stood with their backs to the outer stone ring.

  Jon, Sorus, Vipsanius, and Odellius ignored them as they dashed across the open floor to the dark corridor beyond, “Tenebrous!” shouted the First Rider and fumbled in his packet for a light stone. “Lead us out of here or I’ll know the reason why.”

  “There is no need for threats,” said the dark shadow, its voice low and rumbly as before. “Follow me, but once we reach the surface I cannot guarantee your safety down the mountain. The darklings are on the move and Thantos seems to have survived.”

  “Then stop talking and start leading,” said Odellius looking over his shoulder back at the main chamber where the white marble stones stood. It took him a moment to realize why the site bothered him when it suddenly dawned on him, the stones, thousands of years after their construction, looked exactly the same as in the dream, as if no time had passed at all. Then they were off into the darkness as they followed the strange shadowy creature.

  They jogged along the narrow corridors with the First Rider in the rear and Sorus right behind Tenebrous who floated along, apparently able to effortlessly keep at a pace they found comfortable. Sorus noted the First Rider’s voice as he ticked off turns, “left, right, right,” as they made their way down the passages, and he turned to look at him as Odellius’s heavy breath filled the hallway. “Why are you keeping track of our turns on the way out?”

  “It might be nice to find that temple again sometime in the future,” said the Vipsanius with a smile. “I’m also trying to tally with all the turns we took getting here in case Tenebrous is leading us astray.”

  “Oh,” said Sorus suddenly ashamed that he didn’t keep mental track of their turns during the descent. “Are we going the right way?”

  “As best as I can tell,” said the First Rider. “It’s not easy to keep track of things when underground but, so far, he seems to be leading us towards the exit. We are headed upwards at the very least.”

  Sorus nodded his head as they continued and Odellius’s breath became more and more labored with every step. “Are you all right, Odellius?” said Sorus as he moved up behind the big knight. “You sound like you need a rest.”

  “I’ll … huh huh, be ok,” said the man his face so red it seemed to glow even in the dim light provided by the stones. “Maybe I should eat and drink a little less. Don’t let Vipsanius know I said that though,” he told Sorus with a wink.

  “I already heard,” said the First Rider. “Tenebrous, can we stop for a few minutes to catch our breaths or is it still too dangerous?”

  The dark shadow paused for a moment and its shape twisted slightly although not into any identifiable form. “Yes, I will scout ahead to see if Thantos has prepared an ambush. The darklings seem less interested in pursuit than I imagined.”

  The four men stopped and Odellius appeared seriously winded as he slumped to the ground. Sorus smiled broadly and slapped Jon on the back with his good hand, “You’ve got your staff, my friend. You came all this way, all those months, and now you’ve got it!”

  “Now, the question becomes can I get it back home,” said Jon to Sorus his face quite serious for once. “I never really thought about that part. With reptile men, the dragon children, the Lady of the Abyss, and who knows who else chasing me down from every corner of the world, the journey might prove … troublesome.”

  “I don’t think I’ve
ever seen you like this before,” said Sorus. “You must be getting old like the First Rider and Odellius.”

  Jon nodded his head at Odellius and Vipsanius and laughed aloud, “You might be right Sorus,” he said smiling broadly and infectiously. “I am usually a rather happy-go-lucky fellow. My father would approve of this new Jon Gray, although my sister probably won’t believe it.”

  “That is an important question, Jon,” said the First Rider. “The journey back to Tanelorn is both long and perilous. Do you have a plan?”

  Jon nodded, “I planned to go back the way I came. I’ll ride to Doria and then catch a ship up to Sea’cra. From there the journey across land to Tanelorn is thousands of miles. I used a portal on my way here so I’m unfamiliar with all the lands in between.”

  “That’s a dangerous journey, Jon,” said Vipsanius “with or without the staff.”

  Jon nodded, “I know, but what else is there to do?”

  “I’m going with him,” said Sorus as he interrupted the conversation and moved over to stand next to Jon. “Sir Germanius ordered me to go with him no matter what.”

  Jon looked up startled, “You’ve just become a knight of Elekargul,” said the young warrior of gray, “don’t you want to enjoy that for a while before heading off on a trip that will take years? You may never come back to Elekargul.”

  Sorus shook his head, “It’s not really a matter of what I want or not. Sir Germanius gave me an order and I intend to follow it. Besides, Jon, sticking with you might be a lot of fun.”

  “A lot of danger is what you mean,” said Odellius as breath slowly returned to normal.

  “That too,” said Sorus with a smile, “every young knight wants a little adventure so he can tell stories to the pretty girls.”

  Just then the dark voice of Tenebrous broke into their conversation, “The way is not clear. There are darklings at all egresses. I suggest we move directly towards where my enemy Thantos waits because there are fewer darklings there, the creatures do not trust one another, but my motivation might simply be to have you kill him. You should make your own decision.”

  “You’ve been straight with us so far,” said Vipsanius to the dark shadow. “We’ll follow you against this Thantos fellow. Is there anything about him and his allies we need to know?”

  “They carry toxins in their claws and on their teeth that slow your reflexes and can even paralyze you,” said Tenebrous. “They don’t wear armor so your swords should make short work of them but don’t let them scratch or bite you.”

  The First Rider nodded his head, “I’ve fought ghoulish creatures before,” he said, “but this is a particularly powerful variety of the species. It doesn’t have any special powers that might tip the tide of battle?”

  The dark cloud seemed to waver back and forth for a moment, “I assume Thantos is so equipped, but I do not know the exact nature of his abilities. He is the ghoul with the overly long tongue and if you kill him quickly the others will likely flee.”

  “Good enough,” said the First Rider with a nod of his head, “lead the way.”

  Tenebrous again seemed to flow and change shape as he headed further down the corridor and the four knights followed along at a fast pace.

  “I haven’t done this much running since I was a wee boy,” said Odellius and slapped Jon Gray on the back with a hearty thump.

  “You were wee?” said Jon in reply.

  “Well, relatively speaking,” said Odellius with a smile barely visible in the gloom of the cave.

  “Stop now,” said Tenebrous in his deep gravelly voice, “they are just ahead. Douse your lights and you should be able to see well enough once your eyes adjust.”

  They deactivated their light stones as advised and waited a few moments before a dim glow from up ahead became apparent.

  “It that sunlight,” said Sorus, “or just more glow stones?”

  “Glow stones,” said the First Rider, “it’s not the right hue for sunlight. I think I can feel a breath of air though, we’re close to the surface. The plan is to rush the one with the long tongue and kill him first before he can organize resistance. Jon, you’re faster than the rest of us, so you’ll be the first one there, but try not to get too far ahead.”

  Jon nodded.

  The First Rider held up in hand, “Three, two, one, go!”

  Jon’s long legs took a moment to get moving but his huge stride quickly carried him past Sorus and the First Rider and he burst ahead towards the half dozen shadowy figures that lurked in a small cave. Jon was first among them, spotted the long-tongued creature instantly, and moved directly at it as it raised its arms and began to chant. Jon raised his own sword and shouted out, “For the Gray!” as he brought it down towards the head of the leader even as a spray of silver energy enveloped him.

  Jon’s sword suddenly seemed to slow, his face became a grimace of effort, Thantos licked his long tongue over his lips and began to smile broadly, when Jon let out a fearsome grunt, broke through the silvery cloud, and brought down his sword in a deadly arc. The smile vanished from Thantos’s face as it tried to move to the side and avoid the sword, but the blade bit into his shoulder and right through to the chest cavity as blood and gore spewed out in a spray.

  Thantos reached forwards with long hooked claws, grabbed Jon around neck, but before it could grip deeply the young knight of gray jabbed his head forward and smashed the face of creature with his forehead and iron helmet. Thantos’s skull cracked, his eyes rolled backwards, and he felt to the ground as his life’s essence poured out from the terrible gash. Jon spun, but suddenly felt weak in his knees as the toxic contents of the claw pumped from his neck directly into his heart, and his legs felt like blades of grass in a stiff breeze. Two of the other ghouls moved towards him with their talons extended; he tried to raise his sword but felt like he swam under water, and their razor sharp claws seemed ready to tear off his face when a silver blade suddenly appeared between the eyes of one of the creatures. It fell dead to the ground and the second dashed away in a sudden burst of speed.

  Odellius and the First Rider appeared a moment later as the two men swept aside the ghouls, their swords flashed and the big knight of Elekargul used his belly to bounce foes away. Jon felt his legs suddenly give out and he fell to the floor. He could feel his heart beat in his chest like some slow drum. It seemed only a moment later the face of the First Rider appeared over him and asked him in an incredibly slow and deep voice, “Areee youuuu alllll riiiiight?”

  Jon tried to reply but found his mouth unable to form words and his arms unable to lift his sword.

  “He’s brave enough,” said the First Rider to Odellius with a shrug, “but doesn’t always show the best sense in a battle.”

  “He’s young, Vipsanius,” said Odellius and reached down to grab the fallen knight by the arm and hoist him up over a shoulder. “He’s tall but not all that heavy for his size,” said the warrior, “don’t forget to grab his sword or he’ll have our heads when he shakes off the effect of the ghoul poison.”

  Sorus bent down and tried to lift the huge stone sword with his good left hand but only managed to push it a short distance, “It’s heavy.”

  “Come along, Sorus,” said Vipsanius and turned his back on the young man, “act like a knight and bring the sword already. We’ve got to get off this mountain as quickly as possible. Tenebrous?”

  “Yes,” said the dark voice.

  “We’ve killed this Thantos friend of yours, and you’ve led us truly out of the mountain. I appreciate your help and will remember it, but I think our association has reached its conclusion,” said the leader of Elekargul and held out his fist to the creature.

  “Yes,” said the dark shape as it shifted continuously. “I hear my mistress’s call to me even now. She knows the fate of her disciples instantly. I wish you well, Jon Gray and I suspect that we will meet again,” he said to the fallen lad. “As for you, First Rider Vipsanius, I don’t think our paths will cross again but perhaps I am mistak
en. I wish you and your nation prosperity.”

  The First Rider nodded, “Come along, Sorus,” he said, “grab that sword already and let’s be out of here. Hopefully the horses are waiting for us and we’ll be back in Black Dale to return Odellius to his duties as a mason as soon as the day after tomorrow.”

  Chapter 30

  It took the returning warriors three days to reach Black Dale because Jon’s sluggishness proved slow to improve and he was unable to guide his horse properly. Sorus spent much of the time riding next to Jon, with one hand on his own horse and the other on the reins of Jon’s trotter. After a couple of painful tumbles they tied a reluctant Jon to the saddle and did not hesitate to make merry over the fact. Jon proved unable to reply with his normal wit, as the aftereffect of the ghoul poison seemed to affect his mind as well as body. Eventually, they arrived in the town safely with both the Staff of Sakatha and all of their lives intact. News of their return preceeded the three, and the entire town’s population and most of those from the surrounding countryside, including Proteus and his two sons, were on hand to greet them with a rousing welcome.

  In the next couple of days Jon recuperated at Sorus’s house, tended to by Titia, while the young brewer turned knight trained Proteus at the Swift Strider in the proper arts of brewing. After Jon regained most of his usual vigor he began to prepare to return to his far off home of Tanelorn. The First Rider suggested as much primarily because of the danger presented by the Staff of Sakatha. Before he took his leave from Black Dale he visited Odellius and the two took a trip to the nearby quarries to haul back a stone large enough to honor the deeds of Sir Germanius. Jon made his farewells with Titia, both tender and urgent, while Sorus spent his last few days with Shia but soon enough the evening of the day before their departure was upon them.

  The townsfolk planned a large party for the heroes and even the First Rider returned from patrols to Black Dale to attend the event. As the celebration went late in the evening, Jon sat in a large chair near the head of the table, a tall glass of fine beer in his hand, as well wishers came by to give him their regards. The First Rider was one of the last to come up, “Jon, I’m leaving on patrol first thing in the morning so I won’t be able to say goodbye to you and Sorus,” he said and patted the boy on the shoulder.