Some time later, Jak wasn’t sure exactly how long; he was awakened by more water being poured over his face. Soon after that, he heard voices outside the door. There were the slurring voices of the Vashi, but there was also a more familiar voice talking with them. Abruptly the door flung open and in walked Mortikus.
Jak strained against his bonds with all his might trying to reach the little man. He wanted to kill Mortikus for what he had done. Well, maybe not kill him, but he at least wanted to teach the little man a lesson. However, there was at least a part of him that wanted to kill the gnome and drink his blood.
“Well, well,” Mortikus said in a smug tone, “it seems you all survived, and are in relatively decent shape. Good, I’m glad of that.”
“What have you done Mortikus? Where have you taken us? Why did you do this to us?” Benjim demanded of the little man with anger rising in his voice.
“Why? For profit of course,” Mortikus said matter-of-factly.
“You see, the Vashi find all sorts of precious stones, and even gold and sliver in their caves deep in the Mountains of Kaal. They have no use for these things, other than for babbles or decorations.
However, the Vashi do love the taste of flesh, most especially human flesh. It is a delicacy to them, and they pay exceedingly well for it.
Since they have been driven into hiding, they don’t get it as much as they would like. So I simply provide it to them. In return, they give me gold and gems and such. A very nice arrangement, don’t you think?” the little man said with a virulent smile.
Mortikus received only glares from Jak and Nicoldani, and frowns from the other two, in answer to his question.
Mortikus continued to regard them with a questioning look before it was apparent he would not get a rise out of them. “You were easy targets, so naive and trusting.
What? Did you think I was your friend?” The gnome said with a feigned look of surprise.
“Did you think that I wanted to learn magic? Ha! My magic works well enough I would say. I sold my entire clan and family to the Vashi long ago. Do you believe I would think twice about selling you?”
Mortikus seemed disappointed that they didn’t show enough shock or surprise at his revelation. After a moment, he continued in a bland tone, “But you do need to keep up your strength. My sleep spell slowed your bodies so that you don’t have the same needs for food and water as you normally would. But nevertheless, nine days does take its toll on the body. I was afraid the old man, or possibly the girl wouldn’t make it all the way without dying.”
“Nine days!!!” Jak said incredulously, “we’ve been here nine days?”
“No, no, young fool. Do you not know how to count? This is your second day here. But it took nine days to reach the Mountains of Kaal traveling across the Jaharian Desert,” the tiny man said with smirk.
Jak felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. He had been hoping it had only been one, or maybe two days. He wasn’t exactly sure where the Mountains of Kaal were located, other than west of where they had been, but now he knew that they had been asleep for over eleven days, and were a long way from where they wanted to be. On top of that, apparently they were going to end up as dinner for these Vashi.
“We can’t have you wasting away or dying before the Master gets here. He has been sent for, and should be here in another day or two. When he found out you were here,” the little man said peering up at Jak, “he wanted to come see you personally. Apparently, the Great Mistress has taken a particular interest in you. I didn’t even know she had been freed from her prison. But apparently she has been. Isn’t that wonderful news?”
When no one would answer his question, the little man went on, “I don’t suppose you would think so. In any case, the Vashi said that the Great Mistress wants you to be held, or if possible delivered to her. Since the Vashi can’t just take you there themselves without being killed, we sent a messenger to the Great Mistress, and she is sending someone to take you back to her. That will take a little while since it’s a long ways to Yilavo City.”
“In the mean time, we need to get some more meat on your bones……so to speak.”
Jak did not like the look on the gnome’s face when he said that. As it turned out, he seemed to have a very nasty sense of humor.
Turning to the doorway, Mortikus called to one of the creatures outside to bring the meat in. One of the Vashi entered carrying a large tray stacked with some sort of dark red meat. As Jak looked closer he could see that it was raw and bloody.
“Eat,” Mortikus commanded Nicoldani as he shoved the tray up towards the big man’s face. The tiny man could barely reach high enough to get it under Nicoldani’s chin.
“We thought since you have no more need of them, and the Vashi do not ride……. that your horses could be put to a good use,” he said laughing hysterically and almost dropping the large tray.
“Hofsi?” Gin exclaimed, “you had better not have hurt Hofsi or I…I will…..I will burn you,” she said furiously. Then she began to cry.
Mortikus just laughed even more, before turning his attention back to Nicoldani. The gnome was too short to reach any closer to Nicoldani’s face, so with an angry look; he handed the tray back to one of the Vashi and motioned to Nicoldani. The Vashi took the tray and shoved it close to Nicoldani’s face.
“Eat!!” Mortikus commanded, even more angrily.
When Nicoldani refused, the Vashi pressed the tray hard against the big man’s face and smeared it around for several moments, before lowering it. Nicoldani gave the Vashi a withering look, and spared one for Mortikus as well, but he refused to eat what was on the tray.
Mortikus gave up on Nicoldani and moved to where Jak was chained to the wall.
“What about you?” he said dryly, “I don’t think the big man cares enough about any of you to be coerced. Besides, he is large enough as he is. I doubt he will be wasting away anytime soon. But then we have you…….isn’t the little one your sister?” Mortikus said with a malicious grin toward Gin.
“Don’t you touch her,” Jak said as rage filled him, “if you harm her I will kill you.”
Mortikus only smiled and said, “Oh I won’t harm her……….as long as you eat. But…..if you refuse, I will let the Vashi eat her while you watch, after all the Great Mistress did not say anything about wanting her.”
Jak was furious at the threat from Mortikus, but not withstanding, he didn’t need the little man’s threat to want to eat what was on the tray in front of him. Even before the Vashi put the tray to his face Jak could smell it. The meat was fresh, still warm, and dripping with blood. He plunged his face into the tray and began to devour the bloody, raw horse meat ravenously.
When he finished the meat, he even licked the blood from the tray, until the Vashi pulled it away from him.
“That wasn’t nearly as much fun as it should have been,” Mortikus said dejectedly. You didn’t even cringe, or gag, or put up a fight at all. You actually seemed to enjoy it,” he shook his head in disgust and dismay.
Mortikus stood there for several moments with a thoughtful look on his face and tapping his fore finger on his cheek, before his eyes suddenly lit up. The gnome turned and motioned for one of the Vashi to stoop down so he could whisper something in its ear. As the Vashi rushed from the room, the wicked little smile appeared on the tiny man’s face once again, and he wrung his hands in anticipation and glee.
After a moment, the Vashi returned with another plate. This time it was piled with entrails and organs. Mortikus wore a wide smile, the anticipation plain on his face as he turned back to Jak, “Since you seemed to enjoy that so much, perhaps you would like more.”
Jak’s stomach heaved as the Vashi placed the tray to his face, and he shied away from it in disgust. The bloody horse-meat was one thing, but intestines and organs were something else entirely. He wasn’t sure he could do it even for Gin, but he still did not have enough of his strength back yet to resist.
“Eat, or they eat the girl,
” Mortikus said impatiently.
Jak turned his face reluctantly to the tray once again. There was no other choice, he had to do it. He would not let them harm Gin if he could help it. This time however, as he glanced over the tray, hope began to rise in him as he noticed the horse’s liver and the heart were on the tray. That might be enough, he thought.
Slowly, as not to seem too eager, Jak bent his head over the tray and began to devourer them. The horse blood was not nearly as satisfying or invigorating as human blood, but he could feel some of his strength returning. With blood dripping from his mouth, he lifted his face from the tray to eye the tiny man.
“All of it. You must eat all of it,” Mortikus said emphatically, almost jumping up and down.
Jak stretched inside his bonds and began to feel the ropes giving way. There would only be one chance he knew, so it must be done quickly. He flexed his wrists behind his back and felt the bonds give, and then finally break. Then he lunged forward as hard as he could. The anchors that held the chains to the wall groaned, but did not break. However, he was able to grab the nearest Vashi, pulling it close and wrenching its head around to break its neck. He realized just then, that the Vashi were surprisingly brittle. It was almost like stepping on a bug or beetle and smashing it.
Mortikus spun quickly and fled in a panic through the open door, with a look of terror on his face, not even bothering to close the cell door. The other Vashi looked torn between running out of the cell after Mortikus, or fighting Jak.
The moment of hesitation was all Jak needed and he strained hard against the chains until they finally snapped. The momentum carried him forward, and he toppled onto the other Vashi crashing hard to the floor. The two grappled for moments before Jak grabbed the Vashi’s head and smashed it hard on the stone floor several times until it broke open with a crunch.
Jak jumped to his feet and made his way quickly to where Nicoldani was chained and bound. Taking a hold of the chains, he strained and pulled on them, but to his dismay they would not give way. He was still too weak to break them on his own.
Looking around the small cell he tried to find something to help him……anything, but there was nothing in the cell except the prisoners. Moving to the door he peeked out, and scanned the length of the hallway.
At first glance, there seemed to be nothing, but then he spotted the long metal rod than had been used to bar the door. As he was picking up the bar, muffled scuffling sounds of commotion echoed from further down the passageway. There wasn’t much time before there would be more Vashi upon them.
He rushed back into the cell to where Nicoldani was bound, and using the bar for leverage was finally able to break him free. With the release of his bonds, the big man slumped forward to land on his knees.
Jak’s heart sank when he saw how weak and exhausted Nicoldani was. This was going to be harder than he thought. Everyone else was very weak from the long sleep and lack of food, and he wasn’t sure if they could make their way out on their own, let alone fight off any Vashi they would surely encounter.
He quickly moved to Benjim and Gin, and was happy that they were only bound with ropes, not chains. As he was removing the ropes and the blindfolds, the sounds of approaching Vashi began to sound very close.
“Can you walk?” Jak asked anxiously to no one in particular, hoping at least someone would be able to make it out on their own. The big man stood slowly, and said that he could walk. Gin assured Jak that she could walk on her own as well. Benjim was having trouble keeping his feet, but said he should be able to make it out with some help. Nicoldani moved to the old man’s side and steadied him with an arm around his back. “We can make it,” Nicoldani said resolutely.
“I don’t know how many of them there are,” Jak said in a rush. “But they are almost here. We need to go now!”
“Get me outside the door to the corridor where I can see them,” Benjim said wearily.
They moved out of the cell through the doorway and peered down the long corridor. There were multiple shadows moving through the torchlight, and shouting echoing off the stone walls. The Vashi were perhaps thirty paces down the hall and coming fast.
“We are trapped,” Jak said, “what do we do now?”
There were at least ten, or maybe fifteen of the Vashi swarming down the corridor. The bar from the door was still in his hand, but didn’t think he had enough strength left to fight them all. Not knowing what else to do he turned to Benjim and noticed the old man had a look of concentration on his face and was mumbling something under his breath that Jak could not understand. But Jak had heard similar from the old man when he was instructing Gin and Mortikus in the ways of magic.
The Vashi were now less than fifteen paces away, but approaching cautiously when they saw the four prisoners were free of their cell.
Slowly, Benjim began to raise his right hand with an effort. When the Vashi saw the old man’s gesture, most of them stopped in their tracks. Some of the creatures at the rear even turned and began to run back down the corridor the way they had come.
Suddenly, fire exploded from Benjim’s hand and raced down the passageway to overtake the Vashi. Screams of pain echoed off the walls as the fire overtook the Vashi and consumed them. It was only a moment before the flames winked out and everything fell silent. The old man slumped to the floor in exhaustion. The flames Benjim had produced had taken all of his remaining strength. Nicoldani reached down and lifted the old man, cradling him in his arms. “I will carry him the rest of the way out,” the big man said resolutely.
The acrid stench of burned Vashi was strong as they made their way out the corridor. Burnt bodies littered the floor, and putrid smoke hung thick in the air. The burnt bodies of the Vashi crunched and squished underfoot as they picked their way through. Jak tried to avoid them, but couldn’t help but step on a few. He choked and gagged on the thick sooty smoke that half-filled the corridor, and struggled to go faster just to get out of the stink. Finally, they emerged from the cave into the light and fresh air. Jak took several deep breaths to clear his lungs and noticed the others doing the same.
Apparently, any remaining Vashi if there were any, had fled, along with Mortikus when the prisoners broke free. Jak was angry that the little man had been able to escape. He wanted the tiny man to pay for what he did, but there were no signs of Mortikus or any other Vashi.
There was however, a small camp that had been setup just outside the mouth of the cave. From the look of the camp, it was used regularly for this very same purpose of holding captives before they were delivered and eaten by the Vashi.
Thankfully, Jak and the others were able to find most of their belonging and some of their food that the Vashi had discarded as useless. Apparently, the Vashi did not have an appetite for beans or dried meat.
Nicoldani seemed particularly troubled over not being able to find one of his saddle bags. After much more searching, the big man was finally able to locate the saddlebags, but apparently whatever it was that he sought inside had been taken. Nicoldani was not happy about that at all. From the look on his face, you would think he had lost his most valued possession. From what Jak could remember, it was just a rolled up black cloth or something similar, and didn’t really understand the big man’s distress.
Jak continued to search through the rubbish and scattered belongings collecting more of their things that they could possibly use. He was surprised and relieved to find his dagger, but wondered why Mortikus hadn't taken it.
After a time, he saw a rolled up bundle a few paces off under a pile that seemed to be mostly garbage. Picking it up he turned and walked back to where the big man was standing. When Nicoldani saw what Jak was carrying, he snatched it from his hands quickly before turning his back to examine the bundle. The big man then placed it safely back into his saddlebags before turning around to face Jak. “Thank you for finding this,” he said sincerely.
“It seems important to you. What is it?” Jak asked.
There was a look of relief and pa
in in the big man’s eyes as he said, “It is something……….that I’m not really worthy of. But just the same, it is important to me. It’s a reminder of who I once was,” when it was clear Nicoldani was not going to say any more about it, Jak turned and walked away to continue his searching.
To Jak’s relief, it turned out that the Vashi had not killed all of the horses. Hofsi, Gin’s little mare, and Nicoldani’s war horse were still alive and unharmed. Gin was overjoyed to see Hofsi, and ran to the little mare to throw her arms around its neck and hug it tightly. The little horse seemed almost as happy to see Gin, as she was to see it. It made Jak a little sad that Gandur, his father’s horse was dead. But with everything else that he had lost, the pain of the loss was becoming like and old friend.
With the loss of the horses, they would have to take turns riding now since only two horses remained alive. But on second thought, Jak knew they would have to use Nicoldani’s horse to carry their belongings and all of them would be forced to walk, except for Gin. The prospect of walking all that way left Jak feeling even wearier than he already felt. But at least Gin would be spared from having to walk the long ways back to Yilavo City.
Nicoldani had laid Benjim down and given him some water while he recovered a bit. The old man was now regaining a little strength, and was sitting up on his own.
“What do we do now?” Jak asked.
Nicoldani spoke up first, “We gather what we can of our supplies and anything that we can use. I don’t know if those things will come back for us. For that matter we don’t want that annoying little gnome sneaking up on us during the night and putting his spell on us again.”
“I do not think he would do that,” Benjim interrupted. “He is a man of low character and opportunity. I doubt he would risk trying to take us again unless he was absolutely certain he would be successful, or not unless he had a great many others with him to help overcome us. I am sure he will assume that we will be ready for him this time.
My guess is he is long gone by now. But I agree we need to gather anything that can be of use, especially water skins and food. We should not stay here just in case the other Vashi return. But I fear I cannot travel far. We need to find a place close by to hide ourselves for the night. Rest and food is what we need now before we can attempt the Jaharian Desert on foot.”
The Blood Witch (The Blood Reign Chronicles Book 1) Page 29