by Tom Larcombe
“It bothers me when you're treated as being inferior because you're a woman. But I didn't intervene with Nigel and the others, did I?”
“No, but that's different.”
Merlin looked her in the eye.
“How is it different? It's just another form of unfairness. But I trust you to handle it yourself. I may stay out of the way while you do so I don't lose my temper, but I try to let you take care of it.”
“So, you want me to just watch while you're treated like that?” she asked.
“Nimue, I'm still a man. At least that's what others see. None of them expect Merlin to be alive after all this time so I anticipate that I'll need to prove myself over and over. It doesn't bother me. I'd have a problem believing the tale myself if it weren't happening to me.”
“I'll try to not let it bother me, but I can't make any promises.”
“I would rather that you not be unhappy over how I'm treated. It makes my job as your husband all the harder when that happens.”
Nimue blushed.
“It isn't your job to make me happy.”
“Then whose job is it?” Merlin asked.
“My own. But I haven't been doing a very good job of that, have I?” she said.
Merlin shook his head.
“No, you haven't.”
“I'll try to do better, but...”
He grinned at her.
“I'll understand if you slip up now and again, but please don't let how I'm treated make you miserable,” Merlin said.
* * *
On the third day Verruckt stopped by again, just before lunch.
“I have a young dwarf that wants to be part of this story. He'll assist me with tunneling to the knife.”
“Good. Then we leave at dawn tomorrow?” Merlin asked.
Verruckt nodded.
“Dawn tomorrow. I'll meet you here and we'll continue your tale.”
Merlin and Verruckt spoke until lunch time, discussing their plans. As Verruckt left, he passed Anselm and Vadoma entering the building.
Merlin was aware of Anselm's intense interest in Vadoma, so he invited her to join them for lunch. She accepted but Anselm looked nervous as they sat down to eat. Finally he stopped fidgeting and spoke.
“Merlin, Vadoma believes that she's to accompany us,” Anselm said.
“That isn't entirely true,” Vadoma said. “I believe that I, and my cousin, are to accompany you. I've seen the two of us with your group. In a mountainous region you will put us to good use.”
“I'll need to discuss this with Nimue and Gunter. Our plans didn't include an additional two people. It will be more difficult to travel undetected if we increase our numbers,” Merlin said.
“We could be of use to you in that matter as well. My cousin and I know many of the forest trails and back roads in a wide region. We could assist you in moving undetected until my vision comes to pass,” Vadoma replied.
“We'll discuss it, as I said. Join us for dinner and I'll have an answer for you.”
“Thank you,” Anselm said.
Vadoma simply nodded and continued eating.
After lunch Merlin took Gunter and Nimue aside.
“You both heard what was suggested, do either of you have an opinion about it?” he asked.
“Is she truly prescient?” Gunter asked Merlin.
“From what I've been told by the other Gypsies here she's not only prescient but a minor wizard as well. The two skills do seem to go together frequently.”
“I'm torn,” Nimue said. “On the one hand they could be useful for negotiating the trails and roads as she said. On the other, two more people in the group makes it larger and easier to spot.”
“I'm leaning towards saying yes,” Merlin said. “Our unscheduled stop here means that we'll have missed connecting with the guides for the rest of our journey. If they can guide us as she claims, then that won't matter.”
Merlin caught Nimue's eyes.
“Plus we won't have to keep meeting new guides, introducing ourselves, and dealing with their quirks,” he continued.
“I think we should try it,” Gunter said.
“Let's give them a test. If they can guide us to the area that Rein shows the crevice in, they can travel with us. Otherwise, we leave them and find our own way,” Nimue added.
Merlin pondered for a moment. He agreed with the others but was trying to think of any potential problems. In the end he judged that the benefits to taking them along outweighed any problems he could imagine.
“It's decided then. If they can do as she claims, they travel with us. I'll tell her during dinner.”
When Merlin told Vadoma that she and her cousin could join the group, she acted as though she knew his decision right along.
“We're all packed and ready to leave in the morning,” she said.
She was good to her word. The following morning they had to wait longer for Verruckt than for Vadoma and her cousin. While they waited, Vadoma introduced him around.
“Besnik, this is Merlin, his wife Nimue, and Gunter. You've already met Anselm.”
“It's good to meet you,” Besnik said with a curt nod.
“We'll have two Dverger with us as well, Verruckt is one of them. I don't know the name of the other one yet,” Merlin replied.
After a short wait, Verruckt arrived, accompanied by a younger version of himself.
“This is my nephew, Stramm. He'll assist me in the recovery.”
“Verruckt, are you ready to go? We've been waiting a while,” Merlin said.
“I'm ready, sorry for the wait. Had a few too many drinks with some friends last night. I don't know when I'll see them again, so I overindulged.”
“Well, let's depart.”
* * *
After they left the hill, Vadoma spoke.
“So, where do you want us to guide you to?”
Merlin gave her a verbal description of the mountains Rein had shown in his image.
“Oh and it should be within an hour or so flight for an owl, southeast of the location where a German military post that consisted of a bunch of stone buildings used to be.”
“The one that burned to the ground last year?”
“Is that what they claim happened? Amazing how stone could burn. But yes, the main building in the place was destroyed last year,” Merlin said.
“There are three possibilities then. You say Rein gave you the image? If we get you close to a point in the middle of the three, could he let us know which one it was?”
“He should be able to do that,” Merlin said.
“One other thing. I don't know why you insist on wearing that piece of silver armor, but we'd be far less noticeable if you weren't. Can you remove it?”
{Anguis, did you hear the lady?}
{Yes Merlin, I did. Shall I fly off or simply change my color so I don't stand out as much?}
{Do you have a preference?}
{I've been in this form for a few days. A chance to stretch would be welcome.}
{Feel free to come and go as you will then. Warn me before landing though and be sure to change your color if you want to ride more. I didn't know you could do that, do you have other skills I'm unaware of?}
{I truly don't know. I simply thought about how I could be less noticeable and that option appeared in my mind, complete with how to do it.}
{It seems that you're growing in more ways than the physical.}
Merlin's shoulders vibrated to the thrum of Anguis' purr for a moment before the small dragon shifted his shape and slid from Merlin's shoulders. He took off into the air, his underbelly changing color to match the sky overhead.
Merlin looked around when he realized that several members of the party had stopped. The Gypsies and Dverger were staring in awe at Anguis as he blended into the sky.
“I guess I didn't introduce you to the final member of the group. The small dragon is Anguis, a companion of mine and Nimue's.”
“I tell you Stramm, this tale will never be believed. First Merlin and
now a dragon,” Verruckt said.
“I had no idea what I was asking,” Vadoma said. “I hadn't foreseen anything about a small dragon.”
“It's quite all right. He told me he needed a chance to stretch his wings. He's been in that shape for several days now,” Merlin said.
“He communicates?” she asked.
“He can even speak aloud, although he prefers not to. He has some trouble with certain sounds so he prefers to speak mind-to-mind.”
Quiet returned to the party as they moved on. The Gypsies and Dverger kept one eye on the sky, watching for Anguis' return.
That night at camp, Anguis made the rounds. He introduced himself to each of the new members of the group and, at Vadoma's request, demonstrated that he was capable of speech. In the morning when they departed, he was around Merlin's shoulders again but his color matched that of Merlin's shirt.
It took three days of walking to reach the point where Vadoma and Besnik needed Rein to point out which of the possible hills the crevice was in. Another day of walking, and climbing, took them to the crevice from Rein's image. The last part of the walk was done as dusk approached, with Rein guiding them to exactly where he dropped the knife.
They set up camp and were ready to settle in when Vadoma went rigid.
“We need to move the camp. We must be on the uphill side of the crevice or we'll be overrun.”
The urgency in her voice convinced Merlin that she believed they were in serious danger. With a sigh, he started picking up the items he'd just laid out. He urged the others to do the same.
“I think she believes it,” he said, “and it would be foolish to bring along a seer and then ignore her warnings.”
It took some difficulty, and a few good-natured complaints, to move the camp to the other side of the crevice but they completed the move just after full darkness arrived.
“I don't know what the problem is but I think we should double up on watches tonight,” Merlin said.
Gunter nodded in agreement.
They paired off for the watches. Merlin made sure each of the pairs were made of two people who would not be distracted by one another. As a result, Anselm and Besnik were on watch in the middle of the night, with Rein flying overhead. Merlin woke with Anselm shaking his arm.
“Merlin, come look at the spot we were going to camp in.”
Merlin rolled out of bed, blinked groggily, and followed Anselm. He stared across the crevice to the downhill side. Faint white lights moved about the clearing where they originally set up their camp.
“Those aren't the only things either. There's some sort of sound coming up out of the crevice itself,” Anselm said.
Merlin blinked several times, trying to resolve what he was seeing. The image remained the same though. The delicate white lights were in the shapes of people, dressed as though they originated in many different eras. A man in a suit was beside a peasant in tunic and breeches, both attempting to dig with their hands. The woman in the formal gown beside the peasant woman in a simple skirt and shirt made no progress either. All of the efforts of the numerous spirits were to no avail. There was no way for the creatures to interact with the physical world.
“What are they? What are they doing?” Anselm asked.
A deep pitched sound rolled up out of the crevice and the spirits redoubled their efforts. Merlin, on the other hand, turned pale.
“They're spirits. Ghosts, if you will. It seems they have a taskmaster who asks the impossible of them. Which isn't uncommon when the taskmaster is not of this world.”
“Not of this world?”
“The sound that just came up from the crevice is the voice of a demon. I'm guessing it's associated with the knife we're after. Rumors said that the draining weapons were imbued with demonic power, but no-one could ever prove it. The same rumors claimed that the demons were paid for their efforts with the souls of the knife's victims. I think we have proof now, circumstantial though it may be.”
Merlin backed away from the crevice and the sight of the lost souls. He paid no attention to where he was going and stumbled over Gunter, waking him.
Gunter rolled out of bed, his pistol appearing in his hand as if by magic. Merlin was oblivious and Gunter noticed that right off.
“Merlin, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost.”
“I'm sorry, did I wake you?” Merlin asked.
Gunter stared at him.
“Wake me? You stepped on me.”
“I'm sorry Gunter, I'm not focusing very well at the moment.”
“Well, what is it? What's the problem?”
Merlin gestured towards the crevice.
“Our earlier campsite is overrun with ghosts.”
“I thought you said ghosts couldn't harm anyone?”
“They can't, not without help at least.”
“So what's the problem?”
“It seems they're working under the command of a demon. It, my friend, can harm us badly. It's also possible that the ghosts themselves could do something to us with the demon's help.”
“Demons are real?” Gunter asked.
“Yes they are, but fortunately they're few in number. My research has shown that they're mostly immune to a wizard's magic. Mundane items aren't much better at harming them either. I once saw the aftermath of a demon attack on a wizard's home. The wizard did not fare well.”
“Then what do we do?”
“For now, I believe we're safe. It seems that the demon is demanding that its spirits free it from the crevice. They're unable to do so since they can't affect the physical world in that manner. But if, as I suspect, the demon is resident in the knife we're after, then who knows what it will do once we retrieve it.”
“So, there's no immediate danger?”
“There might be if we were among the ghosts, as they can affect the mind even if they can't do much physically. We're safe on this side of the crevice though, unless the demon sends some our way.”
“It's almost time for my watch anyhow, so I'll stay up. Is there anything I should keep an eye out for specifically regarding these things?”
“If you begin to have strange thoughts, things you would never think about yourself, then they may be trying to get into your mind. As for the demon? It's stuck for now, I think it's no danger for the time being.”
Gunter nodded.
“Go back to sleep Merlin. You'll think better in the morning if you do.”
I won't be falling asleep again tonight, Merlin thought. If I do, I'll see the results of a demon attack in my dreams again. Seeing it once in real life was more than enough, I don't want to dream of it as well.
* * *
Chapter 14
Merlin spent the rest of the night pacing the area around the camp, irritating those on watch. They didn't say anything though, since they could tell he was deep in thought. When the first light of dawn began to brighten the sky, the ghosts vanished.
A short time later everyone was awake. They gathered in the center of the camp and Merlin looked around at them.
“Demonspawn,” he said.
“What's wrong this time?” Nimue asked.
“No, I'm not cursing, I'm telling all of you what we're facing. The campsite we were going to use yesterday, until Vadoma warned us, was overrun with demonspawn in the middle of the night.”
“What?”
“Evidently the rumors were true. Part of the power of the draining weapons comes from demons trapped within the weapon itself. I could hear its voice last night. We could see spirits under its control trying to dig a path down to the knife. Demons don't have the best grasp of our reality, though. It may not realize that the spirits can't do that.”
Merlin set to pacing around the camp, tugging on his chin as he spoke.
“We have to either determine a way to protect ourselves from the demon if we recover the knife, or make a plan that doesn't involve it.”
“We should do the first,” Anselm said. “Otherwise someone is liable to end up
with the knife. If the demon has a victim nearby, could it convince them to dig the knife out?”
“Yes, it would probably be able to do that. Especially if the victim possessed any particular weaknesses. Greed and lust are the emotions that demons favor in their victims. Their skills are such that they can deliver on deals involving greed or lust in most cases. All demons have a familiarity with the earth and its treasures plus an ability to charm humans. Those skills allow them to capture their victims easily if they can be manipulated with those emotions.”
“So, how do we go about protecting ourselves from the demon?” Verruckt asked.
“We need to not come in contact with the metal blade of the knife. Having little to no contact with the entire thing would be better still.”
“How do we recover it then?”
“After you dig the tunnel in, we'll go in and slide it into a bag or something. We can avoid touching it that way for now.”
“Ummm, I wasn't going to actually build a tunnel that everyone could go through. One of my spells allows me to pass through the earth with whatever I'm holding. I don't know that I like that idea now though,” Verruckt said.
“Why the apprentice then?” Merlin asked.
“He's my anchor for returning to the spot I left from. Things can go badly if you misjudge your return. He knows what needs to be done to provide an anchor to my original starting point.”
Verruckt paused for a moment and looked at the ground before continuing.
“Plus he's family. I wanted to bring credit to the family name by having him in the tale. According to most of my kin, I've damaged the family name by being who and what I am.”
Merlin shook his head and sighed.
“Then perhaps a change of plan. You say you can carry things with you?”
Verruckt nodded.
“Then you can take a bag with you and push the knife into it with something. We'll lower a rope down the crevice and you can tie it around the mouth of the bag. We'll lift it out without having to touch it that way.”
“I might be able to do that. Assuming the area in there is big enough for me to materialize in. I can drag an item into the state with me if I'm standing atop it. But I'm thinking that isn't such a good plan with what we've found out.”