by B A Fleming
Thais removed the cloak and the girl moved over next to her mother as the three continued walking.
“They just killed everyone they could find. The soldiers fought them back up the valley and just when we thought we were safe, some more came around the hill.”
They walked, quietly talking for almost an hour before the woman asked where they were being taken.
*****
He could not hear any danger in the dark forest but he
knew it was there, lurking, watching his every stride. The forest was filled with noises at night even though silence pervaded its branches at this moment. There was no sound of snow crunching, or the light tread of small animals, but that didn’t belie Dralans’ senses, who knew better sensing the chill. His hand dropped gently, a small ball of energy within his palm faintly illuminating his own trail. He ran lightly as if not even touching the snow, then fell into the shadows as the creature approached him in the darkness.
The adversaries now stood less than ten feet apart.
“You. Human. I have been sent to do your bidding,” sneered Lord Yidvag. His breath smelt like that of a sleeping animal, quietly huffing with a vague odor of half devoured Gozioxy.
“I need no one to do what I can for myself,” scolded Dralan in return.
“You see me as useless then? I will kill you now.”
“Only if you would be able to do so. No, you may serve some purpose.”
“I do not serve you.”
“You will do my bidding as I see it to be done.”
The creature growled quietly to itself.
“You may be of some use. The sage will require the services of a witch who lives near the high walls near the City of the Lake.”
“What am I to do?”
“Cause chaos in these parts, to give your band something of fun, but mainly to kill off those that do not support your quest. Let this pathetic kingdom think that the Ice Gols have been defeated.”
“And then?”
“And then take the remainder through the forest to find and kill this witch.”
“How do you know that she will be needed?”
“Because I will ensure that she is.”
The creature, although cloaked by the darkness, stared at him for a few moments.
“I will kill you human, next time we meet.”
“By time you see me creature, you will already be dead.”
Chapter 20
Casperi and Temar sat by the low fire in the early morning light. Aryz Coun was still asleep. They looked across the last remaining rocky undulations of the Dearthlands, to the small township that sat in a narrow valley at the top of the Pass of Kaouar. Dry wind blew across the landscape and Casperi wondered if this day would be the last where every breath tasted like powdery sand.
“Any chance that we’ll run into more of your friends today, Temar?” Casperi quizzed.
“The wind has many tongues young prince,” he answered. “But only some speak the truth.”
A few hours later they made their way into the town. Like the rest of the Imuhagh Dominion, a market thrived at the center of the town as small roads branched off into narrow lanes either side of the main thoroughfare. With less than a thousand residents, the numbers swelled daily by traders passing in each direction. The vegetable market was unique to this part of the kingdom, as few fresh goods were able to get to Amadghor via the coast road. The variety and size of fruits and vegetables in Kaouar was unmatched in any other city or town in the Dominion.
The men collected some of these supplies for their trip down to Masterstone. Temar knew of some nomads that had started making quite a successful business buying and selling camels and horses from those travelling from the City of the Imuhagh heading to the eastern realm, then selling the reverse to others arriving on the top of the pass.
Several people shot looks of abhorrence towards the group as they led their camels along a line of animal traders.
Casperi peered down a side alley. In the semi darkness a figure in the distant shadows that appeared roughly humanoid walked towards them. It was difficult to see it clearly, as some parts of its shape could have been armor, but there was no doubting, it was sizeable, much larger than the average human.
Casperi could defend himself easily enough, although avoidance was possibly a more practical option. As the creature walked closer the outline started to appear. It was bristling with foot long spikes from its head, with two horns that curved down either side where its mouth should be. It wore a heavy cloak.
The creature carried a round shield on its back and Casperi could now make out a very large weapon that seemed a cross between a long scimitar and curved spear, with the stock of a cross bow peaking over the other shoulder.
“A Moshata,” observed Aryz Coun, as he led his companion on, out of its path. “Best avoided. Fierce fighters from upper Aïr Mountains,” he noted as they kept walking, not looking back.
“Do they cause any trouble?” enquired Casperi.
‘Yes, when they are angry,” answered Aryz Coun.
“Best not make them angry,” added Temar with a smile. He then turned to a trader as they stopped. “Smelly Hera,” he signaled. The trader turned to Temar and looked him up and down.
“And here I was thinking I was going to have a good day. Temar Bolyl,” he said shaking his hand with a smile. “I thought you dead.”
“As so many others wish,” added Temar. The man laughed and smiled.
“Can you steal our money for the camels and then sell us some mules?” enquired Temar.
“Anything for old friend,” smiled the trader back to him.
A deal was agreed upon. Casperi still held onto a large portion of his secret gems. He paid out most accounts with smaller pieces of gold or silver coins where he could. Aryz Coun had peeked at him on several occasions during the past few weeks whenever he searched around the bottom of his carry bag.
“You seem to be richer than you make out, sometimes my prince,” observed Aryz Coun.
“I think the same of you on occasion,” replied Casperi.
“We have no need to steal each other’s fortunes my lord, but if you have large gems hidden within bag folds, then let it be known as there are more generous gem traders in
Masterstone.”
“I will consider this,” he answered.
*****
Thais had travelled with the woman and her child through most of the night, only sleeping in a deserted barn when they believed themselves to be safe. They now walked into a small village where most of the buildings had been left untouched. The women that had survived an attack by the Ice Gols two days before still cowered in the shadows. She sat with the woman and child in the middle of the square, taking water from the river for them.
By time Nathe, Curran and the others arrived three other women had joined them. As the group approached through the shadows of the forest road, they all cowered until one of the women stood up and ran towards Daak. He stepped around the other members of the party, who had stopped before him, and embraced the woman as she ran into his arms.
After some time, he turned to Gameard. “This is my sister, and this is her husband’s village,” he acknowledged.
*****
Imuhagh Pass was a steep, and oft times, narrow trail that joined the Imuhagh Dominion to the Morean Empire. The Empire of Morea spanned the majority of the eastern and southern coasts of the continent. The shape of quarter moon, it ran across the undulating plain lands from the Aïr Mountains in the west, along the treacherous cliffs of the southern coast and up the swampy eastern coast.
The rocky monoliths that separated land and sea beside its southern shores, were only broken by small, often unreachable beaches. A few small fishing villages, the township of Veii being the largest, rolled down small gullies from the coastal plateau into the southern Bagu Sea.
A more open coast rolled north from the south-eastern tip, often interspersed with long fine sandy beaches. The eastern marshland
s extended north from the mouth of the
Corone River to the ridge of mountains referred to as the Angry Teeth, the most northern boundary of Morea.
The mountains of the Har-Koln made up the inner span of the border of Empire of Morea. Alike the Aïr Mountains, they were hard fought regions of gems and precious metals that had traditionally supplied the Emperor for military and luxurious reasons alike. The Moshata of the Aïr Mountains, the dwarves of the Har-Koln, in addition to ice giants, and mountain trolls ensured that these resources were not easily procured.
The most famous of these battles occurred on the Imuhagh Pass during the past three hundred years, as tribal groups fought off the invasion of the Herula, the white men from across the sea. Sections of the pass had been hand carved by the invaders, at great loss, to forge a trail into a greater empire. Battles broke out and then receded, on occasion, for almost two hundred years.
When the Morean Empire finally made the pass their own their leaders were sorely disappointed by the wilderness that is the Dearthlands, and thus abandoned their conquest. During the past forty summers traders from both nations had taken advantage of the pass, and with the growth of trade at Masterstone, enterprise thrived.
Casperi and his men made their way down the pass. It was a two-day journey on horseback, and double by foot. On many sections of the trail, travelers would wait as others passed up through the narrower sections. Merchants had setup regular stands in the wider fragments where caravans waited for those coming the other direction. A group of mercenaries travelling the road was not unique, and the men moved without notice.
*****
Baron Brian of Tharkomad looked across the lake with his second son, Dalchant. Brian was a gaunt man with receding grey hair, and although small, it was obvious that he was a tough and seasoned warrior.
“What are they?” asked the young man.
“They are Ice Gols. Long thought of as nomadic creatures of the ice and mountains. It is very rare to see them so far
into the valley. Something must have disturbed them to be here.”
“Or chased them down here?” observed Dalchant.
“Either way, it is an evil wind that brings them to our lands, and it does not bode well for any.” Baron Brian banged his fist gently against the top of the stone wall as he spoke. Then he turned and began to walk back towards his quarters.
“Should we send word to Caitawalaan for reinforcements father?” asked Dalchant.
“It will do no good. We will be dead before the runners even reach Lord Polan.”
He walked off the landing.
“Send your brother and the other knights for our final battle meeting,” he called out as he made down the stairs.
Lord Yidvag stood above the woman kneeling before him. With one swift move, he grabbed her by the throat, staring into her eyes as he wrapped his hand around her neck, twisted it and killed her. She convulsed and died, collapsing in a heap in front of him. He then, unemotionally, turned to the next prisoner.
“You want the same?”
“No, no,” said the man, looking down, weeping at the sight of his dead wife at his feet next him.
“Then drink this!” he cursed. An Ice Gol stepped forward from behind him and handed a water skin to the prisoner. The man drank as he wept. As he finished he licked his lips and stood. His eyes now blood red.
“My sword is your sword,” he said, wiping his lips once more as he stood and looked into the creatures’ eyes.
Lord Yidvag snarled as he laughed.
“Good, good,” he said as he moved to the next.
The assassin skipped forth through the courtyard, a knife striking the heart of a soldier as he turned towards a small noise. Within a few minutes, all the guards of the lower keep were dead. The cloaked mercenary slipped through the door, across the hallway and into another door as the few remaining guards ran past and disappeared down the distant end of the corridor.
He looked almost alien, with only half his face outlined from below by the yellow glow of the lantern. He wore simple mercenary clothes, woolen trousers and light leather vest over his tunic, with a heavy black hooded cloak, as was the trend of the valley kingdom. His eyes were bloodshot red as he opened the door into the private room of Baron Brian.
“Patrick!,” turned Brian to look at him, with an air of familiarity. “I haven’t seen you since the commencement of the battle. “I’m almost ready to abandon the castle. Basan and the others have prepared our retreat. Where have you been?”
Baron Brian was conversational even though the mercenary stood slightly crouched before him, holding a sword, looking around the room.
“I’ve been defending my village at the end of the lake,” he murmured, without making eye contact.
“Oh, I hope they managed to escape,” remarked Brian as he turned to place another roll of paper in the small bag he had prepared. The blade thrust straight through his spine and exited his body just below his rib cage.
“No, they didn’t,” said Patrick with a snarl, as Baron Brian sank to his knees and slid forward off the blade.
*****
“We have, I surmise, some decisions to make,” suggested Veer. They had rested only one day, but knew it was already time to move on.
“We chose to take on this mission to find the Seer,” he outlined, looking across the fire to Eren. “And then, following Dralans’ lead, we shall take him to defeat the dragon and free the valley of his curse.”
“It seems we have become side-tracked,” observed Gameard.
“Side-tracked is possibly an understatement,” added Curran.
“So, my lady,” asked Nathe, bringing Thais and Dralan who sat next to her into the conversation. “What shall we do?”
“Daak has asked to remain here with his sister,” the others
nodded as she mentioned this. “Our numbers are once again dwindling. Dralan, how many of us do you feel are needed to kill the dragon?”
He smiled and looked at her, then to the others sitting around the fire.
“My lady, I took ten men to fight my dragon and less than half of us survived. The magician and yourself would definitely be required, and at least three or four men willing to distract the beast as we fight it,” he answered.
“We now number twelve, including the Seer,” mentioned Curran.
“I think that this invasion is now a higher priority than our mission to kill the dragon,” reflected Thais. All nodded in agreement.
“So, we will need to go around them somehow,” suggested Veer.
“And I will still need to gather herbs from the witch to prepare potions to defeat the dragon,” added Eren.
“The girl is not strong enough?” questioned Gameard. Dralan chuckled at this.
“Dragons are a fair bit harder to defeat than you,” he laughed, as several others joined in. They all went silent for a few moments.
“The young prince is correct. The dragon will be hard to handle. My potions will just weaken it, not kill it. We will need all of our strength, and the magic of both Thais and myself,” offered the Seer.
“Then we move on to Caitawalaan as quickly as possible?” asked Curran.
“Well, if Tharkomad would have indeed fallen, and I’m sure that we will receive a warm reception in Caitawalaan,” added Nathe.
Thais looked down, and Dralan gave her a questioning look.
“What’s this about then?” queried Soze. Gameard smiled.
“It seems the young Prince of Caitawalaan has his eye on our princess here to be his wife,” gestured Nathe with a smile.
Dralan looked unemotionally at her, whilst the mercenaries laughed.
“My lady, have you left a trail of broken hearts across the kingdom?” chuckled Gameard.
“Something like that,” she quietly answered.
It is common knowledge throughout the Castle of Catheridge that Prince Druk of Caitawalaan fancies our Thais here,” confirmed Nathe. “This alliance could work to our advantage.”
“I think that we should consider a brief split then when we get to Caitawalaan,” offered Eren. Others slightly nodded but waited for him to finish. “Myself, Thais, Nathe and one or two of you boys should come with us to see the witch when we reach Caitawalaan. The others, led by Dralan, can prepare for us to trek up to face the dragon, after what is sure to be a battle of Caitawalaan.”
“Why do you think they will attack Caitawalaan?” asked Veer.
“Because, they don’t seem to have any other plan than to move through the valley. Only after Caitawalaan would it become more clear what they really intend to do,” offered Nathe.
“I think it best if you leave us before we reach Caitawalaan, my lady,” suggested Curran. “I’m sure the castle would be in turmoil when you arrive, Princess Thais. Maybe Dwane should go with yourself Seer, as Nathe would be the most recognized by Lord Polan, and I can organize things.”
The Seer nodded to this.
“If we give ourselves a week to travel to the witch and back,” thought Veer out loud. “Then the Ice Gols should be on to the castle just after we return.”
“Only if we can get to Caitawalaan in the next three or four days,” offered Nathe.
“There have been an incredible number of Ice Gols corpses spread across the two battle fields that we have seen, and with these skirmishes their numbers must surely be dwindling by now,” suggested Soze.
“Yes, and with the strong alliance between the King and Lord Polan, I’m sure there will be more than enough troops on the ground by time the Ice Gols arrive to repel, if not defeat them,” said Curran.
Silence erupted between those gathered around the fire
again, as each thought out the plan in their heads.
“I have a few contacts in the docklands of Caitawalaan,” offered Gameard finally. “If we are in need of an escape there maybe options for us. It might be worth my while to find out what is being said as well.”
“Curran and I can study the maps and make a few alternate routes up through the forests to the dragon. The others can prepare supplies for us before the streets become deserted,” added Nathe.