by Jordan Cramm
“Straight to the point then…I like that in most cases. Well then, I am here because as I am sure you have heard by now, war is fast approaching all lands now.”
“I see,” Lord Eklar remarked in an amused tone, “and you what?...You fear the Darkened Isles cannot protect themselves? If so, I believe you are mistaken.”
“As you said Lord Eklar I am not here to bandy words or stroke egos. I came because you and your people have a reputation for being for hire. Also, and along those lines, to find out if your loyalties have already been purchased.”
“Well,” Lord Eklar replied as he stood once more and turned to the guard who re-entered the room with the wine and goblets, “I may know a thing or two about the brewing war you speak of…” he paused as he poured the wine and set a goblet before Mortican first before pouring his own, “but if I had already been bought, what makes you think I would still be here in the Darkened Isles.”
“In that case,” Mortican retorted, “I would be interested to know if your loyalties in this war were for sale. As you know the Eloxin Isles are rich in treasures, and I doubt anyone would question that I can raise large amounts of platinum coin.”
“What you say is true,” Lord Eklar grinned as he sat back down with a goblet in hand, “but I guess before I said anything on the matter either way, I would need to know just what you want me to do. Absent that knowledge I cannot make a good price.”
“But you would be willing to hear an offer then?” Mortican asked seriously.
“You are free to speak what you will.”
“The Darkened Isles can call up an army of thousands…not woodland Elves mind you, but Elves of the mountains….Elves with grit. I would very much like them to march under my command.”
“And who exactly would they be marching against?” Lord Eklar asked, as if he didn’t already know.
“Your kinfolk of Orenty for starters. Take out their royal house and you would be poised to take over.”
“Ah,” Lord Eklar commented, “but as you say we are Elves with grit here, not woodland Elves, so why would I want to rule Orenty? Besides that, do you suppose that after such an attack on their King, that the inhabitants of Orenty would welcome me as a savior? No, I think not. They would rebel; they would revolt.”
“And what of the news about the War Mage being Izenian? How does that sit with you?”
“Personally, I don’t really care. We of the Darkened Isles won’t pay it mind unless he were to come here seeking to attack us…which I reckon he might do if we sided against his other Elven allies.”
“And Dwarves?” Mortican went on, “What is your take on their brood?”
“Personally I think Fengysha could do without them. But what?...You would ask us to march to Molith and exterminate an entire race?”
“The rewards would be well worth it were you able to do so.”
“I'm afraid however you came a long way for nothing more than a drink of Blackberry wine.” Lord Eklar said, “because it sounds like you basically want me to declare war against my own woodland kin, the Izenians, and Dwarves alike, and that is something I am unwilling to do.”
“Your strength is paired with the stone,” Mortican returned, “you have lived underground. Suppose you only went to war with the Dwarves?”
“You know,” Lord Eklar returned, “I think perhaps you have some misguided perceptions of me and of my people. Of course I personally have always been interested in jobs that pay well. You might be impressed were I to take you on a tour of the mountain; there are many treasures here in the Darkened Isles as well. So it’s not that I am against taking dangerous jobs, or even against dragging my people into one. But to declare all-out war with other Elves, the Izenians and Dwarves; you must be suffering from the heat to think I would do this at any price.”
Mortican grinned and leaned back in his chair.
“Have you already pledged service to them then? Is that it?” Mortican asked.
“They haven't asked for our help to be honest.”
“But if they did?”
“Well then I would ask them what would be in it for me and my people. Otherwise, I see no reason to involve the Elves of the Darkened Isles in this business of the world. It is not our business after all, and the Elves of Orenty seem content to be taking this on alone, so why should that or your plans for the world concern me?”
Mortican nodded slowly.
“Well, I can't say I am not disappointed, but I suppose I understand. You have a whole kingdom and people to think about. So maybe it goes without saying, but should you join this war allied to your woodland kin, you would be putting this kingdom and your people in danger.”
Lord Eklar shifted in his chair slightly but did not flinch from the threat.
“Well,” he replied, “lucky then that I have no intention of getting involved.”
“What if I had a different job I wanted done? I contracted with a Night Elf to do a job for me; quite a deadly assassin—one who's skills were impressive, and given the right leadership she would have been worthy to lead entire armies. But this Night Elf broke contract and shifted allegiance. If I wanted this Night Elf dealt with, is that something that maybe would be in your venue?”
“Of course,” Lord Eklar returned with a polite smile, “such a thing would be doable, as that would not be dragging my people into open war with my kinfolk. I am assuming this Night Elf you speak of companies with those in Molith right now?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Lord Eklar nodded.
“I see,” Lord Eklar remarked, “which means you will not be there yourself. Let’s face the logic here...your reputation is well known, and I doubt you would let a double-cross go unpunished. But if it won't be you striking out at her, it stands to reason that you have other pressing business.”
Mortican smiled and nodded.
“True enough,” he replied, “I have work in cold lands that I do not wish to delay. So, you could secret among your woodland kin in order to get close to the Night Elf. After that, do the job and be rewarded. What price would you request for such a job?”
“Well given the nature of this assignment, the target, and the company they keep, it won't be cheap. But you came to the right place to ask it done. Shall we say 200,000 Platinum coins, and perhaps you get me to Molith by way of one of your Dragons—to avoid the long journey at sea and to help you achieve this goal more quickly?”
Mortican pursed his chin a minute, his fiery red hair shifting slightly as he finally nodded his yes and spoke.
“I should offer this disclaimer however,” Mortican added, “if I find that the Darkened Isles side with your woodland kin, the penalty will be great for you and for your people and lands. What's more, if you do not complete this job, then you already know I will find another to assassinate you yourself; as you see me take this measure against the Night Elf who originally agreed to kill someone else for me, and now upon failure of that request, she is the new target. So for you, there will be no doubt what my response would be for failure, or for switching sides.”
“Your reputation is well known. So is that of the Night Elves. Relax Mortican,” Lord Eklar replied, “hunting dangerous Night Elves is something I have experience with, and no qualms for. Now, can you give me any details about this target?”
“Her name is Ravenshade,” Mortican offered, “and as I said, she is quite skilled. She is a Shadow Knight by trade. She carries twin blades that she wields with deadly purpose. Of course she also employs Shadow Knight magic, and if it puts things in perspective, she was my first pick for an assassin to take out the new War Mage if that tells you anything.”
Lord Eklar nodded.
“I confess, murder is not normally my favorite type of job. But for that price I am happy to take it on. I've dealt with Shadow Knights before—even killed some. I've seen what a good one can do, so it’s good to know that this Ravenshade won't be a boring mission. But then again, I don't expect I shall engage her in open and fair combat e
ither. Now then, if the price is agreeable, and you have no qualms about giving me a lift to Molith, then we have an accord. I can of course find my own way back. By the way, how long would it take your great Dragon Madrigal to reach Molith from here?”
“About 3 days-time,” Mortican returned with a smile, “and your terms are agreeable. How long will you need to prepare?”
“A few chimes at most,” Lord Eklar returned, “but I need to gather a few things, and also speak with my own people to leave them instructions during my absence. Please, stay and be my guest until then—assuming you wanted to leave this night.”
Mortican nodded.
“And thank you for not complaining about surrendering your weapons,” Lord Eklar went on, “in truth I have a dread fascinating fantasy—a wonder in my mind as to how I might fair if it were you and I locked in battle. But, I am not ready to make the mistake of underestimating you, nor take the challenge without cause. Still, I will have them returned to you. After all, I am sure you would agree that at present, among us, you having your weapons would not avail you much more than you not having them.”
“It's true, you have fortified this mountain well, and it is impressive to see so many guards and loyal soldiers. I'm disappointed that I could not persuade you to march them against my enemies. Still, one challenge at a time. For now, knowing Ravenshade will be dealt with is a start. Oh, but I should also add this...if you were able to deal with the Izenian War Mage while you were in Molith anyway...I mean if you found a way to do it without being noticed—well that would be worth 10 million Platinum Coins to me.”
“10 Million you say?” Lord Eklar asked, “Well, let us call that an open-ended contract. If chance prevails, it may well happen. Though I will make no promises on that score.
“I understand,” Mortican returned, “now shall I wait here in this room while you prepare?”
“No,” Lord Eklar replied, “call me crazy, but you can join me.”
Chapter 14: Underground Acclimation
Wolflen and his group had already marched for two days and it was becoming maddening, even though they each rode atop the back of a mount. Stopping for water was interesting—pulling it from stone wells and underground seeps. For the most part, food wasn't a problem either, as they had not only brought their own rations along, but there was a surprising amount of animal life underground. Of course this was curious for the Elves and Izenians, never before traveling as they were now, but Gorak and Fenka were adequate educators when they were asked questions about it.
They told their foreign visitors that animal and plant life existed below ground almost in every known part of the world through caves, underground tunnels and so forth. Of course, much of the underground life would be born blind, and relied upon other senses, as after all, they normally did not see daylight, but often lived in utter darkness. And as to the plant life underground, they explained that in a similar way, such things existed, and that such plants did not require sunlight to grow. Some of these plants even offered up exotic fruits of their own. It was an experience completely new to Wolflen and most of his party traveling with him. Jakarta and Trevel, as well as Ravenshade had each heard of such things before, but never had so much exposure as they were now getting.
One of the problems with the underground passage was that being days underground was making many of the topsiders sick and disoriented. It was a thing that some of the healers did their best to stave off with magic, and many of those who experienced symptoms knew that if they panicked it would only get worse, but just the same it was beginning to greatly tax the unit as a whole, apart from the Dwarves, who were accustomed to being underground for such long periods of time.
On the second day, the entire column paused its march as they stopped in yet another very large cavern that opened up and was able to hold all of them with much room to spare. They had descended slightly as they went, and now the cavern around them was huge, having the ceiling of stone above them nearly 100 feet high. Torches burned, and the Mages in the group had also used Orb light, but where they were now, the cavern was so vast that darkness still could be felt all around.
Katrina sat across Sespa's back in front of Wolflen, laying sideways in his arms as they came to a stop. She like many others felt nauseated being underground and in the dark for so long. Wolflen did his best to make her as comfortable as he could, all the while, fighting symptoms of his own.
“We should rest here a while,” Fenka said loudly so Wolflen and company could hear, “we know this area, and there is water to be pulled from a nearby seep.”
Wolflen nodded. Those in his party seemed happy to be stopping, and if they weren't, they were too tired and too ill to make complaints. Wolflen helped Katrina gently to the ground, and she steadied herself by leaning on Sespa. Then after, he himself dismounted, and steadied her a moment before she told him she was okay. He wiped some sweat from his brow, and noticed that dust and dirt came with it. Underground they were hot, sweaty, and dirty, on top of most of them being woozy from their time underground. Behind them the column stopped, and Jakarta, Trevel, and Ravenshade all seemed to simultaneously vomit once their feet hit the ground. Clearly the Elves were taking the underground sickness harder than the others, though many Izenians were in rough shape too. Wolflen looked on at many of them in such a state.
“Okay people,” he said loudly in a voice that echoed, “we halt here for a time. Spread out and take rest.”
As Wolflen and Katrina stepped away from the others into an open area, Sespa followed, and using telepathy she prompted Wolflen into action. She told him there would be enough room for a tent where they were, and that it would work even underground. He smiled and thanked her for the suggestion, then tossed the stone, said the incantation, and watched his tent materialize underground.
“Oh thank you,” Katrina whimpered, “a bath and a bed...I'd kiss you if I weren't so sick.”
Wolflen smiled at her, taking her arm and putting it over his shoulder, and helping her to the tent entrance. Sespa found her own entrance, and thought “A bed made of hay instead of stone...” and Wolflen laughed as she shared that thought with him in his mind. Once inside the tent, Wolflen helped Katrina sit down while at the same time using his magic to light the fire braziers. Katrina was happy to take a seat inside the tent, and she nodded and said she would be okay after some rest. He nodded back, telling her that he needed to address the group quickly, and that he would return just as swiftly. She nodded without a word before he stepped out of the tent once more.
“Jakarta...” Wolflen called out, seeing his mentor reeling still, “gather those of my council that are here with us and meet me in my tent please.”
Jakarta offered a brief salute from over 30 feet away, and began leading the requested people towards Wolflen's tent.
Inside, everyone sat and tried their best to let their stomachs settle. They were happy for what seemed like climate control in the tent though, feeling cooler than out in the cavern, even with the fire braziers burning for light. The air just felt different in the cavern, but the inside of the tent, the air was fresh, and more to their custom. It was refreshing for each of them.
“Seems this venture underground is affecting all of us,” Wolflen began as everyone found a seat, “but more so our Elven company than Izenian.”
“Probably because we drink alcohol more frequently,” Ayvock replied, “it sort of feels like that without the joy.”
Wolflen nodded.
“Well each of you is free to use this tent so long as it is up. I think we should all get a good night sleep—whether its nighttime or not. I'll ask each of you to stay out of our bedroom, but we have fresh water, a bathroom and even a bathtub, and a food pantry. I had some mattress pads purchased back in Elender in case of something like this, and they are in the pantry there...I should have enough for each of you. I won't promise that they are as comfortable as our beds back home, but used with the bedrolls they should be a step up from last night's sleeping arr
angements. You will all just have to set up around the living room here.”
“I claim the first bath,” Katrina interjected with a cough, “and then I shall retire to the bedroom for the night.”
“Ayvock,” Wolflen began, “since you and I are the most well among our group here, I'd like you to go outside and let the officers know we will be stopping for a full night's sleep. Let Gorak and Fenka know as well. Meanwhile, I will stay here and help rearrange the room for sleeping tonight.”
“I can help,” Mage Carra offered, “if you need anything just tell me what to do.”
“Us too,” Jakarta added, “we aren't dead after all.”
“Speak for yourself,” Ravenshade said, “because that is what this feels like.”
“Come on,” Trevel joined, “let's go find a place to put the horses.”
Ravenshade followed him, Jakarta and Ayvock out of the tent, and Mage Carra came forward and asked how she could help.
“Well,” Wolflen replied, “I know many are feeling the effects of being underground like this. But just the same, I think we should try and eat. I have a few things in the pantry there, and apart from that if you can secure some meat from our group out there, it would be good. I will stay here and get those mattress pads out, and try to figure out how to make this work.”
Mage Carra nodded. She knew he was right. Many of them had not eaten for chimes upon chimes, and that while many were sick, food might help them whether they desired it or not. So she accepted the task and left the tent also.
“Thank you,” Katrina said with a weakened voice, “for getting me some privacy. You're sweet and insightful.”
Wolflen smiled.
“I just knew you wanted to be alone. Come on, I will help you get ready for a bath.”
After Katrina got undressed in their bedroom, she grabbed her robe and cinched it around herself. Wolflen was already in the bathroom, getting the tub filled for her. He still had his armor on, and was kneeling by the tub and testing the warmth of the water with his hand when she walked in. He stood quickly when she came in, and told her that the tub was almost full, and the water was warm. He then lowered his head and stepped toward her, as if to walk beyond her, but she stopped him, placing a hand on his arm. He looked up at her, and she back at him.