"They failed to heed the warnings of the Messiah, their blood was the price for that failure. Soon the Sons of Mother Arcadia will sweep clean this land of false kings and betrayers. Soon the Messiah will return to the throne where he belongs and lead our great nation in a war to unite the sister kingdoms under one flag, one empire." It was the most insane thing I had ever heard but I had to keep him talking. While he was ranting I got him to stand between the fence and I. I inched closer and closer, I knew I had to be quick. I had to be faster than him if what I had planned was to work. That was when I looked out past him and said out loud, ‘take him now’. That was when the executioner turned and looked for someone that wasn't there.
I rammed him into the fence with my shield and before he could react he was falling backwards, his feet flying through the air. The top rail of the fence hit him just below his waist. Before he landed I was jumping over the rail myself, sword in hand ready to strike. Just as he landed face first on the ground I rammed my sword into his back between his massive shoulder blades. I held it there waiting for some sign of life, there was none. I let go of the blade and stood back. I watched him there, still not moving, pinned to the ground by my blade. I then looked up into the Eye of Myrrdin whose light was being somewhat obstructed by the smoke. I wondered how I would be judged when it was my time to die. I still wonder to this day.
11. Warning
With my sword back on my hip I held the axe that caused the death of three innocent people. I also held a scroll that the executioner carried that detailed who he was supposed to kill in the name of this so called Messiah. Rage had taken hold of me before I returned to the city. Rage from having found a real traitor in the kingdoms employ and rage from failing to protect those who could not protect their selves. Had anyone stood in my way this night, I would have cut them down with the traitors axe without second thought.
I marched right back to the office of Captain Turk. The guard at the door tried to warn me off but the look in my eyes made him think twice. Turk wasn't alone and to tell the truth at the time I was glad to see him and Nikle together. I had quite enough of the entire thing. I wanted some answers, no more cryptic messages or warnings. These men were going to tell me what I wanted to know. Not that they did but I got my point across rather well. I slammed the axe down on the desk and tossed the scroll at Turk. Nikle just stood and stared at the axe with the blood stained royal seal. I then reported to both of them just what I had seen and done. At the time I was determined to make them see that they must work together. Had I known that as soon as I walked out that Nikle was going to accuse me of planning the whole thing I would have thrown the axe at him. Turk was the only thing that kept me from sleeping in a jail cell that night. He defended me when I was not there to defend myself. For that I will always be grateful to him.
I returned to the inn but the only soul in sight was Stephan. I asked him for whatever food he had left from dinner and as much ale as he could carry. He nodded his head and went off to get what I had asked for. Before long I had a full belly and half a tankard of ale. I didn't want to move. Everything that had happened that day had taken its toll on me. I was in a foul mood and nothing was helping. I don't even know how long Stephan was standing there beside me. I just happened to see him out of the corner of my eye, gripping that bar towel in his fist. Watching me, wanting to say something but unsure of how to start. For a small moment I just figured he was waiting around to see if I needed anything else. When I told him that I was fine and would be headed to bed soon he asked if he could talk to me.
"You remind me of my brother. He was an adventure seeker. Always looking for the next treasure, next fight, the next everything. Everything except for the next woman. He had one woman at home; they were loyal and loved each other very much." This was not what I expected. "When my brother did not come home, it nearly destroyed that woman. When they returned us his mangled body I was for sure that she would kill herself. I am still convinced that I saved her life. Even today, while I know she is happy she still gets that far off look in her eye. As if she wished things were different. I am telling you this because I remembered the way my wife looked at my brother when he was around. I remembered the look she would get in her eye whenever he would leave. I saw that look today on the face of my daughter as you left today." I did not see this coming at all. Yet I was glad to be hearing it. "I want better for her. I want someone safe, someone that isn't going to ask her to scrub tables every night. Cook another man’s food for him. We get several young lords in here, I have been waiting for one of them to step up. Yet you are the one who she has eyes for and you have only been here a day."
I told him I would take all that he had to say under advisement. Yet in my mind I just kept telling myself that I would have to win his approval before I could make my move on her. I would have to make a big move in order to win him over. Having him tell me that I wasn't good enough made me determined to have her all the more. I wasn't sure how I would do it yet but with time I would figure it out. I drained the last of my tankard and headed towards my room. I checked on Hans and Pare to find their room empty. The mage was gone as well. I stripped down, washed and headed towards the bed. I never saw the note from Hetaron telling me that they had left without me, that they had found a way to take down the door. I would not find that until three days later.
12. Late
I spent the next day or two in and around the inn. I didn't want to go far away in case my friends came back and it gave me a chance to spend time with Jasmin. It was always quick and short as I did not want her father getting angry. I began to write her letters, speaking of her beauty and my feelings for her. Longer and longer notes about how I wanted her father to approve of me and hundreds of other things. Each one brought her a little closer to me. With each one her eyes got a little brighter. She would be mine in time; I just had to win over her father.
During one of my quick walks around the city I ran into Arturo, the friend of Captain Turk. We spoke for some time, he showed me around his shop in the merchant district. It was quite impressive but lacked the love I felt when looking at the wears Boris showed me. Yet there was something about him that set me at ease. He felt like the grandfather I never knew or even better the father I always wanted. Here was a man that did everything I wanted to do with my life. Now he was living out his remaining years in a place that he loves with people who respect him. Not out of fear but out of love. I invited him to join me at the inn for a meal later that night. I thought if Stephan saw me with him, he may begin to think better of me by proxy.
I wish I had Arturo's gift for telling stories. For hours on end he told me of his adventures in the north, about his service to Arcadia as the former captain of the city watch and about a group called the Swords of Sovereignty. Before the end of the night he had me ready to ride off on some grand quest. He also told me of his own son and of his dreams for him. In my entire life I had never been so captivated by another man. It was clear that Turk spoke well of me to him, otherwise I couldn't see him taking this time with me. Looking back today, thinking of him and how he treated me, makes me hate my own father even more. Where Arturo treated me like a man of honor, my father approached me as just another tool to be used as he saw fit.
By the third day I had started to worry. There was still no sign of my friends. Yet I did not dare venture out on my own. They knew where I was and that is where they would find me. Yet I knew something had happened but I dared not act blindly. I needed something to guide me. Had I know that something was on the floor of my room right under the bed I would have done something right away. On that third night when I returned to my room I opened my windows to let in the breeze. The rush of wind filled the room and helped the parchment that Hetaron had left for me drift out from under the bed. Even still it was a small miracle that I even read it. I assumed it was old, maybe something from the last person to use the room. I very nearly tossed it in the fire place without even reading a single line. They had returned to the r
uins without me.
It had been three days since they had left, with no sign of anything from anyone. I began to put on my armor, sure I was going only to recover their dead bodies. I could not think of a single reason why they would go on without me. Today I know they were driven there by Hetaron and his greed. He talked Pare into it and then Hans who only went so he could protect them. As soon as I had my armor on, I grabbed my weapons and headed for the door. The look Stephan gave me as I walked out the door could have burned a hole in my helm but I did not have time to think of such things. Once I was out of the inn I yelled at the stable hand to bring my horse. As I was waiting I saw Jasmin and her mother walking towards the inn. She was wearing a sky blue dress of silk and lace, she was stunning. This was the first time I had ever seen her outside of the inn. The only thing brighter than her eyes was the moon in the night sky. I stepped aside as they made their way in the door, giving them a slight bow as they passed in front of me. My gaze held firm on her, as was hers on me. It was all I could do not to reach out and take her into my arms right there. Had the stable hand not arrived right then with my mount I may have done just that.
I rode hard for the ruins. I was afraid of what I would find, that fear was the only thing that kept me from thinking of Jasmin. I wanted to follow her back into the inn but I could not leave my friends to whatever fate they made for their selves. Once I was outside of the city my mind drifted back to my talks with Arturo and his stories. They were the stuff of legend, something I could never live up to. Each line on his weathered face held a tale, each line told of pain and victory. I doubt I will ever live to see the age that Arturo did. I could only hope to make a tenth of the impact he did on this world. When I found my friends horses the true fear had started to set in. The two of them had eaten anything they could from around them. They had been up here, alone for days. I untied them and lead them to a new spot so they could eat fresh grass and not stand in their own filth. They were good animals, if my friends were dead, I could sell them for a good profit. Provided I don't die I thought as I once again returned to the stairs that lead me down into the ruins below.
I tightened all the straps on my armor to quiet any noise possible, drew my blade and made my way in. I knew my way around as I had the only map of the place. Not that I needed a map to know where they were headed, the wizards study. Long before I could see inside I could see that the door to the study was open. They had at least done that much. The closer I got to the door, the slower I moved. I could not afford to give myself away. A wizard did not need much time to unleash death that much I had learned from Hetaron. 'If a wizard can speak, he can kill you'. This is a lesson I remembered and used well later in life but I will get to that at another time.
I expected to find anything from three burning bodies to three frogs in a jar. I did not expect to see Hans and Hetaron standing over the wizard’s desk, reading a stack of papers. There was one dead body in the room and he was face down on the floor under a pool of his own blood. A small knife was sticking out of his back. Here was the all-powerful wizard we all so feared. Dead and rotting on his own floor thanks to a halfling he ignored. 'You are late Kromwell.' Hetaron said to me. He was almost amused with himself. Then turned and walked out of the study through a door in the back. I looked to Hans and saw something on his face I did not like. It was a look that I have come to dread over the years. I pointed to the body on the floor and asked him what had happened.
'Pare and Hetaron came to me, talked me into this plan to wait out the wizard. It worked but we have been hidden in a room just down the hall for what seems like a week. The man over there, according to these letters his name is Saran, is or was a high level member of this SOMA group. We waited three days for him to return, I had started to lose hope. He was in a foul mood when he came in. I don't think he knew we had been here even with all the damaged we had caused. Once he came in though, he knew. We didn't really hide any of the bodies Darmot. We saw him headed for this room and once the door was open we attacked. First Hetaron with his magic and then I with my faith. In all the confusion he never saw Pare, who is lucky to be alive by the way. If I ever have to spend that much time with him in a closed room again’ as he said this, Hans shook his head, ‘never mind. This Saran was powerful, as we expected, when I saw the blood gushing from his mouth I didn’t know what to expect. When he fell over I just saw Pare standing there with that stupid grin on his face.'
'Then we found all these letters. Letters from this Messiah, Darmot this is bad. They are planning a war, they have an army and are coming to Arcadia. Not only that, they have men in the city, men who answer only to Saran and the 'field commander' in the city.' I almost knew who it was before the name jumped out of Hans’s mouth. 'It is Captain Nikle, Darmot. He is this field commander and there are a dozen letters from him reporting on everything in the city. He has a dozen or so men in the city and they are planning a riot to weaken the interior defenses of the city. So that the king will be forced to look inward and not at the army marching on his gates. We have less than a month before they get here. We have to do something with these letters Darmot but I am not sure what. I don't know who we should trust.' I walked over to my friend, placed a hand on his shoulder and told him we would take care of it, we would do the right thing. This seemed to give him some kind of comfort. I told him to gather up all the papers he could find and put them all together. I then went to find the others, we had to act fast. Then I saw something I could not quite believe. Even today it still makes me grin when I think of it.
As I entered the passage in the back of the room I noticed it was all natural cave. The walls still held specks of untouched ore. I saw Hetaron standing on the edge of a pool of water with a staff in his hand, this was something new, it cast a light all around the area. As I went to stand beside him I looked to where he was watching. Pare was making his way across the ceiling of the cave using a series of ropes and anchors he had hammered in as he went. I asked Hetaron what he was doing and he just pointed across the water. On the other side I could see a blue glow, some type of orb. Pare heard me and looked down to wave at me, 'Hi Darmot!' He was making quick work of it yet we did not have the time for this. We had to go back to the city.
"Wouldn't be easier to just swim across?" I asked. Hetaron let out a sick little chuckle and said 'Only if you want to feed the shark.' I told him we had a task to do and to hurry up. I returned to Hans and started going over the papers with him. It sickened me to see Nikle's name signed on so many of them. We at last found the one thing we needed. It was a list of the names of all of Nikle's men who were now sworn to the Messiah. I placed this list in the hands of Hans and told him to guard it with his very life until he placed it in the hands of Captain Turk. I would be taking the rest of the papers. Not to Turk but straight to the king himself. Arcadia was in danger and I would not fail to warn him, not as long as blood still flowed in my veins. In this, I would not fail.
13. Riot
The four of us climbed out together. While not for the last time, it would be for a while. Hetaron did something with that new staff of his to seal the door on the way out. We rode hard back to the city, Hans and Pare were headed to Turk with the list so he could arrest the traitors before it was too late. Hetaron and I were headed to see the king with the rest of the papers. Once we separated Hetaron asked me, 'do you really think that you can walk right into the throne room and address the king?' He made a very valid point and one in my haste I had not thought of. I would need someone to help me get inside. Someone that was trusted, honored and without question loyal to Arcadia. Arturo was more than happy to help. Granted, I had to show him the proof before he would think of it.
As he rode with Hetaron and I Arturo asked me if I knew any of the names on the list and just who they were. I could only shake my head no. He pointed to my bundle and told me that in the papers I had were the names of three Arcadian lords mentioned as being disloyal to Roderick. There were three of them who were listed as giving aid to SOMA;
three of them who would have died to by my hand if I had been given the chance. Arturo did as we asked him, got us as far as the king. No one dared stand in his way. He may have been past his prime but he was still intimidating when he wanted to be. Once we were in front of the king however he turned to me and said, 'Go ahead lad, tell him what you know.'
At first I was stunned. I had it all played out in my mind but at that moment I felt as if my feet had melted into the floor. Taking that first step was the hardest thing I had done since I left Eystlund. The next came a bit easier until I was close enough to see his face. I could tell he was not amused at the moment. I placed my fist over my heart, bent down to one knee and with my free hand held out the papers. I began to tell him of where we had been and what we had found. The longer I spoke, the worse his mood became. By the time Turk arrived with Hans and Pare in tow he was in a rage. He did not let it show on his face but Roderick could not hide the fire in his eyes. While I was still down on one knee he came down and took the papers from me. I dared not stand. I felt as if I was down there for days, waiting for him to tell me something. I looked at Turk, he was in a near panic. I also made eye contact with Hetaron who could only roll his eyes at me.
"Captain, is any of this true? Have you checked on any of this?"
"Yes Sire, all the men mentioned on this list are gone. Nikle being the first I went to find, he left nothing. His quarters are empty and all his loyal men followed him. Of the three Lords named, one was found dead by his own hand. The others are gone."
Death Or Fortune Page 5