In the days that followed the battle it would seem there was no shortage of things to do. It was more than a week before we had all the bodies sorted out. The men who fought for The Messiah were burned in mass. Our men were claimed by their families. Those who were never claimed were given a proper funeral. I had never seen so many clerics at one time out side of a temple. Wounds were healed, prayers were said to the dead and in the end we celebrated our victory. My friends and I were invited to dine with the king and the Arcadian lords. Guest of honor they called us. The sting of Arturo's death was still on my mind and honored was the last thing I felt.
I was in the room I shared with Hetaron, polishing my armor for the dinner. Other than some simple clothes I had nothing else to wear. I had yet to replace everything I lost in the fire at Jasmin’s inn. When Hetaron came in with his new robe I was impressed. When I told him he looked ready for the stage he cast me a dirty look and simply tossed me the belt we took from Nikle. "This is why he was so hard to kill. It grants the person who wears it the strength of a giant. I am sure it has limits but it is a very powerful item Darmot. You should put it on and never take it off again. Nikle had some other minor enhancements on his armor, it is too bad I destroyed it, I would have liked to study it." He kept talking as I reached down and took the belt into my hands. The rush I got when I put it on was incredible. I felt as if I could crush stone in my teeth and bend steel. Once I put my armor on over it, I felt indestructible.
When Hans and Pare arrived they too had taken the time to find proper garments. I almost felt foolish, walking around in my armor but it was too late to change anything. As we entered the king’s castle the four of us were waved though. I was shocked they did not try to take my weapon. It must have been a strange image to all who saw us enter the grand hall that night. A wizard in black silk robes, a cleric in robes of white with nothing but a silver medallion on his chest, myself in my armor and a little halfling in one of those poofy shirts with tight leather pants. All the Arcadian living lords were present, my friends and I were seated at the right hand of the king. As we were waiting for the food to be presented I watched in dread as Captain Turk and Michaels marched in to the grand hall in full dress uniform.
As they stood before the king I had to listen to a recounting of the battle by Michaels. He told of all that we did, of the lives we saved and how without our tactics, we would have been doomed. Then when Turk spoke he commended us for our actions in the days before and after the riot and all that we did to help the city. They were calling us heroes. When they were finished, they both turned and marched out. When the clapping started I felt small, I wanted to hide from these men and women. The only one who looked pleased was Hetaron, the glow he had on his face was almost un-natural. When the moment passed the king ordered the meal to begin and servants rushed the hall with platters mounded with food.
Each lord had been allowed to have their wife with them and one servant. Things were going well and the food was the best I had eaten since I had left home what seemed to be a lifetime ago. In truth I was still embarrassed over all the attention we had been given. I did not look away from my plate until I heard Hetaron speak. "Interesting" was all he said and the way he said it sent a chill down my spine. I looked to him and then looked to where he was watching. One of the lord’s servants was holding a small crossbow. Without thought I got to my feet as he took aim. I pushed the king down towards the floor as I felt the crossbow bolt shatter on my armor. A hush fell over the room as it all played out. Two of the lords stood up from the table, one was shouting orders to the servant to hurry. That he must kill the king. I looked to Roderick and told him to stay down as I turned to meet the assassin. I saw him running towards us with a long dagger in his hand, I shouted for the guards and I drew my own sword.
The second lord who was standing also shouted for his man to kill the king. All it took was for a single woman to scream and the entire room erupted into pandemonium. One of the would be assassins came at me with his knife in hand; I caught his arm as he was plunging it down towards me. I stood there and gripped his wrist, it was the first time I truly felt the power of the belt as I crushed his wrist in my hand. I did not have time to think as I saw the second assassin moving towards us. I let go of the man’s now useless arm and slashed him across his chest with my sword killing him where he stood. I could see the guards rushing into the great hall as I moved to meet the second. He took one swing at me, trying to keep his momentum towards the king. I ducked away from his blow with ease and cut him down from behind as he moved past me. I then turned to the only two lord’s still standing at the table. Who took one look at each other and started to run.
Once the assassins were dead it was then that Hetaron decided to do something. He jumped from his chair and stood on the table we were just eating at. Magical energy flew from his fingertips into the backs of each lord who were trying to flee. Their death was simple compared to what Roderick would have done had they lived. All these years later, the wives of these two men, while they insisted that they did not know of the plot, still rest in a cell deep under the earth. I pointed to the guards who were still rushing into the room and shouted for them to clear the room as I moved back towards the king. My friends and I escorted the king back to his private chambers as Turk had the guards check the rest of the castle.
Once Turk reported that it was safe once again the king summoned the remaining lords into the throne room. He assured them that he was fine and that if there were any more traitors still within his realm, they would be found and dealt with. When he made his final announcement that night I was stunned. "It would seem that we have two more seats to fill. I propose to you that on this night Darmot Kromwell will be appointed to the seventh house of Arcadia, given the title Lord Kromwell. The wizard Hetaron will be appointed to the eleventh house of Arcadia and also given the title of Lord Hetaron. Each will be given the lands of the former lords along with other areas of responsibility. Is there any standing lord who would protest these appointments at this time?" Not a single word was spoken from all who were gathered. I looked to Hetaron in shock, he looked at me like the cat that ate the canary. As the night ended, we were both on one knee at the foot of the throne being knighted by King Roderick. As a new day dawned, our worlds had suddenly and unexpectedly changed.
20. Home
The first time I toured my new home, I was shocked. I could have knocked half of it down and still had enough room for my family, Jasmin, her parents and Pare. To be honest, we could have sent a note to whatever village Pare escaped from and had his whole clan come take up shelter here and been fine. Along with the estate I was given ownership of quite a bit of land. Most of the lumber produced here in Arcadia comes from my lands. I gave Pare a room in the house to do with as he wanted. Truth be told he was a bit insulted at not being granted a title like Hetaron and I. I tried to make him feel better by telling him that I needed him to help run things.
Once I had Jasmin and her parents moved in, Stephan gave me permission to marry his daughter. We had a small wedding, I asked Hans to perform the ritual. As Stephan could not walk, Pare escorted my bride to the altar in the temple of Solarth. Hetaron refused to attend as he said he was busy with his own matters. If I remember right, it was during this time he began to look for an apprentice. I would not meet the unlucky one until much later, when we traveled to Eystlund. It was around this time that our friendship started to turn towards something else. Towards what it was in the very end.
For more than a month my armor and sword were forgotten. I took to a hand full of projects on my land, getting Jasmin’s inn rebuilt and just being happy. I had everything I wanted. Wealth, power and a beautiful woman at my side. As I sit and write this today, I am content to watch my wealth grow. Yet back then, I started to get that itch. I was still young, full of dreams and desire to change the world. To help those who could not help themselves. I often wished something would come along that would make me pick up the sword again. I wish I could write
myself and tell that young man to be careful about wishing for the next big adventure.
Stephan never lived to see the Inn re-open. We all knew it was coming; he passed one night in his sleep. What we did not see coming was the sudden passing of his wife. I assumed at the time that she would be happy to live out her life here, waiting for a grandchild or two. When she jumped from her bedroom window, it almost destroyed Jasmin. I was at a loss as to how to deal with her at the time so I did the only thing I knew how to do. I bought her some armor and a sword and began to teach her how to fight. As Windfall taught me, I instructed her. When the pain in her body was enough to block out the pain in her heart, things started to get better for her. Yet at times, when it is quiet I can still see that pain deep inside of her.
It was late at night when Charles, my servant, came to me about the half dead lumber jack on the front steps. I had him brought inside and had Pare run to the temple to find Hans. The man’s ribs were crushed, how he survived the trip into town I will never know. I will just say it is a testament to the strength of the Arcadian people. When Pare arrived with Hans and Michaels I was a bit shocked. There stood my former lieutenant, in full plate armor with a sword on his hip, white robes and a medallion of Solarth resting on his chest. I cast a single glance at Hans who only held up one hand and let me know that the story would be coming. As Hans went to work on the poor man Michaels kneeled down beside him and started to pray.
Years later when the weather was cold, the man would feel dull pains from his once broken ribs but that is the only physical pain he would have of that day. Hans was able to heal him fully, to be honest; I was amazed at just how powerful of a cleric he was becoming. Yet he would not be able to heal his mind of the horrors he had seen. His name was Kaffis, he was a lumber worker on my lands. He owned a half dozen draft horses and used them to work the land, drag the lumber and pull wagons. Each night after work was completed and the rest of the men had retired for the night, he would care for the horses and walk them back to the stables where the rest of the equipment was stored. Only, on this night Kaffis never got the horses back to the stables. He never even left the lot they were working that day.
"It was just after sun set Lord Kromwell, while I have heard tales of the great beast I had never seen one. I had just finished securing them so I could walk them back to base camp when it happened. My horses are big, strong and when they got scared it frightened me. When the beast landed it was more than my bowls could handle. It quickly started killing my horses and smacked me with its great tail as I tried to run. I must have flown a hundred feet though the air. I am sure if she didn't have her hands full with my horses she would have eaten me as well. She ate two of them whole, right there on the spot and carried the rest off. She flew off to the north east, deep into the forest. Her hide was blood red, I will never forget this as long as I shall live."
I had Pare take poor Kaffis to a spare room. In the morning Jasmin would feed him and pay him for his horses while I was out at the base camp, telling the men they were not to go out to work until I said it was safe. All of this happened after Michaels declared that this was the sign he had been waiting for from the great god Solarth, that he would track this beast to its lair and look for his next sign as to how to proceed. I did not get a single word out to him before he was on his feet and out the door. I again looked to Hans and he just shook his head.
"He came and found me at the temple. He said that when I saved his life out on the battle field, he had a vision sent to him by Solarth. He said that I reviled to him, his true calling. He has now dedicated his life to be a paladin of Solarth. While I believe his heart is true in this and far be it from me to question how the gods work. I came to it later in life as he did but the man is making me crazy." I had a little laugh at the expense of my friend and offered him a place to stay for the night. I had a feeling we would all need a good night’s rest. Before I crawled into bed that night I asked Charles to go to the estate of Lord Hetaron and ask him if he would join us the following afternoon. If Charles was asked why, he was just to tell Hetaron that this was something he might find interesting.
21. Hunted
Did it dawn on any of you fools that if this dragon was flying away with food that it is feeding it's young?" Hetaron kept coming back to this point over the next day in a half as we were getting ready. He arrived not far behind Charles after the message was delivered. He listened to the story and agreed that this was something that needed to be taken care of. The four of us gathered our gear, hunted about town for supplies and anything else we might need. I started to develop a bad habit of carrying more junk around than I needed. I was convinced that as soon as I didn't have something with me, I would find use for it. It seemed to be a contest between Hetaron and I, who could carry the most useless stuff. Also, having all the extra things lessened the chance that Pare would walk away with something we really needed.
When Michaels returned I wasn't sure what to expect. He had a smile on his face, looked well rested and just seemed way too happy. When he reported that he found the lair and found a way in I thought it was too good to be true. We would all find out later that it was. "It enters its lair by way of a large pit, must be a good five hundred feet down into the ground. It sits on top of a large hill, with a little luck and guidance from Solarth I was able to find a back way in. I did not enter, I could feel the evil inside so I know it is the right place." I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Hans who only gave me a small sigh. So the rest of us mounted up and followed Michaels.
We kept a good pace for more than half the day. As the sun was falling behind the horizon I called ahead and asked Michaels how much farther we had to go. When he told me that we were close, maybe another five or six hours ride I started to question what he considered far. We talked it over for a moment and decided it would be best to make camp until the morning and ride on from there. It didn't dawn on me right away but as we were making a small fire I noticed something odd. Hetaron was going out of his way to avoid Michaels. He stayed as far away from him as possible at all times. I told the others that Hetaron and I would take the first watch, Hans and Michaels would take second and then told Pare to do a quick check of the area. I watched the happy halfling dash off into the dark and called Hetaron over to join me.
As he got close to me I whispered to him, asking what his problem was. He cast a quick glance back at the others and started to walk farther away from the fire. "Just being near him makes my skin burn. It took all my will not to hit him with a fireball when he passed to close to me. It nearly made me vomit. His god is with him, do not doubt that. Never leave me alone with him Kromwell, it may not end well." With that said he turned back towards the fire and got as close to it as he dared. He then pulled out a set of spell books and sat down to study. I cast another look towards Hans and Michaels, both of them sitting there, heads hanging down in prayer. I wondered how much longer we would be able to stay together as we were. I turned around quickly and nearly tripped over Pare who had been standing behind me.
I looked down into his smiling face and had to hold back a smile of my own. "This trail we have been on is old Darmot. Really old, like older than dirt old. It hasn't been used in a really long time. The path used to be marked with stones, I dug a couple up. I bet it leads to an old town or a really old outpost that the Arcadians used to use. You should see the spider I killed, it was huge. I got its guts all over my new boots. Oh and I think we are being followed." As he said that last bit he was trying to walk away from me, I reached out and grabbed his arm. I asked him if he was sure and he just shrugged at me. "Just a feeling I had, I doubt it is anything." I watched as he ran over to the fire and fell fast asleep in a ball on the ground.
I could not think of a single reason why anyone would be on our trail. No single good reason that was. I must have stood in that spot for close to an hour, just staring off in the darkness. Pare's words had me paranoid. I took one last look the horses and then put out the fire. Better to be cold th
an give ourselves away. I took a single blanket and laid it over Pare and walked a few feet away from them. Watching and waiting for someone to come. Waiting for anything to come, nothing ever did. I kept watch for the next five hours. Hetaron was in some kind of trance, I did not bother him as I went to wake up Hans and Michaels. I told Hans about what Pare had said and asked him not to say anything to Michaels. With the way he had been acting he may have charged off into the night to look for whatever it could have been.
I laid one hand on my friends shoulder and told him good night. I knew I could trust Hans to watch over us as we slept. I trusted him with my life. I laid there on the cold hard ground looking towards the stars. For a small moment I missed my bed and having my wife by my side. I took one deep pull of the night air into my lungs and the moment passed. This is what life was all about. Adventure, danger, living life on the edge of a blade, death just a misstep away. Unlimited fortune behind every locked door. One by one the stars began to drift and fade away. I awoke the next morning with Pare trying to pull my eyelids apart telling me to wake up.
We fed the horses, broke camp and were once again on the trail. I asked Hans if he saw anything during the night and he only shook his head no. I found myself constantly looking back behind us. I could not get those words out of my mind. The feeling wouldn't go away, no matter how many times I looked back and saw nothing. As Michaels had said, we rode for another five hours when he said we were there. The entrance was in the side of a hill that just kept going up until I could only see the tree line above us. I could see no clue as to where we were or what this once was. I watched as he stood there, sword in hand before the entrance. "Can you feel it, I can almost see the evil drifting out from there." I told Pare to go ahead with Michaels, told him to watch for any traps. Hans followed them, Hetaron and I were the last to enter. A rune covered steel door was inside the entrance, hinges smashed, hanging to the side and open. I felt Hetaron grab onto my arm as he hissed my name. "Kromwell, this was once a crypt. The paladin is right, there is great evil in here. We best take care or we may never see the outside again."
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