Unlike his friends he knew what these creatures were. They were a type of demon dog called on from the hell belonging solely to the snake people. The only way to stop these things was to send them back to their homes. Chanting in his loudest voice he prayed to his god to send these beasts back to the hell that spawned them. He was very lucky that day. His god was enraged that a mage had the audacity to send such creatures to this world. With a loud crash the two creatures were sent back just as they were turning to attack their elven opponents.
As the smoke cleared the party stood looking about themselves. In under three minutes they had suffered major injury. Levy was lying on the ground, his eyes closed, moaning. Samis stood clutching his arm to his chest and worst of all Talen was dead. Mika fell to his knees next to his friend's body. He gently closed the staring eyes and removed the weapon from his hand. The rage he had felt upon seeing his sister's village was growing deeper. Those demon dogs had to have been sent by the snake mage. He looked up at Samis. The man just nodded, a grim look on his face. Slias was praying over him as the wound on his arm slowly healed before their eyes. "I'll be fine. How's Levy?" Karleen looked up and shook her head. There was nothing she could do. The battle was being fought inside the mage's mind.
After a few moments Slias turned from Samis and kneeled down next to the young mage. He lay his hands on tortured face and prayed loudly to his god. The others could see a golden glow flow down his arms and onto the struggling mage. As it covered his head a look of peace came over him and Levy took a deep breath. "He'll be fine now. I've broken the connection."
"What happened?"
The priest stood up slowly. The healing and the following battle of wills had taken a lot out of him. "Elvenbane's snake mage tried to trap Levy's mind and take him over. With the help of Masq I fought off the creature and released Levy from his grip. It was difficult and our young friend here will need rest before he can fight with us."
"How long?"
"I have no idea. The snake was winning when I joined the fight. When he comes out of his sleep he will be very weak. He could have his powers back tomorrow or he may not get them back by the end of the week. All I can say for sure is that he will get them back and that he will be in his own mind." The priest looked down sadly at his young friend. He was telling Mika only part of the truth. The mage was free of the Snake at the moment but he would have to be guarded until he regained his strength and powers. If he wasn't the snake could gain control of his mind and powers.
"What do we need to do?"
"I will care for our young friend."
"Thank you, Slias," Mika turned to the large human fighter. "Samis how's our arm?"
"As usual our friendly priest has made me as good as new." Samis looked down at his comrade in arms, Talen. "What are we going to do now?"
They each looked from the sleeping mage to the body of their friend. "We will have to bury him here." Mika stood and walked back to his gear. Pulling out his shovel he walked off a short ways and started to dig. Meryl, Katlin and Samis soon joined him. Karleen stayed to take care of the slumbering mage and Slias prayed for the souls of his brave friends.
Too soon for the grieving friends the hole was dug. They lay Talen's body down and covered him with stones. Once again the elves sang their burial song as the others cried. After they were done they picked up the unconscious mage and moved to another site to watch for Samuel Elvenbane. Day turned into night and the mage continued to sleep.
"Time for my watch, Mika." Samis walked up the hillside to stand next to Mika. "You need to have something to eat."
"I'm not hungry right now."
"All right." Samis stood next to his friend and watched the sun set. "You do realize that we aren't going to see anything until the morning?"
"If Levy's scrying was accurate." Mika replied grimly. "We have no idea if the snake changed what he saw."
"Come on. You know Levy would have guessed that he was being blocked."
Mika turned to look at the mage stretched out by the small fire Meryl had built. "I should. I never expected him to be attacked through a scrying. They've always been safe before. If the mage you were scrying on didn't want you to see him he would just block you out. When did someone develop a way to attack through the spell?"
"Again, it is something that the snake people learned." Slias joined in the conversation. "They have many abilities that the other races do not. Their connection to their chosen deities is very strong." He took a deep breath and continued. "It seems that this mage is a priest at the same time. I have been going over what happened during the battle and I am convinced that he must be a priest of Sandroc, god of the underworld."
"Sandroc? Never heard of that one."
"He is worshipped exclusively by the snake people. Even among them he is only worshipped by a small number. He is cruel and delights in torture. Levy was lucky I was here and had some knowledge of the creature he was fighting. If hadn't joined in and recognized what he was fighting he could have become an unwilling traitor."
"A traitor?" Mika was surprised. "Do you mean that he could have been mind controlled?"
"Yes. He has strong shields against most types of mind attack but this is something he would never have seen living in the far north." He paused. "Did you know that our young friend is from the Wall around the world?"
Mika and Samis whistled low. That was the last mountain range at the top of the world. You could go no farther and still scratch a living. Many believed that you couldn't live up there. The winter was ten months long. The people lived by hunting the great mammoths and caribou herds. They traded the skins and fine carving for the other necessities of life. That Levy had left that notoriously clannish people and took up a life as a traveling mage was amazing. The Targelds tended toward shamans and any child showing magical abilities was co-opted into the shaman's family and trained to follow in that elder's footsteps. "How had he come to live down here? So far from his home?"
"Levy doesn't talk much about his life before he met you, does he?"
Slias knew more than he liked about the young man. He would keep most of what he learned quiet. He had read much of the man's memory while helping him fight off the snake mage. "He found that he preferred a different type of mage craft from that taught by his people."
Samis looked thoughtful for a moment. "Don't they tend toward demon calling?"
"Yes, that was what he had a problem with. He was too good to want to deal with the minions of hell. He left his home at the age of 14. He hasn't been back in years."
"What school did he train in?" Mika was becoming interested in spite of himself. It was
something to take is mind off the upcoming battle.
"That is another oddity about our young friend. He didn't study in a school. He has picked up his knowledge by studying with one traveling mage after another. He has great potential but little liking for formal training. He has gained all he has in just six years."
"You mean he's only 20? I thought he was at least my own age."
Samis looked over at the mage. "Hell, most mages aren't set loose until his age. I've traveled with him for the last four years."
"He reached masterclass at the age of 16. He is within Adept status now but put off his testing until after this quest. He has real respect for you Mika and wanted to help when he heard of your troubles."
Mika nodded and turned to walk back to the camp. "I think you're right, Samis. It is time I had something to eat." The other two just looked at each other and shrugged. They turned back to face the road. He lost in their thoughts.
Mika took a plate from Karleen and sat down next to the halfling. Meryl was busy sorting through his pouches. There were little piles of odd things on the ground in front of him. A small ring caught Mika's attention. He reached out a picked it up. "Where'd you find this?"
Meryl broke off sorting out his latest pouch to look at what Mika held. "Oh that one. I picked it up back in the village. It was on the ground near the.." He fu
mbled his words. The little one didn't want to remind Mika of the scaffold.
"Did you have Slias or Levy look at this?" Mika gave the impulsive halfling a sharp look. "You never know whether it could be dangerous."
"I was going to have Levy look at it but then, well."
"Yes, I know." Mika put down the ring and reached inside his pouch. He pulled out a small square of silk. "Wrap it in this. It should insulate it and protect you until you can have it looked at."
The halfling did as he was told. "Mika, can I ask you something?"
"Sure thing."
Meryl looked down at his toes. After a moment he spoke up again. "Is Levy going to be all right?"
Mika tousled Meryl brown curls. "According to Slias, he'll be fine. Its just going to take some time."
"That's really good." Meryl looked very relieved.
"You're pretty close to our young mage, aren't you?"
"He was the first big person to take me seriously. He saved me from a press gang two years ago. I'd do anything for him."
Mika was impressed. It was hard for anyone to get a halfling to care for someone not of their clan. He was learning a lot about the young man who had volunteered to help Mika's quest. He hadn't even met him when he had asked Samis and Talen to come along. They had brought the halfling and mage when they rode into Mika's camp a little over a week ago. Mika had met the halfling before and had even traveled with him. He liked the little guy. He was more honest than many of his people and was good in a tight spot. He just shrugged when they told him about Levy. Now he wished that he had spent more time talking to the young man.
"Mika.."
Mika looked back at Meryl, "Yes."
Meryl looked down again. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your family. I really wish we could have gotten there before that happened."
"So do I, my friend, so do I."
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The next morning dawned wet and dreary. Levy slept on. Slias recommended that he not be awoken until he came out of the sleep naturally. "It could damage him to be awoken early."
"What if he doesn't wake up by the time Samuel rides by?" Karleen asked worriedly.
"Then you'll have to stay by him." Mika answered.
"But -"
"No buts. You're not a fighter. I'd rather you stay out of danger. We might need your healing skills when this is over." He put his hand on her arm. "I know you want to help but this weather would make sighting your arrows almost impossible. Stay here and protect Levy. He will be in the most danger from the snake mage."
"He's right, child. You can link in to Levy and protect his mind from invasion. We don't need to have him taken over and casting spells at our backs." Slias paused a moment. "I can show you what you need to do." Slias took her other arm and walked her over to the tent Levy was sleeping in. Checking him over quickly she could tell that he wouldn't be coming out of his healing sleep until sometime tomorrow. By then everything would be over. She nodded and listened closely to Slias' instructions.
Up on the hill Mika, Samis and Katlin were all waiting, watching the early morning traffic into Greymer. There were the usual farmers and merchants. No carts of elven women, no hooded mages and no Half-Orcs carrying young women in front of them. The morning passed slowly. The three fighters walked about, stretched out and sparred lightly. Anything to make the time go faster and to loosen up tense muscles. It wasn't often that they knew about an upcoming battle so far in advance. Finally about mid- morning their target came in sight. Katlin gave a whistle, calling Meryl and Slias to them.
"Here they come." The companions mounted their horses and rode down to meet the troop coming down the King's highway.
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Samuel rode in front of his men as they neared the portion of the road considered the King's highway. He held a docile Greyfox before him in the saddle. It would be good to get rid of her and those whining females in the cart behind him. They had been fun for a while but he needed his men to be better disciplined. They were always fighting over the captives. They weren't worth the effort. It was time to start the raids again. Time to think about taking territory and holding it.
Next to him rode the hooded figure of his mage on one side and his uncle on the other. He was confident that nothing would bother them on this trip. Yesterday there had been a mage trying to watch their progress but Nath'Sthiss had sent him a couple of hell hounds to battle. He was sure that a death had happened. Teach whoever it was that they couldn't spy on the leader of the most feared mercenary troop in the ten kingdoms. He rode contemplating just what he was going to do with the women riding behind him. Should he just sell them to the same place he planned to sell the little slut in his arms to or should he take them to the slave pens and sell them separately? He just couldn't decided. It didn't matter right now. He could decide once he was in the city.
He was surprised when he saw the troop riding up the highway. In the lead he could see two of the hated elfkind. He pulled up when he saw that they weren't going to pull off to the side. What arrogance! Who did they think they were? They should pull over. Wasn't he the leader of the strongest troop of fighters in this or any other kingdom? Wasn't he going to become the leader of the largest kingdom there was? He started to toss the girl in front of him off the saddle when the mage next to him hissed in anger. He paused and turned toward Nath'Sthiss. "What is it, mage?" He asked in a deep, angry voice.
"The priest. He helped the mage I fought yesterday."
"What! I thought you told me that you defeated them."
"I don't see the mage with them." The snake pointed out.
Samuel raised his arm to call his men to attention. They quickly sat up straighter and loosened the weapons in their sheaths. Five of the men rode forward and the other five surrounded the cart carrying the other elf women. Samuel sat proudly and watched the riders as they slowed to confront his party.
Mika called out to the being of his nightmares. "Samuel Elvenbane prepare to die!" He kicked his horse into a gallop, drew his sword and rode directly toward the killer of his family. Elvenbane tossed the girl on his saddle toward his brother and spurred his horse forward. Their swords clashed as their horses met. Samuel's forward men rode up and attacked the other riders. Soon there was a silent battle going on. The sides were unbalanced. Mika and his small troop were better warriors but they were outnumbered. Soon they were unhorsed and fighting for their lives. The snake mage was tossing magics against Slias, who was praying loudly to his god. Katlin and Samis was surrounded by five warriors but they were holding their own. Little Meryl was using a sling and had scored a number of hits, throwing the warriors off their stride.
Katlin was back to back with Samis, fighting off two warriors at the same time and third lying at her feet. She was doing fine until one of Meryl's flung stones missed its target. It bounced off of her sword arm, causing her to lose her timing of the strikes. She missed a parry and her opponent's sword connected with her side. She went down with a cry. Samis felt her fall and stepped back, placing his legs on either side of his fallen comrade. He fought harder now. Battling four opponents and protecting his friend. He took three bad wounds quickly and was disarmed within moments.
Meryl ran forward when he saw Katlin fall. He may be small but his daggers were sharp. He came in low and stabbed two of the warriors in the back of their knees, hamstringing them. He was reaching for two more knives when a wild swing by one of the men he had stabbed took off his head.
The battle between Mika and Samuel was fierce. Samuel was mostly on the defensive. He tried to figure out just where he had seen this particular elfin scum before. "So where do I know you from, elf?" He asked with a grunt, parrying Mika furious sword strokes.
Mika grunted and stepped back to circle his opponent looking for an opening in the Half-Orc's defenses. "My name is Mika Silvershaft. You killed my sister and stole her child. I will kill you now." With that he rushed forward. Samuel was pushe
d back a few steps as Mika's words sunk in. This was the brother of the elf bitch he killed last year! Oh this was just perfect. He hadn't felt entirely happy in his revenge in the past few months now he would have lots more fun at this family's expense. He went on the offensive and quickly disarmed the surprised Mika. He had never fought someone as good as the half-Orc before. Samuel battered Mika with the flat of his sword until he had knocked him to the ground, dazed.
The most dangerous battle was taking place between the priest-mage and the priest of Masq. They were flinging spells at each other with no regard for those around them. First Nath'Sthiss would call forth a beast from the depths of Hell and Slias would quickly send the screaming back again. It was an even battle until two of the guards watching the elf women left the cart and pulled out their bows. Slias was protected against anything that the priest-mage could send against him but he wasn't proof against arrows. He went down with two arrows in his back. His screams could be heard as the latest of Nath'Sthiss' demons tore his soul from his body and carried it back to hell.
**********************************
Samuel Elvenbane looked down at the human and elf bound and kneeling in front of him. He wore a very pleased expression on his face. The battle had been a good way of waking up his men. He would be sure to reward both the warriors and Nath'Sthiss. "Just what should I do with you two?" He murmured as he walked around them. "Should I kill you right now or take you and sell you off in the slave mart with the girl you came to rescue?" He stood for a moment and then a slow smile spread over his features. "No, I have a better idea." He signaled for the two guards standing behind the prisoners. They dragged the two to their feet and pushed them toward the corpses of their friends. Samuel walked ahead of them looking over the ground. Soon he found what he was looking for.
There were two low mounds, a hundred or so yards from the road. He studied them and then nodded. With a gesture he had the two guards force the prisoners to the ground. Once there, they were staked to the ground, spread-eagle. Samuel took a knife from one of the guards and slit the two's clothing and pulled off their tunic and breeches. Then he put out his hand for a pot that the snake carried. He knelt down and smeared a thick, sticky paste on their chests and stomachs. Standing he told them in a arrogant voice just what he had planed for them. "Do you see the two mounds over there?" He nodded toward the mounds not more than three feet away.
Endings Page 4