by C Woodward
I questioned him, “What? Make me something?”
Jerak nodded, “Yeah, long ago when you had those talking stones, she said that she was going to make you something.” I almost forgot about that. I understood what he meant. I answered, “Oh! Yeah. She tried to make some kind of coat for me. She changed her mind and made something else.”
Jerak asked, “So, she didn’t make you a coat, but what did she make?”
I looked away and spoke quietly, “Something for her…”
Jerak leaned over to hear that last part, “Not much of a gift if she made something for herself.”
I took a deep breath, “Oh, it was a gift for me alright.” Kalus started to laugh very loudly. Rejun snickered as well. Even Teltar cracked a smile.
Jerak looked at all of them, “What? What’s so funny?” His outburst and confusion just made it funnier. We arrived in Torclyn just as the sun was setting. The size of this city rivaled Vunash. The surrounding walls appeared to be white concrete with patches of stone within it. The guards wore the same colors as those in Vunash, with blue and white tabards. I got a few stares as we walked through the gate. I also felt little paranoid since, officially, I am supposed to be banished from any well-populated dwellings. However, apart from the stares at my fancy, dark armor, no one bothered to check who I was.
There were several people moving about. We saw a man with a long, hooked torch lighting the street lamps. Jerak decide to bark out an order,” Alright, we need to find that guy, um what was his name?”
Kalus answered with a sigh, “Forren Grubska.” Jerak repeated it to himself and turned, “Really? That’s a weird name.”
Rejun laughed, “You’re a dingus. How about we split up into two teams, see what we can find out and meet somewhere.”
Jerak chimed in, “Good idea, even though I was going to suggest that, too.”
Rejun argued, “No, you weren’t!” Teltar broke in-between them before they started a scene. He pushed them apart and spoke in a calm tone, “How about Kalus and I go to find an inn and take care of the horses while the rest of you go look around?”
I thought to myself that very soon, I might actually find the jerk who caused this mess. My stomach was churning from it. “So, what about the rally point?” I asked.
Jerak pointed to a large, tall building. It appeared to be a chapel and stood out from the other buildings. Most were single story, with a few exceptions. “Ok! There. We will meet there later tonight” I said. Jerak, Rejun, and I went our way, while Teltar and Kalus left to take care of their things.
“We should have given our packs to the other guys” Rejun complained. Jerak sighed, “Its fine. It won’t kill us to lug our things around.” I agreed but then, my stuff was still on Alpo’s back. We stopped in a large marketplace where most of the shops were open. Jerak scratched his head, “You think we should split up?”
Rejun sighed, “We are already split up.”
Jerak yelled at his brother, “I mean, should we each take a side of the market!” I interrupted the brothers, “This is going to be tough.” We didn’t know what Forren even looked like. My only hope was to find someone who stood out, then maybe one of the two minions he sent at me will show up. I really didn’t think a smelly druid would show up in a crowded city. Although, the Blood Witch seemed too unstable to hang around anywhere.
I turned around, in time to see Jerak already walking to the opposite side of the street. Rejun and I watched him from a short distance. He walked up to a guy, “Hello, do you know Forren?” The man looked confused and shook his head.
Rejun yelled to his brother, “You don’t need to let everyone know we are here, you git!”
I whispered, “Yelling doesn’t make us blend in either.” Rejun turned his head and held his breath. Jerak waved at us and yelled back “Hold on a moment!” He then walked over to a girl and soon, after exchanging some words, he got a slap to the face.
We split up anyway, with the brothers moving through the marketplace on either side. I walked down the middle and was the rally point since I stood out a bit with my dark armor. We didn’t know how we were going to find Forren. I sighed long and hard and walked down the middle of the road. I saw Jerak and Rejun on their sides looking around. Jerak became distracted whenever an attractive woman came across his path. I laughed to myself and moved on. I carefully looked at everyone I saw. The crowd was mostly human with an occasional dwarf or elf. Forren might not even be in this city. He had a follower who located me, so he might be here, looking for me. That idea made me very uneasy. I wasn’t sure if he would confront me here. I saw a few wealthy-looking men but they didn’t bother me. This might take a while.
I walked through the marketplace with feelings of disappointment and relief. I saw a small handful of people wandering around but saw no one I would call suspicious. Rejun showed up and shook his head, “I didn’t see anything strange.”
I sat down on a stone bench, “Maybe Jerak had better luck.”
Rejun sat down and sighed, “Knowing him, he might be already fighting the guy.”
I laughed, “Your brother does have strange luck, but then again look who’s talking.” Rejun stared at me, “I don’t have strange luck. Oh, you mean you have strange luck. Yeah, I can see that!” I laughed again. We looked around as we waited for Jerak. It took longer than we expected but, he eventually joined us. He had a red hand mark on his cheek but he had a big grin on his face.
He spoke cheerfully, “There are some really great ladies here!”
Rejun put his head in his hand. I sighed, “I am not sure how you consider a slap to the face as a good thing.”
Jerak shrugged and joined us on the bench, “Well, I didn’t see Forren or at least I don’t think I did.”
I stood up and said with a sigh, “I guess we should head out and find Teltar and Kalus, then.”
We marched quietly back to the chapel building. Teltar and Kalus were sitting outside, watching as we walked approached.
“I can guess you didn’t find him,” Kalus spoke. He shrugged, “Perhaps we need to gather more information about him.”
Teltar yawned, “I can try speaking with a few guildsmen. They might know if someone as prominent as Forren is around this area.”
I looked at him, “You should have told us that earlier.” Teltar said back to me, “You guys seemed bent on searching for him tonight so, why stop you?” He paused a moment, “Besides, with our luck, you just might find him.”
Rejun groaned, “Let’s just head to the inn and get some rest.” Teltar stood up and joined Rejun. Jerak glanced around and they started for the inn.
Kalus smiled, “Don’t worry. One thing I must give dwarves credit for, is their ability to network. We should find that fiend soon enough!”
I sighed, “I agree.” Staring at the two moons, I said, “It will be nice to get this whole ordeal over with.” I was too tired to do anything but relax in the room. I wasn’t really physically tired, but tired mentally from stress. The room was good-sized and cost a little more, but between the five of us, the amount wasn’t hard for us. Jerak, Kalus, and Rejun went for food. Teltar was already asleep, like normal. The beds were simple and it appeared that they could be taken apart to move them around or to other rooms, if needed. I picked the nearest bed, sat down and removed my armor. It felt good to be out of it. The simple room felt safe enough to let my guard down. There were two small windows with bars on the outside which made escape unlikely and made me feel safe enough to not worry about anyone getting in.
I was more comfortable when the guys came back to the room. They brought in the food and had already started in on their dinner. Teltar grumbled as he smelled the food and slowly got out bed and came to the small table. I got up and took my share. It was fish fried in batter and some odd baked vegetable that tasted like a bell pepper. It was good and the food put me in a better mood.
Jerak took a big bite and spoke through a mouthful of food, “What is the plan for tomorrow?” I took a
bite and pondered while chewing. Everyone looked at me as they ate.
I swallowed and then spoke, “We can split up again but this time, Teltar can go with someone else to see whatever contacts you have.” I tapped my fingers on the table and thought for a second before saying more, “Um, Kalus you can portray a wandering entertainer and check out the local spots for information.”
Kalus sighed, “What do you mean portray?”
I laughed, “You know what I mean.”
Kalus admitted “I know, I guess I can do that.”
Jerak spoke with his mouth full again, “What about you?”
I took a deep breath, “I guess I can wander about aimlessly like I did tonight. I also think it might be good to meet up again by the chapel around noon.”
Jerak spoke out again, “You would be a big target if you were alone. One of us should go with you!” Teltar nodded, “I guess it might be wise to have Jerak go with you, since he is a confident fighter. I really don’t need him tagging along when I speak with the guildsmen in their establishments.”
Jerak nodded and then understood the rest of that, “Hey! What do you mean by that?”
Rejun answered, “I think he means you would be too loud and annoying to the dwarves.”
Jerak stared for a moment, shrugged and went back to his meal. I expected it to trigger another argument. After my meal I went to bed and tried to figure out the plan for tomorrow. Everyone else were still by the table eating. Kalus asked, “Blake, if we find Forren, what should we do?” They were all looking at me and at each other.
Jerak said cheerfully, “I would beat him so bad that his family could feel it.”
Rejun asked, “Did that made any sense?” Jerak laughed and tried to explain but ended up killing the joke even more.
Teltar interrupted, “I am not sure you can just slay him and be done with it.”
Kalus nodded, “There is the account of that Blood Witch, as well.”
I sighed, “Yeah, I know I will have to deal with her eventually even if I stop Forren Grubska. She is just…”
Rejun finished that sentence, “…scary?”
I agreed, “Put it this way; when Talestria and I faced her, she got away without a scratch.”
Rejun’s eyes widened, “Gee, how can we fight someone like that?”
Jerak stood up in one of his heroic poses, “We are here! She won’t be a match for us!”
Teltar muttered, “Isn’t she possessed by that book?” Jerak dropped his pose, “What book?”
Kalus closed his eyes, “The Book of Scrathelm.” Jerak and Rejun stared at Kalus. Kalus took a deep breath and began his story; “Scrathelm was once an elf, long ago. This was before the elf wars. He was one of the first to delve into dark magic. It was believed that he wrote down every forbidden spell in a book. The elvin counsel caught him and sentenced him to death, but before he died, he put a curse on his book and hid it. I am not too sure, but I’ve heard that he might have trapped his soul in the book or just placed a curse on it. All I know is that the book was discovered again when someone else found it and began following Scrathelm’s path. Each time someone else took his place, they added more to the book, and their minds became warped. There was also a rumor that Xum’gol himself had his hand on the book at one time. By the end of the Elf Wars, Ayjestus helped the elves seal away the book so it couldn’t corrupt anyone else.” Kalus took a moment, sipped some of his drink and spoke once more, “That book is dangerous, no matter who got their hands on it and for someone like the Blood Witch…”
I sighed, “Yup, and I have to stop her somehow.” I wondered about another encounter with the blood witch. She has scary powers and the fact that she is fast and agile gave me goose bumps. I seem to be the best candidate to face her since most magic doesn’t affect me, except the elemental stuff. My armor won’t protect me much against a lightning bolt. I am not sure if I can even match her in combat. I need to find a way to build my strength. Thoughts and worries ran through my head as I laid there in my bed. How can I fight someone with such power? I glanced over and saw the guys still by the small table eating and chatting. Teltar, of course, was already snoring on his bed.
“Kalus?” I asked. He put down his drink and walked over to me. He stared at me with confusion. I continued, “You’re a magic user right?”
Kalus smiled, “Find an elf that isn’t! We dabble in all sorts of things.”
I sighed, “How can one counteract magical spells?”
Kalus laughed, “I don’t think it’s that easy, but I guess defensive magic might work on range spells.”
I stared at the ceiling, “So, there is no means to protect against range spells without another spell, right?”
He nodded, “In a way, yes.”
“Dang. Alright,” I sighed, “Thanks, Kalus.” There had to be a way. I pondered on that some more, but finally fell asleep. The sound of Jerak moving around woke me up. He and Rejun were busy packing up. Kalus was by the table, checking his notebook. “Kalus, how long are we staying here anyway?” Jerak asked.
“For as long as it takes. Though, I think we have the room for two nights, so no worrying about carrying your bags around,” Kalus replied as he glanced at Jerak, and then back to his notebook.
I sat up and let my brain boot up. I twisted my body in order to crack my back. After hearing a short burst of pops, I felt a bit better. Jerak witnessed my ritual and cracked his knuckles. I yawned and put my armor on. I can do most of it on my own, but some parts are a bit tricky to put on without some aid. Thankfully, Rejun came over and helped me out. Teltar finally woke up after I was down to my last gauntlet. Jerak looked around. He stared at me, “So, are you ready to find this creep?”
Jerak and I walked out, figuring we didn’t need to wait for them. “Where should we look first?” he asked with a bit too much energy for this time of day.
I yawned from under my helmet, “I don’t know this area, so I’m game for suggestions.” He thought a moment as we walked out of the inn.
I let out another yawn, “Where would someone like Forren go around here?” Jerak shrugged, “I don’t know where evil, rich people dwell. Maybe we should find some fancy area and go from there.” I watched a few merchants out of my eye slit who were loading items on a small wagon.
Jerak spoke up while digging in his ear with his pinky, “I really don’t know where the rich part of this city is though,” I groaned and walked up to some of the merchants. I waved to get their attention, “Excuse me, do you know where the upper class sections are in town?”
Two of them gawked strangely at me, “Uh, yeah, northeast of town is where the upper-class houses are, why?”
Jerak chimed in, “Oh, we are looking for Forren Grubska.” They shrugged. I thanked them, then Jerak and I walked in that direction. We spotted some large warehouses with fancy buildings next to them. It might be wise to have Teltar come this way since we saw several dwarves hauling crates around. “You know what, give me a moment” I said as I walked toward the dwarves. I might as well gather some information while we’re here. I fished through my pouch for the iron ring that Wotmire had given me. The dwarves stared at me as I got closer. I pulled out the ring and waved at them. “Excuse me. Who can I speak with who might know anything around town?”
One scoffed, “We are too busy to be tour guides.”
I displayed the ring for them, “I was referring to any strange newcomers in town. Do you know of any?”
They stared at the ring. One walked up to get a closer look, “Where did you get this ring?” I smiled under my helmet, “Wot, er, King Wotmire gave me this ring.” They looked at each other and then back at me. They didn’t seem to question it. I guess this ring carried some rank with the dwarves after all.
One of them pointed to a door just inside the warehouse, “My boss is in there. He keeps track of shipments and might know something.” I thanked the dwarves and walked to the door.
The door was open but I still knocked. An old dwarf sat
behind a big desk reading a massive book that appeared to be records of shipments and the like. He looked up at me, “What are you doing in there?”
I showed him the ring, “I was told you might have some information of any strange happenings in town.” He stared at the ring, but didn’t seem very impressed. “Yeah, in my business I keep track of what comes in and out. What’s it to ya?”
I put the ring back in the pouch, “I was wondering if you know of a Forren Grubska.”
The old dwarf shook his head, “I know of him. A spoiled brat he is. He is some big wig from over the sea.”
Some hope rushed through me, “Oh, you do know of him!”
The dwarf nodded, “Yes, my brother reported seeing him coming in from the harbor a while back. Why is the King interested in him?”
I took a deep breath, “He isn’t interested in finding him; I am.”
The old dwarf stared at me a moment when his bushy eyebrows went up, “You don’t happen to be that fellow, the one that beat Xum’gol?”
I nodded, “The same. I need to locate Forren Grubska.”
The old dwarf put his quill down and turned all his attention on me, “Why are you after such a wretch like him?”
I paused for a moment, “Because that wretch hired people to come after me!” The old dwarf cracked a smile, “So, you have a quarrel with him. Boy, I sure would not trade places with Grubska!” He picked at his teeth while deep in thought, “Last time I saw him was by the harbor, close to the northeast gate. He had a few seedy types with him, but that was two days ago.”
I smiled, “Thank you for the information.”
The old dwarf leaned across the desk and I could feel his curiosity, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but is it true that you married that witch?”
“Talestria?” He nodded, “Yeah, her. Are the rumors true?”
I laughed, “Yes.”
“Really?!” He was so shocked. I nodded, “She is quite lovely, and a nice person when you get to know her.” His jaw dropped. I waved as I stepped out of the office, “Thanks, again!” He sort of waved; apparently he hardly believed my answers.