Cursed Cleric

by Salvador Mercer

  The last line he spoke in their native tongue so all could here. It was meant to corner the clan chieftain and it appeared to work. “I will kill dishonorable Ulathan,” Kaz stated emphatically.

  “That is part of our agreement,” Hermes said. “Allow me to make such arrangements for you and your warriors.”

  More discussion in the northern language then the scout said, “You must provide the services of a Shaman at least as powerful as your prior teacher. We have our own adversaries to deal with if you are in agreement?”

  Hermes titled his head, “You mean Zorcross?”

  The scout nodded, “At the very least. Lord Zak does not count your own prowess as sufficient for what we must accomplish.”

  “Well, I never.” Hermes held a hand to his chest.

  “You should,” Kaz said in common. “Agree or no?”

  Hermes fumed but looked at his handlers and nodded. The pair of young men led the ponies to Kaz and the scout where promptly the scout motioned for others to take the items from the ponies. Within seconds the bounty was paid and Kaz said, “Kotuk to.”

  Two women came and grabbed the reins to the ponies leading them away while the handlers turned to look at their master. Hermes scowled but let them go and motioned with his head for the pair to fall back in rank. It would appear the bounty was paid with a premium of two ponies and the services of a fully ranked wizard. “Agreed.” Hermes said simply.

  “Ko to nik bood. Krik ni hull.” Kaz said and the group relaxed with wild musical instruments being played and drinks, flasks, and other liquid containers were pulled out and the festivities were started.

  “Did we win?” one handler asked as he passed his master.

  “I hope so,” Hermes said, then turning to the scout he asked. “Are we done here?”

  “We have only begun,” The man said. “Come, you know our tradition.”

  “Is it still three days of feasting?” Hermes asked, dismounting and giving his pair of handlers something to do.

  “At the very least,” the scout said. Pitch your tents where the women and children are so we can protect you should the Akazi come.”

  “I do not know this word,” Hermes said. “What does it mean?”

  The man titled his head and translated, “Dragons.”

  Hermes put a hand to his forehead, “Why me?”

  Zorcross pulled his cloak tightly around him and adjusted his hood. The sun had set, and the wind was whipping up some speed out of the north. Why his master had summoned him and told him to keep watch on Wizard’s Peak was beyond him.

  The work continued below as hammering, chiseling and other sounds of mortar being scrapped, wood being sawed, and iron being hammered assaulted his ears. He could see his sentries keeping watch at either end of the makeshift wall which was only waist high at this point. It would do only enough to keep the undead from walking in. They would have to crawl over the initial wall and allow his troops time to hack them down.

  The hair on his head started to go staticky as an electrical current seemed to form behind him on the ledge that had been built for his ruling class. To the west he could see Ulatha, or at least the dark shapes of what should be the forest and the land. Behind him, he turned to see Kesh and far away Ulsthor lighting up the horizon. It was only ten paces in front of him, however, that intrigued him. The area illuminated and then small bolts of electricity formed in mid air and then grounded with a small thud bringing up rock dust where the current hit.

  Then, as quickly as it came, a loud boom with an enormous burst of light suddenly blinded and nearly deafened him. He held a hand in front of his eyes to block its rays and just as quickly it was dark again. The workers below had stopped what they were doing, and some were warding themselves while troops were brandishing weapons. The sound of voice was not expected. “Zorcross, stand up.”

  Zorcross didn’t realize he had fallen to one knee, but so powerful was the energy burst that he had done exactly that. The voice was very familiar. “High Mage?”

  “Yes, none other, now stand up and come here.”

  Zorcross stood looking into the hooded shape of his master with the red eyes glowing from the miniature dragon skull atop his staff. He absentmindedly waved away the men and he saw Hork below nod and then yell out, “Get back to work, now!”

  Reaching his mentor, he bowed his head and asked, “How?”

  “Your puny mind will take years to understand,” Am-Tor began. “I am here to finish our business once and for all.”

  “Of course, Master, but how… how is it… I mean, how did you…” Zorcross could not complete a sentence.

  “Hehe, your senses are correct. You hesitate because you wonder if what you are seeing is real. Well it is and I am here. Now snap out of it and let us get down to business.”

  “Of course, Master.”

  Am-Tor took a couple of steps to stand and look south over the construction of the new wall and towers. The workers had resumed and even increased their pace knowing that more than one Kesh leader was now observing them. The additional burst of activity seemed to please the High Mage. “Nicely done. The wall construction is moving rather quickly.”

  Zorcross seized upon the moment, “Your directives were most clear and most inspiring, Master. I have personally seen to it that the mountain pass was taken and that our efforts to fortify it and protect our realm were initiated immediately. We will not lose the pass again.”

  “No we will not,” Am-Tor said. “I too will see to it personally that this does not happen.”

  “You will be in charge here, Master?” Zorcross asked, confusion in his voice.

  “No,” Am-Tor said. “The Ulathan Pass is your responsibility, but should you falter, I will be here to pick up the pieces so to speak. Kesh will not be attacked again.”

  “Most definitely not,” Zorcross said. “Do you wish news from our emissary to the North?”

  “I am following his progress even now. He has made contact with the same clan we dealt with in Ulatha. They have agreed on terms to help us.”

  “They have?”

  “Yes. This time, there will be no running, no retreating, no surrender. The time for our dominance has arrived and we must be strong and take our place at the head of Agon’s realms.”

  “What of this undead king who sits atop the Ulathan throne?” Zorcross asked.

  Am-Tor chuckled, an eerie sound that came from the black void of his cloak where it was merciful for others not to gaze upon his visage. “I have been in discussions with the lich. He was once one of us many years ago. It is sad for me to report that our ancestors were prideful to fault and this one is no different in death.”

  “What will you do with it?”

  “I will allow it a taste of real power and send it back to the abyss.” Am-Tor held his staff up slightly and the glow from the dragon’s skull increased slightly illuminating the entire area.

  “Yes,” Zorcross said. “Kill it. Kill it for good.”

  Chapter 16

  Volcano

  “Duck,” Salina yelled at Targon while a large hill troll brought his wooden club slashing across horizontally. The blow failed to connect as the woodsman heeded the warning, but if it had, it would have knocked Targon’s head clean off his body.

  Khan yelled at Will, “Get back, you are blocking my view.”

  “I’m trying to save you,” Will said, moving to the side and allowing the wizard a clear look at the next line of attackers.

  “There’s too many of them,” Salina said from the side where she had battled a smaller troll in hand to hand combat finally defeating it with a thrust to its neck after it was hamstringed by her prior move.

  Targon had done the lion’s share of the combat, felling the lead three trolls in quick succession with his axe. No one even thought to take the time to try and unwrap the new sword. They were set upon too quickly and didn’t have enough warning.

  “Light em up,” Will ordered, though it was more of a request.


  “Unitchtozhe!” Khan said. His staff was pointed at the next wave of trolls that were filing into the large cavern. The ball of fire pulsed then broke across them eliciting hounds of pain and anger. Two of the four dropped and the other two had to break ranks and roll on the hard, stone floor in an effort to put out the intense flames from the Kesh wizard.

  “Should we run for it?” Cedric asked from behind Khan. There was no way one of his daggers were going to make a difference and that seemed the safest place for him at the moment.

  “Targon, we need to make a run for it,” Salina said, yelling loudly to be heard over the roar of combat. Fire, steel on steel, howls of pain and anger from the trolls; all mixed together to form a battle din that was difficult to hear over.

  Targon slashed one of the trolls that was rolling on fire and it ceased to move having succumbed to its injuries by both Kesh and Ulathan. He backpedaled and turned his head slightly to respond so they could hear him, “We’d need to go the same direction that they are coming from. Otherwise, the only way out is back.”

  “Clear a path to the far east wall,” Khan said, motioning towards where he wanted to go.

  Will was weary and his face still bruised, but his adrenaline was pumping and in the excitement of battle he had all but forgotten his state of fatigue. His fight or flight reflexes had kicked in and his default mode for dealing with danger was to fight. With a battle yell, he rushed the nearest pair of trolls with his broadsword engaging one and then another in a ferocious assault.

  “Targon, help him,” Salina yelled, moving as fast as she could to assist Will. With all three working together, they managed to clear a path to the east wall where Khan and Cedric followed them.

  Khan looked back and made one quick request, “Keep them off me for a moment. We are leaving.”

  The trio took a defensive stance around their comrades and only two trolls ventured their way during the time that Khan needed. The initial assault had several trolls dead and several more injured or incapacitated. The second wave didn’t do much better and the monsters were regrouping for another attack.

  “Follow me,” Khan said.

  The trio turned around and looked into a shimmering tunnel that was bored directly into the wall. Khan had already headed well into it holding his staff out where it was pulsating energy beams against the very earth itself. How he did it, they had no idea, but Cedric turned towards them from behind Khan and urged them on, “Come on, he can’t hold it open forever.”

  The trio went in, Will first at Salina’s insistence followed by Targon and Salina who walked side by side backwards. The first of the trolls reached the opening when it started to close, and the creature got an arm stuck inside when the shimmering faded, and the rock slammed shut. The yell from the creature was audible for a split second before being cut off completely.

  “This way,” Khan said, his voice strained.

  One moment they were in near darkness, the rock walls lit by only his staff and then as if day had sprung upon them they stumbled out into a snow filled landscape lit by the overhead sun. The glare from the snow blinded them momentarily and it was all they could do to blink and stumble around. Khan pulled Salina away from the rock wall last and then let his magic fade closing the tunnel he had formed from the very ground itself. Khan then fell to his knees and then sat back in the snow allowing himself to close his eyes and rest.

  “That was incredible,” Cedric said, holding a hand to his eyes and slowly acclimating to the bright light of day.

  “Boy that’s hard on the eyes,” Will said, falling next to Khan but on his rear in a seated position.

  Targon looked around and then walked to either side of the small area where they had come out of a small hillside. “Keep alert. We don’t know if those creatures have a gress they can use to come out and attack us again.”

  “What did you say?” Will asked.

  “They can still attack us,” Targon said.

  “I think he meant an exit,” Cedric clarified.

  “Yeah,” Targon said. “One of those gresses you guys talked about.”

  Salina walked away from them almost disappearing from view on the other side of a pair of conifer trees. “We are well north and east of the estate.”

  “We’re still in Ulatha, right?” Cedric asked, walking towards here.

  “I don’t think so,” Salina said. “I should have spent some time with you in those books of yours, but didn’t the northern mountain range die at the Western Sea?”

  “Sort of,” Cedric said. “They petered out and became less rugged nearer to the sea. More passable if you will. That’s why many of the northern realms were located west of Ulatha, not just north.”

  Targon walked over to them and looked out at a landscape that was more than a bit foreign to them. The conifers were different as were the rocks and landscape. There were many rugged hills but not so much mountains until they looked far to the east where a couple of snow-capped peaks were visible far away. “We are definitely on the north slope of the mountain chain, though I’d not really call these mountains.”

  “How is that possible?” Salina asked. “Did we really run that far west when we reached the estate?”

  “Let me tell you,” Targon said, his voice serious. “I have never run so hard for so long in my life. That spell that Khan cast is something special.”

  “We must have run in a day what a fast rider could ride in the same amount of time,” Cedric said.

  “It didn’t seem that far,” Salina said.

  “That’s because you were having fun,” Targon chided her.

  Cedric laughed, “Yeah, you were looking winded and I never thought I would see you out of breath.”

  “Well, Khan saved our butts again,” Targon noted. “I’m not sure what he did, or how he did it.”

  “Khan,” Cedric said, walking back to the two men who were resting in the snow. “More of that druid magic?”

  Khan shrugged, “More of a hybrid sort of energy spell if you ask me.”

  “What do you mean by hybrid?” Will asked from next to Khan.

  “I mix the energy from both Agon and Akun.”

  “That was impressive,” Cedric said.

  A faint roar was heard as if from an animal, but the echo nature of it with the deep bass indicated it was from a troll far away. “Time to go,” Salina said.

  Targon walked over to Khan and offered him a hand. They ended up all standing and walking to where Salina stood. “That way to the Dragon Lands?” Will asked, pointing north east.

  “Indeed,” Khan said.

  A second echoing challenge and Targon prompted them, “Time to say goodbye to the Vandersot estate and the creatures inhabiting the land around it.”

  “Amen brother,” Will said.

  The journey east, punctuated with wild swings to the north took several days. The snow didn’t help, and the group of companions found themselves starting to camp as much as they travelled. As they travelled more north the snow was thicker and heavier. They also noticed an unfamiliar orientation to the landscape, specifically the northern branch of the Border Mountains; they were to their right and south of them. They also looked smaller from this side as their elevation remained higher than the Ulathan valley floor far below.

  When they had reached an old road they had to make a decision on where to go. There was no sign of Argyll, of course. No amount of eagle eyesight could track them underground. Khan said they had no choice but to attempt to communicate with the druid.

  Making a single tent from three bedrolls tied together, the group huddled between two scraggly shrub bushes in the dark of the wild. They had seemingly put the wolves and trolls behind them and were in the uninhabited lands located between their own realm and the Dragon Lands of the Northmen.

  Once settled, Khan summoned Elister in his critir in front of his companions. The light blue hue of the crystal ball would normally be a beacon to any thing in the immediate vicinity, but the bushes and makeshift tent c
overed most of the light. To their relief the first face for them to see was indeed their friend, Elister. “There you are,” the druid said.

  “Elister,” Khan began. “We have secured the shield as instructed and find ourselves far north of your realm. We do not know the way. Can you assist us?”

  “I’m sending Argyll now that I know where you are. You are not far from the last known resting place of the former Fist of Astor. You should wait there for a night then a day then another night. He will find you by sunrise of that morning.”

  “We understand,” Khan said. “The Moross family has asked about their kin as has the master of the Terrel family.”

  Elister ignored the unusual formality with which Khan spoke and replied, “They are safe and doing well here in the Earlstyne. I will keep them that way until your return.”

  Khan nodded, “Has the status quo been maintained?”

  “Unfortunately, no. The pass has been retaken by the Kesh and is now being fortified. Even our beloved Tyra could not stand against two magic-users and a half-thousand heavy troops. We retreated to the safety of the forest and await the undead from the west. We shall see to it that the two evils meet one another yet again.”

  “So the undead king still rules from Ulatha?” Khan asked.

  “For the time being, yes.” Elister said. “To root him out you must succeed in your quest. The only other way would be for your former master, the new High Mage of Kesh, to engage the creature in one on one combat. Despite his newly found great power, I do not think the man has the courage to do so. He could be reckless however and I could be wrong in my assessment of the man.”

  “I remain too weak to assist in this matter?” Khan asked. His companions leaned forward to listen intently and whether that would be considered rude or not in any realm, the Kesh wizard paid it no heed.

  Elister closed his rocky eyelids and stood immobile for the count of several breaths. When he did reopen them he said, “Yours is truly a unique power, especially that you have heeded my council and opened your mind to the arcane originating from not only the Father, but the Mother as well. While pure, unadulterated power may not be your forte at this time, the finesse and creativity will make you a force to be reckoned with… but not yet. Not at this time.”