WARNING! This installment has adult themes.
Session #10
While everyone else set up their tents, Kamir running about to help everyone he could as usual, breaking a sweat despite the frigid breeze, Ratchis walked down towards the dwarven guards. He walked down the line of chained men in tattered furs, and watched them pulverize stones. The clanking and rattling of their chains chaffed against the priest of the freedom goddess’ sensibilities, and he felt his mouth get dry as he stepped up to a heavily armed dwarf. The dwarf wore a suit of chain mail and a helm that covered most of his face, leaving only his mouth, beard and cold blue eyes visible. He had a battle exe on his back and a heavy crossbow in his hands. He stood unmoving and followed the approaching half-orc with his eyes. Ratchis could feel the eyes of half the guards on him, the other half never stopped watching the prisoners.
“Well met,” called Ratchis.
The dwarf merely grunted.
“Do you mind if I ask you what is going on here?” Ratchis asked.
“We are building a road from the Mountain Door (75) to the Kingdom of Gothanius,” the dwarf said shortly. “I take it that I where you and your group are traveling to?”
“How did you know?” asked Ratchis.
“You are not the first,” the dwarf replied. “I am on duty and cannot stand idly by and converse with you even if I were inclined to speak to one such as you normally. The captain stands by the engineers. He will answer your questions, if he sees fit to.”
Ratchis grunted a thank you, and walked over to a metal table set up by a large number of tents set up near the road.
Again he introduced himself, and then asked where the men on the chain gang were from.
“They are criminals,” the Captain explained. “Bandits and the toadies of slavers and the like. Actual slavers and pirates are put to death. But these men often came to be criminals by being manipulated by others, so we give them a chance to be productive.”
“How long are they prisoners for?” Ratchis asked.
“Most of them for 20 years, or until they are too old to work effectively. Whichever comes first,” the Captain said, with some disgust for whom he was speaking to. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have matters to attend to. The day’s work is almost done and the prisoners must be put to bed.”
Ratchis thanked the dwarven captain with a grunt and returned to camp. The dinner fires were being lit by Kamir and Kazrack finished putting up his comparatively palatial tent. He then went down to meet his brethren.
Kazrack greeted one of the guards, who directed him to the Captain who was yelling orders to his men.
The captain raised his fist in greeting, and Kazrack mimicked him.
“I am Kazrack Delver,” Kazrack said, introducing himself.
“I am Captain Bardolph Gritchkar,” said the Captain, and they grasped wrists. “You are traveling with these humans to Gothanius?”
“Yes. I had little choice. I am from Verdun, and it was either agree to come with these men to Gothanius or fight in a war I felt had nothing to do with me.”
“I see,” said Bardolph. “This road is being built by the Nauglimir Dwarven Merchant Consortium to connect the Mountain Door to Gothanius, by way of a trade agreement with its government.”
“Now it is my turn to be surprised,” said Kazrack. “Is that not stolen land? Why would dwarves trade with these humans?”
“Convenience,” sighed Bardolph. “As there is no unified dwarven kingdom, as you well know, there is no means or impetus to retake these lands from the humans. However, by helping the Gothanians to remain strong we keep the Menovians at bay.”
“Menovians?”
“The Kingdom of Menovia, a corrupt land of slavers who put our people into bondage and slay all halfing and gnomes. They are evil worshipers of the human serpent god. Between them and the broken lands that once belonged to those who now call themselves the Bzontra, there is much evil afoot in Derome-Delem.”
“Bzontra, but that. . . “ (76)
“My work calls me,” interrupted Bardolph. “But return when you see the fire alight in our camp and here the chanting of our voices - You are welcome.”
Kazrack returned to his camp just as Horung and Kinney were serving dinner, and by the time he was done, he could see the fires of the dwarven camp and hear their voices chanting dwarven tales. He bid his exhausted friends goodnight and returned.
----
Kazrack heard the deep bass of a dwarf telling the tale of Natan-ahb creating the world, and has he stepped into the edge of the circle of dwarves about a fire the dwarf telling the tale ended with the fracturing of the first island by Natan-ahb, who struck his hammer upon the world to punish the dwarves who had gone astray. (77) The dwarven voice died away. Kazrack spoke as he stepped into the light and spoke:
“I dreamt that Natan-ahb, our First Father, and the other Lords and Lady, were watching over my shoulder as I looked upon the First Dwarven Kingdom. All Dwarves called each other brother then, and we were wisely ruled by our King. We built wonders to behold and mined the earth’s mysteries. And the wealth gathered in doing so is to make the strong better able to help the weak lift their hammers. We knew the truth of this but yet the strong made the weak mine for them and horded the Grey Giver’s gifts. The Liar had told each of these Dwarves that they should be King and that wealth would put a Crown upon their heads. None knew that the liar spoke to many heads and promised many crowns and brother turned against brother. I saw this drama played out below me. The Grey Giver’s mystery was shaped like two poles of uneven length crossed perpendicular to each other; the shorter pole close to the end of the longer. I watched as all the dwarves of the First Kingdom clung to the Grey Giver’s Last Gift - Each clambering for position, and clinging desperately on to another if it proved impossible to grasp the Last Gift directly. I saw our Last True King command, beg and cajole the others to let the Last Gift be; To turn away from it as individuals and return as a community. But the dwarves of the First Kingdom each cursed the other too loudly to hear their King’s wisdom. I looked upon the Grey Giver’s last gift and saw that the mass of dwarven kind had turned it into a Great Hammer. Natan-ahb’s mighty arm reached over my shoulder for it and hefted it into the air. Our last True King grew desperate then, crying frantically to our kind, “Let go! Turn away!” But again, our curses were too loud to hear. The First Father judged us and found us wanting. He brought that living hammer down upon Aquerra and shattered it. The many pieces scattered and landed into a configuration I recognize from maps today.”
“Who is this dwarf who comes and speaks of dreams and portents?” said the deep voice who had been chanting earlier.
“I am not speaking a portent, but rather…” Kazrack was interrupted by someone pulling on his sleeve. He looked down and saw Bardolph sitting beside him.
“Announce your name,” he whispered, alerting Kazrack to the fact that he has made a dwarven faux pax.
“Uh, I am Kazrack Delver, most recently from Verdun, but my family is from Derome-Delem, Llurgh-Splendar-Tor,” Kazrack said.
“Welcome Kazrack Delver,” said the dwarf with the deep voice. He had a white beard with streak of blonde. It was obvious to Kazrack that he was a hill dwarf. “You speak as would a rune-thrower and come to us from a land of humans to a place beset by that race. Take up a flagon and join us.”
Kazrack spent the evening with his brethren, sharing tales and news. He learned of the land called Verdaise, which had once belong to the Elgaard Dwarves, who now called themselves the “Bzontra”, having all cut off their beards until they regained their ancestral lands after their mountain was destroyed by an unknown god. He learned of the recent war between Menovia and the Principality of Rhondria, and how Rhondria had basically come under the sway of the former.
The night had grown even darker by the time Kazrack crawled drunkenly into his tent, as clouds had rolled in beneath the stars.
Anulem, 28th of Ese – 564 H.E.
Crumb’s Boys were awakened by the sound of jangling chains and the sound of hammers on stones before Ra’s Glory had even risen. Mumbling and murmuring complaints, they ate cold breakfast packed their gear and hit the road again. Not there was much more than a vaguely visible track through a rocky area with crabgrass which followed the edge of the ravine.
Kazrack waved to the dwarves as he and the others marched away, but none returned his good-bye, keeping a tight eye on the chained and working men.
They marched onward and upward most of the day. Many times they could see the river, now not as far below them as before, but gurgling angrily over rocks rapidly, as the incline became steeper and steeper.
Crumb’s boys began to breathe heavily as the going became slower. The mules sure-footedly picked their way through the uneven round, and some of the weaker folks began to lag behind at times. They took frequent breaks and by mid-day the group had made perhaps as few as three miles distance since they started in the morning.
Soon after crossing an old stone bridge, Kinney and Horung began to unpack one of the mules and re-distribute its gear among Crumb’s boys, allowing Boris E. Crumb the Third himself to climb up on the mule.
The group continued their arduous march, and by mid-afternoon, despite the fact that the climb had level off, they could barely make any more progress as fatigue had set in. They stopped and began to make camp in a clear stony area surrounded by sickly pine and firs. Once again, the river was way below them in a ravine, and to the east they faced the near barren peak of a craggy hill.
As Kinney wearily prepared a meal, and Horung brushed the mules, and Kamir ran about doing odd chores, including helping to set up Crumb’s pavilion tent, Ratchis worked a large rock out of the dirt. He lifted it above his head and pumped up and down several times, and then tossed it a few feet and then repeated the process.
“What the hell are you doing now?” Devon’s voice rang out. “Trying to build up your muscles? Well, ya better keep working if you hope to ever beat me.”
Devon laughed long and loud. Ratchis ignored him and continued with his exercises.
Jana had wandered away from camp and towards an area where the trees were healthier and thicker, and crawled beneath them looking for herbs and mosses that would help in her healing craft. While standing scrapping moss off a tree, she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind. Jana swung around, stepping back and brandishing her knife. She had not heard anyone approach.
“Whoa!” Markle said, a big smile on his face and his hands in the air. “It is only me.”
“You should be more careful,” Jana said in her quiet voice.
“My apologies, but it is good to see you are ready for eventualities. It is a good addition to your other talents that I hope you will put to use for us,” Markle said.
Jana simply smiled.
“Though our progress is slow, we will be getting to Gothanius sooner than you think and the time is coming for a choice. You owe me a favor, and I mean to collect that – but it need not be just that. You know you can really profit from this whole venture,” Markle said, whispering and standing close enough to Jana to steal a kiss.
Jana put a hand up, and nervously took half a step back. “Let’s not go into specifics yet. I don’t want to know too much too soon”
“Of course not,” Markle replied, his smile widening. “We cannot afford that risk and it is in your interest to be able to plead ignorance. I understand.”
They were silent for a moment, and Markle looked around and stepped close again.
He continued, “I will tell you this much, the least I will require from you is to keep your goody-goody friends from getting involved in what we plan to do. It is none of their business, but as we both know, that has not stopped them before.”
Jana nodded, her smile vanishing.
“But, if you want to play a bigger role, there is money to be made and things to be gained. Do you really think that the Kingdom of Gothanius is going to uphold a contract signed by a woman? A backwater rinky-dink little monarchy in the middle of nowhere? Think again. After all this effort, you need to take what you can, and I can give you that opportunity,” Markle stepped back again. “Think about it. You know where to find me.”
He began to walk off, but looked back with a wink and a smile. Jana stood there contemplating the offer for a second, and then returned to looking for herbs.
---
Back by the edge of the ravine, Beorth sat upon a huge rock and prayed to Anubis, while the sun set behind him. As he contemplated death and rebirth, he heard a repeated and echoing bang from across the ravine. Beorth opened his eyes to see a pair of large rams slamming each other repeatedly on the craggy hill across the way, while a hand full of other mountain goats looked on. BAM! Their heads would strike each other and they’d stumble backward, pause, look at each other and then slam again. Beorth watched these evenly matched rams do this for some time, when they suddenly stopped. At that moment, movement further up on the hill caught the paladin’s eye and he looked up to see the hindquarters of what must have been an impossibly large ram turn the corner out of sight. All he really got a good look at was one rear hoof, which looked big even if it had been a horse. Beorth was amazed, and turned to see if anyone else had seen that, when he saw Kazrack and Ratchis approaching.
“Beorth!” Kazrack called. “I just came back from helping to gather firewood and Ratchis said he wanted to talk to us.”
They came up to the rock Beorth sat on.
“I wanted to tell the two of you because honestly I am not sure how much we can trust the others to keep this quiet for now and not raise a panic,” Ratchis said quietly.
“What is it?” Beorth asked.
“I have reason to believe we are actually being led to where we will be sold into slavery in Menovia,” Ratchis said plainly.
“Well, that must be why Crumb seems to think of us more as chattel than as people,” said Kazrack.
“Who are the Menovians?” Beorth asked.
“Set-worshippers and slavers. It is one of the Little Kingdoms that Gothanius is a part of,” Ratchis explained. “The reason I joined you after helping to deal with the wolf problem was because your group was the one I was looking for. I had reason to believe groups were being led to be sold into slavery under the pretext of gaining land and becoming heroes.”
“So, why not tell everyone?” Beorth asked.
“I think it would cause a panic, especially since we have no way to know if it the truth, yet, “ Ratchis said. “Better that we just remain alert and be ready for the eventuality. If more evidence presents itself, then we can consider telling the others.”
“Shouldn’t we at least tell Chance, Jana and Jeremy?” Beorth asked.
“I don’t think so,” said Ratchis. “I don’t trust Jana, period. I have seen here talking with Markle, and I‘m not unconvinced that he and Devon and the little one aren’t in on it. They are definitely different than the rest of the boys here.”
“Then again, so are we,” said Beorth thoughtfully.
Ratchis nodded. ‘Regardless, as for Jeremy and Chance don’t seem like they can be trusted to keep their mouths shut. Even if they wanted to, I think they’d end up blabbing.”
“Agreed,” said Kazrack. “How do you think it will happen?”
“I’m not sure,” said Ratchis. “Either there will be an ambush, perhaps at night or when we are passing through a canyon that is not easily escapable, or we will be led directly into some castle or town where we will be easily captured. Anyway, I am telling you because I need more than one pair of eyes, and it is my sword duty as a Friar of Nephthys to oppose tyranny and slavery wherever it may rear its head.”
It was agreed that they would keep it to themselves, and soon everyone adjourned to bed. As had been the habit on this stretch of the journey, people were set on watch that night in pairs. Ratchis and Jeremy for the first watch, Kazrack and Beorth for the second, and Jana and Chance for the last.
Ralem, 1st of Syet – 564 H.E.
Crumb’s Boys awoke to frost on the grass, and a biting cold. There was not much for breakfast, and Ratchis feeling pity after watching Kamir shiver and seeing his toes peeking through his worn shoes, called upon Nephthys to protect the boy from the elements.
Chance and Jeremy ate the little there was while they let Kamir pack up their tent for them.
“What are you doing?” Kazrack admonished.
“Whut da it luke like?” Chance said groggily. “We’re etin breakfest.”
“I mean, Kamir. Why are you letting him do you work for you?” Kazrack asked.
“Why nut? He wonts ta do et, I say let `em,” Chance said.
“It is not good to take advantage of people like him,” Kazrack said.
“Why nut?” Chance said. “Pepple luke him are kind ahve anon an’ es best jas ta let em do whut they wont ann’ be done wit’ et.”
Kazrack sighed and walked over to where Kamir was taking the tent down.
“Here, Kamir, let me help you,” the dwarf offered.
“Oh, no, it’s fine, Kazrack. I got it. It’s not a problem. I like to help,” Kamir said.
“Well, so do I,” Kazrack said. “Listen, Kamir. You can’t let people boss you around.”
“Oh, they don’t boss me around,” Kamir replied. “I like to help. When you are helpful people like you, my ma used to always say, especially if you stay out of their way and just do all the work. She used to say that, too.”
“Sometimes you have to do what you want to do, not what other people want of you,” Kazrack said. “Duty is one thing, but letting yourself be walked all over is quite another.”
“But I do want to do it,” Kamir said. “I want people to like me.”
“But if you do it too much people will not respect you,” Kazrack tried to explain.
“Well, that doesn’t make any sense,” Kamir replied.
“I know it doesn’t,” Kazrack said with a sigh.
When they were done, Kazrack tossed the packed up tent to Jeremy angrily.
“What?” Jeremy said, dumb-founded. Kazrack merely walked over to join the line of Crumb’s boys beginning to march.
----
Crumb rode one of the mules all this day as well, and in places the incline was such that the group had to switchback many times, slowing their progress to as little as 10 miles that day. At the end of the day everyone was exhausted, and the meager dinner did not sit well in their stomachs. Kamir, Frank and Gwar were sent to retrieve fire wood, and the individual fires were much larger this colder night.
Isilem, 2nd of Syet – 564 H.E.
The smell of snow was little comfort to the tired and hungry men and boys who continued their march the next day. The cold was such that few words were spoken, and people just pulled their furs tightly around them and looked up occasionally to see if the snow had arrived yet, but the gray sky only threatened.
Ratchis blessed Kamir with another Endure Elements spell, as he was not as well-prepared for the cold weather as others were.
After mid-morning the march eased up as they the land inclined downward and soon they were walking along side the river again. They followed deep wagon ruts in the riverbank, and by midday they came to a rocky place where another river met the one they were following. However, the new river’s water was murkier and almost black in places. Where it met the Tall Twin River, it foamed up, with the black scum floating downward and slowly breaking up as it passed them.
The group crossed a wide wooden bridge, that led to the land between the two rivers. They stopped for lunch not far from there, where the edge of a hilly forest curved away from their direction and to the northeast. The track they followed broke in two here. One followed the Black River, the other followed the large river they had been following all along, but now on the other side of it.
Deet gathered everyone together, the skin of his balding head wrinkled from the cold, and his lips a blue that matched his robes. Crumb wanted to address his men.
“This is South Fork, and so we have officially enter into the territory of the Little Kingdoms. We are in the Kingdom of Gothanius, but not far from the Kingdom of Menovia. In a few days, we will reach North Fork Wall, and there we will have a long deserved rest. From there it is but a half a day’s march to Twelve Trolls and our final destination.”
There was a pause, and then Crumb’s boys dispersed to get what rest they could before the marching continued. Crumb looked perplexed as if he expected cheers, but what he saw instead were weakened men throwing themselves on the ground to get what little sleep they could. Leaning against a tree to gather his strength, Ratchis noted that this spot had the remains of other small campfires scattered throughout the clearing.
---
They marched onward about an hour later, heading west by northwest along the easternside of the river for a time. However, exhaustion just got the better of all of them, and it was not two hours later, when the crew stopped again and made camp. Actually, most of Crumb’s boys just threw themselves on the ground again, while a few others tried to make fires, but the tinder was low again. Jana set up her tent and went inside to nap, and Ratchis just lay on the ground. Kazrack and Beorth set up their tent, and Chance crawled in, being too tired to set up his own as Jeremy and Kamir were sent to get firewood.
The dinner bell awoke everyone from their sudden slumber and the sky looked darker than ever. Ratchis, Kazrack, Beorth, Jana and Chance got the bowl of scraps served for dinner and sat around a tiny fire to eat.
“Anyone seen Jeremy?” Ratchis asked.
“Ah thank he wint ta get sahm wood wit’ Kamir,” said Chance.
“They’ve been gone for a while,” said Kazrack.
Ratchis slurped down the last of his food and stood, walking over to where Horung and Kinney were cleaning up the cooking pots.
“Where the hell is that boy? Don’t tell me I’ll have to clean all this myself!” Kinney was saying. “I’ll tan his hide!”
“Have you seen Kamir?” Ratchis asked.
“That lazy boy isn’t here to do his chores. I have no idea where he is. Probably off hiding and shirking his duty.”
Ratchis growled, and walked towards Deet.
“Have you seen Jeremy and Kamir?” Ratchis asked.
“I sent Jeremy and Chance to go get wood. I don’t know where Kamir is,” said Deet.
Devon, who was walking by to look for non-existent seconds stopped.
“Lose one of your little puppies?” Devon asked Ratchis mockingly. “You better hope no one threw them in a sack and drowned them.”
He laughed loudly, but Ratchis ignored him and walked back to the others. Snow began to fall.
“We have to go find, Jeremy and Kamir,” Ratchis said.
“You are sure they are not around?” Jana asked.
“I asked around, and it is getting dark. They may be nearby, but it is better to be safe,” Ratchis replied. “Chance, weren’t you supposed to go with Jeremy to get firewood?”
“Aye, but Kamir insisted he go for me, so I dint wontta break his lil heart,” Chance said with a wink.
The group strapped on their armor and grabbed their weapons, while Ratchis jogged in the direction that he thought they might have gone to find wood and searched for tracks.
The others caught up to the tall ugly woodsman.
“There is no good wood around here, they probably made their way towards that tree-covered hill,” Ratchis pointed north by northeast. “There are signs that at least two people broke through the brush here.”
Ratchis took the lead, keeping a good forty feet ahead of Kazrack, Beorth, Chance and Jana. They made slow progress as the woodsman stopped and stooped often to check for signs of their missing companions.
They came to the woody hill, and found the way up to be treacherous. The increasing snowfall did not help, as visibility lessened. Ratchis led them slowly up the hill, the trail he followed curved nearly to the other side, but then switched back and then came to a severe drop that the party had to clamber down.
“It looks like the stopped a lot,” noted Ratchis. “Here, one person climbed up and another continued along this path. Let’s take the straight way. I don’t think that higher way will lead to the top of the hill.”
The followed the lower path for a a few dozen yards, when Ratchis stopped again.
“Someone came tumbling down the hill here at right about the time it started to snow. There is blood here, and then two sets of tracks continue,” said Ratchis.
”I bet it was Jeremy,” said Kazrack with a smirk.
“I’m sure they were trying to make their way to the top of the hill,” Ratchis said. “If they were lost they probably thought that from up there they could gain a better view of the surrounding area and find their way back.”
“That sounds pretty smart,” said Beorth.
Jana, Beorth, Chance and Kazrack finally made their way up to the top of the hill, led by Ratchis. The snowfall was not heavy, but rather its lightness was such that the flakes hovered obscuring vision. The top of the hill was flat and surrounded by a ring of leafless deciduous trees. Just off center of the plateau was a small pond that was partially frozen.
“Stand here,” Ratchis commanded, and began to wander around the top of the hill, sometimes getting down on his hands and knees and crawling about face nearly pressed to the ground.
After some time he cam back to the others.
“It looks like two people wandered around here for a while, going in circles around the top. They also stopped by the water and rested there. It also looks like someone else camped here perhaps a day or two ago, there are the remains of two small fires over by those trees. However, it looks like in the end Jeremy and Kamir were confused and chose the wrong way. They went down the side of the hill opposite of our camp.”
As Ratchis led the group in that direction, they found that the northeastern side of the hill was thick with tall both deciduous and coniferous trees. However, a few hundred yards down and to the left could be seen light emerging from beneath the canopy. The party headed down to a level equal with the light, and then turned left.
“I will go ahead and see what I can see,” whispered Ratchis creeping ahead into the darkness. The party extinguished their own light and waited.
----
Ratchis slowly got closer and closer to the light, but the snow and the trees and underbrush obscured the area it emerged from. He moved slowly and carefully trying to remain quiet, and could only vaguely hear what sounded like talking and perhaps grunting. It was then that the backlit and silhouetted form of an armored man appeared atop a large rock up ahead.
“Who goes there?” the man called. Ratchis could see that the man held a light crossbow, and wore studded leather armor, and had a long sword scabbarded at his side, but darkvision did not allow him to make out the detail of the tabard the man wore.
“Put a light up here!” the guard said, calling over his shoulder into the clearing the light came from. He turned back to Ratchis, “Stop!”
Ratchis moved in a wide arc to the guard’s left, so the man lifted his crossbow and fired, but missed.
“Who goes attacking travelers?” Ratchis asked summoning all the authority he could in his voice, but making his way for the cover of a large tree. However, by this time the soldier had reloaded his crossbow and fired again and Ratchis felt the bite of the bolt as he dived for the tree.
A second figure holding a lantern in one hand and a long sword, armored as the first approached Ratchis.
“Stop in the name of the Kingdom of Menovia!” the soldier on the rock said, reloading his crossbow, and now Ratchis could see that the man blindingly approaching him with the lantern wore a gray tabard with a purple serpent twined about a black tower.
“He’s over there to the left,” the man on the rock said. “Kill whoever it is!”
Ratchis prayed, “Nephthys infuse my weapon with your divine might so that I may slay these evil slavers,” and cast Magic Weapon upon his quartertaff. But the other soldier point him out and the words of prayer led the lantern bearing one right to the Friar of Nephthys, and he received a hard blow from a long sword. While his chain shirt absorbed most of the blow, its force knocked Ratchis down, making him momentarily visible from behind the tree, and the crossbow-wielding soldier took another shot, but it hit the trunk instead.
Ratchis quickly got to his feet. “Come taste death, Menovian scum!” he cried, and swung his quarterstaff connecting heavily with the man’s shoulder. The soldier dropped the lantern (which did not break) and swung his shield into position and struck Ratchis again, drawing blood. “Captain!” he cried.
By this time the rest of the group had heard Ratchis cry out and the sound of other voices and they began to move up. Jana spoke a word and touched Beorth’s staff and it began to shed light. Chance hid behind a tree, but as Jana moved to join him, the guard upon the rock noticed her in the new light source and she felt a crossbow bolt painful rip through the flesh of her calf. Beorth stepped in front of Jana to shield her, and Kazrack move in a wide arc to get to Ratchis.
Ratchis slammed one end of his staff into the gut of the soldier he fought, but when he brought the other end down, his opponent raised his shield and the staff struck awkwardly splintering into countless slivers. Ratchis’ eyes opened in amazement. The soldier tried to take advantage of the moment of surprise, but Ratchis parried with what was left of his staff, and then dropped it on the ground.
A second soldier with a crossbow appeared from the clearing beyond. Jana moved to get into position and speaking arcane words cast a spell upon the guard that just arrived, but he shook it off. He replied by firing his crossbow at the young girl, and more blood was drawn. Ratchis drew his short sword and dealt a heavy blood-splattering blow on his opponent who fell on a heap on the snowy ground. Beorth moved towards the guard by the rock, but could not get close enough to strike a blow, while Chance stayed low and crawled through the brush behind another tree. Kazrack hurried towards the circle of light in the clearing, and dodged the crossbow bolt of the soldier upon the rock.
Another soldier appeared, wielding a long sword and shield and ran towards Ratchis’ position.
“Nephthys, hear me!” Ratchis cried, laying his hands upon himself. “Heal my wounds so I may defeat these agents of evil!”
Kazrack moved to cut off the soldier going towards Ratchis, but another soldier curt him off, even as he felt a crossbow bolt pierce his scale mail. Beorth struck the soldier upon the rock twice his light-imbued staff, while Chance crept up hidden towards the clearing. Jana cast her spell again, but again the spell failed, and she barely dodged another crossbow bolt. Kazrack charged his new foe with his halberd and struck a hard blow, that drove him and the collapsing guard back into the clearing. The dwarf raised his head and audibly gasped when he saw what was there.
Several lanterns hung from the branches of trees, and a small fire burned near the center of the clearing. Three more soldiers were moving in their direction, one to join the one fighting Kazrack and two moving towards where Jana and Beorth were. One last tall figure, with a black cape and wearing a suit of chainmail, was tightening his armor, and held a long sword of obvious quality in his left hand. The man’s tabard had a golden braided trim, and he had black hair, and the shadow of a beard on his angular face. Jeremy was bound to one tree, his arms curved back painfully about the trunk, his head drooping down onto his chest, and on the ground before him was Kamir. The poor boy was on his knees in the muddy snow, his trousers around his ankles, and blood dripping down his thigh; his normally bright and smiling face was a black and blue swollen mess pressed against the cold ground; his breathing evident, but shallow.
“They’re over here!” Kazrack was able to yell, as the man in the golden-lined tabard stepped forward and swung his sword with until now unseen skill, cutting deep into Kazrack armor and sending painful waves up and down the dwarf’s body; blood pouring in a torrent out of the wound.
Chance popped out of the brush and tossed a dagger expertly at one of the soldiers with a crossbow, striking him in the torso. The man grimaced in pain even as Jana cast her spell again and he turned and fled out the other side of the clearing. Beorth continued fighting with the soldier upon the rock, and while Ratchis moved from his position to support Kazrack the soldier he had downed hopped up and took a swing at him, missing. Ratchis broke into the clearing and saw Chance and Jeremy, and one of the soldiers on Kazrack cut him off striking him with a glancing blow.
Kazrack, in an attempt to deal with his predicament used his halberd as it was intended and tried to trip the captain, but the captain was too dexterous and easily leapt over the low blow. The captain struck once with his long sword as he regained his footing and swinging his sword backhand cut the dwarf deeply beneath the right arm. Kazrack dropped to the ground with a cry.
Beorth continued his ineffective battle with the soldier who had leapt down from the rock by now, and Jana cast her spell to make him flee in fear. Chance pulled his short sword and stepped in to aid Beorth against his opponent, striking a glancing blow as he turned to run. Ratchis, who had drawn his dagger by now, attacked with both blades, easily dropping the soldier that had cut him off. The captain stepped up to the tall woodsman, swinging quickly and with impressive skill. Ratchis was able to parry the first blow, but the second found purchase, and Ratchis could feel his leg numbing from the blow as his life’s blood escaped him. He gritted his teeth and growled, giving no ground despite the fact that he knew he was outmatched.
Jana circumvented that melee and positioned herself for a spell. Speaking her arcane words, she pointed at the captain and a ray of sickly green light shot from her finger at the man, but went wide, as she tried to miss Beorth, who was now moving to aid Ratchis against the captain.
Ratchis struck two effective blows, one against the soldier that had duped him slaying him and one against momentarily distracted Menovian captain. The captain spoke, “Looks like scum is all over the place. I’ll teach you to step into Menovian territory!”
Kazrack, barely clinging to consciousness, rolled away from the melee.
“This will take but a moment,” said the Captain, and he twirled striking Beorth soundly and coming around with a high arc blow on Ratchis, that the half-orc barely blocked with his short sword.
Jana shot her ray again and struck the captain, and Ratchis moved to flank him striking twice, scoring a nasty wound to his weapon arm. The captain’s sword drooped as he grimaced, blood pour down his arm.
“You are going to pay for that,” the Menovian said to Ratchis.
Beorth tried to press the advantage of the critical wound, but even through the pain and in his spell-weakened state the captain’s prowess was breath-taking. He flipped his long sword into his off-hand, and cut deep into the half-orc’s side. Chance, meanwhile, had made his way to Kazrack and yanking his beard and slapping his face said, “By Bes, get up and do something!”
Kazrack felt a fresh rush of energy and adrenalin and stood. He was about to re-join the fight against the captain when a voice called out, “Everybody stop or the fat kid gets it!”
One of the soldiers who had fled into the woods after having been affected by Jana’s spell had found his way back. He had Kamir pull up against his body by the hair, and held a dagger to his throat.
Ratchis stepped back from the captain, “Hurt the boy and you won’t get out of here alive, I can promise you that.”
Beorth moved towards the soldier holding Kamir, and Kazrack and the others waited. The captain stepped towards Kamir.
“We’re leaving and we’re taking the boy with us,” he said.
“No, you are not,” said Kazrack.
“Leave the boy and go,” said Ratchis.
“Yeah, right,” said the captain with a smirk, blood still flowed steadily from his arm and into the snow.
“You can have a head start,” Ratchis added.
“Yeah, right,” the captain repeated. “Move him out.”
The soldier began to hesitantly step back with Kamir.
“Wait,” Jana cried.
Ratchis pulled a javelin from his quiver at his belt, “Let the boy go or I will kill you,” he said to the guard holding Kamir.
“Put down your weapon or the boy dies,” said the captain to Ratchis. “And just so you know, there are other patrols around here. You best be leaving while you still can.”
Kamir had a look of numb indifference on his face. There was no emotion, as if his mind were vacant; his mouth open with a look that might have been humorous under different circumstances. The soldier was basically holding him up by the hair, his knees bent and his legs slack, still naked from the waist down. He was covered with mud, blood and snow.
Beorth stopped where he was, but Kazrack stepped forward, “You holding the boy, your captain is leading you to death. Let the boy go and you’ll live.”
“Captain Himmell, let’s get out of here,” the soldier holding Kamir said nervously.
“You are NOT getting out of here alive,” Kazrack insisted. Jana tried to slyly move closer. The other soldier that had fled came into the clearing. He held up his sword and shield and moved to cover the captain from Kazrack, who had his halberd leaning on his shoulder raised his crossbow.
Ratchis took a deep breath and yelled, “Let go of the boy and run!” and with great speed and strength hefted his javelin and threw it at the captain, hoping to kill him with one blow.
The captain knocked aside the javelin with his long sword, as he twisted his body out of the way.
The guard who had just returned charged Ratchis, but the friar dodged the blow. Kazrack fired at the captain, but the bolt went wide, and Beorth ran behind the try Jeremy was bound to in order to free him.
“Kill the boy,” Himmel commanded, and pulling a clay vial from his belt sucked down the entire contents. Kazrack and Ratchis saw the man’s wounds quickly close. Chance attacked the guard that attacked Ratchis and missed, and Jana spoke some more arcane words and another ray of green light struck the captain.
And during all of these events, the guard that held Kamir did not hesitate. He was a good soldier and drew his dagger across the boy’s neck with sudden violence, making a thick red line of blood appear from ear to ear as the chubby boy’s body flopped to the ground.
Ratchis roared and tossed another javelin at Captain Himmel, which pierced the man’s shoulder clean through, now ore blood poured out of the man. The solider fighting Ratchis and Chance, hit the woodsman hard with his sword, and the gravely wounded friar collapsed in an unconscious and bloody heap on the cold ground. Beorth cut Jeremy free and the Neergaardian slid down the trunk into a ball. Kazrack, dropping his crossbow, picked up his halberd and raced at the captain. The halberd axe head buried itself deep in the Menovia’s gut and he roared with futile anger as he collapsed to the ground.
The soldier who slit Kamir’s throat ran back into the woods, and disappeared into the darkness. Beorth hurried to Kamir and turned him over. It was too late. The young helpful boy’s eyes stared blindly into still falling snow. He would never help anyone again.
Chance continued his fight against the remaining soldier, but his martial skills were not up to the task, even after Jana spoke and arcane word and the man seemed momentarily distracted. Kazrack yanked his halberd out of Himmel and moving over to the remaining soldier easily slapped his long sword out of his sweaty hand with the pole-arm. Seeing that Kazrack had things in hand, Chance ran towards where Himmel was on the ground and hacked wildly at the dying man, “Take that ya bloody filty bash-tahed!”
Jana attempted to daze the soldier again, but he only turned and ran into the darkness. Kazrack was close behind him, the soldiers fumbling among the trees in the night making up for the dwarf’s shorter legs. He tackled the soldier and both tumbled one over the other, and the soldier extricated himself and tried to continue to flee. When he heard that Kazrack would not give up, he turned and swung blindly at the dwarf missing. Kazrack grabbed him, “Give up!” The soldier’s shoulders drooped and he surrendered.
Jana tended to Ratchis’ wounds, while Beorth examined Jeremy’s. Chance lifted his short sword with both hands and sunk the blade into Captain Himmel’s neck, making sure once and for all that the Menovian was dead.
“Ta Set wit’cha,” he said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(75) The Mountain Door is the road that leads from Cutter Jack’s to the One Road (which connects a series of town in a mountain range that bisects Derome-Delem.
(76) "Bzontra" means “shamed” or “beardless” in dwarven.
(77) Every culture in Aquerra has a legend as to how the first huge island was smashed into the many smaller islands found in Aquerra today.
(78) Llugh-Splendar-Tor could be translated as "Low-Star Hills", but probably means something close to Spread Wide Like Stars of Gold Above the Hills.