Path of the Traitors

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t execute her!” Mayor Highrider shouts, his slightly perpendicular ears twitching. The armored half-orc pauses at the sight of the chaos elf, his pronounced lower jaw grinding from side to side. “I don’t care if you heard me. Your people have been a threat to the rest of us since the Great Cataclysm. All of us know someone who was killed or hurt by a chaos elf. Even with the defense of Fizzle and Lady Grasdon, it is difficult for us to trust you.”

  “I agree with my friend, except for the execution request,” Daniel Skyblade interjects while handing the orange-haired warrior a mug of ale. Offering a chair to Trinity, he sits on the corner of a table that has a map of Gaia pinned to it. “There are too many questions and not enough time to do a thorough investigation. The Grand Counselors have heard rumors about your people hiding in the mountains, but nobody has found them. The Snow Tiger Tribe refuses to cooperate as well because they think our agents mean you harm. Yes, that does go in your favor, but chaos elves are known to be tricksters. For all we know, you enchanted all of the barbarians and mean to attack us when the Baron arrives.”

  “We are still unsure of the information in regard to this monster too,” a dwarf declares from the back of the crowd. He pushes his way through with his studded shield and gets in Trinity’s face, his brown beard bristling. “Memories of the Baron are returning, so we know Gaia sits on his former capital. That doesn’t mean he will show up. We are going by the word of the champions, but there is a chance that their sources are lying. Are you one of the people who told them that the great battle will be here?”

  Kira clears her throat and raises her hand before replying, “Actually, we found out from a Lich who previously worked for the Baron. Before anybody gets angry, there is plenty of evidence to support this idea. The crests are connected to this place, the Compass Key was found here, and it was recently confirmed that the buried fortress was once the home of the Kernaghan family. That should be enough to put everyone at ease.”

  Instead of relaxing, the tense military leaders erupt in a battle of shouts and declarations that shake the tent. Fizzle tries to unleash his rainbow breath to calm everyone down, but he is screamed at by a dwarf until he darts under Aedyn’s chair. The priest refuses to get pulled into another argument, his eyes closed as he prays to Durag for protection and guidance. He stirs when a calico bumps into his leg and yelps at the pain of stubbing her toe on the metal limb. Kira quickly gets in the woman’s way to stop the heated debate from turning physically violent, the heiress refusing to react to being shoved. The dwarves notice the action and are about to start throwing punches when a whistle breaks through the other noises. It is a sound that drives every enraged person to their knees and makes their ears bleed. Those who are not affected remain in their seats and watch Trinity continue her spell, the channeler casually checking her fingernails for dirt.

  “That’s enough of that,” she declares, releasing the others and standing. Leaning on the table, she taps her finger once to make the map transform into a tiny replica of Gaia. “I don’t care if you trust me or not. You’re all confused because you suddenly remembered there was a monster in Windemere’s past and it’s coming back. Stories of Kernaghan’s cruelty is fresh in your minds, but the chaos elves have been seeing it firsthand for centuries. That is why I’m here and my army will be arriving shortly. After being his slaves for so long, we want to be involved in his downfall. As far as I’m concerned, all of you are here for nothing more than fun and glory.”

  “Not to mention the chaos elves get Shayd back if the Baron dies,” Aedyn adds, nodding to the smirking channeler. For a moment, his eyes open and shine like small suns before returning to their natural blue. “We also need to wait and see if we are needed. My knowledge of battle tactics is still growing, but I feel that all these armies rushing a single man would be a strategic mess. Our casters and archers would be negated by our warriors being too close. There is also the fact that we could get in the champions’ way and weaken them by putting ourselves in danger. Is there a reason for us to be here, Queen Trinity?”

  “Without a doubt,” the chaos elf replies, her evil smirk making several of the warriors shiver. Claiming an apple, she takes a bite and stops herself from blushing at the rumbling in her stomach. “I think the crests that are being set up will contain the fight within the city. That isn’t to say the barrier won’t break or is meant to be temporary. Either way, Aedyn is right because the Baron will use all of us as hostages. My suggestion is to stay back unless he calls in his own army, which could be demons, undead, golems, or things even I haven’t seen before. You can do whatever you want though. Large scale combat isn’t my expertise and I plan on going directly for that immortal bastard.”

  Amused by the channeler, Mayor Highrider chuckles and lets his hammer thud to the ground. “I would ask why you get to challenge him, but I know you can hold your own against Nyx. That puts you on a different level than the rest of us. I still don’t like going into this without some kind of guarantee on your part. How about we make a tentative treaty that will last for the battle?”

  “You don’t attack us and we won’t attack you.”

  “Why do I feel like we should be saying that?”

  “Because you think my people are murderous assassins.”

  “True and I do hope some of your reputation is warranted considering what we are up against.”

  “We have a problem!” screams a guard as he rushes into the tent. The gasping footman points at the back of the pavilion even though nobody can see through the fabric. “The Snow Tiger Tribe arrived, but they aren’t alone. Uh, the soldiers and citizens are really nervous because there’s a lot them out there. Possibly more than the rest of our forces combined. I mean . . . I didn’t even know there were that many.”

  A shadow falls over the young man as Tigris Wrath enters, her blonde hair braided to keep it out of her hair. She adjusts her crystal crown, which hisses as it painlessly attaches to her scalp thanks to an enchantment. Wearing a chainmail shirt and pants covered in leather armor patches, the intimidating Snow Tiger Queen receives a bow from everyone in the tent. She ignores the warriors and goes to give Trinity a one-armed hug that cracks the smaller woman’s back. Fearing that she has injured her friend, the excited barbarian releases her hold and reaches out to move the tent flap aside. A shadow on the other side shakes its head, but Tigris grabs the hesitating figure by the arm. Roughly yanking Quail into the tent, she makes sure the mapper is steady on his leg and crutch before letting go.

  “He landed on one of our shamans,” the barbarian mentions with a smile. Patting both chaos elves on the back, she claims the nearest chair and sighs as she rests her aching muscles. “It took very little time to heal him and learn about what you’ve been up to. Wish you sent Quail to us sooner because he cut our travel time in half with shortcuts. Although, I heard what you went through, so I apologize if the joke is in bad taste.”

  “I know about Altia,” he interjects before Trinity can open her mouth. Noticing the map, he limps over to the table and runs a hand across the parchment. “To be honest, I had a feeling she wasn’t going to make it out of Ashkeep. When Ambrosine brought her body to me, I had already resigned myself to the pain. She said you tried to save her, which I’m thankful for. I’m not much of a fighter and my missing foot will take even longer to heal since I removed the Troll Ring before it was done. Still, I want to do what I can to help. Even with many of my tools damaged, I’m a highly skilled mapper. Do you have a need for me?”

  “Show these overgrown children how it’s done,” Trinity whispers with her hand on the young man’s shoulder. Feeling out the Troll Ring’s energy, she gives it a small charge to return its regenerative powers to their original speed. “I assume Sebave stayed behind with my daughter and anyone who was unable to travel. How many warriors did you bring, Tigris? That soldier said you brought more than everyone else.”

  The Snow Tiger Queen chuckles as she leans forward and
gently takes the chaos elf by the hand. “He wasn’t talking about my tribe. Someone sent a message on your behalf. The chaos elves who refused your invitation to the mountains have been joining our ranks for days. Casters, archers, thieves, priests, and all manner of specialists. We’re not even sure all of them know how to fight. It has been highly entertaining to turn around and discover fresh faces. Makes me feel like this battle will be historic.”

  Curious about what is waiting for her outside, Trinity leaves the tent and is greeted by a bellowing cheer from thousands of cobalt-skinned figures. Standing between the other armies and Gaia, the chaos elves are spread out in a long mob. Weapons and armor from nearly every corner of Windemere can be seen among the soldiers, the effect making them appear disorganized and sloppy. Forehead-embedded enhancer gems glint in the light to give the casters the illusion of having three eyes. Joined by the other Generals, Trinity smirks at the tension that rolls through the other armies. Only Kira, Fizzle, and Tigris remain relaxed while their allies are busy reliving various nightmares about facing an invading army of chaos elves. Raising her arm, the channeler creates a sword of lightning that rises higher than the wall of Gaia. Shouting her name at the top of their lungs, her massive army lifts their own weapons and launches small spells into the air.

  “We’re the front line,” Trinity announces, turning back to the other leaders. Cracking her knuckles and licking her lips, she revels in the sensation that the Baron will make sure they get involved in the fight.

  *****

  A skeletal arm slides out of the earth to place the final crest on Gaia’s wall, the tiny shield sinking into the stone. Nimby’s head emerges from the dirt, but he stays low to avoid being seen by the distant armies. He smiles at the sight of Trinity approaching her people, the channeler stopping at the sound of a dull hum. Looking up, the halfling watches as a hazy dome appears in the sky and gradually sinks toward the wall. Not wanting to be trapped outside, Nimby follows the Lich’s urging and burrows into the city. The ancient defensive spell locks into place with a crash, which sends a shiver up the thief’s spine. He can taste the magic in the air, the energy seeping through his skin to feed the necrocaster hiding within.

  “Are you sure about this, Tyler?”

  “I haven’t steered you wrong yet.”

  “This is where it all ends.”

  “Let the final battle begin.”

  The adventure concludes in

  Warlord of the Forgotten Age