“We have come to seek the blessing of Vrysinoch,” Herod said, making his way to stand next to a bowl at the foot of the winged god.
“Yes, yes,” the old and withered priest said, “I knew you would come to me today.” When the high priest spoke, the emerald light in the room seemed to shift and dance with every word, settling down as soon as the man stopped talking.
“This one, however,” the priest continued, “is already blessed by the winged god. I’m afraid that I am unable to help. No blessing of mine could improve the powers already bestowed upon this man by Vrysinoch himself.” That news was shocking to everyone, including Gideon. The three surprised men stood dumbfounded in front of the priest.
“You are the highest priest in the kingdom, the chosen of our lord. Certainly there is something that you can do?” Darius was at a loss for words. He looked from the priest and back to Gideon for some sort of answer.
“Well, there might be something that I can do,” the priest said in a mystic tone. “I might be able to convince Vrysinoch to bestow his blessing upon your weapons instead. The usual weapon enchantments that the tower gives to the paladins are for their shields. This one carries no such shield.” The old priest pointed a crooked finger up toward the hilt of the hand-and-a- half sword strapped to the warriors muscled back. “Yes,” he continued, “if you would just place your sword inside the bowl at the foot of the statue, we can try.”
Gideon took a step away from the priest. “I do not think that would be wise,” he said with a grating tone.
“And why is that?” Darius inquired with sudden curiosity.
“My sword is already enchanted,” the warrior said, “and quite powerfully so.” Gideon took another step back from the priest with his hands up in a defensive posture.
“Do you doubt the powers of Vrysinoch, warrior?” the priest asked. His voice dripped with accusation. “That sword looks sturdy enough to bear multiple enchantments, even one as strong as the blessing of a god.”
Gideon took another step back and bumped his head into the stone wings of the statue that formed the entry into the cavern. “You don’t understand,” he said, glaring at the priest. “My sword is honor-bound to my hands. I cannot draw it here.” Darius’ eyes jumped to the weapon with a hint of recognition.
“What does that mean?” Herod asked the guard captain. The prince’s hands moved nervously to the hilts of his own weapons.
“An honor-bound weapon,” Darius explained in frightful tones, “is magically entwined with the soul of its owner. It is a powerful enchantment, the properties of which are still largely a mystery. The priests of the tower seldom imbue a weapon with so strong an enchantment. While the power given to an honor-bound warrior and his weapon is certainly significant, so is the cost.” Herod leaned closer to the captain, hanging on every word.
“The cost is immense,” Gideon interrupted, finishing the explanation. “Every time I draw the weapon from its sheath, it drains part of my soul, feasting upon my life energy. True, it makes the weapon incredibly powerful, but if I do not allow the sword to take the life of another after I have drawn it, I cannot let it leave my hand. In essence, from the moment I draw my sword, it begins to kill me. Unless it kills someone else quickly, I will be consumed by it. My life force is strong enough to resist the sword for an hour, maybe two, but then I will die. The only way to return the sword to its sheath is to sate its hunger for souls.”
There was a long pause in the cavern. Gideon stared at the statue of Vrysinoch and everyone else stared at him. “Best not to take it out, then…” Herod said quietly to break the silence.
“If you don’t kill, you will die,” the priest said, “every single time you bring it forth. Vrysinoch protect you, my son.” The wrinkled hands of the priest ushered the group out of the temple, obviously eager to be far away from the sword.
“Does your sword have a name, Gideon?” Darius asked when they reached the drawbridge once more.
Walking out of the castle, his sword on his back and axes by his side, Gideon glanced over his shoulder and nodded.
***
GRAVLOX AWOKE THE next morning long before the sun’s rays began to warm the mountain. Vorst was waiting for him by the time he collected his gear and opened the door to his cave. “Hi Grav!” she said, bright and chipper. For a moment, Gravlox considered the fact that she might be so willing to follow him into the wild for the sake of murdering him for her own advancement, but the thought was fleeting and melted away as soon as Vorst smiled.
“I decided to leave the other poison ingredients here, in my cave, just in case,” Gravlox said as he shut the wooden door behind him.
“Probably a good idea.” Vorst nodded her head in agreement as she inspected the heavy pack that Gravlox wore on his back. “What all did you bring? How long do you think this journey is going to take?” The burlap sack on the hunched goblin’s shoulders was bulging.
“Food, mostly,” Gravlox responded, hefting the sack in an attempt to impress Vorst with how easily he could lift it.
“Are you really not bringing any weapons?” Vorst asked.
Gravlox stammered, not knowing what to say. “I actually don’t own any,” was all he could think to say. While fights and killings were commonplace anywhere in the mountain, Gravlox always felt safe in his mine and had never given the need for a weapon serious consideration.
Vorst set her small travelling pack down on the ground and produced two squat short swords, complete with scabbards and belts. She tossed one of the weapons to Gravlox who embarrassingly fumbled it to the ground.
“Here, let me do it,” Vorst said, kneeling down and buckling the sword around the waist of her travelling companion. After the awkward moment passed, Vorst patted Gravlox on the shoulder and smiled. The female goblin turned, starting toward the exit of the mountain complex.
Gravlox, being a mining foreman, lived near to where he worked in the heart of the mountain. “Come on,” Vorst said, waving to him, “the exit is over this way.” Vorst bounded down the dark tunnels, full of excitement and the lust for adventure.
When they reached an area bathed in sunlight from the outside world, Gravlox stopped.
“You have been outside before?” he asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide his surprise. Miners had no need of visiting the outside world and goblins in general rarely left the mountain.
“Of course, silly. Who do you think goes and gathers up all the supplies for the store? I do!” Gravlox stood in a shadow, not wanting to exit the mountain, unsure of his every step.
“Come on,” Vorst continued, turning back and grabbing Gravlox by the hand, leading him to the end of the tunnel and the outside world. “You miner goblins never leave the darkness? Doesn’t it get boring, being cooped up all the time in the dark?”
Gravlox shook his head. He was at a loss for words, a sensation that he was quickly becoming used to around Vorst.
The bright sunlight at the end of the tunnel stung the miner’s eyes, causing him to lift his hand and squint painfully ahead. Gravlox hesitated in the cavern, fearing that the sunlight might burn his skin and reduce him to a pile of ash. “Hurry up, Grav!” Vorst called to him, dancing in the warm sunlight.
Gravlox took a tentative step into the open air, gazing upon the farming terraces that lined the southern side of Kanebullar Mountain. Everywhere he looked, Gravlox saw goblins going about their work in the harsh sunlight, farming the land, tending to livestock, or simply resting. He moved another step out of the tunnel, letting the sun wash over his pale skin and heat his body.
Within a moment, Gravlox was running and skipping, trying to keep up with Vorst as she bounded down the terraces. Farming goblins yelled and cursed at the pair, who trampled more than a few crops as they continued their gallivanting. Nearly halfway down the sculpted mountain face, Vorst stopped, panting heavily. She sat down hard upon a rock, throwing her hands in the air, and let out a contented sigh.
Gravlox was right behind her, collapsing to the
ground in his jubilant exhaustion. Both of the goblins were sweating and breathing heavily, staring up into the sky. A long moment passed before either of them spoke.
“How do you like being outside?” Vorst asked, her voice sounding small and far away, as if she was lost in some sort of ethereal daydream.
“Wonderful. The outside is just wonderful,” Gravlox replied. “I can’t believe that I have never left the tunnels before…” He let his voice trail off, closing his eyes and thoroughly enjoying the warmth and beauty of the outside world. “Everything is just so warm,” Gravlox said, barely audible.
“And dry. I can’t stand being stuck in the wet caves and tunnels of the mountain. Everything out here is just so fresh and beautiful and dry. I love it here.” Vorst was lying down next to Gravlox on the grassy terrace, her head casually brushing up against the edge of the foreman’s shoulder.
“Look, up in the sky, there!” Vorst pointed at a small black object fluttering through the milky white clouds.
Following her hand, Gravlox peered into the sky. “What is it?” he asked, a hint of fear in his voice. “Should we get back into the mountain and warn the others?”
Vorst laughed aloud, rolling in the grass. “No, silly,” she said between her laughter, “that’s an eagle.” As if on cue, the great bird of prey loosed a piercing shriek, breaking the sky and shattering the serenity of the moment. The eagle caused many of the goblins to look up into the sky, wondering what they had just heard. Eagles were not uncommon around the mountain, but the way that the bird overhead had cawed, it set everyone’s nerves on edge. The eagle sounded like it had screamed, as if out of pain or hatred. There was anger behind the piercing screech of the great winged beast and all the goblins standing in the terraces could feel it.
“Let’s get moving along,” Vorst said, cautiously standing and keeping her eyes peeled on the sky. “That was peculiar.” The two goblins rose up from the grassy terrace and continued down the mountain face, eventually arriving at the edge of the heavily wooded plain that surrounded their home.
“So,” Gravlox said, stopping before entering the tree line, “where should we start to look for necrotic dust? Where can we find a necromancer?” He tried to hide his nervousness, but failed miserably.
“I know a place where ghost flowers grow,” Vorst replied, skipping past the first few trees and into the forest. “There is a graveyard not too far from here. I think it is only a few days walk from the mountain, near one of the human villages along the riverbank.” She drew her sword and used it to point the way.
“Lead on, Vorst!” Gravlox said with a smile, bounding after her once more. He spent the entire day trying to keep up with his spry companion. Vorst led him through the forest in the direction of the riverbank, always a few steps ahead of him. Gravlox tried to stop many times, usually to investigate some plant or animal he had never seen before. Vorst was eager though, relentlessly leading him farther away from the safety of the mountain.
“Shhh,” Vorst whispered when she finally came to a stop, motioning for Gravlox to be quiet. The two goblins crept up to an open glen, a grassy area void of the tall trees that made up the rest of the forest. “Look there, Grav, look at those stumps.” Vorst was crouched behind a small bush, pointing to four tree stumps in the clearing.
“What about them?” Gravlox asked, not realizing the significance of the stumps. He peered around the bush, trying to get a better look into the glen.
“They were cut down,” Vorst explained, making a motion with her hand to resemble a forester with an axe. “Humans do that. They cut the trees down for timber, just like we do.”
Gravlox shrank down behind the bush, trying to remain as stealthy as possible. “What do we do? Are there humans nearby? I can’t smell them.” The frightened goblin drew his short sword, not even sure how to hold it properly. Vorst put a hand on Gravlox’s shoulder, keeping him back while she stood up and looked around the edge of the bushes into the clearing.
“No one is here,” she said, standing up fully and bounding into the glen with her normal excitement. Gravlox stood up slowly, still tightly clutching the hilt of his weapon. The glen was large, with a small stream running between the tree stumps and back into the woods. “Let’s camp here tonight,” Vorst said.
“Alright,” Gravlox replied, grateful for a break. He sat down on one of the stumps, rubbing his weary feet with one hand while still grasping his sword with the other.
“Grav, check out these tracks. Some animals have been through here, probably to drink from the stream. We should follow their tracks and see if we can find them.” Vorst bent low over the tracks, following the large prints closely.
“What are the tracks from?” Gravlox asked, “Humans?” He walked over to the tracks slowly, unsure of himself.
“Those aren’t human feet,” Vorst said skeptically, pointing to the impressions in the mud. “Humans usually wear cloth on their feet, from what I’ve heard. These prints look like two big and pointy toes.” The two goblins stared at the tracks, having no idea that they were made by a rather large elk.
“Alright, let’s go find this animal.” Gravlox stood up straight, looking down the path of the tracks, trying to impress Vorst with his bravery. They started to follow the tracks, attempting to remain silent and undetected by the animal they were stalking. It didn’t take long before they came upon a cave, its smell indicating that more than one animal lived inside.
“That is where we should camp,” Gravlox said, desiring the familiarity of the cave to the open air of the forest.
Out from behind the cave emerged the elk, towering over the goblins, its antlers each the size of a goblin and half. Gravlox shrieked in fear, turning to run from the menacing creature.
Vorst, much calmer in the presence of danger, rolled to her side, coming to a crouch behind a small boulder and taking her short bow from her back. The elk, disturbed and threatened by the terrified shouts of Gravlox, lowered its head and began pawing at the ground with its hoofs.
“Gravlox!” Vorst called out, trying to get the poor goblin’s attention. “Run, but not too far from here. Lead the beast in a circle!” A smile broke out on the younger goblin’s face as Gravlox took off, the elk pursuing. Steadying her hands, Vorst nocked an arrow. Her breathing slowed to a deep, calm serenity. She pulled the bowstring back, just slightly, testing the tension, feeling the supple wood in her hand. Vorst’s body moved with the path of the elk, tracking her shot perfectly.
In a split second, Vorst exploded into action, closing her eyes and loosing three shots into the elk over the course of a single exhale. The massive beast hit the ground hard, sliding from its own momentum, and coming to rest just inches behind Gravlox. Opening her eyes, Vorst returned her bow to her shoulder and stood from her crouched position, calmly striding over to the fallen animal. It took a few moments for Gravlox to even realize that the elk had fallen. He turned around, shock and awe plastered plainly on his face at the sight of Vorst removing her arrows from the body of the slain creature.
“What the… How did you...” Gravlox threw his hands in the air, letting his sword fall to the ground. “Where did you learn to do that?” he muttered under his breath as he approached the dead elk. Vorst stood, her three arrows dripping blood onto the soft ground.
“Don’t worry about it, Gravlox, I’ve got your back. Nice work.” She cleaned the arrow heads off on the hide of the animal and replaced them in her quiver.
“How do you know how to shoot like that?” Gravlox was truly stunned. The impressive archer standing before him shrugged like it was nothing, pulling a small knife from her pack and starting to cut into the flesh of the elk.
“You pick up certain skills when you spend a lot of time outside the mountain,” she said nonchalantly. Vorst continued to cut the elk, removing the hide in large chunks. Gravlox sat down on the grass beside her, watching her work, admiring her familiarity with the carcass. “Here, try this,” she said, holding out a piece of the elk’s meat in her
bloody hands.
Gravlox took the chunk of meat and brought it to his mouth, biting in. Blood dribbled down his chin as he ate the morsel, savoring the flavor. “If you like that, you should try it cooked. It tastes even better when you roast it over a fire,” Vorst explained, wrapping a massive section of meat in the cut pieces of elk hide. She continued to dress the animal, removing the antlers and as much meat as she could carry.
After an hour or so with the dead elk, the two goblins made their way back to the grassy clearing and began to prepare a fire. The sun was low in the sky and the sounds of roasting elk meat filled the air by the time they finished setting their campsite. Vorst had cleaned the hides, setting them down on the grass to use as cushioned mats. Gravlox, not knowing the meaning of night and day as it related to the sun, became frightened with the onset of darkness.
Even though he could see perfectly fine in almost any environment, and the darkness actually aided his vision, he fidgeted nervously with the hilt of his blade. “I’ve never actually met a human, Vorst. I don’t know anything about them. Well, to be honest, I don’t know anything about anything out here. I have lived my entire life in the mines beneath the mountain. Do humans hunt at night?”
Vorst laughed aloud, shaking her head and sending hot droplets of grease all over their campsite. “No, silly. Humans are weak. Their bodies tire after even the most meaningless activity. Whenever it gets dark, humans lie down and sleep, like an animal.” She demonstrated a human sleeping by lying down and crossing her arms over her bare chest.
“Why do they do that? Couldn’t someone just walk up to them and kill them while they sleep?” Gravlox didn’t understand the need for sleep, never having felt the need himself.
The Goblin Wars Part One Page 4
