by Noah Layton
They took me in like any blackout drunk in the midst of a song would.
I took the chance to look over at the corner properly.
Maybe they had a weapon underneath their cloak, but they weren’t much of a threat judging by their appearance.
It would be easy to corner this son of a bitch right where they were sitting, but it would cause too much of a ruckus.
I had to get him or her outside – a pursuit would confirm my suspicions.
I finished the song and downed the rest of my ale in a final, obvious chug.
With a faux-drunken salute to Rook, I feigned a stagger to the door of the tavern and wandered out into the cold, taking a left.
I had made it perhaps ten yards before I heard the tavern door creak open behind me.
Light footsteps against the wooden panels of this level sounded, moving in time with my own.
I paused briefly, spitting upon the ground.
The footsteps stopped, and as I continued, they resumed.
This guy was cautious but determined.
If I looked over my shoulder he would no doubt go running. He following me for a reason and I had to know why.
I couldn’t risk it.
I quickened my pace and ducked into the first dark, dead-end passage between two merchant storefronts that I could find.
I sharply backed up against the wooden wall and waited as the footsteps of my approaching pursuer came ever closer.
The moment an inch of his head appeared past the wall, his eyeline about to follow, I lunged straight at him.
My pursuer let out a terrified yelp.
‘Who are you?!’ I growled, shaking him by the scruff of his collar. ‘Why the hell are you following me and my people?’
‘Please don’t hurt me! I can explain!’
The familiarity of the voice almost made me release the figure out of shock.
My grip still only relaxed slightly though, and I didn’t let go of him completely.
‘Morok?’ I exclaimed. ‘Is that you?’
‘Please don’t hurt me, tribe master,’ the croaky voice replied. ‘I do not mean you any harm.’
I pulled away from the figure. He pulled his hood down, and sure enough that old face appeared before me; green, scaly skin, cautious eyes behind a pair of spectacles, and long pointed ears pulled back against his head.
Morok was a goblin who I had met some time ago. It wasn’t in the best of circumstances; upon pillaging the land of Werger, the self-indulgent and greedy tribe leader who had been keeping Ariadne’s kin as slaves, I had found the goblin lurking in a hidden cellar beneath Werger’s home.
His way of saying hello was launching a steady stream of crossbow bolts at my small group.
First impressions are pretty important, and Morok didn’t exactly set a good one.
I knew that I couldn’t trust him, and while I didn’t want him on my land, I didn’t have the constitution to kill him.
So I had dispatched him into the oversight of a pleasant enough river captain at the cove and left him in the hopes of never seeing him again.
Now it seemed that my wish hadn’t been granted.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ I growled, tightening my grip on his cloak and practically lifting him from the floor. ‘And why are you following me?’
‘I can explain,’ Morok whimpered fearfully. ‘It was not my intention to cause you any distress.’
‘Well that didn’t work out for you, did it? Now start talking!’
‘Freedom!’ He replied suddenly. ‘Freedom. That’s what I bought. Many weeks ago when you put me in the charge of that sea captain, I thought my best days were behind me. But during our travels I made myself more than useful. He promised me my freedom if I could save him 2000 gold pieces from his running costs. It did not take long for me to do such a thing, and I took my freedom back.
‘Alas, I did not know what unpleasantries awaited me. Freedom in a winter such as this is not to be envied.’
‘You look like you’re doing okay,’ I frowned suspiciously, examining the golden lining of his cloak.
‘Hardly,’ he chuckled nervously. ‘This gown is nothing but a falsehood. I must maintain the appearance of success in order to acquire the clients that I seek.’
‘Get the hell out of here,’ I said. ‘And if I see you again. I’m taking your head off. You don’t come near me, and you especially don’t come near my people. Do you understand?’
‘Yes, tribe master…’
‘Now get the fuck out of here.’
I practically threw Morok from the alleyway, but he didn’t need my help to get moving on his way.
Perhaps I was being harsh to him, but at my core I believed in a few things, and one of them was this; people never changed.
I didn’t judge people by what they looked like, but what they did; every single member of my tribe and every ally I had in Agraria was somebody who I knew I could trust.
I knew that I could trust each and every one of them; they had all proved their mettle against the elements of Agraria, and all proved their loyalty to me time and time again.
They would die to protect our tribe, and I would die to protect them.
But Morok? He had tried to kill me the first time he had met me, and threatened to kill myself, Alorion and my wives by blowing us to pieces.
Naturally they were all empty threats; he wasn’t in possession of anything that would allow him to do that.
Sure, he had been terrified at the time, but I didn’t care. I had tried to reason with him using words – just as I said at the start of our tale – but that didn’t work.
The only thing that had stopped me from killing him on this second occasion that we had met was some semblance of good will that I had. He had been scared the first time.
This time he was desperate.
But just because a man was desperate, didn’t mean that I had to do anything about it.
I couldn’t trust him, and I had no desire to see him again.
Chapter Twelve
After a restful night’s sleep with the door to our room above the Drunken Steed securely locked, we saddled up at first light the next morning and returned to the land.
The snowfall grew heavy during our journey, and by the time we made it back through the southern gates the grassy pasture where the horses grazed was covered in a blanket no less than a foot deep.
‘How are we looking?’ I called up to the fox-man on guard. ‘Any trouble?’
‘Aside from the cold, Master Jack? All is quiet.’
‘Good to hear.’
My citizens were making use of their wood-burning hearths, the black smoke billowing into the sky above from each and every chimney. Snow had been cleared from doorsteps and pushed back from the edges of the homes, swept from rooftops and heaped in modest walls away from where my people lived.
We were doing just fine.
I bade farewell to Cass as she returned home and Alorion as he returned to his home on the northern lookout, while Talia, Lara and I headed back to the treehouse.
The sight of Ariadne, Elera and Santana was only made better by the orange light that filled my home and the welcoming warmth that accompanied it.
Twenty minutes later we were washed down and changed into fresh clothes, and I had finished telling the story of the second challenge.
I elected not to tell my wives about my little meeting with Morok – it would only create a sense of fear.
‘Good gods,’ Santana exclaimed quietly. ‘What lengths will this dwarf not go to in order to keep this agrarium of his hidden?’
‘Damn good question,’ I replied, kneeling by the fire as I added three fat logs of wood and stoked them with the poker.
‘You should have seen it,’ Lara said. ‘I was on the edge of the pit, watching all of this take place. I have never seen anything like it. It almost didn’t look real. It was like one of those moving pictures that you told us about, Jack. What were they called?’
&
nbsp; ‘A television,’ I smiled. ‘A lot of the stuff on television wasn’t real. Most of it, now I come to think of it. This was definitely real.’
‘It certainly felt real to me,’ Talia laughed. ‘I’m a swift mover, but this pushed me to my limit. It is a wonder we survived. I fear how much luck had a part to play.’
‘Pfft, luck,’ Lara replied. ‘From where I was standing it was nothing but skill. I never doubted any of you for a second.’
‘And what about the next clue?’ Ariadne asked.
I moved away from the fire and pulled up my inventory. A moment later the silver orb popped into the air and landed in my hand satisfyingly.
‘Another orb,’ I replied. ‘This is the answer to finding the final challenge, and thereby finding the agrarium.’
‘I’m guessing we don’t bury this one. Did it come with another clue?’
‘Yep.’
I fished the silver box out of my inventory and read back the clue.
Find the light to guide your way,
But the steps to your reward may not appear what they seem,
For the final levels dwell deep in danger
To grant passage, simply speak: alundra.
‘Alundra,’ I spoke, observing the surface of the silver orb. There was no change.
‘Bronze, silver…’ Lara said. ‘Anybody else notice a pattern here?’
‘If the final box is empty at least we can sell the gold box that it’s wrapped in,’ Elera commented.
‘You don’t really think this dwarf would make you do all of this just to present you with an empty box, do you?’ Santana asked hopefully, taking a fistful of the bed covers to her chest.
‘Can you imagine?’ Lara said. ‘We get to the end of the final challenge after risking life and limb, and inside the box there’s just a piece of paper that says something like the real heart of Agraria lies within.’
My wives laughed hysterically. I couldn’t help but join in.
That would be a final and resounding kick in the teeth from the master dwarven blacksmith that had led us along this nightmare of a trail, but I wouldn’t put it past him.
If he was crazy enough to set up challenges of the nature that I had so far confronted, he was unquestionably crazy enough to dupe me at the last second.
I tossed the silver orb up into the air and caught it in my hand before returning to the firelight and holding it up to the flames.
‘This one isn’t filled with smoke,’ I said. ‘It’s mostly solid, and there seem to be what look like jagged pieces inside. Strange…’
‘Have you tried burying it like the last one, husband?’ Santana asked.
‘Not yet, but I doubt that the solution to this will be the same as the first. I’ll try a few things, but-
At that moment the cawing of a red xevea sounded from the north.
All six of us fell silent as we looked to the door of our home.
I didn’t need to utter a command – all five of my wives loyally rushed for their clothes and weapons, dressing like warriors that had been trained their entire lives to do so.
I did the same, pulling on my boots and my coat before snatching up my sword and checking my power stone selection wheel.
I dashed outside to see the faint shape of Alorion on the northern watchtower waving his arms in my direction.
By the time I had reached the northern gates the warriors had joined me, armed and ready to assist.
‘Who is it?’ I called up to Alorion.
‘Not to fear, Master Jack,’ he replied. ‘We are in the presence of allies.’
I frowned in confusion and ordered two of the warriors to open the gates. They removed the bar and pulled them wide.
The ranged warriors either side of me readied their bows, but the moment I set eyes on the visitors I motioned to them to stand down, which they faithfully did.
Seven purple horse-like creatures stood before me at the entrance in an arrowhead formation. Each was mounted by an armor-clad warrior, while the final two pulled a carriage.
The figure leading the pack dismounted their horse and approached. Already I could see the hint of pale-yellow skin beneath the places where the armor met.
‘Master Jack. It has been too long since we have been in each other’s presence.’
The melodic, familiar voice of Master Mariana of the Sun Elves of Morelia was unmistakable.
She pulled off her helmet and shook out her luscious blonde hair before smiling back at me with her crystalline white teeth and her shimmering eyes.
‘Master Mariana,’ I replied, offering a hand which she softly shook. ‘I was wondering why I hadn’t received a reply to the letter I sent.’
‘Well, in times like these I thought it more customary of me to visit you personally. Your tribe is our only ally, after all. And, when I considered the matter, I realized that you have spent much time trekking to my land, but I have never taken the trouble to visit yours.’
‘Even in this weather?’
‘My people have survived many winters,’ she smiled. ‘Even if we do not enjoy the cold, we can at least cope with it. Besides, what better way to spend a small portion of it than in the company of friends?’
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ I replied. ‘You’re always welcome here.’
Politics. We had mutual respect for each other, and we fought for similar ideals, but we still had to respect each other the way presidents of free countries had to respect each other.
‘You and I have much to discuss,’ she whispered into my ear. ‘Is there somewhere more… Private, that we could talk?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’ve got an unused structure in the east of my land that your warriors can use.’
‘They can set up a camp,’ Mariana assured me.
‘Really? I’ll be honest, I feel bad not being able to offer you the same level of comfort that you offered me and my people.’
‘Nonsense,’ she smiled, batting a hand at me – even that move was graceful, but she was a sun-elf, so it wasn’t surprising. ‘My people are warriors. They can endure all conditions. Besides, we shall not be here for long.’
‘I’m sure, but I do still feel indebted to you, especially for the support you have offered in allying your tribe with mine.’
Mariana moved even closer to me, her lips practically touching my skin as she whispered to me delicately.
‘You and your wives risked your lives countless times to save mine. You owe me nothing. If anything, it is I who still feels the need to pay off the debt to you.’
‘That works for me,’ I smiled. ‘Come on. I have a place that we can talk.’
***
A few minutes later Mariana and I were walking through the snow just south-east of my land. We stopped at the snowy vines that covered the entrance to my cave, and I swept them aside.
‘Where are you leading me?’ She asked with an intrigued smile.
‘Somewhere warm where we can have some privacy,’ I promised.
‘If you say so,’ she nodded, ducking through the gap and into the cave.
I followed Mariana inside the secluded cave, the steam from the water ushering into the air all around us.
I wondered if she was used to more luxurious surroundings when it came to discussing diplomatic matters between our tribes.
‘Oh, this is wonderful…’ She exclaimed in awe, looking about the cave. ‘I would kill for a place this secluded near our land. All we have are the tunnels beneath it. You remember, don’t you? Where the statues of my ancestors reside?’
‘How could I forget?’ I replied. ‘It’s the very reason we met in the first place.’
‘Indeed it was,’ she smiled over her shoulder, climbing onto the sandy embankment. Her foot knocked against something, and she leaned down to pick up a blackened glass bottle.
‘What is this?’ Mariana asked.
‘Old Molly,’ I replied, taking the bottle from her. ‘Part of a very rare batch of liquor. Would you care for some?’
&
nbsp; ‘Without question.’
I uncapped the bottle and poured out two cups. We raised a glass to each other and took a drink of the smooth, fiery liquid,
‘My, this is delicious,’ she admitted. ‘And how did you come across such spoils?’
‘It was hidden in a rather dangerous place. Just a job that I ended up taking. It’s how I met Elera.’
‘Ah yes, your nymph. She is a beautiful woman. Not many men are capable of taming the heart of a being that is so used to taming the hearts of men. Perhaps that says something about you, Jack.’
‘And what would that be?’
‘Who can say?’ She smiled knowingly. ‘But for a man who shares a bed with so many beautiful women, I am sure that you must have some idea.’
Is she flirting with me?
No, there was no way. She was a woman as beautiful as my wives, and she harnessed immense power in the form of her tribe.
Mariana wouldn’t let herself go that easily.
She took another drink and left me to my imagination.
I took a drink of my own and looked out towards the cave entrance.
‘You’re right, though,’ I continued. ‘I do sometimes take this place for granted. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come here just to get away from it all…’
I had thought that we were here to discuss matters of tribal warfare over a drink, and that this was nothing but small talk between masters before we got down to the real business that I had mentioned in my letter.
But as I turned back to Mariana, I found the last thing that I expected; this tall, slender, beautiful sun-elf was taking off her clothes.
‘… What are you doing?’ I asked, trying not to sound like a complete moron but doing a pretty bad job of it.
‘Something fun,’ she smiled. ‘Back in the ancient days of Agraria when we beings who stand upright were not so ashamed to disrobe, tribe masters would meet without clothes to show that they held no secrets from the other.’
‘By secrets I’m guessing that you mean hidden blades under their cloaks.’
‘Indeed. Of course, it was largely ceremonial. Inventories could easily store all manner of nefarious weapons. Still…’
