The Mercenary Code

by Emmet Moss

  And so it was that they now found themselves entering Rose Keep. The entrance to the main hall was a sight to behold. Flanked by the imposing marble statues of the stately lions of the House, the gates had been completely removed. Even the mighty hinges that had at one time supported the massive wooden gateway were nowhere to be found.

  Catching the bewildered look on Alessan’s face, Corian offered an explanation. “The doors haven’t been magicked, lad. The last ruling family had them ceremonially removed and placed at the site of the new castle built on the northern tip of Council lands. New Telmire was designed with its predecessor very much in mind.”

  Alessan felt like he was stepping back in time as he led the way through a large audience hall. Although the trappings of rank, power, and authority were long forgotten, the expansive chamber still invoked a noble reverence. Thick marble columns stretched to the very height of the tall ceiling, displaying part of the beauty that had once glowed throughout the hall.

  With their feet echoing noisily in the cavernous chamber, they craned their necks in order to take everything in. Coughing as layers of dust, years in accumulation, rose into the air, Alessan brushed at a myriad of cobwebs dangling in various nooks around the hall.

  Waving futilely at the cloying air, Alessan’s eyes alit upon a strange discovery. Near the back entryway there was clear evidence that a number of feet had trampled across the surface. Alarmed, he signaled Corian over his way.

  “Gath?” Alessan asked with concern.

  “Can’t be anything other than forest critters, young Oakleaf,” the merchant said confidently. “You can see signs of small claw marks, so I don’t think we need worry.”

  A brief search of the ground floor revealed nothing out of the ordinary. The kitchens were impressive, as were the large private dining chambers where the noble family would have certainly hosted many a formal ball for distinguished guests. Dust lay thick upon most of the floors, but further signs that something had passed through were in evidence. Corian refused to believe that they could be of Gath origin and silenced many of Alessan’s queries with a stern look.

  Their continued exploration soon brought them out a rear door and into a stunning courtyard and garden. The wild growth of the numerous flowers, roses especially, was beautiful to behold. Breathtaking vines crept up the walled enclosure and overgrown paths beckoned the young man, calling to his spirit. Alessan could only imagine how wondrous the place would have been when properly groomed.

  With glee, he shouted for Corian to join him as he stumbled through some extravagant hedgerows and into the remains of a sheltered garden area. Inexplicably, as it was still later winter, there were numerous ripe red tomatoes on many of the plants.

  Pulling a large fruit from the vine, Alessan bit into it and let the sweet, tangy taste flood his mouth. Wiping juice from his chin, he laughed as Corian’s eyes opened wide with surprise and a beaming smile lit up his plump face. For the better part of the morning, the two men happily enjoyed Alessan’s discovery, sating their ravenous appetites with the healthy fruits. Nearby, they also found a few beets and a batch of wild onions. They decided to stow the extra food in an old sack they had recovered along the way through the deserted city.

  Far better provisioned than they had been in days and with spirits soaring, the travelers returned to the keep with a plan to explore the upper stories. Alessan was still hoping to find some hidden treasure, but the second floor consisted mainly of bare rooms, and the hunt left him disappointed.

  As he entered a large circular room, Alessan could make out numerous old bookshelves circling the exterior walls. A reader himself, especially of the old legends and histories his father used to collect, Alessan whistled in appreciation. The sheer volume of books that could fit on the shelf space was impressive.

  He brushed his fingers along the dark aging wood while slowly walking the circumference of the chamber. As he neared the far side of the room, he swore as a sharp pain suddenly shocked his finger. Muttering to himself, he carefully examined a sizeable sliver that was now jutting from his fingertip.

  It was then that he noticed something strange about the nearest bookshelf. The light coming through a high open window illuminated a startling discovery. Suckling his bleeding finger, Alessan pulled a large piece of crumbling wood from the wall and exposed the steps of a hidden staircase. Clearing a large enough opening in which to slide through, he found himself staring upwards, and downwards for that matter, into a deep darkness that hid the remainder of the stairwell. Perched on the small landing, he realized that just as the wood had begun to rot from exposure in the main room, so too did a number of the stairs appear to be ill-suited for the weight of a man.

  “Master Praxxus! Come look at what I’ve found!” he called.

  With a careful step the big man inched his bulk partially onto the landing and stared into the darkness. “Well it’s a stairwell, lad, and a dangerous one at that. Not too much else to see.”

  “You have no imagination, you know that, sir,” Alessan scoffed. “This could have been a secret passage to a mistress’ chamber, or even an escape route for the royal family of Farraine!”

  Amused, Corian slid back out of the dark recess. “You’re one of kind, young Master Oakleaf! You could be a storyteller with all of those fanciful thoughts bubbling around in that head of yours.”

  Alessan spent long moments wondering whether a descent into the darkness was worth the risk of a potential collapse. True heroes, he thought, would jump at the chance to explore the secret room regardless of the danger. As his left foot came to rest on the first step, the resulting groan from the old wood caused his mother’s sensible and cautious voice to ring in his ears. With a look of longing, Alessan sighed and left the passage behind, preferring to follow Corian out of the library and into a new chamber.

  Daylight gave way to impending darkness, and the two men found themselves on the highest floor of the keep. The open battlements had proven far too unstable to attempt a visit. Alessan had a view from one of the tall windows and caught the crimson sunset through a thin layer of clouds. The rain continued to fall in a hazy mist.

  Looking out across the eerily empty streets of Old Telmire, Alessan thought about his sister and the tales he wanted to tell her about his recent adventures. High above the ruins, it was easy to forget about the hardships of the previous days. The attack at the Crossroads faded like a distant memory once he had entered the deserted city. Biting into one of his tomatoes, he was hopeful that his fortune had finally taken a turn.

  Suddenly, he realized with a pang of fear that the Aeldenwood wasn’t ready to hand them their freedom so easily. “Gath!” Alessan hissed, desperately throwing himself flat against the wall, his eyes trained toward the distant treeline.

  He motioned for silence as Corian moved slowly towards the other side of the high window, careful not to show his silhouette in the opening. Following Alessan’s whispered instructions, the merchant gasped as his eyes fell on the band of creatures moving far below.

  The wiry Gath numbered a score. Nearby, another contingent of the twisted creatures crawled about with an uncontrollable energy and enthusiasm. The front-runners paused to sniff the ground as they wound their way through the main thoroughfare and towards the keep. But it was an upright figure that commanded Alessan’s full attention.

  In the middle of the pack walked a tall, robed man, his stride purposeful and swift. Alessan could not draw his gaze away from the hooded cowl. Corian seemed likewise stricken, and both men watched in paralyzed horror as the grisly procession crossed the very crest in the courtyard they had uncovered earlier that day. A darker feeling of despair and terror seized their hearts as the robed man paused and flicked his gaze momentarily over the cleared design.

  He knows we’re here!

  Somehow dredging up the strength to tear his eyes from the creatures below, Alessan pulled Corian from the window as the
robed man’s head began tilting up towards their position. Leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, Alessan heard a harsh, guttural series of commands drift up from below.

  “He’s sending them up!” Alessan stressed. As he slumped breathlessly against the cold stone of the keep’s wall, all hoped seemed lost to the young man from Briar. The peaceful search of the abandoned city and its hidden mysteries had been ruthlessly shattered.

  “They’ve an idea we’re here is all, Alessan. Let’s head down that old back stairwell we came upon and see if we can’t follow it out. If luck continues to shine our way, we might have a chance,” Corian answered calmly, the faltering tone of his deep voice unable to hide his fear.

  “But the staircase was awfully rotted,” Alessan said with concern.

  “Well you’ll be going across first, lad,” Corian failed miserably in his attempt to sound unconcerned.

  Tracing their steps back through the haunting halls, the two men increased their pace as a long shriek tore through the musty corridors of Rose Keep. Echoing snarls travelled up from far below to the upper floors as Alessan led the way back to the old library.

  Behind the tall, rotted bookcase, the partially eroded staircase beckoned the two runners. At Corian’s urging, Alessan ducked through the opening and placed a foot down lightly on the top stair. The wood groaned in protest and he rapidly pulled it back.

  “Our choices are somewhat limited, Alessan.” Corian whispered. They both cocked their heads at the sound of the latest shriek, this one much louder and closer than before.

  Taking a deep breath, much like he once did while swimming at the old pond outside of Briar, Alessan stepped forward. As quickly as possible, he stepped carefully and took the twisting steps of the old staircase down into the darkness, each stair bringing with it another creaking groan that set his teeth on edge. Corian followed directly behind, and even with the significant weight added to the weakened structure, the wooden planks managed to stubbornly hold.

  Into the growing darkness they stepped. Reaching out with their fingertips to trace a path along the side wall, the men fled their pursuers. With two floors now descended, a series of loud howls caught their attention. Alessan guessed that the Gath were now above them and deemed it likely that they had reached the library.

  It was while they were in between floors that a brilliant light flared from above. Without warning, the staircase as a whole, shuddered and began to come apart. With a cry of alarm, Alessan surged downward, the dim opening to a lower landing faintly visible from his vantage point. Behind him he could hear Corian’s laboured breathing, the sound resonating loudly in his ears. All around them, the wood cracked.

  Leaping over the last few steps, Alessan awkwardly tumbled to the ground, his knee smashing down painfully on a sharp fragment of stone. He turned back to urge on the big merchant and watched in horror as the staircase crumbled into pieces right beneath the man’s feet. With a strangled cry of fear, Corian threw his arms up and tumbled down into the darkness.

  “Noooooo! Corian!” Alessan screamed, scrambling to the edge of the stone stoop. He called out to his friend in the unseen blackness below but received no reply.

  Acting quickly, Alessan rose to his feet and limped through the tunnel on his tender knee, vainly searching for another set of stairs that would bring him into the bowels of the keep. He wouldn’t leave Corian alone with so many Gath hunting nearby. He had left companions behind once before, and once was enough.

  With the sounds of pursuit far too close, as well as a nagging spike of pain rippling through his left knee, Alessan ran for all he was worth. Breathing a sigh of relief after finding his desperation rewarded for once with the discovery of a dimly lit stairwell that descended underground, Alessan barely paused as he leapt forward. Taking the steps in leaping bounds he continued to search for the fallen Corian Praxxus in the vain hope the man had survived the fall.

  Heedless to direction and staggering blindly in the darkness, he frantically tried to orientate himself. In the silence of the gloom his desperate thoughts called out to his two-time benefactor. C’Aelis, where are you? Why aren’t you here to protect me?

  Whenever danger had struck, the mysterious elder had been there to intercede on his behalf. How could this time be any different? He wondered in frustration. That C’Aelis had frantically run off in obvious distress during their last conversation mattered little now. The warnings prior to the attacks at the Crossroads and the old Lumber homestead had, in fact, created a certain dependency. Here in the depths of the abandoned keep, Alessan could only wish fervently that help would arrive before it was too late.

  For desperate moments, Alessan stumbled through the maze of hallways and rooms in the old keep. He called out urgently in a whispered tone for Corian. Terrified that the Gath were gaining ground on his position, fear threatened to overwhelm him as he found himself thrust vividly back to the memory of his harrowing escape from the Crossroads.

  With his heart hammering in his chest, Alessan finally caught the sound of a faint cry for help. Turning sharply in the direction of the plea, he forced his tired muscles to fight on. In the faint grey light of the lower floor, his eyes finally began to adjust to the dimness. Navigating the passages with increased speed gave him a new boost of confidence. As another cry rang out, this one far louder and filled with panic, he ran forward with the chaotic howls of dozens of Gath filling the air.

  Blindly rounding a corner and heedless to the danger that lay directly ahead, Alessan almost ran into one of the smaller Gath. A brief glance down the corridor also revealed the shadowy outline of a struggling Corian Praxxus. Steeling himself momentarily, he reached for the sword hilt at his side, and with some difficulty, pulled the blade free.

  Gritting his teeth, he surged forward and plunged the steel blade deep into the back of the creature just as it turned to face him. Shrieking ferociously, it fell backwards with its claws reaching hopelessly for the sunken hilt. With black blood splattered across his Sylvani leathers, Alessan watched the Gath die.

  “Alessan, why didn’t you run?” Corian asked with a shortness in his breath. He was slumped against a back wall and covered with broken wooden pieces from the staircase. Pausing to reach back and claim his sword, Alessan assessed the merchant’s condition and determined that the wounds were serious.

  Corian lay propped up against the cold stone wall of the passageway, a bone in his leg protruded gruesomely from his torn trousers. Blood spilled from the wound and clotted thickly with the layers of dust caked upon the floor. Apart from the injured leg, a large piece of splintered wood had lodged itself deeply in his side. Judging by the man’s laboured breathing and frequent grimaces of pain, Alessan knew that he was struggling to remain conscious.

  “Sir… your wounds, they look…” he stammered.

  A wearied look came over the merchant’s face. “Aye, lad, they look bad, and trust me they feel even worse. But it’s no matter to me, the gods have seen fit to call me home is all.” Trying to remain positive, Corian even managed a weak smile.

  “No, I can help support your weight and we can escape,” Alessan vowed. With tears streaming down his dirt stained cheeks, he tried to shift his shoulder under one of Corian’s arms.

  “Alessan, it’s no use,” Corian murmured as another wave of pain swept over his battered form. “You have the opportunity to escape and need to take it.”

  “No. I won’t leave you!”

  Gripping Alessan’s forearm tightly, Corian forced the young man to turn and meet his feverish gaze. “Listen to me, Alessan Oakleaf. Can you not hear the beasts closing in? You have scant time to worry about an old man like me. I led a good life, and I’ll not have your death on my conscience as I go to join the gods.” With tears of his own, Corian Praxxus let the grip on the arm fall free. “Now go…and don’t you dare look back!”

  “But…” Alessan said hopelessly. It was obvious that Co
rian was beyond his power to save.

  “I need you to do one thing for me before you leave,” Corian gasped.

  “Ask of me what you will, sir. I’ll do anything,” Alessan said through his tears.

  “Find Inigan for me, and make sure she is safe,” Corian said. “You know I was searching for her, Alessan. You must let her know that I didn’t want to grow old without her in my life. I’ve done many things over the years that I knew I would one day answer for, but Inigan, she deserved better. Please…” the merchant finished and lost consciousness.

  Looking down sadly at the flamboyant master merchant from Innes Vale, Alessan wiped away a new flood of tears welling up in his eyes and replied to his friend one final time, “I will find her.”

  A series of growls, so close they sounded like they could be within a few paces, shocked Alessan from his state of grief. The immediate danger of his situation was all too clear, and he lurched to his feet with the bloodied sword clutched awkwardly in his hand.

  Finding some untapped well of energy and courage, he ran through the dizzying dark corridors with a speed drawn from pure desperation. Sweat stung his eyes and black hair hung in wet ringlets about his face. Troubled, he listened to the searching shrieks of the Gath. It took a monumental effort to block his mind from thinking about Corian’s ultimate fate. The merchant was lost, but the time for grieving would come another day.

  Alessan had no idea how long he’d been running before entering a large chamber somewhere within the subterranean depths of Rose Keep. The close confines of the cramped passages gave way to the cavernous chamber with no forewarning. Startled by the change, Alessan froze and collapsed to his knees, his body finally giving way to the sheer exhaustion of the chase. As he fell, his heart sank and his newfound courage melted in the face of the numerous red eyes that glared at him from the blackness. Spinning fearfully, he realized that the fell creatures who called the Aeldenwood home, had led him into a trap.