“Why don’t you remove the hood, Axor?” asked the elf. “It must be difficult to enjoy your meal with your face covered. You are among friends here.”
“You have no idea what being a Chula shaman entails,” Axor answered softly. “Even among friends I will remain covered. Besides, I will not embarrass the staff of this inn.”
“Do not pursue it,” Emperor Marak softly advised the elf.
Caldal frowned and stared at the table silently. MistyTrail watched him sulk, and she began to feel sorry for him.
“I think an apology is in order,” she said to Emperor Marak. “Just before we were attacked, you were lecturing Caldal about his attitude. He just made an effort to be sociable, which I believe was very hard for him to do. He does not need to be rebuked at this point.”
Caldal glared at MistyTrail and shook his head. He was about to open his mouth to tell her to be quiet when the Emperor spoke.
“I do apologize,” declared Emperor Marak. “My words were not meant to make you feel apart from us, Caldal. I was merely trying to save Axor from embarrassment. While his looks are revered among his people, other humans might have a hard time accepting him. I suspect that elves would, too. Let’s make a deal this night, Caldal. When I say or do something that you think is wrong, tell me. I will do the same for you and Eltor. If we are willing to communicate with each other, we will not suffer from false impressions. Will you accept?”
“I do accept your offer,” replied Caldal. “I was not really put off by your words. I was attempting to fit in with the group. I just don’t know what to say. I guess I was embarrassed by not knowing what to converse about.”
“I readily accept as well,” interjected Eltor. “Your compassion for the feelings of Caldal makes me respect you more than I do already. Why are you so different from other humans?”
“I am not sure that I am much different in regards to what we are talking about,” answered the Emperor. “There are good people and bad people in this world. I am sure the same is true in Elvangar. I am sorry for what you had to go through in Motanga at the hands of humans, but we are not all like that. You really have no idea how the humans of this land feel towards you.”
“What do you mean?” asked Caldal.
“I have heard many compliments about you from the people at the Imperial Palace in Khadoratung,” stated the Emperor. “While some complained that your attitudes were poor, most expressed admiration for your skills, especially in archery. Many of them would have liked to have gotten to know the two of you better, but you never gave them the chance.”
“That was my fault,” conceded Caldal. “Before you explained to me the truth about humans discovering Elvangar, my attitude was poor. I apologize for it. I wish I could go back and change many things, but that is not possible now.”
“No, it isn’t,” smiled the Emperor, “but you can change the future. Promise yourself that you will give all people a fair chance to be friendly, and you will be surprised how many truly are.”
Caldal’s eyes darted to the hood-covered Chula, but the elf quickly turned away.
“You are right,” purred Axor as he caught the elf’s gaze.
“I am sorry,” apologized Caldal.
“You have no reason to apologize,” replied Axor. “Emperor Marak just spoke words of wisdom to you, and your first thought was that I was ignoring his words. You are correct. I have been hiding under my hood the same way that you have been hiding your feelings inside. I am not giving other people the chance to accept me as the Torak just suggested. His words were the words of a wiser man than me.”
Axor flipped his hood back revealing his long flowing mane. His sparkling eyes sat over a broad snout with whiskers spreading from his split lips. Everyone’s attention was diverted from Axor’s face as one of the serving girls dropped the plates of food she was carrying to the table. The girls turned and ran into the kitchen. Axor sighed and replaced the hood over his face.
“She only saw the back of my head,” Axor said softly. “Perhaps your words were not as wise as I thought they were, Torak.”
“They were wise words,” retorted Caldal. “I, too, was shocked by your appearance, Axor, but that will not make me reject you. Is your appearance typical of all Chula?”
“No,” Axor replied. “Only the strongest in magic can attain such a state. Among my people my appearance is a badge to be worn proudly. Such is not the case among humans.”
Crawford slid two plates onto the table and stared at Axor. The Chula shaman felt the eyes gazing upon him, but he ignored the innkeeper.
“I am sorry for the reaction of my girl,” stated Crawford. “I have heard stories of Chula shaman, but I do not know of anyone who has ever seen one. Feel free to uncover your head in my inn. If it bothers my girls, I will serve you myself. You are a welcome guest here.”
Axor nodded politely at the innkeeper’s words, but he made no move to bare his mane. The innkeeper frowned and walked away. Voices could be heard coming from the kitchen as everyone sat silently at the table. Several minutes later, both young girls came into the common room. The one who had dropped the plates walked nervously to stand behind Axor. He felt her presence and became uncomfortable.
“I am sorry for my reaction,” the girl said nervously. “I have never seen such a sight before, but my father explained that your people are responsible for creating the forests around us and the fields that grow so bountifully. I am ashamed of my actions. Please remove your hood so I may see the face of one so revered in your land.”
“There is nothing for you to apologize for,” Axor said softly. “Let us consider the incident dismissed. You have done nothing wrong.”
It was clear to all that the Chula shaman had just dismissed the serving girl, even if he had done so politely. Still, she did not move. Instead she nervously extended her arms and gently pulled Axor’s hood from his head. Axor’s hands rose to stop her, but the Emperor smiled at the Chula and shook his head. Axor allowed the girl to uncover him. The other girl’s eyes grew wide as she stared at the Chula’s face, but she tried to appear impassive. The girl who had removed the hood walked to the end of the table so she could see the shaman’s face, and Crawford walked up behind her.
Crawford coughed slightly and both girls snapped out of their trance. They bowed respectfully to the shaman.
“We are honored to serve a Chula shaman in our inn,” said one of the girls. “Thank you and your people for the great gift they have given to Fakara.”
The girls bowed again and returned to the kitchen. Their father smiled broadly at the Chula.
“You should be just as proud of your appearance in Fakara as you are in your homeland, shaman,” smiled Crawford. “Our people owe a debt to yours that can never be repaid. Walk proudly among us so that we never forget that debt.”
The innkeeper bowed and retreated to the kitchen. Axor blushed with embarrassment.
“Perhaps your words were wise after all, flatlander,” he said to the Emperor with a smile.
“Flatlander?” echoed the Torak with mock offense. “You must mind your manners, shaman.”
“Indeed I must, Torak,” grinned Axor as he nodded his head in a bow to the Torak. “It appears that Caldal and I share much in common. May your words heal what ails both of us.”
“Well there is one benefit of traveling with a Chula shaman,” chuckled Eltor. “No one has said anything about our ears.”
Everyone laughed at Eltor’s comment, and the conversation turned to lighter topics. They sat for a while after the meal chatting about trivial matters. Crawford and his daughters came out and joined the conversation. After a while, no one paid any particular attention to Axor’s appearance. Finally, Crawford stood up.
“Time for you girls to turn in,” he announced. “You need to be up bright and early in the morning.”
Both girls instantly rose and bowed to the shaman before retreating to their room. Emperor Marak rose and the whole party followed his lead.
“The Western Woods is indeed a friendly place,” Emperor Marak said to Crawford. “I will recommend it highly. I have not enjoyed such food and company for some time, but it is time for me to retire as well.”
“I will stay up for a while,” responded Crawford. “If you want anything, just ask.”
The travelers filed out of the common room and up the stairs. Gunta came up last and handed out the four room keys. Mistake and MistyTrail took one room and the elves another. Halman bunked with Axor, while Gunta followed the Emperor. When they entered the room, Gunta immediately went to the window and gazed out. He leaned out the window and checked the side of the building before retreating.
“Anything out there?” asked the Torak.
“No,” replied Gunta, “but I feel like there will be before long.”
“I feel it, too,” nodded the Emperor. “I have been trying to calculate how long it will take those hellsouls to get here on foot.”
“I thought the attack was one of random chance,” stated Gunta. “Do you think they are coming specifically for us?”
“I think they are coming for me,” corrected the Emperor. “I have no knowledge to base that assumption on, but too many people knew about me taking this trip. There is not a great deal of traffic on this road yet. Do you think hellsouls would just wait forever to ambush whoever came along?”
“They might,” shrugged Gunta, “but we must plan as if they are after you. Should I alert the others?”
“I want the group to get a good night’s sleep,” frowned Emperor Marak. “It will not be good for us to all be tired tomorrow. Share our concerns with Halman, but not the rest. If we see or hear anything during the night, awaken everyone. You and I will take turns sleeping.”
“Why tell Halman then?” asked Gunta. “I thought Halman and I would take turns so that you can sleep through.”
“I want Halman to protect the innkeeper’s daughters if we are attacked,” explained the Emperor. “It is bad enough that we are bringing trouble to this family. I will not bring sorrow to it as well. Halman does not have to stand watch during the night, but he should be aware that we are going to so that he will know what his task is if something happens.”
“Understood,” nodded Gunta as he slipped out the door.
When Gunta returned, Emperor Marak was already asleep. Gunta was glad that Marak had chosen to wear the black and silver of the Torak clan, rather than the white and gold of the Imperial Emperor. If a fight did come this night, the white would stand out too much. Gunta quietly walked to the window and stared out. The view from the window looked out over fields of watula. A few small farmhouses were visible in the distance, but nothing was moving outside. Gunta frowned when he realized that he could not see the road. He wondered if the hellsouls would follow the road or keep off of it. There was little he could do about watching both approaches. He pushed the thought from his mind and concentrated on the soft sounds of the night.
Several hours later, Gunta felt something was not right. He became instantly alert and tried to pinpoint the nature of the problem. He nodded slowly to himself as he realized that the sounds of the night had changed. The cricket chirps could still be heard in the distance, but not nearby, and the horses were restless. Gunta gazed out the window at the stables. Suddenly, he saw a dark shape flit within the stables. He reached over and shook the Emperor.
“What is it?” Emperor Marak asked softly as he rose and strapped on his weapons.
“Something besides horses is in the stables,” reported Gunta.
“Alert the others,” ordered the Torak. “If it is a false alarm, they will only miss a few moments of sleep.”
Gunta nodded and headed for the door. As he opened the door, he heard a shout from downstairs. A distant clash of steel made Gunta draw his sword and race for the stairs.
“Attack!” Gunta shouted as he started running down the stairs.
The Torak ran from the room and headed for the stairs. The door to the room occupied by Halman and Axor flew open. Halman stepped into the hallway with his sword drawn. He ran for the girls’ room at the other end of the hall while Marak started downstairs. Doors were slamming open behind the Torak as he raced down the stairs to the common room. Ahead of him, Marak could see Gunta swinging his sword at something coming in the rear door. Crawford held a bloody sword before him with his back braced against the front door. A dark shape rested unmoving at the innkeeper’s feet.
As Marak’s feet hit the ground floor, the body in front of the innkeeper started to get up. Crawford’s eyes grew wide with fear. He moved forward to kill the invader a second time. When he moved, the door behind him burst open, throwing the innkeeper to the floor. The Torak raced towards the front door. He jumped over the innkeeper and jabbed the Sword of Torak into the hellsoul trying to enter the inn. The hellsoul’s body evaporated in a black puff of smoke. The Emperor heard the innkeeper curse behind him. He also heard the clash of steel and a cry and a thud.
“Crawford?” called the Emperor without turning around.
“I am here,” the innkeeper panted. “This man doesn’t want to stay dead.”
“Go up and protect your girls,” ordered the Torak. “Send Halman down to me.”
“But…” protested Crawford.
“Just go,” commanded the Emperor. “Hurry.”
Emperor Marak slashed another hellsoul trying to get through the front door. As the body disappeared in smoke, he shoved the door shut and put his back to it. The hellsoul that Crawford had been fighting with was trying to get up again. Marak stretched forward and brought his sword down on the hellsoul’s head. The hellsoul disappeared in a puff. Marak saw Axor standing at the foot of the stairs. The room burst into brilliance as the Chula shaman sent a brilliant light disc into the kitchen. Marak could not see what had been shredded in there.
“They are coming in the windows up here,” shouted Eltor from the top of the stairs. “I keep killing them, but they will not die.”
“Axor,” shouted the Torak. “Get halfway up the stairs and kill anything trying to go up. Gunta, join me at the front door. We are taking this fight outside.”
Axor backpedaled up the stairs as Gunta ran away from the rear door. As Gunta ran across the common room, Marak shouted loudly and pulled the front door open. The hellsouls who had been trying to force their way in through the front door hesitated slightly. It was the opening that Marak had hoped for. He pushed the Sword of Torak before him as he stepped outside. Once clear of the door, the Emperor slashed his sword in a figure eight. The sword sliced cleanly through the flesh of the hellsouls. Three dark cloaks dropped to the ground, and Marak pushed onward.
The front of the inn had a small roof over the porch outside. As the Torak emerged from under the roof, a hellsoul dropped onto his back. Gunta’s sword sliced through the hellsoul’s legs, and it fell to the ground screaming. Gunta stepped up alongside the Torak as they both swung their swords furiously. Within moments the front of the inn was clear of hellsouls.
“Back inside,” Marak ordered Gunta as he turned and raced through the front door.
Axor was still on the steps. Body parts littered the floor, but the Torak could see nothing moving. He raced up the steps past the Chula shaman. The upstairs hallway was splattered in blood. MistyTrail and Mistake each had a hellsoul on the floor and were repeatedly stabbing them whenever they opened their eyes. Caldal and Eltor were shooting arrows along the corridor as creatures rose to attack. The Torak rushed towards the women first. He sliced each of the fallen hellsouls and nodded when their bodies disappeared. Marak turned and pushed past the elves.
“Save your arrows,” he said as he pushed by.
The Torak marched along the corridor striking a killing blow to each hellsoul as he rose. Within moments the hallway was thick with smoke.
“Check every room,” ordered the Emperor. “I want to know that they are all dead. If you find one alive, call for me. The Sword of Torak will vanquish them.”
The elves bega
n searching the rooms. The Emperor turned and headed for the girls’ room. He threw open the door just in time to see an empty cloak fall to the floor.
“How did you do that?” Marak asked Halman.
“Decapitation,” answered Halman. “We kept killing the same three over and over again. When I decapitated one, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, just as if I had used the Sword of Torak. I figured if it could work once, why not try it on the others.”
“Excellent,” grinned the Emperor. “We must get word of this to everyone. Are the girls alright?”
“They are scared,” answered Crawford, “but otherwise unharmed. Thank you for sending Halman to protect them. They would have surely died if he had not been here. They came through the window.”
“From the roof out front,” nodded the Emperor. “Stay and watch over them, Crawford. Halman, make a circuit outside to see if any more are around.”
Halman nodded and raced out of the room. Marak turned to see if the elves had found anymore. They had not.
“Out front,” shouted Halman.
The Emperor raced down the stairs and out the front the door. Halman stood gazing down at a live hellsoul. The creature was on its back staring up at Halman. It had no legs to rise and attack. The Torak walked over to it and stared down.
“I carry the Sword of Torak,” declared the Emperor. “It has the ability to end your miserable existence. Shall I put you out of your misery?”
“What are you waiting for?” spat the hellsoul. “Kill me.”
“Not until you answer my questions,” retorted the Emperor. “When will the invasion begin?”
“I have no knowledge of that,” snarled the hellsoul. “Just kill me and be done with it.”
“I am the Torak,” declared the Emperor. “Were you specifically targeting me?”
“I will tell you nothing,” growled the creature.
Emperor Marak turned to Halman. “Continue your search. Count the cloaks so that we know how many tried to attack us this night. It was a great deal more than the six we encountered yesterday.”
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