Fate of Thorik

by Anthony G. Wedgeworth

“I loathe hiding!” Ambrosius’ current situation was getting the better of him. “I struggle to believe that I cannot show my face inside the Dovenar Walls. The land that I fought my entire life to protect and save.” He frequently spiked the end of his staff into the ground in anger, while stomping around the temporary campsite.

  The camp was far enough from the Dovenar Wall to evade detection. The open area was hidden with thick brush and had a few logs to sit on next to the small passing stream. They had selected this location to wait for the Nums to return with information because it was off of the main roads and the Nums could follow the stream back up from Woodlen.

  “Relax, Ambrosius.” Grewen rested on his back with his head propped up on a large flat rock. Taking a bite from one of the fire logs, he chewed on it while watching the large white clouds pass behind the thick green covering of leaves. With a full inhale of the fresh air, he closed his eyes to take his own words to heart before letting the air out with a slight whistle of his pursed lips. “If the Nums come back and say it is clear, you’ll walk right in. This is just a precautionary measure. Think of it as a temporary exile before your triumphant return.” Grewen smirked and opened one eye to see his friend’s response.

  Ambrosius did not react to his words.

  Perched on one of the larger logs, Draq watched his companion pace back and forth. “I could fly over to see where the Nums are. Perhaps they have the information you need and I can fly back with it to save time.”

  “If there are truly assassins looking for me, your current flying may have already placed us in jeopardy. And if it is not true, Del’Unday’s are still captured for being near the Dovenar Wall. You’ll end up fighting a Chuttlebeast or some other Unday at the next Coliseum Event,” Ambrosius replied.

  “I’d like to see them try. I have no fear of them,” Draq replied with a challenging manner.

  “I don’t want you to take that risk. I need you to care for Ericc if something should happen to me.”

  Draq lowered his posture a bit. “Your son is safe with my family.”

  “Son?” Grewen’s little ear stubs perked up. “Why congratulations my brother, why didn’t you tell me you had spawned new life?” Grewen leaned onto his left elbow and reached over to pat Ambrosius on the back with his other hand. “So how old is the little guy?”

  Ambrosius nodded a thank you to Grewen with sadness in his eyes. “He’s fourteen,” he said slowly. “But I haven’t seen him since he was six.”

  Grewen was shocked at this news and stood up. “For the love of Trewek, why not?”

  Draq realized that Ambrosius would struggle with this line of conversation so he intruded it. “Stay out of his affairs, Grewen. You don’t understand what it takes to be in his position.”

  “What I don’t understand is how you could not see your son for eight years,” Grewen replied.

  “It’s for his own safety.” Draq worked his way between the two.

  Grewen could no longer see Ambrosius behind Draq. “Draq, please move to the side so we can have a conversation.” Waiting for a response from the dragon, he eventually reached forward and calmly grabbed the dragon around the neck with one hand and moved him to his side so he could see Ambrosius. He held the dragon out of view with the same level of emotion he would have with moving a rock. It was just an annoyance, nothing to get upset about.

  Draq did not enjoy his emotionless removal from the scene, and he began to thrash about. Grewen’s grasp was too tight to break free but it wasn’t enough to cut off the airflow. In an effort to escape, the dragon’s tail violently slapped the ground, his wings flapped, and his claws scratched in an effort to break free of the Mognin’s hand.

  “Ambrosius. What’s going on?” Grewen asked as Draq swung his spiked tail and lower claws up onto Grewen’s outstretched arm. Grewen’s skin was thick but Draq’s razor sharp points impaled him and began to draw blood. Draq tightened his claws with all of his strength.

  “Ouch!” Grewen yelped. Releasing his grip, he tried to shake the dragon off his arm.

  “It’s okay, Draq. No need for secrets,” Ambrosius said.

  After one final squeeze on the giant arm, Draq let go. “I will kill you if you ever touch me again,” he snarled. Lifting off the ground with his strong wings he flicked the Mognin blood off his claws down at Grewen before he flew off into the woods, out of view.

  Draq was one of the meanest and nastiest Del’Unday the giant had ever met; short tempered and violent in a fight. Grewen knew the only reason the dragon didn’t attack him with full force was because of Ambrosius. Draq was many things, but most of all he was loyal. He would never abandon Ambrosius in his time of need.

  “He’ll be fine once he has some time to himself,” Ambrosius advised the Mognin.

  “Tell me about your son,” Grewen requested again as he started to bandage the claw marks on his arm.

  “After the Dovenar Civil War and the Battle of Maegoth, you left to find inner peace. I had my own similar journey. I went to seek guidance from the Third Oracle in the Northern Wastelands. He helped me understand my role as a leader and the need of a council of peers from every part of Australis. Returning to the six remaining provinces, I created the Grand Council and became its facilitator instead of a member to ensure I didn’t influence it.”

  “I know about the Council. But what does this have to do with your son?” Grewen asked as he finished tending to his bleeding wounds.

  Ambrosius ignored the question and continued with his story. “During the third year of the Council I met Asha at the Greensbrook conferences, and we quickly fell in love. The Grand Council had begun to unite and make important steps forward. Life was good.”

  “My success must have struck a bad vein with Darkmere as he began to stir the hatred within the city of Corrock toward those who followed the Council. His legions of Del’Unday would try to stop everything we put in place. But it was me he wanted, not the Council. So, I resigned my position and began a family hidden away from the public’s eyes. My son, Ericc, was born in secrecy and was never told of his heritage. The less he knew about my past, the less likely he would be pulled into my affairs.”

  “Darkmere must have redirected his forces to search for us, for all was quiet during my absence. Asha and I were able to evade them, often moving just before they arrived to kill us. It was aggravating to always be hiding and living in the shadows, never knowing who our enemies were.”

  “Our luck ran out while we lived in a small shack on Ki’Volney Lake, just east of your birthplace, near Lagona Falls. I returned home after a day of fishing to find that Asha and Ericc had been taken.” Ambrosius fought off the vivid memory as he talked his way through it.

  “I followed the tracks of the Del’Unday captors northwest to Corrock where I found my wife strung up onto the city’s locked gates. Her arms and feet tied secure and her dress ripped and bloody from their torturing of her. They had let her hang there, starving. She hung from the barred door for days, mocked by locals, staring out across the landscape waiting for me to save her.... She was dead before I arrived. The Death Witch Irluk had taken her soul and left an empty shell of a body. I had failed her.”

  Ambrosius stopped only a moment to take a sip of water before he continued, “After lowering her from the gate and saying goodbye, I turned my attention to finding my son. I was furious as I tore the gates apart and entered the city looking for him. I tortured and murdered many Del’Unday before I was told that my son was to be ceremoniously killed by Alchemists in an attempt to prevent Darkmere’s premonition of my son killing his own. I left the devastated south entrance of Corrock with Asha’s lifeless body, to bury her properly and begin the pursuit for my son.”

  “I searched for months until I got wind of the location where my son was to be sacrificed for Darkmere. During the Eve of Light, in the Alchemist’s Temple of Surod, I found him and I would have never gotten out of there with my son if it weren’t for the help of Draq, Chella, and Bovel. Unfortunately, Che
lla and Bovel did not make it out alive.”

  “Darkmere and his people have been hunting for my son ever since. Being constantly recognized from my past I had two options. Hide away from civilization with my son or hide him until I could stop Darkmere. It was then that I asked Draq to take Ericc to his home and raise him with his own son and wife. He agreed and has done so ever since. I don’t know where he is, for I do not want my own thoughts to betray me. I only know that Draq will keep him safe until he is of mind and strength to protect himself.”

  Ambrosius looked at the sad face of Grewen before concluding his story, “And now here I am again, hiding. I’m too old for this game and I refuse to live my life in fear.”

  “Fear will do you no good, old man,” said an unexpected voice from the woods behind him.

  The E’rudite used his staff to quickly get on his feet before swiveling to see a man walk out into the small clearing. Middle-aged with short, straight black hair, he wore a red and gold cloak, colored with magical symbols that lined the bottom as well as around the neckline. He held a mere stick of a wand before him in one hand and several strings of beads in the other.

  Ambrosius quickly recognized several Del’Unday species moving in the woods as they surrounded the two. He motioned for Grewen to watch his back as he placed his attention on the Alchemist who was approaching him.

  Grewen stood up to his full height of over twelve feet, hoping that it would intimidate them and prevent an attack. In addition, he smiled as though he was looking forward to a good fight. His huge leathery hands slapped together with a crash that made everyone stop in their tracks before he rubbed them together to loosen up his wrists and fingers.

  Grewen had no intent on hurting anyone; he had vowed not to offensively attack anyone after the Massacre at Maegoth. Regardless, he understood that the majority of warfare was mental strategies more than brute strength. This deception he was willing to play.

  Ambrosius was not one to be intimidated. He took charge of the situation and demanded information from the uninvited guests, “Speak your business quickly, for I am in no mood for games.”

  “Your game has ended today.” The unknown man nodded his head at one of his Del’Unday.

  Without taking his eyes off the intruder, Ambrosius could see a hairy hunched-back Del’Unday move into the clearing. The creature limped from old battle wounds as it dragged something forward. It stopped, leaned down to grab the item, and threw it into the camp.

  Thorik was tossed to the ground. He rolled to a stop near Ambrosius, only to quickly jump back to his feet in defiance. He had several scratches and bruises but quickly regained his composure and dusted himself off. “His name is Sharcodi,” he told Ambrosius. “They ambushed us halfway upstream.”

  Ambrosius glanced over at Thorik in disappointment before returning his gaze back at Sharcodi.

  “Don’t blame the Num, he actually was of little used to us.” Sharcodi had an arrogance that came across in his tone and body language. “When I found them, they wouldn’t have seen me even if they were standing next to me,” he said with cocky display of his thorn bush wand.

  “Them?” Ambrosius questioned to himself. Not knowing if Sharcodi had all of the Nums or just a few more, he kept his question silent. “Invisibility spells to sneak up on a Num is not impressive. A wizard worth his weight would have easily found a Mognin in a forest from the pounding of his enormous heart. Yet, you prefer to capture and interrogate defenseless Polenums.”

  “I told them nothing,” Thorik defended himself. “I promise.”

  It made no difference to Ambrosius. He had given no information to the Nums that could leak out and harm him. He was much too wise for that. Ambrosius was more interested in knowing where the rest of the Nums were, but knew better than to ask in front of their company. Perhaps one or more were hiding safely.

  “He’s quite correct, you know.” Sharcodi’s smug attitude was thicker than tar. “He wouldn’t even give up his own name. Really, it was quite improper, especially for a Num. But the fact is I found you easily enough without his assistance.”

  Sharcodi nodded to his strongmen again, who this time brought out Avanda. She was kicking and biting as the Unday attempted to keep hold of her.

  “I thank you for the safe return of our companions. But we really must be on our way,” Ambrosius stated to Sharcodi. He presented himself very casual and unmoved by the intrusion of the Alchemist and his Del’Unday horde.

  “I’m afraid I did not come here to reunite you with old friends. I came here for you. Your young one here will stay with us until I am comfortable that you have been properly detained.”

  The Del’Unday pulled out a long deformed blade and held it to Avanda’s throat. The blade appeared to have been bent and hammered back out many times in the past, but the edge was still sharp. Battle-beaten points across the blade pressed against her skin.

  Thorik screamed, “No, don’t hurt her!” If it were not for Ambrosius holding onto the back of his cloak, Thorik would have made a run for her. As it was, his actions made the Del’Unday pull the knife up, creasing Avanda’s skin.

  “What is it that you seek of me?” Ambrosius said without emotion.

  “I seek many things from you. First of all I want to hear you apologize for the Civil War destruction of the Dovenar Kingdom as well as for the attack on the Temple of Surod.” Sharcodi looked at a few of the Del’Unday that had surrounded the camp and continued, “Then apologize to these fine Del’Unday for crushing the buildings and innocent families in the fourth district of Corrock. Some of them had families that died in that attack from you.”

  Sharcodi stepped toward Ambrosius and Thorik feeling pretty confident about his situation as he continued his speech. “You also owe your Num an apology for destroying his spiritual Temple, the Mountain King Statue.” He patted Thorik on the shoulder and gave him a wink to imply that he was helping him out.

  Thorik listened to the speech and was again questioning what other secrets of his past Ambrosius may have hidden from him.

  “But before I forget, I want to thank you for the destruction of the Grand Council. It has allowed us to take back that which is rightfully ours. Now that the Council is out of the way and marshal law has taken over each city, we can quickly fix those things that aren’t up to our standards.” Sharcodi smiled as he finished.

  Ambrosius stood calm as his senses monitored Sharcodi’s movements walking about the camp. His concern was more for Thorik and Avanda at this point. As dangerous as Sharcodi was, he was no match for Ambrosius. At least he wasn’t the last time he saw him eight years ago in Surod as an apprentice. It had taken a while, but Ambrosius finally recognized the name, the voice, and the egotistical Alchemist want-to-be that fought alongside his master, the High Wizard Noreldi.

  “Typical,” Ambrosius said. “You want me to grovel to make you look superior to your small army of misfits.”

  “Oh, dear no,” Sharcodi replied with a caviler wave of his hand. “I already know I’m superior to you in many ways. While you were out trying to run Australis with your council, I was working on my craft and perfecting it over the years for just this meeting. You see, you are a relic of what was and now I am the vision of what will be.”

  “You’re delusional, just like your old master Noreldi,” Ambrosius remarked with a lack of fear. The calmness was starting to bother Sharcodi, but the use of his prior master’s name pushed him to the edge of anger.

  It was obvious that he wanted to make Ambrosius squirm and ask for forgiveness, but he would not get any of that on this day. Ambrosius had been broken and struggling for many weeks now and had little patience for this man’s futile threats.

  “Delusional, am I?” Sharcodi turned his back on them and walked toward the woods. Facing Avanda, he smiled at her as he began to speak quietly. Raising the string of red beads, he moved one bead at a time over his finger to the other side.

  Thorik looked to Ambrosius for direction, only to see him tilt hi
s head slightly and squint as though he was trying to listen for something. Moments later, Thorik could see the tops of the trees starting to blow in the wind and a large dark cloud approaching overhead.

  “If you leave now, I will let this intrusion pass,” Ambrosius announced. “But I warn you, if you provoke me, my retaliation will be swift.”

  The wind immediately picked up causing Thorik to separate his feet for traction against it. He struggled to keep his balance as the wind shifted directions and pulled him back and forth.

  Grewen didn’t react to the wind as branches and sand blew against him. However, even he had to shield his eyes a few times as the blowing dirt was getting so thick he could hardly see the trees around them anymore.

  Ambrosius stood firm as his cloak and tunic flailed in the gusts while he stared at Sharcodi who was turning toward Ambrosius with his magical components at chest height. His fingers were fumbling with the beads as he softly chanted to them. He then opened his hand enough to drop a string of red beads to the ground.

  “Look out!” Thorik shouted as he pushed Ambrosius to his side just as a falling fiery rock missed Ambrosius’ back. A shower of flame had begun to strike the group of three with flaming liquefied rocks, the size of a Num’s fist.

  Ambrosius had fallen to his knees. He was smacked several times on the back, preventing him from standing. The fiery rocks also had lit his clothes on fire. Regardless, he continued to make his way to his feet until he was struck in the head, knocking him back down to the ground.

  Thorik had his arms over his head as he tried to protect himself and make it over to Grewen. The sand continued to get into the Num’s eyes while the wind knocked him over twice more. A falling flame smacked him in the right shoulder, just as he reached Grewen’s leg.

  The rocks pounded on Grewen’s back and head as he started on his way to find his friends through the cloud of swirling dirt. He picked up Thorik and shielded him from the falling balls of fire, before making his way over to Ambrosius. The back of Grewen’s robe had started on fire and it spread across his back.

  Ambrosius could feel the burning of his hair and skin as the fire quickly overtook him. The magically enticed wind fanned the flames in every direction as he yelled in pain.

  Grewen heard Ambrosius scream and quickly plucked him from the ground only to toss him into the small stream that ran through the camp. Following him to the water, he knelt down over Ambrosius to protect him from the onslaught of burning hail.

  Ambrosius raised himself slightly out of the stream and spit out the water that had rushed into his mouth. Taking only a moment to shake off the chill of the water, he sat up next to Thorik who was also being protected under Grewen’s large body.

  Sharcodi’s sinister laugh could be heard over the howling winds that continued to blow at their faces and the firerocks slapping against Grewen’s back as he arched over his friends. “This is the reason I have been looking for you. I have come to slay the mighty Ambrosius. I came to pay you back for the destruction you unleashed on this land, for all the lives you have taken.” Sharcodi walked closer to the threesome and smiled as the chaotic weather avoided his own body and his companions.

  Thorik looked about, seeing several Del’Unday creatures coming out of hiding and into the camp. Thorik and his friends were surrounded by dozens of vile looking beasts. Most with horns, fangs, or claws ready to strike the small group of three.

  Grewen’s robe had burst into flames across his back as he continued to protect his two friends. In all reality, the attack didn’t bother him. In fact, he enjoyed the pounding heat. He could have stood there for hours if it weren’t for the other issues at hand.

  “You will suffer greatly, but I will not kill you. Darkmere wishes you to be alive to watch your son’s death.” Sharcodi slightly lowered of his wand which reduced the wind noise. He wanted Ambrosius to hear him loud and clear. “Perhaps you are not aware that your son has been spotted by Darkmere’s dominion. They will soon have him captured.”

  Ambrosius’ blood boiled as he heard the words, raising himself out of the water with a single purpose in mind. Standing up and away from Grewen, he walked to Sharcodi and held his staff out to his side as he lowered his eyebrows and focused on wizard. “Where is Darkmere?”

  A slight flick of Sharcodi’s wrist caused the storm to intensify and Grewen pulled Thorik farther under him to protect him from the increased frequency of raining fire. The wind was becoming so severe that even Grewen had to brace himself with one arm.

  Ambrosius was furious and stood firm while the sand and fiery rain continued to increase directly around him. Even at this great intensity, it never reached his body as it was deflected a short distance before hitting him. “Where is he?” he demanded again to the Alchemist.

  Sharcodi appeared concerned that Ambrosius was not affected by his magic and lifted his arm and wand directly at Ambrosius as he chanted a few unrecognizable words.

  Ambrosius glared at Sharcodi’s outstretched arm and reached out with his mind powers to snap the middle of the wizard’s forearm backwards. A loud crack was heard over the howling wind as the end of Sharcodi’s forearm was lifting into the air for a moment before falling.

  Sharcodi looked on in shock and horror of his useless arm hung from the rest of his arm like a possum from a tree limb.

  Ambrosius used his powers to quickly break a series of bones every few inches up the same outstretched arm, working from the initial break toward his shoulder.

  Before Sharcodi could react, his upper arm snapped in half with a loud crack and fell downward, hanging from the flesh on the remaining stub of his arm past his shoulder.

  As quickly as it had started, the wind and fire ended with no traces of ever existing. Thorik watched his damaged clothes and burns disappear. “What happened?”

  Grewen had seen the same events unfold. “It appears to be a masterful illusion.”

  “I asked you a question,” Ambrosius said through his tight teeth. He approached Sharcodi to look him eye to eye.

  Upon seeing this, the Del’Unday launched their attack on the small group. Several ran at Ambrosius and were quickly knocked back into the trees by his E’rudite powers. With a glance at the creature holding Avanda, he used his mind to crush the Del’Unday’s hand, forcing the knife out of his grip. His attention to that specific Del’Unday was only momentary as he returned his anger toward Sharcodi.

  Grewen grabbed two of the Del’Unday and held them out to shield himself from the oncoming attacks. His enormous hands fit around the back of their waist with an unbreakable grasp. Oncoming Del’Unday swung weapons at Grewen’s hands to release them, only to hit their own clan member time and time again. The Del’Unday, which were held in Grewen’s grasps, began to fight back and block the oncoming attacks of swords and spears.

  Concerned for Thorik’s well-being from an oncoming Brandercat attacker, Ambrosius utilized his powers to lift Thorik up out of the way and onto a large tree branch.

  Thorik was startled by the aerial flight, but quickly stabilized himself on the branch and loaded his bow. He pointed the arrow down at the scaled cat only to find that it had disappeared. Thorik searched everywhere near the base of the tree and found the same results. The cat was gone.

  More Del’Unday left their hiding places to join the attack.

  The E’rudite controlled his powers to rotate Sharcodi’s feet backward, snapping the man’s ankles. This act prevented the spell caster from running away while he addressed other new wave of attackers.

  Unable to stand, Sharcodi fell backwards and scattered his magical items across the ground at the edge of the campsite. They were now out of his reach and he was temporarily without power.

  Ambrosius turned around to see eight more Del’Unday attacking. Spears and arrows were in flight toward him as well as one of the Krupes who had leaped at him.

  He raised his staff in front of him to shield himself from the multitude of attacks from every direction. Just as the inv
isible shield began to form, the earth from below his feet fell inward, causing him to land on his back after a ten foot drop. A giant Del’Unday Terragrub had dug the hole and moved toward Ambrosius, showing its five-foot round mouth of spiraling teeth. Preparing to fight off the carnivorous earthworm, he was struck by the Del’Unday jumping down onto him.

  Thorik peered back and forth looking for the Brandercat along the ground. His weapon cocked and ready to fire. His focus was only interrupted as he saw the earth swallow Ambrosius, followed by many Del’Unday jumping in after him. It was at this moment that the Brandercat leaped from an upper branch onto Thorik, knocking him to the ground.

  Thorik quickly rolled to his feet and ran into the woods away from the cat.

  The feline purred with pleasure as it ran to catch him. “Good. Run. The chase adds to the taste of the meal. Your raised heart-beat fills your flesh with hot blood, sweet and juicy.”

  Thorik darted in and out of the thick woods faster than ever before in his life. He knew of no one that could keep up with him, until now. The creature was not only keeping up with Thorik, but he was gaining on him.

  The Num checked over his shoulder to see the creature closing in on him and then fade off. It had blended into the colors of the terrain. Still visible, it blurred and became unfocused. Unable to stop and look, he only had fractions of seconds to peer back and the creature was no longer visible to him.

  Not knowing what to do, Thorik heard the crunching of leaves and sticks under the Brandercats heavy paws. The sounds approached closer and closer until there was a sudden quiet. Thorik darted to the right, assuming the creature was airborne and couldn’t make the turn.

  He was correct; the Brandercat skidded to a halt and turned to run after him back toward camp.

  Nearing the campsite, Thorik was exhausted. Splashing his way across the stream, he turned around and fell to one knee. Aiming his bow at the empty forest on the far side of the water for several minutes, he waited for some sign of the creature.

  The Brandercat slowly moved across the water just downstream of the Num. It moved one foot at a time, slowly in and out of the water, trying not to disrupt the water flow. Success would have been his if it were not for the exceptional eyes of Polenums.

  Thorik noticed the small changes in the water downstream and didn’t think twice before shooting.

  The arrow flew toward the creature as the Del’Unday attempted to jump out of the way. But it wasn’t fast enough. The head of the arrow lodged deep into the right shoulder, piercing the chest, causing it to fall with a splash and reveal its location.

  The creature’s natural brownish green scales came back to life as it stood up and limped to shore before falling again.

  Thorik armed his bow with another arrow from his quiver and walked toward the wounded cat. “Don’t move!”

  The fallen creature coughed and laughed back at the short hunter. “You Fesh don’t have what it takes.”

  The adrenaline from being chased was still hot within Thorik. He raised his bow up to put the creature out of its misery. Staring down at it, he realized that his goal was not to kill it. Instead it was to preserve the lives of his friends and himself. “I’ve done my part with you. The local Fesh’Unday can finish you off.” He then turned away.

  Blood poured out of the wound of the Brandercat as it gasped for breath. “You coward. Kill me or the next time we meet I shall eat you alive,” it shouted as Thorik ran back to the battle.

  Reaching the campsite, the ground began to rumble. The hole where Ambrosius had fallen was emitting shockwaves of trimmers underground. In addition to the E’rudite’s challenges, more Del’Unday had arrived to surround Grewen. Even with that said, Thorik had to leave Grewen and Ambrosius to defend themselves. He needed to find Avanda.

  With a screech that nearly pierced Thorik’s ears, Draq rocketed out of the woods, through the open area, and back into the woods on the far side, picking up one of the Del’Unday in his passing. His speed was so fast that nobody even saw him. They wouldn’t have even noticed him if it hadn’t been for the sound, and the breeze that followed.

  His time away from Grewen had cooled him off, but his return to camp to find them fighting filled him with excitement and the thrill of taking out his victims.

  Draq did not slow down as he released the Del’Unday, slapping the creature hard against a large tree, killing him instantly. Turning around for another run, he blasted his way between the trees back to the opening. Once there, he corrected his course and grabbed his second victim with his claws, launching it off its feet without warning. This time Draq arched his back, bolting his way above the trees and beyond before releasing the creature in midair. He raced the falling creature back to earth with great pleasure. Draq enjoyed the attacks far too much and made this into a game as he passed by his falling victim on his way to the next.

  Thorik rushed out of camp in the direction that he had last seen Avanda. Upon entering the woods he found the jagged dagger that had been held against her neck. It lay in the dirt covered with blood. His heart raced at the thought of her being hurt, or worse.

  A trail of blood trailed its chaotic way amongst the ground, bushes, and tree trunks. Thorik frantically followed as the fresh blood droplets to a tree. He stopped and looked for the next clue to their direction.

  A high-pitched scream was heard from beyond the next grouping of red-thorn bushes. Racing around them, he found her sitting with her back to him, legs crossed, and hunched forward.

  He stopped to look for the Del’Unday that had captured her. Not seeing it, he slowly stepped closer to her, only to notice blood on Avanda’s clothes. She wasn’t moving.

  Looking back into the woods for her attacker, he quietly spoke, “Avanda? Are you okay?”

  She sat up and turned her head toward him. Blood had been splattered covered her face and shirt and tears ran down past her cheeks. “I’m fine.” After placing the last few odd shaped items into a red and gold pouch, she sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve. She had found Sharcodi’s purse of magic and was intrigued by its contents, but knew better than to show an adult who may take them from her.

  Still very leery, Thorik kept his eyes on the woods while helping her up. “You’re covered with blood, are you sure you aren’t hurt?”

  “It’s not my blood,” she stammered and sniffed. “That creature’s hand exploded like squished grapes.” Twitching at the memory replaying in her mind, she continued. “After dropping the knife, he chased me into the woods.”

  “So you lost him. Well done. But he may return.” Thorik cautiously led her back to camp.

  “Oh, I don’t think he’ll bother us any longer,” she commented. During her fight with the creature she had thrown several objects at him from within the found magical pack. To her surprise, his body shrunk to a mere tenth of his original size and was last seen being chased by a hawk.

  She knew her tale of adventure would surely have the purse of magical items taken away, so she placed it under her cloak to keep it in hiding until she returned to Farbank and showed her friends.

  Back at camp, an enormous ground quake lifted Grewen and the Del’Unday off their feet before they fell down to the still quivering earth. A moment of absolute silence blanketed the woods.

  Just as everyone started getting back up, a second ground blast occurred. This time several Del’Unday were thrown from the Terragrub hole, landing in nearby trees and in the stream.

  Ambrosius slowly climbed out of the hole. Cut and bleeding, he had finished off the multitude of attacks. Tired and in pain, his business was not yet completed. The ground was littered with Del’Unday. Some dead, some unconscious, while others groaned in pain. But Sharcodi was still alive and held valuable information.

  Thorik and Avanda had just entered camp and ran over to help their E’rudite friend out of the hole.

  Ambrosius glanced over at the remaining Del’Unday. Not a word was spoken as they gained their footing and rushed out of the c
amp, into the deep woods, away from the E’rudite.

  He returned his gaze to find Sharcodi, who by this point had dragged himself into the woods. Ambrosius walked over to the spell caster as Sharcodi got on his knees to beg for his life.

  “Where is my son?” Ambrosius demanded one last time.

  Sharcodi groaned as his ribs cracked from Ambrosius’ power. “I will not betray the Terra King’s orders.” He hadn’t given up yet. With one last effort of strength he used his remaining arm to reach for powder within a small side pouch and throw it at Ambrosius’ face.

  The E’rudite quickly used his powers to redirect the unknown red dust back at him. The powder hit Sharcodi’s face and launched a series of horrifying events that ended with his head slowly dissolving away in a gruesome fashion.

  Ambrosius took the end of his staff and pushed the headless kneeling body over before checking out the rest of the camp. By this point Draq had the trees littered with creatures and Grewen still held a few battered, but alive, creatures out in front of him.

  “Terra King?” Thorik asked as he moved toward the middle of camp. “He’s the one that killed Gluic, and his men have taken Brimmelle to a mine in Southwind.”

  Grewen turned his attention to Thorik, “Gluic’s dead? By the hands of Darkmere? Where?”

  “No, not Darkmere, the Terra King. And it happened in Pyrth’s amphitheater.”

  Grewen dropped the unconscious Del’Unday that had been used as his shields. “Darkmere and the Terra King are one in the same,” he informed Thorik.

  Ambrosius declared, “We are going to Pyrth!” He stormed past them as he marched to the Dovenar Wall.

  Before following him, Thorik and Avanda quickly moved around the camp picking up arrows and placing them in his quiver for future battles.

  Grewen’s face saddened before continuing, “I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother’s death and your uncle’s capture. We should be able to cut through River’s Edge to get ahead of them and free him in Pelonthal. Where are Wess and Emilen? Are they safe?”

  “I don’t think so, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you on the way,” answered Thorik as they rushed downstream to catch up with the angry E’rudite.

 

  Chapter 24

  Frontal Assault