The Serpent Cult (Heroes of Ravenford Book 2)

by F. P. Spirit

  Glo was hard pressed not to laugh. Elladan had pulled that off flawlessly. Lloyd and Andrella’s “romance” was moving at a snail’s pace. Elladan had just given it a rather firm boost. Further, while they were busy, it would give Glo the much-needed chance to talk to the baron and baroness without their daughter. As Elladan passed by him, Glo whispered, “Gather the others in the throne room.”

  Elladan arched an eyebrow but said nothing, merely exiting the room. Glo waited at the door for the baron and baroness. They were slowly heading his way, watching the innocent young pair so engrossed in song selection. As they drew near, Glo whispered, “Your Lord and Ladyship, there is one more thing—but not here.”

  Glo gazed over at Andrella as he said the last. Gryswold followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow. He whispered back, “Outside, then.”

  Elladan waited in the throne room with Aksel and Seth. Glo quietly closed the door behind them, and the group drew close together in the otherwise empty chamber.

  Gryswold’s expression was grim. “What is this about?”

  Glo felt horrible, but he had to voice his concerns. “Your Lord and Ladyship, I don’t want to unnecessarily alarm you, and I may be wrong—but I can’t ignore the possibility.”

  “Go on,” Gracelynn encouraged him, although she also appeared quite apprehensive.

  Glo drew in a deep breath. The group watched him curiously, but were otherwise silent. Glo realized there was no easy way to say this. He took in another deep breath and then explained his concerns, keeping his voice very low.

  Gryswold grew more agitated as Glo spoke. When he was done, he responded loudly at first. “Are you saying...” The baron caught himself and lowered his voice. “Are you saying that Andrella was the target of this dark wizard?”

  Glo grimaced. “I believe so.”

  Gracelynn was beside herself. “Oh, Gryswold.” She grabbed onto her husband’s arm, a look of horror on her normally composed face. “What if it’s true?”

  Gryswold grasped her hand and patted it reassuringly. “There, there, Grace, it’s nothing we can’t handle.” As he peered up at the others, though, Glo saw something in the baron’s eyes he had not seen up until now—fear.

  Aksel spoke in a soft voice, his expression dreadfully serious. “I’m sorry to say, your graces, but what Glolindir is saying does make sense.”

  “Again, I may be wrong,” Glo added, “but I could not in good conscience let this go unsaid.”

  Silence hung over the throne room. Gryswold was the first to break it. “No, no, Glolindir, you did the right thing. However, your thoughts shed a grim light on things.”

  Aksel spoke once again, his tone quite sympathetic. “Your Lordship, if I may make a suggestion?”

  “By all means, go ahead,” Gryswold said.

  “Aside from the double shift of guards, perhaps you could begin screening anyone coming in and out of town, both at the guardhouses and the docks.”

  Gryswold’s face brightened a bit. “That is an excellent idea! We will begin doing so at once.”

  Lady Gracelynn chose that moment to pull Gryswold aside. She whispered something into his ear. The two of them began a hushed conversation until they both nodded. The baron and baroness then turned to face the waiting companions.

  Glo had heard the entire thing; he was stunned by the decision. He did his best, though, to pretend he had not overheard. He had discovered humans found it rude that elves could listen in to their private conversations.

  Gryswold wore a thin smile now. “In the short time that you have been among us, you have proven to be a tremendous asset to this town. Once again, we must call upon your services, but this time specifically for the protection of our daughter. Therefore, we would ask you to attend our daughter’s eighteenth birthday party, three days hence.”

  “You will be both our guests and there to keep a close eye on things for us.” Gracelynn gave a warm smile.

  Glo still could not believe it. Even with the need to protect Andrella, this was an auspicious occasion—attended by nobles like the Duke of Dunwynn and others of high rank. Coming from a noble elven family, he was keenly aware of the protocols that were being broken here by inviting them to this party.

  Aksel executed a deep bow. “We would be deeply honored to attend the Lady Andrella’s eighteenth birthday party, your lord and Ladyship. Be certain that we will keep a close watch over her.”

  “Excellent!” the baron declared. “Then it’s all settled. We will have formal invitations drafted up for all of you this very day.”

  “Thank you again, your Lordship. Now if you will excuse us, we have much to do.” Aksel bowed low once again, Glo, Elladan, and Seth following suit. The four of them then exited the throne room.

  Elladan was the first to speak as they strode through the castle halls. “Well now we are all invited to Andrella’s party.”

  “Just remember, despite all the finery, it’s still a job,” Aksel cautioned.

  “I just hope the food’s good,” Seth replied.

  Glo eyed the halfling as if he were crazy. “Really? We just get invited to the biggest event in northeastern Thac and all you can do is think about the food?”

  Seth shrugged. “What can I say? I have my priorities.”

  Glo just shook his head. The foursome reached the entrance to the keep and climbed down the steps into the courtyard.

  “Speaking of priorities,” Seth continued, “while you wait around for the stiff, I’m going to head down into town and see if anyone’s seen or heard anything out of the ordinary in the last few days.”

  “Good idea,” Aksel agreed.

  When they reached the gate, Seth continued on, leaving Glo, Aksel and Elladan to wait for Voltark’s body. Elladan surveyed the wagons below. The sounds of voices and music reached their ears, making it sound like a party had already begun down there. Finally, Elladan could stand it no longer. “I really should head down there and scout around. You two wouldn’t care to join me?”

  Glo cast a glance at Aksel and shrugged. Voltark’s body had still not arrived, and considering the potential threat to Andrella, it wouldn’t hurt to add their eyes to Elladan’s. Francis was still on duty at the guard station. Glo called out to their weary friend, “Francis? The captain is having a box delivered here for us to take. Do you think you could keep an eye on it when it comes?”

  Francis walked over, doing his best to stifle a yawn. “Sure, I’m on guard duty for a few more hours anyway. Take your time.”

  “Thanks. We won’t be too long.” Glo turned back to Elladan and said, “Lead on.

  The Lucky Coin

  The angel rode up and commanded the sea monster to drop the sailor

  Glo and Aksel followed a short way behind Elladan as he strode down the hillside and entered the camp. The elven bard zigged and zagged through the makeshift accommodations, stopping to talk with the various performers and stagehands. There were actors, jugglers, acrobats, clowns, stage magicians, and other bards. Elladan was definitely in his element—most of the other entertainers were either directly acquainted with him or knew him by reputation. He was also rather good at gathering information. His easygoing manner was quite disarming, allowing him to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted. It only took a few stops to gain a list of all the performers currently camped there and when they had arrived. Elladan seemed to know most of them. Only a few names appeared unfamiliar to him and would require checking out.

  They continued through the camp until Elladan stopped short. A plaintive female voice could be heard singing a melancholy tune somewhere off to their right. Elladan turned and headed in that direction. They skirted a large tent and came across a good-sized crowd gathered around a makeshift stage. On that platform stood a tall, sultry woman with wavy brown hair that fell to her shoulders, tinged with golden blond hig
hlights in the midday sun. She wore a frilly white tunic beneath a forest green vest, and tight fitted brown pants stuffed into knee-length brown leather boots. She deftly accompanied herself on the lute as her melodic voice crooned a heart-wrenching ballad.

  Elladan stopped a few paces back from the crowd, Glo and Aksel halting just behind him. They stood there, captivated, until the lady bard finished her performance. When she was done, the crowd applauded in earnest, obviously moved by the heart-felt performance.

  The three companions clapped as well, but held their ground a short way back from the gathering. The lady bard took a few bows, smiling as she scanned the crowd of fellow performers. Her eyes finally came to rest on Elladan, a single eyebrow raised as she stared at the elven bard. A brief smile crossed her lips and then she stepped down off the stage, disappearing into the crowd below. A few moments later, the onlookers parted and the songstress reappeared, slowly sauntering toward them.

  Elladan continued to clap. “That was very nicely done.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, a delightful smile spreading across her lips.

  The lady bard was quite lovely. Her light brown hair framed a heart-shaped face with deep blue eyes, a tiny nose and high cheekbones. Glo felt the blood rush to his face as she stood there in front of him. The lady bard did not notice him, though. Her eyes were firmly fixed on Elladan, her expression quizzical. “You wouldn’t be...”

  “Elladan Narmolanya,” he finished for her, bowing deeply. “At your service, Miss...”

  “Shalla,” she said in a soft voice, her eyes still locked on him. “Shalla Vesperanna.”

  “Shalla,” Elladan repeated the name, “a lyrical name for a lyrical lady.”

  She smiled wryly, a soft laugh escaping her lips. “Well, Elladan, I can see your reputation is well-deserved. You are both handsome and a charmer.”

  He flashed her a sparkling smile. “Well thank you, Shalla, but the same could be said about you—both beautiful and charming all in one.”

  Shalla laughed once more, her face turning slightly red. “Touché, Elladan. If your singing is half as good as your charm, then I am in serious trouble.”

  “Why don’t we see for ourselves?” Elladan unslung his lute and held out his other hand. Shalla slipped her hand into his and the duo walked together toward the makeshift stage. A crowd was still gathered, and slowly parted as the two bards approached. Murmurs could be heard amongst the throng.

  “That’s Elladan.”

  “Is he going to play?”

  “Maybe they both will.”

  When they reached the platform, Shalla spun around and addressed Elladan, her tone mischievous. “You’ve already heard me play. I think it is your turn.”

  Without missing a beat, Elladan deftly leapt up onto the makeshift stage. He glanced back down at Shalla and said simply, “As you wish.”

  The elven bard walked around the platform while strumming his lute. He started with a few jokes and some minor melodies. Before long, the place was packed with everyone in the area. At that point, Elladan launched into a full-fledged song. Glo and Aksel had seen him perform at the Charging Minotaur, but it was nothing like this—this was electrifying. Elladan practically danced around the stage, not missing a beat, all the while belting out a melody in his superb contralto. When it was over, the crowd went wild, begging for more.

  “Thank you. Thank you very much. I would be happy to do another song for you”—he gazed down at Shalla—“but only if the good Mistress Shalla here will join me.”

  The crowd began chanting, “Shalla. Shalla. Shalla.”

  Shalla gazed around at the gathering with an expression of amazement. She broke out into a broad smile then threw up her hands and called out over the din, “All right! All right! I’ll do it.”

  The crowd cheered as she climbed back onto the stage. The two bards had a brief discussion, but there was so much noise that Glo could not hear what they were saying. Abruptly, they separated and moved to opposite sides of the stage. The crowd hushed as they spun around and began their duet. Elladan and Shalla strutted back to the center and pranced around each other as they took turns singing. The obvious chemistry between the two made it extremely entertaining to watch. When they reached the end of their performance, the applause was deafening.

  Elladan pointed toward his partner and shouted above the noise, “The incomparable Shalla Vesperanna!”

  Shalla smiled graciously and took a short bow. She then held out her arm toward Elladan and cried, “The one and only Elladan Narmolanya!”

  The applause went on for quite some time before finally dying down. Shalla addressed the crowd, “Thanks for stopping by, everyone, but that’s it for now.”

  There were a few groans of disappointment, but then the crowd dispersed. Elladan exchanged a few words with Shalla, then jumped down off the stage and came over to rejoin the others.

  “That was amazing,” Glo said.

  “Quite,” Aksel agreed.

  Elladan gave them an appreciative smile. “Thanks. Listen, Shalla and I decided on performing our duet at the Lady Andrella’s party. It’s still a bit rough around the edges though, so we need to spend a good amount of time together refining it the next few days. Between that, planning the show, and checking up on the performers, I’m going to be swamped.”

  “Go ahead,” Aksel said. “We can handle carting Voltark’s body over to Maltar’s without you.”

  Elladan gave him his customary half smile. “Thanks! I’ll keep you up to date if I find anything amiss with the performers.” He left the duo and rejoined Shalla. The two of them clasped arms and strolled off together through the camp.

  Glo couldn’t help smiling after the duo. Once they disappeared, he turned to Aksel. “Guess we should be heading back up to the keep.”

  “Probably.”

  The two companions headed back the opposite way through the camp up towards the keep.

  Maltar slammed the parchment down on the table. “I don’t have time for this!”

  Glo sat on the couch in his master’s study, observing him. He was growing used to the mage’s outbursts by now.

  “How am I supposed to get anything done with these constant interruptions? Now, Gryswold wants me to babysit the body of some half-baked wizard that got himself killed by a group of novices!”

  The old wizard paused for a moment, suddenly realizing what he had said. “No offense, Glolindir.”

  Glo suppressed a smile. “None taken.”

  Maltar nodded briefly, then started to pace back and forth across the room while muttering obscenities. Abruptly he stopped in his tracks and faced Glo. “Who did you say this mage was in league with?”

  “They’re called the Serpent Cult.” Glo had told him this when they first arrived, but Maltar had paid him little heed. “It’s a group of mages who worship serpents. Shape shifters and the like. They are based up in Serpents’ Hollow.”

  Maltar scoffed. “Shape shifters. Bah! More like children playing with magic beyond their comprehension.” He started to pace again but suddenly stopped once more. “Serpents’ Hollow did you say?” His tone was strangely pleasant.

  Glo’s eyes narrowed. “Umm... yes.”

  A smirk crossed the old wizard’s face. “On second thought, maybe I was too hasty. I think I will keep the body of this... what was his name?”

  “Voltark,” Glo said.

  “Voltark,” Maltar repeated his tone still uncharacteristically pleasant. “Yes, I will look after the body. After all, Gryswold is an old friend. It wouldn’t be right to turn down his request.” The wizard’s eyes became unfocused as if he was a million miles away.

  Glo eyed Maltar with suspicion. There was no way he was doing this out of friendship or the goodness of his heart. He must have an ulterior motive for helping the baron. Glo had no clue w
hat that motive might be, but if it helped their cause that was all that really mattered at the moment. “Very good, then—one more thing,” he added, deciding to take advantage of the wizard’s good mood. “If it is alright with you, I’d like to learn some new spells.”

  Maltar’s eyes abruptly refocused. “Spells, you say? Yes of course. There is one other thing you can do for me, though.”

  Glo arched an eyebrow. “Yes?”

  “A ship was supposed to arrive the other day with a shipment for me—a pendant specifically. If you could find out what has happened to the ship and track down the pendant, I will make it worth your while.”

  Another missing ship? This was starting to get serious. That made four now in the last month. “And the name of the ship?”

  “The Lucky Coin.”

  “The Lucky Coin,” Captain Gelpas said as he paced back and forth behind his desk. “It’s the fourth ship now to disappear in the last month.” He stopped and faced the companions. “The only difference is that this time, there were actually survivors.”

  “We know,” Seth said. “I already talked with some of the sailors down at Falcon’s tavern.”

  Gelpas folded his arms across his chest. “What did they say?”

  “They were coming in at night when a storm hit. They spotted the beacon from Cape Marlin light to their north and adjusted course accordingly. Yet somehow they still hit the reef.”

  Gelpas’s eyes narrowed.

  Seth’s face twisted into a half smirk. “And that’s when the story gets weird.”

  Gelpas unfolded his arms and leaned over his desk. “Go on.”

  “It was dark except for occasional flashes of lightning. The ship was sinking—the rough sea rocking around the deck. That’s when a large, scaly head rose out of the water. It snaked forward and grabbed one of them with its maw. It pulled him off the deck and dangled him over the raging sea.”

  Gelpas stood back up his hand going to his chin. “A sea monster? Really?”