by C Woodward
"Sweetie, perhaps we should get out of here before we get into trouble" I whispered to Talestria.
"Are you mad woman?! All he did was make jokes about the stupid exiles!" Faelorn yelled at Talestria.
She glared at Faelorn and uttered half a curse word before the flirty elf grabbed her arm, "How dare you strike me, you harlot!" He roughly pulled her arm and gave her an angry sneer.
The flirty elf's face changed to an expression of shock when my hand found his throat and proceeded to lift him up. My heart had already pumped enough anger throughout this meal, but when he touched my wife like that, enough is enough.
I tightened my grip, brought his face close to mine and spoke in a quiet, stern tone, "Don't you dare lay a hand on her or I will snap you." I stared into his eyes and saw the fear in them.
"Lay your hand off my brother, you filthy human!" Faelorn shouted as he moved around the table toward me.
"Enough! All of you!" a foreign voice shouted. I turned and saw a familiar face. It was Clagmir!
Clagmir stood there with a few of his fellow paladins. He hadn't changed at all. He was wearing their shiny white and silver armor with the Celestial Fist symbol on the front. His beard was a little bit grayer mixed with black than I recalled. Other than that, he looked the same. I released the bloody, flirty elf and calmed myself.
"I see you are still causing a stir, Blake." Clagmir commented with a grumpy tone.
I looked back and saw the three elves stare at me in surprise. Then they looked at Talestria.
"Talaria, why are you mingling with this criminal?" the flirty elf exclaimed.
"The name isn't Talaria." Talestria spoke while talking to the flirty elf. She fiddled with her pendant, "The name is Talestria" She then spit on his face and took off the pendant.
The flirty elf and everyone else gasped as she reverted back to her regular appearance. The only ones who didn't seem to be fazed by this were Clagmir and I. The three elves jumped back and stared at us in horror.
"Firesword! They are... Stop them!" Faelorn cried out in fear.
Clagmir let out a sigh, "I know full well who they are, but we need their help." He put his hand on my shoulder, "Can we talk outside? We don't need to cause more panic"
I nodded and took Talestria out of the restaurant. She turned back and made a rude gesture back at the elves. She shrugged at me and followed me out while holding my hand.
Clagmir scratched his beard and shook his head. He peered in the building and then back at us, "Surprised you two even came into town. When Ayjestus told me to fetch you, I expected to search the outskirts, not in town."
I sighed when Talestria ran back in to grab her sack of candy, "She wanted to have a fun evening. I know it was risky but, you know."
Clagmir let out a sigh and spoke to me in a calm but serious tone, "Forget about this. We really need your help in Vunash. It is under attack by former Xum'gol necromancers."
Chapter 2
I couldn't believe what I heard, "I thought they dissolved after Xum'gol was cast into the underworld!"
Clagmir shook his head, "We’ve only heard rumors of his cultists among the army of undead." He tilted his head toward his fellow paladins. They instantly knew what he meant and started heading toward the east side of town. "You and Talestria go retrieve your wagon and meet us at the eastern gate," he instructed as he started to walk with his paladin peers. Clagmir paused and remarked, "You shouldn't have problems with Ayjestus on this." Then he marched off.
"Well, he didn't explain much," Talestria muttered. She didn't seem too thrilled about the whole situation.
As I stared after Clagmir, something seemed odd. He appeared really worried. I could feel it in the air around him as he spoke. There was an unsettled feeling about him. This might be bigger than he could explain but I didn't think he was fully sure what it was.
Talestria tapped me on the shoulder, "So, shouldn't we be in a hurry to help them?"
I looked at her. I could tell she was also concerned. I gave her a warm smile and a nod, "Yes, let's get going!"
Talestria and I jogged back to the western gate. At that moment, I stood out like a sore thumb running with a dark elf through town. It didn't matter. Not a single person stopped us. All they did was give us odd stares while moving out of our way. The guards at the western gate were surprised to see us but didn't try to question us. I wondered if they knew or not.
I attached Alpo to our wagon while Talestria hopped on. I felt bad that Alpo had to keep going but at least he had some rest during our misadventures in town. He didn't seem too happy to move but Talestria fed him some candy. I wasn’t sure that was a good idea. He quickly devoured it but he did that anytime you put food in front of him.
The guards by the gate didn't know what to think about our return. I had a feeling they knew why we came back as they did not try to slow us down. It took me a moment to realize it might have been the first time they had seen a dark elf, let alone Talestria. Talestria didn't seem to mind the stares as she was busy with her candy.
"Dis ish kind of amayzang to wide frew town like dis," Talestria spoke with her mouth full. It was a novelty for her to ride through any town unhindered.
The sky grew cold and the stares even colder as we rode through town. I could almost hear the whispers of the townsfolk as we passed. Several times I saw people cower and pull their children to safety. They really appeared to be scared of Talestria. I couldn't help but wonder how hard it must have been her.
"Have one fable told to scare children about you and people are driven into panic," Talestria muttered. She let out a big sigh at the sight of all the scared onlookers. It reopened some old scars she suffered before we met.
I put my arm around her. She turned and gave me a warm smile. There was still sadness in her eyes. She snuggled close to me. I could feel her warmth and hoped it could start to close up those old wounds in her heart.
"Glad to see you arrived," Clagmir spoke as we reached the eastern gate. He was on his horse, moving toward the gate. "Sorry to rush you two, but this is of dire importance.”
"I wish you would explain more of the situation," Talestria commented.
Clagmir ignored what she said and kept moving. Beyond the gate, we saw basically a small army of paladins and clerics, half of them on horses and the rest standing near several wagons scattered on the road. My eyes spied a familiar wagon. A large unhappy man in a dark robe sat in front. It was Bolam.
"I see they roped you two along," Bolam shouted.
I moved my wagon close to his. Bolam stood up but started to lose his balance so he sat back down.
"Any idea you know what is going on?" I shouted back.
Bolam leaned over, "Vunash is under siege by necromancers and undead."
Talestria leaned her head back, "That explains the holy warriors here." She groaned a bit and glanced at me and Bolam, "Considering the size of the city and the size of our small army here, we are facing something quite sizable."
Bolam nodded, "Yes, I was afraid of that. I hope the magic college is safe."
The sound of a horn deafened our ears. We could hear someone close to the front shouting something. That was followed by another shout in unison from most of the paladins around us.
"Looks like we are heading out," Bolam stated. He didn't sound very thrilled about it. I didn’t think anyone was.
Slowly the caravan of wagons and troops moved out toward the eastern road. The paladins and clerics on horseback had staves hung high on the back of their saddles, each with a glowing orb. They rode along the side of the road and gave light to the caravan. The sound of horses tromping and wagon wheels moving along the cobbled road was the only sound. We couldn't hear a single word or conversation. It felt like a funeral march and gave me an uneasy feeling.
We trudged down the road for who knows how long. Talestria was already in the back of our wagon, making room for our bed roll. I turned back and expected to see her starting to nod off, but she climbed back in fron
t with me.
"BlakeyPoo, why don't you try to get some rest while I take over?" Talestria said sincerely.
I smiled back, "Naw, I am good. You go get some rest."
Talestria sighed, "You know full well that you were nodding off. Now, let me take over before your eyes become too heavy."
I let out a yawn and saw that even our horse was getting slower. "We can't be going on too much further anyway, hon. Alpo is reaching his limit." I added.
"Um, sir?" an unfamiliar voice spoke.
I nearly jumped. I was so tired that he completely snuck up on me. I saw a man in his early twenties with a plain bowl haircut. He was one of the many clerics that were marching along with us.
"Sir, I have been asked to help rejuvenate your horse," he spoke politely.
"Rejuvenate?" I replied. I was not sure what he meant.
Talestria explained, "It means he is going to transfer some of Alpo’s fatigue to his horse so we can keep going."
The cleric nodded, "Yes, you were slowing down and we were told to aid your horse."
Talestria peered over, "It would take three of you to replenish our steed. I am curious, who told you to do that?"
The timid cleric pointed toward a large carriage up ahead. There were three paladins riding on either side as escorts. Something told me I knew who was inside.
"Blakey, go rest and let me take over. The clerics will keep Alpo going much longer than you can," Talestria instructed. She had already moved me aside and grabbed the reigns.
At this point, I was too tired to argue and climbed into the back. Talestria turned her head and gave me a warm smile. I smiled back and climbed under the blankets. I let out a long yawn and closed my eyes. At least the road was fairly smooth here. Not even the sounds of the hooves and wheels could stop me from nodding off.
I had barely started dreaming when Talestria climbed under the covers. I made an incoherent groan as she climbed in. The wagons had stopped.
"What's going on?" I mumbled.
Talestria yawned, "They stopped to rest."
I closed my eyes, "Well, I know that, but why?"
"We’ve been traveling for several hours since you went to sleep," Talestria muttered as she tried to get comfortable.
I guess I was more tired than I thought. I sat up and stretched my arms and hit the canvas on top of the wagon. There was some light out so it must be morning. Talestria opened an eye when I climbed out of the covers but was too tired to care that I got up. I gave her a peck on the forehead and ventured out.
Man, it was cold. The sun was barely peaking over the eastern horizon and the air was crisp. I rubbed my arms together and checked things out. There were only a few people awake. Everyone was else snoring away in their bedrolls. Alpo was conked out by our wagon. Poor fellow, he had been traveling all day and night. I was sure the clerics helped but he had reached his limit. I spotted a group quietly sitting by a small fire. They used the wagons to block the wind and stared into the fire. Over the fire was an iron kettle. One of the men noticed me, got up and quickly walked over to me.
"Morning. Water is boiling, so feel free to have some tea," the man whispered. He wore a white robe and his hair was frazzled. He rubbed his eyes and suddenly perked up, "Oh my, you're Blake! Um, we were instructed to tell you when you awakened to consult with Lady Ayjestus." He pointed to the fancy carriage.
I forced a friendly smile, nodded at the priest and walked to the carriage. There was no one guarding it other than the few men by the fire. I was tempted to knock on the door but didn't want to wake anyone around. I quietly opened the door to the carriage and peeked inside. I saw her sitting on a cushioned chair. She was quite a sight. I had seen her a few times but still wasn’t used to seeing a blue, four-armed woman with three eyes. Her arms were folded and her eyes were closed. She still wore a simple yet elegant white dress which contrasted to her straight, black hair falling almost to the bottom of her chair.
"Welcome, Blake," Ayjestus greeted me quietly. She slowly opened her eyes. Her expression was grim and her eyes carried a sense of burden. She made a gesture toward the bench across from her.
I quietly sat down, "So you called for me?"
She nodded, "Yes, I expect you are wondering why you and your wife are here." She took a deep breath and went on, "We heard about the incident just hours before you and the mages returned from your home. Falstrid told me through a contact stone that the mage school was destroyed. He and about half of those there survived." She sighed and went on, "A lich named Njyak somehow activated an ancient gateway under the mage school. Out came an army of undead and necromancers. They have taken over a great deal of Vunash."
She let out a troubled sigh and continued. "Falstrid and the survivors fled to the western part of the city. He suffered many injuries while saving as many as he could."
"What about the other people?" I asked.
"I fear many have fallen," Ayjestus said mournfully. "What worries me is what Falstrid described as pillars of bone and ebony. From my knowledge of necromancy, that once forgotten excerpt was stored in the Book of Scrathelm."
"Scrathelm? That sounds familiar," I mentioned. I couldn't quite recall but even the name Njyak sounded vaguely familiar.
Ayjestus stared at me, "It was tome that contained the knowledge of the first known necromancer in the Farlands; an elf that held a lust for forbidden knowledge. He ventured to the main lands and helped create that cursed armor that you used to wear."
My eyes grew wide, "He trapped the Dragon Spirit?" I almost yelled loudly in surprise but caught myself.
Ayjestus nodded, "I do not know how one is able to do such a feat nor do I desire to learn such a thing. He and the old elf king, among many others, managed to create that invincible armor by trapping his soul. Such dark magic and corrupted power helped fuel the civil war among the elves shortly after their return. The rest I am sure you know."
I ran my fingers through my hair. That was a lot to take in. Talestria's father helped trapped the Dragon Spirit and knew of this Scrathelm. I needed to ask her about it when she woke up. From what I knew, she was only a child during those times and vaguely remembered anything of it.
Then it dawned on me, "Wait a minute. Njyak was that necromancer who used the assassin on me."
Ayjestus tilted her head, "So, you have met this necromancer before?"
I nodded, "Yes. He convinced a wealthy noble to hire an assassin who came for me after she acquired the knowledge in that book."
Ayjestus interrupted, "Yes. I heard of the Blood Witch raiding the forbidden Elvin archives. I do not know how she acquired such knowledge without going mad."
I let out a big sigh, "Oh, she was insane. That was for sure." A mental image of that battle flashed in my mind. I recalled the crazed look in her eyes when I stabbed her with her own weapon. It still caused me to cringe.
"Something troubling you?" Ayjestus asked. She looked at me as though she knew what I felt. "You experienced something emotionally taxing."
"Yes. When I defeated her, I could see the sorrow and hate in her eyes. I found out later that she was the sister of one of the elves that I killed,” I whispered as I stared at the floor of the carriage.
I took a deep breath and felt somewhat unclean recalling those moments. There was nothing I could do to change it and I shouldn't let it bother me, but it still did. It was also the will of the Dragon Spirit himself that saved me from those elves. Maybe I did see the pain of the Blood Witch for a brief moment. I really didn't know.
I held my breath and slowly exhaled. "Sorry about that," I apologized.
Ayjestus gave me a smile, "Don't be. You have a good heart and the events thrown upon you only made your heart stronger. I do not blame you for them. Don't cause yourself anymore grief over that."
Her words gave me comfort. It felt good to get that off my chest. Another image popped in my head. "Wait. I recall seeing that necromancer after the battle."
Ayjestus leaned forward and I continued, "He ext
racted some type of yellow crystal from within her dead body and then she vanished."
"So, that explains it." Ayjestus nodded. She stretched her arms and looked back at me, "The knowledge of the book was stored in that crystal and he used the Blood Witch's hate to get her to retrieve it for him." She stared off at the door. "One trained in the dark arts could slowly consume the knowledge of the book while retaining his sanity. He used his power to become a lich and started amassing power."
Ayjestus’ eyes wandered around the carriage deep in thought. There was a knock on the door and it slowly opened. Clagmir peeked in.
