by Joe Jackson
The shakna-rir ambassador started to speak, but then held his tongue, his gaze flicking back to the luranar prince as though afraid to meet his cold stare.
“You honor my father by your words; I thank you,” Auremax said, bowing his head toward the human knight. “Are you known to my people as they are to you, sir?”
“Your father was… my friend,” the human said. “I’m sure this will only open up more questions than it answers, but my name… is Galadon Tercullin.”
Councilor Peters gave a solid voice to the confusion of the people. “How can that be? I thought… we thought you were killed in the same battle as King Kalamaris!”
“I think, for all intents and purposes, I was,” the knight said with what seemed to be an embarrassed shake of his head. “It’s a long and rather inglorious tale; one for another time.”
“Have you resumed your throne in Dira Ch’Tori, Majesty?” Councilor Mitchell asked.
Galadon waved off the question. “No. There is so much to the story, and it has little to do with the reason we’re all here. Please, let’s focus on the here and now, and not the past. If this problem is as widespread as the number of us present suggests, we’re already far behind our enemies. We must make plans and take decisive action immediately.”
“Plans? Action? What are you suggesting we do?” the shakna-rir ambassador asked.
“Anything rather than sit idly by and be killed,” Delkantar answered. He gestured toward Galadon and Max, adding, “By the gods, we have one of the heroes of the Apocalypse in this room, and the son of another! If this isn’t the work of divine providence, then no such thing exists. We should take advantage of this, and now.”
“But where do we start?” Councilor Morgan prompted.
“Start small,” Starlenia offered. The irony of her comment drew some nervous chuckles from the other ambassadors. She grinned at her own joke, but then stood. “The longest journey begins with a single step. Whatever we do, let’s take that first step now, before it’s too late.”
Delkantar nodded and turned back toward the council. “This city has a vast cemetery, does it not? And since you are the ones who solidified this call for help, I must assume you’ve seen some problems within it. If lords Galadon and Auremax are willing, I would join them to look into the problems personally.” Delkantar looked to the luranar and the human in turn. “You’re both men of the sword and the faith, are you not?”
Galadon nodded, and Auremax looked toward the human knight. “My father thought I was too young to fight in the Apocalypse by your side. But I am not too young anymore. If direct conflict is the only means to gain the answers we seek, then I will join you – both of you.”
“Count me in,” Starlenia said. “I’m good at going unnoticed. I may not be much help fighting a hoard of undead, but maybe I can help you find the source of the problem before it’s upon you. And my people sent me here to get answers, not just chat.”
“Sirs, if this is agreeable to you, I will join them as well,” Yiilu told the councilmen as she stood with the others. “We will see what we can find here, and then, should they agree, I will take these men and woman to my homeland, to visit the Archmagus Karinda Bakhor. Clearly if the issue is this widespread, she will be working to solve the riddle as well. She may better be able to direct our efforts should the situation here provide few clues.”
“What of the rest of us?” one of the other northern ambassadors prompted. “We didn’t come here to fight the undead! We came to lay plans for how we can work together to accomplish such an end.”
“And that’s exactly what you should do,” Delkantar told him. “But I’m a man of action, not words. Life in the northern forests is harsh and doesn’t lend itself to idle chatter.” He seemed to realize he’d misspoken and held a hand up. “I just mean I’m not much for diplomacy or rallying the people. Let us counteract the immediate threat while those of you better suited lay grounds for countering the overall threat. It’s likely we’ll find nothing until night falls, if the problem here is anything like it is back home. We’ll report to you with our findings on the morrow, if we should have any by then.”
“Prince Auremax?” Councilor Peters slipped.
The luranar gestured toward the frontiersman. “In truth, I was headed northward to look into problems with the gnolls there, but I am curious to see to this issue firsthand. As I said earlier, my people have had limited incidents in our homeland. I am intrigued by Delkantar’s mention of Karian Vanador’s work. I met her not so long ago; I had not made the connection before. Could it be her presence has emboldened our collective enemies?”
“To my knowledge, she has left Terrassia,” Yiilu said. “My mentor accompanied her to her home in DarkWind, which is why I am here on my nation’s behalf.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised to find her egress is what’s emboldened our enemies,” Galadon said. “She removed a great evil from this land, but I think it may just have opened the door for other, smaller evils to take its place. I think Lady Yiilu’s suggestion that we go and see Karinda Bakhor makes a good deal of sense. We will make our first order of business to secure this city, that the rest of you can use it as a base of operations for all who will join in this fight. Then we will get input from the archmage and see where our road takes us. But plans must be laid, and our collective militias must be organized. We will serve as the vanguard for now.”
Leighandra finally stepped forward and added her voice. “If it’s acceptable to you, I will join you all as well. I am Leighandra Evenstar, a chronicler by trade, and I will aid you and make record of your deeds.”
Delkantar’s brow creased and he took her in with a cocked head. “Can you hold your own in a fight?” he asked, drawing the others’ attention before they looked at Leighandra.
“I am classically trained in the art of the duel, as well as with some sorcery, though I’m far from a master of either. I doubt I’ll amaze you compared to our two heroic counterparts here, but I can more than hold my own, and will not be a liability to you.”
“Enough said; you’re coming with us,” Galadon said with a short wave of his hand. “I’ll need to return to the inn to gather my things. I’m not equipped for this sort of expedition, but we’ll do what we can.”
“Is this acceptable to you, sirs?” Auremax asked the council.
“We’re not going to stand in your way,” Peters declared. “If you have need of weapons or other sundries, refer the owner back to us for payment. But I implore you, gentlemen and ladies, don’t get yourselves killed! Find out what you can and report back to us. If things get out of hand, fall back to the city and let the militia do its job. The last thing we want is to send regrets to any of your home cities over not properly backing your efforts.”
“We’ll be fine,” Delkantar said. “I’m familiar with the skirmish tactics of the Ghosts of Liam; if things go badly, I’ll get us out of there.”
“The Ghosts of Liam?” Councilor Morgan echoed.
“Frontiersman militia in the northwest,” Peters answered. “Possibly the finest band of fighting men and scouts outside of the Order of the Western Star.”
“Hmph,” the shakna-rir ambassador offered, folding his arms over his chest.
Delkantar ignored the shakna-rir’s indignant reaction, instead staring at Starlenia, though he never said anything to her. He gave her a crooked smile, and after an appraising glance, Leighandra could see why. No matter what her unassuming name, size, and casual demeanor said, there was an air of danger about the little woman. The chronicler fully expected to see Starlenia covered in knives and blades when they set out on their task.
“Should we include the Red Mask in our efforts?” Leighandra asked before the others could leave the chamber.
“They are already spread thin, working to put out all these little fires,” Councilor Mitchell said. “So they are, in effect, already working with you. It would not be a bad idea to let those at their headquarters here in the city know of your intent, tha
t they can offer you their aid.”
“Let me see to that,” Delkantar said. “I’ll meet the rest of you at the west gate soon.”
“By your leave, gentlemen?” Auremax prompted the councilmen.
“Go with the gods; we will continue laying plans, as you said. Return to us with anything you find,” Councilor Mitchell said in dismissal.
“Let’s get to work,” Galadon said, and he led the others from the chamber.
~ * ~ * ~
Initially, Leighandra worried that many well-meaning townsfolk might try to follow them out to the cemetery and end up trampling evidence. Thankfully, the six men and women and one wolf were the only ones to leave the assembly hall intent on taking action. As with the other ambassadors, the people were more intent on talk and staying safe for the time being. Those who tried to follow in the investigators’ wake once they’d left the council’s keep were turned back by the town guard, who patrolled the edges and gateway of the cemetery.
The Solaris cemetery, a sprawling place like a city unto itself, was eerily quiet even under the midmorning sun. There was a sense of unease, but it wasn’t just from her companions; it was as if the land itself had the undertone of trembling, anxious in expectation of what was to come. As a half-elf, Leighandra wasn’t as attuned to nature as her mother’s people, but she had a broad sense of its pulse. Nature was always talking, if one but stopped and listened. Here, the land didn’t cry out in her mind the way Yiilu had described, but Leighandra could feel an inexplicable pain that emanated from it. This was definitely an epicenter, one of many across the land.
Auremax and Galadon treaded lightly, letting Delkantar and Starlenia look for any more subtle clues left behind by the perpetrators. The two knights spoke quietly as they inspected the crypts and mausoleums for evidence of tampering. It was hard to tell what they were talking about without getting closer and directly eavesdropping, and Leighandra didn’t want to come across as rude to her new acquaintances.
She wondered at Galadon still being alive, but knew there would be plenty of time to get to know the knight’s story – assuming they survived this initial investigation. Just as curious to her was the story of the luranar prince, and how well he might follow in his father’s footsteps. He looked every bit the warrior-prince, just as Galadon resembled the knightly king, and she saw an interesting complementing between them that brought a smile to her face.
Yiilu and Vo’rii were inspecting the area from a distance. Leighandra wasn’t as sensitive as the elven druidess, but she understood her mother’s people. To the elves, walking through a cemetery was considered an affront to both the living and the dead. It was a wonder that Yiilu had come with them at all, but then she was already thinking ahead to bringing the results of their investigation to Karinda Bakhor. Would Yiilu then want to take them to the court of the elven queen, Tiyaana? It seemed unlikely, considering the number of outsiders among them…
Vo’rii hesitated to enter the graveyard, despite the wolf’s sensitive nose that might help them uncover even more clues. That thought brought Leighandra’s attention back to Auremax, and she had to fight off the urge to laugh. Instead, she headed toward the others as Delkantar and Starlenia gestured for everyone to join them. Yiilu picked her way carefully along the paths, staying far from the edges of the graves, and Vo’rii followed at the druidess’ heels. Leighandra looked around curiously as she saw that the trackers had called them all to meet in the center of the cemetery.
The chronicler noted the contrasts among the gathered ambassadors-turned-investigators. Just as she’d expected, Galadon was now dressed in riding clothes covered with a breastplate and greaves, a greatsword across his back. His pauldrons were marked with a gold cross with crossed swords behind it, the alternate symbol often worn by knights who followed the Ghost. Galadon and Auremax both appeared to be knights of some kind – paladins, perhaps? – and their demeanors were those of defenders. Now that she knew who they were, neither came as a surprise: Galadon was a war hero, no matter the mystery behind his survival, and Auremax was the son of another war hero.
Delkantar was a frontiersman, one of the rugged men of the north who ranged the forests and kept the encroachments of beast and beast-men alike in check. The fact that he came from Chandler’s Grove had to mean he’d lived in the wilds for much of his life. Accordingly, his armor and weapons were light. He wore leather gear with some metal plates here and there, enough to protect without limiting his mobility or making too much noise when he was out in the forests. He had a hunting bow and a quiver, not surprisingly, but also had dual blades sheathed on his belt.
The swords looked to be something between rapiers and longswords, though Leighandra had never seen their like before. He was the picture of the rugged woodsman she’d always conjured in her mind when she sang of the exploits of the northern frontiersmen. The north was far wilder than the south, the woodlands home to many of the less-civilized species of Terrassia. Somewhere out there were tribes of czarikk and gnolls, among other creatures, and a man like Delkantar would undoubtedly know much about them. Leighandra pondered the czarikk and why they hadn’t sent an emissary, but continued assessing her companions.
Yiilu would’ve been the most interesting of the group to most outsiders, but Leighandra was familiar with her mother’s people. The druidess wore leathers fashioned to look like a coat of leaves and sprigs, and had the traditional scimitar that had become the symbol of the druids among the elven nation. She looked like she might fit in among Delkantar’s people, but Leighandra knew Yiilu’s primary strength came from nature and the magic it yielded to those who understood its workings. She was pretty, even for one of the elven people, but her looks were tempered by the slight unkemptness of her that said she, too, was one who lived out in the forests much of the time.
I suspect that wolf is probably her best friend, and not just her traveling companion.
Starlenia was the enigma, dressed and equipped similarly to Delkantar. She didn’t give an air of a forester, but had no doubt chosen her gear for the same reasons as the woodsman. She almost looked like a young human, but the slightly weathered features of her face said she was no girl, as did the aura of danger that surrounded her for some reason. If Leighandra didn’t know better, she might’ve suspected Starlenia of being an assassin, or at least an operative of some kind among her people, whoever they were. She marked those thoughts down for later, when she would pose her chronicler’s questions to her companions, all the better to log their tale.
“What do you think?” Galadon asked when everyone had gathered.
Delkantar gestured around. “It doesn’t take much of a tracker to see that the graves and the cemetery as a whole have been disturbed. Still, I can’t help but suspect that this is something local, despite the fact that it’s widespread, if that makes any sense.”
“A network,” Starlenia agreed. “Many necromancers, each working a different locale in concert to disrupt the entire continent. Bold and difficult, and obviously something that took a great deal of time to set up and coordinate.”
“Does that not suggest there is a single coordinator?” Auremax offered, a hand to his lupine chin. For some reason, it drew Leighandra’s attention to his whiskers, and she stifled another little laugh. He glanced at her, but gave no indication he noticed her mirth.
Galadon straightened out. “You don’t suppose…?”
“It’s a bit early to make that sort of leap, but it was my first assumption,” Starlenia said, gaining Leighandra’s full attention; she had no idea what the little woman meant. “You saw the way the shakna-rir ambassador behaved; something is definitely happening in his homeland, even above and beyond the rumored assassination of their queen. Again, it’s early to make any assumptions, but an empire whose leader has just been murdered would pose little trouble to those working in the shadows, no? They’d be looking for a murderer, not necromancers.”
“Pretty good logic to me,” Delkantar said with a grimace.
; Galadon bobbed his head. “It’s something that bears investigating, but judging by the ambassador’s attitude, I’m not sure we’d be welcome to snoop around in the Khalarin. Let’s focus on solving this locally first, and then we can move on to the larger issue, yes? I suspect whoever these fools are, they do most of their work under cover of darkness. I think perhaps we should go get something to eat, get to know each other and how to coordinate our efforts a little, and lay more solid plans as to what to do if and when we find our culprits.”
“I believe consulting with the Archmagus will be most helpful, but the earlier suggestion that we deal with the troubles here and use it as a safe haven does make sense,” Yiilu said. “It may also turn out that we can capture some of these… necromancers, and get answers directly from them before we trouble Lady Bakhor.”
“So where is a good place to take refreshments that allows wolves?” Auremax asked.
Galadon laughed and patted the luranar’s shoulder. “If these people have any idea who you are, they will likely fall over themselves offering you a place to eat and rest.”
“I was speaking of Vo’rii,” the prince returned. Silence fell over the others as Auremax held Galadon under a dispassionate stare, and the knight stammered briefly. Finally, the prince’s shoulders shook lightly as he chuckled. “I jest, of course. Lead the way, old friend.”
Something passed between the two, and Leighandra laughed with the others. It was like watching old friends who’d been apart for some time. Do they know each other? Max’s comment about his father thinking him too young to fight in the Apocalypse suggested they hadn’t ever fought side by side. But if Galadon and Kalamaris had been friends, then they may have met before that fateful war.
