by Tom Liberman
“So, you didn’t know him before?” said Hazlebub.
“No, but I’ve traveled with him for many weeks now and I know him more than well enough. When he says he wants to eradicate the darkness of the world what he really means is that he wants to eradicate anyone who worships a god other than Ras. He is fanatical and he is not open to reason, logic, or other points of view. What makes him particularly dangerous is that he somehow has bonded Oliver to him.”
“The warrior, he looks a mean’un,” said Hazlebub and continued to scrub her voice became quieter as if there was a chance the priest might overhear the conversation.
“He is the most powerful paladin in all of Tarlton. His reputation extends far into the desert and I know that the Black Horsemen fear him. I’ve seen him fight and he is a force with which not to be trifled. Once Seymour gets the staff and destroys it with his Icon of Ras …,” went on the wizards.
“What is that thing?” said Hazlebub.
“I think, it’s difficult to look at, so bright … but I think …,” said the wizard and then paused.
“What?” asked Hazlebub and paused in her scrubbing.
“You’ll think I’m mad,” he said.
“Tell me,” she said and resumed her work.
He pointed to the sky and sun, “The sun, I think it’s a reflection, or an image, or actually it, somehow.”
“But, it would too hot,” she said. “He couldn’t wear it?”
“The planets,” went on Sutekha. “Have you studied astronomy?”
“Of course,” said Hazlebub. “The planets move around the sun.”
“If you look closely, it’s difficult, it’s so bright, but if you look closely you can see them, the planets, orbiting his icon. I did some calculations, I tried to watch, but, it’s madness, but I think they are one in the same, the planets are in the right positions. I think that thing around his neck is the actual sun, somehow.”
“That’s not possible,” said the witch her hand still scrubbed but going back and forth over the same spot on the wizard’s back like some automaton without a will of its own.
“As I said,” replied Sutekha his face a study in concentration as he totally forgot about the scrub brush. “It’s impossible, insane, but I think it’s true. Seymour claims Ras himself gave him the Icon in reward for some great deed. Oliver and Seymour have traveled together for many years. Seymour is a bit of a legend in my lands. He is the son of the old king and considered the finest priest of his generation. Everyone assumed he would eventually become the new king but he truly believed in his religious calling. He traveled the world for many years in the manner of Yumanar the Traveler and became the most powerful priest in the world. He only recently came back to Tarlton and settled in the city. His younger brother is king now but the boy is weak and lets the darkling, Ming, control his actions. Speculation is rampant that Seymour will take the throne by force and it is well known he has no love for the warlord the two being worshippers of darkness and light.”
“It sounds volatile,” said Hazlebub her head tilted at a slight angle and her eyes looked off into the distance. “You said the Icon of Ras is capable of destroying the Staff of Naught?”
“Yes,” said Sutekha but then checked himself. “At least Seymour seems to think it is possible. He wants to take it to one of those old White Marble ruins and perform some sort of ceremony.”
“Ahhh,” said the witch with a long, drawn out sigh. “The White Marble.”
“The building block of the Old Empire,” said Sutekha his own eyes now going far away. “I learned of it deep underground from my people, the Golden Worm Nomads. There are a number of the old structures buried far beneath the earth and much of our magic is derived from what we learned of the ancients.”
“Yes, there is one in the woodlands outside of Iv’s Folly,” said the witch. “My mother, bless her, she was killed by Dorian soldiers, let me think, 30 years ago, she taught me about the place and how to summon the ancient magic.”
“All the old stone circles are from the same era although most of them are not the White Marble that is reserved for especially powerful sites. In any case, Seymour hopes to use the power of one of the old sites to amplify the Icon of Ras enough to destroy the Staff of Naught. Apparently the staff and Seymour go back a long way. There was some fellow named Khemer who used …”
“Khemer!” cried Hazlebub and completely stopped in her cleansing of the wizard as her mouth suddenly hung open.
“Yes, you know the name?” said Sutekha with a sharp glance at the witch.
“It was the ghost,” said Hazlebub.
“Ghost?” said the wizard just as the witch began to scrub at his back.
“Lift your leg there,” she said. “Yes, when the skeletons first started marching I summoned a spirit, I thought I summoned a spirit but maybe he was there, waiting, all the time.”
“I’m not following you,” said Sutekha, “and be a little judicious with the brush in that area if you don’t mind.”
“Of course,” said the witch a broad smile on her face. “I wouldn’t want to hurt that. Khemer, of course, he was waiting there, he used my summoning ritual as an excuse, and he knew what he was doing all the time. That explains everything.”
“Not to me,” said Sutekha. “When do I get my turn with the brush?”
“Not quite yet my pale little friend,” she said.
“Little?” said Sutekha.
“You men are all the same. My sister’s husband is an insecure fellow,” replied Hazlebub.
“So, you’re not in a relationship with anyone?” said Sutekha and tried to keep his voice even but his eagerness showed through a bit.
“Do you want to know about Khemer or about my sex life?”
Sutekha shrugged his shoulders, “Does it have to be one or the other? Ouch! You did that on purpose.”
Hazlebub smiled and continued to scrub, “Khemer told us he wanted to destroy the staff, the lying little prick, but then he tried to bring himself back to life with it and we killed him.”
“You killed a ghost?” said Sutekha with raised eyebrows. “Most impressive. The creatures are notoriously difficult to dispose of permanently. They simply melt away and appear somewhere else at another time.”
“Khemer made the mistake of bringing himself back to life and then we realized he was up to something. He almost killed Lousa with that staff and gave me a good knock as well but Tylan killed him.”
“Tylan?” said Sutekha and turned all the way around to face the woman. “The boy? Really?”
Hazlebub nodded her head, “Yes, he used a hammer that the bugbear was carrying when he ambushed us. I wonder where that thing has gotten to?”
“I’m completely lost,” said Sutekha and shook his head, “but I’ll tell you all I know about this Khemer fellow as that might shed some light … haha … on the situation.”
“Ha ha,” said Hazlebub in a flat tone.
“Seymour and Oliver apparently became enemies with this Khemer fellow thirty years ago, or maybe even more, and it had to do with the staff. They were fighting for power in Tarlton, Seymour’s father would have been king then, and Seymour ended up winning the power struggle and chased Khemer away. They spent years tracking him down and killed him in the end but somehow they couldn’t get the staff to destroy it. They thought it was forever lost but then, somehow, Seymour knew the thing had returned and that’s where I came in. They wanted me to use my divination magic to spy on you and learn what you planned to do with it. I mostly watched Ariana, I didn’t even know her name then, because she handled the thing and that was what I tuned in my divining. I told Seymour that you planned to destroy it but he didn’t care. He calls all your Dorians heathens and if he ever comes to power in Tarlton he will wage war against your queen.”
“And the Staff of Naught is something he wants destroyed,” said Hazlebub her finger on her chin.
The worm wizard used the moment to grab the brush from the witch woman and lather i
t up on the soap, “Now you turn around my dear, and I shall have my vengeance!”
Hazlebub turned her back to the wizard a thoughtful expression still in her eyes. “If Seymour wants it destroyed, and Seymour is the enemy of Doria, then it stands to reason that we don’t want to destroy the thing.”
“I have no problem with that,” said Sutekha and went about his work with vigor although the thick skinned witch did not seem to have a problem with even his most forceful attempts. “But, I warn you that stopping Seymour will not alleviate the threat to Doria. The warlord is also bent on expanding the Tarltonite Empire, first he hopes to unite the nomads claiming that he is the Black Horseman reborn, and then he will march on the Orcs of Danazai, the Mantis Men of Dnubcia the Sharp City, the Dwarves of Temin and eventually onto Doria.”
“The staff would be a potent weapon against either Seymour or this Warlord,” said Hazlebub as the wizard continued his ministrations.
“True,” said Sutekha, “That is undeniable. But, how do you propose to stop him from destroying it. Your own friends will help him. Lousa and Tanner seem fine with the idea of destroying the staff and only little Ariana is opposed.” The wizard stopped for a moment. “There is something about that girl, some quality of strength that I cannot put my finger directly upon. I would welcome her as an apprentice if by chance I were to stay in Doria and not return to my homelands.”
“Is that something you think might happen?” said Hazlebub with a smile.
“It is something that I would like very much to happen,” said the wizard and suddenly put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around so that they looked at one another in the eyes.
“I too would like that,” said the witch.
Chapter 33
“The White Marble ruin is a two day journey to the west,” said Seymour as he stood in front of the rest of the troupe while a campfire burned merrily behind him.
“Two days for you, or two days for us and the wagon?” said Tanner his eyebrows raised and a skeptical expression on his face.
“Two days for Oliver, myself, and the girl who can ride Sutekha’s horse,” replied Seymour and looked down at the man who sat with a clay plate on his lap its surface covered with a medley of vegetables and chunks of rabbit.
“That’s not going to happen,” said Lousa. “Ariana will not be left alone with you two.”
“I will not harm the girl, I swear by Ras,” said Seymour and touched his chest where his heavy robe covered the Icon of Ras although the glow of thing was still barely visible.
“It’s not a matter of harming the girl,” said Lousa. “I don’t trust you or your dog. We go together and we destroy the staff together. I’ve already been betrayed once over that thing,” the last with a motion to Ariana who sat next to Shalalee their feud apparently over. The girl’s satchel rested around her shoulders tied by a stout rope with a sturdy looking knot made by Tylan earlier that afternoon.
“Speed is of the essence,” said Seymour and shook his head sadly at the woman. “The Queen of the Abyss knows that we have it and will send more of her servants as soon as she can. The faster we get to the ruin the more quickly we can dispose of the staff and keep it from her.”
“We need to stick together,” said Hazlebub.
“Thank you Hazle,” said Lousa and gave the witch a look with her lips pursed and eyes narrowed. “There is safety in numbers. We travel together to this ruin of yours and stand guard against any minions of the Queen of the Dead while you perform your ceremony.
“This is foolishness,” said Seymour. “Oliver and I could simply slay you all and take the staff anytime we wanted.”
“Oliver,” said Tanner with a look to the warrior who slept fitfully nearby, “is still recovering from his significant wounds and even if he was at full strength I trust Lousa, Shamki, Humbort, and I could prevent you from doing any such thing.”
“You are a fool then,” said Seymour and again shook his head with a sad little motion. “I could burn you all into cinders right now if I so chose and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. The only thing that stops me is my belief in Ras and what is right.”
“The only thing that stops you is Shamki’s right arm,” said Tanner his voice raised an octave. “Now, we will work together to destroy the staff so you don’t have to concern yourself with that,” he went on.
Hazlebub and Sutekha exchanged a short glance with one another but did not say anything aloud.
“I will work with you,” said Seymour as he stared at the merchant for a long moment. “I do this out of kindness and the belief that you truly do want the thing destroyed. Once it is disposed of I will ride back to Tarlton and leave this heathen land behind.”
“Good riddance,” said Humbort out loud and the Priest of Ras gave him a narrow eyed look and shook his head sadly yet again.
“Sutekha of the Golden Worms,” said Seymour and turned to address his former ally. “I can assume you have broken your sworn word to help me in this matter and choose to caste your lot with these barbarians?”
“Nothing of the sort, oh great and mighty Priest of the Sun, Master of the Icon of Ras, I swore to help you destroy the Staff of Naught in exchange for my freedom. I will keep my word and help you but, once that is accomplished my life is my own to lead, my destiny is my own to make.”
“Ha,” said Seymour and spun away towards where his own sleeping blanket lay out near Shemu. The priest spent a few moments with the horse but its sleek appearance already suffered from the lack of care since the death of Levicus. Its coat was duller and its tail showed knots and dirt. The priest climbed under his blankets, did not brush the horse, and closed his eyes although if he slept or not was a mystery.
The next morning everyone broke camp doing his or her part except the Priest of Ras who simply saddled his steed and waited impatiently for everyone else to signal readiness. Oliver was still too weak to ride on his own and managed to stagger to the back of the wagon with the help of Shamki and Humbort although did instruct Tylan on how to brush down his horse, Dovestar, properly. The beast was uncooperative at first but after a few moments the boy managed to gain its trust and begin the process.
“Does no one understand the importance of time in all of this,” muttered Seymour to himself as he watched the pace of the breakdown. “Heathens, one and all, even Sutekha, a proud desert nomad.”
It only took about ten more minutes to get the little wagon moving west but each second seemed to sour the priest’s mood even more.
Ariana stayed in the wagon with Hazlebub, Shalalee, Sutekha, and Oliver while Tanner and Almara sat in the driver’s seat and guided the donkeys on their journey. Shamki rode out front while Unerus and Tylan walked along beside him. Humbort flitted back and forth between Lousa, who walked alongside the wagon, and the others in the wagon, and Shamki did not say much but kept a close watch on Seymour and the countryside.
“I never saw horses like that before,” said Tylan with a look at Dovestar and Shemu. “I thought Shamki’s was a really good horse but he looks like a donkey compared to the others. Even Sutekha’s horse is much more powerful. Look at the way the walk, the way they hold their heads up, maybe someday I’ll have a horse like that.”
“I don’t know how to ride,” said Unerus with a nervous look at the monstrous steeds. It was easy to see that Tylan was perfectly correct in his assessment. Even a man who never saw a horse in his life would easily be able to distinguish the Tarltonite steeds as superior at a simple glance. Their muscles were bigger; their flanks more powerful, their coats glossier, the look in their eye stronger, they were almost completely a different species than the dull gray horse that Shamki rode.
“You can’t ride?” said Tylan.
The little urchin shook his head, “Never needed to,” he replied.
“I can teach you,” said Tylan. “It’s not all that hard. The trick is getting up in the saddle but after that anyone can do it. Right Shamki?”
The big half-orc nodded his head
, “Not hard, but hard to be good.”
“What do you think of Shemu and Dovestar,” said Unerus to the warrior.
“Good,” said Shamki in his normal short way.
“Do you think more of those things will attack us,” said Tylan as he suddenly changed the subject and looked around the grassy plains for any sign of movement.
“Yes,” said Shamki expansively.
“When do you think they will attack?” asked Tylan. “Dad won’t let me carry the hammer around but it’s in the wagon and I can help. Would you teach me to fight like you’re teaching Unerus?”
The big half-orc nodded, “I teach.”
Tylan smiled broadly and began to mimic the circular movements that Shamki affected every morning although not nearly as smoothly.
In the wagon Hazlebub poured a greenish liquid down the throat of Oliver who face remained impassive although the muscles around his eyes tightened ever so slight. “I know it tastes horrible,” said the witch with a smile, “but it will help clean out your blood. You’ll be up and around in a few more days. Now flip over so I can change the dressing on those bite marks.”
The Orc rolled over onto his stomach without protest and the witch quickly went to work, “Here, Ariana, Shalalee, you should watch this. Someday you’ll be needing to help wounded men.”
The gangly young Shalalee came over readily enough to watch and screwed up her face but did not look away while Ariana simply sat in the corner her gaze far off in the distance although she stared at the side of the covered wagon.
“Ara,” said Hazlebub a little louder and this seemed to snap the girl out of her reverie. “Come help me with these wounds.”
The girl looked at the witch for a moment not saying anything but eventually rose up and looked down at the terrible bite marks that were a green and black around the edges.
