Wood, Stone and Bone

by Ian Rodgers

  “That’s correct, but I also did it for Valen. He deserves better after enduring so much hardship, and I truly care for him. As a friend of course,” she continued hastily. I studiously ignored her red cheeks.

  “That’s why I was so hostile towards you and your mysterious patron,” Katherine said apologetically. “Baloron was also very interested in the different applications of an Ooze, and I feared you might have been working for him to track down my friends and hurt them.”

  “I understand and forgive you,” I replied graciously. “You were looking out for a friend.”

  (Right. Friend,) Rosa snorted in amused disbelief. I was glad Katherine couldn’t hear what my Familiar had said.

  “Anyways,” I said, patting the Ruby Carbuncle’s head to appease her, “what about the Shadowspell Alliance? Does that have anything to do with the Soul Oozes?”

  “Not entirely,” Katherine said slowly, trying to decide how much she should reveal to me. “The Shadowspell Alliance is a series of non-aggression pacts and deals between the four most powerful Dark mages in the world.”

  “Baloron is a one of them. He was regarded as the strongest Druid before he turned his back on his Order, and has only gotten stronger since. He’s rated as a high S-, low X-ranked individual in terms of raw power and threat.”

  I gulped, fear curdling in my belly. Which was most of my body.

  “Oh. Who are the other members?”

  Katherine pursed her lips as she brought their names out of her memories.

  “Jabrid Shogot of the Golden Veil, also known as the Scam King of Riggs, is one of them,” she said. “He rules over a vast criminal enterprise not unlike the Dark Guild but goes more into extortion and corrupt business deals. They say his illusions are so powerful, they can become physical and influence the real world.”

  “Then there is Lady Darna, a Dire Elf who is the definition of insane. She uses magical music to drive people mad, and enjoys turning people on each other. She’s the Vagabond Queen, the only member of the Shadowspell who does not have a permanent base and just travels all over Erafore spreading her demented musical talents.”

  “And last but definitely not least is the founder of the Shadowspell Alliance,” Katherine said, raw hate seeping into her voice. “Vord the Undying, the most dangerous Lich in existence.”

  “He who razed the Earth Elf nation of Esmerelda and laid siege to Karz Thang in the heartlands of the Clanholds. He who stole the First Hammer from its shrine and massacred the inhabitants of Karz Ruod to fuel his ascension to Lichdom. A cancer that must be purged by all the fire in the world!”

  She was panting with fury as she spoke, and I was silent with terror.

  I knew the name Vord the Undying. Who didn’t? He was one of the oldest Undead in existence, and his cruelty was renowned across Erafore. None knew where he dwelt, but his minions were scattered around the world, ready to do his bidding.

  He was also the only magic user who Arnolt Cantos feared. Vord was an X-ranked being, one who had reigned for millennia and only grown stronger. Like the World Paladin or the headmaster, he could topple cities alone and slaughter thousands with ease. However, unlike the two X-ranked people I’d met, Vord was unquestionably evil, and dedicated to perfecting the Dark Arts.

  “And that’s the group you tried to mess with?” I hissed in shock.

  “Baloron’s the only one I have to deal with,” Katherine said dismissively after calming down from her rage. “Their group does not help one another directly, and they only work together for mutual protection and to avoid stepping on each other’s toes. And don’t worry, the Dark Druid won’t come after you. There’s a princess in your corner of the arena. Having the Roan’s as an enemy would be suicidal, even for someone as powerful as him.”

  “You’re a braver person than I,” I admitted. “I ran away from the people I loved because I was scared of hurting them indirectly. There are people who are after me, and I refuse to see Liliana or Kine or Julius or anyone I care for suffer because of me.”

  “But they’re already hurting,” Katherine declared softly. “They love you as well, but you left them.”

  “For their own good, I cannot be with them,” I replied sadly. The dwarf nodded in reluctant understanding.

  “Yeah. For their own good,” she muttered, no doubt having heard those words herself.

  We were silent the rest of the march.

  Chapter 15: Trampled dreams

  “…and he fell headfirst into the well!”

  Katherine doubled over with laughter, clutching her stomach as her mirth threatened to cause it to burst.

  “No way, that really happened?”

  “You cannot make this stuff up!” I replied cheerfully. “Nor can you deny that even after he was pulled out by a bunch of ropes, the guy still refused to let go of the coin!”

  “Wooo! I’ve heard of people who were crazy about money, both thief and otherwise, but I don’t think anyone I’ve met was so in love with coins they would throw themselves into such trouble for a single copper!”

  “The best part is this was apparently such a common occurrence they have a sign next to the well that asks for people getting water to please be patient while they extract that guy from it.”

  Another round of laughter bubbled out of the dwarf cutpurse disguised as an adventurer.

  Katherine and I had started to get along. Now that we knew each other’s secrets, and were assured neither was not trying to harm each other or anyone we knew, the two of us had started to bond. For the past three days we had been thick as thieves – amusing considering what her other occupation was – spending what time we could just chatting as we marched on with the caravan.

  Not that this had gone unnoticed by the others in the group. Considering what they all thought we had done when Katherine had snuck into my tent I endured jeers and teasing whenever we came to a stop, mostly by Brent and Mitch. Yorrik was just glad I was finally opening up to someone and not spending my time being silent and broody.

  I didn’t mind. I could tell that hanging around with Katherine was good for me as well. It was like a weight had been lifted off my chest whenever I spoke with the fun-sized maiden. The fact that she knew the truth about my appearance and origins and did not care one whit relieved more stress than I’d known I was carrying.

  We talked about this and that, swapping stories about our respective adventurers and hijinks.

  I learned more about the Soul Oozes as well. Most importantly, Katherine agreed to arrange for a ship to take me to Drakon and the Soul Oozes’ hidden village. Only she, the Dark Guild’s boss, and a small assortment of inner circle members within Crotia, knew its location.

  Katherine would justify taking me to them by explaining I was a Soul Ooze who had escaped but fled in a different direction from the rest. And only now was I aware of where my kin had gone.

  Flimsy, and only the boss would know the full truth about my existence and where I’d really come from, but the story would hold for the time I had to spend waiting in Arv Prith over the winter. I’d agreed to let Katherine tell the Dark Guild’s guildmaster about me because I needed their help to find the Soul Oozes. And I knew that the Dark Guild wouldn’t dare to make an enemy of the Varian Royal family, so I was safe as long as I didn’t do anything to cause them to consider me a threat.

  And come spring when the storms stopped rattling the beaches and ocean Katherine and I would depart for Drakon, the New Frontier.

  No lies, I was perhaps more excited for this than I’d ever been about anything else. Finally, I would be able to be with beings similar to myself! I would not be alone anymore!

  “Alright, your turn! Tell me about the most bizarre thing involving money that ever happened to you,” I said, turning to her. She tapped her chin in thought.

  “Hmm, that’s a tricky one,” she mused. “I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff in my time in both of my jobs, so picking the weirdest might be hard.”

  After thinking a bit more she
lit up.

  “I know! This one time, I had been hired to steal some shipping manifests from this noble who was embezzling gold from the Merchant’s Union. His manor was completely ridiculous with such tacky décor. He had a solid gold statue of himself in the entrance hall, and then another one, also gold, doubling as a water fountain. I have never seen someone waste good money on such a narcissistic pursuit.”

  “Wow, that is a ridiculous waste of money!” I laughed. “Isn’t that right, Rosa?”

  (Lord Grangrid, one of the rulers of the Elemental Plane of Earth, has statues of himself made of not just gold, but silver, platinum, and entire blocks of precious jewels. He keeps one in every room of his palace. Even the guest bedrooms,) my Carbuncle said blandly as she munched on a dried apricot.

  I repeated what she had said and Katherine whistled.

  “She knows the Exarch of Earth?”

  (Not personally. It’s a common dare among Carbuncles to sneak into his home. He has lots of guards and traps and stuff, but he’s decent enough so he doesn’t really get mad if we do so. He likes gems and stuff and that never ages, so us Carbuncles press both of his buttons, so to speak.)

  Katherine shook her head in amazement after I translated. “To think you’ve been to the Elemental Plane of Earth! It’s considered a holy land to many dwarves thanks to all the resources that can be found there. As well as being the site of Lord Kazum’s summer home.”

  “From what little I saw of it Gaeum was amazing,” I agreed. “Don’t know if I’d want to live there, though. Nothing but tunnels and caverns and never a glimpse of sky? Not my cup of tea.”

  “Fair enough,” Katherine shrugged. “It’s not for everyone. Even dwarves can get claustrophobic after a while as well. It’s why some cities are as much above ground as they are below. Like Arv Prith.”

  We lapsed into a pleasant silence for a while, just listening to the sounds of wildlife preparing for winter and the leaves rustling in the breeze.

  “You know, I was meaning to ask you, how did you find out about my investigation of the rumors so quickly? I can only assume Tywood has its own Dark Guild representatives in it somewhere, it is a decently sized settlement, but would they have been so quick to respond if someone was looking around for mere rumors on the matter of talking Oozes?”

  “It does, and they did, but it was another person who helped collaborate on confirmation your intentions. Or at least, that you were interested in Valen’s people.”

  “Really? Who was it?” I asked.

  “It was my father,” Katherine said proudly. I remained silent. She tilted her head at my lack of reaction.

  “You know, Edon Shale?”

  More blank, uncomprehending silence from me.

  “He was the merchant you traveled into Tywood with!” she exclaimed, and I nodded as realization came to me.

  “Oh, him! Now that I think about it there are some similarities between the two of you,” I claimed as I took a closer look at Katherine.

  “You traveled with him for a few days and you never bothered to learn his name?” the dwarf maiden demanded incredulously.

  “To be fair, I had other things on my mind,” I said in an attempt to defend myself. Tara tsked in disappointment in my head and Rosa rolled her eyes at my response.

  “Whatever,” Katherine muttered in a dejected tone. “Anyways, he sent me a letter about you, and how you were researching Oozes. That, combined with the Tywood’s Dark Guild’s notice, was enough to convince us your existence and purpose weren’t mistakes on our agent’s parts. And so, we planned accordingly for how to deal with you.”

  “Sneak into my tent and try to stab the truth out of me,” I stated snarkily. Katherine huffed but didn’t refute my claim.

  “Does your father know you work for the Dark Guild?” I asked cautiously after the thought sprung into my head.

  Katherine shook her head vigorously. “He doesn’t. And he never will. He just knows I made friends with Valen and the Soul Oozes and was helping them. He found out their secret by accident but agreed to help as well. After all, Baloron is an enemy of the dwarves as well, and anyone who is an ally of Vord is to be thwarted at every turn. Such is our hate for that Lich.”

  That put a damper on the mood and we stared off into the distance for a bit.

  “So, what do you think will be for lunch?” I asked after a few minutes of silently contemplating reality and the meaning of life.

  “Probably more beef stew,” she said with a grimace. “I like meat as much as the next person, but it’s hard to stomach it when it’s all boiled and mushy.”

  “At least I can turn off my sense of taste at will,” I said.

  “Well the rest of us can’t,” Katherine said bitterly. She then got thoughtful.

  “How are you able to sustain your body with so little food, though? Rosa eats more than you, and she’s barely larger than some of the stuff she eats! You told me you’re far larger than you appear thanks to judicious use of magic, and even Valen and the others had to eat much more than a regular human to sustain themselves.”

  “I’m a Royal Ooze, a cut above the average kind,” I said with a shrug. “I can feed off the magic in the air to an extent, and eat anything organic if I need the energy. So usually I just make sure my sense of taste is not active then eat a bunch of grass and twigs and stuff as we camp for the night.”

  “As for Rosa, well, it’s impolite to ask a woman their weight or their age. Also, I’m pretty sure the food just gets transmuted into raw magical energy inside her somehow,” I said, poking the Ruby Carbuncle in her tummy. She giggled and swatted my hand away. I dove in for some tickles as revenge.

  “You two are really close,” Katherine said, smiling fondly as she watched the two of us fool around.

  “She’s been one of my closest companions, and has been at my side since my journey began. I’m proud to call her my friend.”

  Rosa glowed even brighter in her embarrassment.

  (Stop, you’re making me blush!) She said with a laugh.

  Katherine chuckled at our antics. “I’ll say it again; you two are close. Like siblings.”

  She sighed wistfully at that.

  “No brothers or sisters of your own?” I questioned.

  She shook her head, but before she could say anything a loud cacophony erupted off in the distance.

  I tensed, readying my mana, while Katherine went for her knives. The rest of the group was worried as well, the merchants trying to steady their steeds while the adventurers took positions around the rim of the caravan to act as guards.

  Other travelers on the road were looking around nervously as well, trying to detect the source of the sounds.

  Braying, barking, hollering, screaming, and hooting all poured forth, and I finally pinpointed the origin.

  “It’s coming from the Dullwilds!” Yorrik exclaimed, beating me to the punch.

  Everyone turned to face the north, where the distant tree line could be seen. The tops of trees were shaking, and the sun was blotted out as hundreds of birds took flight, soared into the sky, and streamed off away from the enchanted forest.

  Yorrik drew his bow, and I hopped on top of a wagon for a better view of the field and casting angle for my spells. Rosa flew into one of my pockets on the robe and withdrew her needle-sword, brandishing it fiercely.

  I noticed she was trembling slightly, and whatever had spooked the beasts in the Dullwilds had affected her too.

  Travelers were starting to gather around us, as we were the largest armed group on the road at the minute. Torren allowed them in, letting women and children huddle in the center of the convoy as the men and adventurers readied their weapons.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Yorrik, and the Ranger shook his head.

  “No idea, but it sounds like the entire forest is moving.”

  “Rosa, what about you? Can you tell what’s happening?”

  (Fear,) she mumbled, clutching her weapon. (They’re all afraid.)

&
nbsp; “What?”

  Before I could inquire for clarification the edge of the forest erupted in a seething tide of fur and flesh.

  Animals of all species and breed poured out in a single wave. Deer and squirrels ran alongside wolves and bears, and magical beasts such as Oozes, Dire-breed, and even a few unicorns madly fled the limits of the Dullwilds.

  “Brace yourselves!” Yorrik shouted, nocking an arrow. “Only aim at the ones that try to breach the convoy’s perimeter! Let the rest flee unhindered!”

  His bowstring twanged, and a wild-eyed wolf collapsed with an arrow through its neck.

  I followed his example by gouging a huge ditch in the path of the oncoming stampede, widening the highway’s swale into an impromptu moat. Some of the animals turned to avoid it.

  A few however leapt over the wound in the ground and continued to scamper towards us.

  A volley of Magic Arrows was my answer to those interlopers, as well as a few other spells that fired off by nearby adventurers.

  Blood gushed and sprayed as the magical attacks slammed into the beasts, but they refused to let up their reckless dash, and moments later the wave of wild animals crashed into the line of wagons and defenders.

  I saw a wolf impale itself on Mitch’s spear, while Brent’s axe clattered against a stag’s horns. Yorrik dropped another slavering beast with a well-placed shot between its eyes. And Katherine was forced to fight off the racoons and Dire Rats that were panicking towards the convoy.

  Blades flashed and magic burst and screams echoed across the field. I could no longer use my attack spells with the targets pressing so close to my companions and allies, so I retreated to the back and began casting buffs and enhancements over the adventurer’s equipment while also flinging out a weak healing spell or two.

  I was not as adept in magic that used the Element of Light as I would have liked, and could only mend small cuts and bruises at this point. But every little bit helped.