‘Courage?’ Grincheux’s heart swelled to bursting point. ‘Hardly. Just be glad you aren’t my laundry lady.’
‘It would be a honour to scrub your clothes.’
‘Trust me. You don’t know what you’re saying.’
‘But you have done so much more than you can ever know,’ said Cassandra and the smile disappeared from her face which took on a severe, dominating expression.
‘I have?’ Grincheux felt nervous all over again.
‘Your unmasking of Kettifer and the entrance to the pit has opened the door for the elven race. We shall rule and you shall grovel at my feet for as long as I deign to prolong your pitiful life, human. Every human will become slave to the elves. Our rightful place as rulers in perpetuity begins now and for you, o Scribe Grincheux, every moment you survive will be in the knowledge that it was you who sealed the fate of every one of your pathetic race.’
Grincheux just stopped his bowels defeating him. ‘What?’
Cassandra stalked away, her head held high and proud. Her cadre of elves fell in beside her, honour guard to a queen. Grincheux followed her like a cowed puppy. At the entrance to the passageway back to the first vault, she turned.
‘Only kidding.’ She beckoned him over. ‘Come on, I want your help with my heroic language skills before I go out on my first proper battle.’
Grincheux’s legs wobbled on the way over. Cassandra put an arm about his shoulders.
‘Fuck me, but you’re gullible aren’t you?’ Cassandra’s guttural tone made him start.
‘What a lovely singing voice you must have. What was that?’
‘Oh, elven formal tongue. Ancient, mystical and packed with brilliant rude words. I’ll teach you if you like.’
‘Well, only if you can spare the time from the process of human enslavement.’
‘For you, my scribe, anything. Come on, let’s go and get an ale. Don’t know about you, but I fancy getting absolutely wankered.’
Grincheux closed his eyes and shuddered at the words that were even now being recorded in draft form in his book back there in the main vault. He chuckled.
‘Lead on, my hero. And please, please keep it informal, eh?’
Cassandra the Swiftblade picked her way among the bodies of the slain demons and led Grincheux, scribe to heroes, back up into the light and sanctuary of Goedterre and the Hero Academy. Behind them, the Vault echoed to their words as they strolled away. It breathed a sigh of ancient relief at its salvation and it felt a pang of regret at the events played out beneath its grand domes.
‘Oh, by the way,’ said Cassandra, voice lighting up the shadows with its gentle echoes. ‘It’s your round first.’
‘And if I refuse your gracious offer?’
[The sound of a blade whispering from a scabbard].
[Chuckling from an elven throat].
‘This very sharp sword.’
VAULT OF DEEDS
Copyright © James Barclay
The right of James Barclay to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Originally published in printed book form by PS Publishing Ltd in 2008. This electronic version published in July 2012 by PS by arrangement with the author. All rights reserved by the author.
FIRST EBOOK EDITION
ISBN 978-1-848632-33-2
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
VAULT OF DEEDS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
VAULT OF DEEDS
Barclay, J [2008] Vault of Deeds Page 9
