“Tie her to my back quickly, I’ll get her to Vaund!” he told Tartum. His voice was strained, and for the first time ever, he heard pure concern in his voice. Tartum tore a bed sheet into strips and secured Elizabeth to Jeth’s back; he helped Jeth maneuver out the window. He watched anxiously as he began his descent. They were about half way down when Tartum saw a patrol walking towards them. The light from the torches outside was just bright enough to illuminate his friends as they dangled from the rope thirty yards above the ground.
Focusing on the torches, Tartum issued a word of command, “Uush!” The torches surrounding the tower went out simultaneously, and the world went dark. The sudden change in light surprised Jeth, and Tartum heard, more than saw, him struggle to keep his grip on the rope. Tartum’s heart stopped, as he listened for, either the sound of Jeth’s feet making their way back to the ground, or for the thud that would signify their deaths. He almost collapsed when he heard Jeth’s whispered curse, followed by booted feet scraping on the tower wall.
Tartum’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he could see that Jeth was only about ten yards from the ground. Tartum began to prepare to make his own descent. As he was about to climb out the window, he saw the patrol beginning to relight the torches. He knew if he extinguished them again, they might sound the alarm. It would be rather obvious something was amiss if the torches kept going out. With everything that had happened this night, he was somewhat shocked they hadn’t already. With haste, Tartum began his climb down as fast as he dared. In the gloom, he could make out Jeth running across the dark courtyard with Elizabeth towards the house that Vaund was hopefully still waiting in. He didn’t know if he could heal her, but he hoped Vaund had the ability in him to save Elizabeth. His stomach felt empty and cold with the thought of losing her. He was twenty yards from the ground when the patrol lit a torch that shed light on him. It wasn’t much, but if one of the guards were to look his direction they would see the rope and eventually the green robed man climbing down it. Wrapping his hand around the rope, Tartum grabbed a handful of ash and infused it with magic.
Throwing it between himself and the guards, Tartum said the words to his spell, “Krekat-sijuwith!” he commanded, and a barrier of darkness formed between himself and the guards. It didn’t cover everything but it would have to do. Tartum risked burning his hands with the friction from the rope and slid the rest of the way down. The pain in his hands was nothing compared to the whirlwind of emotions he had going through him at the moment. Between the exultation he felt from possessing the new magical items he had stolen from the bishop, the pride he felt at figuring out his hiding spot and the lock on his desk, as well as the worry for whether or not Elizabeth would survive the night; physical pain was almost comforting in comparison. As he landed on the ground, his darkness spell wore off, and just as he feared, one of the guards pointed at the rope dangling out of the window. Tartum could see there were four men around the torch, and each of them were looking up at the tower, following the path of the rope. Reaching into his pouch, Tartum selected four rose petals.
“Moro-yet krat-tu-veyin doro-peth!” he said. As the four petals burst into white orbs of light, the guards attention was drawn to them. Tartum watched, as the looks of confusion and surprise came across their faces as they took in the sudden appearance of the orbs and the green hooded figure behind them. They were thunderstruck when confronted with the appearance of such an unexpected intruder. Tartum didn’t give them a chance to recover.
“Torroth! Torroth! Torroth! Torroth!” he commanded, and each orb took the life of one of the guardsmen. Leaving the rope dangling from the tower, Tartum ran as fast as he could to the rally point at Sasha’s tavern. He wanted more than anything to check on Elizabeth, but he knew that in a few minutes another patrol would find the bodies, the rope, and the remaining unlit torches and the streets would swarm with patrols. His friends would have a better chance of escape in as small of numbers as possible, and as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to get somewhere private to go through all the new scrolls and books he had stolen from the bishop. The suspense of what was in them was eating at him worse than finding out if Elizabeth was alive or not.
…
Sneaking from one dark alley to another, Tartum took an indirect route to The Pidgeon’s Hand. He was so afraid of being discovered, that he began to imagine things that weren’t there. After jumping at the sound of people laughing for what seemed like the millionth time, Tartum found a safe spot in the shadows of an abandoned alley to gather himself. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths to slow down his heart and calm his nerves. He was so close to his destination, it was hard for him to not simply sprint the rest of the way. He knew to do so would be to announce his presence to anyone that happened to be looking. He wouldn’t fail his mission now that he was so close to finishing.
His break had helped immensely, and he was able to think clearly again. He was feeling better, and his heart wasn’t racing anymore. Slowly, he made his way the to the tavern, being careful not to draw attention to himself. In the back of his mind, he wondered why the alarm hadn’t been sounded yet. He figured by now the guard’s bodies had been discovered, at the very least!
As he came upon Sasha’s tavern, he saw that the doors were closed, and it looked dark inside. There was a note on the door that said it was closed for renovations. Tartum was shocked; the note didn’t make any sense! Sasha’s tavern was magically renovated for each patron that entered. He was about to head back to the guild compound when he heard someone call out.
“Pssssst! Pssssst! Here!” he heard. He could tell by the sound of the voice, it was Sasha. Looking closely, he followed the sound of her voice and saw her head sticking out from the side of the building. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, Tartum ran to her. As he came upon the spot he thought he’d seen her, all that greeted him was the outer wall of the tavern. As he looked at it, a section of the wall began to shimmer like a heat wave, and it dissipated until an entrance just large enough to crawl through revealed itself. Without hesitation, Tartum dove inside. Looking behind him, he wasn’t surprised to see the portal had closed behind him. The tavern was dark, but Tartum could make out Sasha’s lithe form as well as the forms of Rashlarr and Savall.
“Were you successful? Do you have the documents!?!?” Savall asked, as he approached him. His tone was heavy with worry and apprehension. Tartum had never seen the man so worked up.
Reaching into his belt Tartum pulled the leather binder out and handed it to Savall. “I think this might be something. Jeth has much more.” he told him.
Savall snatched the binder from his hands and lit a lantern. As he looked through the binder, Sasha and Rashlarr read the documents it contained over his shoulder. Now that he was in the tavern, and the mission was over, Tartum felt exhausted. His hands began to shake, and his legs would no longer hold him up as the adrenalin left his body. Staggering onto a nearby chair, he allowed the relief to wash over him. He knew Jeth, Vaund, and Elizabeth were still out there and that Elizabeth might be dead; but he didn’t care about that right now. All he wanted was to be dismissed and left to study the scrolls and spell books he had obtained. They could do whatever they wanted with the rest of it. He wanted this night to be over already.
Movement from the group caught his attention, and he looked up. Savall was smiling from ear to ear, and Sasha had her hands clasped over her mouth, as she jumped up and down excitedly. Even Rashlarr was looking at the documents with a look of grim satisfaction on his face. Apparently, whatever they were reading was what they had hoped for. Tartum was glad they were happy but really couldn’t have cared less at this point.
“Son, did you read what was in this binder?” Savall asked. He sounded twenty years younger.
Tartum shook his head. “Not a lot of time for reading during the mission, Boss.”
Savall motioned to a paper he held, Tartum noticed tears were flowing, unchecked, down Sasha’s face. She looked like if she got
any more excited she would explode. “This paper is written in the bishop’s own hand. It’s an order to Lord Zahut and his cohorts to finish their experiments so they can assassinate the king and take over Saroth. Son, with this paper alone, we can prove the bishop is evil and have him hung before the week is out. The rest of the documents are the man’s private thoughts about everything he’s done and why. Basically you’ve found his journal! Son, if I was anymore proud of you, I’d kiss you.” Savall said. Judging by his tone, he meant every word. Tartum decided to he would make sure Savall didn’t get any more proud of him.
“I’m glad it was worth it. Elizabeth might be dead as a result of the mission.” he told them. His tone was lifeless, and he felt a lump forming in his throat. He felt so weak, he was surprised he wasn’t crying.
The look on their faces went from joy to concern in less than a second. The change would have been comical if it hadn’t been for the situation. “The Bishop’s desk was locked; only…the lock was a lie. She picked the lock, but instead of unlocking the desk, she unlocked the trap and was poisoned. We got her out of there, and Jeth took her to where Vaund was waiting. I don’t know if they made it or not, or if Vaund was able to save her. So forgive me if I don’t join you in your merriment over some cocksucker’s journal. Elizabeth might be dead, and I feel like shit. Do me a favor, and celebrate somewhere else; right now you all make me sick.” Tartum said. His voice never wavered from its emotionless tone; it matched his mood.
Savall and Rashlarr looked like scolded children, and Sasha began crying tears of shame now. Standing up, Savall walked over to Tartum and placed his hand on his shoulder. Something about the gesture brought tears to his eyes. He tried hard to fight them back, but there was nothing he could do. The tears came forth, and he was powerless to stop them. They sat there for a while, Tartum hunched over in his chair, crying, with Savall’s hand on his shoulder. Rashlarr and Sasha stayed across the room and anxiously watched for any sign of the others.
…
Hours passed, and they all sat away from each other, watching out the windows for the others. Twice, Tartum had been ready to go out to search for them, but Savall forbid it. He told him they were on their own, and the first rule of the guild was the mission’s success was paramount to all else. Tartum had considered killing Savall, but Rashlarr and Sasha were accomplished casters, he knew he could possibly disable Savall quickly, but he was in no condition to fight with the other two. He resigned himself to sitting in a chair near the front windows and watching for his friends.
The sun was minutes from rising, and the first pinks and reds of its coming breached the horizon. Tartum was watching the sun rise when Rashlarr’s voice had him jumping out of his seat.
“THERE!” Rashlarr said. He pointed towards the same alley that Tartum had approached from. He saw them, Jeth, Vaund, and Elizabeth. Jeth was carrying Vaund, but Elizabeth was on her feet, and she looked terrible. Tartum had enough of the cloak and dagger routine and ran out the front door towards them.
As he ran up to them he headed straight for Elizabeth. She looked up at him and smiled weakly when she saw him coming. Tartum saw her eyes roll back into her head, and he got to her just as she passed out. Catching her, he picked her up and held her close. Without a second glance at Jeth or Vaund, Tartum ran back towards the tavern. He passed Savall and Rashlarr as they made their way towards the others. Getting back inside, Tartum kicked the flower arrangements off the first table he came to and gently laid Elizabeth on top of it. He looked her over and checked the wound on her hand. There was no sign of the injury she had received from the trap, and the color had returned to her face. Tartum brushed her hair back over her ears and looked at her face. She opened her eyes slightly and smiled at him.
“I’m fine, Sweetheart, Vaund healed me…I’m exhausted. Be a dear and put me to bed. This table hurts my back.” she said to him, as she passed out again.
Tartum’s tears found him again, only this time he did nothing to stop them. Tenderly, he picked her up and took her to the private rooms on the second floor. There, he went to the room they had shared during their numerous visits to the tavern and undressed her. As she lay there resting, he got a washcloth from a nearby cupboard and busied himself with cleaning her off. When he was done, he covered her up and watched her rest. Confident she wouldn’t need him for anything else, he quietly left her to sleep and walked back downstairs to confront the others.
He found them all going over the documents Jeth had taken from the bishop’s desk. They all looked up as he came down the stairs and walked over to join them. Jeth was the first to address him.
“Thanks, ass! I’m exhausted too, ya know!” he said. Any humanity he had shown during the mission was gone, and in its place was his usual rudeness and sarcasm. Tartum was in no mood.
“I still haven’t decided if I’m going to kill you or not, Jeth. I’d be very careful how you talk to me for the rest of your very short life…” he replied. Jeth’s remaining eye got very wide, and he looked terrified. He sat back down and made a show of looking through the documents.
“Is Elizabeth ok?” Sasha asked. She was looking down and sounded ashamed. Tartum was glad she felt that way but offered her no comfort.
“Fuck do you care? You got your papers and get to be the new bishop of Saroth. That’s what you care about, right? Don’t fucking talk to me.” he barked at her. She looked up at him with those huge eyes. His words had cut her to the soul, and he knew things between them would never be the same.
“So much for being the next king of Saroth.” he said to himself.
Vaund looked up at him. He was awake now, which sent another wave of relief through Tartum. Walking over to him, he pulled up a seat next to him and hugged him.
“Thank you, my friend. Thank you so much. If there’s ever anything you want, ever, I will bring the whole kingdom down in order to get it for you.” Tartum told him. Releasing Vaund, he saw he was trying not to cry.
Vaund was able to get ahold of himself quickly. “She wasn’t doing too well when Jeth brought her to me. I thought she had been stabbed. When he told me what happened, I wasn’t sure I would be able to save her until Jeth told me you sucked most of the poison out of her wound. Healing poisons is difficult, because I can’t remove the poison from her body. I have to let it run its course and heal the damage as it occurs. The truth of the matter is, you saved her life tonight. If the full dose of poison had been able to work its way through her system, I wouldn’t have been able to fix her wounds fast enough to save her. So consider your offer unnecessary, you did far more than I did to save her.” Vaund said. He almost sounded embarrassed.
Tartum smiled at his modesty and tussled his hair. “We both saved her life, and my offer stands, my friend! Although, instead of a kingdom, maybe I’ll only bring down a small town in order to get you what you want.”
Everyone laughed at his unexpected joke. “Ok, deal!” Vaund said, a look of concern appeared on his face. “Hey, Tartum, please don’t muss my hair again. Liddia does that, and I hate it!”
This time, even Tartum laughed at Vaund’s reply. Nodding, he replied. “Consider it done, my friend!” Looking around at everyone else, Tartum stood up. “Unless there’s anything else you need from me, I’m going to bed.”
Smiling, Savall looked at him. “Go get some rest, Son. All of you, go to bed. I think the thieves guild deserves a bit of a break after last night.”
And with that, they were dismissed.
CHAPTER 29
Tartum woke up that night in bed with Elizabeth. At some point during the day, she had awoken and dressed herself, Tartum must have been more exhausted than he realized, because he had no memory of her waking up or coming back to bed. She was nestled up against him now, sleeping soundly. Tartum slowly got out of bed, trying hard to not disturb her as he did so. After silently washing up, he sat in a chair near the window and began going through his scrolls. There was just enough light coming through so that he could read them. He
smiled happily as he went through them all; he began to realize he really had hit the mother load!
There were many scrolls that weren’t anything more than a list of people to kill or a contract made with a local merchant that traded money for protection. Most of these, he would give to Savall later, in case he could find a use for them. Others were exactly what he was looking for. One scroll explained how to cast a spell that would form a wall of magical energy that would stop even air from getting through; another gave instructions on a spell that would allow him to take control of a large object up to thirty feet away from him and either bring it towards him or launch it away with significant force. There was another that taught him a spell that allowed him to turn an acorn into a boat, and another still that showed how to cast a spell that would change the taste of anything into whatever flavor you wished. Tartum laughed at the idea of changing the taste of Jeth’s water from crisp and clean to the flavor of a turd. It also made him think about using this spell in conjunction with his summon water spell to have a new flavor drink with every cup. Although it wasn’t an offensive or defensive spell, it was interesting. There was a scroll with the words for his lightning bolt and fireball spell on them. Those, he put in the pile to give to Savall. Another scroll was very large and had detailed instructions on how to create some kind of ring. It was incredibly complex, so Tartum rolled it up and placed it in his pack for later study. He had never made a magical item before, and that alone was enough to peak his interest. But at the moment it was far beyond his ability, and he had other matters to occupy his time.
As he looked through the rest of the scrolls, he found a spell that would let him breathe underwater and another that would cause temporary blindness to his target. The final spell he found was by far his favorite. It described how to cast a spell that would blast his opponent with a highly concentrated ray of magic. The spell described it as extremely dangerous and that even grazing your target with the beam would obliterate them. Tartum’s excitement was tempered when he saw the component required for the spell was a golcock eyeball. He had no idea what a golcock was but had a feeling that whatever it was, it was rare and that to get these eyeballs was going to be no easy thing. He made a mental note to go to Shu-Shu to request this component as soon as possible.
The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 2 Page 16
