The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 2

by William D. Latoria

  He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was strange about the village, it almost felt to him like there was something, missing. Tartum couldn’t understand where this feeling was coming from, but the guiding voice in his head was reeling by the absence. Whatever it was, Tartum couldn’t figure it out, but try as he might he couldn’t shake the feeling his was missing something.

  As they walked towards the entrance to the village, Tartum saw nothing any more unusual than he had already seen. More large men with long arms, claws, and filth populated the village as he expected. The stone that the people had made their village inside was exactly as it appeared, though Tartum noticed it was slick, he assumed from persperation or something similar. The entrance to the village was guarded by three men that looked alot like Tremendous. No weapons or armor were apparent on the guards, although Tartum had no doubt the three of them would have little trouble stopping anything short of a small army if the need arose.

  The inside of the structure was roughly divied up with crude but efficent wooden shanties built along the sides of the stone. Inside the shanties, Tartum could see families preparing hides and enjoying meals. Laughter, conversation, and arguments could be heard coming from the homes just like in any other village. No one seemed to pay him or his escorts any attention as they passed. Once or twice a child stopped and stared for a moment, but was quickly herded away by their parents who averted their eyes. Odd behavior, perhaps, but not threatening in anyway, Tartum perceived.

  Near the center of the village were homes, hewn from the rock that served as this village’s domain. They were just as crude as the wooden dwellings but much more sturdy. In a way, they reminded Tartum of the dwarven buildings he had admired in Windswept. Although in comparison, the homes in this village were woefully inferior. Inside, he saw pelts hanging from the walls and ceilings from countless animals, some of which he couldn’t identify. Tartum assumed these were homes for the warriors or leaders of the village. They were definitely a step up from the wooden shanties…if only a small step.

  In the center of the village was a large pit that looked like it was used for fighting or possibly sacrifices. Tartum had heard stories of tribes that still practiced that ancient custom, he hoped this wasn’t one of those tribes. He was in no mood to be sacrificed to some unknown God. Blood, craters and bone littered the sand that made up the floor of the pit. The perimeter of the fifty foot wide enclosure was surrounded by a ring of large bones from some massive animal. There was a wooden gate that acted as the only entrance and exit. Tartum wondered if he would end up inside there before long; the thought made him sick to his stomach. There were large, mostly transparent, containers strung up on the bones. If there was anything in them, Tartum couldn’t make it out. Although he did think he saw something moving around inside. Alot of somethings. Before Tartum could investigate the containers, he found himself standing before the largest man he had ever seen in his life.

  “Behold! The Over Tyrant!” Tremendous bellowed. In a more subdued voice, he continued; “My Lord Tyrant. This is Tartum. We found him just outside the village. He claims to be looking for a troll. He shared his meat with us, and in return, we agreed to bring him here to speak with you.” Bowing deeply, Tremendous backed away never looking directly at the Over Tyrant.

  The Over Tyrant definitely lived up to his name. He was huge! Easily ten feet tall and six feet wide across the chest he was more beast than man. Two large tusks jutted out of his mouth and his skin had a dark green hue to it. He was just as hunched as Tremendous was, and his arms were just as misproportioned. His claws, however, were easily six inches longer than Tremendous’ and twice as deadly. His hair was so long it touched the floor when he stood and was just as filthy as the rest of the people of this village. In his eyes though, Tartum saw intelligence. A keen intelligence that was appraising him, the same way he had appraised Strong Rock. Suddenly, feeling very inadequate under that gaze, Tartum realized he should be saying something.

  Taking a cue from Tremendous and irritated about not being told how he was supposed to act in front of him, Tartum bowed. “Over Tyrant, Sir. It is as Tremendous said. I am in need of the location of a troll’s lair rumored to be near this location. I have money and other skills I can trade for the secret, if need be, in order to pay you for your time and information. I do not mean to be a burden.” Tartum didnt know what else to do, so he bowed once more and kept his gaze low waiting to see what would happen next.

  “Well met, Tartum Fuin. I am the Over Tyrant, or Boss, of the village of Strong Rock, as I’m sure you have already figured out. Please stop groveling, I dont care much for cowards, and I can see you are terrible at being humble. Also, Enough of this Over Tyrant crap, my name is Bazerk, you may adress me as such.” he said. Tartum was floored by how well spoken the man was. The fact that he possessed the grammar and etiquete that most princes would never grasp dumbfounded him completely.

  Dropping his facade, Tartum looked directly into Bazerk’s eyes. Towering over him even while sitting on his throne, Tartum wasn’t surprised to see a look of amusement in his eyes. Was it possible that Bazerk had read his mind and knew what he had been thinking? Could this Over Tyrant really be smarter than him? Tartum didn’t know. Assessing what he knew so far, Tartum reasoned he was an honest man, intelligent, and probably not likely to randomly kill visitors to his village. In fact, he didn’t seem shocked by his presence at all. Even the villagers didn’t seem to pay him much attention as he was escorted to their leader. Tartum began to wonder how often people visited this village, he didn’t recall seeing any roads or tracks leading to or from the village, there was definitely something odd happening here.

  Tartum decided to continue as he had been, so far it had been working out and he really didn’t want to complicate things with lies or deceit. If he didn’t get Bazerk to show him where the troll’s lair was he would have to return to Yucoke empty handed and no closer to achieveing his goal than he had been before he left. The idea of returning home a a failure revolted him, looking up at Bazerk Tartum decided to press the man for the troll’s location.

  “Bazerk, do you know the whereabouts of the troll I seek? I’ve come a long way and admit my patience for delays is spent.” Tartum said. He held his breath as he waited for the answer. This was it; so much rode on Bazerk’s response.

  “I do indeed possess the knowledge you require, Tartum. I cannot, however, tell you its location. The trolls of the area are good to us, and I can see by your demeanor you mean to do them harm. A caster like yourself is probably looking to slay the troll in the hopes of using its body in a magical spell or something. No, little caster, I cannot, in good conscience, give you the location of the beasts that guard my town.” Bazerk finished, looking sad. It seemed to Tartum that the Tyrant really did seem upset he couldn’t help him. Not that it mattered, Tartum was furious!

  “I traveled for WEEKS to find this place, and only after almost dying to a damned boar did I get lucky enough to find this place! I HAVE BLED to find this troll!” Pulling up his pant leg, Tartum showed Bazerk his wounded calf, swollen and bleeding. “Now, after all that, you wont even consider telling me! I’ve offered payment!” Tartum threw down a handful of gold, “I’ve offered my labor! I’m a skilled caster! I’ll offer more if it’s required. Name it! You are right, Bazerk, I must have the creature’s location for my spells! I will take any oath you require, complete any task, find a way to make up for the loss of one troll to your village that you see fit. I cannot find its lair on my own. PLEASE! I need your help!” Desperation enterted his voice at the end. Tartum didn’t care, He wanted this Bazerk to know how desperate he was. Maybe it would help sway the man to tell him.

  For a moment it almost seemed like Bazerk would bend. He looked around his village with a sad look in his eyes. Shaking his head, he let out a heartfelt sigh before speaking. “I’m sorry, Tartum but you don’t understand what you ask me for, and I can’t explain it to you. It will have to be enough, I’ve said no. I
apologize you’ve wasted your time, you’re welcome to stay here as our guest until your wounds heal, but after that you will have to leave. I do this to settle the meat debt incurred by Tremendous and his son Smash.”

  Holding up a small vial, Tartum tried one last time. “I only need this much, just this one tiny vial’s worth of liquid from the troll. All I ask is that you help me by telling me where to find the beast. I see from the homes in your village your people hunt and use the beasts in the forest for their own needs. I’m only asking for the chance to do that same! After that, you’ll never see me again, I swear it! I swear it on the pain of fire!” The last part Tartum remembered Tremendous saying when they first met in his campfire. The oath startled Bazerk, but the look on his face showed it hadn’t changed his stance on the matter.

  “You are wise, Tartum, and perceptive. I’ve already explained my stance and grow tired of repeating myself. Go and rest now. When your wound is healed enough, you will be allowed to leave. No harm will come to you. Please, just let it go. There’s much you don’t understand about us, no matter what you think.” Bazerk said. Seeing that the rejection had crushed Tartum, Bazerk walked away, leaving him in the care of Tremendous and Smash.

  Standing there, too numb with his failure, Tartum allowed Tremendous to guide him through the village. Too overcome with shame to cry or lash out, Tartum just blankly walked next to Tremendous, not even bothering to watch where he was going. The glass vial in his hand fell to the ground and shattered against the floor. Tartum didn’t care, he had failed and wasted so much time in the process. Now he had to wait while his leg healed and then find his way back home to start all over again, seeking someone that knew the location of a troll’s lair.

  Wrapped in his self pity and completely discouraged, Tartum barely noticed Tremendous guiding him inside a small stone shack that would serve as his recovery room. He didn’t even bother to look around to tiny room. Walking over to the only chair that was inside the room, Tartum sat on it heavily and brooded over his situation.

  …

  A week had passed, and Tartum’s leg was almost completely healed. He was up and around more but barely left his room. The people of this village had taken good care of him. The poultice they had given him for his leg took the pain away and helped mend the wound quickly. For a fleeting moment, Tartum thought the poultice had magical properties but upon a closer examination he discovered the substance was just aloe vera and a few common herbs. There was no secret here; this was herbal healing at its finest.

  He spent his first few days in the room, studying his spell book. Tartum hoped maybe if he could unlock a new page of his spell book, he wouldn’t feel as though the entire trip had been a waste. He knew the odds were slim, but it took his mind off the failure of his search. He entertained the hope that by the time he returned to Yucoke, Dannurn would have found the location of a dragon’s den. It was a shallow hope, but he wished for it all the same.

  “Maybe the gods themselves will show up and knock on his door carrying all the components he needed on a silver platter.” he said to himself, disgusted.

  After a few days, Tartum decided his leg felt good enough to walk on. Plus, he wasn’t really getting anywhere with his spell book and figured a bit of exploring would do him good. Maybe he could find something here that would make the trip worthwhile after all.

  Wandering around the village, he watched the people go through their day. It was a simple village, and the people that lived here were simpler still. There was plenty of space, as it wasn’t a densely populated village, as he first assumed. Maybe forty people total, living here and raising families. The crude and dirty stone homes stretched out from the center of the cave, which is how Tartum thought of the place, and out towards entrances on either side of the cave. The town’s people were like any others he had seen in the various towns and cities he had been to. There were tradesmen and guards, royality and scum. He assumed there were farmers or gatherers outside because most of the food he’d been given consisted of fruits, vegatables, and nuts. For all the fuss over the meat Tremendous and Smash had made, he hadn’t seen a morsel of it since. Odd, but maybe it was just a poor hunting season. Tartum couldn’t recall seeing any other large game until the boar attacked him. He had been living off of small birds and rodents since his supplies had run out, shortly after Keves disappeared.

  Tartum quickly became bored with the simplicity of the village. He returned to his makeshift home to rest. The exercise had been good, but he required the support of his staff more and more with every step. When he got back to his room, he found Tremendous waiting for him.

  “I came to see how you were doing.” he said. His tone was friendly, but he was looking down as if he was ashamed of something.

  “My leg is better, Tremendous. The poultice is helping me heal nicely. I should be ready to depart your village in a few more days. Perhaps sooner, I always was a fast healer.” Tartum joked, trying to make light of the situation. He found he liked Tremendous, so he felt obligated to try and ease whatever was bothing him. His comment on being a quick healer seemed to sting the big man. Tartum was at a loss on why he would react in such a way.

  Tremendous kept his gaze down as he fidgeted before he replied.“I’m glad to hear you’re getting better. I wanted to apologize for not being able to tell you the location of the trolls. I wanted you to know I talked with the Over Tyrant and tried to change his mind. He is right though, the risk is too great…if anyone found out…” Tremendous spoke more to himself than to Tartum.

  The urge to pry the information out of Tremendous was almost too much to resist! Tartum knew then that Tremendous wanted to tell him the secret! He was trying to find an excuse to go against Bazerk’s decree! Why didn’t matter! How to get him to crack was the question. Thinking quickly, Tartum decided to change the subject to keep Tremendous talking. He hoped that if the big man kept talking and dropped his guard, he may let the location of the troll’s lair slip, even just a hint would be worth the world to him at this point. With an effort, Tartum forced himself to reamin calm.

  “It’s ok, Tremendous. I understand, don’t concern yourself about it any longer. So tell me, what is it you do here? Do you have a job or a skill? What is it a man like you does to pass the time?” Tartum asked as friendly as he could.

  Startled by the sudden subject change, Tremendous didn’t seem to know how to respond. Tartum doubted he had ever talked with anyone outside his village before, and the fact that he seemed interested in him at all had confused and excited him.

  “Ummm…I’m a…I find things outside the village, and if I think they might be useful, I bring them back here and leave them for the Over Tyrant to decide. For example, I found you.” Tremendous said, a small bit of pride entering his voice at the mentioning of finding him.

  Not caring one bit about what he had said, Tartum kept the conversation going. They talked for hours, Tremendous told him about the day to day happenings around the village, and Tartum told him about his adventures.

  Tremendous told him about how his home of Stone Rock had come to be. He said that when Bazerk was a small boy he and his family set out to find a home worthy of his people. Before Strong Rock was their home his people had been nomadic, never settling in one place for long. Due to their appearance, many people would simply attack them on sight, branding them monsters or devils the moment they saw them. One day while climbing down a mountain, Bazerk’s mother lost her grip and fell to her death. It was winter at the time, and the mountain was extremely treacherous. Watching his mother fall to her doom, Bazerk screamed out his angiush. Beating his fists into the mountain over and over agian. His wails, compounded with the thuds of his fists, caused an avalanche. The force of the avalance was so strong that it swept his entire family off the face of the mountain. Ice, snow, trees, and debris flew down the mountain side, picking up speed as the mass fell to the ground. When Bazerk came to, he dug his way out of the snow that covered him. When he reached the surface, he was in th
e very clearing they sat in now. A huge pile of snow and wreckage covered the land where the landslide had come to a halt. Bazerk was lost, cold and alone but determined to survive. After building an igloo made from the side of the snow drift, drinking snow he melted with his own body heat, and eating whatever he could forage, Bazerk weathered the winter.

  When spring finally arrived, it melted the snow and revealed the large oblong stone that was destined to become their home. Bazerk named the village Strong Rock because of the way the walls formed, curving up to look like a man flexing both arms over his head. The name suited not only the strong foundation of their new home but of the people that took shelter inside. They had been living here for twenty years now, and it was the only home Tremendous had ever known. He claimed he had been too young to remember when his people used to wander from place to place, but the urge to migrate was strong in him. He started wandering around when he was old enough, going a little further from home each time, finding useful things in the wild to bring back to make life easier for his people.

  Tartum found the story a little hard to believe, but he ignored the inconsistencies. It was as good a story as any and a fitting one for such a place as this. As long as Tremendous kept talking, Tartum held onto the hope that he might be able to gleen the troll’s location.

  When night fell, Tremendous took his leave and promised to come back to hear more about how he killed the boar. As Tartum prepared for bed, it occured to him that he was looking forward to Tremendous’ next visit, and not only because he wanted information. Tartum had to admit he was beginning to genuinely like the man. The admission caused him to feel guilty for trying to manipulate him. Tartum forced the emotion out of his head and reminded himself why he was there in the first place. These people were keeping information from him that would allow him to complete his task and being one step closer to creating his ring. What was friendship compared to the power he would wield once he created that ring? He reminded himself many times about that fact, but no matter how many times he did, he couldn’t completely shake the shame that he felt.