The Gems of EL - Separate Paths

by Bill Mays

  Over the next two days, Ado wreaked utter havoc on the procession of fanatics. Anything that was not held in their hands came loose toppling to the ground. The bundled gear repeatedly came undone along the way and the cart had more wheel trouble than anyone could have imagined possible. The horses were spooked at every turn, and many members of their group reported odd sightings, such as smiling rocks and their food winking at them with freakish eyes. Their priest leader labeled the sightings as signs that their gods were not pleased with them. The gremlin got a big kick out of that.

  Malark took exceptionally good care of his captives and so Ado felt no pressure in speeding up his rescue efforts. He was enjoying himself too much anyway. One night when the group was busy with their collective prayers, and Ado was busy loosening up the supports for their cooking poles, he overheard a discussion held by the men left to guard the camp. Evidently, they were headed to meet with others of their faith in a designated rendezvous point. The way the men spoke, that meeting time was not far away. They were joining some kind of war march. Not the best of revelations, the gremlin realized. Tark and Herrin had been kept barely lucid the entire trip. He could only guess that it was something in the food or water that they fed to them. He visited them a couple of times with no results. So far, Ado was unable to get any reactions to indicate they had even recognized his presence. Only the fairy was unreachable in her locked solid prison. He had not worked up the nerve to check on her since the priest always dealt with her feeding personally. The longhaired priest frightened him. There was a bit of magic in that man, and Ado wanted to avoid detection at all costs. At least the magical gem remained safe since these strange people had not even bothered to search the gladiator or the others. That seemed odd, but Ado was grateful nonetheless. The priest remained unconcerned with any threat his captives might pose. Tark’s trident was still strapped to his back. The tremlin thought it best to leave the gem artifact in Tark’s possession. He was afraid of what it might do to him should he try to remove it. Ado knew to be careful around these fanatics. The gremlin was not blind or stupid. The bucklers the guards carried identified their worship. He knew the whole reiver tie could not be good. He remembered the dead zone around the decimated town of Keilly and felt his grey skin spread with goose bumps.

  On the following night, Ado had still not worked up a viable plan for escape. It seemed a lost cause. By himself, how was he going to get the two, drugged humans out of camp undetected, if he could get them out of camp at all? He still was not sure they could even walk on their own, and he was not exactly going to carry them. When the priest ended their ritual nightly prayers with a speech about the morning convergence, it sent the tiny mage into a state of desperation. This would require taking chances, which the tremlin hated to do. Chances were for gambling fools.

  Ado did manage a peek over the priest’s shoulder and inside the box when it came feeding time for the fairy. Inside was a spiked hedgehog that refused to eat the drugged food he offered it.

  “Come now, little one,” Malark whispered soothingly, “You must eat or you’ll grow weak. What kind of an offering would you make then? Our gods do so love the innocence of fey creatures. You will make an honored sacrifice. You should be happy.” The man sighed and closed the box carefully, locking it securely. He slipped the key into the folds of his robe and inside a hidden pouch. He gently caressed the small box that was Nivit’s prison before placing it in a holster on the back of his horse.

  The gremlin quickly darted away to consider his options, the first of which was to run for his life. He decided that would remain his backup plan. “Even the demonic reivers love the fey creatures, I should have known!” Ado hissed sourly. “So the fairy is awake,” Ado whispered to himself. “That will just have to be enough then. May Aethine and whatever other gods that want to join in watch over us. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

  - Chapter 17 -

  Duty Calls

  Back on the plains, Mani led them with renewed energy as they followed the Waynan rider to the resistance headquarters. The knight was fervent to join in the resistance efforts. Thus far, Mani felt next to useless. He was not successful in protecting his liege, his fellow knights or his soldiers. The messenger explained what he knew of Kandair’s current state to the eager knight. With the knowledge that his queen was in dire need of his services, Mani spared no effort in reaching her side. Vergehen was a clever one. The old man came to serve the crown after Airos took the throne and he had been at the king’s side for a decade or more helping to reconstruct the country into the formidable force it was today. His choice of Bromin was a good move. Placing the resistance headquarters in so remote and defensible a region would help them hide from detection longer. Unfortunately, as wise and skilled as the old one was, he was no warrior, and he held little knowledge of battle tactics. News that Kandair’s entire troop of knights had been lured out and slaughtered was proof of that fact. The news came hard to the commander. The knights of Kandair were the elite troops and guardians of the crown. In a way, they were a symbol that stood for the new Kandair. They had been formed by Airos himself upon creation of the new, united kingdom. For many years, the knighthood had been Mani’s whole life. What made the news worse was that trickery had destroyed them. According to the young nomad, a challenge was set forth by the Drackmoorians on the Dayscape Plains. When the knights arrived to meet that challenge, the dark land scum fell back and a massive magical vortex reached down from the sky in their place. None of the brave knights survived. It proved a devastating blow to the resistance. All was not lost, however. On the brighter side, Talipax still stood strong, though surrounded by the enemy. Both Duke Markston and Callivar were reportedly alive and well. A move to rejoin the considerable forces of Talipax with the main body of the resistance made sense. The duke and wizard alone were worth a legion of soldiers and the arms and armor forged in Talipax would lend strength to their troops.

  Manifor Stormblade wanted to aid in the coming charge more than anything else he could imagine. He wished for some small way to help undo the destruction wrought by the dark land forces. The commander was beginning to feel anxious and uneasy at the same time. Every step closer to Bromin was a step closer to revealing his failure to the queen and the soldiers that looked up to him. News of the king’s death had not made its way to the masses. Unless Vergehen already knew and he was just keeping it quiet, Mani’s mission was still a very important one. If there were no more knights, as the nomad said, then he would surely be needed. The simple thought that he could be useful to his country and queen gave him purpose and courage. He thought, too, of Timbre and the town’s vulnerability. How many small settlements across Kandair were in similar situations? He vowed to send reinforcements to aid old Tanford, his only remaining soldier, and Barst the settlement’s strong and respectable mayor. He would keep that vow.

  Dalia was pleasantly surprised to hear that Callivar had resurfaced. The wizard was arrogant and condescending at times, but a competent leader as well. She thought the man long dead under claws of that terrible undead beast. The revelation that Vergehen the Wise was still at the head of the resistance was her true prayer’s answer, though. The lady refused even to entertain the thought that the old man might not live. If the wizard were gone then all of her hopes would have been dashed. The old man was her only possible recourse for locating Tark. A recent nightmare had come to her about Tark, and it left her worried for the gladiator’s safety. She had been trying to contact him somehow, mind to mind. She knew it was a remote possibility, but she persisted nonetheless. She also knew there were ways known to her ancestors, she had done it before, but the process was too much for her over so great a distance. She simply was not powerful or skilled enough for that. She had been having odd sensations, though. The lady was not sure if they meant she had made some sort of breakthrough or just taxed her mind beyond its limits. In school, she learned that those who pushed their abilities beyond their limits often fell victim to mental
instabilities. In her dreams, he came randomly. From one night or week to the next, she had seen the man. He was traveling, that much she was sure of, but nothing else was clear. She could see tangled vines and what could have been water. It was not enough to lead her, though. She desperately needed the wizard’s help. On a couple of occasions, she saw the gladiator at a crystal-clear pool fed by a mountain stream. It was a peaceful and beautiful place overlooking lush green forests from on high in mountainous peaks. Tark always seemed at ease here. She was not sure what that meant, if anything, either. Then there came the worst sensation of all. A couple of days later there was a snap, as if her connection, however slim, was broken. In her recent nightmare, she saw him being offered as a sacrifice to some unseen monster. The thought of the possible horrors left her feeling helpless. She even went as far as to consult with Arianna and Flade over the disturbing images. The priestess assured her she had seen no similar visions, but the tall woman’s easily readable emotions revealed a strong uncertainty. Flade alone kept her spirits up. The always upbeat ranger was quick to remind the ladies that Tark was no babe in the woods. The gladiator could protect himself.

  “Give the big ox some credit. He is the most impressive warrior I’ve ever seen and I’ve traveled to many places across the continent. I doubt he’d end up as anyone’s sacrifice. They’d have to kill him before he’d let his guard down, and it would take an army to do that,” Flade grinned wistfully as he spoke of their lost companion. It made him realize how much he missed the big man.

  * * * * * * * * * *

  They ventured from the plains through the hills and back into the forest. After passing a series of secluded checkpoints, they were headed to Bromin. Upon first glance, the little town seemed nothing more than a sheltered community with few contacts to the outside world. It appeared even less prepared than Timbre. That, however, was part of her defense. Every small building whether house or shop had walls fortified to withstand an attack, and each building also held a considerable basement. The basements connected from one to the next in an endless maze, like a second larger city waiting below the surface. It was inside these honeycombed basements where the real headquarters thrived. There were guard barracks aplenty beneath the town, not to mention three separate temples housing the three main orders of priests, a small meditation chamber for the few remaining mages of the army, storage rooms full of supplies, weapons and armor, and even underground stables full of steeds for their gathering forces.

  “This place is amazing!” Flade commented.

  “Has this place always stood, or was it constructed specifically for the war?” Dalia asked. She enjoyed learning the history behind places. It seemed a massive accomplishment for so short a time.

  Mani was quick to answer. “This was once the town that began King Airos’ unification of the Kandairian Kingdom. It took extreme dedication by his majesty to unite the various factions of the land and clean out the corruption that plagued the old system. Bromin was a town considered neutral ground by most of the loose factions of the old land. The basic town already stood as did the original basements, but the extended basements and connecting tunnels are all new additions. Airos thought it wise to create a place to fall back to in case the need developed. I guess even then he could see something that the rest of us could not.”

  The knight spoke proudly. Bromin was a lasting symbol of his late king’s tactical genius. He was pleased to see his countrymen were serious about getting the kingdom back from the clutches of Drackmoore. His journey through the enemy-infested lands was beginning to dampen his hopes. Mani stepped aside to speak with a patrol captain about arranging reinforcements for Timbre. The knight’s presence alone inspired the camp to stares and whispers.

  “Lady Dalia!” A voice called out from the crowd catching the woman’s attention. A youth rushed through the streets to greet her.

  “Dimitri!” Dalia gasped as her guard dropped for a moment and she embraced the boy warmly. “It is good to see you well,” she smiled. The apprentice appeared older somehow. In only a few months, he had aged much.

  “And you, too, my lady,” the boy grinned. “Where are Teevo, Tark, and that funny little gremlin, Ado?” He questioned innocently. His smile faded as Dalia grew sullen.

  Dalia’s mask of stone resurfaced. She pulled away and only shook her head, unable to speak. There was a painful lump in her throat. The question took her off guard pulling forth an unwanted flood of emotions.

  “Tark is the reason that brings us here,” Flade spoke up. “I am Flade, Flade Vizion, and this is Arianna Moonstone, Jillian Pandle, and Petre Knob,” he indicated the others with a sweeping gesture.

  “My pleasure,” the tall priestess purred. Petre and Jillian simply nodded. The pair felt sorely out of place in the military camp.

  “We are companions of the lady. We have come to seek assistance in locating our missing friend; and, of course, to assist the resistance in any small way we can.” Flade had a way of making people always feel at ease around him. Dimitri smiled politely, though he seemed a bit confused.

  Feeling the need to explain further, Arianna spoke softly, “Teevo has taken a journey to the realms of pleasure, may Rashas guide him safely. He is no longer with this world, and Ado has seen fit to part ways for his own reasons unknown to us.”

  Dimitri looked again to the Lady Dalia in sorrow. He instantly regretted his question. “Forgive me, my lady, I didn’t know.”

  Dalia waved away the apology. “How could you?”

  “I am Dimitri Sands, apprentice to Sir Callivar Winthrope and current assistant to Vergehen the Wise, at your service.” The youth introduced himself to the women and men in turn.

  Dimitri held Jillian’s hand a little too long. She was not much older than he was, and her understated comeliness caught his attention. The girl blushed under the courtly youth’s gaze. Where the Rashan priestess was dripping with sexuality the bow-toting maiden was modest and casual. Was that a scowl the young warrior cast him? Perhaps they were a couple, Dimitri thought, as he quickly released the girl’s hand. For the first time the young apprentice seemed to take note of Mani.

  “Manifor Stormblade?” He asked skeptically as the stocky man rejoined the group. He met the man once years past.

  “Yes?” The knight replied, unsure of who this well-dressed boy might be.

  “My lord, you could not have chosen a better time to arrive. We must get you to the Queen at once! Follow me everyone, Lord Vergehen will be there as well.” The youth quickly turned to guide them through the unassuming streets of Bromin.

  “The name’s Ganze,” the gangly man whispered to no one. “You see, Coal? You see how they treat me?” The annoyed man hurried to catch up with the group. It was time to collect his payment and depart before he got dragged any further into this crazy war.

  Dimitri led the group past several small buildings and straight inside an old storehouse where two soldiers stood guard. Once there, the boy lifted a hatch leading down into the ground. There was a small network of passages, which the boy navigated easily, finally ending at a door under guard by two more soldiers. The guards broke into cheers at the sight of their lost commander, Mani. The door to the room swung open at the hands of another soldier before Dimitri could reach it.

  “What is all of that ruckus about?” A man’s deep voice bellowed angrily from inside. “We have important work to do here! Interruptions will not be tolerated! Guards, keep them quiet out there!”

  Dimitri led the party into the room and quickly stepped aside with a gesture to the knight as he announced his arrival. “I apologize for the interruption, but Sir Manifor Stormblade has arrived.”

  There were several people seated about a table that was covered in various charts. A tall man with dark eyes, square features, and dressed in silvery robes took his seat again. The man was the high priest to Bannrae, God of Order and Law, and was quite annoyed by the disruptive display.

  Mani strode forward and knelt before the handsome, auburn-
haired woman who sat at the head of the table. “Your Highness, I am at your service. Forgive my tardiness in your time of need.”

  Queen Kathraine lifted her weary eyes from the foreign business of strategy and jumped to her feet in tired excitement. She quickly scanned the new arrivals, searching for her husband, the king. There were three high priests of the council and Vergehen the Wise also seated at the table. Two more soldiers stood guard inside the room. Everyone was looking for the king. Mani rose to his feet and reluctantly gazed into the mature woman’s eyes. Kathraine was quickly growing uneasy.

  “Where is he, Manifor? Where is Airos?” Her expression was pleading. “Please tell me he is with you. I fear I cannot survive his absence any longer. If you bring word that he and Carpious are on another of his valiant missions I will be tempted to scream.”

  The woman was rambling nervously. Her delicate fingers gripped the table tightly. Flade and Arianna both dipped their heads sadly in anticipation of what was to come. Mani rose and took the woman gently by the arms in an effort to calm her.

  “My queen, Kathraine, w-we lost them. We lost them both. Airos and Carpious as well as our entire troop of soldiers save for I and one other were lost. They all fell to the Drackmoorians. Lucious and most of his temple’s priests were lost as well. I am so very sorry and ashamed to have to bring you this news.”