Word of Traitors: Legacy of Dhakaan - Book 2

by Don Bassingthwaite

  The same emotions gnawed at her. One day Makka—and Tariic—would pay for Ashi’s murder, but this wasn’t that day.

  “Keep riding!” she snapped.

  Geth looked at her, but she just looked away and reined in her horse, turning it around in the street. Behind her, hoofbeats slowed and Tenquis called her name. She ignored him.

  Dagii’s tiger came leaping around the corner into the street, a streak of fire striped black and orange. Its master’s gray eyes fixed on her, and he raised his sword. Ekhaas’s hands tightened into fists. She drew breath, reached down into herself, and drew up magic.

  The song that rolled along the street was not, however, hers. The voice that sang was high and clear. It danced and rippled, like sunlight falling on water or through the leaves of trees. It seemed to move around, coming first from a doorway, then a high window, then a deep shadow.

  Dagii blinked and shook his head, allowing his tiger to slow to a walk as he looked around in confusion for the source of the music. Even the tiger seemed dazed.

  Ekhaas held her horse still in the middle of the street as Dagii and his tiger came within a few paces of her, then turned around and went back the other way. She might as well have been invisible.

  She knew the singer, even if she didn’t know the song. Looking around, she found her. Senen Dhakaan had pressed herself into a deep doorway. She met Ekhaas’s eyes and nodded. When Dagii had passed her again, she left off singing—though the song seemed to linger—and hurried to Ekhaas’s side.

  “I’m sorry for Ashi’s death,” she said.

  Ekhaas bit back her anger. “What are you doing here?”

  “I saw you enter the plaza. When you left your horses at the street, I guessed this would be the way you’d leave. I slipped away before you attacked.” Senen’s ears flicked. “So the Rod of Kings commands obedience.”

  “Aruget told you,” Ekhaas said. The changeling’s name tasted like dirt in her mouth.

  “I guessed it just now. When the real Tariic appeared, your tiefling friend fled the plaza and covered his ears. I did the same.” She glanced at Dagii, still caught by her magic, then up at Ekhaas. “You’ll be an outlaw now. You should have told me everything. I could have helped you.”

  Ekhaas bared her teeth. “This isn’t the time, Senen.”

  “I know.” Senen stepped back. “A duur’kala should listen as much as she sings. I’ve been listening in Khaar Mbar’ost. Find refuge in Volaar Draal, Ekhaas. Take a message to Tuura Dhakaan: there should be no alliance. Lhesh Tariic Kurar’taarn will not be a friend to the Kech Volaar.”

  “I don’t think Tariic will be a friend to anybody,” said Ekhaas. “What the rod shows him will destroy Darguun.”

  “The vaults of Volaar Draal are deep.” Senen nodded toward Dagii and his tiger. “The song will fade soon. Ride now!”

  She turned away without waiting for a response and vanished into an alley. Ekhaas realized that her hands, even clenched into fists, were trembling. She looked at Dagii one last time, then turned her horse and urged it back to a fast trot.

  Tenquis, Geth, and Chetiin hadn’t followed her instructions. They’d stopped just around the next bend in the street and as she rode up, they fell in beside her. “Well?” growled Geth.

  “We have a hiding place.”

  “What good’s hiding?”

  “It keeps us alive,” said Tenquis.

  “Ashi’s dead,” Geth snapped at him, “and Tariic has the rod.”

  Ekhaas looked up at the red bulk of Khaar Mbar’ost. The sun was settling into the west and it lit the fortress of the lhesh up like a pyre. A pyre for Darguun and Haruuc’s lost dream. She looked back to Geth, her ears pressed flat. “We’ll find a way to take it away from him.”

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-ONE

  3 Aryth

  Makka’s howl came so suddenly that what followed seemed like a blur to Ashi. The spinning of the world as she turned to meet his attack. The bright blade of her sword plunging at her. Vounn stepping into its path, trying to deflect it.

  The shock as Makka’s blow drove Vounn’s body into Ashi’s and the sword through both of them. The sudden blossoming of pain—sharp metal into flesh, falling body against wood, body against body against metal against wood. Darkness swam across her vision, and Ashi cried out.

  When her vision cleared, she was looking into Vounn’s eyes. She managed three words.

  “That was stupid.”

  Vounn’s lips twitched. “Our lives belong to Deneith,” she said, her voice wheezing in her throat, “but some things are bigger than the house. You were … right about Tariic.” One of her hands found Ashi’s where they held her. “I’m proud of you, Ash—ah.”

  Her words ended in a sigh and bubbling blood.

  Darkness swarmed over Ashi and dragged her down.

  She smelled incense and heard prayers, too soft to hear the words but loud enough to recognize the language. Goblin. She could feel something warm and dry on her forehead—and something cold along her belly, right where there should have been searing pain.

  The prayers faded into silence and someone coughed. The warm, dry thing on her forehead—a small hand—moved away. “She’ll live,” said Pradoor’s shrill voice. “So will the other one.”

  “Good.” Tariic’s voice, hard and angry. “Get one of the gnomes from the House Sivis outpost here. I need to send a message to Breven d’Deneith in Karrlakton.”

  Ashi opened her eyes to the bulk of Khaar Mbar’ost against a twilight sky. A silhouette moved over her. Tariic.

  She bared her teeth and tried to grab at him, but her arms moved less than a handspan. Ropes cut into her wrists. Tariic held out the Rod of Kings. “Be still!”

  The command skittered over the shield of her dragonmark. “Blood in your mouth,” she snarled at him. She raised her head. She was still on the platform before the gates of Khaar Mbar’ost, though the plaza was empty now.

  Dagii stood at her feet, standing stiffly in the presence of the lhesh, but his ears flicked a little when he met her eyes and his mouth twitched.

  Makka crouched next to him, kneeling, yet at the same time almost straining to stand upright. Ashi recognized the power of the rod and allowed herself a little smile. She looked back up at Tariic. “Where’s Vounn?”

  Tariic flicked his ears and gestured to her right with the rod. Ashi turned her head—and caught her breath. Vounn lay rolled onto her side just a few paces away from her. Her eyes were wide and staring, the wound inflicted by the Deneith honor blade gaping and ugly in her belly. The sword itself lay beside her, bright blade still stained with blood.

  Pradoor had said “the other one” would live too. Who? Ashi twisted her head to the other side, wondering who else had survived, dreading the possible sight of more friends dead.

  Midian’s bright blue eyes stared back at her from a face marked by the fading bruises of a savage beating. Hatred rose like bile in Ashi’s throat.

  Tariic crouched down between the two of them. “Now,” he said, “what are we going to say really happened here?”

  Raat shan gath’kal dor.

  “The story stops but never ends.”

  —Traditional closing of hobgoblin legends.

  GLOSSARY

  Aguus: The hobgoblin warlord of the Traakuum clan. A contender for the throne of Darguun upon Haruuc’s death.

  Aram: see Wrath

  Aruget: A hobgoblin warrior in the service of Haruuc, assigned to guard Vounn and Ashi d’Deneith.

  atcha: The goblin concept of personal honor, something which is earned and carefully protected. Compare with muut.

  ban: Goblin expression of noncommittal agreement, roughly equivalent to “yeah, all right,” or “your funeral.”

  Bloody Market, the: The largest market in Rhukaan Draal, the Bloody Market (Khaari Batuuvk in Goblin) is a chaotic mass of tents and stalls in a milling sea of bodies. Because the laws of Rhukaan Draal and Darguun are lax, nearly anything can be found for sale in
the market, including slaves.

  Breland: One of the original Five Nations of Galifar. Breland is a tolerant country with a keen interest in trade and commerce.

  byeshk: A rare metal, hard and dense with a purple sheen.

  chaat’oor: Goblin term for any species not native to Khorvaire, especially humans, but with the exception of elves. It is often loosely translated as “defiler.”

  Chetiin: A goblin and an elder of the shaarat’khesh. Chetiin carries two daggers sheathed on his forearms, one of which (the dagger named Witness carried on his right arm) is a dangerous “Keeper’s Fang” weapon capable of capturing the soul of a slain enemy.

  chib: Goblin for “boss” or “big man.” Used colloquially by goblins outside of Darguun to refer to any taller humanoid, including hobgoblins, humans, and dwarves.

  Chiitgath’muut. Chiitgath’atcha. Chiitgath’piir.: A goblin formula of complete submission. “I am without duty. I am without honor. I have nothing.”

  cho: Goblin expression of informal agreement with or acknowledgement of a statement made, roughly equivalent to “yes” or “yeah.”

  daashor: A goblin artificer, especially one from the time of the Empire of Dhakaan. The secret knowledge of the daashor has largely vanished, but at one time, they were capable of creating wonders. Most daashor were male.

  Daavn: The hobgoblin warlord of the Marhaan clan and an advisor to Tariic.

  Dagii: The young hobgoblin warlord of the small but highly honored Mur Talaan clan.

  dar: Goblin for “the people.” It is the ancient collective term for the hobgoblin, goblin, and bugbear races.

  Darguul: A goblin inhabitant of Darguun. Non-goblins living in Darguun are not generally recognized as citizens.

  Darguun: The nation of goblins, founded in 969 YK by the hobgoblin warlord Haruuc of the Rhukaan Taash clan in a swift campaign that seized territory held at the time by the human nations of Cyre and Breland. Darguun was officially recognized as a sovereign nation in the Treaty of Thronehold in 996 YK. Translated, it means “Land of the People.”

  Dark Six, the: Deities representing the violent and threatening aspects of the world, typically shunned in more civilized nations, but widely worshipped in Darguun. Once numbered among the Lords of the Sovereign Host, myth holds that they were cast out for their evil ways. The Six are: the Devourer (god of the ocean and destruction), the Fury (god of violence and madness), the Keeper (god of death and decay), the Mockery (god of treachery and murder), the Shadow (god of dark magic), and the Traveler (god of deception and change).

  Davandi, Midian Mit: A gnome, a field researcher of the Library of Korranberg with a specialty in the history of the Empire of Dhakaan.

  d’Deneith, Ashi: A former hunter of the Bonetree Clan of the Shadow Marches, Ashi turned her back on the clan after discovering her descent from House Deneith. She bears the Siberys Mark of Sentinel, a powerful dragonmark that patterns her entire body.

  d’Deneith, Vounn: A dragonmarked heir of House Deneith, Vounn is a skilled diplomat with a distinguished career serving as the liaison between Deneith and its most important clients. She holds the title of Lady Seneschal, indicating her special responsibilities within the House.

  Deneith, House: A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Sentinel. House Deneith operates services offering various forms of protection, including the mercenary companies of the Blademarks and the law enforcement services of the Sentinel Marshals.

  Desperate Times, The: The dark ages of chaos after the fall of the Empire of Dhakaan. Particularly conservative members of the Dhakaani Clans might argue that the Desperate Times extend into the present, but most goblin historians agree that the Desperate Times ended with the domination of Khorvaire by humans, somewhere between 3,000 years (when the human Karrn the Conqueror established Karrnath) and 2,000 years (when Galifar I united the Five Nations in a single kingdom) before the present.

  Dhakaan: An epithet claimed or given by popular acclaim among the Dhakaani clans to indicate allegiance with the ancient Empire of Dhakaan.

  Dhakaani Clans: Clans of goblins, primarily hobgoblins but incorporating other goblin races, devoted to keeping alive the glories of the Empire of Dhakaan. Although they claim territory in the mountains of Darguun, they do not pledge allegiance to Lhesh Haruuc, nor do they hold any particular alliance among themselves. The Dhakaani Clans include the Kech Draguus, the Kech Nasaar, the Kech Shaarat, the Kech Uul, and the Kech Volaar.

  Dhakaani Empire: see Empire of Dhakaan.

  d’Orien, Pater: A dragonmarked heir of House Orien, Pater is Viceroy of his House in Darguun, in charge of his House’s operations in the country.

  duur’kala: Among the Dhakaani Clans, particularly the Kech Volaar, duur’kala preserve the history and knowledge of past ages. Their music is the most common form of magic among the clans. Duur’kala means “dirge singers.” Because the magic manifests mostly in females, duur’kala are often called “daughters of the dirge” and elders are referred to as “mothers of the dirge.”

  Ekhaas: A hobgoblin woman and a duur’kala of the Kech Volaar.

  Empire of Dhakaan: An ancient empire ruled by hobgoblins, the Empire of Dhakaan stretched across southern Khorvaire millennia before the arrival of humans. Dhakaan was weakened by the Daelkyr War and collapsed about six thousand years before the present.

  Esmyssa Entar ir’Korran: Ambassador from the gnomes of Zilargo to the court of Khaar Mbar’ost.

  gaa’ma: Goblin pejorative term for changelings. Literally translated, it means “wax babies.”

  gaanu duur: “Daughter of the dirge,” an alternative term for duur’kala.

  gaa’taat: A highly insulting Goblin term suggesting that someone is less than a child.

  Garaad: The hobgoblin warlord of the Vaniish Kai clan. A contender for the throne of Darguun upon Haruuc’s death.

  Gan’duur: “Eaters of Sorrow,” a rebel clan of the Ghaal’dar, now crushed and disbanded. Their banner was yellow with the crest of a snarling dog.

  Gathering Stone, the: The primary stronghold of House Deneith in Darguun, located at a major crossroad two days’ ride from Rhukaan Draal.

  Geth: A shifter veteran of the Last War, rediscovering his worth after fleeing from deeds done in the past. He wields a great gauntlet, a magewrought gauntlet that is both shield and weapon, and the ancient Dhakaani blade named Wrath.

  ghaal: Goblin for “mighty,” with specific connotations of prowess in battle.

  Ghaal River: A mighty river in central Darguun. It is navigable from its mouth at Kraken Bay to the city of Rhukaan Draal, almost two-thirds of its length. Above Rhukaan Draal, the first of several cataracts breaks the river into dangerous stretches of white water.

  ghaal’dar: The ancient name for the hobgoblin race, it means “mighty people.” In the present time, Ghaal’dar is also the name of the loose confederacy of goblin clans living in the lowlands of Darguun, especially in the broad area around the Ghaal River. Notable Ghaal’dar clans include the Gan’duur (“Eaters of Sorrow”), the Gantii Vus (“Hungry Flame”), the Ja’aram (“Bright Anger”), the Mur Talaan (“Horned Shoulders”), the Rhukaan Taash (“Razor Crown”), the Marhaan, the Ghaal Sehn, and the Pin Galaac.

  goblin: A term that causes much confusion as it applies both to the small-statured goblin race and to the three related races of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears (as well as other less well-known races). The longstanding tradition of referring to the related races by the term “goblinoid” has been abandoned by forward-thinking scholars of Wynarn and Morgrave Universities, an attitude that is slowly spreading among the general population.

  golin: Goblin for “quick.” Among hobgoblins and bugbears, it refers only to speed, but goblins use it to refer to intelligence as well.

  golin’dar: The ancient name for the goblin race, it means “quick people.”

  guul: Goblin for “strong.”

  guul’dar: The ancient name for the bugbear race, it means “strong people.”

  Gu
ulen: See Rod of Kings.

  Haruuc: Properly Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor (“High Warlord Haruuc of the Red Blade”), founder of Darguun. As a charismatic young warlord serving as a mercenary of House Deneith, Haruuc saw an opportunity to bring the goblin races out from under the shadow of humans and give them a homeland. Finding allies in other warlords of the Ghaal’dar, Haruuc hatched a plan to turn on the nations that employed Deneith’s goblin mercenaries and seize power for himself. His plan culminated in a lightning-swift conquest of southern Cyre (including areas claimed at the time by Breland) in the summer of 969 YK and the subsequent founding of Darguun. Assassinated on 8 Sypheros, 999 YK.

  Iizan: The hobgoblin warlord of the wealthy Ghaal Sehn clan. A contender for the throne of Darguun upon Haruuc’s death.

  Itaa!: A Goblin war-command equivalent to “Attack!”

  Karrlakton: A city in Karrnath, ancient center of power of House Deneith. Warlords manifesting the Mark of Sentinel ruled in the area before the founding of Karrnath.

  Karrnath: One of the original Five Nations of Galifar. Karrnath is a cold, grim land whose people are renowned for their martial prowess.

  Kech Volaar: One of the smallest, but most influential of the Dhakaani Clans, the Kech Volaar devotes itself to gathering and preserving the history, knowledge, and artifacts of the Empire of Dhakaan. Duur’kala form a powerful class among them and their stronghold of Volaar Draal is known to contain deep vaults filled with the wonders of ages past.

  Keraal: Former warlord of the Gan’duur. Once a rebel against Haruuc’s rule, he was defeated by Dagii of Mur Talaan.

  Khaar Mbar’ost: Lhesh Haruuc’s fortress in the heart of Rhukaan Draal, constructed for him by House Cannith. Its name means literally “blood-colored fortified dwelling,” an allusion to the reddish stone facing used in its construction.

  Khaavolaar!: A Goblin curse of frustration or amazement. It is a contraction of “Khaar volaar” or “blood of the word.”