Deathsworn Arc: 02 - The Verkreath Horror

by Martyn Stanley

  “Yes, leave, I need some peace, I need to concentrate. Repairing Korhan will take a great deal more time and skill than healing the Berger of Trest’s daughter did. You may bring me a cup of mead dwarf, in an hour’s time.”

  Brael offered a hand to Saul and to Kyla, pulling them up as he took their hands, “Come, we’ve done all we can do - tis up to Vashni now.”

  Brael, Kyla and Saul trudged out of the room as Vashni began her ritual of whispers; Votrex followed and clicked the door shut behind them. The acting Berger and Saul were still clearly fighting to recover from their ordeal of trying to cast Brael’s transmogrification spell.

  After they’d exited the room, Kyla leaned back against the wall, her eyes closed, panting with exertion. Saul leaned forwards, resting his hands on his knees, fighting to get his breath back. Brael approached the acting Berger and rested a hand on her shoulder, “Berger, we cannot rest too long - the servant will be at your door and we need to plan.”

  “Plan?”

  “Their leader will want to know who killed his guards and where Korhan and Vashni are. I would suggest it best for all concerned parties, if we could engineer it so that you and your people know the answer to neither of these conundrums.”

  “What suggest you gravian?”

  “In aiding us, you put your life and your town at risk - I would minimize that risk and as a thank you, I might suggest how you might save this town. Once Vashni has done her work on Korhan, I suggest we move back to the Lo house and into the warren.”

  Votrex nodded, “Aye, we can leave the town unseen through the warren, though-”

  “We can deal with the Verkreath problem when we meet it. Kyla, we shall need writing implements and blank scrolls, I have much information to impart to you. Do you have a study?”

  “Up the stairs, but I ca-”

  “You must, we haven’t time!”

  With that he grabbed her gently but firmly and marched her towards the sweeping staircase. Votrex and Saul watched him go, dragging the acting Berger behind him, “Aye wizard, something tells me this quest did not end with the death of Thrax.”

  Saul tried to straighten up.”I, I still can’t stand, the energy. The power, I feel like I-”

  Votrex chuckled, “It seems to me wizard, that our friend from the underdeep is an archmage among archmages, a sorcerer of some renown, if he could perform these feats on his own - if not for his unfortunate curse. We are a strange fellowship are we not? A dwarf, without a Holt, an exiled gravian, who it would seem, could be one of the greatest magicians in Torea if not for a curse, an eloping elf, who seems to have an unnatural talent for whispering, and a barbarian who commits himself to becoming a servant and pupil of said elf... I wonder Saul Karza, what is your story? What strange tale of circumstance hides in your past that makes you befitting of this group of misfits?”

  Saul raised his eyebrow and chuckled softly, “I don’t doubt dwarf, that my ‘tale’ as you put it will come to light in good time, possibly when we present the empress with the heart stones.”

  “What ARE they wizard? What possessed the empress to recruit a small band of warriors, to traipse the length of Torea, to kill a dragon and bring back some pretty rocks?”

  “I’d be lying if I knew master dwarf, I have my suspicions, but I would keep them to myself. I will admit this though, my acquaintance with the empress has been a long and, hmmm, interesting one. It is worthy of a tale I might venture, but not a tale I’m prepared to share at this time.”

  Votrex proffered a knowing look, “Hah, I knew there was something. Very well spell weaver, I shall wait until after our audience with her highness, then I shall be asking you for your story.”

  Brael by this time had more or less dragged Kyla up the stairs and into her office. The office itself was actually something in between an alchemy lab and a small arcane laboratory, the only nod to an office was the large desk in the centre, covered in papers and scrolls. Most of it was material related to the plague catastrophe, records of the dead, supplies, labour plans, guard rota’s, a good deal of the paperwork was there from when her father had been working on it, and she simply hadn’t had the time to catch up on everything. Brael now had a scroll spread out across Kyla’s desk and was frantically writing with a quill. “First I shall write you a recipe for a poison. Your people are to produce this in large amounts and lay piles of it about the city, it is particularly attractive to rats and very deadly. You are then to send out what guards you have to cull the population of rats in the town. Your plague pits are a breeding ground for infected fleas, according to your inventory you have many barrels of lamp oil - douse the pits and set them aflame. Stop the carts, instead, have every family responsible for cremating their own dead, cancel all public meetings, be they for worship, political discussions, anything. Close the ale houses and shops to the public, let the landlords and shopkeepers serve through a window and order everyone to keep as much distance as possible from each other at all times. If you have plague free families, and uninhabited houses, split them up. Any bed which a victim of the plague has laid in should be taken out and burned. The people performing these duties should be well wrapped, the infection spreads through a flea bite, so they should attempt to clothe themselves in such a way as to make it impossible for a flea to taste their flesh.”

  Kyla was still suffering from trying to maintain the dark elf’s almost bizarre spells, she sat in silence trying to take it in, while watching him scrawl away frantically. It made a sort of sense though. He seemed to know what he was talking about, they had assumed it was transmitted in the air, but fleas were just as likely. She even seemed to recall the epidemic starting shortly after an apparent increase in the amount of rats roaming the gutters.

  As he finished writing out his recommendations he looked up, “In short Kyla, kill the rats, kill the fleas, avoid being bitten by the fleas. If any of your people start coughing up blood, then they have the same disease, but it has spread to their lungs - this is much more dangerous and can spread from person to person in the air. You may be able to save them with the aid of magic, but it’s unlikely, everyone and anyone should avoid contact with people who have this affliction.”

  Kyla shook her head, “How do you know all this?”

  “I have studied it, I have studied many diseases and epidemics, in an attempt to ascertain exactly how they work. The title ‘truthseeker’ is a recognition of my dedication and success in, ‘researching things’. I have you given you all I can - now you should go over this list, ensure you understand it all, there is anything you need clarification on - ask me. We need to move now I think; the servant will be at your door before dawn I suspect.”

  Korhan at this stage was still firmly locked in. He’d felt a subtle sensation of warmth as his synthesized blood had been introduced into his body. As time went by he thought he could almost hear Vashni whispering faintly, distant. It was soothing, though her words were frantic, he wondered whether it was his imagination or if indeed she was whispering to him. It was frustrating, being trapped inside his own mind. The respite from the considerable pain he’d been suffering was welcome, but he felt at the mercy of his companions, helpless, entirely reliant on them for his safety and well-being. If Ramon Hern entered now, and decided to kill him, he would not even know about it when the edge of the knife was placed against his throat, he would not struggle, his senses shut off, he would not feel his life ebb away. The first he would know of his death would be walking up the long path towards Kirkfell, preparing to take his seat in the banqueting hall of the dead. Or would he? Would being murdered while lying prone and helpless constitute a warriors death? It didn’t sound like a very honourable end, being summarily executed while you weren’t even aware it was happening. Fear gripped him for a moment, but he reasoned it through, his mind was still in his body, his body had been failing, whatever was happening, was better than bleeding to death on the floor outside the gates of Strak.

  Vashni for her part had been frantically wo
rking her way around Korhan, trying to ascertain his injuries and repair them through whispers. There would of course be a certain amount of blood left in the wrong places, but this would be slowly absorbed over the course of time. The main thing was to join all the tissue which has been severed and the more difficult task of locating and extracting the various impurities and micro organisms which had entered his body through the open wounds. As she was performing this difficult and time consuming task she mused about how her feelings for Korhan were changing. He had failed yes, he fought better than she had expected though, and he was making progress, if slow. The truth was, she wondered whether she would have fared significantly better than Korhan herself against Ramon Hern, so potent were the sorceries woven around him and through him, and so proficient was he with a blade.

  Eventually the candles were burning low and the torches were dim, Vashni, completely exhausted uttered the final whisper, to unlock Korhan.

  In his mind he felt Vashni invading, then felt his senses rush back to him. He was sore, he could still feel that he was damaged, but he now felt like he would live. When he opened his eyes, he could see Vashni peering down at him, her face a picture of concern.

  “How feel you Ri§ine?”

  When he spoke, his speech was cracked and laboured. “Urgh, Vashni, I-”

  “Mir§a Vashni!”

  “Mir§a Vashni, I thought I was going to die.”

  “You were going to die. The only way we could keep you alive was by using the full extent of Brael’s seemingly endless knowledge, Saul and Kyla’s combined magic skills and my talent for whispering. I have spent some time encouraging your severed tissues to reconnect, I believe I have put you back together in the correct order, but the extent of your injuries was great and I had to work fast. For this reason I may have to do some remedial work on you later if you notice something is not as it should be, for now we have to move.”

  “Move?”

  “We are still in Strak, the servant will be returning, I do not want to be here when they do. Can you stand?”

  Korhan slowly worked himself up onto hs elbows. Everything was sore, his body was a maze of twinges and pulls. There was weakness where there was strength, tension where there had been flexibility. When he planted his feet on the stone floor it sent a shockwave of pain through his body and his knees buckled. Vashni tried to support him and staggered slightly under his weight. “Come Ri§ine, we must leave.”

  When they lurched through the door to the bottom of the stairs where Votrex and Saul were waiting Brael was trotting down the sweeping stairs. “He’s fit to move? Let us leave now for the Lo house.”

  Votrex sidled up to Korhan and wrapped an arm around him taking the weight from Vashni. Brael led the way to the main door. Saul, following at the rear and still panting from his magical exertion called forwards, “Wait, we should at least take our bags off the horses and some provisions, we do not... We do not know how long twill be before we can restock them.”

  Brael ushered the others past, “Go, I will procure some water and provisions, and bring them to the Lo house, open the way Votrex.”

  Return to the Warren

  The party were hauling Korhan awkwardly down the narrow spiral staircase when they heard Brael enter, he was carrying most of their baggage, several flasks of water and a sack with various items of food in it. As he alighted the bottom step he addressed Votrex. “Is there a way to close the way? We really should prevent the servant from following us down here.”

  Votrex allowed Korhan to lean against the wall at the top of the now straight section of stairway and approached the bottom of the narrow spiral staircase. He felt the stone around the portal to the narrow staircase and examined it thoroughly, “Regretfully gravian, there is no way to prevent the way from being opened. I can cause it to close immediately, but that is the best I can offer, though we should make double sure the panel we removed is securely replaced and well hidden, wait here.”

  Votrex darted up the steps out of view, then returned. “Tis done, I will just close the way.” He then manipulated a small stone with a rune on the end and watched the staircase close up to form a solid wall.

  “That should suffice, it is unlikely the servant are aware of Lo houses, much less that they could identify one or follow our tracks. I hope Kyla does not face the wrath of the servant for helping us.”

  Saul interjected, “We’ve done all we can, it’s up to her. If she plays her cards right she should avert suspicion that she has helped us - particularly if her servants are loyal and she does not have any spies within her midst who are loyal to the servant.”

  Vashni was only half listening to this conversation, gazing wistfully down the stairs in the dimly lit tunnel at the bottom, she spoke to no-one in particular, almost to herself, “Well, well, I never expected to find myself in the Warren.”

  Votrex overheard her as he activated the mechanism which closed the stairway off, he turned to her beaming, “Hah! Impressed eh?”

  She shrugged, “Not particularly, though I am surprised it is so dry down here... The stonework is good of course, but how in Orion’s name are these tunnels so dry?”

  “Tis not a straightforward feat lady elf. Beneath the tunnels are large areas filled with pebbles and unevenly shaped rocks, channels of pebbles and rocks are connected to these soakaways. Also the outside of the tunnels are lined with a material which is synthesized using magic, from a substance found deep underground, a black ichor which is foul smelling and viscous - but burns well.”

  Vashni raised an eyebrow, “Hmmm, sounds fascinating I’m sure.”

  “When the dwarves were enjoying more prosperous times, these tunnels were well maintained, now I fear there may be places where they are not so dry and may even be collapsed.”

  Brael began advancing down the stairs past Vashni and Votrex, “Come, we cannot assume the servant will not find their way down here - we should move.”

  Saul kneeled down next to Korhan, who had slumped to the floor, “Can you walk?”

  “Urngh! I think so, just give me a moment.”

  Brael sighed looking up the stairs towards them, “We really should get going, we do not know what arcane tools the servant have at their disposal, the further away we are before the servant challenge Kyla, the better.”

  Votrex turned his back on Vashni and walked back towards Korhan, “Come on lad, let’s get you up.”

  Korhan allowed Votrex to haul him back to his feet and set moving, Saul on one side and Votrex on the other supporting him as they descended the straight stretch of stairs. His freshly healed wounds twinged with every step, as he was mauled down the long flight of stairs the constant jarring made him think of Harald and Silus. He experienced an uncomfortable flashback, recalling Thrax’s iron jaws clamp over Silus, severing his upper body, then Harald tumbling through the air, missing one leg and smashing into the cavern wall. He’d known Harald for a long time, he thought about the time they were in the Blind Beggar, a well established ale house in Cormaroth, when Saul and Votrex had come in petitioning for warriors to join them on an expedition. The majority of the patrons had scoffed at them, laughed almost at the idea of setting out on a quest to slay a dragon. He wondered if in fact some of them had thought it a joke, or something. The fact was, they’d been low on coin, after having spent several weeks surviving on coppers working as labourers at the dock, and they’d both itched to earn a crust with a sword in their hands.

  The more he’d thought about it the more he wished he hadn’t agreed to the quest. The pay had sounded formidable, but of course with the expansion of the party, and Vashni claiming the Lion’s share - the pay was not as amazing as it had sounded. Of course, given his current state of health, he wondered whether he would ever pass through the gates of Cormaroth again, to claim his prize - it seemed doubtful.

  While he’d been musing over this he’d been ferried down to the flat, dry floor of the main tunnel. The rune lights which Votrex had activated on their previous visit w
ere still burning merrily, at least those that were still functioning were.

  Brael was leading the way, his eyes well adapted to the dim light. Vashni jogged to catch up with him, “You seem at ease here gravian.”

  “I am mistress elf, I have lived most of my life beneath the earth. To have solid rock over my head is a comfort.”

  “Hah! I find that difficult to believe, I find it claustrophobic and confining.”

  “Well, I believe this is our best course of action to take in order to avoid the servant of the flame. Now we know what became of Callen and Ellen, there is no reason to head north to Felgard.”

  “Yes, poor Callen. I feel somewhat troubled in our dealings with the boy. To lose his family and his life in the same day, all at the hands of Thrax or his underlings. I feel his lot would have been better had we passed by the smithy in Duramer.”

  Brael sighed, “You may be right, though I suspect Tam would have resisted the influence of the servant without our intervention and would have been killed or driven out whatever happened. What is happening in Duramer and Brunwelt is dangerous.”

  “The dragon is dead! Surely-”

  “A dragon is dead, but a dragon cult is formed, belief is a powerful thing. It twists reality and can open doors which are best left closed.”

  “What do you mean Brael?”

  “I mean this is not over, this is the beginning. I can feel it, not through some arcane means or gut feeling, but I have subconsciously considered everything that has befallen us and all the information I have about the servant of the flame and their activities and I can only draw one conclusion - the death of Thrax is not the end of the servant of the flame.”

  Vashni smiled, “I hope you are wrong Brael Truthseeker.”

  “Hah! As do I. One thing that vexes me slightly mistress elf-”

  “Vashni please, I was impressed with your magical knowledge Brael.”

  “Mistress Vashni, why do you seem so - Hmmm, you seem more at ease than I would have expected given recent events. Korhan’s injuries, the servant, your, hmmm, experience in the-”