The Ruins on Stone Hill

by F. P. Spirit

  The wizard stepped forward and knelt down to scoop up some mud. The others followed suit, gathering the liquid ooze and using it to reshape the golem. They pushed huge handfuls into the empty spots where it had damaged itself, smoothing over the gaps as best they could. When they were done, Aksel cast a spell to produce water which they then used to clean themselves off.

  Once Glo was dry, he took out the second scroll, the one with the spell of Mud to Stone. He unraveled it and began to read from the parchment. It was another long, complex spell, but Glo recited it as carefully as before. When he was done, he felt that same potent rush of mana course through his body. The magic exploded out of him and flowed straight into the golem. A bright golden aura encircled the creature as it hardened before their eyes. In a few minutes the golem turned back into stone, looking almost brand new.

  Seth walked up to the creature and patted it on the leg. “There you go, big fellow.” Seth barely reached up to the golem’s knee. “Now we need to give you a name. Hmm, what shall we call you?”

  “How about Rocky?” Elladan wore a half smile.

  Seth grimaced. “Very funny.”

  He seemed so annoyed that Glo just couldn’t help himself. “How about Gon-edan?”

  Seth folded his arms and glowered at him.

  Glo tried very hard not to laugh. “What? That’s elvish for Rock-man.”

  Seth’s expression turned into a scowl. “How about, no.”

  “What about…Boulder?” That had been Aksel.

  “Boulder,” Seth repeated. He cocked his head to the side as he mulled it over. “Boulder,” he said once more. A smile slowly spread across his lips. “I like it.” He looked up at the impassive stone golem. “That will be your name from now on. You are ‘The Boulder’.”

  Aksel let out a sigh. “Well, now that that’s settled, Glo and I are going to go check out Telvar’s lab. Maybe we can find some clue as to who those other black mages are. Meanwhile, why don’t you two go and scavenge with Brundon and Lloyd.”

  Elladan glanced up at the golem, his expression speculative. “I bet he can carry a lot.”

  Seth gave the bard a smug smile, then held out his hand with the golem ring on it. “Come on, Boulder. We’re going to go get us a couch!”

  Elladan followed Seth through the corridors of the basement to a room filled with large objects, most covered with sheets. Brundon and Lloyd were already there, the former emptying the contents of a curio into a sack the latter held.

  Elladan called over to the duo, “I see he’s keeping you in shape.”

  Lloyd gave them a wan smile. “Are you kidding? This is my third trip already.”

  “Well, we brought along some help.” Seth walked in with the golem trudging behind. It was so huge it had to bend over to fit through the doorway.

  Brundon eyed the looming creature cautiously. “Are you sure it’s under your control?”

  Seth halted and glared at the man. He held up his hand with the ring on it and said, “Stop!”

  The Boulder immediately halted. Brundon cocked his head, his expression still wary.

  Without turning, Seth pointed at a long couch in the middle of the room. “Pick it up.”

  Elladan and Seth moved out of the way as the large stone golem strode forward. They watched on as it reached the couch, bent over and lifted it easily with one hand.

  Seth glanced at Brundon with a satisfied smirk. “Well?”

  Brundon appeared impressed. “I’d say you could open your own moving company if you wanted.”

  Elladan let out a short laugh. As Seth directed the golem back out into the hall, he surveyed the rest of the room. It was rather large, but most of its contents were covered with sheets. He did spy an ornate mirror against one wall. Elladan walked toward the mirror. As he approached it, Brundon called out. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  Elladan halted and gazed at the lean man. “Why’s that?”

  “Well, you could, if you want a fast trip to the third floor.”

  Elladan surveyed the mirror from where he stood. It was obviously magic. He had heard of them but had never seen one. “I don’t suppose it would work if we took it with us?”

  “According to Glolindir, it has a limited range.”

  Elladan sighed. “Now that’s too bad.”

  Seth and the golem were now gone, Lloyd following close behind. Elladan strode over to Brundon. “Any idea why he’s taking that couch?”

  Brundon shook his head. “Not a clue. Perhaps it’s some kind of elaborate joke.”

  Elladan thought that over. Seth had a strange sense of humor. He could imagine the halfling going to great lengths to pull off a joke. He was probably taking the couch just to mess with their minds. Elladan flashed Brundon a pearly half smile. “You’re probably right.”

  Brundon smirked. “Well then, let’s get back to our pillaging, shall we?

  A Cry in the Night

  Without warning the ground rose up around him

  It was nearly dusk, the last rays of the setting sun casting long shadows across the courtyard of the ruins. Elladan leaned heavily against the side of the wagon, wiping the sweat from his brow after depositing his last load into the wagon. It had been a long afternoon hauling antiques and valuables from inside the keep. Elladan was nowhere near as strong as Lloyd or Titan, but he had rolled up his sleeves and carted whatever he could up from the basement. Lloyd, Titan and Brundon were still inside, the tracker stuffing as much as he could into the warriors’ sacks.

  Elladan stood back and peered into the wagon bed looking for some sign of Seth. The halfling had nestled down onto his couch hours ago and was now completely hidden from view amidst the piles of furniture and sacks of smaller valuables around him. Seth had not lifted a finger to help since the Boulder deposited the couch in the cart hours ago. The stone creature stood a few yards away, not having moved an inch since it had fulfilled its master’s last command.

  Elladan spoke in a loud voice, “Too bad Rocky there couldn’t have lent us more of a hand.”

  Seth’s response was immediate. “It’s the ‘Boulder’, and I wasn’t going to send him back in there and leave my couch unguarded.”

  Elladan let out a short laugh. It seemed there was no arguing with the halfling.

  “Looks like you made out well.”

  That sounded like Glo. Elladan spun around and saw Aksel and the elven wizard stride out of the keep.

  “I’m content,” Seth’s voice came from the wagon bed behind him.

  A trace of amusement crossed Aksel’s face. “Glad to hear it.”

  Elladan noted how bleary-eyed the duo looked. They must have spent the entire time going through Telvar’s research. “So how about you two? Find anything interesting?”

  Aksel’s answer was tentative. “We may have come across something.”

  Glo appeared a bit more excited. “It seems that Telvar had been looking all over the region for traces of the Golem Master’s works. In doing so, he had documented a number of old legends. One of them in particular mentioned a cult that existed in the northern branch of the Korlokesel Mountains. There were references to mages in black robes conducting sacrifices to their god.”

  Elladan found that an interesting coincidence. “The northern end of the Korlokesels are not too far from the Vogels, the same place we had our run in with those black mages.”

  Aksel still seemed hesitant. “While that may be true, this cult hasn’t existed in over a hundred years. It was crushed by the armies of Dunwynn at the end of the Thrall Wars.”

  Aksel had a valid point. Still, history had shown that evil was never completely stamped out. It always managed to rise again in one form or another. The rest of their conversation was cut short.

  “Gods, Brundon, could you have packed these sacks any
further? What are we going to do with all this worthless junk?” Titan admonished her partner as they exited the keep. Both she and Lloyd carried huge sacks over their shoulders, each bulging at the seams.

  Brundon’s expression was smug. “You’ll be thanking me later, love, once I convert all this to coin.”

  Titan glared back at him. “I highly doubt that.”

  The trio trudged over to the wagon and hoisted the heavy sacks onto the bed. They made a ton of noise as they were loaded aboard.

  Seth’s head popped up over the piles of loot. “Hey, some of us are trying to rest here!”

  Elladan flashed him a pearly smile. “Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep, your highness.”

  Seth smirked. “Apology accepted. As you were.”

  Elladan let out a short laugh. “Would you like us to draw you a bath? Maybe set out some tea and crumpets?”

  “I’ll never say no to food,” Seth said, not missing a beat.

  Their verbal sparring was interrupted by Lloyd’s voice as it rang across the courtyard, “Guys, you might want to see this.”

  The warrior stood near the front gate. They all walked over to join him. The sun had just fallen behind the Korlokesels to the west and the night sky was turning dark. Stars began to poke through the inky firmament. Down the hillside in the midst of the Dead Forest there was a faint glow.

  “Looks like…a campfire,” Brundon observed, “but who in his right mind would camp out in those woods?”

  Elladan turned to Glo. “Why don’t you send your raven out to see?”

  “I just did,” the wizard replied, “but she can only get so close. There’s not much cover in those dead trees, and a black bird would stand out like a sore thumb.”

  Aksel gazed around the group, then back at the wagon. Seth had not moved from it, still perched on his couch. The little cleric raised his voice. “Well then would anyone else care to check it out?”

  Seth shook his head. “Don’t look at me. You’re crazy if you think I’m leaving this couch.”

  Brundon let out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll go.” He trotted forward through the open gate. “But you better keep an eye on my loot,” he called back over his shoulder.

  Titan called after him, “Stop worrying so much about money. Watch yourself out there!”

  Brundon spun around and jogged backwards. His tone dripped with sarcasm. “Why, Delara, you do care!”

  “I just don’t want to be the one to have to unload all this stuff,” Titan shot back.

  “Don’t worry, love, I would never do that to you!” With that last jab, Brundon turned around and took off across the hilltop. He swiftly disappeared into the darkening night.

  The tall warrior shook her head slowly. “Brundon…” she murmured under her breath.

  Brundon made it to the edge of the hilltop and was soon down into the tree line. He traveled swiftly through the woods in the direction of the campfire. As he went, his mind drifted back to Delara. He was not quite sure what was going on with her, but something had changed between them since the day of the party. It was subtle, but it was there. Her digs at him were just a bit more biting, and her jabs were just a shade harder. He had almost brought it up but then decided against it. She would never tell him outright. In fact, she might not even know herself. Delara was one to bury her feelings; it was what he liked most about her. Working with Delara was like working with a guy.

  Yet, all that had changed since the party. Xelda and Kailay had cleverly maneuvered them into dancing together. They had even conscripted Lloyd into their little scheme. Brundon found it amusing at first, but once he was arm in arm with Delara something happened. For the first time ever, Brundon had seen her as a woman; a rather pretty woman for that matter. He had not been able to look at her the same since.

  A sudden thought made Brundon nearly stumble. What if Delara feels the same? He halted in his tracks. Is it possible? All this time we’ve been working together she’s secretly had feelings for me?

  As soon as he thought it, Brundon realized how foolish it sounded. Delara just didn’t think that way. She was all about weapons and fighting. There was no room in her life for love. Brundon let out a deep sigh. His mind felt clearer now. He began to move forward again, then abruptly froze. Something rustled in the dead brambles up ahead. Brundon, you idiot. He had been so preoccupied with Delara that he had forgotten one of the most basic rules of survival in the wild—be constantly aware of your surroundings. Now his brooding had put him in a dangerous situation.

  The tracker stood completely still. In the darkness, he could see nothing through the leafless grey bushes. He waited and listened, but the rustling had stopped. Without warning the ground rose up around him. Brundon tried to leap out of the way, but something big wrapped around him. He tried to twist free but was held fast. His eyes went wide as the bushes parted and something large and grey stepped out in front of him. Out of options, Brundon yelled at the top of his lungs, “Help!”

  With no leaves to stop it, the sound echoed through the lifeless forest all the way up the hillside. A moment later, the pressure around his body increased and everything went black.

  Elladan glanced at Glo. “Did you hear that?”

  He had heard something—a faint sound rising up from the forest below. “I think it was a cry.”

  Titan’s voice was filled with concern. “Do you think it could have been Brundon?”

  “Probably,” Seth’s voice rang out from the wagon.

  “Seth!” Aksel admonished the halfling.

  Titan’s concern turned into irritation. “Well, I’m not waiting around here to find out.” She spun around and trotted toward the horses.

  Lloyd took off after her. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Wait!” Aksel cried after them.

  Both Titan and Lloyd halted. They turned around and gazed at him impatiently.

  “We don’t know what we’re running into.”

  Titan sounded angrier by the moment. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving him alone out there.”

  Aksel tried to calm her down. “He won’t be.” Aksel turned toward Glo. “Anything from Raven?”

  Glo closed his eyes and concentrated on his tiny friend. It only took a few seconds for him to feel her apprehension. “Raven is uneasy. There is definitely someone, or something, dangerous out there.”

  That was all Titan needed to hear. “That’s it. I’m going after him.” She vaulted up onto her mount. Lloyd was a second behind her.

  “Wait!”

  The moon had just risen, its silvery light illuminating the small dark form that leapt down from the wagon. Seth stalked over and placed himself in front of Titan and Lloyd’s mounts. “I’ll go check it out. You two go crashing through the forest like a couple of lumbering oxen and whoever, or whatever, it is will hear you coming from a mile away. Brundon could end up dead before you even get near him.”

  The two warriors were left speechless. Before either could reply, Seth stomped away toward the front gate. “Leave it to a professional,” he called back over his shoulder.

  “Um, Seth?” Aksel called after him.

  The halfling halted and spun around. “What now?”

  “You plan on bringing the golem with you?”

  Seth’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “Sure. That’ll make sneaking around easy.”

  “Well then, maybe one of us should hold onto the ring while you are out there.”

  Seth stomped back toward Aksel and held out the ring. “You know, sometimes you make too much sense.”

  As Aksel put his hand out, Seth momentarily drew his away. “You can have it for now…but I want it back.” Aksel stared at his friend, his expression impassive in the pale moonlight. When Aksel did not react, Seth placed the ring in his outstretched palm, then spun around and stalked throu
gh the front gate.

  As soon as he disappeared, Aksel whirled around toward the others. “As for the rest of us, let’s start moving out in the direction of that campfire. We’ll assume for now that whoever, or whatever, is out there is hostile.”

  Elladan glanced at Aksel. “I’ve studied a lot of history, especially the wars. If you want, I could draw us out a battle formation.”

  Lloyd and Titan both dismounted. Titan’s voice was fierce. “Sounds like a good idea.”

  Lloyd’s tone was uncharacteristically hardened. “Let’s do this.”

  Aksel nodded. The five of them gathered around in a circle on the ground of the stone courtyard. Glo lit his staff and they began to formulate their plans.

  Brundon woke up and found he still could not move. He was on his side, facing a roaring campfire, with his hands and feet bound. He could kick himself for getting caught in the first place, but now was not the time. He would berate himself later—if there was a later. For now, he needed to keep his wits about him.

  “He’s finally awake.” It was a woman’s voice, but it was quite deep for some reason. Suddenly, a face appeared in front of him. It was most definitely female and might have even been attractive considering the curve of the face and those deep brown eyes. What threw him off was the greenish pallor of her skin and the two small tusks that protruded from her lower lip. She was a half-orc!

  This just got a whole lot more dangerous. Brundon needed to buy time. If he played it right, he might just make it out of this alive. He put on his best smile. “And what can I do for you now, love?”

  “Oh, love is it?” She let out a deep laugh. The half-orc stood up and all he could now see was her lower body. She wore thick brown leather boots and studded leather leggings. The very top of her thighs and midriff were bare, revealing a smooth, muscular physique. Strapped around her waist was a wide leather belt from which hung two long curved blades. This woman was most definitely a warrior. “Looks like we have a charmer here.” Abruptly her face appeared in front of him again.