"Aye, their numbers are few, but those few are the ones we need. The forest Guard, to a man, joined. The future ruler of their nation and his wife stand with us, as well as a number of druids. For the elves that refused to see reason, we are better off without them," Micah replied calmly.
"That future ruler is an exile now. The elves would never accept him back let alone allow him to take up his father’s place. His life is ruined now as are the lives of all those who follow him."
"And you blame yourself for this as well." It was a statement of fact not a question. "See, you are a leader. You shoulder the mantle of responsibility for the lives of those under you. In this case, it is a burden you should not bear. Ataum knew the consequences of his actions. He could have made the easy choice and remained loyal to the Council of Elders and to his father, but he saw what they refused to see. He chose to defy their orders and aid the other races of this land against Mortow. You are not responsible for his choices, Merric. You did only what a good leader should. You gave him the information he needed to make his own decision. He chose correctly."
"Did he? Oh, don’t get me wrong. I am heartened by his decision to join us, but it has cost him everything. He would have been an excellent leader for his people."
"Aye, his life is now on a different path than the one he started out on; but for a warrior like Ataum, it is better to die fighting than to live as a slave. He has not lost so much as you think. He still has his wife, his freedom, and his men. Ataum could have made no other choice. Rydon backed him into a corner. If he had stayed, he would still have been a slave, even if we defeated Mortow. Only his enslavement would be of a different sort."
Merric shook his head. "I just don’t know, Micah. I feel as if I am walking everyone down a path that leads to a cliff. If we are not careful, we will stumble and fall off the edge. I don’t know what to do," Merric said putting his head in his heads.
"Do you want advice, Merric, or platitudes?"
"I want advice, damn it!" Merric shouted angrily.
Micah smiled again. "Then listen well, old friend. That fire you feel right this moment, that anger, use it. Burn away the feelings of self-pity and remorse, and then think. Ask yourself what needs to be done right now. What is of the utmost importance?"
Merric started to open his mouth to reply but Micah stopped him.
"I told you to forget about Michael and Mieka for now. They are beyond your reach."
Merric closed his mouth and considered for a moment. "I guess getting reinforcements to The Slot should be the first thing. Michael promised Commander Salic he would bring him more men."
"Aye, they do need more men, but their need is not as great as it was earlier today. I took a group of fifty Avari to join them. While I was there, I learned that a large group of ogres had joined them as well. Ogres lead by a Chieftain named Karg."
"A hundred or so ogres will help, but they will still need reinforcements," Merric said, his mind now clearly back on track.
"Try more like two thousand ogres." Micah grinned at the opened mouth expression on Merric’s face. "Karg has joined many tribes together under his leadership. They have joined our cause."
"Micah, this is wonderful news. I have never in my life seen ogre tribes join together willingly. This Karg must be either very strong or very smart."
"I would have to say both. He is as big as any ogre I have ever seen; and, after talking to him for a bit, I was impressed with his strategies and motivations. I could tell he was one that likes to be in charge, but he also seemed to have his people’s best interest in mind. I spoke to his brother, Mardak, who, by the way, is a shaman."
"That is a rare thing among his kind if he is truly gifted," Merric said in mild surprise.
"He is. Just how gifted remains to be seen, but he is much more than a totem shaking herbalist. They both displayed a level of honor that I found comforting. I have no doubt they are sincere," Micah informed Merric.
"If you trust them, then that is good enough for me. I should get myself to Castle Brannin and see to getting some more men to The Slot. They lost a great many there today. Then I would have a chance to meet this new Chieftain."
"I think that is an excellent…" Micah shot to his feet, his face turned grave. Merric was instantly on his feet as well.
"What is it, Micah?"
"Colonel Bastise is here. I must go. Something is wrong," Micah replied scowling. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver flask. He hurriedly took a drink from it and shoved it back into his pocket.
"What's wrong Micah?" Merric asked troubled.
"I will return when I can." Micah’s eyes continued to stare off into the distance as he spoke, "Tranfero ut meus visum," and vanished from the room.
Merric stared at the spot where Micah had been standing. "Good luck, old friend." Merric turned and rang the small bell on his desk. He began to pace, waiting for the student on duty to arrive.
Micah materialized outside the ring of stone that stood watch over the portal. Not for the first time, he wondered if it led anywhere besides back to Earth. He dismissed the thought and scanned the night for other living beings. He felt the presence of two people within the ring. He knew one to be Bastise. He heard muted cries and a deep chuckle that could only belong to Bastise. As he opened his senses, Micah realized there were others closing in on the ring. None were close enough to be able to see him yet, so he moved, silent as a shadow, to the standing stones. Once there, Micah opened his senses even further and realized with a calming breath that those approaching were elves.
Micah turned his attention to the inside of the ring of stones. Colonel Bastise crouched on the balls of his feet scowling down at a naked man, trussed up on the ground before him. Micah caught the undeniable odor of Were. So Bastise has captured one of them and has come here. That must mean Joshua has been taken. Micah closed his eyes and cast out with his mind, seeking to touch Joshua’s unique consciousness. He could see nothing and hear nothing, but he knew Joshua was alive. Still watching Bastise, Micah called to the elf silently approaching his position.
"I know you are behind me elf. There is no reason for you to fear. It is I, Micah."
At hearing the name, the elf abandoned any pretense at stealth and approached Micah, arrow still knocked but now pointed at the ground. "Lord Micah, what brings you to the Portal?"
Micah turned his head and eyed the elf, then gestured out into the center of the ring. "A friend of mine has just arrived. That can only mean there is trouble. He has come from the other world, but he brings a Were with him."
"We were unsure of who had come through. Ataum has had a few of us watching the portal since you returned. We were going to investigate when I saw you standing here, Lord Micah."
"Tell your men to hold their positions. I want to see what this is about," Micah ordered still watching Colonel Bastise and the Were.
"Yes, Lord Micah." The elf puckered his lips and blew, but no discernible sound issued forth.
Micah’s acute hearing picked up the series of high pitched whistles that came from the elf’s lips. He didn’t understand the code used, but wasn’t really interested in trying to decipher it at the moment. He watched Bastise and could hear him talking to the prone Were.
"So all you told me was true, eh? Which direction is it to find your friends?" Bastise asked the man.
Micah could still hear the muffled cries coming from the Were. He didn’t know what Bastise had done to the man to get him to talk, but whatever it had been was certainly no more than he deserved. Micah saw Bastise pull a small pouch from his pack and measure out a dose of liquid into a syringe. Micah smiled.
"Chemical interrogation," Micah whispered to himself.
"My Lord?" The elf asked puzzled.
"Colonel Bastise is a master of extracting knowledge from those who do not wish to give it. He is giving the Were a potion that will loosen his tongue," Micah explained.
The elf acknowledged his words with a slight nod then tur
ned to watch Colonel Bastise. Micah saw Bastise jab the needle into the Were’s stomach, probably into his naval, a tender area that would cause considerable pain. The man stiffened and tried to scream but the gag in his mouth prevented more than a muffled whine from being heard. Bastise returned the vial and syringe to his pouch and stowed it in his pack. Bastise stretched his neck and shoulders, waiting for the drug to take effect. After about twenty seconds or so the man’s screams abated and his body seemed to relax.
Eyeing Tammin critically, Bastise reached over and lifted an eyelid, nodding to himself. He removed the cloth from the man’s mouth. Tammin’s head lolled slowly from side to side. Bastise landed a solid slap on Tammin’s left cheek. The sound echoed throughout the night.
"Which way is it to your friends?" Bastise repeated.
Tammin turned his head toward Colonel Bastise and tried to focus his eyes on the big man, but the sky and constellation behind him spun crazily in his sight.
"We are at your portal stones. In what direction do your friends lie?" Bastise asked.
"Northwest," Tammin said softly.
"Very good. How many days travel are they?"
"Over a week on foot. Gratton is over a hundred leagues from here."
Bastise swore vehemently. "Thank you for the information. I really wish I had the time to prolong this, but I must be on my way." Bastise pulled a long hunting knife from one of the straps running over his shoulders. He held it were Tammin could see it. He waited until Tammin’s eyes focused on the blade then smiled down at him.
"May your journey to Hell be short," Bastise said, still smiling, as he drug the knife across Tammin’s throat.
Blood blossomed over Tammin’s throat and sprayed far out to the sides as both carotid arteries were severed. Bastise watched as Tammin gurgled and choked on his own blood.
"For the death of my men, for the abduction of Joshua, and for the pain you will have caused my friend Micah, you will taint the worlds no more with your foul presence."
When Tammin finally stopped moving, Bastise untied the rope binding him, coiled it up, and hung it from his belt. Remembering Micah’s orders to decapitate these beasts, Bastise pulled out his machete and with one powerful swing, severed Tammin’s head from his body. Bastise took the cloth he had used to gag Tammin and cleaned both his knife and machete with it. Sheathing both he tossed the cloth down on Tammin’s torso and hitched his pack up higher on to his shoulders.
Bastise pulled out his compass and regarded it in the starlight. The compass spun crazily and would not fix in any one position. Again Bastise swore, cursing the fates that had brought him to this strange world.
"I’m afraid that will do you no good here my friend," came a voice from behind.
Bastise hung his head and his massive shoulders slumped. "Micah."
Turning, Bastise beheld Micah standing a short distance away with a slight man standing to his right and a little behind. The slim man carried a bow in his left hand. Bastise strode purposefully toward Micah and dropped to one knee in front of him, bowed his head, and refused to meet Micah’s eyes.
"Micah, my friend. No. I do not deserve to call you friend any longer. I have failed you. Joshua has been taken."
Micah looked down at Bastise. The black beret and fatigues causing memories to rush back on him. "Please get up, Colonel. You may have been unsuccessful in stopping them from taking Joshua, but that is hardly your failure alone. I should have been more vigilant."
Bastise still refused to look up at Micah. "No, this is on me. You asked me to protect your nephew. I was unable to do that which you asked of me," Bastise said firmly.
"These are hardly normal circumstances. I have no doubt that against anything short of magic, you would have been successful. Rise my friend, you have lost no honor in my eyes," Micah told Bastise sincerely.
Bastise slowly raised his eyes to Micah’s. "You always seem to know what is most in my heart." Bastise rose fluidly to his feet and faced Micah. "I am at your command. What would you have me do?"
"I would have you return to our world. This is no place for you." Seeing Bastise begin to protest, Micah held up a hand to forestall him. "But since I know you will not return home, I would have you come with me to Kantwell. Perhaps your knowledge in guerilla tactics can aid us."
The elf beside Micah cleared his throat. "My Lord, if you have no further need of us we would return to our posts."
Turning his gaze to the slim man, Bastise exclaimed aloud as he noticed, for the first time, the slanting eyes and pointed ears. "What manner of man are you? I have never seen your like before."
The elf grinned broadly. "I am no man at all. I am an elf. My name is Finel of the Forest Guard."
Bastise looked to Micah and saw him smile and nod.
"The elves are our allies, Colonel. The Forest Guard are some of the finest fighters in the land."
Turning back to Finel, Bastise extended his hand. "I am Colonel Rimel Bastise. It is an honor to meet you, Finel."
Finel shook Bastise’s hand and then bowed his head to him. "It is an honor to meet a high ranking officer from your land. If you are a friend to the Avari Lord then you are a friend to the elves."
"Avari Lord?" Asked Bastise, looking at Micah.
"I will explain later. You may return to your duties, Finel. The Colonel and I will be returning to Kantwell."
Finel bowed to Micah and shot Bastise a grin before running off into the darkness. Bastise cocked his head at Micah.
"It seems there is more to you than I had thought. I knew you were a great warrior, but I never imagined you were nobility. It's not surprising, mind you. You always did have an air of command about you. I just thought it was a military thing. And here, all this time, I have been friends with a Lord," Bastise smiled and shook his head.
"I am not of noble stock, Colonel. It is complicated and a subject much better suited to indoors. I must, however, warn you. You will be witness to many strange things here, not the least of which is me. I guess we will just dive in. Transfero nos ut meus visum."
Both men vanished from the portal ring and reappeared in the Great Hall of Kantwell. Micah reached out and grabbed Bastise under his arm as his legs wobbled.
"Lean over and put your head down. Breathe slowly. The queasiness will pass in a few minutes," Micah assured him.
"Gods man, what did you do to me…" Bastise began, then halted, as he looked at his surroundings. He looked at Micah with something akin to fear in his eyes. "What has happened? Where are we?"
"We are within the castle Kantwell. It is here that the free Magi of this world train. And what I did to you is called teleportation. It is a magical means to instantly transport yourself, and others, to another location."
Bastise straightened, placing a hand over his churning stomach, and looked around the Great Hall. His eyes fell on the huge statue in the center, a towering figure draped in robes with arms upstretched, hands cupping a flame and a dove. Though the head was hooded, the form was obviously female and the dark blue color of the stone made it stand out against the white marble of the floor. Bastise tore his eyes from the statue and regarded Micah.
"This is your castle then?"
Micah chuckled. "No. This castle belongs to the Magi. Merric is Headmaster here. I guess if you could say it belonged to anyone it would be him; though ownership of Kantwell has never been claimed. I reside in a small house within a forest many leagues from here."
Bastise nodded and continued to survey his surroundings. Suddenly a tall robed figure appeared before him. Bastise jumped back and uttered a startled exclamation. Instantly drawing one of his knives from the strap over his chest, he went into a crouch.
Micah placed a hand on Bastise’s shoulder. "Easy my friend. This," Micah gestured to the robed figure, "is Merric, Headmaster of Kantwell and Wizard of the Eighth Key." Turning his gaze to Merric, Micah continued. "Merric, this is Colonel Rimel Bastise, a friend of mine from Earth."
Merric looked at Colonel Bastise and
inclined his head to him. "It is an honor to meet a friend of Micah’s. I apologize for startling you. I am sure many things here will be strange to you."
Bastise stood up straight and sheathed his knife. He looked Merric up and down. He noted the blue robes and silver sash with blue stripes, the long gray hair and beard. Bastise inclined his head to Merric. "And I apologize for my reaction. Things have been unsettling today and I find myself on edge. Please forgive me for my aggression within your home."
Merric waved a hand dismissively.
"No need to apologize, Colonel. Good reflexes are a sign of a good warrior. No doubt you will fit in well with Micah’s Avari."
Bastise looked to Micah. "You must explain this Avari word to me Micah."
"Merric, could we use your study? If the Colonel is to be of use to us, we need to explain a great deal to him, and I would prefer to do so in comfort," Micah inquired.
"Of course." When Micah did not continue, Merric nodded and spoke the spell of transport. The three of them vanished from the Great Hall.
Reappearing in Merric’s study, Colonel Bastise groaned and leaned over bracing himself on his knees. Sweat beaded the Colonel’s forehead and upper lip as he breathed shallowly. "Please gentlemen, warn a man before turning his stomach inside out."
Merric chuckled and gestured for them to be seated. "It gets easier Colonel. However, the first few times are troublesome. You will get used to it soon enough," Merric assured Bastise as he walked around his desk and took his seat.
Micah and Colonel Bastise sat in the chairs opposite him, Micah looking reflective.
"Ok, it should come as no surprise, we are at war," Micah began.
Chapter Nine
As they approached the small house, Michael noticed the smoke rising from the chimney on the far right side. Mason walked up the three steps onto the porch. The only furnishings on the porch were a well worn chair and a little table beside it. Mason opened the door and a pleasant rush of warmth and light flowed out. Once inside, Mason closed the door and gestured to a chair in front of the fire.
Myrkron (Volume Two of The Chronicles of the Myrkron) Page 6
