The Beginnings Omnibus: Beginnings 1, 2, 3 & Legend of Ashenclaw novella (Realm of Ashenclaw Beginnings Saga)

by Gary F. Vanucci

  “I am sure she is upset, and she very well should be,” Ganthorpe reasoned in a calming manner. “Her daughter is missing and Norgeld is attempting to acquire any mercenaries, soldiers, or sellswords to aid in locating Princess Amara. She will certainly find it insulting if we simply ignore her.”

  “Agreed. I can understand her plight and sympathize with her,” Tiyarnon reasoned calmly. “We must attempt to assemble some assistance, and if that means enlisting new recruits for the Watch, then so be it. We can afford to expand our military might as the city is making suitable coin once again due in large part of the influx of merchants wanting to conduct business here. Perhaps we can even send a contingent to Norgeld first to appease Lynessa. Then we might suggest directing our combined forces south to retake Chansuk and search for her daughter at the same time.”

  “Very well, Tiyarnon,” Nimaira agreed. “We will do as you suggest. We will begin making the proper arrangements at first light.” Nimaira made to leave but Ganthorpe stood and blocked her path, seemingly inadvertently.

  “What is happening here? What have I missed?” Ganthorpe asked them both. “There is information I am missing. Specifically, the confirmation of Chansuk’s apparent demise, and rumors of a missing item of some sort. What of this? How can I help?”

  “Yes, we assembled a group to recover the phylactery of Sadreth,” Tiyarnon admitted as he faced Ganthorpe. “The amulet that was held in my temple for—“

  “Safekeeping, yes,” Ganthorpe interrupted. “I am somewhat familiar with the story…and?”

  “It is a long story, and one which I will give you the details of sometime later. The smaller tale is that a group of specialists were assembled to recover the item,” Tiyarnon informed. “This included the help of the Inquisition, specifically, Garius Forge of the Faceless Knights of Order. They arrived recently, as did two of their sages. The group left over a week ago.”

  “I seem to remember you speaking highly of this Garius at one time or another—an acolyte of yours if I recall correctly?” Ganthorpe responded, attempting to sound innocent in his questioning. “You will certainly have to fill me in on that story in the morn, then. I am intrigued.”

  “Very well. Tomorrow then,” Tiyarnon agreed, making it to his feet. Nimaira stood, proceeded toward the exit of the council chamber, and called back to Tiyarnon. “We cannot send too many knights as to leave our own city defenseless…or weakly guarded. I could not bear to see something happen,” she admitted with a look of concern.

  “Aye, let us discuss this further, then.” Tiyarnon stood and nodded politely to Ganthorpe. Then both of them exited the room leaving Ganthorpe to his thoughts.

  Perhaps Sadreth will do my work for me, Ganthorpe thought, familiar with the events to which Tiyarnon alluded. Even so, I will need to make…arrangements, he decided as a wicked smile crossed his face. I cannot be too careful when it comes to guarding my own livelihood.

  The series of passageways and tunnels was vast and had obviously been home to another intelligent race at one time. Garius informed them that whatever race had lived here may have been ousted by Thanatos’ cultists, who defiled the place, erecting idols to their demon lord.

  Rose and Elec passed through what could only be a workshop of some kind, as tools and implements of craftsmanship lay scattered about on tables and such. They saw nothing of use until Rose made a hand signal for Elec to halt, followed quickly by another to join her at her position. Rose alleged that she’d heard something behind a door as she pointed to it.

  “Aye, there is movement tor certain within,” Elec whispered in agreement. “There is something in there for sure.”

  Elec turned to see Garius and Saeunn approaching. Garius stood silent and still, his presence awe-inspiring without uttering a word.

  Saeunn stood in the corridor with her hands draped over the hilt of her greatsword, leaning upon it. She carried an intimidating presence, despite her beautiful features. Her long, blonde, partially braided hair, was no longer bound by her sash, and fell well past her shoulders. There was an interesting dichotomy to the barbarian, Elec thought as he began to familiarize himself with the many sides of this remarkable woman.

  Elec longed to know more about his other associates as well, admittedly being a creature driven by curiosity.

  He watched Rose, as she tugged on the handle of the door. She looked up and realized that it was spiked shut for some reason. She reached up and yanked the unsecured spike from the door quietly, cracked the door and peered in.

  Mindless, soulless creatures wandered around the room. They had not noticed that the door had opened yet, and so Rose quickly closed it.

  “We need something to block this door! Quickly!” Rose hissed, staring back in horror. She tried without success to place the spike back in the door, but it would not hold.

  “Why?” Elec asked. “What is it?”

  “Things with… rotting skin hanging from their bones!” Rose whispered, opening the door quickly to show Elec. Rose was clearly frightened beyond all comprehension at seeing what was behind the door.

  The abominations heard the creak of the door this time and launched themselves over one another at breakneck speed toward the door, which opened out toward them. They slammed the door shut again and Rose’s eyes went wide with alarm. The pair leaned against the door, trying in vain to hold it closed by themselves.

  They heard the distinct sound of claws scraping against the wood and iron on the opposite side of the heavy door.

  “What is it?” Saeunn asked.

  “Zombies!” Rose barked, before taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure. ”Help us!” she exclaimed a bit less excitedly, but impatiently, cocking her head and pursing her lips at the barbarian woman, who calmly moved toward the door.

  “Open it,” Garius ordered as he removed his helm. “Then step away.”

  Garius began to channel some of that necromantic energy he’d stored within himself. He offered what Elec recognized now as a prayer to The Shimmering One, allowing him access to the regenerative plane. A palpable and visible glow began to radiate from his body. That glow not only encompassed his armor, but appeared to be inside of his body, emerging from his eye sockets as his pupils disappeared, replaced only by the radiance contained within him.

  The undead attempted to rush past him and that aura, but were physically displaced backward instead, tossed aside as Garius entered the room, the radiant energy churning within him.

  Further into the room he strode and as each abomination closed in on him, it simply turned to ash under his divine punishment. Suddenly, a burst of holy energy poured forth from him, temporarily enveloping the entire room in a tremendously bright flash. And then it was gone. Where there were once the walking dead, in their place were piles of ashes—all reduced to nothingness.

  “They are returned from whence they came,” Garius sternly stated, “back to Pandemonium—undeath to death.”

  Rose and Elec looked at one another and then to Garius who merely gestured for them to carry on once more. But, before he replaced his helm atop his head, Rose slammed into him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a peck on the cheek before running off again.

  Elec glanced back at that exchange and grinned, knowing that Rose had a quite evident, incomparable fear of the undead, and that Garius saved them all from what would have surely been another costly and time consuming battle. It seemed Rose was a little more appreciative than the others, Elec supposed, his smile persisting.

  They all composed themselves quickly and followed his instruction, Elec moving off after Rose to lead them along the unknown passageways.

  Less than a hundred paces later, they collectively heard a blood-curdling scream coming from down the hall. The foursome quickly headed off to investigate.

  Orngoth bent low to quickly inspect the blonde haired man for injuries. As he examined him, he noticed an icon hanging on a chain around his neck. Orngoth recalled the symbol as belonging to the Gods of Orde
r, unlike the ones found within this foul place. He did not worship the gods, but he also did not like demon lords or anything that they represented. He could not remember the exact meaning of that symbol, but it reminded him of Celeste, his mother, for some reason.

  He thought briefly of her and also her friend, Lynnai, the forester who had brought him his mother’s gifts. During her brief encounter, she had also spoken to him about the character of his mother.

  He stood now and tried to control his bloodlust, recalling the missing gem, and it was difficult. Looking at the unconscious man once more, Orngoth gently lifted him up and placed his limp body over his broad shoulder. He decided that leaving him here was not a good idea.

  He headed off in the only direction he hadn’t yet investigated and that he figured might lead him to his magical gem. He lumbered down the open corridor and past a lit doorway, approximately twenty paces to his right, where he heard distant voices. He immediately felt compelled to investigate, but realized he couldn’t very well bring a defenseless man with him.

  He crept as best he could past that doorway, which was partially shut and noticed another room directly ahead. He decided to see if he could set the man down there. He ran into the darkened room and inside found a series of cots, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. It suited his needs for now so he placed the young man gently onto one of them, turned back, and walked out of the room into the hall. He approached the intersection and turned to his left, facing the door where he’d heard the voices. He stopped and removed the enormous club from his back, expecting a fight.

  A mask of pure rage adorned his face as he recognized the distinct dialect of the orcs. Anticipation and adrenaline began pumping through his veins as he realized his reckoning was at hand.

  Alana heard a scream echo from afar and feared the worst. Had they done all of this for naught? Thaurion must not have gotten far from the cell if that was indeed him.

  She turned and looked at the limp form of Rolf and the bound and gagged orc that eyed her hatefully from across the room. She wondered what she would do if Thaurion were captured…or worse. Many thoughts raced through her mind and a panic set in.

  The four of them continued their pursuit of the unknown voice. They were so focused on following the source of that scream that they ran down the corridor, passing any and all unexplored areas, heading straight toward the area from where they believed it originated.

  Rose and Elec both slowly entered a room that appeared to be an ancient library of some kind. Shelves lined the walls in such a way as to have fashioned aisles. Scrolls, manuscripts and parchments copiously adorned the shelves.

  “Blood,” Elec pointed out to Rose, nodding at a small crimson stain on the ground. He scooped a droplet up with his gloved finger.

  “Fresh blood,” she corrected, as Garius and Saeunn followed behind them. Rose showed them, emphasizing this to Garius, who nodded a concerned expression her way.

  Together they continued through the library and out into another stretch of passages. There, in the hallway stood a rather hulking form, partially hidden by the darkness and the flickering torchlight.

  “Ogre,” Elec whispered and withdrew both Daegnar Giruth and Wyrm’s Fang in anticipation of a fight.

  Before Orngoth could near the door, he heard more footsteps approaching to his right where he had just come from. Perhaps another group of orcs or another goblinoid patrol was coming, he guessed. It was too late to hide anywhere and he was tired of trying to conceal his presence anyway. It was time to fight, he decided.

  A figure from the shadows with blades in hand approached him cautiously. He recognized that there were two more figures behind the first. He recognized the first as an elf as the sporadic torchlight revealed his features. He gave thought as to why an elf might be here.

  Suddenly, he felt something behind him and instinctively reached out on his left flank. To his surprise, he was clutching someone by the throat. He heard a muffled cry of pain and held the figure out before him for a closer look. He was again surprised to see it was a human…a woman.

  A pair of ornately crafted daggers dropped from her suddenly limp hands. She instinctively grabbed Orngoth’s fist with both of her hands in a feeble attempt to escape his grip.

  Where did she come from? Orngoth thought, as he held the woman out before the elf and the others he could not identify yet. He believed that there were only orcs and goblins amongst the soldiers here, so it was a strange thing, indeed, for him to see anyone other than goblinoids in these tunnels.

  Orngoth watched the elf stop upon hearing a command given from behind him in the tone of a deep, gravelly voice. The elf turned to regard the person who had given that order and saw it to be a man in very unique set of plate armor resembling the color of blood. He also noted that the man’s chest was radiating some kind of dull light. Following behind him was a broad-shouldered woman, with arms covered in similar markings to his own.

  A barbarian, Orngoth confirmed. Here?

  “Stop...please!” the elf entreated him. “Let her go!”

  He watched as the group remained still and the man in the red armor approached. He dropped his weapon. It was a huge two-handed hammer with runes adorning its head, which looked too massive for the man to even lift let alone wield, and held his hands out in a very submissive way.

  They do not want to fight!? Orngoth thought, confused at this latest turn of events. He was surprised by their suddenly non-threatening behavior and so he loosened the grip on the female’s throat, allowing her to breathe, but ready to crush her windpipe if a threat arose.

  He listened curiously as the man in the red armor spoke to him.

  “He is not evil,” Garius informed Elec and Saeunn. “There is something benevolent about this creature.” Inquisitors were gifted with an innate ability to distinctly identify evil in a person, and this creature radiated none whatsoever.

  “Stop…please,” Garius heard Elec say to the ogre-like creature that held Rose by the throat. He dropped The Repentant and held his hands out to show that he posed no threat.

  Garius calmly and slowly walked past Elec and approached to within earshot of the creature, recognizing him as a half-ogre under the newly present light, and spoke to him, removing his helmet.

  “We mean you no ill will,” Garius began. “Please let our friend go, we will not harm you.” He was ready to proceed with an attack if he had to, but wanted to discover the purpose of what this half-ogre meant to do here. His motivations were confusing at best. “Perhaps we can help you in some manner? Do you understand Wothlondian? Trade-speak?”

  “I don’t need help,” replied the half-ogre, emphasizing the word strongly. “I only want my gem back! And if I bash a few orc skulls to get it…,” he let the inference dangle. Elec and Saeunn looked to one another realizing that this creature could quite possibly assist them.

  “We can help each other then,” Garius instructed, also picking up on the insinuation. “I do not want to fight you, but I insist that you release my friend. I—we—care for her deeply.”

  The half-ogre looked to the woman in his grip and back to the man again. For whatever reason, he dropped Rose abruptly to the ground, where she lay prone, immediately gasping for air. She looked up at the behemoth, relieved that she was no longer in his iron grip, as she continued to draw in deep breaths over and over. The others approached apprehensively and the half ogre stepped aside so they could go freely to aid her.

  Elec and Garius moved to her side and The Inquisitor quickly assessed that the damage was minor. He waved his hand over her, releasing a short burst of regenerative energy into her and the imprints from the behemoth’s hands that had turned her neck a bright shade of red, disappeared under that glow. Rose got to her knees, stood slowly, pushing aside help from Elec, and retrieved her fallen weapons.

  “I am looking for a group of priests. Three humans…like me…and an elf with them to total four,” the Inquisitor explained. “I am Garius, an officer of the Inquisition
and an emissary of the Faceless Knights of Order,” he continued, hoping that the brute would be able to see and recognize the icons of the gods and other seals of valor on his armor.

  “Orngoth,” the half-ogre said, tapping his chest as he spoke. “There is a human there,” he stated, gesturing to an adjacent door. “He tried to run from me…like all men do…they think I will hurt them. But he hurt his head trying to run from me,” Orngoth explained. “He hit his head hard. And he had a mark of a god…I remember…around his neck. Like that,” the half-ogre said, gesturing to the symbol of The Shimmering One on Garius’s pauldrons.

  The Inquisitor was exhilarated at hearing the news and rushed past him toward the room. Elec moved forward now to speak with the half-ogre.

  “I am Elec. What is this gem you seek?” asked the elf.

  “It is a magical gem…a gift from my mother.” Orngoth noticeably relaxed at the mention of his mother and his eyes softened. It seemed as if that memory provided him a sense of peace, Elec supposed.

  “Lynnai gave it to me,” he continued, not really making much sense to the elf. “And I want it back!”

  “We will help you get your gem, Orngoth,” Elec nodded, trying to stem the creature’s growing agitation.

  “It is Thaurion!” Garius exclaimed, rushing out of the room and pointing back. “He lives!”

  Elec nodded subtly to Garius, and then quickly returned his attention to Orngoth as he wanted to stay on topic and not have the creature lose his train of thought, or get any more irritated until he discovered more about the missing gem. Elec watched as Saeunn moved to confer with Garius.