The Tower of Daelfaun (The Tales of Zanoth Book 1)

by Ethridge, Aaron J.

  “What difference does that make?”

  “Placing her soul in a phylactery stopped her from aging because she's not really alive,” Alena explained. “But she never started to decay because she's not really dead either.”

  “So that girl is a hundred years old?”

  “More than that,” Alena replied. “And she's been lucky up to this point, but her luck's about to change.”

  “How so?” the young man asked.

  “Because you're about to kill her.”

  “I'm...” he said slowly. “Um, no. No, I'm not.”

  “Yes you are,” she snapped under her breath. “That is the smallest escort I've ever seen her with. Even I have to accept that this isn't just chance; this is fate. Now, let's go.”

  Having said this she drew her sword.

  “Hold on a sec,” Paul said, laying his hand on her shoulder. “This girl can just kill us stone dead with black magic right?”

  “She can,” Sarrac admitted. “But it's kind of like an arrow.”

  “Black magic is like an arrow?”

  “I mean, she has to hit you with it to kill you. All you have to do is dodge.”

  “All you have to do...” the young man half-chuckled. “Did you just say all you have to do in the context of dodging black magic?”

  “It's been done before,” Alena asserted.

  “Not by me, sister,” Paul replied.

  “That's not a very itish thing to say, Paul,” Nyssa pointed out.

  “No it's not,” Alena agreed. “It's a very cowardly thing to say.”

  “Once again: when it's coward or fool I take coward.”

  “Alright then,” she replied. “We'll just go tell Thaelen to pack up his family and make a run for it. Maybe he'll even get lucky and some of his children will survive!”

  Paul stared at her in silence for a moment before drawing Telseir from its sheath.

  “Alright, I'm gonna do this,” the young man said. “However: Sarrac, if you survive I want you to have Alena Was a Cow written on my tombstone.”

  “Certainly,” he replied, drawing his own blade.

  “What's the plan?” Paul asked.

  “We need to get her off that horse first,” Alena observed.

  “That won't be a problem,” Nyssa smiled. “I'll even distract them. All you'll need to do is charge down the hill and slaughter them all.”

  “Well,” the young man sighed. “At least we've got the easy part.”

  “I know,” she giggled in response before vanishing from sight.

  Roughly a minute later Myra raised her hand and ordered her undead escort to stop. She turned her head one way and then the other apparently in search of something. Suddenly a tiny point of light appeared in front of her mount. Instantly the beast began to collapse, as Nyssa buzzed wildly around before it.

  “Fairy!” Myra yelled, her voice filled with rage.

  As her mount fell, the lich leapt from its back, at the same instant pulling a staff from her saddle.

  “Let's go!” Sarrac said, jumping to his feet and charging down the hill, his companions following just steps behind.

  The attention of the undead and their mistress was completely captivated by the flying fairy. As such, they didn't see their quickly approaching enemies until the battle had already begun in earnest. In an instant Alena and Sarrac had killed two of the zombies and drawn the notice of the others. Paul put his new skills to the test and did his best to decapitate another of the zombies.

  To his own amazement he succeeded. Just before the blade touched the monster's flesh it became wrapped in golden flames. The creature's head tumbled from its shoulders burning with the same bright fire. This spectacle attracted the attention of the ghasts and they leapt on the young man while his companions were engaged with the remaining zombies.

  His ability with the blade kept them from him for a moment, but he knew he couldn't keep it up for long. He had learned enough about swordplay to realize that each of them were more skilled than he. Against the pair of them he didn't stand a chance. Within seconds one of them had knocked his sword to the side while the other lunged forward with a deadly thrust.

  Before the blow could land, however, Telseir seemed to jerk the young man's arm back into position, cutting his enemy's weapon in half. Instantly Paul struck again, slicing the creature across its chest. The blade ripped through its armor with ease and set the ghast's flesh ablaze. It screamed in fury for a moment before the young man brought its unnatural life to an end with another strike.

  This chain of events attracted the attention of the lich herself, who pointed her staff at Paul and screamed something in an arcane tongue. Paul sprang to the side as a dart of pure black energy shot in his direction. This left the young man slightly off balance which was something the remaining ghast took full advantage of. He dropped his sword at the young man who raised his own blade in defense. The attack was turned aside, but Paul was knocked to the ground. Once again the ghast raised his sword, but before he could strike Nyssa appeared behind him.

  Fire lept from her tiny fingertips, wrapping the creature's head in flame. The young man rolled to the side before springing to his feet. Doing so avoided both the falling blade of the burning ghast and another dark bolt cast by the lich. Instantly he thrust his blade into the very guts of his enemy. His foe collapsed, golden flames rising from his carcass.

  Glancing over the scene he saw that his allies had the two surviving zombies well in hand. All he had to do was kill the lich. He turned his eyes just in time to see her aiming another deadly bolt in his direction. Once again he managed to dodge the arrow of destruction.

  “What god watches over you?” Myra screamed. “This is impossible!”

  In reply he charged the daughter of darkness, Telseir raised above his head. The lich showed no sign of fear, but drew herself up, raised her staff again, and once more loosed a bolt of death. This time, however, she waited until he was just feet from her. There was neither room nor time to avoid the spell. The dark blast hit the young man in the very center of his chest.

  “Ahhh!!!!” he cried, before he realized that it didn't really hurt all that much.

  In point of fact, it didn't hurt at all. Both Paul and Myra stood staring at each other for a moment, a look of confusion on the face of each. Once more she lashed out at him with her dark power and once more it hit the young man in the chest. Nothing happened. She raised her staff for a third time chanting wildly as she did so.

  “Give me that!” he yelled, snatching the staff from her with his free hand and drawing his sword back for a death blow.

  Instinct caused her to raise her arm in defense, turn her face, and close her eyes. Paul gazed at her for a moment before lowering his blade.

  “Kill her!” Alena exclaimed, stepping over the broken body of the final zombie. “Kill her now!”

  “No,” the young man replied.

  “You'll wish you had!” Myra screamed. “When I'm done with you, you'll beg me for death!”

  “No he won't!” Alena screamed in reply, rushing at the lich with her own blade raised.

  “Stop!” Sarrac yelled. “Alena! Stop this, now!”

  “Have you gone insane?!?!” she replied, turning her gaze to him, fire in her eyes. “She has to die!”

  “If she does,” he said calmly, “then Paul will be the one to kill her.”

  “Then kill her!” she replied, turning her attention back to the young man.

  “I'm not going to kill a helpless woman,” he replied.

  “I'm hardly helpless!” Myra cried, before beginning to chant once more.

  In response, Alena leapt forward and slapped her in the face, completely breaking her concentration and bringing her spell to a rather unceremonious end. At this the fairy laughed hysterically as she flew around the lich, just out of arm's reach.

  “It seems you are helpless after all,” she observed, sticking her tongue out before continuing. “You're no match for us!”

 
“We'll see about that!” she screamed. “I'll watch you squirm once...”

  Here she was interrupted by another slap from the ogress.

  “Alena,” the young man said, suppressing a chuckle. “As a general rule I never get in the middle of cat fights. However, she's our prisoner and you can't just keep slapping her like that.”

  “Well she's more that welcome to take a swing at me!” Alena replied. “In fact, I wish she would!”

  In response the lich simply glared at her in silence.

  “I don't think that's very likely,” Paul pointed out. “And that being the case, you're going to have to find a better way to express yourself.”

  “Good idea!” she said, before quickly stepping over to where her pack lay on the edge of the little battlefield.

  From it she retrieved a coil of cord and one of the rolls of gray cloth.

  “Give me your hands,” she demanded as soon as she reached lich.

  Myra refused. However, as Alena drew her hand back to its full length the prisoner decided to comply. In seconds her hands were bound together and tied to her waist in such a way that she could only lift them to her chest. As soon as this was done Alena also gagged her using the roll of cloth.

  “There,” she smiled, gently pinching the lich's cheek. “That's much better, isn't it?”

  Myra tried to scream something in response but she could hardly make a sound. Her mute outrage seemed to strike the fairy as incredibly funny and she laughed until she collapsed on the ground in a tiny glowing heap.

  “Paul,” Alena said softly, staring directly into the young man's eyes. “I know she's our prisoner and at the moment she's quite helpless, but you have to kill her. You have no idea how many people she's murdered. And this isn't murder, it's an execution.”

  “Well I can't just kill her,” he said shaking his head. “At least not without having a trial or something. I mean, unless she wanted to plead guilty.”

  At this Myra nodded her head vigorously, seething rage twisting hear features.

  “Wait,” the young man said turning his eyes to the beautiful lich. “Are you saying you plead guilty?”

  She nodded energetically.

  “Even if we give you the death penalty?”

  Again she nodded.

  “So you want me to kill you?”

  More nodding.

  “Oh,” he said shaking his head. “In that case I sure ain't gonna kill you.”

  “What?!?!” Alena yelled.

  Myra pointed at the ogress with her bound hands and nodded in agreement.

  “Alena,” he said, gazing into her eyes, “Myra here is one evil chick, right?”

  “Right! Which is why...”

  “So,” he continued, “she ain't about to help us out, right?”

  “Right...” she replied slowly.

  “So, if she wants us to kill her you can be sure that's just what we shouldn't do. She may be trying to taint my soul or something.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I mean, we're the good guys,” he smiled. “And the good guys don't just kill prisoners or helpless women. Especially not prisoners who happen to be helpless women.”

  In response, Myra glared at the young man, death in her eyes.

  “Yeah, but...” Alena started before pausing in thought.

  “I agree with him,” Sarrac said. “We're not like she is. And we're not going to defeat the undead by becoming like them. Besides, if Paul is the it then eventually she'll give him cause to kill her and he will. If he's not, then he's not supposed to kill her.”

  “Alright,” Alena nodded. “That's actually a valid point... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I guess we'll just have to take her with us.”

  “Good,” Paul nodded. “I'm glad that's settled. Now let's get out of here.”

  Chapter 5: Getting To Know You

  “I wonder why her spell didn't kill you,” Nyssa said, gazing up at the young man from where she sat.

  “I have no idea,” he replied. “Just lucky I guess.”

  “Are you certain it hit you?” Alena asked.

  “Right in the chest,” he replied. “Twice.”

  “Wow...” she said shaking her head. “I have to admit that does seem very itish, as Nyssa would say.”

  “Indeed it does,” Sarrac replied with a smile.

  “Either way, the important thing is that it didn't kill me,” he said, stepping over to where the lich sat bound and gagged and gazing down at her. “Now, are you gonna walk or not?”

  She vigorously shook her head no.

  “Alright,” he sighed. “Suit yourself.”

  Having said this he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. Instantly she began to thrash wildly about in unrestrained fury. She used every muscle in her body in an attempt to throw herself to the ground, while beating him on the back with her bound fists and doing her very best to knee him in the gut.

  “I'd stop that if I were you,” he chuckled. “For one thing it doesn't look very dignified, and for another I'm sure Alena can tie you up where you can't do it.”

  “And I'd be glad to!” the ogress added.

  In response the lich went completely limp and started trying to mumble something through her gag.

  “I'm sure you'll do whatever it is you're threatening to if you get the chance,” Paul laughed. “But that ain't very likely. So, just try to relax and enjoy the ride.”

  “We should take the horse,” Sarrac pointed out, stepping over the pat the beast on its face. “It could be useful.”

  “Agreed,” Paul nodded. “Alena, why don't you ride? Me and Sarrac can walk.”

  “I'll ride first if you like,” she replied with a smile. “But we should really share. It'll help us all save our strength. And honestly, you might as well throw Myra up behind me. There's no point in you having to carry her.”

  “Nah, I got her,” he replied. “And I don't think we should put her on the horse. If something crazy happened she might manage to get away. Oh, and why does Zanoth have horses, but not cows?”

  “No idea,” Alena replied. “And what is a cow, anyway?”

  “Never mind that now,” he said, “We need to get moving.”

  “Absolutely,” Sarrac said. “Nyssa, can you scout the road up ahead?”

  “With pleasure,” she replied with a smile, before leaping into the air and vanishing from sight.

  The trio quickly followed behind; Alena riding the horse and Paul carrying Myra. After about a mile the young man decided to make another attempt.

  “Now,” he said, glancing over his shoulder and speaking in the general direction of the lich's head. “Me and Sarrac can carry you for the rest of this journey, and we will if you're gonna keep acting like you're five years old. However, if you're willing to accept the fact that you're our prisoner and just walk, I'll put you down. So, is that a deal?”

  Myra took a deep breath through her nose before gently nodding yes. Immediately the young man lowered her to the ground.

  “A couple of things,” he said gazing into her crystal blue eyes. “There's no point in running because we have the horse and, even if we didn't, there's no way you could outrun Nyssa. Also, I'm going to take this gag off because I'm sure it's uncomfortable. However, if you start trying to put the root on us I'll slap you myself and the gag will end up right back in your mouth. I'm generally a nice guy, but it's a bad idea to mess with me or my friends.”

  Having said this he put his words into action and untied the cloth from her face. Without a word she turned and began marching at the young man's side. For an hour the party traveled up the road in general silence. Every few minutes the fairy would appear to assure them that the path ahead was clear. Eventually they left the thoroughfare and struck out across a plain of rock that lay before a mountain rising in the distant east.

  “So,” the young man said, turning his eyes to their prisoner. “What made you turn to evil?”

  In reply she just stared into the distan
ce ahead.

  “Seriously,” he chuckled. “You're going to give me the silent treatment? You act like a child, you know that?”

  “Just leave her alone,” Sarrac suggested. “I don't think you really want to know what she's thinking.”

  “And I certainly don't,” Alena added. “Hearing her voice is just going to make me want to cut her throat.”

  “Well I'm genuinely curious,” he replied. “And it ain't like we don't have time to talk. I mean, I can't think of anything that would make a... well, let's face it, a really hot young woman, just wake up one morning and decide to become an evil, murdering, lich.”

  “Cowardice,” Alena replied with disdain. “She didn't have the guts to stand up against the undead so she joined them.”

  In reply Myra glared silently at the ogress.

  “That still doesn't explain it,” the young man pointed out. “She didn't just walk up to the recruiting office and sign up did she?”

  “No,” Sarrac said, shaking his head. “Lord and lady Telraen murdered her parents when she was an infant and...”

  “That's a lie!” the lich barked.

  “It's nice to hear your voice,” Paul chuckled. “But please don't interrupt. I'm trying to hear the story.”

  Again Myra gazed ahead in sullen silence.

  “Anyway,” Sarrac continued, “Lady Telraen could feel the unholy power emanating from Myra, so they decided to spare her and raise her for their own use.”

  “My parents died in a fire,” Myra replied, her voice filled with passion. “And lord and lady Telraen rescued me and raised me as their own daughter.”

  “Do you honestly believe that?” Alena asked with a cold, dark laugh. “The truth is that they fed on your parents and then burned their house to the ground to hide the fact that they'd stolen them from Lord Kasric.”

  “You're a liar!”

  “Am I?” the ogress replied. “That tale's a lot older than I am! And if it's not true explain this to me: why aren't you a vampire?”

  “What?”

  “If they took you in as a daughter why aren't you a vampire?” Alena said, gazing at the lich with a cruel smile on her face. “Why did they want you to become a lich?”

  “It was because...”