Death Or Fortune

by James Chesney

  In the center of the room we saw it, hunched over with its slimy green back to us. Seashells were clinging to its moss covered back and we could also hear it chewing on the bones of the dead Orc. The chain we heard was attached to the troll’s leg, every time he moved, it would rattle a bit. As the smell in the room rolled out to greet me, I felt my stomach turn. I nearly started to gag before I backed away. It was just dumb luck that I backed right into Windfall, causing us to both fall over to the ground. He only fell because he was trying to hold me up. At least that is what he told me later on. We hit the ground with a loud crash of armor and weapons, loud enough to draw the attention of the troll. As I laid there I watched it turn around, it had half of an Orc leg hanging out of its mouth. It spit it out as it squinted its black eyes at us; we got back to our feet as the creature let out a massive roar. I stood there side by side with Windfall, weapon at the ready as the beast continued to roar at us. I could see it reaching for something but it was dark enough inside the warehouse that I couldn't tell what it was. 'Oh you have got to be kidding me.' I looked at the half elf and asked him what he was talking about. That is when I got hit by the bloated Orc corpse.

  I got my shield up in time but it did nothing for me. The force of that body hitting me was like nothing I had felt before. Well, short of having a dead dragon land on me. I was once again flying through the air, landing on my back. I pushed the corpse off me in time to see a second body flying at Windfall and this one had been chewed on. I could see its intestines hanging out like some kind of necromancers kite tail. Windfall was able to dodge the flying corpse but couldn't avoid the rain of blood that followed it. As I got to my feet I could see the troll running at him with the chain dragging behind him. Windfall drew his sword and crouched down waiting for the beast. The troll roared again as it reached its massive hands out to grasp the half elf. Windfall waited until the creature nearly had him, what I saw next was perhaps the most incredible thing I have ever seen a person do. Windfall jumped straight up into the air as the creature ran towards him. Planting a single hand on the head of the beast he vaulted over the creature. With his sword arm, he cut the head off the beast all in one swift motion.

  The trolls body continued to run, headless right onto and then off the docks, splashing down into the water. Windfall stood there watching it with the head still in his hand, its troll mouth gnashing up and down in voiceless rage. 'Darmot, start a fire, we have to burn this.' As he said that he dropped it down to the ground. Truth be told had he not said anything I would have stood there looking at him with my mouth hanging open. I took a quick look around and started to run back towards the saw mill, hoping to find plenty of wood that would burn quickly. As I was running, I could still hear the troll body thrashing around in the water. 'Hurry up Darmot, this thing has a neck already.' I put my sword away, dropped my shield there and dug in, running as hard as I could. There were massive piles of saw dust around the main saw blades but little in the way of anything else to use. I then saw a large wood crate sitting all by itself, I knew that was what I needed. I lifted up the crate and filled it with as much saw dust as I could. Half of which I lost while running back to Windfall. 'Look at that thing, I have never seen a troll regenerate that fast, never.' Its eyes were watching us, they were blacker than the abyss. If it had lungs it would have been roaring at us.

  As the saw dust in the bottom of the crate started to burn, Windfall chopped the troll head in half with one massive blow, putting the two pieces in one at a time. The smell of that burning troll head is not something I ever want to remember. It was like finding a bucket of rotting fish, sitting out in the hot sun. Windfall stood there, watching it burn as I went to get my shield. No sooner did I pick it up did I hear that roar again. The troll body was crawling out of the water with its new head. It stood there on the docks, watching us. Its black eyes were trying to study us. It then started to walk towards us, holding its chain in hand. 'Did you know it could do that?' he asked me. I honestly had no idea and told him as much. I don't know if it knew what Windfall had done to it but it came after me first, swinging at me with the length of chain in its fist. It was all I could do to avoid it, I then lashed out at the creature’s leg as I stepped aside. It was a deep cut in the leg, green blood flowed from the cut for a moment, only for a moment. It continued to swing the chain at us, to keep us at a distance. We watched as any cut we made healed before any serious damage could be done to the creature.

  'This isn't working!' Windfall shouted. I told him to run to the Orc barracks to see if there were any lanterns that had not been destroyed inside. 'What about him?' he asked. I told him to just run and let me worry about the troll. When Windfall sprinted off the creature tried to give chase, I rushed towards its unprotected back and slashed at the creature. It dropped to first its knees and then its hands. I stood there and watched as the cut I opened up along the creatures spine started to close up. When it stood back up, the only evidence that I had hit it was the shattered sea shell on its back. As it turned back around to me it lashed out with the chain, nearly taking my head off. The sound of the chain cutting through the air filled my ears as it flew over my head. We continued our twisted dance after that, the troll in a rage swinging the chain around. I have to admit, I started to enjoy it. The thrill of the fight, the deadly dance, knowing that one wrong move would cost us both. It was the first time in days that I had felt alive. At least until I heard Pare shouting at me to 'Kick its butt!' I turned around and saw the halfling and everyone else, wagon included. I tried to scream at them to get back but I couldn’t find the words. The troll’s chain crashed into me like a hammer on an anvil.

  The crash of the chain on my shield sounded like an explosion of metal. I was nearly knocked off my feet. That is when Windfall came running out of the Orcs barracks with a small barrel under his arm. He shouted for me to get between the creature and the water. He then threw the cask at the creatures back, it smashed open, soaking the creature with the liquid inside. It turned towards the half elf in a rage, whipping out at him with its chain. Windfall deftly side stepped the blow and went to the burning crate the other troll head was in. Ripping a burning board off the side of the crate, Windfall threw it at the creature. The reaction was almost instant, the creature ignited into a ball of fire. It started to flail about, trying to stagger towards the water, all the while beating at the flames that covered his body. Seeing a chance to end it, I rushed the creature ramming into it with my shield. With a great crash, the burning troll was knocked to the ground. Windfall quickly planted his sword blade into the creature’s skull. We stood there together, watching it burn until nothing remained of the creature. The half elf chuckled a bit and when I asked him what was so funny he just looked at me with that half a grin on his face and told me 'this is not a smell you will ever forget.'

  With the troll dead and burnt, I told the men to get the ship ready to leave. I asked Windfall to help me with something as everyone else followed Captain Nathan and his men to the ship. We went inside of the building where they made the sails and found a large enough sheet of cloth to wrap Michael’s body in. I figured that was for the best. We laid the cloth on the ground at the rear of the wagon, then the two of us set him down to wrap the body. With that task completed I turned around to see Pare and the wolf watching me. 'Darmot, are we really going home now?' I told him we were and he started to look uncomfortable. When I asked him why he just looked at me, 'do you think we could come back one day? I kinda want to come visit Miri and Ebbit again.' I looked at my little friend and smiled at him. I told him it is something we could think about in the days to come. We have not talked about it yet but it may be something we do. Windfall and I carried Michaels to the ship, placing him in a hold down below. The next time I set foot on dry land we were back at home on Arcadian soil.

  100. End

  The trip home passed without incident. With most of Captain Nathan’s crew dead, we all pitched in to help. It made the time at sea pass rather quickly to be hones
t. Kandella even offered to help out, she proved to be very good at the helm. She would stand at the wheel at night and sing to herself. She had a very good voice but most of the men didn't know what it was she was singing about as she sang in elven, yet they all seemed to enjoy it. I don't know if they would have liked the fact that she was singing songs about Solarth. The only time she didn't sing or man the helm was when we were cutting up the Fingers of Soranus. While we passed though Toryth Vol, she stayed in her quarters. Remembering how Zender was affected I didn't blame her for staying below and out of sight. She has written a complete report of her findings on the island, the events that happened and how they ended. She sent me a letter a few months back, asking me to come read it. Honestly, I didn't care to, writing this has been hard enough.

  When we arrived in Rohloff I sent Bryce to find a wagon to cart Michaels home in. He was so happy to be back on dry land he would have carried the paladin all the way home on his back if I told him to. Once Michaels was loaded onto the wagon, Curry pulled me aside. He told me he was asked to stay with the crew of Nathan's Bounty. After all that time at sea, he didn't want to give it up. 'I have found my true love.' he told me. He resigned from the Arcadian Royal Guard right there, with my blessing. The other members of the Dead Squad gathered around him to say their goodbyes. The rest of the members still serve the royal guard today. They have also been known to ride with me from time to time, when Turk doesn't like what I am doing or where I am going. Now that I think about it seems to be more often these days. Twice since we have been home, we have all gathered together at The Red Dragon Inn for a private dinner. We remember those we lost and celebrate still being alive. Truth be told, it is just a chance for all of us to get rip roaring drunk together. On those nights, Zackary will man the door for us to make sure that no one bothers us.

  Windfall said his goodbye to all of us in Klassen. He told me that he missed his wife and that he needed to track down Zender, to give him the news of his grandfather. Last I heard from him, Zender and Lomark had joined with another companion. They were going to Westheath to help in the aftermath of another invasion. Toryth Vol once again reached out with its dead hands to kill their centuries old enemy. There are rumors of the city being filled with undead troops. I don’t know for sure what is real, only what Turk tells me, which isn't much. Windfall has visited once since we have returned home, a little more than two weeks ago. It was a quick and quiet visit, which is just fine with me. As he was leaving, he told me he was returning home for a while. There has been word of trouble in Eystlund, he said it had something to do with a threat to Darius but he wasn’t sure of the details. He told me when he learned all that there was to know, he would send me a letter. I told him if he needed a place to bring his wife, my home was always open to him. Should the threat to Eystlund be serious that is. I also told him that if it was that serious, to bring my mother as well. If I know Windfall, sometime in the next few weeks I will have an elderly woman on my door step with my mother. I doubt he will leave Eystlund if there is real trouble there.

  It took us two weeks to return to the capital. We arrived in town in the middle of the night, the streets were quiet. I told Bryce and the Dead Squad that they could return to their homes, see their families. They all refused, insisting that they would complete the final task of taking Michaels home to the temple of Solarth. It was grim and silent procession through the city. Sometimes I can still hear the sound of the draft horse pulling the wagon over the cobblestone streets. When we arrived at the temple of Solarth I told Kandella to go inside to let the Bishop know we were waiting out here for him. I jumped down from the wagon, looking in the back at my friends. Michaels was still wrapped in the cloth we found for him. Pare and Mason were curled up together, sleeping. I thought about waking him but figured I would let him sleep. Two minutes after Kandella went into the temple doors, Hans came running back out of them. Still dressed in his night robes, my friend came running down the steps in his bare feet. He said nothing, only wrapping his arms around me. After he stepped back he looked around at the gathered men. 'It is good to see you all my friends. May Solarth shine his light on all of you.' He then looked at me and only said one thing, Michaels.

  I put my arm around the shoulders of my friend and took him to the back of the wagon. I told him he saved us all and that his final request was to be brought back home. 'Let me get some brothers to take him to the crypt.' he said with a somber voice. It was Wayne who spoke up first. 'No sir, he is our charge, we will carry him to where he needs to go.' When Hans looked back to me I could only nod my head. Six men stepped forward to carry Michaels into the temple, Hans lead the way, the rest of us followed behind. Once we were in the crypt, Hans took us to a room with a single large stone table. 'We shall prepare his body here, thank you for all that you have done.' I shook the hand of each of them as they filled out of the crypt, thanking them for their service. After they were all gone, Hans had begun to unwrap the body. I asked him if I should leave but he shook his head no. His body, which had been dead for over three months still looked the same as the last time I had seen him. Hans later said it had something to do with Solarths Fist, I never told anyone about that. Two days later we were all together again in that crypt. There was a small funeral for my friend, in addition to Pare, Bryce and the Dead Squad was Captain Turk and King Roderick. He was entombed in a silver etched coffin, Solarths Fist still rest in his hands.

  Bryce was promoted to Captain by the king and held the rank long enough to retire. 'I am tired, it is time for me to stay home.' he told me later. Bryce was a good man and a good friend during a long and tough trip. He was home for six months before he passed away in the middle of the night. He had given twenty years of service to his country and his king. He was allowed to spend the last six months of his life at home, next to the woman he loved. He was buried in a plot reserved for the king’s personal guard. The cleric who attended to him said his heart had stopped working. His wife later told me that Bryce's father had died the same way at a much younger age. 'I saw the signs.' she told me. 'I expected him to pass on years ago but he was so stubborn, it was almost as if he refused to die until he was good and well ready.' At the age of forty five years old, Captain Bryce was given his leave to explore the afterlife and to question the gods until he is blue in the face. If there was anyone who earned the right to die in their own bed, it was him.

  After we delivered Michaels to the temple I went back outside to the wagon, I looked in the back and saw Pare there, still sleeping with that damn wolf. I gave the wagon a good shake and Mason looked up at me, Pare was still snoring. After another shake the halfling sat up and looked around. 'We're home!' he said while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I told him to come on, that we were going to walk home the rest of the way. 'What do we do with the wagon?' he asked me after climbing down, I told him that Hans could have his people take care of it. I honestly never wanted to see it again. The image of Michaels preserved body was still fresh on my mind. As we walked, Pare looked up at me and asked what was next? I told him we go home and see Jasmin. 'Nooooo!' he said to me. 'What adventure do we go on next? I mean we pretty much have done it all. We won a war, fought a pack of dragons, you went to Toryth Vol to get that rod thingy while I was fighting criminals, now we have pretty much saved all of the world. What do we do now?' I looked down at my friend and laughed, telling him that we didn't save the whole world. 'Are you sure? That Argon guy wanted to hurt a lot of people.' I told him while we had helped a lot of people, we didn't save the whole world.

  As we walked the city streets, I felt something a bit like pride come over me. While I was born somewhere else, this was my home now, my city, my country. We arrived at my home just as the sun was coming up. Charles opened the door to us as we were walking in the main gates. 'Lord Kromwell sir, it is good to see you home. Shall I tell the king that you have returned?' I looked at my trusted servant and smiled, even at that time of the morning, he had not a hair out of place. I later learned that he had br
ibed the city watch to inform him the moment I returned to town. 'Lady Kromwell is still sleeping. The midwife has told her she should not be out of bed until the child comes. She has been, most difficult.' I handed Charles my bags as I walked past him, heading straight for the stairs. As I was walking up I heard him ask me 'Will this creature be staying here?' Pare, without missing a beat said 'I am not a creature Chuck, come on Mason, I will show you my room.' It was all I could do to keep from laughing.

  I slowly opened the door to my room, there was a single lamp burning on the table next to my side of the bed. I saw my wife sleeping there, never have I seen anything so beautiful. I stripped off my armor and went to lay down beside her. I waited there until she opened her eyes. When she did open them, she slowly reached out to touch me. I smiled and said yes, I am home. She smiled back at me as she dropped her hand, 'I know, my dreams of you smell better, get out of my bed until you have had a bath.' I leaned over to kiss her, softly at first, then as the kiss was accepted, deeper. I looked at her in the eye as I placed my hand on her swollen belly, she just looked at me and said 'bath.' Two weeks later I was there as she gave birth to my son, A...