Land of Madness

by B T Litell

  “Before is perfectly fine,” Joshua replied. The innkeeper nodded and whistled at one of the tavern maids, who fetched two bowls and a tray.

  The staircase went up to a landing and curved to the right. Once upstairs, the hallway went to the left and right. A few torches lit the hallway enough to see the numbers on the doors. Small bronze plates with the numbers etched in and lacquered black were sufficient for anyone to identify their room properly. The last room on the left was room number one, which would be easier to remember, not that turning left was that difficult. The key Joshua had been given slid into the door easily and the latches inside the lock clicked as the key turned.

  The room was simple, with two beds and a small dresser between them. The beds, slightly larger than the hammocks Queller had for her sailors, looked plush and inviting. Michael sat on the edge of one of the beds and watched as Joshua removed a small trinket from another pouch hidden amongst his robes. It was a flat, stone disk carved in the shape of a raven small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Joshua closed his hands around the raven and breathed into his closed palms. A faint light shone through his fingers as the soft light seeping through his skin.

  “If you’re ready, I can connect the bond to the raven, and we can have a way for tracking the others without having to delve into you each time we want to check it. Once I have the bond connected, the light will fade and shine as we get further from or closer to them. Once we have an idea of where these two are, we can find them easier,” Joshua explained.

  “Won’t doing this attract the attention of the Shadow Knight?” Michael asked.

  “Exposing ourselves to him is a risk I am willing to take if it means finding the rest of our party, even if the Herons aren’t willing to do so. We must find the others and get them to join us. Without their help we cannot take on such a powerful foe. Shall we begin?” Joshua asked which received a nod from Michael.

  Joshua reached one of his hands toward Michael and cast a spell that immediately made him feel as if he had fallen into a frozen river. The chills ran up and down his spine, leaving goosebumps as they moved. Michael could feel the hairs on his neck standing up, his skin drawing tight as the tiny bumps popped up all over. As the icy sensation spread across his body, the raven token in Joshua’s hand started to glow, gloriously illuminating the room. Cracks in the wall had previously been invisible under the light of the single oil lamp but were now so obvious as to make Michael wonder how he could have missed such flaws. A moment later the raven stopped glowing entirely, leaving the room dim once again, lit only by the lone oil lamp on the dresser between the two beds.

  “The link has been established, so now we can find them,” Joshua said, putting the raven back on the leather necklace it had been on before.

  A knock on the door announced one of the tavern maids carrying a tray laden with two bowls of the boar stew and two hefty chunks of crusty bread. The stew was light in color, contrasted by the bread being dark in color. Chunks of boar floated amid vegetables and potatoes in the thick broth of the stew. Michael and Joshua each grabbed a bowl, thanking the maid for bringing the food. She left the room, a spring in her step and a bouncy sway in her hips.

  The stew was warm, not hot, and both Michael and Joshua ate quickly. Neither had realized how hungry they were until they started eating their food. Both bowls and chunks of bread were devoured quickly, leaving only menial crumbs and strips of fat in their bowls, which they set on the dresser by the oil lamp, stacked to conserve space. Michael thought about going back down to the tavern to ask for another bowl. Perhaps after his bath he could do that.

  “We can begin our search for the others in the morning. Now that I’ve had some food, I’m tired. What do you think, Michael?” Joshua asked, stretching and yawning.

  “That sounds like a good plan. Do you have an idea of where in the city the other two are?”

  “I have an idea of where in the city they will likely be, but it’s just an idea. I believe they’re nearby since there are inns near the temple and in the market area, but they may be elsewhere by the morning. We should both get some rest. Sleeping on land will be a welcome change from a ship out at sea,” Joshua replied.

  Before getting ready to sleep, Michael ventured downstairs and asked about the bath. The innkeeper called over one of the tavern maids. She was tall, nearly Michael’s height, with straight blonde-brown hair, green eyes, and a smile that could warm any man’s heart. The dress she wore boasted a low-cut square neckline that revealed a touch too much of her ample bosom, which seemed pressed into her body by the very dress she wore so it bulged more than it should have, not that Michael would complain about that. She glanced at Michael, and at the direction of the innkeeper, turned and walked, spiritedly down a hallway at the back of the tavern and into another room with a bathtub and a clean chamber pot.

  The large copper-colored tub was empty, though a large basin of water sat above a hearth. Steam rose from the basin at a steady rate. The tavern maid, Michael hadn’t thought to ask her name, started to fill the bathtub and told Michael that he could start stripping down to prepare for his bath. Michael removed his shirt, boots, and belt, though he left his trousers on until he got assurance from the tavern maid that she wouldn’t look at him after he undressed. He saw a woolen towel sat, folded, on a small table beside the bathtub and wrapped the towel around his waist before removing his trousers, which he folded neatly and placed atop his shirt.

  “Would you like any oils added to the bath?” she asked with a breathy voice. Her smile was just as warm as the room, warmed by the fire and humid from the steaming water.

  “No, oils won’t be necessary. Thank you very much,” Michael replied.

  “Enjoy the bath. There is a bell on the back of the door. Ring it if you need anything and I will come to help you,” she added before she turned on her toes, walked out and closed the door behind her. Michael wondered, after she left, if she was this welcoming to everyone.

  The bath water was the perfect temperature. Hot but not scalding and he could feel much of the stress and grime from traveling, and sailing, melting away as he laid back in the bathtub. On the table where Michael had found the towel, he found a few different bars of soap, as well as a few bottles of fragranced oils he could add to the water. He relaxed in the warm bath a few minutes before he started to clean himself. When he was finished, Michael dried himself off, got dressed once more and made his way upstairs, after finding the tavern maid again and letting her know he was finished with his bath. She smiled warmly again and flounced off toward the back room as he made his way up the stairs back to room one. Inside the room he saw Joshua laying in his bed, atop the blankets. The soft sound of his snoring told that he had drifted off to sleep already, and Michael followed suit, though he at least got under the thick, welcoming blankets.

  Warm from his bath, and the blankets, Michael felt himself quickly drifting to sleep. The bed, much more comfortable than the hammock he had grown accustomed to during their voyage, soothed his travel-weary muscles and embraced him for what should have been the best night of sleep since setting off from Feldring. And if it weren’t for the nightmares he expected, it would have been. As he drifted off, Michael wondered how much longer he would be tortured by these dark, repetitive dreams…

  Chapter Ten

  Maple, oak, and pine trees rose from the ground, their mighty roots gripping the soil as they towered to the sky. Their branches, high above the ground, provided shade and protection from the weather. Rain was something that Vor’Kath had not grown to enjoy, and likely would never grow accustomed to. Water belonged in lakes, rivers, and ponds, not falling from the sky. But that point was moot today, as none of the accursed stuff seemed to be ready to drop. Somewhere high above the trees was a blue sky with some fluffy white clouds floating around. It was disgusting.

  Vor’Kath walked through the forest that had been aptly named ‘The Goblin Forest’ toward a cave that sunk deep into the ground. The opening was shallow and
rocky. Inside was darkness, an absence of any light. Just the way he preferred. The darkness was much more welcome than any amount of this unnaturally bright sunlight. Perhaps it was natural for this plane of reality. That didn’t mean he had to accept that for what it was. Vor’Kath made his way into the cave, ducking his head under a low-hanging rock formation just inside the entrance.

  The smell was overwhelming. Acrid. Caustic. Goblins had always smelled so terribly, even when they were gathered in small quantities. The confines of the cave only compounded the issue of their smell. Hundreds of the little bastards were gathered in the cave. How could something so small smell so bad? But they were free combatants who required no additional training. That was an advantage that might be able to outweigh their smell. Since their spawn goblins had been angry little runts. This had only worsened after they became feral. In-fighting was a serious threat to their existence, but Vor’Kath would get around that. Any goblin who killed another goblin would wish to be drawn and quartered. Audro would prove to be a very useful overload for them. They would need better weapons than they had. Stupid, smelly goblins. They couldn’t figure out how to forge metal if their lives depended on it. And in this case, they very much would.

  The sea of goblins stretched as far as Vor’Kath could see. He could see better in the dark than he could in the light of midday, especially in this mortal plane. The army was coming together nicely. He simply needed to pick his target strategically. Very few of the goblins spoke the common language of the continent, having little exposure to humans or Elves and their collective, disgusting speech. Vor’Kath had found two goblins that could speak the common tongue and had immediately made them commanders for his army. They would lead the goblins into battle, willingly or otherwise. This prevented his need for learning the vile language the goblins spoke. They really were crude beasts that served little purpose to the world.

  Now that he had a chance to see the start of his army, it was time to consider a target for his army to attack. Erith was out of the question. They had priests who could, if they knew what they were doing, overpower him. But the priesthood was filled with children pretending to wield Magic. They likely wouldn’t know what they were doing. Despite that, he wasn’t willing to chance that. Shemont and Anselin were viable options but it would take time to decide between the two. There were apparently strained ties between the two cities that served as the heads of the Kingdom of Drendil. The humans had a displeasure toward the Elves, and no matter which city he attacked, the other was unlikely to come to the other’s aid. The goblins would help with this decision. Their size, and their sheer presence across the continent made them great for scouting, something that Vor’Kath would use them for extensively. And if anyone killed the goblins found scouting, it was a small loss. It certainly was a price he was willing to pay, and the goblins would have to accept their place in this plan. They were merely cogs within a greater machine. A machine they would never understand, but a machine, nonetheless.

  “Send scouts to Anselin and Shemont. I need information about the cities that I cannot get myself,” Vor’Kath commanded. The goblins attempted a bow, something else they would have to learn.

  “Yes, master,” one of the goblins gurgled as it went to the group and passed on their new tasks. Goblins scattered, running toward the exit of the cave. They were curious creatures, with their homes underground but doing most living tasks above ground.

  ***

  “Brother Joshua, we have made our decision,” the head of the Order of Herons said. This was a priest that Michael and Joshua had not met the day before. His long white beard touched the Heron embroidered on the front of his robes. His wispy hair had thinned with his many years of age, showing a scalp with dark spots scattered around.

  “And what is your decision?”

  “We have decided that we cannot abandon our oaths, or the priesthood, even at the cost of the world’s safety. Dark Magic is far too dangerous of a thing for anyone to wield, and we, as priests, are not an exception to that rule. We will not help you to look beyond this mortal plane, Brother Joshua, and I advise you do not search for him in our own.”

  “Then Drendil forever shall be lost to the shadows of Madness. I cannot believe that your order has decided to abandon the lives of innocents. The very oath we have all taken was to protect the world against dangers that others cannot defend themselves against,” Joshua replied. The muscles in his jaw clenched as he spoke, his frustrations visible to Michael who stood beside him.

  “There is simply too much at stake for us to go delving into things that are prohibited…”

  “They are prohibited by your priesthood! Ever since the kingdom of Drendil fell after the Second Mages’ War, it has been the priesthood that has governed Magic and it’s uses.”

  “The Sorcerer’s College banned the practice of Dark Magic…”

  “And then started practicing it themselves after their Council was infiltrated and they banned humans from learning Magic. You are not making any arguments to support your decision, brothers,” Joshua said, standing from his chair. “I will do what must be done to save the world, while you sit here in your temple, with your rules, and wait for salvation to come. History shall, for time immortal, tell of your inability to step in and uphold the very oath you have sworn.”

  Furious, Joshua stormed out of the room before the Herons could protest his words. Michael stood, nodded his head at the Herons and went after Joshua. Outside of the temple, Joshua fumed about the priests and their inability to adapt to the present and how they lived with their rules from the past. There comes a point in time where obsolete, outdated rules must be cast aside to meet the present world’s demands and situations.

  “They just sat there and decided not to help with something that will save the world! Can you believe that? The priesthood is supposed to protect humanity from the dangers in the world, not only from this realm but from others. Ever since the first Dark Magic rituals opened up gates to other realms, our world has been opened up to disasters and threats we should have never been exposed to. Yet, they see no reason to cater our rules to the problems,” Joshua fumed.

  Just as Joshua finished venting his frustrations, one of the Heron Priests walked out of the temple and quickly approached Joshua and Michael. He cautiously looked around as if he wanted not to be seen. Once he was sure that no one watched him, besides Michael and Joshua, he removed a book from inside his robes. The sinister book was bound in scaly black leather with runes scrawled on the cover, and the priest handed it to Joshua, whispered something, and ran back into to the temple. No other words were passed between the two, and Joshua stood in the courtyard inspecting the book, running his fingers over the etched runes. Somehow, the runes seemed to glow as if something were giving them light. How can that even happen? Michael asked himself, curious but not enough to ask that question specifically.

  “What was all that about?” Michael asked, slightly afraid of the answer he would get.

  “Apparently not all the Herons agree with the decision that was made. We saw at least one of them disagrees, or he wouldn’t have provided us with the book with the etched runes. It contains spells that will help us track down the Shadow Knight. While not Dark Magic, it is darker than what the priesthood, even the Order of Ravens, allows anyone to practice. If I use these spells, I could be expelled from the Order. But for that to happen, someone with authority in the Ravens has to bring up the accusations of Dark Magic practices or rituals. And only someone within my Order can do that. Other priesthoods cannot have someone removed from an order they do not belong to,” Joshua explained as he concealed the book in his robes and removed the raven trinket which he had bound the previous evening.

  Even in the daylight, the trinket was shining brightly enough to see. The light it produced was soft, like a candle compared to the sun. Something about the raven was comforting to Michael, a reminder of Prikea. It reminded him of the first time he had spoken with Joshua. The light began flashing and moved
to one side of the raven, highlighting its wings. If the Magic was to be trusted, the other two were off to the east, though how far east couldn’t be determined. They had to be within the city, at the very least. The day before they had been walking inside the gate, and it was hard to imagine they would have left the city after just getting here. Joshua motioned for Michael to follow and they started walking east to look for the pair of travelers.

  ***

  Týr and Svenka had stopped in the market to get some food. The previous night they had stayed in a shifty inn and had gotten a hot meal, which neither of them overly enjoyed. But the food was at least something. Earlier they had stopped at a banker and converted all the gold they had, which they had stolen from the late Lord Dennison, into Erith crowns. There was very little difference between the money systems each of the provinces used, but some merchants only accepted gold from their current locale. And apparently, as they had found out, even fewer merchants in Erith accepted anything that Dennison had forced on the people who lived in the countryside where he had laid claim to the land. Some would simply transfer the coins later, hoping for a lower exchange fee being available for merchants with enough gold.

  The food in the market varied but it all looked hearty. Dried and fresh fish, fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and grains were all available, in whatever quantity was needed or desired. Týr longed for some fried beef. Unfortunately, that was too expensive for the little money they had left after the conversion to Erith’s marks. They would have had some trinkets to sell except those had been used to get their room at the inn the night before. Dried meats, while not as good tasting, were cheaper. Dried fruits and vegetables, too. Both Týr and Svenka had been hoping to get away from eating dried foods, though anything was welcome at this point. Týr bought some fish, some rice, and a few different vegetables. They could certainly try to make something with that. Maybe the vegetables would do well in a nice stew.