Part Eighty
It seemed strange, watching two Orcs tend a fallen companion. Those watching stood, neither resting, for the readiness in their postures, nor actively in motion. Fei questioned whether the scene they witnessed was typical of Orc Culture and Dale responded grumpily that 'Orc Culture' was a joke, or else misused in speaking of new activity that could not yet be considered a culture, only the habits of a few. If there was any traditional way for Orcs to treat the dead, it was to remove useful items first, perhaps molest the body, and then throw it in a shallow pit, if there was time for it.
Dale's two Orcs, they likely should be considered as such, had observed the traditional removal of useful items, but thankfully, there had been no defiling of the corpse. Gorghash's body had been carried away from the Water Dragon that had killed him and propped against a boulder. The armor had been left on his body, as it was heavy and rather crushed, but all his remaining gear had been taken by Duma or Ugarit.
Dale thought that another would question why they waited, but then he supposed that for Men and Elves, it was unthinkable not to tend the dead in some fashion, even in time of war. Thus, only Dale questioned. His Orcs did not only tend to the dead, but took time to gather trophies. Dale had not noticed it before, but the ornaments in Ugarit's hair had grown and more hung on her belt, locks of hair and spare knives and a menacing spider's appendage. She added a Dragon fang now, while Duma piled stones and jewels cut from Dragon gullets either side of Gorghash.
Duma brought the last of the jewels and then spoke words quietly over the dead Orc. "If I help defeat the Wizard and survive, I will collect these. Guard them for me, and haunt any others who would take them, but for Ugarit. If I return, she will be my Orc by her Chieftain's command, and the treasure will be used to protect her and keep her. You wished to protect her, and you are dead, so keep the treasure for me and then trust me with all the precious things you have protected."
It seemed then Duma and Ugarit were finished, but Tsuki had suddenly decided Dragon's blood might be useful to him and was going about carefully filling small glass vials with the fluid.
"I am ready," he said then.
Dale gave a nod and took a place, with Beryl, in the lead, again. Tsuki and Fei followed close after, and Duma and Ugarit then followed.
"Only six," Dale whispered.
"It will be enough," Beryl said. He thought, it would have to be. He had little doubt that Tsuki's suspicions about the Wizard's plan could be far off. That the Silver Wood had bee invaded was certain. That The Sea was here, and held a young Eastwoman under his spell was certain. That the Wizard had summoned various minions to his defense was certain. Why doubt that he truly had a great weapon which could destroy masses? Beryl saw no reason to doubt.
The Sea was certainly a corrupted Wizard and just for that, should be challenged and put down, for his power was too great to leave unchecked.
And Beryl believed it was certain The Sea possessed a bomb and would use it, unless they stopped him.
"It is not very much farther," Beryl told the others. "We shall climb a short while longer and then enter the valley proper, where we ought to see a bridge. The City will have been razed by the King's Men, but the Wizard will be at the place it was, and we may cross the bridge to reach him."
"Seems a wonderful place for an ambush," Dale sang.
"It does," Beryl agreed, ignoring Dale's strange tone. "The water it crosses is not so deep that it cannot be crossed, but we should wish to avoid doing so, for the water has long been fouled and if a Wizard has taken up residence, it has likely not begun to run clear again. The Men south of the Silver Wood do not draw water directly from the river, but from the Great River it joins, where it is cleaner."
"Always best to live upstream," Dale said, then laughed.
"But to be Men and live downstream from two Elven Woods…" Tsuki began. He did not finish; Dale was already laughing.
"…drink my bathwater!" Dale cackled.
"On your good days. On the bad days, it would be my bathwater as well."
"If you profess love now, I will think you both mean to die," Duma called.
"Not smart to follow a Leader who hands you his whip before battle," Ugarit added.
Fei scratched at an abused bit of Elven paper with a quill pen.
Dale turned full around, crossed his arms and looked over Duma and Ugarit, each in turn. "Tsuki may profess love if he wishes. He is very Elven for a Man and so you must not insult Tsuki or Beryl by mocking. He may profess love or make lewd promises if he wishes at any time, and does not say nice things only at the point of death out of fear of never having spoken them, like a Man…no offense meant, Fei."
"No offense," Fei repeated.
Dale tossed his hair, crusted with blood as it was where his hood had fallen in battle. "If one of you dies tonight, will the other mourn that they did not speak their intentions?"
Fei laughed and Beryl rolled his eyes and Tsuki smiled in a nearly mischievous way.
"It is not really the way of Orcs but…I made my intent very clear!" Ugarit said angrily. Duma began to protest, but Ugarit continued, "It was not breed instinct you fool black-blooded Elf!"
"Well you had a broken leg, did you not? And…I do not really want to talk about it, because if I do, and one of us dies, then the other might feel…bad or something…because the things we said we wanted would never happen."
"There is no way only one of us will die!"
"That's right!"
"So you can say what you want!"
Everyone looked at Duma and his face was flushed deep blue.
"If I do not die, I might build a new house, somewhere farther north," Beryl said. He started walking again, and the others followed, though it did not stop Duma and Ugarit from talking to each other rather loudly.
"I did not want you to think that I was doing it only to get you, like you were a prize, and I did not really know what I would be able to do with you if I had you, but even though I am going to face this Wizard for other reasons, I hope that, I mean, I just want you to be with me, Ugarit. Not only because it would be advantageous, because you have skills and are smart, even though that it true of you, but…I just want you to be with me. I will protect you and give you treasures and do as you ask, if you stay with me. I am sorry Gorghash had to die. I did try to save him for you."
"I never wished to be Gorghash's female. I love you."
"Loves?" Dale whispered.
"I will not let you die. When we are finished with the Wizard, we will collect the treasure and Tashmetum and find a safe place to stay and when it is the right season we can plant bulbs together."
Beryl choked.
"Why should we plant bulbs?"
"You are Half-Elven!" Ugarit snapped, "We should plant the bulbs, and then you will have to prove you are strong enough to keep me and carve your name on me to prove it."
"A ring would hurt less."
"It would not keep other Orcs away."
"Well, if you cannot keep other Orcs away on your own, then I will step in and tell them off."
"Now they clearly have something to loose," Dale whispered to Fei. "It is more dramatic if the characters go into peril with something to risk."
"I am recording a true account."
"Could ya leave out the parts about the gore in my hair?"
"It would not clearly depict the horrors of war and evil to future generations if Fei glamorized…"Tsuki trailed off in his speech as the road opened onto a long mountain valley bordered by snow-dusted mountaintops to the north. Everything was lit as if by fire, as the Sun set at their backs, and a Demon stood before them, guarding the bridge.
Dale had feared they would meet a demon, truly feared it, but he did not speak to say he had been correct. He felt no joy in being correct, no joy at all.
It was perhaps as tall as a Troll, but proportioned more alike to an Elf, and terrible to behold, with a tail that twitched as if in anticipation behind it, like the whip in its hand. It seemed made of shadow and flame; even Elves and Wizards did not claim to understand the nature of such creatures entirely. It was said they retained some ability to change their shape or appearance, though they had in ages past bound their power to this fiery form. Elves were certain only that these were evil spirits, lesser than the gods, but equal and opposite to the good spirits that served the gods.
A Demon could be slain, or at least driven out of its present incarnation,
but not by any conventional means of attack. It was said Elves in ancient
times had brought down such demons, but also that many of the immortal
First Race had been taken by them. A True Wizard could slay one, if the
gods willed it, for such Wizards were themselves servants of the gods
in the form of wizened Men.
Ugarit trembled and could make no sound but a whisper of a scream. Sickness rolled through Beryl's body at the stench of the Demon and he fought not to vomit. Dale knew that he had faced such a Demon within the ether between seeing stones, but he had conquered the Demon by becoming a Demon, and standing in the presence of the Demon now brought the memory of every foul deed he had committed in his corrupt life to his forethought and he could force no action from his body but to weep. "It hates Elves," Duma whispered, "It smells them. Don't scream. It will kill all the Elves first. We have to hide."
"What is it?" Fei asked.
"I will face this foe," Tsuki said confidently, or so he sounded to the others. He took a step forward, holding staff and one sword.
"Tilion," Beryl called.
Tsuki turned back. "But, I am not…"
"Listen now. I can draw its attention. Go. Lead the others. When it moves toward me, the path to the bridge will be open to you. Go. I will hold the Demon off and come after you."
Tsuki knew that Beryl would not follow, but he gave a nod in understanding all the same.
"One of us should stay," Fei began.
"No. Go now. Duma, are you listening now? Go. Fly! All of you!"
"Beryl…"
Beryl had already run from them, crossing the Demon's path, sword and shield before him.
"Dale, make them move!" Tsuki ordered.
Dale choked, tears still falling and almost unable to move himself. He snapped his whip at Duma's heels. "Fly, curse you, or die here!" he cried.
They ran for the bridge, even as the Demon guarded it, trusting Beryl would draw him away just long enough for them to pass. Fei stumbled once and Ugarit pulled him to his feet.
"Don't even look!" Dale shouted to the others. "Just run!"
"It's moving. Faster. Run past me and I…"
"No! You too!" Dale hissed and grasped Tsuki's cloak to pull him toward the bridge.
The Demon had turned from the bridge, toward Beryl, and while Beryl faced its fiery blade and whip, the Demons tail swung toward those running for the bridge. "Down!" Tsuki called, even as Dale was pulling him to the ground. Fei rolled and Ugarit skidded into a low slide, but the tail brushed close enough to set her hair afire. Behind them, Duma instinctively saved himself by leaping into the air, over the tail, and then, not understanding what he had done, fell from the air to the road. Fei emptied his waterskin to douse Ugarit's hair and they were unable to give Duma aid. Dale dared not move from his spot unless to continue across the bridge, and so his hissed sharply for Duma to recover and move.
They could hear Beryl shouting in Elven and some understood it as part battle cry and part prayer, but they all knew they could give no aid. Beryl was sparing their lives by his actions and the best way to honor him now was to run.
The bridge was open to them, and they ran, five remaining of the eight. To run, after days of battle and climbing and burdened by gear and armor was difficult at the least and Fei showed the most strain from it and fell behind. Ugarit paused to give him a drink from her flask, thinking that it was payment for the water spilled on her hair and that she would have done the same for an Orc running alongside her, though, the Orc would have been insulted that their need for assistance was so obvious.
The Demon was near forgotten. All that seemed matter was crossing the bridge, even though none knew what lay beyond it. As they ran, it became clear that a large dark shape guarded the far end of the bridge.
"This must be a Land Dragon!" Dale called.
"Sensei told me of them. Wingless, but still able to expel noxious vapor and flame from the mouth. They move very fast on land, sometimes on rear legs only, and have powerful jaws."
"Do blades work?"
"Their underbelly is not so touch as the skin of a Water or Air Dragon, or for that matter so tough as the skin on the upper portion of their body. They will crawl low to the ground if threatened, to protect the weaker flesh from blades."
"Do as Beryl showed us," Fei called, panting, "The roof of the mouth contains the organs that spark the flames. The eyes also are vulnerable."
To Dale, the eyes looked fairly well defended from blows by horns and scaly brow ridges, but a dagger or arrow might pierce one.
"I will stop it from breathing fire!" Tsuki began incanting a spell of protection against fire as he drew his sword and ran.
"You! Show me if you have Northerner blood and shoot the eyes!" Dale ordered the two Orcs. "I will make the Dragons curse my name!" Dale ran screaming with his sword, directly for the charging Dragon.
"How are we supposed to aim for such a small distant target now?" Ugarit gasped. She was not so winded as Fei, but even being an Orc, the climb, the run and the mountain air did effect her somewhat.
Duma made no answer. He was already standing with his feet spread for balance and drawing an arrow from his quiver. He did not think about the size of the target being more or less difficult to hit. Lenaduiniel had drilled him in archery under various circumstances, when he was hungry, when he had not slept, when he was cold, when it was raining, when it was sunny or the night of the New Moon. He had not liked practicing, but he had realized of late the good of it. He had skills he had not known he had, and he was able to use them when they mattered most.
Tsuki saw the arrow sink into the Dragon's left eye. It halted its charge and dug its claws into the dry earth. Tsuki saw the Dragon's spines rise all along its back. Tsuki had not faced such a creature before, but he had hunted lesser creatures often in his youth and was certain the change in posture warned of a fire attack.
Dale watched from behind as Tsuki continued running toward the Dragon. It had seemed a stouter creature than the Water Dragons, but it's body looked thicker now, and spines rose on its back. Dale shouted for Tsuki in warning as fire rolled out of the Dragon's mouth. Tsuki was engulfed in the flames.
The fire did not touch him, though it rolled all about him, and Tsuki sensed the heat. He thrust his sword up into the dragon's mouth as it belched fire and slashed at the roof of its mouth. Something like lightening appeared through the flame and Tsuki felt a sharp hot pain move into his arm, and then the rest of his body.
The flames seemed uncontrolled to Dale as the Dragon made a strange barking sound and bit at the ground. Tsuki was curled and twitching on the road, but Dale knew no way to help him before he slew the Dragon.
Duma's next arrow took the Dragon's second eye, and so it never saw Dale leap over its head, and could not scent Elf through the vapors and dirt as it struggled to pack mud into its mouth to heal the wound and stop the burn off. Dale ran lightly along the Dragon's back, as it pressed its spines flat again; the Dragon barely felt the footfalls. Dale dropped to the ground behind the dragon, drew his sword silently, from beneath his cloak, and running low, slit the dragon open from cloaca to crop. He found Tsuki near the head as the Dragon fell dead, and grabbed his jacket to drag Tsuki with him, hopefully into safety.
The fire of the Demon was visible over the bridge in the night and it had not yet followed, so Dale supposed Beryl yet lived. The Dragon was dead, Duma and Ugarit were already confident enough of the fact to approach the body and search for jewels. Dale supposed the creatures had some reason for swallowing gem stones. Dragons were strange, even to Elves.
If Tsuki was well, they might continue. Dale looked upon him and Tsuki blinked rapidly, as if trying to clear his vision.
"Are you well?" Dale asked.
"It is rather like being struck by lightening…I believe my heart still beats."
Dale quickly pressed a hand to Tsuki's chest. "Yes, quite rapidly. Have you been struck by lightening often?"
"Just once. Wizards, such as my Master, sometimes attempt to draw down the power of a storm for their works, not only the winds…lightening also…"
"Your former Master," Dale said sharply as he drew Tsuki up onto his feet.
"Of course." Tsuki also looked across the bridge and decided as Dale had that Beryl was alive for the moment and they should hurry on. "If anyone of us had a chance of surviving that battle, it was Beryl."
"Let's not think on it." He called out to the others, "No more trophies. You are carrying enough weight. We'll walk now, but quickly, watch for enemies."
As they moved beyond the bridge they found the ground and the rocky shapes surrounding them covered by a layer of snow again. This meant any enemies they might yet have to face were not such fiery creatures as the last two. It was past nightfall, but the Moon had risen, Full, from the east and seemed to hang low over the mountain valley, to light their way.
"These rock shapes are not all natural," Duma whispered.
"Not weathered enough," Ugarit agreed.
One could trust an Orc spawned to the wild to recognize such things. They did not home and navigate as birds, but by the position of stone, as much as Yellow-face or Silver-face. They did not have use for the Stars, as Elves did. "It is the stone from the city," Tsuki whispered. There was little noise. Sounds from across the bridge were no louder than the wind now. The stream they had crossed over was barely heard. "Beryl had been here, not I, but I have seen maps and sketches in the past. There would have been a great gate here."
"Where do you suppose the Wizard is?" Dale hissed. He walked in a stoop, his cloak near completely tattered by acidic humors, fangs and blades. He moved warily, scanning his field of vision and then turning quickly to scan the other side of him. "I see only rubble and snow." He snuffed the air. "Does not smell like an Elven place, I can tell you that."
"It was most recently a rather foul place, you know," Tsuki said, whispering still. "Sorcery was performed here. Torture."
"Maybe Art and Sorcery used to torture spies?"
"Quite likely," Tsuki answered. He did not know where they might find the Wizard, and did not presently sense such a power nearby. There were segments of paved road underfoot periodically disrupted by piles of stone rubble. Sometimes a bit of ancient carving or Orc graffiti could be seen where an overhanging block shielded another from snowfall. A Wizard would have gone to a tower first, but there were no towers.
"This is puzzling. The stones told us this place, but I see no signs," Tsuki said aloud. "Perhaps we should split and search. There are five, so we may form two parties at least. Fei, you should go with our Orcs for now." That seemed sensible to Tsuki. Duma had shown impressive skill with a bow recently, he and Ugarit both wielded knives effectively, and Fei was now likewise skilled with a sword, but Tsuki would still have to wager that he and Dale armed with swords still outmatched the three combined. Truth told, Dale and Tsuki were fair archers themselves and each of them might be a match for the other three combined. To be fair, Duma was only nine and Ugarit no older than two and Fei had devoted his previous years to studying lore and language, not war.
"Tsuki and I will search west, toward the mountainside, and you three shall search east, toward the valley side of the city," Dale said softly, from his crouch. He saw Tsuki smiling at him as the three others moved cautiously away. "Do not give me that look, as if you want a kiss. It is not the time for it, no matter what you or I profess to feel."
Tsuki's smile became slight. Dale had not specifically professed much feeling. For all his words to Duma, Dale had left very much unspoken. "Truly, I was only thinking of your skill with a sword."
Dale growled.
"That one across your knees," Tsuki explained, meaning the Elf-wrought sword of metal. Its gleam was dull compared to what it had been. Tsuki had seen it drawn at night often enough. He drew his own swords to study the blades. They seemed clean enough, but he wiped them again with the edge of his cloak before sheathing each.
"It's the Dragons," Dale said, understanding. The caustic humors of their bodies had etched the surface of his sword. "It will serve a while longer. If I survive, I am certain some Lord or Lady will see fit to award me with a new sword." He grinned. "I think yours must be highly enchanted."
"Let us start searching. I have been wondering how The Sea might deploy the bomb, once it is built. That could determine where it would be housed, as it might be too volatile to risk moving. Perhaps he would launch it from the mountainside by some airborne contraption."
"Or have a Dragon carry it. He's proved himself capable of summoning them."
"Yes. Either way, if we search the areas overlooking the west, we may find the bomb itself, whether The Sea is presently guarding it himself or not. If we can destroy the bomb first, we can afford to take more time in dealing with the Wizard."
Dale rose to his feet and they began walking northwest through the debris. After a moment, Dale said, "When we face him, I am sure you will be able to deal with him, somehow. Tonight especially. Don't you see?"
Tsuki toward the Moon overhead. "I do sense something…it is similar to something I felt in another place, not quite the same, but, there is a power. I do not rightly know if it is due to the Wizard's presence, or if perhaps the Wizard chose the place due to the power."
Across the Great River, in the city that was the ancient twin of that Tsuki walked the ruins of, Kato looked up from the book Laurel had left him and saw the Witch enter his room. He had been moved to the inn only hours before, due to a fever in the city that caused need for beds in the House of Healing. The fever did not seem to be caused by any Dark Art, and Kato had been informed that such illness spread quickly within large walled cities, and that the healers knew well how to deal with it. The sick were kept away from the ill.
It was to Kato's fortune, as he had already been able to make himself quite comfortable. The King was paying for his room, and yet he had now had time since waking to send word to local bankers and establish proof of his name such that he had credit here. The Innkeeper was too happy to bring her merchant invalid goods he requested so long as he was paying. Kato knew he would not be able to travel soon, but he now had a comfortable base of operations and means to send word to his Men along the trade roads.
Laurel was cloaked in red, hood hiding her hair. She had asked for a small loan and Kato had given her some gold, as a gift, he explained. She had after all been the one to keep him alive until they reached the city and had shared the work of tending to him. They were friends.
"I am going tonight," she said in whisper.
Kato gave a nod and pretended to go back to the book. It was shocking that such tales were intended for women, but he did find them entertaining. Laurel had purchased a new dress and made some purchases at a herbalist with the gold, and should have gone on a few errands for Kato.
Kato supposed that the cloak and drawn hood were meant to hide her identity, but there were few things more conspicuous that a bright red cloaked figure. It was not a dye color for common folk, but for those who were rich or who had strange motivation and time to labor to obtain rarer colors. Kato had understood little of the Lowland people or Witches before meeting Laurel. The colors of garments were very significant to them and a woman among their people would sacrifice what might seem necessary to common folk in order to obtain garments for their craft.
Laurel stepped closer to the bed and brought some folded paper from an inner pocket of her cloak. "I located the sister of Vero the Privateer. She runs a tea house within the mid level of the city." Kato had recalled that the man who ran the harbor for corsairs had a sister within the King's City and had decided she might be a useful contact for a merchant to have. The rich of the city and the nobles, lived in the higher levels, while the poorer folk lived in lower levels, toward the outer gates. The establishment would be rather respectable if in the mid city. "Her name and the location of the establishment are there, along with some letters I would like you to send, if I do not return."
"Do you imagine you will not return?"
"I hope that I do, but I have been denied access through proper channels and must resort to sneakery. Perhaps, if I am found, I might be arrested. It is no doubt considered a serious offense in this city to meddle with things considered tainted by Sorcery."
That was true. "I wish you luck. If you are arrested, I will make attempts to arrange your release, so far as it is in my power."
"Thank you, Kato."
Kato set down the book to sort through the papers as Laurel turned to leave the room. She had her forked staff with her. It seemed very likely she would resist arrest, if she thought it would aid Tsuki. A guard might find himself bludgeoned with her staff as soon as hexed, if he crossed her tonight.