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Part 11: Late Night Visit
Chapters 42, 43, 44, 45
As Voruth heads back to his bed muttering, Magnus says, “What’s so funny about a warrior who can’t hold his ale?” and gives him a lopsided grin before continuing to eat.
Gwydeon moves to the table and starts fill his plate with a little bit of everything again.
Zraxin joins him at the table. As he is taking food he turns to Mordred and says, “I must agree with you, Mordred. They do know how to use those weapons. We are fortunate that they decided that we were worthy of the opportunity.”
The ogre, after filling his plate to just short of overflowing, grabs a second pitcher of the liquid and finds a comfortable spot next to Voruth.
Sivad says reverently, “Thanks to Gaea for such a feast” and he puts a bit of meat and vegetables on his plate and grabs a mug and fills it from a pitcher. He moves to a comfortable spot and begins to eat.
Magnus looks at the orcs and the little man and says, “Come gather round and eat this feast that the elves have prepared for us. Who knows this may be our last good meal in some time. For those of us that accept the mission the Warlord will propose, it may be a while before we enjoy the comforts of a warm meal, bed and possibly wench.” He adds smiling, “This is no time to be arguing among battle tested companions.”
As Gwydeon fills up his plate he moves toward Mordred with a wide grin on his face, “I was trained with two swords, too. I cannot wait to get into a fight and show whomever, what elves are made out of. You and me, back to back will kick anyone’s ass.”
Dayal at this point says, “Alright I’m lost, you three just sound like you’ve been through weeks of training. You’ve only been gone a few hours, what gives? It’s not like a few hours training will make a difference either way. I know you guys can’t be all that bad, I’ve seen you in battle. So are these elves really good trainers or was I overestimating your skills before.” He looks at Mordred, Zraxin and Gwydeon frowning at all three.
The little man goes to the table and fills two plates of food and takes them over to Je and the little orc, he returns to the table to fill out a third plate. He also fills three mugs up and balances them on another plate. Carrying his food in one hand and the mugs balanced on the plate in his other hand, looking very much like a serving boy he moves back over and sits with Je and the little orc.
Je takes his plate and sits with Zraxin.
Silently they all begin to eat.
Gwydeon turns to Sivad and says, “What was happening? Why are you covered with ashes?”
As Mordred finishes up his dinner he says, “It is good to have a decent meal again after a few days of hard working. Is there a place around here where I can wash myself and tidy myself up?”
Voruth talks quietly with the ogre occasionally his voice raises high enough for others to hear, “... at least these elves could appreciate a good drunk act, when they see one...Let me tell you about good ale...”
At hearing Gwydeons’ boasts, Je smiles and says jokingly to no one in particular, “Are these elves so that easy to beat that he goes to train for a few hours and bests them easily?”
Mordred smiles at Gwydeon and says, “You are right that we form a good team, but unbeatable... I don’t think so; you do remember the training lessons we had for the past few days. I don’t think that I could best any of our trainers in a personal fight, much less more of them....”, he stops as Dayal’s words sink in. He turns to Dayal with an amazed look and says, “You mean we were only away for a few hours? We have been training for several days on some foggy field, that is where we have been improving our skills.”
As Magnus is eating he pauses and begins to tell the others what they missed, “.... there was a huge battle against some fearsome aquatic creatures in some caverns a ways from here. My elven friends and I were exploring and we were attacked. Luckily as we were fleeing some elven guards and the rest of the group helped us take down the monsters, you missed and epic battle while you were off practicing...”
Voruth, the little man, and the orcs stare at Magnus as he tells his story.
Suddenly the ogre says, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but music has always helped me digest my food better, particularly just before I retire for the evening. Perhaps, if you are up to it Voruth could you play us a little tune.
Voruth retrieves his lute from his pack and begins to play a slow soothing tune. After a few moments a slow steady thrum is heard from one side. The little orc has turned over a helm and stretches his leather jacket over the top and is using it as a drum.
As they play, the elves come in to clean up the dinner table. Mordred asks Magnus a question and Magnus leads him out of the room.
After the elves have cleaned up, and left. Eppsus returns a strange instrument that looks like much like a harp. As Voruth finishes his slow tune, Eppsus says, “Mind if we try something a little lighter?” He starts a plucking a lively tune on the harp. After listening a few moments Voruth joins in playing in perfect harmony, to be joined a few seconds later by the little orc. Even though they have never played together before any outsider would swear that they had practiced together for a lifetime. The music was so well played; each player complimented, counter pointed, and intertwined each other perfectly.
After a time Mordred and Magnus return all cleaned up and take up a place near Gwydeon. Soon Eppsus stops playing and says, “I’m afraid I must stop, for the hour is late and I must get some sleep. So should you. You have a big day tomorrow.” With that he waves and leaves. Shortly after that everyone wanders into their own little beds and eventually goes to sleep.
During the night as Mordred sleeps he gets the feeling something is not right. His eyes open and he starts to turn his head when suddenly he sees it, a large shadowy figure in the center of the room. Before he can react, it waves its hands and suddenly he cannot move! The shadowy figure looks around and then gestures toward the tapestry. Two smaller figures move to take positions opposite the tapestry. A bright flash suddenly illuminates the room and several other figures appear. A low bluish light appears to float above their heads. Mordred realizes he recognizes the leader of this group as Latok, whom he thought was dead! Killed by Magnus’ magic wand.
He looks around the room examining each one of the sleeping soldiers carefully. When he gets to Je and the little orc, he pulls his holy symbol out and places it against the bodies of each orc. They begin to move and silently they form a circle in the center of the room. Suddenly one of the guards gestures wildly, just before Pendran walks into the room. Everyone looks stunned for a moment then the orcs attack. With a quick spin kick Pendran takes out one orc. The other ducks under and trips him up. A portal opens behind Latok and grunts and gestures for them to leave. Wielding a mace he stands between the portal and Pendran as he gets up.
In perfect common Latok says, “You have what is mine, and soon I will claim it. But for now I have a family blood debt to fulfill and nothing will distract me from it. Enjoy my Cha’ Hian while you can. Because when I am through with the old man, you will be next on my list.” With that he steps through the portal as several elves rush through the tapestry. After a few moments Mordred finds himself falling into a deep sleep.
As Gwydeon and the others wake up in the morning they find Pendran sitting cross-legged near the door (tapestry) his hammer in his lap. His face is expressionless, though there is a thin sheen of moisture on his forehead.
Gwydeon gets up and goes over to him, “Did you see Latok last night? I thought he was dead! We better warn the old man....”
His are drowned out by the little man’s shout, “They’re gone! What happend to my friends!”
This outburst wakes Sivad, the ogre, Dayal and Voruth and the silent mage.
“My companions”, Zraxin begins, “I have grave news. Latok is alive. He was in this very room last night. He kept me from moving with some kind of spell. Pendran saw him also. He said something about that we have what is his and he will claim it soon. He went on to mention a family blood debt that he has to fulfill and that after he is through with the old man, we are next on his list.”
Gwydeon says, “Latok did something with Je and the little orc maybe some protection symbol or something, so they will not get harmed when Latok releases a trap or spell on us? What do you think?”
After thinking a moment, Zraxin says, “He also mentioned a Cha’ Hian and that we should enjoy it while we can. Does anyone know what a Cha’ Hian is?”
Mordred nods his head and says, “You were not the only ones to see that Latok dude again, I also saw him, but I don’t know what he meant by ‘enjoy my Cha’ Hian while you can’. It seems that we must look over out shoulders all the time, because he has some nasty powers, the fucking piece of orcs scum!”
Dayal leans over Pendran and says, “He is trying to say something! Quiet!”
Though his voice is quiet and raspy, he eventually gets enough volume to say, “After the old man he is coming after me. This is his Cha’ Hian”, he holds the war hammer up. “I found out last night that it a special weapon blessed by Solutius, the Elemental God of liquids and Obsidius, the Elemental God of solids. It was originally given to him for some service he performed. With his apparent death, the ownership passed on to the next of the faithful. Apparently that was me. Unfortunately, I have learned quite a bit about my opponent. Solutius the wise deemed that I should know. I don’t know what the old man told you, but here is what I know. The old man was condemned as a criminal and the orc warrior Tokha was sent to kill him. Instead Tokha was killed and the old man turned him into a zombie and sent it to desecrate a holy temple. He is now an enemy of my religion, but I am forbidden to interfere, as the gods want Tokha’s sons to claim the victory for their father. Latok is much more powerful that he seemed before. It seems he boasted he could kill the old man using only a portion of his power. Therefore the gods withheld some power from him and he was forbidden to use any magic items save the Cha’ Hian. Of course he failed to do so and his punishment was the loss of this great weapon. The gods have deemed that I find out about this weapon over time. I just hope when the time comes I will be ready for Latok when he comes to claim Cha’ Hian....”
Sometime during this speech Eppsus comes in and stands quietly next to the entrance. When Pendran is done he speaks, “My friends, I find it hard to believe that the orcs could be so powerful.” He pauses deliberately looking at the empty spaces where Je and the little orc were sleeping. “Be that as it may, the wizard has been informed and he has since left us. The Warlord is most displeased by these events and has moved up your appointment today. Please gather your things. I’m afraid there will not be time for a breakfast; we will provide you with enough food to see you for some time. The Warlord wants to see you now, before he goes on to other things.”
With that Eppsus waits until they have gathered their things. As they file outside five elves are stationed outside of their door all heavily armed, some wearing clothes so dark one would have to look directly at them to know they were there. No sooner do they leave than two of the elves followed by a man in robes move into the sleeping chamber.
Eppsus leads them though a different set of corridors than before. As they move on, the size of the tapestries gets noticeably larger, though fewer and far apart. They soon come upon a group of heavily armed elves who part to allow the group entrance into a large chamber with a long table in the center. All around the walls are tapestries depicting strange patterns. After a moment they realize that the patterns are actually a map of the caves, even then it is still hard to figure out what is where. Eppsus gestures for everyone to sit. As everyone takes their seats, Magnus comes through followed by the elf known as Delkiq. They clasp hands and Delkiq leaves as Magnus takes a seat. Eppsus stands near the doorway. After a few minutes an elf in robes walks in and holds his hands up. He releases a globe of purplish light. The globe zooms around the edges of the room top to bottom then moves thought the center of the room eventually covering most of it. The globe returns to the hand of the elf and he leaves. Merely seconds after that the Warlord enters the room and proceeds to the head of the table. He stops by Pendran and lays a hand on his shoulder. Pendran looks up at him and nods. The Warlord moves to the head of the table and stops he looks around at you and says, “No doubt you are wishing to warn Charon of your visitor last night, as I understand it was meant for him. Do not worry he has been warned and he is no stranger to orc hunts, he will be fine. As for you.” He looks directly at Pendran, “as long as you have the hammer he will be able to find you. If all goes well perhaps in the future you will not have to face him. But if you do, I hope you will be ready for him.”
“As for the mission I have.... I received information on this and a request for help from a...friend.” He gestures toward one of the maps and mutters something under his breath. The map turns from one of caves to, surprisingly, one of the surface. They each recognize small portions of the map as the areas they are familiar with. “In the forests to the South of Harvest Moon,” He points to an area far south of the southern most known Elvin commune. “There lives here a priest cult of some kind. Apparently in two weeks time a creature of some unnatural origins will be created, born, something. It has been foreseen that this creature will be the first of a race of beings that will ultimately destroy all other races and pollute the precious earth and raze the forests. It is said, this race will be created with the help of an extra-planar being who has ambitions to become a god. Whoever he is, he is a fool. Mortals cannot become gods. However foolish he may be he will be dangerous. I have it on reliable authority that the being will be... kept busy during the next several weeks so you have a chance to stop this abomination from ever happening and disappear before the fool knows what has happened. I have also been informed that there will another group who are on a similar mission so your paths will quite likely meet.”
He pauses and touches the tapestry. The scene showing the map of the surface seems to shrink leaving behind the map of the caves. It shrinks until it is roughly 2x2 feet, at which time he grabs it and rolls it up. He places it at the head of the table and says, “Should you accept, Eppsus will show you to a tunnel that will head to the surface that is several days south of where you should have entered our caves. Should you decline, Eppsus will show you the tunnel that leads back to a tunnel that should be only a few days walk from one of your settlements. That would be the tunnel you entered here first Magnus. The dragon should not bother those whom are leaving our tunnels. He only keeps the foolish from entering.”
As the Warlord finishes his talk, Voruth mutters, “Harvest Moon? Where have I heard that name before...”
On the other side of the table, Sivad stands up and boldly says, “It is obvious that Gaea has sent me here for a reason. And that reason is to stop these creatures from being summoned. I accept, whether the rest of the group does or not!” Confidence and conviction seem to spread out from him in waves as he makes his statement.
Zraxin is infuriated. His face is twisted by anger, “I will help you stop this race from being born! It is unnatural! It is not the will of Gaea. This being must be stopped!”
The table trembles as Pendran fist slams down upon it, “Who is this fool who would be a God? I shall show him the error of his ways!” His eyes seem full of fire as he shouts his challenge!
Dayal stares up in shock at his long-time partner’s words. Those who look at Pendran can see his war-hammer glowing behind him with a bluish-green glow.
The ogre gets a strange look on his face. He reaches into his pack and pulls out the statue of his god. To his surprise the statue is no longer pointing straight up! Its hands are crossed and its club is standing up beside it with no apparent support. He looks closely at the statue and mumbles, “He.... IS...SMILING!” The last comes out as a shout. He looks around confidently and says, “It is time.” He places the statue back into his pack and looks around as if waiting.
The little man says as his voice trails off, “Sounds dangerous. But he said priests which implies temples, which implies lots of statues and other interesting stuff............He He!” Realizing that others can hear him, he looks up innocently and in a calm level detached manner says, “This just might be interesting. While I am currently on another mission of utmost importantance, a few weeks won’t affect my goal that much.”
Gwydeon looks at Mordred and nods. “I will accompany you guys if Mordred comes. I have nothing better to do, and I might find clues to my quest. So count me in I will give all I got. I’m still young and got a lot to learn. It will be a good experience.”
After recovering from the shock of his partners’ outburst Dayal says, “You’re all a bunch of freaking fruitcakes if you listen to this sort of crap! Remember last time we went out on a mission like this? We spent three days trying to dodge a hunting party of ogres! Only to find an intelligent hill giant leading a bunch of strange little creatures. If Terace hadn’t blasted that giants crown, those creatures would have eventually overrun us with shear numbers!” He turns to the Warlord, “What proof can you provide of this thing! Who is this mysterious person you are doing a favor for? No offense, you have been nice to us, but we’ve been used once too often for me to accept anything this wild on your word alone.”
At this last outburst the silent mage deliberately puts both elbows on the table and rests his head on his hands and looks straight at the Warlord with patient expression.
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