Death Or Fortune (12 page)

     For more
than a month, things were quiet.  With the dragons gone the men who worked
my lands were free to return to work.  The Red Dragon Inn was open and
business was good.  Jasmin and I worked from well before the sun came up
and were still going at it until well after it went down.  All the while
still finding time to share our love for each other.  It took quite some
time to find the right people to work at the inn.  We found that we had to
have staff on hand, all day and all night.  By the time it was all said
and done, we had a staff of fifteen people to work and run the inn while Jasmin
was in charge of the entire thing. Today, Jasmin only works four hours a day.
Two in the mornings and two hours during the dinner shift.  One night while
laying in bed together Jasmin asked me if she would ever meet my family.
 I did not know what to say.  While I did miss my mother I had no
desire to ever see my father again.  Just thinking about the man made me
angry.  Yet something made me tell her yes.  Was it the look in her
eyes, I am not sure.  Even looking back today I still do not know why I
told her we would go see them.  It was a good time of year to travel back
to Eystlund and there was a festival coming soon.  As a child I always
enjoyed the games and then there was the tournament.  A brutal contest,
gladiators who fought for a title as the Champion of Eystlund.  I remember
my mother trying to cover my eyes, trying to keep me from seeing the ones who
died.

     The
following morning I began to make the arrangements.  I sent a notice to
King Roderick, gave Charles orders to follow while I was gone and a hundred
other little things.  I visited each one of my friends and asked them if
they would like to travel with us.  Hans was excited about the idea and was
looking forward to seeing his old friends again.  Hetaron at first refused
yet later that day told me he would go with us. To this day I do not know why
he changed his mind.  I almost wish he had stayed behind, things might be
different now.  The one person who I thought would jump at the chance to
go how ever wanted nothing to do with it.  Pare gave me a complete look of
dread when I told him where we were going.

     ‘
There
was this huge misunderstanding. Items were misplaced then replaced and misplaced
again only to be found elsewhere. I somehow got caught up in it all and well, I
was arrested. It was all one big misunderstanding Darmot, you have to believe
me. Then they stuck me in this dark smelly cell with a guy who was clearly part
Orc.  He kept talking about how hungry he was and after a few days of that
I couldn't take it anymore. That is when I left for Arcadia.  It was all
just one big mix up so I figured, why waste the poor judge’s time."
I
tried to ask him just what it was that he took but he wouldn't tell me.
 He just kept going on and on about him just being in the wrong place at
the wrong time.  I had to promise him that I would take care of it and
that he had nothing to worry about.
     The following morning I made one last visit with my king.
 He had asked me to carry some papers to King Darius.  So I asked
Roderick for one small favor.  I told him about the problem with Pare and
asked him if he would send a note asking Darius to pardon Pare of any crimes he
may be wanted for as a hero of Arcadia.  Roderick at first laughed at me
but when he saw that I was quite serious, he did it.  In all my life, I
have never had a better or more loyal friend than Pare.  This was a small
thing I could do for him after all the huge things he had done for me. His past
was past and he had earned the right to be forgiven.  I was not going to
leave without that letter.

      The
night before we were to leave my friends and I were to have dinner together at
the inn.  It was the first time we had all been together since the day we
returned home from killing the dragons.  Hans gave a toast to honor
Michaels and said a prayer of thanks over the meal.  I thought Hetaron was
going to be sick by the time he was done.  Truth be told Hans was more
than a little drunk and would feel it the next day.  It did go on a bit
long.  As the evening went on, one by one my friends retired until it was
just Jasmin, Pare and I.  Pare was dead to the world in his chair.
 When Jasmin leaned over to whisper in my ear, I thought she was going to
tell me something different.  When she said, "
we are being watched
"
any warmth I was feeling from the wine was washed away as my blood ran cold.
     I did not see them at first.  A hooded man was
sitting near the fireplace.  Once Jasmin said something I could feel the
eyes on me. I was not sure what was going on but I wasn't going to let it
happen with my wife in the same room.  I stood up and lifted Pare up like
a sleeping child and told my wife to follow me. On the third floor of the inn, there
is a room set aside for us to use when needed.  I took Pare and Jasmin
there and told her to lock the door once I left the room.  She tried to
protest but I would not hear of it.  I rushed back down to the common room
only to see that the hooded figure was gone.  I asked one of the serving
girls where the person went and was told
"she just left, went right out
the door but not before leaving a nice tip. Hard woman that one was."
I thought about going out to have a look around town.  Not that I had my
armor or a weapon on me.  Just my belt, as Hetaron instructed I never took
it off.

     It was
then that I saw the man who tried to kill me that night.  He looked like
hell and smelled worse.  He did not have much more than rags covering his
body, right down to his swollen bloody feet.  Yet, there he was holding a
nice long dagger.  It gleamed in the firelight.  I knew what he
intended to do yet just looking at him standing there with that vacant look on
his face made me laugh.  It started out as a simple little grin and
expanded into full blown laughter.  As young and as foolish as I was, the
thought that this man was going to kill me was more than I could take. Soon
tears were rolling down my face, I could not control myself.  I was close
to being doubled over when the old beggar made his move.
     His mouth was open, yet no sound issued forth.
 His hand held the knife high over his head. His feet flapped on the
wooden floors.  By his third step this was no longer a laughing matter.
The words Hetaron spoke to me about contracts came back in a flash. This man
aimed to collect by sticking that knife deep into my chest.  With his
fourth step, his mouth opened a little bit more, his body stood up straighter
and with his fifth step he started his downward swing.  His sixth step
never fell.  In one smooth motion I grabbed his arm with the knife, with
my other hand I gripped the rags that were wrapped around his chest.  Two
voices I could hear, both women screaming as I pushed him back and started to
lift.

     It was simple
enough, he was light as a feather.  I took three more steps forward,
slamming his homeless body down on one of my new tables.  My hand was
gripping his wrist, crushing the bones with my strength.  As his knife
fell from his grip I pushed my face into his and asked him who.  He had no
tongue and could not speak.  It was then that my rage took hold.  I
lifted him up one last time and threw him across the room.  His head
struck the fireplace, breaking his neck. All I could see though was that red
dragon looking down on me.  For a single moment I thought I saw it grin.
 If she was hoping for revenge, she would have a bit longer to wait.
     The night watch was summoned, the body was taken away.
 No one ever knew his name.  I spent the night awake, my rage would
not let me sleep.  A nameless man, without voice came to kill me for a
single gold coin.  It was wrapped up in his other fist and only came out
with his death. The following day, without a minute of sleep I loaded my wife
and friends into two wagons and began the long journey home.  Two weeks
later, I set my eyes on Eystlund for the first time in more than two long
years.

     During the
trip to Eystlund.  Hans was in a wagon with Jasmin and myself.  Pare
was riding with Hetaron and his apprentice.  For the most part, the trip
was without incident.  There was one minor argument between Hetaron and
myself though I don’t remember today what caused it. That being said, it was
close to ugly for a moment until I remembered that the man was my friend.
 Even though, friendship can only take you so far.  One sunny day
while sitting next to Hans, who was driving the wagon he told me a story about
his old friends, that he was so excited to see when we arrived.  When he
started the story, the names did not mean a thing to me. While I had listened
to Hans’s talk of his mentor before, none of it really sunk in about just who
he was.
     It all started with a simple question that he asked of
me.
"Have you ever been on a ship?"
At the time I had not,
today it is quite a different story.
"Well, since we have the time I
will tell you about this. We were being sent on a quest.  Sent to acquire
an item of great power that had been lost, The Rod of the Arcane.  When we
left Eystlund, there were six of us. Zackary, William, Lomark, Zender and a
young man named Kristos. We were headed to Orcenhome.”
 The name
Orcenhome gave me a chill.  It was once called Dweomorak.  It was the
ancestral mountain home of the Dwarves.  At least until the day the Orcs
invaded and took the mountain for themselves. 

     
“I do not know how our rout was plotted but I was just along for the ride at
that point.  I was at a crossroads in my life and it did not hold the
value I see in it today.  At one point we ended up on this ship, crossing
Darknight Bay.  Like I said, the details of how we got to where we were
going are not clear to me.  I just went along for the pay and
adventure."

    
"Zender
was in charge of our little group, he was our leader. No one questioned him
except for Lomark who believed he was in charge. All things being equal, they
worked well together. They are very much, two sides of the same coin. Granted,
one side is white and the other black. It wasn't a huge ship but it was big
enough. Truth be told, if it was any smaller I might not be here today. Our
passage had been arranged for before we arrived. Once Zender checked in with
the captain we were shown where to store our gear and given a place to rest. It
was to be a simple trip. I heard someone say something about bad weather coming
but it looked much like today. Slight bit of wind without a cloud in the sky.
    
I was rolling some dice with Zackary and William
when the first rumble of thunder was heard.  That was when I went up on
deck and saw an image I will not soon forget. Zender, robes of white over an
ancient set of plate armor, his hammer and shield in hand. Lomark, holding only
his staff with his black flowing robes blowing in the wind. They were watching
poor Kristos lose his guts over the side of the ship. I walked up and stood
between the two of them. I did not speak, I only listened.
    
"Most of the storm will miss us but it will be
just enough to make things interesting."
    
"Did your god tell you this?"
    
"No, he told me that there was danger coming
but it isn't the storm."
    
"Really, what else did he tell you
cleric?"
    
"That I need to work harder on turning you
from your path. That no matter how evil you think you are, there is much good
inside of you. Even if you did send the boy up to the top of that damn tower.
 We just have to keep working, soon you will see the light of Solarth is
there to guide you, not to blind you."
    
"Interesting." Was Lomarks standard
answer whenever Zender started preaching to him.  I just shook my head and
went to grab Kristos before he fell over the side of the ship.  I was
attempting to drag him below deck when the ship hit something or something hit
the ship I should say.  There came a call from the back of the ship,
screaming about a giant turtle trying to climb up the back of the ship. Zender
told me to get the others, I dropped Kristos where we were and I ran off to do
just that.  Lomark said something about a Dragon Turtle to me but I could
not hear him over the pounding of my heart.  As I ducked below the decks I
could hear Zender screaming at the captain to get his men below.
    
A second blow rocked the ship, we could feel the
deck lifting under out feet. I called out to Zackary and William to take up
arms just as the first roar sounded.  I watched as Lomark grabbed a few
items from his pack, we were headed back up when the first lightning bolt
struck.  I still cannot believe what I was seeing when we all got back up
top side. Kristos was making his way towards the beast, sword in hand. The Dragon
Turtle was having his way with the crew members that stayed behind to fight.
Zender how ever had tied himself to the main mast of the ship. In one hand he
was holding the symbol of our god. His other hand was pointed towards the sky.
A second lightning bolt was called down, striking the great turtle in its head.
Lomark ran across the tilted deck, stopping on the other side of the mast from
Zender. The three of us, Zackary, William and I moved into attack. Kristos had
somehow or another found his way onto the back of the turtle. I knew it wasn't
going to end well. I watched in horror as he slipped on its moss covered shell.
Falling to the deck below, just under the head of the turtle.

    
Just as
we were about to attack the beast, Lomark unleashed a spell of his own. Nothing
we did mattered. The dragon turtle turned its head down and looked towards
Kristos. It lifted one great paw and stepped down on to his legs. William with
his great sword held over head charged towards the turtle with a great battle
cry. Zackary and I were not far behind.  Nothing we did could draw its
attention away. The beast opened up his jaws and bit into Kristos. I could hear
the young man’s armor crunching as he was ripped in half. William struck a
mighty blow into the leg of the creature that was holding the rest of Kristos
down. The beast was in a rage, it lifted its head up high to swallow down the
half of Kristos that was in his mouth.  I watched in horror as it started
to swallow, I could see its neck expanding to take him down.
    
It was then that the third and final bolt of
lightning came crashing down on the dragon turtles head. The creature’s eye
exploded in a rain of gore on the deck. Zackary then ran under the beast head
and cut deep into its neck. For a moment I imagined seeing Kristos falling out,
chewed up and crushed on the deck of the boat. We just kept attacking at it
even though the bolt Zender had called down, finished the job. It took the
entire crew to get the corpse of the beast off the ship. Lomark took a blanket and
wrapped up what was left of Kristos as Zender said a prayer for him. The two of
them carried his legs to the side of the ship and left him at sea. The captain
of the ship was not happy, he blamed us for the attack.  Well, he lamed
Lomark to be precise. It was all we could to do keep them from tossing the
wizard over the side and into Darknight Bay. Zender convinced the captain that
the wizard could and would destroy the entire ship before he let anyone lay a
hand on him. Two very long days later we were set ashore without a single word
of thanks.  Of all of us, William seemed to be affected the most. Kristos
had him convinced that he was part demon. William had only wanted to see his
horns. We all tried to tell him it wasn't true.
     I spent the next day or two trying to get Hans to
admit that the story he told wasn't true. At last he just looked at me and said
"You can ask Zender when we get there, he will tell you every word is
true."
Weeks later, when I was with him alone I asked him just that.