Death Or Fortune (26 page)

    
"Share this with those who are true to our order.  There are dark
times ahead I fear.  Otherwise I may still be alone in here.  Solarth
lead you to me Hans of North Hembers.  He has done this so you may find
the answers you are looking for, to help prevent the trouble you are about to
face.  As you stand before me, I also know that he sent you to me to grant
me rest.”  The elven figure then began to walk forward, towards Hans.
 His hands opening against his own will, his weapon and shield crashed to
the floor. "I name you Guardian Hans of North Hembers, long life I grant
to you until a guardian is needed no more or another is found." The elven
figure reached up and placed his hands on the face of Hans. He could feel the
elven fingers on his flesh, cold and dry, forcing his mouth open. He was
helpless to fight it. Hans watched as a blue mist drained from the elven
figures mouth and felt a rush of warmth as it entered his own.

     "What
in the nine hells was that?" Hans asked as the elven figure stepped away.

     "It
is the essence of the guardian. It will ensure that you live long enough to
find the next guardian.  I will now leave you to your duties and rejoin
Solarth.  Beware of the followers of Asmodai.  What came to pass
could come again."

     "What
do you mean, live long enough to find the next guardian? Who is the next
guardian?" Hans stood and watched as the elven guardian faded from view,
with him the blue light in the room faded leaving him in complete darkness.
With only the smell of dust covered scrolls and books to remind him that what
had just happened was real. "I will not question the will of Solarth but
this..." The sound of metal falling to stone made Hans stop mid thought.
 Looking back down the hall towards the door he saw a glowing object on
the floor.  Pausing only to pick up his shield and hammer he rushed
towards it.  It was his medallion of Solarth, yet it had changed. Where
there was once the image of the sun there was now a silver dragon.  He had
seen one just like it before.   It was like the one that belonged to
his mentor and friend Zender.

      The
four of us were dropped from the ship in the early morning.  My first
impression of Toryth Vol was colored by the fact that the sun had not yet
appeared in the sky. The ground was hard packed and there was no vegetation to
speak of yet I could not see the vast wasteland for what it was until the sun
was high in the sky. Zackary and I took point while the other two followed
behind.  During our first rest stop I made a comment to them about how we
could see someone coming for miles away. That was when Zender told me I
shouldn't worry about the ones who were miles away and to worry about the
undead under our feet.
'We are going out of our way to avoid Caer Toryth but
if we are seen, pray that we are not standing on a bone field. Xcavere will not
take too kindly to seeing a cleric of Solarth in his lands.  If we are
seen he will send them after us just for daring to cross into his lands.
 Even if we are not near a bone field, he commands armies that do not need
to sleep, eat or even rest.  It will take us more than a week to reach the
foot hills that will lead us into the mountains where this White Spire is
located.  So pray Kromwell, just pray that things go our way.'

    
As the day wore on and the sun continued to pound on us I wondered if my new
companions were just a slight bit mad.  More than a week on foot in the
hot and barren land.  That was just to arrive at our location or so we
hoped.  We had no idea that it would take just as much time to find the
White Spire.  I tried to get them to rest during the day and to travel at
night.  Zender would not hear of it.
'We are too close to him'
he
would say.
'I can feel his taint on me, eating into my skin. Corrupting my
soul as he has ruined this land.'
Days later he would describe it as
hundreds of needles pressing into his flesh.  That first day we walked
from the time the ship dropped us off until well after the sun had fallen from
the sky.  I was ready to collapse and never get up again when Zender
called for us to rest for the night.  A light meal of dried rations and
small bits of water was all that we had that night.  The only light we
needed was from the moon, not even I would dare to think of lighting a
fire.  That first night on watch I thought about the things Zender told me
about Xcavere.  Thinking about wither or not we had a right to stop
Ramanthus from taking him on.  Toryth Vol is a constant threat to the rest
of the world.  From time to time they will strike out at their neighbors,
a not so gentle reminder of the fact that they have not gone away.  The
only thing that keeps them at bay is the fact that they are surrounded by
forces that will pounce the moment they try to amass a valid attack on another
land.  The forces of good have the ability to deal with the army of undead
once they are beyond the reach of their own borders.  While the armies of
the light cannot sustain a prolonged campaign into Toryth Vol.  It is a
stalemate as things stand today.  I fear what could or would happen the
moment something changed.  Relations between Arcadia and Eystlund are not
the greatest at times but if there was war with Toryth Vol, we would go to the
others aid.  If anything ever happened to change that, I doubt anyone I
know would live very long with the sister kingdoms reunited under the banner of
one nation, the banner of Xcavere.

     I took the
first four hours of watch, I figured I would let the others get a little extra
sleep. As I was about to wake Zackary I heard Zender’s voice.  I looked
over at his prone body, waiting for some kind of sign that I had not been
hearing things.  He had started to move, thrashing about in his sleep.
 When the first scream came out I was in shock.  I moved to his side
and bent down, shaking him.  As a second scream filled the night air I had
to resist the temptation to smack him.
'He cannot hear me. Where did he go?'
he said just before his eyes opened.  At first he looked at me as if he
did not know who I was. I said his name, telling him to wake up, shaking him
just a bit more.  At last I saw his eyes focus on me, he had returned from
the nightmare that had swallowed him whole.  'I
am sorry Darmot, it was
a bad dream. You get some rest and I will take the next watch.'
I asked him
if he was sure and he only nodded his head.
'I doubt I will sleep again
tonight. You go ahead and rest.'
I laid my bed roll down and watched him as
I waited for sleep to take me.  His face was showing the horrors he had
faced while sleeping. While I would have gladly fought anything to ease his pain,
part of me was thankful that I was immune to whatever it was that was affecting
him so.

     Zender had
kept watch for the remainder of that night.  He had us all awake before
the first light, telling us to make ready to march.  Any signs that he had
been so troubled only hours before were gone.  Zackary and I once again
set out ahead of the other two, talking about the tournament in Eystlund until
the sun was fully in the sky.  After that we saved our breath for walking.
 As the day wore on we took small water breaks when we could.  Lomark
had a water skin that always seemed to be full.  It was the one thing that
kept us alive.  There was no way we could have carried enough clean water
to make the full trip.  Finding water in the wasteland that is Toryth Vol
is next to impossible.  We marched in a single file line, I had not
noticed Zackary had stopped walking until I ran into his back.  He stood
there with a blank look on his face, looking off into the distance.
'Bloody
trees, can ya see em
?' he asked as I looked towards where he was pointing.
 At first I thought he was seeing things, the heat was playing tricks on
him but soon I could see them as well.

     Still
miles away we could see them, standing there waiting for us.  Each one was
dead as everything else in that land.  Still they stood there, not on any
map we had.  Not that many people went out of their way to map Toryth Vol.
 The edge of the forest was light but the deeper in we could see how dense
it got, dark as its masters heart.  The first tree we came to I reached
out and put my hand on it, part of my mind did not believe it was real yet.
While it was solid, I was sure I could have pushed it over.  Before we
entered we all stopped and watched as Zender went over the map and checked our
rout.
'If we try to go around this it will add weeks to our trip and we
don't even know where it will lead us if we try. We have to go through, it is
the only way.'
Zackary wanted to argue but I smacked him on the back and
laughed.  I told him that even if the trees had no leaves, it provided
some kind of shade.  I imagine at one time it had been a vast, green
forest.  A home to a countless number of creatures and it was all
destroyed by the taint of Xcavere.

     In total
we spend four days in that wood.  With nothing more than Zender’s compass
to guide us in the right direction.  To this day I had have not seen
anything like it.  I hope to never see it again.  All that life,
destroyed without a fight.  Yet some life, went down with a fight as we
learned on our third day in that retched black forest. We could smell them
before we saw them. The putrid sent of death lingered in the air.  A half
dozen undead stood over the body of an armored figure.  More than twice
that number looked to be destroyed on the ground.  Bits of zombie were
scattered all over the area as if some huge battle took place.  We were
looking at what was left of the party of undead.  I was about to draw my
weapon when I felt a hand on my arm.
'Unless you want to be part of the
fireball, wait for me before you attack.'
Lomark whispered in my ear. I
looked at the mage and shook my head, pointing to the man on the ground.
 I told them he could still be alive. Zender agreed with me, pulling his
hammer from his belt.  I looked him in the eye, while I am sure he could
have fought, he was tired.  He was still having the dreams each night when
we rested.  I told him to stay back with Lomark and that Zackary and I
would handle them.  Any other time he would have fought with me to be part
of the battle.

     As quietly
as we could, the two of us approached the six zombies.  Who were more
interested in the body on the ground than anything else.  I paused for a
moment, hidden behind a tree, watching something I did not quite believe.
 Grunts and moans were all I could understand but it became quite clear
that they were in disagreement over something.  I took a long hard look at
the body on the ground and could clearly see that there was nothing anyone
would be able to do for him.  A large knife was driven into his neck all
the way to the hilt.  Zackary was ready to attack them but I told him to
hold back.  I wanted to see what they were doing.  Soon one of them
bent over and tried to touch the shield of the man they had killed.  A
silent howl of pain escaped its dead lips as it touched the shield.  I
swear to this day I saw tendrils of smoke drifting off its dead fingers after
it stood back up.  Zackary had to cover his mouth to keep his laugh in
check.  Each time one of them tried to touch the shield, it happened
again.  When one of them picked up an axe I told Zackary to go.

     Drawing my
weapon as I moved in to attack, Zackary let out a battle cry.  As if they
were all being moved by the same hand, each zombie head turned and looked
towards us at the same time.  While they did not understand why the metal
shield burned their hands, this they understood.  Once again the living
had come upon them, soon they would feast on our warm blood or so they hoped.
 I am not sure if it was his cry or his flaming red hair but all six of
them took after Zackary.  Truth be told, I was slightly insulted.  I
was able to cut down two of them from behind before any of them turned to face
me.  By then it was far too late for them to do us any harm.  In less
time than it takes to tell the tale, we had dispatched the six of them and
called for the others to join us.  Zender asked if either one of us had
been harmed but he only had eyes for the man on the ground.  As the
zombies once stood over the body of the fallen man, we now gathered around his
corpse.

     Most of
the man’s blood had pooled around his head and shoulders.  Zender bent
over the body and placed one hand on the man’s chest, removing the weapon that
killed him with the other.  With that act done, he then reached up and
closed the man's eyes.
'You know there is nothing you can do.'
Lomark
said out of the blue.  Zender in a rage turned towards the wizard.
'You
think I don't know that? I may not be able to save him but I will do right by
him. He was a servant of the god Arteris. I will give him his last rights as is
proper.'
I was lost by their conversation for a small moment I thought they
may have known this poor soul.  When I asked just that question I was
given an odd look.  It was then that Zender told me.
'The shield is
marked and it is of the Order of Arteris. There is a small sect in Westheath,
when a man chosen to be a paladin comes of age they come to Toryth Vol to hunt.
This started after Westheath was attacked by the armies of Toryth Vol close to
a hundred years ago. It is a rite of passage I guess you could say. They return
to their temple with the head of something they killed. Only then are they a
full member of the order. Other temples of Arteris do not practice this but
there is a strong and deep hate among the people of Westheath for Toryth Vol.
Now, Zackary I want you to look around for the paladin’s weapon. Darmot I want
you to dig a grave for this man. Lomark will assist you while I prepare the
body.'

      I
did not question him I just did as he asked.  Lomark stood and watched
while I was digging the hole with the small spade he gave me.  I asked him
what he meant when he told Zender that there was nothing he could do.  
'For
someone who gained lordship at such a young age, you are not very bright.
 Do you understand where we are?'
I wasn't sure where he was going so
I just held up my hands in ignorance.  
'We have gone where his god will
not follow. So strong is the taint of Xcavere that Zender's prayers to Solarth
go unanswered.  To put it into terms that you will understand.  It is
as if Xcavere has tossed a blanket over the entire land.  No god other
than Xcavere’s own can see past it.  Zender has as much power here as you
do.  The only power he has comes from the items he carries.'
As I dug,
I listened and I understood.
'Without his few items and that medallion of
his, he would be powerless
.' Once the grave was finished I watched as
Zender finished with the body.  Zackary and I lowered his body into the
ground and his sword was placed on his chest.  Zender sprinkled holy water
over the body and recited the funeral prayers while we covered the body.

     Zender
then gave me the shield the young paladin carried.  He made me promise
that if I lived to make it home, that I would one day return it to the temple
of Arteris in Westheath.  Of all the honors that have been granted to me,
this was the one that touched me the most.  I then thought about the
things that Lomark said.  While it may have been true, he couldn't have
been more wrong. Zender was far from powerless.  While he was in torment,
he still had his faith.  He had faith in himself, faith in his friends and
in his god. That one thing alone served us better in the long run than any
spell I ever saw the wizard cast. It was the one thing you would never be able
to take away from him. It was that one thing that made him more powerful than
any one of us.