Death Or Fortune (62 page)

     
Using a large shield as a make shift litter, we carried the body of our fallen
friend back to the Black Vault. While we were making the slow walk, people
started to pour out of the former slave compound.  They were silent,
respectful and in awe of what had happened.  Kandella on the other hand
was beside herself.  She wanted to blame me or the gods for what happened
to the paladin.  Windfall had to pull her aside at one point and talk with
her.  I don’t know what was said to her and I really didn't care but it
seemed to work. While she was still upset, she didn't blame any of us for the
loss.  In the end we all came to accept the fact that once the door was
opened for Michaels to end things quickly, nothing we could have done would
have stopped him. While I still regret the loss of my friend, I know his soul
rest well in the afterlife.  We were able to find a wagon and horses to
put him in so we didn't have to carry him all over the place.  After
placing him in the back of the wagon I thought about covering him but the
people started to file by, giving their thanks to him.  The rain did not
stop for close to an hour, the Othos people called it the tears of the god.
     My mind was shattered, I still could not come to terms
with what we had witnessed.  I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a
short time.  I saw Pare standing at the rear of the wagon, offering his
hand of each person who came by to see Michaels.  Most seemed to ignore
the halfling others seemed repulsed by him.  Windfall had Kandella well in
hand, she never moved far from his side.  Bryce had the Dead Squad
searching the area of the event, looking for any Orc who might have gotten
away. That is what we started calling it, the event.  What else do you call
the hand of a god smiting an entire army at once?  For the first time in
what seemed to be months no one needed me, no one was looking for me.  So
I drifted off to sit in the shade of one of the tents, sipping from my water
skin.  I didn't even mind the smell of the dead Orcs on the other side of
the canvas. That I could deal with, that was easy, that smell I could
understand.  The power we saw that day isn't easy to understand.
 While every day you could see proof of the gods touch on the world, it
was never like this.  It isn't every day you see a scorch mark in the
earth over a mile long.

    
As the crowd started to thin out near the wagon I could see a few of the Othos
people gathered around Kandella and Windfall.  Part of me wanted to know
what was going on, another part of me didn't care at all.  All I cared
about was sitting there until they wouldn't let me do it any longer.  I
knew at some point someone would come to me with a problem, it was only a
matter of time.  There was plenty of food and water in the camp and while
the Orcs were cruel they understood that dead slaves couldn't work.  I
tipped my water skin up for the final time, draining the last of the cool
liquid inside, thinking about getting back to my feet. Thinking was all I did until
I happened to look to the west.  The only trail leading that way went to
the ship yard.  I thought I saw a flash of something and I got to my feet.
 I could see men coming up the trail. When I pulled out the spy glass I
could see Nelson and the crew of Nathans Bounty returning to the slave camp.
 Fearing the worst, I went out to meet them on the trail before they could
start to talk to anyone else.  I didn't want any bad news they carried to
start a panic.

    
When Nelson saw me he started to trot ahead of the sailors who were not looking
well.
'Sir, what in the nine hells happened? We could hear Michaels
speaking, then there was a flash and...'
I held up my hand to stop him from
talking.  I told him about the sacrifice Michaels made for all of us, how
he destroyed the Orc army as it advanced on us.
'How?
' he asked me in a
stunned voice.  I explained to him that it was an artifact of his god and
how it worked was beyond me.  I then asked him why they were coming back
from the ship yard?
'Well between the voice, the flash we saw and the dust
cloud, they got spooked. So I did the only thing I could think of, brought them
back here.'
I put my hand on his shoulder and told him he did fine, I then
told him to go find something to eat.  He was going to be headed towards
the ship yard before the day was done.  When Captain Nathan and his men
caught up I told them the same story.  It is a story I would tell many
times over the next few days.  It gets a little easier each time I tell
the story but it doesn't change how I feel about the loss we suffered.  I
sent the Captain and his men off to get food and drink.  I then told
Captain Nathan that if he searched the tents, they might find something a
little stronger than water.
'That is a fine thought lad, while the boys don't
need it right now, there is always tomorrow.'

     I had to
smile at the man.  Even after living as a slave for months, he wanted to
keep his men sober until the day's work was done.  I watched as they
joined the rest of the Othos men and women, waiting in line for the food and
drink that was being passed out.  They seemed to fit right in with them.
 It was then that I noticed what seemed to be joy in the crowd of former
slaves.  Smiling faces, laughing, just people glad to be alive.  There
was a celebration going on right there and for the life of me I couldn't figure
out why.  Granted, today I understand and can forgive them for trying to
have such a good time while standing feet away from my dead friend.  They
were free after all that time of living under Orc rule.  I put my hand on
my sword and I started to walk towards Windfall and the group around him.
 I knew that our job was not done yet. While Michaels made things easy for
us, there were still Orcs in the Othos city that had to be dealt with.  Before
I could get to Windfall, Pare stepped out from between Windfall and another man
and came running towards me.
'You won't believe it Darmot, they want to
build a statue of Michaels, they want to have a big funeral for him and bury
him in the temple of Solarth with the god of the dwarves!'
I looked down at
my little halfling friend, I tried to keep the smile on my face but I could
feel my mind breaking.  I then told him that the Keltor in the temple
wasn't the god of the dwarves.  That he was just named after him.

      I
had to hold my ground for another minute or two, I could feel my temper ready
to explode.  I had to keep things in check.  I was in command so I at
least had to appear to be capable of it.  I asked Pare to go find Bryce
and to have him recall all the men. We had some things to talk about.
 After Pare ran off I turned my eyes towards the group around Windfall
again.  While walking towards them with slow even steps I was trying to
keep my breathing in check.  As I got close to them, the group stopped
talking, all of them turned to look at me.  The look on Windfall's face
was one of relief on seeing me, Kandella was cold and emotionless.  One
man stepped forward, he looked close to forty years old.  He bent over
slightly to bow to me.
'I am Dhanso. I am the eldest of the Othos gathered
here.  I was speaking with your companions here.  Am I to understand
that you are all from across the sea, even the savior?
' I told him that his
name was Michaels and yes, we were all from across the sea.  He then
turned to the other elders gathered there, they said nothing, only making eye
contact.
'So when he told you to take him home, he did not mean to the great
temple? My companion was on the wall with you and yours. He heard the exchange
between the two of you before the savior confronted our captors.  He
wanted you to take him back across the sea?
'

      I
was about to answer when Kandella exploded at him.
'That is what we have
been trying to tell you for the last hour, are you daft?
' Once again Dhanso
turned to the gathered elders, making eye contact once again.  He then
turned to Kandella,
'I am sorry demon.  I know you are one with the
good god but we need to hear these facts from a human, one of Solarths
creations.  I am sorry if we appear not to trust you.
' Kandella was
starting to turn red, I had to step up between the two to stop what was about
to happen.  I asked him if he knew what an elf was?
'Over the years we
have discussed the possibility of other races, until the Orcs came here we were
not sure any of the others were real.  Five years ago a conference was
held, we determined that humans were the only real creatures to live under
Solarths light.  Others were deemed to be only a myth.
' I tried to
assure them that the other races were all very real.  I then pointed out
the fact that the outsiders that ended the war between the Othos and the Melkor
were elves.
'You are telling me that Keltor was one of these elves?
' I
told him that he was and that Delmon Windfall who helped build the great temple
on the Plain of Hope was also an elf.

      I
was starting to see the difference between the Othos and the Melkor.  The
Melkor lore keepers passed on the history as it was.  The Othos discussed
it in great detail and discounted anything they did not understand or that did
not fall in line with their view point of the world.
'You have given us much
to consider. When this time of trouble has passed, we shall meet again and
discuss the significance of these new details. As for now we have much
rebuilding to do. I ask you this, what do you have planned now?'
I told him
that we knew there would be more Orcs in the Othos city that had to be taken
care of.  We were not going to leave them until every single one was
removed from the city.  Dhanso turned to his companions again, this time
they all looked like they smelled something rotten.  When he turned back
to me he had the same look on his face.
'We would rather you leave now. We
will be able to deal with the remaining Orcs without you.  You have our
thanks but we insist that you do not enter our home.  It has been infected
with others for far too long.
' Now it was my turn to look as if I something
smelled rotten.  I didn't understand why they didn't want us to help them
free their city.

 
    
'Now, we shall take the body of the savior to the great temple. He shall be
placed in the sacred crypt on the lower level. He shall remain there until we
and the Melkor to the south have chosen new temple guardians. Once that is done
we shall complete the burial rights.
' I turned to look at Windfall and
Kandella.  Both gave me a knowing look as if they were telling me this is
what they had been dealing with.  I decided it was time to make things a
bit more clear for Dhanso and the Othos.  I told them no, that we were
taking Michaels home as he requested.
'You do not understand, he is our
savior and we need...'
I told him no once again. His voice started to take
a hard tone and he said
'We insist he stays with us.'
I reached up and
removed my helm, shaking out my hair. I turned to my mentor and handed the helm
to him, asking him if he would mind holding it. When Windfall took it from me I
stepped forward as close as I could get to Dhanso, looking him dead in the eye.
I told him that Michaels was coming home with me.  If anyone other than my
men or I touched his body, they would die at my hand.
'There is no need for
threats.  We can come to some kind of agreement that will please us all I
am sure. We do have items of value to trade if you wish.'

      I
told him that my friend wasn't for sale and nothing they had would change that.
 He was my friend, my family. There are something’s that you just don't
sell.
'I must insist
.' His voice started to remind me of a splinter I
once had under my finger nail.  I then told him if he insisted he would
have to take Michaels over my dead body.
'We don't want to hurt you as you
were the savior’s companion but...'
I stopped him mid thought by calling
out to Windfall, asking him what kind of damage we could do.
'Well, I figure
there are a good four hundred of them here. While I am sure you want to avoid
killing them all, some will die anyway, it can't be helped. They are soft.
 I should be able to take two hundred of them easy. You can handle the
rest.'
I looked back at Dhanso.  I told him that he needed to believe
my friend.  He needed to understand that we were very capable of fighting
every one of them off and still leaving with Michaels.  If he was going to
be an elder or leader of his people, he should know when protecting his people
is more important than satisfying their desires.  He started to shake his
head at me,
'You do not understand
.' That was the last thing Dhanso said
to me.  He did not understand that I had reached my limit.  Michaels
asked me to take him home and no one was going to stop me from doing that.

     While I
did not want to hurt the man I knew we were not going to get anywhere.  I
only had to hit him once, dropping him to the ground.  Kandella started to
yell at me, one of the other Othos clutched at his head as if he was in pain,
the rest looked at me in shock.  I told them to care for their elder and
that I was sorry for hitting him.  I then told them that we would follow
their one wish to leave the island but they were not keeping my friend.  I
honestly could not wait to be off their blasted island.  Once Bryce
returned with the Dead Squad I had Pare find Captain Nathan to tell him we were
headed towards the ship yard.  I walked behind the wagon with the Dead
Squad; I walked away from the Othos and never looked back.  I kept my eyes
on the body of Michaels, Solarths Fist still clutched firmly in his hands.
 Windfall and Pare drove the wagon with Kandella between them.  Every
now and then she would turn to look at me, the anger on her face was clear.
 After more than two hours of that I called for a stop, to allow the men
to rest. Not that they needed it but I needed to talk to her. When she stepped
down from the wagon I asked her to follow me.
'Will you strike me if I
refuse?
' I didn't answer her.  I only walked away from the wagon.