The Staff of Naught (15 page)

“Khemer is up to something,” said Tanner. “I just wish I knew what it was.”

“What would he have to gain by selling the staff to one of the Thilnog Monks,” said Lousa. “It doesn’t make any sense. He has no corporeal presence. He can’t use money, he can’t taste food, what possible item of value could anyone offer him? We are going to destroy the staff which is the only thing that I can see being of use to him.”

“Perhaps he is helping us,” said Tanner with a shrug of his broad shoulders that touched Lousa’s for a moment before the merchant pulled away and moved a few inches towards the other side of the wagon seat. “If we take him at his word then he might have promised the monks something in return for passage in order to make it easier for us.”

“What in Doria could he possibly promise?” asked Lousa and held both palms up with a shake her head. “He has nothing. The only information he has is how to destroy the staff.”

Tanner sat in silence for long moments before he finally shook his head. “I don’t know, but what can we do about it?”

“Nothing,” said the woman her eyes grew dark and stormy. “Nothing at all.”

“Another thing,” said Tanner with a look up the hillside where a small cavalcade of rocks suddenly tumbled down far enough up the mountain not to be of any nuisance. “Normally we’d have an escort of the yellow clad monks taking us all the way to town, now there is no one.”

“I suppose we should count our blessings then,” said Lousa. “No interfering eyes to overhear loose conversations. The children are good enough but they are kids after all and prone to speaking out of turn.”

“Actually, I meant that the slopes of this mountain house many dangerous creatures and without the protection of the monks …” said Tanner the words no sooner out of his mouth when the voice of Shamki suddenly barked out.

“Attackers, up slope!”

By the time Tanner managed to pull back the reigns and stop the horses Lousa was already off the wagon having leapt to a nearby rock where she stood hands above her as she looked to and fro among the rocks. Shamki’s war horse gave out a loud cry from behind the wagon but the merchant’s view was completely blocked. “Stay in the wagon kids!” he shouted out and grabbed at the long knife he kept under the seat. His first stab missed and the second time his fingers closed on the blade not the hilt causing him to cry out in pain.

“Daddy!” cried Shalalee as she poked her head out from the wagon.

“I’m okay,” said Tanner and shoved her back as he put his palm against her forehead and heaved. She flew backwards into the wagon and sprawled into Ariana, who rooted around in her haversack, and sent the smaller girl flying.

Next came the sound of sizzling bacon and Tanner looked up in time to see a wall of fire rush from Lousa’s hands as she pointed to something on the ground beneath her feet. “Fry little bastards,” she shrieked her emerald eyes blazed like gemstones and her green hair flared out behind her.

“Got him,” shrieked Unerus just into Tanner’s view as he stabbed down into the rocks with the little sword that Shamki had cut-down from his practice blade although the merchant was still completely unable to see the nature of the attackers. Then a burst of reddish brown liquid suddenly emerged from Unerus’s left and Shamki’s blade, flat side towards the boy, came down with a thwack that sent the boy sprawling over the rocks. The liquid splattered where he stood a moment before with a nasty sizzling sound. Unerus somehow managed to catch himself in mid fall with his left hand, spun feet over head, and landed on his toes on top of nearby boulder.

“Eyes,” said Shamki apparently in a normal tone of voice although the word sounded above the din of the rest of the battle.

Unerus nodded to the big fighter and immediately leapt towards the wagon and this time Tanner finally saw the creatures that they fought. It looked like a scorpion with a long body broken into segments except where normally he would expect to see a poison laden stinger there was a bulbous bulge glowing dark red. Unerus landed behind the thing, leaned to the right so as to get his body out of the direct path of the tail, and stabbed down with his blade neatly skewering the thing that writhed for a moment or two before going limp.

“Fie, fie!” screamed Shamki pointing his sword higher up the cliff and Tanner barely spotted the creature that watched from above. It was like the little things although infinitely bigger, the size of a draft horse at least if not bigger. Its own tail, also ending in the red bulbous end, waved over its head and pointed at the half-orc menacingly. Shamki seemed to take no note of the danger and leapt over a boulder towards it but then suddenly darted to the side as the tail swiveled to point at him. In another motion the warrior covered three more strides each time making sudden shifts to the left or the right as the tail tried to track him it was always a step behind. Then, with a swiftness that belied its size the creature’s six legs blazed into motion and it was twenty yards up the rock strewn hillside in the blink of an eye.

“Get it Shamki,” shrieked Unerus as he scrambled up some rocks far below the half-orc.

Shamki turned back to the wagon with a shake of his head. “No chase.”

Tanner felt a sharp pain in his hand and realized he gripped the wagon rail with all his strength and that blood was flowing freely from a large gash across three fingers.

“Anyone hurt,” said Humbort who stepped out from behind the wagon and held several wads of cloth. Right behind him was Hazlebub and she had pulled out a little glass vial filled with a smoky white liquid. She looked at Tanner’s hand, “You’re hurt?”

“It’s nothing,” he said. “I did it to myself when I went for my knife.”

The witch came over but Almara as too quick as she emerged from the back of the wagon with a wet rag and some clean cloth. “Let me see that Tanner. Why don’t you let them’s that trained to fight do the fighting?” He started to protest but saw the cast of her eyes and meekly allowed her to take his hand and start to clean the wound.

“I’m fine,” said Unerus and slapped at Shalalee who poked at his shirt. But when the girl touched his ribs he suddenly inhaled and clenched his teeth.

“Take off your shirt,” said the tall girl and put her hands on her hips and stared down at the boy who was a year older than she was.

“I said I’m fine,” insisted Unerus and again pulled away from her but even that subtle movement caused him to gasp and for a moment he had trouble with his breath and gave off a wheeze.

“Broken ribs,” said Hazlebub as she came up from behind Shalalee. “Let the girly tend you or I will,” she said with a strange little cackle and wiggled the fingers on both hands so that they looked like a cat clawing at a ball of yarn.

Unerus looked at the old woman for a moment and then gave a short sigh, which brought forth another wince and said, “Fine then.” He tried to lift the leather jerkin over his head but the process of raising his arms brought forth another wince and he lowered them and started to fumble with the string ties that pulled the top tight at the neck.

“Here, let me help you,” said Shalalee, batted his hand away, undid the string, and then lifted the coarse wool jerkin over his head. The boy was skinny to the point of emaciation; his ribs poked out and in addition to the quickly growing purple and green bruise on his chest there were a number of scars and burns from old wounds that made him look more like a war veteran than a twelve year old boy. “Oh,” said the girl and took a step backwards.

“I’m ok,” said Unerus and made a move to put back on his shirt but the girl reached forward with her hand and touched him gently on the chest.

“No, it’s okay,” she said and stared at the young boy for a moment.

“You want to be wrapping cloth real tight around him, like a mummy,” said Hazlebub still watching the two. “Keep them ribs in place.”

Shalalee looked at the small bandages in her hand and then dashed off to the wagon, “I’ll be right back!”

Unerus sat down on a rock and touched his ribs with a forefinger and immediately gave another little grunt of pain although he then sat upright as Shamki returned from up the hill and sat down next to him.

“Fight good, always watch!”

“I didn’t know they could shoot out fire like that or I wouldn’t have stood there,” said Unerus and looked back to the rock, blackened by the sizzling goo.

“Here, Ariana,” said Hazlebub and walked over to one of the dead little scorpion creatures and picked it by a pincer. “The tail fire is good for a love potion I know.”

“Ewww,” said the girl, wrinkled her nose, and backing away. “Who wants a stupid love potion?”

Shalalee came back from the wagon at that moment with a bolt of heavy cotton, a pair of steel scissors, and a box of pins. She looked at the two for a moment her face settled in a sort of doe eyed smile before she moved back over to Shamki and Unerus.

“Oh, you’d be surprised little miss,” said Hazlebub. “Lots of folks want love potions and pay good money to get ‘em. Now, what you do is take the little buggers by the head, come over and do it young lady,” she went on with a motion of her free hand.

Ariana looked at Lousa who was still on top of the rock as she scanned the region, left, right, and then up to the sky and then went over to the old witch. “Stupid love potions.”

The little campfire burned brightly and illuminated a large wagon where half a dozen people of various size and shapes sat and enjoyed a meal. High above them in the rocky hills sat two men and a woman looked down. One of them, a squat little crossbreed creature with immensely long ears smoked a thick cigar which gave off an odor that made the other two stay upwind of him.

“Rmmg,” growled the massive furred creature whose mouth looked almost big enough to swallow the gnome like fellow whole, “Do you have to smoke those things Lorim,”.

“Who pays your salary Radvor?” asked Lorim, blew a puff of smoke directly at the Bugbear, and looked at him with his yellow eyes.

“Mmmmgg, you do,” said the bugbear that pulled a massive hammer from the ground and thumped the head into his palm. “They look dangerous, tough. The orc, he knows the ways of fighting and he is teaching the boy.”

“You don’t think you can take them?” asked Lorim with sharp look. “Between you and your friends I didn’t think a couple of humans and some girls would present any problems. Must I return to Hot Rock and pay Amalg to do this for me?”

“Rgggra,” muttered the Bugbear and twisted the hammer in his hand. “Brain Eater.”

“Now, now,” said Lorim. “We all know that is merely a false rumor born of envy and fear. The tentacle ones are people just like the rest of us. You can’t allow darkling propaganda to cloud your view of the truth.”

“You want staff,” said Radvor. “I want payment.”

Lorim shook his head sadly, “That’s not the way I do business Radvor and you well know it. Besides, in addition to your usual fee you will get the elf girl to do with as you want. That is worth more than I’m paying you in any case.”

“Elf girl maybe ugly, can’t see good, hmmgaa” said Radvor, curled his upper lip, and stared down at the fire where the details of the people below were too far away to make out with any clarity.

“I’m assured she is quite lovely,” said Lorim. “Besides, I’ve never known you to be particularly discerning when it comes to the fair sex. Do you remember that old hag that came through a few years ago and tried to setup an apothecary in town? You enjoyed her for months as I recall after her unfortunate financial trouble.”

“Rmmm,” said Radvor and then jerked his head to the other figure that stood near them. “Why she here?”

“Lilithia is another interested party,” said Lorim with a shrug of his shoulders. “Her presence is none of your concern. What is of most pressing importance is the location of your allies in this endeavor. I thought you were bringing your brothers along.”

“Mmmgga,” growled Radvor and Lorim rolled his eyes in the direction of the darkling girl and managed to stifle a yawn at the last moment. “Brothers come before morning. You say then, after they finish chant we take.”

“Yes Radvor, the blue ghostly creature, do you see him down there floating behind the wagon?”

“Mnngaas, I sees,” said the bugbear and then spat out a glob of wet phlegm that landed near Lilithia.

“The ghost will be performing the ceremony. When the ceremony is complete then you are to rush the camp and take the staff. The ghost will help you. Take as many prisoners as you can. We can sell the children to the darklings for whatever amusement they want to take with them.”

“Radvor gets share, rgagaaa,” said the bugbear turning to face Lorim. “If not, Radvor find out why.”

“Of course, of course, Radvor. How many times have we done business since you arrived in Hot Rock? Have I ever gone back on my word or tried to pay less than the agreed upon amount?”

“Numbers always wrong with Lorim, everyone know,” said the bugbear with another grumble although this one appeared to emanate from his stomach.

“Must we stand here chatting nonsensically,” said Lilithia with a shake of her head. “The bugbear knows what to do. You’ve done your part well Lorim, I’ll admit that much. As soon as we have the staff then you’ll get your final payment.”

The little gnome licked his lips with his massive tongue and looked into the darkness at the woman whose features were barely visible in the moonlight thanks to her dark skin, “I’m considering forgoing my regular fee for another one of those down payments,” he said with a chuckle his eyes roamed up and down her svelte figure.

“Deals are always subject to change,” said the woman and smiled back at him. “Circumstance always dictates action. If things work out as well as I hope then perhaps some sort of a renegotiation would be in order.”

“Mgagaa,” said Radvor and pointed with his massive pawed hand down to the little campfire. “They go to sleep. I kill easily now, why not?”

“No Radvor, I can’t emphasize this point enough my dimwitted friend. Only after the ceremony is complete do you take them. The staff will not have attained its full power until after Khemer finishes with his religious ritual. You do understand this, don’t you?”