The Staff of Naught (27 page)

“Sutekha,” said Seymour with a glance at the hobgoblin that lay on the trembling on the ground and refused to look up. “We will need spells so that we might understand the speech of the heathens.”

“Your will is my command oh Great Master of the Icon of Ras,” said Sutekha an eye on the glowing ball that that sat on Seymour’s chest roiling in fiery chaos.

The campfire had burned down to searing embers and the great bulk that was the half-orc Shamki leaned against a tree while the small form of Unerus stood next to him as they watched over those who slept nearby. The warm evening brought everyone out of the wagon with Tanner and his wife on one blanket at the far side of the fire while Humbort slept under the wagon curled up like a child. The children lay together near the merchant and his wife while Lousa and Hazlebub slumbered close to the duo watching them.

“It’s good you can talk to the hobgoblins,” said Unerus and looked up at Shamki, “or I don’t think we would have gotten past that patrol alive.”

“Traders leave alone,” said Shamki as he looked into the darkness. There was almost no moon and a thick cloud cover prevented even the stars from shining down on the camp. “Ambush night, dark,” he continued in what for him was almost a freewheeling conversation.

Unerus started to yawn but quickly brought his hand up to cover his mouth. Shamki didn’t say anything but the boy knew that he should go to bed and leave the watch over to the half-orc. Humbort would get up soon to watch with Lousa and Hazlebub after that. Tanner usually took the morning turn at guard. “I wish we knew where we were going,” said Unerus not really expecting a reply from the half-orc. “It just seems like we’re wandering around with no purpose.”

Suddenly Shamki’s body tensed and he glanced to his left beyond a small tree that was barely visible ten feet away.

“What is it,” whispered Unerus.

Shamki didn’t say anything and his eyes darted back and forth in the darkness. Unerus knew that orcs saw well in the dark and his friend was half-blooded so perhaps his vision was keen as well. The boy looked in all directions carefully not turning his head too much, simply looked with his eyes, but could see nothing. After a few seconds more Shamki took in a breath of air with a short sniff and then repeated the maneuver several more times with a slow turn of his head each time. A small gust of wind came to them and then Unerus could smell it, an old musty odor, an odor of death and decay but so faint as to be unable to trace.

Shamki immediately pulled his sword, took a step backwards, and pulled Unerus behind him with a heavy hand.

“You have nothing to fear from me tonight,” said the whisper quiet voice from somewhere ahead in the darkness. “I am Tenebrous and My Mistress sends me to aid you.”

“Show,” said Shamki his sword moved in little circles and his body slowly moved to the right circling the sound although his hand continued to push Unerus so that the boy stood behind him.

“Do not strike,” said the voice and a strange, dark shape seemed to appear in the night but then was gone again with a whisper.

The dark creature suddenly reappeared, a vague shadowy presence, a few feet from where they first spotted it. “You will not strike?” said the form as it hovered a few feet away from Shamki who stayed his sword hand but did not reply.

Unerus sidled over to the sleeping form of Lousa and reached down to give her a nudge. A moment later she sat up and looked around in the darkness unable to see much of anything. “What is it?”

“I’m … I’m not sure,” said the young boy and pointed to where his darkness adjusted eyes could barely make out the form of Shamki although he could not see the other thing at all. “It’s Shamki and something. It said its name is Tenebrous and it means us no harm,” he continued.

Lousa quickly got to her feet and threw off the woolen blanket that covered her. She wore a loose fitting cotton gown and when she got up the neckline bulged forward to give Unerus a glimpse of her ample figure and he immediately looked away and blushed. The woman threw a leather jerkin over her head and slid into a pair of denim pants and did not notice his flush. “Come along,” she said a moment later to the boy whose face was still bright red although concealed by the darkness of the night.

The commotion stirred several of the people around them including Tanner and Almara who sat up from their shared blanket and tried to focus their eyes in the gloom. “What’s going on?” said the chubby woman and put her hand on her husband’s chest.

“I’m not sure,” said Tanner, got to his feet, and pulled on his trousers with a quick motion. He fiddled around for a moment and tried to unsheathe the knife at his belt but then followed after Unerus and Lousa who headed towards the small tree where Shamki awaited. Hazlebub continued to snore loudly apparently oblivious to the evening’s excitement.

The events stirred the children but they awoke more slowly their eyes groggy and the movements sluggish. Ariana was the first to awake and immediately looked to the satchel beside her and touched it with her hand before she slowly crept out from under the covers. Nearby Tylan also slowly gathered his wits and watched as Ariana struggled up from bed and sat up.

“What’s wrong Ara?” asked the boy and the girl looked to him in the darkness only able to make out a vague form even a few feet away although she recognized the voice easily enough.

“I’m not sure Ty,” she said and began to thrown on a woolen shirt. “But, I’m going to find out. Are you coming?”

The boy grinned widely and slipped his pants on as he struggled beneath the blanket to avoid exposure. Next came his socks and then he started to pull on his boots before he remembered the important morning ritual his father taught him and banged them together upside to dislodge any night visitors. “Shalalee,” he whispered to his sister who lay next to him but she did not appear to be awake so he finished his dressing and got up to follow Ariana.

Shalalee lay quietly with her eyes closed and listened as first Ariana got up and left and then her brother. She waited for a few more moments as their footsteps indicated a true departure and opened her eyes just a little and waited for them to adjust to the darkness.

Meanwhile Lousa arrived next to Shamki who still held his sword and stared into the darkness at apparently nothing. “What is it Shamki?” she said and looked around and unable to see the shadow form that was Tenebrous.

The half-orc made a little nod with his head and pointed the tip of his sword into the darkness at the form that seemed to slide in and out of existence in the night air.

Lousa looked more closely and then suddenly caught sight of the thing and gasped for a moment unable to collect her thoughts. Finally she looked at Shamki out of the corner of her eye as she tried to stay focused on the creature, “What is it?”

Shamki shrugged but the creature chose that moment to speak again. “I am Tenebrous, a servant of She who Eternally Rules the Abyss,” he said his shadowy form slipped and slid although he stayed in the same spot.

“What do you want?” asked Tanner suddenly coming up from behind Lousa and with his small knife gripped tightly.

“I wish to parlay,” he said. “My mistress is interested in acquiring the staff you have and is willing to pay a goodly sum.”

“It’s not for sale,” said Ariana out of the darkness and glared with her young eyes. “I see you.”

“That is a shame,” said Tenebrous. “My mistress, She who has Always Ruled and Always Shall, is not a particularly patient woman.”

“Who cares!” said Ariana in such a loud voice that it even woke Hazlebub for a moment although the witch went back to sleep almost instantly.

“Ariana,” said Lousa and put her hand on the girl’s shoulder but only for a brief moment as the girl twisted away. “Ara,” said Lousa again. “We should speak with this Tenebrous at least.”

“I’m not giving it away,” said Ariana.

“Ara, we’ve been over this many times. You are eventually going to have to give it up one way or another,” said the halfblooded elf woman her eyes stared at the girl in the darkness. “You have to accept reality.”

Ariana shook her head and set her mouth firmly although did not stomp her foot.

“What kind of thing are you?” asked Unerus who had moved behind the creature with his small sword drawn and at the ready.

Tenebrous did not bother to turn around to address the boy but simple continued to speak in even tones and keep his eye on the half-orc. “I am a Shade, a creature that once lived but was sent to the Deathlands by She Who Eternallly Rules the Abyss,” said the creature. “I found my way back from there and the Mistress allowed me to stay so long as I obey her every command.”

“What are the Deathlands?” asked Tylan as he joined the group around Tenebrous.

“You do not wish to know,” said Tenebrous his shadowy form suddenly seemed to become even more vague and insubstantial.

“The Staff of Naught is not for sale,” said Lousa to Tenebrous. “You suggest your mistress will not take kindly to this news. What do you think she will do when you convey it?”

“I am bound to obey my mistress,” said Tenebrous. “Outside of her direct commands I am able to use my own judgment. Should I delay in reporting this news then her wrath would also be delayed.”

“Why would you do that,” asked Lousa her eyes narrowed even further on the dark night. “What do you want?”

Tenebrous’s form seemed to darken and take on a more substantial identity for a moment and Ariana noted that the creature appeared to have some sort of wings but then he went back to his shadow self. “I have my own agenda which has nothing to do with you,” said Tenebrous. “But, it is possible we travel the same road for a time.”

“What if we told Smyrnala what you are telling us,” said Unerus with a flick of his blade.

“I would be horribly tortured and sent back to the Deathlands, perhaps permanently,” said the creature with little inflexion in his voice.

“Oh,” said Unerus.

“What do you want with the staff?” said Ariana, as she looked at the creature keenly able to make out some substance beneath the shadow form. It looked somehow significantly larger than its shadow, almost corpulent, and a strange aura emanated from it.

“I do not care about the staff at all,” said Tenebrous. “That is where we might find common ground. My desires have nothing to do with the staff.”

“Why would you help us then,” asked Lousa.

“I am not prepared to divulge that information at this time,” said Tenebrous his form darkened with these words.

“The last time we trusted something like this look what happened,” said Tanner as he eyed the dark cloud carefully. “Remember Khemer and what he tried to do. Do you want to use the staff to bring yourself back to life?”

“No,” said Tenebrous firmly. “I am quite happy in my current, deathly condition. I do not want to use the staff at all. I want something else which might come about if you will listen to me.”

“Go on,” said Lousa.

“No, don’t trust him,” said Ariana.

“Ara, leave this to the adults,” said Almara from behind her husband and the girl looked up sharply but then returned her glare to the dark creature and said nothing.

“Go on,” repeated Lousa with a nod. “But, don’t try anything funny or Shamki will run you through insubstantial or not.”

“Humor is not particularly my forte,” said Tenebrous. “The Eternally Ruler of the Abyss wants the staff and her step-sister, the Eight Legged Mistress of Spiders, also wants it.”

“Step-sister?” said Almara.

“So the Great Goddess, Ruler of the Abyss, Eternal Champion of Death, tells me. I do not actually know the exact nature of the relationship except to say that it is most antagonistic. This antipathy is something that I wish to foster for reasons that I will not elaborate upon at this juncture. You are in a position to help me further this wish. I am prepared to give you certain advice on how to proceed if you are willing to listen.”

“We’re listening,” said Lousa and shifted in her stance but also relaxed subtly. Shamki lowered his sword slightly to ease the weight upon his arm but remained balanced on his toes and at the ready. Unerus sheathed his own little sword but maintained a position behind the shade.

“Neither party wishes the item destroyed,” said Tenebrous. “The Spider Queen’s motivations are something that I long ago gave up fathoming. Her webs are most intricate and her plans of such scope and long term ideology that the more one attempts to understand them the more deeply enmeshed in making them come to fruition one becomes.”

“What?” said Unerus.

“If I understand you Tenebrous,” said Lousa her hand to her chin. “Her plans are so complex that if you think you are working against her you might well be furthering her ends.”

The dark shape seemed to lighten slightly and gave off a slight chuckle, “I like you half-blood elf woman,” said Tenebrous. “You are quick of mind and pleasing of body.”

“What do you care!” shouted Unerus suddenly. “You’re dead anyway.”

“There are stages of death, believe it or not,” said Tenebrous. “And I have yet to reach the stage where beauty is of no concern to me. However, the All Powerful Eternal Mistress of the Abyss does have the power to put me into such a state. So, to some degree I am now at your mercy. I can only anticipate that this state of affairs will facilitate our working arrangement.”

“What will you tell the Mistress of the Abyss,” said Lousa. “When you return to her after this meeting?”

“That, again, is not your concern milady,” said Tenebrous. “Just be aware that for the moment our paths are on parallel courses and that I only wish you success.”

“We want to destroy the staff,” said Tanner. “You said that the sisters both want to the staff to remain unbroken. How does that work towards your ends?”

“I can only repeat what I have already enumerated,” said Tenebrous and he suddenly paused and thought for a long moment. “I find my thought patterns to be strangely linear these days, ever since my little sojourn. Not that this information is pertinent to this discussion of course. What is important is that you continue on your course with the staff. Seymour the Bright is already en route to a nearby location and you should continue towards him.”