Web of Deceit (39 page)

“The staff didn’t kill it,” Rejji scowled as he heard the snap of a bowstring.

Bakhai’s arrow sailed past Rejji and hit the hellsoul in the chest. The hellsoul fell to the ground.

“Touch the staff to him now,” suggested Bakhai.

Rejji did as Bakhai suggested and the hellsoul dissipated in a puff of smoke.

“It vanquishes them if they are dead,” stated Mobi. “At least they can’t rise again. Why didn’t the staff alert you to him?”

Rejji looked sheepishly at his hand holding the staff. “I guess I have been gripping it so hard that I did not feel the subtle warmth. I will try to be more careful.”

Rejji sighed and ran across the street as the others followed. He concentrated on holding the staff more lightly and being more sensitive to its warnings. They made the end of the third block uncontested and Rejji felt the staff before sticking his head around the corner to peer at the temple. There were no hellsouls in sight and Rejji turned the corner and raced up to the end of street where the square met the temple. He peeked around the corner and surveyed the square. At first he thought it was empty until he look closer to the palace at the far end of the square. Hundreds of hellsouls were gathered outside the palace.

“They are gathered at the far end of the square,” Rejji reported. “Bakhai, go with Mobi and help him with Voltak. Mistake and I will cross the square and wait on the other side for you. Don’t dally.”

“I can handle Voltak alone,” stated Mobi. “I would prefer that Bakhai wait with you. His bow will come in handy for covering my run if they detect us.”

Rejji nodded and the group sprinted along the street. Mobi peeled off as they passed the temple and the rest continued on across the square to the safety of the buildings. By the time they had crossed the square and turned to watch the hellsouls, Mobi was already out of the temple with Voltak over his shoulder. The strong Qubari ran the rest of the way to meet up with the group.

“Do you want to take turns carrying Voltak?” asked Bakhai. “I do not want you getting too tired to run.”

“Do not worry about me,” Mobi half chuckled and half gasped. “Mistake has the heavier burden and she seems to be doing fine.”

Bakhai looked at the large sack of gold on Mistake’s back and shook his head. Rejji let Mobi catch his breath and then led the group down the street towards the gates. They had covered three blocks before they heard the shriek behind them. Daggers filled Mistake’s hands and Bakhai nocked an arrow.

“Keep running,” ordered Rejji. “If there is one who is not in the square, there will be more. Bakhai and I will try to fend them off as they come after us. If the way ahead is blocked, we need to be one street over to the right to come out at the gates.”

Rejji and Bakhai stood in the center of the street as the shrieking hellsoul charged towards them. Bakhai made ready his bow and the hellsoul stopped, too far away for Bakhai to waste an arrow. Rejji felt his staff grow warm.

“He is distracting us,” shouted Rejji as a hellsoul rounded the corner in front of them.

Bakhai swiveled and calmly let his arrow fly. The hellsoul went down with the arrow in his chest. Rejji tapped Bakhai’s shoulder and they turned and ran after Mobi and Mistake. As they caught up to their friends, Rejji saw hellsouls in the distance. As he was about to shout a warning, Mobi and Mistake turned right along a cross street and Rejji and Bakhai followed them. Bakhai made the next intersection first and he ran into the middle of it, another arrow nocked and ready. Rejji led the group again as they turned left down the street that led to the gates. As soon as Mobi passed, Bakhai sprinted to the next intersection. He continued this pattern for several blocks before he saw the hellsouls enter the street a block in front of him and start charging towards them.

Rejji came to a halt alongside Bakhai and held his hand up to stop Mistake and Mobi. Mobi saw about twenty hellsouls charging and dropped his spear. He gently lowered Voltak to the ground. He picked up his spear and stood alongside Bakhai.

“Rejji, come with me,” ordered Mobi as he sprinted thirty paces forward. “We need to keep them occupied while Bakhai shoots them.”

“Can you still throw daggers with that on your back?” Bakhai asked Mistake as he waited for the hellsouls to get closer.

“Just watch me,” Mistake grinned. “And I managed to pick up a few spare daggers in my travels too.”

“I am not surprised,” chuckled Bakhai. “Keep an eye behind us when you can. The ones in the square will be coming. I think these are meant to slow us down.”

“Twenty of them to slow us down?” queried Mistake. “Aren’t we getting a little cocky?”

“Tagoro said I was a natural with a bow,” grinned Bakhai. “I will match my arrows against your daggers.”

Just then, the first hellsouls reached Rejji and Mobi. Bakhai let his arrow fly and hit a hellsoul in the thigh while Rejji hit one with his staff and Mobi shoved his spear into another.

“A little higher, hotshot,” called Mistake as she raced forward to get a little closer.

The staff in Rejji’s hands was glowing hot as he swung it into the head of a hellsoul. The creature’s head flew across the street as its body steamed to nothing. He saw Mobi lash his spear across the throat of one hellsoul while impaling another. Rejji stepped forward to attack another hellsoul only to watch as an arrow imbedded in its chest and a dagger penetrated its forehead. He swiftly touched the body with his staff as it fell and the body disintegrated. Rejji continued moving forward as a strange energy surged through his body. The blows he struck on the hellsouls seemed to deliver more force than he was capable of, but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind and continued swinging every time there was a target. He watched what the others were doing and always tried to touch a slain hellsoul with his staff, to ensure that it didn’t get up again.

Within moments, the street was clear except for three hellsouls and they turned around to run away. Rejji chased after them. One went down with a dagger in its back and Rejji touched it with his staff as he jumped over it. An arrow claimed the next one and Rejji was not even clear of the body when he saw the last one go down to the spear that Mobi had thrown. He touched the last one with his staff and Mobi’s spear clattered to the ground in a cloud of smoke. Mobi picked up his spear and Bakhai arrived with Voltak over his shoulder.

“They are all coming,” gasped Bakhai as Mobi hefted his fellow Qubari warrior from Bakhai.

Rejji look back along the broad avenue and saw the black storm coming. “No time for rest,” he said. “Run!”

Rejji kept looking back as they ran, measuring the speed of the hellsouls with his memory of how far the gate was. He knew if they were traveling unburdened, they would easily make the gate, but carrying the gold and Voltak was obviously taking its toll on the group. He sprinted forward and tried to get Mistake to give him the gold, but she answered by going faster. He offered to take Voltak, but Mobi just shook his head wearily.

Another hellsoul appeared before them and Bakhai stopped and struck it with an arrow before Rejji ever felt the warmth from the staff. He touched the staff to it as he passed and then raced ahead of the group as the gates appeared in the distance.

Rejji reached the gates and placed his hand on them and waited impatiently as they slowly swung open. The Qubari warriors saw Mobi carrying Voltak as he ran and they poured into the city and set up a defensive stand. Rejji turned to check on the hellsouls and saw that they had stopped a couple of blocks from the gate. The group passed safely through the gates and Rejji touched them to make them close.

The group assembled at the campsite the Qubari warriors had set up. None of the warriors had asked about Grank. They knew that Mobi would not have left him behind if he were still alive.

“I need a tyrik,” stated Mobi. “Voltak is infected with a poison or something magical. He must be taken to the village as fast as possible.”

“A tyrik?” questioned Rejji. “What will the tyrik do?”

“One of my men will ride the tyrik with Voltak’s body,” Mobi explained. “They are much faster than we can ever be.”

“They allow this?” Rejji responded.

“Of course,” nodded Mobi. “We are one with the animals. Why would they not help when we need it?”

“I expected that the tyrik would treat you as anything else that got stuck in their web,” Rejji frowned.

“The tyrik are trusted allies,” declared Mobi. “When the jungle is threatened, they are the first we call.”

Several of the Qubari warriors passed bowls of food out to those returning from Angragar, and Rejji realized how hungry he was. He sat down and began eating.

“The three of you fought like seasoned warriors today,” complimented Mobi. “I would be proud to welcome any of you into one of my missions. I admit from our first meeting that I expected to have to constantly reassure you and protect you, but you have behaved admirably and shown great skill and courage in the face of danger.”

“They are Qubari,” added one of the warriors. “How could you expect any different?”

“They have not been Qubari for long,” smiled Mobi, “and I meant the compliment to include the elf as well.”

Mistake blushed and Rejji and Bakhai erupted in laughter.

The wind roared across the open plains of Vandegar, stirring up columns of whirling dust, and causing the armies below to seek what little shelter they could find. Veltar raised his hood and turned his back to the wind as he stood near the edge of the platform atop the Vandegar Temple. He was gazing at the door to the temple, his mind lost to plans of conquest, when Zygor stepped out of the doorway.

“Master,” bowed Zygor. “Why do you spend your time up here?”

“Welcome back, Zygor,” nodded Veltar. “I spend time here because this is the site of our master’s worst defeat. It is a constant reminder that failure is unacceptable. Look out at that long arm of the sea that covers the old Plains of Vandegar. They say that millions of souls perished there. It was a humiliating defeat.”

“Is it not better to concentrate on the victories?” posed Zygor.

“No,” scowled Veltar. “The victories are many, but the lessons are learned from serious defeats. Speaking of failures, General Winus has complained to Grulak about your operation in the east. He said you killed sixty of his men.”

“That I did,” sneered Zygor. “General Winus is a fool and incompetent. His men are worse.”

“Still, we must suffer with Grulak and his minions for a time yet,” lectured Veltar. “It does not serve our master to weaken the Jiadin at this time. You are to tread more softly with these Fakarans until the time is right. What about Rejji?”

“I believe him dead, but I have not discovered his body yet,” reported Zygor. “He and his two friends ascended Mount Kiator. I destroyed the only trail up the mountain. He may have died in the avalanche or he may have made it past the break. I am not sure which. If he is alive on that mountain, he will die of starvation. The army still blocks the path below the break. In any event, he cannot leave the mountain alive.”

Veltar turned and stared down at the plains. The wind had abated somewhat and the armies were scurrying about, repairing tents and running after things that had blown away.

“These pitiful wretches call themselves an army,” spat Zygor who had moved to stand alongside Veltar. “Soon they shall see what a real army is like.”

“They serve their purpose,” admonished Veltar. “All they need to do is to create havoc and weaken Khadora’s fractured clans. There will be no organized resistance left after that. It is the boy that troubles me. He plays a large part in our master’s destiny and he must be eliminated.”

“That is almost assured,” smiled Zygor. “As I said, if he is not already dead, he will die upon that mountain.”

“Almost is not good enough,” spat Veltar. “I want you to bridge that gap in the trail and seek his body. I cannot rest until I am sure he is dead.”

“Why is he so important to our master?” asked Zygor.

“Because he bears the mark of legend,” explained Veltar. “Our master fears he may be the long awaited Astor, one of those who will usher in the Time of Cleansing.”

“Bah,” ridiculed Zygor, “such legends are sweets for children. There can be no cleansing of evil from the land. If anything, evil will always triumph because it is stronger than good. Besides, why does our master fear the legends of one of the other gods?”

“I do not question his motives,” warned Veltar with a wave of dismissal. “You would be wise to follow my lead. Bring me the body of Rejji.”

“As you command,” Zygor bowed.

***

“Not much of a town,” frowned Mistake as the village of Ghala came into view.

“Not yet,” replied Rejji, “but the soil looks well watered. Perhaps with the right seeds, this could be fertile fields of grain.”

“How are we going to get started?” asked Bakhai. “We can’t just march in and say we are going to build a town.”

“I have been giving that a lot of thought,” responded Rejji. “I do not imagine these people will be much different than the villagers where I was raised. I expect an honest and friendly people, but perhaps wary of outsiders. They will look favorably on attempts to help them, provided there is no motive of greed.”

“I hope you are right,” frowned Mistake, “but maybe we should think about burying some of this gold before we get there. We have lost more gold than we have spent since I met you.”

“Probably a good idea,” nodded Rejji. “Let us do it now before they notice us approaching. In that stand of trees on the right should be a safe place. We will dally here for a while as if we are having a meal before approaching the village.”

“There is no need for that,” offered Bakhai. “I will take the sack up into one of the trees where it will be hidden without the need for disturbing the ground.”

“Good,” smiled Rejji. “I am anxious to get to the village. Fill our pouches with gold first so we have some to spread among the villagers to show our lack of greed.”

Bakhai helped lift the heavy sack off of Mistake’s back and fill their pouches. He hoisted the sack onto his own back and scampered up a large tree and returned in minutes.