A dragonslayers tale

He enjoyed a good meal and then he visited his own private bath where a slave massaged him and another made sure that his skin was dried off and that his hair looked good. He had always been good looking but lately his good looks had started to deteriorate. It wasn’t that he didn’t take care of himself, it was more that he didn’t care about anything else than power and that ruthlessness and cold did show in his eyes and made his face look more grim than before. He was thinking about the next stages of the grand plan, in a few days’ new scores of dragons and other monsters would be set free and he knew that nobody out there would have any chance against these creatures the dark mages had conjured up. The foundations had been made by their predecessors and they had just gone some steps further and in his eyes perfected that which the mages of old had created. If someone said that these things had been abandoned for a reason he wouldn’t listen, his world had no place for those who were negative at all.

He walked down towards the basement of the citadel, it was there that most of the magic was done and that was where the spells and journals of the ancient ones had been kept. Nobody had dared to meddle with them until Ognias came along and now all the books and scrolls were being used for all that they were worth. The mages were busy again, chanting loudly. The basement was made up of several great halls, all decorated with magical runes and symbols and Simaon did wander through them with his chin held high and a cocky expression on his face. He didn’t see the anger in the glances the others sent him, and he ignored the mumbling and cuss words some produced. He was heading for the main hall and he pushed the grand doors open and walked in as if he owned the room. The hall was painted black, and the ceiling had a very realistic sky painted onto it, with stars and constellations made with fluorescent colour.

It did look like you suddenly had stepped outside on a clear winter night and the sight usually made peoples stop and stare but Simaon had seen it all before and it didn’t impress him at all. Three mages and a couple of his fellow leaders were busy preparing a spell to transport more dragons out onto the plains and they were using a lot of power to fulfil it. Making such a spell work was like trying to push two magnets against each other, plus side versus plus side and it required an insane amount of energy and skill. One of the other leaders hurried down from the dais they were standing on to meet him, afraid that Simaon would disturb the fragile magic. He bowed his head and Simaon stared at the fat guy with some distaste. “So, Arabur, how is it going?”

Arabur wiped the sweat off his face, he was angry that Simaon had appeared now for they needed to really focus to achieve their goal. “Good, we are there soon.”

Simaon just stared at the mages, they were chanting rather loudly and drawing intricate patterns in the air with crystals of power. It did look ridiculous in his eyes and he felt nothing but contempt for the mages since they seemed so terribly narrow minded. Arabur got a foul expression in his eyes. “So, have that associate of yours done the job? Is that magical power capable of killing a dragon identified?”

Simaon hissed, he didn’t like it when his co-workers asked him questions, did Arabur perhaps question his authority?

“The source is identified yes, and on its way to us, it is most unusual and needs to be investigated”

Arabur cocked his head, his eyes narrow. “On its way here? Is it captured then? In the hands of our associate?”

Simaon put on his most haughty expression. “Not captured no, but definitely in the hands of one of ours, such magic cannot be provoked unless suspicions will arise. The source appears to be human, and whence here we will find out if the magic can be used for our purposes”

Arabur felt a need to roll his eyes, he had never really believed in the things old Badrian said but this was what he saw as a cause for worries. “Is your associate heading this way alone with this human? If not I would warn you that the old prophecies speak of great danger”

Simaon scoffed, looked at Arabur with distaste. “No, it is apparently a group, but we know nothing more than that, probably dragon slayers. Our friend cannot reveal the true motif just yet, naturally enough. I have used some very simple magical devices to keep in contact, through this person’s dreams.”

Arabur cocked his head. “A traitor then, such an unwise move. Someone betraying once will betray twice, I would have thought that you of all people should know this?”

Simaon glared at the short fat guy, normally his glance would make others back down but this time Arabur didn’t, he just stared back with a small grin which made Simaon boil with anger. “Are you insinuating something here?”

Arabur just shrugged “I don’t know, am I?”

Simaon swallowed his anger, promising himself to punish this disobedient little piece of blubber in the worst way possible. “I have no doubt about the loyalty of that person, don’t worry, any dangers will be eliminated long before the one with the magic reaches our realm. My associate is loyal, and won’t dare to turn around.”

Arabur just nodded, the little grin still there. “Good, I hope your confidence is based upon something real then, too bad if we suddenly had to face enemies here in our city. It is not made to be defended”

Simaon rolled his eyes. “You are whining like an old woman Arabur, what do we have to fear ha? We are powerful, soon every king and lord will bow before us. Go help your friends there now, like the good little pug you are”

Arabur almost sneered, his somewhat bulging eyes and shape had earned him that nickname and he hated it intensely. He hated Simaon and he didn’t try to hide it at all, he just glared at the tall black haired man and then he turned around and walked back up the dais. One day he would murder Simaon and it would be the sweetest day of his entire life!

Arabur watched as Simaon argued a little with the high mage in charge of this operation and he nodded over to one of the other lords present. They had all followed Simaon because his visions were grand though he weren’t. He could open doors for them yes, but then he would be disposable and Arabur felt very strongly that Simaon now had done what he could and that he was useless. The other lord walked over, seemingly to hand over some scrolls but he made a little gesture and created a sort of room around the two where they could speak in private, no sound would escape it. Arabur almost sneered. “He has become too cocky, he is insufferable. Do we need him anymore?”

Lord Buraz stroked his long white beard and squinted, his eyes were hard. “No, his value is spent. We have all the people we need and we all know that Simaon is too ambitious for his own good. He is moving ahead too fast, we cannot keep up with him. All the mages are complaining, their grip on the new creations is fragile at its best”

Arabur nodded. “The magical force felt out there, it is coming this way, with that person he claims is loyal to us. I do not like it”

Buraz did look shocked for a second. “Oh by the abyss, that is bad. We cannot risk that, even if the power is subdued somehow it can wreak havoc on our spells. Everything is so sensitive now it is like living in a house made from eggshells.”

Arabur swallowed. “Do we intervene again? I did order for some of the new inventions to be on the lookout for anything magical after he mentioned this the first time but apparently that didn’t work at all.”

Buraz nodded slowly, his eyes were even colder now. “Of course we intervene! We cannot let anyone enter this realm, friend or foe unless we are in control of that someone. Simaon have no idea of how delicate the balance is right now, one wrong move and it will all crumble to the ground”

Arabur was almost jumping up and down and his eyes were shining with glee. “Shall I or will you?”

Buraz grunted. “I will speak to the mages under my command, this idea of Simaon needs to be stopped right now. We cannot let this strange magic enter before our final procedures are done, not even if it is friendly. Don’t worry brother, nothing will get through the wall in that direction, I will make sure of that. My mages will take care of it, I don’t see a cause to raise an alarm yet, but I will ask them to be careful still. We have weapons now which nobody can fight.”

Arabur did look like a kid asking for candy from a kind but also strict adult. “Can I deal with Simaon? Please? I would love to watch him squirm, love to show him just how worthless he is”

Buraz smiled slowly. “Why of course my friend, we can all agree that Simaon’s role is over, he is just trash now and not even the dragons would want that one. He is too full of spite even for them, he would give them indigestion. Go ahead, get rid of him and please, do it in an epic manner. We do need some entertainment these days, it has been all work and no fun for way too long”

Arabur grinned so widely Buraz saw all his teeth. “It will be my pleasure lord Buraz, Simaon won’t see many more sunrises, I promise. I will go and make plans right now, and I swear that our so called leader will regret the very day he was born”

Buraz crossed his arms over his chest, his expression a pleased one and he bowed his neck and smiled. “Good my brother, may the chaos be with you. “

Arabur just waved and ran off, his short legs moving faster than ever before. It would be his finest hour for sure. Yes, he would make sure that Simaon left this world in a manner which would make people faint in horror for years to come.

As the night went by the storm seemed to intensify, Shaluun said it was a good sign, it meant that it would pass by. A storm which held its intensity was one which would last for days and the cave was warm now and they had food and a warm place to stay. Rhuk was melting snow to get water for the horses and he liked being busy so he didn’t complain and they switched guarding the entrance. Right now Rhuk was describing the proper way to caress someone’s feet to Shaluun and the elf was sweating and trying to find an excuse he could use to make the dwarf shut up without insulting him. He had no need to know how to suck someone’s toes and the idea of hairy dwarf feet was a giant turn off anyhow. Rhuk was almost lyrical as he recalled the feet of the females he had been with and Shaluun rolled his eyes, he could understand that some guys would remember tits, or asses, but feet? No way, to him feet were made to walk with, not to… Oh Gods, Rhuk was telling him how one lass he had been with had such long toes she could literally wrap her big toe and the one next to it around Rhuk’s cock and get him off that way and Shaluun wished he was somewhere else, anywhere. This was as bad as it got, he was sure that if you placed Rhuk in a cell with an orc the orc would confess every foul deed it had ever done before an hour was gone, just to get away, even if the escape came through beheading.

Tersus and Peter were asleep and nobody had lain down in that area of the cave, it was rather apparent why for the dampness of the weather the last days had turned Tersus into a stink bomb of epic proportions. Even the horses did shun him. Phraan had lain down in a small alcove on a thick layer of hay, he was sleeping soundly and had wrapped himself into his blankets and he was very comfortable. He was dreaming about Vitile, reliving one of their encounters back in the day. They had been hunting a pack of grey backs and brought the last one down just outside of a huge groove of old trees and the group had camped there for a while. Their horses needed rest and they were hungry and tired too. Vitile had dragged Phraan with her into the forest and on a small clearing they had more or less torn their clothes off and ended up on the ground, desperate for each other. He could see her even now, that gorgeous body writhing under him and the tight warmth of her embracing him until he could take it no more and came screaming her name. She had marked him good that night, he had been proud to carry the marks of her nails and teeth for days afterwards. He was moaning in his sleep, it felt as if he still had her soft hands caressing his body, as if he yet again was burying himself in her heat and he writhed against his simple matrass. She was riding him, then he remembered having her from behind bent over a branch. He had a good memory and now it became a curse for he knew she was gone.

Suddenly the dream changed, she was on top of him again, riding him slowly and he was panting and close to completion, his body straining against her, desperate for relief. He had his eyes closed and just enjoyed the sensation and then it dawned upon him that it felt different. She was heavier than that? The rhythm was wrong also and he forced his eyes open, knowing he was still dreaming. He was in the cave but there were nobody there, and he was being ridden but this time it was Imeah straddling his hips. The shock sort of paralyzed him, why did he dream of Imeah? He had never felt attracted to her before? She was gorgeous, that was no point in denying that but why? She was so pale she seemed to glow from within and her bright red eyes were unreal and shining like rubies in the dark. Her elegant hands were pressing against his chest as she was moving slowly on him and Phraan stared in disbelief at the lithe body which was creating such breath taking pleasure for him. Her breasts were firm but surprisingly large and the nipples hard and pointing at him and he found that he was unable to escape the allure of her beauty and the feeling she was creating in him. Long silky white hair was flowing over his thighs like a river of silk and it was a caress in itself and the smooth coolness was what tipped him over the edge, he came helplessly, arching up against her and he groaned and threw his head back and then he woke up, gasping and utterly confused.

He was no stranger to erotic dreams, for decades they had been his only companions if he didn’t count his right hand, but Imeah?! Why would he dream of her like that? It wasn’t right, he barely knew her and those clothes of her hid almost everything about her which betrayed that she was a female. He bit his lower lip, nobody seemed to have noticed anything so he hadn’t really made any sounds, he shifted and sighed, rolled his eyes, perfect! He had really come, and now his pants were sticky and wet and would stay that way too for there was no chance of a proper wash now. He buried his face in his blankets, embarrassed and uncomfortable and very confused too. He tried to go back to sleep, his body was still thrumming with the aftermath of his release, he felt heavy and relaxed and it had been good but why now? It had been a while now since the last time he and Vitile had been together but that shouldn’t affect him that much, not yet anyhow. He took a deep breath and cringed, forced himself to think of something else than the mess he had created in his pants, he was no better than a horny youth.

He had to think about when he first met Vitile, how desperate he had been and how she had explained a lot to him which did explain why he felt the way he did. He had been chasing the women like a madman back then and believed that it was becauce of the situation, the very well known fact that facing death every day can boost one’s libido a lot. She had told him that it wasn’t so, that it was normal for young elves to be that eager for some decades or even centuries after they matured. He had been at the age where it was normal to find a mate and settle down and it had felt a bit sore when she also explained that his mixed heritage most likely had rendered him sterile. But she had been just as eager as him and always willing and he had been so sure that she was his true love, the one born to complete his soul, it was making the sorrow even more raw and terrible now.After a while he did fall asleep again, the darkness and the silence was enough to bring him back to the realm of dreams.

Zaray lay on the other side of the cave, she was half buried in the hay and a blanket hid her face but her eyes were shining, it was going the right way. He was so sensitive and so easy to manipulate. Preparing him was important, there could be no resistance if this was to end well. He was wearing the hair bracelet she had given him and thus she could access his mind and prepare him for what had to come. She sighed and closed her eyes, fate was playing a very mean game and it was tempting to change the odds but she knew that she couldn’t. The game had to be played the way it was planned. She had an unpleasant expression on her face, they would face resistance, and oh she knew the brotherhood, way better than they believed. And whatever plans they had been brewing were already on the verge of becoming like a runaway cart down a steep hill, nobody knew in what direction it would head, only that it would end in a disaster. Zaray’s smile was one filled with hidden promises, she would succeed for there was no other way. The seer knew what fate awaited her, and she had come up with a solution all by herself. Zaray was in awe of the courage and will of that young one, she would never have been so calm about it. Zaray had done what she could, now it was all up to fate, it was as it ought to be. The only question was what they would have to face next, the area was never without dangers.

The next morning came with snow and wind but it was way better than it had been and Shaluun promised that it would clear up. They fed the horses and themselves and broke camp as the sun started to show through the clouds, outside it was two feet of snow and they had to form a line and switch between riding in front so the horses didn’t get too tired. Here and there they encountered deep drifts they had to ride around and it did slow them down and the terrain was rather bad some places. It was so ragged it was hard to determine what direction to choose and yet Zaray did manage to keep them on the right path most of the time. The wind stopped in the middle of the day and the sun did break through and the landscape was suddenly beautiful and not at all what it had been just hours before. Phraan was still embarrassed and didn’t want to speak to anyone, his eyes kept drifting towards Imeah, she seemed to be just herself, silent and withdrawn and not at all willing to converse with anyone. They saw some wolves off in the distance and also a bear and Phraan found it reassuring that there still was some natural wildlife left. This area had probably seen few dragons is any at all since there weren’t any settlements there and the trolls wouldn’t leave their caves now that it was sunny and relatively warm. They had a small break in the middle of the evening, the horses needed more food and they had packed as much hay as they possibly could carry. Everybody had huge bales tied to the back of their saddles and it did look weird but the rope they had brought did come in handy.

The next night was spent in far less comfortable surroundings, a very rocky campsite between some huge boulders. Phraan was very glad when they could ride on the morning after, he hadn’t been able to close one eye at all. That day was rather grey and dark and before long they did see some trolls, the pack was rather large and moving fast and it became rather apparent that the huge creatures had spotted them so there was only one thing to do, ride hard. Zaray did find a good path to take, she was steering them towards the hidden path and there was no doubt that she was a very good guide. The trolls didn’t manage to keep up with them at all but they all knew that the beasts would be following their trail so Zaray did find a frozen lake they did cross one by one, leading their horses by the reins. The weight of a troll is rather large and they prefer not to cross frozen water since they do sink like a rock should they fall through the ice. Ivran tried to weaken the ice but the result was that holes appeared everywhere in a very nice embroidery pattern he once had seen his mother had used, Dhokay had to laugh and claimed that this would be the only time those trolls would encounter high culture in any form and the ice was after all rather unsafe now.

They rode on and Zaray told them that they were two days away from the hidden path now, she could almost see its start. They were riding down a slope when Zaray suddenly stopped and stared at something moving at the end of the valley they were entering, it was many moving shapes and they were heading their way and Phraan did draw his blades and spurred Drake. He felt a scent he knew just too well and suddenly several creatures seemed to sprout out of the snow drifts. Fastonar shouted and they formed a circle around Imeah, she did look terrified and it was no wonder. These were no trolls, they were orcs. The mountain orcs are normally peaceful and won’t attack others unless they are provoked but Phraan immediately saw that these were outlaws. The orcs have a very strict code of honour and conduct and these had probably broken one or more of the unwritten laws of their community. Fastonar roared and rode one of them down, finishing the orc off with his sword. There was a flurry of movement now, snow flowing through the air and the orcs were trying to kill them all beyond any doubt. Dhokay roared and swung the great hammer and the two dwarves jumped off their horses and became like spinning dervishes, axes cutting a bloody path through the larger and slower opponents. Orcs are large, way larger than a human and extremely strong but they aren’t that fast and their weapons were primitive. Phraan had thrown his hood down and he was steering Drake with his heels and the huge destrier was kicking and baring its teeth, fighting just like its rider.

Phraan knew orcs very well, he had fought them countless times and he knew that they have one important weakness. If the leader falls the rest will often scatter or surrender and he had already located the chieftain of this group. It was a huge one with two impressive tusks and two long braids. The orc wore a sort of mask made from bones and it did make him look very intimidating but Phraan had already seen his weak spot. The orc was limping a bit, probably an old injury and Phraan spurred Drake and rode straight against the orc. The chieftain saw him coming and swung his javelin to throw it at the oncoming horse but Phraan swung Drake out of the way and threw himself out of the saddle and the impact made the orc fall backwards into the snow. Phraan growled and buried one of his blades in the orc’s sternum and its final scream made the other orcs freeze up. Suddenly the will to fight was slightly reduced and Dhokay finished off a couple of them just like a gardener cuts down some unwanted weeds. Phraan raised the sword and roared and the orcs seemed to recognize him for they just threw themselves down and wailed in fear. Just five were left alive and Phraan wondered what they were doing there, so high up in the mountains. Orcs rarely leave their valleys and in this area there was little game and nothing worth fighting for.

The five surviving orcs did clump together and they seemed to be terrified and for some reason they appeared to be extra scared of Zaray and Imeah. They didn’t even look at the two of them and Phraan walked over to them and saw that they all were branded. They had a huge symbol brutally burned into their foreheads and he hissed and swung his blade. “You are damned, condemned to die. Anyone has the right to kill you, and I will not hesitate to act as the hand of doom if you don’t tell us why!”

They all stared stubbornly down, Phraan shook his blade. “So?”

A voice interrupted, it was deep and growling and they turned around and saw a single orc heading towards them, he was old and dressed as a shaman with antlers attached to his headgear and his face was tattooed with bizarre black patterns. The huge tusks had been carved into the likeness of tree trunks and he wore a wolf’s skull around his neck. “No point in asking them son of the south, they will not confess to their crime”

Phraan bowed his head in respect, this was an old orc, and he moved with obvious discomfort and had to use a cane to be able to walk through the snow. “Old one”

The orc smiled, he was partly blind judging from his one white eye and the skin seemed to have lost its colour. Phraan knew that this was a dying orc, one who had lost its strength and now was waiting to return to the halls of the ancestors. “These outcasts have been hunted by my tribe for many turns of the moon, they are murderers and thieves and have no name”

Dhokay tensed up and Shaluun too did stare at the five, an orc with no name was someone who had done something so terrible few even would mention the nature of the crime. Phraan swallowed. “You are far from the blessed valleys old one”

The old shaman nodded. “Yes, my last hunt, but a necessary one. These had to be found and brought to justice, my old bones won’t rest until they are dead”

Thiana and Taurin was staring at the old orc, they weren’t used to the race at all and the old orc was frightening but Phraan knew the race well and knew that he came from a peaceful tribe who wouldn’t harm anyone. “You are not alone old one”

The shaman shook his head. “No, I have ten warriors with me, waiting behind the hill. We do not wish to startle anyone and I could see that you were capable of dealing with this scum all on your own.”

Phraan took a deep breath. “I am Phraan, I think you have heard of me?”

The shaman nodded. “The one death loves, her lover. Thalak-Bhar. I know you, you are highly regarded by my tribe”

Phraan knew that a worthy enemy was respected by every orc, even the peaceful ones and this tribe had to be nothing but farmers and gatherers judging by the symbols on the shaman’s face. He stared at the wolf skull and smiled. “So, brother of wolves, what is it that these have done?”

The shaman sighed, Phraan saw age stains on his hands and a surge of pity rushed through him, orcs are very kind and gentle towards their elder, for an old male to leave the comfort of his tribe like that had to take something very important. “They have thrown our old ways away and embraced dark gods, gods of chaos. They lead a group of terrible monsters to one of our village and sacrificed several of our young to these foul deities. One of them was my granddaughter”

Rhuk was gasping and Dabin looked aghast, orcs were like dwarves, there were few females among them and those daughters they did get were regarded as something almost sacred. The old shaman stared at the five with anger in his one seeing eye. “Their leader was once a promising shaman, one of the young I had great faith in. But he was turned away from the path of honour and chose darkness instead. I am glad you killed him, he should have suffered more though”

Zaray had been silent, she just sat on her mule staring at the old shaman and her eyes were distant. “You said monsters, can you describe them?”

The shaman nodded, he didn’t look at her at all, and it was as if he was in too much awe of her to dare to. “Of course daughter of flames. They did look like wolves but they were so much larger and their bodies, they were decaying, rotting and yet they were alive. Everyone who got bitten died in terrible agony and some did die but came back to life, as horrible abominations. We had to kill them again”

Zaray swallowed visibly and cringed, her eyes closed for a few seconds. “Dark magic, of the very worst kind.”

The shaman nodded. “Yes, we could feel them from afar, like a dark hole in the world, something which simply shouldn’t be. These males have cooperated with the powers of true evil, there is no absolution and no rescue”

Phraan sighed. “Do you want me to kill them old one?”

The old orc nodded. “Yes, please. By your blades they must be sent to the darkness, their souls are condemned and will never enter the halls. “

The five started to wail and Phraan put on a very cold grin. “I think I will share this honour with Fastonar here, what do you say brother, two for you and three for me?”

Fastonar did pull his sword. “Sounds fair to me Phraan, so let’s do it”

The five didn’t try to escape, they weren’t tied down or anything since they appeared to be petrified and unable to put up any resistance. Phraan beheaded his three and Fastonar did run two through with his blade and the bodies collapsed onto the snow, twitching and then becoming still. The old orc grinned. “Praised be the goddess, this was done well. I am very grateful.”

Zaray tilted her head. “Old honoured one, we are heading north to end the scourge of dragons and monsters, what can you tell us of the area ahead?”

The old orc bowed his head. “Daughter of flames, the path you all are about to take is a very dangerous one indeed. Behind those mountains awaits nothing but death and ruin, the dark souls have been reawakened”

Zaray did look rather intense. “And yet we have to go, if not everything will be lost”

The old shaman grunted. “You are brave, yes, all of you are very brave. The dangers ahead are plentiful and they are terrible. The wall will not allow you to pass through”

Zaray had a strange expression upon her face. “We have the means to cross it old one, don’t worry”

The old orc sighed and then he smiled. “I see more than others, that is why I was called to become a shaman, a seer. The old tales are coming to fruition now, I can see that. May the Gods be with you, you will face so many challenges”

Fastonar was sheathing his sword again. “So, are trolls the major problem or are there worse creatures about?”

The old orc chuckled, crossed his arms over his chest. He had to have been a very impressive specimen once upon a time, a huge and muscular male. “There are the wolf like creatures we were attacked by, they are stealthy and attack in the night. And we have also seen some peculiar tracks from something truly strange. It looked like the track of a snake but so very much larger than any snake we have seen. The track was wider than the belly of a horse”

Fastonar was staring at Phraan. “The old scrolls at the temple did speak of great wyrms, maybe?”

Phraan just shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine I think. It could be anything really”

He turned to the shaman again. “You know of the city on the other side of the mountains? How?”

The orc smiled again. “My people don’t live for as long as you long ears but we do remember for we keep the word alive, from generation to generation. Once upon a time the lands to the north were ours to rule, we orcs did belong up there. We lived in peace and prosperity, hunting the packs of long noses and spear noses and we were happy but then the dark souls came north and betrayed our leaders, lured them south with promises of great treasure and plenty of game. It was all a lie, and they took our land and built that city in what was a holy place to us.”

Thiana and Taurin did look confused and Phraan turned to them. “It is a very old story, and the orcs have always longed to return to their own land. But the brotherhood has blocked them from returning, the magic stops them. “

Thiana frowned, “That is not fair, if that was their land they ought to be able to go back? That would be just natural!”

Phraan nodded and the old shaman smiled at Thiana. “Oh young child of the woods, your heart is very pure and very free. Keep it that way, but beware. We were like you are now back then, uncorrupted. The dark ones made us into villains, many tribes became killers, war like and aggressive. We forgot about the way and that was the undoing of our people, now we are few and maybe our time is over.”

Zaray stared at the shaman. “The sacred valley, where the city is built. It was very special wasn’t it, because of something unique” ¨

The shaman took a swift look at her, his eyes huge. “You know of this? By the great goddess, yes, it was a source of extremely strong magic. Deep in the bowels of the earth a heart stone rests, and its magic permeates both rock and air. It was what gave the dark brotherhood their power, they have defiled a pure source of light and turned into a force of evil.”

Zaray was smiling, her eyes somewhat sinister. “So, if that taint was removed, what would happen?”

The old orc wetted his lips, his eyes filled with longing. “The life would return to the land, we would be able to return to the plains and forests of our ancestors. The balance restored”

Zaray just nodded and her smile was almost sinister. “I bet someone would be genuinely pissed if that happened. What would happen to the magic used by the dark ones if the source was cleansed?”

The shaman tilted his head. “Their magic would be undone, at least what is purely of a magical nature. “

Phraan swallowed . “Can the source be cleansed?”

The shaman nodded. “Yes, but it cannot be done by anyone of light or darkness.”

They all looked a bit puzzled. “So, who then can cleanse it?”

The shaman shrugged. “Nobody knows, the old ones had no clue.”

Zaray did look bewildered. “A person can only be of the light or of the darkness, there is nothing else is there?”

The shaman did look down, his eyes distant. “There is a very old saying oh daughter of flames, there is something hidden in the city, and if given to the one by fate chosen it will transform that one, into something new. But what? Nobody knows”

Zaray sighed and rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t tell us much”

The shaman shrugged and pulled his coat tighter around himself. “No, I am sorry. But I will pray for you all, you will need it”

Phraan sent the old one a swift smile “I am grateful old one, we will not forget your words”

The shaman looked down and there was a strange expression on the ragged old face. “I have had strange dreams of late, I have seen such odd things.”

Phraan had to think of his own dreams of late and he managed to stop himself from blushing, just in the nick of time. The old shaman raised his face towards the skies. “I was staring at a naked hill, it was a clear night and the stars were all out, like bright gems on the firmament. The hill was steep, and rocky and there was no sign of life”

The orc closed his eyes. “I was alone, and afraid, and then there was a light but it wasn’t like any light I had ever seen before for it was like every colour and feeling there has ever been. I knew I was staring at the pure raw magic, the very core of everything. The seed from which everything have sprung and I was filled with awe and joy. It became form, it became flesh and I was staring at a creature, clothed in a mortal form, the essence of the original spark of life.”

Zaray was listening intently and they all looked a bit fascinated by the old orc’s words, his voice was so sincere, so filled with true belief and reverence and for a moment he did look almost young again, as if yet again filled with strength and power. Taurin had held his breath “So, what was it? What sort of creature?”

The orc sent the wood elf a soft smile. “A human, and yet not a human, not entirely. The dream ended there but I did have the same dream for many nights, the goddess was trying to tell me something.”

Phraan cocked his head. “Do you know what?”

The old orc nodded. “Yes, do not think that a humble wrapping cannot hide something powerful. Looks may be deceiving.”

Fastonar was grinning. “That is in truth very wise, I have seen that many times”

The old orc stared at the soul sworn and his one seeing eye seemed to blaze with some sort of dark emotion. “Beware son of the blade, your path may take an unexpected turn”

Fastonar seemed to Blanche for a second, then he smiled. “Well, the unexpected is the only thing we can be truly sure of now isn’t it?”

The old orc shrugged and bowed deeply. “I have delayed you all, I will return to my men and we will go back to our village and tell everybody that the evil doers are dead. There will be much joy then.”

Phraan smiled and bowed back. “Safe journey old one, take care. “

The old orc grasped his hand and for a second Phraan saw him wink, there was something in his hand and Phraan did instinctively close his own fist around it. “I wish you too a safe journey, remember your name. “

The orc turned around and started wading through the snow and Phraan grasped Drake’s reins and lifted himself into the saddle, he stared down at the thing in his palm for a second before he hid it in his belt pocket. It was a tiny piece of metal, not larger than the nail of his little finger and it looked like an ordinary metal shard, a leftover from the forging of some weapon. But Phraan knew that the old one never would have handed it over thus if it hadn’t been important and he just felt that he ought to keep this as a secret. Fastonar mounted too and waved after the old orc, he did seem relieved that the shaman was going. “We better get going, we will need to find shelter again before it gets dark”

Zaray was staring at Fastonar’s back and her eyes were narrow, Phraan did sense that she for some reason didn’t like the knight. The group started moving again and Zaray pointed. “The peak over there, with the odd shape is our goal. The hidden path starts there.”

Everybody stared and Phraan was frowning, the peak rose above a wall of rock, a vertical obstacle nobody could cross without wings. It was at least some thousand feet tall and smooth as a dancefloor, at least it looked that way from a distance. Zaray didn’t say anything more about it and Rhuk and Dabin did shrug and just accept it. Dwarves are pretty accepting when it comes to things involving mountains, they know that rock can hide secrets nobody would guess were possible.

They were lucky that the wind had blown most of the snow into drifts now and those could be avoided, thus it was easier to ride and Zaray did aim for a sort of cliff. The top did look strange and as they got closer Phraan did see that it in fact was an old fortress. It was more or less a ruin now and he had no idea that there had been such buildings constructed so far up north. Zaray squinted and pointed at it. “That is where we’ll spend the night, it is a nice place to camp.”

Taurin was staring and his eyes were narrow. “What sort of fortress is that?”

Zaray smiled, she let the mule find its own way between the drifts. “An ancient one, built by the forces of light back when the war was raging. It was a stronghold, an outpost. It was from here the wall was erected”

The wood elf did look impressed. “Then it is very old, there shouldn’t be anything left of it by now”

Zaray grinned. “Yes, but it contains strong magic, it has kept it standing. It is a rather safe place, the trolls shouldn’t be able to bother us up there at all”

Thiana smiled and Phraan saw that the wood elf was relieved. This open and naked landscape had to be rather disturbing for a child of the woods. As they got closer they did see that the cliff wasn’t as naked as they had first assumed, the ground wasn’t bare rock but a sort of scree and everywhere small bushes grew. Phraan knew the type, they were extremely tough and the branches long and filled with thorns. This bush could grow where other plants could not and it would spread like wildfire unless kept in check. Here nothing had held it back and it covered the cliff like a layer of living barbed wire.

Zaray whistled and looked impressed. “Now, that is protection in itself, I don’t think those who built the place would have been able to come up with a better way to keep enemies at bay than this”

There was a road leading to the fortress, they saw it now. It was winding along a ridge and it was free from snow and rather uneven and not at all safe. Fastonar frowned. “Two more hours of ride, we can reach it before dark, but only just”

Zaray nodded. “Yes, but we have to dismount and lead the horses the last miles, the road is very treacherous. I bet they placed the fortress where they did on purpose, to keep enemies at bay.”

Fastonar nodded. “From what I can see it must have been a perfect place for protection yes, and they must have been good at it too for I can see that the fortress must have been impressive back in the days”

Zaray nodded with a grin, she pointed at the remains of towers and balustrades. “They say that it was so mighty none was able to conquer it. It is sad that so little is left but it is at least able to shelter us from the wind”

Ivran hadn’t said anything for a long time, he sat there on his horse and seemed to shudder a bit and Phraan did notice that he was mumbling something to himself. The half elf did ride closer to the young man and tilted his head. “What are you doing?”

Ivran did not look up, he was just mumbling still. “Practicing, I have enchanted our tracks, so nobody can follow them, I hope”

Phraan felt a bit confused. “You seem to be able to access your power better than before?”

Ivran nodded and hid his hands on the inside of his cloak ”Yes, it is as if I am seeing things so much more clearly, I just know what to do. But I do still make mistakes, I cannot…focus!”

Phraan smiled. “I am sure you will learn how to control it soon”

Ivran made a grimace. “I hope so too, or else I won’t be of much use to anyone. “

Phraan didn’t like the sad tone of the man’s voice, he hoped that the lad wasn’t depressed or something? “Don’t push yourself Ivran, you did give us food and I am sure that your magic one day will be a source of awe”

Ivran shrugged. “Thanks, but I doubt it. My grandfather was so strong, so admired. I will never be like him I fear!”

Phraan tried to keep his tone light. “Oh don’t worry, I am sure you will, just practice and soon things will become easy”

The young man stared down at his saddle and nodded and Phraan felt an odd feeling of compassion, even pity. It couldn’t be easy, Ivran had probably never asked for anything like this. The rocky terrain soon made it impossible to ride, they had to dismount and now they moved forth slowly since the horses had to almost climb in places. Zaray helped Imeah with her horse and the young human was smiling but she did look nervous. Zaray sighed and let the others pass them by, now they were at the back of the group and she smiled at the girl. “I can see your heart young one, you doubt yourself”

Zaray let a hand lay gently on Imeah’s shoulder and Imeah nodded. “Yes, I know what I must do, what I have seen. There is no other way.”

Zaray looked down, her face filled with a sort of sorrow. “I am sorry Imeah, I wish there was a way out of this. Could your visions be faulty?”

She shook her head. “No, I am sure. I need to do this, but I am afraid, you are right, I do doubt myself and my own strength”

Zaray helped Imeah get over some very slippery rocks. “I have prepared his mind, so don’t worry about that. He will see the truth easily enough”

Imeah bit her lower lip. “I hate this, but he will need the gift I can give. I have seen what you have seen Zaray, and you have shared my visions. We are all pieces of a puzzle and all the pieces have to fall into place if it is to find fulfilment. I am proud to do my part, I really am. I am just afraid that he will be offended”

Zaray jumped up the rocks like a cat. “Don’t be, he will understand.”

Imeah stared forwards, Phraan was helping Rhuk up and she had an odd expression in her eyes. “Yes, eventually”

The road to the old fortress had probably been more even before, more like a set of stairs but now it was just terrible and weather and erosion had made much of it disappear completely. Dabin was cursing so bad Dhokay and Shaluun just blinked and stared. The dwarf sort of looked at them with unwritten apologies in his gaze. “Sorry, but the ones who built this were amateurs.”

Dhokay looked down at the dwarf, his more groomed exterior was a crass contrast to Rhuk who by comparison looked like some hairy ball of rags and armour. “Really? I find it impressive that even a rock of it remains now. It is so freaking old”

Dabin snorted. “Listen, you have never heard of the city of blue silver have you? It is an ancient dwarf settlement and it is wonderful, you will never forget it if you enter it. That is even older, and not a rock is worn or out of place”

Shaluun had to grin. “You dwarves are experts at building with the bones of the earth, you cannot compare your work with that of others, not even mages”

Dabin did blush. “Aye, you are right. Had this been built by dwarves it wouldn’t have been a ruin at all but stood there in its full glory yet”

The fortress was just a couple of miles away now and Phraan was staring at it, the structure was rather simple with a huge open yard in the middle and thick walls with some towers built at even distances. The wall was probably brought down by the forces of nature and little did remain of the towers but he could imagine how it had looked back then. The walls had been erected with some sort of very dark rock but the towers had been lighter, probably a harder rock since the weight was rather huge. Phraan did slow down, allowed Zaray to catch up with him. “Have you been here before?”

She nodded. “Yes, but that was very long ago, it wasn’t…as ruined then”

He stared at her. “So, you have visited the area?”

She made a grimace. “Of course, I have been guiding you all haven’t I? I was just going in the opposite direction!”

She just kept walking and Phraan did throw a narrow glance at her elegant back. She had escaped from that city? Or had she been set loose? He somehow felt that she could be trusted but why he didn’t know. There was just something about her which told him that she was on their side and yet able to use them in her own plans and schemes.

They reached the fortress itself just before it got dark, and the structure was huge. Much larger than they had first believed. There were several smaller walls inside of the great one and they were in better shape, there were some buildings in there too, the roofs were gone a long time ago but they did provide some shelter and the old wooden beams could be burned. Fastonar did organize the camp, he didn’t trust that old magic they said rested there so he made sure that someone kept watch the entire night. They fed and watered the horses and settled down for the night and Ivran tried yet again to conjure up more food. He was thinking of meat and the result was that a small mountain of bread fell from the skies, followed by several wheels of cheese, the size of a cartwheel. At least it was edible and good too so nobody complained but Ivran was getting frustrated. He did always get something when he tried to use his power, he just didn’t know what! At least it had been food, not something dangerous and Shaluun was sure that he was onto something. He just had to learn how to aim the power, just like an archer has to learn how to aim an arrow at the right point.

The magic within this place was very weak, barely there but he knew that it had to have been terrifying once upon a time, the stones still sang of it and he felt it in his very core. This had been a place of great battles and impressive mages. He almost wished that he could see it for himself, it had to have been an awesome sight. Zaray was somewhat disappointed that the magic had weakened this much, she was afraid it wouldn’t offer as much protection as she had hoped it would but at least they were out of the cold wind.

After they had eaten Shaluun took first watch and since there were so many small rooms everybody got some privacy. Dhokay had found a building which still had a roof on it and inside there had been some old matrasses filled with horse hairs and straw. Zaray believed that maybe local hunters had placed them there some years ago for they couldn’t be all that old. Now at least some of them got to sleep comfortably and the others used the sacks of hay as their matrass. Ivran was tucking himself in and the last hours had been exhausting so he fell asleep the moment he did lay down.

Zaray sat by the fire and stared into the flames, she didn’t speak to anyone and there were some worried lines on her face. So much could go wrong, so much was at stake. She felt that danger was heading their way, but she had no idea of what shape it would take. She just hoped that the fortress could protect them, or at least provide them with some warnings if something evil was lurking in the area.

Phraan had found a corner in what had been the stable and he had arranged the matrass he had gotten and it was in fact almost nice there. It was chilly but not too bad and he was in fact very tired. The rugged terrain of the last miles had been hard on the horses and he had to help Drake find his footing several places. He didn’t want to think of the next morning when they would have to return the same way. But the fortress was a place where they could defend themselves if something happened and it was wise to go there. He burrowed himself into his blankets and fell asleep and the camp became quiet as they found a place to sleep and conversation stopped. Tersus had found a place Rhuk had identified as the latrine of the fortress but he didn’t say anything to the alchemist, the smell was gone but it was a very suiting place to be for the stinking human. Peter had found a place far from his master, it was rather apparent that the young man by now was rather tired and not that enthusiastic anymore. He was still eager to learn but his master’s complete lack of hygiene was wearing down the admiration Peter had felt initially. Fastonar went to sleep where the horses were kept to keep them safe and Dhokay sat by the old gate half asleep and just meditated. He didn’t need to sleep that much and even this hard journey didn’t wear him out.

Phraan was dreaming, again. And it was the same dream, the one with Vitile and the clearing in the woods. He was sort of getting tired of this now. But the dream was just as nice as the last time and since he was just dreaming why not enjoy it? This time he knew what he was heading for so he just relaxed and decided to participate a bit more, if one can use that term describing a mere dream. It was good memories, worth having and worth treasuring and he just let himself float along down memory lane until the dream changed yet again. It wasn’t Vitile who was with him but Imeah and he couldn’t understand why? What was it with that albino girl? He wasn’t interested so why in heck’s name did he dream about her, in such a manner?

He had to be mad but why not, it was just a dream, it wasn’t real and it wasn’t as if he was a stranger to sleeping with strangers. When they had hunted dragons the last time he had been very popular, just as Fastonar had said and before Vitile joined the group he had been all over the place. It was the old warrior’s code, enjoy life to the fullest today for tomorrow you may be dead. The dream was very lifelike too, just like the last time and she was caressing him with warm hands, it felt almost electric and he was surrendering to her touch. He had always enjoyed it when the women took charge of things and he took pride in being a good partner in every manner. She was really eager and darn it felt real, he had her on his lap, straddling him and the smell of her was intoxicating and wonderful. Then it started to dawn upon him that this was a bit too real, was he really dreaming after all? He was dazed and drowsy and tried to force himself to wake up fully but that was very hard. Normally he would be able to go from asleep to fully awake within the blink of an eye but his body seemed to refuse to make that transition.

He groaned and tossed around, there was really someone there with him, and she was in fact riding him and even though it felt wonderful it wasn’t right. With a gasp he did manage to break out of the odd dreamlike state and opened his eyes. It was Imeah, she was naked and her eyes were closed, there was an expression of intense focus on her face as she was riding him rather slowly and he heaved for air. “Imeah?! What in the name of every God are you doing?”

She opened her eyes, they were blurred and distant and she was biting her lower lip, there was some pain in her expression and he realized that she never had done this before. She was so tight around him and her movements did reveal a distinct lack of experience. She moaned and leaned forth, put her hands on his shoulders and threw her head back. “You will not understand, yet”

He tried to resist the feeling building up within him, it was simply too much and he was terribly confused and shocked. After all, he hadn’t asked for this and it was not what he would have expected of her at all. She had managed to get his clothes off without him noticing it and he tried to formulate what he was thinking. “Damn…damn it girl, did you…drug me?”

She was moving more aggressively and he knew he was close, he couldn’t hold back now, and she had him pinned down, she was stronger than he would have expected. She shook her head, her pale skin and silky hair was just as lovely as he had seen in that dream and she was like a goddess but why did she do this? “I didn’t need to drug you Phraan, I can…ah…affect people like this…”

She grasped his hands and placed them against her firm breasts and Phraan had to gasp again, it was rapidly getting out of hand. He couldn’t help but thrust back against her movements and he felt that his body was preparing for his release, he whimpered and tried to hold back. “Why, please”

She shook her head. “You will see, soon”

She placed her hand on his head and for a moment he saw Vitile there, it was enough. He felt how everything tensed up and he had to let go of every last bit of self-control. He came hard, seeing stars and sparks and Imeah made a strange sound which sounded almost triumphant. She grasped his head and put her forehead against his as he was straining against her, filling her with his essence. Her eyes were suddenly ablaze and he felt her soul touching his, it shouldn’t be possible since she was human but it happened still and he wanted to scream as something indescribable seemed to invade his very soul. She stifled the sound with a kiss and kept moving, before long he felt her pulse around him and she shuddered, her body tense like a bowstring. He didn’t understand, had no idea of what this was, why it happened. He was just sitting there, caught in the post orgasmic haze and feeling as if he had been used somehow. Imeah panted and smiled, her eyes sad. “It is my gift to give Phraan, and now it is given. As I have seen”

He frowned, a feeling of knowing and yet not crept in on him. “Imeah?! What did you just do? Tell me!”

She smiled and kissed his brow. “I gave you all that I am Phraan, being a seer is a life nobody would wish for, for you see things you really don’t want any knowledge of.”

He swallowed hard. “I don’t understand…”

She let herself slide down next to him and winced, there was pain in her eyes and he felt guilty, as if he had somehow violated her. “My gift of seeing is not as much a gift as a curse, and it is mine to bear but I have other abilities Phraan, I have never shown them to anyone.”

He just frowned and she let a hand slide over his skin, it was warm and soft and the caress was a loving one. “Now I have given them to you, through choice.”

He stared at her, eyes wide and mind reeling. “How? Why?”

She smiled and planted a soft kiss on his neck. “I gave you my virtue, thus the gift is given off. You will need it, I have seen it. “

Phraan swallowed hard. “Imeah, you shouldn’t have done this, it wasn’t right. Not that you were bad for you weren’t but…I prefer to…well, at least give my consent before someone jumps my bones”

She nodded, the red eyes were dreamy. “I know, but there is no other way. The gift I gave you cannot be given back Phraan, it is yours forever. I had to give it to you now, so it won’t be wasted.”

He lifted his head, stared at her. “What do you mean wasted, can’t you use it?”

She sighed and looked down. “No, there is no time”

He tried to sit up and she pushed him down. “Don’t fight me Phraan, I am still a seer, I know my ultimate fate and I do not try to escape it. What will happen will happen no matter what I do. Accept it, but do embrace what I have given. It will prove to be very valuable soon”

Phraan moaned. “Then tell me woman, what did you just do to me?!”

Imeah smiled, the smile was a melancholic one. “I have changed you, in so many ways. I can heal Phraan, but I can give the gift of healing as well, self-healing”

He frowned. “I am an elf, I heal much faster than a human being already?”

She giggled. “Not as fast as you will now. Believe me, you will know soon enough”

He blinked, feeling utterly confused still, like he wasn’t really able to feel as if this was real or not. “You said gifts?”

She let her hand play with a lock of his hair, her eyes were dreamy. “Yes, you know the old tales of spirit walkers?”

Phraan nodded slowly, his mind reeling, Spirit walkers? Oh yes, he had heard such tales, but it was ages ago. He could barely remember at all. “I have, but I cannot remember any details, other than it was someone with a companion of some sorts?”

Imeah grinned and laid her head down onto his shoulder, it was something very endearing with the trust she showed him. “Yes, a spirit beast, all have one they say, a sort of symbol of who you truly are. But a spirit walker can make his or hers spirit animal real, flesh and blood. It is a magical extension of one’s own soul, and it can be controlled”

Phraan lifted his head, stared down at her, this couldn’t be real? “I have never heard of that before? How?”

She giggled and her hand was tickling his neck, he scoffed and she got a playful expression on her face. “Now that it has been given to you all you need is to think of it, and it will come to your aid whenever it is needed. “

Phraan clenched his jaw. “I don’t even know what my spirit animal is, I have never even thought of that. It haven’t been a part of my faith at all”

She nodded. “Yes, I know, but you will see it is real”

Phraan winced, looked at her. “Wait a minute, you said there was no time? What do you mean?”

She sighed and looked down. “I will not reach the end of this journey Phraan, my fate lay elsewhere.”

He gaped and grasped her hand. “You haven’t seen your own death? Please, tell me it isn’t so? You could be wrong!”

She just smiled again, that sad smile. “Phraan, there is so much at stake now, so much more than you all know. You have seen the changes which have happened haven’t you? The once fertile land turned into a place where nothing grows, the dwindling herds, the hardships, the changing weather?”

He pulled her closer. “Yes, but that wasn’t what I was asking about, Tell me the truth damn it!”

She swallowed, her voice thin. “I have seen that my end is near yes, and yet not. Death is…just a transition for us who carry this curse. I will be stronger in spirit than I ever was in life. Don’t question my choices, just accept that I will be needed in the end, as will you”

Phraan felt an urge to roar in rage and denial. “NO! I do not accept it, no more death!”

She caressed his face, kissed the corner of his mouth. “You have to Phraan, there is no other way. You will understand.”

He felt how grief welled up inside of him yet again. “Why does everybody around me die? I am starting to wonder if it is I who am cursed!”

She shook her head. “No, you are blessed. And now my beautiful warrior, would you share yourself with me yet again? Out of free will this time I assure you”

He had to snort. “You want me to sleep with you? After all this?”

She nodded, her eyes were so clear and he saw a sort of strength in them which was terrifying. “Yes, I do not want to waste any time now”

She reached down and for a woman who had no previous experience she did have skilled hands, he did react rather immediately, in spite of his torn state of mind. Imeah giggled. “I have always known that my love should be saved for that special one, and I haven’t been sought after at all. The fact that I am cursed have sort of scared the men”

Phraan swallowed the feeling of intense pity and just as intense sorrow. Someone like her should never perish, it wasn’t right. “It was their loss then”

He leaned over and kissed her gently and she giggled and climbed on top of him again, she apparently knew what to do. Before long they were oblivious to the world around them and Phraan let go of every thought, lived in the now and the sensations which flooded his body and mind. Something had indeed changed, but he didn’t yet know what.

Dabin was on guard duty now, he was sitting by the former gate and stared into the night and he was a bit sleepy but more so annoyed. Rhuk was snoring so bad it would have made a troll deaf and Dabin preferred silence when he was to sleep. The little rest he had gotten had been far from enough and he felt stiff and tired. He wasn’t used to travel that far on horseback and his rump and thighs had taken a beating this day. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, damn it, he couldn’t fall asleep on the watch now could he?

Suddenly he heard a noise, and it wasn’t from inside of the old fortress but from the outside, he cocked his head, had it been the wind? No, it had been a clanking sound, like metal against a rock. He got up, sniffed the air. There weren’t any scents to be picked up but the wind was coming in the wrong direction and he cursed and wondered if he really had heard it or not. The he heard something again and he got up, roaring a warning. “Get up! Something is coming!”

There was a clamour coming from the camp, everybody was on their feet reaching for their weapons within the blink of an eye and Tersus had a torch in his hand, the flame was burning blue and it did look odd but it had to be something chemical, not magic. Phraan was asleep with Imeah in his arms, she had worn him out rather well, her zeal and strange devotion was fascinating and by every God and Goddess was she good. He had fallen asleep feeling like a wrung out piece of cloth, completely sated and a wee bit proud of himself for knowing that he had pleased her in return. The shout from Rhuk woke him up abruptly and for a few seconds he didn’t know where he was but then it came back and he got up. Imeah did look scared and he grasped his tunic and managed to get dressed in record time. “Stay here, hide!”

He got his blades and ran out of the small room and saw that the others were gathering, but he didn’t see Zaray anywhere. Rhuk was staring out into the darkness and he had grasped his axe and he was a bit pale. Dabin too was visibly nervous and he was sniffing. “Feel that?”

Dhokay got up on a rock and threw his head back, he had the nose of a dog and he made a grimace. “It smells like old unwashed socks”

Rhuk spat on the ground. “Goblins!”

Phraan looked at the dwarf with confusion. “What? Here?”

Rhuk nodded. “The one who understands this can explain it, I surely cannot”

Goblins would normally never leave their hidden cities when there was trolls around and no goblins had ever been seen this far north. They preferred the warmth of the mountain ranges to the south, beyond the great deserts. Goblins in such a cold and barren land were unheard off, but the smell didn’t lie. There was a faint howling sound coming from outside of the walls and Fastonar swore. “Get ready, they always attack in a group. Do not let the numbers startle you, goblins are cowards and not very strong”

Phraan turned to Shaluun. “Where is Zaray?”

The elf shrugged. “I don’t know, her bedroll is empty.”

Phraan was about to answer when something shot forth from the opening where the gate had been, it was rather small, and there were many following it and they stared before they got ready to protect themselves. It was goblins, but not like any they had seen before. These were smaller than ordinary goblins and their skin seemed to have been made from something almost metallic looking, they moved in strange jerking motions like an insect and Phraan saw that they in fact did resemble insects. The eyes were tiny and white and they didn’t have hair but they had huge mouths with very sharp teeth and they had long hands with vicious looking claws. They were swarming through the opening like an army of ants and before long everybody was more than busy fighting.

The goblins didn’t seem to have a sense of fear, and they didn’t have much of a sense of self-preservation either. They just went for it even when it was certain death and Dhokay was smashing goblins with every strike of his hammer. But the numbers didn’t dwindle at all and now some started appearing on the walls, they were climbing up from every direction. Thiana and Taurin grasped each other’s hands and started to chant and suddenly the bushes growing along the ridge came to life, the thorny branches became like living tentacles with claws and they moved around, grasping goblins and throwing them off the walls. Phraan saw that many were being ripped apart and he realized that the gift of the woods was very powerful indeed. Being able to control trees and other plant life was very valuable.

But the goblins kept coming, piles of dead bodies laid in front of the gate now and the stream of small vicious beings didn’t stop at all. They were making a nasty high pitched sound which hurt everybody’s ears and oddly enough the goblins seemed to attack Phraan with extreme tenacity. They seemed determined to kill him and he had to fight like never before, his blades did cut a bloody circle around him. Fastonar was swearing like a sailor and using his huge longsword with great zeal but he was getting tired, they all were. Even Dhokay had lost some of the energy he had shown previously and Phraan felt a sting of despair. They could lose this battle, he realized that now. These goblins were simply too many and they had no regard for their own safety or life. The strange appearance and the determination made him suspect that these creatures were sent there on purpose, just to get at the group.

One goblin managed to get close enough to reach him, from behind. The thing carried a sort of knife and stabbed Phraan in the leg, just over the knee. The goblin was so small it didn’t reach much higher than that and the half elf growled and killed it with one swift strike of his sword. He pulled the knife out, it was serrated and nasty looking and the wound hurt a lot, a stinging burning pain. Had the blade been poisoned? It was covered with a sort of bluish goo and he realized that yes, some sort of substance had been used. But then something happened, warmth spread through the leg and the wound did close itself up and the goo just flowed out of it and the leg looked unharmed. He blinked, now he realized that Imeah had spoken the truth and he also remembered the other thing she had said he had been given. He did focus, tried to imagine a sort of projection of his own being and he felt an almost violent jerk go through his very being and then there was a bright flash of greenish light and something appeared out of thin air next to him. He had to gape, it was a feline, the size of a horse. He had never seen an animal like that before and it was impressive and terrifying. The body had the shape of a very large mountain lion with a head which was rather long for a cat with massive jaws. It had ears with long tufts of hair like a lynx and a very long tail with a huge tuft of hair at the end. The being was black, but the tufts of hair were bright red and its eyes were a deep amber colour, golden and red in one. Was this in truth a sort of essence of what he was? The animal caused the others to stare too, and it snarled and the goblins seemed to hesitate for the first time since the attack started.

The living bushes were busy still, long tendrils reached out to snatch goblins and since they seemed to hesitate the branches were more efficient now. The huge feline rushed forth and started fighting and it did crush goblins with just one swipe of its huge paws. It did sound as if someone was using a frying pan to punch the dust out of a couch. Phraan let out a roar and he felt as if he had gotten more energy, the huge cat did bring the hope back to them all and they fought with more strength. Tersus was using the torch with a rather strange technique, the fire didn’t die out no matter what he did so he did simply hit the goblins over the head with it and they caught fire and fell screaming and writhing. Peter used an ordinary sword with some skill and the two dwarves were covered with sweat and hacking away like a mad lumberjack. It was obvious that they hated goblins like the very plague itself.

Fastonar growled and cut the head of a particularly nasty goblin who tried to bite him in the leg. “Where is Zaray? Has she gone exploring again?”

Dhokay smashed two goblins in one strike, he was panting. “I have no idea, she cannot have gotten far.”

The goblins seemed to have reached the end of their determination, fewer came rushing forth but then a new wave came running and they were screaming and it did appear as if they were trying to flee more than trying to attack. Some hoarse roars could be heard from the darkness outside of the ruin and they all stared at each other. Fastonar moaned. “Trolls?!”

Rhuk was pale. “No, that didn’t sound like a troll at all”

The goblins did run past the group, seeking refuge in nooks and crannies, some were pissing themselves with fear and it wasn’t a good sign. The huge cat was hissing and the hairs were raised along its back, the tail swung close to the ground. Something was moving out there, it was massive and huge and dark. Dhokay looked scared. “People, I think this is something none of us can hope to fight”

Phraan panted, he felt as if the darkness out there was watching him, hungrily and with a wish for vengeance. “What is it?”

The luptay was squinting, his eyes very intense. “Some sort of elemental I think”

Phraan wasn’t that used to magic at all, and Ivran who had been fighting very valiantly with one of Shaluun’s axes did frown. “An elemental?! That has to be summoned by someone, on purpose!”

Fastonar was staring out into the darkness, they heard some huffing sounds, as if whatever it was had some problems breathing. “Can you do something about it Ivran?”

The young man cringed. “Ah, what? I have no idea of what sort of elemental it is? They are not something that is easily controlled”

The remains of the gate suddenly crumbled and the remaining goblins were shrieking in absolute horror, a few fainted there and then. Phraan just stared at the nightmare which slowly emerged from the darkness. It was as if someone had taken a skeleton, but not that of a human, and blown it up to giant size. It was surrounded by a garish green glow and it had an odd smell too. It did look like a giant orc skeleton, with tusks and all and the arms were huge and way too long and the rock seemed to simply melt as it moved forth with strange flowing movements. Dhokay cussed. “It is not an ordinary elemental, I have never seen anything like that before!”

Ivran took a deep breath and tried to box the thing in, prevent it from getting any further but that was in vain. His magic didn’t seem to work at all and he tried again, even harder. The result was that the thing lashed out with a hand and Ivran flew backwards as if he was hit by a very fast flying hard object. He landed on his back with a groan and shook his head. “Damn it, it is immune to magic I think, my powers cannot harm it.”

Fastonar pointed at the thing. “Look at the dead goblins, where the thing moves”

The corpses did sort of dissolve and so did the rocks, this thing was probably able to make things fall apart just by being there, living beings included. A goblin had been hiding behind some rocks and came scurrying forth, panic forced it to run and as it crossed the things path it fell and was reduced to a mass of shivering bones and jelly in just some short seconds. The elemental was aiming for them all and Dhokay shouted. “Don’t get near it, we cannot fight this”

Fastonar was swinging his blade back and forth, he did look desperate. “Then what do we do? Throw rocks at the bloody thing? Insult it?”

Rhuk hissed. “We have to flee, it is the only choice”

Shaluun was pale. “We cannot just leave the horses behind? We have nowhere to go, and what has caused that thing to come here now?”

The bushes were still moving around and now some of the branches took aim at the elemental, they swung around the creature and tried to tear into it but the branches simply dried out and died instantly. This thing spread death, and it let out some sort of sound which could have been laughter. “What do we do?”

Dabin was desperate and Peter was looking for somewhere to hide. Tersus grasped a small vial from his robe and uncorked it, then he threw the thing with all his might and the vial hit the creature straight in its face and shattered. A thin pinkish fluid did burst out and spread out over the bones and the effect was rather unexpected. The thing let out a howl as the bone started to froth and sag and it clawed at its face. Everybody held their breath but the elemental seemed to be able to repair itself for after just a minute or two the damage was gone and it let out a howl and moved forth again. The defenders were soon pushed up against the wall and it wasn’t anywhere left for them to go.

That was when they heard a roar from up above and heard the sound of wings and the elemental lifted its head and seemed to be confused. Phraan knew the sound, dragon wings. And he could see the outline of something huge, a dragon greater than any they had ever encountered. A column of solid fire fell from the sky, and the flames did look almost purple. Just as back at the cave, with the strange dark beings. The elemental did shriek, flames did lick at its invisible skin, its bones caught fire, the magic which had kept it alive and moving did not possess the strength to fight off this. Another burst of flames and a roar from up above and the elemental did collapse into a heap of smouldering bones. Then it simply vanished as whoever it was conjured up by took the magic back into himself. The dragon up there circled the ruin, Phraan did estimate that the dragon was so large the wings were wider than the entire ruin and he knew it was the same which had saved them before. Why?

The remaining goblins were fleeing like mad and everybody stared at each other, was it really over already? They were exhausted and the stench from the dead goblins was intense. They covered the ground in a thick layer and the two wood elves did grimace and bent down, put their hands on the ground. The corpses started to sink into the very ground itself, it swallowed them up and soon they were gone but the smell did remain. Rhuk was staring in awe. “Wonderful, give back to the earth what was taken right?”

Thiana was panting and she was covered with sweat. “Yes, it is the way”

The dragon had flown off and it was quiet, Phraan stared at the huge cat, it was standing next to him staring into the night and he swallowed hard. It was real, breathing and moving and it did smell of something pure and wild. It turned its head towards him and Phraan felt a voice in his head. “I am Ghaday”

Phraan frowned, the word meant steel paw in the old language of the forest elves and he reached out and touched the animal, very gently. The huge cat did purr and he felt that their connection in fact was strong already, and everlasting. He took a deep breath and ordered the huge cat to keep watch over the ruins and it did obey, sauntered off very elegantly. Rhuk stared at it and Shaluun cocked his head. “A spirit walker, I had never believed that if I hadn’t seen it. You have a very strong guardian now Phraan.”

Phraan swallowed and remembered the wound which disappeared. It didn’t make any sense, but then again, very few things did these days. They were trying to get an overview of the situation when Zaray suddenly came in through the crumbled gate, she was carrying the head of a sort of troll and she was bloody and looked tired. Fastonar did look truly pissed. “You have a habit of leaving just before the shit hits the fan, care to explain?!”

Zaray panted and leaned against a rock, she had a cut in her hip and several bruises. “I thought I heard something out there alright? And I went to check but I ran into Mr stinky here and his buddies.”

She tossed the head onto the ground and everybody cringed, the dead troll had to have been very large and extremely ugly. “They came behind the group of goblins, I had no other option but to engage them”

Fastonar was frowning. “How many?”

Zaray sighed, “Five, I think they were sort of controlling the goblins, like officers.”

Shaluun walked forth a few steps, his eyes were fixed upon the head. “The elemental, did you see it?”

Zaray nodded. “It wasn’t an elemental, they are representatives of the elements remember? This thing was some sort of dark magic, it left a trail of death behind it”

Dhokay did look worried. “So this was no random attack?”

She nodded sternly and wrapped some fabric around her hip. “No, it was planned. Someone is out to get us and I know who. The brotherhood knows we are coming, I wish I knew how.”

Fastonar cursed. “So, what are we to do then?”

Zaray made a grimace and her face was pale. “We cannot turn around now, we have to try”

The soul sworn did look rather angry still. “And risk our lives in vain? We are up against something we cannot possibly hope to conquer, I bet they can conjure up something even worse than that…spirit thing!”

Zaray did look calm yet again, she just smiled. “Yes, but they did face resistance and I bet that threw them off balance at least to some degree. We can do it”

Fastonar snarled. “I do not trust you, why should we listen to the things you say?”

Zaray got back on her feet and wiped off her hands on her cloak. “Because you have no choice, there are greater powers at play here.”

Fastonar scowled. “Somehow I have the feeling that you have said that before!”

She just shrugged. “Does it matter? We are here, if anyone wants to return be my guest, but I will at least give it a try. It is better to die fighting than lay cowering like a fool”

Phraan stared at her and for a second he did see something strange, like a glowing aura around her, bright purple and moving like hot air over the ground on a warm day, and in that aura he saw things…He turned his gaze away, he knew why she was so tenacious now, and by the Gods, he did understand. “I will not go back, I will do whatever I can. I do believe in fate and it has called upon us all”

Fastonar rolled his eyes. “You too? Damn it Phraan, when did this happen? It was supposed to be like the good old days wasn’t it? Slay some stupid dragons, get the fame and the girls and the admiration and some thrills too”

Phraan sighed. “Yes, but it cannot be that way Fastonar, and you know this”

The soul sworn shrugged and made a vague gesture. “Whatever, but to be positive, I am sure the local orcs will sing for our souls, that is at least something!”

He threw his coat tighter around himself and went to sit by the fire again. Imeah appeared from behind the walls, she was fully dressed again and didn’t even look at Phraan but he did see that she threw him a small glance out of the corner of her eye and for a moment she did blush ever so slightly. Zaray stared at her and the albino girl sat down by the fire. She stared at the flames. Tersus and Peter had sort of returned to one of the alcoves, Peter had a gash in his arm and Tersus was taking care of it. “Imeah, how are you?”

The albino looked down. “I have had a vision, one it is important that I share with you all. But not until the morrow, you need to rest now”

Zaray frowned. “What sort of vision”

Imeah lifted her head and stared at the group. “There is danger here, and we do bring it with us”

Zaray tilted her head. “So, you are sure of this?”

The albino nodded. “Tomorrow I will speak of what I have seen”

She looked down again and seemed to refuse to speak again and Phraan sat down next to her, confused and a bit scared. He felt an odd tenderness for the girl, and his protective instincts had kicked inn too, after all, they had just been intimate and he was able to fall in love rather easily. Rhuk sighed. “We did survive, that dragon did show up just in the nick of time, very convenient if you ask me”

Dhokay sat down and caressed his hammer, it was covered with blood and gore. “Yes, extremely so, it is the second time it has showed up just like that”

Thiana and Taurin were already trying to make some food and Shaluun sent his little flask around, it was almost empty but everybody got at least a taste of the strong liquor it had contained. Phraan felt the huge feline, it was out there watching them and it felt good knowing they had such a formidable ally now. But he didn’t understand anything of this, not really.

He stared at Zaray out of the corner of his eye and wondered yet again about the things she had said, his father had been of her kin? What did that mean? He suspected something and that suspicion had only grown stronger now but could he be sure? Fastonar did help Thiana prepare some stew and distributed it among them, they had a small bowl each and the knight did look rather annoyed still. Phraan took his bowl and ate with little appetite, he didn’t feel like enjoying the food now. It would be morning soon and Imeah did eat her stew slowly and didn’t say anything, she just stared into the flames and did appear to be praying. Phraan grasped his pocket knife, there was something he needed to check. He made sure that nobody did notice, then he cut his finger and stared at the small wound. It stopped bleeding almost immediately and then it disappeared completely. An odd feeling or sensation of triumph rushed through him, he had to shake his head in disbelief.

Zaray disappeared into her little room and the others too tried to get some more rest, Phraan remained in front of the fire, trying to figure out who or what he really truly was. The night had become silent once more and he wondered if they really had a chance at success. The things they were trying to do could possibly claim all of them, but he hadn’t shied away from death before so why should he do it now. They called him the one death loves, and he remembered the old shaman and picked out the odd metal piece from his pocket. Stared at it. “I wonder what you are, I bet you are important, but I cannot for the very life of me understand how!”