Death Or Fortune (50 page)

     All in
all, we fired six rounds of arrows into the pirate ship.  All but two of
us were aiming to disable the ship with fire.  Windfall and Ebbit did all
they could to leave corpses on that ship. Captain Giles was rather pleased with
how things went and we never did see that ship again. They were nothing more
than a cloud of smoke on the horizon as the sun started to set.  In the
end that was the only trouble we had during our trip to the island of Va'Nox.
 We arrived at the southern tip of the island as planned three months
before.  We unloaded the gear and weapons we had brought along and bid
Captain Giles and his men a safe trip home.  I understand that they did
return to Arcadia once but I never felt the need to keep track of them.
 The fact that they were able to avoid capture by the Orcs after they left
us on the beach that day is all that mattered to me.  I remember standing
there on the beach, putting my armor on.  Thinking to myself that it was
about to get hard from that point on.  There are times when I wish I was
smarter or wish I had the ability to see what was coming.  Then there are
the times I hate being right.  This was one of those times.

     As soon as
the last bit of gear we brought hit the beach, The Chosen One lifted anchor and
was off.  We put our armor on right there on the beach then men were
detailed to carry extra equipment.  The only ones who didn't take time
carting around the extra were the two Halflings. I looked north and the beach
ran for a half mile before it hit the solid wood tree line.  I called out
for Eli and quickly discovered he was nowhere to be seen.  All the men
stood and looked around, while we had all seen him standing on the beach, he
wasn't there.  Pare patted me on the leg,
'I think he went off that
way, I can see his tracks. He headed towards that rocky area at the end of the
beach that we saw from the boat before we landed.'
I told Bryce and
Michaels to get the men moving into the wood line.  I didn't like them
sitting out there in the open.  Pare and I set off after Eli, hoping that
we would catch him before too long.  I took five steps and turned back
around, I pointed at Michaels and told him that I didn't mean to tell the men
where to go and follow after me.  By the look on his face I could tell
that was just what he was thinking.

      Pare
and I set off at a brisk pace running on the wet sand.
'Why do you think he
took off?
' Pare asked me, I just shook my head.  I couldn't run and
talk the way the halfling could.
'Well he was acting weird on the boat so
maybe something is wrong with him.'
After a half hour I was about ready to
drop, I asked Pare if he could still see the tracks as we slowed to a walk.
'I
think I see him.'
I looked towards where he was pointing and I could see
what looked to be a man talking a pleasant stroll on the beach.  While I
wasn't ready to run again, we did walk a bit faster than before; gaining ground
on the man.  When I thought we were close enough to call out to him I
shouted his name.  He stopped only once, looking back at me he never
slowed down, he just kept walking.  I asked Pare if he could catch him, he
just smiled at me and told me
'no problem'
.  I kept the best pace I
could but I was winded.   I was about a hundred yards away when Pare
caught up with Eli.  I saw the halfling dash in front of the man and hold
up his hands, asking him to stop.  What I saw next made my blood boil.
 Eli reached out and tossed my halfling friend aside.  I watched as
the incoming wave rushed over Pare on the beach.  I pushed aside the pain
in my side and started to run again.

    
'Awwwwwwww
come on, now I got water in my boots.'
Pare stood there soaking wet,
waiting for me.  I asked him if Eli said anything to him.
'He said I am
sorry and just flung me.  He is a lot stronger than he looks.'
I
looked ahead again, Eli was nearly to the rocky area at the end of the beach
when I saw what looked to be a large cave amongst the rocks.  We caught up
with him in time to see him standing at the opening of the cave.
'Mother!
'
he called out, screaming into the cave.  I looked down at Pare and he just
shrugged his shoulders at me.  I stopped a good ten feet behind him and
asked him what he was doing.  That was when I saw the elf woman walk out
of the cave.  Golden blond hair hanging nearly to her feet, she was
perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.  Eli rushed forward and
fell to his knees at the woman's feet.  Putting his arms around her legs,
I watched as he cried like a child.  She put a single hand on top of his
head while looking at me.
'It is over my son, I am sorry you had to do this.
Go into the cave and get ready, I will deal with our guest.'
I started to
feel something, something I had not felt in a very long time.

    
'Darmot,
I can't move'
was all Pare said.  I told him I was held as well and to
try to relax.  I did not feel any ill intent from the elf woman.  She
walked forward towards us, holding her hands wide, palms towards us.  When
I spoke to Windfall about what happened later that night he explained that long
ago when one elf would meet another elf in the wild, they did that to show they
were at peace and did not carry any weapons.  She stopped well within
reach of both of us as she bent at the waist just a touch and nodded her head.
'Greetings
to you Lord Kromwell and to you Pare the halfling.  May the light of
Solarth continue to shine on you both in the dark days ahead.'
 I
asked her who she was and it was all I could do to ask her that.
'My human
name is Ellashire, I would ask you to forgive me for our deception. We had to
do something as the balance of our home was at risk. As the father would not
take his hand to the problem, I saw it as my duty.
' I told her I did not
understand, I asked her what was going on.
'When the dark one came on shore
with his army, I was away. Had I seen them coming I might have been able to
warn the people.'

    
'Close
to three thousand Orcs landed on the island, with the power of the dark one at
their lead, they were able to capture the north land with ease. I prayed to the
father, asking him to help.  He only told me to wait, that help would
come.  When the cleric Kandella and her men came I thought that they were
the ones who would help. My son and I watched them, hoping that they would do
something to rid us of the dark one. When they were all killed, I thought hope
was lost.'
I felt a shiver creep up my spine as I asked her what she meant
by that.
'The priestess Kandella still lives but all those who came with her
died. The dark one could not bring himself to slay the elf cleric.'
The
chill started to spread from my spine to the rest of my body.
'I'm lost'
was all Pare could say.
'I once again asked the father to help and he told
me that the key I needed to bring the savior was on the island. He gave me the
image of a man in white, a warrior for the good god. I searched the island
until we found the bodies of the men who came with Kandella. Using my magic, I
gave my son the shape of the man you know as Eli.  I knew if I sent him to
the temple that Kandella had come from I would find help for the people, I
would find the savior.'

    
'If I
could do anything else for the people I would have. The father has forbid me to
act in any other way. When the light of Solarth is restored to the plain of
Hope and the threat to the people is gone, my son and I will return to help the
people. While I cannot help you with what is ahead of you I can do two things.
 First I will tell you this, under the temple is a tomb. After the dark
one is destroyed, the way will be opened.  You must take him there and
only him.'
I wanted to ask who she was talking about but there was only one
warrior of the good god on the island.
'The second thing is this.'
I
watched as she turned, Eli walked from the cave holding a bundle.  He held
it out to her with both hands, I watched as she started to unwrap the bundle.
 She took from the bundle a sword, the handle was etched in gold ivy
leaves.
'This was the sword of Taynor'
she pulled out the blade and it
flashed in the sun.
'It was forged long ago when the world was young. The
finest elven black smith to ever live crafted this blade from leg bone of a
fallen god or at least that is the legend.  How the human woodsman came to
carry La’tellarin I will never know. He used it to defend the people here and
for that I will always be in debt to him, even if it cost him his life and that
of his lover.'

    
'I give
this blade to use in the defense of my people. While the father has limited me,
he cannot stop me in this. Remember once the dark one is gone take him to the
tomb below the temple.
' I watched as she placed the sword at my feet.
 She then turned and took Eli by the hand.
'Come my son, it is time to
go. We are being made to leave for a time.'
The man who was Eli looked at
me one last time before he turned away.  He looked as if he wanted to say
something but the words failed him.  I then watched as the transformation
began, first the woman and then Eli.
'Oh Darmot, would you look at that!'
A pair of silver dragons now stood on the beach in front of us.  Ellashire
was the larger of the two.
'Have you ever seen anything so wonderful?'
 When
I found that I could move again, I looked down at the halfling.  He had
tears rolling down his red cheeks.  The pair spread their wings and
started to hunch down.
'Wait!
' Pare screamed
'I just want to touch
you, please!'
Ellashire lowered her head down to the level of Pare, had it
been any other beast I was sure it would have eaten him.
'Please!'
he
pleaded again.  The dragon nodded her majestic head one time and Pare was
off at a run.  He ran past her head and placed both hands on the dragon’s
neck.

    
'I can
see myself
!' He then did his best to wrap his arms around the dragon,
hugging her neck. He held on for what seemed to be the longest time, she turned
her face towards me and asked me to collect my friend.  I ran up and
pulled him from the dragon’s neck, he was full on crying at that point.
 He tried to talk but I could not understand a single word to come out of
his mouth other than
'happy.
' Then the one who was Eli came forward,
standing on all fours he was about the same size as Emily.  If she had
wings, a long neck and tail.
'I am sorry sir.'
I could see that same
sorrow in his large blue eyes.  Pare had his head on my shoulder as his
joy was running down my back one tear drop at a time.
'Give the men my best,
tell them I am sorry.'
It was then that he held out a clawed hand to me.
'Give
this to your little friend as something to remember us by.'
He held out a
single silver scale, I reached out and took it from its clawed hand.  It
is the one thing I know Pare still has with him to this day.  He punched a
hole in it and wears it around his neck on a leather thong he got from Miri.
'Stand
back now; we don't want to hurt you.'
I watched as mother and son spread
their wings and took flight, headed south.  They flew low over the water
until I could not see them anymore.

     I set Pare
down on the sand and handed him the scale, this seemed to renew his crying fit.
After a moment or two it stopped almost right away.
'Well, I guess we better
go find the guys and tell them the good news.  Can you believe it, Eli was
a dragon this whole time.'
I then reminded him that they did that to trick
us into coming here, that the real Eli was dead and his body was somewhere on
the island.
'Still, they did it for a good reason. She sure was pretty.'
Pare talked about them for the rest of the day as we set off across the
sand.  It was well after dark when we found Windfall waiting for us at the
edge of the tree line.  He said nothing to us, just waved his hands and
cut into the tree line again.  The men had made a small camp inside the
trees.  It was lit by the light of a single, small fire.  I heard the
question more than once but ignored it until I found Bryce and Michaels.
 I just sat down next to the men, I wanted to tell them the story but I
did not have it in me.  I looked at the faces of my friends and told them
to listen to the story Pare had to tell.  As I sat back down again, I
wished I had something stronger to drink.  

     We spent
the night at that small camp. The prospect of marching forward into the unknown
wasn't something anyone was looking forward to.  So we spent the night
there under the trees and hoped that nothing more would go wrong.
 Windfall and I had the final watch of the night. We took a single walk
around the camp, looking for anything out of place.  As the morning light
started to filter through the trees I asked him why his father would keep the
cleric alive.
'It’s because she is an elf and a cleric of Solarth. My father
once told me that in each race there is purity. In humans and other races, that
purity is easy to taint. An elf however has a greater capacity for good. They
are not as easily corrupted by the evil in the world. Here you have an elf who
is a cleric of the god Solarth. He will see her as a shining example of all
that is good in the world. What the world should be like, something that must
be preserved. He once wrote in one of his final journals that the world would
be a better place if elves were all that were left.'
I thought about what
he said and asked him, isn't he a human?  Windfall looked away from me.
 His eyes were seeing something beyond the horizon and said
'not
anymore.
'

     With the
information that was given to us by a dragon causing doubt amongst the men, we
decided to play it by ear until we arrived at the southern slave camp.  We
were looking at a good two weeks of walking before we got there.  Bryce
and his men were supposed to head out on their own, no one was comfortable with
that any more.  After the camp was cleaned up and all signs of us being
there were covered up, we started to head north.  Windfall, Ebbit and
Mason were sent ahead to scout, Bryce was rear guard and Michaels and I marched
with the rest of the men.  Bryce also did his best to cover our tracks as
we passed through the area.  After three days of walking the trees started
to give us less and less cover.  Half way into the fourth day, the cover
stopped.  Pare was telling Miri about how he hugged the dragon for the
millionth time when Windfall was waiting for us.  He was holding out one
hand, telling us to stop, the other was covering his mouth, telling us to keep
quiet.  I dropped my hand down to my new sword, waiting for him to tell us
the worst.  Once Bryce caught up with us he told us what they had found.

    
'We
came to a clearing, there is a village. We sat and watched it for as long as we
dared before I came back to get you. We did not see a soul. I left Ebbit and
Mason there to keep an eye on things.'
I told the men to rest there, I took
Pare, Michaels and Miri with me and followed Windfall back to where he left the
dwarf.  We stood on the west side of the village, there was one large
building in the center of town, around it was a dozen smaller buildings.
 On the south side of the village was what looked to be a large corn
field.  
'I've not seen so much as a bug.'
Ebbit told us as we came
up from behind him.  I told Windfall and Ebbit to do a sweep of the north
side of the village, Pare and Miri were to head south and do the same.
 Michaels and I were going to walk dead center through the town to check
out the large building.  After the others took off, Michaels and I started
to walk.
'Strange, we are still more than a week away from the Plain of
Hope, the Orcs must have moved farther south, taken the rest of the island.
 Yet I see no signs of battle.'
The buildings were simple mud brick
and some of the small homes we saw didn't even have doors, just an open
entrance.

     From the
writings that Hans gave us it was pretty easy to see that this was a Melkor
village. There were simple people who lived simple lives.  They had been
living like this for thousands of years.  The dirt path through the center
of town was like a spider web, it had strands that reached out to each building
and surrounded the large building in the center of town.  Along the way we
passed a water well.  Michaels pulled up the rope, pulling out a fresh and
clean bucket of water.  I watched as he took a small taste,
'it is very
good. We should have the men refill our supplies here.'
We continued on to
the large building after he dropped the bucket back in the wide well.  It
was a round building; the steps went up a good twenty feet where they ended at
a large pair of steel doors.  Engraved on the door was what looked to be a
blazing sun, under that was the image I had seen on Michael’s banner, a dragon.
 I felt Michaels hand on my arm, he was pointing up near the top of the
building,
'arrow ports
.' In times of trouble the entire village would
hide here and fight if they had to.  We advanced up the stairs and opened
the large steel doors.  In the center of the room was an altar to Solarth
and around that were rows and rows of benches where people could sit.
 Looking up I saw the walkways where archers would stand in the event of
an attack.

     Michaels
removed his helm, brushed the dust from his robes and took out his medallion of
Solarth, resting it on his chest.  I sat down and watched as he marched
forward, pulling his two handed sword from his back.  Holding the pommel
in one hand and the blade in the other he set the weapon down flat on the floor
at the foot of the altar.  He then went down to one knee, placing both hands
on his chest over the medallion.  I could hear him praying but could not
make out what it was that he was saying.  I did not think it would be
polite to listen in.  After about five minutes he stood up and began to
inspect the altar.
'There is not a single speck of dust anywhere. There is
still someone here.'
I asked him if he was sure as I started to walk
forward.
'Aye, this altar is like the one we have at the home temple, this
silver plate on the top tells a story of the creation of the world and Solarths
hand in it. It also pays respect to the other gods. Each day we must dust and
polish this plate or it gets dull and the fine print is too hard to read. As
you can see, it gleams in the faint light in here. If I were to light the
candles here it would be as bright as the sun.'

    
'Whole
town is empty.
' I turned at the sound of Windfalls voice and held up a
single finger telling him to be quiet.  I watched as Michaels searched
around the altar and then around the raised platform on which the altar rested.
'Back here'
he said loud enough that everyone could hear.  I just
shook my head, I didn't want to scare anyone that we found.
'The old temple
in Westheath was something like this. Just square instead of rounded. It had a
hidden door behind the altar, it was where the leader of the church would rest
or hide folks if needed.'
Before I could stop him he was half way down the
stairs under the hidden door guided by the light came from his medallion. 
I told the others to stay up top as I took off after him.  The stairs led
down into another rounded room, half the room was filled with dried goods and
large barrels of water. When we turned around and saw the old man sitting on
the bed I thought for a moment he might be dead.
'I feel the blessed light
of the good god on my skin, please come forward.  Tell me what it is that
you wish.
' His hair was as white as his robes and flowed down around his
body in waves.  His face was clean shaven but his eyes were what drew me
in, they were milky white. 
    
'I am Michaels, paladin of Solarth from the temple
in Arcadia, far across the sea. I am here with Lord Darmot Kromwell, we are
here to help.
' The old man reached down and picked up a long wooden staff
and stood up by the bed. Taking careful steps forward, he walked right up to
Michaels.
'It has been many ages since a paladin stood in this temple. It
would seem that the past has indeed come into the present. I am not in need of
help but help is needed here.'
I asked him why he was the only one in town.
'The others had to flee or risk drawing an attack from the Orcs.  It
would seem our cousins to the north do not make good slaves. Many die doing
their assigned task.  The first time the Orcs came south of the rift, they
took all the men and women. From what I understand, any child that was not old
enough to work became food.  They also destroyed the village. Word went
out to the other villages, everyone went into hiding.  Now the Orc scouts
find nothing but empty villages.  They have yet to find where the people
hide.'
 I asked him why his people left him behind.  He let out a
slight laugh and looked right at me with his dead eyes.  
'I am blind
young man, you do not drag old blind men into the jungle.  Not if you want
to hide.  Besides, I am safe here.  No one with evil in their heart
can enter the temple and the Orcs don't bother with the buildings if they are
empty.'
     This was something I did understand.  If you are
going to take over a nation, you only destroy what you must, use the standing
resources as they are for yourself.  I imagined somewhere there was an Orc
chief with a map of the island plotting out how to use what they have found on
the south side of the island.
'How long have you been alone sir?'
Michaels asked him.
'Months I would say but there is a clan runner here
about once every couple weeks to check on me. It was not easy for the Orcs to
take the north.  There are many wizards among the Othos, they do not have
the hunters our people have but they are able to defend their selves. When
their leader came ashore, he put an end to that.'
I asked him if his people
were trying to fight back.
'We are trying not to draw their ire, there are
only eight hundred left in my clan. We would make them pay but in the end, it
would be just that, our end. If the Orcs want to fight us, they will have to
find us.  If the Orcs try to attack us where we hide, they might find it
not worth the losses they will take. Even the plants would fight them should
they find the Lost Valley
.'

     I told him
we were planning on doing all we could to help and I then asked if we could use
his temple for the night.
'It will not be the first time your clan from
across the sea has spent the night in the temple.'
I asked him what he
meant.
'The female priest came here, asked if she could rest her company
here. I will tell you as I told them. As my ancestors told Keltor and his men,
all are welcome under the eye of Solarth if they can stand to feel his sight
upon them.'
I looked to Michaels and saw that he was in a bit of shock.
'Sir,
what do you know of Keltor?'
he asked.
'Only what has been passed down
through the years. It was his companion Delmon Windfall who inscribed the altar
above us. He did the same in all the temples, both here and in the north.'
Delmon Windfall was an elf cleric.  It was his writings that Kandella had
found.  The very same writings that lead her and then us to the island.
 He was also the ancestor of the most feared bounty hunter in all of
Majius.  Michaels seemed to be beside himself, wanting to question the old
man about everything.  I told him that I would gather the men and left the
two alone to talk.
     When I left the two behind and went back up to the
main room of the temple, Windfall and Ebbit were sitting outside on the steps,
Miri was standing behind them.  Pare on the other hand was up on the walk
way trying to look out the arrow ports.  I told Windfall and Ebbit to go
get the men and to bring them all back to the temple.  I watched them
leave and then went to sit down on one of the many benches.  I then rested
all the way back, trying to close my eyes. I could hear Pare moving around on
the walk way, he was being quiet, while not always a good sign it was something
I welcomed at the moment.  I had only closed my eyes for a minute.  I
was well on my way to being relaxed when I felt something.  I opened my
eyes and saw a smiling halfling face hovering above me. She was standing on the
bench, bent at the waist looking down at me. Her hair had grown a bit longer
since we had set sail but it was still short.
'You know, I am pretty good. I
once tracked a man for a week before I ran him down. This isn't a boast, I am
just telling you this so you understand what I am about to say. There has not
been a living soul in this town for months.'
     I let out a soft sigh and sat up on the bench asking
her what she meant.
'If I didn't know better I would say this town has been
empty for years. I'm sorry but Pare and I gave a little listen to you guys down
below. If he has someone checking on him, it has been a very long time. The
path out of here to the east has spider webs thick enough to catch a bird. You
might want to think about what he has to say, he might not have it all
.' I
looked at her for a moment and she just pointed to her temple, trying to say
the man might be a bit crazy.  I gave her a faint smile and told her we
were visiting a land where the people had lived for thousands of years; without
any outside influence for the most part.
'Well, we know there is nothing
south of here, there is only one path out of town and it leads to the east.
'
I then asked her what path we followed on our way into town.
'Well, we
didn't follow a path.
' I held up my hand and stopped her there.  I
told her that these people are hiding from a larger and dangerous foe and these
were not criminals on the run. These were very scared people who did not want
to be found, in their home land.
     Later that night, after all the men were gathered in
the temple we closed the doors tight. Michaels brought the old man up from the
room below.  He gave us food, water and shelter for the night.  He
also sat and told us the story of his people.  While he was blind, he
would turn his head to look at us when we asked a question.  To be honest,
I was a bit bothered by the whole thing.  While I know he could not see
us, he did feel us.  That night as I slept I had a dream, at first I
thought it was us that I was dreaming of.  Looking back I know I was
seeing how the people first came to the island.  It was not the story of
legend, it was something different.  I wish I could remember it all, only
few things stand out to me.  First was the image of a volcano, smoke was
spewing out of the mountain while the ground shook.  Next we were on a
ship, massive is the only word for it, I remember looking out to see a second ship
like the one I was on.  There was a storm, lightning flashing in the night
and a dragon flying over the ship. The dragon saved us, saved us in the storm,
brought us to land.  As the dream ended we were on a beach.  That
next morning we set out to the north again, Michaels was the last to leave the
temple.
     In a way I felt bad about leaving the old man there,
without any protection.  I got the feeling that he was near his end and he
knew it.  I also get the feeling that more than anything, when his time
came, more than anything he just wanted to be at home.  While I know I
could still die on the field of battle somewhere, the thought of dying at home
in my own bed is something I long for.  To pass away in the one place I
know I was loved and have given love.  The thought of being beside Jasmin
when she is old and gray gave me a smile as we marched.  Over the next
five days we passed two more villages just like the one we left behind.
 Massive fields of cotton surrounded the first village, while there was a
building filled with spinning wheels and looms where they would make the cloth,
there was no product to be found.  Whatever they had, they took with them.
 The next village was the biggest goat farm I had ever seen.  On the
seventh day, we found something I wish I never have to see again. Something I
pray no one ever has to see again.