Fate's Hand (2 page)

Val traveled for two more days before finding an actual road heading east. He figured the orcs would stay in the woods, but a road might bring him to a town or village and he was running low on supplies. A whole day passed before he saw a person. He came upon a man walking aside a limping horse. The man was wearing a plain, long cotton robe over his clothes and carrying a weathered walking stick. He was a heavy set man and his massive beard and long, pepper-colored hair only made him look larger. Val noticed the large and beautiful black wood veins that ran along the staff as he got closer.

"Hello, sir," Val called out. The man stopped and slowly turned to face Val, his expression curious, his eyes bright and sharp. "Yes?"

"Can you tell me what the nearest town on this road traveling east is?"

"No towns, really, just a farming village before the pass through the Grey Hills."

Val nodded and, with a slight wave of his hand, started back east.

"But I wouldn’t go there if I were you."

Val stopped in his tracks and turned.

"Why not?"

"Well, you’re not a criminal, are you?"

"No, sir, I’m not."

Well, there isn’t anything in that direction but a house full of highwaymen that will strip you of anything you’ve got and leave you naked by the road half-dead or worse."

Val stood silently and faced east. The old man walked up to him.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"About what? They will probably kill you."

"Yes, sir, and so will the orcs that have my sister, and they are east."

Both men stood staring down the road. The old man broke the silence right as Val got the courage to start off eastbound again.

"My name is Jerib Havens of Merrithorn. Come with me to my cottage."

"I’m sorry, sir, but I really must be going."

”Come with me and I’ll give you the supplies you need. I’ll even tell you where to find your sister."

Val looked at the man with confusion plain across his face. "How?"

With a robust voice of pleasure, the man replied, "Magic, my dear boy! Magic! Now come this way.” He turned and started off the road into the woods. Val looked at the man’s back, unsure, but then followed him down the worn game trail.

"Is your horse lame?"

"Ha, Gabby here? No, she is fine. She sprained her ankle once and I babied her a little too much. Anytime she gets tired of carrying me, she buckles down until I get off, then limps all the way home. She’s smart enough to know I’ll never put her down, so now I walk." The old man had a warm smile on his face as he gently stroked the horse's neck. "But I walk with a friend."

Val smiled and asked, “Friends with a horse?"

"Oh, I’m friends with all manner of animals. I’ve found them to be better friends than most humans I meet."

"So you live in the woods alone?"

Jerib looked at him with an eyebrow cocked.

"Uh, well, I mean you live out here with all your friends?"

Jerib smiled. “Yes, I like it better that way. This sister of yours: how long has she been missing?"

"A fortnight and a day.”

"Hmm. And you still believe her to be alive?"

"As long as I am alive, I will not stop looking."

Jerib didn’t have to look at his face; the conviction in Val’s voice was plain. "Fair enough. We're almost there."

Drask formed in the smoke with the same smile he had when he left the world above. At once a scowl came across his face as the smell of the seventh layer hit him. His father was Baal, ruler of Verim Laris, the seventh layer. In Drask’s opinion it was the foulest plane of hell. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the smell of the burning lotus petals on the surface. With a grunt, he angrily stalked to his study to review his plans. Getting the blood the wizard asked for was no hard task; he had already obtained it several weeks before. Preparations for the book he asked for would be a different story.

"
Proclamation of the Dark Truth
," he whispered to himself. His father's consort, Lilith, spoke of it long ago: a book lost by Krevios himself that holds the secret for a creature of the abyss to walk out of hell—with a sacrifice, of course. The catch was that it was written by a "crazed and suicidal priest of Krevios," Lilith said. "And the final act in his life was to embody the book so it would teleport any demon that touched it into one of the Celestial realms. Only a human’s hands can touch the book and the words are invisibly etched into the pages. A book only a human can read that only helps a Devil! Truly a crazy one he was!" Lilith finished the story with a laugh.

He had replayed Lilith's words over in his head hundreds of times. As everyone else waved them away in disgust, he saw them for what they were: opportunity. When Drask found a partially-destroyed scroll detailing how to trade body parts with other beings, his hand trembled with anticipation. He immediately sent his fiends to go search the purported locations of the book. Years passed before finding its true location, and then several more before he found a good pawn nearby to manipulate. It was no coincidence that Yusar contacted him with the ingredients required for that particular potion. Drask had set everything that Yusar was trying to achieve in motion. When his imp servant entered the study, Drask already knew why he was there.

"Did you go to Yusar and tell him all I instructed?"

"Yes, master," the imp rasped.

“Good. Go prepare for the next part.” The imp silently left the room. Drask's mind fell back onto his plans. Everything needed to go smoothly and quickly. If he stole the hand of a human to read the book, there was no doubt his brothers and father would find him out and try to use him for their own biddings. To remain undiscovered, he would have to finish his plans in the abyss quickly after Yusar obtained the book. He smiled at the thought of his brothers' faces when his plans were finished.

Yusar sat at his desk, tapping his long nails on the ebony surface. The imp, Yarsik, would be back soon with the information he had asked for. As if on cue, the flames from the brazier lit up and the imp hopped out onto the floor.

"Well?" Yusar said, ready to end the suspense.

"The prince of the seventh wants the book to gain his father’s favor. It holds the secret for Baal’s transformation to his former self."

Yusar thought the words over and studied the imp to discover any lies. As far as Yarsik knew, it was the truth, so Yusar was satisfied.

"Fine. You are dismissed."

The imp hopped back into the fires, happy to return to his home.
The book will be of no value to me, but I will still read it over for anything interesting
, Yusar thought.

As the trees broke away and Val entered a clearing with Jerib, his heart was stilled. A quaint house sitting on a lush, grassy hill was before him. A thin brook trickled close by and there was a makeshift barn to the side. Gabby trotted past Val with a fully healed leg to go drink from the slow-running waters. As the horse passed by the house and barn, the place came alive with movement. Birds, reptiles, and furry forest creatures flew, slithered, and scurried to and fro, all the while filling the air with their sounds. A mockingbird flew around Jerib's head, wildly flapping its wings while squawking. Jerib threw his hands up and waved them around, irritated,

"I know, dummy! I brought him here!" The bird, apparently satisfied, flew back to a nearby branch to sit and issue the occasional squawk he couldn’t seem to hold in.

"I swear, he was the best town crier in all the land in a previous life...if you believe in that sort of thing," Jerib said.

Val smiled and took in the calm air of the beautiful woodland sanctuary. Rays of light shone down through the nearby trees, making it a place of both shadows and warmth.

"It's not much, but its home."

"It’s beautiful."              

"Come on, let’s go inside and rest our feet."

The inside of the cottage smelled of dirt and fresh cut grass. Around the hearth, the floor was a soft and cool grass. Val closed his eyes and wiggled his toes, letting the cold blades slide between them.

"Have to enjoy the small things, son."

Val opened his eyes, embarrassed. "Yes, sir, sorry. Um, you said you could find my sister?"

Jerib waved his staff into the air. "Ah, yes, your adventure awaits. No need to apologize. I was young once, also
—ten foot tall and invincible. But that’s another story. Wait here a moment while I grab what I need."

Jerib returned a few minutes later with a small pewter bowl, a pitcher of some liquid, and a small squirrel on his shoulder.

"I will divine the location of your sister if you have something of hers?"

"I have been using her waterskin," Val said, removing the item from his bag.

"That will do just fine, if she is still alive." Val’s jaw tightened but he said nothing. Jerib poured the water over Daria’s waterskin and let the water run into the bowl. He recited a few incantations, his hands hovering over the edge of the bowl, eyes closed. Val stared intensely on the water for any image. After a few moments, Jerib said sternly, "Go wait outside if you can’t sit still." Val looked at him, startled, but began to rise. Jerib opened one eye and smiled at Val.

“
No, not you, my boy." Jerib shrugged his shoulder to indicate the squirrel thoroughly cleaning his fur. He shrugged his shoulder with more force, but all he got was a slight squeak from the creature. Jerib sighed and dropped his hands. "One track mind." He reached into his pocket and grabbed a few nuts. He waved them at the squirrel before tossing them out an open window. The squirrel scampered over Jerib’s head and down his arm to jump over to the window sill and out of sight.

"Now, back to it." Jerib reset his concentration and closed his eyes. He sat motionless for a while before he finally mumbled, "There." He gently ran his fingertip across the water. As the surface began to still, an image appeared in the bowl.

He saw the form of several orcs snoring around a campfire. It was dark, only the low flicker of the fire gave them any sight at all. He scanned the scene frantically for any sign of his sister. Something beside one of the orcs moved. It was Daria! She was trying to use a skinny piece of rock to open an iron shackle around her ankle. The shackle was attached to a sleeping orc's belt by a long chain. The orc stirred slightly and she froze in place. He casually reached back and jerked the chain, sending Daria skidding across the dirt. She looked around and realized she had dropped the rock she was using. She curled up in a ball and began to cry, her tears leaving clean streaks through the dried blood on her face.

As the image of his sister faded away, Val whispered, "Daria." Jerib held his hand out for silence and sat very still. Several moments went by in silence. Jerib was sitting with his chin resting on his knuckles.

"Sparks," he finally said.

Val looked up, curious. "What?"

"There were sparks when her hands skidded across the ground. That can only mean they were in a rock cave. Think about it. It’s not dark outside, yet they were sleeping around a fire. And a stone floor to create sparks. They are in one of the many caves before the Grey Hills."

"I have to go now," Val said, rising from the table.

"Sit, please, sit," Jerib said calmly with his hand outreached. "A plan. You need a plan. Don’t rush off blindly into the coming night only to check every cave on the hillside. I think I can help you find her, Val."

Val’s heart jumped as he heard the words. "You're coming with me?"

"No, I would only slow you down, and I’m too old to fight anymore. Give me a few hours, rest, eat, and refill your supplies. I will see what I can do."

Val was anxious to return to his search with the image of his sister fresh in his mind, but he knew it was for the best.

"Okay, I will rest until you are done with your work."

"Good. Wise choice. You may go rest in the stable loft while I work in here."

The red wizard Yusar meditated only minutes before his attack on the great library, thinking of his path and end goal. Scrying revealed the book to be in the warded and heavily-guarded room of the nearby library in the city of Facona. The guarded room held a host of magical items of the unknown. He made note to come back later and search for anything that might pique his curiosity. He rose from his mat and cited the words to ward him for the coming fight. Knowing his way through his mind’s eye, he finished the spell to fly out miles from his tower, over the town and to the library. His intense meditation let him block out all the sounds of the city's nightlife and concentrate on the task before him. He floated down to the front doors of the building to land softly before two unsuspecting guards. Before they could shout an alarm or raise their weapons, the wizard opened his eyes and finished the final symbol of his spell to affix a globe of silence on the immediate area.               Yusar touched his thumbs together and thrust his hands out, releasing his built up spell and sending the two guards crashing through the front doors without a sound. He calmly took a few steps back out of the silenced globe and mouthed a new spell. He instantly became invisible and walked over the two unconscious guards and splintered wood. He made his way through the abandoned corridors until he came on the room he was looking for. One scan over the door made him aware of the intricate spells warding it. A half-awake female guard sat to the side of the door, with a heavy morning star laid across her lap. Yusar knew he could spend an hour or more disarming the wards guarding the door, or he could have them open it for him. He quietly walked over to the guard and looked her over. The morning star glowed a faint blue, but nothing else was magical. The guard had on chainmail, but Yusar noted her exposed hand resting on her knee. The red wizard drew a poniard from his robe and poised his body over the guard's lap. He couldn’t see if the dagger was in line so he ended the invisibility spell at the same moment he drove the blade through the guard's hand, pinning it into her own leg. The guard tried to stand, but the dagger was driven into her bone. Her screams of agony echoed all through the library and out into the streets.

Yusar could hear boot falls against the stone floor and began casting his next spell, holding the last word in check. Yusar heard the men calling out for the guard, but she could give them no response other than her ragged screams. Yusar heard the words spoken, from the other side of the door, to remove the wards. The door swung open to reveal three heavily armored men charging to help their friend, only to find themselves staring down the fingertips of a man in red robes. Yusar smirked as he said the last word, releasing multiple bolts of lightning across the faces and chests of the oncoming guards. The guards slumped to the floor burnt and motionless.

Yusar walked into the great hall of the library unscathed. He closed his eyes and remembered the exact location of the book stacked in the shelves among the many thousands. Seeing the right section, he touched a ring on his hand and floated up near the top shelf. Lying before him was a black bound leather book:
Proclamation of The Dark Truth
. He gently slid the book from the shelf as he heard the footsteps and shouts of the library’s guards. He slowly brought himself back to the ground, his eyes fixed on the book all the while. Yusar looked up to see the many library keepers and guards, all wide-eyed and surprised, rushing into the room. He thought about what Drask had said about humans' stupid surprised looks and nearly laughed out loud as he vanished.

It took Val almost an hour to fall asleep. The image of his sister crying on the floor with a broken spirit wouldn’t leave his thoughts. A slight movement and weight finally brought him back awake. He felt another nudge. He picked his head up to see a small chipmunk sitting on his chest, staring at him with large, curious eyes.

"Guess it’s time, huh, little guy?" The chipmunk clicked then jumped across him, into the hay. Val stretched and gathered his bag and sword. He walked across the grass, watching the coming lightning bugs dance across the water as the sun set. His mind and body were at peace in this place. He looked at the house and set his mind back at the task at hand. He knocked once before pushing the door open.

"Ah, almost perfect timing son, come, sit." Jerib handed Val a bowl of soup and grabbed a leather satchel off his work desk. He placed its contents on the table: a stone cup, Daria’s waterskin, a small arrowhead pendant on a chain, and a purple-tinted vial. "I've used some of the same magic I used to find your sister earlier to alter these items. Whenever you are in need for direction, just follow these." Jerib began to go through the actions for Val.

"Use your sister's waterskin to fill up the cup like this, then take this pendant off the chain and place it on top of the water, like so." Dim blue runes began to glow around the rim of the cup. The pendant spun a few times then stopped dead. The arrow on the pendant pointed east. Jerib picked up the cup and turned it. The pendant stayed constant in its direction. "This will point in the direction of your sister each time you use it. There is enough water for thirty or so more cups." Jerib took the pendant from the water and placed it back on the chain. He picked up the cup and drank its contents.

"By drinking the water from the cup you will gain the strength of seven men for a short time." Jerib took a deep breath and flexed his arms. Val looked on with eyes wide and curious. Jerib looked at him and a smile cracked across his face. "I’m just jesting with you. It’s just water."