Logan Marsh: A Thrilling Fantasy Novel (Action Adventure,Mystery, Y/A Book 1) (4 page)

"Excuse me," said Dunlop, the reporter, and his hand holding a small quill and parchment stood in front of Krunch; Serdamus peeked behind him. "I am sorry to bother you again, the esteemed Mister De-Fountain Fantastick," he apologized, "and hello to you, Mage Choop Krunch! It is good to see you, or should I say, the three of you, back in one place… I will be happy if you could answer some questions –"

"I have no time for the prattling of the press," De-Stik looked menacingly at him, "you bothering me without any recess!"

"Yes, you are bothering us, sir, and my friend is more than upset," Krunch added solemnly.

"Let's have a sit," he laughed when he saw Dunlop's figure disappearing into the crowd. "I have lost all patience. I want to hear everything, what was so important? The letter that you've sent me already sent goose bumps all over my body… Where Achtisanor did came from? It hit me like a ray of light during a notime…"

"Yes," interrupted De-Stik, "come, Achtisanor is sitting there. From his surprise I advise to beware."

De-Stik walked towards Achtisanor's table, carrying Krunch is his arms. Achtisanor followed them with his eyes, his hood on this head.

"Hi, Claude!" Krunch leaped from De-Stik's hands to the table. "It is so good to see you again. I was worried about you for all these years. I was sure that a mermaid kidnapped you or that the earth has swallowed you. I keep guessing and wondering what had happened. I asked around, but nobody could give me a clear answer, everyone said you were…"

"Hi, hi, him," interrupted Achtisanor with a slight smile, holding the small lutin hand in a knightly manner. "It is good to see you, Krunch, now wait a little and breathe deeply. I am alive. I am here."

"Krunch arrived from the Sorcerer's Academy. I have sent him a letter and he appeared," said De-Stik, "even if the goblins try to deter us from our deeds."

"Hi, you forget who you are talking to, De-Stik," said Krunch, "For the last twenty years I work in the Alchemical Arts and make potions. Using a small invisibility potion, I managed to slip by them. I even managed to hit some of them while they looked around and didn't know what hit them."

At that moment, De-Stik shot his arm backwards and pulled a yellow tie towards him, pulling with him, the most flustered Dunlop. "If I even glimpse you from the corner of my eye," he whispered in his ear, "I will make noose out of your tie!"

"Oh, yes, yes, Mister De-Fountain Fantastick, I am sorry again, oh, much apologies," Dunlop retreated back to his table. Serdamus sat on his seat and had a quite hearty laughter.

"Well, friends, now that we've finished with this lout," called De-Stik. "What did we wanted to talk about?"

At the same moment, the door to the tavern was kicked open. A broad-shouldered man with red eyes and a long nose stood in the doorway, his beard trimmed in the shape of two dragons, each one of them nestled smugly against his cheek. Achtisanor recognized him at once. It was Van-Sniff, helmetless. His three goons appeared behind him, their eyes glaring flames at the patrons. After the initial scrutiny, one of the thugs located Achtisanor, and looked at him with derision.

"Errr…" The thug growled and excitedly tapped Van-Sniff's shoulder.

Achtisanor signalled to De-Stik and Krunch to stay put.

"Hi, Achtisanor!" Van-Sniff strode towards them and stood in front of Achtisanor, both his hands on the table. Achtisanor glanced at him with annoying silence.

"I am talking to you!" Van-Sniff slammed his fist on the wooden table.

A sudden silence fell on the tavern. The patrons looked towards the main scene.

"And he is ignoring you," Krunch stood arrogantly on the table. "I suggest you leave." He talked directly to Van-Sniff's nose.

"I am talking to him and not to you," Van-Sniff's nostrils flared. Krunch leaped hurriedly from the table and hid behind De-Stik's back.

"I see that you got off easily, scum," muttered Van-Sniff and exposed two rows of rotten teeth, "I guess they decided to leave you to me."

De-Stik's face became redder and redder. He looked expectantly at Achtisanor and waited, ready for action.

"But not today," growled Van-sniff, "I will not waste time on an old man like you before the contest. After it is finished, I will cut you with my axe." A coarse laughter filled the room. Van-Sniff turned towards the bar, and his three friends followed him, feeling smug and superior.

"Did you paint him? Come on, paint already!" Dunlop's voice hurried Serdamus.

"I will show that arrogant man his place," said De-Stik, "I will pull his nose right from his face."

"No, De-Stik," Achtisanor held him down. "He is not worth it," he begged. "Be smart, don't let him get to you."

The three saw Van-Sniff snatching a bottle of wine from the bartender and moving it towards his mouth when a shattering sound reverberated in the room. The red liquid was splashed on his face and dripped from his nose. A loud cacophony of laughter reverberated in the room.

De-Stik and Achtisanor looked immediately at Krunch, smiling from his hiding place. "Quite a nice trick, isn't it?" he said and grabbed De-Stik's trousers to climb back to the table.

Van-Sniff, wet and beaten, muttered a curse, kicked the door and left. His three lowlife friends followed him. Achtisanor, De-Stik, and Krunch tried as best as they could to stop their laughing shakes.

"I hope that this is the last interruption," sighed Achtisanor. "Let's get to the point, what was so urgent?"

De-Stik and Krunch looked at him with raised eyebrows, an expression of wonderment on their faces.

"Ha," laughed De-Stik. "It good that after all these years, your sense of humour is still a mystery. Krunch and yours truly came here because of the letter you sent to me."

"Enough jokes, De-Stik," Achtisanor grew serious and put a letter on the table. "How did you manage to locate me? And why did you make me leave my quiet corner of the world?"

De-Stik looked at the letter in front of him, and saw that it was identical to the letter sent to him, except for the signature - "D.S."

"Sir Claude, something here is quite weird," De-Stik defended himself. "I didn't locate you; I never knew where you lived." He took the letter he received from his pocket and put it also on the table. "The signature is obviously forged. By the tigers, something sinister is abroad!"

After a moment of silence, Achtisanor took the two letters and read them both.

"I should have known," he said and looked around the bar.

"What? What you should have known?" Krunch almost screamed with frightened eyes.

"We have been tricked," continued Achtisanor, still looking at the patrons. "The letter from De-Stik does not rhyme. Somebody wrote the same letter and sent it to both of us."

A big question mark was staring from De-Stik and Krunch faces.

"I hope for the sake of that smooth scribe that he did not forge the letters for a scoop or a jibe," De-Stik thought aloud.

Krunch also looked from his place on the table, searching for a familiar figure. He suddenly saw a pair of big eyes. Krunch was frightened and fell backwards on his bottom.

"I believe you are looking for me," a pleasant and amused voice cut their thoughts. A young elven girl stood before them, her eyes greyish blue, her ears small and pointed, a feather earring on her right ear and her hair tied in a long and golden braid. She was dressed in coarse leather armour and brandished with a symbol of a small oak tree, the symbol of the forest rangers.

"Sir Claude Achtisanor, Francois De-Fontain Fantastick," she bowed her head in front of the two gentlemen, who stood up with amazement, "And Mage Choop Krunch," she smiled towards the blushing Krunch, and helped him to get on his feet.

De-Stik's eyes almost left their face and his mouth opened wide.

"What…Who…I apolo… Misss…" Krunch mumbled.

"Do we know each other?" Achtisanor asked, abashed.

"What the hell?" De-Stik was also confounded. "I mean, who are you, mademoiselle?"

"It is you. You are the one that sent the letter to my friends." Krunch has managed to find his tongue, and also gotten a little upset.

"Sit down, gentlemen," she said in a pleasant voice, "and I will explain to you what this is all about."

Stunned, holding in their hands an old wooden necklace, the three men sat in front of the beautiful elf.

"Lagwanamaris?" Achtisanor was amazed.

"Lo… Lo… Logan Marsh?" stuttered Krunch. "Is… is that you?"

Logan nodded and smiled.

"It is good to see that we've done at least one thing right," De-Stik called happily and rose to hug her. "Look at you, beautiful! A real warrior. Eh, Achtisanor? What a sight."

"A princess," smiled Achtisanor.

"Log…Logan Marsh?" Krunch grabbed his head.

"Why did you summon us?" asked De-Stik. "We have received your thanks for the rescue without any fuss."

"And why after all these years, and why now?" Krunch had managed to compose himself.

"And how did you find us?" asked Achtisanor. "I live these many years away from the attention of man and beast."

"You may ask your questions later," said Logan and rose from her place. "Come on, you need to enroll in the competition."

"In the adventurer's competition? Us? What for?" asked De-Stik. "Ha ha ha, if this is a joke, I want to hear more."

"This is not a joke!" she grew serious. "You've got to help me."

"What? Why?" asked Achtisanor.

"Terrible things have happened lately," explained Logan. "This is not a mere coincidence that the adventurer's competition is held today. The 'scorpion sting' party is missing. Some rumours claim that they were sent to Kolchis castle to retrieve the secret plans of Hubris, Klexas's warlord, and no one has heard from them since. Domarwink is going to announce it today.

"They say that Hubris is gathering his army for the biggest attack ever on Nature kingdom," continued Logan, "and the preparations are coming to an end."

"Kiril," Achtisanor understood.

"Kiril?" wondered Krunch.

"Yes," said Logan. "My brother, Kiriliosmaris, was the leader of 'scorpion's sting'. The party was composed of his friends from the elven academy," she continued. "For all his life, he adored and dreamt to join you. You don't know how he was disappointed when you disbanded the group one year before he finished his tenure as a tutor in the academy. Exactly twelve years ago, the 'scorpion's sting' won the adventurer's competition and Domarwink appointed them to be the royal guard." Her voice shook.

"I have never known my father," finished Logan. "And I have heard of his bravery from Kiril, when he returned for his brief vacations from the academy. My mother died; he is the only family I have left."

"Melan?" Achtisanor was surprised. "When?"

"Five years ago," Logan said sadly. "She was very ill."

"I didn't know." Tears appeared at the corner of Achtisanor's eyes.

"Patrick was your mentor, Achtisanor," Logan searched his crestfallen eyes. "And Kiril was like a brother to you. If you will join me, we could win this competition and be appointed as the royal guard. Our mission then will be to save him."

"How do you know that he is still alive?" asked Achtisanor.

"I know," said Logan. "I just know!"

"No, no, no, why deal with the disappointment? I will tell it to you straight," apologized De-Stik. "There are thousands of other warriors outside that will think that your cause is great."

"But you have saved my life," Logan stood, her face long. "From all the heroes, you I trust most. And the new royal guard will receive complicated and difficult missions."

"Yes, child, but I grew weary from adventurous tales," said De-Stik. "We are no longer excited youth, rushing into battle with mace and blades."

"Complicated and difficult… You said?" interrupted Krunch.

"And dangerous?" said Logan.

"And dangerous?" Krunch opened his eyes and stood on the table. "Very dangerous?"

"Very much indeed," said Logan.

Krunch held his chin in his hand, and raised his right eyebrow. Afterwards, he raised his left eyebrow, then both of them… "I must confer with the two gentlemen," he whispered finally into Logan's ear. "Alone."

Logan left the three men and went to the bar.

"This could be like the old days," Krunch was excited. "We are the best suited men for the job, and after all we have done in the past, there is no way we lose this competition. And if we lost – nothing happened."

"What are you talking about?" complained De-Stik. "We are a bunch of antiquities, this is not right."

"So what, you piece of antiquity, this is the way you want to be until you die?" said Krunch. "Isn't it the time to do something good? Especially when we are talking about Kiril." He turned his eyes towards a silent Achtisanor.

"Claudiomaris?" Krunch called to Achtisanor in his elvish name, to remind him of his heritage.

"No," said Achtisanor quietly, "I have had my chance, and look where it hasd gotten me. Everything good and decent that I have touched… was left to ruin. I have failed in all my endeavors. I am too old for this now. Kiril needs to be saved? I have no doubt. But I am not the man to do so. There are far better warriors that are suited for this mission."

De-Stik and Krunch were frightened by his angry words. Achtisanor collected his personal belongings and strode towards the bar's exit. He met Logan's eyes. She looked back at him, disappointedly, holding a glass of wine in her hand.

"I am sorry, Logan," he said, and lowered his eyes to the ground when he exited the house.

"I have never seen him like this," said Krunch.

"He had some rough days since she died," answered De-Stik. "The memories must have hurt something deep inside."

Achtisanor sat at the left corner of the bat and blinked his eyes. His hand reached for his bag's pocket to touch the golden medallion, and discovered that it was wrapped. It was a velvet handkerchief. When he opened it, his hands shook.

"Domarwink," he whispered.

"You live for Nature, and Nature lives for you" was embroidered on the handkerchief with a golden string on the blue velvet. It was a gift that he gave to Domarwink not long before he quit his commission.

"Alystus must have put it in my bag," he reflected, "but why?"

"Hi, hi, Claude the knight!" De-Stik's voice interrupted him, as he rushed towards the bar. Achtisanor put the handkerchief back in the pocket.

"I can understand our friend's plight," De-Stik sat beside his bearded friend, "we don't want to die as old relics left to die out there in the night. When we'll die, it should be in the greatest battle ever to test our might. This is what we always said, Claude, by the gods so bright!"

Achtisanor took a worn wineskin from his bag.

"The wine will not help you forget and atone for the past," continued De-Stik. "You will not change anything while you rest." He grabbed the wineskin from Achtisanor's hand and drank fully from it. "You have vowed many sacred oaths to your king. Your heart still aches, Sir Claude, it echoes from your very being."

Achtisanor sat and stared into space, his eyes glittered. "Then you go," he said, "I am quite finished with it."

"We need you Achtisanor, O great and valiant fighter. Still feeling sorry for yourself, come hither! Your loss will be sorely missed, knight of the past; don't let this opportunity pass." Achtisanor lowered his head without saying a word, and the desperate De-Stik strode back to the bar. Krunch waited for him there.

"Well?" asked the Lutin expectantly.

De-Stik shook his head and strode towards Logan.