Cathexis: Necromancer's Dagger (27 page)

“Not much,” Gustin answered, “just things
you hear, like old sayings, 'Uglier than a Darknull', or 'Don’t go
in the dark or the Darknulls will eat you', that kind of
thing.”

“Have you heard anything about what they
look like?” Drake asked, concentrating on Gustin’s reply.

“Not really, only that they are
the most hideous
thing you could ever see,”
Gustin answered, not really noticing Drake’s intense interest.

“They can’t be much uglier than
those vorghoul
, besides, I’m used to
traveling with you, so I’ve built up my tolerance for ugly things,”
Drake kidded, trying to lighten his spirits.

“Funny, little man. Do you need me to help
you load up a couple more twigs?
Obviously,
a heavy branch would be out of the question,”
Gustin replied, joining into the banter.

“This is kindling, I leave the lumber
carting business to a dumb pack animal, like you,” Drake fired
back.

“I can always tell when you are worried
about something Drake, you start making large and dumb jokes. Don’t
worry, I’ll protect you from the Darknull,” the big man assured
him, striking closer to the mark than he knew.

“I’m not afraid of monsters, I can protect
myself quite well, thank you,” Drake said, a little too forcefully
as if trying to convince himself of his bravery.

Sometime later Drake stood around the fire
with the others and said, “I hate waiting.”

All four of the humans waited in a circle
facing out into the hostile darkness with the large fire burning at
their backs. They had extra wood piled beside each knight at hand’s
reach and spare torches stood in a pyramid close to their right
hands. The firelight sent their shadows dancing to unheard music
against the tree trunks surrounding the clearing.

“Are you sure the horses are far enough
away, milady?” Hetark asked. His mind kept jumping from one detail
to the next, looking for something that they had forgotten to
prepare.

“Yes Hetark, the creature won’t be
interested in horses, not when there are human auras to consume,”
Elizabeth said from her position to Hetark’s left. Michael’s head
poked out from the leather pack on her back, his
arms,
and legs projected out of holes that
Hetark had cut in the bottom. This way she could protect Michael
with both her
hands free
to
defend.

“I hate waiting,” Drake said again.

“Well, then why don’t you just go out and
find it?” Gustin asked from Drake’s right.

“I’m not a fool; I just don’t like this
waiting. I wish it would just get here, and then I’d be fine,”
Drake replied.

“The longer it waits, the less time there is
until dawn, that's the way I look at it,” Gustin explained.

“You would, I just hate waiting. By the way,
when you turn to throw more wood on the fire, don’t knock over my
torches with your big clumsy arms, OK?” Drake instructed
Gustin.

“There he goes again with the big man
insults, now we know he’s getting nervous,” Gustin said to
Elizabeth and Hetark.

“I am not getting nervous, dimwit,” Drake
said scowling at Gustin.

“Temper getting a little ‘short’?” Gustin
asked emphasizing the word short.

“Now who’s making stature jokes?” Drake
asked.

“It comes,” Elizabeth said to an instantly
quiet Gustin and Drake.

CAracusS was standing on a balcony in the
palace and gazing off into the darkness of night when he said, “The
Baron should have them by now, it was only a matter of time.”
CAracusS contorted Jatar’s handsome face into a sardonic smile as
he considered the destruction of the Kirnath sorceress.

From a pace behind the necromancer Von
Dracek answered, “Good, that’s one less Kirnath in the world. It’s
time to go meet with the other rulers and ambassadors and continue
our plans of conquest, are you ready?”

“Of course, I know what to say,” the
necromancer replied.

“Good, after you then,” the merc said and
gestured with a sweep of his open hand.

The representatives of Pruta, Amak-Ta-Dol,
Quisantia
, and the ruler of
Tazlany, Lord Pellev Welter, and of Belorn, Lord Verdew Kestle were
all waiting when CAracusS entered the conference room. Von Dracek
took a seat, but CAracusS continued up to the podium and turned to
speak to the assembly.

“My esteemed representatives,” and he
acknowledged Jatar’s boyhood foster brothers individually with a
nod and added, “Lord Welter and Lord Kestle,” then he continued, “I
have called you here to clarify some rumors that you may have
heard. Yesterday, Lord Armal murderously attacked Lord Rinholt,
they fought and both of them died. From the evidence that I
personally inspected I concluded that Lord Rinholt was attacked and
mortally wounded before he defended himself and struck down Lord
Armal. Because this outrageous murder took place in my country, in
my palace, in my very home, I am declaring war on Olsk and will
support Pruta in their claim against their enemy, Olsk.”

CAracusS paused for a moment and enjoyed the
looks of shock on the faces of Lord Welter, Lord Kestle and the two
ambassadors of Amak-Ta-Dol and
Quisantia
. Before they could say anything he continued,
“I’d also like to ask the aid of your countries in righting this
terrible wrong that Lord Armal perpetrated on the people of
Pruta.”

Ambassador
Shulst
of Amak-Ta-Dol stood immediately and answered, “As
most of you know, in the past I had my differences with the late
Lord Armal, yet I always respected him as an honorable opponent. I
refuse to believe that he murdered Lord Rinholt. I cannot speak for
my ruler in this choice, but I can tell you that I will be
counseling him to have nothing to do with this war, good evening
gentlemen.” He turned, picked up his hat and marched out of the
room.

Quisantia’s
representative also stood and addressed those present, “This is a
troubling matter, but without knowing more facts I cannot counsel
my ruler to throw our support behind Pruta or Olsk. Until Lord
Kejil
makes his decision you may
consider Quisantia neutral in this war. Good evening,” he finished
and walked out the door after ambassador Shulst.

Now Lord Pellev Welter climbed slowly to his
feet and looked Jatar in the eye as if trying to read something
within the depths. After a
moment,
he said, “Jatar, I would advise you as your foster brother to
reconsider your position. War is not the answer; it will ruin all
your painstaking work to bring peace to the kingdoms. This can all
be worked out by negotiations between the two countries; men don’t
need to die by the thousands for the act of one crazy man.”

The Prutian representative jumped to his
feet and shouted, “We don’t want negotiation… we want revenge! Olsk
took away our Lord by foul treachery, and we will get amends.”

“This is insanity, no one will come out the
victor in this war, your countries are too well matched,” reasoned
Lord Welter.

“With the help of Tazlany, Belorn and
Lindankar, Pruta would be strong enough to overcome Olsk without
too much destruction,” CAracusS reasoned, “Join us; it will reduce
the
spilled
blood in this
conflict. You are my sworn brother, help us to right the deadly
insult that Olsk has dealt both Pruta and Lindankar,” the
necromancer implored Lord Welter, trying hard to sound like Lord
Jatar.

Lord Pellev shook his head in puzzlement as
he answered, “I cannot Jatar, I represent my people, and I will not
send them to their deaths in war without provocation, even when my
foster brother asks. Ask me for my life and I will give it to you,
but not one life of my people will I risk in this senseless
conflict. Tazlany will have no part in this,” he stood and headed
for the door.

“Go then, coward, we will aid Pruta and
we’ll defeat Olsk without Tazlany’s help!” CAracusS said in anger
to Jatar’s foster brother’s back.

Lord Welter paused at CAracusS’ angry
statement, but he did not turn to face Jatar’s body as he said, “I
will pretend that I didn’t hear that because you are my sworn
brother and you are distraught, but do not insult me again, Jatar.”
His voice was very controlled and as he finished speaking he
continued out of the room.

CAracusS turned to face Jatar’s second
foster brother.

“Verdew, I don’t know what is wrong with
Pellev; perhaps you can speak to him and find out what I’ve done to
make him turn his back on our friendship. We are at a time of
difficult choices, a usurper has overrun Autrany and Olsk is
preparing to do the same to Pruta. We must protect our allied
countries by joining together and showing a common front!”

Lord Verdew Kestle stood, adjusted his lace
cuffs, and then straightened his doublet, which
were
all actions designed to give him a moment
to collect his thoughts.
Finally,
he said, “There is much here to study. Olsk has been on good terms
with both Lindankar and Belorn for years, as has Pruta. Until now
Olsk and Pruta haven’t had any serious problems. I still find it
hard to believe that Olsk was attempting a planned action against
their neighbor. Perhaps a personal disagreement turned to
violence
and had nothing to do
with a takeover of their neighbor. Without more knowledge I cannot
commit
to
either side. Then there
is the Usurper of Autrany. With Belorn sharing a border with
Autrany, we must stay prepared to turn back his army should he
decide to continue his bloody expansion. You have sent us troops to
this aim, are these now going to be pulled away to the war with
Olsk?”

“Of course not, but the Usurper is well
entrenched within Autrany, so it will take a long and fierce war to
retake that country from his iron grip.
Pruta
, on the other hand, has not fallen and with our
support,
we can keep it that way.
Combined we can take Olsk and then turn our army on the Usurper,”
CAracusS finished powerfully.

“If Olsk is the aggressor then I am
sympathetic to Pruta, but I cannot afford to weaken
Belorn’s
borders by sending troops to help in a
war of conquest. We must protect our own country from the
aggressive actions of the Usurper,” Lord Kestle apologized. “Now if
you will excuse me I am leaving for Belorn, I’ve already been gone
too long.” Giving a short bow Lord Verdew Kestle left the
chamber.

CAracusS faced the Prutian representatives
and said, “Pellev always was a coward, and Verdew will come along
after I’ve had a chance to speak with him in private. Don’t worry,
even if Lord Verdew doesn’t send troops, with both Lindankar’s and
Pruta’s armies under my control and strategy we will defeat Olsk
swiftly and decisively.”

Like a tide of putrid water the ill feeling
of the Darknull washed over Elizabeth and the knights, the horror
had found them. Elizabeth called out into the night with a steady
voice, “Depart foul creature of darkness for I am a wielder of the
Spirit Light! You will receive nothing but
pain
if you attempt to attack these humans. Be gone for
you are an abomination that does not belong in this fair
world!”

From just outside the light cast from the
licking flames, where nothing of the creature could yet be seen,
Baron Qyrmswav’s reply came cloaked in the form of squishing and
popping maggots. “I come for you sorceress; I will dine on your
wounded spirit and taste your soul as it writhes in sweet
agony.”

“You will taste nothing this night, but the
pure power that will burn you. I am not so wounded that I cannot
defend us from your foul touch, but I’m wasting my breath, you are
merely puppets of your necromancer masters, so you’ll dance to the
pull of your puppet strings,” Elizabeth spoke out bravely.

“It is we who use the necromancers to bridge
the planes. Once here we can dine on human souls, the sweetest of
all delicacies. Strong spirits, such as yours, are the sweetest
tasting of all human souls, and tonight I will taste yours.

“However sorceress, if you come to me
willingly I will let the others go, including the small one on your
back. They will be the hunt of another day,” bargained the
Baron.

The sick sounds of the Darknull’s voice
turned Hetark’s
stomach, but
when
he heard the bargain it offered Elizabeth anger helped him master
his sickness. “Depart abomination; you cannot have our Lady to
befoul with your disgusting touch. Leave or I swear that I will
destroy that putrid thing you call a body.”

“You, my silly little knight, will be my
appetizer,” the vile voice answered and with the swift sound of
rushing air the Darknull attacked Hetark.

Hetark brought his two torches up and waved
them in an interconnecting pattern. At the same
time,
he stepped back until his heels felt the
burning heat of the campfire. The Baron stopped just outside the
pattern
of Hetark’s waving
torches, assessing the barrier, and then the beast darted to the
side and attacked. The knight felt the acid touch of the Darknull
on his lower right calf and brought a torch down to block. The
insubstantial Darknull jerked back away from the painful fire.

Elizabeth was worried; she could see that
Hetark’s intricate pattern of defense was starting to lose its
steady pattern as fear caused the knight to lose concentration. The
intense agony from the brief acid touch of the Darknull and the
mind assaulting presence of the beast had Hetark on the edge of
control. Elizabeth could see the patterns of his aura changing as
panic overcame reason.

Hetark’s mind reeled with the thoughts of
flight, yet he pushed down those instinctual reactions and tried to
maintain control.