The Staff of Sakatha (34 page)

“We’ll dismount and go on foot when we get close to the mountains,” ordered the First Rider looking back at the other three. “We need to follow them for as long as possible without being spotted if we hope to let them lead us to the staff. Sir Sorus, Sir Odellius, this isn’t your fight and the safety of Elekargul is not directly at stake, if you wish to leave Jon and I to pursue the mission I grant you that right.”

Sorus looked to Odellius and the young man and the older knight smiled and shook their heads in unison, “I think we’ll stay for a just a bit longer,” said the rotund knight. “I don’t know if I speak for Sir Sorus here but I’d like to see how this thing turns out in the end, if you don’t mind.”

“I’m staying with Jon,” said Sorus suddenly. “Sir Germanius ordered me to stay with him no matter what, and I’ll not let anyone tell me different, not even you First Rider Vipsanius.”

Jon turned to the young boy a puzzled expression on his face, “Sir Germanius said that?”

Sorus nodded his head, “He told me to stick with you no matter what, so you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.”

“I like it just fine, Sorus,” said Jon with a nod of his head and he rode over to the boy and clapped him on the back. “I can’t imagine a better man to share my quests than you. No offense, Odellius but I’m not sure I can take enough food along to keep your appetites quelled.”

“None taken, boy,” said Odellius. “Sir Germanius was a good man, a bit out of touch in his later years but a fine knight and a true champion. If he thinks you and Sorus should stay together then I support that decision. Besides, I have a feeling you’ll be doing quite a lot of traveling in your lifetime, Jon, and I’m not a young man anymore despite my youthful appearance!”

“If you ladies are finished nattering,” said the First Rider as he looked over his shoulder and shook his head. “There’s a relic of the Old Empire to be found.” With that he cantered off after the other knights.

It took them almost an hour to find the spot where the reptile men broke through the ranks of the knights of Elekargul and into the mountains. The soldiers provided the four men with food, water, and supplies for their journey into the hills and took their horses.

Jon was particularly saddened to see his trotter go, “Take good care of him,” he told the powerful knight who held the reins. “She’s Tarlton bred and as fine a mount as I’ve ever had.”

The man nodded his head and, with the First Rider in the lead, the four set out into the mountains.

“We will follow the debased dragon children,” said Thantos to the twenty or so gathered darklings of various shapes and sizes. The largest of them stood well over eight feet tall with pale skin and long tusks that came from a low slung jaw, while half a dozen more stood only four feet tall with nasty little blades at their sides. “They know where the Staff of Sakatha is hidden. When we retrieve the staff the Lady of the Abyss, She who has Ruled for All Eternity, will reward you well for you services.”

“Exactly how much will she reward us?” said almost the smallest of the strange creatures with the sharp knives, who wore a leer on his pale white face that exposed a double row of pointed little teeth. “I do not expect to be rewarded upon my death,” he continued, “I want a more tangible reward, ghoul.”

Thantos looked sharply at the creature, “The Mistress of the Abyss controls your soul after death so if you don’t want to spend an eternity in the deathlands than you should shut your fat little mouth.”

The creature laughed as did the two dozen others gathered around Thantos, the biggest made a sort of grunt sound and moved a step closer to the ghoul who licked his lips nervously and put up his hands in a defensive position. “Now, now, my darkling friends,” he said and backed up a step or two, “there is no need for violence. We can work this out. The Lady of the Aybss, She of the All Power, wants the Staff of Sakatha, the degenerate dragon children know where it is, and you can help me get it. This can work to our mutual benefit.”

“We await your offer, oh mighty subordinate of She Who Rules for Now,” said the little darkling creature with a wicked smile.

“You dare insult the Mistress of the Aybss,” said Thantos with a snarl at the goblin and he seemed to forget the huge creature nearby who sidled ever closer, “she will have your eternal soul for such mockery.”

“Your threats do not bother me, ghoul,” said the creature and smiled once again. “You need our help and we are willing to give it … for the right price. The Lady of the Abyss is a woman with great power and wealth but also one of capricious whims. It is well known she does not always honor her bargains and I merely wish to assure myself that our pay will be commiserate with the danger our work.”

 Thantos looked at the little darkling for a long moment, then to the larger creatures, and finally to the others that surrounded him, “She promises you each five slaves and one thousand black coins,” he spat out, “is that acceptable?”

“Living slaves or mindless skeletons?” said the darkling, a wicked grin on his face.

“My Lady of the Abyss has little power over fleshy creatures such as yourself,” said Thantos. “The slaves will be deathly creatures but capable of taking simple direction. Now, is this enough or not? I grow weary of this dank place.”

The little darkling looked around to his companions and they chittered in the strange language of their species for a moment but, eventually, the leader nodded his head, “That is acceptable, oh ghoulish freak. The reptiles are currently under observation by my people as they climb the slopes of the mountain. Once they delve we will be able to find them quickly enough. In the meantime why don’t you make yourself comfortable,” he said and pointed to a wooden chair in the corner. “We’ll be in contact as soon as something happens.” With that the creature smiled, bowed ever so slightly, and walked out of the room leaving the monstrous beast behind with three of the other small darklings.

He walked a few yards down a narrow passageway to a large stone door, went through it, and closed it behind him. The door opened into a longer corridor, which he followed for twenty or so paces past two doors on his left, and one on his right, and eventually arrived in a large cathedral cavern where hundreds of the small darklings went about their business as they cooked, cleaned, and sharpened their weapons. A dozen passages led off to the side of the large chamber and the creature took one of them, walked for another hundred paces, passing open corridors on each side, and eventually arrived at a thick stone door that he opened without hesitation.

Inside the room a large wooden desk sat in one corner near a shelf that contained numerous skulls of strange creatures and other bones. Standing near the the desk was a tenuous black shape that seemed to undulate smoothly back and forth.

“Tenebrous,” said the darkling with a smile and a deeper bow than he gave to Thantos. “I apologize for the delay. I was on state business when I heard of your arrival but I came as quickly as possible. What can I do for you?”

The black form oozed and seemed to bow, if that was possible, and the deep but hollow voice spoke, “Chieftain Ramkalla, I appreciate you taking up your valuable time to see me. I am here to keep tabs on my friend Thantos. I know you harbor no love for him and hoped that you might keep me apprised of his doings?”

“What does the Lady of the Abyss offer me for such services?” replied the little darkling creature as it took a seat behind the large desk and ran sharp fingernails over the surface which caused an odd little squeal to permeate the air. “My people do not do the bidding of the Mistress of Death for free,” he said.

The black cloud ebbed for a long moment before the voice that came from its interior suddenly sounded again. “I am currently working for myself, having had a falling out with She Who Rules Eternally,” it said both deeply and slowly. “This is my task and I will supply any and all payments.”

“What does a shadow have to tender,” said Ramkalla with a shrug of his shoulders. “You do not have any power in the Abyss other than to do your ladies’ bidding, you certainly have no power here in the darkling lands, and you have little, if anything, that I desire. So, Tenebrous, although we have worked together successfully in the past I do not see common ground for us today.”

Tenebrous oozed slowly over to the desk as long blackish tendrils floated out to either side, “I do not ask you to do anything other than keep me informed of his location,” said the thick voice. “In return I offer you the death of an enemy of your choice. I do not have wealth nor power, as you state, but I can still bring death, it is the one thing the Lady of the Abyss allows me to do.”

“An intriguing offer, Tenebrous, but what if I were to demand the death of an important being in the world, someone wnose power exceeds your own?” said the darkling leaning back in his chair and smiling broadly, his many sharp teeth exposed.

“The choice is yours to make although the likelihood of my success under such circumstances is relatively slim. Yet I will endeavor to carry it out if that is your request,” said Tenebrous his dark form flowing out and around the desk.

“That is a reasonable offer, Tenebrous,” said the Ramkalla with a shrug of his shoulders. “It makes sense for me to name only something you are capable of slaying and the service is relatively small. As you know, I never cared much for Thantos and that disgusting tongue of his. I agree to your terms but the question of whom you shall slay is open-ended. I can ask at any time in the future when, perhaps, your power has grown from its current state.”

Tenebrous drew up for a moment, his form coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape with a head and arms but then relaxing back into its wavy blob shape, and the creature spoke again, “That is acceptable Chieftain Ramkalla.”

The chieftain smiled happily, “Then, you should know that your friend Thantos is not more than two hundred steps from this location. He awaits word of news from the surface dwellers and, when given that, plans an excursion into our territory. When that happens I will inform you of his further movements and keep you abreast during his stay in my territory. In the meantime, can I offer you anything? Food, drink, women, boys?”

“I have little need for such things,” said Tenebrous, “a simple chamber in which to meditate and perhaps receive visitors is sufficient.”

The little darkling nodded his head and smiled again to display his many teeth, “Very well, Tenebrous. One of my assistants will make sure your needs are accommodated. Now, if you don’t mind I’ve important tribal business to which to attend.”

Tenebrous slid out of the chamber and under the door, his smoky form capable of movement through apparently even the smallest opening. Ramkalla watched for a moment, shook his head, and then snapped his finger; within a few seconds another little darkling of the same species entered the room from a small side door cleverly built into the chamber to look like nothing more than the cave wall.

“Yes, chieftain?” he said and bowed deeply.

“See that Tenebrous is given a room in which to mediate, it need not contain any amenities,” he said with barely a look up from his desk where some thick papers awaited his attention. “Inform me as soon as the reptiles head underground.”

He servant bowed deeply again, “Sire?”

“If you have important news then say it,” said the chieftain with a shake of his head. “You don’t have to ask for permission.”

“Yes, great chieftain,” said the underling with another deep bow. “It does not come under your direct orders but there are some freeriders who follow the lizards in the mountains.”

Ramkalla looked up sharply, “Freeriders you say?” he said. “That is most unpleasant news. That first batch of them killed my best warriors.”

“Yes, master,” said the simpering subordinate.

“How many of them and do they appear powerful?” went on the chieftain and looked at his hireling with steady black eyes as he fingered the little knife at his side.

“Four master, and Unglata reports that he thought one was the leader of them, the First Rider,” said the creature and took a step back and his eyes wide.

“What!” shouted Ramkalla. “Why was I not informed of this immediately. The First Rider in the mountains? There is more to this than I realized. First Thantos shows up wanting to track a group of reptiles in the mountains, then that devious Tenebrous wants to keep track of Thantos, and now the leader of the freeriders tracks the creatures as well. Why was I not informed immediately?”

The little darkling fell to his knees and raised his hands to the prayer position, “Oh great chieftain, mighty leader of the Skullbone Tribe, our scouts only just found out about this and we reported it as quickly as possible.”

“Lies!” shouted the leader of the darklings. “My orders didn’t cover these circumstances and you assumed they were outside the scope of this operation. Don’t deny it!”

“My master, forgive me,” pleaded the little darkling creature his head bowed, “I came to you as soon as I knew but our scouts did not report it to me immediately.”

“Then you are to blame for not giving them correct orders,” said Ramkalla. “Leave me alone to think for a moment.”

“Yes, master,” said the poor little servant, his legs shaking so badly he had to put his hand on the large desk to pull himself to his feet. “I await further commands,” he said stumbling out of the room, his already ashen face almost ghostly white and his hands trembling.

“I should have held out for a higher price,” said the chieftain to himself as he looked up at the stone ceiling where little sparkly minerals glinted back at him. “I should have guessed as soon as Tenebrous showed up that this was more than a simple job for the Mistress of the Abyss. I’ve been a fool again! A fool.” He snapped his fingers once more and immediately the aide reappeared from the hidden door.

“Summon the war master and my wizard,” ordered Chief Ramkalla without a glance up from the papers he now held in his hand. “Immediately with no delay. If you can manage this, I might let you live.”

“Oh, thank you master,” said the creature and bowed down so far his head touched the floor and his voice rose a couple of octaves. “I won’t let you down, chieftain, you can count on me.”