El-Vador's Travels (55 page)

Judicael
sighed. 'You have, perhaps, heard of the fortress of Sarvacts? Home
to the most dangerous Orcish sorcerer that ever lived?'

'Are
you going to claim its destruction, thief?'

'Of
course not, I am a thief, not a demolitions expert. I merely slunk
through the ruins and acquired certain priceless artefacts.'

'You
pick through the bones of others like a crow would after a great
battle.'

'I
am a thief.' Judicael shrugged. 'I simply choose to ply my trade
against the Orcs, who you seem to have little love for yourself.'

El-Vador
smiled. The little man had a point, they had that much in common. If
the thief had claimed to have been responsible for the feat that
El-Vador had performed, he would have killed him at the next given
opportunity.

The
dusty lands through which they had been walking revealed a large
mining operation, apparently there was some heavy activity occurring
in the area. El-Vador silently wondered to himself what the
preparations were for and why Anacletus had needed him to see this.
Black smoke rose from them, distantly reminding El-Vador of the
burrow he had destroyed.

A
makeshift garrison had hastily been erected nearby, showing that this
was not a regular occurrence and that the influx of bodies was
recent. The Orcs slowly guided El-Vador and Judicael toward it.

Judicael
glanced at the Elf. 'What do you plan to do when we are in their
midst?'

El-Vador
shrugged easily. 'We shall see when we get there.'

The
thief frowned. 'You have no plan at all?'

As
they entered the garrison, a heavy-set older Orc rose from a table
and smiled. 'You have long given us a chase, Judicael. My new master
has seen an end to that, as he shall to many things.'

The
Orc's personal guards dismissed those who had brought the captive
here and pointed El-Vador to a stool. He sat, remaining silent and
observing the scene. The two Orcs behind him and the one before him
appeared to be the only soldiers nearby. Destroying his bonds and
ending them would not require much effort on his part. Why then had
he allowed himself to be taken to this place?

'Who
is this?' the Orc asked the other before he left.

'He
killed most of my group. He came seeking a reward for capturing the
thief.'

'If
he aids us why then have you bound him so?'

The
second Orc with whom El-Vador had previously dealt with offered a
grimace that showed yellow teeth. 'So that he may not be a threat to
us and those he encounters.'

'A
dangerous one then, this...what are you? It matters not, you shall be
rewarded.' A sly smile twisted the creature's features. He grabbed
Judicael by the scruff of the neck and started marching him deeper
into the garrison building. 'Once I have dealt with the thief, we
shall discuss your reward.'

The
two of them disappeared around a corner. El-Vador's sharp senses
heard bolts clicking into place and a door creaking, then the screams
began.

The
Orc returned, seemingly oblivious to the sounds of the torture and
settled back down into his chair. 'Now, where were we? Ah yes, your
reward.'

El-Vador
saw the slight nod to the men behind him and reacted accordingly,
catching one guard full in the face with a clubbing blow from his
bound arms and leaping out of the chair as they advanced upon him.
Dark power surged from his fingertips and devoured the bonds, freeing
his arms and allowing him to duck a swipe and acquire his sword. A
quick slash cut one Orc down, a thrust opened another's throat, and
El-Vador gutted a third that came stumbling through the door at the
sound of the commotion.

Before
the body hit the floor, El-Vador turned and faced the Orc that had
ordered his execution. The fat creature, who had been observing the
carnage, drew a large axe from underneath his desk and snarled.

El-Vador
was too fast, he dove forward and disarmed the Orc before he could
rise, smashing the Orc in the face with the pommel of his sword.
Enough to daze him but not to kill, he then shoved the creature back
into a chair.

El-Vador
pressed the blade to the Orc's throat with one hand. 'Who is your
master, Orc?'

'What
do you want with Salvarius?' the Orc snarled, to his credit he was
not afraid of the deadly situation he found himself in.

The
Elf's icy eyes narrowed. Salvarius was at the heart of this? Was this
what Anacletus had wanted him to know? El-Vador knew he had not slain
Harg in his attack upon the burrow, why then had the human turned
against him and allied himself with the Orcs once more?

'Salvarius.'
El-Vador nodded grimly. 'I have business with Salvarius. Where does
he reside?'

'His
domain is in... The name would mean nothing to you, foreigner. The
burrow to the far west of here, he has made it an impenetrable
stronghold and plans many great things from within. Though he is not
there currently from my latest reports. The people are with him,
though he tells them naught of his greater schemes. It is an
unassailable place, if I opposed him I would not try to breach it if
I had a legion of men.'

El-Vador
arched an eyebrow. 'If Salvarius is not at the burrow currently,
where is he?'

'The
barrens to the north, on some damn fool quest for some power I have
never heard word of before.'

'You
lie. There is nothing there.'

'I
told him as much, and that is why I am out here for my sins.' the Orc
smiled in spite of the blade at his throat. 'I hope that he returns
empty-handed.'

'Do
you know what Salvarius wants in the barrens?'

'I
do not know, some kind of artefact to give him the power, I don't
have any specifics, I swear to you.'

The
Elf's gaze hardened. With the proper motivation and access to power,
Salvarius could prove a very dangerous man indeed. He was beginning
to see why Anacletus had sent him out here in the first place.

'Your
use to me is at an end, Orc.' he stated simply, then cut the blade
across the creature's throat.

He
walked away from the gurgling sounds and deeper into the room where
he found Judicael strapped to some kind of torture rack. He swiftly
liberated the thief and watched as the small man composed himself, a
look of wonder upon his features.

'You
truly have saved me!' Judicael crowed, falling in behind El-Vador. 'I
am in your debt, you need but say the word.'

'Why
should I trust a thief's honour? Be thankful that you still live.'

'Clearly
you have not heard of Judicael's exploits, good sir. I am a man who
keeps his debts paid, lest I lose my life over it.'

'Honour
among thieves? I'm not buying it.'

The
little man ran in front of El-Vador and walked backward as quickly as
he could. 'I heard your conversation with the Orc, you will require
passage into the burrow if you cannot best Salvarius in the barrens.'

El-Vador
nodded slowly. 'That much is true. Perhaps I shall seek you out
should I survive that encounter.'

The
little thief smiled. 'Either way my debt will be repaid. For now let
me return from whence I came, and should you have need of me, I have
no doubt that you can find me.'

Without
further word of farewell, the two parted ways. El-Vador gathered his
bow and quiver from the floor of the garrison, replenished his
supplies from their stock and prepared for a journey into the
barrens.

It
was the first time I had ever felt anything beyond a basic sense of
companionship for any of the people I had seen in my travels. It
unsettled me, and had I known what the repercussions were I would
have been much more circumspect.

E
l-Vador
finally discovered Anacletus in the upper reaches of the tavern he
had previously departed. The assassin was descending the steps and
his voluminous robe betrayed hints of weaponry underneath, he was
prepared for something. He stopped mid-step and appraised the Elf
with his dark eyes. 'Now do you see why you had to come here before
marching upon the burrow?'

'If
you knew all of this previously, why not simply tell me?' El-Vador
replied, more than a little annoyed at being moved about like some
servant.

Anacletus
slid down beside El-Vador in a fluid motion. 'Would you have believed
me if I had simply told you it was the case? Would you have complied
had I tried to force you here rather than asked?'

El-Vador
nodded reluctantly. 'I'd have tried to kill you had you done the
latter.'

'We
need not clash when our goals are so mutually bound.' Anacletus
leaned forward, his eyes keen. 'Have you a plan for the barrens then,
Elf? How will you locate Salvarius in all that desolate stretch of
land?'

'I
know of a way to locate him, yes.' the Elf hedged, realising that the
assassin lacked certain capabilities that had been taught to El-Vador
by the now ominously silent voice.

'You
can locate the man that easily?' Anacletus shook his head. 'Much has
changed since you were my target, Elf. Had I known you had grown this
powerful I would have been warier in my approach.'

'I
plan to head out into the barrens alone to face him.'

Anacletus
shook his head, the most vigorous motion he had seen from the man
outside of combat in some time. 'I did not bring you all this way for
you to face him alone, Elf. Salvarius dabbles in powers from the
other side now, you will need my aid in order to defeat him.'

El-Vador
looked up from the dark depths of the shadows swirling around them
both. 'I already have one villain to deal with, Anacletus. I do not
trust having a second at my back while doing so.'

'You
think that I plan your demise alongside this new threat? That when
you have finally slain Salvarius that I will turn against you?'

'I
know you, Anacletus.' El-Vador smiled. 'If you did not require my
services now you would slay me where I stood.'

'Is
that your only reason for returning to this tavern instead of simply
heading off into the barrens, Elf? To tell me that you are prepared
for my treachery and to demand impotently that I should not follow
you?'

El-Vador
stepped forward, his face getting uncomfortably close to the
assassin's. 'You said yourself that your duty was to protect Aliana
from whatever machinations your foes have, not to follow me through
the barrens.' He stepped even closer then, he could feel the warmth
of the man's sickening breath. 'If I sense anything following me into
the barrens, it shall die. Do you understand?'

Anacletus
nodded slowly. 'Have it your way Elf, I shall look after the girl as
planned. Should you fail against Salvarius and live, I will see that
you die by my own hand.'

El-Vador
smiled coldly. 'Should that come to pass, you are welcome to try.'

Anacletus
fumed impotently to himself as he paced the upper floors of the inn,
he knew that he couldn't kill the Elf with so much in the balance. To
have the Elf realise that and taunt him about it in the most
insufferable of manners was almost more than his paper-thin
temperament could handle. One day he knew that the calm veneer would
slip totally, exposing the rage within him and causing it to engulf
whatever misfortune soul had set it off.

He
calmed himself slowly, staring at the sleeping form of Aliana and
pondering how best to keep her from harm while she was in stasis. It
had been a strain on him already to suppress her seemingly
indomitable spirit, to continue doing so and somehow fend off the
inevitable opposition that would come seeking her was a task he
worried was beyond him. He would have to wake her should it come to
that, and he knew that he couldn't count upon her being in his corner
as a result. If her skills were comparable to the Elf then he was in
trouble, he didn't want to get on her wrong side to find out.

He
gripped the bridge of his nose as he settled down into the chair by
the bed, his muscles melting into the furniture as if the very act of
holding him up any further were beyond them. He hadn't realised just
how exhausted the drain of his powers had made him. He had been
lending his energies to those beyond the ether in order to stem the
gap that a potential Brotherhood incursion could slip through. Now on
top of this he would somehow have to sleep and yet keep the Pixie in
slumber with him, a task he had anticipated performing with a clear
mind, not the sleep addled remnants of consciousness he was left
with. The plugging of the gap had cost him more dearly than he had
suspected.

He
blinked once and started, realising that consciousness was slipping
from him, yet powerless to stop the inevitable or think his way out
of it. How many days had he gone without respite?

He
tore at his hair, trying to raise himself out of the seat but
failing. His body denied him the clarity of thought that he sought so
desperately, pulling him under into the darkness from which even he
could not escape.

Except
that he was not sleeping, caught in some odd limbo from which he
could neither rouse himself nor sink away from.

He
tried to rise, in the hope that such cognitive action would fight him
out of this darkened fugue. Nothing happened, there was no sense of
motion and that troubled him. Something was wrong here, this was not
the natural state between wakefulness and sleep and he was powerless
to stop it.

Trying
once again to rise, Anacletus became distinctly aware of a growing
laughter from an invisible throat somewhere in the darkness beyond.

'Long
have you been a thorn in the Brotherhood's side, Anacletus. Forever
meddling in affairs that were never your concern, tasting the sweet
nectar of power and forcing it into places better left untouched.'

The
ordinary response to such words would be to call out and ask for the
identity of the supposed captor, Anacletus remained silent instead,
studying every sentence and analysing it for potential information.