The Merchant and the Menace (14 page)

Stable boys took the chestnut by the reins and led
her into a stall. Ader swung himself down from Tarader's broad back and the
huge stallion trotted to the water trough and drank deeply.

“Grave indeed, Master Teeg. However, the news
remains ours until we find a suitable venue. The king and queen must summon
their counselors and generals.”

“This has been done. They gather in the palace hall
as we speak. Your early return prompts concern throughout the palace. Please,
adjourn to your chambers and refresh yourselves. Might I suggest a new cloak,
the burnt and tattered edges of that one caused enough fright in the city for
one day.”

“Ah, I’m a fool. I’m so caught up in my pondering,
I announce to the world our troubles,” frowned Ader. “We will depart and
bathe.”

“All will be ready when you return,” said Teeg.

One of the stable boys led Kael to the guest chamber
he occupied the previous evening. Fresh clothing was laid on the bed and a
large bath was drawn. He undressed and slid into the hot water. Immediately, he
relaxed. Kael realized his entire body was tense from the moment they
encountered the battle scene.

It felt good to relax, but the emotions he fought
to control came into stark focus. Kael let himself go to those emotions and lay
in the tub sobbing. He slid deeper into the water and closed his eyes,
squeezing tears upon his cheeks. The copper tub cradled his body and before he
knew it, Kael was fast asleep.

Sulgor crouched low in front of the dais with his
eyes averted from Izgra’s gaze. It rankled the Lord of the Malveel to bow down
before this mortal being. The Malveel fought the urge to leap forward and tear
out the throat of the human. What did Izgra know of their battle? This elf and
human mongrel dwelt on earth for a fraction of Sulgor’s existence.

However, Sulgor comforted himself in the knowledge
that his master held plans for the Half Dead. Plans that would leave Izgra a
shell of his former self. Plans that Izgra could not escape even if he dared
try.

These thoughts emboldened the Malveel lord and he
glanced upward at the hooded figure. Sulgor appraised the only being beside
Amird whom he had ever bowed before. Izgra was in direct contact with Amird and
Sulgor surmised the weak human was utterly in the Deceiver’s control. Sulgor
wondered how much of Izgra’s thought was still his own, but the Malveel believed
Amird probably controlled all.

Sulgor slowly rose and his chest grew. He was
Amird’s first creation. Molded from the rock and magma in the steaming pits of
Tar Kreng centuries ago, the Lord of the Malveel had ruled over Amird’s
creations in the absence of the Deceiver. When the plan was complete, he would
be restored to his rightful place. Izgra would be no more and he, Sulgor, would
reign as master of the Malveel, Ulrog and all other beings in Amird’s thrall.

“Your brethren fail me,” snarled Izgra from behind
the cowl of his jet black robes. “They possessed the opportunity to remove the
threat and they were unable to complete the task.”

“They may be slow in returning. Who is to say what
the outcome of their journey to the Nagur is?” snapped Sulgor.

Boney, decaying hands shot from beneath Izgra’s
robes and flashed out toward the Malveel King. Crimson fire slammed the giant
beast back to the ground as flames crackled and hissed about the scaly body.
Sulgor writhed in agony and gnashed his long, razor sharp fangs. The beast
desperately tried to retreat from the fire.

“I am the one to say!” shrieked Izgra. “Your Lord
and Master!”

The flame halted and Sulgor shrank further from the
dais. Izgra’s hands remained poised in the direction of the Malveel. Spasms of
pain racked the beast’s body.

“The sooner you come to realize that I am Amird and
Amird is me, the sooner you will halt this rebellion against my authority. You
were our first, Sulgor, and our strongest. However, even the strongest servant
must be put down if he does not obey,” stated Izgra. “Do you understand?”

“Yes ..... my lord,” snarled the Malveel King
bowing his head. “I serve only you.”

“Good,” replied Izgra. “Your brethren
did
fail me. I feel all of the beings created by the power of Amird. Methra and Quirg
are no more.”

Sulgor’s eyes widened with surprise. He dare not
ask how the warlock discovered this news. The Malveel glanced at the figure on
the platform. It was true that his master favored the warlock with great power.
Izgra’s eyes glowed red with the fury of Chaos. The Malveel barely
distinguished the decaying face of the self-proclaimed “vessel of Amird”.

“What is worse,” rasped Izgra, “they encountered
the Old Man in the woods. The battle was short-lived, but I felt his surge in
the spirit pool. I hoped not to rouse him at this early stage. He was to be
dealt with later.”

“What are your wishes?” asked Sulgor, lowering his
head further.

“Methra was close. I felt something. It was just a
flicker, but the new Seraph makes his way into the world. We must hasten our
plans,” said Izgra. “Contact your assets and step up the pressure in both the
West and the South.”

“As you wish, my lord.” consented the Malveel as he
backed from the dais and exited the stone chamber.

-----------------------------

“Kael, wake up,” whispered Teeg.

The boy came to with a start. The old Elf was
standing over him holding a robe.

“You slept quite some time. Do you feel refreshed?”
said Teeg.

The bath had lost its heat and Kael shivered.

“Uh, yes. Sorry. Did I miss the meeting?” asked
Kael.

“No. It took time to gather the king’s court and
there is much to discuss.”

Kael rose and accepted the robe.

“Is Jas.... Ader there?”

“That is the other reason the meeting is delayed.
Lord Ader tends to prioritize differently than most. He stopped in his chambers
briefly, then left and cares for some other.... business. Nevertheless, he’s
due to return shortly and we’ll be getting underway. I anticipate you desire to
be a part of the proceedings?”

“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Kael.

He stepped from the bath, hurriedly dried and
dressed. Teeg waited patiently, using the time to explain the history of the
artifacts found in the room. When Kael was finished, they walked down the
hallway to the palace court.

The court bustled. Runners and pages provided
refreshment for the lords and ladies. Small groups of nobles huddled together
conversing intently. Military personnel marched into the great hall carrying
charts and maps to the large table where General Chani sat. Eidyn stood beside
him and looked up as Kael and Teeg entered the hall. His gaze pierced the boy.
In fact, many eyes in the room fixed on Kael. The assembly briefly hushed.
Kael’s face flushed then returned to normal as conversation built once more and
eyes returned to their previous attractions.

Teeg led Kael toward the front of the room. They
halted to the right of the platform holding the thrones of the king and queen.
The old Elf and the boy sat in a set of chairs placed against the wall and
waited. General Chani poured over his maps.

Once again the room abruptly quieted. Kael looked
up to see King Leinor, Queen Eirtwin and Ader stepping from behind a blue
tapestry hanging behind the dais. Nearly every eye focused on the trio. However,
Kael’s keen senses focused his attention to the opposite end of the great hall.
He noted movement as a large cloaked and hooded figure slipped into the room
and disappeared into a shadowy corner behind the assembly of Elves.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice and
waiting for so many hours as the queen and I sought council from our dear
friend Ader,” announced King Leinor.

“As you all know,” continued the king, “dire news
surfaces. The deaths of loved ones at the hands of the unnaturals reaches us.
The Deceiver’s slaves venture much farther from his realm than ever they dared
in the past. Our homeland is threatened. The lands of our allies are under
siege.

“There is much to discuss. However, before we
commence, all here must be informed of the facts. Rumors swirl and build, but
we must only act on the facts. Often, the enemy uses rumor to send us charging
in the wrong direction. First, General Chani, commander of the our defense
forces, will recount recent events in and around the Nagur.”

General Chani stood and cleared his throat.

“We are under attack,” began Chani. “Scouts confirm
Prince Eidyn's story and found additional evidence of unnaturals prowling our
wood.”

A gasp arose in the chamber.

“Units near the Toxkri confirm several sets of
tracks leading in and out of that cesspool. The Malveel are hard pressed to
remain hidden in the open grasslands to the north and use the Toxkri Swamp as a
means of reaching the Nagur undetected. The creatures are extremely hardy and
resourceful. How they navigate that maze without drowning in a bog or quicksand
I’m unable to discern. However, if they map a path through the Toxkri and pass
it back to their master, we lose our natural defenses to the east.”

 Kael noticed Teeg’s mouth upturn in a slight
smile. As the old Elf turned and saw the boy he quickly became somber again.
Chani addressed the court.

“Of course, our northern borders are protected by
both the might of the Zodrian Guard and the deadliness of the Erutre cavalry.
However, this too becomes subject to second-guessing. If these forces are
heavily engaged along the northern mountains, a force of some size might be
able to cross cut the plains and make a move on our borders. The Efer is a good
line of defense, but if the enemy is there, the situation is dire indeed. I
took the liberty of extending our defensive forces much further into the North
Nagur than we ever previously allowed.”

“Why not move our forces to the Nagur's edge?”
asked a distinguished looking Elf, “The scouts could pick up movement in the
plains many miles away, and fighting from the forest against an opposing force
is a desirable advantage.”

“Queen Eirtwin’s cousin Paerrow. A well respected
lord,” whispered Teeg to Kael.

“You are correct, my lord.” replied Chani.
“However, that theory is predicated by knowledge of where the enemy will strike
with the main body of its force. The entire Nagur Wood is a massive area to
cover with our forces. We would be spread thinly across this line. If the enemy
surprised us in any way, the consequences might be grave. If they were able to
sever our main body in two, we would be devastated. Other unknowns continue to
exist with the Toxkri. If we focus on the northern boundary, can we remain that
certain of protection from the swamp?”

“General Chani, if I may be so bold as to interrupt?”
stated Teeg as he rose in front of the assembly. “As all here know, I am
entrusted with the pursuit and safekeeping of ... 
information
for the
kingdom’s protection. If my king will allow it, I’ll set forth some of that
information now in order to illuminate our discussion.”

“Proceed Lord Teeg,” stated Leinor.

“Yes, we were beset by Malveel. Prince Eidyn has
discovered as much. Yes, some of them traveled along the Toxkri’s edge. It is
the only explanation for these attacks. And yes a war is upon us. However, I
don’t think
we
are the nation in grave danger. My reports point
elsewhere. As always, the puppets of Amird seek to strike this world at its
strongest point. The target is once more Zodra and her people. For, as we all
know, a defeat in the North is a defeat for us all. If Amird’s servant Izgra
and his armies smash the guard, the rest of this world falls to the Ulrog
packs.

“Are we in danger? Certainly. Even here in our own
streets. The enemy’s servants are wily and cunning. They hide in the shadows
and pounce when you relax. Those of us who are charged with determining threats
to the kingdom have stumbled and this mistake has cost us the lives of those we
hold dear.

“However, the question as to whether the Toxkri
will protect us in the East can be answered with surety? Absolutely. My sources
believe the Malveel skirted the edge of the Toxkri as it journeyed to the
Nagur. It did not enter the swamp and certainly did not find a means to
traverse its many dangers. I assure you, if any unnatural attempts to cross the
Southern mountains and enter the Toxkri, I’ll hear of it.