The Staff of Naught (17 page)

“What’s he saying,” said Shalalee to Tylan who shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve never heard that language before,” replied the boy and looked to his father on the opposite side of the circle next to Shamki.

The strange chants of Khemer grew louder and louder and the sky suddenly grew darker instead of brighter. Lousa looked up and saw that it wasn’t cloud cover that blocked out the sun but a strange haze that quickly rolled in from the surrounding mountainside. Within a few seconds fog engulfed the entire area and only the vague form of the brightly glowing ghost was clearly visible its tortured words becoming louder as the region grew darker.

“Shouldn’t it be getting brighter,” asked Lousa to herself and took a step off the rock towards Khemer and raised her hands and began to murmur something.

Shamki took the opportunity to move from his position across the circle to be near the children and a swift movement to his left told him that Unerus likewise positioned himself.

Hazlebub recognized the words as being those of the desert people as she once dealt with a nomad from the region. She didn’t remember much of the language but the she knew the oft repeated word
necros
and had a pretty good idea of what it meant. She also stepped down off the rock upon which she stood, pulled out a little knife from her apron, and moved into position behind the ghost whose blaze grew brighter by the second.

At that moment there was a roar from over where the children stood followed by a high pitched shriek, “Not yet you fool, wait for the ceremony to end,” but Hazlebub ignored it and approached directly behind the blue ghost whose screams reached a fever pitch and he reached down and put his ghostly hands around the staff for a moment and then lifted it into the air.

“He’s bringing himself back to life!” shrieked Hazlebub as she rushed forward and plunged her little blade into the ghost’s shoulder.

Khemer screamed in pain and made a backhanded swipe at the witch and the clawed hand of the Staff of Naught smacked her across the face. It was as if struck by a huge block of ice and she flew backward her ear so cold that it almost felt like it was on fire.

Fire Bright

Fire Light

Burn you from my sight

Screamed Lousa her green hair flew as she rushed up and flames shot out of her palms and engulfed Khemer who screamed in agony and fell to his side but kept a hold of the staff.

Death’s Embrace

Cold to heart

Die quickly

Death will Start!

Screamed Khemer his now very corporeal clothes burned on his body but the clawed hand at the end of the staff fired a blue bolt that caught Lousa squarely in the chest and she fell backwards onto the ground completely limp.

“You killed her,” screamed Ariana. “Help me, help me,” she called out to the air but there was no reply.

Meanwhile on the other side of the circle the great roar proved to be a massive bugbear covered in orange fur and holding a giant hammer high above his head as he rushed out towards Shalalee and Tylan who stood frozen to the spot their mouths gaped open.

Shamki appeared out of the darkness like a massive eagle swooping to grab a fish from a foggy lake his sword licking out towards the bugbear in a lightning fast movement. The creature turned to him smiled, “Now you die!” and it raised its right arm but found it strangely lightened. The hammer and his hand, still clenched around the weapon, lay on the ground a step behind him and that was the last thing his eyes saw as Shamki drove his blade into the creature’s chest with a powerful motion.

“Hiiaa,” shouted Unerus as he jabbed his small sword into the back knee of the second bugbear that followed the first out of the cave. The creature started to turn towards the boy but when he saw Shamki’s heavy blade appear out the back of his companion, staggered back a step, and then turned and staggered away into the darkness.

“What’s happening,” shouted another voice from around the corner. “Lilithia, where are you?”

Khemer ripped off his burning cloak and threw it to the ground at his feet and stared at Ariana who stood over the fallen form of Lousa. “What does a child know of Elucidor the last Mage King of Das’von?” he said to her with a sneer. “No matter, now be a good girl and I’ll kill you quickly so you can join your mommy.” He raised the staff, smiled a terrible smile, and suddenly his expression went blank and he collapsed to the ground. Behind him stood Tylan holding the massive bugbear hammer in both of his hands having just brought it down upon the former ghost’s head.

The boy looked from the hammer to the fallen Khemer and then to Ariana and then broke into a lopsided little grin. Ariana did not notice because she turned her full attention to Lousa who lay on the ground completely still. The girl reached down to touch her and immediately pulled her hand back as if she had put it into a fire, “She’s cold!”

Hazlebub heard the remark from the ground where she still sat after taking the blow to the face. Her right cheek felt numb as did her ear on the same side but she shook her head with a strange little brrbbb sound and crawled over to Lousa and Ariana. The witch put her hand on the woman’s heart and then leaned down and put her warmer ear against the chest of her stricken ally. “She’s still alive, Ariana, but we have to get her warm. Go, quick, find blankets.” Next the witch turned to Tylan who still stood over the corpse of Khemer, held the massive hammer that was a tall as he, and wore the same goofy grin. “Get over yourself,” admonished the witch. “Get that fire blazing,” then she turned to Shalalee, “You, girl, help me drag Lousa to the fire.”

“Let me go!” shrieked a high pitched voice a moment later and Shamki and Unerus came back from around the small rocky outcropping a little man with strangely wrinkled features and enormous ears held between them. Shamki had him by the collar and lifted him almost completely off the ground while little Unerus walked behind the two his small sword at the ready in case the fellow made a break for it. Shamki came over to the fire that Tylan stoked manfully and blasted great lung full of air onto it while Hazlebub, Almara, and Shalalee gently placed Lousa down next to it.

“Is she going to be all right,” asked Ariana a tear in her eye. “He said it was going to be all right.”

“Who said it was going to be all right,” said Tanner as he joined the little group.

Ariana looked up and then around and stuttered for a moment but was spared further question by a fresh outbreak from the little prisoner. “I’ll not be manhandled by the likes of you; I am Lorim Gimplestrange, Trade Master of Hot Rock, and Overseer of the all goods to and from the forge of Edorin Firefist. I know you Tanner Wilmer; if you do not call off this beast immediately I’ll ban you from the mountain!”

Tanner did a quick double-take and looked at the little man and his eyes opened wide. “That is Trade Master Lorim,” said the merchant. “Shamki, I think you can let him go.”

Shamki lifted the creature completely off the ground and gave him a quick, rattling, shake or two and then let him fall to the ground with a thump.

Lorim rubbed the part of him that hit the ground first and glared at the half-orc, “Don’t think I won’t remember this,” he shouted his eyes blazed and his long tongue lolled out of his mouth. “I’m a man of great importance and you are nothing!”

“What are you doing here?” asked Tanner.

The little gnome-like man swiveled his head to Tanner and then back to the big half-orc. “I came … I was traveling … I … it’s merely a coincidence. It’s a good thing I came along though and was able to warn you about the Bugbears who attacked. If not for my shouting out you all might have been killed.”

“No doubt we owe you a debt,” said Tanner although he smiled and it did not seem to be in a particularly friendly way. “Perhaps someday we will be able to repay you in kind.”

“Yes, er, that sounds fair,” said Lorim and squinted at the man.

“The fog is lifting,” said Shalalee as she and her brother piled more logs upon the quickly growing blaze.

“You can see some color in her cheeks,” said Ariana as she gently rubbed Lousa’s hands between her own.

“She’ll be fine,” said Hazlebub to the girl. “You just keep rubbing her hands like that. Shalalee, you do her feet.”

The young girl immediately sprang to the task and took off the woman’s leather boots with quick motions, “Her feet are so small, mine are bigger.”

“So, Tanner,” said the little man with a grimace on his face and he looked to Shamki. “What brings you to The Maw?”

“Trade goods as always,” said the merchant with a shrug of his shoulders.

“You’re here a little before your normal schedule aren’t you,” replied Lorim his eyes darted over to the wagon and then to the stone circle.

“Trade has been good,” he said. “I’m not averse to making more of a profit. I’m sure you agree?”

“Of course, profit is always good,” said the little man his tongue once again rapidly licked his lips as he smiled a gap toothed little grin that revealed crooked rows of teeth. “You are traveling with a security guard these days then?”

Tanner shrugged. “The mountains are dangerous as you well know. We were attacked by fire scorpions yesterday and today bugbears. Although, that hammer that belongs to my son now looks sort of familiar. Doesn’t that belong to the blacksmith in Hot Rock, what was his name … Radus?”

“Radvor,” said Lorim with a grimace. “He always was a greedy representative of his race. That does look like his hammer. I can’t imagine what he was doing out here waylaying caravans. Perhaps he was drinking; he is prone to that weakness.”

“Indeed, it has been a difficult morning already Trade Master Lorim,” said Tanner and walked over to the man. “Can I have Almara pour you something to drink?”

“That would be most kind of you Tanner,” said the little trade master with a bow. “Anything you have handy although you’ll remember I have a rather refined palate.”

A soft groan came from the woman on the ground as the two girls attended to her hands and feet and Hazlebub held a small vial open under her nose. With a snap of her head Lousa suddenly came awake, “Aweeh,” she said and pushed away the witch’s hand. “That’s horrible.”

Hazlebub cackled brightly, “That’s good dearie that you can smell. We thought your pretty little nose might have frozen clean off.”

Suddenly Lousa sat bolt upright and looked to the center of the circle of stones cleared of debris except for the body of Khemer. The woman scanned the ground for a moment and then turned to Ariana, “Did you pick it up? Where is it?”

Ariana suddenly gave a little squeal and followed Lousa’s gaze to the circle where the dead former ghost lay but there was no sign of the staff. “It’s gone!” she cried and lurched to her feet and ran over to where Khemer lay.

She began to stomp around and look for it when Shamki’s voice called out with a bellow, “Stop.” The girl froze in position and the big half-orc walked slowly over to her his eye down towards the ground. “No move,” he said and kneeled down to examine the ground near the body and Unerus came up quietly behind him. The half-orc closed his eyes and began to take little sniffs in through his nose as he smoothed out the ground near the fallen ghost’s hand. He sniffed again and then stood with a sudden motion and walked with determined strides towards Lorim and Tanner.

Almara had just enough time to hand a cup to the trade master when Shamki arrived his eyes blazed with fire and his great fangs exposed. With a growl the half-orc slapped the tin cup from the hand of Lorim and liquid splashed to the ground as the cup made a hollow little clang as it hit a small rock. “Darkling,” said Shamki. “Take!”

“I’m certain I have no idea what you are talking about,” replied Lorim as he attempted to put on a face of calm but his eyes bulged out of his head and his body seemed to shrink away from Shamki.

The half-orc grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air, “Where?” he shouted his face only inches away from that of trade master.

“I … I … I don’t know what you are talking about. Tanner, have this monstrosity put me down immediately or I’ll revoke your trade license.”

Tanner looked to the half-orc, “Shamki, I need that trade to survive.”

Shamki looked down at the merchant and with a casual movement simply tossed the trader to the side like a sack of rice. Lorim sailed through the air and landed on one of his bulbous ears with a crash and shriek. “I’m broken,” he yelled out. “Tanner you’ll pay for this humiliation.”

“Come,” said Shamki.

Lousa struggled to her feet. “Tanner, you stay with the woman and children. Shamki and I will find it and meet you in Hot Rock as soon we as can!”

“I’m not staying behind,” said Unerus using the same low toned voice of Shamki that seemed to be both quiet and loud at the same time.

“You’ll need me to carry the staff,” said Ariana and rose to her feet and ran after Shamki.

“Damn it,” said Lousa and stomped her foot. “Doesn’t anyone listen to adults anymore?”

“You’ll need water and hardtack,” said Almara somehow with small cloth sacks already loaded with supplies that she held out at the ready.

“You’ll be killed if you go up in those hills,” said Lorim quietly. “Not that anyone will miss you.”

Tanner looked to the trade master and reached down with a hand to help him up, “What do you know about all of this Lorim?”

The trade master shrugged his shoulders and licked his lips, “Information has a price, and I’m always willing to make a bargain. Shall we head to Hot Rock and begin our negotiation? I don’t like to stay out here on the exposed mountain. There could be a tremor or toxic gas release at any moment. It’s much safer in town.”

Tanner nodded his head as he watched Shamki head off with Lousa at his side and the two children right behind. Humbort stood on the edge of the circle and watched the four go and then turned back to the wagon and Tanner taking a step first in this direction and then a step back in the other so that he almost appeared to spin around in a circle. Finally the tall man seemed to make up his mind, “Stay with Shamki,” he said aloud and began to trot after the other four.

Tanner watched them go feeling somehow useless his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast.