The Tomni'Tai Scroll (Book 1) (4 page)

“Are you sick?” Kelden asked.

“No, but I have felt the cold fingers of death clutching at my soul for many months now. It won’t be much longer. I can feel it.”

“Is there anything else that I can do for you then?” Kelden asked.

“Just deliver this letter back to the queen,” Gandle replied. He produced a letter from the folds of his robes and set it on the table. “And don’t you go snooping again. I expect you to deliver the letter with the seal intact.”

“I will do precisely that, sir,” Kelden replied.

“One more thing,” Gandle said.

“What is it?”

“Get me that book you were reading before I came in.”

Kelden walked over and retrieved the book from the shelf. He rubbed the cover with his thumb and then brought it to the governor. Gandle opened the cover and flipped through a few of the pages.

“Your mother read this book to you?”

“Yes, all of the time,” Kelden replied.

“I wasn’t aware that peasants owned books,” Gandle said.

“We owned a few, sir, but nothing like the library you have.”

“Of course not,” Gandle replied with disdain. A few moments passed and then Gandle leaned forward in his chair and looked Kelden in the eyes. “You like this book?”

“Very much so sir, it holds very fond memories for me,” Kelden replied.

Gandle flipped the book into the fireplace and watched as the flames licked at its pages until they took hold. “You are dismissed, captain.” Gandle rang the bell again and the door opened. The two guards entered the room and motioned for Kelden to follow them.

Kelden was roughly escorted out of the manor. He was still bewildered by Gandle’s contemptuous behavior. Kelden settled on the idea that perhaps it was a combination of the man’s age and the queen’s overbearing concern for his safety, though that hardly seemed to be as agonizing as the governor portrayed.

Before long, he found himself wandering into the marketplace to buy provisions for the return trip. He knew that his lieutenant would already be buying enough food and drink for the both of them though, so it wasn’t necessary to purchase supplies at all. Pendonov was always going the extra mile to ensure that Kelden had everything he needed. It was one of his most admirable traits. Kelden had often thought that Pendonov would make a fine captain someday, and he took care to put such thoughts in writing when it came time to turn in official reviews of Pendonov’s performance.

 Kelden smiled at a merchant who was holding up a large coconut, yelling that its milk was guaranteed to be the sweetest he had ever tasted. Kelden dug into a small coin purse and purchased the coconut.  He knew it was not going to be as fresh as what he could get for himself on the beaches near Kobhir, but it was better than nothing. The merchant sliced off the top with a large machete and poured the milk into a cup.  Kelden took the drink and moved on down the street, pushing through throngs of people that had gathered around a shrine to Basei, the demigod of war. A priest of Basei stood in their midst giving a sermon. Kelden stopped and listened to the priest for a while out of curiosity.

“Only Basei can protect you from the calamities of the world,” the priest shouted with a wide sweep of his arms. “Only he can grant you the strength to defeat your enemies, and only he can give you the fortune to survive the harsh desert outside these walls.”

Some members of the crowd shouted in praise, while others ranted at the priest and called him a fool. Kelden found the whole scene amusing. He followed the Old Gods, Icadion and his sons to be exact, so the priest’s rhetoric held little more than entertainment value for him. Yet, he was open-minded enough that if opportunity arose to experience something different, he would take advantage of it.

“If you want Basei’s blessing, you must worship him, and give sacrifices to him,” the priest continued. “He will reward the faithful, but his wrath will be quick against the slothful and those who shun his ways.”

Kelden was about to leave, but he caught sight of another man approaching the crowd with a determined gait. It was a priest of Icadion, Kelden could tell by the white, hooded robes, adorned with gold trim along the sides and sleeves. The telltale design of a large, golden sun on the front of the robe commanded respect from any follower of the Old Gods. The priest walked through the crowd with his hands clasped behind his back. He needed only to nod his head in order to part the crowd enough for his passage.

Basei’s priest folded his arms across his chest and sneered down at Icadion’s priest. The man in white robes stopped a few feet before the priest of Basei and slowly took in the crowd around him before pulling his hood back to reveal thick, silver hair set over fierce blue eyes and a sturdy jaw.

“If your god is so powerful, then why did he wait for Icadion to close the bridge between Terramyr and Volganor before taking power?” the priest of Icadion asked. The crowd went silent and took a collective step back.

“Basei stepped in to fill the void, created by Icadion’s cowardice,” the priest of Basei answered. “It was Icadion who ran away from ruling over Terramyr, knowing that it was too large a task for him. Basei is our savior, come to carry us through our days of mortality.”

“But Basei has no command over the hells of Hammenfein, nor does he have any sway at the gate of Volganor, the city of heaven,” Icadion’s priest replied. “So to worship Basei is to worship a false god that is incapable of providing any blessings on an eternal scale.”

“Blasphemy!” shouted the priest of Basei. “I curse you for all the days of your life that Basei will hunt you and afflict you with torments beyond your wildest nightmares.”

“I do not fear the underling, Basei. He is nothing more than a cur, a skulking dog tearing at a carcass that does not belong to him. When Icadion restores the bridge between heaven and Terramyr, then your god will scurry back into the dark pit from which he came with his fiery red tail tucked snugly between his legs.” The priest of Icadion turned to face the crowd and stretched out his arms. “Only those who follow the True Gods will find everlasting rest for their souls. All other paths lead only to the fiery halls of Hammenfein, and to an everlasting bondage in the chains of the underworld. Basei, along with all of the other demigods who have usurped Icadion’s throne will have vengeance visited upon them one-hundred fold. Mark my words.”

Kelden felt a tug on his tunic, pulling his attention away from the debate and he turned around to see Redbeard standing next to him.

“Mighty strong words between those two, eh,” Redbeard said.

“Aye, harsh words indeed, my friend,” Kelden replied. “What can I do for you?”

“I saw you in the crowd and thought you might enjoy a drink or two with me and my brother. We are about to close up our shop for the day.”

“Why would you close up? It is not even late afternoon yet.”

“True, but we have not been well received here in Rasselin. Apparently, many of the people here still hold a grudge against all of the dwarf-folk for refusing to fight in the Great Battle.”

Kelden eyed the crowd around them and noticed that more than a few were taking notice of Redbeard’s presence. They were pointing and whispering, some even thumbed their noses in Redbeard’s direction.

“If you prefer to stay and listen to the priests, I understand,” Redbeard added.

“No, I have no more desire to remain here. I have heard enough bickering for one day,” Kelden replied.

“Are you a follower of Basei?” Redbeard asked as the pair quickly put the crowd, and the priests, behind them.

“No, I follow the Old Gods.”

“Oh,” Redbeard muttered.

“Don’t worry my friend,” Kelden put in quickly. “I don’t blame the dwarf-folk for the outcome of the Great Battle.”

“That is a relief,” Redbeard sighed. “Many humans who follow the Old Gods do hate all of our kind for not fighting alongside the human-folk.”

“Not I,” Kelden said. “I do not think it fair to punish your kind for things that your ancestors did.”

“I also see the situation similarly,” Redbeard agreed. “For instance, if your grandfather had tried to kill me decades before you were even born, it would not be right to kill you for the offense. So why should I pay for the sins of my ancestors?”

“Indeed.”

“By the way, Captain Ferryl, your grandfather did try to kill me once,” Redbeard put in with a wink. Kelden stopped and looked down at the dwarf for a moment. “Come, I’ll tell you all about it over some ale.”

“I will listen to the story,” Kelden replied, “but I will have to forego the ale.”

Redbeard shot Kelden a quizzical look.

“I have a long journey to start tomorrow, and I need a clear head,” Kelden said in answer to Redbeard’s unspoken question.

“Suit yerself,” Redbeard replied, shaking his head all the while. Before long they met up with Pinhead and time flew by as the three of them exchanged stories. They each took turns recounting their various exploits, but none of the stories Kelden told could match the unbelievable tales that the brothers had! They spoke of battles of old, their treks through the treacherous mountains in search of the formidable mountain orcs, the Mage Wars, and even about a large tribe of barbarians that had stumbled into their halls looking for refuge after the Mage Wars had ended. All three of them grew quiet then.

Kelden, although he had not been alive during those times like the dwarven brothers had been, knew of the appalling treatment the Varrvar, or barbarians as they were called in common tongue, had received at the hands of his ancestors. He simply shook his head as he recalled the sad details he had learned from his father during his childhood years. Soon he found himself looking off to the east, again searching out the ocean waves and cries of seagulls with his mind.

“We upset ye did we?” Redbeard asked as he slapped his hand on Kelden’s shoulder.

“No, good dwarf,” Kelden replied, shaking the thoughts from his mind. He gave a weak smile and looked back to Redbeard and Pinhead. “I only wonder why anyone would chase away an entire group of people out of blind hatred or misunderstanding.”

“It ain’t so hard a thing to conceive,” Pinhead put in. “I know more than a few Silni’Pei that would like to see all of you human folk just run each other into the grave so we can live in peace.”

“How is that supposed to make him feel better?” Redbeard shouted back.

“I am just saying that I’ve seen the same kind of feelings among our own people that made his kind run off the Varrvar tribes, that’s all,” Pinhead replied with a shrug.

“Now you see where he gets his name from,” Redbeard said, poking his left thumb at his brother while making a circular motion at the side of his head with his right hand. “It was a similar outburst from my brother that had your grandfather swinging a sword at me.”

“It was not,” Pinhead shouted. “It was on account of you selling him that little silver goblet, telling him that drinking from it would make him younger!”

“I told you I would tell you the story, but we never got around to it, cuz somebody has a big mouth they can’t keep shut,” Redbeard shouted, again he pointed his thumb at Pinhead.

Kelden smiled at that, but only for a moment before Pinhead hauled off and backhanded his brother so hard that the dwarf fell right off his stool. Redbeard jumped up to his feet, fists at the ready, but Kelden put his arm in between the two, and soon all three were laughing heartily. Kelden then rose to his feet and walked off to find an inn where he might spend a good night’s rest before his journey back to Kobhir.

“You are lucky he stopped me,” Kelden heard Redbeard declare as he walked away.

“Why, what were you gonna do? You couldn’t even best a fish in a fist fight, and they ain’t got any fists!” Pinhead shouted back.

 Kelden smiled wide. He could hear their argument grow louder until finally one of them suggested going to the Tiger’s Eye Inn for some more drink.  Then the dwarves instantly struck up their awful caterwauling as they sauntered down the street together. Kelden chuckled to himself and waved at their backs

Once back at the inn, Pendonov handed him a key and Kelden went straight to his room. He removed his shirt and pants, pulled back the old, thinning cowhide blanket and dropped onto the bed. He stretched and rolled around until the mattress was manipulated into a semi-comfortable form and then he closed his eyes and slept while his mind whisked him away to dreams on the beach, far away from the desert.

“Jenedina!” Sebina called as she saw her friend.

“Hello Sebina!” they embraced each other in greeting. “Guess what?”

“What?” Sebina asked.

“I met one of the merchants that arrived in town today from Valiv. He’s so nice, and he has another friend who would be just perfect for you! This could be it. We can finally get out of here and go to a real city! We will have places to shop for nice jewelry, and money to purchase it with. It’s everything we have ever dreamed about!” Jenedina was so excited that her smile seemed to glow.

Sebina felt a surge of excitement well in her chest as she contemplated the thought of escaping the desert town. “That is wonderful! Let’s go and meet them,” she replied.

“They are waiting at the Tiger’s Eye Inn.” Jenedina announced with pride as they hurried off to meet the men.

Sebina hesitated. “Kai has told me not to go there,” she said.

Jenedina rolled her eyes. “Come on, since when do you listen to everything your brother says? Besides, we’ll be fine. We’ll be with these two guys I am telling you about.” Jenedina grabbed Sebina’s arm and tugged her along. “Come on, how often did we dream of getting to a big city and living in a big, nice house? These guys are wealthy enough to stock our beds with more pillows than you can dream of!”

Sebina relented with a big smile.

Their hearts beat louder and stronger with every step they took towards the Tiger’s Eye Inn. When they finally arrived Sebina felt as if her heart was a marching drum.

“Look, there is Mandhar. He’s the one I met earlier.” Jenedina whispered as she pointed out a dark haired man sitting at a table. “The man walking toward him now is Stefan. He’s the one for you.”

Sebina was silent as she surveyed Stefan. He had a lean but muscular build, his hair was light golden brown, and his eyes were as blue as the ocean. She smiled in approval as his name lightly fell from her lips. The two men rose from their seats at the table as the young women approached them.

“Jenedina, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” Mandhar smiled as he bowed his head and kissed her hand in greeting. “Although I must confess, I started to worry that you would not come back.”

“Don’t be silly. Besides, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend the evening with men like you,” Jenedina replied with a teasing grin.

Mandhar smiled in response and then turned his gaze to Sebina. “You must be Sebina,” he stated.

“Yes I am,” she replied.

“It is a pleasure to be in the presence of such a beautiful desert flower,” Stefan said softly.

“Thank you,” was all that Sebina could say in response. The raucous patrons around her seemed to disappear as she gazed into Stefan’s eyes. She could feel a definite charm radiating from him. Her heart began to beat softly now, her head became a little lighter, and she started to giggle. Stefan smiled and gestured for everyone to seat themselves.

The four of them passed the time merrily as they ate some food and the two merchants spoke of their travels. The young women were all but hypnotized by the tales of faraway cities. Neither Jenedina nor Sebina had ever been outside of Rasselin, and so any other city sounded completely enthralling.

Their conversation went on for hours. Patrons came and went as Mandhar and Stefan continued to trade tales of cities visited, encounters with marauders, and great sea voyages. The four of them were so engrossed in the conversation that none of them noticed one of the patrons seated alone at a nearby table. He was a large man, wearing a midnight-blue cloak with the hood pulled over his head to hide his face from view. He ate little and drank less while the four continued talking.

Kai had entered the Tiger’s Eye Inn only a few moments after his sister. The table where he sat gave him a clear view of the two men at his sister’s table from under his hood, but he was careful not to draw attention by watching them too intently. Instead, he listened to the conversation. More than a few times he was almost ready to end the charade and make his presence known, but the conversation seemed to be innocent enough. So, Kai sat there, listening to Stefan and Mandhar’s incessant tales. It was well after eight before he heard the words he was waiting for.

 “I’m sorry,” Sebina sighed, “it has been wonderful and I really enjoyed meeting you both, but I must be going.”

“Sebina, don’t be a spoiler,” Jenedina. She nudged Sebina with her foot under the table. “I’m sure you can stay a little longer.”

“Why yes, the night has just barely begun!” Mandhar smiled as he leaned back in his chair with a big wave of his hand.

Kai stiffened slightly in his chair.

“No, I must go. I am sorry.” Sebina looked down at the floor, a little embarrassed to be the reason that ended the night early.

“It is alright,” Stefan interjected. “A lady cannot stay out too late in the night. It isn’t proper, or safe for that matter.”

Kai loosened up a bit and relaxed back into the back of his chair.

“As it is,” Stefan continued, “Mandhar and I should walk you both home.”

Kai stiffened up again. He hadn’t expected this. Now he had to figure out how to shadow the four of them and still slip back into his house without being caught by his sister. Kai quickly withdrew from the dining hall and exited the Tiger’s Eye, being careful to keep his back to his sister’s table.

“Of course, we can escort you both properly. Come, tonight we should be able to see a good view of the stars as we walk.” Mandhar said as he pulled out a few gold coins and set them on the table to pay for the food.

Jenedina shot Sebina a disapproving look, but she said nothing. The four of them rose from the table. Sebina smiled at Jenedina, trying to cheer her up a bit. Jenedina returned the gesture and walked over to take Mandhar’s arm. Mandhar smiled and he and Jenedina went for the door. Stefan came up beside Sebina and offered his arm to her. As she took it she felt a swell of warmth generate within her bosom. They smiled at each other and hurried to catch up with the others.

A cool breeze relieved the arid air in Rasselin. The night sky had become a dark shade of blue, with the crescent moon and stars giving off a pale light. The foursome was quiet as they ambled through the dimly lit streets.

None of them noticed Kai as he stalked the shadows behind them, ensuring that the intentions of the two men were nothing but honorable. Kai followed the group for most of the way back to his house. Then, finally deciding that the men meant his sister no harm, he turned down a different street and took a shortcut.

The group continued on through the streets. The women asked questions about faraway places that the men had spoken of and dreamed of what it would be like to see them in person. Then, Stefan stopped abruptly and pointed down an alley to the left.

“Did you see that?” Stefan whispered.

“See what?” Sebina asked.

“There was something that shimmered in the moonlight over there,” he said.

“It was probably just a liquor bottle,” Sebina shrugged. “The alleys are usually full of trash like that in these parts.”

“No, I don’t think it was a bottle,” Stefan said as he gently slipped his arm out from Sebina’s grasp and wandered into the darkness. The other three waited on the road for a couple of moments before Stefan beckoned for his friend to join him.

“Mandhar, come here!” Stefan demanded excitedly. Mandhar rushed into the darkness with Jenedina still holding his hand and trailing slightly behind him as they ran. Sebina started to follow them, but a sudden feeling in her stomach stopped her for a moment. She shook her head and pushed the sensation out of her mind. As the three of them approached they could barely discern the outline of Stefan’s body in the dark.

“What is it, Stefan?” Jenedina asked.

“Yeah, what did you find?” Mandhar asked.

Sebina stepped closer to Stefan and bent down next to him in the dark alleyway. She was about to ask what he was looking at, but at that moment a door in one of the buildings burst open. Sebina shielded her eyes from the sudden flood of light. She stood up and then felt Stefan grab her around the waist and yank her from her feet.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked.

“Sebina!” Jenedina screamed.

Within moments, there were more hands grabbing and pulling her into the building. Sebina’s eyes adjusted just as she heard the door slam shut.

“What is going on?” she yelled as she kicked and clawed at her captors.

A sudden, forceful blow knocked her to the floor. Sebina’s head reeled. She could barely make out Jenedina’s shouts for help over the ringing in her ears. Sebina looked up and saw three or four men wrestling with her friend and carrying her farther into the building. Just then a pair of large legs obscured her view. Sebina rolled onto her back and looked up at the man standing directly over her.

“Who –who are you?” Sebina asked. The man said nothing. Sebina looked over to Stefan and stared at him, her mouth open in shock. Stefan smirked and followed the other men down a hallway. “What do you want?” she asked as she turned back to the man standing over her.

The man laughed heartily, and reached down, grabbing her by the neck and shoulder.

*****

As the clock struck nine, Kai became anxious and started pacing near the door. It had only taken him two minutes to run home from where he had left the group. Even at a slow pace, they should have been here by now. His mind start racing and played through the different things that might have happened. Each minute ticked by as though it was hours long. Kai walked over to the table and took a long drink of his cider then slammed the bottle down.

“I shouldn’t have left them,” Kai grumbled. His hand slid down to his sword and he felt his blood boil within him. He reached out and ripped the door open. He ran straight back to where he left the group.

When he arrived back in the spot where he left them, he stopped to catch his breath. He quickly scanned the area for any sign of his sister, but he saw nothing. He scanned the windows of the buildings on either side of the street, but there were no lamps burning. No people were out on the street. There was nothing. Kai looked around for any signs of distress, but again he was disappointed. Fear started to grip his soul, but he quickly steeled his nerves and collected his thoughts objectively.

Kai turned around and looked back in the direction of the Tiger’s Eye Inn. Without any other leads, he decided it would be worth his time to go back to the inn and probe around for leads.

He broke into a controlled, but speedy, run and arrived at the inn in less than a minute’s time. He opened the door and slipped inside the building. A strong odor of liquor and smoke assaulted his nostrils as he came through the doorway. Kai noticed that there were a lot more patrons in the dining room than before. The crowd was markedly more unruly also. He recognized some of them as previous inmates of the dungeon. It didn’t appear that any of them were paying any attention to him, let alone recognized him. This was not a surprise, as Kai often wore disguises, or operated so stealthily that his identity was still a well-kept secret within the large city. He then noticed a pair of dwarves that were seated at a table nearby. They were eyeing him suspiciously. One of them leaned over to the other and whispered something.

“Keep yer mouth shut Pinhead, this ain’t none of our business,” the first dwarf said.

Kai eyed the pair for a moment and then turned his attention back to the rest of the room. After watching the crowd for a few seconds he decided to try his luck with the inn keeper. Kai stepped in and made his way through the crowd towards the bar. He pushed through a trio of gruff-looking men and was about to address the barkeep, but he stopped short when he saw the same two men that had been with his sister. There they were sitting at the bar with a new pair of women listening to their tales of travel and adventure as though they had been there all night.

Kai felt his blood course hot through his veins. He knew that those men had done something with his sister, and he was going to find out what had happened. Kai lunged forward and slammed Mandhar’s head on the bar. The two women shrieked and jumped away from their stools in fear.

“Where is she?” Kai demanded.

Stefan stood up and reached for a dagger, but Kai struck out with a forceful kick to the groin followed by a left hook to the jaw. Stefan fell backwards, tripping over his stool.

“Hey,” the barkeep yelled and made his way towards Kai. “Hadock, get this man out of here.”

“This is no affair of yours,” Kai yelled at the barkeep. “You would do well to keep out of this.”

“Hadock!” the barkeep yelled.

Kai slammed Mandhar’s head twice more on the bar, completely knocking the senses out of the man. Then he turned and started for Stefan, but a massive hand seized his left arm and yanked him back. Kai turned and saw a mountain of a man.

“Me, Hadock,” the man roared. “Boss say he want you out.” Hadock then lifted Kai off of the ground with one hand and threw him across the dining hall towards the door. The patrons scrambled back against the walls at the sight of Kai landing hard on one of the tables and crashing through to the floor.

Kai shook his head and looked up at Hadock, who was already halfway across the room and closing fast. The Ranger sprang to his feet and looked around Hadock to see Stefan scrambling up the stairs to the bedrooms. Kai brought his focus back to the giant bouncer. He hooked his foot around a nearby chair leg and flipped the chair at Hadock. The bouncer swatted the chair away without even flinching.