The minotaur was an impossible foe for either of them to take down alone. But together they stood a chance. Lochnier quickly shuffled to the right while shouting to get the monster's attention. Zalthu rolled to the left and stayed low so the creature would think he was not a threat. With the right spacing they could force the monster to turn its back on one of them. But for some reason it didn't. The minotaur ignored them completely and ran to the water's edge. With a massive swing he smashed the giant club into the water. A pillar of water splashed at least 15 feet in the air. Water rained down on everywhere. The minotaur raised his weapon again as a huge crocodile hissed and back away. Before he could swing again the croc slipped below the surface and disappeared from sight.
Lochnier was confused by this but quickly put the pieces together. Zalthu was still ready to engage the creature, but before he could Lochnier put his hand up and said, "Wait! Don't move a muscle."
Seeing the reptile was gone, the minotaur turned to his left and angry snorted at Lochnier. Then he spoke, "Fool! You no brain! You die at croc lake." His voice was the deepest grumble you had ever heard. Luckily Lochnier understood him completely.
Lochnier put his hands up and agreed with the creature, "Yes, me no brain."
The minotaur waved his weapon over and pushed Lochnier to ground with the front of his giant club. He was clearly angry as said, "No one fish at croc lake. Croc eat little man."
Lochnier quickly climbed back to his feet. Interaction with a minotaur was not something you ever heard about. Lochnier jumped on the opportunity as he replied, "I am sorry. I did not know it was croc lake. How would we have known?"
The minotaur pointed down at his legs, both of which had scars from multiple bite marks. Then he grumbled, "Gree learn the hard way."
Lochnier glance at the scar then slowly moved away from the water. Then he replied, "I appreciate your help. Did you say your name was Gree? That's a fitting name for a minotaur. How about ye put that club down and we can chat for a bit?"
Gree turned to look at Zalthu who still had his dagger in hand ready to pounce. They stared at each other for a moment as Lochnier frantically waved his hands trying the get Zalthu to put his weapon away. He slowly put his dagger away. The minotaur snorted at him with approval and walked away from the water back to the tree line.
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief as the minotaur walked away. On the ground nearby Lochnier spotted the flailing fish that Zalthu had caught. He picked it up and quickly thought about his actions. Then he shouted, "Hey Gree, you like fish?"
The minotaur stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned back to Lochnier and gave him a confused look.
20 minutes later Lochnier and Gree were sitting around a campfire watching as Ava cooked fish. Zalthu used his extra-long fishing line to catch more fish. He was also very mindful of the crocodiles that lurked nearby. The team streamlined the process. Zalthu caught the fish, Lochnier gutted prepared the fish to be cooked, and Ava put the fish on a stick and held it over the fire. Gree seemed very pleased with their efficiency.
"This one is ready. Here you go." Ava said as she handed the stick to Gree.
Gree took the stick and blew on the fish to cool it off. Then with one big bite he devoured the fish. Gree chewed on the fish bones as he said, "Gree never eat fish cooked." Gree reached over and poked Ava's hair with one finger. She squealed with fear and excitement at the same time. Everyone, including Ava, laughed. Then he said, "Gree not friends with many humans."
Lochnier took the opportunity to ask him some questions, "Many humans? You have interacted with humans before?"
"No good humans. Bad humans. Humans that want to hurt Gree." With that said, he lifted the deer hides on his left arm revealing an arrowhead imbedded in his forearm. "Humans use weapons to hurt Gree," then Gree lifted his club and continued, "Gree uses forest to hurt humans."
Lochnier wiped his hand off on his pants and stood up. He asked, "May I take a look at your wound?"
Gree was clearly hesitant at first but having a full belly of fish he was willing to take the chance. He held out his hand for Lochnier to see the arrowhead closer. Lochnier pulled out his talisman. He held it firmly in his right hand and said, "Let the light heal your wounds." Lochnier closed his eyes and quietly chanted some words. When he reopened his eyes, the talisman started to glow. Gree turned his head away as the flash of light erupted from Lochnier's hands. Then Gree watched with amazement as the arrowhead fell out and the wound healed itself.
Gree rubbed his forearm where the wound used to be. Then he said, "Little man is magic. Gree thanks."
"No problem, big guy." Lochnier put the talisman away and sat down again.
Zalthu pulled in his fishing line from the water and put it back in his bag. Then he returned to the campfire and took a knee across from the minotaur. Gree glanced at Ava and asked, "What the green one called?"
Ava replied, "Oh he is Zalthu, I am Ava, and Lochnier is over there."
Gree took a moment to remember their names then he said, "Humans have long name. Gree always wanted human pet." Ava brought over the last fish. She attempted to hand it to Gree, but he reached over and picked up her up with his massive hands. Naturally, she screamed and flailed around a bit.
"Ava small. Gree like Ava."
Ava put on a strong face as she was being held like a doll in the hands of a child. She then said, "Umm, I like you too Gree. Please don't eat me."
Gree pulled her in for a big hug then he said, "Gree no eat Ava. Ava funny. Gree keep you."
Ava groaned from the hug as his strong arms squeezed her. She clearly had something to say but she was incapable of responding. Zalthu grinned and said, "You see Lochnier, sometimes dreams do come true."
Lochnier ignored Zalthu as he watched Gree hold Ava. Then he said, "Sorry to disappoint you, but you can't keep her."
Zalthu added, "Not for free. You are going to have to trade us something first."
Lochnier shot Zalthu a concerned look but before he could say anything Gree replied, "Gree have club… and hides."
Zalthu shook his head and said, "The hides are probably worth something, but currently we are not in the market. I guess the deal is off."
Gree looked down in disappointment then he released her. Ava took a few breaths and climbed down from Gree's lap and returned to her sitting place at the campfire. She straightened her dress before saying, "Were you just about to sell me to a minotaur?"
Zalthu shrugged and smiled. Ava turned back to Gree and said, "I would stay with you, but my father would miss me. He is a farmer outside of Cantiberry."
This seemed to spark Gree's attention as he asked, "Farm? What food Ava grow?"
"All sores of crops. We have farm animals too."
Gree nodded and grabbed his club. He stood up and said, "Gree follow you. Gree see farm."
Together the team collected their things and put out the campfire. Everyone walked back to the road collecting the pack mule, now named Ricky, at the same time. Once on the road, Ava stepped on a sharp rock with her bare feet. Before she could say a word, Gree picked her up placing her on his shoulder. Ava was concerned at first but quickly found the view to her liking. Being almost 12 feet off the ground gave her a different perspective on everything.
Zalthu glance back at Ava while he led Ricky forward. Then he elbowed Lochnier and said, "Did we just tame a minotaur, or did he tame us?" Lochnier shrugged. He didn't have the answers. Or maybe he didn't want to upset the situation. Zalthu added, "If I wasn't so deranged this would be the strangest day of my life."
Lochnier did not respond to his words as he walked side by side with Zalthu. He was silent for a few seconds then he said, "Sorry about what I said earlier. Ya know, I am not the kind to lecture about honor."
"We might be from the same town, but we are different people with different experiences."
"No laddie, it was not that different."
"Yes, it was. You had good parents. They instilled honor and shit in your head. While you were being taught to hold the door for a lady, I watched as people treated my mother like dirt for years. Literally years. She feed me, she handmade my clothes, and taught me everything I know today. I watched them throw rocks at her. For what? What did she do wrong?" Zalthu paused waiting for Lochnier to answer him. When he didn't respond Zalthu continued, "She kept me. Her bastard son. Her only child. I say only child because no one would dare marry her after she was defiled by a filthy orc. Everyone treated her like trash. That includes the general store owner… You want to talk about honor and morality. How could you or anyone hold any respect for people who are so heartless? That is the difference between you and me. I gave up on morality a long time ago."
Lochnier did not respond. It was hard to disagree with his logic. Everyone walked in silence for a while. Ava continued to point out things to Gree. Deer hidden in the bushes and colorful birds that she never would have noticed on the ground. Neither Ava nor Gree had been listening to Zalthu's conversation.
From out of the silence, Ava shouted, "There it is! You can see my father's property line from here." She pointed to the east down the next hill. Up ahead there was a small farm with a few animals fenced up and row after row of crops planted. It certainly wasn't fancy, but it was a nice little farm.
Approaching the front entrance of the farm, everyone stopped. Gree let Ava down from his shoulder and said, "Farm has corn?"
Ava smiled at Gree and said, "Not yet. It is still early spring, so the corn won't be sprouting for a while. I can't wait to introduce all of you to my father."
Zalthu waved his hand and said, "That is a hard pass. I don't do meet and greets if I can avoid it."
Lochnier agreed, "Yea lassi, we are going to push on. We are almost to Cantiberry now. Tell yur father that we said hi."
Ava ran over to Zalthu and gave him a big hug. Zalthu did not hug her back. He just waited for her to stop. The moment drug on forever. Finally, Zalthu reached down to his reserve flask and pulled it out of his bag. He drank a little bit and said, "Please stop. You are embarrassing yourself."
Ava pulled away from the hug. She had a tear forming in her eye as she said, "I am okay with embarrassment. You saved my life."
Ava went to give Lochnier a hug, but he pulled out his magic tome and handed it to her. He said, "For you. I have already memorized the whole thing anyways." Ava took the book and gave Lochnier a hug too.
When everyone was done give their goodbyes, Ava ran down the path toward the farmhouse. She turned around and waved Gree to follow her. Gree took a few steps toward the farmhouse then turned to Zalthu and Lochnier and said, "Bye short man. Bye green man."
Zalthu and Lochnier watched as the minotaur followed 15-year-old girl toward the farmhouse. Lochnier was the first to speak, "This could almost be worth sticking around to watch. See her father's reaction, that is."
Zalthu said, "Most fathers dread the day their little girl brings home a boyfriend. His little girl brought home a 9-foot-tall monster covered in deer hides." Zalthu laughed manically but did not stick around. He pulled on the mule's harness and started walking again.
Lochnier followed him and said, "You know some day you could have a daughter of your own. What will you do when…"
Zalthu cut him off, "That is a horrible thought. Probably not going to happen."
"Why not?"
"Not a lot of women see me as… anything more than a passing fling. A traveler on the wind. Not the type to settle down."
"Yeah, but ladi, what if she was amazing? Like everything you ever hoped for?"
Zalthu opened up his personal bag and pulled out a small flask. Then he said, "No such woman exists. If she did, she would be turned off by my bad attitude, drinking, fighting, thieving, or the fact that I am a half-orc." Zalthu took a swig from the flask. A pretty big swig too.
Lochnier stopped the conversation right there. He pulled out his talisman and held it in his hand. Then he began to chant a prayer as they walked. Zalthu glanced at him for a moment and asked, "What are you doing?"
Lochnier replied, "I am searching for the light. Asking for guidance. Oh, Holy Father. Is it possible that there is a woman in this world that can tolerate my good friend Zalthu?" After a few seconds, Lochnier opened his eyes again and put his talisman away. Then he turned to Zalthu and said shortly, "Nope. Apparently, there are none."
Zalthu rolled his eyes at Lochnier's attempt at humor. Lochnier laughed whole heartedly. Zalthu thought about kicking him into the ditch and leaving him, but he didn't. Instead, he let Lochnier have a laugh at his expense. Zalthu put his flask away. They would be in Cantiberry soon.
Ahead on the road was a man. Zalthu noticed him first. He had long hair and was wearing a dark green outfit. He held a short staff with a small green crystal at one end. Zalthu tapped Lochnier on the shoulder and said, "Look at this guy. What is his deal?"
Lochnier looked at the man and gave his best judgement, "He is not headed towards us or away from us. Maybe he is lost or seeking help?"
As they approached him, the man said, "Hail ye who wander this pail empty world. You are seekers of absolution. Keepers of all that is lost. Rejoice in the knowledge that you are alive. That you still draw breath every morning. The sun rises and sets on you every second of every day therefore thy kin would believe that the Goddess is kind. Merciful. Nature is a force of good. But this is falsehood. The truth is that nature is cruel. Nature is honest."
Zalthu stopped the mule about 30 feet away from the man. "He is some kind of prophet or something. We should just ignore him."
"Ignorance is not the path! Every day you stray further from purity. The Goddess's Blessing will only be given to those who seek her guidance…" the prophet continued to preach about nature and his passionate ideologies. Lochnier and Zalthu were so distracted by it that they didn't notice someone walking up behind them.
Zalthu turned around to see an older man on horseback approaching. He was wearing a long white robe and a huge smile. Before Zalthu could say anything, the man said, "What seem to be the hold up?"
Lochnier looked at the old man and quickly turned back to the road ahead. He said, "There be no hold up, laddie. Just an unusual situation." Lochnier grabbed the reigns of the mule and tried to lead him around the speaking prophet. But the prophet stepped sideways blocking his path. The prophet continued to spew constant speech about nature and finding your roots.
Finally, Zalthu had heard enough. "Get lost weirdo." He stepped around the mule and pushed the prophet in the chest knocking him several feet backwards off to the side of the road. Somehow the prophet maintained his balance.
"Horrors! How dare you!" The prophet screamed as he threw his staff to the ground. "You would defile my very tongue with threats of violence?"
As Zalthu dealt with the prophet Lochnier turned back to the man in white. There was something wrong about this whole situation. The road was clear enough for the man and his horse to get around. Yet for some reason he was waiting behind them. Lochnier eyed the old man again, but this time the man just shot a devilish grin at Lochnier. Something was very wrong. Lochnier glanced at Zalthu who was now yelling at the prophet. Lochnier pulled his talisman from his pocket and began casting a spell. After a short prayer he said, "Sense Evil."
A small flash of light emitted from Lochnier's hand. The flash moved up to Lochnier's eyes causing them to glow with the slightest brilliance. Lochnier started with the prophet and Zalthu standing in front of him. Zalthu's aura was gray. The prophet's aura was white. He was not evil. Before Lochnier could turn back to the old man an arrow flew past his head. The arrow struck the ground near Zalthu's feet. A miss? Zalthu, the prophet, and Lochnier looked at the arrow as it exploded into blinding light.
Blinded, Zalthu stumbled around looking for his attacker. His eyes were no good to him. All he could hear was someone laughing.
Despite being visually blinded, Lochnier had cast the spell to sense evil. He could still see the aura of everyone nearby. He turned to the old man who was now off of his horse. The man's aura was pitch black. Not a shred of gray in him at all. Lochnier reached for his hammer, but it was too late. The man threw a yellow ball at him that exploded into a massive net. Lochnier was completely encased in it.
The old man pulled off his white robe and punched Lochnier in the stomach. The he said proudly, "Gentleman, I want you to remember this day. It was the day you almost died by the hand of Darrick, the Bounty Hunter." With one arm Darrick picked up Lochnier around the waist and carried him back to his horse. "You will tell you children of this event. The glorious day that you dodged the hand of death itself. What a grand story you will tell." Darrick tossed Lochnier onto the back of his horse and started to climb up himself.
Zalthu was already sick of hearing him talk. He could not see but he could certainly hear. Zalthu pulled one of his knives and threw it in the direction of Darrick's voice. The throw was surprisingly close, but it missed Darrick's head by only a foot or two. Darrick ignored it as he climbed upon his horse. Then he added, "The effects will wear off in a bit. Gentlemen, have yourselves a very good day." With that said, Darrick rode off into the woods with Lochnier as his prisoner.
Zalthu wandered around trying to find his bearings. He was still blind. The effect was taking too long. Lochnier was being kidnapped. Suddenly the prophet shouted, "By the hand of the Goddess herself, heal thy wounds!" Within seconds Zalthu's eyesight was back. The prophet lowered his staff and blinked a few times. The prophet rubbed his eyes and looked around. In his attempt to cure his own blindness, the prophet had somehow cured Zalthu's too.
Without a second thought, Zalthu jumped on Ricky and gave chase to Darrick in the woods. He kicked the mule to make it run faster. Darrick was almost out of sight. Zalthu pushed Ricky faster while dodging branches left and right. Darrick's horse was also hindered by running in the forest, but his horse carried two riders and was just barely slower. Despite being on a smaller mule, Zalthu was gaining on him. Suddenly an arrow flew by Zalthu's head. It struck a tree with small blue smoke explosion. Up ahead, Darrick held his bow and an evil grin.
Zalthu stayed out of Darrick's line of sight. He did not want to catch another arrow. Darrick's horse soon came to a hidden path in the forest. This path was wide enough that he didn't have to worry about branches hitting him in the face. Darrick increased his horse's speed. Lochnier struggled against his bindings. He pushed off the horse in an attempt to fall off the back. Darrick noticed this and grabbed his netting preventing Lochnier from escaping. This put Darrick in a bad position. Firing a bow and arrow required two hands. With one hand on Lochnier he could not shoot at Zalthu, who was now on the path and quickly gaining on them. Instead, Darrick let go of Lochnier and let him fall off the back of the horse.
With a nasty thud, Lochnier hit the ground. Darrick stopped his horse and readied another arrow and fired. Zalthu attempted to dodge the incoming shot, but Darrick was an excellent shot even from horseback. The arrow flew through the air and found its mark. It exploded into blue smoke on Zalthu's chest. Zalthu immediate felt the effect of the arrow. His whole body went stiff. He could not move his arms or legs. He could barely breath as his whole body was paralyzed. Without someone giving it commands, Ricky slowly came to a stop in the forest nearby.
Seeing Zalthu's frozen Darrick laughed and jumped down off his horse. Without looking at Zalthu he said, "Not bad, you have a lot of fight in you. Not enough this time, my friend. Sorry to say that no one gets between Darrick and his prey." Darrick walked over to Lochnier who was still struggling to get out of his netting. He picked him up again and returned to his horse.
Lochnier managed to free one hand from the netting. He attempted to grab his hammer, but it was trapped under netting as well. This time Darrick put Lochnier in the front of the horse so he could hold onto him better.
Darrick glanced back at Zalthu who was still paralyzed. He smiled but only for a second. There was a sound coming from the woods. Another rider was fast approaching. Darrick grabbed the reigns just as the prophet began his approach. The prophet was riding a stead holding the reigns with one hand and his staff in the other. Seeing this, Darrick kicked his horse and rode off as quickly as he could. The prophet stopped next to Zalthu and begun casting a spell. He shouted again, "By the hand of the Goddess herself, heal thy wounds!"
Zalthu slowly started to move again. It was like breaking out of concrete. He slowly regained control of his body. Before he could speak the prophet said, "No time to waste. Let's go!" The prophet grabbed Ricky's reigns and pulled him into action.
Darrick held Lochnier tight to the saddle of his horse. Everyone once in a while glancing back to see if he was being followed. And he was being followed. Out of the forest behind him rode Zalthu and the prophet. Darrick readied another arrow, but Lochnier reached up with his free hand and grabbed the bow. Darrick pulled hard but Lochnier was not letting go. His freedom, his life depended on it.
Zalthu regained full control of his body. Him and the prophet were gaining on them. Zalthu pulled his second knife out of his holster and threw it at Darrick. Throwing from horseback was different than from standing still. The shot went wide and landed in a bush. Zalthu did not stop to recover the blade. He signaled to the prophet to get along the side of Darrick. They were only one-horse length away from him.
Out of desperation, Darrick pulled a stunning arrow from his quiver and slammed it into Lochnier. It exploded into blue smoke as Lochnier quickly found himself paralyzed. Darrick freed his bow from Lochnier's hand, but it was too late. Zalthu and the prophet were upon him. With his staff, the prophet cracked Darrick in the back of his head stunning him temporarily.
Zalthu climbed to his feet standing on Ricky's back. This required all of his balance and focus. He was going to attempt to jump from the mule to the back of Darrick's horse. In the back of his mind, Zalthu knew this was a terrible idea, but terrible ideas were his forte. Zalthu gave Ricky one last push then he jumped. Zalthu sored through the air for one a second, but it felt like an hour. It was truly an impossible feat. But somehow, he landed it perfectly.
Zalthu grabbed Lochnier with one hand and grabbed Darrick around the neck with his other. Darrick was overwhelmed and he knew it. He let go of Lochnier and hos bow as he elbowed Zalthu in the chest and side. As the two men struggled on horseback, the prophet pulled in close and with one hand grabbed Lochnier off the horse. Darrick was so focused on Zalthu that he didn't even see it happen.
Darrick got some good blows in on Zalthu. He was clearly an experienced fighter. Zalthu didn't care though. Rage had possessed him. He reached around Darrick's back and grabbed his right arm. Then with his right hand Zalthu grabbed Darrick by the testicles. Darrick let out a short scream as Zalthu leaned into his ear and said, "I want you to remember this day." With that said, Zalthu kicked off the horse pulling both Darrick and him off the back of the running horse. Once again, Zalthu was airborne again, but only for a second.
With a manic laughter from Zalthu they both hit the ground. Darrick landed on his side while Zalthu mostly landed on Darrick. After the impact both men rolled once or twice across the ground until the finally came to a rest. Nearby on the prophet's horse, he used his staff to cure Lochnier's paralysis.
On the ground, Darrick was the first to get up. His face was muddy and covered in blood. He held his testicles in one hand and stretched his back making several popping sounds. Then he said, "What kind of man pulls someone off a horse by their testicles?!" Zalthu started to get up but before he could, Darrick bent down and punched him in the face.
Lochnier freed himself from the netting and said, "Oh no you don't. How about you take on a dwarf of your own size!" Lochnier pulled his hammer and shield. Since he had been bound up the whole time, he was ready to fight. Lochnier and the prophet started to walk toward Darrick with their weapons at the ready.
Darrick held his injured testicles and weighed his options. After dealing with Zalthu, he certainly wasn't in the mood to deal with them too. Darrick said, "This was supposed to be an easy job. But fine, have it your way." He pulled a bottle from the bag on his hip. It had some kind of clear or translucent fluid in it. He quickly crushed the vial against his chest. In a moment, Darrick started to disappear. Within seconds, he was invisible.
Lochnier reached for his talisman. He was going to cast Sense Evil again. But he quickly realized that he dropped his talisman at the road when he was captured. They listened for footsteps but heard nothing. Darrick was long gone. Lochnier ran to Zalthu's side and helped him to his feet. Zalthu's face was covered in mud, but he looked better than Darrick did after that fall. Zalthu glanced around quickly and asked, "Where did he go?"
The prophet replied, "Invisibility potion. He is gone. I cannot sense his presence."
Zalthu and Lochnier both looked at each other at the same time. They both had the same question on their mind. Lochnier said it first, "Laddie, who the name of the Divines are you?"
The prophet held his hand to his chest and said, "Pardons, I am Loki. Druid of the Great Swamp, keeper of Goddess's way."
Zalthu wasn't happy with that answer, "So why were you preaching at us in the road? Why did you help Darrick try to capture my friend?"
Loki replied, "I was unaware of his misconstrued plan. Darrick merely told me that some no believers were coming down the road. He said that you two were godless heretics and needed to listen to my words. Sadly, he used me as a pawn in his little game. I was mistaken and should now ask you for forgiveness."
Lochnier started to speak, "That's okay…"
Loki cut him off, "But I am not the kind that asks for forgiveness. Instead, I will only ask that you trust in the Goddess's Blessing and live in her name."
Zalthu nodded and said, "Neat, we are taking your horse." Zalthu walked around Loki and inspected the horse. Its saddle was nothing more than grass and vines woven together. It was primitive but it worked.
Loki followed Zalthu over to the horse and waved his staff. The horse disappeared instantly. "The horse is a summonable creature. The Goddess does not permit her Druids to keep animals on leashes."
Zalthu was less than impressed. He walked away from Loki and headed towards Darrick's horse. It had stopped running way in the distance. Zalthu glanced back to Loki and said, "If you don't mind, I will be taking his horse. Ricky is all yours."
Lochnier shook his head and said, "Thanks again for the assistance, mate. May the Goddess's Blessing be all over you as well." With that said Lochnier and Loki bowed to each other and parted ways. Lochnier grabbed the mule by its reigns and followed after Zalthu.
Darrick's horse was very nice. Zalthu climb on it and shouted, "Let get out of here before Darrick get a second chance." Lochnier agreed and climbed onto the mule. With Zalthu leading the way they both rode off together. They found their way back to the road and continued on their way to Cantiberry.
After a few minutes of silence Zalthu said, "Okay, I think we are in the clear. Now, you want to tell be about this?"
"Not much to tell," Lochnier said while he checked his blind spots. He continued, "I told you the other day that I ran away from the Golden Order, from the capital… everything. I faked my death. I guess that didn't work. Somehow, they knew I ran away. That is considered treason in St. Lysette. That is why they sent someone after me. They think I am a traitor. Now the Cardinal has sent people to hunt me down."
Zalthu laughed, "Yeah, now is the time I lecture you about honor and stuff."
"Regardless of that, Darrick is still out there. It is unlikely he will give up after only one try." Lochnier nervously peered around at the trees. Darrick could be behind any one of them. He was going to keep his eyes peeled. Zalthu noticed but didn't say anything. They were almost to Cantiberry now. Maybe things would turn around for both of them.
A few minutes later, Lochnier and Zalthu were entering the outskirts of Cantiberry. Several farms and smaller houses littered the landscape. Lochnier was taking in the sights, but Zalthu wasn't. It had been a long trip with crazy encounters along the way. Now that they were finally here. He was focus on the job at hand. Every pointy eared male was a target. He eyed them up and down trying to determine if they were a noble. If they knew Kristos or not. Zalthu had only one thing on his mind. Revenge.
Getting closer to the castle both Lochnier and Zalthu stopped at the stable master and tied off Ricky and Darrick's horse. In the process Zalthu searched the extra bags attached to the side saddles. In one of the containers there was a collection of arrows. They were Darrick's stun, net, and blinding arrows. Three of each. Zalthu put them in his personal bag to be used later. Now that he lost his daggers, he needed something in case of emergency.
Lochnier noticed the impressive stone wall that circled the inner city. It was at least 20 feet tall and was fully modernized with weapons and guards. These guard did not look like your standard plate armor knights. They wore wolf helmets and long flowing capes. Each some of them carried a swords and shields while others had crossbows and halberds. Zalthu looked them over. They were not just here for looks. Their boots were worn, and their armor was designed for mobility. This was a well-trained fighting force that even the capital would be envious of.
Lochnier remarked, "Is Cantiberry going to war? They seem well prepared for it."
"A little birdie told me that war is coming. The revolution in Edosa is making everyone nervous." Zalthu nodded at one of the passing wolf guards. The guard nodded back. Then Zalthu continued, "And of course, Cantiberry is right on the border. They will be the first town to be invaded if the fighting spills over into Yarm. It makes sense that they would beef up the local town guards."
Lochnier and Zalthu wandered around town for a bit eyeing the castle and noble that were coming and going. For being a dangerous location, the town was highly populated. Zalthu guessed at least a thousand or more lived here. However, despite his efforts he could not find the filthy elf, Kristos.
After some time, Lochnier spoke, "So, what is the plan, laddi?"
"No plan."
"Okay, how about you let your old friend Lochnier show you how it is done?" Zalthu didn't argue. Lochnier continued, "So, these noble types act all high and mighty, but in reality, they are just as foolish as anyone. Once you get feed from a silver spoon enough times you forgot what normal food looks like. Understand?"
Zalthu did not understand but he also did not disagree, "What's the plan?"
Lochnier started walking toward the castle and said, "I have experience dealing with people. Getting what you want without spilling any blood. Kristos is a noble who was working for the Duke of Cantiberry. So, we already know one person that should know him. We go talk to his boss. We tell the duke of his scandalous actions, and he just might pay us to get out of his hair."
Zalthu followed Lochnier to the castle gate. Not sure how exactly this would work but he was willing to try anything once. The castle gate was well guarded with at least six wolf guards that Zalthu could see. Probably more that he couldn't see. Approaching the front door Lochnier spotted a man who was wearing a large hat and holding a scroll. His outfit matched the color of the wolf guard uniforms so he must be some kind of door man. Lochnier stopped and bowed before the man and said, "I bid thy greeting from afar. I am Lochnier, son of Doakin, wish to speak with the Duke of Cantiberry."
The doorman held up the scrolled parchment and unrolled it. Then he said, "Your name is not on my daily list. Few people are allowed audience with the duke by request. If you are willing to wait, there might be an opening later today. What is the business you wish to discuss?" The doorman waved his hand and pulled a magical pen out of thin air.
Lochnier didn't think this far ahead. He stuttered for a second then said, "Financial transactions."
"Is this gentleman behind you with you?"
"Yes, he is."
"What is his name?"
"Zalthu."
The doorman stopped in his tracks. He froze completely then said, "Zalthu?" A lingering silence suddenly washed over them. Then after a moment, the doorman quickly closed his scroll and pounded his fist on the main door three times. The wolf guards pulled the lock pins causing the doors to slowly swing open. The doorman waited for the doors to be open then held both of his arm up point the way as he said, "Mr. Zalthu. You are expected."
Confused, Zalthu slowly stepped forward to enter the castle. Lochnier followed him but was stopped when a wolf guard lowered a halberd in front of his face. Lochnier stepped back as the guard said, "Not you. The audience is with Zalthu, and only Zalthu."
"Back off, he is with me." Zalthu said with an artificial confidence. He reached back to push the halberd away, but the wolf guard quickly retracted keeping his weapon away from Zalthu's hand. Several other wolf guards reacted to this. Several of them drew their swords expecting a fight to break out. Zalthu glanced around at the small army of men that now surrounded him. He was gravely outnumbered. With his hands up he added, "I am not going in without him. So, you can let this happen or throw us both out."
The doorman nodded to the wolf guards and said, "Very well, but you will have to submit to a weapons search. It is policy for newcomers."
Several guards came over and removed Zalthu's personal bag and searched his armor for hidden weapons. Lochnier also had his hammer, shield, and even his talisman taken from him. As the wolf guard walked away with their things Zalthu couldn't help but feel like they were being set up. They were completely unarmed in the company of hostiles. Once they were thoroughly stripped of all weapons the doorman smiled and led them into a waiting room. Along the walls were benches set up with 12 or more nobles and merchants waiting patiently to see the duke.
The nobles gave dirty looks to them as Zalthu and Lochnier were being led forward into the next room. Skipping the line? Zalthu thought. What was going on here? He quickly put the pieces together. There must have been another man named Zalthu on the list. That guy would be very upset at this turn of events. The doorman stopped at a smaller hallway and turned back to Zalthu and said, "Be on your best behavior. The duke is not a man to be trifled with." With that said, he stepped aside allowing them to pass.
Zalthu stepped forward with Lochnier right behind him. Entering the main hall of the castle they were overwhelmed with things to see. This grand hall had a large table at least 6 feet wide and over 25 foot long. It was clearly designed for feasts and banquets. From the left and the right, Zalthu was greeted with stares from everyone. On the left side of the table was a group of six or seven men and woman wearing long robes. Possibly the duke's advisors. On the right was another group of unknown people of interest. Some wore armor while others did not. Around the outside of the room were armed wolf guards. So many Zalthu could not count them all.
Zalthu's eyes were drawn to the head of the table where two large chairs were sitting. Treated almost like thrones, one sat empty while the other sat an older man with a long gray beard and red robes tinted with black and gold seams. This was clearly the duke. The room fell into silence as Zalthu and Lochnier walked to the end of the long table. The duke stared at them from across the long table and said softly, "So this is him." In the quiet room his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. The duke stood up and said, "My apologies, Zalthu. I was not expecting you here so soon. I guess I should consider it a happy accident. I was in the middle of hosting a group of interested parties. Regardless, welcome." He snapped his fingers twice as servants came in and ushered everyone toward the door. Within 30 seconds the room was empty except for the duke and his guards.
Zalthu glance a look of concern at Lochnier. Despite being welcome, Zalthu could not help but feel like he was in danger. This old man had the power to remove people at the snap of his fingers. What could he do to them?