The duke handed Valoris another small piece of cheese and said, "I will admit I was skeptical of her capabilities at first, but I can see now that you were right Zalthu. Valoris is very knowledgeable of the happenings in Edosa. Despite being unable to talk or write, she has given us as much more information than we had previously. Most importantly the locations of the Blood Tyrant's supply cashes and the whereabouts of Myran."
"Who is Myran?" Lochnier spoke up as he glanced over the table.
The man in full plate armor finally spoke, he answered, "The Blood Tyrant's blacksmith. He crafts all the weapons of war and moves the supply chain to fuel the war efforts." He stepped forward and pointed a rod at Ganzia and said, "My father always said if you want to fight a noble, attack his income. So, if you want to fight a Tyrant, you attack his weapon supplies. Thus, our goal and our next mission should you chose to accept it."
Zalthu glance over the map then to the man in armor and said, "Who is this?"
The duke replied, "I have not had the opportunity to introduce you properly. This is Alorn. He is a native born Edosian with knowledge of the land and people. Ganzia is a long distance into Edosa." Alorn held his hand out for Zalthu to shake but he did not. The duke continued, "Ganzia is two days travel on foot, or at least ten or so hours on horseback. You will need his help if you want to get there and back in one piece."
Before Zalthu could ask any questions Lochnier stood up and said, "No thanks. I mean no offense of course. I appreciate the opportunity, sir duke. But I have personal things I need to take care of."
The duke nodded at him and snapped his fingers. A servant came in as the duke said, "Bring me Lochnier's pay." Only a moment later the same servant returned with a large bag of gold coins. The servant handed it to Lochnier and bowed before him. Lochnier opened the bag to see a plethora of coins inside. He reached in and felt the coins to make sure they were real. Once he was satisfied, he said, "Thank you, laddi. Best of luck to you and your campaign."
Without another word, Lochnier left the room. Zalthu turned to the duke and said, "Give me a moment." The duke nodded as Zalthu ran out of the war room and grabbed Lochnier by the shoulder. He bent down to Lochnier's face and said, "What are you doing? This is a gold mine you are passing up on."
Lochnier pulled his shoulder out of Zalthu's hand and retorted, "A gold mine for you! I am not dying over this! Ganzia is deep into Edosian territory. This isn't a short swim into the lake like we did for the Valoris job. The risk is already too high. On top of that, I have a price on my head. Outside these walls Darrick is waiting for me to slip up. The longer we stay here doing work for the duke, the longer we are at risk. I can't go back to the Cardinal. I can't."
"So that is the plan? Just keep running until the bounty hunters find you or give up?" Zalthu shook his head, and looked back toward the war room, "I can't speak for him, but I am pretty sure the duke can offer you protection if you stay. The wolf guards protect the city, he controls the wolf guards."
"So, stay here in Cantiberry for the rest of my life? That's not freedom, mate. That's a prison you build yourself. I am sorry but I have to go. Are you coming with ma?" Lochnier already knew Zalthu wasn't going to give up on this job. He was asking just to see his reaction. Lochnier held up the bag of gold the duke had just given him and said, "Thanks for the gold. This will take me a long way."
Zalthu held out his hand and said, "Good luck old friend. I hope only the best for you."
They shook hands and parted ways. Lochnier walked to the end of the hallway and made a left. Then he was gone. Zalthu knew Lochnier wasn't going to be around forever. They had different goals. Lochnier only wanted freedom while Zalthu wanted something else. But right now, Zalthu couldn't remember what it was.
Returning to the war room Zalthu said, "It would seem Lochnier will not be joining us on this one."
The duke frowned and nodded, "Pity, I can understand his hesitation. I will put out a call for someone to replace him. For now, the mission will continue with Alorn as the lead, with Zalthu falling in behind him."
This left a sour taste in Zalthu's mouth, "I fall in behind him? Who the is the hells is he anyways?"
The duke smiled and glanced at Alorn then he said, "Alorn is trusted. He used to be one of my wolf guards. It has been years since he wore the uniform. No one will suspect he is working for us. I selected him for his Edosian background. He knows the roads. He speaks the language. Think of him as your guide. He points the way, you follow. Myran is supplying the weapons of war from the town of Ganzia. His elimination is a strategic blow to the Blood Tyrant's campaign. Unlike Valoris, not all of the Blood Tyrant's minions will allow themselves to be captured so easily. Ask him nicely if you must but if he resists… you know what to do."
Alorn seemed confused at the mission, he asked, "If I am doing all the work, why exactly do I need Zalthu to come along? Wouldn't it be easier for one person?"
"Zalthu has already defeated two minions of the Blood Tyrant. He expertise is of extreme value."
Alorn gave Zalthu a head nod of acknowledgement. Zalthu did not return it. He didn't like the idea of following a stranger into the vast unknown of Edosa. In truth, Zalthu wished he could have completed the mission with Lochnier. Someone that he could trust. Alorn and the duke spoke back and forth about the mission, but Zalthu did not listen. Half of him wanted the gold, the other half wanted to walk away from this whole mess. Zalthu tuned in long enough to hear Alorn say, "We will leave at dawn."
Valoris walked over to Zalthu's side of the table and stood up on her hind legs. Zalthu scooped her up and said quietly, "What should I do little one? Is gold really worth all this trouble?" She did not answer. Zalthu watched as the duke hammered out the details with Alorn. When there was a moment of silence Zalthu said, "Can I have my pay for retrieving this one?" Zalthu lowered Valoris on the table and watched as she scampered away. The duke snapped his fingers and the same routine played out again. Another servant brought Zalthu a similar bag of gold that Lochnier had received. Zalthu held up the bag and said, "I will be in my quarters. Call me when we are ready to go."
Zalthu did not wait for an answer from either of them. He turned around and left the room. He needed time to cool off and think.
Morning came. Zalthu opened his eyes to see the sunlight flooding in from the window. Another late night of drinking had left him with a headache. He shifted in the bed but as he did, Zalthu felt something strange touching his arm. He pulled the covers back to see Valoris was curled up next to him sleeping. He picked her up and said, "I should have known you were trying to get in bed with me? You have some strange fascination with half-orcs?" Valoris squeaked at him. Zalthu took that as a yes.
It was time to get up anyways, Zalthu climbed out of bed and put Valoris on the ground. He stood up and stretched as Valoris did the same. Afterwards, she ran over to a few scraps on paper that she had organized on the ground. Zalthu inspected the papers to see she had spelled out a single word. HAYDIS with a question mark at the end. Zalthu grinned and said, "Yep, Haydis is a dick. I know. Wait, are you offering me a job?" Zalthu reached down and pet Valoris on the head. "You want me to take you to him?" She nodded. Zalthu stood up and grabbed his things and said, "Don't worry. I am sure we will run into him again. And next time I will be ready. Maybe the duke will pay me to deliver a blade to his vital organs. That would be nice."
Zalthu sat down on the bed and began counting the gold pieces he had earned. The 400-gold reward had been split between himself and Lochnier. Minus the weapons he bought plus food and expenses. His current funds counted up to 269 gold coins. Not bad for a filthy thief. It was going to cost him more to buy another set of kukris.
As Zalthu thought about the supplies he would need for the next mission, Valoris ran over to the door and squeezed under the crack. For only being a rat for a single day, she was very good at it. After a few seconds she returned and climbed up the covers of Zalthu's bed. She ran around in a circle to get his attention. Zalthu watched as she stood up on her hind legs as put one hand in her mouth. Zalthu watched as she played this game of charades. Then he said, "Are you trying to tell me that you are hungry? Or that it is breakfast time?"
Zalthu collected his things and picked up Valoris. He put her in his personal bag with all his valuables. She grabbed the side of the bag and watched as Zalthu stepped outside of his room and headed down the hallway. Along the way Zalthu spotted the female servant that he scared the night before. He waved at her and said, "Hey scary pants, where does someone have to go to get some food around here?"
She maintained herself and replied, "Umm, sir. You can call for food anytime you want. We have servers who will bring food to your room from the kitchen."
Zalthu shook his head and put his arm around her shoulder. Then he said, "I am too impatient for that. Take me to the food. Let's go scary pants." The poor girl led him downstairs to the servant's quarters. There was a dining hall where several servants and wolf guards were eating their breakfast. Zalthu sat down on the bench seat with them and waited to be served. Soon enough the cooks came out and gave him a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast on a metal plate.
Zalthu turned to the cook and said, "I need some alcohol… and cheese." With that said, Zalthu tore into the food like it was his last meal. Several onlookers could only sit and stare as Zalthu devoured all the food on his plate. While this was a standard meal for them, this was a five-star breakfast for Zalthu.
The cooks returned with a mug of beer and a small plate of cheese. Valoris climbed out of his bag and up to the table. Zalthu gave her a few pieces of toast and bacon with her cheese. Some of the servant watched and laughed. It wasn't every day that you see an orc and a rat having breakfast together. Zalthu finished his mug of beer and was about to order another one when suddenly a voice spoke behind him, "Isn't this beautiful. I love it when the duke feeds the animals." Zalthu turned to see Alorn walk into the dining room. He walked around the table and sat down on the bench across from Zalthu and said, "If I kill that rat, does that mean I defeated a minion of the Blood Tyrant too?"
With one arm, Zalthu pulled Valoris in closer to him. Then he said, "No, it just makes you a bigger piece of shit."
Alorn smiled and said, "Listen, all jokes aside. I like you, Zal. You are a real upfront kind of guy, but let's be honest here. We both know you are a bit out of your league. Edosa is a different nation with strange customs and ideals. They are a traditional people. They like to bow to each other, live in their little huts, and do funny dances. Most of them don't speak common. The Edosian language too complex for an orc like you. On top of that, most of the population doesn't like orcs. The duke isn't going to tell you these things, Zal, but I will. If you want to pass on this next mission, I get it. I am sure the duke would understand too."
Zalthu nodded at him then he sarcastically replied, "Should I start crying now? Big bad Alorn just told me how it is. I guess I should curl into a ball and die… or kick your ass."
Alorn smiled at him and said, "You talk a big game, but I can…"
That was all the words Alorn had the chance to say. With his left hand, Zalthu flung his empty metal plate as hard as he could. Alorn watched as the plate flipped multiple times in the air. This was only a distraction. Zalthu came across with his right hook and clocked Alorn right in the face. With a loud thud of his metal armor Alorn fell backwards off the bench. Zalthu stood up and grabbed Valoris placing her back in her personal bag. He walked over to the cook and opened his gold bag. He pulled out a few coins and handed them to the cooks. "Sorry for the mess. The food was great though."
Zalthu glanced at Alorn as he slowly stood up. Zalthu grinned at him and added, "I think we are going to work great together." Without another word from either of them, Zalthu left the dining room. Both of them had made their intensions known in their own unique way.
An hour later, Zalthu waited outside at the stable. His horse was ready, and he had already made several stops. Purchasing travel rations from the general store and four more kukris from the weapon shop. Two on his belt, two in his bag just in case. Valoris climbed out of his bag and up onto his shoulder. She pulled on his ear to get his attention. Zalthu watched her as she pointed to the empty stall where Ricky used to be. Zalthu patted her on the head and said, "He is gone. Lochnier couldn't stick around. Personal reasons."
Valoris jerked his ear again. Zalthu turned his head pulling his ear away from her and said, "Stop it. That is annoying." He glanced at her then to the direction she was pointing. She was alerting him to the man walking down the street in their direction. It was Alorn, he had finally shown up. He was wearing his full plate armor with helmet and all. Now that he was out of the duke's castle Zalthu could see Alorn's choice of weapons. Short sword on his belt with a small round wooden shield on his back.
Alorn didn't say a word to Zalthu. Instead, he walked into the stable and retrieved his horse. Mounted on the side of Alorn's saddle was a long rifle and a halberd. The halberd was a little rusted from weather, but the rifle was a deadly weapon in the right hands. Alorn mounted up and rode toward the eastern exit of town. Zalthu climbed up onto his horse and followed shortly behind him. No need to get too friendly.
Alorn glanced back to see if Zalthu was following him. He turned back to the road and laughed. Then he said, "This is everything you are bringing? You had all morning to get ready and prepare yourself." Zalthu inspected his gear. He had everything he needed. Alorn continued, "Look at me in comparison. I have a fine thoroughbred horse, full set of steel armor, sword and shield for hand-to-hand combat, halberd for horseback encounters, and a rifle for those long-ranged attacks. I have the tools and knowledge to handle any situation. Then I look at you… You brought a cheap leather tunic and a pair of knives."
Zalthu grinned knowing that he had the opportunity to put Alorn in his place. He pulled out his Kukri and said, "I have a leather tunic for quick mobility. Then I have throwing knifes for hand-to-hand combat, mounted combat, and long ranged combat. They are lightweight and work for all three situations. With a lighter loadout I can ride ten time as far as your amazing thoroughbred horse. So, I guess you can't handle ANY situation."
Without showing it, Alorn was frustrated by Zalthu's ideals. He did not bother to respond. Both of them believed they were right, and the other was a moron. The conversation ended right there on the road to the border. Nothing further needed to be said.
As they traveled east towards the border there were several people traveling the opposite way. In fact, Zalthu noticed they were the only ones headed toward Edosa while everyone else was going away. Some of them were old grandparents accompanied by small children. Some had horses and carts full of their valuables. Others barely carried themselves. Zalthu pulled out his map and glanced at the nearest town. Westgate was the closest town on inside the Edosian border. The Gate to the West. It was only a three or four hour walk from Westgate to Cantiberry. These people were desperate to get away from home.
Zalthu waved to one of the passersby and said, "Hey, what town are you from?" He stopped and replied something in a language Zalthu did not understand a word he said. Zalthu did not stop to ask again. The language barrier was going to be a problem. Zalthu continued to follow Alorn. On the left and right of the path were people exhausted from the long travel. Some of them were dirty like they had been on the run for days. Regardless, the people of Edosa were in trouble. On the run and scared, you could see it in each of their faces. They had nothing left but hope for survival.
Within a few minutes, they finally arrived in Westgate. Entering town Zalthu could see there was no one left here. Each street was completely deserted. There were empty carts in the streets without horses to pull them. Not a soul remained. The people of Westgate had all runaway. In the distance, Zalthu could hear the fainted sound of music. It was chilling to say the least.
Reaching the main town square Alorn put his horse at the watering trough and dismounted. He popped his back and said, "I don't remember Westgate being so… empty."
Zalthu put his horse at the trough as well. Jumping down from his horse he walked over to a building and knocked. Valoris climbed out of the bag and pulled herself up to Zalthu's shoulder so she could watch. No one answered the door. The paper-thin doors were almost comical to him. Zalthu pushed to door open to see inside. The home was completely cleared out. No furniture or personal items inside. Zalthu walked around inside, but it was deserted. Nothing of value left to steal. Disappointed.
Returning to the main square, Zalthu saw Alorn had wandered off. He was walking down one of the off streets headed in the direction of the music. Zalthu followed Alorn and the sound until they found the source. An old man was sitting on the front porch of his house playing a half tube like instrument covered with strings. The old man stopped playing and had a short conversation with Alorn. Zalthu waited but only for a bit. Then he kicked Alorn in the back of the knee and said, "Hey, what going on?"
Alorn shot Zalthu a frustrated look, then he said, "I am getting answers. You can wait a few seconds."
They continued to have their conversation. Zalthu thought they would never stop talking. Finally, Alorn turned around and said, "Alright, his name is Jorvis. He is a local of Westgate and he says he doesn't plan on leaving."
Zalthu wasn't satisfied with that answer, "That's it? Where is everyone else?"
"He said that this morning word spread that the Blood Tyrant is on his way here." Alorn pointed to the east. A trail of black smoke above the tree line. Then he added, "The Blood Tyrant's army carries torches everywhere they go. Even in the daytime. Jorvis says, smoke is the ill omen of death on the horizon."
Zalthu saw the smoke and turned back to the old man. Jorvis started to play his instrument again. Zalthu shook his head and said, "So this is his plan? Death in on the horizon and he is going to sit here and play his lute?!"
Alorn laughed at Zalthu's ignorance and replied, "It's not a lute, you barbarian. It's called a koto. Like I said before, these people are very traditional. Jorvis has lived in Westgate his whole life. He is not going to give up his home or his honor to anyone. Not even at the cost of his life."
The smoke in the east was growing larger. It was ominous to say the least. Sadly, that was the direction they needed to go. Zalthu knew they would have to go off road from here. Alorn turned around multiple times looking in all directions. He appeared to be lost. Zalthu said, "He will be here within the hour. We should go. Head north and stay off the roads. It is the safest way."
Suddenly Alorn stopped and stared at Zalthu like he was crazy, "You want to leave?! Are you mad? This is an opportunity that the duke would kill for."
"What are you talking about?"
"We know the enemy is on his way here! We have the chance to get valuable information on the Blood Tyrant. What he looks like, his weapon loadout, how fast he travels, and how many orcs his army consists of. This is more valuable than the elimination of a single blacksmith. And you want to run away and hide?! We have the preemptive strike!"
This was the craziest plan Zalthu had ever heard, He stated his concerns, "Are you suggesting that we wait and attack? Two men versus the Blood Tyrant and his entire army?"
"Not attack. We set and trap and wait for them to walk into it. It should cause enough chaos to allow us to get away." Alorn started to walk away as he did, he added, "I am doing it. I don't care what you say. Run and hide if you want. I am doing it."
With the tug of his ear, Valoris shook her head at Zalthu. It was her way of saying this was a bad idea. Zalthu started to follow Alorn and shouted, "I doubt you care, but Valoris is the only person that has attacked the Blood Tyrant and lived. Maybe you would listen to her?"
Alorn did not stop walking, he shouted back, "Listen to a rat? Are you hearing yourself right now?" Alorn open the door to a local business. He started to toss things around inside while Zalthu waited outside for him to change his mind. "There it is!" Alorn shouted from inside. A moment later, Alorn came out with a small, sealed barrel. He held it up and said, "This is all we need right here."
Zalthu couldn't tell what the barrel was supposed to be. Before he could ask Alorn said, "The Edosians invented black powder. They have mastered the refinement process. It is one of their mayor exports. There are six or seven barrels in the storage here. That is more than I need." Zalthu started to understand Alorn's plan. His plan was going to be a blast. Literally.
The pair worked together to carefully lift the explosive barrels up to the roof near the outskirts of town. The building was right next to the main road. Anyone approaching from the east would walk right past this house. All seven barrel were on the roof held in place with a single rope. When the trap was ready to be released, Zalthu would cut the rope releasing the barrels to roll down the roof and explode on whoever was walking by in the street. It wasn't an overly complex trap, but they didn't have time for anything else.
The smoke of the horizon was close. Zalthu could feel the ground rumbling under his feet from the approaching army as he moved his and Alorn's horses closer to their position. Alorn grabbed his rifle and climbed up to the roof. Zalthu joined him and waited. He was well hidden and had an easy escape down the back side of the house. Alorn prepared his rifle. If the barrels didn't explode on impact, he would have to shot them. He only had one shot. The reload time was too long for anything else. For a moment, Zalthu was hopeful. If they were lucky, the exploding barrels would kill several of the Blood Tyrant's men and they could get away clean.
That hope was quickly swept away as Zalthu saw the first of the Blood Tyrant's men on the road. Leading the pack was a man in black armor. He appeared to be human with long flowing white hair and a huge sword on his back. Was this the infamous Blood Tyrant himself? Behind him followed a formation of orcs five wide covering the entire road. Each of them wore some form of armor. Some wore mixtures of chain mail, leather, some even had plate helmets. As for weapons they mostly carried swords, axes, and clubs. This wasn't an army of well-equipped soldiers. Their armor had been taken from the towns they had sacked and the bodies they had looted.
As the army marched toward Westgate, Zalthu tried to count the number of orcs. It seemed to never end. Finally, his count stopped. Zalthu leaned back down to Alorn and whispered, "62 rows of 5 orcs. We are way out of our league here."
Alorn did not say anything back. He was focused on the attack. Zalthu turned back to watch the army approach. They were a frightening force. The only positive aspect was that they had no horses. Without cavalry units the enemy would have no way to give chase when Alorn and Zalthu fled on horseback. That was the only positive aspect. If the 300 plus orc surrounded the building before the trap was sprung, they would have nowhere to run. It was an unnecessary risk, but Zalthu waited.
The lead man in black armor entered the town and removed the great sword from his back. Zalthu could see a trickle of sweat running down Alorn's neck. Tension was high, the window for escape was becoming smaller. Suddenly, music filled the air. All the orcs stopped and focused on the old man who was playing music on his koto. They followed the sound. This led the man in black armor right in front of the trap. Perfect. The man in black armor pointed to Jorvis and said in his rattled voice, "Round them up. All of them." His voice was deep like a twisted growl. Whoever he was, he was clearly in charge of this group. The orcs followed his orders and they quickly moved forward ahead of him.
As the man stepped in front of the house, Zalthu cut the rope releasing the barrels. Each one rolled down the rooftop as expected. Alorn stood up and screamed, "FOR EDOSA!" Before the last barrel hit the ground Alorn fired his shot. The crack of the rifle was loud but the explosion that followed was deafening. As the bullet pierced the gunpowder a shockwave erupted from the barrel that shook the entire town. The man in black armor and at least ten orcs were in the blast zone when it happened. Pieces of debris went flying into the air. Zalthu's hearing was gone replaced by a horrible buzzing sound.
A few seconds later, the debris began raining down on them. Chunks of wood, gravels, and body parts landed all around them. Zalthu and Alorn slide down the roof and grabbed their horses. Zalthu could not hear very well but it wasn't going to stop him from making his escape. The explosion had created a diversion. Alorn took the lead as he rode to the center of town and stop next to Jorvis, "Get on!" He shouted while holding out his hand. Jorvis did not move. Even after the explosion he continued to play his koto. He had chosen his fate.
Zalthu glance down the road to see the destruction they caused. The massive crater left behind by the explosion. That is when he saw it. The man in black was still there. The barrels had landed right next to him. All the orcs around him had died in the blast, but he was still alive. He should have been blown to pieces. His sword was now burnt black, his hair was gone, and he was on fire. The man hopped out of the crater and started sprinting towards them. Zalthu kicked his heals into his horse and said, "That's him. It's the Blood Tyrant. We need to leave, now!" Without waiting for a response from Alorn, Zalthu rode off to the north. Alorn took one last look at Jorvis and followed Zalthu without question.
As they rode away, Alorn heard Jorvis's music stop. A quick look back Alorn saw what he knew to be true. The Blood Tyrant was standing over Jorvis's body. One swing of his sword had cut the old man in half. Afterward he turned toward Zalthu and Alorn and laughed as the fled. Whoever he was, he was a monster.
Together the rode north into the woods. The rode hard until the horses were out of breath. Even if the orcs were following them on foot, they would be at least 20 minutes behind. Zalthu found a clearing at the base of mount Yama. From here you could see the snow on the mountain peaks. He slowed the horse to a trot and followed the tree line towards a small lake. The lake had a small stream running off of it that they could use. Zalthu dismounted and let his horse rest for a minute. Zalthu filled up his canteen while his horse drank in the stream beside him. Valoris climbed out of his bag and took a few drinks herself.
Alorn stepped down off his horse and surveyed the land. Then he said, "We are way off of our intended path. I had not planned for us to be this close to Mount Yama."
"Planned?!" Zalthu lost his cool at those words. He stood up and walked toward Alorn shouting, "The plan was to stay out of trouble. The plan was to go to Ganzia un-noticed. But then out of nowhere Alorn wants to set a trap, take on the Blood Tyrant and his army of 300 orcs… and run away when it doesn't work. You tossed your amazing plan into the wind just so you could try play the hero and almost get us both killed!"
"We were gathering intel! It's the duke's most valued commodity. If he had been here, he would have wanted us to do it." Alorn got into Zalthu's face and continued, "We could have killed the Blood Tyrant and saved everyone the trouble. End the war, saving countless lives. If the trap had worked, we would have been heroes!"
"But it didn't work. Did it? We have only been in Edosa for a few hours, and we have been exposed us to the biggest threat in the country!" Zalthu and Alorn argued back and forth for a bit completely unaware of the threat that loomed over them. A loud branch snapped nearby. It was enough to stop their bickering. Hidden in the tall cedar trees was enormous figure. His head towered over the treetops as he pushed his way toward their position. The ground rumbled as trees cracked and crashed to the ground. The horses were immediately spooked. With a wine and a nay, they bolted away from the water and ran across the field. Neither Zalthu nor Alorn had time to grab them.
At first, Zalthu didn't know what it was. But as it entered the clearing, he realized it was a giant wearing nothing a loin cloth and a smile. Leaves and branches fell all around them as the giant looked down at them. The giant was only 30 feet away so there was little time for evasive action. Alorn pulled his sword and shield from his back and shouting, "I told you, we are too far north!"
Zalthu darted back to the water's edge and grabbed Valoris. He quickly scooped her up and ran around the edge of the lake creating distance between himself and the giant.
Alorn stood his ground sword and shield at the ready. With a goofy look on his face the giant reached down to pick him up. When the giant's massive hand got close to him, Alorn slashed upwards cutting the giant's palm. The giant recoiled his hand from the pain and said, "Ooooohhhh, ouch. Angry human! Hurt! Bad!" He took a step back to kick a huge clump of dirt in Alorn's direction. What looked like a small kick of dirt to the giant was at least 100 pounds of dirt to Alorn. He lowered his head and blocked as the dirt and rocks bounced off his shield. Alorn lowered his shield and raised his head with just enough time to see the giant's foot crash into him with full force. Alorn flew backward 20 feet into the lake, skimming across the surface, and quickly disappeared into the now muddy waters.
The giant waited for Alorn to resurface but quickly refocused his aggression on the little green man that was running away at full speed. Zalthu turned back to see the giant was now chasing him. Zalthu knew his chance of outrunning a giant were slim. He changed directions and ran to the forest. The giant was closing in on him. Each step shook the ground and nearby trees causing Zalthu to nearly trip as he ran. His fastest sprint was only a fast-walking pace for the massive giant. Zalthu reached the forest and kept running. He could hear the branches and trees breaking behind him. The giant had not given up the chase yet. Making a quick left turn, Zalthu found a downed log and laid down behind it. He stayed still listening to the sound of massive footsteps approach. He could not outrun the massive creature. All he could hope to do was make it lose interest.
Suddenly the giant stopped walking. It pushed several trees out of the way to search the forest floor. Zalthu caught his breath and waited. He was still holding Valoris in his hands. She freed herself from his grip and climbed onto his shoulder. She watched as the giant scanned the area. Valoris trembled but not from the giant's footstep. She was horrified. After what felt like any eternity the giant said, "Friend?! Where friend?" Its voice was so loud it echoes off the nearby mountain side. Zalthu did not respond. He wasn't going to take the chance. Valoris returned to Zalthu's bag and hid inside. The giant stood back up and returned to the clearing. Zalthu continued to hide.
Zalthu got up and carefully returned to the tree line making sure to stay out of sight. The giant had returned to the lakeside searching for Alorn. After finding nothing, the giant turned and walked away. Zalthu waited until the giant was completely out of sight before he started moving again. He was done being careless in this place, Zalthu walked careful back to the lake double checking his surroundings. Valoris climbed out of his bag and up to his shoulder to keep an eye out.
Returning to the lake, Zalthu checked the nearby trees and easy hiding spots. Alorn was nowhere to be seen. He searched the lakeside for Alorn's footprint. There were none. Then it suddenly dawned on him. Alorn's full plate armor and weapons. He was too heavy to swim. Alorn was probably still at the bottom. Zalthu check to make sure the giant was still gone, then he waded out into the water feeling around with his feet. The bottom of the lake was very deep and cold.
As Zalthu searched for any sign of Alorn's body, a stone flew past his head and landed in the water with a splash. Zalthu turned to see Alorn standing in the forest nearby. He was partially hidden behind a tree. Zalthu climbed out of the lake was walked over to him say, "Yeah, I would say we are too far north."
"Shhh," Alorn said as he stayed out of sight. Zalthu moved around to tree to see Alorn wearing a muddy brown shirt, muddy pants, and without a single piece of armor or weapons. He was also barefoot, which Zalthu thought was extra funny.
"So Alorn, you are going with a more natural look?" Zalthu said with a grin.
Without attempting to be quiet, Alorn scrolled Zalthu, "Shut up! I almost died! I had not ditched all my gear in the lake! We have lost everything. Our horses. Our gear. We are completely ruined. This is your fault! The mission is a failure because of you! You brought us to this Lake of Terror!" Zalthu did not stop smiling. He was happy to see Alorn covered in mud and miserable. "We have to go back home. We have to walk all the way back to Cantiberry, without having done our job, without horse, weapons, or even footwear!"
After a few more minutes, Alorn stopped and Zalthu said, "I enjoyed that way more than I should have. Now, if you are finished, let's get going." Zalthu started walking toward the east. The mission was not over. At least not for him.
Alorn held on to the tree and replied, "Going where?! We can't! You are insane!"
"No, not at all, insane is traveling this far just to give up." Zalthu stopped and questioned Alorn, "Let me ask you something you already know the answers. How much does the duke pay us if we turn around right now? If we go home with our tails tucked between our legs? How much?" Alorn didn't answer. Zalthu continued, "Do you think he will pay us for our lost armor, weapons, and horses? How much is failure worth?" Once again, Alorn said nothing. He wiped some of the mud off his face and crossed his arms.
"That's right. Zero. Zilch. Nil. Nada. It's all or nothing. If you are going to give up, you should have done it back in Cantiberry. It would have saved you some money." Zalthu pulled out his map and glanced over it for a second. Then he added, "There is no going back until we have a bag with Myran's head in it. Now if you disagree with me. Then you are the guide, you can guide yourself back home. If not, then there is a town up ahead called Halloville. We can get ourselves some food, shelter and buy yourself some new gear."
Alorn did not argue. He was not happy, but he still had a glimmer of hope to complete the mission. Even if he lost everything, the gold promised by the duke would help recover his lost items. Zalthu stayed in the forest out of sight as he traveled towards Halloville. In an interesting twist of events, Zalthu was now leading the way as Alorn followed him slowly. He had lost his greaves in the lake, so he had to tiptoe around rocks and sharp sticks. Zalthu didn't like how slow there were going but he did not complain. After they cleared the first hill Alorn finally said, "You must be loving this."
"Traveling at a snail's pace? Oh yeah, this is the life right here."
"No, I mean seeing me suffer. Covered in mud, wet, cold, and helpless. I stayed to fight while you ran away. I lost everything while you lost nothing but your pride."
"Hard to loss something you never had. Pride that is. I was born without it." Zalthu glanced back at Alorn as he walked, "Too bad pride isn't a physical object. Something you could steal. It's an idea. You think you are better than everyone else because of your family name or status."
"That is not what it is at all." Alorn corrected him as he followed Zalthu a few feet back. Then he continued, "Pride is that feeling of satisfaction when you complete something that no one else could. Like when you slay a monster no one else could kill. That is pride. That is something all great men seek."
Zalthu continued traveling east. The conversation at least helped pass the time. Zalthu said, "That's not what I seek. I am more of a "avoid pain and seek pleasure" kind of guy. If a beautiful woman offers me a good time, I will take it. I get the chance to fight a giant… I am going to choose survival over heroism. That's just me."
"If you run from one thing then you will run from everything. Knights stand and fight. Not for the heroism, but to protect people. To protect their families. It's called honor. A thief like you would have no concept of such a thing."
Zalthu cleared the top of the next hill and could see Halloville in the distance. He stopped so Alorn could catch up then he answered, "Maybe… but you need to remember, we are not thieves or knights. We are mercenaries. Mercenaries don't get paid unless the job is done."