Brinn escorted Zalthu to the war room. Zalthu placed Valoris on the table as they worked furiously to find the hidden location of Haydis's Tower. It had to be close to the Blood Tyrant. So, he must be close to the city of Welter. However, Haydis can turn into a bird and fly anywhere he wants relatively quickly. That was a problem. Brinn explained that Haydis's Tower was three stories tall, white, and magical. Once a month, the tower could be moved through magical incantation. Finding it would be difficult.
After some time, Valoris stepped on the map and pointed to the land south of Welter. Zalthu asked, "Have you seen the tower in that area?" Valoris shook her head no. Then she quickly walked over to the town of Delgon and slowly walked north on the map. Both Brinn and Zalthu watched as Valoris did this. I am sure from a distance this was quite humorous.
Brinn was clearly more confused than Zalthu was. She asked, "What is she doing?"
"She is a rat. She can't talk. This is her only method of communication." They both when silent and watched as Valoris followed the road all the way to Welter. Once there she stood up on her hind legs. Then she put one of her little paws above her eyes and turned her head left and right as if she was looking around.
It was bizarre, but Zalthu understood. More or less. He said, "I think I understand. Valoris tried to kill the Blood Tyrant once. What she is trying to tell us is that she traveled from Delgon to Welter with her unit, the 8th batt scouts. In that time, she did not see a mage tower. Right?"
Valoris nodded at him.
Brinn pointed at the map and said, "You were in Ganzia. Did you see any towers while you were there?"
"None," Zalthu picked up Valoris and put her back in his bag. Then he said, "We don't know where the tower is. But we know where it isn't. By the process of elimination Haydis's Tower will be to the west or south of Welter. So near Taki or Hangye. That's close enough for me."
Zalthu started to walk for the door. Brinn replied, "That is too much ground to cover! Father is dying. We don't have that much time."
Stopping at the door, Zalthu said, "True. That's why I will ask around. The streets are filled with Edosian refugees. Hopefully one of them will have some information. Even if someone thought they saw a tower, that's good enough for me."
As Zalthu stook a step outside of the war room Brinn said, "Thank you, Zalthu. And good luck."
Without missing a beat, Zalthu gave her a thumbs up and left. There was no time for lengthy goodbyes. Time was of the essence. He needed to get out of the castle and find three people. A translator, one person from Hangye, and one from Taki.
Outside in the city streets, Zalthu walked around asking everyone the same question, "Any Edosian speak common?" He asked all the refugees as he walked by them in the streets. He rounded a corner and said again "I need an Edosian that can speak common! Anyone will do."
In the distance, a man in a dirty white robe stood up. He waved to Zalthu and said, "I… a speak common very good."
"Perfect," Zalthu walked over and to the man and shook his hand, "I need you to ask around to everyone here. I need to find a person from Hangye and Taki."
The man bowed and said, "That easy. I am from Taki."
"Even better. What is your name?"
"I am Ko-Mae-Geris."
Hearing the man's long name Zalthu shook his head and said, "Okay, Geris. I need you to ask everyone, on the way here did they see a white mage tower? Preferable people who passed by Hangye or Taki. Can you do that for me?"
Geris shouted for all the Edosian people in the area. Then he repeated Zalthu's question. One old lady replied. Geris approached her and exchanged questions for a bit. Zalthu watched intently. Then Geris turned back to Zalthu and said, "This woman saw tower. Very odd tower. Large white tower."
"Where?"
Geris asked the old lady then turned back to Zalthu and said, "North of Taki."
Without missing a beat, Zalthu asked, "Geris, I need a guide to see this tower. How would you like to return to your hometown?"
Geris shook his head, "No, no. We leave Taki to avoid being killed. No go back until fighting over."
Zalthu smiled and put his arm around Geris as he said, "Geris, buddy! This is a rare opportunity you have right here. You know how sometimes you leave home and forget something important? Maybe you forgot your lucky straw hat or something like that? Well, I am offering to escort you back to Taki so you can get that hat! All you have to do is translate for me and guide me to Taki and I will protect you the whole way. Deal?"
Unconvinced, Geris shook his head no.
Zalthu followed up with, "How about 50 gold?"
The mention of gold quickly changed Geris's mind. He scratched his head for a second then he said, "We friends now."
It was getting late. The sun was falling in the horizon. Zalthu made a few stops in town to buy another pair of kukris. This was his fourth pair he had purchased. The smithy certainly wasn't complaining. On the way out of town, Geris seemed confused. He said, "Mr. Thu, I do not know Yarm well, but this is west. Taki is east."
"I have a friend waiting for us nearby. Trust me. Its all part of my plan, Geris." Zalthu said as he patted him on the back. Then he added, "Speaking of plans, you don't have any boots or travel gear. Is this your normal look, or did you trade them for food or something?"
"Boots and gear are for travelers." Geris put his hand to his chest and said, "Monk. Feet are tough. Fists are tough."
"Oh, you're a monk. Not bad. That means you are pretty good in a fight. I think I choose the right traveling companion." Zalthu nodded with approval as they walked. Then he added, "How are your sea legs?"
Geris and Zalthu continued to have light conversation as the walked. The sun slowly lowered in the sky. Night was fast approaching. Just as the sun was disappearing, they finally got to Nyde. The town was small and mostly empty. Zalthu checked the shoreline and the dingy was still there. Good. There was a smithing shop, general goods store, and a tavern. Zalthu was too focused on his goals to notice anything else. Zalthu stepped into the tavern and searched for someone.
It didn't take long for Zalthu to spot her. A dwarf female half passed out on a table drowning in her drink. Zalthu pulled some coins out of his bag and put them on the table right in front of Juni. Then he said, "Good to see you again. Ready to sail?"
Juni straightened up and said, "You? Didn't think I would see you so soon, ladi. What is the occasion?"
"For starters I am paying your tab. After that, you are taking us to Taki. And just because I am nice, I am going to pay you. Deal?"
"Well," Juni said putting her mug down. She stood up and stumbled a bit, then sat back down as she said, "I was going to tell you to forget about it, but since you are being so generous…" Juni trailed off for a second then she continued, "How much are you paying me?"
"How about 100 gold?"
"Sounds good to me." Juni stood up again and collapsed on the floor. She was drunk. Zalthu reached down and picked her up by the belt. He threw her over his shoulder and walked towards the exit. Geris followed shortly after.
Several other tavern patrons gave him some funny looks. Zalthu comforted them by saying, "It's okay people. She works for me."
Once outside Juni shouted, "Okay, I am not drunk enough to be treated like a damn pup! Put me down!"
Geris grabbed a lantern off one of the tables. It was going to be the only source of light for the entire trip. Zalthu continued to carry her and said, "We don't have time for stumbling or drunken shenanigans, Juni. We are on a time crunch." Zalthu put Juni into the dingy and pushed the boat out into the water. Once the boat was free from the sand, Zalthu picked up the oars and waited for Geris to climb in. As Zalthu climbed in the water almost flowed over the sides. The little dingy was clearly at its weight capacity.
Juni straightened herself up and said, "Wait a darn second. I didn't agree to anything. How about you give me the details here?"
Zalthu started rowing and explaining the importance of the situation. He told them about Haydis, the duke, and the magical spell that was slowing killing him. It was quite a mouthful, but it was information that both Geris and Juni needed to hear. Zalthu pulled the dingy along the side of Juni's ship. Zalthu stood up to hold the dingy in place but before he could grab Juni, she shook him off by saying, "Hands off! Keep your meat hooks to yourself. I can climb aboard my own ship." She grabbed the ladder and climbed up onto the deck. Geris followed her still using the lantern to light his way. Zalthu tied off the dingy and pulled it up out of the water with the pulley system.
Once everyone was on the deck of the ship, Juni said, "So let me get this straight. The duchess of Cantiberry selected you to save her father from a Wizard that lives in Taki. This guy is your translator, and I am the transportation? Hey, wait a second. Ladi, are you a royal assassin or something? This isn't a job for random people."
With a little smirk, Zalthu said, "That is not something I am willing to discuss. Are you sober enough to sail us to Taki?"
"I am always sober enough to sail." Juni said as she prepared to get the ship underway. She licked her finger to check the wind. Then she said, "We have a breeze. Tyverius be praised." Geris stood there holding the lantern up high so Juni could see. Juni barked at him, "String bean! Make yourself useful and light that lamp over there. There are three of them, one at the stern, another at the bow. If you can get them all lite without assistance, I will be very impressed."
Geris started lighting the lamps. Zalthu stood back to let them get the ship underway. While waiting he could feel the ship rocking from the waves below. His feet weakened as his stomach started to turn. Zalthu remembered how terrible the trip was the first time around. Juni pulled the rope causing the sail to drop. Zalthu asked Juni, "You have everything under control here? If so then I am going below deck to the hammock."
At this point Juni was at the wheel. She laughed then shouted, "You'll never get your sea legs that way, but you do your own thing, ladi."
Stumbling down the stairs, Zalthu worked his way to the hammock. At this point, he didn't care about his sea legs. Below deck was much darker than he expected. Zalthu tripped over crates and other objects leaping out to attack his shins in the darkness. Once Zalthu felt the hammock he immediately dropped his belt, weapons, and everything he didn't need. He rolled into the hammock and waited for the seasickness to subside. Before the feeling was completely gone, Zalthu reached down and grabbed his personal bag. Valoris poked her head out and gave him a look of illness. Apparently, she didn't have sea legs either.
After a few minutes, Zalthu's eyes adjusted to the dark. Suddenly, Valoris let out a little yawn. "Don't do that little one. You are going to make me tired." Zalthu was in denial, but he was already tired. With the soothing comfort of the hammock his eyes could barely hold themselves open. With one hand he held onto Valoris, with the other he grabbed a blanket nearby. He covered himself up. Valoris picked a spot near Zalthu's face and made herself a makeshift nest. It was funny how despite Valoris being his enemy, she always slept near him. She could have slept in the bag or anywhere else, but she sleeps near him. Interesting.
Petting Valoris on the head, Zalthu said, "It's almost over now. When Haydis is dead I am sure you will change back to normal." Valoris didn't move or react to his words. Zalthu just pet her for a few seconds, then he added, "Hopefully."
After only a short pause, Valoris looked at him with a disapproving face. Zalthu smiled at her. If she could talk, it would have been a funny conversation. Or so he thought. Zalthu pulled his flask out of his personal bag. It was light and almost empty. Zalthu took the last swig of the left-over alcohol. Empty at the start of a mission. Maybe Juni has alcohol he can refill it with. Thoughts of alcohol spiraled in his brain. They were his last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.
Sounds of the ocean leaked into his dreams. Zalthu dreamt of swimming. He half expected to be awakened by the Priestess Rya, but it did not happen this night. Zalthu had not slept soundly in several nights. He only woke when Geris startled him. Opening one eye, Zalthu saw that it was morning. Light flooded in lower decks from the stairwell. Geris had spent the night sleeping on the hammock on the other side of the hull. As he stood up, he saw Zalthu and said, "Oh hi oh go zaimass." After Zalthu gave no response, Geris smiled then he said again, "Sorry, I mean to say good morning." Geris did a little bow and walked upstairs to the deck.
Zalthu removed his blanket. To his surprise Valoris was gone. In a moment of panic, he looked around expecting to see her on the floor. She wasn't. She was nowhere to be seen. Zalthu checked the blanket then realized what had happened. At some point in the night, Valoris must have climbed down the blanket to the floor. Zalthu carefully climbed out of his hammock and checked his personal bag. She was not in it. He inspected the floor for any sign of her. Zalthu whistled then said, "Valoris? Where did you run off to?"
After a moment, Zalthu stood up and collected his things. He thought, maybe she is up on the deck. Zalthu started walking toward the steps. That is when he saw her out of the corner of his eye. In the corner of the room was a rat ripping paper out of an open book. Zalthu stopped and watched her for a moment. She was flipping pages, only stopping long enough to rip letters out. Once the letter was removed, she would lick the paper and stick it to a larger piece of paper on the floor. Zalthu watched curiously as Valoris worked. She was writing a message. Lots of torn letter lay on the floor in all directions.
After a few more letters, Valoris stopped and glanced up at him. Zalthu attempted to read the message, but it was still unreadable. Zalthu smiled at her and said, "You are writing me a love note or something?"
Valoris nodded.
Zalthu smiled again and said, "I will come back later to read it. Okay?"
Again, Valoris nodded then quickly got back to work.
Zalthu stood up and returned to the stairs. What could she be writing that was so important? Maybe she wanted to thank him for his help? No, she could always wait to tell him that. Maybe she wanted to stay a rat? Zalthu shook off the idea. Soon enough, he was up on the deck. As he reached to top step, the salt sea air blasted him in the face.
"Ahoy matey!" Juni shouted from the wheel. "You sleep like the dead." Juni shouted with a laugh at the end.
Zalthu nodded to her and replied, "Good morning, Juni. Did you stay up all night?"
"Oh course, a true captain never sleeps, ladi. Who would steer the ship if I did? We would run aground and die!" Juni laughed again. Nearby leaning against the mass was Geris. He was sitting with his legs crossed meditating. Zalthu walked over to get a better look at him, but he was deep in concentration. This must be how he fought off the motion sickness. Zalthu continued walking back towards Juni. She was still talking, "You will be pleased. The fair winds allowed us to make some good distance in the night. You got yur map, right?"
Walking over to the wheel, Zalthu pulled out his map and show it to her. The winds were attempting to blow the map out of his hands, but Juni snatched it and laying it out on the navigation board. She quickly tapped on the compass and turned the map accordingly. Then she pointed at the shore of Edosa and said, "We passed Preacher's Point 30 minutes ago. We be at our destination before you know it."
Zalthu was impressed but confused. He replied, "How will we be at our destination? Taki isn't a port town."
Juni returned to the wheel and made some minor adjustments. Then she added, "Of course, we can't sail inland. When I say "we be at our destination" I mean we will be as close to Taki as we can get. The rest of it is all on your feet." Zalthu inspected the map. Over the course of the night, they had travel nearly all the way around Edosa to the southeastern side. If they had walked it would have been four days or two days on horseback. Sailing was definitely the superior method of travel.
After some deep inspection of the map, Zalthu inspected the land. On the hilltop nearby was the ruins of Yoshino Temple. He looked back to the map to confirm their location. Everything was going as plan. So far.
Zalthu rolled up his map and returned to Juni, "What is the plan when we get there?"
"No plan." Juni said with her own personal level of arrogance. "When we get there, you pay me, and get off. That is the plan."
Zalthu laughed at the simplicity of it. He replied, "In your dreams. It was 100g for a round trip. Why would I pay you before the job is done?"
"Honestly?" Juni held her tongue but only for a second, "you said the fight was with a Wizard. The one they call Haydis. I have heard of him. His reputation is known far and wide even to a simple sailor like me. They say he can cast spells with his bare hands. He can turn a river into stream of lava with a single thought."
"That sounds a bit unreasonable. He is not a god. He is just a man."
Juni shot Zalthu a look of despair. Zalthu understood what she was trying to say. Juni continued, "Just a man. A man with skills. Skills that may very well rival your own, ladi. So, just for safety's sake, I will be taking half my payment when we make landfall. Okay?"
Zalthu nodded and grabbed his gold bag. With one hand he pulled out the gold coins and started counting them. He handed her two stacks of 50 gold coins and said, "If I don't come back then I don't need it, do I?"
Juni took the stack and gave him a half smiled. It wasn't a smile of joy. She said, "I believe in you, ladi. Anything can happen right?" Without a word, Zalthu turned and walked away from her. He knew the task was going to be difficult. Way harder than the fight with Myran or Valoris.
Suddenly Zalthu remembered Valoris below deck. He returned to the stairs and went below. Over in the corner Valoris was still hard at work writing her note. She stopped long enough to wave at him. Zalthu picked her up and the letter at the same time. The paper was crusty and starting to curl. He placed Valoris on his should and read it out loud, "Zalthu, I do not know how this spell works. Please do not kill Haydis before he turns me back. P.S. you snore."
With a smile, he patted Valoris on the head. He folded up the letter and put it in his personal bag. Zalthu knew that there was only one person that understood the spell. Killing Haydis could possible leave Valoris trapped in rat form for the rest of her life. Zalthu kept these details in his head though. Once he was done, he climbed back up the stairs to the deck. They would be landing soon.
Stepping back up to the deck, Zalthu saw a small dock on the northern shore. Geris was standing at the railing inspecting the small fishing hut. Zalthu stood behind Geris and asked, "What is this?"
"It's our stop!" Juni shouted as she pulled up the sails.
Geris grabbed the rope hanging off the side and tied the boat to the dock. With a slight jerk the boat came to a complete stop. Geris stepped out on the dock and said, "This is for monks of Yoshino Temple. Back in da day, monks come here to fish."
Zalthu stepped onto the dock and looked around. The fishing hut was nothing special. Straw walls and dried leaves for the roof. The structure was still in decent shape, but neglect was beginning to take its toll. Zalthu asked Geris, "They don't fish here anymore?"
"Nope," Geris said with a sad face. He pointed to Yoshino Temple and stated, "Two year ago, Emperor Shin visit temple. Yoshino monks turn him away. No one allowed in the temple but Yoshino monks. This make Emperor Shin very angry. He say monks disrespect emperor. So, what he do? Emperor Shin return two weeks later with entire army. He siege Yoshino temple killing anyone in his way. Bloodshed, all for what?"
Zalthu glanced up at the ruins of the temple. While it was mostly made of stone, he could still see burn marks left over from flaming catapults. Zalthu replied, "Brutal. Sounds like Emperor Shin was very upset."
"Very upset! More upset once he step inside. He finally get inside the temple, and what he find? Nothing. Nothing but stone and rugs. He kill all the monks for nothing. Sad day for all of Edosa. Everyone hear about the siege of Yoshino Temple and mourne. But Emperor Shin do not care! He kill people and do not care! Heartless man. That why revolution start! Emperor Shin do not care about people. People fight back!"
As Geris walked towards the fishing hut, he continued to tell the story of Yoshino Temple. Valoris climbed out of Zalthu's personal bag and up to his shoulder. She violently pulled on Zalthu's earlobe. Zalthu pulled his ear away from her and said, "Ouch! Stop that. What is it?"
Valoris made hand gestures at Zalthu in an attempt to tell him something. Naturally, Zalthu didn't understand her. "What are you trying to tell me little one? You were in the Edosian Elite Guard. Are you saying you were here in the battle?" Valoris nodded quickly. Zalthu patted her on the head and said, "I am sure you were. Maybe you can tell me about it when we turn you back to normal."
Zalthu returned to following Geris. He suddenly remembered Juni. He turned and shouted, "Hey Juni, You are going to wait for us right?"
"Hell yeah." Juni shouted back, "I stayed up all night to get you here. I am getting me some Zs."
"I thought you said a true captain never sleeps?"
"Whatever." Juni mocked him. She tied off the last sail and started towards the lower deck. Then she said, "Be back by the time I wake up or I may leave ya. You hear?"
Zalthu nodded to confirm. He returned to Geris as they stepped down on the shore. Past the fishing hut the surround area was filled with dense forest. They walked for a bit as Geris led the way. He seemed to know this part of the forest well. Zalthu finally asked, "We are going to Taki right?"
Geris smiled and confirmed, "Taki. Hometown. I know these woods. Grew up here. I could tell you stories..." Without hesitation Geris started to talk endlessly about Taki, his home, family, and the villagers that lived there. He spoke of family gatherings and joyous social events that happened years ago. After a few minutes, Zalthu realized he clearly shouldn't have asked.
Soon enough they came upon the road. This was the road that led up into the temple. Zalthu stopped and took a second to look up the road. That was when he saw something disturbing. On both sides of the road headed up the hill, there were siege weapons. Catapults left behind by the Edosian troops. Geris quickly realized Zalthu had stopped and rushed back to find him. Geris questioned him, "Why you stop?"
Zalthu pointed to the siege weapons and said, "I was in the military for a while. Catapults are expensive to use and even more expensive to build. It's unusual to see them abandoned like this. Why didn't the Edosian army take their siege weapons when they left?"
Geris laughed, "You listen to nothing I say? Emperor Shin do not care about money! He tax the people to build his army!" Geris turned away and continued to rant about his disapproval for the emperor. Zalthu followed him but could not shake the eerie sight of the abandoned weapons.
Traveling through the forest was much slower than following the roads. Zalthu did not complain though. Geris was the guide after all. They walked together until Geris ran out of stories to tell. Then they walked in silence. Zalthu asked, "How far til we are in Taki?"
"No long. Taki village beautiful place. You ever see?"
"I have not," Zalthu had a bad feeling this was going to start up a long conversation again, but he added, "Sad to say, I have spent most of my life wandering St. Lysette and Yarm. I have seen much of Edosa."
"Terrible to hear." Geris spoke as he walked, he talked about Taki and the small lake nearby. He was so caught up in the story that he didn't notice the smell. It wasn't a powerful sense, but Zalthu could definitely smell a hint of sulfur in the air. Geris continued, "Once a year everyone go to Lake Borje for festival. Everyone bring family. Food, fun, games, everything you can think of. On final night of festival everyone quiet. Everyone get poles out and fish. Biggest fish win!"
It sounded really nice. Zalthu did not say anything though. He was on high alert. Through the trees Zalthu could see the village. He put on hand on Geris and said, "I know you are the guide and all, but maybe you should stay here."
His words were a moment too late. As Geris stepped into the clearing, he could see the disaster before him. The charred remains of Taki village stood in front of them. Every single building was destroyed. Every street filled with burnt wood and ashes. Zalthu did a quick inspection of the streets and house to gage its size. The village was possible 20 or 30 house. An estimated population of 100 or more people. All gone now.
Confronted with the destruction of his beloved town, Geris had no words or actions. He was frozen. Zalthu returned to him and said, "This is the handy work of the Blood Tyrant. Mindless killing machine." Zalthu stared at Geris's emotionless face. Then he added, "You, okay? Surely you knew the Blood Tyrant would have razed your hometown." Geris still said nothing. Zalthu waved his hand in front of Geris, but he did not respond. It would seem Geris was not prepared for the possible destruction of his home. Geris was mentally broken. Zalthu nodded and said, "Well, just wait here. I will be back in a second."
With that said, Zalthu walked into the ruins of Taki village. Of all the buildings, few had any structural support left. All of them were damaged by the fire, but less than a dozen that remained standing. Most of the structures were made of bamboo with thin walls and doors that burn easily. The few structures that remained were still in decent shape. The blacksmith's shop was still standing, but everything inside was charred and unsalvageable.
Suddenly, Zalthu heard someone speak. The voice was distant, but Zalthu ducked next to a wall and pulled his kukris out of their holsters just to be cautious. Zalthu double checked his surrounding to make sure he was alone. No one around. Rounding the next corner Zalthu spotted the center of town. There was a small market center for trading. Each one was burned but Zalthu could tell what they were. Next to the market square was a pile of bodies. The sight was confusing to say the least. Zalthu had seen he far share of dead bodies. However, these bodies were different. There were maybe 20 or more of them. They had been stripped of their valuable and piled up. Probably by the Blood Tyrant's minions, but other than that the bodies were shrived and sickening to look at. They appeared to have been out in the sun for months, maybe longer. On top of that, a decaying human body should stink horribly, but there was little to no smell at all.
Zalthu counted out the days on his hands. Judging from the look of Taki village and the newly arrived Edosian people in Cantiberry, these bodies should only be a week or two old. It was odd to say the least.
As Zalthu turned away from the bodies, he heard the voice again. This time he heard the words very distinctly, "D'neltas!" The voice was deep and raspy. Probably male. In the distance, Zalthu saw smoke rising off a building to the east. Something was happening. With his kukris at the ready Zalthu moved quickly and quietly toward the area. Rounding the closest building Zalthu spotted someone in blue robes with gold thread sown into the hood. A mage possibly. For a second, Zalthu thought it could be Haydis, but he quickly changed his mind. This person had blue scales on his arms and legs. He wore ankle bracers but no boots. His feet were scaly with gray claws. He was a dragonkin.
Zalthu was no stranger to dragonkin. They were relatively uncommon, but he knew one or two in his military unit. Zalthu watched as the dragonkin pulled a scroll out of his robe and unrolled it. The scroll sat in place as if an invisible table sat underneath it. The dragonkin wrote on the scroll. A glowing blue ink flashed magical symbols into parchment. Zalthu realized that this dragonkin was writing his own spells. He was clearly a very talented mage. Once the spell was written the dragonkin walked over to a nearby building and place the scroll against the wall. Then with one word he said, "D'neltas!"
In the next instant, the charred remains of the building turned from wood to dirt. Unable to hold up its own weight, the remains of the building crumbled to the ground in a brown puff of smoke.
Suddenly there was a gasp behind him. Zalthu had been watching the dragonkin go about his business and had forgotten to check his surroundings. Zalthu quickly turned around to see Geris had made his way to the town square. He was gasping at the pile of bodies. After a few seconds Geris shouted something in Edosian and fell to his knees. Zalthu did not understand Geri's words, but he didn't need to. Their cover was blown.
Geris's words had not gone unnoticed by the dragonkin. He turned his head toward Zalthu and said, "Hello?" The dragonkin's voice growled in the deepest tone. Zalthu remained completely still. After a few seconds, the dragonkin asked again, "Who is there? Tamara? Is that you?"
After a few more seconds of no response, the dragonkin pulled a wand from his robe. Zalthu noticed that the dragonkin did not have a blood mark on his face. That was a good sign that he wasn't a minion of the Blood Tyrant.
Zalthu watched but remained completely still. He could easily rush in and end this mage with the twist of his blade. For some reason, Zalthu didn't. This mage was clearly not Haydis. After seeing the dragonkin transform the ruined building into dirt, Zalthu thought maybe this mage was here to do good. Or at least he hoped.
With his wand out, the dragonkin casted a spell as he shouted, "Erbaca tempis!" A green light emerged from his wand. At the same time, the dragonkin's eyes flashed green. Almost immediately afterward, the dragonkin looked directly at Zalthu and said, "I see you."
So much for stealth. Zalthu shook his head and replied, "No you don't."
"Yes, I do!" The dragonkin remarked smugly. He added, "I used a life detection spell. I can see you plain as day. Including the mouse in your pocket."
Zalthu stood up and stepped around the corner. He stood only 30 feet away from the mage, but he was no longer hiding. Then he said, "She is a rat." Zalthu still had his kukris in his hands, but now that the mage was under a life detection spell, it was possible that he could not see them. "Who are you and what is your business here, mage?"
The dragonkin held one hand to his chest and said, "I am Nelz, lover of all things magical. As for what I am doing here, I am practicing some spells. I write a change element scrolls. Then I use the scroll on the building to see if it worked. You know the drill. I figured the least I could do was returned these destroyed buildings back to nature." With that said, the dragonkin pulled another blank scroll from his robe. He seemed rather calm for the situation. Zalthu was still on edge ready to fight at a moment's notice. Then the dragonkin asked, "My turn, who are you and what might you be doing here?"
For a moment, Zalthu tried to think of a convincing lie but then gave up as he said, "I am Zalthu Fastren." Zalthu opened his personal bag so out and said, "This is Valoris. She is a rat." Zalthu pointed back to Geris and said, "I am escorting a local villager back to his hometown. This town."
"Oh my," Nelz said with a frightful face. Then he said, "Well, that is disappointing for him. The Blood Tyrant came through here a few weeks ago and created this mess. It happens to a lot of villages in Edosa I'm afraid. Revolutions are full of death and violence. Extend my condolences to him."
Since they were being so courteous to each other, Zalthu asked nicely, "You were here a few weeks ago? How come they didn't kill you?"
Before Nelz could respond, the wind picked up. Leaves and ash from the nearby buildings picked up and blew in their faces. Both Zalthu and Nelz glanced up at the tree branches to see them whipping back and forth. Nelz returned his gaze to Zalthu and said, "They are back. You should go. If you know what's best for you."
Zalthu didn't have to be told twice. He ducked back behind the corner and worked his way back to Geris. Surprisingly enough, Geris did not react to high winds. He was still holding the hand of one of the dead bodies. Zalthu put his kukris away and said, "Let's go, Geris. No time to waste!" Geris did not move. His mind was in its own world. Zalthu attempted to move him but there was no time. Out of the trees flew a woman in a purple robe. She was floating on thin air. Quite an impressive feat. Before she could see him, Zalthu let go of Geris and dove out of sight.
This flying woman carried a large staff with crescent moon shape at one end. Her cape seemed to move as if it had a life of its own. Without touching the ground, she landed on the roof of a burned building and shouted, "Nelz, are you still playing around here?"
The wind died down as Nelz frowned at her and replied, "Yes, Tamara. Practice makes perfect. Why do you always downplay my training?"
Tamara laughed then answered his question with another question, "Why do you waste your time with cheap parlor tricks?"
Nelz shook his head at her as he said, "Cheap parlor tricks? My spells are practical. Who cares about a single fireball when I can destroy a building with a single word?" Nelz walked over and held a scroll to the build Tamara was standing on. Then he said again, "D'neltas!"
The building turned to dirt as Tamara floated away. She landed harmlessly on another rooftop and said, "Pitiful. Maybe you should be my apprentice. You could stand to learn a spell from talented necromancer. It would increase your skill in combat tenfold."
Zalthu watched as they talked back and forth. It was obvious they knew each other. But Zalthu wasn't sure to what extent. Geris was still kneeling by the pile of bodies. If he was lucky, they would both leave without noticing him. Zalthu pulled Valoris out of his bag and held her close to his face. He whispered to her, "Geris is in a bad place. Get him out of there. Bite him if you have to." With that said he put Valoris down and she ran over to Geris attempted to get his attention.
Out of the nearby trees a small blue bird flew into the village and landed on the rooftop next to Tamara. In a burst of blue light, the bird transformed into a man. Zalthu instantly recognized him. It was Haydis. There was no need to continue looking for a mage tower. Zalthu's prey had come to him.
Haydis shot his blood marked eye at Tamara and said, "What did I tell you about picking fights? You waste your energy on trivial matters. Each of you have skills that can be used to assist Edosa in social liberation." Haydis shifted his gaze down to Nelz and said, "Have you perfected your trigger word scrolls?"
"Yes, Master. They are extremely effective." Nelz pulled a few scrolls from his robe to show them to Haydis. This angered Tamara. She floated away from Haydis in an attempt to show off her skills. Zalthu could tell the two apprentices had a bitter rivalry. Zalthu checked on Valoris. She didn't seem to have much luck with Geris. Zalthu moved around the buildings toward the base of the build Haydis was standing on. He only needed to find a way up. That was the hard part though. Zalthu was only 8 feet away from him. Haydis had no idea how close he was to death.
As Tamara floated around, she spotted Geris out of the corner of her eye. She exchanged a glance with Nelz. Nelz shook his head no, trying to signal her to keep Geris out of this. Tamara had other plans. With a wicked smile she pointed her staff at Geris and said playfully, "Nelz, what is this? Are you keeping pets now?"
Nelz did not respond. He was not happy with Tamara. If he ignored her then maybe Haydis would ignore her too. Haydis walked over to Tamara and said, "I would have to ask the same question, Nelz. Who is this man we are entertaining?"
With Haydis's attention drawn on Geris, Zalthu quietly grabbed the edge of the building to climb up. Just as he was getting close, Haydis walked away from Tamara over to Nelz. Zalthu held onto the side of the roof, waiting for his opportunity to strike. Haydis asked again in an angry tone, "Nelz, don't make me ask twice. Who is this?"
With a heavy heart, Nelz replied, "He is a villager. A local. He lives here, or at least he used to live here… in Taki."
Now that Haydis's attention was turned away, Zalthu quietly pulled himself up to the roof. He carefully stepped across the roof closing the distance between himself and Haydis. Another few seconds and it would all be over.
Haydis shot a glance to Nelz then returned his gaze to Geris as he said, "I am disappointed in you, Nelz. This man could hand over our location to our enemies. You should have killed him when you first saw him."
Tamara laughed as she floated down to the town square. She landed next to Geris and mocked him, "You poor thing. Do you wish to be with your family again? I can make your dreams come true." Valoris hid out of sight underneath Geris as Tamara opened her spell book and began flipping through pages for a deadly spell.
Haydis watched as Tamara selected a spell. He ordered her, "Just kill him and be done with it. We have other matters to attend to."
"How about a bolt of lightning? That is an extra painful way to die." Tamara looked to Haydis for approval. In an instant, Tamara face changed from happy to serious as she saw Zalthu slowly approaching Haydis from behind. Her eyes grew twice in size as she shouted, "Master! Look out!"