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Back to the previous chapter: Steppes
First Draft
The village of Ubai was spread along the eastern face of one of the larger hills. The lowest part of the village straddled a modest river, giving the village plentiful fresh water. Along the banks of the river, a few dozen scattered trees grew.
Large stone buildings were arrayed neatly between the riverbanks and the top of the hill. The stones of the buildings were black with age, and the slate roofs of several were in disrepair.
Not very many centaurs walked around the village. Several noticed the approaching group of horse-mounted humans led by a centauress, and they stopped to watch.
Dumita led the party through the village at a slow walk until they reached the building at the top of the hill. Like the rest of the buildings, it looked similar to a barn, built by centaurs, and scaled for centaurs.
She stopped in front of the five-pace-high doorway. "Wait here, two-legs. Breanna, come with me."
Dumita led Breanna into the building. Inside was an extremely old female centaur. Dumita spoke to the centaur in their native tongue, introducing Breanna and explaining why they were in Ubai.
At long last, the elderly centauress addressed Breanna, using the trade tongue. "You wish to become a healer?"
"I have to learn how to heal Sturm."
"We will see if you are worthy of our training. Dumita, get the other elders. We will test this young one now."
Dumita nodded to the elder centaur. She addressed Breanna. "Asha and the others will ask you many questions about healing, and about plants." She smiled. "Do not worry, there will be no branding..."
Dumita left the building, shutting the door behind her. She addressed the humans milling outside the door. "Breanna will be taking the tests of the Healer's Tribe. It will be most of the day before she is finished. I will see if I can get you a building in which to rest."
Breanna was tired by the time the examination ended. Asha and the other centaurs had bombarded her with questions, testing her knowledge of poultices, ointments, and other mixtures for hours. Breanna stood the entire time, a half-circle of centaurs surrounding her four paces away. She managed to impress them with her knowledge of some of the herbs growing near Armagh, many of which didn't exist this far north. She even managed to do fairly well with some of the northern plants. More than once she thanked old Master Shipley for insisting that she learn about plants that never grew in the Kingdom of the Five Crowns. "You may not always live in Armagh," he would say time and again.
At long last, the questions stopped. The centaurs started conferring, right in front of her as if she weren't there. After another interminable wait, Asha stepped forward. "You have done well, Breanna. You did not know much about the herbs of the Steppes, but you are not completely ignorant of them. You also know much about plants we have never seen. The elders have agreed that you are skilled enough to be a healer." Asha walked towards the doorway. "Come with me, Breanna."
Breanna followed the centauress out the door. The sun was well into the western half of the sky, just a couple of hours from setting. The day had cooled, the first signs of fall already creeping into the air. Her friends had gathered idly in front of one of the other buildings, a short distance down the hill. Near the river, Farran splashed along the banks while a couple of centaurs watched. Her friends watched her as Asha led her down the hill.
At the base of the hill, near the river, the buildings were more closely spaced. They also looked much older -- as if the buildings near the top of the hill were juveniles in comparison. A heavy iron door hung from hinges that were much newer than the stone of the building.
Asha pulled the iron door. It creaked in protest, a rarely used portal. Once the door was open, she walked into the room beyond. Breanna followed her hesitatingly.
Breanna gasped as she looked around the room. The room filled the entire interior of the building, forty feet to a side. It was illuminated within, but there were no windows or fires. Breanna relaxed her mind, feeling for traces of Heka within the room.
She could feel the weavings that caused the illumination. The edges of the casting felt as aged as the stones around her, but they still held the dweomer after what had to be over two thousand years.
On the north wall of the building was a dais, about a pace above the ground and ten feet deep. The wooden frames of a pair of centaur sofa/chairs were on the dais, but neither had cushions. Breanna doubted seriously that the wood was in good enough condition to support a centaur still. Between the chairs was an ironbound wooden box.
In the center of the room, facing the dais, were a pair of stout wooden posts that crossed in the middle, forming an upright 'X'. Attached to each of the ends of the posts was a rust-rotted manacle. The crossed posts were about the same height as a human.
Asha walked past the crossed posts to stop at the foot of the dais. She settled to the ground, her legs folded underneath her. She looked across the room at Breanna. "Sit with me, child."
Breanna passed the restraint. She took a seat on the edge of the dais, her eyes level with Asha's. She glanced nervously towards the restraints, then returned Asha's gaze.
Asha stared at Breanna for over a minute -- Breanna realized with surprise that Asha's eyes were slate gray.
At last, Asha spoke. You wonder why we primitive nomadic centaurs know a cure for the accursed darkblades. Perhaps this story will explain it to you. It is a story told to healers when they complete training. You are obviously well trained from your two-legs mentor, as well trained as any of our healers could expect to be.
"The elders of tribes learn a different aspect of this story, but they would know this one as true. It is a story not meant to be shared with the rest of the tribe, or with others who are not of the people. Some of my people would be outraged to know that I am sharing it with a two-legs, even though you are of a tribe, now.
"Long ago, the centaur people were a proud and noble civilization. We lived in grand cities across all the Steppes, and south across the mountain ranges to the Valles Marineris. Our scholars traveled the world, seeking and trading knowledge, and our artisans were sought by your people for the beauty of their work. "Over the many years, two-legs began to interfere with our territories. Settlements of two-legs appeared all about, and there were many small wars along our southern extents as the kings of the two-legs sought our lands for their own. "Our chiefs became alarmed and angered by these invaders. We fought against them, trying to keep our ancestral lands. Still, the numbers of two-legs made it impossible for us to hold our ground."One year, news came that a great war had broken out between two of the two-leg tribes. Emissaries of both sides sought our assistance to stop the other, but we would have none of their war. Such emissaries came for over a year before one finally negotiated an offer we could accept.
"This emissary told us he came from a far off land. His king fought against the great king of the two-legs of this land, but the battle was difficult because of the distances the armies had to travel from their homes. He promised us that if we helped his king win the war, his king would remove the invaders from our lands.
"Our chiefs deliberated for many days about this offer. Such was their anger and hatred for the two-legs that they agreed to help in this war. Our brightest sages and most powerful wizards worked for weeks. Finally, they found a way to help.
"Our people devised a deadly enchantment that would make a sword something far more deadly. The magick would prevent any wound the sword caused from healing, and the wound would slowly consume the victim, causing him to waste away painfully.
"The truly evil twist to the enchantment was that the enchantment could only affect two-legs, for it required the very soul of a two-leg to provide the power for the magicks.
"Our sages demonstrated the creation and power of these evil darkblades in this very room." Asha pointed at the crossed posts. "On that very place, one of our sages activated the castings of the first darkblade, and he drove that blade into a two-leg prisoner, a scholar who had been studying amongst the centaur tribes. The scholar screamed in agony as the darkblade tore his very soul from him. At that same place, later that night, our sage killed the scholar's wife using the darkblade to prove its power.
"The emissary took the knowledge from us, and his king won the war. Perhaps the darkblades made the difference in the fight, perhaps not. It was only after we had told the two-legs how to create those weapons that the very evil of it truly set in. Many of our sages threw themselves from cliffs for having participated in this travesty. Our mages went mad, destroying their works, and their laboratories, and their pupils. You will notice there are no mages amongst our people today.
"Our chiefs realized that they could never absolve themselves for the sin they committed in their pride and anger. They realized that their territorial ambitions clouded their judgment, so they decreed that the centaur tribes would thenceforth never live within cities, or make claim to land as property, until the sun no longer rose above the steppes. We would live on the steppes for all days, carrying our towns as tents.
"They also decided to keep one village, this village, for our healers to learn from our mistakes. We know how to heal the wound of a darkblade because we created the first darkblade."
Asha stood slowly. She stepped onto the dais and kneeled next to the box. It opened with difficulty, the hinges rusted almost to pieces.
She reached into the box to withdraw a stiff, curled sheet of parchment. "This page was in the two-leg scholar's possession when he was taken from his studies. We don't know why it has survived for so long. Perhaps he had enchanted it to preserve it. I think it is right that it finally gets returned to someone of his kind. Maybe it can be of use to you.
"Perhaps this is in part an atonement for the sin we committed. No two-leg has ever been told this before, and no two-leg has been in this building since that day over two thousand years ago.
"I can teach you the cure for the darkblade. You will need to gather some herbs, but most of them are common. The rest grow near here. You will also need to get chips of the tusk of a tonkari. The most important ingredient is an asylphar. You may find one on the peak of Heavensmount, to the south.
"Collect these ingredients, and bring them back to Ubai. I will teach you how to mix them properly then."
Breanna joined her friends in front of the guest house several minutes later. She was visibly shaken, her face pale and her walk unsteady. Eric ran to her, grabbing her arm and shoulder as he walked alongside her.
"My gods, Bree. What did she do to you?"
Breanna looked up at the Azirian explorer. "We just talked. Really, she did the talking. It is a story they tell all healers. Oh. Asha told me what ingredients we need to cure Sturm. Once we have the ingredients, she will teach me the cure."
Eric smiled. "Great! What are they?"
"A lot of the minor things I have. I need to collect a couple of unusual herbs... They grow in the area, and I think I can find them with a little effort."
Adria spoke up. "What sort of herbs?"
"Drunkard's Bane, oede, and tienelle."
"Drunkard's Bane? I'm not familiar with it."
Breanna stopped walking now that she was in front of the guest house. "It's used to treat heavy drinkers. It's a root that will weaken the effects of alcohol. It sobers a person quickly, and it can make a person throw up if they've had too much to drink."
Eric released her arm. "Is there anything else we need?"
"A chip of a tonkari tusk."
"That should not be too difficult. We know where a recently killed tonkari is. The centaurs may be willing to trade for it."
"We also need an asylphar."
"What?" Eric's jaw dropped.
"That's what Asha said."
"Where are we going to find one of those?"
Rishala looked at Eric. "It's an elemental gem. It's formed on the highest mountains, at night, when it's bathed in the lights of the aurorae."
Eric turned to face Rishala. "You know how they're made? Never mind. Where do we get it?"
Rishala pointed past Eric. Eric turned to follow Rishala's finger. The large mountain loomed to the south.
Breanna nodded. "The centaurs call it 'Heavensmount'. One of the reasons Ubai was built here is because of the supply of asylphar."
Eric turned to face her. "Why didn't they build the town closer to the mountain? We're at least a day or two from the peak."
"She didn't say."
Kasey looked up to the brownish-gray peak of the mountain. "We'll want to go soon. Maybe we can wait until first light?"
Breanna looked at Kasey. "We can, but we still need to start on the other ingredients. We should get them as soon as we can."
Eric looked at Breanna. "Well, we can send Kasey back to fetch the tusk. I'm sure the centaurs wouldn't mind parting with it..."
Kasey nodded. "Farran and I can do it in under a day. We can actually make better time than that."
Eric looked to the knight. "Get some extra. See how much the centaurs will let you take."
"Okay..." Kasey said.
"We want to make sure we have it before we need it next time."
Bilbus looked at his friend. "Do you think there will be a next time?"
Eric nodded slowly. "We keep running into these people. It would be foolish to think that they will magickally go away now."
"I hope you're wrong. I just want to get back to Londoun..."
Eric said, "We're going to want heavier coats if we have to climb up there." He pointed at the top of Heavensmount. The bare stone above the timberline was dark in comparison with the blue skies surrounding it.
Breanna approached Asha. When the elder centauress acknowledged the two-leg, Breanna said, "Please, Asha. We will need heavier coats if we are going to climb the mountain."
"I do not think our coats will fit, young healer. If you would like some anyway, I will see what I can find."
"I would like that. Thank you."
The centauress walked towards the nearby houses. Breanna returned to her companions.
"She will get us some coats. We will have to alter them."
"I can do that," Kasey offered.
Eric looked at the Church Knight. "Who is going to get the tusks? I don't think the hunters will just give them to me."
Sturm looked at the Azirian. "I can get them."
"Are you sure? Your shoulder is looking pretty bad."
"I helped kill it. Kasey and I are the ones with the best chance of getting the tusks, and Kasey needs to alter the coats."
Eric nodded. "All right. Be careful."
Sturm walked towards the house the centaurs had provided as a stable for the horses.
Breanna held up the paper Asha had given her. Eric took it from her and looked at the writing.
"Asha gave me this paper. It's High Avillonian, but I'm having trouble reading it."
Adria stepped forward, interested. "I studied High Avillonian." Peering over Eric's shoulder, she said, "Let me see."
Eric walked towards the guest house. "Let's find a table so we can all see it, and so I can write in my journal."
In the guest house, Eric placed the paper on a table in the main room. Adria kneeled beside him, and Rishala stood to his other side. Bilbus and Breanna leaned across the table to watch and help.
Bilbus stared at the paper on the table. He scrunched his forehead as he looked at the writing.
Eric noticed Bilbus's expression and stopped. "What is it, Bilbus?"
"I've seen that before." He pointed at a section of the writing that used a different characters. He grabbed Eric's journal and started thumbing through the pages. He stopped and slid the journal back to Eric. "Look."
Eric looked at the page. The writing on the page had the same smooth-cornered square shapes that filled the center of the paper. "These are the notes I made of that vellum Sturm picked up in the elemental temple near Hillsdale."
Rishala looked at both the paper and the journal page. "It's a verse of some sort. Look at the patterns. Four lines, two words, three words, two words, three words. Except this verse in the journal. It's two lines of three words."
Bilbus pointed at the two characters in front of each line of the verse. "Okay, but what is this? It looks like letters from this alphabet..."
Rishala looked at the characters. "It's a line number, maybe? I don't know."
Bilbus pointed at the middle verse on the paper. "This one is in Eric's journal."
Rishala nodded. "It is."
Adria spoke up. "This is a translation of those verses." She pointed at the bottom of the paper. "According to this passage."
Eric flipped his journal to a blank page. "Can you start reading it, Adria?"
Adria looked at the paper. She read slowly as Eric transcribed.
The following passages are part of an ancient prophecy that has been uncovered in many different places in Avillonia. I have translated these portions of the prophecy after many years of study. Clearly many parts are missing. Strangely this prophecy appears to describe the Kelltic king who is called Sun King. Also notice the last verse describes a war against the sun king that the Kellts will not win.
This is an ancient tongue that defies immediate magickal translation. I have spent many weeks creating these translations using various spells and cryptographic techniques.
sur priin Sun unites tu terreg lemde All lands of man tu lai All joy tu terreg benommani All lands prosperity arg tor Silver towers for reg surde Strong home of sun de tor From towers sur ku beh Sun with justice anlor grespor Dark leaves vik kon sur Victory against sun agralem man Armies stay kuaskorp esh korp Fear and death
Adria paused for a moment. She looked up at Eric, then back at the paper.
Bilbus leaned across the table to look at Eric's journal. "These words are familiar..."
Rishala nodded. "'Anlor' ... 'Agralem' ... Eric, remember that note we found on Cadell?"
"Yes..."
"It was signed by Josacal the Younger, Clomon of Griffon's Beak. Commander of the Northern Area Anlor Balsil Agralem."
"Dark Balsil Armies? What's 'Balsil'?"
"'Balsil' is Old Tongue for 'prophecy'. Sage Shroeganus studied some ancient prophecies in the Caliph's Library in al-Rhayidh. They were related to some he found in the Academy in Hellenas. The fragments are called the 'Shroeganus Balsil.'"
Bilbus groaned. "Anlor Balsil Agralem. Dark prophecy armies..."
Rishala reached towards Eric's journal. "May I see your journal?"
Eric slid it towards the story teller.
Rishala thumbed through the notes Eric had made of the scraps of vellum they had recovered in the elemental temple.
"Look." He turned the journal so it faced his companions. "If these translations are in the same order as these verses -- and it would be foolish if they aren't -- then this word," he pointed at 'anlor', "is here. And 'agralem'," he pointed at the word on the paper, "is here," he pointed another word on the same line. "These letters match the letters in the middle word. This line of this prophecy says 'anlor balsil agralem'."
Eric slumped. "So, either Cadell's boss has seen this prophecy..."
Rishala interrupted, "Or the prophecy predicts them. Dark prophecy armies."
Eric cradled his head in his hands. "We have got to tell someone."
Rishala nodded. "Yes, we do. We are a long way from home, though. Once we get Sturm healed, we can head back to Londoun and send the knights back to their commanders."
Bilbus looked at the other two men. "I wonder how much of those notes we can translate."
Rishala twisted the journal back around. He reached for the paper. "We have a few characters here. Eric, do you mind if I write in your journal?"
Eric shook his head. "Go ahead. It's a good thing that I leave the facing pages blank." He reached into a large pouch on his belt. He slid a small jar and a quill pen across the table to Rishala.
Eric and Bilbus both suddenly asked Breanna, "Why do the centaurs know how to heal Sturm's wound?"
Rishala looked at her. "Yes. Why do they know the cure? The stories never say."
"I can't answer that question. I'm sorry."
Rishala reached towards the jar Eric had passed him. "But they told you?"
"Please don't ask. I swore to them I wouldn't share the story."
"Okay." The story teller picked up the pen and uncapped the small jar of ink. Rishala leaned forward over the journal and began slowly poring through the text, matching letters to the translation they had finished.
Sturm drove his horse hard, reaching the centaur village in only a couple of hours. It looked much like the Far Gallopers' village, with similar white tents arranged in no particular order. Sturm noticed that the tents were all upwind from the tonkari carcass.
The centaurs eyed the Sun Knight coolly as he approached. Some of them paced Sturm at a distance, their long hunting spears held upright against their human trunk.
Sturm continued riding, slowing the horse to an easy walk as he approached the tonkari.
Two of the hunters who had helped bring down the gigantic animal recognized Sturm. They rode towards him, calling out to the others in their native tongue. One reached Sturm and slapped him on the shoulder -- the unwounded one, fortunately.
"Two-legs! You return! Where are your friends?"
"They are still at Ubai."
The centaur nodded. "Why are you here?"
Sturm stopped his horse. "I want part of the tusk from the tonkari. I need it to heal my wound."
"How much do you need?"
Sturm held his hands apart about two feet.
"For the two-legs that brought down the tonkari, we can give this." The centaur called out to several near the carcass, shouting instructions. He turned back to Sturm. "You will stay and feast with us. The first tonkari kill is always an important one."
Sturm looked at the sun above. It was settling towards the horizon, and Sturm did not think his rented horse would survive a hard ride back to Ubai. It was already heavily lathered.
"I will stay and feast."
"Good! Please, get off your horse and stretch your legs. The feast will be ready before sundown."
A couple of hours later, Sturm sat with the centaurs near several large fires. Large slabs of the tonkari roasted on spits above the fires, and several centaurs kept close watch on the cooking meat.
Sturm accepted the chunk of tonkari the centaurs offered him. He ate it ravenously, making short work of the dark meat.
One of the centaurs presented the tips of both of the tonkari's tusks. Each pieces was about two feet long. Sturm nodded to the centaur and reached for another piece of meat. He watched the centaurs celebrate -- a different dance and song than the one the Far Gallopers used after Breanna's trials of adulthood.
Early in the evening, Sturm retired to one of the smaller tents that the centaurs had offered.
Sturm returned to the village late in the morning. His horse was lathered and winded, and had developed a slight limp in its right hind leg.
Eric greeted the Sun Knight. "You have the tusk?"
Sturm held up one of the tusks. "I have two of these. That's plenty."
"Good. Are you ready to climb the mountain?"
Sturm looked at his horse. "As long as we don't have to push too hard, I think this animal can handle the trip. I can lead it for a while."
"Okay. Everyone else is ready. Shall we go?"
Sturm nodded. He followed Eric to the far end of town, where the rest of the travelers had gathered. They set out to the south, towards the tall peak of Heavensmount.
Along the way, Breanna stopped on occasion to pluck leaves from plants, or to dig roots from the ground. By early evening, she had collected the herbs needed for the cure.
thump
Rishala looked around. His companions seemed not to have noticed the noise.
Thump...
Rishala stopped. "Do you hear that?"
Bilbus looked around. "What?"
Thump...
Bilbus slid from his horse's saddle. He walked towards the timberline, just a few paces ahead.
Thump...
"It's coming from over there." Bilbus pointed to his left.
From around a rock outcropping came a head as large as Bilbus's torso. It looked vaguely human, but was large and grossly swollen. A similarly-shaped body followed the head around the outcropping. It was over four paces tall, with large arms and hands almost as large as its head.
Rishala started scrambling up a tree, choking a strangled "Ogre!" as he did. He stopped climbing when he realized that he was just getting closer to the shoulder height of the monster.
Kasey rode closer to the timberline as a second ogre stomped around the outcropping. Both held their heads up, sniffing the air with deep breaths that blew the branches of the nearby pine trees.
"Maybe they are looking for something to eat?" Kasey hefted a large strip of dried meat from his saddlebags and threw it towards the ogres.
One of the ogres lifted the chunk and sniffed at it. It tossed the meat aside and started walking quickly towards the party.
Eric and Adria both released arrows. Rishala continued to watch the monstrosities, fascination at seeing real ogres overwhelming the terror he thought he should be feeling. Kasey and Sturm both urged their horses on, Kasey lowering a spear as Sturm drew his sword.
Bilbus stood next to a tree, focusing on the second ogre as arrows hit the first. It bellowed loudly, shaking the ground. Rishala stumbled to his knees nearby as he cupped his hands over his ears. Bilbus ignored his companion as he started drawing Heka from his surroundings, envisioning it forming a bridge between the ogre's head and his.
Kasey charged the closer ogre as arrows shot past him towards the monster. Three shafts were embedded in the beast's chest already, and a fourth jutted from its jowls. Kasey raised the head of his spear towards the ogre's wide throat, squeezing his knees against Farran's side as he braced for the hit. The ogre staggered backwards as a fifth arrow hit it, just as Kasey's spear found its mark at the base of the ogre's throat.
The ogre stumbled and fell backwards, a gurgling shout drowned as it fell to the ground with an earth-shaking crash.
Bilbus pointed his arm at the other ogre, sweat beading on his head from effort. A roaring pounded in his ears as he continued to draw more Heka into his body. His vision started to fade around the edges when he finally released the energies he held. A blinding black flash -- visible only to Bilbus and Rishala, because of their training in Heka control -- covered the ogre's bulbous, twisted head. With a loud exhalation, the ogre stopped walking and began swaying.
Rishala looked at the toppling ogre, then at the thief. Bilbus was leaning against the trunk of the tree, panting and swaying slightly. His voice cracking, Rishala asked "What in the Nine Hells was that?"
Bilbus lifted his head to look at Rishala. "Something from the Fourth."
The story teller looked once more at the ogre as it hit the ground with a dull thud.
Kasey rode back to the group. "I'm going to follow their tracks and see where they came from. Hopefully there aren't too many more of them."
Kasey directed Farran back along the easy-to-follow impressions the giant ogres made in the dirt of the timberline. Farran walked slowly, his head sweeping from side to side even as Kasey continued to look for more ogre sign.
Farran stopped when the trees cleared, giving him a view into a valley on the west side of the mountain. Several miles away, thin wisps of smoke rose from too-large buildings. Squinting his eyes, Farran could see the lumbering forms of more ogres within the village. Farran ignored Kasey's insistent kicks at his sides as the kelpie-horse watched the village for several seconds.
Farran abruptly turned and walked back to the rest of the party, several hundred paces away. Kasey kept sawing the reins, trying to get the destrier to turn around. Farran stopped near the rest of the party.
Kasey jumped down from his saddle. "I don't know what his problem is. He just stopped for a minute, then turned around and walked back here."
Bilbus looked at Farran. "He looks upset."
"He's not the only one..." Kasey's voice trailed off as he stared at Farran's eyes.
Eric took a few steps forward, past the timberline. "Maybe we should hurry up and get to the top of this mountain."
Breanna stood and turned slowly. The view from the peak of Heavensmount was impressive by any standard. To the north, she could see the Steppes stretching away endlessly into the blue haze of distance. To the east and west, the front range of the mountain range stretched towards the horizons, a rugged line dividing the world in two. To the south, peak after peak created a roughly-shaped horizon, curving tops and jagged slopes as far as the eye could see. Some of the mountains were clearly taller than even Heavensmount.
Eric stopped next to her. "It is an impressive view, isn't it?"
Breanna simply nodded, her eyes continuing to scan the horizons as she pulled her heavy fur coat closer.
Kasey climbed from Farran's saddle nearby and started looking around at the barren stone of the mountaintop. A few shaded niches held snow and ice, but most of the peak was barren. Farran walked away, towards the east, looking like some sort of short-nosed tonkari in his fur centaur overcoat.
Farran stopped several dozen paces away, looking towards the distant ogre village. He held still, the cold winds buffeting his large frame, and watched for signs of a war party approaching the mountaintop.
Bilbus watched the destrier walk away, then turned to Kasey. "What is wrong with Farran?"
Kasey shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe he smelled something he didn't like."
Eric approached the two. "Bilbus, that casting you used looks like it tired you out. Why don't you rest while we search?"
"Okay." Bilbus found a spot on the south face of a boulder, warm from the sunlight and sheltered from the winds that were gaining strength on the mountaintop. He shut his eyes and started breathing slowly, concentrating on emptying his mind of extraneous thoughts. He had read about the technique in one of the forbidden books of the Church's library years ago while he was an orphan sneaking around and hiding from the Mothers of the Church who watched over the orphanage, but he had never really tried it seriously.
Adria pulled the loose hood of her overcoat over her head and stooped close to the ground.
Rishala looked at her. "What are you doing?"
Adria looked up at him. "The asylphar glows in the dark, right? I'm trying to shade the ground enough to see it."
Rishala nodded and walked away as Adria continued to sweep back and forth over the ground.
Hours later, everyone continued to search. Rishala had quit stooping, choosing instead to walk almost randomly across the top of the mountain, stopping on occasion to inspect something closely. He nearly walked into Eric before he noticed the Azirian explorer.
"I think it's here," Rishala said simply.
Eric nodded. "Something was drawing me over here."
The two dropped to their knees, huddled opposite one another. They pulled their coat hoods over their heads. Inside the artificial night underneath the hoods, the two spotted the dim glowing of an elemental gem. Rishala picked up the tiny round gem, looking at it closely.
The asylphar glowed, magentas and blues and greens of the aurorae scintillating through the clear, bluish gem of elemental air.
The two grinned at one another. Eric stood as Rishala cradled the asylphar in his hand. "We found one!"
The rest of the party rushed to surround Rishala. Rishala held the gem out gingerly, shielding it from the gusting wind with his body as his companions looked at it.
Eric looked at the sun. It was getting closer to the horizon to the west. "I really think we should get back now. We can travel over night to the village and sleep during the day."
Bilbus yawned. "You are finally being sensible. All of this running around during the day reeks."
The travelers gathered their horses. Farran had rejoined the humans of his own accord after Eric had called out. The destrier seemed antsy, prancing in place with small steps as he waited for Kasey to climb into the saddle. The destrier quickly led the rest of the horses down the mountain towards Ubai.
The party reached Ubai shortly before sunrise. Asha met them at the edge of the village. She addressed Breanna. "You have the ingredients?"
Breanna nodded, stifling a yawn. "We found the asylphar yesterday afternoon. We already gathered the rest of the components."
"Very well. We must wait for the full moon to mix the cure. Rest well. The full moon is six days from today."
The days passed slowly. Breanna spent her time talking with the centaur healers, studying their techniques and sharing hers with them. Eric started coaching Adria in archery once again. Kasey practiced his swordplay. Sturm did so as well, but with less energy as his shoulder became increasingly sore. Rishala spent time talking to the centaurs or looking over Eric's notes of the journey. Merek took Farran on frequent walks around the village, and occasional rides into the foothills away from Heavensmount. Bilbus spent a lot of time brooding.
On the sixth day, late in the afternoon, Bilbus interrupted Eric's teaching. "I want you to try this arrow."
Eric turned around to face the thief. "I'm busy, Bilbus. Wait until Adria and I are done."
"This can't wait. I had an idea. I want to see if it works."
Eric sighed loudly. "Fine. Let me see the arrow."
Bilbus handed Eric the arrow. Eric inspected it closely. "This is one of my arrows. What did you do to the head?"
"I replaced it with a glass head. You'll like it."
"Bilbus, no one uses glass heads. They shatter on anything solid. You can't punch holes in armor with them."
"I know they shatter. That's the idea. Come on. Shoot that boulder with it." Bilbus pointed to a large stone on the far side of the stream at the base of Ubai Hill.
Adria offered her longbow to the Azirian. He drew the arrow back, lifted the bow, and fired. The arrow sailed down the hill, past the town, and hit the boulder. The arrow exploded into fragments as a thundering roar shook the town.
"Good gods, Bilbus!" Eric shouted as several centaurs ran out of their houses to look around. "What did you do to that arrow?" Eric saw Rishala running up the hill from somewhere near the stream.
Bilbus laughed maniacally for several seconds as the smoke cleared from the top of the boulder, revealing a large crack in the face of it. "It's a trick I learned a long time ago. It's taken me years to get it to work. I used it on that giant crayfish in the caves, too. I could work up a few of these arrows for you."
"What happens if the head breaks before I use it?"
Bilbus looked seriously at Eric. "It would be very bad."
"Why don't we wait on making more of these, Bilbus. They may not travel very well."
Bilbus shrugged. "Suit yourself."
Rishala reached his companions. "Bilbus, what did you do?"
"It wasn't me. Eric did it."
Eric shook his head. "Bilbus gave me a glass-tipped arrow. It exploded when it hit that boulder."
Rishala shook his head. He glanced around, making sure no centaurs were nearby. Even so, he lowered his voice. "Bilbus, I don't know how you do that with Heka. By all accounts, I can't figure out how you twist Heka into those knots. You should not be able to do that."
Bilbus smiled again. "I am Bilbus the Great."
Rishala threw his hands over his head. He turned and walked back down the hill towards the stream, shaking his head and muttering to himself.
Shortly after sunset, Asha summoned Breanna to the top of the hill. "You have all of the ingredients I asked? Good. You will create a paste for the wound. The paste will cause the curse to loosen its hold on the flesh. Then you will mix a potion for your two-legs friend to drink. He must not vomit it too soon, or it will not draw the poisons from his body and he will continue to die."
Breanna nodded nervously.
"Now, gather your herbs and divide them evenly. Cut loose some of the tonkari tusk..."
Asha continued the instructions, slowly leading Breanna through the steps of mixing and boiling down the paste. Breanna took notes, scribbling furiously as she kept up with the centauress. The mixtures took over an hour to complete.
"Now, get your two-legs friend and bring him here."
Breanna walked down the hill to her companions, who were sitting together near a small fire. "Sturm, we're ready to try this."
The Sun Knight stood and followed Breanna up the hill. At the hilltop, Asha inspected the knight.
"Remove your shirt, two-legs."
Sturm removed his shirt and kneeled on the hilltop.
"Breanna, put the paste over the wound. Make sure the paste covers the wound completely."
Breanna applied the paste, smearing the thick, white substance over the wound. Sturm winced slightly. Breanna would never have seen it had she not been watching his face closely. When the wound was covered, Breanna straightened.
"Have him drink the potion." Addressing Sturm, Asha continued. "If you wish to live, do not vomit this mixture too soon."
Sturm looked at the centauress levelly. "How do I know when it is not too soon?"
"If you vomit too soon, you will not remove the poison. It will kill you much more quickly."
Breanna offered Sturm the flask with the potion. The Sun Knight drank it and sat still, looking at Breanna. He felt his stomach tighten after a few seconds, and waves of nausea washed over him. Sturm continued to sit still, fighting the nausea as a burbling sensation started coursing through his midsection.
Sturm held off the urge for over a minute. At last, he doubled over and heaved. A viscous, black substance gushed from his mouth, spattering on the dirt as Sturm continued to vomit. He stopped to gasp for air, then continued to expel the oily fluid.
Breanna shuddered as she looked at the vomit. It looked just like the cursed wound had felt when she tried healing it in the past, dark and malignant.
Sturm finally stopped heaving. He rested on his hands and knees, his head hanging as one last strand of the ooze dripped from his lips. He breathed deeply and slowly, keeping still as he waited for any additional heaves.
Breanna hovered nearby. "Are you all right, Sturm?"
"Wonderful. I've been worse."
"Can you sit upright? I want to see the wound."
Sturm rolled back, resting with his feet tucked underneath him. He looked at the noblewoman as she stood over him, her hands cupped over the angry wound on his shoulder. Breanna summoned the god Bres's attentions, asking for a weaving of Heka that would mend the wound. She had tried the same casting several times over the last month, never to any avail. The curative weaving would slide off the black Heka of the wound.
This time, however, the healing worked. The oily taint was gone from the wound, and Bres's granted powers soaked into the raw flesh of the wound. Sturm tensed, breathing in sharply as the chill from the healing affected him.
"It's gone. The taint isn't there, now." Breanna smiled inwardly. And I removed it! She looked at the centauress, still watching from several paces away. Asha simply nodded, her lips curled slightly in a smile.
Sturm stood unsteadily, picking up his shirt as he did. He walked down the hill, his pace strengthening as he did. Asha watched the knight depart, then muttered something under her breath.
"What was that?" Breanna asked.
"I said, two-legs have strange ways of thanking their fellows for saving their lives."
Breanna nodded and walked down the hill towards the small fire where her companions waited.
The party arrived in Kieta near mid-day two days later. The town looked unchanged from when last the travelers had been in it. The blue sky had light, wispy clouds drifting high above, and the sea was calm.
The Sea Ghost had been hauled from shore. It lay anchored about a hundred paces out to sea. Several fishing boats were tied to the piers.
As the party rode towards the town, Bilbus spoke. "It is a naval tradition that a ship can be renamed when it is brought to shore for repairs. We really should rename the Sea Ghost before we get back to Londoun. It looks like any hundred other small merchant ships, so it should be easy to hide with a new name and some changes to the paint."
Eric looked at the thief. "What did you have in mind?"
Bilbus smiled. "Bilbus's Revenge?"
"No."
"How about Acquisition?"
"No."
Bilbus stopped smiling. "Why not? Do you prefer Jolly Roger?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
Kasey chimed in. "How about Aquasition?"
Eric started to respond, his mouth open. He closed it, and looked at the Church Knight. "Aquasition?"
"Sure. 'Aqua' is 'water' in Iberian, right?"
Bilbus smiled. "Aquasition. I like it."
Eric shook his head. "I really don't have an objection. Anyone else not like it?"
No one answered.
"Aquasition it is."
They reached Kieta shortly thereafter. Eric steered his horse to the boat repair shop. He hopped down from the horse and tied its reins to a post outside the door of the weather worn building.
Eric walked into Jorg's shop, a weather-beaten building fifty paces from shore. Jorg was carving a block of wood on the lone table within the shop. He looked at Eric for a moment before recognizing the Azirian.
"Sea Ghost?" Jorg asked.
"Ya." Eric nodded.
"Botte be bene fix."
"Quant of geld?"
"Be five geld." Jorg held up his hand, fingers spread. "Botte fix and botte float."
"Bene. Thanks, Jorg."
Eric counted out five of the gold Klal. Jorg looked at the tentacle-faced monstrosity on one face of the coin, then glanced up at Eric curiously.
"Geld be bene?" Eric asked.
"Ya, bene." Jorg dropped the coins into his purse.
Eric walked back to the his companions. "We have to find a crew for the Sea Ghost ... Aquasition. There is no way we can sail it again like we did getting here, and I do not trust those crewmen we forced to take us here."
Bilbus looked at the explorer. "We could get Peg-Leg Pete to run the ship. Who better than pirates? They will defend the ship from anyone trying to take it."
Eric half-grinned. "Do you trust Peg-Leg Pete?"
Bilbus waved his hand dismissively. "He's a pirate." Bilbus looked seriously at Eric. "He is my friend, though."
Eric shook his head slightly at his friend. "It still does not get us back to Londoun. We need to hire a crew here. I can see who is in town who is willing to sail to Londoun."
Rishala looked at Eric and Bilbus. "If something bad happens again with this ship, I say we burn it and let it sink. It may be cursed."
Eric shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. If we have any more problems with it, we'll sell it."
"No. We burn it and let it sink."
Adria nodded. "I agree. Any more problems, and we burn it." She glared towards the ship, as if she wanted it to hear her.
Kasey brightened. "Hey! We could see if Aaron and his friends want to crew the ship."
Bilbus looked at the knight. "Crew the ship with Javik raiders?"
"Do you know anyone who can handle a ship better?"
Adria smirked. "Bilbus, you're the one who wanted to put a pirate crew on the ship. Why not throw some raiders in, too?"
Kasey nodded. "Yeah! And, they are my friends."
Bilbus lowered his head to his hand. "You have a point, Kasey. We'll still need to find another four or five men."
Eric smiled. "I'll take care of that."
Kasey walked towards the inn. He called back over his shoulder, "I'll get Aaron!"
Eric called after the knight. "We want to sail at first light, so we need to get everyone aboard tonight!"
"Okay!"
Shortly after sunrise, the Aquasition's sails unfurled, catching the morning breeze blowing out to sea. Blond-haired Javik climbed in the rigging, pulling and tying ropes as the white sails snapped in the increasing winds. Several other crew, none with the distinctive light hair and leather armor of the northern barbarians, finished hauling the anchor aboard. Most of the party were on the deck, watching Kieta and the Steppes beyond as the prow cut into a wave. The ship slowly pulled away from Kieta, steering west-by-southwest towards the distant city of Londoun.
Back to the previous chapter: Steppes
Continue to the next chapter: Betrayals
Back to the Book II Index.
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Original Draft 20 March 2001
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