 |
  |
 |
|
|
|
Back to the previous chapter: Interventions
First Draft
Bilbus had led the column for most of the afternoon, holding Uther's battle flag above him. The initial giddiness wore off, leaving Bilbus with a slight scowl, lost in thought.
Eric and Rishala were riding next to him, watching the mountebank.
"Is something the matter, Bilbus?" Eric asked.
"I need whiskey."
Rishala handed the nobleman his flask. Bilbus took a long drink, then handed the flask back.
Eric was about to probe more, but Sir Goudge rode over a hill on the road ahead of the party. The Church Knights had ridden ahead a few hours ago to scout Hold Asam and the surrounding region to make sure no more drow remained in the area.
Sir Goudge pulled his horse alongside Eric's. "The Church Knights have scouted the area. There are no signs of orc or drow, General Ithell."
Bilbus coughed in surprise. Rishala, who had been in mid-sip of whiskey, spit it out noisily. He handed the flask to Bilbus. Behind them, Breanna blurted out, "General?"
Sir Goudge glanced at the two men, then continued. "General, I've had the rest of the knights stop at Hold Asam to prepare it for the evening. The command staff will take the officers' quarters. The troops can set camp outside, where the Rebel Sun Knights had their camp." He paused to look at Eric. "We need to have an idea of what you expect us to encounter in the next few days. I'd like to have a command briefing in your office once the men settle in."
Eric nodded. "When did I become General?"
Sir Goudge leaned towards Eric and lowered his voice. On the other side of the Azirian, Bilbus and Rishala likewise leaned towards him.
Sir Goudge glanced again at Bilbus. "Lord Ithell, you are one of two people in your group who appears to be in charge. You carry yourself like a leader, Bilbus does not. You already have four hundred combatants at your disposal, and I am sure there will be more by the time this venture is complete. Giving you a military honorific will reinforce that you are in command, especially as more men and women from different groups join. I have already briefed my knights to refer to you as General Ithell instead of Lord Ithell. I will speak to Sir Atenburg after the briefing tonight to make sure he understands, as well. I expect that he will. If you are concerned about the legitimacy of the rank, we can talk to Sir Bersa Siencyn, High Commander of the Order of the Knights of Kells, to make it official. I'm sure King Kelaghan will also recognize the rank."
Bilbus offered the flask to Eric.
Rishala produced another of the silver flasks. "A toast to General Ithell!" He took a long sip of the potent whiskey.
Bilbus smirked. "So, you're going to lead the armies across the desert to the legions of undead at the Dark One's Palace."
The hold was much drier than it had been when the party last visited. The mud was now damp soil, and the last vestiges of snow had melted away. The drow bodies that had been piled near the edge of the forest were a charred pile, no longer smoldering. The Sun Knights had seen to disposing of them in the most expedient manner.
As the party approached the hold, Bilbus glanced back at Matthias del Quintin, riding just behind the party with Jamie's Band.
"Bilbus, you keep glancing back," Eric observed. "Are you looking for pursuers?"
"I don't trust Matthias," the mountebank confided. "His father is dead, his older brother is dead. Adria and I are the only things between him and control of Portsdale. I think he might try to knock us both off."
"That's paranoid."
"He's from the Dales. That's how business is done there."
The party rode into the grounds of the hold while most of the troops continued past the walled mansion to set up camp against the south palisade.
An hour later, the party, except for Kasey, were in the office where they had met Dame Dyer. The wood stove was hot, and someone had provided tea. Eric sat down experimentally at the desk.
"The meeting of the generals," Bilbus blurted. He looked at Eric. "When the orcs show up, can I head them?"
A few minutes passed before the rest of the command staff arrived. Sir Goudge represented the Church Knights. Sir Atenburg and Dame Dyer, the commander and executive officers of Cunnick's Regiment, arrived moments later. Jamie and Matthias followed them in.
"It's crowded in here," Breanna muttered quietly to Rishala, who was standing next to her. "I don't think this is going to be worth sitting through. We could go see if we can find some priests who are willing to teach us some things."
"Aye," Rishala agreed. "I was just thinking the same thing myself. Let's go."
The two carefully worked their way through the crowded office. As they passed behind Jamie, Breanna smacked him on the back of his head. Jamie turned and glared it his younger sister, who smiled and kept going.
Sir Goudge started the meeting. "I've called the commanders of the orders in for this meeting with General Ithell." Jamie gasped and looked at Eric. Sir Goudge ignored the outburst. "I have asked General Ithell to brief us on what he expects us to find over the next few days. We are heading into Orc territory. The commanders need to know what to expect as we get into this territory, and what our destination is."
This is going to be boring, Adria concluded. She slipped towards the door, smacking Jamie on the back of the head as she did so. Jamie looked back at her, confused.
The noble-assassin stopped in her room to grab her bow and a quiver of arrows, then went outside to find someplace to practice archery. The sun was still high enough to give her some good practice time with daylight, and she would not have to wait long for a little twilight practice. The chill in the air was far less severe than it had been recently. Adria found a target -- a wooden board with several hay bales behind it -- paced off twenty paces, and started firing some warmup shots into the center of the wooden panel.
Several Sun Knights and Church Knights had gathered a few paces away to watch the beautiful woman cluster arrows around the bullseye.
One of the Sun Knights quipped, "Perhaps we should get some wine and challenge her to a contest. It could be fun."
"You might be surprised," one of the Church Knights said.
As if she heard the comments, Adria walked up to the target, pulled the arrows, then turned and walked back a hundred paces. One of the Sun Knights chuckled in disbelief. The quiet laughter stopped when Adria placed four arrows within four inches of the center of the target within a few seconds. She smiled at the knights, then turned and walked off another hundred paces. Her rapid salvo of arrows still found marks close to the target. The knights watched with a new respect for the archer and her longbow.
Eric described the army's destination. "We are heading towards a Portal. The Portals and Tunnels are a interconnected magickal system, in the hands of the enemies. It provides fast transportation to almost anywhere. Bilbus has been in there."
"Lord Bilbus," the noble-mountebank corrected.
Eric looked at Bilbus and shook his head imperceptibly. "Lord del Cartach will explain the tunnels from personal experience."
"It's dark, so we need torches," Bilbus began his description. "You don't want to stick your hands in the walls. It's bad. There might be orcs. The Tunnels are about ten feet wide, and there's signposts on the Islands. But I'm getting ahead of myself."
The explanation was unhelpful. Eric tried to salvage the briefing. "Lord del Cartach has said that it is very difficult to understand the environment without experiencing it. Tomorrow we set out for a pink granite slab, the Portal. We will go through it so we can recover an artifact that we need to defeat the Dark One. It will be very dangerous, so we need to be careful. The Portals are a strange environment, and we are likely to encounter hostile forces."
"Thank you, General," Sir Goudge. "I'd recommend that everyone get some rest. We'll be in orc territory tomorrow."
The briefing adjourned, and the commanders left to talk to their troops. Eric looked at Bilbus and shook his head again.
Breanna found one of the priestesses who were traveling with the Church Knights watching Jamie's Band undergoing training. The knights who were stuck with training the young men were taking their frustrations out on the men from Armagh. Several of the men, all of whom Breanna knew, had visible bruises.
"Aren't they being too hard?" Breanna asked without thinking.
"The boys are determined to show the knights that they belong on this quest," the priestess said without turning. "They've been too 'tough' for their own good. They've refused some teas that would ease their sore arms, as well as minor healing for the bruises. They deserve to be roughed up a little, until they grow up and accept help when it is offered." The priestess turned to Breanna. "I am Mother Glynis." She cocked her head. "You're Lady Ceiturin, right?"
"Yes," Breanna replied nervously. She knows who I am?
"I understand that you are an apothecary by training, and you have done quite a job keeping your friends alive."
Breanna fidgeted with her overcoat.
Mother Glynis smiled. "You understand that times will be difficult ahead of us, and we are likely to be involved in battles. The Church Knights all know basic healing techniques, but they are also going to need their skills for surviving battle. The priests and priestesses traveling with us are going to be severely taxed as it is. We are going to need all the help we can get. Are you willing to help us when we need it?"
"Of course!" Breanna replied immediately.
"Are you willing to take a vow to help the Church?"
Breanna was now suspicious. "A vow? What kind of vow?"
"It is a customary vow, taken in times of need. It simply says you will help the priests of the Church, and that you will the save lives of those in need."
Breanna thought about the request. She was uneasy with the idea of taking a vow, especially one so poorly explained to her. Still, the Church would not deceive her into something dangerous.
"I will accept the vow." She hesitated before asking, "Does marital status affect it?"
Mother Glynis shook her head. "Of course not. I understand you're from Armagh?" Breanna nodded. "A country girl." She smiled. "What is your full name?"
"Lady Breanna Ceiturin ... Ithell," she took a deep breath, then added, "Of Clan Ceiturin and of Clan Brezhou, of the Tribe of the Far Gallopers, second daughter of Dumita."
Glynis quickly masked the surprised expression that crossed her face. She had heard of the centaur tribes in the Nomad Steppes of the northwestern shores of the Vasmar, and she recognized the structuring of a centaur clan name. But she had never met a human who claimed to be a member of a centaur clan.
"Very well," the priestess said. "Repeat this Vow: I, Lady Breanna Ceiturin Ithell, of Clan Ceiturin and of Clan Brezhou, of the Tribe of the Far Gallopers, second daughter of Dumita, Vow to protect and save the lives of those in need, and to defend the Church and her Children."
Breanna repeated the vow.
Mother Glynis uttered a soft prayer afterwards. Breanna felt something magickal wash through her. A brief mental panic quickly followed the sensation, but it, too, passed.
"Congratulations, Sister-Initiate," Mother Glynis said, a warm smile on her face.
The panic rose again. "How binding is the Vow?" Breanna asked.
"Do not worry, Breanna. If you wish it, you can be released at the end of these troubles." She let the assurance set in. "You are familiar with the Rites of the Church, yes? Particularly funerary rites? You are likely to need them, unfortunately."
Rishala had parted with Breanna as soon as the two had left the hold. She was wandering towards the training of the boys from Armagh, but Rishala strolled towards the tent complex south of the hold's palisade walls. The knights and their support people had already organized the tents, with regions for the troops to sleep, tents and wagons for the supporting personnel to work, and areas for the horses and oxen. A large mess region was already populated with people eating their evening meals. Smoke rose from the many camp fires that had been lit to help hold back the cold of nightfall, and men and women had gathered around a number of them to pass some time before going to sleep.
It took a while to find a priest. He wore distinctive blue robes with white embroidery. The robes were typically used only during services, but it made it easy to spot him in the crowd. Rishala quickly caught up with the priest.
"Is there something I may do for you?" the priest asked.
"Aye," Rishala said. "I'm part of General Ithell's staff, and I wanted to talk to the priests traveling with the Church Knights. You are a critical part of our force."
"Very well. I am Father Amborix. Perhaps I can answer your questions?"
"I am Rishala of Orkney. How many priests are there with us right now?"
"There are five of us."
Rishala nodded to himself. "One of our concerns is that, considering what we have faced with the Dark Elves, we do not want our priests grouped too closely together. The drow use some dangerous magicks."
"We have considered that problem," Father Amborix replied. "There are many footmen here who are not strong in the healing arts, whereas the Church Knights all can take care of themselves if need be. We were going to intersperse ourselves in Cunnick's Regiment."
"Good," Rishala muttered. "There were some other things I wanted to ask you..."
The storyteller probed the priest about various magickal aspects of priestcraeft, wanting to get an idea of just how powerful the priests were. With a long and circuitous line of questioning, Rishala was able to conclude that, while the priests were better trained and had Vows of Priestcraeft or Vows of Service to augment their abilities, Rishala was still a more powerful overall wielder of magicks. It was a vaguely disturbing thing to know.
The other commanders had left Bilbus and Eric in the office in the Hold. Jamie had tried to stay behind to talk to Eric, but Sir Goudge had herded him out with the knights.
Bilbus had placed a sheet of paper on the desk. He had copied his notes from his travels in the Portals onto the paper, and he had sketched out a schematic representation of the layout of the Portals, drawing circles for each of the Islands he had visited, along with lines to connect them.
"This one," Bilbus pointed to the circle he had labeled "HKN", "is Camelough. We followed this Tunnel," he traced one of the lines, "to here, BHJ, before going here," he touched another circle. "This is Erelhei Cinlu. ABE. When I left, I wandered around a little bit. I know this one, FJN," he tapped it, "is the witch's tower near Hillsdale. And GK is the capitol of the orc tribe that sacked Clemendeev." He waved his hand at the other Islands. "I don't know where these other Portals go. At the meeting in Londoun, I was told that one was being 'grown' in Brallian. If we took it, we could shave a lot of time off of our travel. A few days in the Tunnels, and we save a almost a week and a half of overland travel -- more if we play it safe and take Yeti pass through Arabel Cinlu."
Eric digested the Bilbus's description. "It would be interesting to know where else these Tunnels go. Having an idea of where the drow and orcs can move quickly would be invaluable."
"We can find out while we're in the Tunnels," Bilbus pointed out.
"Are you going to be able to open the Portals long enough to get everyone in?"
Bilbus took a deep breath. "With some luck," he admitted. "I can't fling that sort of Heka around as easily as I used to."
Eric nodded. "Help me get into my armor."
"Why?"
"I'm a general now. We're marching into orc territory tomorrow, and we really do not know what we're going to find. And a general is supposed to review his troops. I should do that before we get anyone killed."
"Okay."
Bilbus helped Eric get into the plate armor. The two went out into the early evening to go visit with the troops in their tent camp. On the way, they spotted Adria practicing archery. Her target was just visible, four hundred paces away in the dark near the treeline. Her arrows still struck the target. A few knights stood near her, exchanging coin after almost every shot.
Once the two reached the tents, Bilbus spotted Rishala talking to a priest. "Go rally the troops," the former mountebank said. "I need to talk to Rishala about teaching Adria to use that bow."
Bilbus hurried through the tents towards the Caledonian as Eric stopped to talk to some rebel Sun Knights at a camp fire.
Bilbus, Breanna, and Eric were getting their horses ready to travel. The sun was up, but the palisade wall kept the ground of Hold Asam in shadow. There was a definite chill in the grounds, but already the sun was promising to break the hold winter had on the foothills of the Middle Range.
A pair of Church Knights walked past the three. One of them tipped his head towards Breanna. "Good morning, Mother."
Breanna looked around, searching for the priestess the knight had greeted.
Kasey approached the three. "Good morning, Bilbus. Eric." The Church Knight was as cheerful as ever. He looked towards Breanna, showing surprise. "Oh, good morning, Mother Breanna. Congratulations."
The Church Knight kept going, heading towards Farran and Merek.
"Bree?" Eric asked quietly. "Why are they calling you 'Mother'?"
Bilbus leaned towards Eric. In a loud stage whisper, he said, "I thought she was still a virgin."
Eric nodded absently, still looking at Breanna.
Bilbus looked at Breanna again. There was something different about her. He had felt the difference before -- it was not a physical difference, but something magickal. His years in the Church orphanage finally gave him the answer. "Wait. Not 'mother' as in pregnant. 'Mother', as in Church 'Mother'."
"Bree?" Eric blurted in surprise.
Breanna flushed red. "Well... Mother Glynis and I had a talk last night. They are going to need all the help they can get healing, and she's heard that I know a little about it. I agreed to take a vow to help."
"You took a Vow of Service?" Bilbus asked. "They can just do that? You don't have to go to priest school or something first?"
"She said they do it during times of trouble. It's not binding! Well, it is, but they can release me afterwards. After this is all over. It's temporary."
"Wow," Eric finally said. "Congratulations, Bree."
Adria came out of the hold and walked over to Bilbus. Standing close to him, she yawned. "Didn't the eggs taste funny this morning?"
Eric looked at the two. "What's going on between the two of you?"
Kasey walked over to the party. "Yeah. You're almost affectionate."
As the party rode south towards the region where Rishala detected the Portal, Bilbus rode next to Eric. The former mountebank glanced towards the sun, enjoying a warmth that contrasted with the previous weeks. It was still cool, but it was tolerable.
"So... Mother," he said. "Interesting you should say that."
Eric had said nothing, but he did not correct Bilbus.
"I have a hypothetical situation for you. Say someone got Bree pregnant. After you kill the man who did it..."
"I wouldn't necessarily kill him," Eric interjected.
"Whatever."
"Why would she be pregnant? What bearing does that have on this?"
Bilbus threw his hands up in frustration. "Okay. Different situation. Let's say someone was pregnant, and heading into the Portals and towards an evil undead army..."
"Perhaps someone named 'del Cartach'?" Eric offered.
"If it's easier for you. But what would you do if a friend was in that situation, where his pregnant wife was heading into the Portals and towards an evil undead army?"
Eric thought for a moment. "Have a friend get him drunk."
"Good idea, Eric."
Hours passed as the party made their way south-by-southeast. The Church Knights had gone ahead, fanning out to search for signs of orc in the rolling foothills that were this part of the mountain range.
The sun had crested in the sky and was beginning its descent to the western horizon when several knights rode back to the column.
One of the knights saluted Eric and began his report. "General, there is a city ahead, two miles from here. We watched it for some time. No one is moving around in the city. The city looks like it was attacked. We spotted orc bodies on the streets."
"Orcs? What tribe? I was unaware of any cities in the Middle Range, other than Arabel Cinlu."
"We're not sure what tribe. The other knights are going to head into the city and scout it closer. It is not a human city. The buildings that are still standing are too large for men. We think it is -- or was -- an orc city."
The army continued towards the city, wary now of the dangers ahead. More outriders rode back to the column. They added to the initial report:
"It looks like the city was caught unawares. There are few orcs in armor. Most of them were dressed in plain clothing. We found no survivors. The attack happened some time ago, judging by the corpses. Someone swept into the city, killed everyone, burned the buildings, and kept going. The slain were left in the street -- men, women, children." The Church Knight barely contained his rage at seeing innocents -- even nonhuman innocents -- murdered.
"Let's check the city out," Eric said. "I want half of the Sun Knights to sweep through the city. The rest will stay to protect the trains. Rishala?"
"Aye?"
"Can you locate the Portal again? I'd like to find out if it really is in this city, and if it is, where."
"Aye. I will take a reading here, then another one from another location in the city."
Two hours passed as Rishala sought the precise location of the Portal. Sun Knights made a methodical search through the city, trying to find any signs of who the attackers were and where they went. Sun Knights found the signs of a force approaching on foot -- an orc force, judging from the size of the footprints. The results eventually suggested that a large orc army had approached from the direction of Hold Asam, split into two, and charged through the city. They continued southeast, towards Arabel Cinlu.
In the mean time, Rishala closed in on the Portal. A large building had collapsed on top of the spot where it was, burying it outright.
"You're sure it's in there," Eric asked.
"It's in there," the Caledonian said assuredly.
"We'll have to dig it out."
"Aye. And make sure we clear enough debris to get wagons into it, as well. And we don't know which side is going to open, so we need to clear paths to both sides."
Eric sighed. "We need to clear this rubble!" he called out to some nearby Sun Knights.
A number of knights came forward to start throwing charred timbers and stone aside. Kasey joined in the labor, happily throwing stones at other rubble piles.
"We should gather some of this wood so we can make fires and torches while we are in the Portals," Bilbus suggested. "We won't have any other sources of light."
Adria looked towards the sun. It was a couple of hours from sunset. "I think we should set camp. It's going to be dark soon."
Kasey threw a part of a timber aside. "Lady Adria is right. We should get the camp set up."
Bilbus looked around at the debris that surrounded him. "I don't think that is such a good idea. Sleeping amongst the dead, with the stench of death everywhere. It's a bad idea."
"Bilbus," Adria said sternly, "we don't know what is going to be on the other side of this Portal. These people have marched all day. What if there are orcs or drow or something waiting. Taking exhausted people into battle against fresh troops is foolhardy."
Bilbus turned to Eric. "Oh Lord General Ithell, he who sits upon the Celestial Throne and is blessed by the great Pandah, we should not sleep amongst the dead."
Eric looked at Bilbus with a level stare. "I agree with Adria. We rest here, so we have fresh troops when we go through the Portal. We set up camp here."
Three hours passed as the knights cleared away the rubble. They found the Portal exactly where Rishala said it was -- the pink, smooth granite stone stood upright in the rubble, undamaged by the collapse of the building. It was identical to the other portals, eleven feet tall, eleven wide, and a few inches thick. It was perfectly upright, and it would not tip even when a knight tried to push it over.
The camp was ready by the time the knights cleared wagon paths to the Portal. Eric posted guards at the Portal, then retired to his tent. Adria and Breanna were having tea, so Eric tracked down a couple bottles of wine -- something other than Scowling Knight wine -- and went to Bilbus and Adria's tent. His friend was inside, brooding.
"Congratulations, Bilbus," Eric said as he opened the bottles. "An heir is an important step in being a noble." He offered the first bottle to Bilbus, then took a long drink from the second.
"Assuming he lives to be born," Bilbus said darkly. He took a long drink as well.
The following morning arrived far too soon. The camp was already packed back onto wagons, the troops had organized themselves, and the party found themselves at the Portal. Eric stood on some rubble to one side, where he had a commanding view of the area immediately around the Portal. His face was pinched, as if he were suffering a headache.
Bilbus climbed onto the rubble next to Eric. "Oh Lord General Ithell, he who sits upon the Celestial Throne..." Eric's pinched expression became a pained one "...and is blessed by the great Pandah. Ummm. The nature of the Portal magicks that I have to use are going to be obvious to the knights and priests. It would be good to warn them beforehand, so they don't kill me outright."
Eric rubbed his temples. "It would have been nice to know that last night, not right before we go through. I'll warn the Church Knights and the priests."
Eric climbed down from the rubble pile to talk to Sir Goudge. Once he had warned the Church people, he tracked down Breanna. "Bree, I need something to help this headache." He rubbed his temples again.
Breanna prepared a tea. After Eric made faces at the bitter concoction, she added some honey. Eric thanked her, then went to gather Sir Goudge and Sir Atenburg to plan how the troops would enter the Portal.
They agreed to send through as many footmen as possible first. Bilbus could only hold the Portal open for a few minutes before the magick would expire, but a lot of troops could charge through in that time. All of the mounted knights, and Jamie's Band, would follow on the second opening, with as many footmen as possible following. Once the rest of the Sun Knights were through, the supply wagons would follow.
Bilbus started casting the black magicks that opened the Portal. The first footmen charged through the black opening that appeared in the pink granite slab. Bilbus paid close attention to the magickal weave that held the Portal open. When it started to unravel, he shouted to the men running towards the Portal to stop. The black opening faded back to solid pink granite. It was time to send the Church Knights and Jamie's Band through.
Another surge of black magick, and again the Portal opened. Bilbus fought the strain of using the dark magicks, holding back the gagging reaction that followed the sickly feel of the dark Heka coursing through him. The knights charged through, followed by Jamie's Band. A quick glance in showed the footmen were still there, looking nervous but unharmed.
The process continued for much of the morning, Bilbus forcing the dark magicks to open the Portal, and footmen, then eventually wagons, went through. After getting all the footmen and most of the wagons through, Bilbus had to take a rest. The nausea had become steadily worse as the repeated flows of black magick accumulated in his body. When he was ready to resume, he was able to keep the Portal open long enough to get everyone else into the Portals.
The party walked through the black opening, leading their horses. Bilbus fought with the balking Acquisition 2 -- the horse remembered the unsettling time in the Tunnels last time, and he was unwilling to go there once more.
Bilbus repeated, loudly, what he knew of the world of the Tunnels. "You've already seen there is no color in here. Everything is black, white, or gray. It is never warm in here, and it is never cold. You can't really tell what the temperature is. There is never light, except the light that is brought in. Those people who are in the front of the column, or in the back, need to remember that. Light means someone else is out there. And, besides us, the only people who can get in here are orcs and dark elves.
"The walls are fog. It looks like there is a terrible storm going on around us, but it never crosses the walls. The walls are not solid: you can stick a hand through them, but I wouldn't recommend it." He shuddered to himself, remembering what happened when he had done exactly that. "If you stick your head into that fog, you might lose your mind, or your life. Horsemen, keep that in mind when we are in the Tunnels. The ceiling is ten feet from the ground. The only good thing about the walls is that we can sweep the remains of our camps into them to cover our tracks."
When Bilbus stopped, he climbed onto Acquisition 2. Eric nodded to him, then addressed his army.
"Remember Bilbus's advice. Commanders, I need to talk to you to update you on our mission. Please gather with me here."
As the commanders approached, Bilbus said, "I am going to check the signpost on this Island to get an idea of where we are." He rode off towards the center of the one-mile-diameter Island.
Once the commanders were close to Eric, he spoke. "We are going to find a vampire. This thing has a spear that we must have if we are going to defeat the Dark One. I do not know if we want to take the entire force through the Portal to this vampire's world. It may be too much for Bilbus to get them through and back. Until we get to the right Island, we will be in these Tunnels. Remember what Bilbus said: any sign of light indicates someone else is out there. And no one else in these Tunnels are friends. Let's get ready to move out."
As the commanders departed, Eric climbed onto his horse and rode in the direction Bilbus had gone. He found the mountebank sitting astride his horse next to a ten foot tall, four sided, stone post. Bilbus held a lantern in one hand that cast grayish light on the post, revealing orc letters. Bilbus was looking at a piece of paper in one hand. He glanced up when he heard Eric approach.
"We're on Island 'DGL'," Bilbus said when Eric was closer. He pointed with the hand that held the lantern. "That way is Island 'CIL'. We're one Island away. Eight hours in a tunnel and we're there."
"Good. Let's get going," the Karasimian said.
Eric rode back to get the army underway. He sent half of his Church Knights -- ten riders -- forward to look for signs of patrols. The rest of the army formed up into a narrow column, for the tunnels were ten feet wide, and followed Eric and the party into a square break in the fog wall.
A few hours down the featureless, fog-sided Tunnel, a pair of Church Knights approached from ahead. "We found a patrol of orcs. There were eight. We surprised them and took them out before they could react. The bodies were pushed into the fog."
Eric nodded. The first engagement had been fortunate, but what would happen if the next encounter was larger than a patrol?
The two knights remained with the army. Bilbus had warned them that no matter how fast they traveled, they would require eight hours to reach the next Island. And there was no way to overtake someone else in the Tunnels, so the two scouts could ride their horses into the ground and still not overtake the other eight knights.
Nearly eight hours had passed since the party entered the Tunnel. The rest of the patrol approached the column. One of them reported, "There are orcs on the Island. Not many, about the same size as the patrol. We thought we would take advantage of the archers in the main column and hit them from a distance."
When the column could see the end of the Tunnel and the torches on the Island beyond, Eric ordered archers forward to engage the patrol at maximum distance. The archers set up and volleyed arrows at the distant torchlights. The arrows sailed into the turbulent fog above and vanished.
"That didn't work," Bilbus pointed out.
"Knights, charge them," Eric commanded.
The Church Knights thundered down the Tunnel and onto the Island. The fight was fast and violent, with the result a lopsided victory for the Church Knights.
The army moved onto the Island and quickly set camp, pulling sleeping gear off of wagons and posting perimeter guards and guards at each of the three Tunnels.
As troops retired for rest, the party gathered at one of the fires. The gray-white flames danced coolly in the strange realm, casting an austere light in the pitch darkness.
"We don't know anything about this world we're going to," Eric pointed out.
Bilbus scowled darkly towards Sturm, who was some distance away, near the rebel Sun Knights. "He hasn't been very forthcoming about this vampire's turf," he observed. "Maybe we should go kneel on Sturm's neck to get him to talk."
"That's hardly necessary," Adria said. "I'll go talk to him."
The assassin left the comfortable light of the campfire and approached Sturm. The Sun Knight stood in the dim twilight that filled the spaces between the campfires, staring towards the nearest group of rebel knights.
"Sturm?" Adria asked while still well out of sword range of the knight. She kept her voice soft.
"Adria," the knight replied in greeting, without turning.
"Sturm, it may be helpful for us to know what we're really getting into here. Bilbus has a few fragments, but not much."
"What is there to know?" Sturm asked, his voice distant.
Adria's voice grew cold. "After the danger you have placed us in, you still don't want to talk. Are you busy pitying yourself the fate you've been dealt? That your life and your death have been chosen for you, without your say? It doesn't matter to you that if we fail, everyone alive will have been given the same fate."
It was quiet for a minute. The Sun Knight shifted slightly. "It was night time when I was there. The dream started in a temple. I saw a Portal. The vampire's mansion was a two hour walk through a dead forest. The vampire had pointy teeth, and he acted unthreatening. Until he ripped my throat open. But I couldn't stop him. I saw no one else, nor signs of anything alive being even recently through the area. What else would you want to know?"
Adria thought for a moment. "Nothing," she decided finally. She returned to the rest of the party and relayed what she had been told.
"...And this vampire has the spear," Bilbus finished for her. "Why? He must be in league with the Great Lord."
"We'll find out soon enough," Eric said. "We all need to get some rest before we go through that Portal." He retired towards a pair of sleeping rolls.
Back to the previous chapter: Interventions
Continue to the next chapter: Shadows
Back to the Book IV Index.
Back to the Dark Mysteries Campaign Chapter Index.
Original Draft 26 January 2004
Contact for this page: JourneyMaster@BabylonByCandlelight.com