Tracing The Worm Page 2
I knew that poison smeared the tip of Rioon’s arrows. The poison worked.
Joo Krian stepped forward and plunged his sword in me. I howled in agony, and tried to escape. Fleeing away from Krian I tried to see what happened to me, how serious the wound was that I received. But he did not let his opponent. He was hard despite the fact that the wound he got could hurt like hell. I struggled in his grasp, but the force was gone from me and slowly all darkened in front of me.The last thing I heard was Joo hissing"-only one can stay" and then I fell dead on the ground.
I thought I died. The soul was trying to jam out of my body and wanted to reach infinity clearly hearing the call of ancestors. But I could not do it. Something ... something retracted me. As if he whispered you have things to do in this world you cannot leave just yet. You cannot leave me here. More and more strongly I felt in my bones the penetrating pain then I suddenly sat up screaming. I was still in the farm. The sun was high
coming in through the cracks on the wall of the house and lit up the bloody floor in front of me. Maxxarr lay a little farther. The dwarf was in a weird contorted position when he died. Pitifully small and seeming very weak, in life he was known as a hard fighter but certainly could not be called clever. I tried look around in order to assess my surroundings. Not far from me I saw the the former masters of the homestead the dark-skinned men and women. Flies around them warned me that it was time to leave this cursed place. I tried to recover but only a hoarse growl ripped out of me. I crawled on my hands and knees out of the building and outside I collapsed under the blazing sun. I reached for my belt and the water bottle. Some small liquid was still in there so I drank it up greedily. Paying no attention to the stale stagnant water, I drank drops on both sides of my mustache were dripping down. Again I tried to recover and now even with difficulty I managed. I staggered a few steps until the walls that gave a little shadow and then I rested. I felt that my strength was returning from the water. My memory came back, Joo Krian as his sword thrusting into me although he was mortally wounded. Rioon's poisoned arrow sticking out from him. But where is Krian’s dead body? I made a few hesitant steps back into the house. The other door which was toward the dusty footpath was open to a crack. It is shorter if I bypass the farm. I threw my shoulder against the door and pushed open the rickety wooden construction. Immediately I saw Kro-Terront lying down, dead. Joo's body lay beside him. How could he gather up so much strength with the poisoned arrow in his side to stab me and even Kro-Terront as well? Quickly I thanked the gods to have survived the adventure. I grinned when I remembered that Shaldar foresaw the death of the three of us. Well, in fact he was wrong about me.
I do not know how I managed to make it back to Lel Tessin. If I saw anything in the distance, I removed the traces pulled off the road and entrenched myself. Then, when all was still, I continued the painful way. It took a while on the road here but now I was trudging back for a week. Before leaving the farm, I took away the dead’s water bottles and a few other minor things, necklaces, rings, pendants. If a bottle was empty I threw it away, because even this small difference in weight brought real refreshment to me. I felt all my strength left me when I saw the walls of Lel Tessin in the distance. Evening came by the time I got to the Gate and I could not get in because the doors closed. A benign salesman took care of me in exchange for a silver medal in my neck. In the coolness of the tent I was contemplating what to do next. There was no doubt that I played a crucial role in capturing Joo Krian. I distracted his attention while the elf took him. So I too am entitled to the blood money. But in this condition as I am now it is hazardous to stand in front of Shaldar or the elk to ask for my part. I needed to gain my strength back. Then ... we'll see.
The next morning I went to the city. The guards checked me but they saw makeshift bandage on my side that was painted red from my blood and because I was not wanted they did not very inquire much. I went straight to my accommodation staggering. As I entered the small room all my strength left me, and I fell over like a sack. Awakened by a cool touch that came to my bed I saw a majestic face above. Snow-white hair, black skin, and hair adorned with a seven branched diamond headband. An amok priest! I tried to get up, but failed. The priest patiently pushed me back to my bed.
“- Do not get up, warrior! You are too weak and you need strength to hear what I need to tell you.”
He waited a few moments, then continued.
“- I called you to the Evil Owl that night. If you came you would not be lying here now, so. But I am looking for answers now that only I can earn from you.”
“- What do you mean...?”
“- Did you manage to kill Joo Kriant? Just nod, no need to talk! Right. So yeah. And you were there when it happened?”
“- Yes ... or, no. Krian stabbed me before dying. And stabbed Kro-Terront and Maxxarr as well. I do not know how he died eventually.”
“- Terrible. Terrible, the last ray of hope is lost then.”
I did not understand why the priest sighed.
“- Rioon and Shaldar were there. I think Rioon killed him.”
“- Rioon the rowlind?”
“- Yes. I think so. I saw his arrow in Krian’s side.”
-It is important. You see, it is important to know who was present when he died. Perhaps the world's fate depends on it!
I pushed myself up on the elbows. I was never a religious man even though sometimes murmured prayers to the gods at other times in my rambunctious humor also called them names. But what the priest performs in his religious devotion, that's an exaggeration. I must admit, I was as interested as to who was near Krian at the time of his death, as the next occupant house's occupant’s name.
“- This means that you have not seen the Worm!”
I shivered. The name was familiar. Somewhere, deep in my mind, something stirred. And I increasingly began to be interested in what the priest wanted to say.
“- Say what you want from me!”
“- Okay. Only if you set to give an oath that what I now tell you, you never give it on.”
“- I swear! “- I said in a firm voice. I was the biggest pretender in the .
- Well. According to amokh priests before the rainbow color storm not only the peoples of the earth but the gods fought battle for the world. Amokh, our all-powerful monarch whose angels decided the fight noticed that the theldarrin’s major supporter who has the face of death Thressarron was getting ready to do magic. However Thressarron was very far from it. He had woven a rainbow quickly and galloped through that to Thressarron. He grabbed the hands of the death-faced god, but it was too late and a few drops dropped to the ground from the magic. The jet black drops shuddered and escaped the battlefield. They changed into worms that are still waiting for their God to return .But Thressarron would not return unless the black chaos once again dominates this earth. The worm has the task to prepare the Chaos.
The priest was silent. I supposed he got to the most secret parts. I suppressed a yawn and I tried to pay attention .
- The Worm is crafty. It knows that alone it cannot create chaos. Therefore, it is looking for someone, a creature who is to execute its plans. It nestles itself and then he directs. No one can tell what is going to happen to whom the Worm snugs into. But it is certain that from then on t
he unfortunate one is driven by the Worm. It is becoming stronger and stronger by looking for stronger and stronger opponents until its carrier is being killed in a fight. Then the Worm nest itself in the winner and so it goes until there is no stronger opponent. Then the Worm combines its strength to an ever powerful army and with this invincible army it sets out to create the chaos. This will be called as it was last three generations ago: the Pale Man.
“- Why are you telling me this now?” - I asked hesitantly.
“- We learned that Joo Krian was in the grip of the Worm. We should have prevented that it gets in another substrate but now it is too late. So that was why I was looking for you on the night. To warn you. To ask you that you kill the Worm, when it comes out of Krian. But you ran away. And now another task we want to leave you.
The interest resurrected in me. I was getting a job probably for good money.
“- What do you want from me?” - I asked, as dispassionately as I could.
“- Find the Worm, and destroy it.”
“- Whoa, this is a hard task!” - I laughed out. – “How do you know that in the farm it did not move into me?”
Now the priest smiled.
“- The Worm searches for the winners. You were stabbed in there and I think were you not this strong you were now lying there next to your companions. The Worm did not move in you but Rioon or Shaldar. Find him and you will receive a worthy reward.”
“- Forgive my words, but if I find and kill the Worm it is not certain that you will need me anymore. I never had anything to do with amokh priests although I have heard of your gods. I do not know if I kill the Worm I get the reward. I want an advance payment please. I need weapons and equipment. I am after no small trophy.
The priest's eyes narrowed considering what he has heard. Surely he wondered if he pays an advance would I not run away from the task. Finally he decided to take this much risk.
“- All right, Borgosh. Here it is.” – He tossed me a purse. I have felt the weight of a small fortune in it. The Worm worth’s much to them. Satisfied, I shook it, and grinned at the priest .
“- I undertake the mandate. Where can I inform you when I completed the operation?”
“- I will look for you the day after the Big League.”
But for the Grand Championship! I quite forgot about although it was included among my original goals to attend it. The Grand Championship was taken across by some unscrupulous merchants all over the Inland Sea towns. There was a great warrior, some Gigantic, with whom the entire city's largest warriors including me competed against. So far, no one could beat him. The qualifiers are now taking place in Lel Tessinben. Because of my important operations I did not have the opportunity to attend them. I had more important things to do. I watched the priest leave the room and shook the leather purse once more. I felt better already. The priest could have done something to me, because a thin membrane was on my wound and for the first time I felt that my side was not rankling. I rolled off of the bed and took a few steps. Then I remembered that I had not received my money for the Krian operation. Well now I will get my part from that too. Next to the wall in a bowl I found some water. This priest was really thinking of everything. I washed and cut my mustache and my hair. I decided to bleach my hair the next day. It would not be nice if Rioon or Shaldar learned to soon that I am after them.
For the next day I arranged a meeting with Hail. I bought a great sword, not a new on but my eyes immediately selected this powerful and flexible blade from the lot of shiny stuff. I bought a leather shirt which seemed no different to any other simple shirts but over my heart, my side and back I sewn some raw, hard-dried pieces of skin in it. I cannot say it was comfortable but it is still better than a blade in the heart or the back. Also I obtained a dagger, some knives and other necessary items of equipment then sat in a suburban, lesser-known honky-tonk that was visited by rats and sailors who had no ships. While waiting for Hail I was wondering which of them could be my man. It is certain that I saw Rioon’s arrow in one of them. But when I passed out or died I did not know that Joo Krian left the house killed Kro-Terronnal and then died. Only the gods know who gave him the coup de grace. Whether Rioon or Shaldar was my man. Certainly, if it was Rioon, it would be much harder. I mean, that if the rumors were true and the rowlind was really the leader of the Silver Hand.
Hail entered and looked here and there. For a moment I was annoyed that he did not see me I remembered that without the mustache and my hair I was definitely not what the guy expected. I waved to him he hesitantly waved back then came to my table.
“- Where is ... Borg “- he began, and then he recognized me – “Borgosh!”
“- Sit down!” - My voice was commanding, Hail immediately obeyed.
“- What happened to you?” - He asked.
“- Forget it. Now more important things. I got a job in which you can help. Of course, not for free. - I put a few pieces of money in front of him. In his eyes greed immediately lit up.
“- I will help, yes I will help!”
“- All right. Find out everything for me about Rioon and Shaldar. Where they live, is Rioon really the chief of the Silver Hand what they did in the past weeks, ... what do they want to do next so everything.
“- Rioon ... you want to get Rioont?” – He said in a tone of horror.
The rowlind had such bad reputation that he did not want to be in his way, if he did not have to. Back in the hotel I divided the money that the amokh priest gave me. I put the money in a small and a larger leather purse. Now, I showed the smaller one to Hail.
“-This much is yours if I am not mistaken in you!” - I saw that the little guy's eyes narrowed to a crack. He wondered what to do. His life was not worth much, but he feared from the rowlind. I let him hold the purse. He shook it, and thought even more. Then the greediness won.
“- We are agreed!”.
“- Tomorrow I'll wait here in the same hour!” - I told him, then threw a penny on the table for the stale liquid kregg-dorn that they sold as beer here and I left the inn.
I used the rest to pay back an old debt of mine. That night Worad could not turn to his poisons or other nefarious tricks of his because we stood face to face each other. Of course I did not let myself close to the snake rowlind. True, he did not really want to get close to me either. When I entered the secret base of his which I had tracked down by Hail, in an instant he knew why I came. He tried to escape in a secret exit but I sent two throwing knives in his back. I'm not picky. I like the sword to a sword-fight but even more so when I come out on top. You can only be sure of the victory over a rowlind elf when they cut off the head. Well, I cut it off. There I had a sack, just for such purposes. I put the head in it and that night I went to Yaless, chief of a sinnar thief company who had some previous affairs and set a small fee on Worad’s head. We discussed some current things I got the prize then I went to bed. I fell asleep with a smile. The dress rehearsal for the fight against Shaldar and Rioon was well done.
The next day I made a few precautions before I met Hail. I did not go out to the honky-tonk in the port but I expected a very different place for my people. This place was a rasset nest. The rassets, also known as rat Yaless few men have stood in the service and last night I talked to their chief about the plan for today. The gift I promised them for their help was of course a thing which the loss of was not particularly painful for me.
The rassetts actually lived under the earth. I had no idea that such an extensive tunnel network was built up with large and small rooms, bedrooms, chambers and more. As we were entering the rooms in this world and I saw the gangways slowly I began to think about the fact that everyone looked down on the rat people and they in fact might be the real rulers of the city. They can penetrate to places where no other mortals can. My companion, who introduced himself as Krassac, boasted with a grin that last night he spied on Mona Lynn, Lel Tessin’s city's most beautiful, most desirable mistress, while she dressed. He mentioned the accommodation for the gove
rnor's palace as well. Impulsively, I asked about the churches for example the Amokh churches. Krassac’s boasting dried up. Obviously the priests were defending their temples against rasset magic and other means of harm. I stayed quiet for the time being, but definitely I did not give it up.
The bleak and dark room that we arrived in was like the ten others we were in before but at this time my companion stopped and told me to sit down. In the middle of the room stood a throne. To my inquiry Krassac immediately told me that the throne not so long ago decorated the court hall of the city . But the rassetts were sentencing too and they had court days too. They needed something that enhances the prestige of the rasset leader’s sentencing. So they brought it here. But now there was no sentencing day so we were free to use the room. Just sit down showed Krassac. Sentencing room. I thought I could not find a better place to my ideas.