Tracing The Worm Read online

  Soon another rasset appeared but I could not distinguish from the other who was standing next to me .

  He hissed a few words into my companion's ear, he looked at me in a meaningful way and nodded approvingly. So far everything was happening exactly as I planned. The rasset informed me briefly about the events. Hail was arriving soon already on his way with another ratman to us.

  Not a long time elapsed and Hail appeared in the doorway of the room. He was accompanied by two ratmen. I waved and Hail and stepped closer to me.

  “- Where are we, Borgosh? “- said the guy. I saw the terror in his eyes, and it made me wonder. It is possible that Hail was not led here on the same road as I was? What could he have seen on the way here?

  “- Calm down, it's just precaution. Well, tell me what you found out? You know, about Rioon and Shaldar.”

  “- Rioon ... yes, yes. Shaldar was a simple case. He also participates in the Great Championship, maybe taking a qualifying arena today. He is not doing anything but preparing for the upcoming duel. There are eight of them and the lucky one can wrestle with the Gigantic..”

  “- And Rioon ...?”

  “- It has been difficult. What I do know that there is indeed the Silver Hand, and Rioon has some kind of a commanding rank. And I think they are preparing for some great things. My spies dared to sniff only very carefully and found out only very little of it. But it is certain that for a longer time they have been collecting weapons, and the Silver Hand membership is growing nicely. What is the strangest that not only it is a sect of rowlinds, sinnars but I heard of dolar people,tetheris, whom I think the low jobs are given, denir and shograt dwarves and even believe it or not, some kregg-dorn, and yoder orks as well.”

  I laughed out. Hail had a wild imagination. Elves would cooperate with orks or even with people? It's impossible. But it is also suspicious. The amokh priest said that the Worm is collecting an army and wants to conquer the world. Yes, this goes against Rioon. And yet something else too ...

  “-Have you got anything else to say?” – I asked . He shook his head in confusion.

  “- No I could only find out this much.”

  “- And one more thing ... I would be interested in..”- I continued.

  “- That is all I could investigate. Give me my money and let’s get out of this place ...”

  “- I want to know something else. What were the rowlind archers looking for in our meeting place?”

  Hail looked to the exit. At this precise moment he was like the rassets who were standing there.

  Like a rat trapped he was looking for the exit.

  “- What ... what rowlinds?”

  “- You know, Hail, I also have my spies who told me that with you four or five rowlind archers arrived at the honky-tonk where the meeting was. They waited on the rooftops. Oh, and two of them were escorting you to the door. Fortunately, their sensitive soul did not allow them to follow thee and the accompanying rassets under the ground ...”

  Hail fell on his knees.

  “- Pardon me! - He cried. – They recognized I was sniffing after them and they forced me!”

  “- Well, Hail then, do you think I am so stupid? I think what happened was that you went to Rioon and told him I was spying on him. You hoped to make more money with the rowlind than with me. More precisely you wanted my money too, and then when the elves killed me, you would have got the blood money after me too, you swine! “– I deliberately did not say "rat". I did not want to offend my hosts.

  Hail fell to the ground gave no answer only sobbed. I watched this figure with disgust that I had many deals with in the past. Then I saw the rat people standing in the doorway. Their nostrils trembling, hair standing on end they were watching me eagerly waiting for the gift I promised to them.

  “- He is yours!” - I nodded and waved to Krassac.

  The rasset started out with me from the underground labyrinth while the other two and even some more that appeared out of nowhere surrounded Hail. We were already a few corridors away when I heard the first screams. I do not know what they did with Hail but he deserved it. The rat! Before we got to the surface I heard a final, terrible scream.

  Goodbye, my friend! I tossed the purse to Krassac.

  “- Thank you for your help! “- I said. The rat man grinned. He was even uglier than ever before.

  “- Let me know if you need something!” – He hissed and disappeared underground.

  Soon I needed Krassac. Hardly a day passed the two of us were sitting together again with a kregg-dorn beer in another very similar honky-tonk where mainly rassets, pirates and sailors were killing time. The rat man was looking at me slyly from the bottom up. I knew I could only trust him just as much as Hail but there was no other choice. Krassac was whittling the table with a knife, while he quietly explained something.

  “- This is Rioon’s accommodation. Next to it is the city’s drinking fountain. The well is not dry people in the area take the water from here. Still I suspect that the well can be approached from a secret headquarters of the Silver Hand. In the past I had made one or two pilot tunnels but the tunnels were filled up and some of my brothers who wanted to find out what happened never returned from there. We do not like rowlind elves and they do not like us. They do not consider us the children of nature but if anyone deserves that name it is much more deserved by our free people than the vile elves ...”

  “- What kind of buildings are there around?” - I asked.

  “- This is a warehouse. The city firefighter’s axes are kept there. Next to it there is a stable and this is now the city wall.”

  “- Hmm. “- I wondered. –“ I am sure that this cunning Rioon dug a tunnel under the city wall. The elves do not like the closed confusions they are free inhabitants of the desert. Thus they are free to act, without having to arouse suspicion or the obligation to be adapting to anyone.” - The rasset nodded.

  “- There is a scrubby area between the house and the city wall. Such prickly branches of wild are nowhere to be seen in the city. It is also possible that it is magical elf defense. Or is there is a path, or it only serves that the tunnel should not be found by anyone.”

  “- The question is whether they keep the exit or not. I do not think it is carefully hidden. My friend, where did you dig the test holes?” -Krassac carved new shapes in the table.

  “- Here, here, and here they are ...”

  “- So not at the tunnel yet?”

  “- No ... not there yet.”

  “- Great! Then my friend digs a tunnel for me from here to here! “- I pointed at the makeshift map made by Krassac. – “And just leave the rest to me!”

  The rat man nodded. Then he grinned. From this smile chills ran down my spine.

  “- We do not ask any other reward Borgosh only to go after you ...”

  “- Okay. I'll take care of Rioon, the rest I give to you.”

  Krassac scratched up the drawn information on the table drank his beer, wiped his mustache, and rose from the table.

  “- When?”- He asked.

  “- Tonight.” - I answered. – “At Moonrise.”

  The rat man nodded and went out the door without a goodbye. I knew exactly at the agreed time he will be there with the best of his nation. I also drank the beer which tasted the same muck as in the other honky-tonk. Tossed a small piece of money to the innkeepers standing at the bar and began preparing for the night.

  The rasset was huffing like a horse as he was scratching the ground with both hands in front of me. I was not an expert at it but I've heard that the earth was making more and more of a hollowly sound in front of the clay wall which he was digging. He broke through the first wall and fell forward right into the Silver Hand’s secret passage. He repressed a disgusting swearing that was to do with the elves ferrets, lice and warps then climbed back to me.

  “- The road is open as we agreed. How much time do you need?” - He asked.

  “- Keep watching the moon and come after me when it is two knives tip long. I
hope by then I would find Rioon.”

  “- Let me know if you need something!” - Krassac hissed and went to discuss the tactics with the gathered members of the nation.

  Before I climbed into the tunnel which was drilled by the rat people I looked at the company of rassets. Full of emaciated, malnourished, gray-blue-coated figures I saw from whom in war I had little to expect. But now they were my army. They might be of help to me if things are going as planned.

  I grabbed my sword and stepped into the corridor of the Silver Hand. It was not completely dark inside. The elves built illuminated stones into the ceiling which gave everything a strange glow. I turned to the left but after two turns I stumbled upon a seemingly heavy stone block. In the dim light I discovered the silver imprint of a hand shining on it. I hesitated for a moment what to do. I put my ear on the block but heard nothing. No sound filtered through from the other side. For the first time I thought about what I had undertaken. It was possible that I actually stumbled upon the hiding place of the Silver Hand. And if behind the stone block twenty bloodthirsty rowlind elves were waiting for me? There would be nowhere to escape. Then I realized that I wanted Rioon’s head. The amokh paid a lot even in advance. And how much more could be expected if I perform the task! I was up for the task.

  I definitely fit my hand into the imprint and to my greatest surprise the stone block moved from its place as if an iron heel slid. I entered the room and suddenly I had to make a few comic gestures because I fell almost. I found myself on the edge of a pit. As I looked down as if water had glistened at the bottom. Then I glanced up. Stars were twinkling up there. Well, of course! I stood in the city well. So this is a dead end. I closed the stone block and started out towards the other end of the corridor. I passed the next hole that the rat men dug out for me and I continued on a road. I did not like the elves like any other normal thinking person in the city but I have to admit that this corridor could not be compared with those that were dug by the rat people. That was musty, dark, narrow garbage and this I could conveniently walk upright and not once came across a protruding rock or other obstacles. And the smell? I did not want to believe, but ambrosia scent drifted in the whole space as if the elves wanted to avoid moping in the canal before leaving their hiding place.

  Soon the road diverged in two. I was thinking opposite the fountain I would come over the city wall so I turned left. That the hunch proved to be right was shown that rammed earth walls of the corridor would soon be replaced by carefully replaced stones walls built upon each other. I was in the house, I hoped it was Rioon’s house. So far I did not meet with any resistance. I did not know how much time elapsed but I thought that the rassets would soon appear. I had to strive.

  Ahead of me stood a few steps which were leading upwards. The top of the stairs I saw a finely woven curtain. Without hesitation I pushed aside the fabric ... and I was standing face to face with a rowlind elf!

  She was a young creature her face with a delicate, pale blush which is so attractive to these fragile tall elf females. She was wearing a light

  Cloaks and maybe I woke her up with my steps. The knife ran into her body so quickly that there was no time to scream. I put her down gently to the ground, and as I glanced at her face that slowly took the possession of the death something stirred inside me. Then I shook my head. I had to do if I did not want her to alarm the house. I stepped in further and I found that I really arrived in Rioon’s nest. The tablecloths hidden door in a small hallway led to two rooms. One could be a bed chamber a few well-placed mats on the floor showed the care of a housewife. I put down the woman who I stabbed to death here and I covered her with a blanket. Sweet dreams! The other was probably Rioon’s prayer room. I stopped shortly as I entered here. The walls were covered with canvas and on them painted scenes from the old glorious ages so realistic that I almost could see the characters move and sway in the pictures. In the center stood an altar with two or three elaborate sculptures. Beautifully glistening in the twilight. They were made of gold!. I was just reaching for one of them when it smoldered. Magic! Again I looked at the walls, and I would have sworn that the painted figures really moved. Then a cool breeze swept through the room. I breathed I sigh of relief. This was just a cover. The moving of the canvases. Certainly Rioon arrived!

  From the secret passage excited voices could be heard. The Silver Hand members returned home after some extra urban raid and noticed a hole drilled by rassets. They thought that a few could handle some dirty rat people. They took no care of remaining unnoticed. I clearly heard the sound of running feet. Rioon was in the front and he bursted into the room like a mad buffalo. Quickly looked around but he could not see me because by then I was sitting above the room on the highest strutting-beam. He left the room and looked into the bed chamber. He lowered his voice, thinking that she was sleeping. He whispered hard words of command to the staff who may have been a group of five or six and then steps leading away showed that the rowlind elves were gone. I waited a few minutes more and climbed down the beam. I wondered I could have killed Rioon when he had entered the room. But the others lined up outside would have stabbed me in this case for certain. I must wait until his return.

  The shirt has saved my life. I sewed a few pieces of hard dry skin into it one over the heart others by my side and my back. The chest thrust slipped on one of them and ripped my clothes but did not harm me. I jumped back and I found myself facing Rioon who was thirsty for revenge.

  “- I sent away the others ... because it's just the two of us’ business! - He waved towards the bedroom, where the killed woman was laying.

  When he looked around and saw clearly what had happened he still had enough presence of mind to conceal his feelings from me. He did not want others to kill me. Only him, alone. He knew exactly where I sat above the beam. How I could not conceive it. Perhaps the golden statues whispered to him as he entered the room. The elf rowlind thoroughly looked at me and pursed his lips.

  “- Borgosh ... I thought you were dead, there on the farm. But Hail told me about your resurrection. Now I make sure that you would not attack again.

  He lunged forward in an almost imperceptible pace. I could hardly avoid the dangerous blade. I could not even afford to have a scratch because Rioon’s knife and arrows were well lubricated with poison. I tried to keep away the elf with my sword and dagger. Meanwhile, I heard battle noises from the corridor. My rasset friends started working!

  The rowlind took the knife in his left hand. I saw that the guy is equally good with both hands. From almost nowhere he conjured up a new knife. Before the relationship was even now the balance was tipping in favor of the elf. He cut with his left towards my chest and as I leapt back instinctively he tried to stab me with the knife in his right hand. The blade brushed the tip of my clothes, but did not hurt me. I struck him with my sword but the two crossed knives halted the momentum. He tried to grab my sword out of my hand but without any success. I stepped back. We looked at each other panting.

  The rowlind was weighing me cool-headedly looking for my weaknesses. I was likewise. I noticed that he was doing the left hand - right hand combination and for one heartbeat he left his right thigh unprotected . I should enter there. I was curious whether he was going to repeat the action. After shooting some of the tricky cutting he repeated the former but the he now was free in the left thigh. I swung my sword to thrust into the gap. The rowlind closed this loophole as if it never was, and flashed his right hand. It was a trap! This was done deliberately to fling me out of my balance and to have my left side free .

  This dirty elf needs to be smarter if he wants to surprise Borgosh. I slightly.. Changed the position of the sword and I struck Rioon in the right shoulder. I easily pushed in my sword through the crack of his light leather armor and like a snake I slid beside his knife . Rioon hissed but did not cry out. At that moment I respected his heroism. The sword was left in the wound and like a sinnar dancer I danced away from the elf. As he pulled the sword from his wound, a red creek of
blood bursted from the crack. I grabbed my dagger with my right hand and in that moment thrusted it into his unprotected left side. I heard that somewhere on the other side of Inland Sea, a town named Lodar Gar regularly held a festival where the bulls are fighting men. I now felt as if I was killing a raging bull.