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ORDER & CHAOS pt. 7

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Posted 06-08-2009 at 12:14 AM by Goth Writer
Updated 06-11-2009 at 08:18 PM by Goth Writer (It's a work in progress...)

Rauros moaned. His head throbbed from the magical blasts of the Key Mage and his red-haired friend. The Goblin Master opened his creased eyes and saw the translucent face of the specter, Jetsam.
“What happened?” asked the Leader of the Harad Ghul.
“The half ghoul killed our master, releasing us from his bonds. Our cousin, Mayhem, was destroyed but we fled in time.”
“We yet live as well, Leader. Drink some of this black root tea. It will help you regain your strength.”
Rauros sat up as his comrade, Dakros, pressed a steaming cup to his lips. The tan goblin murmured thankfully as he sipped the bitter liquid. His vision cleared and feeling returned in his legs.
Another of the Harad Ghul, Loki, had captured rabbits in a makeshift trap. He’d skinned them and placed them in a small stew pot. Rauros smelled the gamy meat simmering and realized he was hungry.
“How long was I out?” he asked.
“Two days, leader. The others of our band fell valiantly. We suspect the Abyssal Cairn is compromised. If this is the case Ankharet is either dead or sealed in the spatial plane of her daemon host. The wolf hordes are gone. The woods have been quiet for the last day. The rift hewn by the Dire Queen is broken,” Loki said.
He handed his commander a serving of stewed rabbit.
“We should attempt to locate the Orb of Paryphax. We can use it to strengthen the goblin army once more. Let us observe the troll folk from a distance. We shall travel to Mystic Down and learn what we can. An object that is said to possess such magical energy is easily found and readily transferred from ocean to land. The Dagonites have been longtime traders with the troll people. If they find the orb, which I believe they shall, they will deliver it to Lord Taliesin and his companions with the intention of establishing a new Wood Mage in Arborea. Come with me, Loki and Dakros. Let us find horses and rebuild the Harad Ghul. The Region of Arkadia belongs to the goblins once again!”
***
Liege Lord Taliesin and Gilead, Key Mage of Coermantyr rode side by side on the road to the Ghastly Fens. The winter was fast approaching and their faces were stung with droplets of rain propelled by the billowing wind.
“If this weather remains I may be forced to grow out my beard. I’m sure it will be none to Lady Sharon’s liking,” said the sometime Innkeeper. “I hope Siegemunde will help us. I have Restadicus’ letter of request. I wish I knew more about the ways of the lich folk. In honesty I’ve never dealt with one as closely as I have with Leif. He seems to be a respectable fellow, although a bit withdrawn. I suppose we will be forced to exercise a degree of patience when dealing with the natives of his Region.”
The Baroness rode up next to the two trolls, “Any sign of goblins afoot?”
“Not yet, My Love,” Gilead said. “I expect they will appear as we are traveling into the wilder sections of Coermantyr. The Crossroads are an unruly place. Even in prosperous times it is wise to venture there with armed guards.”
The band of mercenaries reached the edge of the Coermantyr Forest at dusk. Bors and Rodnik tethered the horses and fed them mashed grains. The trees grew shorter and the earth was damp and moldy. The fog thickened and rolled over the soil like smoke. Cattails and ferns grew in patches along the roadside.
Crows and owls cried in the damp atmosphere. The mercenaries saw gatherings of ancient stone buildings long abandoned. The scattered blocks resembled silent guardians in the mist. Many of them bore etchings of runes, the preferred alphabet of the lich folk.
“This is the Crossroads of the Ghastly Fens. It was here that my clan gained freedom from the despotic stone trolls centuries ago. An ancient wizard, in desperate need, bonded ghoul with troll, creating the lich folk. We are an honorable and industrious people. Magical knowledge is researched studiously in the Martial Academy. We are prepared to do whatever is necessary to insure the security of our Region. Follow me, My Friends. These are dangerous swamps. Many a curious traveler has vanished into the quick mud, never to be seen again,” said Leif.
The Sentinel magic user drew his rune-stitched robe about him as he guided his horse to the head of the convoy. Leif flung back his hood and uttered a guiding spell.
“Lumus, luminares!”
A wide ring of blue light encircled his head. It created a shimmering halo in the condensing fog.
“The Ethereal Light will mark the safe road. Do not stray far. There are many underground lakes here that are filled with binding reeds.”
Rodnik saw salamanders and eels squirming in the shallow pools. He held his hatchet at the ready as the mercenaries traversed the Ghastly Fens. The sounds of owls and birds of prey became more intense as night fell.
“Stop, Gaeans! This is not your home.”
A lumbering stone troll emerged from a straw-covered shack on a hilltop. He was immense, at least twice the height of Taliesin. He carried a rusty, iron club that left a line of turned earth where it dragged on the ground.
A female stone troll emerged from the dimly lit home. She held a lantern. The stone troll woman called out with a scratchy voice.
“Show them the risk of venturing to the Ghastly Fens, Fangoz!”
Befitting his name the shaggy stone troll’s lower jaw stuck out with two, spiky teeth curving outward over his upper lip. His whiskers were braided and descended to his chest. He bellowed with a voice that echoed over the Fens.
“Flee now, Intruders. This is our swamp and we have no need for trade with other clans.”
Fangoz rushed at Leif and swung a blow with his club that made a humming noise as it passed through the air. The Sentinel’s dappled mare was trained to evade such an attack. It bucked quickly, striking at the massive weapon with its steel-shod hooves. Leif was thrown from his horse. He rolled with agility on the soaked moss. His blue halo flickered but was not extinguished.
The towering troll next swung at Taliesin. The Lord deflected the attack with his hardened, steel sword. He then swung his weapon horizontally; cutting the large troll’s ribs a painful gash. Fangoz howled in agony and clutched his side with one hand. The stone troll wielded his club single-handedly, whirling it over his head like a flail.
Bors and Lady Sharon contended with the stone troll.
“Be careful, My Love,” yelled the female troll.
The Baroness swung her sword, which Fangoz blocked. This left the distracted troll vulnerable to Bors’ mace. He hurled it through the back of his left leg. The massive troll’s legs buckled and he fell to his knees. Leif drew a thin dagger and held it to the fanged troll’s neck.
“Surrender, Fangoz, or you shall never see your beloved again.”
“Alas!” the stocky troll cried. “I am vanquished. I surrender to you tricky swordsmen. I have not fought a group of such valiant fighters. I commend you.”
“You may rise, Stone Troll,” Leif said. “We shall tend to your injury. Our band can use your help if you care to assist us.”
“Not before having a spot of tea and some muffins. Enough of your exercises, all of you. Come inside and let’s get down to business,” the female stone troll said.
“My name is Cara,” the large troll woman said.
The mercenaries took her up on her invitation to take a break before trekking further into the swamp. The straw-covered shack was warm. A cast iron stove puttered in the corner. Leif and Rodnik used strips of cloth to bind Fangoz’ barrel chest. He sat on a large, wicker bench.
The Baroness of Coermantyr sipped tea on a tall stool. She spoke with Cara as she brought a tray of giant, carrot muffins to the Gaeans.
“We seek the Martial Academy. Siegemunde, the Director there, can help us to rescue our trapped friend. A spatial breach that existed until recently was sealed with him on the other side.”
“Yes, the wolf creatures have vanished. We thought they’d come from an alien place. There hasn’t been an invasion like that here for generations. Approach the lich folk if you so wish. They are a reclusive people but will assist you if they can. None of the residents of the Ghastly Fens benefited from the marauding Lykanthros. They disrupted the cycles of living here as they have throughout Gaea. The Dire Queen, Ankharet, was an insensitive tyrant,” said Cara.
“Fangoz will go with you to the Martial Academy. There are yet goblins running free in the Ghastly Fens. The eels and owls carry messages to those that have the patience to hearken them. They whisper of goblins moving over the moors. My husband is experienced with the tricks of the swamp and will protect you from ambush.”
“We’ll need biscuits, Cara. I don’t know if I’ll be able to lead them straight to Lich Town. Brigands and thieves are abounding. We may be days on the trail. Let us all get a night’s rest here and depart through the Fens, first thing in the morning,” said Fangoz.
He exhaled deeply and laid his head on a pillow at the edge of the bench.
“It is wise advice, Stone Troll,” Leif said. “I have been months from my Home Region and sense changes to the air since I departed. We will benefit from the extra protection. I don’t envy anyone who finds himself blocking your path.”
The lich troll wrapped himself in his robes and rested in a corner of the straw shack.
Fangoz consented to join the mercenaries the next morning. He accompanied the mounted travelers on foot. His long legs allowed him to keep up with the trotting horses.
“We are passing through the Greater Fens,” said Leif.
Lady Redthorne observed lich folk who fished in the murky pools with nets. The half ghouls dressed in dark colors and were constantly on the lookout for marauding goblins.
“These people can use a defensive garrison,” the Baroness observed. “Are there not enough trolls in Lich Town to provide protection for these ghoul trolls?”
“Regretfully not, My Lady,” Leif answered. “The Fens are an expansive Region, wider than Coermantyr and Mystic Down combined. My people depend on fish and wild game for sustenance. Imported goods and food are bartered at Lich Town but the Martial Academy is young. Most adepts leave the area entirely, seeking employment as Viziers for spice caravans and couriers.”
“I help when I can,” Fanoz said. “There are too many unguarded areas, unfortunately.”
The travelers discerned a worn road through the shaggy moss. The reeds and grasses grew tall, meeting the horses’ shoulders.
A band of tiger women ambushed the fighters. Several held bows with shafts at the ready. They blocked the trail at the front and rear of the group.
“What banditry is this?” Fangoz yelled. “I thought I taught you cats a lesson.”
One orange-furred amazon shot an arrow at the stone troll. It lodged in the center of his rusty club.
“Those were our cousins,” she said. “We’ve been watching you trolls for two days now. No one passes through here without surrendering their weapons and armor to us.”
“That’s not likely, Tigress,” Sharon said. “We have business up ahead and have no time to tarry here. Let us pass or contend with our wrath.”
“So be it,” the orange cat woman replied. “Show them we mean business, My Sisters!”
The vengeful tiger women shot their arrows at the mercenaries. Some of the shafts hit the armored riders and were deflected. Leif and Sharon both drew longbows of their own. They fired a volley of shafts at the tigresses, wounding three of them. The rest of the enthusiastic humanoids rushed the horses from front and back. Rodnik swung at them with his hatchet, injuring two more. One cat woman clawed a gash on the rear thigh of Bors’ clydesdale before he spun around and struck her shoulder with his mace.
Fangoz attacked the amazons in a fit of rage. He bellowed as he struck two of them with his club. They were knocked down, gasping for breath. The remaining four cat women fled into the tall reeds.
“We shall return!” yelled one of them, “And seek revenge for our fallen brethren, as well. You haven’t seen the last of the Bengal Clan.”
“Many races thrive on the resources of the fecund Fens, My Comrades,” said the towering stone troll. “The bonding of ghoul with troll was not the only magic that befell the Fens over the ages. Rogue sorcerers and banished conjurers found sanctuary here in the masking depths of the moors.”
That night Taliesin’s band camped atop a dry hill. The fog rolled endlessly over the mossy earth. The gray clouds filtered the light of Gaea’s moons. The bright haze spread into silver rings. Bors and Rodnik made sure to pile the reeds and driftwood thick atop the fire. The cries of owls and crickets filled the night.
“The tiger women have returned,” Leif declared.
The Sentinel lich troll was prepared and uttered a warding spell.
“Protex!”
A luminescent ring of red light surrounded the mercenaries. The feline eyes of the amazons reflected the light of the pyre as they approached the Gaeans.
“We are the Bengal Clan. You and your stone troll companion have injured our cousins. You shall pay for your folly. The Ghastly Fens belong to the anthromorphs and no one else. We will take your arms by surrender or force if necessary.”
The speaker was a tall tiger woman whose orange and black striped fur rippled as her muscles flexed. She wore plate armor and a leather skirt adorned with steel brads.
“My name is Jalhi. Our family cares not for intrusion by wolf beasts or scavenging lich folk. En guarde!”
A pair of wyverns accompanied the amazons. The young dragons flapped above Jalhi’s shoulders. Screeching loudly, the gold-scaled creatures spat a volley of smoldering fireballs at the mercenaries. Leif’s protective barrier absorbed some of the missiles. The remaining few struck Taliesin and Sharon’s hardened armor. The flaming energy splashed and dissipated in the air.
The tiger women drew curved daggers. They wielded one of the dangerous-looking blades in each paw. Jalhi and her furry cousins rushed the mercenaries. A few of them were hindered by the Sentinel’s magic shield, but only briefly.
Jalhi cried a tiger attack spell.
“Pranath!”
The dozen amazons were individually covered with aquamarine shields. The scrambling tigresses breached Leif’s barrier. The red ring wavered and then dissolved entirely. Lord Taliesin and Bors stepped forward to meet the anthromorphs. The aquamarine-lit amazons tumbled and rolled at the feet of the fighters, simultaneously thrusting their blades up at the legs and abdomens of their opponents. Taliesin and Gilead sidestepped the attack and swung parrying thrusts with their swords, knocking two of the tiger women unconscious. Bors was able to move away in time but was stabbed a shallow wound in the stomach.
“Arghh! That smarts!” he yelled.
The burly Burgomeister swung his mace wildly at the slashing anthromorph. He successfully bludgeoned her side, taking her breath away. The gray-furred tigress gasped on the moss in the fetal position.
The wyverns attacked Fangoz at close range. They clawed at his head and shoulders with their razor-like talons. Leif yelled a charm dragon spell.
“Dracos!”
The dragonlings dozed, flapping gently in the air above the stone troll.
“Alas, you are valiant fighters,” said Jalhi.
She signaled to her cousins to sheath their daggers.
“The Ghastly Fens have been a tumultuous place since the invasion of the Lykanthros. We received rumors that Summoners and Illusionaries were building a goblin army in Arkadia.”
The Leader of the Bengal Clan stood before the Baroness. She knelt in acquiescence before the armored Lady.
“There has been much bloodshed between our rival clans. The invasions of the ruthless wolf creatures have set us all on edge. You foreigners are valiant fighters and remind us of the peace that existed among the Regions of Gaea in past ages. We can help you gain safe passage to Lich Town. There are paths known to the amazon clan that we will share with you. Our only request is that you aid us in the event of future alien intrusion.”
“Thank you for your offer of assistance, Jalhi,” the Baroness answered. “We mercenaries have also been on our guard of late. The preternatural experiments of the Dire Queen have threatened the tranquility of affairs for all Gaeans. I apologize for the injuries of your cousins. They are intrepid and valiant warriors. Please help our lich troll Sentinel navigate us through the moors and fog. The dangerous quagmires have claimed many an unsuspecting adventurer. The Director of the Martial Academy in the chief city of the ghoul trolls has agreed to assist us in rescuing our halfling friend, Bjorn Roundtree, from the Gorgon Plane.”
“A more ambitious hope of ours is to dispatch Ankharet and her daemon acquaintance once and for all.”
The tigresses purred their agreement with the peace offering of their Leader. Fangoz patted the furry heads of several of the cat women amiably.
“I’m sorry about your cousins, too. My wife and I have seen you people running through the mist on many nights. Let us carry on from here in friendship.”
“We must ensure the safety of our Regions. At this time we know not whether the Summoners will return to our plane to invade again. Let us march onward for the sake of our lands,” the stone troll rumbled.
Lord Taliesin’s mercenaries traveled through the night, guided by the light of Leif’s halo and the direction of the amazons. Cries of toads and owls reverberated over the mossy hills. The horses ambled cautiously over the damp earth.
Early the next morning a band of armed lich trolls stood on a crest of hills in the traveler’s path.
“Halt and state your business!” said a gaunt lich troll.
The half trolls bore crossbows. They were dressed in flowing, black robes similar to those worn by Leif but without the cryptic runes indicating his training as a Sentinel.
“I am Thorgrym, Captain of the Watch. No one without ghoulish blood may enter Lich Town. The Ghastly Fens are a sacred Region and will not tolerate defilement by mercenaries and cutpurses.”
“We are here on legitimate business, Thorgrym,” Leif bellowed. “It has been many months since we shared mushroom brew in Lich Town. Perhaps you don’t remember me. I was the first of the delegates sent by Siegemunde to eliminate the arcane source of the invading wolf beasts. My name is Leif, of the Sentinel Order.”
The ghoul troll Captain struck flint to a gray crystal mounted on an ebony staff. The torch ignited, causing Taliesin’s entourage to cast elongated shadows on the surrounding knolls.
“Ah, Leif, I recognize you now. You must forgive our reticence.”
“The Lykanthros have vanished but the Fens are yet replete with hostile anthromorphs and other creatures,” Thorgrym continued. “I see that you have amazons and a stone troll in your company. How is it that you gained their allegiance?”
“We did not win it freely, My Friend,” the Sentinel attested. “Our stone troll companion was the first to meet us in the Fens. We convinced him of the seriousness of our intentions to permeate the moors. My comrades and I might not have turned the accosting tiger women without his help.”
The mounted lich troll turned to his lumbering ally.
“Thanks again, Fangoz.”
“It was nothing,” the stone troll answered.
The orange and black-striped tigress, Jalhi, addressed Thorgrym.
“We have decided to assist the cause of you reclusive lich folk. The Lykanthros hordes proved a detrimental force to our hunting parties. We anthromorphs will soon unite to bring a new era of order to the Ghastly Fens. Allow us entrance to your Ghoul City, Captain. You will not regret our help in securing the breaches formed by the Arkadian Summoners.”
“Beware, Tigress. We have battled with your cousins for many years. If we allow you entrance into Lich Town do not doubt our archers will keep you in their sights,” the lich troll Captain replied.
Thorgrym consulted briefly with his armed soldiers.
“Alas,” he sighed. “We will escort you into Lich Town. Keep in mind that we do not tolerate theft or violence in our peace-loving city. Although our ancestors were pulled from the grave after gruesome battles they have ordained that this haven remain sacrosanct and separate from the feuds that wash over the Regions of Gaea.”
“You have our gratitude, Staunch Captain,” said the Baroness. “I’m sure that Siegemunde will reward your prudent judgment in this matter. The fate of all our lands lies on the success of our mission.”
Bors, Rodnik and Alex were the first to reach the top of the hills where the lich trolls stood. They shook hands.
“These are disorienting and confusing moors, Ghoul Trolls. You have chosen a dark and mysterious place to build your city,” said Alex. “I never before traveled beyond the borders of Coermantyr. The memories I’ve collected on this journey will surely last a lifetime.”
Fangoz and Jalhi’s clan strode after the mounted warriors as they marched over the fern-covered crest into a shallow valley. They beheld Lich Town, the city of Leif’s formation and training. The entire settlement was protected by a tall, wicker wall. Around this barrier was a succession of moats and sharpened poles. These traps had been placed as a deterrent for any would-be pillagers. Many of the homes and storage buildings were constructed on top of fired-clay pylons so that they may remain dry above the soaked soil.
“Let us remain quiet and reserved among these people, My Friends,” Gilead said. “They are not accustomed to the appearance of troll folk from the southern Regions. We must keep in mind that we look as strange to them as Leif did to us when we first met.”
The Key Mage of Coermantyr drew his wool cloak about his head and shoulders, covering his beard and face.
In accordance with Gilead’s warning the residents of Lich Town kept a respectable distance from the warhorses of the mercenaries. Lich trolls and troll women who conducted business in the central marketplace grouped together. The ghoul trolls spoke to each other in hushed tones. Their black within black eyes stared at the travelers with apprehension and uncertainty.
“Don’t be afraid, My Kindred. We are here on official business. My friends helped me to seal the breach from which the Lykanthros invaders emerged. Our mission is to seek Siegemunde and eliminate the usurping Summoners permanently,” Leif yelled.
The villagers did not respond. Several of the shopkeepers lowered the awnings of their stores, closing early for the day.
The warriors neared the raised platforms of the Martial Academy. It consisted of a series of structures connected by swinging bridges and crank-powered elevators. Rows of oil-burning lamps illuminated the multi-leveled decks of the Academy. Their smoky light created golden rings in the creeping mist.
The main elevator was large enough to lift the band’s horses. It took a second trip to hoist Fangoz, whose rusty club alone weighed more than a large troll.
“Leif, I haven’t seen you for months. The wolf creatures have gone. Has Ankharet been defeated?”
A lich woman addressed the Sentinel. Her cloak was also stitched with the runes indicative of those educated by Siegemunde. Her dark eyes and gaunt face gazed at the magic user with an expression of recognition.
“Sigrid, greetings.”
Leif clutched the lich woman’s arms in a hearty embrace. It has been a while since we last spoke. How go the affairs of our people?”
“As good as can be expected. The anthromorphs continue to prove hostile and marauding. I don’t suppose your tiger companions have an explanation for this.”
The female ghoul troll glared accusingly at Jalhi and her clan.
“The Ghastly Fens are ours. The goods that are moved through the Crossroads belong to us as much as they do to you lich folk. Now that the Lykanthros are gone We must come to a truce. I take responsibility for the actions of my cousins. We were tired of scavenging along the margins of the moors,” the tigress growled in apology.
She bared her feline fangs and flicked her tail in a posture of frustration.
“So be it, Amazon. The mists speak to all of us of changing times. Let us see Siegemunde and bring an end to the conflict that has bespoiled our regions if at all possible.”
Sigrid took Leif by the hand and led the mercenaries to the Council Chamber of the Martial Academy.
The room was built at the top of the platforms. It held translucent windows and numerous shelves of books. The library was smaller than the one in Coermantyr Castle but many of the tomes and scrolls glistened with a sheen that bespoke of recent research and experimentation.
Siegemunde sat at a candlelit desk at the floor of the council forum. A single, silver earring on his left lobe twinkled as it reflected the light. His baldhead was creased from years of reading and record keeping. The Director of the Martial Academy smiled as the sizeable band of warriors descended the steps to his desk.
“Ah, Leif. I’ve been expecting you. Thorgrym’s guards gave word of your approach during the night. I hope they received you peacefully.”
The wizard smiled and rose to greet his alumnus.
“They were an unusual and motley band to say the least, Director. We were armed and ready in case the anthromorphs and stone troll planned some trickery. They seem to be peaceful enough.”
The Captain of the Lich Town Guards still eyed the amazons with an air of suspicion.
“Very well, Thorgrym. I’m sure you will maintain our safety if the situation arises,” chuckled Siegemunde.
“Tell me, Baroness Sharon, do you have the scrying glass which Restadicus told me of after your arrival in Coermantyr?”
“Yes, Director. Our halfling friend, Bjorn, was caught in the Gorgon Plane when Leif was about to destroy the Dire Queen. She and Guardon escaped through the portal it generated. Please open the gateway once more so that we may come to his aid and dispatch the Summoners permanently,” Sharon asked.

(CONTINUED IN ORDER & CHAOS pt. 8)
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