is not my concern. I simply expect that you will find it, you will obtain it, and you will return it to She Who Rules Eternally. Other than that, I leave the details to you.”
“Now, if you will vacate my seat,” said Whitebone and nodded his head slightly to Thantos, “I can summon my servants and prepare to venture out.”
“If you require any further aid from me, or the Lady of the Abyss,” said Thantos, as he stood up and casually tossed the finger bone across the floor where it came to rest up against the wall, you will inform us over the usual channels.” With that the ghoul walked down the narrow hallways and soon disappeared around a corner.
Whitebone sat in his throne and stared into empty space for some time until a large soldier with a badly scarred face approached, “Lord Whitebone,” he said with a bow. “Your orders?”
“Tell the mages to prepare the portal for travel to the darklands, the same location we sent Snowball,” said the master of the realm as his fingers tapped irregularly on his bone throne.
The scarred warrior turned to leave but Whitebone raised a finger, “General,” he said and the soldier turned back to face his commander. “Tell everyone to keep an eye out for the dark shadow Tenebrous and if they see him to report it to me immediately,” he finished.
“Yes, Lord Whitebone,” said the scarred warrior and turned once again and marched stiffly out of the room.
“The black shadow is far more dangerous than Thantos,” mused Whitebone as his fingers tapped out a rhythm on the throne, “and yet far more useful at the same time. It is most vexing that the most predictable of my servants and my enemies are also the least useful. I suppose that is the way of things.”
Chapter 15
“My head hurts,” said Sorus as the trio of men and their horses walked slowly east towards the Mountains of the Orc. Ahead of them the Frosty Run gurgled with snow melt and promised fresh fish for dinner but, for the moment, the air was crisp, the sky blue, and the boy’s head hurt.
“Let that be a lesson,” said Proteus as he glanced over from his mount. “Next time drink in moderation. All things in moderation, drink, food, battle, horseback riding, and dungeon delving for lost relics of the Old Empire.”
“Ooooh,” moaned Sorus as his horse’s hooves plowed into the lush fields of grass where pretty little orange flowers blossomed more fully as the morning progressed. “I’ll never drink again,” and then he suddenly pulled his horse over, tried to dismount, fell to the ground on his knees and then elbows, and then threw up with great heaves. The horse moved away.
“Eggs,” said Jon with a shake of his head and looked at Proteus with a smile on his face, but also turned the other way, his own stomach suddenly queasy.
“I didn’t think that was such a good idea this morning,” said the square-jawed Brokenshield who also shook his head, “but I did suggest just some stale bread and a little milk.”
“Shut up,” said Sorus from the ground, “it’s not like I can’t hear you,” and then he started to heave again although only liquid came up and then nothing at all. After a few more moments he staggered to his feet, lurched over to his horse, pulled off a canteen, and took a shallow swig of water. He breathed deeply for a few more moments and then took another sip.
“At least he didn’t throw-up on the flowers,” said Jon. “What are those orange ones? Our flora and fauna is totally different in Tanelorn.”
“Flora and fauna?” said Proteus.
“That’s what it’s called,” said Jon. “Animals and plants,” he continued and moved his hand, open palm towards the landscape.
“I know that’s what it’s called,” said Proteus with a smile as he threw up his own hands in a defensive gesture. “I just don’t often here those terms used. You did have quite the education back in Tanelorn.”
“I guess so,” said Jon. “My mom made sure of that and my older brother Val is kind of a stickler about learning things. He’s a gray druid now and he talks with dad and the other elders about important things.”
“An older brother,” said Proteus. “I can’t imagine your poor mother wanting to have children after one like you,” he said as they waited for Sorus to roll onto his horse and continue the journey. The poor boy managed to mount on his third try as he slung his leg up and around and then fell forward, face down, onto the mane of the beast.
“He was born early,” said Jon. “He’s much shorter than me and has a club foot so he’s more of a wizard than a fighter. That’s not to say he doesn’t know his way around the blade though,” said Jon suddenly and turned his head and looked at Proteus. “I didn’t mean to say…”
Proteus smiled and shook his head, “I didn’t take it that way Jon, and I’ve got an older brother myself. I’m sure he’s a fine bladesman but everyone has their own specialties and interests. Not everyone is made out to be a knight,” he said with a shrug and looked over at Sorus. “Sit up straight boy, leaned over like that you bounce more, and in your condition, that’s not good.”
“Uhghh,” said Sorus and tried to sit up but only managed a half slump in his seat. “I don’t feel good.”
“Is your brother a knight?” said Jon as he looked at Proteus, “or is he a potter or something?”
“He’s a knight as well,” said Proteus with a shrug and quick rise of his eyebrows, “but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Some of my friends growing up wanted to be knights but then as they got older decided on something else, farming, pottery, tailor, tanner, anything really. There’s no shame in it and those are important professions,” he continued and slapped the leather riding saddle and then the thick wool shirt he wore. “Like I said before, we knights take our twelve month but we don’t really learn a profession. If the journeymen didn’t do their job then the nation wouldn’t be the same.”
“Do you have many wizards here?” said Jon as he glanced over at Sorus. “The reptile men to the south of Tanelorn have snake wizards and we skirmish with them regularly and then there are the rock beasts.”
“Rock beasts,” said Sorus suddenly alert, “what are those?”
Jon shrugged, “That’s something the gray druids want to know as well,” he said and suddenly became quiet. Sorus looked at Proteus who held up his hand palm toward the young knight and nodded twice quickly with his head as they watched Jon. After a few moments the gray knight seemed to come out of his reverie and looked at the other two and shook his head as if to wake himself up. “Sorry, it’s just that I haven’t been away from home for this long ever before. I was just thinking about my family, my friends, my girlfriends.”
“Girlfriends?” said Sorus smiling, “plural?”
Jon shrugged and smiled with a closed mouth, “Well, who am I to say no when they come knocking at my door. I hate to be rude.”
Proteus laughed, “It must be tough to be the son of the ruler,” he said, nudged his horse over to Jon, and smacked the broad-shouldered boy on the back.
“You forgot to say, ‘the son of the ruler and devastatingly handsome,’” said Jon and gave the older man a punch to the shoulder that rocked him to the side.
“My mistake,” said Proteus and reached up with a pained expression to his shoulder, “and watch yourself when you punch your elders, we’re frail old men.”
Jon and Sorus laughed and the young knight of Elekargul suddenly remembered the original question, “Jon, what are rock beasts?”
“There is a… creature… an elemental thing… well, something to the east of Tanelorn called the Rock Lord. No one really knows what it is to be honest. He appeared before I was born not long after my father settled in the region, before Tanelorn. He… it…whatever, it somehow turns living creatures into stone beasts, not just animals either, plants, insects, and people.”
“How do you fight a thing like that,” said Proteus and looked at Jon with a shake of his head.
“That’s what the gray druids do most of the time; they keep the Rock Lord and his minions in check. It’s not hard once you learn the proper spells, a liberal dose of water, a quick bit of cold, and then a heavy batch of hammer play from the gray knights does the trick,” said Jon. “I’ve broken up quite a few in my day. Luckily they’re not too bright, not much different from fighting zombies and skeletons really. They don’t coordinate well and can’t function as a unit on anything other than at the most basic level.”
