brown-glazed whole chicken on a bed of carrots and cauliflower, as well as a side of beef that stewed in its own juices with little cooked onions as a garnish. Odellius reached forward with lightning rapidity and began to carve the chicken with the expertise of a true trencherman while the high priest took on the side of beef. After a few moments dedicated to this important pursuit the men loaded their plates, Odellius refraining from a double portion after the slightest of glances from the First Rider. They began to eat and resumed their conversation.
“He’s not more than eighteen,” said Odellius. “Just a boy and come all this way. His father must have great faith in him,” he managed between mighty forkfuls of food. “Damn fine beef,” he said to the high priest, “I’m reminded of the dinner served to me by the wife of an orc we fought against back in the day. He had five daughters and the meal
…”
“Sir Odellius,” said the First Rider, “I’ve spoken to you before about your bawdy stories and colorful anecdotes and when they are appropriate.”
Odellius looked up, a chicken wing in hand and poised in front of his mouth, “I’m hurt, Vipsansius, deeply hurt that you think I’d say anything inappropriate in front of his high holiness here.”
“I’m surprised he can say anything with half a chicken in his mouth,” said Imprilius and pointed his knife at Odellius.
“Half?” said Odellius, “I think that’s underestimating a tad.”
“Likely,” said the high priest with a shake of his head and hearty laugh. “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“That’s kind of you,” said Odellius as he shoved another forkful of food into his mouth. “I appreciate your concern.”
“Are you two ladies done with your niceties,” said the First Rider, although a smile appeared on his face as he pushed back his half empty glass of wine. “We only have the nation to save, if you don’t mind.”
Both Odellius and Imprilius nodded their heads although the high priest said, “There is still dessert to come so we might lose the big man for a bit.”
“The reason I came to you,” said the Vipsanius and looked at the high priest with a squarely set jaw, “is help on where in the Mountains of the Orc we need to head if we are going to find Jon Gray.”
“I know,” said the high priest with a nod. “You know that Sir Giaus is half reptile and his dreams alerted us to this situation in the first place. I spoke with him extensively after our first meeting and learned a great deal.”
“Tell us then,” said the First Rider with a nod of his head, “You can, of course, say anything in front of Sir Odellius with complete confidence.”
“Sir Gaius believed the dreams emanate from the legendary mount of the Sakatha, a tremendously powerful green dragon called Chusarausea, as we discussed before. But, there is something new. Gaius thought the dragon is somehow being manipulated into giving the dreams and has resisted revealing the true location of the staff.”
“Interesting,” said the First Rider as his eyes closed for a moment and he paused. “That is why the forces trying to find it have so far utterly failed. Does Gaius know who manipulates the dragon?”
The high priest shook his head and smiled as a young boy brought in thick apple pie whose aroma immediately filled the room. “Vipsanius, would you do the honor please?” he said and pointed to the silver pie server that accompanied the dish.
The First Rider began to cut into the pie industriously and soon all three men had equal-sized slices on their plates. “Now, if you gluttons are done with the food can we get on with the important business?”
Odellius sighed, “If a man does not eat then he cannot perform heroic deeds. So it is written.”
“I’d ask by whom but I think I know the answer,” said the high priest with a laugh. “However, First Rider, I take your point. This is a serious matter and deserves our full attention. Gaius suggested that the dragon hoped to steer his followers in the wrong direction to keep the device from whomever is manipulating it. But that this subterfuge is slowly failing and those guided by this endeavor are getting close to the staff.”
“Is Gaius still here?” said Odellius between bites of his slice which already lay in ruin, two-thirds eaten. “Why not let him lead us to the thing?”
The First Rider looked down as did the high priest and Odellius instantly knew that the man was no longer alive.
“No,” said the Vipsansius. “I ordered him and a troupe of warriors into the hills to retrieve the thing and they have not been seen since. I’m almost certain they were captured or killed by the orcs or possibly the darklings.”
“There is this invasion of reptiles of Darag’dal to deal with as well,” said Odellius and High Priest Impilius looked up sharply.
“Yes, the messenger said something about that before riding off. An invasion? The creatures are ill equipped to fight our mounted style of warfare,” he said and looked back and forth between Odellius and Vipsanius. “I can’t imagine what they hope to accomplish.”
“I’m not convinced it was an invasion,” said the First Rider and stuck his fork into the partially eaten pie. “They managed to get all the way to Black Dale without anyone noticing them. I suspect they were on a stealth mission to reach the Mountains of the Orc and help liberate the Staff of Sakatha from whatever force is manipulating the dragon. But, they attacked the warriors and somehow Thorius Brokenshield guessed that they were there, which is something I still don’t understand. I have a theory about that that is not material to the current conversation,” went on the First Rider. “Whatever force searches for the Staff of Sakatha knew about the lizards and directed or somehow manipulated Mayor Thorius into sending them off in chase.”
“But if they were on a mission of stealth then why attack us?” said Odellius. “I was there the night of the battle from the beginning. The creatures launched the first assault although only with a small force. We beat them back easily and then the mayor and his men ran into the main group. We were beaten like a boy who can’t master the niceties of brushing down his horse every night and readied ourselves for a last stand when you arrived, First Rider.”
“Yes,” said the First Rider with a nod of his head. “That is true but our interrogators found that more of them, mostly the priests, were still hiding up in the hills. I suspect the priests knew of the mission in greater detail than the warriors.”
“And the fighters attacked out of sheer aggression,” said Odellius. “That does have the ring of truth about it. They stood no chance against heavily armored horsemen once daylight arrived, so attacking was foolish.”
“The priests escaped the carnage?” said Imprilius and gazed to the First Rider, his hands on either side of his plate and his brown eyes suddenly ablaze with intensity.
“That’s right,” said Vipsanius. “At least that is the last news I received. I sent a troop after them and they might well be destroyed by now.”
“Order them off immediately,” said the high priest. “That’s how you’ll find the Staff of Sakatha and this Jon Gray fellow. You have to follow them to the staff. They’re in tune with the dreams of the green dragon.”
“But didn’t you say the dreams are false,” said Odellius and looked to the high priest as he leaned back in his chair to pat his enormous belly. “Wouldn’t they be going in the wrong direction?”
“Not false,” said Imprilius and suddenly got to his feet, “just resistant to give the true location. That was the interpretation of Sir Gaius. These are clerics of Sakatha, they have direct access to the thoughts of the dragon. They are headed for the staff, for the mountain, for whatever force is manipulating the dragon, and for your Tanelornian friend.”
“Why don’t we just leave it to them then,” said Odellius. “Let them destroy whatever this evil force is, take the thing back to Darag’dal, and use it however they please.”
“No,” said the First Rider. “Imprilius and I discussed that possibility at great length. If the reptiles gain the staff they will become that much more powerful.”
“We are far away from Darag’dal, a thousand miles almost,” said Odellius, “and even with this staff their armies are useless in open terrain against armored knights. We have nothing to fear from them.”
“That was my point,” said the high priest with a shrug, “but the First Rider and I decided that the risk of them getting such a powerful relic from the Old Empire was dangerous. They might ally with the orcs of Adas Jdar, or relight the conquering ambitions of Relm, or, who know, align with the insect men. There is also the possibility that they fail in their mission and the other forces gain the thing.”
“What do we know about these other forces?” said Odellius as he once again turned to the First Rider. “Do
