under your bulk.”
“Ahh my boy,” said Odellius, “Come over here, Sorus and you might learn something. I’m going to tell our little Jonny boy that there are many ways to make love to a woman, even for a big fat fellow like myself. You might learn something useful,” he finished with a wave of his great arm to the young knight.
“Sorus,” said the First Rider over his shoulder, “Odellius might exaggerate a bit but you can learn a few things from him, if you try not to take it too seriously.”
Sorus rode over to Odellius his eyes shone brightly, “Favor me with your advice, Sir Odellius of the giant prick.”
Odellius and Jon laughed aloud but then the rotund knight let his face relax into a shallow grin, “You like that Shia girl as I recall,” he said to Sorus; the boy immediately blushed, and put his head down. “There’s no shame in that,” he went on, “she’s a lovely girl, full-bodied and spirited as well. If you want to take her maidenhood you’ll have to be more aggressive in your wooing. Standing about stammering and drooling is no way to win a girl, particularly one your age. The lasses tend to like older men, something I lamented back in my youth, but which served me quite well enough over the years!” he said with a boisterous laugh. “Tell her what you want, and if she says she isn’t interested then go off and do something foolish, they like that.”
Jon nodded his head, “My sister says I’m about the most foolish boy in all of Tanelorn and the girls seem to like me alright. So, maybe this big oaf has it right.”
“I’m not like you or Odellius,” said Sorus as he sheepishly looked down at his feet in their stirrups. “I know that guys like you get all the girls, but I never thought I’d be a knight. Shia only wanted to be with one, so I guess I never really told her how I felt.”
“It’s never too late, boy,” said Odellius, “until she gets married at least, but even then the bravest of us knights have a tendency to die young; hazard of the job you know, so you can always get another crack.”
“First you tell me to do something foolish, which in our profession is likely to get me killed, and then you tell me to wait until all her other suitors do something crazy and die,” said Sorus.
“Achh, you think too much,” said Odellius, “I’ve known lads like you all my life.”
“My brother’s like that,” said Jon. “Always thinking and never doing.”
“Listen,” said Vipsanius and suddenly held up his hand, which caused the four to pull up their horses and turn their heads to the side. A moment later the sound of hoof beats became apparent to them all and, seconds after that, half a dozen fully armored knights pounded up from just over a rise and bore down upon them. As they approached and identified the group they immediately pulled aside and saluted the First Rider with clenched fists.
“First Rider Vipsanius,” said the apparent leader of the group, a tall human with pointed ears indicating some elf blood in his veins. “We’ve spotted the reptile men survivors. We allowed them to head into the hills as you commanded.”
“Lead us to the spot,” said the First Rider with a nod of his head. “But, not too close, they might set a rear guard.”
“Yes, sir,” said the man with another salute and expertly wheeled his horse. The other five men looked at Jon, Sorus and Odellius, but then turned their horses and followed the first.
“We’ll dismount and go on foot when we get close to the mountains,” ordered the First Rider looking back at the other three. “We need to follow them for as long as possible without being spotted if we hope to let them lead us to the staff. Sir Sorus, Sir Odellius, this isn’t your fight and the safety of Elekargul is not directly at stake, if you wish to leave Jon and I to pursue the mission I grant you that right.”
Sorus looked to Odellius and the young man and the older knight smiled and shook their heads in unison, “I think we’ll stay for a just a bit longer,” said the rotund knight. “I don’t know if I speak for Sir Sorus here but I’d like to see how this thing turns out in the end, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m staying with Jon,” said Sorus suddenly. “Sir Germanius ordered me to stay with him no matter what, and I’ll not let anyone tell me different, not even you First Rider Vipsanius.”
Jon turned to the young boy a puzzled expression on his face, “Sir Germanius said that?”
Sorus nodded his head, “He told me to stick with you no matter what, so you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.”
“I like it just fine, Sorus,” said Jon with a nod of his head and he rode over to the boy and clapped him on the back. “I can’t imagine a better man to share my quests than you. No offense, Odellius but I’m not sure I can take enough food along to keep your appetites quelled.”
“None taken, boy,” said Odellius. “Sir Germanius was a good man, a bit out of touch in his later years but a fine knight and a true champion. If he thinks you and Sorus should stay together then I support that decision. Besides, I have a feeling you’ll be doing quite a lot of traveling in your lifetime, Jon, and I’m not a young man anymore despite my youthful appearance!”
“If you ladies are finished nattering,” said the First Rider as he looked over his shoulder and shook his head. “There’s a relic of the Old Empire to be found.” With that he cantered off after the other knights.
It took them almost an hour to find the spot where the reptile men broke through the ranks of the knights of Elekargul and into the mountains. The soldiers provided the four men with food, water, and supplies for their journey into the hills and took their horses.
Jon was particularly saddened to see his trotter go, “Take good care of him,” he told the powerful knight who held the reins. “She’s Tarlton bred and as fine a mount as I’ve ever had.”
The man nodded his head and, with the First Rider in the lead, the four set out into the mountains.
Chapter 26
“We will follow the debased dragon children,” said Thantos to the twenty or so gathered darklings of various shapes and sizes. The largest of them stood well over eight feet tall with pale skin and long tusks that came from a low slung jaw, while half a dozen more stood only four feet tall with nasty little blades at their sides. “They know where the Staff of Sakatha is hidden. When we retrieve the staff the Lady of the Abyss, She who has Ruled for All Eternity, will reward you well for you services.”
“Exactly how much will she reward us?” said almost the smallest of the strange creatures with the sharp knives, who wore a leer on his pale white face that exposed a double row of pointed little teeth. “I do not expect to be rewarded upon my death,” he continued, “I want a more tangible reward, ghoul.”
Thantos looked sharply at the creature, “The Mistress of the Abyss controls your soul after death so if you don’t want to spend an eternity in the deathlands than you should shut your fat little mouth.”
The creature laughed as did the two dozen others gathered around Thantos, the biggest made a sort of grunt sound and moved a step closer to the ghoul who licked his lips nervously and put up his hands in a defensive position. “Now, now, my darkling friends,” he said and backed up a step or two, “there is no need for violence. We can work this out. The Lady of the Aybss, She of the All Power, wants the Staff of Sakatha, the degenerate dragon children know where it is, and you can help me get it. This can work to our mutual benefit.”
“We await your offer, oh mighty subordinate of She Who Rules for Now,” said the little darkling creature with a wicked smile.
“You dare insult the Mistress of the Aybss,” said Thantos with a snarl at the goblin and he seemed to forget the huge creature nearby who sidled ever closer, “she will have your eternal soul for such mockery.”
“Your threats do not bother me, ghoul,” said the creature and smiled once again. “You need our help and we are willing to give it… for the right price. The Lady of the Abyss is a woman with great power and wealth but also one of capricious whims. It is well known she does not always honor her bargains and I merely wish to assure myself that our pay will be commiserate with the danger our work.”
Thantos looked at the little darkling for a long moment, then to the larger creatures, and finally to the others that surrounded him, “She promises you each five slaves and one thousand black coins,” he spat out, “is that acceptable?”
“Living slaves or mindless skeletons?” said the darkling, a wicked grin on his face.
“My Lady of the Abyss has little power over fleshy creatures such as yourself,” said Thantos. “The slaves will be deathly creatures but capable of taking simple direction. Now, is this enough or not? I grow weary of this dank
