Bladvaneer Page 9

  “Fine. I don’t like it, but you may be right. Let’s rest here for a while, and then get on our way.”

  “I wouldn’t suggest that. Remember where we are. Blistok Forest is home to the Karthuma, and we definitely don’t want to run into them. We might still be able to get through before nightfall,” Maurya said.

  “The Karthuma?” Simko asked.

  “You must have heard of them. The few people who’ve seen them and lived to tell about it have never been the same. Supposedly they still see huge, dark shadows in their dreams for years after.”

  “Maybe we should just stay here, then,” Simko said.

  “We’re already in the forest here. And if we go back, we might run into those thugs from Farbo Town again.”

  “Talk about being between a rock and a hard place,” Simko groaned.

  Klavin came to a decision, picked up his sword, and stood. “We’re going in. We’ve wasted enough time already.” Without waiting for the others, he moved deeper into the forest. After exchanging glances, Maurya and Simko followed him.

  13

  The trio had no idea if the sun had gone down yet. The forest was so dense that they couldn’t even see the sky. The only light came from a stone Simko had placed a spell on. Every so often they’d hear a branch break in the distance.

  “Maybe that’s your cat,” Maurya suggested.

  “I’m sure it is,” Simko agreed, not believing it for a second. “What exactly are these Karthuma supposed to look like?”

  “People describe them as being huge, at least seven feet tall. Huge fangs, dripping with blood from their last kill. And they never travel alone. If you see one, it just means that you’re being surrounded on all sides by its friends,” Maurya said.

  “Great,” Simko sighed.

  “Come on, those things always get blown out of proportion. Everything looks like a monster when you’re deep in a dark forest and are probably lost and you keep hearing noises around you,” Klavin argued.

  “Sure,” Simko said.

  As the trio walked, the sounds of footsteps and branches breaking seemed to come more frequently, although each of them thought it could be their own imagination. As they turned a bend, they saw a figure sitting on a rock, its back to them. From what they could see, it appeared to be completely covered in armor.

  “This is bad,” Maurya whispered.

  “They’re surrounding us, aren’t they?” Klavin said.

  Maurya nodded. They stood still for what seemed like hours, watching the figure on the rock and noticing that the forest, seemingly full of life moments earlier, now was eerily silent.

  “We could go back,” Simko suggested.

  “It’s way too late for that,” Maurya said.

  “Then we keep going. If they’re going to get us, they’re going to do it no matter what we do,” Klavin said, as he approached the rock. His friends followed him.

  They reached the figure, which still hadn’t moved.

  “Hello?” Klavin said.

  The figure remained perfectly still. Simko tapped it. The helmet fell off, and the rest of the armor collapsed to the ground, revealing absolutely nothing inside.

  “Hmmm,” Klavin wondered. “I’m willing to bet they’re behind us, right now.”

  Maurya ventured a look behind her. “You could say that,” she confirmed.

  The trio very slowly turned around, their hands in plain sight and not making any movement toward their weapons. Behind them they found about a dozen small figures, each approximately three feet tall. Each was armored from head to toe, exactly like the one on the rock, and carrying a pike. Some looked to have bows strapped to their backs. All three felt it was probably safe to assume that these suits weren’t empty.

  “Hi,” Simko said.

  The figures rushed forward.

  14

  The trio, disarmed but surprisingly unharmed, had been led to a clearing deep within the forest. They were taken into a tent which was obviously meant for someone half their size. There they waited. They weren’t tied up, nor did they try to escape, knowing that they were almost certainly watched and surrounded.

  They stayed there for an indeterminate amount of time. After a while, one of the figures entered, carrying three cups of water. A moment later, a second one followed, carrying a plate of what seemed to be some type of meat. These were all placed in front of the group, and the two figures stood and waited. Maurya reached for a cup.

  “What are you doing? They probably poisoned that,” Simko warned.

  Maurya chuckled. “Are you kidding? If they wanted us dead, they would have done it in the forest.”

  “Maybe they want us to die a slow and painful death,” Simko insisted.

  Maurya stopped, the cup halfway to her lips. “They could have done that in the forest too,” she said, and drank.

  Klavin and Simko stared at her and then, seeing that there seemed to be no immediate side effects, drank their water as well. Maurya picked up a slice of meat and tasted it. It was good, although she had no idea what it was. Considering the surroundings, she found it hard to believe it was beef or chicken. She nodded at her two friends, letting them know that she wasn’t dead and they could feel free to eat. They didn’t hesitate. It had been quite a while for all three of them. Maurya looked up from the plate and noticed that the two figures had silently left. She decided to make note of how quietly they could move when they wanted to.

  “So these are the Karthuma?” Klavin asked, deciding to break the silence.

  “Er …” Maurya answered.

  “They’re not quite seven feet tall, are they?” Klavin asked, sarcasm dripping.

  “Um … no. Although they could have blood-soaked fangs under those helmets.”

  Some time later, two more figures entered the tent. It was impossible to tell whether or not they were the same ones who had previously been there. They motioned for their guests to follow them. Seeing no other choice, they did.

  Outside they found themselves surrounded by dozens, perhaps hundreds, of the armored figures. One, strangely enough wearing a red feather in its helmet, stepped forward. It stood in front of them for several seconds, then reached up and removed its helmet. Instinctively, all three closed their eyes and looked away.

  “What’s wrong?” they heard a voice say.

  They opened their eyes and in front of them stood what could best be described as a teddy bear wearing full plate mail armor. None of them knew quite what to say in this situation.

  “Hi,” Simko said, even though it hadn’t worked out so well the last time he tried that.

  The figure in front of him smiled. He turned to the other figures, and they removed their helmets as well.

  “We come in peace,” Klavin said. He felt the need to say something.

  “We know. That’s why you’re still alive,” the apparent leader said. “My name is Lamnow. Who are you?”

  Each of them introduced themselves. Lamnow nodded and then led them into another, larger tent, with seats. Several of the other Karthuma followed. Everyone sat.

  “You’re not quite what we expected,” Simko said, as Maurya shot him a dirty look.

  Lamnow laughed. “No, I’d imagine we’re not. You probably thought you’d be eaten by huge monsters when you entered this forest, didn’t you?”

  “The thought never crossed our minds,” Simko lied.

  “Of course it did,” Lamnow said, smiling. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. We try our best to make everyone believe that.”

  “But why? You’re obviously capable of taking care of yourselves,” Maurya said.

  “True, but we’d rather it never get to that point. We like keeping to ourselves. The only reason we revealed ourselves to you is because you, no offense, looked to be in bad shape, and we thought we could help. So, what exactly are you doing here?”

  Klavin looked at Simko and Maurya, who both nodded. Klavin proceeded to tell Lamnow everything.

  “That’s quite a story,”
Lamnow said at the end.

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “Oh, I believe you. It’s too hard to believe you could make up something like that. I wish we could help you.”

  “Unless you can tell us exactly where the other three Elemental Warriors are, as well as a magic sword that apparently can’t be found, I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  Lamnow laughed. “No, I definitely can’t help you then.” He stood. “You should rest for the night. I’d show you around, but honestly, there isn’t much of anything to see. Tomorrow morning we’ll get you some provisions so you can be on your way.”

  “We thank you for the hospitality,” Klavin said.

  Comfortable mats were brought in. Klavin wondered if these were some type of guest quarters, but decided against it, since the Karthuma apparently didn’t get many guests. They slept comfortably all night.

  The following morning they were treated to a filling breakfast, which was pretty much the same type of food they’d been given the night before. Lamnow approached them, accompanied with a few others. One really caught their eye. Unlike the rest of the Karthuma they had met, who all had various shades of brown fur, this one’s was gray. Klavin wished them a good morning, and they all returned the gesture. Except for the gray one, who only nodded.

  “Some of the others wanted to meet you before you left. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, we don’t get many visitors here,” Lamnow said. He proceeded to introduce the others, who nodded and then left. “And this is Talb,” he said, when only the gray one was left.

  “Hello, Talb,” Klavin said. He noticed that Talb had an unusual etching in his chestplate. It could best be described as a stretched out “W” with a thick line on top.

  “Please don’t think him rude,” Lamnow quickly said. “Talb doesn’t speak. At least, not the way you or I do.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking …”

  “Why is he gray? It’s probably just a regional pigmentation. He came to us one day, and has stayed ever since.”

  “What do you mean he came to you?”

  “I assumed you knew, but of course, there was no reason to think that. This isn’t the only home of the Karthuma. We are scattered throughout the land. We generally stay in one area, but some of our members choose to visit our far off relatives. Talb came with a group from Klasno Woods. Eventually the rest of them went home, while Talb stayed. It happens sometimes.”

  “Well, Talb, it’s been really nice to meet you.”

  Talb extended a paw, and Klavin shook it.

  “He likes you. Take it as a compliment. He usually keeps to himself. We’ll go now. Your weapons and provisions are waiting for you. Please follow me.”

  Lamnow led the trio to the edge of the camp. Talb followed close behind. This time it was Lamnow who extended a paw, which Klavin shook.

  “It was good having you here. If more humans were like you, maybe we wouldn’t feel the need to hide in here. Best of luck on your journey.”

  They walked away, leaving Lamnow and Talb behind. Klavin stopped, feeling an overwhelming sadness overcome him. Lamnow rushed to check on him.

  “What’s wrong, my friend?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I just suddenly felt very sad about leaving.”

  Lamnow smiled. “That wasn’t you. I suspect it was him,” he said, pointing back at Talb, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the group.

  “Him? How?”

  “I told you he could talk in a different way than us. He’s letting you know that he doesn’t want you to leave.”

  “But I have to. You know how important this mission is.”

  Talb ran up to join the group. He took Klavin’s hand in his paw.

  “I think he wants to go with you.”

  “But we can’t take him. Can we? Are we … allowed?”

  Lamnow laughed. “Of course. We don’t force anyone to stay here. Talb came here of his own free will, and he can leave the same way. The question is whether you’ll have him.”

  Klavin smiled at Talb. He couldn’t help but feel a bond with his new little friend. He looked at Lamnow and nodded. Then he, Simko, and Maurya, with Talb in tow, headed out of the forest. Several minutes later, Simko’s familiar dropped out of one of the trees, and followed their path.

  15

  Shortly after exiting the forest, the group stood on a hilltop looking down at the town before them.

  “Finally, Rha, here we come,” Klavin happily announced.

  “Um … no,” Simko corrected.

  “No? What do you mean?”

  “Well, that’s not Rha. We need to pass through Prasten in order to get to Rha,” Simko informed him.

  “Okay, so what’s the problem? There isn’t a tax to pass through that town as well, is there?”

  “No. If only it were that simple. Getting through Prasten could be quite a challenge. Most people go around. Completely around. We’re probably already too close.”

  “I’m still not clear on what the problem is. We’re nowhere near that town, so if we need to go around, we can still do it. I’m not sure we should, though, considering how much time we’ve already lost.”

  “Since Simko seems to want to beat around the bush, I’ll tell you the problem,” Maurya said. “That town is run by a mayor who I might call a dictator if I were being nice. He’s completely mad. Anyone who dares to question him winds up … disappearing. We managed to get through Farbo Town, but Vosko is an angel compared to this one. If we enter Prasten, either we’ll be stuck in there forever, or else we’ll just get killed.”

  “Hmmm. Okay,” Klavin said. “Well, I guess it’s in our best interests to go around then.”

  “That’s the problem, which Simko could have told you if he would have just given you a straight answer. The mayor has eyes everywhere. He pretty much considers everything to be a part of his town, including this hilltop. If he knows we’re here, he’s already sending someone to get us. And trust me, he knows we’re here.”

  “So you’re telling me we can’t go into the town, because he’ll send someone to get us. We can’t go around the town, because he’ll send someone to get us. We can’t stay here, because he’ll send someone to get us. We could go back through the forest and find another route to Rha, which would probably take us miles out of the way and take up time that we don’t have. Have I covered everything?”

  “Pretty much,” Maurya answered, forcing a smile.

  Klavin looked down at Talb, and could feel his fear. It was quite an experience to be with someone who seemed to communicate by pure emotion. He wondered if the others were feeling it. If they were, it wasn’t showing. He also wondered if Talb was regretting his decision to join them on their quest.

  “I say we go in. I’m done being passive. I think we should just march into that town, and if they want to capture us, they can do it there.”

  “Sure, we might as well make it as convenient as possible for them,” Simko said sarcastically.

  “Just be ready for anything,” Klavin said.

  They drew their weapons and headed down into the town. Within five minutes they were surrounded by guards.

  “Looks like we weren’t quite ready,” Simko commented, forcing a laugh.

  16

  The mayor sat in his chamber, joined by a familiar face.

  “More wine?” the mayor asked.

  “No, no,” Tarquin answered. “I’ve already had plenty. But perhaps you could give me a bottle or two for the journey home. It’s a long trip,” he said, winking.

  “Of course, my friend. But for now, how else can I show my hospitality? You’ve apparently already eaten and drunk to your heart’s content. Perhaps you’d enjoy the companionship of some ladies. You can have your pick of anyone in the town.”

  “Thank you. I might just consider that. I’m sure my guards will definitely take you up on that offer.”

  The two warriors, the same ones as before, grinned widely.

  “Yes, it looks like they’re looking fo
rward to it. Can’t get any action on their own, I take it,” the mayor commented and watched happily as the two grins turned into frowns. “So, what’s next for you?”

  “I’m bored with traveling. Even worse, it seems there’s nothing left that can challenge me. Being able to accomplish anything and everything may seem wonderful to most, but it takes some of the fun out of life. Perhaps I’ll settle down. Conquer a town to call my own. Maybe I’ll take this one.”

  The mayor stared at him. Then the two laughed. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

  “Come,” the mayor commanded.

  Two guards entered, leading someone who appeared to be a peasant. He was carrying an envelope.

  “Your Honor,” one of the guards said. “This man is from Nipin. He brings you a message from his mayor.”

  The mayor, who didn’t like to acknowledge that there were other towns and, especially, that there were other mayors, sneered.

  “He may step forward.”

  The messenger stepped forward, extending the envelope before him. He was trembling. The mayor’s reputation was known far and wide.

  “Oh yes, yes, please stop shaking and just give me the letter.”

  The messenger walked quicker, and the mayor took the envelope. On the back was a seal on which was written: If seal is broken, kill the messenger. The mayor tore open the envelope and read its contents.

  “Hmmm,” the mayor said, apparently deep in thought.

  The messenger was on the verge of passing out. If the mayor didn’t like what was in that letter, he might not make it out alive. If he was lucky, he’d only be killed. He estimated his distance to the door and realized he could never make it past the guards. Especially when they both stared at him, indicating that they knew exactly what he was thinking.

  “Well, this is interesting,” the mayor said, dropping the letter on the table. He knew how frightened the messenger was, and savored the moment. “What do you think was in that letter?”

  “I have no idea, Your Honor. I’m just a peasant.”