Arthur Daigle's Blog - Posts Tagged "priest"
Buried Treasure part 1
This is the first part of the Dana and Jayden story Buried Treasure.
*************
“Dear mom and dad. I want you to know that I am okay. I will try to get back to you as soon as I can, but things are kind of crazy with the war going on.”
“Writing to your family again?” Jayden asked. He and Dana were currently in a forest clearing not far from a nearby town.
“I don’t want them to worry about me, and I’m sending money,” Dana replied.
“I wasn’t aware they needed it.”
“If life is as crazy there as it is everywhere else we’ve been, they’ll need help.”
Dana continued with her letter. “There is something you need to know about the wars that have broken out. I have met people from the countries Meadowland is invading, and they are nice. I haven’t seen anything that makes me think they are responsible for the problems in our homeland.
“I have seen things in Meadowland that worry me. Some noblemen were buying young girls. Other people were importing monsters and golems. I have seen good men and women treated unfairly. These things didn’t used to happen, and I am worried for the kingdom.”
“Don’t give away details on where we are or what we’ve done,” Jayden cautioned. “Letters can be intercepted.”
“I wasn’t going to,” she said. “I am sending money with this letter to help out with expenses, and I will send more when I can. Please look out for Emily and Rachael, and keep Lan from destroying everything he gets his hands on out of trouble.”
“Your brother sounds like a spirited young fellow.”
Dana pressed the letter against her skirt. “No reading other people’s mail!”
“It looked interesting.”
Dana grumbled and folded her letter over four gold pieces. As much as she felt the need to help Jayden, she regretted being away from home for so long. There was always a lot of work, and her sisters would be stuck doing it now that she was gone. Worse, the neighbors could start gossiping about Dana’s absence. Some folks would think her leaving reflected poorly on her family. She didn’t think her father’s position as mayor was in danger because of such talk, but it wouldn’t help him.
She and Jayden had stopped at a small town in the north of the kingdom. The town was suffering after many of its men were conscripted into the army, some as laborers and others as soldiers. The town had lost a fair portion of its food stores to help feed the army heading for Zentrix. Jayden stayed in the nearby wilderness to avoid attracting attention while Dana came and went as she pleased. This let her purchase supplies they needed and look for targets.
They needed those targets badly. Dana and Jayden had destroyed three storehouses only two weeks ago, which normally would have been a success, but it hadn’t stopped the army headed for Zentrix. They’d destroyed uniforms, tents, saddles and other goods, while helping others take oats meant for either men or horses. The army could march on without any of that.
“How soon until the fighting starts?” Dana asked as she addressed her letter.
“We have days at best until they cross the border. Zentrix forces will no doubt do all they can to slow that advance with snipers, ambushes and burning anything that could be used, but it won’t be enough. I fear casualties on both sides will be astounding, with victory going to Meadowland Kingdom within three months.”
“It doesn’t feel right rooting against your homeland.”
“The alternative is infinitely worse. Be careful when you go to mail your letter. Most local forces have been absorbed into the army, but there will still be some defenders left who will be suspicious of an unknown girl coming to their town.”
Dana handed him her sword and slipped the letter into one of her bags. “I’ve got a cover story if anyone asks. I’ll be back soon.”
Leaving Jayden behind in the forest was worrying. She didn’t think anything would happen to her, especially after the warm reception she’d gotten last time she went to town. Anyone who paid in hard currency rather than barter was welcome in stores. What did worry her was leaving Jayden alone for so long. He got bored easily, and he had a bloodhound’s tenacity when it came to hurting the king and queen. If he saw an opportunity, no matter however risky, he’d do it without a second’s delay.
She walked through the forest and came to the edge of town. It was small, simple, poor and looked like it would stay that way forever. A few people saw her and waved when she headed to a small rented house with a crude wood sign that read, ‘Gnome Express’ propped up next to the door.
Dana knocked before entering. “Good morning, sir.”
A male gnome with black hair nodded in reply. The gnome only came up to her waist, but he carried himself with an air of competence. He wore leather armor with metal studs on it, hobnail boots, and a rainproof cape. He was armed with two daggers strapped to his belt.
“I have a letter for the town of North Lights,” she said as she handed over the letter.
“Two copper pieces,” the gnome told her. When she handed over the fee, the gnome bowed and pressed his right arm across his chest. “In the name of Gnome Express, I swear to deliver this message to only the intended recipient, letting no threat bar my way.”
Dana curtsied. She normally wasn’t so formal, but gnomes could be very particular about their customs. You simply had to follow the rules. “I am honored by your service.”
She turned to leave, and found a spearman standing in the doorway. She gasped in surprise, and the gnome grabbed the handles of his daggers. The spearman took a step back when he saw their reaction and held up a letter. “Um, mail?”
Dana and the gnome relaxed. She said, “You surprised me.”
“Sorry.” The spearman handed the letter and two small copper coins to the gnome. “I’m in a rush, so can we skip the speech?”
“No one respects tradition anymore,” the gnome lamented as he placed both letters in a flat leather waterproof bag.
“Jenkins!” Dana, the spearman and the gnome all jumped when a man in chain armor and wearing an officer’s helmet with its small metal wings stomped into the room. “What do you think you’re doing? You were called to service yesterday!”
The spearman’s face turned red. “Sir, I’m sorry I’m late. I needed to send a letter home. The farm—”
“That’s not your concern!” The officer barked. “You’re a soldier now. You have only one concern, fighting for the king and queen. Whatever is back home doesn’t matter. Give me the letter. I’m going to make sure you didn’t include military secrets.”
The officer held out his hand to the spearman, who pointed to the gnome. Annoyed, the officer stomped over to the gnome and held out his hand. The gnome’s face turned red, not in embarrassment, but in anger.
“I took a sacred oath to faithfully deliver the mail. None may touch it save the one it is intended for, regardless of what you or your king wants.”
“You obey the law the same as everyone.” Then the officer tried to grab the mail bag.
“No one touches the mail!” The gnome punched the officer below the belt so hard that the man doubled over in agony. That brought him close enough for the gnome to grab the officer’s helmet, rip it off and repeatedly punch him in the face. “No one, you ulmixin, crilviz, floth eating son of a diseased dog!”
Dana didn’t know what any of those gnomish swear words meant, and felt no need to learn. She took the spearman’s arm and led him out of the room. “We should leave.”
The spearman waved toward the rented house and violent assault occurring within it. “Should we do something? I mean, it’s kind of my fault.”
The officer’s helmet rolled out of the house as the gnome screamed, “I’ve killed monsters, and you rakmid, scum sucking trab thought you were going to take me down? The gall!”
“I’d rather not,” Dana told him. “He might be rabid.”
Dana hurried off before anyone came to investigate the commotion. She’d nearly gotten out of town when she saw the gnome ride off on a short legged pony. Dana made sure no one was watching her before going into the forest. She found Jayden in the clearing studying his spell tablets.
“Any difficulties?”
“No, and I have a renewed respect for the postal system.”
Jayden put his spell tablets into his bags. “It’s the only institution to survive the collapse of the Elf Empire, and still delivers mail across three continents. I’m told the gnomes who serve in it are quite rambunctious.”
“That’s a polite way of putting it. Jayden, where do we go from here? There’s nothing of value here we need or can destroy that would slow down the army.”
He hesitated before answering her. “I’m not sure. Following the army and looking for weaknesses to exploit would be dangerous and likely wouldn’t turn up good opportunities. Nearby towns have proven to be of no interest. That leaves the second lead Clevner gave me. It’s not my first choice, or even my third, but if successful may provide us the edge we need.”
“His first lead didn’t work out the way you’d expected.”
“No, but that’s less Clevner’s fault than Galfont being more inventive than either of us would have given him credit for. The second lead could be the help we need or a threat equal to Cimmox the necromancer.”
Dana’s heart grew cold at the sound of the foul necromancer’s name. Dana, Jayden and the elf wizard Green Peril had only defeated Cimmox with divine intervention. She wasn’t looking for a fight anywhere near as risky.
“You’re worried, and justifiably so,” Jayden said. He scattered cold ashes from their fire pit. “Clevner told me of a strange sight in the north of the kingdom. Men saw cloaked figures and a horse drawn cart traveling in wilderness areas, never approaching settlements or even lone houses. The few who saw them stayed well back, but a lone knight tried to investigate.”
“Is he still alive?”
Jayden put on his backpack and handed another to Dana. “Surprisingly, yes. He approached the unknown group and one of them came to face him. The robed stranger beat the knight senseless, shattered his sword and left him on his back. The knight was sure he’d be killed, but the stranger turned and left. He staggered to the nearest garrison and returned with reinforcements, but the strangers were gone with no trace of their passage.”
“The robed guy sounds dangerous, and pretty confident the knight couldn’t bring back help in time.” Dana frowned and said, “These guys are spooky and tough, but they didn’t kill the knight when he was down. Is that why you’re interested in them?”
“It’s one of the reasons. The strangers took a chance by letting the knight live when many others wouldn’t. It speaks of mercy. The other reason I’m interested is to my knowledge there is nothing important in that part of the kingdom. It’s farmland, pastures and forests, with a smattering of manor houses belonging to noblemen of little status or wealth. These robed men, if they are men, are headed nowhere of value.”
He turned and looked intently at Dana. “What if there is hidden treasures worthy of their abilities? Gold? Magic? If so, it would be useful to us in our struggles. I wish to find these people and learn what their goals are.”
“They could just be passing through the kingdom and don’t want people to know about it. They might even be smugglers.”
He shook his head. “I’ve met my share of smugglers. They keep to the shadows, and if discovered flee combat or buy off their enemies. If battle is unavoidable, they don’t leave witnesses.”
Jayden pointed west and said, “Stories say these strangers were heading north along wilderness roads. I know these roads, and there are only so many they can take. We’re not far from where the strangers have to be heading. We’ll go for those roads and pick up their trail.”
The two left without further delay, heading deeper into the north of the kingdom. This area was lightly populated as the ground grew increasingly hilly. Tall grasses and dense forests covered the land, with shepherds and lumberjacks the most common professions. Roads were few and poorly traveled, and there were no signposts or markers to guide travelers. Dana and Jayden passed through three small villages where people stared at them curiously.
Dana saw mountains in the distance that were cloaked with clouds. “We’re not going that far, are we?”
“Ideally no, but one road does lead there.” Jayden stopped when the road they were on split into three trails heading north. He got down on his hands and knees to study the ground. “Clevner’s tales said these strangers had a cart, but the ground is too firmly packed for hoof prints or wheel ruts. Still, the fact that they brought a cart limits which way they can take.”
Jayden pointed to the left path and said, “This leads to the mountains you’re hoping to avoid. Such a cart would be useless when the trail narrows and becomes rocky. That leaves two the strangers had to take. They can’t be too far ahead of us based on the dates of Clevner’s tale and the winding wilderness roads they used.”
“Where do they lead?”
“The first passes a minor nobleman’s estate, formerly property of the Brotherhood of the Righteous before their banishment from the kingdom. The second leads to old mines long since depleted of metals. Neither is an obvious destination.”
Dana frowned. “If we take the wrong one, these guys will have enough time to get away. Fifty-fifty chances aren’t promising.”
“There is a way around our problem, thanks to you.”
“Wait, what?”
Jayden held up a spell tablets. “It took time to translate one of the spells you recently found, but I’ve mastered it. It’s called shadow fox, and creates a surprisingly fast scout. The scout will only last hours, but in that time should find proof which of these paths the strangers took. Find me a body of water. A puddle will do.”
A short search turned up a ditch with enough muddy water for Jayden’s spell. He began chanting and made strange hand gestures. Shadows reached out from beneath trees until they wrapped around one another in front of Jayden. The shadows grew darker and denser until they coalesced into a black fox with a gray underbelly.
“Ooh, it’s adorable!” Dana bent down and rubbed the fox’s back. “It’s so soft.”
Jayden stared at her. “What are you doing?”
“Most of your spells make big, nasty sharp things. This little guy is cute.”
Jayden rolled his eyes. “That’s not what it’s for. Look at the water.”
Dana looked at the ditch, and to her amazement she saw herself in the water. She waved her hand in front of the shadow fox, and the watery image of her wave. “You see what it sees. Can you hear and smell through it, too?”
“Shadow foxes transmit only images. That is enough for my needs. I’ll send it along one trail and look for our mysterious quarry, guiding it from here.”
The shadow fox tensed before taking off like a shot down the central road. Dana whistled. “Horses aren’t that fast. How long can it run like that?”
“It won’t stop until I order it to.” Jayden studied the image in the water as the shadow fox ran along the road. “This is actually quite interesting. Most Sorcerer Lord spells were devoted to causing damage. Mind you, they used shadow foxes to spy on one another in their fratricidal conflicts, so it’s not entirely benign.”
Dana smiled. “I still think it’s cute. And fuzzy.”
“There are times I wonder about you.”
They spent two hours watching the shadow fox. Fascinating as it was, Dana was just as glad to rest after spending so much time marching through difficult country. She wondered how long it would take them to walk the same distance the fox ran over if they found the strangers. It looked like a difficult route.
“I see houses,” Dana said.
“A very small community,” Jayden replied. He pointed toward the cluster of wood houses, and the shadow fox left the trail to investigate them. “The strangers may have taken shelter there. Let me search for a few moments. Look, there’s a patch of mud at the edge of the road, and a fresh wheel rut in it. There are no wagons or carts among the buildings, so they didn’t make the mark.”
Just then the fox lifted up off the ground. Jayden waved his hand right and left, and they saw the fox try to slip free of whatever held it. “Something’s wrong.”
A pink, pudgy hand appeared in the image before it grabbed the fox’s snout. Dana stifled a laugh and said, “Yeah, and he looks about four years old.”
Jayden made ever wider and more forceful gestures with his hand, but the fox remained trapped in the little boy’s grip. They saw his face briefly, a grinning boy with curly hair and wearing only short pants. The boy had one arm wrapped around the fox and petted it with the other. The boy opened his mouth in a silent call, and more children ran out of the houses. They gathered around the fox and petted it until Dana and Jayden could only see grubby hands.
“Don’t scratch them,” Dana said.
“It doesn’t have teeth or claws,” he told her. The mob of children parted just enough for Dana and Jayden to see a harried looking woman leave a house. She took one look at the shadow fox, made a silent scream and waved for the children to move aside while she grabbed a broom. “We’re about to learn how much damage a shadow fox can take.”
Dana winced when the woman swatted the shadow fox twice. The image blurred as children ran away and the fox took off like a shot. The fox took another hit as the woman chased it, but it escaped after running a hundred feet.
“It’s sturdier than I’d thought,” Jayden said as he directed the shadow fox down the road. “Faster, too. I’m impressed how long the spell is lasting. Not feeling feedback when it was hit was a welcome bonus.”
“Hold up,” Dana said. Jayden stopped the fox, and Dana pointed at the edge of the road. “There’s another rut in the mud.”
“I see more ahead.” The wheels had made plenty of marks in the mud, and as the fox ran mile after mile the mud grew deeper and the ruts more frequent. “Wait. That’s them.”
Dana peered at the image in the water and saw a horse cart missing one wheel. Robed figures propped the cart up on rocks while others tried to reattach the wheel. They were making slow progress but should have the job done soon.
“I was wondering how we’d catch up with them if they’ve being traveling for weeks,” Dana said. “I guess their cart can hold them back if road conditions are bad, or if it breaks down.”
“I don’t see symbols or insignia that would identify them,” Jayden said. He directed the shadow fox off the road to hide in the underbrush. The strangers kept working until one of them saw the shadow fox. He waved for the others to stop and pointed at it.
“He’s got good eyes,” Dana said.
The stranger took one step forward and waved his hand in a circle. There was a flash of light, and the puddle of water exploded, soaking Dana and Jayden from head to foot.
“What happened?” Dana asked.
Jayden wiped his face off on his shirt sleeve. “He destroyed the shadow fox, and sent a considerable amount of energy through the spell to us. Count yourself lucky we didn’t suffer injuries. At least one of these people commands an impressive amount of power.”
He glanced down the road. “We need to learn whether this is an opportunity or a threat.”
* * * * *
Dana and Jayden set out after the strangers the following morning. The lost time wouldn’t matter much when the strangers were struggling to fix their cart. By noon they’d reached the houses where children had heaped affection on the shadow fox the day before. They found the children’s mother washing the little boy in a large washtub. The woman looked worried when she saw them, relaxing only when Dana smiled and waved.
“If you’re selling goods, I’ve no money,” the woman said.
“We’re just passing through,” Dana said cheerfully. “Ooh, he’s adorable!”
The youngest boy sat in the washtub and frowned. “I want my puppy!”
The woman heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry. He’s been like this since he got his hands on a wild animal yesterday. Now I have to wash him in case it gave him fleas.”
Jayden nodded to the woman as he and Dana continued on. They came across ruts from the cart and found the site where it had been stuck the day before. It was gone, as were the strangers, but there was only one way they could go. They marched for hours until the forest thinned and the road branched again. It would have been aggravating to search for these people again, even with the shadow fox, but luck was on their side when they found fresh ruts from the cart.
As they headed down the road, Dana said, “These guys know someone was spying on them, so they’ll be expecting trouble.”
“They might. Few are familiar with the shadow magic of the Sorcerer Lords. I am the current reigning expert, and there is a mountain of information even I remain ignorant of. The strangers surely know they faced a magical being yesterday, but with luck they won’t know what it was, what it was capable of or who sent it. They will no doubt be wary, but so would anyone traveling during a war.”
The road went by an old cemetery that covered fifteen acres and was ringed by massive trees. Jayden stopped when he saw it. “This might be their destination.”
“But they’re not here.”
“They’re not here now. Necromancers or graverobbers would wait until the cover of darkness to work. We should search the area to see if they already disturbed the graves.”
Dana and Jayden climbed over a low stone wall around the graveyard and searched among the headstones. Nothing seemed amiss to Dana as she walked between the graves. The headstones were so old that the writing on many of them had been worn away by years of wind and rain. Here and there she saw fresh flowers in front of headstones. It was heartwarming to see that someone still cared for this place.
She’d nearly finished checking the graves when she saw a large black dog step out from behind a headstone. It stopped and looked at her. Dana smiled and bent down before holding out her hands. “Hey there, boy! Aren’t you big! Someone’s taking good care of you.”
The dog’s ears perked up and its tail wagged. It trotted over and licked his hands. Dana giggled and petted the dog. “You’re a strong one. Yes, you are. Who did you come here with? You’re not wearing a collar, but lots of dogs back home don’t, either. I don’t see anyone with you. Jayden, did you see anyone?”
“No, why?”
“Somebody left their dog here. Or maybe he came on his own.” Dana stroked the dog’s jaw. “Is your owner buried here?”
“Who are you talking to?” Jayden walked over and froze when he saw the dog. “Dana, back away slowly.”
“Don’t worry, he’s friendly.”
“That’s not a dog. It’s a church grim.”
She didn’t move and instead looked at the dog. It was a beautiful animal and certainly friendly. Nothing about it looked, smelled, sounded or even felt unusual. “What’s a grim?”
Jayden put his hand on the hilt of his sword but didn’t draw it. “It’s an old practice not used often in modern times. When a graveyard is first established, a dog is buried before men are. Its spirit becomes tied to the graveyard, and it will defend it from evildoers. It must have suspected us of planning harm when we entered the graveyard armed. The grim is far more dangerous than it appears.”
Dana looked from the dog to the tombstones. Most were illegible, but she saw some burial dates that were over a hundred years ago. She turned to the dog and asked, “How long have you been here?”
She didn’t expect the dog to speak to her, and she felt silly even asking the question. Yet the dog stared back at her, and somehow without making a sound it managed to convey the sense that it had been protecting this graveyard for a very long time. Tears ran down her cheek when she thought of how long it had been here alone. Dana hugged the dog. “You’re a good boy.”
The dog rubbed against her and licked her face. It waited until she stood up before walking behind a tombstone and disappearing as if it had never been there. Jayden led her from the graveyard and back to the road.
“It was so quiet,” Dana said.
“Be grateful. Church grims only howl when they are in danger and need to summon help. Let’s go. The people we seek have clearly not been here and move farther from us with every passing minute.”
“Not necessarily.” Dana shrieked and jumped. Jayden drew his sword so quickly the magic sword was a blur of steel. The robed speaker stood next to a large oak tree near the cemetery, where he must have hidden from Dana and Jayden. “I am impressed, young lady. Few show appreciation to those who serve as loyally as this church grim. You have my respect.”
Dana placed a hand over her heart as she tried to control her breathing. “Um, thank you?”
“You’re welcome.” Dana couldn’t see much of the stranger past his brown robes. They covered even his face and hands. She could see glimmers of gold near his face, but nothing more. His voice was deep and commanding, and echoed as if he was wearing a helmet. “Sir, you must be the creator of the monster I disrupted yesterday.”
“The correct term is shadow fox, but yes, it was mine,” Jayden replied. “I apologize for spying on you, but time and circumstances forced my hand. I am—”
“Sorcerer Lord Jayden, a man responsible for considerable damage across Meadowland Kingdom for fifteen years, although you recently sped up the pace,” the stranger interrupted. “Word of your misdeeds reached me long ago.”
Jayden raised an eyebrow. “Misdeeds? I feel a large number of people in the kingdom are guiltier of those than I am.”
“Many in the kingdom are sinners of the worst kind and risk their immortal souls. You are guilty of only misdeeds, but you are guilty. You have robbed caravans, stole horses, looted ancient ruins, assaulted countless people, associated with known criminals and numerous lesser crimes. You have done some good to mitigate your sins, but you are a ruffian and a rake, with a reputation of carousing and theft.”
Dana stepped in before the conversation grew hotter. “I know he was in some failed relationships, but that’s not carousing.”
The stranger wasn’t budging. “I refer to incidents in the city of Vascmer.”
Jayden’s face turned red. “Oh. Yes, well, that is a bit harder to explain, but the rest of these accusations are hardly fair. My actions in the past were based on saving lives. That goal hasn’t change, although the coming of war has made it far more difficult. This may sound surprising, but when I heard of you, I thought we might be able to help one another. Is that an unwise request, priest?”
“Wait, he’s a priest?” Dana hadn’t seen a priest in eight years. Excited, she asked, “You’re with the Brotherhood of the Righteous?”
“The hood on your robe lifted briefly, long enough for me to see your symbol,” Jayden said. “Few in Meadowland wear the ring of three parts.”
The stranger pulled back his hood to reveal a gold helmet with black edging. The helmet didn’t show his face, but it had a ring divided into three equal parts on the forehead. That ring was the symbol of the Brotherhood of the Righteous. Dana had only seen it rarely since the brotherhood’s expulsion from Meadowland Kingdom years ago.
“You guessed correctly,” the priest announced. “I am Father Amadeus Firepower.”
Jayden sheathed his sword. “My, my. Whatever brought you back to Meadowland must be important for the brotherhood to send their top trouble shooter. Where are the men traveling with you?”
“My mission is no concern of yours, nor are my companions. I have heard that as of late you do more good than harm. This pleases me, but you are much mistaken if you think you can recruit me to your service. I have goals that do not involve you.”
Jayden wasn’t giving up. “I seek an alliance, not servitude. I am trying to stop King Tyros and Queen Amvicta from harming neighboring kingdoms, a task beyond my power at this time. Your help could make the difference between good men living or dying. I admit that I have made decisions I’m not proud of, but they were necessary to prevent greater injustices. Surely the enemy of your enemy is, or could be, your friend.”
“The enemy of my enemy can well be another enemy.” Firepower paused before adding, “I do not doubt the sincerity of your desire to stop the wars currently raging and to save innocent lives. What I question is the means you employ to carry out these goals. Associating with you risks me being labeled a thief, arsonist, traitor and more. I must judge my actions carefully, lest I do harm to the people of Meadowland Kingdom and to the Brotherhood of the Righteous.”
The priest continued before Jayden could reply. “My orders come from the brotherhood, and I must obey them. There is room in those orders allowing me to act upon new information or events, but it doesn’t permit me making the sort of alliance you seek or staying once my mission is complete.”
“And what is your mission?” Jayden asked. When the priest didn’t respond, he said, “I already know you’re here, and I have no intention of revealing your presence to the authorities. Nor do I wish you ill. Use the room in your orders to accept help from a powerful source, even if I am undesirable.”
Firepower answered with obvious reluctance. “When the brotherhood was ejected from Meadowland Kingdom, we weren’t allowed to take much with us. Most was seized, but we hid items of value when possible. We also left behind men and women loyal to the brotherhood to oversee that property and send us reports on what was occurring in our absence. Several agents contacted us last month with news that King Tyros had ordered his forces to investigate former brotherhood properties for the items we’d hidden.”
“What are they looking for?” Dana asked.
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“The king wants them badly enough to divert forces away from the fighting during a war,” Jayden said.
“He must not find what he seeks,” Firepower replied. “I was ordered to retrieve the items and extract our agents. The men and women you saw with me are some of those agents, but there remains one more to find. Once I have him and his family, I will leave Meadowland Kingdom through a route the brotherhood knows of but your king does not.”
“If I can’t have your help, let me offer mine,” Jayden told the priest. “We’re not far from the front lines, and we could encounter army units. While I don’t doubt you live up to your fierce reputation, my assistance could make the difference between you succeeding or failing. If nothing else, I might improve your poor opinion of me.”
“It’s not my opinion. It’s everyone’s opinion.” Firepower paused again. “I can hardly dismiss you as if you were a servant, nor can I force you to leave without a fight I do not wish to engage in. Swear to me that you have no intension to steal the items I seek.”
“I so swear it.”
Father Firepower nodded to the north. “I left my companions and our cart hidden behind an abandoned farmhouse. We will join them and leave at once.”
*************
“Dear mom and dad. I want you to know that I am okay. I will try to get back to you as soon as I can, but things are kind of crazy with the war going on.”
“Writing to your family again?” Jayden asked. He and Dana were currently in a forest clearing not far from a nearby town.
“I don’t want them to worry about me, and I’m sending money,” Dana replied.
“I wasn’t aware they needed it.”
“If life is as crazy there as it is everywhere else we’ve been, they’ll need help.”
Dana continued with her letter. “There is something you need to know about the wars that have broken out. I have met people from the countries Meadowland is invading, and they are nice. I haven’t seen anything that makes me think they are responsible for the problems in our homeland.
“I have seen things in Meadowland that worry me. Some noblemen were buying young girls. Other people were importing monsters and golems. I have seen good men and women treated unfairly. These things didn’t used to happen, and I am worried for the kingdom.”
“Don’t give away details on where we are or what we’ve done,” Jayden cautioned. “Letters can be intercepted.”
“I wasn’t going to,” she said. “I am sending money with this letter to help out with expenses, and I will send more when I can. Please look out for Emily and Rachael, and keep Lan from destroying everything he gets his hands on out of trouble.”
“Your brother sounds like a spirited young fellow.”
Dana pressed the letter against her skirt. “No reading other people’s mail!”
“It looked interesting.”
Dana grumbled and folded her letter over four gold pieces. As much as she felt the need to help Jayden, she regretted being away from home for so long. There was always a lot of work, and her sisters would be stuck doing it now that she was gone. Worse, the neighbors could start gossiping about Dana’s absence. Some folks would think her leaving reflected poorly on her family. She didn’t think her father’s position as mayor was in danger because of such talk, but it wouldn’t help him.
She and Jayden had stopped at a small town in the north of the kingdom. The town was suffering after many of its men were conscripted into the army, some as laborers and others as soldiers. The town had lost a fair portion of its food stores to help feed the army heading for Zentrix. Jayden stayed in the nearby wilderness to avoid attracting attention while Dana came and went as she pleased. This let her purchase supplies they needed and look for targets.
They needed those targets badly. Dana and Jayden had destroyed three storehouses only two weeks ago, which normally would have been a success, but it hadn’t stopped the army headed for Zentrix. They’d destroyed uniforms, tents, saddles and other goods, while helping others take oats meant for either men or horses. The army could march on without any of that.
“How soon until the fighting starts?” Dana asked as she addressed her letter.
“We have days at best until they cross the border. Zentrix forces will no doubt do all they can to slow that advance with snipers, ambushes and burning anything that could be used, but it won’t be enough. I fear casualties on both sides will be astounding, with victory going to Meadowland Kingdom within three months.”
“It doesn’t feel right rooting against your homeland.”
“The alternative is infinitely worse. Be careful when you go to mail your letter. Most local forces have been absorbed into the army, but there will still be some defenders left who will be suspicious of an unknown girl coming to their town.”
Dana handed him her sword and slipped the letter into one of her bags. “I’ve got a cover story if anyone asks. I’ll be back soon.”
Leaving Jayden behind in the forest was worrying. She didn’t think anything would happen to her, especially after the warm reception she’d gotten last time she went to town. Anyone who paid in hard currency rather than barter was welcome in stores. What did worry her was leaving Jayden alone for so long. He got bored easily, and he had a bloodhound’s tenacity when it came to hurting the king and queen. If he saw an opportunity, no matter however risky, he’d do it without a second’s delay.
She walked through the forest and came to the edge of town. It was small, simple, poor and looked like it would stay that way forever. A few people saw her and waved when she headed to a small rented house with a crude wood sign that read, ‘Gnome Express’ propped up next to the door.
Dana knocked before entering. “Good morning, sir.”
A male gnome with black hair nodded in reply. The gnome only came up to her waist, but he carried himself with an air of competence. He wore leather armor with metal studs on it, hobnail boots, and a rainproof cape. He was armed with two daggers strapped to his belt.
“I have a letter for the town of North Lights,” she said as she handed over the letter.
“Two copper pieces,” the gnome told her. When she handed over the fee, the gnome bowed and pressed his right arm across his chest. “In the name of Gnome Express, I swear to deliver this message to only the intended recipient, letting no threat bar my way.”
Dana curtsied. She normally wasn’t so formal, but gnomes could be very particular about their customs. You simply had to follow the rules. “I am honored by your service.”
She turned to leave, and found a spearman standing in the doorway. She gasped in surprise, and the gnome grabbed the handles of his daggers. The spearman took a step back when he saw their reaction and held up a letter. “Um, mail?”
Dana and the gnome relaxed. She said, “You surprised me.”
“Sorry.” The spearman handed the letter and two small copper coins to the gnome. “I’m in a rush, so can we skip the speech?”
“No one respects tradition anymore,” the gnome lamented as he placed both letters in a flat leather waterproof bag.
“Jenkins!” Dana, the spearman and the gnome all jumped when a man in chain armor and wearing an officer’s helmet with its small metal wings stomped into the room. “What do you think you’re doing? You were called to service yesterday!”
The spearman’s face turned red. “Sir, I’m sorry I’m late. I needed to send a letter home. The farm—”
“That’s not your concern!” The officer barked. “You’re a soldier now. You have only one concern, fighting for the king and queen. Whatever is back home doesn’t matter. Give me the letter. I’m going to make sure you didn’t include military secrets.”
The officer held out his hand to the spearman, who pointed to the gnome. Annoyed, the officer stomped over to the gnome and held out his hand. The gnome’s face turned red, not in embarrassment, but in anger.
“I took a sacred oath to faithfully deliver the mail. None may touch it save the one it is intended for, regardless of what you or your king wants.”
“You obey the law the same as everyone.” Then the officer tried to grab the mail bag.
“No one touches the mail!” The gnome punched the officer below the belt so hard that the man doubled over in agony. That brought him close enough for the gnome to grab the officer’s helmet, rip it off and repeatedly punch him in the face. “No one, you ulmixin, crilviz, floth eating son of a diseased dog!”
Dana didn’t know what any of those gnomish swear words meant, and felt no need to learn. She took the spearman’s arm and led him out of the room. “We should leave.”
The spearman waved toward the rented house and violent assault occurring within it. “Should we do something? I mean, it’s kind of my fault.”
The officer’s helmet rolled out of the house as the gnome screamed, “I’ve killed monsters, and you rakmid, scum sucking trab thought you were going to take me down? The gall!”
“I’d rather not,” Dana told him. “He might be rabid.”
Dana hurried off before anyone came to investigate the commotion. She’d nearly gotten out of town when she saw the gnome ride off on a short legged pony. Dana made sure no one was watching her before going into the forest. She found Jayden in the clearing studying his spell tablets.
“Any difficulties?”
“No, and I have a renewed respect for the postal system.”
Jayden put his spell tablets into his bags. “It’s the only institution to survive the collapse of the Elf Empire, and still delivers mail across three continents. I’m told the gnomes who serve in it are quite rambunctious.”
“That’s a polite way of putting it. Jayden, where do we go from here? There’s nothing of value here we need or can destroy that would slow down the army.”
He hesitated before answering her. “I’m not sure. Following the army and looking for weaknesses to exploit would be dangerous and likely wouldn’t turn up good opportunities. Nearby towns have proven to be of no interest. That leaves the second lead Clevner gave me. It’s not my first choice, or even my third, but if successful may provide us the edge we need.”
“His first lead didn’t work out the way you’d expected.”
“No, but that’s less Clevner’s fault than Galfont being more inventive than either of us would have given him credit for. The second lead could be the help we need or a threat equal to Cimmox the necromancer.”
Dana’s heart grew cold at the sound of the foul necromancer’s name. Dana, Jayden and the elf wizard Green Peril had only defeated Cimmox with divine intervention. She wasn’t looking for a fight anywhere near as risky.
“You’re worried, and justifiably so,” Jayden said. He scattered cold ashes from their fire pit. “Clevner told me of a strange sight in the north of the kingdom. Men saw cloaked figures and a horse drawn cart traveling in wilderness areas, never approaching settlements or even lone houses. The few who saw them stayed well back, but a lone knight tried to investigate.”
“Is he still alive?”
Jayden put on his backpack and handed another to Dana. “Surprisingly, yes. He approached the unknown group and one of them came to face him. The robed stranger beat the knight senseless, shattered his sword and left him on his back. The knight was sure he’d be killed, but the stranger turned and left. He staggered to the nearest garrison and returned with reinforcements, but the strangers were gone with no trace of their passage.”
“The robed guy sounds dangerous, and pretty confident the knight couldn’t bring back help in time.” Dana frowned and said, “These guys are spooky and tough, but they didn’t kill the knight when he was down. Is that why you’re interested in them?”
“It’s one of the reasons. The strangers took a chance by letting the knight live when many others wouldn’t. It speaks of mercy. The other reason I’m interested is to my knowledge there is nothing important in that part of the kingdom. It’s farmland, pastures and forests, with a smattering of manor houses belonging to noblemen of little status or wealth. These robed men, if they are men, are headed nowhere of value.”
He turned and looked intently at Dana. “What if there is hidden treasures worthy of their abilities? Gold? Magic? If so, it would be useful to us in our struggles. I wish to find these people and learn what their goals are.”
“They could just be passing through the kingdom and don’t want people to know about it. They might even be smugglers.”
He shook his head. “I’ve met my share of smugglers. They keep to the shadows, and if discovered flee combat or buy off their enemies. If battle is unavoidable, they don’t leave witnesses.”
Jayden pointed west and said, “Stories say these strangers were heading north along wilderness roads. I know these roads, and there are only so many they can take. We’re not far from where the strangers have to be heading. We’ll go for those roads and pick up their trail.”
The two left without further delay, heading deeper into the north of the kingdom. This area was lightly populated as the ground grew increasingly hilly. Tall grasses and dense forests covered the land, with shepherds and lumberjacks the most common professions. Roads were few and poorly traveled, and there were no signposts or markers to guide travelers. Dana and Jayden passed through three small villages where people stared at them curiously.
Dana saw mountains in the distance that were cloaked with clouds. “We’re not going that far, are we?”
“Ideally no, but one road does lead there.” Jayden stopped when the road they were on split into three trails heading north. He got down on his hands and knees to study the ground. “Clevner’s tales said these strangers had a cart, but the ground is too firmly packed for hoof prints or wheel ruts. Still, the fact that they brought a cart limits which way they can take.”
Jayden pointed to the left path and said, “This leads to the mountains you’re hoping to avoid. Such a cart would be useless when the trail narrows and becomes rocky. That leaves two the strangers had to take. They can’t be too far ahead of us based on the dates of Clevner’s tale and the winding wilderness roads they used.”
“Where do they lead?”
“The first passes a minor nobleman’s estate, formerly property of the Brotherhood of the Righteous before their banishment from the kingdom. The second leads to old mines long since depleted of metals. Neither is an obvious destination.”
Dana frowned. “If we take the wrong one, these guys will have enough time to get away. Fifty-fifty chances aren’t promising.”
“There is a way around our problem, thanks to you.”
“Wait, what?”
Jayden held up a spell tablets. “It took time to translate one of the spells you recently found, but I’ve mastered it. It’s called shadow fox, and creates a surprisingly fast scout. The scout will only last hours, but in that time should find proof which of these paths the strangers took. Find me a body of water. A puddle will do.”
A short search turned up a ditch with enough muddy water for Jayden’s spell. He began chanting and made strange hand gestures. Shadows reached out from beneath trees until they wrapped around one another in front of Jayden. The shadows grew darker and denser until they coalesced into a black fox with a gray underbelly.
“Ooh, it’s adorable!” Dana bent down and rubbed the fox’s back. “It’s so soft.”
Jayden stared at her. “What are you doing?”
“Most of your spells make big, nasty sharp things. This little guy is cute.”
Jayden rolled his eyes. “That’s not what it’s for. Look at the water.”
Dana looked at the ditch, and to her amazement she saw herself in the water. She waved her hand in front of the shadow fox, and the watery image of her wave. “You see what it sees. Can you hear and smell through it, too?”
“Shadow foxes transmit only images. That is enough for my needs. I’ll send it along one trail and look for our mysterious quarry, guiding it from here.”
The shadow fox tensed before taking off like a shot down the central road. Dana whistled. “Horses aren’t that fast. How long can it run like that?”
“It won’t stop until I order it to.” Jayden studied the image in the water as the shadow fox ran along the road. “This is actually quite interesting. Most Sorcerer Lord spells were devoted to causing damage. Mind you, they used shadow foxes to spy on one another in their fratricidal conflicts, so it’s not entirely benign.”
Dana smiled. “I still think it’s cute. And fuzzy.”
“There are times I wonder about you.”
They spent two hours watching the shadow fox. Fascinating as it was, Dana was just as glad to rest after spending so much time marching through difficult country. She wondered how long it would take them to walk the same distance the fox ran over if they found the strangers. It looked like a difficult route.
“I see houses,” Dana said.
“A very small community,” Jayden replied. He pointed toward the cluster of wood houses, and the shadow fox left the trail to investigate them. “The strangers may have taken shelter there. Let me search for a few moments. Look, there’s a patch of mud at the edge of the road, and a fresh wheel rut in it. There are no wagons or carts among the buildings, so they didn’t make the mark.”
Just then the fox lifted up off the ground. Jayden waved his hand right and left, and they saw the fox try to slip free of whatever held it. “Something’s wrong.”
A pink, pudgy hand appeared in the image before it grabbed the fox’s snout. Dana stifled a laugh and said, “Yeah, and he looks about four years old.”
Jayden made ever wider and more forceful gestures with his hand, but the fox remained trapped in the little boy’s grip. They saw his face briefly, a grinning boy with curly hair and wearing only short pants. The boy had one arm wrapped around the fox and petted it with the other. The boy opened his mouth in a silent call, and more children ran out of the houses. They gathered around the fox and petted it until Dana and Jayden could only see grubby hands.
“Don’t scratch them,” Dana said.
“It doesn’t have teeth or claws,” he told her. The mob of children parted just enough for Dana and Jayden to see a harried looking woman leave a house. She took one look at the shadow fox, made a silent scream and waved for the children to move aside while she grabbed a broom. “We’re about to learn how much damage a shadow fox can take.”
Dana winced when the woman swatted the shadow fox twice. The image blurred as children ran away and the fox took off like a shot. The fox took another hit as the woman chased it, but it escaped after running a hundred feet.
“It’s sturdier than I’d thought,” Jayden said as he directed the shadow fox down the road. “Faster, too. I’m impressed how long the spell is lasting. Not feeling feedback when it was hit was a welcome bonus.”
“Hold up,” Dana said. Jayden stopped the fox, and Dana pointed at the edge of the road. “There’s another rut in the mud.”
“I see more ahead.” The wheels had made plenty of marks in the mud, and as the fox ran mile after mile the mud grew deeper and the ruts more frequent. “Wait. That’s them.”
Dana peered at the image in the water and saw a horse cart missing one wheel. Robed figures propped the cart up on rocks while others tried to reattach the wheel. They were making slow progress but should have the job done soon.
“I was wondering how we’d catch up with them if they’ve being traveling for weeks,” Dana said. “I guess their cart can hold them back if road conditions are bad, or if it breaks down.”
“I don’t see symbols or insignia that would identify them,” Jayden said. He directed the shadow fox off the road to hide in the underbrush. The strangers kept working until one of them saw the shadow fox. He waved for the others to stop and pointed at it.
“He’s got good eyes,” Dana said.
The stranger took one step forward and waved his hand in a circle. There was a flash of light, and the puddle of water exploded, soaking Dana and Jayden from head to foot.
“What happened?” Dana asked.
Jayden wiped his face off on his shirt sleeve. “He destroyed the shadow fox, and sent a considerable amount of energy through the spell to us. Count yourself lucky we didn’t suffer injuries. At least one of these people commands an impressive amount of power.”
He glanced down the road. “We need to learn whether this is an opportunity or a threat.”
* * * * *
Dana and Jayden set out after the strangers the following morning. The lost time wouldn’t matter much when the strangers were struggling to fix their cart. By noon they’d reached the houses where children had heaped affection on the shadow fox the day before. They found the children’s mother washing the little boy in a large washtub. The woman looked worried when she saw them, relaxing only when Dana smiled and waved.
“If you’re selling goods, I’ve no money,” the woman said.
“We’re just passing through,” Dana said cheerfully. “Ooh, he’s adorable!”
The youngest boy sat in the washtub and frowned. “I want my puppy!”
The woman heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry. He’s been like this since he got his hands on a wild animal yesterday. Now I have to wash him in case it gave him fleas.”
Jayden nodded to the woman as he and Dana continued on. They came across ruts from the cart and found the site where it had been stuck the day before. It was gone, as were the strangers, but there was only one way they could go. They marched for hours until the forest thinned and the road branched again. It would have been aggravating to search for these people again, even with the shadow fox, but luck was on their side when they found fresh ruts from the cart.
As they headed down the road, Dana said, “These guys know someone was spying on them, so they’ll be expecting trouble.”
“They might. Few are familiar with the shadow magic of the Sorcerer Lords. I am the current reigning expert, and there is a mountain of information even I remain ignorant of. The strangers surely know they faced a magical being yesterday, but with luck they won’t know what it was, what it was capable of or who sent it. They will no doubt be wary, but so would anyone traveling during a war.”
The road went by an old cemetery that covered fifteen acres and was ringed by massive trees. Jayden stopped when he saw it. “This might be their destination.”
“But they’re not here.”
“They’re not here now. Necromancers or graverobbers would wait until the cover of darkness to work. We should search the area to see if they already disturbed the graves.”
Dana and Jayden climbed over a low stone wall around the graveyard and searched among the headstones. Nothing seemed amiss to Dana as she walked between the graves. The headstones were so old that the writing on many of them had been worn away by years of wind and rain. Here and there she saw fresh flowers in front of headstones. It was heartwarming to see that someone still cared for this place.
She’d nearly finished checking the graves when she saw a large black dog step out from behind a headstone. It stopped and looked at her. Dana smiled and bent down before holding out her hands. “Hey there, boy! Aren’t you big! Someone’s taking good care of you.”
The dog’s ears perked up and its tail wagged. It trotted over and licked his hands. Dana giggled and petted the dog. “You’re a strong one. Yes, you are. Who did you come here with? You’re not wearing a collar, but lots of dogs back home don’t, either. I don’t see anyone with you. Jayden, did you see anyone?”
“No, why?”
“Somebody left their dog here. Or maybe he came on his own.” Dana stroked the dog’s jaw. “Is your owner buried here?”
“Who are you talking to?” Jayden walked over and froze when he saw the dog. “Dana, back away slowly.”
“Don’t worry, he’s friendly.”
“That’s not a dog. It’s a church grim.”
She didn’t move and instead looked at the dog. It was a beautiful animal and certainly friendly. Nothing about it looked, smelled, sounded or even felt unusual. “What’s a grim?”
Jayden put his hand on the hilt of his sword but didn’t draw it. “It’s an old practice not used often in modern times. When a graveyard is first established, a dog is buried before men are. Its spirit becomes tied to the graveyard, and it will defend it from evildoers. It must have suspected us of planning harm when we entered the graveyard armed. The grim is far more dangerous than it appears.”
Dana looked from the dog to the tombstones. Most were illegible, but she saw some burial dates that were over a hundred years ago. She turned to the dog and asked, “How long have you been here?”
She didn’t expect the dog to speak to her, and she felt silly even asking the question. Yet the dog stared back at her, and somehow without making a sound it managed to convey the sense that it had been protecting this graveyard for a very long time. Tears ran down her cheek when she thought of how long it had been here alone. Dana hugged the dog. “You’re a good boy.”
The dog rubbed against her and licked her face. It waited until she stood up before walking behind a tombstone and disappearing as if it had never been there. Jayden led her from the graveyard and back to the road.
“It was so quiet,” Dana said.
“Be grateful. Church grims only howl when they are in danger and need to summon help. Let’s go. The people we seek have clearly not been here and move farther from us with every passing minute.”
“Not necessarily.” Dana shrieked and jumped. Jayden drew his sword so quickly the magic sword was a blur of steel. The robed speaker stood next to a large oak tree near the cemetery, where he must have hidden from Dana and Jayden. “I am impressed, young lady. Few show appreciation to those who serve as loyally as this church grim. You have my respect.”
Dana placed a hand over her heart as she tried to control her breathing. “Um, thank you?”
“You’re welcome.” Dana couldn’t see much of the stranger past his brown robes. They covered even his face and hands. She could see glimmers of gold near his face, but nothing more. His voice was deep and commanding, and echoed as if he was wearing a helmet. “Sir, you must be the creator of the monster I disrupted yesterday.”
“The correct term is shadow fox, but yes, it was mine,” Jayden replied. “I apologize for spying on you, but time and circumstances forced my hand. I am—”
“Sorcerer Lord Jayden, a man responsible for considerable damage across Meadowland Kingdom for fifteen years, although you recently sped up the pace,” the stranger interrupted. “Word of your misdeeds reached me long ago.”
Jayden raised an eyebrow. “Misdeeds? I feel a large number of people in the kingdom are guiltier of those than I am.”
“Many in the kingdom are sinners of the worst kind and risk their immortal souls. You are guilty of only misdeeds, but you are guilty. You have robbed caravans, stole horses, looted ancient ruins, assaulted countless people, associated with known criminals and numerous lesser crimes. You have done some good to mitigate your sins, but you are a ruffian and a rake, with a reputation of carousing and theft.”
Dana stepped in before the conversation grew hotter. “I know he was in some failed relationships, but that’s not carousing.”
The stranger wasn’t budging. “I refer to incidents in the city of Vascmer.”
Jayden’s face turned red. “Oh. Yes, well, that is a bit harder to explain, but the rest of these accusations are hardly fair. My actions in the past were based on saving lives. That goal hasn’t change, although the coming of war has made it far more difficult. This may sound surprising, but when I heard of you, I thought we might be able to help one another. Is that an unwise request, priest?”
“Wait, he’s a priest?” Dana hadn’t seen a priest in eight years. Excited, she asked, “You’re with the Brotherhood of the Righteous?”
“The hood on your robe lifted briefly, long enough for me to see your symbol,” Jayden said. “Few in Meadowland wear the ring of three parts.”
The stranger pulled back his hood to reveal a gold helmet with black edging. The helmet didn’t show his face, but it had a ring divided into three equal parts on the forehead. That ring was the symbol of the Brotherhood of the Righteous. Dana had only seen it rarely since the brotherhood’s expulsion from Meadowland Kingdom years ago.
“You guessed correctly,” the priest announced. “I am Father Amadeus Firepower.”
Jayden sheathed his sword. “My, my. Whatever brought you back to Meadowland must be important for the brotherhood to send their top trouble shooter. Where are the men traveling with you?”
“My mission is no concern of yours, nor are my companions. I have heard that as of late you do more good than harm. This pleases me, but you are much mistaken if you think you can recruit me to your service. I have goals that do not involve you.”
Jayden wasn’t giving up. “I seek an alliance, not servitude. I am trying to stop King Tyros and Queen Amvicta from harming neighboring kingdoms, a task beyond my power at this time. Your help could make the difference between good men living or dying. I admit that I have made decisions I’m not proud of, but they were necessary to prevent greater injustices. Surely the enemy of your enemy is, or could be, your friend.”
“The enemy of my enemy can well be another enemy.” Firepower paused before adding, “I do not doubt the sincerity of your desire to stop the wars currently raging and to save innocent lives. What I question is the means you employ to carry out these goals. Associating with you risks me being labeled a thief, arsonist, traitor and more. I must judge my actions carefully, lest I do harm to the people of Meadowland Kingdom and to the Brotherhood of the Righteous.”
The priest continued before Jayden could reply. “My orders come from the brotherhood, and I must obey them. There is room in those orders allowing me to act upon new information or events, but it doesn’t permit me making the sort of alliance you seek or staying once my mission is complete.”
“And what is your mission?” Jayden asked. When the priest didn’t respond, he said, “I already know you’re here, and I have no intention of revealing your presence to the authorities. Nor do I wish you ill. Use the room in your orders to accept help from a powerful source, even if I am undesirable.”
Firepower answered with obvious reluctance. “When the brotherhood was ejected from Meadowland Kingdom, we weren’t allowed to take much with us. Most was seized, but we hid items of value when possible. We also left behind men and women loyal to the brotherhood to oversee that property and send us reports on what was occurring in our absence. Several agents contacted us last month with news that King Tyros had ordered his forces to investigate former brotherhood properties for the items we’d hidden.”
“What are they looking for?” Dana asked.
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“The king wants them badly enough to divert forces away from the fighting during a war,” Jayden said.
“He must not find what he seeks,” Firepower replied. “I was ordered to retrieve the items and extract our agents. The men and women you saw with me are some of those agents, but there remains one more to find. Once I have him and his family, I will leave Meadowland Kingdom through a route the brotherhood knows of but your king does not.”
“If I can’t have your help, let me offer mine,” Jayden told the priest. “We’re not far from the front lines, and we could encounter army units. While I don’t doubt you live up to your fierce reputation, my assistance could make the difference between you succeeding or failing. If nothing else, I might improve your poor opinion of me.”
“It’s not my opinion. It’s everyone’s opinion.” Firepower paused again. “I can hardly dismiss you as if you were a servant, nor can I force you to leave without a fight I do not wish to engage in. Swear to me that you have no intension to steal the items I seek.”
“I so swear it.”
Father Firepower nodded to the north. “I left my companions and our cart hidden behind an abandoned farmhouse. We will join them and leave at once.”
Buried Treasure part 2
This is the conclusion of Buried Treasure.
******************
Firepower led them to his agents and the cart. The agents looked surprised to see him with company, but a wave of the priest’s hand calmed them. “They have offered assistance.”
“Are these the people who spied on us?” a man asked. “You said you’d stop them.”
“So that’s why you were waiting by the graveyard,” Jayden said. “I wouldn’t expect a priest to set an ambush.”
“Do not question my methods. I have fought long and hard to defend the faithful.”
“You’re not used to being questioned, are you?” Jayden asked.
Dana elbowed him in the ribs. “We’re trying to make friends.”
“Many question me,” Father Firepower said. “Some from curiosity, others from honest concern, and others in a vain attempt to make themselves appear wise or worldly. I answer all of them, sometimes to their sorrow.”
“Can we please focus on what we’re doing?” Dana asked. “How far is it to your friend?”
“He lives not far from here,” the priest answered. “A day’s hard marching will reach him, and five more will ensure our escape.”
Jayden peered into the back of the cart. “You brought food and drink, and have quite a few packages wrapped in burlap.”
“The cart’s contents are no interest to you.”
Father Firepower led them for hours through narrow trails in the wilderness until they came up the gates to a large estate. He hesitated at the gates.
“One of yours, I believe,” Jayden said.
“Once. Perhaps one day it will be so again. This was Greenview Abbey, land gifted to the brotherhood by King Tyros’ ancestors two hundred years ago. It was a worthless swamp then, but through hard work and wisdom it was made into productive farmland.” His voice was bitter when he said, “Now look at it.”
Dana came alongside him. The estate certainly looked prosperous, with fields sprouting wheat and men pulling weeds. The buildings were large and in good repair, and she heard sheep bleating in the distance.
The priest pointed at hills covered in tree stumps alongside the fields. “In times gone by we planted trees to hold the hillsides in place and provide both building materials and firewood. Carefully managed, it could have provided resources indefinitely. Instead it was stripped bare by the baron who now rules here. He is a vainglorious fool with dreams of becoming a general. Such bloodthirsty desires cost gold. He ordered all the trees felled and sold the wood to buy weapons, planting nothing in its place. See, the soil already wears away. A strong enough storm will bring these hills sliding down onto the fields, destroying both.
“The work of generations is being destroyed in mere years. Herds of dairy cattle have been sent to slaughterhouses, artwork ripped from walls and sold to the highest bidder, property sold or mortgaged so this idiot baron can play at war. He has enough to satisfy any man’s appetites, and still he hungers for more.”
“The brotherhood could have stopped this from happening,” Jayden replied. “When the king and queen exiled you, priests, nuns and monks left meekly. You could have fought back. Many would have sided with you.”
“If that is an example of your wisdom, I prefer your silence,” Father Firepower retorted. “Meadowland Kingdom had barely survived a civil war and you would have had us start another? We could have fought back, killing so many the kingdom would be left desolate. Our property would have been burned or looted, the destruction faster and more thorough.”
Father Firepower turned to face Jayden. “We left to avoid causing horrors as great or greater than what this land had already experienced. We believed that the chance would come for us to return, either as welcomed guests or by sending missionaries in secret to win back the people. It was a risk, but the alternative was unthinkable.”
Dana slapped a hand over her face as Jayden kept pressing his point. “Is this better? You avoided a war that would have caused much suffering to one kingdom, and now Meadowland, Bascal, Kaleoth and Zentrix are all in peril.”
“What would you have me do?” Firepower yelled. He marched up to Jayden and pressed an armored finger against the Sorcerer Lord’s chest. “Would you have priests and monks become killers? Would you have us lead peasants against knights?”
“We’re making enough noise to draw attention to a secret mission,” Dana said. She got between Jayden and Father Firepower. “People need us. Focus on that.”
“Does she always act as your buffer?” Father Firepower asked Jayden.
“Yes. It bothers me how much I need her to do that. Years of hardship and watching my homeland sink into hatred and madness have left me thin skinned and bitter.”
The two stared at one another until Father Firepower turned away. “The hour is late and we won’t reach our destination before nightfall. I know a place we can rest until the morning.”
They made camp in a rocky gully far from the estate. Father Firepower shared nuts and dried meats and fruits from his supplies, but he was adamant that they not make a campfire. Dana and Jayden stayed by themselves, which seemed to suit the priest’s friends just fine.
On closer inspection, the brotherhood agents were simple folk. They had no weapons, and Dana saw no evidence that they were wizards. Dana had to respect their courage, for they were standing up to the king and queen in their own way, and they could expect no mercy if caught.
“So, exactly what happened in the city of Vascmer?” Dana asked.
“Personal matters I don’t wish to discuss,” Jayden told her. “I don’t ask about your past relationships because it’s none of my business. It’s not asking too much for you to do the same.”
“What’s her name?” Dana teased.
Jayden folded his arms across his chest. “That was one of my more spectacular failed relationships, one I’d thought no one knew about. You will never meet her, and that’s for the best.”
“Fine, be that way.” Dana’s voice dropped to a whisper when she spoke to Jayden again. “It sounds like you’ve heard of this priest before.”
“Amadeus Firepower is one of the Brotherhood of the Righteous’ most talented and dedicated men. We already saw his power when he destroyed my shadow fox. I assure you that was the barest taste of his potential. When the brotherhood has given up all hope of peaceful resolutions, they send him in to save who they can and punish those they must. His list of accomplishments is long, and the foes he’s defeated are many. Firepower cares nothing for kings, merchants, wizards or mad scientists. Faith, love, hope, these guide him, and only those with those gifts impress him. I fear I am short on all three.”
Jayden managed a weak smile when he looked at her. “You, on the other hand, seem to have made a new friend.”
Dana blushed. “I used to go to brotherhood services weekly before they were expelled. I have a lot or respect for them.”
“Careful, Dana, he might try to recruit you. The brotherhood needs every man and woman it can get.”
“She could do worse,” Firepower called out, making Dana blush even more. “Over the years we have evacuated many faithful. If you so desire, you may take refuge with the brotherhood as have many others.”
Dana spoke before Jayden could. “You are kind to make the offer, but there are people here who need me. I can help those who can’t help themselves.”
“You are indeed one of ours,” Father Firepower replied.
“Wait here for me,” Dana told Jayden. She went to Father Firepower and said, “I haven’t had a chance to admit my sins for eight years, and there are some things that have been bothering me. I would also like to tell you what I’ve seen in the last year that your agents might not know about. It might take a while.”
Father Firepower gestured for her to sit. “Of course. Know that His love has no limits, His mercy is boundless, and His kingdom welcomes you with open arms.”
* * * * *
They woke early the next morning to find a dense fog had rolled in during the night. Dana worried that this would cause trouble, but both Jayden and Father Firepower seemed pleased.
“We are blessed,” the priest said. “This will conceal us from our enemies, and cover our escape.”
They followed the priest to what looked like an abandoned storage shed at the edge of the nobleman’s estate. Father Firepower went in first and pulled up loose tiles from the floor to reveal a secret compartment. He brought out silver plates and cups Dana recognized as sacramental vessels, but he also brought out more packages wrapped in burlap. He loaded them onto the cart carefully while Jayden watched.
“Books,” Jayden announced when Father Firepower set one of the packages down. “It’s the right size and weight. For a moment I wondered if they were holy texts, but while you would no doubt want to preserve those, the king would have no interest in them. I doubt these are spell books, either. Tell me, priest, what secrets are written here that the king must not have?”
Father Firepower glanced at Jayden before he unwrapped a package to reveal the books inside. Holding one up, he said, “You guessed correctly, but this is a secret in the loosest possible term.”
Dana slipped in closer and read the title. “The Book of Life and Death. That sounds ominous.”
“Appearances can deceive,” Father Firepower told her gently. “The brotherhood had many duties when it was welcome in Meadowland Kingdom. They included officiating births, marriages, and deaths of the faithful. When the faithful moved, they registered at churches in their new home. Each church recorded this information in books. Recovering lost sacramental vessels is important, but these books must be reclaimed at all costs.”
Puzzled, she asked, “Why?”
“Because without meaning to, the priests conducted a census,” Jayden told her. “The civil war cost many lives and drove many people from the kingdom. Chaos and hardships since then have prevented the royal couple from conducting a census of who remains. Even now the king and queen seek to raise armies without knowing exactly how many people there are to conscript. Those books list every man, woman and child.”
“But the brotherhood was forced out eight years ago,” she protested. “There’s no telling how many of those people died since then, or how many more were born or left the kingdom.”
“While the information within these books is outdated, they are a starting point,” Father Firepower said. “Royal officials can look for the men listed here, or at least look for their graves.”
“Don’t tax records say the same thing?” she asked.
“Surprisingly, no,” Jayden told her. “Each town and city are responsible for collecting a specific amount of gold. The king and queen don’t care how it’s done so long as it is, and assign the task to local officials, men largely known to be corrupt and incompetent. They send the amount owed without writing much if anything down. The king and queen’s plans are being hindered by the very system they rule.”
Father Firepower loaded more books. “Two months ago, our agents reported government officials were searching property confiscated from the brotherhood. Those officials described what they sought to servants and scribes in the hope that one of them had seen their prize. These searches are ongoing and intensifying. My superiors in the brotherhood sent me to retrieve the books, or barring that to destroy them. It pleases me that I may return them intact.”
“That’s most of the job done, but where’s your man and his family?” Dana asked.
“He lives close to the cemetery where we first met,” Father Firepower explained. “We will go back and collect him and his kin before leaving the kingdom. You may join me if you wish.”
“Impossible,” Jayden said. “I’m not sure what else I can do to stop these wars, but I must try.”
“I understand.” Father Firepower finished loading the books and led them back the way they came. The fog helped hide them from prying eyes, although there were surprisingly few people around. Dana wondered where they were. The land seemed rich enough to support hundreds if not thousands, even if it was being badly mismanaged. They soon reached the cemetery and took a small path to a large oak tree. The priest pulled up the sleeves on his robes to reveal gold gauntlets trimmed with black, and he struck the side of the tree three times, then three more and three more after that.
“Hopefully he heard my signal,” Father Firepower said. “We will search for him if he doesn’t come within the hour, but that increases the chance of our discovery.”
“Does he know you’re coming?” Dana asked.
“Not the exact day. I wasn’t sure what challenges I would face that might delay reaching him. My message to him said to be ready to leave on a moment’s notice.”
“How large is this man’s family?” Jayden asked.
“He has a wife and five children,” the priest replied. “Why do you ask?”
“Because that’s quite the crowd coming toward us.”
Jayden pointed down the trail, where fifty or more people came out of the fog. They carried bags on their shoulders and some led farm animals. A man in the front of the group came to Father Firepower and dropped to his knees.
“Who are these individuals with you?” the priest demanded.
“Forgive me, but there was no choice,” the man wept. “My neighbors saw me packing and demanded to know where I was going. I, I told them, and they begged to join me. Please, sir, we can’t leave them here. Life grows worse by the week. Recently mercenaries and gladiators came through our village and ate our food stores. They said we were lucky they didn’t take our daughters with them! Sir, if they return…”
Father Firepower looked at the frightened peasants gathered before him. “I understand. I don’t have enough food for so many, but there are places where we can get more. All of you, come with me before your master realizes you have left.”
Boom.
“Oh no,” Dana said.
Jayden drew his sword. “I heard it, too.”
Boom. Boom. Father Firepower looked around. “What is that?”
“Stone golems,” Jayden told him. Boom. “By the sound of it at least two.”
“We meet again,” a familiar voice called out from the fog. “You didn’t run fast enough or far enough to escape me.”
“Stronglock, don’t you have a war to fight?” Jayden called back.
Two stone golems marched out of the fog at the edge of their vision. One looked like it wore stone ‘clothes’ in the style of a gentleman, while the other looked like a miner with a stone ‘helmet’. Behind them came the dwarf Dunrhill Stronglock in his plate armor and wielding a black magic axe. Still further back were two more dwarfs in workman’s clothes and holding silver amulets.
“After your attack on Trenton Town, and my failure to stop it, King Tyros’ generals gave a choice,” Stronglock replied angrily. “Kill you or die in your place. They graciously allowed me to use two of my company’s golems. Finding you was impossible with magic, but too many people had seen you and would inform on you in return for cash.”
Father Firepower turned to Jayden. “You sought to help me, and led your enemies directly to me.”
“Not intentionally!”
“Friends of yours?” Stronglock asked. “If they stand with you, they can die with you.”
Father Firepower glanced at his agents. “You know the route we’re taking. Get them moving.”
The golems lumbered toward Dana and Jayden while Father Firepower’s agents and the peasants fled. Jayden cast spells to form his giant black hand while Dana drew her sword Chain Cutter. Their earlier fight with Stronglock had been difficult, and that was when he had only one stone golem. Dana’s first instinct was to run, but that would leave these peasants to Stronglock’s mercy. The dwarf had been ruthless enough in their first encounter, and desperation at the threat to his life would only make that worse.
Father Firepower pulled off his robe to reveal the impressive plate armor he wore. It was gold with black trim, with the ring of three parts on his forehead, chest and belt. Like Jayden the priest had no weapons.
“Impressive enchantments on your armor,” Stronglock told the priest as he marched toward them. “Start running if you don’t want me to crush you in it.”
“I give you this opportunity to leave before battle is joined,” Father Firepower replied. “Ignore my offer at your peril.”
“I’m the only peril here,” Stronglock snarled as his golems lumbered into battle.
The golems were so slow that Dana, Jayden and Father Firepower were able to gang up on one and strike before the other could come to its aid. Dana slashed its heels and cut deeply into the stone. Jayden sent his giant hand crashing into it and bowled it over. Father Firepower kneeled and prayed before he grabbed the fallen golem by the arm. The golem sat up as Father Firepower braced his feet and shouted.
“God is my strength!” The priest pulled on the golem’s arm, and to everyone’s amazement he threw it into the other golem, knocking both onto their backs. Father Firepower looked at Stronglock and yelled, “This is your last warning! I don’t want to take your life, but I can do it!”
Stronglock’s shock vanished quickly, and he gripped his ax tightly before charging. He reached them as his golems stood up and rejoined the fight. Stronglock ignored the priest and focused on Jayden. His first swing was a clear miss, but the dwarf kept running and slammed into Jayden hard enough to knock him back. Jayden rammed his giant hand into the dwarf, but Stronglock swung his ax through it, hacking it in half. Jayden screamed as feedback from the damage broke bones in his hand.
Dana charged Stronglock and kept the dwarf back as Jayden staggered from the pain. The dwarf blocked her swings as easily as he did the last time the fought. Ax met sword in a storm of sparks without either breaking. The stone golems were catching up and would be on her in seconds.
Father Firepower took Jayden’s injured hand and prayed. Blue light flowed from the priest’s hands and mended Jayden’s wounds. They attacked Stronglock together and drove him away from Dana.
The gentleman golem tried to punch Dana and missed by inches. She slashed at its hand and cut off a finger. Father Firepower rushed in and punched the golem in the stomach, leaving cracks and doubling it over. Dana hit it again and cut a notch in the top of its head. The golem stood up straight and caught the priest in a bearhug. That lasted only until Dana slashed across its right knee and did enough damage to topple the golem. The miner golem helped up the gentleman while Dana helped up Father Firepower.
Jayden was busy sparing with Stronglock. He’d created his black sword and fought with it in one hand while using his magic sword in the other. The magic sword sped up Jayden’s attack, but to Dana’s surprise it made him swing his black sword just as fast. Stronglock was a skilled fighter and his armor was good, almost good enough to block the whirlwind of attacks coming at him. The dwarf took two hits that cut deep into his shoulder guard and breastplate.
“I will not yield!” Stronglock bellowed. He pushed on regardless of the blows he was taking and charged. Jayden leaped out of the way, bringing him so close to the golems that one of them tried to kick him. He dodged the kick and parried Stronglock’s axe swing.
Dana spotted the two dwarfs stayed outside the fight. “They’re controlling the golems. We need to stop them.”
“I will slow these two down,” Father Firepower told her. He prayed as the golems approached him. “Faith be my shield!”
Both golems brought their fists down on the priest. The swings came close when they hit a bluish shield made of concentric rings, each one divided into three parts. The golems banged on the shield and made it waver. Dana ran for the two dwarfs, only for Stronglock to step in her way.
“You’re not using that trick again,” the dwarf said. He swung at her head and forced her to duck. “I’ll need weeks to repair the damage you’ve done, but I can fix it. Nothing will fix your head once I take it off. Die, pest.”
That was when a monstrous black wolf leaped onto Stronglock. Wolf might be the wrong term. The midnight black animal was bigger than an ox and wreathed in white flames. It caught Strongarm’s ax handle in its jaws and ripped the weapon away. The monstrous wolf ran off sixty feet, spit out the axe and raced back to jump onto the gentleman golem. It bit the golem’s right arm, and there was a sharp crack as the stone limb broke off at the elbow.
Dana gasped in amazement. “What is that?”
“The church grim,” Jayden told her. “He looks a tad different when he’s angry.
Strongarm ran off and recovered his axe while the golems tried to fight the church grim. Father Firepower picked up the severed golem limb and clubbed the gentleman golem with it. Jayden attacked with his black and magic swords, cutting grooves into the miner golem’s arms. Dana joined him and drove her sword into the miner golem’s back.
“Your dog isn’t going to save you!” Strongarm yelled as he charged them. He swung at Dana, and she struggled to hold him off. “Nothing can!”
The church grim bit the gentleman golem’s right leg and pulled the golem over. Stone began to crack under its jaws until the miner golem kicked the church grim and sent it flying twenty feet. Father Firepower struck the gentleman golem so hard that the severed arm broke apart, as did the left side of the gentleman’s face. Jayden attacked Stronglock and kept the dwarf off Dana.
“Die, you idiots!” Stronglock screamed as he blocked one of Jayden’s blows with his ax. Two more blows left gashes across the dwarf’s breastplate. “Just die!”
The church grim got off the ground and shook its head. The monstrous dog fixed its eyes on the golems and began to growl.
Jayden let his black sword dissipate and grabbed Dana by the arm. “Run!”
Dana and Jayden raced away from the golems. Father Firepower stayed only long enough to drive his fist into and nearly through the miner golem’s kneecap to topple it before he followed them. Stronglock tried to follow them, but he found the church grim in his way and glowing brighter with each passing second. The huge dog threw back its head and howled. Horns blared in reply, and the light around it grew brighter still. Dana looked behind her where the golems were standing again and looking confused. Beams of light shot out from the blinding light around the church grim, cutting them to pieces.
Stronglock tried to run from the light before the deafening sound of horns hit him like a battering ram and knocked him over. His armor cracked and his axe was thrown fifty feet. The two dwarfs with him threw down their now useless amulets. The sound of horns brought them to their knees.
Dana, Jayden and Father Firepower didn’t stop running until the light behind them dimmed. Dana gasped for breath, and she grabbed onto a tree to keep from falling down. Jayden and Father Firepower were nearly as exhausted. Once she could speak, she asked, “What happened?”
“The golems hurt the church grim badly enough that it felt threatened,” Jayden explained. “It called on divine help to deal with them. Stronglock should have called his golems off the moment he saw it. Pride or anger kept him from admitting how much danger he was in.”
Dana looked back the way they’d come. The other two dwarfs were carrying Stronglock away. Stronglock’s hands moved, so he’d survived somehow, probably by being farther away from the church grim than his golems had been. The church grim was gone as if it had never been there.
“Why did it come?” she asked. “Jayden, you said church grims guard graveyards, but we’re half a mile from the graveyard it’s responsible for, and Stronglock and his golems weren’t threatening it.”
“The church grim has orders it must obey, as do I, but those orders leave room for interpretation,” Father Firepower said. “Aiding a brotherhood member in need would qualify, as would saving innocent lives, especially that of a friend.”
Dana froze. “Wait, you think it did this because of me?”
“I imagine it’s been a long time since anyone showed it affection,” Jayden told her. He smiled and said, “You do have a way of making friends wherever you go. Grateful as I am for its help, we need to go as soon as possible.”
“Every soul within five miles must have heard our battle,” Father Firepower said. “I must gather my people and leave before soldiers come to investigate.”
Jayden extended a hand in friendship to the priest. “This didn’t go nearly as well as I would have liked, but I am grateful to have met you. Destroying those golems will give the people in Zentrix some small advantage in the coming war. I fear it won’t be enough.”
Father Firepower shook Jayden’s hand without hesitation. “Do not be afraid, for He is with us in all things and against all dangers. We may meet again. Until that day, I urge you to spend more time in prayer. It will lead to wisdom.”
The priest walked off into the fog. Jayden flexed his right hand and said, “I regret not staying in his company for obvious reasons. It seems Clevner’s information was again only partially accurate. This puts us in a poor position. Zentrix either is already being invaded or soon will be, and I have no idea how to help its people.”
“Something will turn up,” she told him. “We should go before people come to see what the noise was about, and before the fog lifts.”
“It already is. I can see twice as far as I could before, and the sky above is clearing. Dana, as pleased as I am that we succeeded, we’re not doing enough. Too many lives are in danger. As much as I appreciate the help we just received, further divine intervention wouldn’t go unappreciated.”
Dana sheathed her sword. Feeling playful, she said, “Father Firepower would say God works in mysterious ways.”
“Hopefully not too mysterious.” Jayden shielded his eyes from the sun with his right hand and looked to the west. “Those clouds look like rain.”
As if on cue, rain poured down in torrents.
******************
Firepower led them to his agents and the cart. The agents looked surprised to see him with company, but a wave of the priest’s hand calmed them. “They have offered assistance.”
“Are these the people who spied on us?” a man asked. “You said you’d stop them.”
“So that’s why you were waiting by the graveyard,” Jayden said. “I wouldn’t expect a priest to set an ambush.”
“Do not question my methods. I have fought long and hard to defend the faithful.”
“You’re not used to being questioned, are you?” Jayden asked.
Dana elbowed him in the ribs. “We’re trying to make friends.”
“Many question me,” Father Firepower said. “Some from curiosity, others from honest concern, and others in a vain attempt to make themselves appear wise or worldly. I answer all of them, sometimes to their sorrow.”
“Can we please focus on what we’re doing?” Dana asked. “How far is it to your friend?”
“He lives not far from here,” the priest answered. “A day’s hard marching will reach him, and five more will ensure our escape.”
Jayden peered into the back of the cart. “You brought food and drink, and have quite a few packages wrapped in burlap.”
“The cart’s contents are no interest to you.”
Father Firepower led them for hours through narrow trails in the wilderness until they came up the gates to a large estate. He hesitated at the gates.
“One of yours, I believe,” Jayden said.
“Once. Perhaps one day it will be so again. This was Greenview Abbey, land gifted to the brotherhood by King Tyros’ ancestors two hundred years ago. It was a worthless swamp then, but through hard work and wisdom it was made into productive farmland.” His voice was bitter when he said, “Now look at it.”
Dana came alongside him. The estate certainly looked prosperous, with fields sprouting wheat and men pulling weeds. The buildings were large and in good repair, and she heard sheep bleating in the distance.
The priest pointed at hills covered in tree stumps alongside the fields. “In times gone by we planted trees to hold the hillsides in place and provide both building materials and firewood. Carefully managed, it could have provided resources indefinitely. Instead it was stripped bare by the baron who now rules here. He is a vainglorious fool with dreams of becoming a general. Such bloodthirsty desires cost gold. He ordered all the trees felled and sold the wood to buy weapons, planting nothing in its place. See, the soil already wears away. A strong enough storm will bring these hills sliding down onto the fields, destroying both.
“The work of generations is being destroyed in mere years. Herds of dairy cattle have been sent to slaughterhouses, artwork ripped from walls and sold to the highest bidder, property sold or mortgaged so this idiot baron can play at war. He has enough to satisfy any man’s appetites, and still he hungers for more.”
“The brotherhood could have stopped this from happening,” Jayden replied. “When the king and queen exiled you, priests, nuns and monks left meekly. You could have fought back. Many would have sided with you.”
“If that is an example of your wisdom, I prefer your silence,” Father Firepower retorted. “Meadowland Kingdom had barely survived a civil war and you would have had us start another? We could have fought back, killing so many the kingdom would be left desolate. Our property would have been burned or looted, the destruction faster and more thorough.”
Father Firepower turned to face Jayden. “We left to avoid causing horrors as great or greater than what this land had already experienced. We believed that the chance would come for us to return, either as welcomed guests or by sending missionaries in secret to win back the people. It was a risk, but the alternative was unthinkable.”
Dana slapped a hand over her face as Jayden kept pressing his point. “Is this better? You avoided a war that would have caused much suffering to one kingdom, and now Meadowland, Bascal, Kaleoth and Zentrix are all in peril.”
“What would you have me do?” Firepower yelled. He marched up to Jayden and pressed an armored finger against the Sorcerer Lord’s chest. “Would you have priests and monks become killers? Would you have us lead peasants against knights?”
“We’re making enough noise to draw attention to a secret mission,” Dana said. She got between Jayden and Father Firepower. “People need us. Focus on that.”
“Does she always act as your buffer?” Father Firepower asked Jayden.
“Yes. It bothers me how much I need her to do that. Years of hardship and watching my homeland sink into hatred and madness have left me thin skinned and bitter.”
The two stared at one another until Father Firepower turned away. “The hour is late and we won’t reach our destination before nightfall. I know a place we can rest until the morning.”
They made camp in a rocky gully far from the estate. Father Firepower shared nuts and dried meats and fruits from his supplies, but he was adamant that they not make a campfire. Dana and Jayden stayed by themselves, which seemed to suit the priest’s friends just fine.
On closer inspection, the brotherhood agents were simple folk. They had no weapons, and Dana saw no evidence that they were wizards. Dana had to respect their courage, for they were standing up to the king and queen in their own way, and they could expect no mercy if caught.
“So, exactly what happened in the city of Vascmer?” Dana asked.
“Personal matters I don’t wish to discuss,” Jayden told her. “I don’t ask about your past relationships because it’s none of my business. It’s not asking too much for you to do the same.”
“What’s her name?” Dana teased.
Jayden folded his arms across his chest. “That was one of my more spectacular failed relationships, one I’d thought no one knew about. You will never meet her, and that’s for the best.”
“Fine, be that way.” Dana’s voice dropped to a whisper when she spoke to Jayden again. “It sounds like you’ve heard of this priest before.”
“Amadeus Firepower is one of the Brotherhood of the Righteous’ most talented and dedicated men. We already saw his power when he destroyed my shadow fox. I assure you that was the barest taste of his potential. When the brotherhood has given up all hope of peaceful resolutions, they send him in to save who they can and punish those they must. His list of accomplishments is long, and the foes he’s defeated are many. Firepower cares nothing for kings, merchants, wizards or mad scientists. Faith, love, hope, these guide him, and only those with those gifts impress him. I fear I am short on all three.”
Jayden managed a weak smile when he looked at her. “You, on the other hand, seem to have made a new friend.”
Dana blushed. “I used to go to brotherhood services weekly before they were expelled. I have a lot or respect for them.”
“Careful, Dana, he might try to recruit you. The brotherhood needs every man and woman it can get.”
“She could do worse,” Firepower called out, making Dana blush even more. “Over the years we have evacuated many faithful. If you so desire, you may take refuge with the brotherhood as have many others.”
Dana spoke before Jayden could. “You are kind to make the offer, but there are people here who need me. I can help those who can’t help themselves.”
“You are indeed one of ours,” Father Firepower replied.
“Wait here for me,” Dana told Jayden. She went to Father Firepower and said, “I haven’t had a chance to admit my sins for eight years, and there are some things that have been bothering me. I would also like to tell you what I’ve seen in the last year that your agents might not know about. It might take a while.”
Father Firepower gestured for her to sit. “Of course. Know that His love has no limits, His mercy is boundless, and His kingdom welcomes you with open arms.”
* * * * *
They woke early the next morning to find a dense fog had rolled in during the night. Dana worried that this would cause trouble, but both Jayden and Father Firepower seemed pleased.
“We are blessed,” the priest said. “This will conceal us from our enemies, and cover our escape.”
They followed the priest to what looked like an abandoned storage shed at the edge of the nobleman’s estate. Father Firepower went in first and pulled up loose tiles from the floor to reveal a secret compartment. He brought out silver plates and cups Dana recognized as sacramental vessels, but he also brought out more packages wrapped in burlap. He loaded them onto the cart carefully while Jayden watched.
“Books,” Jayden announced when Father Firepower set one of the packages down. “It’s the right size and weight. For a moment I wondered if they were holy texts, but while you would no doubt want to preserve those, the king would have no interest in them. I doubt these are spell books, either. Tell me, priest, what secrets are written here that the king must not have?”
Father Firepower glanced at Jayden before he unwrapped a package to reveal the books inside. Holding one up, he said, “You guessed correctly, but this is a secret in the loosest possible term.”
Dana slipped in closer and read the title. “The Book of Life and Death. That sounds ominous.”
“Appearances can deceive,” Father Firepower told her gently. “The brotherhood had many duties when it was welcome in Meadowland Kingdom. They included officiating births, marriages, and deaths of the faithful. When the faithful moved, they registered at churches in their new home. Each church recorded this information in books. Recovering lost sacramental vessels is important, but these books must be reclaimed at all costs.”
Puzzled, she asked, “Why?”
“Because without meaning to, the priests conducted a census,” Jayden told her. “The civil war cost many lives and drove many people from the kingdom. Chaos and hardships since then have prevented the royal couple from conducting a census of who remains. Even now the king and queen seek to raise armies without knowing exactly how many people there are to conscript. Those books list every man, woman and child.”
“But the brotherhood was forced out eight years ago,” she protested. “There’s no telling how many of those people died since then, or how many more were born or left the kingdom.”
“While the information within these books is outdated, they are a starting point,” Father Firepower said. “Royal officials can look for the men listed here, or at least look for their graves.”
“Don’t tax records say the same thing?” she asked.
“Surprisingly, no,” Jayden told her. “Each town and city are responsible for collecting a specific amount of gold. The king and queen don’t care how it’s done so long as it is, and assign the task to local officials, men largely known to be corrupt and incompetent. They send the amount owed without writing much if anything down. The king and queen’s plans are being hindered by the very system they rule.”
Father Firepower loaded more books. “Two months ago, our agents reported government officials were searching property confiscated from the brotherhood. Those officials described what they sought to servants and scribes in the hope that one of them had seen their prize. These searches are ongoing and intensifying. My superiors in the brotherhood sent me to retrieve the books, or barring that to destroy them. It pleases me that I may return them intact.”
“That’s most of the job done, but where’s your man and his family?” Dana asked.
“He lives close to the cemetery where we first met,” Father Firepower explained. “We will go back and collect him and his kin before leaving the kingdom. You may join me if you wish.”
“Impossible,” Jayden said. “I’m not sure what else I can do to stop these wars, but I must try.”
“I understand.” Father Firepower finished loading the books and led them back the way they came. The fog helped hide them from prying eyes, although there were surprisingly few people around. Dana wondered where they were. The land seemed rich enough to support hundreds if not thousands, even if it was being badly mismanaged. They soon reached the cemetery and took a small path to a large oak tree. The priest pulled up the sleeves on his robes to reveal gold gauntlets trimmed with black, and he struck the side of the tree three times, then three more and three more after that.
“Hopefully he heard my signal,” Father Firepower said. “We will search for him if he doesn’t come within the hour, but that increases the chance of our discovery.”
“Does he know you’re coming?” Dana asked.
“Not the exact day. I wasn’t sure what challenges I would face that might delay reaching him. My message to him said to be ready to leave on a moment’s notice.”
“How large is this man’s family?” Jayden asked.
“He has a wife and five children,” the priest replied. “Why do you ask?”
“Because that’s quite the crowd coming toward us.”
Jayden pointed down the trail, where fifty or more people came out of the fog. They carried bags on their shoulders and some led farm animals. A man in the front of the group came to Father Firepower and dropped to his knees.
“Who are these individuals with you?” the priest demanded.
“Forgive me, but there was no choice,” the man wept. “My neighbors saw me packing and demanded to know where I was going. I, I told them, and they begged to join me. Please, sir, we can’t leave them here. Life grows worse by the week. Recently mercenaries and gladiators came through our village and ate our food stores. They said we were lucky they didn’t take our daughters with them! Sir, if they return…”
Father Firepower looked at the frightened peasants gathered before him. “I understand. I don’t have enough food for so many, but there are places where we can get more. All of you, come with me before your master realizes you have left.”
Boom.
“Oh no,” Dana said.
Jayden drew his sword. “I heard it, too.”
Boom. Boom. Father Firepower looked around. “What is that?”
“Stone golems,” Jayden told him. Boom. “By the sound of it at least two.”
“We meet again,” a familiar voice called out from the fog. “You didn’t run fast enough or far enough to escape me.”
“Stronglock, don’t you have a war to fight?” Jayden called back.
Two stone golems marched out of the fog at the edge of their vision. One looked like it wore stone ‘clothes’ in the style of a gentleman, while the other looked like a miner with a stone ‘helmet’. Behind them came the dwarf Dunrhill Stronglock in his plate armor and wielding a black magic axe. Still further back were two more dwarfs in workman’s clothes and holding silver amulets.
“After your attack on Trenton Town, and my failure to stop it, King Tyros’ generals gave a choice,” Stronglock replied angrily. “Kill you or die in your place. They graciously allowed me to use two of my company’s golems. Finding you was impossible with magic, but too many people had seen you and would inform on you in return for cash.”
Father Firepower turned to Jayden. “You sought to help me, and led your enemies directly to me.”
“Not intentionally!”
“Friends of yours?” Stronglock asked. “If they stand with you, they can die with you.”
Father Firepower glanced at his agents. “You know the route we’re taking. Get them moving.”
The golems lumbered toward Dana and Jayden while Father Firepower’s agents and the peasants fled. Jayden cast spells to form his giant black hand while Dana drew her sword Chain Cutter. Their earlier fight with Stronglock had been difficult, and that was when he had only one stone golem. Dana’s first instinct was to run, but that would leave these peasants to Stronglock’s mercy. The dwarf had been ruthless enough in their first encounter, and desperation at the threat to his life would only make that worse.
Father Firepower pulled off his robe to reveal the impressive plate armor he wore. It was gold with black trim, with the ring of three parts on his forehead, chest and belt. Like Jayden the priest had no weapons.
“Impressive enchantments on your armor,” Stronglock told the priest as he marched toward them. “Start running if you don’t want me to crush you in it.”
“I give you this opportunity to leave before battle is joined,” Father Firepower replied. “Ignore my offer at your peril.”
“I’m the only peril here,” Stronglock snarled as his golems lumbered into battle.
The golems were so slow that Dana, Jayden and Father Firepower were able to gang up on one and strike before the other could come to its aid. Dana slashed its heels and cut deeply into the stone. Jayden sent his giant hand crashing into it and bowled it over. Father Firepower kneeled and prayed before he grabbed the fallen golem by the arm. The golem sat up as Father Firepower braced his feet and shouted.
“God is my strength!” The priest pulled on the golem’s arm, and to everyone’s amazement he threw it into the other golem, knocking both onto their backs. Father Firepower looked at Stronglock and yelled, “This is your last warning! I don’t want to take your life, but I can do it!”
Stronglock’s shock vanished quickly, and he gripped his ax tightly before charging. He reached them as his golems stood up and rejoined the fight. Stronglock ignored the priest and focused on Jayden. His first swing was a clear miss, but the dwarf kept running and slammed into Jayden hard enough to knock him back. Jayden rammed his giant hand into the dwarf, but Stronglock swung his ax through it, hacking it in half. Jayden screamed as feedback from the damage broke bones in his hand.
Dana charged Stronglock and kept the dwarf back as Jayden staggered from the pain. The dwarf blocked her swings as easily as he did the last time the fought. Ax met sword in a storm of sparks without either breaking. The stone golems were catching up and would be on her in seconds.
Father Firepower took Jayden’s injured hand and prayed. Blue light flowed from the priest’s hands and mended Jayden’s wounds. They attacked Stronglock together and drove him away from Dana.
The gentleman golem tried to punch Dana and missed by inches. She slashed at its hand and cut off a finger. Father Firepower rushed in and punched the golem in the stomach, leaving cracks and doubling it over. Dana hit it again and cut a notch in the top of its head. The golem stood up straight and caught the priest in a bearhug. That lasted only until Dana slashed across its right knee and did enough damage to topple the golem. The miner golem helped up the gentleman while Dana helped up Father Firepower.
Jayden was busy sparing with Stronglock. He’d created his black sword and fought with it in one hand while using his magic sword in the other. The magic sword sped up Jayden’s attack, but to Dana’s surprise it made him swing his black sword just as fast. Stronglock was a skilled fighter and his armor was good, almost good enough to block the whirlwind of attacks coming at him. The dwarf took two hits that cut deep into his shoulder guard and breastplate.
“I will not yield!” Stronglock bellowed. He pushed on regardless of the blows he was taking and charged. Jayden leaped out of the way, bringing him so close to the golems that one of them tried to kick him. He dodged the kick and parried Stronglock’s axe swing.
Dana spotted the two dwarfs stayed outside the fight. “They’re controlling the golems. We need to stop them.”
“I will slow these two down,” Father Firepower told her. He prayed as the golems approached him. “Faith be my shield!”
Both golems brought their fists down on the priest. The swings came close when they hit a bluish shield made of concentric rings, each one divided into three parts. The golems banged on the shield and made it waver. Dana ran for the two dwarfs, only for Stronglock to step in her way.
“You’re not using that trick again,” the dwarf said. He swung at her head and forced her to duck. “I’ll need weeks to repair the damage you’ve done, but I can fix it. Nothing will fix your head once I take it off. Die, pest.”
That was when a monstrous black wolf leaped onto Stronglock. Wolf might be the wrong term. The midnight black animal was bigger than an ox and wreathed in white flames. It caught Strongarm’s ax handle in its jaws and ripped the weapon away. The monstrous wolf ran off sixty feet, spit out the axe and raced back to jump onto the gentleman golem. It bit the golem’s right arm, and there was a sharp crack as the stone limb broke off at the elbow.
Dana gasped in amazement. “What is that?”
“The church grim,” Jayden told her. “He looks a tad different when he’s angry.
Strongarm ran off and recovered his axe while the golems tried to fight the church grim. Father Firepower picked up the severed golem limb and clubbed the gentleman golem with it. Jayden attacked with his black and magic swords, cutting grooves into the miner golem’s arms. Dana joined him and drove her sword into the miner golem’s back.
“Your dog isn’t going to save you!” Strongarm yelled as he charged them. He swung at Dana, and she struggled to hold him off. “Nothing can!”
The church grim bit the gentleman golem’s right leg and pulled the golem over. Stone began to crack under its jaws until the miner golem kicked the church grim and sent it flying twenty feet. Father Firepower struck the gentleman golem so hard that the severed arm broke apart, as did the left side of the gentleman’s face. Jayden attacked Stronglock and kept the dwarf off Dana.
“Die, you idiots!” Stronglock screamed as he blocked one of Jayden’s blows with his ax. Two more blows left gashes across the dwarf’s breastplate. “Just die!”
The church grim got off the ground and shook its head. The monstrous dog fixed its eyes on the golems and began to growl.
Jayden let his black sword dissipate and grabbed Dana by the arm. “Run!”
Dana and Jayden raced away from the golems. Father Firepower stayed only long enough to drive his fist into and nearly through the miner golem’s kneecap to topple it before he followed them. Stronglock tried to follow them, but he found the church grim in his way and glowing brighter with each passing second. The huge dog threw back its head and howled. Horns blared in reply, and the light around it grew brighter still. Dana looked behind her where the golems were standing again and looking confused. Beams of light shot out from the blinding light around the church grim, cutting them to pieces.
Stronglock tried to run from the light before the deafening sound of horns hit him like a battering ram and knocked him over. His armor cracked and his axe was thrown fifty feet. The two dwarfs with him threw down their now useless amulets. The sound of horns brought them to their knees.
Dana, Jayden and Father Firepower didn’t stop running until the light behind them dimmed. Dana gasped for breath, and she grabbed onto a tree to keep from falling down. Jayden and Father Firepower were nearly as exhausted. Once she could speak, she asked, “What happened?”
“The golems hurt the church grim badly enough that it felt threatened,” Jayden explained. “It called on divine help to deal with them. Stronglock should have called his golems off the moment he saw it. Pride or anger kept him from admitting how much danger he was in.”
Dana looked back the way they’d come. The other two dwarfs were carrying Stronglock away. Stronglock’s hands moved, so he’d survived somehow, probably by being farther away from the church grim than his golems had been. The church grim was gone as if it had never been there.
“Why did it come?” she asked. “Jayden, you said church grims guard graveyards, but we’re half a mile from the graveyard it’s responsible for, and Stronglock and his golems weren’t threatening it.”
“The church grim has orders it must obey, as do I, but those orders leave room for interpretation,” Father Firepower said. “Aiding a brotherhood member in need would qualify, as would saving innocent lives, especially that of a friend.”
Dana froze. “Wait, you think it did this because of me?”
“I imagine it’s been a long time since anyone showed it affection,” Jayden told her. He smiled and said, “You do have a way of making friends wherever you go. Grateful as I am for its help, we need to go as soon as possible.”
“Every soul within five miles must have heard our battle,” Father Firepower said. “I must gather my people and leave before soldiers come to investigate.”
Jayden extended a hand in friendship to the priest. “This didn’t go nearly as well as I would have liked, but I am grateful to have met you. Destroying those golems will give the people in Zentrix some small advantage in the coming war. I fear it won’t be enough.”
Father Firepower shook Jayden’s hand without hesitation. “Do not be afraid, for He is with us in all things and against all dangers. We may meet again. Until that day, I urge you to spend more time in prayer. It will lead to wisdom.”
The priest walked off into the fog. Jayden flexed his right hand and said, “I regret not staying in his company for obvious reasons. It seems Clevner’s information was again only partially accurate. This puts us in a poor position. Zentrix either is already being invaded or soon will be, and I have no idea how to help its people.”
“Something will turn up,” she told him. “We should go before people come to see what the noise was about, and before the fog lifts.”
“It already is. I can see twice as far as I could before, and the sky above is clearing. Dana, as pleased as I am that we succeeded, we’re not doing enough. Too many lives are in danger. As much as I appreciate the help we just received, further divine intervention wouldn’t go unappreciated.”
Dana sheathed her sword. Feeling playful, she said, “Father Firepower would say God works in mysterious ways.”
“Hopefully not too mysterious.” Jayden shielded his eyes from the sun with his right hand and looked to the west. “Those clouds look like rain.”
As if on cue, rain poured down in torrents.
