PlaneShift
Fan Area => Roleplaying (Communitive Storywriting) => Topic started by: Arka on December 02, 2005, 08:58:03 pm
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Part One: Awakening
Arka woke to a cold, wet dawn. The tree she had crawled under last night offered no shelter from the rain. She was wet to the skin and cold to the bone. Worse still was the humiliation. She had travelled the whole stalactite over during her long life, and survived almost intact. She had encountered Rogues, thieves and vagabonds, but had always managed to defend herself. But last night?
And to happen within sight of the place of her youth, Hydlaa! She tried to move but her legs were stiff and painful. Rolling up the leg of her breeches she saw the bruises, blue and yellow, on her shins. Her ribs ached. She had taken a bad beating. She should have stayed in Akkaio, should have taken a room at the night in th? Broken Door. She had the money for it, but not now. She looked around. Her possessions were scattered around where the Robbers had left them. Clothes, books, trinkets, all trodden into the mud. She checked her satchel. Inside was the tight wad of papers, wrapped in Tefusang skin. She sighed. At least she still had that. All was not lost.
She painfully massaged her legs back to life. Nothing broken, except maybe a rib or two. The leather armour had helped, until they had taken it off her. Then the tall one had come back and kicked her in the ribs. That was when she blacked out.
She crawled about gathering together what was left. There was a shawl, big enough to use as a makeshift backpack. Some of her mother?s jewellery, her clothes, a pair of boots (obviously too small for the Robbers) a belt, and her precious package. That was all she had left in the world. The Great Axes that she had worked on so diligently as an apprentice, they were gone. She fought back a tear, remembering her father?s pride when she had shown them to him. He?d kept them all that time. All the years she had been wandering over the Stalactite....
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:D Sweet! I enjoyed this short but well writen story very much ..... is there more to come? Judging by the part one I am lead to believe so. I like your style of writing and it has inspired me......
/me claps and cheers!
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Oh yes , very well writen story , i like how you use the present to make us know the past
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Niiice. There better be more coming...
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Part Two: The Old Forge
She?d found the axes in the ruins of the Smithy, buried under the rubble. There was nothing left of the village. A few standing stones and mounds where the survivors had buried the dead. And no sign of her mother and father, just one large mound, now covered in grass, beside the ruined workshop. The tools had gone, looted, she had thought. The anvil was rusted beyond use. Nothing left, or so it seemed. She would sleep that night within the walls of her former home. It would be for the last time, she told herself. She spread out her bedroll on the ground and looked up at the darkening sky. Everything drew quiet; it was strangely peaceful.
She had planned to leave at first light, but woke from a vivid dream to find it still dark. The fire she had lit earlier was just smouldering ashes. Slowly the dream came back to her. Her mother. Standing in the doorway of her home, before? this had happened. She was pointing to the hatchway leading down to the storeroom. ?For you, Arka, for you,? she had said. Suddenly Arka was wide awake. The cellar! Of course! No one would have bothered to get in there.
She put some more twigs on the fire and brought it back to life. The flames cast dancing shadows across the ruins. There was barely enough light to see, but Arka set to, pulling away the stones with her bare hands. By the time the first glimmers of the crystal had started to lighten the sky, she had uncovered the hatchway, remarkably intact. She cleared the earth from around the edges with her dagger and took hold of the brass ring. With an enormous effort, she pulled the hatch open on its rusted hinges and peered inside. A wave of dank air met her face.
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Is Arka a dwarf?
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Part Three: The Oak chest
She lowered herself into the hole in the ground. As her eyes became used to the dark, she managed to make out a few dark shapes. The barrel in the corner, a few broken wooden boxes, and, in the centre of the room, the very thing she had hoped to find. A small oak chest, bound with brass strips. Eagerly, she lifted the chest out of the cellar and into the light. She pulled herself up and sat with her legs dangling into the hatchway, her chest heaving with the effort.
The chest was locked, but that was no problem. Arka reached inside her shirt and pulled the gold chain over her head. On its end was a small gold key, unused for so many years. The key turned easily in the lock and the clasps sprang open. Arka held her breath as she lifted the lid, hardly daring to hope.
In the first layer she found two leather bags. One contained money: not a fortune, but enough to live on comfortably for a while. The second was her mother?s jewellery. Her mother had simple tastes, and this was reflected in her choice of clothing and ornaments. Simple metal brooches, a plain gold ring and a few pendants with semi-precious stones. Arka handled each piece in awe; each one brought back its own memory. She wrapped them in the leather and thrust them deep into her bag.
Lifting the wooden tray that separated the layers in the chest, Arka gave a squeal of joy. Wedged in the bottom of the trunk were the two Great Axes she had made as an apprentice. She ran her finger along the edge of the first one she had lifted. Her father had kept them sharp! She picked up the second and balanced them, grasping the soft leather handles on the fine maple stocks. Above all, this felt like coming home. ?With these axes I shall avenge my parents? death.? She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.
There was one more thing she needed to find. Putting down her precious axes, she returned to the chest. Pushed into the corner was the one thing she wanted most; a small parcel of Tefusang skin, tightly wrapped around a wad of parchment. She picked it up and pressed it to her heart. This was what the dream had been about. This was what her mother had wanted her to have! ?Thank you! Thank you both, mother and father. I will not let you down.?
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:D Once again I am left in suspense which to me is a sign of a good story teller. I look forward to more of this story and will keep checking back......
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Thanks for all your comments.
Yes, Arka is a dwarf.
Yes, there will be more posts (one a day if I can manage it)
Arka :D
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Ok, I assumed so. But you never stated and I didn\'t want to create a false image of Arka and then have it blown away later. I think it would be a good idea to mention this somehow in the next part.
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Originally posted by Stephen McNaire
Ok, I assumed so. But you never stated and I didn\'t want to create a false image of Arka and then have it blown away later. I think it would be a good idea to mention this somehow in the next part.
Good point.
Thanks, Stephen
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Part Four: Akkaio
The crystal was burning brightly as she made her way down into the valley. She had put the chest back into the cellar and covered the hatch with rubble once more. She might come back for it one day. Maybe, the village would be rebuilt and she could take over the Forge again. She shook her head sadly. ?Wishful thinking Arka,? she said to herself, aloud, ?Sentimental fool.?
In the distance she could make out the stalagmite with the tunnel that led to Akkaio. She hadn?t eaten for two days and was running short of water. In Akkaio she could get a bath and a meal. But she was eager to get back to Hydlaa. She hoped that whoever had been left in the village would have gone there. In any case, there were bound to be other Stonebreakers living there. She might find someone who could tell her what had happened.
Four hours later, she was in th? Broken Door, with a mug of Dverbarl in her hand, and a nice full feeling in her stomach. Brado had served the dwarf with the best Tefusang steak she had eaten in a long time. She had been entertaining a group of young enkies with tales of her exploits and didn?t realise it was getting dark.
?You?ll be wantin? a room Miss Arka,? said Brado.
Arka glanced at the window. ?No, that will be all right. I?ll be getting off to Hydlaa right now.?
Brado looked at her in earnest. ?That?s not a good idea,? he said, ?That road?s not safe at night, not these days.?
?Nonsense! I shall be there before dark. And anyway I have these to protect me.? Arka patted the axes that hung from her belt.
?I really think?? began Brado, but Arka downed her ale and was out of the door with a cheery wave. Brado shook his head. ?I suppose she?s old enough to take care of herself,? he sighed.
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Part Five: Homeward Bound
It was still light when Arka left Akkaio, but only just. It was still early in the year and the nights were cold. The wind was getting up and there was a touch of rain in the air. Arka pulled out a woollen shawl from her backpack and wrapped it over her shoulders, fastening it with one of her mother?s metal brooches. She stopped at the tunnel and looked at the road ahead. She could still hear the sound of singing from the tavern, and for a moment she thought about turning back.
She opened her bag again and took out her leather armour. It would slow her down, but if there were any beasts on the road, she would be protected. She slipped on the leather leg-pieces and body plate. The boots were looking a bit shabby, she thought, but with the money from the chest she could easily afford a new pair when she got to Hydlaa. Finally, she buckled on her arm protectors and wrapped the shawl around her once again. She checked around in the gathering gloom to make sure she hadn?t left anything and set off down the long road to Hydlaa.
In the open, the wind whistled mercilessly over the rocks and along the valley. It was in her face the whole way, slowing her down. It was as if the Gods were stopping her from making any progress, but she struggled on, even more determined to make it to the city. Her thoughts went back to the morning, and the oak chest. It almost seemed as if it was dream; she touched the axes hanging from her belt to make sure. She remembered the happy times she had spent working with her father at the forge. And then the day she had decided to leave the village.
She always knew she would be an explorer. Her parents knew as well, and they did not try to stop her, although they were so sad to see her go. She didn?t know then that would be the last time she saw them in this world.
Before she knew it, she had entered the forest. It was calmer here, out of the biting wind, but almost pitch black. She remembered that there was an old house in the woods, near the split in the road, but she thought it would be too late to disturb the inhabitants, so she took the right turn and set off on the last stretch before Hydlaa. How long since she had trodden this road? She had been young then, perhaps 40 or 50 years. That was over 90 years ago. Things would have changed in that time, that was sure. None of the Ylians she knew then would be alive, but there would be dwarfs, maybe even some from the village.
She was lost in thought as she turned the last bend in the road and emerged from the forest. Ahead she could see the lights of Hydlaa and her heart gave a leap. This was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. With her parent?s money, she could rent a good room at the tavern, maybe find a good blacksmith to work with, start up a weapon-foundry. She had been travelling too long; now she could at last afford to settle down. She could almost see the gates in the gloom; the road wound around a heap of rocks before opening out. Her pace quickened; almost there!
Then she saw a figure lying in her path. At first she told herself it was a bundle of rags, but it moved and she heard a soft groan. She knelt down beside the man and opened her bag. She had a potion that might help.
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Part Six: Ambush!
No sooner had she opened her bag than the man sprang up and grabbed her by the wrists. She instinctively head-butted him in the face, and heard his nose crack, with some satisfaction. But before she could stand, there was another on her back; blows rained down on her head. She rolled herself into a ball; there were at least three of them, and she needed help. She shouted as she fumbled for her dagger, but no-one came. Her fingers touched the dark iron hilt just too late as another, taller, man (if it was a man) hit her hard on the head. She stumbled, dazed, and the dagger fell to the ground.
?Oho! The little wasp has a sting!? The voice was harsh and deep. ?Let?s show her some manners, boys.? She felt her bag being torn off her and then the beating started. Blow after blow rained down on her. Her body plate took most of it but the leather only softened the blow. She could feel herself losing consciousness. ?I?m going to die,? she thought. This made her angrier. ?No!? she shouted, but her voice was small and weak. She tried to scramble into the rocks, but she was dragged back and kicked in the sides. ?All right, take it. Take it all!? she murmured.
Now she felt rough hands, pulling at the straps on the armour, dragging at her clothes. Her boots came off and she felt the belt being cut. ?NO! Leave me the axes!? she begged, but her plea was met with harsh laughter. ?Oooh the lady wants her pretty axes back!? said another man, this time in a high squeaky voice. ?I?ll have those,? said the tall one. By now, Arka?s eyes had closed from the bruising, but she recognised the men from their voices. ?I need to remember their voices,? she said to herself.
?Don?t even think about following us!? said the one with the deep voice, almost as if he?d read her mind. Then she felt the blow to her side as he connected with his boot. The pain seared through her body and her head swam.
She came to, to find that the rain had started in earnest. It was bitterly cold and she was utterly exhausted, too tired to call out, almost too tired to move. She dragged herself into the shelter of a small tree by the road before slipping back into unconsciousness. Before the darkness enveloped her once more she replayed the two voices she had heard in her mind. She would find the men. She would get her axes back. And she?d make them suffer for it.
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Part Seven: Hydlaa
So now here she was, a few remaining belongings, no money, no food, wet, cold and in pain. They had not even had the decency to leave her a potion to heal herself. Arka was angry. If this is what Hydlaa had come to? But she needed to get out of the cold. Looking around, she found a straight, slender length of wood that would support her weight. She hauled herself to her feet, leaning heavily on her makeshift staff. Painfully, she made her way to the city gates. Thankfully, it had stopped raining and mist was rising from the forest and blowing along the road. Far from the welcoming place it had seemed last night, the city appeared grey and austere. Dark towers appeared between the mist and swirls of smoke from the early morning fires.
After what seemed an age, she was at the gates. There was no sign of life in the city, just two guards at the gate. One was a man, the other female. Arka found herself staring. They let women in the city guard! Things had changed!
?What?s your business here?? said the woman officiously.
Arka licked her swollen lips, ?I?ve been attacked? need some help,? she muttered.
The woman looked at her distastefully. Arka was acutely aware of how ragged she looked. She?d spent the last year sleeping in the open and last night hadn?t helped her appearance. ?I just need to get cleaned up,? she said. For a moment, she thought she would be arrested as a vagrant, but she waved her through.
?Try Kada-El at the tavern,? she said.
Wearily, Arka made her way past the tower. At least that hadn?t changed, though many of the surrounding buildings were new. Kada-El? That was a new name to her. Old Grunwell would have died years ago, but she thought maybe his family would have taken on the Tavern. What was his son?s name? Garwin? Gronwin? It was so long ago. He was a good boy, she remembered. Helpful, and very able. He would have been about ten when she last saw him. No, he would be dead now too.
Getting down the steps was almost too painful to bear. There was a Klyros at the top and he had helped her down. She winced at every step.
?How did you get those injuries?? he asked.
Arka was in no mood for conversation, especially with a stranger. But this one seemed kind, especially for a Klyros. She would have to get used to this new Hydlaa, which had changed in both good and bad ways.
The stranger introduced himself as Ozbi. ?Take it easy,? he said, ?I understand it?s hard to talk.?
He took her to the foot of the steps that led to the Tavern. They were more worn than Arka remembered, but they were the same steps.
?I?ll be fine here, thanks,? she said. She waved him away.
?If you are sure?? began Ozbi.
?No, really, I?ll be fine,? said Arka, lying. She just wanted time to be on her own.
Ozbi bowed, ?I?ll keep an eye out for you,? he said.
?You are kind,? said Arka, ?but I?ll be fine.?
Ozbi disappeared towards the square. Arka looked around. Down here, the buildings were as she remembered. The huge statue stood in the centre of the plaza, with its six sides. At one end was a new building. Arka could just make out the top of the spire. It was rust coloured, as if made from raw iron. That must be the famous Laanx Temple. She had heard of it on her travels. The old stone building must have been demolished, as it stood on the same spot, over the well. She closed her eyes as a new wave of weariness swept over her.
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Part Eight: Bodacher
?I wouldn?t sleep here if I were you.?
Arka opened one eye. It was getting late in the day. She must have been asleep for hours.
?If the guards see you here they?ll take you in,? said the voice.
Arka squinted against the light of the crystal, now shining directly in her eyes. She could make out the silhouette of a young Stonebreaker, 40 or 50 years at the most. He held out his hand and Arka took it.
?Bodacher Saldakam at your service,? he said.
?Saldakam? You are a Saldakam?? said Arka.
?You have heard of me?? Bodacher smiled.
?I know of your family,? said Arka. They are famous. They lived in the mountains and ran the salt works.
?Ahh,? said Bodacher, with a far away look in his eyes, ?I wouldn?t know about that.?
With some effort Arka got to her feet.
?You are hurt,? said Bodacher. He reached into his bag and drew out a phial of violet liquid. ?Here, drink this.?
Arka recognised the liquid as healing potion and took it eagerly. She drew the cork and swallowed the oily, sweet potion.
?Steady, me lady, don?t spill any,? said Bodacher.
Arka felt her strength returning. The warmth spread through her limbs.
?I?m sorry, I don?t have anything?? she began.
?Don?t you worry about that me lady,? said Bodacher with a wink, ?Call it customer service.?
?Customer? You are a trader??
?Anything you need, you come to Bodacher. And, of course, if there?s anything you need to get rid of??
He pressed his finger to the side of his nose and gave a huge wink, ?If you knows what I mean??
Arka started. Here was someone who could help.
?Actually, there is something you can help me with.?
?Fire away, me lady. Bodacher?s here to help.?
Arka told him of her encounter outside the city walls. She described the axes in great detail and that they would be recognisable by the large ?G? runes inlaid in silver on the blades. She also described her assailants as best she could.
?You should talk to the city guard,? suggested Bodacher.
Arka remembered the disdain with which the female guard had greeted her. ?No, I think I?d rather keep this between brethren,? she said.
?Understood,? said Bodacher, with another huge wink, ?If I sees those axes, I shall have them for you, and I?ll get the names of them what?s done this. You see. Now you?ll be needing to sleep off that potion. Can you make it up the stairs??
Arka nodded. With Bodacher on her arm and her rough staff in her right hand, she
climbed the steps towards the Tavern. For the first time in many years, she was beginning to feel like she was home.
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Part Nine: Kada-el?s
Walking through the doors of the Tavern was like stepping back in time. The bar was in the corner, as it had been in her youth, and still had the assortment of mugs and tankard hanging from its shelves. There was a huge fire in the grate and a delicious smell wafting down from the kitchens upstairs. The same dusty paintings hung on the walls, with what seemed to Arka to be an extra 90 years of dust.
?Is the Mistress in?? asked Bodacher to the young Menki behind the bar.
?She?s away on business,? he said.
Arka went to sit by the fire as the Dwarf talked to the Barkeeper. The fire was freshly made and she relished the warmth on her skin. The potion had done its work and she was feeling stronger by the minute, although desperately tired.
Bodacher reappeared with a bowl of steaming soup and a mug of ale. ?Here, get these down ye,? he said, kindly.
?But I can?t afford?? began Arka.
?Now don?t you be worrying yoursel? over nothing, me lady. Bodacher?s taking care of it. You?ve a room for the night and a bath?s already being run.?
Arka smiled. After the events of the last two days she was beginning to feel as if the Gods had abandoned her. But here was a complete stranger, taking care of all her needs, and for no reward.
?How can I repay you?? she asked.
?Your smile is the only payment I needs,? replied her host, ?Now eat up and get yourself rested, me lady.?
Arka eat the stew hungrily. It had been a full day since she had eaten and the Tefusang stew was thick and filling. She took a sip from the mug.
?Ole fallin? down!? she cried, ?I thought they?d stopped brewing this!?
Bodacher smiled. ?There?s a new dwarf?s cooperative in East Hydlaa. They?ve revived some old brews. Call it their classic range.?
Arka took a deep draught as memories of long evenings spent in front of this very fire came flooding back. Her favourite spot in her favourite tavern, with a mug of her favourite ale. Things were looking up.
?I?ll leave ye to it me lady,? said Bodacher, ?Got a bit o? business to see to meself. If ye know what I mean.?
He tapped his nose and winked broadly.
?You are so kind?? began Arka.
Bodacher was on his feet and halfway to the door.
?Don?t mention it,? he replied, ?Oh, and Breakfast is included.?
He shot a quick glance at the Barkeeper.
?Make sure ye gets it.?
With that, he was gone. Arka drained the mug and felt more sleepy than ever. The young Menkie arrived and offered to show her to her room. She dragged herself up the two flights of stairs and into a well-furnished bedroom at the top of the Tavern. In the centre of the room was tin bath full of steaming foamy water. A pair of white towels hung on the back of the chair and there was a fire in the grate.
?If you need anything, just call,? said the Menki, bowing and walking backwards out of the door.
?Hmm, service is certainly better than in old Grunwell?s day,? she thought as she peeled off her ragged clothes and slipped under the suds. The water was at exactly the right temperature, and the added herbs soon got to work on her cuts and bruises. She could almost feel herself healing and her joints had stopped aching.
Tomorrow, she would get herself a job. She had to pay Bodacher back for his kindness. She also needed to get herself fit again. She had some serious business to attend to. First she had to find her axes.
Arka stepped out of the bath and dried herself. The towels were thick and soft and smelt of fresh rosemary. She folded her clothes and slipped into the crisp white sheets. Soon, she was lost in a deep, dreamless sleep.
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Part Ten: A new dawn
Arka woke to birdsong and clear blue light streaming through the open window. The bath had gone and in its place was a small table, covered with a small white cloth. There was a knock at the door. Arka pulled the sheet around her quickly.
?Come in.?
The door opened and an elderly Ylian entered. He was carrying a tray, which he set down on the table,
?Your breakfast, madam.?
He wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell coming from the shawl in the corner.
?Perhaps madam would like the laundry service?? he suggested.
Arka blushed.
?I er, need to sort things out first,? she stammered, ?But thanks, I?ll let you know.?
?Very well, madam,? said the Ylian, closing the door on his way out.
Arka jumped out of bed and pulled the cover from the tray. Bodacher must have paid well for the room. There were fresh fruit juices, soft white bread and fragrent honey. Arka ate as much as she could manage and wrapped the rest of the bread in a handkerchief. She filled her water bottle with the juice.
In the cupboard, she found a needle and thread, and set to, mending her torn clothes. She could probably wash them at the river later. Most of her spare clothes were dirty from the mud. She took out the best-looking shirt and brushed away the dried mud.
?This will have to do,? she said to herself.
She had finished dressing when the Ylian came back for her tray.
?Will there be anything else, madam,? he asked, eyeing the empty breadbasket.
?No, that will be fine, thankyou.?
He shuffled out, closing the door behind him. Arka folded her clothes and packed them in the shawl. She pulled up the package from its hiding place, under her pillow and placed it carefully on the table. It was carefully wrapped and tied with waxed string. Arka fiddled with the knots. She was anxious to open it but did not want to cut the string. Eventually, the knots fell apart and she spread out the Tefusang skin.
Inside were the parchments and hand-bound notebooks she had hoped to see. And a single sheet of vellum, folded into an envelope and sealed with a blob of red wax. She broke the seal and opened out the paper. It was a letter, written in her mother?s neat and tiny handwriting. A hexa fell out as she opened it.
Keranet Arka,
I hope this letter, with the package, find their way to you. If you are not Arka, please seek her out, my only daughter, and give her this. It is most important. The coin is your reward.
Arka, we have so very little time left I fear, I must be brief. Terrible things are happening. The men are away on the Autumn Hunt. We were busy preparing the feast when some of the Pekertth came running back into the village, screaming. They were hysterical and just clung to their mothers, sobbing. We guessed then that the beasts had been disturbed.
We have lit the fire ring but it is only a matter of time. We are running out of fuel and the fire will only keep them away for so long. It has been such a long time since the beasts have bothered with our village. Only a few of us remember. Something must have upset them. Some of the women are blaming the Rodnertth, but I cannot imagine who would want to do this to us. We have no enemies. Not any more.
Our only hope is that the men see the smoke and come back to help. Even then, I doubt they can defeat the beasts. They are so many and we are so few. Most of the stronger young dwarfs have left the village to live in the city. There are a few young families, but most of us are old now. I know if your father were here he would do his best, but?
I must save what I can. Everything you need is in the chest. Your axes, what little money we have, and my jewels. I thought you would like them. And these. I wanted you to have these papers especially. You must keep this alive, Arka, there are so few of us left now.
I can write no more. They need me to feed the fires. A?Ganta, Arka, A?Ganta!
Garido?,
Embra Garam
Arka felt hot tears pricking her eyes. So that was what had happened! Ulbernauts! But what, or who, had goaded them to do this? This was no work of nature. Rodnertth, decidedly had a hand in this, but who? And to what purpose? Who would want to harm the Dverm? She folded the package together and wrapped the skin around it once more, tying the string tightly. She could not deal with this now.
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Part Eleven: The Blacksmith
An hour later and Arka was stood in the Plaza. So much had changed! On the east flank were new buildings; almost a town in itself. There was a new blacksmith?s shop and a tunnel had been hewn though the rock leading to the West. And of course, the Temple! Looking like a strange mechanical being, it squatted at the North end of the Plaza, beautiful and strange in the early morning mists. An avenue of living flame led to the doorway, which was guarded by a huge Ynnwn. Arka wondered if the well was still open, but thought she would wait until she was feeling a little stronger. In any case, she needed a job.
She felt the hexa in her pocket. She would need more than that to get her through the next couple of days. She needed to work.
She noticed a small crowd gathered round the blacksmith shop and wandered over. She was amazed to see how cosmopolitan Hydlaa had become. At one time you would see Ylian and Dwarfs, with the occasional Enkidukai, visiting from Ojaveda, but now there were Xacha, Lemurs and Dermorians, Nolthrir, Ynnwn, even Krans and Diaboli. She had expected things to change while she was away, but she never thought to see so many races living peacefully alongside each other.
The Blacksmith was an aging Ylian. He was quietly sharpening a sword at his grindstone. He worked the wheel skilfully with his foot and a steady stream of sparks flew from the new blade. Arka watched for a while, lost in thought. She was thinking of her apprenticeship with Godwin Thraalson, one of the best weapon smiths of his day. He started her off sharpening blades, but she was soon turning out weapons that even he could not match. Golthart, her father, had been so pleased with her work that he took her on immediately as second smith. But that was so long ago.
She became aware that the smith had put down the sword and was staring at her.
?Well?? he asked.
?Sorry?? said Arka.
?What do you want? I?m a very busy man??
Arka coloured. Not a good start!
?I, um, I wondered if you had any work for an experienced weapon smith.?
The man looked at her closely. Arka could smell drink on his breath, even though it was early morning.
?You don?t look like a smith to me,? he said, finally.
Arka wondered what kind of smith drank so early, but refrained from saying so.
?I can show you??
?I?ve no need of a smith here, for weapons or otherwise. Be off with you! I have work to do.?
He turned his back on Arka and got on with his sharpening.
Arka sloped off, dejected.
?Harnquist giving you a hard time eh?? said a voice behind her.
She turned round. There stood a Menki, smiling at her. Two mugs hung from his belt and he had an air of importance about him. Arka bowed.
?I?m sorry?? she began.
The Menki bowed back, ?I?m Lordbug,? he said, ?Harnquist is never at his best in the morning ? not until he?s had a few drinks inside him.?
Arka found herself staring at the mugs.
?Ahh, err no, they are not what you think,? began Lordbug. He moved closer, his voice turning to a whisper, ?They are ?magic mugs!?
He gave a self-satisfied smile.
?I?m sure they are,? said Arka, backing away. She was beginning to have doubts about whether it had been a good idea to come back to Hydlaa.
?You were looking for a job,? said Lordbug quickly.
?Well, yes but Harnquist was my only hope. I don?t think there?s another forge here, is there??
?There are other things you can do.?
Arka looked closely at the stranger. He had an open face and kind eyes. Maybe she could trust him.
?Such as??
?Well, the sewers here have become overrun with rats. We need a few strong ?uns like you to keep the numbers down. There?s money in it. Harnquist will buy the skins and tails and err, the eyes.? Lordbug hesitated; he too had often wondered what Harnquist did with the rat eyes. He was too polite to ask.
Arka thought this sounded dreadful.
?Does it pay much?? she asked.
?Not a lot, but it will help keep your body and soul together.?
Arka shuddered. She needed the money, that was true, but killing rats! It was not her idea of a good job. Not with her skills. But beggars could not be choosers, as her mother had told her.
Five minutes later, she was standing at the top of the ladder leading down to the sewers. There was a hole in the paving where the roof of the sewer tunnel had collapsed; fetid air blew up from underground and made her heave.
?Down there?? she asked.
Lordbug nodded. ?It?s not so bad, once you get used to it,? he said.
Arka stared into the darkness. She didn?t want to get used to it.
?I?ve nothing to kill them with,? she said.
?Use your boots,? said Lordbug cheerily.
Slowly Arka made her way down the ladder. She noticed her companion was not following. Well, if this was what she had to do to earn a living, so be it.
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HOLY FLYING MONKEYS! I go away from the forums for it seem like one day and you have posted a book. *Grins* I am a true fan of your story writing and I enjoy reading about the events that take place with you character as well as others that I know in the game. My hat is off to you Akra....
/me bows respectfully and claps applauding Akra\'s hard work
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Thank you Zorbels - you are so kind.
Coming from you, this is praise indeed!
Here\'s another episode for you.....
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Part Twelve: The Sewers
Arka edged down the ladder, trying to hold her breath. The smell was unbearable and the damp air clung to her. She blinked in the darkness and looked around. Behind, the tunnel was blocked with the debris from the collapsed roof and ahead, a metal gate had been forced open. A wide tunnel led into the darkness. She could hear the sound of water dripping.
She edged her way forwards. In the distance a torch spluttered and shed a little light. She had been in some strange places, but this? This was perhaps the worst job she had ever taken. She wondered if this was really a job, or if the Menki had played a joke on her. Maybe she should have checked with Harnquist first. He was so grumpy though, she didn?t want to disturb him a second time.
Maybe she should just kill a few rats and take the skins back to see if Harnquist really would pay for them.
As she turned the corner, she heard a noise that stopped her in her tracks. It sounded like someone with a bad cold, shuffling and wheezing. Then the sound of clawed feet on the stones, a scratching and a splash. Arka froze. These were rats? She peered round the corner. At first she thought the tunnel was empty, but then she saw a movement in the shadows.
Her heart sank. These rats were as big as small dogs. One turned to look at her. With shock she realised that it had only one, huge eye, in the middle of its forehead. Something strange had happened here, to cause this mutation. She had heard of magic pollution, where poorly controlled spells leaked into the environment. Coupled with potions spilled into the drains, could this have caused these monsters to evolve?
Arka backed away, but the rat had seen her. Baring its teeth, it launched itself at her. With no weapons, Arka could only try her best to fight the animal off with her bare fists. Finally she wrestled the rat to the ground and held its head under water with her foot until it stopped struggling. Not an elegant way of killing, but effective.
Now, she needed to skin it. But with no knife, this was impossible. She thought briefly of using her teeth, but quickly decided against it. Then she had an idea. She dragged the rat?s body out of the water and against the tunnel wall. Another rat came round the corner, sniffing and scratching. Arka was ready this time. She jumped on the rat with both feet, sending it spinning into the water. But this one was a lot stronger than its brother. It rounded on Arka, taking a bite out of her leather breeches. Arka swung at it wildly with her boot. Dazed, the rat fell backwards into the water. Arka stood on its head until it stopped fighting. She was covered in scratches, her breeches were torn and her leg was bleeding from the bite.
Now she could skin the rats. She dragged the second rat alongside the first. Taking its paw, she used the razor-sharp claws to rip open the underside of the smaller rat. Once she had made the first cut, she managed to work the claws along the skin and gradually separate the hide from the body. She broke off a paw from this rat and used this to skin the second.
Now for the eyes. Arka found the best way to do this was to prise each eye out with a small bone. She wrapped the tails, eyes and hides together into a parcel and made her way back to the surface.
She arrived at the Blacksmith?s to find him away. A notice stood on the anvil. It read ?Gone for Lunch?. She had spent the whole morning for two hides!
Arka was exhausted, aching and thirsty. She sat down behind the blacksmith?s shop and opened her leather bag. The bread was slightly squashed, but tasted good, washed down with the fruit juice she had saved from breakfast. Refreshed, Arka looked around her. She needed something to stop the bleeding in her leg. It was just a scratch, but she needed to clean and cover this if it was not to get infected.
In a patch of weeds she found what she was looking for; wild lavender and wolf?s bane. She pulled off a few leaves from each plant and rubbed them vigorously between her hands. Then she carefully applied the green paste to the cut on her leg. She winced as the wolf?s bane stung the skin. Soon, the lavender started to warm the wound and soothed the pain. She covered the area with a dock leaf and tied it with a strip of cloth torn from her shirt.
By the time she had finished, Harnquist had returned. Arka lay the hides out on the ground and looked at him expectantly.
?Is that it?? asked the smith gruffly. ?Two hides, two tails, two eyes. 28 trias.?
?28 trias!? said Arka incredulously! ?How much for an axe??
?Cheapest I have is 100,? said Harnquist.
Arka looked at the Smith. This was clearly going to be hard work. ?At least you could lend me a knife.?
?No daggers in stock,? he said.
Arka sighed. She wasn?t getting anywhere. Well, at least she had enough for another night at the Tavern, even if she couldn?t pay Bodacher back. She decided to call it a day. She needed to wash her clothes, and a swim in the river would help to get rid of the smell of the sewers. She picked up her bundle of clothes and set off towards the steps.
When she was a youngster she and her friends would get over the city wall to get to the river. It was a bit risky, but fun. It also meant she wouldn?t have to deal with the guards again. Now she just needed to find the way out between the new buildings?
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I am completely hooked. What a fantastic story! :tup: :tup:
Arka is just how I would imagine a female Stonebreaker. She is tough and determined in the face of adversity, yet still retains her femininity. She makes me proud to be a Stonebreaker. I love how you have incorporated the ancient Stonebreaker language as well.
Oh yeah! I read it to my pet, Niffum, too. I think he enjoyed it. His ears really perked up when I got to the part about Arka drinking Dverbarl in the tavern. :D
Can\'t wait for more of this epic saga.
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Part Thirteen: Cold Water
Arka climbed the steps towards the North gate. But before she reached the guards, she took a right turn and climbed another set of steps. She looked around her. There had been an orchard here, the last time she had seen it, but now the whole area was built up with new houses. She found it hard to get her bearings, but realised that if she followed the line of the wall she would find the gap eventually.
She crossed a broad square that surrounded a fountain. She paused to fill her empty water bottle and took a drink. The water was cold and tasted good. Looking up she saw a narrow passage between two houses on one side of the square. That could be it. She stepped into the dark alleyway and followed it to the end. Sure enough, it connected with an older, rough path that led onto a narrow ledge behind the wall. What looked like a dead end was in fact a gap in the city wall. And it had not been built on. You could get out of the city this way, but not in. Useful when you wanted to avoid the guards. She gave a small, guilty smile to herself, remembering some of the things he had done as a young dwarf.
She squeezed through the gap, taking care not to look down. She was now on the outside of the wall, balanced on a narrow ledge, 50 feet above the ground. She was beginning to wonder if this had been a good idea. She was getting too old for this sort of thing. She edged along the ledge, which seemed much narrower than she remembered, until she finally came to the bank of earth that enclosed the Forest path. Where it met the wall, she could easily jump off.
She threw her bundle of clothes down, sat on the ledge and then dropped off the edge. She was out. Arka grinned to herself.
She gathered her things together and set off along the wall away from the path.
The land fell away from the wall and then rose gently to a rounded hill. From here, Arka would be able to see the river valley. After half an hour?s walk, she reached the top of the hill. She stared in disbelief. The river had gone. Where used to be a lake was now a new section of wall. They had built over the fishing lake! They must have diverted the river to build the new eastern quarter. Now there was a deep chasm. She would not be able to cross here.
Cautiously, she made her way down the steep valley side and followed the course of the old river. They couldn?t have moved it far, she reasoned. The chasm seemed to be bottomless; she assumed it had been made by some powerful magic. It stretched away to the north as far as she could see. There was nothing for it; she would have to go the long way round, over the western pass.
She headed back towards the forest. The trees were so dense here you could cross the forest road by climbing the trees and walking along the interlocking branches. She found a sturdy oak and shinned up the trunk, her bundle of clothes tied to her back. Balanced on a wide branch, she looked down at the road below. As children they used to hide in these branches and throw acorns at the travellers below.
Arka crossed the forest road easily and slid down the trunk of a broad Maple tree on the other side. She reached the West Road around mid afternoon. This was still the dirt track she remembered. It was overgrown in parts and evidently no longer in use. The gates to the city were bolted shut. Crossing the road, she skirted the huge crags that dominated the western flank of the city. It was deserted, but after the hustle and bustle of Hydlaa Plaza, she was happy to be alone.
She paused a while to admire the view of the round lake from the slopes of the pass. It was glinting in the blue light of the afternoon, like a huge jewel. She was tempted to end her journey here, but curiosity drew her on. She climbed away from the lake, and one by one the towers of Hydlaa came back into view. From here she could see the new Temple, and the whole of the Plaza. On the far side, the eastern road stretched into the distance and for the first time she realised how much bigger Hydlaa had become. Where there had once been a wide lake, was now built over with many houses and the wall had been extended all along the Eastern side of the city. She was not sure she could still get down to the river, if it was still there.
Reaching the top of the ridge, Arka realised with a shock that her path was barred. The same chasm that had been formed to the east of the city, swept around the southern flank. Part of the eastern road had also been destroyed. It looked as though some great force had been used to prevent anyone (or anything) leaving or entering the city to the east. The only way into Hydlaa now was by the north gate, or by climbing down the crag.
Returning to the lake, she emptied the shawl of her clothes and set to, bashing the cloth with a large rounded stone. Soon her entire wardrobe was spread out on top of the reeds, drying in the warmth of the crystal. Now for that swim! Arka slipped out of her clothes and into the lake. The water was so cold it took her breath away. Pulling away for the shore with short, powerful strokes she soon began to warm up. She could feel her energy returning.
She was almost at the opposite bank, when she heard a voice that made her stop in mid-stroke.
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*Nods pleased* You can write indeed. And you do have a very good sense of your race, even to the fact that Stonebreakers seem to be more mellow then Hammerwielders. I\'ve noticed this strange fact in my travels. We hammerwielders like to fool around alot^^.
Keep writing and thanks for some of the ideas I\'m going to incorparate into my tale.
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Thanks for the comments, Stephen. I am glad you are enjoying it.
I, too have noticed how people of different races in planeshift seem to adopt different mannerisms. I\'m not sure if people choose a race based on their personality or whether the in game personality becomes modeled on other characters of the same race.
I do think I have a feel for Stonebreakers though.
Arka :D
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Part Fourteen: Bad Company
Arka instantly recognised the voice. It was the same high-pitched whine she had heard the night she was attacked. She edged forward in the water, silently. The rushes hid her from view, but this also meant she couldn?t get a look at the owner of the voice.
?She?s been talking to Bodacher,? the voice said, ?I told him we should?ve finished her, but he said it didn?t matter, she was just a dwarf. Like that didn?t matter!?
Another voice came in, ?So what you gonna do? Has he still got the axes??
?Yeah. I told him they were too recognisable. Too hard to sell. He should get rid of ?em.?
?You could always scrap them.?
Arka blanched. Scrap her axes? She couldn?t bear to think of it.
?Yeah and who?s gonna melt them down? Only one with a furnace is Trasok and he?s another dwarf.?
?That?s true?
?No, we should bury them, maybe throw them in this lake. Keeping them is too risky ? but he won?t have it.?
Arka stirred. Now she had stopped swimming, the water was becoming unbearably cold. Her teeth started to chatter.
?We could handle him ? why don?t we just take them??
?He?ll have hid them somewhere. Killing him?s gonna make no difference.?
?We can?t just leave it.?
?Maybe we have to ? for now.?
?I still think??
Arka suddenly sneezed and immediately dropped under the water. She couldn?t stay here. The two men would soon find her ? she was unarmed and naked, with no chance of fighting back. She set out back across the lake with broad strokes, holding her breath. She needed to stay under water as long as possible. The crystal reflecting off the water?s surface would hide her, she reasoned.
Her lungs were bursting as she surfaced into the reed bed at the far side of the lake. She could see the two men, an Ylian and an elf sweeping the reeds with their swords. After what seemed an age they gave up and headed off towards the forest road.
Arka was frozen to the bone. She pulled herself out of the water and used the shawl to dry herself. Fortunately they hadn?t seen her clothes drying on the reeds. She dressed quickly and quietly, and bundled the rest of her clothes together. She felt it would be best to avoid the forest. In any case, it was getting dark and right now she wanted to be in front of the fire at the tavern. There was nothing for it. She would have to climb down the crags.
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Part Fifteen: A narrow escape
Arka walked back up the hill, her legs like lead. She reached the top of the crags as the last of the crystal?s light was shining on the city. The torches had been lit and twinkled in the early evening mist. Smoke curled from each chimney.
Arka rubbed her legs to get the feeling back. She hadn?t climbed the crag since she was in her 30s. She was wiser now, but not as agile. It would be a tough climb down. She looked along the ridge for the first ledge. With the light failing, she was finding it difficult to recognise the path ? after 100 years, her memory was a little hazy. After one or two false starts, she found what she was looking for. The path sloped down the rock face, steeply. The stone was wet and slippery and parts of the path had fallen away. Loose pebbles underfoot made it difficult for Arka to keep on her feet. She kept well away from the edge, not daring to look down. In a couple of places, the path had fallen away completely and Arka had to cling to the rock face, edging along until her feet found solid ground again.
She arrived at last on a broad, grassy platform, high above the Plaza. From here it was easy to scramble down the short earth bank behind the wall that skirted the west flank of the square.
That was close! So whoever had attacked her was now watching her. She cursed herself for falling asleep on the steps to the tavern. So many people would have seen her there and would have seen Bodacher helping her up the steps. She believed that Bodacher himself would not have told them, but could she be sure? No, Bodacher had been good to her, he must be trusted. Still she had to be careful to whom she spoke from now on.
From here it was a quick walk to the tavern. Arka decided to avoid the Plaza itself. She climbed the bank behind the round tower and jumped down over the fence. Hugging the wall she slipped down the alleyway, emerging at the slope that led to the tavern steps. She felt she was being watched, and kept stopping to listen for footsteps, but none came. She ran up the steps and disappeared between the houses to the left. This way she could arrive at the tavern unseen. Crossing the broad pavement to the side of Kada-El?s, she dived behind a barrel, listening for any sound. She could hear music and laughter coming from the tavern window, but all else seemed quiet.
She was just about to make the final dash for the door, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She tried to scream, but no sound came.
?What are you doing here?? said a voice.
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Part Sixteen: Among friends
Arka spun round and found herself looking into the eyes of the Menki who had shown her the sewers.
?Lordbug?? she asked, relieved.
?Indeed,? came the reply, ?Hiding from someone??
?I didn?t hear you,? said Arka, then, looking down, she saw that he wore no boots. She had forgotten how quietly Enkidukai could walk.
Lordbug smiled. ?You nearly jumped out of your skin.?
?We can?t talk here,? said Arka, nodding towards the tavern door.
The two walked through the doors and into the tavern. It was quiet tonight; there were a few elves near the fireplace and an Ylian stood at the bar, the young Menki she had seen last night, serving him with ale. Arka held back, preferring to stay in the shadows.
?You are jumpy,? said Lordbug, ?Come and meet my old friend, Gholmyrr. He won?t bite!?
Arka took a deep breath and walked forward. Bowing low she greeted the Ylian, ?Arka Garam, D?voy,? she said, in traditional Stonebreaker fashion.
Gholmyrr looked amused. ?A scholar of the ancient tongues, eh? You won?t find many round here speaking like that.?
Arka coloured. Try as she might, she was finding it very difficult to adjust to this new Hydlaa. Gholmyrr sensed Arka?s discomfort. ?Here, let me buy you a drink. They do a very good dwarfen ale here.?
He gestured to the Menki who poured out an ale for Arka and a mug of milk for Lordbug. Arka took the mug of Dverbarl gratefully. She had not drunk anything since she was at the lake and was thirsty.
After a couple more, she was talking happily with Lordbug and Gholmyrr. She had forgotten her earlier resolve to keep things to herself; as usual, the ale had loosened her tongue. She told them of the ambush, how Ozbi and Bodacher had helped her and the overheard conversation at the lake. Throughout her story, Lordbug and Gholmyrr shot knowing looks at each other, but Arka was oblivious to all this. She did not tell them about her parent?s forge, or her mother?s letter. That was family business, not for the Rodnertth.
Arka suddenly became aware that she had not paid for any of the drinks.
?Oh! I should get you both something,? she said, tipping out the contents of her purse. Lordbug and Golmhyrr looked at the few trias on the bar.
?Not much luck with the rats then?? asked Lordbug.
Arka blushed deep red. ?It was more difficult than I thought, and Harnquist wouldn?t lend me a knife.?
Gholmyrr looked at Lordbug with mock surprise. ?You sent this poor soul down the sewers without a weapon? Shame on you Lordbug!? They both laughed, kindly, and Arka joined in.
?Put your money away, my lady,? said Gholmyrr. He pressed a coin into her hand. ?First thing tomorrow you get down to Harnquist and get yourself a weapon. Understood??
Arka nodded. She glanced at Lorbug and was surprised to see a troubled look on his face. Before she could ask, he quickly recovered and ordered more drinks from the Menki behind the bar.
The evening passed, with more small talk and laughter, and soon Arka found herself yawning. She negotiated a good price on a smaller room, up in the rafters, and after saying ?Garanot?? to everyone in the bar, she dragged herself up the stairs.
The room was small and unheated. Arka quickly undressed and dived under the covers. The shock of the cold linen sobered her up and she thought through the happenings of the day. She was very little further forward, but at least she knew that one of her assailants was either an elf or an Ylian. With that, she fell into a deep sleep.
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Part Seventeen: Lost
She woke with a start. The room had disappeared. She was lying on the floor of a cavern, roughly hewn from red stone. Someone, or something else, stirred in the dark corner of the cave. Arka did not stop to find out which; she was on her feet and out of the cave before whatever it was had even noticed she was there.
She found herself running across a metal and stone bridge that spanned a huge dark chasm. This ended in a stone archway and she could see a faint light ahead. Arka ran on through a roughly hewn tunnel and stopped on a narrow ledge, just in time to prevent herself falling headlong into the void below.
She rested a while to get her breath back. Where was she? How did she get here? Her mind swam. She had some drinks last night, with Lordbug and Gholmyrr. She had only drunk ale, and none of the more exotic liquors on sale. She must have been drugged. But who would do this? And why?
She remembered how Lordbug had crept up behind her outside the tavern. He had been following her! He must have seen her coming down the crag. Maybe he was there at the lake. Was he in league with the elf and Ylian? Maybe he was the third assailant. He?d sent her down the sewers without a weapon. It all made sense. That?s why he looked so uncomfortable when Gholmyrr had given her the money for the weapon.
But what about Gholmyrr? Was he the Ylian she had seen at the lake? He could have got back into the city through the West gate and into the tavern before she returned. It had taken a long time for her to get down the crags. He gave her the money to make her less suspicious of him! And the elves around the fire. All of them were in on it!
Arka looked around her. Huge pillars of rock, carved into monstrous shapes grew out of the blackness. Some appeared to float; others appeared as demons, snakes and other monsters. She found a spiral ledge cut into the rock that wound around the rough pillar. She started climbing carefully hugging the rock face. This was no ordinary place; this had been made by some malevolent force.
The ledge led onto a rough stone bridge. An iron ladder led upwards, and Arka started to climb. As her head appeared over the top rung, she was met with the most shocking sight yet. A large winged being hovered over her path. She had seen this creature before. Not in real life, but in a book. This was the Carkarass; she was sure of it. The mythical being that inhabited the Realm of the Dead. Only, this one was not a myth; it was real enough.
A dark cold cloud swept through her body as Arka realised the awful truth; she was dead. She had been murdered in her bed, in the same cowardly way that she had been ambushed two nights earlier. The Menki had followed her upstairs, waited for the drugs to take effect then cut her throat, or smothered her with her pillow, or?
But none of that mattered now. She needed to get past the Carkarass. With no weapon, Arka pressed herself against the iron railings guarding the edge of the stone column she stood on. She watched the Carkarass carefully as it turned in mid air to track her movements. To her right was a gap in the rail that led to a broad bridge. She waited for the right moment then dashed through the gap. The Carkarass lashed out; she saw its teeth flash briefly but made it through the gap unscathed.
Arka ran across this second bridge, hardly caring where it led. She reached the far side, gasping for breath and her legs like jelly. She looked around at the maze of bridges and columns. She had no idea where she was heading or even what she was trying to achieve. What was the point? She was dead.
She sat down on the edge of the bridge and started to sob. She had so much more to do in her life. How could it end like this? Murdered, with no chance of defending herself. What an ignoble way for her life to end. And her mother?s papers. These were now in the hands of that Menki! All that hard work, for nothing.
She had no idea how long she had sat there. She may even have slept awhile, if you could sleep here. Her mind was clouded and she felt thoroughly miserable. Her arms and legs were heavy. Her mind was heavy; everything pressed down on her. She had never felt like this before. Here there was no hope, no joy. She started to hear things, strange singing. Maybe it was the wind blowing through the stone columns. She heard a woman?s voice, calling her. No! A woman?s voice calling her name!
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Part Eighteen: Found
The voice got closer. It came from a small doorway to her right. Arka followed the sound, down a short passage and though a doorway. It was darker still in here, but a red light glowed at the base of a huge rectangular column at the far end of the room. She could see a small figure silhouetted against the light, moving in a very familiar way.
?Mattra!? shouted Arka, now running over the stone floor.
?Arka!? shouted Embra Garam.
The two embraced. Arka held her mother like she had never held her before. The nine decades they had spent apart melted away to nothing. They eventually separated, tears streaming down their faces.
?Korei Pattra?? asked Arka, suddenly realising her father was not here.
?We did not die together,? said Embra, ?He did not return from the hunting. The Ulbernauts broke through the fire. We could not fight them. We were trapped by the fire ring. The monsters destroyed everything. We were able to throw some of the Pekertth to safety but then??
She broke down, and Arka sat with her arm around her shoulder as she sobbed quietly.
?How long have you been here?? asked Arka.
?I don?t know,? replied Embra, ?So many people have passed through. Every time I see another Stonebreaker, I ask about him, but no-one knows anything.? All the other Dvertth from the village have passed through. Only I remain here.?
?Do you think he is still alive?? asked Arka, hardly daring to believe it.
Embra shook her head. ?The other men from the hunt all died trying to drive away the Ulbers. Golthart would not have run away. He should be here.?
She started to sob again.
?In your letter,? began Arka, after a while, ?You mention that some people thought the Rondnertth had started this.?
?People had seen a group of elves in the old ruins. They were goading the Ulbernauts. When this happened, people assumed it was the same elves, but I don?t know.?
?But Ulbers don?t normally attack in packs.?
?I know, but I can?t help thinking that this is about the old quarrels between the Dverm and the elves. There are people with long memories. Something upset the Ulbers, but I can?t say that they were driven to do this. Strange things do happen sometimes.?
Arka sighed. Elves. There were elves in the tavern last night and an elf at the lake. No, that was stupid. There were elves all over Hydlaa these days. She couldn?t suspect them all.
Embra seemed to read her daughter?s mind, ?Now don?t be thinking that this is the start of a new enmity between the Dverm and elves, Arka. Even if the Ulbers were driven to do this, it was probably the work of one or two hotheads.?
?Mattra, is it possible that Pattra has passed though without you seeing him. Maybe he was leading the hunters and died before you??
Embra considered this. She was aware that her daughter was trying to change the subject.
?Was it an elf that sent you here?? she asked.
?I don?t know,? said Arka, truthfully.
?It is possible that Golthart has gone ahead. I have been here for so long. But I can?t believe he wouldn?t wait for me.?
?Maybe he thought you had already gone.?
Embra shook her head.
?What else is here? Besides this place??
?There?s a library,? said Embra, ?Lots of books.?
Arka smiled. No wonder her mother was in no hurry to move on.
?Show me,? she said.
Embra led her back through the doorway and they turned right into a huge room. Massive bookshelves, holding hundreds of books filled the magnificent space.
Arka walked over to the nearest bookshelf and lifted out a leather bound volume. She blew off the dust and opened it carefully. Inside were lists of names, all in order. She worked her way along the shelves until she found a volume with names beginning with ?G?. As she scanned the names she noticed new names appearing in the lists, the other names moving down to make room.
These must be the names of the dead, she thought.
?Did you look at the books?? she asked her mother.
?No, I can?t see the text.?
Arka stared.
?But you always read,? she began.
?Not for years. My eyesight has been failing. These days I can hardly see at all.?
Arka looked at her mother. Until now, she hadn?t noticed that she had been feeling her way along the walls, or that she hadn?t been looking into her eyes when she spoke to her. But now she suddenly saw it; she realised with a shock that her mother had been sitting here in her own private darkness, waiting for her husband, such was her devotion. She saw her with renewed respect. So strong! So single-minded.
She took the book to her mother, ?Here,? she said, ?I have found the Garams. Here I am.?
She ruffled through the pages, ?Embra is here.?
Several more pages later she found the Gs. Golthart was there, with the same date as her mother. It was a little over a year ago. She felt happy and sad in the same instant. Her father was dead, but that meant they would soon be together again.
?Well?? asked her mother.
?He?s here.?
Embra sighed, ?Then it?s time for us to go,? she said finally.
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Always a pleasure to read the next part. One special treat is that I have experienced, first hand as many have, all the places described in your story with the single exception of your home forge (ok, not quite single; there is the matter of your path to Akkaio). The trip over the wall, and down the crag was a very nice enhancement, adding yet another dimension. The memory of those one-way accesses add an edge to the familiar sense that pulls a reader fully into the story. The best part of this experience is that all the great background references do not dominate the story. The personal story flows smoothly with the details applied at the just the right time. Thank you for sharing this fine story.
The only down side is that when you catch up to current time, you may slow down. That is understandable, but stopping ...
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Thank you Radix.
I was wondering myself how the story might end, but I can now say that the final chapter has been written and should appear here around 30 December.
You are right about the difficulty of keeping people engaged as you enter \'real time\' but I think the penultimate chapter will make up for the wait.
Arka :D
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Part Nineteen: Passing through
It took several hours for Arka to lead her mother through the Death Realm. There were so many twists and turns and so many dead ends. They spent the time talking about Embra and Golthart?s lives in the village since Arka had left to explore the stalactite. Things had not been easy for the Stonebreakers. The old gold mine had petered out and the men had to go further afield to make their living. That also meant they bought their weapons from other smiths, and Golthart?s business suffered. He ended up working alone, no longer affording the luxury of an assistant.
While the dwarfs had liked to keep themselves to themselves, they were increasingly dependent on trade with the Rodnertth for their survival. This was a mixed blessing, Embra explained. There was a lot of suspicion on both sides; dwarfs were a proud race and would not ask for help. Equally there were some in the ranks of the Rodnertth who were more than happy to take advantage of the dwarfs? penury. Prices for crafted goods were driven down by hard bargaining and people were just scraping a living. On the other hand, it meant the dwarfs had to get along better with their neighbours; trade was always better than war.
Sadly, not everyone saw it that way. With the men away more often there was an increase in raids on the village. There was one particular group, led by an elf who seemed intent on destruction. Eventually people got tired of defending their property and moved to the city. The young families were the first to leave; who could blame them? It was increasingly difficult for children to be brought up safely. So, the school dwindled and Embra was teaching fewer children.
They spoke like this for hours, Arka hanging on her mother?s every word. She had not realised how hard it had been for the village while she was gone. She asked her mother so many questions; which families had gone, what had happened to her friends, the details of the attacks on the village. Time passed quickly in this way, and the conversation kept their spirits up, remembering old friends and better times.
Eventually they found the portal, in the shape of a huge demonic head. Arka had seen a stone head before, when hunting Tefusang and wondered if that had been a portal in an earlier time.
She gazed into the swirl of red light that led to the next stage. Now they could leave this place and be reunited with husband and father. She gave her mother a hug and the two walked silently into the red mist. Lights flashed and sparkled all around and Arka felt the wind on her face. She momentarily loosened her grip and felt her mother?s hand slip away.
?Mattra!? she shouted, ?Mattra! Come back! Aveno??
?She?s waking!? said a voice.
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Part Twenty: Unfinished business
Arka?s head hurt. Badly. She tried to focus on the source of the voice but it was like looking through a red mist.
?Don?t worry, you?ll be fine soon.?
Arka blinked. A face appeared. It had a familiar, concerned look.
?You!? she murmured.
The Menki smiled.
Gradually she became aware of the other people in the room. Golmhyrr stood in the corner. With him was an Elvin woman. Another elf stood in the doorway. Arka tried to see if he was the same one she had seen at the lake but her head felt like lead and she could not lift it from the pillow.
?Careful,? said Lordbug, ?The potions will take some time to wear off. You have Aleena to thank for that.?
He looked at the elf, and she nodded slightly.
Arka gradually came to the realisation that she was not dead. By some strange magic she had been returned from the Death Realm. All the hope of seeing her father faded. She felt confused. She had not said goodbye to her mother. She was angry at Lordbug, sad and grateful to be alive. But why had they tried to revive her? Maybe Lordbug had misjudged the poison and was now covering his tracks. Maybe they wanted to question her about her mother?s papers. She would tell them nothing.
?You should sleep now,? said the Menki. Aleena will take care of you. We will return this afternoon.?
The Menki said something to Aleena under his breath and the three men left the room. She could hear them in discussion outside the door, but it was impossible to make out a single word.
Aleena came over to her and straightened the bed covers. ?Try to sleep,? she said, ?You had a powerful potion. You need time to recover.?
Arka fell into a fitful sleep. In her dreams, she was wandering again through the Death Realm. Gholmyrr was there with the elf she had seen at the lake. They were smiling cruelly at her, calling her to follow them. Arka?s mother appeared. She could not see her daughter and wandered around, calling out her name. Arka tried to call back but the words would not come. Suddenly, the Carkarass flew down and attacked her. She tried to fight it off with her bare hands, but it kept lurching at her.
The Carkarass turned into Lordbug. He was hovering in front of her.
?Nothing is as it seems,? he said.
Then she woke up.
She had no idea how long she had been asleep, or what day it was. Her head felt clearer now. She turned over and saw Aleena sitting in a chair by the door. She was asleep.
Arka saw her opportunity. She slipped out of the bed silently and gathered her clothes in her arms. She opened the door slowly, and found, to her relief that it made no noise. She dropped her clothes in the passage and returned for her bundle of belongings.
Aleena stirred; for several moments, Arka thought she would wake, but she gave a long sigh and settled again. Clutching her makeshift pack to her, she edged out of the door and closed it silently behind her.
There was a gap behind the stairwell that offered some cover, and Arka quickly pulled on a shirt and her breeches. She crept down the first flight of stairs. She was suddenly aware of how hungry she was. Cautiously, she made her way to the top of the second staircase and peered round the kitchen door. It was empty! Arka crept in and helped herself to a loaf of bread, a cooked fish and an apple. Now to make her escape.
She could hear the sound of the early morning staff talking and laughing coming up from the bar. She needed to get out another way. Moving to the back of the tavern, she found an open door leading to a storeroom; behind this was a veranda with a wooden rail. Arka dropped her bundle over the rail and quickly followed it herself, using it to cushion her fall. She took a good look round to make sure no one was in the street, picked up her things and set off for the plaza.
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Part Twenty-One: The Temple
Arka stuck to the side roads and alleys. She didn?t want anyone to see her; she trusted no-one. She soon found herself approaching the Temple. She reasoned that this could be a good place to hide until she got her wits back. Later she could leave the city under cover of darkness. She could not risk staying here any longer.
The priest was busy with his morning prayers as Arka entered the Temple. She could see an open door to the back of the right hand aisle and moved quietly and purposefully towards it. By looking like she knew where she was going, she would be less likely to be challenged.
The priest did not look up from his devotions and soon Arka had reached the door and slipped into the darkness behind it. As her eyes got used to the darkness, she noticed a series of platforms and ladders leading upwards. Maybe she could get into the roof space this way; no-one would find her there. She took off her boots and climbed the ladders quickly and quietly. The last platform led onto a long windowless passage, high up in the main body of the Temple and flanked by a metal balustrade. In the distance she could make out another open door.
She made her way silently to the end of the passage. Stepping through the door she found herself in a strange, five-sided room.
A semicircle of five chairs surrounded an alcove with a chalice on each side. Each gave off a cloud of spiralling red light, just like the portal in the Death Realm. Facing this was the most amazing thing Arka had seen since coming to Hydlaa; two huge globes of swirling blue light. One enclosed a book, too high for Arka to read. In the other floated an intricate blue glyph.
Arka gazed in awe at the globes. This was like nothing she had seen before. She was entranced and felt so peaceful and calm that the troubles of the last few days simply melted away. She saw shapes and patterns in the lights; the colours seemed to connect directly with her mind. She was so transfixed she did not see the figure enter the room and pull the door silently behind him.
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Part Twenty-two: An old friend
?It is beautiful isn?t it, Miss Arka??
Arka swung round, ready to fight or run. She was surprised to see an old dwarf standing before her. She looked closely at him. His beard had streaks of grey but his eyes sparkled in a familiar way.
?Pinante?? she asked, incredulously.
?Indeed.?
?They are dead, Pinante.?
?I know.?
?I?m not safe here, Pinante, I need to leave quickly.?
?Now is not the time,? said the dwarf, ?You are safe here, for now.?
Arka looked again at the sparkling globe. The lights made her feel peaceful again.
?It?s lovely,? she murmured.
She felt so light, it was as if her feet were floating above the floor.
She looked down; her feet really had left the floor. She let out a gasp. Slowly she drifted upwards until she was level with the sphere. What was happening? She slid into the centre of the globe, hovering in the centre of the swirling lights. She looked down at Pinante; he was grinning widely.
?Did you do that?? she asked.
Pinante nodded.
Here, in the centre of the swirling lights, things looked very different. She felt stronger, more connected. She felt herself. Nothing else mattered. She was here; she was safe. She remembered the time she had spent with her mother. It had seemed like a dream, but Arka knew it was real. This seemed like a dream, but this was more real; more real than anything. And Pinante. This is what she had come to Hydlaa for; to find someone, anyone who might know what had happened. Pinante knew; of this she was certain. And he would help her.
She stayed like this for a while, not daring to speak, not risking to break the spell. All the time she looked at Pinante, and he just stood, watching her, grinning. This was Pinante, the dwarf she had known since she was a youth, the one who had recognised her when she had tried to join the hunt dressed as a male dwarf. Her Ulbernaut fur beard came unstuck and he helped her stick it back on again. She was sure he would tell her father, but he kept his counsel. This was the Pinante who told her of the world outside Yliakum. It was he that launched her on the road to be an explorer. Pinante the brave, Pinante the sage, Pinante the friend, the confidant, the shoulder to cry on, the counsellor and so many other things.
?Kalid?? asked Pinante
?Nifel,? said Arka. It was true; she was sad, so sad. Angry, afraid, yes, but underneath it all she was sad. Sad that she had left it too long to come home, sad that she had lost her parents, sad that Hydlaa had turned out like this, sad to have found her mother only to have lost her again. Most of all she was sad that the very people she had trusted had turned against her.
Then Pinante said something very strange. It was so strange, it broke the spell.
?Nothing is as it seems.?
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Part Twenty-three: The secret revealed
Arka stared at Pinante. Him too? The fear had returned. She jumped down from the globe and ran to the door. It opened before she got there and Lordbug entered, carrying axes. She turned and ran to the other door. She wrenched it open to find her way blocked by Gholmyrr. She was trapped!
Turning back she looked Pinante in the eye and said one word, ?Ko??
?It?s like I said, Arka, Nothing is as it seems.?
She sat down on one of the chairs with her head in her hands. Well, she had tried her best. Just when she thought she was safe. And now, the struggle was over.
Pinante greeted Lordbug and Gholmyrr and took a seat opposite Arka.
?So, you got what you wanted,? said Arka.
?You don?t understand?? began Lordbug.
?Don?t tell me I don?t understand!? shouted Arka, now angry, ?You tried to kill me and now you have come to finish the job. You are in league with that elf. You have been following me around since I came here. You sent me down the sewers with no weapon. You were probably up at the lake with the elf and his henchman. Obviously you followed me down the crag and made sure I joined you at the tavern. Then you drugged my ale and waited for me to fall asleep. You must have been disturbed because I didn?t die. The elf was in the tavern that night wasn?t he? He was with you in my room. Yes, I saw him there! You are all in it together! I don?t know why you want to kill me, but I have a good idea. Well go one then! I?m unarmed, just like before when you beat me up on the road ? go on finish the job why don?t you??
Lordbug stared at her, speechless.
Eventually Gholmyrr gave a quiet cough, breaking the awkward silence.
?I think it?s time we told Arka the full story, Lordbug,? he said.
Arka stared at Lordbug intently. His face wore the same worried look she had seen before. She noticed a small cut over his left eye. A patch of fur was missing from his upper arm.
?Hmm, you may be right Sir Gholmyrr.?
He paused.
?Arka, I have been guilty of keeping the truth from you, but that is all. You were right, I sent you down the sewers without a weapon. I had to get you out of the way. You were standing by the blacksmith?s in full view and Su? err, the elf was walking across the Plaza. If he had seen you there he would have killed you, believe me.?
Arka looked from Lordbug to Gholmyrr. He nodded. ?Go on Lordbug,? he said.
?What happened next surprised and perplexed me. The elf was asking people if they had seen you. One of our people told him he had seen you entering the Laanx dungeon. We figured that would keep him busy for a while.?
?I don?t believe you,? said Arka, flatly.
Gholmyrr looked up. ?If Lordbug had meant to kill you, he would have gone down the sewers with you and found a quiet corner to do it there.?
?And risk losing the thing he wanted to kill me for??
Lordbug and Gholmyrr looked at each other in surprise. ?And what might that be?? asked Gholmyrr.
Arka bit her lip. If Lordbug and Gholmyrr did not already know about the leather package wrapped in her shawl, they soon would. Her secret was out.
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Wow. I\'ve just read the whole story you posted so far, and I really liked it. Its a really good mix of real things and changes happening in the world of PS, combined with a personal story.
A good thing you returned, sister. :)
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Many thanks Hitancrias. I hope you stay with us - the story runs until the end of December!
Part Twenty four follows later today.
Arka :D
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Part Twenty-Four: A reunion
?I?ll tell you if you tell me the name of the elf.?
Lordbug shook his head. ?I cannot take that risk,? he said, ?I don?t want your blood on my hands. If you go after him, he will kill you.?
?Well I know his name begins with ?Su?,? said Arka, ?It won?t take me long to track him down.
Arka was now really confused. Lordbug was clearly protecting the elf; or, maybe he wanted the papers for himself. But he genuinely seemed not to know about them. She was still not convinced that he did not want to kill her.
?What about you following me around? And drugging my ale?? she asked.
Gholmyrr smiled. ?Lordbug has been following you around since the first day you appeared. We were told that you had been attacked and were suspicious of the motives. It fitted in with some?. other events and we wanted to find out more. Our first priority was to make sure you were safe.?
Arka glowered at Lordbug. ?You were at the lake, weren?t you?? she asked.
Lordbug nodded. ?As I said I was perplexed that you seemed to be sneaking out of the city. Not many people know that way out ? at that point I have to admit I started to have my doubts about you. And yes, I followed you to the lake. I saw the elf arrive with an Ylian and was able to hear most of their conversation. Then you came splashing across the lake. At first I wondered if I had got it all wrong and that you were in league with the elf. That didn?t make sense. Then I saw you hide in the reeds. I have to say, sneezing was not sensible.?
Arka snorted. ?So you saw me getting out of the water??
Lordbug looked slightly uncomfortable. ?I, err, averted my eyes,? he said, ?But coming back to the elf. He was telling his accomplice about a Diabolo. I guessed he was the third robber. You were attacked by three people weren?t you??
Arka remembered the kick she received to her ribs and winced. ?At least three,? she agreed, ?And one was much bigger than the others. He could have been a Diabolo.?
?Well, it was clear from the conversation that they intended to kill him. I realised that if they did, we would be further away from bringing the elf to justice. So we decided to get you drunk to see what else you knew. It took some doing, I can tell you.?
?Dwarfs can hold their ale,? agreed Pinante.
Arka started. She had forgotten Pinante was still here; he had been so quiet.
?But you must have drugged the ale,? she said.
?No, I?ll come back to that,? said Lordbug, eager to get the sequence of events in order. He could sense that Arka was beginning to believe him and didn?t want to lose her attention.
?After you went to bed, we went back to the lake to look for clues. It was dark and even with my eyesight it took us a long time to find anything. But then ? and this was complete luck ? I came across a piece of parchment. The elf had set up the Ylian to do his dirty work for him. That?s his style. He was writing out the address of the Diabolo for him when you sneezed. He must have dropped it when he went looking for you. We knew that the plan was for the Ylian to visit the Diabolo and offer to buy the axes ? your axes ? which would force his hand. The elf would then kill the Diabolo and get rid of the axes. We knew we had to act quickly.?
Arka noted that Lordbug was being very careful not to reveal any names and found this frustrating. She also felt patronized that these two men hadn?t asked her what she had wanted to do.
Lordbug continued, ?When we got back to the tavern it was early dawn. We were greeted by Nilrem, a good friend. He was staying at the tavern and had heard you call out in the night. When he couldn?t rouse you he called for help. Aleena sells potions at the tavern and she was able to bring you round. Eventually. You almost died, Arka. But you weren?t drugged. That rat bite was badly infected and the poison had got into your system. Spending all that time in the lake didn?t help. And then the ale masked the symptoms. Without the help of the two elves, you wouldn?t be here.?
?So that was Nilrem in my room?? asked Arka.
?We would hardly have brought Sudi? err the other elf to visit, would we?? asked Lordbug. He was acutely aware of his mistake and tried to avoid Gholmyrr?s steely glare.
Arka smiled to herself. She almost had the name. Her mind was racing. There was a conversation she had had with her mother in the Death Realm?
?We realised you were in no state to help. A pity because we needed you to identify the axes and, frankly could have benefited from your help. Meloeck, the Diabolo, would have been a pretty tough adversary. In the event, it went better than expected. Of course, he denied knowing about your axes, but when we told him about the plot to kill him he became interested. It turned out he was fairly new to Hydlaa and didn?t know the elf too well, or his reputation. We were able to persuade him that he really was in danger. It turned out that the Ylian had already visited. He had agreed to meet him at the lake. The convincer was when we showed Meloeck the parchment with his address. The Ylian had left behind an identical piece of paper ? the handwriting was the same.?
?So Meloeck agreed to help us, in return for us pleading his case with the authorities. We went to hide in the reeds early this morning and saw the elf arrive. We wondered about capturing him there and then, but Gholmyrr pointed out that we needed to catch him with your axes. He hid in the reed bed too, uncomfortably close to us. This was not going to be easy.?
?Meloeck arrived at the arranged time. For several minutes we wondered whether the Ylian was really coming, but eventually we spotted him crossing the West road. He came alone. We guessed that the elf meant to kill them both and then dispose of the axes. That way he would cover his tracks. The transaction went smoothly, and for a moment we wondered if the elf was really going to strike. But we didn?t have to wait long. As the two were shaking hands on the deal, the elf broke cover. The Ylian drew his sword, but Meloeck had expected this and floored him with a single blow. The elf was almost on him when we attacked. He wheeled round, daggers, drawn and gave me this ? he showed Arka the cut to his eye ? before I even got a strike in. Seeing Sir Gholmyrr behind me, he realised he was outnumbered and fled. But not before he took another slice out my arm.?
Gholmyrr took over, ?We could not catch him. He ran off through the forest. By now, Lordbug was clearly in trouble, and I guessed the dagger had been poisoned. Meloeck carried him back to the tavern where Aleena was able to administer an antidote. That?s when we found you?d gone.?
Pinante smiled at Arka. ?I saw you enter the Temple and let Lordbug know. So you see, I am in league with Lordbug, but we are both on the right side.?
Arka stared. She was still trying to make sense of it all. There was one important piece missing. ?And the axes?? she asked.
?Ah, indeed, the axes,? said Lordbug handing them to Arka.
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Part Twenty-five: Nemesis
Arka balanced her Great Axes in her hands. Her father had made a good job of maintaining them. The maple stocks were new and had been fitted perfectly. They were well over a hundred years old, but as sharp as razors and beautifully matched.
Lordbug must have caught the glint in her eye as his hand moved unconsciously to the hilt of his sword. With the axes, Arka looked like a warrior. She seemed to have grown. Lordbug was thinking. He looked at Gholmyrr and saw that he too had recognised the change in the little Stonebreaker.
?I fear we may have underestimated you,? he began.
?I was wrong not to have trusted you, Lordbug,? said Arka kindly, ?But you can trust me. Whatever needs to be done, I will be part of it.?
Gholmyrr shook his head. ?This is altogether too risky,? he said gravely, ?You do not know the power of this elf.?
?If you are talking of Sudisir, I know it full well.? said Arka, ?And with or without your help I shall have my revenge.?
She noticed, with great satisfaction that the mention of the elf?s name had caused the reaction she had intended. Lordbug was dumbfounded and Gholmyrr?s mouth had fallen open. Only Pinante was smiling. He knew what Arka was capable of and he knew that there were greater things at stake here. This was not just about a pair of axes.
?How long has he been gone?? Arka asked.
?It?s over four hours,? said Gholmyrr, ?The trail will be impossible to follow.?
Pinante turned to Gholmyrr. ?You may still be underestimating this woman,? he said, ?I remember a hunt, a long time ago, when Arka showed the men a thing or two.?
He winked at Arka and she coloured slightly. Winning the hunt had deeply embarrassed her father and had been the talk of the village for years.
?Show me where he went and I will find him for you.?
Gholmyrr started to protest but Lordbug stopped him. ?Arka is right,? he said, ?We have already let too much time slip by. If we let him go this time, who knows what else he will do? He already thinks himself invincible.?
The four made their way out of the Temple. There stood a Diabolo, armed with axes. He looked very uncomfortable. When he spoke, Arka recognised the voice and winced again with the memory.
?My lady, I must apologise??
?Later, Meloeck. If you want to make amends then come along with us. You will have your chance to redeem yourself.?
Gholmyrr stared at the dwarf. She had assumed command. He didn?t know whether to be angry with her or admire her.
?Cheer up Golly,? said Lordbug.
?My name is not??
?Yes yes, but we are going to have to trust her aren?t we? Let?s just allow her to take charge. I don?t think she?s doing a bad job.?
Gholmyrr grunted. It was against his better judgement, but he had to agree.
?Now,? said Arka, ?to the forest road.?
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Part Twenty-six: The Hunters
They had not gone far when Arka stopped.
?I need to get a few things,? she said, ?I?ll meet you at the North gate.?
?Typical,? said Gholmyrr under his breath, ?When the going gets tough, the women go shopping.?
?I wouldn?t let her hear you say that,? said Lordbug, but he too was laughing. The four men climbed the steps, leaving Arka haggling with Bodacher. They looked an interesting group, A Menki, and Ylian, a Diabolo and a Dwarf. Each had their own strengths and together they would be more than a match for most adversaries. But each of them knew that the foe they were about to face was no ordinary being.
They had stood by the gate for only a few moments when Arka came running past the tower. She was red in the face, but not out of breath. She seemed to have recovered entirely from her previous ordeals.
?Are we ready, gentlemen?? she asked. ?Show me the trail.?
Lordbug led the way through the gates and along the forest path. After several hundred yards he stopped.
?This is where we lost him.?
Arka looked around her. ?You are sure?? she asked, and the Menki nodded.
The others waited patiently while Arka consulted Pinante. They were looking closely at the bank at the side of the road. Arka said something in Stonebreaker to Pinante and he nodded. He lifted Arka onto the bank and she set off again. The others followed along the road.
Presently, Arka came to a gap between the trees. ?Through here,? she said.
The others scrambled up the bank and followed her into the forest. Even though it was late morning it was dark under the trees, but Arka seemed to know the way, almost without seeing. The undergrowth was thick and brambles hooked into their clothes, but evidently this was helping Arka as she followed the trail. A thread here, a broken stem there, little by little they were getting closer to the prey.
Soon they reached the edge of the forest. Arka stopped. It would be foolish to expose themselves in the open without checking. She scanned the horizon.
?Lordbug. I need your eyes,? she said.
The Menki examined the land in front of them. After several minutes he sniffed.
?All clear,? he said, apparently satisfied.
Pinante called Arka over to a patch of mud by a large beech tree. They spoke hurriedly.
?It seems our friend has doubled back towards town.? She said, ?He has followed the edge of the forest.?
?How long ago?? asked Gholmyrr.
?You read too many adventure books,? said Arka and Lordbug smiled.
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Part Twenty-seven: Cornered
They followed the trail almost back to Hydlaa. Suddenly Arka stopped and gestured the others to crouch down. The trail had ended abruptly and Arka?s intuition told her that the elf was hiding near by. There was a subtle change in the birdsong that told her they had been disturbed recently.
?He is here,? she whispered, ?In the forest.?
?Gah!? said Gholmyrr, ?We need to flush him out.?
?But how??
?I can do it,? said Meloeck. ?He doesn?t know I?ve betrayed him.?
?Too risky,? said Lordbug.
?How else are we going to do this?? asked Arka, ?If we try to storm in, he?ll pick us off one by one.?
?You have a point there,? said Lordbug, fingering the cut above his eye.
?Meloeck, at the first sign that he will attack, you run, understood??
?I don?t need you to tell me that,? said the Diabolo.
He drew himself up to his full height and walked into the trees.
?Sudisir!? he shouted. ?Are you in there? We need to talk!?
His deep voice echoed through the forest and several birds took to flight.
After several seconds a thin voice answered.
?Are you alone??
?Yes!?
There was a rustle in the undergrowth and Arka caught sight of the elf she had been tracking. His clothes were torn and he looked dishevelled but he was not injured. She assessed that he could give them a hard time.
?What happened up there?? asked Meloeck. ?It?s a good job you were there, Sudisir ? that Ylian was going to kill me I think.?
?He?s doing a good job,? thought Arka, ?but I hope Sudisir swallows it.?
?Yeah, well, I wasn?t the only one hiding in the reeds,? said the elf. ?You sure they weren?t anything to do with you??
?Never seen ?em before. I think the Ylian must have brought them.?
?No, I don?t think so.?
?I got the axes still. I think you were right about getting rid of them.?
There was a brief silence and Arka hoped that the Diabolo would read the signs.
She needn?t have worried. Meloeck came crashing through the trees, hotly pursued by the elf. Arka gestured for the others to stay down. Once Sudisir was clear of the trees they could take him.
Meloeck emerged from the forest, covered in scratches where the thorns had ripped his skin. He carried on running. Sudisir paused by the edge of the trees. He was holding something small in his hands.
?Meloeck! Down!? shouted Arka as the fireball left Sudisir?s hands. It exploded showering the hillside with sparks. The Diabolo didn?t stand a chance.
?You!? shouted the elf. ?I should have killed you on the road.?
It was then that Arka noticed that Sudisir?s nose was slightly bent and was clearly bruised. She suppressed a smile. She had done a good job on it!
Arka backed off, trying to hold the elf?s attention. She focused intently on his face, not wanting to give any hint that Gholmyrr and Lordbug were creeping up behind. This should be easy.
?If you want my axes, you?ll have to take them off me.?
?I?ve done it before; it?s not that hard,? he sneered.
Gholmyrr and Lordbug were almost on him. Arka took one step back and pretended to trip, falling on her back. Sudisir?s eyes lit up. He went for the kill then spun round. Something, some sixth sense had alerted him. In a flash he was onto Gholmyrr and opened a livid slash across his face. Gholmyrr recoiled.
Lordbug lunged with his sword but the elf was too fast. He caught him a glancing blow with one of the daggers. Arka?s axes were swinging now. She caught Sudisir a lucky blow across the back. His left shoulder was dislocated from the strike and his arm dangled uselessly by his side. He screamed a high unearthly yell before unleashing a blinding flash of light. Arka dived for cover before realising that this was a healing spell. The arm was as good as new. This must be powerful Crystal Way magic!
This was not going to be easy. He was already casting the next spell. This one would be offensive. Arka dived out of the way as a huge fireball ripped into the trees behind her, and exploded. She was thrown forwards, almost colliding with the elf. Dazed, she saw Lordbug and Gholmyrr being driven back once more. It looked hopeless.
Then there was a huge yell and an axe came flying down into Sudisir?s back. It was Meloeck! The first fireball had not found its target. Sudisir writhed, trying to grab at the axe between his shoulder blades and cursing loudly. Arka fumbled with the small object she had been hiding in her hand. She mumbled the words and fired the biggest fireball she had ever made straight at Sudisir and the Diabolo.
Meloeck was taken by surprise but managed to dive for cover. Sudisir took the full force of the blast Most of it was absorbed by anti-magic, but his manna was already low and Arka had used all of hers in the one spell. She reeled backwards, exhausted from the effort as Lordbug and Gholmyrr grabbed the elf.
He was still badly injured from the axe blow and without any manna, could not heal himself. Arka reached in her pocket and drew out a small bottle. Sudisir was lying prone on the ground held by Lordbug and Gholmyrr. They had taken his daggers and were searching him for glyphs. Arka uncorked the bottle and lunged forwards.
Before Lordbug could stop her, she had pulled the axe from the elf?s back and started to pour.
?No Arka!? shouted Lordbug, ?He must stand trial.?
?So he shall,? said Pinante, smiling, ?You didn?t want him to die on you, did you??
?It might have simplified things,? said Gholmyrr, looking at the wound healing.
?I thought?? began Lordbug.
?Don?t worry, there?s plenty for you too,? she said, handing a bottle each to Gholmyrr and Lordbug, ?After Bodacher lent me the glyph I went to Aleena.?
?Where?s Meloeck?? asked Pinante, concerned.
?I?m here!? boomed the Diabolo. His clothes were torn and blood ran down his face from a cut on his forehead, but he was intact.
Arka sighed. As usual she had caused no end of trouble. But also, as usual, it had all worked out just fine.
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Part Twenty-eight: Epilogue
Arka spent the next few days resting at the Tavern. She was not as young as she used to be, and the events of the last few days had taken their toll. She spent a lot of time talking with Nilrem, the elf who had saved her life. Like Sudisir, he was a Dermorian, but there, the similarity ended. He was kind and thoughtful, against violence of any kind and the best company Arka could wish for while she was recuperating.
Through Nilrem, Arka began to see a different side to elves. She realised she had been blinded by the rage over the death of her parents and the destruction of her village. Whether or not Sudisir had a hand in this, she began to realise that this was an individual act; it was time to lay old quarrels to rest. Nilrem?s gentle and peaceful approach to life affected her greatly and Arka began to see that the turmoil in her life largely stemmed from her own rash behaviour and her quick temper. Maybe it was time to seek another way.
It was several days later that Arka received a visit at the tavern. Lordbug had brought a friend to meet her.
?Arka, this is Nikoren. He is a good friend.?
?Arka Garam, D?voy,?? said Arka, bowing low.
Nikoren smiled. ?It?s true then,? he said, ?You can speak Stonebreaker.?
?A little,? replied Arka, with some satisfaction.
The three seated themselves around the small table in her room. Arka poured out three glasses of water.
?Arka, there are a few things I am not clear about,? said Lordbug, ?In the Temple you mentioned something you had that Sudisir wanted to kill you for. And you knew his name.?
Arka hesitated. She looked at the two Enkidukai and wondered if this was what Embra would have wanted. This was a matter for dwarfs, not the Rodnertth. No, that was the kind of thinking that had caused her parents? death and the destruction of her village, her culture and almost her language, her heritage. The papers were hers now. She alone had to decide. She remembered something Nilrem had said to her, ?Some things are in our power to decide; some things we think are in our power, but are not; other things are more important to be a matter for us to decide.?
She said nothing, but crossed the room to the bed. Reaching beneath her pillow, she drew out a tightly wrapped packaged and placed it in the table between them.
?What I am about to show you,? she said, ?Is strictly between us. No one, except my mother and I have seen these papers before, you understand??
Both Menkis nodded.
Arka loosened the knots and unwrapped the tefusang skin. Inside the package, there were a number of small notebooks and carefully folded parchments. They were covered in small neat writing. Lordbug?s eyes widened.
?May I?? he asked
Arka pushed the papers towards him and smiled.
?I can?t read these,? he said.
?Dwarfen runes, if I?m not mistaken,? said Nikoren, ?I can make out one or two, but the words are unfamiliar.?
?This is my mother?s life work,? said Arka, ?Here is a complete description of the Stonebreaker language, gleaned from hundreds of conversations with the last remaining speakers of our race. Here, you will also find transcriptions of the ancient sagas and epics of the Stonebreakers. It is the history of our people, passed down by spoken word and song from generation to generation, but never before committed to paper. My mother was a meticulous researcher. This will be definitive.
?You will understand now why it was so important that this did not fall into the wrong hands. If I am right, this is what Sudisir really wanted. Not to keep, but to destroy. In my heart, I know that he was somehow responsible for the death of my parents and the destruction of my village but I can never prove it. That is why it was so important for me to keep him alive. I needed proof. The only other people who really know the truth are dead and they are beyond us now.?
?Who told you his name?? asked Lordbug.
Arka smiled, ?You wouldn?t believe me if I told you,? she said.
Nikoren was clearly excited by the papers.
?Lordbug, I think we should?? he started.
?Arka, there is a proposition I should like you to consider,? said Lordbug. Our Guild is committed to spreading knowledge through this world. Ignorance is the cause of envy and hatred. Where there is knowledge is also understanding.?
Arka understood.
?If you wish, you might think about applying to join our guild. I believe our members would welcome you. Of course, you may wish to keep this knowledge within the dwarfen community. If so, I will understand. But I?d like you to consider.?
Arka smiled, ?I would be delighted to join you,? she said, ?I need to finish my mother?s work. The dictionary needs to be transcribed so that ordinary folk can understand it. I will need help with that task.?
?Whatever we can do, we shall. But you need to put your case before the rest of the guild.?
?In that case I shall,? said Arka.
And so began a new chapter in Arka?s life. Not as a weapon smith, but as a scholar. The money from her parents was never recovered; she makes a living like most others, with a little mining and hunting in the fields for furs and skins. She still carries her axes with her and can be seen busily dashing around the outskirts of Hydlaa.
If you see her in the Plaza, greet her with ?D?voy??; if you find her in the tavern, buy her a mug of ole fallin? down. She may reward you with a lesson in Stonebreaker. In her evenings, she sits in her room with a pile of parchments and a sharp quill. One by one her mother?s papers have been transcribed. Now the dictionary is beginning to take shape. One day, she knows she will fulfil her mother?s wish to restore the language and heritage to her people.
As for Sudisir, he was tried by the Vigesimi and found guilty of robbery and conspiracy to murder. There was not enough evidence to prove that he was involved in the attack on the Stonebreaker village, but his guilt was enough to have him sentenced him to death by hanging. You might think that was the end of it, but there is another story to be told, one day?
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Hi Arka ^^
I told you I'd restart reading your chapters as soon as I could, and since now I'm trying to get used to a way of being able to read the forums, I can tell you that I've already started to get "up to date" with Arka story part 2.
Why I'm replying then in part 1?
Easy, I recall I praised your writing, either in PM or with a tell ingame, the media I really am not sure about. But I thought it was necessary for me to state it it in here. I must confess I haven't reread Arka part 1, so I'll say what I recall of it. :) I prefer to make the comments, also, when the story is ended (this doesn't mean I waited till now to post, as the comment was sent much earlier :P)
I like very much your writing, for several reasons, the most important one, is that tights the reader, and also, you picture the ambience very well. Your use of words, isn't impressive, meaning that they tend to be plain and easy to understand, and I like that very much, am not saying this only for comprehension purposes, but also as a writing philosophy. In everything written, there's the purpose of communication. The easier it reaches the reader, the better. Together with that, I enjoyed also some hillarious moments, comical or cinic, that you add here and there and spice the story, adding to make it appear light and comfortable to read. A chapter of Arka having a bath upstairs Kada-Els comes to mind, though I don't recall the joke, but I do know there was something I laughed at in there. Congratulations on reaching that, I recall scenes from some time ago, and that is your merit.
I also expressed to you my gratitude for the way you use other chars you've met in the game. You do that with respect, and yes, with a bit of "literary license" ;) but still, it's an honour to have a character mentioned in one of your stories.
Now to the slightly bitter part, I recall I told you some of my concerns with few points the story went through, of which now I only recall two. One was about Arka arriving to Hydlaa when Laanx temple wasn't yet built, and the other one was about the Death Realm. The first one was regarding a time/age issue that might be not very clear, and the latter... well, it's my thing with the Death Realm. Anyway, I told you, and tell again, that I was glad you made that chapter about the Death Realm, despite it all. And I guess I won't reveal much, since hopefully anyone reaching this point has went through the chapters already (please, do it if not... I wait. Back already?) but the scene that you pictured in there was priceless. Having Arka's mom waiting there, sitting, seeing passerbyes while her sight sense deludes, but keeping the faith that she'll recognize her love, that they were meant to meet again there, no matter what... the scene really hits deep into the reader, not only for what you state written, but for what you leave for him/her to fill.
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Hey! Thanks Nilrem
I love your comments. Yes I really try to write in short simple sentences so that everyone can understand but also get taken into the depth of what is happening and the emotion. And, yes, there is some sarcasm in the humour.
The comments about Hydlaa is aimed to make the reader understand that Arka is REALLY old and has seen a lot of the world and survived it.
As for the Death Realm: this may have been a dream or a delirium; the reader is left to decide whether or not this was 'real' or 'imagined'. Who knows? But the emotions she feels for her mother - they are real enough.
As for chars - I try to treat people with as much respect as they deserve, but yes, there is an element of characture - I have exaggerated some features to make the characters come to life.
Thanks for reading this again and your comments - much appreciated. Now enjoy Arka Part 2!
:D
Arka