the heroes of ravenford - amazon s3...maltar, ravenford’s master wizard, had commissioned them to...

The Heroes of Ravenford

Title Page


Book 2

The

Serpent Cult

F. P. Spirit

Copyright @ 2014 F. P. Spirit

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy-ing, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from

the publisher.

You must not circulate this book in any format.

Indie publishing services by Melinda Martin of

http://TheHelpyHelper.com.

Thanks to Tim for creating the world of Thac,

to John, Jeff, Eric, Mark, and Matt for their roles in bringing this book to life,

and to all the rest of our friends and families who gave their time and support

to the creation of this book.

Also by F.P. Spirit

The Heroes of Ravenford Series

Book 1 | The Ruins on Stone Hill

Book 2 | The Serpent Cult

Book 3 | The Dark Monolith

http://www.amazon.com/Ruins-Stone-Hill-Heroes-Ravenford-ebook/dp/B00L5JN5SE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427207515&sr=8-2&keywords=ravenford

http://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Cult-Heroes-Ravenford-Book-ebook/dp/B00OGTMBPI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427207515&sr=8-3&keywords=ravenford

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Table of Contents

Black Adders .................................................... 1Seance ............................................................ 13The Lucky Coin ............................................. 28Cape Marlin ................................................... 45The Three Sisters ............................................ 56The Deserted Lighthouse ................................ 67Demon ........................................................... 82Angel of Mercy ............................................... 91The Sunken Ships ......................................... 107Imposter ....................................................... 125A Copper Dragon ........................................ 141Runaways ..................................................... 154Assassins ....................................................... 164Dark Magic .................................................. 177Angel Tears ................................................... 187Maltar's Journal ............................................ 201Old Friends .................................................. 211New Enemies ............................................... 226Roadblock .................................................... 242Glowing Eyes in the Dark ............................ 255Turning the Tables ........................................ 266Birthday Gala ............................................... 277Party Crashers .............................................. 292

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Book 2: The Serpent Cult

Eastern Thac as it exists today, circa the 7th millennium of the 4th age. This current age, Laurentia, or the age of man, began over 7000 years ago at the end of the Third Demon War. During the first age, Hai’Valan, the world was primarily populated by ancient dragons of great power. The second age was the age of the Titans, the lords of elemental forces. The third age, Kitharra, saw the rise of the Fey races, including the elves. The end of each age was marked by a great war with the adversaries of all races, the Demons.

- Lady Lara Stealle, High Wizard of Penwick

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Black Adders

Dark magic users are not exactly a trusting lot.

Dawn crept over the quaint seaport town of Ravenford. Local inns welcomed those who were up for a morning meal or an early drink. Fishermen busied themselves with guiding small boats from the docks of the wide Raven River and sailing them

out onto the calm waters of Merchant Bay. The rousing aroma of fresh baked bread wafted on the breeze from the bakery, and children scurried about outside the temple, waiting to receive basic schooling taught by the local priests. On the hill to the north, horns beckoned as the guards of Ravenford Keep changed for the morning shift.

Unbeknownst to the villagers, Ravenford was soon to be abuzz with excitement, abandoning its normal schedule to be reclaimed another day. But Mother Earth never veers from her ages-old routine, and the golden orb of the sun now sat perched directly overhead. The first wave of fisher-man were beginning their morning exodus from the bay, and the three inns were preparing for the onslaught of hungry villagers.

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Shouts of The Heroes are back! The Heroes are back! rang out from the guardhouse at the southern edge of town. Lunches were abandoned half-eaten and boats left poorly docked while those within earshot scram-bled to be the first to arrive at the south gate. The word spread wildfire-fast, and the whole of Ravenford was soon pressed in on each other, neighbor leaning on neighbor, friend leaning on foe, striving to get a good view of the Heroes of Ravenford.

The stories of the Heroes’ exploits had swept quickly across the lit-tle seaport. They had first arrived in Ravenford a little over a month ago, escorting a caravan that they had saved from murderous Orc bandits. It had been the first caravan to safely reach town from the west in over three months.

Within a week of their arrival, the gifted teens proved themselves again. Maltar, Ravenford’s master wizard, had commissioned them to clean out the old ruins southwest of town. The place had been crawling with monsters. The Heroes dispatched those evil inhabitants, including a stone giant and a dark mage.

Next, at the Baron’s request, they returned west and routed the rest of the Orc bandits who had been ambushing caravans. Immediately after-wards they slew a two headed giant that had terrorized the farmlands to the north.

After a brief respite, the group set out to take care of some unfin-ished business back at the old ruins. Rumor had it another stone giant still roamed around up there. The heroic youths had set out to finish it off and were now returning from their latest mission.

These young Heroes were a strange sight to behold. At the head of the returning group rode the elven wizard, Glolindir, an unusually tall pale blonde elf wrapped in the purple robes of a mage. His raven familiar perched comfortably on the young wizard’s left shoulder. His ability with magic had gained the attention of Wizard Maltar. Glo, as his companions called him, had become Maltar’s newest apprentice.

Keeping pace with the elven wizard was the copper haired young gnome cleric, Aksel. He sat astride a riding dog next to his elven friend. His white robes were decorated with the symbols of his gnomish god, Aurl Berlglowr. Showing a wisdom beyond his young years, Aksel was the un-likely, yet implicit, leader of the heroic group.

Behind the duo rode two well-known town mercenaries: the tracker, Brundon, and the warrior, Delgron. They contrasted each other like night and day. Brundon, the former, was dark haired and dressed from head to

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toe in brown leather. Delgron, the latter, was flaxen haired and encased in heavy plate armor with a keen silvery sheen. Despite the apparent disparity, these two were the best of friends and had the fortune of falling in with the gifted group of young heroes.

What came next both awed and unnerved the crowd. Gasps and cries of disbelief were mixed in with nervous murmurs. What is it? Is it alive? Did they capture it? Can it get loose?

Trudging behind the four riders was a stone giant! It was easily nine feet tall and four feet across. A great stony head sat squarely on its torso, inset with two eerily glowing eyes. Massive shoulders supported thick, grey arms that hung to its knees, ending in hands the size of boulders. Large, flat feet thudded on the paved streets of the little seaport town, the ground trembling with each heavy step.

Had the stone giant not been so passively following the procession through town, the crowd might have broken and fled. However, the towns-folk remained gathered along the roadside, buzzing with noise as they watched the bizarre sight.

The stone giant was immediately followed by a solid wood wagon with varnished brown sides and a green painted roof. It was driven by Elladan Narmolanya, an elven bard. He had joined the heroic group in routing the bandits from the Bendenwoods.

Elladan was a flamboyant character indeed. Garbed almost exclusively in bright white, only his cloak and boots were dark in color. The elf ’s hand-some young face was accentuated by tightly combed black hair, electric blue eyes, and a strong chin. With a voice that could charm the wings off an angel, the young bard was an immediate hit at the Dying Minotaur, the local inn where the Heroes stayed when they were in town.

Seated in the wagon next to Elladan was a man dressed in the brown leathers of a tracker. A thin mustache accented his rugged face, which was framed by long brown hair and a close cropped beard. More whispers sprang up amongst the crowd. Who was this stranger? Where did they find him? Did he have anything to do with the stone giant? Was he a prisoner?

The murmurs continued as the strange procession crossed over the wide stone bridge that spanned the Raven River. As they entered the busy market district, more townsfolk joined the impromptu parade. The same questions were repeated over and over again. How did they capture the stone giant? Who was the stranger with them? Where were the rest of the Heroes?

Once clear of the market district, the procession began up the hill to Ravenford Keep. The constant whispering amongst the crowd was cut

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short when, without warning, a large red blur swooped out of the sky and strafed the riders.

Cries of alarm sounded amongst the townsfolk. Shouts of “Red Dragon!” were heard here and there. Panic began to set in until Elladan’s voice rang out loud and clear above the throng.

“No cause for alarm folks! It’s only Lloyd!” The shouts and screams died down as the townsfolk looked from each

other to the elven bard in clear disbelief. Before anyone could question him, however, the red object dove out of the sky yet again. The onlookers collectively held their breath as the figure speedily approached from above. This time, though, it slowed then stopped.

Clad in red leather armor, his handsome young face capped with a shock of tousled brown hair, the flying figure was unmistakably Lloyd Stealle. Two huge sword hilts peaked out from under his cloak as he hov-ered there over the riders. The crowd oo’ed and ahh’ed as they recognized the young warrior.

Lloyd had become quite well known in Ravenford these last few weeks, especially by the young ladies. The unassuming young noble had in particular garnered the attention of Lady Andrella, daughter of the Baron and Baroness of Ravenford and one of the most eligible bachelorettes in eastern Thac. The talk around town was that it was only a matter of time before the two were married. Now, somehow, the warrior had gained the power of flight.

As young Lloyd scanned the crowd below, he called out, “Sorry, folks! Didn’t mean to startle anyone!”

The crowd began to cheer in response. A chant of Heroes broke out as the parade made its way up the hillside and stopped at the gate leading into the keep.

As they came to a halt, the last member of the Heroes finally appeared. Seth launched himself out of the covered wagon and landed lightly on the ground next to the stone giant. Rumor had it that the nimble halfling clad all in black, was some kind of assassin. He was certainly nimble enough. He could also disappear at the drop of a hat, only to appear out of the blue and scare the unwary. The townsfolk watched on in awe as Seth patted the stone giant on the leg affectionately.

The open flap of the wagon allowed for a quick glimpse, which re-vealed a sheet clinging to what appeared to be the form of a human body.

The chanting resumed once again until the guards led the Heroes and the stranger they had brought with them into the keep. All that remained

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outside was the stone giant, standing completely still in front of the gate. The crowd eyed him uncomfortably now that their protectors had disap-peared inside the keep.

The companions found themselves waiting in the main hall of Ravenford Keep while Lieutenant Relkin went to fetch the Captain of the Guard. Unlike the first time that Aksel, Glo, Seth, and Lloyd had been here as the original commissioned group of four, Brundon, Delgron, Elladan, and Martan, the stranger of the group, were with them now. This was the first time either Brundon or Delgron had been in the keep. All three men stared openly as they entered the vast room. With its vaulted ceiling, large columns, balconies, plush red carpets, tapestries, and such, it made quite a first impression. Brundon was the first to recover. The cynical tracker quickly covered his awe.

“Nice little place the Baron has here,” he said as he nonchalantly in-spected one of the tapestries on the wall.

Delgron, however, was overwhelmed. The warrior stared all around the room, taking in all the sights. His eyes stopped moving, though, when they fell upon the mural. Delgron strode over to the large wall painting and stood there mesmerized.

“It is impressive,” Lloyd noted as he went over to join him.“Incredible!” Delgron declared, his tone almost reverent. “Is that the

dragon the Baron slew?”“Yes, that’s the black dragon, Ullarak,” Lloyd nodded toward the art-

ist’s rendition of the huge creature. It was actually a very good likeness of the black dragon, though no mere painting could do such an awesome creature justice.

“And that Knight is the Baron?” Delgron asked, pointing at the drag-on’s opponent. On the opposite side of the mural was a figure decked out in full armor. Seated astride a horse, it brandished a large sword and shield in front of the fearsome beast.

“Yes, that’s Baron Gryswold,” Lloyd nodded once again, “before he was Baron.”

“Then he is a full-fledged knight,” Delgron replied, still quite obvious-ly awe struck.

“Yes, I guess he was.”

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Delgron continued to stare at the mural as Lloyd excused himself and rejoined the others.

“It looks like Delgron is enamored with that painting,” Elladan noted, nodding his head toward the blonde warrior.

“I’m not surprised,” Brundon chuckled softly. He drew closer and added in a confidential tone, “He always talks about being a knight some-day. Personally, I think it’s overrated. All that armor weighing you down.”

“Everyone needs a dream,” Elladan replied loftily. “Without it, life would be too mundane.”

“What’s your dream, Brundon?” Seth asked with just a hint of sar-casm.

“Me?” Brundon replied, feigning humility. “Oh, nothing too elabo-rate. Just enough to keep me living comfortably through my old age. And maybe a good woman...or two.” A smirk crossed his lips as he added those last words.

Elladan smiled broadly and clapped the tracker on the back. “A man after my own heart!”

“I thought you wanted to be a famous bard?” Lloyd asked, curious at the bard’s sudden change of heart.

“I do, I do,” Elladan agreed waving his hands in the air dramatically, “but the rest of what he said sounds good, too!” The bard began to laugh raucously, and Brundon joined in with him.

A faint smile crossed Lloyd’s lips, but he did not find the conversa-tion as amusing as these two obviously did. Try as he might, he could not imagine trying to handle more than one woman at a time. In fact, even one seemed daunting to him.

When Elladan’s laughter finally died down, he asked Lloyd, “What’s your dream, my friend?”

“My dream?” The question took Lloyd by surprise. He hadn’t really thought very much about his future. He tended to live in the moment. If he did have a dream, though, it was to be as good a warrior as his father. “I guess you could say I want to be a protector…like my father. I want to protect those who cannot protect themselves and serve justice to those who would harm others.”

“That’s a tall order there, my friend,” Elladan observed, his face grow-ing serious as he stared intently at Lloyd. Then, just as quickly, his expres-sion lightened. “But from what I’ve seen of your skill with those blades, I wouldn’t want to bet against you, either.”

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The conversation might have continued on that path, but the doors to the back hallway opened up, and Captain Gelpas strode into the large chamber. Gelpas Ranblade Trubendor was Captain of Ravenford Guard, the town constable, and the Baron’s right hand man.

Nearly as tall as Lloyd, he was slightly broader in the shoulders. He was quite shrewd and his expression was almost always stern, but the Captain was also a very fair individual, making him well liked by all.

“The Baron is in a meeting right now,” Gelpas informed them. “However, he instructed me to meet with you. There was something urgent you needed to discuss?”

Gelpas paused to look at the group. His keen eyes passed over Brundon then Delgron, who had torn himself away from the mural, and finally set-tled on Martan.

Elladan stepped forward and introduced them all. “These are our illustrious comrades, Brundon and Delgron. They have

been a great help to us on our journeys to date.”“Yes, your reputations precedes you both,” Gelpas said, stepping for-

ward to shake their hands.“It’s our pleasure,” Brundon replied smoothly.“It is an honor to serve the Baron,” Delgron added, his tone reverent

once again.Gelpas smiled at the warrior in spite of himself. He then turned to-

ward Martan.“And who is this?” he asked curiously.“This is Martan,” Elladan said stepping forward. “We rescued him

from a group that may have had ill intent towards the town of Ravenford. In exchange, he has provided us with valuable information which we must share with yourself and the Baron as soon as possible.”

“Is that so?” Captain Gelpas replied, still eyeing Martan.Martan responded in an even tone, “I think the good bard here is be-

ing a bit too kind. I was hired out by the group in question to guide them here. I was never really a party to their plans, nonetheless I was employed by them.”

“Well, then, I appreciate your sincerity,” Gelpas replied, eyeing Martan keenly. He raised an eyebrow at Elladan then turned to face Brundon and Delgron. “I would like to thank you for your help in this matter, but now I need to ask Martan here a few questions. I’m sorry to say that my office is not large enough for everyone, so I cannot invite all of you to join us.”

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“That’s quite all right,” Brundon said smoothly. “My friend, Delgron, and I are only happy that we could assist the Heroes here in protecting our town.”

“Rest assured that the Baron appreciates all you have done to ensure the town’s safety,” Gelpas said earnestly. “To that end, please tell Telpin at the Dying Minotaur to charge your next meal to the Barony.”

Brundon’s habitual smirk disappeared. “Thank you,” he responded, clearly touched by the act of kindness.

“Your Captain, sir?” Delgron interrupted, his tone quite tentative.Gelpas looked at the warrior curiously. “Yes?” “Do you think…” he paused as if trying to find the right words. “Would it be possible…” he began again and stopped, looking down

at his feet.Gelpas continued to stare at the warrior, the corners of his lips upturn-

ing slightly. He said with an assuring tone, “As I said before, you have done us a great service. Feel free to speak your mind.”

Delgron looked up and a broad smile spread across his face. All of a sudden, the words came gushing out of his mouth. “Do you think it would be possible for the Baron to put a good word in for me with the Knights of the Rose? I always wanted to be a Knight, you see, and, well, since the Baron was one, I was just thinking that his recommendation might carry some weight.”

Gelpas paused for a moment, a bit overwhelmed by Delgron’s enthusi-asm. Then the Captain smiled broadly as well. He reached out and clasped the big warrior on his armored shoulder.

“Why, of course, Delgron. Considering all you have done, I’m certain the Baron would be more than pleased to write you a letter of recommen-dation.”

“Thank you, Captain!” Delgron grinned from ear to ear. He grasped Gelpas’s other hand and pumped the Captain’s arm fervently. “Thank you!” he repeated again.

When he finally released Gelpas, the Captain rubbed his arm gingerly, but he was still smiling at the exuberant warrior.

“You are most welcome, Delgron. Now then, gentlemen, shall we?” he motioned to the others. Gelpas turned to leave the chamber.

“Go ahead,” Lloyd told his companions. “I’ll be right with you.” As the others marched off with the Captain, Lloyd turned to face

Delgron. The warrior was still grinning from ear to ear. Lloyd could not help smiling in turn.

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“That is an admirable goal, my friend. I will miss fighting by your side, but I know you will make an excellent knight.”

“Thank you, Lloyd,” the warrior responded. He had turned somewhat red in the face and smiled sheepishly at him.

“Yes, yes. I’m also sure he’ll make an excellent knight,” Brundon agreed. He sounded less than enthusiastic, and the smirk had returned to his face. “But for now, how about we take the Captain up on that free meal?”

“I guess we could,” Delgron responded, taking one last wistful look around the great hall.

Lloyd bid the pair farewell. He stood there watching them as they walked across the large chamber till they reached the door to the foyer on the other side. The acoustics in the vaulted room were indeed quite good, and he could easily hear their conversation.

“What were you thinking?” Brundon said in an excited tone. “Were you planning on just going away without me?”

“You can come along,” Delgron responded, sounding somewhat hurt by the accusation.

“Ha!” Brundon laughed ironically, “Me? A knight?”Their voices finally trailed off as they disappeared into the foyer. Lloyd smiled. He knew Brundon well enough by now. The man acted

as if he were above everyone else and that no one else mattered. The truth was that he did care, especially about Delgron. The warrior was perhaps the only real friend Brundon had. Lloyd had a sneaking suspicion that Brundon would follow Delgron, despite his protests to the contrary.

Suddenly it dawned on him that he was supposed to meet with the others. His smile faded as he spun around and ran down the hall to Gelpas’ office as fast as his long legs would carry him.

“The Black Adders, you say?” Captain Gelpas sat behind his desk with his fingers pressed together in front of his mouth. Martan sat in the seat opposite the Captain while the companions leaned against the back wall and watched the interrogation. Glo noted that the archer shifted uncom-fortably in his chair as he retold his story to the Captain. Glo surmised that Gelpas’ burning gaze was not doing very much to put him at ease.

“Yes,” Martan repeated with a sigh, “as I said before, they are a sect of the Serpent Cult”.

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“And this Serpent Cult you speak of is what again exactly?” Gelpas stared at the archer intently as he repeated the question for the third time.

It was a fairly standard interrogation technique. Continue to ask the same questions over and over again. If the person was being truthful, the details would match each time. If they were lying, they would either have to be very skilled at it or they would inevitably slip up.

Martan took a deep breath and repeated his answer as if he had recited it a thousand times.

“A group of dark magicians who worship serpents. Many of them can change into snake form. They are based in Serpents Hollow.”

“And you were accompanying this dark wizard, Voltark, did you say?” Gelpas’s expression remained neutral as he observed the archer.

Martan said nothing this time but merely nodded. “Voltark, then,” Gelpas continued after a momentary pause. “You were

accompanying this Voltark to Ravenford. And what was his business here?”“I was never told,” Martan answered, his voice beginning to take on

an anxious tone. “They weren’t exactly the trusting types. They kept their business to themselves.”

“And the whole time you were with them, you never overheard any-thing?” The Captain’s voice was laced with skepticism.

Martan bowed his head shaking it back and forth and sighed deeply. When he lifted it up once again he sat forward and responded in an even tone.

“Look, as I told you earlier, I was just a hired guide. It was my job to lead them to Ravenford. I spent most of my time ahead of the party scouting. I was hardly around them, and whenever I was, they would stop talking. I really don’t know much of anything about what they were plan-ning.”

When Martan finished, he sat back and folded his arms in front of his chest. Gelpas continued to stare at him, drumming his fingers on the desk all the while. Abruptly, the door to the room burst open.

“Sorry I’m late!” an excited voice exclaimed. It was Lloyd. He entered the already crowded room. The others began shifting down the wall to make space for him.

“No, no, your timing is good,” Gelpas said rising from his desk. He motioned for all those standing to join him outside in the hallway. As they exited, he closed the door behind them.

A single guard stood outside in the hallway. It was Lieutenant Relkin. “We’ll be right back,” Gelpas told him, keeping his voice low.

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The Captain led them down the hallway a short ways to another room. This one was rather plain, with a couple of small round table and a few chairs around them. The banner of Ravenford hung across one wall and there was a counter against the other wall with some dirty plates and empty mugs on it.

“Mess hall,” the Captain explained abruptly before anyone could ask. “Please sit down, gentlemen. It is well after lunch, and we should have privacy here. The five companions all grabbed seats and looked expectantly at Gelpas.

“What do you think of his story?” the Captain began. Elladan was the first to respond.

“It is quite true that elves of Kai-Arborous are not trustful of humans. If Martan had been hunting in the woods near the city, it is not a far stretch that he would have ended up in one of their jails. Unfortunately, my people are not very tolerant,” he finished, his tone apologetic.

Glo could definitely see that. Due to all the spell wards and charms, it was quite unlikely that anyone could find their way into Cairthrellon. If someone had managed it, though, and especially a human, he would have been treated like a criminal by the elves of his city.

Gelpas nodded his understanding. He turned to Glo. “What about these Black Adders and this Serpent Cult?”“There are many dark magic practitioners in the world,” Glo began.

“And the control of serpents and shape shifting into serpent form is quite a real branch of the dark arts,” he continued, gazing briefly around at the gathered group.

Elladan and Aksel both nodded their agreement with his words. Lloyd listened intently. Seth, however, looked bored. He had produced a knife and was polish-

ing the blade. Glo wrenched his eyes away from the disinterested halfling and continued.

“However, these practitioners aren’t the kind of folk to band together. Dark magic users are not exactly a trusting lot, even of each other. If there is a group of serpent worshipping dark magicians out there, there is most likely a darker power leading them all.”

The room fell silent as Gelpas reflected upon his words. “That is even more disturbing,” the Captain admitted finally. “Captain Gelpas,” Elladan interjected, “whether this Serpent Cult ex-

ists or not, we can assure you that these Black Adders were most definite-ly real. That body we brought back with us belongs to the dark wizard

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Voltark, head of that group. And he had quite a crew with him. If we didn’t have the golem with us, we might not be sitting here right now.”

“You’re welcome.” Glo turned to see Seth still polishing his blade, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Ahem,” Aksel cleared their throat. “I think what the Captain is trying to get at is whether we believe Martan was an unwilling participant in all this or not. What I can tell you is that his motives are not evil. Whatever he may have gotten himself involved in, I do not believe he meant to harm anyone. However, if you can detain him until tomorrow, I can cast a spell which will detect if he is lying at all.”

Gelpas was quiet for a few moments, once again sitting back with his fingers steeped in front of his mouth. Finally he sat forward.

“I am inclined to agree with you, Master Aksel. I do not detect any ill intent in his story or behavior. So I too believe that the archer was just an unwitting participant in this affair.”

The Captain rose from his chair and began to pace back and forth as he continued to talk.

“However, we will hold onto him until tomorrow as you suggest. The Baron will want to hear his story first hand anyway.” Pausing where he stood, Gelpas faced all of them, his expression clearly troubled. “What really worries me is that this dark wizard and his troop were headed to this town, and the gods only know for what reason.”

“That is why we brought his body back with us, Captain,” Aksel re-sponded reassuringly. “If you can hold on to it until tomorrow as well, then I can use a spell to talk to Voltark’s spirit. We’ll see if we can get more information from him on what his purpose was in coming to Ravenford.”

Gelpas stared at the cleric, his expression turning a bit more hopeful. “Very well, Master Aksel, we shall do as you suggest and keep the dark

wizard’s body and the archer here at the keep overnight.” He paused and gazed at the gathered group.

“Well then, gentlemen, I need to inform the Baron on all that has transpired here. We will expect your return tomorrow morning to continue the interrogation in this matter.”

They all stood up and followed the Captain back out into the hall.“Until tomorrow then,” Gelpas said with a curt nod. He then spun

around and quickly marched off down the corridor in the direction of the throne room.

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Seance

The disembodied head spun around the room, glaring at everyone there.

The next morning, after breakfast, the five companions headed back to the keep. As they walked up the hill, Glo noticed a group of wagons parked outside castle. When they reached the gate, their favorite guard, Francis, was on duty once again.

Francis and Lieutenant Relkin were the two gate guards the first time the Heroes came to the keep. The duo received them warmly, and Francis had escorted them inside to the town meeting. They had been friends ever since. Now, however, the affable guard looked tired.

“Guard duty again?” Elladan asked, as the guard stifled a yawn.“Yeah,” Francis replied, covering his mouth awkwardly. “We are all

pulling double shifts, with the party coming up and all.”“What party?” Aksel asked.“You don’t know?” Francis snapped wide awake with surprise. “I

thought everyone knew.”

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“You’ll have to forgive us, but we are still relatively new to the area. Not to mention we have sort of been out of town a lot, fighting monsters and such,” Elladan said drolly.

“Oh, yeah,” Francis smiled sheepishly. “I should have realized. Anyway, the Lady Andrella’s 18th birthday is coming up in a few days, and the guests and entertainment are starting to arrive already. It’s a really big event. I hear even the Duke of Dunwynn himself is going to attend.”

“The Duke of Dunwynn?” Glo repeated. “Isn’t he the Lady Gracelynn’s brother?”

“As a matter of fact, he is,” Francis nodded. He stepped closer and whispered confidentially. “Rumor is since his only niece is coming of age, he wants to bring her back to Dunwynn with him.” The gossipy guard took a quick look over his left and right shoulder and then added with a wink, “The Baron will never stand for it, though.”

Glo remembered back to when they first arrived in Ravenford. Lloyd had told them then that the Duke of Dunwynn had no children of his own. That made his niece, Andrella, his one and only heir.

“It would seem, then, that the Duke wants to start grooming his heir,” Glo observed.

“Yep,” the guard nodded vigorously. “If anything were to happen to him, she would become the Duchess of Dunwynn.”

A troubling thought suddenly occurred to Glo. “And this Dunwynn is a large place, I take it?” he asked tentatively.“Umm, yeah. It’s the only Duchy in north eastern Thac,” Francis re-

sponded, gazing at the group of them. “Dunwynn has over nine thousand subjects in the city alone, but its influence extends over almost all of north-east Thac.”

“You mean its control,” Lloyd corrected him. There was a trace of an-ger in the young man’s tone.

“Yes,” Francis admitted, looking over his shoulder once again. He turned to face Lloyd and nodded in agreement. “Control is correct,” he said softly.

Glo noted that Lloyd was flushed. It was obvious he had little love for the Dunwynn. From the sounds of it, the duchy held sway over most of north eastern Thac. Based on Lloyd’s reaction, it was not a stretch to assume they were trying to extend their reach beyond that.

Glo’s previous thoughts rapidly crystallized into a very alarming pos-sibility. The Lady Andrella’s coming of age was not just a big deal for the town of Ravenford. It would, in fact, affect the entire region.

-16-


If Voltark and his crew had been headed here now, of all times, the dark mage’s purpose might have been intertwined with the young Lady’s ascension into adulthood. She might, in fact, have been the dark mage’s target! It was a very distinct possibility that Voltark had come here to kid-nap the Lady Andrella, or worse.

Furthermore, from what Martan had told them, Voltark was part of a much larger organization, this Serpent Cult. If wind of his failure reached them in time, they might just send someone else to do his job. The Lady Andrella could be in serious danger.

Glo did his best to keep an even expression on his face, but he would have to warn the others. This was neither the time nor the place though. He would wait until later when they were alone with the Baron. Gryswold should be told of the possible danger to his daughter. Perhaps between the Ravenford forces and themselves, they could keep the young lady safe.

While Glo mulled this over in his mind, the conversation had contin-ued on about the party. Elladan was talking.

“…so the Duke’s appearance here will make this a big event.”“Unfortunately,” Lloyd agreed, quite obviously not thrilled by the

prospect.“Hmmm,” Elladan murmured, “I wonder if the Baron will need any

more entertainment…”

Captain Gelpas was waiting for them in the main hall. He led the companions down the long hall, into the throne room, and then to a side chamber. They had met with the Baron in this very same room after rout-ing the bandits from the Bendenwoods.

Gryswold, Gracelynn, and Andrella were all waiting for them. Gryswold Avernos was a powerfully built man. As tall as Lloyd, he was

equally broad shouldered, though stockier than the youth. He had chiseled features, dark brown hair, and a close cropped beard and mustache. Tinges of grey could be seen at his temples and in his beard.

He wore a spartan grey outfit of military finery, adorned with a small heraldic of Ravenford in the upper left corner. It was multicolored with a background of red, white, and blue overlaid by a large black figure. The figure represented the dragon that he had slain to save the seaport town some ten years ago.

-17-


“Welcome, friends,” he stood as they entered. “It appears we have much to discuss since your return,” he added grimly.

The Lady Gracelynn Avernos stood as well. She was a tall, slender woman with long chestnut hair and bright amber eyes. Her regal carriage and porcelain skin gave her an almost ethereal appearance. It was as if a goddess had chosen to take material form here on earth.

A small silver circlet adorned her brow. She wore a pale blue gown em-blazoned with the symbol of the God of Light, Arenor, which was a golden circle with six rays spreading outward.

“Please be seated,” she added graciously, waving her hand towards the long wooden table that practically filled the room.

The table was surrounded by twelve chairs. All were currently unoccu-pied, except for the one at the other end of the table. In that chair sat the Lady Andrella.

Andrella Avernos was a lovely young woman with strawberry blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and cream colored skin. Tall and slender, she was perhaps an inch shorter than her mother. The young lady was garbed in an elegant royal blue gown which set off her already dazzling eyes.

Rising, she addressed them. “Welcome, good Heroes of Ravenford. Yes, please do be seated,” she motioned to the empty chairs on either side of her. She smiled warmly at all of them, but her eyes finally came to rest on Lloyd.

Elladan stood beside the tall youth. He, too, must have noticed the young lady’s preoccupation. Elladan cast a glance at Glo, one eyebrow raised.

Glo nodded slightly in response, a thin smile across his lips.Elladan nodded back, a twinkle in his eye. The bard reached forward

and placed his hands on Lloyd’s shoulders. “Yes, let’s do be seated,” he replied jovially. Elladan guided Lloyd for-

ward, making certain the young man took an open seat next to the Lady Andrella.

Lloyd appeared uncomfortable as he sat down, his complexion turn-ing slightly red.

The Lady Andrella smiled demurely at him then seated herself as well.Elladan took the seat next to Lloyd. Once seated, he glanced over at

Glo and winked.Glo could not help but smile.Gryswold sent Gelpas to fetch Martan. In the meantime, they dis-

cussed the encounter with the Black Adders in the Dead Forest.

-18-


When Martan finally arrived, Gryswold bade him to sit down next to him. Before he began to speak, Aksel interjected.

“Baron Gryswold, I believe I can help speed up this interrogation.”“How so?” Gryswold asked curiously.“There is a spell I can cast which will cause all parties present to speak

only the truth,” Aksel replied gravely.“Oh, yes,” Gracelynn smiled and nodded approvingly. “I know of that

spell. I should have thought of it myself. Very clever, Cleric Aksel.”“Thank you, Lady,” Aksel nodded politely. His serious expression did

not waver. “Very well. Please go ahead,” Gryswold said with a curt smile.Aksel stood up and prepared himself for the casting of the spell. When

he finally released the magic, a golden circle emanated from him and en-compassed the entire room.

Glo had never experienced this spell before. Interestingly, he did not feel any different.

“How does the spell work?” he asked curiously.“It stops you from speaking any intentional lies,” Aksel responded in a

matter of fact tone. “Go ahead. Try to say something that is an intentional lie.”

“Wait, let me do this!” Elladan spoke up excitedly. He faced Glo and asked, “Glo, what race are you?”

Glo tried to respond. “I am hu…I am hum…” but found he couldn’t speak the words. His mouth froze each time he tried to tell the lie. Interesting.

“That’s great!” Elladan laughed boisterously. “Too bad you couldn’t have used that on Haltan.”

“Haltan?” Gracelynn asked, a look of mild curiosity on her face.“He tried to swindle us the other day, milady,” Elladan explained.“That does not surprise me,” Gryswold sighed. “He has some rare and

excellent items in his shop, but he does have a tendency to overcharge. Should I have a talk with him?”

“No need, your Lordship,” Seth interjected. “Elladan beat him at his own game.”

A smile spread across Gryswold’s face. “Good for you! It’s about time someone took Haltan down a peg or two.”

“Gryswold,” Gracelynn gently chided her husband, “the matter at hand.”

-19-


“Oh, yes, quite right, my dear,” Gryswold said sheepishly. He cleared his throat. His expression grew serious once again as he turned to face Martan. “Now then, Master Martan, tell us your story.”

The archer proceeded to relate his tale once again. It was exactly the way he told the companions and later Gelpas. When he finished, there was no doubt he was telling the truth.

Gryswold silently regarded the young man. When he finally spoke, his tone was apologetic.

“Well then, Master Martan, you were obviously an unwilling partici-pant in all this. And you have told us much we would not have otherwise known. You have the gratitude of Ravenford, and you are free to go.”

Martan looked with clear disbelief at both the Baron and the Baroness. He was tongue tied at first but finally responded.

“That’s it then? I’m really free.” Elladan stood up and walked behind the bewildered archer’s chair.

“You heard the Baron. You’re free!” he declared in a jovial voice. At the same time, the bard reached into his purse and pulled out some coins. As Martan looked up at him, he held out his hand.

“Here, as the Baron said, you gave us a lot of information. This is for your time and trouble.”

Martan gazed at the proffered coins and then up at Elladan. Mixed emotions played across his face.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.“You’ve earned them. Go ahead,” Gryswold urged, nodding approv-

ingly at the both of them. Martan’s eyes glistened. His voice was choked with emotion as he

spoke. “This…is the first kindness… anyone has shown me in a long, long

time.” He accepted the coins from Elladan and then stood up looking around the entire table. “Thank you. Thank all of you,” he said sincerely, his eyes still glistening with moisture.

The Lady Gracelynn smiled serenely at Martan and then gazed at Elladan, nodding her approval as well of the generous act.

“Very good,” Gryswold pronounced. “Gelpas, please have our friend Martan here escorted out of the castle.”

Gelpas called Lieutenant Relkin in and had him leave with the archer. Once he had left and the door was closed, Gryswold turned to face the others, the smile fading from his lips.

-20-


“Well now, we know a lot, but there is still a lot we don’t know. If you are up to it, Master Aksel, perhaps we can see what this dark wizard was up to.”

“I’ll try my best, your lordship,” Aksel responded. Gelpas stepped out and then returned a few minutes later with two

guards. They were carrying an object wrapped in cloth. It was the dead wizard’s body. They placed it on the table and left the room.

As the body was placed in front of them, the Lady Andrella leaned over and whispered to Lloyd. With his keen elven hearing, Glo heard the entire conversation.

“This is a bit gruesome.”“Don’t worry, my Lady,” Lloyd responded quietly, “I would never let

anything happen to you.”“Why, thank you,” Andrella responded softly, gazing up at the tall

young man. She shifted in her seat and inched a bit closer to him. The others made room as Aksel prepared himself. The little cleric stood

quietly at the center of the table, facing the body. His eyes were closed and his brow furrowed, his expression one of intense concentration. He was about to cast a spell which would allow him to speak to the dead.

From what he had told Glo the night before, it would appear as if Voltark’s spirit had returned to speak with them. That would not be the case, though. The spell would actually be tapping into the memories of the body.

According to Aksel, the body retained an imprint of the soul, even after death. With this spell, one could gain access to those memories. The mechanics of the spell were quite complex. It would take a number of minutes to cast. During that time, everyone did their best to remain quiet.

Glo was used to channeling magic and could feel the buildup of mana radiating from Aksel. The cleric was drawing in divine power bit by bit and would release it all at once when he was ready to invoke the spell.

After ten minutes of preparation, Aksel was finally ready. He placed his hands over the corpse and let the divine magic flow out of his fingers and into the body, speaking the words, “Mortuus Loquere.” The corpse glowed with a golden white hue for a few moments and then the effect faded.

Aksel stood back and took a deep breath. As he did so, rays of golden white light began to radiate from the body. They intersected at a point about three feet above the corpse.

A black spot appeared in the air. It slowly expanded outward till it was a hole about three feet in diameter. Waves of darkness emanated from the

-21-


hole, and an eerie feeling crept across the room. It began to feel icy cold, and Glo shuddered involuntarily.

A faint cloud appeared in the center of the hole. It was light grey and semi-transparent. After a few moments, the cloud began to coalesce. When it was done, it had formed into the image of a disembodied head.

The visage floated there in the middle of the black hole three feet above the dark wizard’s corpse. It had the features of Voltark. The disem-bodied head spun around the room glaring at everyone there.

Glo was impressed. This memory of Voltark was quite vivid, right down to the scowl on the mage’s face. He gazed around to see the others’ reactions.

The Baron stared back at it grimly, looking as if he was ready to wrestle with the dark mage single handed. Gracelynn, in contrast, appeared cool and calm, merely fixing the image with an icy stare. Gelpas stood at the Baron’s side, his posture defensive, ready to protect his liege if need be.

Lloyd had a look of fascination on his face. Poor Andrella, however, seemed quite unnerved. When the head turned to look at her, she grabbed Lloyd’s arm and buried her face in his shoulder.

The young man looked tenderly at her and whispered, “Don’t let it frighten you. It isn’t real.” He then looked up and glared at the visage.

The disembodied face laughed noiselessly then turned away. Elladan was totally unimpressed by the floating head.Seth looked just plain bored. A wicked smile abruptly crossed the hal-

fling’s face. He drew his dagger and raised it in front of him. Seth pointed to the dagger and in turn pointed toward Voltark. He repeated the motion a couple of times until the face actually scowled and turned away.

Seth and Elladan both began to laugh. The Lady Gracelynn interrupt-ed their revelry with a soft admonition.

“Shhhhh,” she said raising a finger to her lips. The elf and the halfling stopped immediately. However, their smiles did not fade.

“Ahem,” Aksel cleared his throat. He spoke in a commanding tone, “You who were known as Voltark in this life, we have called you here to answer our questions.”

The head turned toward Aksel but said nothing. “Why were you headed to Ravenford?” he asked in an authoritative

tone. Voltark’s visage remained silent, however. Aksel waited a bit more and then asked another question in that same commanding voice.

“What was your mission here?”

-22-


The bodiless apparition refused to respond. It continued to glower around the room. Aksel waited a bit more then tried once more.

“What did you hope to accomplish once you got here?” The spirit continued to be silent. Finally, Aksel, turned to face the

Baron, clearly exasperated by the lack of response.“It’s no use. I just can’t seem to control him.”“Very well,” Gryswold said, clearly disappointed. “End this,” he fin-

ished with a wave of his hand.Aksel turned and waved his hands in front of the disembodied head.

The image began to slowly dissolve. As it faded away, a few chilling words escaped from its incorporeal lips.

“You’ll be sorry…they will enthrall…you all…” A sudden chill ran up Glo’s spine. What did Voltark mean by that? And

why specifically use the word enthrall? He gazed at Aksel, but the little cleric kept his eyes firmly locked on the image of the dark mage until it com-pletely faded away. The glow from the body on the table dissipated, and the corpse returned to normal.

The oppressiveness in the room lifted, and Andrella noticeably relaxed. She must have realized that she was holding onto Lloyd’s arm and quickly let go, blushing.

“Are you alright, Lady?” Lloyd asked with clear concern.“I’m…fine. Thank you,” she responded quietly, though she continued

to blush furiously.Voltark’s departing words still haunted Glo. He tried to catch Elladan’s

attention, but the bard was too busy staring at Lloyd and Andrella. When Elladan finally looked his way, he merely winked at Glo, a knowing smile spread across his face.

Glo sighed, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself. Voltark’s visage had obviously unsettled Andrella, and he did not want to add to her dis-comfort. It was bad enough that she might be the Serpent Cult’s target.

His musings were interrupted by Aksel. “Sorry, your lordship,” the cleric apologized. “He was an evil man and

thus difficult for me to control. If you want to hold onto the body, I can try again in seven days.”

Gryswold was about to reply when Gracelynn interjected. “Although it would be good to try this again, we have Andrella’s party

coming up. With all the planned festivities, I think it would put a damper on things knowing this dark creature’s vessel still resides in the castle.”

-23-


The Baron gazed quickly at his wife then nodded his head in agree-ment.

“You are very wise, my dear. Glo, as Maltar’s apprentice, do you think you could take the body to him and ask if he could keep it under wraps until we are ready to try again?”

Glo needed to report to Maltar anyway. He had not seen him since he got back, and he owed the wizard a visit.

“I most certainly can, your lordship.”“Very good,” Gryswold said, his relief quite plain. “Captain Gelpas,

please have the body removed and prepared for transport.”“Yes, my Lord,” Gelpas replied. He went to the door and opened it,

motioning the two guards who had brought the body back inside. They rewrapped the corpse and hauled it out of the room.

“If you wait by the front gate, I’ll have the body brought to you,” Gelpas told Glo. The Captain then spun around and left to follow the guards.

“Now that that’s settled, we can concentrate on Andrella’s birthday party,” Gryswold sighed. He took his wife’s hand, and they rose together.

Everyone else stood and began to shuffle out of the room. Glo, how-ever, tarried a bit. He wanted to discuss Voltark’s mission and his concerns for the Lady Andrella’s safety with her parents. He did not want to do so in front of the young lady, though, and unnecessarily scare her.

He noted that the young lady was still seated. In fact, she was clearly watching Lloyd as the young man headed for the door.

“Elladan?” Gryswold abruptly called to the bard.“Yes, your lordship?” Elladan replied, spinning around just inside the

doorway.“Do you think you would you be able to play at Andrella’s birthday

party?”There was just a hint of glee in Elladan’s eyes. However, to the casual

observer he remained cool and collected. “Why, I would be honored, your lord and ladyship,” he replied with a

bow and a flourish. Glo watched curiously as Elladan strode back toward the Lady

Andrella. As he passed Lloyd, he grabbed the young man’s arm and whis-pered in his ear. Glo could just make out the words.

“Follow my lead.”

-24-


Lloyd had a puzzled expression on his face as Elladan dragged him back toward the table. The stopped in front of Andrella, and Elladan spoke in a lilting voice.

“Fair Lady, my drummer here and I would love to play all your favorite tunes. Would you be kind enough to tell us what they are?”

Lloyd gazed at Elladan wide eyed. His skin flushed but otherwise he remained silent.

Andrella began to flush as well. Abruptly realizing that all eyes in the room were on her, she composed herself. She responded graciously.

“Why, thank you, good bard. I would be happy to provide you with such a list.”

“Excellent,” Elladan responded with a dramatic wave of his hand. He stepped behind Lloyd and pushed the young man down into the seat next to Andrella. It was an amusing sight as the elven bard was so much shorter than Lloyd. The young man went along with it, although he was quite red in the face.

“My drummer here can work on the list with you,” Elladan explained to the young lady. “You will have to excuse me for I need to go off and be-gin making preparations. I must check all my instruments and outfits and stage equipment…”

“I understand, good bard,” Andrella interrupted him with a wave of her hand. “I am sure your drummer can handle this,” she finished, her eyes locking on the shy young man next to her.

“Excellent,” Elladan replied, his expression remaining, even though there was a mirthful glint in his eye.

As Elladan walked toward the door, Andrella began dictating her list to the “drummer”.

“Now, let’s start with the classics…” As Elladan passed through the doorway, he winked at Glo. Elladan was incorrigible. He had taken it upon himself to act as cupid.Perhaps it was necessary though. Lloyd and Andrella obviously liked

each other, but their “romance” was moving at a snail’s pace. Also, while they were busy, it would give Glo a much needed chance to tell the others his concerns.

He grabbed Elladan’s arm and whispered, “Gather the others in the throne room.”

Elladan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, merely exiting the room.

-25-


Glo waited at the door for the Baron and Baroness. They were slowly heading his way, watching the innocent young couple who were engrossed in the business of “song selection”.

As they drew up near Glo, he whispered to them. “Your Lord and Ladyship, there is one more thing, but not here.” Glo

gazed over at Andrella as he said the last. Gryswold followed the elf ’s gaze and raised an eyebrow. “Outside then,” he whispered back with a concerned expression. Elladan was waiting in the throne room with Aksel and Seth. Glo

quietly close the door behind them, and the group stood close together in the otherwise empty chamber.

“What is this about?” Gryswold asked anxiously.“Your Lord and Ladyship,” Glo began still trying to decide the best

way to break this to the royal couple. “I don’t want to unnecessarily alarm you, and I may be wrong…but if I’m not, I would be remiss not to voice the possibility.”

“Go on,” Gracelynn encouraged him, although she appeared quite apprehensive.

“Very well,” Glo said, quickly glancing around at the gathered group. They were all watching him curiously but were otherwise silent.

Glo realized there was no easy way to say this. He took a deep breath and then began explaining his concerns, keeping his voice very low.

“The fact that Voltark was headed here to Ravenford at this time, just when the Lady Andrella is about to ascend into adulthood, may not be a coincidence. After all, once she is of age, she becomes the active heir to the Dunwynn throne.”

“Are you saying…” Gryswold began loudly. He caught himself and lowered his voice. “Are you saying,” he repeated softly, “that Andrella was the target of this dark wizard?”

“I believe so,” Glo responded, feeling awful for having to point this terrible fact out to the young lady’s parents.

“Oh, Gryswold,” Gracelynn exclaimed. She grabbed tightly onto her husband’s arm, a look of horror appearing on her normally serene face. “What if it’s true?” she barely managed to get out the words.

Gryswold grasped her hand and patted it reassuringly. “There, there, Grace,” he said softly, “it’s nothing we can’t handle.” However, as he looked up at the others, Glo saw something in the Baron’s eyes he had never seen before--fear.

-26-


“I’m sorry to say, your graces,” Aksel said quietly, “but what Glolindir is saying does make sense.” His expression was dreadfully serious.

“Again, I may be wrong,” Glo added apologetically, “but I could not in good conscience let this go unsaid.”

Silence hung over the throne room for a few moments. Finally, Gryswold responded in a hushed voice.

“No, no Glolindir, you did the right thing. However, this news is in-deed quite troubling.”

“Your Lordship, if I may make a suggestion?” Aksel interjected sym-pathetically.

“By all means, go ahead,” Gryswold gave him leave to speak.“Perhaps you could begin screening anyone coming in and out of

town, both at the guardhouses and the docks.”“That is an excellent idea!” Gryswold declared his face brightening a

bit. “We will begin doing so at once.” The Lady Gracelynn pulled Gryswold aside and whispered something

into his ear. The two of them began whispering back and forth till finally they both nodded and turned to face the waiting companions.

Glo had heard the entire conversation and was stunned by the out-come. He did his best, however, to keep a straight face and pretend he had not heard. He had discovered humans found it rude that elves could listen in to their private conversations.

Gryswold was smiling now, but his tone was very formal as he spoke. “In the short time that you have been among us, you have proven

to be a tremendous asset to this town. Therefore, we would be honored if all of you would attend our daughter Andrella’s eighteenth birthday party, three days hence.”

Glo still could not believe it. This was an auspicious occasion, to be attended by nobles like the Duke of Dunwynn and others of high rank. Coming from a noble elven family himself, he was keenly aware of the pro-tocols that were being broken here by inviting them to this party. He was deeply moved by the gesture.

Aksel must have also felt the same way. The gnome bowed deeply and replied in a voice thick with emotion.

“We would be deeply honored to attend the Lady Andrella’s eigh-teenth birthday party, your Lord and Ladyship.”

“Excellent!” the Baron declared his face brightening even more. “Then it’s all settled. We will have formal invitations drafted up for all of you this very day.”

-27-


“Thank you again, your Lordship,” Aksel said sincerely. “Now if you will excuse us, we have much to do.” He bowed low once again, Glo, Elladan, and Seth following suit. The four of them exited the throne room and headed down the hall toward front gate.

“I can’t believe we were all just invited to Andrella’s party,” Elladan declared as they walked through the castle halls.

“That was certainly a surprise,” Aksel agreed, still sounding amazed by this latest development.

“I just hope the food’s good,” Seth commented dryly.“Really?” Glo said gazing at the halfling. “We just get invited to the

biggest event in northeastern Thac and all you can do is think about the food?”

“What can I say?” Seth shrugged his shoulders. “I have my priorities.”Glo just shook his head and smiled. They foursome had reached the entrance to the keep and were climb-

ing down the steps into the courtyard.“Speaking of priorities,” Seth continued, “while you wait around for

the stiff, I’m going to head down into town and see if anyone’s seen or heard anything out of the ordinary in the last few days.”

“Good idea,” Aksel agreed. When they reached the gate, Seth continued on, leaving Glo, Aksel

and Elladan to wait for Voltark’s body. As they stood there, Glo noted Elladan eyeing the wagons parked on the hill below.

The entertainers had pitched tents, and a number of colorful charac-ters milled around. The sounds of voices and music reached their ears mak-ing it sound like a party had already begun down there. Finally, Elladan could stand it no longer.

“Care to join me while I check out the competition?” Glo gazed at Aksel and shrugged. Voltark’s body had still not arrived,

and considering the potential threat to Andrella, it wouldn’t hurt to give these “entertainers” the once over. Glo looked over toward the guard sta-tion. Francis was still on duty.

“Francis?” Glo called out to the weary guard.“Yes?” Francis said as he walked over, doing his best to stifle a yawn.“The Captain is having a box delivered here for us to take,” Glo said

him quietly. “Do you think you could keep an eye on it when it comes? We are going to check out the entertainers below. We should be back shortly.”

“Sure”, the guard responded affably. “I’m on guard duty for a few more hours anyway. Take your time.”

-28-


“Thanks. We won’t be too long,” he promised. Glo turned to Elladan and said, “Lead on.”

the heroes of ravenford - amazon s3...maltar, ravenford’s master wizard, had commissioned them to...

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