“How is this possible?” asked Bruzmot. “This is the Battleforged Construct that guarded the tower.”

  “You are correct,” said Zero. “Oswald restored my power systems, and I was awoken.”

  “Incredible.” Bruzmot walked around Zero several times, examining him. “I didnae think any of ye survived.”

  “Pure happenstance,” said Zero. “I am grateful to be alive.” He gestured at the cart. “We have brought extra components that you may recharge the energy matrix crystal with the power of the sun.”

  “Aye?” asked Bruzmot. “That technology was lost tae us generations ago.”

  “No longer,” said Zero. “Come. Let us locate an appropriate location to install the power harvesting system.” Bruzmot nodded, and the two headed toward the other side of the town, most of the citizens in tow.

  “Food?” I asked.

  “Yes,” said Oswald and Ulrich simultaneously.

  We headed for the tavern. With the townsfolk swarming around Zero like hungry puppies, the tavern was empty.

  “Finally!” bellowed the barkeep. “Payin’ customers!”

  “Maybe,” I said.

  “What?” he demanded. “Ye ain’t plannin’ on payin’?”

  I grinned.

  Ulrich chuckled. “We brought back the crystal.”

  “Aye?” The barkeep nodded. “In that case, what’ll it be?”

  “Whatever is easy,” said Oswald. “Just please feed us.”

  The barkeep laughed. “Aye, gimme a sec.”

  Katrina stormed into the tavern. “Got news from Sigurd. He said we should get moving sooner than later.” She plopped down on the nearest barstool. The barkeep slid her a drink he’d already poured in anticipation.

  I arched an eyebrow. “Did he mention what was wrong?”

  She shook her head. “No, the message was by missive and pretty cryptic. I got the sense that we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

  “Do we have time to eat?” asked Ulrich.

  “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t take your sweet time, pretty boy.” She downed her drink and stood. “I’ll go get the caravan rounded up. We should be able to make it to Sigurd in Ashborough by mid-morning and then move on to Turtle Bay.”

  “Wow,” said Ulrich. “I don’t think we’ve not stayed anywhere for less than a day.”

  “Gotta stay ahead of the competition and our enemies. That’s how you come out on top.” She nodded and headed for the door. “That’s another lesson, pretty boy.” The door slammed shut behind her.

  The barkeep brought us our food. “So, what’s all this rubbish I’m hearin’ about a Battleforged Construct ye brought back with ye?”

  “No rubbish,” said Oswald as he stuffed his mouth with half of a potato. “Really big.”

  “I think I’ll go see fer meself.” He nodded once and left the tavern.

  We ate in silence as we thought about Sigurd’s message. When we’d finished, we headed for the caravan. Zero had already introduced himself to many of the caravan members. Katrina agreed to let him travel with us as long as he was useful.

  We waved goodbye to the citizens of Junktown and headed toward Ashborough.

  We arrived in Ashborough at mid-morning just as Katrina said we would. Zero turned heads everywhere he went, which wasn’t surprising considering he towered over everyone. Sigurd kept his word and gave us his boon. Time was short, but he trained us on how they worked and went into great detail.

  We said our goodbyes and promised we’d return someday. The shortness of our visit, while disappointing, was quite fruitful. The journey to Turtle Bay took most of the day. When we arrived, it was already late evening and the sun was setting.

  “You boys head for the tavern and find out if there’s anything going on. I’ll get the caravan settled.”

  “Understood,” said Ulrich.

  “I will stay with Katrina if that is acceptable,” said Zero. “I find most doorways to be somewhat lacking in accommodating my size.”

  “Great,” said Katrina. “I could use the extra muscle anyway.”

  I nodded. “We’ll order you a plate.”

  “Smart, kid.” She grinned.

  We headed for the tavern.

  32

  Taenaran

  It was midday as we entered the clearing. The trees were verdant. Vines hung from all the branches. There was little spider webbing in this area. However, at the edges of the ravine, signs of their passage could be seen.

  Sai looked around. “It looks as if the enemy was here and cleaned up after themselves.”

  Agamor nodded. “Yes. They have been here. And they don’t want to leave clues for us to follow.”

  “Sneaky,” said Sai. “Smart. I was hopeful they would not have thought to do that.”

  I nodded. “As was I.”

  “We should spread out and look for clues,” said Sai.

  I nodded. “A prudent course of action.”

  We spread out across the clearing and spent the better part of an hour searching for any clue to where we should go next.

  I frowned. “I found little to speak of.”

  “Likewise,” said Agamor. “They cleaned up well.”

  “But not perfectly,” said Sai. “Look over there. Beyond the edge where the ravine restarts.”

  I squinted. “I see nothing. Save for rocks and boulders.”

  “Precisely.” Sai grinned. “That means—”

  “that what we’re looking for is here,” said Agamor.

  “That would follow logic,” I said. “Unless that ravine was cleaned on purpose.”

  Sai frowned. “I did not think of that.”

  “We will check it all,” I said. “Come. Let us get to work.”

  We found nothing of import as we searched the ravines and the clearing. Disappointed, we pressed on to Ruvyn. When we arrived, the sight stole my breath.

  Blood coated the cobblestone bridge that crossed the stream.

  “Well,” I said as I looked onto the gore that used to be the village. “This was the village of Ruvyn. A once thriving destination for commerce, beauty, and warfare.”

  We approached, careful not to draw any undue attention from any ambushers. The approach was quiet. Eerie. Disturbing.

  Sai knelt next to a downed ranger still clutching his bow. “These people put up one hell of a fight.”

  “Indeed,” said Agamor. “They died like warriors.”

  I nodded. “One can ask no less of fate.” My frown deepened as did the depths of my anger. Women and children lay torn asunder. My stomach turned. Agamor rested his hands on my shoulders and led me away from the utter display of violence. “These people did not deserve this.”

  “No,” said Agamor. “They did not. But they fought until the last. That is more than we can say for some of the other villages.”

  I shook my head. “It is still not right. These people…they deserve vengeance.”

  “And they will have it,” said Sai. “Just not this day. Patience. Come. Let us see if we can discover what transpired here.”

  We took inventory of the village. Nothing had been stolen. Death and chaos littered the ground in every direction. It was a brutal battle until the very end. One that made little sense.

  “It was one necromancer,” said Sai. “And several of the armored spiders. They led the attack on the village at nightfall.”

  I nodded. “From the burns on the buildings, I would assume that they attacked at night.” I frowned. “But the fires were set at strategic places. Whoever did this had known where to set them.”

  Agamor turned a slow circle. “Perhaps the necromancer arrived earlier posing as a traveler. They got the lay of the land and summoned their minions after the village had retired to sleep.”

  “I agree,” said Sai. “That sounds like the most likely scenario.”

  “But to what end?” I asked. “What could they hope to gain from this sort of slaughter?”

  “Sai,” called Agamor. “I believe I’ve found your necromancer. And he has some sort of parchment clutched in his hands.”

  I rushed over. “We must know what it says.”

  Agamor nodded. He was already carefully prying it from the corpse’s stiff fingers. He read the note, frowned, and handed it to me.

  * * *

  Jondir

  The cave is a day to the northwest of Ruvyn at a brisk pace. When you have turned the village, take your newfound forces and march on the caves. With luck, you will find no opposition, but be ready in any case.

  -V

  * * *

  When I finished reading the note, my map pinged. I checked it and nodded. “The map has been updated.”

  “Some good news then,” said Sai. “At least we know where to go next.”

  I nodded. “Indeed.” I thought about the note for a moment. “That is why they attacked the village. They were using the villagers to supplement their ranks.”

  Agamor nodded. “They did not count on their warriors fighting until the bitter end. It looks like the necromancer casted some sort of death spell to end the villagers when he perished.”

  “At least in death, they did not suffer.” I frowned. “It is not much consolation for the dead.”

  “We can spare the time to build a pyre,” said Agamor.

  Sai frowned. “It would be preferable to bury them properly, but yes, a pyre would be less time-consuming and have the benefit of keeping them from being turned by someone else.”

  “Yes,” I said. “I would welcome the help.

  It took the better part of the day for us to pile all the bodies. I said some kind words to mark their passing and hopefully give the dead some closure that they might move on to the next plane in peace.

  We traveled for the rest of the day. None of us spoke. The sight of the village seemed permanently engraved in my mind’s eye. And every time my thoughts circled back to it, I felt my anger swell within me.

  Ahead of us, the ground began to incline. The forest stretched in either direction as far as the eyes could see. And above us, the storm clouds loomed dark and heavy. I could already see my breath. It will likely snow this night.

  “We should make camp,” said Agamor. “The forest will provide us some shelter from the coming weather.”

  It is like he can read my thoughts.

  “Agreed,” said Sai.

  I grunted but said nothing. We made camp in silence and built a roaring campfire beneath a large rock that protruded from an outcropping where a tree had fallen some seasons past. The indentation it had left behind gave us just enough room to hide from the wind as the heavy raindrops began to pelt the area around us.

  Sai passed around some bread. I nibbled on it, not really hungry but knowing I needed something in my stomach to recuperate my energy. It had been a long day, and tomorrow would likely be just as taxing. At least physically. One would hope to never see a sight such as that village ever again.

  I stared out at the rain and watched my breath fog.

  “Taenaran?” called Agamor. “Are you well?”

  I nodded. “As well as can be expected, all things considered.”

  “Still thinking about Ruvyn?” he asked.

  I nodded again. “Such death and agony. No one should have to suffer such a fate.”

  “That is the war that Abalonious and his friends fight.” He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed lightly. “His mission is to prevent precisely such things.”

  I frowned. “But he cannot be everywhere at once.”

  “Sadly, no. He cannot.” He smiled. “Though I can promise you that if he could he most assuredly would.”

  “I believe he would as well.” I stretched. My shoulders and back popped in several places. “It is my hope that our efforts will contribute to his goals.”

  “They will,” said Sai. “He would not have asked us to go on this quest if it were not important.”

  I pulled my blanket tight as I watched the snowflakes float down from the sky.

  “You should sleep,” said Agamor. “Sai and I will tend to the watch this night.”

  I turned to him. “Are you certain?”

  He nodded. “I am. You need to rest.”

  “I—thank you. Perhaps I do.”

  Agamor sat up and smiled. “Please see that you do. I’ll wake you if you are needed.”

  I nodded and lay down next to the fire. I closed my eyes and wondered how long it would take for me to fall asleep. I opened my eyes to pass some time speaking with Agamor. The forest was silent, and daylight had come. Sai rested with his back against the embankment.

  “Good morning,” he said. “I trust you slept well?”

  “I—yes, apparently I did.” I sat up. The fire was still going strong.

  Sai chuckled. “Agamor said you were out the moment your head hit the bedroll.”

  “And I thought it would take me some time to fall asleep.” I looked out at the landscape. The forest was covered in a thick layer of fresh snow. And it was deathly quiet, save for the crackling of the fire.

  Sai nodded. “I noticed how quiet it was during the night. This entire area has been affected by the evil that was wrought.”

  “Indeed,” said Agamor. He yawned, sat up, and stretched. “Would anyone fancy a morning meal?”

  My stomach growled. “I would be inclined to eat,” I said. “I am feeling much better than the night prior.”

  We cooked several roots and baked some bread as we watched the snow falling. Having warm food in our bellies most assuredly made cleaning up after ourselves much more manageable.

  We packed up camp, doused the fire with snow, and headed for the beacon on the map. The forest remained eerily quiet. Not a single animal skittered or flew or cawed. It was quite disturbing to say the least. The sun hung overhead when I noticed Agamor tense next to me.

  “Huh…I feel as if we are being watched.”

  A loud thump caught my attention. An arrow was embedded in the tree next to me. All three of us stopped abruptly.

  I frowned. “I suppose that answers that specific question.” We raised our hands above our heads.

  “Do not move,” someone said from the trees ahead.

  “As you command,” I said. “We mean you no harm.”

  Five archers cautiously stepped out of the tree line. They had their bows trained on us with arrows nocked and bowstrings taut. Their footsteps crunched in the snow as they took slow, careful steps, eyes never wavering. They spread out in a semicircle flanking us.

  “Why, pray tell, are an Elven-born and two humans encroaching on our camp?” asked the leader.

  “Your camp?” I asked. “We were heading to the dungeon in the hills up ahead.” I looked to Agamor.

  He shrugged. “As far as I know, we aren’t lost. It should be just up ahead, according to the directions we got in Ruvyn.”

  “You are not lost,” said the leader. “Our camp is within the dungeon.”

  I frowned. “Within the dungeon? But why?”

  “You are quite obviously not necromancers.” He lowered his bow. The others followed suit. “I think it best if our mayor explained.”

  I nodded. “Please. Lead on.”

  He nodded and turned toward the dungeon. We followed. The muffled sounds of our feet crunching the snow were the only sounds to be heard. Even the animals were silent.

  The entrance to the dungeon would have looked like any cave entrance, had it not been for the stone bricks that had been molded into the mouth into a proper entryway with a heavy gate. The patrol pulled the door open and ushered us inside. The leader joined us while the other four took positions outside the door.

  “Mayor, these are the men the scouts spotted.”

  “Thank you for bringing them to me,” said the mayor. He turned to us. “Greetings, I am Tanithil, the village mayor.”

  “Taenaran,” I said. He nodded. We exchanged grips. “What are you doing in a dungeon?”

  Tanithil frowned. “When the undead came, we had no means of defending ourselves. We grabbed what supplies we could carry on the wagons and fled the village. Unfortunately, we left it to the cultists.” He gestured to the room. “This was the only place we could shelter so many from the elements.”

  “I see.” My heart sank. “Is there anything I can do to assist?”

  “Not really.” He sat on a crate and sighed. “Has the danger passed?”

  I nodded. “It has. The casualties were high; however, the undead have been eliminated.”

  “I will send scouts on the morrow back to our village to assess the damage.” He smiled, if barely. “Thank you. This is the best news we have had in months.”

  “You are most welcome.” I crouched before him. “Tell us, have you discovered anything strange during your stay?”

  Tanithil nodded. “Indeed we have. When we first came here, we found a Dwarven-born a bit farther into the dungeon. Recently a woman came through. She forced her way in and was quite keen in investigating his remains.”

  “Did she take anything?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Nay. Nor did she offer any trouble on her way out.”

  “How long since she left?” asked Sai.

  “Three days,” said Tanithil.

  “Tell me, was she Elven-born?” I asked.

  Tanithil’s expression darkened. “Indeed. It was quite unsettling that one of our own would put in with that lot. We are just thankful she did not attack us further or start turning our people.”

  Agamor shook his head. “It would have been a waste. She knew her undead would have made her a target. Not to mention the waste of time and energy.”

  “I fear that makes sense.” Tanathil smiled. “Feel free to explore the dungeon. With any luck, you will discover whatever it is you came here for.”

  “I believe we are after the same thing she was.” I frowned. “This entire thing is quite disturbing.”

  Tanithil nodded. “Dark times, to be sure.”