Fate's Hand (9 page)

The remaining group of plunderers collected all their findings. Yusar took great care to wrap the mace in cloth before removing it from the dead dwarf's hands and packing it away. It wasn’t until later, with the help of a fellow mage, that Yusar discovered one of the emeralds on the handle could be removed. The person holding that emerald could play out a scenario in the mind of the person holding the mace. In the case of the unfortunate dwarf, the gem was set to replay the scenario of an insane wizard that once attacked the destroyed city.

Yusar was thinking about the item when something broke his concentration. He watched Drask place a large smooth emerald on the table. The red wizard smiled until Drask gazed up to the balcony and summoned him down. Yusar came before the demon prince with his head held low.

“
The mercenary is stronger that I thought he would be,” Drask said. “He has a powerful mind and fighting prowess.”

Yusar sneered.

“You should be glad the fight was only in my mind.”

Yusar tightened his jaw and looked into Drask’s eyes. Drask chuckled and looked away. “Either way, you can go down and do what you will with him: kill, torture, experiment as you will. But he is not to leave here; he is far too dangerous.”

Drask held out a slender white wand to the wizard. Yusar took the weapon, turned on his heel and stalked toward the basement where Temo was taken. He walked down the stone passageway and down a dim stairwell, his mind rolling around the words Drask said.

He is nothing in power when compared to me
, Yusar thought. But as his mind ran, he realized how little he knew about the man. He found himself standing before Temo's cell. He looked down at the man, stripped to his under clothes. Temo's large, tense muscles were intimidating even while he was unconscious. Yusar thought back to their few brief encounters and to the moment Temo got a hit in on Yusar, something few had ever accomplished.

“
You are alive, but not for long,” came a deep voice from behind the bars. Yusar saw the battle mage testing the strength of the chains that bound him.

“
I will live long after you have perished from this world, worm,”

“
Demons and devils fill the halls of this tower. And one human. Exactly how much longer do you think he will keep you around. You and I are both in cages. Only difference is, I will not go out without a fight.”

Yusar looked away. “You do not know what is going on here.” Yusar said.

“No,” Temo said with determination. “I do. You got yourself in over your head and now you are stuck, with a death sentence hanging over your head.”

“
I am going to be the one to kill you,” Temo stated with a smile.

Yusar, hearing a bit of jest in the man’s tone, smirked at his situation. “Perhaps on fair ground, in an even fight.”

“Since that isn’t an option, all I can offer is myself. Keep me here. Torture me, I can take it. But feed me and keep me strong. Retrieve my weapon,
my
axe, and armor. Release me and together we can kill this demon and his fodder.”

At first the thought was ludicrous, but then Yusar imagined being his own master once again.
Let Temo help expel Drask, then kill Temo and return to my quiet life.
Eyes still to the floor, he asked, “And afterwards we could have our own duel, for the tower?”

Temo fixed him with an evil smile. “Exactly.”

Yusar paced back and forth, rubbing his fingers across the wand and thinking about the offer and how he could bend it to his favor.

“
I think we have a deal…” His voice became a whisper and the blood drained from his face, leaving him white and cold. Drask sat in a large wooden chair at the banquet table. Yusar immediately realized his mistake and dropped the small white wand. As the weapon hit the floor, the weight of it echoed across the hall. Yusar looked down at the mace laying where the wand had fallen. Drask rolled the weapon’s matching emerald around in his hands. “It would seem you failed as well. Pity.”

Val watched as Rylan and Asher walked past him into a small overlook in the rocks and he immediately realized the two adventurers were much more experienced and prepared. Their camp, even though it was temporary, was far better set up and defended. Asher pointed out a tripwire across the only clear entrance. He traced the line for Val to follow, ending on a hidden spring mechanism that held several sharp sticks poised to strike out. Val watched Asher start a new fire. He realized the spot the two men had chosen kept the flames from plain view. He smiled at the thought of getting a good night's rest that evening. Rylan motioned for him to come and place his bed roll out next to the fire, then took a few rabbits from his pack and began to clean them. By the time Val was settled in, there was a fresh waterskin in his hand and a rabbit cooking in front of him.

He sat and met eyes with the two men, trying to keep a smile and a look that conveyed his appreciation, but found he could not with the man Asher staring on so coldly. He looked to Rylan and felt a little more at ease. The man was chewing on a rabbit leg, bits of meat dangling from his mouth.

“
So, kid, tell me about that hand you have there.”

Yellow light flickered across the rough features of the red hand. “I don’t really know,” Val said quietly. “I mean, I don’t know where it came from.”

“Well, that was a terrible story. How about start from the beginning. Why are you in these hills?”

Val took a deep breath, then started telling the men about his life, when everything was easy and simple. Then about his sister being taken and his uncle’s death. Finally, coming to the morning when he woke up with the hand. He held the hand in display as he spoke.

“I’ve never been much of a fighter, but when my hand goes into action…well, it scares me, to be honest. I’ve never thought killing would happen so fast.”

Rylan cut in. “Sounds like it’s a blessing. Those orcs we fought and even those goblins probably would have ended your search if it wasn’t for that hand. You say it just acts on its own?”

“Well, yes, bu—” a rabbit leg came flying across the fire and slapped Val across the face.

“
What was that!” Val started to yell, but saw the two men laughing. He grabbed the leg and tossed it back across the fire with his left hand, chuckling himself. “I was going to say yes, but I don’t know how it works. It seems to only act out on its own when I’m in danger. I still can’t feel anything in the hand, but I can feel my wrist where it looks like my skin was burnt.”

Rylan looked at Asher, then spoke. “Well that’s a better story. Ours is a little different. Asher here, even though he doesn’t look like it, is my brother. We grew up in the care of a man named Ginshu Retori. An odd name, to say the least. Didn’t matter either way, since he only wanted to be called Master Tori. We would have all called him 'father' since we were orphans, but he didn’t want the title. He fed us and clothed us, and in exchange we helped him. Tori was obsessed with ancient magic. He had a massive library filled with scrolls and books on the old. He made a good coin working with mages and alchemists, making new experimental weapons and items, then selling them off.

“We would basically do everything servants would do, if he'd had any. He was a good man, but he worked us hard. Whenever one of the kids would get old enough and wanted to leave, he would send them on their way with a large sum of money and a gift. Then, get another kid to replace the last one. Well, when we wanted to leave, I was given another option instead of a gift.”

Rylan pulled the hair from around his ear to show the back of his neck. Starting from behind his ear, a light grey tattoo of shapes and old letters ran down his neck. Rylan unbuttoned his shirt to show the tattoo rolling down to end on his collarbone.

“I was unsure at first when he told me what he had recently found in one of the scrolls, but I gave in. This tattoo makes up some sort of magical means to draw powers from blood. When you first saw me in the woods being chased in the woods…” Rylan let the sentence hang in the air, removed a vial from his chest, and tossed it at Val. The glass had some lettering etched into it.

“
It says 'squirrel.' Master Tori taught us some of the old and forgotten languages.”

Val tossed the vial back. “So, what you're saying is…”

“What I’m saying is, I take blood and smear it across my tattoo.” He replaced the vial and removed another, uncapped it, and spilled a little on his finger. He ran the finger across his neck. The tattoo took on a light blue hue. Immediately, his face began to grow out and an elongated tusk formed from his mouth. His shoulders grew wide and rippling with muscles. Rylan hunched over as the muscles down his back grew ever wider. He smiled the best he could with a massive tusk jutting from his mouth. Val sat bewildered and amazed.

“
The boar’s blood?” he asked.

Rylan took a cloth and began wiping the blood from his neck. His features reverted back to normal and he sat back down.

“Yep, that was the boar. Specifically that boar. When I use the blood, I gain some of its strengths and sometimes its weaknesses. It all depends on the blood. A smaller boar or one with bigger tusk would make me transform differently. But I always keep my mind the same.”

Val's mind raced in possibilities. “What all kind of animals do you have?”

Rylan replaced the vial and looked down across his chest. “Quite a few. Some are simple, like the squirrel and deer. Some were harder to get, like a bear and troll. Or this one.” Rylan drew a vial from his side and held it up.

“
This guy almost killed us both.” Rylan smiled at Asher. “Asher even had to use his sword, which he hates to do.” Asher sat quietly and poked the fire with a stick.

“
What is it?” Val asked.

“
Chimera blood.” Rylan answered.

Val’s eyes went wide. “You two have been to the magi realm?”

Rylan looked into the fir. “Yes, but that’s not where we encountered the chimera. He attacked us as we were sleeping, right here, on this continent.” Val eyed Rylan suspiciously, and realized the man was not jesting him. He scanned the shadows flickering across the rocks as if a chimera would come leaping out any second.

“
Well, I thought I would get some sleep tonight. There goes that plan,” he said.

Rylan chuckled. “Oh, that was not something normal. And it was far away from here.” There was a quiet crackle as the flames licked the moisture out of the green wood. A slight breeze that made the men pull their cloaks in tighter came through the rocks and rolled the smoke around in the air.

“What about you, Asher? What kind of power do you have? A tattoo that makes you an expert bowman?”

Asher, still looking into the fire, replied. “No, nothing like that. Just a necklace.”

“Yeah, this guy is all natural. Master Tori would spar with us and train us in whatever weapon we were interested with when he took a break from his studies. I am more of a dagger man myself, but Asher here would stand outside for hours and fire arrow after arrow. I’ve seen him make shots that seem like pure luck—until he makes the same shot a second time. He doesn’t like to brag, but he will impress just to shut me up.” Rylan elbowed Asher and got a slight smile out of him.

“
So, why are you guys out here?”

“
Adventure, really. I mean, we tried to settle down, but when you live half your life cooped up in a big, boring house, who wants to stay in one place? We use our skills to rid the world of a few evils when we come across them, and enjoy a good drink and laugh when we can.” Rylan gave a tired sigh and looked off into the dark sky before continuing. “We have been tracking the slavers you spoke of. We'd already planned on ambushing them before they make their delivery. I guess you can say it's fate we ran into you. With the three of us, we can easily take on some stinking orcs.” Val laid very still in the dying firelight.
The way my fate has treated our family I’m feel sorry for these guys.
He stifled back his self pity.

“
Thank you,” he said.

“
Sure thing, kid.”

Drask sat in a large plush purple chair he had come to favor. The comfort wasn’t what really drew him to it, but the smell: old paper and the light scent of flavored pipe smoke, probably from the owner before Yusar. Drask took a deep breath and looked around as he exhaled.

“When Yusar gets out we will send him on a task to keep him occupied,” he said.

“
What kind of task, my Prince?”

“
I need an army, if I am to be taken seriously. Of course, I don’t want to use violence as a first course of action, but the option should exist if the need arises.”

He looked over to the corner and commented with a smirk. “I can only assume that you would hope for that need.”

“I am here for your bidding,” said the voice.

“
Yes, well, if I lead off with violence, it won’t be long until the entire world rallies for the death of the terrible Devil King. We will try to make a place for ourselves…but, if need be, we will take a place. I believe there is a large band of gnolls near here and, farther north, there are three giants living quite peacefully. Give Yusar the task with a little added encouragement.”

“
Yes, Prince.” The door to the study opened and closed.

Drask felt a slight tingle from behind his eyes and reached over to touch the ring on his human hand. He immediately felt the connection, then focused on the inner thoughts of the imp that traveled with his Cerberus. “My Lord, the devil dog is still on the trail, but I do not know how long until we find the human. The beast has already destroyed a small farming village and devoured a group of humans out on a hunting expedition. He does not rest, my Lord. I fear I won’t be able to keep up much longer.” The imp relayed his thoughts to Drask, who instantly sent a painful bolt of mental rage into the temple of the imp. Drask knew he would feel the pain himself while linked to the imp, but he was prepared. As the emotions, fear, and curse words all roiled in the imp’s mind, Drask smiled and ended the pain.

“That will be but a taste of the tortures I will bestow on you, my little friend. If you need to rest, climb on his back—better to risk being swallowed whole than to deal with me if you fail. Contact me if something changes, not before then.” With that, Drask ended the contact by releasing the ring.

He looked at the ring, stuffed with cloth across the top to keep it on the smaller, slender human finger. He had been testing the limits and capabilities of the human hand each day and was pleasantly surprised to find that magical items still reacted to the human's touch. He had run his fingers over anything with shape or texture all day to gain feeling back in the hand, with no progress. He was worried the spell he had performed was some kind of practical joke that would play out on any demon foolish enough to want a human appendage. But Drask was not one to give up. He would get the human that had his hand and figure this riddle out. He knew it would only be a matter of time before his brothers or father would make a plan to call him back to the abyss or get a surface counterpart to bring him back. He snarled at the thought of his father’s dominion. “Never again,” he whispered as he rolled his fingers across the fabric of the chair, feeling nothing.

Temo woke up to find himself bound with ropes. His mouth was covered and gagged. He tried to raise up off his knees to relieve the pain, but was too weak and fell back down. He surveyed the room and tried not to focus on how thirsty he was. He spotted another figure, bound like himself, across the dim chamber. He quickly realized it was Yusar but did not act, thinking this may have been another test or trap. He sat very still and tried to assess the situation as he worked his ropes loose. The room was dark and damp, just like the holding cells of his mercenary guild, so he knew the right kind of room could break a spirit faster than pain. He gritted his teeth, hating the feeling of helplessness.

Hours passed and Temo was finally in a more comfortable position, still scanning the room and listening for any clue or sign that would help him out of his situation. He had worked his hands and feet out of their ropes but still kept them lazily wrapped to keep the illusion of being bound. The wizard Yusar had woken up at one point and rolled over off his knees to the cold stone. When he seemed to come around, Temo sat back in the shadows, watching.

Yusar woke up with his entire body hurting. The cold, wet ground sent aches through his bones. He struggled against his bindings, with no luck. He sat up and searched the surrounding room. He strained his eyes in search of anything left laying around to cut his bindings when he finally made out the form of the large battle mage Temo slowly rising from the shadows.

The wizard's heart pounded. He knew the hatred the man held for him, but quickly calmed himself remembering the trick Drask had played on him once already. Yusar put on the best defiant smile he could muster. The red wizard's smile quickly vanished as he realized the battle mage had freed himself. The wizard tried to roll away and call for the guard as the large man lifted a boot and slammed the heel down on his temple. Yusar tried to ward off the blows, but the first hit disoriented him badly. His face felt warm and his body began to grow numb. He saw a large demon rush through the gate and throw Temo across the cell, then nothing but darkness.

The demon guard, Rurrick, was shaking with anger. His sole task was to keep the prisoners from doing harm to each other. His hand shook in rage as he held a dirk to the large human's neck. The man kept his determined stare and edged his head forward, nicking himself on the blade. The movement quickly brought reason to Rurrick, who knew if both prisoners were dead, so was he. He backhanded the human, shoved him into the corner, and turned to the bloodied wizard. He scooped him up to carry him out, turning to yell at a smaller demon to watch the remaining human.

Rurrick ran up the stairs and busted through the door leading to the ground floor of the tower. Demons and imps stirred from the shadows to see what the commotion was about. Rurrick brought the human over to a table off to the side, and in a low, stern voice, commanded the surrounding demons.

“Get me Sirash!”

The demons rushed from the room and across the tower to find the six-armed demon sorceress. Rurrick grabbed Yusar’s head, removed his gag, and turned his face so Yusar would not choke on his own blood. A muffled noise from down the stairs drew Rurrick's attention and he turned to the door, slipping his knife from its sheath and holding it at his side. From the darkness, the terrified face of his underling came flying through the air. The smaller demon crashed into Rurrick, and they both fell to the ground. Before the demon could retrieve his blade, the large human appeared over them and grabbed it.

Temo brought down a quick thrust and pierced the smaller demon in the back, driving the blade deeper into the screaming creature until he pinned him to Rurrick’s chest. The larger demon opened his mouth to yell, but the piercing blow stole the air from his lungs. A swift kick across the demon’s brow knocked him out. Temo grabbed the red wizard and hefted him over his shoulder. He ran through the main room and down a corridor to the main entrance. Each heavy step echoed through the halls and make him wince. Temo slapped the wizard several times, attempting to bring him to his senses.

“
The word, you damn fool, tell me the word and I will save you,” Temo said in a hurried tone. Yusar began to stir as Temo came to the flat black stone at the end of the hall. He slapped Yusar across the face.

“
I’m trying to save you. Now! The word for a door!” He slapped Yusar again, but it was unnecessary. The red wizard, still disoriented and with vision blurred, tried to focus on the mercenary. Yusar slowly turned his head and recognized the sound of footfalls as a horde of demons running toward them. Finally, he realized the man before him was Temo. His eyes went wide, then anger spread across his face.

“
Untie me!”

“
I will once we are outside. Quickly, the word for the door!” Temo said, slamming his fist into the black stone.

Yusar tried to look down the hallway, but Temo caught his face and pulled it back.

“Don’t be a fool. The word!”

Yusar stood silently before finally speaking the passphrase. Temo held Yusar’s binding across his chest as the wall opened. The second the way was clear, Temo hopped through, then immediately turned and slammed Yusar in the stomach as he came through the opening. The red wizard soared backward, crashing into several of the oncoming demons. The doorway closed and left the other demons trapped inside.

Temo took off into a run until movement caught his eye. Three mid-sized imps were attempting to drag Jora’s lifeless body away. Temo immediately changed his course and rushed at the imps. All three panicked and abandoned the body as the large man charged them. Temo approached Jora’s body. One of the imps stood in a frozen panic, covering his face from an oncoming attack. Temo simply stripped the man’s body of his large sword and traveling pack. He jumped over Jora with a final thought to the brother’s tragic fate and ran off into the woods.

The jailer Rurrick stood with a dead and dangling demon pinned to his chest. Breathing heavily and looking into the distance, he reached across his chest with both hands to extract the long blade from his chest and shook the dead demon from it. He looked down at the only surviving imp and immediately split him in half with the blade.

Sirash slid up behind Rurrick and placed several hands across his wounded chest. Her touch burned, but the wound sealed up quickly. Rurrick took several deep breaths and hocked up the blood that had poured into his pierced lungs and spit it out and turned to match stares with the naga.

“
Do not make me look like a fool, Rurrick,” she said, tracing the fresh scar across his chest with her long nails. The large demon screamed out in rage and ran off into the woods, on the chase.

Drask came out from the tower to stand by the naga sorceress.

“He either dies or he is brought back. If he reaches a town, I will have no reason to keep you alive.” He turned and began the walk to the tower. “Send Yusar out to recruit after you fix him, and put a collar on him. Come, Arihem, I have something I want to try with this hand. ”

Sirash noticed the wizard Yusar lying in the corridor. She charged up her hand with a healing spell.