The Staff of Naught (28 page)

“Where is he?” said Ariana breaking back into the conversation. “How far away?”

“A week’s more journey,” said Tenebrous. “The Gods are guiding you now.”

“There are no gods,” said Ariana. “Just a bunch of fakes.”

“Ariana,” said Lousa. “Please let’s not cover old ground again but the form of Tenebrous suddenly seemed to darken substantially and his black energy seemed to focus on the girl.

“Who told you that,” he said and floated so close to the girl that Shamki shifted position and moved to within striking distance.

“No one,” said Ariana. “I just figured it out myself.”

Tenebrous seemed to have completely lost focus on Shamki and the others for a moment his black aura grew and formed into a huge winged creature, “Do not lie to me girl. I know a lie when I hear it, did I not sit in the court of Asmodeus as a boy, did I not wield …” and he suddenly trailed off into silence before addressing Ariana again, “it is extremely important. Who told you this?”

Ariana did not shrink back from the dark form and her eyes blazed with conviction, “The man in the staff told me and I believe him!”

“Who, what is his name, what does he look like?” said Tenebrous his form solidified even more.

“I … I … don’t know,” said Ariana and looked confused for the first time.

“The staff talks to you,” interrupted Lousa. “I asked you many times if it communicated with you and you said no. Were you lying all those times?”

“The staff never talks to me,” said Ariana. “It’s the man talking.”

“Has he ever said his name?” asked Tenebrous. “What does he look like?”

“I don’t know,” said Ariana her face still a mask of stubbornness. “But I believe him. He says they’re all just pumped up creatures that convinced themselves of their godhood.”

“It is him!” shouted Tenebrous. “I thought my brothers killed him long ago. Shinamar the Loathsome, Shinamar who stole the secrets of Elucidor the Omnipotent and brought about the destruction of Das’von. Shinamar who wants to destroy the gods! This changes everything. I must go, immediately. You shall hear from me again,” and with that Tenebrous vanished and left only an unsettling dark void where he once stood.

“Elucidor,” said Lousa her eyes opened widely. “That is the name you used when you were talking to Khemer. What did he say to you then?”

“He didn’t steal Elucidor’s secrets, he was his apprentice, he wouldn’t do that,” said Ariana.

“Foolish girl,” said Hazlebub who had awakened at some point during the encounter. “Elucidor, of course, the last Mage King of Das’von and his loathsome apprentice Shinamar. Everyone knows that story. The King of Cities was destroyed centuries ago by Shinamar when he betrayed Elucidor.”

“It’s not true,” shouted Ariana and ran back towards her blanket. “You’re all lying.”

“Ariana,” shouted Lousa. “You come back her right now and tell me everything that you know about this Shinamar person.”

Suddenly Ariana gave out a terrible shriek.

“What is it,” said Almara, “Is it the voice, is it trying to hurt you?”

“It’s gone!” wailed Ariana and tossed aside the empty rucksack that once held the Staff of Naught. He stole it while we were talking. You let him steal it!” said the girl and turned back to the rest of the party. “He fooled you, he said he wanted to help but all the while he was stealing it.”

Lousa looked left and right, “He was right in front of us the whole time. He must have an ally who snuck in while we were distracted. Shamki, how could this happen.”

“No strangers,” said Shamki and quickly ran over to where the staff once rested and sniffing the air broadly. “No others.”

Almara looked up suddenly and took note of everyone around the dim firelight. “Where’s Shalalee?”

Shalalee stumbled in the darkness as she fled into the hills and fell to the ground the strange staff slipped from her grasp and slid across the grass out of her reach. The girl quickly got to her feet again and picked it up with a quick look back in the direction she came from trying to detect the sounds of pursuit. “I can’t see, it’s took dark,” she called out. “How can I get away?”

Then the voice came to her again the one she had grown to trust over the last week. “Your path shall be show by the light of Ras,” it said and she suddenly felt a burning in her eyes and she could see as if it was daylight. “Hurry to me,” said the voice again. “Seymour the Bright awaits. The light of Ras shall burn the staff and destroy it. You mustn’t let the other girl take back the staff. She will use it to kill the others, your brother, your father, your mother, and the boy as well. You must hurry. We are still many leagues from where you are. I have sent a steed but you must travel further to where it will meet you. Do you understand Shalalee?”

“I understand,” said the girl with a nod of her head and clutched the staff in her hand. She began to trot again in the direction the voice told her to go. “I’m doing it for mom and dad and Tylan,” she said to herself over and over again. “They’ll thank me later, I’m saving their lives, I’m a good girl.”

Far away a group of three men stood and watched Sutekha crouched over the crystal object and muttered in the strange language of the Dorians. He did not look up to them for a few long moments but then suddenly turned. “She needs light,” he said and looked at Seymour. “It’s too dark for her to see and the others will be chasing her soon.”

Seymour lifted the Icon of Ras from under his shirt and its intense light forced the others to avert their eyes. He touched the thing with his pinky and began to mutter a few strange words and the light leapt from the thing to his little finger where it glowed but with a lessened intensity that allowed the others to gaze upon it. “Can you transfer this to her eyes through the crystal?” said Seymour and held his hand towards Sutekha.

“Yes, I can manage,” said the Magician of the Golden Worm.

“Address me properly,” said Seymour and stood up to his full height with a glare at the mage in the glow of the brilliant light that emanated from the bauble around his chest.

“I can pass along the Light of Ras, praised be to the Chosen Voice of the Sun God,” said Sutekha and turned back to the crystal, now he muttered his magical spells in a language familiar to the desert dwellers.

A few moments more went by and the Wizard of Worms slumped backwards from his work and staggered to a seat on the grass.

“She has stolen it,” said Seymour with a smile across his face.

“She is merely a foal,” said Sutekha as he gasped for air and looked up from his seated position. “I promised to send her a horse.”

“A noble steed of the royal stable to fetch a traitorous spider worshipper,” said Seymour his nose wrinkled and he curled his upper lip to reveal even white teeth. “Certainly you did not propose to send Shemu on such an errand?”

“Of course not oh Mighty Guardian of the Icon of Ras,” said Sutekha his breath still labored. “I thought perhaps my own steed would suffice although slow and weak it is still far better than most any found in the lands of these heathens.”

“Your walking will delay our arrival at the White Marble Ruin,” said Seymour.

“Even with me walking we will arrive before the girl,” said Sutekha. “As long as we are there before her then it really makes no difference when we arrive.”

“Do not presume to tell me what is important and what is not,” said Seymour and walked away from the man as the priest fiddled with the chain around his neck.

“I apologize again great Ruler of the Desert, Master of the Icon, Future King of Tarlton,” said Sutekha his head bowed to the grass and eyes closed.

“Enough of your groveling,” said Seymour. “Oliver, you will send Dovestar to pick up the girl and run at our sides as we move.”

If the paladin was upset by this order in any way he did not show it his face remained impassive and his eyes did not open any wider, “As you wish my Master,” he replied and called out to his horse that immediately came across the open field towards him. The full blooded orc looked at Sutekha and said, “You will direct him to the girl’s location?”

“Yes, Oliver. The minds of animals, even those of a free spirited and wild as your Dovestar are not as difficult to control as thinking creatures,” he said. “But, I am too tired to affect the process at this moment. Perhaps we can ride for some hours and I will be reinvigorated enough to make the attempt.”

Seymour sighed and shook his head, “The moment you prove useless to me,” he said to the Wizard of the Golden Worms, “is the moment that I will unleash Oliver upon you.”

“My life is yours to do with as you please,” said Sutekha and wearily mounted his steed and prepared to ride.

Levicus watched the interaction between the two with a wry smile on his face and shook his own head although made certain that he looked away towards the wide plains and the small spot of light that heralded the coming dawn and not at the Priest of Ras. Oliver leaned down and whispered something in the ear of his horse and soon the four men began to break their camp in preparation of an early morning start.

A hundred miles to the south Shalalee stumbled to the ground again as her left foot fell into an animal hole but this time she kept a tight hold of the Staff of Naught. It took her a moment to shake off the effects of the tumble but she quickly rose to her feet and began to make her way forward again. The girl looked up and for the first time during what seemed an endless night saw a glimmer of light on the horizon. She looked back towards her friends but could not see any sign of pursuit, she had expected that Lousa and Shamki and likely Unerus would set out after her in the darkness while the rest packed up the camp and made the best time they could come morning but perhaps they did not realize she was gone at all and pursuit would be delayed significantly. Her breath came in gasps and her legs were already quite tired but he kept going because she knew the promised horse would arrive soon and it would take her to Chosen One of the Sun God and thus to the end of her quest. Once the staff was destroyed they would all see why she did it and thank her. All except that awful Ariana who was already seduced by the black power of the staff. But, even she would eventually shake off the terror of the staff and realize that what Shalalee had done was for everyone’s benefit.

These thoughts kept her going throughout the morning but by midday hunger and a swollen ankle forced her to stop. She had only packed enough rations for a day and she gobbled this, at first quickly but then, realizing how little she carried, at a slower pace. She frequently glanced over her shoulder for signs of pursuit but there was still nothing.

Back at the camp the arrival of dawn galvanized the group as Almara sat in the wagon’s driver seat and cracked the whip while Lousa sat behind her and her husband finished harnessing the donkeys. Shamki walked next to the wagon and looked closely at the ground while Tylan and Unerus sat in the back of the wagon and awaited the start of the journey. Hazlebub and Humbort walked near the wagon themselves talking to each other quietly.

“We should have sent Shamki after her,” said Almara to Lousa. “You and Hazlebub could have protected us and he could have tracked her down and had her back before morning.”

“We went over all of this last night,” said the woman whose green eyes were particularly dark almost to the point of blackness this morning. “If it was a trap then splitting up endangered everyone including your daughter. Shamki himself said it was all but impossible to track at night in any case. We didn’t even know what direction she went off in until he found her tracks at first light. She might well have been going back to Hot Rock for all we knew.”

“It’s that evil thing,” said Almara. “First it got its hooks into Ariana and now my Shalalee. I will make sure that it is destroyed if I have to break it in half with my own two hands,” said the mother a look of determination on her face that stifled any objections Lousa had before she begin to list them.

“I know how you feel Almara,” said Lousa and nodded her head. “I know Ariana and Unerus aren’t my children but I feel like they are part of me now and if that staff does anything more to Ara then … well … I don’t know what but someone will pay!”

Almara nodded her head and cracked the whip again as Shamki started to walk ahead and the woman guided it after him. “She’s only a little girl,” said Lousa and patted Almara on the back. She couldn’t have gotten very far last night, it was pitch black, and she’ll exhaust herself in the morning. I bet we catch her by lunchtime at the latest.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Almara her eyes riveted to the half-orc who led them steadily over the ground. “I’ve told Tanner to get better donkeys a hundred times but he insists slow and steady is the best speed for a merchant. Maybe now he’ll listen to me.”

By noon Almara ground her teeth and sat alone in the wagon seat while everyone else gave her a wide berth. Shamki walked ahead and stopped, all too frequently according to Almara’s admonishments, to check the ground and hunt back and forth for several minutes.

“How could she have gotten so far,” said Tanner to Hazlebub as the two walked slightly behind the wagon and out of earshot of Almara.

The witch shook her head, “She couldn’t have, not without help. It’s easy to go in circles at night; I’ve done it myself hunting mushrooms. It’s impossible to get this far without help unless you’re an experienced woodsman. Even then I don’t see it … it was dark last night, no moon, cloud cover. She’s moving in a straight line directly towards … something.”

“But what?” said Tanner and the old woman shook her head and did not reply. “Was it Tenebrous? But that doesn’t make sense, he was disturbed by what Ariana said, why would he make up all those lies?”

“I don’t ken it,” said Hazlebub. “Not a bit. It twarn’t the shade I don’t think but maybe it was the Spider Queen?”

Lousa walked up to Shamki with a water skin and offered it to the big half-orc who was sweating in the morning sun despite the coolness of the day. “It’s not your fault Shamki, the girl had help, it’s clear.”

Shamki took the water skin and poured a long draught down his throat before he handed it back to Lousa and cast his gaze on the ground to look for the little prints that Shalalee left. Her feet were tiny and the grass of the plains left little in the way of tracks. “Girl go straight,” he said his eyes shifted back and forth but avoided looking backwards to the wagon where Almara sat perched and ever watchful.