The Emperor stared at the hellsoul’s wrist. There was a thumbprint seared on the inside of it. He pointed to it with the tip of his sword.
“What is this mark?” asked the Emperor.
“It is the mark of a hellsoul,” answered the creature. “It is the searing caused by Vand’s thumb during the ceremony. Ask me no more! We had a bargain. Kill me.”
Emperor Marak nodded and plunged the Sword of Torak into the creature’s chest. The empty cloak settled to the ground as a puff of smoke rose over it.
Chapter 6
Meliban
Halman was the first to come down the stairs in the morning. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked around. The blood and gore from the previous night’s battle had been cleaned up. He heard noises coming from the kitchen and decided to investigate.
“Morning,” greeted the innkeeper of the Western Woods Inn. “You are up early.”
“And it appears that you have not slept at all,” replied Halman. “The common room is already cleaned for your guests. I am sorry that we brought these troubles upon you. Can I help with anything?”
“You already performed your greatest service last night when you protected my daughters rather than your lord,” replied Crawford. “You have my gratitude for life.”
“It was my lord who requested that I do so,” declared Halman, “although I was pleased that he did. How are the girls?”
“I have not woken them,” frowned Crawford. “I am afraid that last night was too horrible for them to understand. One of the reasons that I left the Kheri tribe was to isolate them from the deaths of tribal warfare. I guess that is not possible in these times.”
“No it isn’t,” agreed the Torak soldier. “They should have the satisfaction of knowing that their father is a fearless warrior and will protect them with his life. You performed well last night.”
“I am getting old,” grinned the innkeeper, “but I still know how to use a sword. Do you think more of them will come today?”
“I do not think so,” answered Halman. “It is my lord they are after. We will be on the road within the hour, so I think your life will return to normal.”
“Why is your lord so important to those creatures?” asked Crawford.
Halman went silent for a few moments as if weighing his answer before giving it. The innkeeper waited patiently as he sliced portions of clova for the morning meal.
“My lord is Emperor Marak of Khadora,” Halman finally stated. “We do not wish much word of his passing to be spread, but it is obvious that our enemy already knows.”
“The Emperor of Khadora?” gasped the innkeeper. “Mercy! I am honored to have served him and his people last night.”
“You did more than serve us,” smiled Halman. “You fought alongside us. It is a memory to be cherished.”
“Indeed,” the innkeeper nodded excitedly. “It is also exactly what I need to help the girls recover from their fright. They will be so excited to serve the Emperor of Khadora that they will forget the troubles of last night. Excuse me while I go and waken them.”
Halman smiled and returned to the common as the rest of the party was coming down the stairs. Gunta looked tired, and Halman realized that he probably stayed up the whole night. The group gathered at the same table that they had occupied the night before. There was not much talking as Halman brought mugs of coffee from the kitchen and placed them on the table before sitting down. A few minutes later Crawford raced down the stairs and into the kitchen. A short while later the two girls descended the stairs. They stared briefly at the travelers before whispering excitedly and running into the kitchen.
Both girls emerged from the kitchen carrying plates of eggs and clova slices. They very formally placed the plates in front of each of the travelers and then bowed low to the Emperor. Marak’s brow creased in confusion as he watched the performance. Halman’s lips curled upward in a smile as he watched the girls depart.
“The girls seemed to have recovered well from the incident last night,” remarked the Emperor. “I guess the Fakarans are built of hardy stock. Most Khadoran youngsters would still be hiding from the hellsouls.”
The girls returned with more plates and repeated the performance, ending with a low bow to the Emperor. This time Halman could not help but chuckle when they left.
“You will explain this, Halman,” the Emperor said. “What is going on?”
“I thought it would ease tensions to explain who you are,” admitted the Torak soldier. “It appears to have taken the girls’ minds off of last night. I hope you do not mind.”
Marak’s confusion quickly faded and was replaced with a smile. “You have talents that have not yet been discovered, Halman. Your discovery last night that decapitation can vanquish these creatures is but another reason of why I value your services so much. What do you think the chances are of finding another horse in this area?”
“You will not have much luck in that endeavor,” answered Crawford as he brought a pitcher of coffee to the table. “In a few month’s time your chances will be greatly improved, but not now. The people in these parts are farmers, and they have no horses to spare. Perhaps in Meliban you will have more luck.”
“Caldal and I can continue to ride double,” offered MistyTrail. “It is not a problem.”
The Emperor nodded, and the innkeeper retreated to the kitchen.
“We need to be more alert in our travels from now on,” announced Gunta. “There will certainly be more attacks on us before we reach Angragar.”
“Caldal and I can take turns scouting ahead,” offered Eltor. “We will not be mistaken for a Khadoran Emperor.”
“Don’t leave Mistake and me out of this,” interjected MistyTrail. “I am used to traveling unseen in a forest, and I am sure Mistake can as well.”
The Emperor smiled broadly as he pushed his empty plate towards the center of the table. “You have all shown your ability to be part of this group last night. We will ride with a forward scout from now on. Everyone who wants to scout will have a chance to do so. Now it is time to get on the road.”
The travelers rose and headed for the rear door of the inn. Emperor Marak extracted a small pouch of gold as he rose. He paused at the door to the kitchen on his way to the door. The innkeeper and his daughters had left the kitchen to watch the group leave. Emperor Marak handed the pouch to Crawford.
“You ended up with more work than you bargained for when you accepted us last night,” smiled the Torak. “I hope this will be enough to compensate you for your troubles.”
The innkeeper opened his mouth to protest, but Marak had already moved away and stood in front of the two girls. He bowed to the first girl and kissed her hand. He repeated the procedure for the second girl and then stood and smiled at the two of them.
“It was a memorable night for all of us at the Western Woods,” he said with a smile. “Remember what was good about it, and push the other thoughts away. As long as there are men in this world like your father, mankind will not lose hope in their future. Be well.”
The girls were giddy with excitement as the Emperor walked out the door. They rushed to the door to watch the Khadorans leave. Crawford exited the inn and put his arms around the girls as Halman led the procession out of the stables.
* * *
“Land ho!” shouted the sailor from the rigging, his arm pointing slightly to the starboard side of the bow.
“Stand ready,” Captain Mynor shouted to the small crew of the Sprite. “We are now in the enemy’s territory. Be ready for evasive action at any moment.”
The Sprite was the sleekest and fastest of Khadoran vessels. It carried a crew of only four besides the captain. It was a small ship built for speed and not for the heavy burdens of cargo. Captain Mynor stood at the helm and corrected his course slightly to starboard. Beside him, a member of the crew recorded the change in direction. The crewman kept a detailed log of the travels of the Sprite, and it would be up to him to chart the Island of Darkness as the captain circumnavigated it.