Thantos reached forwards with long hooked claws, grabbed Jon around neck, but before it could grip deeply the young knight of gray jabbed his head forward and smashed the face of creature with his forehead and iron helmet. Thantos’s skull cracked, his eyes rolled backwards, and he felt to the ground as his life’s essence poured out from the terrible gash. Jon spun, but suddenly felt weak in his knees as the toxic contents of the claw pumped from his neck directly into his heart, and his legs felt like blades of grass in a stiff breeze. Two of the other ghouls moved towards him with their talons extended; he tried to raise his sword but felt like he swam under water, and their razor sharp claws seemed ready to tear off his face when a silver blade suddenly appeared between the eyes of one of the creatures. It fell dead to the ground and the second dashed away in a sudden burst of speed.
Odellius and the First Rider appeared a moment later as the two men swept aside the ghouls, their swords flashed and the big knight of Elekargul used his belly to bounce foes away. Jon felt his legs suddenly give out and he fell to the floor. He could feel his heart beat in his chest like some slow drum. It seemed only a moment later the face of the First Rider appeared over him and asked him in an incredibly slow and deep voice, “Areee youuuu alllll riiiiight?”
Jon tried to reply but found his mouth unable to form words and his arms unable to lift his sword.
“He’s brave enough,” said the First Rider to Odellius with a shrug, “but doesn’t always show the best sense in a battle.”
“He’s young, Vipsanius,” said Odellius and reached down to grab the fallen knight by the arm and hoist him up over a shoulder. “He’s tall but not all that heavy for his size,” said the warrior, “don’t forget to grab his sword or he’ll have our heads when he shakes off the effect of the ghoul poison.”
Sorus bent down and tried to lift the huge stone sword with his good left hand but only managed to push it a short distance, “It’s heavy.”
“Come along, Sorus,” said Vipsanius and turned his back on the young man, “act like a knight and bring the sword already. We’ve got to get off this mountain as quickly as possible. Tenebrous?”
“Yes,” said the dark voice.
“We’ve killed this Thantos friend of yours, and you’ve led us truly out of the mountain. I appreciate your help and will remember it, but I think our association has reached its conclusion,” said the leader of Elekargul and held out his fist to the creature.
“Yes,” said the dark shape as it shifted continuously. “I hear my mistress’s call to me even now. She knows the fate of her disciples instantly. I wish you well, Jon Gray and I suspect that we will meet again,” he said to the fallen lad. “As for you, First Rider Vipsanius, I don’t think our paths will cross again but perhaps I am mistaken. I wish you and your nation prosperity.”
The First Rider nodded, “Come along, Sorus,” he said, “grab that sword already and let’s be out of here. Hopefully the horses are waiting for us and we’ll be back in Black Dale to return Odellius to his duties as a mason as soon as the day after tomorrow.”
Chapter 30
It took the returning warriors three days to reach Black Dale because Jon’s sluggishness proved slow to improve and he was unable to guide his horse properly. Sorus spent much of the time riding next to Jon, with one hand on his own horse and the other on the reins of Jon’s trotter. After a couple of painful tumbles they tied a reluctant Jon to the saddle and did not hesitate to make merry over the fact. Jon proved unable to reply with his normal wit, as the aftereffect of the ghoul poison seemed to affect his mind as well as body. Eventually, they arrived in the town safely with both the Staff of Sakatha and all of their lives intact. News of their return preceeded the three, and the entire town’s population and most of those from the surrounding countryside, including Proteus and his two sons, were on hand to greet them with a rousing welcome.
In the next couple of days Jon recuperated at Sorus’s house, tended to by Titia, while the young brewer turned knight trained Proteus at the Swift Strider in the proper arts of brewing. After Jon regained most of his usual vigor he began to prepare to return to his far off home of Tanelorn. The First Rider suggested as much primarily because of the danger presented by the Staff of Sakatha. Before he took his leave from Black Dale he visited Odellius and the two took a trip to the nearby quarries to haul back a stone large enough to honor the deeds of Sir Germanius. Jon made his farewells with Titia, both tender and urgent, while Sorus spent his last few days with Shia but soon enough the evening of the day before their departure was upon them.
The townsfolk planned a large party for the heroes and even the First Rider returned from patrols to Black Dale to attend the event. As the celebration went late in the evening, Jon sat in a large chair near the head of the table, a tall glass of fine beer in his hand, as well wishers came by to give him their regards. The First Rider was one of the last to come up, “Jon, I’m leaving on patrol first thing in the morning so I won’t be able to say goodbye to you and Sorus,” he said and patted the boy on the shoulder.
“I understand,” said Jon sipping his beer slowly in the hopes of retaining a clear head for the morning. “Thank you, Vispsanius,” he said with a broad smile. “I appreciate all your help and I’ll take your message back to my father. I’m sure that he will be pleased with the alliance of our nations.”
“I hope so,” said Vipsanius with a smile on his craggy face, “I hope you don’t mind, but your old gray cloak took rather a beating during our time underground and I had some of the girls make a new one for you,” he continued, making a motion with his head. At this signal, Odellius, also seated at the table and had shown less restraint with the beer than Jon, pulled out a cloth-wrapped package from under the table and at the same moment a hush came over the room.
Jon opened the package carefully, with a rather goofy half-grin on his face, pulled out a supple cloth jerkin, and spread it open on the table. His eye came quickly to the shoulder where a symbol of four outward-facing horseshoes surrounded a sprig of mistletoe. Many of those in attendance gasped and the gathered people began to talk excitedly back and forth among themselves. Jon looked at the symbol for a long moment before understanding came to him, “Does this mean?”
“Yes, Sir Jon Gray,” said the First Rider with a smile. “You are now a knight of Elekargul with the name of Gray. In the future when a stranger comes to Elekargul and proves themselves as true friends of the nation they may, if they wish, take the knightly name of Gray to commemorate you and your visit.”
Jon sat in his chair for a while, gulped a few times, and proved unable to make any words come out of his mouth.
“I think the lad is crying,” said Odellius suddenly and smacked him on the back so hard that Jon almost fell out of his chair, although the blow seemed to force out the words Jon couldn’t manage a moment before. “Thank you First Rider,” he said, “this is truly an honor I did not expect. I hope… I hope that I can live up to this… wonderful honor. Maybe someday, if circumstance allow me the pleasure, I might return to Elekargul, to see you all again.”
“We’ll be waiting,” said Vipsanius with a nod of his head. “You take good care of him, Sorus; I suspect Jon’s adventures are just beginning and it gives me great hope that a knight of Elekargul rides with him.”
“I will, First Rider Vispsanius,” said Sorus with steady eyes as he moved over to stand behind Jon’s chair, “I will.”
At another table young Rhia Quick firmed her own little jaw, which showed no signs of the Purple Face disease, and muttered, “I’ll follow Jon to Tanelorn, I’ll be a gray knight just like him.”
“What was that?” said Shia glancing over at her little sister.