The caravan master turned to the shadows. As Jeremiah followed with the torch, a side passage previously overlooked was revealed as the thick shadows peeled back from the flame. The master squeezed through, turning sideways to fit into the narrow way. The company pressed after the disguised man. Andri struggled to get himself through and grumbled noisily the entire time as he was half pulled through the confining slit.
The tunnel wound and bent, splitting off in numerous snaking detours that their guide seemed to know by heart. It was hard to not feel lost and directionless in the unfamiliar gloom. Keirn kept feeling more and more on edge as they progressed, worried that he had made a big mistake.
At last, a soft crackle of flame and a widening hole deposited the group into a large cavern. Braziers burned along the walls, illuminating various larger openings that hinted at an underground network stretching only the Gods knew where. At the sound of their arrival, the sound of metal scratching metal pierced the air. Two men appeared, wrapped in bright colourful rags. In the shimmering light, the party could see the reflection of the fire dancing along the sharp blades.
But the caravan master merely raised his hands. Reluctantly, the weapons lowered. As the groups eyes adjusted to the bright lighting, they found a great mob of tribals gathered upon the slick rocks, clutching their children and attempting to keep a low murmur amongst them.
The armed men came forward, grasping Andri forcibly by the arms and pulling him away. Keirn raised his sword, but they merely cut his bindings and reclaimed his axe.
“I really don’t like this,” Keirn muttered.
At the sound of his voice echoing off the walls, there was a loud rustle and the group turned to see the enormous roc stirring in the shadows. The beast was even more terrifying up close. Easily over twenty feet tall with rich brown feathers the size of Keirn’s arm. Its yellow eyes seemed to narrow at the sight of him, but a muzzle had been fitted over its beak keeping it from making a simple chirp. A makeshift pen had been erected and thick straw was strewn beneath the creature as if to make a bed for it to rest on. The bird ignored it, towering over all gathered beneath its gaze.
Keirn felt a nervous knot in his throat.
“What is the meaning of this?” Jeremiah asked. “Where are the people we were sworn to protect?”
“They are here,” the caravan master said.
“Where? Bring them to us!”
“They are right in front of you.”
The master waved his arm at the group of tribals watching the party carefully. A small babe began to cry, quickly silenced with the finger of his mother which it began to suckle gleefully.
The party stepped forward, looking at the nomads carefully beneath their layers of cloths. Keirn approached one slight looking tribal who regarded him curiously. As he drew but a foot away, the man reached up, peeling back the bandages to reveal Corran’s ridiculous grin.
“Great disguises eh!” he beamed. “They look like the real deal!”
“I… don’t understand,” Jeremiah said.
“I understand,” Derrek said, “but I don’t comprehend.”
“I lost my packs for this?” Kait pouted.
“Well, that’s that. Shall we kill them then, Erthis?” Andri asked.
“What?! You promised us!” Keirn accused.
Erthis, the caravan master, raised his hands for peace once more.
“I’m sorry for the… confusion. I could not know who you worked for. But it seems clear to me that you are unfortunate bystanders, caught in a bit of duplicity that was not meant for you.
“And no, we will not be killing them.”
Andri looked disappointed.
“Perhaps an explanation?” Jeremiah asked.
“These people you see before you, they are slaves in all but name. They are the serfs working for the vile Lord Daermoor, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds.”
“That’s the lord of the town we set out from,” Kait said.
“One and the same. If you had noticed, the people are a worn lot. Lord Daermoor levies harsh taxes upon those who rent his land. Inevitably, they are unable to make the payments so Lord Daermoor extorts their services. He presses their children into his militia, claims much of the crops and products and passes the debt from father to child even as he carries the parents away to serve time in his prison for missing payments.”
“Why rent land if he is so terrible?” Jeremiah asked.
“Sounds rather standard,” Derrek muttered.
“Many of them grew up there, and those that arrived from abroad to work for the lord were already dragged in by loans for land or tools. He uses his militia not for protection but to enforce his tyrannical rule. Many of the people here have lost loved ones to his insatiable prison or watched as his men made examples of them.”
“That’s terrible,” Kait said.
“There was little left to these people,” Erthis explained. “Lord Daermoor would hardly allow his people to just up and leave. So, I ran this caravan, promising to deliver supplies to his furthest holds. I ran my route along his border, through these plains, in the hopes that I would be able to ‘lose’ my passengers to unfortunate bandit raids.”
“And that’s where the Rakstas came in,” Keirn said. “You worked a deal with them to perpetrate the crimes to hide your own involvement.”
“Yes, precisely,” Erthis confirmed. “Except Lord Daermoor began to grow suspicious. So he hired thugs and assigned members of his own militia to escort and keep us ‘safe.’”
“And so the fake attack became a real one.”
“I have worked a deal with a neighbouring realm,” Erthis continued. “They promised to shelter these people and allow them to seek asylum. However, they couldn’t directly interfere. I’m afraid I had to rely on those that I had already rescued to stage the dramatic attack. The Rakstas provided the rocs as legitimacy but the nomads refused to put too many of their number in danger. The archers were the few wronged that were brave and skilled enough to risk the attack in order to save others.”
“So once you separated them from the caravan, they disguise themselves as nomads and just make the rest of the trip across the plains unmolested?” Keirn asked.
“More or less. These series of caves will get them quite far from here that they shouldn’t raise any suspicion.”
“And for the rocs,” Derrek said, “you gave them access to the supplies that were originally heading to Daermoor’s holdings. The pots and the pans?”
“Yes. It cuts into my profits, but freeing Daermoor’s people is far more valuable than a few more coins in my pocket.”
“Called it!” Derrek smiled.
“So…” Keirn said slowly, weighing the entire situation, “what you are saying… is that we won’t be getting paid.”
“I’m afraid Lord Daermoor was the one that hired the mercenaries. I have little need for the armed protection. I am sorry for putting you in danger but I couldn’t know where your loyalties lay.”
“Do you think Daermoor would still pay us?” Keirn asked.
Jeremiah elbowed him harshly in the ribs.
“We would be more than happy to assist you with the last leg of the journey.”
“Oh, I am so glad!” Erthis clapped.
“We would?”
“Of course,” Jeremiah glared. “First, we gave our word we would see these people to safety. It just happens to be in a different direction than we had anticipated. Second, even if it weren’t stipulated in our contract, it is the correct thing to do and we aren’t the type of company to turn on backs on those in need.”
“We aren’t?”
“We’re doing this.”
“And yet another job done without being paid,” Keirn grumbled.
“I suppose there is just one last, pressing question,” Derrek interrupted.
“I would be happy to answer anything else you may wish to know,” Erthis smiled.
“When do I get to ride that?”
Derrek pointed towards the roc. The massive bird ruffled its feathers.
“More pressing, I have a real question,” Keirn said.
“What’s that?”
“Why hire Andri?”
“That man?” Erthis asked, turning to the monstrous, glaring brute as some of the disguised travelers began addressing his abrasions. “Though we have the Rakstas assistance, that doesn’t mean all the dangers of the wilds are dealt with. He seemed like a capable, honourable man who was willing to assist with the final voyage over the plains.”
“Capable?”
“Sir,” a masked Rakstas said, approaching the caravan master, “we are all ready. We should probably be heading out now.”
“I’m hope you won’t be offended, but I don’t think we have enough materials to disguise you four,” Erthis said.
“Will we not have enough time to go back?” Kait whispered. “My things are still with the remains of the caravan and… well, I would like to recover what we could. I could probably fashion some suitable clothes too.”
Erthis turned to the waiting man, but the tribal merely shook his head.
“Young lady, I give you my word that when we are on the other side, I will go through my stores and restore what I can. I’m afraid I can’t offer much else.”
“That is more than generous,” Jeremiah said. “We are prepared when you are.”
“Then let’s get these packs and get going!” Erthis called.
A sudden commotion caused them to stop in their tracks before they even began. They turned towards the narrow entrance where two armoured men emerged, grappling with the tribal guards standing nearby. The struggle was brief, the untrained disguised travelers falling before the mercenaries.
“I don’t think anyone will be going anywhere.”
More men spilled from the crag, followed by the breastplated vixen Siara. Her fingers held gently her marvelous sword as she looked about the stunned faces arrayed before her.
“You!” Erthis cried.
“Very clever, this ruse of yours. But I’m afraid I must return all of you in the name of my Lord. And you, my friends, are to be commemorated for assisting me in uncovering this treasonous plot.”
“I knew we should have killed them!” Andri called as Siara smiled at Keirn and his friends.
“It is not what she says!” Jeremiah cried, drawing his greatsword into his hands.
“But maybe we should hear her out,” Keirn said quickly.
“Your attack was well laid,” Siara continued. “The chaos certainly threw the ranks of my men into disarray. Had it been able to proceed, I am certain that your birds and archers would have kept us besieged long after you had fled. That is, of course, had they not been chased off by these heroic gentlemen. Then, of course, they had the good graces to lead me straight to you.”
“That isn’t how it is!” Jeremiah argued. “You must believe us! She’s twisting our actions to mislead you!”
“What are you doing?!” Keirn hissed, waving for Jeremiah to lower his weapon.
Siara smiled.
“Come now, Erthis, surely you don’t mean to draw this out further. My men are all capable fighters while it is clear now that your allies are little more than poor peasants and farmers. Don’t make me kill what abled bodies still remain.”
“Capable?” Derrek asked.
“I shall not allow you to continue this tyranny against these innocent people!” Erthis cried. “It is a pity you were not slain in the ambush.”
“Perhaps if your archers were trained, they could have taken more than they wounded through sheer volume alone. But I suppose the only remaining card is you four. What say you? Will you turn against your rightful employer to stand by this man and his unlawful smugglers?”
“We would rather die than help you!” Jeremiah cried.
“Let’s not be too hasty,” Keirn said.
“You have to be kidding!” Kait said, drawing an arrow to her bow.
Keirn stepped between the two groups, holding his hands up for some civility.
“Let’s think about this. We were contracted to deliver these people to their proper destination, were we not? Furthermore, it has been made quite clear that said contract was made to Lord Daermoor and not kindly Erthis. Do you really want to present ourselves as people who would turn on our word?”
“We didn’t know what we agreed to,” Jeremiah said. “Don’t play some fool adjudicator in this. You know what is right!”
Keirn took a step back from Jeremiah’s wide swing, but quickly composed himself.
“Let’s think about this logically. These mercenaries are well… well here. And there are a lot of them. Do you really think you could take them all? The three of you? Any combat will surely turn for the worst against these people that you are so inclined to protect.”
“Then death shall be the ultimate price for freedom,” Jeremiah said, dropping solidly in his stance. “I will not support what is so clearly wrong.”
Keirn retreated a little further from the large blade brandished before him, shaking his head.
“Well that’s a little black and white,” Keirn said. “What about you Derrek? Kait? Who will you side with?”
“She won’t let me ride the bird,” Derrek said simply, clasping his lute in his hands. His fingers poised over the strings.
Each betrayal seemed to drive the young man further and further from them.
“Sister?”
Kait looked between the earnest men between her and the woman standing smugly at the entrance surrounded by her gruesome guard. She seemed to watch the anarchy splitting the group with a great deal of amusement. No doubt this final betrayal was far more rewarding to that raven haired woman than had they actually agreed to assist her. It was clear she had no plans to pay them or reward them for their part in this.
Kait held her bow notched before her. She looked sternly at her brother.
“I would think carefully about how you decide to play this.”
Keirn dropped his head in defeat. However, he was sure to catch her eye as he did, directing his kin’s eyes with his own to the shuffling mass that was now behind him. He hadn’t been retreating to Siara’s side but towards the great pen.
“I suppose there’s nothing else left,” Keirn said resolutely, drawing his sword from its sheath. “I’ll just have to do what I know best.”
He turned to Siara.
“Milady, you wished to know whether we stood with you or not?”
“It is clear where your company stands. What say you? Will you join them in their misguided righteousness?”
“I’m afraid I was never particularly good with morally questionable dilemmas,” Keirn confessed, taking a slow breath and tilting his head awkwardly towards the exit. “You see, I inevitably take the cowardly route. Why face a challenge head on when you can simply cut…”
He spun, slicing with his sword against the muzzle restraining the roc’s great beak.
“And RUN!”
He struck the creature hard with the flat of his blade. The slap startled the animal which gave a piercing cry before lashing madly out with talon and beak against the perceived assault. Its wings ruffled, filling the great cavern as it instinctively attempted to become airborne. Great feathers fell about their heads as the animal fluttered in its confusion.
Keirn ducked beneath its flailing appendages, attempting to run towards the caravan master and the exit from the caves. With the enraged bird in tow, the rest of the caravaners needed no further encouragement. They stumbled to their feet, fleeing before the massive beast.
Siara cried out for them to be stopped and the mercenaries ran forward. But their charge towards the bird caused it to lash out at the threat. Its massive beak broke through shield and cracked metal. A single peck tore flesh from bone, dropping one mercenary and causing the others to re-evaluate their devotion to the cause.
Keirn hurried to one of the burning torches, snatching it from its holder and lobbing it with all his might at the great creature. A few Rakstas ran to intervene against further antagonizing the animal but the torch had already been loosed.
It rolled brightly through the air like a great wheel of fire before striking the feathered breast of the beast. This startled the animal even further, driving it almost mad with rage and fear.
“What are you doing?!” Jeremiah cried as Keirn reached for a second torch.
“Enlisting someone to cover our retreat. Unless you really want to fight toe to toe with the expertly trained swordswoman!”
He motioned towards Siara who held her blade before her in a stance that even the four adventurers could tell meant business. She hesitated for but a moment, judging her skill against the monstrous beak and the rewards she would gain if she succeeded.
Keirn didn’t wait any longer before someone could raise valid complaints against his method. He tossed more torches at the bird until its screech cracked the cavern air and caused him to cover his ears.
The bird turned towards Keirn with murderous intent.
“Can we get out now?!” Kait cried. “I don’t think I have the heart to hit it with an arrow.”
“I know!” Keirn cried. The bird stomped towards him with more speed than a creature borne for flight should possess. He turned, letting his actions finish the debate.
He ran faster than he ever had in his entire life.
The ground shook beneath the crashing fall of the bird’s talons. Wings flared and each beat stirred up a back draft that nearly lifted Keirn off his feet. But size was not as great an advantage in the caves, and Keirn wove his way around massive stalagmites, keeping to narrow corridors in his retreat that left much stone between him and the animal.
The terrified men and women before him scattered much like they had when the staged attack first occurred. Their coloured scarves were like flapping banners in the passages leading him along like a summer fair parade. Suddenly, the cavern floor began to slope upwards as a distant orb of bright light promised freedom and escape.
His legs burned and the air seemed to scratch at his throat as he willed his muscles to push him further and faster towards the expanding light. Shouts and screams echoed around him as the very cavern felt like it would collapse beneath the rampage of the monstrous animal. The orb quickly expanded into a massive slit in the very earth and with a final burst of strength, Keirn propelled himself from the cavern opening.
He landed on a gentle slope, immediately falling to his back and rolling painfully across the rocky terrain from the crag he’d emerged from. There was one last, terrifying cry amplified into a frightening shriek as the roc burst from the cave in a shower of broken stone and slate. With a few mighty beats of its wings, it was borne aloft into the long sought sky.
It didn’t even cast one last look back as it tore into the clouds, turning into nothing more than a small line disappearing towards the distant spires of the mountains.
Keirn came to a stop against a small pile of stones, looking up at the exhausted faces of the disguised caravaners.
“I told you he was a danger!” Andri shouted. “He’s a madman who nearly killed us all! He can not be trusted!”
A great axe almost materialize over Keirn, dangling like the blade of the headsman readying for the word to come crashing down. But Keirn’s body refused to register the threat, leaving him to stare up at the blade dumbly.
“Hold!” Erthis called, sucking in as much air as he could as he slowly made his way to the young man’s side. He stood over him and his face flushed a deep scarlet.
“You are possibly the most reckless, inscrutable and unpredictable man I have ever met!”
“Thank… you…” Keirn gasped.
“And you may have just saved all our lives with your impulsiveness.”
Erthis held out his hand, helping Keirn to his feet. Andri, once more, lowered his weapon with disappointment.
“But, from here on out, how about I handle the important decisions until we get across the border?”
“Agreed,” Keirn nodded.
Jeremiah made his way to Keirn’s side, resting his hand on the man’s sweaty shoulder.
“You had me going for a minute.”
“What, you think I would turn on my best friends?” Keirn cried.
Jeremiah stared at him for a second.
“Yes. In a heartbeat.”
A sharp slap struck his other shoulder as Kait rounded on him.
“Don’t you ever think of doing something so insane!” she cried. “And next time warn your sister when you’re going to pretend at some terrible betrayer!”
She added a few more slaps to emphasis her point. Keirn turned to Derrek for some support, but even he looked disappointedly back at him.
“Now I’ll never get to ride it,” he said.
The three of them started towards the group of nomads as they hurried down the hill from the cave. Keirn stood, gathering his breath and watching them go.
The great Andri stomped to his side, a greyish finger running gently along its curve.
“You think you’re so clever, but I’ll be watching you. If I see so much as a hint of duplicity…”
He let the threat hang in the air for a moment, his eyes glaring down at the young sorcerer. Then he hefted his axe over his shoulder and followed after his pay.
“A little thank you would be nice!” he called after them. “It’s not like I’ve ever left anyone behind before!”
And elsewhere, connected by a twisting series of caverns and tunnels and still crouched behind an overturn cart, Shanna poked her head out from beneath her cloak at the darkening sky as twilight began to set over the now abandoned ruins of the caravan.
“Keirn? Derrek? Guys? Gods curse them, they did it again, didn’t they! I should know better than to trust those louts!”