The Long-lost Writings
Notes found in the smithy
Harold was a happy man. Business had been very good since the dwarf had come to work for him. Harold was surprised to see a dwarf in town, they rarely visited. When this one wanted to stay, and work for a room and board for his help, Harold eyes saw gold coins.
The modest blacksmithy that Harold had inherited from his father's father's father, had over the last several months gotten as busy as it had ever been. Well, maybe during the Great War it may have been busier, but no matter, it was as busy as Harold, or his own father, had ever seen it. And the reputation was up as well.
Yes, because of the dwarf's quality of work. The dwarf was slower than expected, very methodical. Once Harold had made a mention of the pace of work, and the growl he had received convinced him to work more on getting the customers to be patient instead.
This dwarf was unusual also, in that according to the myths, they didn't really like people. This one seemed to thrive on listening to a customer speak. He loved to work while someone spoke to him, telling him what the item was being made for, or who was getting it as a gift, etc. Since he was a slow worker, it was good that he did not stop to talk. He listened, he smiled and he worked on.
All he wanted for his skills and talents, was room and board. Oh, and the right to work on his own during off hours. Harold was able to convince the dwarf to take pay for the board, since Harold was not about to start cooking for anyone, not even the dwarf.
(Notes in a tongue too ancient for Xhto-ya to know, handwritten, and here translated)
One thing for sure, a mug of ale was an excellent way to celebrate. It certainly made the sweat worthwhile, the toil a little more manageable. It took Xhto-ya over three weeks to forge, shape and polish the battle axe at his side, but by gazing at it, and hefting it in his hands, he know that it was one of the best he had ever made.
The painting on the wall behind the bartender reflected his thinking. A beautiful sunset, showering it ruby-tinted light over a farmer, standing exhausted after a full days work. Smiling with the knowledge that he'd done his share of work that day, and looking forward to an evening with his family, his wife's cooking, her tenderness and her love.
The rest of the tavern was just as humble, if many of the occupants were not. Few tables, some barrels and stools with the windows barred shut for the night. The one serving girl was busy and easily convinced to leave a few rags at his table, rather than stop by every few minutes to clean up the mess.
Xhto-ya cursed softly as he again spilt some ale, cursing the lost ale and his clumsiness as if the cursing would do more than just release some frustration. The bruises on his hands, the frequent spills, the scars on his forearms were all reminders that Xhto-ya was no ordinary dwarf. Xhto-ya was very clumsy, by anyone's standards.
Bobest the bartender noticed the latest spill, but had learned not to entertain himself by laughing at them. Despite his reputation as a good worker and listener, Xhto-ya didn't take kindly to be laughed at. So, some, like Bobest, just didn't laugh. Besides, Xhto-ya was quite capable of providing another form of entertainment, like that night two weeks ago, when the trickster came into the tavern looking for fools and their money.
After having a profitable time in one corner of the tavern, the thief walked up to Xhto-ya,
"Hello friend dwarf! How are you this fine day?"
"Doing well minding my own business, something you may want to try."
"Now, now. I intrude on no one, I offer them entertainment and . . . "
"and steal their money!"
"Steal? Heaven's no! If their luck is bad it is not my fault. What of yourself, you look smart enough to beat a simple game of chance."
At this point, to everyone's surprise, especially the thief's, Xhto-ya drew a dagger and had it at the thief's throat, very quietly saying,
"It is obvious that you like games of chance, for you are playing one now. The stakes are every single tomorrow you may expect to have. You and your kind disgust me. Here's the game: If I see you again, in this town, I will slit your throat from ear to ear so you will always have a silly grin on your face. Odds are, however, that because I am clumsy, I will 'accidentally' cut your whole stupid head off. Now, make your choice and place YOUR bet!"
The thief ran out of the tavern so fast, that he didn't stop to pick up his pouch that fell from his pocket. He just kept on running. Xhto-ya took the pouch, giving some to the drunks that lost money to the thief, some to the bartender, some to the poor house box placed on the bar by the local cleric and pocketed the rest.
He had walked into town about 6 months before, with only a few copper pieces left to him, looking for a way to get back at a few 'ex-friends' and clansmen. As advised, he started his search by talking to the bartender, later learning that a hard-working man of good repute ran the local smithy. All smithy's dream of having a dwarf work for them, because of the well-earned reputation dwarves have for working with metal. Even the elves prefer armor and weapons made by dwarven hands (and of Elven metals) over all other weapons.
Many in town were curious as to why a dwarf left the mountains and came to their village, and once they learned that he would not answer questions, they decided to count their blessings and stop prying. They did not want to ward him off. Even the crime rate in town went down because local bandits had heard that the townsfolk could really defend themselves now because they had a dwarf making their weapons!
His train of thought was disrupted by the howling of wolves. Bobest was concerned, because these howls did not get quieter because a dwarf was around, and in fact had been getting louder the last few nights. The following howl was much closer than they'd been on previous nights. Everyone in the tavern except for the drunks in the corner must have heard because the whole place was quiet except for their snoring.
The stillness of the tavern was broken when one of the town's militia, a big squad leader named Killjoy dressed in full battle array stormed in through the door.
"The scouts have reported that a pack of wild wolves is descending upon the town. Everyone stay in here for the night! Stay indoors! The militia will be able to handle this and we don't need interference from . . ."
"LOOK OUT!" yelled Xhto-ya as he leapt forward with the battle axe he was about to deliver in his hands. As he fell to the floor, tripping over a table leg, he saw Killjoy turn toward the door, placing his shield between himself and the attacking wolf with no time to spare. Seeing an easy target on the floor, the wolf turned from the soldier and leapt toward the dwarf scrambling to his feet, only to be hit squarely on the head by a heavy beer mug thrown from behind the bar.
A second wolf followed, but found a fully armed and ready soldier at the door. Killjoy's expertise was soon evident, as the wolf's head and body soon went their separate ways. Killjoy was unable to shut the door, because when Xhto-ya leapt and tripped, his momentum pushed the table into the doorway, blocking the door open. Even though there was a wolf behind him, Killjoy knew he had to face the door and the wolves that were trying to follow. It was evident to him that there were more wolves than soldiers in the street, and he must find his way out there.
Bobest never envisioned using his crossbow against anything but an overly bold thief. That's why it was loaded and ready under the bar. Bobest thanked the Gods that he was ready for the wrong reason, and took aim. The shot into the wolf's flank again distracted him from the slowly rising dwarf in front of him. The look in the dwarf's eyes reminded Bobest of the look given to the thief weeks ago. The wolf easily dodged the hefty battle axe and the powerful swing, and decided wisely that the hunting was better elsewhere. The wolf followed Killjoy out the door. Xhto-ya threw the battle axe after the wolf, missed, cutting the corner off the table. The two men pushing the door closed suddenly had no resistance, and it shut quickly as they fell to the floor, on top of a dead wolf.
Xhto-ya tried to get out, but four men overcame him, (a club came in very handy) as they had no intention of letting that door open again until Killjoy, or some other surviving militia member came through. Once Xhto-ya settled down, they started to tend to his wounds. No one noticed that the wolf had clawed his left arm, but now no one could miss the blood flow.
The next morning found half a dozen dead town folk, and another two dozen wounded. Over two dozen dead wolves littered the town, including one about 100 feet from the tavern with an arrow in its side. The greatest pile of wolves were outside Elendor the magician's house. His magicks left about a dozen wolves dead there. As Xhto-ya walked by, he noticed same scarred by cuts, some burned, some frozen and many barely recognizable as wolves. Xhto-ya was impressed by the human that did this, and decided he needed to know the man, walking in to the house.
"Hold, what brings you here? As if I didn't already know!"
Elendor was a tall, large man, dressed in loosely flowing robes. Xhto-ya never realized how big a man could be until this moment. Or was the magician playing a trick on him to scare him?
"How can you know what I seek, we have never met!"
With a mild laugh, he replied, "Even though dwarves are suspicious of those wise in the higher knowledge, you still come to me. You would do well to not underestimate me, Xhto-ya, as I would do well not to underestimate you. You come to me hoping that in addition to my power to destroy, that I may have the power to change you. Believe me, it is much easier to be a mind-reader than a wizard. I have no time to spend with you, be gone!"
"But I need to . . . "
"Take a bath for one thing. I have no time for you and I will not repeat that again! You want my attention then I will treat you like all others that come through that door begging for help. You must earn my attention. My apprentices are leaving on a journey in the morrow, and they may benefit from your company. How you help them, and only how much you help them, will determine how much I may help you. They leave the tavern at dawn. BE GONE!"
Xhto-ya found himself leaving the house. This was not the first time he had been so dismissed by someone he had asked for help. He had left the mountains in a similar way, and briefly thought of leaving this village, too. No, he needed what Elendor may be able to do, so he needed to face the challenge. Besides, he wanted to have done more with the wolves that he had, maybe this would be a chance to do just that.
He fingered the battle axe in his hands. It was his now, the customer had paid for it, true. But the wolves had finished him before it could be delivered. The hunter left no family, no heirs, so there was none to claim it. It would have been a waste to bury it with him, and the smith had told him to keep the axe. The only way to avenge the original owner's death would be to use it to cleave others in defense of the village, as he would have if the wolves would not have killed him. Xhto-ya was pleased, because he had made it as if for himself from the beginning, as he had been trained to do with all his metal work.
Goblins. It figured. Those little ugly runts were troublemakers everywhere. It turns out that several months ago they stole some pearls from Elendor and he was sending his two apprentices, Eric and Kris along with adventurous volunteers to retrieve them. Elendor obviously didn't need the pearls too badly, for he sent quite a motley crew. Xhto-ya saw that this was a test of the apprentices, and quite possibly a test of him, too. He was determined to pass the test.
Once they were going to enter the cave, Xhto-ya volunteered to take the point. He was determined to do well, and knew that his excellent low-light vision would be an asset. Yet, he was pleased to hear Killjoy demand to share the honors, remembering what he saw at the tavern that night.
They entered the cave shortly after sunrise, hoping to catch the goblins napping, only to get their first surprise immediately. As everyone knew, Goblin caves are complicated mazes, but usually not until one gets deeper inside. This allows goblins to trap weary intruders easily before defeating and devouring them. But this cave branched off into two passageways just a few feet inside the mouth!
Trusting to his instincts (or was it his hatred of Goblins?) and his studies as a younger dwarf, he chose the left passage. Soon the came upon a trap, that his vision allowed him to spot at the last minute. The trap was such as anyone larger than a goblin crossing it would trigger the roof to collapse. Since the group was determined to continue, every one looked at the smallest member of the group, an elf half-breed named Timos, and he got the hint. He started across, with Xhto-ya in trail and the rest of the party back around the corner of the tunnel.
About half-way across the trap, Timos triggered it and a portion of roof above him fell on him. Fortunately, Killjoy was generous and offered his shield to Timos, who held it over his head as if keeping himself dry in the rain. He was unhurt, though the bad news was that the trap was not intended to hurt anyone, it appeared to be designed to warn those further in the tunnel that intruders were above.
Knowing that Timos was no match for any goblin that may investigate, Xhto-ya sent him back to the group to get Killjoy, and ducked down behind the small pile of rocks before him. He already heard Goblins enroute.
Fortunately, Timos was nervously getting the rest of the group, and the goblins thought he was running back in a panic. They saw the fleeing half-breed and Killjoy's torch in the distance. The first Goblin, grinning from ear-to-ear at his easy shot, put his front foot up on the pile of stones while pulling back on his bow. He must have been very pleased with what he thought was going to be easy meat.
Xhto-ya swung. The blade went very cleanly through bow, neck and the outstretched arm of the Goblin. The second Goblin stopped in shock at his friend's untimely death, then cried out, "It's a dwarf! Where'd he come from? He must have dug another tunnel!" As he yelled, his shock turned into anger as he threw down his bow and started to draw out his sword. Xhto-ya had time to stand up, and then he swung again, this time cleaving the arm from the shoulder cleanly.
Two swings and two clean cleaves. This was a perfect battle axe! Xhto-ya was getting a high from what many called 'battle-lust', and was ready to take on all the goblins in the world. His third stroke cut very deeply into a goblins chest as it went by, not cutting him in two, but still killing him. Xhto-ya looked down at his pain in his left thigh, to see a dagger buried there. Goblin number four was going for his sword (he must have thrown the dagger) when he sprouted an arrow from his forehead.
"Stupid goblins never did respect elfish bowmen" though Timos, who never considered himself a half-breed, as he reached for another arrow. This time the next goblin was so close to Xhto-ya that he had to wait before shooting. Both that goblin and Xhto-ya fell to the ground as Killjoy got to the pile of roof material and dead goblins. The remaining goblins saw the huge man clearly, and turned tail and ran.
Xhto-ya got up, bleeding from several sword cuts, and pulled his axe out of the now-dead goblin. "Let's go get them" he said, but stopped moving forward when Killjoy grabbed his shoulders.
"Hey, you did great when you ambushed them, but you may not do so good when they ambush you. Let's get these wounds bound before we do anything else. Look at this mess. Five dead goblins, and only one of them with an arrow wound. I should force you into the militia! Good thing Timos is such an excellent shot, too!"
Once bandaged and regrouped, they advanced again, on the lookout for goblins waiting for them. Very carefully they explored an enlarged opening, recently deserted from the scatterings on the floor. The weapons left behind seemed unrelated to the sacrificial altar in the middle of the room.
"No pearls, either" stated one of the apprentices, was name was un-remarkable.
A side-tunnel took them to the lair of a tigress with four cubs. No one wanted to mess with her, and they were all so carefully watching her as they back-pedaled the were unprepared for the "Vampire Bats" as Eric yelled, dropping to the ground trying to be too short for them to notice.
As bats and arrows passed each other in the air, Eric screamed, "Xhto-ya! You're supposed to help me! Kill this bat on my chest before it sucks all my blood out!"
Taking careful aim, but perhaps made less careful by the amazing success with the goblins, Xhto-ya swung his battle axe and in horror watched it enter Eric's chest a full digit below the bat. So intent was Xhto-ya on his second swing, he didn't hear Eric screaming "STOP" "STOP" nor did he feel the bat on his own back, nor the two arrows that went through it into him, as Babb, one of the militia men was very fast with his bow. Xhto-ya was out of luck, or was it Eric who was out of luck? This swing cleaved Eric's head off, serendipitously ending the screaming. The third and forth swings also missed the bat, and let's not think about what they did to Eric's remains. Kris got the bat with his dagger, but it was too late for Eric. Whatever blood the axe had not spilt, the bat had drunken. It certainly spilt enough blood when the dagger found it's mark.
As they cleaned up, Timos threw the remains of the dead bats and Eric to the tigress, who had watched the battle but not joined. Xhto-ya was not only devastated by what he had done, he was very concerned about Elendor's reaction as well. In the group depression, no one noticed the little mouse that had joined them, nor did they notice it when it left them as they left the cave.
"You sure were not clumsy when you cleaved the goblins, so how can you say you were clumsy when you cleaved Eric?" asked Elendor.
"I don't know. Maybe the ancient hatred between goblins and dwarves guided my hands but..."
"Griffon Feathers! Whatever the reason, I doubt it had anything to do with ancestral bigotry! However, you need not fear my wrath. Eric was not what he appeared to be, and I knew that before sending him. He was sent by one who shall at this time remain nameless to spy on me. I have been rid of a spy in a way that every one will blame you, and none will do otherwise. You have done something that I wished much, much earlier than I expected. No matter, there was little to learn from Eric."
"You may have more good luck than bad, despite what you think or feel. I want you to continue to help Kris find those pearls, because you are more lucky than clumsy."
"But can you help me?"
"Foolish little dwarf, you ask the wrong question. If I wait until you get it right, we shall both be as dead as Eric. The question is not whether or not I 'can' help, but whether I not I 'should' help. I assure you that I'll have a price that will be paid, and that it will be worth it to you. Look at your alternative. You can stay too clumsy to take revenge on Largos, just as he hoped, or you can work with me to change that."
"Largos! You know of Largos! You must know what he did to me!" exclaimed Xhto-ya. "I am ashamed. As you said that Eric's master underestimated you, so did I. I did not know that the name of Largos ever passed the lips of any other than dwarves. How you know of what happened I don't know, nor care. Know this. You have me, my battle axe, and my soul if need be, until the day that I can cleave his head off, and free my people."
"Your determination may or may not have been increased by his curse, we shall see. There are others that hate him, and feel as you do, but they will not help you at this time. You came this far to get away from his influence, and you have succeeded."
"Magician, for his blood I give you my life!"
"Keep your life, for I shall not give you his blood. But beware of this and remember it when you decide how closely to work with me. The one who sent Eric, befriends Largos! Now, off to the pub with you."
One night later that week, Xhto-ya dreamt. It was more of a bad dream than a good one. He saw himself in a dimly lit room, fighting Orcs. He had three or four companions with him, and they faced about a dozen or more of the foul creatures. Though there were several Orc bodies already on the floor, he sensed that the battle was not going well for them. He saw 4 of the Orcs fall to the ground from magicks, but did not recognize the voice that spoke them. It was a very harsh voice for a magician, very guttural.
His feeling that they were losing this fight seemed to be confirmed when another group of Orcs entered the room from the side and joined in the fight. This new group quickly dispatched his companion on his right, getting between Xhto-ya and the best exit out of the room. He was trapped, but he would never surrender to Orcs!
He awoke.
When they returned to the cave, they took the other fork at the entrance. It forked again just after the first bend, the left passageway opening into a large cavern, the right one spiraling further downward. They followed the spiral until it opened up into an underground cavern, with the hard ground at their feet now replaced by . . . sand. The sand further sloped downward, and they now recognized what they had been hearing for awhile: the surf lapping at the beach, here, underground!
One of the acolytes accompanying them, nicknamed "Daddy" for his paternalistic attitude, cast a spell enabling all of them to see what Xhto-ya and Timos could already see: a beach. Instead of blue sky, there was a very smoothly hewn roof over the waters. This was built by expert rock cutters, but there were no known dwarf colonies in these parts!
"This does not smell of goblins, nor do I think they would come this way often," said Kris. "I suggest we go back to the last cavern, for we will more likely find goblins there than here."
"I don't know how to swim," mentioned Daddy, "and I don't want to try it in the dark."
"Or amongst so much unknown!" continued Killjoy. "I agree with Kris, the goblins lie elsewhere."
Re-entering the tunnel-like passage back, they spotted a small branch from it they had missed earlier. This also led to water, but this one went INTO the water, apparently continuing under the water surface! As they discussed it, six lizard-like creatures came up out of the water!
While Killjoy attempted to speak with them , Xhto-ya remembered the advantage surprise gave him when fighting the goblins, and attacked the nearest lizard-man. Xhto-ya slipped on the wet cave surface as he wound up to attack with his battle axe, missed the lizard-man completely, just missed Killjoy and then fell down. As he tried to get up, he felt a blow to the back of his head, and passed out.
Again, he dreamt. This time he was walking down a marble-smooth passageway, exquisitely carved out of the rock. Very well built. He was at point, with a party of companions behind him. Suddenly, he felt he should stop. Raising his hand in a motion to stop the group behind him, he looked around. He noticed his small, furry feet, his leather armor, the pouch at his belt. He was too small, something was amiss. This was no dwarf, nor was this dwarven garb.
He took a step forward, only to find out what was wrong. A trap door! He tried to reach the sides of the shaft to stop his fall, but his short arms wouldn't reach. Instead of finding spikes at the bottom of the pit, which is a great way to ensure that the trapped meat is ready to prepare for eating, he found he had fallen down a shaft, and out of a castle! No, not a castle, but a huge round tower. He tried to get a sip of some potion in his pocket, ignoring the ground coming up at him. He managed a small sip, then . . .
. . . he was walking in a castle, alone this time. One hand full of a lantern, and the other with an delicately crafted and well ornamented egg. His pouch held a book and a jeweled box. From behind a deep, slow voice came, "It's not often that people speak with us turtles, they think we are too slow of mind to bother with us."
He turned to see a very colorful turtle shell, housing a dark green turtle with a smile on it's face. Before he could gather his senses about what was happening, a band of Orc-like creatures come from seemingly nowhere and attacked. He had no weapon he could find on him, and they grabbed him while he was looking. They had no intention of killing him on the spot, but took all his belongings from him and jailed him. The turtle was in an adjacent cell, while drums beat in the not-too-distant background. They sounded too much like ritualistic sacrificial drums for his taste. He hated drums, and why was that stupid turtle still smiling?
Xhto-ya awoke, in his own bed behind the smithy, which was empty. His head hurt! He threw some more clothes on, which was not very quickly as several sore spots and muscles seemed to beg him to slow down. He knew that someone at the pub could tell him what happened with the turtle. No, not the turtle, the . . . lizard-men!
Killjoy was there, his left arm bandaged from elbow to wrist. "Well, it takes more than a lizard to do you in! Good. It is good to see you again, if only because it means our losses are less than we feared."
"Losses?"
"Yes, losses. Next time, Xhto-ya, remember that goblins and lizard-men have much that is NOT in common. We were very fortunate to get out as easily as we did, though some would not agree it was easy. Tiny and Babb are both dead. We killed three of them and the other three swam off. While we tended to our wounded they came back with another who had wizard-like powers. He fried Babb, and they drowned Tiny. We were able to get around the corner and they didn't follow us."
"How did I get back?"
"Daddy the Cleric carried you, kept saying something about giving you the piggy back ride that he had promised."
"It is time", said Elendor, "Time for what you think you seek, and to do what I need done."
"Yes, I believe I am ready" replied Xhto-ya.
"Fool, you have believed that since you came to the village, and you have never been correct" smiled Elendor warmly. "This time however, I agree with you. Here's what needs to be done. On the other side of the mountains, in a cave in the second highest one, lives a dragon. He needs to be destroyed for several reasons, and you need to only know two of them. First, I have learned that he is being courted to attack me, and I would rather he be fought nearer to his home than to mine. Second, he stopped preying on the lands of Largos about 10 months ago, which means he has been bought."
"By Largos!?"
"By someone friendly to Largos, actually. Largos may have his share of enemies, yet his list of friends is also long. He has made promises that are easier to keep if the dragon leaves him alone. Yet, if the dragon were to die, Largos would lose a friend or two, especially the one holding the dragon's reigns at this time."
"You leave in a fortnight, taking this list of others with you. They care nothing about Largos or my safety, yet they do care about the dragon staying away from this village and their fields. Rid me of this dragon, and you shall be pleased upon your return here."