The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series (15 page)

Rhovick spit on the bread and smiled at Lutheras. “I refuse, so I guess you’ll have to make me.” He let out a weak laugh.

Lutheras raised his hands, and as he did, he forced the general against the wall and into a sitting position. The general tried to regain control of his body, but it took all of his strength and seemed pointless. His hand moved down and grabbed the bread involuntarily. Invisible forces pried open his mouth and brought the bread toward his lips. His hand jammed the stale bread into his mouth and he started to chew it against his will. With the food wet and compacted, he spit it out—the largest chunk landed at Lutheras' feet. Lutheras laughed while he controlled the general's hands like a puppet, jamming more bread into his mouth nearly choking himself.

The general stifled a chuckle; he could play this game all night, if need be. However, his humor quickly faded as his hand rose to his mouth and covered it. He had no choice but to swallow as his hand also covered his nostrils, leaving him no way to breath.

Lutheras crept closer and dropped to his knee, “I told you I’ll make you eat. Death won’t come in this form for you.” He continued forcing the general to eat until all of the bread was gone. Next, he flung the general to the wall and made him lap at the water seeping through the crevices. It couldn’t be very clean, based on its smell, but the general was forced to drink it anyway.

Satisfied he had gotten enough water into him, Lutheras made him turn around, before he flung him back against the wall. “Are you ready to tell me where the orb is being held?”

Rhovick cut his tongue on the brick and tasted the iron rich blood as it crept into his mouth. Lutheras leaned in and when he was close enough, and blood had filled Rhovick’s mouth, he spat at him.

Lutheras stood back and wiped the blood-soaked spittle from his face with his sleeve. He smiled as he turned to the Minotaurs. “Bring more bread, and also the surprise I saved for the general.” One of them left the cell and disappeared down the hallway. He turned back to the general. “I’ll make you talk. One way or another, you will tell me what I’m after.” He turned back around as the Minotaur entered the cell with an attractive, dark-skinned, young woman. Her mouth was filled with a strip of cloth that served as a gag. Dirt stuck to her face where tears had run down. Her eyes were reddened and bloodshot from hours of crying, and her arms were tied behind her back with rope. She also had several bruises on her upper arms, visible where her dress had been torn away from her body.

This outraged Rhovick. “Let her go! I told you already, there is no orb. You seek a child’s toy. I beg you to let her go.” His eyes beseeched Lutheras.

Laughter boomed out of Lutheras' mouth “You won’t tell me what I seek, so you force me to play on your honor.” He paused before continuing, “You never married, and never fathered a child, so you force me to use an innocent woman to get what I seek.” He grabbed the arm of the young girl and dragged her forward. She tried to wince at his touch, but his strength overpowered her. “Tell me what I’m after, and she won’t be harmed. If you don’t cooperate, well then her fate is in your hands.”

Fear filled the general’s face. “There’s nothing to tell you. I beg you to let her go.” Tears fell from the corners of the general's battle-hardened eyes. “Please!”

Lutheras' lips curved in a malevolent smile. “Very well. Her life is in your hands. Her death will be on your conscience.”

Lutheras started slow. He raised his hand and pointed it at the young woman. Blood started to trickle down her throat as a small gash opened. The slit spread across her neck and she struggled with her bindings, trying to bring her hands to her neck. Her screams filled the cell, even with the gag in her mouth. Rhovick didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t move his head. He couldn’t even shut his eyelids; the invisible force ensured he watched the slaughtering of the innocent young girl sitting in front of him.

He sobbed as he said, “I swear to you, what you’re after doesn’t exist.” More sobbing cut him off. “Don’t take an innocent life. I beg you. Kill me in her stead as I won’t cooperate.” He yelled. “PLEASE.”

Lutheras laughed as he continued on delighting in her pain and the general’s anguish. The gash on her neck spread, and her screams turned into gargles as blood filled her throat. She didn’t have much time left. The wound expanded and dark red stained the whole front of her blue dress. Her screams died down as the cut passed her throat and she slumped forward. He looked to the general to see if he had changed his mind. It seemed the general wouldn’t cooperate. Lutheras snapped his hand in a sharp motion and the small gash on the girl's neck spread throughout, severing her head from her body. It fell forward, crashing to the ground where it rolled to the general’s feet before coming to a stop. Satisfied with his work, he turned. He released the general who collapsed to the ground.

“Have you had a change of heart yet? Or shall we continue this game, killing more innocent people in the process?”

Rhovick wiped the tears away from his eyes and spoke in a growl. “She had nothing to do with this. You kill without reason or concern for life.” He raised his head so he faced Lutheras and stared into his eyes. “You’re evil, and you’ll never find what you’re after. It doesn’t exist!”

Lutheras smiled at the general. “So we’ll continue the game. Tomorrow it will be two young girls, and I will continue to kill innocents until there are none left to kill. What shall it be?” He stared at the general waiting for a response. Rhovick’s face twisted with fear and anger. “And these so called ‘children's toys’ you keep referring to, I have one and have used its immense power.” Lutheras' excitement grew inside when he saw the frightened look that presented itself on the general's face. “The orbs exist, and I mean to have them all. What I’m looking for is in Korloth and I will destroy this town in my search for it.” He turned and began to leave the cell. The Minotaurs picked up the corpse and the severed head. Lutheras turned to the Minotaur who carried the head. “Leave it to rot in his cell. It will serve as a reminder of what happens when he chooses to play games with me.” He smiled as he faced the general one last time. “Unless you have something else to tell me, I’ll return tomorrow.” When the general glared at him, he turned and left the cell. Lutheras stormed down the hall, with his minions in tow. He reached the stairs leading back to the main level, and the orange globe of light disappeared. It took time for his eyes to adjust to the light of the sun, but he welcomed the dry, hot air that filled Korloth. He quickened his pace and shouted orders to the Minotaurs, returning them to their duties.

He walked into the antechamber outside of the throne room. Several of the dark brothers wandered around, set to their tasks. Eldrin noticed the return of his master and walked over to join him with Tuk at a table.

Eldrin went over what they displayed and he looked at his master. “Here are the diagrams, but I’m afraid they are of no help. You claim the orb is here but we’ve been unable to find it.” He frowned at him. “We’ve found numerous tunnels and searched every chamber, but I can tell you it doesn’t exist. I think you were misled.” Tuk stepped away from the table, seeing the anger filling Lutheras' face and not wanting it to find its way to him.

“I assure you it’s here. I know it is. We’re just being misled as to where it’s hidden. Increase the search efforts.” He looked severely at the Elf and the Goblin. Frustrated, he wanted nothing more than to dispose of them both, but he dug down deep to control himself. Eldrin had been the only one who had proven himself as an adequate second in command, and he displayed the strongest abilities of all of the Elves with the spark. Tuk was disposable, but he might still have a few uses. He glowered in the direction of the Elf. “You’re lucky you have proven your worthiness to me. You should be dead now, lying at my feet.” He withdrew his dagger and stabbed it down in the middle of one of the maps. It continued to vibrate with the abrupt impact Lutheras used to thrust it into the table. “My patience is wearing thin. I won’t tolerate this ineptness much longer.”

Angered, Eldrin walked away and conversed with another Elf and a Minotaur commander.

A weathered and worn wagon led by a team of six tired horses rattled down the road. Two soldiers sat on the wagon, and four more sat on horseback. All six had dark shades of gray under their eyes—displaying their exhaustion—and all of the horses appeared to be no better off than their riders. The sun beat down on the team, and they all had dried, cracked lips in need of water; obvious signs of dehydration. They had reached the base of the mountains east of Korloth, and headed south in search of the cave Rhovick ordered them to hide in. They spotted a waterfall running down the mountainside. They wanted to hurry and rush up to the stream to water the horses and themselves, but all of them—beasts included—were too exhausted.

After about ten minutes, they approached the stream. All of the men dismounted and led the horses to it. They drank and bathed in the water. Their water reserves had run dry the day before, but necessity had dictated they press on.

When they quenched their thirst, one of the soldiers spoke up. He looked around and said, “Brothers! The cave we seek should be around here somewhere. General Rhovick set us on our course and we’ve followed his directions to this point. Spread out and find it so we can secure the orb.” They all moved in different directions to search for the cave.

When the general had first spotted Lutheras’ attack force, he gathered the other six keepers together and ordered the removal of the orb from the city. He didn’t know if they were after the orb, but Korloth contained no other tactical advantage. The orb was the only item important enough to attack Korloth for, and the seven of them were sworn to protect it from the hands of those who would use it for harm.

They had loaded the orb into a common looking wagon, and Rhovick ordered the other six protectors out of the town by a small underground tunnel. Only the seven of them knew of the existence of the orb, so the secret would be safe. Not even the lord had been told of it, in fear he would betray them when pressed on the issue. That had been five days ago, and they had ridden day and night to arrive at this destination.

Carvin noticed the base of the waterfall and its blackened appearance. He walked over to examine it and stuck his hand through the water cascading down. When he didn’t find the stone wall he expected, he pushed on and his arm went through, past his shoulder blade. Behind the waterfall, the stone opened to a small gap in the face of the mountain, which he went through and found himself in a large cavern. He smiled, excited that they had found what they looked for. He walked out and yelled to the others. “It's over here. I’ve found the cave.”

They joined him and all explored the cave which would serve as their temporary quarters for the time being. The main cavern opened into many smaller areas leading deeper into the mountain. They went about their own individual tasks and setup torches to light the interior. They brought the orb inside the cave and started the task of securing their position. They brought in what provisions they could carry with them after they unhitched the wagon and set the horses free. Carvin called the brothers together after the horses were well off in the distance. “We’ve done what we set out to accomplish. Now we stay here and guard the orb with our lives.” They all nodded their agreement and forged ahead with each of their own orders. They accepted what might come and set out to be ready for whatever they might face.

Tirene glanced around and across the Talmac River. He sat on the riverbank next to Liniana while Jaeden wandered around the dock. The only way to cross the Talmac River was by way of a ferry, or face a three-day ride up river. So far, they had waited for the ferry for a good two hours. An earthquake had ripped apart the lands a half century before, raising the ground on the other side making a direct crossing impossible. The rock face of the cliff standing across the river towered higher than most buildings in any large town. North of the docks, a large canyon opened in the ground from the same earthquake. This meant the ferry had to travel well over an hour to reach a level piece of ground on the other side of the river. It made tracking the ferry challenging, but people were used to it now.

Riverfell lay a little under a two-day journey from this point. The air was thick with all of the humidity. And even though the sun sat shrouded by clouds, the afternoon heat was unbearable, forcing those not wet from the rain to drip with sweat. The rains had started the day before and there seemed to be no end in sight. The horses drank fresh water from the river and enjoyed the break, but the same couldn’t be said of the riders.

Tirene laid back beneath the boughs of a cluster of trees providing coverage from the rain. Anxious for the ferry to return so they could be off for Riverfell, he sat forward and looked toward the dock. He noticed Jaeden heading back over in their direction and he boy spoke as soon as he was in shouting distance.

“The people up at the docks said four men fitting the descriptions of our bandits were on the last ferry that set out three hours ago. They also said the ferry should’ve returned by now. It’s overdue, and they’re getting nervous.” Jaeden glanced back over his shoulder. “They’ve tried pulling on the guide rope to get the ship’s attention, but no one has responded so they sent riders up river to see what’s going on.”

Tirene took this in for a moment. “At least we’re gaining on them. I think this
delay
is due to them.” It infuriated him that they were so close, but they kept drawing further away.

Liniana nodded her head in agreement. “At least we now know they are only a few hours ahead of us.”

“I agree” Tirene said. He turned to face Jaeden. “Mount up and accompany the riders up river. If there’s a problem I would feel better if one of us was with them.”

The boy nodded and turned to grab his horse. His eyes filled with excitement, glad to be doing something other than standing around and waiting.

It took a moment to prepare his horse and then he disappeared. When he faded from view over the horizon, Tirene crept closer to Liniana and put his arm around her. Her smell overwhelmed him, and he just wanted to kiss her. He caught a whiff of her hair and felt intoxicated by her scent. For him, it was too late to ignore the facts; he’d fallen in love with her. He wanted to act on his feelings, but knew better of it. He settled for telling her which tore him apart.

“Liniana,” he turned her so she faced him. “I know nothing can come of it, and it pains me to admit,” He could tell from her look, she knew what he wanted to say, “but I have to say it anyway. I’ve fallen in love with you.” She tried to speak, but he pressed on framing her face with his hands. “I know it will make little difference to you, but you’ve found a way to expose my defenses, and you’ve whittled your way into my heart.”

She looked up into his crystal blue eyes. She wanted to admit she thought she’d fallen in love with him too, but he was right—this was not for them. She was the heir to Havenbrook, and he appeared to be a common soldier. She didn’t know how to respond and instead went for casual. She pulled herself away. “Thanks, Tirene.” She couldn’t find any other words to describe how she felt, without divulging her own love. She winced at the look of pain on his face. She felt heavyhearted that there wasn’t a way for them, but better to end it here before it hurt either of them more.

He’d known she probably didn’t feel the same way, but when she had so little to say in response, it hurt him. “I just…I thought it best if I just got it out there. I don’t expect you to return my feelings, but I couldn’t hide from you any longer.”

“That’s kind of you, Tirene. And I wish I could say I felt the same way.” She ringed inside and hoped her lie held enough truth so he wouldn’t see through it. “I think it’s best you shared with me. At least we know we need to be more careful.” She offered a consolatory hug, hoping it would make him feel better.

Noise arose from the docks cutting through their somber moment. They noticed a rider approaching. It was Jaeden.

He rode over and leapt from his horse’s back. “The ferry is approaching. It’s just up around the bend.” He glanced between the two of them. “Is everything okay? I sense a little tension.”

Liniana gave him a quick smile. “We’re fine, just had a conversation about a difficult topic. That’s all.” She walked to her horse and Tirene followed her, sensing the discussion was over at least for now.

With all of their bags fastened, they mounted their horses and trotted up to the docks. There were about a half dozen or so other folks waiting for the ferry. They fell in line behind them while the ferry neared and the workers tied it off. The crew left the ferry to go about their other business before they would set out again. One scruffy looking man, whom Tirene assumed to be the captain stayed behind. He had a shaggy black beard, and matching long, curly black hair on his head. Tirene also noticed he walked with a limp. The heavy rains had drenched his clothing, which added to the rough look. He welcomed the newcomers as they passed him and climbed on the boat. The water rushed by creating small waves that rocked the deck. It made sure footing hard to come by. Tirene approached the older man.

“Good day, Captain. Are we setting out immediately? We’re anxious to be on our way to Riverfell,” Tirene said.

The captain looked at him suspiciously. “Aye! As soon as ye all be on, we shall be on our way.”

Tirene didn’t wish to anger the man, so he continued on to the ferry finding a spot at the stern. They took a spot opposite the other passengers. The captain rang a large bell, signaling the ferry would soon depart as the rain picked up again. After a short wait, the crew made their way back on to the ferry and untied the ropes; sending the ferry down river.

Within minutes of leaving the docks and with no trees to shelter them, the wind ripped into their already chilled skin. The increased flow of water in the river created tumultuous rapids, and the boat rocked—a couple individuals retched over the side of the boat shortly into the journey. The hour ride ticked by with the boat lurching from side to side—ready to toss the unprepared overboard. At last, they rounded a bend and caught sight of the dock on the other side of the river. With the currents as swift as they were, the crew had to struggle to slow the ferry, using all of their effort to get it tied off before they passed the docks. Tirene and the others were the first ones off the boat, and thanked the captain. They set off down the trail at a brisk pace. It took a few moments for their stomachs to calm back down from the rough ride, and then they were able to settle into their uncomfortable, rain soaked saddles a little better.

They knew what lay ahead for them with the thieves heading for Riverfell. They discussed riding well into the evening, and decided it was a good idea after the long delay on the other side of the river.

The rain began to let off as night approached and their bodies warmed as their clothes dried. The sun approached the horizon before they realized they had neglected to eat a full lunch. They had pushed their horses far harder than they had the entire trip and decided it was prudent to take a break to give the horses a rest. They all inhaled their quick meal with Jaeden taking two helpings of meat. They shared idle chitchat while they ate, but they all showed the sense of urgency on their minds. With their stomachs somewhat filled, and a short break for the horses, they remounted and set back out.

They returned to a brisk pace as signs of the rain the last few days moved on. The twin moons were full and bright and stars littered the sky, giving them something to look at while they traveled in the twilight hours. They rode on and the useless banter picked up between them. They were all focused on the road, and catching the bandits before they reached Riverfell.

Even with the light of the twin moons, the night loomed black and they slowed their pace, not wanting to stumble into an ambush. Tirene led the way, with Jaeden in the middle and Liniana bringing up the rear. As it approached midnight, they decided it would be best to make camp for the night. Tirene slowed his companions, and motioned to a clearing in the distance.

With the rain of the last couple of days, they set up their tents to protect against further storms. They ate their dinner in the same silence that had plagued them for most of the day. The tension between Tirene and Liniana grew thick and seemed to be going nowhere. After dinner, they drew for a watch order and Jaeden ended up with the first. Tirene and Liniana retreated to their tents and fell asleep within moments.

Resigned that he drew the first watch, Jaeden walked around the camp to check for any possible issues while trying to keep himself awake. Unfortunately, he finished his rounds too quick, and had to resort to placing himself at the base of a large tree trunk. His eyes heavy, he could only stay awake for a short while and he succumbed to the exhaustion of the past few days of hard travel.

He didn’t sleep long before when he awoke to the cold tip of a dagger at his throat. A voice came out of the darkness, “Don’t move! We have you surrounded and if you wish to stay alive, I suggest you comply.”

Jaeden’s thoughts raced as he peered into the man's dark, cold eyes. His voice sounded thick with an accent Jaeden realized wasn’t common around these areas of Askabar. He looked around the camp, noticing the others being dragged from their tents. Tirene shot a penetrating look of anger toward Jaeden, who tried looking away in shame.

There were four thieves, one guarding each of their party, and the remaining thief rummaged through their belongings, keeping a watchful eye on Tirene.

“What do you want?” Tirene asked. “We have nothing of value; just a couple of people heading east to reach Riverfell.” His statement met with a slap by the man who held him in place.

Jaeden noticed the fourth thief who still searched their goods had cringed when his companion slapped Tirene. The guard kicked Tirene in his back, plunging him toward the ground. Dirt and grass filled his mouth when his head made contact and he spit as he struggled to get it out.

“Did anyone give you permission to speak?” His accent made his speech more of a drawl. “We noticed you were following us, and rather quickly at that, so we hid in the woods till you passed us by.” He hovered over Jaeden's body, glaring at Tirene. “Tell me why you have followed us, and don’t tell me you weren’t.”

The fourth thief stepped out of Tirene's tent, carrying his large sword. He had unsheathed it and carried it out in his arms. “Look at this!” He cast a glance toward Tirene, a large grin on his face. The fools hadn’t removed Jaeden’s sword, though. With the guard’s attention on Tirene, Jaeden felt for the hilt of his own sword. He needed to do something, knowing that he had caused their current predicament. With his hand on the hilt, he unsheathed it as quietly as he could and waited for his moment to strike.

The thief with Tirene's sword approached the others with a look of delight on his face. He continued to rave about the sword: the material it was crafted from, the jeweled pommel. He kept casting glances at Tirene and signaling something with his eyes—what though, Tirene wasn’t sure. The thief did his best to stall his friends, Tirene could see that much.

When the thief with Tirene’s sword reached the center of the camp, a furtive look locked between them and instinct had Tirene ready to grab it as it was tossed into the air. Tirene spun—sword in hand—and turned on his captor, plunging his blade deep into the surprised man’s chest.

This gave Jaeden the chance he’d been waiting for. He surprised the gruff man and forced him back toward the tree with the point of his sword pressed against his neck. The thief who had helped them drew his own dagger at some point, and held it at the neck of the man who held Liniana.

Tirene bowed his head toward the unknown helper before he wiped his blood-soaked sword on the tunic of the man he had just slaughtered. With the blade wiped clean—shining in the moonlight—he turned toward the gruff-speaking man. He managed to scowl at Jaeden as he approached their captive. He leaned in close. “Shut up and listen to me. If you cooperate I might just let you live.” He leaned back and addressed the three remaining thieves. “We followed you because you stole an artifact from a merchant a few days ago. You don’t know what you have in your possession, and we mean to take it to ensure it stays safe. Tell me where it is, and I’ll let you live.” He turned and looked at each of them in turn.

Jaeden's assailant spoke up, but his garbled and accented speech became difficult to follow. What they could discern, though, was that he had no idea what Tirene spoke of.

The thief who helped them shook his head as he spoke. “There’s no use lying Saurm, or you will end up like Mikhel over there.” He nodded to the corpse laying on the ground. “They know we have the artifact, we might as well just hand it over.”

Saurm cocked his head to face him. “I won’t take orders from you, Matt. You betrayed us!” he spat.