Kazyr turned his head from left to right as the trio entered the bustling port town. He realized that it had been centuries since he had last been among so many humans. The feeling of being among so many people exhilarated him, but the thick odor of sweat and sea salt in the air also made him somewhat nauseous. Civilization didnÕt seem much different on this world than it had been on his millennia ago, but had it always been this humid and smelly?
"Stop gawking," Sadoul chided him. "You don't want to draw attention to us."
"Draw attention to us, or to you?" Kazyr asked.
"Doesn't matter. Foreigners aren't that welcome and neither am I. Act normal."
"It could be worse," Ghaleon commented. "If Sadoul and I were both wearing the traditional magician's grab, we'd really draw attention to us."
Kazyr glowered. "As if his hood wasn't bad enough!"
"Yes, but three wizards walking in robes down the street is bound to draw some attention."
"So where are we going?" Kazyr asked.
"The Tavern of the Drunken Sailor," replied Sadoul. "A favorite hangout of the gossipmongers. If we're going to learn anything, it would probably be there. Of course, it'll probably cost us a few coins."
"Don't look at me," said Kazyr, giving his head a shake. "I'm not even from this star system. I don't have your currency."
"With the degree of time this moon and planet have been separated, I doubt any of my money would suit your purposes either," added Ghaleon. "Besides, I don't think I was buried with any." He checked a couple of pouches hanging around his waist to confirm his suspicions.
Sadoul sighed. "So I'll be the only one paying for this? Great. Well, whether I want to help you guys or not, I'd like to know what Danek's up to anyway. So I'll take care of this one. But don't expect me to pay for everything you guys need."
"We won't," Kazyr assured him.
The three continued walking in silence until Sadoul lead them only a block away from the bustling wharf.
"There it is. The Tavern of the Drunken Sailor," Sadoul announced.
Kazyr was hardly impressed, although he certainly felt no need to be. The wooden building was shoddily put together with cracks and loose planks abound. Two of the dirty gray windows are all but opaque. And the rancid scent of spoiled food wafted from the doorway.
"Yep. If you want to know all the dirt in Danek, this is the place to go," said Sadoul with a smirk.
"You mean just if you want to know the dirt," Ghaleon dourly remarked.
Sadoul's blue eyes sparkled mockingly. "Well, it may not be up to your high standards, but it is definitely the place."
"Do you suppose they know about the Maker?" asked Kazyr.
"The Maker?" Sadoul echoed.
Ghaleon dismissed the matter with a wave of a gloved hand. "It doesn't matter right now. Since we're in a potentially hostile area we should save such thoughts for later. I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to."
Sadoul nodded. "Agreed."
Kazyr gnawed on his lip for a moment, but also nodded. He looked at the swinging door leading into the rickety tavern. "I suppose they'd just think we're crazy anyway."
Sadoul insisted that Ghaleon and Kazyr get a table to themselves while he peruse the patrons for likely tipsters. Ghaleon expressed his dissatisfaction at staying put in a crowd of potentially hostile foreigners by aiming a few terse words at Sadoul. But the blond-haired man merely shrugged, replying that he felt certain Ghaleon could handle any problems that would arise.
Kazyr on the other hand settled himself into his chair and relaxed almost instantly. He even ordered a bowl of soup with a couple gold pieces he snagged off Sadoul. Ghaleon refused to have anything to do with the food. A few minutes later, after tasting the murky stew, Kazyr was inclined to agree.
"The vegetables are all soggy! And they call this stuff meat?" Kazyr sounded miffed.
"Quiet!" Ghaleon whispered. "Not so loudly," he added as an afterthought, in a more congenial tone. "We don't need to attract any more attention. Althena only knows how many people I've already caught staring at me just because of my ears. I think nearly everyone is human around here."
Kazyr bit back a reply and poked at a brownish lump in his bowl.
"And since you ordered that thing I think you'd better eat it. You might be insulting them by not touching their food."
Kazyr propped his head on his fist and lightly tapped the thick wooden bowl with his spoon so as to emit a barely audible knocking sound. "Look, if you're so eager to make this thing disappear, why don't you eat it?"
Ghaleon's eyes narrowed.
"I don't think they really care whether or not we touch it," Kazyr continued.
The former Magic Emperor turned his gaze away from Kazyr, feigning disinterest. Instead his cat-like eyes focused on Sadoul, who sat next to a uniformed man at the bar. Uniform aside, Ghaleon surmised from the sword at the man's belt and what discipline he used to hold his ale-tainted body erect that he was one of the Danek soldiers Sadoul had spoken about.
At the moment, Ghaleon felt he could use a cup of tea or a bite to eat himself, but certainly nothing from this place. The thought occurred to him that he hadn't eaten since returning to the living, and he had used up a lot of energy in his battle against the Star Dragon.
But Ghaleon shoved the complaints of his stomach out of his mind and focused on Sadoul. Despite the fact that Sadoul admitted to being one of the legendary heros of this world, something didn't make sense. Granted he said the Danek were a warlike people, but he also mentioned that he was one of them. And if he saved the world for them, even the most violent of nations should be willing to acknowledge the bravery of one of their own. Unless they had somehow suffered at his hands.
Now there was a thought. That would certainly give Sadoul reason to hide. It would explain his body being left out in the middle of nowhere, recently dead but already forsaken.
Ghaleon sighed. Or maybe he was simply delving too deep. Perhaps the Danek were a superstitious lot and seeing their hero back from the dead would scare the daylights out of them.
However Ghaleon rejected that idea as quickly as he had set it up. No, Sadoul wasnÕt hiding his identity from them to spare them any sort of horror. Sadoul only hid his face to benefit him, and likely only him. Ghaleon recognized the care at which Sadoul guarded over himself. It was a manner he had likewise adopted long ago when he watched his own back for traitors in his ranks.
The soldier at the bar barked something insulting to Sadoul, but the cowled wizard seemed to take it well as Ghaleon noticed no tensing of his body. However, the jeering drunk wasn't nearly so pleased with Sadoul's lack of emotion. With a feral growl he struck Sadoul a glancing blow across the jaw.
Sadoul reeled back, trying to catch his balance before he toppled off of the stool. He barely succeeded by grabbing hold of the edge of the bar. He jerked himself up, but not in time to stop the motion his cloak had already fallen in into. As Sadoul pulled himself up, his hood fell back.
"Emperor Sadoul!" the soldier gasped, staggering off his stool and back a few steps.
The tavern's patrons were nearly all on their feet at the same time.
Ghaleon took a deep breath before standing himself. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and waited.
Sadoul opened his mouth. For a moment Ghaleon thought he was going to deny the soldier's accusation. But a determined sort of pride took hold of him instead. Sadoul grinned darkly. "So what if I am?"
"Traitor!" the soldier replied. He drew his sword and lunged at Sadoul.
Sadoul dodged neatly, slamming the soldier in the back on to the bar with his elbow as he stood up.
"Hmph." Sadoul lowered his gaze, the mocking smile reappearing on his face. "Worthless piece of trash. I can see my soldiers have gotten lax in the brief period of time I have been gone."
"They never were your soldiers to begin with!" shouted a feminine voice. The patrons parted to allow a staff-wielding young woman and a small group of soldiers through. "You only gained the throne through treachery."
Sadoul mocking grin only deepened. "Assassination has long been a Danek tradition in gaining power."
Kazyr dropped his spoon and swallowed deeply.
The woman matched Sadoul's icy gaze with her own. "Jeal was the first Emperor to truly hold all the Danek tribes together. You held us together only by fear. Since your mad scheme failed, we are free of your clutches, but our nation is in turmoil. It's barely being held together as we speak. But we fear you no longer. Since you walk among us once again we will fight you!"
She pointed the jeweled tip of her wooden staff at him, and the air around it began to hum.
"Captain?" one of the soldiers behind her interrupted.
"Yes, get the civilians out of here," she replied to his unspoken question. "We don't need anyone else getting hurt by him." She jerked her head towards Ghaleon and Kazyr. "And get his companions too."
Kazyr, still in his chair, swallowed tightly and glanced up at Ghaleon in bewilderment. But the silver-haired mage offered him no answers, and merely tightened his grip on his sword's hilt. Kazyr swiftly began to regret ever raising Sadoul out of the waters.
"Get them!" the female captain bellowed.
The blue gem on her staff flared and a ball of fire erupted around Sadoul. He raised Ghaleon's cloak around him and the searing heat lessened and vanished.
"Surely you know me better than that!" Sadoul said sweetly. "I am the Wizard of Fire! You can't expect the element that obeys my will to hurt me. However, I'm afraid I can't say the same for you."
Sadoul swept his right arm forward, rotating his wrist as if flicking something away with his hand. A far larger flame raced towards her. The lithe captain crossed her staff in front of her, and the fire exploded against an invisible shield.
"I'm impressed. I'll allow you that much." Sadoul's gaze ran over her red hair and determined features. "Torene, isn't it? I thought you died back in Marwick along with Jeal."
The captain, if she was indeed Torene, gave no acknowledgement of whether or not that was indeed her name. Seeing that the tavern was pretty much cleared, she motioned for her soldiers to attack.
Ghaleon drew his sword, but instead slammed his fist into the gut of the first soldier to charge at him. He sighed, wishing that he hadn't come to fighting humans again. It was something that should have died with him millennia ago.
Kazyr tripped out of his chair as two swordsman advanced on him. He glanced apprehensively at each of them. They seemed so confident. "Well, I can be that too," he said to himself, not realizing he had spoken aloud. Kazyr concentrated and four of the tavern's chairs came to life and began attacking the soldiers.
Sadoul meanwhile continued his magic assaults, even as more of the Danek soldiers closed around him.
A beaten soldier flew across the bar from where Ghaleon tossed him. And Kazyr commanded more of the furniture to come alive. Sadoul grinned, pleased to have such able traveling companions.
"C'mon! Let's see who can knock off the most soldiers!" he shouted to the other two.
"Hey! You started this!" yelped Kazyr, dodging a soldier's sword swing.
"Regardless of who started it, we'd better end it as soon as possible," said Ghaleon, striking another soldier on the side of the head with the flat of his blade.
"I'll drink to that!" exclaimed the white-haired mage. As one of his animated chairs blocked the soldier nearest to him, he crossed his arms in front of him in concentration. "Spirit of the phoenix, hearken to my call from beyond the stars! Accept me as your humble host and lend me your strength!"
Ghaleon noted the fiery orange aura that began to surround Kazyr and turned to his own group of opponents. He lifted a hand and pointed at the center of their group, already focusing on the image of a giant blaze appearing within them. "Inferno!"
Sadoul simply shrugged and gestured, and flames billowed out from each of the mages in response to their wills.
The soldiers cringed, but their captain's gaze remained steady and accepting.
A voice suddenly chanted from the shadows, rising in pitch to above the roar of the flames. It bellowed a final magic syllable and all was still.
Ghaleon blinked, and it took him a moment to realize that their magicks had disappeared.
More soldiers rushed in through the tavern doorway. Sadoul mouthed the words to a spell. Nothing happened.
The captain nodded to the fresh unit of soldiers. "Take them. They can't use their magic in here anymore."
Sadoul cursed and slugged the first soldier to approach him.
Kazyr swallowed and turned to run, but tripped over a hideously warped chair that was all that left of his animated minion.
Ghaleon's mouth was drawn in a tight line. Even as he knocked soldiers unconscious, they kept coming, and his injured right shoulder was beginning to tell on him, weakening his blows. Nonetheless he refused to attack them with the sharp end of his sword, and continued his battle pounding them with the flat and hilt.
"Get off me!" Sadoul cursed as three soldiers finally pinned him to the ground. "If I just had a weapon on me you'd really see some damage!"
Kazyr merely looked helplessly at him, already held in place by two other warriors.
"You may as well surrender," the captain shouted to Ghaleon, who just threw back one of her newer soldiers.
"I don't-" he bashed another man in his left temple "-accept-" a third soldier latched on to his left arm and Ghaleon raised his sword to free himself "-defeat-" a fourth man grabbed his sword arm and a fifth tackled him from behind "-that easily!"
The captain nodded solemnly, respecting the warrior mage's fighting spirit, even as he fell under the weight of two more of her men. "But you may have too," she murmured to herself.
"Who the heck here's powerful enough to cast an anti-magic shield around this place?" demanded Sadoul, from his undignified posture on the floor.
"Oh, so you recognize the ramifications of the spell, do you?" said the voice from the shadows. "That's more than I would have given you credit for."
A trim man with long chestnut hair emerged from the darkness. One hand rested casually on his hip, and the symbol of the Danek nation was plainly emblazoned on the front of his tunic.
"Jeal," spat Sadoul.