Short Excerpt from The Secret King

Blood and Apple Juice

The Northern Inn is a place of food and drink, dancing and storytelling, comfort and rest. However, it is a ten hour walk north from Vejor through woods that are often unfriendly and uncomfortable.

Our party had walked a hundred paces beyond the arch (where the road angles slightly East) when they noticed 5 people wearing scrap vests carrying blue or common metal swords standing near the road ahead. As you know, no one steals or fights within the city of Vejor out of respect for the ancient tradition. So, people lurking just outside the city limits are often up to no good. These men were no exception. They were watching our party approach, putting on their helmets and drawing their swords. “Varcha, see if you can knock down the guy in the barrel”, said one of them.

Wullfan stepped between Xilaf and Leehemm, put on her helmet and drew her dagger. Derze handed Leehemm his axe, dropped her pack, put her slip plate in place across her chest, and drew her (expensive) dagger as well. She stepped into place behind Leehemm as they had planned. Bodlee felt exposed as if by an icy breeze. She had buckled her armor as soon as they were out of the city, but her bare arms and lower legs, and the hair rustling on her uncovered head were suddenly very apparent to her. She stepped behind Xilaf, drew her sword and thought, “Perhaps the first wounds I heal will be my own.” She smiled (but she didn’t even think of running away).

Xilaf was already holding the base of his spear (the head was in his pack) which he planned to use as a defensive club. He sort of wished he’d bought a sword. In the friendly confines of the shop, the long blue-metal pole had seemed sufficient, but now he wondered.

The 5 enemies jogged towards our heroes, however 2 of them were faster and arrived first. One swung his sword at Xilaf’s exposed head and the other tried to push Leehemm over. Xilaf dodged the swing and took a step forward. Leehemm stepped back (he didn’t have room for a full axe swing) and punched his right hand forward sending the head of his axe into the top of the enemies scrap vest knocking him backwards (his vest protected him from the sharp edge). Xilaf swung his pole at his attacker and struck him solidly in the back of his head. His helmet flew off, and he fell forward on his face. Bodlee tried to stab him, but missed, and he ran off towards the forest (wisely) and out of the battle. A third attacker tried to stab Xilaf in his back, but Wullfan knocked the blow off course with her large dagger and then tried to stab him in his face (but missed).

Leehemm’s opponent drew his sword back and kept his eyes fixed on the axe. He didn’t even see Derze as she darted around Leehemm and stabbed towards his chest with all her fury. The thin metal of his vest cracked, and the point of her blade cut through the cloth beneath, pushed between his ribs, punctured his right lung, cut through his back, flipped the plate on his back upward, cut through his leather backpack (he was worried that someone might steal his supplies during or after the “battle”) and sliced into an apple which he was carrying in his pack. She yanked it back, and ran around him, (intending to help Xilaf and Wulffan deal with their attacker, but was engaged by the fourth enemy. He clanked over to her and swung his dull sword at her exposed body. She ducked and stabbed her dagger, still dripping with blood and cider, into his leg. The fifth attacker swung his sword into Derze’s leg cutting deeply into her flesh, or rather he would have if Leehemm hadn’t struck him in the helmet with a full axe swing, breaking his helmet, and cutting his head a little. Xilaf swung at the enemy behind him, who deflected the blow with his sword. Wulffan simultaneously stabbed him in the side with her dagger and he ran off. They didn’t try to catch him (they wanted to stay together). The man Leehamm had wounded also ran off.

The man who Derze had stabbed in the chest had run away. The final attacker (stabbed in the leg) was rapidly limping away. Bodlee was following him and Xilaf was following her. She shouted, “You are going to bleed to death if you don’t let me treat your leg, I am a healer.” He slowed and returned to the group as a prisoner.

Bodlee worked fast. After they had taken all of his clothing and money, she poured a clear potion over her hands and his wound. She put paste soaked in a blue potion into his wound and then sewed the wound shut. After a moment his color improved. He stood up and appeared on the road to recovery.

“My name is Tinfel, thank you for showing mercy on me.”

“I needed the practice,” said Bodlee.

Tinfel walked back towards Vejor and probably went to a bank so that he could afford to resupply himself, and hopefully find some friends with better attitudes.

New Friends and the House of Eight Wells

Derze set the pace. She had no armor (other than her slip plate) and Leehemm’s axe and pack weren’t heavy enough to slow her down. So the group was moving quite quickly and soon caught up to 4 travelers who had left earlier.

Yanax, Xitus and Bovard (Three men dressed in identical armor (thin common metal breast and thigh plates, with metal cups worn over their cloth pants)) were traveling with a woman named Urlee (obviously someone in her family tree had been altered because she had smooth straw colored hair, and gently browned skin).

“Good choice of armor”, Xilaf said to the men, pounding his chestplate and smiling. “Yes”, said Bovard, “you would think that the mere sight of it would deter bandits, but you’d be wrong.”

“We were attacked also”, added Derze,”just outside of the city”
“Yes and they ran away bleeding, we scattered them like chickens”, said Bodlee.

Everyone was smiling, no weapons were drawn, and the two parties merged together talking and laughing as they travelled North.

Leehemm sent a message to Xilaf:

LEEHEMM: Suddenly our party has more swords than scabbards! We should try to split up again later.

XILAF: Yes. We’ll try to break off the original party for dinner at the Northern Inn.

They all chatted about nothing in particular for over an hour as they walked. They talked of the world, the weather, clothing and plans for the future. Finally, Bovard said something which attracted Xilaf’s attention.

“. . . if I can find the House of Eight Wells then a fortune awaits. The house was a sort of theater. There are big eight-sided stone tiles in the floor of the room. A tile with a certain symbol conceals the entrance to the underground city which allowed wealthy, important people” (who all lived underground) “to enter the theater without walking in the heat of the day. I can use that entrance to descend into the abandoned homes and shops of the forgotten city.”

“Do you know which symbol?” asked Wulffan.

“Of course I do. That’s the whole point. After I come back loaded with gold, I’ll buy some horses and then . . .”

As he continued his monologue about his glorious future, Xilaf smiled quietly. He knew exactly where the House of Eight Wells was. He had seen it with his own eyes.

The Market at Seven Roads

As they headed north beyond Vejor, small roads joined to become larger roads. At a small square, six roads joined to become Dalaak highway (one of the three main sub roads which ultimately become the Grand Northern Road). Several people had set up a makeshift market. Goods of all sorts were available from people who were milling about the square.

“I am going to look for some more medical stuff, a helmet and maybe some better shoes”, said Bodlee.

Derze also wanted to look around for bargains. Leehemm was kind of tired from the walk and decided to hang out with Bodlee and Derze. Urlee and Bovard also stayed to shop.

Xilaf, Wulffan, Yanax and Xitus continued north to prepare accommodations for the group.

Xilaf sent a message to Bodlee:

XILAF: Please find out all you can about the House of Eight Wells. I know where it is! It can be our first adventure. But be discreet if you can.

BODLEE: Yes! Bovard is very talkative; it seems his father’s friend launched a minor exploration of the underground city from that entrance. They brought back a few trinkets, but it seems that they left most of it unexplored. I’ll give you more information later.

Xitus and Yanax were pretty quiet as the four walked up the Grand Northern Road. No one was heading south as it was late in the day, and most people were interested in getting to the inn, or the region beyond it. A small group passed them with just a friendly greeting. Mostly, Xilaf and Wulffan talked to each other.

Wulffan was saying, “We have to carefully consider our adventure, but we also have to consider the idea of not entering the ruins at all. Remember, the stories are full of people who sought adventure among the ruins and never returned. Or returned missing limbs, or with scarred faces or worse.”

“Yes”, Xilaf added, “I think about that.”

“Gold and glory are certainly positive things”, Wulffan continued, “but I think when you stand at the top of the wall and begin to climb into that ancient territory, you need something more than greed to propel you forward.”

“I agree”, said Xilaf, “There are a lot of ways to attain gold, perhaps not as quickly, but with less personal risk. But what you can’t gain is the unique perspective of one who has seen Soflmo first hand. One who has returned with knowledge of that ancient world which can enrich all of our lives. And who has unwrapped a little of the mysteries which surround us. I would prefer not being bitten or clawed, but I do not see myself living in a little wooden house, in the shadow of such greatness and legend without going to see it for myself.”

“Speaking of houses, Bodlee and Urlee are already planning to build houses in the far north”, Wulffan said.

They spoke for a while of houses and plans. Xitus and Yanax seemed very excited about building and protecting the homes of Bodlee and Urlee.

Miles before they reached the inn, the light scent of flowers gave way to the pungent aromas of meat rubbed with pungent spices roasting over an open flame. Everyone talked about hunger and food. And then, finally, the Northern Inn came into view.