By Volk-Oboroten'
Lowenherz awoke in a small room, wondering what had happened. Glancing out a window, he could see the sun starting to set. Had it been that long?
At least he didn't have to worry about the manticore curse any more. Nothing would happen when twilight descended on the land. No spirit of vengeance would fly across the land, searching for the Malachites who had done this.
"I see you're awake now," said an old man. "They'll want to see you down in the village council. An emergency meeting has been called, to deal with the Malachite threat. Many are grateful that you saved the girl's life. Some want to hear how Akkala's healing power can help this land. She was rarely honored when Nasoj ruled here. "
After a quick glance, Lowenherz remembered his host. Perun. The man who'd first warned him about the dangers of the Malachites on his first visit to Caralore. But there was also someone else in the room. A person who looked vaguely like a weasel.
"Herman the ermine?" asked Lowenherz. "I haven't seen you in months."
"Well, I'm actually a stoat now," said Herman, pointing to his brown fur. "Perun told me all about your battle with Beruthiel, when she tried to . . ."
"I'd rather forget about that."
"It doesn't matter now. Just as long as you serve Akkala faithfully. Artela said . . ."
"You're a disciple of Artela now?" asked Lowenherz. This made some sense. If Herman was partly a beast of the forest, then he should honor the true goddess of the wild. At least he hadn't been seduced by Lilith's promises of great earthly power or the blandishments of the Malachites.
"Yes. In fact, I believe Artela helped bring you to Caralore today. You see, she is working with Akkala to redeem the lutins. You can greatly aid the effort."
"Help lutins? How? Aren't they beyond redemption?" scoffed Lowenherz, feeling indignant. After being unable to rescue a child from monstrous bears, he was supposed to aid ghastly goblins, the foot soldiers of Nasoj?
"The lutins have been neglected for too long," said Perun. "They fell into evil, because no one cared about them. Artela herself was distracted, too intent on watching over the elves."
"How can you say that!" exclaimed Lowenherz. "I've fought those foul goblins for years, never seeing any sign of goodness in them. Didn't you say the lutins were ruined elves, Perun? Things from which all traces of good had been removed?"
"No. There is still hope for them," said Perun, pointing to a scroll. "Since trade routes opened to the south, I've learned much more about the lutins, lore which was lost from the Giantdowns for decades. They can still be redeemed. Artela will show the lutins that Lilith is not the true goddess of the woods. Akkala will heal them, bringing them away from the path of evil."
Hardly believing his ears, Lowenherz responded, "Isn't this a minor concern? What about those bears! A child was ripped apart today! Shouldn't we deal with . . ."
"It's related," said Herman. "Artela is very upset at what the Black Claw is doing, transforming lutins into horrible beasts: karuvati, demonic bears, bayards . . ."
"What? Those dire bears were once lutins? It doesn't seem possible."
"I also found it hard to believe," replied Perun, poring over a scroll. "But the Black Claw has somehow tapped into formidable magic, using negative dark energy. Like Klepnos, he excels in transformation spells, warping his victims into new forms. Forms which he can use as his instruments . . ."
"Instruments of destruction," muttered Lowenherz. "By Akkala, he must be stopped!"
"If nothing is done about the Malachites," continued Perun. "The lutins will be truly ruined, turned into a wrecked race of slaves only fit to do the bidding of the Nameless One. That's why Artela and Akkala have decided to intervene now."
"The meeting's about to start," announced Herman. "We better head to the hall . . ."
A few minutes later, Lowenherz and Herman entered the crowded meeting hall, where a throng had gathered, eager to hear the words of burgomaster Tolvin. By afternoon, all of Caralore had heard the news about the bear attack. Who was responsible? Someone must be punished for this awful crime.
Perun whispered to Lowenherz, "I'm afraid Tolvin may be in league with the Malachites, but I can't be certain. You'll need to . . ."
Lowenherz quietly responded, "I'll be careful. Even if he isn't a Malachite, I already know he signed a pact with Lilith when he deserted Nasoj. Tolvin can't be trusted."
The burgomaster approached the stage, flanked by a draconian holding a spear. The raucous crowd became more agitated as people began to shout. "Kill the bear-master!" yelled one man.
"The Malachites did this to our town. Hunt them all down!" screamed others.
Showing some concern at the ugly mood of the assembly, Tolvin raised his left hand and displayed a golden object. Upon seeing the ankh, the noise began to subside, for all knew it was a symbol of Lilith's authority. "Good people. Your queen will punish the miscreants who have perpetrated this foul deed. None of Nasoj's schemes to retake this town will succeed!"
The draconian standing next to the burgomaster pointed his spear north and several people cheered. Ever since Valaric liberated the Giantdowns, the villagers hoped Lilith's campaign would be extended, ending Nasoj's grip on the cities near the Death Mountains. There was always fear that the wizard's armies might return, launching a cruel counterattack to punish his former subjects.
"First, we should thank the person who saved the girl's life," continued Tolvin. The crowd cheered even more loudly as Lowenherz approached the stage. Tolvin's face momentarily showed some concern, but he quickly regained his composure. "Not only is he a gallant warrior, but also a man with uncanny healing abilities."
"My power only came from Akkala," started Lowenherz, but he soon realized few could hear him over the deafening din filling the stifling air in the hall. He bowed to the grateful Midlander family in the audience, hoping their daughter made a full recovery. The draconian again pointed the spear toward Nasoj's remaining realm, making Lowenherz feel uneasy. Was he just being exploited by Tolvin?
"All servants of the Lightbringer gods are sworn to battle evil," he said loudly, but could again tell that his words weren't reaching the crowd. They'd evidently been perceived by Tolvin, who winced when he heard Akkala's name. Deciding that it was best not to outwear his welcome, Lowenherz slowly withdrew, returning to the place where Perun and Herman stood.
"We have a witness to the atrocity here," continued Tolvin, raising the ankh again to quiet the crowd. "Hans claims to have seen the bear attack himself this morning. We should all hear what he has to say."
A somewhat nervous man walked forward, clutching a clump of bear fur in his right hand. All eyes turned toward him, as the villagers wondered what he would report. The hall became suddenly silent, as people waited with bated breath to learn what actually happened.
After sitting on a stool next to Tolvin, Hans start to relate his tale of woe, "This morning, just before dawn, I was standing on the wall, watching for intruders at the forest gate."
"Did you see any intruders?" asked Tolvin.
"No. Just that evil mage! We should have done . . ."
"One moment," interrupted Tolvin. "So there were no intruders? Pryftan needs to report back to Scathamond about this attack. We'll need his magical help to defeat our foes."
"Pryftan? Who's that?" asked Hans, feeling uncomfortable as the draconian glared at him.
"Pryftan is in charge of security for this area." replied Tolvin. "In July, the draconians at the Dark Keep heard accounts of trouble near here, so his detachment deployed to Bremen to watch for threats. Pryftan told me we must constantly be alert for infiltration by Nasoj's agents."
"Nasoj? This has nothing to do with Nasoj!" protested Hans. "It's those rotten Mala . . ."
"Please don't be so hasty to assign blame," continued Tolvin.
"I know who did it! I saw him praying to that damned Nameless One. It was Fort . . ."
"Don't jump to conclusions!" interrupted Tolvin sharply. "While we should all honor Queen Lilith, who delivered us from Nasoj's evil, the Giantdowns must allow tolerance of other religions. Just think of all the newcomers from the Midlands who've arrived, bringing their own gods. Or even neglecting to honor the gods, like the Followers who were purged long ago."
Somewhat confused, Hans continued, "But I'm sure he called the bears. They just . . ."
"We all know that the Malachites are a bit strange, but they've lived in this town for many years," stated Tolvin cautiously, trying to gauge the crowd's mood. "But we must be tolerant, for if Caralore becomes a thriving center of commerce again, many people with strange ideas will come here. So long as they aren't in league with Nasoj, we can accept those with odd beliefs."
"It's not their beliefs I'm worried about," said Hans. "The kids started making jokes about his bald head when he took his hat off and then the bears suddenly appeared."
"Appeared?" asked Tolvin. "If huge beasts suddenly materialized, then some sort of spell was used. Who would have such magic? Nasoj!"
A few voices in the crowd murmured their agreement. Pleased with this response, Tolvin resumed speaking, "What would you do if you were an old man, threatened by a monstrous dire bear. Wouldn't you run away? Who would face a magical animal sent by Nasoj?"
"I guess so," replied Hans. "The gate was open, so I figure he ducked into an alley and hid. I was too concerned with the bear attack to watch."
"Did you use your weapons?" asked Tolvin. "If more men had been stationed at the gate, could Mark have been saved? Give an honest answer."
"Ummm, no," said Hans, feeling rather guilty about his slow response. "Or at least, I don't think so. I'm not trained as an archer. Even so, it would have been very difficult to shoot the bear before it got to the boy. It all happened so fast!"
"We'll double the guard at all gates until this situation is resolved," said Tolvin. "No one will attack Caralore again! No fiend sent by Nasoj will menace our children!"
The crowd cheered loudly at Tolvin's words. Lowenherz gritted his teeth, feeling very annoyed at Tolvin's skilled manipulation of the assembly. Nasoj hadn't made any attempt to retake the Giantdowns from Lilith. Indeed, Lowenherz was now confident that the wizard's armies would never appear here again. He was much more worried about the Malachites. In a dream, Akkala had warned him that they posed a deadly threat to the entire region.
Taking the tuft of bear fur from Hans, Tolvin continued to address the hall, "The soldiers pursued the bears this morning, but the beasts vanished through a portal. The foul work of Nasoj! All we have is this bit of hair as proof, but it is enough. We all know what the wizard would do if he recaptured this town. Mark found out this morning, when he was cruelly torn apart by black sorcery. An innocent child, butchered by Nasoj's demon!"
Hans left the stage, relieved to be away from Tolvin's fierce glare. Lowenherz almost wished he'd been able to speak. But what would he have been able to say? I saw the whole attack, but did nothing to stop it because I was too far away? Ever since he wielded the Black Axe, some villagers were certain he had godlike powers. What would they think if he told them he witnessed the attack, but couldn't run fast enough to battle the bears? More importantly, how could they accept him as a healer, loyal to Akkala's order not to fight?
Pryftan rested his scaly tail on the floor as he sat on the stool, flicking his forked tongue back and forth, as he impatiently waited to address the Caralore assembly. The draconian commander was eager to speak, sure he could reinforce the town's loyalty to Lilith. He pointed his spear to the north again, thrusting it forward as he abruptly bared his sharp teeth.
"We will defeat Nasoj utterly!" shouted Tolvin. "On to total victory!"
"The queen's army waits in the Forest of Darknesss," declared Pryftan excitedly. "We will march on to triumph next spring! Lilith will crush all foes of the daedra!"
"Thank Lilith!" exclaimed Tolvin. "But first, we must be sure that Nasoj's agents are stopped. They shall never come to Caralore again!"
"Yesss," continued Pryftan, somewhat bothered by the presence of so many humans nearby. "Draconians will patrol the forest, looking for spies and renegadesss. All who do not wear Lilith's ankh will be watched. Report all strangers to usss. Especially lutins who do not serve the queen. They worked for the wizard before, so they are highly suspiciousss."
"Lutins!" yelled a man in the crowd, pointing to some greenish creatures standing near the door to the hall. "There are some right here! And they're not wearing the ankh!"
Pryftan promptly rose the stool and spread his wings, hissing "Traitorsss! All lutins should obey the queen!" The crowd parted as Pryftan jumped down from the stage, clutching his spear. Meanwhile, the lutins nervously stood at the door, next to a man wearing the guild badge of Lik. He walked forward into the crowd, motioning for a few lutins to follow him.
"What is the meaning of thisss!" demanded Pryftan. "How dare you bring these things into Caralore's hall! They could inform Nasoj of our plansss."
"Are you Pryftan, constable of Bremen?" asked the man. "Valaric sent me."
"Perhapsss," said Pryftan cautiously. "But he doesn't usually send humans to deal with usss? We usually work with his pack of dire wolvesss. Who are you?"
The stranger raised his left hand, revealing it was shaped like a wolf paw, covered in thick fur. "Bertolf of Lik. Deputy of Valaric. We must discuss the danger posed by Cirith Morgul!"
Annoyed at this unexpected intrusion, Tolvin attempted to regain control of the meeting. "All of Caralore is grateful to Valaric for his aid. Will he come to drive out Nasoj's demons? The wizard's malevolent beast killed a child here, tearing him apart. We need Valaric now! Save us from Nasoj's bears!"
"I heard about the beasts from the villagers," said Bertolf. "But I'm sure they are the work of Gorthaur, not Nasoj. Monsters have also been seen in Bremen, seizing lutins for their foul schemes. Valaric's convinced something must be done."
"Monstersss, What sort of monstersss?" asked Pryftan. "Surely you are not talking about Lilith's children, the fierce protectors of the forest?"
"You know perfectly well what is going on," said Bertolf, watching Tolvin carefully. "Lilith isn't able to control everything in the Giantdowns. She's allowed the Black Claw, Gorthaur, to do some dirty work for her. Like keeping defective draconians under control. All the rejects have been sent up to his lair."
"Rejectsss," snarled Pryftan. "How can you say that, mammal! Any draconian is superior! Scathamond could tell you how much care . . . "
"If Scathamond was here, the old mage might be forced to admit how often the magic spells go awry. We know all about it in Lik, after meeting insane draconians like Spike Tail. So many of them turn out bad, completely demented. If Gorthaur didn't have some kind of mental hold on him, Spike Tail would be quite mad! Utterly insane!"
"At least they don't bother any one else," sighed Pryftan. "The Malachites provide a good service, helping Lilith keep order here."
By this time the crowd had settled down, with the flurry of activity over the appearance of the lutins fading quickly. Pryftan regretted his last words, hoping not too many of the humans noticed. How dare Bertolf confront him in a public place!
"What about the lutins?" continued Bertolf . "Lilith's so-called vassal has been stealing them, changing them into his mindless slaves. These lutins followed me here from Bremen, for they were afraid of being seized by Malachites."
"They should wear the ankh," observed Pryftan. "If a lutin band won't serve Lilith, then it can serve as a fitting example to the othersss." Then, noticing that he was being closely watched by the townsfolk, Pryftan continued, "Loose lutins are dangerousss! Any who refuse to pledge fealty to the queen cannot be trusted."
"I don't think those bears came from Nasoj," said Bertolf. "Where is the queen's army? Valaric wanted to continue the campaign this spring, but his request was denied."
"The great Sivikian general is working with the Lom Shi'Un now, east of Nasoj's Citadel," replied Pryftan calmly. "Our draconians can beat anything the wizard sends at us, especially when aided by Lilith's mages. We will utterly rout Nasoj!"
Pryftan brandished his spear again, hoping to gain the crowd's attention, but all eyes were now on Bertolf. "Valaric wants to know when they are coming south! He believes that Gorthaur is a traitor to Lilith, plotting to set up his own realm. It's even been said that he claims to be Master of the Beasts, usurping the queen's authority."
"Next spring," muttered Pryftan. "Once winter ends, the whole army will head south. Then, Lilith will destroy the enemy. The Sivikian will lead us into battle . . ."
"Against the Malachites?"
"Against any who oppose the daedra!" declared Pryftan angrily. "All hail Lilith!"
Lowenherz watched this exchange carefully, noticing that Tolvin had abruptly left the hall. Why? Where had he gone? The burgomaster had become visibly nervous once Bertolf accused Gorthaur of treason to Lilith. Perhaps this accusation worried him personally, as Tolvin had previously defected from Nasoj to join the Vampire Queen's cause.
"I don't like him," whispered Herman. "That Bertolf, he must have sold his soul to Lilith! The nerve of him, saying that Lilith owns all the beasts of the forest. Artela is the true Mistress of the Wild, not that evil daedra vampiress."
"Still, he does know part of the truth," said Perun. "Tolvin had almost won over the crowd, convincing them that Nasoj was behind the bear attack. But now, seeing someone who speaks on behalf of Valaric . . ."
"Even if Valaric serves Lilith," observed Lowenherz. "It's good to see that he's aware of the Malachite threat. I truly believe that Bertolf has Caralore's best interests at heart."
"Only time will tell," replied Herman. "But we really must find out what happened to those lutins. If Artela wants us to help them, any information would be useful."
"Akkala would also want me to see Bertolf," said Lowenherz. "We must avenge Mark's death and discover who sent the bears. Perhaps it is all connected. If we help the lutins, then we maybe able to break the power of the Malachites . . . and Lilith."
"I hope you're right," said Herman, as they walked toward Bertolf. The crowd began to flow out of hall, following Pryftan to the village square. There, a number of draconians were assembled, showing Caralore that Lilith would defend towns under her protection.