By Volk-Oboroten'
Grasping the weapon's handle tightly, Roderic grinned at Nasoj's envoy. Now that he had the Axe, he would no longer have to obey the wizard's orders. Instead, he would give them. No more ore would go to the Citadel unless the envoy accepted his demands.
Before he could speak, Roderic's mind was invaded by a wave of thoughts. Who are you? A thief? He then saw the image of a man with a vulpine head. This must be a vile spell from Metamor, Roderic thought, cast by that evil beast.
But how could the spell work in Lik? That miner must be in league with the Keepers. He would break the spell by destroying the agent of the beasts. His guards already held the treacherous miner down, so all he needed to do was to decapitate him. It should be easy to do with this mighty weapon.
Before Roderic could swing the axe, he felt a wave of intense cramps. Staggering forward, he felt energy being drained out of him. He looked again at Nasoj's envoy, standing next to the arch. Moving towards the envoy with the last of his strength, Roderic could see that the normally detached emissary was dumbfounded, with a look of horror stretched across his face.
As Roderic crumpled to his feet, Nasoj's envoy watched with mixed feelings of terror and curiosity. He had seen the wizard perform many sadistic experiments on men, but had not viewed anything like this before. The envoy saw that Roderic's hands still clutched the handle of the axe, but were rapidly becoming skeletal, as pieces of flesh fell off them. The black surface of the weapon glowed with an eerie light, as the Axe seemed to be pulling energy into itself.
The guards left Recared in the snow, wondering what doom had befallen their commander for grabbing the accursed weapon. They could see a white glow around his entire body, flowing into the handle of the Axe. What kind of sorcery was this? They had heard tales of wraiths in the Tauremorna, who could drain life from a person. Was this Axe really an undead spirit?
With a heavy thud, the Axe dropped to the ground next to the portal, taking several bones from Roderic's decomposing fingers down with it. Carefully stepping around the weapon, Nasoj's envoy moved to Roderic's crumpled form. He must find out what sort of power was present in this weapon, so the wizard might know how to use it against his foes.
Sensing that the magic was tied to the Axe itself, the envoy decided it was safe to inspect the corpse. He perceived that Roderic had been reduced to a pile of bones. The guild lord's head was now nothing more than a skull, with locks of fallen hair sown on the snow below it. Nasoj's envoy resolved to bring the guild lord's skull back to the wizard, and bent down to remove it.
However, the instant the envoy's hand touched the skull, it began to crumble. The bones dissolved into dust the instant he felt them, scattering like grains of sand. In a few moments, nothing was left of Roderic except a few gray specks on his clothing. These specks did not remain for long, for they were carried away by the cold wind, blown west into the depths of the Black Woods.
While Roderic's guards were aghast at the destruction of their leader, Recared had been slowly edging away from the scene, sliding across the snow. He hoped not to be noticed while they were distracted. Once he felt he was far enough way, he rose to his knees, watching for any movement from Roderic's troops. He saw they were immobile, paralyzed by a terrible fate that had just overcome the guild lord. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened to Roderic, but was certain he had fully deserved it.
Walking up the path, Recared spotted Kriemhilda. She was watching him from a distance, and must have been observing his work on the arch. What had she done to him? Why didn't she use the evil weapon herself?
Feeling more pain from his burned hands, Recared wondered why he had not shared Roderic's dreadful demise. He could see clouds of dust blowing out of the guild lord's tattered clothing, with no trace of a body remaining. Perhaps the Axe had punished the guild lord for his despotic rule during the past few weeks. Getting to his feet, Recared trudged away, hoping that the guards would not notice his departure. They seemed obsessed with the Axe, ignoring everything else.
Before Recared reached Kriemhilda, he heard shouts in the main street. "Valaric is here!" People were rushing to the western gate of Lik, hearing the sound of an advancing army. With a loud boom, the outer wall of the town crumbled as a group of giants trudged through it. They must be the workers who disappeared from the mines a few days ago, wandering off into the Tauremorna.
The giants plodded up the hill to Kriemhilda, who pointed the way to Nasoj's portal. They quickly obeyed her command, and rushed forward, ready to smash it. As the giants neared the arch, Nasoj's envoy suddenly realized his peril. He had been distracted by Roderic's destruction, and had forgotten that the portal no longer had any magical wards.
How could he stop an army of giants? A few men from Nasoj's Citadel had walked through the portal after Roderic seized the Axe, but they weren't enough. The wizard had only sent them to carry the Axe to the Citadel, not as new army to garrison the town.
As one giant began to pound on the far side of the arch, Nasoj's envoy urged his men forward. They needed to act quickly, for giants could pummel boulders into pebbles in a few minutes. There wasn't enough time to defend the arch. No magic users could be summoned, because Nasoj had sent them away from his Citadel to pursue the rebel mages who had violated his fortress. Lik was lost, but at least they could bring this powerful weapon back to Nasoj.
Two men locked a metallic vise onto the Axe's handle, being very careful not to touch it. Others tethered the vise to a rope, and began to drag the Axe through the portal, teleporting it into Nasoj's Citadel. As they hurried to move the heavy weapon, blocks from the arch crashed to the ground. The giants had little trouble dismantling it, hurling fragments in all directions. Nasoj's envoy ducked as he was nearly hit by a flying stone.
Recared looked down at the arch, seeing Nasoj's men pull the Axe through its center. He wondered why the wizard didn't fire any fireballs at the giants, but imagined Nasoj was more interested in seizing the Axe. As more of the archway's blocks crumbled, the portal began to flicker, as its power started to fail. But it was too late, for Nasoj's envoy had already reached the far side of the portal with his prize.
Moments later, a giant pried the keystone of the arch out of place. Once this boulder fell, the entire portal collapsed. As the giants continued pounding on the rubble of the arch, Recared noticed that Kriemhilda was standing next to him.
Upset that the envoy had escaped, he asked her: "What about the Axe? Surely, you didn't want Nasoj to get it? It must have great power."
With an evil laugh, she said: "It does. If Nasoj tries to use it, he'll suffer the same fate as Roderic. Any of the wizard's henchmen will try to wield it will be utterly destroyed."
Remembering his thoughts about the fox-man, Recared said: "Who is the owner of the Axe? Is it from Metamor Keep? How did you get it?"
Kriemhilda answered: "That doesn't matter. You have freed Lik from Nasoj's tyranny. The Axe is no longer needed now that the portal is gone."
Walking forward, Recared spotted a glowing globe on the ground. It must be the stone Roderic once used to communicate with Nasoj. Peering into the sphere, Recared could see the huge black axe lying in a chamber filled with rubble. Apparently, the giants had thrown some of the archway stones through the porter, littering the Citadel with debris. Then, someone in a long robe stepped warily over the gravel to inspect the Axe. Was it the wizard himself? How could Kriemhilda not worry about the loss of such a terrible weapon? Recared hastily picked up a cloak from the ground, and covered the orb, fearing that Nasoj would see him.
Sending Recared's concern, Kriemhilda said: "Nasoj can no longer teleport here, so there is no need to fear him. That stone might be useful when Valaric starts his campaign to free other towns from the wizard. We will liberate Bremen next."
Placing the cloak with the magic crystal on the steps of the guild lord's castle, Recared said: "Valaric is really back? He wasn't as bad as his brother Roderic, but Valaric loyally served Nasoj for many years. How can you trust him?"
Looking down the main street, Recared saw a procession of soldiers marching in disciplined columns. They must have been the regiments Roderic had sent into the Tauremorna at dawn. What happened to them? There had been so many rumors.
"Come with me," Kriemhilda said, "Valaric wants to see you. He's changed in many ways. You might almost say that he's a new person after the Metamor campaign. We're sure he's completely loyal to his Queen, and dedicated to the overthrow of Nasoj."
Recared walked forward with Kriemhilda, noticing a huge crowd gathered in Lik's central square. Many were overjoyed to see the soldiers returning from the Black Woods, for it was widely believed that they had all been captured by demons. In the middle of the throng, Recared spotted Valaric, wearing plate mail armor, surrounded by happy miners.
As Kriemhilda pushed Recared ahead, he heard shouts from the mob. "No more taxes! Down with Nasoj!" He listened as Valaric told the miners that they no longer had to give any gems to Nasoj, because the wizard's portal was no more. He noticed that the crowd seemed to flow to either side in waves as Kriemhilda moved ahead, as if they were controlled by a spell. Moments later, Recared found himself in the center of the throng, standing next to Valaric.
"Here is the Chosen One!," Valaric proclaimed. "He has delivered you from Nasoj's evil!" The crowd cheered, but Recared felt uneasy. Valaric's glove clasped Recared's burned right hand, and held it up: "This hand broke the wizard's portal!" Valaric then took off an emblem from his armor, and pinned it on Recared's cloak.
Looking down, Recared realized that it was a symbol of Lik's trade guild, only worn by the lord of Lik. Was this possible? The guild's power had always been kept by a few families. It would never be relinquished to a mere miner.
Pointing to the north gate of Lik, Valaric spoke: "I am going forth to liberate more towns from the wizard. This man will rule in my stead, ensuring that the miners of Lik keep the wealth they have earned with their own hands. Nasoj will never claim tribute from this town again!"
The crowd roared, approving Valaric's selection of a commoner, but Recared wondered what he could do. He never dreamed of actually becoming the leader of Lik. Was he really the leader?
Several regiments of soldiers pushed forward, parting the rowdy mass of people to either side. The troops all had blank expressions on their faces, as if their minds were empty of all thoughts. Recared found himself swept forward again, as lines of men marched through town, just like columns of ants seeking food.
Recared spotted a side street, and quickly side stepped there, to get out of the procession. A group of miners moved towards him, ecstatic that one of their own had been chose to administer Lik. He also saw Valaric heading his way, waving the others back.
As the former guild lord approached, Recared noticed Valaric had a double-edged sword strapped to his side, stained with blood. His face bore a grave expression, making Recared wonder how many battles Valaric had fought. What had happened in the Metamor Valley?
Valaric looked at the badge intently, and said: "You are now in charge here. Make sure that some gems are delivered to the path leading into the forest every week. They are for the Queen of the Tauremorna, to show Lik's gratitude for being delivered from Nasoj. She doesn't want tribute, but expects Lik to voluntarily give a small share of its riches."
Recared looked into Valaric's eyes, and felt troubled. Something was wrong. Baring pointed teeth, Valaric grasped his sword firmly, and took a glove off his right hand. Recared could see that Valaric's hand was covered with fur, and ended in claws instead of fingernails. It looked almost like a wolf's paw.
Valaric said: "Kriemhilda will tell you what to do. People who are indebted to the Queen will serve her happily, or meet an awful fate." Before turning away, Valaric's eyes seemed to glow, reminding Recared of the red embers on the Axe, when it was struck by Nasoj's fireball. He looked down, and saw that Valaric's hand appeared to be fully human. Was this some sort of dark magic from the Tauremorna?
After putting his glove back on, Valaric walked away, soon joining a regiment marching towards Lik's north gate. Recared wondered what had during the campaign against Metamor. It clearly had changed Valaric, in more ways than one. Or had he been cursed by the Black Woods? Everyone who went in there seemed to be bewitched, no longer capable of independent thought.
Recared wished he knew how Kriemhilda got the Axe. Had Valaric captured it from the Keepers? Why had Recared been selected to wield it against the archway? He had so many questions to ask. Perhaps Kriemhilda would explain.
Or would she? Recared recalled his thoughts when he carried the Axe. They seemed to be just a blur now, but he was sure the Axe had been stolen from its true owner. Was it the fox man? Even worse, Kriemhilda had allowed it to be taken through the portal by Nasoj's envoy, so the wizard now possessed it. Could it ever be reclaimed from Nasoj?
Who was the Queen? Recared had only heard rumors about the dark spirits in the Tauremorna, but doubted that anything coming out of that gloomy forest could be truly good. What awful fate would befall Lik if they did not send her gems? Recared worried that her magic might be even worse than the spells wrought by Nasoj, for all of the garrison troops seemed to be captivated by her sorcery. Was he really the leader of Lik, or just a servant of a Queen he didn't know?