Chapter 1 - Like Candy From a Baby
“Imagine a world on the other side of thought if you will. A world where things are not what they seem. A world where dreams are made a reality and where that which you desire can be made yours in an instant. Now imagine a world where great evil stalks the land. A world that can be full of despair for the unlucky and where only a few stand against the evils that ravage the world. That is the world of the Gods, a world where the unlucky are those who have sinned against them. A world that although evil constantly batters on the door, the all powerful Gods of Light keep them at bay, protecting us! They keep us safe from that which we can’t fight and hope to win. They do all they can to keep us safe and yet…and yet there are those of us who give into temptation, to the promise of power and fall prey to Their plans, the plans of the Gods of Shadow. You my children must fight this temptation…”
“Bloody priests…” muttered Tel, “bloody long-winded priests!”
Shaking his head in frustration Tel managed not to make himself too obvious to those around him that he was not a devout follower of the Gods of Light. Fooling these people into believing he was a follower had been child’s play. A bit of bowing and scraping in front of the alter here, a bit of faked religious knowledge there and next thing he knows, he gets asked in for a private sermon. This had been far to easy, but Tel Harrad had learned long ago that easy wasn’t always bad if he kept his eyes open, and that was one thing he was very good at.
Glancing around, he managed to take in all of his surroundings in seconds. This was the main meeting hall of the local church, and although small it was quite wealthy. Large marble pillars two paces wide and far too large for a man to wrap his arms around and touch hands on the other side, held up the ceiling at least a span up. The entire ceiling had ornate carvings of man’s rendition of the Gods of Light intricately placed, with vivid colours ranging from a sky blue backdrop to a blood red tipped sword. Just below the ceiling were the tops of the massive windows, each painstakingly filled with coloured glass to capture the noonday sun and send a rainbow of colours which highlighted anybody standing on the podium. Even then, only an hour before second bell the light dancing in the great hall was hypnotizing and awe inspiring.
“…and so my children, go forth today and fight the temptation, fight the Gods of Shadow, make the Gods of Light proud. This my children is your mission today. On your way out please do not forget to make a donation to the Church to keep us strong. May the Gods protect you!”
“Finally it’s over”, he thought, “the things I do to get a good look inside these places.”
Somewhat mechanically he rose from his kneeling position, the blood finally returning to his feet. As he passed a priest on the way out the door he dropped a silver in the small silk bag the man was holding. I’ll get that coin back soon enough, and more to make up for the time I spend apart from it. Tel couldn’t help but chuckle on his way out.
* * *
The moon was high overhead as Tel nimbly slipped from shadow to shadow. It may not have been a large town but it still had a towns guard, and he was out far after third bell. Quickly he ducked into an alley as he heard the sound of heavy booted feet on the cobblestones and the sound of sheathed swords bumping into armoured legs. A moment later a pair of men in half mail strolled by, swords on hips and spears in hand. They weren’t really paying much attention to their surroundings, and even if Tel was sitting under one of the lamps with a big sign in his lap proclaiming what he was going to do; they probably wouldn’t have noticed him.
Making sure one last time that the cotton scarf still hid most of his face he slipped out of the alley and around one more corner to the back of the church. One wall only fifteen paces high was the only thing keeping him from his goal. Gingerly he rubbed his fingers of his right hand together, he hated doing this; it felt like cheating, but he had been taught to use every trick at his disposal. Taking a deep breath he placed his right hand against the rock wall and closed his eyes. Letting his senses travel down his arm and out through his fingers he entered the wall. Entered probably wasn’t the right word for it, but Tel couldn’t think of any better way of describing it. Slowly, as his mind caressed the very being of the stone it began to move as if alive. Beginning where his fingers touched the wall it began to swirl outward; not far at first but soon gaining speed. Within a few heartbeats the wall swirled open for Tel Harrad, all the while ushering him in.
Pulling his hand back and taking a deep breath Tel took a moment to recover from the exertion of bending the stone so that he could get through the wall. He grimaced as he passed through the opening, he would have to leave it open in case he needed to make a quick escape, but somebody might notice it before he returned. Shaking his head he resolved that he would just have to work quickly and not spend any idle time wandering around looking for extras. He knew what he wanted anyway and where it was.
Hopping through the opening that was only about a pace wide took only a second, the quick duck and roll to the nearest bushes another second. Tel hadn’t seen any guards during the earlier sermon but that didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be any. Far better to be safe then sorry. Only allowing himself ten minutes to get in and out with the spoils would make this endeavour a little more difficult, but what fun was it without a challenge? On that thought he resolved not to use any of his “tricks” unless necessary.
A light in the chapel showed that one of the priests was still awake, or had fallen asleep while going through some obscure tome. Conveniently though, Tel wasn’t going to the chapel, the main audience hall was more to his liking. Five paces across open grass into the shadows, prowl along the wall for seven paces and a patient minute with the lock and voila; the main audience hall. Stupid priests make this too easy.
Even without the sunlight the hall still held a measure of awe with the moonlight playing a different but equally effective game with the stained glass windows. Although not as brilliant in colour and contrast, the flowing lines of the images possessed a different type of beauty. The images of the Gods no longer seemed at odds with each other but more part of a grander scheme. Each curve and line intermingling with the other, the God of War, Sindar no longer seemed to be battling Vahemos the God of Death. Instead they were working together, ushering the souls of the deceased to a place far better then the one the people tread wearily on everyday.
Caught up in the oft missed beauty of the night time images minutes slowly went by until the scuffle of a sandal on the marble floors jerked Tel alert. A quick glance around told him that he had not yet been seen…hopefully. The sound of the footsteps was getting closer every second though and he couldn’t afford to just stand around and wait for this person to give him away. The darkness was Tel’s friend though, they had spent some very intimate time together and knew each other very well. Out in the open just wouldn’t do, in front of the windows would be too obvious and the corners didn’t hold enough shadows to hide in. The only answer then was up. In three soundless strides Tel had crossed to the East side of the room and was already using the statues as ladders. Within the rythym of a few heartbeats he was almost a span up and well hidden in the shadows.
Below him and oblivious to Tel’s presence entered a bald priest holding a stubby candle and a half empty bottle of wine. He wandered up to the front alter, bent to his knees and said a few indecipherable words before getting back up and again walking out of the hall. Tel breathed a sigh of relief and nimbly made his way back down to the floor. Too much time had passed and he was anxious to get what he came for and to be on his way.
“If I were a huge pile of coins waiting to be stolen and then frivolously spent by a young man, where would I hide?” Tel whispered under his breath. Closing his eyes and concentrating he quickly found the unique resonance of a certain silver coin he had earlier “donated” to the church. Oh, he must have forgotten to tell them that it was magic, how foolish of him. Straight up to the main alter and statue he went, surveyed it for a moment and pulled on an extending finger which he reasoned must be the lever to open the secret compartment. It turned out to be just a poorly made stone finger which broke off in Tel’s hand… but it was a good try. With a quick glance around to make sure that nobody had seen his mistake he went to put it back on. With a mischievous smile and a moment of concentration the finger was reattached.
Taking a little longer with his next investigation of the statue he found what he was sure was the lever. Still, he pulled on it gently to make sure that it didn’t break. The lever turned easily and the statue moved silently out. Tel easily avoided the pivoting statue and gazed into a room only about a quarter the size of the audience hall but filled with enough wealth to make most lords envious.
“I’ll never be able to carry all of this!” was the sad lament that escaped his lips. “Not all of it…but I’m gonna take a fair bit!”
Reaching down to his belt he pulled out his prized possession, a small bag that appeared only large enough to fit a hand in. Things were not always as they appeared though, the bag may have looked small but the amount that it could hold was sometimes mind boggling even to Tel. The wizard that he had stolen this from had gone to great lengths to create some sort of pocket dimension inside it that would allow it to carry far more than it appeared.
The first thing that Tel picked up was his silver coin, a good luck charm that had always been kind to him. He then quickly scavenged the room for the most valuable looking items; gems, gold chalices, and the like. After about three minutes of quick grabbing he felt that he had more then overstayed his welcome. It was time to be going. Just before Tel could leave though, something caught his attention. Beside the door, on a table of its own was a very ornate dagger. The hilt of the dagger was covered in precious gems with a wickedly curving, single edged blade that was an odd blue colour. All along the blade, almost imperceptible to the eye was a strange writing that almost always blended into the shadows no matter how he looked at it. Now this was a prize that Tel could not leave behind. Beside where the dagger had been sitting there was an equally ornate sheathe which Tel grabbed and went so far as to belt on his waist. Sliding the dagger into the sheath and resealing the room he was off.
Back through the audience hall, out the door and silently across the small lawn to the hole in the outer wall. Peeking his head out and listening Tel could find no signs that anybody was nearby. Sliding out the hole and quickly coming to his feet Tel once again closed his eyes and touched the wall. Entering the wall the second time was much easier then the first; as it always was. On his command the hole in the wall sealed with no trace that a young man by the name of Tel Harrad, had ever been here. It was now time to go back to the inn where he had been staying for the last few days and settle up the matter of the bill then quickly move on before anybody even knew what happened.
* * *
The walk back to the inn was quiet, hardly anybody was ever out after third bell. With the moon high in the sky and a warm breeze blowing in from the north the walk was a pleasant one. About a block from “The Lonely Wanderer”, the inn where Tel was staying, he came upon a small square. In the middle of the square was a sculpted fountain of some sort of large cat with water calmly flowing from its mouth. The carving was so intricate that the sleek muscles and powerful jaw almost came to life. Around the fountain were a number of benches for sitting in the warm sun, of course the benches were now empty. Taking a quick look around and seeing the streets clear in both directions Tel decided that he would take a moment and enjoy the calming sound of the running water.
The sides of the fountain were no more than half a pace high and Tel casually leaned over and studied the image he saw in the clear water. With the moon slightly over his left shoulder the reflection was quite pristine. Tel wasn’t old, only about twenty summers had passed for him and he thought that he was aging well. His straight dark hair was thick and hung almost to his shoulders. Now it was in a ponytail and dangling over his shoulder and beside his face as he stared down. His frame was small but he liked to consider himself wiry. Many people had underestimated his strength because of his size and had lived or in some cases not lived to regret it. Even though he was young he had seen more and lived through more turmoil than many had in this day and age of peace and prosperity. His life wasn’t an easy or honest one but he loved it and too bad if others tried to keep him from what he wanted, they were doing their jobs and he was doing his. Still…too many times has he found blood on one of his blades and too many times has he heard the crying of the children who lost their parents the night before to some “unknown assailant”.
With a quick splash to muddle the reflection Tel moved along, back on his original course to the inn. Even though it was quiet out he still stayed to the shadows just in case. He soon found himself standing in front of a two level building. Over the door was a faded painting of a man with a stick and bundle over his shoulder. The entire building looked like it needed a new coat of paint, maybe even two. All the windows were clear glass, an expensive commodity but they seemed to be the only place that the innkeeper decided to spend any money. Through those clear glass windows shone the light of a flickering fire and dozens of candles. The music and raucous laughter easily came through the thin walls echoing into the streets. This was the only inn in this part of town and did quite well. The food was good and so was the company, one of the big reasons that most of the patrons here were male. The smell of that same food could be smelled even here outside of the inn and it did smell good. Too bad Tel wasn’t going through the front door.
He moved around the side of the building until he was directly under one of the few unlit windows on the second floor. This alley was perfect for his less then explainable entrances and exits, the building next to the inn was two paces away and it was five stories high. The only problem with the building was that it was the local barracks and he really had to watch his comings and goings after hours. Getting around to the alley this time had been easy, it was the time when they changed the door guards and they were always lazy when it came to that.
Hopping up onto a barrel then to a lower window sill, a quick jump straight up about a pace and his hands were on his window ledge. Since he was pretty small he easily pulled himself up and through his open window. He moved quickly through his room making sure that nobody was there.Satisfied that he was alone he gathered his things together. The innkeeper would probably consider his leaving in the night odd, especially when the guards came around in the morning, but by then it would be too late. Not leaving a trace that he had even been there he took up his cloak and travelling bags and left the room. Down the short hall he went; the sounds of passion coming from all sides, then down the stairs to the common room; the only legitimate way out of the building. The sickly sweet smell of sweat and alcohol exploded into the young mans overly acute senses and they were actually enough to make him take a step back. With a shake of his head he went towards the innkeeper who was now standing behind the bar.
“Good day gentle innkeeper…” Tel said to the rounded man “…I am afraid that it is time that I take my leave from your fine establishment. I have come to settle the matter of the bill.”
“Might late for a young lad like yourself to be going out alone like this. You sure you wanna do that?” The grating voice of the innkeeper was enough to set Tel’s nerves on edge. Now he remembered why he avoided this man as much as possible.
A quick nod of the head and the curt “Yes, I’ll be fine.” was Tel’s answer.
“Well, it’s your hide boy, don’t ever say that ol’ Binson didn’t warn you!” the innkeeper said emphatically with a shake of the finger which managed to set his great girth jiggling. “Lets see, your tab is six silver and three copper.”
Tel opened up his small pouch, dug for a second and came up with seven silvers and handed them to the innkeeper. The innkeeper looked them over closely even biting into one before making them readily disappear into the folds of his garments. He stared Tel down for a minute hoping that he wouldnt be expected to give change.When the young man hadn’t gone anywhere though he figured that he should hand over the coppers.
“There you go lad, six coppers in change…”
“I do believe that my change was to be seven coppers!”
“Seven? Oh yes of course. Sorry, sorry my mistake. I sometimes get a little mixed up with the exchanges.”
“Yes, I am sure you do.” With a scowl Tel grabbed the seven coppers from the innkeepers hand and threw them into his wonderful little pouch. He fastened his cloak around his shoulders, picked up his travel bags and left the noisy inn.
Upon exiting the inn Tel once again headed around the side of the inn to the back where the stables were located. He walked in, woke the stable boy and told the kid to saddle his horse. Soon after, Tel was walking down the quiet streets with his beautiful grey stallion in tow. The walk to the gates was a short one and Tel was not worried about any trouble between here and there, the guards in this town were very lazy. Still, when he saw the town gates at the end of the street he breathed a small sigh of relief. One more for Tel, he got away again.
As he approached the gate, four guards blocked his passage, two holding crossed spears directly in front of him and the others walking towards him. Tel calmly kept walking until he got to them.
“Good evening sirs, how may I help you?” Tel said as he came face to face with two of the guards.
“Why ya leavin the city so late there boy? Ya know the rules, ya best have a good reason.” The guard obviously didn’t really care why Tel was leaving but by the looks of it he was just going through the motions.
“So sorry to bother you at this late hour but I have just received word this very night that my father has fallen deathly ill and I must get to him as soon as possible. Please sirs, if you’ll just let me through…” Tel pulled out a few silvers and handed them to the guard.
The guard looked down at the silvers in the palm of his hand and winked at the other guard. ”I am sorry to hear about your father. I hope you make it in good time. Be careful.”
Tel nodded his thanks and moved towards the other guards when they moved their spears out of the way. Then for the first time this night Tel’s luck went bad. Down the street a young boy came running, screaming that the church had been robbed. Tel rolled his eyes as the wind decided at that moment to pick up, blowing Tel’s cloak back and revealing the ornate dagger at his hip. Both the guards holding the spears and Tel looked down at the dagger then back to each other.
This is what happens when you steal from the Gods…Tel thought to himself as he lunged for the guard with the spear to his left. He moved so fast and so suddenly that all four guards were temporarily stunned. The first guard that Tel lunged at fell easily to a quick set of punches to the face and throat. By the time that guard fell the other three had shaken themselves into action and had started to move on Tel. The first one to him was the other guard with the spear which he promptly stabbed at Tel with. Tel shook his head and easily dodged to the left and did a full spin until he came around with his heel into the back of the guards unprotected head as the guard went by.
The body of the crumpling guard hit one of the other two coming Tel’s way making it one on one, good odds for Tel. The guard hadn’t even drawn his sword when he got to Tel. A heavy mailed fist raced out for Tel’s face but he quickly ducked to the right and threw three quick open palm punches with his left hand to the guards chest. He followed those quick punches up with a kick to the inside of the guards right knee and as the guard staggered, a closed right fist burried itself in the throat of the guard. The crushed voice box prevented any semblance of a scream and this guard died quietly. The last guard finally managed to get the body of his unconscious comrade off of him and drew his sword.
Tel reached down to his belt and drew the ornate dagger. The guard lunged forward with a clumsy thrust which was easily parried as were the next three attacks. Waiting for the guard to make a mistake Tel continued to parry and dodge, having no problem with the guards amateur swordplay. It didnt take long for the mistake to occur, the guard decided to put all of his strength behind one horizontal cut to take Tel’s head off, thinking that there was no way that the dagger could parry the heavy sword. Too bad Tel didn’t parry, instead he ducked right under the blade. As the guards momentum carried his sword harmlessly away and his body forward Tel brought the dagger up with all his strength, up under the rib cage and straight into the guards heart. Pulling his dagger free and seeing no more trouble Tel cleaned and sheathed the dagger, mounted his horse and rode off into the darkness.
