Dance Macabre: Tales from a Cursed Land

X: The Dark Lords (2/4)

They traveled to the small town - more like a fishing village really - Tessa had shown them. Saska wasn't inclined to discuss any other topics than the search, so Raviel didn't push the issue. The boy was growing up fast, though, at least physically. Raviel's horse wasn't as happy with them riding double than she had been at the beginning of their journey together.

There they paid to a fisherman who "occasionally carried things between the Raven's and the Old Man's domains for profit" to take them past the mountains. It was a small ship that hugged the coastline as much as possible without running ashore. At Raviel's inquiry why not traverse deeper waters the man only muttered something about "sea serpents".

Their destination on the other side of the border was considerably bigger. Probably close to the non-human settlement in the Lady's domain in size. It was called Serpentbane - by what logic other than trying to sound grand, neither Raviel nor Saska had any idea. The people here were actually not suspicious of strangers. They all carried themselves with utmost confidence - almost like shouting "cause trouble and we'll send you back in pieces" to the world - and judging by their garb and gear quite a few of them were seasoned warriors.

Raviel found it refreshing and somewhat reminiscent of home. Saska didn't like it.

In any case, this was only a midway stop for them. The barony and the sole mountain inside it they were looking for were farther north. Although part of the Old Man's lands, these southern areas apparently were independent of the baron serving him.

After buying a round of drinks - heavy mead that somehow tasted both salty and sweet - in a local tavern Raviel had all the information he could wish for of the area, as well as an offer from a small band of mercenaries to accompany them to their destination. And a hell of a hangover in the morning.

"I am kind of glad you didn't let me drink," Saska commented as he watched the elf sitting on his bed in the room they had rented for the night, holding his head and looking overall miserable.

"Please don't rub it in," Raviel groaned. "I had no idea humans even could brew anything that strong."

"Where did you put all your money?" He experimentally poked the elf's saddlebags and quickly pulled back as a tiny spark jumped from the fabric to his fingers. Still warded. Like always.

Raviel groaned again. Then he removed the small pouch hanging around his neck under his shirt and held it out to the boy.

Saska took it and retrieved a few silver coins before tossing it on the bed. "Thanks. I'll get something from an herbalist." His own little supply was for rarer afflictions, usually of unnatural type. Medicines for coughs and hangovers were far too common for anyone to buy from an Outcast.

"Hey, you! Scrawny kid!" someone bellowed as he was just minding his own business and heading out of the tavern.

He looked at one of the tables, where three soldiers were eating breakfast and talking loudly among themselves. Well, everybody here was talking loudly. "What?" he asked.

One of them, a muscular man with bushy beard and a huge axe strapped to his back, stood up and walked over to him. "Didn't I see you last night? You were with that elf, right?"

Saska nodded slowly, his hand falling to one of the camouflaged pockets hiding his throwing knives. "Yes."

"I knew it! Why don't you go wake your master? We're wasting daylight."

Must have been the mercenaries Raviel had spoken of before passing out on his bed. "He's not exactly in the shape to travel right now. Ask again in an hour or so."

The man stared at him for a moment, then burst out into loud laughter. "Foreigners really can't hold their drinks, eh?"

"Something like that," Saska agreed. "I'll get him back to his feet soon enough. In the meantime..." His eyes narrowed slightly. "...I'd advice leaving him alone. He commands some pretty nasty magic."