Chapter 2: Paladin Lochnier
It was late when Zalthu finally returned to the gates of Blackoak. The new wooden palisade doors were being closed. Zalthu quickly ran to the doors and squeezed in before the guards could shut them completely. One of the guards held a torch to light up the area. He waved it near Zalthu as he came in and said, "You just barely made it, stranger. If you had been any later, you would have been locked out til first light."
Zalthu brushed off the dust from his coat and said, "I prefer being on this side of the wall. I hear there are nasty bandits in this area."
Without another word, Zalthu returned to the Rowdy Traveler Inn. He surveyed entered the front door and the crowd of drunks and peasants. Kristos was not among them. He walked around looking for the tall skinny elf, but he did not see him. His loss, Zalthu thought. He got another drink from the bar and downed it without a second thought.
Leaving the tavern, Zalthu walked up to the nicest house in Blackoak. It was dark but he recognized the house from his previous experience. Instead, he walked around the side of the house and jumped the stone wall in the backyard. From this angle he could see a candle was still lit in the upstairs bedroom. Zalthu made a quick sprint for the wall, jump kicked off the wall, and grabbed the balcony to the second floor. With a little effort and a little bit more grunting he pulled himself up to the railing and threw himself over.
A female voice called him from inside the house, "I must say, Darling, you could have knocked. There is no need for this level of discretion. I informed my handmaidens that you would be stopping by tonight. Even though it is dashing to think of you sneaking into a lady's bedroom at night."
Zalthu straightened himself up and peered into the bedroom. The baroness was laying on the bed wearing nothing but a smile. Zalthu stepped inside and replied, "The front door is reserved for guests. I am more of a backdoor kind of guy."
The baroness giggled as Zalthu started to take his clothes off. Then she asked, "My dear Zalthu, why do you force yourself to live like a vagrant? With your handsome face and bedroom skills you could charm any woman in Yarm."
"Not everyone likes half orc's as much as you do, Minta."
The baroness reached over and snuffed out the candle as Zalthu made it to the edge of the bed. No more words needed to be exchanged.
After an exhausting hour or two of wild passionate sex, Zalthu laid on the baroness's bed basking in the afterglow. He glanced over to her. She was passed out in a sex coma. Zalthu pondered what her followers would think of her sleeping with a half-orc. If they would approve of her flaunting herself with a filthy thief. Guilty feeling rushed over him but only for a moment. Without stirring the baroness, he climbed out of bed and put on his clothes.
Zalthu opened the bedroom door to the quietly roamed out into the hallway. The house was pitch dark as he wandered around looking for things to steal. Naturally, he could have started with the Baroness's extensive jewelry selection, but that was far too personal to steal. Some of her jewelry was given to her by her late husband. If any of it turned up missing, she would never forgive him. Zalthu was very careful not to disturb anything the handmaidens would notice. In the main dining hall Zalthu found a small bag of coins and a few loss gems tucked away in a leather handbag. Zalthu had the sneaking suspicion that these items had been placed here intentionally. It was almost like the baroness knew he would be stealing from her and planted gems for him to take. Zalthu shook off this idea. No one would be that stupid.
After collecting his reward, Zalthu showed himself to the exit. Outside he could barely see the moon overhead through the thick branches of the Black Oak tree. It was late. Probably past midnight. Zalthu made his way back to the Rowdy Travel Inn. Inside he could see the crowd had mostly cleared out. Of the five or six patrons still in the bar, one of them was completely surrounded in empty beer steins. So many piled up in front of him that you couldn't even see his face.
Zalthu took this as a personal challenge. Years and years of practice had gifted him an incredible alcohol tolerance. Few men or women had the ability to out drink him. This person was indirectly challenging him. Zalthu strolled over to the table and looked at the man. He was short, clearly a dwarf or halfling. The man was downing his eighth or ninth beer and barely stopped to look at Zalthu. Their eye met as Zalthu recognized his face. With a smile, Zalthu quickly sat down across from the man and said, "I see you can handle a drink or two."
The familiar looking dwarf cleared a path of empty mugs between them and said, "I see… double vision. But that double vision recognizes you."
Just then the halfling barmaid brought over another three mugs of beer for the dwarf. Seeing his new company she said, "I should have known you two were together. Zalthu is a regular here. What are we celebrating tonight?"
Zalthu laughed and said, "This is a reunion of old friends. This crazy dwarf you see here is Lochnier. We are childhood friends. How about you bring us a few more… and just keep them coming."
The barmaid started to pick up the empty mugs on her tray. Then she asked, "Do I need to bring up the reserve keg from the cellar?"
"Do what you have to, lassie. Zalthu and I are more than capable of making you rich… or putting you out of business. Whichever comes first." Lochnier reached across the table and shook Zalthu's hand. Then he continued, "The Iron Livers are back together again."
Zalthu and Lochnier drank for a bit and exchanged stories of their adventures. Zalthu eventually lead the conversation back to their childhood. "So, Lochnier what happened to you when Pelor? It was so long ago I bare remember why you left."
Lochnier put his drink down and replied, "It's ancient history, lad. I put order, and all that behind me. Forever."
"Humor me. Just this one time."
Lochnier took a breath. Talking about it clearly made him uneasy. Zalthu yet didn't understand why. Lochnier put his mug down and said, "On my tenth birthday my father saw that I was headed down a… less than righteous path. You know everyone in St. Lysette and Pelor included are all about their own religious believes. They have their heads shoved so far up the temple's ass that they can't tell the time of day. Father took me to the Holy City to join the Cardinal's Guard. Holy knights and templars. Stuff like that. I ended up in the Golden Order. Let's just keep that between us."
Zalthu nodded, "Can do. Call me a stupid orc, but I can't say I have ever head of the Golden Order."
"It's not an organization you hear about… if you know what I mean." Lochnier stopped drinking to tell his story. It obviously meant a lot to him. "Glory and corruption are built into leadership positions. Even the Holy Father himself has his hands in the dirt. He gives the orders to take lives and maintain the peace… so they call it. The Golden Order was organized by the Cardinal as a group of knights and paladins that traveled around collecting dangerous and forgotten relics. The rules of engagement were loose. Very loose."
Zalthu continued to drink his beer while he was listening to Lochnier's story. When he had a chance, he replied, "Sounds like a great job to have."
"It was. For a while. But one by one my fellow knights started to disappear. You see the problem with a secret order is that there is no room for mistakes. You bat a disrespectful eye in the wrong direction and you're dead. Just as you live and work in shadows, you die in the shadows too." Lochnier rubbed his face. For a second, Zalthu thought maybe he was rubbing a tear out of his eye. But then Lochnier continued, "I knew my time was coming. I had to run away. I ran from the Order, from the capital… everything. It was the only way out."
Zalthu finally understood, "So, that's it. That is why you are here in Yarm? Running away from persecution in St. Lysette?"
"I guess that is the short version. It was that or an untimely death. Just between you and I… I like my freedom."
"How have you been on the run?"
"Almost a month now. They will never look for me here in Yarm. The Cardinal has bigger things to worry about. I am the least of his concerns." Lochnier said as he finally returned to his beer. He drank a bit more and asked, "How about you? Why did you leave Pelor?"
Zalthu did not answer the question. His eyes were fixed on the elf that just walked into the bar. It was the elf. His temporary boss. Zalthu stood up to catch his attention. When that didn't work, Zalthu shouted, "Hey! Shithead!" He couldn't remember his name.
The elf heard him and calmly strolled over to the table. Then he asked, "Nice to see you haven't lost you brusque attitude." Kristos glanced at Lochnier with judging eyes then added, "Is this drunken man going to be joining you on your trip to the bandit camp?"
Zalthu reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the heirloom clock and waved it in front of his face. Then he said, "No, job's done." With glee filled eyes Kristos reached for the clock, but Zalthu quickly snatched it away and added, "Ah, ah, no. Gold first. That was a part of the agreement."
Kristos quickly grabbed his small coin purse and handed it over to Zalthu. It was a very small bag, barely large enough to hold 100 coins at best. Zalthu opened it to see the bag was much larger on the inside. He looked over the 400 gold in the tiny bag and said, "Neat trick. Your bag is enchanted?"
Kristos nodded and replied, "Yes, it is all there. You can keep the bag too." He turned to the barmaid and waved her over. When she was within earshot Kristos said, "Another round for my friend here, on me of course."
Hearing this Zalthu tossed the clock into Kristos's direction. The elf carefully snatched the heirloom out of the air and held it close to his chest. After a sigh of relief he said, "Thank you for your assistance in this matter. The Duke of Cantiberry will be ecstatic to have this back."
Before Kristos could speak another word, Zalthu slapped him on the back and forced him down into a chair. He smiled and said, "No business transaction is completed with at least one round of beer." Kristos sheepishly smiled as the barmaid brought over several more drinks.
For at least an hour, the three men shared drinks together. Zalthu was rich, Lochnier was free, and Kristos had his heirloom. Everyone was happy. They laughed, talked, and drank the night away. Finally, after he had his fill, Kristos said, "Well, I hate to be the one to break up the party, but the duke is expecting me. If I screw this up, my head will roll." He double checked to see if the heirloom was still in his pocket, then he said, "Gentlemen, it has been a pleasure. Take care of yourselves."
Without another word Kristos left the bar. Lochnier waited from him to be gone then he said, "He was a nice, fellow. Don't you think, Zal?"
Zalthu shook his head and said, "Not really. He is a noble. All nobles are rich, snobby, light weights that spend more time crying about paperwork then actually living life. They are about as useful as an asshole right here." Zalthu pointed at his elbow.
"He just paid you to find some item. I never got that in all my days of relic hunting." Lochnier checked the empty mugs nearby for a little bit of remaining alcohol. He slipped a little bit out of his chair then he said, "Sorry, my head's not working so good. I bypassed double vision and went straight to quad… vision." With another laugh Lochnier fell off the chair and under the table.
The barmaid came over to see if he was okay. Then she looked at them both and said, "Alright, you two are done." She looked at Zalthu and asked, "Do you need some help getting him out of here?"
"No, we are staying." Zalthu showed her his bag of coins and said, "We are going to need two rooms upstairs. The nice ones." Zalthu moved the table and picked up Lochnier by the front of his plate armor. With a little grunt Zalthu threw him over his shoulder and carried him to the stairs. Some of the nearby patrons laughed but Zalthu was drunk enough that he didn't really care that much. It was better to sleep off the night in a bed than on the floor.
Lochnier protested, "Put ma down, you crazy orc. I can walk. I just can't stand." Zalthu ignored him as climbed the stairs to the second floor. He kicked open the first door he saw and found a bed. That's all that mattered.
Zalthu dropped Lochnier down on the bed and said, "Good night, old fiend. Fiend? Friend." He walked over to the door. That is where it hit him. Zalthu moved over to the wall and puked on the floor. Despite his attempt to control it, the puke went everywhere. Seeing Zalthu throw up caused Lochnier to laugh uncontrollably. When Zalthu was done he wiped his mouth and walked out of the room. Across the hallway he found another room. He stumbled in and collapsed on the bed. He closed his eyes and instantly fell asleep. It had been a very long day.
Someone was standing over him. Whoever it was tapped Zalthu on the head and said, "Hey, wake up." In a moment of panic, Zalthu glanced around the room wondering where he was. He was still in the bedroom in the tavern. The barmaid was standing over him as she said, "You have to wake up sometime. You and your friend have to go."
"Why?" Zalthu rolled to his left so he could look at her. Then he said, "Can't this wait until morning?!"
The halfling barmaid reached up as high as she could and opened the curtains letting the light flood in. Then she said, "Morning has come and gone. It's passed noon. You and your friend have to pay for your rooms. Not to mention the mess your friend made in his room. That is going to cost you extra."
"Mess?"
"Yes, the mess. Your friend puked all over the place. That will cost you extra." The barmaid pulled on Zalthu's arm attempting to get him out of bed. Her full-strength tugs at his arm barely moved Zalthu. He was still hung over and feeling the full effect of the night before.
After a few seconds of her trying, Zalthu sat up and handed her Kristos's bag of 400 gold. Zalthu wiped his face with his hand and said, "Take it out of that. My head is killing me."
The barmaid opened the bag and was shocked, "Wow, such rich pockets you have. I never would have guessed…" She stopped mid-sentence as she reached into the bag. She carried the strangest look on her face. Then she said, "What kind of bag of trick is this?!" Out of frustration she turned the bag upside-down as 10 gold coins came tumbling out. She held the coins in her hand and said, "Is this all you have?"
Zalthu grabbed the bag out of her hands. He looked inside and instantly felt sick again. The bag was empty. He took one of the coins out of her hand and dropped it into the bag. Suddenly there appeared to be hundreds of gold coins again. Zalthu reached in and removed the coin, and the mirage was gone again. The bag certainly was magically alright. It was designed to visually multiply coins to make it look full. Even though there were only a few coins in it. Zalthu covered his face with one hand and said, "That weasel! He screwed me! Oh!" Zalthu stood up and grabbed his things. He ran downstairs and toward the front door.
Before he could leave another halfling stepped in his way. He was holding a pistol and wearing one of the angriest faces Zalthu had ever seen. He said, "Stop right there. You didn't think you were leaving without paying, did you? You heard my wife… We need coin for the damages."
Zalthu wasn't looking to fight these people over the gold he thought that he had. He had been swindled. Zalthu pulled out his personal coin purse and forked over 30 gold for the bedroom and beers from the night before. He dropped them on the counter and pushed passed the halfling. As Zalthu stepped outside he was blinded by the bright sun. He searched the area for signs of the elf. But he was long gone.
He made his way over to the sable master and asked, "Hey, did you see an elf come through here. Filthy slimy elf, black coat, smelled like a piece of shit?"
The old stable master nodded and said, "Kristos? That nice elf from Cantiberry? He didn't smell like shit, that I remember. He bought a horse from me the other day. Said he would be needing it on hand for his next big trip."
Zalthu blocked out everything the sable master said. The only word he heard was, "Cantiberry." Zalthu turned away from the sable master and returned to the Rowdy Traveler Inn. His rage was endless. Revenge was going to be swift this time.
An hour later, Lochnier was filled in on the scandalous events of the night before. Lochnier was just as angry as Zalthu was. He pulled out his hammer and shield as they both stepped into the town square. Lochnier slapped his hammer against his shield twice and said, "So, we are going to kick his arse, right?"
"We have his name and location. Kristos of Cantiberry." Zalthu said while looking at the ground, "We are not lawmen, Lochnier. It would be our word against his. He is a noble of Cantiberry and has power and access we don't have. He could very easily say we are criminals and have us locked up for the rest of our days."
Lochnier stared at him for a few seconds then he repeated himself, "So, we are going to kick his arse, right?"
Zalthu smiled and replied, "Yes, my friend. We are going to kick his arse."
Zalthu sold the gems he stole from the baroness's house and returned to Lochnier. Together they counted their coins. After their late night of drinking, they had only 119 gold between the both of them. Not enough for a single horse, but 100 gold could buy a pack mule from the stables. Zalthu handed the money over to Lochnier. It was better for him to make the purchase. Zalthu had bought and sold horses here before, so his reputation was a little distasteful in these parts.
Leaning against the well, Zalthu waited at the town square for almost an hour. His patience was limited. Every second they waited Kristos got further and further away. Eventually, Lochnier returned with a single donkey and a lady friend. His excitement quickly fled when he realized who she was. It was Ava, the girl from the bird cage. She was still wearing the torn and filthy dress. Ava gave Zalthu a half smile then said to Lochnier, "Oh, this is your traveling companion?"
Lochnier started to speak but Zalthu shouted, "Absolutely not!" The hair on the back of his neck was standing up on its own and he shouted, "This is not a convoy! We are not bringing her along."
Lochnier put his hands up and said, "Woah, woah, there laddie. She has promised to pay us 100 gold when we drop her off at her father's farm. That covers the cost of the mule. It's an investment."
"The mule was for us to ride when we get tired. One of us can ride while the other walks." Zalthu pointed at her feet. Then he continued, "She not even wearing shoes! Who do you think will be riding the mule the whole time?"
Ava finally piped up, "I won't! I don't need you or your mule to carry me. I am fully capable of walking. I just thought maybe it would be safer to travel in a group. Your friend, Lochnier, agreed with me. Now, if that is a problem, then I will escort myself."
Zalthu did not say anything. He was angry that Lochnier signed him up for a babysitting job without asking first. He grabbed the reigns of the mule and said, "Let's go."
Zalthu and the mule lead the way with Lochnier and Ava following shortly behind him. Zalthu listened as they made light conversation. Lochnier talked about his hometown and family. Ava talked about her father and their farm. She spoke of how her father wanted a better life for her. He sent her away to learn advanced academics. On the way to Lake Durden, she was attacked and kidnapped by roadside bandits. They were going to force her father to pay a ransom, but her father is not rich. They would have killed her or worse if it had not been for Zalthu.
Zalthu could feel her eyes on his back, but he continued to ignore her. He wasn't her savior, just a thief in the right place at the right time. If he had left her there in the cage, then her story would be just another sad tale in the land of Yarm. Not that Yarm was a bad place to live. You were free to do as you please… but so was everyone else. For every 100 normal happy villagers there was one thief or murderer. It was enough to cause problems. A traveler killed by bandits. Entire families wiped out. And their tragic stories traveled farther than they ever could. He had heard them all. If you spent a minute crying over everyone's sad stories, then you would be weeping all day long. At least Lochnier was more comforting to her. Maybe he wasn't used to hearing sob stories from every other person. Maybe he felt bad for the poor girl.
Time passed as they walked. Lochnier eventually caught up with the pack mule and unloaded his hammer and shield into the side pouches. Zalthu stopped the mule and said, "Get on. You ride for the next hour then we will switch." Lochnier did not disagree. He was a little dwarf, but he carried a lot of plate armor. All of his armor, weapons, and shield probably doubled his body weight. Lochnier struggled to climb up onto the mule. The mule was almost as tall as he was. Once Lochnier was safely on top of the mule, Zalthu started walking again. Ava still followed them without saying a word.
Up ahead on the side of the road was a fruit bearing bush. Zalthu lead the mule over to bush and began collecting some of the black berries. He fed some of them to the mule and handed a few to Lochnier. Zalthu pulled his canteen out of his bag and took a drink. It was at this point Zalthu noticed that Ava was not walking very fast. She was rubbing her feet on the sides of her legs. For a second, he thought they should have stopped at the tailor and bought her a pair of shoes. Then he snapped out of it. She was here on her own free will. Zalthu put his canteen back in his bag and turned away from the berry bush. He pulled the mule's reigns back to the road. Cantiberry was still many hours away. They had a lot of ground to cover.
An hour passed. The team walked by Camp Falcon. It was an old outpost used by the military back in the day. Back when the three nations couldn't stop invading each other. Being at the top of a hill, it was an excellent defensive position. Ground forces would have to run up hill to attack the walls. The towers were built with heavy ballista on top to shoot down St. Lysette's flying gryphon riders. The stone towers and neglected walls now stood abandoned for years. It was an old reminder of wars long forgotten.
Once they were on the far side of Camp Falcon, Lochnier shouted, "Okay, ma butts asleep. Time to switch." Zalthu stopped the mule and let Lochnier climb down. It was then he noticed Ava was lagging very far behind. She was at least 20 feet behind them as the walked. Not because she was looking at the old military base. She was tired. The cheery face that she carried back in Blackoak was now gone. Zalthu could see her feet were beginning to swell. Lochnier walked to the front and grabbed the reigns of the mule. Zalthu just stood there watching and waiting for Ava to catch up.
After a moment she stopped a few feet back from the mule. She rubbed one of her feet with her dirty hands and groaned with pain. When she was done, she smiled at Zalthu. She took a deep breath and said, "Beautiful day, isn't it?" Zalthu contemplated his actions. What should he do? Then in one swift motion he grabbed her by the shoulder and walked her over to the mule. She started to protest by saying, "What are you…"
He picked her up and gently placed her on the back of the mule. Zalthu said, "You are dehydrated and slowing us down. You ride until you feel better." He took his canteen out of his bag and handed it to her. He returned to the front of the mule and took the reigns out of Lochnier's hands. Without another word, he pulled the mule forward. Like a father would lead his child on his very first horse ride. Zalthu lead the mule as Ava rode behind him. Just as he predicted… they were now babysitting.
It only took a few minutes for the questions to start. Ava was now getting a free ride on the mule, and she just couldn't bare the silence. She asked, "Lochnier, you said that you and Zalthu were from Pelor? Where is that exactly?"
"It is in the land of St. Lysette way to the south. Farther than you have ever seen, I am sure."
With one hand Zalthu popped Lochnier on the shoulder and whispered, "For a guy in hiding, you sure do talk a lot about home."
Ava couldn't hear their words from the back of the mule. But she could tell they were talking. She asked, "What are you two talking about?"
Zalthu glanced back at her and replied, "Nothing important. Tell us more about your farm."
Ava shook her head and said, "Oh no, I want to know more about you. Zalthu, tell me about your family."
"No."
"Oh, come on. Share a little. I am sure you have some great stories about your parents, right?"
Zalthu stopped the mule and froze for a second. Then he turned around and told Ava, "My mother's name is Yavala. When I was 12 years old, some dirt bag kid threw a stone at her while she was washing clothes in the river. It struck her in the head. She drowned." Ava's eyes doubled in size. This was not the happy story she was expecting. Zalthu smiled seeing her face of horror. Then he added, "My father's fate was much worse…"
Lochnier shouted, "Okay! We don't need to scar the poor child this early in the morning?" Lochnier put one hand on Zalthu's shoulder turning him away from Ava. Then he added, "Yavala was a wonderful lady. Shame what happened to her. We should get back to it. We have a long way to go."
Zalthu had much more he wanted to add. But Lochnier was right. He turned back to the road and pulled the mule forward. Ava still had nothing to say. Her brain was maxed out. Eventually, Lochnier turned back to Ava and said, "Sorry las, I should have warned you. Everyone has that story they don't like talking about. It is a bit of a sore spot with Zalthu." Ava gave him a nervous smile as a sudden silence fell over the group as they continued to walk.
Another hour passed. Zalthu was now getting very tired. He had been walking for 3 or 4 hours now without rest. Zalthu pulled out his map and checked the distance from Camp Falcon to Cantiberry. From his estimates they were another hour or two away. At this rate, he would be too tired to beat the life out of Kristos when they got there.
Lochnier was getting tired too. He could see the exhaustion on Zalthu's face as well. He glanced to the left of the road and sniffed the air. Then he said, "My dwarven noise tells me there be water nearby. Let's take a break and fill up our canteens. Take a load off."
No one argued. They lead the mule off the road and toward the water source. Stepping down a small hill and through some tree they spotted a good-sized lake. Zalthu sat down into the shade of a large tree and took his boots off. Lochnier tied the mule to a nearby sampling and said, "Here yeah go, Ricky. Good boy."
Ava carefully jumped off the back of the mule. Then she eyed Lochnier and asked, "Ricky?"
Lochnier patted the mule on its head, "Yes, I speak to animals. This one is named Ricky."
Zalthu denied him the bragging right, "You're not a druid. You're a paladin. You can't speak with animals anymore that I can speak with fish." Zalthu pulled off his boot to reveal a horrible blister on his big toe. Without a second thought Zalthu pulled out his knife to pop the blister.
"Wait wait!" Lochnier shouted as he pulled out a talisman. He held it firmly in his right hand and said, "Let me show you want a real paladin can do." Lochnier closed his eyes and quietly chanted some words. When he reopened his eyes, the talisman started to glow. In a flash of light Zalthu's blister was gone. Fully healed.
Ava was very impressed. More impressed than Zalthu was. She said, "That was amazing! Where did you learn that?"
"St. Lysette, the Holy City. I tell ya lassy, everyone there knows at least one or two spells." Lochnier helped Zalthu stand up and laughed, "Even the brutish muscle-bound warriors even learn a few good spells. That's why they are called Holy Warriors."
Zalthu hopped on one foot as he put his boot back. Then he added, "You should know by now that you are in a strange place, Lochnier. Yarm is a completely different story from our homeland. Everyone here loves to talk about swords and shields. Axes and armor. Strength and honor. They seem to value strength over everything else."
"Strange as it maybe, I call it home now, sonny." Lochnier walked away toward the lake.
Ava followed him with excitement. She asked him, "Can you teach me?"
"Can you read?" Lochnier opened up his personal bag and pulled out a tome glowing with white lights. Ava's face lit up as she saw the book. Never in all her years would she have believed such a fantastic book existed. Lochnier handed it to her and said, "Get to reading. Tell me when you get to chapter six."
Ava took the book and eagerly open it and started reading. Each page glowed and was written in a magic font moved ever so slightly as you read it. Ava has never seen anything like it before in all of her years. This was a magical book.
Zalthu and Lochnier walked along the shore of the lake until the found a nice spot near a shade tree. Ava followed them but she was complete engrossed in the book. Zalthu peered at her out of the corner of his eye and said, "You should have given her that before when she was asking all the questions." Zalthu pulled out his bag and found his fishing line. He flipped over a nearby rock to find some grubs to bait his hook. With a little toss he threw it into the water. He tied the other end to a nearby tree branch and said, "I figured we could grab a bite to eat while we are here. No need to waste a perfectly good fishing spot."
Lochnier watched as Zalthu set up a second line. Then he said, "Sorry to hear about how thing went after I left Pelor. I always hoped the best for you. I hoped you ended up buying the general store and settling down with a nice girl."
Zalthu grinned like a maniac and said, "I robbed that general store. You know what I learned? Not including all the stuff on the shelves, he had 14 gold to his name. 14 gold. All those years of working every day, buying, selling, and trading got him 14 gold. There is no fortune in settling down. The future is yours for the taking. All you have to do is take it."
Lochnier raised an eyebrow and corrected him, "You mean, steal it."
"Taking, stealing. What is the difference?"
"Not much. Not much honor in robbing a man with 14 gold, either."
"Honor?" Zalthu stopped setting up the second fishing line and gave Lochnier an angry look. "Wow, you got righteous awfully fast. Is that a paladin thing?"
"Not at all, laddie. Just trying to get a feel for the friend I am traveling with. We both have changed a lot since out days in Pelor. Seems like a far cry from the friend I knew back in Pelor that liked chasing chickens."
"Sorry to disappoint you. I guess if we had named ourselves the Golden Order, we would have been on the right path, right?"
The first fishing line Zalthu put in the water snapped. The fish was pulling on the branch causing it to wave around frantically. Lochnier didn't pay any attention to it as he said, "Taking relic from a hidden temple in the Tharzerian dunes is one thing. Robbing innocent people is another."
"Not in my eyes." Zalthu said as he stepped around Lochnier and pulled the thrashing fish from the water. Without looking at Lochnier he said, "Theft is theft. Just because you wore white and stole for the church, and I wore black and stole for myself doesn't really make any difference." With one hand he held the fish and removed the hook with the other. "If you still think I am wrong, maybe we can ask your new pupil." Zalthu waved the fish in Ava's direction and shouted, "Hey, birdcage. I have a question for you."
Ava stopped reading for the first time since Lochnier had give her the book. She looked up at them standing near the water's edge. Both Lochnier and Zalthu were staring at her. In a moment of confusion she asked, "Umm, did you just call me birdcage?"
Zalthu did not acknowledge her question, "Answer me this real quick. Which is a thief? The man who robs the king's treasury and steals a fortune, or the man that robs the homeless and takes a few coins?"
Ava's confusion remained. She glanced nervously between Lochnier, Zalthu, and the book she was holding. Before she could say anything Lochnier said, "Leave her be. You made ya point. I was just making sure we were all…" Lochnier stopped midsentence. In the distance he could hear swaying trees. Violently swaying. He turned to his right and saw a thing of nightmares. About 50 feet into the forest was a massive creature charging in their direction.
This creature was huge. At least 9 feet tall walking on two legs. It wore some kind of horn helmet, and its body was covered in various animal hides. Startled by the sight of a charging creature headed in his direction, Lochnier shouted, "By the gods! We have incoming!" He reached for his hammer but soon remembered that he left his weapon and shield on the mule. Zalthu dropped the fish and crouched into his fighting stance. The creature was still running full speed. It trampled bushes and broke smaller sapling as it pushed its way toward the water.
Zalthu pulled out his daggers and tossed one to Lochnier. It wasn't much but it was all they had to defend themselves.
Ava turned to look at the creature and screamed. She dropped the book and darted back to the mule. As the creature made it to the lakeside, he pulled a club off his back. His club was literally a tree trunk that measured 6 inches in diameter. In this fleeting moment Zalthu realized what they were up against. The creature had reversed jointed legs and hooves. The horn helmet it wore was not a helmet at all. It was a minotaur.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
G_i_Jouh
G_i_Jouh In this chapter Kristos pulled a fast one and sets the story in motion. We are also introduced to Lochnier, Zalthu's childhood friend who happily joins the party.
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone