Chapter 11: Wyverns

This part of the wood was full of small, greenish creatures that barked and held crude spears. They were even easier to dispatch than kobolds, but also had several gold coins among them that Kurent, the unofficial banker of the group, had pocketed.

"Hello, what's this?" Rimn asked. One of the dead creatures, which Verdana had identified as tasloi, was clutching a packet. Kurent pried the packet loose from the creature's grip, then opened it to show a large, snow white, fur rimmed cloak with an elaborate design of runes on the rim of the hood.

He stared at it, then started to laugh. "Have you heard of old Gurk over at Beregost?" he grinned.

"This is his cloak then? The Cloak of Non-Detection?" Rimn said in astonishment. The fame of the cloak had spread along the sword coast.

"The very same," Kurent gasped, "I've been trying to steal if off the old miser's back for months. No wonder I couldn't find it - the old rascal had lost it, and in Cloakwood, of all places!" the thief collapsed into laughter.

Zak chuckled. "Most interesting."

"Oh yes," Kurent smiled, and, taking off his ordinary cloak, stuffed it in the saddlebags, putting on the new one, though using his own gold clasp. He concentrated for a while, then disappeared from their view to a startled cry from Rimn.

"It's no use," Zak said, "I can smell you."

Kurent flashed back into view. "An unforeseen snag," he smiled, "But I don't think guards are werewolves most of the time, except in the lady Neira's interesting household."

Neira bowed. "But most useful in the mines when we reach there, I would think," she said.

"Oh yes," Kurent agreed, "And also useful for scouting."

The shrubbery got more and more thick, until they emerged to see a large, gnarled tree in a small clearing. Three black bears that had been idling outside roared, and attacked.

"I wonder why they posted such guards?" Kurent wondered, sidestepping one bear's clumsy charge. It turned with admirable speed for its size, and gave him a heavy swipe, which the nimble thief quickly avoided, plunging his rapier inside the bear. "Althuriak," Kurent commanded. "I wonder what that one does."

Claw-like patterns of burning cold rippled out from the wound, appearing to scrape its way over the thrashing bear. With a final roar of defiance it collapsed, and a second later its features were coated with frost.

Verdana had successfully turned one bear against the other, and they roared and fought against each other until Zak casually thrust at the heart of the last wild one. The 'charmed' bear stopped, and looked curiously at Verdana.

"Go," she said, and it lumbered off into the deep forest.

"What is this place?" Neira asked.

"Only one type of people will live in such a place," Kurent said dryly, looking at the curtained entrance at the foot of the immense tree, along with the small opening for cooking fires. "And they are Druids."

"Do you have anything against druids?" Verdana asked.

"No, lady," Kurent grinned, "It's just that I like cities more."

Verdana sniffed. "Cities are a blight on the landscape. If I had enough power I would wipe them off."

"Exactly," Kurent snapped his fingers, "That is what all druids think of cities. Well, I like cities, and I like their gold better, so I don't mind druids, and they don't mind me."

"Excuse me," Rimn asked slowly, "If druids live in that tree and Lady Verdana is a druid, why did we kill their sentries?"

"He's a young lad," Zak said thoughtfully.

"What didn't I see?" Rimn asked plaintively, "I'm not a lad anymore."

"Compared to me you are," Zak grinned, "And Kurent as well. And Neira."

"How wonderful to be reminded of my youth," Kurent said sourly. "Well, Rimn, next time if you see those three-slash patterns on large suspicious looking trees, you'd know it's the symbol of the Shadow Druids."

"They're a greater blight on the landscape than cities," Verdana agreed.

"Charming," Zak said, "Now, let's go and see what they have."

"Druids hardly ever keep money, only potions," Kurent said with a disapproving glare at the tree, as if it were the cause of all his financial problems."

"You'd never know," Neira smiled, "Now, I feel like disturbing some people. Anyone coming along?"

***

The inside of the tree was cramped, with a carefully shielded fire in one corner, and a large wooden table in the center. There was a chest at the bottom of the large carved stair that led upwards in a spiral that encompassed the whole of the immense, apparently hollow tree. The floor had been strewn with clean white sand, and there was a homey look about the place. Someone obviously lived here, for there were footprints in the sand.

Kurent darted over to the chest. After a minute, the lid clicked open, to reveal a sling and a packet of bullets. He looked critically at the blue bullets, and nodded in satisfaction. "Magical bullets," he said, "Lady Verdana, may I inquire as to your skill in using such a weapon?"

"It's perfectly fine," Verdana smiled, and took it from him, hanging the sling on her belt.

They walked carefully up the stairs, always on their left so as not to make the stairs creak alarmingly. The room at the top was airy and comfortable, with a neat cot at one end of the circular room and several cupboards. On the rug before the bed stood a well-built man, who looked exceedingly startled at their entrance.

"How dare you?" he said in a soft voice full of menace, "I am Selkan, Leader of the Shadow Druids. You will regret this intrusion."

He muttered a word, and their limbs froze into place, with the exception of Zak who was holding the Spider's Bane. He lunged forward smoothly with both magical swords held low, and thrust through Selkan's heart, ending off the second spell.

Kurent was swearing as the hold spell was broken. "I'd never thought of that," he muttered.

"Only very high level druids or mages can do a 'shortcut' word," Verdana commented, "It takes quite a bit of practicing, and it's not really reliable, so I do not use it."

Kurent did not appear to be listening as he rummaged through the cupboards and drawers, taking out many other potions, which he put on the ground. Verdana uncorked and sniffed some, then selected the healing potions to add to their packs. "The rest are useless and with negative side effects," she said to the inquiring look that Kurent shot her.

They went back down the tree after Kurent had finished taking out anything of value, and left the home of Selkan for the cool forest.

An hour's walk took them to a cave, of which had many footprints scattered outside, both that of a man and that of some strange, bird-like mark.

"Wyvern," Neira said, and Verdana nodded her head.

"There's a man inside," Zak commented, "I think he is training the wyverns."

"We'd take a look," Rimn said decisively, and stepped boldly in, followed by the werewolves and Kurent, who was shaking his head.

A man in chain mail armor whirled at their intrusion. "Who are you?" he said.

"Adventurers," Rimn said pleasantly, "We saw the marks of wyverns leading to this cave and entered to see if you were all right."

A nervous tic started in the man's face. "Fine, fine," he mumbled. Rimn looked behind him to four malevolent pairs of wyvern eyes.

"You train wyverns?" he asked innocently.

The man threw up his hands. "Oh, what's the use? I might as well tell you - I am Peter of the Woods, and I am training these wyverns for the mines. Now they're too skittish for the day's training...and I'd pacify them with flesh - your flesh!" With that he drew his sword, but Kurent ran him through with his rapier before he could do anything.

"One thing they overlook about chain mail," Kurent commented, as he stabbed through a young wyvern, "Is that there are plenty of holes in it that a sharp rapier can penetrate."

"Interesting point," Zak agreed, "But Khazid'hea cuts through it all the same." He demonstrated by slicing off a wyvern's head. All the wyverns in the caves were relatively young and freshly hatched, perhaps all the easier for training.

"That's cheating," Neira said, amused, repeating the words Zak had used earlier as an arrow flew between the eyes of another wyvern, burning a blue trail of frost in its wake.

"Not really," Rimn said, whose Moonsword had taken care of the last one, "It's just your perspective."

Kurent had been looking inside the large box in the middle of the cave. It contained a few bags of gold, which he pocketed, and wyvern food, which he ignored.

"Your pack's beginning to bulge with all that gold," Zak smiled, "Aren't you going to share it?"

"Why, Zak!" Kurent protested, "I'm merely keeping it for the sake of the group."

"You mean your word?" Zak asked innocently. Kurent shot him a suspicious look.

"Yes," he said after a moment's consideration. Zak nodded, as if he had won some moral victory.

***

The next day brought them to a thickly forested, mountainous region. This region was all the stranger because when they were breakfasting and Zak pointedly not looking at Neira, a full grown wyvern had roared over the place and snatched up the roasting spit.

Zak had obligingly caught some more game, and they had this under shelter, though their feeling of security was somewhat marred.

"The wyverns are breeding like rabbits," Kurent said sourly, "And I think they are being aided. The last time I traveled through Cloakwood I didn't see any hint of leathery wings at all."

There was suddenly the plaintive, drawn-out cry of a cow in distress - above them. On cue, they looked up.

A large wyvern was flying overhead, its huge bat-like wings outstretched and flapping idly, its only pair of claws tightly clutching a full-grown cow. Its large scorpion's tail was stretched out behind it, and its eyes glowed red in its armored head.

"It's a mercy they can't breathe flame," Verdana said.

"They have the tail to make up for it," Neira pointed out, "And their speed. It is said that a family pack of wyverns can take on a full grown dragon and win."

"The tail is poisonous?" Rimn asked.

"Undoubtedly," Zak said cheerfully, "One sting and you're dead without immediate help from a healer."

"Sometimes you're so cheerful my hands itch," Kurent complained, and Zak laughed.

They waited for a while, then started out again. A few miles later, when they stopped for a rest, a man leading a group of black Talons approached them.

He stopped a few meters away and touched his helmet respectfully in a salute. "Sir?" he asked.

Zaknafein stepped out of the shadow of the tree. "Yes?"

"I was not informed you would be visiting this area, sir," the man said, "Would you like an escort?"

"No," Zak said hastily, "But what are the Talons doing here?"

"Raiken had an agreement with Davaeorn, sir," the man said, "We're to guard the mine entrances."

Zak looked surprised. "Ask them to go away," Rimn whispered behind him.

"You'd stay at your posts," Zak said casually, "Has Davaeorn been told about the change in leadership?"

"To my knowledge, no sir." He said.

"Good," Zak said absently, "Don't tell him."

"Yes sir."

"You'd take us to the mines," Zak said, "And let us in. Do you guard the insides of the mines as well?"

"Yes sir." The man said.

"Do those inside the mines know about this?" Zak asked.

"Yes sir," the man grinned, "The Talons keep together, sir."

"Good man," Zak smiled, "Well, we'd be passing through the mines for a jaunt. When we find Davaeorn's treasure...he does have one, doesn't he?"

"Yes sir," the man grinned again, "Lots of it."

"We'd distribute part of it with the lads. Now, tell the lads of this - and take note of who doesn't approve of my leading."

"The Talons don't bother themselves with this type of loyalty to Raiken, sir," the man said, "Sometimes he forgets to pay us, and it's a dirty job, this."

"We'd take care of it after our business," Zak promised, "What's your name, lad?"

"Laradar, sir," Laradar said.

"Well then, take us to the mines, Laradar," Zak said with an amiable smile.

"This Sarevok fellow seems to be the focus point of the entire escapade," Zak observed mildly, "Whoever he is."

"He's the leader of the Iron Throne, remember?" Kurent grinned, "My decrepit friend."

"Thank you," Zak said with dignity.

"A powerful man," Neira smiled, "But we've got our share of powerful people."

"Thank you again," Zak grinned.

"Who said she was talking about you?" Kurent challenged.

"I said," Neira smirked, and Zak laughed at Kurent's irritated expression.

"What if I wasn't talking to you?" Kurent said hopefully.

"Then I'd say so as well," Verdana said with a grin, "He is Asur's Guardian."

"Fine, fine," Kurent threw up his hands, and stalked on ahead to their laughter.