"The Knights of Androval"
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dochermes"The Knights of Androval"
5/2/1989
All around the four of them, the forest was growing still. With sunset near, gloom deepened among the trees and the diurnal animals were settling in to make way for the creatures who hunted at night... like himself, Bane thought. More than fifty miles from the nearest town, with the Canadian border closer, this area looked as if men had never set foot here before. The Dire Wolf stood before three big men in armor and held out his hand.
The Melgar knights were imposing enough, he HAD decided after an instant appraisal. He identified them from descriptions given him by Sulak. The eldest was Pagun son of Haldren, a massive bear of a man, with grey in his drooping mustache and wariness in deepset eyes. He wore the leather armor with iron strips at key points that most Melgarin preferred. His weapons were sensible, dependable choices- a long dirk for infighting and a straight-bladed two-handed sword for the main work. Bane clasped hands with him, noticing that Pagun took care not to exert much of the great muscular power common to his Race. The Dire Wolf almost smiled. He knows Humans are frail, he thought.
The second knight from Androval was named Arogash, a slim fencer type with long dark blond hair and disinterested blue eyes. He had a small steel buckler strapped to his left arm, no larger than a dinner plate, and although he had wore a dirk at his belt, his weapon was a thin dueling sword like a rapier. Around his throat was knotted a bright crimson scarf, a present from a female admirer if Bane's knowledge of Melgar customs was accurate. They nodded coolly to each other. There was hostility in the blond Melgar's eyes.
Biggest and most imposing was one of Androval's famous tournament wrestlers. His impressive bulk loomed over five inches over Bane's six foot height like a wave about to crash. The man had to weigh three hundred pounds, but his bulk looked solid and hard. His short-handled mace was suitable for his size and obvious strength. This Melgar did not even try to conceal his anger. His ragged orange beard bristled almost visibly with anger. Big Ludon was his name, the father of the fencer Arogash who stood beside him.
Standing in the path of these three hardened veterans of wars and duels, Jeremy Bane regarded them calmly. In comparison, he was slim and almost gaunt, wearing the black field suit with its tight pants, boots and short jacket. The anesthetic dart gun holstered behind his left hip was the only visible weapon, but he had many concealed on him. Bane should have been intimidated by these big armored warriors but he watched them with almost a detached amusement. Raising the visor of his helmet, he smiled slightly.
"Aye, your name is known to us," said Pagun slowly. He was speaking Emaryl, the most common dialect of his land. The oldest Melgar knight studied the Human before him thoughtfully. "Passing strange it is for any Melgar to join a band of Humans as Sulak has done. Yet our champion's judgement is sound. His honor is well spoken. He has told us you lead a brotherhood of Tel Shai knights! The KDF. It was they who aided Androval in the invasion from Maroch not many years ago."
"We had our casualties as the Melgarin had theirs," Bane answered quietly. "Everyone there lost much of value."
"You from the world outside fought well and bravely to defend a land that is not yours," Pagun grumbled. "Yet still I must ask, what brings you to cross our path now so unexpectedly?"
A cold glint flashed for a second in Bane's grey eyes. "I'm here after the same prey that I think you three are. Sirion!"
At that name, the Melgar knights jumped as if given a shock. The giant wrestler Ludon cursed and lunged at Bane with outstretched hands. Moving to quickly to be clearly followed, the Dire Wolf sidestepped the charge and got behind Ludon. He did not look worried, only annoyed as the big wrestler spun around in confusion. Arogash and Pagun watched but made no effort to intervene.
"What do you know of Sirion?" bellowed Big Ludon, taking a step toward the elusive Human who stood just out of reach.
"I should have known," Bane answered coldly. "Okay, let's get this over with."
As he spoke that last word, the Dire Wolf blurred forward and his arm whipped around in a dark streak. The crack of his fist connecting to Ludon's jaw was crisp and decisive. The huge Melgar swayed for a dazed instant and in that opening, Bane whirled to blast a reverse roundhouse kick to the same spot. Big BLudon made a gargling noise and dropped heavily to his knees. Even as the wrestler sagged to the ground, the Wolf wheeled around to face the remaining warriors.
"He's not hurt," Bane said. "He'll be up in a minute. Now look! I don't know what the problem is with you people but it seems everytime I meet a Melgar, I have to knock him down to get any respect. Who's next?"
"I do not deem that called for. True it is that we value prowess in the arts of combat. Mayhap it is hard for us to give due credence to the words of a Human."
"You saw me just now. If you guys are as skilled as most knights of Androval are, then you should be able to tell how good I am. Can we get down to serious business?"
Seeing Big Ludon get to his feet as his son helped him, Pagun grunted. "Very well. Indeed, let us speak of Sirion. What is your interest in that one?"
"I'm on his trail. I want to bring him to justice."
"So, then, you are a policeman seeking to arrest him?"
Bane made a scoffing noise. "Listen, I will take Sirion alive if I can, but he's coming with me either way. There are six dead men at the home of the Preincarnation cult. The cops were trying to break up the cult and instead Sirion killed them. He ripped the door off a patrol car and crushed one officer with it.. the guys's a strong brute."
Arogash spoke for the first time. The fencer had a thin nasal voice. "I protest that! Sirion was an ancestor of great honor. Even if this imposter dares to use the name, this Human should not show it such disrepect."
"No," Bane answered. "In a way, this imposter really IS Sirion. "This is the secret of the Preincarnators. Dr Vidimar is dead but he has left disciples. Using the Darthan spell, a Preincarnator can assume the exact likeness of a direct ancestor. He or she also has the abilities and some of the knowledge of that ancestor. So this Sirion isn't a fraud. He is the original Sirion but with the criminal mind of a Preincarnator guiding him."
To one side, the wrestler Big Ludon rubbed his jaw gingerly. "May a tree fall on your head."
Bane took no notice. "It's unusual for any Melgar to be out running around in the real world. I don't know how the Preincarnators even met the Melgar who is now posing as Sirion. You have any ideas about that, Pagun?"
"I do." Pagun frowned even more deeply, his face lined with heavy burdens. "The Melgar is named Dorgan, a warlock. In Androval, he was reclusive and dark things were said of him. For studying forbidden arts, our good King Holmir exiled him to live in disgrace in the mountains away from his own people."
"And he came to our world instead," Bane followed. "Somehow he found the Preincarnators and they found he was perfect for their purposes. Did he know he was descended from Sirion?"
"What Melgar does not know his lineage from the founding of the realm?" sneered Arogash. "We at least have much to remember of glories past."
Being an orphan with no knowledge of his parents or the first few years of his life, Bane was unimpressed. "I did a little research. This Sirion is quite a legend in your culture. The most powerful, the most skilled, the most daring of all your warriors. There was even a folk tale that he fathered offspring with twenty women in one night."
Pagun raised a warning finger. "Have a care how you speak. Sirion was no mere tale, no shadow without a body to cast it. His feats were witnessed by many. His children and their children after them were legion, all mighty fighters. It was Sirion who established the ranks and the regulations of our Tournaments."
"I've worked with Sulak for years," Bane said. "Believe me, I know the Legacy of Malberon is not just folklore."
Now the big wrestler was getting worked up again. "How do you ken these things of our folk? It is not proper for Humans to know so much of us."
Bane raised a dismissive hand. "Hey, we can chat later. You three came here to catch Sirion, right? King Holmir would not allow your greatest culture figure to run around killing and looting, iving Androval a bad name. Dorgan in exile is one thing, Sirion is another entirely." He turned the stern force of his eyes on the three Melgar knights before him in the murk. "We might as well work together. You guys look tough enough, but do you think you can tackle someone with the Legacy of Malberon running through him?"
There was no immediate reply and he continued, "No, of course not. But you were willing to try anyway, right? Well, I don't claim I can punch it out with someone in Sulak's class but I did bring a few surprises with me. We might have a chance."
"So be it then," Pagun grudgingly said, looking to his comrades. His eyes were bleak. "It is a hard choice to make but we have our duty. Let us go to meet and perhaps slay our greatest hero."
II.
With Bane beside him, the eldest Melgar turned and strode into the forest. They were followed by Arogash and Big Ludon, who kept watchful eyes on the stranger.
"I spotted a campfire from the air," Bane said after a few minutes, not explaining he had landed the stealth helicopter CORBY in a clearing three miles behind them. "Looked like three people near it and a tent. It's not far from here."
"Where is Sulak?" demanded the wrestler Big Ludon. "In truth, his strong right arm is needed in this dark hour."
"He's not available. Believe me, I'd love to have him here with us. Or Khang, or Nebel." Bane shrugged in the gloom. "But the hunt can't wait. We don't have much time."
Pagun turned his head with an angry glare. "What do you mean?"
"My sources tell me that Dorgan has been contacted by agents from Arem Kamende. Working with a warlord like that, Sirion could plunder any realm they chose. They would start a reign of terror like nothing in our lifetimes. That's what makes the hunt urgent. I want to nab this Dorgon or Sirion whatever before he joins up with Kamende." Bane was watching the knights closely as he spoke. "Hold up. Look down there."
All were silent as they gazed down a gulley to where the yellow light of a small campfire could be seen. Motioning for stealth, Pagun slowly stepped forward. The old veteran made his way as silently as he could, with his two comrades behind him but they were not skilled at stealth. In contrast, Bane made no noise at all and seemed to just glide like a shadow. He had lowered the visor of his helmet and its light enhancers let him see clearly in the overcast night. While still beyond bowshot, the Melgarin paused to watch from concealment. They seemed to take an interminable time to do this, as if thinking over every possibility while hardly breathing.
To one side, Bane adjusted the sensors in his helmet for a telescopic view. There were three figures around the fire. All wore typical Melgar clothing of soft boots, leggings and loose long-sleeve tunics with a light vest. One of the three was a middle-aged woman, heavyset and busy by the fire stirring a cooking pot. Beside her was a young boy who had not hit puberty yet, busy wiping a broadsword with a soft oilcloth. Mother and son, servants judging by the coarse material of their clothing. It was the man who held Bane's attention. The big Melgar stood wrapped in a travel cloak, staring into the flames. Bane estimated the guy about five feet eleven, two hundred pounds. White whiskers, long white hair loose to the shoulders. That nose had been broken early in life. This all matched the description of Dorgan, one of Androval's rare sorcerors, exiled from his own land.
No others were in sight. Finally, thought Bane with grim satisfaction, I've gotten here before Arem Kamende could negotiate with this Dorgan. That renegade has been a step ahead of me all along. Now to start turning the game to my advantage. Stepping forward, the Dire Wolf drew his dart gun and extended his arm. The range was not too far for the compressed-gas cartridge but it would take careful aim. He sighted at Dorgan and was taken by surprise when something exploded down on his arm with murderous force. The gun went spinning away into the darkness. Bane growled at the pain. His arm felt like it had nearly been broken. The Trom armor under his suit was good but it did not make him invulnerable.
Big Ludon raised his massive mace back up to his shoulder. "You will not slay him from hiding with your cowardly weapon. I have heard of these guns you Human use."
"You big ape! That was an anesthetic dart that would just make him sleep for a few hours!" Bane rubbed his injured arm and was within an inch of attacking the giant wrestler.
"We are Melgarin! You would not understand honor," Pagun announced. With the other two, he marched openly toward the campfire. "Dorgan! Dorgan, we approach!"
All of Bane's suspicions crystallized at that instant. Now he understood. Finding his dartgun in the bushes, he saw it was intact and holstered it. Being aware was his best weapon. He followed the three knights of Androval quietly as they walked up to the campfire in the clearing. The smell of beef simmering reached their nostrils..
"Greetings to you, Dorgan!" called out Pagun. "We come to parley."
The warlock gestured with open hands for them to approach. His servants drew back fearfully to where their blankets were stretched out by their knapsacks. As the exile from Androval calmly waited, Pagun and his comrades came to stand before him. "I am glad to see countrymen in this strange land." The sorceror pointed at the Dire Wolf and asked, "But who is this Human you bring to me?"
Even as the warlock spoke, Bane launched his attack. He flung a low-impact resonance grenade detonated sharply like thunder close at hand. Both Melgar were thrown down by the blast. As everyone's ears rang and they were dazed by the unexpected explosion, the Dire Wolf drew and sent three of the anesthetic darts into Dorgan's neck and chest. Those darts stung painfully as they bit into skin, but a half second later the sorceror was dazed and a second after that, he slumped face down into the dirt. The mechanism of the dartgun clicked and jammed.
"No turning into Sirion for you!" Bane growled. Big Ludon was coming at him from the side. Taking one step to the left, the Dire Wolf kicked down hard to the back of the man's knee, driving him down to the ground and cracking him brutally on the back of the skull with the butt of his dart gun. The big wrestler made an odd grumbling noise and slumped out full length. In another second, Bane would have taken care of the other two Melgarin with the dart gun but Arogash had recovered quicker than expected. The thin blade sliced open the back of Bane's jacket, exposing the layer of Trom armor beneath. A second stroke clanged loudly against his helmet without effect. Before the Melgar could strike again, Bane had lunged in close and threw a simple straight punch to the chest that cracked Arogush's sternum and ruptured his heart. The fencer convulsed and fell over, almost into the campfire.
Now, the Dire Wolf swung to face Pagun, who had gotten up and was shaking his head, still ringing from the resonance blast. "You're the only one left in any condition to talk," Bane said as he holstered the dartgun.
"You knew..." spat Pagun, placing his hand upon the hilt of his sword.
"Not early enough. I was suspicious from the start of course. King Holmir hadn't tried to contact me to find Sulak. That would be his usual way to find our boy. Then I realized the three of you could not be expected to capture or kill someone like Sirion. I half expected to meet agents of Arem Kamende getting here first. When I spied you three sneaking through the woods with no obvious means of travel, I figured it was possible Arem Kamende had sent you. He would want to have Melgar mercenaries meet an exiled Melgar, you guys speak the same language and Dorgan would trust you. Am I right so far?"
"You speak only truth, little Human. That I will grant you. Yet the game has not been played out yet. Dorgan may yet be protected and great Sirion returned to us."
"Don't even try it," Bane said flatly. "You've seen me take down Ludon and Arogush just now. I'd have to use lethal force on you, Pagun."
"Naught else will do!" roared the Megar knight. He drew himself up, sword in hand and rushed forward with the blade extended. Fast and experienced as he was, Pagun was facing a Master of Kumundu from Tel Shai. Bane turned sideways, let the long blade hiss past him and smashed his elbow directly into Pagun's face. The man's nose broke and his head swung back as far as it could. He reeled, all defenses dropped The Dire Wolf brought that same arm forward and then back again in a backfist a second later that lifted the man off his feet. Pagun feel flat on his back as if dropped from a height.
Even then, the old Melgar would not yield. He fumbled, tried to raise himself up on his elbows. Blood poured down his face from his nose and his vision was dim.
"Forget it," Bane told him. "You don't have long. I felt your skull crack when I connected."
"What of.. him? Dorgan? What will you do with him?"
"He'll never turn into Sirion again if I can help it," Bane said. "Our mystic Nebel can drain the Preincarnation spell from him. Then I guess I'll bring him back to Androval for judgement. Knowing the King as I do, I'll bet money there's an executioner's axe in Dorgan's future."
"No! Never!" The words were a gasp.
"It was all for nothing," Bane said softly. "I can't send you to your Hell with any sort of consolation."
2/2/1987-Rev 10/15/2013
5/2/1989
All around the four of them, the forest was growing still. With sunset near, gloom deepened among the trees and the diurnal animals were settling in to make way for the creatures who hunted at night... like himself, Bane thought. More than fifty miles from the nearest town, with the Canadian border closer, this area looked as if men had never set foot here before. The Dire Wolf stood before three big men in armor and held out his hand.
The Melgar knights were imposing enough, he HAD decided after an instant appraisal. He identified them from descriptions given him by Sulak. The eldest was Pagun son of Haldren, a massive bear of a man, with grey in his drooping mustache and wariness in deepset eyes. He wore the leather armor with iron strips at key points that most Melgarin preferred. His weapons were sensible, dependable choices- a long dirk for infighting and a straight-bladed two-handed sword for the main work. Bane clasped hands with him, noticing that Pagun took care not to exert much of the great muscular power common to his Race. The Dire Wolf almost smiled. He knows Humans are frail, he thought.
The second knight from Androval was named Arogash, a slim fencer type with long dark blond hair and disinterested blue eyes. He had a small steel buckler strapped to his left arm, no larger than a dinner plate, and although he had wore a dirk at his belt, his weapon was a thin dueling sword like a rapier. Around his throat was knotted a bright crimson scarf, a present from a female admirer if Bane's knowledge of Melgar customs was accurate. They nodded coolly to each other. There was hostility in the blond Melgar's eyes.
Biggest and most imposing was one of Androval's famous tournament wrestlers. His impressive bulk loomed over five inches over Bane's six foot height like a wave about to crash. The man had to weigh three hundred pounds, but his bulk looked solid and hard. His short-handled mace was suitable for his size and obvious strength. This Melgar did not even try to conceal his anger. His ragged orange beard bristled almost visibly with anger. Big Ludon was his name, the father of the fencer Arogash who stood beside him.
Standing in the path of these three hardened veterans of wars and duels, Jeremy Bane regarded them calmly. In comparison, he was slim and almost gaunt, wearing the black field suit with its tight pants, boots and short jacket. The anesthetic dart gun holstered behind his left hip was the only visible weapon, but he had many concealed on him. Bane should have been intimidated by these big armored warriors but he watched them with almost a detached amusement. Raising the visor of his helmet, he smiled slightly.
"Aye, your name is known to us," said Pagun slowly. He was speaking Emaryl, the most common dialect of his land. The oldest Melgar knight studied the Human before him thoughtfully. "Passing strange it is for any Melgar to join a band of Humans as Sulak has done. Yet our champion's judgement is sound. His honor is well spoken. He has told us you lead a brotherhood of Tel Shai knights! The KDF. It was they who aided Androval in the invasion from Maroch not many years ago."
"We had our casualties as the Melgarin had theirs," Bane answered quietly. "Everyone there lost much of value."
"You from the world outside fought well and bravely to defend a land that is not yours," Pagun grumbled. "Yet still I must ask, what brings you to cross our path now so unexpectedly?"
A cold glint flashed for a second in Bane's grey eyes. "I'm here after the same prey that I think you three are. Sirion!"
At that name, the Melgar knights jumped as if given a shock. The giant wrestler Ludon cursed and lunged at Bane with outstretched hands. Moving to quickly to be clearly followed, the Dire Wolf sidestepped the charge and got behind Ludon. He did not look worried, only annoyed as the big wrestler spun around in confusion. Arogash and Pagun watched but made no effort to intervene.
"What do you know of Sirion?" bellowed Big Ludon, taking a step toward the elusive Human who stood just out of reach.
"I should have known," Bane answered coldly. "Okay, let's get this over with."
As he spoke that last word, the Dire Wolf blurred forward and his arm whipped around in a dark streak. The crack of his fist connecting to Ludon's jaw was crisp and decisive. The huge Melgar swayed for a dazed instant and in that opening, Bane whirled to blast a reverse roundhouse kick to the same spot. Big BLudon made a gargling noise and dropped heavily to his knees. Even as the wrestler sagged to the ground, the Wolf wheeled around to face the remaining warriors.
"He's not hurt," Bane said. "He'll be up in a minute. Now look! I don't know what the problem is with you people but it seems everytime I meet a Melgar, I have to knock him down to get any respect. Who's next?"
"I do not deem that called for. True it is that we value prowess in the arts of combat. Mayhap it is hard for us to give due credence to the words of a Human."
"You saw me just now. If you guys are as skilled as most knights of Androval are, then you should be able to tell how good I am. Can we get down to serious business?"
Seeing Big Ludon get to his feet as his son helped him, Pagun grunted. "Very well. Indeed, let us speak of Sirion. What is your interest in that one?"
"I'm on his trail. I want to bring him to justice."
"So, then, you are a policeman seeking to arrest him?"
Bane made a scoffing noise. "Listen, I will take Sirion alive if I can, but he's coming with me either way. There are six dead men at the home of the Preincarnation cult. The cops were trying to break up the cult and instead Sirion killed them. He ripped the door off a patrol car and crushed one officer with it.. the guys's a strong brute."
Arogash spoke for the first time. The fencer had a thin nasal voice. "I protest that! Sirion was an ancestor of great honor. Even if this imposter dares to use the name, this Human should not show it such disrepect."
"No," Bane answered. "In a way, this imposter really IS Sirion. "This is the secret of the Preincarnators. Dr Vidimar is dead but he has left disciples. Using the Darthan spell, a Preincarnator can assume the exact likeness of a direct ancestor. He or she also has the abilities and some of the knowledge of that ancestor. So this Sirion isn't a fraud. He is the original Sirion but with the criminal mind of a Preincarnator guiding him."
To one side, the wrestler Big Ludon rubbed his jaw gingerly. "May a tree fall on your head."
Bane took no notice. "It's unusual for any Melgar to be out running around in the real world. I don't know how the Preincarnators even met the Melgar who is now posing as Sirion. You have any ideas about that, Pagun?"
"I do." Pagun frowned even more deeply, his face lined with heavy burdens. "The Melgar is named Dorgan, a warlock. In Androval, he was reclusive and dark things were said of him. For studying forbidden arts, our good King Holmir exiled him to live in disgrace in the mountains away from his own people."
"And he came to our world instead," Bane followed. "Somehow he found the Preincarnators and they found he was perfect for their purposes. Did he know he was descended from Sirion?"
"What Melgar does not know his lineage from the founding of the realm?" sneered Arogash. "We at least have much to remember of glories past."
Being an orphan with no knowledge of his parents or the first few years of his life, Bane was unimpressed. "I did a little research. This Sirion is quite a legend in your culture. The most powerful, the most skilled, the most daring of all your warriors. There was even a folk tale that he fathered offspring with twenty women in one night."
Pagun raised a warning finger. "Have a care how you speak. Sirion was no mere tale, no shadow without a body to cast it. His feats were witnessed by many. His children and their children after them were legion, all mighty fighters. It was Sirion who established the ranks and the regulations of our Tournaments."
"I've worked with Sulak for years," Bane said. "Believe me, I know the Legacy of Malberon is not just folklore."
Now the big wrestler was getting worked up again. "How do you ken these things of our folk? It is not proper for Humans to know so much of us."
Bane raised a dismissive hand. "Hey, we can chat later. You three came here to catch Sirion, right? King Holmir would not allow your greatest culture figure to run around killing and looting, iving Androval a bad name. Dorgan in exile is one thing, Sirion is another entirely." He turned the stern force of his eyes on the three Melgar knights before him in the murk. "We might as well work together. You guys look tough enough, but do you think you can tackle someone with the Legacy of Malberon running through him?"
There was no immediate reply and he continued, "No, of course not. But you were willing to try anyway, right? Well, I don't claim I can punch it out with someone in Sulak's class but I did bring a few surprises with me. We might have a chance."
"So be it then," Pagun grudgingly said, looking to his comrades. His eyes were bleak. "It is a hard choice to make but we have our duty. Let us go to meet and perhaps slay our greatest hero."
II.
With Bane beside him, the eldest Melgar turned and strode into the forest. They were followed by Arogash and Big Ludon, who kept watchful eyes on the stranger.
"I spotted a campfire from the air," Bane said after a few minutes, not explaining he had landed the stealth helicopter CORBY in a clearing three miles behind them. "Looked like three people near it and a tent. It's not far from here."
"Where is Sulak?" demanded the wrestler Big Ludon. "In truth, his strong right arm is needed in this dark hour."
"He's not available. Believe me, I'd love to have him here with us. Or Khang, or Nebel." Bane shrugged in the gloom. "But the hunt can't wait. We don't have much time."
Pagun turned his head with an angry glare. "What do you mean?"
"My sources tell me that Dorgan has been contacted by agents from Arem Kamende. Working with a warlord like that, Sirion could plunder any realm they chose. They would start a reign of terror like nothing in our lifetimes. That's what makes the hunt urgent. I want to nab this Dorgon or Sirion whatever before he joins up with Kamende." Bane was watching the knights closely as he spoke. "Hold up. Look down there."
All were silent as they gazed down a gulley to where the yellow light of a small campfire could be seen. Motioning for stealth, Pagun slowly stepped forward. The old veteran made his way as silently as he could, with his two comrades behind him but they were not skilled at stealth. In contrast, Bane made no noise at all and seemed to just glide like a shadow. He had lowered the visor of his helmet and its light enhancers let him see clearly in the overcast night. While still beyond bowshot, the Melgarin paused to watch from concealment. They seemed to take an interminable time to do this, as if thinking over every possibility while hardly breathing.
To one side, Bane adjusted the sensors in his helmet for a telescopic view. There were three figures around the fire. All wore typical Melgar clothing of soft boots, leggings and loose long-sleeve tunics with a light vest. One of the three was a middle-aged woman, heavyset and busy by the fire stirring a cooking pot. Beside her was a young boy who had not hit puberty yet, busy wiping a broadsword with a soft oilcloth. Mother and son, servants judging by the coarse material of their clothing. It was the man who held Bane's attention. The big Melgar stood wrapped in a travel cloak, staring into the flames. Bane estimated the guy about five feet eleven, two hundred pounds. White whiskers, long white hair loose to the shoulders. That nose had been broken early in life. This all matched the description of Dorgan, one of Androval's rare sorcerors, exiled from his own land.
No others were in sight. Finally, thought Bane with grim satisfaction, I've gotten here before Arem Kamende could negotiate with this Dorgan. That renegade has been a step ahead of me all along. Now to start turning the game to my advantage. Stepping forward, the Dire Wolf drew his dart gun and extended his arm. The range was not too far for the compressed-gas cartridge but it would take careful aim. He sighted at Dorgan and was taken by surprise when something exploded down on his arm with murderous force. The gun went spinning away into the darkness. Bane growled at the pain. His arm felt like it had nearly been broken. The Trom armor under his suit was good but it did not make him invulnerable.
Big Ludon raised his massive mace back up to his shoulder. "You will not slay him from hiding with your cowardly weapon. I have heard of these guns you Human use."
"You big ape! That was an anesthetic dart that would just make him sleep for a few hours!" Bane rubbed his injured arm and was within an inch of attacking the giant wrestler.
"We are Melgarin! You would not understand honor," Pagun announced. With the other two, he marched openly toward the campfire. "Dorgan! Dorgan, we approach!"
All of Bane's suspicions crystallized at that instant. Now he understood. Finding his dartgun in the bushes, he saw it was intact and holstered it. Being aware was his best weapon. He followed the three knights of Androval quietly as they walked up to the campfire in the clearing. The smell of beef simmering reached their nostrils..
"Greetings to you, Dorgan!" called out Pagun. "We come to parley."
The warlock gestured with open hands for them to approach. His servants drew back fearfully to where their blankets were stretched out by their knapsacks. As the exile from Androval calmly waited, Pagun and his comrades came to stand before him. "I am glad to see countrymen in this strange land." The sorceror pointed at the Dire Wolf and asked, "But who is this Human you bring to me?"
Even as the warlock spoke, Bane launched his attack. He flung a low-impact resonance grenade detonated sharply like thunder close at hand. Both Melgar were thrown down by the blast. As everyone's ears rang and they were dazed by the unexpected explosion, the Dire Wolf drew and sent three of the anesthetic darts into Dorgan's neck and chest. Those darts stung painfully as they bit into skin, but a half second later the sorceror was dazed and a second after that, he slumped face down into the dirt. The mechanism of the dartgun clicked and jammed.
"No turning into Sirion for you!" Bane growled. Big Ludon was coming at him from the side. Taking one step to the left, the Dire Wolf kicked down hard to the back of the man's knee, driving him down to the ground and cracking him brutally on the back of the skull with the butt of his dart gun. The big wrestler made an odd grumbling noise and slumped out full length. In another second, Bane would have taken care of the other two Melgarin with the dart gun but Arogash had recovered quicker than expected. The thin blade sliced open the back of Bane's jacket, exposing the layer of Trom armor beneath. A second stroke clanged loudly against his helmet without effect. Before the Melgar could strike again, Bane had lunged in close and threw a simple straight punch to the chest that cracked Arogush's sternum and ruptured his heart. The fencer convulsed and fell over, almost into the campfire.
Now, the Dire Wolf swung to face Pagun, who had gotten up and was shaking his head, still ringing from the resonance blast. "You're the only one left in any condition to talk," Bane said as he holstered the dartgun.
"You knew..." spat Pagun, placing his hand upon the hilt of his sword.
"Not early enough. I was suspicious from the start of course. King Holmir hadn't tried to contact me to find Sulak. That would be his usual way to find our boy. Then I realized the three of you could not be expected to capture or kill someone like Sirion. I half expected to meet agents of Arem Kamende getting here first. When I spied you three sneaking through the woods with no obvious means of travel, I figured it was possible Arem Kamende had sent you. He would want to have Melgar mercenaries meet an exiled Melgar, you guys speak the same language and Dorgan would trust you. Am I right so far?"
"You speak only truth, little Human. That I will grant you. Yet the game has not been played out yet. Dorgan may yet be protected and great Sirion returned to us."
"Don't even try it," Bane said flatly. "You've seen me take down Ludon and Arogush just now. I'd have to use lethal force on you, Pagun."
"Naught else will do!" roared the Megar knight. He drew himself up, sword in hand and rushed forward with the blade extended. Fast and experienced as he was, Pagun was facing a Master of Kumundu from Tel Shai. Bane turned sideways, let the long blade hiss past him and smashed his elbow directly into Pagun's face. The man's nose broke and his head swung back as far as it could. He reeled, all defenses dropped The Dire Wolf brought that same arm forward and then back again in a backfist a second later that lifted the man off his feet. Pagun feel flat on his back as if dropped from a height.
Even then, the old Melgar would not yield. He fumbled, tried to raise himself up on his elbows. Blood poured down his face from his nose and his vision was dim.
"Forget it," Bane told him. "You don't have long. I felt your skull crack when I connected."
"What of.. him? Dorgan? What will you do with him?"
"He'll never turn into Sirion again if I can help it," Bane said. "Our mystic Nebel can drain the Preincarnation spell from him. Then I guess I'll bring him back to Androval for judgement. Knowing the King as I do, I'll bet money there's an executioner's axe in Dorgan's future."
"No! Never!" The words were a gasp.
"It was all for nothing," Bane said softly. "I can't send you to your Hell with any sort of consolation."
2/2/1987-Rev 10/15/2013
