The Path to Greatness/Chapter 5

The hours of late evening passed with relative uneventfulness. The people of Gulgin Dar were understandably upset, but they cooperated with my plans as much as possible. By midnight, my plans were finalized and I was ready to depart. Some wanted me to wait until first light, but I knew well enough that traveling in a desert during the day, even one as small as Skraeling, was less than wise. I had debated following the Brilhado and part of me very much wanted to peruse that course, but several factors dissuaded me, not the least of which that they could both fly and wield powerful teleportative magics as will. Ulgathi and Elani scouts better than I had been on that case for days with no results; to allow my own injured pride to direct my actions toward vengeance would only play into their hands.

The decision to go after the Drakel was a complex one. I knew of Drakel that were easy to deal with; unfortunately, none of them were native to this continent. The Drakel of Battleonia lacked a T'Palo as resourceful as Tralin of K'eld Ner. Worse, they seemed a bit more willing than some of the Drakel to make deals with dark forces.

By the same token, the Drakel were the world's most ancient opposition to the Devourer. There was some evidence to suggest that they had been instrumental in the formation of my own order before withdrawing entirely into their walled cities. They among all creatures knew more about the Uncreator's dark plans than anyone. Given either sitting idly or attempting to gain further information, I chose the latter course.

Choosing my traveling companions was an easier matter. Kendrel insisted on going with me; if the Drakel knew something about why innocent Ulgathi children were being abducted by The'Galin's minions, he was determined to find it. For the part of the Orcish village, a rather able young Ulgathi shaman named Culak was selected. Culak, it turned out, was Margu's youngest son and was as dedicated to the village as Margu himself. Further, Culak had two young ones of his own and though they had not been among the taken till this point, there was every reason to believe that, given time, the Ulgathi of Gulgin Dar would have no children whatsoever to return to.

The chief debate was whether we should head north around the mountain range and south through Yenghaland, skirting Varrinsqu Keep, or attempt to travel across the Guardian mountains into Skraeling Desert directly. This decision was not debated long. The Drakel were seen in the deep desert; Yenghaland and Varrinsqu would both take us to the desert extremes and while hiking over the mountain would cost us time, it would not cost us nearly as much time as a long cross-desert hike across Skraeling's shifting sands.

Further, the Ulgathi were more than familiar with the mountain range and could locate a mountable pass with some ease, which meant that we could travel mounted at least until we began our descent into the desert. While horses could survive the desert sands, they were ill-suited to do it mounted, especially at the pace we intended to set.

Ultimately, however, this debate was for nothing. Margu had ordered that the Ulgathi mages would send us into the Central Oasis of Skraeling directly, very near where the Drakel had last been seen digging in the shifting desert sands. The mages would have to accomplish this without the aid of three of their number because Lerdu and Mugi had been murdered by the Brilhado and Culak needed to save his energy for what we might face in the desert. We gathered for a last moot in the central square; it was hard to believe that just hours earlier this had been the center of great festivity.

"We have gotten word that a contingent of five knights has been dispatched forthwith from headquarters in response to your summons, Thorne. We are in your debt...."

"You owe me nothing, Lord Margu" I replied. "I have failed in my duty to you. My brethren are honor-bound to clean up the mess I helped to create here...."

"Da globuurz, humie!" Culak grunted, shaking his head toward his father. "Nubgruk em. De skah kaalguul bubhosh mojo. Gaakh!"

"Naarku me fergit dat ist prakh thingee The'Galin."

"For heaven's sake, tuupid humie," Kendrel said with a snort.... "He is not suggesting you do forget. He is suggesting you get real. The Brilhado slipped past us all... not just you..."

Their attempts, though designed to comfort me, did little to ease my distress over the situation, but I decided to follow Culak's last admonition and Gaakh, let it be.

We settled our affairs then and said our goodbyes....

"If anything can be done to restore your children to you... we will find it," I said matter-of-factly. "Regardless, the Brilhado will pay for their cowardly attack on the innocents of this village even should I die in the process..."

"Gug'ye," Margu said to us and then, "May the Creative Impulse guide you."

I was moved near to tears to hear Margu utter an ancient blessing of my order and responded the only way that I could think of, not because I was overjoyed but because the battle was underway. "Hoowah!"

And with that, the transport took hold.....