The Wood Knot Warrior

"Do it," Lerrisen said quietly.

Morgan closed his eyes and focused his will upon a spell he'd taught himself for just such an emergency. He understood the ramifications of using it, and he wasn't happy about being forced into a corner like this, but his duty to the people of Grennesh was clear. He had to make this sacrifice if he was to save them.

It was going to take most of his strength to maintain this spell, and he'd have to keep it active until they were out of the forest as the Mistveil Woods would kill him the moment he failed.

Ready, he launched the spell and opened his eyes.

Reality seemed to ripple everywhere his eyes looked. A high-pitched keening began as the magic powering the illusion of the labyrinth before him collapsed. The forest itself was being temporarily stripped of its magic within the focus of his eyes.

At the same time, he felt his destination pulling at him, so he walked.

The others followed at a distance. They could feel the unnatural vacuum of magic in the path he was creating, and it made their skin itch, but they persevered and kept pace with the Human wizard.

Morgan picked up his pace, and stepping out of the forest onto the true road was like stepping through a curtain. He didn't dare release the spell yet as they were flanked by the woods on both sides, and it wanted him dead. He picked up his pace again.

"Carry Lerrisen when he tires," Morgan called out from the front of their group. He didn't dare look back at them.

It took hours, and exhaustion pulled at him, but they finally reached the edge of the Mistveil Woods, and Morgan stumbled out into the open field beyond its edge as the sun dipped below the horizon.

"Rest, Morgan," Lerrisen called out from behind him.

"Not... yet," Morgan gasped as he pushed himself to march across the wide field to reach the first rock outcropping, which signified the beginning of the mountain range Grennesh nestled within. Beyond the reach of the forest.

He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes, releasing the spell and collapsing forward to land on the road, unconscious before he hit the dusty surface.

-=-

The day had gone exceptionally well for Dell. The people of Grennesh came down the hill in record numbers, and none left unsatisfied. He'd watched their smiling faces through the window as he kept up a steady stream of steaming pot pies for the happy people.

His father hadn't stopped smiling since he got over his earlier grumpiness, and they sat in the kitchen relaxing after the final customers finished up and prepared to leave.

Dell had to dip into the stores he'd prepared for the last day to keep up with the demand, but every customer was served, and the staff hadn't needed to sacrifice their own meals for the paying guests.

"Do you have enough ingredients for another day?" Karter asked.

Dell snorted. "Not if it's as busy as today! I swear I saw that textile merchant from yesterday come in twice today!"

Karter grinned. "You did! He's a complete glutton!" he chuckled. He looked around. "Where's Kharza?"

Dell recalled her speaking to him as he finished the last batch. "She said something about preparing for her bouncer duties." He smiled. "She was really effective last night. No one dared take her up on her offer to escort them outside. Even the most belligerent drunk sobered quickly when she approached them with that toothy grin of hers. She's perfect for the job."

Karter watched his son with an evaluating eye. "You like her, don't you," he said.

Dell glanced at his dad. "Of course I do, but not in the way you think. I think she loved her husband and her daughter and is reserving that emotion for their memory."

Karter nodded as he felt the same way about his wife. He tilted his head as he looked into his son's eyes. "But you could love her."

Dell thought about that. "Yeah, I probably could, eventually. I mean, if she let me into her heart. For now, we just like being together, so don't meddle!"

Karter laughed. His son knew him well.

-=-

Eryllis had been walking all day, driven by this pressure she didn't understand. Now, she was exhausted and famished!

She was close to her destination as she'd turned off the trade route to start climbing into the foothills. The grade just added to her exhaustion.

A large sprawling building came into view and, with it, the most incredible scent. Her mouth began watering immediately, but her strength was reaching its limit. She stood before the building, staring at the steps as if they were an insurmountable obstacle.

"Are you okay?"

She lifted her eyes and blinked as she didn't understand what she was looking at. A green female?

The muscle-bound female with tusks climbed down the steps to stand before her, looking her straight in the eyes. "We don't see too many Wood Elves here and none who look like you. You have breasts almost as large as mine!"

Eryllis stared at the green brute and saw she was smiling in delight. Crossing her arms over her chest protectively, she scowled back.

The female raised her hands in apology. "I meant nothing bad by it. You are quite beautiful and unique!" Her smile widened. "I'm Kharza. I know another unique Wood Elf who probably looks like no other you've seen before. He's the best chef, and the food he makes is incredible."

Eryllis wobbled at the thought of food, and Kharza's smile became a look of concern.

"Hey, let's get you inside so you can get a meal. You look like you might faint."

A very strong arm wrapped around her back, and she allowed herself to be supported as they went up the stairs and into the dining room. The place looked like it was closed as all the chairs were up. Kharza pulled a chair down from a table by the window.

"You take a seat here, and I'll get you something to eat."

Eryllis nodded as that's all she had left. Whatever had driven her all day hadn't considered how difficult the task was. She felt resentful at being manipulated once more as it felt like the external pressure her grandmother put on her.

The delicious scent was even stronger here, and her stomach grumbled at being so empty. She glanced in the direction the kind brute Kharza had gone and hoped she wouldn't be long.

-=-

Dell smiled down at the pie before him and prepared to dig in.

Sitting next to him, Karter yelped as the sword was suddenly hanging from a belt around Dell's waist.

Hissing at the sudden spike of pain in his temples, Dell dropped his fork and rubbed his temples. "Damn sword!" he growled.

"It's on your hip again," Karter said with a grim look.

Dell glanced at his father. "Yeah, something is really agitating it as it's trying to make me angry again. Maybe the guardsmen are coming for the sword?"

Karter scowled. "No fighting in the inn!"

"Do you think I don't know that?" Dell snapped, then reined in the anger.

"Sorry. Maybe you should take a walk and not be here when they arrive?" his father suggested.

Dell winced as the pressure built in his head. Something was getting closer, and his temper flared against it. He stood quickly and rushed to the back door. He felt the sword trying to drag him in the other direction fiercely, so he began to run. He heard his father rushing after him.

"No! You stay here, just in case," Dell called back as he set his feet to running once more. Away from the inn and Grennesh. The darkness was no hindrance for him but would make any guardsmen think twice. The pull increased to intense levels, but Dell used his rage against the sword's interference.

He could almost feel its frustration.

Was it alive?

-=-

Kharza rushed into the kitchen and saw it was empty. A pot pie was on a plate on the table with a fork, so Kharza picked it up and walked back out into the dining room to set it down before the weary female.

She smiled as she saw her eyes widen in delight. Dell was right. Feeding people good food was fulfilling in itself.

The Wood Elf grabbed the fork and dug into the flaky crust, scooping out the steaming goodness within. She barely took the time to blow on the hot food before stuffing it into her mouth. Then her eyes closed in bliss as she slowly chewed.

Grinning, Kharza watched the starving woman enjoy her first bite. "I'll get you some water."

"Eryllis. My name, it's Eryllis. Thank you for this," the female said softly.

Kharza nodded with a smile as she went back to the kitchen for some water.

When she returned, she saw that Eryllis had already eaten half of the pie but was slowing down. She placed the glass next to her, and the Wood Elf immediately picked it up and swallowed a few mouthfuls. Then she rested back on her chair to smile in bliss.

Kharza grinned at her. "If you don't mind me asking, what caused you to be in such a state?"

Violet eyes looked at her cautiously, then softened as she only saw curiosity on her face.

"I've been walking for two days with little rest. I have... business in Grennesh," she said, finishing awkwardly. She went back to eating as she was still trembling with fatigue. She glanced up guiltily. "This is so good."

Kharza flashed a wide smile. "Like I said, Dell is an incredible chef. He's pretty damn good in bed too! You'd never guess he'd been a virgin just days ago," she chuckled and watched the heat flash on the female's face.

"You speak very plainly," Eryllis said around another mouthful, unable to stop herself from eating the delicious meal.

"Yes, so I've been told. I'm honest, and I speak my mind. It's the way of Orcs. My tribe was at least."

Eryllis' eyes lit up a little as energy flowed back into her body. "You are the first Orc I've ever met."

Kharza nodded. "We typically keep to the plains, but I was hunting down the bastards who killed my family. I chased them all the way to the foot of these mountains."

Eryllis' mouth stopped chewing as she stared at her. "You killed them?" she asked quietly.

The Orc nodded gently. "Originally, there were eight. I slowly picked them off one after another until there were four. Then they ambushed me. I would have died, but Dell arrived, and we fought them together. He killed two, and I killed the others."

Eryllis frowned. "I thought you said Dell was a chef."

Kharza laughed. "That's just it! He is! But when he arrived on that road, he charged in swinging this big bloody sword and fought like a demon. Afterward, he told me it was the first time he'd ever held a sword in his life. It seems the damn thing is possessed by magic."

Eryllis suddenly clutched her head as if in pain. After the day she'd had, it was obviously too much, and she passed out.

Kharza caught her before she fell from her chair.

Karter entered the room and saw her lifting the Wood Elf into her strong arms.

"What did you do?" he asked in alarm.

Kharza frowned at him. "I fed her and gave her water. She's exhausted! She said she's been walking for two days. Stop asking stupid questions and tell me where she can sleep!"

Karter got closer, and his expression froze. "Oh my! She... she looks a bit like Sharlyn, my wife... except for her nose... and those breasts."

"Never mind! I'll put her in Dell's bed. She can sleep there tonight. Can you bring her staff?"

Karter reached for the Druid staff, but it suddenly wasn't leaning against the wall.

Kharza stared down at the female in her arms as she cradled the staff in hers.

"Oh, damn. It's another magic weapon," Karter said quietly.

Kharza had no idea what to do about that, but she did know what to do with an exhausted female. "I'll put her to bed if you carry her pack and get the doors."

"Oh! Right," Karter said, snapping out of his daze. He led the way, and soon they had her stretched out on Dell's bed with a blanket thrown over her, her shoes on the floor next to the bed.

"It smells of sex in here! Open the window," Karter said with a frown.

She did then pushed the man from the room. "Let her rest. You can gawk at her when she wakes."

As they walked back down the stairs, they both pondered on the appearance of another magic weapon.

What did that mean?

Chapter 7

Dell ran down the road, fighting the sword every step of the way. Finally, he managed to overpower it with a roar as he came to a stop at the intersection of the road to Grennesh and the trade route. Instantly, he yanked the sword from its scabbard and whirled it in a humming circle before him, batting away a series of incoming arrows. He panted and looked down the road to see a group of Wood Elves staring at him in shock. They readied another flight of arrows, and he sprinted forward, sword ready.

Two at the back were carrying people on their backs. One eased his charge to the ground while the other dumped his burden as quick as possible. Dell knocked the second set of arrows away as easily as the first as he drew closer to the group.

Bloodlust surged with the pressure of the sword's will behind it. This was the target the sword was destined to cut down.

Dell stopped his charge as he had no intention to kill these Elves just to appease the sword's need to bathe in their blood.

They smiled as they saw his hesitation.

Dropping their bows to switch to their swords, the first two leaped forward only to encounter a whirling wall of steel that slapped their swords from their hands. They scrambled to retrieve their swords and stumbled into the second group trying to get at Dell.

Dell surged forward into that chaos and beat them with the flat side of his blade and his free fist until all four were on the ground, dazed.

The last two stood their ground before the ones they'd carried.

"STOP!" Dell roared once more. This was for his attackers as well as the sword's influence which struggled to manipulate his rage.

But that rage belonged to Dell.

Nothing was going to make him do anything he didn't agree with. He didn't want to kill these Wood Elves. Slapping them around had been satisfying enough. He would NOT spill blood at someone else's command!

"Listen to him!" a Human voice insisted.

Dell looked to the sole Human in the group and saw wizard robes, the man sitting on the road. His hair and beard were black as the night except for the shocking white braids at his temples and the white strip of beard below his mouth. His eyes were pale ice blue and watched him in surprise.

Gasping for breath, Dell concentrated on forcing down his fiery temper until he was able to take long, deep breaths. Muscles shaking with effort, he eased the sword back into its scabbard.

The two wizards were looking at each other in shock. Then they struggled to their feet.

"Put away your weapons!" The elder Wood Elf wizard commanded the guards. Hesitantly, they sheathed their swords as well.

"That's a cursed blade, isn't it," the Human wizard asked.

"So I've been told," Dell responded cautiously. "I've only been cursed with it for the past few days, but I know it has a mind of its own, and it's thirsty for blood. Especially Wood Elf blood, it seems."

The guards shifted uneasily, but Morgan stepped closer to look up into Dell's face. "But you're a Wood Elf, too!"

"Halfling!" spat one of the guards, and Dell snarled before forcing his anger down again.

"My father is Human," Dell said.

Lerrisen slowly moved closer as well as Dell's eyes tracked him. "You have rage control issues?"

Dell took a deep breath. "Yes. All my life."

Morgan shook his head. "No, I think he has exceptional control." He gestured to Dell's hand, refusing to grip the sword's hilt. He looked into Dell's eyes and nodded. "I can see you do have a tremendous amount of anger within you, but you aren't bowing to the sword's will." He looked at his partner. "No one has ever been able to do this before."

"You know the history behind this bloody thing?" Dell asked.

"Yes, well, Lerrisen likely knows more about it, but I have some knowledge of the cursed sword and staff. I'm Morgan Ducane, Grennesh's Master Wizard. This is Lerrisen Kerowick, Master Wizard of Ghelli'Talesh."

Dell shook their hands. "Dell du Krane, Master Chef of the Wood Knot Inn."

Morgan stared at him in surprise, then burst into laughter. "You're not kidding, are you!"

Dell shook his head. "A friend of mine gave me the title Master Chef, but I am a chef by trade."

"But you've trained with a sword?" Lerrisen insisted.

"No. Kitchen knives only and only for cooking. The fancy swordplay isn't from me. It's the sword," Dell said. He glanced at the guards whose hands were moving to their weapons at his confession. "Do you really want to find out how many slices I can dice you into with this sword? Because it wants that, it really does."

They looked into his eyes and backed down.

Dell looked back at Morgan. "Wait. You said sword and staff. There's another cursed weapon?"

Lerrisen nodded. "That's why we're here. We're following a female Wood Elf who we believe is carrying the other half of the curse, a Druid's staff. The bearers of these weapons are destined to fight to the death as the sword thirsts for Wood Elf blood and the staff, Human. They cause Humans and Wood Elves to explode into bloodlust and war."

Dell was shaking his head with a stern frown. "No! Don't try to sell me on destiny or curses. No one forces me to do anything I don't want to do. I have enough reasons to hate Wood Elves for shunning my mother just because she fell in love with a Human and for how they treat me like something they stepped in. That doesn't mean I want to kill them. I've already proven that. It would have been simple and quick. Whoever trained that sword--"

Lerrisen shook his head. "It's not the sword which was trained but the Human Warrior who originally wielded it. The sword contains everything he was! All of his skills and everything he knew."

"The staff contains the same of the Wood Elf Druid," Morgan added.

Dell looked at them cautiously. "So, the Warrior who's inside this sword really hated Wood Elves? He wanted them all dead?"

Lerrisen looked uncomfortable. "Well, not according to the story. He was infatuated with a Wood Elf female of great beauty. The Druid was as well. They were both suitors."

Dell was confused. "If he loved a Wood Elf, why would he want them all dead. That makes no sense."

"The suitors dueled to win her hand. She died in the battle, as did they," Lerrisen continued.

Dell waited expectantly.

"They all died tragically?" the Elf wizard said again as if that explained something.

Dell looked at Morgan in frustration. "Sorry. I'm just a cook. I mix ingredients and create delicious food. I don't know magic, but I can't see how these two killing each other and the female they both loved would have led to the weapons containing their essence and a curse that makes the wielders want to kill the other's race. Is it because I'm a Halfling that I'm missing something?" He shrugged. "I can tell you the presence I feel inside this sword is dark, angry, bitter, and jealous. Does that describe how the warrior was supposed to be like?"

Morgan was staring at Lerrisen. "He's right. Something in the story is missing. Curses like this are driven by strong magic. The Warrior was highly skilled but not magically inclined. The Druid's magic was not the kind that would lend itself to the kind of curses we saw back at the village. The fog and the labyrinth were definitely Druid magic of a high level, but again, what caused the curse?"

The Elf wizard's eyes were looking deep into the past as he rolled the issue around in his mind. Then he spoke quietly. "No. Not what, but who," Lerrisen suggested.

"The Wood Elf beauty?" Morgan asked doubtfully.

Lerrisen shook his head slowly. "I don't think so. She was likely the focus of the relationship and the catalyst, but I doubt she was the source of the dark magic. Also, she wouldn't be the jealous one in this relationship. She had two suitors vying for her love," Lerrisen suggested. He turned to Dell. "May we see the blade?"