They seek Alvar's aid and travel north to the Western Trade route where they intend to pick up the trail of Alvar's sorcerous broadsword. Rabin is distinctly aware that the tome is attracting the unwelcome attention of many of the Sundered Isles more powerful groups. He is hoping that Alvar's knowledge and obvious skill will help them to avoid much of the trouble they feel is following them at every step.
Meanwhile Piers Van Trek steers his ten ships into the harbour of Myst, the ancient Eldrych port, at the invitation of Haarl, the lord protector of Myst and Eldrych sorcerer. His orc flotilla contains warriors, sorcerers, architects, engineers and many other races that have earned the chance to travel with Van Trek to explore this strange New World.
Haarl
tells Van Trek that the Eldrych king, Mynan, will arrive to hold counsel with
him regarding the Promethius tome. The Eldrych believe that Piers Van Trek has
the tome aboard his flagship but he hides the fact that he does not hold the
tome - indeed he has seen to it that Rabin Ypres and his friends have taken it
to Malangor in the hope that he can unravel the mystery of the tome (and it's
two brother tomes which reside somewhere within the Sundered Isles).The Great Western road contains many wayside inns that shelter the farmers and merchants as they go about their daily affairs. As Rabin, Anandar, Jeran, Elric and Alvar Stormhand move towards one of these during one evening they become aware that they are being followed. Elric's highly tuned senses alert them to three men who are affording them rather more than just a passing interest. Anandar, the assassin, leaves the party to try and discover the nature of their followers whilst the others stable their mounts and take a room for the night.
Two hours after midnight Elric informs his roommates that three men are climbing up towards the window of their room. Elric ushers Rabin and Alvar to stand either side of the shutters and at a predetermined moment Rabin pulls them apart. The first Malan assassin is startled as Elric puts an arrow into his face, killing him instantly. Rabin swings his mighty demonic broadsword to take out the second killer. Elric offloads a second shaft and is horrified to see it puncture Alvar's leg. The elderly warrior collapses with a scream as Rabin despatches the last assassin with a vicious backhand sweep.
Alvar's screams become desperate as the arrow pulsates with an unearthly red hue. Rabin, Elric and Jeran watch in horror as the old man dies before them. Elric stares at his father's longbow and a cold shiver runs up his spine.
Meanwhile, a fourth assassin stealthily retreats from the scene, unaware that Anandar, the Ashandirian killer, is on his trail. Moments later Anandar falls upon the fourth man without a sound, his sharp dagger cutting his throat from one ear to the other.
Within
twenty seconds Anandar has expertly rifled the bodies, extracting anything
useful before returning to his companions. Rabin wastes no time in paying the
innkeeper a substantial amount of gold to clear up the mess - no questions
asked. He decides that flight, even at this hour, would be wise. Within
minutes they ride out into the night.The next day dawns with Jeran, the Marraq, stretching out his mind to contact Piers Van Trek. The Estallian sits in counsel with the Eldrych king and informs them to head for the Malan seaport of Baldur, where he intends to meet them within the week. Jeran and Rabin duly change their course across the Great Plains, deciding that it would be prudent to avoid the main roads through Malangor.
As they journey through regional farmsteads and quiet lanes Elric is unnerved by a nagging feeling that they are being followed. His acute senses can detect something but they are all unaware of the nature of their silent, unseen tracker. Rabin makes camp at the edge of a remote copse and they all become aware of the temperature dropping drastically. Fearing demons they make a large fire.
Unfortunately they are unable to fight the icy coldness that assaults them.
Hours into the night each friend can barely feel his extremities. When the attack comes it is both sudden and brutal. The silence is shattered by a horde of screaming shapes, obviously demonic, and each man brushes off the chill to unleash his weapon. Rabin tugs the black broadsword from its scabbard and jumps into the horde, his great sweeps carving bloody chunks from the attackers. Anandar clutches a wooden quarterstaff and also leaps into the fray. Elric and Jeran stand back to back pulling their unique bows and launching arrows with frightening speed.
Rabin slashes left and right, cutting an arm off here and a leg there. The demonic screams fill the night as he becomes a machine, killing with every stroke. Anandar is less fortunate.
His staff shatters against the tall, tusked demons and their claws rip at his
leather armour. Desperately he tries to escape but he feels the cold touch of
claws rip into his skin. Blood gushes from his mouth as his screams are cut
off suddenly. The assassin dies beneath the terrifying claws.Jeran and Elric loose their shafts with deadly accuracy. Arrow after arrow cuts down demon after demon. They concentrate on Rabin, who is surrounded by the last remaining six demons. Even as their arrows hit home they realise their friend is in trouble. Bright blood flows from several wounds and they hear the awfully sickening sound of a claw ripping through his spine. Rabin dies horribly but the demons are unable to grab the demonic broadsword as Elric and Jeran destroy the remaining attackers.
Elric stares at Jeran, both their hearts pound with fear. A noise behind them makes them turn. They stare at a dark robed figure that carries the naked body of an Ashandir elf. To their disbelief they see that the body is the double of their fallen companion, Anandar. The dark robed man extracts a silver coin from the slaughtered body of Anandar and pockets it. The naked body awakes, exchanging a knowing glance with the stranger, who disappears as if enveloped by mist. Elric and Jeran exchange startled looks and Anandar, completely naked, walks calmly to the remains of Rabin and clutches the dark broadsword in his right hand.
"I'll take that," he says, a grim smile across his lips….