Chapter Nine
Gareth Darkshadow tumbled out of the way of the missiles and magic that came barraging at them as the kenku and half-orc charged them. As he came out of his tumble he leapt out at the half-orc, narrowly dodging the blade of his halberd as it came down in a reckless strike. Seeing an opening he shot his arm out with his blade and cut into Samash's abdomen, the barbarian yelling out in a rage. Gareth had already been questioning the wisdom of having taken this contract, but now that he was engaged in combat with his target it didn't seem so impossible. He had heard that this party had defeated the powerful Acererak, though the details on how were lacking. He'd anticipated a much more powerful adversary. That he was so easily able to dodge their attacks brought him confidence. He tumbled off to the side once more as Samash brought his halberd down again in a reckless swing as Gareth proceeded to taunt him with his blade, slapping Samash on the back of the thigh with the flat of his blade in jest. Gareth smiled wide as Samash howled in frustration.
Dinder Brightborn grabbed hold of an amulet around his neck and with the quick uttering of a command word threw up a magical shield that deflected Tamar's bolt and Goilon's bullet. It absorbed most of the blasts from Chaucer and Ari's spells though his feet skidded back in the sand several inches. Tumbling backwards he pulled out his bow and fired off a volley of arrows at the ranged combatants, ducking behind the cover of a fallen tree as the arrows left his bow and the monk charged forward. Chaucer threw up a spell with a wave of his hand and deflected the volley of arrows as if they were twigs falling from the sky then followed it up with an eldritch blast that exploded part of the tree Dinder had taken cover behind, the elf shifting to hide behind a thicker part of the tree trunk watching for the kenku. Popping up from behind the trunk Dinder let loose another arrow, this one infused with magic. The arrow found its target and hit Chaucer square in the shoulder of his main casting arm. The Grung let out a yelp before being knocked back from the impact. Ari dropped a spell she was forming and ran over to Chaucer, examining his wound and assessing his condition. She could sense the arcane magic on the arrow and quickly pulled it out from its wound, the grung yelling out in pain. Laying a hand on Chaucer she released a healing spell to wash over him.
Meanwhile Tamar and Goilon let loose their weapons as Dinder popped up from behind the tree, Tamar's bolt hitting the trunk right next to Dinder's head while Goilon's bullet found a home in the elf's shoulder as Dinder let out a painful cry and ducked back down. As he gripped his shoulder to keep the blood from flowing freely he looked over and saw Kuku come around the fallen tree trunk and made eye contact with him. Seeing the monk make a quick path towards him Dinder scrambled to his feet and ran out from behind the tree, bolts and bullets following behind him. In a matter of moments Kuku overtook the elf and kicked him to the ground. Dinder drew his scimitar and spun around to face the monk, his eyes widening at the size of the monk's greatsword. Kuku swung his greatsword down as Dinder brought his meager scimitar up to meet him, struggling to maintain control as Kuku pressed his attack. Kicking out as he spun the monk hit the elven ranger squarely in the chest, knocking him on his back as the elf scrambled on all fours to get away. Dinder struggled to get his feet under him while scurrying away from Kuku and dodged crossbow bolts and bullets as he went.
Meanwhile Gareth the rogue dodged and parried Samash's thrusts with ease as he danced around the orc haughtily. Engrossed in his combat with the barbarian, Gareth never saw the bear race up behind him, mauling him along his back and neck. Rolling out of the way Gareth slowly came to his feet, reaching a hand to the back of his neck and feeling flaps of wet skin. Grimacing he stared down the bear that was now charging him again. It had plumes of feathers around its neck and its fur was a greenish brown hue. Quickly dodging out of the way the bears paw narrowly missed taking off his foot as he tumbled painfully onto his back and came up once more ready to parry or dodge. He knew they had the upper hand now and looked around the battlefield for an advantage. Across the field of battle his partner Dinder was struggling. He was trying to parry blows with his scimitar from a curved greatsword being wielded by the monk. When the blade wasn't coming at him the monk was throwing kicks and elbows. While that went on a barrage of bolts and bullets rained down on him. It wouldn't be long before his ranger friend succumbed to the enemy.
Glancing to where the party began he momentarily saw the grung facing him before two black eldritch blasts hit him square in the chest knocking him once more on his back. Now the bear was on him, ripping into his armor and biting down on his head as he squirmed to get away. Screaming and hitting at the bear Gareth's life flashed before his eyes, moments of fleeting bliss and happiness from a life long ago washed over him. Trying to hit the bear with his sword the raging beast knocked the blade away with a large paw. Covering his face he prayed to whatever god would listen as he waited for death. The bear stopped and stood back, Samash walking up to Gareth and placing his hands and feet in manacles as he knelt down beside him propped up by his halberd. The bear slowly changed form to reveal the druid of the group, a frail looking young woman with eyes that could kill. She crossed her arms and tilted her head in a disappointed manner as she stared down at him.
Gareth looked across the way and saw that a similar fate had befallen Dinder as he sat tied up and surrounded by the monk, the rogue and the ranger of the Oakdell Circle. This contract is for the birds he thought to himself.
Samash placed a meaty hand under Gareth's jaw and pulled his head around to look at him. "Let's start with who you are. From there we'll pull some more information from you but how we do that will depend wholly on how you act right now," Samash said in a threatening tone. By this time Chaucer had hopped up and stood ready with his spell focus out.
Gareth sighed in defeat. He nodded to Samash and winced as the pain from the bear's attacks started to sink in. "Do you think I could get some healing first? I just got mauled by a bear and blasted in the chest."
"Healin be fa winnas," chided Ari with a mischievous smirk on her face. Samash shook his head while Chaucer giggled ever so lightly.
"That depends on you. Answer a few of our questions and if we like what you have to say then my friend here will heal you," Samash said staring deep into Gareth's eyes. Gareth nodded timidly.
"I'm Gareth Darkshadow and over there is my partner Dinder Brightborn. We're just a couple of guys from Port Nyanzaru trying to make some quick coin," he said as he fought through the growing pain. "Is my head gashed open?"
Samash tilted his head to look at the back of Gareth's head. Sure enough a flap of bloody skin hung loosely from his head. "Yup. Looks like it hurts." Gareth winced again.
"Why were you hunting us?" Samash asked the wounded man as he lay propped up against a lone tree on the beach. At that moment Goilon walked up to the group dragging the rope bound elf behind him and sliding him alongside his companion. Crossbow bolts stuck out of him in various places with gunshot wounds peppering his body and armor. Kuku came up to stand alongside Samash who still knelt down at Gareth's side.
"We took a local contract that wanted all of you dead. The reward is a thousand platinum with proof of your death," Gareth managed as he grew pale and clammy.
"Who put the contract out and why?" Samash asked forcefully, seeing that the man was about to pass out from his injuries.
Gareth struggled to maintain consciousness as his eyes slowly opened and closed as if drifting off to sleep. "How bout that healing now," he said woozily as his head dipped down. Samash waved a hand forward to Ari who stepped forward and offered her most minor healing spell to the would-be assassin. The healing magic washed over Gareth and he let out a sigh of relaxation as his wounds began to heal and skin regrew. Ari side-eyed the man as she healed him, careful to leave the scars she had inflicted upon him. "That feels much better. I still hurt all over but I feel stabilized," Gareth said in somber tones.
"So who put the hit on us and why," Samash asked again with force, sliding his halberd down until the edge of the blade was inches from Gareth's neck. The man swallowed hard.
"The Cult of Acererak is who sent us. They heard about how you all defeated their liege and they want revenge," Gareth spit out nervously.
"Be silent, Gareth, or it's your soul they'll devour," hissed Dinder from his restraints. "Fool around with the followers of that evil lich if you want to but leave me out of it!" Kuku shook his head and ruffled his feathers standing over the elf. The monk kicked him lightly in the flank to remind him of the danger he was in at current.
"Right now I'm more worried about them, fool elf," spat Gareth. Samash quickly interjected, pulling Gareth around to face away from his friend. Glancing over to Kuku Samash instructed the kenku to drag Dinder elsewhere while he spoke with Gareth. Kuku made a point to hit every stone and log on the riverbank as he drug the protesting Dinder to the water's edge, Goilon and Tamar following. Samash turned back to the rogue.
"What is so significant about this cult that they should even be a threat to us? Why don't they come after us themselves?" asked Samash in a more patient voice seeing that Gareth was now working with them. Ari and Chaucer remained at Samash's side staring down at the man with cross expressions.
Gareth thought for a moment. "The Cult of Acererak rises up whenever the lich is downed and returned to his phylactery. The very presence of the cult is a sign Acererak has been defeated." He swallowed in a weak effort to wet his throat. "They are an organization of wizards and warlocks and don't have the resources to track down and dispatch targets the way that assassins do. They exist in some pretty dark places though, so they're connected to the seedy underbelly of whatever city they exist in." Samash listened and considered the information being given to him.
"Whe ah dey now," asked Ari in a flat tone of impatience. She was tapping her foot while her arms remained crossed and her posture closed off. Chaucer picked at the bark on the tree as he stood next to Gareth's head. Gareth squinted a confused look to Ari.
"Where are they now?" he asked. Ari nodded. "There is a sect in Port Nyanzaru right now. That's the one that's putting the hit out on you. I think they stay in the slums but I don't know exactly where. We don't get the contract directly from them. It goes through a handler," he said in rushed tones lest the woman change into a bear again and finish the job.
Samash flashed a soft smile, barely detectable. "Thank you, Gareth. Is there anything else that we should know before deciding what to do with you?" the half-orc asked as he stood up and gripped his halberd in his big hand.
"Just that you're toast no matter what you do. There're sects of this cult scattered all over the realms, in every major city and in just about every region. They're secret and reclusive and not well known to the general public. Destroy this sect if you want but it won't stop anything," Gareth said with a haughty smile.
Samash bent down and jerked the man up by his manacles and held him aloft, his haughty smile replaced with a look of terror. "Think you can swim while in chains?" Samash growled at Gareth who now pleaded for his life. Tamar made her way over and tapped on the man's chest with a dagger as if listening for a still beating heart. She looked up to him thoughtfully and placed a finger over his lips to silence his groveling.
"Now we have a more pressing issue to tend to," she purred with malice. "What to do with you," she said as she softly ran her dagger from behind his ear to around his neck. "Assassins don't just stop because you ask them nicely, you see, so we can't just let you go. You were out to kill us and nothing you say will convince us that you won't try again."
"I promise I won't," Gareth pleaded. "Please!" Tears ran down his face now as he sobbed lightly. By the bank Kuku and Goilon sat with the bound Dinder who rolled his eyes in disgust at the behavior of his partner.
"Strip dem," Ari finally said aloud. "Take all ah deir tings an put dem in de bag ah holdin. Set dem free in de jungle an if dey live dey deserve anuda chance ta take us. If dey don't make it dey ah food fa de forest." Samash cast a stunned look to Ari then over to Chaucer. He was looking to the grung for morality hoping he had a better alternative.
"Don't look at me," replied Chaucer. "I agree with her. What's the alternative? We keep them bound and drag them with us? We can barely fit our own party in that boat, Samash. The only other option is to kill them outright." The grung shrugged and created a globe of water that he began to play with. "I'm okay with option three as well," he added thoughtfully as Gareth moaned low in anguish.
"Alright," lamented Samash, "Strip them and throw their things in the bag of holding. I'm adding a twist, though." The barbarian pulled Gareth closer until they were nose to nose. "We're going to take each of their dominant hands so that if they do get the chance to come at us again they will be at a severe disadvantage," he growled at the assassin. Gareth wept some more.
Tamar and Ari quickly went about stripping the rogue while Goilon and Kuku did the same to Dinder, undoing his ropes but keeping a hold on the elf. Dinder spat at the two in defiance as he struggled under Kuku's powerful hold. Taking the manacles that had once bound Gareth's hands Samash brought them over to Dinder and placed them around his bare ankles. The barbarian then went over to one of the logs and stood it up on its end. "Bring them over here," Samash called out as he readied his halberd. Kuku and Goilon escorted Dinder over while Ari and Tamar helped Gareth up and walked him over, Chaucer hopping curiously behind. Looking at Gareth Samash pointed to the man's right hand. "I saw him using that hand in combat. He is right hand dominate. Place it on the stump," he said coldly.
Placing his hand on the stump Tamar held his forearm to keep him in place while Ari and Chaucer held him in place. Gareth wept and screamed for help as Samash's halberd bore down to strike the man clean across the wrist, his hand bouncing off the stump and onto the sand. The rogue let out a loud scream of pain as he fell backwards, Ari and Chaucer letting him go as he rolled around on the ground gripping his wrist and howling in pain. Placing a soft hand on his arm Ari sent a spell of healing over him to stop the bleeding and close up the stump.
"Yer up next, lad," said Goilon as he forced Dinder forward towards the stump. Calling out obscenities the elf resisted every effort to place his hand on the stump.
"He's a lefty," said Kuku to Samash as he worked to maintain control of the ranger. "I saw it myself in combat with how he held his sword and fired off arrows." Samash nodded, motioning for Ari and Tamar to help restrain Dinder. Ari took on the wild shape of a giant constrictor and coiled herself around Dinder until he couldn't move, squeezing him until he could barely breath. "That's handy," comment Kuku.
They took Dinder's hand and laid it out on the stump, Samash raising his halberd high and coming down with ferocity onto the elf's hand, Dinder screaming out in agony as his hand tumbled onto the sand along with Gareth's. Ari slithered down off of Dinder and reverted back to her true form as Dinder stumbled backwards holding his stump in wide eyed shock. Ari offered the elf the same courtesy she'd afforded the rogue and stepped back to rejoin her party. They stood there staring down at the two failed assassins.
"You boys cold or something?" teased Tamar as the two composed themselves and helped one another up. Dinder shot a look of spite and malice towards the party and cursed them while Gareth did his best to shield his nude body.
"Run along boys. Back to Port Nyanzaru with you," said Chaucer in a proper tone. "We haven't got all night."