Guild Wars: Vengeance

by Ewol Navi

Called out of exile, a lone ranger returns home to the Land of the Golden Sun and finds the continent at war. In her quest to save Elona from evil and tyranny she makes alliances, forges a guild and faces the demons of Torment. Joined by an intrepid elementalist, she must end the ambitions of a mad Warmarshal ... before Nightfall comes. (Novelization of Guild Wars: Nightfall)

18. Chapter 17: Prisoners of War

Ch. 17

Prisoners of War

Rumor spread like wildfire through villages and towns of Kourna. The tales were often vague and dubious, but that did not stop the people from telling them over and over again. Some men claimed to have sighted brigands wearing capes stained with blood, standing victorious over the cruel generals and commanders of the Kournan outposts. Others spoke of swift raiders, who sprang from the earth to strike at the oppressors and then disappeared back beneath the sands. Still other stories told of invisible bandits, who crept into the forts and garrisons to unlock the cells that held wrongly imprisoned citizens.

The rural legends agreed that this band of supernatural outlaws was led by one known as the Red Huntress, a pale skinned mistress of the plains with hair as crimson as a raging brushfire. Some who remembered the red-haired archer spoke of the great beasts that had fallen to her arrows, in a time before Varesh Ossa had become the oppressive ruler she was today. Other, more excitable persons concocted tales of a wild-woman who could see as clear in night as in day, and could put an arrow through a man's eye from over a mile away. But wherever these tales traveled, one name always followed. It was the name of a guild that had been convened in secret to become the resistance against the Warmarshal. Few were brave enough to speak it aloud, but in the shadows one could sometimes hear the whispers… of Dormant Vengeance.

It was, therefore, a great surprise to everyone when an extremely recognizable figure strode boldly through the market place of Yohlon Haven. The woman wore a tattered cape, its fabric stained the color of blood and emblazoned with the guild's new emblem, a brightly burning golden sword. Though she wore a mask across her face, the tanned, but pale skin of her exposed mid-drift was unmistakable, as was the bright red hair that fell over her back and shoulders. Rakiv paused at a fruit vendor's stand, snatching up an apple and tossing the man a gold coin before continuing on through the market. The general noise of the market fell to a lull as shoppers and stall-keepers alike watched the woman's progress and whispered quickly to one another. Could the fabled Red Huntress really exist?

For her part, Rakiv paid the people no heed, munching casually on her fruit as she made her way to the door of the Dejar Inn. A light push against the wood of the door caused it to swing open and she stepped inside the inn. It was a busy day for the establishment. With Gandara recently reopened, traders had begun traveling south again to do business at the port. Those passing through were in search of a full tankard and a warm bed, a demand that kept all the inns in the area filled to capacity. Rakiv tromped inside, and cast her gaze across the tavern. The noise within slowly died down as everyone turned in their chairs to stare at the red-haired ranger. Still Rakiv said nothing, and the silence was broken only when she took a loud bite out of her apple.

"Ranger Maelstrom!" a whisper caught her attention, as Kahan bustled up to her and bowed quickly, "Please, come 'dis way. Choo can meet wit' Mistah…"

"Tell yer boss to come out here," Rakiv said around a mouthful of apple, "Tell him it'll be good for business."

"But… Miss Rakiv I…" Kahan began, before bowing beneath the ranger's withering glare, "Yes, yes Ranger Maelstrom. He will be with you shortly."

With a satisfied nod Rakiv headed for the bar, taking another bite as she sat down on a stool. The man tending the bar watched her carefully, as did the other men sitting at the bar.

"Red hair huh?" a man next to her spoke up, "I wunner… yer that archer woman 'at the Warmarshal's lookin' fer ain'tcha?"

Rakiv did not answer, and instead calmly took another bite out of her apple. The man grinned lecherously as he drew a dagger from its sheath at his shoulder.

"Hehe… she's payin' a pretty penny fer yer head missy," he grinned, "Mus' be mah luckeh day!"

The scrape of wood sounded around her as several men rose from their chairs, hands grasping the hilts of their weapons. All of them gave dark chuckles and they closed in on her in a semi-circle, making sure she wouldn't be able to escape. The man at the bar leaned closer and licked his lips as he raised his knife to her chin.

"Though I'm bettin' she won't pay no mind if'n we had some fun wit'cha first," he grinned even wider.

Rakiv's reaction was astonishingly swift. Her free-hand gripped the man's wrist as she slid her apple onto his blade. A hard kick knocked the stool off from under him and he gave a yelp as he fell off balance. The ranger twisted the apple and the man's wrists in opposite directions forcing him to release the knife handle. A swear came from the man's lips as his feet struggled against the floor to regain his balance and tear away from the ranger's vice like grip. Never relinquishing her hold Rakiv caught his knife by the hilt and bit her apple as she drew the weapon out of the fruit. With a swift twirl of the blade she brought the dagger down, drawing a scream from the man as she pinned his hand to the bar. Her victim howled in pain, grasping at the hilt and pulling desperately as he tried to free the knife that was buried deep in the wood. Rakiv calmly took another bite of her apple, watching his efforts with mild amusement before quickly growing tired of his anguished cries. As she turned back to the bar, the ranger reached up, grabbed a fist full of the man's hair and slammed his forehead into the wood counter. The would-be bounty hunter was immediately knocked unconscious and his body went slack, leaving him hanging from the bar by the dagger that still held his hand pinned to the hardwood. Rakiv continued munching noisily as though nothing ever happened, and then looked up curiously as she noticed the gang of men still surrounded her.

"Somethin' I can do fer you ladies?" she demanded.

It only took a moment for the men's courage to fail, and the group of ruffians disbanded, skulking back to their respective tables. Rather pleased with herself, Rakiv continued munching her apple even as Zudash finally emerged from a back room and made his way behind the bar.

"Ranger Maelstrom," he said, picking up an apron and belting it around his waist, "I take it you received my letter?"

"I did," Rakiv replied with her mouth full.

"Then why are you here?" the inn owner snapped irritably, "I'm sure you have better things to do than make a scene and implicate me as a supporter of terrorists. Things like… finding my daughter!?" he shouted, slamming a fist into the bar.

The ranger watched him, one eyebrow arching as she chewed slowly. Zudash's wrath slowly faded as he regained his composure and gave a small sigh.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked, slightly apologetically.

"Just water, thanks," Rakiv said, as she chucked her apple core across the tavern, "I'm here, Zudash, because we've been good business partners. I have some news and a proposition for you, and I wanted to deliver it personally."

"Very well then," Zudash grumbled, pouring her a large mug of water from a keg, "What news does the great Guildmistress have for me?"

"Well first, you'll be happy to know that we found your daughter," Rakiv nodded, leaning on her elbows against the bar.

"Ailonseh's alive?" he turned quickly, eyes wide with relief, "Is she well? They didn't harm her did they?"

"She's fine, but you're not gonna like who's got her," Rakiv said.

"I know who took her," Zudash growled, pushing a mug of water to her, "That band of miscreants that came through here last week. They're corsairs, brigands, scoundrels!"

"They're Kournan military," Rakiv interrupted.

"What!?" the innkeeper exclaimed.

"My agents caught a messenger on his way through the Marga Coast," Rakiv responded, raising her mug to her lips and taking a slow drink, "He was carrying a letter for you. This letter actually," she paused to dig the parchment out of the bag at her hip.

Zudash took the letter from her and unrolled it across the bar counter. His eyes roved over the parchment and his frown deepened with what he read.

"It says they want all the information I have… about you?" the former Trademarshal said in confusion, "They want to collect your bounty… they know I know where you are… and they want me to give you up for Ailonseh?"

"It's pretty much a lie," Rakiv chuckled, "They aren't corsairs, they're Kournan military. The guy we caught confessed that they've been trying to pin you with supporting us for months. They're leveraging you with her so they can find out where we've been hiding all this time."

"Ossa be damned," Zudash snarled, "She's been after me for some time now, but I have too many friends left on the Tribunal for her to attack me directly. At least not after everything she's done already to my family. But this…" the man paused and then looked up at the ranger, "Wait… if you've found her… why haven't you rescued her? Where is she?"

"Well that's just the problem. She's at home," Rakiv said.

"The Estate!?" Zudash roared, "They kidnap my daughter, and then hold her captive in my own house!?"

In his wrath, the former Trademarshal spun on his heel, grasping the nearest mug and hurling it against the wall. The glass gave a satisfying shriek as it shattered against the stone and spilled to the ground in a thousand shards. Zudash turned his back to the ranger, gripping the edges of a keg and huffing heavily with rage. It was several moments before he was able to calm himself and gave a slow and steady sigh.

"Guildmistress Maelstrom…" Zudash said slowly, "You must save my daughter… my children… my children are all I have left."

"Well that's what I'm here about," Rakiv said, "Cause I'm here to offer you more than just your daughter back."

"Speak," the man demanded.

"I'm going to give you everything back," Rakiv said, "My men are in position and waiting for me to return. In two hours, we will re-take the Dejarin Estate."

Zudash turned, fixing the ranger with a disbelieving stare. Rakiv only grinned broadly and nodded in confirmation.

"Are you mad?" he blinked at her, "Do you have any idea how many troops the Warmarshal has stationed there!? She's turned the place into a work camp. The sheer number of slaves working the fields is staggering, and she has had to keep the ratio of guards to workers level. You cannot hope to simply attack it! The Estate is a fortress… I should know, I had it built!"

Rakiv took another drink from her mug, quietly waiting for the man to continue.

"The the western region is surrounded by bluffs, and the river itself will prevent almost any overland attack from the east," Zudash went on, "If you do manage to get close from the south, you'll have to get past the estate wall. The only direct access to the estate is from the north through Kodonur, and the Warmarshal has turned the Crossroads into a heavily defended checkpoint. You might be able to slip a small group inside… but a full assault on my lands is suicide!"

"Pretty heavy defenses for a plantation," Rakiv commented.

"I had to barricade the estate during the corsair invasion five years ago," Zudash shook his head, "It was built to withstand sieges. I never thought my walls would keep my own children prisoners."

"Well if it makes you feel better, we're not just gonna charge the front gate," Rakiv nodded reassuringly, "We're going to get captured."

"What!?" Zudash exclaimed again.

"We got your letter a couple days ago," Rakiv explained, swallowing a mouthful of water, "And only a few hours later we were confronted by a very sharp tongued Centaur. Called himself Shadowhoof, Zhed Shadowhoof. His pride leader, Mirza Veldrunner, was captured almost a month ago. He's being held captive at your estate. Shadowhoof came to us because he wanted our help…" the ranger sighed and shook her head, "And he's blackmailing us to make sure he gets it."

She paused to take another swig while Zudash mulled the situation over quietly. The ranger set the empty mug down and slid it back to the innkeeper .

"To top it all off, we finally located the last of our men, the Zaishen troops who covered our escape from Gandara," the ranger nodded, "I'm not leaving them in there a day longer."

"I assume you have a plan," Zudash grumbled skeptically.

"Well the Centaur does," Rakiv shrugged, "It's pretty simple too. In two hours I will go and surrender to the Kournans at Kodonur Crossroads, and have them take me as their prisoner."

"What makes you think they won't kill you on the spot?" Zudash arched an eyebrow.

"Varesh wants me alive," Rakiv shook her head, "I know her. She thinks I've betrayed her, and will want to deal with me personally. No, her soldiers won't kill me. They'll imprison me until the Warmarshal get's there."

"Mmmm…" Zudash nodded slowly.

"Anyway, we have a man on the inside. He'll unlock my cell and let me out," Rakiv continued, pointing down at the bar and drawing an imaginary circle with her finger to indicate the innkeeper's estate, "I have teams in place at the southern and eastern gates, and a landing party ready to move across the river here to the east. Once I let my team in at the south, we'll move through the estate and clear these guard towers to let my other troops in. From the north eastern gate, we move around north and clear out this guard post to cut off communication with the Kodonur checkpoint. From there we follow Shadowhoof's plan, freeing any centaur we come across to add to our numbers. Zhed says Mirza's being held inside the center of your estate."

"Elonajok Hold…" Zudash grumbled, looking down at her imaginary drawing curiously, "How do you plan to get inside?"

"Any easy way in?" Rakiv asked, looking up at the man.

"None," Zudash responded with a shake of his head, "The Hold is designed as a final fall-back point in case the outer wall is breached. The walls can withstand bombards, and the cellars beneath are stocked with enough food to feed my entire staff for months if need be."

"Good gods you're a pack-rat," Rakiv blinked.

"Those were better times," Zudash grunted, "Before Varesh turned us into a people stricken by poverty…"

"Mmm, well," Rakiv shook her head, "We have ways of getting past that wall. Once we're in, we'll free Mirza and find your daughter. This is where you come in."

"Me?" Zudash looked up at her, "What good could I possibly do you in a fight?"

"Not fight," Rakiv said, "As soon as we clear the Hold, I need you and whatever men or staff you've got left, to be ready to move in and take direct control of the Estate. Our intelligence shows that Varesh doesn't have enough troops to move to the region. What's there is all we have to deal with. The only possible reinforcements would be from the Crossroads, but by the time they hear about it we'll already be done. I'll leave you any forces I can spare to help defend your Estate, while you re-establish order and get things up and running again. By the time Varesh can mount a counter attack, which I'm guessing would take a few days at the least, you'll be well prepared for her arrival."

"And the Estate will be mine again…" Zudash nodded slowly as he understood, and then looked up at the ranger, "I have to ask what this will cost me."

"Full sponsorship of my guild," Rakiv replied, leaning back away from the counter, "Your donations have helped a lot, but we need more. So you'll send us provisions and materials, as well as supplies for our allies in Ronjok and Pojahelon. The trade off is that I'll keep some of my units in your employ to protect your estate until everything is back in order."

"I see… you said you'll make your surrender in two hours?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he turned to the clock on the wall.

"Hour and thirty now," Rakiv corrected with a shrug.

"How quickly will you clear the Estate?" he queried, running a few calculations in his head.

"Should be done by late this afternoon if we don't have any hang-ups," Rakiv shrugged.

"Then I'll give you four hours," Zudash said, "That should be enough time to make your escape and clear the hold, yes?"

"Mmm… make it five hours, just to be safe," Rakiv advised, "Wouldn't want you or any of your men caught in our cross-fire."

"Five hours then," Zudash agreed, "Once I have regained the estate, I will see to it that your guild is well funded."

"And I'll see to it that you're well protected," Rakiv chuckled as she dismounted her stool, "Wouldn't want our meal-ticket getting offed by the Warmarshal."

"Indeed," Zudash replied with a small smirk of his own before looking down at the bar, "And would you mind taking that with you on your way out?"

Rakiv glanced down at the unconscious bounty hunter whose hand remained pinned to the bar by his own knife. The ranger grasped the hilt and managed to free the dagger with a bit of a grunt, letting the man crumple to the floor.

"Well, I'll be on my way now," Rakiv said, grabbing the unconscious man by his ankle and dragging him behind her as she headed for the door.

"I wish you luck, Guildmistress Maelstrom," Zudash nodded solemnly to her.

"Thanks," Rakiv laughed, pushing open the door, "I'm gonna need it."

---

"Permission to speak freely, Guildmistress," Nerashi said hesitantly.

"Like you have to ask?" Rakiv responded, pulling loose the buckle of one of the belts around her hips.

"I don't like this," Nerashi stated firmly, "I don't like this at all."

A small camp had been established beneath the spread of a broad acacia that stood tall out of the rocky soil of the Jahai Bluffs. The Guildmistress of Dormant Vengeance stood amidst a ring of her co-conspirators, prepared to pull off the impossible. Nerashi and Rojis had come at Rakiv's bidding, providing all the information they could. Ever a master of disguise, Rojis had interred himself in the Estate work camps to scout the area and report back his findings. Nerashi had mapped the lay of the land, including all possible escape routes should the mission need to be aborted and the paths from which reinforcements would most likely arrive should the garrison call for help. With them also were Grif Ebonmane and Kol Swordshanks, who had come in hopes of talking some sense into their fellow centaur. Their group was completed by their newest ally, Margrid the Sly who stood dressed in the red armor of a Kournan Spotter. The pirate captain was accompanied by a pair of mercenaries, whose faces were hidden behind the Elite Guard helmets they wore.

"I know you don't," Rakiv replied, as she unhooked the strap that held her quiver to her back, "But this is the best shot we've got. We've got men in there that need rescuing and I'm not about to leave them. We've spent almost two months looking for them… I'm not leaving them in that concentration camp a day longer."

"But we're putting you at risk!" Nerashi protested, "Why not one of the other officers? Any of us would gladly go in your place."

"Well… not to brag or anything, but I don't think any of the rest of you are a high enough priority for the Kournan Military," Rakiv answered, as she dropped her bow and tugged off her gloves, "And if you were, there's no guarantee they wouldn't execute you immediately."

"There's no guarantee they won't do the same to you!" Nerashi cried.

"No, Varesh wants this too badly," Rakiv shook her head, dropping her field pack from her hips as well, "I know her too well. This is personal. There's no way she'd let some two-bit guard take me out, and I'm sure she's made that known."

"Less talk two-legs," a tall, burly centaur snorted impatiently, "We should be moving. Now."

"Hold your horse-legs Zhed," the ranger snapped at him, undoing the ties that held her leopard pelt bound at her waist, "We'll go when I'm ready."

"Zhed this is a bad idea!" Grif asserted, stomping his hooves indignantly, "Mirza explicitly said…"

"Mirza isn't here Ebonmane," Zhed replied with a toss of his mane, "And so long as I'm chieftain of the pride, I call the shots. I know it's suicide and that's why I'm going by myself. If these two-legs are worth all the foolish tales about them, you have nothing to worry about."

"Never mind that this is a ridiculous plan," Rakiv grumbled.

"What's the matter two-legs? Where's that legendary courage I've heard so much about?" Zhed asked, glaring down at the ranger.

"This was your plan, horseface! You blackmailed us," Rakiv snarled, whirling to face the centaur, "And I'll thank you to remember who you're dealing with! You charge into my guildhall, demand my support to help get your leader out of this mess, and then you still want to talk down to me? Check yourself Shadowhoof, you need me. Not the other way around."

The centaur's blue face turned a curious shade of wrathful purple, but the ranger paid him no heed as she turned towards Margrid and her crew.

"You guys ready?" she asked.

"Anytime you are," the pirate shrugged, watching the entire exchange with mild amusement.

"Good. Swordshanks, run my gear to the south gate and deliver it to my team," Rakiv said, "Nerashi, Rojis, move to your positions."

"Yes, Guildmistress," the two humans responded.

"As you wish," Kol replied to her order.

"Here," Zhed said, turning to Ebonmane, handing the other centaur his wand and focus, "I'll need these later."

"Zhed… you're going directly against Mirza's orders," Grif pleaded one last time, "Think this through!"

"I have," Shadowhoof replied flatly.

"Alright, let's move," Rakiv said, clasping her hands behind her and turning her back to Margrid, "And make this look good guys. We need them to buy it."

"Whatever ya say, oh mighty guildmistress," Margrid chuckled, snapping a pair of leather bracers around the ranger's wrists and attaching a chain to them, "You two get the centaur. Make sure ya do the whole slaver bit, ya know lots of chain jerking and pushing."

"Mind you don't push too hard," Zhed said warningly.

"Mind you don't screw this up," Rakiv snapped at him.

Once the pair had been sufficiently bound, Margrid pulled her helmet down over her head and started their march eastward. The heavy armored boots crunched against the rocky ground in time with the steady clop of the centaur's hooves. For a short distance they walked in silence, before Rakiv turned her head to glance behind her.

"Thanks for doing this by the way," the ranger said to the pirate.

"No problem at all," Margrid said with a shrug, "I may be a corsair, but could never abide slavery. I mean don't get me wrong, silver is silver. But I say a good honest life o' theivin' and raidin' is better than sellin' flesh."

"Uh… huh," Rakiv chuckled, "Well I'm just glad you came on land long enough to help us out."

"Well it ain't like I gots a crew," Margrid said, "And got no idea where my ship is at. Prolly scuttled off the southern reefs by now. And you lot have been good to me, and I don't like being in nobody's debt."

"So we save your life, you deliver us into captivity," Rakiv grinned at the irony.

"Yup, a favor for a favor," Margrid laughed, "Now quiet up. Looks like it's show time."

A quartet of spear and hammer wielding guards stood at the gates to Kodonur Crossroads. While not a center of trade, Kodonur was a well known merchant rest stop. The crossroads was well defended by the Kournan military, and offered weary caravans shelter from the highland thieves and raiders. From Kodonur, travelers could go one of three ways. The northwestern road led through the bluffs to the fortress of Jahai, which was the ultimate destination of many traders. To the northeast lay the Mahnkelohn Waterworks which drew many transports carrying wood and stone and supplies to keep the dam in working order. Due south lay the sprawling lands of the Dejarin Estate, formerly the home and operations center of the Trademarshal of Kourna. Merchants traveled to and from the estate's center of Elonajok Hold to move the bountiful crops to the far corners of Kourna. While things could be bought at Kodonur, the Crossroads was not a place to set up shop, it was merely a place to pass through.

"Hold there soldier!" a spearman called as the small procession arrived at the gates, "What have you there?"

"We come bearing a gift for her Majestic Justice, Varesh Ossa," Margrid spoke clearly, dropping her usual corsair accent, "We had a stroke of luck out in the bluffs."

"Oi… has she got red hair?" a hammer guard blinked, stepping closer to Rakiv.

The ranger remained slack in her chains, her head down and her hair in her face. The hammer guard approached, reaching out hesitantly to push the veil of hair aside. With a savage snarl the ranger lunged, snapping her teeth onto his finger and drawing a roar of pain from the guard. Margrid immediately began to beat the archeress with her bow until the red head released the man's digit.

"Here now, none of that see!" Margrid snapped, stepping into Rakiv's calf to force the ranger down to one knee, "Good job there sir. Now you can tell everyone you were bitten by none other than Rakiv Maelstrom."

"Well Lyssa be damned," the spearman said with surprise, leaning on his shield and pushing back his helmet, "We finally caught her."

"What do you mean we?" one of Margrid's troopers snorted.

"How'd you come by this catch?" another of the gate guards asked.

"Caught her and some of her henchmen out in the bluffs," Margrid said, "We snuck up on her real quiet like, but they didn't go down without a fight. Lost half our troop afore we brought them down. Looked like they waylaid a slave patrol, cause they had this centaur with them."

"Where's the rest of her bandits?" the spear guard asked skeptically.

"Sleeping in the sand," Margrid said, "Now if you gents don't mind…"

The corsair paused, giving a jerk at Rakiv's chain to make a show of attempting to restrain her. Rakiv responded in kind, but with far greater strength and lunged forward hard enough to yank the chain from Margrid's grasp. Weapons were brandished as the guards prepared to stop the suddenly freed ranger, but Margrid's crewmen were quick to intervene. One struck her down to the dirt with a quick blow from his hammer haft to her back, and the other threw himself on top of her, his heavily armored body providing sufficient weight to hold her down. Rakiv thrashed and snarled until Margrid caught her chain again and renewed her grip on it.

"If you gents don't mind," Margrid repeated, looking up at the gate guards, "I'd feel much better with this sow behind some sturdy bars."

"Yeah…" the spearman nodded, unnerved by Rakiv's near escape, "Yeah let's move her. You two, put the garrison on high-alert, we've got a VIP comin' in. Get us some proper shackles and free up solitary in the southwest field. And somebody send a runner to Jahai, the Warmarshal will want to know about this."

"What about the centaur sir?" one guard questioned.

"Take the blueback to the fields," the spearman ordered, "We'll hitch him to a plow until we figure out what he's good at."

"Yes sir," the subordinate responded, "Move out! We're taking the prisoner to solitary!"

"Good catch soldier," the spear captain said to Margrid, giving a punch to her shoulder armor, "Didn't catch your name."

"Mehva, sir," Margrid responded with a quick salute, "Corporal Mehva Nirobeh."

"Well you and your boys get in to the mess and have yourself a pint," the spear captain nodded, "I'll make sure your name is mentioned in the report to the Warmarshal."

"Thank you sir," Margrid nodded and waved to her crew, "Go on boys, I'll catch up with you in a minute."

The disguised corsairs gave grunts of approval and strode into the checkpoint as Margrid took hold of Rakiv and guided her towards the waiting Kournan escort. As they walked Rakiv felt something smooth and cold slide into the front of her pants and the corsair woman patted the object as she hissed in her ear.

"Just in case," Margrid whispered, before giving her a rough shove towards the guards.

"Keep an eye on that one," the corsair ranger said aloud, "She'll gut you if you give her the chance."

---

It was a half-hour trek to the far south of the Estate, and the walk gave Rakiv the chance to survey the lands within. The Elon River ran shallow here, routed from the Floodplain to the northeast to flow through the farmlands encompassed by the Estate. Irrigation canals had been dug to funnel water into aqueducts, from which the water was pumped all across the Estate through large wooden pipes. The farm fields had been expanded to accommodate the Warmarshal's growing need for food, and much of the year's crops were nearly ready for harvesting. Rakiv however, was more interested in the workers who tended these crops. Everywhere centaurs could be seen laboring to push carts, carry loads and pull plows. Most had their legs shackled, to allow them to walk but not run. Taskmasters watched over the fields, commanding small groups of foremen who cracked their whips and shook their staves at their centaur slaves. The ranger took note of these, mentally marking the taskmasters for execution and noting the largest concentrations of slaves. Soon they had moved away from the fields and crossed a broad stretch of untilled land to reach a set of large iron cells. The guards stopped and several blades were leveled at her as the ranger was outfitted with a rather elaborate system of thick leather restraints, reinforced with chains and padlocks. Once attached, Rakiv's forearms were bound together in a single leather sleeve, which was attached to the collar around her neck by a pair of chains. Her biceps were bound to the harness over her chest, the back of which was held closed by a pair of sturdy padlocks. For good measure a pair of leather sleeves were fitted over her calves and these two were chained together to ensure she could not run.

"Think this'll hold me?" Rakiv taunted.

"If it doesn't, the cell will," the guard before her replied, snapping closed her last padlock, "You're gonna face some serious Kournan justice for all you've done," he added with a sneer.

"Kournan… justice…" Rakiv said slowly and tilted her head, "Oxymoron?"

"Hehe, she just called you a moron," one of the dumber guards snickered.

Without further trading of barbs, the ranger found herself pushed roughly forward. Unable to balance herself the woman tumbled into the cell, rolling across the stone as the iron bars came down to seal her in. Hefty laughs resounded outside her cell as she struggled to push herself up, and finally managed a sitting position while glaring daggers at the soldiers as they left her to her confinement. Once the soldiers had gone, Rakiv took in her surroundings. It was high noon and hot on these plains. She had been taken south of the river, where the cooler winds didn't quite reach her. Already she could feel sweat rolling down her spine, tickling her uncomfortably. However she was far more concerned about the discomfort caused by her bonds. There was no telling when Zhed and his accomplice would arrive, and so their plan was at the mercy of the centaur's discretion. If he didn't come through… this might not end well. Still, she had the one ace up her sleeve… or rather, down her pants.

The ranger squirmed and turned her back to the cell bars to better shield her activities from anyone who might be watching. It took some doing but in the end she managed to slip her fingers beneath the waistband of her trousers, and retrieved Margrid's gift. It was a key… or at least, it resembled a key. The object was completely flat and quite small, not much longer than the ranger's thumb, and appeared to be made of bronze. Its blade was very sharp on both sides, with a single tooth meant to fit inside a lock's shackle. The small handle had been engraved with the figure of a skeleton and the ranger twisted her mouth as she understood what it was. Corsair "skeleton key's" were the bane of many wardens, and were the chief element in many of the most infamous escapes. Its edge was sharp for cutting rope or leather, and it was sturdy enough to turn even the heaviest of locks. With a smile of satisfaction the ranger set to work on her bonds.

Another half-hour passed in the thick, humid heat that pervaded the estate grounds. In the heat of the day the Kournan foremen grew lazy and sluggish, as did their centaur slaves. Whips cracked to keep the workers moving, tilling soil and plowing fields to plant more grains to feed Varesh's campaign. It went quite unnoticed that a lone figure was quickly making its way across the estate grounds. It wore neither the armor of Kournans nor Sunspear, and it seemed to always be just out of sight. With a sudden burst of amazing speed the figure embarked across the open field at a dead sprint and skid into the relative cover of the southern jailhouse. With all the silence and caution of a panther on the prowl, it crept to the edge of the cell and peered through the bars. Inside sat the ranger woman, her hair red as Kournan soil and though her skin was tanned it was still paler than his own. Her back was to him, and she appeared to be busy with some unknown task, but her awareness was not at all lacking.

"You're not Zhed," she spoke up without turning around.

"Guildmistress Rakiv Maelstrom?" the man asked in a voice that somewhat resembled rock grating over steel.

"Who's asking?" the ranger asked, still not turning around.

"Who I am is of little importance," the man said, "But you may call me Disciple. I've been sent to set you free."

"Well you're a little late for that," Rakiv said.

With a click and a snap her final padlock gave way to the skeleton key, and she stood up to scornfully shed her bonds. With a clatter of metal the chains and sleeves and straps fell to the ground and the ranger stepped out of them, pausing to rub her wrists as she turned to face the man. The Disciple was not tall, but not short either, and stood at just the right height to make him rather nondescript. What was striking was his clothing. The man wore red, from head to toe. Broad baggy pants slid into soft leather boots, and a billowy red shirt was covered over by a sleeveless overcoat. The coat's hood rose up over the man's head, obscuring his eyes and his face was further hidden by the wrap that covered his nose and mouth. His only visible weapon was the aureate chalice hanging from his belt, but the shape of his coat told Rakiv there was likely a sword hidden beneath his garments. The man lifted his head to stare at Rakiv curiously, as if studying her for a moment before he turned away towards the cell lock. With a creak of wood the heavy door lifted, and the red headed ranger stepped out of her cell.

"Where's Shadowhoof?" the guildmistress asked.

"He has been detained," Disciple answered, "The overseer's suspect him of conspiracy. He and his cohort have been taken to the holding area north of here, where they are to be executed."

"When?" Rakiv inquired.

"Immediately," Disciple responded, "Fortunately the matter has been delegated."

"How is that fortunate?" Rakiv arched an eyebrow quizzically.

"It is fortunate because the matter is to be overseen by the taskmasters, three of whom hold the keys that are necessary to remove the lock from the fortress' gates," Disciple explained, "You must strike swiftly if you are to save the centaurs. Be sure that no Kournan escapes."

"Then we'd better hurry…" Rakiv agreed, preparing to head northward.

"I have done all that I was instructed," Disciple shook his head, "I have given you information, the rest is up to you. Your forces still await your signal to begin the invasion, and a party is standing by outside the southern gate. You will find the way is clear."

"Can I ask how you know all this?" the ranger peered at the man, "Or why you're helping me?"

"I know because I must know," Disciple said plainly, "And I aid you because your endeavors are too valuable to be allowed to fail."

Rakiv opened her mouth to speak again, but Disciple raised a hand to silence her.

"I understand that my presence and my words raise many questions, but now is the time for action, not inquiry," Disciple stated, "Free these lands Rakiv Maelstrom. Soon you will find all the answers you require."

With this the man turned away from her and strode around the jail house. Rakiv followed him, watching curiously as he strode to the estate wall. With a quick jump the red coated man leapt at the barrier, and scaled it barehanded in an amazing display of agility. Upon reaching the top he turned back to give the woman a final nod, and then vanished over the wall. Perplexed the ranger stared at the spot where he had stood, before the urgency of her mission came sweeping back to her. Time was of the essence, especially if she was going to save the foolish centaur. Rakiv turned south and broke into a run as she sprinted across the grounds towards the southern gate. As the Disciple had said, the way was clear of all opposition, a fact that Rakiv found very odd. The entire southwestern quadrant of the estate was bereft of lookouts or guards. If the Disciple had done this, then he was certainly a man of resources. Upon reaching the gate the ranger skid to a stop and approached the wooden barrier cautiously. There were still no signs of the enemy, but it didn't hurt to be careful. She placed her ear against the gatehouse door, listening for sound from the other side before calling out.

"We are?" she hissed.

"Dormant," the answer came back.

"We want?" she said, a little louder this time.

"Vengeance," was the reply.

Satisfied that the correct passwords had been given the ranger shifted the heavy bolt and pushed the gates open.

"What took you so long?" Kydar complained, wiping his forehead with the back of his glove, "It's friggin' hot out here!"

"We've got a change of plans," Rakiv said, motioning for everyone to follow her, "Zhed's been captured, Haroj too. They're supposed to be executed any minute now."

"He got caught!?" Alendra exclaimed.

"Yeah and now we gotta save his blue butt," Rakiv shook her head, "Anybody got my stuff?"

"Butter has it," Kydar said, turning around, "Butter!"

The crocodile waddled forward and gave a croak as he dragged the many belts and cases of Rakiv's equipment with him. With a word of thanks to her reptilian friend the ranger strapped on her quivers and packs and retrieved her bow from Alendra.

"Guild symbol?" the ranger asked.

"Oh right… here," Kydar replied, handing the ranger her cape.

With the cape in place over her back and the symbol at her neck, Rakiv thumbed the device and spoke into it clearly.

"All units, report," she demanded.

"General Dunkoro here," the monk replied, "With Commander Dejarin and Dervish Melonni reporting. We are standing by to cross the river."

"Captain Nerashi reporting," came the second voice, "Lonai, Rojis and I are holding at the eastern gate. We are prepared for entry."

"Good, everyone hold positions and wait for my order," Rakiv ordered, before turning to the troops at her back, "Let's go."

Kydar and Anorah fell in behind the guildmistress while Alendra gave a call to their battalions to form up. It was a small group, perhaps only fifteen men and women, but they were all the guild had to offer. Many were native Kournans who had jumped at the chance to storm one of Varesh's garrison's in hopes of freeing lost friends or family members. Tahlkora brought up the rear with their small contingent of healers, a group of four counting herself. As they walked the monks whispered many prayers beneath their breath as they each quietly swore their own oaths. There would be no fallen guild member's this day.

Rakiv set the pace, setting out at an easy clip over the estate grounds with her small brigade marching along behind her. As they crested the hill that led toward the northern fields the ranger raised her fist to call their march to a halt. Ahead of them was the execution square, a large chopping block set amid a ring of cages. It sat at the edge of an irrigation ditch that was bridged over by a wooden walkway. Many soldiers had gathered around the square to watch the centaurs' final moments. As Rakiv squinted she could see Zhed, kicking and whinnying, being led up the steps to the block. A grimace crossed the ranger's face and she turned to her troops.

"Divide and conquer," she ordered, "Alendra, Anorah, take nine with you and sweep through that ditch. Kydar and I will take the rest and move to behind the block. Go!"

The contingent split, half of them following Alendra and Anorah to the west while Rakiv and Kydar circled east. As they drew closer they could hear the shouts and jeers of the Kournan soldiers as they waited for the execution. Zhed had been forced down to his knees, the muscles of his back flexing visibly beneath his blue fur as he struggled to be free. A broad shouldered hulk of a man wielding a serrated, bloody axe stepped up to the block and raised his weapon high, drawing a cry of approval from the crowd. A woman strode out of the crowd, her garb indicating she was of higher rank than the rest of the soldiers, and raised her hands for silence. Once the crowd quieted she began.

"This beast stands accused of insubordination, high treason and rebellious conspiracy!" the woman shouted, "The penalty is death! Let all who see his end know that traitors may come and go, but Kourna will stand forever!"

An ordered shout went up from the crowd as the soldiers pumped their fists in the air. The executioner stepped forward, rolling his head to loosen his shoulders and took aim with his axe.

"Alendra, take the executioner. The female commander is mine," Rakiv spoke into her symbol as she raised her bow and drew back on the string, "On my mark…"

The executioner raised his axe over his head, puffing deeply for focus, determined to take the centaur's head in a single swing. The commander waved her hands to the crowd, conducting their chants as the moment of execution drew near.

"Three… two… one… mark," Rakiv ordered, and loosed her arrow.

A javelin sailed out of the crowd, striking the executioner beneath his arm and piercing his ribcage. The arrow however, never struck its mark. A swirl of blue and white rushed around the woman, forming into the ethereal shape of a guardian holding a great shield which deflected the grey fletched shaft. As the executioner stumbled and fell from the chopping block, the commander turned and smiled broadly.

"Like moths to the flame," she smiled, obviously quite pleased with herself, "Kournans! The enemy is here! Crush them!"

"Engage!" Rakiv shouted as she notched six arrows to her bow and aimed for the sky.

It was Anorah's scythe that brought chaos to the field. The dervish was very suddenly among the Kournan soldiers, spinning swiftly through their ranks and mowing down those too slow or too unlucky to escape her blade. From either side of the execution grounds, the guild's warriors rushed in upon the Kournans who responded with equal ferocity. Rakiv loosed her Barrage, raining arrows down on the Kournans as she tried to ignore the murmurs of Kydar's casts beside her.

"Form up around the centaurs!" the ranger cried, "Take the center block, now!"

The order was followed immediately, and shields were raised as Alendra mounted the chopping block. The paragon flung javelins into the crowd with all her might, but it was clear that they were heavily outnumbered. The party soon joined her, and in moments the battle reached a stalemate. Kournan soldiers surrounded a ring of Guildsman shields, and a dead silence fell over the field.

"Well done Guildmistress," the woman spoke, clapping mockingly, "Well done indeed."

"For a nameless soldier you sound pretty proud of yourself," Rakiv quipped, holding her arrow leveled at the woman's head.

"I am Sadi-Belai, chief taskmaster of the Warmarshal's plantations," the woman said, "And I will be remembered as the one who slew the infamous Rakiv Maelstrom!"

"How do you figure?" the ranger snorted.

"It was I who convinced the Overseer's to requisition custody of the remaining hostages taken from Gandara," Sadi-Belai explained with a broad smirk, "It was I who ordered you to be placed in a cell so far away from the rest. And it was I who ordered the immediate execution of these centaurs, all to lure you here."

"You knew we were coming huh?" Rakiv arched an eyebrow.

"For weeks now," Sadi-Belai grinned, "Once word got out that hostages of the invasion were being held here I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to rescue them. When you showed up alone I knew you had to have some sort of hidden band of miscreants with you, so I orchestrated this execution to draw you out. You Sunspears are far too altruistic to let your allies be killed in front of you."

"Huh," Rakiv nodded slowly, and then shrugged, "Well then I guess it's just too bad you showed your hand too soon."

"You are surrounded and outnumbered!" Sadi-Belai laughed scornfully, "How can you possibly hope to escape?"

There was silence for a moment, and then the ranger chuckled and shrugged casually.

"I don't," she explained and tilted her head to speak into her emblem, "Margrid, Nerashi… breach and clear."

Silence fell over the field again, and for a moment all was peaceful. Then a heavy boom sounded in the distance, followed by several more thunderous noises that grew in force. With a fantastic and explosive clap, a pillar of fire ascended to northern sky and threw smoke and dust and wood into the air. Before anyone present could react, a similar spectacle lit up the eastern horizon, a terrific explosion that painted the blue skies grey with smoke and debris.

"That was the checkpoint…" a Kournan gasped.

"No! It was the gates toward the waterworks!" another exclaimed.

"It was both," Rakiv explained, "And unless I miss my guess, you had runners headed in those directions to call in reinforcements didn't you? To take care of my group on the other side of the river?"

The look of incredulity on Sadi-Belai's face brought a derisive chuckle to Rakiv's lips, and it was her turn to sneer in scorn.

"Or did you completely underestimate me?" she snorted and then pointed her arrows upwards again, "Alendra! Sing us a song."

The paragon began with a low note, drawing golden lights to wind around her body that lifted her from the ground. The note rose and fell in pitch, before rising to the piercing crescendo of the Anthem of Guidance. A heavy twang of Rakiv's bow loosed her arrows upwards, and as one the circle of Guildsmen raised their swords and attacked. The orchestrated blow shattered Kournans defenses, as Alendra's anthem empowered each of her allies' blades. The deadly rain of arrows that followed was more than enough to convince the soldiers that a hasty retreat was in order.

"Keep it up!" Rakiv cried to Alendra, as she peered into the crowd, "Where's Haroj!?"

"Here, two-legs!" the centaur called, raising his shackled wrists.

"I need your eyes," Rakiv said, leaping down from the block to pull loose the chains that bound his hooves, "I'm told there are three officers that have keys to the fort's gates. Do you know them?"

"Vanahk and Suli," the centaur spat the names, "A necromancer and a dervish. They are probably fleeing as we speak. The third is Sadi-Belai, the one you were trading insults with."

"Kydar, Anorah!" she shouted and spun around to find both of her officers at her side, "Oh, there you are. You heard him, find those officers. We need their keys if we want to get inside that fort!"

"Yes, Guildmistress!" both exclaimed.

"General, do you hear me?" Rakiv called into her emblem.

"Loud and clear Guildmistress," Dunkoro's reply came back.

"Bridge the river," she ordered, "We'll meet you at the fortress gates."

"Yes, Guildmistress," Dunkoro complied.

"Alright, everyone form up!" Rakiv called, her voice growing hoarse from all her shouting, "Let them regroup. We'll wait for reinforcements, then catch them from all sides! Then we march on the fort!"

"Two-legs!" Zhed called from behind her, "Do not forget my people! We will not attack the fortress until all my brothers and sisters are free!"

"Can it horseface," Rakiv snapped at him, as she drew another arrow from her quiver, "I've already got someone on it."

---

The waters that fed the lands of the Estate were shallow in most places, little more than flooded fields that allowed water to pour southwards toward the main riverbeds. The artificial delta of the Elon River was the true cause of the success of the Dejarin Estates. The river carried rich silt from the deep underground caverns to the north, and its seasonal floods ensured that the land was always fertile. But in the places where it ran deep, it was strong indeed. The Elon had been tamed to suit man's purpose, but it was far from mastered. In its deep beds and along its steeper banks the Elon showed that it was still a force of nature, and that it was not to be trifled with.

It was this force of nature with which Anicara had melded. As she sat beneath the still surface she felt the currents flow over her, pulling her hair in curls across her face and ruffling her robes. The land invasion had begun, but the demands of that annoying centaur still had to be met. Cases like these required some precision. If it became clear that the guild was after the centaur slaves, it was very likely they would be killed immediately. And so it fell to Anicara to use invasion and the assault on the central fortress as a cover that would allow her to quickly and quietly assassinate the key holders and open the cells that held the captive centaurs. Zhed's original plan had been shot down in the guild hall, when he suggested that they sweep through the estate, slaughtering soldiers and freeing prisoners. It was a plan that was likely to get a lot of centaurs and guild members killed. Though there had been much argument, Rakiv assured the centaur that his people would be freed. It was up to Anicara to see that they were.

The water mage's mental clock counted down to zero and she slowly ascended from the river's depths. Her head broke the surface almost soundlessly, and she raised only her eyes above the water to peer across the land before her. She sat at the edge of one of the many shallow waterways that separated the satellite "island" farms from the mainland of the Estate. From the noise in the distance it was clear that the bulk of the Kournan forces had been engaged by Rakiv's army. Most of the rest of the estate late deserted, just as had been planned. Like some sort of frigid nymph arising from the deeps, Anicara stepped gracefully up out of the water, and quickly scurried to the dry land of the river bank. From the looks of things she was on the northeastern most islands, and directly behind one of the holding cells that kept the centaurs imprisoned. The girl crept around the perimeter of the structure, and peered at the men that stood guarding it. A pair of Kournan guards in elite garb stood at attention, their hands tightly gripping their hammer hafts. A nearby officer appeared reasonably alert as well, likely fearing that at any moment the battle they heard might come their way. Anicara rubbed her hands together and then spit into one palm before she leaned down and planted one hand in the dirt.

"Ye frozen lances of purest crystal…," she whispered, "Ice Spikes!"

The rush of cold was the only warning her opponents received. A track of frost raced across the ground and exploded violently between the two hammer wielders, skewering them with jagged crystal spikes. Pained cries and spurts of blood filled the air as Anicara moved in for the kill.

"Ye mighty glaciers…" she hissed as she dashed forward, "Frigid Armor!"

The Kournan officer was on his feet and jabbed with his spear at the oncoming girl. The blow came with a force that surprised Anicara, and knocked the young elementalist off her feet. The armored caster hit the dirt and rolled to avoid a second blow from the spear before she suddenly thrust her hand out at him.

"Ye blustering zephyrs…" she shouted, "Freezing Gust!"

A blast of super-cooled air struck the officer like a frozen hammer, knocking him backwards and encasing his limbs in ice. Even as the officer struggled he knew he had lost. As her armor melted from her body the elementalist quickly summoned a crystal spear to her hand.

"My apologies," she offered, as she thrust the sharp point through his heart.

With a wet choke and a final gasp the officer fell to the earth. A small sigh escaped the mage's lips; that had been a little sloppy of her. But the job was done, now she just had to do it four or five more times. However there was first the matter of freeing the centaurs. The girl retrieved the key from the officer's corpse and made her way to the cell lock. A quick turn set the gears in motion and with much creaking the cells opened wide. A pair of rather bewildered looking centaur emerged from within, staring down at the punctured guards and then at the girl who had rescued them.

"That… was quite impressive," one of the centaurs commented.

"For a human," the other added with a small snort.

"Well grab some weapons and help me out then," Anicara advised as she turned away from them, "I've got a lot more of you guys on my list."

---

The rapid pounding of his own heartbeat was the only sound that filled the ears of Taskmaster Vanahk. Things had taken a turn he would have never predicted. Here on the plantation he had been the master or foremen, the most feared whip cracker in all these fields. He had made a name for himself for the results that his brutality earned. The slaves trembled in his presence, and cowered at the very sound of his footsteps. They had all seen what became of those who dared to defy the orders of Vanahk. The curses he'd employed had showed that death was not the worst thing that could happen to a rebellious slave here. By his cruelty slaves had labored for days on end, receiving only torture or torment as their food and water until they truly did beg for death. And Vanahk had given it to them, for though the slaves had called him a 'Cruel Taskmaster', Vanahk was not truly cruel at all. No, he was a benevolent master, and his mercies abounded. What he offered in return for hard labor and diligent work was peace, the peace that was the cold and silence of the grave. To these slaves, the bone mask he wore was the very face of Death, and in his eyes those who stood against him had seen their end.

But now, it was his turn. His turn to tremble, to cower in fear. His comrade Suli had stopped and stood her ground against that terrible, brown cloaked dervish. He had heard the song of the scythe and the roar of flame as the Suli was struck down and devoured by fire. From whence the fire had come he had not seen, but what he did see chilled him to the bone. The dervish woman, her skirt furled amongst the flames and her scythe gripped tightly in her hands. Her eyes burned gold, an unnatural color that had seemed to pierce his very soul. The blood that dripped from her blade seemed to beat a deafening rhythm as it splashed upon the ground. This was not a soldier, no mere warrior come to take back a Kournan stronghold. This was judgment, righteous fury in human form. It was in her eyes that he had seen his end, torn asunder by her blade and consumed by holy fire. She would not merely kill him, oh no, mere death would not be his fate. For power had been given unto her that she might banish his very soul to a place beyond the depths of the underworld. She would destroy him, body, mind and soul.

It was only a very quick hex that had saved his life, causing this terrible avenger to pause in her pursuit. The taskmaster had run as fast as his feet could carry him, hoping against hope to save his wicked life. Perhaps if he could reach the river he could swim to deeper waters where the current would carry him downstream and away from this reaper of souls. His breathing was erratic, panic and fatigue plaguing his mind as he splashed into the shallows. The sound of swinging steel reached his ears and with a terrified shriek the necromancer dove forward in hopes of evading the blow. But the dervish's scythe struck true, slicing cleanly through the back of his thigh in a crippling sweep. As blood poured into the water the Necromancer cried out in pain, still desperately attempting to claw his way deeper into the river. His progress was stopped when strong hands grasped his tunic and hauled him back to shore. The once proud taskmaster screamed and kicked and clawed, but the grip never loosened. He looked up just in time to see a red gloved hand raised over his head, before it smashed into his mask. The skull cracked beneath the blow and Vanahk flailed in a daze, just as another punch struck him. The third blow shattered his mask entirely, and disoriented him completely. The hands that held him lifted him off his feet and he blinked blearily to find himself staring down at the angry face of a tall, dark skinned elementalist.

Kydar held the necromancer aloft, one hand gripping the taskmaster by his throat. Behind him Anorah leaned heavily on her scythe, wheezing as she fought against the poison that felt like fire in her veins. It would pass in time, but it had taken all her focus to push through the pain just long enough to catch their quarry.

"You okay?" he asked the dervish.

"I… I will be," she grunted in reply, beginning to mutter a prayer under her breath.

"You," Kydar snarled, turning his attention to the taskmaster as began rummaging through the man's clothes with his free hand, "Where is your key?"

"She… she suffers…" the necromancer rasped around Kydar's grip, watching in wonder as Anorah chanted a slow prayer of healing over herself, "She too… she yearns for it… for death. You can see it can't you?"

Kydar slowly looked up, confusion and revulsion etched on his face as the necromancer rambled.

"I… I… I can give it to her… yes, I can give it to her," Vanahk offered, "I can give her peace… death. I am death here… I can give it to her… just like all the others…"

"So," Kydar said, bristling at the man's words, "A torturer and a murderer?"

The necromancer did not answer, his eyes transfixed as the Anorah breathed a sigh of relief and rose to her full height once more. She gripped her scythe with renewed determination and stepped forward towards Kydar and the taskmaster. The elementalist did not release the man, and instead curled his lips in disgust.

"Then we have something in common, friend," he spat spitefully, "I've been saving this one for somebody special. I think I'll try it out on you."

"No… no I cannot die… I am death… you cannot… kill me…," Vanahk croaked, his eyes rolling backwards as Kydar's grip cut off his breathing.

"I don't know what you are, but there is one thing I do know," Kydar snarled in reply, "Everything burns."

The rush of heat that flew down the elementalist's arm was intense, like a focused beam from the sun itself. Though he was quickly fading from consciousness the Taskmaster was momentarily brought back to full awareness as the dark skinned scribe immolated him. Death came instantly, a red and white burst that ended Vanahk's life of cruelty. His last breath escaped even as his corpse caught fire, and began to burn in Kydar's grip. Still the elementalist did not release the body, until he suddenly felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. As though waking from a dream Kydar jerked, and let go immediately, allowing the burning corpse to fall into the river. The body began to float away, flames still licking over flesh and cloth as the elementalist turned to look at Anorah.

"He was a wicked man," the dervish said solemnly, "But have a care, Scribe Raelesin… lest you blacken your own soul."

For a long moment Kydar said nothing, as he looked down and opened his hand. He held the third gate key and extended it to Anorah. Hesitantly the dervish took it from the elementalist, and began to speak again just as he turned away.

"We'd better get back," Kydar said flatly, as he strode in the direction of the fortress.

Mildly perturbed Anorah watched him go, and slid the key into one of her belt pouches. The look in her comrade's eyes reminded her of the way her eyes had once appeared, the reflection of a sinner's soul. But she had no time to dwell on such thoughts, for now there was still much work to do. Her sandals scuffed the dirt as she quickly sped up to follow him down the path that led back to Elonajok Hold.

---

Sadi-Belai gasped and choked as she clutched at the arrow shaft that protruded from her chest. Her vision swam as she felt blood ooze from the wound. She had planned it so well… this was supposed to be the triumph that would make her career. She would be known as the commander that finally brought in the most feared terrorist in all of Kourna. And now it was ended, everything she had worked for, brought to a crashing halt by the crude wooden shaft that had pierced her lung. Her strength was exhausted, and she could not even summon enough strength to heal herself now. The cruel taskmaster looked up at the red headed huntress, even as the other woman rummaged through her clothing and retrieved the large gate key from her pockets.

"You… you are what they say," Sadi-Belai admitted to the ranger, "The Red Huntress knows no defeat."

"I've lost my battles," Rakiv said as she worked to unhook the key from the taskmaster's belt, "Be glad that your defeat is your end. There are fates much worse than death.."

"Heh… hehe," Sadi-Belai rasped with a wry, almost mocking smile, "We will see…"

With a final sigh the taskmaster's limbs grew quiet and her eyes became vacant. Rakiv watched for a moment as the woman slipped away, liberated from the pain of her broken body. There was peace in death, a reprieve from pain and suffering. In her darkest moments Rakiv had longed for that peace, and now a pathetic pang of envy struck her as the taskmaster passed from the world. But there was no time for such foolish self-pity now. There were other lives to save, and the guildmistress meant to save them. Rising to her feet she yanked the arrow from Sadi-Belai's corpse and cleaned it on her trouser leg.

"Alendra!" she called to the paragon.

"Ahai, Guildmistress!" Alendra replied.

"Rally the troops, have them form up in front of Elonajok, prepare to take the stronghold!" she ordered.

"Yes, Guildmistress!" the castellan responded as she set to the task she had been given.

"Baby Blue this is Lone Ranger," Rakiv said, lifting her guild emblem to her lips, "I need a report."

"Just north of your position," Anicara's voice came back, "Crossing the irrigation fields now. We'll be with you in a minute."

"Double time it, we're getting close to our deadline," Rakiv said and flipped her emblem to its guild wide channel, "Everyone form up in front of the gates! Kydar, Anorah, I need those keys!"

"On our way!" the reply came to her.

Rakiv sighed as she let the emblem hang at her neck once more and strode towards the hold. Elonajok was indeed well defended. Its wall was high, high enough that climbing it was folly and the razor plates along the edges would have prevented anyone from actually getting over it. Still, it was not so high as to obscure the mansion inside. It was obviously of Kournan design, but was much larger than any of the huts or mud dwellings that were common on the desert plains. The Trademarshal had crafted stone shipped in from the Vabbian mines to carefully craft his home into an architectural masterpiece. Were it not for the many fortifications the Kournan army had added to the house, it might have been quite beautiful indeed. The ranger turned her attention to the gate, and the matter of how they were to pass through it.

"It's probably three bolts," Kydar said as he strode up behind her, "In an interlocking mechanism. We'd have to turn all three keys at once."

"Alright," Rakiv nodded and motioned to them, "You two move to those two locks, I'll take the middle. Koss, Alendra, get ready to open the doors!"

"Yes, Guildmistress," they responded.

"I trust you're satisfied?" Rakiv asked, turning to face Zhed.

The centaur peered across the fields to where Anicara could be seen leading a procession of well armed, angry centaur slaves. The horse-man gave a nod and swished his tail as he looked back down at Rakiv.

"You've done well," he agreed, "Now it's time to free our chief."

"Once we're in, I'll leave that to you and your pride," Rakiv said, turning away from him, "I have my own men to retrieve."

"As you wish, two-legs," the centaur snorted.

Rakiv ground her teeth but refrained from engaging Zhed in what would likely be a pointless shouting match. Instead she stepped towards the gates, where Koss and Alendra each gripped one of the large doors by its handle. Rakiv inserted her key into the lock and half turned her head to her assembled army.

"Everyone ready?" she asked.

A clatter of shields announced that the guild forces had readied their stances, and a shake of spears told her that all weapons were leveled. The ranger grasped the large key with both hands and grunted as she turned it hard. Kydar and Anorah did the same, and with a heavy metallic grind they heard the locks give way. Rakiv raised her hands to order Koss and Alendra to open the doors… when a strange ticking sound reached her ears. The ranger held up a finger to request silence and leaned in close to the gate to listen. She knew this sound… and the familiarity suddenly turned to horrified recognition.

"A trap…" she gasped, and spun on her heel to face her forces, "It's a trap!"

No sooner than the words left her mouth the gates exploded. Rakiv dove forward and the violent concussion wave caught her, throwing her bodily through the air. Light, sound and time were obliterated and a thousand vibrations rolled through her body as shrapnel fell all around her. For several seconds her eyelids fluttered and her jaw worked uselessly against the all consuming ringing that filled her ears. The smell of high explosives filled her nostrils and burned on her tongue. Her fingers scratched at the dirt as she tried to push herself up, and in a moment strong hands slid around her waist to help her. She looked up blearily through the soundless fog and recognized Kydar dragging her back behind the cover of the line of shields. She tried to speak but her tongue wouldn't work, and Kydar put his hand over her mouth to stop her from trying.

"Just…. it was a…. you'll be…" his voice came through it bits and pieces, and soon the daze began to lift.

"You're fine! You're fine, the trap didn't hit you!" he was shouting.

"What…" the ranger blinked, "What was…?"

"They layered traps on the gate," Kydar explained, "A Smoke, Spike and Barbed from the looks of it… maybe more."

The ranger squinted as she tried to take stock of the battle field. Tahlkora and the monks where busy flinging healing prayers as fast as they could while a trio of paragons helped a heavily wounded Koss and Alendra back to their battle lines. Arrows were flying through the gate, as Kournan archers pelted the guilds army's shields with heavy fire.

"Tell…" Rakiv grunted, as she tried to stand, "Tell Koss… shields up…"

The ranger's leg collapsed beneath her and Kydar only just caught her before she fell to the ground again. She growled inwardly, a trap… she should have seen that coming. She clutched at the elementalist's arm, determined to get back on her feet as she heard him relay her order.

"Koss! Koss! Shields up!" Kydar cried.

"Shields Up!!" Koss commanded as a wash of blue light strobed over him, "Watch Yourself men! We're goin' in!"

A collection of paragons and warriors scrambled together, to form a tight circle and raised their shields. Together they formed what looked like a large golden turtle, and in this fashion they proceeded through the fortress gates. The rain of arrows thunked harmlessly against their moving barricade, and provided exactly the distraction Rakiv wanted.

"Ani… oogh, Anicara!" the ranger called, attempting to step forward but holding tight to the elementalist's arm lest she loose her balance again, "Get those centaurs to fire on those balconies!"

"Archers, ready!" Anicara cried as she pointed with her staff, "Fire!"

The return volley struck the Kournan battery of archers, forcing most of them to duck to avoid the incoming arrows. As they scurried for cover Anicara brought her hands together, quickly breathing her incantation.

"Ye wintery waters of the frozen deeps…" she said and thrust her palms forward towards the battlements, "Deep Freeze!"

The girl blew out a cloud of frost from her lips that spiraled across the balconies and sealed the archers in thick casings of ice. The centaur's seized the opportunity and sent a second volley flying into the helpless soldiers, knocking them from their perch and ending the arrow rain.

"All forces move in," Rakiv ordered with a wave of her hand.

The guild army did as commanded and marched through the open gates of Elonajok Hold. Weapons were brandished as they gave chase to the remaining Kournan guard who had dropped their weapons and begun to flee.

"Take prisoners," Rakiv called out as Kydar escorted her through the gate, "Spare surrenderers, catch the runners. And somebody find me the commanding officers of this place!"

Soldiers scurried to and fro to do her bidding, and there were many short skirmishes heard all across the hold's courtyard. After a moment Rakiv planted her feet and pressed a hand to Kydar's chest to push him away. The elementalist raised an eyebrow at her, but complied with the gesture.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, "We need to find those prisoners."

"No sign of them here guildmistress!" a soldier called from across the yard.

"They're probably in the main house," the ranger surmised, "Anorah, Koss take a team and check it out. Watch out for more traps."

"Yes, Guildmistress," Anorah nodded.

"With pleasure," Koss added, as he drew his machete and made for the mansion doors.

A small contingent of guildsmen followed the Zaishen dervish as she approached the entry to the main house. Two of them, rangers, leveled their bows at the large doors as Anorah carefully pushed her way inside. The entry way was grand, the floor tiled in some kind of marble and the cool stone walls were decorated with all manner of artistic masks and statuettes. The Trademarshal's residence was truly a place of opulence, though it had apparently fallen into some disrepair while in military hands. Mud from boots had been tracked everywhere, and most of the windows had been boarded up, blanketing the mansion's interior in a deep gloom. The house was quiet… much too quiet, so quiet as to be unnerving. Koss entered first, raising his shield to neck level and brandishing his machete as Anorah tread carefully behind him. The pair moved carefully across the marbled floor until they came to the foot of a grand stairway.

"Divide," she ordered, "Half this me, half with Koss."

"Ailonseh had better be okay…" the Sunspear warrior grumbled, "This way men!"

The order was not questioned and the group split into parties of four. The dervish made her way up the stairs and into the hallway beyond. No one dared make a sound, there was no telling what sort of traps or ambushes lay in wait for them. It was more than likely that there were still a few Kournans in the mansion's many rooms, just waiting for their chance to strike. As they proceeded Anorah opened every door they passed, glancing into each room for any signs of life. Each room in turn proved to be empty, until she reached a large pair of double doors. Anorah paused, and leaned towards the wood to listen to the sounds from the room on the other side. Something was inside, something alive. Whether prisoner or soldier she did not know, but she intended to be ready. Weapons were brandished and after a moment's breath for focus, the dervish kicked in the door. The party sprang in, ready to take on whatever was inside… but found no threat to face. Instead a gasp of horror rose from the group as they beheld the prisoner the room contained.

Acolyte Jin was naked, and bleeding from a number of wounds. She slumped against the floor with her wrists chained to the wall at her back. The Zaishen ranger's hair had grown long, and spilled down over her shoulders now in dirty bedraggled locks. Countless wheals, welts and bruises marred her olive skin, some of which appeared to be infected. The marks were the evidence of many, many beatings, proof of the torture she had received as a prisoner of the Kournan army. Anorah was at her side in an instant and worked quickly to undo her shackles.

"You, stand guard," the dervish ordered to a nearby warrior, "The rest of you, continue! Check the other rooms for survivors!"

As her troops moved to obey, Jin slowly roused from her sickly doze, glazed eyes blinking blearily at her fellow acolyte.

"Anorah…" she rasped through dry, cracked lips.

"Grenth will not have you yet sister," Anorah vowed as one of the shackles finally snapped open.

"No…" Jin croaked, her eyes beginning to widen with haunting panic, "Heeeere…"

"Jin?" Anorah paused and blinked at her comrade.

"Heeeere!" Jin wheezed, grasping at Anorah with her free hand, "A blasphemer… was here!"

"The Warmarshal?" Anorah asked.

"Another…" Jin shook her head, "Black wings… eyes of fire… blasphemer… to Dwayna…"

Anorah was silent for a moment. One of Varesh's cursed acolytes no doubt, the one who impersonated Dwayna. If such a person had been here, there was no sign of them now, but it was obvious that Jin had a story to tell.

"Where are they now?" Anorah asked, unlocking Jin's other wrist.

"Gone… but… will return," Jin managed as her arm fell from the shackle and flopped by her side, "We must leave…"

"We will," Anorah agreed, "Now be silent."

The dervish stood and cast about the room for something to cover her comrade with. The room had once been a bed chamber, and much of the furniture had been moved to one corner of the room. Beneath a hand crafted wardrobe, Anorah discovered a bed and ripped the sheets from it. Returning to the ranger's side, the dervish wrapped Jin in the sheet and then lifted the other woman into her arms.

"Retrieve my scythe," Anorah commanded to the guard at the door.

The warrior complied wordlessly as Anorah proceeded down the hall and down the steps. Outside the mansion things had been set in order. In the center of the courtyard Rakiv and Kydar stood in front of the kneeling forms of the estate's overseer's, both of whom were tightly bound. Guild soldiers marched captive Kournans out of the Hold in orderly lines while archers arranged themselves on the rooftops to be prepared for the unlikely event of some kind of counter-attack. Koss' party had already left the mansion and were now with the guild monks tending to the many prisoners they had liberated. Among these was Sousuke, who was wrapped in window drapes, and who quickly jumped to his feet and rushed over to Anorah and Jin.

"Is she alright?" the elementalist asked anxiously.

"She can speak," Anorah confirmed, "She will need healing."

"I will bring a monk then," Sousuke nodded.

"She must see the guildmistress first," Anorah said, "She has a story to tell."

"Guildmistress?" Sousuke blinked.

Anorah did not answer and continued forward towards Rakiv. The ranger looked up and caught sight of the Zaishen trio, and quickly stepped away from her conversation with the overseer's, leaving Kydar with strict orders not to burn anyone while she was busy.

"How are you?" Rakiv asked, to both Sousuke and Jin.

"I am fine," the Canthan elementalist nodded, "But Jin is…"

"Guildmistress, Jin spoke of someone we missed," Anorah said, "Someone who may bring reinforcements."

"What did you see?" Rakiv asked, turning to look at the Zaishen ranger.

"A dervish… with black wings and a gold scythe…" Jin rasped through a fit of hacking coughs, "She spoke for the Warmarshal. She fled when the assault began… gave orders to the overseers to hold the fort… until her return."

"Great," Rakiv sighed and shook her head, "Anorah get her to a medic. You're going to be fine Jin, you're with friends now."

The Zaishen nodded to the guildmistress and turned away as Rakiv strode back to Kydar.

"What's up?" the dark skinned elementalist asked.

"These two haven't told me the whole story," Rakiv said, casting a glare down towards the captured overseers, "But we don't have time for that now. We might have a counter-offensive on our hands at any minute."

"You've gotta be kidding…" Kydar groaned.

"Listen up! All of you!" Rakiv shouted, waving her arms to gather her troops' attention, "We may have company soon! Officers marshal your units and move out to the northern road. I want the way to Jahai cut off, now! The rest of you, gather whatever loose materials you can find to make barricades and pick up whatever weapons you need. We are not going to lose this estate!"

"No," a deep, male voice agreed, "We won't."

Rakiv turned towards the voice just as the Trademarshal himself strode into the Hold. He was accompanied by a number of men and women, who carried various cases and pulled a number of carts. Zudash gave several orders to his entourage before striding towards the guildmistress of Dormant Vengeance.

"It seems my investment in you has paid off," Zudash said gruffly as he approached, "I fear the insurance I took out on you was wasted."

"Insurance?" Rakiv chuckled, "On me? You really thought I couldn't do the job?"

"Young lady, before today I wouldn't have believed that anyone could do this job," Zudash snorted, and then his attitude softened, "But don't be too insulted. It was only one fallback plan."

He raised a hand and beckoned with one finger. Rakiv followed the man's gaze, and couldn't help but shake her head as Margrid the Sly approached them.

"She was working for you all along," Rakiv concluded.

"What, ya didn't really think I'd work fer free didja?" the corsair laughed, and held out her hand to Zudash, "Pay up Trademarshal."

"Margrid was here for my daughter," Zudash explained as he untied a purse from his belt, "If for any reason you failed, her orders were to retrieve my Ailonseh and escape. Speaking of whom," the Trademarshal paused, "Where is my daughter?"

"She's with the healers," Rakiv said, "The monks are giving all the prisoners a once over. Koss is with her too."

"Good…" Zudash nodded and looked down at Rakiv, "You have my deepest gratitude Rakiv Maelstrom. You have given me back my house, my lands… and my family.."

The usually stone faced merchant's unshakable demeanor cracked for a moment, a softness spreading over his face and for a moment Rakiv thought she saw a tear forming in one eye. The ranger gave a smile and extended one hand to the man with a small nod of acceptance.

"Not a problem Zudash," Rakiv smiled, "Now we just have to keep them."

"Yes," the man agreed, taking her hand and shaking it firmly as his gruff countenance returned, "And I have already sent my mercenaries to the northern and eastern roads to prevent any further incursions. They have been instructed to work with your forces, to stop whatever Ossa has planned for us."

"Glad to hear it," Rakiv agreed, "I'll handpick a few units to leave here with you. If anything happens, send us a message."

"I will," Zudash said, giving her hand a final firm shake before releasing it, "And once again… thank you."

Rakiv smiled and was about to make a comment, before a loud and bellowing voice called her attention.

"Huntress!" it shouted, accompanied by a rapid clop of hooves, "I'd like to have a word with you!"

Rakiv turned her head as Mirza Veldrunner approached. The centaur chieftain stood tall and appeared to be in good health, despite the number of bruises that marked his flank and torso. However Rakiv could not help but laugh when she saw what he carried. The chieftain's right hand was securely locked around the horns of Zhed Shadowhoof, who was forced to bow low and walk awkwardly to keep up with his pride leader. Mirza came to a stop in front of Rakiv and glared down at her.

"Did I not make myself clear when we met in the bluffs!?" he roared.

"Hello Mirza," Rakiv smiled, placing her hands on her hips, "Good to see you again. How was slavery?"

"Horrible," the centaur answered, "The food was terrible and I have not run in days. But that is beside the point! I told you very clearly not to come after me!"

"Talk to your pride mate there," Rakiv pointed, "That miserable long face blackmailed us."

"And you ought to have shot this incorrigible mule where he stood!" Mirza snapped, giving Zhed a shake, "I was but days away from raising a rebellion that would have resounded throughout all of Kourna! Now all people will hear is that we centaurs were saved by humans!"

"Well I'm sorry to steal your thunder," Rakiv chuckled and shrugged, "But I had my own reasons for coming here. When we tell the story, how about we say that in the midst of all the chaos, you single handedly broke out of your cell and carried off the wicked overseers to see to their punishment?"

The ranger pointed to Overseer's Boktek and Haubeh who still kneeled in the dirt near Kydar. Mirza arched an eyebrow and this and stroked his beard before nodding in agreement.

"I suppose that will have to do," the chieftain accepted, "However, this slight will not go overlooked!"

"Oh dear," Rakiv sighed, "What are you going to do."

"As a token of my displeasure and appreciation, I give you him," Mirza announced, throwing Zhed forward so hard that the centaur stumbled to the ground, "He is your vassal now."

"What!?" both human and centaur exclaimed.

"But Chieftain..!" Zhed began.

"You had your orders Shadowhoof!" Mirza interrupted, "And since you cannot obey mine, perhaps you can obey hers! You are to serve her well until she releases you, and you will not return to the pride until then."

"Mirza what am I supposed to do with this…" Rakiv protested.

"Do whatever you like!" Mirza snapped, "Work him, ride him, cut off his fur to make a coat for all I care! But you are not to release him until the threat of this mad Warmarshal is ended."

Rakiv and Zhed began to cry out against this judgment again, but Mirza would have none of it. Raising his hands the centaur chief cried out in a loud voice that drowned them both out.

"I have spoken!" he declared.

And so the argument was ended. Rakiv sighed and glared down at the fallen centaur, who returned her stare with an angry gaze. Laughter burst out nearby and Rakiv turned her head just in time to watch Kydar fall over in hysterics.

"You're stuck with each other! Ahhhahahaha!" the elementalist cracked up.

"You shut up!" Rakiv shouted, kicking at the laughing scribe.

As the ranger abused her subordinate, Zhed clambered to his feet and Mirza turned towards Zudash.

"You there, trade person!" the centaur chief bellowed, "I have business with you!"

Surprised at being so directly addressed by a centaur, Zudash blinked at the horseman and then nodded and gave a gesture of his hand.

"Then we will have to walk and talk," the Trademarshal said, "There is much to do."

The Kournan merchant and centaur chief strode off, and Zudash issued various orders to his servants as he listened to Mirza's proposition. Margrid watched them go and tossed her money sack up and down several times, enjoying its weight and jingle.

"Speaking of much to do," the corsair said, turning to face Rakiv, "I'll be going now. I've a few leads ta follow up if I'm gonna get you lot back ta Istan."

"Alright," Rakiv said, ceasing her kicking to shake the pirate's hand, "Thanks again Margrid."

"The pleasure were all mine," Margrid smiled, shaking her money sack as she turned to leave, "Stay alive landlubbers! I want that fifty plats!"

"You said you'd give us a discount!!" Rakiv shouted after her, and sighed when the other archer pretended not to hear her.

"Rakiv," Alendra's voice called the ranger's attention back to the matters around her, "The prisoners have all been accounted for and all of our defense forces are in place. With your permission, I'd like to start getting the wounded back to the Sanctuary."

"Right," Rakiv nodded, "It's about time we got out of here. Round up the troops and get the wounded on stretchers. Tell everyone we're heading back to base."

Alendra nodded and left to carry out the order. Rakiv watched as the guild army began their preparations to leave, and gave a sigh as she rubbed her shoulder. It had been a long day, and a hard one too. But it had been a good day as well. Many friends had been rescued and at last everyone who had escaped Gandara was accounted for. If she could just get these people home, Rakiv felt she would have done a good job. She looked up, wondering what Kormir had to say about her work so far. She hoped her sister was pleased… wherever she was.

"This was a good win for us," Kydar's voice broke through her reverie, "What do you think Varesh will do now?"

"If I know Varesh…" Rakiv said slowly, "She won't take this lying down. We can expect some real trouble soon. I just hope we'll be ready for it."