One Way Ticket To Talenthar – Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After they reached firmer grounds on the other side of the marshy area surrounding the keep, Ludger let the vehicle roll to a stop. He turned toward Dregnar and said.

“Now, where to?”

The troll pointed tentatively to the south and said in a quivering voice.

“That way. To the edge of the forest, then west.”

After half an hour of bouncing on a rough trail, they reached a forest of tall hardwood trees. They were denuded of their leaves for the winter. To the southwest stood a large city dominated by a tall castle sitting on an island at the edge of the sea.

Dregnar pointed to the city. He said.

“This is Talenthar, where we are going to meet the Prince, tomorrow. You should follow that path skirting the forest.”

Ludger drove the truck across the mouth of the ravine. During the crossing the troll fidgeted as if he expected something horrible to happen at any moment. When they reached the other side, Ludger found a wider path leading northwest into the Desert of Death.

After a few hours of uneventful travel, Ludger turned toward the troll. He tried to make conversation.

“What do you think about this entire situation?”

Startled by the sudden question, Dregnar answered.

“Master Ludger, as a faithful servant of the royal family, it is not my prerogative to criticize our endeavour.”

“Humour me, I’m not of this world. I want your own opinion.”

“Well…, if I must.” Dregnar paused, cleared his throat, then continued. “I am afraid for the well being of our world. You were brought here as a last resort. You are not a magician, or a great warlord. Even though you have decided to help us, I do not see how we can win in the coming war. Our forces are weak. Even if we win against Magdar, there is a possibility of an attack from the Empire, in the south. In our weakened state we could not possibly defend against it.”

“You honestly think we are doomed?”

“No, there is always hope, but these days it is difficult to believe in chance, with what I know of Magdar.”

“What do you know of him? He seems to be a mystical being, not a man.”

“He is human, alright, in the darkest, cruellest sense. Over twenty years ago, when he was still a student at MIT, Magdar was suffering from megalomania. He thought he could change the world and make it a better place by using black magic. He became addicted to the powers of the dark side and started to recruit people around the King to help him in his plans. He tried to recruit me. As a troll my ties to the dark forces should be strong. My loyalty to the royal family was greater. He captured me. He tried to break me with torture and vile magical experiments. I was almost dead when Andrack rescued me. This incident lead to Magdar’s banishment.

The one think I know for certain, about his character, is that when he makes up his mind about accomplishing something, nothing will stop him. It took him close to twenty years of non-stop work, to escape his prison, but he did it. In the ensuing war, all the magicians, except for Andrack, disappeared. Andrack was left a shell of his former self. Do not be fooled by his jollity, inside him are massive emotional scars left by the battle and the loss of his powers. So, as you can see, Magdar always get what he wants…, eventually.”

There was a long silence, in which Ludger digested the information he had just received. The canvas that Dregnar had painted was not pretty. But surely something could be done. People like Magdar had flaws brought upon by their megalomania. They would lay out the rules by which the contest would be played and expect everybody to follow these rules. Ludger would have to find a way of bypassing these rules or of making his own.

He was also interested in knowing why Dregnar had not joined Magdar. He turned slightly toward the troll and said.

“You say that trolls are normally aligned with the dark forces. Is it too bold of me to ask why you did not side with Magdar?”

Dregnar looked down at his hand and meticulously cleaned the dirt from under one of his claws. He then sighed and looked into Ludger’s eyes. He said.

“Since you are not of this world I guess I can explain to you.

Trolls are creatures of low intellect that lives in hunting-gathering bands marauding throughout this land. They are just as likely to attack innocent travellers than to capture stray cattle. They are aligned with the dark forces that, as legend has, had spawned them. Once in a while a troll is born with high intellect and less bulky features. As you might guess, such a troll is the laughingstock of his band. His parents are ridiculed and he his beaten up by his peers and siblings. After many years of menial work you are lucky to die of exhaustion.

I was not so lucky. I was left for dead, in the woods, after a particularly gruesome beating. I was found by young King Bluthor, during a hunting expedition. He put aside any prejudice that he might have had and nursed me back to health. When I was strong enough, I pledged my allegiance to the throne. I have served the royal family faithfully since that time, over 40 years ago. As you can see I was lucky to have found somebody that was compassionate. Without him, even if I had survived, I would have been rejected by, both, humankind and my own people.”

Ludger considered the troll’s sad story. His respect for the poor creature increased tremendously. He felt sorry for the doubts he had, in travelling with the ungainly creature.

As they crested a rise, Ludger could see, less then an hour’s drive ahead, the cottony crater of the Mist of Dreams.
They drove the rest of the way in silence. As they approached the edge of the mist, Dregnar started to fidget nervously. Ludger told him not to be nervous. The crossing of the boundary should be uneventful.

They finally entered the mist. Instantly they were on the path leading to Ludger’s front door. Dregnar let go of a short cry of astonishment. He was thoroughly amazed by the new universe. He could not believe the lushness of the vegetation and the marvellous sight of the large log buildings.

Ludger pulled over to the front door, stopped the Samurai and said.

“Welcome home.”

The troll looked at him, wonder showing in his large eyes. He said.

“This place is so beautiful. I could stay here forever.”

“We could but it would not be fair to our friends, who are waiting for us in the real world.”

Ludger put his hand on the troll’s shoulder. He gently pushed him toward the front door. He said.

“Lets go in, I’ll show you around.”

He keyed in the alarm code and unlocked the thick door. He pushed it open and showed the troll in.

He gave the troll a quick tour of the house. The short creature marvelled at all the conveniences that modern earth technology had created. He was particularly impressed by the television set. Ludger showed him a few videotapes of his world. Dregnar could not believe how crowded, noisy and restless this society was.

Ludger decided to round up the supplies. He left Dregnar, by the TV, with a large collection of tapes and clear instruction on the operation of the machine. He left for the garage-storeroom.

He unlocked the armoury and opened the thick, steel clad, door. He fetched a custom made, high-powered, long distance sniping rifle in .50 calibre. As he was taking it apart for storage in a custom-made case, he thought.

“This should take care of any giant creatures we find…, I hope.”

He selected some specialized ammunition and closed the case. He locked the armoury. He put the heavy case on the table separating the garage, from the workshop.

Ludger went to a large walk-in closet. He took out some insulated clothes, thick polypropylene underclothing, ECWCS all weather parka and trousers and assorted foul weather gear. He filled a bag with survival equipment, powerful electric torches and spare batteries.

From his electrical workbench he dug out half a dozen powerful, hand-held, 2-way radios with spare power-packs. he also took a compact portable base station, complete with a collapsible antenna, a repeater, a self-contained solar panel and a small generator. Completing the electronics, he threw in a directional sound amplifier and a pair of night vision goggles.
Some light camping gear was added to the rapidly growing pile of equipment laying in disarray on the table. Ludger added some climbing and rappelling tackle and a few hundred-and-fifty feet hanks of 11mm braided nylon rappelling line. He, next, went to the metalworking shop to find the greatest variety of different metals. Pieces of different steel and aluminium alloys, nickel, tungsten carbide, brass, copper, tin, even lead solder and a long piece of titanium he found on a rack, by the lathe. He put everything in a sturdy leather pouch, added a small piece of cast iron, a few nails, an old zinc cup, some bronze weights and a few magnesium fire starters. He rummaged through the scrap bin and found small pieces of Monel and Inconel, copper-silicon and beryllium copper alloys and two small castings of phosphor bronze and manganese bronze, respectively. Ludger went to his office safe and added some small ingots of precious metals, silver, gold, palladium and platinum. He finally thought that this should do it.

Ludger was looking at the large pile of equipment, wondering how to, most effectively, carry it. He remembered that he had a sturdy pack saddle with large cordura-nylon bags, left over from the days, when he used to go hunting on horseback. That reminded him of the more carefree days, before marriage and the growth of his business prevented, him to keep horses and go on week long hunting trips. But, with regrets, those days are over. He must deal with the new realities of this new world.
Ludger opened the door leading to the kitchen. He noticed that Dregnar was still watching TV in the living room. He said loudly.

“Dregnar…, I’m going to the stables to get some saddles. Can you help me?”

After a few seconds, the troll answered with excitement in his voice.

“Come quick, Master Ludger, I have found the hero we were searching for.”

Ludger ran to the living room wondering about the discovery. He found Dregnar watching a Superman movie. The troll pointed to the screen. He said.

“See how this man of steel can fight the forces of evil. He should be able to help us. Can you ask him? You are the one with the machine that made him.”

Dumbfounded, Ludger looked at the troll, hesitated then finally replied.

“This is not real, it’s only a movie. It is a form of entertainment that represent fiction. It is made with regular humans with no special powers. All the feats of strength and power are made with special effects, a form of visual trickery.”
The troll’s enthusiasm was not abated, when he replied.

“But I have seen Master Andrack summon you from a similar looking glass with magic and you are here in front of me.”

Ludger did not like quenching the troll’s hopes, but he did not have any choice.

“Listen, I am not a magician. There is no magic in my world. What you see is only an image with no substance. I’m sorry, Dregnar, but an image cannot help us.”

The troll’s excitement suddenly subsided. He sheepishly looked at Ludger. He said an apologetic voice.

“I am sorry, but deep down, a part of me wanted to believe in the impossible. It could have been something we had overlooked. I am deeply sorry…, Master.”

Ludger patted him on the back. He said.

“Don’t be sorry, I also wish there was something overlooked that could help us. But I cannot remember anything that would be of any help. So lets not worry for nothing. Come, help me with the packing.”

Ludger closed the TV set and they both walked back into the kitchen. Ludger opened the garage door. When the troll saw the jumble of equipment that laid on the large table, he exclaimed.

“How do you think you will bring all of that with you? You are allowed only one pack horse.”

Ludger replied, laughing.

“Don’t worry, once packed it will take a lot less space.”

The troll shook his head, unbelieving. Ludger opened the garage door. They walked outside toward the stable. They went in, directly into the tack room. Ludger took his trail saddle, completed with gun scabbards and packs. He gave the troll, the lightweight pack saddle with the sturdy nylon bags that could be attached to it.

They returned to the garage after closing up the stables. They proceeded to organize the equipment and supplies. After a few hours work, everything was amazingly stowed in the bags. Ludger walked to the truck, parked outside, and drove it to the gasoline pump. He filled the reservoirs, both internal and portable. He then backed the truck into the garage. With the aid of Dregnar he stowed all the equipment in the back of the Samurai. He closed the garage door and said to the troll.

“Finally we are done. We will be ready to leave early in the morning. Lets go to the kitchen, I’ll make us dinner. I’m famished. Would a rib steak, baked potato and green salad be alright with you.”

“This would be perfect, Master Ludger.”

“Please cut this, Master Ludger, crap. Just call me Ludger.”

“Yes, Master Ludger.” Replied the troll.

Ludger shook his head in disbelief and proceeded to the kitchen, where he made the basic preparations for dinner. He also fed the dog.

They sat and ate dinner silently, in the kitchen, over a bottle of wine. Ludger felt totally exhausted after the last few day’s events. His body did not need a rest, but his mind needed some time to catch back with reality.

After dinner he decided to call it an early night. He showed Dregnar to the guest bedroom and bid him goodnight. He went up to his own quarters, showered and promptly fell asleep in his bed.

*

Ludger awoke early, the next morning. He prepared himself to leave. When he exited his room, he heard the sound of the TV set coming from the living room. He went to investigate and found Dregnar peering intensely at the screen. He cleared his throat and said.

“Good morning, Dregnar. How long have you been up, watching TV?”

Startled, the troll turned toward him and said.

“Oh…, Master Ludger. I only have been up for a few hours. I wanted to learn more about your world by watching your magic mirror.”

“You will get a biassed view by watching TV. But I guess a biassed view is better than no view at all. We should have breakfast and be on our way to Talenthar. I don’t want them to wait too long for us.”

Ludger went into the kitchen and fed the dog. He then prepared a hearty breakfast that both Dregnar and himself ate with enthusiasm. They gathered the last of the supplies and stowed them in the Samurai. Bacchus jumped in the back. She installed herself amongst the equipment. She promptly went back to sleep. Ludger and Dregnar installed themselves in their respective seats. Ludger fired up the engine. He used the remote control to open the garage door. He drove out and closed the door behind them. Without looking back he proceeded toward the mist.

*

High above our heroes, silently circling in the crisp, still morning air, a draken was looking at them when they emerged from the Mist of Dreams. At the same instant, far away, in a richly decorated room, deep inside a mountain, a tall, dark, imposing man, attired entirely of black, sat on a chair lost in a trance. He sees through the eyes of the draken. He watches as Ludger and Dregnar leave for the capital. He vows to destroy that man who has the potential to disrupt his plans.

*

After an uneventful, rapid drive through the barren desert, they reached the edge of the snowy marshes. This slowed their progress dramatically. They followed a bumpy, muddy path that meandered through the sparsely wooded, low lying hills, much to the discomfort of the passengers of the vehicle.

Under Dregnar’s directions and after many hours of uncomfortable pummelling, they finally reached the top of a hill overlooking the large city. The city was laid in concentric circles, on both edges of a long narrow bay, widening toward the sea. The outer circles (all four of them) consisted of two to three stories masonry houses with red, tiled roofs. Delineating the circles were fortified walls, pierced by large portals with movable iron grates. On the inner side of the walls were wide boulevards that circled the city. The avenues leading from the walls to the inner city, were staggered to prevent direct access.

Bridging the river, on one side, and the mouth of the bay, on the other, were massive stone structures with movable gates, build to defend the maritime access to the city. A massive citadel linked both structures, on the edge of the bay, thus forming the inner circle.

In the middle of the bay was an egg shaped island. On it stood the royal palace and the administrative buildings. They were surrounded by elaborate gardens which were themselves surrounded by their own fortifications. The island was linked to the mainland citadel by gracefully arched bridges. The palace itself consisted of a pink hue outer building, cornered by tall slender towers. It surrounded a massive inner keep whose peaked roof was tiled by a multicolored mosaic representing the royal coat of arms.

After admiring the city, resplendent in the early afternoon suns, for long minutes, Ludger asked for directions. Dregnar pointed to a narrow path leading to a wide roadway paved with cobblestones. Very happy to be finally on a smooth road, Ludger accelerated and started to hum to himself.

He soon had to slow down, as they started to encounter some traffic. The horse drawn carriages and assorted pedestrians scattered at their approach. They did their best to hide themselves. Ludger soon had a deserted road in front of him.
They reached one of the gates of the outer wall. Word of their arrival must have travelled ahead of them. The gate, that should have been opened at this time of the day, was now closed. Not a soul was there to be seen. Ludger stopped the Samurai in front of the gate. Dregnar climbed out and went to the guardhouse. He loudly banged at the door. After a few long minutes, a small peephole opened. A long argument, with much gesticulating on the troll’s part, ensued. Finally the massive gates crept open. Dregnar came back, grumbling to himself.

He said to Ludger.

“They finally believed that we were not envoys of Magdar. They have agreed to escort us to the palace, so we do not cause panic in the population. We are to follow amidst a group of cavalry officers.”

Four heavily armed horsemen suddenly appeared in front of them. They signalled to follow. Ludger proceeded slowly. Two more horsemen joined the group on either side, and four more followed in the back.

Thus escorted, they followed a maze of avenues on their way, toward the centre of the city. Ludger noticed that the city, and its citizens, had a grim look to them. It was as if once proud and happy, they now could only survive day to day, without hope for the future. As the group approached, people hid in side streets or doorways. They eyed them suspiciously. Ludger had never seen so much despair in peoples eyes. He vowed to do his best to help these pour souls.

The convoy slowly snaked its way through the city. After an hour they arrived at the inner gate of the citadel. The leader of the horsemen called for a halt. He advanced, alone, to the guardhouse. He bent down toward the attendant. He talked briefly with the soldier. He came back and dismissed his troops. He curtly said to Dregnar.

“You are expected. Please follow a member of the King’s private guards, that will come and fetch you in a minute.”

He saluted, gathered his troops, then promptly disappeared the way they had come. Ludger turned toward Dregnar. He said.
“Not a very sympathetic lad, isn’t he?”

The troll shrugged his shoulders and sighed. A few minutes later, a horseman decked out in ceremonial uniform, greeted them and asked them to follow. Ludger put the truck in gear. He drove through the massive portal of the citadel. He was awed by the size of the construction. The wall were at least sixty feet thick. A multitude of soldiers populated the garrison between the towering walls.

These soldiers were a different breed of men than the ones they had encountered when they first reached the city. They seemed well trained and had the demeanour of veterans of countless battles. They did not seem surprised at the sight of the truck in their midst. They even showed some curiosity.

After a ten minutes walk their escort lead them through a gate in the inner battlement and onto a bridge leading to the island. The sight of the beautiful palace lost in a sea of fortifications, seemed somewhat incongruous to Ludger. It reminded him of a beautiful woman, going down the street wearing hockey equipment. It might be effective in protecting her from bumps, but it is not a pretty sight to see (unless you are into that sort of things).

When they reached the inner courtyard of the castle, they were greeted by a stout, dark skinned, grey haired man wearing a lightweight, black chainmail. The man first dismissed their escort, then walked toward Ludger with his hand extended in a greeting gesture. He introduced himself.

“Greetings, Mister Morton, welcome to Talenthar. I am General Chargoff, head of the King’s armies. I am pleased to meet you.”

Ludger took the extended hand and suffered a crushing handshake that left his hand numb. He then replied.

“The feeling is mutual. I am glad to be here.”

The general pointed to a covered stall, by the wall. He said.

“You can leave your carriage, there, it will be safe and guarded day and night.”

Ludger parked the truck. He jumped out of it and briefly stretched his legs. The troll and the dog did likewise. He took a small day-pack from the back of the truck. He followed the General into the palace with Bacchus at his heels.
As they walked down an ornate corridor of grandiose proportions, the General said.

“We are going to the council room right away. The others are waiting. There are rumours of a secret pact between the Empire and the city of Leventhar. We are to leave in the morning to get the sceptre.”

The General stopped momentarily to talk to a soldier, standing guard by an opened door. Through the doorway Ludger caught a glimpse of a stunning red haired woman, pacing the floor of a sitting room. He thought he recognized her from his dreams.

The small group reached a set of massive oak doors, by which two guards stood at attention. A third man, dressed in a brown cloak, opened the door for them. He announced.

“Your majesty, and members of the war council, here are General Chargoff and Mister Morton.”

They entered a large, high ceiling, room. A long solid table, with sturdy chairs, was its only furniture. A fireplace was inlet in the far wall. A large map of the realm covered one of the side walls. Prince Arexis sat at the head of the table. To his right was seated Andrack, with his assistant, Eyegar, at his side. To the Prince’s left sat a small, grey haired man of indefinite age. He was introduced to Ludger as Balnor, the court scribe and historian.

The small group joined the Prince at the table, while Bacchus laid down in front of the fire. Arexis stopped studying the papers that were laid out in front of him. He welcomed the newcomers. One chair was still vacant. Before Ludger could inquire, a commanding feminine voice said, sharply.

“Why have I not been introduced to our new guest and how come no one his standing up to greet me?”

All the occupants of the room turned toward the door, where the red haired woman stood, dressed in a dark green velvet gown. Her right foot was stamping the ground impatiently, while all the men stood up reluctantly. Arexis cleared his throat and said.

“Princess Nathalia, may I introduce to you Mister Ludger G. Morton, who will be helping us. Ludger, may I introduce to you my sister, Princess Nathalia.”

Ludger bowed stiffly from the waist. The Princess, not even acknowledging his presence, sat at the end of the table facing her brother. Everybody reseated themselves. Ludger thought, that even though she was one of the most beautiful woman he had the pleasure to lay eyes upon, her haughty demeanour reminded him too much of his ex-wife to truly appreciate her beauty.

He was still lost in his thoughts when Arexis opened the proceedings.

“I am glad you are all here. Many new things have been discovered since we last met. First there are rumours of bands of goblins and trolls rampaging through the lowlands between Arnor and Setcryck. Second, there are massive troops already amassing in the Howling Mountains, with reinforcements coming on a daily basis. Third, Leventhar might be siding with the Empire if I do not become King rapidly.

As you can see, time is of the upmost importance. We will have to risk an attack no later than midwinter, or else our antagonist will become too powerful. Our first priority is to get the sceptre. Once it is in my possession and the flow of the river of Gods is restored, I have been told that Baldycree, Baldour and even possibly Leventhar will send us troops to help in the war.

While we will be away, General Chargoff will take charge of the troops. He will establish base camp in the plains north of Arnor. From there we will launch an attack to open the gates of the Magic Dam.”

Arexis paused and looked deep into everybody’s eyes. He continued.

“Our party will leave at dawn. It will consist of Chargoff, Andrack, Ludger, Balnor, Eyegar, Dregnar, a squad of Royal Guardsmen and myself. The bulk of the troops will follow us to establish a base. Already Colonel Dimitri, Chargoff’s aide-de-camp, has some troops already massed there….”

Arexis was interrupted by his sister’s voice.

“How come am I not included in your plans. I am just as capable as any man.” She pointed toward Ludger. “You bring strangers in our midst, but do not want your own kin.”

Before Arexis could reply she stormed out of the room. The prince dismissed the group and excused himself. He ran out after her.

Ludger felt ill at ease, standing with the others in the council room. He did not know how to react to the embarrassing situation. He did not deserve the outburst. The Princess sunk another notch, in his already low esteem.

Eventually, Andrack said in a booming voice.

“We should go and freshen up. We will meet in the dining room for supper.”

Ludger called his dog. He started for the door, where a palace servant was waiting to show him to his room. On the way there, Andrack caught up to him. He patted him on the shoulder and said.

“Do not take it personally. She did not meant what she said. She has been under a lot of stress lately, with Magdar threatening to capture her to make her his bride. She will understand that she will be safer, here in the palace. I know her well and deep down she is good and strong. Go and get ready for supper. I will meet you in the dining room.”

The footman opened the door to a suite. He told Ludger that he will be back for him in an hour. In the meantime someone would bring some food for his dog. Ludger freshened up. He changed into clean clothes, then laid on the bed waiting.
He silently dined in the company of the Prince and Andrack. After dinner Arexis bid goodnight to Andrack. He then went to Ludger’s side. He said.

“I must apologize for my sister’s behaviour. She had no right to insult you.”

“I understand what she must be going through. I have taken no offence. I hope that the situation will soon improve.”

“I wish you goodnight. I will see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Arexis.”

Ludger followed the footman back to his room. Bacchus greeted him with affection. After petting his dog for a long time, he undressed and went to bed. He feel asleep almost instantly.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

From 1990: One Way Ticket To Talenthar

The Sass