One Way Ticket To Talenthar – Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Early in the morning, the word from the scouts was that traces of Nathalia’s passage were found in the vicinity of the small fishing village of Dugra, near the enchanted forest. She was travelling quickly with one guard and Lady Maria. After a short rest in Dugra she headed into the forest. This news was good. Ludger decided to travel to Dugra then into the forest, retracing Nathalia’s steps. He would leave by midday accompanied by Balnor, Dregnar and Bacchus. They would take the truck to speed up their travel.

He loaded his equipment in the back of the truck and checked all the fluids’ levels. He refilled the gas tanks with his spare containers, while Dregnar helped Bacchus into the back of the truck. They settle themselves amongst the equipment. Balnor eyed the passenger seat with suspicion. Under Ludger’s prodding he finally climbed into it.

When Ludger started the engine the sound frightened the scribe. His reaction was similar to Dregnar’s when he had first been a passenger, he jumped out of the truck. It took a great deal of persuasion on Ludger’s part to convince him to retake his seat. After a long argument, that Dregnar was not helping by laughing hysterically, Balnor finally relented. They eventually got under way.

They wound their way slowly through the streets of the city, under the glazed stares of the crowds, working to reconstruct the broken buildings. They exited the city through the southwest gate. The air was heady with the fish aroma of the docks. The sea was gently rolling and the activity was abnormally subdued at the fish market. As they followed the coast they met many groups of fishermen or peasants with their families and possessions, who were moving grimly toward the city.

They stopped one of these families, whose patriarch nervously acquiesced their request for information. The sturdy old man sitting in front of the rickety cart, holding in his hands the reins of the two large placid oxen, told them.

“We are running away from the pillaging of the evil armies. They are rumoured to haunt the region.” He slapped without looking, one of the dirty youngsters, who was climbing on his back, and continued. “I think we have a better chance of survival in the city. We can help rebuilding the fortifications and my eldest sons can join the dwindling ranks of the army.”

Ludger sent them off with his blessing. He was proud of those people who had decided not to resign themselves to their faith. It furthered his resolve to help them as best as he could.

After a restless night in an abandoned beach hut, where their sleep was interrupted regularly by strange noises from the sea, they resumed their progress early in the cold misty morning. By mid-morning, as they crested a rolling hill, they saw -on the horizon- the telltale dark band of the elven forest. They hoped to be there by the next day. Their progress was growing increasingly difficult, due to the frequent thaws -due to the closeness of the warmer sea- breaking the already damaged surface of the road.

At the end of the day they stopped to stretch their legs by a deep fissure in the side of a low hill. Ludger was leaning against the grill guard, watching Bacchus lick one of her forepaws. Suddenly her ears turned toward the fissure. She excitedly bolted into the dark crack. Sounds of a vicious fight soon reached Ludger’s ears. He instructed his friends to return to the relative protection of the truck. He grabbed his sword and dashed in the direction of the noise.

When he was about to reach the fissure a large cat-like animal ran out, tail between its legs. With one mighty surge it jumped at him. Ludger dropped to one knee. He thrust his ready sword in the centre of the creatures body. The dark feline lifelessly collapsed on him, knocking his body off balance in the muddy snow. He pushed the twitching remains of the cat off him and stood up slightly dazed. Loud barks brought him back to reality. He dived into the crack to investigate.

After only a few yards, the narrow fissure widened into an elongated semi-circular area where a drama was unfolding. A tall elegant man of slender built, wearing tracker’s greens, was laying down, wounded. He was fighting for his life, with the help of Bacchus, against a large hairy, deformed beast in tattered clothing. The creature was wielding a large spiked club and bashing at the fallen man. If it was not for Bacchus’s distracting attacks the combat would have been over a long time ago.

Ludger quickly assessed the situation. He lunged at the creature sword held high. The husky creature, with lighting reflexes that its bulk did not promise, flicked its club at Ludger’s sword and knocked it out of his hands. A second blow landed square in the middle of Ludger’s chest, lifting him right off the ground. He landed hard amongst the rocks. If it had not been for his chainmail, Ludger was sure that he would have perished from massive internal injuries.

The creature, sure of having disposed of Ludger, returned its attention to the fallen man. Ludger pulled out his long kukri and stealthily approached the creature’s back. He jumped at it. While he wrapped his legs around the creature’s thick middle, he slipped his left arm around its neck. The muscles of the creature felt like rippling steel under its leathery hide. Fingers as powerful as a vice dug into Ludger’s arm. He groaned loudly at the painful, crushing grip. With his free hand he brought his curved blade to the creature’s neck. With a jerk he pulled it toward him. The creature lurched wildly. Slowly, the hulking beast fell backward. After a bone crushing crash, Ludger was pinned under the bulk of the creature. He struggled and finally managed to roll it of his chest.
Panting, Ludger slowly stood up. He wiped his bloody blade on the creatures tattered clothing and sheathed it. He retrieved his sword and turned toward the fallen man. The tall man was fighting Bacchus’s affectionate attacks.

After Ludger regained his breath, he called Bacchus to attention. He bowed deeply and said to the man.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Ludger of the Mist of Dreams at your service. My friends and I were passing nearby, when my dog heard a scuffle. She led me to your help. Whom might I have the privilege to address.”

Ludger felt very proud of his statement. The fallen man replied.

“Thank you, Sir Ludger. My name is Lynor, son of Valnor of Elvanor.”

“I am pleases to make your acquaintance, Your Highness.”

“Please call me Lynor, There cannot be any formality between us, I owe you my life.”

“If you prefer, Lynor. Let me have a look at your ankle.”

Ludger crouched and examined the swollen ankle of the young Prince. He continued.

“It seems to be only a sprain. I will help you back to my vehicle and tend to your injuries.”

Ludger helped the Prince back to his foot and supported him as he hobbled back to the truck. Luckily the tall man was slender and his weight was negligible on Ludger’s shoulders. When they exited the fissure, Balnor and Dregnar ran to their help. The scribe was surprised when he recognized the Prince, but not as much as Lynor when he saw the truck. He looked at it mouth agape, then back to Ludger. He said.

“Then, it is true. Our elders had sensed a disturbance in the universal fabric and there has been rumours of a hero from another world helping us against the evil hordes.”

“Hero is a big word, I am just doing my best to help you since I now have to share your world.”

Ludger opened the tailgate of the Suzuki and installed the Prince as comfortably as was possible on his bedroll, amongst the equipment. He taped his ankle with a wide elastic bandage. He then filled a large plastic bag full of snow, sealed it and placed the Prince’s swollen ankle on it. He gave Lynor some strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory tablets.

Ludger moved the vehicle to a secluded area that Lynor assessed to be safe. With the help of Dregnar he raised the soft top over it. He lit a small catalytic heater and a camp stove. He then prepared a hasty meal. They would rest for a few hours and listen to the Prince’s tale, then slowly proceed toward Dugra.

Over a steaming cup of herbal tea, Lynor told his story.

“For the last few months, rumours of a massive army of dark elves assembling in front of the Gates of Doom, have circulated around our Kingdom. These blood relative of ours have eschewed the elders and turned to the dark forces. They would make a vicious enemy to any army. Then, last week, we heard rumours from Dugra about fighting mermen that were attacking the coast with the help of ogres and their fighting sand-cats. My father, King Valnor, sent me to investigate these rumours.

I had confirmed my father’s suspicions and was following a group of ogres, when I slipped and sprained my ankle. I slipped in the fissure to recuperate. I was awaiting the departure of the ogres, who had set up camp in a nearby clearing. A scouting ogre cornered me with his sand-cat. These creatures are trained to viciously attack humans. Only the judicious arrival of your dog saved me from the sand-cat and yours from the ogre.”

“I am glad to have been of any help. We are, ourselves, following in the path of Princess Nathalia, who was last seen near Dugra. Have you found any traces of her?”

“She is sound and safe in Elvanor with her friend, Lady Maria. She was rescued by a party of our trackers from an attack by trolls and goblins. She was brought back to my father’s palace.”

“We would be honoured to drive you to Elvanor ourselves. We were looking for the Princess, but are also on a diplomatic mission from King Arexis to request aid from your father, King Valnor.”

“I will gladly guide you into Elvanor and arrange an audience with the King.”

The conversation soon died down. The men arranged themselves as comfortably as possible to take a short rest. Ludger reclined his seat back and showed Balnor how to do so with his own. He set the alarm on his watch for a few hours hence. Soon the only sounds heard in the truck were the regular breathing of its passengers and the soft whistling of the catalytic heater.

Ludger awoke to the cheerful musical chimes of his watch’s alarm. He angrily turned it off. He had always hated alarms of any sort. He normally woke up on time without their help, but now he was too tired to do so. He turned on the overhead bezel light. He woke up his crew, who protested loudly. As he brewed some herbal tea, he made a mental note to bring back some coffee from the Mist on his next visit home. He could not stand the bitter tea of these parts.

They partook in a cold lunch. After everything was stowed safely, Ludger announced his intention to proceed to Dugra. Balnor protested.

“How can we travel at night. It is so dark on this cloudy night, that we cannot even see a yard in front of us.”

Ludger started the engine and said.

“Let there be light.” As he switched on the headlights.

A gasp of amazement came from his passengers, but the biblical allusion was lost on them. In turn, Ludger turned on the powerful auxiliary driving lamps and wide beam fog lights. The wooded rolling hills in front of them were better illuminated than by daylight. Taking a handheld spotlight from its bracket under the dashboard, Ludger said.

“And if we want to see on the side or back, we use this.”

He rolled down his window and flicked on the light with his thumb. The powerful beam of the searchlight petrified a group of goblins that were standing less than 10 feet from the truck. They were as startled as Ludger was. He switched the light to his left hand and grabbed the silenced MAC 10 from the floor. As soon as it was pointed in the general direction of the ungainly creatures, the small submachine gun hiccupped in his hand and laid devastation in its path. The leading goblin literally exploded in a spray of bloody gore. Ludger dropped the empty magazine to the floor. He put, grip up, the empty gun on his lap. As he reached for a loaded magazine in a pocket in his door, he yelled to Balnor.

“Roll down your window”

He slammed the magazine in place and handed the searchlight to the scribe. Leaning to the passenger side he emptied the gun in the direction of his attackers. He dropped the empty gun on Balnor’s lap, switched off the searchlight, put the truck in gear and raced out of the clearing. They bounced heavily through deep ruts. As they passed under some low laying branches, the screaming shape of a troll jumped at them. He landed hard on the bonnet. He hung at the side mirror trying to get in. Ludger tried to push the creature off but it was hanging on for dear life. Finding his action futile, Ludger finally grabbed his 45 from his hip and thumbed the safety off. As the troll tried to get in, he punched it in the chest with the muzzle of the gun. He jerked the trigger twice in succession. Twin tongues of fire jetted from the handgun’s compensator. They were accompanied by a deafening report. The creature’s chest exploded as it fell backward, arms flailing, into the darkness.

Ludger put the safety back on and holstered his gun. He concentrated on his driving before their escape ended down a hill or around a tree. They reached the muddy road. Ludger, using all of his skills as a rally driver, took the way to Dugra. He was pushing at the limit of control on this unfamiliar path. The Suzuki was more often than not flying through the cold winter air and landing heavily with a resounding crash. He was going through the curves, skidding sideways with his front wheels in opposite lock. His passengers and equipment were getting battered. They were relentlessly thrown back and forth. Ludger felt like he had all the daemons of hell pursuing him. In a way he was not far off. After many long minutes of this infernal rate of progress, sanity slowly came back to him. The adrenalin rush faded and he decided that their was no reasons to kill them all. He slowed down imperceptively bellow the ragged edge. A few minutes later he slowed down, to the great relief of his companions, to a more comfortable pace.

He drove silently for close to two hours. In the middle of a long stretch of road, where they could see to the limit of his driving lights’ illumination, he rolled to a stop. He turned on a rear facing halogen light. With a sigh Ludger slumped forward on the steering wheel. Balnor inquired about his health. After a few long, silent, minutes Ludger raised his head and said with disgust.

“I could have killed us all. I should never have gone to sleep without posting a guard first. This was shamefully stupid of me. I jeopardized our mission. I am not cut off for this kind of work.”

Lynor who was disentangling himself from the equipment, said.

“Do not blame yourself, everybody was tired and needed rest. I am the one who chose that area as safe to set camp. If it had not been for your quick reflexes, we would all be troll sustenance by now.” Looking at Dregnar he continued. “Nothing personal of course.”
Balnor, always his calm self, said.

“I totally agree, no one is to be blamed. We are lucky to have escaped and that is the most important. I suggest that we rearrange ourselves more comfortably, then proceed calmly to Dugra.”

Everybody agreed gruffly. Ludger reloaded his firearms and stepped out of the truck. He went to the back to help restack the equipment. He emptied Lynor’s snow pack, that was now mostly water by now, and refilled it with fresh snow. When everything was secured, he pulled out a wineskin and some chocolate confections. He squirted some wine in his mouth and broke off a few pieces of the chocolate. He passed the rest around. After closing up the back, he returned to the driver’s seat.

Balnor handed him back the wine. He took a few more gulps and passed it back. He turned off the back light and the small bezel on the rollbar. With a sigh he put the truck in gear and accelerated on the slippery road. Large lazy snowflakes soon made their appearance, cheering up the bleak landscape. They thudded wetly on the windscreen. Ludger was forced to turn on the wipers. He went on slowly with only the regular squeaks of the wipers and a quartet of light snores breaking the monotony of the trip.

They reached Dugra at dawn. The little village was deserted. Many houses showed signs of combat. Broken windows, doors hanging crookedly from their hinges and collapsed, burnt outbuildings added to the oppressive gloominess of this place. The only sign of life was present on the quays. Only one fishing boat remained in the protected inlet around which was built the village. A few silhouettes were moving around it.

They decided to investigate. Ludger drove down the main street to the edge of the water. He parked the truck near the end of the dock where the fishing boat was moored. Ludger helped Lynor out of the truck. With the Prince leaning on his shoulder they walked toward the boat. They had decided to leave Dregnar and Bacchus hidden in the truck, not to arouse any suspicions.

A crusty grey haired man with powerful, callused hands hailed them. He was accompanied by a couple of burly young men. They were looking at them with misgivings. Lynor returned the greeting.

“I am Lynor of Elvanor, could you tell me what happened to mayor Myrtle and the rest of the villagers?”

The grey haired man replied.

“The ones that survived the combined attacks of the mermen and the ogres, fled by boat to the capital a few days ago. We are the only ones remaining.”

“Why have you stayed here?”

“Me and my sons were born here and we plan to die here. Our boat is strong. We do not fear the mermen and the ogres cannot reach us at sea. We plan to remain here and make their life miserable for as long as we can.”

“May the Gods help you in your endeavour. I wish you many victories against our enemies.”

Lynor and Ludger turned away. They left these determined idealists to their faith. Ludger wished them well but could see the futility of their efforts. The he realized that his own efforts were not based on much firmer grounds. He murmured to himself.

“I guess that each of us need his own windmills to attack.”

Lynor looked strangely at him. Ludger shook his head to discourage any comments on the Prince’s part. They climbed back in the truck. Lynor told the sad news to his companions. Ludger slowly drove out of town. An hour later they were in the enchanted forest.

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From 1990: One Way Ticket To Talenthar

The Sass