The Blue Harp Curse, Page 3
Michael Sanderson
It was another hour or so and Lorvar yelled out to everyone that the Blue Harp would be closing for the night; if you didn’t have a room there you needed to finish your drink and go soon. The dark cloaked man got up from his table and moved for the door, looking over and smiling at Avalyn as he went. The only real expression he had made all night.
Rynzius and Grannum got up from their table and made their way to the door not too long after he exited.
As they walked out onto the street with a handful of others they spotted the man walking down the street to their left. They began walking that way too. He made his way around one street corner and then turned down another. Rynzius and Grannum managed to keep up with him but he was moving at a brisk pace. Every district was like a maze in a way, every street was a winding snake and there were so many alleyways, but Grylmurg was the worst.
And that’s when it happened; they turned a corner into a dark, muddy alley between two warehouses near the arena, and he was just standing there waiting for them.
He wasn’t drawing a weapon like they had expected, he just stood there.
“Ok, I don’t know what’s going on here, but you were definitely trying to lose us after the Blue Harp.” Grannum growled at him. “That tells me you have some reason to think you’re doing something the guards won’t like. So, explain yourself!”
The man just stood there.
“Hey!” Grannum snapped again. “You had better answer me!”
That was when Rynzius noticed it; the man was chanting again. Only this time it sounded different and much faster.
Before he could say anything the man quickly raised his left hand and from it poured flames. Grannum quickly dove to the side as did Rynzius.
Flames covered the ground where both men had stood, creating a small blanket of heat and the alleyway was now fully illuminated. The windows in the building across the street now had many faces starring out in wonderment of what was happening.
“He’s a mage!” Screamed Rynzius.
Grannum got to his feet quickly pulling a large axe from his back straps and lunged forward. The mage jumped aside shooting flames again. Grannum landed hard on the ground and immediately pulled his battle axe to his front as a shield. Flames curled around the edges and singed his beard as he managed to block most of the attack. As Grannum felt his axe heating up quickly, Rynzius pulled his sword and immediately ran in to attack while the mage was targeting Grannum. He knew the best way for the two of them to take a mage, seeing as neither of them spell casters, was to use as much brutal force as possible and as fast as possible. With the mage concentrating on Grannum, this was his best shot.
Rynzius ran in, tensing all muscles as he swung hard; the mage, catching Rynzius from the corner of his eye, leapt back, but only in time to keep the attack from being a fatal one. He screamed with anger and pain as blood, from the gaping wound in his side, splattered the one of warehouses.
With blind fury the mage fired red, hot death at Rynzius.
Rynzius ran near the street hoping the mage’s flames could not reach him there. The glowing heat followed but did not catch him. Rynzius turned, however, and saw that the warehouse he had run past had caught fire. As he watched the flames begin to crawl up the side, Rynzius swore very loudly. He suddenly realized that he must do whatever he could to keep this fight contained in the alley and not let people’s homes be at risk. He had nearly failed already.
People from a nearby tavern, also most likely closing now, and some from homes along the street had come to see the commotion.
Rynzius looked over to the crowd, “Get water, now!” He turned to a man near him, “Go to the guard tower down the street. Tell them we are facing a mage and need help!”
The man ran down the street in the direction of the guard tower. Rynzius was thankful the man he had asked was not some drunkard from the tavern. Several others ran in different directions. Rynzius hoped it was to get water for the fire. If this fire got out of hand it would be very hard to keep it from spreading. He feared it may already be getting out of hand.
Rynzius was so busy giving orders to the crowd, when he looked back to the alleyway all he saw was the bright light of flame coming his way. Rynzius quickly shielded his face and turned. Then suddenly he felt searing heat all over him. He screamed and fell to the ground rolling to put out the flames, but he knew it would not matter if the mage continued to spray him with more.
Grannum got to his feet in time to see Rynzius fall to the ground, his back lit in flames. Seeing his fellow guardsman and friend being covered in flames, Grannum locked his teeth in anger and jumped with all his strength to the mage; swinging his axe directly into the mage’s back.
The mage let out a gurgled scream and fell to his knees, blood pumping from his wound, grabbing at the axe protruding from the center of his back.
Rynzius rolled more to put out the flames when two men ran up to him with a barrel of water. They dumped the barrel on Rynzius and the flames hissed out. The two dropped the barrel and ran, presumably for another. Others were now coming with buckets and barrels and some from the tavern were even coming back with mugs and pitchers filled with water, or he hoped it was water at least.
“Are you ok lad?” Grannum yelled with concern.
Rynzius staggered up and leaned against the warehouse. “Yeah, I think I should be alright, as long as I get to a healer soon.”
Rynzius’ burns were bad, but it could have been much worse if he had not immediately fell and began rolling on the ground. The two men who put out his flames had been thankfully fast as well.
By now, several people were putting out the fires and it seemed that the city would not be burning down tonight.
“All right!” Grannum said turning back over to the mage. “When we get you to a healer you’re going to –“ Grannum was cut short by something he felt was very strange; the mage was laughing.
He stood up with the axe still in his back. He laughed, and with his laughter blood gushed from his mouth. He stood there shaking to stand. He chanted again, quickly, turning his hand towards his chest. In just seconds, before either Rynzius or Grannum could say or do anything, a shower of flame poured from his hand and covered his bloody body.
As he screamed he did not stop covering himself in flame. As his screaming stopped his body was now a raging inferno.
“Get more water!” Grannum yelled to the people nearby.
In just one more moment, however, the mage collapsed. When the people came with more water and put out the flames he was a charred, bloody mess. No healer was going to bring him back from that.
Grannum stood there almost not believing what he just saw. Rynzius stared at the smoldering body, still smoking, he fought the urge to fall completely over from the immense pain he was in. He thought to himself, why would a man rather burn himself alive than be taken in for questioning? It was madness.
***
Rynzius and Grannum got up from their table and made their way to the door not too long after he exited.
As they walked out onto the street with a handful of others they spotted the man walking down the street to their left. They began walking that way too. He made his way around one street corner and then turned down another. Rynzius and Grannum managed to keep up with him but he was moving at a brisk pace. Every district was like a maze in a way, every street was a winding snake and there were so many alleyways, but Grylmurg was the worst.
And that’s when it happened; they turned a corner into a dark, muddy alley between two warehouses near the arena, and he was just standing there waiting for them.
He wasn’t drawing a weapon like they had expected, he just stood there.
“Ok, I don’t know what’s going on here, but you were definitely trying to lose us after the Blue Harp.” Grannum growled at him. “That tells me you have some reason to think you’re doing something the guards won’t like. So, explain yourself!”
The man just stood there.
“Hey!” Grannum snapped again. “You had better answer me!”
That was when Rynzius noticed it; the man was chanting again. Only this time it sounded different and much faster.
Before he could say anything the man quickly raised his left hand and from it poured flames. Grannum quickly dove to the side as did Rynzius.
Flames covered the ground where both men had stood, creating a small blanket of heat and the alleyway was now fully illuminated. The windows in the building across the street now had many faces starring out in wonderment of what was happening.
“He’s a mage!” Screamed Rynzius.
Grannum got to his feet quickly pulling a large axe from his back straps and lunged forward. The mage jumped aside shooting flames again. Grannum landed hard on the ground and immediately pulled his battle axe to his front as a shield. Flames curled around the edges and singed his beard as he managed to block most of the attack. As Grannum felt his axe heating up quickly, Rynzius pulled his sword and immediately ran in to attack while the mage was targeting Grannum. He knew the best way for the two of them to take a mage, seeing as neither of them spell casters, was to use as much brutal force as possible and as fast as possible. With the mage concentrating on Grannum, this was his best shot.
Rynzius ran in, tensing all muscles as he swung hard; the mage, catching Rynzius from the corner of his eye, leapt back, but only in time to keep the attack from being a fatal one. He screamed with anger and pain as blood, from the gaping wound in his side, splattered the one of warehouses.
With blind fury the mage fired red, hot death at Rynzius.
Rynzius ran near the street hoping the mage’s flames could not reach him there. The glowing heat followed but did not catch him. Rynzius turned, however, and saw that the warehouse he had run past had caught fire. As he watched the flames begin to crawl up the side, Rynzius swore very loudly. He suddenly realized that he must do whatever he could to keep this fight contained in the alley and not let people’s homes be at risk. He had nearly failed already.
People from a nearby tavern, also most likely closing now, and some from homes along the street had come to see the commotion.
Rynzius looked over to the crowd, “Get water, now!” He turned to a man near him, “Go to the guard tower down the street. Tell them we are facing a mage and need help!”
The man ran down the street in the direction of the guard tower. Rynzius was thankful the man he had asked was not some drunkard from the tavern. Several others ran in different directions. Rynzius hoped it was to get water for the fire. If this fire got out of hand it would be very hard to keep it from spreading. He feared it may already be getting out of hand.
Rynzius was so busy giving orders to the crowd, when he looked back to the alleyway all he saw was the bright light of flame coming his way. Rynzius quickly shielded his face and turned. Then suddenly he felt searing heat all over him. He screamed and fell to the ground rolling to put out the flames, but he knew it would not matter if the mage continued to spray him with more.
Grannum got to his feet in time to see Rynzius fall to the ground, his back lit in flames. Seeing his fellow guardsman and friend being covered in flames, Grannum locked his teeth in anger and jumped with all his strength to the mage; swinging his axe directly into the mage’s back.
The mage let out a gurgled scream and fell to his knees, blood pumping from his wound, grabbing at the axe protruding from the center of his back.
Rynzius rolled more to put out the flames when two men ran up to him with a barrel of water. They dumped the barrel on Rynzius and the flames hissed out. The two dropped the barrel and ran, presumably for another. Others were now coming with buckets and barrels and some from the tavern were even coming back with mugs and pitchers filled with water, or he hoped it was water at least.
“Are you ok lad?” Grannum yelled with concern.
Rynzius staggered up and leaned against the warehouse. “Yeah, I think I should be alright, as long as I get to a healer soon.”
Rynzius’ burns were bad, but it could have been much worse if he had not immediately fell and began rolling on the ground. The two men who put out his flames had been thankfully fast as well.
By now, several people were putting out the fires and it seemed that the city would not be burning down tonight.
“All right!” Grannum said turning back over to the mage. “When we get you to a healer you’re going to –“ Grannum was cut short by something he felt was very strange; the mage was laughing.
He stood up with the axe still in his back. He laughed, and with his laughter blood gushed from his mouth. He stood there shaking to stand. He chanted again, quickly, turning his hand towards his chest. In just seconds, before either Rynzius or Grannum could say or do anything, a shower of flame poured from his hand and covered his bloody body.
As he screamed he did not stop covering himself in flame. As his screaming stopped his body was now a raging inferno.
“Get more water!” Grannum yelled to the people nearby.
In just one more moment, however, the mage collapsed. When the people came with more water and put out the flames he was a charred, bloody mess. No healer was going to bring him back from that.
Grannum stood there almost not believing what he just saw. Rynzius stared at the smoldering body, still smoking, he fought the urge to fall completely over from the immense pain he was in. He thought to himself, why would a man rather burn himself alive than be taken in for questioning? It was madness.
***
