Chapter 8
Lizzy couldn’t believe it even after Taithmar had said it; the King’s daughter was gone! This was really terrible news for Lizzy knew the King’s daughter, Lunansa, they weren’t friends or anything like that, but she did know her from when she was growing up.
Lizzy looked at Taithmar and said, “What is being done about this? Do they know who took her and what they want?”
Taithmar answered Lizzy’s questions with a sigh, “Well unfortunately there isn’t much known about what happened yet, but it appears that the dark dwarves have taken her, the evil Dhag’arii. Why exactly is still somewhat in question, it is believed that they intend to use her capture to further their plans on conquering the kingdom and establishing their own king as ruler.”
“That’s insane!” Vekao bellowed from the seat across the table.
“I agree” Taithmar responded back to the minotaur, “But it has happened and now we are desperately trying to find the Princess!”
“Well I wish my Father was still around.” Lizzy said dejectedly. “He would know what to do and where to look for the Princess!”
“Yes well I feel the same way, Lizzy.” Vekao added as he looked over at Lizzy and grasped her hand on the table. “I wish he was here too.”
Lizzy continued to stare into the eyes of her friend Vekao and tears began to well up in her eyes. She pulled her hand away quickly and wiped at her eyes to remove the tears that had sprung up there. She then turned her attention back to Taithmar, “Well since you have been so honest with me, it is only fair to be totally honest with you Taithmar.” Lizzy said as she looked at the long time acquaintance. “We were looking for a way out of the city, there have been attempts on my life Taithmar, all due to the stupid ‘item’ that I told you about!”
“Oh Lizzy I am sorry! Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday, I would have helped in any way that I could. So now that you are here, what more can you tell me of this ‘item’?” Taithmar replied to Lizzy with a look of concern and sympathy.
Lizzy looked at Vekao for reassurance, he looked into her eyes and said, “Well you might as well tell her the whole story.”
“Ok, well Taithmar this is the deal, I stole this piece from a very wealthy merchant here in Koth. It is a very interesting piece which is why I took it in the first place. But little did I realize what kind of trouble it would lead to. Since that time he has sent two assassins to kill me and take the piece back.” Lizzy started to explain to Taithmar.
“You mean this merchant didn’t alert the authorities to your crimes? He sent his own people to try and recover it? Interesting…” Taithmar said, interrupting Lizzy.
Lizzy impatiently interrupts Taithmar in turn, “Yes, and yes. And to top it all off, Vekao here claims that he’s seen this piece before during the war with the dark dwarves. He tells me he thinks it’s an ancient artifact of theirs that when used by their wizards properly will turn into a powerful earth elemental!” Lizzy adds with a look of concern in her eyes.
“Really!?” Taithmar exclaimed in a hoarse whisper, trying to contain her excitement. “I must see this artifact Lizzy! It could prove vitally important to the realm!”
“Well I suppose so.” Lizzy said hesitantly. “I was going to bring it to you to fence for me after all.” She added. “But it’s too dangerous to bring it out here in the open like this; we need to go someplace more private.”
“Well I know of a place that’s close by.” Taithmar said in response to Lizzy’s suggestion. “There’s an inn just around the corner from here, we can go there and rent a room, perhaps then we can discuss this further in private.”
Lizzy looked at Vekao to see what he thought, he gave her a shrug and nodded his agreement, so the three of them got up from their table, settled the bill with the proprietor and marched outside into the street. Taithmar took the lead and had them walking briskly through the street to their destination. It wasn’t long before it came into view and they were standing outside of the “Laughing Dolphin Inn”.
Vekao looked up at the sign and smiled, then thought to himself, “Where do they come up with these names anyway?” They then all entered the inn through the door and walked over to the proprietor, who smiled at Taithmar as she came up, “Greeting madam, the usual room I assume?”
“Yes the usual room please and also do not let anyone disturb us.” Taithmar said in response to the innkeeper as she laid out three gold coins and took the key from the innkeeper and headed up the nearby stairs to the second floor where they crossed the landing to the first hallway. Soon they came to a door at the end of the hall, where she inserted the key and entered the room. She quickly went over to light the lamp in the corner of the room and after they all had entered, quickly locked and barred the door. Then just to be sure she went to the only window in the room and pulled the shutters closed, and locked it also.
“Well here we are Lizzy, so now maybe you can show me this dangerous piece that you have acquired?” Taithmar said to Lizzy after she had secured the room.
Lizzy looked at Vekao and the minotaur shrugged his massive shoulders and smiled back at Lizzy. So Lizzy pulled her pack off her back and opened it up and withdrew the old dirty rag which still encased the artifact. She pulled the rag off of it and handed the piece over to Taithmar, but even as she did Taithmar’s eyes widened in fear and awe!
“Oh my, oh my Lizzy do you realize what this is?” Taithmar managed to whisper to Lizzy.
“Well not really only what Uncle Vekao has told me?” Lizzy croaked back to her.
Taithmar looks to Vekao and raises one eyebrow slightly. Vekao takes the hint and responds, “Well from what I remember when I saw a figurine just the same used in the last war with the goblins and dark dwarves, the wizards of the dark dwarves had this figurine that they could turn into a very powerful earth elemental, it almost won the war for them at the time, but we were able to defeat it in the end for the King has some mighty mages of his own that work for him. But that is really all that I know.”
“Well that’s pretty good, all that I can add is that since the war this has been missing from the battle field, for when the earth elemental is defeated it retreats back to the figurine where it can recuperate until needed again. Of course, as all magical items such as this, it has some limitations on its powers, it can only be used once a day, we believe, and for this particular piece it seems that it can only be used at night.” Taithmar responds back to Vekao.
“Wow!” Lizzy exclaimed.
“Yes wow, so apparently it has been found if this is the true piece, which we would have to assume it is since they have tried to kill you to get it back!” Taithmar added.
“Yes well I agree.” Vekao said in response. “And that is exactly why I need to get Lizzy out of this town, and we need to be rid of this figurine!’
“Well it must not fall in to the wrong hands!” Taithmar replied back to Vekao. “We must take it to the King.”
“We?” both Lizzy and Vekao cried at the same time, and then Lizzy added, “What do you mean we? Vekao and I were going to take the next ship out from the docks.”
“What I mean Lizzy and Vekao, is that I would like to help you in this and come with you so that this artifact can be taken to the King. If that is alright with you of course” Taithmar said in response and stood waiting for their answer.
Lizzy and Vekao just looked at each other and then smiled, shrugged their shoulders and said in unison again, “Very well!”