Aphrodite's Acolyte (17 page)

Noxater raised his shield above his head, accepting the blow and glancing it to his right side. He countered with a right to left chop to the creature's knees, hoping to knock the stubborn bull off-balance. The minotaur back stepped and brought his axe back around for a sideways chop to Noxater's body.

The dwarf barely got the shield up in time and took the full force of the blow to his shield, all those needles returning to his arm once again. The minotaur spun around, bringing his axe to the dwarf's axe hand, forcing the dwarf to raise his own in defense. The swing was so powerful, the blow ripped the axe from Noxater's hand and forced the dwarf to spin around, his back to the attacker.

Noxater's instincts kicked in, inclining him to raise his shield above his head. The dwarf commanded his left arm to raise but it refused. For what felt like an eternity, the dwarf insisted, begged, and pleaded with his dislocated arm to rise with no avail.

The dwarf heard a slight buzzing sound, a loud thunk, and saw the axe of his attacker fly over his head, at least ten feet in front of him. Then he felt the weight of the minotaur collapse upon him, burying him face first under four hundred pounds of gray flesh. His head buried in the dirt and unable to move, he heard familiar voices.

“That thing is huge!” came the always excited voice of a familiar elf.

“It's not dead.” insisted the voice of the always serious female. Noxater smiled at the arrival of the trio.

“Abby? Would you mind finishing this one?” Fidel pleaded, never one to enjoy the demise of any defeated creature.

Abby's voice was slightly playful and sarcastic. “Sure, Fidel, you drop him into paralysis, Cap hits him with an arrow, and now the girl has to clean up the mess. I got it.” The dwarf felt the last shudders of the creature as Abby's blades finished the minotaur off.

Cap called out with a humorous tone. “I see his axe, but where's the dwarf?” The trio laughed as one of the dwarf's feet could be seen squirming from under the creatures groin.

The dwarf wiggled as he grumbled, “Aye, I'm under here!”

Rolling the minotaur over was a challenge in itself. The dead weight giving way to every attempt to move the creature. The dwarf rolled over to his back as the bull-headed minotaur rolled off him. He was severely battered, blood freely flowing from his long nose and his left arm was attached, but remained lifeless. He coughed, giving way to some blood, the weight of the creature apparently causing some internal injuries.

Even in agony, the dwarf managed a smile on his face at the trio. “Aye, travelers o' Harlow's Hovel.” Noxater coughed a couple more times before passing out from the pain.

Noxater could hear the trio debating. He couldn't open his eyes but he could see his eyelids were lit, brightened by the apparent sunlight.

Abby said with concern, “I don't know if it will work on one such as him. He is alive but also dead. The salve may fix him or finish him.”

Fidel debated back. “His blood is still red. I would think a true zombie would have no such color.”

Cap interjected. “Even if he would die from it, he's already dead from the injuries.” Noxater attempted to say something. The back of his sunlit eyelids grew darker until he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Noxater felt the direct rays of the sun on his face, a slight stinging as the fiery rays penetrated his gray skin. He sat up quickly in his cot and glanced around the camp. Three tents surrounded the central fire and a fine smelling kettle of food was simmering over the fire pit. Noxater rose from his bed to grab a bite to eat, then stopped suddenly.

He looked down at his left arm as it responded to his requests for movement. He reached up to his nose and felt no liquid spewing forth. He slapped his ribs with his right hand, thinking he would feel pain, but none came forth. He inspected his body thoroughly, looking for any signs of the struggle with the minotaur. He could find no evidence of the previous night's encounter.

He glanced down at his axe, laying beside his cot, and saw a large notch in the handle where the minotaurs blade made contact with the axe handle. He couldn't help but wonder if the fight with the minotaur was real or some nightmare. He stood there, befuddled.

              Abby emerged from her tent and looked at the dwarf. She smiled at the dwarf's confused look. “Yes, it was real. Looks like you're feeling fine.”

Noxater nodded at the human woman and smiled himself. He walked over to the pot of food and requested if he could have some. Abby said she made it just for him and he could have as much as he could eat. He pulled the kettle down and gulped down his food, barely chewing.

Fidel and Cap returned to camp with a fresh kill from their hunt, a buck that would surely feed the three of them for a week. They both walked up to the camp fire and dropped the buck on their makeshift skinning rack. They looked at the dwarf and smiled wide at the dwarf's veracious appetite as well as his quite animated eating style.

Fidel sat down by the dwarf. “Well met to you too, Noxater of Deeder's Pass. So, this minotaur, how did you stumble upon such a magnificent beast?”

Noxater stopped eating for a second, then put down his spoon. He reached up and touched his head, panicking. He jumped up and ran to his cot, picking up his helmet and slamming it hard on his head. “She will violate me thoughts, 'specially with yer presence." the dwarf explained while walking back to the fire. The dwarf described the camp of Pravas Medeis, the thousands of silver warriors and minotaurs. The trio was listening intently to the dwarf as he told the tale of the camp.

After the dwarf finished the tale, the group decided they were not ready to assault the camp of Pravas. Cap agreed to warn Lord Fineal's regiment in the north and Abby agreed to go to Captain Sizod's regiment in the west. Fidel notified Lord Fineal and Methvas of the decision over the magically linked rings.

As the group was preparing to depart the camp, Fidel noticed Noxater rubbing his arm and staring at it. The dwarf had a perplexed look on his face. “What did ye give me?” Fidel explained the salve and how they applied it. How they had to cut open his arm and his chest to apply the healing mixture. The dwarf looked at his chest with the same perplexed expression on his face. “Look at thee color. Light brown patches amongst thee silvery dead skin. It's me normal color, elf.”

Abby overheard the conversation and rushed over, closely inspecting the areas treated with the life-giving salve. She looked up at Fidel with a grin. “Perhaps this salve can give this man his life back. It may be dangerous. This salve was created for external use, but if ingested, it may return him to his previous form.”

Noxater, not caring much for the likes of magical constructs, sighed heavily as he pondered the possibilities. Abby and Fidel consulted for a few minutes and brought two vials of the salve to Noxater.

Fidel held out the two vials to Noxater. “We believe this would be all you need to return to your normal self. Do know that there is a risk here. We do not know if this will kill or help. The mixture was not intended for this purpose. However, the looks of your arm, your chest, and your nose tell us this is worth a try. Your chest, arm, and nose were all fixed with just half of one of these vials.”

The dwarf grabbed the two vials and looked to Abby first. She nodded her head in agreement. He looked to Fidel who also nodded. The dwarf took a deep breath and let it out slowly, apparently battling against his own instincts and opinions on magical concoctions. “Cheers!" Noxater unplugged the vial of the first bottle and sucked down the liquid, his face twisting in a look of disgust at the flavor. He uncorked the second bottle and downed it faster than the first, urgently wanting to get the situation over with. The dwarf looked to the two and shrugged, indicating he didn't feel anything different.

Abby and Fidel watched the dwarf closely for a few minutes. Abby, noticing nothing happening, decided to leave camp to meet with Captain Sizod. Fidel asked if there was anything he could do should something go wrong. She said there was nothing except to lay the dwarf down and let the potion do its work. Cap and Abby both departed the camp. Noxater continued to eat his food and Fidel kept a close eye on the dwarf as he consumed the remainder of his stew. Fidel attended to the unpleasant task of skinning the buck he and Cap hunted earlier. He kept glancing back at the dwarf, hoping for some type of transformation to take place.

About an hour later, Noxater's eyes snapped wide open as he felt the potion take a hold on his very being. Fidel, just finishing the skinning and portioning of the buck, saw the dwarf's head snap backwards. He ran over to the dwarf.

As he approached, Noxater placed both arms up, indicating for Fidel to stop his advance. “Elf! I think it's working! I can feel...” the dwarf's words stopped for a second as his arms started to shake and convulse. “I feel...better..." the dwarf's lips quivered. "...like power...coursing...veins..” 

Fidel stood back and watched the thrashing dwarf as he fell to the ground. He observed as the gray skin turned tan. The gray skin changed color in small circular patches at first. The patches grew outwards and connected with each other. Fidel came in closer and looked deep into the dwarf's eyes. It appeared as if the dwarf was frozen.

He noticed the pupils of the dwarf's eyes change. A small orange speckle of color poked through the gray tint, then grew slowly. Fidel stared intently into the dwarf's orange eyes, just as he did in the Rivolus desert a few months prior. Fidel smiled at the frozen dwarf, until he noticed the dwarf's lack of any movement. He grew concerned.

Fidel raised the dwarf's left arm above his head, and let it go. The arm dropped lifelessly at the dwarf's side. He grabbed the right arm and did the same, with the same result. He placed his hand on the dwarf's chest, feeling for a beating heart and felt nothing move. He put his nose to the dwarfs, feeling for some warm air to exit the dwarf's elongated nose. None was felt. Fidel began to panic and pushed the dwarf down on his back.

He raised the dwarf's legs and let them drop to the same result of the arms. For what seemed like hours, the elf tried to find some life in the tan skinned dwarf's body. He beat on the dwarf's chest, he dragged the dwarf around on the ground, he rolled the dwarf over. He tried everything he could think of to try to bring the dwarf back. He stayed next to the dwarf as he gave up and sobbed into his hands.

Fidel sat next to Noxater's lifeless body for a while. His mind took him back to the sands of the Rivolus desert. Recalling his first major fight since departing Harlow's Hovel and the bravery of the dwarf that now laid lifeless beside him. He smiled at the dwarf's refusal to give in to the merchant caravan that clearly outsmarted his bandit clan. He let a few more tears go for this stubborn and brave warrior.

He regained his composure and collected the dwarf to prepare him for a proper burial. Fidel grabbed the dwarf under his arms, dragging Noxater backwards with the dwarf's head positioned into Fidel's chest. Fidel fell backwards after losing footing from a rock, the dwarf's weight burying Fidel to the ground.

Fidel looked down at the dwarf again, noticing his amulet had somehow unlatched and came to rest on the dwarf's chest. As he reached down to retrieve his amulet, he thought he saw the amulet's faith-filled section grow brighter, as if absorbing the rays of the mid-day sun. He stared at the necklace for a few seconds, debating in his mind on whether or not his perception was a reality.

The amulets brightness intensified, the light surrounding it being pulled in. Within a few breaths, it appeared as if a beam of light of was radiating from the amulet to the heavens above. Noxater's lifeless body shuddered and the dwarf quickly sat up, sending the amulet to the ground and severing the faith linked connection to the heavens.

Noxater, noticing he was sitting between Fidel's legs, jumped to his feet and looked down at the sitting elf. The elf's eyes were wide with bewilderment of the dwarf standing before him. The tan skin of the dwarf paired with the orange orbs made Fidel smile immensely.

Noxater picked up the amulet from the ground and looked hard at it. He placed the necklace around Fidel's neck, “I believe this belongs to ye.” The dwarf offered a hand to help Fidel to his feet and the elf gladly accepted.

Once he was standing, Fidel looked down at the dwarf, “How do you feel?”

Noxater, staring at Fidel's amulet, moved his eyes up to meet Fidel's. “I do not feel 'er intrusions into me mind anymore.” The dwarf smiled broadly, “I could not be better!” The dwarf  dropped to one knee in front of Fidel. “Mr. Austempes o' Harlow's Hovel.” the dwarf said with his head bowed toward the ground. “I, Noxater Praeli, Knight o' Deeder's Pass, Marauder o' thee Rivolus Desert, and ex-champion o' Pravas Medeis,” the dwarf swallowed hard on his last declaration, “do hereby swear me life to yer service. I am of sound mind with full control over me will. I enter into this life debt with ye. Do ye accept thee offer?” The dwarf looked up at Fidel and smiled, whispering, “Ye really don't have a choice to accept or not.” He then bowed his head down again. “I await yer answer me savior.”

Fidel smiled down at the dwarf and placed his hand on the dwarf's red head, “I accept your offer of friendship Noxater. Nothing more.”

Noxater looked up at Fidel. “Then ye accept!” The dwarf jumped to his feet and clutched Fidel in a hug. Fidel returned the hug in kind and smiled wide at the absolute declaration of friendship.

Fidel informed Abby and Cap of the dwarf's return to the living. They each celebrated in their own way. Cap shouted a loud “woohoo!” into his magical ring and Abby made a comment that she needed to note the effects in her journal.