Chapter 3- The Dice of Death!
"The Duke of Hyekap may not be as powerful as some of the other Dukes who hold the treasures, but he'll still be no pushover." Senoj and Neerb were sitting in a tavern called 'Dragon Song' waiting for news of a friend. "It is true that he can be a formidable enemy, but we have dealt with him before, and beaten him too, at his own game!" replied Neerb. "Well", said Senoj, draining his mug and signalling the serving girl for another round of drinks, "We had Nitram to aid us then, don't forget. I wish Somat would hurry up and find him!" Neerb and Senoj had hired a 'finder' named Somat to track down a friend of theirs who had gone into hiding. "Besides, I only hope Hyekap doesn't remember us too well, or we'll be finished the moment his guards set eyes on us." Neerb smiled, "Don't worry, my friend, it's been years since we jousted with Hyekap. He's surely forgotten us by now!"
"I have a message for Daniel". It was a small swarthy man, who looked like a street beggar who had spoken. He had approached the table where Neerb and Senoj sat, and now looked from one to the other. "I am called Daniel," said Neerb. Often it made sense to travel under an assumed name, and so avoid the attention of the authorities. Daniel was a name Neerb used often, because he had once been told it was an Earth name. "Samot sends his greetings. Is not the friend you seek dark haired, a heavy drinker, and given to dallying with wenches and also to gambling? His name is Nitram is it not?" Neerb nodded and the man continued "Samot has found your friend, but he bids you be not tardy if you would see him alive, for he is being held by the thugs of Nanreik in the Temple of Growlat." The temple of Growlat was where much of the gambling in the city took place, and those who ended up in debt after a visit to the gaming tables there were held for ransom. If none of their friends or relatives could find the fee to free the unlucky gambler, then he was sacrificed to Growlat. Often desperate relatives would wager their savings at the gaming tables of Growlat in order to try and get the money needed to save a loved one, only to fall into the same trap themselves. Many of the city's urchins had been made orphans by Nanreik and the thugs who served him. No matter how many people begged for the lives of those imprisoned by the thugs of Growlat, no pity was ever shown them. As Nanreik had often said: "Mercy does not pay any debts."
"How long has he been held?" asked Neerb. Unless the victims were rich, and the future held out the promise of more money, those who were held in the Temple of Growlat were usually kept only for a week before they were sacrificed. "Six days" replied the beggar who then pocketed the gold piece Neerb gave him and disappeared into the tavern throng.
That was how the two heroes found themselves outside the Temple of Growlat, wearing the traditional red headbands of those who came to gamble, which like the headgear of desert tribesmen on Earth, could be worn so that it covered the face, thus allowing a measure of anonymity to the gamblers. Above them rose the fluted columns of the Temple of Growlat, surmounted by a statue of a cross-legged Growlat dispensing good fortune. Once upon a time it had been a place of worship, a Temple of Growlat, the Goddess of chance and good luck, and those who sought some good fortune or to have curse removed would come to her temple and pray there. Under the High Priestship of Nanreik however, things had changed for the worse. He installed gaming tables in the Temple and claimed the winnings for the temple priests. he then hired some toughs to keep order and enforce his edicts. As his wealth grew he hired more and more thugs so that his power increased with his wealth until he became the most feared man in the city. And the most hated. Neerb and Senoj followed the crowd into the vast confines of the temple, which was dark and filled with the pungent scent of exotic incenses. All around them were the gaming tables, thronged with those who sought a shortcut to wealth and happiness, the hoarse cries of the winners and losers making a fearful din. Here and there wandered those who had lost everything, a dazed look in their eyes, and everywhere were the turbaned thugs, drawn scimitars in hand, watching the crowd like hawks, waiting and watching for those who could not pay.
Neerb turned to Senoj and said, "Remember, we must first find Nitram, perhaps then we can make some trouble for Nanreik and his thugs before we go." Reluctantly, Senoj agreed. While planning to get Nitram from the Temple, Senoj had advocated a violent answer to their problem: "Let's cut off Nanreik's head and put it on a pike, no-one will mess with us then." Neerb had calmed Senoj down and made him agree to the stealthy approach, as being more likely to lead to success without major loss of life. Together they walked through the crowd, looking for a way to get to the cells without being seen. Suddenly before them a fight broke out. Two gamblers were fighting over a throw of the dice, and as Neerb and Senoj watched five or six of Nanreik's turbaned enforcers grabbed both men and began to drag them through the crowd, despite protests from each that the other had started the fight. Quickly the two heroes followed the screeching men and the guards through the gloom. The guards turned up a corridor which couldn't be seen from the main gambling area and halted before a large iron-bound door set securely into the walls of dank stone. One of the guards, a sergeant, noticed Neerb and Senoj behind them. "Hey you! Come out of the shadows there! What do you want?" Neerb threw off his red headband and approaching the guards said "We were witness to what happened between these two men at the tables. Do you want to hear our testimony?" The guards laughed at that, and one said "The fool thinks this is a court of law!!" But the sergeant eyed Neerb suspiciously and said "It's best you were on your way else you shall join these two on the list of those awaiting the pleasure of Nanreik!"
The words were hardly out of his mouth when Neerb exploded into action, drawing his sword and thrusting it deep into the chest of the sergeant. He looked at Neerb in surprise, let out a little moan and collapsed onto the floor. Before the other four guards could react, Senoj had nocked an arrow and taken the nearest guard in the throat. As the two men who had been hauled off by the guards took to their heels, Neerb spun wildly and sank his sword into the belly of the next guard, while Senoj took aim at his partner, hitting him in the eye. The last guard simply threw up his hands and fell to his knees, a look of horror on his face. Neerb placed the point of his sword against the man's neck, just above the Adam's apple. "If you want to live, do as I say". The man very carefully nodded once, slowly. As Neerb and Senoj dragged the bodies of the slain out of sight, he explained "Call to your fellows, and have them open this door. You will tell them that we have come to redeem the prisoner Nitram, and that his debt has already been paid. Do you understand?" Again, the guard nodded once, weakly. With the bodies moved, Neerb nodded to the surviving guard, who turned and faced the door. "Open up!" he cried, banging his fist on the door.
Slowly, the door opened, revealing a narrow corridor lined with cells made from iron bars that stretched from floor to ceiling and lit by the feeble light of smoky torches. "These two have come for their friend, one called Nitram" explained the guard to the two gaolers who had opened the door. "The debt has been paid, and these two have money to wager in the main hall, so Nanreik wants their friend released now." One of the guards gestured to the large cells and asked which of these held their friend. Again moving with amazing speed, Neerb drew his sword and held it to the gaoler's throat. "Why all of them of course". Neither gaoler was a hero, and both followed Neerb's orders and freed all the prisoners including a very pleased looking Nitram. Neerb placed the guard and the two gaolers into one of the cells and turned to the freed prisoners. "Nanreik has taken the lives of your loved ones, and almost had you too! Tonight you have the chance to strike back, and to make sure that the Temple of Growlat is cleared of Nanreik and his thugs! Will you aid us?" In answer, the men who so recently had faced death at the hands of Nanreik cheered and brandished the weapons they had 'liberated' from the guards. Neerb raised his hands for silence and said "Stay in the shadows, out of sight. When it is time to strike, strike hard!" With that, Neerb turned on his heels and strode back to the gaming hall, closely followed by Nitram and Senoj, and almost a hundred freed prisoners.
Once again Neerb plunged into the maelstrom of human greed in the gaming hall where the hoarse shouts and screams of the gamblers filled the air, and here and there were those who were imprisoned in stocks for trying to steal from a gambler or who had tendered counterfeit money. They swept past the cheap tables where the very dregs of society spent their money and lost their shirts, past the tables where sons of merchants wagered large sums to impress a lady and up to the dais at the very end of the hall, where the aristocracy wagered with land and slaves and lives. Here stood a group of thugs who acted as security, and kept the riff raff from soiling the fun of their betters. Rather than stop and be questioned, Neerb tossed them what appeared to be a large Emerald and he and Senoj and Nitram marched right by them as they scrambled for the jewel. Ahead of them lay the Great gaming table. Only the highest stakes were played for here, and at the head of the table in his customary position sat Nanreik, High Priest of Growlat. It was he who dealt the cards, and named who next would throw the dice. It was he also who would say how much ten virgin slave girls were worth, and whether the bet of a man's life would be accepted or not. In the circus of misery he was the ringmaster, and around him at the table were the wastrel sons of the aristocracy, drinking and laughing and jeering, gambling with money they never earned.
It was in front of him that Neerb stopped, Senoj at his shoulder. Nanreik gave him a glance, decided that he was rich enough for the Great gaming table, and indicated with a nod of his head an empty seat beside him. "I have not come to play, but to secure the release of my friend." Nanreik frowned. "Such matters are taken care of at the payment windows. Do not trouble me with your trivial concerns." "My concerns," said Neerb as he slowly unwound his headband, "are far from trivial." Nanreik gasped as Neerb's face was revealed and he recognised him. And gasped again for the last time as with a twist of his mighty arms Neerb snapped his neck like a dry twig. Seeing this, the prisoners gave a huge shout and launched themselves at the nearest of Nanreik's thugs. Pandemonium broke loose as the thugs of Nanreik tasted the angry steel of free men, while the gamblers and the whores screamed in fear and yet still tried to grab some coins while trying to scuttle under the tables. Around Neerb and his friends the thugs were thickest and here it was that Neerb and Senoj and Nitram showed just what made heroes different from ordinary men. Their blades were mere blurs as each danced back and forth seeking the advantage over their enemies. Cut and thrust, cut parry and thrust. Soon the thugs realised that their ranks were getting pretty thin and tried to escape, but there would be no escape for them this day. Some fought like men and died facing their enemies but most simply dropped their weapons and fled in blind terror, only to be cut down from behind. One way or another none ever saw daylight again.
Later, back in the Dragon Song, Nitram toasted his two friends. "Never had a man better!" he cried. "I thought for sure that I was a goner. But when I saw you march in that door I just knew it was my lucky day! Now, is there anything I can do for you, Neerb?" With a smile, Neerb slowly placed his mug on the table, and with a quick glance at Senoj answered "There is the small matter of the Duke of Hyekap. He has something we want, and we mean to get it!"
See the next chapter wherein shall dwell such characters as Grainneor the Great and rumours shall reach us of the Lovely Aisling. Who could resist such a thing?