Chapter 1: The Sands of Sorrow-Part 2-

The onyx floors of the landing were scratched rough by the countless battles with the invading sands.  Dhalryk cautiously approached the weathered balcony door while Jekka coiled the rope and returned it to her satchel.  At his feet, Dhalryk noticed an arc pattern in the sand at the base of the doorway.  He drew a yard of steel from its scabbard and hissed to Jekka quietly.

"We are too late."

Jekka's face clouded with concern and she removed a bow from her shoulder and notched an arrow.  Dhalryk glanced to see that she was ready and took hold of the door.  He braced his legs and opened it quickly, his hand immediately returning to his weapon.

The scene that met Dhalryk's eyes was not what he had anticipated.  They had know that Batoda and his chosen seven were seeking the same goal.  They knew now that the Nillian had beaten them too it.  Dhalryk was prepared to face them all, even to the death, when he opened the door.  Now, this seemed unnecessary.

Scattered around the room, the bodies of the chosen rested in horrible wet stillness.  Bright, flesh blood colored their drab acolyte tunics.  The room was aglow with light streaming in from ceiling damage.  These gaps illuminated every mote of dust and left crack shaped splotches of white on the floor beneath.  The room was dominated by a large tiered pedestal that featured a great ashen crystal.  This stone centerpiece vaguely resembled the shape of a man.  It was held upright by a large copper ring around its middle supported by three tarnished legs of the same material.

It was before this crystal that Batoda stood, still holding the pair of serpentine daggers he had murdered his own chosen acolytes with.  Dhalryk heard Jekka's bowstring creak behind him, raised his own weapon, and stepped into the room.  The Nillian heard Dhal's steps and turned around to reveal his robes dirtied by his crimes.  He laid both daggers on his chest, crossing them, and spoke.

"You must know that your only hope was to arrive here first."  He glanced at the bodies of his dead minions from under bushy eyebrows.  "You have not."

Dhalryk adjusted his sword and felt sweat on the leather grip.  "I can't let you Batoda.  If allow this then it's my fault.  I'll not live with that."  Batoda continued to look at his dead companions.

"Do you know that I poisoned them?  For months.  They took it willingly."  He smiled at their loyalty. 

"Back away from the stone." said Dhalryk.

"It isn't what killed them though.  I killed them with these."  He raised the two bloody serrated daggers above him.  "Do you know why I killed them now?  When every single one of them would have given their life to protect me?"

"Because you're mad!" snapped Jekka, and released an arrow.  Batoda lurched to his left.  The shaft missed its mark but found a home in his shoulder.  He dropped to a knee and hurled one of the daggers as he did.  Jekka was already moving but the ill thrown blade was lucky and managed a scrape just above her boot.

"No, fool!  Because I was harvesting the poisons!" cried Batoda.

Dhalryk watched in horror as she crashed to the floor with the slap of skin on stone and lay as dead as the other corpses littering the room.

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The Sands of Sorrow - Part 3 coming Next Week!