Chapter Two: A Lost Soul

The StarBlood Saga

By Daniel Asbury

Edited by Qwildurn Bluemoon

Chapter Two

A Lost Soul

Rebecca StarBlood had been traveling for over a month to reach the frontier desert town of Dozo. It would have been quicker if she had been accompanied by a company of StarBlood Guards, but she had shunned her responsibilities and left the City of Newport to fend for it’s self. The going was tough; she had heard from the highly skilled adventure, Wiggles the Wizard, that Dozo would be the best place to start her search for her father’s killer.

She had encountered the Mage taking his ease in the Smoke Shack, an out of the way tavern deep in an old forest, three weeks after her journey began. He had said, “The best way to reach Dozo would be to travel through the Shadow Tombs, but be careful.” He looked at her with sympathy having known her father for a short time as he passed through Newport on his way to seek out a Drow High Priestess.

The Shadow Tombs were where the dead from the Desert Wars had been buried. The Humans had pushed the advancing Troglodyte Empire back deep within their mountains.

“Is there anyone who could help me in Dozo?” she asked, not concerned with the dangers she faced ahead.

“There is one that may be able to help you.” He looked as if to say more. “His name is Shorty, a Dwarf of some power and standing. But, like most frontier people, he is greedy, always wanting gold or some treasurer taken from the body of the great beasts from these lands”.

Wiggles reached in to a pouch on his robe and pulled out a vile of what looked like blood. “What is this?” Rebecca asked.

“This is the blood of a great Dragon by the name of Sheelo.” He laughed as if remembering a joke. “I was trying to perfect a teleportation spell that went a little wrong and ended up on a mountain looking at this great Dragon. Well a small battle ensued and I was the victor.” He shrugged as if it was no mean feat.

“What am I to do with this?”, she asked placing the vile into her pack.

“Shorty has been after dragon blood for a while. Trade him this for any information he has on the guild symbol you carry”.

She embraced the old wizard. “Thank you Wiggles. I must be off.”

“Good luck Rebecca.” With that the Wizard vanished.

A week after her encounter with Wiggles she strode into Dozo and compared it to the city she had grown up in. Dozo was a scattering of buildings here and there with an inn dominating the center of town while Newport was neat and tidy with cobbled streets. She was limping badly; a large Zombie Warrior had cut a deep gash into her thigh with a rusty Great Sword. She managed to remove its head which she carried in her pack.

“You! Girl! In need of some healing?”, said an elderly looking Cleric of some Order she did not recognize. “Five gold will have you walking in no time. Without a limp you can run faster.” He smiled and she could see his teeth were black and quit a few missing.

She pulled her coin purse and counted out five gold. “Here.”, she said sitting on the bench he indicated.

“Do you know of a Dwarf named Shorty and where I would find him?”, she asked as he began to pour some liquid into the cut on her leg.

“He’s in the armory, look, there. We are done here now. May the Goddess guide your sword.” With that he turned his back on her.

Rebecca stood and looked around and saw a squat building belching black smoke and guessed that it must be the armory.

As she entered she saw a Dwarf sitting with a mug of ale in hand watching two blacksmiths go about their task. She was taken back at first, then amused. Rebecca had never seen nor heard of Dwarfs, Elves and Half-Orcs getting along before. Yet here they were in one small hut. “Might be strong Charm magic by a powerful Sorceress.”, she thought.

“Are you Shorty?”, she inquired.

“Yes, what do you want Girl.”, he replied, a gruffness to his voice.

She pulled the Assassin’s amulet from her pack and handed it to him. He looked at it and smiled. “There is only one guild that carries this mark, The Royal Assassins. Hard to find unless you know who to look for.”

She placed the amulet back in her pack and pulled the vile of Dragon Blood out to hold up before the dwarfs eyes. “Where?”, she snapped.

“I can’t help with that I’m afraid.” The look on his face of fear and greed was strange.

“Tell me where to find Alcatraz the Lich Lord” she screamed quietly.

“West, but he is guarded well. Here take this map. Now give me the blood.”

She dropped the vile on the table, picked up the map and left.