Thaddeus (Chapter 31)

Template:Thaddeus nav Many a man proclaims his own loyalty,

But who can know a truly faithful man?

He who states his case first seems right

Until another comes and contradicts him.

Rebellion will come by a cruel messenger,

A false face, brother to him who destroys!

Against sound judgment, the estranged

Perverts the ways of justice for a bribe.

Let me meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs

Rather than a fool in the grip of his folly!

-- Visions of Akarat, c. 15, v. 1-10

Above the highlands around the base of Mount Arreat, a high plateau was being used as a gathering place for Baal's Overseers and their slaves. From a tree, Thaddeus could see more rings of fortifications girdling the mountain ahead. Why, oh why did the Barbarians build all these forts they couldn't possibly man? Were they trying to prove something, put on a show of intimidation? Or had they seen forts elsewhere, and erected these without understanding the requirements of maintaining a wall? With the Barbarian's pride, he could see them making them just so they could brag they had the most and the biggest. Size was very important to Barbarians. Shaking his head, Thaddeus advanced onto the plateau, hoping the demands of Barbarian pride wouldn't slow him down too much.

Almost immediately, he came across a group of high-ranking Overseers, champions of their type. Only a few slaves accompanied them; soon all were whipped into an explosive frenzy and running for Thaddeus. Blessed Hammer killed a few before they reached him. The rest he avoided, watching their bursting guts illuminate the night with fire. How in Hell or Heaven could anyone imagine being a servant of darkness would bring pleasure? Many who fall into evil think it will get the freedom to do as they will, partake of pleasures freely, or speak their minds as they like. Most end up as slaves, but even overseers were enslaved by their lords, subject to their cruel whims. For that matter, even The Three cannot be said to be free. Their every thought must go to maintaining and expanding their power, or it will all be taken away by an ambitious underling. There is no freedom or happiness to be found in darkness; all are held prisoner by it, high and low alike.

A slave's spine bounced off his armor, and Thaddeus remembered where he was. This was no time for reflection. A few casts of Blessed Hammer softened up the Overseers, then he zealously beat them to death. Tougher than most, they took a long time to die; he finally brought out his maul and scattered their gristly bones across the plain. Of course, this got the attention of more demons, but they fell more readily than the first. Clearing the plateau went quickly and efficiently.

Back in town, Thaddeus stopped at Malah's to donate the potions he'd found. Her stock was mostly replenished, but she always accepted them graciously. This time, she seemed nervous. "Good Paladin... there is a matter on which I hesitate to speak..."

A Barbarian hesitating to speak, on any matter? True, their women were more reticent than the big warriors, but this must be something important. "Please speak freely, Malah, if your wisdom deems it necessary."

"You are aware of the magic dome over our city? And how all our elders, save Nihlathak, sacrificed their lives to raise it?"

"I have been told of this, but I did not stay to listen long." Thaddeus bowed his head. "In my great haste, I have spent much time on the mountain, but little listening to the wisdom of those who know this land."

"I do not know how he survived unscathed when all the others were slain. It seems Anya had some suspicions. Late one night, I heard her confronting him, though my ears are old and could not make out what was said. The next morning, she was gone."

There were many women in Harrogath, more than there were men, but Thaddeus couldn't remember one called Anya. "I do not recall..."

Shaking her head, Malah smiled. "Oh, bless me, my mind is going. This happened before you arrived in Harrogath, you cannot have met Anya. She is the only daughter of our great chief Aust, a girl of remarkable wisdom and understanding for one so young. Had you met her, you would not easily forget her."

"And one night, she went to see Nihlathak... and disappeared?"

"He says she left the city on a fool's errand, and died. Do not believe him! Anya is blessed with great strength of spirit, and is not one to die easily by the hand of any beast. I am sure Nihlathak has done something with her, to cover up some guilty secret."

Though he could easily believe Nihlathak was guilty of something unspeakable, Thaddeus tried not to make too many assumptions. "You do understand, it is very easy for anyone who leaves this city to meet a bad end, regardless of any inner strength."

With eyes as hard as flint, Malah rapped her cane on the floor. "Not Anya! Never would she fall into the grasp of evil, unless betrayed by one she trusted! Death has not come to her, I know it in my bones! She must be alive!"

Barbarians, Thaddeus thought. Whenever they grow fond of someone, they make them sound like the hero in an epic poem. "I shall look for her."

"I know you will find her. Nihlathak is too much of a coward to kill her outright. When you have found her, you must find out what he has done. He would never betray us to Baal, but if he had a hand in the death's of the other elders, we must know!"

As Thaddeus left Malah's, he wondered if he should just go back to the mountain and forget all this. One dead woman among so many could not weigh heavily against Baal. How would even recognize her if he came across her? Perhaps Nihlathak did do something to the other elders. Their deaths made him senior man among the Barbarian tribes, a position many might kill for. But even the most underhanded political machinations were less important than the fate of the world. Thaddeus was not here to seek out and destroy sin, any sin. He was here as protector; the Hand of Zakarum had shown the folly of crusading against the evil in other people's hearts.

On the other hand... doing good is not just destroying the evil outside the walls. If Nihlathak did wrong, it would be a grave misdeed to leave Harrogath in his care. If Anya was the only one who knew, bringing her back to witness against him would be a very good thing to do. Besides... it felt good to bring people back alive. Nothing filled him with more hope, and Anya might resent being rescued less than the Barbarian warriors did. Not sure what course to take, Thaddeus stopped to speak with Qual-Kehk.

"Greetings. May I ask you about someone?"

"Anya, you mean?" Qual-Kehk answered.

"Yes," Thaddeus blinked. "Malah asked me --"

"To look for her. She has asked all of my warriors to do the same. She is convinced Anya is alive, and I cannot help but feel the same. And that elder Nihlathak had a hand in her disappearance."

Thaddeus nodded. "Her opinion of Nihlathak is widespread, then?"

"He was always the least respected of our elders. Fear and death cling to him, and his tongue is sharper than a blade. No true man should act or look as he does, but I have always given respect to the position he holds."

Ah so, Thaddeus thought. Barbarians do respect social position... just not anyone else's social positions. "As an outsider, I hesitate to involve myself in your affairs."

After clearing his throat, Cain said, "If I may interject... it is my suspicion that Nihlathak harbors some dark secret as well. But I do not think it directly involves Anya."

"How so?" Thaddeus asked.

"After speaking with him, it seems to me that Nihlathak believes the safety of Harrogath rests on his shoulders alone. He feels as through he is carrying an enormous burden, with great resentment, and has nothing but contempt for any other efforts to save the city."

Qual-Kehk grunted. "It is my opinion that elder Nihlathak has done nothing to protect this city, or sacred Mount Arreat. When the demons came, he slunk away, leaving others to die in his stead. His behavior is most unfit, especially for an elder."

"I think he has done something," Cain continued, "something that he believes protects the city from harm. What it could be, I do not know."

Quietly, Thaddeus said, "I will speak with him now."

Nihlathak was stirring a small pot by a fire. As Thaddeus approached, he sneered, "Well, well. If it isn't the good shepherd, having returned the lost sheep. A job well done."

He wasn't expecting the punch to the gut, or the shield slam to the head. Some nearby Barbarians leapt to their feet, but none approached. Picking Nihlathak up, Thaddeus stared him hard in the eye. "What have you done?"

"Take your hands off me this instant!" Nihlathak spluttered.

"No. And you may notice that none of the 'sheep' are coming to protect you. Your foul deeds have been exposed. Now, where is Anya?"

"What? Who have you been talking to? Never mind, I know," Nihlathak snarled. "And you don't know anything. She ran off after a friend of hers, who used to live on the plateau. I am sure both of them are long dead by now."

"Wrong answer. Great protector of Harrogath, on whose shoulders the safety of the city rests... what bargain did you make with Baal?"

Nihlathak turned white as chalk. "Bargain?" he stammered, "What would lead me to bargain with Destruction? Just because he took our capital in less than a day is no reason to believe Qual-Kehk and his idiot warriors couldn't protect Harrogath! Of course a simple shield will hold him off forever! Or maybe, a hero will come like something out of a saga, and defeat his entire army single-handedly! There are so many things that might save my people from Destruction, I should rest calmly, knowing the matter is well in hand!"

Someone behind Thaddeus was shouting. Ignoring it, he was about to answer when a powerful blow to the back of his head sent him reeling. Behind him, a warrior with a glazed look in his eyes was holding a giant axe, ready for another swing. Thaddeus slammed him back with his shield, and his vision suddenly went dim. In the sudden darkness, there was confusion and more shouting. More people began hitting him; he heard the clang of metal on stone; Thaddeus prayed for Holy Freeze and moved away. When his eyes cleared again, he saw a pile of Barbarians, including Qual-Kehk, wrestling some of their fellow warriors to the ground. In the confusion, he'd lost his grip on Nihlathak. Damn; he'd heard Necromancers use curses which confuse the mind, making one believe friends are hated foes. This certainly seemed to confirm his suspicions of necromancy; but where was Nihlathak?

Thaddeus ran to the door of Nihlathak's house. He wasn't there, nor could he be found anywhere else in town. He'd known the Barbarian elder was bad the moment he laid eyes on him; why didn't he strike then? Because doing so then would have brought all of Harrogath down on him. Even if he could take them all on, he wasn't going to destroy the town in order to save it. Finally, he went back to Qual-Kehk.

"The snake has slipped our grasp. Your insight was true; Nihlathak has made some bargain with Baal."

"We cannot be completely sure of that," Thaddeus muttered.

"What more proof is needed? All saw when you confronted him. The eyes speak clearly when the tongue is silent. I cannot believe it! The protection of Mount Arreat has been our purpose from the days of the Ancients; what could bring an elder to betray us?"

Dark suspicions crept into Thaddeus' mind, but he said, "Malah believes Anya knows, and that Nihlathak is too cowardly to kill her. Where might he hide her?"

"There are many places," Qual-Kehk mused. "The most secure would be his temple, where his tribe keeps the relics of their ancestors."

"Where would that be found?"

Qual-Kehk crossed his arms, looking deeply troubled. "Each tribe's temple is in a secret place, protected from looting and other tricks. The elders of the tribes know them all, but that does not help us now. Anya would know."

Thaddeus nodded. "Her father must think well of her, to confide in her so much."

"Think you Aust would tell his sons?" Qual-Kehk laughed. "Secrets are best kept by women and old men. When a warrior possesses knowledge, he knows he must survive the battle to pass the secret on. His hand is slowed by caution, he cannot fight as he ought. Aust did think well of her. You will think well of her, if you find her before Nihlathak has destroyed us all." Pausing for a moment, he laughed again. "It is good that you, of all warriors, are going to find Anya! Any or all of Harrogath's daughters would be safe with the likes of you!"

Why does everyone assume I've taken a vow of chastity? Thaddeus wondered. It would be best not to correct Qual-Kehk; he might start making other unwarranted assumptions. "Please try to find Nihlathak again. He cannot have gone far. As for your temples, I would not know one from another, so I plan to enter any I find. Should I defile your sacred ground, I apologize in advance. I must go."

Hammering his way further up the mountain, Thaddeus pounded through more forts, and another small pit of Hell. The pit led to another set of islands in the Lake of Fire, guarded by frenzied Minotaurs. They fought like Barbarians, but were strong and tough enough to almost get away with it. Blessed Hammers made a good impression, when they hit, but he spent a lot of time charging. Thankfully, when a charge meets frenzy, the charge wins. Anya was not in Hell (thank the Light for her sake) so Thaddeus continued up the plateau until he came to edge of a glacier. There was no way he was going to climb the ice, but a crack at the base led into an icy cave.

The ice tunnels under the glacier made a formidable maze. Naturally, Minotaurs lived there, as well as strange ice beasts, abominable snowmen, and Succubi. Thaddeus never expected to find Succubi attacking him in an icy cave. Helpless victims and luxurious surroundings were more to their liking. For all their howling and cursing, they were probably the easiest kills he'd had yet; they seemed to have good reason for avoiding open combat. Baal must be in dire need to be using them here. The Minotaurs and snowmen were more formidable; with their speed they could avoid the hammers and quickly close to melee range, where their strength and size made them very dangerous. Ice Beasts, huge and painfully slow, fell to Blessed Hammer almost without Thaddeus noticing.

The ice caverns extended for miles underground. In a deeper level, Thaddeus found zombies in great numbers. He was surprised they weren't frozen solid; they still had enough water in their bodies, and no apparent source of internal heat. Then it occurred to him: none of Baal's other minions were undead. But Nihlathak could raise Arreat's fallen. Thaddeus went deeper into the caves, hammering through wave after wave of monsters, until he found a platform built out into a bubbling pool. On the platform, encased in a shell of crystalline ice, a woman stood shivering in the numbing cold. Through the frost, Thaddeus could see her eyes were open; she looked at him. Nihlathak had been afraid to kill her after all.

The air near the ice prison was noticeably colder than anywhere else under the glacier. The ice itself was frozen harder than rock, and Thaddeus could hardly chip it. When dealing with ice and frost, the best solution Thaddeus could think of was warm water, but that might not be enough here. Malah had a better idea: anoint the ice with burning oil, using a special recipe she knew for thawing ice. It worked like a charm -- Anya walked out of the pile of steaming ice unharmed.

"Thank you, great hero, for rescuing me... who are you?"

"I am Thaddeus, of the order of Protectors of the Word. You must be Anya. We have to go back to Harrogath immediately, so you may tell them about Nihlathak."

"Has he been captured?" she asked hopefully.

"No, he escaped. This is no place to converse, and anything you tell me, you will have to repeat in Harrogath. Let me take you home now."