Chapter 1

The room lit up as torchlight crawled through the opening door. The two entered cautiously and quietly. The first, Oshiah, dressed in the layered garb of a desert dweller with all but his eyes concealed crept along the wall, his hands empty. The second, a living icon of religious presence in battle, Wilgar, strode more dominantly through the door. Spiritual symbols marked upon heavy armor told the tale of his faith and prowess.
As the light filled the room, its stark contents were made clear. The far corner bore the subject of their venture. A brass stand bearing a grand tome stands as the solitary presence in this closed cold room. Oshiah was the first to break the silence. “It appears as if we’ve found it. If the accursed thing didn’t move itself, this would be so much easier.” Wilgar, with a knowing glance, spoke “It is as it should be.” He then strode confidently to the tome and began turning the pages, quickly scanning the words upon them. His lips moved as he skimmed each page, subconsciously speaking the occasional name.
Oshiah turned his back to the Cleric, his eyes narrowing as if he were attempting to listen beyond the door. The Clerics reading suddenly stopped. Oshiah turned just in time to see him become rigid and fall to the floor. A final gasping name, “Yarrokon” escaped his lips as his eyes closed and his body went limp. Oshiah, cautiously looking around, released a controlled breath, expanding his senses. His cautious, silent footsteps, like those of a cat, led him to kneeling by the fallen Cleric. His fingers searched for pressure points on the Clerics upper body. A couple of seconds and he knew his companion was alive and breathing well.
Oshiahs eyes darted about, checking the door for light and movement and then to cast a suspicious gaze upon the tome. Suddenly the painful silence was broken as the door flew open. Three men in metal masks burst in bearing jagged Orcish war implements. Moving with the grace and speed granted him by the rigors of the Shan Ti Temple, Oshiah dove toward them to come up from a roll in front of the lead assailant. His heel shot out from beneath to strike solid on a kneecap. The bone-shattering sound echoing in the small stony chamber. The attacker, yet to even react to the desert wanderer’s aggressive move, yelped in pain and dropped his jagged blade. The attacker on the left, being more responsive than his now-crippled companion, turned to drive his jagged knife into Oshiahs chest, the third bypassing the others, headed for the unmoving cleric.
Quickly, Oshiah spun on the floor, coming to his feet while sweeping the feet from under the attacker with the broken knee and narrowly avoiding a downward chop. As the yelping fiend crumpled to the ground, Oshiah drew his enchanted scimitar from his back in time to deflect the second blow from the determined attacker. With a side-winding whip of the blade, he cleaved the upper thigh of the attacker and dropped the scimitar as his bow leapt from its case and into his hand. The painful groan echoed from the stone walls as the gout of blood gushed from the intruder’s thigh. The third attacker nearing Wilgar raised his blade for a lethal strike. Before his jagged axe could reach its apex, two arrows burst through his body, followed by a third from his throat.
Oshiah, diving away from the two wounded attackers, rolled to his knee facing them with arrows already in flight. Before either could utter a word of surrender, they were both pierced through the chest and lay dead. With a whirling spin, Oshiah clipped the legs of the still standing foe near Wilgar, topping him and dropping a final knee to his throat. His metered breathing the only remaining sound in the room he relaxed the pull on his bow. After tucking his weapons back into their respective places, he leaned over Wilgar. Pressing his fingers into specific points on Wilgars face and neck, he awoke Wilgar with a start. “Wilgar! Wilgar, awaken. Whatever it is that you saw within that tome, it has distracted you from a task at hand." Wilgars voice cracked as he spoke. "He's Alive! The S.O.B. is Alive! Here! Look!" Pointing at the last entry in the book that he was reading right before he hit the floor. "While you were sleeping, we were assaulted by these three.” Oshiah said has he gestured at the mess about the room. “They wear the masks of the Crescent Moon Tribe, a band of Orcs of the Northern Region, but…" removing the mask from the nearest one, "these are no Orcs" revealing the human face of the dead man.
“Can you tell me of this Yarrokon, Wilgar?” “Yeah...he owes me money,” Wilgar said with a smirk. Oshiah, apparently missing the humor in the statement, "Does he have any dealings with Orc tribes of the north? Perhaps this was his attempt to clear his debt to you." “No. The sum is not that great, and I am sure it would be beyond him to stoop so low as to send assassins.” As he stares at the metal mask in Oshiahs hands, Wilgar speaks again “Crescent Moon? That sounds familiar too. But why would humans be parading around in Crescent Moon masks?” Oshiah again, "Their facade implies an attempt at misdirection," as he dropped the mask to the floor. "The Tribe is our only lead currently, but surely whoever they are, they would send more than three, even if they thought to catch either of us alone, these three could not have prevailed." "I agree. So were they sent with the intention of failing? Were we meant to discover this deception?” Wilgar asked.
Looking to his friend’s eyes, Oshiah said "Perhaps. So, is a trap lessened if we walk into it knowingly?" Wilgar said “Considerably...and not at all. Quite the dilemma. Are there any other things of interest we can learn from our attackers? Oh, and Thank You for saving my life here today." Kicking the body nearest him, Oshiah said, "Yes, this one here came directly for you, while I was entangled with the others. It seems they were determined to end your life." As he admired Oshiah’s accurate hits, he replied "Just what I need...” Out of habit, Oshiah checked his weapons and spoke as he walked toward the door. "I'd suggest we not wait here in this room of little purpose. We should go out into the city and perhaps the next assailant will reveal themselves." Wilgar replied with “Always looking for trouble, aren't you?" "I don't need to look for trouble, but I prefer to sleep without worrying that more of these people show up. Might as well go find them." As he passed the two bodies at the door, he stopped to say, "Perhaps if you'd been conscious, one of them may have survived long enough to give us more answers." To which Wilgar said, “I'll be sure to sleep with one eye open next time..." "I think it was that Elvish wine we had for breakfast, made you a little light headed” Oshiah quipped. "The elves sure know how to stomp grapes. I am a bit annoyed at myself for the reaction I had" Wilgar said as he shook his head.