“A historian?” I said, raising my right eyebrow.
“Don’t sound so surprised, lad. We dwarves keep historical records. There are few of us who do it, to be sure, but we do exist. My specialty happens to be the War of the Wizards. I’ve been all over the land to see what happened during the war. I've read records, talked to other historians and even a few wizards, studied artifacts, looked at bones, and visited landmarks. Before my capture, I was out in the Wastelands doing some research and—”
I gasped. “You were in the Wastelands?” I had never heard of anyone going into the Wastelands so casually. The Guardsmen went out, but only for patrols. And they didn't go out alone.
Jastillian laughed. “Calm down, lad. The Wastelands are like any other place; you have to know your way around, that’s all. It’s a barren place, and the inhabitants are dangerous. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll definitely be killed. Ah, but it does have its beauty, and more importantly, its stories.
“I hadn't been in the Graveyard for a few years, but I recently received some new information. I knew it was a long shot, but I wanted to follow up on it. You see, lad, it was said that one of Renak's trusted generals had a special medallion. After the war, his wife buried him with it.”
“Why would his wife bury him with such a valuable object?”
“It wasn't forged of gold or silver. It was a family heirloom, from what I've learned.”
“Then why do you want it?”
“It's a piece of history, lad.” Jastillian looked at me as if I was mad. “It deserves to be restored, preserved, studied, and remembered. Sadly, I never got a chance to see if the information panned out. A storm forced me north, and I was too close to the old city of Masep. I came upon a vast army of creatures in and around the city. They looked like they were preparing for battle. That was unusual, because of the size of the group and the fact that they consisted of many different types of creatures.
“I don’t know if you know this, but most of the Wasteland creatures don’t get along. They like to stick to their own kind. I had to find out what they were up to because with a disciplined force like that, it couldn’t be anything good. If the Wasteland creatures were actually able to unite, then that would spell a lot of trouble for us all.”
I nodded. “Like during the war.”
“Exactly. I captured a couple of goblins and interrogated them. Those small creatures didn’t tell me much, but they did tell me one important thing before I killed them.”
I leaned in close and said, “What did they say?”
“They were preparing for an imminent attack on Alexandria, led by a wizard. A wizard in these parts worried me almost as much as the rumors.” Jastillian’s brow creased.
“Rumors?”
“Aye, lad. Rumors about Alexandria having gone soft and the creatures getting by them. I knew I had to go warn King Furlong. I made my way to Alexandria, but I never got a chance to see the king. Instead, I had to talk to Premier. When I told him what I saw and who I was, Premier had me imprisoned. Only afterwards did I learn that Premier was the wizard.”
I glanced at the fresh scars on his arms and neck. “Why did he torture you instead of killing you?”
Jastillian snapped a rabbit bone in his hand. “He said he needed my expertise.”
“For what?”
“He wouldn't tell me. He questioned me about my travels and where I've been. In normal circumstances, I would be happy to tell anyone about what I've learned. I told him nothing.” Jastillian's glare could destroy mountains. “I've a feeling he's looking for something. Whatever it is, it's very old.”
“Didn't he use magic on you?”
“Aye, that he did.” Jastillian’s eyes wandered momentarily, his pain shining through. He raised his head and met my eyes. His voice was loud and strong as he said, “I may be a historian, but I'm also a warrior and a dwarf. I won't succumb to anyone, not even a wizard. The whole land's at stake. I've no time for pain.”
I nodded. “I could try and heal you.”
“I saw the magic you performed, lad. You're an elemental wizard. From what I know, your kind isn't as skilled with white mana.”
“That may be true, but I could still do my best to help heal you.”
Jastillian shook his head no. “Thanks for the offer, lad. You’ve done enough already. You freed me, and now you’ve just healed my belly.” He laughed again before licking the grease from his fingers.
I didn't laugh. I couldn't help but stare in the direction we’d come from and worry about the aftermath of our escape. “Are you sure you can get the rest of the dwarves to help? They might not want to get involved.” I had a feeling that convincing them would be far harder than the elves. Dwarves could be a very stubborn people. I didn't want to waste my time going to Erlam.