Elysia noticed that all the patrons were looking at the innkeeper strangely, as if he had spoken at the wrong time, or said something they had never expected him to say. But she dismissed that thought. Maybe they were just scared. Who wouldn't be with a servant of the Dark Powers housed in the castle that overlooked the town?
“He is wicked like a dragon with a toothache. Isn't that right, Helmut?"
The peasant the innkeeper had just spoken to froze in place like a rat staring at a snake.
"Isn't that right, Helmut?" the innkeeper repeated.
"It's not so bad," replied the farmer. "Considering how evil warlocks are."
"Why don't you storm the castle?" Frey asked, and Elysia thought that if the dark hero couldn't guess the answer from the beaten-dog looks of those louts he was more stupid than he looked.
"Because the monster is there, sir" replied the farmer at the same time that he dragged his feet and looked at the floor again.
"The monster?" Frey asked with more than a hint of professional interest. "A big monster, I guess."
“Huge, sir. Twice the size of a man and covered in all sorts of hideous mu…, mu…, mu…”
"Mutations?" Elysia suggested.
"Yes ma'am, one of those things."
"Why don't you ask Bergheim for help?" she wanted to know Elysia. “Adventurers would be interested in facing such threats.”
The peasant gave him a look of incomprehension.
“We don't know where Bergheim is, ma'am. None of us has ever been more than half a league from Blutdorf. Who will take care of the wives if we leave the village?”
"And then there are the mutants," chimed in another patron. "The forest is full of them, and they all serve the witcher."
"Also the mutants?" Frey seemed almost cheerful. "I think we're going to visit the castle, Elysia."
"I was afraid of that," Elysia sighed.
"You don't want to say that you want to attack the sorcerer and his monster" said one of the villagers.
"With your help, we will soon rid Blutdorf of that scourge," Elysia answered dryly as she ignored the terrible look Frey gave her.
"No, ma'am, we can't help you."
"Why not? Are you unworthy cowards?
It was a stupid question, but the catgirl thought she had to ask it. It wasn't that she blamed the townspeople for her attitude, as under normal circumstances she would have been less than willing to confront a Warlock and his monstrous pet.
"No, ma'am," replied the man. "It's just that he has our children up there...He's holding them hostage!"
“To your children?”
“Yes ma'am, every last one of them. Him and his monster came down here and took them away. And there was no way to resist then either. When Great Norri tried, the monster tore off his arms and forced him to eat them; it was horrible."
Elysia didn't like the gleam that had appeared in the dark hero's eyes at all.
Frey's enthusiasm to reach the castle and fight the monster radiated throughout the room like the heat of a huge bonfire. The catgirl didn't feel so sure, and she shared the townspeople's lack of enthusiasm for direct confrontation.
“No doubt you will want to free your children,” Elysia commented.
"Yes, but we don't want them to be killed, and the warlock will hand them over to the monster if we give him any trouble."
Elysia looked at Frey, and Frey jerked a thumb meaningfully at the crags where the castle stood.
Elysia realized that he was eager to be on his way, hostages or not, and with a sinking feeling she realized that there would be no way out of this situation. Sooner or later, Ella and Frey would end up paying a visit to the castle. Desperate, she searched for a way to postpone the inevitable.
"This requires a plan," she said. "Innkeeper, pour us some more of that fine ale."
The man smiled and began to pour two mugs while Elysia noticed that Frey was looking at her suspiciously; she then realized that she was not showing the proper enthusiasm for the situation. The innkeeper returned and placed two more mugs of ale before them as he grinned excitedly.
“One for the road,” Elysia said, raising the pitcher, and she took a sip that tasted even worse than the ones she had previously taken. Because of the taste, she wasn't too sure, but she thought the beer had a slight chemical aftertaste. Whatever it was, a few more sips left her dizzy and nauseous. She noticed that Frey had finished his and was ordering another, that the innkeeper was bringing it to her and Frey was gulping it down. Then her eyes widened, she clutched her throat, and then she fell like a felled tree.
It took Elysia a moment to understand what had happened, and she stumbled forward to examine her companion. Her feet felt like lead, her head was spinning, and nausea threatened to overwhelm her. She knew something was wrong there, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was something she had to do with beer. She had never seen Frey fall before, no matter how much she drank, and she herself had never felt so bad, not after drinking a few pitchers.
She turned to look at the innkeeper, the man's silhouette rippling as if she were looking at him through frosted glass. She pointed an accusing finger at him.
“You drugged… I mean drugged… no, I mean you drank our drugs,” she said, and she fell to her knees.
“Thank you for that, Mammon. She thought they would never fall. I've put enough on the big guy to knock down two horses.
Elysia fumbled for the sword, but her fingers were numb and she slumped back into darkness.
“And it costs me a gold coin a pinch,” the innkeeper muttered. His sulky voice was the last thing Elysia heard before she slipped into unconsciousness. "Mr. Roger, however, will pay me well for two such fine specimens."
♦ ♦ ♦
"Wake up, Elysia!"
Her deep voice thundered somewhere near Elysia's ear, and she tried to ignore it in the hope that it would leave her and allow her to return to her dream.
"Wake up, Elysia, or I swear I'll go there and strangle you with these very chains!"
Then there was a note of menace in her voice that convinced Elysia that she had better pay attention to him. She opened her eyes…and she wished she hadn't.
Even the dim light from the single swaying torch that illuminated her cell was too bright, and her faint glow hurt his eyes. In a way, it was the right thing to do because she made them match the rest of her body. Her pulse was pounding inside her skull, like a hammered gong, and she felt as if someone had used her head for kick practice. Her mouth was dry as a desert and her tongue felt as if someone had rubbed it with sandpaper.
"I have the worst hangover of my life," she muttered as she licked her lips nervously.
“It's not a hangover. Us…"
"They drugged us, I know."
Elysia realized that she was standing and that she had her hands raised above her head and something heavy strapped to her ankles. She tried to lean over to see what it was, but she found that she couldn't move. She looked up to see that she was hanging in shackles with chains attached to a large iron hoop attached to the wall above her. This was confirmed by her as she looked across the room and saw that Frey was being held by the same system.
Frey hung from the chains like a beef in the butcher's shop. As expected he didn't have his powerful armor with him. But even if she Frey possessed an imposing appearance.
She looked around the cell; they were in a large room, paved with heavy slabs of stone, on the walls of which were a dozen sets of similar chains and shackles; from the farthest one hung a strangely deformed skeleton. Against the wall to the left stood a workbench littered with stills and charcoal burners, as well as other alchemist's instruments. In the center of the room, there was a huge pentagram drawn in chalk and surrounded by peculiar hieroglyphics. At each of the five-pointed star crossings, a beast-man skull appeared, supporting an unlit candle made of wax.
To the right of the cell, a stone staircase led up to a solid door, in which there was a small round window through which a few rays of sunlight filtered into the inner darkness; Near the foot of the stairs Elysia saw her sword, Frey's armor, and Frey's greatsword. She then experienced a brief sense of hope. Whoever she'd disarmed them hadn't been very thorough in searching her, for she could still feel the weight of the throwing dagger she carried concealed in her forearm sheath. Of course, there was no way she could use it with her arms in shackles, but somehow it was comforting to know that she had it.
The air was stale and fetid. In the distance, Felix thought he heard screams, songs, and bestial roars, like a combination of the noises of a hospital for the insane and a zoo. Nothing in the situation in which they found themselves reassured him.
"Why did the innkeeper drug us?" Elysia asked.
“He was in cahoots with the sorcerer; it's obvious."
"Or I was afraid of him." If she could, the catgirl would have shrugged. "Anyway, I wonder why we're still alive."
A high-pitched snigger answered the question. The heavy door creaked open, and two figures blocked the light. There was a brief flash as someone struck a match, and then a lantern was lit and catgirl could see the source of the mocking laughter.
"Good question, Elysia, and it will be my great pleasure to answer you."
"There's something very familiar about that voice." Elysia thought. She was sharp, nasal, and deeply unpleasant, and she had heard it before.
She narrowed her eyes, looking towards the stairs, and distinguished the owner of that voice, which was as unpleasant as herself. He was a tall, skinny man, dressed in gray robes, faded, battered, and patched at sleeves and elbows. Around his gaunt neck hung a chain with a huge amulet. His long, slender fingers were covered in rune-engraved rings, and topped with long, blackened nails. A great upturned collar framed his pale, sweaty face, and a silver-trimmed skullcap crowned his head.
Behind the man was a hulking creature that towered over the man by half a body in height and weighed four times his weight. Perhaps once he had been a human being, but then he was the size of an ogre. Large patches of hair had fallen out, and her head and his skin were covered in huge pustules. The features of his face were misshapen and monstrous, his teeth like millstones. He had arms even more muscular than Frey's and thicker than Elysia's thighs, and hands the size of banquet trays. The callused, sausage-sized fingers seemed poised to crack a stone, and Elysia found herself unable to meet the thing's eyes, so she turned her attention back to the human.
He had a sharp, lined face; Madness gleamed in his palest blue eyes, only half concealed by the steel-rimmed glasses. His nose was long, thin, and topped by a very large wart, and snot hung from it. The man laughed again, sniffed the mucus back into his nostrils, and wiped away with a sleeve. Then, his dignity restored, he threw back his head and walked determinedly down the stairs. But this effect of impressive sorcerous dignity was somewhat spoiled when he nearly stepped on the edge of his robe and fell headlong.
It was this last detail that triggered Elysia's memory and brought back the memory of her.
"Ulber?" I ask. Ulber Roger?"Do not call me that way!" The man's voice approached the scream. "Address me as 'Sir'.""Do you know this idiot?" Frei asked.Elysia nodded. Ulber Roger was a philosophy friend of Elysia's owner before the catgirl had murdered her mistress and escaped from her. He had been a quiet young man, very studious and could always be found in libraries according to his mistress. He had probably never exchanged more than a dozen words with her in the two years he had been friends with her mistress. He also remembered that Roger had vanished. There was a bit of a scandal… something to do with some missing library books, and he also remembered that some Inquisitors had shown interest."Stop!" Roger yelled at him in his thin, irritating voice. "You are my prisoners and you will do as I command for the remainder of your wretched lives."“Will we do as you bid us for the rest of our worthless lives?” Elysia looked
“Take the sword!” Elysia yelled at him.But the stunned Frey was in no condition to heed the advice, and besides, he wanted to spill blood. He took an unsteady step toward Oleg, who was standing where he had left him, howling as he clutched his nose. Then, hearing Frey's staggering footsteps, she looked up and let out a tremendous bellow of anger and pain. He rushed toward his foe, crouching low and arms outstretched, intending to once again ensnare the dark hero in a deadly embrace. Frey remained where he was as the monster charged into a thunderous race towards him, as unstoppable as a runaway horse-drawn chariot.Elysia didn't want to look… The mutant was big enough to crush Frey, but she couldn't look away in horror.Oleg reached where Frey was. His massive arms began to close, but at the last second Frey ducked and dove between the monster's legs, then spun around and lashed out with the chain, which wrapped around the mutant's ankle. Fre
After the terrible events and harrowing adventures we had to endure in Riverheim, my companion and I fled southwest, choosing any path at random. We use the means of displacement that were presented to us; barges, cars or carts. And we turned to feet when all else failed.Those were hard times and I felt scared. It seemed that at every turn we were in danger of being arrested for imprisonment or execution. He saw bailiffs in every tavern and hit men behind every bush. If the Dark Hero suspected that things might be different, he never bothered to inform me of it.For someone as ignorant of the true state of the Kaleth Empire's legal system as I was at the time, it seemed likely that the entire apparatus of that powerful and sprawling government was bent on apprehending a runaway slave such as myself; for this reason I begged my companion, the dark hero, to move away from the border of the empire.At that time, I had no idea of the weak and random way in which the mandates of the law
A little further down the road leading away from the Coralyn barony, the two came to an Inn called 'the stone circle'. The windows were shuttered and there were no lights to be seen; they could hear neighing coming from the stables, but when they looked they saw no carriage, black or otherwise, just some skittish ponies and a traveling merchant's cart. “We have lost the carriage. The best thing will be to get a bed for the night.” Elysua suggested, casting a wary glance at the moon, whose chilling silver glow was stronger. “I don't feel calm outside tonight. I have a bad feeling." “You are weak, cat girl, and cowardly.” "They will have beer." "On the other hand, some of your suggestions are not without merit, although the beer of this country is watered down." "Of course" replied Elysia. Frey did not detect the ironic tone of her voice. The inn was not fortified, but it had thick walls, and when they tried to open the door they found that it was barred. Frey pummeled her with he
"She was lucky." Elysia commented dryly.“No need to scoff, miss. We went to the Circle of Stones and found all kinds of traces in the disturbed earth, including the tracks of humans, beasts and cloven-hoofed demons, and a disembowelled calf on the altar.”“Cleft-hoofed demons?” Frey asked, and Elysia didn't like the look of interest in her eyes.The pedlar nodded."I would not venture to the Circle of Stones tonight." he replied "not for all the gold of the Kingdom.""It would be a suitable quest for a hero." declared Frey while giving Elysia a meaningful look, who felt shocked and flustered."Surely you don't mean that..."“What better mission for a hero than to face those demons on his holy night? It would be a magnificent death.""It would be a stupid death." Elysia muttered."What have you said?""Nothing.""You'll come with me, won't you?" Frey said in a threatening tone as he absentmindedly placed his hand on the hilt of the sword."A promise is a promise". he replied, at the s
They walked wearily through the forest. Overhead, the moon shone with chilling light; the moon had grown even brighter and now its silvery glow lit up the sky. A fine mist had fallen, and the terrain they were advancing on was bleak and wild. Rocks rose from the peat like the eruption of a plague breaking out on the world's skin.Sometimes Elysia thought she heard the flapping of huge wings above them, but when she looked up she saw only the glow of the sky. The fog spread and distorted the surroundings in such a way that it seemed that both of them were walking on the bottom of an unearthly sea.“I have a bad feeling about this place.” Elysia thought. The air tasted foul, and the fur on her tail was constantly standing on end. Once, when she was a child, on the estate of her owners, she had sat and watched the sky turn black with menacing clouds. Then the most monstrous storm she could remember had come. She then experienced the same expectant feeling, and she knew that powerful forc
The air was calm. From time to time, Elysia thought she perceived presences stirring in the surrounding trees and she, she nervously, stood still, trying to penetrate the mist that surrounded her with her eyes in search of moving shadows. Her encounter with her corrupt one had made her fully understand how dangerous the situation was, and she felt deep within her fear and anger.Some of her anger was directed at herself for being afraid. She felt dizzy and embarrassed, and she decided that no matter what happened, she wasn't going to repeat the mistake of sitting still like a sheep to be killed."What was that?" Elysia asked, and Frey looked at her. “Don't you hear, Frey? Listen! It's like a chant!" Frey strained to catch the sound, but heard nothing. “We are close, very close.”They continued to advance in silence, and as they moved through the mist, Elysia became even more wary; she left the path and took advantage of the tall grass to take cover. Frey followed her.So at that momen
I can't remember exactly how we decided to head into the gloomy mountains in search of the lost gold of an old, abandoned dwarf fortress, but I remember that, like many important resolutions from that period of my life, it was one we made in a tavern under the influence of huge amounts of alcohol. I also remember an old, toothless dwarf repeatedly babbling the word gold, and I have vivid memory of the insane gleam that appeared in my companion's eyes as he listened to the tale.Perhaps it was typical of the Dark Hero to be willing to risk his life and limb in the wildest, most barren territory he could imagine, no matter how tenuous the provocation. Or maybe it was the characteristic 'gold rush' effect that the vast majority of people tend to suffer when they find a way to get money quickly. As I was to discover later, the lure of that shiny metal has a tremendous and terrifying power over the minds of all relatively civilized beings.In any case, the decision to leave
“Take the sword!” Elysia yelled at him.But the stunned Frey was in no condition to heed the advice, and besides, he wanted to spill blood. He took an unsteady step toward Oleg, who was standing where he had left him, howling as he clutched his nose. Then, hearing Frey's staggering footsteps, she looked up and let out a tremendous bellow of anger and pain. He rushed toward his foe, crouching low and arms outstretched, intending to once again ensnare the dark hero in a deadly embrace. Frey remained where he was as the monster charged into a thunderous race towards him, as unstoppable as a runaway horse-drawn chariot.Elysia didn't want to look… The mutant was big enough to crush Frey, but she couldn't look away in horror.Oleg reached where Frey was. His massive arms began to close, but at the last second Frey ducked and dove between the monster's legs, then spun around and lashed out with the chain, which wrapped around the mutant's ankle. Fre
"Ulber?" I ask. Ulber Roger?"Do not call me that way!" The man's voice approached the scream. "Address me as 'Sir'.""Do you know this idiot?" Frei asked.Elysia nodded. Ulber Roger was a philosophy friend of Elysia's owner before the catgirl had murdered her mistress and escaped from her. He had been a quiet young man, very studious and could always be found in libraries according to his mistress. He had probably never exchanged more than a dozen words with her in the two years he had been friends with her mistress. He also remembered that Roger had vanished. There was a bit of a scandal… something to do with some missing library books, and he also remembered that some Inquisitors had shown interest."Stop!" Roger yelled at him in his thin, irritating voice. "You are my prisoners and you will do as I command for the remainder of your wretched lives."“Will we do as you bid us for the rest of our worthless lives?” Elysia looked
Elysia noticed that all the patrons were looking at the innkeeper strangely, as if he had spoken at the wrong time, or said something they had never expected him to say. But she dismissed that thought. Maybe they were just scared. Who wouldn't be with a servant of the Dark Powers housed in the castle that overlooked the town?“He is wicked like a dragon with a toothache. Isn't that right, Helmut?"The peasant the innkeeper had just spoken to froze in place like a rat staring at a snake."Isn't that right, Helmut?" the innkeeper repeated."It's not so bad," replied the farmer. "Considering how evil warlocks are.""Why don't you storm the castle?" Frey asked, and Elysia thought that if the dark hero couldn't guess the answer from the beaten-dog looks of those louts he was more stupid than he looked."Because the monster is there, sir" replied the farmer at the same time that he dragged his feet and looked at the floor again."The
The idea must occur to readers of these pages from time to time that my companion and I were under the influence of some curse.Without any effort on our part, and without any desire on my part, we managed to meet all manner of worshipers of the Dark Ones. I myself often suspected that we were really doomed to oppose his plans without ever understanding why; but such speculation never bothered the Dark Hero.Frey took all such events as they came, with a groan and a resigned shrug, and dismissed any such speculation as that of a useless and vain philosopher.However, I have thought long and hard on the matter, and I have the feeling that if there is a power in this world that opposes the servants of evil, perhaps it was the one who sometimes guided our steps and even protected us. What is certain is that we often stumbled upon some of the most outrageous and malevolent schemes perpetrated by the most unlikely of evildoers...Elysia, 'The Adventures of the
The desire to kill reverberated through Jasmine's brain, and the darkness rooted in her soul threatened to overtake her completely. Madness bubbled through her veins, and bloodlust flooded her as if she were a drug; her carnage gave him ecstatic pleasure. She wanted to find the black-armored warrior and kill him, for of all the enemies she had faced, he was the most powerful: a worthy offering indeed to the god of Wrath. At the last second, when she was about to brush aside his sword and kill him, her fate, in the form of her own idiotic followers of hers, had intervened to separate them. She wanted to find him again and finish the fight.And then she saw the girl. As if against her will, she gazed at the frightened little face that peeked out from where she was hiding. He knew what he had to do, because it was time to end this once and for all, to take the first step on the path that would end in eternal life, to take advantage of the opportunity offered to him of a glorious
Jasmine watched as the great cannon blasted the third breach in the city wall, then decided enough was enough. They had to save powder for the next fortification they came to, and the gaps were big enough for their soldiers to squeeze through. The defenders were tired and bewildered, so the time had come. She signaled to the bugler, and he sounded the advance blast. Marching to the beat of the human-skinned drums, the beastmen sprang into motion.Jasmine felt the thirst for blood rise within her, and with it, her desire to offer souls to the god of Wrath. She that night she would make him a great offering.♦ ♦ ♦Elysia watched as the tide of beastmen surged across the grounds, and archers began firing from the ramparts. They chose their targets calmly, methodically, and efficiently, and fired. Arrows pierced the darkness, piercing chests, throats, and bestial eyes. As the infernal drums beat, the relentless bloodthirsty beastmen continued to adva
Elysia watched the clouds overhead, racing across the sky like a mass that twisted and undulated in a strong wind. The color of the forest had changed from a light green to a darker, more ominous hue; she seemed as if the trees, like everything else, were waiting.She was standing on the parapet at the top of the wooden wall, and she was looking across the fields, straining to catch any sign of movement in the undergrowth. By her calculations, it was the end of the afternoon. Next to her was Frey, who was looking at his sword with disinterest. Every ten paces along the wall there was an archer, one of the woodcutters, men who could hit an ox's eye from two hundred paces, and measuring the distance between them and the line of trees, Elysia realized. realized that this was a slaughterhouse. Any attackers would get bogged down in the plowed fields and be easy targets for archers.She tried to let that thought reassure her, but she couldn't. Night in the woods was not lik
Elysia looked up at the ornate golden hammer that gleamed in the early morning light streaming through the open door of the temple. The runes etched into the Hammer's head reminded him of the ones adorning the blade of her own sword, but that didn't surprise him too much. Her sword had been the most prized possession of an Order of paladins and it seemed only fitting that the sword be engraved with holy signs.There were few people present; only some old women who were sitting cross-legged on the floor and praying. The babies with their mothers were outside, getting the cool while they could, and Elysia guessed the air might be unbreathable in there with the doors closed.The temple was a simple sanctuary with a simple altar, except for the presence of the Hammer, which was used to bless marriages and contracts. The Father, The Mother and The Son were not very popular deities there, since most of the woodcutters looked to Belial, Lord of the Forests and God of the Eart
Kat hurried toward the base of the watchtower because she felt the need to be alone. She had grown tired of sitting by the large central bonfire, and not even Frey's presence reassured her. She felt very alone in the midst of all those busy adults; in reality, there was no one with whom she could talk, and for the first time she realized that she no longer knew anyone in this world and that she had no place in it. Her flames reminded him too much of the Kleinsdorf fires. The ladder barely creaked under her bare feet as she climbed toward the trapdoor with the agility of a monkey.Elysia was sitting alone, and she was looking into the darkness. She had long since set the sun like a bloodstain on the horizon; the moon had risen through the sky, its silvery light bathing the surroundings. A gentle breeze cooled Kat's cheeks and made the forest whisper and murmur ominously. Elysia watched him mesmerized, lost in her own thoughts, and she hurried across the tower and sat down besi