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2024-10-29 19:42:56“I think I have found the inspiration for a new work.” declared Manfred Von Deyl enthusiastically. "The delightful story the hunter told last night will be the core of the plot."
Elysia looked at him doubtfully. They advanced along the western flank of the caravan, keeping between the chariots and the ominous mountains.
“Perhaps the hunter's story is more than just a tale, Manfred. Many ancient legends contain real facts.”
"Of course! Of course! Who better to know than me? I think I will title this work Where the legends walk. Think about it: powerful spells that make the earth rumble, and the metallic sheen of legendary weapons gleaming in the haunted light of the moon. Imagine the figure of the god of the dead who remains unbeatable in the midst of battles."
Looking at those accursed elevations, it was very easy for Elysia to imagine such things. Of all the people following Baron Von Deyl, only three people dared to enter the hills. During the day, Dr. Stock and Mrs. Winter searched for herbs among the mossy rocks on the stony slopes. If they returned late, they would sometimes run into Frey, as he roamed the hills at night, as if he were trying to challenge the powers of Darkness.
“Imagine…” continued Manfred almost whispering. “Imagine that you are asleep in bed and you hear footsteps approaching, although you only perceive your breathing… Could you be lying there, listening to the strong beat of your heart and knowing that nothing stirs inside the chest of whoever approaches you? ”
"Yes." Elysia hastened to say. “I am sure it will be an excellent work. You have to let him read it as soon as you've finished it."
She decided to change the subject, and tried to find one that might be attractive to this strange young man.
“I am thinking of writing a novel. Could you tell me more about the Von Deyl Curse?”
Manfred's face froze, and his brilliant gaze made Elysia shiver; however, she promptly shook her head, smiled, and resumed her affable manner.
“There is little to tell.” and she gave a merry little laugh. “My father was a very devout man, and he was always burning witches, mutants, greenskins and beastmen to prove it. On a Halloween night, he roasted a pretty girl accused of witchcraft. All the subjects came to watch, because she was a beauty. When the flames already rose around the girl, she promised that they would pay for her actions; After a week, the one who in a few years would be the emperor arrived, a young Sebastian Kaisar Octavio arrived with his entourage, in said entourage was a charming girl who seemed to be the same age as the young heir, it was the same girl that it had been burned a week ago.” He fell silent and cast a dark gaze toward the hills.
"And what happened?" Elysia wanted to know.
“Shortly after the arrival of the heir, Sebastian simply invited my family to a banquet at the imperial palace. Throughout the trip the heir scoffed at how kind and caring his close friend was, we tried to ask about his friend but all our questions were ignored. During dinner my father was forced to sit next to the emperor's dear friend, the very friend my father had burned. After the week and after returning to our territory, tragedies began to emerge, the first to suffer the curse was my father who was killed by a pack of beastmen while hunting. Slowly every member of my family fell away until only my uncle and I remained.”
“That's creepy. Did they try to do something?
“We tried everything.” Manfred replied. “Clergymen tried to dispel the curse. The sorcerer who comes from the clan that serves my family made a potion to turn bad luck into good luck. A magician from the imperial magic academy investigated the case but found nothing. A spiritualist tried to talk to the spirits of ghosts to find answers. Nothing worked, we only got a glimpse of seeing when we managed to get help from a witch, the black magic user told us that the curse was imposed by something higher than the power of mortals."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that the Emperor's mistress and future empress is possibly a powerful demon with the body of a beautiful woman."
As Elysia pondered the darkness that fell over the Empire, she saw a figure approaching, coming up the slope. It was old Winter, and she seemed to be in a great hurry.
"Did she disappear?" Elysia asked.
“Yes, she vanished. It wasn't until much later that I found out what had happened to him."
Frau Winter moved closer just as she glared at Manfred.
"Bad news." she announced. “I have discovered an opening in the side of the mountain, higher up. It is sealed by rune stones, but I feel that a terrible danger lurks behind it.”
The tone of her voice made him believe her. Mrs. Winter continued at full speed into the camp as Manfred's eyes darted daggers at her back. Elysia looked up at him.
“There is no affection between you, right?”
"She hates me; she has since my uncle named me heir. She thinks the next baron should be her son."
Elysia raised an eyebrow.
“Oh yes, don't you know? Dieter is her son, and my father's bastard son."
♦ ♦ ♦
The moonlight reflected off the river water, which shone like liquid silver. Gnarled ancient trees hung over the banks, like trolls waiting. Nervously, Frey turned her head. "There's something weird in the air tonight." He had a feeling that something was wrong.
He had to fight to control the impression that evil was moving behind him, hungry for life, for the lives of all the people who made up Baron Garfield's retinue.
“Are you okay, Frey? Tonight you seem distracted.” Krisvel commented.
He turned his eyes to the girl and smiled. Normally, he enjoyed those evening walks along the river, but tonight an omen interfered with his tranquility. The bristling hair on the back of his neck told her so.
"I'm just tired." Inevitably, he cast a glance toward the nearby mountains. In the moonlight, the opening looked very much like a gaping maw.
“It's this place, right? There is something supernatural about him; I can feel it. It's like when Mrs. Winter casts one of her dangerous spells on her; then she makes the hair on the back of her neck stand up. But this is much worse.”
Frey watched as terror surfaced on Krisvel's face, then disappeared. Krisvel looked out over the water.
“Something ancient and evil dwells in those hills, Frey; something that is hungry. We can die here.” Frey took her hand and looked straight into Krisvel's eyes.
"We'll be safe as long as I'm here."
However, his voice trembled, and the words did not sound reassuring. He spoke like an insecure child, and they both flinched.
“All the people in the camp are scared except you and your friend, Frey. Why are they so fearless?
"Elysia trusts me, she knows what I'm capable of." Frey replied with a light laugh. "I have a personal mission to perform great acts worthy of a hero regardless of whether they may lead to my death."
“If you have that goal, why does she follow you? Elysia seems like a sensible girl.”
Frey carefully pondered what he was going to reply. The truth was that he had never considered in detail the reasons that prompted his partner to use him as protection. But looking into Krisvel's dark eyes, it suddenly seemed important to know what they were.
“I saved her life, and after that I promised that I would take care of her.” Although he had laid out the facts for her in a general way, he had not given her a detailed explanation.
She looked at him questioningly.
"Do you have feelings for her?"
Frey shrugged his shoulders, it was foolish to hide the truth.
“And what about you? What has brought you to the riverbank?"
They approached a fallen tree, and Frey helped Krisvel up the trunk; then he jumped up to sit next to her. The girl smoothed the folds of her long peasant dress and tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. Frey thought that she looked adorable in the moonlight. The mist was beginning to form.
Looking around her somewhat paranoid, he realized that there was no danger, so he decided to unfasten her helmet and then remove it from her head.
“My parents were vassals of Baron Garfield, his servants for years. I was hired as Mrs. Winter's apprentice as I have a certain talent for magic. They died in an avalanche in the gray mountains, along with my sisters.”
"I am sorry." Frei answered. "I did not know, I did not know it."
Krisvel shrugged resignedly.
“There have been so many deaths along the way. I simply thank you for being here.”
He was silent for a long moment, and when he spoke again, he did so in a sweet voice.
"I miss them."
Frey couldn't think of anything to say, so she remained silent.
"You know? My grandmother, in all her life, never left the place of her birth. She never saw the interior of that old baron's castle. The only thing she knew was her cabin and the land where she worked. I have already seen mountains, cities and rivers. I have come much further than she dared to dream. In a way, I'm glad."
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Frey looked at Krisvel, although his cheeks were in shadow, he saw a tear shine. Their faces were very close to each other. Behind them, the wisps of mist rising from the river's surface had thickened rapidly, and they could barely see the water. Krisvel moved closer to the powerful figure of Frey."If he hadn't come this far, he wouldn't have met you."They kissed awkwardly, tentatively, barely touching lips. Then, Frey bent down to take her long hair in her hands. They leaned toward each other again, embracing more greedily as the second kiss deepened. Passionate, hands began to travel and explore the other's body over the thick layer of cloth that covered Krisvel's body and the robust plate armor that Frey possessed.They leaned in too far, and Krisvel gave a little exclamation as they fell from the trunk of the tree and sprawled on the soft, damp earth."My armor and cloak are muddy." Frei said.“Perhaps it would be better if you took it
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Elysia ducked just as an arrow splintered the wood of the parapet before her. She bent down to pick up a crossbow from the hand of the guard who had been killed when an arrow pierced her neck. From her He groped for a bolt and struggled to load the weapon with it; finally, she got it.She jumped to her feet. Fire arrows flashed overhead like shooting stars, and from behind her came the smell of burning. Elysia looked down from the parapet, and she saw the goblin wolf riders surrounding the camp like a pack of beasts rounding up a herd of sheep. She saw the green skin of the horsemen gleam in the light of the flaming arrows, which also highlighted the yellow of their eyes and fangs."There must be hundreds of them." Elysia thought, and she mentally thanked Frey for the presence of the moat, the stakes, and the wooden wall that her partner had made them build. At the time, it had seemed like an unnecessary effort to them, and Frey was cursed by everyone; but now the cons
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The corpulent corpse of Dieter lay in the doorway of the Baron's bedroom with one side of his head caved in. Elysia imagined she would bolt out the door in a rage when a prepared enemy struck her from the side.She leaped like a lioness over the body, rolling to the ground before standing up and looking around the room. The old baron lay in bed with a knife through his heart, his blood soaking the bandages on his chest and the sheets.The catgirl glared at the chair Manfred was sitting on. He had the sword stained with blood."The curse has been fulfilled at last." the playwright stated in a strained voice, which also contained a high-pitched note of hysteria.He looked up, and Elysia shivered because Manfred's face seemed like a mask, as if something strange was looking at her from inside her."I knew it was my destiny to end the curse." declared Manfred as if making a comment to pass the time. “I knew it from the moment I killed my mother.
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After the calamitous events with the Von Deyls, we set off deep into the shadowy mountains. It was a long and hard journey, and the mountains we traversed didn't make it any easier. The hunger, the hardships and the constant threat of the goblins that roamed the area did not help my mental state; perhaps I was particularly sensitive when I first beheld the dingy grandeur of the ancient ruined city-fortress of the dwarves, lost among those remote peaks for so long. In any case, I remember that I had a terrible omen regarding what we were going to find in it and, as will be seen, my fears were fully justified...Elysia, 'The Adventures of the Dark Hero', vol. I,Printed in Riverheim, Arcadia.♦ ♦ ♦A scream echoed through the cold mountain air, and Elysia drew her sword and went on guard. Snowflakes were falling and an icy wind ruffled her long black hair. She threw her woolen cloak over her right shoulder to fr
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“In the name of the son, you have been well! We were in a bit of trouble,” declared the tall, dark-haired warrior, at the same time making the Sign of the cult of the triumvirate on his chest. He was a handsome man despite his rough appearance. His armor, though dented, was of the highest quality, and the intensity of his gaze made Elysia uncomfortable. "Apparently, gentlemen, we owe you our lives" added the sorcerer, who was also richly dressed. His brocade robe was edged with gold thread, and scrolls covered in mystic symbols were attached to rings that adorned it. His long blond hair was cut in a peculiar way, since from the center of the wavy strands rose a crest although it was somewhat short. Elysia wondered if it was the badge of some mystical order. The armored man's laugh rang out like thunder. “It is the prophecy, Johann. Didn't the priestess say that one of our brothers from Lothal would help us? Praise be to the father! It's a good sign, no doubt." <
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“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
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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
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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
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Demonic Knight, part 13
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
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Demonic Knight, part 12
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
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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
