Chapter 439: Vige of Earn [4]


    The cave at first nce was hidden. Trees and nature made sure the entrance be concealed. If it wasn’t’ for the scent of mana, the opening would have gone unnoticed. To what extent did the path inside lead. The question wandered around his mind. Before setting foot inside, Staxius walked around the rock to observe for irregrities. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary – tis was clear that none had roamed around these parts for a few weeks, even months.


    ‘This is very interesting,’ after parting the leaves and veins before the entrance, ‘-the mana is more apparent inside.’ The footing wasn’t stable, any sharp movement and one would slide along the steep slope. The rugged edges would deter the wisest of men from continuing. A natural no-entry sign. Ignoring the unstableness, he threaded along gently and with care. Pebbles, set free by his steps, rushed down the slope until echoes of their stops returned. ‘There surely isn’t anyone using this ce as a hideout, is there?’ Reaching the half-way mark; wings sprouted to ease the vexing journey.


    Pitch darkness, he arrived, the vexing slope reclined into an open space. Droplets of water fell into smaller ponds. An impending regr strike of a bell, tis was the atmosphere.


    Continuing forth, the vampiric blood allowed for sight. Only after walking another few meters that the trace of a man appeared. Rusted tools, unused irons which were of bad quality thrown in piles.


    ‘I knew it,’ thought he triumphantly. The pathway narrowed until a close-heavy iron gate. Muffled whimpering, masked by the vastness of the cave system, came into the ears. ‘There are people here. The mana I sensed were of those who’ve gone beyond ‘human’. A push against the gate showed no sign of movement. *ng, ng,* the hinges broke. *Douf,* the gate fell with an ear breaking cacophony. So much for being quiet. Metal restraints were lined against the right corner of the area. Some held the remains of old skeletons whilst other, newer ones as told by the shininess of the metal, were empty. The walls weren’t straight either, it held a slope that led onto a drain. The prior stain of liquid, presumably, blood, showed which path it once took. Presumably blood, for there were also other ces where the same contraption was used as torture devices. Locals named it the Oil Driver – boiling oil would be thrown from atop and left to dribble onto the victims.


    ‘Looks different,’ he squatted at the drain, ‘-the Oil Driver are normally built atop a spike trap. In case the restrain are melted with the oil, the victim is left to painfully glide into their death. Very barbaric way of torture. The drains are peculiar,’ he stood to follow the path. It led down towards another part of the cave. An altar of stone with the distorted crest of the Krestonian god. The would-be blood flowed along until reaching the final destination, the table.


    ‘I guess the Cult of Kreton is here,” thought he staring at the monolith besides the tform. ‘-what sort of experiments are they conducting?’


    .....


    “-P-please, h-help us...” came the fatigued voice of a young boy. Another tight corridor led towards a cell. Rats squeaked; the buzzing of flies paired with the awful stench of death.


    Two children were locked behind the tight cell. A boy and a girl, the former had bruises and cuts all over the face and chest, whilst the girl remained rtively unharmed. He wore a single boot, ‘-Alia and Peo, the kids who went missing.’


    “P-please, n-no m-more,” said the boy seeing the dark shadow, “-I c-can’t t-take it a-any longer.”


    “Calm down,” said he conjuring a me atop his palm, “-I came because I heard screaming, are you ok?”


    “W-who a-are you?” asked the boy.


    “A traveler, are you Alia and Peo?”


    “Yes,” replied the boy, “-this here is Alia, my cousin.”


    “I was right. Is Alia alright, why doesn’t she speak?” the light from the me didn’t help for the girl remained hidden behind the boy.


    “T-they burnt her tongue,” said Peo on the verge of crying, “-please, mister, help us, I don’t want to stay here anymore.”


    ‘What are the cult thinking?’ *WOOSH,* a massive ax narrowly missed his nose tond at the feet. ‘-Why didn’t I sense him?’ The palms reached for the head, *Death Element: Void me – Fire st,* the armored body fell.


    “Are there any more of them?”


    “N-no,” whispered Peo.


    ‘Being kept captive must be hard,’ the doors opened, ‘-living beside the dposed corpse of other victims, what a shame.’


    “Can you walk?” asked he quick to kneel and check on the kids.


    “I can,” said Peo, “-but Alia can’t,” the boy pointed at her feet. ‘Dark-rashes.’


    “Fine,” he stood in the middle, “-let’s go.” He carried them out using both arms, one for each kid.


    “Where were you in the forest. Don’t your parents say the ce is bad for kids to go wander into?”


    “I know, but the vige leader said mother called us at the barn. We used to y there and I knew the road.” The girl fell asleep in his arms whilst the boy kept on gritting. The pain of moving about had the fingers trembling, yet, he didn’tin. Being rescued was most important.


    ‘The vige leader is a member of the cult. I can’t take them to the hospice either. They’ll be in danger, the vige’s ominous, I can’t trust the locals to help.’


    “Sorry, but I have to use magic, can you endure it a bit longer?”


    “Y-yes,” said the boy closing his eyes.


    ‘A very strong boy, I’m proud.’ *Ancient Magic: Teleportation.*


    “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” screamed M in a peculiar position.


    “No time to exin,” said he ignoring her routine of doing yoga aided by the television. “-I need to use the bedroom, is that ok?”


    “Yeah sure,” said she straightening the back, “-aren’t those?”


    “Yeah, Peo and Alia.”


    “Wait, I’ll go call the doctor.”


    “DON’T!” screamed he across, “-they’ll be in more danger if they know.”


    “What then?”


    “Don’t do anything,” said he putting the girl to rest. Peo needed first aid; the injuries weren’t mortal but severe and at risk of infection. “Close the door, do you have a first aid kit?”


    “Y-yeah, it’s in the cupboard.”


    “Hey, mister, are you sure about not telling the doctor?”


    “Don’t worry,” smiled he, “-I know how to treat a wound or two.” Sat beside a small table, the wooden-floored room with a ted roof and circr windows had ample lighting. The ce was neat and tidy, Alia slept as if a kitten.


    ‘The injures are far worse than I imagined,’ thought he examining the wounds.


    “Master, shall I send forth a healing potion?” intervened éir.


    “Yes.” No time wasted; five sks of Rare Healing potions materialized on the table. ‘Guess the distance travel spell is active.’ Thus, treating the wounds, the procedure ended with the healing potion. A green light came from out the boy, the treated wounds restored to normal.


    “T-thank you, sir,” before adding another word, the overwhelming tiredness of mana exhaustion knocked him out.


    ‘Now for her,’ walked to the other side of the bed, ‘-I don’t see any visible injuries.’ He opened her mouth without tact, ‘-they marked her with a curse of mana transfusal. Blood from the boy and mana from the girl, what are they trying to summon?’ *Death Element: Mana Canction – Nullification.* *Tsst* the spell broke.


    *Present and never changing, present and never yielding. All who wait break and all made are subjected to thine will. I, God of Death, the humble inheritor of thy power; call upon thee to have mine will answered: Time Control – Reversal.*


    “Should just about do it,” thought he tucking them in bed.


    *Click,* “-are they alright?” asked the overzealous M.


    “Calm down,” said he with a finger on the mouth, “-let them sleep.” The door shut.


    “Sorry, but, are they?”


    “There wasn’t anything to worry about,” he nced the foot, “-is there something you’re hiding?”


    “What do you mean?” she frowned with arms crossed.


    “The rash,” stated he, “-not normal, is it?”


    “What brings that conclusion about?”


    “The girl,” he nodded to the room, “-she has the same rash.”


    “So, what does it have to do with me?”


    “Listen here,” two steps forth and they practically bumped heads, “-I don’t want you to end up the same as the man yesterday. M, sister of Rasu, what will it be? I want answers, nothing more, nothing less.”


    “O-ok...” her head moved away, “-there’s no need to be so harsh about it. My rash came from the pill, you know, the thing the DG is selling?”


    “I see, how much did you take?”


    “One, only one, not by my volition. It was that man; he fed me the pill and did as he wished.”


    “Sorry to hear that,” he moved to the open curtain. “-M, the girl had the same rash. I don’t want to think of the worst-case scenario...”


    “Those who take the pill have ck rashes grown on their body. Kreto sees that as being tainted. Take five or more and you be insane as if possessed.” Buildingsid one after the other, the shorter roads were hidden. Thendscape wasn’t as marvelous as what was experienced before. A normal sight for a vige-like Earn.


    “You mentioned information being scarce in Earn,” facing the television, “-doesn’t that thing tell the news?”


    “Oh,” sheughed, “-We only have channels from Dreqai and Elendor. The news never goes into details about the ‘outside’.”


    “M, I have a favor to ask.”


    “What is it?” the crossed arms rxed; her frown grew amodating.


    “Do you have an idea where I might procure one of those pills?”


    “...”


    “Why?”


    “I told you before, I have my secrets. I need to see the faces of those who are distributing such things.”


    “Fine,” said as if disappointed, “-the sellers usuallye around at night. They’re often seen with the locals at our bar. If you want to see ’em, better head to Vil’s brothel; it’s crawling with them.”


    “Where might that be?”


    “Over there,” she pointed to the far-left, “-close to the entrance.”


    “You can see the church of Syhton and the observatory from here,”mented he.


    “Yeah,” her elbows rested against the ledge, “-Earn is a good ce to live... apart from all that, well, you know...”


    “Yeah, I know, no need to go into details.”


    “What will you do about the kids?” asked she gazing upon the church.


    “Can you keep them here for a few days?”


    “A few days,” she sighed, “-won’t they get bored?”


    .....


    “Don’t worry about the cost,” he handed a 1000 Exa note.


    “W-wait...” her eyes opened; “-I’ve never seen so much before!”


    “Will it be sufficient?” asked he for 1000 Exa was naught but change to him.


    “I could take them in for a whole year with this,” her joyful tone sunk, “-I don’t want to be a mother yet. I’ll keep them around for a week at most. Besides, Peo and Alia have their parents, don’t they?”


    “Tis them that worries me,” he said with a mysterious voice, “-don’t let them find out.”


    “A-as you wish.”


    “I’ll see youter. Have a good day, M.” *Ancient Magic: Teleportation.*


    ‘Seriously?’ her mouth stayed wide open. ‘Just who is that man? Comes in, treats the kids, and just leaves behind 1000 Exa as if nothing,’ she shut her window.


    “Intherna, Gophy,” stood atop a building.


    “What is it?” they both came in the forms of wisps.


    “I need thee to go and be decoy at the dungeon.”


    “Are we to go there physically?” asked Gophy not entertained by the idea.


    “No, I’ll create temporal puppet bodies – just imbued some mana in them and they should be replicas of the children.”


    “O-ok,” shrugged Intherna. Thus, Staxius channeled for the Box of Alche and unlocked the first gate of Nevermore. Since the bodies were temporary, there wasn’t a need for them to be durable.


    “There,” said he with the suning down, “-here’s Peo and Alia.” The dolls moved around listlessly.


    “It’s only a decoy, right?”


    “Yes, all we need is information and time. Good luck, Gophy and Intherna, I’m counting on you.” With the goddesses taking to their duties, Staxius set his eyes onto the brothel. The time came to find what was going on in Earn.