《Soul Masker [Progression Fantasy]》


 Chapter 1 - The Treasure Hunter

    It was perfect weather for treasure hunting, which was exactly what Friedrich was doing that fine day. The sun shone brightly upon the forest, its rays creeping through the canopy of trees and lighting the overgrown path that was strewn with loose stones and unbroken twigs.


    The young explorer with his auburn hair, whistled merrily as he strolled down the lesser travelled forest path. His old, but reliable steel sword was slung over his back and his small, rounded shield was strapped to his arm as it always was.


    ¡°You can never be too careful,¡± he told anybody who asked why he always kept his shield at the ready.


    ¡°Why not hold your sword too?¡± they would ask in response and he would always laugh them off.


    Friedrich¡¯s eyes grew wide with excitement as he finally spied the tallest tower of the castle creeping out from the treetops ahead. It was going to be a day of great fortune and the plunder would be worth all the trouble he had gone through to find the place.


    It had taken plenty of pestering and the exchanging of more than a few kupons¡ªsparkly little gems the size of a fingernail¡ªfor uncorroborated rumours that led to semi-truthful information that then finally led to knowledge that was actually useful to him. And now, he was almost there.


    Pushing through a hefty thicket, Friedrich finally laid eyes upon the towering structure. The towers jutted out from the side like a claw, and the jutting battlements were falling apart like rotten teeth in the mouth of a giant. The once-pristine stone brickwork was marred after countless years of abandonment. The moss and vines that clung to the walls had claimed the castle as its own and nobody would dare try and take it back.


    Friedrich climbed the weathered staircase and paused at the top. The wooden doors had long-rotted away leaving only rusty hinges behind, yet there was no easy way through. The entrance chamber had collapsed long ago, and the piles of heavy bricks left no room to squeeze past.


    ¡°What to do?¡± asked Friedrich, rubbing his chin and looking around. ¡°Surely, there¡¯s a way?¡±


    He leapt from the stairs and landed on the rough grass, jogging around the side of the castle in search of an alternate entrance. The young man was not one to give up easily. His mother had always said his curiosity and adventurousness would get him into trouble, but he never listened.


    To Friedrich¡¯s delight, there was an old grating in an alcove by the side of the castle. He knelt down, pulled at a couple of the bent bars and the bolts snapped instantly, so worn were they. He tossed the grate aside and stuck his head through the hole. He was pleased to see that the drop into the room was more than survivable.


    The young man took his head out and slid through feet-first and landed awkwardly on the uneven bricks. The air was humid in this small room, with no ventilation other than the small hole at the edge of the ceiling. No matter, for he did not plan on staying long. This would be a quick and profitable job, there was no doubt about it.


    Friedrich breathed deeply, letting his lungs pull in as much oxygen as they could, and moved towards the door. The barred iron door. His heart sank, realising that he had plunged into a prison cell. He ran to the door and shook it, incredibly relieved to find out it was not locked.


    He began to laugh. What a fool he had been to mindlessly jump down. The people at home would have told his story for generations. ¡°Don¡¯t be like Friedrich, the silly lad rotted away in a locked prison cell due to his own greed,¡± they would no doubt say. He was just glad that they would not get the chance to tell such an embarrassing tale and resolved to bring a rope next time. Not that they would have, had he died here and was never found.


    Friedrich left the cell behind and walked into the corridor. It was even more humid than the cell, but the smell of rat droppings and decay made it almost intolerable. He held his breath as he walked through the damp and dismal corridor that was lined with many more cells.


    Occasionally, he would look into them as he passed and thought about who the skeletons may once have been. What did they do to deserve such a fate? All Friedrich knew was that this place was ransacked by a horde of goblins once upon a time and the braindead little vermin didn¡¯t have the knowledge or desire to treat the place well, and that showed.


    A sudden clack made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He dared not draw his sword, fearing that the rasp of the metal on his leather sheath would alert whoever lay waiting for him ahead. Then came a rattling grunt which was followed by a shuffling, but it didn''t sound as close as he first thought. Friedrich crept forward as silently as he could manage and saw a shadow filter onto the floor. There was something in a cell ahead and to the right.


    He snuck up to the cell and peered inside, keeping a distance from the bars. In the rundown room, stood a skeletal figure. It was about a foot shorter than Friedrich, who would insist that he was tall for his age¡ªwhich was a lie for he was five feet and five inches, something the pompous Rufus Redforth would always joke about when they were in the same company.


    The skeleton was hunched with dangly limbs, its eye sockets empty and its teeth blunted by years of having nothing to gnaw on but stone. The ceiling had collapsed, much like half of the rest of the castle, and blocked much of the doorway, leaving the unfortunate creature trapped and everyone who came here that tiny bit safer.


    Friedrich let out a small chuckle, and the goblin skeleton leapt onto the pile of rubble, startling the young adventurer. He pressed himself back against the far wall. He sighed and then laughed once more at what a child he was being. Drawing his sword, he baited the undead goblin towards him and thrust forward with all his might, smashing his sword into its yellowed skull. It shattered into five fragmented chunks and fell to the floor, its body slumping down to join it. Perhaps he would take the advice of the strangers and keep his sword ready too.


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    He continued along the dark corridor, that only grew darker with each echoing footstep, and ascended a staircase ending in an archway. He leaned around the corner, straining his eyes to see if any other wretched creatures were waiting for him, but there was not a thing to be seen. He listened intently for the sound of a grunt, a shuffle, or the faint rattling of bones, but all was quiet.


    It was a silence most welcome, and Friedrich ventured forth. A sudden click and his eyes darted to the ceiling. He raised his shield to cover his head and the tumbling rocks that rained down on him bounced off the shield and onto the floor. His arm ached, brushing aside the bombardment, but he was otherwise unhurt.


    ¡°Always carry your shield,¡± he muttered to himself, looking at the amateurly set up trap.


    He walked until light appeared once more and emerged onto a walkway overlooking a courtyard where the sun was shining onto the thick grass. The walkway was walled on one side and empty on the other, and Friedrich strolled forward, pleased to be in the open air again. He took a glance over the edge and into the grassy courtyard below.


    There was a lingering skeleton standing aimlessly, perhaps guarding a thick wooden gate that rested inside the far stone wall. Friedrich presumed it led into another part of the yard. The minion was no threat from this distance, but Friedrich would be cautious regardless.


    The ruined castle was not so dilapidated on this higher floor, with clear walkways and mostly intact walls. Even the iron gates that separated path from path and staircase from staircase were all wide open, as though whoever had been here last had fled in a hurry. Friedrich didn¡¯t think that the goblins, whether living or dead, would¡¯ve had the brains to be able to find the keys and work out how to use them¡ªso little he thought of them.


    The young man followed the path around and walked back into the tighter corridors of the castle, but being comfortably above ground, the light was not so bad here compared to where the cells lay. There were windows aplenty, and it would have been a pleasant bit of sightseeing had the old castle not been so infested by undeath.


    A sudden twang and Friedrich raised his shield once again, recognising the all-too-familiar sound. The stone-tipped arrow hit his iron shield with a dull clunk and fell to the ground. Friedrich charged down the corridor with both sword and shield raised as the skeleton fired a second arrow.


    The explorer bashed the projectile out of the air and delivered a heavy kick to the ribcage of his foe. The crack was gruesome and the skeleton fell back, but another jumped out from an alcove, knocking Friedrich aside. He regained his composure quickly and his metal blade met the goblin¡¯s wooden club in mid-air. He drew his right arm back and caved in the skeleton¡¯s skull with a mighty swing of his shield.


    The archer had climbed to his feet and dropped his bow in favour of an old sword of his own. He lunged at Friedrich, who leaned back, narrowly avoiding a skewering from the rusty weapon. The young man retaliated with a pointed thrust, jamming his sword between the ribcage of the permanently grinning skeleton. If it could have laughed, it would have, but Friedrich smiled at it.


    He swung his sword upwards, still within the goblin¡¯s ribcage, and carried it into the air. He stopped suddenly, his sword raised to the sky, and the goblin was flung overhead. It crashed onto the walkway, desperately trying to right itself, but it was no use. It was met with a boot to the jaw and its skull soared down the corridor, smashing against the floor upon landing.


    Quietly satisfied with the victory, Friedrich stopped to think. ¡°If I were a treasure horde, where would I be?¡± he asked himself quietly. ¡°You would think in the lord of the castle¡¯s room, or perhaps even a vault? Yet there were once living goblins here. Could their greedy leader be guarding it somewhere? Yes, that must be it. The remains of the goblin chieftain must be somewhere close. After all, the castle isn¡¯t all that big.¡±


    Friedrich wandered from room to room, scattering the bones of the lurking goblins across the bricks as he searched for the goblin chieftain and the mounds of treasure he may be guarding. It was only after entering nearly every single one of the rooms that he spotted what he had been looking for the entire time. He could now see inside the inner courtyard and sat upon a pile of kupons¡ªfrom the barely valuable clear kind to the much-sought purple and orange gems¡ªwas the goblin chieftain, or more accurately, the goblin king.


    He was much bulkier than his minions, almost orc-like in appearance, yet not as bulky as he would have been if he had his former layers of blubber that had long since rotted away. Even still, it was clear that his bony fists packed a hefty punch and the club he held would be even more brutal; it was adorned with human skull fragments that would tear chunks of flesh from his enemies.


    What Friedrich found most interesting about him was that he wore a crown of gold that the young man would very much like to take for himself. It would be the cherry on top after he loaded up his sack with the multicoloured assortment of fine gems. This would be a fortune-filled day indeed.


    The way that Friedrich saw it, there were two options. The first option was to take on the undead goblin king head-on, with the goblin having both the strength and size advantage over the young lad. The second option involved the element of surprise and a little bit of foolhardiness; something that Friedrich had plenty of.


    He climbed out of the window and onto a thin ledge below, suddenly becoming aware of how steep the drop to the courtyard was. All he needed to do was land on top of the wall separating the outer and inner yard. He edged along carefully, making no sudden movements that would alert the oafish skeleton. Upon reaching the wall he slowly lowered himself down.


    The goblin king was unaware of the young man crouched twenty feet above him. He was more infatuated with his treasure, a treasure that he had been obsessed with in life and an obsession that had carried on for many decades after his death. Friedrich had to admire the king¡¯s dedication to greed, he himself would have given up on the treasure by now if he couldn¡¯t make any real use of it.


    The adventurer shimmied forward inch by inch, not taking an eye off his target. ¡°Perfect,¡± he muttered under his breath, now in alignment with the goblin king. He stood up, ready to make the leap across the courtyard and crash on top of the king. It wasn¡¯t too long of a jump; he could definitely make it. Hopefully.


    As Friedrich drew his sword and bent his knees, ready to plunge from the sky, he was startled by an arrow colliding with the sword in his left hand. He turned to see a goblin archer firing from a nearby window, and he was ready to shoot again. Friedrich leapt into the courtyard, no longer aiming for the king. All he wanted was to avoid an arrow to the heart.


    Friedrich landed clumsily on the ground and, as he looked up, his eyes became fixated on a small wooden mask, carved to look like a fox and painted a glistening gold. It sat at the base of the goblin king¡¯s treasure pile and emitted an ethereal aura that drew the young explorer in. He knew he must have it.

 Chapter 2 - The Mysterious Fox Mask

    ¡°Oh no,¡± said Friedrich, climbing to his feet. The goblin king had most certainly noticed that it was raining humans and had drawn his bone-infused club, holding it menacingly. He clacked and clunked as he stomped towards Friedrich, unwilling to let anybody come between him and his precious treasure horde.


    The goblin king swung his club with the ferocity of an enraged bull, narrowly missing Friedrich who had rolled out of the way with half a second to spare. He scurried away and raised his sword and shield, staring the undead goblin king down. The young treasure hunter beckoned the bony brute forward, clanging his sword against his shield as he did so.


    The fearsome enemy let out an unexpected roar that echoed throughout the courtyard and then he charged forward, but the young adventurer was nimble enough to slip past him. The goblin collided with the wall, but unlike his feebler kin, he didn¡¯t fall to pieces.


    Friedrich stormed at him, thrusting his sword straight, but the goblin king weathered the attack without taking a scratch. The sword bounced off the bone and slipped aside. He was a sturdy one and Friedrich now realised just how much trouble he had gotten himself into. He stole a glance at the treasure, thinking it might be best to grab the mask and a few kupons before running for the forest, but that brief moment of contemplation was all his enemy needed to gain a greater advantage.


    The goblin king lunged at him, grabbed the young adventurer and lifted him into the air. He threw him across the room with a rickety cackle, and Friedrich collided with a pillar. Dazed and disoriented, he rose clumsily to his feet, wobbling the whole way. He couldn¡¯t focus on the goblin king, seeing three of him running all at once, with their clubs raised. Thinking he had better try to dodge all three simultaneously, he dropped to the ground as the clubs struck at the pillar, taking a large chunk out of the base, sending clusters of stone across the floor and a small puff of limestone dust through the air.


    The young man crawled around the base of the pillar to escape the goblin¡¯s watchful eye sockets. He leaned on the stone pillar to stand up, but it started to move as he did so. This was his chance. He gave it a forceful shove, then moved around to distract the goblin king. Having no reason to show his human foe mercy, the skeleton swung at him once more; he was unaware of the pillar that was on the verge of tipping over.


    The stone at the bottom of the base crumbled and the pillar teetered for a second before it came tumbling down as Friedrich avoided yet another hit; what a delight it was to be so light-footed. The goblin king turned around just in time to see the pillar well on its way to crushing him, and crush him it did. It crushed him into bone dust against the grass and brick of the courtyard, sending his crown rolling away.


    Friedrich walked over to the goblin and picked up a couple of the remaining bones. He tossed them over the wall, just in case there was a devious necromancy trick that would cause them to come back to reanimate, converge and then attack. You couldn¡¯t be too careful these days with the prevalence of sinister magic.


    The marvellous golden crown sat on its gem-encrusted side, the untarnished metal twinkling in the sun. Friedrich scooped it up and set it haphazardly on his head, then grinned widely. ¡°I am Friedrich, king of the goblins!¡± he chuckled to himself. Oh, he was a funny one, even if it was only himself that was present to hear him joke.


    He retrieved a small sack from his bag and loaded up on kupons from the pile in the centre of the yard, where the goblin king had once guarded. He started with the most valuable colour and, each time he ran out of one, he moved to the next most valuable. It was such a trek to reach this place, he wanted to ensure that he came away as rich as he possibly could. He had more than broken even on this quest when only a quarter of the sack had been filled, so he was very pleased with himself. It was an expensive job, this adventuring business, but it certainly gave him stories to tell.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you soon, Dad,¡± he muttered to himself gleefully as he stuffed what else he could into the sack.


    He could not hope to carry much more, but saved room for just one more thing; the golden fox mask. It twinkled in the sunlight, but it was more than the incandescent sun that made it glow. Friedrich knelt beside it and stared at it. It was as though a swirling blue vapour was encircling it, perhaps a magical enchantment. Hoping that it was not cursed, Friedrich picked it up and held it up, almost expecting it to explode in his hand, but nothing happened.


    The golden wood faded as it reached the inner ears and was replaced with black paint. There were green markings painted around the eyeholes and emerging from the nose ridge towards the forehead along with a couple of other wispy streaks on the cheeks. What Friedrich thought gave it its value, however, sat within the forehead. It was a glistening turquoise gem, but it was most certainly not a mere kupon. This gem was where the ethereal aura radiated from. There was something captivating about it, as though it was drawing him in and telling him that he could trust it, but Friedrich knew better than to put faith in unknown magic.


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    ¡°I wonder what you¡¯re doing here?¡± he asked the mask before shrugging and stashing it in the sack.


    Now came the escape from the castle, a task made much easier with most of the king¡¯s minions broken into a dozen parts. Friedrich contemplated for a while, assessing his next move. The front door wasn¡¯t an option, and the old grating in the cell would be tricky to reach if he couldn¡¯t find a good length of rope; even then, what would he tie it to? He could always stack barrels and bricks to reach the hole that way, but that was going to be tedious.


    ¡°Leap from the window, it is then,¡± he said merrily. Still wearing the crown that was far too large for his head, and looking quite the imbecile because of it, he slung the sack over his shoulder and walked through the courtyard doors.


    In the main courtyard, a goblin was waiting for him. It foolishly charged at Friedrich, but he broke it apart with a wide swing of his treasure sack. He climbed the nearby half-crumbled stone staircase and walked inside the castle once more. Upon locating a window suitably large enough for him to squeeze through, he dropped the sack onto the grass below, where the contents satisfyingly clinked within as it hit the ground.


    Taking a second to admire the view, Friedrich breathed in the beautifully crisp air. As turbulent as the last year of his life had been, he knew that he was making good progress towards his goal, but he couldn¡¯t stop. He needed to find more kupons and get that boat. That was the first major step of his grand plan.


    Friedrich leapt from the window, falling fifteen feet and rolling forward to make sure he didn¡¯t break his legs. What good would this treasure be if he was too injured to carry it away? No good at all, he thought to himself.


    The boy with the sword and shield wandered back along the forest path with his newfound riches in tow. He walked towards the sun, which made every effort to escape him as it moved through the sky. Hours later it had outpaced him so much that it had almost sunk behind the mountains in the distance. Perhaps that was enough for today; time for dinner and a long rest until light returned.


    Friedrich found a quiet clearing and stashed all his belongings except for his sword and shield, then crept quietly through the wood in search of something to eat. He paused every now and then, hoping to hear the smooth rustle of a bush or the soft pitapat of padded feed on the grass.


    As dusk set in, he heard the call of a pheasant. Now was his chance. He swiftly moved towards the source of the crowing and waited patiently. And then it came wondering along, the sleek brown bird with the red and black head. It was not quite a tasty chicken, but it was close enough. The young man pounced from the shadows and captured the bird in his arms, bringing it back to his makeshift campsite, ready to satisfy his growling stomach. Rather than let the poor creature suffer as it waited to be devoured, he snapped its neck with a quick bend and twist.


    He lit a fire with a small kit he had brought with him. The flint sparked as it hit the stone and set the straw alight. Friedrich set it amongst a pile of stacked sticks that he had gathered for kindling and blew softly, spreading the creeping flames from the straw to the wood. It was not long before the fire was roaring and burning the larger logs, and the plucked pheasant was cooking beautifully.


    Friedrich was so tired after the events of the day that he lay back on the grass to relax and watched the stars, his hunger now satiated. He thought about how best to utilise this newfound wealth. Granted, it wouldn¡¯t stretch beyond a couple of weeks if he wasn¡¯t sensible, so he needed to get straight to the next adventure. If he had the freedom to simply do what he wanted, he would buy the boat solely for adventuring.


    The flight of fancy occupied his thoughts as he imagined a dozen different places he would visit, all of them imaginary of course. All he knew of what lay across the endless blue was from maps, save for a single towering building upon a hidden island.


    After finally coming back to reality, he sat back up and stared at his sack of treasure. The ethereal blue vapour from the mask was escaping from the top before dissipating into the ether. What an unusual find, but what could it be?


    Friedrich stood up and walked over to the sack, opening the top and pulling out the fox mask. He held it in his hands and stared into its empty eyes before slowly turning it around as he thought about what to do with it for a while. He decided that bringing it to an appraiser of some kind or to a wise mage who could identify its magic were the two best options. As beautiful as it was, he knew that there was no point in keeping it. Before that, however, perhaps he ought to try it on just once. He didn¡¯t really want to, but he felt a strangely warm compulsion rising within him.


    He looked at the back of the mask and brought it up to his face, hoping that it had the power to let him see in the dark; what a fantastic boon to his treasure hunting that would be, but as soon as it settled upon his face, he began to feel funny.


    Friedrich let out an unwilling gasp and his hands began to shake vigorously. He wanted to scream, but he was unable to utter as much as a single syllable. Suddenly, he was shrinking. Not only was he shrinking, his fingers were retracting and his skin felt incredibly itchy. Fur? Was that golden fur growing from his arms? Where had his clothes gone? He tried to look down, but his nose had obscured his vision, long as it now was. In no more than two seconds, everything was different.


    The young man raised his hand to see what had become of him, but the limb he raised was not an arm; it was a leg. The leg of a fox, and he was standing on three of them. Friedrich tried to let out a yell, but all he could do was let out a yapping bark as he looked around in a panic. What was he supposed to do? Why did he put the mask on?


    ¡°That really was something,¡± came a curious feminine voice from the shadows.

 Chapter 3 - Struck by Lightning

    ¡°How do you turn back to normal?¡± asked a young woman as she walked over and stood beside Friedrich. ¡°Can you?¡±


    Friedrich did not know the answer and he could not speak to respond. All he could do was shake his new fox head from side to side. He was still overcome with panic, but having someone here meant that he didn¡¯t have to panic alone, perhaps she could help him somehow? It may be a long shot, but if he could find a way to communicate properly with her then there was a hope.


    The girl who stood before him was around his own age of sixteen with brown hair flowing just past her shoulders and sapphire-blue eyes that sparkled in the light of the fire. She wore a blue dress which was much less shiny than her eyes, that fell to just below her knees. Her brown leather boots rode up her legs to almost meet the hem of her dress. Draped over her shoulders was a grey travelling cloak with its hood down, resting upon her back. Held firmly in one of her hands was a gnarled, wooden travelling staff that would have looked more fitting in the hand of an old man.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said the girl, putting a finger to her chin. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to do about you, little boy¡­or should I now call you, little fox?¡±


    Little boy? Little fox? Had he been able to speak, Friedrich would have exploded with fury. What an insulting way to be spoken to by a stranger, especially when he was in such a predicament. The angry look on his face was evident, even in his fox form, and the girl smiled at him.


    ¡°Relax, I was just teasing you,¡± she said with the smile widening into a sly grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find a way to turn you back into a human. Don¡¯t worry your furry little head.¡±


    Friedrich exhaled out a small whimper, feeling rather pathetic at this moment. Why, oh why did he put on the mask? He knew it could have been cursed. What a reckless move. It was that compulsion that he had felt from it, it wanted to be worn, and he should have fought harder to stop himself.


    The girl patted him on the head. ¡°Cheer up¡­hmm¡­Flint? You look like a Flint so that¡¯s what I¡¯ll call you until you¡¯re able to tell me your real name. You can call me Marina, alright? That is my real name.¡±


    How to call her anything when he could not speak? Perhaps Friedrich would have found her endearing had he been feeling a bit more positive, but positive was something he was not at this moment in time. She was considerably more annoying than she was relieving.


    ¡°I suppose we had better get you to the nearest town,¡± said Marina, looking over her shoulder. ¡°Maybe we can find a spellcaster who can separate you from the mask. I would if I could, but that¡¯s not really my specialty.¡±


    As she said this, her blue eyes crackled like lightning and she winked at Friedrich. He could have sworn that he saw a faint spark emerge from the tip of her staff, its presence in her hand now making much more sense to him.


    Friedrich flopped to the ground despairingly, his four legs hanging limply at the side. His eyes were fixated on his sack of treasure which he could no longer haul, so small and weak was he. Things couldn¡¯t possibly be any worse.


    ¡°Oh, pheasant!¡± exclaimed Marina, looking at the last morsels of the cooked bird that Friedrich had enjoyed for his dinner. ¡°I¡¯ve run out of food. Would you mind?¡±


    Friedrich waved one of his legs in the air dismissively in response.


    ¡°Thank you, Flint,¡± she said and started eating her newfound meal. ¡°I will take this as payment for assisting you.¡±


    At least it wasn¡¯t his treasure.


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Marina after swallowing a large mouthful of poultry. ¡°What have you got in the bag over there?¡±


    Friedrich leapt to his feet and clumsily scurried over to his sack of loot, but Marina wagged a finger at him.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± she said, picking Friedrich up by the scruff of the neck and gazing inside the bag. ¡°My goodness! You¡¯ve been busy today, haven¡¯t you? Are you some kind of bandit, Flint?¡±


    She put Friedrich down and he shook his head.


    ¡°Thief? Looter? Treasure Hunter?¡±


    At the last one, he nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯m something of a treasure hunter myself¡­although not quite as successful as you, considering that haul you have. Maybe when you¡¯re back to normal you can teach me a thing or two? It does get very lonely out on the road, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


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    Friedrich eyed Marina suspiciously.


    ¡°Will you relax, please?¡± she asked in exasperation. ¡°I have standards, you know? I don¡¯t want to take your treasure for myself. It¡¯s too heavy for me, of course, so I¡¯ll have to leave half of it here and we¡¯ll bring the rest with us. I will only spend what it costs to turn you back to normal and then you can have anything that¡¯s left. Who knows? Maybe we can come back for this later.¡±


    She sounded sincere, so Friedrich decided it was time to cut her some slack. He nodded and held out a paw as a peace offering from his side. Marina took his paw in her hand and shook it gently, smiling brightly the entire time.


    Suddenly, Friedrich wanted to scream again. He had the same sick feeling of anguish that he had when he first turned into a fox. His body was contorting and stretching as he grew back to his normal size. Marina let go of his paw, as it turned back into a hand, watching in bemusement as Friedrich became human once more. The fox mask fell from his face and landed on the grass beneath him.


    ¡°Thank you, Mighty Jorren,¡± said Friedrich, bowing onto the grass and giving praise to the god of his people; the Mercians of the great Kingdom of Mercia.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Marina, her eyes wide as she stared at the young man. ¡°Very interesting, Flint. And might I say, I¡¯m glad that your clothes reappeared with you and you aren¡¯t naked. That would have been embarrassing for both of us.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich. My name is Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so I was close!¡± she squealed. ¡°Flint begins with F too.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­why did I change back?¡± asked Friedrich, looking at the mask on the ground.


    ¡°I wonder if the magic only works for a few minutes before it runs out,¡± said Marina, picking up the mask and looking closely at it. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s like a sleep spell where the person eventually wakes up. Perhaps the mask transforms you and then slowly weakens, letting you become your true self again.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it was, I¡¯m glad it¡ª¡±


    Friedrich felt sick to his stomach as Marina shoved the mask onto his face. Much to his relief, nothing happened. This time, he did not transform. The mask merely sat upon his face, held up by Marina¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± he asked her, pushing her hand away and knocking the mask to the ground again. ¡°Why would I want to test out that theory?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡±


    ¡°Not about this, I¡¯m not.¡±


    Marina had a sneaky smile on her face. ¡°I have an idea,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. I just want to rest until morning, then take my treasure and go. I appreciate your offer to help, but I would much rather be alone.¡±


    Marina frowned. ¡°It was a good idea,¡± she muttered.


    She walked over to a nearby log, sat down and folded her arms. She let out a long, exaggerated sigh, while Friedrich avoided eye contact. He knew exactly what she was doing and was not going to give in. He wanted to forget everything that happened since he picked up the fox mask and to move on to another hunt.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Marina said quietly, but not so quietly that Friedrich couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°I only want to help. Is there something wrong with me? Is that why he won¡¯t even listen to my idea? Am I too stupid?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Hmm, sorry?¡± asked Marina, pretending not to know that he had heard her.


    ¡°Your little guilt game will not work.¡±


    Marina stood up and smiled again. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m just going to start talking and you can listen or not.¡±


    Friedrich sat down, exhausted. He put a hand to his forehead and breathed deeply. ¡°Get it over with,¡± he said reluctantly.


    ¡°Excellent! Well, you¡¯re a treasure hunter, right? Why not use this mask to your advantage? If you can learn how to use its powers, you can use it to sneak into places you would not normally be able to reach, drag out whatever treasures you can find, and then turn back to normal.¡±


    It was a good plan if Friedrich could be certain of how to use the mask, or whether it would even work again. No. No, it was foolish to entertain this idea. After what had just happened, he should not toy with such enchantments. His sword and his shield were all he needed.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Marina with bated breath.


    Friedrich picked up the mask and looked at it again. There was no aura right now. Was its magic gone for good?¡±


    ¡°I think the mask¡¯s energy is depleted,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. It could have been great for avoiding monsters too. Just think of the possibilities we could have had.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s done now. We¡¯ll just¡ª¡±


    A small wisp of blue emanated from the mask, then another. Seconds later, the aura had returned and Friedrich could feel the ethereal energy running through it in his hand.


    ¡°How long was that?¡± he asked Marina.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe five minutes?¡±


    ¡°And how long do you think I was a fox for?¡±


    ¡°Another estimate, but¡­five minutes?¡±


    ¡°If the enchantment lasts for five minutes and then takes another five minutes before it builds up enough energy to be used again, that gives me a very narrow window.¡±


    Marina suddenly looked excited. ¡°That¡¯s why I would be there to watch your back. What do you say, Flint?¡±


    ¡°Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I had grown accustomed to thinking of you as Flint.¡±


    ¡°You would have me rely on you when we met no more than ten minutes ago?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Friedrich,¡± said Marina, her eyes suddenly cunning and fox-like, ¡°why don¡¯t you be daring?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me at all, do you? I am plenty daring!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know you, but now is our chance to get to know one another while making ourselves wealthier, isn¡¯t it? Prove to me just how daring you are. Let¡¯s get rich together.¡±


    ¡°And if anything goes wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to be here to take you to the nearest magic man or priest or whoever it takes to fix your fox situation. If it makes you feel better, we¡¯ll get it appraised for harmful effects the next chance we get. I could have stolen your kupons and run away, right? Doesn¡¯t that prove you can trust me at least a little bit?¡±


    Friedrich smiled at her, turned the mask around and stared at the back of it. ¡°Count for me,¡± he said, taking a deep breath as he placed the mask back upon his face.


    The second it touched his skin, the same pain from before took hold and he felt himself begin to change.

 Chapter 4 - Beset Upon

    Friedrich walked along the woodland path with his clinking sack of treasure over his shoulder, his unpolished shield on his arm and in-need-of-a-sharpening sword sheathed by his waist. It was a pleasant morning with the soft breeze rolling by and the cool mountain air filling his lungs, giving him a sense of ease.


    ¡°When we get to Eagle¡¯s Crest,¡± said Marina, twirling her gnarled, wooden staff in her hands like a baton, ¡°we need to research extensively to find the best dungeon to loot. The more riches we can get our hands on, the better.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, looking at her in disbelief. ¡°We need to consider how much we can carry. The lighter the treasure, the better. Ideally, we go for the higher value kupons because I¡¯m not so great at knowing the worth of much else.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that does make sense. Go lightweight and aim for the sound money.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯re a treasure hunter too, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Friedrich, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.


    ¡°I did say that, yes¡­¡±


    ¡°You must be very inexperienced if you haven¡¯t considered that. It¡¯s the most basic dungeon-delving lesson. Take what you can carry, but prioritise the highest value items.¡±


    ¡°To be perfectly honest,¡± said Marina before a long pause. ¡°I haven¡¯t had all that much luck finding treasure.¡±


    Friedrich furrowed his brow. ¡°How many dungeons have you explored? What about ruins? Crypts?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, tell me!¡±


    Marina sighed. ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Zero?¡±


    ¡°Zero.¡±


    ¡°So, you aren¡¯t really a treasure hunter? That was a lie?¡±


    ¡°I am a treasure hunter, I¡¯m just untested.¡±


    Friedrich couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Marina had spoken with such confidence the previous night that he presumed she had had her fair share of adventures; at the very least, that she wouldn¡¯t be completely inexperienced. She was going to be nothing but a burden.


    ¡°What exactly were you doing in the woods last night?¡± he asked with an airy curiousness in his voice that didn¡¯t reflect his suspicions.


    ¡°In the woods?¡± asked Marina, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°You heard me. How did you happen to come across me? We aren¡¯t exactly close to civilisation out here. When you told me you were a treasure hunter, I thought perhaps you were going to the same castle I had come from. Now that I think about it, I was so frantic that I would have made any logical leaps to justify someone being there to help me.¡±


    ¡°I was going to the same castle as you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Friedrich, his voice giving away his disbelief. ¡°Tell me, Marina. What was the name of that castle?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I saw it on the map and thought it would be a good first place to explore.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t lying to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±


    Friedrich knew that she was lying again and that there was another reason for her being there. Whatever it was, she was taking that to the grave with her so he decided to drop it. It didn¡¯t exactly inspire confidence in having her as a travelling companion for the time being, but if he was to enact the plan of using the fox mask to loot, it would help to have someone there to aid him. If she had wanted to hurt him, yesterday was her chance. She could have taken his treasure and run for the hills and Friedrich couldn¡¯t have done a thing about it while he was in his fox form.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest with you, Marina, seeing as we¡¯re going to be travelling together for a while. How long that while will be remains to be seen. I know there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me, and frankly, I don¡¯t care what it is, just as long as you¡¯re not planning anything nefarious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, I swear,¡± smiled Marina sweetly.


    ¡°If you are, I¡¯ll cut you loose faster than you can shoot a lightning strike.¡±


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    Marina held out her staff and zapped a hanging branch from a nearby tree. It crackled as it fell to the ground and thudded upon the dirt path. ¡°I can shoot pretty fast,¡± she joked, ¡°but I understand. I won¡¯t get you into any trouble, I promise.¡±


    The two continued through the woods, walking for many hours before they finally settled down for lunch. Conversation was light, with Friedrich still unsure how much he should share with Marina, who spent most of their journey so far babbling about nonsense and talking about how excited she was to put the powers of the fox mask to the test.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until we reach Eagle¡¯s Crest so we can eat more than just pheasant,¡± said Friedrich, upon finishing his lunch.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with pheasant,¡± scoffed Marina. ¡°Just be grateful that we have food to eat out here in nature.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think most food in the towns comes from? Something about you tells me you¡¯re definitely from a city.¡±


    Marina smiled and winked, but didn¡¯t say anything else as she finished eating.


    As they were packing up, there was a sudden screeching. The two froze, listening intently to try and hear what had made that noise. Upon hearing some rustling approaching them from somewhere in the thickets, Friedrich drew his sword and Marina held her staff at the ready.


    ¡°Hee hee,¡± snickered a conniving voice. He knew that sound well, having fought these little beasts before. It was the sound of the greatest vermin to plague the entire continent of Eradrel.


    Friedrich jerked his head towards the bushes and Marina nodded in agreement. He could not see the creature that had let out the sneaky giggle, but it was close. Very close.


    Crunch.


    Friedrich¡¯s eyes darted to the trees on his left. He sniffed and could smell a change in the air. It was the smell of damp socks and rotten meat.


    Crunch, crunch, crunch.


    The sound of leaves and twigs being trodden on grew louder and louder until, out from the trees, burst a leaping goblin. It held its crude spear high in the air as the sickly green creature aimed straight for Friedrich¡¯s head.


    Clang, came the sound of Friedrich¡¯s shield blocking the goblin¡¯s rusty iron spear tip as it landed on the grass. He swept his arm to the side, throwing the goblin off balance. The goblin wobbled and looked worried as Friedrich stared it straight in the eyes. With a grunt, he rammed into it, knocking it to the ground where it spread its limbs out clumsily. Friedrich thrust his sword into the goblin¡¯s chest. It screeched a horrid screech as the life left its body.


    ¡°Here come the rest!¡± cried Marina as a half dozen goblins erupted from their hiding spots, cackling loudly enough to shake the trees.


    She held her staff high and threw a lightning bolt at the nearest one. It screeched that same foul screech as the other goblin had upon the lightning striking its chest. The wretched ambusher fell to the ground, a large burn sizzling upon his dead body.


    The other goblins were undeterred. It was their lunch time and nothing was going to phase them. They were determined to lob off the heads of the two Mercians. They would use their hollowed-out skulls as bowls and their fingers as cutlery, so disgusting were these green monsters. Each of them had a snarling grin upon their faces as they watched the two youths menacingly.


    ¡°Move!¡± called Friedrich, pushing Marina out of the way as a goblin almost skewered her through the back.


    The young man swung his sword, drawing the blade quickly across his enemy¡¯s throat. The goblin dropped to its knees, gasping for air and clutching its wound, but there was nothing it could do. Friedrich kicked it out of the way and thrust his sword at another one of his foes who was stupid enough to keep fighting.


    Marina tried to cast another spell, but one of the goblins clung to her staff, trying to wrench it out of her hands. In a desperate move, she kicked it in the groin and it squealed more high-pitched than ever as it released her magical implement. She bashed it in the face with the top of her staff and sent a jolt of electricity through the goblin, making it keel over and spasm wildly on the grass.


    The two adventurers duelled valiantly against their remaining foes, slaying the goblins one by one with steel and lightning until only a lone goblin remained. It was now that it was outnumbered that it finally looked frightened.


    It started to back away, turning to run, but another bolt of lightning soared across the battlefield and struck it in the back. It fell to the ground, twitching for a moment before it stopped moving. The final goblin had fallen and the two Mercians were victorious.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t feel so good about that,¡± said Marina. ¡°Striking it in the back¡­¡±


    ¡°It would have done the same to you,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°One of them tried, don¡¯t forget. Never trust a goblin. They¡¯re a blight that needs eradicating from the entirety of Eradrel, never mind being removed from Mercia. They¡¯re creatures with zero honour and zero remorse.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    ¡°I am right. Listen to me. I know these little monstrosities better than I would like to, so you can take my word that leaving a single one alive would leave you marked. They¡¯re spiteful and would sniff you out eventually.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have much combat experience, do you?¡± asked Friedrich, sensing Marina¡¯s discomfort.


    ¡°I¡¯m a very talented mage, I¡¯ll have you know,¡± she said, bright and bubbly once again.


    ¡°Be honest.¡±


    Her smile faded slightly. ¡°In a manner of speaking¡­um¡­no, I haven¡¯t been in many battles before.¡±


    ¡°How many battles have you been in?¡±


    ¡°I would rather not say, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± asked Marina, sounding surprised.


    ¡°I do. Much like with your dungeon-delving, the answer is zero, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What a beautiful day today!¡± Marina called out before strolling merrily along the road. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what Eagle¡¯s Crest has in store for us. How about you?¡±


    Friedrich sighed and shook his head in exasperation. He had been having a much more pleasant time travelling by himself. Now he felt like a babysitter. He glanced at the fox mask that was sparkling at the top of his sack.


    ¡°She had better be right,¡± he muttered to the mask. ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to make me rich enough to buy a boat, then you¡¯re being tossed off a cliff.¡±


    He pulled the sack tighter and slung it over his shoulder, rushing off to catch up with Marina. They were still a few days away from Eagle¡¯s Crest, but they were almost at the edge of the woodland and, therefore, at the bottom of the mountain. At least on the grasslands, it would be far harder for goblins to sneak up on them, but they would no doubt try. Even if they did, Friedrich was certain that he would make short work of them.

 Chapter 5 - Distractions

    Friedrich sat at the river bank, splashing water on his face while Marina was lying on the grass. She was zapping leaves from the trees above and watching them drift silently towards her. It was a much-needed moment of rest for the pair who had been walking for some time.


    They were still three days from Eagle¡¯s Crest and the journey had been tiring, but they maintained bright spirits. Friedrich could tell that Marina was not used to lengthy journeys, but she kept her grumbling to a minimum which he found impressive.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± said Marina, watching yet another leaf slowly dancing through the air. Now was the time for one of her rare grumblings.


    ¡°We just had lunch,¡± replied Friedrich, wringing his hands to dry them off.


    ¡°I know, but it was a small portion.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mind a small portion the other night when you met me. You ate the scraps from that pheasant without a single complaint. Picked the bones clean!¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get greedy when we barely knew each other, could I?¡±


    Friedrich laughed. ¡°And now we know each other very well, do we?¡±


    ¡°Well enough that I don¡¯t mind complaining a little,¡± said Marina, winking at him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find a few berries.¡± He didn¡¯t mind relenting considering he too wouldn¡¯t have minded a snack.


    ¡°Make sure they aren¡¯t poisonous!¡±


    ¡°I know which ones are poisonous and which ones aren¡¯t,¡± said Friedrich, taking the fox mask from his bag and placing it upon his face.


    He hated the painful sensation of transforming, but he needed to build up a tolerance to it. If he was to use it for sneaking around and infiltrating dangerous dungeons, then he couldn¡¯t let the feeling distract him. That would be a death sentence. No, he had to use the mask as much as possible to get used to it.


    ¡°Why are you in fox form?¡± asked Marina, sitting up and raising an eyebrow. Friedrich brushed a paw past his nose and started sniffing the air. ¡°Oh, I see,¡± she said, flopping back down again.


    Friedrich scurried across the grass and into the thick foliage, being careful to avoid getting pricked by any brambles. One benefit he had found in his usage of the mask so far was that most thorns simply slid across his fur, but the thicker ones still gave him a couple of unpleasant jabs.


    He sniffed as he moved, his sense of smell heightened in this form. He tried to sort through the many scents in his mind, picking out the sweetest and sourest ones, then following them as best he could. It wasn¡¯t easy, particularly when the smells were so numerous it was almost overwhelming, but this was his second time attempting it and it was already a quicker process than his first try.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he found what he was looking for, a blackberry bush with its fruits right for the picking. All he had to do now was wait. He stood at attention, unsure if he had a minute left or thirty seconds, but he figured that as long as he was standing upright, he wouldn¡¯t fall face first into the bush.


    Suddenly, his stomach felt as though it was trying to jump out of his throat and his limbs started trembling and stretching. A few seconds later, he was standing upright in the forest as a human once again, braced to prevent himself from falling. He shuddered as he put the mask away and started gathering berries, which he placed inside a small cloth pouch.


    With red-stained hands, Friedrich walked back through the trees and bushes until he reached the river bank and sat down next to Marina, who was now staring across the river. Friedrich followed her line of sight and saw what it was that had caught her attention; a small plume of smoke.


    ¡°What do you think that is?¡± asked Marina, looking uneasy.


    ¡°It looks like a campfire to me,¡± said Friedrich, handing her the pouch of berries. ¡°Probably someone cooking up their own lunch. I don¡¯t see any reason to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°I think we should take a look.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just in case it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about danger, then going around it would make more sense.¡±


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    ¡°But what if they follow us?¡±


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡±


    Marina looked scared. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe they know about your treasure.¡±


    What she was saying made no sense to Friedrich, but the girl was clearly anxious. It was clear to him that she wasn¡¯t worried about the treasure, that was an excuse, but just to satiate her worries, he decided to check things out.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, standing up and hiding his sack of kupons inside a bush.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, looking relieved.


    ¡°Really. If it¡¯ll stop you feeling the need to look over your shoulder for the rest of the journey, we¡¯ll see who it is. We¡¯ll come back for the rest of our things later.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Marina, hopping to her feet and clasping her hands together. ¡°You¡¯re really nice, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Too nice sometimes,¡± said Friedrich, shaking his head.


    The two headed onto the road and crossed a small wooden bridge that brought them to the other side of the river. The sun overhead was slowly being obscured by the clouds, which made it all the easier to hide between the trees as they approached the source of the smoke.


    Friedrich held up a hand to Marina then signalled for her to keep lower. He was nimbler and had plenty of experience sneaking around, while she was notably clumsier and continually snapped twigs as she walked. With each snap, she jumped and moved along higher than before.


    Friedrich turned to her. ¡°Go back to the other side of the river,¡± he whispered to her.


    ¡°No,¡± she mouthed silently, shaking her head vigorously.


    ¡°Move slower and watch where you stop then.¡±


    Friedrich led the way and set the pace, being sure to move slow enough for Marina to keep a more careful eye on the ground beneath her. After a short while, they heard voices coming from somewhere up ahead. There was at least three of them.


    The two young treasure hunters crept carefully up behind a fallen tree and peered over into the small clearing where the fire glowed and crackled as it roasted a wild boar. Three figures, all covered in leather armour with swords strapped to their sides were standing beside the fire, eager for their food to be ready. All three of them had sallow green skin and two short tusks that protruded up from behind their bottom lips. They were much burlier than your average human and their sullen faces were anything but friendly. They were orcs.


    ¡°Hurry it up,¡± grunted one of them.


    ¡°More fire,¡± barked another.


    ¡°Idiots!¡± called the third and burliest of all¡ªno doubt the leader. ¡°It¡¯s ready when it¡¯s ready. If we make the fire bigger, that means more smoke. More smoke means any Mercian soldiers on the road find us.¡±


    ¡°Then we kill ¡®em,¡± grunted the first orc.


    ¡°I should kill you, Arghur,¡± said the leader, thumping his lackey in the arm. ¡°Your recklessness is going to get all of us killed.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, boss,¡± said Arghur, his face more sullen than ever, but he did not complain further. He feared his leader enough that he thought he might just follow through with that threat.


    ¡°Once we eat up, we head south and get to th¡ª¡±


    The orcs turned to face the fallen tree and Friedrich turned to glare at Marina, who had fallen to the side and snapped another half dozen twigs all at once. She bore a look of horror realising she had just given away their position.


    ¡°Go check that out, Begok,¡± said Arghur.


    ¡°I¡¯m in charge here, Arghur,¡± scolded the leader. ¡°Begok, go see what that was.¡±


    These orcs were not mere goblins, Friedrich knew that he didn¡¯t stand a chance against all of them at once. Even one of them could prove to be a challenge.


    ¡°Go,¡± Friedrich mouthed to Marina as he reached into his cloak and pulled out the fox mask. Had it been five minutes since he found the berries. It must have been. He kept low and set it upon his face, bracing himself for the unpleasant transformation. As the crunch of leaves from the orc approached, Friedrich ran out in his fox form and stared at the orc.


    The orc glowered at him, then bent down to pick up a loose stone. The orc threw it at Friedrich who scrambled away and ran into the camp where the other two orcs stared at him in bemusement. Friedrich sniffed the air and then ran into the woods at the other side of the camp, disappearing from sight. He prayed that his distraction had been enough for Marina to get out of harm¡¯s way.


    He kept still and listened to the orcs who were speaking again.


    ¡°Little orange rat must have smelled the food,¡± said Begok.


    ¡°Should we have it for dessert, Krog?¡± asked Arghur.


    ¡°No!¡± barked the leader. ¡°We eat and we move on. If there¡¯s any more backchat I¡¯m slashing your shares of the loot, ya hear?¡±


    Friedrich edged his way around the camp and back to the fallen tree, but Marina was gone. That was a massive relief, but he had better make himself scarce too in case his transformation wore off. He scurried away, being less careful than he maybe should have. By the time he reached the bridge over the river, he was back to running on two legs with the fox mask clutched in his hand.


    He jumped over the wooden beam and onto the bank, moving along until he found Marina. She was sitting on the grass again, her arms wrapped around her knees, and breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide with fear and her knuckles were white as she clenched her cloak tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered, not looking at Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but you oughta be more careful. What happened?¡±


    ¡°I saw a millipede.¡±


    ¡°A millipede?¡±


    ¡°Yes.


    Friedrich was quiet for a moment before bursting out into raucous laughter. He pulled himself together, concerned that he was loud enough to attract the attention of the orcs.


    ¡°We almost got rumbled because of a tiny insect?¡± he asked incredulously.


    ¡°Why is that so funny?¡± asked Marina, frowning.


    ¡°Because you want to be a treasure hunter, exploring the deepest and darkest of ruins and you¡¯re scared of insects. Do you know the sorts of things we¡¯ll see in the bowels of lost civilisations?¡±


    ¡°I see your point,¡± murmured Marina before sighing.


    ¡°In any case, we¡¯re safe. We¡¯ll just need to toughen you up.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a pact, alright? I¡¯m going to keep trying to master the power of the fox mask and you¡¯re going to overcome your fear of insects. Both of these things will make us much more effective explorers. Deal?¡±


    Marina smiled at him. ¡°Deal.¡±

 Chapter 6 - The Portal Vault

    Friedrich and Marina walked side by side along the path into Eagle¡¯s Crest. The short stone wall marking the edge of the town was covered in moss and the signpost at the edge of the town was discoloured and askew. To call the town dishevelled would have been unfair considering it was notorious for being hit by bandit attacks, but it appeared to be safe for now.


    The two travellers had risen at the crack of dawn, both too exhausted to have travelled through the dark of the previous night. While they had wanted to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the orcs, they had kept a brisk pace and were no longer too concerned. The misty morning hadn¡¯t made for the most pleasant of morning strolls, which had certainly left them feeling optimistic, but now that they had finally reached their destination, they couldn¡¯t have been happier.


    ¡°A warm bed for the night,¡± said Marina, stretching her arms upwards. ¡°It makes me want to go to sleep already. How about you, Friedrich?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any money?¡± Friedrich asked her, knowing in advance what she was going to say.


    Marina reached into a pouch on her waist and rummaged through it, but it did not make a single clink. ¡°Hmm, I think I must have run out before we met,¡± she said with a wide grin, pulling her hand out and giving Friedrich a shrug and a wink. ¡°Can you pay for me just this once and I will pay you back with my share of our treasure later?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Friedrich. There were times when she was irritating, but he was also enjoying her company. Travelling on the road alone was quicker, but more tiresome with nobody to talk to.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Marina, grabbing his hands and shaking them vigorously. ¡°It¡¯s as though the gods themselves brought us together.¡±


    ¡°Steady on,¡± said Friedrich, wrenching his hands away from her. ¡°This whole deal is all very one-sided at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll prove myself to you! I¡¯m going to help you become richer than your wildest dreams. That boat you mentioned? We¡¯ll get you an entire fleet! What would you think of that?¡±


    ¡°But I only need one boat.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you can sell the fleet and get richer.¡±


    ¡°That¡­doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    ¡°You will see, Friedrich,¡± laughed Marina confidently as she strode ahead of him. ¡°You will see.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not right in the head,¡± Friedrich muttered to himself.


    He quickly caught up to Marina and the pair wandered along the road and into the town square, where the market was already in full swing. Carts of fruit and vegetables were being hauled along to the stalls, while vendors sold all manner of goods, from spices to swords. There were even a few caged dogs and wolves being sold to hunters who were looking for a companion to help them out. For a small town, it was positively bustling this morning.


    ¡°Where to first?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°A bank,¡± said Friedrich, shaking his sack. ¡°I need to make a deposit.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Marina, looking disappointed. ¡°I was hoping for something a little more exciting than that. Can we not buy a few potions¡­or maybe even some magical weapons?¡±


    ¡°We? Didn¡¯t you tell me only a couple of minutes ago that you had no money?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you mean you want me to buy you some new toys, is that it?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as an investment. They¡¯re all resources to further your goals.¡±


    Friedrich chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Not a chance,¡± he said, walking away and beckoning Marina to follow him. ¡°We¡¯re going to the bank and that¡¯s final. I¡¯m not going to let you bleed me dry of kupons at the first town we come to.¡±


    Friedrich walked around the square with Marina following from a distance¡ªshe couldn¡¯t resist stopping and looking at the wares, but she would run to catch up when she got too far behind. Every now and then she would squeal with excitement, but the young man did whatever he could to ignore her, even when she ran up to him and tugged on his sleeve.


    Even with the constant distractions, it wasn¡¯t long before Friedrich saw the hanging sign outside the bank; it was carved to show a bag of kupons, not unlike the one that Friedrich was carrying. Compared to the banks he had seen elsewhere, this one was on the quaint side. It looked like a converted townhouse, but that didn¡¯t matter much. If it functioned the same way, his funds would be safe.


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    He walked up the stone steps and pushed open the door. Inside, there were no patrons to be found, no doubt most of the folks outside had made withdrawals earlier that morning to spend at the market. Marina hurried in the door behind Friedrich and then closed it behind her, panting.


    ¡°Why did you go so fast?¡± she asked before looking around. ¡°Oh, I like this place a lot.¡±


    The stone walls were covered in banners depicting bags of kupons and treasure chests. There were numerous paintings, small and large, showing beautiful scenes from the Mercian countryside, from bays to mountains. The well-polished wooden floors were shining in the daylight and candlelight, partially covered up by exquisite and exotic mats of various reds and purples. The chairs and tables were finely carved and all neatly organised with ledgers sitting in the dead centre and a quill beside them. Only one of the desks was currently occupied, so Friedrich approached him.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± said the banker pleasantly. He was dressed in fine robes of red and gold, with a long brown beard. Marina couldn¡¯t help but think that he looked more like a wizard than he did a banker.


    ¡°How may I assist you?¡± the banker asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I would like to make a deposit,¡± he said, placing his sack of kupons on the table.


    ¡°Goodness gracious,¡± chuckled the man. ¡°You have been productive, haven¡¯t you? And for one so young¡­you have a portal vault, do you?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Portal vault? Marina had no idea what the man was talking about, but she stayed quiet. The last thing she wanted was to look stupid.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said the man. ¡°I will cast the spell for you now.¡±


    The man stood up and held up his hands, waving them around like a lunatic. Suddenly, they started glowing purple and he threw an orb of light at Friedrich, who barely reacted. He took his other hand and threw an orb of light behind him, but it stopped in mid-air and burst open into a circular portal that hung a foot above the ground and was just large enough for Friedrich to squeeze through.


    Marina stared in awe. To her, being able to hurl a lightning bolt was impressive, but this? And to see it done so casually without a magical implement? It was truly fascinating. She hoped that her magical prowess would improve to the point where she could cast all manner of wondrous spells.


    Friedrich picked the sack up from the desk and walked over to the portal with Marina following. ¡°Wait here,¡± he said to her, eliciting a scowl.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s my bank vault and I don¡¯t want you seeing what¡¯s inside it.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± sighed Marina.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be quick, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Friedrich stepped inside the portal and found himself in a small stone room where eight different chests sat, lying open. Rather than keep his treasure in a disorganised pile, Friedrich had separated his vault into eight different chests for eight different purposes, all in ascending value; clear kupons, green kupons, red kupons, blue kupons, purple kupons, orange kupons, yellow kupons and the final chest was for random treasures he hadn¡¯t had time to sell yet. Admittedly, the chest intended for yellow kupons was empty and the chest for orange had only two kupons lying inside, but Friedrich had already made good progress in saving for the boat he wanted.


    He opened up his sack, carefully set the fox mask on the floor and stashed the undead goblin king¡¯s crown in his chest to be dealt with later. Afterwards, he added the many colours of kupons to the chest. He did a rough count of how much he had saved up now that he added the goblin¡¯s treasure to his portal vault and estimated it to be somewhere around two and a half thousand kupons, not counting the treasures he had yet to sell. Friedrich¡¯s haul from the castle had almost doubled his holdings. At this rate, he would have his boat within the year.


    After stashing enough kupons for supplies and lodgings for the night in a small pouch, Friedrich stepped outside the portal with the fox mask in hand, which the banking wizard closed behind him. Marina had a sour look on her face as though she had just been told off, and the look on the banker¡¯s face said that he had been the one to tell her off. Friedrich was confident in saying that she had been trying to look inside his vault, which was considered terrible etiquette in a Mercian bank.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± asked the banking wizard.


    ¡°No, that will be all,¡± said Friedrich. He thanked the wizard and departed from the bank, with Marina following him, all the while keeping her frown upon her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him very much,¡± she said as she walked down the stairs outside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he liked you very much either,¡± replied Friedrich.


    ¡°Although I would like him to teach me that spell,¡± said Marina, examining her palms. ¡°Imagine being able to carry around your own vault stored within a spell.¡±


    ¡°As great as it would be, I don¡¯t have the aptitude for magic.¡±


    Marina gave Friedrich a sly look and he knew what she was about to ask him. ¡°How much do you have in your vault?¡±


    ¡°If I was going to tell you, I would have just let you into the vault.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not very fair.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re travelling companions and best friends, surely we should tell each other things like this?¡±


    ¡°Best friends?¡± chuckled Friedrich. ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°I just have a feeling,¡± said Marina, skipping ahead. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see what we can find in the market for our next adventure.¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going!¡± Friedrich called after her, his exhaustion with Marina growing ever greater.


    ¡°Then you can ask around and find out while I see what can be useful for any situation.¡±


    Friedrich looked at the fox mask in his hands. ¡°This is all your fault,¡± he said to it before hurriedly tying it to his belt.


    Unbeknownst to him, a skulking figure, hooded and cloaked, was lurking in the alleyway nearby. A faint smile crept upon the figure¡¯s face upon seeing the mask.

 Chapter 7 - To Steal a Mask

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure which to get,¡± said Marina, tapping her finger on her lips as her eyes darted back and forth between a blue potion and a green potion. ¡°On the one hand, it would be helpful to be able to heal our wounds, but on the other, if something poisonous is lurking then an antidote is much more valuable.¡±


    ¡°What is it you think will be waiting for us in the crypt?¡± asked Friedrich before turning to the shopkeeper. ¡°We¡¯ll take the healing potion.¡±


    Friedrich handed over thirty kupons in exchange for the glass bottle filled with the restorative concoction and left the shop with Marina in tow. It was early evening in Eagle¡¯s Crest and they had spent most of the day trying to find where they should go for their first delve together. The rest was then spent gearing up.


    ¡°I think we should have gone for the antidote,¡± said Marina despairingly.


    ¡°You would have said we should have gone for the healing potion if I had bought the antidote.¡±


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Marina shook her head. ¡°Forgive me for trying to be careful. Who knows what we¡¯re going to find in the Crypt of Belzag.¡±


    ¡°Belziah.¡±


    ¡°The Crypt of Belziah, fine. The point is that we don¡¯t know what¡¯s in store for us there.¡±


    ¡°Undead, most likely. It is a crypt, after all. If we¡¯re lucky, it¡¯ll be skeletons, but if we¡¯re less lucky, it¡¯ll be some sort of zombie.¡±


    ¡°Why is it lucky if we find skeletons instead of zombies?¡±


    ¡°Zombies are fleshier and harder to break to pieces,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°If we find a skeleton, all it takes is a good bash to the head and that¡¯ll cave a skull in nicely, which I can do with both my sword and my shield. I¡¯ve also heard that if you cut the limbs from certain zombies, the limbs will keep moving and try to attack you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard?¡± asked Marina with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I thought you were old hand at all this adventuring business.¡±


    ¡°Old hand?¡± laughed Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯ve only been on the road for just over a year now. I can¡¯t see everything under the sun in that short a time, sometimes you just have to take the word of rumours and hope it¡¯ll steer you right.¡±


    The two slowly walked along the street as the sky was turning a warm shade of orange, contrasting with the cooling air. It was the perfect time to go into one of the inns, devour a hot meal and get some much-needed rest ahead of their next big adventure.


    ¡°Oi, you two,¡± came a grizzled voice from a man cloaked by shadow. He was standing under an awning and had a hood pulled up over his head, revealing only a sharp chin that was dusted in stubble. To say that the man looked shifty would have been a great understatement.


    ¡°Can we help you?¡± asked Friedrich warily.


    ¡°I should say you can, young ones.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that young.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m young and we¡¯re about the same age,¡± said Marina, ¡°that makes you young too.¡±


    Friedrich ignored her, as did the shadowed man. ¡°Did I overhear right that you two were looking to go to the Crypt of Belziah?¡± asked the stranger.


    ¡°We talked about that a couple of minutes ago,¡± said Friedrich, looking suspiciously at the man. ¡°How long have you been following us and listening to our conversation?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, but the name Belziah made my ears prick up. You don¡¯t hear it often and I was curious.¡±


    ¡°And what if we are planning to go to the crypt? How is that any of your business?¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps I could interest you in a rare pendant that can ward off the undead?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we need,¡± said Marina, hopping up and down excitedly.


    ¡°What¡¯s your game?¡± asked Friedrich, still not trusting the man.


    ¡°No game,¡± said the man, holding up his hands, ¡°just a simple trade. That means it¡¯ll cost you something, of course. Two hundred kupons if you want to get specific about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have two hundred kupons to spare,¡± said Friedrich, turning to walk away.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± said the man, taking a step forward. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a silver pendant with a ruby hanging from it. ¡°Perhaps we can cut a deal? No kupons necessary.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything of value,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°What about that fancy mask of yours?¡± asked the man. ¡°The one hanging from your belt. It looks like it¡¯s made of wood, but the craftsmanship is mighty fine indeed. I¡¯m sure that little gem in the forehead would make up the rest of the value. What do you say, my friend?¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Marina looked at Friedrich desperately, who shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not for sale. You¡¯ll have to peddle that pendant to someone else, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a real shame,¡± said the man, despondently. His head slumped for a while before he looked up and smiled. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly.


    Suddenly, three other men in cloaks jumped from an alleyway. One of them grabbed Marina by the arms while another restrained Friedrich; the third, yanked the fox mask from his belt and tossed it to the man who had been trying to coax it away from him. He held it up and looked at it as though he was mesmerised by it.


    ¡°Sorry about this, chum,¡± he said with a low chuckle. ¡°I couldn¡¯t pass up this rare opportunity to obtain a soul mask. You know what this thing does, so I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    With that, he ran off. His lackeys threw Friedrich and Marina to the ground, then making a run for it themselves.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Marina as she climbed to her feet, but Friedrich had already sprinted after them. ¡°Oh no, oh no, oh no,¡± she muttered as she followed, clutching her staff.


    Friedrich caught up to the first of the men and grabbed his ankle, tripping him. Marina trod over the thug as she hurried to keep up with Friedrich. The next two men turned to confront the pair head on, but Friedrich smashed the edge of his shield into one of the muggers¡¯ faces, breaking a few of his teeth with a faint crack, while Marina zapped the other with a lightning strike, knocking him out cold¡ªat least, she hoped he was only out cold. His small movements may have been spasming.


    ¡°There!¡± called Friedrich, seeing the would-be-merchant charging through a group of people and darting through the doors of a tavern.


    Friedrich rushed after him, as Marina fell behind, struggling to keep pace. Friedrich threw open the doors and called out. ¡°Is there a cloaked man with a mask hiding here?¡±


    Most of the patrons simply looked confused while a couple pointed towards a room at the back. Friedrich wasted no time and ran into the room, finding it to be the inn¡¯s kitchen. He looked around, seeing no sign of the thief, but the confused chef pointed towards an open window.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Friedrich hurriedly as he dove through the window and awkwardly rolled into the alleyway.


    He looked left and he looked right, not sure which way the man had ran. He had to make a decision, and quickly. Right. He broke into a run again, his lungs and legs burning as he pushed himself. As he rounded a corner, he saw the hem of a cloak swish over a fall. Friedrich leapt with all his power at the wall, grabbing the top and throwing himself over too.


    There was the thief. The man looked over his shoulder and spotted Friedrich as the young swordsman landed. Friedrich¡¯s sudden appearance distracted him and he didn¡¯t notice a loose brick on the ground and tripped. He fell awkwardly to the ground, dropping the fox mask which flew a few feet away.


    The thief lunged for it from the dusty ground, but Friedrich pounced on him and pulled his arm away. The young man wasn¡¯t going to tolerate thieving scum taking his possessions. Friedrich tugged at his cloak, choking the man who still desperately reached for the mask.


    ¡°Get off me, boy!¡± called the thief, but Friedrich elbowed him in the back of the head and his nose hit the cobblestones, dazing him.


    Friedrich threw himself forward, stretching out his arm. He grabbed the edge of the mask with his fingertips and then climbed to his feet. As the bloody-nosed thief stood up and made for Friedrich, the young man brought the mask to within an inch of his face.


    ¡°You move another muscle and I put it on,¡± said Friedrich firmly. ¡°You know what will happen next, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The man said nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± barked Friedrich.


    ¡°You rotten, little¡­¡± muttered the man, wiping the blood away from his upper lip with his sleeve. ¡°Yes, I know,¡± he said more loudly.


    ¡°You called this a soul mask. What does that mean?¡±


    The man let a single, sharp laugh escape. ¡°You¡¯re telling me, lad, that you have a soul mask and you have no idea what that means?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m telling you,¡± said Friedrich, watching the thief¡¯s legs trembling. ¡°Take a step back. Do it now!¡±


    The man held up his hands and slowly moved backwards four steps. ¡°Easy, lad. You win, I lose. The mask is yours, alright?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It is mine. It was mine from the moment I found it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair¡­that¡¯s fair¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Friedrich asked him. He kept his eyes on the man¡¯s hands, taking mental note of the dagger in his belt and his abnormally lumpy boot. There was something concealed inside, Friedrich was sure of it.


    ¡°My name? It¡¯s Muriance.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what a soul mask is.¡±


    ¡°The clue is in the name, is it not?¡± scoffed Muriance. ¡°It¡¯s a mask possessed by a soul. By the looks of your one, it¡¯s possessed by the soul of a fox. Your transform into a fox when you put it on, is that not the case?¡±


    Friedrich nodded slowly, careful not to let the mask as much as graze his nose.


    ¡°There are many soul masks in the world, but the magic used to create them is rare and powerful. It¡¯s not a simple polymorph, lad, it¡¯s an ancient form of shamanistic magic. To think that it was wasted by trapping the soul of a fox¡­by the gods. Think of the possibilities! A king¡­a sea serpent¡­a dragon! What a waste.¡±


    ¡°How much is it worth?¡±


    ¡°More kupons than I¡¯ve got, son. More kupons than I¡¯ve got.¡±


    Friedrich heard a faint shuffling coming from behind him and placed the mask upon his face as someone lunged for him. Even through the pain of the transformation, he heard Muriance cursing. Friedrich darted forward as Muriance and one of his lackeys dived for him, but he scurried between their legs and ran from the alleyway as they knocked each other flat on their backs.


    Back on the streets, he dashed along in search of Marina as many of the passersby pointed at him, amused to see a fox bounding through the town. Friedrich looked over his shoulder as he moved, concerned that he may be being followed, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary; not that that was especially reassuring right now. Muriance and his cronies were slippery and Friedrich had no doubt this would not be the last he would see of them if he hung around Eagle¡¯s Crest for much longer.


    He found Marina sitting at the edge of the fountain in the town centre, her head resting upon her hand. Friedrich was relieved to see that she was safe. She did a double take as she looked up and saw the golden fox skipping towards her.


    ¡°Friedrich?¡± she asked.


    As soon as she said his name, he changed back into a human. A couple of folks nearby jumped out of their skin, never having seen such an oddity before. They immediately fled, fearful of this bizarre magic while a few other people muttered about sorcery.


    ¡°Agh,¡± Friedrich grunted, shuddering at the pain. ¡°We need to get out of town now,¡± he said.


    ¡°But¡­the inn!¡± Marina squealed, trying to ignore the urgency in his face. ¡°A warm, comfy bed for the night!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be stabbed in your sleep, we need to leave.¡±


    ¡°A nice bed and being stabbed¡­or sleeping on soil and staying alive,¡± she muttered. ¡°Yes, I understand. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two young explorers headed for the nearest way out of town, watching their backs as they moved. It was a relief when they departed from town, now making their way to the Crypt of Belziah earlier than intended. The only trouble being that Muriance also knew where they were heading, and he very much wanted the fox mask for himself.

 Chapter 8 - The Mountain Path

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ve put enough distance between ourselves and the thieves?¡± asked Marina, looking over her shoulder and down the slope.


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, as the pair marched up the mountain path. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to think that Muriance and his lackeys don¡¯t have horses.¡±


    ¡°Then they would have caught us already! If you¡¯re that worried, we should ignore the Crypt of Balzak¡ª¡±


    ¡°Belziah.¡±


    ¡°¡ªand find somewhere else to hunt for treasure. Somewhere they couldn¡¯t possibly find us.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any other leads right now,¡± said Friedrich, touching the mask which now rested under his tunic.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we stop at another town and find a lead? You¡¯ve hidden the mask now, so no one there will know you¡¯ve got it.¡±


    Friedrich had secured the mask with a thin rope that hung around his neck. Anyone who looked too closely would have seen the glowing aura, but it was subtle enough for the time being. He couldn¡¯t let it fall into someone else¡¯s hands. He knew now that it was valuable, but its greatest value had yet to be tested.


    ¡°That seems like a waste of time when we know somewhere that already has kupons ripe for the picking.¡±


    Marina cocked her head to the side. ¡°We know somewhere that you¡¯ve heard has kupons for the picking,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just fearful that greed will be the end of us.¡±


    ¡°What do you think a treasure hunter does for a living?¡±


    Marina didn¡¯t answer, but continued to follow Friedrich quietly. He had been in a foul mood ever since he had almost lost his mask two days ago. He hadn¡¯t appeared all that attached to it before, but now he couldn¡¯t go two minutes without checking he still had it tied around his neck and it was staring to concern Marina.


    It had been a long and arduous trek through yet more dense woodland and up the mountain where they would eventually find the crypt they sought. At the very least, it was a clear and sunny day, something Marina had missed over the dreary and misty past week.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± said Friedrich, looking to the sky. ¡°It¡¯s too bright¡­our enemies could get the jump on us.¡±


    ¡°Will you cheer up?¡± groaned Marina. ¡°You have your mask, we¡¯re going to the crypt and we haven¡¯t been mugged on the road. Everything is going your way and you¡¯re still miserable.¡±


    Friedrich stopped dead and turned to her as Marina braced herself for an argument. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said with a sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­what?¡± she asked, caught off guard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he repeated. ¡°You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t be so down. I¡¯m sure it hasn¡¯t been easy being around me the last couple of days.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Marina, still taken aback. She brushed her hair over her ear and smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, that¡¯s all. Nothing is worth you getting yourself hurt.¡±


    Friedrich smiled back and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have someone looking out for me,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it. Everything I do, I tend to do alone so¡­well, I¡¯m not sure what else to say.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything else,¡± said Marina. ¡°I¡¯m watching your back and you¡¯re watching mine. As long as we both know that, then everything is going to be just fine.¡±


    The two started walking again, only stopping every so often for Friedrich to check the map he had picked up in Eagle¡¯s Crest. The loose clusters of trees along the path thinned as the two Mercians passed through tunnels and caves. Only the most stubborn of bushes remained, determined to add some greenery to the grey and brown of the stone.


    After a while, Friedrich stopped at a fork in the path. He looked left and right, trying to work out the way ahead. He examined the map again, his brow furrowed.


    ¡°It¡¯s this way,¡± he said, nodding to the left while sounding uncertain.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Marina.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied, looking back down at the map, ¡°but some of the landmarks don¡¯t match up. Left is my best guess.¡±


    ¡°Should we stop somewhere and see if we can work it out together?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any experience reading maps?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± she said brightly, ¡°but I¡¯m sure I can work it out. Or better yet, you can teach me how to read one.¡±


    Friedrich looked at her incredulously. ¡°But I¡¯m the one who got us lost.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­yes, there is that,¡± admitted Marina, but she smiled again. ¡°No matter, we¡¯ll work something out. Let¡¯s take some time and go over it properly.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Friedrich, looking around, ¡°but we won¡¯t stop out in the open. We¡¯ll head into one of the caves.¡±


    The two young treasure hunters turned around, walking back the way they came, seeking somewhere to rest until they could get their bearings. They found a cave they had glanced over on the way through and headed inside.


    Marina placed her meagre belongings on the stone floor and moved some rocks together to make seats for the pair of them. Friedrich grabbed whatever dry sticks he could find along the almost barren path, giving him just enough to start a small fire.


    Once the two had settled themselves into the surprisingly cozy cave¡ªwell away from the entrance to avoid being seen¡ªFriedrich lit the fire using the sticks, a couple of dry leaves and the flint and steel he always carried with him. Marina sat close to the fire as Friedrich skewered some of the dried meat he had bought in town and heated it up over the fire.


    ¡°I said it yesterday, and I¡¯ll say it again,¡± said Marina, ¡°this is much tastier than pheasant.¡±


    ¡°Are you not feeling nostalgic about the trip to Eagle¡¯s Crest when we were filled with hopes and dreams? Back in the days before we were plagued by a gang of thieves?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic,¡± laughed Marina, nudging Friedrich, who also laughed. ¡°Muriance is a pest, but we dealt with him and his crew swiftly.¡±


    ¡°You did take out one of his men with a well-placed lightning bolt,¡± chuckled Friedrich. He was the cheeriest he had been in two days, which was most welcome. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see what we can find in the crypt.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what we¡¯re looking for in the Crypt of Belbath¡ª¡±


    ¡°Belziah.¡±


    ¡°¡ªonly that there¡¯s treasure to find.¡±


    ¡°As far as I¡¯ve been told, it was once the resting place of an old general and his soldiers, but it was then taken over by necromancers who raised the dead. The necromancers are supposedly long-dead, generations ago at least, and all that¡¯s left there is the remnants of their magic.¡±


    ¡°And kupons?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°and plenty of kupons. That¡¯s the best part about necromancers, isn¡¯t it? Their work is cheap, so they save a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Is that true or is that just one of your theories?¡± asked Marina, looking at the young man oddly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a reasonable assumption, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Wait just a minute,¡± said Marina incredulously. ¡°We¡¯re going all the way to this crypt in search of treasure based on your assumption that necromancers are rich?¡±


    Friedrich thought about how to answer diplomatically, but he drew a blank. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, eventually.


    Marina put two fingers to each of temples and started massaging them in circles. She said nothing while Friedrich sat there staring at her. He wanted to break the silence, but he thought it best to give her a moment to calm down or she might explode.


    ¡°All this time,¡± she said. ¡°I keep thinking you¡¯re much smarter than I am, but no. You¡¯re stumbling through the darkness and getting lucky, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I am,¡± chuckled Friedrich. ¡°But if we hadn¡¯t been forced to leave town, I would have done some more digging about the crypt. At the minute, I¡¯m just playing the hand I¡¯m dealt.¡±


    Marina couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°And if there¡¯s nothing there, my idea to go to another town and find another lead will seem like it came from the mind of a genius.¡±


    ¡°My hunches always lead to great things,¡± said Friedrich, pulling the mask out from underneath his tunic. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this would be in the castle, yet here it is. I thought I would only find some kupons. Even without the mask, the kupons were my biggest haul to date.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find another mask in the crypt?¡± joked Marina.


    ¡°If we do, then I¡¯ll be quite the force to be reckoned with.¡±


    ¡°Who says you get to keep this one?¡±


    ¡°Do you want one?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± squealed Marina abruptly. ¡°I quite like being in my own body and being able to use my magic. Now that I know you¡¯re possessing a corpse, I like the idea of trying out the mask even less.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not possessing a corpse,¡± said Friedrich, thinking back to what Muriance had said. ¡°If anything, I¡¯m taking on a new body in the image of a dead creature whose soul is trapped in the mask.¡±


    ¡°Do you hear how that sounds?¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve said it aloud, yes, I see your point. Even still, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m possessing a corpse. It¡¯s a facsimile.¡±


    As Friedrich and Marina started eating, Friedrich took to re-examining the map. He tried to recall each of the major landmarks as they had worked their way up the mountain. He spotted the jagged rock that looked like a sword, he followed that along on the map with his finger to the circle of trees that were clustered oddly along the side of the road, he continued until¡ª


    ¡°I know where I¡¯ve made my mistake,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°It was just before the trees started thinning. Do you see here?¡±


    Friedrich pointed to a fork in the road and Marina nodded.


    ¡°I brought us along the left, when we should have gone hard right.¡±


    ¡°And where are we now? Can you remember the way back to that fork?¡±


    ¡°Of course! That shouldn¡¯t be a problem at all.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t be. That won¡¯t be a problem at all.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right this time,¡± said Marina before perking up. ¡°At least if you¡¯re not, that¡¯s more time going on a pleasant walk in the sun.¡±


    ¡°See? There¡¯s always a bright side, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± giggled Marina.


    Friedrich snuffed out the fire and the pair packed up what little they had, then headed back out onto the mountain path, more determined than ever to reach the Crypt of Belziah.

 Chapter 9 - The Crypt of Belziah

    Friedrich and Marina rounded a corner and walked into a small clearing between the trees. Before them, embedded in the cliff face was an archway. It had etchings and scratchings all over it in an ancient language that neither of the young Mercians could decipher. Adorning two columns on either side of the archway were carved depictions of a knight fighting against all sorts of hideous beasts, from troglodytes to elementals.


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°I wonder if that says Crypt of Belgraph.¡±


    ¡°Belziah,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder if you keep getting it wrong on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± smirked Marina, striding forward to the archway. ¡°It¡¯s magnificent though, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mighty impressive,¡± said Friedrich, examining the archway more closely. ¡°It would be a dream to receive such an honour in death, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Belziah is an odd name for a general, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound very Mercian.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. You know what it sounds like¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°It sounds elven.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to say.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like the name of a dark elf.¡±


    ¡°Are dark elves allowed to serve in the Mercian military?¡± asked Marina, having known precious few elves throughout her life.


    ¡°I could only guess,¡± said Friedrich, looking into the dark of the entrance, where a staircase led deeper down. ¡°To think that there are hundreds of tombs like this scattered throughout our kingdom, but so many are lost to the elements. The soil piled up around them, the overgrowth hiding their entrances, and sometimes, having simply crumbled because they¡¯re too old to remain standing.¡±


    Marina kept quiet, the realisation that she was about to go into a large tomb suddenly hitting her now that she was faced with it. As magnificent as the entrance was, the black below and what lurked in it was unsettling her. She did not know how to quash that feeling.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± asked Friedrich, sensing something was off.


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± said Marina, her teeth chattering. ¡°N-never b-better.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°because even if you said something was wrong, we¡¯d be going down anyway.¡±


    Marina breathed in deeply. ¡°In and out, nice and quick. Fill the sacks with treasure and away we go, back outside before sunset.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± said Friedrich, his hand grazing the top of his tunic to make sure his mask was still there.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go by yourself?¡± asked Marina. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to see as well as you down there when you¡¯re in your fox form.¡±


    ¡°What happened to watching each other¡¯s backs?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­you¡¯re right. I can do this¡­I can do this.¡±


    After Friedrich lit a torch, the two walked through the entrance and descended into the foreboding tomb, the stench of decay filling their nostrils. The pleasant weather outside was immediately replaced with a cold chill as they moved down the dark staircase and into a room where sunlight had not been permitted to reach.


    The smell of rot grew more intense as Friedrich picked a direction. He and Marina walked softly, hoping that nothing would hear them coming, but it was a certainty that something would see their light; a necessary price to pay in order to see.


    Friedrich held up a hand to stop Marina, then placed the hand to his ear. They both listened closely. There was a strange shuffling sound coming from somewhere up ahead. It was the sound of feet being dragged down the stone halls and, whoever the feet belonged to, they were getting close.


    A sudden low, grim grunt escaped and, in a panic, Marina thrust her staff forward. A walking, rotten corpse had its stomach punctured by the blunt staff. It stopped moving and looked down at the wooden implement for a moment before looking up at Marina. It walked forwards with its arms outstretched, further impaling itself as Marina froze.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t,¡± said Friedrich, bringing his sharp blade down upon the zombie and splattering a rather foul ooze against the wall, himself and Marina.


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    The zombie fell to the ground and Marina exhaled the breath she¡¯d been holding since she first heard the shuffling. She wrenched her staff free from the stomach of the corpse and tried to wipe the blood from it using the rags that remained of the zombie¡¯s clothing.


    ¡°That was close,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± said Friedrich, looking at the filthy remnants he had splattered over himself. ¡°Thrust into the skull, don¡¯t slash across it. A foolish error on my part.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still alive,¡± said Marina, gratefully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to use your lightning magic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    The two pressed on, now knowing what lay in store for them. They would be just fine if they happened upon the zombies one by one¡ªand they did for a short while. Friedrich dispatched seven of the foul dwellers of the tomb, while Marina zapped three of them. She was quite proud of herself for not freezing when confronted and only took a couple of scratches and bruises along the way.


    ¡°Three of them!¡± she called out, while Friedrich leapt upon one of the zombies, impaling its head with a mighty thrust.


    Marina followed suit and swung her staff, unleashing a bolt of lightning that didn¡¯t quite land where she intended. It blew apart one of the zombie¡¯s legs, but not before he had lunged for her. It grabbed onto her shoulders, opening its mouth to take a bite from her, but it suddenly found its skull crushed by a sturdy shield. Friedrich pulled the zombie off of Marina and shoved it into the third zombie, knocking both of them to the floor.


    The young adventurer rushed over to the writhing undead, who was pinned down by the body of the one-legged zombie, and splattered its brains across the floor with a heavy stomp.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Marina, rushing over to Friedrich and throwing her arms around his waist. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Friedrich as she released him. ¡°I think we¡¯ll find something up ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°No, but to see three of the zombies clustered together makes me think we¡¯re getting close to something good.¡±


    ¡°You and your hunches,¡± muttered Marina.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you complain freely if I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    The two took a second to catch their breaths before moving ahead. They were exhausted, even after such a short time, but the longer they lingered, the more tired they would grow. There was something about the stifling heat and the darkness that drained them that much more than anything on the surface.


    The pair roamed the halls, putting a swift end to any further zombies they encountered, until they finally found something that piqued their interest. There was a large sarcophagus sitting within a room, surrounded by chamber pots, with a single chest sitting atop a pedestal before the sarcophagus. It was made of wood and carved with ornate depictions of battle. The wood was lined with black metal and a larger-than-necessary keyhole.


    ¡°I won¡¯t complain again,¡± said Marina, moving into the room, but Friedrich grabbed her arm.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said.


    He gently pushed her aside and then swung his sword through the doorway, then stepped aside himself. Suddenly, a fireball burst from the far wall and shot through the door, soaring past Friedrich and Marina before striking the wall and fizzling out.


    ¡°H-how did you know?¡± Marina asked, looking petrified.


    ¡°A bad experience,¡± said Friedrich, tapping his iron pauldrons, the only metal armour he wore.


    Friedrich swung his sword through the door again, but a second fireball did not follow. Content to take the risk of the magic recharging, he slinked into the room and up to the chest. Marina followed tepidly and observed as Friedrich examined the chest carefully before laying a hand on it.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°More traps,¡± said Friedrich, now examining the pedestal. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything else, but that doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be something when we open the chest. When I found the mask, the chest was already wide open so I could freely load the best kupons into a sack and then move along.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell if there are traps?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s as simple as a pressure plate or a tripwire, other times there will be a rune of some kind. The worst ones are the ones that detect motion, like the one in the doorway. They can be invisible so you have to learn them through trial and error. Thankfully, I learned my lesson good and early so I make it a habit to check rooms with treasure a bit more carefully than I do others.¡±


    ¡°Have you been watching out for traps this entire time?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Not the entire time,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I¡¯ve been keeping an eye out as we¡¯ve entered rooms. Sometimes you can be so cautious that its slow and draining, so I¡¯ve managed to find a happy medium.¡±


    Marina walked up to the sarcophagus and looked at the stone figure carved into the top of it. It was of a woman, tall and slender, with sharp eyes, pointed ears and a harsh look upon her face.


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes?¡± asked Friedrich, walking over, satisfied that they could bring the chest with them.


    ¡°We were right, Belziah is an elf.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now I don¡¯t need to feel any guilt in taking anything from here.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s buried with anything?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡±


    Marina looked around the sarcophagus, checking to see if there were any traps that she may set off. Friedrich watched on, glad that she was taking what he had told her on board. As a matter of caution, he examined the sarcophagus too, knowing that Marina wouldn¡¯t be able to discern some of the signs of a trap.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy enough,¡± he said to her. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s open it,¡± said Marina excitedly, but her face fell when she realised she would be seeing another dead body.


    Friedrich placed his hands on the edge of the sarcophagus and pushed. It didn¡¯t budge at first, but he dug his heels into the ground and drove himself forward. Slowly, the stone lid grinded against the walls and began to move. Marina placed her hands on it too and they pushed until the inside of the coffin was half-exposed.


    ¡°Agh!¡± cried Marina, seeing the skeletal remains of an elf, clad in ashen armour.


    ¡°More prizes for us,¡± said Friedrich excitedly, pointing at an amulet around Belziah¡¯s neck. The flickering light from the torch, pierced the green stone and sent a pattern of dancing lights throughout the sarcophagus.


    Wanting to get out of here as soon as possible, Marina snatched the amulet and tugged it away before Friedrich could stop her.


    ¡°No!¡± he called out, reaching for her arm, but it was too late.


    The bricks beneath them gave way and they fell through the floor into the darkness beneath.

 Chapter 10 - Deeper Down

    ¡°My ribs,¡± muttered Friedrich, clutching his left side with one hand and making sure he didn¡¯t lose his mask with his right. ¡°Marina, are you alright?¡±


    Marina lay flat on the floor staring up at the hole in the ceiling that she could only vaguely make out from the torchlight. ¡°Why am I so foolish?¡± she uttered quietly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll live,¡± grunted Friedrich.


    He stood up and dusted himself off, picking up both the torch that lay on the floor and Belziah¡¯s amulet that was sitting on top of a pile of broken bricks. He looked at the amulet closely, but it didn¡¯t appear to be damaged.


    ¡°It must be enchanted,¡± he said, stashing it into a pouch on his waist. ¡°Neither of us should put it on until we can learn what it does. I¡¯m not having another incident on our hands like the one with the fox mask. We¡¯ll take it to a town once we¡¯re finished here and have it identified.¡±


    ¡°So foolish,¡± Marina murmured to herself. ¡°Why did I take the amulet?¡±


    Friedrich walked over to her and held out his hand. ¡°These things happen,¡± he said. ¡°What matters now is how we deal with it. I need your head screwed back on, alright?¡±


    Marina took his hand tepidly. ¡°Yes¡­yes, you¡¯re right,¡± she said, not sounding overly confident. In the low light, it was clear that her eyes were watering, but she was trying to hide it.


    Friedrich pulled her to her feet and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°I think we¡¯ll be able to climb back out of here using the rope we bought,¡± he said, and then turning and pointing to the far wall, ¡°but there¡¯s a tunnel right here. We¡¯ll see where it goes, just in case it¡¯s worth our while.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, walking over to the hole in the wall, while Marina reluctantly followed him.


    The tunnel was much narrower than the corridors of the crypt above, the stone wall was rough with sharp outcroppings of rock. Adorning the walls was not the blackened remnants of extinguished torches, but an array of skulls that had been sawn off at the top to make room for candles.


    ¡°Necromancers,¡± whispered Friedrich to Marina. ¡°Utterly vile.¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t possibly still be here, could they?¡±


    ¡°Not alive, I would imagine. Maybe there¡¯ll be a lich further on in.¡±


    ¡°A lich?¡±


    ¡°A powerful undead wizard,¡± said Friedrich nodding slowly. ¡°That would most certainly be a sign for us to get out of here or we¡¯ll join the ranks of the undead.¡±


    Marina gulped as her eyes widened with terror. ¡°I¡¯m too young to be a zombie.¡±


    ¡°If we meet a lich, that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen to both of us.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    Friedrich chuckled. ¡°Relax, there won¡¯t be a lich here. They¡¯re very rare.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever met one?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know how rare they are?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve never met one.¡±


    ¡°But¡­hmm,¡± said Marina, holding a finger to her chin. ¡°Alright, that works for me.¡±


    As the two made their way through the tunnel, it started to open wider. Friedrich snuffed out the torch, seeing that the cavern before them was already illuminated by glowing fungus of various shades of green and blue. There was an ethereal beauty to it that was only dampened by the loose human bones scattered across the ground.


    ¡°Eee!¡± screeched Marina, making Friderich whirl around as he drew his sword.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, seeing nothing. ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t want to say,¡± whispered Marina, her face visibly red even in the glow of the fungus light.


    Friedrich frowned at her. ¡°It was an insect, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say,¡± Marina repeated through gritted teeth. The look on her face told Friedrich that it was an insect, likely one with at least eight legs.


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    Shaking his head, Friedrich took the lead again and walked through the cavern, keeping his sword drawn for good measure. Sure enough, the rest of the cavern was filled with thick spiderwebs that stretched across the ceiling and wrapped themselves around the stalagmites and stalactites. Thankfully, none of the spiders crawling along the webs were much bigger than a fist.


    Moving along to the next cavern, the two treasure hunters spied a small stream of water running through the wall. It must have been an offshoot of the river outside and it ran along the slope downwards. Electing to follow it, they came to a hole in the cave wall that opened into daylight where a small circular pit awaited them.


    The stream dropped into a small pool down below. The pool did not continually fill, but another hole in the wall let it escape to somewhere outside. Friedrich looked up and could see the cliff faces stretching high above him. There was no hope of climbing out from here, but there was another opening into a cavern across a twenty-foot gap that intrigued the young man.


    ¡°I think there was a walkway here at one point,¡± said Friedrich, looking at the stone beneath the ledge upon which he stood.


    The edge was especially rough and upon running his hand along the side, he could feel smoother stone that indicated a clean break. If there was indeed a walkway once here then that meant there must be something on the other side worth seeing.


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to turn back,¡± said Marina, unable to hide her happiness. ¡°Oh well, it was a valiant effort but it seems¡ª"


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± said Friedrich looking to the opening at the far side.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the life of a treasure hunter, Marina,¡± he said airily. ¡°Going from danger to danger in search of riches. These situations are my bread and butter, and now they¡¯re yours too. You¡¯ll just have to get used to it if you want to stick with me.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± after there was silence for five seconds.


    Marina shook her head. ¡°I had no argument against your point.¡±


    ¡°Throw me across,¡± said Friedrich, pulling out the fox mask and placing it upon his face. Before Marina had the chance to complain, he had already transformed.


    ¡°Do you really think I can throw you that far?¡± asked Marina to the now small and golden Friedrich.


    He nodded and started pawing at Marina¡¯s knees, urging her to try. There was nothing she wanted less because if he drowned in the pit below or in the next cavern, she was stuck. He was carrying the rope and it had vanished upon his transformation. Even still, there could be more treasure to be found.


    With an uneasy look, she bent down and picked Friedrich up. He was quite light at this size, so maybe she could throw him far enough? She would try at least and the consequences were on Friedrich¡¯s own head. If she was truly stuck, she would pile stones and bricks up until she could climb back up to the sarcophagus before making her way out.


    Marina held Friedrich in two hands, one upon his chest and one upon his belly. ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asked, still not feeling good about this.


    Upon a nod from Friedrich, she swung him back and forth a few times, readying herself. She had to time this just right or he was in for a nasty fall. Holding her breath, she flung him forward across the gap and he flew through the air.


    Friedrich stretched out his front legs, catching onto the cavern floor. His lower half dangled over the edge of the ledge, but he had made it. He sank his nails into the stone and wriggled up until he was firmly on solid ground. He turned to look at Marina, who had her fists resting on her chin in anticipation.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she called across.


    Friedrich nodded in acknowledgement and then held up a paw. He pointed to himself and then further inside, then pointed to Marina and to the ground that she stood upon.


    ¡°You¡¯re going inside and you want me to wait here?¡± she asked. Friedrich nodded and then scarpered off. ¡°Be careful!¡± Marina called after him.


    Friedrich skipped softly along into this much larger cavern. He could see there was a set of stone steps up ahead and made for them, only to end up jumping out of his skin upon a swarm of bats squeaking through the air and outside. He ducked out of sight behind a rock, praying that they weren¡¯t vampire bats and merely animals.


    Slipping out from behind the rock, he bounded towards the steps and climbed them clumsily. He had gotten used to moving as a fox, but stairs were a little difficult for him still. After a sloppy climb, he reached the top and his fox eyes widened with excitement.


    Before him was a desecrated ritual circle that didn¡¯t look like it had been used in decades. To his left was a bloodstained pedestal, but it was more stain than actual blood after all this time. On top of the pedestal, sat an open book that Friedrich couldn¡¯t see from his current height, but it wasn¡¯t the book that interested him. What did interest him was the large sarcophagus before him and what sat at its base; it was another chest. This chest was a simple wood design with an iron trim and lock. Key or no key, this could be opened easily.


    Friedrich hopped on top of the sarcophagus and peered over at the book, but the text was faded and the pages half eaten away by damp. He suspected that this was where the necromancers conducted the bulk of their work with the zombies in the crypt above serving as guards.


    Two minutes later, Friedrich reverted to his human form and tucked his mask away again. He looked around the chest, but did not see as much as a pressure plate. Even still, he thought that if he was going to take it, he should make a run for it immediately lest he awaken what was sleeping inside the sarcophagus; in a cavern like this, there was surely something.


    Friedrich sheathed his sword and knelt beside the chest. If it was full, he could carry it in two hands quite easily. He would need to throw it over to Marina, so hopefully it wasn¡¯t too heavy¡­unless he tied the rope around it and she pulled it up? Once she had secured the chest, Friedrich himself could climb up the far side of the chasm.


    He inhaled deeply and grabbed the chest, sprinting for the stairs with it in his arms. He stopped before going down, looking over his shoulder. There was no movement from the sarcophagus. He chuckled to himself, then walked down onto the main cavern floor and towards the light.


    ¡°Agh!¡± cried Marina. ¡°Friedrich!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he called back, bolting ahead.


    Friedrich burst back into daylight, catching onto the cavern wall with one hand so he didn¡¯t slip off the edge. He saw Marina pointing down below to the pool. There were hands reaching out from within; bloated, rotten hands. They were grabbing onto the rocks and pulling themselves up the wall and out of the pool, determined to get to the intruders.

 Chapter 11 - The Bloated Horde

    ¡°Stand back!¡± called Friedrich, taking a few steps backwards. He ran forwards as Marina moved aside and tossed the chest across the chasm, where it clunked and rattled against the stone ground.


    The young explorer reached into his satchel and pulled out a length of rope without looking down at the bloated corpses that were pulling themselves up the wall towards him and Marina¡ªMarina, however, could not take her eyes off them.


    ¡°Catch,¡± Friedrich called, throwing the rope to her, but Marina was too distracted and missed.


    Friedrich pulled the rope up rapidly as one of the corpses lunged for it. The rope escaped the clawing grasp of the undead abomination just in time and it lost its balance, dropping back into the pool.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Friedrich asked Marina.


    ¡°Ready,¡± she said, reaching out for the rope.


    Friedrich threw it and this time she caught it. She ran inside the cavern and hurriedly tied it around a stalagmite before running out again. The undead were almost at the ledge, leaving Friedrich little room for error. He leapt across the gap, pulling the rope as tightly as he could, and then placed his feet out to land on the rocky cliff face.


    As an undead reached for him, it was blown to pieces by a lightning strike courtesy of Marina. Friedrich started climbing, but found the tight grip of a bloated and bony finger around his ankle. He pulled his sword free and, with a mighty flash, cut the hand from the monster, sending it falling into its brethren.


    As Friedrich climbed, Marina sent a storm of lightning bolts at the undead, but her magical energy was quickly draining. She couldn¡¯t keep it up for much longer.


    Friedrich strained himself and climbed as quickly as he could, throwing himself over the top of the ledge. Marina rushed into the cavern and pulled the still-knotted rope free and started to wind it up as Friedrich fended off the undead that were on the verge of climbing onto horizontal ground.


    As one of the undead climbed up, Friedrich booted it in the stomach, kicking it into the water below. He turned, grabbed the chest, and ran after Marina who had already sped off towards the chamber they had first fallen into.


    ¡°Are you behind me?¡± Marina called over her shoulder as Friedrich gained on her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank Jorren.¡±


    The groans of the bloated corpses echoed through the caverns down the tunnel as the two young adventurers entered the chamber.


    ¡°Rope,¡± said Friedrich, catching it as Marina threw it to him.


    He threw it up high, hoping it would catch onto something¡ªonto anything. After five attempts with zero success, and the growing moans from the corpses as they encroached upon them, Friedrich pulled his shield from his arm and tied the rope around the handle.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Marina asked.


    ¡°Praying,¡± he said, tossing it up towards Belziah¡¯s sarcophagus.


    With a clunk, the shield landed in the sarcophagus and caught on the edge. Friedrich gave it a tug, making sure it was secure and then passed the rope to Marina.


    ¡°You first,¡± he said.


    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    Marina didn¡¯t hesitate further and started climbing, right as the undead reached the end of the tunnel. Friedrich rushed to meet them, thrusting his sword into the opening. With a gruesome squelch, he impaled one as the others pushed against it, trying to drive their way through. Friedrich drew his sword back, striking again, and again, and again. The pile of corpses¡ªtruly dead this time¡ªgrew, but the undead behind were more plentiful than he had imagined, and shoved them past.


    Friedrich looked at the rope and couldn¡¯t see Marina anywhere; she was safe. With a final wide slash at the zombies pouring into the room, he backed off. Friedrich sheathed his sword, hurriedly knotted the bottom of the rope into one of the handles of the chest, and leapt as high as he could. He wrapped the rope around his hands and started to shuffle upwards, pulling the rope and chest up behind him with his feet.


    The undead underneath him were swarming into the chamber, filling it to the brim. How deep the pool of water outside went, Friedrich could not guess, but he did know that he did not want to venture down to find out. His arms were aching as he pulled himself higher, but pull himself higher he did.


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    He reached onto the brick floor above and felt around, hoping Marina would grab him and pull him up, but instead, a much larger hand took his hand and pulled him up. As Friedrich was pulled into Belziah¡¯s chamber, he saw who had aided him.


    ¡°Fancy meeting you here, chum,¡± said Muriance with a smirk. ¡°We were just reacquainting ourselves with the lovely lass, weren¡¯t we fellas?¡±


    One of Muriance¡¯s lackeys had his arms around Marina, restraining her and covering her mouth, while another held a dagger to her throat. Muriance took a step backwards and signalled for his third lackey to grab Friedrich, but the young man drew his blade and instinctively raised his other hand to make sure his mask was still around his neck.


    ¡°Easy there, Friedrich,¡± said Muriance as his lackey hesitated. ¡°Any funny business and the girl¡¯s gonna join the rest of the dead. Who knows? Maybe she¡¯ll rise again?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to touch her,¡± said Friedrich.


    Muriance and his men all guffawed. ¡°Why¡¯s that then?¡± asked the thief.


    ¡°Because there¡¯s something you want badly enough that I have, isn¡¯t there?¡± he said, pulling out the mask.


    ¡°You¡¯re willing to take the risk?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± said Friedrich, pulling out the mask and raising it to his face, but Muriance raised his hands.


    ¡°Woah, woah,¡± he said, his eyes wide. ¡°Let¡¯s not get too hasty there, Friedrich, eh? Think about what it is that¡¯s at stake here.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what¡¯s at stake,¡± said Friedrich, avoiding eye contact with Marina. ¡°You think I¡¯ll just give you what you want because you¡¯re threatening this girl? We haven¡¯t even known each other two weeks. I could put this on and slip away, and you¡¯d be left with her and no mask, but I would be leaving with the very thing you want so badly that you came all this way for it.¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re a real smart fella, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I just know that I¡¯ve got the better leverage, Muriance.¡±


    ¡°Tell me then,¡± said Muriance, folding his arms. ¡°How is it you see things playing out?¡±


    ¡°You let her go and we all walk out of here alive.¡±


    Muriance laughed again. ¡°You¡¯re a wise guy and a tough guy, aren¡¯t you? To be honest, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. It¡¯s mighty impressive that the pair of you cleaned this place out and dug out some old chest from the horde below.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I just get lucky.¡±


    ¡°I should say you so. To think that a runt like you found a soul¡ª¡±


    ¡°Boss!¡± called the lackey holding the dagger to Marina¡¯s throat, as he dove on top of Muriance.


    As a fireball burst from the recharged trap, Friedrich seized his moment. He grabbed the arm of the guard who had tried to restrain him, pulled him off balance and then cast him into the pit below. He thrust his sword into the side of the man restraining Marina as Muriance and his last minion climbed to their feet. Friedrich grabbed Marina¡¯s hand and pulled her free, then the two young Mercians scrambled out of the room as the two remaining thieves gave chase.


    ¡°Can you cast your magic?¡± asked Friedrich as he and Marina stumbled through the halls of the crypt with no light to guide them.


    ¡°Not well without my staff,¡± replied Marina.


    ¡°Do it!¡± called Friedrich.


    Marina reached behind her as she ran and unleashed a wild bolt that exploded from her hand with intense force, spiralling down the corridor and hitting one of the chasers who yelped in pain.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t have the strength left,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Do you remember the way out?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there,¡± said Friedrich, grabbing his mask again and placing it upon his face.


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Marina, as he let go of her hand and transformed into the golden fox.


    Friedrich turned around, now able to see much more clearly in the dark of the crypt. Muriance was almost upon him, but the thief hadn¡¯t seen him transform. Friedrich leapt at his foe, who yelped, thinking that an undead had reached for him. Friedrich unleashed his claws and sank them into Muriance¡¯s throat, cutting a shallow gash across it.


    The thief dropped to his knees, terrified that he was about to die, as Friedrich bounced off him and ran to catch up with Marina. He bounded up stairs and down the long corridors until, at last, he spotted her as she was running back towards the surface.


    He hurried after her clumsily, the adrenaline coursing through him not making the stairs any easier to tackle. She turned and waited, looking down the dark entryway, hoping to see him emerge, and a look of relief spread across her face as he did. Friedrich leapt at her, clinging to her cloak. He tapped on her shoulder.


    ¡°Run?¡± she asked.


    Friedrich nodded.


    ¡°Yes, right away.¡±


    Marina ran with Friedrich clinging to her. She veered off the path and into the clusters of trees at the side of the mountain, almost sliding down the steep incline. A short while later, Friedrich suddenly turned back to his normal self, landing on top of her and sending the pair of them tumbling down the slope.


    They rolled through the dirt, leaves and rocks before colliding into a large tree that brought them to a halt.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± said Marina, rubbing her back.


    Friedrich didn¡¯t say anything and just began to laugh. After a moment of disbelief, Marina started laughing too.


    ¡°How did you know the fireball would ready itself again?¡± asked Marina once they calmed down.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°What?¡± shouted Marina, incredulously. ¡°You were really going to transform and leave me behind with Muriance and his goons?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then what was your plan?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have one,¡± laughed Friedrich. ¡°I was just going to keep him talking until I came up with one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Marina with a smile.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°At least I know that you wouldn¡¯t leave me behind.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but we have a problem now.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡±


    ¡°We lost both of the chests, our rope, your staff and my shield.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± said Marina, her smile not vanishing.


    ¡°Why do you still look so happy?¡± asked Friedrich as her bright smile turned sly.


    Marina reached into a pouch and pulled out the emerald amulet that she had taken from Belziah before the ground had collapsed beneath them both.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how many kupons we can get for this, shall we?¡± she asked, gently swinging the amulet like a pendulum.

 Chapter 12 - A Moments Peace

    ¡°Hmm,¡± said the old man as he examined Belziah¡¯s amulet closely. ¡°This is a most curious trinket indeed. Where did you say you found it again?¡±


    ¡°In a crypt,¡± said Marina pleasantly.


    The old man raised an eyebrow. ¡°Very well, very well,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°The great Janvin will see what he can discern from this most luminous artifact.¡±


    ¡°How much will that cost?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling generous today, so it will only cost eighty kupons for a young one as pretty as yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Marina, turning to Friedrich with a wide grin.


    Friedrich sighed as he reached inside his wallet pouch and pulled out a small handful of kupons¡ªone purple, a blue, and a red. He handed them over to Janvin, who held them to the light and inspected them with through his eyeglass.


    ¡°That all seems to be in order,¡± he said, clapping his hands once. ¡°I will have it ready for you to pick up in a couple of hours. I have some other matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°I thought the spell was instant?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Shush,¡± said Marina, nudging him in the ribs.


    ¡°It is instant, young man,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but as I said, I have other matters to attend to first. That amulet of the lovely young lady¡¯s is somewhere in the middle of my priority list. You would do well to mind your manners.¡±


    Friedrich looked down, feeling embarrassed at being scolded like a child. ¡°My apologies,¡± he said before slinking out of the shop.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder about you,¡± said Marina, tutting.


    ¡°Wonder about me how?¡±


    ¡°You can be so rude without realising it.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was reasonable to ask why it would take him so long.¡±


    ¡°You implied he was being lazy.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how it sounded to me, and evidently, to him too.¡±


    ¡°I apologised, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Marina shook her head. ¡°Just be more careful about what you say. I managed to get us a twenty kupon discount by being nice to him.¡±


    ¡°He probably thought he could treat you to dinner at the tavern,¡± scoffed Friedrich, fidgeting with his new shield that hung from his arm.


    ¡°I am quite the catch, aren¡¯t I?¡± asked Marina jokingly, flicking her deep brown hair and then playfully shoving Friedrich.


    ¡°Now that we have a couple of hours to kill,¡± he said, ignoring her. ¡°Do you have anything you need to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing comes to mind except for¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t spending any more of my money. I¡¯m getting close to losing more than I¡¯m earning after this excursion.¡±


    ¡°The journey to the crypt was your idea.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact I¡¯m bleeding kupons. If that scumbag Muriance hadn¡¯t shown up then we would be laughing all the way to the portal vault.¡±


    ¡°Who knows, maybe the amulet will be worth¡­I don¡¯t know, five hundred kupons?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Cheer up, Friedrich.¡±


    Friedrich muttered under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ll take one hundred because that¡¯ll at least cover the cost of the identification and leave us with money for some food.¡±


    ¡°So where to, fearless leader?¡± asked Marina, prodding Friedrich¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Where else? To the town square where all the best rumour merchants are stirring the pot.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    Friedrich did just that. He knew little of this town¡ªFallswych¡ªbut his general principle for finding where he wanted to go in a new town was to follow the crowd, and follow them he did. Within a few minutes, they were standing in the centre of the town by the lion-topped fountain, surveying the area around them.


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    It was a quaint little town, the buildings made more of stone than they were of wood, with farmers carting their goods around on self-pulled wagons or horse-drawn carts. All the while, children ran through the square rambunctiously, pushing past the elderly who yelled after them. But it was the town crier shouting the local news that Friedrich was paying most attention to.


    ¡°Hear ye, hear ye!¡± he called out to the square. ¡°The road to the south has been plagued by a trio of orcs who were apprehended by Lord Calhoun¡¯s men. They were said to be carrying an ancient stone tablet that they had stolen from a fallen Mercian tower. The artifact has been recovered and is being transported to the museum in Akatfall. The orcs have escaped and travellers are to be extra vigilant.¡±


    ¡°A trio of orcs?¡± asked Marina, holding a finger to her chin. ¡°Could that be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hush, woman, I¡¯m listening,¡± said Friedrich, holding up his hand and signalling for her to pipe down.


    Marina scowled as the crier relayed his next piece of news.


    ¡°Hear ye, hear ye! Branric the Isolated has ventured out from his isolation to place a bounty upon the head of the local goblin tribal leader, Chief Groksh. Please see the noticeboard outside the Faithful Mare for further details.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± said Friedrich excitedly, clapping his hands together once.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bounty hunter now?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°That depends on the reward,¡± said Friedrich hurrying across the square to the tall-standing tavern where the noticeboard sat under an awning.


    He scanned the various pages and postings, from special offers of potions to warnings about feeding the stray cats. He located the bounty signed by Branric the Isolated and read it from top to bottom.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.9817%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.9589%">


    WANTED!


    Chief Groksh of the Grey Fen Goblins.


    Usually found in his Grey Fens camp surrounded by his tribe of three dozen.


    Upon successful beheading, bring the head (no matter how decayed) to my house two miles due South of the Grey Fens. You will know it when you see it.


    REWARD: 350 kupons


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Three hundred and fifty kupons?¡± asked Marina, looking over Friedrich¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you think we could talk him up?¡±


    ¡°Ridding the world of filthy goblins and getting paid for it? It sounds like a great deal to me.¡±


    ¡°Ask him for four hundred when you give him the head.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯ll know Chief Groksh is already dead because we¡¯ll be carrying around a bloody, decapitated head.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep the head outside until you ask him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll look after a head when you can¡¯t see a spider without screaming like a banshee?¡±


    ¡°Just keep it twenty feet away from me and I¡¯ll live with it.¡±


    ¡°Three dozen goblins,¡± muttered Friedrich, re-reading the notice. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a way in which we can distract them?¡±


    Marina placed two fingers to her forehead and started muttering under her breath. ¡°I wonder if we could¡­¡±


    ¡°Never mind, I have a plan.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to hear mine first?¡±


    ¡°Will it be as good as mine?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your plan is!¡±


    Friedrich talked Marina through his plan, laying out each step of it in detail. Her face fell as he talked, dreading to think what would happen if things didn¡¯t pan out as he expected.


    ¡°That sounds dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s dangerous, it¡¯s a bounty and we¡¯ve got more than three dozen goblins lurking in the camp.¡±


    ¡°Even still¡­I thought we could do something a little lower key after we were nearly killed by zombies and then Muriance.¡±


    ¡°This trip to Fallswych is low key enough. Have you not caught the thrill of adventure yet?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s adventure and then there¡¯s multiple near-death experiences in a row.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what makes it fun,¡± said Friedrich with a shrug. ¡°The kupons are secondary?¡±


    ¡°Secondary?¡± asked Marina with a raised eyebrow.


    Friedrich looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°Well, joint first place¡­alright, the adventure is secondary to the riches. You got me with this one.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of riches,¡± said Marina, as her stomach growled. ¡°Can we get something to eat?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what this Faithful Mare has to offer,¡± said Friedrich, pulling the bounty notice from the board and stashing it in one of his belt pouches.


    Friedrich and Marina enjoyed a lunch of steak, potatoes and carrots, glad to be eating somewhere warm rather than out in the often-damp Mercian countryside. Friedrich often talked about taking a boat to the island of Kai¡¯roh which lay to the south, where treasure was said to be buried deep beneath the sands. Marina, however, was less keen on the idea.


    When Friedrich asked her why, she would always say that she would miss home too much, but she refused to talk further about where her home even was. It was clear that she was a Mercian by blood, but she kept her lips shut tight about everything before meeting Friedrich, even when he would ask directly.


    As the sun began to set upon the town, the two young treasure hunters returned to Janvin¡¯s shop, where he was examining a strange orb upon his counter. The swirling cloud within the orb flickered with electricity every now and then, catching Marina¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Oooh,¡± she said. ¡°What does this do?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve returned?¡± asked Janvin, looking up at her with a pleasant smile. ¡°This, my pretty, is a chaos orb filled with lightning magic. How it works, I¡¯m not sure, but I intend to find out for the owner.¡±


    ¡°Did you find out what enchantment was placed upon the pendant?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I did, yes,¡± said Janvin, his voice less warm when talking to Friedrich. ¡°Its enchantment was two-fold, the major enchantment being a ward against undeath.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the second enchantment was a trap mechanism, but it¡¯s far too far out of range to be of use. Even if it was in range, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s strong enough to still work.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­yes,¡± said Friedrich, not surprised.


    ¡°Should we keep it?¡± Marina asked him.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°In case we find any more undead.¡±


    ¡°Janvin,¡± said Friedrich turning to the shopkeeper, ¡°does the ward against undeath prevent them from approaching you or prevent you from becoming one?¡±


    ¡°The latter,¡± said Janvin.


    ¡°I say we sell it,¡± Friedrich said to Marina.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I would buy it from you for a fair price,¡± said Janvin. ¡°The ward isn¡¯t of much use to me imbued within the stone, but I may be able to siphon its magical energy for other purposes.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a fair price?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°One hundred and thirty kupons,¡± he said.


    Marina walked up to his countertop and leaned on it, her eyes wide and her smile even wider. ¡°Is that the best you can do?¡± she asked sweetly.


    Janvin smiled as Friedrich resisted the urge to roll his eyes. ¡°Alright, one hundred and fifty, but only because you¡¯re so beautiful, my dear.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± said Marina.

 Chapter 13 - The Goblin Camp

    ¡°We must be nearly there,¡± said Marina, carefully stepping over the sopping wet pools that had flooded the grass. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this place is so¡­waterlogged.¡±


    ¡°What did you think a fen was?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I thought it was a field!¡±


    ¡°When you hear fen, remember that it¡¯s a wetland from now on,¡± said Friedrich, hopping across a pool to a direr patch of land. ¡°Besides, at least you have boots that go up to your knees. Mine only go halfway up my shins.¡±


    ¡°My boots aren¡¯t the problem,¡± said Marina. ¡°When either of us make a splash, the water goes up my dress!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s your fault for wearing a dress when we¡¯re out adventuring!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other clothes!¡±


    ¡°We just came from Fallswych. You could have bought something there.¡±


    Marina held her hand to her forehead. ¡°But I would have just bought another dress.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have any right to complain, do you?¡±


    Marina didn¡¯t answer him and carefully skipped over to a rock where she remained until she could locate the driest spot to hop over to next. Friedrich meanwhile debated whether or not he should use the fox mask. If he was lighter on his feet, he wouldn¡¯t find his feet getting stuck in the mud so often. He refrained, knowing that he needed it to enact his plan to kill Chief Groksh very soon. They must be close to the goblin camp by now.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you use the mask to see how close we are?¡± asked Marina. ¡°You can see further as a fox, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but then I need to wait for it to recharge,¡± replied Friedrich.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°What if I need it in an emergency?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Just because I don¡¯t know what the emergency is doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be one. It¡¯s fine when we¡¯re wandering the roads or through a forest, but when we¡¯re in enemy territory, it¡¯s safer to use it sparingly to conserve its usefulness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t become too dependent on it.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°You got by just fine without it before, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t need it, but it¡¯s nice to have.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°I say so.¡±


    The two continued onwards, trying to remain reasonably dry¡ªa difficult task when surrounded by water at any given moment. It wasn¡¯t long before a pillar of smoke emerged through the trees, which Friedrich drew Marina¡¯s attention to.


    ¡°It¡¯s always smoke, isn¡¯t it?¡± she laughed.


    ¡°There must be something about having green skin and giving away your position with a raging fire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little unfair to compare orcs to goblins, isn¡¯t it? Orcs won¡¯t eat you alive.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s an apt comparison. Orcs will cook you before eating you, but you¡¯ll still be sitting in their stomach.¡±


    Sticking to the trees and creeping more quietly and cautiously through the fen than ever, Friedrich and Marina kept moving until they reached the clearing where the goblin camp lay. It was filled with tents, haphazardly crafted from sticks and animal pelts, many of which were still bloodstained. There was a large fire in the centre of the camp on one of the few truly dry patches of land in the area, where dozens of sallow-skinned goblins were dancing before the carcasses of the badgers, rabbits and foxes they had recently devoured.


    Friedrich looked at the dead foxes, feeling uneasy. Since acquiring the mask, he had developed a strange affinity for them. He knew that he was not truly a fox, but it was as though the soul within the mask had permeated him and bonded him to the species in a way that he could not explain. He felt sick seeing them dead, having been feasted on by such foul little vermin.


    ¡°That must be the chief¡¯s tent,¡± said Marina, pointing the top of her staff at the largest tent of all where human skulls rested atop spikes outside of it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any time,¡± said Friedrich, taking the fox mask out from under his tunic and placing it close to his face. ¡°You remember what to do, don¡¯t you?¡±


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    ¡°Of course,¡± said Marina, clutching her staff tightly. ¡°You decided I would be bait while you get the fun job.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to carry his head out of here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°With any luck you won¡¯t see any goblins.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± said Friedrich, putting the wooden mask upon his face and transforming into the golden fox.


    Marina breathed deeply and retreated from the edge of the clearing as Friedrich skirted around it. He was right, he did not find his feet sticking in the mud as much in this form. He bounded across, keeping out of view from the dancing goblins; they were too distracted to notice him anyway. Once he was out of the way, he breathed deep and ran into the camp and buried himself in the reeds by the back of Chief Groksh¡¯s tent.


    Friedrich watched the trees, waiting for Marina¡¯s signal. Suddenly, a lightning bolt burst through the camp and struck the fire, sending a mass of fiery sticks into the sky where they then rained upon the panicked goblins. They covered their heads and screeched, not knowing what had attacked them.


    Seconds later, another lightning bolt soared into the sky from the trees, capturing their attention. There was a squelching stomp coming from inside the chief¡¯s tent and Groksh emerged furiously. He was tall for a goblin, standing only a few inches shorter than Friedrich at around five feet high. He had a necklace of bones and wore the skull of a ram like a crown. Clutched in his hand was a makeshift axe, that looked like it had been sharpened very recently.


    ¡°Grugath!¡± shouted Chief Groksh. ¡°Kalgu ug bitsma kal!¡±


    Friedrich took this gibberish to mean that the goblins should go investigate. The chief stomped back inside as half of the camp ran off to see what had attacked them. The distraction had worked and there were fewer of these wicked little minions in his way when it came time to escape.


    He put his nose underneath the pelts and forced his face through until he could see inside the tent. The goblin chief was sitting atop a wooden chair, twirling his axe in one hand while his head rested in his other. Unable to resist, Friedrich looked around to see if there was anything valuable to take with him, but what held value to a goblin did not hold much value to a human.


    Assured that he would not be seen by the witless chief, he crawled into the tent and hid behind a badly crafted clay pot¡ªno doubt the work of the master craftsman of this pathetic tribe. Friedrich had tried to keep count in his head of how long he had been in his fox form, but he knew his count was inaccurate. He would simply have to wait and see, then strike at the right moment.


    Upon hearing a screech outside, the chief climbed to his feet and marched into the camp. This wasn¡¯t good, Friedrich had hoped to catch him unawares and slip out of camp as quietly as he could. Had they found Marina?


    He felt a jolt of pain as his transformation wore off and he stood behind the pot, human once again. If there was any chance that Marina had been captured, he had to take action. Drawing his sword, Friedrich stormed from the tent and out into the camp where the chief was clobbering one of his useless minions across the head with a mighty fist; Marina being nowhere in sight.


    Feeling foolish for being impatient, Friedrich knew there was nothing else for it. He leapt at the chief and beheaded him with a single sweep of the sword. Chief Gorksh¡¯s head hit the ground with a dull thud and the remaining goblins screeched with indignant fury.


    As the goblins made for him, Friedrich grabbed the chief¡¯s ear and threw his head up, catching it under his arm. He sprinted from the camp with his sword still in his other hand as almost twenty goblins chased him. He ran straight into the trees and jumped across pool after pool as the deft goblins leapt after him, finding little difficulty with the terrain. They were in their element, and they were seeking vengeance for their brutal leader.


    Friedrich did not dare look back, for a single misstep would leave him wedged in the mud and at the mercy of the vicious goblins. If he could keep up this pace, he may just be able to escape. Failing that, he would fight to the death.


    His heart sank as he came across a rushing river before him. Would the goblins be able to swim? No time to think that through. He dove into the river, holding his sword and the chief¡¯s head tightly, praying that the goblin wouldn¡¯t follow him. He kept underwater as the goblins drew their spindly bows and shot arrows after him, but the water killed their momentum and Friedrich was carried away while kicking to propel himself even faster.


    When he could hold his breath no longer, he surfaced. He swam to the bank and shook himself dry, muttering foul words underneath his breath as he did so.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± he muttered as he walked further downstream to keep putting more distance between him and the goblins.


    Once he was confident that he was not being followed, he found a safe place to stash Chief Groksh¡¯s head and put the golden wood back upon his face. As the fox, he ran through Grey Fen, hoping that Marina was somewhere safe. After nearly an hour of searching, many transformations in and out of his fox form, and almost giving up hope, he found her hiding inside a hollow tree.


    ¡°There you are,¡± she sighed in relief. ¡°I thought you had been eaten!¡±


    Friedrich walked up to her and placed a paw upon her knee to reassure her he was fine.


    ¡°Did you get the chief¡¯s head?¡±


    Friedrich nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Marina, smiling.


    Friedrich led her through the fen and to where he had hidden the goblin head¡ªmaking a few wrong turns along the way. They both stood before it as humans, looking at the witless face of the dead chief.


    ¡°He¡¯s an ugly fellow, isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Hideous,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Where are we now? We must be close to Branric the Isolated¡¯s house.¡±


    Friedrich pulled out his waterlogged map and unfolded it, hoping everything important was still discernible; to his relief, it was. He located the river next to them on the map and tried to pinpoint roughly where they were standing.


    ¡°I think¡­if we cross the river, we¡¯ll be heading north.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confident.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he insisted, but understood why she doubted his map reading abilities after the time they got lost in the mountain.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Friedrich, picking up the chief¡¯s head and throwing it to her like a ball.


    ¡°Eee!¡± screeched Marina, as she moved aside and the head hit the ground, rolling down the hill.


    Friedrich chased after it in a panic, not wanting to lose the hard-earned spoils of this excursion. Those three hundred and fifty kupons would be theirs and a runaway head was not going to cost him.

 Chapter 14 - The Shamans Knowledge

    ¡°The note did say that you¡¯ll know it when you see it,¡± said Marina through gritted teeth.


    The shaman¡¯s hut was nothing to write home about, but his choice of exterior d¨¦cor was another matter entirely. There were spiked fences all around, many of the spikes were home to the heads of goblins. Was Chief Groksh¡¯s head desired because he had troubled the shaman or was it simply a way of adding some flair to his already ominous garden?


    ¡°You go first,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that always the plan?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted to try and convince him to pay more for the goblin head.¡±


    Marina gestured towards the many severed, rotten heads that littered the surrounding area. ¡°If you want to try and talk someone capable of this into paying you more kupons, feel free. I certainly won¡¯t be just in case he decides to add my lovely head to his collection.¡±


    Friedrich shrugged nonchalantly and walked up the stone path, still holding the head of the goblin chieftain. He climbed the small wooden steps and paused in front of the door, checking to make sure Marina hadn¡¯t run away in fear; she was still there. Friedrich raised his hand and rapped on the door with his knuckles.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± barked a voice from inside.


    ¡°My name is Friedrich,¡± said the young man. ¡°Are you Branric the Isolated?¡±


    ¡°They call me that for a reason. Clear off, would you?¡±


    ¡°I brought the head of Chief Groksh of the Grey Fen Goblins. You posted a bounty for him in Fallswych, did you not?¡±


    There was a shuffling inside and, moments later, the door swung open. Standing before the two young explorers was a tall man in robes of orange and purple. On his face, sat a mask, but it was not a mask that changed his form, unlike Friedrich¡¯s. This mask was long and charred, with thick furs on the bottom resembling a beard and goblin bones tied to the top and both sides. The mask was painted with green and red stripes that ran across the forehead, almost resembling multicoloured wrinkles.


    ¡°Let me see him,¡± said the shaman, his dark eyes squinting from behind his mask.


    Friedrich held up the head, which was looking worse for the wear than it was a couple of hours ago when he had first cut it from its owner¡¯s body. Branric reached out a hand and Friedrich released the head to him. The shaman held it up to the light, as though trying to see if it was somehow a fake. He nodded satisfactorily and walked into his garden, finding an empty post. He slammed the open neck hole through the post and with a gruesome squelch, skewered the chief¡¯s head, adding it to his garden decorations.


    ¡°This will do nicely,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, children¡ª


    ¡°Children?¡± asked Friedrich, hearing the word that Marina knew would set him off.


    ¡°You are children, are you not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re full-fledged adventurers,¡± said the young man. ¡°If we were children, we could not have accomplished half of the things we have. Not least of which, is killing that wretched goblin for you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a sensitive one, isn¡¯t he?¡± Branric asked Marina, who wanted to nod, but knew it would be better to not react. ¡°No matter,¡± said the shaman, ¡°I suppose you would like your payment then. Two hundred and fifty kupons, was it?¡±


    ¡°Three hundred and fifty,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t recall it being so high¡­¡±


    Friedrich pulled out the bounty notice that he had taken from Fallswych and showed it to the shaman. ¡°Three hundred and fifty.¡±


    ¡°How can I be certain that you haven¡¯t tampered with this? The writing looks awfully smudged.¡±


    ¡°I jumped in the river to escape the goblins,¡± muttered Friedrich.


    The shaman chortled. ¡°I¡¯m pulling your leg, boy. If the notice says three hundred and fifty, I will pay the three hundred and fifty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Branric walked over to his house and beckoned the two to follow him, but Friedrich and Marina exchanged uneasy glances. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to cook you for my dinner?¡± asked Branric. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish. I¡¯m sure you could use that soul mask of yours to slip away before I even tried.¡±


    ¡°You know about my soul mask?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°The aura is sparkling from within your tunic, young man,¡± said Branric, pointing at Friedrich¡¯s neck. ¡°Most may not pick up on that, for magical instruments around the neck are not all that uncommon, but I would recognise that turquoise hue anywhere. Now come.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina followed him inside his hut. It was exactly as the pair had expected from the outside. Small, cluttered and with enough wood to keep a bonfire going for days on end. There was even a boiling cauldron sitting in the centre of the room, but there was no fire beneath it to keep it going. The bubbling viscous liquid inside was a vivid green and Friedrich feared what would happen to him if even a single drop touched his tongue.


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    ¡°Sit, master adventurers, sit,¡± said Branric, gesturing towards two stools. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have little more comfortable as it¡¯s incredibly rare that I have company. I normally use those stools for carving skulls on top of when my tables are all full.¡±


    Friedrich sat down unphased while Marina checked for scraps of flesh and bone fragments, not wanting to ruin his cloak or her dress. Branric, meanwhile was rummaging and clinking in a corner, his hands lost within a large sack. He pulled out a handful of sparkling gems and walked over to Friedrich.


    ¡°Two orange, that¡¯s two hundred,¡± he muttered, passing them one by one to the young man. ¡°Two purples, that¡¯s another hundred. Two blues makes forty, and I¡¯m afraid I have no reds, so¡­two greens makes ten.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said Friedrich, putting the kupons in his pouch. He wanted to give Marina her share now, but he thought this wasn¡¯t the right time as the shaman sat down before them. He did, however, have lots of questions for Branric the Isolated.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± said the shaman. ¡°How is it that you happened across a soul mask? They¡¯re very rare artifacts you know. It¡¯s difficult to capture a soul, but even more difficult to enchant in the first place.¡±


    ¡°It was entirely by accident, if I¡¯m honest,¡± said Friedrich, pulling the mask out, but keeping it around his neck. For some reason he trusted Branric not to steal it as Muriance had attempted. ¡°I was exploring an old Mercian castle to the south and it was sitting in a chest along with a large stash of kupons. I don¡¯t know how it got there, but I knew I wanted it. At first, I planned to sell it, but Marina here helped me see its value.¡±


    ¡°Intriguing,¡± said Branric, stroking the beard of his mask. ¡°I have seen a handful of them in my lifetime, but never have I tried out its magic for myself. It would feel too much like I was possessing a corpse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡± exclaimed Marina.


    ¡°But it is not the same, of course. I commune with spirits regularly and can tell the difference, but it still feels¡­unpleasant to me.¡±


    ¡°Is it evil magic?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°The enslavement of a soul?¡± asked Branric. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is, yes.¡±


    ¡°Wearing the mask is the only time the soul has any sense of life back again. These masks are incredibly difficult to destroy, so, by wearing it, you are granting the fox trapped within a small mercy, if only for a short while.¡±


    ¡°That makes me feel better about it.¡±


    ¡°I have a question,¡± said Marina, raising her hand.


    ¡°This is not a schoolroom, young lady,¡± said Branric with a smile. ¡°Ask as you see fit.¡±


    ¡°When Friedrich wears the mask, his clothes and weapons vanish along with him until the magic wears off. Where does it go?¡±


    Friedrich raised an eyebrow. What Marina had said was true, but he had never given it much thought. Whenever the magic wore off, all of his equipment was as it was before the transformation right down to the shield that he wore on his arm.


    ¡°Soul magic is powerful enough to extend beyond the mere physical body,¡± said Branric. ¡°Your possessions are in a sense part of you. You wear a ring to symbolise a marriage? That is a part of you. You wield a blade with which you smite your foes? That is an extension of your arm. Yet, the chair upon which you sit is not yours nor an extension of you, but one with the ground upon which it sits and would therefore not disappear into the ether. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat,¡± said Marina, not wholly satisfied with the answer. It was as though she expecting to hear about an invisible soul bag where Friedrich kept his possessions that she had not been privy to.


    ¡°Tell me, Friedrich,¡± asked Branric, leaning forwards, ¡°would you like to know a little about this fox? Who it once was?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, looking down at the painted wood. The gem embedded within the forehead twinkled at him, as though asking him to hear its story. ¡°It wants me to know.¡±


    Marina looked uneasy upon Friedrich uttering those last words. She had a growing suspicion that he had become much more attached to the mask than he was willing to let on. Whether that was a side-effect of his regular usage of it or possibly even a bonding of souls, she could not be sure. Either way, she was starting to worry about her friend.


    ¡°Very good,¡± said Branric, gesturing to see if he would be allowed to touch the mask.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Friedrich, placing his own two hands upon it so that it could not be wrenched from his grip.


    ¡°Mu phor, kal gel, zegoram¡­¡± began Branric. His chanting grew louder and more rapid as he continued, the mask¡¯s aura radiating more and more brightly. At the same time, Branric¡¯s eyes turned turquoise behind his mask and suddenly he spoke in a voice that was not his own.


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± he said. ¡°I thank you for rescuing me from the clutches of the undead goblins. My name is not one that can be spoken in your tongue, but the humans who knew me had named me Kitt.¡±


    Friedrich said nothing, mesmerised to be hearing the voice of the soul within his mask.


    ¡°I come from the island of Kai¡¯roh to the south. I ask that you take me there so that I may see the golden sands of my home once again¡­I must see it. If you do that for me, I will dedicate my soul in service to you. My form, my agility. They will be yours to use freely. I ask this of you, humbly.¡±


    Branric¡¯s eyes returned to normal and he removed his hand from the mask, the aura having dimmed. ¡°He has a task for you,¡± said the shaman, letting out a deep exhalation. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that it was one as simple as going on a trip to an island, but who am I to judge the desires of the spirits?¡±


    ¡°Kai¡¯roh¡­¡± muttered Marina. ¡°Friedrich, you¡¯ve talked about wanting to go there before, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what of it?¡± he asked her, tucking Kitt¡¯s mask beneath his tunic once again.


    ¡°Did you ever want to go to Kai¡¯roh before finding the mask?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to travel to lots of places.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t high on my list,¡± Friedrich admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that Kitt¡¯s soul is influencing you from within the mask,¡± said Marina, then turning to Branric. ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°I could not say for certain, but I would surmise that it is indeed a possibility.¡±


    ¡°I think you need to be very careful with this mask, just in case¡­¡± Marina trailed off.


    ¡°In case what?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I worry that it¡¯s trying to take over your body.¡±


    Friedrich laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run too wild, Marina. If there¡¯s ever the suggestion of that, I¡¯ll toss it to the bottom of a bog where it will never be found again.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to Kai¡¯roh then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason why not to. Kitt has been very helpful to us so far¡ª¡±


    ¡°Does he have a choice?¡± interjected Marina, but Friedrich ignored her.


    ¡°¡ªso I think the least we could do is grant him this one request.¡±


    Marina sighed. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°How do we get to Kai¡¯roh when you don¡¯t have a boat yet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We head south-west to Akatfall and see if we can find someone to take us there.¡±

 Chapter 15 - The Road South

    Friedrich bounded on all fours to the top of the hill, his golden fur shimmering in the sunlight. The morning air was crisp and fresh, filling his lungs as he reached the top and looked at the beautiful sprawling plains before him, very glad to be free of the fens.


    ¡°Y-you win,¡± panted Marina as she slowly dragged herself to the top of the hill.


    Friedrich winced as he transformed back into a human and the mask fell from his face, hanging around his neck. The transformation was less painful now and Friedrich wasn¡¯t sure if he was getting used to them or if speaking to Kitt had given the fox¡¯s soul a moment of relief that eased the pain. He tucked the mask back inside his tunic and laughed at Marina, walking down and taking her hand. He helped her climb to the top of the hill, where she remained bent over and desperately trying to catch her breath.


    ¡°When you have the strength to stand up straight, take a look,¡± he said, stretching out his arm and drawing it across the vast green grasslands below.


    Marina stood up, still panting heavily, and drew in as deep a breath as she could manage. Her face lit up as she forgot about how tired she was. Almost everywhere they had been so far had been wooded, rocky or wet, so it was a welcome sight to see somewhere so open, yet so filled with wonder.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± she said, her eyes drawn to the clusters of yellow and pink flowers that dotted the landscape before her. She watched as an orange and black butterfly with white dots on its wings fluttered gently past her face. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this side of Mercia¡­I¡¯ve only ever¡­¡± but she trailed off.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only ever what?¡± asked Friedrich, wondering if she would finally talk about where she had come from.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said, turning to Friedrich with a sly grin. She drew back her hands and shoved him down the hill.


    With a yelp, he tumbled down the grassy hill, bumping on the protruding mounds along the way, spinning faster and faster until he was on flat land once again. Even then, he did not stop, he carried on for another dozen feet. He sat up in a daze as Marina rolled down after him, in a much more controlled fashion.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked the three wavering Marina¡¯s in front of him.


    ¡°I thought it would be fun,¡± she giggled as she sat up and brushed the grass from her dress. ¡°Was it?¡±


    ¡°Uncomfortably fun, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun to me!¡±


    Friedrich stood up and helped Marina to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find a path to the road.¡±


    ¡°But I want to walk through the grass?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said you wanted to have some respite between each of our crazy adventures. If we go off-road, that makes wild beasts and monsters all the more likely to show up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, dear Friedrich,¡± said Marina in a know-it-all manner, ¡°I¡¯ve come to the conclusion that there is no between adventures. Everything so far has just been one big adventure. When they tell tales about us in the future, everyone will speak of the epic of The Lightning Foxes.¡±


    Friedrich burst into laughter. ¡°The Lightning Foxes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Marina confidently. ¡°That¡¯s our adventuring name. Every good party has one, don¡¯t they? The Red Hawks. The Band of the Iron Bull. I shoot lightning bolts and you transform into a fox¡­we are The Lightning Foxes!¡±


    ¡°First of all, I know you made those names up because you don¡¯t know any adventuring parties. And secondly, who is it that¡¯s telling our tales then?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t met them yet, for we haven¡¯t succeeded in our mission. Once we¡¯re rich beyond our wildest dreams, then people will take notice. They¡¯ll talk about us from the western coast of Mercia to the western border of Heartland. The entirety of the human world will know our names and think of us fondly.¡±


    ¡°What about the elves?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°The orcs? The wolven? Why stop at the border of Heartland? Why not the entire continent of Eradrel?¡±


    ¡°Why would other species tell our stories to their children?¡± asked Marina, shaking her head. ¡°Come back to reality please, Friedrich.¡±


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    Marina tutted and bounded along the grass. Friedrich wasn¡¯t sure if she was being serious or not, it was hard to tell sometimes. He decided she was half-serious, not quite sure what that meant, but he chose not to dwell on it anymore as he followed his skipping companion.


    ¡°Speaking of lightning,¡± he said as he strode up beside Marina.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you only know the one spell? I¡¯ve never seen you use anything other than a lightning bolt before.¡±


    ¡°Very astute, Master Friedrich, you are correct. It¡¯s the only one I use because it is indeed the only one I know. I would love to learn more, but¡­well, I simply don¡¯t have the time these days. It¡¯s difficult to study magic when you¡¯re out on the road.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°seeing as I doubt that I¡¯ll be rid of you anytime soon, I¡¯ll pitch in for a couple of spell tomes for you.¡±


    ¡°Why would you ever want rid of me?¡± asked Marina, winking at him and playfully pushing him. ¡°Any other man would be thrilled to have a pretty girl travelling with him every day.¡±


    ¡°You think very highly of yourself, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m pretty?¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s face turned red and he looked the other way. ¡°I wonder if there are any ruins over there,¡± he said, pointing into the distance. ¡°Maybe we should hunt for some treasure on the way to Akatfall. I suspect we¡¯ll need the kupons if we need to catch a boat to Kai¡¯roh.¡±


    Marina rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll let you away with avoiding the question this one time,¡± she said. ¡°And no, I don¡¯t think there are ruins over there. I know perfectly well that you¡¯re pointing at nothing.¡±


    Friedrich said nothing further and led the way along the grassy plains. He and Marina walked across the knolls, through the fields of flowers and past lonesome trees until they reached a dirt road that looked as though it had been tamed recently by many footsteps. Taking this to be the southern road they sought, they kept walking until they came across a bridge over a small river where a wooden post fixed with two signs sat at the end.


    ¡°Fallswych to the north-east, Cambrae to the south,¡± read Marina, wrinkling her nose. ¡°I don¡¯t see Akatfall here.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t put signs for every village, town and city in Mercia on a single sign on a bridge,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°It¡¯s not practical.¡±


    ¡°At least put Akatfall, no? It¡¯s the grand capital after all.¡±


    ¡°That just means we¡¯re still many, many miles away. We¡¯ll be on the road for some time. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see signs for it as we move along.¡±


    ¡°Should we stop in Cambrae then?¡±


    ¡°If you want to.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about it?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely nothing. I¡¯ve never even heard of it until today.¡±


    Marina smiled widely. ¡°Have I finally beaten you at something?¡±


    ¡°Beaten me?¡± laughed Friedrich, not realising they were competing.


    ¡°I know something that¡¯s in Cambrae!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a famous tailor based there called Hareld Ashcroft. He caters to many of the nobles throughout the country.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­I heard it somewhere.¡±


    Friedrich was starting to get irked. ¡°Why are you always so evasive when I try and ask you about anything from before we met?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to talk about it!¡± yelled Marina, her face turning immediately stern. ¡°It¡¯s not like I know much about you either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t ask¡ª¡±


    Friedrich pulled Marina onto the bridge as an arrow flew towards them and wedged itself in the dirt road. The two kept low behind the stone wall, wondering who was firing upon them and where they were firing from.


    ¡°Stay here and cover your head,¡± said Friedrich, passing Marina his shield and placing the mask upon his face.


    He slinked out from his cover, keeping to the thickest patches of grass he could. Another arrow did not come, but there was tree ahead. It was the perfect vantage point for any bandits looking to shoot travellers on the bridge.


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Marina.


    He immediately turned back and ran towards the bridge, where a figure in dark leather armour was walking towards Marina with a hood pulled up and a bow in its hand, but it was not raised to unleash another arrow. Friedrich leapt from the grass, over the wall and landed between Marina and the figure. He started barking lightly, unable to make a much more threatening noise in this form.


    ¡°Is this fox your companion?¡± came a woman¡¯s muffled voice from underneath a dark hood and cloth mask. Friedrich could just about make out her piercing green eyes and a faint sliver of golden blonde hair escaping from its covering.


    ¡°N-n-no,¡± said Marina, nervously clutching her staff and walking backwards. ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know w-w-where he¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°You do not need to lie to me,¡± said the woman softly, slinging her bow over her back. ¡°I believe I have mistaken you for someone else.¡±


    ¡°W-w-who did you think w-w-we were?¡±


    ¡°That is none of your business,¡± said the woman, ¡°but if you bear no ill-intent towards me then you are free to pass and my search continues. If you come across a man and a woman on the road, I implore you not to trust them, children.¡±


    Marina glanced at Friedrich, whose rage was further ignited by being called a child. He forced himself to hold back his temper, knowing that he could not fight against this woman as a fox. She held the advantage and he would not turn back to normal for another few minutes.


    ¡°What is your name, girl?¡± asked the mysterious woman.


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    ¡°I suggest that you and the fox-boy, Friedrich, make yourself scarce,¡± she said.


    With that, she turned and ran across the grass. She ascended a hill and disappeared from sight moments later, leaving Marina and Friedrich standing on the bridge.


    ¡°That was close,¡± said Marina breathlessly.


    Friedrich was certain that the arrow was not meant for them. The woman looked more than capable of hitting her mark, and the shot was a mere warning. Whoever she was searching for was in trouble.


    Friedrich looked at Marina and pointed forwards, leading them further down the road and away from the bridge. Whatever trouble was coming, he wanted no part of it and wouldn¡¯t rest easily until reaching Cambrae.

 Chapter 16 - Blackjack

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s watching us?¡± Marina asked as Friedrich turned back into a human. They had run from the bridge where the hooded archer had chosen not to kill them without looking back.


    ¡°I have no doubt that she¡¯s watching the road,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I don¡¯t think she means to kill us. In any case, I would rather not get on her bad side if I can help it. We¡¯re lucky she wasn¡¯t a simple bandit content on shooting us, robbing us and leaving us to bleed to death.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is, umm¡­reassuring?¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± said Friedrich, holding up a hand. ¡°Over by the roadside, do you see that?¡±


    Marina squinted. ¡°No, what am I looking for?¡±


    ¡°Look to the right. There are wagon tracks heading off the path and over to the trees.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see it now. Let¡¯s keep moving and get out of here then, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s make haste.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina ran down the road, looking to put as much distance between themselves and the wagon trail as they could. They sped on past it, but Marina suddenly stopped upon hearing a woman¡¯s scream.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°But someone needs help,¡± she said uneasily.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t our concern right now. Do you want to get on the bad side of that archer? She seemed a lot more capable than Muriance and he¡¯s caused us trouble enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Now really isn¡¯t the time to get sentimental about people you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not sentimentality, it¡¯s compassion,¡± said Marina, turning and running along the wagon tracks.


    Friedrich grunted in frustration and followed, intending to drag her back by her feet if he must. Marina ran straight through the trees and Friedrich saw a flash of her lightning as he caught up to her. There was a loud howl and a wolf burst past them, running in terror with a large chunk of his fur burned off by Marina¡¯s bolt.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± came a relieved woman¡¯s voice as she stepped out from behind her horse-drawn wagon. ¡°We thought we were done for.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said a man, picking up a sword from the ground. ¡°That was most gracious of you, to help strangers in need.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Marina, as Friedrich subtly tugged at her cloak. ¡°I¡¯m just glad to be able to help.¡±


    ¡°At least let us offer you some food,¡± said the woman, reaching into one of the bags on the wagon and pulling out a roll of bread.


    She smiled sweetly; her face framed by her black hair as she passed the bread to Marina. The man nodded approvingly with a similarly kind smile. As Marina reached for the bread, Friedrich grabbed her arm.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We have plenty of food and don¡¯t need repayment for a good deed. We wish you well, but now we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice gesture,¡± said Marina, pulling her arm from Friedrich¡¯s grip and accepting the roll with a nod of her head. ¡°I was going to share it with you, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Will the two of you stay for a while?¡± asked the woman. ¡°It¡¯s been a long journey and the company would be most welcome.¡±


    ¡°What are your names?¡± asked Friedrich, suspicious of the two travellers.


    ¡°My name is Elbert,¡± said the man. ¡°This is my wife, Ysolda.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure,¡± said the woman, curtseying.


    ¡°Where are you travelling to?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Elbert laughed. ¡°I understand that you do not trust strangers you have just met, and you would be right to, but I assure you that we mean you no harm. We took a short detour to rest for a while and were beset upon by that filthy wolf.¡±


    ¡°Where are you travelling to?¡± repeated Friedrich.


    ¡°You¡¯re being unnecessarily rude again,¡± muttered Marina, trying to hide her annoyance by maintaining her smile.


    ¡°Akatfall,¡± said Ysolda.


    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re going too!¡± exclaimed Marina.


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    ¡°Excuse us for a moment,¡± said Friedrich pulling her aside. ¡°Are you mad? These could be the two that the archer was looking for. Regardless of their intentions, we¡¯re in danger by just being here.¡±


    ¡°These two seem perfectly nice,¡± said Marina. ¡°Is it right that we leave them to be assassinated?¡±


    ¡°You were terrified of the archer minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t stand by and let innocents get hurt.¡±


    Marina walked back towards the two and raised the bread to her mouth, but an arrow suddenly struck it and the bread flew from her hand. The arrow landed in a tree trunk, where it pinned the bread.


    ¡°Zar¡¯futh!¡± called Ysolda in a warbling, echoey voice.


    Suddenly, her innocent face turned grey and two horns erupted from her forehead. Her travelling clothes faded away in a swirling of black mist, only to be replaced by armour of metal and bone. In a flash, Elbert also revealed his own true form, with his sword changing from a Mercian broadsword into a curved sword of black metal that he raised, rushing to attack Marina.


    Friedrich rushed to her defence, drawing his own blade. Before he could thrust his sword, a whirling figure leapt from the trees with her bow raised and drawn back. She unleashed an arrow through the top of the demon¡¯s head and he fell forwards dead.


    ¡°I told you to stay away,¡± came the woman¡¯s muffled voice.


    The female demon burst forwards; her hands were covered in blue fire that she hurled at the three. Friedrich stepped in front of Marina, raising his shield and blocking the fireballs which hissed as they petered out. The archer nimbly sidestepped the fiery volley and ran for her quarry.


    ¡°You die today,¡± said the archer as she drew back an arrow.


    ¡°Gaz fyth miir, Blackjack,¡± echoed the demon, causing the archer to hesitate.


    The demon swept her arm through the air in a horizontal arc, sending a wave of flame. The archer ducked, but a surprise low fireball courtesy of the hellish fiend struck her on the arm. She winced and the demon charged at her, drawing a dagger and stabbing the archer in the side.


    Friedrich threw his shield at the demon, who raised her arms to block. Seizing the distraction, he lunged forward with his sword stretched out, stabbing the demon in the gut. He pulled his blade free and slashed it across her exposed throat. She collapsed in a heap as she tried to curse his name in her foul tongue, but all that escaped were hoarse whispers.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marina, rushing over to the archer, who was clutching her side.


    ¡°No,¡± she said in a strained voice. ¡°I believe that blade was imbued with something nefarious, much like your bread. At least¡­at least those demonic tricksters are dead.¡±


    Friedrich opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± said Marina, turning around and pointing a finger at Friedrich.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say what you thought I was about to say,¡± said Friedrich. He knew now wasn¡¯t the time to gloat about how right he was, true as it may have been. ¡°I just want to know if there¡¯s anything we can do to help, Blackjack.¡±


    ¡°Blackjack?¡± asked Marina.


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what the demons called you, archer, was it not?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she muttered, climbing to her feet. ¡°We need to get back to my camp where my remedies are.¡±


    As Blackjack tried to walk, she collapsed, but was caught by Friedrich who put his arm around her. She was taller than him by a couple of inches, but she was slumped over so much that she seemed much shorter.


    ¡°Direct us,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Marina, have your staff at the ready in case there¡¯s anything else lurking nearby.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± said Marina, holding her staff close to her chest and looking around anxiously.


    ¡°Go back to the bridge,¡± said Blackjack, allowing Friedrich to take the lead.


    The three moved as swiftly as Blackjack¡¯s ailment permitted. As they hurried along, the shrouded archer left a trail of blood behind her, while she tried to stem the flow of blood pouring from her leather armour.


    ¡°The pouch on my belt,¡± she said to Friedrich. ¡°There is a red vial¡­pour it into my mouth. When we reach the bridge, go up the hill.¡±


    Friedrich did as she asked, stashing the empty bottle haphazardly back inside and spilling a few of the remaining droplets within the pouch. Blackjack did not seem to care and breathed easier until they reached the bridge and started ascending the hill to the east.


    Blackjack¡¯s eyes were starting to glaze over, but she weakly raised her gloved hand and pointed to a small tower whose peak crept out from above the trees. The blood had stopped dripping from her wound, but Marina could see the wound between the tear in her leather armour; it was turning black.


    ¡°Top¡­of¡­tower¡­¡± she muttered, her eyes rolling back in her head. ¡°Drink¡­purple¡­and pour¡­green¡­in that order.¡±


    Blackjack¡¯s head flopped over and her limbs fell limp. She was weighing Friedrich down, so he hoisted her over his shoulder and forced his burning legs to ascend the hill while Marina continually scanned the surrounding area for anything nearby, but all seemed quiet.


    Friedrich carried Blackjack through the small wooded area and towards the tower. It appeared to be abandoned, overgrown with vines and the surrounding trees almost as tall as it. The entryway had been cut free already and Friedrich rushed inside, climbing the circular staircase that spiralled around the inside of the tower. He carefully set Blackjack down as Marina leaned over the edge of the battlements to see if anything had dared follow them.


    Blackjack had very little stashed here. There was not even the remnants of a campfire, there was only a single pack which appeared to be packed very lightly. Normally, Friedrich wouldn¡¯t have gone through a woman¡¯s possessions, but he made an exception and threw the top flap open, rummaging to see if he could find anything containing purple and green liquids.


    ¡°Drink purple, pour green,¡± said Friedrich as he pulled out two small vials. ¡°Drink purple, pour green. Drink purple, pour green. Pour green where?¡±


    ¡°On the wound!¡± called Marina.


    ¡°Right, yes,¡± said Friedrich, uncorking the purple liquid.


    He pulled Blackjack¡¯s mouth, revealing her pale golden skin. He now knew why she concealed her identity so, for she was an Alaurian¡ªa high elf. He tipped the contents of the vial into her mouth, but she immediately started dribbling, unable to swallow properly, forcing Friedrich feed her little by little, holding the vial in one hand while keeping her jaw steady with the other. Once the vial was empty, Friedrich rolled her onto her side and pulled the stopper from the green vial and spread it across the knife wound on her left side.


    ¡°Is it working?¡± asked Marina as soon as the vial was empty.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Friedrich.


    Blackjack suddenly sat up, her eyes jolting wide open. She gasped agonisingly before slumping back down unconscious.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°We wait,¡± said Friedrich, falling backwards onto the ground and staring up at the clear sky. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else we can do now.¡±

 Chapter 17 - The Golden Elf

    Marina leaned over Blackjack, placing her hand lightly upon her chest, but couldn¡¯t be certain if it was rising or falling. She placed her ear beside the High Elf¡¯s mouth and listened, relieved to hear a very faint breathing. The young Mercian sat up and leaned back, exhaling a deep breath.


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s good. I was worried that she wouldn¡¯t make it. That¡¯s very good¡­so, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Friedrich, lying upon the stone and watching the vast blue nothingness that was the sky above Mercia.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to just leave her here, are we?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± he said. ¡°Elf or not, she saved you from a similar fate. We owe it to her to at least make sure she¡¯s really alright.¡±


    ¡°I should have listened to you,¡± said Marina, sitting down beside him, relinquishing her staff which clunked down on the rooftop. ¡°I thought those people might be in trouble and¡­well, I¡¯m sorry. You were right about everything.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for wanting to help others, but it can be dangerous out here and were very lucky there was someone here to help us. I don¡¯t think I would have been able to stop you eating that bread in time. I should have slapped it out of your hand the second Ysolda passed it to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Ysolda was her real name,¡± said Marina, placing her chin upon her knees.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really the point, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, I suppose not. In any case, I think I would have taken it badly if you had hit the bread out of my hands. Sometimes I dig my heels in when I think I¡¯m making the right choice. I want to be helpful, I really do. Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯ve clung to you so much since we first met¡­that need to help you. I feel like I¡¯m meant to be here and we¡¯re meant to travel together¡­I can¡¯t explain it.¡±


    ¡°As much as you can drive me crazy,¡± Friedrich said, prompting a dry laugh from Marina, ¡°I¡¯m glad you are here. It can be lonely when you¡¯re by yourself. The only problem is that you need to be extra vigilant because you¡¯re responsible for someone other than yourself. Let¡¯s be honest now, alright? We both know that you have no experience and found me completely by accident.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s fine, but I don¡¯t appreciate the deception. We don¡¯t need to know everything about each other, Jorren knows I have my secrets, but if there¡¯s something that puts either of us at risk then it¡¯s only right that we share it."


    Marina nodded and stayed silent as she watched Blackjack. The high elf rolled onto her side, shivering. Friedrich stood up, took off his cloak and placed it over the archer.


    ¡°Why do you want a boat?¡± asked Marina. ¡°You said I¡¯ve never really asked much about you, and that¡¯s something I would like to know.¡±


    ¡°Honestly?¡± said Friedrich, sitting back down. ¡°If I can get a boat, I can go on the hunt for more kupons and become rich beyond my wildest dreams.¡±


    ¡°Unless you end up crashing and marooned.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s presume that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°You just want to be rich for the sake of being rich?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it than just that, but¡­¡±


    Marina was smiling. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me everything. I haven¡¯t told you everything and we can still trust each other. We¡¯ve proven that so far, haven¡¯t we?


    ¡°We have.¡±


    ¡°Then long may our wild journey continue!¡± she yelled, raising her fist into the air.


    ¡°You¡¯ve really been having a good time going on these adventures even though we nearly die at least once a week?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazier than I thought,¡± chuckled Friedrich.


    He sat silently for a minute thinking about his true goal; thinking about his father. He wished for nothing more than to see him again, but he knew that he still had so far to go. Where his father was, was not somewhere easy to reach, but he would find a way. The boat was his first step towards that goal, and arming himself to the teeth was the second.


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    Marina looked over at Blackjack, who continued to sleep. ¡°What do we do when she wakes up?¡±


    Friedrich shrugged. ¡°Make sure she¡¯s alright and then go on our merry way. As much as I would love to stick around, we¡¯ve still got to find a way to Kai¡¯roh.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she has a boat?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like she has much at all. She looks as poor as we do.¡±


    ¡°But her armour is much nicer than yours,¡± said Marina, prodding Friedrich¡¯s leather cuirass that he wore over his tunic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wear this for fashion,¡± he said, batting her hand away.


    ¡°Do you think she covered herself because she didn¡¯t want anybody to know she was an Alaurian?¡± asked Marina, walking over to Blackjack and looking at her now-uncovered face.


    ¡°I would say it¡¯s more likely she doesn¡¯t want specific people to know who she is. The worst that most elves in Mercia would get is a funny look unless they¡¯re given a more egregious reason for suspicion. Haughty as the Alauri are, they¡¯re at least civilised¡­unlike orcs.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± muttered Blackjack faintly.


    ¡°She said something!¡± squealed Marina.


    ¡°Was it because I said orcs?¡± asked Friedrich, rushing over to see if Blackjack was waking up.


    ¡°No¡­¡± muttered the elf, ¡°but you are right. They are uncivilised.¡±


    ¡°Blackjack? I¡¯m very glad you¡¯re still alive,¡± said Marina, being careful not to lay her hands on the injured elf.


    Blackjack forced herself to sit up, pulled back her hood and revealed a long shock of straight blonde hair, finer than strands of gold, even lighter than her skin. Seeing her face in full, ill as she was, she was supremely beautiful. The Alauri were considered among the fairest people across the entirety of Eradrel, yet Blackjack was beautiful even by her people¡¯s own high standards.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Terrible,¡± she said bluntly, ¡°but I will live thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± said Marina quietly. ¡°I should have heeded your warning and stayed away from anyone on the road. Friedrich tried to stop me, but I wouldn¡¯t listen. If it hadn¡¯t been for me, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I accept your apology,¡± said Blackjack, ¡°but it is obvious to me how na?ve you are, Mercian. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    ¡°Marina, if you want to survive, you need to learn how to sense danger. The boy clearly is wiser to the world than you are, so you should follow his lead more closely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Blackjack raised an eyebrow. ¡°Am I hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t mean for poisoned bread, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°I do not have the stomach to eat, fox boy. The gravest danger has passed, yet I still do not feel myself.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± called Friedrich, waving a hand through the air in dismissal. ¡°If you¡¯re sick and injured, you need meat to mend yourself. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±


    With that, he wandered back down the stairs and out of sight, leaving Marina and Blackjack together atop the watchtower. Marina looked around awkwardly as Blackjack stared at her with her piercing green eyes.


    ¡°Why are you fidgeting?¡± the elf asked the human.


    ¡°You make me uncomfortable,¡± said Marina, more bluntly than she had intended. ¡°I don¡¯t know why that is.¡±


    ¡°I cannot say that I am all that fond of your kind either, Mercian. We Alauri are¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.,¡± interjected Marina apologetically. ¡°You¡¯re so¡­capable. And composed. I feel like you could snap me like a twig if you wanted to even though you¡¯re not that much bigger than me.¡±


    ¡°Not in my current state, nor do I have any desire to do that whether I am at my strongest or not.¡±


    Marina laughed. ¡°That pleases me to hear¡­can I ask you something?¡±


    Blackjack continued to stare directly at Marina, whose eyes flickered between direct contact, the staircase and the sky above. ¡°You can ask me whatever you please, but as to whether or not I will answer is entirely dependent on what it is that you ask.¡±


    ¡°Is Blackjack your real name?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why did the demon call you Blackjack?¡±


    ¡°It is what I am called in demon hunting circles. They do not know my true name, for knowing my true name means they know my greatest vulnerability. To be known as Blackjack assures that I am safer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Nor do I expect you to.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re a demon hunter?¡±


    ¡°Was that not clear?¡±


    ¡°I was¡­mostly sure?¡±


    ¡°Was that another question?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Marina trailed off, more uncomfortable than ever. Blackjack sat in silence, cautious about moving too much even though her wound was starting to repair itself. Whatever concoction was in those vials of hers, it was acting quickly. Marina stood up and walked around the rooftop, trying to see if she could see Friedrich hunting somewhere close by. She hoped he would return with wild boar rather than pheasant, but she would take anything other than their rations right now.


    At last, the young man returned. Over his shoulder, he carried a wild boar and Marina hopped excitedly upon seeing it. It would take a while to cook it properly, but it looked fat and tasty. Blackjack on the other hand turned up her nose.


    ¡°You don¡¯t eat pork?¡± Friedrich asked, dropping the boar by the edge of the tower and pulling out his carving knife.


    ¡°I eat pork, but that one looks mangled,¡± said the Alaurian.


    ¡°That was my doing,¡± replied Friedrich with a chuckle. ¡°I like to make sure it¡¯s good and dead before hauling it back. One time I thought I had killed a pheasant, but it ran away the second I tried to cook it.¡±


    ¡°A single arrow would be much more effective.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a bow, just a sword and a shield.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to shoot one?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried to in a while, but I was a decent shot last time I did.¡±


    ¡°If you are to be a hunter, it is an essential skill that you should not avoid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not a hunter,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°At least not the kind that you¡¯re thinking of."


    Blackjack cocked her head to the side. ¡°What sort of hunter are you, fox boy?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re treasure hunters,¡± said Friedrich with a sly grin.


    ¡°The Lightning Foxes!¡± said Marina excitedly.


    Blackjack raised an eyebrow in confusion.

 Chapter 18 - Light Along the Shore

    Blackjack stared at the pork Friedrich had cooked for her, sniffing it every now and then while the two Mercians devoured theirs with gusto. She pulled off one of her black gloves, picked up a rib and then held it to her mouth. The Alaurian took a small nibble of it and then another. When she was content that it was edible, she started to eat properly.


    ¡°I told you it would be good,¡± said Friedrich smiling confidently as the sun set, creating a perfect orange sky overhead.


    ¡°It is not good,¡± said Blackjack, wrinkling her nose. ¡°It is edible sustenance.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°There is no seasoning, it is simply cooked pork meat. You have done nothing to merit it being called good other than the bare minimum.¡±


    ¡°Why overdo what¡¯s already delicious?¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    ¡°Pitiful. Perhaps you will one day try the cooking of the Alauri. Our worst chefs are finer than your best chefs, Mercians.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend you¡¯re delirious from the poison so that I don¡¯t lose my temper,¡± smiled Friedrich, trying to hold in his seething anger. ¡°A simple thank you would have sufficed rather than insults.¡±


    Blackjack looked at him ready to retort, but she paused. ¡°Thank you, Friedrich,¡± she said and then gave him a forced smile.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice that we can all get along?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°We will not be in each other¡¯s company for long,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°I am making my way to Akatfall, so we will part tomorrow morning when my wound has finished healing. Unfortunately, the potion I took was not as strong as I would have liked.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina exchanged a glance. Friedrich shook his head quickly, but Marina smiled and nodded at him before turning to Blackjack. ¡°We¡¯re going to Akatfall too.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said, deliberately not saying anything more.


    There was an awkward silence in the air before Marina blurted out. ¡°We should all travel to Akatfall together!¡±


    ¡°I do not think¡ª¡± began Blackjack.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± scoffed Marina. ¡°We¡¯re not taking no for an answer, Blackjack, especially seeing as you¡¯re still injured. You can ditch us when we get there if you want, but it¡¯s the smartest option. Just think about it, the three of us on the road together, felling the foes that cross our path.¡±


    Friedrich knew Marina wouldn¡¯t budge, and Blackjack was clearly more than capable, so he relented. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re more than welcome to come with us as far as Akatfall. Afterwards, we¡¯re travelling to Kai¡¯roh. The capital would therefore be the natural place to part.¡±


    Blackjack looked uneasy. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°I will come with you that far, but I would like to request a detour from the main road.¡±


    ¡°Fine with me,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Are we bypassing Cambrae?¡± asked Marina, a hint of regret on her face.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°I wanted to meet Hareld Ashcroft in person,¡± she said sadly.


    Friedrich put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Who needs to meet a fancy tailor when we¡¯ve got a detour to¡­to¡­?¡±


    ¡°The lighthouse at Ebony Point,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± exclaimed Friedrich, a little too enthusiastically. ¡°Everyone knows about the lighthouse at Ebony Point. A popular tourist destination from what I¡¯ve heard. A lighthouse is a much nicer sight than some fancy clothier, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± sighed Marina.


    Blackjack cocked her head to the side. ¡°I do not think¡ª"


    ¡°Yes!¡± yelled Friedrich, subtly shaking his head at the elf to try and get her to play along. ¡°That lighthouse will be quite the sight, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­um¡­¡± Blackjack trailed off and began muttering to herself while shaking her head.


    Friedrich wasn¡¯t sure, but he could have sworn she said something along the lines of. ¡°What is this Mercian hell I have gotten into?¡±


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    *


    The party of three walked down the cliff path and onto the shore, where the tide ebbed and flowed, far enough away that it did not wet the sand beneath their feet, but close enough that they could enjoy the view as they walked. It was an unusually warm morning, the sign of an approaching summer, but the wind at the western coast of Mercia cooled things right back down again.


    ¡°The air is so clear here,¡± said Marina, breathing in deeply with her eyes closed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not clarity,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°that¡¯s the smell of saltwater and seaweed.¡±


    Blackjack said nothing and walked ahead, leading the way. She had woken first and spent the morning patching the tear in her armour back up, borrowing Friedrich¡¯s cloak to keep her naked upper half concealed. He tried his best not to look at her, knowing that she was watching him. When Marina caught him looking over his shoulder once at the beautiful elf, she quietly slapped him on the arm and scowled at him.


    ¡°Blackjack,¡± Friedrich called ahead as he gently kicked the sand.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she replied.


    ¡°Why are we going to the lighthouse?¡±


    ¡°I have a contract.¡±


    ¡°A demon hunting contract?¡±


    ¡°That is the only contract I will take.¡±


    ¡°You really are a demon hunter through and through, eh?¡±


    Blackjack looked over her shoulder. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I can respect that,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°For me, I¡¯ll do anything to get the riches I need.¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Well, within reason.¡±


    ¡°Have you defined those limits?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What are the lines you will not cross?¡±


    Friedrich stopped walking and pondered for a moment. ¡°I haven¡¯t considered that, if I¡¯m honest. I wouldn¡¯t murder for them¡­¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°On a lighter note,¡± said Marina, skipping across the sand and overtaking Friedrich. ¡°Now that we¡¯re travelling together, will you tell us your real name?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Blackjack, marching on ahead.


    The three continued to walk along the sands, hopping over small streams as they trickled towards the ocean and passing underneath stone archways carved by the elements over many, many years. It was a pleasant walk, but Friedrich had a lot on his mind after Blackjack¡¯s question. Only he knew the real reason that he wanted his boat, but that was just the first step. To achieve his true goal, he needed much more than a boat.


    He placed his hand upon the golden mask that hung around his neck. He had not realised it at first, but this mask could be an essential key to his plan. If he had the full allegiance of Kitt, the spirit within, perhaps he could achieve greater control over the powers of his fox form. He could feel there was something he was missing each time he transformed and perhaps granting Kitt¡¯s desire to see Kai¡¯roh would help him discover what that was.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marina, upon noticing how deep in thought that Friedrich was.


    ¡°Never better,¡± he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just been an exhausting couple of weeks. It will be nice when we reach Akatfall and can finally take a real breather.¡±


    ¡°I thought a day of rest was enough for you?¡±


    ¡°I thought so too, but I think maybe I¡¯ll take two this time.¡±


    ¡°Two sounds fantastic to me,¡± said Marina.


    The journey continued, the only stop being for a small midday meal, then the three trudged along the sand again. The tide was starting to come in as the sun sank towards the horizon. Friedrich and Marina were starting to wonder if they would reach the lighthouse before it was dark, but finally Blackjack stopped.


    ¡°There!¡± called the Alaurian, pointing towards an island up ahead.


    A few hundred feet out into the water stood a tall island of stone, upon which sat a grand lighthouse white. It watched over the oceans, but there were no ships to guide tonight, nor could it without a light to shine. Connecting the island to the mainland was a stone bridge, ancient and strong. It must have taken many men many years to construct such a tall and wide bridge and it left Friedrich standing there in awe before Blackjack pulled him towards the cliff face.


    ¡°We need to approach quietly,¡± she said. ¡°I do not want them to know that we are here.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Demons?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the elf. ¡°The reason we came along the shore is to avoid being seen on the road. It is often unpleasant to walk along the sands, but the conditions today were in our favour. I thank you for being accommodating.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan of approach?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°Just say the word and we¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°You are to both remain here while I fulfil my mission and then I will return to you.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re coming with you,¡± said Friedrich sternly. ¡°The last thing you should be doing is going alone when you are still recovering.¡±


    ¡°I am in perfect condition.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich¡¯s right,¡± said Marina, nodding fervently. ¡°We can help you. It can be in a manner of your choosing, but you should not face demons alone.¡±


    ¡°You are as obstinate as each other,¡± Blackjack sighed. ¡°It is no wonder you two are betrothed.¡±


    ¡°Betrothed?¡± asked Friedrich and Marina.


    ¡°Am I mistaken?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the two Mercians said again.


    ¡°I apologise,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°My intuition is normally better than this. Regardless, I will accept your offer to help, but you must do exactly as I say. Are we in agreement?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich while Marina smiled and nodded.


    Blackjack led the two along the cliff face, keeping to the shadows as the sun continued to sink lower and lower. By the time they were standing underneath the bridge, the sky was a faint purple save for the sliver of orange on the horizon over the ocean.


    ¡°Can you climb?¡± asked Blackjack, to the top of the bridge.


    Friedrich and Marina exchanged worried glances, but Blackjack let a rare flicker of a smile escape.


    ¡°I see you two are without humour. There is a staircase built into the middle of the bridge. Do not worry, for I have researched heavily before coming this way. I would not leave us stranded below, looking for a way to climb up.¡±


    Blackjack walked towards one of the support walls that sat in the middle of the bridge. She located a small ladder and climbed up towards a thin ledge, where a wooden door sat at the top, leading inside the bridge. The high elf opened it and beckoned for Friedrich and Marina to follow. The three headed inside and Friedrich closed the door silently behind them.

 Chapter 19 - The Infernal Beacon

    Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack stood inside the dark stairwell, barely able to see more than two feet in front of them. As best as Friedrich could tell, the staircase let up to a small landing, then curved round, presumably repeating the same pattern until it reached the top of the bridge.


    ¡°There may be multiple demons along the way, but our primary goal is to reach the top of the light house. Rather than a beacon to light the way for passing ships, there is an infernal portal leading into the plane of Undying Gloom.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Undying Gloom?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Somewhere you would rather not be,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°It¡¯s a land of demons, ruled by Murkmonger.¡±


    ¡°Murkmonger?¡±


    ¡°You have led a sheltered life,¡± said Blackjack, ¡°but trust us when we tell you that Murkmonger is a wicked being and his minions are foul vermin that must be eradicated.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± said Marina, feeling slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I will clear the way and you are to watch for demons approaching from the rear or any side rooms we may encounter. Dispatch them with utmost haste so that we are not impeded.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem,¡± said Friedrich confidently. ¡°Do you need me to lead the way as a fox?¡±


    ¡°Why would I need that?¡± asked Blackjack, sounding as though she had raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Because I can see better in the¡­dark¡­okay, fair enough.¡±


    It slowly dawned on Friedrich that elves like Blackjack could see better in the dark than humans, so transforming into a fox would be redundant for the time being. He put his hand to the mask, wondering if he should use it anyway, but then slowly moved his hand away.


    ¡°Let us go,¡± said Blackjack, leading the way up the stairs.


    The party marched their way upwards, moving from landing to landing. Every so often, Blackjack stopped and listened. The first time, Friedrich bumped into her and was scolded, much to his ire, but he was more careful afterwards. Everything was clear all the way to the top, where they could see the very faint light of the night creeping in along the crack between the wooden door and the doorframe. Blackjack put her pointed ear to the thin gap and listened closely.


    ¡°I hear the clink of boots,¡± she said. ¡°There are at least four of them outside. I will take two and you will each take one, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± whispered Friedrich and Marina in unison.


    ¡°We go now.¡±


    Blackjack, held her bow firmly, nocked an arrow and raised her foot to the door. She suddenly kicked hard, flinging the door open and then stormed outside, turning in the direction of the nearest prowling demon and unleashing an arrow that pierced its foul skull.


    There was another demon facing the high elf to the right, while two more were approaching Friedrich and Marina to the left. They were armoured in black metal armour that smelled sulphuric even from a distance. It was gnarled and warped, looking almost painful to wear, but it did not bother the demons. The grey-skinned, red-eyed abominations charged with their twisted blades raised.


    Marina thrust her staff forward, pointing it at one of the demons. She focused her mana and sent a crackling bolt of lightning through the air, where it struck the demon¡¯s armour. It shook as it ran, undeterred. Marina leapt backwards as it thrust its sword forward, narrowly avoiding a skewering. She thrust the tip of her staff towards its face, setting off another lightning bolt inches from its face. A rain of purple blood followed as the demon¡¯s head exploded.


    Friedrich meanwhile blocked a powerful swing from his own infernal foe. His shield reverberated from the mighty attack, but he held strong and pushed the demon¡¯s arm aside with his rounded guardian. He thrust for the demon¡¯s head, but was blocked by its armoured forearm. The demon shoved him backwards, but Friedrich swung his shield and the edge cut across the demon¡¯s face, breaking its nose.


    Infuriated, the demon charged to tackle Friedrich, who was on the backfoot, but the young Mercian swung his blade down through the air where it landed firmly in the skull of his opponent. The demon¡¯s eyes widened with shock and it let out a pathetic grunt as it fell down. Friedrich placed his foot on its head and pulled his blade free, giving the demon a boot to the face for good measure.


    ¡°To the lighthouse,¡± said Blackjack, standing beside her second demonic victim¡¯s corpse; it had the back end of an arrow protruding from one of its eye sockets.


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    The three hurried along the walkway and demons started emerging from the large archway that was the lighthouse door. A dozen of them stormed along the bridge while Blackjack and Marina unleashed a barrage of arrows and bolts, preventing them from coming anywhere close. Friedrich stood before them, his shield raised, ready to fend off any that made it through the relentless assault.


    As one of the demons drew close, he lunged forward with his shield held high and his sword held above. The demon took an arrow to the shoulder, throwing it off balance as Friedrich impaled it, then watched it slump to the ground.


    Blackjack ran ahead as the last of the demons fell to Marina¡¯s magic. Friedrich and Marina hurried after the Alaurian as she entered the bottom circular chamber of the towering lighthouse. Blackjack made for the stairs, curling around the lighthouse, bringing her to a platform while the Mercians checked the side rooms¡ªall of the demons must have already attacked them on the bridge.


    Blackjack climbed an iron ladder with such finesse it was as though she was gliding upwards. Friedrich watched in awe as he ran up the staircase to reach the ladder himself, while Marina continually checked over her shoulder for more approaching demons.


    ¡°You go first,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°No,¡± said Marina. ¡°If they come up behind us, I can use my magic.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking.¡±


    With that, Friedrich climbed the ladder as quickly as he could, yet still only half the speed of Blackjack who was already approaching the top.


    ¡°Here they come!¡± called Marina as she started her own ascent.


    Friedrich looked towards the circular chamber below and could see three demons barging in and gunning for the stairs.


    ¡°Climb higher,¡± said Friedrich as he tried to pick up the pace to give Marina space to climb.


    Marina scrambled up, trying to put as much distance between her and the demons as possible before they reached the ladder to pull her down to their level.


    ¡°Nothing else for it,¡± muttered Marina as she pulled out her staff.


    She unleashed a striking spell towards the platform below as the first demon reached for the ladder. It struck his armour, sending a surge of electricity coursing through him. He yelled and collapsed then lay twitching on the ground as one of his comrades trod over him to climb.


    The demon leapt as high at it could and grabbed hold of an iron bar, quickly pulling itself within fifteen feet of Marina. She held out her staff and zapped him in the face, sending him flying downwards to the bottom. The third demon held onto the iron bars tightly, even as his ally fell past him.


    As Marina readied herself for another spell, the demon yanked the staff from her hands and threw it down below. The young Mercian mage tried to pull herself out of reach, but the demon grabbed her leg, succeeding where his foul brethren had failed. As he tugged, trying to pull her from the ladder, he was struck by a Friedrich-shaped cannonball and fell to the platform.


    Friedrich stood up as the demon recovered from his daze. The adventurer drew his blade and stabbed the demon in the throat. He ripped his blade out and kicked the demon from the platform, sending it to the chamber below with a clanging thud.


    ¡°That was too close for my liking,¡± sighed Marina. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about thanking me,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We need to catch up to Blackjack.¡±


    Marina led the way up the ladder, but Blackjack had already disappeared through the trapdoor at the top and closed it behind her. Every now and then there was a thunderous thud of footsteps across the wooden door, leaving the two Mercians wondering what chaos was happening above them.


    As they reached the top, the doorway was opened and Blackjack stared down at them. ¡°You are still alive,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina, ¡°but we were delayed by a few infernal friends.¡±


    ¡°I surmised as much,¡± replied the elf. ¡°I was delayed also, but we can finish up and depart shortly.¡±


    Marina climbed through the hole in the ceiling and onto the lantern, followed closely by Friedrich. The young man looked around, expecting to see the bodies of demons, but there were none. There was only an empty brazier and a large set of glass lenses used to cast the light across the ocean.


    Blackjack noticed his look of confusion. ¡°The demons wanted to swim in the ocean, so I obliged,¡± she said, making Marina giggle.


    ¡°Did you find what you were looking for?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°Or was the plan to simply kill the demons? You weren¡¯t exactly clear with us.¡±


    Blackjack held up an orb made of blackened glass that glowed a faint swirling purple in the middle. She gestured with her free hand to Friedrich, who then took the orb. It was surprisingly light, but he could feel that there was much more to this orb than met the eye. It felt otherworldly and it felt evil.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he asked, looking into it closely.


    ¡°It is a portal orb,¡± replied Blackjack, taking the glass sphere back from him. ¡°This one can open a gateway to Undying Gloom.¡±


    ¡°What should we do with it?¡± asked Marina, looking uneasy.


    ¡°By itself, it is useless, so we have nothing to fear from it now,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°However, it would be foolish to leave it here lest it fall into the wrong hands. I will take it to Akatfall to be destroyed by someone with the power to do so.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of that,¡± said Friedrich, twirling his sword in his hands.


    ¡°It would shatter that sword before you so much as leave a crack in its form,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°It takes magic to destroy magic, not steel. If it were that simple, I would have destroyed it already.¡±


    Blackjack put the orb in her pack and made for the ladder once again, but Friedrich walked over to the edge of the lantern and stared across the ocean.


    ¡°Are you not coming?¡± Marina asked him.


    ¡°I just want to take this in for a moment,¡± he said, feeling his heart lighten as the vast sea stretched before him.


    Marina walked over beside him and stared into the distance too. ¡°It¡¯s calming, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s magnificent,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but there is more beyond the water than simply more water. There are other lands. Continents. Islands. Places where we ought not to go, but need to go.¡±


    ¡°Kai¡¯roh?¡±


    ¡°Far more than Kai¡¯roh,¡± said Friedrich, his face starting to fall.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Marina asked, wondering if she had somehow upset him.


    Friedrich silently shook his head. He stared for another minute, deep in thought, before walked over to the ladder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll find somewhere to camp for the night.¡±

 Chapter 20 - The Tale Teller

    ¡°We must not slow down, children,¡± said Blackjack, now back to full strength without as much as a scar from her previous injury. Her healing potion had worked slowly, but effectively, although she had grumbled more than a couple of times about purchasing a more reliable one that would work instantly next time.


    ¡°Stop calling us children!¡± called Friedrich, irked by the elf¡¯s haughtiness.


    ¡°You are both sixteen years old, are you not? That is what you told me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    ¡°Then you are children.¡±


    ¡°So how old are you anyway?¡± asked Marina, folding her arms and cocking her head to the side. ¡°If you know our ages, it¡¯s only fair that you tell us too. No?¡±


    ¡°You should never ask an elf his or her age,¡± said Blackjack, her voice suddenly harsh. ¡°It is most undignified of you to put a question like that to me. I shall not answer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re young for an elf, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Friedrich slyly with a smirk on his face. ¡°Are you secretly younger than us in elf years?¡±


    ¡°Elves are not canines!¡± snapped Blackjack, throwing her arms straight down and clenching her fists as though she was on the verge of a tantrum. ¡°We shall discuss the matter no further!¡±


    ¡°If you stop calling us children, we won¡¯t pry about your age then. How about that?¡±


    Blackjack clicked her tongue and frowned. ¡°Fine,¡± she said irritably, ¡°but know that I am most unhappy with both of you. Being rid of you pair cannot come soon enough and I am longing to reach Akatfall.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re free to leave at any time, little one,¡± joked Friedrich with a big grin.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± groaned Blackjack, finally breaking. She stormed ahead, shaking her head slowly and grumpily the whole way while muttering unpleasant words under her breath.


    ¡°You really hit a nerve,¡± Friedrich said to Marina, trying hard not to laugh. ¡°Was it wrong of me to pile on?¡±


    Marina shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she would take being asked her age so badly. I thought maybe she was older than she looked. Elves age very gracefully from what I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°I thought the opposite. I reckon she¡¯s barely an adult. She looks young because she is young.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°She seems like someone who wants to be seen as mature and wise beyond her years.¡±


    ¡°Like you?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± chuckled Friedrich. ¡°Elves reach maturity slower than we do, but then the rest of their lives drag out more. I know it isn¡¯t a one-for-one comparison between her and us, but I think she¡¯s putting on a front so she can seem like the boss.¡±


    ¡°Should we apologise to her?¡± asked Marina, looking a little guilty.


    ¡°Nah, she¡¯ll calm down eventually.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina hurried along after Blackjack, who was walking along the road at a furious speed just shy of a jog. She huffed and puffed most of the cool morning, but after a while she did indeed calm down. She wasn¡¯t quite talkative, but she wasn¡¯t especially talkative at the best of times so the pair took that to mean she was more or less back to her normal mood.


    It had been four days since the trio had defeated the demons at the lighthouse and the journey since had been mostly peaceful and pleasant with the occasional wild boar or hungry wolf rearing its head. All that had meant was less time for Friedrich to hunt for food, something Blackjack had insisted he left to her; he refused, making her and Marina set up camp.


    ¡°How much further do we have to go?¡± asked Marina, noticing that the roadside signs at various crossroads and bridges increasingly pointed towards Akatfall.


    ¡°I could not be certain, but I would speculate that we are no more than five days away.¡±


    ¡°If we stick to the main road,¡± said Friedrich, having pulled out his map.


    ¡°There is no good reason to not stick to the road, Friedrich,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°What if we can shave a day off the journey?¡±


    ¡°That would be unwise.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because there are dark and dangerous beings lying in wait in every nook and cranny of Mercia, have you not seen that already?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but they¡¯re nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡±


    Blackjack scoffed. ¡°Such arrogance from one so¡­¡±


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    Friedrich¡¯s raised eyebrow caught her eye.


    ¡°Ahem¡­from one so inexperienced,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°We¡¯ve survived this far,¡± said Friedrich, smiling cockily at her.


    ¡°I have no doubt that a large part of that is luck over skill.¡±


    ¡°We saved you, no?¡±


    ¡°If I can be so grievously injured then you should be more concerned for your own safety. Do not go sticking your nose where it ought not to be, whether that be someone else¡¯s business or a dark tunnel filled with foul beasts.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Friedrich asked Marina.


    ¡°Is this being put to a vote?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°No,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°If I say it is being put to a vote, that gives us a majority and we do put it to a vote. I say yes to a vote and yes to cutting a day off our journey.¡±


    Blackjack looked incredulous. ¡°That is asinine logic, you utter fools.¡±


    ¡°Then travel alone along the road,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°As much as I would prefer that, I would consider it a failure in my duty to not keep you both alive. We chose to travel together; therefore, we must look out for one another whether we like it or not.¡±


    ¡°That means that you like us, doesn¡¯t it?¡± asked Friedrich, moving to nudge Blackjack but finding his arm being batted away by the high elf.


    Much to Blackjack¡¯s displeasure, Friedrich steered them off the main road and towards a small path leading into a wooded area. As far as the map told him, this should take them to a cave¡ªa small pickaxe next to the cave entrance indicated it was a mine¡ªthat they could cut through to reach the next leg of the main road much quicker.


    Not long after the trio had settled by the roadside for a small meal, did a rustling from the trees reach their ears. They all jumped up with their weapons at the ready; Friedrich with his shield high and sword drawn back, Marina with her staff already buzzing to set off a lightning bolt and Blackjack with an arrow nocked.


    ¡°Easy, strangers, easy,¡± came a voice as a man emerged with his hands held high. At least he appeared to be a man, all that was visible was his eyes and hands. He wore long, flowing robes that were coloured a mixture of yellows, reds and purples, all patterned erratically from stripes to spots to flowers, depending on where the fabric lay upon him. It looked as though he was wearing a helmet, but it was hard to be certain with the fabric wrapped around his head so thickly.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Blackjack.


    ¡°I am merely a traveller,¡± said the man. ¡°A tale teller. I wandered this direction and I smelled your food. If you would be so kind, I am incredibly hungry.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer it if you moved along,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°Please, strangers,¡± said the man, bowing his head. ¡°I will repay you the only way I know how, with my words.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°That means that in exchange for some meat, I will tell you a tale that you may find enlightening. It is not much, but perhaps it will be more valuable to you than kupons.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Friedrich asked Blackjack.


    ¡°He is a stranger, therefore, he is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Are we really going to let him starve?¡± muttered Marina, not taking her eyes off the man.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look skinny,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but that may be the robes.¡±


    ¡°I will move along if you will not feed me,¡± said the man, ¡°and you can rest assured that you will not see me again.¡±


    ¡°Do you like pork loin?¡± asked Friedrich.


    The man nodded slowly. ¡°I will eat whatever is given to me. If pork loin is what you have, I will be more than happy.¡±


    ¡°If we are to feed you, you are to be on your best behaviour,¡± warned Blackjack. ¡°My reflexes are quick and the humans are not much slower. If I detect even a hint of malicious intent, I will not hesitate to end your life.¡±


    ¡°I will abide by whatever terms you impose upon me,¡± said the man, then gesturing towards his clothing. ¡°All I ask is that I am allowed to remain covered. I do not reveal myself to anyone, least of all strangers.¡±


    Friedrich couldn¡¯t help but feel as though the man had been honest with him, but he was nonetheless bizarre. He did not look like a court jester or a bard, despite the unusually colourful attire, but he also did not look like a mage for he had no visible implement to cast spells with. Perhaps he relied solely on his hands, but that was not especially common.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± asked Blackjack as Friedrich kept an eye on the food.


    ¡°I have had many names, but my current one is Elketh,¡± he said. ¡°And yours?¡±


    ¡°I am called Blackjack.¡±


    ¡°Do you fear your true name being used?¡± asked Elketh.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Blackjack honestly.


    ¡°Then we are of similar mind. There is great power in a name, and should only reveal it to our dearest friends.¡±


    ¡°Here you go,¡± said Friedrich, passing the man a piece of badly sliced pork loin.


    ¡°Thank you, young man,¡± he said, holding it in his hand and pushing it under the robes around his chest, his hand visibly moving underneath and working its way up to his covered mouth. After he finished eating, he took his hand back out and bowed his head once again. Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack all stared at him, terribly confused by who this man was or why he was the way he was.


    ¡°That satiated my appetite, nicely,¡± he said to Friedrich. ¡°I did not catch your name.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± he said.


    ¡°And yours?¡± he asked Marina.


    ¡°Marina,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Lovely names, most lovely indeed,¡± he said pleasantly. ¡°As promised, I will tell you a tale that you may find useful. Are you ready to listen?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich as Marina nodded and Blackjack continued to eye Elketh suspiciously.


    Elketh cleared his throat and began.


    ¡°Seek out a cave within the mount,


    Filled with treasures of many to count,


    Dare you fill your purses full,


    Or shall you awaken the mighty bull?


    The seeker of nether toils below,


    Forever to hammer to and fro,


    Perhaps you will find what you seek,


    Or perhaps you will find yourselves weak?


    I warn you now, yet still you wander,


    But perhaps I give you a gift to ponder¡­¡±


    Friedrich and Blackjack stared on in confusion, while Marina slowly clapped before petering out when nobody joined in.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you,¡± said Elketh, standing up to leave. ¡°Perhaps you found that enlightening, no? Judging by your faces, that was simply confusing. No matter, for I have told my tale.¡±


    ¡°That was a tale?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°It sounded like you were talking about treasure and monsters. Where?¡±


    ¡°I will leave you to think about my words,¡± said Elketh, taking a bow. ¡°Your humble offering was much appreciated. I bid you all a good day and perhaps we shall meet again.¡±


    With that, he left. Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack were dumbfounded at what had just happened. The man must have been some sort of lunatic or an unorthodox grifter.


    ¡°What now?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I suggest that we eat and leave, then never talk about this incident again.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Friedrich.


    Even though what Elketh had said was not clear, the talk of treasure did intrigue him. Had he meant the mine ahead? Was he some sort of guardian of the place or was he truly just a wandering madman looking for his next meal? He tried to clear his mind of Elketh, but he could not help but feel uneasy as he pondered over the meaning of the man¡¯s poem.

 Chapter 21 - Into the Mine

    The party of three stood by the dilapidated entrance to the mine, all with a sense of apprehension about what lay inside. A rust-eaten, moss-covered minecart lay upside down at the side of the entrance and the tracks were mostly broken and overgrown. The only thing still standing strong was the wooden posts supporting the rock, probably because they were much thicker than they had any need to be.


    ¡°We can always return to the main road,¡± said Blackjack apprehensively.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Friedrich, thinking about what the tale teller, Elketh, had spoken of. He did not fully understand the odd poem, but it left him wondering. ¡°We might as well pass through and see if there¡¯s anything worth our time along the way.¡±


    ¡°Is it too late to take my vote back?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Friedrich shook his head. ¡°If you really want to go back to the road, we can, but I have a good feeling about this place. It looks daunting, but that just means the riches inside are all the greater.¡±


    ¡°It means nothing of the sort,¡± scoffed Blackjack as Marina nodded fervently along. ¡°This old mine could be both dangerous and empty. Your flights of fancy about treasure are meaningless in reality.¡±


    ¡°My flights of fancy have steered me right so far,¡± shrugged Friedrich, stepping forward as he placed the Kitt¡¯s mask upon his face.


    ¡°Do not do¡ª¡± began Blackjack, but Friedrich had already turned into a fox before her eyes. ¡°That was foolish.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point arguing with him,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°He is a very stupid boy,¡± said Blackjack, looking at the golden fox who stuck his tongue out at her.


    Friedrich skipped on ahead and Blackjack marched after him, wanting to make sure he didn¡¯t get himself killed. Marina looked around uneasily, as though there would be a reason to not go in sitting somewhere nearby. Deciding that she had little other choice, she hurried after the rest of her companions while praying there were no zombies like there were in the Crypt of Belziah.


    Friedrich led the way past the hanging moss and vines that drooped from the roof. A little way around the first corner, there was a wooden table with a ragged book and an unlit candle atop it. Friedrich hopped onto the chair underneath and climbed onto the table. He sniffed the candle and the wick. He couldn¡¯t be certain, but it seemed somewhat fresh. There was the lingering smoky scent on the wick which took him by surprise.


    ¡°The Beggar Mage,¡± muttered Blackjack, making Frederich jump; he had not heard her coming. ¡°It is not in good condition, but it is not dusty.¡±


    Friedrich pointed to the book and then to her.


    ¡°No, I have not read it before,¡± said the Alaurian.


    Friedrich pointed at the candle as Marina caught up to them.


    ¡°Is someone in here with us?¡± she asked, stopping dead in her tracks.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± replied Blackjack, looking along the path to where the minecart rails continued.


    ¡°Alright, then we should leave,¡± said Marina enthusiastically.


    Friedrich hopped back down and followed the tunnel deeper with the others exasperatedly chasing after him. It was damp and humid here and the more the fox walked, the less comfortable he felt. It was stifling; so much so that Blackjack and Marina were visibly sweating.


    The tracks came to a halt near a wooden ramp that led downwards. Looking at the spot where the tracks stopped, Friedrich spied a small wooden platform that looked as though it could be lowered using a lever that sat to the side. Friedrich pushed it with his paw, but he was too weak in this form to make it move. Blackjack tried, but still, it did not budge.


    ¡°Eeee!¡± screeched a voice from further down the tunnel.


    ¡°What was that?¡± whispered Marina, her skin pale and her staff held tightly.


    Blackjack¡¯s ears were twitching. ¡°Kobolds,¡± she muttered, readying her bow. ¡°Prepare yourself, Marina.¡±


    There was the sudden beating of feet against the stone floor and a quintet or scaly bipedal beasts ran into the room with their spears held high. They had stubby snouts and sharp teeth with reptilian yellow eyes and sharp, whipping tails.


    Blackjack immediate shot an arrow at one of the kobolds, piercing it through the neck and killing it instantly. The rest of its party screeched furiously at the elf who had killed one of their brethren. Such an atrocity would not be tolerated and they hopped in her direction as she nocked another arrow.


    Before the kobolds could make more than a couple feet of headway, Marina shot a lightning bolt that blew a hole through the chest of another kobold, knocking it backwards into the others. Not wanting to be left out of the fight, Friedrich ran into the centre of the trio of kobolds. They were so focused on trying to skewer him with their spears that they did not give any concern to Blackjack and Marina. Another arrow and another bolt later, there was only one kobold left.


    The terrified kobold leapt out of the way before Blackjack could fire another arrow and then hid behind a rock in the corner of the room. With a flick of her staff and a flash of lightning, Marina blew it to pieces. There was nowhere left for the monster to hide.


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    The kobold dropped its spear and held up its hands. ¡°No zee meeno! No zee meeno!¡± it screeched, moving out from behind the broken remnants of the rock.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± demanded Blackjack, grabbing it by the throat as Marina held her staff to the scaly beast.


    ¡°Me no zee meeno! Me no zee meeno! No hart mee! No hart mee!¡±


    Friedrich suddenly turned back into a human and the fox mask fell to hang from his neck again. ¡°Agh,¡± he grunted, before facing the kobold. ¡°Make sense or you die,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Dan tha! Dan tha!¡± wailed the frightened kobold, pointing one of its thin fingers to the platform. ¡°Zee meeno!¡±


    ¡°Does what lies down there frighten you?¡± Friedrich asked.


    ¡°Yaa! Yaa!¡±


    ¡°But does it frighten you more than us?¡±


    ¡°Yaa!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me,¡± said Friedrich, kicking the kobold on the stomach. ¡°Get out of here and don¡¯t come back.¡±


    ¡°Ma buuk!¡± it grunted, pointing towards the tunnel, but a look from Friedrich was all it took to shut the creature up.


    Blackjack turned to Friedrich as the winded kobold hobbled back down the tunnel from whence it and its brethren came. ¡°That was a mistake.¡±


    ¡°What was?¡±


    ¡°Letting the kobold live.¡±


    ¡°Not if it¡¯s too afraid to go where we¡¯re going,¡± said Friedrich smugly.


    ¡°Do not dare!¡± warned Blackjack as Friedrich walked over to the lever.


    He gripped it tightly and pulled with all of his mighty. It creaked and wriggled, but is still did not release. Growing frustrated, Blackjack kicked it while Friedrich pulled and, finally, it flipped. The sound of rattling gears and chains reached their ears as the platform where the end of the tracks sat started moving downwards.


    ¡°Do not do¡ª¡± began Blackjack, but Friedrich hopped onto it.


    Reluctantly, Blackjack and Marina jumped onto the platform too.


    ¡°You will be the death of us, Friedrich,¡± said Blackjack in exasperation.


    ¡°Or I will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams.¡±


    ¡°I do not desire to be rich.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you desire?¡±


    ¡°To kill as many demons as I can get my hands on.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll find something to help you get whatever supplies you need. New potions, magical implements, enchanted weapons and armour.¡±


    Blackjack held her tongue, not wanting to lambast him anymore, deserve it as he might. Marina did not wanting to get involved in the disagreement, but she knew that the three of them were better sticking together in these old mines, especially if there were more monsters lurking down below.


    ¡°What do you think ma buuk meant?¡± she asked, eager to change the subject.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°My book,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°But I was more concerned with the rest of the gibberish the kobold was spouting.¡±


    Marina held a finger to her chin. ¡°I didn¡¯t know kobolds could read¡­¡±


    The platform reached the bottom of its descent, some forty feet deep. Beside them was another lever that would presumably take them back up, but otherwise there was a tunnel going further along. What was curious about this tunnel was that the glass lanterns that hung from the roof were lit.


    ¡°Everyone, watch yourselves,¡± said Friedrich, drawing his sword and bracing his shield. ¡°Who knows who or what¡¯s in here with us.¡±


    The party of three crept slowly along the corridor, Blackjack taking the lead as she was especially light footed. They kept to the walls, careful to be under the lantern light as little as possible.


    Before long, they found a small wooden shack that looked as though nobody had touched it in years. The wood was rotting and there was a human skeleton lying in the doorway, its upper half sprawled against the tunnel floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± squealed Marina, pointing her staff at the skeleton.


    Friedrich edged closer and tapped it with his sword. It wobbled from the prod, but did not otherwise stir.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s animated,¡± he said in relief. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll be undead-free this time around.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± exhaled Marina.


    Blackjack stepped over the skeleton and peered through the door. ¡°Friedrich, your wildest dreams have come true.¡±


    Friedrich charged in the door, excited to see what Blackjack had seen. His face fell with dismay while she let out a dry laugh. Sitting on a broken desk was a small bag that had spilled its contents across the wooden surface.


    ¡°Twelve kupons?¡± he groaned. ¡°We ventured all the way down here for twelve kupons?¡±


    ¡°Four each,¡± said Blackjack, picking up her share and inspecting them. ¡°I cannot wait to see what I can buy in Akatfall with these. Perhaps I can buy a manor and settle down there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you joke,¡± said Friedrich as Marina giggled in the background.


    ¡°I do not do it often. I do not understand human humour so I do not see the point. Amongst my own, I have made entire dinner parties erupt with laughter.¡±


    ¡°Now, why am I so sceptical of that claim?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Your kind are too primitive to understand Alaurian wit. If I made a room erupt with laughter, you would be too busy scratching your rear to even have realised a joke had been told.¡±


    Ignoring her, Friedrich picked up his four kupons and then gave four to Marina. ¡°These are for you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I still owe you?¡± Marina asked. ¡°In fact, don¡¯t I still owe you a lot?¡±


    ¡°Consider your debt cleared,¡± he replied. ¡°We¡¯ll start fresh from here on out, alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­well, thank you,¡± said Marina, smiling sweetly at him.


    Blackjack held up a hand to silence them, her pointed elven ears twitching. She walked from the shack and followed the tracks along. As they walked, Friedrich and Marina heard what it was that had caught her attention. The sound of metal clanking against metal reached their ears as it reverberated down the tight tunnel.


    ¡°What is that?¡± whispered Marina.


    ¡°A miner?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Blackjack did not look convinced. ¡°No, it sounds¡­hmm¡­it sounds like a blacksmith.¡±


    ¡°A blacksmith?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°That is what I said, is it not?¡±


    Friedrich did not reply as they all edged ever closer to the repeated clanks. Every now and then, the clanking stopped and there was a soft hiss that followed before the clanking resumed once more. Friedrich was now convinced that were was indeed a blacksmith down here. Why there was one in a mine where kobolds dwelled was a question that he could not answer.


    Nearing the edge of the tunnel, the group saw that it opened up to a much larger cavern filled with old wooden shacks, carts filled with ore and a lone man standing in the centre, surrounded by tools and implements while he beat a sword with a hammer upon an anvil. He was big, burly and bare-chested, while wearing an unusual hat. Beside his anvil was a furnace that glowed red hot, but did not illuminate him especially well. He continued working, not noticing that he was now being watched.


    ¡°Is he here alone?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°By the gods¡­¡± muttered Blackjack, her eyes wide with horror.


    ¡°What? Is something wrong?¡±


    Friedrich could not see it either. He squinted in the darkness trying to see the man, but he could not see him clearly. He started to move forwards to get a better look, but Blackjack grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.


    ¡°I would not,¡± she whispered. ¡°Tiami save me. Let us return to the surface at once.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°Is there something wrong with that man?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°There is something wrong with him, but he is most certainly not a man. Do you not see him?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Suddenly, the blacksmith stopped hammering and looked up. He dropped the sword he was working on and started making his way towards the edge of the tunnel where Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack stood. As he drew closer, Friedrich could see why Blackjack had looked upon him in horror. Indeed, he was not a man nor was he wearing a hat. He had the head of a bull and two large horns grew from the top, curving around.

 Chapter 22 - The Treasure of the Bull

    ¡°Who goes there?¡± snorted the minotaur in a grizzly, booming voice, pointing his hammer to the edge of the tunnel where Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack stood.


    ¡°We did not mean to intrude,¡± said Friedrich, trying to think quickly. ¡°We presumed that this place was long-abandoned.¡±


    ¡°You thought wrong,¡± said the minotaur, lowering his hammer. ¡°You should not be here in my domain.¡±


    ¡°Sincerest apologies.¡±


    The minotaur shook his head and snorted. ¡°What is it that you sought?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We are heading towards Akatfall. We merely wanted to pass through here, thinking it would make our time on the road above shorter. Is there a way to leave so that we do not disturb you further?¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± said the minotaur, turning his back on the three and slumping back towards his tools. He picked up the sword he had been working on. He placed the blade inside the hot furnace and waited without saying a word.


    ¡°Should we leave?¡± asked Marina, looking concerned, but Friedrich had already walked up to the minotaur even though Blackjack had tried to hold him back.


    ¡°Will you tell us the way out?¡± Friedrich asked him.


    ¡°If you¡¯re such intrepid explorers, you will find it on your own. I simply wish to remain undisturbed while I finish my work.¡±


    Friedrich was curious and the beastman did not appear to be hostile, so he decided he could get away with prying. ¡°What are you working on?¡±


    ¡°A sword.¡±


    ¡°I can see that, but I meant¡­what does it do?¡±


    ¡°It cuts, it stabs¡­for a lad like you to have a sword of his own and to ask such a foolish question is astounding to me.¡±


    Friedrich was frustrated by the obtuse response. ¡°I¡¯m asking what makes it special? Is it enchanted?¡±


    ¡°Now that is a much more sensible question,¡± replied the minotaur. ¡°No, it is not enchanted, but it will be. What makes my weapons special is that I mix the iron with nether ore.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Nether ore?¡± asked Blackjack, finally daring to approach. ¡°Where is it that you find nether ore?¡±


    ¡°Nether ore,¡± said the minotaur, his bovine eyes staring at Friedrich and ignoring Blackjack, ¡°is a rare ore that can strengthen metal beyond almost anything found on Eradrel.¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t found on Eradrel,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°then where do you find it?¡±


    ¡°He finds it in Nar¡¯zularth,¡± said Blackjack, raising her voice, ¡°the demonic plane of Kragvhum. Come, Friedrich. We should leave this place at once.¡±


    ¡°You are familiar with Nar¡¯zularth?¡± the minotaur said to Blackjack. ¡°Then perhaps you are not so stupid and may be able to assist me in acquiring more of it?¡±


    ¡°No, I will not assist you. It is a wicked plane of evil and nothing good can come of it.¡±


    ¡°I will make it worth your while if you do aid me. My treasures are magical and numerous, my riches are great and plentiful. You do not even need to venture between planes, for there is a cavern beneath us that can provide me with what I seek.¡±


    Marina piped up. ¡°If it¡¯s in these very mines, then why have you not sought it yourself? Or better yet, make the kobolds above do it.¡±


    The minotaur scoffed. ¡°Kobolds? Kobolds cannot fasten a tunic.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous, isn¡¯t that right?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the minotaur. ¡°I make no secret of that. The danger is great, but your foe is conquerable. I will not aid you personally as even as much as an injury to my hands will render me unable to continue smithing. Without that, I have nothing.¡±


    ¡°What treasures are you offering us?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Blackjack sternly, ¡°you do not have much interest in listening to me, I am aware, but I ask you to proceed cautiously.¡±


    ¡°I will hear him out before I make any decisions,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°What is your name, blacksmith?¡±


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    ¡°Myraeon,¡± said the minotaur.


    ¡°My name is Friedrich, and these two are Marina and Blackjack.¡±


    ¡°You will forgive me, but I have no interest in your names. All I am interested in is your ability to aid me.¡±


    ¡°Then tell us what your offer is, Myraeon.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Myraeon, his eyes glancing at the golden fox mask around Friedrich¡¯s neck which had started to twinkle with its turquoise aura once again. He then stared at Marina¡¯s wooden staff, before fixing his eyes upon Blackjack¡¯s bow.


    Myraeon nodded slowly and then walked over to a large trunk sitting a few feet away beside one of the wooden shacks. He opened it up and rummaged through it, picking out a handful of things before returning to the party of three and setting what he had selected upon a workbench.


    Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack were astounded by what sat before them. There was a bundle of ten arrows, all much sturdier than what Blackjack currently used. They had a silver shaft and an orange tip, while the feathers were so fiery and golden that they could have come from the tail of a phoenix.


    Beside the arrows, lay a sparkling purple amethyst. Even in the dim light, there was almost a glow to it. The inside of the amethyst crackled and fizzled with lightning that flashed intermittently. It was beckoning to Marina, who was enchanted by it. The most unexpected item of all, however, was the last item.


    ¡°A mask?¡± asked Friedrich, moving his hand to touch it, but Myraeon grabbed his wrist.


    The wooden mask was in the shape of a bull¡¯s head, complete with horns. It was painted black with wispy orange lines twirling across its cheeks with a larger orange X upon its nose. Embedded on the mask¡¯s forehead was a familiar-looking gemstone of turquoise. It twinkled and granted the mask the same familiar aura that the golden fox mask did.


    ¡°It is not yours until you do as I have asked,¡± said Myraeon.


    ¡°It is what I think it is, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°A soul mask,¡± said Myraeon, nodding. ¡°I do not know the soul that dwells within, but the mask came into my possession many years ago. I would not dare put it on, but I am content to part with it. All you must do is defeat the beast known as Balgreuh and it will be yours.


    ¡°Balgreuh?¡± asked Friedrich, not liking the sound of the name, but he wanted the mask.


    ¡°Yes. He sleeps below, but to appear before him is to awaken him. You will not be the first, but I hope that you will be the last.¡±


    Friedrich turned to Blackjack who was staring at him carefully. Their eyes locked until the high elf blinked and shook her head.


    ¡°We will do it,¡± she said.


    ¡°If you do not want to, I will walk away,¡± said Friedrich, sensing that the magical arrows had tempted her. He did not want to leave, greatly desiring the mask, but he had dragged his companions far enough.


    ¡°We will do it,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°Marina?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I want the lightning gem,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Kupons are one thing, but these items may keep us alive if we end up in a pinch.¡±


    ¡°Dare you fill your purses full¡­¡± muttered Blackjack.


    ¡°Or shall you awaken the mighty bull¡­¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Elketh knew what was down here, didn¡¯t he?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°It certainly sounds like it,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°He¡¯s an odd man, but there¡¯s a lot more to him than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°Odd is when someone picks their nose in public and wipes it on their tunic,¡± said Marina. ¡°He gives eccentric a new meaning.¡±


    Friedrich turned to Myraeon. ¡°How do we reach Balgreuh and how do we kill him?¡±


    ¡°I will show you,¡± said the minotaur, walking to the far side of the cavern and beckoning the three to follow him, which they did.


    ¡°Will you permit me to take the arrows to bolster our chances of success?¡± asked Blackjack.


    ¡°I have no guarantee that you will not abscond with them. No, you cannot take them until you fulfil your end of the bargain.¡±


    Friedrich had not asked as he presumed as much. ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± he said, although he would have felt much better if he was better prepared.


    ¡°And you will not fight with us?¡± asked Blackjack. ¡°You are physically strong, that much is obvious.¡±


    Myraeon shook his horned head. ¡°No. For I value my life too much.¡±


    Those words sent a chill down Friedrich¡¯s spine and he shivered. The young man did not fear danger, but for something to strike such fear into the minotaur was not something he was sure he wanted to face. Although, the lure of the mask was too great. It was almost calling to him, asking him to grant it freedom outside of this mine.


    Myraeon led them down into a small pit at the back side of the cavern, where another tunnel sat within the wall. The group proceeded into it, following the various twists and turns that Myraeon guided them along. It was tighter and more humid than ever down here, everyone having lost track of just how deep they must have been. It was truly stifling, but they knew that if they wanted the spoils of this adventure, then they had to do what Myraeon had asked.


    ¡°Now we know your price,¡± Friedrich said to Blackjack with a sly grin. ¡°Just bribe you with something you can use to kill a demon.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°but it is still more expensive than your price.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what those arrows do,¡± said Marina, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°They are enchanted with fire, are they not?¡± Blackjack called to Myraeon.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°You must learn to read the signs, little Mercian,¡± said Blackjack condescendingly. ¡°How you learned your magic without any knowledge of the lore of the world astounds me. Your teacher must have been incredibly incompetent.¡±


    Marina frowned and bit her lip; she was utterly seething.


    After another downwards turn, Myraeon stopped in front a stone archway where a wooden door sat. It looked most out of place buried this far in the mines, but Friedrich could tell that there was more to it than first met the eye.


    ¡°Balgreuh is not a foe to trifle with,¡± said Myraeon. ¡°He is strong and he is quick, but he is narrow sighted. Use that to your advantage and beware his fire.¡±


    ¡°Fire?¡± muttered Marina, starting to shake.


    ¡°Go for the eyes,¡± said Blackjack, nocking an arrow, while Friedrich and Marina clutched their weapons tightly.


    Friedrich was filled with a mixture of excitement, fear and anxiety. He could feel the fox mask hanging around his neck, but the thought that he could add another mask to his power was enticing. If he could bolster his arsenal, then he would be able to fulfil his mission. He could not yet afford a boat, but he could empower himself in preparation for what would come next.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± asked Myraeon, placing his hand upon the door handle.


    Friedrich looked at Marina, who nodded, then at Blackjack who nodded too. ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± he said. ¡°Let us at him.¡±

 Chapter 23 - Awakening

    Myraeon opened the door, revealing a swirling portal of purple that covered the tunnel. Friedrich could just about see through the translucent vortex to the cavern behind, but what lay inside was mere silhouettes cloaked in shadow.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± asked Blackjack, still holding her bow and arrow at the ready. ¡°You told us that we would not be going into Nar¡¯zularth, Myraeon.¡±


    ¡°And you will not,¡± said the minotaur. ¡°This is a one-way seal that is bound to Balgreuh. It is a failsafe to keep him locked away. Once you step through, you will be unable to return until he is dead.¡±


    ¡°And if we die?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Then your bodies will remain there until someone, someday defeats him.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Friedrich, stepping forward.


    ¡°I fear we are making a mistake, Friedrich,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°Feel free to wait here,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯m going in.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Marina as he walked through the portal alone.


    ¡°Bring him back!¡± demanded Blackjack.


    ¡°That is something I cannot do,¡± said Myraeon solemnly.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Blackjack, walking through the portal herself. Marina hurried after her, clutching her staff that was already crackling with sparks.


    Friedrich stood in the cavern where a large stone heap sat in the centre. He did not move, keeping a careful eye on it even as Marina and Blackjack joined him.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± began Marina, but Friedrich held up a hand to silence her and then slowly shook his head.


    The heap looked like a large pile of stones, but Friedrich could see the faint outline of joints from the glowing light of the portal. On a large, segmented rock near the front was a pair of stone horns. This was a creature of some sort; Balgreuh.


    Spread throughout the cavern were piles of bones, many of them broken, but they clearly belonged to humans with perhaps a couple of the slenderer ones being the remains of elves. There were tattered and torn rags upon the bones and even the dented remains of an old shield lying in a corner.


    Friedrich walked forward with his own shield raised and sword held back by his side. Marina kept close to him while Blackjack hung back with her bow raised and her arrow readied. Was the stone beast sleeping or was it watching them?


    Marina tapped Friedrich on the shoulder with her staff, then pointed to the edge of the cavern, sweeping her staff around. There were ruins here, destroyed pillars, columns, tablets, plinths, and all sorts. It looked like the remnants of a temple or a ritual site and it was all housed in this cavern where Balgreuh was locked up. The one thing Friedrich expected to see wasn¡¯t there¡ªnether ore.


    He turned back to Balgreuh and spotted a faint twinkle in the inanimate golem¡¯s neck. He was the source of the nether ore that Myraeon had spoken of. It would have been nice to have been informed of that, but they were stuck in this cavern until Balgreuh was dead anyway.


    Friedrich edged closer still and Marina strafed around the edge of the cavern so that nobody was too close together. Blackjack¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the creature, but she had a fear that her arrows would do nothing to the stone.


    Friedrich looked around at his companions and gave them a small nod. He silently leapt and thrust his sword forward, where it clanged against Balgreuh¡¯s head, vibrating vigorously. With a scraping grunt of stone, the creature opened its eyes and they lit up with fire. Friedrich struck it again as it stood up on four legs, revealing itself to be an enormous bull golem that further ignited itself in flame. It stared down at Friedrich who raised his sword again, then charged forwards.


    The young man leapt aside, keeping his shield high. Balgreuh was running straight for Blackjack. She fired an arrow at it, but the arrow plinked off the flaming beast¡¯s head. The high elf desperately dove aside as the bull rammed into the cavern wall, shaking the entire room.


    It roared loudly as though enraged beyond belief. It leapt and pivoted, slamming its feet against the ground. Blackjack walked backwards, continually firing arrows at the creature while Friedrich stood ready to face it while Marina remained frozen in fear.


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    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°This was your idea,¡± remarked Blackjack, putting a hand in her bag and rummaging for something.


    Balgreuh charged towards Friedrich, but the young man leapt aside. It rammed into the far wall and turned around without hesitation to run at him again. As it closed in on the young man, it suddenly stopped and breathed out a wave of fire. Friedrich threw himself backwards, keeping low. The bull moved towards him and lifted its feet, but he rolled aside as it brought them down and it hit the stone floor.


    Blackjack uncorked a small vial from her bag and poured it on one of her arrows. She took careful aim as the beast aimed for Friedrich once again and then unleashed it. The arrow struck Balgreuh¡¯s head and reared back up, groaning horrifically. The flames upon its head briefly turned blue before returning to their flickering orange.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± asked Friedrich from behind his shield.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± said Blackjack, coating another arrow. ¡°Strike his head!¡±


    Blackjack¡¯s second arrow hit the beast again and Friedrich thrust his sword upwards, smashing into the fiery bull¡¯s chin, chipping a large chunk of stone from it. Blackjack fired another couple of arrows and Friedrich continued smashing the beast, but Blackjack suddenly found herself without any more liquid inside her vial.


    The beast slammed down and took the full brunt of Friedrich¡¯s attacks, now barely phased as it was before. It thrust itself forward, pushing itself against his shield and knocking him backwards with ease. He rolled backwards and sprinted away as the bull charged at him. He threw himself behind one of the columns and Balgreuh smashed it to pieces.


    Friedrich was backed into a corner as Blackjack tried to shoot Balgreuh, but her arrows pinged away without leaving as much as a scratch on his stone body.


    ¡°Marina!¡± called Friedrich, slamming the edge of his shield into the smashed remnants of Balgreuh¡¯s face.


    Marina stood trembling, terrified by the flaming creature nearby. She held out her staff and sent a weak lightning bolt in its direction. It struck its back, distracting it long enough for Friedrich to scurry between its legs and free himself, but the beast was angered.


    It turned to face Marina, brushed its feet against the stone and then barrelled towards her with all of its might. Friedrich chased after Balgreuh, but it was too fast for him and Blackjack¡¯s arrows were once again useless. She tried to run to Marina, but Balgreuh got to her first.


    In a blinding flash of lightning, the flaming bull exploded into dozens of chunks. Blackjack dove at Marina, knocking her out of the way of one of the boulders falling from the sky. Friedrich raised his shield to protect his head as his body weathered a couple of the rocks.


    A few seconds later, Friedrich peeked out from behind his shield to make sure that he, Marina and Blackjack were now safe.


    ¡°Is¡­is it dead?¡± muttered Marina as Blackjack climbed off her.


    ¡°It must be,¡± said Blackjack, helping Marina to her feet and then pointing towards the portal.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°You have succeeded,¡± said Myraeon, stepping through the doorway that was now just a doorway. ¡°I must admit¡­I am surprised by this. I have seen so many fail before you. You are much more powerful than I believed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure we did anything,¡± said Friedrich, looking at Marina who was trembling.


    The minotaur stopped by each of the chunks of Balgreuh and examined them closely. ¡°Yes,¡± he muttered excitedly. ¡°This is exactly what I needed. It is perfect.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll give us the prizes you promised?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Myraeon as he stood up. ¡°That was the deal, was it not? I have more than enough nether ore to last me for years. Come with me, brave warriors.¡±


    Myraeon led the trio out of the cavern and back through the series of tunnels.


    ¡°What was in that vial?¡± Friedrich asked Blackjack, curious about what other tricks she had hidden up her sleeve.


    ¡°It is a type of acid derived from the Gilderoot plant,¡± she said. ¡°It is mostly intended for flesh, but I thought it was worth trying in a desperate situation like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it worked.¡±


    ¡°But not well enough.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re alive, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are. Thanks to Marina and not either one of us.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Friedrich asked Marina, who looked spooked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said uncertainly. ¡°I¡­I just don¡¯t like fire.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine when we camp.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same as a¡­monster on fire.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saving us,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We would have been done for if it wasn¡¯t for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Marina, avoiding eye contact with him.


    Upon arriving back in Myraeon¡¯s cavern, they stood before his stable as he retrieved their rewards from his trunk. He placed the amethyst, the quiver of arrows and the black minotaur mask upon the table. He held out his hands and gestured for each of them to take their respective items.


    ¡°I am grateful that you fulfilled your end of the deal,¡± he said. ¡°But I must ask you all to leave me to my work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got to say?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the minotaur, walking over to his forge and retrieving his hammer.


    ¡°What about the way out?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Myraeon held up his hammer and pointed towards a small tunnel to his right. ¡°Go that way,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well¡­farewell, Myraeon,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes, farewell,¡± said Marina.


    The party walked away from the minotaur, who got straight back to work, and headed for the tunnel he had indicated. They were tired, but they were alive and they were richer for it. Friedrich could tell that there was something bothering Marina, but he also knew that no matter how much he pried, she wouldn¡¯t tell him what it was.


    They followed the tunnel which took them in mostly a straight line. It wasn¡¯t long before daylight reached them and they were outside, free to breathe the clean air once more. Even after the delay, they were now one step closer to reaching Akatfall.

 Chapter 24 - Somewhere to Rest

    Friedrich walked along the road with the sun high above his head, holding both his golden fox mask and his new black minotaur mask. He was focused intently on them, amazed by what he could now do with two soul masks in his possession.


    ¡°I have no idea how to use this,¡± muttered Marina, looking into her magical amethyst. It sparkled and flashed brightly as though the electricity within was dying to be unleashed.


    ¡°You will find a way,¡± said Blackjack, her bundle of ten new fiery arrows nestled within her quiver.


    There came a sudden rustling in the bushes and Friedrich tucked away his fox mask, then placed the minotaur mask upon his face. The agonising feeling that he had grown used to with Kitt¡¯s mask was back in full force with his new mask, but this transformation felt as though it was deeper penetrating his soul.


    He let out a yell of anguish as his arms and legs lengthened and grew bulkier. His face swelled up and two large horns erupted from atop his head as black hair grew rapidly from his body. He now stood tall in the form of a minotaur, taller, hairier and burlier than even Myraeon was.


    A wild rabbit ran from the bushes and onto the road before him. It looked at the large beast with its little heart-shaped nose twitching. Friedrich snorted like a bull and the rabbit fled, skittering into another bush.


    ¡°That was excessive, no?¡± asked Marina, looking up at her now-enormous companion.


    Friedrich grunted, but he could not voice words in the same way that Myraeon could. Minotaur though he was, there was something different about this one. At first, he had wondered if it had lost its tongue, but the dry hairier tongue was sitting comfortably inside his mouth.


    ¡°It was an excuse to wear the mask,¡± said Blackjack, furrowing her brow. ¡°He will not put the stupid thing down.¡±


    Friedrich shook his head, but she was right of course. Ever since he first tried it on upon exiting the mine, he had wanted a chance to test what it was capable of. What he was capable of.


    ¡°Just how strong do you reckon you are now?¡± Marina asked, folding her arms across her chest.


    Friedrich walked over to the nearest tree and placed his hands upon it. He dug his hooved feet into the ground and pushed, but the tree was not upended. Granted, it was a rather sturdy, deep-rooted tree. He moved over to a smaller one and pushed it instead, having to place his hands one above the other to make them fit on the narrow trunk. This tree was uprooted easily and Friedrich punched the air victoriously.


    ¡°We will see if you are still nimble in combat or if your entire style must change to fight effectively,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°I worry that this new form of yours will throw you off balance and you will become useless to us.¡±


    ¡°It did take a few tries to get used to the fox form,¡± said Marina, nodding fervently. ¡°I would imagine it will be the same with the black minotaur.¡±


    Friedrich snorted again and led the way down the road, not wanting to hear it. Again, he knew that the Blackjack had a point, as did Marina, but he was itching to fight to test himself. He needed to if he was going to be able to use the form to the best of its abilities.


    After a few minutes, Friedrich turned back to normal. It was a good thing too because, as they reached a crossroads by a river, they happened upon a roadside inn and Friedrich could have easily been mistaken for a monster. And he wouldn¡¯t have blamed anyone for thinking that as he himself would have been taken aback had he seen a minotaur strolling down a country road.


    The inn was a cozy little place with stone walls and a thatched roof. Running along the right side of the building and creeping onto its front was a cluster of green ivy while much more colourful flowers were planted in the grass around the base. By the stone bridge leading over the river was a sign, showing that the way to Akatfall was to cross the bridge and continue following the road.


    ¡°Can we stop?¡± asked Marina, looking longingly at the inn.


    ¡°Akatfall is this way,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Marina, ¡°but we haven¡¯t slept in a proper bed since Fallswych. I hoped we would have that chance in Cambrae, but we changed course.¡±


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    ¡°Wasn¡¯t our detour through the mines to speed us along?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°Spending the night here would only slow us down when we¡¯re mere days from Akatfall now.¡±


    ¡°The detour was to speed us up, but it didn¡¯t speed us up because we wound up fighting Balgreuh and then camping just outside the exit. I hate complaining, but¡­I¡¯m exhausted!¡±


    Friedrich and Blackjack looked at each other, then both nodded. ¡°Alright,¡± they said together.


    Marina had a look of disbelief on her face. ¡°You both mean that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I thought I would be voted down,¡± said Marina, pushing her tongue against the side of her mouth.


    ¡°If you¡¯re exhausted, you¡¯re exhausted,¡± shrugged Friedrich. ¡°Truth be told, it would be nice to have a place to rest for the night.¡±


    ¡°And we would not need to suffer Friedrich¡¯s badly butchered cooking,¡± remarked Blackjack.


    Marina laughed as Friedrich scowled. ¡°Badly butchered is a little excessive,¡± he said under his breath.


    The three made their way inside the inn, with Blackjack pulling her hood up and placing her mask over her mouth. Friedrich had assured her that few people would care that she was an elf, as long as she wasn¡¯t causing trouble, but she insisted that she conceal her identity.


    It was quiet and dim inside, but it was warmed by sun shining through the glass windows. There were only two patrons inside, both drinking ale from flagons in the corner as they chatted. Standing at the counter was a portly woman with a friendly smile.


    ¡°What can I do ye for, travellers?¡± asked the woman jovially.


    ¡°Three beds for the night and a meal for each of us,¡± said Marina, placing kupons on the counter. Friedrich reached for his own pouch, but Marina stopped him.


    ¡°We make a lovely beef stew,¡± said the woman, counting out the kupons. ¡°Will that be in a shared room?¡±


    ¡°Two rooms,¡± said Marina. ¡°One for Friedrich here, and a shared room for¡­my tall friend and I.¡±


    ¡°I presumed as much,¡± chuckled the woman, looking at Blackjack. ¡°Have you got a face, Madame Elf?¡±


    ¡°You can tell?¡± asked Blackjack, pulling the mask below her face.


    The woman nodded. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t cause trouble, you may stay here.¡±


    ¡°There will be no trouble, I assure you,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°I am simply looking to pass on through.¡±


    After everything was settled, the trio sat down and waited for their food to be cooked by the chef out the back. The scent of the cooked beef was mouth-watering to them, having eaten a mixture of trail rations and whatever Friedrich hunted for on any given day. It was especially welcome after having such an exhausting time killing Balgreuh.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realise I was as hungry as I was,¡± said Marina, fidgeting in her seat.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± said Friedrich, fiddling with the two masks he had tied around his neck.


    ¡°I wonder what soul is trapped within the minotaur mask,¡± pondered Marina aloud, noticing Friedrich¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but if he wants to travel anywhere, then I hope it¡¯s to Kai¡¯roh. If he wants to go halfway across the continent or to some other remote island then he can forget about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming his soul won¡¯t influence you the same way Kitt¡¯s soul has been doing.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t buy that theory of yours,¡± said Friedrich, avoiding eye contact. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Branric have told me as much?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s to say he knew?¡±


    Blackjack was sitting silently staring into the distance, her ears twitching every now and then. Friedrich waved his hand in front of her and she jolted back to alertness.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Are you eavesdropping?¡± Friedrich whispered.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Anything good?¡±


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± scolded Marina, slapping him lightly on the arm.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, there is something good,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°You took us on a detour into the mines, I may call upon a similar favour as reciprocation.¡±


    Marina looked confused. ¡°What is the fav¡ª¡±


    ¡°Demons,¡± Friedrich said before she could finish her question.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Blackjack, quickly glancing at the two men drinking at another table.


    ¡°What are they saying?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°There was something about a forest shrine to the southeast that has been plagued by abominable creatures. I¡¯m trying to hear where it is, but they¡¯ve switched topics.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask them?¡±


    ¡°That would be most unwise.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I am a stranger asking for information, they may not be so receptive, especially knowing that I am of the Alauri.¡±


    Friedrich stood up. ¡°There¡¯s an easy solution to that.¡±


    He walked over to the men as Blackjack tried to grab his tunic to pull him back, but he twisted to the side to avoid her. He marched over confidently, a smile upon his face.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± he said.


    The two men stared at him, not knowing why this young lad was approaching them. They said nothing, eyeing him up as though he was about to mug them for their meagre possessions.


    ¡°What is it, lad?¡± asked one of the men grumpily, breaking the silence, while the other took a swig of his ale.


    ¡°Forgive the interruption,¡± said Friedrich as calmly and politely as he could, ¡°I believe I heard one of you mention something about a forest shrine a moment ago?¡±


    ¡°You been eavesdropping?¡± asked the man with a frown.


    ¡°I heard it unwittingly,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I thought it better to ask you directly rather than listen in. Would you mind explaining what the situation is for me and my friends? We¡¯re curious and would rather avoid danger on the road if there¡¯s trouble afoot.¡±


    The two men looked at each other and the man sipping his ale raised his eyebrows and gave a slight nod. ¡°Doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± grumbled the grumpy man. ¡°Pull up a seat for two minutes, I¡¯ll tell you what I know and then be off with you.¡±


    ¡°Much obliged,¡± said Friedrich, beckoning over Marina and an incredulous Blackjack. ¡°Come on,¡± he urged as they hesitated to join him.


    The three sat down and listened to the man intently as he told them what he knew.

 Chapter 25 - The Green Lurkers

    Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack walked through the forest with the sun high in the sky. For the first time in a while, they had each had a comfortable night¡¯s sleep at the inn. The bees were buzzing among the flowers and they were on the hunt for demons, it could not have been a better day.


    ¡°I feel great,¡± said Friedrich, stretching. ¡°Is there a way we can portably carry an inn?¡±


    Blackjack looked thoughtful as she spoke. ¡°It would take a supremely powerful mage to pull off such a¡­oh, I see. You are joking.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich dryly as Marina giggled.


    ¡°It is a nice day,¡± the lightning witch said. ¡°I feel great too. Don¡¯t you, Blackjack?¡±


    ¡°I feel as I normally do,¡± she said.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°You can just say that you feel good.¡±


    ¡°Why should I indulge you?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re going on your detour.¡±


    ¡°After going on a detour that you decided upon.¡±


    ¡°You keep saying other words, but my ears are translating it to say that you do indeed feel great.¡±


    Blackjack sighed. ¡°You are insufferable sometimes, Friedrich.¡±


    Marina giggled again as Friedrich grinned widely at Blackjack.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to miss us when we part ways,¡± said Friedrich, swinging his sword around. ¡°We haven¡¯t been together quite long, but we¡¯re very close now, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°If we are close, then you will know my name,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°If I guess it, will you tell me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What if you give me three guesses? Those odds are very much in your favour.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, sheathing his sword and rubbing his temples with his fingers. ¡°Your name is¡­umm¡­Quendi.¡±


    Blackjack looked affronted. ¡°What sort of name is Quendi?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it sounds elven to me. It¡¯s as good of a guess as any other. What do you think, Marina?¡±


    ¡°A minute ago, I would have said yes, but now I¡¯m thinking that it¡¯s gibberish,¡± said Marina trying to contain her laughter at the horrified looked on Blackjack¡¯s face.


    ¡°Alright, guess number two¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°I do not want to play this game.¡±


    ¡°Lighten up, Elda,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Elda?¡± scoffed Blackjack. ¡°You know nothing about the Alauri, do you?¡±


    ¡°That depends,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Are we talking about high elves, dark elves or wood elves?¡±


    ¡°To even compare all three is an insult. The dark elves and wood elves do not hold a candle to a species like the Alauri. How dare you, Friedrich, even mention my people in the same breath as those other two.¡±


    ¡°I think you touched a nerve,¡± whispered Marina, looking perturbed.


    ¡°I seem to have a way of doing that,¡± said Friedrich with a shrug as Blackjack stormed ahead. ¡°She plays it cool, but she can be quite childish, can¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I think you may be right about her.¡±


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    ¡°What part?¡±


    ¡°Remember back when we first met Blackjack and you asked her about her age?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°she wasn¡¯t happy about that, was she?¡±


    ¡°No, but I think you were right. She¡¯s young for a high elf and feels like she needs to be perceived as more mature.¡±


    ¡°So childish,¡± said Friedrich shaking his head.


    Marina laughed and gave him a slight shove. ¡°Leave her alone,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss her when we do part ways, I have to admit.¡±


    ¡°Me too. It¡¯s nice outnumbering you.¡±


    ¡°Outnumbering me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Two girls and one boy.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it three boys and two girls?¡± asked Friedrich, tapping on his masks.


    ¡°Are you sure about the minotaur?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°He¡¯s awfully rugged for a female, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± shrugged Marina. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve met many minotaurs. Myraeon is the only one to date.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve come a long way since we first met though, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°And it hasn¡¯t even been that long,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯m still expecting Muriance to show up and try nabbing Kitt¡¯s mask from me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± said Marina, looking around. ¡°Maybe he has an incantation on his name that alerts him whenever it¡¯s said aloud.¡±


    Friedrich laughed uproariously. ¡°He¡¯s probably arrogant enough to try that.¡±


    ¡°Hush!¡± called Blackjack, holding up her hand then beckoning the two Mercians over to her.


    ¡°What?¡± whispered Friedrich as he and Marina approached the Alaurian.


    Blackjack pointed through the trees. Not so far away there was a green glow nestled within a cluster of roots and branches.


    ¡°What¡¯s that glow?¡± asked Marina, but her question was answered immediately.


    The cluster took a step forwards. It was alive, whatever it was. It¡¯s arms, legs and torso were made of interconnected branches, brambles, vines and roots. It walked on two legs like a burly human, but it had no head to speak of. When it turned around, it revealed that the green glow was an orb within its chest. Perhaps the source of its life, perhaps an eye of some sorts; Friedrich could not be sure.


    ¡°Do you know what this creature is?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I think we have come here for no good reason,¡± said Blackjack, frowning. ¡°I believe these creatures were the demons that the men in the inn spoke of.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And these are not demons,¡± said Blackjack, shaking her head despondently. ¡°These are¡­well, in your tongue, you would call them green lurkers. They are guardians of certain forests, often in the service of druids, dryads or¡­wood elves. You might think of them as wooden golems.¡±


    ¡°Should we leave?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Blackjack, turning away. ¡°I believe we have wasted our time coming this way. I apologise for taking those two men at their word. Utterly embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°How could you have known?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°It should not matter,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°I was enticed by the idea of killing more demons and it blinded me. Foolish on my part, I have to say.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± said Marina, grabbing Friedrich and Blackjack¡¯s arms.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Friedrich, turning to see what she was looking at.


    Five green lurkers were striding through the trees towards the trio. Their entwined arms swung by their sides as they walked, casually brushing past the bushes in their way.


    ¡°Do not come near us,¡± said Blackjack, drawing one of her fire arrows. The tip of the arrow glowed as though its magic was ready to be unleashed.


    ¡°I would not advise that,¡± came an ethereal, female voice from within the central green lurker.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Blackjack, undeterred and now focusing on that lurker.


    ¡°If you were wise, you would put away that arrow and heed my warning,¡± said the voice. ¡°I do not wish to hurt you Alaurian, but I will be forced to if you threaten my forest.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t threatening your forest,¡± said Friedrich, pulling out the minotaur mask, ¡°but you are threatening us.¡±


    ¡°This is your final warning,¡± came the voice as the lurkers continued encroaching upon the trio.


    Blackjack unleashed her arrow as Friedrich placed the mask upon his face. His body twisted and bulged as he took the form of the minotaur. He could see the central lurker writhing as flames engulfed its body. He charged for the one to its left while Marina zapped the one to its right.


    Friedrich smashed his fist into the wooden golem, snapping its branches with ease. He shoved his two hands through the creature and pulled it apart as it tried to pull itself free, but it was unable to do so. Friedrich¡¯s newfound strength was too much for it and it was torn in two, the green orb of light fading as the lifeforce faded from it.


    As he turned to fight another, he found that the last one standing was now alight, courtesy of another of Blackjack¡¯s arrows. He grunted and nodded as his companions, but Blackjack suddenly pulled out another arrow.


    Friedrich turned around and spied another dozen lurkers approaching from deeper in the woods. He turned around to find somewhere to run, but there were more. In each direction there were more again. The trio were completely surrounded now and the lurkers were picking up speed.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Marina.


    Friedrich let out an angry roar, trying to tell the lurkers to go back from whence they came, but a roar was all he could give.


    ¡°You are him!¡± called the ethereal voice from within all of the lurkers. Her voice echoed throughout the forest, shaking the trees. ¡°It is you! You are him!¡±


    ¡°What does she mean?¡± asked Marina.


    Blackjack stared into Friedrich¡¯s eyes. ¡°You must play along, Friedrich,¡± she whispered as quietly as she could. ¡°She believes you to be a druid of some kind.¡±


    Friedrich lowered his fists as Marina and Blackjack lowered their weapons. The green lurkers continued their march towards them, but Friedrich was not especially confident in seeing how this played right. He looked at Blackjack who subtly nodded at him as if to say that she knew what she was doing.


    ¡°You will come to me!¡± called the voice through the lurkers. ¡°It is you! You are him! You can set me free!¡±

 Chapter 26 - Guardian of the Trees

    Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack were led through the forest by the army of green lurkers. The wooden golems did not touch them, but kept close ranks around the three, seemingly upon the orders of the voice who spoke through them.


    ¡°Where are you taking us?¡± asked Blackjack calmly.


    Friedrich had wanted to ask the same question, but all he could do was grunt when he was in his minotaur form.


    The green lurkers guided the trio through a small gap in a tight group of trees; so tight it was impossible to see through them and the green lurkers passed through one by one. Within was a small clearing where a throne made of branches and vines sat, surrounded by a circle of glowing mushrooms. In the centre of the circle and right before the throne was a small pool of water in the ground. As the group were made to stand before the pool, Friedrich reverted to his human form.


    ¡°It is you,¡± came a voice from the pool as it started to swirl.


    The water rose up, and then fell away. Hovering above the pool was a translucent figure, one of a humanoid woman with bark skin and vines for hair. The vines covered where her ears would have been, so it was difficult to tell whether she was closer in shape to a human or an elf.


    ¡°It is me,¡± said Friedrich awkwardly.


    ¡°What is your name, soulful warrior?¡± asked the tree spirit.


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± replied the young man.


    ¡°You have been chosen by the gods of nature. You are blessed with the power to become one with the beasts of the world, and I know that you are the one who was sent to me.¡±


    Friedrich glanced at Marina and Blackjack who had blank expressions. ¡°Alright,¡± he said to the spirit. ¡°If you say it is so, then it must be so.¡±


    ¡°It is so.¡±


    ¡°You said before that I could set you free?¡±


    ¡°It is true,¡± said the spirit. ¡°At least, I pray it is. My name is Faeryn, and I am the guardian of these woods. I am the one who protects the trees from hostile invaders with my army of green lurkers, but my powers have been weakened for my soul has been imprisoned within this pool by a wicked magician who must be stopped. You will be my champion, Friedrich. You will be the one who stops Malzuth and restores me to my throne.¡±


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°If you¡¯re so powerful and your army is many, how did you get imprisoned?¡±


    ¡°Through trickery,¡± said Faeryn, her voice somewhere between anger and sorrow. ¡°Through fear. That foul orc penetrated the forest shrine that houses the magic of these mystical woods and tainted it with evil magic. Magic that made me believe falsehoods were coming to pass, magic that made me believe that all was already lost.¡±


    ¡°So if we agree to help you¡­what¡¯s in it for us?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°You will not be executed,¡± said Faeryn sternly.


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t buy it,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°If you believe me to be sent here divinely, you would not do such a thing. I¡¯m going to need payment of some sort.¡±


    ¡°You would extort me?¡±


    ¡°You kidnapped us. I think asking for some sort of payment is only fair.¡±


    ¡°I do not have kupons,¡± said Faeryn quietly, ¡°but I will permit you to take one item of value from the forest shrine. Be it a jewel, be it an artifact, be it a trophy. That will be your payment.¡±


    Friedrich turned to Marina and Blackjack, neither of whom had dared say anything up to this point.


    ¡°That is a better deal than I thought we would be offered,¡± said Blackjack, while Marina nodded lightly.


    ¡°Then it will be done,¡± said Friedrich to the tree spirit. ¡°How do we reach this forest shrine of yours? We¡¯ll see to it that this Malzuth fellow is brought to justice for you.¡±


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    ¡°You are welcome to rest a short while,¡± said Faeryn.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather get this over with,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We¡¯ve been delayed on our journey enough.¡±


    ¡°Very well. You must venture through the maze to the north of this sanctuary and you will find the shrine beyond that. Fear not my lurkers, for they will do you know harm, but be warned¡­do not dare betray our agreement and stray from my sacred woodland.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± said Friedrich nonchalantly and then turning to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then.¡±


    Friedrich strolled through the gap in the trees and the green lurkers parted to let him pass, while Marina and Blackjack kept close to him. Once they were away from the lurkers, Marina tugged on Friedrich¡¯s tunic.


    ¡°Are we really going to do as Faeryn asks?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I said we¡¯d do it, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°It would be poor etiquette to go back on our words,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°I love a good bluff as much as anyone,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but she said we could take anything we wanted from this shrine and that¡¯s an enticing offer.¡±


    Marina cocked her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say take any one thing from it?¡±


    Friedrich shrugged. ¡°If there happens to be a treasure chest filled with emeralds, I¡¯m not taking a single emerald. I¡¯m taking the whole chest. That seems reasonable to me.¡±


    ¡°Just as long as you do not get us killed,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t happened so far.¡±


    ¡°No, yet we were largely ineffective against Balgreuh. It was Marina who saved us. Had it been the two of us, we may not have made it out alive.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯d better prove myself this time.¡±


    The trio walked through the woods, which grew ever denser. The air was thick with the smell of oak and every step on the dirt felt as though it was the first ever, this path having been walked so rarely. As the undergrowth became near untraversable, the three happened upon an upended hollowed out tree, large enough for the trio to squeeze through if they kept their heads low.


    They journeyed through to the other side where the canopy of leaves above was so dense that the sunlight could barely reach the forest floor. Before the party was a large bush, solid as a wall that ran to the left and to the right for a few yards before turning into corners. They had found the maze.


    ¡°Which way?¡± asked Marina.


    Blackjack stared to the right. ¡°I do not know, but my intuition says that we¡ª¡±


    Friedrich placed Kitt¡¯s mask upon his face and agonisingly transformed into a fox. He sniffed the ground, his nose brushing lightly against the soil. He could smell something odorous, like unclean feet that had been bathed in manure. It was the smell of orcs¡ªfor there was the scent of more than one¡ªwho had been walking in sweaty boots. He nodded to the left path and then led the way.


    ¡°Who needs intuition?¡± joked Marina, but Blackjack frowned.


    ¡°It rarely serves me wrong,¡± the elf muttered.


    Friedrich guided the girls through the maze, bypassing all of the wrong turns as he followed the route that the orcs had taken fairly recently. They passed pools of water and bizarre podiums with inscriptions, but Friedrich ignored each of them, for he knew the way to go.


    He led Marina and Blackjack to a stone staircase that led up and to a stone walkway. He bounded across it, more certain than ever that what they sought lay ahead, and then slowed as the staircase sank back to the forest floor. He walked up to the edge of the bush and peered out into a clearing where a tent sat with five orcs cooking a bunch of skewered rabbits over a roaring fire. Behind them, sat the shrine.


    It was made of stone, but the corners where the bricks should have connected and intersected were not further stone supports, instead there were trees. The trees rose high into the sky, piercing the canopy above and reaching beyond. At the top of the shrine was a statue of a creature resembling a much more formidable lurker. Beneath it, between two stone columns was an entrance leading downwards.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Marina.


    No sooner had she finished her question, did Friedrich transform back. His sudden change caught the attention of one of the orcs who alerted his comrades.


    ¡°Company!¡± he grunted, and they all drew bows or battle-axes. Friedrich stood in front of the girls with his shield raised as Marina and Blackjack unleashed a series of flickering bolts and straight-shot arrows that decimated the company of orcs in seconds.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get the chance to attack them up close,¡± lamented Friedrich, lowering his shield.


    ¡°You blocked two arrows,¡± said Marina, placing her hand upon his upper arm.


    ¡°You do not need comforted,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°You led us all the way here without as much as a falter. Do not pity yourself.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t pity,¡± said Friedrich, scowling. ¡°It was an observation.¡±


    ¡°How deep do you think this shrine goes?¡± asked Marina. ¡°It looks much older than I thought it would. I thought a shrine would be¡­I don¡¯t know, maybe one or two rooms?¡±


    ¡°It seems as though the shrine above leads to a much deeper temple down below,¡± said Blackjack, peering into the dark hole in the shrine that opened the way to the descent.


    Friedrich walked over to the five dead orcs and started rummaging through their pockets. ¡°Might as well make the most of it,¡± he mumbled, searching for their wallets.


    ¡°Does that not leave a sour taste in your mouth?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but their smell leaves a foul scent in my nose. I¡¯m just glad I¡¯m human and can¡¯t smell it as strongly as I could as a fox.¡±


    Friedrich continued his rummaging, undeterred by Marina¡¯s comments.


    ¡°Anything?¡± asked Blackjack as Friedrich finished searching the final orc.


    ¡°One hundred and thirty-three kupons,¡± said Friedrich, counting out the small gems in his hand before placing them in his wallet. ¡°We can divide them out later.¡±


    ¡°A profitable venture already,¡± said Marina, skipping over to the staircase and then hesitating. ¡°Who wants to go first?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± said Blackjack, ¡°seeing as you two are blind in the darkness.¡±

 Chapter 27 - The Forest Shrine

    ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing down here,¡± said Friedrich, as he followed Blackjack closely.


    ¡°I can¡¯t either,¡± said Marina, her voice low in case anything was lurking in the shadows further down the staircase.


    ¡°You humans and your poor vision,¡± said Blackjack, but she suddenly stopped and Friedrich bumped into her.


    The torches within the walls had suddenly ignited with fire, as though welcoming them into the underground. The three looked at each other uneasily.


    ¡°Do you think this always happens when someone comes here or is this a sign from Malzuth?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go with the former,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°For my own peace of mind.¡±


    ¡°As will I,¡± said Blackjack as Friedrich now took the lead with his shield at the ready.


    Before long, the staircase straightened out into a stone corridor. There were thick vines covering the room and there was a prickly, ivy-like plant growing up the walls. At the end of the corridor, illuminated by two torches, was a wooden door. Atop the door was an inscription in a language that Friedrich could not read.


    ¡°The fate of the forest rests within,¡± said Blackjack before shuddering.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I have a bad reaction when I am forced to read the language of the wood elves. It sends a shiver up my spine and makes me want to forcefully expel my latest meal from my mouth.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± muttered Friedrich, trying hard to avoid rolling his eyes at that overreaction.


    He crept forward and nudged the door open. It swung on its hinges, creaking loudly as it moved. Friedrich moved into the room, which was a much larger chamber. It stretched up high and there were many corridors and staircases leading to various doors. Throughout the room, there were many portraits across the walls, all of wood elves, but what caught the young adventurer¡¯s eye the most was what sat in the centre of the room.


    ¡°I bet that would fetch a few kupons,¡± muttered Friedrich.


    Sitting within a magical orb on a plinth was a blue treasure chest lined with gold. There was a large keyhole in the centre of the chest, which Friedrich had the sneaking suspicion would stop him from opening the chest, even if he was able to retrieve it from within its spherical forcefield. He picked up a loose stone from the ground and threw it at the orb, but it simply bounced away.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, ¡°at least we won¡¯t trip and fall into it only to find our flesh melting away.¡±


    ¡°Is that the one thing you want to loot from here?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°To be determined, but it¡¯s most certainly enticing.¡±


    ¡°This way,¡± said Blackjack, heading towards a small set of steps to the left.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°No, but it is better to keep moving rather than stand here admiring something that you cannot lay a finger on.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got a point,¡± said Friedrich, following her.


    The three walked up the steps and through the next door. As soon as they stepped into the corridor, Blackjack threw herself backwards with her arms out keep Friedrich and Marina back. Before the Mercians had a chance to ask why, three javelins shot past the door.


    ¡°Maybe standing in this room and admiring the chest isn¡¯t such a bad idea,¡± murmured Marina.


    Blackjack led the way ahead once more, keeping a careful eye out for any traps that lay waiting to be sprung. Much to the relief of the group, there were none. They headed outside where, to their surprise, they found a garden with a small pond and a wooden bridge leading across it to a little island with a well. All three of them looked up and could see that the ceiling they expected to be there was indeed there, so why was there a garden here?


    ¡°Forest magic,¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    There was a sudden hissing and Friedrich raised his shield as a long, stringy creature lunged at him. It bounced off his shield and slithered away on the ground.


    ¡°A snake!¡± squealed Marina, pointing her staff at it, ready to launch a spell.


    ¡°No,¡± said Blackjack, ¡°it¡¯s a vine of some kind. The plants here are alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all plan¡ª¡±


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    ¡°I know that all plants are alive, Friedrich, but you know rightly that I mean they are animated.¡±


    There was a soft rustling and a hiss once more as another vine leapt towards Marina, but Friedrich sliced it in two in mid-air. More rushed towards the group and Blackjack unleashed a series of arrows, but was unable to hit the quick and tiny targets. Marina launched lightning strike after lightning strike, but each one that fell was replaced my two more slithering through the grass.


    ¡°Nothing else for it,¡± said Friedrich, placing the minotaur mask to his face and transforming.


    He let out a brutal roar as he assumed the minotaur¡¯s form and slammed his fists into the ground, crushing multiple vine snakes at a time. He scooped armfuls of them up and tore them in two while Marina continued to zap them with her magic and Blackjack resorted to using her dagger to strike whenever the plants leapt at her.


    After a thorough pulverising by his bull-man fists, most of the plants lay dead on the grass. Friedrich snorted and grunted, satisfied that he had killed them, but disappointed he didn¡¯t have the opportunity to test his strength against a much bigger opponent.


    ¡°Do not let pride be your downfall,¡± said Blackjack, walking over to the pond.


    She looked at the bridge and tapped her left foot on it to make sure it wasn¡¯t going to blow her to come to life and attack her. Once she had that assurance, she walked towards the well and looked inside.


    Friedrich and Marina followed her; the former leaving the bridge in much worse condition for the latter. They looked inside the well too and found that there was a ladder within it that lead into darkness.


    ¡°We go carefully,¡± said Blackjack, climbing inside the well, but she did not heed her own advice. She kept a loose grip at the edge of the ladder and slid down speedily.


    Friedrich, unable to get a good grip on the ladder, let himself fall into the darkness, upon which Blackjack leapt out of the way of the falling minotaur. As she scolded him for his recklessness, Marina climbed down much more slowly and carefully.


    As the group walked through the darkness, Friedrich turned back into a human. He opened and shut his mouth, exercising his jaw. He still hadn¡¯t gotten used to his minotaur form and it left him feeling stiff afterwards.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to my hair?¡± whispered Marina.


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to worry about how pretty you look,¡± said Friedrich without looking back, but he could see Blackjack pulling the part of her hair that escaped from her hood down.


    In confusion, Friedrich turned to look at Marina. Her hair was going sitting straight up as though she had used a bizarre hair product. He turned back to Blackjack, whose arrows floated out of her quiver and landed on the ceiling.


    ¡°We¡¯re upside-down,¡± said the Alaurian as she jumped up to grab her arrows.


    ¡°What sorcery is this?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Turn back,¡± called a whispery, rippling voice.


    ¡°Was that you Marina?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°No,¡± said Marina, her face as white as a fresh sheet.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so,¡± said Friedrich, keeping his sword raised.


    Suddenly, a translucent spectre charged down the hall towards the trio, floating three feet off the ground with her hair spread out even more wildly than Marina and Blackjack¡¯s.


    Friedrich rushed past the high elf and thrust his sword at the ghostly figure only to find his blade pass straight through the creature. The spectre, however, had no trouble passing through Friedrich and causing him immense pain.


    ¡°Agh,¡± he grunted, falling to his knees as Blackjack dove underneath the charging apparition.


    Marina hurled a lightning bolt at the ghost, who then screamed and retreated into the walls. ¡°Did that work?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± said Friedrich, trying to shake off the horrible feeling of the ghost passing through him.


    ¡°Never attack a ghost with a physical weapon,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°You must always use magic to counter one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any magic!¡± barked Friedrich.


    The three hurried along the corridor with Blackjack clutching her arrows and Marina holding down her hair. As they exited the corridor, they found themselves no longer upside-down and in a much larger chamber with a tall staircase at the top.


    ¡°Who built this place?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°It¡¯s twisted in more ways than one.¡±


    Blackjack shook her head slowly. ¡°I suspect there is foul magic here dating back even before Malzuth. This place is much older than Faeryn herself and I doubt that even she has the answers.¡±


    ¡°Those vines are moving,¡± said Marina, pulling on Friedrich¡¯s sleeve with one hand and pointing to the trembling vines hanging above the staircase.


    ¡°This is something I can slice and dice,¡± said Friedrich, walking forwards as a huge mass of vines plummeted onto stairs.


    They slithered and wriggled, forming a hulking beast that writhed unnaturally. Whatever this vine monstrosity was, Friedrich knew he was going to kill it. He leapt up the stairs and slashed at it, cutting away a dozen vines that fell to the stairs limply, but it did not deter the monster. It moved forward and reached for Friedrich, catching his arm. He cut himself free and backed away.


    Unwilling to let its prey escape, the mass of vines lunged forwards, throwing out too long vines. One grabbed Friedrich around the waist and the other coiled around Marina, who screamed as it pulled her towards it. Friedrich cut himself free once more and jumped up high, cutting the vine that was dragging Marina through the air.


    She let out a squeal as she fell and Friedrich dropped his sword, holding out his arms and catching her. She landed on top of him and he fell to the ground as the beast bore down on them.


    ¡°Move!¡± called Blackjack, unleashing one of her enchanted arrows at the monster.


    It silently writhed in anguish as the arrow caught fire. The demon slayer let loose another and then another, setting the beast ablaze. It flailed desperately, beating its tentacle-like vines against the ground in a futile attempt to snuff out the flames.


    Seizing upon the creature¡¯s pain, Friedrich climbed back to his feet and hacked at the monster that was unable to fight back, so focused on its agony as it was. He swung, stabbed and cleaved at the beast, cutting it to pieces as it continued to burn. Even as the flames started to die down, Friedrich continued his relentless assault, aided by Blackjack with her knife and Marina with her lightning magic.


    The trio did not cease their attack until the vine monster was reduced to a pile of ash and short, desecrated vines that rested unmoving on the floor. Once they were finished, Friedrich and Marina slumped onto the stairs, exhausted, while Blackjack inspected the vines to ensure they would not suddenly spring back to life.


    ¡°Maybe coming here was a mistake,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We have so much of this temple left to explore and we have yet to see even the faintest hint of Malzuth.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps he will be the one to seek you out,¡± boomed a deep, harsh voice from atop the stairs, making everyone jump to alert.

 Chapter 28 - Deep Fear

    Malzuth stood before the trio, holding his staff firmly. His expression was that of contempt, but there was a hint of a sneer upon his malformed, orc face; to call him ugly would have been doing ugly a disservice. There was a deep evil within his eyes and Friedrich knew that no matter what he said, he was not to be shown an ounce of mercy.


    ¡°Servants of the wooden elf,¡± he said in his gravelly voice. ¡°Do you know of what which you meddle in?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I want to take my payment and get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you are simple mercenaries. Is that right? Whatever you¡¯re being paid, I will double it if you turn around and leave.¡±


    ¡°No can do. We¡¯ve already agreed to our deal with Faeryn to get rid of you, so I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s what it¡¯ll have to be.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Malzuth, twirling his staff around. ¡°Just be aware that I tried to warn you.¡±


    With that, he disappeared through a door.


    ¡°Get him!¡± called Friedrich, sprinting up the stairs. Marina and Blackjack followed, trampling over the ashen remains of the vine beast they had just slain.


    The group charged through the door, but found themselves alone inside a small circular chamber with empty portraits surrounding them on the walls. Friedrich looked behind him, only to find that the door had disappeared.


    ¡°He tricked us,¡± said Friedrich, hitting on the solid stone with his fist. ¡°How do we get out of here?¡±


    ¡°No¡­it cannot be you,¡± muttered Blackjack, walking up to one of the portraits. ¡°Teldur?¡±


    The portrait was no longer blank, it was painted to show a handsome young high elf. He looked similar to Blackjack and was smiling at her. She reached a trembling hand out to feel the portrait, only to recoil before her finger touched the canvas.


    ¡°Mother?¡± whimpered Marina, falling to her knees and weeping.


    Another portrait had suddenly been filled, this one depicting a beautiful woman who looked almost identical to Marina, save for being twenty years older and having deep brown eyes rather than Marina¡¯s sparkling blue.


    Friedrich felt the urge to gaze into one of the blank portraits, but something held his gaze back. He felt his hand being drawn to the minotaur mask that hung around his neck. Trying to fight both impulses, he could feel that he must give in to one or the other. He knew the face he would see if he looked into the portrait and could not bear it. Trusting the mask, he placed it upon his face and felt himself transform.


    As he experienced the familiar agony, he felt the impulse to look towards the blank portraits vanish instantly. Upon standing tall as the minotaur, he looked to them and they remained blank, almost as though they dared not trifle with the soul within the mask.


    Blackjack stood stunned before the portrait of her fellow high elf with a glistening substance upon her cheeks. Tears? Surely not. Blackjack was strong and not one to give into emotion, but here she was, crying over an image.


    ¡°Teldur,¡± she whispered, her eyes fixed forward. ¡°Teldur, I am sorry. I will do whatever it takes to avenge you. Whatever it takes¡­¡±


    She was too lost in the portrait, perhaps even unable to pull herself away, so Friedrich knew he had to do it for her. He walked past Blackjack, tore the portrait from the wall and threw it to the ground. Haphazardly grabbing an arrow from her quiver with his clumsy hands, he pierced the canvas and watched it burn as the magic took hold.


    ¡°Friedrich?¡± asked Blackjack, coming to her senses. He pointed towards Marina who was touching the cheek of the woman in her own portrait.


    Blackjack nocked another of her fiery arrows and aimed at the portrait. She released it and wedged itself firmly in the temple of the woman in Marina¡¯s portrait, setting her ablaze.


    ¡°No!¡± screamed Marina. ¡°Not again! Not the flames! Not the flames!¡±


    Friedrich rushed over to Marina who was paralyzed in fear as she watched the woman burn. He lifted her away as she kicked and screamed, desperate to return to the woman and help her. Friedrich glanced at the portrait and could see the woman¡¯s visage contorted into a helpless scream.


    ¡°A shame,¡± boomed Malzuth¡¯s voice from somewhere within the circular room, ¡°but I am not through with you yet. Your torment shall feed this temple and I will only grow stronger.¡±


    Friedrich snorted and scoffed at the orcish mage, then looked over at Blackjack and pointed to the blank portraits. She unleashed a series of arrows, burning each blank portrait before either she or Marina could be drawn in by them again.


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    With a yell, Malzuth fell from within the final portrait as it burned, and suddenly the door to the room reappeared along with another door within the opposite wall.


    As the orc stood up with his staff in hand, ready to address the trio, Friedrich leapt to action. He would not allow the sorcerer¡¯s foul words to poison them. He lunged at Malzuth, ripped the wizard¡¯s staff from his hand and hurled it across the room. Malzuth looked at him, not fearing the large beast before him, but Friedrich would make him afraid.


    Friedrich grabbed the orc by the throat and threw him against the wall. Malzuth grunted in pain as he hit the stone, then again as he landed awkwardly on the floor.


    ¡°You foul¡­you rotten¡­¡± he began, but Friedrich was upon him once more.


    The young man felt an immense bloodlust, stronger than the compulsion he had felt to look at the blank portraits. He grabbed Malzuth, lifted him up and sank his teeth into the orc¡¯s neck. As the wizard screamed, Friedrich bit hard and tore a chunk of flesh from him before throwing the wizard to the floor. He lifted one of his mighty hooves and slammed it into the wizard¡¯s skull, crushing it beneath him with a gruesome squelch.


    Friedrich roared in fury before looking to Marina and Blackjack, wanting nothing more than to do the same to them, but something was holding him back. He panted with his chest heaving, desperate to fight his instincts. Blackjack raised her bow, fearful of what he might do, but Marina approached him slowly and carefully.


    ¡°Friedrich?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°Are you there, Friedrich? It¡¯s me, Marina.¡±


    Her voice was soothing and Friedrich felt his bloodlust start to fade. As Marina reached up and laid a hand upon his face, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The intense anger he had melted away and he no longer felt the terrible urge to harm his friends.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Marina sweetly. ¡°Look at me.¡±


    Friedrich opened his eyes and his heart softened, the soul of the minotaur losing its dominance over his body. He nodded slowly and snorted, making Marina giggle a little.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright now. Everything¡¯s alright. We won and we can leave.¡±


    Blackjack lowered her bow. ¡°I am glad that I do not have to shoot you,¡± she said. ¡°I would have found that most unpleasant.¡±


    Friedrich snorted again.


    ¡°Let us be gone from this place,¡± said the high elf, turning towards the door the trio had entered from. ¡°I would prefer that we no longer stick around to loot.¡±


    Friedrich walked to the new door that they had not seen before and kicked it open, revealing that the central chamber where the chest lay was at the bottom of a set of stairs.


    ¡°That makes things easier,¡± said Marina, looking relieved. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see another ghost in the twisty corridor.¡±


    The trio made their way down the staircase and towards the chest, which was no longer protected by the magical forcefield. Marina tried to open it, but found it locked. His patience with this place growing thin, Friedrich picked it up and smashed the chest on the ground where the gemstones within scattered across the floor. Without paying much attention, Friedrich grabbed an emerald and walked towards the exit, not wanting to spend another minute in this wretched place.


    As the party ascended the staircase, Friedrich reverted to his human form. He took the minotaur mask in his hands and stared at its soul stone. What nature of beast was trapped within? While Kitt seemed docile, the minotaur¡¯s spirit was anything but.


    ¡°Friedrich¡­Blackjack¡­¡± piped up Marina as they walked through the stone archway and back outside.


    ¡°Yes?¡± asked Friedrich, hiding the minotaur mask underneath his tunic.


    ¡°I know that neither of you have mentioned it yet, but I would like to pre-emptively request that we do not talk about the woman in the painting. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°In turn, I would ask you to not mention the young man in the painting I was enthralled by,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± said Friedrich, presently more worried that he would accidentally murder his companions if he put on the mask again.


    ¡°Then we are all in agreement,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina, smiling brightly once again, but Friedrich knew that her smile was fake.


    *


    ¡°You have returned,¡± said Faeryn, now corporeal as she stood before her pool. ¡°When I regained my form, I knew that you had been successful.¡±


    She was quite beautiful now that she was no longer made of a ghostly wood. She had long brown hair that puffed up, unlike the straight-haired Blackjack. Her pale skin had a tint of green to it, so faint that Friedrich wondered if he was imagining.


    ¡°We did as you asked,¡± he replied to her. ¡°Malzuth is dead and he will never trouble you again.¡±


    ¡°Did you burn his body?¡± asked the wood elf.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Faeryn sighed. ¡°The shrine is a place of magic, or did you not realise that from the many spectres down there.¡±


    ¡°We only saw one spectre,¡± shrugged Friedrich. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think beyond that.¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± sighed Faeryn, shaking her head in exasperation. ¡°I will send my lurkers within to retrieve his body. I would prefer that he not haunt the shrine or be raised back to life. There are plenty of walking corpses down there, as you well know.¡±


    The trio exchanged confused glanced. It seemed as though they had accidentally taken the correct route on their first guess, but did not want to reveal their perceived skill as a simple coincidence. That would be too embarrassing.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Friedrich, reaching into his bag and pulling out the emerald. ¡°I took this, by the way.¡±


    ¡°With the many magical implements within, you opted only for a basic gemstone?¡± asked Faeryn.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich through gritted teeth. He was now starting to regret not checking the other corridors upon Malzuth¡¯s death.


    ¡°I thank you for not robbing the house of my ancestors and taking only a small trinket. It is much appreciated, human. Many Mercians like yourselves would not have been so kind.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Friedrich, wanting to drown himself in the pool for his foolishness. ¡°Now, it¡¯s probably be best that we head back to the road before it gets too dark.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we will meet again,¡± said Faeryn, holding her arms out to the trio. ¡°You are always welcome to return here and visit. I deem you all friends of the forest.¡±


    ¡°That is reward enough,¡± said Marina with a smile, making Friedrich die inside just a little more. She had to hold back her laughter upon seeing his face.

 Chapter 29 - The Vineyard

    ¡°Would you look at that,¡± said Friedrich, marvelling at the sea of climbing vines before him. They were all attached to trellises and laid out in perfect rows, evenly spaced apart in the field. Adorning the vines were beautifully round grapes of deep purple that looked utterly delicious. Friedrich began to salivate as he stared, wishing for a good meal.


    ¡°You are not to touch these,¡± said Blackjack, watching him closely. ¡°They are not your property.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± snapped Friedrich, turning around and leaning against the wall.


    ¡°We could always go up and ask?¡± suggested Marina. ¡°I¡¯m sure the owner wouldn¡¯t object to us taking a couple if we paid some kupons.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, pushing himself off the wall.


    ¡°Is this human humour that I have failed to grasp?¡± asked Blackjack.


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°It is awfully bold of you to approach the owner of this vineyard. The Alauri would do no such thing without an invitation.¡±


    ¡°We humans are awfully bold,¡± said Friedrich with a wink, making Blackjack roll her eyes.


    The young man led his companions along the road until they reached a path. At the end of the stony path was a house with a couple of barns beside it. Friedrich bet there were bottles and bottles of wine in the barns. He had never been allowed to taste wine by his mother, but he had always been curious. Perhaps today was the day.


    Before the trio even reached the door, it was flung open and a man holding a crude spear stared at him with an anguished look. ¡°I told your master to leave me alone!¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of him and I¡¯m not scared of you. Go on and test me.¡±


    The party looked to each other before looking back to the man. ¡°I think you¡¯ve gotten us mixed up with someone else,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We just wanted to buy some grapes.¡±


    ¡°A likely story,¡± said the man, lunging forward with his spear.


    Friedrich swerved aside and grabbed the spear. He yanked it from the man¡¯s hands and threw it away. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that you have us mixed up with someone else. You have no weapon now, so why would I lie?¡±


    The man put a hand to his forehead where his hairline was receding backwards. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said despairingly. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s been a bad week.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Marina with genuine concern.


    ¡°Are you mercenaries for hire?¡± asked the man.


    ¡°We can be,¡± shrugged Friedrich. ¡°That depends what you want us to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m desperate, I¡¯ll take whatever I can get,¡± he said.


    ¡°That is rather insulting,¡± muttered Blackjack.


    ¡°I did not mean it that way,¡± said the man, shaking his head and letting out a sigh. ¡°My name is Hannis.¡±


    He held out a hand and Friedrich shook it. ¡°Nice to meet you, Hannis. Although we could have done without the spear waving. My name is Friedrich and these two are Marina and Blackjack, I¡¯m sure you can guess who is who.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± said Marina airily while Blackjack gave a curt nod.


    ¡°Well met,¡± said the vineyard owner. ¡°Please, come with me and I will show you what it is that troubles me.¡±


    Hannis led the trio around the edge of his house and into one of his fields. The sweet, but slightly acidic aroma of the grapes reached Friedrich. The fieldhands looked at the trio sombrely as they went about their work, making Friedrich all the more curious about what was troubling the vineyard.


    As they walked, the scent of the grapes grew stronger and it occurred to the young man that there should not be this strong of a scent coming from the plants alone. By the time Hannis brought everyone to the back wall, it had become clear what was troubling him.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± exclaimed Marina as she laid eyes on the rows and rows of desecrated vines.


    Many trellises were completely upended, the vines were burned and the grapes were squashed into nothingness, leaving the juice to soak into the soil. Friedrich now knew what he had smelled this entire time. It was the scent of thousands of destroyed grapes, the fruits of Hannis¡¯s labour in ruin.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Blackjack.


    ¡°There is a beast,¡± muttered Hannis. ¡°A wicked beast that torments my home at night when there is nobody to watch the fields. It comes and it destroys a row every night. Any time I have confronted the scoundrel, it has thrown fireballs at me and turned tail.¡±


    ¡°A goblin mage?¡± asked Friedrich.


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    ¡°Must be,¡± agreed Marina.


    ¡°No, it sounds like a demon,¡± said Blackjack confidently. ¡°We will slay it for you, Hannis. Where does it reside?¡±


    ¡°I could not say,¡± said the vineyard owner, putting his hands on his hips and looking despondently at the ruins of the back rows of his field. ¡°But I believe this beast is doing the bidding of Lon Galleaux. He¡¯s my greatest rival in the winemaking business and I would bet the rest of my fields that he had a hand in this.¡±


    ¡°If this Lon Galleaux is the one behind the destruction of your grapes, he¡¯s going to meet the sharp end of my swords,¡± said Friedrich resolutely. ¡°Now, there is the matter of payment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°We will take payment in grapes. Two bunches each will suffice.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich¡­¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°What?¡±


    She gave him a stare and he didn¡¯t need to ask again.


    ¡°Ah, of course. Two bunches of grapes each plus twenty kupon each.¡±


    Blackjack nodded, much happier with that deal. She would have asked for more, but she didn¡¯t want to keep undermine Friedrich.


    ¡°That is more than fair,¡± said Hannis. ¡°If you are hungry, my wife will be happy to make extra for dinner tonight. After that, you can stake out the field and see if the little rat shows up.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned dinner?¡± asked Friedrich as his stomach growled.


    ¡°It is only three o¡¯clock in the afternoon,¡± said Marina quietly while nudging and shushing him.


    *


    Friedrich was in his fox form for the seventh time that evening, helping Blackjack keep an eye on the darkness for any sign of movement. Marina sat on the soil behind the wall, building a small stack of pebbles. Unable to see clearly, she was playing a game to see how tall she could make her tower before it tumbled¡ªher record was eleven.


    ¡°Anything?¡± she whispered as her tower of ten fell over with the pebbles clicking and clacking against each other.


    ¡°I would have told you if there was, now please be quiet,¡± snapped Blackjack.


    Friedrich reverted back to his human form as the power of the mask was depleted.


    ¡°Fantastic, blind again,¡± he said sarcastically while watching Marina restack the stones.


    ¡°Shush,¡± said Blackjack, clutching his arm. ¡°There is something¡­¡±


    Everyone fell silent and Marina stopped building her tower. There was a clawing sound nearby as though something was climbing up the wall. A second later, a shadow leapt over it. The creature could not have been more than three feet tall and Friedrich was more certain than ever it was a goblin. Oh, how he loathed goblins. He would relish slaying the little beast, but Blackjack was ready first.


    The high elf nocked an arrow and pointed it at the scurrying little beast as it tore grapes from the vine and stamped on them. She waited for it to stay still for a second and then took her shot. The arrow whizzed through the air and then wedged itself firmly in the creature¡¯s neck. It squealed in pain, but it was not yet dead.


    The creature immediately ran back towards the wall and scrambled to the top as another arrow came within an inch of it. It disappeared from sight and the trio stood up and hopped over the wall to give chase. Blackjack led the way with Friedrich and Marina following, unable to see as clearly as she could.


    ¡°It is fast,¡± called Blackjack as she picked up her pace.


    ¡°Bloody goblin!¡± called Friedrich.


    ¡°It is not a goblin.¡±


    The three hurried along the grass, sidestepping the trees and jumping over the rocks, a task that Friedrich and Marina were much clumsier at than Blackjack. They could hear the quick pitter-patter footsteps of the small beast as it ran towards a cave. It bolted inside and vanished, but the party did not follow.


    ¡°It could be a trap,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°What manner of creature is it?¡± asked Marina, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°An imp. It is a type of demon.¡±


    ¡°Fine, you were right,¡± said Friedrich pre-emptively. ¡°Are you happy?¡±


    ¡°You do not need to be so touchy about these things, Friedrich,¡± replied Blackjack with a smile that was discernible even in the darkness.


    ¡°I say we go and kill it,¡± said the young man, drawing his sword. ¡°It¡¯s already got an arrow in the neck, so we might as well poke a few more holes in it.¡±


    ¡°I am wary about entering this cave.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the imp set a trap?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s master may have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± said Friedrich, walking on in as Blackjack gave an exasperated sigh. Her patience for his recklessness was wearing thin, but she was not going to let him go alone so she followed alongside Marina.


    Friedrich proceeded with his shield raised, and he was glad that he did, for a pair of fireballs were flung at him from the back. He blocked them with his shield and ran towards the imp who revealed itself by the fire in its hand that it was about to lob.


    The young man kicked it in the jaw, knocking it to the ground. He raised his sword and brought it plunging down into the beast¡¯s neck. It emitted a loud squeal before dying. Friedrich gave it a couple of kicks to make sure that it truly was dead and then turned to his companions.


    ¡°That¡¯s that,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, that is not that,¡± said Blackjack, bending down.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°It¡¯s much darker in here than it is outside.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± asked Marina, pinching her nose. Friedrich suddenly became aware of the foul odour too, having been so focused on the imp previously.


    She held out her staff and sprinkled a few sparks, but it was not enough to see well. With no other options, Friedrich placed the now-recharged mask upon his face and morphed into the golden fox. Suddenly, a dull light revealed what Blackjack and seen.


    There was a circle drawn upon the stone floor with many runes surrounding it. At seven points around the circle were the snuffed out remains of candles, all burned so low that there was little left of the wax. Beside the circle was a sight Friedrich wished he had not seen. There was a man, and he was well and truly dead. So much so, that he was emitting an awful smell and there were maggots crawling over him, eating away at his flesh.


    ¡°Do you see this?¡± asked Blackjack, pointing to the man¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°No,¡± said Marina, but Friedrich had seen it.


    The man¡¯s stomach had been torn open by small hands, spilling his guts onto the ground. There was nothing else that could have done it. It was the imp.


    ¡°His own summoned creature turned on him,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°This must be Lon Galleaux. I would wager that he summoned it to destroy the field, but it killed him and carried out its duty anyway. As you have seen, imps can be skittish and unreliable, so it must have fled each time someone came to apprehend it. That is why it returned each night, it desired to complete its given task.¡±


    ¡°I thought Galleaux was a winemaker too,¡± muttered Marina. ¡°Hannis never mentioned he was a mage.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe he is,¡± said Blackjack, standing up. ¡°That is why the imp turned on him immediately.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain of all this?¡±


    ¡°No, but it does seem to be the most likely answer. I do not believe we will ever find out the full truth, but that does not matter. The imp is dead and the man who summoned it is dead. Hannis can rest easy now.¡±


    ¡°We should tell him immediately,¡± said Marina.


    Friedrich pawed at her boot.


    ¡°Yes, and we can get you your grapes at last,¡± she said with a giggle.

 Chapter 30 - Welcome to Akatfall

    The trees lining the hilly road towards the northern gates of Akatfall stood tall and proud as majestic greeters to the magnificent capital of Mercia. Their lush green leaves swayed gently in the soft breeze that rolled through, perfectly framing the tall stone walls that were quickly coming into view.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re finally here,¡± said Marina, skipping towards the stone bridge that sat over a stream as the hill levelled off.


    ¡°It¡¯s been far too long of a journey,¡± said Friedrich, stopping for a second to look at the walled city before him.


    He could see a small stage set up to the right of the gates where a bard stood with his lyre, singing a tune to the mirth of the small crowd of wanderers who had stopped to listen to him. Standing at the gates, were two well-armed guards kitted out in steel armour bearing the Mercian lion while wearing sturdy longswords upon their belts and crossbows upon their backs.


    Over the wall, the castle atop the hill was peeking out; the residence of King Ulrich the Bold, the ruler of the entire kingdom. It was a sight to behold, half-obscured as it was, with Friedrich only having laid his eyes upon the ruins of castles lately.


    ¡°Ah!¡± called the bard as the trio walked towards the gates. ¡°You three, come, come!¡±


    ¡°What is it, bard?¡± asked Blackjack, unamused at the prospect of being dragged into one of his performances.


    ¡°Would you care for a song about the Butcher of the Bay?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Blackjack, but Marina clapped her hands together and hopped on the spot.


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± she squealed excitedly.


    Blackjack glanced at Friedrich who failed to hold back his laughter. He grabbed her arm and dragged her over after Marina, who had run to the front of the crowd.


    The bard cleared his throat and began to sing.


    O Butcher, O Butcher


    Why do you torment us so?


    Which one of us is next?


    I wish I could know


    Perhaps a soulful tune


    Would ease your horrid heart


    But I suspect it would not


    As your kills are your art


    One day, I do hope


    You will cease this madness


    For each victim claimed


    Brings unending sadness


    The crowd all clapped politely while Marina gave a thunderous applause. Friedrich joined in, not quite sure what this song was about. Probably some sort of murderer from old. Blackjack looked thoroughly unamused and led the way through the gates with Friedrich and Marina following her.


    They stood in the bustling entrance of the town, where a market was in full swing. People were rushing about, trying to find the best deals while the peddlers were ranting and raving about why their wares were the best wares in all of Akatfall.


    ¡°This is much too crowded for my liking,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°I will go somewhere quieter for the time being. I appreciated your companionship on the road, but I think it¡¯s time that we said farewell.¡±


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    ¡°Already?¡± asked Marina, shocked that Blackjack was leaving so soon.


    ¡°I would prefer that we do not drag out the goodbye. I suspect that I will not be in town for very long before I go on my way again.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Friedrich, holding out a hand. ¡°It¡¯s been fun¡­Ayreith?¡±


    ¡°That is another nonsense name,¡± said Blackjack, rolling her eyes but shaking his hand nonetheless. ¡°Perhaps we will happen upon each other again one day.¡±


    ¡°If you ever need help hunting demons, you can seek us out,¡± said Marina, hugging Blackjack tightly, while the Alaurian stood there awkwardly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll charge a very affordable rate,¡± said Friedrich with a wink. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a discount on my services because we¡¯re such close friends now.¡±


    Blackjack smiled faintly. ¡°For what it is worth, I like the pair of you more than most other humans I have met.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a pretty good elf, yourself,¡± said Friedrich, much more clumsily than he would have liked.


    ¡°If our paths were not destined to diverge, perhaps we could have truly been friends, but I am afraid that this is the way it must be. Good luck with your boat, Friedrich. Good luck with your¡­um, lightning, Marina.¡±


    With that, Blackjack walked away while Marina waved after her. Friedrich looked over at her; she had tears in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll miss her that much?¡±


    ¡°After you, she¡¯s the only thing close to a friend I¡¯ve had in quite a while,¡± said Marina, wiping her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sad to see her go. Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It would have been nice for her not to leave the second we walked through the gates,¡± said Friedrich before shrugging, ¡°but she¡¯s clearly got other business to attend to. I wish her well with it, but now it¡¯s time I get back to mine.¡±


    ¡°Where to find someone to sell that emerald to?¡± asked Marina, looking towards the market with a sly grin.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± joked Friedrich, hopping over a low wall and walking towards the nearest stall.


    The duo looked around the stalls to see what each of the vendors had available. Most of what was being sold was food and clothing, but a few of the stalls had different armours, weapons and even jewellery. While looking at the jewellery stall, Friedrich had to turn Marina away so she wouldn¡¯t be tempted to buy something while Friedrich negotiated with the trader.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s in that great condition,¡± said the vendor, looking at the emerald Friedrich had taken from the forest shrine.


    ¡°Look through that glass of yours,¡± demanded Friedrich. ¡°I dare you to find a single scratch on it.¡±


    ¡°I can see several from here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see them.¡±


    ¡°Then you have bad eyesight, young man.¡±


    ¡°Fine, what¡¯s the best you¡¯ll do for it then?¡±


    ¡°I think a hundred kupons is a fair deal.¡±


    ¡°A hundred kupons? Not a chance. One hundred and fifty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll struggle to break even on that. One ten.¡±


    ¡°One twenty?¡± asked Friedrich, holding out his hand and smiling at the vendor.


    ¡°Deal,¡± he said, shaking Friedrich¡¯s hand and pocketing the emerald and handing Friedrich a small pouch of kupons, which the young Mercian counted meticulously.


    ¡°Do you think you got a good deal?¡± asked Marina as she and Friedrich walked away.


    Friedrich shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t a clue what that was worth. If his first offer was fifty, I would have asked for seventy-five just to push the kupons up a little. Truth be told, I¡¯m not the greatest appraiser.¡±


    ¡°So, you could very easily have been ripped off just now and you wouldn¡¯t have realised?¡± asked Marina with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Correct,¡± grinned Friedrich. ¡°But I¡¯ve got a hundred and twenty kupons more than I did when we walked into town. I call that a win.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Friedrich,¡± sighed Marina. ¡°I thought you were much more knowledgeable than this. How can you ever expect to get rich by stabbing in the dark like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worked so far.¡±


    ¡°Has it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°If your methods worked so well, you would have a lot more money than you do right now. I think you need to come up with a more structured plan of how you¡¯re going to make your fortune or you won¡¯t have your boat before your hair turns grey.¡±


    ¡°We could sell that lightning amethyst of yours,¡± said Friedrich sneakily.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°I was joking!¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like it.¡±


    ¡°I was, I promise,¡± said Friedrich, patting her on the head. ¡°Speaking of lightning, why don¡¯t we find a way to teach you some more magic while we¡¯re here? Now that we¡¯re back to a party of two, it would be good if we both learned something before we find passage to Kai¡¯roh.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Every large town in Mercia has a Mages Guildhall.¡±


    ¡°They do?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Which means, the one in Akatfall is probably the best of the bunch. I¡¯m sure we could find someone there that could teach you a thing or two.¡±


    ¡°I would like to learn a second spell,¡± admitted Marina, scratching the side of her head lightly.


    ¡°Why did you learn only one spell?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I only had one tome to learn from,¡± shrugged Marina.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled then. We¡¯re going to teach you some more magic so that the Lightning Foxes are truly a force to be reckoned with.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re using that name?¡± asked Marina, giggling.


    ¡°You came up with it.


    ¡°I thought we abandoned it once Blackjack started travelling with us.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°While she was with us, we were the Gold Lightning Foxes. Now that it¡¯s back to just being the two of us, we revert to our original name.¡±


    ¡°Can we go get lunch first?¡± asked Marina, holding her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll get lunch before we head to the Mages Guild.¡±


    ¡°A big lunch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s burn lots of kupons while we¡¯re at it so that I¡¯m a skeleton before I get that boat.¡±


    ¡°I will settle for a medium lunch,¡± said Marina, locking arms with Friedrich and steering him in the direction of the nearest inn.

 Chapter 31 - To Learn a Spell

    ¡°Too much food,¡± moaned Marina, slumping along sluggishly behind Friedrich.


    ¡°You ordered it,¡± he said sternly. ¡°You said you would settle for a medium lunch and you ordered almost everything on the menu.¡±


    ¡°We were on the road for so long¡­my stomach ran away with me. You have to understand, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯re suffering for it. You¡¯ll get no sympathy from me.¡±


    A little ways past the market, stood the Akatfall Mages Guild. It was a large, circular building with a pointed, rimmed roof. Friedrich said that it looked like the building was wearing a hat, but Marina claimed to not see it. There was a large set of wooden doorways with seemingly magical symbols carved into it, while the many windows surrounding it were filled with stained glass.


    Friedrich crept up to one of them and looked in, expecting to see foggy, miscoloured shapes within, but he could not see a thing. He was confused, but chalked it up to some enchantment the mages used to people like him from doing exactly what he had just tried to do; spying on them.


    ¡°Front door, it is,¡± he said to Marina, who had come around from her stomach ache.


    ¡°I¡¯m excited!¡± she squealed, throwing her hands into the air. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to learn a new spell for so long.¡±


    ¡°If I know mages¡ª¡±


    ¡°You know mages?¡±


    ¡°¡ªthen you should be very careful about how you act around them. They can be¡ª¡±


    ¡°What mages do you know other than me?¡±


    ¡°¡ªvery arrogant, so you¡¯ll need to control your enthusiasm.¡±


    Marina scowled at Friedrich¡¯s deliberate ignoring of her, but replaced her expression with a stoic smile as she approached the door. She thought that maybe he was right and decided to play it safe.


    Friedrich put his hands on the door and pushed it open and, to his surprise, it opened without a hint of resistance. The duo stepped inside and marvelled at what lay before them.


    The central chamber alone was three-storeys high and each level looked down on the main floor below. At least half of the walls of each of the tiers were covered in bookshelves, all of which were stuffed full of books from thin texts to heavy, dusty tomes.


    The lights illuminating the darker crevices of the room were not simply torches, but floating crystals that glowed shades of blue and orange, some of which flicked between the two at the prompting of one of the mages.


    The mages themselves were about as haughty as Friedrich expected, strutting around with their noses high as though they were better than everyone else¡ªeven each other. Most of them were Mercians, but there were a few who were not. There were various kinds of humans from Heartlanders to Northmen, elves from high to dark, and even a couple of orcs and wolven¡ªa species somewhere between man and wolf, yet not quite a lycanthrope.


    ¡°Where do we even start?¡± asked Marina, looking around with her mouth hanging open and her eyes as wide as could be.


    ¡°That guy will do,¡± said Friedrich, walking confidently towards a Mercian man sitting on an armchair near the back of the chamber while pouring over a book. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Friedrich said to the mage, whose eyes looked up without his head budging even an inch.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a magic tutor for my friend, Marina. She¡¯s a powerful lightning mage, but she needs someone who can help her finesse her abilities.¡±


    ¡°Good luck to you,¡± said the mage, returning to his book.


    ¡°Thanks for your time,¡± said Friedrich politely, but Marina could have sworn he mouthed a foul word underneath his breath.


    ¡°Should we leave?¡± asked Marina, uneasily.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± said the young adventurer, looking around for someone less snobbish. He strolled up to a Heartland woman, hoping that one of the foreign humans may be more receptive.


    ¡°What?¡± barked the woman.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Friedrich, walking on past her as though he hadn¡¯t been planning to talk to her. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    He approached a wood elf, another Mercian, a dark elf, and even an Asterran¡ªa human from the deserts to the south¡ªbut to no avail. He leaned against a pillar at the edge of the room and shook his head.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said to Marina, who looked uncomfortable, ¡°it may be time to give up.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± asked a Mercian man. He had short shoulder-length brown hair, a thin moustache and wore a set of sleek purple robes that made him look particularly wealthy.


    Friedrich sighed. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll leave and stop bothering you all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked,¡± said the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to find a magic tutor,¡± said Marina, hopefully. ¡°Please can you tell us if anyone here would be willing to give me a chance?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you know?¡± asked the mage.


    ¡°I know how to use lightning bolts.¡±


    ¡°And who taught you?¡±


    ¡°No one,¡± said Marina. ¡°I learned by myself.¡±


    The man laughed, but seemed taken aback when he realised that Marina was serious. ¡°Surely not? That¡¯s an exceptionally difficult thing to do, learn magic without help. Someone must have assisted you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Marina. ¡°I promise you that it¡¯s the truth. I learned how to cast lightning bolts from a spell tome. It took me years to learn how to do it, but it was all me. I wanted to learn more, but I¡­I could not.¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that something,¡± said the wizard, raising an eyebrow. ¡°My name is Hansel. Hansel the Striker. Perhaps I can help you¡­would you be willing to undergo a few tests?¡±


    Marina glanced at Friedrich who nodded fervently. ¡°Yes!¡± she called out, not intending to raise her voice. ¡°Whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± said Hansel, gesturing towards a staircase leading downwards before looking at Friedrich. ¡°You can remain here, but do not touch anything. You will only get yourself thrown out. We should not be long.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I come?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Magic-users only.¡±


    ¡°Do soul magic users count?¡±


    Hansel scoffed. ¡°A horrid practice. Do not dare utter that around anyone else or you will be kicked out even faster than if you started tossing books from the shelf.¡±


    A disappointed Friedrich waited as Hansel led Marina away, leaving him standing to the side of the guildhall where the passing mages either ignored him or shot him dirty looks. The mages didn¡¯t bother him, but he was curious to know what these tests were.


    After twenty minutes of waiting, it suddenly occurred to Friedrich that there may be something nefarious afoot and his imagination started running wild. What if Marina was being tortured after Friedrich let slip about the soul masks? What if she was having her magical essence extracted and was going to be murdered straight after? He had to intervene, or at the very least he had to check.


    He crept over to the descending staircase, ensuring that he wasn¡¯t being watched. Once he was certain he wasn¡¯t attracting any attention, he snuck down the stairs and found himself at a set of double doors. He pressed his ear to them, but could not hear a thing. As he reached for the handle, he heard footsteps coming from behind him.


    In a panic, he put the fox mask on and hid behind a vase as a wood elf walked down the stairs. She opened the doors and entered, giving Friedrich the chance to slip through behind her unnoticed¡­or so he thought.


    ¡°Eee!¡± screeched the woman as Friedrich¡¯s nose accidentally grazed her leg.


    He turned around and bolted up the stairs as fast as his four legs could carry him. The wood elf chased him, shooting concussive blasts from her staff that would have knocked him flat on his face is they hit him.


    Friedrich scurried through the chamber, making his way for the front door as the mages chased him. Over an armchair, between a pair of legs, over an ugly imp familiar, he hurried to the doors. At that very moment, a mage entered the guildhall and Friedrich burst out into the square as the mages slammed the doors behind them.


    He wandered over to a small patch of grass and flopped down onto it, rolling over onto his back. He felt like an utter fool. The Mages Guild were a prestigious order of wizards and wouldn¡¯t rob a young girl of her magic, especially when she only knew a single spell.


    Four more minutes passed and Friedrich turned back into a human, shocking several people in the square. He insisted that he had run afoul of the guild and the enchantment had simply worn off, a lie that most of them seemed to buy.


    Another hour passed and Friedrich, impatient as he was, remained in the square rather than daring venture back inside. At last, Marina returned and Hansel walked with her, both looking quite pleased. Marina, notably, was carrying a tome that she did not have earlier.


    ¡°Why are you outside?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I was chased out,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Aha!¡± exclaimed Hansel. ¡°You were that fox that found its way into the hall. Did I not warn you not to use that dreadful enchantment?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± said Friedrich, before changing the subject. ¡°How did the tests go?¡±


    ¡°Young Marina here has a very high aptitude for magic, particularly lightning magic. It¡¯s no wonder that she was able to teach herself.¡±


    ¡°How do you get high aptitude?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± said Hansel, ¡°but it could be a simple coincidence, it could run in the family, it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Run in the family?¡± asked Marina, laughing awkwardly. ¡°Definitely not my family, no¡­definitely not.¡±


    ¡°Your mother is definitely not a mage?¡±


    ¡°No, she wasn¡¯t,¡± said Marina, her voice shaking. ¡°She died not too long ago.¡±


    Hansel did not let up. ¡°Your father?¡±


    Marina teared up and her lip trembled. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, pushing past Friedrich and running through the square.


    ¡°I did not realise it was such a sore spot, I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Hansel, looking shocked.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯ll go find her.¡±


    ¡°Tell her she can return the tome whenever she wants.¡±


    Friedrich ran through the square and along the streets, looking for Marina, eventually finding her sitting on the edge of a stone bridge where a small stream ran underneath. She was staring at the trickling stream, sniffling.


    ¡°Hansel says you can return the tome whenever you want,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I would just keep it if I were you.¡±


    Marina didn¡¯t laugh, she just rubbed her eyes with her cloak. However, it was for not as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.


    Friedrich climbed onto the wall and sat beside her, letting his legs dangle just above the stream. ¡°My mother¡¯s dead too,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get over it either, but¡­you do start feeling numb when you think about it after a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Friedrich,¡± sobbed Marina, putting her head on his shoulder and crying into him.


    Friedrich put his arm around her. ¡°If you need to cry, just cry. Once you¡¯re finished, we can do what we always do and keep our baggage to ourselves. Just imagine we¡¯re at the shrine again and we made the same pact¡­but if you ever do want to talk about it, you can, alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being such a burden,¡± said Marina, not taking her face away from Friedrich¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re anything but a burden. I wouldn¡¯t have half as much fun without you. I may be a little richer, I¡¯ll admit, but having you around is worth every kupon because it means I¡¯m never lonely.¡±


    Marina pulled her face away and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m here with you too.¡±

 Chapter 32 - The Cave in the Cove

    Akatfall was filled to the brim with people as the midday markets opened up. Friedrich, his stomach satisfied from a hearty meal, was lying with his eyes closed along the edge of a fountain as the water droplets sprinkled onto his face. Marina, meanwhile, was buried in her new tome that Hansel had lent her. She was determined to master a new spell sooner rather than later.


    ¡°I wonder what Blackjack is up to,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I thought maybe we would have run into her over the last couple of days.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Are you even listening?¡±


    ¡°Very interesting, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Marina!¡± called Friedrich, opening his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m reading, shush!¡± she scolded him.


    Friedrich closed his eyes and tried to relax again, but he was getting restless. It didn¡¯t help matters that he was spending more kupons than he was earning. The last job he had taken was killing rats in the cellar of a tavern, which didn¡¯t exactly pay well, but at least he got to use Kitt¡¯s mask to be extra thorough when sniffing out the little rodents.


    ¡°I need to bring some kupons in,¡± muttered Friedrich.


    ¡°Then get a real job,¡± said Marina, sighing and looking up from her book. ¡°Maybe be an accountant or something?¡±


    ¡°Nah, that would take too long and I¡¯m not great with Mercian tax law. I would only get my clients in trouble with the guards.¡±


    ¡°True, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve paid a single kupon in tax since I¡¯ve known you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t earn anywhere near enough to make it worth collecting. No collector is going to lob off my hands for the measly six or seven kupons I owe. Don¡¯t worry your pretty little head about me, Marina. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Marina lightly slapped Friedrich¡¯s cheek and smiled at him before her expression turned angry. ¡°Go check the bounty board and let me read!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± he joked, making Marina roll her eyes and slap him across the arm. ¡°There is no need for that kind of treatment to me, your humble servant. Your wish is my command, fair maiden. I will return thusly!¡±


    Friedrich sat up and swung around, placing his feet on the cobblestones. He stood up and walked through the square, looking for a board. In a town like Akatfall, there were no shortage of them and he quickly found one stood outside of a tavern, covered in dozens of pieces of paper.


    ¡°The Butcher of the Bay,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°This sounds far too dangerous for the amount being paid. One hundred and fifty kupons? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Friedrich perused the rest of the notices, eventually finding one buried underneath that caught his eye.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.6014%">


    URGENT REQUEST!


    I, Reginald Gillet, require an intrepid adventurer to wander down to the nearby Blue Beard Cove and collect a basket of bellshrooms (a yellow mushroom shaped like a bell).


    Bring them to me at Gillet Sundries to collect your payment.


    REWARD: 65 kupons


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Sixty-five kupons for an hour of work?¡± Friedrich said aloud, taking the notice from the board. ¡°What a steal!¡±


    Friedrich ran back over to Marina who saw him coming and pre-emptively closed her book upon seeing her favourite distraction holding a notice in his hand.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Got us a job,¡± said Friedrich, handing her the notice. ¡°This should be an easy one and look what he¡¯s paying for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Marina, looking over the notice. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of kupons for picking up some mushrooms. Why not go pick them himself if this Blue Beard Cove is so nearby?¡±


    ¡°People these days are lazy, so this Reginald Gillet must be desperate.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you spent all morning lying by the fountain, eating and then lying by the fountain again?¡±


    ¡°And now I¡¯m heeding the call to action!¡±


    Marina laughed. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go and get this sorted, but I need you to do something for me first.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Marina held out her hand. ¡°Shake.¡±


    Confused, Friedrich took her hand and felt a jolt of electricity run up his forearm. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it did make his skin crawl for a couple of seconds.


    ¡°Your new spell?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m making progress,¡± said Marina, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s called Shock Touch, according to the tome.¡±


    ¡°Well, I would certainly say it¡¯s an apt name. Not the most creative though, is it?¡±


    ¡°What would you call it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­something like Flowing Thunder.¡±


    ¡°Thunder is a noise.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it sounds much more exciting.¡±


    Marina started laughing and then placed one of her fingers on Friedrich¡¯s neck, giving him another tiny shock. He winced and pulled back as Marina laughed.


    ¡°Okay, now we can go,¡± she said with a big smile on her face.


    The two asked a couple of locals how they could make their way to Blue Beard Cover and were directed towards the docks at the western side of the city, where they could see a dozen ships already moored and being loaded with goods. Friedrich stared at them in awe, longing for the day when he would have a ship of his own and set sail.


    Halfway down the hill and before they got as far as the pier, they took a small path to the south and followed it along the cliffside until it brought them to a sandy shore. There were small crabs scuttling along and minding their own business, but upon Friedrich and Marina coming close they burrowed their way into the sand.


    ¡°They¡¯re right to flee,¡± remarked Friedrich, ¡°I feel like eating crab for dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°Focus on the task at hand,¡± said Marina, but she would have happily eaten crab too.


    Keeping a careful eye on the cliff towering above them, the two young Mercians kept walking. A few minutes later, they came across a large cave entrance that opened up into darkness.


    ¡°This must be the place,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°I was starting to wonder why he asked us to come to the beach to get mushrooms.¡±


    Marina took the notice from him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say go to the beach¡­it says go to the cove.¡±


    ¡°Either way, this must be the place,¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    He walked over to the entrance and saw a signpost wedged in the sand. It was so jagged and mossy that it blended in with the cliff from a distance. He used his shield to scrape some of the moss to see what the sign said.


    ¡°Welcome to my humble dinner party,¡± read Friedrich. ¡°Please come in and enjoy a wonderful feast.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Marina, turning back. ¡°That¡¯s our cue to leave.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She looked at Friedrich incredulously. ¡°Dinner in a cave? Why would we stay?¡±


    ¡°Sixty-five kupons for a few mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°But the sign!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s old and battered. I bet whoever made it has long moved on.¡±


    ¡°This seems incredibly risky, Friedrich,¡± said Marina. ¡°I don¡¯t like it at all. Are you sure we can¡¯t just turn back?¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can wait out here and I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. I doubt this will take me too long.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t leave me alone out here!¡±


    ¡°Then come on!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Friedrich marched into the darkness where the sand faded into stone, leaving Marina standing uneasily on the beach. With a heavy sigh, she lifted her feet and followed him, but she wasn¡¯t happy about it in the least.


    The early afternoon light followed them into the cave, but it was difficult to see. More than a few times, the two bumped into each other and tripped over loose pebbles. Friedrich was tempted to pull out his fox mask, but he still wanted to be able to pick the mushrooms before waiting for the magic to dispel so he refrained.


    There was a sudden dull thud and Marina let out a small yelp. ¡°My head!¡± she said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Marina felt around and, to her surprise, she had walked into a wooden door and not the rocky wall. She moved her hand close to her waist and found the metal handle. She pushed it ever so slightly and it opened without resistance, letting a touch of light in.


    ¡°Great, we¡¯ve found a door, but still no mushrooms,¡± said Friedrich, looking around now that he could see a little better.


    ¡°We should turn back,¡± said Marina, closing the door.


    Friedrich moved past her. ¡°Not a chance. The mushrooms could be through here. We haven¡¯t seen anything sinister so far, have we?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Marina admitted, ¡°but I still have a terrible feeling about this. Why would there be a door down here?¡±


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°If things go badly and we still get paid for the mushrooms, I¡¯ll give you seventy-five percent instead of fifty. Of course, that¡¯s on the condition that you don¡¯t say that you told me so.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Marina, grumpily, following Friedrich through the door.


    The duo walked along more of the cave and towards the light. It was only moments before they emerged into a large clearing surrounded by cliffs and trees, but they took little notice of those. What caught their attention was the large dinner table sitting in the centre of the clearing with an entire party gathered around it.

 Chapter 33 - The Dinner Party

    Friedrich and Marina exchanged glances. Friedrich¡¯s was of utter confusion, while Marina¡¯s was asking him to turn back and leave so they didn¡¯t need to find out why so many people were gathered around a dinner table.


    The strange folks sitting in the clearing were of many races from Mercians to Wood Elves, all wearing very proper and colourful clothes. They wouldn¡¯t have looked in the least bit out of place at a nobleman¡¯s party.


    ¡°Ah!¡± called a man at the head of the table. ¡°I see that we have more esteemed guests in our midst. Please, everyone, will you all budge up and make some space for these two strangers.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina stood in stunned silence, but the man beckoned them over. His hair was curly and black with a wispy moustache, nothing too unusual around these parts, but his choice of attire was bizarre. He wore a red justacorps that was patterned with golden loaves of bread. Friedrich thought he was mistaken, but he squinted and was certain that it was bread on the man¡¯s coat.


    ¡°Come now, come now. Bring yourselves over and tell us your names.¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡± called Friedrich, suddenly getting the disturbing feeling that Marina was right and he had been too eager once again.


    ¡°Why you are at The Dinner Party!¡± called the man.


    ¡°I gathered that we¡¯re at a dinner part, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no. You are not at a dinner party, but The Dinner Party. What a lucky treat for you this will be my newfound friends, what a treat. Quickly now, come.¡±


    Friedrich walked over to the table with Marina clutching her staff tightly behind. She would not lower her guard for a second.


    ¡°Your names? I must check you off guest list,¡± said the man.


    ¡°Flint and Martha,¡± said Friedrich, reluctant to trust this man.


    ¡°No¡­that can¡¯t be right,¡± said the man, pulling out a scroll of parchment and unrolling it. ¡°It says here that we¡¯re expecting a Friedrich and Marina. That wouldn¡¯t happen to be the pair of you, would it?¡±


    Friedrich and Marina¡¯s hearts stopped for a moment. How could that parchment possibly have said their names.


    ¡°Let me see that,¡± said Friedrich, moving to the man. He turned the parchment around and showed Friedrich that their names were indeed there.


    ¡°All who heed the call of The Dinner Party are added to the list, my friends. You do not need to give false names for this place knows exactly who you are. Sit with us and we shall begin the feast.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best that we leave,¡± said Friedrich, walking backwards without taking his eyes off the guests.


    ¡°Suit yourselves,¡± said the man with a shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t let me stop you.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina hurried back over to the cave and walked inside, looking over their shoulders the entire way. To the pair¡¯s horror, all they could find was a flat surface where they expected the door to be.


    ¡°It was here,¡± said Marina, looking terrified. ¡°Where are we, Friedrich?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± said Friedrich, feeling an immense amount of guilt for dragging Marina into this mess¡ªespecially for a measly sixty-five kupons.


    The two walked back into the clearing and the man at the head of the table was smiling at them. ¡°Is there a problem, my friends? Can¡¯t find the door?¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± asked Friedrich angrily. ¡°Release us at once!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, this is not my doing,¡± said the man. ¡°This realm that we find ourselves in is removed from Eradrel. You chose to walk through the portal, and it sealed itself to you. Perhaps once we have had dinner, the door will reappear?¡±


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    Friedrich drew his sword. ¡°And I suppose I¡¯m supposed to just let you eat us?¡±


    The host and the guests looked at each other and began laughing hysterically. They laughed so hard that they teared up.


    ¡°Oh, you are a hoot, Friedrich,¡± said the host. ¡°Why in the many planes of existence would we want to eat a pair of Mercian children?¡±


    Friedrich chose not to react to being called a child this time. ¡°So¡­we are not the meal?¡±


    The host laughed again. ¡°Goodness gracious, no. You are going to eat too, so why would we feed you to yourselves? Now¡­sit.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina reluctantly walked over to the table and sat down. They were going to play along for now, feeling that they had no choice, but to say that they trusted the host and his guests would have been egregiously untrue.


    ¡°Now, introductions,¡± said the host. ¡°My name is The Head of the Table. Please, tell me your names officially.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    ¡°You do not have family names?¡± asked The Head of the Table, cocking his head to the side. ¡°That is most unusual.¡±


    ¡°Is that important?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°No, I suppose not. At least I have something to address you by,¡± The Head of the Table suddenly clapped his hands. ¡°Let our first course be served!¡±


    He held his hands out to the table, then twisted and coiled his fingers as though weaving some kind of spell. Before the eyes of the guests, a feathered woman appeared on the table; her arms were almost wing-like. She cried and writhed in terror as her limbs were bound with ropes, tying her to the table.


    ¡°A harpy to settle your stomachs,¡± said The Head of the Table, stretching out his arms in mirth. Now, please, raise your knives and forks.¡±


    All of the guests except for Friedrich and Marina did as they were asked. The Head of the Table shot them an irked look as though he was growing tired of their reluctance to take part in his party. The pair shakily picked up their knives and forks, locking eyes with each other and silently agreeing that they would not eat the struggling harpy.


    ¡°Enjoy the poultry, my friends,¡± said The Head of the Table, but his voice was no longer merry. His voice was gruff and warbled as though three men had spoken at the same time.


    As the guests stabbed and cut the harpy, she screeched horrifically. They avoided her head, chest and neck, determined to ensure that she lived through as much of the meal as they could. The guests put the chunks they cut from her on their plates and ate it raw, gulping and slurping everything down from flesh to feathers.


    Friedrich and Marina looked at The Head of the Table who was smiling menacingly at them. He licked his lips and suddenly his face contorted and twisted. His skin turned ash-grey and his eyes became red. His brow ridge thickened as his hair retreated into his scalp. As his hair vanished, two sharp, curled horns sprouted from his forehead and his teeth grew long and sharp. The Head of the Table was a demon. All that remained of his former appearance was the red overcoat patterned with the golden bread.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± demanded Friedrich, standing up and knocking his chair away.


    ¡°You are at The Dinner Party,¡± said The Head of the Table.


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, drawing his sword and raising his shield. ¡°Tell me the truth, where did the door take us?¡±


    The Head of the Table let out a booming laugh; it was much more sinister than his former, jovial laugh. This laughter filled Friedrich and Marina with dread. ¡°You find yourselves in The Infernal Kitchen,¡± said the demon. ¡°Will you eat with us?¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± said Friedrich, taking a step backwards as Marina stood up and moved close to him with her staff raised.


    ¡°We would rather die,¡± she said.


    ¡°That is such a shame,¡± said The Head of the Table, ¡°but that can be arranged.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina sprinted back towards the cave, not sure what they were expecting to find, but the door was still missing. Friedrich slammed on the rock with his shield, hoping that the door had simply turned invisible, but it had not.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Friedrich, turning around, but he said nothing else as he looked back. The light from the clearing had turned red.


    The duo walked back to the clearing, their weapons raised and ready. The clearing, which had once seemed bright and pleasant, had darkened. The sky was red, twisted and filled with black clouds, while the grass as now replaced with soil that looked like it had been bathed in the blood of thousands. The trees surrounding the clearing were now gnarled and twisted with leaves as sharp as razorblades.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the table?¡± cried Marina, seeing the clearing now devoid of The Dinner Party.


    ¡°More importantly, where¡¯s The Head of the Table,¡± said Friedrich, looking around.


    Suddenly, the demon¡¯s voice boomed throughout the clearing. ¡°My esteemed guests, we will now move onto the next phase of the event. Seeing as our two newcomers chose not to join us, their lives are now forfeit. Who would like to play a game with them?¡±


    The guests all cheered, their voices coming from within the trees.


    ¡°Excellent! We shall give them sixty seconds to hide in the forest. Whoever kills them, gets to enjoy them for dessert. If they kill all of you, then we shall let them go free. Those sound like fair terms to me, do they to you?¡±


    The guests cheered once again.


    ¡°How about you, Friedrich and Marina?¡±


    ¡°I agree to your terms!¡± shouted Friedrich in fury. ¡°And I¡¯m coming for every last one of you. You will all die by my hand.¡±


    The Head of the Table roared with laughter. ¡°We have a bold one! Very well, Friedrich. Your time begins¡­now.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina ran through the clearing and to the trees at the far side. They did not know what was waiting for them in the darkness of the forest ahead, but they knew that standing out here in the open would mean certain death for them.

 Chapter 34 - The Infernal Kitchen

    Friedrich and Marina ran through the trees. They had not known before now that the forest was as thick and as deep as it was, but they knew they needed to find somewhere to hide while they watched for the dinner guests if they were to have any hope of surviving.


    ¡°Here,¡± said Marina, seeing an especially thick bush. As she tried to climb inside it, she let out a pained yelp. ¡°It¡¯s prickly!¡±


    ¡°Keep it down,¡± said Friedrich, as Marina clasped her hands over her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the left.¡±


    The pair moved quickly and quietly through the forest, fearful that they were being watched. Friedrich looked around continually as he hurried along, ready to slay whatever demon reared its ugly head.


    At last, they found somewhere thick and safe enough for them to wait and catch their breaths. Marina was looking at Friedrich with her tongue pressed against the inside of her cheek. He knew she was holding back telling him off for not listening to her, but he also knew that she was right and he thoroughly deserved a few harsh words after this was all over.


    ¡°Look at that,¡± said Friedrich, nodding to the side.


    Marina looked to where he has gestured and spotted a small cluster of yellow mushrooms, all with bell-like tops. ¡°Great,¡± whispered Marina dryly, ¡°now we can make sixty-five kupons when we get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Too right,¡± said Friedrich, creeping over and picking them. He stuffed them in his bag, but upon finishing, he stopped and stayed perfectly still.


    Marina opened her mouth to speak, but Friedrich held a finger to his lips and then put his hand to his ear. Marina listened and heard what Friedrich had. There was a series of thuds and a rustling as something moved through the forest. Whatever it was, it was growing steadily closer to them.


    ¡°Little pigs, little pigs,¡± muttered a demonic voice. It was one of the guests.


    The Mercians did not move a muscle as the demon closed in on them. They did not know whether or not the demon knew where they were, but they couldn¡¯t risk him getting any closer no matter what. Friedrich winked at Marina who replied with a small nod.


    The young adventurer leapt out from behind the trees and swung his sword in a wide arc. The demon recoiled in surprise as Friedrich¡¯s blade swept across its throat, cutting a large gash and sending a splattering of blood through the air. The demon tried to call out, but it could only let out a pained gasp.


    As it drew its own twisted blade to make a final stand against Friedrich, it found the top of Friedrich¡¯s sword rushing towards its open throat. Friedrich skewered the demon and kicked the infernal predator on the chest. The demon fell backwards as Friedrich pulled his sword free.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± he said to Marina, taking her by the hand and running amongst the trees. ¡°There were twelve guests plus the Head of the Table. That leaves us with eleven guests plus the big boss himself.¡±


    ¡°We got luck this time,¡± said Marina, ¡°but what if they all attack us at once?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea,¡± said Friedrich, reaching for the fox mask. ¡°I¡¯ll sniff them out and you make their heads explode.¡±


    ¡°Simple and to the point,¡± said Marina, but she was less convinced than Friedrich.


    As he put the mask to his face, he felt an arrow pierce his hand. He gasped in pain, dropping to the ground in case another arrow was to follow. Marina spun around and launched an immense lightning bolt at the demonic archer who was perched in the trees. The lightning struck the demon, killing it instantly and throwing it to the forest floor.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marina, as Friedrich stood up.


    ¡°New plan,¡± said Friedrich, as he stood up with the minotaur mask in his hand.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± said Marina, fearful that what that mask did to Friedrich in the forest shrine would happen again. She had calmed his bloodlust once, but did not know if she could do it again.


    ¡°Summon the demons,¡± he said confidently.


    Friedrich touched the black mask to his face and his body twisted and contorted, growing large and brown as he took the minotaur¡¯s form. He now towered above Marina and looked down at her, holding his hand up and revealing the hole the arrow had made was now gone.


    With a deep breath, Marina launched a bolt into the sky, signalling to the demons where they were. She backed away and hid in a cluster of trees as Friedrich made as much noise as he could.


    The sound of footsteps soon reached his bovine ears. He roared and snorted loudly, as the demons drew close. The first appeared with a twisted war hammer raised, but Friedrich was ready. He burst towards his foe and tugged the hammer form the demon¡¯s hands. He put two hands on the demon¡¯s head and squeezed tightly, crushing its skull and throwing it aside.


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    ¡°Three down,¡± Marina counted to herself as she watched her surroundings.


    Another demon sprinted towards Friedrich with a spear outstretched, but he had not seen it. Marina launched a lightning bolt at the demon, missing its body, but catching the spear. The demon dropped its weapon as electricity surged through its arms. Friedrich, now alerted, turned and swung a fist into the demon, knocking it to the ground. He lifted a large, hooved foot and splattered the demon¡¯s brains over the floor. Four guests dead, six to go.


    ¡°Things are heating up in The Infernal Kitchen,¡± called The Head of the Table. ¡°Our two Mercians are full of tricks, but so are we.¡±


    There was a thundering stomping as a huge demon waded through the trees. It was almost the same size as Friedrich¡¯s minotaur form, but instead of being covered in fur, it was covered in scales. Its head was crocodile like and its arms were erupting with jagged spikes. It hissed and grinded its teeth as it approached Friedrich.


    He lunged at it, but it raised its twisted fingers and met his grasp. The two locked hands and tried to overpower each other, but they were matched in strength. The demon lurched forward with its head, almost biting Friedrich¡¯s nose, but he threw his head back just in time. As the demon clamped its jaw, Friedrich thrust his head back forward and headbutted it in the eye. It winced and roared, giving Friedrich the chance to knock it to the ground.


    Marina meanwhile spotted another humanoid demon rushing towards Friedrich from behind. She took careful aim and sent a crackling bolt through the air, zapping its head, which exploded and rained blood, bone and brain across the leaves and soil.


    Friedrich leapt at the reptilian demon, slamming his fists into its chest. He beat the monster senseless, ignoring the pain its jagged skin scraping him. So enraged was he now that nothing would stop him. He beat the demon until its chest caved in, killing it, but he could not stop. He grabbed its torso and tore it in two. He picked up half and tossed it towards another demon, killing the seventh demon of The Dinner Party.


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Marina as a pair of hands grabbed her staff and threw it aside.


    Seeing the demon holding its blade to Marina¡¯s throat, he threw snapped its neck and lifted it high. Friedrich took a bite out of the demon and spat it to the ground, breaking the dead demon¡¯s spine over his knee.


    He reached out for Marina, who tried to take his hand, but Friedrich no longer realised who she was. He grabbed her and lifted her up, ready to throw her aside, but she looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Friedrich, don¡¯t do it¡­it¡¯s me, Marina!¡± she said, trying to remain calm.


    Friedrich snorted at her and fought against the minotaur¡¯s instincts. It was no easy task overpowering the will of the soul within the mask, but he wrestled back enough control to gain a moment of dominance. Rather than killing Marina, he tossed her to the dirt and turned around, seeking more foes with the express intent of ending their lives as brutally as possible.


    The final two demons charged in together, both wielding spears, but Marina was too dazed to use her magic as they thrust them at Friedrich. As the spears neared Friedrich¡¯s throat, he dove forward and tackled the infernal pair to the ground. He stood up, grabbed their twisted horns and spun around. Lifting the howling demons up high he slammed them into the trees, snapping off their horns as he did so. Friedrich roared in indignant fury as he pierced their eye sockets with their own sharp horns, killing the final two demons.


    Friedrich lifted one of the demons and, as he was about to take a bite, transformed back into a human. With a horrified gasp, he released the demon, and it fell to the ground. Friedrich tripped as he backed away and then scrambled to his feet in a panic.


    He looked at the now-inert mask dangling from his neck and wanted to toss it into the trees, but he could not do it. Something was holding him back from throwing away the dangerous magical mask. He feared that a little part of the minotaur was still within him and it would not let him simply discard it.


    ¡°Marina!¡± he called out and Marina rushed over to him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked, throwing her arms around him.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t use that mask anymore. I hurt you¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you,¡± she said, her voice trembling. ¡°I know you would never do that.¡±


    ¡°What a show that was!¡± called The Head of the Table as he strolled casually up to the pair while clapping his hands slowly, his twisted smile seeming oddly sincere for a demon. ¡°It¡¯s not often I have guests who refuse the feast that survive until the end. In my many millennia of organising The Dinner Party, I¡¯ve seen it just a little over a hundred times. It''s a rare treat, I have to say.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you will let us go?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°That was the deal, was it not?¡±


    ¡°And we should trust the word of a demon?¡± asked Friedrich.


    The Head of the Table rubbed his hands together and smirked. ¡°I understand your trepidation towards me, but a deal with a demon is one thing you can guarantee to be followed through upon. I may have offered unfavourable terms, but I will keep my word. How else would I be able to persuade others?¡±¡±


    The demon walked through the forest, beckoning Friedrich and Marina to follow him. With little other choice, they did so, but kept their hands tightly wrapped around their weapons. Sure enough, The Head of the Table took the duo to the clearing and then led them to the cave entrance. He gestured inside and the pair complied. Much to their surprise, the door had returned.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± asked Friedrich, eyeing the ash-skinned creature suspiciously.


    ¡°You are always welcome to return,¡± said The Head of the Table with a cunning grin.


    ¡°I would prefer not to,¡± said Friedrich, pushing the door open and walking through with Marina.


    The pair ran through the tunnel on the other side, desperate to ensure that the beach they had left behind was still here. Upon hearing the crashing of the waves and seeing the golden shore, they both fell onto the ground and laughed.


    ¡°I thought it was some sort of trick,¡± said Friedrich, wiping his brow with his sleeve.


    ¡°So did I,¡± said Marina, picking up handfuls of sand and letting the grains slip between her fingers. ¡°You owe me forty-nine kupons once we turn those mushrooms in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think the mushrooms were a ruse,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but if Reginald Gillet exists and pays us then I¡¯ll let you have the entirety of the reward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not greedy,¡± said Marina, sitting up and looking towards the distant boats of Akatfall that sat by the docks. ¡°I¡¯ll take the forty-nine and you can keep the sixteen remaining kupons to eat with for the next couple of days until you find a job that won¡¯t put us in mortal danger.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± said Friedrich, his hand unwittingly moving towards the minotaur mask that hung around his neck.

 Chapter 35 - The Three Orcs

    Friedrich walked the streets of Akatfall alone, looking for something to do while Marina spent a few hours training with her magic tutor, Hansel the Striker. As much as he would have loved to take up a menial task like killing rats or making a delivery, he was terrified that a menial task may escalate beyond his wildest imagination once again. Instead, he decided to take a small tour of the city while he had the spare time.


    ¡°Another beautiful day,¡± he said pleasantly as he strolled past a grand Temple of Jorren, wondering if he should perhaps set foot inside and pray.


    As Friedrich was about to move, he suddenly found himself knocked forcefully to the ground from behind.


    ¡°Watch it,¡± grunted a gravelly voice that moved on past.


    ¡°Watch it yourself, you hapless oaf,¡± called Friedrich, climbing to his feet.


    The man, who was flanked by two cronies, turned around and Friedrich¡¯s eyes widened in horror. He knew this tusked, green-skinned face. It was Krog, the same orc he had spied in the forest not long after he had first met Marina.


    ¡°You want to say that to my face?¡± asked Krog, taking a step forward. He was a burly fellow that could crush a skull in one hand quite easily and Friedrich suddenly didn¡¯t fancy his chances.


    There was nothing else for it, he had to go all in or take a beating anyway. ¡°I told you to watch where you¡¯re going you half-witted imbecile.¡±


    ¡°You know who yer talkin¡¯ to?¡± asked one of his cronies.


    ¡°Quiet, Arghur!¡± ordered Krog as he cracked his knuckles. ¡°I can fight my own battles. And this is gonna be a fight, alright.¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s hand was drawn to the minotaur mask around his neck, but before he could do anything, a pair of guards approached the quartet.


    ¡°Is there a problem here, gents?¡± asked one of the guards.


    ¡°You had best believe there¡¯s a problem,¡± said Krog. ¡°This runt insulted me and I don¡¯t take too kindly to being called stupid.¡±


    Friedrich knew that he could get away with it now that the guards were here. ¡°You don¡¯t take kindly to reality smacking you in the face, you ignoramus.¡±


    ¡°Why you little¡ª¡± yelled Krog, lunging for Friedrich, but the guards forced their way between the two.


    ¡°Don¡¯t antagonise him, lad,¡± said the guard, shoving Friedrich back. ¡°Have some sense. If the pair of you want to scrap then take it outside of the walls. If we here of anything going on in the city between the pair of you, we¡¯ll throw you in the cells for a week.¡±


    ¡°Outside the front gates in thirty minutes, boy,¡± said Krog. ¡°You had better show up or we¡¯ll be waiting for you next time you dare take a step past the walls of the city.¡±


    ¡°Keep it off the road,¡± said the guard. ¡°If you two really want to kill each other, do it somewhere none of us will have to clean up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you and your guard dogs there,¡± said Friedrich. He figured there was no way he could make the situation worse for himself, so pissing the orcs off may at least rile them up enough to make them sloppy. Then again, now that he was thinking about it, orcs were at their fiercest when infuriated.


    ¡°Guard dogs?¡± barked Krog¡¯s other companion.


    ¡°Shut up, Begok,¡± said Krog, walking away and beckoning his minions to follow him.


    The guards departed with the one that had told them to take the fight outside wishing Friedrich luck. He was glad of it because he would certainly need it.


    ¡°Dare I?¡± he said, running his hands over his tunic where the mask bulged underneath, just below his neckline. ¡°No¡­no, that would be a terrible idea. I¡¯ll kill all three of them.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to risk being jumped from an alleyway should the orcs decide not to play fair, so Friedrich took an unorthodox loop through the streets to get to the front gate. He wished he had Marina and Blackjack to back him up, but he also knew that if they were here, they would have stopped him from getting into the fight in the first place.


    Friedrich waited by the front gates for a few minutes, in two minds as to whether he should show up or not. He wouldn¡¯t put it past the orcs to track him down and murder him in his sleep, but he also knew that if he dragged it out, he could enlist Marina for backup when she was free from her training.


    He shook his head in shame at that last thought. It was disgraceful of him to even consider dragging her into it. That would put her at risk in an uneven fight. The last time the pair of them were outnumbered three to two against Muriance and his men, they barely escaped.


    Breathing deep, he stepped on through the gate and onto the path. It was still busy, but he could see the distinct orcs waiting a little down the road. When Krog spotted him coming, he gestured towards the trees to the left of the path and then beckoned for Friedrich to follow him and his cronies as they led the way into the forest.


    Friedrich followed them at a distance for a minute until they were out of sight of the path, as the guard had requested. His heart was beating rapidly and his breathing was quick. He knew that there was a strong chance that he would die if he didn¡¯t put on the minotaur mask, but he couldn¡¯t risk turning feral and attacking anyone in town. He was still much too close for comfort. He could kill a lot of innocents in five minutes.


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    ¡°Here,¡± said Krog, as he stopped in a small clearing and then turned around to Friedrich. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d show, you little worm. Got a pair on you, I¡¯ll have to give you that, but it doesn¡¯t matter now. You¡¯re at the end of the line, ya hear me?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯re we doing this?¡± asked Friedrich, drawing his sword. ¡°One on one?¡±


    The three orcs guffawed to each other. ¡°You think Arghur and Begok don¡¯t have a stake in this after you called them guard dogs?¡± asked Krog, retrieving his axe from his belt. ¡°Nah, human. We¡¯re going to take it in turns to hack off your limbs.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so weak that you needed help,¡± laughed Friedrich.


    Krog was infuriated and let out an angry roar, his pig-like nose turning up as his nostrils flared. ¡°You call me weak?¡± he yelled, so loudly that birds in a nearby tree scattered into the air, desperately flapping their wings to escape the danger.


    Krog was going to fight him one on one, Friedrich knew it. He just needed to rattle him further to throw him off without sending the orc into a berserker rage. ¡°Did you ever get that loot near Eagle¡¯s Crest?¡±


    The three orcs¡¯ jaws all dropped. They looked back and forth between each other, unsure of what to say. ¡°Eagle¡¯s Crest? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°That wild boar you were cooking looked mighty tasty,¡± said Friedrich, rubbing his stomach. ¡°Did you ever catch that fox, Begok?¡±


    ¡°Have you been following us?¡± demanded Begok, making for Friedrich before Krog pulled him back.


    ¡°What are you trying to pull here?¡± barked Krog. ¡°This some sort of witchcraft? How do you know any of this?¡±


    Friedrich shrugged. ¡°Just a lucky guess, perhaps¡­or maybe I can read minds. Wouldn¡¯t it be funny if I knew every move you were going to make before you even made it?¡±


    ¡°Kid trying to convince us he¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Arghur!¡± ordered Krog, shoving Arghur out of the way. ¡°Enough of your tricks, boy. We fight now!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, swishing his sword and bracing his shield. ¡°Come find out what I can do, Krog.¡±


    Krog charged forward with his axe raised, unleashing a mighty battle cry as he swung for Friedrich. The nimbler swordsman sidestepped the attack and cut a slice across Krog¡¯s leather armour. The orc retaliated with a follow up swing that Friedrich deftly blocked with his shield, but he felt the impact run up his arm. Had it not been for his shield, he would have lost the arm.


    Friedrich moved swiftly, dodging and parrying the attacks, but it was not easy. Shaken by Friedrich¡¯s antics as Krog may have been, he was not going to go down without a fight. With a particularly heavy cleave, he bashed Friedrich¡¯s shield so hard that the young man buckled at the knees. Krog laughed as he took a sweeping horizontal strike, aiming for Friedrich¡¯s neck, but Friedrich ducked in the nick of time and his head remained attached by the skin of his teeth.


    He scrambled between Krog¡¯s legs and hurried to his feet. From the corner of his eye, he could see Arghur and Begok readying their own axes, itching to join the fight. Krog spun around, gnashing his teeth at Friedrich who raised his shield and pointed his sword towards his opponent.


    Friedrich took a forward step and thrust his blade, but Krog smacked it out of the way and out of Friedrich¡¯s hand with his axe. With only his shield left, Friedrich was growing more desperate by the second. He could still run. He may just be able to escape if he transformed into a fox, but that wouldn¡¯t put an end to the problem.


    Krog swung and he swung, with Friedrich blocking and parrying with his shield. It was no easy task and his arm was tiring, but Krog had taken to playing with him and guffawed with each swing. After another couple of strikes, Krog shook his head.


    ¡°This ain¡¯t fun anymore,¡± he said. ¡°Come on, lads. We¡¯ll take a limb each and leave him one.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Friedrich muttered, as all three orcs were now encroaching upon him. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t do what?¡± asked Krog, but Friedrich had already done it.


    The minotaur mask touched his nose and he transformed before the eyes of the orcs. A second before, he was shorter and leaner than they were, but now he was much bigger and bulkier. Friedrich let out a roar and the three orcs stood frozen in horror at what they had just witnessed.


    ¡°Y-y-you¡­¡± stammered Krog before trailing off.


    ¡°Boss,¡± said Arghur uncertainly. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t gettin¡¯ mauled by that thing!¡± cried Bezok, who turned and fled.


    Friedrich snorted and walked towards the two remaining orcs, both of whom were trembling in fear. Krog decided to be brave and swung his axe, but Friedrich caught his arm and snapped it at the elbow with ease. The orc leader let out a bloodcurdling scream of agony as Friedrich tossed him to the ground.


    ¡°Get back!¡± screeched Krog as Friedrich bore down upon him, ready to sink his claws into the orc¡¯s stomach and tear it open.


    Friedrich wanted to give into the bestial instincts of the minotaur. He wanted to kill Krog so that he would never be a problem for him again. He wanted to eat the orc¡¯s limbs, picking the bones clean of all flesh. He wanted to give in, but he refused.


    The young man forced himself up and dragged Krog up with him by the unbroken arm. He kicked the orc square in the back with his hoof, booting him across the clearing and into the bushes. Krog climbed back to his feet, clutching his broken arm. With a last look at Friedrich, who gave a guttural grunt, the orc leader fled to join his already-gone companions.


    Alone, Friedrich had the strong urge for destruction, but he could not allow himself to venture near the city. Even without the bloodlust, he needed to do something to vent his rage without Marina here to calm him down. He charged straight for a tree and tore branch after branch from it, snapping them and hurling them into the bushes while snorting and roaring loudly.


    All he needed to do now was wait out the rest of the magic. Every second that passed was a second that everyone nearby was safer. He had to resist the urge to chase after the orcs. It would be easy to tear them apart and they were too afraid to fight back. It would be oh so easy. No. He could not. Once the bloodlust took him, he would lose his mind.


    Wrestling with the soul of the minotaur the entire time, the soul gem finally released Friedrich and the mask fell from his face, dangling by his neck once again. He let out a small laugh of relief as he dropped to his knees. He had done it; he had outlasted the minotaur¡¯s will all by himself.


    He took the minotaur mask from around his neck and cocked his arm back, ready to throw it away and never see it again. It would be someone else¡¯s problem next time. As Friedrich held it in his hand, his arm started shaking. He could not move. Why couldn¡¯t he throw it? The minotaur still had some power over him even though it was not in communion with his body. Frustrated, Friedrich let his arm fall and then hung the mask back around his neck.


    As much as he hated the minotaur, he believed he would need the mask before the end. The forces he was up against, the forces his father was held by, they would not fall easily. Every ounce of strength Friedrich could muster was a necessity. At least he had time. He had lots of time.


    After a few more minutes alone with his thoughts, he decided it was time to return to Akatfall. The orcs wouldn¡¯t bother him again, he was confident of that. If Marina wasn¡¯t finished with her lesson, he would sit by the fountain until she was. He would sit quietly and not antagonise anyone else, no matter how much he thought they deserved it.

 Patreon Announcement!

    Hello all! I hope you''ve all been having a great time reading Soul Masker.


    This is just a short post to announce that Soul Masker is 16 chapters ahead over on Patreon</a>. Much like with my other story, Minakai: Monster Tamer, there is a tier for just Soul Masker and a tier that bundles them together so you can pick and choose what suits you best. All tiers with advanced chapters gets you some behind the scenes updates, the most recent even features the Volume 2 cover!


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I''ve been having a lot of fun writing Soul Masker and don''t plan on slowing down. I''ve written up to Chapter 81, so there''s a good amount of backlog for both RR and Patreon. All support¡ªwhether it''s Patreon, comments on RR, followers, etc¡ªhelps push the story along further. I''ve got plotlines mapped out for many more volumes, lasting several years and I want to really push the series so that we can reach them, all the while having a blast along the way.


    Thanks for reading everything so far and here''s to a great journey along the path of Soul Masker!

 Chapter 36 - The Butcher of the Bay

    Friedrich stepped outside of the bank, having tossed a couple of dozen kupons into his portal vault. He was satisfied to be slowly gaining more wealth, but it was coming far too slowly for his liking. At this rate, Marina¡¯s jokes about him doing the accounting for the local taverns seemed like a viable alternative and he didn¡¯t like that one bit.


    ¡°A good start to my birthday,¡± he said merrily as he hopped down the stairs.


    ¡°Your birthday?¡± asked Marina, surprised. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention that before?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem important,¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    Marina looked him up and down. ¡°Come to think of it, you do seem bigger. You¡¯re almost two inches taller than me now.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re joking, but I do feel taller,¡± said Friedrich laughing. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy it while I can because I¡¯ll probably not grow that much from now on. People normally stop at around eighteen, right?¡±


    ¡°I think so?¡±


    ¡°That gives me one more year.¡±


    Marina held out her hand. ¡°Well, let me be the first to congratulate you on surviving the last couple of months with me.¡±


    Friedrich looked at her hand and shook his head. ¡°Nice try.¡±


    ¡°Please?¡± asked Marina, smiling sweetly at him and fluttering her eyelashes.


    With a sigh, Friedrich held out his hand and touched her palm. He felt a horrible surge of electricity run through his body and nearly toppled over, only just managing to maintain his composure.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting stronger, right?¡± Marina asked devilishly.


    ¡°Much,¡± said Friedrich, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of discomfort.


    ¡°I am the storm goddess!¡± called Marina, attracting a couple of odd stares from passersby.


    Friedrich laughed as she looked embarrassed. ¡°What does Hansel think of your progress?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He said I¡¯m doing very well, but I¡¯d like to still do better.¡±


    ¡°I know something you could do to make yourself more powerful.¡±


    ¡°Embed the lightning gem into my staff?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken all the fun out of me suggesting it, but¡­yes.¡±


    ¡°Then pretend I didn¡¯t say it,¡± said Marina with a wink. ¡°What a fantastic and original idea, Friedrich! Let¡¯s go right away so I can shoot bolts with the might of a storm.¡±


    The two Mercians walked through their capital, seeking an enchanter who would be able to combine the wooden staff with the magical gem. Marina insisted on not going to the Mages Guild, saying that she wanted to maintain some level of independence from them. The less they knew about her business, the better¡ªFriedrich thought she was overthinking things, but said nothing.


    Their wanderings and questioning of complete strangers eventually led them to a shop called Western Arch Enchantments, conveniently located by a large stone arch underneath a footbridge in the western half of town. Friedrich and Marina walked up the five steps leading to the door and headed inside.


    *


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to test it,¡± said Marina, twirling her newly enhanced staff in her hands as she skipped down the street. The purple stone set within the twisted tip of her gnarled implement fizzled with electricity even when she made no effort to channel her magic.


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t brandish it so wildly in case you blow up a building,¡± said Friedrich, looking around nervously. ¡°We couldn¡¯t afford to fix it before, but we definitely can¡¯t now that you¡¯ve spent most of what you have.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s take a more dangerous job,¡± said Marina, lowering the staff but continuing her giddy skipping.


    ¡°Do you want something else at the Dinner Party level of dangerous? I would prefer if we didn¡¯t repeat that horrible experience.¡±


    Marina bit her lower lip, regretting what she said. ¡°Not quite that dangerous. Perhaps something more toned down, but not as basic as killing rats in a tavern basement.¡±


    The two sought out a bounty board¡ªof which there were plenty around the city¡ªwhere Friedrich spied a familiar notice. He laughed at the sight of it and read it aloud to Marina.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.9817%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.9589%">


    BY ORDER OF KNIGHT CAPTAIN DESCARTES!


    The serial killer, known to locals as The Butcher of the Bay, is still on the loose. Any information regarding to his or her successful apprehension will be rewarded at a value dependent on its usefulness.


    As much as the city guard would prefer citizens to refrain from vigilantism, successful apprehension of the dangerous killer by a citizen will also be rewarded handsomely.


    REWARD: 500 kupons


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Five hundred kupons?¡± asked Marina, her jaw dropping.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich nodding along. ¡°I saw this notice when I found the one about the mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I thought we would be safer going for mushrooms, but maybe opting for hunting down a serial killer would be the best thing we could do to get a lot of kupons at once.¡±


    Marina pursed her lips and put a finger to her chin. ¡°For a city guard that doesn¡¯t want to encourage vigilantism, they don¡¯t seem to mind posting a large reward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost like they¡¯d rather not deal with it themselves, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Friedrich, taking the notice down, rolling it up and pocketing it.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Marina said to a young man walking down the street, waving him over.


    ¡°Yes?¡± asked the man who wouldn¡¯t have been more than a year or two older than Friedrich.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you so out of the blue, but what can you tell me about The Butcher of the Bay?¡±


    ¡°The Butcher?¡± asked the young man, looking nervous. ¡°Why in Eradrel would you be asking about that?¡±


    ¡°Please just tell me?¡± asked Marina, clasping her hands together and fluttering her eyelashes.


    ¡°Um¡­alright,¡± said the young man, rubbing his neck even more nervously than before. ¡°As far as I know it, he¡¯s struck three times and most of his murders have been somewhere close to Akatfall Bay. I couldn¡¯t tell you anything about his victims, but the guards would know more¡­if you can get anything out of them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Marina, smiling widely at the man who smiled back, walking away and bumping into an old lady because of his fixed gaze on Marina.


    ¡°That was sly,¡± said Friedrich, narrowing his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you be so manipulative?¡±


    ¡°Friedrich, how did we end up together?¡±


    Friedrich thought about it for a while. ¡°Alright, fair point. I¡¯m your primary victim.¡±


    ¡°To the docks!¡±


    ¡°He said Akatfall Bay.¡±


    ¡°Is that not the same thing?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, raising an eyebrow. ¡°The docks are a few streets further west and the bay is in the south end of the city. Haven¡¯t you learned anything about Akatfall in the weeks we¡¯ve been here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a little bit of magic,¡± said Marina, placing her hand on Friedrich¡¯s arm and smiling sinisterly.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± He could already feel the static running through his body and making him tingle.


    Marina giggled and took her hand away before gesturing down the street. Friedrich led the way through the town and the two made their way down the bustling streets of the capital and towards the bay.


    As they walked, they watched the city change from grand and civilised to rough and not-so-civilised¡ªuncivilised would have been a bit too harsh. They watched as drunkards were thrown out of taverns, but passersby would still take the time to help them up. They saw gamesman more or less rob gamblers in broad daylight with the power of cards and dice, but they had the decency to cut the losers off.


    It was approaching midday by the time they drew close to the bay. Friedrich could tell they were almost there as the flat streets became hilly and all paths led towards a large wall with a gate where a large body of water could just about be seen from a distance.


    ¡°Help!¡± called a woman as she ran through the streets covered in blood. ¡°The Butcher! The Butcher!¡±


    Friedrich and Marina ran to her. ¡°Where?¡± they asked in unison as the people in the street gave the woman a wide berth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± wept the woman, ¡°but Thomas¡­he¡¯s dead. I found him too late...stabbed.¡±


    ¡°Who is Thomas?¡± asked Friedrich as the woman fell to her knees and looked at the blood on her hands.


    ¡°He¡¯s the baker, children. Who would hurt a baker? What did he do to deserve this?¡±


    ¡°Where is the bakery?¡±


    ¡°Down there,¡± said the woman, pointing down the street. ¡°Come¡­I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    The woman ran with the two adventurers; she was almost limping, so overcome with emotion as she was. She brought them to a nearby building with a beautiful window display of delicious rolls and cakes, leading them inside.


    ¡°Agh!¡± screamed the woman as she laid eyes on the horrific sight before her.


    Friedrich was disgusted, but couldn¡¯t take his eyes away, while Marina leaned into him and covered her face. The body of the baker was not as intact as the duo had expected, but was utterly desecrated. The middle-aged man¡¯s innards were pulled out and strewn across the floor, while his head sat upon the countertop, very much separated from his body.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± asked the woman, her voice shaky and weak.


    ¡°You said he was stabbed,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t like this when I was here no more than two minutes ago, I swear it!¡±


    The woman tepidly approached the devastated remains of the baker and fell to her knees, weeping wildly. She leaned on the ground and scratched at the floorboards, asking aloud why the poor man deserved such a fate.


    As if to answer the call, a swirling shadow appeared in the centre of the room behind her. From within the shadow, stepped a red-skinned demon clad in thick black iron armour.


    ¡°Kree sha fyth, nor vas kudahl,¡± said the demon as it lunged for the woman.


    Friedrich charged at the demon, knocking towards the countertop. It spun around, drawing a segmented blade that moved like a snake. It thrust its twisted weapon at Friedrich who raised his shield just in time to avoid sharing Thomas¡¯s fate.


    The demon¡¯s head exploded almost instantly as a heavy lightning bolt struck it. The electricity spread throughout the rest of its body, cooking it within its black, spiked armour. It fizzled as it crumpled to the ground, where it lay as limp as its victim.


    Friedrich approached the demon and gave it a prod with his foot. He didn¡¯t expect anything to happen, nor did it, but feared that the demon would somehow spring back to life even after Marina obliterated it so thoroughly.


    ¡°That was definitely more powerful than your earlier bolts,¡± said Friedrich, wiping the splattered blood from his face.


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t mean to blow it up. Did I destroy our evidence?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We have enough of us as witnesses to tell the guards what happened?¡±


    ¡°What¡­what was that thing?¡± asked the woman, looking at the ironclad mass on the floor.


    ¡°A demon from the plane of Blackfire,¡± came a voice from the open doorway. ¡°It is a surprise to see the two of you here, Friedrich and Marina.¡±


    The two turned around, but they need not have. They recognised the voice from the first syllable. Before them, looking as stoic as ever, was Blackjack.

 Chapter 37 - Reunion

    ¡°Blackjack?¡± said Friedrich, shocked to see his and Marina¡¯s former travelling companion standing in the doorway.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, walking past him and crouching low to inspect the body of both the baker and the demon, all the while ignoring the distraught woman.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of here,¡± said Marina, helping the woman to her feet and guiding her outside. ¡°We will keep an eye on things here while you fetch one of the city guards.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°There was a demon here, Friedrich, was there not?¡± asked Blackjack.


    ¡°We both know the answer to that.¡±


    ¡°Then, of course I would be here. After all, I am a demon hunter. If The Butcher is deploying demons, I should be there with haste.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that, I suppose,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°You believe that wasn¡¯t The Butcher, merely a demon doing his work?¡±


    ¡°What I am wondering,¡± said Blackjack, ignoring Friedrich¡¯s question and standing up, ¡°is what you two are doing here?¡±


    ¡°We wanted to claim the bounty on The Butcher of the Bay,¡± said Marina, closing the door behind the woman. ¡°We didn¡¯t think we¡¯d get thrown in at the demonic deep end like this, but as long as we can make some kupons¡­¡±


    Blackjack looked back and forth between the two Mercians. ¡°I say this as someone who would prefer you both stay alive¡­please do not delve any deeper into the bar¡­excuse me, The Butcher.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Because I asked you not to.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    ¡°And I would hope that you would respect my request, as someone who shared the road with you for many days and nights. He is much better at covering his tracks than you realise, and The Butcher is as sharp as his dagger.¡±


    ¡°You still won¡¯t go as far as calling us friends, will you?¡± asked Friedrich, feeling slightly offended. ¡°You couldn¡¯t get away from us quickly enough when we arrived in town. After many weeks in each other¡¯s company and the things we¡¯ve seen together, seeking us out to at least say hello would have been nice.¡±


    Blackjack raised an eyebrow. ¡°You are being rather petty, Friedrich. We are not as close as you seem to think. We are not even of the same species, you and I. As much as I appreciated the company of both of you, and wish you will, I do not owe you anything.¡±


    ¡°Then I will not respect your request to leave The Butcher alone. We¡¯re going to claim the bounty before you do.¡±


    Marina stood there awkwardly as Friedrich and Blackjack locked eyes, both staring at each other, their eyes burning with rage. She knew Friedrich had a great deal of respect for Blackjack and that Blackjack cared more about the pair than she would ever let on, but the pair of them were too stubborn to fold.


    ¡°How many demons have you killed since you got to town, Blackjack?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± muttered Marina, seeing where he was going with this.


    ¡°Three,¡± said Blackjack.


    ¡°Between me and Marina, we¡¯ve killed eleven. It looks like we¡¯re better at this demon hunting business than you are, so perhaps you should leave it to the experts.¡±


    The Alaurian¡¯s golden skin were suddenly flushed deep orange as she tried to hold back her fury. ¡°You have a lot of nerve, little Mercian,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°How about a little bit of¡­friendly competition?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± said Friedrich smugly.


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    ¡°We will see who catches The Butcher of the Bay first. If I win, you are to turn over your minotaur mask so that it may be destroyed. I do not trust the spirit within it after what happened at the forest shrine.¡±


    Friedrich nodded slowly, mulling over what he wanted when he would win. ¡°And if we catch The Butcher first, you¡¯re going to tell us your name.¡±


    Blackjack let out a single high-pitched laugh. ¡°It is a deal.¡±


    The high elf walked past the two Mercians and left without saying another word, still orange-faced after Friedrich¡¯s cutting comments about who had killed more demons.


    Marina put a palm to her forehead and shook head vigorously. ¡°The pair of you two need your heads examined.¡±


    Friedrich shrugged. ¡°She started it.¡±


    ¡°So? She didn¡¯t want to tell us anything because she doesn¡¯t want us getting hurt. Rather than you seeing it as her caring about us, you antagonised her. She may have not been open with us, but you took things too far.¡±


    Friedrich furrowed his brow. ¡°I would appreciate it if a friend treated me as a friend rather than a baby that needs to be coddled.¡±


    ¡°Why are you always so upset when someone calls you a child or treats you like one? Even when they mean no harm?¡±


    ¡°It bothers me.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but why?¡±


    Friedrich didn¡¯t answer. He walked around the counter and started searching the drawers, shelves and cupboards for anything that would give him some sort of clue about The Butcher and what connection the unfortunate Thomas may have had with the serial killer.


    He searched in silence, wanting to tell Marina why it bothered him so much to be thought of as a child, but he could not muster up the courage to do so. It pained him greatly what he had been put through the last couple of years, especially with how it had torn apart his family, but to say it out loud was to accept it. His hand had been forced and he had to grow up far too quickly.


    Marina did not question Friedrich further and helped him search. She looked around the shop floor while he made his way upstairs to the deceased baker¡¯s living quarters. Upon seeing a book resting on a table by Thomas¡¯s bed, Friedrich picked it up and flicked through it; it was a diary.


    ¡°What do we have here?¡± muttered Friedrich, looking at the last page. He immediately rushed back down to Marina, but the front door opened as soon as he set foot on the wooden planks of the shop floor.


    ¡°You two,¡± barked a rugged man in armour as he stepped into the shop with another town guard following him.


    ¡°Yes?¡± asked Marina as Friedrich subtly slipped the diary under his tunic.


    ¡°My name is Patrolman Jacques,¡± said the guard sternly. ¡°I heard from Mildred that the pair of you were the ones who killed the demon who slew the baker. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Patrolman Jaques. ¡°Patrolman Veyers and I have a few questions for you. If your stories line up, then you are free to go. If not, we¡¯ll be hauling you down to the guardhouse for a more thorough probing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think we were behind this, do you?¡± asked Marina, looking worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting that you do, but we cannot rule out any possibilities.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll answer whatever questions you have for us,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Patrolman Veyers, reaching into his pack and pulling out a scroll and quill that he set upon the counter beside the decapitated head of Thomas the baker. ¡°We¡¯ll make this quick and hopefully you two can be on your way.


    *


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how long that took,¡± said Friedrich, rubbing his eyes as he and Marina walked down the street in the dead of night.


    The two patrolmen were joined by other city guardsmen who investigated the mess of blood and guts at the bakery. The questions were long and repetitive enough, but each minor comment their colleagues made while inspecting the eviscerated bodies of the baker and the demon led to more questions from Patrolman Jacques and Patrolman Veyers.


    ¡°It was painful,¡± said Marina, locking arms with Friedrich and resting her head on his shoulder. ¡°Can we have some supper and then go to sleep? I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    Friedrich reached behind is back and pulled the diary out from under his tunic. ¡°Of course, and we can read this while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    Marina stopped walking and her mouth hung open. ¡°Where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°I found it on¡ª¡±


    ¡°More importantly, why didn¡¯t you mention it to the guards?¡±


    ¡°Well, I though¡ª¡±


    ¡°You could get us in so much trouble!¡±


    ¡°Marina!¡± called Friedrich.


    ¡°Sorry¡­I¡¯ll let you explain.¡±


    Friedrich suddenly realised how foolish his explanation was going to be, but he couldn¡¯t back out now. ¡°I didn¡¯t want them taking it away from me when it could help me beat Blackjack to finding The Butcher.¡±


    ¡°Well, considering how the guards seem to be dragging their feet and focusing on the least important details¡­I think it¡¯s the right move.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± asked Friedrich. He was very surprised that she hadn¡¯t called him petty, as Blackjack had.


    Marina nodded. ¡°I think we have a better chance of catching The Butcher than the city guardsmen. If we can bypass all the red tape they have to deal with, then maybe we can save a few lives along the way. I¡¯m sorry I flew off the handle.¡±


    ¡°Just wait until you see what Thomas had to say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve read it already?¡±


    ¡°I had a quick glance to see if there was anything important and I think we¡¯ve got a lead to follow up on in the morning. A man named Galvus may be able to help us.¡±


    ¡°The Lightning Foxes are going to be a household name in Akatfall once we¡¯ve brought The Butcher of the Bay to justice. We will get you that boat very soon and set sail for Kai¡¯roh at last.¡±

 Chapter 38 - The Fisherman

    It was a new morning Friedrich and Marina walked down the hill towards the gate leading into Akatfall Bay. After reading and re-reading the baker¡¯s diary they followed the trail to Galvus, which led them straight back to where they were the previous day. It was a minor frustration in the grand scheme of things, considering they were confident that they were on the right path.


    Friedrich opened the diary to the final page again and read it aloud to Marina. ¡°I met old Galvus trying to peddle his fish outside my shop again. When I tried to shoo him away, he said that the Butcher was back and this time he would not stop. There was something about blood rituals to be fulfilled, but it did made little sense to me. What prompted him to say such a thing in the middle of the street, I do not know, but I will be wary of him in the future. I¡¯ve always thought of him as a raving madman, but never someone nefarious.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to watch ourselves around him,¡± said Marina, twirling her staff in her hands.


    ¡°Stop spinning that around!¡± Friedrich scolded her. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what you can do with just a simple lightning bolt now that it¡¯s powered up by the amethyst.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± said Marina, ceasing the spinning and holding her magical implement steady.


    ¡°I hope this diary isn¡¯t a load of nonsense,¡± said Friedrich, looking longingly towards the ships he could see resting in the water ahead. This


    Marina looked more confident than Friedrich and shook her head. ¡°Thomas being told something about The Butcher and then becoming a target seems to piece together well. Perhaps Galvus is at risk next?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he is The Butcher,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We need to find out. I can¡¯t lose to Blackjack!¡±


    ¡°And risk letting innocents die, of course.¡±


    ¡°That too.¡±


    The two walked underneath he archway and the bay opened up before them. There was a large sandy beach running around the edge of the water to their left and, to their right, was where the bay opened up and led the way to the sea. Before them stood the pier where three large boats sat waiting for their chance to take to the open waters once again. Friedrich could see a crew from the largest of the boats unloading crates onto the wooden walkway.


    Friedrich and Marina walked up to the pier and towards a middle-aged man with red hair in a long grey coat with a sabre hanging from his belt. He was directing his men, telling them which crates should be stacked in which pile.


    ¡°Come on now, gents!¡± he grumbled, having just ordered two of his crewmen to fix a mistake they made.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Friedrich, approaching the captain.


    ¡°Eh?¡± he said, turning towards them. ¡°Oh. What do you want, young¡¯uns, I¡¯m a little busy keeping these hellions in line.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a fisherman named Galvus,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°You don¡¯t by any chance know where he would be, do you?¡±


    The captain silently looked at the two for a moment and then laughed uproariously. ¡°Ol¡¯ Galvus? What could you possibly want with him?¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s it¡¯ funny that we¡¯re looking for him?¡±


    ¡°The man¡¯s a loon,¡± said the captain, reaching out his hand to both Friedrich and Marina. ¡°Name¡¯s Captain Alden. How about the pair of you?¡±


    ¡°Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    ¡°Well, Friedrich and Marina,¡± said Captain Alden. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d give Galvus a wide berth. He¡¯s a bit of a wildcard to put it mildly. Says a lot of things that aren¡¯t true, but gets¡­well, he gets upset if you ever dare accuse him of being a liar. He¡¯s taken a swing or two at me in my time.¡±


    ¡°We believe he knows something about The Butcher of the Bay,¡± said Friedrich, wiping the smile from Captain Alden¡¯s face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say? Well, considering he spends all of his time either here in the bay area of town, I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised. That said, you need to take whatever he says with a pinch of salt.¡±


    ¡°Please, Captain Alden,¡± said Marina. ¡°Can you tell us where to find him?¡±


    ¡°Only if the pair of you promise to watch yourselves. No good can come for youngsters seeking out dangerous killers. Wouldn¡¯t want you getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°We promise,¡± said Friedrich and Marina in unison.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, but I¡¯ll tell you anyway,¡± said the captain, turning and pointing towards a small hut at the far side of the bay. ¡°That¡¯s Galvus¡¯s cabin. Not sure if he¡¯s in, he may be out in his little boat, but you can give his door a knock and see.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Captain Alden,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± said Friedrich, looking past the captain towards his boat. ¡°You¡¯re a sailor, Captain. Where did you come journey from?¡±


    ¡°Lots of place,¡± said the captain with a hearty guffaw. ¡°Most recently, we came from western Corobath, but we¡¯ll be heading off to Kai¡¯roh in a few days.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina looked at each other. ¡°Kai¡¯roh?¡± Friedrich said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said, lad, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How much would it cost us for passageway when you set sail?¡±


    ¡°You want to go to Kai¡¯roh? You asked your mummy and daddy?¡±


    Friedrich scowled. ¡°Never mind.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m just pulling your leg, son. Thirty kupons apiece and it¡¯s a deal. As long as you don¡¯t mind sleeping on a couple of old hammocks.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take you up on that, Captain,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°But we need to see what we can find out about The Butcher first.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Captain Alden as Friedrich and Marina departed. ¡°Watch yourselves, young¡¯uns.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina gleefully talked about securing cheap passage to Kai¡¯roh, but neither wanted to simply abandon their mission to capture The Butcher. They had no idea how easy it would be to make money in Kai¡¯roh and needed to have enough to keep them going until they had fulfilled Kitt¡¯s request.


    The two walked around the edge of the bay, following the shore until they reached a small boat that lay on the sand, hidden by a rock that it was tied to. It sat a mere fifty feet away from Galvus¡¯s house, and the two eagerly hurried up to the fisherman¡¯s cabin.


    ¡°What?¡± called a gruff voice as Friedrich raised a fist to knock on the cabin door. He and Marina looked at each other in surprise.


    ¡°Excuse me, but are you Galvus?¡± he asked, taken aback.


    ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°My name is Friedrich, and this is Marina.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°We believe you were talking to Thomas the baker before he died?¡±


    The door suddenly swung wide open and, in the doorway, stood Galvus. He was a scrawny man with long, oily grey hair that hung slick and limp. His face was turned into an unpleasant sneer, as though he was constantly smelling some foul odour. Perhaps it was his own fishy odour that he was smelling, so strong and pungent as it was.


    ¡°What do you know about Thomas?¡± growled Galvus.


    Friedrich pulled out the diary and read the final entry to Galvus.


    ¡°Tried to sell my fish on the street and the man has a bad reaction. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not worried about that part,¡± said Friedrich, closing the diary and stashing it away again. ¡°It¡¯s what he said you said about The Butcher of the Bay. You said that he¡¯s back again and this time he wouldn¡¯t stop. What does that mean?¡±


    Galvus looked past Friedrich and Marina, as though trying to make sure they were alone. He then pushed past them and beckoned them to follow as he approached the water.


    ¡°Need to make sure nobody is lurking in the shadows and can overhear,¡± said Galvus in a hushed voice. ¡°Can¡¯t be too careful these days, children.¡±


    Friedrich bit his tongue, not wanting to antagonise the man who may be able to help him in the hunt for The Butcher.


    Galvus sat down on the rock that he had tied his boat to and looked around once more. His eyes fixated on Captain Alden and his crew for a short while before nodding slowly. ¡°I think we¡¯re safe,¡± he said. ¡°You two want to know about The Butcher?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to stop him,¡± added Marina.


    ¡°Heh,¡± laughed Galvus. ¡°You two are in over your heads. Ain¡¯t nobody stopping The Butcher this time. Got himself an allegiance with demons this time, and that¡¯s something even the city guards will be overwhelmed by if The Butcher gets his way.¡±


    ¡°Galvus, can you please tell us what you know?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Course I can,¡± said Galvus, lowering his gaze. ¡°I can even tell you who The Butcher of the Bay is, did you know?¡±


    The two young Mercians stood before Galvus, holding their breaths in anticipation as they waited for the old man to speak.


    ¡°About twenty years ago, there was a series of murders throughout town. Each and every one of them happened around the bay, and each one of them was done in the exact same way. The victim¡¯s head was cut from his body and the rest of the body was mutilated beyond recognition. Many thought it was the workings of a simple madman, but I knew better. Dug around a little, so I did. Me and an old friend of mine, Luthrus Buckstone, thought we would be heroes and catch the criminal in the act. Of course, it was not so simple.


    ¡°We spent many a night skulking around the streets, keeping ourselves out of sight, but constantly on the move. We were determined to catch the big fish and make a name for ourselves¡­well, I would make a name for myself and Luthrus would solidify himself as a true lord of the city when it was his turn to take over from his father, Lord Buckstone.


    ¡°One night, I waited for Luthrus, but he never showed up. I thought perhaps one of the servants of the castle had caught him sneaking out for our little bout of vigilantism. I decided I would go on the hunt by myself but, as usual, I found not a sight and heard not a peep¡­until I got home.¡±


    ¡°What did you find?¡± asked Marina, but Friedrich already knew the answer.


    ¡°I found my friend Luthrus, dead in front of my house. His body was spread across the street and his head sat on the top step, watching over the streets of the bay area. I was more determined than ever to catch the predator, but my wife was terrified for our safety. She left me and took the children, moving themselves far away from Akatfall, but I could not stop.


    ¡°Would you believe that shortly after that, I had a stroke of luck? I caught the murderer in the act as he butchered a jeweller. When I was twenty years younger, I could put up a much better fight than I can now. I managed to wrestle the Butcher¡¯s dagger from him, but he escaped into the night.


    ¡°Now this dagger was the key to everything. It was what told me the Butcher¡¯s plan, it was what told me who the Butcher was, but the loss of this dagger was what made the Butcher stop. I felt an evil presence coming from within the dagger, so I took it to the Mages Guild. They took one look at my scraggly self and didn¡¯t want to even let me through the doorway, but a kind mage took pity on me.


    ¡°This mage listened to my tale and took the dagger, performing all manner of rituals on it. He was able to discern that it was a dagger from Blackfire, but it was not simply a demonic weapon; it was much more. It was a funnel that sapped the life from its victims and gave it to a greater demon. The killings were not the work of a madman, but someone who desired power.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Baron Pelagius,¡± said Galvus quietly.


    Marina gave him a look of confusion; she did not know this name. Much to Friedrich¡¯s surprise, it was a name he had heard in his old life. He knew the name as an associate of his father, but knew little about the man himself.


    ¡°Baron Pelagius is a rich and powerful man, no doubt, being a baron,¡± said Friedrich slowly, ¡°but he was not the one we saw at Thomas¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°And that is why this time around, he is more dangerous,¡± said Galvus. ¡°He is no longer killing on behalf of demons for his own ends, he is in allegiance with demons much more directly and that makes him a much greater threat. But rest assured, he will have to make the final killing himself for him to be bestowed the unholy blessings of the foul, wretched beasts of Blackfire.¡±


    ¡°You are certain that it¡¯s Baron Pelagius?¡± asked Marina. ¡°It has been twenty years.¡±


    ¡°I am certain alright,¡± said Galvus, looking around once more, ¡°because the dagger was stolen from the Mages Guild two months ago. He has it and he will use it to make the final killing himself.¡±


    ¡°And who does he intend to kill?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Who is one of the most powerful men in the city, barring the king himself.¡±


    ¡°Lord Buckstone,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Galvus. ¡°The father of my dearly departed friend, Luthrus, Lord Albert Buckstone. He has made twelve kills, and Lord Buckstone will be his next target. I suspect it will be tomorrow at the lord¡¯s ball. The thirteenth kill will complete his pact with the demons, exactly as the mage told me many years ago.¡±


    ¡°Twelve kills? We heard it was three kills, and then Thomas makes a fourth.¡±


    ¡°And who do you think is ensuring the Butcher¡¯s involvement is being covered up in many of these killings? Baron Pelagius has great sway over what gets reported on.¡±


    Marina looked aghast. ¡°Twelve murders? What happens when he kills Lord Buckstone?¡±


    ¡°My best guess? He has been promised the position of the next Lord of Akatfall. And I bet he¡¯s left me alive out of spite. Should the baron become the lord, then I have no doubt I will be murdered in my sleep.¡±


    ¡°Is there nothing we can do to stop him?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Not unless you have an invitation to the ball,¡± said Galvus, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°If you don¡¯t have one, you would need to sneak in.¡±


    Friedrich looked to Marina. ¡°Would you like to go shopping?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Shopping?¡± she replied with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes. If we¡¯re going to the ball, we need to look the part, don¡¯t we?¡±

 Chapter 39 - The Belle of the Ball

    ¡°This suit is uncomfortable,¡± said Friedrich, adjusting himself as he walked up the path towards Akatfall Castle. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to burn it once we¡¯ve apprehended The Butcher.¡±


    ¡°I think you look handsome,¡± said Marina, locking arms with him. ¡°Now shush, we need to look regal.¡±


    Friedrich was dressed in a long red shirt with a puffy white cravat, behind which he hid both his fox and minotaur masks. He was covered in a black coat that ran down to his knees, the hems of which were trimmed with an ornate golden pattern. He had even gone as far as to get black leather gloves as gloves seemed to be in fashion among the Mercian nobles that he and Marina had glimpsed in Akatfall.


    Marina, meanwhile, was wearing a baby blue ballgown of velvet and silk. It too was lined with gold, but the gold was much more pronounced than Friedrich¡¯s. Even the lace that bound her corset was a shining gold that glistened in the light of the sunset. Her ample, yet typically well-covered, chest was only enhanced by the dress, which caught the attention of many of the men who laid eyes upon her. Draped over her shoulders and curled around her arms was a white, silk shawl that was so fine that it was like a pearl.


    The two walked towards the grand staircase built into the hill along with many others. The horses and carriages carrying dozens of guests stopped and they all joined the dispersed crowd as they made their way towards the castle, all the while servants stood lining the steps without moving a single muscle.


    ¡°Remember the plan,¡± Friedrich said.


    ¡°We left our invitations behind,¡± said Marina.


    They had talked over how they planned to infiltrate the ball many times over, coming up with plans both wild and simple. Their first effort would be to pretend that they had left forgotten their invitations in the hopes that their high-class attire would be persuasive enough. Failing that, they were going to sneak around the back and climb through a window.


    As they approached the door, a steward was surveying people and waving those who presented invitations on through. A couple of people before Friedrich and Marina did not have invitations, but upon a wave of the steward¡¯s hands, they were admitted. What was going on? Friedrich started to feel nervous.


    ¡°Invitations,¡± said the steward.


    ¡°We left them at home,¡± said Marina, her voice trembling a little.


    The steward sighed. ¡°No matter. If you are of noble blood, you will be permitted entry.¡±


    He held up his hands as he had done to others before and weaved a subtle spell. Both Friedrich and Marina felt themselves being read by the steward¡¯s spell. It was an odd feeling, as though a soft breeze was blowing through their veins.


    ¡°You may pass,¡± said the steward and the two walked on inside.


    ¡°Noble blood?¡± asked Friedrich once he and Marina were out of earshot of the steward.


    ¡°It must be a mistake,¡± said Marina with a shrug. ¡°A defective spell.¡±


    Friedrich knew that the spell was not defective, for he himself was of noble blood. Marina had been admitted too, which meant that she was also a noble; for whatever reason, she was lying to him.


    ¡°Yes, it mustn¡¯t have worked,¡± he muttered.


    The two followed the crowd up a grand set of stairs, through a beautiful archway and into a large chamber. The walls and ceiling were of white and covered in ornate golden patterns that glowed warmly from the light of the crystal chandelier in the centre of the ceiling and the shining crystals that hung halfway up the walls. The wooden floor was so polished that there was not a single scratch to be found, yet it was not slippery. Friedrich dreaded the idea of dancing and would far rather have stomped around as a minotaur.


    At the far end of the room was a large table where many of the highest class of nobles in the city sat. Right at the centre was a man who could only have been Lord Buckstone himself. He was old, but not frail, his grey hair kept neatly in place by a golden circlet while his beard was trimmed to perfection. He watched over the ballroom from his high table, while the guests danced and the orchestra to the left of the room played their beautiful music.


    ¡°Shall we dance?¡± Marina asked Friedrich, smiling at him.


    ¡°We¡¯re here on a mission,¡± Friedrich said, not noticing Marina¡¯s face drop a little.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, hiding her disappointment. ¡°We¡¯ll split up and search for Baron Pelagius.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, moving along while looking from person to person, trying to work out who the baron may have been without being too obvious.


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    He was tempted to start asking the other guests, but thought it was better to take the subtle approach for the time being. Friedrich could still see Lord Buckstone sitting at the chair with his wife beside him, so everything was fine for now. He just had to make sure it stood that way.


    As he finished his first lap around the edge of the room and drew close to the door once more, he heard the mutterings of many men, bachelors and married ones alike. A woman had arrived and her beauty was so intoxicating that she had gathered a small crowd around her.


    She wore silk ballgown with a white lace pattern running from her chest to her stomach, where the pattern became solid gold and carried on to the bottom of her dress where it ended in a point. The top of the dress had a similar pointed gold motif that exposed her shoulders and the top of her arms, while a golden necklace filled with sapphires adorned her neck. She wore long gloves of white and lilac that stretched almost to her elbows.


    But it was not the divinely elegant dress that drew the attention of the men, it was the woman¡¯s frame and her face. She was tall and slender with blonde hair so shining that would have been blinding in brighter light. Her eyes shone like emeralds greener than the deepest forests and her golden skin glowed in the warm light of the ballroom.


    ¡°Do you see her?¡± asked one of the men, nudging Friedrich with his elbow. ¡°I have never seen an elf so beautiful.¡±


    The man¡¯s wife grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away as Friedrich stared as Blackjack, almost enamoured too. He had always known she was beautiful, but she kept herself so shadowed in her dark armour and with her hood obscuring her that he often forgot.


    As she walked into the room, the gathering of men hurried to move out of the way to let her through. Upon seeing Friedrich, her eyes narrowed and she approached him.


    ¡°I would say I am surprised to see you here, Friedrich,¡± she said, ¡°but you always seem to be more resourceful than I give you credit for.¡±


    ¡°I have my ways,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°And how did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°I can be very persuasive,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°I am much more than an archer, and you would do well to remember that.¡±


    A very handsome man approached the pair, stepping past Friedrich as though he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Might I say,¡± he said to Blackjack. ¡°You are the most radiant woman I have ever seen. Would you do me the honour of dancing with me?¡±


    He bowed and held his hand out to her, but she walked past him and took Friedrich by the arm. ¡°I am afraid that I fianc¨¦ would not approve of that, would you dear?¡±


    Friedrich was taken aback. ¡°Um¡­no, I would not,¡± he said, as the man stood up, straightened his jacket and walked away red-faced.


    ¡°We are going to put aside our competition for now,¡± said Blackjack quietly. ¡°We need to find Baron Pelagius before he slays the lord.¡±


    ¡°You know about that?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I am much more than an archer. I have been keeping track of him for weeks and I know what he plans to do. I have studied the history of The Butcher and his role in the killings¡ª¡±


    ¡°Twenty years ago.¡±


    ¡°You are indeed more resourceful than I give you credit for. Dance with me.¡±


    Blackjack placed one of Friedrich¡¯s hands on her hips and put one of hers on his shoulder. Her other hand locked fingers with his other hands and she led the dance, moving into the centre of the room, where many of the other revellers were moving in the same way to the symphony of the orchestra.


    ¡°You have gotten taller,¡± said Blackjack, her eyes level with Friedrich, whereas only a month ago she was several inches taller than him.


    ¡°Growth spurt,¡± he said, surprised that they were now matching in height.


    ¡°Is Marina here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we split up to try and find the baron before he gets to work.¡±


    ¡°We need to keep an eye on Lord Buckstone,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°That can be your job.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s sitting in the centre of the high table,¡± said Friedrich, nodding to the far end of the room.


    Blackjack put her head close to Friedrich and looked over his shoulder. ¡°Where?¡±


    Friedrich took the lead on the dance and spun her around so that he could see the table. To his horror, Lord Buckstone was no longer sitting at it.


    ¡°He was there only two minutes ago,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then he cannot have gone far, let us seek him out before it is too late.¡±


    ¡°What about Marina?¡±


    ¡°I do not see her either, we will have to go without her.¡±


    Blackjack released Friedrich¡¯s hand and moved swiftly from the dancefloor, leading him towards a door near the back of the room. She opened it and the two headed into a quiet corridor that was lit much more dimly than the ballroom.


    ¡°This way,¡± said Blackjack, moving along the corridor and heading down a passage to the right.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°To the lord¡¯s study. It is the only room of any significance to him in this section of the castle. It is our best chance at finding him.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± asked Friedrich as he followed Blackjack down another passage and to a door.


    ¡°I have studied this place,¡± she said. ¡°Evidently, you have not.¡±


    She opened the door to the study and headed on inside. Friedrich followed and closed the door behind him. The room was lined with bookshelves and a large, oak pine desk sat near the window with the moonlight pouring through onto it. The lord was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°We keep looking,¡± said Blackjack, sighing and walked over to the window.


    A portrait on the wall caught Friedrich¡¯s eye. It was of a young man, seemingly in his late twenties, who looked a lot like the lord but without the beard and grey hair. At the bottom of the portrait, was a small plaque that read¡­


    ¡°Luthrus Buckstone,¡± said Friedrich quietly.


    Blackjack walked beside him. ¡°The lord¡¯s youngest son. Do you know what happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, I do.¡±


    ¡°We will avenge him,¡± said Blackjack, her voice stern. ¡°No family should suffer the loss of a loved one to a demon. An act of evil such as that requires retribution. We will ensure that the Baron Pelagius does not dare harm another ever again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about how I spoke to you two days ago,¡± said Friedrich, turning to Blackjack. ¡°I know you were trying to keep us safe.¡±


    ¡°I should not have kept you in the dark. Perhaps you would have listened to me had I not been so prideful.¡±


    ¡°Can we put an end to our competition?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be for the best.¡±


    The doorhandle suddenly rattled, bringing Friedrich and Blackjack to full alert.

 Chapter 40 - Apprehension

    As the door opened, Blackjack quickly placed her hands on Friedrich¡¯s face and pulled him towards her. She planted her soft, warm lips upon his and kissed him deeply. There was a sudden yelp of surprise from the man who had walked in and seen pair together.


    ¡°Goodness gracious,¡± said the man, who was wearing servant¡¯s attire. ¡°Have you no shame? Do you know where you are?¡±


    Blackjack released Friedrich. ¡°I am sorry? No, I do not. We simply wanted somewhere private to express our affection.¡±


    ¡°Shoo! The pair of you,¡± said the man, marching up to Friedrich and Blackjack while waving his hands.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry,¡± muttered Friedrich, taking Blackjack by the hand and rushing from the room. Once they were out of earshot of the servant, he let go of the high elf¡¯s hand and turned to her. ¡°What was that?¡± he asked, still shocked to his core.


    ¡°If he thought we were snooping around the lord¡¯s study, the guards would have been alerted and we would have been thrown out. That would not make our hunt for the baron easier.¡±


    ¡°That¡­makes sense¡­alright. Did you have to take such drastic measures?¡±


    Blackjack¡¯s face was flushed with embarrassment. ¡°I would prefer if we never speak of this again. It was an act of desperation and I derived no pleasure from it whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Friedrich, avoiding eye contact. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the ballroom before we¡¯re too late.¡±


    The two hurried through the corridors and back through the door that led them into the ballroom. Much to their relief, Lord Buckstone was back at his table. Marina spied the two emerging from the door and hurried over to them.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Nowhere,¡± said Friedrich, awkwardly.


    ¡°Looking for the lord,¡± said Blackjack, shooting him a dirty look.


    Marina shook her head. ¡°He left through the front door to greet someone and returned straight away. You didn¡¯t need to panic and run off.¡±


    ¡°Who did the lord greet?¡±


    ¡°That man,¡± said Marina, pointing to a man with slick black hair and a beard that was starting to turn grey.


    ¡°That is him,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°That man is Baron Pelagius.¡±


    ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Marina shook her head. ¡°What, are we supposed to assassinate him in front of a crowd of some of the most influential people in the city and beyond? We need something a little more solid than that, Friedrich.¡±


    Just then, Lord Buckstone stood up and held up a hand for the orchestra to fade out. Once there was silence, he tapped a spoon to his glass and the chattering of the people fell to silence. The lord cleared his throat and began.


    ¡°Greetings to you all, my esteemed guests. I thank you all for taking the time to be here for our annual ball. I trust that everyone is enjoying themselves so far and has quite the appetite for the banquet that is being so carefully constructed by my team of the highest quality chefs that Mercia has to offer. If the king were here today, he would say the same. It is¡ª¡±


    ¡°The baron¡¯s hand is twitching,¡± muttered Blackjack as the lord continued his speech. ¡°Surely he would not commit the murder in front of all these people?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t,¡± said Friedrich, crouching low so as not to be noticed as he slipped on the fox mask.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± warned Marina as Friedrich slinked around the edge of the room.


    The crowd were so focused on Lord Buckstone that nobody noticed the small, golden fox slipping under the tablecloth of the high table. Friedrich headed straight for the centre and poked his nose and eyes out from underneath, keeping a careful eye on Baron Pelagius.


    Blackjack was right, his hand was twitching, but that was not all. There was a curved blade in his hand, black as obsidian and sharp enough to cut through bone like butter. The corner of the baron¡¯s mouth twitched into a small smile that he forced back to neutrality. He was almost giddy at the thought of his plan coming to fruition.


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    ¡°¡ªand now, I would like to invite my good friend, Baron Pelagius to say a few words.¡±


    The baron stood up, moving his hand underneath his cloak to conceal the knife as the crowd applauded the lord. ¡°Thank you, my most gracious Lord Buckstone. It is truly an honour to be invited to speak in front of so many highly recognised faces. What a glorious night it will be, for so many reasons, but before I get to that, I would like to invite a few more friends to join us.¡±


    The baron¡¯s voice turned dark. ¡°Tokresh dogak tethrus,¡± he uttered, his voice rippling as he spoke the incantation.


    In a flash of swirling red and black lights, appeared two dozen demons on the ballroom floor. Before the guests even had time to react, the baron pulled out his knife and lunged at a horrified Lord Buckstone, but Friedrich was ready. The second the baron¡¯s arm moved, he leapt and sank his teeth into the twisted nobleman¡¯s wrist, making him release the dagger. It fell to the floor and Friedrich unclenched his jaw and retrieved the blade, carrying it away in his mouth as he ran from under the table.


    Blackjack and Marina were among the few guests who dared fight against the demonic invaders, Blackjack using a concealed dagger she had smuggled in and Marina utilising her latest spell, Shock Touch, which she did not have to rely on her staff for.


    Friedrich ran, careful to not accidentally cut himself with the sharp, demonic blade. As he approached his companions, Blackjack noticed him. He jumped to her and she took the dagger from his mouth. Friedrich wished he could turn back into a human right now, feeling incredibly vulnerable as a fox, but he had to stall for at least another minute.


    An armoured demon approached him, raising its Warhammer high and bringing it down in a heavy swing. Friedrich scurried out of the way and leapt onto the demon¡¯s arms as its weapon broke the floor. He ran up its arms and scratched across its eyes, making the hellspawn recoil and drop its weapon. He sank his teeth into its neck, biting the demon¡¯s throat as hard as he could. It was not enough to kill it, but it was enough to distract it. Marina seized the opportunity and grabbed onto the demon¡¯s face, releasing as much electrical energy as she could. The demon felt her spell course through it and it fell to the ground, unconscious.


    ¡°The baron!¡± called Marina as guards rushed into the ballroom to aid in the fight against the demons.


    Baron Pelagius was fleeing through the side door that Friedrich and Blackjack had returned from mere minutes ago. Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack ran through the door after them, unwilling to let him escape. For all they knew, he already had a cover story in place for if his plan failed. No, they would not let him find a way to weasel his way out of the consequences of his actions.


    As they ran down through the corridors of the castle, the baron looked over his shoulder and saw the party gaining on him quickly. He cursed and then uttered another incantation, summoning a trio of demons into the hall to deal with each of his pursuers.


    At that moment, the power of Friedrich¡¯s transformation finally ran out and he returned to his human form, more able-bodied, but weaponless. He had only one option and it was hanging around his neck, tempting him, but he knew he had to hold back on using the minotaur mask, so bloodthirsty as the spirit within was.


    ¡°He¡¯s getting away!¡± called Marina upon seeing the baron vanish around a corner. She tried to get a grip of the demon attacking her and was in no position to chase down the fleeing Butcher.


    ¡°Friedrich, go!¡± ordered Blackjack, stabbing one demon in the temple and then throwing it into the one encroaching upon Friedrich.


    Holding his breath and pushing aside his reluctance, Friedrich reached underneath his cravat and pulled out the minotaur mask. He set the black mask with the golden horns upon his face and transformed once again. He sprinted through the corridors, determined not to let the baron get away; the baron would die by his hand.


    There. A cloak swished around a corner and Friedrich bolted after, seething with rage. He would tear the baron apart limb from limb. He made no effort to be quiet as he thundered down the hall. Upon another call from the now-terrified baron, a demon spawned, but Friedrich remained undeterred. In a single swing of his thick fist, the demon¡¯s horned head was splattered against the corridor wall.


    ¡°No!¡± yelled Baron Pelagius. ¡°Stay away!¡±


    But Friedrich would not stay away, he was focused on his prey. The fear in the baron¡¯s voice made the chase that much more delectable.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing!¡± called the baron. ¡°I¡­I was framed!¡±


    The baron stopped abruptly, realising that there was only a window before him; he was at a dead end. With a brief look of panic on his face as the minotaur charged towards him, he closed his eyes as the full force of the brute tackled him through the window.


    Friedrich and the baron fell from the castle window and into the courtyard below as the moonlight twinkled on the falling shards of glass. The baron yelled as Friedrich snorted, then both hit the ground. The Butcher of the Bay broke upon the stone, no longer a threat to the people of Akatfall, and Friedrich lay on top of him.


    Not satisfied with the baron¡¯s death, Friedrich stood up, grabbed the baron¡¯s left arm and placed a hoof on Pelagius¡¯s unmoving chest. With a mighty tug, he ripped the baron¡¯s arm from his body and sank his teeth into it. He tore a chunk of flesh from it and began chewing.


    Upon trying to swallow, he found that he could not. He did not want to swallow human flesh, the taste in his mouth was already so foul that it made him want to spit it out. The human soul wrestled with the minotaur soul, each fighting for dominance. The minotaur wanted to eat the baron, but the human wanted anything but. Trembling, the minotaur spat out the chunk of the baron¡¯s flesh onto the grass and fell to his knees.


    Friedrich had won the battle of wills; he had won the battle against The Butcher of the Bay, but he was more scared than he had ever been.

 Chapter 41 - The Lords Favour

    Friedrich tucked the minotaur mask under his cravat, where it sat upon his chest peacefully beside the fox mask. The spirit of the minotaur was strong and it was violent, a stark contrast from Kitt, who seemed completely docile in comparison. Friedrich wanted nothing more than to smash the minotaur mask to pieces, but he knew all too well that it would not let him do that.


    Looking upon the lifeless, one-armed body of the baron, Friedrich felt disgust. The actions of Baron Pelagius were foul enough, but the taste of the baron¡¯s flesh in his mouth was utterly revolting. It would linger in the back of his mind, haunting his dreams for some time.


    With a shudder, Friedrich kneeled down, hoisted the baron¡¯s body over his shoulder and stood up. He walked from the grass and onto the pathway of the courtyard, following it to a back door. His mind running at a thousand miles per second, Friedrich walked through the corridors, trying to find his way back upstairs to the ballroom.


    ¡°Goodness gracious!¡± called a voice from up ahead. ¡°That¡­that is Baron Pelagius! He is dead?¡±


    Friedrich nodded slowly to the servant. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you! You were the one with the elf in Lord Buckstone¡¯s study. You have a lot of explaining to do, young man.¡±


    ¡°Can you take me to Lord Buckstone?¡±


    ¡°With you carrying a corpse? I think not.¡±


    ¡°You will take me to Lord Buckstone,¡± said Friedrich, in no mood for the bureaucracy of aristocracy.


    ¡°I will do no¡ª¡±


    ¡°Quiet! I am not asking you.¡±


    The servant saw the contorted look of rage upon Friedrich¡¯s face and his eyes widened. ¡°Yes¡­yes, of course. Right away. Follow me.¡±


    The servant guided Friedrich through another couple of corridors and up a set of stairs, leading Friedrich to somewhere he recognised; the lord¡¯s study. He was brought inside and, to his surprise, Marina and Blackjack were standing before Lord Buckstone who sat at his desk. The servant walked over to the lord, whispered in his ear before excusing himself and heading back outside.


    ¡°You are Friedrich, then?¡± asked Lord Buckstone, looking at Friedrich before his eyes moved sideways to the body of Baron Pelagius still over Friedrich¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I am, yes,¡± said Friedrich, his voice hoarse. ¡°The demons, my lord, are they gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Lord Buckstone as Marina smiled at Friedrich and nodded subtly.


    ¡°Your companions have already explained everything to me. From what happened tonight to what happened twenty years ago¡­and the death of my boy.¡±


    Lord Buckstone looked at the portrait of Luthrus that was hung upon the wall of his study.


    ¡°I am sorry for your loss, my lord,¡± said Friedrich.


    The lord smiled a sad smile for a moment before turning back to Friedrich. ¡°It is not for you to be sorry for something that happened years before your birth, Friedrich, but I appreciate the sentiment. I am just thankful that, at last, I have closure¡­I am just sad that someone I considered a friend was the one behind so much sorrow.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes the ones closest to us are the ones who we should be most fearful of,¡± said Marina quietly.


    ¡°It would seem that you are right, young Marina,¡± said the lord. ¡°But to make a pact with demons¡­it is something that I can never fathom. Did you know that power fell into my lap through birth? I never sought it out, but I did what I thought was best with the money and power that I had. Pelagius? He was born into nobility too, but he worked incredibly hard to amass kupons. I knew he was smart and not one you would want to anger, but to think he wanted me dead to further his goals? It fills me with sadness.¡±


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    ¡°Lord Buckstone,¡± said Blackjack, ¡°I appreciate that it is a difficult time, but there is the matter of payment for our services.¡±


    After everything, Friedrich felt bad about taking payment, but Blackjack was right. He and Marina exchanged an awkward glance, both feeling uneasy and glad that it was the bolder Blackjack who was asking for the kupons.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Lord Buckstone. ¡°I believe the promised reward was five hundred kupons. As a matter of much more importance to me than I had first realised, I deem it appropriate to ensure that you each receive five hundred kupons.¡±


    ¡°That¡­is most generous,¡± said Friedrich in astonishment. ¡°Thank you, Lord Buckstone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± said Marina, looking fervently.


    Lord Buckstone sighed. ¡°It is a shame that the ball has been ruined and that you will not get to enjoy the music and the meal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, my lord,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s another ball we can go to nearby?¡± Marina asked, nudging Friedrich. ¡°Will you be my date for it?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Friedrich, smiling to mask his troubled heart. The will of the minotaur mask left him feeling empty inside.


    ¡°Ah, I thought that you and the Alaurian attended together?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°What gave you that impression, Lord Buckstone?¡±


    Lord Buckstone looked confused. ¡°Hmm, one of my servants said he¡­you know, it does not matter.¡±


    Friedrich and Blackjack made eye contact for a moment.


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Lord Buckstone. ¡°You were able to enter without being formally invited, is that not the case?¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s gulped. ¡°Yes, I believe the entry spell was defective.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± asked the lord. ¡°I presumed you were the son of Lord Gaerfyrd. You are about the right age and he is also called Friedrich, albeit I remember hearing that he was quite short. Am I mistaken?¡±


    Marina and Blackjack looked at him, but Friedrich kept his focus on Lord Buckstone. ¡°Yes, my lord. I have never heard of this man, I¡¯m afraid you are mistaken.¡±


    *


    It was a new morning in Akatfall; a morning free from murder, free from The Butcher. Naturally, upon being told to keep what had happened quiet, word had spread around the circle of nobles quickly and filtered down to the rest of the city very quickly.


    After a short trip to his portal vault to stash his reward for his services to the city, Friedrich headed towards The Flying Griffin; the inn at which Blackjack revealed she had been staying since arriving in Akatfall.


    The young adventurer walked inside, now much more comfortable out of his fancy suit, once again with his sword on his waist and his shield fastened to his arm. He saw Marina and Blackjack sitting at a table waiting for him. Marina waved him over and he sat down at an empty chair.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realise I had taken long,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± said Blackjack, ¡°you are here now.¡±


    ¡°That I am, Siriwen,¡± said Friedrich smugly.


    ¡°That is not my name,¡± said Blackjack scoffing, ¡°and you are now out of guesses. It seems as though you will never find out my name.¡±


    ¡°Was I at least close?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Which guess was closest?¡±


    Blackjack¡¯s emerald eyes rolled. ¡°If you truly need an answer, your last guess was the closest. It is at the very least an Alaurian name. Where did you hear it?¡±


    ¡°I overheard it at the ball last night. Someone mistook you for someone called Siriwen.¡±


    ¡°That is good, because that is the name of the invitation I stole. I would have had to sneak in by other means.¡±


    ¡°Your dress was so beautiful,¡± said Marina. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°There is a shop here in Akatfall that sells dresses by Hareld Ashcroft.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± squealed Marina. ¡°It had his signature style written all over it.¡±


    Friedrich tuned out as Marina raved excitedly about her favourite designer in all of Mercia. She was so caught up in what she was saying that minutes passed without anyone else speaking until she finally realised that she had lost everyone¡¯s attention and trailed off into silence.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next for you now, Blackjack?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± said Blackjack earnestly. ¡°What about the two of you?¡±


    ¡°We found passage to Kai¡¯roh,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°There¡¯s a trader in the bay who said he was heading that way and would bring us along for a small sum. We¡¯ll finally be able to fulfil Kitt¡¯s request.¡±


    ¡°And what will happen when you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± shrugged Friedrich, ¡°but the power of his soul has helped me enough times that I truly feel like I owe him this request. The minotaur¡­not so much.¡±


    ¡°The minotaur¡¯s abilities are not without their uses but, as I said, I do not trust the spirit within the mask. It has a sinister aura to it.¡±


    ¡°You think the spirit is sinister from the outside? You should see how it feels when I¡¯m wearing the mask.¡±


    ¡°Can we not convince you to come with us to Kai¡¯roh?¡± Marina asked Blackjack, looking hopeful.


    ¡°I do not know what there would be for me in a land of sand. I am no wood elf, but I like to see the trees and the grass.¡±


    ¡°Well, we will miss you.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°It¡¯s been nice having another adventure with you, even if it was brief.¡±


    ¡°I will¡­pray that you two find what you are looking for.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± said Friedrich, poking Blackjack¡¯s arm with his finger, only for her to frown and snatch it away. ¡°Just say that you¡¯ll miss us, Blackjack.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a little.¡±


    Friedrich and Marina cheered, turning the heads of the other patrons, as Blackjack sat there looking embarrassed. She pulled her hood more tightly around her head to cover her face further in shadow.

 Chapter 42 - Setting Sail

    Friedrich sat in the square outside the Mages Guild of Akatfall, waiting for Marina. If she was much later, Captain Alden would set off without them, but she had insisted on saying goodbye to Hansel, who had been tutoring her to improve her lightning magic.


    He kicked a small pebble around aimlessly, hoping that she would hurry up, but eventually decided that he would have to barge in and pull her out. As he marched over to the doors, they swung open and out stepped Marina and Hansel.


    ¡°Ah, Friedrich,¡± said Hansel, his hair sticking out statically. ¡°Were you waiting long?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± said Marina apologetically. ¡°I may have accidentally knocked Master Hansel out.¡±


    ¡°Come again?¡± asked a confused Friedrich.


    ¡°Marina shook my hand to say farewell twenty minutes ago, and I woke up on the floor one minute ago.¡±


    Marina looked guilty and started fidgeting with her staff. ¡°It was an accident, I swear.¡±


    Hansel sighed and shook his head. ¡°At least we know your Shock Touch spell is much more powerful than it was a couple of weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me that,¡± laughed Friedrich.


    Hansel reached into his satchel and pulled out a tome. ¡°Here,¡± he said to Marina. ¡°This is a gift for you.¡±


    Marina¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Do you mean it? Oh, thank you!¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± said Hansel, waving a hand through the air. ¡°You are one of the most gifted young mages I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Granted, I tend not to work with many others, but your aptitude swayed me. I only ask that you promise me you will remember me when you become the goddess of storms.¡±


    Marina laughed awkwardly, not used to being so highly praised. ¡°Thank you,¡± she muttered. ¡°I truly mean that.¡±


    ¡°I wish you both well,¡± said Hansel, holding up a hand in farewell.


    ¡°We¡¯ll swing by for a visit next time we¡¯re in Akatfall,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Take care, Master Hansel,¡± said Marina, holding her staff in one hand and her new spell tome in the other.


    The two rushed around the square and made their way through the busy streets of Akatfall, worried that Captain Alden would leave without them. The pair had hoped to see Blackjack one final time before they left Mercia behind, but upon visiting The Flying Griffin, they were informed that she had already left.


    The two young Mercians were upset that she had left without saying a proper goodbye, but they understood that was how she was. It wasn¡¯t out of distaste for the pair, it was because the high elf preferred not to express herself if she could help it, and that meant goodbyes were not something she liked drawing out.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± asked Marina as she and Friedrich reached the bay area of the city and made their way down the hill towards the archway in the wall.


    ¡°No, I can still see the boat,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Are you nervous about leaving Mercia behind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more excited for fulfilling Kitt¡¯s request and plundering ancient ruins for artifacts and riches. If there¡¯s one thing that Kai¡¯roh is known for, it¡¯s opportunities for treasure hunters.¡±


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    ¡°And treasure hunters dying,¡± said Marina. ¡°That¡¯s what the mages of the guild say.¡±


    ¡°What do they know?¡± scoffed Friedrich.


    ¡°A lot more than you. Many of them are very wise.¡±


    ¡°Many of them never go outside. I¡¯m well-travelled, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Friedrich of the Lightning Foxes, famous explorer!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± chuckled Friedrich. ¡°Marina of the Lightning Foxes, mage extraordinaire!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± said Marina with a wide smile as the two reached the archway and headed towards the pier.


    Captain Alden beckoned them over, looking impatient, but he was not alone. Galvus stood beside him, looking rather pleased.


    ¡°Ahoy there,¡± called the fisherman.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Galvus?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°He meant to say hello,¡± said Marina.


    Galvus laughed in his raspy voice. ¡°I just wanted to thank the pair of you before you headed off to parts unknown. Baron Pelagius is dead, Luthrus and the others have been avenged, and people no longer call me crazy. It¡¯s nice to be vindicated and it¡¯s all because of you two.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said Friedrich, shaking Gavlus¡¯s oily hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that nobody thinks you¡¯re crazy anymore,¡± said Marina with a wink.


    ¡°Heh,¡± said Galvus. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that.¡±


    ¡°I still think you¡¯re crazy,¡± said Captain Alden, ¡°but rather than worry about whether you¡¯re a lunatic or not, we should be setting off. Are you both ready?¡±


    With a last look back towards the archway and seeing no sign of Blackjack, Friedrich and Marina agreed that they were ready. They walked along the gangway and onto the ship¡¯s deck, both glad to finally be making their way to Kai¡¯roh. As the crew prepared to set sail, they leaned on the edge of the taffrail at the stern and watched the city.


    On Captain Alden¡¯s orders, the ship departed. Galvus waved farewell to them as he walked around the bay and back to his house. The two returned the wave and then turned to each other, excited for what was to come.


    ¡°How do we know when Kitt¡¯s seen what he wants to see?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°When Branric channelled Kitt¡¯s spirit, Kitt said that he wanted to see the golden sands of his home. Maybe it¡¯s that simple?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we need to find another shaman?¡± asked Marina. ¡°There would surely be one somewhere on the island, wouldn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there is,¡± came a familiar voice from behind them.


    ¡°Blackjack?¡± asked the shocked pair, turning to see the golden elf standing before them with her hood down and her hair flowing in the breeze.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Friedrich while Marina was too stunned to speak.


    ¡°I happened to be going this way,¡± said the Alaurian dismissively. ¡°I did not think I would see either of you here, let me assure you.¡±


    She smiled for a moment before her face returned to its normal, stoic state. It was rare to see her smile and that took Friedrich and Marina by surprise almost as much as her being on the boat.


    ¡°You would miss us too much,¡± said Friedrich slyly.


    ¡°Do not say such foolish things,¡± said Blackjack dismissively. ¡°It is as I said, I happened to be going this way. Perhaps you can follow me, but if you would rather not then that is also acceptable.¡±


    Marina threw her arms around Blackjack and hugged the shocked elf. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re coming with us,¡± she said. ¡°You may not have missed us, but we would have missed you. Wouldn¡¯t we, Friedrich?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a little,¡± said Friedrich with a smirk.


    Blackjack lightly pushed Marina back. ¡°That is our first mission, is it? To find a way to satisfy the fox spirit of the mask?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Whatever influence he has on me, I believe he¡¯s an ally. Kitt isn¡¯t like the minotaur, I promise you that. He said that he will dedicate himself to me if I can fulfil his request, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    ¡°And what of your plans for a boat?¡±


    Friedrich smiled. ¡°To tell you the truth,¡± he said, ¡°the boat is a means to an end. To have a boat of my own is not enough. I¡¯ve come to realise that I need allies, whether that¡¯s human or spirit.¡±


    ¡°Will you tell us what it is that you want the boat for?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°One day,¡± said Friedrich, nodding slowly, ¡°but I¡¯m not ready to talk about it yet. Just know that I trust the pair of you more than I¡¯ve trusted almost anyone else. When I am ready to talk about it, you¡¯ll be the first to know.¡±


    ¡°You can count on me and Blackjack,¡± said Marina, nudging the high elf who pushed her away again.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Speaking of¡­how did you get the name Blackjack?¡±


    Blackjack let out a rare laugh. ¡°Do you really want to know that badly?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich and Marina together.


    ¡°Early in my demon hunting days, I took on a job and killed twenty-one demons. My employer did not know my real name and I preferred to keep it that way. As a joke, he called me Blackjack because of the number of demons and I decided to keep that as an alias.¡±


    Friedrich frowned. ¡°You really know how to grip a man with a story, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You asked, and now you know.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-one demons?¡± asked Marina excitedly. ¡°There must be a story there.¡±


    ¡°I bet there is,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but we¡¯ll get another witness to recount it or we¡¯ll just be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°It is as I said,¡± said Blackjack. ¡°You asked, and now you know.¡±


    Friedrich shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s true, but we still don¡¯t know your real name.¡±


    Blackjack smiled at him. ¡°My real name is Teleri.¡±

 Chapter 43 - A Map

    The breeze rippled through Friedrich¡¯s auburn hair as he watched the island come closer and closer. He stood on the bow of the boat. The journey had taken almost two weeks, but he was finally here. Friedrich placed his hand upon the fox mask that hung underneath his tunic and breathed deeply, glad to be one step closer to fulfilling the spirit¡¯s request to see the golden sands of Kai¡¯roh as he had done in life.


    ¡°We are almost there,¡± said Teleri, her golden skin shining in the sun and her flowing hair the colour of the sands of the island.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± said Marina, clutching the railing of the boat.


    She had had a much rougher time on the journey than both Friedrich and Teleri. Upon departing from Akatfall, she felt fine, but once Captain Alden took them out to sea where the waves were choppy, she took ill. The crew mocked her relentlessly for her seasickness, which didn¡¯t help matters. It was meant in good fun, but Marina did not care for sailor humour in the least.


    ¡°Stand up straight, Marina!¡± chuckled Captain Alden, making the crew laugh. ¡°We¡¯re almost there and you don¡¯t want to make a bad impression now, do you?¡±


    Marina ignored him and continued to lean against the wooden railing.


    As they sailed towards the small town of Port Balsia, Friedrich was more taken by what he could see of the area outside of town. Somewhere across the desert, towered a colossal statue. It was holding something high above its head. Was it a sword? A spear? Whatever it was, Friedrich wanted to know. On the cliffs to his right was a large bridge of white stone that ran for hundreds of metres. It didn¡¯t look to be bridging anything so he thought perhaps it was a walkway of some kind and the top could be reached by the two towers at the opposite ends.


    He marvelled that this place held such intrigue to him and he had yet to put a single foot on the island. It felt almost familiar to him, yet he had never even seen a picture of Kai¡¯roh before. Running his hand over Kitt¡¯s mask, he knew that it wasn¡¯t his own feeling of familiarity, but an imprint left by the soul within the fox mask.


    ¡°Is it a nervous tick?¡± asked Teleri, looking at Friedrich¡¯s hand.


    Friedrich was in a world of his own. ¡°Hmm? Oh,¡± he said, taking his hand away from the mask. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I always do that.¡±


    ¡°I would rather you fidget with the fox mask than the minotaur mask. At least if you go feral as a fox, we can drown you in a barrel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you want to hear from your friends, death threats.¡±


    ¡°I am only assuring you that if you lose control of your body, we will take care of things for you.¡±


    ¡°Consider me reassured,¡± he said to Teleri giving her an exaggerated smile.


    ¡°I am glad,¡± she said, not realising he had not meant it.


    The dockmaster and his men guided Captain Alden into the harbour and helped them get docked before leaving the crew to their own business. Marina was the first one onto the walkway and she lay on the ground staring up at the bright blue sky with a big smile on her face.


    ¡°Sweet land,¡± she said. ¡°Sweet, sweet land.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a bit of a wild¡¯un, ain¡¯t she?¡± asked Captain Alden, laughing. ¡°We haven¡¯t had this many laughs on a journey in a long time.¡±


    ¡°We might have to pay a premium for teleportation to get back to Mercia,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she could take another boat journey.¡±


    ¡°Good thing she was vomiting the entire time,¡± said the captain. ¡°Pretty girl like that on board? The crew would be throwing lines at her constantly, trying to convince her to marry them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they would have had much luck, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Nah, course not!¡± guffawed the captain. ¡°She¡¯s only got eyes for you, lad.¡±


    Friedrich laughed. ¡°We¡¯re close, but it isn¡¯t like that.¡±


    Captain Alden slapped him on the back. ¡°Whatever you need to tell yourself, Friedrich. Even when she¡¯s complaining all day and night, it¡¯s obvious. How you managed to have two beautiful lasses accompanying you across the ocean, I don¡¯t know. That elf friend of yours, Blackjack, she¡¯s a little standoffish to say the least, but I¡¯ve never laid eyes on a more beautiful lady. If only she didn¡¯t hide it under that hood so often. Even she gives you looks sometimes¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you need a hand offloading your supplies?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Nah, we¡¯re good, Friedrich. Go and explore. If you do decide you need a ride back, then we¡¯ll still be here for a few days. Next time we¡¯re passing through will in about eight weeks.¡±


    Friedrich shook the captain¡¯s hand and thanked him once again for giving him passage to Kai¡¯roh. Captain Alden assured him it was no trouble and he paid his own way anyway.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± asked Friedrich as he approached Marina and Teleri. Teleri was busy trying to pull Marina to her feet, but Marina insisted on lying down for a little longer. ¡°Just be careful they don¡¯t mistake you for cargo and put you back on the boat.¡±


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    ¡°Alright,¡± sighed Marina, letting Friedrich help her to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m just very glad to be on a flat, unmoving surface again.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± laughed Friedrich, ¡°but we¡¯ve got an entire island to explore. Time¡¯s a-wastin¡¯!¡±


    ¡°It is?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°We have nothing but time, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± said Friedrich, rubbing his chin. ¡°Even still, it¡¯s a beautiful day and we¡¯ve got requests to fulfil and riches to find.¡±


    ¡°You know how you want to buy a boat?¡± asked Marina. ¡°Well, I think you can count me out now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you some potions of anti-seasickness next time,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°That¡¯ll take care of your little nausea problem.¡±


    ¡°With the amount she will require, we will all be poor after a single journey back to the mainland,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Speaking of kupons,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what it is that Kitt wants, so I think it¡¯s only fair that we find a way to earn some money.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the palace on the hill will pay well,¡± said Teleri, pointing towards the golden-domed castle that lay at the far side of town, overlooking the entirety of Port Balsia. ¡°I believe Captain Alden said that it is where the King of Kai¡¯roh resides.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get an audience with him so easily.¡±


    ¡°You do not know if you do not try.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we go small scale for now and find ourselves an adventure. It¡¯ll let us earn some money and, at the same time, get a better lay of the land. The captain told me about a man who sells treasure maps.¡±


    Marina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you talking about Adajun? The same man that Captain Alden called swindler?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re still going to get a map from him?¡±


    ¡°He said the maps were legitimate, but Adajun overcharges for them.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Teleri, ¡°I believe you need to start thinking through your actions for the long term.¡±


    ¡°I am very much a long-term planner,¡± said Friedrich, dismissing the Alaurian¡¯s concern and wandering along the walkway and into town. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we get a good deal.¡±


    The streets of Port Balsia were quiet, certainly compared to Akatfall. The ocean-facing town was the capital of the island, but it felt more relaxed. There were more than enough people going about their business, but if you bumped into someone it would be intentional. Unlike Akatfall, the tanned citizens of Port Balsia eyed the trio with much more suspicion, as though they were not used to seeing many foreigners in their land.


    Friedrich, Marina and Teleri walked along the main strip. It was lined with market stalls and half the owners were beckoning them over, while the other half simply stared at them. Friedrich looked around, hoping to see Adajun, who Captain Alden said spends most of his time on the strip, but he could not see a single person selling maps.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Friedrich asked a grumpy-looking fruit vendor.


    ¡°Eh?¡± replied the man.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a man named Adajun, do you know him?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t say a word as he raised a long finger and pointed towards a two-storied building up a small set of steps. There was a red canopy hanging over the sandy walkway along the front of the building and a few rickety tables and chairs sat outside where a few patrons were drinking from pewter flagons.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Friedrich, heading towards the tavern.


    The party walked up the stairs, past the patrons and pushed past the curtain in the doorframe that kept the sand from blowing in. The inside was dimly lit, but the firepit in the centre gave the place a warm vibe as the chef roasted a pig, filling the air with a delicious, spicy aroma.


    Friedrich walked up to the barman, admiring the large assortment of wines lining the shelves behind him. ¡°Would you be able to point me towards a man named Adajun?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± asked the barman, squinting to see the young Mercian more clearly.


    ¡°Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know no Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m new around these parts. I¡¯ve been told by Captain Alden that Adajun sells maps.¡±


    ¡°Maps, eh?¡± The barman slammed his hands on the wooden countertop and smiled. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve come to the right place. I am Adajun.¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Excellent! I need to buy a treasure map.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to give me a little more detail, young sir. I have a lot of maps and I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m looking for. Anything that can earn us a few kupons and let us explore the island.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to make this easy for me, are you?¡±


    Teleri stepped forward, growing impatient with Friedrich¡¯s uncertainty and dilly-dallying. ¡°Adajun. My name is Blackjack. What we seek is an abandoned ruin halfway across the island, where nobody will think twice if we take what¡¯s left inside. We will pay you no more than twenty kupons for something that meets this description.¡±


    Adajun grinned. ¡°Thirty kupons and I will give you a map that leads to the Ruins of Kotuga. It was the treasure vault of an old king, but most die before they reach it and the rest die before they escape. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Thirty kupons for certain death?¡± asked Marina as Friedrich and Teleri exchanged intrigued looks.


    ¡°Twenty-four kupons,¡± said Friedrich, looking to his companions. ¡°We¡¯ll each throw in eight and it¡¯s a fair split.


    Marina shook her head. ¡°Wait just a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± said Adajun, heading into a back room for a moment and then returning with a rolled-up piece of parchment.


    Friedrich and Teleri handed over eight kupons each, while Marina hesitated before passing the barman her share. With a sly smile, he counted them and handed Friedrich the map.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you. If you¡¯re lucky enough to make it back to town, feel free to spend your findings here.¡±


    The party headed back outside and Friedrich unrolled the map. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going¡­west.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked a still wary Marina. ¡°You have had trouble with maps before.¡±


    Friedrich spun the map around and showed her. ¡°West?¡±


    Marina looked at it for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Alright, it does seem to be west¡­but are you sure we should seek out these ruins? We don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re looking for!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for treasure.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going along with this, Teleri,¡± said Marina, turning to the high elf.


    ¡°I would pay twenty-four kupons any day to save myself the embarrassment of having to watch Mercia¡¯s worst negotiator,¡± said Teleri. ¡°In any case, I believe Friedrich will get distracted by something along the way and we will not venture into the ruins.¡±


    ¡°You have so little faith in me?¡± asked Friedrich, feigning offence.


    ¡°I have faith on you for what it is appropriate to have faith in you for. For this? I do not have faith in you.¡±


    Friedrich looked towards the west of the strip, following the path with his eyes until it reached a large stone archway of sandstone. ¡°Off we go, my friends,¡± he said excitedly.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± sighed Marina before muttering under her beath. ¡°I think I would rather be back on the boat.¡±


    Friedrich strolled confidently along the road, keen to see what Kai¡¯roh had in store for him. He reached under his tunic and pulled out Kitt¡¯s mask so that it rested on top. He would find whatever it was that Kitt wanted to see while making himself rich along the way.

 Chapter 44 - Mutterings and Odours

    Friedrich put his hand in the river and scooped a handful of water to a mouth, taking a sip; it was fresh. He took his wooden, filled it up and tightened the lid. He took Marina and Teleri¡¯s in turn and filled them up. Once he handed them back, he wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve


    ¡°Who would have thought a desert would be hot, eh?¡± he joked with the two.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Marina as her dress swayed in the wind. ¡°Plenty of ventilation in this.¡±


    Teleri, however, looked miserable. She pulled her hood down and threw her hair back. ¡°It is too hot for us to keep trekking across the road.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been four hours,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°I am aware of that Friedrich, but I say we wait for nightfall when the air will be much cooler. I cannot even sit on the ground to rest without my rear burning.¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s eyes were instinctively drawn to her leather-clad backside, but Marina shot him a dirty look, slapped him on the arm and broke his gaze. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, tutting quietly.


    ¡°It seems to me,¡± said Friedrich, rubbing his sore arm, ¡°that we¡¯re making a mistake in walking along the road. If we go across the sands, we¡¯ll be able to seek shade in the shadow of the cliff. Would that be more acceptable?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri and then taking a drink of water.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s keep moving,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of ground to cover before stopping.¡±


    ¡°You really think we can reach the ruins in three days if we¡¯re on the sand?¡± asked Marina. ¡°It¡¯s not going to slow us down, if anything.¡±


    ¡°Three days may be optimistic. I think it may take us four, considering how many times we¡¯ve stopped already.¡±


    ¡°If we can make it in five, I think we¡¯ll have done well.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me for being the eternal optimist of the group,¡± said Friedrich, shrugging.


    ¡°I¡¯m optimistic and realistic at the same time,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to squash that realism and get us there in four days,¡± said Friedrich, pointing towards the sands. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±


    Friedrich led the way across the sand with Marina walking merrily alongside him and Teleri moving sluggishly after the pair. It was rare to hear her complain about having a difficult time on the road, but the hot climate and her poor choice of attire were not making things easy. Marina had suggested buying something less suffocating just before they left Port Balsia, but she had refused.


    The sand was indeed more difficult to traverse than the more solid path, but Friedrich had any idea. He took the fox mask that hung around his neck and placed it upon his face, transforming into his golden fox form. He pawed the ground and ran in a circle, now finding it much easier to move across in this lighter body.


    ¡°Lucky for some,¡± said Marina with a laugh as Friedrich ran ahead while most of the heat bounced straight off his shimmering fur.


    After five minutes, he transformed back. Finding it a chore to walk along the sand, he waited for the soul magic to replenish and assumed the form of the fox once again. He did this a couple more times until the trio had reached the shade of the cliffs, where they all sat down in the shadows, enjoying having the sun off their backs for a short while.


    Teleri took a long drink of water from her canteen, almost depleting it. ¡°Coming here was a mistake.¡±


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    ¡°You two and your complaints,¡± sighed Friedrich.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± asked a shocked Marina.


    ¡°You moaned the entire time on the boat about feeling sick.¡±


    ¡°I was sick.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s beside the p¡ª"


    ¡°Hush,¡± said Teleri, raising a hand to silence the bickering humans.


    Friedrich and Marina listened, but their ears were not as strong as Teleri¡¯s pointed, elven ears. It took them a few seconds to pick up what she heard. It sounded like rough, garbled mutterings, but the two could not decipher it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I cannot say for certain,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but it sounded like goblins.¡±


    ¡°I hate goblins,¡± said Friedrich bitterly.


    ¡°Me too,¡± said Marina. ¡°I thought we had seen the last of them after leaving Mercia.¡±


    Teleri had a look of disgust on her face. ¡°Goblins are an invasive species that will plague whatever land is foolish enough to not exterminate their kind on sight. They plunder, rape and kill their way through the world, multiplying at an alarming rate. To call them animals is an insult to animals.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, heaving himself up to his feet. ¡°Time to slay some goblins.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick,¡± said Marina, as Friedrich pulled her to his feet.


    Teleri listened carefully, trying to pick up their location, but their foul voices had faded away. They were on the move.


    ¡°I cannot hear them,¡± she said.


    ¡°There¡¯s an easy fix for that,¡± said Friedrich, pulling out Kitt¡¯s mask and transforming into a fox once again.


    He sniffed the air, picking out the filthy smell of the odorous goblins. He was somewhat thankful the smell was weak, but it meant they were moving quickly. Friedrich hurried after the scent as Marina and Teleri followed him, keeping in the shade of the rocky cliffs as they ran.


    Friedrich could smell himself getting closer to the goblins, but there was another smell in the air. Something was burning and it had come on so suddenly that it took him by surprise. What were the wretched bipedal rats up to? Whatever it was, it could not be good.


    ¡°Smoke ahead!¡± called Teleri.


    The trio ran towards the pillar of black that rose into the sky and spread out as it climbed higher. They ran and they ran, seeking the source of the smoke, which was revealed at the top of a dune where they spied a burning wagon sitting in the pit where the bottom of the sandy hills converged.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± said Teleri, her ears twitching as she focused. ¡°I do not hear them any longer. Can you smell them Friedrich?¡±


    Friedrich shook his furry head; all he could smell was the smoke. He ran to the top of the dune, looking around to see where the goblins could have run, but the truth was they could have been anywhere by now. He had expected them to be where the smoke was.


    ¡°Kreee!¡± cried a voice as an arrow plunged into the sand beside Friedrich¡ªit had come within inches of his head.


    ¡°The cliff!¡± cried Marina, twirling her staff and launching a lightning bolt at the smattering of goblins that were launching arrows upon the trio.


    The bolt crackled as it soared through the air and struck the cliff, smashing a large chunk of the stone to pieces and sending half of the goblins plunging onto the sands below. They screeched as they fell, hitting the ground with a burst of sand, but they were still moving.


    Teleri unleashed arrow after arrow at the goblins still attacking the party from the cliff, but they were slippery little beasts and the elevation gave them the advantage. She moved to the top of the dine, where Friedrich was distracting the goblins and drawing fire by running in circles.


    Suddenly, the goblins at the bottom of the cliff stirred. Marina faced them and focused as they drew their bows once again, taking careful aim. The purple amethyst in her gnarled staff began to glow and fizzle and then, with a yell, she unleashed a more powerful lightning bolt than her last that thundered through the air and struck one of the goblins. The ugly little beast was sent flying in ten directions as a wave of blood and guts, to the scream of its comrades who were hit by the rain of gore.


    ¡°They¡¯re running,¡± said Teleri, as she pierced a goblin through the throat with an arrow. It tumbled from the cliff as it tried to pull the arrow out of its neck, but it was much too late.


    The rest of the goblins were indeed fleeing in terror. The ones at the bottom of the cliff ran to the north, while the ones at the top backed out of sight. Not content with having these vermin return for them later, Friedrich gave chase.


    ¡°You¡¯re vulnerable in this form!¡± cried Marina as he ran, but Friedrich did not listen.


    Not only did he want to ensure the goblin¡¯s demise, but he felt as though something was pulling him after them. It was not the tug of bloodlust, but a sense of knowing that this was the right direction to go. Kitt was telling him that what he wanted to see was where the goblins were running to.


    Marina and Teleri followed him as he tracked the goblins around the cliff, which came to an end and revealed a slope leading upwards. Upon reaching the base of the slope, the magic of the mask was depleted and Friedrich returned to his normal self.


    He stood perfectly still as Marina and Teleri caught up to him. ¡°We have to go that way,¡± he said, pointing after the vanishing goblins.

 Chapter 45 - The Fox Statue

    ¡°Is killing the goblins that important?¡± asked Marina, looking up the slope that she, Friedrich and Teleri stood at the base.


    ¡°It is not the goblins, is it?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, taking the fox mask in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s Kitt. He¡¯s telling me that this is where he wants to go. I don¡¯t know what it is he wants to see or what he¡¯s after, but I¡¯m certain that it¡¯s up there.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, keep your wits about you,¡± said Teleri, nocking an arrow. ¡°If there is the faintest movement, we attack. Do not trust that the goblins are too frightened to lie in wait for us.¡±


    The trio trepidatiously ascended the slope, watching for any sign of the goblins, but they never appeared. Upon reaching the top of the cliff, Teleri pointed out a small cave opening up ahead. Outside were a number of fox-skin tents that were badly stitched together and propped up by sticks.


    ¡°They must have retreated into their pit,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s where we¡¯re going too,¡± said Friedrich, the pull of the mask growing stronger. ¡°I reckon if I dropped Kitt¡¯s mask in the sand, it would find a way to slide over by itself.¡±


    ¡°And are you sure that you can trust the spirit within the mask?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°Soul magic in all forms is something that I am uneasy with. You know how I feel about the minotaur mask.¡±


    Friedrich shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not certain of anything, but I¡¯ve never felt any temptation to commit any sort of atrocities as a fox. But Kitt said he would pledge himself to me if I did as he asked, and I¡¯m going to take him at his word.¡±


    ¡°And you are sure that the shaman was not deceiving you?¡±


    ¡°Branric the Isolated? He couldn¡¯t have been much more accommodating. He shares all of our distaste for goblins.¡±


    ¡°A distaste for goblins is not difficult to find across the world. I assure you that the people of Alauria despise goblins as much as any in Mercia or Kai¡¯roh.¡±


    ¡°Marina, tell her,¡± said Friedrich, growing weary of the doubt.


    ¡°Branric appeared truthful to me,¡± she shrugged, ¡°but he could have deceived us somehow. For what purpose, I could not say. If you want my thoughts on the matter as a whole¡­I believe Kitt is at the very least a non-hostile spirit. I do not fear him the way that I fear the minotaur.¡±


    ¡°Then let us hunt the goblins and see what it is that we are supposed to see,¡± said Teleri, keeping a firm hold on both her bow and her arrow.


    Friedrich led the way with his shield up, checking each of the tents along the way. The goblins were not here and it was reassuring in a sense, but then he considered that they were all going to be hiding down below. He opted to remain in his human form as he crept into the opening of the cave, knowing that it would be harder to see, but leave him more capable of defending himself.


    ¡°Fear not, for I will warn you should anything come,¡± said Teleri, having little issue seeing in the poor light of the cave.


    Plink. Came the sound of an arrow as it bounced off Friedrich¡¯s shield.


    ¡°They¡¯re scurrying away,¡± said Teleri. ¡°I did not hear them approach, they must have been waiting to ambush us.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to draw us in deeper, aren¡¯t they?¡± asked Marina.


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°They must be, but they¡¯re going to regret it.¡±


    He pushed ahead, following Teleri¡¯s directions through the tight cave as it descended downwards. Kitt¡¯s pull was stronger than ever; an uncomfortable feeling that Friedrich couldn¡¯t shake, but he held off on running so recklessly into danger. If he was going to follow the fox¡¯s will, he was going to make sure he lived to see it through.


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    ¡°There¡¯s daylight ahead,¡± whispered Teleri.


    ¡°I see it,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I would bet my entire portal vault that there are goblins outside ready to ambush us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been going so far down that we must be in an opening between the cliffs,¡± said Marina. ¡°They¡¯re trying to surround us.¡±


    ¡°I would say so,¡± agreed Teleri, looking over her shoulder. ¡°If they were not such stupid little beasts, they would have sent more of their ilk behind us to force us into the open.¡±


    ¡°Something about this does not feel right,¡± said Friedrich, also looking over his shoulder. ¡°Not to overstate a goblin¡¯s intelligence, but perhaps they think we¡¯re more likely to wander outside if they don¡¯t send something after us.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± asked Marina, her staff already crackling with electricity.


    Friedrich glanced at the staff. ¡°Throw some bait to the dogs. Draw them to us, not the other way around. If they want to fight us, they¡¯ll be forced through the funnel.¡±


    ¡°It is worth a shot,¡± said Teleri as Marina nodded.


    The trio crept up towards the opening of the tunnel. Friedrich could see a little part of the clearing where there were large stone tiles covering the ground, which were themselves largely covered in dustings of sand, all while being surrounded by large cliff walls as they had expected.


    He held his shield up in front of Marina and she placed her staff above it. Taking careful aim at the far cliff, she unleashed a bolt that smashed a portion of the rockface and sent it plummeting to the ground amidst the squeals and screeches of the goblins.


    ¡°Another,¡± said Friedrich.


    Marina did as he said and shot another lightning bolt, which was quickly followed by more wails from the angry goblins whose home was being attacked by the tall invaders.


    Marina stepped back and Friedrich remained with his shield raised and sword at the ready. At a tap from the shoulder upon Teleri pinpointing the approaching footsteps of the goblins, he swung his sword around the corner and cleaved an arm from one of the goblins as it charged into the tunnel. Marina grabbed its head and sent a surge of electricity through the beast, killing it instantly.


    More goblins stampeded towards them and the three fought with sword, staff and arrow, laying waste to the rotten goblins as they tried to get the upper hand, but the humans and the elf were besting them. As each goblin fell, they grew more and more aggressive, but after a while they began to flee once again. The only problem was that there was nowhere for them to flee to except to the cliffs.


    Friedrich could see them sinking their claws into the stone and dragging themselves upwards, desperate to escape from the trio. Marina and Teleri stepped out, launching arrows and lightning bolts at the goblins, knocking them back to the ground. Friedrich ran ahead, skewering the ones who were still alive upon hitting the stone tiles.


    No more than a couple of minutes later and there were nearly five dozen dead goblins dead, their corpses spreading from the tunnel to the walls. The three adventurers breathed sighs of relief, confident that there was not a single goblin left alive.


    Friedrich looked into the centre of the clearing where there was a raised platform up a small set of stairs. In each of the three corners, there was a pillar around thirty feet tall, that was casting a long shadow from the setting sun. Sitting in the centre of the platform was what Kitt had wanted to see; Friedrich was certain of it. There was a large statue of a fox atop a sturdy pedestal and, at the base, was an empty offering bowl.


    The party walked up the steps and approached the weathered statue that bore many cracks, but remained otherwise intact. They stared at it, each admiring its remarkable similarity to Friedrich¡¯s fox form, but the pattern of the fur was noticeable different, especially around the tail. This statue was not of Kitt, but of another fox of his kind.


    ¡°Tomba,¡± said Friedrich, raising a hand and touching the statue. He did not know this name until the moment he said it, the words being passed through him by the spirit of the fox mask.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°The statue.¡±


    ¡°Is this what the fox in the mask wanted to see?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°Are we finished here?¡±


    Friedrich did not answer her; he took Kitt¡¯s mask in his hands. He kneeled before the statue, placing the gold wooden mask in the offering bowl. The turquoise gem started to glow and the mask began to vibrate and crack, alarming the trio. It rumbled more and more vigorously before suddenly shattering into pieces, leaving only the gem behind which continued to glow brightly. An ethereal vapour rose from within it and the wispy form of a fox formed from the vapour; it was Kitt.


    The spectral fox said nothing, it simply held out a paw to Friedrich. Without hesitation, Friedrich reached out with his left hand and took hold of Kitt¡¯s paw, upon which the vapour flowed up his arm and spread across his entire body.


    ¡°Friedrich?¡± asked Marina, looking worried, but Friedrich smiled at her.


    He breathed deeply and felt Kitt¡¯s soul be drawn into his body. As the vapour faded, the gem in the stone rose through the air and placed itself upon Friedrich¡¯s forehead before vanishing. No longer housed by the mask, the golden fox had become one with Friedrich.

 Chapter 46 - The Soul Within

    ¡°Are you alright, Friedrich?¡± asked Teleri, upon seeing the soul stone fade away. ¡°Is that still you I am talking to?¡±


    Friedrich looked at his hands, turning them over to make sure that he was indeed as fine as he felt. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still me,¡± he said, ¡°but something feels different¡­I can¡¯t explain it.¡±


    ¡°The mask is gone,¡± said Marina, bending low to see if there was even a hint of it left in the bowl, but it the broken remains had vanished. She stood up and tapped Friedrich¡¯s forehead head with her knuckles.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Friedrich scolded her.


    ¡°Is it in your brain?¡± Marina asked, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s somewhere within me,¡± said Friedrich quietly. ¡°I can feel it, but I don¡¯t know how to harness it¡¯s power.¡±


    Teleri placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him towards her, inspecting his ears. ¡°Are your ears longer?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Marina stood on her toes. ¡°I think they are,¡± she said. ¡°Very slightly?¡±


    ¡°Are you becoming more like a fox?¡± asked Teleri before shoving Friedrich backwards rather forcefully.


    He stumbled and rolled over, but rose effortlessly to his feet rather than landing in a heap.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Friedrich yelled.


    ¡°It was a test,¡± said Teleri. ¡°You passed¡­or failed, depending on which way you look at it. You are possessed by the soul of the fox mask. The fox most definitely resides somewhere within you now. I hope you are correct in your assessment that he is not an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Is your nose smaller?¡± asked Marina, squinting hard and looking at Friedrich¡¯s nose. ¡°I¡¯m not imaging it, am I?¡±


    Friedrich touched his nose. ¡°It feels the same as it always does. Stop trying to make me paranoid!¡±


    ¡°His nose looks the same,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but I am still curious as to why you grew inches taller over the last two months. Your kind should not grow that fast.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s more muscular,¡± said Marina, placing a finger on her chin and nodding. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been exercising any more than usual.¡±


    ¡°I hit a growth spurt,¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    ¡°The minotaur mask!¡± squealed Marina.


    ¡°I presumed as much, but I did not dare say it aloud,¡± said Teleri quietly. ¡°It seems as though the influence of the soul stones on you is altering your appearance. The fox held off while it was in the mask form, but the minotaur is a much more dominant force.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll worry when I sprout horns,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Can we get out of here now?¡±


    ¡°And go where?¡± asked Marina, looking up to the sun. ¡°It¡¯s starting to get dark.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll camp in the goblin tents if we have to, but the pair of you are driving me crazy right now.¡±


    ¡°Forgive us for our concern,¡± said Marina, frowning at him. ¡°We¡¯re worried about you, isn¡¯t that right Teleri?¡±


    ¡°I am worried, but I am also curious,¡± said Teleri, leaning forward and looking into Friedrich¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that Friedrich staring back at me or a fox in a young man¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Young man?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°You are a young man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m catching up on you if we¡¯re talking elf years.¡±


    ¡°Have I not warned you about talking about the age of an elf? It is undignified to do such a thing!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can we get out of here now?¡±


    Marina sighed and shook her head. ¡°The pair of you need your heads banging together. You bicker over the silliest of things.¡±


    She stepped between the pair with a look of embarrassment on her face, grabbed a hand of each of them and dragged them towards the steps. She led them over to the tunnel entrance before releasing the two and then led the way up without another word.


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    The trio kept a brisk pace as they escaped the hideout of the now-dead goblins and returned to the surface where the sky was now turning orange as the sun set over the distant cliffs and widespread sand dunes that covered the large island.


    ¡°Who would like to sleep in a goblin¡¯s tent?¡± asked Friedrich, half-jokingly.


    ¡°Eurgh,¡± groaned Marina. ¡°Must we?¡±


    ¡°I would much prefer to travel by night,¡± said Teleri. ¡°The temperature right now is pleasant and we can make a better pace without me needing to stop and recover.¡±


    ¡°If everyone is in agreement, then let¡¯s go,¡± said Friedrich, walking ahead and turning smoothly into a golden fox.


    He lightly bounded across the sand while Marina and Teleri looked at each other in confusion. Neither knew what to say and Friedrich hadn¡¯t even noticed his own transformation.


    ¡°Um, Friedrich?¡± called Marina.


    ¡°What?¡± he said, reverting to a human.


    ¡°Do you not realise what you did?¡±


    ¡°What did I do?¡±


    ¡°You¡­turned into a fox.¡±


    Friedrich looked at himself and then shook his head in exasperation. ¡°You must be seeing things,¡± he said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to speak if I was a fox. Look at me, not a hint of fur anywhere!¡±


    ¡°Marina spoke the truth,¡± said Teleri. ¡°You did not even realise, did you?¡±


    Friedrich looked at them as Marina nodded slowly, then he looked at his hands. ¡°Apparently not,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I¡­can transform without the limitations of the mask?¡±


    ¡°Do it again,¡± said Marina excitedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how,¡± muttered Friedrich, still examining himself. He put his left index finger on his forehead, where the soul stone had vanished minutes earlier. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there, how do I transform?¡±


    ¡°Run across the sand again,¡± said Marina.


    Friedrich did as she said and ran the same way he was running before Marina had called to him. He kept a careful eye on his elevation as he did so, but he did not feel shorter as he ran. He stopped and looked at himself, but he remained fully human.


    ¡°Anything?¡± he asked as Marina and Teleri caught up to him.


    ¡°No, you did not change,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Perhaps you cannot simply will the transformation. Perhaps it is a matter of instinct?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to activate instinct,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°I should think not, for it would not be instinct if you could.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help much.¡±


    ¡°I am telling you that you should not try to assume your fox form through force of will and that, perhaps, letting the form take hold will help grant you mastery of it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s keep moving towards the Ruins of Kotuga and maybe I¡¯ll get lucky along the way.¡±


    ¡°Forever the optimist,¡± giggled Marina.


    ¡°What else can I do?¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree.¡±


    The three moved along, making their way back towards the nearest road. If they could travel more comfortably now that the air was cooler, the road would be the safest option. Perhaps they could even find somewhere that would grant them somewhere to rest, for there were other settlements beyond Port Balsia throughout the island, the party of three simply did not have a map leading to them.


    As the sky transitioned from orange to purple to a deep, dark blue speckled with countless stars, the air continued to cool. It was now more akin to a moderately warm spring day in Mercia, which brought Teleri much unstated delight.


    Friedrich, however, was growing frustrated at not having transformed into a fox since first leaving the goblin cave. Had it just been Marina who had told him he had changed forms, he would have presumed it was a joke that she had let continue for too long, but Teleri was not the sort to partake in any such antics.


    The road was much easier to walk along than the sandy expanse of flatlands and dunes, and, before long, the trio saw a small flat-roofed building in the distance. The warm glow of the fire from within poured out into the desert and the lit torches outside welcomed the travellers forward.


    ¡°I know you would rather travel by night, Teleri, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I think somewhere to rest would be appropriate, Friedrich,¡± said the archer, pulling her hood up as the group took the side path that led towards the inn.


    Standing outside the roadside inn, Friedrich took a moment to take things in. After such a long boat journey and a focus on what Kitt wanted him to see, he had failed to truly digest the fact that he was in Kai¡¯roh, far away from home. Everything was different and it extended to well beyond Port Balsia and the vast desert. Everything from the architecture to the creatures in the stables was different here. At home, there would be almost exclusively horses resting in a stable, but here there were a few horses, but also a number of brown and blonde camels that were staring at him with their large eyes.


    ¡°Everything here is so different from Mercia, isn¡¯t it?¡± Marina asked him.


    ¡°It is,¡± said Friedrich, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve been so absorbed in my mission that¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have time to appreciate it? Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I almost wish we had spent some more time in Port Balsia to learn about the island before we set off.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing stopping us going back there once we have some treasure to sell.¡±


    ¡°Which will happen all the sooner if we go inside,¡± said Teleri, walking on ahead towards the inn. ¡°I will make the order while the two of you continue your daydreaming.¡±


    ¡°She loves it here really,¡± said Friedrich, making Marina laugh.


    ¡°One day she can take us to the Alauria. I would love to see the islands of the high elves. I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re truly wondrous, but Teleri never talks about them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both Mercians, but neither of us really talk about our homes, do we?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Marina, solemnly.


    ¡°When you¡¯re ready to, don¡¯t forget I¡¯m here.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Marina, leaning her head on Friedrich¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The same goes for you too. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Marina asked, looking up at him and then following Teleri inside.


    Friedrich looked towards the crescent moon that hung in the sky. He felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest now that Kitt had bound to him. Whatever it truly meant, he did not fathom or care for, but he knew that he would find a way to master the fox soul. There was, however, another weight that hung upon him and it was something that was a lingering dread in the back of his mind; the minotaur mask.

 Chapter 47 - The Old Inn

    Friedrich walked inside the roadside inn, following closely behind Marina. The hooded Teleri was already sitting in the corner waiting for them, but she gestured for the two of them to go to the bar; something told Friedrich she was uncomfortable being a high elf in yet another foreign human-dominated land, but the Asterrans who made up most of the population of Kai¡¯roh barely paid her any heed in Port Balsia.


    ¡°What can I do for you, young sir and madam?¡± asked the gruff-looking innkeeper whose tone was much kinder than his face.


    ¡°We would like to rent two rooms for the night, if you have any available,¡± said Friedrich. He subtly glanced around the inn and saw only three others drinking, so he suspected his chances were good.


    ¡°Got a lovely room with a balcony available, but it¡¯s three single beds. Does that work for you? I¡¯m presuming that elf is with you, on account of how she pointed at the pair of you a moment ago.¡±


    Friedrich turned to Marina. ¡°Three rooms?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re used to sleeping close to each other outside,¡± shrugged Marina. ¡°We¡¯ll just not tell Blackjack until it¡¯s time to turn in.¡±


    She was conscious of using Teleri¡¯s real name in front of a stranger. Even throughout the entire journey to Kai¡¯roh, the trio had been careful to only ever use the Alaurian¡¯s pseudonym when Captain Alden and his crew were nearby.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll take it,¡± said Friedrich, pulling out his wallet of kupons.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be thirty kupons for the night, including a meal for each of you,¡± said the innkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Thirty kupons?¡± said Friedrich, his eyes wide and his voice much louder than he had meant it to be.


    ¡°Where do you think you are, sir?¡± asked the innkeeper. ¡°When you¡¯re trekking across the sand of Kai¡¯roh, this is the best you¡¯re going to get. In the city where there are plenty of places to rest and a constant supply of food and water, you¡¯ll find things cheaper. Here? Not so much.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± grumbled Friedrich, handing over thirty kupons before turning to Marina. ¡°You and Teleri owe me for this.¡±


    Marina threw her arms around his neck. ¡°I will pay you back with this hug,¡± she giggled and then ran off to sit with Teleri.


    As Friedrich walked over to the table, he looked around. Two of the patrons were huddled together talking intently, while the third was sitting alone, sipping wine from a cup by the firepit. He looked lost in thought, and there was nowhere better to be alone with your thoughts than a quiet inn in the middle of nowhere.


    ¡°Marina says that you covered the payment for us,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Thank you, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°She did, did she?¡± he asked, frowning at Marina who gave him a wide smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose so,¡± said Friedrich, laughing at how bold she could be.


    Friedrich looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one else was listening in. ¡°So, what do you think it means now that Kitt¡¯s soul is part of me? Do all masks break when the soul within has its desire fulfilled?¡±


    ¡°You would have to ask a shaman to know for sure,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but I suspect that the answer to your second question is yes.¡±


    ¡°And my first question?¡±


    ¡°Again, this is only my suspicion, but I believe it means that Kitt stayed true to his word and offered you his services until¡­well, perhaps until you die or you exorcise him somehow.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say no to new abilities,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Especially if it means I do not need to carry the masks around. Do you remember Marina and I telling you about Muriance?¡±


    ¡°The thief, yes.¡±


    ¡°I would doubt that he¡¯s the only person in the world that desires the power of soul masks. I also doubt very much that I¡¯m the only one who has any.¡±


    ¡°You have two,¡± said Marina pointedly. ¡°Considering their rarity, that would make you the perfect target for mask thieves. It may not be Muriance, but there will be others out there hunting for them.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s exactly my point,¡± said Friedrich, pulling the minotaur mask out from underneath his tunic. ¡°Having these masks makes me a target, yet¡­I don¡¯t have the will to get rid of them.¡±


    Marina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that because you can¡¯t or you don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? It¡¯s both. The fox mask was easy to keep because it didn¡¯t affect my negatively, at least as far as I can tell. The minotaur, however, has that insatiable bloodlust once it starts killing. It¡¯s very hard to fight against it. I¡¯m scared of it and want rid of it, but if it too has a desire then, perhaps, I can bend it to my will rather than it bend me to its will.¡±


    ¡°That is a dangerous game to play,¡± said Teleri, looking at the black bull head with the golden horns. ¡°If it bonds to you as the fox mask did, who¡¯s to say that it won¡¯t be able to dominate you completely? Perhaps the reason the power of the masks only lasts so long is for your own protection.¡±


    Marina nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a very real possibility too. You need to be careful, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. Any number of things could go wrong.¡±


    Teleri looked at him with doubt in her eyes, wanting to speak, but hesitating momentarily before the words came out. ¡°We may have a somewhat spoken, somewhat unspoken agreement between ourselves that we will not pry into each other¡¯s pasts, however, I feel the need to ask what it is that you so desire wealth and power for. To simply have a boat that will give you a sense of freedom is not an answer I will believe any longer.¡±


    Friedrich smiled. ¡°Why do you despise demons so much? Moreso than most, I mean.¡±


    ¡°That is a personal matter.¡±


    ¡°As is mine, but rest assured I am not planning anything nefarious. You trust me enough to believe that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri as Marina nodded along. ¡°Whatever your reasons, it is clear that you do not want to be rich for the sake of it. You do not want a boat to go on an adventure across the world. You have another motive driving you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± asked Marina. ¡°Can we not all just agree that we will have each other¡¯s backs when push comes to shove?¡±


    ¡°Is that not what we have done so far?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°It is, but I feel like it needs spoken aloud.¡±


    ¡°You humans and your desire for assurance,¡± said the elf, shaking her head before letting out a dry laugh. ¡°Yes, I will protect you as you do for me. I will trust you both as you do me. Does that make you feel better?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina, grabbing Teleri¡¯s hand and swinging it into the air.


    Teleri pulled her hand free. ¡°There will be none of this foolishness,¡± she said with a scowl.


    ¡°You should smile more,¡± said Friedrich with a grin stretched across his face.


    ¡°I will smile when there is cause to smile, otherwise it would be a false emotion.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Blackjack,¡± said Marina, elbowing Teleri gently in the ribs. ¡°You were so beautiful at Lord Buckstone¡¯s ball. I know we¡¯re not exactly in the sort of place where we dress up, but a smile would go a long way in making you approachable.¡±


    ¡°I do not want to be approachable,¡± said Teleri. ¡°In a cruel world, I believe that keeping my distance from strangers is a necessity, especially when I am so far from home. Need I remind both of you, that we are not in Mercia? You are also far from home.¡±


    Friedrich pulled out the map he bought from Adajun back in Port Balsia. He unrolled it on the table and traced his finger from the town to roughly where he thought they were.


    ¡°Speaking of distance,¡± he said, ignoring Teleri¡¯s point. ¡°I think we¡¯re making good progress, even with our stop in the goblin occupied shrine. I would say that three days isn¡¯t outside the realms of possibility.¡±


    ¡°How much time do you want to spend sleeping under the stars and waking up with sand in your mouth?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Why would we wake up with sand in our mouths?¡± asked Friedrich, trying not to laugh.


    ¡°You snore sometimes and there might be a breeze, but answer the question.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me if we have to sleep outside. We do it all the time.¡±


    ¡°But look here,¡± said Marina, placing her own finger on the map where there was a small cluster of crudely drawn houses. ¡°This looks like a town, does it not?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Friedrich.


    ¡°If we were to head there, we wouldn¡¯t go too far off course and it would give us the chance to both replenish our supplies and not wake up with sand in our mouths.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that I also snore?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°It¡¯s a figure of speech,¡± said Marina, waving her hand dismissively.


    ¡°It was not when you were talking about Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t snore,¡± said Friedrich, looking at Teleri. ¡°Now who is in need of assurance?¡±


    Teleri rolled her eyes. ¡°In any case, I find myself in agreement with Marina. We would be much better off moving along to this town before heading towards the ruins. We cannot guarantee that we will not run out of water on the road and the river does not extend all the way to the ruins.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also a good point,¡± said Marina, nodding so wildly that her hair fell over her face. She brushed it away. ¡°I think that it¡¯s the best course of action, if you will agree to it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m outnumbered, aren¡¯t I?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°We¡¯re not ganging up on you,¡± said Marina. ¡°If we¡¯re going to travel as a threesome, we need to make sure everything has their voices heard and we can negotiate without overpowering each other. I think that¡¯s the best thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Alright, if you both want to go to the town, I don¡¯t mind. Just as long as we still plan on going to the ruin. That map cost me the same as a night in this inn.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± asked Teleri, her jaw hanging open. ¡°Thirty kupons for food and two rooms?¡±


    Friedrich and Marina exchanged an awkward glance. ¡°Seeing as we¡¯re all so close now, Marina and I agreed that the three of us will share a room tonight?¡±


    ¡°I pray that you are joking, Friedrich, for I shall not be happy if you are not.¡±


    Friedrich simply smiled at her while Marina stifled her giggles.

 Chapter 48 - A Familiar Stranger

    Friedrich had awakened during the night and remained in the surprisingly comfortable bed on the top floor of the inn. Marina and Teleri remained fast asleep close by, but Teleri had been awake for some time while she complained about Friedrich¡¯s inability to negotiate for a better deal and for a separate room for himself.


    At first, he thought that it was a small pang of guilt for not putting in more effort into getting a second room, but he realised after lying awake for an hour that it was more to do with his concern for what he wanted to achieve. Things were moving slowly in many ways, yet quickly in others.


    As his thoughts tossed and turned throughout his mind, he finally stood up and walked out onto the balcony. He sat up on the stone bannister and stared at the crescent moon hanging in the sky. It would surely not be much longer before the sun would rise and the night would fade into day, turning the expanse of blue before him into the sprawling golden sands of Kai¡¯roh.


    ¡°Father,¡± said Friedrich, his voice barely even a whisper, ¡°I¡¯m trying to find a way to get to you, but I need more time. I know that time is all you have, yet I can¡¯t help but feel sorrow that it is taking me so long to find what I need. I¡¯m on my way to buying the boat needed to cross the ocean, but that¡¯s not enough and I know it all too well.


    ¡°The fox has granted me its power, but I don¡¯t know how to harness it now that it¡¯s free of the mask. The minotaur continues to fill me with fear, yet I know that I must find a way to overcome its immense will. My sword and my shield¡­well, they¡¯re simply a sword and a shield. They will not be enough to even storm the gates. I need¡ª¡±


    Friedrich suddenly stopped talking upon seeing something moving towards the inn. It looked like a human, but he could not see it clearly. As it drew close to the torches, the disjointed mass of cloth covering the man filled with colour. The bizarre robes were colour in various shades of yellow, red, and purple, patterned in spots, stripe and even flowers. It couldn¡¯t be the same man that he had met near the mine, could it?


    Elketh stopped and looked up at Friedrich who remained perched on the bannister. He held up a hand in greeting before walking to a chair that sat at an outside table and sitting down.


    ¡°How can you be here¡­¡± muttered Friedrich, staring at Elketh in disbelief as the tale teller sat peacefully.


    Friedrich swung his legs back onto the balcony and hurriedly walked back inside. He shook Marina awake and then approached Teleri, giving her a more cautious prod.


    ¡°What is it?¡± groaned Marina, opening her eyes and looking outside. ¡°Friedrich, it¡¯s still dark! I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°You had better have a good reason for awakening us,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Elketh is outside?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°The bard with the odd sense of taste?¡± asked Teleri, sitting upright and holding the thin blanket over herself.


    ¡°The very same,¡± said Friedrich, upon which Marina also sat up. ¡°I was sitting outside when he walked up the path. He waved to me, and then sat down. It may sound crazy but I don¡¯t believe this is a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Turn around, I must dress myself appropriately.¡±


    Friedrich walked over to the doorway and kept an eye on Elketh while Marina and Teleri put on their clothes and picked up their weapons. The tale teller remained unmoving at the table, staring into the distance at nothing in particular. To say that Friedrich was puzzled would have been an understatement.


    ¡°Does Elketh know about the soul masks?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°It was he who steered us towards the minotaur mask,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°and now he is here in the middle of the desert where we just so happen to be? That strikes me as more than a little bit odd.¡±


    ¡°Then let us ask him directly,¡± said Teleri.


    The three marched out of the room, down the quiet stairs and through the now-empty inn. They walked outside and over to Elketh who raised a hand in greeting once again.


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    ¡°Ah,¡± he said cheerily. ¡°If it is not that kind strangers that I met in Western Mercia. How do you all do?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Friedrich, gesturing towards the other chairs at the table. ¡°May we?¡±


    ¡°You may,¡± said Elketh, giving a deep nod.


    Friedrich and Marina sat down while Teleri walked over and stood between them, eyeing Elketh suspiciously.


    ¡°Forgive my boldness, Elketh,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I did not expect to meet you here.¡±


    ¡°I am a tale teller, Friedrich,¡± said Elketh, holding out his arms. ¡°I go where the road takes me, telling tales and seeking more. Yesterday I was in Mercia, today you find me in Kai¡¯roh, and tomorrow you may find me in Heartland. Nothing is certain in this life, the threads of fate being woven in surprising ways that even the one who weaves did not expect.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to tell us that it is a mere coincidence that we find ourselves in the same place once again?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°Nothing is a coincidence,¡± said Elketh, ¡°but it is rather fortunate that you made your way here for I have a tale to tell you about a man and a hammer. Would you like to hear it, Teleri?¡±


    Teleri stood up straight, looking highly disturbed. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± she demanded. ¡°I did not utter it around you the last time we met, nor did Friedrich or Marina know it at the time.¡±


    ¡°It is as I have said. I am a tale teller and I also seek out tales. What is a name, but a tale of someone¡¯s life? You can learn everything you need to know about a person from their name. It is the knot that binds everything together.¡±


    ¡°That is not an answer,¡± spat Teleri. ¡°You must tell me the truth. How do you know my name?¡±


    Friedrich could tell that Elketh was smiling underneath the robes that covered almost the entirety of his face.


    ¡°I know all about you, Teleri. I know where you come from, I know who you have lost and how he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! Do not utter another word,¡± yelled Teleri.


    ¡°There is no need for anger,¡± said Elketh calmly. ¡°I simply know what I know. I do not wish you harm, nor will I cause you any.¡±


    Friedrich leaned forward and pulled out the minotaur mask. ¡°Do you know what this is, Elketh?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the bizarre man. ¡°It is a soul mask. Within its stone is a spiteful creature once known across the land. He is a dangerous one, he is, Friedrich, but what power he possesses. You have had a taste of it, have you not? Such indomitable will, yet you have been able to pull yourself together even before the magic runs thin. That is quite the feat, I must say, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Did you send me after the mask on purpose?¡±


    ¡°I did not send you after the mask. I told you a tale and you chose to seek it out. Perhaps if I had not told you, you would have found it anyway, but we won¡¯t ever know. Telling you gave you a much more direct choice, even if you did not understand the full weight of my tale.¡±


    ¡°Who is the man and the hammer?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Ah, so you would like to hear my next tale, would you?¡± asked Elketh, standing up.


    ¡°If we hear your tale and go the opposite direction, what would you do?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I would do as I always do. I would tell more tales and seek out others, for that is my way. It is my purpose.¡±


    Friedrich sat quietly for a moment, deep in contemplation as everyone watched him. When he had decided, he leaned back. ¡°Tell me your tale, Elketh. I would like to hear it.¡±


    Elketh stood up abruptly. ¡°Excellent,¡± said the tale teller. ¡°I am pleased that you are so interested in what I have to say.¡±


    He cleared his throat and began.


    ¡°There once was a man, proud and tall,


    Who wielded a war hammer and would call,


    Upon the power of the smithing god,


    For his own attempts were truly flawed,


    He came to a rather unfortunate end,


    The day he thought he would try and mend,


    A powerful artifact that now resides,


    In an ancient temple, deep inside,


    Perhaps you will find it within the sand,


    Perhaps it is held within the hand¡­¡±


    Marina clapped, expecting Friedrich and Teleri to not, but Friedrich clapped along with her. He did not know what the tale meant, but he believed that he would find out one way or another.


    ¡°Thank you kindly, thank you kindly,¡± said Elketh, giving a deep bow. ¡°Teleri, perhaps I will one day earn your applause. But for now, my friends, I must bid you farewell, for I have many more tales to tell and many others who are in need of them.¡±


    Elketh pushed his chair underneath the table and walked back down the road where he had come from before disappearing into the distance. Teleri continued to stare after him, not one of the three saying a word the whole time.


    ¡°He is gone,¡± she said upon the curious fellow passing beyond even what her elven eyes could see. ¡°I do not trust that man for even a second.¡±


    ¡°He knows things that he shouldn¡¯t know,¡± said Marina, looking to Teleri. ¡°How could he have found out your name between our first meeting and now? We didn¡¯t even know it until two weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°I am not sure, but the more I think about it, the more I believe it is something I am not sure I wish to find out. I fear that he is much more powerful than he lets on.¡±


    ¡°I agree that he¡¯s powerful,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I do not believe him when he says that he means us no harm. He sought us out for a reason and the last time he sought us out, I found¡­this.¡±


    Friedrich held up the minotaur mask.


    ¡°If you find him so untrustworthy, why did you listen to his tale?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I listened to his tale so that I could know exactly how to avoid doing what he wants us to do,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°He may lead us to something powerful, perhaps even something very useful¡­but it may also be something truly dreadful.¡±

 Chapter 49 - Time for Tea

    Friedrich, Marina and Teleri walked along the road, all the while Teleri did whatever she could to shield herself from the sun. It was a fruitless endeavour in the sea of sand that was Kai¡¯roh, but she tried nonetheless. If there was a tree, she would seek shade under it for a moment, only to be no better off when she had to emerge. She wanted to head towards the cliffs in the distance, but Friedrich refused, saying that he was already going the direction that she and Marina wanted and would not delay the journey to the Ruins of Kotuga any longer.


    ¡°We will be at the town in no more than an hour or two,¡± said Friedrich, handing her his canteen. ¡°You can finish everything inside and I will refill when I next get the chance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± muttered Teleri, slightly bitter that he would not indulge her and head towards the cliffs, but grateful for the water to quench her thirst.


    As the trio walked through the desert, the town came into view in the distance. It was a beautiful little oasis in the desert with a river flowing through it and a grand stone walkway leading around the edge of the town and straight through the centre. At the side furthest from the road, there was a building built into the walkway, raised well above the other buildings in the low-down town. To call it bustling would have been overstating it, but there were plenty of men wandering around, many of whom looked as though they were on guard duty.


    ¡°Something is off,¡± said Teleri, scanning her eyes over the town.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Friedrich, unable to see as clearly.


    ¡°There are no women here. Not a single one.¡±


    ¡°That is a little odd. Are you sure they¡¯re not inside or at market stalls?¡±


    ¡°There are no people tending to the market stalls, but there is a strange man watching over the town from that raised building at the far side.¡±


    Teleri pointed to the building upon the walkway that Friedrich had spotted earlier. He could just about see a figure sitting upon the balcony with his legs crossed, but he couldn¡¯t make him out in any greater detail than that.


    Marina cocked her head to the side. ¡°Surely, they¡¯ve seen us?¡±


    ¡°They have,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°And they¡¯ve made no hostile moves?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as I can tell.¡±


    ¡°In that case, won¡¯t we be fine? If they were looking to keep us out, they would have attacked already.¡±


    ¡°Not if they want us lured into the town,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°In any case, if we want to refill our water and give the pair of you somewhere to rest then we will need to go in anyway, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°True, but I am not so sure that it is advisable.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go in first,¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    With that, he walked further down the road and kept going until he passed under the walkway and entered the town. Not content to let him go alone, Marina and Teleri came with him. The men of the town eyes them suspiciously, yet they made no moves towards them.


    ¡°Shift-eyed fellows, aren¡¯t they?¡± asked Friedrich quietly.


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t like us because we¡¯re foreigners?¡± suggested Marina.


    The trio walked further into town, not sure of where they were going or what their plan was, but Friedrich started steering them towards what looked to be an inn.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, sir?¡± asked a man, stepping in front of the door to the inn.


    ¡°We¡¯re travellers and were hoping to rest for a while before being on our way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we cannot allow that,¡± said another man, stepping towards them from behind.


    ¡°Might I ask the reason for that?¡± said Friedrich as he tried to subtly move his hands towards the handle of his sword.


    ¡°Well, you see,¡± said another man, rounding the corner. ¡°Everything in this town belongs to us and, therefore, you don¡¯t have any money to pay for goods or services. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Friedrich quietly as the more men showed up and surrounded the party, ¡°but I don¡¯t think you understand what happens when you try and back me into a corner.¡±


    The men lunged and the party launched into their attacks. Friedrich skewered a man through the abdomen, Teleri slit a man¡¯s throat and Marina blew up a three consecutive heads in a single flash of lightning. Many men recoiled in terror, but a few others were fearless and leapt upon the trio, aiming to separate them from their weapons.


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    ¡°Get off!¡± barked Friedrich as he clung to his sword while two men tried to restrain him.


    In a flash, he transformed into his golden fox form and separating him from his weapon was no longer an issue as he sank his teeth into the ankles of one of the men.


    ¡°Men, halt!¡± cried one of the attackers, taking a few steps back as Marina pointed her staff at him.


    Friedrich turned back into a human and the men who had attempted to restrain him also backed away, one limping somewhat from the minor leg injury Friedrich¡¯s teeth had given him.


    ¡°I believe we have made an error in judgement,¡± said the man who stopped his men from attacking further. ¡°My name is Zahez and I would like to apologise on behalf of my men for reacting so harshly to your presence.¡±


    ¡°Reacting too harshly?¡± asked Friedrich, gesturing to the five corpses of his men that lay upon the sandy stone. ¡°Do you see what happens when you react too harshly to people like us?¡±


    ¡°It would be best if you spoke to Namavar,¡± said Zahez, holding his hands up. ¡°That power of yours¡­it could be very useful.¡±


    ¡°And why would we want anything to do with a single one of you after what just happened?¡±


    ¡°Please. I urge you to speak with him. We will interfere no further.¡±


    The man pointed towards the building where the man sat watching over the town from his balcony. In the blinding light of the sun, Friedrich could not see the man¡¯s face clearly, but his head was undoubtedly turned in the direction of the halted skirmish. The man held up a hand and beckoned to the trio.


    ¡°I will show you,¡± said Zahez, walking along the street and heading for a staircase that led up the walkway.


    With an uncertain glanced shared between the three, Friedrich, Marina and Teleri followed him. Teleri took the rear and looked over his shoulder, glad to see that the rest of the attackers had stayed put and were cleaning up the bodies of their fallen comrades.


    Zahez led the trio along the walkway where they could now see over the small town and to the sands beyond. It was a beautiful sight, and Friedrich could see the appeal of sitting here and watching the world, especially when it was a bright and peaceful day like today.


    ¡°Red Sand Teahouse,¡± muttered Marina, reading the sign hanging from the door of the building that Zahez led them into.


    Inside there was an overwhelming aroma of fragrances, many dry and leafy and others sweet and fruity. They all combined and mixed in the air, wafting their way through the nostrils of the few people inside.


    Zahez walked up a stone staircase that was build along the edge of the wall and curled round at the corner, leading through an archway. In this room stood the only woman that the group had seen in town so far. She was pouring tea from a small pot into four cups that rested upon a tray. Zahez ignored her and took the group through another archway that led onto the balcony, where they could now see the man who sat and watched over the town; Namavar.


    He was a man of around forty, clad in flowing robes of red with a long, neat beard that stopped at a point halfway down his chest. His dark hair was slicked back and decorated with silvery metal rings that held it in place. He turned to look at the group with a cunning smile on his face.


    ¡°Rala,¡± he called out, ¡°the tea.¡±


    The woman inside hurried out onto the balcony and placed the tray on a table before Namavar. She set a cup in front of him and then took a cup to each Friedrich, Marina and Teleri. She gave a low bow and was then led back inside by Zahez.


    ¡°Drink, please,¡± said Namavar, holding out a hand to the trio.


    Not one of the three moved a muscle, all wondering the exact same thing.


    ¡°It has not been poisoned,¡± said Namavar, looking offended. ¡°If it would alleviate your worries, I will switch cups with any one of you. If it is poisoned then I will suffer the consequences.¡±


    Friedrich looked to Marina and then to Teleri. With a small nod of his head, he took a sip of the tea. He had to admit that it was delicious. It had an earthy taste to it, but it was now overpowering. A pleasant treat after spending days walking through the desert. Much to his relief, Friedrich did not feel any ill effects from the beverage.


    ¡°Is it good?¡± asked Namavar, leaning forwards.


    ¡°It is,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I am pleased to hear it,¡± said Namavar, taking a sip from his own cup and letting out a satisfied sigh. ¡°I concur, soul masker.¡±


    ¡°Soul masker?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°You transformed into a fox, did you not?¡± asked Namavar before turning to Marina and Teleri. ¡°Ladies, please enjoy the tea. I would not see you harmed when your services could prove beneficial to me.¡±


    Marina took a tiny drink, but Teleri set the cup on the table and folded her arms.


    ¡°It is your loss,¡± said Namavar, shaking his head and sliding the cup over to himself, ¡°but it will be my gain.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about soul masks?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Namavar took another sip of his tea. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Well, Friedrich,¡± said the red-robed man. ¡°This island is home to many secrets and treasures. It is a wondrous island of mystery, all densely packed into a rather small patch of land nestled in the sea to the west of the mainland. I am not talking about treasures like the little kupons that so many covet; I am talking about treasures that possess magical properties that can grant abilities that can bring true power.¡±


    Friedrich said nothing, simply watching Namavar.


    ¡°Tell me, Friedrich,¡± said Namavar and then finishing his tea before standing up. ¡°You possess the power of an awakened soul gem that has embedded itself within you, but did you know that I too possess such a power?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°That is so,¡± said Namavar, walking towards the edge of the balcony and then transforming before their eyes.


    Namavar¡¯s robes retreated, fading away into nothing as his body shrank until he was so tiny that Friedrich would have believed he disappeared had he not been so intensely focused. Namavar fluttered in front of the trio as a purple moth, flapping his wings for a moment before reverting back to his true form.


    ¡°Do you understand now why I called you here?¡± asked Namavar.


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°The power of a moth is useful for infiltration and escaping dire situations,¡± said Namavar, ¡°but it has many limitations including size and the inability to fight. I desire a mask that is much more powerful and would very much like you to give it to me.¡±


    Friedrich, Marina and Teleri exchanged worried glances and Friedrich fought the urge to touch the minotaur mask that was hung around his neck.

 Chapter 50 - The Swindlers Temple

    ¡°And what mask is it that you would like?¡± asked Friedrich, fearful that Namavar somehow knew about his minotaur mask.


    Namavar smiled and walked back over to his chair. He sat down and lifted the cup that Teleri had refused and took a sip of tea. ¡°There is a man who used to be in my employ,¡± he said, ¡°that betrayed me. He was in possession of a mask housing the soul of a goblin and I believe he has hidden it somewhere in the desert.¡±


    ¡°And why can you not retrieve it yourself?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°You have many other men, why would you need the help of strangers?¡±


    ¡°That swindler Bahadur, has found himself a little hideaway that gives him a clear view of those who approach. Should he see my men on the move, he will no doubt flee. If I am unable to catch him, I may lose the location of the mask forever. However, if three strangers approach then, perhaps, diplomacy is possible.¡±


    ¡°What is the mask?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°The mask of a goblin,¡± said Namavar. ¡°To blend in with one of the most invasive creatures in all of Eradrel would be a camouflage greater than any other. Not to mention the riches the little rats hide steal and squander; they would be ripe for the picking, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°After your men attacked us,¡± said Marina, ¡°why do you think we would be interested in helping you?¡±


    ¡°Look around you, young lady,¡± said Namavar, gesturing across the town. ¡°I have the entire town of Legama under my control, do I not? I will pay you handsomely for carrying out this favour for me. Would a thousand kupons apiece let past misdeeds be put to bed?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich at once. ¡°Just tell us where we can find Bahadur.¡±


    *


    ¡°I stand by that this is a mistake,¡± said Teleri as the trio approached the rocky hills where Namavar had told them Bahadur was hiding. ¡°A thousand kupons is not a paltry sum, as you will no doubt remind me, but we can find the money elsewhere without having to trust someone who tried to kill us.¡±


    ¡°A thousand kupons each,¡± Friedrich reminded her. ¡°And I know that he Namavar can¡¯t be trusted as far as we can throw him, but I don¡¯t doubt for a second that he has the kupons to toss around.¡±


    ¡°It is not a question of whether or not he has the money,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but whether we will be allowed to leave with our lives upon giving him the mask he desires.¡±


    ¡°He knows about your power, Friedrich,¡± said Marina. ¡°He¡¯s awakened the power of a moth mask already. Who¡¯s to say he doesn¡¯t want you to fetch the mask for him, then keep you prisoner until he can find a way to extract Kitt¡¯s soul from you. If he does that, he will find the minotaur mask too. He could become the ruler of the island very swiftly if he amasses more power.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt anything you¡¯re saying,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°The reason he gave us for making us find the mask was to lower our guard. He probably will betray us, but not before I take his money from him.¡±


    ¡°Is it worth the risk?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°Everything we do has had immense risk,¡± said Friedrich, shaking his head as he started the ascent up the hill toward Bahadur¡¯s hideout, ¡°but at least we know we¡¯re walking into enemy territory when we deal with him. The Ruins of Kotuga? Who knows what awaits us in there and whether there will be anything worth plundering?¡±


    Teleri skipped up the rocks effortlessly as Friedrich and Marina climbed much more carefully. ¡°And your point is a good one,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but that does not mean we can know everything that someone that conniving has in store.¡±


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    ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Friedrich, grabbing hold off a sharp protrusion of stone. ¡°We will find the mask first and then decide what to do with it afterwards? That will give us all time to mull things over.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Marina.


    Teleri sighed. ¡°Agreed,¡± she said.


    Namavar had told them that Bahadur had hidden away in an old ruined temple that had been half-claimed by the sand centuries ago. It sat somewhere near the top of the hill, but the trio had yet to set eyes upon it, so buried it must have been.


    Teleri climbed with ease, her elven light-footedness being of great benefit to her, while Friedrich and Marina struggled as they neared the peak of the main large hill. The entire climb, they did not see the faintest trace of the ruined temple.


    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­been tricked¡­already, haven¡¯t we?¡± panted Marina.


    Teleri looked back down the hill. ¡°We appear to have been¡ª"


    ¡°What?¡± asked Friedrich upon hearing her stop.


    ¡°There,¡± she said, pointing to a lone pillar on the far side of the hill in a small clearing; it was creeping out from the sand. It was only a couple dozen feet away, but it was the apparent last remnant of the temple.


    ¡°Namavar was wrong when he said it was half-claimed,¡± muttered Friedrich, shaking his head. ¡°How does a temple get so buried this high up?¡±


    ¡°Any sign of Bahadur?¡± Marina asked Teleri.


    ¡°No,¡± said the Alaurian, slowly drawing her gaze across the hill below.


    Friedrich stumbled as he made his way down the hill towards the clearing. He usually would have found this difficult, and perhaps even tripped, he managed to retain his balance and stay on his feet. Although he was still in human form, he suspected Kitt¡¯s influence had granted him greater dexterity.


    Teleri slid down on the sand while Marina lowered herself carefully towards where the pillar sat and all three stood before it. Looking around, there was no Bahadur or anything to suggest that he had even been here in the first place.


    ¡°Something smells,¡± said Friedrich.


    Teleri sniffed the air. ¡°Are you sure? I do not smell a thing.¡±


    ¡°Metaphorically,¡± said Friedrich, patting her shoulder.


    ¡°Do not touch me,¡± said the high elf, batting his hand away. ¡°We are friends, but I would prefer my personal space not be invaded constantly because of it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Marina, pointing towards the base of the pillar.


    She hurried over and started scraping away the sand with her hands, but it filled itself in almost as quickly as she removed it. Friedrich rushed over and helped her, seeing what it was that Marina had spied. There was a hand sticking out of the sand that had been clinging to the pillar. He grabbed hold of the hand as Marina and Teleri desperately tried to uncover the rest of the body.


    After much exertion, the arm was free. A heap of effort later and the top half of the body was revealed from the sand. With Friedrich, Marina and Teleri holding the body and giving a final heave, they pulled the man free and fell backwards onto the sand.


    Friedrich stood up and dusted himself off, then examined the body. He brushed the sand off the dead man¡¯s face. His mouth was fixed into a scream of anguish and his eyes were wide and encrusted with granules of sand.


    ¡°Bahadur?¡± asked Marina, also standing up.


    ¡°I think so,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°How did he get buried so deeply?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s¡­strange.¡±


    ¡°There is something else afoot here,¡± said Teleri. ¡°It must be the work of Namavar. He tricked us into coming here and we walked into his trap.¡±


    ¡°What trap?¡± asked Marina, looking up at her.


    ¡°I do not know, but there is something that we are missing.¡±


    Friedrich started rummaging through Bahadur¡¯s pockets, cupping out the sand as he did so. He was hoping that he would find something that may steer him in the¡­


    ¡°Aha!¡± he cheered, pulling out a roll of paper. He set it on the sand and laid it out flat. ¡°It¡¯s a map and there¡¯s a mark near the western shore.¡±


    ¡°We still have a chance at finding the mask?¡± asked Marina, looking excited before turning to Teleri. ¡°It looks like you were wrong after all.¡±


    ¡°You do not need to gloat,¡± said Teleri, ¡°I am happy to be proven wrong if it means we do not suffer needlessly. I was only sugg¡ª¡±


    Teleri stopped suddenly.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked Friedrich, standing up in shock. ¡°You all felt it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina.


    The ground had unmistakably rumbled beneath their feet for a second before settling. Friedrich tapped the sand with his boot, gently at first, and then much more forcefully. He wasn¡¯t sure what he had expected to happen, but was relieved when he was met with motionless silence from the sand.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± he asked the girls, gesturing towards the desert below.


    The two nodded, but as soon as they all started moving towards the pillar to make their way down, the ground rumbled again. This time, however, it moved much more vigorously. So vigorously that both Marina and Teleri fell to the ground while Friedrich leapt to the pillar and clung to it to keep upright.


    The sand at the centre of the clearing began to sink as a large creature of beige stone clawed its way to freedom and rose up, looming over the trio with its faceless body. They now knew what had claimed Bahadur¡¯s life, and it desired theirs next.

 Chapter 51 - Rising Stone

    The stone golem was twice as tall as Friedrich and five times as thick. It¡¯s burly arms of jagged stone could have crushed a building in a single thump and its legs were as sturdy as pillars. It lacked a face or head of any kind and its body was round and solid, capable of flattening Friedrich, Marina or Teleri with ease.


    ¡°Marina!¡± called Friedrich.


    ¡°Right,¡± said Marina from the ground, holding out her staff and casting a lightning bolt that would blow the golem to smithereens.


    Before the spell even left her staff, the golem whipped up a sandstorm. The thick cloud of granules took the worst of the attack and what was left of the lightning bolt struck its body, chipping off a piece of stone so small that the golem looked no different from before.


    Marina unleashed another bolt, but the same thing happened. The sand dampened the mighty spell so much that the bolt was insignificant by the time it hit its target. Marina backed away in a panic as Teleri loaded up one of her fiery arrows.


    The elf drew back her bow as the golem approached with its arms raised and released the arrow. It pinged off the stone brute, leaving barely a scorch mark. As the golem slammed its fists through the air to crush her, Teleri rolled aside and clambered to her feet. The golem thumped the sand, missing its mark and swinging its arms wildly, trying to hit something; anything.


    ¡°Run!¡± called Teleri.


    Friedrich let go of the pillar and the trio all ran for the edge of the clearing, but the sands rallied up and formed a wall, blocking their escape as the golem ran towards them still swinging its arms. The three scattered in different directions and Marina sent another desperate bolt towards her target, but the sands rushed to its defence once again as it charged after Friedrich.


    ¡°It¡¯s always stone creatures,¡± he said under his breath as he tried to create space. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it have been a flesh golem?¡±


    Large hands of sand burst forth from the ground and grabbed his ankles, holding him in place to prevent him from running. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the golem was upon him and ready to crush him to a fine paste. He breathed deep and willed for Kitt to save him. He assumed his fox form and slipped free as the sand hands, narrowly avoiding being trampled by the golem as he scurried between its legs. It stomped its feet, trying to crush the fox, but Friedrich evaded him with ease. The only trouble was that he had no way of fighting back and would tire eventually.


    Marina hurled another bolt, but it too was dampened by the sweeping sand that flew up to protect the giant stone beast. She looked at Teleri despairingly, who did not look overly confident herself.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± she asked the high elf.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± said Teleri, ¡°I have no potions that will help in this situation.¡±


    Friedrich ran towards them and returned to his human form. ¡°Get as far back as you can,¡± he said, turning around and pulling the minotaur mask out from underneath his tunic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± pleaded Marina.


    ¡°I have to,¡± he said, placing it upon his face while the girls ran.


    The painful transformation took place and he grew taller and burlier as he stared down the golem barrelling towards him. Friedrich ran forward and drew back a thick fist, slamming it into the golem¡¯s torso and cracking the stone. The golem stopped in its tracks, but met Friedrich with a punch of its own that hit him in the ribs. Even bracing himself, it was an agonising blow, but he pushed through.


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    Friedrich ducked low and pushed the golem back, driving his hooved feet into the sand and forcing himself forward. The golem did not want to budge and hit him repeatedly in the back, but he could not back down. With a heave, he shoved the golem to the ground and looked back towards Marina and roared loudly.


    Marina twirled her staff around and with a yell, she unleashed a thundering lightning bolt that cut through the rising sand and blew apart the golem¡¯s left leg. She let out an ecstatic cheer, but Teleri did not look so convinced.


    ¡°Even if we defeat the golem, you may be forced to subdue Friedrich,¡± she said, making Marina¡¯s face fall.


    Friedrich retrieved the largest chunk of the golem¡¯s leg that he could as it tried to right itself. He beat the golem¡¯s other leg with it, smashing leg against leg until both were smashed into dozens of pieces. It tried to crawl away, but Friedrich would not let it. He grabbed onto the stumpy remains of its legs and held tight.


    Marina ran closer despite Teleri¡¯s attempts to hold her back and willed up all of her magical prowess into her staff. She channelled the energy through her amethyst, let loose another bolt that tore through the now-weakening sand shield and blew the struggling golem¡¯s torso into chunks.


    Friedrick grabbed the golem¡¯s arm and hurled it from the hill, sending it flying through the air into the desert below. He picked up the other arm and slammed it into the pillar of the temple, breaking them against each other and letting out another terrifying roar.


    He looked towards Marina and Teleri and moved towards them. As the fear grew in their eyes and they both raised their weapons to him, he stopped. He locked eyes with Marina who shook her head as she silently pleaded with him to maintain control.


    Friedrich snorted and dropped to his knees, beating his fists against the sand. The minotaur tried to overpower him from within, but he could not let it win. He raised a fist and smashed it against his own jaw, knocking himself to the ground, dazed. All he could think about was the pain, but it kept his focus off of Marina and Teleri.


    While he lay on the ground, thrashing about, Marina ran to him and placed her hands on his face. ¡°Friedrich, can you hear me?¡± she asked.


    He stopped thrashing and looked into her sapphire eyes. Marina smiled at him and stroked his face.


    ¡°Everything is going to be alright,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re safe now. You¡¯re safe now. Don¡¯t let him win.¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s chest heaved as he took deep breaths in and out. The will of the minotaur was fading away and he felt like himself again. He lay as still as he could while Marina kept her hands on his face, waiting for the magic of the mask to run dry. Each and every second was tense, but as time passed, he felt the burden of the minotaur ease and, before long, he returned to normal.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, clearing his throat and then sitting up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to find out,¡± said Marina with a sweet smile. ¡°Have you still got the map?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, pulling the map from his pocket. ¡°Fingers crossed that this leads us to the goblin mask.¡±


    ¡°As dangerous as the minotaur is,¡± said Teleri, approaching and putting away her bow, ¡°I cannot pretend that it does not have its advantages. We would have found a similar fate to Bahadur without it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Namavar knew about the golem when he sent us here?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I would put nothing past him,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but we will get the better of him one way or another. The fox will eat the snake.¡±


    ¡°The Lightning Foxes,¡± winked Marina, standing up and twirling her staff around.


    ¡°Careful!¡± called Friedrich, terrified she would accidentally blow either Teleri or himself up.


    ¡°I always am,¡± said Marina, slowing down the spinning and keeping her staff by her side. She stuck out her tongue and then laughed, but Friedrich and Teleri looked at each other uneasily.


    ¡°May I see the map, Friedrich?¡± asked the elf.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, passing it over.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said as she examined it closely. ¡°We will be heading somewhat back on ourselves to reach the shore. It may take us a day or two.¡±


    ¡°All we¡¯ve got is time,¡± said Marina with a shrug. ¡°Do you want to wait for nightfall to travel?¡±


    ¡°The sun is already beginning to set,¡± said Teleri, looking to the sky. ¡°I can bear the journey for now and it will ease as we walk. I believe I am becoming accustomed to it.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you complained the whole way from Legama?¡± asked Friedrich with a smug grin.


    ¡°Your exaggerations prove nothing,¡± said Teleri as she walked towards the edge of the clearing and slid down the sand.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration, was it?¡± Friedrich asked Marina.


    ¡°No,¡± she replied, shaking her head and giggling. ¡°I don¡¯t think she hears herself when she¡¯s grumbling.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± said Friedrich, offering her his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we get down safely.¡±


    ¡°What a gentlemen,¡± said Marina, letting him lead the way.

 Chapter 52 - In the Remains of the Ship

    Friedrich stood at the top of the sand dune, looking towards the shore with Bahadur¡¯s map in his hands. He glanced at the map and then looked up against, confident that he had led everyone in the right direction. He nodded to himself in satisfaction as Marina and Teleri walked up the dune after him.


    ¡°You¡¯re certain we¡¯re in the right place?¡± Marina asked him.


    ¡°Positive,¡± said Friedrich, showing her the map. ¡°Do you see where we came into Port Balsia?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina, pointing to the southern part of the map. ¡°It¡¯s right here, isn¡¯t it? And we¡¯re facing west, is that right?¡±


    ¡°It is and it is,¡± confirmed Friedrich, turning slightly to the south and pointing towards a giant statue that sat in the not-so-far distance. ¡°I saw that statue when we were approaching Kai¡¯roh on Captain Alden¡¯s boat. This is the right place.¡±


    ¡°Teleri?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°He is correct,¡± said the elf.


    ¡°Why do you doubt my map-reading abilities so much?¡± Friedrich asked Marina.


    Marina shook her head. ¡°Because you¡¯ve gotten us lost so many times!¡±


    ¡°Once!¡±


    ¡°It was only once?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Teleri let out a single loud laugh and walked down the dune and towards the shore. Friedrich rolled up the map, stashed it inside his pocket once again and followed while Marina trailed along behind, racking her brain to try and think of other times Friedrich had gotten her lost.


    The three kicked off their boots, picked them up and let the water over their feet as they walked. It was pleasant and cooling, having walked so far in their stifling boots. As they walked, the sand crabs scuttled out of the way, terrified of the giants walking among them.


    One larger crab dared approaching Friedrich, snipping and snapping its claws as it walked sideways towards him. Laughing, he bent down and poked its shell, expecting it to lose its nerve and flee, but it did not. Instead, it clamped down on his finger and he let out a loud yelp. He picked the crab up and hurled it towards the water, cursing as he nursed his finger while Marina laughed at him.


    Teleri waded into the water and retrieved the crab, setting it back on the shore where it scuttled away to find its brethren. ¡°That was an overreaction, Friedrich,¡± she said.


    ¡°My finger¡­¡± he said, shaking his hand.


    ¡°Why would you poke it?¡± Marina asked, trying to calm down.


    ¡°Sometimes I just do things,¡± Friedrich shrugged.


    ¡°We¡¯ve noticed,¡± giggled Marina.


    As they walked along, Friedrich pulled out the map and tried to follow the group¡¯s position along the western coast, but struggled to pinpoint their exact location. In any case, he was confident that they were close. Wherever the mask was hidden, it was hidden close by.


    ¡°It¡¯s within our grasp,¡± said Friedrich, clenching the paper tightly. ¡°Three thousand kupons¡­I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    ¡°I think I may have found it,¡± said Marina, pointing a little ways inland and up a shallow river.


    Wedged among the rocks and the small stream trickling through the valley that was once a much larger river, was an old wooden ship. Its sails were ragged and its wooden boards were broken and cracked; even if put back in the water, it would not be going anywhere. It was sad to see such a magnificent vessel go to waste, but everything has its time.


    Friedrich looked closely at the map once again. ¡°This must be it,¡± he said excitedly, stashing it away and running towards the ship.


    ¡°Wait!¡± called Teleri. ¡°We do not want any more monsters, constructs or demons catching us unaware.¡±


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    Friedrich slowed his run to a brisk walk, looking all around him as he moved and giving Marina and Teleri a chance to catch up. Teleri eyed the ship up, trying not to miss a single inch from her current angle. She then made Friedrich and Marina spread out so they could get a full view of each side of the ship. Once she was satisfied, she allowed them to approach.


    Friedrich hopped into the river bank and walked through the broken planks and into the hull where the water was up past his ankles. A cluster of grabs had made the hull their home, so he hurried back outside and put his boots back on before taking his time to look around.


    ¡°How can we get up there?¡± asked Marina, looking towards a broken ladder that led up to the next level.


    Teleri took a running leap and grabbed onto the ladder. She pulled herself up and then jumped over to the nearest solid planks that she could find, balancing precariously on them and looking around.


    ¡°Bit of a show off, isn¡¯t she?¡± Friedrich asked Marina.


    ¡°Do you forget that as well as having incredible athletic abilities and sight, the Alauri have exceptional hearing, Friedrich?¡±


    Friedrich scowled and shook his head while Marina nudged him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Teleri,¡± he said as Marina smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°Apology accepted,¡± said Teleri, throwing a chest into the shallow water where it caused a large splash and soaked Friedrich and Marina.


    ¡°Why did you soak me too?¡± squealed Marina.


    ¡°You will dry quickly when we go back outside,¡± said Teleri, upon sliding back down the ladder. ¡°Let us see if this is the prize we seek.¡±


    Friedrich tried to open the chest, but it was locked tightly. Rather than spend an hour trying to pick the lock, he opted for the less subtle approach. He bashed the wood with his shield until it broke and then he pulled it apart, revealing the treasure inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s so ugly,¡± said Marina, recoiling.


    Friedrich held the wooden goblin mask in his hands. It was a sickly green with a long, hooked nose that bore two wide nostrils, along with twisted and pointy ears. Each wrinkle was carved to match the most hideous of goblins and there were red marks painted across its nose its brow and upwards from its upper lip; the only lip featured on the mask. Embedded within the forehead was the soul gem, glowing the familiar turquoise colour and emitting a wispy vapour, telling the party that the mask would grant them the transformation if they would only place it upon their face.


    ¡°Well, here goes nothing,¡± said Friedrich, turning the mask around.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I see no harm in testing it out,¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    ¡°I would have said as much if you had only ever used Kitt¡¯s mask, but having seen what the minotaur can do¡­I don¡¯t feel good about it.¡±


    ¡°At least a goblin is more easily subdued,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°And besides, it took a couple of uses of the minotaur mask for it to truly start forcing its will. I would expect the same for the goblin if it¡¯s even strong enough to do so.¡±


    Teleri sighed and drew her bow. ¡°I would rather not shoot you, so please keep control.¡±


    Friedrich winked at her and smiled smugly before placing the goblin mask upon his face. Unlike the fox and minotaur masks, which he had gotten so used to, the transforming into the goblin was an unfamiliar discomfort. The young Mercian felt his limbs shrink and turn dangly, while his back became hunched and his face warped from being youthfully handsome to twisted and ugly. His clothes turned from his tunic, trousers and boots into a ragged loincloth while his weapons disappeared, leaving him with a spear of bone in his hand.


    ¡°Eugh,¡± said Marina, pinching her nose. ¡°You smell!¡±


    ¡°Are you still you?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°Ragh!¡± called Friedrich, trying to say yes. Realising he couldn¡¯t quite get his words out properly, he opted for a nod instead.


    ¡°That is good to know. Is the goblin strong-willed?¡±


    Friedrich could not feel the slightest dominance from the soul of the goblin, but that did not leave him completely assured. He felt as though he was in full control, which would have to do for the time being. He shook his head and gave a hunched shrug before walking through the broken planks of the ship and out into the desert once again.


    Upon climbing out from the bank and walking free of the shadow of the wrecked ship. The sun felt nicer upon his dry, wrinkled skin, and his long, flat toes curled into the sand. He ran around a little, finding it easier to move along in this form than as a human, but not quite as easily as he could as a fox.


    After wasting a few more minutes while Marina and Teleri watched him, he reverted to normal and the mask fell from his face. Friedrich picked it up off the ground and tried it around his neck using the old string from the fox mask before it had been shattered.


    ¡°There we go,¡± he said pleasantly.


    ¡°And you felt fine?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°As well as could be expected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that leaves us with the question of what to do about the mask,¡± said Teleri. ¡°As we have discussed at length, Namavar cannot be trusted to fulfil his end of the deal.¡±


    ¡°No, he cannot,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I haven¡¯t decided on how I would like to approach things.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still desire the kupons.¡±


    ¡°Of course. A thousand kupons each? That¡¯s double what we were paid by Lord Buckstone for stopping Baron Pelagius.¡±


    ¡°How much more time do you need to decide?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Friedrich, looking at the goblin mask. ¡°A part of me wants to keep the mask and never go back to Legama, but I suspect Namavar would send his men to hunt us across the island. And we aren¡¯t exactly going anywhere until Captain Alden and his men come back.¡±


    ¡°That leaves us at a crossroads,¡± said Marina, shaking her head despondently. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the right course of action is either.¡±


    Friedrich looked up and spotted the colossal statue towering in the distance. When he had first laid eyes on it, he wondered what it was holding, but he could see for certain now that it was a staff. He smiled at it and Teleri raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk,¡± said Friedrich, strolling over the sand in the direction of the statue.

 Chapter 53 - The Watchful Statue

    The colossal sandstone statue came into clear view. It was of a broadly built man, holding a staff into the air as though declaring himself to the gods. The statue was so tall that Friedrich suspected if he were to stand atop it, he could see halfway across the island; certainly, he would see the entirety of Port Balsia, for that was the direction it faced.


    The statue did not stand upon the sand as Friedrich had suspected, but in a tiled platform that raised it a few feet above the ground, not that it needed the height boost; rather, the platform ran underground and kept the statue stable amongst the shifting sand of the desert.


    ¡°What a spectacular view,¡± said Friedrich, marvelling at the impressive structure. His eyes suddenly turned shifty and a small grin appeared on his face. ¡°I wonder if I could climb to the top?¡±


    ¡°You will do no such thing,¡± snapped Teleri, grabbing him by the shoulder before he had the chance to move. ¡°I will not be cleaning up your bloody remains when you fall to your death.¡±


    ¡°It was a pondering!¡±


    ¡°A foolish pondering. Ponder it no more!¡±


    ¡°Oh, hush,¡± barked Marina, pulling the pair apart. ¡°Can you two stop your incessant bickering for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°You started it this time,¡± said Marina, wagging a finger at the Alaurian. ¡°You think you¡¯re much more mature than he is, but you aren¡¯t. Oftentimes, you¡¯re the most immature of all of us!¡±


    ¡°The nerve!¡± cried Teleri, affronted to be called such a thing. Friedrich tried to hold in his laughter by biting his lower lip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting off the hook,¡± said Marina, grabbing his ear and giving it a firm tug. ¡°Pondering or not, I want your solemn promise to not do something idiotic like climbing that statue. It would be different if you could turn into a bird, but you cannot. Promise me.¡±


    ¡°I promise!¡± said Friedrich and Marina released him.


    ¡°Honestly, you two¡­¡± sighed Marina, shaking her head. ¡°If I didn¡¯t love you both so much, I would slap the pair of you senseless.¡±


    Friedrich and Teleri exchanged a look of embarrassment. The young man wanted to make a snarky guess at Teleri¡¯s age, a detail she always refused to share with him, but he refrained in fear that Marina would send a thousand volts through his body; something she could do with the flick of her wrist.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone coming. Who is that?¡± asked Teleri, looking towards the south, very much relieved to find something to break the awkward silence.


    The man was wearing a long tunic and draped in a thin flowing robe that kept him cool as he walked across the sand. His walk was slow and graceful as though he was slowly rolling along the sand on small wheels. He had certainly come from Port Balsia if he was coming from the south.


    ¡°Hello!¡± called Friedrich, holding up a hand in greeting.


    The man stopped momentarily and then resumed his walk towards the three. As he approached, he pulled down his hood, revealing himself as a middle-aged man with black hair that was starting to turn grey. He had a short, wispy beard and a look of bemusement on his face.


    ¡°It is a rare sight to see a single soul at the Watcher of Kai¡¯roh¡¯s podium, let alone three foreigners,¡± he said. ¡°Well met, my name is Suljah.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    ¡°Blackjack.¡±


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    ¡°That is a most unusual name for a high elf,¡± said Suljah, ¡°but if that is your name, then that is your name.¡±


    ¡°You called this statue the Watcher of Kai¡¯roh?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Suljah walking over to the large pedestal, climbing up and placing his hands upon the statue¡¯s foot. ¡°It is one of the most ancient structures on this island. It predates every town and village by many, many years. So many years that I could not tell you how old it truly is.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s in such good condition,¡± said Marina in amazement.


    Suljah smiled at her. ¡°It was not always this way, miss. My grandfather restored it when it was in a state of disrepair, while my father maintained it after he passed away. When my father passed away, I took over the duty of care for the Watcher. I¡¯ve been tending to it with my father since I was a child, so now it is for me and my children to look after, however, I am the one that comes here most often.¡±


    ¡°And you come from Port Balsia?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Suljah laughed and climbed down from the podium. ¡°I come from all over,¡± he said. ¡°I have crossed this island a hundred times over, but today, yes, I come from Port Balsia. I spend most of my days wandering the island, learning something new every single day. It is a magical place, Kai¡¯roh. Have you found it welcoming?¡±


    Friedrich tilted his head from side to side. ¡°Well¡­in a manner of speaking¡­no, not especially. We¡¯ve had run-ins with goblins, been jumped in a city of bandits and been attacked by stone golem, all within the space of a week.¡±


    ¡°My, my, what an adventure in such a short time. I am envious, sir. A life of such excitement is something that many can only dream of.¡±


    ¡°And what about you, Suljah?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°What is it that keeps you coming back to this statue after so many years?¡±


    ¡°It is my sacred duty to tend to this statue,¡± said the man pleasantly. ¡°The history of my home must be preserved and treated with great care. To have it fall into ruin would be unacceptable to me. There is something to be said about taking care of something even though you receive no gratitude for it at the time. There will one day come a day, when I am long gone, that my efforts will be noticed. It does not bother me that they are not appreciated during my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°You must have seen every inch of this island if you¡¯ve crossed it so many times?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°It is as I said, I still learn new things. There are ruins that I have yet to venture into and perhaps I never will, but rest assured that there are many old and ancient things on Kai¡¯roh. Treasures lost to time, secrets kept locked away and even horrors beyond your imagination¡­¡±


    Friedrich walked over to the statue as Suljah trailed off. He looked up at it from directly underneath. ¡°I wonder who this man was¡­do you know?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I am afraid that I do not and never will,¡± said Suljah, ¡°but it pleases me that you are taking an interest. It is nice to receive some gratitude while I am still alive.¡± Suljah chuckled and clapped his hands together.


    ¡°Do you know of a man named Namavar?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Ah, the tea merchant?¡± asked Suljah, bowing his head.


    ¡°Tea merchant, among other things,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Suljah. ¡°I believe he has taken over Legama recently. He is not someone I would trifle with and I avoid passing by that town when I am on my travels, but I have no doubt that he will not be ruling that roost forever.¡±


    ¡°Can he be trusted to follow through on a promise?¡± asked Marina.


    Suljah chuckled. ¡°Only if you have something he wants.¡±


    ¡°That answers that then,¡± said Friedrich, looking to Teleri who nodded. ¡°Shall we get going back to Legama?¡±


    ¡°Travellers,¡± said Suljah, ¡°I appreciate you taking the time to come visit the Watcher. I would love to offer you a trinket, if I had one to give, but your presence was not something I expected. Perhaps, I can offer you something more valuable than material goods¡­a single question about the secrets of the island?¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s mind immediately was drawn to the Ruins of Kotuga, but he did not want to waste his one question to find out about somewhere he was already intending to explore.


    ¡°Suljah,¡± he said, ¡°would it be alright if we visit you again when I have a question worth asking?¡±


    ¡°But, of course,¡± said Suljah, smiling and nodding. ¡°I wish you well on your journey, Friedrich, Marina and Blackjack.¡±


    The three bid a farewell to the statue tender and walked across the flat sands and back towards the road.


    ¡°We have something Namavar wants,¡± said Marina, ¡°you think we will be alright?¡±


    ¡°I will go into town alone,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°just in case he tries to trick us.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Teleri, ¡°we will go together. If things get ugly, we will do as we did before and fight his off his minions. We will fight our way through them all and take everything he has if he tries to double cross us.¡±


    Friedrich pulled out the goblin mask and looked at it. As ugly as it was, it was a work of art. Its glossy paint shimmered in the sun and the soul gem twinkled brightly as the vapour wafted around it, but that was not the mask that Friedrich was focused on. While he held the goblin in one hand, his other hand was pressed upon the other mask that hung around his neck; the minotaur mask.


    He thought he was being subtle, but Teleri¡¯s elven eyes did not miss much. She watched Friedrich and her heart filled with dread as he continued to be enthralled by the bestial artifact.

 Chapter 54 - Double Crossed

    ¡°Remember the plan,¡± said Friedrich as he, Marina and Teleri walked through Legama with all eyes upon them. They were all tense as they moved, but none more than Friedrich who was carrying the goblin mask that Namavar sought.


    ¡°It is a simple plan to remember,¡± muttered Teleri. ¡°If they attack us, we kill them all.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s easier said than done, now that I think about it,¡± said Marina as she looked at the many men throughout the town who gave the group their full attention.


    Namavar hailed them from his post on the Red Sand Teahouse balcony. He was too far for anyone but Teleri to see his expression, but Friedrich surmised that it was one of satisfaction considering they had all returned; he knew he was going to get what he wanted.


    Zahez met them at the base of the walkway steps. His expression was cold. ¡°Do you have?¡± he asked.


    Friedrich pulled out the goblin mask from underneath his tunic. ¡°We have it,¡± he said.


    ¡°I will take it from you here.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I will only give it to Namavar. It is not that I don¡¯t trust you, but¡­well, yes, it is that I don¡¯t trust you. There¡¯s no point in playing coy, is there?¡±


    Zahez looked towards Namavar and then back to the trio. ¡°Very well,¡± he said and led them up the stairs, along the walkway and into the teahouse.


    Upon reaching the balcony, Rala was already placing four cups of tea on the table. The trio had agreed to on the journey back to Legama that, this time, none of them would drink. If there was ever a time to poison them, it was now. Zahez led Rala back inside and left Friedrich, Marina and Teleri alone with Namavar.


    ¡°My new best friends,¡± said Namavar, standing up to greet them. ¡°I am pleased that you come bearing good news. Please, have a drink.¡±


    Namavar sat back down and slid three cups towards them.


    ¡°As much as we appreciate the gesture, Namavar, we will not be staying long. I wouldn¡¯t want to leave the tea unfinished.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Namavar, flicking his hand dismissively. ¡°A deal is not done unless it is over tea. You may pick your own cups and we will all drink at the same time. If they are poisoned, then I do not like my odds.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± whispered Teleri as Friedrich reached for the cup in front of Namavar.


    He picked up the cup and Namavar picked up the one intended for Friedrich. They raised the cups to their mouth and both drank at the same time before setting the cups back on the table.


    ¡°Ah,¡± sighed Namavar in satisfaction. ¡°Exquisite, isn¡¯t it? Now, let¡¯s talk business.¡±


    Namavar reached under his chair and pulled out a small pouch. He out six yellow kupons and passed two to Friedrich, two to Marina and two to Teleri. A yellow kupon carried a unit of five hundred and was much-sought after for its size and worth. An easy way to transport vast wealth in the palm of your hand.


    Friedrich picked his two yellow kupons up off the table and inspected them in the sunlight. In his own amateur opinion, he would have said they were real, but he handed them to Teleri who confirmed it for him.


    ¡°We¡¯re most certainly in business, Namavar,¡± said Friedrich, taking the goblin mask from around his neck while the girls pocked their kupons. ¡°Do you want to know what happened to Bahadur?¡±


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    ¡°Not especially,¡± said Namavar, ¡°but I hope his fate was most unpleasant. I do not take kindly to betrayal, and I am delighted to see that you kept your word and returned as I had asked. I know all too well the temptation of a soul mask. Did you try it on, Friedrich?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± admitted Friedrich. ¡°As an assurance.¡±


    ¡°A fox is a beautiful creature,¡± said Namavar, looking towards the sands. ¡°As is the moth, whose wings warp the wind to its will and let it fly freely. It is a power I certainly cherish, but it is not what I truly want or need. I need something much more savage.¡±


    ¡°And now you will have it,¡± said Friedrich, feeling worse about this deal, knowing that Namavar would happily let the goblin mask tear people to shreds without a second thought.¡±


    ¡°How did it feel?¡± asked the tea merchant. ¡°To be in the body of such a wretched creature?¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, I felt nothing,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I do not know if the soul within the mask had no time to see who it was up against or if it was lying in wait before demanding control.¡±


    ¡°That is understandable,¡± said Namavar. ¡°Each soul is different, after all. I can only wonder what the soul of a much more powerful creature is capable of. How it can warp and twist you to its every desire. The soul of another human? That would be a battle hard fought. The soul of a dragon? Well, you would be dominated with ease.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t even considered either of those,¡± said Friedrich.


    Namavar sat forward and held out his hand. ¡°Once you pass over the mask, our business is complete. You are welcome to come back periodically as I may require further assistance in the future and I can see us working together for quite some time.¡±


    Friedrich could feel Marina and Teleri¡¯s gaze upon him as he passed the mask over. The atmosphere was thick and they were all expecting a grand ploy from Namavar, but he took the mask and marvelled at it for a minute before setting it on the table.


    ¡°You may leave,¡± he said. ¡°You would not like to finish your tea?¡±


    Friedrich picked up his cup and downed the rest of his tea, but Marina and Teleri politely refused. With a nod to Namavar, Friedrich led the girls back through the teahouse, past Zahez and Rala, and then back onto the walkway where they made their way towards the stairs. Truthfully, they felt much more at ease now that they had their money and were being allowed to leave.


    ¡°That went surprisingly smoothly,¡± whispered Marina as the Namavar¡¯s men continued watching them from their positions around town.


    ¡°If he needs us in the future, then perhaps he can be trusted to keep his¡ª¡±


    Teleri¡¯s words were cut off suddenly and she fell limp to the floor. Before she had even hit the ground, Friedrich transformed into his fox form, narrowly avoiding the dart that whizzed past him. Marina, however, was not so lucky and took one to the neck, falling limp beside Teleri who mouthed silent words, unable to move.


    At least a hundred men in to surround them tightly, drawing blades and bows. There was nothing Friedrich could do to fight them in this state; he wanted to pull Marina and Teleri, but he was much too weak now. He would have to run, shameful as was to him.


    He bolted across the town, dodging the diving thugs who sought to capture him. One man got lucky wrapped his hands around Friedrich¡¯s neck, but his golden fur was so sleek that the Mercian wriggled free and ran as fast as his four legs could carry him under the walkway and out of the town. Arrows rained upon him, but he bounded from side to side as he escaped across the sands and headed for the hills.


    He did not stop running until he was certain that he was no longer being followed. Upon which, he flopped onto the ground, exhausted, and returned to his normal state. He let out a grunt of frustration and thumped his fist into the sand. How could he have not seen this coming? Of course, Namavar would say whatever he needed to make them lower their guard. It was he, Friedrich, that the tea merchant wanted, yet Marina and Teleri were the ones who had captured while Friedrich ran free.


    ¡°Jorren, grant me strength,¡± sighed Friedrich, sitting up.


    There was not an ounce of him that wanted to abandon Marina and Teleri, he just needed a plan to break them out. What was he supposed to do? He could not carry them both out at once and fight effectively, even as a minotaur. He couldn¡¯t hope to kill all of Namavar¡¯s men for he was much too weak and only a lone warrior. It would have to be the quick and quiet approach to start with before things got out of hand.


    In a town full of men like that, he could only imagine the dreadful things they would do to Marina and Teleri if he did not act fast. Two beautiful women? They would be torn to shreds before the hour had passed, of that, he was certain.


    Friedrich stood up and breathed deeply, summoning up all of his soulful might. He took a step forward and then another. As he walked, he desired to change into a fox, and he did just that. It was not a power of pure instinct; it was his defiant willpower that gave him mastery over this form. Now, he needed to find a way to use it to defeat Namavar and rescue the girls. He needed to defeat another soul masker.

 Chapter 55 - Blood and Tea

    Friedrich watched the town of Legama, half-buried in the sand outside the limits of the town. The men were on high alert, no doubt expecting him to return to rescue his companions. They were right to assume so, but the young adventurer hoped they would have misjudged him as some abject coward who would abandon his friends to death.


    Confident that no eyes were upon him, he scurried free of the sand and ran on all fours towards the nearest building and squeezed between the stacks of dusty old crates that sat behind it. He would have to move along, inch by inch, until he got to the teahouse. He had already moved as close to it as he could manage, but there were four guards keeping a watchful eye from the rear balcony.


    Friedrich sniffed, trying to filter out the scents of the town and the men inhabiting it. He searched the air for something more familiar, something much more pleasant. He picked up the faint smell of the many varieties of tea that sat in the teahouse, but he could not smell Marina or Teleri. Even if he got closer, the strong aroma of the tea may overpower his nose too much to know if they were being kept there; he would have to take his chances.


    Friedrich crept out from the crates and slinked up towards the edge of the building, looking from side to side. The coast was clear and he slipped quietly towards the stairs to the walkway. As a guard suddenly rounded the corner, he skittered underneath the stairs and clung to the shadows, praying that he had not been seen. As the footsteps of the guard faded away, he breathed easy.


    With the coast clear once again, he hurried up the stairs. While once he would have found stairs challenging with four legs, now he almost glided up, so adept was he as a fox. He had often joked to himself that if he was stuck like this forever, at least he could get around; not that he ever truly wanted that to happen.


    There were more footsteps up ahead and they were getting closer. He looked down the stairs and saw a guard was moving towards him, but he had not yet seen him. Cornered and desperate, he dashed to the top of the steps and curled up, leaning as tightly into the edge of the step as he could. It was a stroke of good fortune when the guard stepped over him and kept walking down the stairs.


    Friedrich snuck onto the walkway and scurried towards the teahouse as quickly as he could, but rather than head inside immediately, he headed around the side. He placed his two paws on a window ledge and peered through the glass. There was no sign of any guards.


    Friedrich moved back around the front and walked inside and his lungs immediately filled with tea-infused air. He kept to the shadowed corners as he climbed the stairs leading to the upper floor. Keeping low and looking over the top step, Friedrich spied them; Marina and Teleri. They were lying unconscious, propped up against the back wall of the room while Rala putting together tea on a tray.


    Friedrich looked through the archway to the balcony and couldn¡¯t see Namavar anywhere. He had been waiting on the balcony earlier, so where had he gone. It did not matter at the moment, Friedrich had to find a way to get his friends to safety and it started with the guards posted outside.


    While Rala was distracted, he dashed for the archway. There was nobody on the front balcony, but there had been plenty of guards on the back one. He kept to the wall and edged his way around the walkway. Upon seeing one of the guards, Friedrich knew he had to seize his opportunity and transformed back into a human.


    He lunged forward, piercing the guard¡¯s leather armour with his sword and stabbing him through the back before kicking him off the building. The other three guards turned to him and leapt to action as their comrade hit the stone below. As Friedrich turned his sword on them, he was suddenly restrained from behind. He reverted to his fox form and with a victorious laugh, he was suddenly covered by a large sack; now he too had been captured.


    Friedrich kicked and struggled, fearful that if he transformed back into his human form, he would be at the mercy of Namavar and his men. No, he would remain as a fox for now and until he found a way to break free. He knew he would not be killed, otherwise Marina and Teleri would not have been hit with toxic darts.


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    ¡°Thought you could outsmart us, eh?¡± chuckled Zahez. ¡°Thought we would simply let you waltz in here and break your companions free, did you? No, my little lupine friend¡­we are much more cunning than even a sneaky fox like you.¡±


    Friedrich felt himself being set down and heard the turning of a lock. He wriggled out of the sack and could see that he had been brought back into the same room where Marina and Teleri were. He had been locked in a cage and Zahez was watching him with a smug grin on his face while a little moth sat on his shoulder.


    The moth flew into the air and then transformed into Namavar who looked very pleased with himself. ¡°Friedrich,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Did you forget what I too am capable of?¡±


    Friedrich did not answer, not allowing himself to blink. He stared up at Namavar who gave a nod of satisfaction.


    ¡°It seems so,¡± he said. ¡°I followed you the whole way into the desert and you did not even see me. It is as I said, the moth form has many uses. The most powerful of which is not simply flight, but the ability to remain unseen. I watched you every step of the way and you, young masker, were none the wiser. How could you possibly think you could outwit me?¡±


    Namavar pulled the green goblin mask from within his robes and ran his hand over it carefully, feeling every little bump and ridge. He drew his fingers over the red marks, tracing them perfectly and grinned widely, displaying his tea-stained teeth.


    ¡°If you are so intent on remaining a fox, then perhaps I will use the opportunity to see how vicious a goblin can be. Did you know that goblins like to eat foxes? Perhaps I will tear some of the flesh from your body with my new teeth. You will be forced to transform back to heal, I have no doubt of that, and I will find a way to retrieve the power of the fox from within you.¡±


    Namavar lifted the mask to his face and let the transformation take hold. At that moment, Friedrich knew he had the upper hand. Namavar had unwittingly fallen into a trap. Friedrich transformed back to his human state and started to laugh as the green-skinned goblin looked at him with a sneer.


    ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± demanded Zahez.


    ¡°I did not forget what you were capable of,¡± Friedrich said to the goblin, ¡°but you do not know what I am capable of.¡±


    Friedrich pulled the minotaur mask from underneath his tunic and the goblin screeched in horror as Friedrich transformed into a minotaur before his eyes, breaking the metal cage he had been trapped in.


    Zahez drew his blade and swung for Friedrich, but Friedrich grabbed the bandit¡¯s arm and snapped it with ease. Namavar ran for the balcony as his guards rushed to his aid, but Friedrich was not going to let them get in his way. He threw all three of the guards from the balcony as Namavar leapt to the ground below.


    Friedrich would not let him escape. He would kill the tea merchant before his time was up. Friedrich jumped from the balcony and sprinted after Namavar as the rest of the guards around the town closed in on him, but it did not matter. They too would fall to his hand.


    The bloodthirsty minotaur grabbed the goblin by the neck and threw him to the ground, breaking each limb one by one as Namavar screamed in agony. Friedrich pummelled him with his mighty fists and then picked him up, carrying him up the stairs and back into the teahouse while his men chased him. This was his favourite place, his place of safety, and it would be where he would experience true suffering.


    Friedrich had just under five minutes to make sure that that Namavar¡¯s last moments were as painful as possible.


    *


    Teleri groggily opened her eyes. Everything was blurry and she blinked hard before rubbing them. Seeing clearly now, she was shocked to see the room covered in red. There were corpses everywhere with many of them broken beyond recognition with their guts hanging over barrels or having been splattered against the walls, leaving sopping trails that ran all the way to the floor.


    The elf was lost for words, having never seen such a stomach-churning sight. She shook Marina awake without taking her eyes off the carnage. The lightning mage muttered something incoherent upon being awoken before screaming when she saw the terrible sight before her.


    The limbless body of Namavar hung on the wall, impaled upon a sharp metal spike that looked to be a dislodged fencepost. His intestines dangled loosely from his torn stomach and he had a look of sheer terror upon his face; the horror of his final moments was very clear to the two girls.


    ¡°W-what¡­what h-happened here?¡± asked Marina, her voice trembling as much as her body.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe,¡± came the voice of what the two presumed to be another bloodstained corpse. The reddened Friedrich stood up and looked around at the carnage he was responsible for.


    ¡°I know what happened,¡± said Teleri, looking at Friedrich in fear.


    Marina¡¯s mouth fell open and she clasped her hands over it, retching and trying desperately not to vomit. She took a second to recover before looking back to her blood-soaked friend who was still dripping all over the floor.


    ¡°Friedrich¡­what did you do?¡± she asked, her voice weak and croaky.


    Friedrich¡¯s expression was completely neutral as he stared at her. ¡°I did what I had to,¡± he said quietly.


    Marina and Teleri could see the minotaur mask hanging around his neck and the goblin mask clutched firmly in his hands.

 Chapter 56 - The Ruins of Kotuga

    ¡°We¡¯re here at last,¡± said Friedrich, looking towards the cave in the cliffs and then checking Adajun¡¯s map. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look much like a ruin.¡±


    ¡°Neither did the goblin den look like a shrine,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but appearances can be deceiving.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Friedrich, smiling slyly before turning into a fox and making his way towards the cave entrance and then turning back to normal.


    Marina smiled half-heartedly at him. After seeing what Friedrich had done to Namavar and his men, she had been rather distant from her closest friend. She knew that he had slaughtered those people to keep her and Teleri safe, but to think that Friedrich and the spirit of the minotaur shared the same murderous will was a torturous thought. Especially as he gave into bloodlust on her behalf.


    Friedrich had noticed her distance, of course. Marina¡¯s usual bubbly attitude suddenly vanishing for was easy to notice, especially as her quietness had lasted three whole days. He kept trying to make her laugh again, but he couldn¡¯t find a way. He had thrice made Teleri laugh, but it was obvious that she did not feel the same sorrow as Marina after the events of Legama.


    ¡°In we go,¡± said Friedrich, walking into the cave and spying a large metal door a couple dozen feet in. ¡°Well, that was easy.¡±


    ¡°Are you so sure?¡± asked Teleri, walking up to the door and giving it a push. To her surprise, it opened with ease. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get overconfident,¡± Friedrich whispered to himself. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a catch. There¡¯s always a catch.¡±


    Friedrich led the way inside and into the entrance hall which stretched out ahead of him. He had expected a crumbling stone ruin, however, the structure was in remarkably good condition. The walls were lined with a ledge where dozens old and dusty pots and vases made of brass sat, each of them a work of art and of varying shapes and sizes.


    In the centre of the room was a large podium square platform with a brazier in each corner, stacked high with magical crystals emitting light, but they had long since lost their lustre. They hummed and hissed, glowing faintly. In the centre of this platform was a large lever that was in the forward position, pointing towards an even larger door than the entrance to the ruins, standing at least twenty feet tall.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a ruin like this before,¡± said Friedrich, looking around in amazement. ¡°I wonder what that level does. Opening the door would be too easy, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I suspect it does open the door,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but I agree. There must be some level of trickery or this place would have been plundered. I cannot understand why the pots and vases are still here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll take some on the way out,¡± said Friedrich, walking towards the platform at the centre of the room. He peered into the braziers were the piles of poorly glowing crystals sat.


    ¡°I can feel some sort of energy from this place,¡± said Marina, looking towards the far door uneasily. ¡°We should tread carefully.¡±


    ¡°We should indeed,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Now, who wants to be daring enough to pull the lever?¡±


    Friedrich cracked his knuckles. ¡°I¡¯ll do¡ª¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± said Marina, walking over to it, grabbing it and pulling hard, but it barely budged. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Friedrich walked over and grabbed hold too. He and Marina pulled together and the lever creaked loudly as they dragged it backwards until it clicked and the doors started to open. Slowly at first, then faster as they built momentum before grinding to a sudden halt before hitting the wall.


    Looking around, expecting something else to happen, Friedrich shrugged and walked towards the open doorway that led into the next room. Marina and Teleri followed, also rather perturbed by the lack of monsters and traps.


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Friedrich, stopping suddenly upon seeing what lay within the next room.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Marina, while Teleri looked on silently.


    The room was a large hallway and it was littered with dozens of skeletons, most of whom had not reached even halfway towards the door upon dying. The floor was covered in long-dried blood that was dark and crusty. The blood was spread out in large splatter patterns, which made things all the more unusual.


    ¡°What could have done this?¡± asked Friedrich.


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    ¡°I do not know,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°I do,¡± said Marina, looking towards an amethyst embedded in metal that twinkled faintly from its resting place above the far door. ¡°This is what I could feel. The electricity from the gemstone.¡±


    Teleri drew her bow and nocked an arrow. She took careful aim at the amethyst and let her projectile loose. It soared down the corridor and as it came within a few inches of the amethyst, it was blasted to pieces, leaving the pieces of the arrow smoking at the far side of the corridor.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s our trip over,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I doubt we can get to the door faster than an arrow can.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you to give up so easily,¡± said Marina, taking her staff in one hand while holding out her other.


    Friedrich was horrified. ¡°No! This is not the place to test your new spell.¡±


    For more than two weeks now, Marina had been studying the tome her magic tutor, Hansel the Striker, had gifted her before she left Akatfall. She had only ever had the opportunity to test it on herself, but now she had a true trial that would test her training.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°I have to be,¡± said Marina, keeping her eyes fixed upon the amethyst.


    She took a slow step forward, but nothing happened. A second step and still nothing. Upon taking her third step, a lightning bolt erupted from the amethyst just as it did from her staff. It flew across the room in a split second, striking Marina¡¯s hand, but she did not explode; she did not even buckle. She dug her heels into the ground as the bolt compressed into a ball of crackling energy in her hand. She strained, trying to resist it and then yelled as she dissipated it in a flash.


    ¡°You did it!¡± cheered Friedrich, impressed that her new ability had worked.


    ¡°Stop talking and run!¡± ordered Marina before sprinting down the corridor before the amethyst charged another lightning bolt.


    Friedrich and Teleri kept right behind Marina as they ran and skipped over the scattered bones. When they were halfway across the room, another bolt shot towards them. Marina caught it in her hand and squeezed it tightly, turning it to white sparks within her fist.


    The trio reached the door and pushed, but it was much stiffer than they had expected. Marina¡¯s face turned to panic as she watched the gem above her crackle. Friedrich turned into a fox and slipped underneath her while Teleri ducked. Marina caught the third bolt, but her arm was shaking vigorously as she tried to dissipate its energy.


    ¡°I...can¡¯t¡­hold it¡­¡± she said.


    Friedrich leapt out from underneath her and returned to his human form. He placed the minotaur mask on his face and transformed into the terrifying beast. He leapt up and grabbed hold of the gem above the doorway, secured tightly in its metal bracket. He placed his feet on the door and pulled with all his might. The gem did not budge, but the metal bracket did.


    Friedrich was struck in the chest by a lightning bolt as he fell to the stone floor. It was immensely painful, but he pushed through and climbed back to it feet. Marina squeezed hard one last time and destroyed the bolt caught in her fist. With nowhere to hide the gem, Friedrich ran down the corridor. Halfway down, the bracket shook as the amethyst unleashed another bolt straight into his hand, tearing strips of fur and flesh from his fingers. He let out a wild roar as he made for the entrance hall. Upon entering, he immediately threw the bracket and gem into one of the pots lining the room and dove back into the corridor, out of reach of the spell.


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Marina, running towards him as Teleri tried to hold her back.


    Friedrich was on his knees and looking at the raw flesh of his hand. He caught a few glimpses of his finger bones and was relieved to not have lost his entire hand. Had he not been a minotaur, the gem would probably have killed him instantly.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marina, grabbing his hand and looking into his eyes.


    Friedrich nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re still you?¡±


    Friedrich nodded again. The minotaur was not trying to dominate him this time, perhaps the soul of the beast knew that its best chance of survival was to let Friedrich do what he needed to do this time. If there was one thing the souls within the masks appeared to care for, it was ensuring that they could continue to manifest physically through their wearers.


    Marina looked over Friedrich¡¯s hand, desperately trying to think of something that she could do to help, but she came up short. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± said Marina, slapping him on the arm. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    Friedrich snorted and stood up, leading her back towards the doors where Teleri stood with her arms folded. She flicked her head towards the doors, wanting to make use of Friedrich¡¯s enhanced strength while the opportunity was there. With a nod, Friedrich slammed his shoulder into the doors, forcing them open with ease.


    ¡°Very good,¡± said the elf. ¡°Now, I suggest we wait until your magic runs out. If there are any beasts inside, I would not want you to get a taste for killing once again. Once you start, you find it difficult to stop.¡±


    It was true; that was not lost on Friedrich. The second he killed as the minotaur, he wanted to kill more. With each subsequent kill, his rage only grew and it was more difficult to maintain his control over his own body¡­if it could even be called his body.


    Once the spell wore off, Friedrich turned back into a human and his hand was as good as new. He flexed his fingers and smiled at the girls, wiggling his fingers in front of their faces.


    ¡°Who needs a healer, eh?¡± he joked.


    With a roll of her eyes, Teleri led the way inside. The chamber was shockingly bare except for a single large brass orb that was held up by two thick poles; one to its left and one to its right. The huge sphere was taller than Friedrich and notably wider. The surface of the brass was not smooth, but patterned with runes and glyphs that not one of the three could read.


    ¡°This is¡­disappointing,¡± said Friedrich as he looked around to see if there was anything else worth taking nearby, but there was not.


    As soon as Friedrich finished his sentence, the orb began to move on its poles. It separated in the middle of the brass casing, which appeared to be an outer shell. No, it wasn¡¯t a shell. It was an eyelid. A large, green eye with a long black pupil stared at the party, all of whom were dumbfounded.

 Chapter 57 - The Awakened Sentinel

    ¡°By Jorren¡­¡± muttered Friedrich, looking directly into the giant brass-coated eye that he found himself before. It pivoted in its casing and stared at the young man who had spoken to him.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± whispered Marina, terrified of the odd creature. Was it even a living creature? She could not be sure.


    ¡°You¡­¡± came a voice.


    ¡°You can speak?¡± asked Friedrich, putting his fingers in his ears and wriggling them around.


    ¡°No,¡± said Teleri, her pointed ears not twitching. ¡°He is speaking to us within our own heads. He¡¯s a telepath.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± repeated the eye. ¡°Why do you come before me?¡±


    Friedrich and Marina looked at each other, not sure what do say. The eye had not attacked them and they wanted to ensure that they kept it that way. If he could communicate to them through their minds, that may only be the tip of the iceberg of his powers.


    ¡°What are you?¡± asked Teleri, much more brashly than the two Mercians would have liked.


    ¡°I¡­am the Sentinel of the Sands,¡± spoke the eye. ¡°Locked away, was I. Never to fulfil my purpose¡­forever trapped in this tomb.¡±


    ¡°And what is your purpose?¡±


    ¡°I was to watch over Kai¡¯roh¡­to rest upon the highest peak. I was to be the guardian against all invaders.¡±


    ¡°Before we keep talking to you,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Do you have any intention of harming us?¡±


    ¡°I¡­do not understand you. Are you invaders?¡±


    ¡°No! Not at all. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying, Sentinel.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­would I harm you?¡±


    ¡°How about we don¡¯t ask him about that anymore?¡± Marina said to Friedrich, who nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I am sorrowful,¡± said the Sentinel of the Sands. ¡°My life force is running out¡­and I have never left my home. Am I to simply fade away and my carcass to decay without ever seeing the outside world?¡±


    ¡°That is a cruel fate,¡± said Friedrich quietly. As horrifying as the large eye had been, he felt a lot of sympathy for the trapped creature. ¡°Is there anything that we can do?¡±


    ¡°The only way to replenish my life force is to feed souls to my core,¡± he said. ¡°Any souls will do. I need them¡­or I will be gone within the decade.¡±


    ¡°Just how old are you?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I forget how long exactly,¡± said the eye, ¡°yet I believe I am almost five hundred years old. It is difficult to track time here.¡±


    ¡°We will not feed you souls,¡± said Teleri. ¡°We will not deprive others of their lives so that you may go on. Every creature in this world has its time and yours is coming soon. I believe that you should make peace with that.¡±


    ¡°Such cruel words¡­¡± said the Sentinel. ¡°Yet I understand them.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°Kai¡¯roh is fine. Just recently, there was some trouble in a nearby town and we saw to it that the trouble was sent away to never return.¡±


    ¡°This pleases me. You are¡­guardians of the island as well. Is that so?¡±


    ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± said Marina, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Truthfully, we are not from Kai¡¯roh.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that. I can see that your complexions do not match those of the Asterrans.¡±


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    Friedrich suddenly had an idea. ¡°Give me a second,¡± he said, transforming into a fox and bolting down the corridor.


    Marina and Teleri looked at each other, unsure what his goal was, but he returned no more than a minute later as a human. For reasons unclear to them, he brought a large chunk of stone with him and a handful of sand. He set them on the ground in front of the Sentinel and then stepped back, looking rather pleased with himself.


    ¡°This is¡­from the outside,¡± said the Sentinel, his eye fixated on the odd gifts that Friedrich had placed before him.


    ¡°Yep,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°You may not be able to leave here, and we are certainly unable to move you to somewhere more pleasant, but at the very least you can see something from outside up close.¡±


    ¡°Sixty thousand, seven hundred and twenty-two grains of sand,¡± said the Sentinel. ¡°Is there a reason you chose this number?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I probably lost half of it trying to run back through the entrance before that lightning gem of yours struck me.¡±


    The Sentinel rotated upwards to stare at Friedrich. ¡°That gem was to protect me while my master completed me,¡± he said. ¡°It has killed many who would have stood a chance at freeing me. It is my second greatest curse.¡±


    ¡°If it would make you feel better, we can get rid of it and leave the doors open. It¡¯s possible that people or creatures less kind than us will show up eventually, but at least until the end of your days you will be able to see the sky and a sliver of sand from here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the Sentinel. ¡°That would be most welcome. I thank you.¡±


    ¡°On that note¡­¡± said Friedrich with a smile. ¡°Would you have any objection to us taking the pots and vases lining the entrance chamber? If you can¡¯t make use of them, we certainly could.¡±


    ¡°You may take them. They matter not to me.¡±


    Marina stuck the tongue in the side of her cheek and shook her head. Friedrich¡¯s friendliness to this bizarre entity suddenly made a lot more sense to her.


    ¡°Thank you, Sentinel of the Sands,¡± said Friedrich, bowing to the eye. ¡°Perhaps we will see you again.¡±


    ¡°You are welcome to visit any time, strangers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Before we leave Kai¡¯roh, we will come see you one more time.¡±


    Marina raised an eyebrow. She knew Friedrich was being truthful. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t being nice to this abomination purely for selfish reasons.


    ¡°I would like that very much,¡± said the Sentinel of the Sands. ¡°Farewell.¡±


    The trio bid the eye farewell and then Friedrich led Marina and Teleri back down the corridor towards the entrance chamber, but they hung back when they reached the end. They could feel the eye¡¯s gaze upon them without even looking, but it was not the eye that they were concerned about.


    ¡°What should we do about the gem?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I will take care of it,¡± said Marina, walking out as Friedrich leaned around the corner and watched her while Teleri stood patiently by with her arms folded.


    Marina caught one of the bolts in her hand, squeezing it into a tiny orb and then dissipating it. She held the tip of her staff to it, amethyst to amethyst, and unleashed a lightning bolt of her own. Her magic overloaded the gem and shattered it into tiny fragments, rendering it completely useless.


    ¡°Finished,¡± she called to an impressed Friedrich.


    ¡°So, I didn¡¯t need to risk getting my hand blown to pieces?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I did call after you, but you were dead set on your own plan.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Friedrich, wrinkling his nose. ¡°Ah well, at least there was no permanent harm done.¡±


    He retrieved a sack from his pack and walked around the room, scooping as many of the vases and pots as he could into it. He had a large grin on his face the entire time, glad that Adajun¡¯s map had led to something useful. If he was being honest, he had expected it to be a waste of time.


    As Friedrich, Marina and Teleri stepped back outside with their sack full of looted vases and pots, they all breathed in the fresh air. Until they met the Sentinel, they did not truly appreciate how free they were on this island. They could come and go as they pleased, take in the sights surrounding them and even leave whenever the boat returned.


    ¡°I feel terrible for the Sentinel,¡± said Marina, looking back through the doorway as the trio stepped out onto the cliff.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± said Friedrich, pulling out the minotaur and goblin masks. ¡°Truth be told, I feel for the souls trapped within these gems.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Teleri. ¡°To have some level of awareness and no control must be stifling. It is now wonder that the minotaur vies for control over you. Five minutes of unrestricted freedom would be the greatest blessing after what would feel like an eternity of being trapped in stasis.¡±


    ¡°It makes much more sense to me now,¡± said Friedrich, tapping the goblin¡¯s gem. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that the time limit is solely due to the magic running out, although that may be part of it. I believe it¡¯s also because without any restrictions, mask wearers would be taken over completely if the trapped souls are powerful enough.¡±


    ¡°It makes you think, doesn¡¯t it?¡± asked Marina. ¡°We don¡¯t have it too bad, do we?¡±


    ¡°We all have our histories,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but things could be much worse.¡±


    Friedrich stashed the masks away. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get back to Port Balsia.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± said Marina, gesturing towards the sands below.


    Friedrich winked at her and transformed into his fox form. He skipped across the sand effortlessly while Marina laughed and Teleri sighed. In spite of what she said about things being worse, that did not take away her disdain for the intense heat of the desert.

 Chapter 58 - To Sell Treasure

    ¡°Look at the sheer quality of it!¡± yelled Friedrich enthusiastically. ¡°This vase is an antique, isn¡¯t it? That must make it worth much more. I will take no less than fifty kupons for this one alone, never mind the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°Ten kupons per vase,¡± said the merchant, waving his hands at Friedrich¡¯s poorly received negotiation tactic. ¡°You have fifty of them, is that right? Five hundred kupons for the lot.¡±


    Friedrich was elated. ¡°It¡¯s a dea¡ª¡±


    ¡°One moment, merchant,¡± said Teleri, gently pushing Friedrich aside. ¡°I would ask you to forgive my pale friend here. He is deficient in many ways¡ª¡±


    Friedrich was highly offended. ¡°Deficient?¡±


    ¡°¡ªand, as such, he is not who you should be talking to. I have a stake in these vases and would like to ensure that I am receiving a fair offer.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± grumbled the merchant. ¡°What do you think is a fair price, madam?¡±


    ¡°Fifty was a fair, as far as I was concerned, however, we would like a quick sale and will take forty kupons for each.¡±


    The merchant furrowed his brow and shook his head slowly. ¡°You¡¯re pushing it, stranger. I can do thirty-five per vase and no less.¡±


    ¡°It is a deal,¡± said Teleri, taking the vase from Friedrich¡¯s hand and passing over the bag containing the rest for the merchant to inspect.


    Once the merchant was satisfied that the brass vases and pots from the Ruins of Kotuga were indeed antiques, he counted out the kupons for the group. Teleri and Friedrich kept a careful eye and each took count themselves while Marina stood quietly in the corner, not wanting to interfere.


    ¡°One thousand, seven hundred and fifty kupons,¡± said Friedrich, nodding to Teleri.


    ¡°Yes, merchant,¡± said the elf. ¡°We are satisfied with this.¡±


    The three left the shop and walked back onto the streets of Port Balsia, much richer for it. After the kupons they took from Namavar and this new payment for the vases, they were all considerably wealthier than when they had first arrived on Kai¡¯roh.


    ¡°You are a terrible negotiator,¡± said Teleri, shaking her head at Friedrich. ¡°You will never own a boat at this rate.¡±


    ¡°I feel pretty good about myself,¡± shrugged Friedrich, jingling his wallet. ¡°I¡¯d better put these in the portal vault.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡± said Marina very loudly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°You clearly have something to say.¡±


    Marina smiled so widely her eyes were nearly closed. ¡°Would you be open to spending some of those kupons so that you can earn more kupons in the long term?¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s eyes narrowed too, but out of suspicion. ¡°What¡¯s your angle here, Marina?¡±


    ¡°Considering that we continually find ourselves in danger, why not buy something enchanted that you can use to make our lives a little easier?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same,¡± said Teleri, looking at the kupons in her hand. ¡°It would be most beneficial to be better prepared. If not for your ability to transform, Friedrich, we may have been killed in Legama.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, surprising Marina.


    ¡°You mean it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Hooray!¡± she cheered, jumping into the sky and reaching up. ¡°I thought I would have to spend hours trying to convince you to part with your hard-earned kupons.¡±


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    ¡°You brief, but compelling argument was enough for me. Your improved staff has helped, as did Teleri¡¯s fire arrows before she ran out of them.¡±


    Teleri sighed. ¡°How I miss them.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Marina called out.


    The three walked down the street, perusing the stalls and shops for hours trying to find something they could use. Halfway through the search, Marina got distracted by a book shop which stocked spell tomes. She found one called Summon Lightning Elemental and immediately purchased it, spending seven hundred and fifty; much more than she had intended.


    Friedrich was considering buying a new pair of boots that he was led to believe would make him lighter on his feet¡ªTeleri insisted he was being scammed. Before he finalised the deal, his eye was caught by a shield sitting in a back room. He pushed past the shopkeeper and retrieved it excitedly, asking what it did. The shopkeeper said that it was a Shockwave Shield, and would knock back any foes upon contact with the shield. Friedrich turned over six hundred kupons for it immediately, but Teleri wouldn¡¯t let him leave the shop until he tested it. Much to Marina¡¯s pain, it did indeed work.


    Teleri was the last one to find something that she wanted. She purchased a new belt called the Belt of Concealment that she could activate at-will to obscure her if she was already standing in the shadows. It was the most expensive item of all, costing the elf eight hundred and twelve kupons; and that was after an extensive negotiation.


    Upon leaving the shop, Marina was still as enthusiastic as when they had all started shopping. ¡°This was the best birthday ever,¡± she said.


    ¡°Birthday?¡± asked Teleri in surprise.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We were born on the same day.¡±


    Friedrich laughed. ¡°But how many years apart?¡± he asked snidely.


    ¡°If I tell you my age, will you never refer to it again?¡± asked Teleri, growing angry.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I am eighty-five years old.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± yelled Friedrich. ¡°You aren¡¯t that much older than us after all.¡±


    ¡°Sixty-eight is a big gap,¡± replied Teleri, turning up her nose. ¡°I am much older and wiser than either of you.¡±


    Marina started counting on her fingers. ¡°Eighty-five to an elf is¡­about twenty years old in human years! We¡¯re catching up on you quick.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had said nothing,¡± spat Teleri. ¡°This is why I have kept my age quiet! You two always ask the most undignified questions of me, and I do not like it one bit!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be older than you in a couple of years,¡± teased Friedrich.


    ¡°You will be dead before you turn one hundred and I will still look as I do now,¡± scowled Teleri before muttering under her breath. ¡°Humans can be unbearable.¡±


    ¡°Come on, young one,¡± cackled Friedrich, leading the way back towards the inn they were staying in for the evening.


    Teleri smacked him on the back of the head, but he continued to laugh while Marina tried to stifle her giggles. The trio walked back towards the bay where the ships docked. It would still be some time before Captain Alden and his crew returned, but they were all feeling positive about how fruitful their trip had been so far and they had only scratched the surface of the island.


    The party ordered their lunch and sat down at a table, eager to have a chance to rest well. They had arrived back in town after midnight the previous night and Friedrich had insisted on being up early to offload their treasure from the ruins as soon as possible.


    ¡°Happy birthday to you both,¡± said Friedrich, when the barmaid brought over their drinks.


    The three clanged their cups of wine together and took a drink. Friedrich winced, not a particular fan of the beverage, while Teleri looked quietly satisfied and finished her cup seconds later.


    ¡°So¡­what next?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°We could always seek out the hammer that Elketh spoke of?¡± asked Friedrich, looking smug.


    ¡°Surely, you must be joking?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Friedrich. He had been joking, but the lingering song of the mysterious tale teller lingered in his mind.


    ¡°No good can come of it,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Probably not, but the minotaur mask has had its uses. We would have been dead a few times over without it, wouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± said Marina, but she looked uneasy.


    ¡°Friedrich, were you not the one who insisted of doing the opposite of what Elketh wanted you to do?¡± asked Teleri, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes, that was me,¡± he admitted. ¡°But I do wonder whether or not finding a way to awaken the power of the minotaur¡¯s soul gem would grant me greater control over that form.¡±


    ¡°Or it would let him dominate you completely. Do you forget what you did to Namavar and his men?¡±


    ¡°Did you not say he deserved it?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± said Teleri, nodding firmly. ¡°Good riddance. That said, how much control did you have over yourself when you were slaughtering your way through Legama?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I was fully onboard with killing them all.¡±


    ¡°You killed so many people. Enough that it would have taken far longer than five minutes¡­¡±


    Marina¡¯s expression dropped. ¡°Please tell me you did not wear the mask a second time to keep killing them.¡±


    Friedrich looked uneasy. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± she roared, slapping him repeatedly on the arm as she scolded him. ¡°What. Were. You. Thinking?¡±


    ¡°Stop hitting me!¡± he said. ¡°I was thinking that nobody threatens either of you and gets away with it. Mask or no mask, I protect the people I care about. I would sail cross the world to keep both of you safe.¡±


    Marina and Teleri sat in silence for a moment.


    ¡°That is¡­touching,¡± said Teleri awkwardly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina, taking Friedrich¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry I lost my temper.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Just know that there is nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for the people I care about.¡±


    At that moment, the food arrived and the three began to eat, but Friedrich¡¯s mind was elsewhere. He would indeed do whatever it takes to keep those he cared for safe, and it was why he wanted the power of the minotaur. He knew it would be the key to reaching his father.

 Chapter 59 - The Nightmare

    The large shadowed beast with the workman¡¯s hammer swung at Friedrich, who threw himself backwards to avoid his face being severely altered. The nightmarish creature reached up high and roared a horrible, echoing roar as it swung the hammer once more through the air, but Friedrich scrambled out of the way just in time.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he called out in terror as he rushed to his feet. ¡°Who are you? What are you?¡±


    The beast merely growled and twirled its hammer menacingly. As Friedrich backed away, the hammer grew in the beast¡¯s hand to a full-sized war hammer, capable of crushing even the toughest of foes. With a snarl, the shadow-cloaked monster walked towards Friedrich.


    Friedrich turned and ran, desperate to escape to safety. He willed himself to turn into a fox, but found that he was unable. What had happened to him? Where was the power of Kitt¡¯s soul? He reached underneath his tunic and found that there were no masks. No minotaur and no goblin, waiting to be embodied. All he had was his sword and shield.


    Choosing to face his stalker, Friedrich turned and readied himself. As the beast charged, it swung the hammer and Friedrich raised his shield to block the attack. To his shock, the hammer smashed his shield, but Friedrich had an opening. He thrust his sword forward and stabbed the beast in the chest, but it did not fall; it merely stumbled backwards.


    Before his eyes, the beast was suddenly engulfed in fire and screamed the most hellish scream Friedrich had ever heard.


    ¡°Help me!¡± called a human voice from within the monster. ¡°Save me, Friedrich!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Friedrich called out as the flaming beast curled up. ¡°Tell me your name!¡±


    Suddenly, a swarm of demons rushed from out of nowhere and leapt on the beast who was writing on the floor. The beast screamed as the demons cackled while striking him. Friedrich caught a glimpse of grey hair and a beard as the demons tore the shadows away before tearing the beast¡¯s flesh. When there was nothing left but bone, the demons turned to face Friedrich, smiling sinisterly.


    The young man bolted upright in a cold sweat. He looked around and found himself in his bed in the inn. Much to relief, he was still in Port Balsia and he was safe. There was no beast to fear and there were no demons either. Friedrich wiped his face on the blanked and swung his legs onto the ground. He leaned forward and held his head in his hands, the sweat still dropping from his fringe where it landed on the floorboards.


    He had never had a dream so visceral; so real. Even the dreams of his mother and father that he had many times over felt different to this. He lifted the minotaur and goblin masks from around his neck and took one in each hand.


    ¡°Was this one of you?¡± he asked the masks, but they did not react while their soul stones swirled their usual ethereal vapour through the air.


    Wanting to be free of them for a moment, he set them on the bed and walked over to the window. He opened it and let the breeze roll over him, cooling him down. It was the nicest breeze he had felt in a long time, but perhaps it was because he felt so terrible.


    Friedrich wanted to turn into a fox and run freely through the town, but he could not do it. The goblin mask, he could leave behind, but the minotaur¡­no, it would not let him. He felt compelled to retrieve it, feeling almost naked without it. He walked back over to the bed, threw both masks over his head and let them hang upon his chest once more.


    ¡°What could it all mean?¡± Friedrich muttered to himself. ¡°The hammer¡­Elketh¡¯s tale. It has to be, doesn¡¯t it? What do you think, Kitt?¡±


    Friedrich turned into a fox and stood silently, half expecting Kitt¡¯s words to come from his mouth, but he said nothing. He waited for a minute before turning back into a human and shaking his head while laughing quietly.


    ¡°I must be going crazy,¡± he said. ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t talk to me, Kitt. Maybe I¡¯ll need to pay old Branric a visit. Perhaps he can let me speak to the minotaur and the goblin too.¡±


    There was a sudden knocking on the door, making Friedrich jump. He threw on his tunic quickly and then walked over to answer it.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marina standing in her nightgown and rubbing her eyes.


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    ¡°Me? Yes, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Friedrich asked, not wanting to burden her with his dream.


    ¡°I heard you scream a few minutes ago,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet since, but I¡­I was worried and thought I had better check on you.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± sighed Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I woke you. Is Teleri still asleep?¡±


    ¡°She woke up first and then went back to sleep when you fell quiet. She said you were probably just having a bad dream.¡±


    Perhaps he ought to talk about it, Friedrich thought to himself. After all, if there was anyone he could trust in this world, it was Marina. He nodded inside and led her over to his bed where she sat down while he started silently pacing back and forth.


    ¡°You¡¯re worrying me,¡± said Marina after a while of this.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m trying to straighten out my thoughts,¡± said Friedrich, stopping and looking out the window.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me to marry you, are you?¡±


    ¡°What? No. I¡­I wasn¡¯t planning on it.¡±


    Marina laughed. ¡°Then why would you be nervous? You can talk to me about anything, remember?¡±


    Friedrich sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said before explaining everything he had seen and heard in his dream. Marina listened attentively the entire time, her expression difficult to read and giving only nods in response.


    ¡°That is strange,¡± she said once Friedrich had finished. ¡°What do you think it means?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to hear what you thought before I gave any of my own theories.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Marina, placing her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. ¡°Well, the hammer is interesting. It immediately made me think of Elketh¡¯s tale, but it also leaves me wondering if it¡¯s a trick he had played on you to sway your mind or if you had this dream of your own accord because of what¡¯s been going on with you lately.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that last part?¡± asked Friedrich with a frown.


    ¡°You know exactly what I mean. When we first met, yes, you had your secrets and we both respect that about each other, but you weren¡¯t so¡­tormented. Sharing your body with other souls is taking its toll on you. It¡¯s as I¡¯ve said before, while Kitt may not be a problem, you cannot tell me that the minotaur and goblin were not despicable creatures when they were alive.¡±


    Friedrich leaned against the wall and then slumped down onto his rear. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not easy¡­any of this, but I need to do it. I need to find a way to unlock their power.¡±


    Marina walked over to him, sat on the floor in front of him and took his hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you now,¡± she said while looking into his eyes. ¡°Why?¡±


    Friedrich did not avoid eye contact. He stared into her eyes that sparkled from the moonlight shining through the window. He felt his heart soften for the first time since he awakened.


    ¡°I want to tell you,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯m fearful that if I do, you will want to help me and I can¡¯t risk your life like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already helping you,¡± said Marina. ¡°We risk our lives almost every day.¡±


    ¡°Not like this,¡± said Friedrich, looking down. ¡°Where I need to be, an army could not penetrate. Every single kupon I earn, it goes towards the boat, weaponry and armour. I have to sail far to get to where I want to be and I need to be enchanted, blessed and lucky to have any hope of achieving my goal.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Marina, putting her delicate hand underneath his chin and tilting his head back up. ¡°What is that goal?¡±


    Friedrich had to fight to stop himself from welling up. ¡°I need to rescue my father.¡±


    Marina planted a soft kiss upon his forehead and smiled. ¡°Whatever it is you want me to do, I¡¯ll do it. You don¡¯t need to tell me anything else, and I don¡¯t even need to come with you when you set sail to wherever it is that you need to go, but you can count on me to be by your side until the day comes when you tell me not to be.¡±


    The two sat quietly, looking into each other¡¯s eyes. Friedrich¡¯s expression was solemn, while Marina¡¯s was the faintest of smiles. She waited patiently for him to say something, knowing that he had a thousand thoughts running through his head.


    ¡°I need to do what Elketh wants me to do,¡± Friedrich said, breaking the silence. ¡°The last tale he told led me to the minotaur mask, and I believe that this one will lead to something great too. Terrifying, perhaps, but powerful. I do not know who he is or why he does what he does, but I believe following his guidance will give me the best chance I have of finding my father.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s what we will do,¡± said Marina, climbing to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some sleep because I suspect I¡¯ll need it and this will be my last day in a comfortable bed for a little while.¡±


    ¡°What about Teleri?¡± Friedrich asked, concerned that the high elf would object rather strongly to his intent.


    Marina stopped and let out a quiet laugh. ¡°She would do anything for you, you do know that, don¡¯t you? Cold as she can pretend to be, she would follow you to hell and back if you asked her to. She would complain the entire time, of course.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°She would never admit it, but I think we¡¯re her only real friends. There¡¯s a reason she never talks about her life back in Alauria.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am,¡± said Marina. ¡°Aren¡¯t I always?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Marina,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I know I¡¯ve said it before, but I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll never have to find out,¡± said Marina, looking around and sticking her tongue out at him. ¡°Now go back to bed, mister. You need some proper rest too.¡±


    Marina departed from Friedrich¡¯s room, closing the door behind her. Friedrich stood up, walked over and turned the key in the lock. He then walked back over to the bed and lay back down as the breeze from the window continued to flow in. He had so many thoughts about what he was going to do, so many concerns, but none of them mattered. He had to find the hammer from Elketh¡¯s tale.

 Chapter 60 - A Simple Question

    ¡°And there is nothing I can say that will change your mind?¡± asked Teleri upon Friedrich explaining his nightmare from the previous night and that he and Marina had agreed to find the hammer from Elketh¡¯s tale.


    ¡°Nope,¡± said Friedrich, shaking his head. He was still shaken by the strange occurrence in a way that he couldn¡¯t fully put into words now that the morning had come, but he was resolute in his decision.


    Teleri sighed and wrinkled her brow. ¡°Then I suppose I am left with no choice. You are a fool, of course, Friedrich. I think that this is the most stupid and dangerous idea you have had so far, and that does include trusting Namavar to follow through on his deal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. In my defence, I didn¡¯t expect him to follow through, but he played us well and I lowered my guard.¡±


    ¡°But the outcome was not in our favour in the least. The measures you had to take to remedy the situation were drastic, warranted or otherwise.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Friedrich agreed. The amount of blood on his hands could be measured in buckets.


    ¡°And you still will not reconsider?¡±


    ¡°I will not.¡±


    ¡°And you will not tell me why?¡±


    ¡°Does the reason matter if my mind is made up?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not, no.¡±


    Friedrich smiled at her. ¡°In that case, shall we get going?¡±


    ¡°Where do we even start?¡± asked Marina as she checked her bag to make sure she still had all of her spell tomes.


    ¡°I thought about that a lot last night when I was trying to get back to sleep,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°If there is anyone who would know where there¡¯s a hammer then it would be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Teleri, holding up an index finger. ¡°Do you not remember the song?¡±


    ¡°Something about a man with a hammer and it being somewhere on the island.¡±


    ¡°That is not what he said in his tale.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°No,¡± said Teleri. ¡°He said that the man had a war hammer and was a smith. He also said that the man tried to mend a powerful artifact and it is in an ancient temple somewhere here. And within a hand.¡±


    ¡°How did you remember that?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°After the last tale he told us, I made sure to listen much more carefully. I even noted what I could remember down when I had a spare moment. To say that it made sense to me, would of course be a lie.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m very glad you took note of it,¡± sighed Friedrich. ¡°If I had asked Suljah about a hammer, we would have gotten nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Suljah?¡± asked Marina. The man who takes care of the Watcher of Kai¡¯roh?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°If there is anyone who would know about ancient temples and hammers¡­or lack of hammers, then it would be him. He¡¯s also one of very few people we know in Kai¡¯roh.¡±


    Teleri nodded in agreement, but she still thought the entire plan was dangerously foolish. ¡°Then let us restock our rations, refill our water and start moving. I would like to get this over with quickly rather than prolong my impending death.¡±


    ¡°You really are a moaner, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Friedrich, his lip curled into a slight smile.


    Teleri¡¯s jaw dropped, affronted by this comment. Friedrich¡¯s consistent teasing was irritating beyond belief, and this one stung so much because she knew it was true. She turned her nose up and looked away, silently seething at Friedrich¡¯s words.


    *


    The Watcher of Kai¡¯roh grew ever closer as the party of adventurers wandered across the sun-soaked sands. They did not know whether or not Suljah would even be here today, but they had also agreed to wait for as long as it took for him to show up¡ªeven if that meant waiting until their food ran out. At least it was a fairly short walk back to Port Balsia.


    ¡°Is that him?¡± asked Marina, squinting through the mirage.


    ¡°No,¡± said Teleri, ¡°that is a large stone.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Friedrich bounded on ahead as a fox and transformed back to normal upon reaching the enormous pedestal upon which the colossus stood. He had no real need to do it, but his padded fox feet almost glided along the sand, compared to his boot-clad human feet which tended to sink where the softer sand rested. He lay down and rubbed his eyes as he stared at the clear blue sky. He had slept for no more than two hours and he was exhausted, yet he could not let himself sleep.


    When Teleri and Marina caught up to him, they took refuge in the shadow of the statue¡¯s leg. Teleri sat and stared quietly into the distance while Marina pulled out her latest spell tome and read about how she would be able to conjure a lightning elemental.


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    ¡°Any luck?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I only just started reading it,¡± said Marina without looking up.


    ¡°I was just wondering.¡±


    ¡°Well, wonder quietly. This is important.¡±


    Friedrich sat up and tapped his fingers on the pedestal while looking across the sands. It had been no more than thirty seconds and he was already getting impatient. Back home in Mercia, he found it relaxing to sit and listen to the trickling of a fountain or the shuffling and murmuring of the crowds passing by, but here, there was only silence and the heat was stifling.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like in Alauria?¡± he asked Teleri.


    ¡°Warm, yet cooling,¡± she replied before fanning her face with her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to read!¡± snapped Marina.


    ¡°He asked me a question,¡± replied Teleri coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet,¡± said Friedrich, lying back down as Teleri muttered a couple of unpleasantries under her breath.


    The young man stared up at the statue¡¯s distant chin and hummed quietly to himself the Ode to the Mercian Lord, an old wartime battle poem that was sung when soldiers marched away from their keeps, heading towards a skirmish. Friedrich knew it well. So well, that even a bout amnesia wouldn¡¯t remove it from his head.


    He rolled onto his side and stared at Marina whose mouth was moving at a hundred miles per hour, yet not as much as a whisper escaped. After a while, he turned his attention to Teleri who was playing some strange game with her hands where she wiggled her fingers and interlocked them before pulling them apart. Upon noticing the watchful Mercian, she stopped and returned to looking over the sands.


    ¡°There,¡± said Teleri, pointing towards a speck in the distance.


    Friedrich bolted upright. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s him?¡± he asked, squinting hard as he tried to make out the moving black dot.


    ¡°You think me a bat?¡± asked Teleri haughtily. ¡°Of course, I am certain.¡±


    Marina shut her book and placed it within her bag. She moved closer to Friedrich and Teleri, and the three watched as Suljah drew closer and closer. Teleri was correct and Friedrich apologised for even questioning her eyesight which was met with a faint smile of satisfaction.


    ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± called Suljah, holding out a hand in greeting as he neared his beloved statue.


    ¡°Hello, Suljah,¡± said Marina brightly and bowing her head respectfully.


    ¡°I have a question for you,¡± said Friedrich, wanting to get straight to the point.


    Suljah looked surprised. ¡°Ah, you do? It did not take long for you to return here, so it must be urgent. Truth be told, I thought it would be years before you had a question you truly wanted to ask.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to find something¡­or someone,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Which is it? Those are two different things.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not quite sure,¡± said Marina, cocking her head to the side and biting her lower lip. ¡°There¡¯s a song that might help. I¡¯ve taken to calling it the Song of the Smith.¡±


    ¡°Let me hear it,¡± said Suljah, walking over to the base of the statue and sitting down. ¡°I love poetry. It is music at its most raw and meaningful. The words can filter through your soul and awaken something deep within that you never even knew existed.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t remember the song,¡± said Friedrich, looking towards Teleri.


    ¡°I am not singing it,¡± she said firmly.


    ¡°Please?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Teleri sighed. ¡°If I must, but there is to be no laughter. The wording may differ from Elketh¡¯s version.¡±


    ¡°I would never laugh at you,¡± said Marina reassuringly and subtly poking Friedrich in the neck to make him nod. ¡°You¡¯re our guiding light right now and we will keep quiet.¡±


    Teleri stepped forward and began singing; if you could call it that.


    ¡°There was a man, he was tall,


    He wielded a war hammer and called,


    The smithing god,


    His attempts were flawed,


    He came to an end,


    The day he tried to mend,


    A powerful artefact, somewhere inside,


    A temple, deep inside,


    It¡¯s somewhere within the sand,


    Maybe held in the hand¡­¡±


    Friedrich and Marina looked at each other, their mouths agape. As their eyes met, the pair tried their hardest to fight their laughter, but it escaped through the gaps in their fingers as they tried to stifle their sudden giddiness. Teleri shot them a foul look, one that would strike fear even into the hearts of the gods, and the two fell silent, terrified of the repercussions should they let out as much as another snigger.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Suljah, folding his arms and contemplating. ¡°I would ask you to repeat it, but that may just make your friends keel over and I would rather save you the embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°I will repeat it if I must,¡± said Teleri through gritted teeth, her golden face now a peculiar shade of orange.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary¡­I think¡­hmm¡­¡± Suljah furrowed his brow, racking his brain for something that he just couldn¡¯t find. After a couple of minutes of tapping his fingers on his temples, he raised a finger. ¡°Aha!¡± he cried, startling Marina whose staff let out a small spark.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Friedrich warned her.


    ¡°What is it, Suljah?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°What does the song mean?¡±


    ¡°I believe that you are seeking the Lost Orb of Valskythe,¡± he said, looking and sounding very confident. ¡°It is the only artefact I can think of that fits into the song. It is a strange orb, said to be haunting yet beautiful, that once belonged to King Kelmazir, but he could never figure out what it was for. It was magical, oh yes, it was magical, but nobody he spoke to could discern its nature. He asked every magic man on the island, every scholar, and every priest, yet none of them could tell him the purpose of this enigmatic orb.


    ¡°One day, forty years ago, a Northman named Pheston appeared with a magical hammer in his grasp. Quite the braggart, this man was, but he was most certainly powerful in many ways, including¡­smithing. The King heard of his tall tales and sent for him. Pheston, of course, had no idea what the orb did or how to fix it, yet so bold was he that he decided he would try. He made a rather large spectacle, praying at the top of his lungs to Baldir, the god of the forge, and struck the orb. Upon his hammer making contact with the glass, he vanished. Just like that, he vanished before everyone¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Friedrich hung onto every word, wondering if this smith was the demon haunting his nightmares. ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°He was never seen again,¡± sighed Suljah despondently. ¡°An unfortunate end for him. That would have been over thirty years ago now.¡±


    ¡°And what of the orb¡± asked Teleri, her voice low and quiet, dreading what she knew Friedrich was going to ask her to do next.


    ¡°That,¡± said Suljah, his voice trembling, ¡°is something you should not seek. It is guarded by many magical machinations and fortifications that will mean certain death should you dare. It was sealed away, for King Kelmazir feared what would happen to him should he make a single error when handling the orb. Too powerful to be destroyed, too dangerous to simply sell to the higher bidder. Sealing it away was what he believed he had to do.¡±


    ¡°Where is it, Suljah?¡± asked Friedrich, looking the man square in the eyes and unthinkingly moving his hand towards the minotaur mask. ¡°I know that you know, and I must also know.¡±


    Suljah stared back for a moment before nodding his head. ¡°If you must know, then I take no responsibility for the fate that befalls you. Are we agreed?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, his hand moving down. Unbeknownst to him, Teleri had seen where his hand had moved. ¡°Where is the Orb of Valskythe?¡±

 Chapter 61 - Tunnels

    Friedrich, Marina and Teleri walked up to the cliff, cliff where the large opening sat. It was unusually large, even for a typical cave entrance in these parts. It appeared to be carved rather than to have been slowly eroded over time and that made them all the more curious.


    ¡°Humans?¡± asked Friedrich, adjusting the shield on his forearm as he looked around the edge of the cave mouth.


    ¡°Not unless they are very good earth elementalists,¡± said Teleri. ¡°It is a very pristine cut and to have carved away the rock so perfectly without the requirement of supports or using something to reinforce the ceiling strikes me as supernatural.¡±


    ¡°Do you think if I used a lightning bolt on the ceiling, it would collapse?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Get that idea out of your head right now,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I would prefer not to be buried under a pile of rocks.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a suggestion,¡± shrugged Marina. ¡°I¡¯m wondering more about how stable it is.¡±


    ¡°Stable enough,¡± said Teleri, walking inside.


    ¡°Wait just a second,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°You¡¯re going in? How many times do you have to tell me to be careful and you¡¯re going in?¡±


    ¡°It is cooling in there,¡± said Teleri, looking back over his shoulder and holding her hand to her brow. ¡°I have had enough of the sun for one day.¡±


    ¡°You make yourself sound like a dark elf.¡±


    Teleri froze in horror. ¡°You¡­would dare?¡± she spat.


    Friedrich suddenly realised his folly. As much as Teleri spoke down on wood elves, dark elves were another story altogether. She had a distinct loathing of them that, whenever they were simply present, her nose wrinkled and her eyebrows converged in a frown.


    ¡°Hmm, well¡­I¡­um¡­¡± he stumbled through his syllables clumsy before looking at Marina. ¡°Help,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, looking panicked.


    A fuming Teleri marched over to Friedrich and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him into the cave with her as Marina scrambled after them. Friedrich could have easily pulled away, but he thought it was better to let Teleri think she was hurting him. That would be the best way to let her vent.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Marina as the light started to fade, forcing her to cling closer to Teleri.


    ¡°To the other side,¡± said Teleri, walking straight ahead and still trailing Friedrich along. ¡°Dark elf¡­the nerve¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± replied the Mercian desperate to calm her down. ¡°The Alauri are the best elves, naturally. The superior race. In fact, perhaps even greater than we humans.¡±


    Teleri released him and stopped walking. She turned to him and pointed her finger at him, coming within an inch of his nose. ¡°Do not compare me to a dark elf again, Friedrich. Not even in jest. After their repeated incursion on our islands¡­¡±


    The high elf started ranting and raving about the tainted history between the high elves and the dark elves. Marina zoned out quickly, but Friedrich listened, noting to himself that much of what Teleri claimed the high elves did to oppose the dark elves sounding like mass atrocities, but he knew better than to say interrupt or make any kind of comment about it.


    ¡°¡­and that is enough about that,¡± Teleri said, finally finished with her lengthy complaint. It¡¯s the longest Friedrich had heard her speak about anything without stopping.


    ¡°Can we move along now?¡± asked Marina, stifling a yawn and rubbing her watering eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri, leading the way.


    The tunnels started diverging and splitting and Friedrich was convinced that they were slowly moving downhill. There was something about the shift in his balance that he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on, but he believed he only noticed because of Kitt¡¯s influence on him. When he tried to broach the subject with Marina and Teleri, they thought he was imagining it.


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    They walked and they walked, wondering where the other side of the tunnels was. The air, which was once cooling, was now thick and humid as though there were hot pools of water burning somewhere up ahead and the steam had slowly radiated out to the rest of the tunnels.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± said Marina. ¡°I think we should turn back and take the long way around.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°No arguments from me,¡± said Friedrich, turning around. He morphed into a fox so that he could see better rather than rely on Teleri to take them back to the sandy desert.


    As the group proceeded, the ground began to rumble. They all froze in place, trying to keep their balance, but Marina fell on her behind and let out a small yelp. The rumbling stopped after a few seconds, and Friedrich turned back into a human.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked, transforming into a fox immediately after. So accustomed to the painful transformations was he that he barely noticed it anymore. What was once a moment of agony was now a mild discomfort that he promptly forgot about.


    ¡°I do not know, but we should leave quickly,¡± said Teleri, pulling Marina to her feet and rushing ahead.


    The three started to run, but the rumbling returned and knocked both Marina and Teleri flat onto their fronts while Friedrich spread out his four legs to keep on his feet.


    Before their eyes, the ground was forcefully torn apart and a large beast spewed forth from the stone. It was larger than the three combined, resembling a burly lizard with thick, armour-like scales atop its head and running down its back. It had two large front legs, each ending in a sharp nail that looked somewhere between a chisel and a scraper. It snarled, revealing its set of jagged teeth that looked to have been dulled by years and years of eating stone. The creature that had made these tunnels was now apparent.


    ¡°Tunailean!¡± said Teleri, rolling backwards and drawing her bow. She shot an arrow that plinked off the stone plate on its head.


    With a fierce roar, the monster charged towards Marina, who rolled aside and brought up her staff, sending a cracking lightning bolt at the creature. It winced and backed away, but it was unhurt.


    Friedrich darted towards it on all fours and leapt into the air, turning back into a human and thrusting his sword at the beast, which lowered its head and blocked with its armour. Friedrich brought up his shield as the tunailean whipped its thick tail around, smacking it into his shield. The shield¡¯s magic force the beast¡¯s tail to recoil, but was not powerful enough to block the full impact of the strike, knocking Friedrich backwards, yet he rolled over with ease and rose back to his feet.


    In the distraction, Teleri released an arrow that soared through the air and wedged itself between the beast¡¯s scales, piercing into it. It let out a pained screech that shook the tunnel walls before scurrying back into its hole. For good measure, Teleri shot it in the feet as it retreated and it departed, wailing in pain as is vanished.


    ¡°What a pathetic creature,¡± she said with an air of superiority. ¡°A single arrow to make it flee.¡±


    ¡°Just like a dark elf, eh?¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Do not test me, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Can we go quic¡ª¡± began Marina before the rumbling started again, but this time it was much more vigorous than before.


    As another tunailean burst from the wall, the trio ran down the corridor, clinging onto each other to keep upright. The tunailean charged after them, soon joined by another. Then another. Finally, the first one they had faced returned with a broken arrow still wedged in its side.


    ¡°I can collapse the ceiling!¡± called Marina, holding up her staff.


    ¡°No!¡± shouted Friedrich and Teleri in unison.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Marina, pointing the staff over her shoulder and shooting a bolt of lightning at one of their four pursuers. It erupted from the staff and then collided with the plate on one of the tunailean¡¯s heads, fizzling out and leaving barely a scorch mark. ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Not wanting to resort to the minotaur mask, Friedrich spun around and charged forward with his shield raised. He thrust his sword at the corner of one of the tunailean¡¯s plates, wedging it into the beast that reared up in pain. Friedrich clung tightly to the sword and tore a gash in its side, but as its arms fell back to the ground, it batted him aside, flinging him into the wall.


    Teleri shot arrow after arrow at the creatures who were moving in to surround the trio as Marina helped Friedrich to his feet. The arrows merely served to annoy them. It was evident to the high elf that her bragging about the fleeing creature was unwarranted, having only retreated to bring some friends along.


    ¡°Run!¡± she called to Friedrich and Marina, giving the two Mercians a chance to sprint as the Alaurian shot another arrow.


    Friedrich and Marina bolted down the tunnel with Friedrich transforming into a fox to lead the way. Teleri ran after them, sliding between the narrow gap between two of the tunaileans. They swung their scraping arms at her and she lost the end of a couple of hairs, but was fortunate enough to keep her head firmly attached to her body.


    As adept as the beasts were at tunnelling, they were only just able to keep up with the pace of the humans and the elf, but they were certainly not tiring as quickly. Friedrich led the way to the entrance while Teleri held onto Marina¡¯s hand, fearing that she would stumble with her poor vision in the low light.


    Friedrich suddenly turned back into a human and kept running. ¡°I see light ahead!¡± he called, running straight towards it as the mighty beasts continued thundering after the trio. The three strained their legs, forcing themselves to run faster until they were enveloped in the daylight.


    Outside at last, the party ran across the sand as the angry wails of the tunaileans followed them, but they did not dare step onto the sand. It was not like the solid earth that they could move through so easily with its constant shifting and desire to fill in every nook and cranny beneath it.


    ¡°Are we safe yet?¡± asked Marina as the three continued to run.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We keep going for another mile and we never speak of this again to anyone.¡±

 Chapter 62 - An Unwelcome Face

    ¡°Civilisation, at last,¡± said Teleri, wiping away her sweat as she spotted the town half a mile away. ¡°I cannot take another second of this heat.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be sure that this one isn¡¯t overrun by bandits that want to kill us,¡± said Marina, half-jokingly as she rushed to the top of the hill and stood beside the elf.


    ¡°Every time we get ourselves into a mess, we find a way to get ourselves out of it,¡± said Friedrich calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll do the same again.¡±


    ¡°If things continue the way they¡¯re going, we¡¯ll run out of luck eventually,¡± said Marina. ¡°There are only so many times we can stumble our way out of problems.¡±


    ¡°Or run away from them,¡± said Teleri, thinking of the tunaileans.


    ¡°We agreed not to bring that up again,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Who¡¯s listening, Friedrich?¡± asked Marina, rolling her eyes. ¡°We can talk freely between each other, you silly fox.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± said Friedrich, ignoring her. ¡°Town. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The party walked across the sand and onto the road leading into town, relieved to finally have somewhere to rest. A meal that wasn¡¯t rations and a bed that was higher up than the ground would be a most welcome treat for the night, so much so, that Marina skipped along as Friedrich and Teleri followed.


    ¡°Where to first?¡± Friedrich called to the skipping mage.


    ¡°An inn,¡± said Teleri before Marina had the chance to answer. ¡°I need shade before I combust. Anywhere will do.¡±


    ¡°An inn, it is,¡± said Marina, pausing to look around.


    The people in town were all going about their business, taking little notice of the strangers wandering around. The streets being busy meant that the inn would be quiet and they could enjoy dinner then turn in early.


    ¡°How about here?¡± asked Friedrich, pointing towards an inn called The Grey Goblin.


    Marina giggled at the name while Teleri shook her head despondently. They all proceeded inside and the girls sat at a table as Friedrich walked up to the innkeeper who was cleaning glasses at the bar. Before Friedrich had the chance to book a room and order everyone¡¯s meal, someone spoke to him.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned,¡± came a deep voice.


    There was a man sitting in the shadows at the corner of the bar with his hood up and his legs crossed. He was holding a flagon and took a small sip. As he raised his arm, his skin was revealed as much paler than the Asterrans of Kai¡¯roh. Friedrich knew the voice well, and his hand moved up towards the two masks underneath his shirt.


    ¡°Easy there, easy there,¡± said Muriance, leaning into the light and revealing his face. He held up his hands, showing that he wasn¡¯t holding a weapon. ¡°Ain¡¯t this the biggest coincidence in all the world, my friend?¡±


    ¡°Coincidence?¡± asked Friedrich, keeping a hand placed upon his chest as his other hand moved towards his sword.


    ¡°There will be no need for that, I assure you. I know what that mage friend of yours can do,¡± said Muriance, nodding towards Marina who was deep in conversation with Teleri. ¡°Killed one of my men back in that ruin, did you know? Couldn¡¯t get him tended to in time. I have no desire to share the same fate.¡±


    ¡°Why are you in Kai¡¯roh?¡± demanded Friedrich.


    ¡°I can go where I please,¡± shrugged Muriance, ¡°but if you really must know. I was to do a job for someone called Namavar. Word spread that he was a soul masker and I thought that perhaps I would be able to pilfer a mask from him, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± asked Friedrich, feigning ignorance. He, of course, knew exactly what happened to Namavar, but revealing this to Muriance would only make him an even greater target.


    ¡°Well, he met an unfortunate end. Torn limb from limb, pinned to a wall and what have you. He crossed the wrong person, that much is for sure.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°And if you were seeking a mask from Namavar, why should I believe that you aren¡¯t going to make an attempt to steal my fox mask? It would not be the first time¡­or the second.¡±


    ¡°I will not lie to you and pretend that I am a changed man,¡± chuckled Muriance. ¡°But rest assured that I value my life and I am currently outnumbered.¡±


    ¡°Where are the rest of your minions then? Marina killed one, yes, but what about the others?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking an awful lot of questions, Friedrich. I haven¡¯t done the same to you, have I? No, I think not. We will simply have to agree with each other that we are going to remain enigmatic from now on.¡±


    ¡°You know perfectly well that I cannot trust you to leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°Innkeeper,¡± said Muriance turning to the man wiping the glasses.


    ¡°Eh?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Friedrich, what do you want? As a show of good faith, your first meal is on me and I will make myself scarce. Perhaps we¡¯ll see each other again somewhere much further down the road¡­and no, that is not a threat.¡±


    Muriance drank deep from his flagon and slammed it onto the countertop. He stood up, tossed a handful of kupons down and walked out of the inn. Friedrich watched as the thief disappeared, not trusting him for a single second.


    Marina rushed up to the counter. ¡°Was that who I think it was?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Friedrich, not taking his eyes off the door. ¡°He¡¯s gone, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure he isn¡¯t coming back?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be a problem,¡± lied Friedrich.


    *


    Friedrich listened carefully as he lay in bed. His ears pricked up upon the sound of the faint shuffling of clothes as someone climbed onto the balcony outside. He had deliberately left the window open, knowing that he would have a visitor. There would be no amendments, no matter how much Muriance had tried to play nice.


    The young adventurer remained perfectly still as the thief climbed through the window as quietly as he could. It may have been quiet enough, had Friedrich been asleep, but he was at his most alert. He heard Muriance move around the room, checking through Friedrich¡¯s meagre possessions for the fox mask, but there was not one to be found. Nor had Friedrich been foolish enough to keep the minotaur or goblin masks anywhere but on his body.


    The soft footsteps made their way towards him, the faint squeak of leather growing louder with each step. Then came the slinking sound of a dagger being drawn from a sheath, but Friedrich still waited. Even as the blade sat within an inch of his throat, he did not move.


    ¡°Wakey, wakey,¡± said Muriance softly, and Friedrich finally stirred.


    ¡°You have disappointed me greatly,¡± he said as turned his head.


    ¡°Sorry, lad,¡± said the thief whose face was but a shadow in the night. ¡°You know how much I wanted that mask. You¡¯re the fool for having believed me. Now, where is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me, Friedrich. I can see the string around your neck. In fact, I can see two of them. It looks like this is the luckiest night of my life. Two masks for the price of none. Come on, now.¡±


    Muriance held up a hand, beckoning Friedrich to take the masks out. He pushed the blade closer to Friedrich¡¯s throat, and the young man slowly complied. He reached under his tunic and pulled out the minotaur and goblin mask together.


    ¡°Most interesting,¡± said Muriance deviously. ¡°You weren¡¯t lying about the fox mask?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± demanded Muriance.


    Friedrich gave a sly smile and he transformed before the thief¡¯s eyes. Muriance made to draw the knife across Friedrich¡¯s neck, but he had shrunk so quickly that there was nothing to cut. The young man hopped off the bed and skittered over to his sword and shield before reverting to his normal form and picking them up as Muriance stood stunned beside the bed.


    ¡°The mask broke,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but I got to keep its power.¡±


    ¡°You awakened the mask?¡± asked Muriance, sounding alarmed. ¡°You have bonded with the soul trapped within?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And you won¡¯t be getting your hands on either of the other two.¡±


    Friedrich thrust his sword forward Muriance leaped backwards, but Friedrich was not going to simply let him get away this time. He lunged forward, headbutting Muriance in the stomach, making him drop his knife. Friedrich reached back with his shield arm and slammed it into Muriance¡¯s face, breaking his nose and activating the knockback, sending him spinning to the ground.


    Having learned no lesson, Muriance climbed back up and charged at Friedrich, grabbing the minotaur mask with two hands and pulling it from his neck. As he tried to place it up his face, Friedrich dropped his sword and plunged his thumbs into Muriance¡¯s eyes, making the thief scream in agony.


    ¡°Never!¡± called Friedrich. ¡°Touch! My! Mask!¡±


    He kneed Muriance in the chest and yanked his mask back, bringing it up to his face. As it came close to his nose, his door was flung open and in burst Marina and Teleri with their weapons raised.


    ¡°Friedrich, not here!¡± Marina told him.


    ¡°You have no idea the damage you could do,¡± said Teleri. ¡°If the bloodlust takes you, every single person in this inn may not live to see the morning.¡±


    Friedrich knew she was right and fought to pull his arm down. So filled with rage was he that he kicked Muriance in the side of the head, knocking him out cold. He continued kicking the helpless thief, who lay motionless on the ground until Teleri grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away.


    ¡°It would not be a good idea to commit a murder here, Friedrich. Provoked or not, I do not see this ending well for you. We should leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°I wanted a good night¡¯s sleep,¡± said groaned Marina.


    ¡°You will not get many of those if we all end up thrown in a cell for the foreseeable future.¡±


    Friedrich nodded as he stared at the limp Muriance on the ground. He tied the minotaur mask back around his neck and retrieved the rest of his possessions. He, Marina and Teleri did not hang around for much longer and were back on the road within minutes, seeking somewhere quiet and safe to sleep.

 Chapter 63 - The Earth Elementalist

    Friedrich, Marina and Teleri continued their arduous journey across the island of Kai¡¯roh, following the winding river as best they could along the way. To stray too far meant no guarantee of fresh water, something especially crucial as the sun felt like it was burning more harshly than it had the entire time they had been on this sand-ridden island.


    All three had had their fair share of complaints, not only Teleri, who of course felt particularly scorned by the trek. The sooner they could get off the island, the better. It was not that they had outstayed their welcome, it was that the intense head had outstayed its.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired,¡± sighed an utterly spent Marina as she flopped onto the ground in the shadow of a tree. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can keep going for much longer.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a couple of days away at most,¡± said Friedrich, upon turning into a human from his fox form. ¡°Just keep pushing for a little longer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say when you can skip along on your four spindly little legs.¡±


    ¡°Spindly?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the point! You can traverse the terrain much more easily than the rest of us. And when we get to the Temple of Valskythe, we¡¯re going to be too tired to complete whatever trials await us. I think we¡¯re going to find ourselves in a big pile of trouble if we don¡¯t take the time to recuperate.¡±


    ¡°There is a coastal town a day to the west,¡± said Teleri, examining the map closely. ¡°If you would like to rest for a while, we can be there by early tomorrow. We can perhaps find some decent food instead of our rations. And I would not say no to a comfortable bed the night.¡±


    ¡°What about up there? asked Friedrich, pointing to the top of a series of staggered cliffs.


    Sitting at the top, almost hidden by the dark shadow cast by a rocky peak, was a pillared temple of yellow sandstone. It looked abandoned, but he supposed it would from this distance. Marina and Teleri gazed towards it, neither having noticed it before now.


    Teleri raised an eyebrow. ¡°The last time we went to an old temple, we were attacked by a stone golem and barely lived to tell the tale.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take anywhere we can rest that doesn¡¯t involve another day of walking,¡± said Marina, taking off her boots and pouring the gathered sand out. ¡°I say that we go. If there¡¯s another golem, we¡¯ll just blast it apart like we did last time.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will stand back so that I am not dragged into yet another one of your decisions. Is it all humans that make a habit of wandering into dangerous situations or is it just Mercians?¡±


    ¡°You do it too, you¡¯re just less obvious about it,¡± said Friedrich, making Teleri wrinkle her nose at him. She knew that the best reaction to his jabs was to say nothing and simply make a face at him. It gave him less fuel to fire back with.


    The trio made their way across the hot sands slowly. Travelling mostly as a fox as he was, Friedrich was also feeling the exhaustion. Travelling for so many days to reach the far side of the island was a daunting prospect, but in practise, it was draining, and the drain occurred quickly, especially as he was not a native to the island nor accustomed to his climate, even after having spent weeks here.


    As the trio wandered in a zig-zagging motion across the cliffs to each the temple, they saw the swathes of desert stretching out before them. There was a stone peak many miles in the distance that they knew to be the site of the last stone temple they had visited on Namavar¡¯s orders. That must have skirted past it two days ago.


    There was a sudden rumbling behind them and the cliff face shook. An avalanche? Surely not. These rocks must have stood here unchanging for centuries. Yet, they were indeed moving. The stone wall started to fold away, but the rocks did not fall, they simply moved. A section of the wall crumbled away, revealing a rough staircase that led straight up to the base of the temple, but that was not all it led to. There was a man standing at the top, dressed in robes of white and gold, and holding a staff made of a shiny black stone.


    He took one step, and then another. Slowly, he walked down the stone staircase, a look of both seriousness and curiosity on his bearded face. The trio did not move as he grew closer and closer. He did not have the shifty appearance of an untrustworthy man, nor the brutishness of a low-level thug. From the way he carried himself, it was clear that he was a powerful man of importance, but bore them no ill-will.


    ¡°Good day, travellers,¡± he said in a deep, gravelly voice that shook the pebbles on the ground. ¡°What is it that brings you here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re seeking somewhere to rest before travelling onwards,¡± said Friedrich, believing that truthfulness was the best course of action when dealing with a man like this.


    ¡°And you thought that our temple was a suitable place to come?¡±


    ¡°We did not know if it was abandoned. It has been a long journey from Port Balsia, and we would very much appreciate somewhere to sleep until tomorrow. We have kupons, if that¡ª¡±


    The man held up a hand and Friedrich fell silent. ¡°That will not be necessary,¡± said the man calmly. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Teleri looked uncertain, but Friedrich and Marina stepped onto the staircase. Before he had gotten further than the fifth step, the robed man turned around and looked at Teleri.


    ¡°Is there a problem, Alaurian?¡± he asked. ¡°I thought hospitality was what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°It is because it is what we wanted that I am suspicious,¡± she said. ¡°An oasis in the sand is rare, especially when there is a welcoming hand beckoning you forward.¡±


    The man stared at her silently, letting her say her piece.


    ¡°You are a mage, are you not? What would a mage have to gain from us? It does not make sense to me, and I would like you to explain why you would accept us. If I have offended you and you wish to send us away, that is fine, but I would rather have an answer to my question before I put a foot forward.¡±


    Friedrich looked to Marina, who desperately wanted him to intervene, but he knew Teleri was right. He said nothing.


    ¡°My name is Grephor,¡± he said, stepping past the Mercians and walking towards her. ¡°It is not that I seek something from you and your companions, it is simply that you asked for help and I am granting it. Did I try and lure you inside with hopeful promises? No, I answered a request. Do you see this as a crime.¡±


    ¡°No, I do not,¡± said Teleri, looking him in the eyes, ¡°but we have been crossed too many times for me to take anyone at face value.¡±


    ¡°That is understandable,¡± said Grephor quietly. ¡°If you would rather leave, you are free to. Kar¡¯thay is to the east. That is the nearest place you may safely rest comfortably.¡±


    Grephor walked back up the stairs and continued on, while Teleri looked uncertain. Marina shook her head at the elf and followed Grephor, but Friedrich was torn. He did not know whether to follow or to stay, but he knew that he should at the very least speak to Teleri.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked him. ¡°You are a good judge of character, even if you intentionally choose to ignore your own judgement.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m undecided,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but there¡¯s something about him that seems¡­powerful. If he wanted to force us towards the temple, I suspect he could. Did you see how he parted the stone with such ease?¡±


    ¡°That is not untrue,¡± said Teleri, looking distressed. ¡°We have had so many setbacks and I fear that one of these days, a setback will take us to an early grave.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± admitted Friedrich. ¡°I make a lot of rash decisions¡­¡±


    ¡°They are not simply rash,¡± said Teleri, putting her hand on his cheek. ¡°You make incredibly stupid decisions knowing that they are stupid. That is why I say you are a good judge of character and ignore your own judgement.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you to be stupid again?¡± said Friedrich, nodding towards the stairs. ¡°If things so badly, I will do as I normally do and find a way to get us out of it.¡±


    Teleri sighed and shook her head despondently, taking her hand away from Friedrich¡¯s face. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, ¡°but once we are off this island, I would very much appreciate it if we could find a way to put a limit on our foolishness, the same way that the masks limit your ability to lose control for too long.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Friedrich, smiling and walking up the stairs. ¡°Let¡¯s go in case Marina is being murdered right this second.¡±


    ¡°That is not funny,¡± said Teleri angrily, thumping him in the lower back as she followed him. ¡°Your human humour is horrid.¡±


    Friedrich chuckled as the pair hurried up the stairs to the flat ground before the temple. Grephor and Marina were standing a few feet away, waiting for the pair.


    ¡°You have decided to come, have you?¡± asked the mage.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri, bluntly.


    ¡°That is pleasing to hear. I am sure you will see that my people have no ill intent.¡±


    ¡°And who are you and your people?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°We are mages dedicated to the furtherance of earth elemental magic,¡± he said. ¡°We study it, we practice it and we harness it in many powerful ways.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re hidden out in the desert?¡± asked Marina. Curiosity filled her voice. She longed to learn from other mages and was very much frustrated that the majority of her knowledge came from self-study of old tomes. It had pained her to leave behind her magic tutor, Hansel, who she had spent an unfortunately small amount of time with, when he still had so much left that he could teach her.


    ¡°I would not say that we are hiding,¡± said Grephor, gesturing towards the grand temple behind him. ¡°If we were hiding, we would not have this, the Temple of Sand and Stone. It stands tall upon the cliffs, does it not?¡±


    ¡°In the shadow of a peak,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Would you have us boil alive?¡± chortled Grephor. ¡°It is cooling to do that. I am a Heartlander, and much like you Mercians, I do not always find the heat pleasurable.¡±


    ¡°Will you show me some of your magic?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°You are a lightning mage, young lady, is that correct?¡± asked Grephor, pointing towards her staff that bore the electrically enchanted amethyst.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina, twirling her staff around and making it fizzle with sparks. She held it high and shot a lightning bolt straight into the air. ¡°My name is Marina.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said Grephor quietly.


    He had a powerful look in his eye as he took his own obsidian staff in two hands and slid one foot back along the ground so that he was in a strong stance. He muttered to himself and lifted his staff high before slamming it onto the ground.


    The small coating of sand on the stone twisted and twirled as the ground rose up. It was a large cube, the same height as Friedrich, at least at first. The corners suddenly cracked and the cracks proceeded to run across the entire surface of the stone before crumbling away, leaving a burly humanoid-shaped stone man standing on the ground.


    ¡°That is very impressive,¡± said Marina, clutching her hands together excitedly. ¡°And you did it with such precision!¡±


    ¡°It is a spell that takes time to perfect, but it was not always so seamless. It took hundreds of repetitions to ensure that the elemental was not simple a tiny clay figure.¡±


    ¡°What if there¡¯s a clay shortage where you are?¡± asked Friedrich, not intending to sound as snarky or simple as he had done.


    ¡°While it may look as though I drew it from the ground, the elemental was brought forth from the elemental plane of earth.¡±


    Friedrich walked around the elemental, examining it closely. It didn¡¯t look as powerful as the golem from before. He thought that he could best it in a fight much more easily than he had done his previous foe.


    ¡°Is it combat ready?¡± asked Friedrich pointedly, eliciting a laugh from Grephor.


    The earth elemental punched its jagged fists into each other and turned towards Friedrich. Its expressionless face was looking right at him, as though relishing the challenge, however the young man suspected that it was Grephor¡¯s willpower shining through the stone being that gave him that impression.


    ¡°Of course it is ready,¡± said the mage in amusement. ¡°Do you think you can defeat it with those two pieces of metal you carry with you?¡±


    The young Mercian smiled at the mage slyly before drawing his sword and raising his shield. ¡°Let¡¯s see, shall we?¡± he asked confidently while Marina and Teleri exchanged an exasperated glance.

 Chapter 64 - Stone and Storm

    Friedrich charged towards the earth elemental, his shield raised and his sword drawn back. He expected it to move, but it simply stood still as he thrust his sword. The blade struck the elemental, chipping only a small amount of stone from it. It reverberated vigorously in Friedrich¡¯s hand, making his arm ache.


    The swordsman struck wildly at the elemental, but it simply continued to weather the attacks. No matter what Friedrich did, he could only chip off small chunks of stone and, before long, the elemental repaired itself while Grephor stood calmly behind with a perfectly neutral expression upon his face.


    A panting Friedrich took a couple of steps backwards and tried to reassess, but before he could do anything, the elemental charged at him and kicked him in the leg. It delivered a punch to him, but he blocked with his enchanted shield. The attack was strong enough to knock Friedrich back and simply dampen the blow. Could this magical being be more powerful than the tunaileans? Surely not.


    With a glance to Marina and Teleri, Friedrich reached for the minotaur mask underneath his tunic and placed it upon his face, transforming before the temple. Finally, Grephor¡¯s expression changed as he watched the young man swell up, grow fur and sprout horns from his bovine head.


    Friedrich grabbed the earth elemental, lifted it high and broke the creature over his knee, leaving it in two large pieces and many smaller rocks that scattered across the ground. He threw the elemental aside, feeling confident, but there was a growing anger within him that made him want to continue the fight.


    ¡°Do not make another move,¡± said Teleri sternly. ¡°You should not have put on that mask.¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s chest heaved up and down as he held on tightly to his willpower. The minotaur¡¯s soul would not overcome him, not today. He had proven his point and that was enough.


    ¡°That was unexpected,¡± said Grephor coldly. ¡°I did not know that I was dealing with soul magic.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re very sorry,¡± said Marina as she bowed her head and then shooting Friedrich a scornful look. ¡°He knows perfectly well that he should not use that mask because it¡¯s too dominating for him to control fully.¡±


    Friedrich snorted and sat on the ground. Even sitting down, he was the same height as Marina and only slightly beneath Teleri.


    ¡°Come, young ones,¡± said Grephor to Marina and Teleri. ¡°Young man, you can wait here until you¡¯re in a more presentable state.¡±


    The mage led Marina and Teleri towards the temple. As they walked, they could see the sprawling sands in the distance and noted a couple of landmarks from their map. Grephor brought them to the top of the stairs and inside the grand building where a couple of other mages were roaming the halls.


    He led them through the corridors and back outside into the cloister where a large statue of a stone titan rested in the centre in a meditative pose. Marina wondered if the statue would come to life, but for now, it remained in its seated position atop its plinth.


    Throughout the cloister were a dozen other mages, all practicing their spellcasting. A few were old and shifting the earth with ease while the younger ones were conjuring stones and hurling them at each other, while their intended targets were blocking them with earthen shields.


    ¡°This is where we train,¡± said Grephor, looking at Marina. ¡°I thought that you would like to see this as a mage yourself. Perhaps there is something you can learn from observing.¡±


    ¡°This is a wonderful place,¡± said Marina breathlessly. ¡°Since I started learning magic, I¡¯ve longed for somewhere I can train without fear.¡±


    ¡°Do you know many spells?¡±


    ¡°I know three and my fourth spell is untested,¡± she said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out her latest spell tome that she had been studying in her spare moments. One that would let her summoning an elemental of her own, a lightning elemental.


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Grephor, raising an eyebrow. ¡°This is a difficult spell to get right. You are welcome to show me what you can do.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind?¡±


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    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Teleri and Grephor stepped away, giving Marina enough room to concentrate.


    The young Mercian closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before slowly exhaling. She took her staff in two hands and clutched it firmly, drawing it up through the air and then around in a wide arc. She thrust it forward and then slammed the butt of the staff into the stone beneath her feet. Slowly, a spark of lightning emerged from the crystal, hovering in the air before her. Five seconds later, it was twice as large. Ten seconds later, it was the same size as she was. Twenty seconds later, it was double her size.


    ¡°Mages!¡± called Grephor, as he watched the elemental energy grow out of control.


    All of the mages in the courtyard rushed over, surrounding the lightning. But before they could intervene, Marina reached forward and grabbed the crackling energy and drew it into the palm of her hand. She was shaking vigorously as she tried to control the elemental force. With a scream, she threw it into the sky and it shot upwards in a lightning bolt before vanishing in the clouds.


    The mages all looked very impressed, clapping for her. All except Grephor who had a look of concern on his face.


    ¡°Mages, please return as you were. I have something to discuss with young Marina.¡±


    ¡°Should I leave you in peace?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°If you would not mind, Miss Alaurian.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will check to see if Friedrich is less hairy. I will return with him shortly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Teleri,¡± said Marina and the elf gave her a small smile.


    As Teleri departed from the cloister, Marina let out a sigh. ¡°I had hoped I could control it better, but the spell is too powerful for me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Grephor. ¡°It is not that the spell is too powerful for you. It is your innate power that makes it more difficult for you to control. A failed attempt at that spell may have resulted in the spell fizzling out or, in a rare case, some sort of explosion, but you were channelling too much of your magical being into it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Marina, starting to tear up.


    ¡°Do not be. It is most impressive, especially as you were able to handle the crisis yourself using another spell. That was Absorb Lightning, was it not?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t mastered the absorption part yet, but I¡¯ve can do the first part and redirect it as a lightning bolt instead. Sometimes I can dissipate it if it isn¡¯t an overwhelming amount of energy.¡±


    ¡°That is fascinating,¡± said Grephor quietly, pressing on his chin with his thumb. ¡°You have a remarkable amount of talent. Who was your teacher?¡±


    ¡°My books. I worked with a man named Hansel the Striker in Akatfall briefly, but that was after I taught myself magic.¡±


    ¡°You must stay,¡± said Grephor suddenly. ¡°If you can spare as little as a week, I would like to study your capabilities, while also teaching you how to control your power more effectively.¡±


    Marina was dumbstruck. ¡°I-I¡­um¡­¡±


    ¡°A week is all I ask, but I understand if that is not possible if you and your friends are journeying somewhere important.¡±


    Unsure of what to say, Marina stayed silent as she sifted through her thoughts. On the one hand, it was important to Friedrich to get to the Temple of Valskythe, but on the other, she would be more helpful if she could control the spell correctly. A lightning elemental that could channel magic would be a great boon and another ally in their many battles.


    ¡°I will need to consult with my friends before I can commit to an answer,¡± said Marina at last.


    ¡°Commit to what?¡± asked Friedrich, walking along as a human once more. Teleri was accompanying him into the cloister.


    Grephor turned to him. ¡°It is good to see you with less hair,¡± he chortled. ¡°I have asked Marina to remain here for the next week so that she can further her magical understanding and control. Rest assured that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine with me,¡± shrugged Friedrich. ¡°If it¡¯s what she wants and will help her, that¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Teleri. ¡°We can go take a detour to the town where we can rest so as not to disrupt things further.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both truly okay with this?¡± asked Marina with a big smile. It meant a lot to her that her friends wanted what was best for her, and she did indeed believe this was what was best.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich and Teleri in unison.


    ¡°Let us be off,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°So soon?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°We will give Marina as much opportunity as possible to learn if we leave right away.¡±


    Marina ran up to the pair and threw her arms around them. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you both so much!¡± she wailed, her eyes welling up with tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s only for a week,¡± said Friedrich, awkwardly patting her on the back.


    ¡°I know,¡± sniffled Marina, ¡°but I¡¯ll feel lost without you.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to stay and lear¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Shoo! The pair of you get out of here.¡± Friedrich laughed while Teleri stared, not fully grasping the joke.


    With a hasty farewell to Marina and Grephor, the two departed from the cloister almost as quickly as they had arrived and were outside the temple. As Friedrich and Teleri walked back down the stone staircase and onto the edge of the cliff, they spoke about their intentions.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do for a week?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Five days,¡± said Teleri. ¡°It will take a day to reach Kar¡¯thay and another day to return. We will have five days.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± snapped Friedrich. ¡°What are we going to do for five days?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but I am sure that there will be work for us. We cannot spend kupons frivolously as we have not made any money since Namavar¡¯s demise.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to have some time to relax,¡± muttered Friedrich.


    ¡°Our time to relax must be minimal lest we lower our guard and wind up dead. I must restock magic arrows and buy more potions and poisons, for I have already been bested on this island too many times. It is unacceptable.¡±


    Friedrich knew then and there that this would not be a fun week.

 Arcane Shot - New Fiction Announcement

    Good day to you all!


    As if I don''t have enough fictions running simultaneously, I''ve added to the pile again with my new story, Arcane Shot. It''s another progression fantasy, but I decided to do as wild as I could with this one. It''s a mixture of fantasy, modern, post-apocalyptic and Western, all rolled into one story about a bounty hunter with his magic gun who seeks to clean up the world from bandits, monsters and any other miscreants lurking in the shadows.


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    Check it out here on Royal Road!</a>


    Now that the first week is complete, the schedule is two chapters per week on Tuesdays and Fridays. That means every weekday, you''re getting new chapters from me, sometimes two, so you''ll never be lacking in fun reads.


    I hope you enjoy it.

 Chapter 65 - The Nobleman

    Friedrich lay on the pier with his eyes shut, enjoying the cooling shade of the canopy above him. It had been a pleasant couple of days of relaxation. Mostly. Teleri, who was bathing her feet in the ocean, had ensured that not all of their time was wasted and made the pair take a couple of menial jobs around time so that they were not bleeding kupons. The menial jobs often involved Friedrich doing most of the work while she supervised.


    Today, however, had been much more laid back. The town of Kar¡¯thay was a quiet place that rested along the coast of Kai¡¯roh. It was smaller than Port Balsia, but there were a number of noblemen¡ªboth native and foreign¡ªwho had taken up residence here because of its scenic beauty.


    Teleri stared out at the much smaller islands that sat near the horizon as Friedrich began to snore. She gave him a light thump on the stomach, making him jolt awake.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, bolting upright.


    ¡°You were sleeping,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied angrily. ¡°That was why I closed my eyes!¡±


    ¡°You must be alert in case there is danger,¡± she said with a smirk.


    Friedrich rolled his eyes and lay back down. He had grown accustomed to her rare attempts at humour, but he didn¡¯t find them especially funny. They were often at his expense and more for her own amusement than anything else.


    ¡°Do you think Marina¡¯s alright?¡± he asked after a few minutes, having struggled to fall back to sleep; he was far too paranoid he would be rudely awakened.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri, glancing at her feet as she slowly kicked them back and forth in the water. ¡°She is capable of handling herself. When we return to her, she will be stronger.¡±


    ¡°Stronger than herself a few days ago or stronger than us?¡±


    ¡°She is already stronger than us. She could kill us with a single spell, presuming she could hit us. She may even be able to take out your minotaur form, should she be forced to.¡±


    ¡°The power mages can wield is something else, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Friedrich, sitting back up.


    ¡°Indeed. It is why that the less magically inclined people like us need to do whatever we can to even the odds. Your shield is a good place to start, as are my boots, but we have yet to have had the fortune to use them to their fullest extent.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t your people gifted magic-users?¡±


    ¡°They tend to be,¡± said Teleri nonchalantly.


    ¡°And did you never desire to follow that path?¡±


    ¡°My path was forced upon me. Let us leave it at that.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Friedrich, climbing to his feet and looking at a small fisherman¡¯s boat that was tied up nearby.


    ¡°Is that boat large enough for what you need?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but it cannot be too large either. Something like Captain Alden¡¯s boat would be ideal.¡±


    Teleri stood up and looked up at Friedrich. ¡°I am bored.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not killing more rats!¡± the young man warned her. The previous evening, she had gotten him a job clearing out the rats in the basement of one of the three inns in the town. There was a noticeboard posting for one of the other inns too and he dreaded the prospect of doing such a tedious task again.


    ¡°What other suggestions do you have?¡± asked the Alaurian as she slipped on her boots. ¡°I do not wish to spend the rest of the day sitting here and watching the water. Perhaps we can see if there are any demons needing slain?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± shrugged Friedrich, walking along the pier and back towards the main street of the town. He beckoned Teleri to follow him and the pair left the sea behind.


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    They walked through the semi-busy street where the market stalls were readying themselves for lunchtime customers. That was the way of things in the towns in Kai¡¯roh. Very few people cooked at home as food was dirt cheap in the markets and inns, much more so than in Mercia.


    ¡°Smells good,¡± said Friedrich as his stomach started to rumble.


    ¡°It smells incredibly spicy,¡± said Teleri. ¡°I would prefer we find something that will not burn my mouth in the same way the sun burns my skin.¡±


    ¡°First things first,¡± said Friedrich, walking up to the noticeboard and ignoring the listing about rats.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 98.1169%">


    WANTED!


    Shura of the Morlak Bandits. This vile orc has been attacking shipments along the river. His head is to be delivered to Captain Bashir, preferably thoroughly wrapped in cloth and within a burlap sack to prevent blood leakage.


    REWARD: 120 kupons


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Friedrich read the bounty on the board and pointed it out to Teleri who nodded slowly. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°One hundred and twenty kupons is on the lower side of things for a task like this, but it will have to do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s preferable to killing rats for ten kupons, is it not?¡±


    ¡°You cannot remain bitter about that forever, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Oh, can¡¯t I?¡± he said, scowling. ¡°You stood back and let me do all the¡ª"


    ¡°Master Friedrich Gaerfyrd,¡± called a smug voice from somewhere nearby. ¡°Could that possibly be you, my friend?¡±


    Friedrich froze in horror. He knew that voice. Of all places for someone to recognise him¡­here? In a small coastal town in Kai¡¯roh? Were the gods playing some sort of trick on him? He had wandered the streets of Akatfall freely for a month and even entered a ball for nobility, yet still he had successfully slipped through the cracks without anybody identifying him¡ªsave perhaps for Lord Buckstone who had the decency to keep his mouth closed.


    ¡°Do my ears deceive me?¡± Friedrich called out jovially, prompting a raised eyebrow from Teleri. He turned around to the man who had called out to him. ¡°Well, if it is not Rufus Redforth himself. How are you doing and what in the world are you doing all the way out here?¡±


    Rufus was a plump nobleman a couple years older than Friedrich. He had bright blonde hair that he slicked back and a short goatee that he did not have the last time Friedrich had met him. He had a wide smile on his face, an expression of genuine gladness for having seen Friedrich. He walked forward and held out his hand.


    ¡°My goodness, my friend,¡± said Rufus, clasping Friedrich¡¯s hand with both of his own and shaking it vigorously. ¡°How long has it been? I was ever so shocked when I learned that your family had disappeared without a trace. I feared the worst, but it is good to see you in the flesh.¡± Rufus looked Friedrich up and down. ¡°You have certainly grown over the past year and a half, haven¡¯t you? You were shorter than me not so long ago.¡±


    ¡°You were shorter than me too,¡± muttered Teleri, still convinced that the usage of the masks had altered Friedrich¡¯s physical traits. Between his greater height and his improved dexterity, she truly believed there was something to her theory. All she needed was for him to grow a hooked, goblin-like nose to confirm it.


    ¡°You are with this high elf?¡± asked Rufus, his smile turning into a look of utter confusion.


    ¡°Erm¡­¡± said Friedrich awkwardly, knowing he had to think quickly to explain why he and his family had vanished. ¡°Yes,¡± he said abruptly, taking Teleri¡¯s arm. ¡°This is my wonderful wife. Did you not know that I was getting married?¡±


    Teleri¡¯s eyes widened and she looked as though she was about to choke, but she restrained herself and said nothing. She knew that Friedrich had said that for a reason and she was savvy enough to not expose his untruthfulness.


    ¡°It was a sudden arrangement, but I was whisked off to Alauria to begin the long process. We were finally married many months ago. The rest of my family are safely in Alauria while we travel around the world. After all, we will not be able to sail all the way to somewhere like Kai¡¯roh when the little ones arrive.¡±


    ¡°Little ones,¡± muttered Teleri breathlessly. ¡°Yes, little ones.¡± She placed a hand on her stomach, looking very uncomfortable with the situation, but she was able to force a smile.


    ¡°You are enchanting,¡± said Rufus, taking Teleri¡¯s hand and planting a small kiss on the back of it. ¡°What is your name, Madam Gaerfyrd?¡±


    ¡°Teleri,¡± she said, too shaken to say anything further.


    ¡°I offer you both my sincerest congratulations on your nuptials. I must say, Friedrich,¡± said Rufus, shaking his head and chuckling. ¡°I am a little offended that you did not invite me to your wedding, but¡­perhaps we can celebrate another way? I am just heading to a little get together. I insist that you join me. The both of you.¡±


    Friedrich looked nervously at Teleri who subtly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rufus, but we had really better be going,¡± he said with even less desire to go with Rufus than she did.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Rufus, speeding around behind the pair and steering them down the street. ¡°Just pop your heads in the door, say hello, and then you two lovebirds can get back to your honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Friedrich, reluctantly relenting, ¡°but we cannot stay for very long.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± said Rufus, refusing to take his hands off Friedrich and Teleri¡¯s backs. ¡°What were you two doing looking at that noticeboard? Your family certainly wouldn¡¯t need the work, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­looking,¡± he said, unable to think of a better reason. The boat raiding orc would have to wait until later.


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t flaunt that sword and shield around, my friend. People will think you¡¯ve taken up the life of an adventurer.¡±


    Rufus guided the pair up a small set of stairs and through an archway, bringing the begrudging pair inside one of the fancier houses lining the street.

 Chapter 66 - The Noblemans Wife

    ¡°Stash those in here,¡± said Rufus, opening a broom cupboard and taking Friedrich and Teleri¡¯s weapons. ¡°I suppose you do not have better clothes? Leather armour is probably not the most appropriate attire for a party.¡±


    ¡°Father insisted,¡± said Friedrich, lying through his teeth. ¡°He¡¯s always worried about my safety and made us promise not to travel without weapons or armour. You can never be too careful in strange lands, Rufus. Come to think of it, perhaps you should get a sword of your own.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± said Rufus, waving his hands dismissively. ¡°That would not do. That would not do at all. I¡¯ll leave that to you. You were always much more taken with your combat training than I was. Now, come, come!¡±


    Rufus shooed the pair up a staircase and towards murmuring that slowly grew into general chitchat. Stepping through an archway at the top of the stairs, Friedrich could see the other guests. They were an eclectic bunch, all dressed in much fancier cleaner clothes than Friedrich¡¯s brown leather and Teleri¡¯s dark leather. The two stuck out like a sore thumb. The noblemen and women were mostly Asterrans; the brown-skinned people who lived populously in both Asterra and Kai¡¯roh, but there were a few others. Many of them other subraces of human, a few varieties of elves and a single black-furred wolven who stood out almost as much as Friedrich and Teleri.


    ¡°Whatever you do, do not draw attention to us,¡± Friedrich warned Rufus. ¡°The last thing we want is a big scene when we weren¡¯t invited.¡±


    ¡°But you were invited! By me!¡± insisted Rufus before opening his mouth to belt out an introduction, but Friedrich grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Please, Rufus,¡± said Friedrich, growing desperate. ¡°It¡¯s unbecoming to make a scene against our wishes, is it not?¡±


    Rufus sighed and shrugged. ¡°Very well, suit yourselves. But do try and mingle a little, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± said Friedrich as Rufus strutted off to talk to a portly woman who beamed at him as he approached.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± said Teleri, grabbing Friedrich by the wrist and dragging him out onto an empty balcony. She checked to make sure nobody was looking before her expression turned angry. ¡°What is going on, Friedrich?¡±


    Upon speaking, she shoved his sword and shield at him. Much to Friedrich¡¯s surprise, she had her bow and quiver slung over her back.


    ¡°How did you get those?¡± he asked her in surprise.


    ¡°Do not change the subject,¡± she said pointedly. It was clear to Friedrich she was in no mood for deflections and further lies. ¡°Who is that man and why did you have to deceive him about our¡­marital status? We are certainly not married and I am certainly not with child!¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡± snapped Friedrich. ¡°He¡¯s the son of a Mercian lord and¡­well, so am I.¡±


    ¡°And why did he think that you and your family may have been dead?¡±


    ¡°Did we not have an agreed pact about not discussing our pasts?¡±


    ¡°You have now dragged me into your past. What is to happen if we run into others and they also expect us to be married because that oaf has spread the word? Do you know how gossipy noble households are?¡±


    ¡°More than you do,¡± said Friedrich as Teleri leaned on the edge of the balcony and folded her arms. ¡°Look, my family situation is¡­different to most. I was happy to let those who knew me believe I was dead. It makes things much simpler for me.¡±


    ¡°And now it is known that you are alive. Frankly, I am surprised you were not recognised at Lord Buckstone¡¯s ball.¡±


    ¡°My father would have been recognised, but I tended not to fraternise in the noble circles. I spent most of my childhood learning from¡ªmmm!¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s words were cut off by Teleri throwing her arms around his shoulders and planting a kiss upon his lips. She had her eyes open and was looking past him before shimmying around so that he blocked her.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± called a sharp voice as someone approached the balcony. ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Friedrich wanted to pull away, but he didn¡¯t want to interrupt whatever it was her plan was. After about twenty second, she broke away and wiped her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°I apologise,¡± said Teleri quietly, her face red with embarrassment.


    ¡°Stop doing that!¡± Friedrich barked.


    ¡°Shush! I do not think he realised who I am,¡± said Teleri, putting her hand over Friedrich¡¯s mouth. ¡°You are not the only one of us who knows someone here. Please, do not draw any attention this way. We are going to leave immediately; Rufus and his socialising be damned.¡±


    ¡°Is it that urgent?¡± asked Friedrich upon Teleri removing her hand.


    ¡°Yes. Quickly now.¡±


    Teleri hurried back into the room and then stopped abruptly, turning around and shoving Friedrich towards the balcony.


    ¡°You have some nerve!¡± spat a harsh voice from the doorway, making Teleri freeze. She closed her eyes, upset that she had been spotted and slowly turned around. The voice was from the same man who had promptly excused himself upon thinking he had interrupted something. ¡°Teleri Alvarani¡­¡±


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    The man was a high elf, like Teleri with the same golden skin town, albeit less glowing, and brown hair that shimmered almost golden, but not quite. His harsh features were twisted in contempt as he stared at the beautiful elf, who met his furious sneer with a neutral face.


    ¡°Malcanto,¡± said Teleri coldly. ¡°What are you doing so far away from the islands?¡±


    ¡°Do not dare speak to me!¡± barked the man, taking a staff from his back and pointing at Teleri, but as he had drawn his weapon, so too had she. ¡°Oh, so you would kill me too, would you? After all this time, you have not changed in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°You moved for your weapon first,¡± said Teleri, keeping calm. Friedrich was slowly and quietly moving his hand to his sword.


    ¡°Murderer!¡± screamed Malcanto. ¡°The wage of sin is death. You do not deserve the gift of life for what you did to one of our own. Your time is up, Teleri.¡±


    Malcanto unleashed a flame from his staff, but Friedrich moved in front of Teleri and blocked the brunt of it with his shield. He charged forward, shoving his round metal guardian into the high elf¡¯s staff, upon which, its enchantment took effect. A shockwave erupted from it, knocking the staff from Malcanto¡¯s hands.


    There were screams from the other nobles and Friedrich spotted Rufus in the corner, looking on in horror. He was mouthing something rapidly, but Friedrich could not tell what he was saying. With an apologetic look, he grabbed Teleri¡¯s arm and pulled her over the balcony with him.


    He turned into a fox before hitting the stone and nimbly rolling over, immediately reverting into a human and running. Teleri had landed almost as effortlessly, her natural elven agility making things easy for her.


    The two sprinted through the streets, but it did not seem as though anyone was chasing them. Regardless of that, they kept running as fast as their legs could carry them. They had both known that going to the party was a mistake, but to have been such an unrelenting disaster was not something that either of them could have predicted.


    Friedrich and Teleri did not stop until they reached a cluster of large stones outside Kar¡¯thay, upon which they hid behind the stones and fell to the ground, panting. They lay there, staring at the sky without saying a word until their breathing had slowed back to its normal pace, yet even so, their hearts were still racing.


    ¡°You¡¯re wanted for murder?¡± asked Friedrich, sitting up.


    ¡°Malcanto does not know the whole story,¡± said Teleri, climbing to her feet and peering out from the rocks to ensure that they had indeed not been followed. ¡°This murder I am to have committed? It was committed by another. But, if I ever see her, I will become guilty of murder.¡±


    ¡°I have only one question to ask you,¡± Friedrich said, brushing the sand off his boots.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Does she deserve it?¡±


    ¡°More than anyone I know.¡±


    ¡°Count me in.¡±


    Teleri looked at him. She looked equally surprised and touched. ¡°You would do that for me? Without knowing anything about the situation?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, standing up. ¡°As would Marina. We trust you, as you trust us.¡±


    Teleri smiled at him. She walked over and took his hand. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, squeezing his fingers. ¡°But I think it is time that you do know the truth about me. I would not ask you to blindly kill.¡±


    Teleri released Friedrich¡¯s hand, walked over to one of the smaller rocks and sat down. ¡°As you have no doubt worked out, I am unable to return to Alauria. This is because of my wretched sister-in law, Vindrae, and the person that she murdered was my brother, Teldur.¡±


    ¡°The man in the portrait¡­¡± whispered Friedrich, thinking back to the forest shrine and the wicked magic of Malzuth causing both Teleri and Marina to see images of those dear to them.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri. ¡°I never liked Vindrae much, but I would never have thought her capable of what she did. She¡­¡±


    Teleri looked away, sniffled and wiped her eyes. Friedrich pretended not to notice, knowing it would hurt her pride.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she murmured before returning to her story. ¡°She always had a fascination with conjuration magic, which can bring both wonder and devastation. In her case, she opted for devastation, and chose demonic beings as her summonings of choice. I warned her time and time again that demonic forces are not to be trifled with.


    ¡°I spoke to Teldur about it and he downplayed it because of how dearly devoted to his wife he was. I, of course, knew that it bothered him. I knew him better than anyone, even better than she did. He was the dearest person to me and because I did nothing to stop her but try and use reason¡­he died. A summoning backfired and took hold of Vindrae, refusing to release her unless she had another soul that could be given up as an offering. In her desperation, rather than face a much-earned death, she chose to sacrifice Teldur in her place.


    ¡°I saw the whole thing from afar, but I was too late to save him. I wasn¡¯t, however, too late to make her suffer. I tried to strangle her, but the family servants had rushed out upon hearing the commotion from the demon only to find me with my hands around my sister-in-law¡¯s neck and the body of my brother lying on the ground.


    ¡°Who would believe me? I had always hated her and had been caught trying to kill her. In an act of perceived mercy, my father told me that I am never to be seen again before alerting the guards. He gave me ten minutes to flee out of a duty to cherish his daughter¡¯s life, but I know that he feels nothing but disdain for me. He loved Vindrae more than he loved me. I was always climbing on things and shooting deer, activities that were considered beneath me, whereas she was always prim and proper. You are not the only noble of our little party, Friedrich. I am one also.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how you got into Lord Buckstone¡¯s ball, no questions asked,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°If there was a way to prove your innocence, would you want it?¡±


    Teleri shook her head solemnly. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°All I want is that witch¡¯s head with a hole through it, courtesy of one of my arrows. And I want her to know that it was me who did it, with a smile on my face. I do not care about my name. I only care about one thing. Revenge.¡±


    ¡°You and me both,¡± said Friedrich, looking at her. His eyes were unusually shadowed and Teleri could have sworn she spied a hint of fire in him that reminded her of the minotaur. She felt afraid in that moment, but it passed, and Friedrich started walking. ¡°I think we¡¯ve been here long enough,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to Marina.¡±


    ¡°Yes. First of all, however, Friedrich, there is something else,¡± said Teleri, her voice now stern.


    ¡°The kiss? Yes, another vow of silence,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°But I would appreciate it if you would stop doing that.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri, poking him in the side in an uncharacteristically playful manner. ¡°I am aware that you love her.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell her¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡ªabout your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Teleri, cocking her head to the side and thinking for a moment. ¡°Yes. I think I will. I think it is about time that I stop keeping secrets from you both.¡±


    ¡°I¡­my father¡­¡± said Friedrich, not knowing how to put what he wanted to say into words.


    ¡°If you are not ready, you are not ready,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Whatever you need me to do, I will do. If finding the Orb of Valskythe is what it takes, then I will not complain¡­much.¡±


    ¡°I believe that it will help me harness the powers of the minotaur,¡± said Friedrich darkly. ¡°And power is what I need. I need power that cannot be pushed away or stolen from me. And I need it to be a great power that can bring hell to those who have wronged my family.¡±


    ¡°Then we will get that orb.¡±

 Chapter 67 - Shockwave

    Friedrich and Teleri waited at the cliffside as the rocks unfurled themselves, leaving a staircase in their wake. At the top, Marina and Grephor waved to them¡ªMarina much more enthusiastically than Grephor¡¯s simple raised hand. Both glad to see their friend again, Friedrich and Teleri marched up the stairs towards her.


    ¡°I was worried you two would be buried beneath the sands without me,¡± said Marina, putting an arm around each of them and hugging them tightly.


    ¡°Still alive,¡± wheezed Friedrich as Marina¡¯s shoulder wedged itself in his jugular.


    ¡°Please unhand me,¡± said Teleri uncomfortably.


    ¡°Did you have fun without me?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Friedrich tilting his head from side to side. ¡°We did a few jobs, killed a few rats, were briefly married before an amicable separation. The usual sort of stuff, you know?¡±


    ¡°What was that last part?¡± asked Marina, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°It is a long story,¡± said Teleri, putting her face into her hand. ¡°It is not how it sounds. I assure you of that, Marina.¡±


    ¡°It would be funny, if it didn¡¯t end with us being attacked,¡± muttered Friedrich. ¡°How are you, Marina?¡± he asked more loudly.


    ¡°I am very well,¡± she said, turning to Grephor who nodded.


    ¡°She has shown a lot of promise in the arcane arts,¡± said the mage. ¡°It was a great shock when she said that she learned how to use the lightning bolt spell without any formal training.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Hansel said,¡± said Friedrich, folding his arms and nodding along.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure it isn¡¯t inherited from your parents?¡± asked Grephor.


    ¡°Nope,¡± said Marina, smiling, but her eyes flickered back and forth momentarily. Teleri caught this and was immediately suspicious, but did not say a word.


    ¡°Come, come,¡± said Grephor, beckoning them all to follow. ¡°Let Marina show you what she has learned. I am sure you will be most impressed, as I was. A week is not a long time to learn how to use a spell like this, but¡­she has.¡±


    ¡°Lightning elemental?¡± asked Friedrich excitedly.


    Marina simply smiled and walked along, half-skipping as she moved. The trio stopped outside the front of the temple at the edge of the cliff and a number of the other mages filtered out from the doorway. They all lined up as though they were about to watch a show, leaving Friedrich and Teleri confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Marina took a few steps away from him. ¡°You have been nominated, Friedrich,¡± she said slyly.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Battle!¡± she called out, twirling her staff around and then placing the butt of the staff on the sandy stone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±


    Marina sighed. ¡°I need someone to test my new spell on, and there¡¯s nobody who I¡¯d rather have fight it than you. Will you please play along and stop ruining my moment?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, adjusting his shield and drawing his sword. ¡°Battle!¡± he cried out, making the mages laugh and Marina roll her eyes. Teleri simply stood by stoically with her arms folded.


    Marina took more steps back, creating a large gap between her and Friedrich. She focused her arcane energy and her eyes flickered with electricity as the purple amethyst embedded within her staff began to glow. She spun her staff around and swung it through the air, sending a lightning bolt out before her.


    Unlike a normal bolt, it froze in place and expanded. As it took the shape of a legless humanoid, pebbles and dust floated up from the ground and hovered around its limbs, giving the rippling, crackling elemental a very basic corporeal form.


    With no desire to be burned to a crisp, Friedrich charged towards the creature with his shield raised and swept his blade through the air, striking the elemental. The motion of the attack swept Marina¡¯s summoning aside, but it was completely unhurt, as though it had just been pushed by a small breeze.


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    Friedrich knew that the fight would be impossible if he couldn¡¯t land a hit on his opponent. Unlike Grephor¡¯s earth elemental, there was no physical body to strike. It was a magical creature that required magic to defeat. Suddenly, Friedrich had an idea.


    Marina stood with a confident smirk on her face that was most unlike her. As she watched her elemental do nothing, she saw Friedrich draw back his shield. Her eyes widened as she realised what he was about to do. He bashed it with the shield, activating its magic. The elemental was sent whizzing through the air, flailing its arms to stop itself.


    As it halted, it shot a bolt of lightning, much weaker than Marina¡¯s ones, striking Friedrich¡¯s shield before bouncing away. Although Friedrich could not defeat the elemental with his sword, his enchanted shield¡¯s magic was strong enough to deflect its attacks.


    The elemental flew through the air, moving around to Friedrich¡¯s side before casting another bolt at his legs, which he leapt over. He burst towards the summoning and smacked it with his shield again, flinging it backwards. Marina was visibly annoyed and glanced towards the line of mages, who were all murmuring to each other. They were surprised that the young man had a method of defending himself, and they were all impressed.


    The elemental summoned two bolts in a row, each weaker than the previous and flung them at Friedrich who swept one away with his shield and narrowly dodged the other one. He ran forwards again as the elemental started to shake, becoming unstable. He bashed it with his shield once more and, much to his surprise, it fizzled out of existence. Somehow, he had defeated it.


    Marina¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± she muttered. ¡°It¡¯s still so weak.¡±


    Grephor walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°To have achieved what you have in the space of a week is nothing short of astounding. All you need is practice and patience, Marina. As you train with the spell, it will grow stronger. As you continue to read the tome and master your control, it will become a much more powerful force of nature. Do not fret.¡±


    Teleri walked over to Friedrich. ¡°That was¡­impressive,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t embarrass her,¡± he said, feeling like perhaps he should have just taken the loss, but he was too caught up in the excitement.


    ¡°A false victory would have taught her nothing,¡± said Teleri as though she had read his mind.


    Marina and Grephor approached the two. ¡°That didn¡¯t go to plan,¡± said Marina awkwardly.


    ¡°Well, at least I didn¡¯t get shocked again,¡± said Friedrich with a shrug.


    ¡°You¡¯re still going to be my training guinea pig, alright?¡± she asked with a wink. ¡°Every night before we sleep, you¡¯re going to fight against Shockwave and watch him grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°You named your elemental?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°Is it not a new force every time you summon one?¡±


    ¡°And you stole the name of my shield!¡± remarked Friedrich.


    ¡°Shush,¡± said Marina, putting her fingers in her ears and shaking her head. She wondered why the name Shockwave was in her, but hadn¡¯t realised that Friedrich¡¯s shield was the source of the thought. She giggled and then turned towards Grephor. ¡°Thank you very much for everything you and the other mages have shown me.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± he said, stroking his beard. ¡°It was interesting to teach a mage who isn¡¯t in favour to our own elemental preference. I learned a thing or two as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Grephor, turning towards the young man who was sheathing his sword.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked, surprised he was being addressed directly.


    ¡°Do you know why you were unable to damage the elemental by conventional means?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t have a body.¡±


    The mage nodded. ¡°That is correct. There are magical beings, notably elementals and spirits, that are immune to basic weaponry. It was fortunate that you had a shield with a magical effect that you could use to protect yourself with until Marina was unable to sustain the elemental for any longer.¡±


    ¡°I bought it in Port Balsia a fortnight ago. To tell you the truth, after my sword failed to do anything, I thought that I had no chance in the battle.¡±


    ¡°To defeat a creature such as this, magic is what it takes. An enchanted weapon, even one with a mundane effect, would aid you greatly. I would advise that you consider arming yourself with something magical.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I think that would be wise.¡±


    His mind was drawn to his father. If he had tried to rescue his father with a mere steel sword, he would have fallen. When he first set out on his journey, he presumed some weaponry and a boat would be all that he needed, but he knew now just how na?ve he had been. He needed magical power and he needed much more of it.


    ¡°There is something else I would urge, for each of you,¡± said Grephor, walking over to Friedrich and casting a spell upon him. White light trickled over the Mercian before fading away, leaving him feeling slightly tingly.


    ¡°What did that do?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Do not raise your shield,¡± said Grephor as he walked backwards and raised his staff.


    He shot a white orb of light at Friedrich, who fought his instinct to defend himself. The orb collided with Friedrich and then dissipated into thin air, leaving him unhurt. He looked all over himself, expecting to see some sort of damage to his leather armour or the clothing underneath, but there was nothing.


    ¡°I cast a temporary protective spell upon you,¡± said Grephor, walking back over to the trio. ¡°There are many types of protective spells, but this one is particularly effective. It can also be applied to armour in such a way that it reduces the impact of magical attacks.¡±


    ¡°That would be most useful,¡± remarked Teleri, looking at her own armour. ¡°We have been fortunate to not have been attacked my magic often.¡±


    ¡°There was that mage friend of yours yesterday who tried to burn you alive,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°What did you two get up to?¡± asked Marina, shaking her head and then clicking her tongue.


    ¡°It was a strange week,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Must we leave immediately?¡± Teleri asked Grephor. ¡°We find ourselves unable to return to Kar¡¯thay to rest for reasons beyond our control.¡±


    ¡°You are all welcome to stay the night and depart in the morning,¡± said Grephor with a warm smile. ¡°Apprentice Derik is in charge of the meal preparation tonight so you are in for a treat.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± squealed Marina excitedly and clapping her hands like a seal. ¡°This will be a tasty dinner.¡±

 Chapter 68 - The Guardian Wall

    Slowly, it grew larger and larger as Friedrich, Marina and Teleri strode across the sandy path. Almost all traces of road had been dug up and cast aside, leaving only a couple of lingering bricks in the ground. Standing before them, towering at least fifty feet tall was the wall.


    The Guardian Wall of Kai¡¯roh was built into the side of a cliff, but there was no way to reach the top of that cliff, so jagged was its face. It was behind the large stone doorway that the Orb of Valskythe could be found, deep in the bowels of the temple that lay within. It was there that Friedrich hoped he could finally find an explanation for his nightmare and an answer to Elketh¡¯s riddle. What that would mean, he did not know, but he prayed to Jorren that it would mean greater control over the minotaur.


    ¡°At last,¡± sighed Marina. Even with the stops along the way, she was tired from the long journey across the island.


    Teleri especially had been feeling the effects of the heat and had to stop more regularly than the others. She said that no elf of any kind would be able to deal with the temperature as well as she could, especially dark elves. Friedrich had the easier time of the journey, being able to keep cool in his fox form that was naturally acclimated to the island. He had even resorted to turning into a minotaur once and carrying the girls for five minutes until they reached the shade, something that Teleri told him was never to be mentioned again, adding another item to their list of sworn secrets.


    The walls were as basic as could be, tall bricks of pale limestone that were held together by the heaviest duty concrete imaginable. There was no grandiosity to the walls other than their height. Even the wall outside Port Bastia had more gravitas to it. It was as though the temple was made to be forgettable.


    Stopping outside the towering doors, Friedrich gave them a shove, but they didn¡¯t budge even a little. ¡°Can you sense anything?¡± he asked Marina.


    ¡°No,¡± she said warily. ¡°There isn¡¯t even a hum of magic, but that doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t there. It could be too subtle for me to detect.¡±


    ¡°Why would they need magic when there are immovable stone doors?¡± remarked Teleri, running her hand along the rough surface.


    ¡°There must be a way to get inside,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Stand back,¡± said Marina, twirling her staff around and pointing it at the doors.


    When Friedrich and Teleri had cleared the way, she launched an immense lightning bolt, but it only chipped a small wedge from the door. Marina tried again, creating an even more powerful bolt, but it too fizzled out on the wall, making very little headway. Another couple of spells like that and she would be magically drained and they would still be stuck outside.


    ¡°I suppose we had better turn back,¡± said Friedrich, shrugging and turning around.


    ¡°You are not serious, are you?¡± asked Teleri, unable to tell.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Friedrich, putting on the minotaur mask and transforming as the girls¡¯ expressions turned to horror.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± called Marina as Friedrich charged forward as a minotaur.


    He slammed his hairy palms against the door, dug his hooves into the ground and pushed with all of his might. Even with his massively enhanced strength, the doors did not budge even an inch. Friedrich strained himself until his arms were shaking vigorously before finally giving up. Once his transformation had worn off, Marina and Teleri approached again.


    ¡°That was a waste of time,¡± he said as he placed the mask back under his tunic.


    ¡°You need to give us more warning before you wear that one,¡± Marina scolded him.


    ¡°I wasn''t going to kill anything so the bloodlust couldn¡¯t take hold. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°You always claim to know what you are doing,¡± said Teleri, shaking her head despondently. ¡°If you knew what you were doing, we would not have crossed the island only to be left outside the door of the temple. Suljah must have not told us about this deliberately so that we would not meet an unfortunate end.¡±


    ¡°We could always tame a tunailean and have it burrow us in,¡± joked Marina.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Friedrich, looking down and then up. ¡°You¡¯ve given me an idea. Teleri, you¡¯re a good climber, right?¡±


    ¡°It is not possible for me to scale that wall,¡± she said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°None of us can.¡±


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    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± muttered Friedrich, taking out the goblin mask and transforming into yet another of his forms.


    Friedrich ran towards the wall and leapt towards it, sinking his sharp goblinoid claws into the groves. Difficult as it was, he was able to hang on. He lunged upwards with one of his hands and sank it into another groove. He repeated and he repeated, slowly making his way up the wall while Marina and Teleri watched on in awe.


    ¡°Do you remember when we told him not to climb that statue?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Perhaps that would have been good practice,¡± said Teleri as Friedrich continued climbing higher.


    ¡°What do you think he¡¯ll find if he reaches the top?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but I doubt it will be as helpful as he thinks it will.¡±


    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t fall,¡± said Marina, biting her bottom lip and folding her arms. ¡°At least the sand will be soft.¡±


    ¡°Not if he falls from the very top,¡± uttered Teleri.


    Friedrich continued to push himself, feeling like his spindly fingers would break or his nails would be torn out, but he could not stop. He didn¡¯t even dare to glance down to see how far he had come. He could have been a quarter of the way up the wall or halfway, but it didn¡¯t matter. He knew that he had to keep climbing, no matter what.


    He grunted and he groaned, the voice that escaped his throat was that of a snivelling goblin. As his tiredness grew, it became amusing to him and he wanted to laugh, but he bit his tongue so that the pain would distract him. If he laughed, he knew he would plunge straight back to the ground below and break something.


    ¡°Geh. Geh. Geh,¡± was the noise he made as he strained.


    The top was near and within his grasp, but his strength was starting to fail him. He could not risk climbing faster and slipping, so he opted for the more daring approach. Digging deep for a mighty heave, he pulled himself upwards and clung onto the top edge of the wall while his arms ached and his lungs burned.


    With a final swing of his legs, he threw himself onto the top of the wall and lay there panting. He cackled to himself once his breath had returned to him. He wanted to stand up and show off to the girls below, but he was too exhausted. Instead, he sat on top of the wall and gave them a small wave.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Marina called up to him.


    ¡°Heeegh!¡± shouted Friedrich, trying to say that he was.


    ¡°Even a goblin mask can be useful,¡± said Teleri to Marina. ¡°I have to hand it to Friedrich. He can be quite resourceful when he puts his mind to it.¡±


    ¡°How do you think we survived before you showed up? One time he pretended to give me to Muriance and his men to try and stall for time while a fireball trap recharged.¡±


    ¡°I remember him saying as much once before,¡± said Teleri, looking back up to the top of the wall. ¡°Where has he gotten to?¡±


    Friedrich had moved back from the edge and was crawling around, looking for anything he could use to make his way inside the temple. A trap door, a staircase, anything would do, but there was nothing. He flopped to the ground and turned back into a human as the mask fell from his face.


    ¡°This was a waste of time,¡± he said despairingly before looking to the rocky mound to his right. ¡°Unless¡­¡±


    Friedrich stood up, tucking the goblin mask away and climbed up the rocks. Much to his relief, there was a large gaping hole that led into the temple entrance. As quickly as this relief had come, it was replaced by dread. The drop was that of the fall from the wall and there was nothing to cling to on the descent. If he jumped as he was now, he would perish. So, he decided to be something else and try his luck that way.


    He weighed his options between the fox and the minotaur. If he was the fox, he would be much lighter, but would that be enough to absolve the damage done by the harsh plummet? The minotaur was big and burly and he had survived a fall from Lord Buckstone¡¯s window in Akatfall. Granted, this fall was twenty feet greater, but perhaps it would be alright.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± said Friedrich, drawing a deep breath and putting on the minotaur mask. If he spent more time thinking about it, he would become too cowardly to take the jump.


    As the minotaur, he lay flat on his stomach on the ground and lowered his legs into the hole. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he slowly shimmied lower and lower. If Marina or Teleri were here, they would tell him it was a terrible idea and not to try it, but they were not here so he would ignore their imagined advice.


    Friedrich raised his fingers, letting go of the ground and dropped into the hole. He fell, picking up speed quickly, but before he had much time to process it, his feet hit the ground. There was a loud crack and he fell back onto the sand, his tailbone¡ªand flattened tail¡ªached horribly, but he was alive and relatively unharmed.


    He used his thick fingers to dust away the sand and could see the stone tiles underneath him. The crack he had heard was not that of a broken bone, but of the tile he had landed on. It was broken into seven large pieces and two dozen smaller ones, yet remained mostly held together.


    Friedrich heaved himself onto his feet and limped over to the large door before him. To his left there was a large iron rod wedged into a bracket. It was in the forward position, so perhaps pulling this would release the door. Clutching it tightly and digging his hooves into the sand, Friedrich put all of his remaining strength into pulling it. It began to move and, upon being dragged to the other side, there was a loud click and the whirring of turning cogs. Slowly, the door began to open.


    ¡°You did it!¡± called Marina, but recoiled upon seeing Friedrich as the minotaur. He held up a hand to signal that he was in control.


    ¡°You have impressed me, Friedrich,¡± said Teleri. ¡°I did not think we would find a way inside. To say I am relieved would be a lie, but I acknowledge your resourcefulness nonetheless.¡±


    Friedrich gave a grunt of thanks and then lay down on his stomach. He did not want to stand any longer and his rear was too painful to lie on his back. The girls gave him an odd look, but they waited patiently for him to turn back into a human.


    ¡°Did you fall through the roof?¡± asked Teleri, pointing towards the hole in the ceiling.


    ¡°Dropped, Teleri,¡± said Friedrich, standing up and finding that his pain had now subsided. ¡°I dropped down willingly.¡±


    ¡°That was unwise. You could have gotten yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would say that!¡± he chortled. ¡°And isn¡¯t it a good thing I didn¡¯t take that to heart.¡±

 Chapter 69 - Columns of the Serpent

    Friedrich looked up at the hole he had dropped from. It was filtering light into the temple, lighting up the rough walls that were no different from a typical cliff face. The sand beneath his feet was concealing the stone tiles used to pave the way, but there was not so much as a torch bracket up ahead.


    ¡°How dark do you think it will get?¡± he asked Marina and Teleri.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡± said Marina, holding up her staff. ¡°Not with my little friend, Shockwave, here to light up the path.¡±


    Her staff began glowing and she twirled it around, summoning her lightning elemental into the temple. The magical creature appeared in an electrifying flash, fizzing and crackling as it hovered in place, gathering dust and sand to stabilise its form. Marina was right, light would not be a problem with the elemental here.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± said Friedrich, drawing his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be a fox.¡±


    Friedrich led the way down the tunnel, holding his shield tightly. He kept a careful eye on the way ahead while Teleri watched the ground for any pressure plates or tripwires that were just waiting to be triggered. If the Temple of Valskythe was as dangerous as Suljah had led them to believe, then there could be no chances taken.


    As they proceeded deeper in, the floor began to slope downwards and the walls grew evermore jagged, requiring columns to keep them supported. Friedrich had an ominous feeling as the group entered a large chamber where a closed door lay at the far side. The chamber itself was empty save for the floor tiles, which were patterned with various symbols.


    Friedrich held up a hand so that neither Marina nor Teleri would step onto the tiles. He examined the nearest symbol and could see that it was the outline of a spider with various joints and points around its body embedded with a light blue stone.


    ¡°What could this be?¡± Friedrich asked.


    ¡°It is a constellation,¡± said Teleri. ¡°The spider is an arrangement of the stars in the sky that many diviners and astrologers use to read the waves of fate.¡±


    ¡°Does it work?¡±


    ¡°I could not say, but I have not spoken to many who read the stars.¡±


    ¡°And what does it mean in the context of this room?¡± asked Marina, swaying back and forth on her toes.


    ¡°I do not know, but if you look to the other tiles,¡± said Teleri, pointing to them one by one. ¡°You can see a cow, a lion, a maiden, a serpent, and so on. There are many of these symbols.¡±


    Friedrich told the girls to stand back and tapped a foot on the tile beside the spider. There was no reaction. He tapped his foot on another blank tile adjacent to the one he had just tapped. Still no reaction. He stepped onto it and nothing happened, giving him a sense of relief, yet he dared not touch the tiles bearing the constellations.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be alright,¡± he said, gesturing for Marina and Teleri to join him.


    He walked over to the far side of the room, placing his feet carefully on blank tiles, and examined the stone door. He ran his hand across it and could feel small bumps, but it was too dark to see what they were. When Teleri drew close, she strained her eyes to make out what it was that Friedrich was feeling.


    ¡°Symbols of various constellations on the door, but without the outlines,¡± she said, but cocked her head in confusion. ¡°Surely, it would not be so simple as that?¡±


    Friedrich didn¡¯t know what to say and Marina threw her hands up before rolling her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to get ourselves killed down here,¡± she groaned. ¡°If I were a better mage, I could force that door open with a spell.¡±


    ¡°Can you feel what the symbols are?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Teleri ran her hand over each of the symbols, trying to decipher them. She muttered quietly to herself the entire time and Friedrich kept quiet so as not to disturb her while Marina kept an eye on the door into the room, fearing that something would sneak up on them.


    After a couple of minutes, Teleri stood up and spoke. ¡°I cannot be certain, but I believe the symbols we want are the serpent, the sun and the arrow.¡±


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    ¡°Should we take one each?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I would suggest touching them in order. Perhaps it is like the runes of the Northmen. The correct order will activate the magic needed to open the door.¡±


    The three searched the room for the constellations they sought. Friedrich took the serpent, Marina the sun and Teleri the arrow. When they had all agreed that they were ready, Friedrich touched the serpent symbol with his hand. The blue gems within began glowing brightly and there did not appear to be any adverse effects. Next, Marina pressed upon the sun and it too lit up. Finally, Teleri touched her symbol, the arrow, and it lit up.


    Upon all of the tiles glowing in unison, the door began rumbling and started to move upwards. The stone ground against the stone as it retracted, leaving an opening in the wall, where daylight flooded in from. This could not possibly have led them back outside, could it? There was nowhere else they could have gone along the way.


    Friedrich walked through the opening with Marina and Teleri following him, but it certainly did not lead back outside. It led into a large cavern with hundreds of small holes in the roof that rained light upon the room. This cavern was much deeper down than where Friedrich had dropped into. The ceiling must have been twice as tall and he was very glad he hadn¡¯t found these and tried dropping down this far. At the walls of the cavern were many mounds of sand that had piled up over time, no doubt having been blown through the holes in the ceiling over decades.


    Inside the cavern were two large columns, reaching thirty feet into the air and ending in a sharp point. The columns were of a dusty sandstone and patterned in wavy lines that spiralled around the columns all the way to the top, except for the bottom, where there were faint images carved into them. Between the twenty-foot gap separating the pillars was a small platform, upon which all three of them could have stood with room to spare. Before the platform was a large stone tablet with an inscription.


    Marina walked over to the columns, followed by Shockwave. She crouched low to look at the images lining the bottom while Friedrich and Teleri approached the tablet. Friedrich read it aloud as Marina let out a small gasp.


    ¡°Between the pillars, tall and strong,


    Lays the sleeping giant, fierce and long,


    Conjure the serpent, if you believe,


    That you are worthy to receive,


    The Orb of Valksythe, locked away,


    Never destined to see the day.¡±


    ¡°At least this is less obscure than Elketh¡¯s riddles,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Is it?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°How do we summon this serpent? Are we supposed to fight it? The wording is simpler, but it doesn¡¯t make things very clear.¡±


    ¡°I can help,¡± said Marina brightly, standing up with a big smile on her face.


    ¡°Do tell,¡± said Friedrich, scratching his chin.


    ¡°The secret is the symbols from the previous room,¡± she said confidently. ¡°They¡¯re repeated here, but only the ones we used from before. I believe that if you shoot an arrow between the pillars, the serpent will be summoned.¡±


    ¡°And why are you so confident of that?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°Come and see,¡± said Marina, leading the two around the edge of the leftmost column.


    Lying on the stone floor was a skeleton, beside whom lay a bow and a couple of worn arrows. Marina crouched beside him and pointed.


    ¡°See?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If I died here, I would be in the same position as this poor fellow,¡± said Teleri. ¡°That does not give you theory any credence.¡±


    ¡°But this does,¡± says Marina, pivoting and looking at the column. Someone had etched something into the stone. ¡°Shoot arrow between pillars during the daylight,¡± Marina read.


    ¡°It looks like this guy figured it out for us,¡± chuckled Friedrich. ¡°And we were told this would be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say that?¡± gasped Marina.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Now something is going to go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    Teleri slapped Friedrich on the back of the head. ¡°This serpent could eat us. Is that wrong enough for you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll handle it, like we always do,¡± scoffed Friedrich.


    ¡°How many times do I need to warn you about this?¡± Teleri asked him. ¡°One day, you will get us into a situation too treacherous for us to handle. Perhaps it will simply be an unlucky day for us, perhaps we will be ill-prepared. Whatever the case may be, you should not be so flippant about danger.¡±


    Friedrich picked up the dead man¡¯s bow and arrows. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll shoot if you¡¯re too scared,¡± he teased.


    ¡°You will put an eye out,¡± said Teleri, snatching the bow from him and throwing it away. ¡°This low-quality bow might even snap before you get that far. I will take the shot.¡±


    Marina prodded the skeleton with her staff and let out yet another gasp. ¡°Um¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Friedrich and Teleri in unison.


    ¡°He¡¯s been¡­snapped in half,¡± said Marina, grabbing the skeleton¡¯s leg and pulling his lower half away.


    ¡°Better snapped than eaten,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Is it, Friedrich?¡± Marina asked, shaking her head. ¡°Is it really? The result is the same either way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be optimistic!¡±


    ¡°Stop being optimistic and prepare yourself for whatever happens next,¡± said Teleri, walking towards the door.


    She stood with her bow in hand and an arrow at the ready. She aimed carefully between the pillars, holding her breath to keep herself perfectly still. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the lightning elemental. Teleri released the bowstring and the arrow flew straight between the pillars, clunking against the far wall of the cavern. For a second, it seemed as though nothing happened, but then the podium between the pillars faded away, disappearing into nothingness.


    ¡°Should we go inside?¡± asked Friedrich, but his question was answered resoundingly by a cavern-shaking hiss escaping from the hole.

 Chapter 70 - Behold the Orb

    From the hole between the pillars, emerged a flickering tongue that was immediately followed by a head with a wide, scaly hood and two large fangs with a set of smaller teeth around the rest of its mouth. The snake¡¯s long sand-coloured body slithered out afterwards, slinking behind one of the pillars as Teleri unleashed arrow after arrow at it.


    Marina stood paralysed with fear as the thirty-foot snake slithered into the sandy mounds lining the room. ¡°What¡­what do we do?¡±


    ¡°We fight it!¡± called Friedrich, clutching his sword and shield.


    ¡°Do not let it bite you,¡± warn Teleri, slowly turning around with her bow raised. She waiting for the movement of the sand. ¡°If a king cobra¡¯s venom can kill you in minutes, this may kill you in seconds.¡±


    Marina rushed over to one of the pillars, holding out her staff and keeping Shockwave close by. The elemental crackled as it followed its mistress.


    ¡°There!¡± called Friedrich, running towards the emerging snake as Teleri fired an arrow at it.


    The arrow pieced its head, but the snake was unphased. Even the twin lightning strikes from Marina and Shockwave were only enough to make it flinch as it rushed towards Friedrich.


    It unhinged its jaw as it came towards him, large enough to swallow him whole, but he dove aside and swept his sword along its body, cutting between the scales and unleashing a wave of blood. As the blood hit the ground, it bubbled and steamed before vanishing, leaving a small pit behind.


    ¡°It has acidic blood!¡± yelled Friedrich as the snake aimed for Teleri while whipping its tail around at Friedrich.


    Teleri sidestepped a lung and threw herself onto the snake¡¯s back while Friedrich was knocked across the ground by the sweeping tail, narrowly avoiding blocking it with his shield. Marina aimed her staff carefully and conjured another bolt, striking its tail as it rose, ready to strike Friedrich. Her attack gave him enough time to roll aside as the tail slammed into the ground.


    The Alaurian drew her dagger and plunged it into the snake¡¯s neck. She pulled it free and leapt from the beast as more blood poured. The snake was immune to its own acidity, but Teleri¡¯s armour was not. A splatter of the blood landed on her glove and glove and she hurriedly took it off and threw it away, but she did not notice the snake creeping up behind her.


    ¡°No!¡± roared Friedrich, donning the minotaur mask and sprinting forward.


    He grabbed the snake¡¯s tail and dug his hooves into the stone, pulling back with all his might. Teleri hurried away and quickly drew her bow once again, shooting at the snake. One of her arrows pierced its left eye and it left out a wailing hiss. It flailed wildly, knocking Friedrich into the sand before charging for Teleri once more.


    She turned and ran, stepping onto the pillar and rebounding out of the way, leaving the snake to collide with the stone column. Marina placed her hands upon the snake and channelled her magic, casting her Shock Touch upon the reptilian monster. It spasmed and twitched, unable to slither away from the young Mercian as she sent a surge of stronger electricity through the beast.


    While it was distracted, Shockwave fired a barrage of small lightning bolts at it, scorching its scales. Friedrich drew back his hand and threw a thundering punch into the giant cobra¡¯s tail. He pummelled it over and over while it spasmed until he punched a hole straight through it with his right hand. He roared in pain as he pulled his fist out and saw that his fur on his hand and forearm had burned away and the flesh underneath was raw and red.


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t¡­hold¡­on¡­¡± grunted Marina as she spent the last of her remaining energy, stalling the snake.


    Teleri leapt upon the snake once more and held her dagger high, ready to plunge it into the snake¡¯s other eye, but Marina had let go and the snake jolted as it slithered away, throwing Teleri to the ground.


    Holding his breath to ignore the pain in his hand, Friedrich ran for the snake as it turned around, ready to devour Marina. He threw her aside and stood within the snake¡¯s jaw, holding it open as it tried to forcefully clamp down. His arms were shaking vigorously as he struggled against the beast and the pain in his hand was only growing.


    He saw a drip fall past him and looked towards the cobra¡¯s fang. It moved its jaw from side to side as Friedrich continued to hold strong. It didn¡¯t need to bite him to kill him, it just needed to get the venom in the right spot, and there was a forearm of raw flesh ready to absorb the venom on contact.


    Teleri fired another arrow, piercing the cobra¡¯s remaining eye and blinding it. It let out a hiss of agony, but refused to release Friedrich, who was ready to collapse.


    He couldn¡¯t even look around to give a farewell to his companions, believing his final moments were here. He had failed them and he had failed his father. It was a valiant attempt, but the cobra was too strong to defeat. This was the end of the line.


    ¡°Agh!¡± cried Marina, holding her staff in both hands, pointing it past Friedrich and inside the cobra¡¯s throat.


    She summoned up every last ounce of magical energy she had, so much so that Shockwave withered away into nothing. Her staff glowed a bright blue as a powerful lightning bolt erupted from the amethyst at the tip. The bolt burst through the snake, burning it from the inside and exploding through its back before dissipating.


    Friedrich felt the snake weaken and he fell backwards as the snake died, its head rolling to the side limply. He let out a pained roar as he clutched his right forearm, the intensity of his agony growing by the second.


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    Teleri rushed over to him and reached into a pouch on her belt, pulling out a blue vial. She uncorked it and poured the liquid into Friedrich¡¯s mouth. He swallowed it and immediately felt a rush of warmth run through him. Seconds later, the pain had lessened and the raw flesh on his arm was already beginning to heal.


    ¡°Better?¡± the elf asked him as Marina staggered over, leaning on her staff for support.


    ¡°Urgh,¡± grunted Friedrich, giving her a thankful nod.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Teleri asked Marina, grabbing her friend¡¯s arm and putting it around her neck to help keep her upright.


    ¡°Peachy,¡± said Marina, weakly. ¡°There had better not be the baby cobra with the mother waiting elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°That would be the time to turn and run,¡± said Teleri, helping Marina over to the stone tablet and lowering her so she could sit against it.


    The three took a couple of minutes to catch their breaths, and Friedrich reverted back into his human form with his arm now as good as new. He held it up and examined it, bending and flexing his wrist then wriggling his fingers to make sure everything was as it should be.


    ¡°I never thought I would punch a hole through a snake,¡± he muttered, letting out a small laugh.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would shoot lightning into a snake¡¯s mouth,¡± said Marina, feeling much better already. ¡°What a day this turned out to be.¡±


    ¡°I am simply glad that we are all still alive,¡± said Teleri. ¡°You were very lucky to not get a drop of that venom on you, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°but I knew that if it got to Marina, it would have killed her quicker than it would have killed me.¡±


    ¡°You saved both of us,¡± said Marina gratefully. ¡°I saw you holding the snake back when it tried to eat Teleri too.¡±


    ¡°I was not aware of that,¡± muttered the high elf, looking down. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks,¡± said Friedrich, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°We all worked together to stay alive and we did just that.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to stick together, right?¡± asked Marina with a wink.


    Teleri rolled her eyes before letting out a sigh. ¡°I will not be dragged into a sappy conversation where we tell each other how much we mean to each other. I would rather fight the cobra again.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± urged Marina with a sneaky grin. ¡°Tell us how we¡¯re family and that you couldn¡¯t bear to lose us.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Teleri, standing up. ¡°Now, we must find that orb before we come across any further beasts.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Friedrich, climbing to his feet while Teleri helped Marina to hers. ¡°There¡¯s no door, so that leaves one place we can go, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    The three looked towards the hole in the ground from which the snake had emerged. Crawling inside that was the last thing that any of them wanted to do, but it looked as though they had no other options short of turning back.


    ¡°Hold my legs,¡± said Friedrich as he walked over to it, turning into a fox upon reaching the edge.


    Marina grabbed onto his furry golden legs and he stuck his head into the hole, looking around to see what he could see. Immediately afterwards, he withdrew his head and hurried back, turning into a human once again.


    ¡°Snake!¡± he called out, drawing his sword.


    The three stood ready with their weapons raised, expecting another monster to come slithering out from its den, but nothing did. They waited an entire minute and still there was not as much as a hiss.


    ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s a snake down there?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°I know what a snake looks like!¡± Friedrich snapped.


    Teleri walked forward tepidly and slid onto her stomach. She cautiously put her head into the hole and let escape a large cackle. She righted herself and put her legs into the hole, dropping down inside.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone insane,¡± said Friedrich, shaking his head.


    ¡°Marina, come and see,¡± the high elf called. ¡°It is perfectly safe.¡±


    Cocking her head to the side, Marina did as she was asked and dropped into the hole. There was a flash of light and fizzling crackle, no doubt a bolt she used to illuminate the chamber beneath. She began giggling shortly after.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± asked Friedrich, worried that they had been taken by an evil enchantment that had twisted their minds.


    The two girls were giggling like children as he walked over and dropped into the hole. He turned back into a fox and saw the large snake from before, scurrying backwards, but it did not follow. It remained perfectly still and lifeless. In fact, it looked hollow. Could it be¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a shed skin, you goof,¡± said Marina, as Friedrich returned to normal.


    ¡°We do not mention this again,¡± he said, glad that it was too dark to see him clearly.


    ¡°I will not take a vow of silence for this,¡± said Teleri, letting out another cackle.


    ¡°You sound like a witch when you laugh like that,¡± said Friedrich with a frown.


    ¡°Lighten up,¡± said Marina, giving him a playful shove.


    Teleri wiped away her tears of mirth and walked over to a barely visible stone door. She gave it a push and this one opened without any resistance, letting light enter the room. The shed skin became much clearer and Friedrich stared at it resentfully while Teleri and Marina walked on ahead.


    He followed them and his embarrassment was replaced with wonderment upon stepping through the doorway. In this next room, the final room, was what he sought. Sitting upon a pedestal was the Orb of Valskythe and, swirling from within, was a cloud of purple and black smoke. The orb was perfectly smooth and illuminated by glowing blue crystals attached to wall brackets. It was captivating; the swirls moving in and out like the tide and twisting like a cyclone as they shifted within the orb.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± said Marina, sounding very relieved. ¡°No more snakes.¡±


    As Friedrich approached the orb, his hand was drawn to the minotaur mask around his neck and he felt a spark of anger growing within him. He suppressed the feeling and forced his hand back down to his side.


    ¡°I wonder how it works,¡± he said.


    ¡°We do not even know what it does,¡± said Teleri.


    Marina walked towards it and sniffed. ¡°It smells funny¡­¡±


    ¡°Sulphur,¡± said Teleri, pulling Marina away. ¡°Do not touch it. There is something demonic about it.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we should leave it?¡± barked Friedrich, unable to hold back his building rage.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Teleri asked him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not alright!¡± he roared, unable to control himself as he clung to the minotaur mask. ¡°You want to leave when I have a task to fulfil! We¡¯ve only just gotten here.¡±


    Marina put her hand on Friedrich¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Calm down. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down!¡± he yelled before eliciting a roar like that of the minotaur.


    ¡°He¡¯s not himself,¡± said Teleri, stepping back and drawing her bow. ¡°Friedrich, do not let it take you. Give me the mask.¡±


    ¡°You would shoot me, would you?¡± he asked, looking to the high elf. ¡°All over a piece of wood with a little tiny gem in the forehead? Is that friendship to you?¡±


    ¡°This is not you speaking,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Friedrich, we aren¡¯t going to leave,¡± said Marina. ¡°We will find out what the Orb of Valksythe does, we promise. Whatever we can do to help you, we¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°A wasted journey and still I have no answers,¡± he said furiously, drawing his sword and holding it high.


    ¡°Friedrich, what are you doing?¡± asked Teleri sharply, ready to shoot him the second he moved towards them, but he did not move towards them.


    Friedrich struck the orb with the edge of his blade and, in a sudden flash, he vanished before Marina and Teleri¡¯s eyes. The orb dropped to the floor with a clink and rolled slowly aside. The Mercian and the Alaurian looked at each aghast.


    ¡°Friedrich?¡± muttered Teleri, her heart in her throat and her stomach twisting in knots.


    ¡°Y-you can come out now,¡± said Marina shakily, looking around, but she knew that it was no good.

 Chapter 71 - Stranger in a Strange Plane

    Friedrich gasped as he dropped to his knees, releasing his grip on his sword which fell to the grey grass beneath him. Grey? Grass is not grey. He looked around desperately, wondering where he could possibly be. This was not the temple, for he was outside, but it should not be night, nor should there be grass in the desert.


    The dark blue sky billowed with endless purple and grey clouds without a sun to illuminate it. Instead, there were faint deposits of light that lit up the world, if you could call it lighting up. There were peaks and spires of sharp stone all across the horizon in every direction, some of them bearing metal towers with blue fire lighting the tops.


    The foliage was few and far between with all of the trees greying and decayed, without a leaf in sight, while the grass beneath Friedrich¡¯s feet was sharp and stiff as though it was thousands of little needles rather than plants. The soil from which it grew was lifeless, stale and certainly not fertile.


    ¡°Where¡­where am I?¡± he muttered while standing up as panic started to set in. ¡°Marina? Teleri?¡±


    He had struck the orb with his sword and it had activated. It had teleported him somewhere, but where was that somewhere? It reminded him of The Infernal Kitchen. He must have been sent to another plane.


    ¡°How do I leave?¡± he asked, dropping to the ground and looking around for the orb. ¡°It isn¡¯t here. It isn¡¯t here. Am I¡­trapped?¡±


    There was a loud screeching in the distance that made Friedrich wince and the hairs on his neck and arms stand on end. He grabbed his sword and stood back up, looking around for the source of the noise. There was nothing in sight. Nothing except for the rocks, the distant towers and the void of lifeless flora.


    He felt all alone. He had felt alone before, upon the death of his mother and the capture of his father. He had felt alone, travelling across Mercia for a year and learning how to fend for himself. But then he found Marina and Teleri. He hadn¡¯t been alone for a few short months and, now, he was all by himself once more.


    There had to be a way back. It couldn¡¯t be that he was stuck in this strange plane with no way to return to his world. He had found a way to escape The Infernal Kitchen and he would find a way to escape from here too. No matter what it took, he would find a way.


    A sudden beating reached Friedrich¡¯s ears and he looked directly above. He rolled to the side upon seeing the creature descending upon him. It swept its long tail through the air, slamming it into the soil where Friedrich had stood a moment before. As he returned to his feet, he saw the beast clearly.


    It was womanlike in shape, reminding him of a harpy, but it was covered in pale purple scales rather than feathers. Its face was not pretty to look at with its high brow ridge that twisted into horns atop its head along with its jagged teeth that were sharp as razors. It had no hands attached to its body or wings, but its feet were large and clawed; perfect for scooping up prey and carrying them away.


    Friedrich swung his sword as the winged beast lunged for him, claw-first. He delivered a deep gash to the underside of its foot and blocked a whip from its tail with his shield. He was not going to die in this plane and certainly not to a hideous creature like this.


    The creature flew up and out of his range before circling around him in the air. He watched it the entire time, keeping his shield at the ready and his blade held back. Not finding an opening, the creature swept down at him, upon which he leapt aside and thrust his sword, skewering it through one of its wings, forcing it to the ground.


    While it screeched and wailed, Friedrich pulled his sword free and plunged it into the monster¡¯s scaly chest, ending its life and bringing silence once more save for his own panting. It had been a long day and even a short fight was enough to take it out of him after making his way through the Temple of Valskythe and defeating the giant cobra.


    Fearing what would happen should more of these scaled harpies show up, Friedrich made himself scarce. He ran from where he had first arrived, unsure of where he was going, but he did not care. He had to find somewhere to lay low. He needed to give himself time to think.


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    He ran past a pool of glowing green water, not daring to go too close to it, should it melt his flesh. He had experienced melted flesh less than an hour ago and he had no desire to experience it again. He headed for a cluster of jagged rocks by a cliff and wedged himself between them. It was an uncomfortable place to sit down, but at least it gave him some measure of cover.


    Friedrich peered out into the wasteland of decay, wondering if there would be any sign of life beyond nether creatures that desired nothing more than to feast upon him. He didn¡¯t have high hopes, but there was a small part of him that dared to believe that there was something here. Something good.


    His stomach rumbled as he watched and waited. The rumbling gave him a terrifying realisation. If he was to survive here for any length of time, he would need food and water. Was he to feast on the flesh of his enemies? Perhaps the minotaur wouldn¡¯t mind that. Perhaps it would even force him to ensure his survival. Its own survival. What about water? That green pool looked far from thirst-quenching.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this,¡± he sighed, clutching his head in his hands. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    He knew the answer. He had to venture out and see what he could find. Of course, venturing out meant that he would also find things that he was not so keen on finding. But, needs must. Friedrich stepped out from the rocks, feeling no better after his uncomfortable and stressful rest.


    It was tempting to don the minotaur mask, but it was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. It had fuelled his anger, driving him to strike the orb. It was as though it wanted to be here. It may have been calm now, but who could say for sure that it would remain that way? Friedrich certainly couldn¡¯t. No, he would opt for something safer that would give him stealth over strength.


    He morphed into his golden fox form and scurried from rock to tree to rock to bush. Anything he could use for cover as he made his way through this nightmare plane, he used. The less time he spent in the open, the better, but his shining golden fur did not give him the subtlety that he truly needed. Considering his options, it would have to do.


    Friedrich made his way towards one of the metal towers in the mountains. It would not be a short journey, especially the way he was moving now, but it would be his best chance of finding something. Even if he found only monsters and demons, at least he would know it was not worth his time to check other towers.


    As he moved along, he spotted shadows and silhouettes moving nearby, but he dared not dwell on them in case they would attack him. Some of the creatures were large and others were small, but small did not mean harmless. He needed to conserve as much strength as possible and could not risk fighting openly. Even if he were to win, that would only make him hungrier and thirstier.


    When Friedrich drew close to the foot of the mountain, something caught his eye. It was something most unexpected, but stoked his hopes. It was a road. It was unmistakably a road and it was leading towards the mountain. There was no vegetation and the ground had a distinct trodden look to it. There were creatures here beyond monsters. Whether that was good or not remained to be seen, but it was at least something to go on.


    Before Friedrich had the chance to think more, there was the beating of heavy footsteps and the creaking of metal coming from up the slope, but hidden behind the thick clusters of lifeless trees and branching, leafless bushes.


    Friedrich slinked behind a rock and waited. He dared not poke his head out in case he was seen. Rather, he would wait for whatever it was to pass and watch as it moved away. That seemed like the smartest play for the time being.


    The footsteps grew louder and the creaking metal was joined by a rolling of wooden wheels. It was very close and it was moving along the road. Every now and then it was joined by a hiss, reminding Friedrich of the cobra from the ruins. He silently prayed to Jorren that its kind was not native to this plane, for that was the last thing he needed.


    Suddenly, a whip cracked and a harsh voice called out. ¡°Kelzrah, ki¡¯gathu ver melyna!¡±


    Friedrich watched as a pair of fat-bodied, bipedal lizards pulled a wagon. They were strapped to the wagon while an armoured man¡ªif you could call him that¡ªsat upon the wagon holding reins and a whip. The demonic wagoner had greenish-purple skin like a rotten artichoke and glowing eyes of orange that were clearly visible even from Friedrich¡¯s position. Sitting on the back of the wagon was a large cage, carrying a mountain of bones, many of which were protruding from the cage.


    Although he could not be sure of who the bones belonged to, there was a distinct human-like quality about them. Perhaps it was all in his head, but he was convinced that they were humans. If there were human bones here, then there were other humans too. He just needed to find them and, perhaps then, he would be able to find someone who could help him escape this plane.


    He knew it was reckless, but Friedrich felt compelled to act. He sprinted across the grass and onto the road, making sure to stay behind the wagon and out of sight of both the demon and the lizards. They were fast, but free from carrying a wagon, he was faster. He pushed himself until he was feet away from it and then leapt with his front paws outstretched.


    Friedrich grabbed onto the back of the wagon and pulled himself up, hiding behind the cage of bones. He peeked around to make sure that he wasn¡¯t noticed before bringing his head back out of sight. He was going to ride with the demon until he found something that would help him out of this mess.

 Chapter 72 - The Cage

    Friedrich sat aback the wagon as the bipedal reptiles pulled it along. They did not slow once, yet their master whipped them for good measure every so often. They did not make a single sound when they were beaten, they simply continued to run while Friedrich hid beside the cage of bones.


    His mind was racing. Only a couple of hours ago he was in Kai¡¯roh with Marina and Teleri, and now he was stuck in this forsaken plane of darkness. As tempting as it was to kill the demon rider out of spite, he knew he must resist. He needed to know where the demon was going in case there was the slim chance it would lead to a way back home.


    He wanted to laugh at the thought of home. It had been a long time since he had been there. He hadn¡¯t slept in his own bed in over a year, nor had he seen his father since then. He wondered how his old man was doing, but he already knew the answer; he wasn¡¯t. Lord Gaerfyrd was trapped just like his son¡­well maybe not quite. He was trapped in his own unmoving body, while his son was trapped in a demon realm.


    Friedrich dared to peer around from behind the cage and glimpse at the rider, but he was doing as he always did. Waiting, whipping and then waiting again. As Friedrich turned back, out of the corner of his eye, he spied a filthy humanoid demon in the distance. He was hairy and bearded, watching the wagon with a furrowed brow. Friedrich shuddered as the wagon continued to roll away and the demon soon disappeared from sight. He was very glad the demon did not care enough to alert the driver.


    Half an hour later, the fox could feel a shift in the movement of the reptiles and the wagon started tilting upwards as they ascended a hill. He looked around and saw that they were heading up and into the mountains where an iron building loomed not too far away. Its metal was spiked and twisted, its windows black and threatening. It was as though a castle had been plucked form Mercia, thrown into this hell and robbed of its essence; all that was left was a metal husk and none of the stone grandeur.


    ¡°Kel zudeyath,¡± called the driver.


    ¡°Grel morya,¡± replied another demon. Then came the screeching and scraping of metal doors being pulled open.


    Not wanting to be seen, Friedrich dove inside the cage of bones, burrowing himself as deeply as he could. He had no fears about making it back outside and running free into the wilderness, but getting in was another story when there were demons guarding the castle.


    The wagon started rolling again, but much more slowly this time. Friedrich could not see past the bones, but he tried to feel which way he was being turned in case he needed to return this way. Left, straight for a while, right, down a small slope, straight again, left.


    Suddenly, the wagon came to a stop and seconds later, there was the slinking sound of chains and a clunk upon a hook being fixed to the loop on top of the cage. Friedrich wondered if now was the time for him to scurry away, but he dared not when he knew the demons were right beside him. He could hear their heavy breathing as he tried to stay as still as possible so as not to disturb the bones.


    He felt the cage being hoisted and it started to slowly rotate as though dangling. The wagon moved away and the bottom of the cage opened, sending everything inside¡ªincluding the golden fox¡ªplummeting into a pit. Friedrich hit the ground with a thud and let out an involuntary yelp.


    Dazed, he staggered to his feet and looked up. There was an opening in the ceiling that was being covered up by a wooden trapdoor. His eyes turned back down and he looked around, displeased to see that he was in an underground pit thirty feet from the surface, but he was not alone down here.


    From the shadows in the corner, reached a clawed hand with nails like daggers. He grabbed a handful of the bones that had rolled towards its pocket of darkness and scooped them up. There was a gritty crunch as the bones were crushed beneath enormous teeth. With each bite, there was a sickening slurp as the unknown beast hungrily devoured the bones.


    If he had not been a fox, Friedrich would have been in utter darkness, but he could just about see the creature now that it moved forward. It was a hulking reptile, standing seven feet tall, but wider than any man. Its scales were jagged and rough as though its body was made of dried volcanic rock. It had a long tail with a spiked ridge running all the way to the tip; it looked heavy enough to break a tree in half with a solid swing.


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    But even with the claws and the tail, what scared Friedrich most was its face. It was long and malformed, as though it had once looked like an alligator before being brutally beaten fifty times over, never being allowed to fully heal. Its sunken eyes were manic and they were now fixated on Friedrich, upon seeing the golden fox standing in its lair. Its protruding jaw twisted into a smile and it took slow steps towards him as he retreated.


    Friedrich looked around as he backed away; there was nobody else here, he was sure of it. He transformed back into himself, raised his shield and drew his sword. If he could kill this demonic reptile quickly then he may be able to remain undetected in this castle.


    Seeing the human before him, the ugly monster looked hungrier than ever. It let out a roar and ran towards Friedrich. He parried a claw with his blade and blocked the other with his shield, the magic knocking the creature back a couple of steps. He thrust his sword into the beast¡¯s chest, but it only sank a couple of inches before coming to a dead stop.


    The ravenous creature hissed and lunged for the human, knocking him to the ground and flinging the sword aside. The beast was now on top of him and Friedrich bashed it with his shield, but it was only enough to make it recoil from this position. He kicked and he struck as the creature opened its jaw, ready to clamp down upon him. There was no choice, he had to do something drastic.


    As the monster clamped its teeth around Friedrich¡¯s shoulder, it was forced open again as the young man¡¯s arm grew bulky and hairy. With a mighty shove, Friedrich threw the reptile back and stood up on his hooved feet, ready to fight it as the minotaur.


    There was something different about the minotaur this time. It was not welling up with rage and bloodlust. It was cool and collected as though it was letting Friedrich maintain full control. He did not know why, nor did he have time to think as the demon crocodile charged for him.


    Friedrich swung a thick fist, colliding it with the beast¡¯s head. As it spun, its tail whacked him across the side and threw him across the pit where he hit the wall. As he righted himself, he heard thundering footsteps and his arm was torn open by four long nails, sending a splatter of blood across his face and the rough stone wall.


    Letting out a furious roar, Friedrich grabbed the beast¡¯s jaw as it tried to take a bite out of him. One hand held the upper jaw and one hand held the lower jaw as the monster tried to force it closed. Friedrich would not let it get away with hurting him and pulled the jaw wider and wider. The monster swung its tail, but Friedrich braced himself and took painful hit after painful hit, still prying the jaw wider and wider.


    The creature was starting to wail in pain and pull away, but Friedrich kicked it in the stomach, making it wince. With a final pull, he snapped the creature¡¯s jaw and the lower jaw hung limp as the beast stumbled backwards, unable to close its mouth.


    It stumbled around, dazed as Friedrich stormed towards it. He tackled it to the ground and stuck his thumbs in its eyes, pushing them deeper until he heard two gruesome pops, but he wasn¡¯t finished. He grabbed the monster¡¯s tongue and held it out. It liked taking a bite out of him, didn¡¯t it? It was his turn.


    He sank his teeth into the rough and tough tongue, sawing through it with his teeth until it was cut enough to be torn free. Barely conscious and only able to make a pathetic whimper, Friedrich pummelled the monster with his fists until its head was so thoroughly pulverised that there was barely anything recognisable left.


    Friedrich stood up, panting and victorious. The creature was dead and he would live to tell the tale. Although the minotaur had given him control, he suspected that it had been urging him along with its fighting style. He personally would rather have not bit through the tongue; he would have liked a quick and clean death.


    ¡°Horn,¡± he muttered aloud, shocked to hear comprehensible words spew from his bovine lips. ¡°Horns¡­horns¡­horns¡­¡±


    Unable to give a response of his own beyond grunts, Friedrich tried to ask what the minotaur wanted. What did it mean by horns? Was it talking about its own horns? The creature he had just killed had none to speak of.


    ¡°Kill¡­horns¡­¡± said the minotaur before falling silent. Friedrich waited in confusion, hoping for more to go on, but the minotaur did not speak of its own accord again.


    Upon turning back into a human, Friedrich held the black minotaur mask in his hands. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked it, knowing he would get no response. ¡°Why did you ensure we were brought to this plane?¡±


    Hoping that he could find an answer that may lead him back home, Friedrich stowed the mask away again and retrieved his sword from the ground. He looked up at the ceiling to where the trapdoor was. If he was to have any chance of escape, he needed to reach the ceiling of the pit and crawl back through that.

 Chapter 73 - The Old Smith

    The old man awakened and looked upon the stricken sky, as dark and smoky as it ever was. He longed so badly to see daylight, but he knew that it was not to be. He had lost all hope of ever basking in the glory of the incandescent sun or laying hands on the fluffy snow of Corobath. No, this was his fate. To be trapped in Keldracht for the rest of his days, forever avoiding the demon scourge of this foreign plane.


    Pheston sat up and, with a heavy groan, stretched his arms and twisted his body. He climbed to his feet as he scratched his thick beard and brushed down his rags so that he would look presentable. Presentable to who was a question he couldn¡¯t answer, but it made him feel better about himself. Even after forty years in this plane, he could not shake those habits that made him human.


    He looked around, surveying the trees before him. He had spent the last three months camping in a small clearing at the back of a particularly wiry forest filled with many trees that would sooner eat him than provide him shelter, but that was to his advantage. After all, who would dare seek him out when they were far more likely to be eaten than they were to have a chance at eating him.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, flexing his jaw muscles. ¡°Ee. Ai. Oh. Yu.¡±


    With no one to talk to, he made sure to use his voice at least a couple of times a day. Sometimes it was as simple as saying a couple of random syllables, other times, he would have entire conversations with himself. Talking out loud staved off the madness, but he had not gone mad yet, so going insane didn¡¯t seem likely at this point. No, he was a survivor. Certainly not a thriver, but a survivor.


    It was time for his pre-breakfast workout, so he dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups. He started with a nice round hundred before taking a minute to breathe and then going right back at it for another hundred. After five full sets, his body was feeling warmed up. He went the extra mile with his squats and grabbed a fallen tree that he then balanced on his shoulders. He squatted deep and slowly rose back up, doing five sets of ten before tossing the tree aside for tomorrow.


    After that early morning exercise, it was time to find something to eat. He could use a good breakfast if he wanted to maintain his figure. Pheston was not a small man by any stretch, although his rags that covered so much of him may have left many thinking that. He was remarkably well built, so much so that men half his age would be incredibly jealous of his physique. He had always been this way and being sent to another plane was not going to stop him from looking like a demigod. Back home, it had helped him with the ladies, and here, it helped him survive.


    He grabbed his hammer from the ground and started twirling it around. It was no more than two feet long, but it packed a punch. Particularly when he revealed its secret, but he saved that for special occasions. Ready to go on the hunt, he strolled through the forest, keeping his watchful eyes darting from tree to tree to see which would dare move as much as a branch.


    As he walked, he listened carefully for the sound of skittering. He was not a picky eater, so anything that moved was fair game to eat. Unsure of what many of the fauna of Keldracht were called, he had come up with names of his own for them. His favourite thing to eat was the water-lurking snappajaws, but he would settle for a peskyrunner considering where he was camped out.


    Pheston stopped, having heard a faint creak. It was not the creak of a heavy creature climbing on a branch. No, it was the branch moving of its own accord. Was it so foolish that it would risk being uprooted for a chance at a single human?


    The branch lurched for him and the old man reached up a hand with remarkable speed, catching it before it could pierce his flesh with its sharp end.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Pheston chortled as he raised his hammer high.


    The tree tried to pull its branch free, but Pheston would show it no sympathy. He held on tight; he was much stronger than the carnivorous tree. With a mighty swing of his hammer, he struck the branch, snapping it with ease as the tree let out a grim screech.


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    It dared to unearth one of its roots, aiming for the old man¡¯s ankles, but he was wise to its tricks. Pheston drew up a foot and smashed it into the root, cracking it and pinning it. He decided that the tree had made its final mistake.


    Pheston reached low and grabbed the broken root. He twisted it like a rope around his wrist and gave it a tug. Yes, he might just be strong enough to do it. With a chuckle, dropped his hammer, hunkered down and then leaned back, putting all of his effort into pulling the tree.


    The tree screeched and wailed, flicking its branches madly. It was too pained to fight back as the old man unearthed the rest of the root. The tree could feel itself falling toward the man against its will. How could a fleshy human like him stand against it? With the loudest scream yet, it opened a large orange eye within its torso.


    ¡°Got you,¡± said Pheston with a smile. He let go of the root with one hand and retrieved his hammer. He swung it around a few times and unleashed it.


    The hammer spun rapidly as it flew towards the tree which, try as it might, could not close its eye. The hammer struck it in the eye, making it wince. So weakened by the blow was it, that it could no longer resist Pheston¡¯s pull. With a final heave, the old man pulled the tree free from the ground.


    Gripping the root tightly with two hands, he started to drag it around by twisting himself. He pulled harder and harder, spinning around. The tree lifted from the ground and took to the air as Pheston spun faster and faster. It was so dazed from being disconnected form the soil that it was unable to move a single, tiny branch.


    Pheston released the tree and it flew into the air, soaring over the treetops before falling back into the forest fifty feet away with a mighty crash. There was a series of yelps and the sound of rustling as bird-like creatures fled in terror and small six-legged mammals ran through the foliage.


    ¡°Aha!¡± laughed the old man as one of the hairy peskyrunners came close.


    He pounced on it and pinned the little beast down. With a single punch to the head from his thick fist, he killed it. An evil tree dead and breakfast sorted, all in the space of a couple of minutes. It was going to be a great day if things continued this way.


    Pheston thought that considering the weather was nice¡ªwhich meant murky and dry in Keldracht¡ªthat he would look over the barren planes while he ate. It was a pleasant sight to see¡­sort of. At the very least, it was as pleasant of a sight as he could expect.


    With his catch held by its feet in one hand and his hammer in the other, Pheston walked free from the dark wood and ascended a hill. He watched the land before him with the many metal towers dotting the mountains in the distance. If there was anything to fear in this strange land, it was the watchful towers. The darkness that dwelled within each of those outposts was nothing by itself, it was who the devilish watchers of the towers reported back to; the Lord of Horns.


    The Lord of Horns was the ruler of this region of Keldracht. He was a horrific creature that Pheston had escaped once before, narrowly keeping his life. It was only due to throwing himself from a cliff that he could buy himself enough time to escape. He floated down a river and dragged himself to safety, spending months nursing a broken wrist, a snapped femur and too many cuts and bruises to count. As terrible of a time as he had, he was still alive. And that mattered.


    He looked to his peskyrunner and tore it in two with ease, letting the crimson blood flow onto the soil. With any luck, there would be no beastie dwelling underneath the ground just waiting to taste blood. Once the blood had drained, Pheston threw the front half onto the ground and looked at the organs inside the back end of the creature.


    He plucked out the intestines and looked at them hungrily. He smiled as he brought the entrails up to his mouth, but stopped just shy of touching his tongue. He stopped and stared toward the more curious sight.


    ¡°Surely, not,¡± he said to himself.


    He clenched his eyes shut and reopened them, watching the wagon rolling along. Sitting upon the back of the wagon, beside a cage filled with bones, was a golden creature. It was a creature that Pheston had not seen for almost half a century.


    ¡°What do you call those things?¡± he muttered to himself as the golden, bushy-tailed animal peered from around the cage at the demonic rider as he whipped his reptilian carriers. ¡°A fox!¡± Pheston said louder than he had intended.


    Something so normal was such an oddity in a place like this. What in Baldir¡¯s name would a fox be doing in Keldracht? And was it hiding from the demon? It looked to be, as it pulled its head back behind the cage where it could not be seen.


    Was it looking at him now? It was. The fox knew he was there. He had to know more. If a fox could find its way here, did that mean that there was also a way out? If not, at least the fox would be a tastier meal than the beasts he was used to devouring.


    Knowing there wasn¡¯t much chance of catching up to the wagon, Pheston chomped down on his meat. Once he had finished his breakfast, he would follow the trail of the wagon and locate that fox. Oh, he was looking forward to seeing it up close. He was looking forward to it very much.

 Chapter 74 - The Demon Castle

    Friedrich stood and stared at the trapdoor at the top of the pit. It was taunting him from above, as though daring him to try and reach it, but he knew something that it did not. He knew exactly how to get to it.


    The young man retrieved his goblin mask from underneath his tunic and placed it upon his face. His body shrivelled and hunched while his fingers grew long and spindly. He did not need hooks, pegs and rope to scale reach the ceiling. He had the perfect tools at the end of his arms.


    He scurried over to the walls of the pit. Unlike the wall at the Temple of Valskythe, there were no consistent grooves between bricks. The pit had been dug out and the walls were of uneven stone. Friedrich walked around, looking for the best place to start his climb and settled on a smoother part of the wall that had a thin ledge-like protrusion six feet up.


    Taking a running leap, the shorter-than-a-human goblin reached up and curled his spindly fingers around it, holding on tightly. He pulled himself up and then dug two fingers into a small hole. Friedrich moved up, shimmying left and right along the way, trying to get to the top before his time ran out. When he was as high as he could go, he hung from small indents in the ceiling that barely gave him enough room for his fingertips. It was no easy task, but he was nearly there.


    He swung from one indent to another as the sweat poured from his wrinkly brow while his muscles screamed and his tendons felt as though they were about to snap. With one final swung, he wedged his fingers between two planks in the frame holding the door in place and pushed the unlocked door open. Friedrich achingly swung back and forth, picking up momentum and then threw himself into the corridor above.


    Checking to make sure his surroundings were clear; he closed the trapdoor up again and moved towards a double door. Halfway there, the magic of the goblin mask ran dry and he walked as a human again. Friedrich put his ear to the door and listened, but there was only silence form the other side. He slowly opened it, letting a sliver of dim light in.


    Outside was a courtyard. He had not been moving through the castle on the way here, he had still been outside for most of the short journey. He could see the main wall of the castle up ahead, where demons roamed along the top. In the courtyard were two more demons, whipping their bipedal reptiles. Friedrich supposed these creatures were the closest things to horses in this forsaken realm.


    How was he supposed to cross the yard unseen? With a sigh, he knew he had to be a fox once more. His fur stood out among the dark and drab colours of this world, but it was his only form small enough to slink from hiding place to hiding place. It was also his only form that would not run out after five minutes, leaving him exposed.


    Now four-legged again, Friedrich watched and waited. There was nobody looking in his direction and there was a small stone altar nearby. With a deep breath, he sprinted to it and tucked himself neatly behind the dull stone, making sure to wrap his tail around himself so the golden fur wasn¡¯t sticking out. He stood silently, breathing heavily as he waited.


    If he was desperate, he would fight his way to safety, but that was a last resort. He had to know what else lay within this castle. He knew that Teleri¡¯s approach to the situation would be to slaughter whatever demons stood in her way, but Friedrich was not convinced he could do that alone. Even as a minotaur, he was not invulnerable.


    Friedrich dared to poke his head out from behind the altar. He didn¡¯t even stop to think who or what the altar was dedicated to, but it didn¡¯t matter. All he cared about was knowing that the coast was clear, and it did indeed appear to be. He dashed towards a broken wagon and sat behind a wheel, peering through the gaps to see if any of the demons had noticed him. Much to his delight, they had not.


    He laid out the rest of his plan of action to reach the door. There was a small rock a few yards to his left, but there was an armoured demon nearby with one of the bipedal lizards. The demon was turned the other way, but Friedrich knew the lizard would see him. Was it smart enough to alert its master? Would it even be willing to, were it decently intelligent? It was a risk he would have to take, for the door was no more than two dozen yards past them.


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    ¡°Gee sharka!¡± called a demon from somewhere unseen. Friedrich kept his eyes on the demon he was watching, who responded to the call along with his reptile. Now was his chance.


    Friedrich ducked under the wagon and ran for the door, too afraid to look over his shoulder and see if he had been spotted. Upon reaching the door, he turned back into a human, opened it and threw himself inside, closing it behind him. He immediately transformed back into a fox and leapt inside an urn, curling into a furry ball within it.


    Feeling like an idiot, he waited again. He heard no yells, he heard no footsteps and he did not hear the creak of the wooden door opening. He had either made it inside unnoticed or nothing had cared enough to chase him. He unfurled himself and placed his front paws on the rim of the urn, sticking his head out and looking around. All was quiet in this shadowed corridor.


    Friedrich hopped out and walked along, sticking as close to the darkness as he could. Every few seconds, he would pause and listen. Occasionally, he would hear a grunt or a clang of metal somewhere, but he was alone for now. Convinced he was heading in the direction of the front gates, he pivoted and moved towards a staircase. A sudden silhouette appeared, making its way down the rounded staircase and Friedrich looked for somewhere to hide, but there was nowhere. He pressed himself up against the wall, hoping that the demon was inattentive.


    As the demon approached, its boot brushed against his golden paw and the demon paused. There was no hiding from this, Friedrich had to take action. As the demon leaned down to see what he had touched, Friedrich transformed and smashed his shield into the demon¡¯s chest, knocking it into the air. As it landed, he stabbed it in the gap in its armour, piercing it through the neck. It tried to speak as blood poured from its mouth, but its last vestiges of life slipped away seconds later.


    Friedrich sheathed his sword and hoisted the heavy demon over his shoulder. Carrying the armoured beast was no easy task, but he could not leave it here to be discovered or he would be discovered. The young man walked back the way he came, seeking somewhere to stash the body lest it be him being disposed of next.


    A small chamber lay open down a left corridor and Friedrich threw the body into the corner, hiding it behind the door. He closed it and escaped, taking fox form once more. He bounded up the stairs from which the demon had descended followed the circular staircase all the way to the top, pausing at the archway to push open the door. He poked his head through the gap and peered down the hallway.


    Unlike the floor below, there more than the odd grunt or clang, there was a constant chattering from somewhere up ahead. What was being said, Friedrich couldn¡¯t discern. Even with his improved hearing as a fox, the low cacophony of discordant demonic language was unpleasant to the ear and it left Friedrich feeling as though he truly was alone in this world.


    He crept ahead, his padded feet dampening the sound of his movement and he followed the sound to its source. Inside a large hall sat at least two dozen demons around a large, circular table. They were having a harsh disagreement with each other about something or other. Every so often, one of the demons stood up was shouted down by the others.


    ¡°Fal krythe, ga bar¡¯gut!¡± yelled one of them loudly only to be met with furious rebuttals.


    ¡°Kra felk!¡± the others shouted.


    The demon at the head of the table stood up, slamming his ashen fist on the table. ¡°Mer, gal fermythe,¡± he said sharply, his eyes fixated on one of his particularly argumentative kin.


    With a stoic look on his face, the demon rose from his seat, walked around the table and placed his hand upon the argumentative demon¡¯s face. ¡°Morey kitaga,¡± he said quietly as his hands glowed red hot.


    The demon he held stifled his screams at first, but it was not long before the searing burns broke him and he yelled out in agony. Friedrich watched on in horror at what these monsters were capable of doing to their own. He did not want this fate to be his, but before he could turn to leave, he felt a heavy boot kick him in his stomach, flinging him across the floor.


    ¡°Kitarl! Kitarl!¡± yelled the demon who had kicked Friedrich.


    The young man returned to his human form and ran the demon through with his sword before it had the chance to retaliate, but the demons at the table had been alerted. Friedrich looked to his left and could see all but one of the demons staring at him¡ªthe one who did not was resting his head against the table, lifeless and burned. Friedrich had to flee and he had to flee at once.


    The young man kept his sword held tightly in his hand as he ran back the way he came while the demons hurried after him. As he charged towards the door within the archway, it suddenly swung open and a burly man walked calmly into the corridor. He twirled a hammer in his hands as one of the demons lunged for the shocked Friedrich, who raised his shield just in time.


    ¡°Survival instinct,¡± muttered the man as Friedrich shoved the demon out of the way and stabbed it to death. ¡°Good, you¡¯ll need that.¡±


    The man pushed past Friedrich, drawing back his hammer and swinging it into the jaw of another demon who was closing in on them.

 Chapter 75 - Trustworthy

    Friedrich was dumbstruck. He was still alive after all these years. It was Pheston, the smith from Suljah¡¯s tale. What was he doing here of all places? Suddenly, Friedrich remembered the dirty demon he spied upon the hill that watched the wagon. It was no demon, it was him.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, boy?¡± shouted the old man, twirling his hammer around before swinging it at another demon, smashing the blunt weapon into its jaw with a sharp crack.


    Friedrich spun around and lunged forward with his sword, piercing another demon through the neck. He rammed his shield into its armour, throwing it into one of its allies and pulling his sword free. As more demons clambered down the corridor, Pheston grabbed Friedrich¡¯s arm and dragged him away.


    ¡°I come looking for a fox, and I find you,¡± barked the old man as he hastily moved down the staircase. ¡°Ain¡¯t that the damndest thing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­Pheston!¡± said Friedrich, shocked to see the old man alive. Suljah had said that he disappeared almost half a century ago. How had he survived in this demonic plane for forty years?


    Pheston suddenly stopped. He grabbed Friedrich by the throat and pushed him against a wall. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± he roared. ¡°What infernal trickery is this?¡±


    ¡°I¡­h-heard¡­it in¡­K-kai¡¯roh,¡± grunted Friedrich and the old man released him. ¡°Can I explain later once we¡¯re safe?¡±


    ¡°Safe? I think you mean once we¡¯re away from here. There is no safe in Keldracht.¡±


    Pheston led the charge down the stairs, circling towards the bottom. The two humans barrelled past a couple of demons that had come to investigate the commotion, knocking them to the ground with the swing of a hammer and the bash of a shield. Upon reaching the front door, Pheston threw his weight into it, flinging it open and aiming for the hill.


    As the two ran into the open, two arrows whizzed through the air, both piercing Friedrich through his trapezius, where his armour did not cover. He yelled in pain and Pheston turned and grabbed the young man, tossing him over his shoulder. The old smith spotted one of the familiar bipedal lizards and ran to it, hopping onto its back and wrapping one arm around its neck while holding Friedrich firmly with the other.


    ¡°Gyah!¡± he shouted, kicking the beast in the side and sending it sprinting down the slope as more arrows flew through the air, all missing their targets.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine,¡± groaned Friedrich as his blood dripped onto Pheston¡¯s face.


    ¡°You will be, lad,¡± said the grizzled man. ¡°You will be.¡±


    Friedrich breathed in and held it as he tugged the two arrows wedged within him, pulling them free. He let out a pained scream as he tossed them aside, while bouncing uncomfortably as the lizard stormed down the mountain path.


    ¡°Hold tight,¡± said Friedrich as blood and sweat poured form him.


    Pheston let out a sharp howl as the young man turned into a fox upon his shoulder. Before he could fall onto the ground, the old man lunged and grabbed Friedrich by the tail, holding him up in front of his face. Friedrich looked Pheston in the eyes and gave him a nod.


    ¡°You¡­¡± muttered the old man before cracking a smile. ¡°Are a sly one, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Pheston cackled wildly as the lizard left the castle behind. Once they were a safe distance away and on dry, barren land where they would leave no tracks, the old man jumped free of the lizard which continued sprinting away. He set Friedrich on the ground, who turned back to his regular form.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begone from the open,¡± said Pheston, running into the forest of barely leaved trees.


    Not needing to be told twice, Friedrich followed him on his two feet, as his sword swung by his side and his shield rested upon his arm. He knew almost nothing about this strange smith from Suljah¡¯s tale, but he felt safer now than he had since he arrived in this forsaken plane. He was not the only human here; he was no longer alone.


    Pheston led Friedrich through the forest, warning the young man to be wary of a few specific trees. He brought Friedrich to a small clearing where the smothered remains of a campfire sat and a large part of the grass was flattened into the shape of Pheston himself.


    ¡°Welcome to my humble abode,¡± said the old man, walking over to a tree stump and sitting down. He gestured to the tree he had felled, indicating Friedrich to sit. ¡°It¡¯s as clean as an elven rear after eating orcish food.¡±


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    Friedrich did not know if that meant it was clean or dirty, but he did not care. He sat upon the tree trunk and breathed a little easier. Pheston watched him intently, as though trying to work out the young man, but he started shaking his head and laughing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen many a thing in Keldracht,¡± he said once he calmed himself down, ¡°but to meet another sane human who could turn into a fox? By Baldir¡¯s Forge, that is something else.¡±


    Pheston dropped his hammer on the grass with a thud and started massaging the sides of his jaw with his middle and index fingers. He then opened his mouth and started stretching his jaw in different directions.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to talking this much, boy,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Most of my conversations are with myself and the trees.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said the young man. ¡°My name is Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Mercian, are you?¡± asked the smith, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve as much as thought about Mercia in five or six years. Strange that. Now, tell me. You said you heard my name in Kai¡¯roh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard from a learned man of the nation that you disappeared after trying to solve the mystery of the Orb of Valskythe. This man, Suljah, said that you struck it and vanished without a trace. Well, I too struck the orb no more than half a day ago and¡­here I am.¡±


    ¡°That damned orb¡­¡± sighed Pheston, drawing his hand down his forehead and onto his chin. ¡°It was my own foolish mistake, my own foolhardiness, that led to me being here. If you knew my tale, why did you also strike it, Friedrich? What in the world possessed you to do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I believe that I was possessed,¡± said the young man, pulling out the minotaur mask. ¡°This is a¡ª¡±


    ¡°A soul mask,¡± interjected Pheston, standing up and looking alarmed. ¡°How did you find such a rare specimen?¡±


    Friedrich pulled out the goblin mask and showed it to Pheston too. He then placed both inside his tunic once again, turned into a fox for a couple of seconds before turning back into a human. Pheston sat back down and let out a low chuckle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one, I have three,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve awakened the full power of one of them,¡± said Pheston. ¡°The soul of that fox dwells within you, doesn¡¯t it? And here I thought you were some druid or polymorpher. No¡­you¡¯ve got something much more powerful, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t truly know if they are gifts or curses, but the fox has served me well. Even the minotaur, who forced me to strike the orb has kept me alive against foes that I would otherwise have perished to. Well, the minotaur and my companions¡­¡±


    ¡°Your companions?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, his heart feeling heavy. ¡°My friends Marina and Teleri. They are back in Eradrel¡­I hope. I pray to Jorren that they were not daft enough to strike the orb and follow me here.¡±


    ¡°Marina and Teleri? They sound like beautiful ladies. You some kind of stud, Friedrich?¡±


    ¡°They are my friends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that travelling with two lovely gals is every man¡¯s dream. What I would do for the touch of a woman after forty years.¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps if we work together to escape then you¡¯ll know what that feels like again.¡±


    Pheston looked dumbfounded before letting out a raucous laugh. ¡°Escape? Friedrich, there will be no escape. Do you think I¡¯m waltzing across this accursed plane for a thrilling holiday? I¡¯m trapped! You hear me? Trapped! And now you are too.¡±


    Friedrich shook his head. ¡°No, there¡¯s a way out.¡±


    ¡°Do you know something that I don¡¯t, son?¡±


    ¡°No, but Marina and Teleri will do whatever it takes to bring me back. I know they will. And if they find a way, I¡¯m bringing you back with me, Pheston.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, lad,¡± said the smith, looking touched. ¡°Truly, I do. Especially as you don¡¯t even know me and are just looking to help, but¡­it¡¯s a fool¡¯s hope to think that there will be some sort of miraculous escape. I ran out of hope long ago, my soul-torn friend. Long, long ago.¡±


    ¡°There is always a way,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Pheston, that we will see the beautiful sun once again. We will see the clear blue skies of our world.¡±


    ¡°I love the optimism, Friedrich, but you¡¯re not living in the real world. This is your home now, like it or not. And you need to learn to survive in it. Trust me, that ain¡¯t easy. You aren¡¯t the only other human that¡¯s happened across my path, and I always pray that each one I meet won¡¯t be the last.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Most people give into the madness of their predicament before long. Perhaps its because they can¡¯t fathom never seeing their home again, perhaps it¡¯s the cruel and inhumane torture they¡¯re subjected to by demons. Many of them choose death or choose to join the ranks of the demons, giving up their souls and becoming twisted husks.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be me,¡± said Friedrich, standing up defiantly. ¡°If I have to wait ten years for Marina and Teleri to find a way to bring me home, then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. I have something far too important waiting for me back home. I¡¯m getting out of here.¡±


    ¡°And I hope you¡¯re right, Friedrich,¡± said Pheston, scratching his beard. ¡°But for now, you need to learn the way this world works or you¡¯ll be dead by the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°I suppose this won¡¯t last very long,¡± said Friedrich, pulling out a small loaf from his pack. ¡°I need to learn what I can eat and drink in this world without poisoning myself.¡±


    Pheston¡¯s eyes lit up and his mouth hung open as he let out an audible gulp. ¡°Is that¡­bread?¡± he asked.


    Friedrich nodded as he tore half the loaf and threw it to Pheston who caught it excitedly. He took a big bite of it and a wave of satisfaction rolled over the old man¡¯s face as he chewed it. He kept on chewing, savouring the taste that he had not enjoyed for forty years. At last, Pheston swallowed and clenched a fist in satisfaction.


    ¡°Oh, how I¡¯ve missed bread,¡± he said, holding up the rest of the loaf in his hand and inhaling its slightly stale, yet beautiful aroma. ¡°You have given me the greatest gift imaginable, Friedrich. I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± said the young man.


    Pheston raised the loaf to his mouth, ready to take another bite, but hesitated. ¡°My newfound friend, I¡¯m going to teach you how to survive this hell,¡± said the old man, finally indulging in another bite.

 Chapter 76 - How to Survive in Hell

    ¡°Rise and shine, golden boy,¡± said Pheston, kicking Friedrich in the ribs.


    ¡°Eugh!¡± wheezed the young man, shocked at being so rudely awakened.


    He opened his eyes and saw the dark sky above him with its swirling purple clouds and the small pockets of floating light that dimly radiated unto the world beneath. Keldracht was a depressing place and Friedrich could see how people would go mad here after such a small amount of time.


    ¡°Well rested?¡± asked Pheston.


    ¡°No,¡± groaned Friedrich, climbing to his feet. ¡°I might need to start sleeping as a fox so I can use my tail as a pillow.¡±


    ¡°Would that be cannibalism if I cooked you as a fox?¡± chortled Pheston.


    ¡°Yes, but you¡¯d probably eat for longer if you cooked me as a minotaur.¡±


    Pheston cleared his throat and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I could make jokes. There has been precious little in the way of humour these past decades. It¡¯s refreshing.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of refreshing. What can I drink around here?¡± asked Friedrich, trying to salivate but finding that he was running dry.


    ¡°You saw those greenish pools of water littered around the land?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re alright to drink. Your stomach may take a couple of weeks to adjust, but you¡¯ll be hydrated well enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°And what about food?¡±


    Pheston clapped Friedrich on the back, almost knocking the young man to the ground. ¡°Apologies, I forget my own strength,¡± he said, holding Friedrich up by the tunic. ¡°After we get you a drink, we¡¯ll go catch you a peskyrunner.¡±


    He had no idea what that was, but Friedrich followed Pheston nonetheless. The smith led the young adventurer through the trees cautiously, much more so than the previous day after escaping from the demonic castle. Friedrich had asked what the purpose of the castle was and Pheston told him it was a military outpost where greater demons could reside while journeying across the plane, but was also used for training the grecks¡ªthe bipedal lizards used for riding and pulling carts¡ªthat was secure from any of the wilder demons.


    ¡°Can you eat grecks?¡± asked Friedrich, figuring that there was no such thing as a stupid question in this situation.


    ¡°Their meat is tough and doesn¡¯t have much of that delicious fat that I love so much, so I avoid it. There aren¡¯t that many wild grecks around these parts, so you¡¯re usually having to jump a demon for one. Sometimes they¡¯ll send out search parties if a demon isn¡¯t where he¡¯s supposed to be. And it isn¡¯t because they care about each other, it¡¯s because they¡¯re vengeful beings. I bet that they¡¯re still trying to hunt us down and have been doing so all night.¡±


    Pheston walked up to a small pool of water and squatted beside it, pointing to a blue-skinned six-legged amphibious creature that looks somewhere between a frog and a salamander, yet clearly neither of those. ¡°See this thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Friedrich, kneeling to look closer at the critter.


    ¡°Do not under any circumstances try and eat one of these,¡± said Pheston firmly. ¡°They¡¯re called skalphians and you¡¯ll be hunched over with bad cramps for a week. I¡¯m a burly fella, so it might just kill a runt like you outright.¡±


    ¡°Runt?¡± snapped Friedrich.


    ¡°You¡¯re barely above average height and you¡¯re built like a typical soldier. To me, you are runty, Mercian. Corobathian stock are a different breed entirely.¡±


    ¡°Yet your people have continually failed to conquer Mercia.¡±


    ¡°Bah,¡± spat Pheston, whipping out his hammer and splattering skalphian guts all over the grass. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, boy. Shut up and drink up.¡±


    Friedrich cupped the so-called water in his hands and took a sip. It was oddly bitter and made him wince, tasting as though it had been permeated by soil and tree bark, but he was grateful for something to quench his thirst and continued to drink up.


    ¡°Woah there, son,¡± said Pheston, grabbing Friedrich by the wrist. ¡°Remember what I said about giving your stomach time to adjust? Take only what you need to start with and you can drain the entire pond a month or two from now. Don¡¯t want you running to the bushes to relieve yourself every ten minutes.¡±


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    Friedrich complied and stood up, feeling less thirsty, but his stomach already felt off. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was because the liquid was churning around in side of him or if it was all in his head.


    ¡°Now for a peskyrunner,¡± said Pheston, biting his lip and nodding excitedly. ¡°These little runts will be most of your meals because they¡¯re easy to catch and won¡¯t attract too much attention your way. You kill some big brute, hoping he¡¯ll be your meal for the next week or two? Mark my words, you¡¯ll attract plenty of predators.¡±


    ¡°When I first arrived, I was attacked by some sort of scaled harpy creature.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that would be a¡­what do they call those¡­a skeykyag! I hate using demon terms, that¡¯s why I sometimes make up my own like peskyrunner. It¡¯s a pesky little creature that runs, isn¡¯t that much simpler?¡±


    ¡°No argument here,¡± shrugged Friedrich. ¡°What¡¯s your name for the skeykyags?¡±


    ¡°Scaladies.¡±


    ¡°Scaly ladies?¡± asked Friedrich, receiving a nod from the old man and a small snicker.


    ¡°Come on,¡± said Pheston, beckoning the young man to follow. ¡°Let me show you the ropes¡­or better yet, maybe you can show me the ropes.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You have forms aplenty, Friedrich. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re capable enough without even using them, so you show me how you hunt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start. I¡¯m not even sure what a peskyrunner is.¡±


    Pheston held his hands about two feet apart. ¡°They¡¯re around this size and have six legs. Lots of things in this world have six legs, I¡¯ll admit, but these ones are hairy little mammals. I have no doubt that there are at least four dozen of them within a half a mile radius of here.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, cocking his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    He walked along and seamlessly transformed into Kitt¡¯s form, sniffing along the way. Keldracht was filled with such strange scents that he struggled to separate them. As Friedrich walked, he suddenly inhaled the pungent aroma of wet dog. Could this be the peskyrunner he was seeking?


    Pheston followed quietly, saying nothing as Friedrich hunted for food. The smith was hungry himself and had much more mass to sustain, so he hoped the young man would hurry up, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He knew better than anyone that finding yourself stuck in a foreign plane took some adjusting.


    Friedrich stopped, sensing that the creature he sought was lurking in a bush nearby. He could see the bush rustling occasionally and decided that he would take his chance. He transformed back into a human and brace his shield arm, preferring to catch food with it than with his sword or a knife.


    The young man edged closer and closer to the bush, which suddenly stopped moving. He lunged forwards, slamming his into the back of a creature. A squeal followed by a loud snap echoed through the air and Friedrich stood up, presenting the dead peskyrunner to Pheston with a big grin on his face.


    The old man clapped with an impressed look upon his face. ¡°Effective,¡± he said, taking the little beast by the tail and slinging it over his shoulder. ¡°Now get another one and meet me back at the campsite. You can eat these critters raw, but they¡¯re nicer cooked.¡±


    Feeling pleased with himself, Friedrich returned to his golden fox form and prowled through the trees, seeking out the smell of the damp fur. He wanted to prove to Pheston that he truly had what it took to survive here so he caught two more peskyrunners before following him back to the camp.


    ¡°Oho!¡± exclaimed the man, looking excited at the prospect of a larger meal. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking, lad.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to skin it before cooking it?¡±


    ¡°You could¡­or you could just pick the meat out from underneath the burned fur.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the fur going to burn into the meet and ruin it.¡±


    Pheston tilted his head from side to side with a slight sneer. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m long since passed caring about any of that. Sometimes it¡¯s easier just to eat the burned fur if you want to move along quickly.¡±


    ¡°Are we moving along quickly?¡± asked Friedrich, taking out his knife to skin his catches.


    ¡°I don¡¯t stay in one place for too long, so I think we¡¯ll spend a couple of days here to let you acclimatise before we find somewhere else.¡±


    Friedrich took all three of the peskyrunners and removed as much of the fur as he could. They were trickier than wild boar and had more joints than a rabbit, so it was done haphazardly, but they would cook much better this way. He skewered them on a couple of thick branches and propped them above the fire while he wiped the blood on his hands on the dry grass.


    ¡°What¡¯s our plan?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Pheston snorted. ¡°Plan? Our plan is surviving.¡±


    ¡°What about those metal towers that seem to be everywhere?¡± asked Friedrich, pointing towards the mountains where the blue light from the tip of one of the towers dotting the landscape could be seen.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go there, boy,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Nothing good ever happens at those outposts, trust me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it, but why is that?¡±


    Pheston leaned forward and clasped his hands together. ¡°This region of Keldracht is ruled over by a beastly demon who uses those outposts to spy on everything that happens here. There are beings that live within them, watching the land and feeding everything they see back to him. Frankly, it¡¯s very possible that the demon lord knows you¡¯re here already if you¡¯ve ever wandered too close to the towers.¡±


    ¡°I was making my way to one when I saw that wagon and decided to hop on the back of it,¡± admitted Friedrich. ¡°Is this ruler bad news?¡±


    ¡°The worst news,¡± grumbled Pheston, wincing. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of much, son, but I wouldn¡¯t dare cross the path of the Lord of Horns unless I was desperate.¡±


    Friedrich gasped and felt a sharp jolt in his hand as it darted for the minotaur mask. He fought with himself to pull his hand away while Pheston stared at him curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said the young man, shuddering. ¡°I think it would be best if we don¡¯t say that name again.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Pheston, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated¡­one of the souls of the masks doesn¡¯t like it very much.¡±


    ¡°The Lord of Horns,¡± said Pheston once again.


    Friedrich¡¯s hands trembled as he fought to resist the urge to put the mask on. He slowly pulled it out from under his tunic and brought it close to his face. When it was an inch from his skin, he transformed into a fox and the mask vanished with his human body. After he felt more at ease, he returned to normal.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that,¡± he begged Pheston.


    ¡°You had best explain, lad. I¡¯m not keeping you around if you¡¯re a loose cannon that¡¯s only going to bring me trouble.¡±


    Friedrich sighed as he nodded. ¡°It all started when I was searching for treasure in a keep back in Mercia¡­¡±

 Chapter 77 - To Prove Ones Worth

    Teleri squatted low and inspected the orb on the floor. Its insides continued to swirl as though smoke across the sky, completely unconcerned by what it had just done. Teleri leaned in closer, careful not to let even a single hair touch it.


    ¡°Please be careful, Teleri,¡± pleaded Marina, her voice shaking. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it¡­¡±


    ¡°I am doing everything I can to avoid touching it,¡± said the Alaurian calmly. ¡°I am trying to see if I can see Friedrich within the smoke. Perhaps he is trapped inside the orb and can be drawn out.¡±


    ¡°Do you¡­do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± asked Marina weakly. She didn¡¯t know whether Friedrich was within the orb, teleported away or something much worse. She did not want to imagine the worse thing, but images of Friedrich¡¯s dead body flashed through her imagination.


    ¡°Marina,¡± said Teleri, standing up. ¡°I do not know what this orb is. I do not know what this orb does. All I know is that he is not dead, do you hear me? Friedrich is not dead. He is somewhere and I am¡ªwe are going to find him and bring him back.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± muttered Marina, tearing up. ¡°You¡¯re right. We will.¡±


    Teleri walked back over to the orb. ¡°All we need to do is discover how we can do that. Whether it takes us until tomorrow or takes us until you are old and grey, we will bring him back to us.¡±


    ¡°We need to bring the orb out of the temple. There¡¯s no way we can work out how this magic works by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we cannot touch it.¡±


    ¡°No, but he can,¡± said Marina, twirling her staff around and summoning Shockwave in a crackle of electricity. The lightning elemental hovered in place, awaiting his orders from his mistress. ¡°Shockwave, I want you to carry that orb for us.¡±


    Shockwave floated over as dust and loose rocks swirled around his flickering, electrified form. He reached out his flashing hands and lifted the orb as though he was a solid being. Teleri half-expected him to vanish as Friedrich had, but the elemental remained in place with the Orb of Valskythe cradled within his arms.


    ¡°Where do you propose we take the orb?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°To somewhere with a lot of learned mages,¡± said Marina confidently. ¡°Mages much more well versed in the arcane than me.¡±


    Teleri nodded, knowing exactly where Marina was talking about. ¡°That is a good idea,¡± said the high elf. ¡°But first, we must leave this wretched place.¡±


    Teleri led the way out of the room, past the shed skin of the giant snake with Marina and Shockwave following her. She hoisted herself through the hole in the ceiling and into the chamber above, helping Marina climb up after her. They both looked towards the dead snake that they had slain with Friedrich mere minutes ago, feeling incredibly disheartened.


    *


    ¡°You return so soon?¡± asked Grephor, walking down the staircase he created in the cliff.


    ¡°It is a matter of great urgency,¡± said Teleri, exhausted from the three-day journey to the Temple of Sand and Stone.


    ¡°Where is Friedrich?¡± asked the earthen mage, looking along the cliffside path. He then noticed the orb that Shockwave was holding. ¡°What has happened?¡±


    ¡°Can we come up to the temple and talk where it is cooler?¡± asked Marina, feeling just about ready to collapse.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Grephor, beckoning them to follow. ¡°Come, come.¡±


    The mage led the three to the temple and ushered them inside. He brought them to a small chamber where a pool of water sat. He picked up two pewter cups from a table and filled them, passing one to Marina and one to Teleri and then gesturing for them to sit down on a couple of stools.


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± he said, eyeing the orb with great interest.


    Marina took a large drink of the water before launching into the tale of the party¡¯s time at the Temple of Valskythe. She told Grephor everything from Friedrich scaling the wall to the battle with the snake and then slowing to a whisper as she told the mage of her dear companion¡¯s striking of the orb.


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    ¡°¡­and then we knew that we had to seek advice from someone who may be able to help,¡± Marina finished.


    Grephor nodded silently, resting his head upon his interlocked fingers. ¡°If you will,¡± he said, nodding towards the table.


    Marina ordered Shockwave to place the orb upon the table, upon which both she and Teleri sat back, still not daring to lay as much as a finger upon the polished surface. They had such great fear of the object that they made sure that one of them was awake at all times to keep an eye on the artefact.


    Grephor placed a finger upon the orb, making Marina gasp. ¡°I thought as much,¡± he muttered, picking it up gently in his hands. ¡°Light pressure will not activate its magic,¡± he said, ¡°but I wonder if it was simply the heavy strike that made Friedrich disappear to¡­wherever he is.¡±


    ¡°Disappear?¡± asked Teleri, sounding relieved. ¡°You believe he is alive?¡±


    Grephor nodded, glancing up at her. ¡°I have no reason to presume otherwise, but I cannot say for certain. I do not know the full extent of what this orb is, but I can feel something from it. It feels like planar magic resides within it.¡±


    Marina put both of her hands over her mouth. ¡°Friedrich is trapped in another world?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but I will strive to find out. Planar magic is not something that most of us are well versed in, but Apprentice Dallon has spent a lot of time studying the direct and indirect links between the earth elemental plane and our own, so he may be able to discern something for us.¡±


    ¡°Whatever can be done, please do it,¡± said Teleri, standing up. ¡°If Friedrich is trapped in another world, he is helpless without us.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Grephor, standing up with the orb. ¡°You may both stay here in the meantime, so please make yourself at home. Marina, you can show Blackjack around.¡±


    Grephor departed, taking the orb with him and Marina finally dispelled Shockwave, feeling a massive wave of relief at not having to expend her magical energy further. With a sigh, she picked up the cup and downed the rest of the water.


    ¡°You have shown great strength,¡± said Teleri, awkwardly patting Marina on the shoulder. ¡°Thank you for transporting the orb for us.¡±


    ¡°You can thank Shockwave,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°He is not really a creature, is he? He is not even a he. Everything that elemental did was an extension of you, so it is you who is owed the gratitude.¡±


    Marina smiled faintly. ¡°I appreciate it,¡± she said, rubbing her eyes. ¡°It is more tiring than you can imagine to maintain an elemental for days on end. Even when I slept, I was not truly sleeping. It was as though I was in a trance with a lingering part of me standing awake, doing nothing but holding the orb. I couldn¡¯t let anything happen to it¡­or¡­¡±


    ¡°Or we may never see Friedrich again,¡± said Teleri solemnly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Marina sat silently as Teleri refilled both cups and placed them on the table.


    ¡°Do you really think that about him?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Think what?¡±


    ¡°That Friedrich is helpless without us?¡±


    Teleri looked guilty. ¡°I did not mean it the way I said it. I have great care for him, but I believe that he is his own worst enemy. Too many times has he stumbled through dangerous situations only to come out the other end unscathed. Most of those times, he is alive thanks to us. I have warned him time and time again that his luck would run out and I fear now that I am right.¡±


    ¡°There have been times when we would have died without him. Who knows what Namavar and his men would have done to us if we had remained captive for much longer.¡±


    ¡°As I recall, you were the one who rejected Friedrich¡¯s handling of that ordeal.¡±


    ¡°I was shocked, I admit,¡± said Marina, looking away, ¡°but I know now that sometimes we must do things that we don¡¯t like to live. If it comes at the cost of the lives of the wicked, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°I must ask you something,¡± said Teleri, folding her arms and looking seriously at Marina.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If we discover that Friedrich is dead, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that,¡± said Marina, shaking her head. ¡°How can you ask that?¡±


    ¡°I can think of nothing but that. I pray that Grephor is correct and that Friedrich is trapped in another plane, but if we learn that that is the case and he dies there, then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What would you do?¡±


    ¡°I also do not know. I hoped that you would have an answer for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Marina, looking uncomfortable. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you were looking for an answer like that¡­I thought¡­never mind.¡±


    Teleri walked over to the pool of water and stared at her reflection. ¡°I have spent many moons longing to see my home again, longing to see my brother. I do not have a family left, nor a home I can return to. I do not like saying this out loud, but I believe that I have found the closest thing to a new family I ever could in you and Friedrich. Losing him means that half of my family is gone and that is an unbearable thought. It would mean having to come to terms with loss all over again.¡±


    Marina approached the pool tepidly, looking into the water and seeing both her and Teleri reflected. ¡°We will see him again. You were so confident before we left the temple and now it¡¯s my turn. No matter what where he is, we will see him. No matter what he¡¯s up against, he will find a way through it. We will see him again before I¡¯m old and grey and I believe it will be sooner rather than later. We will do everything we can to assist the mages here, and if they can¡¯t help us, we will find someone who can. If that means returning to Akatfall and going to the Mages Guild, so be it. We will stop at nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri, not taking her eyes off her mirrored image in the water. ¡°We will stop at nothing.¡±


    ¡°Can we sleep for a while?¡± asked Marina, taking a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can stand for more than a minute before my legs give out from under me.¡±


    ¡°Do they have comfortable beds here?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°They are monastic mages who live in a stone temple in the desert,¡± said Marina, letting out a small laugh.


    ¡°Is that a yes or a no?¡±


    Marina led the way out of the room. ¡°It is better than having sand blowing into your eyes at night.¡±


    ¡°You still did not answer my question,¡± muttered Teleri, following her.

 Chapter 78 - Accustomed

    ¡°To you,¡± called Pheston, smashing his hammer into the back of the demon¡¯s helmet, making the armoured warrior stumble forwards in a daze.


    Friedrich brought his shield down through the air, striking him on the chin. The magical shockwave knocked the brute¡¯s helmet off and he pivoted away, falling to the ground. Unable to see clearly, the demon sank his nails into the soil and tried to pull himself away from the two warriors.


    ¡°All yours,¡± said Friedrich, as Pheston grinned smugly.


    He walked up to the demon and stamped on his back while drawing his hammer high. With a grunt, he swung it downwards and smashed it into the demon¡¯s head, crushing its skull and splattering its brains across the ground. Pheston wiped his hammer on the grass, but there was still a bloody smear upon it. He decided it was clean enough for the time being and twirled it around a couple of times while looking around.


    ¡°Good job, Vigr,¡± he said to his hammer before turning to Friedrich who was already climbing up a ruined stone wall. ¡°See anything?¡±


    The young man perched himself atop the bricks and looked down the hill. ¡°Nothing,¡± he confirmed. ¡°I think we¡¯re in the clear.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Pheston, sounding satisfied. ¡°Now get down from there and go catch us some lunch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn today,¡± said Friedrich as he dropped from the wall.


    ¡°My old bones are playing up. You want an old man like me to go do your dirty work?¡±


    ¡°That may have worked on me three months ago, but I¡¯m not falling for it anymore. You¡¯re in better shape than I am, old man.¡±


    Pheston chuckled. ¡°Ah, the jig is up. I think we¡¯re close to a lake so I¡¯ll see if we can get a snappajaw. What we don¡¯t eat, we can carry with us until dinner and it¡¯ll even keep us fed tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, snappajaw,¡± groaned Friedrich, rubbing his stomach. ¡°That sounds delicious.¡±


    ¡°Come on, lad,¡± said Pheston, jerking his head and leading the way past the ruined tower that sat in the centre of the hill.


    The three months Friedrich had been trapped in Keldracht had passed shockingly quickly. He had finally mastered the art of counting the days, something he had relied heavily on Pheston for until a couple of weeks ago. The number of hours in a day here were similar to home, but there were different telltale signs that marked the passage of time, the most notable of which was the changing colour of the holes in the sky that emitted light.


    As grim as this plane was, he had gotten used to the way things worked here. Hunt for food, find somewhere safe to camp out, kill any demons on the prowl and then move along. As repetitive as the routine seemed, it was never dull. He was still seeing new and evermore bizarre creatures wherever Pheston led him.


    He stilled missed home and was eager to find a way back to Eradrel, but Pheston was good company in the meantime. Of course, he still missed Marina and Teleri and longed to see them again. As accustomed to this new life as he was, he was still determined to find a way home, but he didn¡¯t bring it up to the old smith who was constantly pessimistic about the prospect of escape.


    ¡°I love a good trier, but it ain¡¯t happening, Friedrich,¡± he would say.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Friedrich would reply.


    The Mercian didn¡¯t have any real plan, but he believed that inspiration would strike before long. He had faith that Jorren would not want to see one of his beloved Mercians trapped in a demonic hellscape forever. Whether there was help sent for him or he discovered an escape on his own, Friedrich was convinced that his faith would pay off.


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    Pheston led the way through the wilderness, scaring off a couple of skinny scaled demons that he called inedibles. Friedrich hadn¡¯t needed to ask why considering how scrawny the reptilian creatures were. Normally, Pheston would have picked them up and bashed them with his hammer to see how far he could send them flying, but he must have been in a kinder mood today.


    As the pair walked, they engaged in idle chitchat as they often did. ¡°Let¡¯s say we go home today,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°What would be the first thing you would do?¡±


    ¡°Easy!¡± shouted Pheston, much louder than he intended. ¡°Drink three beers and a woman.¡±


    ¡°You would drink a woman?¡± chuckled Friedrich.


    ¡°Shut it, lad. You know exactly what I mean. Travelling with two beautiful lassies, I have no doubt you do.¡±


    Friedrich shook his head. ¡°No matter how many times you sneakily rephrase it, I¡¯m telling you that I have never bedded either of my companions. We¡¯ve got much more important matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a liar, Friedrich, and I will make you confess eventually. You probably have a sprog or two back home.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡±


    Pheston laughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯m just winding you up, Friedrich. Don¡¯t be such a sensitive little girl.¡±


    Friedrich wanted to retort, but a large body of the familiar green water came into view. Over the last couple of months, Friedrich¡¯s stomach had indeed become accustomed to it as Pheston said it would. He still didn¡¯t much like the taste of it, but it had kept him alive and that was all it needed to do.


    ¡°Bet you there¡¯s a lot of snappajaws just waiting for us,¡± said Pheston, looking giddy as he twirled his hammer. ¡°I can¡¯t wait, my friend. I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    The old man talked about food a lot. It was second only to talking about his claimed success with the ladies in his youth. Friedrich had learned that Pheston had seven children that he knew of, yet he still talked more about food than he did his past life. The young Mercian wasn¡¯t sure if it was a case of out of sight, out of mind or if it was too painful to talk about all the years he missed out on, but anytime Friedrich broached the subject, it was swiftly shot down again.


    ¡°Oh, my aching bones!¡± decried Pheston as he walked to the water¡¯s edge before clutching his back. He hobbled over to the grass and sat down again, looking smug.


    ¡°Me being here has made you lazy,¡± scoffed Friedrich as he started walking along the waterfront, searching for any telltale signs that a snappajaw was nearby.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right here, Friedrich,¡± said Pheston smarmily. ¡°I¡¯m sure a moment¡¯s rest will have me right as rain.¡±


    Friedrich walked alongside the trees until he reached the far side of the lake where a large, scaled snappajaw was sleeping. It was an unfathomably ugly creature, but it was the only creature Friedrich had encountered in Keldracht so far that tasted good. Most of the others were either disgusting or barely satisfactory.


    He reached for the minotaur mask and placed it on his face. The sleeping snappajaw hadn¡¯t noticed Friedrich¡¯s transformation, much to his delight, but the one lurking in the water behind him had. The long reptile lunged for his meaty calf, eager to taste the otherworldly mammal, but Friedrich moved aside just in time as the sleeping one stirred.


    Friedrich grabbed the hungry snappajaw by the two halves of its jaw and tugged, breaking its bones. He threw it onto the grass and grabbed its long tail while the first snappajaw scurried across the grass at an alarming pace. The Mercian flung the lurker over his shoulder and slammed it into the charging beast, winding it. He released his makeshift weapon and leapt onto the back of the stunned snappajaw.


    The Mercian shoved his fingers in the reptile¡¯s eyes, making it roar in pain. As he was about to deal the killing blow to one of his two meals, he spotted something across the lake that made his heart stop for a second. There was a horde of armoured demons fighting a lone burly man, who was swinging his hammer wildly at his foes.


    With a furious grunt, Friedrich ran from the two snappajaws, rushing to Pheston¡¯s aid. Before he was even halfway to his target, he saw a hammer fly through the air and land in the lake, sinking out of sight almost instantly. An enraged Pheston yelled and threw punches at his foes, but he was surrounded and subdued before being dragged away through the trees as Friedrich ran at full pelt.


    The minotaur rushed into the trees, looking for any sign of Pheston or his attackers. To his relief, there were drag marks and he followed them back to the plains, but suddenly his mask fell from his face and he stood as a human. Friedrich watched as a wagon surrounded by a dozen demon-riding grecks and manned by two more demons carted away a caged old man who lay unconscious within the iron bars.


    ¡°No!¡± screamed Friedrich. He turned into a fox and hurried as fast as he could after the demons, but they were outpacing him.


    Before long, they disappeared from sight, leaving the golden fox standing alone on the road. Friedrich turned back into a human and fell to his knees, feeling utterly defeated. It should have been him. Pheston was meant to be catching the snappajaws and Friedrich should have been the one attacked.


    The young man beat the ground with his fists, yelling with each punch. He threw himself back and wiped the sweat from his forehead before standing up and heading back into the trees. He was going to track the old smith down and set him free, but first, he needed to find something.

 Chapter 79 - A Debt Owed

    Friedrich rushed along the road with his shield on one arm, a sword in the other and a hammer hanging from his waist. Pheston¡¯s hammer, Vigr, dripped occasional droplets of green as Friedrich moved, the nooks and crannies of the engraved hammer holding onto the lake water remarkably well. The young man himself was dry, having relied on his goblinoid self to find the hammer from the bottom of the lake.


    With only the road and some rough tracks to follow, Friedrich was convinced that he would be able to locate Pheston before long. He had no doubt in his mind that the old man¡¯s abductors were the same ones that the pair had fled from hours previously. They thought they had lost the trail after killing one of their pursuers at an old ruin, but that one error had proven to be a costly one.


    Friedrich pressed ahead, ready to cut down any beast that would dare cross his path. He prayed that it would not be another platoon of demon soldiers, but he would slaughter them all the same. It may require some clever tactics, but he would do whatever it took to rescue Pheston, the one being in Keldracht that had given him friendship and guidance. He owed his friend a rescue.


    As he walked towards a fork in the path, Friedrich was dismayed to see that there were tracks leading in multiple directions. He couldn¡¯t discern which were the most recent and opted to transform into a fox to try and sniff out the foul whiff of a demon. After a couple of minutes of contemplation, he turned back into a human and walked down the left path.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you eventually,¡± muttered Friedrich.


    The path brought him to a large tunnel where a derelict wooden outpost sat outside. It was one of the precious few times that Friedrich had laid eyes upon a wooden building in Keldracht, with the vast majority of structures being made from stone or metal.


    He stepped inside the ramshackle hut and looked around, but there was nothing he could use to aid him. There was, however, a tattered old book that was missing most of its pages and the other pages remained were faded. He moved to the doorway where there was better light and looked at the first page that was mostly legible.


    Day 584. Keldracht has proven far more difficult to tame than we first envisioned. Our hubris got the better of us, it seems. We ¡ª fathom. If in another thirty days we cannot make our ¡ª call it quits. The Lord of Horns has used our taken most of ¡ª one day, we will win.


    Upon flicking through the rest of the book, Friedrich was none the wiser as to who had written it, but the fact that he could read it suggested that it was written by a human. It wasn¡¯t a stretch to imagine that humans had tried to wage war against a demonic plane before, but there was little success if that was indeed the case. The name that stuck out to Friedrich the most was one that reached out to the spirit of the minotaur mask. He dared not utter the name aloud, lest the minotaur become enraged again. Friedrich needed to maintain full control and could not afford any mistakes that would cost him his freedom.


    The young man walked from the outpost and marched into the cave, transforming once more into a fox to see through the darkness. The road continued to run along the cave ground, but there was a distinct damp, almost floral smell in the air that Friedrich couldn¡¯t identify. It was unlike anything he had smelled in Keldracht so far and that gave him great cause for concern.


    He picked up the pace, following the road and ignoring all side passages. The further he could get from the smell, the better, but the road seemed to be steering him closer and closer to it. He prayed that it was down another passageway, but his hopes were dashed when he rounded a bend and saw a towering figure standing before the exit back into the open world.


    The creature before him was a beast wholly unnatural with a womanly upper half, but all feminine traits bastardised and warped into a twisted appearance that made Friedrich¡¯s fur stand on end. Where there could have been a kind smile and beautiful eyes, was a horrific sneer and piercing white eyes. Smooth skin was replaced with rough scales and instead of two arms, she bore four which ended in claw-like hands. Her lower half was that of a snake, twisted and coiled, perfect for strangling whatever unfortunate prey crossed her path.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Kyah!¡± she called harshly to Friedrich, who was about to turn back into a human to fight before the creature spoke again. ¡°What is this? A creature from Terna?¡±


    Friedrich froze, wondering how it was that she knew of foxes. He did not move towards her, but sat on his hind legs to signal no hostility from him¡ªfor now.


    ¡°You understand me, fox?¡±


    Friedrich nodded silently.


    ¡°You are far away from home where the grass is green and the air is warm. What is it that you do in our realm?¡±


    Friedrich said nothing.


    ¡°Could it be that you seek the human that passed through here a short while ago? Was he your master and you his pet?¡±


    Perhaps she knew where Pheston had gone. Friedrich needed to communicate with her, but did not want to turn back into his regular self while his sword was still in his five-fingered hand. She may attack immediately upon seeing a weapon.


    ¡°Do not ignore me, fox. I am the guardian of this lair and none pass through without my say so. I am Tha¡¯gura.¡±


    He had to do something. Friedrich approached her slowly while she continued to sneer at him, revealing her jagged teeth that would make even the snappajaws jealous. Friedrich stopped a few yards away from her, should the snake-lady decide she wanted a lupine dinner this evening. Knowing that she was awaiting a response, he nodded to her once again.


    ¡°Such loyalty is admirable,¡± said Tha¡¯gura. ¡°But admiration is not something I would extend to creatures of Terna. Is it that important to you that you are allowed to pass me by and follow your master?¡±


    Friedrich nodded again.


    Tha¡¯gura let escape a low hiss as her forked tongue flicked between the points of her teeth. ¡°And if I were to deny your pursuit?¡±


    There was nothing else for it. Friedrich should have known that any attempts to reason with a creature like this were fruitless. As he transformed back into a human, Tha¡¯gura slid back a foot in surprise.


    ¡°If you were to deny my pursuit,¡± said Friedrich, raising his sword. ¡°I would simply go through you instead.¡±


    ¡°Kyah!¡± screeched Tha¡¯gura, lunging for Friedrich with her four arms.


    He bashed two out of the way with his shield, sending them flinging back behind Tha¡¯gura¡¯s head, while one of her sharp claws scratched at his clothes. Her fourth arm was suddenly no longer attached to her body upon the swift slashing of Friedrich¡¯s sword, eliciting a foul scream from the snake-lady as blue blood streamed from her stump.


    ¡°Meyan! Fel¡¯kergaru mir te yath!¡±


    Friedrich took a step back, raising his shield and positioning his sword over the top of it. ¡°I will permit you to live if you would simply get out of my way, Tha¡¯gura.¡±


    ¡°Die!¡± she hissed, unfurling her tail and slithering around Friedrich, who pivoted to follow her upper body.


    The Mercian knew what Tha¡¯gura¡¯s next move was to be, he just needed to predict when she would strike and he could counter. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead as he watched her intently, waiting to seize the opening. She was wise to how savvy he was and only taking one of her arms was not enough to deter her. No, he needed to go for the kill.


    In the blink of an eye, Tha¡¯gura constricted her tail. Friedrich jumped into the air, and not a second too soon, transforming into a fox and standing on her scales. He scurried up her back as she reached for him and then transformed back into a human upon her shoulders.


    He slammed his shield into the back of her head, making her jolt forwards violently, but he clung on around her neck with his legs. He drew his steel blade high and thrust it into the back of her neck, piercing her scales and shooting through her throat.


    Friedrich leapt from her as she fell onto the road lifelessly, all life having left her before her wretched face smacked the stone. He breathed a sigh of relief as he dusted himself off, feeling nothing but disdain for the guardian of these worthless tunnels.


    The young man walked through the opening and back into the open air. Knowing that he was going the right way thanks to Tha¡¯gura¡¯s words, Friedrich continued to follow the road. Before he got too far, he happened upon another fork, but this time there was already a sign waiting for him.


    It was not a sign etched in wood or metal, but something that gave him much more assurance. There was a single worn boot sitting at the side of the road a few feet along the right path. The boot was very familiar to Friedrich and he knew who had left it there to guide him.


    Pheston was still alive and he knew that his friend was coming to save him. And Friedrich was more resolute than ever that that was exactly what he was going to do. Come hell or high water, the old man would be set free.

 Chapter 80 - The Obsidian Gate

    Friedrich¡¯s sword was drawn through the air, sweeping a wave of blood onto the soil as the skeykyag collapsed in a miserable heap with her wings bent and crooked underneath her. The Mercian wiped his sword on the grass and continued along the road, feeling reinvigorated by his latest kill.


    He had been following Pheston¡¯s trail for at least five hours and the last sign he had from the old man was a scrap of cloth tossed by the side of the road. It had occurred to Friedrich that he could have been being led astray by a demon that forked away from the rest of his comrades to deliberately throw him off the scent.


    ¡°No,¡± he repeated to himself for the seventh time. ¡°There¡¯s no motive for that. They would simply attack me and spill my guts. Pull yourself together, Friedrich.¡±


    As Friedrich ascended a hill, his jaw dropped. He was now assured that he had gone the right way and threw himself behind a rock to avoid being seen. After a moment to take a few deep breaths, he peeked out from behind his hiding spot.


    Nestled within a valley surrounded by two large cliffs was a forty-foot wall made of obsidian where dozens of demons stood atop and a further dozen guarded the bottom. At the centre of the wall, sitting at half the height, was a gate.


    As the armoured demons patrolled the rampart, they were continually looking from side to side. No one was permitted to come even close never mind crossing it. Friedrich had the horrifying realisation of who was buried away behind the gate in his castle. It was not only Pheston, it was the lord of the region. The Lord of Horns.


    The old smith had told Friedrich of the cruelty of the foul demon who he had once run afoul of. His minions feared him above all except for Ph¡¯zerak¡ªthe demon god of Keldracht¡ªhimself. Such was his cruelty that he slaughtered fifty of his own men every few years to ensure that his notoriety was preserved. An act as cruel as this would have been met with mutiny in human lands, but not in demon territory. The hierarchy was enforced with an iron fist and Friedrich had witnessed this himself at the meeting of demons in the castle he infiltrated three months ago.


    ¡°How can I get past the gate?¡± he muttered in despair. ¡°I can¡¯t climb as a goblin without being shot down, I¡¯m much too slow. I¡¯ll be seen as a fox because of my fur and with nowhere to hide. If only I had Namavar¡¯s moth form¡­¡±


    Friedrich retreated behind the rock again as the gate began to open. Holding his breath as he dared to look, he saw a wagon ride out with a single rider and a pair of grecks to pull it. This was exactly what he needed and it couldn¡¯t have come at a better time.


    The Mercian morphed into Kitt¡¯s form and waited behind the rock for the demon to come close. Friedrich could hear the beating of the reptilian feet on the road and the rolling of the wheels as they flicked dust into the air. The second it passed him, he stormed after it and leapt onto the back. Upon descending to the bottom of the hill and out of sight of the obsidian gate, Friedrich returned to his normal self and drew his sword. He crept up behind the driver, yanked his helmet from him and cut his head off in a clean sweep as the lizards continued to run along.


    Friedrich hurriedly removed the man¡¯s armour and strapped it to himself as the grecks took him down the road. It was a stark reminder for him that the demons didn¡¯t need to constantly whip the beasts who were intelligent enough to find their way on their own.


    ¡°Farewell,¡± said Friedrich, throwing the driver from the wagon and hopping onto the front of the wagon.


    The young man was indistinguishable from a demon save for the pale skin of his face that was clearly visible underneath parts of the helmet. He leaned down and grabbed a handful of soil that he then rubbed across his exposed skin, hoping that would do the trick.


    Friedrich grabbed the reins of the two running beasts and hoped his plan would work. ¡°Turn!¡± he said, tugging on them, but the beasts did not obey him. ¡°Agh,¡± he grunted in frustration.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Looking around for something that he could use, he spotted the driver¡¯s whip sitting in the back of the wagon. Surely not.


    ¡°Turn!¡± Friedrich yelled, whipping the grecks in turn, and turn they did.


    They ran off the road, moved in a semicircle and returned to the road, heading straight back to the obsidian gate. Friedrich breathed a sigh of relief before he felt the panging realisation of what he was about to attempt. It was foolish, if not suicidal. What was his plan if the gate did not open for him? He had no more than three minutes to think about it and that didn¡¯t feel like enough time at all.


    He tried to focus his mind, but he could see the hill creeping closer and closer. By the time he was nearing the top and the wall came into view, he still had nothing. As he descended and heading straight for the gate, he was starting to panic. He hoped his perspiring would not wash the grey soil he was using to disguise himself as a demon.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± he muttered to himself upon seeing that the grecks were not slowing down. Perhaps he gave them too much credit for their intelligence. ¡°Kyah!¡± he yelled, whipping them, forcing them to slow as he was mere yards from the gate.


    Friedrich didn¡¯t dare look at any of the demons close by, keeping his eyes focused on the gate. Seconds felt likes hours as the gate remained firmly closed. His hand moved to his armour, ready to reach underneath for the minotaur mask in case he needed to fight his way to safety.


    ¡°Heh,¡± grunted the young man in relief as the sharp gates started to move.


    Slowly but surely, they swung open and, with another whip, he was riding on through in the hijacked wagon. He suspected that had he made contact with even a single one of the patrollers, he would have been rumbled.


    Friedrich suddenly noticed that his right hand was sitting upon the armour, trembling. It was right over the spot where the minotaur mask sat underneath. It was the first time in a while that the spirit had tried to impose its will on him. The last time it had was upon Pheston¡¯s accidental mentioning of The Lord of Horns over a month ago. Something was wrong.


    Once Friedrich was sure that he was clear of the gate, he redirected the grecks into a small cave and forced them to stop. He pulled the minotaur mask out from underneath the armour and held it in both of his hands, looking directly at the turquoise stone that swirled with its ethereal vapour.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Friedrich demanded of it.


    His impulse to put on the mask faded away upon the words leaving his lips.


    ¡°No,¡± he told the minotaur. ¡°You are not going to get away with your madness any longer. You have an insatiable bloodlust that eats away at me back in Mercia and Kai¡¯roh, yet here, you can control yourself? What is the meaning of it?¡±


    There was no answer from the mask, not that Friedrich expected one. He clutched the mask and shook it violently, his rage building at the spirit that dwelled within.


    ¡°You forced us into this horrible plane and you sit by silently. What is it that you¡¯re so afraid of, minotaur? I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Friedrich whipped off his helmet and placed the minotaur mask, transforming upon the wagon and startling the grecks who tried to flee. With a thump from his huge fists, the two beasts calmed themselves and stood still once again.


    ¡°Kill¡­horns¡­¡± grunted the minotaur, his chest heaving as he tried to prevent himself from flying into a rage. The beast was in full control and Friedrich could not move a muscle. He hoped, however, that it could read his thoughts while taking control of his body.


    ¡°You want to kill The Lord of Horns, I understand that,¡± he thought. ¡°Yet you drag us here and are too afraid to go through with it?¡±


    ¡°Kill¡­horns¡­revenge¡­¡± uttered the minotaur.


    ¡°You want revenge against him? For what, trapping your soul in the stone? Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Revenge¡­slaughter¡­¡±


    ¡°I will make you a deal, minotaur,¡± thought Friedrich. ¡°I will ensure that The Lord of Horns is dead, but I want something in exchange.¡±


    The minotaur was silent.


    ¡°I want you to pledge yourself to me, as Kitt has done before you. I will see to it that you get your revenge, even letting you take over for the killing blow against the one you so hate. What you must do is serve me without resistance from that point onwards. Do you understand?¡±


    Again, the minotaur said nothing.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± thought Friedrich more loudly.


    The minotaur snorted and scowled, but Friedrich felt his head nod. ¡°Kill¡­horns¡­serve¡­deal¡­¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± thought Friedrich, taking back control of his movement from the spirit of the mask.


    If he was to see this task through and save Pheston in the process, he needed to be certain that he could remain undetected. That meant that the poor grecks could not be taken out in case they were recognised further along the road. He would continue on four feet and stick to the shadows once he was no longer forced to remain a minotaur.


    Friedrich walked towards the edge of the cave opening and looked further up the road. There, halfway up the mountain sat a towering castle. It was much grander and markedly more sinister than the one he had visited before. If Pheston and the demonic ruler were anywhere, it would be inside that castle.

 Chapter 81 - Bodies of the Wretched

    Friedrich scurried through the grass, keeping as low as he could. A squad of demons were marching up the mountain path towards the castle and he had nowhere close by to seek good cover. Realising that running too fast would only get him spotted, he desperately sank his nails into the soil and dug himself a hole and slotted into it, pouring as much of the dirt back over himself as he could.


    The marching footsteps and clanking armour grew closer and all Friedrich could think was that in Kai¡¯roh, he could easily sink beneath the sand and in Mercia, where the soil was less dry and dense, he could have dug a deeper hole in the same amount of time.


    The demons were no more than two dozen feet from him now and, to Friedrich¡¯s relief, they did not stop to investigate the small bulge of dirt-covered fur that was sitting within the grass. Perhaps they thought it was a rock or perhaps they didn¡¯t notice it at all, but in any case, he was safe for now.


    Poking his head out from the wiry grass, Friedrich watched the demons continue on their way to the castle. For what purpose, he did not know, but they were also his best bet to seeing an open door. In human form, he was still wearing the demon driver¡¯s armour which closely matched the marchers.


    No, that was foolish. They may not have noticed a half-buried creature, but a man wearing armour and with grey soil panting his face that joined their party from out of nowhere? They would certainly realise that he was an intruder within seconds. He would have to come up with a more sensible plan once he saw the castle up close. And with that thought, Friedrich looked down the slope to ensure that no more demons were marching up and then slinked after the platoon, keeping well back.


    The path was winding as it curved up the mountain, but there were no forks and splinters for either Friedrich or the demons to concern themselves with. So focused on their march were the demons that not a single one of them looked over their shoulders even once. And, as they reached the gate, only then did they slow before stopping a few yards back to allow it to open.


    ¡°Kelshma!¡± cried a guard from a small window above the doors, which then began to grind open.


    Friedrich watched the guard in the window and used every small opening he could to creep forward. Once the doors stopped moving, the platoon of demon soldiers continued their march inside and the guard above ordered the gates be closed. Now was Friedrich¡¯s best chance.


    He hurried up behind the marching demons, clinging close to the back of the last demon¡¯s feet. Again, the demon did not look back, and the guard did not notice Friedrich following the unwitting soldier inside. The doors came to a close and Friedrich hugged the wall as the demons marched on and through the double doors at the far side of the corridor that took them to the courtyard.


    Breathing a sigh of relief that he was inside and alone, he now had the difficult task of tracking down Pheston. But, perhaps, it would be less difficult in the dim light of the corridors. Willing himself to return to his human form, Friedrich then stood tall in the driver¡¯s armour and walked on ahead.


    On the walls either side of him, sat a door, while straight ahead lay the courtyard. He opted for the left door and was met by a spiral staircase that ascended a tower. He thought for a moment, realising that this must be the way to the guard at the window and his unseen lackeys who opened the doors.


    Keen to avoid any living creature that was not the old smith, he turned and headed for the right door. He was surprised to see a small armoury before him and strolled inside, closing the door behind him. He looked from sword to pauldron, from breastplate to gauntlet, wondering if any of these were enchanted and he could make use of them.


    ¡°If Marina was here, she¡¯d at least be able to sense some magic coming from these,¡± said Friedrich under his breath.


    He walked up and started rummaging around, holding a few of the more oddly shaped items to his ear. He didn¡¯t know whether to expect them to be humming or buzzing, but not a single one made a sound. The only sound made was when he heard the twitching of the doorknob and he turned into a fox to hide amongst the assortment of equipment.


    ¡°Terdruth,¡± barked a demonic voice, waiting for a response.


    Friedrich didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    ¡°Kalmeran,¡± said the demon, walking forward with slow footsteps. ¡°I¡­know¡­you¡¯re¡­here¡­¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Friedrich was alarmed to hear his own tongue being spoken by the demon and knew he had to act. He scurried between the gear and leapt up from behind the demon, turning back into a human as he did so and smacking the infernal creature in the back of the head with his shield.


    The demon tumbled into a suit of armour and strewing it across the floor. As the demon rolled over, a sharp sword was plunged into his skull, killing him instantly. Friedrich looked around in a panic and dragged the corpse into the back corner. He then grabbed a few armour stands and slid them in front of the demon.


    ¡°Greedy,¡± he spat to himself. ¡°So bloody greedy, Friedrich. Priorities.¡±


    He walked from the room and marched as the demons had done, making for the courtyard. He opened the doors and made a rigid beeline straight for a set of doors at the far side, ignoring the other demons.


    He didn¡¯t even take the time to look at what they were doing, figuring that it was best if he looked to be a man on a mission¡ªnot that he knew if demons cared about interrupting their brethren. Friedrich walked along a large shadow on the ground, caring not what was causing it, and only stopped upon reaching the doors.


    As he opened them, he heard a distinct chortling behind him, but refused to look. Whatever was so funny, he hoped it wasn¡¯t him, and continued about his business. He stepped into the next corridor and closed the door behind him. Worried that he would be followed, he took the path to the left and continued marching, all the while feeling incredibly silly. He thought perhaps he should take some acting lessons next time he was back in Mercia.


    As Friedrich marched past another demon, the demon turned to him and cocked its head to the side. Before he knew what he was doing, Friedrich skewered the beast through the throat and shoved him inside an empty room. The last thing he needed was more commotion.


    After continuing his wandering and drawing little attention, he heard a distant distinctly human scream that made him freeze on the spot. Where had it come from? He knew the voice well, although he had never heard its owner scream before. Pheston was close and he was in trouble.


    Friedrich turned into a fox and waited, knowing that his pointed ears were much better at sifting through sound than his rounded, human ears. After a short while, there was a pained groan that echoed through the corridors and Friedrich bolted off, not caring that demons would see him coming should be pass any.


    And pass them, he did. He followed the sound and another yell told him he was going in the right direction. As he ran, the demons gave chase until he reached what he sought, a staircase leading beneath the castle. Friedrich turned back into a human and placed the minotaur mask on his face, taking on another one of his forms as the four chasing demons closed in on him.


    Thinking they were able to outmatch him with their superior numbers, they swung their curved swords with confidence, but it was confidence that wildly outmatched their abilities. Friedrich grabbed two of their arms and snapped them like twigs before crushing a skull between his two hands.


    As the first of the demons fell to the stone bricks, he picked up its metal-clad corpse and swung it like a club, knocking the rest of the wretched creatures down. One-by-one, he tore them to shreds, leaving a pool of blood spilling on the floor that grew so wide that it started dripping down the staircase. Turning his back on the bodies he left in his wake, Friedrich descended with heavy footsteps as Pheston let out another scream.


    The chamber at the bottom of the staircase was large and open with cells built into the surrounding walls and many cages filled with the corpses of humans, elves, orcs and many other species that did not belong in Keldracht. Tied to a rack and with dozens of cuts and burns on his battered body was Pheston, while two demons stood over him with blades and red-hot branding irons.


    Upon seeing the minotaur that had come to join the party, they turned to Friedrich and charged forward, but he was quicker off the mark. He threw himself into them and pinned them both to the ground. Snatching the branding iron from one, he shoved it into the demon¡¯s mouth and it screamed as its tongue was burned. With a heavy shove, it pieced the back of the demon¡¯s throat and it fell motionless, leaving its kin alone to deal with the minotaur pinning it down.


    ¡°Ka¡­Kagru¡­¡± panted the demon, but Friedrich did not care what it wanted to say. He stood up and grabbed the demon, tossing him against the ceiling and then stomping on his chest when he landed, crushing him within his armour.


    ¡°F-friedrich,¡± groaned Pheston. ¡°Lovely day today, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Seconds later, Friedrich¡¯s returned to himself. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked as he grabbed a key from a nearby table and unlocked Pheston¡¯s shackles.


    ¡°Never better, lad¡­never better,¡± said the smith as he struggled to sit up. ¡°A good sleep and I¡¯ll be right as rain.¡±


    Friedrich helped him to his feet and then passed over the hammer that Pheston cared so dearly for. ¡°I thought you might want this back.¡±


    Pheston clapped the young man on the shoulder and gave him a nod of gratitude as he accepted his weapon. He twirled it around in his hand and then swung it through the air before flexing and twisting his stiff body.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Noy yet,¡± said Friedrich, prompting a raised eyebrow. ¡°I made a promise to the minotaur.¡±


    ¡°A promise to the minotaur? I don¡¯t like the sound of this already, Friedrich. What¡¯s this promise then? Enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°I promised to help him kill the Lord of Horns in exchange for him serving me without question.¡±


    Pheston scoffed and grunted. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to get yourself killed, boy, aren¡¯t you? What you¡¯re proposing is madness, especially in that wicked beast¡¯s own territory.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll help me, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Pheston, looking to his hammer. ¡°I will. Let¡¯s see if we can draw him out, eh? If we¡¯re to die, might as well go down swinging a hammer and a sword.¡±

 Chapter 82 - The Lord of Horns

    Friedrich and Pheston stood in the torture chamber beneath the castle as Pheston used scraps of cloth from the bodies of the dead prisoners to bind his wounds while Friedrich discarded the demon driver¡¯s armour. It was disheartening to see so many intelligent beings from their home plane of Terna, but Friedrich was just glad that Pheston wasn¡¯t among the dead when he had arrived here.


    ¡°You said we¡¯ll see if we cand draw him out,¡± said Friedrich to the smith. ¡°How do we do that? Where does he stay?¡±


    ¡°Did you not come through the courtyard?¡± asked Pheston.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have seen it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see much of anything,¡± admitted Friedrich. ¡°I was marching straight across it while pretending to be a demon. I didn¡¯t look up or to either side even once.¡±


    Pheston guffawed. ¡°You¡¯re a funny one, lad, but I can¡¯t complain. It worked and you got me out of this bind.¡±


    ¡°The Lord of Horns?¡±


    ¡°Yes, him,¡± said Pheston. ¡°He stays in his tower above the courtyard. You didn¡¯t even notice the shadow that it cast over everything?¡±


    Friedrich thought about it and he did seem to recall something like that. ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°In any case, let¡¯s get moving and see this mission through. With any luck, it¡¯ll make this land safer for us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s optimistic of you, but I hope you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Friedrich and Pheston walked up the staircase with their weapons in hand, only to be accosted by a group of demons who were surveying the corpses of their brethren at the top of the stairs. The same ones that Friedrich had killed no more than ten minutes ago.


    ¡°You take the left, I¡¯ll take the right,¡± said Pheston.


    The two engaged the demons, piercing and crushing their skulls. Pheston used his impressive might to hurl them down the corridor to thin the numbers while he fought and Friedrich slipped in and out of his fox form to dodge and used his shield to block the heavy swings from their swords. As the last of the demons fell, the two marched along and headed for the courtyard.


    They walked along, taking it in turns to slaughter any demon that dared accost them. So expert were they at killing their foes in Keldracht that it had become second nature; even to Friedrich, who had been here considerably less time than Pheston.


    The two threw open the doors and strolled into the courtyard as the demons here stood to attention. Much to Friedrich¡¯s surprise, they did not make any moves for them, but Pheston had a knowing look on his face.


    ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve already caught his attention,¡± he said, looking up.


    Floating in the sky above them was a metal tower that looked as though it had been snapped off from somewhere else in the castle. It had splintered metal edges all along it and Friedrich could see the underside of the spiral staircase leading upwards within the tower.


    Sitting on the edge of the tower¡¯s battlements and looking down upon the courtyard was a giant wyvern with scales as black as night and jagged protrusions coming from its body that went beyond mere horns¡ªof which there were four streaming out from the back of its head. Its thick tail swayed as it stared at Friedrich and Pheston, rubbing against the metal outer wall of the floating tower.


    Atop the wyvern, sat its rider. Even from the distance, Friedrich could see two large horns erupting from the side of his head. He felt a pang in his soul as the minotaur looked on through Friedrich¡¯s eyes in fury and fear as the Lord of Horns watched the two humans.


    The beating of black wings in the sky came and the wyvern caried its master through the air, swirling around the tower as it did so before landing on the ground with a heavy thud and sending a wave of dust across the courtyard.


    The Lord of Horns himself was a demon clad in much more intricate armour than his kin, but he wore no helmet, for none would easily fit upon his head with the footlong horns that protruded from him. He had deep orange eyes that looked like swirling lava and bore a wide smile that showed off his jagged fangs.


    He let out a deep laugh and spoke to the humans in his rough, booming voice. ¡°You are bold to have dared walked into my domain, boy. All to rescue this consistent thorn in my side? For what purpose? All it will mean is your death.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Humans care about friendship and loyalty, Lord of Horns,¡± said Friedrich, standing tall. ¡°You may consider that a weakness, but to me, it¡¯s a strength.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it can be, but it is certainly not today. Especially once I extract your souls and add you both to my demonic army. I hope you have taken to the land of Keldracht, because it will be your home for eternity.¡±


    Friedrich felt his arm moving towards the minotaur mask and the Lord of Horns was very much aware of this, but rather than stop him, he allowed the young man to place the mask upon his face and take on the hulking form of the minotaur.


    ¡°I know that hideously hairy face,¡± said the Lord of Horns, laughing once more. ¡°Could it possibly be Darkan?¡±


    The minotaur snorted and muttered. ¡°Horns¡­¡±


    ¡°You cannot speak anymore? I remember a time when you could not shut up. Especially as my army slaughtered your kin and wiped out your entire clan, Darkan. What a pathetic excuse for a warlord you were, you stupid bull. And to think, your fate is even more pitiful, is it not?¡±


    Darkan¡¯s chest heaved up and down as Friedrich tried to restrain the minotaur from taking over.


    ¡°You were the last survivor and yet, somehow, your soul ends up bound to a plank of wood. Now, you¡¯re the lapdog of a human? Oh, how the not-so-mighty have fallen.¡±


    Unable to take the goading any longer, Darkan overwhelmed Friedrich¡¯s control and charged towards the Lord of Horns. Rather than aim for the demon lord himself, the minotaur directed himself to the ash wyvern. The beast lunged for him, but Friedrich grabbed its upper and lower jaw from within and wrenched it apart, snapping the bone and letting the lower jaw fall limp.


    The wyvern whipped its tail around and Friedrich caught it. He gave into Darkan¡¯s instinct and sank his teeth into it, tearing a large chunk from it and spitting scales, flesh and green blood onto the courtyard. No longer content to let his pet do all of the work¡ªespecially as it was losing¡ªthe Lord of Horns leapt from his minion¡¯s back and held up his right hand, conjuring a whip of flames into it.


    As Friedrich battled the master and his mount, Pheston had darted for the surrounding demons and was in the process of obliterating their skulls one by one. Needing the extra reach as his foes swarmed him, he held up his hammer and the shaft tripled in length. He twirled it around, smashing it into demon after demon, keeping them busy while Friedrich dealt with their wicked lord.


    ¡°Lie down like the beast you are,¡± spat the Lord of Horns as he whipped Friedrich with his fiery whip.


    The young man tried to grab it, but his hand passed right through the flames which burned his hairy palms. The wyvern whipped him in the legs with its mutilated tail and knocked him to the ground, but that was something Friedrich could grab.


    From the soil, he yanked the wyvern¡¯s tail with great force, pulling it to him and knocking the Lord of Horns aside. As the demon rushed to his feet, his face bore a look of fury at being struck and he drew back his arm to whip Friedrich once more, but Friedrich had already stood up.


    Using his tremendous might, he swung the wyvern around and took the searing strikes to the back before launching the scaled ash beast into its master and pinning down the Lord of Horns. As the disoriented creature struggled, Friedrich climbed on its back and jammed his fingers into its eyes, blinding it before hopping down and giving the creature berth as its master arose from beneath.


    ¡°When I turn you into one of us,¡± said the Lord of Horns with scorn in his voice, ¡°I will leave just a little piece of you alive so that you can see everything that I make you do. Every atrocity will tear into your soul and you will be powerless to stop it. I will make you rue the day you picked up that mask, and I will make you rue the day that you stepped foot into Keldracht. Into my territory.¡±


    As Friedrich charged the Lord of Horns with his fists raised, he felt himself painfully shrink as he resumed human form. The Lord of Horns snarled at him and unleashed his whip, but Friedrich was astute enough to dive towards his enemy and out of the way of the attack.


    He swung his sword upwards and struck the Lord of Horn¡¯s chin, cutting a deep gash into him. Unwilling to be beaten by a human, the demon raised his other hand and launched a fireball that struck Friedrich in the neck and he threw himself backwards as he smelled the burning of his flesh. He transformed into a fox and then back into a human to rid himself of the wound.


    ¡°Your parlour tricks do not matter here,¡± said the Lord of Horns as he discarded his whip and sent a wave of intense flame at Friedrich.


    Meanwhile, Pheston found himself surrounded by a dozen demons, many of whom were grabbing at his limbs with their sharp nails and cutting into him. Pushing through the pain, the smith ducked low and ran forward, charging into his foes and tackling six of them down at once before brutalising them with his hammer, even as he was struck by his other opponents. He would thin this herd as much as he could before he died.


    There was suddenly a loud stomping and cries from the demons as three of them went flying overhead. Pheston turned to see what had happened and saw the demonic ash wyvern going into a frenzy, so pained and blinded was the beast. It let out a blood-curdling roar, almost screech-like in pitch as it flailed. Pheston stood up and backed away from the demons, ensuring that the wyvern was close by enough to deliver a chunk of collateral damage to those that were on its side.


    Friedrich fought hard against the Lord of Horns, using his shield and fox form to block and dodge as best as he could. The enraged master of the castle was not letting up and Friedrich was unable to get close enough to land another strike.


    As he assumed Kitt¡¯s form once more, the Lord of Horns conjured a flaming sword into his hand and swung it down, cutting into the fox¡¯s tail and almost severing it. Friedrich hurriedly turned back into a human, but the Lord of Horns was quick off the mark and grabbed him by the throat before shoving his elemental blade through Friedrich¡¯s gut.


    The young man let out a howl of pain and could not focus his mind enough to turn back into a fox to heal himself. The Lord of Horns plunged the sword deeper and it emerged from Friedrich¡¯s back, burning him from the inside as he screamed. His head flopped down and he saw a twinkling blue light resting upon his chest. The minotaur mask had recharged.

 Chapter 83 - One Chance

    ¡°You have lost,¡± said the Lord of Horns, his smarminess returning to him in the face of certain victory. ¡°Perhaps I will not turn you into one of my own and simply let you suffer in agony as you die, human. With your death, so too goes the soul of that fox within you.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Friedrich as he felt the searing flames within his gut.


    He placed his hands on the minotaur mask and placed it upon his face as the Lord of Horns reached forward to stop him, having been too busy gloating to react in time. The demon was knocked back and the flaming sword dissipated, no longer in its conjurer¡¯s hand, as Friedrich transformed into the minotaur warlord, Darkan; the last of his clan.


    Friedrich reached forward and grabbed the demon lord by his horns. He roared in fury as he snapped one of the sharp protrusions off, leaving the Lord of Horns aghast. Friedrich thumped the demon in the chest, knocking the cruel beast to the ground. He leapt towards his foe with the horn raised and jammed it into the demon¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Neyrpaz, kuldrag, fuhl¡­¡± muttered the Lord of Horns as the fire faded from his orange eyes.


    He tried to stammer out a few infernal words, but it was no use. The last vestiges of life slipped from him as he realised his death was not because of his own skill, but because of his hubris. The minotaur started beating the demon¡¯s corpse, pulverising it. The Lord of Horns was unrecognisable thirty seconds later, leaving behind a headless body and two thick horns.


    There was a screeching roar as three more wyverns spiralling down through the sky from a swirling vortex of purple and black. Whatever these beasts were doing here, Friedrich had the sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the final utterings from the Lord of Horns.


    ¡°Help!¡± called Pheston and Friedrich rushed to his aid, seeing his hammerless friend being chased by a half dozen demons as the first ash wyvern lay dead with Pheston¡¯s hammer lying underneath it.


    Friedrich hauled himself up and made a mad dash for the smith¡¯s hammer and ploughing through the demons that dared approach him. He grabbed it in one of his thick-fingered hands as the first of the newly summoned wyverns descended upon him. Friedrich swung Vigr, smashing the wyvern across the face before the second of the wyverns swiped at him with its clawed foot, sending him flying across the courtyard.


    As the wyverns chase him, Friedrich climbed to his feet and made for Pheston, letting out a snorting roar to alert his friend. When Pheston looked over, Friedrich hurled the hammer through the air. The smith reached out a hand and caught the swirling hammer, shrinking it back from its long-shafted form to its regular one.


    Armed once again, Pheston turned to the demons and engaged them as Friedrich made for the wyverns. He had helped take out one with ease, so three mustn¡¯t be so bad. No sooner had that foolish thought crossed his mind than he was scooped up by one of the beasts as the other two whipped their tails across his torso.


    Pushing through the pain, he made a couple of failed attempts to grab them before clenching his fingers around one of their tails. He bit the foot of the wyvern that held him, tearing off one of its toes and spitting it down to the courtyard below. The screeching demon released him and Friedrich swung on the wyvern¡¯s tail nestled between his fingers to escape the beatings, riding it down and letting go before falling two dozen feet to the ground. He landed and rolled along, dizzy, but not too much worse for the wear.


    No more than ten seconds later, Friedrich¡¯s transformation wore off and he stood as a human once again. He ran to Pheston, who had dispatched most of his pursuers and was alive to tell the tale, but the wyverns were speeding towards them as their ashen wings beat against the sky.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Friedrich, drawing his sword and raising his shield.


    ¡°We hide in the castle and wait to be captured again or we stay and fight, likely dying in the process. Which do you fancy?¡±


    ¡°We can take them,¡± said Friedrich, sounding more confident than he was. ¡°Ready? Char¡ª¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Before he could finish his sentence, a swirling portal spawned in the centre of the courtyard. From within, came a flurry of rapidly firing arrows and streams of lightning that struck two of the wyverns, sending them plummeting to the ground. The screeching beasts turned to face the portal, only to be met by a human with dazzling blue eyes and a golden elf in black armour.


    ¡°Now!¡± shouted Friedrich with no time to fully process what had just happened.


    He and Pheston charged for the last aerial wyvern that swiped at them. Friedrich bashed its foot with his shield, knocking it back with the power of its shockwave while Pheston extended his hammer to four times its normal length, just enough to reach the wyvern¡¯s head, and swung it hard, bringing the creature down to the ground.


    Feeling daring, Friedrich leapt onto the wyvern and ran across the beast¡¯s underbelly, holding his sword high before thrusting it deep within the creature¡¯s mouth and killing it. He looked up and saw another one of the wyvern¡¯s explode as countless volts of electricity filled its head and the other was already lying motionless on the ground, its body filled with flaming arrows.


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± cried Marina, running over to him with tears in her eyes.


    He jumped from the wyvern¡¯s corpse and ran to her, sheathing his sword as he did so and embraced her. Marina howled into his tunic as Teleri and Pheston walked over to them. The only thought that ran through Friedrich¡¯s head was how much he had missed his companions and that it was a much more intense feeling upon seeing them before him.


    Marina released him and looked at him. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t¡­believe¡­it¡¯s really¡­you!¡± she moaned, not caring how much sniffling she was doing.


    ¡°How did you¡­how?¡± he asked as Teleri stood before him.


    ¡°Control yourself, Marina,¡± said the Alaurian, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Ah, shut up,¡± laughed Friedrich.


    He threw his arms around her and hugged her too. The high elf was taken aback, but she reached up and patted him on the back, surprised that he was another couple of inches taller than when they had last met.


    ¡°Grephor found a way to reach you using the Orb of Valskythe,¡± said Marina, drying her eyes on her cloak. ¡°But we can¡¯t stay here for long. The earth mages are holding the portal open from the other side and they¡¯ll start to weaken eventually. Once that happens, the portal closes and the orb is destroyed. It¡¯s a one-time deal. Let¡¯s get going, both of you.¡±


    ¡°No introductions, nothing?¡± asked Pheston, thumping Friedrich on the arm. ¡°After all I¡¯ve heard about these two best friends of yours.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, of course,¡± said the young Mercian. ¡°Marina and Teleri, this is Pheston. Pheston, this is Marina and Teleri, I¡¯m sure you can guess which is which. You can get properly acquainted once we¡¯re out of this hellhole and back on solid ground¡­or sand, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Lovely ladies,¡± the smith muttered to Friedrich before clearing his throat and bowing to them. ¡°I appreciate the rescue, friends of Friedrich, but I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be accompanying you all home. I wish you all a safe journey and a very merry rest of your lives.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Friedrich in shock. ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not cut out for that world anymore, lad,¡± said the old smith sombrely while shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s been forty years, Friedrich. I¡¯ve spent almost two thirds of my life in Keldracht and I don¡¯t know how to function in that sort of society anymore. You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve held a conversation with in years that hasn¡¯t been dead or worse after a week.¡±


    ¡°Society?¡± asked Marina, desperately trying to think of a way to convince Pheston to accompany them home. ¡°No, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. We spend most of our time in the wilderness or in caves. Sometimes we get accosted by monsters, big or small, and have to fight our way out.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± said Pheston, shaking his head. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯ll take my chances here. Now that the Lord of Horns is gone, maybe I¡¯ll see if I can thin out the hordes just a little bit more.¡±


    ¡°Only for them to be replaced elsewhere,¡± said Friedrich sternly. ¡°This is a demonic plane. There¡¯s nothing that can be done to salvage it in the long term and you know that as well as I do. Kill a hundred demons and there¡¯ll be another hundred before long. They¡¯re not like us.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡ª"


    ¡°We need to go now,¡± said Teleri resolutely, looking towards the portal which was starting to rumble unstably.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s farewell,¡± said Pheston, holding up a hand in goodbye.


    ¡°Farewell,¡± said Teleri, trying to usher her two friends along while leaving the smith to his chosen fate.


    ¡°No,¡± said Marina, stomping towards him and pointing her finger in his face. ¡°Listen here, you. We spent months trying to find a way to bring Friedrich back. Even before that, we tracked down the Orb of Valskythe that you used to come here before us. If you think we put in all this effort only to have you throw it back in our faces, you¡¯ve got another thing coming.¡±


    Pheston stood in stunned silence for a moment. ¡°Feisty one, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­maybe¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Teleri snatched the hammer from his hand and hurled it into the portal. ¡°Decision made for you,¡± she said before grabbing Friedrich and Marina by the arms and marching over to the portal.


    ¡°These ladies are something else,¡± muttered Pheston again before shrugging and following them. ¡°I like ¡®em already.¡±


    The old smith took one last look over his shoulder at the Lord of Horns¡¯ courtyard and let out a resounding laugh. Smiling to himself, he stepped through the portal after Friedrich, Marina and Teleri, leaving Keldracht behind after four decades.

 Chapter 84 - Youre Welcome

    ¡°My eyes!¡± yelled Friedrich as sunlight filled them for the first time in many months. He shut them tightly and dropped to his knees while Teleri released him and Marina.


    ¡°Agh, my eyes!¡± howled Pheston, arriving back seconds later and using his arm to shield himself from the sun that had not touched his skin in decades.


    ¡°Is that all of you?¡± asked Grephor, straining to speak.


    ¡°Yes, close it!¡± answered Marina.


    There was a sudden whoosh and the rumbling of the portal increased for a second before vanishing into nothing. It was followed by a tinkling sound as cracks appeared in the Orb of Valskythe before it burst apart, sending shards of glass onto the sandy ground in front of the Temple of Sand and Stone.


    Friedrich blinked and rubbed his eyes, which were slowing adjusting to the harsh daylight of Kai¡¯roh. His vision was blurry at first, but it was not long before he could see clearly once again. The mages surrounding him were a very welcome sight and he arose to greet Grephor, who he owed his life to.


    ¡°Grephor, I don¡¯t know where to begin,¡± said Friedrich, bowing his head. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You are welcome,¡± said the wise earth mage with a small smile. ¡°I am glad that you have returned safely. You are well?¡±


    ¡°All things considered,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I doubt I would have lasted long without my friend here.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Grephor. ¡°Pheston, I presume.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± said the smith, still not daring to remove his arm from his eyes. ¡°I take it I¡¯m back in Kai¡¯roh again? Nowhere in Eradrel is the sun as bright as this, unless things have changed drastically.¡±


    ¡°We will speak later,¡± said Grephor to Marina, who gave him a nod. ¡°I am glad that things went well.¡±


    Friedrich gave Pheston a nudge. ¡°Oh, right,¡± he muttered before calling to the mages as they walked away. ¡°Thanks for the rescue, gentlemen.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°You forget how to address people,¡± shrugged Pheston. ¡°I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t be the last of my social mishaps¡­or the worst of them.¡±


    ¡°How did you survive for so long in a hell?¡± asked Teleri bluntly of Pheston.


    ¡°By being one of the strongest men there are, both physically and mentally,¡± said the old man, giving her a wink at which Teleri scoffed. ¡°But I have to say, I¡¯ve never felt more sane in Keldracht than when I had the lad with me. Glad that ol¡¯ minotaur around his neck forced his hand.¡±


    ¡°The minotaur!¡± exclaimed Friedrich, taking the mask from around his neck and flipping it around so that he could stare into the aura-emitting turquoise gem within its forehead. ¡°Darkan, I made good on my end of the deal. Now it¡¯s time that you did the same.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡± asked Marina, looking to Pheston.


    ¡°Killed a demon,¡± said Pheston.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Marina, still confused about what was happening.


    ¡°Keep your word,¡± demanded Friedrich. ¡°The Lord of Horns is dead and you killed him with his own horn. We had an agreement.¡±


    Almost reluctantly, the turquoise gemstone started to glow and the minotaur mask trembled in Friedrich¡¯s hands. It grew more vigorous before suddenly cracking and shattering, letting the wood fall to the ground as the stone hovered in the air. It released an ethereal wave from within it that floated into the sky and assumed the form of Darkan, the minotaur.


    It snarled at Friedrich before holding out his hand, which Friedrich accepted. The vapour flowed up his arm before encircling him. Once he was enshrined in the soulful aura, the gem floated over to Friedrich¡¯s head, upon which is vanished within him and the vapour faded. The deal was done and the minotaur¡¯s soul was now one with Friedrich, leaving only the goblin mask hanging around his neck, hidden by his tunic.


    ¡°We missed a lot, didn¡¯t we?¡± asked Marina, walking up to Friedrich. ¡°The minotaur can be trusted now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if trusted is the right word, but we came to an arrangement,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I assured him the death of the one who killed his clan and he agreed to serve me without trying to take control of me. For all of our sakes, I hope he continues to honour that deal.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°It would be too late for you now if he did not,¡± said Teleri, pushing her tongue into the side of her mouth. ¡°Without the mask, you cannot rid yourself of him¡­not that you could anyway. How many times did you try to throw him away?¡±


    ¡°Only a couple of times,¡± said Friedrich with a shrug.


    The young man stepped back from Marina and willed himself to change into the Darkan¡¯s form, as he had mastered doing with Kitt¡¯s form, but nothing happened. He let out a sigh and shook his head, afraid this would happen.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Pheston. ¡°Is he broken?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Friedrich, ¡°but I can¡¯t control my transformations in the same way I can with the fox. No doubt, it¡¯ll happen instinctively rather through my own force of will.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Marina. ¡°Enough about these masks. I want you to tell us everything from start to finish about what happened to you?¡±


    ¡°What about the pair of you?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°We have barely left the temple,¡± said Teleri. ¡°It¡¯s been dreadfully boring. A couple of times I went to that town where I pretended to be your wife.¡±


    ¡°Pretended to be his wife?¡± asked Marina. ¡°You mentioned this before and never elaborated.¡±


    ¡°In any case, I bought some new enchanted fire arrows,¡± said the high elf, ignoring Marina. ¡°It made it much easier to take down that wyvern that was chasing you, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°So I noticed,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°And how about you, Marina?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on my magic and helping research how to bring you back home,¡± she said. ¡°But none of that is interesting compared to spending three months in a hell plane. Get talking, Mister.¡±


    ¡°Before any of that,¡± said Pheston, looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s a good place to relieve myself? I could go anywhere I felt like in Keldracht and I don¡¯t want to go and piss on the temple when those robed fellas were kind enough to open up that portal.¡±


    Teleri wrinkled her nose in disgust as Marina led Pheston inside.


    *


    ¡°I¡¯m fine wearing this,¡± grumbled Pheston as Marina looked through the market for suitable clothing for him. ¡°I replace it when I find a body to loot.¡±


    The last comment drew a couple of uneasy glances from a couple of women browsing the wares nearby.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Marina, tutting and shaking her head. ¡°Trust me, I will find you something both stylish and practical.¡±


    ¡°Does Friedrich and the elf let you dress them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± admitted Marina, ¡°but they¡¯re too stubborn to come along with me. You have already taken the first step and that means you¡¯ll follow me the rest of the way.¡±


    ¡°Confident, aren¡¯t you, young lady?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t worn something clean for most of your life, so you will be quiet and let me sort you out. Alright?¡±


    Pheston muttered something under his breath and twirled his hammer in his hands, again making a few more shoppers look uncomfortable. The smith glanced towards the pier of Port Bastia where he could see Friedrich and Teleri sitting on a wall waiting for Captain Alden to finish loading his boat.


    The old man relented. ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°If I¡¯m to see my children, I would like them to not see me in a filthy state. You win.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Marina merrily. ¡°Will you wear purple?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Lilac?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said that I win.¡±


    Pheston looked at her grumpily. ¡°That was before you started making idiotic suggestions. Pick a normal colour that a proud Corobathian like myself would wear. Or do you not know how the people of the north dress?¡±


    Marina looked at him with an open mouth. ¡°We¡¯re in Kai¡¯roh! Do you think we¡¯ll find thick animal furs here? We¡¯ll find you something respectable and get you a cloak when we arrive in Corobath, alright?¡±


    In the distance, Teleri was watching Marina scolding the old man. Friedrich, who could only see their vague shapes from this distance decided his time was better spent watching the waves melting away as they reached the shore over which the wooden walkways were built.


    ¡°I do not like him,¡± said Teleri, shaking her head. ¡°He is much too¡­crude.¡±


    ¡°He kept me alive for three months,¡± said Friedrich, raising an eyebrow at the high elf. ¡°He¡¯s coming with us and that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°I did not say that he could not come, I simply said that I do not like him.¡±


    ¡°You said that about Marina and I when we first met you. You said time and time again that you could not wait to be rid of us when we reached Akatfall. In fact, I remember you ditching us within a minute or two of stepping inside the city.¡±


    ¡°I had grown¡­fond of both of you by that point,¡± said Teleri awkwardly. ¡°It is not the same. And need I remind you that I left the pair of you in Akatfall so that you would not get involved in my hunt for the Butcher of the Bay.¡±


    ¡°You will get used to Pheston, the same way you got used to us,¡± said Friedrich, looking back towards the waves. ¡°I doubt he will want to leave Corobath again once he returns home. When he¡¯s given us the gifts he insists on giving us, I¡¯m sure that he will opt to stay at home with his children.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, the children he has not met since they were infants,¡± said Teleri. ¡°I am sure that they will not resent him for that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sarcastic, it doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± said Friedrich, frowning at her. ¡°I like it more when you say exactly what¡¯s on your mind.¡±


    ¡°Apologies. It is a habit I picked up having spent too much time with Marina. It was strange not having you with us. I missed your company, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°I missed yours too, ex-wife,¡± chuckled the Mercian.


    Teleri rolled her eyes. ¡°Marina will not stop asking about that,¡± she grumbled. ¡°It is rather annoying and I wish she would stop.¡±


    Captain Alden waved to Friedrich and called out. ¡°Ready to set sail?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ready whenever our intrepid shoppers have finished,¡± Friedrich shouted back. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be long now.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye,¡± said the captain as he approached. ¡°In that case, I might treat myself to a drink. You say it won¡¯t be long, my friend, but I suspect it¡¯ll be another hour before we leave. If it goes much beyond that, we leave without them.¡±


    ¡°If only,¡± muttered Teleri, making Friedrich laugh.


    ¡°You would leave Marina behind?¡± he asked.


    ¡°To get rid of that old man, I would leave both of you behind.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re free to leave at any time,¡± said Friedrich, gesturing towards the town.


    Teleri said nothing for a few seconds. ¡°No,¡± she said at last, making Friedrich laugh once more.


    ¡°I thought not,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Just wait and see. When we¡¯ve got snow beneath our feet instead of sand, you¡¯ll feel much better about this whole situation.¡±

 Chapter 85 - A New Old Home

    ¡°And here we are,¡± said Captain Alden, as his boat pulled into the harbour town of Eldcroft along the southern shore of Mercia.


    It had been a one-week journey along the western coast of the Asterra before following the southeastern coast of Mercia for another week and a half, passing through the Stride River and into the Sea of Three Pearls that was surrounded by Asterra, Mercia and Corobath.


    ¡°Finally!¡± wailed Marina, dragging her hand across her face. ¡°I can¡¯t spend one more minute on the water.¡±


    ¡°We have stopped thrice,¡± said Teleri, ¡°and one of them was unscheduled. You had best be grateful to the captain for that.¡±


    ¡°And I am,¡± said Marina, smiling weakly at Captain Alden, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t make me less ill while we¡¯re sailing along.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Captain Alden,¡± said Friedrich, trying to distract from Marina¡¯s unintended rudeness.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, lad,¡± said the captain, giving him a forceful slap on the back. ¡°I only wish we could take you further, but we got a schedule to keep. One night here and then it¡¯s back to Akatfall.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a nip in the air now, ain¡¯t there?¡± said Pheston, breathing deeply and then exhaling slowly. ¡°Suits me much better than the hot sands, I¡¯ll tell you that. We¡¯re so close to home that I can smell it.¡±


    Marina looked at the old smith sadly. It hadn¡¯t even been three full weeks and his pristine new tunic, trousers and boots were in almost as bad of a state as his old ones. How he had managed to achieve such a feat, she did not know, but it greatly disappointed her. Especially as he refused to let her buy any more.


    When the boat was moored, the four passengers thanked the captain and his crew before making their way into the town. Friedrich and Pheston were content to stock up on food and start the long walk to Corobath, but Marina and Teleri insisted on stopping at the inn as it would likely be the last night of peaceful rest they would get for a while.


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you three, I think I¡¯ll sleep under the stars,¡± said Pheston, looking to the trees that loomed up the hill at the edge of town. ¡°I don¡¯t trust sleeping too close to other people. That boat ride was uncomfortable enough for me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re separated by walls,¡± said Marina, looking sympathetic. ¡°You can even have your own room.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but no thank you,¡± he replied. ¡°I would feel much better out in the open air. It¡¯s just the way I am, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll sleep out here too,¡± said Friedrich, fully understanding the way of life Pheston was used to and the level of distance he tried to create between himself and potential threats. ¡°It¡¯ll save me a few kupons. But let¡¯s get ourselves a hot meal before anything resting our heads on the damp soil.¡±


    ¡°You lot go on ahead,¡± said Pheston, walking on without looking back. ¡°I¡¯ll see you ladies in the morning. Friedrich, don¡¯t feel any obligation to accompany me. I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    He held up the back his hand in a wave and disappeared on up the road while Friedrich, Marina and Teleri stood by, unsure of what to say to the old man.


    ¡°Let us go and eat,¡± said Teleri, breaking the silence. ¡°Pity will not ease our hunger.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel pity for him?¡± asked Marina. ¡°You¡¯ve been nothing but cold to him since we met him.¡±


    ¡°He has a troubled past, but I think it¡¯s safe to say that we all do,¡± she replied before sneering at Marina. ¡°Even if some of us won¡¯t admit it.¡±


    ¡°This is not about me.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not. If the man wants to wallow, so be it. Considering the atrocities the Northmen have committed against the Alauri throughout time, I am sure he will forget about his problems.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to be a human,¡± said Friedrich angrily. ¡°You¡¯ve lived many more years than he has and will live for many more, long after the rest of us are dead and buried. But what you fail to grasp is that most of his life is gone, wasted because of a magical accident. He¡¯s been through literal hell and is still alive to tell the tale.¡± Friedrich shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going after him.¡±


    ¡°Should we come?¡± asked Marina with a trembling voice.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°No,¡± said the Mercian. ¡°I think it would be best if we meet up again in the morning.¡±


    Marina sighed and put her finger to her chin as Friedrich departed. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ve all been on the water too long.¡±


    ¡°I do not think it is that,¡± said Teleri, walking towards the inn that faced the sea. ¡°In any case, I suspect we will feel better when we are on the road.¡±


    As the girls headed inside, Friedrich walked along the cobblestones of the quiet town on the nippy evening. He passed by a bronze statue surrounded by flowers depicting a tall man wearing a cape who held a sword to the sky. Normally, he would have taken a second to admire the statue, but he gave it little thought and walked on past.


    Friedrich followed the uphill path outside of town and could see the broad figure of the grey-haired man whose hammer swung by his waist. He took Kitt¡¯s form and bounded along after Pheston, who continued to walk, unaware that he was being tailed by the golden fox he had seen daily in Keldracht for the last three months.


    The path became less cared for as the houses vanished with the stones being more spread apart before disappearing entirely into a dirt road. Friedrich was starting to wonder just how far Pheston planned to go when the old man paused and looked to his left, opting to go pass through a wider gap in the trees and into a small clearing.


    He stopped in the centre, leaving a trail of damp flattened grass behind him while Friedrich waited at the edge, not wanting to intrude straight away. The old man dragged his hand down his face and let out a gruff grunt of admonishment.


    ¡°What are you doing, you old coot?¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°Can¡¯t even handle a stay in the inn.¡±


    Friedrich watched and waited for a minute before Pheston started slowly creeping forwards to the trees. The old man kept low and held a hand to his ear, listening for the faintest of calls from a pheasant or the snort of a wild boar.


    The young Mercian decided it was time and walked up beside. He looked up to the old man who gave him a frown.


    ¡°Boy, what are you doing here?¡±


    Friedrich sniffed the air and then pointed a paw towards a bush up ahead.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    Pheston edged forwards, trying to keep his rustling to a minimum; it was no easy task in a region of thick forest like Eastern Mercia. In Keldracht, the soil was dull and the trees and bushes were sparse and lifeless, making noise a much lesser concern. When faced with thick leaves and many intermixed scents, even hunting simple creatures became difficult. The old man knew this as well as Friedrich did and silently appreciated the help.


    Holding his hammer out, Pheston willed the shaft to lengthen. He drew it up high and then plunged it down upon the bush, which let loose a caw and a crack. Sensing his kill, he restored Vigr to its normal length and walked over to the bush, pulling out the pheasant that he would make his dinner.


    ¡°Trifling compared to a snappajaw,¡± he said to Friedrich, who morphed back into his human form.


    ¡°Maybe so, but it¡¯ll keep your stomach from tying itself in knots,¡± said the young man.


    ¡°I feel useless here, Friedrich,¡± said Pheston, shaking his head despondently. ¡°In Keldracht, I knew exactly what I had to do and when. I knew where I could and couldn¡¯t go. On the boat, I had restrictions and was surrounded by the border of the ocean and that was just fine, but finding myself so close to home¡­it just feels like I shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I may not have been trapped in another plane for as long as you, but that doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t strange for me too.¡±


    ¡°Not as long as me doesn¡¯t quite cover it, does it?¡±


    ¡°No, maybe not.¡±


    ¡°When you were following me, did you see the statue of Thadeus the Bolt?¡± asked Pheston pensively. ¡°They say he saved the town from a band of orcs back when it was a mere village. No doubt a challenge, but that one act of bravery is remembered almost three hundred years later.¡±


    ¡°You learned all of that in the sixty seconds you were out of my sight?¡± asked Friedrich in surprise.


    ¡°I looked at the plaque, you nitwit,¡± sighed Pheston before giving a faint smile. ¡°Did you know that at least once a week, I would scrawl the alphabet in the soil of Keldracht and then write out a few short poems or stories. I reckon I would have forgotten how to read and write had I not done that. Same reason that I would force myself to speak aloud often so that I would not forget how to speak.¡±


    ¡°You still did that sometimes when I was around.¡±


    ¡°Truthfully? I was constantly afraid that you would die and I would be left alone again. Every single person I met in that miserable hole always died, even when I tried my hardest to save them. Demons could break them or their own minds would do it, but it always happened. But that miserable hole slowly became home to me, for better or worse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange to hear you talk about fear and misery,¡± said Friedrich slowly. ¡°You were the one keeping me strong. Even when you were crushing my hopes of escape¡ª¡±


    ¡°Managing expectations.¡±


    ¡°Call it what you want, it doesn¡¯t matter. What I¡¯m trying to say is that if you hadn¡¯t helped me, neither of us would be here today. You kept me sane in Keldracht and I¡¯ll keep you sane here in Mercia.¡±


    ¡°Until we get to Corobath, you get that gift I promised and the three of you run for the hills,¡± said Pheston letting out a hearty guffaw.


    ¡°And you still aren¡¯t going to tell us what those gifts are, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I know, lad,¡± said the smith twirling his hammer. ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be hard to source what I want, but I¡¯m not going to make promises that I can¡¯t keep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a new sword,¡± said Friedrich, tapping his sheathed blade. ¡°I¡¯ve got my enchanted shield, and it¡¯s great, but a better weapon wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± said Pheston, grunting as he heaved up his trousers and tightened his belt. ¡°Now, do you want to turn back into that golden rat form of yours and sniff out a second helping? We¡¯ve got a long road ahead of us to reach the Forge of Ages.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? You never mentioned where in Corobath we were going until now.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t?¡± asked Pheston, feigning ignorance. ¡°Huh, perhaps not.¡±


    ¡°And there was me thinking that we were going to find your family.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know where to start, lad. At least with the Forge of Ages, I know exactly where I¡¯m going. And mark my words, it¡¯s going to be worth the journey.¡±

 Chapter 86 - The Smugglers Tunnel

    Friedrich and Pheston sat outside the inn, watching the mist hang over the Sea of Three Pearls while awaiting Marina and Teleri. The two men had been awake for two hours and already eaten their morning helping of pheasant before making their way into Eldcroft. Pheston thought that both of the women were slow, but Friedrich knew rightly that Teleri would have been awake at a similar time to him and Marina would be the one sleeping in.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°This happens every single time we sleep in proper beds. If we were out in the wilderness, Marina would be awake and grumbling about the soil being too lumpy.¡±


    ¡°You know them better than I do, son,¡± shrugged Pheston. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    ¡°As you should,¡± said Teleri, walking through the door with a groggy Marina behind her. ¡°I have spent the past hour trying to awaken this one from her slumber.¡±


    Friedrich turned around and couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter at the sight before him. Pheston made a confused grunt before also turning around and breaking into a wide grin.


    ¡°Rough morning, lass?¡± he asked Teleri.


    ¡°What do you mean by that, old man?¡± asked the Alauri with a sullen sneer.


    ¡°It¡¯s just your¡­hair.¡±


    Teleri held her hands up to her hair and immediately recoiled in horror. There were large strands of it standing on end, leaving only the heaviest parts of the back and her two braids hanging as they ought to. She turned to Marina and pointed a finger in the sleepy girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°You!¡± she scolded. ¡°This is because you zapped me with your static!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Marina, rubbing one eye and then slinking down the stairs. She took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and her eyes widened. ¡°Alright,¡± she said pleasantly, ¡°shall we get moving?¡±


    Teleri was affronted, but said nothing as she tried to flatten her hair back down. It proved to be of little use to she pulled her hood up to hold it in place as Friedrich and Pheston chuckled heartily. A stern look from the elf made Friedrich keep his mouth shut, but Pheston continued his laughter as the quarter walked along the road and out of town.


    ¡°Wait, have we got a stock of food?¡± asked Marina, as they left the cobblestones behind.


    ¡°Already taken care of,¡± said Friedrich, thumping his pack. ¡°I¡¯ve taken it upon myself to ensure that I never leave a town unprepared. Everything we need is in here.¡±


    ¡°Rope?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Water?¡±


    ¡°Two filled waterskins.¡±


    ¡°You win this round, Master Gaerfyrd,¡± she said slyly, ¡°but I will catch you out before long.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to be a bad thing?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°If I¡¯ve forgotten something I want to know so I can be more prepared the next time.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got me there,¡± said Marina, nodding before turning to her newest companion. ¡°And how are you feeling today, Pheston?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said the old man.


    Marina waited for him to say more, but he didn¡¯t elaborate. ¡°And?¡± she asked, giving him a nudge.


    ¡°Well-rested.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not one to talk about how you¡¯re feeling, are you?¡±


    ¡°I told you how I¡¯m feeling, Marina, but you don¡¯t seem to want to accept it.¡±


    Teleri shook her head and walked on ahead. Not wanting to listen to Marina continue to prod Pheston for a textbook worth of detail about his mood, Friedrich opted to keep up with Teleri instead.


    ¡°I do not like this new dynamic,¡± she said quietly as Friedrich caught up to her.


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m aware that you find him abrasive and crude, but he¡¯s a good man.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer that once we get what he has promised us in Corobath that we continue forward as a trio once more.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never expressed any interest in travelling with us beyond Corobath, has he?¡±


    ¡°No, but I believe he will grow too comfortable with us and worm his way into a close-knit grip. I can trust that you would go to the edge of the world for Marina and I, while we would do the same for you. Ensuring your release from Keldracht is proof of that, is it not?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Of course. Did I give you the impression that I believed otherwise?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± said Teleri quietly.


    ¡°Knowing about your past, I know how hard it is for you to trust people. If there¡¯s ever any sign that Pheston would betray us or attempt to harm either you or Marina in any way, no matter the reason, I will see to it that we part ways with him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°In saying that, I don¡¯t believe that will ever come to pass.¡±


    Teleri looked over her shoulder with concern. ¡°We shall see.¡±


    *


    ¡°It¡¯s still here,¡± said Pheston, marvelling at the overgrown tunnel before him. ¡°After all these years¡­I can hardly believe it.¡±


    ¡°This looks dangerous,¡± said Marina, using her staff to move the rigid vines before her just enough to gaze into the darkness.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± cried Pheston. ¡°This is a shortcut through the mountains. It¡¯ll save us a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve heard this before,¡± said Marina, giving Friedrich a side-eyed glance while he acted obliviously to her words.


    ¡°Let us go through,¡± said Teleri, drawing her blade and hacking at the vines. ¡°Friedrich, if you would not mind.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Friedrich, transforming into a minotaur and ripping a handful of the vines out with such force that a portion of the rockface they clung to fell from above.


    With a quick swing of his hammer, Pheston bashed it aside before it could strike Teleri on the head.


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± scolded Marina.


    ¡°It was an accident,¡± he said upon transforming back. ¡°Are you alright, Teleri?¡±


    ¡°I am unharmed,¡± she said and then looking to Pheston. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Might as well be useful somehow,¡± he said nonchalantly before marching inside. ¡°Come on, you turtles, no point in dillydallying.¡±


    The group walked into the cave with Teleri watching the front and Friedrich watching the back in his fox form. There was a trickling of light coming in through the cracks and holes in the ceiling, but to say that the tight tunnel was easy to navigate even with the small beams would have been a lie.


    Pheston kept close behind the elf, finding things particularly difficult. He would grunt every now and then as he snagged his arm on a jagged rock. Marina rolled her eyes every time this happened, wondering if he was too proud to admit that this was a foolish idea. Pheston, however, did not think of it that way and believed a few scrapes and cuts were worth another day on the road to pass the border.


    The walk continued for several hours in relative silence with only the occasional words being uttered by Marina and Pheston, while Friedrich and Teleri kept their focus on their duties. Despite Pheston insisting that there would be no trouble, that was not enough for them. Teleri didn¡¯t trust him and Friedrich didn¡¯t like how overgrown the entrance was, wondering why it was now so seemingly abandoned.


    As they moved along, the humidity grew and the tiny lights grew dimmer as evening reached its peak. Friedrich was wondering whether or not it was time to stop, but he said nothing, choosing to let Pheston prove his reliability to Marina and Teleri. Him constantly questioning the old man would do nothing for their confidence, especially Teleri¡¯s.


    ¡°What was this tunnel used for?¡± asked Marina, voicing one of Friedrich¡¯s pressing questions for him.


    ¡°Smuggling,¡± replied Pheston. ¡°Normally, the guards at the outpost would stop you if you were carrying anything more than a wallet of kupons. These tunnels made it easy to move things back and forth, but it looks like it¡¯s been forgotten to time. Amazing what can change in a few decades, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Quiet,¡± said Teleri, pausing for a few seconds before starting to move again.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Marina, looking panicked. ¡°What was it? Don¡¯t just not say anything!¡±


    ¡°I heard droplets of water on stone, that is all.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Pheston. ¡°We¡¯re almost at the underground lake then. That¡¯ll be us at the halfway point. I¡¯d say that¡¯s a good place to rest for the night, if you ladies don¡¯t mind sleeping on stone.¡±


    ¡°We have bedrolls,¡± said Teleri. ¡°We will sleep where we must.¡±


    No more than a minute after, the constricting tunnel opened up into a large cavern. The rough surface of the cave floor was broken by a handful of larger rocks that were much smoother, but probably not that much more comfortable. The walls were damp and shiny, even in the faint the moonlight that filtered in from above.


    And not only was moonlight creeping through the holes in the ceiling, there were five visible trees that could be seen perched on the mountain path outside with roots longer than they ought to have been, hanging down forty feet and nestling themselves comfortably into the large pond that sat in the centre of the cavern.


    ¡°Most unusual,¡± said Marina, looking at the roots.


    ¡°You called this a lake,¡± said Friedrich, turning back into a human.


    Pheston slapped him on the back of the head. ¡°Well, forgive me for misremembering the size of a body of water I¡¯ve seen three times in my life, lad. If I¡¯ve oversold it a little, it wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°These roots are troubling me,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°I say that we keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Not likewise.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°They¡¯re just long roots.¡±


    ¡°Longer than the trunk they spawn from,¡± said Teleri. ¡°There is something unnatural about them.¡±


    ¡°There are many oddities in the world, little elf,¡± said Pheston, poking Teleri in the shoulder. ¡°Being from such a vibrant homeland, I thought you would have known as much.¡±


    ¡°Should I not be troubled by something I am unfamiliar with?¡± she asked him, brushing his finger aside.


    ¡°I see where this is going,¡± said Pheston. ¡°I know you have a problem with me, but finding some half-baked excuse in the form of tree roots to¡ª¡±


    ¡°It moved!¡± squeaked Marina.


    ¡°What did?¡± asked Friedrich, not having seen anything.


    ¡°The roots!¡±


    ¡°It looks still to me.¡±


    ¡°If Marina said that it moved, I choose to believe her,¡± said Teleri, walking towards the tunnel at the far side of the cavern. ¡°Let us be gone.¡±


    Pheston sighed and retrieved his hammer. He waded into the water, which stopped around his naval. ¡°Alright, I want you all to watch closely,¡± he called out.


    The beast of a man swung his hammer with great vigour and shattered a chunk from one of the roots before giving the trio at the shore a wink. The length of wood floated in the water for a couple of seconds before slowly falling beneath the surface and fading away into the darkness below.


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡± guffawed Pheston. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all feel very silly right about¡ª¡±


    The old smith was cut off by the swing of one of the roots that struck him across the chest. He plunged into the water, only to be dragged out a moment later by root that had wrapped itself around the ankle without his hammer in-hand.

 Chapter 87 - The Roots of the Problem

    Friedrich turned into a minotaur as Marina raised her staff and Teleri nocked an arrow. Before any of the trio could make a further move to help Pheston, who remained dangling above the underground pond with a fifty-foot-long tree root coiled around his ankle, a green glow appeared from the ceiling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there!¡± cried Pheston, struggling to escape from the clutches of the tree, unaware of what was going on above him.


    Five green phantoms¡ªone for each of the trees visible outside¡ªemerged and slid down on the roots effortlessly and landed in the water, all except for one. The phantom that slid down on Pheston¡¯s root and stood on top of him.


    The ethereal creatures were humanoid in shape and feminine in their proportions, but with branchlike appendages erupting from their heads and backs, and smaller twigs jutting out from their limbs. They looked as though they had been carved from wood, but their forms were translucent, as though they were caught somewhere between the material and immaterial world.


    Before being given the chance to address the group, Teleri unleashed one of her fiery arrows at the one standing atop Pheston. It shrieked in a most-inhuman, yet somewhat feminine voice that echoed around the cavern. Flames burned brightly from within her, but she dove into the water to douse them, joining her kin down below.


    ¡°Wood nymphs,¡± called Teleri, drawing another arrow.


    Marina summoned Shockwave to her side and the lightning elemental joined its mistress in unleashing crackling bolts of electricity that shot above the surface of the water towards the spirits. Before they were struck, however, a whirlwind of thick leaves spawned in the air and the lightning spread throughout them, frying them to a crisp, but sapping all of the energy and leaving nothing left to strike the spirits with.


    Friedrich burst into the water, splashing and sloshing as he made for the nymphs, who all stood with their hands raised. From their wooden palms, shot strings of vines that curled around him and pulled him underwater and held him down.


    In the distraction, Teleri struck another of the spectral creatures with an arrow, piercing it in the head. Desperate to cease the agony of its burning head, it submerged itself. With fewer spirits to hold him down, Friedrich tugged on the vines and pulled all of his foes into the water before standing up again.


    He dove forwards towards Pheston, fading from view once again as the spirits arose. A lucky shot from Marina struck one of the spirits, but the glowing touch from one of its kin mended the wound before Marina had channelled enough arcane power for a follow-up strike.


    Friedrich surfaced once more and leapt up, shoving Vigr into Pheston¡¯s hand with a grunt.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± said the smith, swinging the hammer up and breaking the root that held him. He plummeted into the water, only to be helped back up by Friedrich and the two darted for the spirits as Teleri continued to fire arrows


    Marina sent Shockwave into the water and the swirling pile of lightning-infused dust skimmed the surface, careful to control himself and not electrocute Friedrich and Pheston who were swinging fist and hammer at the spirits, only to be blocked by walls of thick bark that were erected from nothingness.


    Out of the corner of Marina¡¯s eyes, she spotted the trees above. ¡°There!¡± she called to Teleri.


    ¡°Of course,¡± muttered the elf, readying an arrow and then shooting the tree.


    One of the spirits in the pond shrieked and spasmed as its true body suffered. With a heavy punch, Friedrich knocked the ethereal creature across the pond. Another arrow and a lightning strike later and the tree was engulfed in flame, lightning the cavern with its warm light as its spirit disintegrated into the air, its green glow fading before vanishing entirely.


    The remaining roots suddenly sprang to life as the movement of the spirits slowed, signalling to Marina that the nymphs could not control their spectral and physical forms with full focus. As the roots reached for the two, the Mercian and the Alaurian were forced to switch targets, but the roots were too many and they were both seized. Even Shockwave was quickly crushed by the thick roots, scattering his energy back into the lightning plane.


    Friedrich spied his two friends being raised into the sky and left the phantoms to Pheston. He turned back into a human and threw his blade high into the sky before placing the goblin mask upon his face. The blade spun as it fell and was clenched by the spindly fingers of the goblin.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Pheston fended off the spirits, who were more focused now that Marina and Teleri were too restrained to fight back, leaving Friedrich free to leap up and grab onto the roots, sinking his sharp nails inside and swinging his sword, cleaving them apart one by one. Before long, Marina sent a pulse of lightning that made the roots flinch, forcing them to release her. She fell a few to the ground, landing on her bottom with a thud.


    Ignoring the pain in her rear, she raised her staff and cast out a powerful lightning bolt from her crystal, shattering the roots binding Teleri and freeing one of her arms. Friedrich reached out and grabbed oner of the elf¡¯s arrows, jamming it into the roots which was suddenly aflame. As it released Teleri, Friedrich reached for her hand and swung her back onto the ground to join Marina.


    Together, the pair used a cascade of fire and lightning to strike the next tree, which made one of the spirits falter. With an upswing from the mighty Vigr, the spirit flew into the air before dissipating, leaving Pheston fighting with the three remaining nymph spirits.


    Marina¡¯s magical energy was almost exhausted by the time the third tree was destroyed, leaving Teleri to move onto the fourth one solo. As it burned, leaving a single nymph left, the phantom dropped to its knees and clutched its hands together as though begging for mercy while emitting a warbling call that was distinguishable as a plea.


    ¡°Now you ask to be spared?¡± asked Pheston.


    ¡°I warned you that we should have left this place alone,¡± said Teleri. ¡°You struck first and got us into the battle. You say that there are many oddities in the world, yet you were still foolhardy enough to attack the roots. Had you left them alone, the nymphs would no doubt have let us pass unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Was it not you who shot the spirit that dared standing on me?¡± growled the blacksmith. ¡°Was it not you who participated in the burning of the trees?¡±


    ¡°Do not shift the blame,¡± scolded Teleri. ¡°We should have left you in Keldracht where you couldn¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°One mishap and I am to be thrown to the demons? Is that it, elf?¡±


    Friedrich walked between the pair and started screeching while waving his arms, trying to get the pair to calm down.


    ¡°I will see you all on the other side, Friedrich¡± said Teleri, slinging her bow over her shoulder and storming off down the far tunnel. ¡°I cannot be around this fool any longer.¡±


    As Teleri left, Pheston shook his head furiously. ¡°What have I done to earn her ire?¡± he asked Marina, knowing Friedrich could not answer.


    ¡°She¡­doesn¡¯t trust easily,¡± replied Marina awkwardly. ¡°It is not my place to share her past with you, but she was cold to Friedrich and I when we first met.¡±


    ¡°You two saved her from a demon¡¯s toxin, I¡¯m aware,¡± said Pheston, snappily. ¡°A few hours ago, I saved her skull from being crushed by a falling stone. Yet still, that doesn¡¯t earn me as much as a friendly smile.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±


    ¡°She thinks she has hardships? Try having your life ripped away on account of immature foolhardiness. I lost everything and even if I¡¯m lucky enough to survive another couple of decades, I¡¯ll have spent half of my lifetime in a foreign plane devoid of any meaning other than continued existence for existence¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Tell her that, not me,¡± said Marina. ¡°I sympathise with everything that happened to you, Pheston, I truly do, but you¡¯re directing your anger at the wrong person.¡±


    Pheston and Marina stood in silence, Friedrich walked over the last of the nymphs and shook his head before pointing to the ceiling. He tried to tell it to return to its tree, but the words came out in a jumbled mess of unpleasant-to-the-ear syllables.


    ¡°He¡¯s telling you that you¡¯re free to go,¡± said Marina quietly. ¡°We are sorry that we invaded your territory.¡±


    The glowing green spirit faded into a small sphere of glittering green dust and then streamed back through the ceiling, passing inside its tree body. Now just the three of them in the cavern, Marina, Pheston and goblin-Friedrich weren¡¯t sure how to proceed. After another minute had passed, Friedrich turned back to normal.


    ¡°Much better,¡± he said, twisting his neck and stretching his arms. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go find Teleri and we can sort this whole ordeal out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be sorted out, Friedrich,¡± said Pheston. ¡°She does not care for me one bit, and frankly, I care not for her after the way I have been so disrespected. Once we¡¯re out into the wild of Corobath, I will take my leave and make my own way.¡±


    ¡°Pheston, I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, lad,¡± said Pheston, holding up a hand. ¡°It¡¯s for the best. The last thing I want is to come between you and your friends. I¡¯m sorry we won¡¯t make it to the Forge of Ages, but perhaps we¡¯ll cross paths again and I can repay you another way.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no repayment needed.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, I appreciate everything you have done for me. Whether the elf realises it or not, I appreciate her role in saving me too. Same goes for you, Marina, but I am better off alone.¡±


    Marina was heartbroken upon seeing the old man¡¯s crushed expression. ¡°Pheston¡­¡±


    His despair passed and he smiled at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go catch up to your friend and we can say our goodbyes.¡±


    The trio hurried into the tunnel, forgetting their tiredness and trying to catch up to Teleri, but she was nowhere to be found. Even two hours later as the moonlight from outside shone against the grass, there was no sign of her.


    Friedrich stepped outside and looked around, hoping to see a black-clad figure with her golden hair hanging down, but there was nothing. He glanced behind the rocks and between the trees, yet still, he didn¡¯t see as much as a strand of Teleri¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Does she hate me that much?¡± asked Pheston, trying not to laugh. Upon seeing the Friedrich and Marina¡¯s faces, he cleared his throat and remained silent.


    ¡°Where could she be?¡± asked Marina faintly, looking worried. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t simply run off and leave us behind, would she?¡±


    ¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t,¡± replied Friedrich in a low voice. ¡°But we¡¯ll find her.¡±

 Chapter 88 - Into the Cold

    Friedrich transformed into a fox and held his nose up. He started to sniff, desperately trying to pick out Teleri¡¯s scent amongst the pine trees and the juniper berries. Unable to detect her, he pressed his nose to the ground and watched between his eyes as his fox nose twitched.


    He turned back into a human and looked to Marina and Pheston. ¡°I smell her, but it¡¯s faint.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank Jorren,¡± sighed Marina, but Friedrich shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing that I smelled,¡± he said, tapping the mask hanging around his neck.


    ¡°Goblins?¡± asked Pheston. ¡°Oh, how I¡¯ve longed to hear the pained scream of a goblin as its head is crushed beneath Vigr. What are we waiting for?¡±


    ¡°You two watch our surroundings and I¡¯ll sniff them out,¡± said Friedrich, shrinking into a small pile of sleek gold hair.


    He continued to sniff and started to walk forward slowly as he picked apart the aromas and followed Teleri and the goblins to where their smells were strongest. He walked among the trees for a while before the scents were met by pairs of tracks in the stone and needle-strewn forest floor.


    After a short while, Teleri¡¯s scent had grown much fresher, so much so that he believed he could have smelled her even as a human. In fact, he turned back to try and realised he was being foolish, transforming back into a fox without answering Marina¡¯s question about why he was going back and forth between forms.


    The trio continued to wander through the cold and Friedrich''s ears pricked up as he heard a wailing scream.


    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± asked Pheston, having heard it too.


    ¡°What sound?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Goblins screaming,¡± said Friedrich as a human.


    He ran along the path, diverting his route into the trees and spied a wooden palisade nearby. He drew his sword and shield, readying himself to kill whatever goblins had taken Teleri. She must have been trying to break her way free, so ferocious were their screams.


    ¡°Die, you beasts!¡± she called and Friedrich heard the whooshing of an arrow followed by high-pitched yelp.


    He ran through the ajar gate and into what had once been an outpost, but was now occupied by goblins. Goblins whose bodies were piling up one by one as Teleri unleashed arrows into them. Each one that dared chase her found themselves unable to catch her as she vaulted over them and clambered onto the wooden walkway lining the palisade. He hadn¡¯t seen her fighting this acrobatically since they were last in Mercia; the sand-covered island of Kai¡¯roh had not given her what she needed. Here, amongst the trees and structures, she was in her element.


    The goblins of Corobath were less tanned than the goblins of the sands and less green than the goblins of Mercia who dwelled among the lush plains and thick woodlands. These goblins, who lived among pine and stone were almost blue in hue, a deep teal with smatterings of white bone adornments that camouflaged them among the frosty trees. Unfortunately for the goblins, they had ventured out from the trees and were clearly visible for the humans and the elf to see.


    A lightning blast whizzed past Friedrich as he made for a goblin, blowing it into tiny chunks. He switched targets and slammed his shield into another goblin¡¯s swinging sword, flinging it back with his magic. He leapt into the air and plunged his sword into the goblin¡¯s chest, killing it instantly.


    From behind him came a thick cracking crunch as another goblin found its head crushed into the frosty soil by a mighty hammer. Pheston let out a fervorous laugh as he kicked the remains of the goblin across the ground.


    A dancing goblin wearing a belt of skulls and a ragged loincloth twirled his staff through the air and unleashed a puff of green gas that spread throughout the outpost. Knowing better than to breathe it in, Friedrich held his breath as he charged into the swirling mist and lobbed the goblin shaman¡¯s head clean off before diving back out into the fresh air.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Whizz. Whizz. Whizz. Squish. Squish. Squish.


    Three arrows from Teleri brought the deaths of the final three goblins. Friedrich and Pheston cleaned their weapons on the goblin¡¯s rags and stowed them away as Teleri scanned the forest over the fence for further goblins who may have been stupid enough to walk through the gates.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Marina called up to her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the high elf quietly.


    Once she was satisfied that the threat was extinguished, she hopped back onto the grass and approached the trio who had come to her aid. Pheston clenched his jaw and braced himself for another argument as Teleri stared at him.


    ¡°I,¡± she said and he scrunched up his face, ¡°am sorry for the way I treated you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± grunted Pheston, taken aback.


    ¡°I would prefer not to repeat myself,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but if you did not hear my correctly, I said that I am sorry for the way that I treated you, Pheston. Due to¡­bad experiences, I have trouble trusting new people. You were the outsider coming into our group and you have done nothing but try to help since you got here.¡±


    ¡°Not going to lie, Blackjack,¡± said the smith, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I was expecting you to give me a thump and another telling off.¡±


    ¡°No, that was not my intention. I wish to move on.¡±


    ¡°Well now, I don¡¯t know what else to say other than that sounds good to me.¡±


    Pheston held out his thick hand and Teleri looked at it tepidly before shaking it lightly. As Pheston turned to Marina and beamed, Friedrich caught Teleri wiping her hand on her leg and had to fight not to laugh. A sharp look from the green-eyed elf quashed that instinct quickly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked the Mercian, eager to move along. ¡°Were you taken by the goblins?¡±


    Teleri looked affronted. ¡°Taken? I thought you knew me better than that. No, the goblins tried to capture me, but I killed five of them swiftly and chased the rest of their party back here when they fled. I have no doubt that I could have cleaned out this entire outpost without any help.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°That is so,¡± said Teleri, before pausing to think for a second. ¡°But I appreciate that the three of you cared enough to help.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of goblins,¡± said Marina. ¡°I wonder if they have anything valuable on them?¡±


    ¡°Nothing beats looting a goblin camp,¡± said Pheston, clapping his hands together. ¡°No sense letting any of the spoils of battle be trodden into the dirt.¡±


    The four scoured the camp, looking in every small building, on the corpse of every goblin and even in the small holes that Friedrich was convinced they¡¯d been digging to hide treasure, but there was little to be found. Once their search had been finished, the entirety of their loot was the goblin shaman¡¯s staff, a handful of fresh arrows that the human former residents had left behind and seventeen kupons.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing,¡± said Marina, putting a finger to her chin. ¡°It¡¯s more than we would have had if we hadn¡¯t come here.¡±


    ¡°All the same, it¡¯s disappointing,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing disappointing about wiping out goblins, my friend,¡± said Pheston, slapping Friedrich on the back. ¡°We¡¯ve done some good work today and we can buy ourselves a meal from it.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Perhaps this goblin staff will be worth more than it appears.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s a human skull at the top,¡± said Marina. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of shop will take that. Maybe we¡¯re better smashing it to pieces so that it can¡¯t be used again.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Pheston, waving her away. ¡°I know plenty of places that will take this.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re still in business.¡±


    ¡°Nah, they will be,¡± said the smith confidently. ¡°Family-run businesses in Corobath are passed down from generation to generation. Even my own father was a smith, going as far back as my great-great-great grandfather. That¡¯s the way of things here.¡±


    ¡°Do you think any of your children are blacksmiths?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I can only hope!¡± called out Pheston with gusto. ¡°Nothing would make me prouder than wielding a weapon crafted by my own flesh.¡±


    ¡°What if it isn¡¯t as powerful as Vigr?¡± asked Marina.


    Pheston shook his head and tapped on the hammer by his side. ¡°Then I will hide Vigr and pretend I¡¯m going to use the new weapon until my son is out of sight. Once I¡¯m in the clear, I¡¯ll switch back to ol¡¯ reliable here.¡±


    ¡°Can we talk about this as we walk?¡± asked Marina, shivering. ¡°It¡¯s getting colder by the second.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should find somewhere safer along the path if we¡¯re to rest.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping we would be close to a town. Do you know anywhere nearby Pheston?¡±


    ¡°If memory serves,¡± he said, ¡°Millstone is only a few miles further along. We¡¯ll find somewhere to sleep there.¡±


    ¡°In a real bed, yes?¡± asked Marina pointedly.


    ¡°For you, yes.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you would stay indoors,¡± said Teleri. ¡°It would bolster my confidence in you, assuring me that you are not as much of a wildcard as I once believed.¡±


    Pheston sighed. ¡°I will try,¡± he said.


    Friedrich picked up the staff. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll carry this,¡± he said, slinging it over his shoulder. ¡°It had better not explode and plant fragments of bone in my skull or something.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t going to spontaneously explode,¡± scoffed Marina, leading the way out of the enclosure.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± said Friedrich, following her.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll carry it.¡±


    ¡°No, I said I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Then stop being a baby about it.¡±


    Pheston leaned into Teleri. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice that we¡¯re not the ones bickering over nothing?¡±


    Teleri nodded and the two followed the Mercians whose argument only grew louder as they walked back to the path.

 Chapter 89 - Millstone

    Friedrich breathed deep the crisp morning air of misty Millstone as he stepped outside the inn. He was well rested and was eager to hit the road once more, very much looking forward to the prize that Pheston had promised him.


    The smith grumbled as he followed Friedrich outside. ¡°Too soft for me,¡± he said, rubbing his back. ¡°I much prefer the firmness of compacted soil.¡±


    ¡°Then sleep outside and save us some money,¡± said Teleri following the men outside with her hood pulled up.


    She regretted convincing Pheston to sleep indoors immensely. The old man had been moaning about sleeping in a bed since they arrived at the inn and that moaning continued on the march upstairs. She could even hear his annoyed grunts through the walls and wondered how Friedrich slept through the constant noise.


    ¡°Speaking of money,¡± said Marina, jingling her kupon purse. ¡°I¡¯m almost out. Are there any jobs we can do in Millstone before we move along?¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± said Friedrich, knowing how light his own wallet had become.


    He had sold the goblin shaman¡¯s staff for a grand total of eleven kupons and, frankly, he was grateful for them. Pheston insisted on waiting until they reached Dragonquartz, the city he had once called home. When asked when they would reach the city, he told them it would be at least a few weeks because they had yet to visit the Forge of Ages. Even before that, he said he had ingredients to collect before heading to the forge he spoke so highly of.


    ¡°Pah,¡± said Pheston with his face scrunched into a sneer. ¡°We can hunt for food and sleep under the stars. Friedrich, you¡¯ve gotten soft in the weeks since Keldracht.¡±


    Friedrich grinned. ¡°If being soft means getting an equally soft pillow beneath my head, I¡¯ll happily be called as such.¡±


    Ignoring Pheston¡¯s mumblings, the young Mercian walked into the small town and along the river. He passed by a large water wheel that harnessed the power of the flowing water to power a sawmill. Friedrich was so captivated by the miller cutting timber that he tripped over something that let out a loud bark.


    ¡°Whatcha doin¡¯, boy?¡± called a man as Friedrich rubbed his knees while sitting up.


    He saw a shaggy brown dog staring him in the face with its wet nose inches from him. It shook its head to move the hair away from its eyes and opened its mouth, unleashing a pungent odour as it dribbled onto the path. Friedrich wasn¡¯t sure how to react to the dog and awkwardly patted it on the head.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said and the man who had shouted at him walked over.


    He was dressed in mail armour and wearing a tunic bearing a wolf¡¯s head. He reached out and helped Friedrich to his feet.


    ¡°You ought to be more careful,¡± said the man. ¡°Especially if you¡¯re new in Millstone. You don¡¯t want to get yourself a reputation as someone who goes around kicking dogs.¡±


    ¡°I think I was more hurt than he was,¡± muttered Friedrich. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± asked the man, scratching his brown beard. ¡°That¡¯s Oaky. Best guard dog in town. Not that there¡¯s much competition, but he¡¯s the best of the trio. The fact that he¡¯s not biting you means you¡¯re an alright fellow. What about your names?¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Friedrich,¡± said the Mercian before gesturing to his friends in turn. ¡°This is Marina, Blackjack and Pheston. We¡¯re adventurers of a sort. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Sven,¡± said the armoured man. ¡°I¡¯m one of the guards in town. Can never be too careful, so you¡¯ll find me patrolling the road along the river from morning ¡®til lunch and then all afternoon.¡±


    Friedrich looked to his friends with a smile, who could all see the covetous look in his eye. ¡°Is there something dangerous that we should be aware of?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Dangerous?¡± chuckled Sven. ¡°Only if you count snow trolls as dangerous, and I would say that you should!¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Snow trolls?¡± said Pheston, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Just point me in their directions and they¡¯ll find themselves with their skulls caved in soon enough.¡±


    ¡°The four of you can fight a dozen snow trolls?¡±


    ¡°A dozen, eh?¡± murmured Pheston, sounding less certain before perking up. ¡°Of course we can!¡±


    ¡°Is there a bounty for services rendered?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I¡¯m sure if I spoke to the captain, he wouldn¡¯t mind offering a small reward. They tend not to venture down here, but they have made going to the runestones a daunting task for most of us in town.¡±


    ¡°Runestones?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Places of worship,¡± said Pheston, surprised that Friedrich was surprised. ¡°We Corobathians pray to the gods and our ancestors at them. You don¡¯t do that in Mercia?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that we do.¡±


    ¡°You must have done in the past and forgotten your traditions. Our kind are neighbours after all.¡±


    ¡°Where can we find the trolls?¡± piped up Marina. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can handle them.¡±


    Sven pointed across the river and to the mountain to the west. ¡°Cross the river and up the mountain,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about finding them because, once you¡¯re at the runestones, you just need to make a bit of noise and those barbarians will find you.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± asked Friedrich excitedly.


    Sven guffawed. ¡°Keen, aren¡¯t you? I hope that confidence doesn¡¯t see your bones buried under a foot of snow.¡±


    ¡°You talk to your captain, Sven, and we¡¯ll worry about those trolls. We¡¯ll be back by dinnertime with troll skulls tucked under our arms.¡±


    With that, Friedrich started walking onwards.


    ¡°Bridge is the other way, boy,¡± said Sven before turning to Oaky. ¡°Eh! Show them to the mountain path.¡±


    Oaky barked like thunder and plodded down the road. Friedrich, Marina, Teleri and Pheston followed the unkempt dog who seemed to understand exactly as Sven had said.


    It was dark when the weary travellers had wandered into Millstone, but seeing it in daylight, it seemed like a peaceful little town. Everyone seemed to have their jobs, going from place to place with purpose, whether that was dragging a cart full of apples or picking flowers for the local alchemist to grind into potion reagents.


    The faint mist that hung low over the town was not a foreboding mist that cloaked danger, but a sleepy mist that put you at ease. It reminded Friedrich of a pine-scented and colder version of the towns near his home in eastern Mercia more than the warmer climate of Akatfall.


    It was true what Pheston said, there were similarities between the Mercians and Corobathians, but there were as many differences as there were similarities. Even the houses of wood and stone looked different, even if they used mostly the same materials and building techniques. The houses in Millstone were more rustic, while even the countryside houses in Mercia strived to match the splendour of those found in bigger towns.


    Oaky guided the humans and the elf to the edge of town and to a stone bridge that passed over the river. As they walked further from Millstone, a light drizzle pitter patted onto their heads and the wind picked up. Looking over his shoulder, Friedrich could see that they were already moving upwards, but the incline was so subtle that he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Upon reaching a small cliff with a stony staircase, Oaky stopped and let out another loud bark. Friedrich leaned down and scratched the dog behind the ears and Oaky¡¯s mouth fell open, letting his drool drip down and plop onto the ground, where it was disguised by the wetness of the grass and soil.


    ¡°Thanks for the directions,¡± said Friedrich, having taken a liking to the dog already. ¡°Run on home and keep the town safe.¡±


    Oaky lowered his head as though accepting the thank you and then ran back down the path, making his way home.


    ¡°What are we to expect from snow trolls?¡± Marina asked Pheston.


    ¡°Sharp claws, sharp teeth and lots of hair,¡± he said before looking to Oaky who was shrinking into the distance. ¡°And not in the pleasant way like that fella there. No, we¡¯re talking brutes as big as me and broader yet. You¡¯ll want to stand well back and use your magic.¡±


    ¡°Are snow trolls similar to those found in grasslands?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± said Pheston, ¡°and you¡¯ll definitely want to use a few of those fire arrows of yours to keep ¡®em down. They hate fire and acid; they slow down their rapid healing. Even still, you can cut their heads off and they won¡¯t heal from that, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°I should keep a list of all the monsters I¡¯ve killed,¡± said Friedrich, making his way up the steps. ¡°I could write an entire book about them at this point.¡±


    ¡°You are not as experienced as you believe yourself to be,¡± said Teleri, rolling her eyes. ¡°This overconfidence of yours always has a way of getting you into trouble. You need to rid yourself of that nasty habit.¡±


    ¡°Nasty habit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the one where you open your mouth without thinking through what you are about to say.¡±


    Marina giggled. ¡°Aren¡¯t we all guilty of that sometimes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have someone on my side,¡± chuckled Friedrich before turning into the minotaur.


    He now towered over the girls and stood even taller than Pheston. The sight of Friedrich in this form still filled Teleri with dread, regardless of his newfound control of its form. Despite her ill feelings towards the spirit that had inhabited the mask and now resided within Friedrich, she was glad that he could use its strength for good without feeling the need to devour flesh and drink blood.


    ¡°Smell anything?¡± asked Pheston of the burly minotaur.


    Friedrich sniffed the air and gave Pheston a nod. He marched onwards and the others followed, all of them filled with a mixture of fear and excitement at the thought of fighting the snow trolls.

 Chapter 90 - Runestones

    ¡°This feels just like old times,¡± said Marina merrily as she followed her friends up the mountain path.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°We were trying to rescue Friedrich for so long and then we spent ages on Captain Alden¡¯s boat. It¡¯s nice to be out in the wilderness doing what we do best. Hunting monsters and enriching ourselves along the way.¡±


    ¡°It is easy to forget life¡¯s sorrows when we breathe in the fresh air and find ourselves filled with purpose,¡± said Teleri. ¡°My only regret is that I was not in Keldracht long enough to lay waste to every demon inhabiting it. I will settle for killing trolls for the time being.¡±


    Pheston chuckled. ¡°You¡¯d have fit in with me just fine in that hellhole,¡± he said. ¡°Although I suspect if you charged into demon towers and strongholds without care for strategy then you wouldn¡¯t have lasted very long. It¡¯s one thing fighting them in our plane, where they¡¯re not used to the way of things, and another entirely when they¡¯re in their own territory with many allies at their beck and call.¡±


    Friedrich snorted up ahead and took a small side path that led up to an outcropping. Here stood three tall moss-covered stones in a line, each of them as tall as Teleri and with runes running around the outside and a single larger rune carved in the centre. At the foot of the stones sat pewter bowls that were filled with rainwater and dried out flowers.


    From this outcropping, Friedrich could see over the trees and across the river to the town of Millstone. It was a pleasant place up close, but it was beautiful from a distance. He could see the water wheel turning to power the timber-cutting saw. He could see the small stream of smoke escaping from the roof of the inn. Had it not been for what he saw at his feet, he would have felt at complete peace.


    Before the stones lay the rotting corpse of a wolf and Friedrich knew now that this was what he had smelled. He turned back into a human and walked towards the wolf, kneeling down beside it and looking at its maggot-infested wounds.


    ¡°This is the work of a blade, not a troll,¡± he said.


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Pheston. ¡°It must have been a sacrifice to Hvitrald.¡±


    ¡°Vitrald?¡± asked Marina.


    Pheston cleared his throat. ¡°Huh-vit-rald,¡± he said, emphasising each syllable clearly. ¡°He¡¯s the Corobathian god of the dead. We ask him to guide our loved ones to his realm, should their souls be lost in the aether.¡±


    Teleri muttered something under her breath that only Friedrich could hear. ¡°Heresy,¡± she had said, but she dared not say it any louder, not wanting to find herself in another argument with Pheston after they made their peace.


    ¡°No sign of the trolls,¡± said Friedrich, looking back to the path leading further up the mountain.


    ¡°Trolls!¡± roared Pheston, thumping his chest and making the others jump a mile. ¡°Come face us, you cowards! We will settle our differences in bloody combat.¡±


    The party waited patiently for a few seconds, expecting to hear the thumping footsteps of the burly beasts making their way towards them, yet nothing came.


    ¡°How long should we wait?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Use your lightning,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Send up a bolt to signal our position.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± she said, pointing her staff to the sky. She focused her arcane energy and summoned forth a bolt of lightning that shot straight upwards before dissipating.


    The four waited once more and a minute later still found themselves alone by the runestones.


    ¡°Nothing else for it,¡± said Pheston with a shrug.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He turned around and kneeled on the soggy ground before the runestones. He quietly chanted prayers to Hvitrald, apologising for not being present in on Terna to commune with him. He asked the god to watch over his ancestors, listing off countless names. To finish his prayer, he said that he did not know many who may have perished in his absence and will pray again for those as he learns of their fates.


    ¡°Shall we proceed up the mountain?¡± asked Pheston, rising to his feet. ¡°Perhaps we can track the trolls to their den and weed them out at the source.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich, opting to remain a human for now. He took the lead with his sword and shield ready to fend off any surprise attacks.


    The roughly hewn steps turned to a lesser trodden path as the quartet walked along. Few people wandered beyond the stones, deeming the short pilgrimage to them sufficient. After all, the people of Millstone were much too busy to venture into the dangerous mountains where dwelled unsightly beasts and dangerous ruins.


    As the walk continued, the steps turned to dirt and the dirt turned to snow. It took a surprisingly short amount of time, and it felt as though they had left Milltown far behind, but a single glance over Friedrich¡¯s shoulder revealed the village to still be sitting there, albeit notably smaller than before.


    Marina hugged her cloak around herself as a small wind picked up. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m¡­s-s-o¡­c-c-cold,¡± she said.


    ¡°Perhaps you should have learned fire magic?¡± remarked Teleri.


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely the solution,¡± said Friedrich, rolling his eyes. ¡°I think I picked up a tome containing the secrets of a campfire spell before I left the inn.¡±


    ¡°Play nice,¡± guffawed Pheston, slapping Friedrich on the back. ¡°We can¡¯t have everyone in the party falling out all the time now, can we?¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± said Teleri in as loud a whisper as she could.


    ¡°I¡¯m defending¡ª"


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± said the elf, holding up a hand. ¡°Listen.¡±


    Friedrich could hear nothing, so he turned into a fox and listened in perfect stillness. There came a faint crunching sound as though someone was walking on the snow somewhere up ahead. He could not tell the size of the creature, but it was certainly not something as light as his current form. Was it a human? Was it a troll?


    He transformed back and turned to his friends. ¡°What do we think?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± said Marina, biting her lip.


    ¡°Nor I,¡± said Pheston, sticking a finger in his ear and wiggling it around. ¡°Adjusting back to this climate must have clogged me up.¡±


    ¡°Eugh,¡± murmured Teleri, wrinkling her nose before shaking her head. ¡°I do not know what it is that lies ahead, but we should approach cautiously if we decide to approach at all.¡±


    ¡°All in favour of approach,¡± said Friedrich, holding up his shield-bearing arm.


    ¡°Aye,¡± said Pheston.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina, ¡°but let¡¯s make it quick so we can get back to a warm fire.¡±


    Friedrich marched on up the hill which started to level off. Along either side of him were low-hanging cliffs that formed a snowy pass below. Poking through the snow and hugging the wall were a couple of pale blue flowers, having survived in the frozen conditions against all odds.


    ¡°Merry blues,¡± said Pheston quietly, following Friedrich¡¯s eyeline. ¡°Used by alchemists for potions that help you stave off the cold.¡±


    As the two men walked through the pass, Teleri saw Marina grab a couple of the flowers and shove them inside her bag.


    ¡°Tracks,¡± said Friedrich, looking over his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re not following trolls, we¡¯re following humans.¡±


    As Friedrich watched the road ahead, the others inspected the boot prints in the ground.


    ¡°Where did they come from?¡± asked Marina.


    Pheston looked up to the cliff top, sitting no more than ten feet above him. ¡°Up there, I would suspect,¡± he said.


    ¡°Bend over,¡± said Teleri. ¡°I need to use you as a stepping stone.


    ¡°Eh? Alright.¡±


    Pheston put his hands on the cliff and leaned against it with an arched back. Teleri hopped onto him and sprung up, reaching out and grabbing onto the lip of the cliff. She silently hoisted herself up and landed on the snow.


    After a moment of silence, she looked down to her friends. ¡°We will not find any trolls,¡± she said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t bode well,¡± said Friedrich, placing the goblin mask on his face.


    As the green verminous goblin, he sunk his spindly fingers into the crevices on the stone and climbed to the top to join Teleri. Before him was a lake of red sitting in the middle of the sea of white. The trolls that they sought were no more, having been hacked into dozens of pieces, leaving not a single one alive.


    ¡°Do we think a friend or foe is behind this?¡± she asked Friedrich, who looked to her and grunted his response.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead?¡± asked Marina from down below.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Teleri. ¡°And there was no fire needed to keep these beasts down.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°If memory serves,¡± said Pheston, scratching his nose. ¡°There should be an old temple up ahead. I would bet you any money, we¡¯re dealing with tomb raiders here.¡±


    ¡°Tomb raiders?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as it sounds. They raid old tombs for the wealth left behind by the dead and those who pay their respects.¡±


    ¡°And these tomb raiders can deal with trolls with such violence?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± said Pheston with a snort. ¡°The ones in these tombs have a habit of not staying dead. To not be a capable fighter is to join the ranks of the dead and undead.¡±

 Chapter 91 - Where Could They Be?

    Pheston led the way up over the snowy hill, guiding the party deeper into the mountains and towards an old ruin that creeped out from over a ridge up ahead. It was made of a dark stone and was capped by a stone archway with the head of a dragon carved into it.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a dragon inside, will there?¡± asked Marina anxiously.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± chuckled Pheston. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t fit through the door, Marina. Not unless it was raised inside, but that¡¯s unlikely, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked uneasily.


    ¡°There is no dragon,¡± said Teleri resolutely. ¡°But that does not mean we should lose vigilance. Remember that we are following tomb raiders. And I will also remind you that we are not getting paid for this additional service to the people of Millstone, who may not have even visited their dead ancestors for decades, perhaps even centuries.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± said Friedrich, marching ahead. ¡°And once we deal with the raiders, we might find something useful ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± bellowed Pheston, grabbing the young man by the shoulder. ¡°You can raid whatever ruins, crypts, and tombs you please back in Mercia, but we are not stealing from the dead of Corobath. Are we clear, young man?¡±


    ¡°Clear,¡± said a wide-eyed Friedrich, never having been yelled at by Pheston in such a way. ¡°Only loot the tomb raiders for their possessions and not anything they¡¯ve stolen.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Pheston with a smile and clapping Friedrich on the back. ¡°It¡¯s important we keep ourselves on the straight and narrow, Friedrich, lest we become just like those rotten demons of Keldracht.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure there are no dragons here?¡± asked Marina, looking to Pheston.


    ¡°Reasonably confident,¡± said the smith.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help¡­¡±


    Friedrich took his minotaur form and led the way along the snow. He was the first to cross the ridge and headed for the steps leading up to the entrance of the old tomb. As he drew near, he saw the charred remains of a campfire underneath the archway, where it was shielded from the snowfall. Whoever had slaughtered the trolls had been here recently.


    Marching up the steps, Friedrich looked around to make sure that nobody was hiding nearby and that they weren¡¯t being followed. Teleri did the same when she reached him and then confirmed that she didn¡¯t see anything either. Marina and Pheston meanwhile were looking at the campfire, but were unable to discern how long it had been there for. Their best guess was that it had been snuffed out in the last hour or so.


    ¡°In we go then,¡± said Pheston, walking to the large stone slab that was the door and giving it a shove. It grinded open and the four slipped from the dazzling white of the snow-covered mountainside and into the dim tomb.


    The entrance chamber was lit with by a lone torch sitting above five packs which had been left behind as their owners ventured elsewhere. At the far end of the room was a much larger archway leading to a staircase downward. Scattered across the room were a couple of fallen pillars and broken chunks of stone that told Friedrich that this tomb was much older than he first presumed.


    Unable to ask in his current state, he waltzed over to the packs, stepping over the rubble, and tossed three of them to his companions. He tore the remaining two open and started sifting through the contents, finding all manner of supplies from ropes to what he presumed to be healing potions; there was even a small packet of wrapped dried meats that smelled delicious. Friedrich held it up to the light and could see the granules of salt sitting on top. He threw a piece into his mouth to test it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± cried Marina, running over and smacking the rest of the pack from his hands with her staff. ¡°It could be poisoned!¡±


    Friedrich grunted and nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take some of that,¡± said Pheston, walking over to the pack and scoffing down a couple of pieces of the preserved meat. ¡°Not bad! Heavy on the salt, I suppose, but needs must and all that.


    ¡°The pair of you are animals,¡± sighed Teleri. ¡°In any case, I see nothing out of the unusual. Shall we proceed?¡±


    Friedrich led the way down the staircase with his fists clenched. He was about halfway down when one of the steps crumbled beneath his immense weight and sent him tumbling down to the bottom. Had he been in his human form, he would have been in a lot of pain, but he stood up and brushed himself off.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marina, hurrying down after him.


    He snorted before following the passageway around. It was much darker down here and Marina conjured her lightning elemental, Shockwave, to light the way for the explorers. A short way along the passage, they found a stone coffin propped up against the wall with its lid tightly sealed.


    ¡°Good,¡± muttered Pheston. ¡°These ones are not desecrating graves for a couple of gold pieces. That means there¡¯ll be a lot less mess for the people of Millstone to clean up once we¡¯ve brought the looters to justice.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure they¡¯re looters?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°What else would they be?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re down here trying to help, just like we are? Maybe they want to make sure that undeath hasn¡¯t taken the bodies in the crypt?¡±


    ¡°So na?ve,¡± said Pheston, shaking his head. ¡°I know looters and these people reek of looters.¡±


    Teleri raised an eyebrow. ¡°How could you possibly know their intentions when you¡¯ve been deprived of human contact for fifty years?¡±


    ¡°Forty. And my gut doesn¡¯t lie to me. These ones are tomb raiders, mark my word.¡±


    ¡°I will choose to trust you, but if you are wrong, you will never again be steering our actions. I do not enjoy the prospect of killing innocents by accident.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill them before questioning them,¡± said Pheston, affronted. ¡°Give me the benefit of the doubt on that one, eh?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Teleri, giving Friedrich a prod. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with quickly.¡±


    As the quartet continued following the crackling lightning elemental, they watched the side passages and chambers for anything unusual. Much to their relief, all was quiet. There was not as much as a body out of place or a broken coffin lid. It was as though nobody had passed through this way with any intention of causing trouble, but still they remained cautious.


    ¡°Spiderwebs,¡± said Marina, wrinkling her nose. ¡°I don¡¯t like spiders.¡±


    ¡°Corobath is notorious for big ones, is that not the case?¡±


    ¡°Big ones, poisonous ones, ones with swords for arms, ones that teleport,¡± said Pheston. ¡°They like to nest in places like this where they think they won¡¯t be disturbed.¡±


    Marina grew more horrified with every word uttered and clung to her staff in terror. There came a clicking sound and she leapt onto Friedrich¡¯s back, clinging to him tightly. He reached around and grabbed her by the cloak, setting her back on the ground. He gave her a thumbs up and ran on ahead.


    As he ran down the passageway, a small cluster of five spiders about the size of his shield came scuttling along. They beaned back on their four hind legs and launched thick webbing at Friedrich, who punched it and found his fingers now stuck in a fist.


    An arrow whizzed past him and pierced one of the spiders through the head, sending a splatter of blood across the floor. Friedrich leapt and threw his elbow down, squashing one of the insects and covering his arm and side in its innards. A lightning strike erupted from Marina¡¯s staff and another shot from within Shockwave, killing two more spiders. As Pheston swung his hammer high, another arrow sped past him and killed the final spider.


    ¡°Rats,¡± he said, kicking the corpse, disappointed that Teleri was quicker off the mark.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± she told him.


    ¡°No matter, at least we¡¯re still whole. Wouldn¡¯t mind a bigger one to fight and claim a bit of glory for myself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± squealed Marina.


    Friedrich turned back into a human to rid himself of the spider¡¯s blood. ¡°How many more do you reckon are down there?¡± he asked, pointing his sword at the passageway which curled around to the left.


    ¡°Dozens,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Yet these creatures are still alive and there is no sign of the tomb raiders. That is most peculiar.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Pheston quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t like the look of this one bit. Something¡¯s afoot.¡±


    Friedrich marched down the corridor with his shield raised and his sword ready to slice apart any creature with more than four limbs. As he rounded the corner, a large chamber revealed itself. It was covered in thick spiderwebs and there were five human-shaped figures upon the wall wrapped up in spiderwebs so thick that not even an inch of flesh of cloth was visible. Surrounding the chamber were the dozens of spiders Teleri expected.


    ¡°Question answered!¡± called Friedrich, charging into the room and bringing his sword down upon the first spider as it tried to pivot towards him.


    Marina, Teleri, and Shockwave launched their attacks at the spiders, sending a barrage of arrows and lightning strikes that splattered innards all across the floor. Pheston charged in with a big smile on his face and swung his hammer viciously, smashing spider after spider into the ground while Friedrich fought alongside him, cutting them to pieces.


    The two warriors quickly found themselves covered in webs but, before they were bound too tightly, Friedrich turned into the minotaur again and broke free. He ripped the webs from Pheston and transformed back into a human before continuing the fight.


    Not long afterwards, the spiders all lay dead and in pieces on the floor while the party rushed over to the bound figures tied to the wall. Every one with a blade cut through the webs while Marina and Shockwave carefully sent jolts of electricity through the sticky strings binding them to the wall.


    Friedrich was the first to free one of them, only to find the petrified face on a dark elf staring back at him. ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± said the young man.


    ¡°So is this one,¡± said Pheston, revealing another elf.


    ¡°This one too,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Mmm!¡± came a sound as one of the bound figures hit the floor upon being detached by Marina.


    Friedrich hurried over and cut a hole for the dark elf to breathe from. ¡°Thank you,¡± gasped the man. ¡°But you¡¯ve made a grave mistake coming here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Friedrich as he continued to cut the elf free of the webs.


    ¡°She will come back. You must run!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The Queen of Spiders!¡±

 Chapter 92 - The Dark Elfs Gem

    Friedrich continued to free the dark elf from the webs binding him, but he paused momentarily upon the utterance of a name. ¡°The Queen of Spiders?¡± he asked in confusion.


    ¡°It is why we came here,¡± said the man as his head was fully uncovered. ¡°Are my companions alright?¡± he asked as he looked over to his dead friends.


    ¡°I am afraid not,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°I suspected so,¡± sighed the man, wrenching an arm free with the help of Friedrich. ¡°It is a stroke of fortune that the webs binding me were thin enough to let me breathe through them. My name is Nelmor, strangers. What are yours?¡±


    The four introduced themselves, but Friedrich noted that Pheston seemed unusually abrupt when saying his name.


    ¡°Well met,¡± said Nelmor, standing up and stretching; he felt stiff from his imprisonment. He walked over to each of his comrades and closed their eyes while muttering a quiet prayer in Balmorian¡ªthe language of the dark elves; the Balmori¡ªunder his breath. ¡°I suggest we leave at once before the Queen of Spiders returns.¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡± asked Marina, failing to hide her disgust.


    ¡°In human tongue, you would call her Valmyra, but to the Balmori, she is Ly¡¯riyaksh. We were sent down here to capture her, but with my friends dead, it is a fool¡¯s errand.¡±


    Pheston raised an eyebrow. ¡°How big is this spider that she would take so many of you to carry her back to¡­where, Balmoria?¡±


    ¡°You do not understand,¡± said Nelmor, looking down the passageway to make sure there was no sign of the Queen of Spiders. ¡°It is not the weight that is the concern, it is whether or not we can kill her to expose her soul.¡±


    ¡°Her soul?¡± asked Friedrich, his hand drawn to the goblin mask hung around his neck. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Nelmor hurried over to one of his dead companions and sifted around his pockets before pulling out a turquoise stone that looked eerily familiar. He held it up and drew out a basic wooden mask from underneath his cloak and held them out together. It bore as basic of a face as could be imagined, featuring two rounded eyeholes and a small slid for a mouth. To call it a face was being generous. The party exchanged worried looks, knowing now what Nelmor and his group were planning to do.


    ¡°When we killed her, we would have drawn her soul into this gem. Once combined with this mask, it would grant whoever wears it the ability to assume her powerful form.¡±


    Nelmor was not a mere tomb raider; he was a soul hunter.


    ¡°Should we help?¡± asked Friedrich, looking to the others.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Foul magic or not,¡± said Teleri, ¡°this creature is desecrating a tomb. She¡¯s better off dead and her fate is of her own making.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Pheston, putting his hands on Nelmor¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You just found yourself a new bunch of friends, who will gladly aid you in this here quest of yours. You did us a favour in slaying the trolls outside¡ª¡±


    Nelmor looked puzzled. ¡°How did you¡ª


    ¡°¡ªso we¡¯ll do you a favour and kill this Queen of Spiders for you. The people of Millstone will no doubt appreciate it, eh? Squashing two insects with one stone. Sounds like a fair deal to me?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± boomed Pheston. ¡°We¡¯re experts in the soul department, especially the auburn lad over there. Tell him, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­dabbled with soul masks,¡± said Friedrich uneasily. ¡°At the very least, we¡¯re no stranger to killing monstrosities.¡±


    Nelmor looked hopeful. ¡°You would do that for a strange?¡± he asked. ¡°With no payment required?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Pheston again. ¡°You can take credit for killing that spider and we¡¯ll take credit for killing the trolls. We¡¯ll do a little good deed switcheroo there, eh?¡±


    ¡°I accept your terms,¡± said Nelmor. ¡°You are sure you can handle yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Handle ourselves?¡± chuckled Pheston. ¡°My friend, I spent forty years in Keldracht killing demonic beings daily. I can handle a few spiders, don¡¯t you worry. Backed up by my friends here? She¡¯s as good as dead.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure we should imprison her soul?¡± Marina whispered to Teleri. ¡°We have no idea what he¡¯s going to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Leave that to me,¡± said the Alaurian, careful not to let Friedrich and Pheston hear her. Marina gave her a concerned look, but said nothing further.


    ¡°What was your plan, Nelmor?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°Before it went awry.¡±


    Nelmor held up the soul gem. ¡°The magic in this little gem is already primed and ready to use. All I need to do is focus on it before the killing blow is struck and Valmyra¡¯s soul will be pulled into it upon her death. In theory, it is that simple.¡±


    ¡°In theory.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the one who wrapped up all five of us, something her children were incapable of doing.¡±


    ¡°No point wasting our time here then,¡± said Pheston, twirling Vigr around. ¡°Let¡¯s go beat the soul out of the invader while the day is still young.¡±


    Nelmor found one of his companion¡¯s lanterns and lit it as Marina dispelled Shockwave. Once the quintet was ready, they marched down the corridor with Friedrich, Pheston, and Teleri taking the lead.


    ¡°Do you trust him?¡± Teleri whispered.


    ¡°With a soul mask?¡± asked Pheston, trying to stifle a laugh. ¡°Not a chance. Who knows who he¡¯s going to sell it to in the future?¡±


    ¡°Then what was all that about swapping deeds?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Needed him to think we weren¡¯t going to double cross him. It worked and you can thank me later.¡±


    ¡°Spider!¡± called Teleri, bringing up her bow and unleashing an arrow. It soared down the corridor and pierced the crawling menace with a squelch. ¡°There was only one.¡±


    ¡°Good shot,¡± said Pheston.


    ¡°All of my shots are good shots.¡±


    ¡°No arguments here,¡± muttered the smith.


    The five continued their journey deeper into the tomb. They made their way down many staircases and saw coffin after coffin, but not a single one of the dead stirred. Pheston was particularly relieved by this because he had little desire to desecrate the corpses of his people, even if they were being controlled by a foul necromantic magic.


    The reality of just how large this tomb was sunk in as the group continued their delve. Friedrich questioned Pheston about it, only to receive a shrug in return and an incomplete answer about honouring ancestors. This told Friedrich that the old man had no idea and was too proud to say it. As the group explored, Marina¡¯s mind was on other things; namely, the soul stone.


    ¡°Did you create this stone?¡± asked Marina, growing more worried by the second, especially considering her companions¡¯ eagerness to assist in the dark elf¡¯s endeavours.


    ¡°By Bellama, no,¡± said Nelmor. ¡°It was a gift. We were instructed to make our way here and seek out this specific soul. The man who sent us said that our path was intertwined with that of another and that once we obtained the Valmyra¡¯s soul, we would be rewarded. Sadly, the man did not count on us not surviving.¡±


    ¡°Who was this man?¡±


    ¡°He was a peculiar fellow, I must say. He said his name was Elketh.¡±


    Marina did a doubletake. ¡°Elketh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Like I said, a very strange individual. He wore multicoloured robes that I¡¯ve never seen before; truly unique. He always covered his face and spoke to us a riddle that took us some time to decipher, but it led us straight here.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Marina to her friend up ahead. ¡°We have a problem.¡±


    And so they did. The ground suddenly gave way beneath Friedrich, Teleri, and Pheston. As the bricks collapsed, the three fell into darkness. Marina and Nelmor ran towards the hole in the floor, sending a small glow of light into the pit below.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marina, upon seeing her three friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck,¡± said Friedrich, trying to move his arms.


    ¡°As am I,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Great,¡± snarled Pheston. ¡°We¡¯re stuck in a web.¡±


    Marina illuminated her staff with crackling lightning and pointed it into the pit. The thin strands of web twinkled as they caught the light. As she charged up her staff to destroy the web, she was suddenly kicked in the back and tumbled into the pit to join her friends.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Nelmor lightly. ¡°The four of you seem like nice people, but I cannot risk another failure to capture the Queen of Spiders.¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± called Pheston, struggling to move his arms.


    ¡°You were much easier to play than I had imagined,¡± said the dark elf, his face contorting into a smug grin. ¡°I thought that we would be halfway to the surface by the time I had to start pulling out sad stories about how tragic it was that I lost my friends. I do appreciate the rescue, mind. Unfortunately, I need bait and I doubt you would have agreed to sacrifice one of you, so it had to be all of you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to fix this,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Help us get out of here.¡±


    ¡°I am afraid not,¡± said Nelmor, pulling a couple of vials from his bag. ¡°You see, spiders don¡¯t much like fire. When I throw these little bottles down and blow up everything in the pit, Valmyra¡¯s soul will be as good as mine.¡±


    There came a clicking noise from somewhere in the darkness of the pit.


    ¡°Ah, it looks like she is awake,¡± said Nelmor in a snivelling voice. ¡°I hope your deaths are not too painful.¡±

 Chapter 93 - The Queen of Spiders

    Friedrich, Marina, Teleri, and Pheston tried to pull themselves free of the spiderwebs, but the webs were too sticky and strong. The clicking noise from the unseen Valmyra grew louder and louder as the seconds passed, leaving the group with precious little time left before she started devouring them one by one.


    ¡°Nothing else for it,¡± said Friedrich, knowing he had no choice but to reveal his powers to the traitorous Nelmor who was watching from above.


    He turned into a minotaur, breaking the webs as he grew, but found that even in his larger form he was still stuck to the sticky threads of the spider pit. He transformed into his fox form, shrinking so rapidly that the webs snapped as they tried to hold onto him.


    ¡°What sorcery is this?¡± barked Nelmor as he stood with his arm cocked and ready. The glass vial in his hand contained an orange liquid and he was just waiting for the Queen of Spiders to appear so that he could begin his fiery assault and claim her soul for himself.


    Realisation struck the dark elf a she touched the soul gem he possessed. ¡°He is a soul masker,¡± spat Nelmor, infuriated that this had been kept from him.


    Friedrich fell to the bottom of the pit and kept low beneath the webs as he turned back into a human. He crawled over to Teleri first and cut her free.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as the webs were sliced apart by Friedrich¡¯s blade.


    ¡°You can free the others quicker than I can,¡± said Friedrich, looking toward the darkness.


    The Alaurian drew one of her fire arrows from her quiver and nocked it as she thudded on the ground. With a plink, she let it loose and it struck the net of webs. They caught fire and the flames spread rapidly as the pit was revealed by their flickering and rapidly-spreading orange light.


    Valmyra, the Queen of Spiders, was crawling towards them and she was a behemoth of a creature. She must have been at least twelve feet tall with legs that were even longer at their full length. The venom from her fangs dripped as she scurried towards Pheston, eager to devour one of the two remaining trapped mortals that had fallen into her lair.


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate some help!¡± barked the smith, but the burning webs gave way and he fell to the ground along with Marina.


    ¡°My staff!¡± cried the lightning witch, scrambling to reach her magical implement.


    A flick of web from the Spider Queen and the staff was thrown from of the pit, sending it clunking to the corridor above, leaving Marina unable to fully harness her magic. She turned around and held out her hands, sending waves of electricity crackling through them should Valmyra come any closer or dare to shoot web at her.


    ¡°Kyick!¡± screeched the spider as an arrow pierced one of her many eyes.


    Friedrich ran towards her with his shield raised and then slammed it into her fangs, knocking her head backwards. He swung his sword, aiming for her throat, but a spindly leg shoved him aside and he was sent rolling across the floor.


    Another flick of web and Teleri¡¯s legs were caught. Valmyra whipped the high elf into the air and then slammed her onto the hard ground. Despite her attempts to cling to her bow, the spider caught it and flung it out of the pit to join Marina¡¯s staff.


    ¡°A little closer together,¡± muttered Nelmor as he leaned aside to avoid being stricken by the flying bow. ¡°Just a little closer and fire will rain down.¡±


    The Spider Queen looked towards him and shot a web at the man¡¯s arm. In a panic, he screamed and drew his dagger to slice himself free, but not before he dropped three of his vials.


    Friedrich saw them fall into the pit and panic struck him. He transformed into a minotaur and dove towards them, catching all but one of them in his large hands. He flung them across the pit as the bottle he missed cracked and immediately exploded, sending a shock of fire across his hairy body.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Pheston, running toward his friend, but the Spider Queen tripped him with one of her webs.


    From the corridor above, more explosions of fire that sent a burst of intense light throughout the pit, forcing Nelmor to dive to avoid being hit by his own exploding vials of flame. With nobody or nothing to be set alight, the fires faded much quicker than the one in the queen¡¯s lair.


    Friedrich roared in pain as he was burned alive. He was in utter agony as his hair and flesh was seared by the intense magical fire. Fighting through the excruciation, he mustered just enough focus to turn back into a human to heal his wounds before he succumbed to death. The burning continued and it was even more agonising in his natural state, forcing him to revert to his minotaur form. With the flames slowly fading and free of his wounds, his increased durability as the bull-man let him smother the rest of the flames by rolling on the stones.


    Valmyra scuttled towards him and leaned down, only to find a pair of delicate hands wrapped firmly around her legs. Marina unleashed a burst of electricity from her palms that shot through the Spider Queen¡¯s leg. With the swing of a magically lengthened hammer, Pheston snapped her leg off, leaving the removed limb in Marina¡¯s clutches.


    Being deprived of one of her legs was enough to distract the spider from Friedrich, who turned back into a human now that the flames had died down. He thrust his sword up at the spider, piercing her chest and forcing her back as blood dripped from her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Nelmor quietly from above as he retrieved a final vial he had concealed in his cloak. ¡°Hurt her just enough that this will finish her off.¡±


    Teleri looked up just in time as he drew back his arm. She ran and jumped onto Valmyra¡¯s back, using the spider to leap to the edge of the pit and curl her fingers around the bricks. She hoisted herself up and grabbed the vial from his hands, only to be kicked back into the pit by a furious Nelmor.


    ¡°Gah!¡± he cried, looking desperately around for something to help him kill the four adventurers and the spider.


    ¡°Throw me!¡± Friedrich demanded of Pheston before running towards the smith and turning into a fox. He leapt into the old man¡¯s burly hand.


    ¡°Get him, son,¡± said Pheston, tossing Friedrich up and out of the pit.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting away,¡± said Friedrich, transforming from fox to human as he landed in the corridor.


    With a look of panic on his face and the soul gem in his hand, Nelmor bolted down the passageway. Friedrich did not need to transform to catch the man, so speedy was he as a human. He tore along and followed Nelmor around the corner. He spotted the dark elf glancing over his shoulder with fear in his eyes.


    The Balmorian yelped as he tripped over a three-foot-long spider that was rushing towards his mother¡¯s aid. The spider turned on the elf, sensing that the bipedal creature had a hand in the agony he could her his mother in. He must protect her at all costs, for he was one of her last remaining children.


    Fearing his imminent demise with Friedrich drawing closer to him, Nelmor drew his dagger with his free hand and focused on the soul stone. Friedrich could see it glowing lightly as a swirling turquoise vapour manifested from it, encircling Nelmor¡¯s hand.


    The dark elf plunged his blade into the spider, who let out a horrified clicking. It was not yet dead as it fell back on its legs and Nelmor drew back his blade once more and stabbed the crawling beast for a second time. This time, the spider died.


    The second its life was snuffed out, something changed. It was not granted a peaceful passing. From its body, poured more of the ethereal vapour that Friedrich was so familiar with. As he ran, the young man saw it being drawn into the stone held in Nelmor¡¯s hand. He was almost there, but Nelmor was not yet out of options.


    The would-be soul masker shakily pulled the wooden mask from underneath his cloak and pressed the soul gem to it. There was a flash of light as the gem sank into the mask¡¯s forehead, merging with it, and the blank wooden face transformed before both Friedrich and Nelmor¡¯s eyes.


    As the swirling vapour surrounded it, it sprouted a pair of fangs from where the mouth was. Its shaped wobbled and contorted as its edges shifted and the two eyeholes vanished in place of bulbous spider-like eyes made of a red glass-like material. The brown wood turned black and the woodgrain became almost tufty like the hair of a spider. As the soul magic withdrew back into the gem, the mask settled down and sharp, blade-like purple lines were marked. The poor spider who only sought to find its dying mother had been trapped within the soul mask.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± said Nelmor with a faint smile as he raised the spider mask to his face.


    ¡°No!¡± called Friedrich, but as he ran, an arrow flew past him and it pierced Nelmor¡¯s temple, tearing a clean hole through his skull, and flying out the other side for a few feet before clinking to the ground.


    Friedrich spun around and saw Teleri standing with her brow raised. He heard the rustling of Nelmor¡¯s body slumping over and the spider mask fell from his hands. It hit the bricks with a clunk and bounced a couple of feet away before settling still. Its red eyes stared at the ceiling with the soul inside unable to move, forever imprisoned within the soul gem.

 Chapter 94 - The Spider Mask

    Friedrich and Teleri walked over to the spider mask that lay on the floor of the corridor beside Nelmor¡¯s body. There was something sad about witnessing the poor creature being drawn into it that gave Friedrich a new appreciation for the three souls that he held so closely to him.


    He sheathed his sword, slid his shield further up his arm, and then picked up the mask in his two hands. He looked at the indiscernible expression of the spider. Was it sad? Happy? Completely neutral? It was hard to tell with a creature like this, but he would guess neutral as it matched the other three masks he had¡ªor once had, in two cases.


    ¡°What should we do with this?¡± he asked Teleri.


    The high elf looked to Nelmor¡¯s body. ¡°Would it surprise you to know that I planned to steal the mask from him once he obtained the soul of Valmyra. Evidently, that plan did not come to pass, and you have to settle for this weaker soul.¡±


    ¡°You wanted me to have the mask?¡±


    ¡°Only because you are the only one I trust to use a soul mask responsibly. Even though the minotaur proved troublesome, you pushed through the hardship and brought him under control. Wicked magic, soul magic may be, but it is better with you than it is with a stranger.¡±


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°Your instinct was correct,¡± he said, leaning down and placing a palm over Nelmor¡¯s eyes, shutting them. He suddenly leapt up. ¡°Marina! Pheston!¡±


    ¡°Are fine,¡± she said, I threw Marina¡¯s staff to her before following you.


    The two headed back towards the pit where there was only silence. A glowing blue light appeared from the pit as Marina threw her staff out and then climbed free, having been thrown up by Pheston.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re alright,¡± she sighed, falling to the ground and taking a moment to rest. ¡°I¡¯m glad. I was worried Nelmor had something else in mind.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but Nelmor is dead and, unfortunately, he claimed a victim in his final moments.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Marina, sitting up and turning around. She glanced the spider mask in Friedrich¡¯s hand and then looked into the pit. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Not Valmyra. It was one of her children. A smaller spider and one that I suspect will not prove to be much help to us.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± came Pheston¡¯s echoing voice from the pit. ¡°Did you forget I¡¯m down here? Let me out, you rascals and we¡¯ll worry about spiders and masks later.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Friedrich, looking to the spider mask. A faint smile crept upon his face and he placed it to his face. ¡°Gah!¡±


    He felt his body painfully contort, but it was not like the pain he felt with every other transformation that he had since numbed to. This sensation was much worse as he shrunk and his body twisted. From his head sprung six additional eyes and, from his sides, four more legs. As they burst from his flesh, he wanted to curl up and died, so painful was it but before he knew it, the pain faded and he was standing in the corridor as a spider.


    ¡°Eek!¡± squealed Marina, sliding away. ¡°Friedrich, you¡¯re so disgusting.¡±


    Friedrich made a clicking sound to try and comfort her, but it only made the young Mercian¡¯s face scrunch up more. The spider Friedrich tried to walk, only to find himself to struggle bearing his weight on four legs. He had no idea how to control his new limbs, so unfamiliar was he with this form. The most he could do was make them wriggle and spasm. His plan to use a web to hoist Pheston from the pit was scarpered immediately as he tried to learn this new body. His other three masks hadn¡¯t resulted in such large changes to him, but this one would require a lot of practice to be able to fully control.


    As Friedrich flopped around, trying to move, Marina and Teleri retrieved a rope and secured it to a stone coffin to keep it sturdy enough for Pheston to pull himself out.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°There we go,¡± said the smith, puffing out his chest and smiling proudly. ¡°The tomb is free, we don¡¯t need to worry about tomb raiders, and there are no more trolls. Not a bad couple of hours, eh, friends?¡±


    Friedrich fell flat on his stomach¡ªor cephalothorax and abdomen¡ªand his head drooped into the pit, where the dead body of Valmyra lay. Seeing the dead Spider Queen sent a shockwave of emotion through him that caught him off guard. It was as though the spider¡¯s soul was calling out for his mother. It reminded Friedrich of his own dead mother and he froze, unable to move an inch. He did not know that spiders could feel emotion. Perhaps it was a trait of this specific breed, he could only guess, but it was unexpected and unpleasant.


    ¡°What do we do with leggy here?¡± asked Pheston, prodding Friedrich with his hammer. ¡°Just wait for him to turn back to normal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± said Marina, not wanting to have to carry the limp spider.


    ¡°It should not be much longer,¡± said Teleri, looking up and down the corridor in case more creatures reared their ugly heads.


    No more than a minute passed before Friedrich regressed to his human form and the mask fell from his face. He reached out a hand to stop it from falling into the pit and then placed it in his pack, not wanting to take the time to tie a thin rope to it. He would do that later and it could join the goblin mask under his tunic when he got back to Millstone.


    ¡°I did not enjoy that,¡± he said, climbing to his feet.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± said Marina, but the sight of the mask suddenly made her remember something important. ¡°Elketh!¡± she yelled.


    Pheston, who was standing right beside her, jumped. ¡°Eh? What are you on about, lass?¡± he barked, feeling embarrassed to have been caught off-guard.


    ¡°Elketh? What about him?¡± asked Friedrich was Teleri¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously.


    ¡°It was right before the floor collapsed,¡± said Marina, slapping her palm against her forehead. ¡°I was talking to Nelmor about where he got the soul gem and he said he got it from Elketh.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the funny-looking fella that you¡¯re convinced is stalking you?¡± asked Pheston, having heard all about the mysterious wandered from Friedrich during their time together in Keldracht.


    ¡°How can that be?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°He is stalking us,¡± said Friedrich, closing his eyes. ¡°He has to be, but how could he have orchestrated us running into Nelmor at precisely this time? What in the world is he up to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Marina. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to question Nelmor further, but I¡¯m certain it¡¯s the same man. He even talked about his robes.¡±


    ¡°I bet you anything he wanted Valmyra trapped within the soul gem rather than one of her lesser children,¡± said Friedrich, holding the inactive mask up. ¡°What is his intention?¡±


    ¡°Whatever he wants with you,¡± said Teleri, ¡°he is obviously determined to ensure that you obtain soul masks. The question we need to know the answer to is why he wants this. Surely, it would not be out of the goodness of his heart?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s friends with my father,¡± joked Friedrich, but his face fell upon saying it. ¡°Is that such a crazy thought?¡±


    His three friends looked at him sympathetically. They knew he sought to rescue his father, but the young Mercian had never been prepared to share details with them.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time,¡± he said, looking up. ¡°You¡¯ve all helped me so much and we¡¯ve been through a lot together. I owe you the truth about why I¡¯ve been roaming the land, seeking money and power.¡±


    ¡°Not here, lad,¡± said Pheston, looking around. ¡°We¡¯ll go outside and you can tell us in the fresh air. I think you¡¯ll probably need it.¡±


    The group departed from the corridor, walking past Nelmor¡¯s body. As much as Pheston wanted the rotten dark elf to be tossed into the snow, he knew the rats and remaining spiders hiding in the shadows would quickly dispose of him. Even upon walking past the other dark elves, the four ignored the bodies.


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell the people of Millstone and they can decide what to do with them,¡± said the old man as the ascending journey continued.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Marina asked Friedrich quietly as Teleri and Pheston marched on ahead.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the young man truthfully. ¡°I think that sharing this burden is what I need to do. I¡¯m just sorry that it¡¯s taken me so long to be ready.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± asked Marina with a surprised look. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for. We agreed from the beginning that we will talk about ourselves when we were ready. Teleri may have been the first to do so, but that doesn¡¯t mean we had to follow suit. When the time is right, the time is right. If that time is now, then that is perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Friedrich, smiling at her. ¡°I missed you in Keldracht, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t miss you,¡± said Marina jokingly.


    ¡°You only spent months trying to bring me home.¡±


    ¡°All Teleri¡¯s idea, I assure you. I was happy to leave you in Keldracht.¡±


    ¡°At least I brought a couple of friends,¡± said Friedrich with a laugh as he tapped the goblin mask and then his forehead. ¡°My merry trio of souls kept me company until I ran into Pheston.¡±


    ¡°And now you have foul souls,¡± said Marina, taking the mask from Friedrich¡¯s hands and looking at it. She quickly passed it back. ¡°No, even when it¡¯s wood, it disgusts me.¡±


    ¡°Here we are!¡± called Pheston from the top of a staircase ahead. ¡°Make sure you wrap up, Marina, it¡¯s going to be colder outside than it is in here.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± sighed the young woman. ¡°I forgot about that¡­I don¡¯t like Corobath weather.¡±

 Chapter 95 - The Tale of Lord Gaerfyrd

    The sun was starting to set as Friedrich, Marina, Teleri, and Pheston gathered around a small fire they¡¯d made under the archway of the tomb. They were sat in silence, as all waited for Friedrich to speak¡ªincluding Friedrich himself, who wasn¡¯t sure where to begin.


    At last, he took a deep breath. ¡°My name is Friedrich Gaerfyrd and I¡¯m the last in a long line of Eastern Mercian nobles. My father, Lord Siegfried Gaerfyrd, thwarted a plan by his fellow noblemen who were attempting to steal the throne of Mercia. His punishment was that he had to watch as my mother was killed before being imprisoned in the Orion Tower.¡±


    ¡°The Orion Tower?¡± gasped Teleri, prompting confused looks from Marina and Pheston.


    ¡°Not to take away from the gravity of the situation, but what is that?¡± asked Pheston with a guilty look. Marina was relieved that he had asked the question because she didn¡¯t want to be the one to do it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a prison where, for the offering of a life, the demons running it will keep a prisoner in eternal stasis. Forever aware and watching, basically a prisoner in their own minds until their sentence is up and they¡¯re let out, only to be executed.¡±


    Teleri shook her head despairingly. ¡°It is one of the most barbaric places on Terna. It is not without good reason that it is not located in Eradrel. This¡­this is why you wanted a boat? To sail to The Orion Tower to rescue your father.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Tell us everything,¡± said Pheston, leaning closer to the fire and warming his hands.


    ¡°There are parts of the story I can only guess because there¡¯s nobody left alive to tell me the whole truth,¡± said Friedrich. He took a deep breath. ¡°Many years before I was born, my father was invited to a group called the True King Believers. This group, made up of many noblemen, believed that the throne of Mercia was held illegitimately and wanted to separate Mercia into two kingdoms, Western and Eastern. My father listened to their concerns and, being young and na?ve, agreed to join for a few months before changing his mind. He left the group, thinking there would be no consequences for doing so.


    ¡°As the years passed, there were many attempts on his life and my mother¡¯s life. Even when I was a baby, there was an attempt to kidnap me to keep him silent about what he knew, but we were always kept safe by the loyal soldiers who worked for us. They were all paid handsomely and tensions eased over the years, but it turned out that they only eased as the True King Believers were facing dissent within their ranks. A number of their loyal men were killed during recruitment missions; executed for treason by those loyal to King Godfrey.


    ¡°Once the dust had settled, my father¡¯s guard had been lowered due to the passing of time. It was by chance that he overheard a conversation about a planned assassination of the king, no longer content with splitting the country in two; the rebels wanted to take it over entirely. My father sent word straight to King Godfrey. Seeing as the king is still alive today, I¡¯m sure you can guess the outcome. The True King Believers took a couple of months to figure it out, but they realised my father was the one who foiled their plans. As punishment, they executed my mother before his eyes.


    ¡°Realising that something bad was coming, my father had sent me away with a couple of stewards. Being the clever young man that I was back then, I gave them the slip and snuck back into the castle. I witnessed by father and many of our still loyal men being rounded up the True King Believers and receiving their illegal sentences in the Orion Tower. At the time, I had no idea what that meant, but I managed to escape unseen and find out for myself.


    ¡°The rebels spread word around the land that we had sold our land and chosen to resettle elsewhere in Western Mercia. Precious few people know the truth about what happened to my mother and where my father is now. Fewer still know where I am, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. The word has no doubt gotten out that I¡¯m alive and well, but I doubt I¡¯m being taken seriously as a threat.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    As Friedrich finished his tale, his three companions sat silently around as though expecting him to say something further.


    ¡°Well, that settles it,¡± said Pheston, breaking the silence. ¡°I need to make sure the weapons I craft for you are powerful enough to take on an entire prison island of demons. I¡¯ll stick with Vigr when we arrive.¡±


    ¡°You mean you want to come with me?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before,¡± said Marina, ¡°that I¡¯ll follow you no matter what. If that means to the bottom of the ocean, I¡¯ll do it. If that means to a prison on a faraway island, so be it.¡±


    ¡°As will I,¡± agreed Teleri. ¡°We have followed you to hell and back already, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°No getting rid of us, lad,¡± said Pheston and then slamming one of his thick fists into his palm. ¡°At least not until we break your father out of that prison. The end times would have to consume the world before we¡¯d let you go there alone.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich¡­¡± said Teleri. ¡°That man we met when we pretended that I was carrying your child¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°¡ªwould he have known any of this?¡±


    ¡°Rufus Redforth,¡± said Friedrich, ignoring Marina¡¯s confused stammering. ¡°No, he is a gullible and na?ve fellow; always has been. He¡¯s also known for having a big mouth, so he wouldn¡¯t be trusted by the other nobles of Eastern Mercia. But I have no doubt that word has spread that I¡¯m alive because of him, so I¡¯m grateful that we passed through Eastern Mercia quickly.¡±


    ¡°I knew that tunnel was a smart idea,¡± said Pheston, beaming with pride. His smile vanished with a look from Teleri. ¡°Well, what are we waiting for?¡± he asked, standing up.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t,¡± said Marina, joining him. ¡°Let¡¯s go and get those special weapons Pheston promised us.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind helping me source the ingredients first,¡± said the smith.


    ¡°Time isn¡¯t a concern,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Well, as long as it doesn¡¯t take until I¡¯m old and grey.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have joined by ancestors by then, lads¡± chuckled Pheston. ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯re talking weeks at most.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± said Teleri, standing up and extending a hand to Friedrich.


    He gratefully accepted and stood up too. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, looking to his three companions. ¡°I have no other words but to say thank you.¡±


    ¡°How about ¡®I¡¯ll buy you ales for life, Pheston¡¯¡± chortled the smith.


    ¡°Oh, so about five more years then?¡± asked Friedrich, slapping Pheston on the back.


    ¡°Watch it, boy, or I¡¯ll outlive you out of spite. I may be old, but I could take on your minotaur form and come out the other end victorious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see that,¡± said Marina with a grin. ¡°I know who I would put my kupons on.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Oi!¡± barked Pheston.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°we can settle this discussion when we¡¯ve had the chance to rest in Millstone.¡±


    Pheston shook his head furiously. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to discuss. I would win.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°I say so.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Good, so it¡¯s settled then.¡±


    Friedrich, Marina, and Teleri all exchanged a glance that left Pheston¡¯s chest heaving and his face reddened.


    *


    ¡°Ah, welcome back!¡± called Sven, upon seeing the quartet walking into the quiet village. ¡°I trust your mission was a great success?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be honest with you, Sven,¡± said Friedrich, having discussed what he was about to say at length with the others. ¡°We were beaten to the punch by a few dark elves. We followed them up to the tomb, thinking they were grave robbers, only to find them dead.¡±


    Sven¡¯s face fell. ¡°The tomb? It¡¯s a miracle you lot are alive!¡±


    ¡°The spiders?¡±


    ¡°You saw them?¡±


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°We killed the lot of them, including Valmyra the Spider Queen.¡±


    Sven rushed over to Friedrich and furiously shook the young man¡¯s hand. ¡°Had I known you were going to venture there, I would have warned you, but you have my eternal thanks for cleaning up the tomb of our ancestors. Tell me what I can do to repay you and I¡¯ll do it, my friends. You are all friends of Millstone and I will spread the word of your deeds.¡±


    Friedrich turned to Pheston who gave a small nod. ¡°Well, we¡¯d appreciate a horse and wagon to take us to Lundstad.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± said Sven, giving a Corobathian salute to the four. ¡°By the gods, I did not think we would be rid of both the trolls and the spiders in a single day. You must be divinely blessed beings.¡±


    ¡°Just me,¡± said Pheston, thumping his chest. ¡°These three don¡¯t follow our way of life, I¡¯m afraid. Perhaps one day, I¡¯ll convince them.¡±


    ¡°He is starting to irk me again,¡± Teleri muttered to Marina.


    ¡°Well, hold your temper,¡± Marina replied as Teleri clenched her jaw. ¡°Big picture, Teleri.¡±


    ¡°Do you require a driver or would the horse and wagon suffice,¡± said Sven, strumming his beard. ¡°Either should be fine.¡±


    ¡°We tend to get distracted on the road,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°so perhaps it¡¯s best that we don¡¯t waste a driver¡¯s time. We can arrange for the safe return of the horse and wagon when we arrive in Lundstad.¡±


    ¡°Who are you visiting in Lundstad?¡±


    Pheston smiled nervously. ¡°My children.¡±

 Chapter 96 - Wildflowers

    Friedrich sat in the back of the wagon with Marina and Teleri, watching as the trees disappeared, making way for the tundra that made up the Great Flower Sea. The brownish-green grass was littered with large clusters of wildflowers in all colours imaginable and Pheston steered the horse straight down the road that cut between the flowers.


    ¡°Beautiful, ain¡¯t she?¡± asked the smith softly and then sniffing a watery sniff. ¡°Few things could make this old stone heart cry, but the splendour of the Great Flower Sea is one of them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really quite lovely,¡± said Marina, looking to the side while dangling her legs off the back of the wagon. ¡°Oh, look at this little fellow.¡±


    A small sparrow had landed on the edge of the wagon and was chirping merrily while jerking its head from side to side. Marina held out her hand and it hopped atop it. She brought her hand over to Friedrich and the sparrow looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Lovely morning, isn¡¯t it?¡± Friedrich asked the sparrow, who tweeted a sharp song in response.


    It quickly beat its wings and flew up and into the air, disappearing from sight in moments.


    ¡°Perhaps the bird had the good sense to realise that you can become a fox,¡± said Teleri, letting out a rare laugh. Friedrich and Marina exchanged glances, not sure what her joke was. ¡°Because foxes eat birds. You are aware of this, yes?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Marina, forcing a laugh.


    ¡°I thought they ate rabbits?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°I always feel like eating rabbits when I¡¯m a fox.¡±


    ¡°They eat lots of things!¡± barked Teleri before folding her arms and turning up her nose to avoid eye contact with her companions.


    ¡°Play nice back there, children,¡± said Pheston.


    ¡°Are we far?¡± asked Marina, looking over her shoulder.


    ¡°A few days to go yet,¡± said Pheston. ¡°And it¡¯ll get colder as we climb higher, so make sure to use those blankets we bought if you get too cold, eh? I still can¡¯t believe you bought a warmer cloak and you still wear a that light dress in this climate.¡±


    ¡°Fashion is very important to me!¡±


    ¡°Avoiding frostbite should be equally important. Although, I suppose if you lose your feet, that¡¯s less of you to keep warm.¡±


    Friedrich looked to the wildflowers which were rustling a few yards away. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, tapping Teleri on the shoulder and nodding towards the source of the rustling.


    Glad that her poorly received joke had been left behind, she looked towards the moving flowers. She squinted for a moment and her eyes suddenly jolted wide. ¡°Imp!¡± she said, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Friedrich said, pulling out the spider mask from underneath his armour. ¡°It¡¯s time to see what my eight-legged friend can do in combat.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°You two cover me while Pheston keeps driving.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, Captain,¡± said the smith, giving a salute without looking back.


    Friedrich brought the black mask to his face and held his breath. He felt the mask wrap around him and his form shift. The additional limbs springing from his body was an agonising sensation and it was surreal being able to see out of more than two eyes, but having tested the mask a couple of times, he was starting to adapt. Now, he just had to see if he could fight like its brethren could in this form.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    He shuddered as he stood on his eight legs. With a small squat, he leapt onto the grass and scuttled forward, making his way through the flowers and towards the imp lurking just out of sight. As long as the spiders in the crypt weren¡¯t only deadly because of their large numbers, he¡¯d be just fine.


    Upon reaching a small clearing in the flowers, the two-foot-tall demon appeared, baring its sharp teeth. It was a hairy brown creature with large ears that jutted out from the side of its head and a ridged brow that was buried in a permanent scowl. Its dangling arms were tipped with sharp, bloodstained claws that had no doubt torn the guts from many local livestock.


    As the imp looked at him, its hand started glowing orange and Friedrich suddenly remembered that imps could conjure fireballs. In a panic, he lunged forward and jabbed it in the stomach with his pincers. The imp let out a wailing screech and the fire vanished from its hand as it swung at Friedrich, who ran between the creature¡¯s legs to avoid losing a limb.


    He turned to jab his foe again and suddenly found an impish hand curling around four of his legs. He was flung through the air and into a large batch of blue and pink flowers. The imp ran spastically, flailing its arms, before leaping high and landing right in front of Friedrich.


    An arrow sped past Friedrich as the imp bore down on him. It pierced the beast¡¯s head and flew through the other side, bringing a splattering of blood and brains with it. The imp flopped on top of him, dead and he shoved it aside with his legs and skittered away, feeling rather inept.


    He ran to the road and followed the slowly rattling wagon. Marina reached out with her staff and Friedrich clung to the edge of it, letting her pull him up. She set him down and then shimmied away, disgusted by his spider body.


    ¡°Did you forget about the fire?¡± Teleri asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Friedrich leaned low to signal that he had. A couple of minutes later, he returned to human form and the mask fell from his face and dangled around his neck.


    ¡°Well, that was humiliating,¡± he said, tucking the mask away. ¡°Fire or no fire, I can¡¯t handle an imp in that form. I suppose I¡¯ll need to find another use for it. I half wish the Spider Queen had been captured.


    ¡°I wonder if that would turn you female for the duration of the transformation?¡± asked Marina, putting a finger on her cheek and tapping it.


    ¡°You know what? On seconds thoughts, I¡¯m content the smaller spider if it means maintaining my manhood.¡±


    ¡°Do not say another word, Friedrich,¡± said Teleri, ¡°for I fear what those words will be.¡±


    The young man shook his head. ¡°Nothing about genitalia, I assure you. I¡¯m annoyed that I forgot that imps were more deadly. I¡¯m already getting flashbacks to that dead body in the cave near the vineyard in Mercia.¡±


    ¡°She asked you if you were sure about doing it,¡± said Teleri, nodding to Marina.


    ¡°Yes, and I should have listened,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Always start small, Friedrich. Always start small.¡±


    Marina put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. ¡°I would say it¡¯s a lesson learned, but you never seem to learn lessons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned plenty of lessons!¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°I can haggle much better than I could before.¡±


    ¡°When did you last put that to the test? You were in Keldracht for months!¡±


    ¡°Ah! I learned how to hunt for food in demonic planes.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got you there, Marina,¡± called Pheston.


    ¡°You just keep driving,¡± said the lightning mage. ¡°How much longer until we¡¯re there?¡±


    ¡°Well, when you last asked me, it was a few days away. Now it¡¯s a few days away minus six or seven minutes. I¡¯m not sure what you were expecting me to say here, lassie.¡±


    The wagon continued rolling down the road and Pheston started whistling a tune that kept time with the swaying wildflowers. Everyone felt their spirits lift and the trio in the back felt more at ease than they had since before Friedrich¡¯s disappearance. He looked to both of his companions and smiled, receiving smiles back.


    The burden of his missing father was much easier to carry now that he had shared everything with his friends. One way or another, they would work together to free him from the Orion Tower. There was nothing he could do to bring his mother back, he knew that, but he would salvage what was left of his family and, perhaps, count his three travelling companions among them.


    ¡°You look happy,¡± Marina remarked.


    ¡°I am happy,¡± said Friedrich, turning and looking across the Flower Sea. ¡°It¡¯s not such a bad place, Corobath, is it?¡±


    ¡°I like the flowers,¡± said Marina and then finally picking up one of the, ¡°but not so much the cold.¡±


    ¡°Pheston,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± said the blacksmith.


    ¡°What¡¯s that hill to the East?¡±


    ¡°Ah. That would be Frostpoint, the capital of this sprawling province. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d all love a good rest in a comfortable bed there, but we¡¯ve got many a mile to cover if we¡¯re to keep to schedule.¡±


    Marina sighed and her shoulders dropped. ¡°Ah, I would love nothing more than a warm bed.¡±


    ¡°Do not be silly,¡± said Teleri. ¡°You were sleeping in one mere hours ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but two nights in a row is not enough!¡±


    ¡°Do not be such a prissy princess, Mercian, for we have slept in much worse conditions in our time together. Is that not the case?¡±


    Friedrich sat back and watched the two bicker, enjoying how they were backdropped by the sprawling Flower Sea that slowly started to fade into brown grassy tundra by the time the two girls had stopped arguing.

 Chapter 97 - The Stone City

    A faint mist hung in the air as the horse carrying the wagon and its passengers trundled up the stone path along the riverside. The smell of juniper filled the air, letting the faint scent of pine creep through in its gaps. It was almost midday, but the chilly air and the overcast sky made it feel much later than it was.


    ¡°Are we there yet?¡± asked Marina, her breath turning to steam and joining the mist. She was holding half of the available blankets around her while Friedrich sat on her lap as a fox.


    ¡°Just about,¡± said Pheston, relieved to not have to hear that question another time. ¡°Once we round the next few bends and head up the hill, we will be there.¡±


    ¡°It was a pleasant journey,¡± said Teleri, prompting an aghast look from Marina.


    ¡°Pleasant? It was cold, wet, and uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°You are difficult to please. Would you rather we travelled all this way on foot? It would have taken us twice as long and I am confident in saying that Friedrich would have gotten distracted along the way by a cave, an old fort, or something else.¡±


    Friedrich hopped from Marina and transformed back to his human form. ¡°Yes, I could see that happening. I love a good adventure. That said, meeting Pheston¡¯s family will be an adventure in itself if they¡¯re anything like their father.¡±


    ¡°Is that a compliment or an insult?¡± asked the smith.


    ¡°Compliment, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°Good, then I will take it as one.¡±


    Around the next bend of the river, a large windmill came into view. A few yard later, another crept from over an outcropping in the cliff. As the path rose to meet the rockface, more windmills emerged along with their underlying fields of golden wheat that contrasted heavily with the damp brown soil and grey stone of the many cliffs and mountains spreading out.


    At the far end of the path and atop the hill stood a staircase topped with a stone wall that joined the cliffs on either side of it. On either side of the large metal doors were hung two banners. One banner depicted a giant war hammer that Pheston had previously indicated to be the battle symbol of Corobath. The other banner showed a crowd encircling an axe.


    ¡°That¡¯s the emblem of King Greyhair,¡± said the smith, noticing what Friedrich was looking at. ¡°He¡¯s one of the lesser kings of Corobath and the ruler of Lundstad.¡±


    Creeping out from behind the walls were a number of small towers, some topped with domes and others with pointed spires. The architecture was reminiscent of the Corobathian tombs and crypts, using similar stone and carvings, but there was a grandiosity to this city that the resting place for the dead could not quite capture.


    The bronze doors were a silvery-brown colour, having lost their shining lustre as they were patinated by the passing of ages. Regardless of their colour change, they looked heavy and study. Even if they weren¡¯t, the soldiers standing guard at either side of the door and atop the walls would ensure that no outsider broke into Lundstad without the entire city being brought to high alert.


    ¡°Will they let us in?¡± asked Teleri, unable to read the expressions of the guards as well as her human companions.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t give them reason not to,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Cause any trouble, little elfie, and you¡¯ll be thrown into the river.¡±


    ¡°Little elfie?¡± asked Teleri, scrunching up her nose as Friedrich and Marina stifled their laughter.


    ¡°Untense yourself,¡± said Pheston, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°We¡¯re not in a time of war, as best as I gathered, so things should be just fine. The people of Millstone and those we passed along the way assured my that everything is dandy here in beautiful Corobath, so you have nothing at all to worry about. The same could not have been said a decade or two ago, but that¡¯s neither here nor there.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°He knows what he¡¯s talking about, little elfie,¡± said Friedrich with a smarmy grin.


    Teleri leaned forward and thumped him on the arm. ¡°Be quiet, imbecile. Turn back into a fox so I do not have to listen to your insults.¡±


    ¡°Careful now,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Displaying soul magic won¡¯t do us any favours. You¡¯d have to turn into a spider and scale the wall to get in. At that, you¡¯d probably be caught and squashed by a metal boot.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Pheston steered the horse towards the gate and hailed the guards, one of whom approached as the wagon came to a halt.


    ¡°Greetings, traveller,¡± said the guard upon reaching the bottom of the steps. ¡°You harbouring fugitives?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± chuckled Pheston. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit my family and these are my travelling companions. You have my word they¡¯ll not cause trouble. If they do, I¡¯ll kick them out myself.¡±


    ¡°Good enough for me,¡± said the guard, signalling to the guards atop the wall.


    With the pull of a lever, the doors slickly opened as though they were made of wood. Whatever magical was enchanting them to act so lightweight impressed Friedrich and he wondered if he could use something similar to carry the horse and wagon around because it certainly beat walking everywhere on foot. He already knew the answer, but he posed the question to Marina who raised an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Is there somewhere we can leave lovely Humfrid?¡± asked Pheston, slapping the horse on the side. He had grown rather fond of the group¡¯s reliable carrier.


    ¡°Five kupons per night for food and board,¡± said the guard, holding up a hand and waving forward a young squire who had been loitering nearby. ¡°Boy, see to it that this horse is taken to the stables.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said the young man.


    The party climbed from the wagon and the young man hopped onto the set at the front. He guided the horse away as the quartet ascended the staircase that led into the stone city.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Marina asked Pheston.


    ¡°No, why would I be?¡± replied the smith.


    ¡°To meet your family again after so long.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Friedrich leaned close to Marina¡¯s ear. ¡°That means yes,¡± he said, at which Marina subtly nodded.


    The humans and the elf walked between the bronze doors and stepped into the city which stretched out and towered before them. Having been confined by the tall cliffs and mighty mountain, the city had grown in height rather than having spread out. While dense, the king and those who came before him ensured that it was not a cramped place, but the endless staircases leading to the different sections and districts ensured that the population were lean and muscular, which was immediately evident upon walking through the entrance district.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to get in a fight with these people,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Half of them could give me a good fight,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Even the women.¡±


    ¡°Those are women?¡± asked Teleri, looking to a tall lady with four children running rowdily around her. ¡°Do your people have the blood of giants running through them?¡±


    ¡°Some of them probably do,¡± chuckled Pheston. ¡°But I¡¯m pure Corobathian going back thousands of years. As are my children.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± said Marina. ¡°How do we go about finding Bjorn?¡±


    ¡°Well, if he became a smith like I expected him to, we need to head to the eastern part of the city.¡±


    Teleri scanned the stone walls, towers, and staircases visible across the city. ¡°And you are confident he became a blacksmith?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the way of my people,¡± said Pheston. ¡°The oldest son takes on the job of the father and remains in his hometown to ensure that it flourishes. Exceptions occur but considering Lundstad is still standing, I have no doubt that Bjorn is here. I cannot say the same for the rest of my children, but he may be able to tell us.¡±


    Pheston led the way through the city, pausing every now and then to marvel at something he recognised. Sometimes it was an old building, other times it was a statue sitting in one of the many squares. The others were not sure if he was stalling from apprehension or if he had missed his home so dearly. Whatever the case was, they let him indulge, for Friedrich and Teleri knew what it was to miss home dearly. Marina, of course, continued to never speak of her own home, even when Pheston had pestered her about it on the journey to Lundstad.


    What should have been a twenty-minute walk across the city took over an hour but eventually, they arrived at a small building with a sign hanging outside it that read ¡®Phestonsen Smithy¡¯ as it swung gently in the light breeze.


    ¡°Phestonsen,¡± said the old smith, breathing a sigh of relief. His voice was cracking, despite his attempt to hide it. ¡°He renamed the shop after me¡­¡±


    Friedrich put a hand on Pheston¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and say hello, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Aye, lad. Aye¡­¡±


    Pheston¡¯s right hand was shaking as he reached out and he grabbed his wrist with his left hand to try and steady himself. He curled his fingers around the doorhandle and pulled it downwards before giving it a gentle shove forward. He stepped inside the smithy and his friends followed.


    The front of the shop was small and dimly lit¡ªas was the nature of the Lundstad interiors¡ªwith many pieces of armour and weapons littering the tables, shelves, and stands spread throughout the room. Leaning on the counter, looking bored, was a young man who couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen. Upon seeing customers, he perked up and smiled a familiar smile.


    ¡°Welcome to Phestonsen¡¯s,¡± he said. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    Pheston was lost for words and mouthed a whole load of nothing until Friedrich put his knuckles in the old man¡¯s back and walked him forward.


    ¡°I¡­um¡­is Bjorn here?¡±


    ¡°My father?¡± asked the young man. He looked over his shoulder to an open door at the back. ¡°Father, there are customers looking for you.¡±


    ¡°What¡­what¡¯s your name, son?¡± asked Pheston, astounded to see his grandson for the first time.


    ¡°Alf,¡± said the young man before his eyes narrowed. He leaned forward and looked closer at Pheston. ¡°You look an awful lot like my father. It¡¯s uncanny. What did you say your name was?¡±


    Pheston cleared his throat and grunted. ¡°My, erm¡­my name is Pheston, young man.¡±


    Alf¡¯s jaw dropped and his eyes shot open wide as it dawned on him that the old man standing before him was his grandfather.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, lad?¡± asked a grimy blonde man who walked through the backdoor while removing a pair of battered gloves; he was exactly how Friedrich had imagined a younger Pheston would look. ¡°You need to be able to handle things here if you¡¯re ever to take over from me one¡­day¡­¡±


    Bjorn¡¯s fed-up expression immediately switched to one of astonishment, matching that of his son¡¯s. ¡°It cannot be¡­father?¡±


    Pheston squinted hard to rid himself of the tears welling up in his eyes. ¡°Hello, son.¡±

 Chapter 98 - The Line of Blacksmiths

    Bjorn stood before his father, unable to say a word while his own son, Alf, looked from his father to his grandfather with a slack jaw. Friedrich, Marina, and Teleri refused to be the first one to break the silence, wanting to let the long-separated family have their moment.


    At last, Bjorn ran around the counter and threw his arms around his father. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here,¡± he said, his voice straining. ¡°I thought for sure that you had died decades ago.¡±


    ¡°That little faith in me, eh?¡± chortled Pheston, clapping his son on the back. ¡°Nah, it¡¯ll take a lot more than monsters and time to kill a sturdy old bastard like me, boy.¡±


    The two separated and Bjorn dragged his hand across his face. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what to say. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here. Do the others know?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re the first I¡¯ve seen,¡± said Pheston, shaking his head. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s for a very good reason that I¡¯ve come to you first, Bjorn. Before all that, however, is this strapping young land my grandson?¡±


    ¡°The first of many,¡± said Bjorn. ¡°Come on over here, Alf. Introduce yourself to your grandfather properly, eh?¡±


    Alf walked around, his jaw still hanging open. He wasn¡¯t sure how to react and simply held out a hand to shake.


    ¡°None of that nonsense,¡± said Pheston, pulling the young man into a hug. ¡°Good to meet you, boy. You¡¯ve got the family good looks, that¡¯s for sure. You¡¯ll have to beat the ladies away with a poker, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°Thanks?¡± said Alf as Pheston let him go and gave him a prod in the chest.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be a fine blacksmith one day, Alf. Trust me, boy. It¡¯s in your blood.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s getting there,¡± said Bjorn proudly. ¡°He needs to learn how to deal with customers properly, but he¡¯s got a good eye for craftsmanship.¡± Bjorn leaned past his father and looked to the two Mercians and the Alaurian standing behind him.


    ¡°Ah, I should explain,¡± said Pheston, following his son¡¯s eyeline. ¡°I owe a life debt to these three so before I start doing the rounds with your siblings and their mothers, I have an important task to see through. Long story short, I was trapped in Keldracht and, thanks to Friedrich, Marina, and Teleri, I lived to see Corobath once again.¡±


    ¡°A life debt,¡± said Bjorn, nodding understandingly. ¡°Say no more, father. Whatever I can do to help see it fulfilled, I will do.¡±


    ¡°We can spare some time if you want to catch up,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We¡¯ll acquaint ourselves with the city and return here in an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°That would be most appreciated,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Thank you, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± said the Mercian, leaving the smithy with Marina and Teleri in tow.


    The three stepped out into the fresh air of Lundstad and surveyed the misty sight before them. They were on a small road about forty feet above the ground level. It was a marvel of architecture to have built the city into the mountain, or rather, to have carved large parts of it out of the mountain itself.


    There were countless people going about their business, whether that was peddling wares, hauling their carts along, or even the occasional bard singing a song that rang out across the nearby streets. It was a pleasant place to be and it felt as though everyone in the city knew each other, for they all stopped to give at least one greeting in every street they walked.


    ¡°Should we sit here and wait?¡± asked Marina, looking around unsure of where to go.


    Teleri pulled her hood up. ¡°Without Pheston accompanying us, I would prefer to remain unseen. The Northmen and the Alauri are not known for getting along.¡±


    ¡°Which nation hasn¡¯t your people been at war with at least once?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Mercia has warred with every known nation too, Friedrich. Your propagandists simply do a better job of making mine look like the villains.¡±


    ¡°No fighting,¡± said Marina, pushing her way between the two. ¡°I want to buy a new spell tome, so let¡¯s find a magic shop.¡±


    ¡°Spell tome?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°Do you have the kupons for that? We¡¯re not rolling in gems these days, you know.¡±


    Marina winked at him and gave a sly grin. ¡°I have enough, my red-headed friend.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m more of an auburn,¡± said Friedrich, tussling his hair.


    ¡°Sure,¡± shrugged Marina. She walked along the street and Friedrich and Teleri followed her.


    They moved from street to alleyway to staircase and all over again, with new sights to see each time. There was a man pleasantly fishing by the base of a waterfall that flowed into the river running through the city. There was a priestess hailing Hvitrald and requesting the god of the dead give safe passage to those who had perished over the past year. There was even a brown-furred wolven lying against the rocks and begging for enough kupons to eat for another day, but the empty bottles of mead that were poorly hidden behind him prevented the trio from sparing a single kupon.


    Upon following the directions of an old and rather shifty man, the party eventually reached a shop called Sigurd¡¯s Spells. They walked inside and were immediately hit with the smell of old books mixed with damp that left Marina wrinkling her nose as she walked to the counter.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said to the old scraggly man who didn¡¯t look up from his book. ¡°Where might I be able to find tomes dedicated to lightning magic?¡±


    The man silently raised a finger and pointed to the bookshelf at the left side of the shop. With a quiet thanks, Marina hurried over and started perusing for a book that would be both useful and affordable.


    ¡°Once we have rescued your father, we must take jobs that will ensure our financial wellbeing,¡± said Teleri. ¡°You will no longer be putting most of your money aside for a boat, correct?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± said Friedrich, but something else about what Teleri had said caught his attention. ¡°You want to keep travelling together even after I rescue my dad from the tower?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the elf, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Considering you are both effectively exiled from your home, I presumed that was the intention. Am I mistaken?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I don¡¯t want to separate from any of you. It¡¯s just nice to know that we¡¯ll remain united after that.¡±


    ¡°What is going to happen to the other nobles?¡±


    ¡°You want to know the great irony?¡± asked Friedrich with a sigh.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°At least a few of the nobles are dead already, at least as far as I could discern from my few subtle questions in Akatfall. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be making a play for the throne anytime soon, but we¡¯re also still too under threat to risk going home. Our situation is as in limbo now as it will be once my father is free.¡±


    ¡°You will need to find somewhere safe to hide him, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know where yet, but I reckon it¡¯ll take a lot to convince him to leave Mercia.¡±


    ¡°There are no shortage of places to go in Mercia, Friedrich. You know that as well as I do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but if I keep on the road with the rest of you, I need the assurance that my father will be safe when I¡¯m away. If word of his escape reaches the other True King Believers, they have enough wealth and influence to employ the best bounty hunters to track him down. We need to make sure he¡¯s considered dead. If I¡¯m hunted, I can handle it.¡±


    ¡°We will devise a plan,¡± said Teleri. ¡°When you are in my company, I will ensure that nobody sneaks up on us. My eyes and ears are keener than any human¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°And I appreciate that you care so much.¡±


    Teleri rolled her eyes. ¡°I do not understand the human desire to continually show affection. Is it not enough that it is demonstrated through action and intent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only bringing it up because it bothers you,¡± chuckled Friedrich. ¡°Nothing¡¯s funnier than seeing you get all riled up.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± snorted Teleri, looking away with a red face. ¡°The nerve¡­¡±


    ¡°I found the one I want,¡± said Marina, returning with a tattered leather-bound tome. ¡°Storm Shield.¡±


    After Marina had finished paying, the trio walked around Lundstad for a while before returning to the smithy where they found three generations of Pheston¡¯s family chortling at a stupid joke Bjorn had told. Not only did the three look similar, but they shared the same juvenile humour.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± asked Pheston, wiping away tears of mirth. ¡°The time flew in.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Bjorn, standing up and clasping the young man¡¯s hand. ¡°My father explained everything and I promise that we will make our way to the Forge of Ages once you have what you need from the Undercity. Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to help you rescue your father, the same way that you rescued mine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Bjorn,¡± said Friedrich.


    Pheston¡¯s son then turned to Marina and Teleri. ¡°And not to diminish the role the pair of you beautiful ladies played,¡± prompting a frown from Teleri. ¡°I have gifts for all three of you that I will share once we¡¯ve gone over the plan.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the plan,¡± said Marina, looking to Pheston. ¡°Your father¡¯s famously neglected to give us anything other than his surface level intention. What is the Undercity?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told them?¡±


    Pheston wriggled back and forth. ¡°In a manner of speaking¡­well, no. I didn¡¯t want to put them off considering how dangerous it could be.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°When have the three of us ever shied away from danger? What do you think we¡¯re going to face at the Orion Tower if not danger?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± shrugged Pheston. ¡°It was never about the danger. I just wanted the perfect moment to capture your faces when I told you what ingredients we needed to source. It would be unfair to deprive my son¡ªand grandson, might I add¡ªof something that will keep me laughing for days.¡±


    ¡°Just tell us what we¡¯re looking for,¡± said Friedrich, his stomach twisting in knots.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Pheston, standing up and straightening his belt. ¡°This city is built on the ruins of an even older structure that¡¯s since become known as the Undercity. We Corobathians like to take trophies so, what better trophy to take than the home of one of our peoples¡¯ greatest foes.¡±


    ¡°Dragons,¡± said Friedrich breathlessly.


    ¡°Dragons,¡± said Pheston with a smirk. ¡°Steel yourselves, my friends, for we go on the hunt for dragon bones once we¡¯re kitted up. No time like the present, eh?¡±


    Pheston, Bjorn, and Alf began guffawing loudly upon seeing the looks on Friedrich, Marina, and Teleri¡¯s faces. While Friedrich and Teleri were perturbed and it showed, Marina was aghast to the point of her face being unrecognisable.

 Chapter 99 - The Undercity

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you led us to believe we¡¯d be fighting a live dragon for twenty minutes,¡± said Marina, while slapping Pheston¡¯s arm furiously. ¡°Why do you think that sort of thing is funny?¡±


    ¡°It is funny!¡± chortled Pheston. ¡°But the guardian ghosts that dwell in the Undercity are very much real and very much dangerous.¡±


    Friedrich twisted around, trying to accustom himself to his new steel armour that Bjorn had gifted him. ¡°As much as I appreciate your son¡¯s generous donation,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how effective it¡¯ll be against ghosts.¡±


    ¡°And if a ghost throws a furious fireball your way?¡± asked Pheston, beating the armour with his fists. ¡°Dislodges some rocks that would otherwise cave your chest in?¡±


    Teleri spoke up. ¡°Last time we fought ghosts in the forest shrine, only Marina could damage them. Now we all have magic of our own that we can use. I have my enchanted arrows, you have your shield, and Pheston has his hammer. We are in a much better fighting position this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Pheston, swinging Vigr around and thumping his chest with his free hand. ¡°You just need to play your part without taking an arrow to the skull, Friedrich. Think you can do that?¡±


    Pheston made it clear in no uncertain terms that visiting the Undercity was strictly prohibited to those who had permission from the king. Every so often, wizards or warriors would make their way underneath to keep the ghosts at bay or to search for rare and valuable ore or artefacts, but the time it would take to win the king¡¯s favour was not worth it, so the party had come up with a plan in conjunction with Bjorn and it rested upon two of Friedrich¡¯s masks.


    ¡°There will no problems,¡± Friedrich replied. He pulled the goblin mask out from underneath his red neckerchief. His steel armour didn¡¯t permit hiding his goblin and spider masks underneath it as easily as his leather armour had, so he thought the next best way to hide the masks was a simply covering of cloth.


    Having made their way to the edge of the city where two heavily armoured guards were watching a stone door built into the cliff, the quartet kept themselves concealed behind a nearby shrine to Baldir. Pheston got on his knees and prayed while the others hung back and feigned waiting for him.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± said Marina, standing on her tiptoes and kissing Friedrich on the cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for you inside.¡±


    The second her lips touched his face, Friedrich blushed. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He cleared his throat and walked away to a location where no eyes could fall upon him. Once he checked his surroundings and ensured his solitude, he placed the green goblin mask to his face and transformed. His new armour vanished, as everything else did, leaving him standing much shorter as the green-skinned goblin.


    After taking a deep breath, he ran into the open and down the street towards where the guards were. He suddenly let out a high-pitched screech and the guards took notice.


    ¡°A goblin?¡± cried one of them. ¡°By the gods! What¡¯s he doing in Lundstad.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± said the other. ¡°After it before it hurts someone.¡±


    The guards chased Friedrich who leapt exaggeratedly into the air and then hurried away from the sword-wielding guards. He made sure they kept within eyesight of him as he ran, all while dodging the occasional citizen who dared to try and catch him. Thinking it best to get out of reach, he climbed on top of a market stall and then leapt onto the nearest roof.


    ¡°Get down here!¡± barked one of the guards.


    Friedrich looked over the edge and stuck his tongue out while scratching his armpits. As one of the guards gave the other a leg up, Friedrich ran and leapt onto another one of the roofs, only to be smacked on the side of the head by a tomato and thrown off balance. The Mercian-turned-goblin stumbled off the edge of the building and landed in the alleyway with the guards still chasing him.


    He surely had no more than two minutes left before his transformation wore off. The others would no doubt have gotten through the door, but he couldn¡¯t be seen turning back into his human form or his friends would be left to seek the dragon bones alone.


    Friedrich threw himself to his feet, ran towards a large temple, and dug his fingers into the crevices between the bricks. He started climbing as the guards closed in on him, pushing himself to escape their grasp. One of the guards brushed his foot with his fingers but couldn¡¯t manage to catch a grip of the goblin, leaving Friedrich to pull himself higher and higher.


    Once he reached a flat part of the roof, he danged his feet off the edger and waved to the guards before turning around and smacking his behind in mockery. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the livid faces of the guards who swore up a storm. While yelling their foul-mouthed tirade, he sought cover. Within ten seconds, the goblin mask fell from his face.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°So far so good,¡± he said, moving the goblin mask behind the spider mask and placing the charged mask upon his face.


    Once he adjusted to his additional eyes and limbs, Friedrich scurried over the roof and shot a small string of web that stuck to the bricks. He then released himself and hopped down the side of the building, keeping the web intact in case his sticky feet lost their grip on an especially smooth part of stone. When he was twenty feet above the ground, he detached the web and leapt onto a rooftop.


    He ran across the rooves, keeping out of sight while the roused guards and people desperately searched for the goblin. He had considered using his fox form, but the bright orange fox in the city would attract more attention than the darker and discrete¡ªalthough admittedly larger than usual¡ªspider.


    When he saw the shrine Pheston had been praying it, he hopped back onto the road and scuttled his way towards the now-open door, relieved to see that no other guards had shown up to replace the ones chasing him. He could see the faint gold of Teleri¡¯s hair a little way into the doorway and she beckoned him to hurry. Once he was safely inside, Pheston pushed the stone door to a grinding close.


    ¡°Good job, lad,¡± said the smith, holding out a hand and then shaking one of Friedrich¡¯s spindly legs. ¡°How much longer you got in this form?¡±


    Friedrich had no idea and he shook from side to side to try and communicate that, but his friends all looked to each other in confusion as they tried to decipher his message.


    ¡°However long it is,¡± said Marina, flicking the amethyst in her staff so that it glowed with fizzling electricity, ¡°please stay away from me until you¡¯re back to normal. I hate spider-you, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh, no?¡± chuckled Pheston before Teleri shushed him. ¡°Sorry, I forget my volume sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± she scolded him while looking around in the darkness. ¡°We should move away from the doorway in case the guards decide to check.¡±


    The inside of the Undercity looked no different from any run-of-the-mill cave entrance, consisting largely of stone walls, stalagmites, stalactites, and no shortage of rocks and boulders littering the ground. What set it apart, however, was the carved dragon heads that looked upon the large passageway leading further inside.


    ¡°Come on,¡± said Marina, leading the way forward with her staff held out.


    The four walked onwards with Friedrich enjoying his spider form¡¯s ability to see in the dark. Although it was still unusual for him to see with eight eyes, he found that his vision here was clearer than it as a fox in darkness. In fact, it was clearer now than it had been in the outside world of the city. As soon a she started to relax and enjoy the illuminated darkness of the Undercity, he transformed back into a human and was rendered near-blind with only Marina¡¯s lightning to guide the way.


    ¡°The guards give you much trouble?¡± Pheston asked.


    ¡°Precious little,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°They¡¯re probably still trying to get the goblin down from the roof of one of the temples.¡±


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s what I like to hear. Not to disrespect the fine work my countrymen do, but they were in our way. At least we could shift them without causing them any harm.¡±


    The four emerged into a larger, multi-planed chamber with a pond sitting in the centre. It was surrounded by small runestones that Pheston walked between and read aloud.


    ¡°Food,¡± he said. ¡°Gold. Dragon. Gem. Priest. Ash. Life. Breath.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°Nothing that matters with, Tierfyr, the dragon of the mountain long dead,¡± said Pheston, shaking his head. ¡°He was once worshipped by the people of the region before madness took him and he turned on his own followers. Only the most devoted of his cultists remained and upon being killed by Henrik the Dragonslayer¡ªguess how he got his name¡ªthe dragon¡¯s priests performed all manner of necromancy to keep both himself and themselves alive.¡±


    ¡°The dragon¡¯s still down here as a skeleton?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°We call a skeletal dragon a dracolich,¡± said Pheston. ¡°And no, Tierfyr¡¯s dracolich form was also slain by Henrik the Dragonslayer. Would you believe he was seventy-three years old when he did that? The king immediately abdicated the throne and appointed him as King of Lundstad for the last two decades of his life. Quite the man, I have to say. An aspirational figure that¡¯s hard to top in Corobathian history.¡±


    There came a sudden chill that swept through the cave and sent a shiver down everyone¡¯s spine. Even Pheston who was near-immune to cold conditions, shook uncontrollably for a moment.


    ¡°What was that?¡± squeaked Marina.


    Teleri quickly drew her bow and looked through the darkness. ¡°I suspect we will know soon enough.¡±


    Friedrich left his sword in its sheath and kept his Shockwave Shield braced on his arm. Should anything come for him, he would be ready.


    A sudden wind swelled up and a cackle of glowing, ghostly apparitions materialised from nothing and stood beside the eight runestones. They were all draped in flowing robes and upon their faces, they wore terrifying draconic masks. They drew spectral blades from underneath their robes and rushed towards the party.


    Marina unleashed a lightning bolt, striking one of the ghost priests, but he recovered quickly and hurried towards her. She hade a look of terror on her face upon realising that her magic was not strong enough to fell these apparitions with a single strike; this was not something she was used to. With a flick of her staff, she conjured forth the elemental, Shockwave, to aid her.


    Teleri¡¯s flaming arrows shot straight through the ghosts, setting them briefly alight before they shook off the fire. She showed not an ounce of fear as she continued to target her enemies while running backwards both quickly and delicately to avoid the thrusting ghostly blades.


    Pheston swung Vigr mightily, slamming the hammer into one of the ghosts, sending it whizzing through the air. It slowed itself, recovered, and then made for the burly warrior once again, knowing that he would tire faster than it would. That, of course, did not stop Pheston, who magically extended his hammer and bashed the two encroaching ghosts across the head.


    Friedrich kept his shield close and his two pursuers striking, he blocked their strikes and shoved them backwards. With their arms in the air, thrown up by the magic of his shield, Friedrich lunged forward and swung the side of his defender across the ghosts, striking them and eliciting a screeching wail from his foes. Tough foes as they may be, he would see them returned to their graves very soon.

 Chapter 100 - The Quiet Depths

    In the Undercity, the fight with the eight phantoms raged on with the cavern being illuminated in flashes from Marina¡¯s staff and Shockwave¡¯s bursts. In a puff of vapour, the first of the phantoms fell to a particularly powerful lightning strike, but Marina¡¯s magical power was beginning to wane, especially as she had to fight to keep Shockwave from dissipating.


    ¡°Begone!¡± cried Teleri, unleashing three fire arrows from her bow at once and piercing the ghostly skull of one of her marks. It let out a blood-curdling wail as it flailed and puffed away into nothing.


    With a swing of a hammer and the swing of a shield, Pheston and Friedrich put an end to two more phantoms, leaving only four of the fighting apparitions remaining. They held their ethereal swords, making countless swings and thrusts for their living opponents, only to find themselves outmatched by the humans and the elf.


    With a thrust, bash, twang, and crackle, the four phantoms fell and faded into mist before vanishing entirely, their souls no longer aggressive. For the time being, they would cause no further trouble, but none of the four knew for how long the phantoms would be at peace. Perhaps forever, perhaps until they regained their strength.


    ¡°Did these spirits dwell within the runestones?¡± asked Marina, squatting beside the one inscribed with the ¡®life¡¯ rune.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± shrugged Pheston. ¡°I can imbue a weapon with might and magic, but I could not tell you the first thing about undeath. If you¡¯re that curious, ask a priest when we return to the outside world.¡±


    ¡°Should we smash these for good measure?¡± asked Friedrich, readying to turn himself into a minotaur.


    ¡°I would not mess with magical artefacts we have no knowledge of,¡± said Teleri, holding a hand to his chest. ¡°For all we know, disturbing the runestones could awaken something worse or trigger a trap.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± shrugged Friedrich, walking over to the largest of the tunnels leading out of the room. ¡°Then let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    The quartet walked through the labyrinthian Undercity, following tunnels and crossing caverns, edging along narrow ledges and carefully hopping across stone-strewn pools. It was a much larger structure than they could have imagined with even Pheston letting out a disgruntled sigh with each new area they entered that yielded no sign of the dragon bones they sought.


    ¡°We¡¯ve crossed this lake before,¡± said Teleri, pointing to the stretch of blue that shone in the light of Marina and Shockwave¡¯s lightning.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s the same one?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes, that middle stone is the loose one that Marina tripped on.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Marina, looking to the wet hem of her cloak. ¡°We should have been leaving markers along the way.¡±


    ¡°Lesson learned,¡± said Pheston, swinging Vigr around. ¡°I¡¯ll knock a few chunks from the wall to indicate rooms we¡¯ve been to.¡±


    Teleri frowned. ¡°We do not need to only know the rooms we have passed through, but the ways in which we passed through them and exited from.¡±


    A sudden chill filled the cavern and the water rippled. It was a familiar chill and the four knew that something was in the room with them; something not so much alive.


    ¡°We will end you as quickly as your spectral kin, phantom,¡± said Friedrich, raising his shield and scanning the room.


    Above the lake materialised a ghostly figure, with a face fixed into a horrific scream, yet it made no more towards the quartet. Instead, it held its hands high as though to signal it had no malicious intent. Its breath-like, echoing voice filled the room.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°I come to tell you that you will wonder this labyrinth for eternity without the knowledge required to proceed,¡± it said. ¡°I can help you.¡±


    ¡°And what do you ask in return?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°I ask that you lay my master to rest. End his suffering and let him pass onto the next realm, unbound from this world that he clings to so desperately. Were he alive, he would consider his current state worse than death. However, so warped by necromantic energies is his spirit that he believes he must remain here until his sworn enemy returns.¡±


    ¡°Your master is Tierfyr?¡± asked Pheston. ¡°He was slain twice and still, he fights to remain here in Corobath, where he once called home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sad,¡± said Marina with a look of pity.


    ¡°It is,¡± said Friedrich, looking to the phantom. ¡°We will do as you ask, but we want something in exchange other than directions. Dragon bones.¡±


    ¡°An affront to my master, but no more insulting than remaining as a phantom of turmoil. Very well, take his bones, but do not take everything. Only what is necessary.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Tell us where to go.¡±


    The phantom started spinning his arms and weaving his hands together as though casting a ritual. Slowly, the water from the lake started to lower before fading away. In the pit below was a stone door bearing the symbol of a dragon¡¯s head, surrounded by eight runestones.


    Friedrich turned into a minotaur, scooped up Marina, and leapt into the pit before turning back to normal and setting her down. Even in the relative darkness, it was clear how red-faced she was from being held in his arms. Pheston lowered himself down more carefully and Teleri¡¯s hop was so light that it looked as though she had floated down effortlessly.


    ¡°Phantom, how do you get through the door?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Do not toy with me, one of flesh,¡± said the phantom. ¡°You must push it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Friedrich, feeling silly. He presumed there was an enchantment on it, but perhaps the lake had been enough of a defence.


    He walked over and placed his hands on the door. With a gentle push, it opened as though of its own accord, separating down the middle and folding away. Friedrich looked over his shoulders and gave a nod to his friends, who followed him down the descending stone staircase.


    ¡°You so readily trusted that phantom,¡± said Teleri. ¡°After the other eight tried to kill us. Your recklessness knows no bounds.¡±


    ¡°And here you are following me,¡± said Friedrich with a smirk. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any trouble with that phantom.¡±


    ¡°What about the ghost dragon, eh?¡± asked Pheston. ¡°Tough as I am, I¡¯m no Henrik the Dragonslayer.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re four and he was one.¡±


    ¡°Not quite. He had his six companions with him.¡±


    Friedrich froze and Marina crashed into him, almost sending him tumbling down the stairs. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention that before!¡±


    Pheston grunted. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be useful information!¡±


    ¡°You tell us all sorts of drivel and you didn¡¯t mention something directly related to the Undercity as we were walking into it?¡±


    The old man shrugged. ¡°Now you know, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is our plan?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°We kill the dragon,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°I know that,¡± said Marina, frowning at him. ¡°I mean, how do we do that?¡±


    ¡°Much like any ghost, Marina, we use magic to kill it. Just think of it as the phantoms combined with fiery breath.¡±


    ¡°Tierfyr wasn¡¯t a fire dragon,¡± said Pheston. ¡°He was an ice dragon.¡±


    ¡°Does that make a difference?¡±


    ¡°Surely, it is to our advantage,¡± said Teleri, pulling out one of her fire arrows and spinning it between her fingers. ¡°Luck may be on our side once again, no thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the charm that brings the luck,¡± said Friedrich with a grin.


    Teleri smiled at him and leaned so close to him that their noses were an inch apart. ¡°No,¡± she said and then stood back up.


    ¡°Alright, enough bickering,¡± said Marina. ¡°Seeing as nobody else is coming up with a plan, here¡¯s one for you. Teleri and I will keep a wide berth, using range to our advantage. Friedrich and Pheston, you need to be in close quarters to use your magic, so that¡¯s what you do. I¡¯ll send Shockwave in with you to draw as much attention away as possible. All in favour?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± said Friedrich and Pheston.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Marina, bonking Friedrich on the back of the head with her staff. ¡°Now let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t like being stuck in underground caves, tunnels, and ruins, yet we always seem to end up there.¡±


    Friedrich continued the descent down the stairs. It was narrow; much too narrow for a dragon. He wondered if perhaps it was its burial site rather than its living chambers. Could the Corobathian mages have reshaped the tunnels of the Undercity to keep the dragon trapped when it was in skeletal form? He wanted to ask the question, but he thought perhaps now was not the time, especially as another dragon-bearing stone door catching Marina¡¯s light was only a couple dozen yards ahead.


    The young Mercian placed his hands on the door and looked to his companions, who had fierce looks of determination on their faces. Every time they found themselves in an uncertain situation, they prevailed. If Friedrich was indeed a lucky charm, this time would be no different. He hoped.

 Chapter 101 - The Ash Grave

    The stone doors with the dragon head opened, rolling back and tucking themselves into the walls of the stone cavern. In this hidden section of the Undercity, there was no light save for what Marina carried with her and the air was sharp from the cold.


    Sitting in the middle of the chamber was a large circular mound of ash that rested undisturbed for what must have been centuries. The back wall was covered by a monument to the dead dragon that once ruled over what was now Lundstad. A dragon head, much larger than the one on the doors, was carved into it and ancient runes were inscribed into large paragraphs, offering long-forgotten words. Even Pheston could not read them.


    ¡°I feel its presence,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Teleri as Marina and Pheston nodded in agreement.


    The four stepped into the room and a frosty wind swept the room, sending a torrent of ashes into the air that slowly drifted back down to the mound as the wind vanished. Tierfyr knew they were in his cavern; at his gravesite.


    A harsh voice that echoed throughout the cavern boomed out. ¡°Henrik¡­it is you. At last.¡±


    Friedrich looked to Pheston in confusion, who shot an equally confused glance back. ¡°Yes!¡± called Friedrich, speaking without thinking. ¡°Yes, Tierfyer, it is I. Your archnemesis Henrik the Dragonslayer, here to put you to rest once and for all. I demand that you reveal yourself so that we can finally end our eternal battle.¡±


    ¡°You think me a fool?¡± asked the unseen spectre, making Friedrich clench his jaw. ¡°I have grown stronger than you can possibly imagine. While you have wasted your time with the frivolities of your human life, I have been harnessing my power, biding by time until you stepped into my domain once again.¡±


    ¡°Only a coward hides his form,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°You dare?¡± asked Tierfyr.


    Atop the ashen grave, appeared a behemoth of a creature as spectral as the phantoms, his presence felt every bit more real. His face was twisted into a serpentine scowl with his thick brow ridges furrowed and his snout puffing frosty air even in undeath. His eyes were sharp and piercing only overshadowed by the icicle-like horns protruding from the back of his head. His long body was curled atop the ash as his ridged tail slowly swayed, sending small puffs of the remnants into the air. With each passing second, the dragon¡¯s form became more corporeal until there was only a subtle translucence through which the quartet of delvers could see the wall behind him.


    Tierfyr reared up and unfurled his wings, giving a mighty roar as he reached his apex and then slammed down on his front feet and unleashing a cone of cold that Friedrich blocked with his shield as his allies leapt to safety. Not one to shy away from a fight, Pheston swung Vigr at the dragon only to be batted away by a swift claw that spun the Northman around and tossed him to the ground.


    The dragon let out an irritated grunt at being struck by a flaming arrow. He turned his sights towards the Alaurian who was nestled atop an outcropping she had climbed to. His eyes were quickly pulled away upon seeing a swirling vortex of dust appear and cling to lightning as though it was solid. Marina stood a several yards behind Shockwave with her staff held out and a look of fierce determination on her face.


    ¡°You would bring a mage to the fight, Henrik,¡± bellowed the dragon. ¡°A cowardly tactic!¡±


    The dragon pounced and devoured Shockwave in a single bite, dissipating his magical energy back to the lightning plane, and making Marina buckle at the knees. The sudden eclipsing of a part of her arcane energy felt like a limb being hacked off, but she gritted her teeth and clung to her staff. The dragon was ready to lunge for her, but the edge of a shield cut across his cheek and he felt a powerful force knock his head aside, only to be struck again by the mighty swing of a long-shafted hammer.


    He whipped himself around, following the momentum and swung his tail, knocking the two humans aside and casting their weapons from their hands while the elf continued to shoot arrows at him, burning him from the inside and causing him great pain. He charged forwards and smashed into the outcropping, causing it to crumble, but the elf threw herself to the ground to avoid a nasty fall. This was what he had hoped she would do.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Tierfyr pivoted and clamped his jaw around her leg, sinking his teeth in deeply and readying himself to tear it from her with utmost force. A shot of lightning from a trembling staff coursed through the air, striking him in the throat and forcing a roar from him. In a flash, a burly minotaur leapt at the elf and shielded her from the dragon¡¯s frost breath that would have been enough to kill the elf.


    ¡°Friedrich¡­¡± gasped Teleri, her leg bleeding so profusely.


    Tierfyr thrust his head forward, flattening the minotaur who fell and turned into a fox and saving the elf from the hefty beast that would have crushed her ribs.


    ¡°Lad!¡± called Pheston, hurling the young man¡¯s shield to him as he whipped his hammer from the ground and back into his hands.


    The fox returned to human form and grasped his flung shield. He stood in defence of the elf as Tierfyr¡¯s swing swept through the air and scooped up the mage, who coated hands in lightning and shocked the dragon into dropping her. Marina fell to the ground face-first and the jagged ground cut into her face. The dragon¡¯s tail curled around her face and dragged her backwards, leaving large gashes across her and a trail of blood following.


    The combined force of the swinging hammer and the thrust shield pushed the enraged undead back. An arrow to the tail from the downed elf caused his grip to lessen and the mage¡¯s own lightning power did the rest, freeing her from the dragon¡¯s clutches.


    ¡°Cease this madness!¡± called Friedrich as the dragon stumbled backwards while flailing his tails, wings and front legs in fury. ¡°Die with honour and let this world go.¡±


    ¡°Never!¡± howled Tierfyr, taking arrow and lightning to the chest as he reared. He took a deep breath and spat an encompassing wave of frost that froze the very blood on the ground into solid ice.


    Friedrich turned into the minotaur and charged through the freezing breath, pushing through the sensation of daggers to his skin. He jumped at the dragon and turned into a human again, bringing his magical shield down upon its head and forced its head to the ground, clamping its jaw shut.


    As Tierfyr tried to right himself, Friedrich struck again and again, crushing the dragon¡¯s head against the stone. All the while, his friends joined in the attack with Pheston rushing to his friend¡¯s side with Vigr and the girls shooting arrows of flame and streams of lightning that struck the spectral dragon, whose essence was starting to flicker and his form becoming more notably transparent.


    With a final lash, Pheston was knocked back, but Friedrich¡¯s shield repelled the dragon¡¯s attack. He thumped the edge of the shield into the dragon¡¯s throat and Tierfyr let out an agonised gasp as his strength failed him. A final strike from fire and lightning and the dragon could not go on.


    ¡°This¡­cannot be¡­¡± uttered Tierfyr, collapsing into his grave and sending a wave of ash spewing out from it.


    ¡°Go now to the afterlife and rest,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Your time is up and you will suffer in undeath no more, white dragon.¡±


    Tierfyr groaned and his wings twitched lightly as he dissolved into spiritual vapour that rose into the air and vanished into nothing. At long last, the dragon had left the Undercity behind; he had left Terna for a new home that would bring him peace.


    Friedrich fell back onto the stone and stared at the high ceiling of the cavern. He was exhausted from the battle, but he was pleased in victory. His companions had performed admirably and he knew that he was the weak link with his limited magic. It was not lost on him that he had been so used to relying on his masked forms that his ability to fight as a human was not what it should have been. But soon, that would change. With the forging of a new weapon, he would bolster his might and have the strength to rescue his father.


    Pheston walked over to him and held out a hand. Friedrich clutched his friend¡¯s hand and was pulled to his feet. Marina rushed over, wiping the blood from her face with her cloak as Teleri walked over, slowly limping.


    ¡°Are you both alright?¡± he asked the girls. He took Marina¡¯s head in his hands and looked at the cuts across her cheek.


    ¡°They¡¯re surface level,¡± she said with a pained smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll heal.¡±


    He knew she was lying; the cuts were quite deep and would scar her beautiful face.


    ¡°As will my leg,¡± said Teleri, her voice straining as much as Marina¡¯s had.


    Friedrich loosened his scarf and lifted the goblin and spider masks over his head. He took one in each hand and stared at them. His hands started to tremble, not wanting to let either of them go, but he knew it was the right thing to do. It was only for five minutes. He could last five minutes. He threw the spider mask to Teleri, who caught with a confused look on her face. The goblin mask, having grown much more attached to the Mercian, was harder for him to let go. His hand shook vigorously as he held it in front of Marina.


    ¡°Take it,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but¡­give it back soon.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich¡­¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Do it,¡± he said, taking a few steps back. ¡°You¡¯ll both heal from your wounds.¡±


    Marina and Teleri looked at each other, both not much liking the idea, but it was certainly a solution to the problem. They rotated and each kept their eyes fixed on the other as they held Friedrich¡¯s masks in their hands.


    ¡°Count to three?¡± asked Marina.


    Teleri nodded. ¡°One. Two. Three.¡±


    They quickly raised the masks to their faces and Friedrich unwittingly lunged at them, not wanting them to take the souls that belonged to him. Pheston grabbed him around the neck with one arm and restrained him as the masks touched Marina and Teleri¡¯s flesh. Their bodies began changing and, had they been able to scream, they would have done so. They were now experiencing the agony that Friedrich experienced with each transformation; a pain he was so accustomed to that it was normal.

 Chapter 102 - The Dependable Son

    Marina stood as a goblin and Teleri stood as a spider. It was bizarre for Marina as she looked at her wrinkled, almost clawed hands. She felt a pang of disgust at her current form, but was overcome with an even greater disgust when she looked at the eight-legged Teleri.


    The Alaurian was highly distressed, finding herself not only in a different body, but with an inability to control her legs. She struggled to see, the vision of the many-eyed spider overwhelming her. What she had failed to notice, however, was that her leg was no longer hurting. Granted, she had so many legs now that she wouldn¡¯t have known which one the pain should be in.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, lad,¡± said Pheston, releasing Friedrich. ¡°You just have to wait for a few minutes and you¡¯ll get them back.¡±


    Friedrich relaxed. He was still stressed that his masks were no longer in his possession, but the powerful urge to seized them back was gone. He had not realised the hold they had on him. It was not as intense as the former grip of the minotaur mask before he had awakened it, but it was intense nonetheless. He knew he would not have hurt Marina or Teleri, but he did not want anyone wearing the masks but him the moment he lunged for them. Now, he was glad that their wounds would be healed upon their return to normality.


    ¡°How¡­how do you feel?¡± he asked them.


    Marina looked at him and screeched as goblins often do. She had meant to tell him that she felt terrible, but the words could not come out. Teleri was unsure of how to make any noise, but found a way to wriggle her fangs just enough to give a subtle response.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Everyone¡¯s feeling good again and I can dig up the dragon bones while you transforming rascals wait for the power of the masks to wear off.¡±


    He spun around, bounded into the ash grave, and began digging through it with his hands. He did not care that he was going to emerge as black as night, for the chance to work with dragon bones was something he had coveted for a long time. He never thought he would be granted the opportunity, especially during his time in Keldracht, but here it was.


    *


    Friedrich burst through the doors in fox form, running into the streets of Lundstad, much to the shock of the two guards who had resumed their positions after the failed hunt for the mysterious goblin troublemaker. They turned and looked to each other for a minute before shrugging and closing the doors.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± thought Friedrich, looking back. He walked up to them and morphed into a minotaur, giving the two men the fright of their lives as the hairy bovine beast glowered down at them.


    He thundered down the street and transformed into a fox, finally convincing the guards that they had better do something. Once the two men had ran for help, Marina, Teleri, and Pheston crept out of the Undercity entrance and met up with Friedrich who was casually walking towards them in human form.


    ¡°Is it that painful every time you transform?¡± asked Marina, feeling newfound sympathy for her friend.


    ¡°Yes, but you get used to it,¡± he shrugged. His hand moved up to his scarf and he could feel the goblin and spider masks resting between it and his armour.


    ¡°That is most unenviable,¡± said Teleri, looking to him sympathetically.


    ¡°On the bright side, you two are back to your beautiful mended selves¡­erm, normal selves.¡±


    Friedrich pivoted and walked rigidly back down the street while Pheston chortled at the young man¡¯s embarrassment. ¡°What a dolt,¡± he said. ¡°Can¡¯t hold his tongue when he ought to.¡±


    ¡°Ironic,¡± muttered Teleri, her cheeks rosy from the compliment.


    ¡°Pah! If I say something foolish, I deal with it rather than walk away like a crippled penguin. You wouldn¡¯t think he helped take down a dragon, would you?¡±


    The three hurried after Friedrich, who remained quiet for half the walk back to Bjorn¡¯s smithy. Upon walking through the doors, Pheston¡¯s son and grandson were there to greet them. They had big smiles on their faces upon seeing their father and grandfather return, no doubt with glorious victory in tow. The fact that he looked like he¡¯d been working in a coal mine for a month without bathing solidified that expectation in their minds.


    ¡°Mission accomplished, boys,¡± said Pheston, thumping his chest. ¡°Dragon bones are in the sack and we can make for the Forge of Ages at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    ¡°You, father,¡± said Bjorn, ¡°are a force to be reckoned with. The bards should sing wondrous tales of your adventures in this world and the demon realm, for they deserve to be known far and wide. I¡¯m proud to be your son.¡±


    ¡°And grandson!¡± said Alf, bouncing from side to side. ¡°Wait until I tell the rest of the clan¡­and my friends¡­and everyone in town.¡±


    Pheston, who was already elated from his success, looked about ready to burst with overflowing joy. To return home after so long and to be treated as a hero by his family was filling him with emotions he had not experienced in a long time. He hoped that when he met the rest of his children and grandchildren that he could evoke the same reactions from them.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to come with us, son,¡± said Pheston. ¡°And you too, Alf. Can you afford to shut up shop for a couple of days?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a stretch,¡± said Bjorn, looking disheartened.


    Pheston pulled out a couple of bones from his sack and threw them to his son. ¡°And if you sell these genuine dragon bones for a few hundred kupons apiece?¡±


    ¡°These¡¯ll fetch two thousand each, easily,¡± said Bjorn, looking at the bones in amazement. ¡°Very well, father. We¡¯ll both accompany you to the Forge of Ages and offer whatever assistance we can.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± cried Alf, jumping for joy. ¡°I can¡¯t wait. When do we tell mother?¡±


    ¡°Go do that now, lad,¡± said Pheston, walking over and ruffling his grandson¡¯s hair. ¡°I want to have a talk with your father for a while, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandfather,¡± said Alf, making himself scarce.


    ¡°Son,¡± said Pheston, ¡°about that other task we discussed?¡±


    Friedrich, Marina, and Teleri were not sure what this task was, but they presumed it had something to do with acquiring the special Lundstad mead that Pheston could not stop talking about on the journey here.


    ¡°Yes, he is willing,¡± said Bjorn, ¡°but he said he¡¯s having an issue with the transport.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it work,¡± said Pheston, waving his hand. ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m amazed the old bastard still lives in the city and still knows where the damned thing is submerged.¡±


    This was not about mead. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Friedrich.


    Pheston gave the Mercian a conniving grin. ¡°I had Bjorn reach out to an old friend. It was a long shot, but he may be able to come through for us.¡±


    ¡°Come through in what way?¡± asked Friedrich, his eyes narrowing. ¡°This had better be a pleasant secret and not another nasty surprise that you¡¯ll later laugh about.¡±


    ¡°I assure you, Friedrich,¡± said Bjorn. ¡°This may prove fruitful to your endeavours.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Pheston chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after we visit the forge, my friend. It¡¯s a good surprise, lad. Trust me!¡±


    ¡°He may trust you fully, however, I am of the mind that you should tell us immediately,¡± said Teleri. ¡°If there is a risk to our safety, we should be informed. We have wondered into danger with you alarmingly frequently since we met.¡±


    ¡°There is one person I will tell,¡± said Pheston, holding up an index finger. He jerked it downwards and pointed at Marina. ¡°Young lass, you¡¯re crucial to this plan.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± asked Marina, surprised. ¡°Alright, but if it¡¯s anything too dangerous, I won¡¯t be keeping your secret.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± grumbled Pheston, beckoning her out the back to the forge, leaving the others with Bjorn.


    Marina and Pheston walked into the cold outdoors where they remained sheltered from the faint drizzle by the overhanging roof. Pheston scratched his beard, trying to work out how to say what he wanted to say. Marina folded her arms and started tapping her foot, trying to speed him along, but he took his sweet time formulating his words before he eventually spoke.


    ¡°Alright. I want to preface this by saying that this is not a guaranteed success. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Marina.


    ¡°It¡¯s just I don¡¯t want to get the lad¡¯s hopes up. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have asked Bjorn about this in front of him. Foolish of me, quite frankly.¡±


    ¡°Pheston!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it, I¡¯m getting to it!¡± grumbled the old man. ¡°Alright, so back in my youth I used to go fishing down by Lake Windmere just outside of town. I was friends with the son of a fisherman, Sigurd, and we often challenged each other to catch the fish by hand. No easy task, especially in the freezing cold water and when they¡¯re such squirmy little things, eh?¡±


    Marina did not say anything, her patience very much having worn thin. Her twitching eye, however, answered for her.


    ¡°Right, yes. So, one day I challenged him to swim to the bottom of the lake and touch the bottom. The absolute mad man thought it was a great idea and he did it. I figured I¡¯d have to dive in after him and save him because I was always the physically gifted one, whereas he was more of a bookworm. Loved learning about magic, you see. He swam out to the centre of the lake and I gave him the signal. Down he went, diving deep, as I swam out after him, expecting the opportunity to be a saviour and the chance to mock him relentlessly for years to come. I was not granted either of these.


    ¡°Sigurd surfaced shockingly quickly with a stunned look on his face. I still remember it clearly to this day. His eyes were about to burst out and slowly, the biggest smile you ever did see spread across his face. He stared at me and uttered ¡®brass ship¡¯ before taking a deep breath and diving once again. Curious, I followed him and kicked my way down deep. Much to my surprise, I saw exactly that¡­a brass ship.


    ¡°It was sitting at the bottom of the lake, covered in all manner of algae and serving as home to more than a few fishes. How it had come to be there, I could only guess, but it looked to be intact even though it was completely unusable. We didn¡¯t tell anyone, thinking they wouldn¡¯t believe us, but we talked about it a few times after that and visited it once or twice.


    ¡°Five years later, I meet up with Sigurd when he returned to Lundstad after a year away studying magic under Ganfir of the Frost¡ªhe¡¯s a local mage, unpleasant gentleman but very skilled¡ªand Sigurd brings up the ship again. He says that he learned all about an ancient war fleet called the Fleet of Brass that were used to travel from island to island, conquering it many millennia ago. The Fleet of Brass and its raiders were wiped out, but it seems as though a lone boat survived and was hidden at the bottom of Lake Windmere.¡±


    Pheston looked at Marina expectantly and she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Alright¡­and?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Come on girlie, you¡¯re smarter than the other two,¡± said Pheston, annoyed at her lack of enthusiasm. ¡°Sigurd is going to raise the ship and we¡¯re going to sail to the Orion Tower on it. We have our vessel and we don¡¯t need to spend a single kupon on it!¡±


    ¡°A brass ship that¡¯s at the bottom of a lake?¡± asked the incredulous Marina.


    ¡°Yes!¡± exclaimed Pheston excitedly. ¡°Sigurd said that he¡¯s a skilled enough ice mage that he could find a way to surface the boat. With a bit of cleanup, we can make it usable again. And that¡¯s where you come in¡­¡±


    Marina sighed and then frowned. ¡°Alright, go on.¡±


    ¡°These ships? They¡¯re powered by electricity. They can float by themselves just fine, but they need the energy of lightning magic to sail. Do you see where I¡¯m going with this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to power this ship.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, more specifically, you¡¯re going to use Shockwave to power this ship. Insert the little fella into the power chamber and have him do all the work so you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°But he feeds off of my power. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m strong enough.¡±


    Pheston laughed. ¡°We¡¯ll worry about the finer details later, but I want you to go help your new best friend Sigurd while me and the others go to the Forge of Ages.¡±


    Marina looked over her shoulder towards the door. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, doubting her ability to make this plan work. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± said Pheston, clapping her on the shoulder. ¡°You do this for him and I reckon he¡¯ll propose to you on the spot.¡±


    ¡°P-p-propose?¡± asked Marina, blushing intensely. ¡°You strange, strange man. Do not talk of such things!¡±


    Pheston chortled. ¡°A wedding at sea on the way to Orion Tower, eh? Although, if you¡¯re not interested, I¡¯m sure Goldie would marry him.¡±


    ¡°Such nonsense,¡± said Marina, shooting him a dirty look and them stomping back into the shop to the stares of Friedrich and Teleri. ¡°The only one in danger is Pheston and that¡¯s because I will blast him into the sun with the force of a thousand thunderstorms.¡±


    Friedrich and Teleri looked to each other, not sure what to make of this. ¡°This surprise¡­this plan,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Is it a good one?¡±


    Marina bit her lip. ¡°If it works, he¡¯s solved all our problems. But I am livid with his candour!¡±

 Chapter 103 - The Path to the Forge

    Pheston hummed to himself while steering Humfrid up the jagged mountain path. It was a sturdy beast, that was for sure, but the fact it could ascend this path with nary a problem was astounding. The people of Millstone had truly offered their best steed as thanks.


    Teleri sat in the back of the wagon stone-faced as ever, while Friedrich showed off his transformation from human to fox to human to minotaur to fox, and then back to human again for Alf, who was awestruck by the power. Bjorn was less keen on the use of soul magic, but he did not complain, knowing that it was this same young man and this same magic that had brought his father back to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pray to the gods that one day, I¡¯ll be able to transform as you do, Friedrich,¡± said Alf.


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Friedrich guiltily, immediately regretting his blatant disregard for what the use of soul magic actually entailed. ¡°Well, Alf, I should probably have led with this, but I consider it more of a curse than a blessing. To be able to transform in this way means that another has died for it. Not to get too gruesome, but when I transform, I¡¯m assuming the form of a deceased¡ª¡±


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Teleri with a stern look, ¡°perhaps you had better stop talking before you cause further problems.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the young man. ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best. Summed up, Alf, don¡¯t use soul magic. Especially not as flippantly as I do.¡±


    Pheston ceased his humming to bellow out a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s nice not to be the one in trouble for my choice of words,¡± he said.


    Eager to change the subject, Bjorn spoke up. ¡°Father, we are close.¡±


    The quintet had been on the road for a day and a half already, while Marina had been sent on her mysterious mission by Pheston. She was bitter about not getting to see the forge, but she insisted that was Pheston had asked her to do was important. Even with Friedrich¡¯s incessant questioning, she had kept silence on what she had to do, but he trusted both her word and Pheston¡¯s word that it was all in service to a greater purpose.


    Teleri, who tended not to initiate conversation at the best of times, had been especially quiet since the journey began. It was as though the presence of Bjorn and Alf irked her, even though they had been perfectly pleasant to her. It reminded Friedrich of her initial hostility towards Pheston, but less severe, as though she was keeping her thoughts to herself rather than muttering incessantly and making rude facial expressions.


    ¡°I can almost taste the embers on the tip of my tongue,¡± said Pheston, looking to the icy, stone-strewn path ahead. ¡°It burns like the strongest distillation in the known world. Ah, I cannot wait to craft the dragon bones into weapons worthy of true heroes of the realms¡­and then promptly give one to the soul masker who will only use it if he¡¯s stuck.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all!¡± insisted Friedrich. ¡°Once I have a new sword, I won¡¯t need to transform as often.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe that when I see it, lad.¡±


    Friedrich muttered to himself and Teleri flashed a brief smile before resuming her cold stare into the expansive tundra almost a mile below. She realised she had caught Friedrich¡¯s eye and her face turned into a grimace as though she was trying to make him stop staring at her.


    ¡°What?¡± she barked, unable to shake his gaze.


    The Mercian laughed at her. ¡°I was seeing how long it would take for you to tell me off.¡±


    ¡°You are so childish. Although, I should remember that you are basically a child.¡±


    ¡°Have I not overtaken you in human years yet?¡±


    ¡°Quiet, you scoundrel. Let me enjoy the view in peace. I want to hear nothing further from you until we reach the forge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll barely be a silence, Teleri,¡± said Pheston, ¡°because we¡¯re no more than ten minutes away.¡±


    ¡°Then I will enjoy these ten minutes.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Alf muttered to Bjorn, not accounting for Teleri¡¯s impressive hearing. ¡°I thought they were supposed to be friends, father.¡±


    ¡°Quiet, boy,¡± said Bjorn, not wanting to get involved in the bickering.


    ¡°Sometimes, lad,¡± said Pheston, trying to hold in his laughter, ¡°when a young lady is smitten¡ª¡±


    He couldn¡¯t contain himself and his explosive laughter startled the horse, who almost steering the cart off the cliff. Teleri folded her arms and turned up her nose, not wanting to indulge the old man¡¯s preposterousness. The sooner they could get the weapons, find a way to reach the Orion Tower, and rescue Lord Gaerfyrd, the sooner she would be rid of Pheston and his supposed jokes.


    Friedrich stayed silent, knowing that Teleri would explode if poked further. He hoped that the ten-minute ride to the Forge of Ages would be enough to cool her down. He glanced at her every now and then and saw the red slowly drain from her face, leaving it her usual glowing gold that was highlighted by the sun in the clear sky over Corobath.


    Rolling into a small valley, Pheston¡¯s humming became fast-paced and eventually turned into a full-blown song about the forge. Based on the poor rhymes, it seemed as though he was making it up on the spot, but it was surprisingly intriguing. Eventually, the steps leading out of the valley and into the rounded stone building came into view and the cart slowed to a halt.


    It was a thoroughly unimpressive building from the outside, reminding Friedrich of one of the old rounded theatres used by the Mercians of generations past. As with many of the ruins he¡¯d seen in Corobath¡ªwhich granted, was not that many¡ªthe doors themselves were made of stone, and these ones bore the image of an anvil with an ember sitting atop it. He had been expecting an ashy smell, but all that reached Friedrich¡¯s nostrils was the scent of iron wafting out of the bags Bjorn had brought.


    ¡°Remarkable,¡± said Bjorn breathlessly while staring at the unremarkable building.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Pheston, beaming with pride.


    Alf looked from his father and grandfather before turning his gaze to the building. ¡°Utterly remarkable,¡± he said, not sure what all the fuss was about. The young man had heard the stories of the Forge of Ages, but he had been expecting a grand hall or a palace of some kind, just like Friedrich had.


    ¡°Is it just me or¡­¡± whispered the Mercian to the Alaurian.


    ¡°I am equally unimpressed,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Pheston, hopping from the cart to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m deemed worthy of the greatest forge in the land.¡±


    ¡°Worthy?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes, I must pass the trial before I can use the forge. Did I not mention that?¡±


    Friedrich started massaging his temples. ¡°No, my friend. Funnily enough, you did not.¡±


    ¡°You led us into danger again?¡± snapped Teleri.


    ¡°Nah, just me,¡± said Pheston, resting Vigr on his shoulder and grinning widely. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the challenge.¡±


    ¡°This is your calling, father,¡± said Bjorn. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, nobody can¡­and a few have, therefore, so can you.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± said Alf.


    ¡°Boys, I¡¯m touched,¡± said Pheston sincerely, looking to his descendants with great pride. He cleared his throat to stop himself from tearing up and marched over to the forge door. ¡°You sorry lot coming? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a good show.¡±


    The four followed Pheston up the steps. He paused at the door and put his hand upon it. He shoved it, but there was no movement as there had been in the Undercity. The phantom¡¯s scoffing at Friedrich¡¯s question about the method of opening now seemed justified.


    ¡°Great Forge of Ages,¡± called Pheston, his voice booming so loudly a tuft of snow fell into the valley at the bottom of the steps, ¡°I humbly request entry in the name of Baldir. I come bearing dragon bones and no forge is greater; no more worthy of these grand gifts to a smith¡¯s hands.¡±


    The door rumbled open and a voice called out. ¡°Ga,¡± it said, its tone filled with fire.


    ¡°I thank you,¡± said Pheston.


    ¡°You are worthy?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Of entry, yes, but I have yet to face the trial.¡±


    Walking through the door, the chamber came into view. It was filled with everything a blacksmith would need, from tongs of every size to the grandest, cleanest anvil that Friedrich had ever seen. Most impressive of all was the large pit at the centre of the room filled to the brim with coal that warmed Friedrich with a glance, yet there was no fire in sight.


    ¡°Heik!¡± came the same voice as though from the coals itself. ¡°You come to use ferocious flame to create weapons fitting of the most legendary of heroes, perhaps even weapons for the gods themselves. Is that why you are here?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Pheston. ¡°I come to create weapons for those who seek to smite evil and rescue a beloved father from a hell untold, and I have been to the depths of hell myself.¡±


    ¡°A worthy purpose,¡± said the pit, ¡°but only one with great strength is worthy of smithing that which unlocks great strength. I am the Forge Guardian. Will you face me?¡±


    ¡°I will face you,¡± said Pheston.


    The tools faded from existence, leaving the five standing alone in the chamber with only the coal-filled pit. The coal started to shift, pulling itself together into various shapes that then connected, forming a body, limbs, and even a head. It stood tall, towering above even Pheston; taller than Friedrich as a minotaur. Its eyes glowed orange and when it opened its mouth, fire spewed with every word.


    ¡°Tell me, smith,¡± said the Forge Guardian. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I am Pheston of Lundstad.¡±


    ¡°And are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°I fear no man, no monster, no demon,¡± said Pheston, clutching Vigr tightly. ¡°I will overcome you and your forge will be mine to use. Have at you, Forge Guardian.¡±

 Chapter 104 - Sigurd the Frostbitten

    Marina walked through the snow as more drifted down and settled upon her shoulders while she longingly watched the upwardly drifting plume of smoke. She had her cloak pulled tightly around her and her teeth were chattering with every step she took. She hated the cold, oh how she hated it, but she was secretly glad to not be on her way to the Forge of Ages, for she hated fire more than she hated ice.


    ¡°I would happily take neither,¡± she muttered to herself as she approached the fence that surrounded the stone cottage up ahead. ¡°I do hope this goes well.¡±


    She nudged the unlocked gate open with her knee, thankful that she did not need to remove her hands from within the folds of her cloak, where they were merely cold rather than frozen. It had not been a long journey, but Pheston¡¯s friend Sigurd lived in the coldest part of the cliffs a couple of miles outside of Lundstad.


    ¡°It will be fine,¡± she said, trying to reassure herself. ¡°I¡¯m expected and I have dealt with mages before¡­it will be fine. I don¡¯t need the others here.¡±


    Marina walked up the winding garden path towards the pleasant stone cottage, almost slipping on the stones a few times. She hoped this had not been seen by Sigurd, lest he think her a buffoon. She stopped outside the front door and debated how to knock it without her hands leaving their just-about-comfortable position. She took a deep breath and shot her head down, banging the door with her forehead. Instant regret passed through her as she felt the unpleasant throbbing take effect.


    ¡°I hope that worked,¡± said Marina with a frown.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± called a voice from inside.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she whispered excitedly before answering the man. ¡°My name is Marina. I¡¯m a friend of Pheston.¡±


    The door swung open and an old man in thick blue robes appeared. He had a marvellous beard that reached his waist and a surprisingly thick head of braided hair that ran over his shoulder and down his back. He pushed his spectacles up his nose and looked the girl up and down.


    ¡°I thought the old coot was sending a lightning mage,¡± said Sigurd with a frown.


    ¡°I am a mage!¡± protested Marina in a squeaky voice, not looking particularly powerful as she stood there shivering.


    ¡°Show me a trick then,¡± said Sigurd, crossing his arms. Marina then noticed that he was missing two fingers on his right hand. She tried not to stare and blinked furiously to snap herself away.


    ¡°Magic trick¡­magic trick¡­¡± she muttered, pulling her staff from over her shoulder. ¡°How much do you like your fence?¡± she asked.


    ¡°A reasonable amount.¡±


    ¡°Alright, how¡¯s this for magic.¡±


    Marina twirled her staff, ignoring the cold as she sent a surge of magical energy through the wood. From within the purple amethyst at the tip of her staff exploded a lightning strike that streamed towards the old wizard¡¯s fence and blew the snow-coated wood into a thousand pieces that soared into the sky before raining down onto the land and wedging themselves like splinters into the fluffy sea of white.


    ¡°Very nice,¡± said Sigurd, nodding his head approvingly. ¡°Bjorn told me of his father¡¯s admiration for your abilities. Apologies for the insult, but I thought it might light a fire.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Marina. She quickly turned her look of surprise into a pleasant smile. ¡°Well, it did. I¡¯m sorry for destroying your fence.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get many visitors,¡± said Sigurd nonchalantly, ¡°and it does a terrible job of keeping animals out. I¡¯ll replace it with a better one in the height of summer when the snow is less pervasive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Marina, hoping she wasn¡¯t expected to pay for it.


    ¡°Come in, come in!¡±


    Sigurd stood aside to let Marina through the door and she scurried in gratefully, eager to get out of the cold. The mage closed the door behind him, cutting off the breeze that tried to creep its way inside.


    The cottage was as quaint inside as it was outside, comprising of only a handful of small rooms connected to the larger living room that also served as a kitchen. By the roaring fireplace was a red armchair with cushioning so soft that Marina could have curled up on it like a cat and fallen asleep in minutes. Lining the walls were bookshelves aplenty, filled with everything from tomes of knowledge to collections of limericks. On the kitchen stove sat a large pot. It filled the room with a honeysweet aroma that made Marina¡¯s tastebuds perk up.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Tea?¡± asked Sigurd, walking over to the pot.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± said Marina. Perhaps life as an isolated mage wasn¡¯t so bad. A warm house, books, tea. If she were to ever stop roaming the land, she could find herself somewhere like this to live quietly. She was doubtful, however, that she would be able to convince Friedrich to join her, so much in love with the road he was. Perhaps once his father had been saved, he would be more open to the idea.


    ¡°So presumptuous,¡± she muttered to herself while shaking her head.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± called Sigurd as he ladled the honey tea into two porcelain cups patterned with flowers and dragons; a most curious combination.


    Marina¡¯s eye jolted wide. ¡°Pardon me! I was talking to myself about a¡­friend.¡±


    ¡°I care not for your teenage frivolities. We drink some tea, warm ourselves by the fire, and then we discuss business. The brass ship.¡±


    Sigurd made his way over holding his own tea in one hand and Marina¡¯s in a pincer-like grip due to his missing fingers. Marina accepted the tea and couldn¡¯t help but stare the man¡¯s hand this time.


    ¡°A small accident involving a trek into an underground ruin, of which there are many in Corobath. It¡¯s a necessity should you choose the life of a mage and seek lost knowledge and forbidden arts. One day, perhaps you too shall lose an appendage, limb, or even suffer a horrible scar.¡±


    Marina knew she had been close to having a scarred face after the battle against Tierfyr, but Friedrich¡¯s masks had saved both her and Teleri from any lasting injury. She shuddered at the thought of transforming into a goblin again, but at least Friedrich had given her the goblin mask over the spider mask. She blew on her tea and cast the image from her mind.


    ¡°This brass ship is under the lake, right?¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± said Sigurd with a smirk. ¡°I can bring it to the surface with ease.¡±


    ¡°And how are you so sure I can make it work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯m just reasonably confident.¡±


    Marina took a sip of the tea. It was as delicious as it was fragrant, tasting of wild berries that added a sourness to the sweetness, preventing it from overpowering the tastebuds. ¡°Go on,¡± she said.


    Sigurd cackled. ¡°I have explored every inch of the ship, which did not take long as it is not especially large, and have studied its structure inside and out. I know what makes it tick; I know what makes it move. All we need is your lightning power to keep it going and for you to be able to keep both yourself and it stable.¡±


    ¡°And this is where my elemental comes in?¡±


    ¡°Correct. It is the battery that will power the vessel and you can focus on maintaining its presence and managing its energy levels. I will teach you as best as I can, but I specialise in water magic so I am more based in the theory of lightning magic than I am in the practical side.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Sigurd held up his hand and clicked his fingers, sending a small bolt of crackling electricity into the air. It whizzed towards the ceiling and dissipated before touching the wooden beams. ¡°That¡¯s the height of my electrical skill, I¡¯m afraid. My affinity has always been for water and, to a lesser extent, ice.¡±


    Sigurd held out his hand with the missing fingers. He wriggled the fingers left and closed his eyes. With a sharp clink, two new fingers made of water appeared, extending from the missing stumps and flowing freely as though muscle, bone, and flesh. Marina was taken aback and almost dropped her tea.


    ¡°Oh yes, magic lets you find a way around almost anything,¡± said the old mage as he held his hand out to the fire. He released the water fingers and they hit the burning logs with a hiss. They quickly turned to steam and Sigurd took a drink of his tea. ¡°If you think shooting lightning from a piece of wood or powering a ship is an impressive feat, wait until you truly understand the true potential of the gift you bear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in causing storms that wipe out entire villages,¡± said Marina pointedly.


    ¡°Nor am I in draining a town¡¯s water supply, but that does not mean it cannot be done. My point is when you realise the scale of your abilities, if properly trained, the task before you will not seem so difficult.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, but it¡¯s one thing to understand it and another thing to do it.¡±


    Sigurd drained his cup and stood up. ¡°Then we shall waste no more time. Come.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s warm here!¡±


    ¡°It is your own fault for being foolish enough to have bare legs in the snow, girl. High boots and a cloak is not enough to stave off the briskness of Corobathian weather.¡±


    Marina frowned and drank the last of her tea. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m coming,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I hope the lake is at a lower altitude so the air isn¡¯t so cold.¡±


    Sigurd rolled his eyes and pointed at her. ¡°Perhaps you should have studied fire magic, young lady. Seeing as you long for warmth and have such an unpleasable attitude.¡±


    Marina set the cup down on a small table and stood up. ¡°You don¡¯t happen to know any fire spells that might keep us warm?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a good trick that involves wood, kindling, and a few sparks. In fact, I used that trick to warm this very house.¡±


    ¡°I meant to buy another layer in Lundstad before coming here, but it slipped my mind¡­¡±


    ¡°If it will lessen the amount of complaining you do, you can bring my spare cloak.¡±


    Marina¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    Sigurd threw a fur cloak over his robes and then tossed another to Marina. She wrapped it tightly around herself, so much so that she could barely move her arms, but she was already feeling brighter about this whole affair. She hoped that once she was weaving her magic, she would forget all about how cold it was and that her focus would be solely on powering the brass ship. She could not fail this task; it was for Friedrich.

 Chapter 105 - The Forge Guardian

    Pheston charged towards the Forge Guardian as Friedrich, Teleri, Bjorn, and Alf scattered to the edges of the room so as not to interrupt the battle that was about to unfold.


    The Forge Guardian let out a roar, casting a wave of flames at the old smith who burst through them and extended his hammer as he swung, striking the spirit of the forge in the chest and flinging coal across the chamber. The Forge Guardian retaliated by headbutting the old man square in the forehead, leaving both a burn and black residue.


    Pheston stumbled backwards and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. A thrilling grin spread across his face. ¡°I will enjoy this greatly,¡± he said and charged towards the coal golem, swinging his hammer with such force that the rush of air could be felt by his four companions.


    The Forge Guardian met the strike with its hand, blocking it, but losing its fingers which crumbled to the ground. With a roar, the scattered coal returned to it, rebuilding its fingers and repairing its broken chest. It mustered up its might and pulled Vigr from Pheston¡¯s grasp before tossing it aside.


    ¡°A powerful weapon,¡± it said, ¡°that much is true. But muscles, metal, and magic will not be enough to overcome me.¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± said Pheston before diving out of the way of the lunging Forge Guardian.


    He ran for his hammer, but the golem was unwilling to make things easy. A torrent of flame billowed from its mouth and Pheston threw himself aside with the licking flames singing the back of his tunic. He gritted his teeth and glanced to Vigr, knowing that he needed an adequate distraction if he wanted to reclaim his weapon. Should he try the old heart attack trick so many of his elders had played on him as a child? No, that was unbecoming of a trial such as this. He would rely on his martial prowess and prove his strength.


    The old man charged at his foe, lowering himself and tackling the burning coal being who was surprised by the boldness of his foe. The Forge Guardian fell backwards and Pheston held back a yelp as he was scorched by intense heat. He rolled away from the golem and forced himself to his feet with a clear path to Vigr as the Forge Guardian ascended.


    Pheston leapt upon his hammer and wrapped his fingers around the shaft. He extended his weapon to its maximum length as the Forge Guardian strode towards him, drawing back an arm. Pheston swung Vigr and the golem¡¯s burly black fist met metal. The coal broke apart and the rest of the Forge Guardian¡¯s arm reverberated as the powerful being tried to hold itself together. Pheston drew back his hammer and shoved it into the golem¡¯s chest, breaking its focus as it tried to restore its hand from the remnants on the ground.


    The old man shrank the hammer and leapt at his foe with his arm cocked back. He swung Vigr overhead and it smashed into the Forge Guardian¡¯s head, cracking it and sending the two halves falling to the ground. He had done it. He had won.


    He let out a victorious cry, holding Vigr high. ¡°I am worthy,¡± he bellowed as the Forge Guardian reassembled itself.


    ¡°Do you believe so?¡± asked the creature, rolling its neck around as the heat melded his broken head back together. ¡°You do indeed possess great strength, Pheston of Lundstad, but your trial does not end here. If you are to craft a work of masterful art in the Forge of Ages, you must have the knowledge and skill to do so¡­or you will surely perish in the process.¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s heart sank and he moved to speak, but Pheston was grinning.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°A small price to pay for friends to whom I owe my life.¡±


    ¡°That is unacceptable,¡± said Teleri. ¡°If we knew this was a risk then we would not have agreed to this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± said Pheston. ¡°I¡¯ve got my boys with me, eh?¡±


    Bjorn looked proudly at his father. ¡°Yes, you do. We will do whatever task you request of us.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, grandfather,¡± said Alf eagerly.


    ¡°That¡¯s permissible, is it not?¡± Pheston asked the Forge Guardian.


    ¡°That is permissible,¡± it agreed, retreating to its resting place and slumping back down into a burning pile of coal. ¡°My power will bolster your own. What do you bring as your primary reagent today?¡±


    ¡°Dragon bones,¡± boomed Pheston. ¡°Wait until you feast your flames on these, Guardian. I suspect it¡¯s been an age since you had an offering like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the Forge Guardian, sounding enticed. ¡°Two hundred and seventy-three years. It is a most welcome offering. We shall begin immediately.¡±


    ¡°First things first,¡± said Pheston, turning to the three men. ¡°Lads, bring in the goods. Teleri, make sure these knuckleheads don¡¯t drop anything when they¡¯re carrying it up the stairs.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± said the high elf.


    The four headed outside as Pheston cast off his tunic and flexed his muscles. He was looking forward to this more than he had looked forward to anything in decades. He had spent a couple of hours working with Bjorn in Lundstad and found his memories and technique to be as precise as he had expected. He thought about the diagrams and combinations of metals and minerals he had drawn in the dirt in Keldracht. He had not expected to ever use them and had played with the ideas in his mind time and time again. He had dreamed vivid dreams about working with any forge he could get his hands on and often thought about breaking into one of the demonic towers in search of one, but deemed it not worth the risk.


    This, however, was worth the risk. Creating a weapon from the bones Tierfyr, of all dragons, and in the Forge of Ages, of all forges. The chance of death seemed like a fly batting around his head; no real threat. And it was in service to Friedrich, who had been his spark in the night. To think he had considered remaining behind in the demonic land when freedom stood before him. He was more grateful to Teleri than he could express in words and the Alaurian would no doubt shirk them should he speak them. Had she not thrown Vigr through the portal, he did not know what his fate would have been.


    ¡°It played out how it was supposed to,¡± he muttered to himself, smiling as he watched his family and friends hauling the obscenely heavy supplies into the chamber. He started laughing wildly.


    ¡°What?¡± grunted Bjorn as he dropped the cart, leaving the minotaur Friedrich bearing the brunt of the weight while Alf pretended to support it.


    ¡°I was joking about bringing the whole cart, lads,¡± chuckled Pheston. ¡°You could have just taken the bags.¡±


    Teleri scowled. ¡°I would have been happy to assist with that, you buffoon. Do you think this is an appropriate time for your nonsense?¡±


    Pheston was crying tears of mirth as Friedrich turned back into a human. ¡°We¡¯ll give you this one, old man,¡± said the Mercian with a grin. ¡°But only because you¡¯re doing us a favour.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, Friedrich,¡± said Pheston, calming down and puffing out his muscular chest. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy. Alright, the pair of you can get out of here. Wait outside for a while, enjoy the view or hunt something for our dinner. We Corobathians have real work to do.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Good luck, Pheston. Bjorn. Alf.¡±


    ¡°I have full faith in all of you,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°I am growing impatient,¡± growled the Forge Guardian.


    ¡°Shoo!¡± scolded Pheston with a smirk and Friedrich and Teleri swiftly departed, letting the stone doors fall closed behind them.


    The two looked at the doors, wondering how long it would be before they would reopen, signalling Pheston¡¯s success. They did not like entertaining the idea that he would fail and succumb to the hardship of creating his masterworks, but the idea flickered through their minds.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Friedrich, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°The man is a menace to any challenge that comes his way.¡±


    Teleri gave a sharp nod. ¡°I agree. I also find him to be a menace.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve warmed to him as you warmed to me and Marina,¡± said Friedrich, nudging her.


    She pushed her tongue into the side of her cheek. ¡°I find you all acceptable,¡± she said, turning away from him and walking down the steps.


    ¡°Acceptable,¡± scoffed Friedrich. ¡°You¡¯ve said much nicer things to us in the past.¡±


    ¡°My opinion of you ebbs and flows like the tide,¡± said Teleri, her voice light and airy. ¡°Sometimes I consider you a friend and other times I consider you a nuisance that I find myself unable to be rid of.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± said Friedrich with a knowing grin.


    ¡°What?¡± shrieked Teleri, spinning around to face him with a look of horror on her face. When she saw him sniggering, the realisation that he too had been joking hit her and she blushed. ¡°You are as funny as the old man,¡± she scowled. ¡°I do not like it when the human races joke with me for I still do not understand your kind the way you do each other.¡±


    Friedrich laughed. ¡°You made the same joke!¡±


    ¡°That is neither here nor there.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± snorted the young man. ¡°What should we do to kill some time?¡±


    Teleri¡¯s eyes narrowed and she gave him a sly smile. ¡°I can think of something we can do,¡± she said, her voice low and quiet.


    Friedrich raised an eyebrow as Teleri drew her bow and ran along the pass. Killing. She had, of course, meant killing something. He chuckled as he drew his sword and shield while running after her.

 Chapter 106 - Inherited

    Rising from the depths of the lake, it vigorously shook as it broke the surface of the water and felt air on its dingy surface. It was a shell of its former self, no longer shimmering and clean, having spent far too many years submerged in Lake Windmere, but the mage who held out his staff, pulling it up and to freedom would see to it that everything would be put right.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it!¡± squealed Marina excitedly, clapping her hands together. She promptly bit her tongue when Sigurd shot her a look of annoyance.


    The mage gritted his teeth and held his breath as he mustered what remained of his strength to force the water filling the ship to flee to the lake. As it did so, the load lightened, but the strain did not for he was almost spent. Slowly, he pulled the ship forward and closer to the shore, but it started dipping as his magical energy was finally depleted. The ship slowly started sinking again as he dropped to his knees.


    ¡°Too¡­tired¡­¡± he said. ¡°Need¡­rest¡­¡±


    Sigurd flopped back on the wet grass and relaxed. He did not care in the least that he was being soaked through and Marina suspected he had a spell that would take remove the water from his hair and clothes in seconds. Magic could be funny like that; powerful and destructive in so many ways, yet useful for the most mundane tasks. She had always wanted to learn minor spells that would take her no more than a few hours of study to master, yet she always deemed her time too important and reread the same books she had over and over again, hoping to glean a small scrap of information that may make her lightning bolts a tiny fraction more powerful.


    She wondered what if Pheston had entered the forge already and was working on the weapons at this very moment. No, they would surely still be ascending the mountain. The Forge of Ages was a couple of days away with one of those days being the ascension itself. If Friedrich turned into a minotaur and hauled the wagon, perhaps that would shave some time off the journey, but the idea likely hadn¡¯t crossed his mind. She giggled to herself at the thought of him pulling the wagon with the horse sitting in the back with the others as a passenger.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Sigurd.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Marina, shaking her head and ridding herself of the amusing thought. ¡°Shall we give it another ago?¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± asked an incredulous Sigurd. ¡°I¡¯ve had barely a minute of rest! And we will be doing nothing, I am the one exhausting himself out of the goodness of my heart.¡±


    Marina frowned and wagged her finger at him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to take that tone with me,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when people get snippy with me for no good reason.¡±


    Sigurd waved a hand and snorted. ¡°Alright, I apologise. But give me a moment, for pity¡¯s sake. We¡¯ll try again in ten minutes. Giggle to yourself while you wait if that¡¯ll make you happy.¡±


    *


    ¡°Almost there,¡± said Marina as Sigurd strained himself until his face was a vivid purple.


    The brass ship was slowly dragged ashore, piling mud up around the hull. Water sloshed around it and fell from the deck as it moved. With it finally firmly aground, the lingering water filling its interior could be expunged and it would be able to float once more; in theory, at least. If Marina had to use Shockwave to keep it from sinking, that¡¯s exactly what she would do.


    ¡°I need¡­a minute¡­¡± said Sigurd, dropping to the ground for the fifth time. To his credit, each rest was shorter than the last with his determination to finally see the ship in the open air fuelling him beyond what he thought was his limit.


    Marina walked up to the shabby metal ship and tapped it with her staff. ¡°Outstanding,¡± she said proudly. ¡°I need to give you a name. The Thundering Brass! No, that¡¯s silly¡­hmm. The Metal Drifter! No, that¡¯s much worse.¡± She sighed. ¡°I will never be able to top The Lightning Foxes or The Golden Lightning Foxes, so perhaps it will need to be put to a vote when the others arrive. Come to think of it, I never amended the name for Pheston¡¯s sake, so perhaps he should be the one to name it.¡±


    ¡°What in the world are you rambling about?¡± asked Sigurd, startling Marina. She was not aware he could hear her mumblings.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°The ship needs a name,¡± she said, turning to him. ¡°Every good vessel needs a name.¡±


    ¡°The Brass Ship,¡± suggested Sigurd.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± said Marina, knowing that she had no intention of considering it. She walked over to Sigurd and sat on a rock beside him; it was drier than the grass. "I hope that I can maintain Shockwave long enough to reach the island.¡±


    ¡°You said that you held him together on a journey across the desert,¡± said Sigurd. ¡°And you helped fell an undead dragon, a giant snake, and countless demons, goblins, and other nasties.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sigurd smiled. ¡°Then you should have nothing to worry about,¡± he said. ¡°Show me a lightning bolt at half-strength.¡±


    Marina stood up and held her staff into the sky. She conjured up her powers and a magnificent bolt of lightning erupted from her staff, flying across the sky until it was out of sight.¡±


    ¡°Impressive,¡± said Sigurd. ¡°Especially for one as young as you. Where did you learn magic?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m mostly self-taught, but I did briefly study under Hansel the Striker in Akatfall and with Grephor of the Sand in Kai¡¯roh.¡±


    ¡°Self-taught, you say?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Is there any history of magic in your family? To possess your aptitude without years of dedicated study is most unusual.¡±


    ¡°No history,¡± said Marina a little too nonchalantly.


    Sigurd¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± he stated firmly.


    Marina was taken aback and bit the inside of her mouth in shock. ¡°I am not lying! And I do not take kindly to such accusations, Sigurd the Frostbitten.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to work with me, girlie. You inherited your magical prowess, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Marina stared at him with narrowed eyes. She wanted to lie her way out of this, but the insightful mage had rumbled her too swiftly and there was nothing to be gained by angering him with a few other feebly-spun fibs. ¡°Yes,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I thought so,¡± said Sigurd, nodding slowly. ¡°This begs the question of whether it came from your mother or father.¡±


    Marina looked away and quietly muttered something barely distinguishable. Luckily for him, Sigurd¡¯s hearing was almost as acute as Teleri¡¯s hearing was.


    ¡°Your father?¡± he posed. ¡°Such a gift should be cried about from the heavens, but I suspect there is more to this story. Your lineage is a mark of shame for you. Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Very much so,¡± said Marina quietly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I lied when you first asked, Sigurd, but I would prefer not to discuss the matter further. My past is a sore spot and certain events are still so fresh that the wound is raw; not yet a scar.¡±


    ¡°That is all you had to say,¡± said Sigurd softly. ¡°I apologise for my forthrightness. I am someone who asks a question when he wants to know the answer. Beating around the bush had never suited me, as Pheston will tell you. As penance, you may ask me one quest¡ª¡±


    ¡°How did you lose your fingers?¡± asked Marina without hesitation.


    Sigurd chuckled. ¡°Frostbite,¡± he said remarkably jovially.


    ¡°I gathered that, but how did you get frostbite?¡±


    ¡°From the cold.¡±


    Marina massaged her temples in frustration as Sigurd laughed uproariously. She knew he was teasing her, but she had wanted to know the answer since she first saw his missing fingers. It had seemed uncouth to ask, but he had offered an opportunity to ask the question.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, calming down. ¡°You want to know? I was delving deep in an old ruin some thirty years ago and the floor gave way. While I may not have broken my neck on hard stone, I did however, fall into an icy river. Its current was strong and carried my staff down the stream. Fortunately for me, I was carried along with it and managed to retrieve it while we were both being tossed around under the water. A simple spell later and the water expelled me to the riverbed, but it sent me tumbling down a snowy hill. I smacked my head against a stone and woke up a couple of hours later. By the time I made my way into a town, my injury was too severe. It was a miracle my hand was saved at all, so I¡¯m not too cut up about losing a couple of fingers.¡±


    Sigurd swished his staff and formed new fingers from water as he had done once before. ¡°Should I ever need them back for whatever reason, I¡¯ve got a temporary solution to the matter. While regrowing limbs is possible, the alchemical reagents are rare and expensive; not worth my time at all. As with every challenge, you learn from it and it just so happens I learned how to manipulate water as though it is a part of me.¡±


    His words hit Marina harder than she had expected. ¡°Had I not been fleeing my father¡¯s men, I would never have met Friedrich. Had I never met him, everything that has happened to me since would never have occurred. I would not have friends in Teleri or Pheston, and I certainly would not be using an elemental to power an ancient ship.¡±


    Sigurd nodded. ¡°The passage of time is a curious thing. The longer it goes on, the easier it is for us to look back and see how every step we take leads us to where we are. We see the missed opportunities and, if we have good things around us, we realise that we missed those opportunities for a reason. You are here today to help a friend rescue a loved one. Would you give that up to enjoy a pork loin with a couple of apprentice mages in a guild in Mercia?¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± said Marina. ¡°My friends and I would die for each other.¡±


    ¡°And there you go. Whatever troubles this unscarred wound has brought you, something good has come of it.¡±


    Marina smiled and whipped out her staff, swinging it around from her back to her front and making Sigurd flinch. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°Now it¡¯s time to show that my magic is my own.¡±


    She twirled her staff and the amethyst glowed. Shockwave burst from the lightning plane, crackling and fizzing as he did so.


    Sigurd nodded and held out his own staff. ¡°Our work is just beginning,¡± he said. ¡°First steps first, my young friend. I¡¯ll drain the last of the water if you can burn off the algae and tarnish as best you can.¡±


    ¡°Shockwave,¡± said Marina, pointing to the brass ship. ¡°Clean!¡±

 Chapter 107 - Embers Fade

    The blue-hued goblin sat in its rear, picking its nose with one hand and scratching its full stomach with the other. The torn-open corpse of the mountain goat it had feasted on lay before it, its cold dead eyes staring off into the distance. As the goblin snorted with pleasure, it felt a flicker of pain before it joined its meal in death.


    ¡°A much better attempt,¡± said Teleri, nodding in satisfaction as Friedrich grinned with her black bow in his hand.


    ¡°Attempt?¡± he asked her. ¡°That was a great success as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±


    ¡°Very well, it was a success. It does not, however, make up for the many failures you have had over the past couple of hours.¡±


    Friedrich grimaced. It was true that his marksmanship was not up to scratch, but he was rusty. He had not used a bow since his training as a younger lad. The fact that he had reclaimed his admittedly passable skills so quickly was something he was proud of. Maybe one day, he would be able to kill a moving target with a single arrow.


    ¡°Give me back my bow,¡± said Teleri, holding out her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s all yours,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you want to keep it when you¡¯re going to get a new one anyway.¡±


    ¡°Did Pheston explicitly say that he was going to create a bow for me?¡±


    ¡°Pheston says a lot of things and doesn¡¯t often give straight answers. If he was here and we asked him, he¡¯d say ¡®Did I not tell you that?¡¯ and then laugh about it when we tell him he didn¡¯t.¡±


    Teleri cocked her head to the side. ¡°I can picture that vividly, Friedrich. Your understanding of him his remarkably accurate. I suppose that makes sense as you have spent more time around him than either I or Marina have.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how she¡¯s getting on with her task,¡± pondered Friedrich.


    ¡°I am sure she is succeeding at whatever it was Pheston asked her to do. However, I must admit that I am offended we were not trusted with the knowledge of what that task is.¡±


    Friedrich shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about trust, it¡¯s about not getting our hopes up. It¡¯s clearly something that could help us, but Pheston deems it a long shot. I wouldn¡¯t be offended, I would be flattered that he showed us concern.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± said Teleri. She skipped over the rocks effortlessly, making her way down to the goblin while Friedrich followed as a fox before returning to human form.


    ¡°Ugly little runt, isn¡¯t he?¡± he asked, kicking the goblin¡¯s body so that it lay on its back, looking up at the sky.


    ¡°He is no uglier than your own goblin form,¡± said Teleri, pulling a green kupon from the goblin¡¯s tattered hide jacket. ¡°Ah, the spoils of victory,¡± she said gratefully as she stared at the green gem.


    ¡°Ugly,¡± Friedrich muttered.


    Teleri stood up straight. ¡°How dare you!¡± she screeched, affronted to be called such a thing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you!¡± Friedrich protested. ¡°I was grumbling about what you said about my goblin form. Obviously, you¡¯re very beautiful.¡±


    Teleri¡¯s eyes widened and she stammered, unable to form her words. She cleared her throat and pulled herself together. ¡°I see,¡± she said plainly. She turned away to hide her red face.


    She knew it. She had caught him staring at her face and chest many times over and had wondered if it was because he was curious about the Alaurian form or if he found her aesthetically pleasing. It was the latter. Of course, it was the latter. She was always heralded for her appearance back home, even among her own kind. She was sometimes overshadowed by that wretched sister-in-law of hers, but the less the thought about that wicked witch, the better.


    No matter Friedrich¡¯s thoughts on her, it was not a notion she would let herself entertain outside of fleeting curiosity. Not only would Friedrich die long before her, any resulting children would spend most of their lives without a paternal influence.


    ¡°Such foolishness,¡± she muttered to herself, shaking her head furiously.


    Friedrich raised an eyebrow at her and she stopped shaking her head. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re finished yet?¡± he asked, looking at the setting sun.


    ¡°We shall investigate,¡± said Teleri, avoiding looking at him until she could feel the blood leaving her face. Curse her mortal limitations, for they were a constant source of embarrassment.


    The two returned to the Forge of Ages where Humfrid the horse was waiting dutifully. Friedrich reached into the dutiful steed¡¯s saddlebag and pulled out an apple for him to munch down, which he did with gusto.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± said Friedrich, stroking Humfrid¡¯s mane and nodding to the door. ¡°They¡¯re still hard at work, it seems.¡±


    Teleri¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°I can hear Pheston¡¯s grunts and the beating of a hammer on metal,¡± she said. ¡°It is good to know that he is still alive.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°As I knew he would be,¡± said Friedrich with a grin.


    ¡°Does it not concern you that he is speeding toward his final days?¡±


    Friedrich was taken aback. ¡°No. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s got at least two decades in him. He¡¯s so sturdy, he may even have three of four. Why so morbid?¡±


    ¡°It is not morbidity,¡± said Teleri, looking glum. ¡°It saddens me to know that I will outlive you all many times over.¡±


    Friedrich wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He knew what she said to be true, but he avoided thinking about it as often as possible. Even though his days on the road would surely come an end long before he died of old age¡ªshould he be lucky enough for that to be his fate¡ªhe knew that there would be those left behind. Pheston would die before he did, he and Marina would die before Teleri did. It was simply the way of things.


    ¡°How long do high elves live?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It varies. Some of us live to see a millennium, others may live to see two. There are subtleties in our lineages that leave us with more differences than you would realise. It is like how some of your kind end up fat and ugly while others end up looking¡­less so.¡±


    ¡°Not all humans share the same long lives,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°My great-grandfather died at fifty-eight and my great-grandmother died thirty years later.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so we are not as different as I had realised. It is simple a case of scale across our extended lifespans. Even still, it does not make me feel any better knowing that should we be friends until your death at old age that I will be left behind; alone.¡±


    ¡°Cherish the time we have together and always remember the memories; the good and the bad.¡±


    Teleri nodded. ¡°Until we met, memories were all I had. Between my demon-slaying jobs, I spent night after night thinking about everything from my early childhood until I left Alauria behind. Memories of my brother were always my favourite to dwell on.¡±


    ¡°Memories of my mother are mine,¡± said Friedrich solemnly. ¡°She would have liked you and I¡¯m sure she would have liked you.¡±


    ¡°Was she similar to you?¡±


    ¡°Nah, she was gentle, kind, and resilient. She took everything in her stride and always took care of the whole family.¡±


    Teleri smiled. ¡°Not similar to you, you said. She sounds very much like you.¡±


    Friedrich let out a dry laugh. ¡°I appreciate the compliment, but I have many failings. I know how impulsive and reckless I can be at times.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can be that, but you are also the closest confidant for each of us. You were the first one I told my secrets too, Marina trusts you with her life, and Pheston? He¡¯s risking his life to help you rescue your father. Do you think any of us would be here with you were you not noble of soul?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all great too,¡± said Friedrich, his heart filled with warmth. ¡°When I have you all around me, the pain of losing my family is lessened. You¡¯re all family to me now so I know that I have something to hold onto, even if I never see my father again.¡±


    ¡°And this is why I do not want to be left behind,¡± said Teleri, rubbing her eyes. Friedrich had not realised that she had teared up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a great idea,¡± he said, clapping his hands together, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get buried with me?¡±


    He immediately regretted his joke, but Teleri let out an uncharacteristically girlish giggle before catching herself. ¡°You are a buffoon,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°To think that you would suggest¡ª¡±


    Teleri froze and her ears twitched.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Friedrich asked, but the question was answered for him when the doors to the Forge of Ages opened.


    He and Teleri bounded up the stairs and hurried into the chamber. Alf was lying against the wall, the sweat dripping off the young man¡¯s forehead while his father stood with his hands on his hips, looking proudly at his own father. Pheston stood before the forge his muscles bulging and his entire body drenched in so much sweat it could fill a bucket. His face revealed his exhaustion, but he was smiling through it. He held Vigr in one hand and a sword in the other and he swished it around, admiring the glistening fruits of his labour.


    He walked over to Friedrich and held the sword out to him. Friedrich gratefully accepted the gift and looked over it, taking in every detail. The blade was a shimmering silver that reflected his own face like a mirror and bore several small runes at the base near the golden crossguard which was like the sun, glowing and radiant in all its splendour. It bore several ornate bands that spread across it, two of which curled around the base of the blade. The handle was covered in strong and sturdy black leather that already felt at home in Friedrich¡¯s hand. The pommel was intricate and as golden as the crossguard, save for a sprinkling of small gems and a thin, blue-tinted ring around it. Truly, the exquisite blade was a sight to behold.


    ¡°Where are the bones?¡± asked Friedrich, marvelling over the sword, only to get slapped on the back of the head by Pheston.


    ¡°They¡¯re imbued within the blade¡¯s essence, you fool,¡± said the smith, throwing off his tiredness to tell Friedrich off. ¡°Do you know how ineffective it would be to stab someone with a dragon bone? It can be done, of course, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend it unless you sharpen it and have the strength of¡­well, me. No, this is how it should be done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Pheston,¡± said Friedrich, bowing his head. ¡°For all your talk of being a master smith, you have proven it beyond all doubt.¡±


    ¡°An unbreakable blade for a man of unbreakable will,¡± said Pheston, snatching the sword and flinging it across the room. Friedrich¡¯s eyes widened with horror as the sword pinged off the wall and clattered to the ground.


    He rushed over to it and didn¡¯t see as much as a scratch. ¡°Amazing,¡± he said, more impressed than ever. He looked to Bjorn and Alf. ¡°Thank you both for all your help too. You are true friends and humble me with everything you have done.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Bjorn, pulling his son to his feet. Alf nodded with a smile before slumping back down; the boy was utterly spent.


    ¡°And for you, Goldie,¡± said Pheston walking over to a flat-surfaced stone where a sheet lay. He whipped the sheet off, revealing a bow. ¡°What better pairing for a golden elf than a silver bow.¡±


    The bow bore several similarities to Teleri¡¯s Alaurian bow with its protruding feather-like blades that decorated it. It was impressive how Pheston had captured details about the Alaurian style that he couldn¡¯t possibly have known right down to the inscription on the tips that read ¡®Fly straight and strike the heart¡¯ which was a common phrase among high elven archers. His knowledge astounded her and she was completely caught off guard.


    ¡°How?¡± she asked, picking up the weapon and running her eyes over it. ¡°You do not know my language, surely?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± said Pheston with a wink, ¡°but the Forge Guardian does and he gave me a hand with the finer points.¡±


    ¡°I am suitably impressed.¡±


    There was another weapon on the sheet that was looking forward to being bequeathed to a new owner. Pheston picked up the white staff and twirled it around a few times before setting it back down and wrapping it tightly in the cloth.


    Pheston looked to Friedrich and Teleri who gave him a nod. ¡°Let¡¯s go find Marina and see how she¡¯s getting on with her little errand, eh?¡± he asked. He took a step and his knee buckled. ¡°Maybe we camp outside for the night and set off in the morning, mateys.¡±

 Chapter 108 - The Brass Ship Sails

    Pheston was the first to crest the hill and his loud whistle brought the others to their feet. Friedrich¡¯s jaw dropped as he laid eyes upon the magnificent brass ship resting on the shore, guarded by two staff-wielding mages. One was old with a furrowed brow and a cunning smile; the other was a face he knew very well and had missed dearly the last week. Marina too, was smiling.


    ¡°That is a ship,¡± said Teleri in astonishment. ¡°Are we supposed to set stail on a metal ship?¡±


    Friedrich was dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± He tried to finish his sentence, but found himself unable to.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t she a beaut, my friends?¡± asked Pheston. ¡°I knew she would be a sturdy gal, but I had no idea just how good she¡¯d look all polished up.¡±


    The brass ship glistened in the sun, revelling in the splendorous daylight it could only admire from afar for untold years.


    ¡°Where are the sails?¡± asked Teleri, wrinkling her nose. ¡°How can we take to the ocean without sails to carry us?¡±


    ¡°Sails?¡± called Sigurd, cocking his head to the side. ¡°Did the elf girl say something about sails?¡±


    Pheston brought Humfrid to a stop and everyone climbed from the wagon, making their way over to Sigurd and Marina who stood proudly beside their handiwork. When Friedrich approached, she cast her hand aside and held it out to the ship.


    ¡°Welcome to our new ship, Friedrich,¡± she said brightly. ¡°And it didn¡¯t cost you a single kupon.¡±


    ¡°You made this?¡± he asked in awe.


    Pheston and Sigurd burst out laughing. ¡°No, you lummox,¡± said Pheston, slapping Friedrich on the back. ¡°It¡¯s an old, old ship that we discovered many moons ago. Sigurd kindly agreed to painstakingly raise it up from the lakebed and our dear friend Marina here will power it as we set sail across the ocean.¡±


    ¡°I am confused,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Marina?¡± asked Sigurd.


    ¡°Gladly,¡± she said, grabbing onto a barely-used rope ladder that was hung from the side of the ship.


    The lightning mage boarded the ship and vanished from sight. The others waited with bated breath, but they were not kept waiting long for, seconds later came a crash and a flash, followed by the slow mechanical whirring of gears and pistons. The ship stirred, rumbling vigorously for a moment before settling to a more controlled hum.


    Marina ran to the bow and twirled her staff around before slamming it on the ship¡¯s deck with a metallic clunk. ¡°Behold, my friends, our ocean steed. More powerful than any horse, sturdier than any golem, and controlled by a dazzling lightning mage named Marina and her wondrous interplanar elemental, Shockwave. Are you amazed or are you stupefied?¡±


    ¡°This vessel can move using the power of lightning?¡± asked Teleri, sounding genuinely intrigued by the concept.


    ¡°If we¡¯re to get technical,¡± said Sigurd, with a twitching eye, ¡°it doesn¡¯t have to be lightning, it is just one of the most efficient power sources and was thus used historically. We could use heat if we really needed to but why would we when we have a perfectly suitable battery in Shockwave.¡±


    ¡°As long as Marina can keep her control over him.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± said Sigurd, wagging his finger. ¡°So do not give her even an ounce of hassle on the journey or the lot of you could wind up adrift with nothing but water for miles.¡±


    ¡°There will be no hassle, for we are very close.¡±


    Marina beamed at this. Teleri was much too honest to simply say such a thing to ward off Sigurd¡¯s warnings.


    Pheston grunted and puffed out his chest. ¡°Alright, my friends. Shall we be off?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± asked Alf, looking hurt that as he rushed over to his grandfather and threw his arms around the burly smith¡¯s waist.


    Pheston smiled and patted the boy on the back. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before we¡¯re back, lad. Don¡¯t you worry about this old man, eh? Once I ensure everyone is safe and sound, we¡¯ll have a full family reunion.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Alf, not trusting himself not to burst into tears should he say anything else.


    ¡°Son,¡± said Pheston, extending a hand to Bjorn.


    ¡°Father,¡± said Bjorn, accepting the handshake and then pulling his father into a brief hug. ¡°Take care of yourself and come back to us soon.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about a thing,¡± said Pheston proudly. His mouth then drooped. ¡°About everything you¡¯ve done for us¡­thank you.¡±


    Bjorn gave his father a firm nod. ¡°It was my honour.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Friedrich, Marina, and Teleri expressed their gratitude to Pheston¡¯s family and they took their leave, heading back to Lundstad with Humfrid. The others gathered on the deck of the brass ship. Pheston was careful to keep his left hand hidden behind his back as he ascended the rope ladder.


    Nestled beneath the steering wheel was Shockwave, wedged into a podium. He remained perfectly still with only the glow of lightning signalling that he was still active. Not even his usual swirling dust accompanied him. He was a creature of small stones held together by wondrously frozen lightning that almost looked solid to touch.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Marina, holding out her arms and spinning around.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± said Friedrich, still in awe that he finally had a vessel that would carry him to his father. ¡°What did you name it?¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be best if we named it as a group.¡±


    Friedrich looked around. ¡°Considering you¡¯re the one who will make the journey possible, I want to name it after you. How about the Brass Stormer?¡±


    Marina¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°After me?¡± she asked, sounding touched.


    ¡°Aye,¡± said Pheston. ¡°A fitting name.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer something in my native tongue, but I will accept Brass Stormer,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°At last, a name,¡± said Sigurd, shaking his head. ¡°She insisted on waiting until all of you arrived to name it, only for that process to take seconds. What a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°Cheer up, Siggy,¡± said Pheston, slapping his old friend on the back. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve accomplished. This old rust bucket is ready to set sail after all these years. Be merry!¡±


    ¡°I am plenty cheerful, Pheston. I will be more assured knowing that Marina can keep up with the demands of powering the Brass Stormer. It is no easy feat, even for more accomplished mages.¡±


    Marina held up a bag. ¡°That¡¯s why I have these,¡± she said, shaking the bag. The contents clinked around inside. ¡°If I¡¯m running low on energy, I¡¯ll take a drink.¡±


    ¡°Especially when you need to sleep,¡± said Sigurd. ¡°That is when you will struggle the most.¡±


    ¡°Worst case scenario, we will drift for a while,¡± shrugged Friedrich.


    Sigurd sighed. ¡°So lackadaisical¡­¡±


    ¡°Go sit yourself down, drink a cup of tea, and lay your fears to rest,¡± said Pheston, putting his hands on Sigurd¡¯s shoulders and marching him over to the rope ladder. ¡°Everything will be fine, my friend.¡±


    ¡°I hope that you¡¯re right,¡± said Sigurd, solemnly. ¡°I wish you all the best of luck.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sigurd!¡± called Marina as the water mage disembarked.


    ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± cried Friedrich, running to the edge of the boat.


    Pheston clapped his hand. ¡°Alright,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s take this old gal out for a ride, shall we?¡±


    ¡°How do we leave the shore when we are aground?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°Friedrich?¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± said the young man, climbing down the ladder. He transformed into a minotaur before Sigurd¡¯s eyes and the mage leapt back in shock.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± he yelled. ¡°I have never seen such a transformation in person before. You must let me study you when you are next in Corobath, young man. It would make for a fascinating book on soul magic.¡±


    Friedrich grunted and nodded before turning to the boat. He placed his hands on the stern and clenched his jaw. He wedged his feet in the ground and drove from the legs, pushing the bow along the thick mud and sending it drifting into the water.


    ¡°If only you had an aquatic form,¡± sighed Sigurd, clicking his tongue. ¡°Marina would be able to rest while you keep the boat on course.¡±


    Friedrich leapt onto the rope and turned back into a human. ¡°Maybe one day,¡± he called to Sigurd and gave a small salute in farewell.


    ¡°Goodbye!¡± called Marina, running to the bow to wave furiously at her latest magical guide.


    Friedrich climbed on board as the Brass Stormer moved along. Pheston stood at the wheel, steering it across the lake and aiming for the river. The ocean was not far from Lundstad and they would be sailing in the sea by nightfall. Pheston bore a satisfied smile as he turned the wheel one-handed while still holding a rod-like shape behind his back.


    Teleri walked along the edge of the boat, needlessly showing off her impeccable poise. She squatted beside Marina, reaching eye level with her. ¡°Will you be able to maintain your magic while suffering from your seasickness?¡± the elf asked.


    The lightning mage¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°Oh no,¡± she muttered. ¡°I forgot to pay remedies back in the city.¡±


    ¡°We are still close to the shore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Marina. ¡°I know Friedrich insists we are not bound by time, but I would prefer we reach the island sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°If you are sure,¡± said Teleri, standing up and taking long strides along the edge of the boat. She stopped by the wheel and took over from Pheston who gave her a quiet thanks.


    The smith grabbed Friedrich on his way over to Marina and the two said a couple of near-silent words before approaching the young Mercian. She looked at them in confusion until Pheston pulled a cloth-wrapped staff from behind his back.


    ¡°This is for you,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Friedrich has a new sword, Teleri a new bow; it¡¯s only right that you receive your gift as well. Consider this my thank you to all of you for everything that you have done to bring me back home.¡±


    Marina¡¯s eyes list up. She gratefully accepted the staff from Pheston and unwrapped it. The shaft was a dazzling copper colour with ringlets at the bottom and top. The base was sharp and pointed, spear-like, while the top of the staff forked in three with the two outer prongs curling around like crescents and stopping just shy of meeting each other. The middle prong was smaller and the top was concave as though something was missing from it.


    ¡°It¡¯s spectacular,¡± said Marina in awe.


    Pheston tapped on the shaft. ¡°The metal may look like copper, but it won¡¯t conduct electricity and shock you. The dragon bones will keep you safe when you tap into its full potential. May I have your old staff


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Marina, taking it from her back and passing it over.


    Pheston took Vigr in his hand and bashed the wooden top, dislodging the amethyst which Pheston caught between a couple of fingers. It had been locked firmly in place and Friedrich couldn¡¯t see how it had fallen through.


    ¡°How?¡± he asked, looking at the gemless branch in bewilderment. ¡°That was trapped!¡±


    ¡°Vigr is a versatile little hammer, eh?¡± said Pheston merrily. ¡°Equally suited to crushing my enemies as he is crafting works of art.¡± He looked to Marina. ¡°Hold out your new staff, please, girlie.¡±


    Marina did as she was asked and Pheston held the freed amethyst to the concave central prong. He tap it firmly with Vigr once more and then let go. The amethyst did not budge, leaving Marina¡¯s new staff incomplete no more.


    The smith tossed the staff back to Marina.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a dazzling smile. She twirled the staff around in her hands, almost smacking Friedrich across the chin with it. ¡°Sorry! I didn¡¯t realise it was longer than my old one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Friedrich with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve been hit by worse. You just focus on powering the ship and we¡¯ll do whatever it is you need of us.¡±

 Chapter 109 - Goblin Pirates

    Friedrich stood at the bow of the Brass Stormer, revelling in the salty air as the ship sailed across the ocean. As daunting as his destination was, he felt a strange sense of calmness that he attributed to being close to his goal. For so long, he had desired a boat with which he could use to rescue his father and now he had one.


    Not only did he have one, he had reliable and strong companions that would help him once he reached the Orion Tower. It was a most fortunate stroke of fate that he met each and every one of them, from happening upon Marina and Teleri while adventuring to being pulled into Keldracht and meeting Pheston. He could not help but shake the feeling that one of the gods, perhaps Jorren himself, was looking upon him favourably.


    Pheston approached and plopped himself on the ground. ¡°What a view, my friend,¡± he said upon drawing a deep breath. ¡°There¡¯s something to be said about just sitting here and taking it all in.¡±


    ¡°It eases the soul,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°That it does, lad, that it does. I¡¯m sure your father will be impressed with this vessel. Who wouldn¡¯t want something so shiny to escape with? It¡¯ll be a real kick in the teeth to his captors.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so confident we¡¯ll succeed?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Pheston firmly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± said Friedrich with a dry laugh. ¡°I can see our success in my mind. All of us fleeing the island with my father, but I cannot see what happens next. Where do we go when we¡¯ve evaded the wardens, guards, and whoever else gives chase?¡±


    ¡°Wherever we need to go to ensure you and your father are safe from retribution,¡± said Pheston. ¡°If I have to stand guard over the door for a month, I¡¯ll do it, my friend. Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re being abandoned the second we touch the soil of Eradrel again.¡±


    Friedrich smiled. It was comforting to know that Pheston was not helping solely out of a sense of repayment for being rescued from Keldracht; he truly did consider Friedrich a friend and was helping him because he wanted to, even though that meant he was apart from his family for longer still.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to return to Corobath right away?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we could stash the pair of you away there if needed,¡± shrugged Pheston, ¡°but there are probably places you could thrive a little closer to home, where the world is not so foreign to you. Don¡¯t you worry about me, I¡¯ll return home when the time is right. Bjorn and Alf will spread the word about my miraculous return to Terna and the rest of the whippersnappers will know I¡¯ll come visit eventually.¡±


    Pheston stood up, patted Friedrich on the shoulder and wandered off. Friedrich looked over his shoulder and saw Marina sitting blue-faced near the wheel. She was rationing seasickness potions that Sigurd had given her, neglecting to drink them until her nauseousness grew so bad that it negatively impacted her ability to maintain Shockwave¡¯s existence on this plane.


    Teleri, meanwhile, was sitting on the starboard railing, letting her feet dangle from the edge and hang over the water. She was frowning into the distance as though she could see something. When she realised Friedrich was looking at her, she beckoned him over with a concerned look.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± the Mercian asked her.


    ¡°There is another boat,¡± said the Alaurian quietly. ¡°Your eyes as a fox are not as keen as mine, but I would appreciate a second pair of eyes.¡±


    Friedrich took Kitt¡¯s form and stared towards where Teleri was pointing. There was definitely a vessel approaching them, but it was considerably smaller than the Brass Stormer. It had a small red sail that caught the breeze, pushing it in the direction of Friedrich and his companions.


    He turned back into a human and looked to Teleri.


    ¡°Did you see it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I saw it,¡± he said, ¡°but I couldn¡¯t make out who was onboard. Can you?¡±


    ¡°No, but I suspect it will not be long before I can. I am unsure if we should wait for their approach or ask Marina to move us more quickly.¡±


    Friedrich looked at Marina who was massaging her temples with her eyes shut. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be sailing much faster than this unless she quaffs a potion.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Stubborn girl has plenty and she insists on rationing,¡± scoffed Teleri. ¡°She has more than enough for the journey there and back. Over cautiousness is a foolishness that I have come to expect from you humans.¡±


    ¡°You constantly chastise me for recklessness,¡± chortled Friedrich.


    ¡°There is a balance you can strike,¡± said Teleri. Friedrich took no heed of her, knowing that she exhibited many of these traits herself and remained completely oblivious to that fact.


    He walked over to Marina. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± she said, smiling weakly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got another boat approaching us. We can either wait for it to come closer or try and outrun it. It may not bother following.¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­¡±


    ¡°Which would you prefer?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not hostile.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± said Friedrich, returning to Teleri. ¡°She¡¯s not going to take the potion,¡± he told the elf.


    ¡°That is no surprise,¡± said Teleri, ¡°but I can see the crew of the other ship now. One of them is bold enough to stand at the front, thinking he is intimidating.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± asked Friedrich expectantly.


    ¡°Goblins.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s always bloody goblins. Nasty little rats.¡± He tapped the goblin mask hidden under his scarf. ¡°Except for you, my friend. You always come in handy in a pinch.¡±


    Teleri sneered and drew her bow. ¡°I will sink their boat before they come close.¡±


    Friedrich pushed her bow down as she readied an arrow. ¡°Let¡¯s not be too hasty here,¡± he said.


    ¡°What idiotic notion have you concocted this time? Are they to serve as our front guard upon entering the tower? Will they be enlisted as decoys? Perhaps they¡¯re the start of a budding invasion fleet?¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself down,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I was simply going to suggest we let them get close enough so that we can loot them once we¡¯ve slaughtered them.¡±


    Teleri turned red. ¡°Yes. Yes, that is a good idea. What is your plan?¡±


    Friedrich took his goblin mask in his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll slip out of sight, pretend I¡¯m a prisoner, and request they approach cautiously.¡±


    ¡°And you believe they will prioritise the safety of one of their own even though the goblin from the mask was not of their tribe?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± said Friedrich, slinking away to cover.


    ¡°An idiotic notion,¡± muttered Teleri, flexing her fingers. She would shoot at even the twitch of a goblin¡¯s hand in the direction of its spear.


    ¡°Kyaaagh!¡± cried Friedrich running out from behind his cover and leaping onto the railing. He waved his hands frantically, catching the attention of the goblins as well as his other companions.


    ¡°What is the boy doing?¡± asked Pheston. He glanced in the direction of the goblin¡¯s boat. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Marina, struggling to get the word out. She quickly brought a hand to her mouth, worried she would vomit.


    ¡°Goblins approaching,¡± said Pheston. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. Just cover your ears and keep focused.¡±


    The goblins looked to each other and yapped something in their foul tongue that Teleri could only just hear. The words were indecipherable, but their tone was cold and cunning. They were up to something, but one of the goblins raised a hand in greeting to the goblin upon the brass ship.


    ¡°They¡¯re approaching,¡± said Teleri quietly. ¡°I suspect they will board us and try and kill us.¡±


    Friedrich grunted in agreement. He could feel the emotions of the goblin he inhabited, suggesting that he would have done the same in life. Goblins were nothing if not creatures of violent trickery and he would see them dead and looted in five minutes; he was very much aware of the irony.


    The goblin boat drew close and Teleri whipped out her bow as the goblins flung their spears. Friedrich dove aside and Teleri did the same. Mid somersault, she unleashed an arrow that pierced one of the goblins through the heart. The others gave a screeching battle cry as they leapt at the brass ship, sinking their nails into its side. Their nails on the metal wailed and, much to Teleri¡¯s surprise, the goblins were climbing their way out.


    She shot them as they ascended, but there was more than a dozen of them and they were persistent. Friedrich took his chance and leapt onto the goblins¡¯ boat. He sank his fingers into the sail and tore it as he slid down onto the small deck, forcing the half of the climbing goblins to drop back onboard to accost him. He nimbly dodged the lunges and swipes, giving his best back. He tore chunks of flesh from them, he blinded them with eye gouges, and even tore one¡¯s throat clean open. All the while, Teleri continued killing the remnants of the would-be ship-stealers.


    Once the last goblin fell, she hopped onto the smaller wooden boat with Friedrich. His mask fell from his face shortly after and he tucked it underneath his scarf once again. Friedrich took her by the legs and lowered her to the water where she retrieved a couple of floating corpses from the water and hoisted them back on deck, leaving the entire crew ready to be looted.


    ¡°And to think that after all this time, I could have hijacked a boat from a crew of goblin pirates,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°This vessel does not look sturdy,¡± said Teleri, stamping her foot and splintering one of the planks on the deck. ¡°We must be close to land because I do not believe this boat is truly seaworthy.¡±


    Friedrich looked at the dead crew. ¡°Let¡¯s bet, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Forty-five kupons,¡± said Teleri, knowing immediately what his bet was about. ¡°Whoever is closest gets two-thirds of the spoils and the other gets one third. Are we agreed?¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I¡¯m expecting forty-six kupons.¡±


    Teleri frowned. ¡°That is a sly guess. If I am a single kupon under, you win.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± chuckled Friedrich.


    The duo looted the goblins and piled up their meagre spoils. Once they counted everything out, the total amounted to forty-two kupons. Friedrich shrugged it off and took his fourteen kupons as Teleri smugly placed hers in a pouch on her belt. Friedrich turned into a fox and Teleri threw him on deck before leaping onto the railing herself. She climbed back on deck and Friedrich gave Marina and Pheston the go-ahead.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my kupons, eh?¡± asked the smith.


    ¡°Where were you when we were fighting the goblins?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Should have left the pair of you behind,¡± grumbled Pheston and then muttering under his breath about being left out of all the fun.

 Chapter 110 - The Unseen Tower

    Friedrich and Marina sat on the damp and slippery deck of the Brass Stormer, poring over the map. They¡¯d veered close enough to the shore of Akatfall four days prior that they should be close to Orion Tower, yet there was not a sign of either it or the island it rested upon.


    Teleri was standing at the bow, keeping her keen eyes on the horizon, hoping that there would be some sign of the island. She had seen islands over the last couple of days, plenty of them, but none of them bore a distinct tower and most were doubtlessly uninhabited, save for perhaps monsters and wildlife.


    Pheston was sitting by the wheel, doing no steering whatsoever. He would go whichever way he was directed, once Friedrich and Marina had worked out which way that was. He had given up trying to read the map himself, believing that it was his own poor navigation that had gotten them lost at sea.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± said Marina, scrunching up her face as she drew circles around the island marked on the map. ¡°If we¡¯ve calculated things correctly, we should be able to see the tower by now. We know for a fact that we¡¯re west of Mercia.¡±


    ¡°To come all this way and wind up being stumped by reading a map,¡± said Friedrich with a sigh. ¡°Do you know how many maps I¡¯d read before we met?¡±


    ¡°Lots?¡±


    ¡°Lots. And every time I¡¯ve gotten lost, I¡¯ve found my way again quickly. This time, I don¡¯t have the means to work out where we¡¯ve gone wrong. Half the islands we¡¯ve passed aren¡¯t marked!¡±


    Marina looked suddenly dizzy and swayed uncertainly for a few seconds before pulling herself together again.


    ¡°Seasickness?¡± Friedrich asked her.


    ¡°Magical exhaustion,¡± she said glumly. ¡°I¡¯ve been on the verge of fainting a few times today already.¡±


    ¡°Banish Shockwave for a while. We have no idea where we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°If I banish him, we¡¯ll drift aimlessly and end up more lost.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already lost. I¡¯m not sure how much more lost we can get.¡±


    Marina pulled out a small potion from her bag. ¡°I¡¯ve been saving this for a special occasion,¡± she said as she uncorked it. ¡°Sigurd gave me this in case I found it too difficult to bind Shockwave to this plane.¡±


    ¡°How many of those have you taken?¡± asked Friedrich suspiciously.


    Marina flashed a sneaky smile at him. ¡°Only two, but I¡¯ve rationed them throughout the last couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°And are there any side effects?¡±


    Marina smiled and shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if there are, Friedrich. I¡¯ll brave them for you.¡±


    Friedrich took the potion from her and thumped the cork back in place. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me already. Banish Shockwave and take a breather, please. I¡¯d rather you brave being lost along with us, rather than get ill alone.¡±


    Marina interlocked her fingers with Friedrich¡¯s and squeezed his hand gratefully. It came at the same moment as Teleri looked over. The Alaurian pursed her lips and turned to the forward horizon. With a sigh, Marina let Shockwave slip away. The elemental fizzled away from his spot in front of the wheel and she immediately felt a wave of relief. Her tiredness was still there, but the strain that she had grown accustomed to now felt like an empty space in her mind that was most welcome.


    She had come to realise that her greatest magical strength was her endurance. While she could deliver high-powered lightning magic in small bursts, conserving her energy and maintaining spells or using numerous low-powered conjurations left her with energy to burn. She could maintain Shockwave for days on end, but if she were to summon three lightning elementals at once, she would break concentration in a minute, leaving her spent.


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    ¡°I miss land,¡± sighed Friedrich, looking at Mercia. He could see Akatfall Bay and thought back to the hunt for the Butcher of the Bay. It seemed like a lifetime ago even though it had not yet been a full year.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find something soon,¡± said Marina. ¡°I think if we find another island along the way, we should all stop for a breather. I know we have plenty of food to spare, but some fresh meat would be nice.¡±


    ¡°What about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Except for fish!¡± snapped Marina. ¡°I¡¯m so tired of fish! When I feel like vomiting, the taste of briny fish just makes it worse.¡±


    ¡°How angry are you with Sigurd?¡± asked Friedrich with a smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry with him, I¡¯m angry with Pheston,¡± said Marina, frowning and glancing over at the smith who was lying flat on the deck and staring into the clear blue sky.


    ¡°How did you not realise the seasickness cure was pickled ginger and rum?¡± asked Friedrich, trying to contain his amusement.


    ¡°Because, dear Friedrich, I have never had rum before. Or pickled ginger, for that matter.¡±


    Friedrich could not control himself any longer and burst into fits of laughter. Marina scowled at him and started slapping his arm but it only made him laugh all the harder.


    *


    Friedrich swung his sword as the serpent leapt through the air. He cut the scaled beast¡¯s underbelly from top to bottom, his mighty blade tearing the creature asunder and spilling its guts across the deck. It rolled over in the air and thudded onto the hard brass before sliding towards the railings. The sea serpent crashed into them and lay dying for several seconds before the life faded from it.


    ¡°A great victory,¡± said Friedrich, swishing his sword and flicking the blood from it. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say, Tierblade?¡±


    ¡°I loathe that name,¡± said Pheston, ascending the ladder. He was soaking wet, having been knocked into the ocean by the twelve-feet-long sea serpent. ¡°Gramr. Now that is the name of a true Corobathian sword.¡±


    ¡°My sword, my name,¡± said Friedrich, sheathing his weapon.


    Marina helped Teleri to her feet and the two approached the dead sea serpent. They looked at each other reluctantly and then Teleri sighed as she kneeled beside it, but Pheston stayed her hand as she reached for the beast¡¯s wide gash.


    ¡°Allow me,¡± he said. He grabbed the serpent¡¯s cut and pulled it apart. He then shoved his hands inside and rummaged around until he pulled a staff and a bow from its stomach.


    ¡°Thank you, Pheston,¡± said Marina, her cheek twitching as she accepted the blood and bile-covered staff.


    ¡°A loathsome creature,¡± said Teleri, taking her bow and descending the ladder to wash it in the seawater. She returned as a minotaur hoisted the sharp-toothed monster into the air and then threw it into the ocean. It splashed water onto the deck, so heavy was the beast, and then drifted along with the waves.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Friedrich upon turning back into a human. ¡°Back to it, crew.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cap¡¯n,¡± said Marina, giving him a salute. She held out her staff and conjured Shockwave anew and delivering a fresh burst of power to the Brass Stormer.


    ¡°How can we still be lost?¡± sighed Pheston. ¡°I don¡¯t mind a jaunt out into the ocean, but we¡¯re at the point of ridiculousness.¡±


    Teleri¡¯s eyes widened as she scanned the horizon. She raised a finger and mouthed a few words that just wouldn¡¯t come out.


    ¡°Eh?¡± asked Pheston, looking to where she was pointing. ¡°I don¡¯t see a thing.¡±


    ¡°Human eyes,¡± snarled Teleri. ¡°I see a tower.¡±


    ¡°And we haven¡¯t circled back to Akatfall accidentally?¡± asked Friedrich, praying they had not.


    ¡°I am certain we have not.¡±


    Friedrich punched the air victoriously. ¡°At last!¡± he cried, falling to his knees and punching the air over and over again.


    ¡°That¡¯s step two of your masterplan out of the way,¡± said Marina. ¡°Onwards to step three.¡±


    ¡°Infiltration,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Infiltration,¡± said Friedrich, climbing back to his feet. ¡°Teleri, you can see it already and the rest of us can¡¯t. If we¡¯re lucky, that means we haven¡¯t been spotted. As soon as you see the island, tell us, because we want to land as far from the tower as we can if we¡¯re to have any chance of reaching it unseen.¡±


    Pheston looked to the sun which was already hanging low in the sky. ¡°Remember, we said we would wait until we had the cover of darkness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We¡¯ll get a little closer so that we don¡¯t lose sight of the tower and end up in the wrong place.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready for what lies ahead?¡± asked Teleri.


    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t matter because we¡¯re going in and we¡¯re bringing my father back. I don¡¯t care what it takes. Even if I die doing it, I¡¯m saving him.¡±


    ¡°There will be no dying,¡± said Marina. ¡°At least, not for us. The demons, however, will not be so lucky.¡±


    ¡°I concur,¡± said Teleri; her tone was spiteful. She loathed demons more than any of them and would relish the opportunity to kill as many as she could, but she would not do anything to jeopardise the mission.


    Friedrich walked to the bow of the shop alone and stared in the direction where the unseen tower stood tall. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, father. Your hell is coming to an end.¡±

 Chapter 111 - The Slow Approach

    Friedrich sat perched on the railings of the Brass Stormer as a fox with Teleri standing beside him. The pair watched and listened, trying to discern if anything was awaiting them on the shore, but all seemed quiet. No doubt, the workers, guards, and warden of the Orion Tower were not used to anyone showing up invited. It was suicidal to try, surely.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the right thing to do?¡± Marina asked Teleri.


    ¡°If you die in the tower, we are stranded here and dead anyway,¡± said the high elf assuredly.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Pheston. ¡°And as much as I would love to be part of the infiltration, it is better to have you guard the boat and me to guard you, Marina. Conserve your strength and be prepared to take off at full speed when the time comes.¡±


    Friedrich looked across the dark coast once more, not trusting Kitt¡¯s eyes. It still seemed quiet and that put him more on edge than it perhaps ought to have, but owing to the insidious nature of demons, he knew it was possible they were waiting for the brass ship to land on the beach and would ambush once the getaway was not so simple.


    ¡°You give us one full day,¡± he said, upon resuming human form. ¡°If we don¡¯t return, consider the mission a failure and move on with your lives.¡±


    Pheston smirked. ¡°Alright,¡± he said.


    ¡°I mean it,¡± said Friedrich.


    Pheston winked at him. ¡°No problem, lad.¡±


    ¡°Stop that! If we get killed or thrown in a stasis prison, the last thing either of us want is for the pair of you to share that fate.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Teleri, but she knew saying it meant little. Marina and Pheston would topple the grand tower silhouetted against the moonlit sky before abandoning her and Friedrich.


    Marina pulled her into a tight hug. ¡°Be safe,¡± she said. For once, Teleri hugged her back.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Marina then hugged Friedrich even more tightly. ¡°I know you¡¯ll bring your father back, but¡­good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Well, lad,¡± said Pheston with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll patrol the forest and ensure a clear path of escape for you. Make sure that new sword of yours tastes demon blood, eh? He told me he was thirsty the second he was forged.¡±


    ¡°Tierblade craves infernal flesh.¡±


    Pheston sighed and shook his head despondently. ¡°A fine sword tarnished by a daft Mercian name.¡±


    ¡°Mercian?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s a blade made out of Tierfyr¡¯s bones.¡±


    Pheston moved his mouth to argue and then cocked his head to the side. ¡°I see,¡± he said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t realise that¡¯s why he called it that?¡± asked Marina. She tried to control her giggling, but it broke free.


    ¡°I blame your Mercian accents,¡± said Pheston, waving his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Enough stalling,¡± said Teleri. She turned around and leapt from the boat to the beach, splashing into the shallow waves as they retreated back into the ocean.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you soon,¡± said Friedrich. He turned into the golden fox and threw himself over the edge of the boat, paddling his way to the shore and clinging close to Teleri¡¯s heels as she quickstepped her way to the treeline.


    The duo continued through the trees, their steps growing more cautious every hundred yards. The guards of the Orion Tower would surely not confine themselves to the tower itself. Even if they did not stray this far from their base, it was better to proceed with caution rather than have their presence immediately discovered.


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    Friedrich slinked through the bushes as Teleri used the trees for cover, slowing to a crawl as they reached the halfway point of the island. Teleri pulled herself up into a tree with Friedrich holding onto her boots. Once on the lower branches, he released her and turned back into a human, careful to sit on a sturdy branch.


    A curious sparrow stared at him, unphased by his sudden transformation from a predator to an auburn-haired young man.


    ¡°Shoo,¡± whispered Friedrich, waving his hand and sending the sparrow away.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearer from here,¡± said Teleri, looking through the gaps in the leaves to where the tower awaited them. ¡°Can you see it?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± said Friedrich, his eyes fixed in its direction.


    The tower of grey stone stood straight and was separated into three segments. The base was round and wide, like a large disk that was home to many windows with only a few of them casting light into the outside world. The middle segment was ridged and rippled upwards, connecting the base of the tower to the longer, upper segment, which was easily the longest. It was topped by a crown-like structure with an aura of grandiosity that masked the sinister beings that ran the prison within.


    Friedrich was filled with fear as he looked at it, but he knew that he could not turn back; he did not want to turn back. He had infiltrated a demonic prison before to rescue Pheston and had succeeded in killing the Lord of Horns who ruled over it. In his mind, that was his trial of worth and he had passed it in no small part thanks to his friends. Pheston held his own during the escape and Marina and Teleri had shown up to fight and rescue them at the end.


    ¡°As we discussed,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°I will go ahead and signal for you to follow.¡±


    ¡°I would much prefer I took the lead,¡± replied Teleri. ¡°You cannot fight effectively as a fox.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as I said¡ª¡±


    ¡°That you won¡¯t need to, yes.¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± said Friedrich with a wink and Teleri rolled her eyes at him. He shrunk back down to his golden fox form and the world grew brighter for him.


    He skittered along the branches and leapt to the ground, rolling over effortlessly before making his way further along. Every now and then, he would sink his paws into a tree and climb until he could reach the branches, upon which he would tug at them, shaking the leaves and signalling to Teleri that the coast was clear.


    She dutifully followed each time, slowly making their way towards the tower. They would stick together as much as possible once they were inside, but for now the slow approach would keep her safer. As much as she had protested during the discussion of the plan, she had accepted Friedrich¡¯s reasoning of nobody¡ªnot even a demon¡ªthinking anything of a fox in a forest, but a high elf intruder would immediately send the island to high-alert.


    As they closed in on the tower, Friedrich hopped his way to the top of a tree and clung to the uppermost branch with all four of his paws. He surveyed the area, looking to the distant coasts and seeing nothing. It assured him that the Brass Stormer would remain unseen if it hadn¡¯t been noticed on the approach. He also took note of several smaller buildings at the base of the Orion Tower. Perhaps they were armouries or guest houses for non-demon visitors, but he would be way of them no matter what their purpose.


    He skipped down and shook the leaves once more, signalling for Teleri to approach. This time, he waited for her in the tree in human form and she joined him on the branches.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I can see the tower, I can see a couple of buildings, but I can¡¯t see if there are any demons patrolling,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Can you check before we move closer?¡±


    Teleri silently nodded before ascending. She could see everything that Friedrich had seen and more. The Brass Stormer was but a dot on the furthest beach, but Marina and Pheston were too small for even her heightened vision to catch. Upon looking to the base of the tower, she was several armed demons on patrol, but they did not appear to be any more alert than they ought to have been. This boded well.


    ¡°We are in the clear,¡± she said, upon returning to Friedrich.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way inside and let you in once I do.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that.¡±


    Friedrich raised an eyebrow. ¡°Go on¡­¡±


    ¡°The gate is wide open. We simply need to reach it undetected.¡±


    ¡°Open temporarily?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but if we are quick and quiet, we may save ourselves the hassle of disguising ourselves as demons or climbing through a window.¡±


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    Teleri looked at him hesitantly for a moment and then sighed.


    ¡°What?¡± Friedrich asked her.


    ¡°I take no pleasure in asking this of you, but will you serve as a decoy? It is as you said, a fox will attract little attention. If I gain enter the tower first, you can crawl your way in as a spider right over the heads of the duplicitous demons standing guard by the gates.¡±


    Friedrich gave her a disgusting grin. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to be a reckless fool?¡±


    The elf sneered at him. ¡°No, I am asking you to be strategic. I am good at remaining unseen, but if there are demons at the door, there is little I can do to avoid them without their attention being drawn away.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Teleri,¡± said Friedrich, his face becoming more despicable to her with every passing second.


    ¡°A distraction in the aid of a grander strategy is not recklessness.¡±


    ¡°Just say it.¡±


    She frowned and slapped Friedrich across the arm much harder than she had intended to, almost knocking him off balance. ¡°Fine. If it will shut you up and we can proceed more quickly¡­I am asking you to be a reckless fool.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to hear,¡± said Friedrich with a quiet chuckle. He transformed back into a fox and hopped onto the ground.

 Chapter 112 - Gaining Entry

    Teleri stood in wait, concealed by the trees as the small fox bounded up the slope. She was loathe to admit her nervousness about this plan of entry working, especially as going through the front door was her suggestion, but if it worked, that was one of the tallest hurdles behind her and Friedrich.


    The Alaurian watched as he crept lowly towards one of the outbuildings, the purpose of which she still had not determined. It appeared to be a house of some kind, but for whom, it was hard to say. Was it furnished as a house? Had it been here for a century and remained untouched? She supposed it did not matter as long as it was not home to an unkillable god-like entity.


    Friedrich peered out from behind the building and saw two demons standing by the open doors. How reactionary were they? If he revealed himself from here, would they close the doors? Perhaps they would ignore him entirely, for he was just a fox and causing them no trouble.


    He snuck around to the back of the building and moved to the next one over. Out of curiosity, he pulled himself up and looked in the window. The inside was regally decorated as though meant for royalty or a dignitary. He presumed it must have been used for when important people visited the prisoners, for they would no doubt be less than comfortable sleeping inside where the demons kept watch. An idea struck him.


    He wandered out into the open and started sniffing the ground, pretending to follow a scent. He was in full view of the demons and they showed no reaction to him, remaining at their posts like obedient stone sentinels. He wandered around in circles a few times before approaching the door of the house. He started pawing at the base of the door and then sank his claws into the soil to dig a hole.


    Teleri watched him closely and worked out what he was up to. If it worked, this was her opportunity. She ran along the tree line and took note of the guards now focusing their eyes on the fox. She could hear Friedrich clawing and batting at the door as he pretended to want inside. Once she scanned the tower for any prying eyes, she darted for the wall and sought cover while Friedrich continued his ruse.


    ¡°Bah¡¯kiyak,¡± muttered one of the demons and the other let out a dry, wispy laugh.


    The demon then held up its hand and conjured a fireball that it hurled at Friedrich. He skittered away to avoid it and then returned to the door a moment later, eliciting a grumbling from the pair of guards.


    ¡°Kel vashkuth.¡±


    ¡°Gra¡¯kia, morak.¡±


    The fireball-throwing demon grunted and then marched over to Friedrich, drawing his sword as he moved. Friedrich leapt up to the door handle and clung to it as the demon approached. He twisted and turned until it gave way, letting the door fall open. He scurried inside and the demon still standing watch barked an order at its pursuing companion, who replied nonchalantly as he followed Friedrich inside.


    Teleri did not expect Friedrich to actually go inside, but perhaps he had another plan. If the demon returned, it would see her standing there. Seconds later, there came a several thuds as something tumbled down a flight of wooden stairs. The other guard rushed over and Teleri seized her opportunity to sneak through the front doors.


    Friedrich sprinted from the house and yapped in mock-fear as the guard chased him. He darted back down the hill and into the trees, vanishing from sight. The guard he had knocked down the stairs rubbed its head as it left the house and returned to its post, but not before receiving a heavy shove from its irritated kinsman.


    With Teleri hopefully hiding safely inside, Friedrich turned back into a human and took a deep beath. He would wait for a few minutes until the guards were no longer so alert before sneaking right over their heads using his spider mask. He half-wished he had a way to steal Namavar¡¯s moth transformation, but sadly, the spirit had seemingly died with him.


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    Friedrich followed Teleri¡¯s path at the inner edge of the trees and took hold of the spider mask around his neck. Although he had gotten used to using this form with practice, he still found it more uncomfortable than the others owing to his additional limbs and eyes, but needs must. He placed it onto his face and changed forms. From now, he had five minutes to gain entry; this part should be straightforward.


    *


    ¡°I feel useless,¡± said Marina while sitting on the deck of the Brass Stormer with her legs folded and her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°If we had a normal boat, I could be out there helping them! That was always the plan.¡±


    ¡°With a normal boat, we rely on wind or our ability to row,¡± said Pheston. ¡°This ol¡¯ gal can be powered by this young gal.¡± He pointed at her with a confident smile.


    ¡°I know,¡± sighed Marina, ¡°but I¡¯ve been by Friedrich¡¯s side for so long that it feels like I¡¯m missing something important.¡±


    ¡°You are playing the part that you need to play, little lassie. If he comes running onto that beach with his father beside him, we can outpace any pursuers with ease. You¡¯ve had some time to rest and recover, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to go and take a look around rather than listening to you whining, Marina. At least one of us should be doing something useful.¡±


    Pheston let out a loud laugh at his own joke and Marina whacked him across the back with the staff. ¡°Be quiet! I don¡¯t want everything Friedrich¡¯s been working towards ruined because you don¡¯t know when to take your humour down a notch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± said Pheston, rubbing his back. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to hit me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, but she wasn¡¯t.


    The infiltration had been Friedrich¡¯s goal from before he met her and she, both unknowingly and knowingly, had been helping him along the way. Looking back, she now realised that every time she had convinced him to overspend at the inn or to buy her something, those kupons had been gathered with the sole intent of enabling his rescue of his father and she had wasted them on nonsense. The pang of guilt hit her hard, even harder than the guilt she felt for sitting on the sidelines, no matter how much she was assured that her role as the pilot of the Brass Stormer was more essential than any role aside from his own.


    She watched as Pheston jumped from the deck and landed with a thud on the sand. The night was otherwise quiet and still save for the occasional chirp from an unknown and unseen bird and the foamy swoosh of the waves as they crept onto the shore and then ran away.


    Marina held out her palm and closed her eyes. A tiny flicker of lightning arced from her palm and danced to each of her fingers before landing back in her palm, upon which she clenched her fist tightly. Normally, she would do this when she was alone and nervous, making the lightning run laps around her hands, but tonight she was too fidgety to even calm herself that way.


    She knew that once Friedrich¡¯s father had been rescued and they had all returned to the mainland that things were going to change. While Teleri did not like change, Marina tended to embrace it, especially with the addition of the Alaurian and later Pheston to her beloved Lightning Foxes adventuring group. Friedrich rescuing his father, however, that would mean retreating to somewhere to hide. Would the adventures that she had relished, but took for granted come to an end soon? She did not know and it filled her with great dread.


    The thought of her friends parting ways after coming to admire each of them was not something she wanted to think about, but she knew she had to brace herself for the worst. Pheston would return to Corobath and reunite with the rest of his family. Teleri would not want to part with Friedrich, but would no doubt return to demon-hunting if she must. As for her? She had nothing to go back to; nothing good, at least.


    Friedrich desired nothing more than to be reunited with his father, the only family he had left. Marina, however, desired nothing more than to see her father dead and buried for everything that he had done to her and her mother. She thought back to the night she had managed to escape. It was the same night she encountered Friedrich. He had been alone in the forest with Kitt¡¯s mask, that he had found earlier in the day. She knew it was a fated meeting now, even if she could not fully rationalise her belief. The day she took her freedom was also the day that everything changed for Friedrich; the day he became a soul masker.


    ¡°It will be alright,¡± she said to herself, trying to force herself to believe it.


    ¡°What will be alright?¡± asked Pheston, climbing up the ladder and making her jump a mile. ¡°An army of demons could have stormed the beach and you¡¯d be oblivious, Marina.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be alright,¡± she said with a cheerful smile. ¡°Absolutely everything will be alright, Pheston. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°What in the world are you talking about, girlie?¡± asked the smith with a befuddled stare.


    ¡°Everything, Pheston. Everything.¡±

 Chapter 113 - Upwards

    He was almost there. Friedrich continued gripping the wall with his sticky feet and then slipped underneath the doorway. He launched himself inside, knowing he was about to lose his footing while upside-down. He landed with a soft crump and quickly looked behind him to where the guards remained staring into the distance.


    Wasting no more time, he scurried behind an old urn and looked around the entrance chamber. All was quiet, much to his delight, but there was now the matter of finding Teleri. She could have hidden anywhere, even inside the urn¡­she wouldn¡¯t have, would she?


    Friedrich crawled up its side and looked inside, only to find it empty. No, of course she wouldn¡¯t have hidden there. It was much too close to the guards. He looked into the round chamber which contained a staircase upwards and two large archways leading corridors that followed the disk-like segment of the tower around to the left and to the right.


    Something moving caught his eyes. He looked upwards to the back corner of the chamber and saw Teleri pushing herself into the dark corner with her hands and using a small ledge of no more than an inch-wide to balance herself. Even with her light weight, slender frame, and impressive strength, that was a feat that left him with great admiration for her. She beckoned him forward with a jerk of her head and he ran along the floor, checking to the left and right to ensure there was nothing else present.


    As Friedrich ascended the wall, Teleri signalled to him that she heard something. He scurried onto the ledge and clung to it tightly as a guard walked through the archway underneath. Teleri held her breath, not daring to move a muscle while Friedrich prayed that he still had enough time left in his spider form until the guard passed on by.


    Each clanking footstep the guard took felt much slower than it was. The armoured demon paused and looked out the front door, standing still with his rigid by his sides. Friedrich prayed the demon would move along, but he was not budging.


    Teleri tapped him on the back. ¡°Go,¡± she mouthed to him, knowing what was going through his head. Not needing told twice, he climbed along the wall silently hopped to the ground when he was close enough. He then moved through the archway the guard had come from and almost immediately transformed back into a human with the mask falling from his face.


    He tucked it underneath his scarf and took fox form. He slinked into the room and hopped into one of the urns. If Teleri was caught in her hiding spot, he had to be there to help. While the demons here appeared to be run-of-the-mill guards, that did not mean there were not more powerful ones lurking further in the Orion Tower. How quickly they could be summoned was another story and he knew he would find out eventually, but it had to be when his father was already by his side.


    There came a chattering from outside and shortly afterwards, a pair of orcish men flanked by demons marched into the chamber. Teleri watched as the demon standing at attention bowed a head in greeting while Friedrich listened in.


    ¡°Good evening, gentlemen,¡± said the demon in his gruff and echoing voice. He was being atypically polite for a demon.


    ¡°Evening,¡± said one of the men with a lecherous grin and baring his yellow tusks. ¡°Will we be waiting long?¡±


    ¡°The prisoner is being freed as we speak,¡± replied the demon. ¡°You will have one hour before she is returned to stasis.¡±


    The other orc sniggered and licked his lips. ¡°That¡¯s all the time we need,¡± he said.


    ¡°This way,¡± said the demon, gesturing up the staircase and then leading the orcs away.


    Friedrich and Teleri were horrified by the brief exchange and did not know what to do. As much as they wanted to intervene, they knew that it would jeopardise their plan of approaching as quietly as they could. The killing was to come whenever they needed a demon out of the way or if they were backed into a corner. The nature of the Orion Tower seemed sinister from the moment Friedrich had learned of it, but to think that prisoners could be selectively freed for additional punishment only to return to be returned to stasis made it all the more nightmarish.


    Teleri silently lowered herself from the shadowed corner of the roof, her muscles ready to burst through her armour from the strain of holding her position for so long. She pulled Friedrich from the pot and threw him onto her shoulder before scarpering up the stairs. She listened and followed the footsteps of the guard and the two orcs. At the very least, following them towards where prisoners were held would give her and Friedrich an idea of where to start searching for Lord Gaerfyrd.


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    Following the guard and the orcs along corridors and up flights of stairs, Teleri had to continually backtrack and hide in side-chambers to avoid detection from the other demons going about their business. At one point, she retreated into another ceiling corner after stuffing Friedrich into a standing suit of armour, something he would never bring up again if he could get away with it.


    Eventually, she lost track of the guard, but the pair were now comfortably within the second tier of the tower. They had yet to see any prisoners, but now their hunt could truly begin. It was just a matter of where to start. They found an empty room with a dust-covered floor and knew they would be safe here for a short while.


    ¡°I feel lost,¡± said Friedrich upon turning back into a human.


    ¡°We can see where we are from the windows,¡± said Teleri. ¡°If we find ourselves truly desperate, we will coordinate ourselves using the outside as our compass.¡±


    Friedrich¡¯s face contorted into a grimace. ¡°Those orcs¡­barbarians,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I do not like it either, but we here for an explicit purpose. We cannot right every wrong of the world, no matter how much we desire it. Remember why we are here.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Friedrich with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­a horrible position to be in. There are so many prisoners in here and I don¡¯t know who is here because they deserve punishment and who should simply not be here at all. My father cannot be the only one, surely?¡±


    ¡°Clear those thoughts from your head, Friedrich. You are only going to distract yourself needlessly.¡±


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°How do you wish to proceed now that we¡¯re this deeply in?¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about the interrogation plan?¡±


    Teleri wrinkled her nose. ¡°I hate it,¡± she said. ¡°It was always my least preferred options because you cannot trust a demon¡¯s word even if it is at the sharp end of a sword with no hope of escape.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll go with the slow plan and check every room we can until we either find my father, a record of the prisoners, or anything that may help us locate him.¡±


    ¡°If we start now, we may make it back to the ship in time before Marina and Pheston depart.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t going to do that,¡± said Friedrich with a quiet laugh.


    ¡°Pheston said he would.¡±


    ¡°It was sarcasm, Teleri. How can you still struggle to pick up on that, especially with him?¡±


    Teleri thumped him on the arm. ¡°I am in one of the most dangerous places in the land with you and you are going to give me grief about my comprehension of human tones?¡±


    ¡°That was unfair. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You are right it was unfair. I try very¡ª¡±


    Teleri¡¯s ears started twitching and she listened carefully. Friedrich held his breath, not wanting to make even the faintest sound that would distract her.


    ¡°It was a voice, but it was not a demon,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s coming this way.¡±


    ¡°The orcs couldn¡¯t be finished with their¡­business already, could they? It hasn¡¯t been twenty minutes since we lost them.¡±


    ¡°No, I suspect it is not an orc either. It sounded like a human male.¡±


    Friedrich grinned and retrieved the spider mask. Its gem was swirling with its blue aura again, ready to transform the Mercian into the young spider¡¯s form. ¡°We may not be able to trust the word of an apprehended demon,¡± he said, ¡°but if we aren¡¯t dealing with a demon.¡±


    ¡°I do not like this,¡± said Teleri, closing her eyes. ¡°Alright, we will do it your way.¡±


    ¡°Be prepared to grab him and pull him into this ring when I silence him, alright? If you can restrain him for long enough, I¡¯ll bind him.¡±


    Friedrich put the mask on his face and transformed, while Teleri opened the door for him. She left it ajar so she could react when it was time to play her part.


    The spider cling to a wall sconce, curling several legs up to hide behind it. He watched, waited until the sound of footsteps grew louder, and then readied himself to shoot web. Even holding it in wait was an uncomfortable feeling, but it was a small price to pay if this plan worked.


    A guard opened a door into the corridor and walked along, unaware that he had ten eyes upon him. He wore armour that matched that of the demons, signalling that he was a guard, but he was certainly a human. Teleri¡¯s ears told no lies. Once the guard was in line with the sconce, he hopped onto the wall with his rear raised.


    ¡°Huh?¡± muttered the guard, turning to look at the foot-long spider, only to see a jet of web erupt from its spinneret.


    The sticky web landed on his face, sealing his mouth and nose shut as the guard flailed in panic. Teleri seized her moment and lunged from the shadow of the doorway, grabbing the guard and dragging him inside the small room. Friedrich leapt inside and the Alaurian closed the door, trapping the guard in with the pair of them.


    As the guard struggled, Teleri pressed her cold knife on the guard¡¯s neck and he froze in terror. He tried to mumble something, but the web prevented him from doing so.


    ¡°A low voice is the only thing that will keep you alive,¡± Teleri said to him. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    He nodded furiously, the fear in his eyes palpable. Teleri drew her knife along the web and he gasped for air. ¡°T-t-thank you,¡± he said, obediently speaking with as soft a voice as he could muster.


    Teleri¡¯s knife returned to his neck and she stared at him with uncaring eyes. It was clear to the guard that she would not hesitate to kill him, but he did not understand who she was or why a spider had helped her apprehend him.


    ¡°Wh-wh-what are you d-d-doing?¡± he mumbled, trembling from head to toe.


    ¡°We are in need of your assistance,¡± said Teleri coldly. ¡°It is in your best interest to talk.¡±


    The guard gulped.

 Chapter 114 - The Willing Guard

    ¡°P-p-please don¡¯t h-h-hurt me,¡± said the trembling guard as Teleri kept her knife pressed firmly against his throat. He could feel his feet being bound together by thick strands of web as a spider danced circles around him.


    ¡°If you are compliant, you will be spared,¡± said Teleri. ¡°You have my word.¡±


    The guard shut his eyes tightly and whimpered. It was a pathetic sight, especially for a man who worked in a prison such as this. If he was any more terrified, he may have wet himself, which Teleri did not want to see, nor did she want her boots covered in urine.


    Once the man was tied up from head-to-toe, Friedrich¡¯s transformation wore off and he sprung back into his human self, making the guard gasp involuntarily. He wobbled and fell against the wall, sticking to it in an uncomfortable position.


    ¡°Hello,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°We¡¯ll cut to the chase so that we never have to see each other again, if that¡¯s alright with you?¡±


    ¡°Y-y-yes,¡± said the guard. ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt me!¡±


    ¡°Comply and we won¡¯t. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Hamlech.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a fellow Mercian. Isn¡¯t it nice when brothers like us can help each other? There is a prisoner being held here by the name of Siegfried Gaerfyrd. Where can I find him?¡±


    Hamlech winced. ¡°There are a lot of prisoners here. I don¡¯t know them all by name, I swear.¡±


    Friedrich and Teleri looked at each other and gave a nod. Friedrich turned into the minotaur, almost filling the entire room with his massive frame and Hamlech let out a terrified yelp before Teleri put a hand over his mouth to silence him.


    ¡°Hush,¡± she said.


    Friedrich lowered his head and snarled at the man, who had never been so afraid in his life. Teleri removed her hand and gave him the chance to speak.


    ¡°I-I-I can find out for you,¡± he said.


    Friedrich returned to normal. ¡°Now you¡¯re understanding how this all works, Hamlech, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I understand, yes. I understand.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing we need your assistance with,¡± said Friedrich with a warm smile. ¡°I need him freed from stasis. Can you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°It is not an instantaneous process,¡± said Hamlech desperately. ¡°Should I be discovered freeing him, who knows what would happen to me?¡±


    ¡°This is the part that I can help you with, Hamlech,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Should anyone approach us, be they human, elf, wolven, demon, or whatever other race your warden has working in the Orion Tower, I will kill them so that they cannot serve as a witness to your actions. When Siegfried Gaerfyrd is freed, I will stab you somewhere non-vital and you can be the survivor who we just couldn¡¯t quite kill. How does that sound?¡±


    Hamlech was not sure how to answer. He was terrified of dying in what was little more than an empty storage room should he refuse this offer. At the same time, he had a great fear of the warden who would not surely imprison him in a stasis of his own should his aiding of a jailbreak ever come to light.


    ¡°He is too hesitant for my liking,¡± said Teleri. ¡°We will kill him and leave his body to rot. I do not think he will be discovered for some time.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Friedrich, drawing his sword and retracting his arm.


    ¡°Wait!¡± said Hamlech. ¡°I will do it¡­I will do it¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, because I was going to stab you somewhere vital had you refused. Should there be any hint of a betrayal, Hamlech, neither of us will hesitate to kill you and we are both very capable of it, even if you were not bound by my webbing.¡±


    Hamlech nodded gormlessly.


    ¡°Alaurian, cut him free and I will explain the plan,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, keeping her eyes fixed on Hamlech¡¯s face. Should she detect a hint of betrayal, he would pay.


    ¡°The Alaurian here is your honourable guest, here to visit someone who is being temporarily released from stasis,¡± said Friedrich, surprising the Alaurian who hid her reaction. ¡°You will escort her slowly to wherever you keep your records and I will be following you, unseen, but rest assured I can make myself seen should there be any foolish behaviour on your part. After that, you will guide her to Lord Gaerfyrd and release him. Should there be any intrusions, I will deal with them while you continue. Tell me, what is the process for freeing someone?¡±


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    Hamlech shuddered. ¡°It is a spell. A most unpleasant spell, but it is one that every guard with access to the prisoners is taught.¡±


    ¡°And, just to be sure, you can perform this spell, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it is¡­unpleasant,¡± said Hamlech, but Friedrich¡¯s expression told him that his captor did not care. ¡°I will perform it for you, of course, but I do have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°Ask me.¡±


    ¡°It is a single prisoner you want freed, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°One prisoner.¡±


    ¡°You will be hunted should you manage to escape. Anyone with any connection to the prisoner will be spoken to by our interrogators. Why go to so much risk for one prisoner?¡±


    ¡°We care not for the man, Hamlech. If he was trapped here for a thousand years, I would not lose a wink of sleep. We¡¯re doing this for a boatload of kupons, my friend. Once we get our payout, we disappear to Asterra and live free lives with the riches we¡¯ve made from this one job. We would be happy to leave a small sum for you, should you adequately perform your task.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Hamlech, looking alarmed. ¡°Once the job is done, I wash my hands of it.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± said Friedrich, shrugging. The guard appeared to have bought his lie. That was good; especially for a story he concocted on the spot.


    Once Teleri had freed Hamlech, he stretched his aching legs and wrung out his arms. He gave a heavy sigh and requested that they get moving immediately before it was noticed that he was not where he was supposed to be.


    He opened the door and walked side by side with Teleri while Friedrich assumed fox form and swung himself up and underneath Teleri¡¯s cloak, sinking his claws into her belt while tucking his tail in. As long as she did not arouse any suspicion, he would also remain undetected.


    Teleri made no reaction, having suspected Friedrich would try something sly, but it was admittedly unexpected that he would cling directly to her. His fox nose continually smacking her behind made her clench her jaw; he must be enjoying this thoroughly, for she caught him staring at her rear far too many times. How perfectly things were working out for the Mercian.


    Friedrich, however, was more concerned with maintaining his grip. As light as he was in this form, his legs were not built for hanging like this for an extended period of time. Every bump against a butt cheek made him wince and he worried he would fall, but he held on; he had to keep holding on.


    *


    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Pheston, staring out towards the sea. He squinted hard through the darkness, trying to discern the shape moving along. ¡°It couldn¡¯t possibly be a boat, could it?¡±


    ¡°Is it a patrol?¡± asked Marina in horror. ¡°Do they circumnavigate the island? What am I saying¡­of course they do! We¡¯re in so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± said Pheston, grabbing her by the shoulders. ¡°I considered this a possibility, so we have to act swiftly, alright?¡±


    Marina nodded fervently.


    ¡°You need to run ahead to the north-west,¡± said Pheston, pointing further along the patrol route, ¡°and blow up a tree. If your lightning can set them on fire, even better. Anything to make them move on past our location. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marina.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Marina ran towards the ladder and climbed halfway down before throwing herself onto the sand. She stumbled in the water, soaking her cloak and the bottom of her dress, but she did not let that deter her. She sprinted as fast as she could along the beach, following it around until the Brass Stormer was out of sight.


    She knew then and there that the plan to leave her and Pheston by the boat was a good one, for the ship being discovered and either manned by enemies or somehow dragged away would be an unmitigated disaster, leaving no way of escaping from the island. The four of them would probably be thrown into stasis themselves.


    Once she confident the Brass Stormer would not be seen from her location, she grabbed a handful of dry leaves and scattered them on a dead tree trunk. She clutched a few more leaves tightly in her hand and used her Shock Touch spell to send lightning coursing through them, causing them to burn almost immediately. She winced at the feeling of fire on her hand and then threw them onto the tree trunk while whimpering. She shut her eyes tightly as the leaves all caught fire. The heat radiated from the trunk as it too started to burn. It was slow at first, but once the small tricks were burning, it spread to the bark, once the bark was burning, there was no stopping the flames.


    Marina opened her eyes and had to hold back a scream, so horrified by the blazing tree before her. Her hands shook vigorously as she stared at it, before snapping out of her state of panic and wrenching herself away. She hurried into the trees so she would not be seen and ran until she could see the Brass Stormer.


    The patrol boat in the sea was still moving, but she was unsure if it was coming closer or following its route around the island. Marina took deep breathes, praying to Jorren that Pheston¡¯s plan would work. As she watched, the speck that was the boat disappeared behind the Brass Stormer and reemerged a minute later and started moving closer to the shore.


    ¡°It¡¯s going past,¡± said Marina, feeling a wave of relief. She looked to her right and saw smoke rising into the sky. ¡°It worked!¡±


    Once the boat had moved along, she ran back to the Brass Stormer and ascended the ladder. Pheston was staying low behind the captain¡¯s wheel, which was barely big enough to hide his frame.


    ¡°Good job, lassie,¡± said the smith, ¡°but get down until the damn thing is out of sight. We don¡¯t want them to have any reason to come back once they tend to the fire.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they wonder what caused the fire?¡± asked Marina.


    ¡°No doubt they will, but let¡¯s pray they don¡¯t investigate until the morning. Unfortunately, we have to deal the hand we¡¯re dealt and that may mean killing whoever discovers us. Right now, we¡¯re just buying time until our friendly fox and grumpy elf return with Lord Gaerfyrd.¡±

 Chapter 115 - Crystal Cells

    ¡°Lord Siegfried Gaerfyrd,¡± said Hamlech quietly to Teleri as he inspected the logbook. ¡°He is on the twenty-seventh floor in crystal twelve thousand five hundred and eighty-two.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Teleri, not wanting to say anything else to the guard. ¡°Please, lead the way.¡±


    She tapped Friedrich with her foot and he leapt back onto her belt, having sorely needed to rest his arms while Hamlech was distracted and busy scouring the book for Friedrich¡¯s father.


    Hamlech led the way through the corridors. Along the way, the trio passed several guards. A couple of them glanced at Teleri who walked with her hood and mask covering most of her face, but to be seen walking so casually with a guard? There must have been no problem for them to concern themselves with. Teleri did, however, notice that the demons¡¯ gazes lingered longer than those of the human and elven guards. She suspected that it was not because they were mistrustful of her, although they certainly were, but because they did not trust the human guards as much as they trusted their own.


    ¡°Guard Hamlech!¡± barked a gruff voice from behind and the guard froze. Teleri stopped too and turned around.


    Hamlech spun and offered a salute. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± he said to the bearded man approaching.


    ¡°You are not supposed to be on this floor,¡± said the man. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    Hamlech¡¯s face turned pale, and he looked very nervous. ¡°I¡­I¡­I was asked by Zergru¡¯mal to bring this Alaurian upstairs, Captain. He did not tell me why, but he said she was to be escorted there, and he would follow shortly after.¡±


    ¡°Zergru¡¯mal?¡± spat the man. ¡°You know as well as I do that you should not be taking orders from him. What is the meaning of this?¡± He looked to Teleri. ¡°Who are you? Who are you here to see?¡±


    ¡°My name is Blackjack,¡± the elf replied. ¡°Who I am here to see is none of your business, but I assure you that it is a matter of great importance.¡±


    The captain¡¯s face twisted into an ugly frown. ¡°I will take the matter up with Zergru¡¯mal himself. In the meantime, you are to wait here until I return.¡±


    As the captain marched past, a small fox dropped to the ground and transformed into a minotaur. Before the captain could turn around, a burly arm wrapped around his neck and a large palm covered his mouth. He wrenched and struggled, but it was of no use, the minotaur was overpowering him effortlessly. With a tug, the man¡¯s neck was snapped and he fell limp in Friedrich¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Where?¡± he grunted, exercising great effort to force the minotaur to speak.


    Hamlech looked around, whimpering manically. He ran to a door and opened it and gestured to throw the body inside. Friedrich shoved the guard captain in amongst a couple of buckets and mops before slamming it closed. He turned back into his human form and sighed.


    ¡°I did not relish that, Hamlech, but it had to be done,¡± he said. ¡°We keep moving.¡±


    ¡°R-r-right,¡± said Hamlech, looking away and continuing ahead with Teleri beside him. His cover may have been blown with the guard, but any others who passed would see him so he grabbed hold of Teleri¡¯s belt once again and tucked his tail in.


    A few minutes later, after a tiring climb, Hamlech muttered that they were on the twenty-seventh floor. Rather than continue around in a circle, he opened a door to the right that led closer to the centre of the tower. A purple light shone from within, surprising Teleri. The source was a large crystal; several crystals in fact. They were lining the core of the tower, embedded in pedestals. Inscribed on each of the pedestals was a runic number.


    ¡°This is the stasis?¡± she asked Hamlech.


    The guard nodded. "Crystalised prisons where the prisoners remain completely aware of everything before them, but unable to move a muscle.¡±


    ¡°This truly is barbaric,¡± muttered Teleri. ¡°Have you no shame?¡±


    Hamlech said nothing and walked around the tube-like corridor with the crystals on his left. There surely had to be hundreds of crystals like this on each floor. Teleri wondered who was trapped within these, being able to only see vague shadows within, so cloudy were the purple stones.


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    Friedrich hopped down and returned to human form. He followed along behind Hamlech and Teleri, looking at the numbers as he walked. He could not read them and that made him uneasy. Fearing the worst, he placed his hand on his sword, ready to draw it and strike at a moment¡¯s notice should Hamlech decide now was the time to betray him.


    ¡°This is the one,¡± said Hamlech, stopping before one of the crystals. ¡°Twelve thousand five hundred and eighty-two; the stasis crystal of Siegfried Gaerfyrd.¡±


    ¡°We are waiting,¡± said Teleri, looking at the guard pointedly.


    ¡°Right,¡± said Hamlech with a sigh. He raised his hands to the crystal and began to chant.


    A swirling light emerged from his palms, enveloping his fingers and moving up his forearms. His chanting increased in volume and a beam of light burst from his hands and into the crystal, making the solid surface ripple like it was liquid. It started slowly at first and then radiated outwards. Hamlech became lost in a trance-like state as his chanting continued.


    Teleri waved a hand in front of his face and the guard did not blink. ¡°Hamlech?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Are you worried?¡± Friedrich asked.


    ¡°I have been worried since we departed from Corobath,¡± said Teleri. ¡°We have been fortunate so far not to attract much unwanted attention. The guards here are laxer than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s because the island is already so remote that nobody would dare approach?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but I think it would be unwise to let our guards down, Friedrich.¡±


    Friedrich nodded. ¡°I hadn¡¯t planned on doing so. Do you hear anything approaching the door?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± asked Teleri. ¡°There are many doors leading from the outside into this room and I can hear footsteps walking past many of them.¡±


    Hamlech¡¯s chanting grew louder and the rippling surface of the crystal now covered the entire front side. It looked as though Hamlech was now moving deeper into the crystal to release Friedrich¡¯s father.


    The young man stood by and watched with bated breath, longing for his quest to finally be over. Everything he had been working towards had led up to this moment. Should someone who was not his father emerge from the crystal, he would let Darkan take over and lay waste to every guard in this damned tower. He had not gone through all of his trials, his struggles, for this to all be for nought.


    He clenched his fists and bit his lip as he watched the magic of Hamlech¡¯s ritual penetrate the crystal. The passing minutes felt like hours and he was expecting to be interrupted at any second, but nobody intruded upon them. Friedrich thought about the others who were sentenced here alongside his father; his own people who had remained loyal, but he knew only a handful of names and could not risk being caught to save them. The feeling weighed heavily on him and he was not sure what to tell his father. One day, he would find a way to grant their freedom too, but his family was his first priority.


    At last, Hamlech¡¯s magic petered away and he snapped back to consciousness. ¡°It is done,¡± he said as he stared at the crystal.


    He reached inside, clasped hands with the shadow within, and then pulled. Friedrich could feel his eyes watering as a pair of hands emerged with Hamlech¡¯s. The arms followed and then a slumped head of auburn flopped forwards. Friedrich¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The hair was the same shade as his own and the man¡¯s beard was one he had seen before countless times. He remembered how it felt when the man had kissed his cheeks as a child.


    He had to hold himself back from crying out for his father, so overcome with emotion as he was. Teleri interlocked her fingers with his and squeezed his hand as Friedrich sniffed, trying desperately not to break.


    Lord Siegfried Gaerfyrd fell from the crystal and Hamlech caught him, standing him up. Friedrich¡¯s father shivered as Hamlech held onto him, keeping him from collapsing. Once he remembered how to support his own neck, he looked up.


    ¡°It is you,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd, his hoarse voice barely above a whisper. ¡°You have grown so much¡­¡±


    With a wince, Friedrich drew his sword and plunged the tip of the blade into Hamlech¡¯s shoulder. The guard cried out in pain as his muscle was pierced but Friedrich quickly retracted it as his father staggered back upon witnessing his son¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Frie¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is time to get you back to the mainland to collect our payment, Gaerfyrd,¡± said Teleri, sensing that Friedrich¡¯s father was about to say his name aloud.


    Friedrich kneeled beside Hamlech. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, ¡°and I am sorry for putting you through this.¡±


    Hamlech grunted and spat on the ground. ¡°You have damned me,¡± he said. ¡°I will be caught¡­but you knew that from the start, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Friedrich looked him in the eyes. ¡°I truly am sorry, Hamlech.¡±


    He arose and put his arm around his father, helping him move along the corridor. He did not say a word, even though he very much wanted to. The less talking he had to do until he reached the boat, the better.


    There came a rustling of cloth from behind and Teleri darted behind Friedrich to cover him. Unwilling to let her get hurt, he released his father and spun her around, taking the flying dagger in her place. He felt the cold steel piercing the back of his neck as the metal pressed on a vertebra. He heard a whoosh and a pained groan as one of Teleri¡¯s arrows pierced Hamlech¡¯s throat.


    Friedrich¡¯s father grabbed his shoulders. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± he asked in a panic, holding back on uttering his son¡¯s name. Even after his torturous imprisonment, he was quick-witted enough to realise Friedrich had orchestrated a ruse to free him.


    With an agonised grunt, Friedrich reached up, pulled the dagger from his neck, and then dropped to his knees. As his vision turned white, he mustered up his last ounce of willpower and his form shifted. He shrunk down with his weapons and armour vanishing as golden fur grew from his body and a swishing tail sprouted from where his tailbone had been. The pain he had felt was gone; the wound from the dagger was gone.

 Chapter 116 - The Flight From Orion

    As Friedrich resumed human form, Teleri embraced him tightly. ¡°I am sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I should never have taken my eyes off Hamlech.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Friedrich, twisting and turning his neck where there was no longer a hint of a wound. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°You took a dagger for me,¡± muttered Teleri, her face turning red. ¡°You did not need to do that.¡±


    ¡°You tried to do the same for me,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°Just as either of us would have done for the others, right?¡±


    Teleri cleared her throat. ¡°Yes, that is right,¡± she said bashfully.


    Friedrich turned to his father who was gobsmacked by what he had witnessed. Not only had he been rescued by his son from over two years of imprisonment, he had witnessed his son come back from the brink of death by transforming into a fox. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words escaped him, so overwhelmed was he.


    ¡°Lord Gaerfyrd,¡± said Friedrich firmly. ¡°We are to return you to the client. It would be appreciated if you came with us willingly. You have been through an ordeal, I know this, but we will endeavour to see you leave this island alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd, still unable to put together an explanation for everything that had occurred in the last half hour. He thought he was finally giving into madness when he saw a figure that reminded him of his son standing before his crystal. Now, he knew it was no hallucination. Here was his beloved son standing before him, now a grown man.


    ¡°We go down as quietly as we can,¡± said Friedrich to his father and Teleri. ¡°We don¡¯t have a guard accompanying us now, so the odds of us being confronted have shot up drastically.¡±


    Friedrich turned into a fox and ran ahead, trying to locate the door from which he had entered. From there, he knew where the nearest stairs were and could travel down a handful of floors before needing to get his bearings again. As he ran, he realised just how similar everything was. The endless crystals lining the curved wall did not make things easy.


    Teleri supported Lord Gaerfyrd, who was finding walking difficult after not using his muscles for so long. Even frozen in time, his physicality had been affected by his imprisonment. But the man did not complain. He thanked her for helping him and continued to force his legs forward.


    With his uncertainty growing as he bounded forward, Friedrich chose a door that he prayed was the correct one. He waited by it, listening intently to see if his ears perked up, but he heard nothing. When his father and Teleri caught up, he resumed human form and drew his sword.


    ¡°Alaurian. Listen for any sound of movement and I will remain in fox form while we escape. Should there be a need to intervene, I will do so while the pair of you flee.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you cannot¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will be fine, Lord Gaerfyrd,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°I have escaped from worse places than this and lived to tell the tale. You are in safe hands with this high elf, but if we need to fight, I will be the one to do it because I can recover from grievous injuries thanks to my powers.¡±


    ¡°Your powers¡­¡± sighed Lord Gaerfyrd. ¡°Yes. Alright, young man. I will accompany the Alaurian.¡±


    ¡°The way is clear,¡± said Teleri. ¡°Now would be an appropriate time to go.¡±


    Friedrich opened the door with his shield arm and then turned into a fox once more. He scurried over to the window and leapt onto the ledge. He could see the island stretching out before him and knew he had used the wrong door, but he could see the far ocean at the far end of the island. This meant he was facing westwards and Marina and Pheston were somewhere in that direction.


    Teleri led the way with Lord Gaerfyrd and Friedrich followed them silently. Every so often, the Alaurian would freeze and hurry into a side room or a corridor, believing someone to be approaching, but for the first two floors, nobody appeared and the guards had moved along in a different direction.


    The atmosphere was tense, not aided by the quietness, and Friedrich was waiting for something to go wrong. While it had not been straightforward so far, there had been only two major problems; the guard captain speaking with Hamlech and Hamlech¡¯s desperate betrayal.


    What was the fool thinking? He had stood a chance. Was he hoping that other guards would show up and their deaths would draw attention away from him? As the lone man before the crystals, his involvement in a prisoner¡¯s escape would have been a dead giveaway. Friedrich felt an ounce of pity for him being dragged into this situation, but not so much that it filled him with regret.


    ¡°Three of them,¡± whispered Teleri, looking around. There was nowhere to hide. ¡°Another approaching from the rear.¡±


    Friedrich let out a quiet bark and ran towards the source of the noise. If he could be quick, he may be able to avert the alarm being sounded. From ahead, the three figures came into view. One was clad in armour and two wore simple clothing, but their green skin identified them immediately. It was the orcs from the entrance chamber and their business had evidently concluded.


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    ¡°Is that a fox?¡± asked one as Friedrich sprinted towards them.


    The demon guard looked confused as the fox jumped. He reached for his sword, but Friedrich transformed in midair and thrust his own weapon forward, skewering the guard through the throat. He kicked the guard aside, wrenching his blade free. As he swung it around, he hacked into an orc¡¯s neck. With a swift slice, the orc spewed blood and crumpled to the ground as the second orc walked slowly backwards in terror.


    ¡°Please, do not¡ª¡±


    His words were cut short as his head fell from his body and hit the floor. There came a yelp from somewhere behind and Friedrich rushed back to Teleri and his father, only to see a bow in the elf¡¯s hand and another guard lying on the floor with an arrow protruding from his eye socket.


    ¡°We cannot cover this up,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°I know,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°And we¡¯re not far enough down to escape through the windows. We have to make a run for it before the bodies are discovered. Father, please don¡¯t be afraid when you see what I¡¯m about to do.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd weakly. He was already tired from hobbling along.


    Friedrich took a deep breath and swelled up into his minotaur form, shocking his father even more greatly than he had with his fox transformation. Lord Gaerfyrd took a few unwitting paces backwards as his eyes bulged from his head.


    ¡°Carry,¡± grunted Friedrich, forcing the words out.


    He grabbed his father in one arm and threw him over his shoulder. Lord Gaerfyrd did not resist, knowing that he had little choice in the matter.


    ¡°We go,¡± said Teleri, running down the corridor.


    Friedrich barrelled after her as she furiously sought out the way down. She located a staircase carrying them down three floors before it led to another curved corridor that followed the tower around. Here, a pair of demonic guards stood by a grand door bearing large runic symbols. As they drew their sharp blades, Teleri plunged her knife into the side of one¡¯s skull while Friedrich picked up the other and crushed him against the wall. He then cast the guard to the ground and pulverised the demon¡¯s head beneath his foot.


    As the flight from Orion Tower continued, guards became more difficult to avoid. Friedrich and Teleri killed ruthlessly as they descended through the floors. By the time they reached the fifteenth floor, the tower was on high alert and they were being actively hunted by their foes. Knowing what they had to do, they cast aside any concern for who they were killing, and struck remorselessly.


    ¡°Grugh,¡± grunted Friedrich as a robed demon stood before him on the twelfth floor.


    The demon raised his hands and hurled a flurry of wild fire at him. As Friedrich took the brunt of the attack while shielding his father, Teleri rolled out of the way. She nocked an arrow and it flew true from her dragon bone bow, speeding towards the mage. The cunning demon was quick off the mark and erected a magical shield that deflected the arrow before shooting an endless stream of fire at Teleri.


    A smoking Friedrich set his father down and charged towards the mage who turned on him. He grabbed the demon and leapt towards the window, throwing the demon outside, leaving the mage to fall to his death. He scooped up his father once more and continued his flight. Teleri batted the creeping flames from her burning cloak as she ran, but she was otherwise fine.


    The floors came and went, but on the seventh floor, the demons piled up greater and greater, forcing Friedrich to take worse injuries to defend his father and Teleri. He tactically changed forms, becoming human to deliver slashes and shield bashes to his enemies, before taking the minotaur¡¯s form once again to weather the worst of the damage. It was exhausting him and his transformations did little for his fatigue. If anything, they were tiring him more. He had never changed forms so much in quick succession and it was wearing him down both physically and spiritually. Had he not an uneasy pact with the minotaur, he would have struggled to maintain control of his own body.


    On the fifth floor, the army of guards¡ªcomprised of both wizards and warriors¡ªhad assembled and were raining hell upon Friedrich and Teleri as they protected Lord Gaerfyrd from a return to stasis. Friedrich entered a side chamber and blocked the door with his hefty frame, passing his father over to Teleri.


    Friedrich grunted and pointed at the window.


    ¡°We won¡¯t survive a fall from this height,¡± said Teleri. ¡°We must go through them.¡±


    Friedrich shook his head, knowing that the odds of all three surviving was slim at best. He could not allow that. The door was being battered behind him and he clung to the frame and dug his heels into the floor to keep himself stable; even the minotaur¡¯s strength had a limit.


    ¡°Mask,¡± grunted Friedrich, pointing to his chest.


    ¡°It is too risky,¡± said Teleri, shaking her head despondently. She sighed. ¡°Yes¡­we have no choice. Lord Gaerfyrd, your fellow Mercian is going to pass you a mask and it is imperative that you put it on once our legs break. Your survival is dependent on it.¡±


    ¡°Mask? My Legs?¡± The lord looked around in utter disbelief. He was still in stasis; he had to be. This entire dream of escape had been the conjuration of his own mind.


    Teleri helped him sit on the window ledge and then sat beside him, ready to throw herself onto the ground. She should be fine as long as she did not hit her head or shatter her spine¡ªwhich seemed all the more likely as she looked at the large drop to the grass below.


    ¡°Ready?¡± asked Friedrich.


    ¡°Ready,¡± said Teleri, reaching out a hand.


    Friedrich ran from the door, transforming back into a human as he went. He ripped the goblin and spider masks from around his neck and shoved them into his father and Teleri¡¯s hands. The two allowed themselves to plummet and Friedrich turned back to the now-open door as his enemies poured in. He took Tierfyr in his hand and raised his shield.


    ¡°Come at me!¡± he cried, and the guards did just that.


    The young man slammed his shield into them, knocking them into each other as he cut steel across their arms and necks. He let out a ferocious roar as a sword cut through his cheek, tearing through it and extending his mouth. He was in utter agony, but he had to keep his enemies distracted. The guards leapt on him, restraining his arms and legs as blood poured onto him. A wizard crackling with lightning approached him, ready to zap him into unconsciousness. This was his last chance to escape; he had to take it.


    Friedrich screamed as he grew larger, his bulging muscles breaking through the guards¡¯ grip as lightning coursed through him. He felt the strain as he transformed, but held firm and weathered the storm assaulting his very being. As the guards were cast aside, he lunged forward and headbutted the wizard, breaking his nose and forcing him backwards. The Mercian then shrunk rapidly, turning into the golden fox form that had aided him so much since he first laid hands upon its mask.


    As the guards dived to reach him, he leapt onto the window ledge and jumped outside. Moonlight hit him as he flew free before his arc curved downwards and he fell towards the grass. If these were his last moments, he would die under the sky.

 Chapter 117 - The Ships by the Shore

    Friedrich hit the ground and felt his ribs break. He was in agony, but he was alive. Trembling, he willed himself to change forms once again and morphed into his regular Mercian self. He wanted to turn into the minotaur, but he could not bring himself to do it, so weakened was he in so many ways.


    He glanced to his left and saw a spider looking around, trying to adjust to its eyes, and a goblin whose expression was a mixture of bewilderment and terror; Teleri and his father were alive. He clenches his jaw and fists as he climbed to his feet before picking them both up and running down the hill and into the trees. It would not be long before the guards were upon him and he had to reach the far shore where backup was waiting for him.


    As much as Friedrich told himself he should be scared, he felt a wave of relief. Once he reached the boat, the hardest part was over. Should anyone desire to spring a prisoner from the Orion Tower in the future, no doubt they would find it impossible.


    ¡°Are you two alright?¡± he asked his father and Teleri.


    Teleri was unable to speak, but wriggled her legs in an uncontrolled fashion to signal that she was. His father let out a small screech, too dazed to communicate further. He was still convinced that he was experiencing a grand delusion from within the confines of his crystal prison.


    Friedrich¡¯s legs were burning as he hurried through the forest. Several times, he almost tripped on loose roots and stones, but he caught himself before landing on his face. One time, however, Teleri fell from his arms and rolled across the ground, eliciting a clicking wail from her that she did not know she could make.


    Once five minutes were up, the masks fell from the goblin and spider, leaving them a human and an elf once again. Not wanting them to wear his precious masks again, Friedrich snatched them from the grass and threw them around his neck, concealing them underneath his scarf. They were his. He hated sharing them, but he had no choice. The souls within the masks knew this; of course they did.


    ¡°Lord Gaerfyrd,¡± said Teleri, helping Friedrich¡¯s father to his feet. ¡°I understand you are confused. We will explain everything once we are safely aboard our ship. We must keep going before the guards come for us.¡±


    ¡°At least here, they can only come from one direction,¡± remarked Friedrich, putting his arm around his father.


    The three moved through the forest as the sun was starting to rise, heralding the end of a very long night. There was still a ways to go, but Friedrich could see clearly without transforming and he was most grateful for that. He was not sure he had another transformation left in him.


    Once the birds started chirping and the morning dew shone upon the grass, Friedrich felt another weight lift from him. The way ahead was clear with nothing giving chase. After losing almost fifty from their ranks, the guards must have decided that pursuing two infiltrators and one lone prisoner was not worth it.


    As the trees thinned and the shore came into view, there came a boom and an almighty flash. Teleri was the first to see what was happening and released Lord Gaerfyrd to draw her bow. Friedrich hurried along with his father and saw more flashes of lightning and the unmistakable howl of Pheston as he battled hard against an army of foes.


    Sitting in the ocean were nine ships, three of which were burning and slowly sinking. Half of the crew members had stormed the shore and were battling Marina and Pheston as they defended the Brass Stormer. Several mages stood on the decks of the Orion ships and unleashed magic spells of varying elements, aiming to render the escape vessel unseaworthy.


    Marina stood on the deck with her staff clutched tightly. With every wave of her arms, an immense bolt of electricity streamed from her crystal and overpowered the magic hurtling towards the brass ship. While she cleared the way in the water, Pheston was swinging Vigr with a terrifying snarl on his face. The mighty hammer reshaped metal armour and weapons with a single blow, rendering them ineffective and knocking their wearers and wielders to the sands. The demons, however, were keen enough to cast aside their metal weapons in place of conjured spectral weapons that, while not as effective against flesh, would not be bent or broken even by a hammer like Vigr.


    Although the duo was putting up a valiant fight, it was clear that they were tiring, especially Marina who looked haggard from her continuous use of high-energy magic to block and counter the opposing mages.


    ¡°I have to help them before they¡¯re overwhelmed,¡± said Friedrich to his father.


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    ¡°Go!¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd urgently.


    Friedrich nodded and sprinted past Teleri who was picking off Pheston¡¯s aggressors while slowly walking forward. With his exhausted muscles burning, Friedrich knew that he could not reach the ships to help Marina, but he knew there was something he could do. He leapt a quarter of the way up the ladder and scurried onto the deck. Without the will to transform, he knew he had to rely on himself as a human to defend the Brass Stormer.


    He stood at the edge of the ship, blocking Marina from the mages, and raised his shield arm. He braced himself, knowing that this may be his last stand, but if he could give Marina the chance to thin the line of ships blocking the way to freedom, he had accomplished his mission.


    A huge fireball coursed through the air, arcing its way to him. Friedrich¡¯s face contorted as the spell struck his Shockwave Shield and rebounded into the water. He staggered backwards from the force, but kept himself upright and rushed back to the railings while Marina sent a stream of lightning towards the nearest intact ship.


    ¡°What¡­are you¡­doing?¡± she panted. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­stand up to this¡­level of magic¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to,¡± grunted Friedrich as sweat dripped from his head.


    A slew of rocks sped towards Friedrich and pelted his shield. Each one was like a mace striking his arm and he shook vigorously as he defended Marina who continued to retaliate against the other attacks that aimed to destroy the Brass Stormer. As further spells flew, Friedrich was struck with fire, ice, stone, lightning, and yet, he continued to hold on, determined that after everything that had happened, not a single one of his companions would die on this shore. Even if it took everything out of him, he would buy them enough of a window to escape.


    ¡°Agh!¡± he screamed as an icicle pierced his shoulder and sent him spinning through the air. Marina moved towards him, but he held up a hand.


    ¡°No!¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    With a trepidatious look, Marina twirled her staff and shot another lightning bolt at the enemy ships.


    On the beach, Teleri and Pheston had finished killing the last of the guards. The pair hurried over to Lord Gaerfyrd who was leaning against a tree to support himself. With the coast clear, now was the time to make their way to the ship and flee.


    ¡°Lord Gaerfyrd,¡± said Pheston, putting his arm around the man. ¡°Name¡¯s Pheston. A pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­likewise,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd, his curiosity about his son¡¯s adventures growing by the second.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you on the boat, my friend.¡±


    Teleri watched the trees and ships, fearing that reinforcements would emerge of their current attackers would turn their attention to them now that there were no guards in the way. They kept in line with the Brass Stormer to shield themselves as Pheston guided the lord to the boat. Teleri glided up the ladder with ease while Pheston helped Lord Gaerfyrd up.


    ¡°Marina, we have to go!¡± said Pheston to the spent mage who was still facing five ships who were unwilling to give up.


    ¡°Son!¡± cried Lord Gaerfyrd, hurrying over to the pale and profusely bleeding Friedrich.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, father,¡± he said with a grimace.


    Teleri hurried over to him with a look of grave concern on her face. ¡°You need to transform,¡± she said sternly.


    ¡°Worry about that later and shoot the mages,¡± said Friedrich hurriedly. ¡°Marina can¡¯t take much more.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± said Teleri, drawing an arrow and raising her bow. She pulled the string back and let her arrow fly, piercing the throat of one of the mage guards and felling him instantly. ¡°I will handle these Marina, drink one of your potions and summon Shockwave.¡±


    ¡°The way is not clear¡­the boat¡­¡± said Marina, unable to explain herself fully, but Teleri knew what she had meant to say.


    ¡°The boat can endure. You cannot.¡±


    Marina reluctantly retrieved a vial from her belt, uncorked it, and quaffed it until there was not a drop left. Her tiredness remained, but she felt her magical power reinvigorating enough to allow her to continue. She swung her staff and summoned Shockwave onto the boat before ordering him to his pedestal where he could power the boat.


    ¡°We¡¯re stuck in the sand!¡± she wailed, daring to shoot another lightning bolt at a ship. It struck the side of the boat and broke hole in the lower hull, allowing the seawater to immediately flow in.


    ¡°Say no more,¡± said Pheston, jumping off the boat and landing on the sand.


    He pressed himself up against the Brass Stormer and shoved with all of his might, digging his heels into the sand while his shoulders bore the brunt of the brass. Much to his annoyance, the retreating tide had left it more firmly wedged than he had expected and the ship remained in place.


    Friedrich climbed to his feet shakily and moved towards the ladder, but his father stood in his way. ¡°You are too weak, son. Let me.¡±


    ¡°We go together,¡± said Friedrich, hobbling to the ladder with his father.


    The pair climbed down and pushed along with Pheston, but their combined efforts was still not enough to make the Stormer budge.


    ¡°Move!¡± roared Pheston, drawing deeply, but still the ship would not move.


    Friedrich drew back his shield arm and bashed it against the brass, activating his shield¡¯s enchantment and emitting a strong force. He struck it repeatedly and in time with Pheston and Lord Gearfyrd¡¯s pushing. Finally, the ship jutted jolt an inch. Then it jolted another. After a few more strikes and pushes, it slowly moved in the water. Pheston helped Lord Gaerfyrd onto the boat once more while Friedrich remained on the sand. He could go no longer and another transformation was too much for him.


    ¡°What in the world are you doing sitting down, boy,¡± barked Pheston, picking the young man up and throwing him over his shoulder.


    He ascended onto the deck and set Friedrich carefully down. The ship shook vigorously as a heavy boulder struck its side, but it proved too strong to break and merely took a dent. Shockwave kept the ship moving as Pheston took the wheel, correcting course and heading straight out into the ocean.


    ¡°How are we looking?¡± he asked Teleri.


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± she said, releasing another arrow. ¡°We go!¡±

 Chapter 118 - Soul Spent

    The Brass Stormer sped through the water, passing between the remaining four Orion ships. There were precious few crew members left, but the remaining ones were unwilling to give up. They had lost so many and so much that they were prepared to die to kill even one of the invaders who had sprung a prisoner from stasis.


    Marina stood at the port side and Teleri at the starboard, shooting their respective lightning bolts and arrows. With each use of magic, the ship shook. Marina was channelling too much through her staff, leaving Shockwave clinging to Terna while arcane forces sought to draw him back to his elemental plane.


    Two lightning bolts collided in the air, sending a cracking wave of energy across the deck of the Brass Stormer. Marina fell backwards, thumping her head on the ground. She gripped her staff with determination, sore as she was, and forced herself back onto her feet to continue defending the ship.


    As the Brass Stormer streamed past the ships, the skeleton crews remaining were unable to give chase with most of their people having perished on the shore to Pheston¡¯s hammer and Teleri¡¯s arrows. They were left with the option to continue using their magic to hamper the absconders or attempt a true pursuit. They opted to use their magic, only to find it blocked by Marina who had downed a potion to revitalise her mana.


    ¡°They¡¯re almost out of range,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd, watching the ships grow further away as he kneeled by his son¡¯s side, clutching his cold hands.


    Marina collapsed on the ground. The effects of the potions she had taken, while not temporary, had been exhausted. She has burned so much of her magical energy that she had little left to give other than what she needed to sustain Shockwave. As much as she was tempted to use another potion to push a little further, she knew it would only hurt her in the long run once it wore off, and continuing at such a breakneck speed would surely lead to her collapsing and the Orion ships would catch them effortlessly.


    A fireball was shakily petering out as it approached the ship. It dissipated upon contact with the hull, merely heating it rather than causing damage. It was a sure sign that they were safe, but it also meant that the guards may now pivot to pursuit. Marina exhaled a sigh of relief and brushed her messy hair away from her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­that¡¯s over,¡± said Friedrich while wincing in pain.


    Teleri rushed over to him and pulled the goblin mask from underneath his scarf. ¡°I am no longer giving you a choice,¡± she said. ¡°Put this on.¡±


    Friedrich shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°but¡­I don¡¯t think I can control the goblin. I¡¯m too drained.¡±


    ¡°We can handle a goblin, Friedrich. Lord Gaerfyrd, please stand aside.¡±


    The lord did so and, with that, Teleri placed the mask on Friedrich¡¯s face. He immediately felt the overwhelming will of the goblin taking hold of him as he transformed. He struggled against it, trying to assert his dominance, but he could do little. He leapt to his feet and snarled, bearing his jagged teeth at Teleri. She looked at him coldly and drew her dagger, daring him to attack her. Instead, the goblin flopped to the ground and sat on his rear, knowing that he had no choice. He could not flee for there was only water and, stupid as he was, he was not so unintelligent as to dare attacking the strong tall-ones on this boat.


    ¡°Is that Friedrich or the goblin in control?¡± Pheston asked. ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°The goblin,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Marina, sitting up and looking at the goblin. He sneered at her and spat on the ground.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Marina looked over to Lord Gaerfyrd who was leaning against the railings nearby. She stood up and approached him, bowing respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re safe, Lord Gaerfyrd. I¡¯m Marina, one of your son¡¯s travelling companions.¡±


    ¡°Marina¡­¡± muttered Lord Gaerfyrd, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I knew a man in Eastern Mercia with a daughter named Marina¡­what was his name?¡±


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    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Marina with a smile, ¡°but he isn¡¯t my father. I come from Northern Mercia, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Lord Gaerfyrd nodded and smiled back at her. ¡°In any case, it is a pleasure. I¡­to tell you the truth, I am struggling to believe the events of the past couple of hours are real.¡±


    ¡°Very real,¡± chortled Pheston. ¡°We¡¯ve been helping your son for some time now. I met the lad during a stint in Keldracht, you know?¡±


    ¡°Keldracht?¡± asked Lord Gaerfyrd in disbelief. ¡°The hell plane? Land of Ph¡¯zerak?¡±


    ¡°Your son has had an interesting couple of years, my friend. But don¡¯t you worry about him, he¡¯s turned out just fine.¡± Pheston glanced at the goblin who was picking his nose and eating his snot. ¡°Well, he¡¯s fine most of the time. As I said, it¡¯s been an interesting couple of years for him, but the other two can tell you more as they¡¯ve been with him the longest.¡±


    *


    Friedrich wrenched his weary eyes open and stared at the morning sky above. He lifted his hands to his face and was relieved to see they were his own; pale and broad, not green and clawed. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked around the deck where his friends were. Marina was sitting cross-legged and leaning against the door to the cabin, looking ill. Teleri was sitting on the bow and watching the waves. Pheston was at the wheel, looking smugly satisfied. The only person missing was his father.


    ¡°Welcome to your first morning of freedom under a new sky,¡± called Pheston, upon noticing Friedrich stirring. ¡°Nice to see you back to your old self, lad.¡±


    ¡°Friedrich!¡± called Marina with an uneasy smile. She stood up and staggered over to him, looking like she might vomit. She then dropped down beside him and hugged him tightly. ¡°I was worried about you.¡±


    Teleri glanced over and gave a quiet wave that Friedrich returned with a smile. She looked back to the water and continued staring out into the open air.


    ¡°What happened to me?¡± Friedrich asked Marina.


    ¡°When you turned back into yourself, you fainted,¡± she said. ¡°We weren¡¯t sure what to do, but we could see you breathing so we thought we should let you rest. I wanted to move you downstairs, but Pheston said to let you lie here because it isn¡¯t too cold. Are you well now?¡±


    ¡°I feel fine,¡± shrugged Friedrich. ¡°Tired, I suppose, but fine. How are you? You looked like you were hitting your magical limit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired too, but we kept moving for a coupe of hours and then I took a break to rest. I thought you would wake up before me, but you were out for the count.¡±


    Friedrich laughed quietly. ¡°This is one of those moments when you realise that sharing your body with multiple souls can take a toll on you.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d have guessed?¡± asked Marina with a sly grin while nudging Friedrich in the side. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay too.¡±


    Marina hugged him again. ¡°You should talk to your father now,¡± she said. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to tell him much about what had happened over the last couple of years. We thought it best that it came from you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Friedrich. ¡°For everything. You¡¯ve been by my side for so long now and I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without you.¡±


    Marina released him from the hug, red-faced. ¡°No thanks are necessary. It¡¯s just nice to not be alone.¡±


    Friedrich nodded and stood up. His knees were weak, but the boat was stable enough that he could keep his balance. He slowly walked over to the door and headed inside to where a bedroll was lain on the floor. His father was sitting on it, having no doubt been awake for some time. The expression on his shadowed face told Friedrich that he was trying to gather his thoughts and piece together everything he had missed during his imprisonment.


    ¡°Father,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Friedrich,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd, arising. He walked over and embraced his son. ¡°How I¡¯ve missed you, my boy. I feared that the worst had happened to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to the transformations; it wears you down sometimes, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I thought perhaps you had died long ago. I was sure the True King Believers had gotten to you.¡±


    Friedrich pulled back from his father¡¯s embrace. ¡°I¡¯ve been on the road since I last saw you, father. The entire time I knew I had to find a way to rescue you. We may have lost mother, but I wasn¡¯t going to let those treasonous scumbags tear our family apart.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t believe this,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd solemnly. ¡°Any of this. When you¡¯re used to your life and everything changes so suddenly, you feel like you¡¯re having an out-of-body experience. The imprisonment gave me nothing but time to think. Now, to be free¡­and freed by you? It¡¯s strange, son. Keldracht?¡±


    Friedrich couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s later on in the story. Let me tell you everything from the start,¡± he said.


    He and his father headed outside onto the deck and sat by the edge of the boat. Friedrich launched into his long tale, telling his father everything from the last time he had been home to the journey into the tower. He spoke of finding the fox mask in the goblin king¡¯s treasure pile. He told his father of his first meeting with each of his companions. When his father heard about the Undercity and Tierfyr, he looked as though his fingernails would cut into his hands, so tightly clenched were his fists.


    As Friedrich spoke, his friends all listened in. Occasionally they chimed in, especially Pheston, but they tried to let him have his time with his father as much as they could. Thankfully, for the next several days, they had nothing but time.

 Chapter 119 - The Return to Akatfall

    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± said Captain Alden as Friedrich disembarked the Brass Stormer in Akatfall Bay. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a stroke of good fortune, my friend. We¡¯re departing for Kai¡¯roh in a day¡¯s time.¡±


    Friedrich extended a hand in greeting. ¡°Captain,¡± he said. ¡°I trust things have been going well for you and the crew?¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± said Alden dismissively and then looking to the ship. ¡°Tell me about that contraption. Where in the hells did you find that?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Friedrich. ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    Alden laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± said Friedrich, deadpan.


    The captain raised an eyebrow. ¡°What sort of game are you playing, Friedrich?¡±


    ¡°We may or may not have done something that will get us in serious trouble should we be found and that ship makes it easier to identify us. Sadly, we need to be rid of it. You can do whatever you want with it. Use it, sell it, sink it. Just know that it requires lightning magic to power it.¡±


    ¡°Truly, you¡¯re not pulling my leg?¡±


    ¡°Truly,¡± said Marina hopping onto the pier with a grin. She was relieved to finally be back on land. ¡°It¡¯s yours if you want it. I can speak to someone from the Mages Guild and maybe they can provide you with either a mage or something electrically charged enough to power the boat.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a thank you for transporting us wherever we needed to go,¡± said Friedrich.


    ¡°Well¡­alright,¡± said Alden. ¡°I appreciate it, my friends. We¡¯ll take good care of¡­what¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°The Brass Stormer,¡± said Friedrich proudly.


    ¡°And a fine name she has!¡± chuckled Alden.


    Once everyone has disembarked, they said farewell to Captain Alden and walked through the archway and up the hill, leading back into the streets of Akatfall. Most of the group had a single destination in mind and it sat above the city on the hillside; Akatfall Castle, where they would find Lord Buckstone. Marina, however, was heading to the Mages Guild to speak to her old tutor, Hansel the Striker.


    The streets of Akatfall were completely unchanged with the same clumps of moss hanging to the buildings, the cobblestones kept largely clean, and even the people seemed familiar without Friedrich knowing their faces. It was comforting to be back here, especially with no threat from the Butcher of the Bay. This city felt like a home away from home and it pained him that he could not stay here risk-free. Should the True King Believers or the guards of Orion Tower come here, he would be at risk; his father would be at risk. He could not allow that to happen and knew his time in Akatfall would be short-lived.


    *


    Marina walked into the Mages Guild. She looked scraggly from weeks on the water with the rather brief stop at Orion Island being her only time on land, but her face was a picture of youthful energy as she looked around the rounded hall that she missed so dearly. She took a deep breath and smelled the magic in the air. It smelled like incense and old books, which were of course littered throughout the room.


    She stepped forward and spun around, taking it all in. She received a few odd looks from the mages, but she did not care. She was happy to be here and wanted to enjoy the brief pitstop. As she let out a satisfied exhalation, she spied a Mercian with shoulder-length brown hair and a thin moustache. He stood up, smiling, and walked over to her with his shimmering purple robes flowing behind him.


    ¡°Welcome back, Marina,¡± said Hansel the Striker, his genuine gladness for seeing her evident in his warm eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Hansel,¡± replied Marina with a small bow of her head. ¡°It is good to see you. You haven¡¯t changed much.¡±


    ¡°You have. You look more mature; more experienced. Is that a new staff?¡±


    Marina proudly held her dragon bone staff out. ¡°A new staff with my favourite crystal.¡±


    Hansel sniffed the air. ¡°Dragon bone?¡± he asked in surprise. ¡°I know the scent of it anywhere.¡±


    ¡°You can smell it?¡± asked Marina, astonished.


    The mage burst into laughter. ¡°Dragon bones, phoenix feathers. I can pick up on these little hints three times out of five.¡± Hansel leaned on his own ashen staff. ¡°So tell me, Marina, how has your magic come along?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± she said brightly, holding out her staff. She twirled it around and the amethyst glowed brightly as dust swirled. A flash of lightning and the dust was bound to the glowing and crackling form of Shockwave.


    ¡°Elemental summoning,¡± said Hansel nodding proudly. ¡°His form is stable and strong; very impressive.¡±


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    ¡°Thank you, Hansel. It pleases me greatly to hear that. I only regret that I cannot stay in Akatfall and continue studying under you.¡±


    Hansel whipped his staff forward and hurled lightning at Marina. She caught it in her hand and closed her fingers, dissipating it with ease.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Hansel and beckoning her to follow him. ¡°You have clearly been studying. Come with me, I have a tome that may be of interest to you.¡±


    *


    Friedrich and Lord Gaerfyrd marched up the long stairs leading to the doors of Akatfall Castle while Teleri and Pheston sat at the bottom of the staircase, looking out over the city. As the father and son approached the doors, the guards looked confused at the armoured young man and the rather dishevelled man with him.


    ¡°Do you have an audience with Lord Buckstone?¡± asked one of the guards.


    ¡°No,¡± said Friedrich, ¡°but he will want to see me. I was the one who killed the Butcher of the Bay last year.¡±


    The guards looked at Friedrich more closely, looking him up and down, and then did a doubletake. ¡°By Jorren!¡± cried one. ¡°It is you. My, how you¡¯ve grown, Master Friedrich. Come on in and I will escort you to Lord Buckstone¡¯s study. That is usually where he is.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Friedrich with a brief nod of his head.


    The guard led him and his father through the castle that Friedrich remembered well. Although he had not wandered all the halls, he was familiar with the route the guard had taken him, for he had roamed them during the ball during his hunt for the Butcher of the Bay and even leapt from one of the windows into the courtyard. It was not much longer than a year ago, but it felt as though it had been several years. While everything looked the same, it felt different to him; perhaps it was he who was different.


    When they arrived at the lord¡¯s door, the guard knocked. ¡°Excuse me, Lord Buckstone.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± came the lord¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You have a guest.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± asked the lord.


    ¡°Master Friedrich Gaerfyrd,¡± said Friedrich and he could have sworn he heard a small gasp.


    ¡°Come in, come in,¡± said Lord Buckstone.


    The guard led Friedrich and his father inside, gave Lord Buckstone¡ªwho was sitting at his desk¡ªa firm salute, and then departed to return to his post. Lord Buckstone¡¯s face upon seeing Lord Gaerfyrd was a mask of hidden disbelief. As the mask cracked, he burst out into laughter.


    ¡°Siegfried, Siegfried, Siegfried,¡± he said merrily. ¡°I am shocked to see you here alive and well, but it fills me with great joy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Bucky,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd, approaching his friend and clasping his hand. ¡°It has been too long.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Lord Buckstone, turning to Friedrich. ¡°My, how you¡¯ve grown, my boy. I suppose this confirms what I suspected about your parentage all along, young man.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate you not saying anything, Lord Buckstone,¡± said Friedrich, approaching him. ¡°A lot has happened since we last spoke.¡±


    ¡°As of five days ago, I am very much aware of what occurred on Orion Island,¡± said Lord Buckstone, gesturing for the two to sit before him. ¡°Several of their mages and guards will be in the city in a couple of days. No doubt, they will pay be a visit and ask if I¡¯ve heard anything about your escape.¡±


    ¡°I know you have no authority over them, Bucky,¡± said Siegfried, ¡°but we¡¯ve come to ask you a favour.¡±


    ¡°And I will see it done,¡± said Lord Buckstone firmly. ¡°Your executions are scheduled for tomorrow, your bodies will be burned, and records of your death will be written up. I have no doubt that King Godfrey will sign off on this, leaving the Orion Tower mages at a dead end when they come a¡¯knocking.¡±


    Friedrich was astonished Lord Buckstone was so obliging. He had expected to have to bring up his dealing of the Butcher to convince him to help, but here he was, perfectly content.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said the young man, not knowing what else there was for it. ¡°You do not know how much we appreciate this.¡±


    ¡°It is no mean feat to free someone from Orion Tower without being the one to put them there,¡± said Lord Buckstone with a wink. ¡°I suspect you would be very capable of laying waste to this entire castle should I anger you, Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Bucky,¡± said Lord Gaerfyrd. ¡°Now there¡¯s the question of where to disappear to.¡±


    ¡°Might I suggest somewhere in Mercia that even King Godfrey had trouble keeping under control, so he turned to a source he speaks of only with great sourness?¡±


    Lord Gaerfyrd let out a grim chuckle. ¡°Abnar¡¯s Watch,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I should have thought of it myself.¡±


    *


    Teleri and Pheston stood at the bottom of the steps with Akatfall stretching out before them. They could see the everything going on in the city from the people fishing by the bay, the bustling markets in the town square, and the merchants loading their ships up with wares in the docks. It felt like everyone was a small cog in the grand machine of the city and they were all doing their parts.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lovely city, ain¡¯t it?¡± asked Pheston, puffing out his chest. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have the charm of Lundstad, of course, but not bad for a Mercian place.¡±


    ¡°It is pleasant,¡± said Teleri.


    ¡°Alright, Goldie. Out with it. What¡¯s gotten you down?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing? You¡¯ve been a bucket of misery since we departed Orion Island. You give brief answers, you barely look at any of us, and even your appetite isn¡¯t what it once was. Were you not already an elf, you¡¯d be skin and bones!¡±


    Teleri furrowed her brow. ¡°I am fine.¡±


    Pheston looked at her pointedly and then shook his head. ¡°Things have to change,¡± he said. ¡°They always do. The last time you were like this was when I joined your beloved Lightning Foxes and disrupted what you¡¯d grown accustomed to.¡±


    Teleri sighed. She supposed she would have to say something. ¡°I am afraid of the future,¡± she said.


    Pheston expected her to continue, but she said nothing else. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he asked in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯ve got to give a little more than that, lass. We¡¯re friends now, after all. You ask me to fix those two braids of yours and I¡¯ll do it¡­badly. In return, you have the freedom to unload your woes to a friendly ear who will not mock you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Teleri glumly. ¡°I do not want our group to fall apart. I care deeply for all of you, despite you all possessing qualities I find annoying. With Friedrich reunited with his father, I do not know if there is still a place for me in this¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªfamily.¡±


    ¡°You think Friedrich would kick you into the streets?¡± asked a baffled Pheston. ¡°The lad loves you to pieces.¡±


    ¡°He does?¡± asked Teleri, her eyes widening.


    ¡°Oh aye,¡± chuckled Pheston. ¡°He cares about every single one of us and would never stab us in the back for any sum of kupons. If you stick by him, he¡¯ll stick by you.¡±


    Teleri smiled. ¡°I am being a fool.¡±


    ¡°Utterly, yes. You don¡¯t need to worry about a thing, Goldie. Once Friedrich finds somewhere safe to hide, things will settle down and you¡¯ll feel right as rain, eh? Hell, that¡¯s why we¡¯re at this bloody castle, right?¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± said Teleri, sounding more upbeat. ¡°I should not fret needlessly. Wherever our boots land, we will adapt to whatever challenges are thrown our way.¡±


    The Alaurian and the Northman turned back to the city and watched over it as they awaited Friedrich¡¯s return. Teleri remained apprehensive about what was to come, but she was assured that she would not be abandoned. Not by this family.