I led him through the deserted side corridors of the huge manor, a manor I impressed in my memory since the very first days of work, as well as all the shifts and rounds of everyone working around, in addition to the men under my command. The property had 42 servants, mostly gardeners, cleaners and artisans for the maintenance of the surrounding lands (including a small wood…), and 15 of them actually worked full time inside the building, as waiters, valets and assistants of sort, and 2 cooks. As for my 20 armed men, I knew exactly where I posted them and how to avoid their positions, even considering that we’re talking about an almost 70 rooms house…you can fail to find someone even if you’re actually LOOKING for him or her! In addition, I am pretty sure my companion used his…abilities…to help us through undetected, not taking even the slightest chance.
I headed for one inner courtyard after another, through half-hidden passageways, finally reaching a sort of box room adjacent to the inner thermal baths, on the lower floor. I opened a small door, invited the Black Cape through and closed it behind me with the special key only me and my employer had. The room was small and dark, but I needed no light to find the secret door opening the damp tunnel to Osten Manor’s basement. How ironic…I never had particular contact with magic and magical problems or creatures in the course of my career. I always tried to avoid anything supernatural, cold steel in the guts was exciting enough for me, no need for complications beyond my comprehension…and now, I was walking in a dark passage, towards an even darker place, led by a witch hunter, in search for a creature used by parents to scare their children into good behavior. Not really like me, not at all. Or at least, like my old self. I lighted a torch and started down the tunnel, very damp at first, but drying up as we went farther and farther from the thermal grounds. We walked on, in silence, for about 20 minutes, going pretty deep underground. “Here we are” I said, finally stopping in front of a sturdy steel door. “So, after checking out, you’ll final-“ “Silence now, please” he interrupted me. I was about to ask what by the gods was going on, when I noticed there was light beyond the door. I suddenly dropped the torch aside, and drew my long knife from the scabbard while my eyes were getting used to the now faint light. “Are you re-“ I started, but it was way too late. Cyrus kicked the door open, actually sending a 10 centimeters wide steel door flying through the room, and entered without even slowing down or looking around. Cursing horribly, I followed. And when I entered, I saw the most incredible thing I could have seen given the circumstances…
The old storage room, which I saw last time tree or four weeks ago for the regular monthly inspection, was no more. Now it was more like a noble inn suite, with a huge king -sized bed, paintings on the walls, faint light spheres glowing here and there, ebony furnitures , including a big round table, some chairs…and, of course, the two men sitting there. To see my chief, with whom I worked now for some months, sitting in a former basement with an unknown man, hiding from the world, from the Order and most of all from his main bodyguard, was for me a shock comparable to finding your new wife in the cellar with someone else. What the Hades was he doing there, and why was I the only one surprised?? And wait a minute…that man…that was supposed to be a Dark One? No way…
The stranger was dressed like a nobleman, with a white blouse under a dark blue cardigan over it, silk grey trousers and dark leather boots. He seemed quite tall, couldn’t say how much since he was sitting, and lean, with a fair skin, emerald green almond-shaped eyes and long, white hair falling down reaching his back. His facial traits were delicate, surely attractive, I couldn’t say how old he was… or if he was human. When we entered, he didn’t seem surprised, nor he jumped up, like Mr Osten did, as the door flew two meters inside the room, nor worried…he seemed satisfied, like if this were all he wanted all along… like if he were actually WAITING for this.
“Finally, foul creature. Your existence taints this world, your stench corrupts this whole plane of existence. I’ve come here to put an end to your permanence here. By edict of the Order, I sentence you to death. The execution is now. Such is the fate of Devils on my way…”
The stranger didn’t utter a word, waiting rather patiently, without expression, for Cyrus to finish. Then, with a smile, he replied: “A foul creature…a Devil, you say..hmm…tell me, do you even know who I am? Do you know why you hunt me? What do you know about me?”. He was…amused. His attitude unsettled me, and my alarm bell sounded as loud as it could be. “I know what I need to. You Dark Ones think you can extend your influence to this world, rule people while staying behind the curtains, gambit pawns in your chess game. You are the great Evil, we are the cure” said the Black Cape, the familiar black energy crackling around him, forming the energy scythe blade on his staff. “It saddens me, but you shape truth incorrectly. I am not evil, nor dark, nor an…extra-planar being, as you seem to believe I am. Regarding your accusations on the way I carry on my activities, I could tell you with no small reason that it’s your beloved Order which plots and schemes behind people, seeking power. Me and those like me are just a convenient “common enemy” to distract everyone from your true aim: power”.
“Enough of your lies. Your deceiving words do not work on me, Demon. Go back to Hell, and mention me if they ask you who organized your travel” a huge bolt of black energy darted from the hand free hand of Cyrus, directly towards the Dark One. In an instant long like hours, he raised a hand to meet the magic bolt. I expected an explosion, or an implosion, or a death, or a noise…something! But the energy blast just vanished into thin air, swallowed mysteriously, without any consequence.
“As I told you, first and foremost you lack the correct shape of the truth. You shaped your own, or one they gave to you, but it’s distorted, like if painted by an unskilled artist drawing a wrong perspective. Some aspects are blatant lies, utterly unsound ones too. For example: I cannot go BACK to Hell, because I have never been there. That’s not a place well suited for me. And I am not a demon…my name is Arctorios, and you found me here because I was waiting for you”.
Cyrus charged another energy bolt, this time twice the size. I hastily took cover behind a bookcase. “What? You expect me to believe this? I chase you to kill you, and you wait for me? Why would you do that?”. The creature named Arctorios, at last slowly standing up from the chair, answered with a warm smile: “But to introduce myself to you, of course. Unfortunately, this took more time than I could afford to spend here, so you will excuse me if I leave this soon.”
“You’re not going anywhere!” screamed Cyrus, unleashing the huge energy mass towards the Dark One. This time, he just dodged the spell, sidestepping at the speed of thought, and making it look extremely natural, too. The bolt hit the wall behind, disintegrating two square meters large, one meter deep area of granite. I looked around for Mr. Osten, but I couldn’t see him anywhere anymore. Cyrus jumped across the table, slashing at the being called Arctorios with his magic scythe. The Dark one ducked under, closed the distance and connected a chain of punches to Cyrus’s body. The huge warrior of the Order used the momentum given from the last punch he received to sweep with his scythe, but the distance was still too few, and Arctorios managed to block the staff with one arm, parry a punch with the other arm, and quickly sweep with a low kick, trying to throw his opponent off balance. Cyrus stepped back, moving his weight to the other leg and avoiding the worst of the sweep, but in so doing was forced to give his enemy some space. “Until we meet again, Cyrael” he said with his warm smile, before crashing an ebony drawer on the wall behind him, and disappearing through the opening. Cyrus tried to follow, but, as I saw with my own eyes a few moments later, the tunnel was vertical, meaning that “thing” actually FLEW away…
“Why did he call you like that? Cyrael? What does that mean?”. As he turned in my direction, his cloak flapped aside and I saw his black plate mail was damaged in two points, two fist shaped indentations: “I…I don’t know. But I am not going to dwell upon his lies. That’s the venom he would like to poison me with. Instead, I am going to send a messenger to Cape Dawn and report to my superior. This is your new assignment: find someone you trust and an escort for him. While I wait for new orders, I will decide what to do with this town and your former employer. And, of course: from now on, you’re going to assist me until I need you no more.”
Great, just what I needed. So much for tranquility…
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento