A rough hand grabs the back of Aedyn’s collar and slams him into his seat. Luke laughs before groggily looking over to see Nyx. The caster has her arms crossed and is glaring at both of them with eyes that could make an ogre sweat. She calmly marches over to Luke and shoves him onto his chair. The barmaid is already walking over with drinks when Nyx turns to face her. The young girl finds herself in the angry caster’s line of sight with nowhere to hide. A silent jerk of Nyx’s head makes the young lady turn around in mid-step and disappear into the kitchen.
“You two are left in a tavern for a day and you start competing with each other,” she complains, sitting at the table. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“We already played darts, which I won,” Luke says, a piercing headache growing behind his eyes. “Aedyn is smarter than me, so riddles and chess went badly. Sparring wasn’t an option since the priest is weaker than an infant.”
“Shut your mouth, Callindor,” Aedyn snaps.
Nyx puts a hand on a shoulder of each of her companions. “Calm down. I thought you guys only had four mugs of ale today. You’ve been here since morning and it’s late afternoon. You can’t be drunk.”
“Actually, we only had four mugs in the past hour,” Luke mentions.
“You what?” Nyx inquires with a look of stunned surprise on her face.
“It is true. I know a spell that staves off drunkenness for about eight hours,” Aedyn proudly explains. “All the drinks hit you at once when the spells lifts, but there is no threat of alcohol poisoning since the spell doubles as a reactive healing spell. I would say the spell wore off on Luke near the end of the chess game. Mine should have a few more minutes left.” He belches at her with enough force to moves Nyx’s hair.
“Guess I’ll need to use a spell of my own to fix this,” Nyx mutters under her breath. A subtle wind whirls around the table and becomes two lines of light. One of the lines enters Luke’s head through his ears while the other does the same to Aedyn.
“That tickles,” Luke chuckles.
“We need to discuss some things, so both of you need to be coherent. This is going to hurt, but I don’t really have a choice,” Nyx says. A sudden burst of energy explodes in their heads and wakes the male half-elves up from their drunken stupors. Both of the young men hold their ears in pain and double over in their chairs.
“Good gods. That was a cleansing spell set off in our brains. The precision for such a thing is master level,” Aedyn groans, struggling to keep control of his stomach. “I feel like I am going to throw up.”
“I took a guess that such a thing would work,” Nyx casually admits.
“Guess? From what he just said, you could have done some damage,” Luke snaps, a line of drool slipping down his chin. “Be a little more careful when you cast magic on us.”
“I have a question that I should have asked earlier. I bet you two would know better than the others,” Nyx says, ignoring Luke’s request. “Kellia mentioned an attack on the academy with a Cyclops, which is not indigenous to either Visindor Forest or the Caster Swamp. So, what exactly are we dealing with here?”
“I knew that we forgot to tell her something. You tell her,” Aedyn croaks in a weak voice.
“There are two creatures that we are expecting to get in our way. One of them is a Hellfire Elf. It’s a demonic assassin that can change shape and it wields magical weapons. This one carries a Chaoswind blade, which is responsible for my torso scar. He will definitely attack us, but you don’t have to worry about him. That bastard is mine since he and I are tied. He beat me within an inch of my life during our first encounter and I returned the favor the second time around. Our next battle is going to be our last,” says the forest tracker, carefully touching his tingling face. “Anyway, the demon’s master is something that Aedyn is better suited to explain. I may have fought and survived the creature, but our priest was actually able to hold his own against it. I just happened to get lucky. I have to regain my sense of touch, thanks to you, Nyx. I can’t feel my fingers.”
“You do know that demons don’t have a gender, right?” Nyx inquires.
Luke waves her words away, but it takes a few seconds to stop his arm from flapping around. “It looks male to me, so I refer to it as a male. Tell her about the bigger problem, Aedyn.”
“We are dealing with a powerful undead,” Aedyn whispers with his head on the table. “He is a powerful caster who refuses to die. We believe that he wants to use Kellia as a vessel to infiltrate the Serabian government. Luke claims that Fizzle had destroyed the previous body of this caster. We have reason to believe that his spirit survived and he has been regaining strength in the Caster Swamp.”
Nyx nods thoughtfully as she lets his words sink in. “We’re talking about a Lich then. One of the most dangerous creatures you can find in Windemere. It’s incredibly hard to defeat without magic and even harder to permanently kill without the correct spells. I guess this is why my masters insisted that I join you. Fizzle would have been the only weapon you guys had if I decided to stay in Gaia. Speaking of our adorable friend, where is Fizzle? I thought he was going to be watching over you guys.”
“Uh, we kind of introduced him to hard apple cider,” Luke sheepishly mutters. “Then, he kind of wandered out the window.” Nyx shoots him a look as he turns to the wall. She turns back to see Aedyn twiddling his thumbs and gazing at the ceiling.
“You two are horrible drunks,” she grumbles.
The door to the tavern squeaks open on unoiled hinges as a familiar face walks in. Nimby waves to his friends before walking over. Everyone takes notice of the purring feline that slinks off the halfling’s shoulder and onto the floor. A few coos are heard from the barmaids as they watch the blue-furred pet curl up at Nimby’s feet. Thoroughly distracted, nobody notices Nimby act like he is taking something off his head and placing it on the table. Fizzle appears curled up on the table with rainbow bubbles sticking out of his nostrils.
“Why did I find Fizzle asleep in a barrel that used to hold hard cider?” the halfling asks.
“Don’t ask,” Luke says, his eyes falling on the cat. “I see you came back with a new friend.”
Nimby reaches down to scratch his new pet between the ears. “I named her Nightshade. I saved her from a stray dog and she started following me around. I take it everyone returned safely. This can be a rough town from what I’ve heard.”
“Kellia is resting upstairs in a warded room. Aedyn will be watching over her since he is the one who made the wards, so he is the only one who can pass through them. He can also strengthen them from the inside,” Nyx explains. A small yawn slips through her lips before she can stop it. “The next room over will be Nimby and Luke. If anything gets through the wards, you two can get to Kellia quickly and help her escape. I will be sleeping by myself.”
“Where is Fritz staying?” Nimby asks. One of the barmaids comes over with a saucer of milk for the cat. She giggles and smiles at Nimby before answering a yell for service.
“Fritz sent us a message that he won’t be staying in the tavern. He would not go into details, but he said that there is a person arriving at the Wonder Museum this evening and he cannot miss their arrival,” says the priest. He can feel the pain behind his eyes lessening and breathes a sigh of relief. “It is a shame. His illusions would be a powerful defense against the thieves of Rodillen. Did you have any other questions for us, Nyx, or can we go to bed?”
“How powerful is the Lich’s necromancy?” Nyx asks. A mug of ale is carefully placed in front of her. The barmaid points at an attractive, lightly armored man in the corner. He winks and smiles at Nyx only to have the caster flip him off. She sends the drink back with the barmaid without another thought.
“Why do you assume that the Lich only uses necrocasting?” Aedyn asks out of curiosity.
“Because that is all they can do,” Nyx answers bluntly, giving the priest an odd look of apprehension. “Priests believe that Liches retain the magic of their former lives, which
is false. They can only do necrocasting because their lives were restored through necrocasting, so it’s the only form of magic that they can utilize. There’s also the aura issue. A living caster uses his or her aura as fuel for spells. A Lich is undead, so it lacks an aura and must use the auras of other living creatures to cast spells. This limits them to using body transmuting spells, mind-altering spells, and life attacking spells. You never hear of a Lich using lightning or fire because they are unable to use such magic. At least, in the truest sense of magic since some Liches figure out necromantic versions of these spells. I believe the only magic they can retain from their living years is summoning magic because of its ritualistic nature and not dependent on aura. Why did you three suddenly go pale?”
Silence clutches Aedyn and Nimby as they look at Luke. The forest tracker is tapping his finger on the table as he thinks. His battle with the Lich replays in his mind and he shivers at the memory of the pain that he felt from the monster’s spells. A powerful wind spell and a minor lightning spell stand out in his mind.
“The Lich was able to use wind and lightning magic when I fought it,” Luke states after a few more minutes of thought. “I know little about magic, but there was nothing different from these spells than those used by a living caster. At least, visually”
“That’s impossible!” Nyx exclaims, trying to keep her voice low. “There had to be something unnatural about the lightning and the wind, such as a different color or the scent of decay. Pure elemental magic can only be done by living casters.”
“I would agree if I hadn’t seen and felt him cast those spells,” Luke contends while scratching his head. “Selenia told us that this specific Lich was strange. His magic is weaker than that of a normal Lich, but he is able to use more types of spells. So, far we have evidence of him using summoning, elemental, illusion, ritualistic, body transmuting, and mind-altering magic. I guess this is another reason we need you more than any other caster.”
“Why would I be the best choice?” she inquires.
“You don’t need gestures, a staff, or your voice to cast a spell like other casters,” Nimby chimes in. “Everything you do is instinctual and quick. So, you can react to his attacks before he finishes casting. Unless you can’t recognize the gestures and words he will use. Were you taught these things?”
Nyx uncomfortably shifts in her seat. “I know of them.”
“As entertaining as this meeting is, I believe we should have some dinner and go to our rooms. Captain Higgs wants us at the dock no later than an hour after sunrise,” says Aedyn, who has recovered his calm and stoic demeanor. “I am surprised that nothing has happened to us yet. I expected Rodillen to throw some trouble at us even if the trouble did not deal specifically with our journey. Aside from watching Luke play a horrible game of chess, it has been pretty peaceful.”
“Speak for yourself, priest,” Nimby mutters under his breath.
“You say something?” Nyx asks.
“Nope. Time for bed,” Nimby announces, stretching his arms and scooping up Fizzle from the table. The cat follows him up the stairs while the halfling whistles along with the flutist. Nyx is the only one who watches Nimby disappear around the corner.
“That was strange. So, who is paying for food?” she asks.
“You,” her companions declare.
“Why me?” Nyx asks, refusing to reach for her money pouch.
“Because you nearly boiled our brains with your spell,” Aedyn responds. He exaggerates rubbing his eyes and blinking in an attempt to milk some guilt out of Nyx. “Everything looks so bright and blinding. It is like I stared directly into the glory of Durag and refused to look away before my eyes shifted to another plane of existence. This better be temporary or I will be highly upset with you.”
“If this is permanent then she just weakened our best fighter and our healer,” Luke teases her with no attempt to hide his smile. “The mission could be in jeopardy thanks to her. At least, the drunkenness would have been gone by the morning with only a headache left behind. Way to mess everything up in less than four days, Nyx.”
“Shut up, you two. I’ll pay for dinner,” Nyx grumbles. “Big babies.”
*****
The night in Rodillen is quieter than a crypt with greedy thieves sneaking around every corner. It is an atmosphere of paranoia and fear that chokes the city even under a cloudless sky full of stars. Any movement that can be noticed on the city’s street is nothing more than a thief on his way to a crime or a victim being dragged into a dark alley. Every house and tavern has their lights on in the windows in an attempt to make thieves think twice before attempting a break-in. It is a feeble trick that barely slows a determined intruder like the one hunting Kellia and her escort. Only the bartender is awake when a leather-clad figure slips into the riverside tavern. She conceals her face with a silk mask and a flowing cloak that trails behind her.
“What can I-” starts the bartender. He is cut short by a slender needle to his throat. The man slumps behind the bar as the figure approaches. She leaps on top of the bar and crouches above her victim.
“You won’t lie. The needle has been laced with a truth serum and a hypnosis potion. You will answer my questions,” the figure says in a soft, muffled voice.
“Yes, master,” the man gurgles, his body wracked with spasms.
“Is there a forest tracker, a priest of Durag, a female half-elf, a halfling, and a female human staying here?” she asks.
“Yes,” the man coughs.
“Which rooms are each of these people in?”
The needle in his throat twitches sporadically. “They took the room at the top of the stairs and the two rooms to the right of the stairs. The human is in the room at the top of the stairs with the priest of Durag. The other woman claimed the far right room. The forest tracker and the halfling are in the middle room.”
“Perfect. Now, to have some fun with you,” whispers the woman. She tosses him a bag that jingles with the sound of two coins. “Remove all of your clothing and tie this bag of money around your neck. Wander Rodillen until you hear a rooster. Once you hear the rooster, you will wake up and remember nothing of this night. You will repeat this ritual for the next three nights at midnight. Go.”
The bartender is naked and heading out the door as the woman slinks up the stairs. She stops short when she notices a small figure near the top of the stairs. A whispered spell lifts her an inch off the ground before she continues up the stairs. Gliding like a ghost, the woman smiles at the sight of Luke sleeping against the wall. He is in a puddle of ale that used to be in the overturned mug near his hand. An occasional hacking erupts from his lungs as he sleeps in drunken bliss.
The mystery woman wrinkles her nose at the smell of booze as she eyes the would-be hero. All of her planning around this warrior and he could not even make it back to his bed. She pulls a stiletto dagger out of her sleeve and makes a quick cut across Luke’s face. Blood drips down his cheek as he grumbles and topples over. The figure smiles approvingly at the proof that he is not an illusion and considers killing him. In one slash, she could end the Callindor legacy, but she knows it could lead to noise. The heiress was her true target and needed to be dealt with first. Luke was obviously too drunk to feel pain, so she could always kill him on her way out of the tavern.
Leaving the unconscious half-elf behind, she glides to the first door and pulls out a piece of paper marked with twisting lines of ink that make a vine-like design. A small incantation wafts from her mouth as she gently presses the paper to the door. The doorway is coated in a dim layer of amber energy, which slowly changes to a deep purple. The masked woman opens the silenced door and feels the holy wards snap and crumble around her.
Two beds sit in the room before her with their occupants moving the covers with the rising and falling of their chests. She can clearly see a young half-elf clutching a holy symbol in the bed to her left. The staff at the foot of his bed is on the ground and far out of the priest’s reach, so she calmly
turns to the right side of the room. Small boots of the finest leather and the clothes of a woman are strewn across the floor. The figure in bed moves slightly and startles the assassin with a sleepy, girlish giggle.
The woman grips her stiletto dagger while looking around the messy room. The assassin takes her time plotting her route through Kellia’s scattered belongings. Once she is comfortable, she silently creeps to the bed. The woman smiles when she sees wisps of long, dark hair escaping the confines of the blanket.
A final look at her surroundings steadies the assassin’s hand before she makes a quick stab at the bed. The blade strikes the girl in her breast before the form fades away and the stiletto slams into the mattress. The mysterious figure’s plan continues to unravel as light erupts from Aedyn’s staff. She turns to face the priest only to feel her mask ripped off her face and a metal edge pressed against her throat. Trinity smiles at the fact that she, the chaos elf queen, has been captured by a pair of amateurs.
“I told you that a chaos elf would be coming,” Luke says, standing on the bed.
“I said it would be a chaos elf. Should we kill her or tie her up for the night?” Aedyn asks. He sits on his bed and reaches down to pick up his staff. His eyes never leave the chaos elf before him.
“Not sure. Let’s see who she is and what she knows,” Luke suggests.
“I don’t have the time for an interrogation,” she says, running a finger along the edge of Luke’s saber. “I am Trinity and I am the queen of the chaos elves. Currently, I’m working with some of your old friends. The Lich sends his regards and his angry pet claims that it will have your heart for dinner. Or was it lunch? I don’t really remember or care. Anyway, my deal with the Lich was to create obstacles at all of your stops.”
Luke moves in front of her and lets his saber slide down to above her heart. “That was . . . more than I expected.”
“She is lying. The queen of the chaos elves would not come after us herself. She would send agents. She is nothing more than a lackey who is trying to impress us,” Aedyn angrily contends. “Besides, the real ruler of the chaos elves would not get caught so easily. Just kill her and toss the body out the window with the rest of the trash.”
Legends of Windemere: 02 - Prodigy of Rainbow Tower Page 15