“So, when was he killed?” I asked so that he finally spits out the important part.
“About half a day before the murder that happened here, the man was identified as the leader of the assassin band known as the Slinkers. He was called Valquor or something like that. What do you say to this, master?”
“So, you are saying that the man who went up to the merchant’s room and killed him and his guards was already dead by then because his throat had been cut?”
“Exactly!” he hit on the table as a confirmation.
“What’s more, he was the leader of a band of assassins, this is highly interesting,” Motari said, frowning.
“I have seen many things in my life, I am a veteran orc warrior who had survived a war, but I have never seen anything like this,” he opened his arms, looking puzzled.
“Thank you for sharing this rather remarkable news with us. I will look into it, I promise,” I responded.
“I will not take any more of your time, I just thought of sharing this with the Master in case you would find it useful or interesting. Anyways, that meat won’t roast itself.” The orc stood up from our table, nodded, and hurried back behind the bar to give orders to his servants.
“What do you think about this, old friend?” I scratched my jaw quite baffled.
“This might have been a well-functioning illusion but I have also heard about people who could almost perfectly disguise themselves, copying the facial features of the others, though the problem with the different voices would still remain there. So, I have no idea, Noan, but it is sure that something odd had happened here.”
“I agree, and I believe that this would deserve a better look.”
Soon, familiar faces showed up at the door of the inn, Father Tero, Fist, Funny, and Stout arrived.
“Master, so you’re feeling better?” asked Funny, with an enormous smile on his face as he approached. They all gave me a hug.
“Considering that a few days ago a wraith leopard wanted to rip me apart, I am feeling quite well. With the help of Dermeron and thanks to the intervention of Father Tero, I am fit as a fiddle,” I looked at the Father gratefully.
We squeezed ourselves to give them some space at the table so that they could all sit.
“We have cut the witch into four pieces and hung them at the northern and eastern gates, as you commanded, Master. The news of the battle spread quickly in the town, many consider us to be heroes.” Fist proudly lifted his head high up.
“Very well. We must frighten the covens so that they know that we are everywhere and can strike down at any time. We are not heroes though, but Inquisitors, and this is our job,” I warned the monks.
“We would like to bury Freckledface today, Master. Will you join us?” Father Tero asked me.
“We are one team, are we not?” I said, looking into Tero’s eyes.
“When are we going to leave this town, Master? We have killed the last witch,” asked Stout.
“We might leave tomorrow but there is something I will need to do beforehand. We can then return to Rowund to the Grand Bastion to give a report to Oppenor Grand Master about the events that have transpired. How is your leg, Stout? If I remember well, the wraith leopard got you good, too.”
“It still smarts a bit, sir, but the Father has made an excellent job with the assistance of Dermeron. It was healed without leaving a scar.”
“His power is infinite, he assists those who respect his name,” Father Tero replied instantly, folding his hands to prayer.
“May his power be blessed,” I responded.
“Mage, are you going to leave us?” asked Fist.
“I’m afraid I will. My obligations are calling me and as I can see you will not need me anymore,” he looked at the group contently.
“We would like to thank you for joining us in the battle and saving our asses in that tight situation,” Stout said gratefully.
“You are welcome, son, and I came to help with pleasure, anyways. Noan doesn’t ask for my help too often, only when the trouble is indeed great,” the old rake looked at me, smiling mysteriously.
“Yes, I know that you are busy, Motari, I cannot bother you with all the unimportant cases.”
In the meantime, Bonecracker started sending the servants to our table with delicious roasts and drinks. We were soon sitting with a full stomach, sipping the exquisite red Yandor wine in each other’s company. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot in my head. I grabbed my temporal with a contorted face. To my greatest surprise, I heard a voice talking inside my head.
Noan, Noan, you should stop drinking that wine! It will go to your head in the end! The voice somehow sounded familiar but I don’t know from where.
“Are you alright, my friend?” Motari asked me as I was stiffly staring at the table.
“Of course, I just suddenly developed a sharp headache.”
This is not just a headache, dear other half. I am here with you and I will stay here!
I heard the voice again. I was completely shocked, not knowing what to do. A voice was talking to me in my head, how could this happen? Am I going crazy?
Who are you and why have you called me? I asked the voice in my head.
I am you, Noan. Another, darker side of yours that was awakened by Iriana when she was playing around in your head. We might say that I am your other half. A wilder, more wicked half, the voice laughed out loud.
I don’t need you! Leave me alone and get out of my head! I commanded.
As you wish, Noan, but I will be back. You cannot get rid of me so easily!
To the beard of giants, what was this? I don’t want to go mad, I still have so much to do and I need a clear mind. I didn’t want to stay longer among my friends and comrades, while disputing with a voice in my head would have been difficult to hide.
“Inquisitor brothers and Motari, I am going to have some rest because I am still feeling dizzy. We will meet at the funeral later.”
“Alright, Master, have a good rest,” Father Tero replied.
I stood up from the table and returned to my room, the others were looking at me wondering, they whispered that I was probably still not feeling too well. They couldn’t have known that there was something utterly different in the background. A strange voice had called me out my name, stating that it was my other half. I wanted nothing else but to have a few hours nap. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remain undisturbed for long as I was woken up by someone knocking on the door.
“Master Noan, wake up! The carriage of the Bishop is waiting for you in front of the inn!” the strong voice of a man said from the other side of the door.
“Just a minute, I am coming down right now!”
I quickly got dressed and washed my face with the cold water in the tub. Opening the door, I saw two guards waiting for me in spangenhelms and scale armor, wearing a shield of blazing lilies on their chest.
“Master Noan, are you ready to go?” The guards cut right to the chase.
“Yes, show me the way.”
I went down the stairs with my two escorts and we stepped onto the street, leaving the main entrance. A closed carriage pulled by four pitch-black horses was waiting for us beside half a dozen cavalrymen with shields decorated with blazing lilies. The windows were covered by a dark velvet curtain so I couldn’t see who was inside. The gracious inlaid doors were opened before me. There was only one person inside in an embroidered, bordeaux evening cloak decorated with braided blazing lilies. It was Bishop Burron himself.
“Greetings, Master Noan!” he said as he was reaching towards me with his emerald seal ring.
“Your Excellency!” I kissed his ring.
The rider flicked his whip at the horses that let him know with a loud nicker that they had understood the command. We left at a slow pace and I made myself comfortable opposite his Excellency in the cushioned carriage.
“I was bold enough to come personally to you to express my deepest appreciation for having fought so gallantly and having cleansed the town fro
m those heretics and their high priestess. I have heard that you were severely injured in the course of the battle against the ramador. I was hoping that you were already feeling better,” he folded his hands full of rings.
“Yes, I was hovering between life and death but Deremeron protected me and now I am in form again, as you can see.”
Sure, if it hadn’t been for Father Tero, you would be long buried, you heroic paladin! Your god was staring at you from above as the beast was torturing you, my other half began to speak.
Have you managed to learn something about the Eye of Damnation?” the Bishop asked me rather excitedly.
“I have no new information, your Excellency. Rumor has it that Iriana wanted to bring it here, that’s all. I believe that this danger has been prevented since we had defeated that wench. I mean to say, the witch.”
“There is no need to correct yourself with me. I also have the habit of calling them such names. I hope that these dark souls won’t appear again in this region.”
Poor womanfolk. You have made her be cut into pieces like a cow, how nicely she was purring though, wasn’t she? That’s true that the old wench was anything but a young lamb, goddamnit! When she transformed back she seemed to be hundreds of years old!
Shut up, damn it! Can’t you see that I am in the middle of an important conversation? I was fighting myself, trying to shush the voice inside me.
“Has his Excellency heard about the murder in the One-Armed Giant?”
“No, I haven’t. Please, Master Noan, pray tell.”
“I am intrigued by the case. My scent suggests that we are not facing a common murder. The innkeeper told us the other day that a dwarf merchant and his guards were murdered there. This wouldn’t be newsworthy on its own; however, the corpse of the murderer was found in the proximity of a village, in a forest, his throat was cut.”
“Fate has reached the sinful soul.”
“We can say that, too. He turned out to be the leader of the band of assassins called the Slinkers. According to the pathologist, however, he was already dead when the dwarf merchant was killed.”
“This means that it wasn’t him who had committed the murder?” the Bishop asked, stroking his clean-shaven face.
“It seems that it wasn’t. The murderer must have masked himself or he used some kind of charm that disguised his real identity.”
“This is rather peculiar. It reminds me of a mysterious case that happened in a neighboring duchy a couple of days ago.”
“Has his excellency encountered a similar case before?” I raised my eyebrows.
He leaned forward and frowned, appearing tense.
“What you are going to hear is highly confidential. I will share it with you because you have done so much for my city but I am asking you to handle it with utmost secrecy.”
“I understand, your Excellency,” I nodded.
He leaned back, folded his hands, and looked deep into my eyes.
“About a week ago, Countess Cerylen was murdered in the Duchy of Argviran. In itself, it is not so interesting. It happens sometimes that someone falls victim to power games in the upper circles. However, when she died, she transformed into something horrendous. Her hair disappeared and her skin became transparent, making the convolution of her brain and her organs visible. The irises of her eyes turned vertical as if she was a reptile. She was a bloody shapeshifter, who knows since when!”
“A shapeshifter? I thought those creatures were of legends!”
“No, they are still amongst us, I just call them the Faceless. They are extremely cautious and there are only a couple of them left.”
“Are you meaning to say, your Excellency, that we are facing a shapeshifter in this case too?”
“I cannot state it for sure, Master Noan, but we cannot eliminate its possibility. If it’s true, I believe that we are in serious trouble. You can never know who is one of us and who is not.”
“What do you know about these creatures, sir?”
“Unfortunately, not much. They live in disguise in our world, always hiding. Theirs is a very ancient race, they were already here when humans arrived to the continent. They were defeated in the War of the Races and then they vanished from the surface of the Earth. But it is highly worrying that they could infiltrate our leaders.”
“Is there any method or procedure at all to find out who is a Faceless?” I brushed my hair nervously.
“I am not sure that it works well but I have read about a case where an accused person had to take the poison probe. These monstrosities are not affected by any poison, no matter how deadly they might be,” Burron was playing with his ring.
Then we will poison everyone among the monarchs and we mercilessly kill the ones left alive just like they were monsters! This is simple like warm horseshit. If it’s steaming, it’s still fresh. There is no need to complicate things.
What a deep thought! You cannot be serious. If you have nothing meaningful to contribute with, just shut up! I snapped at the voice in my head. I was uncomfortably squirming on the cushioned seat, trying to arrange my thoughts while I was fighting with my own self.
“This sounds rather risky, your Excellency, for if a nobleman is poisoned on purpose and he dies, one can easily end up at the gallows.”
“I never said it entailed no danger, but according to what I know, this is the only way to discover whether someone is a Faceless,” the Bishop answered, slowly turning his gaze on the streets we were flitting past.
“I will keep my eyes open, your Eminence, and if anything suggests that I have encountered a Faceless, I will look into the matter even if it imposes danger.”
“That is great, Master Noan. We cannot let these creatures penetrate into the circles of the leading powers. I wouldn’t even dare to think what perilous consequences that might trigger. If you encounter such a creature and you are in need of advice, my door will always be open for you.”
“I will keep that in mind. Tomorrow we are leaving the city with my team, we are not needed here anymore.”
“May Dermeron guide and protect you on your way, Master Noan. I believe you will really need that in the future. I thank you and your brave Inquisitors once again for having freed my city from the heretics,” he reached out with his emerald seal ring.
“Your Eminence, may the flames of Endnek brighten your day!” I kissed his ring.
“Yours too, Master!”
He knocked on the door of the carriage which soon stopped. One of the soldiers opened the door and I got off the carriage. Fortunately, we made a full circle in the city, therefore I couldn’t have been too far away from the One Armed Giant. The carriage and its escort passed beside me. What a story it was that Burron had just shared with me! Thoughts were chasing each other wildly in my head. There are shapeshifters living among us, or how the Bishop calls them the Faceless, who can disguise themselves perfectly. Endless number of questions arose as I was contemplating. Who knows what plans they are devising against us! Why haven’t I heard about these creatures before? Why is it right now that I encounter these events? To the rotten stench of the dead, all these questions are causing me a headache! It was time for me to return to the inn. I spotted the orange tiles of the building’s roof, so I sped up my steps in that direction. We were going to bury Freckledface today, our second brother Inquisitor who was called upon by Dermeron. I couldn’t know how much time I was destined to live yet but I was sure that I had a lot more to do on this world.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Agreement
People were looking at the bloody goblin head hanging from my saddle-bag as I rode into the village. Its features were stiffened into a grotesque grimace at the moment of death. Sitting proudly on my horse, I headed straight to the village hall, where Ruan hurried to me with some villagers.
“Your lordship, thanks to the gods, you have returned safe and sound! I can see that the chase had been successful! Where are the others?” he asked, looking a bit confused.
“We have
conquered the charlatan that was controlling dark forces, but unfortunately we were trapped and he charmed my people with dark magic then slaughtered them all, I couldn’t do anything against it.”
At this moment, Father Delgron stepped out of the house and joined the hearkening audience.
“I kept my words, people! I have brought his head as I have promised,” I took the head off the saddle-bag and proudly raised it high up, then threw it to the crowd.
“What happened to the Filrox brothers, my good lord?” the peasants asked desperately.
“The dark power of the warlock mercilessly struck down on them. I could survive thanks to the sacrifice that my own guard had made for me. He diverted his attention and seizing the opportunity, I impaled the little bastard from the side, like a pig! Unfortunately, one of the deadly lightning bolts killed Hrindel too, so it was only I who was left alive by the end.”
“Many had given their lives to put the warlock to death. Let’s pray for the souls of the deceased to find peace in the afterlife,” Father Delgron started praying.
The people followed his example so I joined them too, reciting some sacred psalms. At the end of the prayer, I went to the priest.
“Can we have a few words, one on one?”
“Naturally, my lord, let us walk.” We left the villagers who were examining the goblin head up close as they were debating over what to do with it.
“I want to ask you to lead the ambulatory soldiers back to Rockclaw. I have to pay a visit to Baron Yuraj, concerning an urgent business matter.”
“Pardon me, my lord, but Baron Yuraj about business? As far as I know, you haven’t had the best relationship for quite a while and now you want to travel there all alone?”
“Exactly as you are saying, Father, I will go on my own. I do not wish to elaborate on this. Please tell Kirona that I have gone to the Baron to negotiate a matter of utmost importance. She will understand.”
“As you say, my lord. Thanks to my cure and the power of Ilthor, tomorrow morning, the soldiers will probably be able to get on their horses. We will return to the castle.”
Faceless: The Takeover (The Shapeshifters Book 1) Page 16