The Sufferer's Chronicle - Book 1: The Soul Prison

by Derek Hampton

The two wrestled about, falling to the floor, finally leading to a thrown fist from the guard. He struck the young man across the face and knocked him off. With the blade still in his gut, he rose, his scimitar tightly in his grasp. Scarlet beams glistened from under his helmet, as he harnessed a power unnatural to their world.

  Fear grew within the mercenary, as he was now unarmed and at the feet of a pain-numbed soldier in full armor. He raised the scimitar, prepared to bring it down on his opponent. It hit the stone floor of the platform, clanking heavily against it.

  In an impressive display of agility, Dedricus had rolled away and rose to his feet. Grabbing the longsword in the guard's gut, he pulled it away, further tearing away at the flesh and freeing the bloodied weapon.

  Black blood seeped from the man's wound, dripping down his legs and pooling at his feet. A sickening splatter was heard, though the sound was muffled from under the armor. His angered panting quickly turned to weak gasps for air as his knees buckled.

  “Kill me already.”

  “Not until you tell me how to get into the inner ruins.”

  The soldier spit in Dedricus’ face dotting it with black specs and falling to his knees. Only when the young man wiped his face did he truly realize the color of the blood. He knocked off his dying opponents helmet to see the grotesque visage. Dark gray patches invaded his pale face, though he did not appear to be rotting.

  “What's with the color of your blood? Why's it black? And why’s your skin like that?”

  “I am of Klurenok’s chosen... My being is his...”

  “Your being is gross. One more try. How do I get into the inner ruins?”

  “I’d die b-before I surrender Ravious’ plot. H-he’s doing... our Lord’s work.”

  Rolling his head back, he surrendered to death at the mercenary’s feet. With his passing, the scimitar had lost all its color and lay next to the armored corpse.

  As Dedricus touched the weapon, it began to smolder, erupting into ashes and scattering to the wind. He had never seen a weapon like that, one conjured from magic. The prospect of it interested him, though that was for another day.

  Standing on the tips of his toes, he looked over the entirety of Relothra from the top of the stairs. He couldn’t even see any damage that Kasyra had done. Finally, she came into view as she began walking up the steps.

  “Nice job. You handle yourself pretty well.” said the young woman as she reached the top and saw the body.

  She apologized for the delay, as she took out the guards patrolling the grounds. She had counted three, meaning there was little else standing between in the way. It was odd, that Ravious let his other forces go.

  With the entrance to the center structure now open, the two entered. It was a peculiar building, masked by an unnatural darkness to it. Being in the square room had Dedricus unnerved. The silence that pervaded the area was abnormal. Even with every step they took, no sound was made.

  At the center, a spiral staircase had been opened, leading further down into the abyss. They took to the steps, going deeper into the blackness of the ruins. Looking up, he couldn’t see the light from the upper chamber.

  The pit seemed to go down forever. While Dedricus led the way with uncertainty, Kasyra followed confidently behind him. As they neared the bottom of the steps, they could see a flickering azure light. After several hundred years, it was very unlikely that anything had been burning. Dedricus raised his left hand and flicked forward to prepare a spell. Nothing seemed to have happened.

  “Something wrong?” she asked, as he had paused to ready a defense.

  “Can you use magic?”

  “What do you mean? Of course I can.”

  “I mean right now. Just anything.” he responded, hoping he was just fatigued from his fight.

  Kasyra gave him an odd look, but complied. She flicked her hand forward, trying to conjure some of her mysterious powers. Nothing came of it.

  “Are you kidding me?” she whispered, flicking more aggressively.

  “I was right. This place has some kind of dampening field. I’ve heard of it before, but I didn’t think it’d be this… Subtle.”

  “Ugh… Well, It's too late to turn back now. Just stay on the defensive. I've got your back.”

  Dedricus knew she was just saying that. She had no weapons of her own; he wondered whether or not she even had experience fighting with a weapon. There was no use in dwelling on it at that time and he pressed ahead.

  They carefully descended the final steps of the center ruin. At the very bottom of the stairs was a hallway lined with floating blue orbs of light. Kasyra reached out to touch one, only for her hand to pass through it. They were not flames, but merely arcane sources of illumination.

  The dimly lit corridor was their only guide. There were no twists or turns, only one long hallway. Odd doorframes could occasionally be found on either sides of the long walkway. They only opened to a rock wall behind them. Dedricus couldn’t pretend like he knew what they were for.

  Finally, around one of the upcoming corners, they could hear faint voices. At the end of the hall, they could see it split to the left and right. They slowed their steps and proceeded with caution. The voices only grew louder but were still garbled.

  Dedricus took a deep breath as his back clapped against the wall. Poking his head out, he quickly looked both ways and ducked back. To the right, he saw Ari standing with Ravious looming over him. His friend seemed to be working on one of the empty gateways. As the two were busy, he poked his head out once again.

  “Now open the chamber Tre’Yvari.” the titan said clearly, fixated on the empty door before him.

  With an ounce of hesitation, the Half-Elf lifted his hand to the portal. A swirl of astral mechanisms gathered close to his palm. They formed into an array of buttons that aligned in three columns. He unraveled one of his note pages and slowly punched the dials.

  A harmonious tune played with each touch. The warlord smiled behind Ari, happy to see progress. From the shadows, his friend watched, unsure of how to proceed. Dedricus was already exhausted and fighting Ravious without Kasyra’s magic meant certain death.

  They continued to watch anxiously as he pressed each button. For now, all they could do was wait and see if the Elf had a plan cooked up. His slow but sure compliance seemed to suggest otherwise, though he was crafty.

  “Remember. In and out as quick as possible. I'm not actually opening this portal.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I'm effectively forcing it open from another side using their own magical system. It's odd that theirs works, considering we can't use any magic of our own.”

  “Relothra gets stranger by the minute…” said the warlord, rubbing his prickly chin.

  “Like I said, get what you need and get out. No exploring the place.”

  Hitting what he believed to be the final button, the astral pad faded away from Ari. A blue light flashed against them. It's reach began expanding, before filling the entire gateway and illuminating much of the hall.

  Though unclear of what was on the other side, Ravious moved passed the Elf. He shoved his left arm in with little care for his own safety. As he did, the light rippled and returned the hall to darkness.

  “This is it!” cried the warlord as he pulled himself through the door.

  Ari cautiously sat back, waiting to see what was to come. Dedricus made a very quiet call for him, performing some kind of hissing sound. He recognized it immediately, turning to see part of his friend’s head poking out.

  Making a swatting motion, he shooed the mercenary away. Seeing the familiar young woman poke her head out as well, the Elf took a look into the portal. They had little time left if they were to intervene. Dedricus and Kasyra rushed over, standing before the gateway.

  On the other side of the portal was what appeared to be a circular room with shadowy walls. In the very center was a lone pedestal-like object. Above it, a small cube sat still in the air. Dark filigrees lined its copper colo
red faces, as a dark mist poured out from under it. Ravious had been taking slow steps around the thing and completely ignored Ari’s instruction.

  After ogling the thing, he seemed ready to go, as he had stopped. In a gentle manner, he took it into his hand. He had unknowingly turned his back to the portal exit, lost in his wonder. He gasped as two arms wrapped around his massive throat and a force from behind thrust him forwards.

  Dedricus dashed at him and leapt onto his back, with both arms firmly locked at his collar. In the sudden bout of panic that ensued, the Soul Prison tumbled to the floor. Kasyra rushed through the gateway and picked it up, standing near the doorway.

  “It would seem I underestimated you. All of you.” Ravious stated calmly, ceasing his flailing.

  “It would seem you have.” replied the mercenary, trying squeeze tighter but unable to really choke the titan.

  “Though… No… Not you. It was the girl. You are undaunted, nonetheless, having made it this far.”

  “What can I say? I’m resourceful.”

  “Not resourceful enough.”

  Roaring, the warlord grabbed Dedricus by the shoulders and threw him to the ground. The shadows in the room were swept away by him landing hard on his back. Ravious lift one giant foot, ready to stomp him like an ant. He rolled aside, avoiding the quaking smash, and quickly rose to his feet.

  Balling one massive fist, the warlord threw a punch. The hit struck his smaller opponent in the arm despite trying to dodge. His movement blunted the hit but it still sent a shattering pain through Dedricus’ shoulder. It wasn’t broken, but he’d be feeling it for weeks.

  The two danced. The warlord swung, while the mercenary narrowly evaded each strike. Neither one had a weapon, though Ravious’ fists alone could easily crush a man’s skull. He’d have to be careful.

  Kasyra and Ari could do little to help, as both relied on magic to fight. They were lucky the warlord was too far lost in his bloodlust and hubris to focus on them. Suddenly, the Elf hatched an idea. Reaching through the portal, he grabbed the girl by the wrist and dragged her back. On the other side, he could be seen conjuring and typing into the astral pad.

  “Dedricus, get over here now!” he yelled, hovering a shaking finger over the bottom left key.

  Following Ari’s command, the mercenary evaded a final swing from Ravious and booked it towards the portal. The angered giant cursed and shouted, following behind him. Shadows parted with each massive step of his.

  Dedricus was nearly at the gateway before noticing the warlord was on his tail. He burst into a sprint, passing through gateway. Seeing his large foe nearly there, he turned and performed a reckless kick with both feet into the room.

  He landed square into Ravious’ chest, actually winding him. The warlord let out a shocked huff of air before staggering and falling back, as the foolhardy young man used the force to kick away from him and land on the floor. Kasyra dragged Dedricus back through the portal as Ari tapped the key on the astral pad.

  The portal closed with a loud zap as a wrathful hand drove towards it. All three were awestruck. Dedricus let his head fall back with ease. They had outwitted one of the most powerful men in all the Buervan Highlands and put a stop to whatever evil plan he was hatching.

  Chapter 10

  Having just completed a contract, Dedricus returned to his home in Boranath. Once more, there was a steady supply of money flowing back in and everything was returning to normal. He sighed with relief as he turned the lock on his door and entered the small apartment.

  Kasyra sat at the table, eating the dinner she had prepared for herself. She greeted him with a mouthful of food, speaking unintelligibly. Finding a place to stay had been rough for her, due to a lack of real income for herself. The young mercenary figured she could take his bed. Sleeping on the sofa was doing a number on him, but he didn’t mind too much.

  “How’s dinner?” he asked as she swallowed whatever she was eating.

  “Not too bad. I spoiled myself and made too much beef. You're welcome to what’s left.”

  “Thanks. I'm starving. Haven't eaten anything since this morning.”

  “I actually used one of your recipes from that book you keep in the kitchen! It turned out great.”

  “Oh, my dad's recipes. Yeah, they’re pretty good.”

  “You did say your dad taught you how to cook before you left home, didn't you?” she asked to reaffirm, for him to only respond with a nod.

  Dedricus was hesitant to discuss his past. All that lay there was bitter memories of a family that he divided. For now, he was happy to be spending time with Kasyra. Thinking about it then, he actually kind of missed her while he was away.

  They had become fast friends, despite not having a great deal in common. Both found one another to be pleasant regardless. He had invited her along on a number of mercenary jobs and they made good conversation out if it. Her nifty use of a dagger had become something of an inside joke.

  While Dedricus was much more gentle after opening up to others, Kasyra was blunt and a little obnoxious. There was a certain undeniable truth to her that inherently made her a good friend. Her being around helped his relationship with Ari. They were now an inseparable group of three.

  “Well, go on and get some!” she urged with a smile, snapping him out of his reflection.

  “Yeah. Let me put my stuff down. I had a decent haul on this job.”

  After setting his armor and bags down by the sofa, Dedricus took to the kitchen to serve himself. The place was far cleaner than when he cooked, with the counters already wiped down and appeared cleaned along the way. On a metal plate, resting atop a small table, was the dark brown meat she had made served with half a potato and a tiny pile of spinach.

  Rummaging through his drawers, he found a fork and knife before grabbing the plate and heading off to the table. Kasyra sat patiently, having just finished her own food. He pulled a chair out, screeching along the wooden floor, before setting his plate down.

  “It looks great.”

  “It's the least I could do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you let me stay here, I eat your food, and you've helped me find some work too. You've done a lot more for me than you realize.”

  “Haha. It's nice having you around. Before you came around, this place was dark, quiet, and lonely.”

  “Oh! Before I forget…”

  Kasyra snatched a folded letter that sat on the crowded dining room table. She slid it over to him, landing by his fork. He opened it to find a brief letter from Ari, given away immediately by the handwriting.

  “Dedricus,

  After studying the books we got from Ravious, along with Andrew Folgrysce, we've made a breakthrough on the possible location of a Core Tree. I feel I owe it to you to tell you and Kasyra about it. We're having a meeting soon. There, we'll be discussing it in greater detail. If this leads to anything big, I'm going to need help from the both of you. Let me know when you're back so we can get this setup.

  -Tre’Yvari”

  Dedricus set the letter down and pursed his lips to the side. Talks of the Nienilef and their mystery didn't frustrate him as much, but it was still a long ways from his favorite subject.

  “What'd he say?”

  “He wants us to go meet with him and this guy I took a job from one time. They think they found something.”

  “Nienilef stuff?”

  “Nienilef stuff.” he repeated blandly, clicking his fork and knife together.

  “I cannot take you seriously sometimes. I don’t get your whole deal on it.”

  “I know I’ve said it before. He just got really absorbed into it and quit his mercenary work. It was the biggest thing we had in common. Naturally, I had to hate his obsession over them.”

  “That’s so dumb!” she laughed, rocking in her chair.

  “Hey! I’d like to think I’m over it now. I’m better friends with Ari than I have been in months. You’ve helped a lot with that…”

 
“Glad I could help! How'd your contract go, by the way?”

  “Boring, actually. Just a rich merchant who wanted some help getting to the Nylevranian border. Since there was trouble, and he got there ahead of schedule, he gave me a bonus.”

  “Odd. Seems like a lot of people are eager to leave the Highlands.”

  And people were leaving for good reason. Horas had faced a crushing defeat against Aldrich that maimed him. Nearly half his forces were gone and he could no longer stand and fight. In truth, it was only a matter of time before someone took the city.

  Dedricus cared, though every other mercenary would simply leave before it got heated. Barrett had already closed up The Flagon and would be relocating to Delrin. Even Ari admitted he would leave to the coast if things got out of hand. For the time being, things were okay.

  “It’s just sad. The reality of the war is starting to show on Boranath.”

  “Even though I wasn’t around for its glory days, this city is a paradise compared to other areas in the country.”

  “That’s not really true.”

  “Have you heard the stories?”

  “The difference is, I’ve actually been in the southern areas. They’re just different.”

  “I don’t know about that.” said Dedricus with a hushed tone, before taking a bite and swallowing, “Speaking of, and I don’t want to pry, ‘cause we’ve never really brought it up…”

  “Go on.” she said, urging him to continue.

  “Where are you from? How’d you get here? Why were you in the south?”

  Kasyra exhaled sharply. Though Dedricus had never asked her, she seemed too reluctant to elaborate if it ever came up in conversation. He didn't want to make it awkward by bringing up a sensitive topic for her.

  “Do you really wanna know?”

  “If you don't want to talk about it, I get it.”

  “It's not that. It stings a little, talking about it, but I guess now’s a good time as any.” she began, holding a fist to the center of her chest, “This has been a hefty weight for a while now.”