May the hell devour it! It was all Just a trick used to fool possible pursuit units! Bishop was more than just furious. How did he know it? They caught first witches that escaped the castle. They told, that they were freed by white-haired man and his companions then told to attack the castle. As soon as guards fell dead he told them to scatter around. No, he didn’t use those words – [You are free, you may go wherever you wish to], that’s what he said. Of course, he used them. But even with ancient evil on their side they wouldn’t dare to storm at the vault with just seven people. They left traces leading to south, but after last village they must have changed direction. West back to Neira? North to the port? Deeper into the country?
That’s not that important. Right now, they have a plague that kills within a day in the country. It has to be stopped. Priests from vault and few surrounding it outposts moved in direction of the village to purify it from disease. The question remained – what was used to cause plague to appear? Cursed item? If yes – it will be extremely hard task. First, item had to be removed from the altar (altar here means the place from which it would start corrupting the earth, not necessary specific structured) then it would have to be transported to the vault and in the very end they could start removing the plague from soil, water and air.
Priests were moving in groups of three – first was casting protection spell, second was looking scanning area looking for source and last one has already started partly purifying the ground – just in case it wasn’t caused my item. Every priest was sure of the one thing – the source wasn’t located in village. It was almost at the verge of area of effect. It was located somewhere in the forest.
But forest itself changed too. It used to be safe, peaceful copse, now it was dark, gloomy wilderness covered in thick, thorny vines, as if the forest itself was yelling [Stay away!]. Yet they had to move in. The deeper they would move in, the more forest was trying to stop them. First, a mist. It was fooling them around making them walk in circle, then wisps started shining around leading everyone foolish enough to follow them to swamps. Finally – beasts. Previously the forest was habituated only by small animals. From predators only foxes that from time to time would eat a chicken. Yet now, as priests moved deep enough, to deep for forest would allow it, wolfs started attacking groups. They were completely mad. Wolfs usually avoid contacts with human especially one moving in groups, yet those were attacking with ferocity unknown to their kind.
Yet even the forest itself underestimated the persistence of fanatics of the Church. No matter how many of them would drown in swamps, no matter how many would be torn apart by claws, they kept pushing further. Till they reach the heart of everything.
* “Mark! Set that barrier for fuck sake! Bernard! Send localization flare!”
In the heart of the forest someone placed a totem. All coated in miasma and guarded by phantom of the wolf. The creature killed the first group that approached it, yet still – the light they casted into air was shining directly above him guiding rest of the forces. It didn’t take long when small clearing was invaded from all directions. Priests start powering up barrier set up by first team trapping the creature and totem in huge cage made of light.
* “Evil spirit! You have caused enough violence! And now it is time for you to pay! I exorcise you! Begone! Return to the void you came from!”
* “Me? Evil? How foolish, how arrogant of you! I have been guarding this forest long before you, and your whore of the goddess came on this land! When I was near this land was always full of prey and the ground was fertile. Yet you dared to stop worshiping me and mother! You caged me! You put me to sleep while still using my blessings! Like leeches, parasites! You have been feasting on my divinity giving nothing! No gifts! No prayers! No respect nor fear of the nature! You took enough, now I came to claim what was supposed to be mine! You didn’t pay with respect, thus you shall pay with blood!”
* “You told you were put down to sleep?! What awoken you!? What isn’t letting you to fall into peaceful slumber?”
* “PEACEFUL!? SLUMBER?! Your arrogance truly know no limits! For those past centuries humanity became even more insolent! The one that awoken me is not concern of yours! He is a true believer, the one that still worship old order! The one that does as vows says! He shall be rewarded, same as you shall be punished!”
The beast made of smoke started assaulting the cage.
* “Sir?! What do we do?! Put it to sleep or banish the creature?”
* “To force it to lay in the ground too many requirements need to be met. We have no choice. Cast it behind the gate. Send it to oblivion.”
The priests raised a chant.
The creature never stopped its attacks on the cage, never attacking twice in same place as it kept looking for weak spot. Finally, a small crack on the barrier appeared. Spirit started banging its head on the cracks weakening the spell more and more.
Behind it a small rift started forming. Yet the cage collapsed. Monstrosity rushed on the exorcists, snapping their necks, biting in half. It caught one of men by leg and forced it few dozen meters above. I open its mouth and tried devouring head exorcist, yet that one raised his amulet in front of him using as catalyst. A cone of light stopped the monster inches from exorcist’s face. Slowly. Inch by inch, the monster was forced back. The rift also became much bigger, behind it a void formed sucking the beast inside.
* “Begone! Evil spirit! False guardian on this land. This country doesn’t want your protection.”
* “Fools! Eternity is like a blink of an eye to me! I shall return, we always return, and then I shall feast upon the bones of your offspring!”
The monster yet roared before it was pushed behind the gate.
Church once again successfully casted into oblivion one of old guardians. It was victory, yet no one was cheering. So many died, villagers, priests…
* “Who could… who could awaken this creature and force it into killing so many? And how did the managed to…” one of priests started
* “Totem.” Head exorcist answered “It is used to pin forces to specific points. It was like a thorn in this land – a sharp pain that awoken the creature. And all that angered beast needs is a new target on which it can take revenge…” then he noticed it. As soon as miasma left the totem.
He moved in that direction and he grabbed a note attached to the pole. It was a drawing. A smiling beast.
* “Send message to the bishop. Same person was responsible for it.”
Bishop didn’t just sit on his butt and waited for problems to solve themselves. He moved in direction of order of Crimson Lily to once again ask for help. His carriage was on the path leading in direction of order’s castle, when he saw Amelia with few of her man riding on horse in direction of her family mansion.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
* “Good to meet you, lady Scarlet. I have very urgent message to deliver…”
* “Oh, that’s wonderful? You came to personally tell me that my sis is cured, that’s right?”
* “I am afraid that this is not a case, I am afraid that…”
* “Then pardon me. I have just finished two tasks you gave me in a row. I haven’t seen my father in months, and sister even longer. If you want to give me another task, then I will politely refuse.”
* “You have no idea what is happening! Kingdom needs you more than ever!”
* “Then I am not willing to hear [What is happening], bishop. If I won’t know it, then I wouldn’t regret it, right? Don’t even ask. For when I would refuse I would shame both me and you in process.”
* “The prisoners you brought to the kingdom escaped!”
* “FOR THE HEAVEN’S SAKE!” She yelled in the sky “I DON’T GIVE A DAMN! I was told to bring him, if you can’t keep one, tied, restricted witch in heavily guarded castle, then I have even less reasons to help you! It is so great to know that witch on catching which I spend MONTHS escaped you after a week! He is still on territory of the country, so just send hunting squad and bring him back to the cas…”
* “Castle is in ruin, if that’s what you wanted to suggest.” She looked at him surprised “He not only escaped. He not only freed every witch from the castle, but also slain all the guards in the castle and turn it into rocks and ashes. We wanted to send a messages, but he has also burned the communication office, of course killing staff all along.”
* “… sad. Still, this is your problem.”
* “What if innocent would get involved?”
* “Listen me now. They are getting involved all the time, 90% of time because of you. I am trying helping THEM as many times as I can. But right now, I have spend over 8 months away from home, most of this time on enemy territory. I also have my limits bishop. I have to rest. Who knows, maybe I could do bit more if I would know that my sister is in good hands. But the more times pass, the more I am wondering if you are trying at all…”
* “What was that supposed to mean?!”
* “It is supposed to mean exactly what I told to your legate. We have a deal, bishop. You are cure my sister, I am becoming your dog. The problem is that for those past years I was on your every nod, you send me left and right like a servant, like an errand boy. And my sister is even more sick than before. I am telling it one last time. The church may treble, the dead may raise, the gates of hell may open… but until my sister will be healed, I will not react.”
* “… let’s talk about it. In few minutes we should reach your mansions, there we can discuss those matter calmly. I will also personally check the state of your sister.”
* “If you think we would ask you to accompany us on dinner, then I shall disappoint you.”
Rest of the travel passed in awkward silence, till they reached the mansion. But… the gate was open, and guards and servants were nowhere to be seen.
* “What the hell…” Amelia jumped off her horse. She moved to guard office where she saw three of her men tied on the ground. “Men! Untie them! Search the mansion, help everyone you would find! I am going to look for the father!”
She did as she said. She run past corridors. She looked in her father’s office, but no one was there, she looked in library, armory and training room – places her father adored. As very last she entered dining hall. There she saw her father laying on the ground, shards of glass were laying all around him.
* “Father, father! Are you ok?”
* “Hello, my dearest daughter. I used to feel better. Your friend stopped by. I have to admit, that he wasn’t my favorite type of guest…”
* “Which friend?”
* “First, let me ask you, did somebody from church come with you?”
* “Yes. One of bishops. He isn’t here yet so…”
* “Listen now, the white haired man took Elana…”
* “WHAT?!”
* “Amelia, listen now. I let him take her…”
* “Something must have happened to you after you were hit in the head!”
* “AMELIA! He did that on purpose, so no one would suspect that I made a deal with him.”
* “But… why would you…” In that moment Amelia noticed a piece of paper on the table
* “I asked him same thing that I asked the church. If he can heal my daughter. Priests always said something like [With divine help everything is possible] and do you know what he answered? [I have no idea, but I will do everything I can]. Amelia, someone took responsibility on himself. He didn’t hide behind the goddess… Also, Elana is dying anyway. There nothing we can do. Each day I see her, there is… less of her. Less life, less energy. She was greeting me in different manner. He said… He said that with priests she may live for couple years more. Couple more pointless years attached to bed. If she can see world one more time… then…”
Bishop entered the room.
* “Your majesty. With priests to heal my sister you send also guards, is that right?” Amelia asked weakly
* “That’s correct, so nobody would disturb healing and…”
* “So not only your priests are incompetent. Your prisoner was here and captured my sister.”
* “… May the heaven have mercy upon…”
* “Don’t involve heavens. Don’t blame evil forces for your own mistakes, bishop.”
* “But it means that you have to follow him to…”
She gave him the piece of paper.
And evil smile, but this time with message “Follow me – she dies” And “Freedom means that we are free to make a choice, but we are not free from consequences of our choices. Action breeds reaction.”
* “Freedom… what can he possibly mean by that?” Bishop asked himself while reading the message
* “This is what we talked about as I escorted him to the castle. He is twisting my own words, mocking me. You can translate it into – if you wouldn’t capture me, I wouldn’t capture her.”
Bishop needed a moment for himself
* “He planned it all along… he knew we would send someone after him… tell me, didn’t you fell as if he let himself be captured?”
* “Why would he do that?”
* “Castle Wergern was special. Something more was shut there. There was no way to release the evil that lied there other way then from inside… He let you capture him and then as soon as we let him into our kingdom, into our fortress, he strike! Yes, that must be the case. He had everything planned all along. Attack the castle, attack the office, fool hunting units, kidnap your sister… he have secured every possibility… I have never dealt with enemy this cunning…”
Bishop said with grim expression.
* “Actually, everything goes pretty smoothly…” Morgana said while looking at me “… especially taking into consideration that most of the time you have no idea what you are doing!”
Rest of the team nodded
* “I mean, come on! We are moving like blind kids in the dark! That office? That village? Old Scarlet cooperating? We only knew that in two days we have to reach port city” Jason snorted
* “Hey! I told you! Your enemies won’t predict what you will do…” I begun
* “… If you yourself have no clue about that. We know. You repeat that like a prayer.”
* “It doesn’t make it any less accurate!” I puffed my cheeks annoyed. “Also, sunshine, how are you feeling?”
I asked the girl riding on small cart that we stole… I mean, borrowed from some travelers that we knocked unco… I mean, paid him good price.
* “I am… fine, mister. Don’t worry about me. It doesn’t hurt as much as…” she started coughing.
* “TEAAAM! Break! Gotta heal young lady.”
* “Again? We stopped an hour ago.” Morgana rolled her eyes
* “Shut up! She has crippled body, unlike you with crippled soul. She may die any minute, and I don’t want her sister to hunt me because of that! Lay like that little flower. Aha. Perfect. Now, try not to move…”
Green glow covered my hands that I laid on her chest. Her condition was… bad. Terrible even. Most of her stamina bar was grey which meant it was unusable. Her lungs were barely working, heart in terrible condition and her muscles were weak. Just weak. She couldn’t hold a cup in her own hand. She was sweating often, falling into sleep in the middle of conversation. Fever was never leaving. Right now I was fighting with symptoms, it was sure that I couldn’t help her here. I need my laboratory… and few books. Or few dozen books. Ok, whole library could be helpful. Also I couldn’t take care of her all the time, some nurses would be fine. DAMN IT! My plan, the one I made on spot, was great, but I am not sure if I would have enough time.
* “How do you feel?”
* “F…fine…”
* “Aha. Sure. Sunshine, I am trying to help you. But you have to tell me the truth.”
* “… my chest hurts. As if somebody was poking me with needle. But when you… do magic… it is better… much better.”
* “Damn. If I only have stamina potion. It would help her body to hold bit longer… Maybe till I would put her in my laboratory. There I think I could somehow deal with…” a yellow potion was placed next to me
* “Catch.” Ay said “The one you cooked for me, before I was send on mission. But you owe me!”
* “…Ay, I will make you my personal poison tester. Each time I would come up with new venom, I would ask you to check how it is working…”
* “You promise?! That’s better be a promise!” Assassin mood improved on spot
* “Drink that, birdie, it should make you feel better… just don’t you dare complain on taste!”
I helped her raising her head and put vial to her lips. She slowly started drinking.
* “Good girl.” I said as if she was a puppy “Tomorrow we will reach the sea. Then, few days of travel and you will see Neira Kingdom. There I should be able to help you.”
She was once again falling asleep. Her gaze was turning blurry, less focused. She was blinking trying to fight back exhaustion, yet in the end exhaustion proved its superiority over frail girl.
* “I am ok sis…” she said half conscious “… an angel protects me.”
Everyone looked at the girl, then at me and wide, wicked grins appeared on their faces.
* “Don’t you fucking dare to say a word!” I hissed angrily