Chapter 9: Part 3

At the end of the narrow passage was a room filled of boxes encased within steel cages. His heightened senses perceived the unnatural sense of risk and danger, as if someone was enjoying their time watching him. Chris looked at the ceiling, but there was none.

‘Was it my imagination?’ He didn’t want a repeat of the last time. It would’ve been fine if he was alone, but having Cecilia here with him added more concern.

As Chris walked over to inspect the contents, a noise at the far end of the room erupted, spawning dread in his heart. He immediately ducked and hid himself. Searching for Cecilia, he found his demon companion with her back pressed against the crumbling stone wall near the stairs.

Two voices and a conversation. Whatever it was on the other side were beings communicating in a language he could not understand. He recognized some of the words coming from the old tongue, yes, but the words were so jargon he wondered if it were two infants conversing instead.

He turned to Cecilia for some answers. The demon girl shook her head as she slowly removed her sword from its sheath. Peeking slightly, her right index finger gestured the word ‘Baldur’ — monster slaves created for man labor. Chris read about them once. These monsters were last seen back on the old age only to reappear as dungeon spawns in a labyrinth to the south.

Chris peeked an eye out. They weren’t much different from a human, but each had horns and upper and lower sets of fangs. Both of the bronze-skinned monsters wore chainmail. One carried a long sword that hanged on its waist while the other boasted a spiked flail on its back. With the back of its hand, one swiped the drool from its mouth. Then the other sniffed the air, slowly turning its head towards Cecilia’s direction.

Chris returned his head that instant, reaching for the sword on his back. He kept his grip on his sword tight as the footsteps came closer. When he looked at Cecilia again, she twirled her right index finger as a response. What was she trying to convey with those hand signals? He didn’t have the faintest clue.

Crumbling rocks, and Chris knew the monsters were near. In the count of three, when the sight of bronze flesh revealed itself, Chris sprang himself up and slashed the nearest monster. His sword, however, was deflected with a resounding clang. Eyes widened with surprise Chris jumped a step back.

‘Strong,’ he thought. The way it perceived his attack, as if it had eyes at the back of its head, wasn’t something he expected.

Back turned from him the monster growled and retaliated with a swift cleave. Transferring the sword to his left hand, Chris bent sidewards, avoiding the attack that came awkwardly. He cut its unprotected hand, then twisted his body and delivered a kick on the monster’s chest. The monster smashed against a steel cage, falling in a slump. Cries of despair followed suit. Then a head rolled on the ground near his shoes before it dissipated into nothingness a second after.

Looking up, Cecilia pointed towards the monster slumping on the ground. Chris balanced the sword in his hand, walked over the monster, and plunged it directly on its neck. The monster then dissipated into small particles of black light, indicating its death.

“You okay?” asked Chris after returning his sword back to its sheath. He checked the boxes as he waited for a reply, but something horrid involuntary wrinkled his nose. “What is?”

“Dried fruits past their expiration date, I bet.” Cecilia closed the lid in place. “These underground passages were used as a means of escape and concealment when the Order first began their blood hunt.”

Hearing more detailed information flamed his growing suspicions. It wasn’t unusual for one to study the histories of their ancestors, Chris knew, but for one to delve into it as if it were their own profession — there was clearly something abnormal about it. Especially now in this day and age where rambling about such things would have one suspected as a heretic, which could lead to death.

Narrowing his eyes, “How did you come across this information?” he asked.

“By reading a book. What else?” Cecilia shrugged while examining the other boxes herself.

“Interesting.” Chris didn’t press the matter at hand and continued towards the next room.

Gloom became more prevalent, as nothing but candlesticks lighted the halls. In a straight line they continued, halting once in awhile to check for any suspicious involvements. After two more rooms of the same kind they found a set of stone stairs that led to another level upstairs.

A stream of bats, more than a dozen or so, assaulted them from the darkness above. Chris raised his staff, and a wall of flame swirled around him and his demon companion both, burning the bats like moths drawn into a strong light. But when his flames relaxed, a streak of white light sped towards him. Chris instinctively spun his staff and deflected the blade aimed at his heart.

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The monsters hissed as its knife landed stuck somewhere. It released a shriek of some sort, and more monsters came out of the door behind it. At that moment Cecilia stepped in before the monsters could organize themselves. There was a sudden shift in elements as she beheaded a pair in a single slash, then gone off to slash another leg as her sword connected. One body toppled over the other. One even abandoned its comrades, taking its chances, jumping down the staircase, but met its unfortunate end swallowed by Chris’ flame. With the monster barring their path eliminated, Chris and Cecilia entered the next room.

“Wait.” He stopped and raised his hand to signal a stop. A figure, most possibly male judging from its broad shoulders and chest, stood in the center of this octagon-shaped room.

“It thrills me to finally meet you in person, Lord Christopher N. Schweitzer,” an aged voice said behind a mask, followed by a clapping of hands. “Welcome to Valstrath — to my dominion. Did you like my present?”

“This is your doing?!” Cecilia gnashed her teeth. “Let the dark rest!”

“Quiet, little girl. I did not ask you.” The masked man replied in a hostile tone.

Chris stepped forward, recalling their previous confrontation. “I had warned you to steer clear of my path. Surely you are wise enough to grasp my previous warnings if you know who I am?”

“Yes, yes, shunned by your own family and called a demon worshiper. You, who won his freedom by slaying the beast of judgement — I know you very well.”

For this person to know his full name definitely meant he had connections to his past. But what surprised him the most was this man knowing the extent of his sentence. Only then did Chris realized what the man meant by ‘present’.

“You… Memories are a precious thing, and for you to toy with them like your own plaything…” Controlling his emotions, Chris clutched his face hard. “Speak now before I cut where you stand, old man. What do you want from me?” Chris asked, his tone growing serious.

“If there is one thing in this world that I hate, it is inefficiency. So let me cut it short. How does it feel to experience the limitations of being human once more?”

Yet another person questioning his use of magic. If he didn’t know better, he would think that him and Cecilia were possible acquaintances. Or were they?

“If making me feel small and feeble is what you’re after, then you have failed.”

“Wrong.” The masked man shook his index finger. “It is knowledge I seek, and you, a man who wields divine energy now uses magic? Conflicting energies cannot exist together, tis common knowledge, or it would prove fatal.” The masked man folded his arms, shaking his head. “Until now I cannot grasp the answer to this question it cost me three full days without a bath. But excuse me, that is personal information and not one you would want to know. So please, pray tell, how did you make it possible?”

“That is not for you to know!” Chris propelled himself as he released his sword in a downward slash. He, however, hit nothing but the air. The figure disappeared from where he stood.

“A shame that a man such as you would choose to waste time instead,” said the masked man, his voice booming from all directions. “I have told you before: Valstrath is my dominion, and you cannot leave without my approval. I shall have the answers I seek by dawn or you will rot here for the rest of your life. I advise you to choose wisely. Until then…”

“Damn you!” Chris dropped on one knee and slammed his fist on the ground. His thoughts traveled to that point in time. That time in the past where he revered his elder brothers with utmost respect. But as one climb higher ranks in the Order, their work become more of politics and less of faith. Men of power grew hungry for more, and his brothers weren’t an exception to these numbers. He was naive to run to them for help.

Under his elder brother’s supervision, a crusade was launched. Slaughtered the people in Reinbark like chattel. Though Chris fought well siding with the townsfolk, he was overcome by superior numbers.

But one thing remained a mystery. Why spare his life even after his betrayal? Hard as a diamond, unflinching like a rock, his brother Philippe wouldn’t even bat an eye with all the atrocities that he had committed, and some more. Yet he spared him and given him a fair chance to fight for his freedom. He lost his respect, yes, but he could not hate him. Even though his actions caused Lilia’s transformation and eventual death.

Yet that masked man clearly viewed his memories and spat on them. No one could make light of those memories and live on the same breath. No one.