Chapter 33
Feast [https://i.imgur.com/uAnzBiT.png]
Jack Mors entered the main hall of the large manor with his back straight and head high. He had no fear in his mature face. His grey long hair fell over his shoulders in unkempt waves and his untrimmed beard told a story about the journey he made. And made alive.
He entered the room still healthy and breathing and he was adamant to leave this house the same as he entered. In one piece.
Candlelight illuminated the large, exquisite room and wide windows let in the light from the outside. Four rows of long wooden tables were set with a variety of food and drinks as promised by their guide. Meat, fruit, and vegetables were set on them with large bowls of soup and beverages, mead and bear.
Caravan men didn’t chat and their movements were stiff. They moved like wooden puppets and started sitting around the tables with rigid movements.
“No! No! No!” Warren screamed at them, all his amiable facade crumbling down in anger and scowl, “It’s not for you! Go sit there! All of you! Stand up and go there!”
Warren pointed at the corner of the room with no chairs or tables at it. Caravan men complied with no hesitation. All of them moved to the marked corner and sat down on the dirty ground shoulder to shoulder. Nobody said a word to that. They complied like unthinking slaves. Cloudy eyes looked into emptiness.
Jack followed Linus, Orla, and Zaun, who were following orders the same as the rest. When his comrades sat down he sat down beside them and put mace in a comfortable position beside him on the wooden floor. He tried to whisper to them, but his teammates didn't even react to his presence. They were deep in slumber, deep in hypnosis, deep in whatever place they were right now.
But that was okay for Jack. The man was ready to wait and see what happens next.
And he didn’t have to wait long as doors to outside opened again, this time bringing their true hosts inside.
Jack Mors watched their entrance with a great deal of interest.
‘Dream!’
‘Comply!’
‘Serve!’
‘SERVE!’
Presence from Warren said to him, but he brushed it aside with no hesitation. There were already enough voices in his head and one more would not make a difference. One voice was nothing in a large chorus that already sang their songs every waking moment of his life. Jack ignored voices and watched hosts enter while being fully present and aware.
“Look at that! Doggy prepared presents for us!” the first creature to enter said with surprise in his deep voice.
“Yes, master!” Warren answered happily, "Travellers somehow found our desolate village. I grouped them here for you!"
Creatures started coming in one after another. Humanoids with elk heads and large antler crowns crowded the doorway and entered one after another. Their lower halves were covered in fur and their legs bent backward like legs of the horses, making them bounce on every step. Instead of feet, they had hooves, but despite their animalistic legs and heads, they all had naked torsos reminiscent of human ones.
Elken Druid - Lvl 29
Elken Druid - Lvl 31
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Elken Druid - Lvl 20
Elken Druid - Lvl 23
Naked males and naked females entered the hall one after another until more than 30 of them were present at the tables. Laughs and happy conversations erupted in the hall as creatures inspected the humans sitting in the far corner of the large hall.
“We left him for a day, and he brings us a whole village of tasty humans!”
“Bloody good job, doggy!”
“How did he deal with them?”
“He was given Amethyst of servitude to safe keep village while we were in ritual grounds.”
“He was?”
A laugh erupted in the hall as creatures clutched their sides in happy laughter. Elk people snickered and somebody threw a bone at the Warren standing in the side. Bone bounced off his head making them laugh even more.”
“How does it feel to have keys of your cage in your hands and still not be able to free yourself, doggy?”
“I am a faithful servant of Blood Divine cult!”
“Ha! Ha! You didn’t say the same words when you saw your wife’s blood was sacrificed to Blood Divine!”
“I was blind as a mole, but now I see the light! Forgive me my past, masters, as I am no longer the weak man I was,” Warren said with fervor and passion in his voice.
His passionate speech was welcomed by mocking laughter, as elk people enjoyed the pathetic show.
“Headmaster!” one of the elk people stood up and bowed his head.
The rest of them stopped their feast and joined him.
“Headmaster!”
“Headmaster!”
“Headmaster!”
Elken Archdruid - Lvl 79
Headmaster was a female creature with a large bust and the most beautiful pair of antlers ever seen.
She barely gave a look at humans sitting in the corner or her cult members giving her greetings. She went past them without stopping, to the doors on the other side of the hall.
“Headmaster, what should we do with our guests!”
“You can eat a dozen, leave the rest for rituals!” she ordered without stopping, “We will try to commune with the Divine with sacrifice tomorrow.”
And with that, she was already outside, without waiting for an answer from her underlings.
The room now fell into an uncomfortable silence as cultists slowly sat down once again to continue their dinner.
“You think we will be able to perform the ritual successfully tomorrow?”
“We must!”
“We will!”
Cultists cheered in agreement, but the mood was still solemn.
“Don’t fret! Headmaster allowed us to eat a dozen of imperials! We shall get on with that!”
“Doggy bring to the tables dozen of them. Pick strongest!”
“Yes, masters!” Warren hurried to comply with the order.
She ran to the corner in which more than sixty caravan men sat tightly packed. Warren took a good look at them and his eyes stopped at Jack sitting right in front of him.
“Old man! Pick yourself up and go to the head of the table!”
Jack stood up with his mace in his hand, but Warren didn’t seem to care about the weapon at all.
Jack started walking forward and in a slow walk passed the Warren right by his left side.
When Jack was right behind Warren’s back he, suddenly, stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Warren.
“To which one I should be supposed to go?”
Warren turned around with a surprise on his face.
“How?” he stammered, “By now you should be too deep in hypnosis to speak?”
“I am a skittish sleeper,” Jack smiled at Warren.
He stretched his hand and with unhurried movement picked a hidden neckless from Warren’s neck and pulled it. Thread of the neckless snapped and a red rock now lay in Jack's hand shining brightly and beautifully. Warren still looked at Jack in pure shock and didn’t react when he pulled the necklace off his neck.
Jack twirled the red stone in his hands for a moment and then dropped it down on the floor. He swung his mace and the stone broke into the tiniest pieces. A small red flame erupted from it and a push of magic threw back the folds of his clothes, his beard, and hair waved behind him like a flag.
The room became silent as cultists turned their attention to the commotion.
All the men on the floor instantly lost their dreamy looks. People looked around in confusion not recognizing where they were.
“I would look so stupid if it wouldn't work. Wake up sleepy princesses,” Jack turned around and face the cultists who shoot up on their legs ready for the battle,” Time to hunt some deer, dear sirs.”
He circled his shoulder joint warming it up for the fight.
Zaun, Linus, and Orla stood up by his sides shoulder to shoulder.