Like the sun during the day, the moons helped determine the time at night. Memorizing their paths and positions was an important skill for those who regularly spent their nights awake, such as hunters. So, when Indres saw the crescent blue moon close to the horizon in the west, he knew that midnight was approaching.
He did not look out of the tower's fifth-floor window just to enjoy the night sky. The man leaned out the north window more and felt the wall around the window frame until he found a deep cut in the brick that matched the incredibly sharp, hooked claws.
Perhaps if I had recovered sooner, I could have hit it before it flew away, Indres reproached himself for his weakness.
None of the others had seen the huge bat, which had cunningly perched on the tower which was not visible from the battlefield. When Indres regained his faculties and looked out of the window, he saw a black shadow disappear over the trees. Too late to shoot an arrow.
Footsteps from below brought Indres back to the present, the metallic clink of armor indicating that the climber was one of the three Temple guards. Indres already knew who it was. After all, they had agreed to meet here.
"Ranger, all good?" Baern spoke up as their gazes met.
"Not much light, but nothing suspicious on the ground... or in the sky, sir." Indres replied, turning to the Lights guard.
"OK. The others are in the entrance chamber. I told no one to go upstairs."
Baern put the oil lamp on the table against the wall, then stepped closer to Indres, enough for the two to speak in low voices. Although this time the man's hand was not on the hilt of his sword, Indres still felt some tension from the stern look in the violet eyes. Also, the fact that the Temple guard decided to fetch an oil lamp rather than summon the light with the spirit power, pointed to a longer conversation.
"So - you're sure someone was controlling those spawns?" Baern wasted no time idly and immediately began to question.
"What happened... I think it's obvious."
"Yes, I know what it looks like... but all written wisdom suggests that spawns defy control, not in the normal way, not with black magic."
"I heard that during the Great War, the spawn sided with the enemy." Indres objected.
"Are you referring to bards and ballads? I've studied the official Temple chronicles of those times. Even the Abyss princes had no direct control over the spawns. Yes, they chased some of them around or kept them locked in chains, but humans could do that too. Nowhere is there a battle described where spawns were used in the way we have seen today." Baern rejected this idea.
"I can't explain it, sir. But it was no coincidence that the spawn attacked our animals at the same time as the invasion of the Tower. Someone wanted to get that metal disk!" Indres tried to persuade.
The Lights guard was silent for a moment before answering.
"Someone wanted to get it... and perhaps used the monster attack as a diversion to get to the artifact before I destroyed it." Although Baern's voice was calm, without an accusatory tone, the implication was obvious.
Indres clenched his hands into fists.
"Is the spawn that attacked your men at the entrance also part of this diversion? And the damage to the chamber? The claw marks on the walls?" His voice grew sharper.
"That's more likely than an unknown, invisible enemy controlling the spawns. You yourself admitted to bringing your comrades to this tower first." The noble man's violet eyes studied the hunter's face closely.
"And I told you why I did it. Noble Baern, you said that I was not the only one who had such a dream." Indres recalled.
"And you don't think such a dream is suspicious?"
Indres drew in a breath to calm his anger. It didn't really work.
"If we started talking about suspicious circumstances, isn't it suspicious that your brother also saw a strange dream? That this place is connected to your family name? Besides, if someone had thought of destroying the black magic artifacts in the first place, instead of trying to hide old family heirlooms, maybe this wouldn't have happened... sir. "
The hunter regretted having said the last sentence.
"Hold your tongue, commoner!" Baern's face flashed with irritation.
For a moment they looked into each other's eyes - calmly, but with the knowledge that both had weapons at their sides - one a dagger, the other a sword.
Finally, the Temple guard spoke.
"My family has nothing to do with necromancy, black magic or any other such impurity. But alas, it was not always so. Over a hundred years ago, one man... my great-grandfather's brother, may Abyss devour him, was exposed along with a group of other nobles as a necromancer and Death worshipper. The shame and disgrace almost destroyed my family name. We lost much - land, titles and position. My grandfather and father worked hard for many years afterwards to regain some of the glory and splendor of the house."
Baern moved to the side, closer to the window, and looked out.
"A whole family was punished for one man's crime?" Indres asked.
"If the head of the House had discovered the treason himself, perhaps things would have been different. The fact that he failed to notice his brother's conversion to black magic and involvement in the conspiracy... besides, the Empire was in chaos then, the Children of the Dragon were fighting for the throne, betrayal and intrigue were at every corner. I can only be grateful to the Eternal that our entire family was not accused of treason and slaughtered."
Indres did not really understand these problems of the nobles, more so from a hundred years of history. Another oddity occurred to him.
"But if it was so long ago, and already known to other nobles... why try to hide it now?"
"The answer is in your own words. It was known then, a hundred years ago, before the Great War and the Restoration of the Empire. Yes, those who want to find this stain of shame in the history of my House can do so, but others will be indifferent to events a of old era. That is why I can serve the Temple and my brother can assist the administration of the Capital. Baerns are respected again. But if the tower where the necromancer once did terrible things were now discovered, and the name of that necromancer reached the capital, our enemies and rivals would not hesitate to use it to tear up the old wounds, to undermine our reputation and standing."
"Then why didn't your relatives do anything before? All these hundred years."
"Well, first of all, they didn't know about this place. Soon after what happened, the Great War began, which lasted for decades. Our family lost lands in the north and never regained them. My grandfather found out that the traitor had got himself servants and building materials in the area, but everyone involved was dead or missing. The place was never discovered. In my grandfather's time, these lands were beyond the Empire's control, our family too weak to allow an extensive search in a remote, wild province full of monsters and raiders. It was only 20 years ago, when the final victory was won and these lands returned to The Empire, that the opportunity arose, but... all seemed forgotten. My brothers and I, we thought that after so long there would be no more... that there was nothing left to look for."
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
"It seemed to me that those who take an oath to serve in the Temple Orders no longer belong to the House of Nobles."
Indres was aware that this sounded like a scolding, but it was true that this the Lights guard had put his blood ties first. Baern turned to the hunter, he looked annoyed.
"Slaughtering the evils of all kind is according to the will of the Temple, ranger. Nothing I did was against my oath."
Will the Temple think so if it finds out why the artifact wasn't destroyed sooner? Indres wanted to ask, aloud, but restrained himself this time.
There were more important matters to discuss.
"Ser, if your brother saw the dream, as I did, it is no coincidence. Someone sent us here on purpose. Most likely to defeat the wraith that guarded this place and the artifact."
"I still can't understand how anyone would be able to control the spawns, perhaps use their attack as cover, but command every move... " Baern was still incredulous.
At least he didn't seem to want to keep accusing the hunter.
"I already told you that something like this happened in our village a few months ago."
"Yes, I... forgot the details. Tell me again."
Both on the way from the town to the village and on the way to the tower, Indres tried several times to tell the story of the spawn attack, but each time Baern listened carelessly.
Apparently too busy thinking of his family's honor, Indres thought to himself.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to put aside his personal opinion of Baern and his relatives and retold the events at the end of the winter.
This time the Temple guard listened more attentively.
"Vern, Erwan and Ascar can confirm the same if you ask." Indres added at the end.
Although Baern didn't look completely doubtful, his eyes reflected his confusion.
"But what's the point? If it really was more than a simple spawn attack, why kidnap just one child?" The Temple guard asked.
Indre didn't quite want to talk about Tao, especially his son's quirks, considering that this time the monster had kidnapped an object related to black magic.
"I don't know. Perhaps my son has a greater potential for spirit power. Whatever the reason, it doesn't change the fact that this is the second attack in which a spawns has demonstrated unusual cunning. Someone is guiding them, and is also capable of initiating dreams." Indres insisted.
Baerns was clearly pondering on the hunter's words.
"False dreams... It's possible for black magic or evil spirits. What exactly did you see?"
Indres lowered his gaze. He really didn't want to talk about it.
"The tower, which direction to find it. Another... there was... a woman inside the tower, chained... She was begging to be released from captivity." Hunter said quietly.
"A woman? In the tower?" The temple guard furrowed his brow.
"When we encountered the undead, I realized there could be no living people inside, ser. But that doesn't change the fact that the tower was real."
"Did she say anything else? "
"No, just the... words I mentioned."
"Really?" Baern's voice again showed suspicious tones.
Indres sighed and overcame his shame.
"It was a dream, sir. I... nothing of value was said anymore, so it's not worth mentioning... especially to my wife."
Lifting his eyes, he saw understanding shine in the Temple guard's eyes.
"I see... "
"I think it would be wise to learn the details of the dream from your brother as well." Indres tried to divert the attention from himself.
"Yes, I will certainly do that. If we're dealing with a dream seducer... that's demonic power." Baern rubbed his chin thoughtfully and took a few steps closer to the center of the room.
"When I was in the city, I was looking for talismans to protect against dreams. Our selesti said that the village shrine was supposed to protect from harmful spirits, but apparently that's not enough."
"I can create something that will help for a while. But consecrating talismans is not my forte. Usually though, evil forces can't do harm through dreams, only frighten or incite to wrongdoing."
Wrongdoing... both my behavior in the dream and the fact that I went looking for the tower, Indres was forced to admit with grim irony that what had happened fit the description of the Lights guard.
"This evil force nearly ruined my family last time. This time, I would have perished myself if something strange had not happened."
"What do you mean?" The Temple guard turned to face Indres again.
"I didn't tell you everything about the encounter with that monster beforehand. I heard a voice that warned me, saved me from its attack. I thought I saw something in the air too, but... I'm not sure." Indres confessed.
"A voice? Like something from the wraith or a dream?" Baern furrowed his brows.
"No, it was different, Ser."
Indres tried to explain what he had witnessed during the encounter with the bat-like creature.
"I asked Erwan to be sure. He told, of course, that he had been on the other side of the clearing the whole time and had not called out to me." He added at the end.
"Could it be that you were suffering from head injury?" The temple guard didn't seem convinced.
"Possibly, but I doubt it. It was too... clear and real."
"Eternal Father, give me light..." the noble man sighed and shook his head.
"Then what do you want to say? One evil spirit is influencing your dreams and wants to kill you, while someone else is trying to save you?" Baern seemed tired and annoyed.
"I don't know, sir. I'm just telling what I experienced. You're the Lights guard, your knowledge of... these things are greater." Indres also felt a growing irritation, but tried to speak politely.
"I can call upon the Light to smite the evil forces. What you are saying is strange, some things even hard to believe... but it is late. I don't think we will find the answer in this conversation."
"So, what happens next, sir?"
"In the morning you and your comrades will gather your valuables and we will burn the tower as planned."
"And after that?"
"We will accompany you to the village, of course. Then we'll head back to city."
"And what about that enemy who stole the artifact? Control the spawns? Sent dreams to your brother and me?" Indres felt it becoming harder to contain his anger again.
"Don't worry, ranger. I will not leave this matter aside. I will arrange for a blesser to come and strengthen the village's defenses against the spirits. He will also be able to create a talisman for you and your family."
"Thank you, sir, but shouldn't the Temple be warned as well? If there's an evil spirit or monster lurking around that can control spawns and manipulate dreams, that's a serious threat."
"I am the guardian of the Temple and the Light. Consider that the Temple has already been warned." Baern turned away and went to the table to retrieve his oil lamp.
"Ser Baern, will you not ask the others for help?" Indres sensed something suspicious.
"The Temple will not believe without proof that there is an enemy capable of controlling spawns. It is not wise to be hasty. I will investigate everything and act according to the situation."
"But that’s... " Indres was about to object, but stopped in midsentence.
He understood.
"The nobles know about your family history. Those who serve in the Temple may realize who owned the necromancer's tower in this area." Indres automatically spoke his thoughts.
Baern froze for a moment, then slowly turned to look at the hunter.
"Ranger, mind your words." His tone was cold.
"Sir, my family and neighbors... no the whole area may be in danger! Someone has to do something!" Indres raised his voice.
"I already told you that I will take care of everything. Believe me, if need be, I will personally find this enemy and destroy him... along with that artifact – the last remnant to my family's shame." The Lights guard assured.
"And if, in the meantime, a new attack occurs and people die?"
"Spawns attack all the time. There is no evidence yet that they can be controlled. Maybe it's just a trick, a delusion, like dreams."
Indres didn't answer because he felt it was hard not to say something rude. But perhaps his look said more than words could, for Baern stepped closer, looking the hunter hard in the eyes.
"If you're thinking of doing anything behind my back, Ranger Riggi, remember that the Temple will not be happy that you and your friends appropriated items from a necromancer's hideout. Besides, your entire village avoided officially reporting a tower possessed by black magic. Think they'll let it go unpunished?" The nobleman's voice was low, but all the more ominous for that.
"I'm sorry, sir, but the rumors are already going around. Not just in our village, but elsewhere." Indres carefully responded.
"Just vague gossip about a tower with treasure and a curse. The undead can appear for various reasons. Only I, my scutifers and you know about what was underground."
Indres did not answer. He could clearly see that the motives of the Lights guard were selfish, but unfortunately the villagers were not entirely clean either.
"I will inform the Temple as much as is necessary, guaranteeing that neither you nor your people are in any danger. I will also investigate who this evil force is that sent the dreams and is possibly guiding the spawns. All I expect from you is to forget what you saw in the tower. Is that clear?"
The two men's eyes met again. Although Baern's face was calm and his hands were by his sides, Indres had the impression that a negative answer may be more dangerous than in similar situations before.
"As noble sir wishes." He bowed stiffly.
Once again Indres was convinced of a long-known truth: those who serve the Light sometimes creep among the shadows.
***
In the morning, dark grey smoke rose over the forest, but it was not a forest fire. Tongues of flame came out through the tower's doors, windows and roof, turning everything inside the grey walls to ash.
Three taurs and one horse were laden with bags full of silverware, precious books, expensive cloth and other valuable items, not to mention a magical device, a pile of coins and rings with precious stones.
The treasures delighted the other warriors in the village, for in their eyes, battling the dark forces was worth it. Indres, on the other hand, looked gloomily at the flaming tower and its surroundings, now covered with many scorched patches.
Even if the curse had been broken, the place looked worse now, he thought.
"Time to go!" Baern shouted to the group and, mounting his beast, was the first to leave. The others followed one after the other. Indres was the last one left to watch the clearing.
Finally, he too turned to leave, hoping never to return.
***