image [https://i.imgur.com/4h2QiRa.jpeg]
Robb started sprinting out of the center of the room, but he felt something grab on his ankle. It was the shadow creature. Black claws wrapped around the young boy’s legs, a sensation he was all too familiar with. He struggled to get free, kicking it away, but he was unable to hit anything other than his own knee.
Rei recognized the danger, and grabbed something from his belt and tossed it below Robb’s feet. Three cherry-sized balls landed and rolled on the floor, each one exploding, creating tiny flashes of bright lights. The room lit up like a festival night.
The young boy felt the creature’s grip on his leg loosen and he stood up and started bolting towards the door while Rei dropped his chain blade and pulled his short sword from its sheath. “Get behind me,” he ordered the young lad.
Robb hid outside the doorway as the masked warrior stood guard to shield him. Thevyr pulled out a crescent-shaped curved blade from the sheathe on his back and rushed towards the foreigner. His indigo skin glimmering from the flutter of fireworks, he slashed from above and then to the side, but Rei easily dodged both attacks.
Robb’s jaw dropped at the sight of the fighters, but he was more in awe with Rei’s swiftness. With every flash of the firework, he saw him move from one location to another, like lightning strikes that hit the ground. Rei patiently held his defense, carefully studying his opponent’s attacks, trying to find a worthwhile opening, or perhaps waiting for him to grow tired.
Finally, the horned man suffered a delay in his strike after taking a lengthy moment to breathe. Rei took advantage and made a swing with his short sword that grazed his opponent’s upper arm. Thevyr flinched and stepped back, grunting in frustration.
Meanwhile, Dominic was able to pull Rei’s chain blade off his left shoulder. He picked up his hammer once again and stepped beside his horned companion.
“Step back, Niko,” Thevyr cautioned.
“No, let me at him!” the gaunt man cried in anger. He jumped and swung his weapon over Rei’s head, but the foreigner blocked it with his arm. Thevyr charged with a strike on his right side, but the foreigner raised his blade and parried the horned man’s curved blade. Robb didn’t even notice his friend changing his grip from a forehand to a backhand, which aided in his maneuver.
The two men pressed down on Rei, screaming curses underneath their breaths. The foreigner was unbelievably hefty for his size, and it was visible in their faces that they didn’t anticipate him holding his own against the two of them.
The masked man reared back his left leg, and with a silent huff, kicked Dominic in his groin. The gaunt man recoiled and staggered backwards, reeling in pain. Rei wasn’t over yet though. As he freed his off-hand, he twisted his right and turned the horned-man’s curved blade away from him. The momentum of his motion called for him to duck underneath Thevyr’s elbow, like they were in a dance.
It was enough for the horned man to lose his footing, as the foreigner shifted from his right-hand side to his left. He also didn’t notice Rei making a cut across the side of his chest and brandishing a second, smaller blade his left hand. The masked warrior bent his knee as he poised for another bout, both hands now holding a pair of weapons at the ready. Just then, the firecrackers finally stopped sparkling, rendering the shadow creature able to move again.
“Grab a light!” Rei commanded. Robb quickly understood so he ran out towards the hallway and grabbed the nearest lantern he could find. As he moved to head back, he saw the black mass on the floor crawling towards him. He quickly reached for the lantern’s dial and adjusted it to render its flame brighter. His own shadows danced on the wall behind him, and he took careful steps returning towards the laboratory doorway.
Robb planted his feet right under the door frame, and the situation had quickly turned against his silent guardian. His physical prowess was no match for an amorphous enemy. While he did manage to restrain Thevyr with his chain, he was also now suffering from a dislocated left elbow and large gash across his abdomen. Not to mention that his feet were being locked in place by the shadow creature.
The young boy returned at the right moment as his lantern quickly drove the shadows away. Its light was so bright that it pilfered away all surfaces that their opponent could move through, leaving it with no choice but to hide under one of the tables.
Now that his legs were finally free again, Rei continued his dances against Dominic. Despite his injuries, he still proved to be a better warrior than him, making sure his attacks were precise and calculated. Given that he could only use his main arm, every step and every swing had to count for something.
Just as Thevyr broke free of his restraints, Rei finally planted his short sword deep into Dominic’s left thigh. The gaunt man yelled in pain, and Thevyr stepped in to shield him from their opponent. “Go, get him away from here!” he commanded to the wind.
But it wasn’t the wind that answered, but the shadows. The black mass revealed itself again, this time crawling towards Dominic’s feet. Rei noticed and reacted by throwing small star-shaped projectiles at the creature. It wasn’t enough, as it still managed to drag the gaunt man away from the fight.
“No, I will finish this!” Dominic protested but his partner dismissed him. The shade creature took a familiar form, seemingly standing up behind the gaunt man. A pair of arms appeared to embrace it and with a blink of an eye, the two vanished into thin air.
Thevyr wiped the blood off his face while keeping his hellish eyes locked on to the foreigner. Him and Rei were alternatingly heaving their chests, visibly drained from the fight but still roaring to continue. The horned man picked up Dominic's fallen hammer and rallied a clamor full of conviction. He zipped towards the foreigner and the dance was on again.
With the shade creature gone, Robb felt it was no longer necessary to hold the lantern up. Wanting to be more useful instead of cowering in the corner, he slithered towards the far end of the room, keeping his back on the wall. He then turned to check on the old wizard.
Professor Arcturus was sprawling slumped on the granite top of his alchemy table while his conical hat lay on the floor. Nothing was left of his entire head other than a mush of flattened flesh, shattered skull and burst brain matter.
Robb felt his stomach lurch at the horrible sight. He turned around and leaned on a table, eventually giving up on keeping his last dinner inside. His skin felt cold, but he was sweating. Everything he had seen was beyond belief.
He looked up at wizards all his life; from the legends passed down orally through generations, to the tales recorded through storybooks, he believed them to be dauntless and invincible. Wizards never lose a fight, he used to brag to the other children of the village.
The little Robin dismissed the urge to look away. He steadied himself and beheld the dead body of Arcturus once more. This time he channeled his anger instead. He could feel his magical energy resurfacing as he glanced towards the old wizard’s staff on the tiled floor.
Robb grabbed it and faced the two combatants. He tried to recall the gesture and the words for a Binding Spell that he had seen Cassana cast multiple times. It took a moment before he gained a well-founded confidence. After a deep breath, he waved his hand and recited the words, and a yellow spectral light appeared on top of the staff’s Focusing stone. A similar glow took shape around Thevyr’s arms.
The horned man noticed it, however, and quickly landed a kick that pushed Rei backwards before turning towards the young boy. In an instant, Robb felt his power wane and dissipate again. The glow on the staff and on the Thevyr’s arms vanished as well.
Nevertheless, it was the opening Rei had been waiting for. With his opponent turned away from him, he plunged his short sword up his enemy’s backside, piercing through to his front.
The horned man flinched and dropped on his knees. His mouth bleeding, his teeth seething, he grabbed the protruding sword on his body and tried to pry it away.
“His eyes!” Robb screamed across the room. “Cover his eyes!”
Rei understood. He pulled off his mask and placed the entire thing over Thevyr’s head, blocking his whole face. A few seconds later, Robb felt his magical energy return again, and he finally finished casting a Binding Spell to restrain the horned man.
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The days were short, and the nights were cold since that evening when Robb witnessed the hands of death pluck the soul of a man he looked up to. The image of his broken face lingered in his memory and had been robbing him of a peaceful slumber since.
What was worst was that the promise of reuniting with his parents also yielded nothing. Cassana and Minos returned from their assault with a news as terrible as the one they found waiting for them at the Small Tower.
Robb couldn’t even get himself to cry. Every night, he would tuck himself to bed, thinking about the tragedies that his befell parents, while reminiscing about the time he spent with them back in the village, but it could not bring him to grieve or mourn.
“What if…” Robb began asking a terrible question to Cassana, one time that the two of them were alone together. “…what if I don’t love them anymore?”
“That’s stupid,” Cassana replied. “You love them, you know that. But sometimes grief has a way to drive us into numbness.”
Robb pressed his against his arms, as he listened intently to the young wizard.
“When Mom...” Cassana continued, eating up the words, “...died, I didn’t feel anything for days. I think part of me was just relieved that her suffering was finally over. She was sick for months, and I couldn’t bear looking at her like that.
“I knew you held for hope, for as long as you can. But was there a part of you that believed that they were really gone?”
The young boy nodded.
“Maybe that’s why. Three years of waiting had prepared you for the worst.” Cassana raised her hand over Robb’s head and gave it gentle pat. “I’m sorry, Robb. We did the best we could. I wish we found out about them sooner...”
Robb felt his chest heavy with the weight of nothingness. It dragged his whole mind and body down, making every movement a struggle, and each thought a labor. He wondered whether getting a hug from Cassana would make him feel better, but he was too anxious to ask. Instead, he turned away and went back to his room.
He threw himself down on the feather bed despite not feeling sleepy. He laid there for hours, staring at the blank ceiling, until he heard something rapping against the closed window. A strong wind was blowing outside, and a part of it wanted to enter and greet the young boy.
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He opened the window and welcomed the gust in. He felt its cold, misty fingers touch his cheeks, and it reminded him of his mother’s loving hands. But as he recalled Lira’s strict notes, he reached for the sashes of the window and quickly pulled it shut.
After the incident at the Small Tower, the City Watch cordoned it off and temporarily closed it down so the investigators can proceed with their job. Him, Cassana, and the rest of their group were invited into their headquarters in the middle of downtown. It was his first time being there, but not for the others.
They were all interviewed separately. Robb, in particular, was asked to describe in full details everything that happened that night, which he did without any fuss. They even brought in several equipment and paraphernalia to ascertain some of the salient points of his statement, specifically those that fall under the category of magic.
Afterwards he was brought to meet the Commander of the City Watch, Captain Hrothgar.
When he first heard about him, he created a specific image in his mind, based on some books that he had read. He imagined him to be a grizzly, gray, old man, covered in locks of white hair and heavy beard. What he met was far different from what he expected.
Captain Hrothgar looked like only a few years older than Minos or Trev. Yet, what he lacked in physical maturity, he made up in voice and demeanor. His eyes alone were enough to freeze Robb in his seat.
The days that followed that meeting were filled with even more tension. The City Watch had taken over the Von Schreiber mansion and conducted a manhunt for Dominic and all his remaining collaborators. Two of which were identified with the help of Cassana’s group: the fetch who assumed the identity of Lieutenant Denise and the shadow creature who kidnapped the missing children.
The other two, the rooftop assassin who Minos identified as Inverno, and the horned-man named Thevyr, remained in custody of the Watch.
The authorities slowly opened the city up. First allowing the merchants and their ships to leave the harbor, followed by allowing entry to citizens who were stranded outside of Soliton. Minos was very much ready to depart the moment he found a ship he could charter and a captain he could hire, but their group was still denied the clearance to leave.
Robb overheard Lira and Minos discussing that they will not be allowed to leave until the whole investigation is over. He could tell that the young nobleman was not happy about it.
Fearful that his mother’s brother would find Robb and attempt to abduct him again, Cassana and Ashvell decided to check into a different inn every night. They were sometimes accompanied by Minos, Lira and Rei, and they would all take turns keeping watch day in and day out. It came to a point that they all grew tired of their own paranoia that the drow huntress elected to arrange for a more convenient term of stay.
She returned one afternoon, escorted by a retinue of City Watch militia. They were all brought to another mansion, one that belonged to Captain Hrothgar himself. Lira argued that if they would not be allowed to leave the city, then it was the city’s responsibility to keep them safe.
Robb stepped out of his small room, one of the many guest rooms inside that palatial abode. He walked barefooted along the now familiar carpeted corridor, mechanically taking turns left and right. He had been following the same route for several nights, mainly to entertain himself and give him the distraction he needed to not think about anything.
His steps led him to a narrow mezzanine three floors above the ground. He sat behind the balustrade, slipping his legs in between the banister shafts and letting them hang on the edge of the floor. He eyed the atrium below and waited for a familiar sight to come into view.
It was one of the servants working for the household. He first noticed her after seeing and being fascinated by a mechanical contraption he found within the mansion, one that Minos explained was called a dumbwaiter. It was a hoist and pulley system used to carry food from the bottom floor to the top, where Captain Hrothgar prefers to dine.
The mansion’s dining room was located on the first floor, and that was where they ate since the beginning of their stay, but the captain never joined them once.
Minos scoffed at that comportment, “It’s disrespectful for a host not to join their guests for dinner,” he once said during one of their dinners.
“We’re not in Zephyrus, different cultures have different decorum,” Cassana defended, “Just be grateful that he’s letting us stay here for free.”
Ashvell and Lira shared a look and they both chuckled at her words.
“What?” asked the redhead ruefully.
“A few days ago, you were so sure that Hrothgar was behind all this.” Lira answered. “Now you are his most stalwart defender.”
Ashvell nodded in agreement.
“Shut up, just eat,” Cassana dismissed.
It did make Robb curious as he had never seen the commander eat at the long dining table. Until he saw what his servants were doing, and it made him more curious. He watched and observed from this particular perch for many nights, and he never saw any food on that tray that they hoist up. Only a large jug filled with liquid and a drinking glass.
He would wait for a few minutes, and the tray would be lowered down with the same jug and glass would be on it, the former empty, and the latter stained with red. It was only after he witnessed that that he would feel the urge to sleep. He would always note to himself to talk about his observations to Cassana or to Minos, but rarely recalled about it during the day. Even if he did, the two would be busy talking about something more important.
Which was exactly what occurred the following day. They were lounging at the parlor and Minos and Cassana had finished arguing about something, when Robb decided to speak up. However, they were interrupted by Firroth and Auren arriving, accompanied by an officer from the City Watch. They were asked to follow them to the captain’s private library where their commander would be waiting.
The cramped room barely fitted all of them, as Robb crammed himself beside a tall wooden shelf. He roosted his head to get a look at the imposing commander who sat behind a small desk. He was flanked by two members of the City Watch.
Cassana and Minos sat on the two available chairs in front, angling them to face Firroth and Auren who were standing by the door. Ashvell, Lira and Rei stood scattered across the small room.
Firroth glanced at the city watch investigator behind him, asking permission to commence. He then cleared his throat and acknowledged the presence of Hrothgar in deference. Finally, he raised a string bound notebook in front of his face and started reading from its pages.
“Investigator Ensing and I had finished our investigation of the incident and we would like to report our findings. As per Captain Hrothgar’s advice, we invited you all here…” Firroth pointed towards Cassana and Minos, “... to demonstrate our intent for total transparency.”
The tall wizard glanced for approval from Captain Hrothgar, but didn’t receive one. He instead glanced towards Cassana and her group, seemingly studying their faces. Firroth continued on nevertheless.
“First, we can confirm that Legate Arcturus has perished from multiple blunt force trauma to his head. He is currently interred at the Temple of Soteira, and his funeral will be in two days. Sadly, the professor no longer has living relatives we could notify. Regardless, a message has already been sent to The Tower, and we are waiting for any orders. For the meantime, any business regarding the Office of the Legate should be addressed to me,” Firroth explained mechanically, void of any emotions.
“As for the investigation of the Von Schreiber mansion, we found evidence of witchcraft in and around the house,” he continued.
Robb heard Captain Hrothgar grunt at the mention of the word witchcraft. Firroth continued.
“Before we proceed with that,” the tall wizard faltered, as his confidence seemingly dwindled. “I would like first to add some context. From the office and library of the Von Schreiber mansion, we have found records documenting another witchcraft activity that happened twelve years ago.
“On the night of the twentieth of Moira, 753 Year of the March, Legate Arcturus, along with a man named Rikhart Beckett, conducted a Harrowing Ritual towards a young boy named Dominic Von Schreiber.”
Robb did not understand what any of that meant, but recognized the names of his father and his mother’s brother. Cassana’s face at the mention of the ritual, however, denoted that it was something horrible.
“It was done with the consent of the boy’s parents…” Firroth continued.
“What is this ritual and what does it do?”, interrupted Captain Hrothgar in a deep, stern voice.
Firroth shifted on his feet, trying to find a better way to provide an answer, “The Harrowing Ritual is a forbidden practice that involves severing a person’s tether to their…”
“It removes people of their magical abilities,” Cassana blurted impatiently.
The tall wizard humbly nodded towards Hrothgar before continuing. “And just to add, it was done outside the authority of the Tower of the Legate. It was a rogue action from the late Professor Arcturus…”
“Who happened to be the sitting Legate at that time, correct?” interrupted the commander.
“Yes, and as an interim Legate, I, in behalf of The Tower in Ad-Nilem, vehemently condemn his actions. We acknowledge that Professor Arcturus is—was a brilliant man, but he was also an abusive person who exploited his appointed position.”
Robb watched Cassana’s face tremble in objection.
“He was complicated and deeply troubled person,” Firroth continued. “And I would like to assure you all that the wizard community does not tolerate the likes of him.”
Captain Hrothgar remained quiet, and the whole room truly became a library. Minos and the rest waited with baited breath for him to comment something, but instead he waved his hand and ordered Firroth to continue.
“What does this have to do with the recent events?” Hrothgar asked. “Specifically, the abduction and disappearance of seven children, including your young friend over there,” he added, pointing at Robb.
“Given the evidence we found inside the cistern, and the runes and the planned procedures, we think that Dominic Von Schreiber is attempting to get his magical abilities back,” Firroth explained.
“Is such a thing possible?” asked the commander.
“Not through proper means…”
Captain Hrothgar gave him a look that asked for him to elaborate further.
“Tell us about the ritual that I saw…” Minos interjected. “You guys keep telling us it's witchcraft, yeah, sure, but what exactly is it? And how does it give people magical abilities?”
“There is an old-wives tale, found in some ancient writings, that talks about witches being granted the power of magic after consuming a nascent child of a fravashi,” explained Firroth.
“Like a demon-child?” clarified Minos.
“A cambion?” seconded Cassana.
“Yes,” answered Firroth.
“So that’s what it was? The pregnant woman, with the…” Minos was slowly beginning to understand what he saw that night. “... and he has to eat it?”
“Before it takes its first breath, as per some of the legends,” added Firroth.
“So, it is possible?” asked Captain Hrothgar.
“Outside of hearsay and common gossip, there has been no evidence or record of such ritual being successful…” the tall wizard tried to dodge the question.
“Because no wizard would do something as horrible as that…” added Cassana with conviction. “Eating, what is basically a fetus? That’s madness!”
“And it’s not like witches document their work…” remarked Minos.
“It has been dismissed as nothing more than a fairy tale,” noted Firroth.
“Let me get this straight,” Lira interrupted. “Since we interrupted this ritual of theirs, there is a high chance that he will still attempt it, am I correct?”
“That is the leading assumption,” Firroth answered.
“Which means they might still come after Robb...” Ashvell blurted out of nowhere.
“Then we have to leave. Go as far away from this city as possible!” Cassana declared.
“Where are we going?” Robb meekly asked from his corner.
“Back home!” Cassana blustered. “Rei got The Cure already, so we don’t really need to head out across the Roewing Sea. And since we have no more reason to be here, it’s time to return to our village.”
She and her group all looked across, towards Captain Hrothgar, as he visibly took into consideration everything that they were saying. It took a few tense seconds before he opened his mouth.
“And lose the one guaranteed chance of capturing them?” he scoffed.
“What?” Cassana gasped.
“You are not thinking of using the boy as bait, are you?” Lira asked.
“Tell me, old friend, if you are in my shoes, would you not do the same?” asked the captain.
“I would not put a child in danger…” Lira added.
“Then I am sure all of you will do everything you can to protect the boy.” Captain Hrothgar stood up and dusted his uniform.
“This isn’t a safe-house, this is a killing field!” retorted Cassana. She stood up from her seat, firmly holding her staff, and immediately started reciting a spell.
Firroth and Auren, however, were quicker on their draw, seemingly anticipating what she would do. One of them finished reciting a spell that cancelled whatever the redhead was doing, while the other one summoned a conjuration that sent a miniscule wave blasting across the room, knocking them all off-balance.
“My men are already preparing this mansion to face any kind of attack. Once they are captured, or killed, then you can all go.” Captain Hrothgar gave an affirmative nod at the two wizards before ambling towards the door. “And any attempt to leave this mansion will be met with the utmost prejudice. I hope that is clear,” he further warned.
His soldiers followed him behind, and then Auren, while Firroth glanced at Cassana with an apologetic look before stepping out. The redhead watched them all walk away, fury simmering in her eyes.