"So… this stranger… this killer…" the deep voice of the Elder rumbled in his earthen hall, "he is your… servant, Lady Erda?"

"Not exactly," Erda replied. "But he is a part of our company, oath-bound to our quest and the defence of the Tree. Yet whatever he is… a servant he is not."

"That is assuring," the Elder's skeletal fingers ran across the edge of Pike's confiscated sword, almost searchingly. The small honour guard of beast-men accompanying their elder hid their emotions, but Erda knew that Pike's actions had caused a breach of trust. The Elder himself seemed distant, like a wizard. He's basically a wizard.

The Elder continued. "Yet still, it was you who led him to our lands. If he was a simple fighting-man, this might be easily forgiven…"

"What do you mean?" Erda asked.

"That is disappointing you should ask that," said the Elder. "Though understandable. You are still young to the Old Wisdom. Did you not see this… Pike in battle? Did you not hear what echoes from within him?"

Erasmus looked curiously at Erda. He did not understand, but it was clear that Erda was realising something.

"I… I did… but… it cannot be."

"But it is, Lady Erda. That man you brought with you is a child of the dark powers. He has heard the Voice of the Beast…

Erda dropped to her knees. Erasmus was shocked. He had yet to see her lose her composure like this. "Forgive me. I did not know."

"What company the Rangers keep is your business, not ours," rasped the Elder. "But we will not simply allow such evil pass through our home. And what is more, our blood is on this man's hands. He has returned one of our young men to the earth. My people demand justice, and I mean to give it to them…"

"Hang on now." Erasmus stepped forward. "I don't know anything about dark powers or any of that. But if we're parcelling out blame, know that it my was idea to bring Pike, not Erda's. Me and the Thanes with me have all sworn to do what we can in the fight to come, but I knew it would not be enough. You are not the only ones to have bled because of him," Erasmus said, touching the scar below his eye.

"Your intentions are not on trial here," said the Elder. "But good intentions do not redeem evil…"

"Pike is not evil," said Erasmus. "He's a spiteful, hate filled son of a bitch, certainly. But he is not some wanton murderer, nor a tyrant. I've seen first-hand what he's capable of. He is no Hero, but at least I am glad his power does not belong to somebody else. He will not betray our quest, and I will not betray him."

"You speak of things you do not understand, Paladin. These powers… nothing good can come from them."

Erasmus was about to respond, but Erda interjected. "I understand. But some power unseen led Pike to me. And the power of the Tree saw fit to return him from the brink of death. I believe that was all for a reason. I will never seek to use the Dark Powers, no matter how dire the need is. But I believe Pike has a part to play… for the good of all."

The beast-men shuffled nervously, but the Elder only blinked slowly, seemingly deep in thought.

"A strange crossroads we are at. Wisdom dictates that your companion must not be allowed through our lands. Justice demands that I have him killed. Yet my own heart demands another path…"

"If it's justice you want," said Erasmus, "I will shoulder that burden, if that's what it takes."

The Elder paused for a long time, slowly turning his gaze on Erasmus to hold the Paladin's gaze in his own seemingly blind eyes. "You would accept your companion's punishment? Even if that meant staring into the face of death itself?"

Erasmus swallowed hard. "Yes."

The Elder cracked a smile. "Then the path is decided. Prepare yourself for what is to come… Paladin."

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Erda jumped up. "No… you can't mean to… to kill Erasmus."

"We mean to send your Paladin into death's domain. Whether he returns or not… is up to him…"

The effects of the poison were beginning to wane in Pike’s blood, slowly. As he hung there, bound by his wrists to a cold stone wall, with nothing but darkness all around, Pike forced his mind to shake off the dizziness, tried to force his fingers to move. He had been poisoned and unconscious two times too many in the past month, and it was beginning to piss him off.

Eventually, he began to see shapes approach him the darkness, squat, vaguely human shadows. As they drew nearer, he saw their eyes give off their own light, pale and faint.

“Oh…” Pike said wearily. “It’s you ugly sons of bitches. Would’ve thought you were ghosts if you didn’t smell so bad. Well… are you going to finish the job or what?”

The hairy creatures said nothing. Pike felt his wrist-bindings loosen and then he fell limply to the cold earth floor. Still too weak to move his limbs, he could do nothing as rough hands hoisted him up by hims arms and begin to carry him away. Pike fought furiously to force life back into his arms. If he was going to die, he wanted to go out fighting.

Yet when the creatures entered a dimly lit room, a soft bluish light emanating from strange fungal growths on the wall. Pike was dropped unceremoniously on the floor, face first. He sent muffled curses at the beast-men, but they did not respond as they shuffled away. Pike heard the sound of soft footsteps approach, and with an effort he turned his head to see Myra standing over him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

“Damn… I must have ended up in hell after all,” Pike muttered.

“I wish,” Myra said with a sneer. “By all rights you should be…” Her hands clenched into fists. “You’re only alive right now because Erda thinks you will be useful.”

“What are you on about now? Where is Erd-?”

Myra delivered a sharp kick into Pike’s ribs. Pike gasped in pain.

“You crazy b-!” he howled, but was cut off sharply by another kick. A fierce light was in Myra’s eyes.

“You bastard. You fucking bastard!” she hissed through clench teeth. “Why won’t you just die already? You’ve taken everything from me. And now, because of you, Erasmus will… will…” She could not bring herself to say the words.

Pike’s hand slowly managed to clutch at his side. Feeling for a broken rib. At least I can move my arms somewhat, he thought to himself. He was about to say something, but Myra rested her foot on his throat. That wasn’t a good sign.

“I knew I should’ve done this when I had the chance,” Myra said coldly, slowly pressing her foot down on Pike’s throat. “I will not let it happen again. I will not watch as Erasmus dies so you can live!”

“That’s enough Myra.” Erda’s voice called out.

Myra whisked around in surprise. “Lady Erda I…” she stuttered. Erda was standing at the room’s entrance, her handmaiden Nim beside her.

“Myra please, leave this place.” Erda said in a tone that was not harsh, but commanding all the same.

Myra hurried away, head cast downwards.

“Nim, please go to her.” The handmaiden did as she was told.

Pike, his limbs feeling more responsive, struggled to rise to a sitting position, clutching his side. “What idiot thought it would be a good idea to leave me in a room alone with that mad wolf-bitch.”

“Be quiet and lie still Pike. I better take a look at you. Your body has been fighting the poison in your blood while you’ve been strung up like a carcass for a full day. An average man’s limbs might have started rotting away already…”

“I’ve been through worse. Just give me some food and a little something for the pain in my…” Pike winced, “in my everything. But anyway what gives? What are you doing here anyway? Did you all get captured by those ugly bastards too?”

Erda shook her head. “No. These people are… neighbours to us Rangers. The Hairy-men we call them. The plan was to get some help from them, until…”

“Until I killed one of them, is that right? Well what was I supposed to do? I was chasing after those fellows that attacked us when your hairy friends tried to jump me.”

“You should not have just run off like that. The enemy was beaten and scattered in a hostile land. Do you enjoy bloodshed that much?”

Pike glanced downward, away from Erda's searching gaze. "I was making sure the job was done, that's all. They were killers, hard and hungry, the lot of them. Would you rather have let them go free to find more helpless prey?"

"Sometimes," Erda said, "all a man needs is a second chance to become something greater."

Pike laughed sardonically. "I've hunted outlaws and killers like that all my life. Sure, I've shown mercy to some, plenty in fact. But for what? Either they remain wolves, or they give up their fangs and become prey. All the world is a hunting ground, no amount of second chances are going to change that."

"Yet you spared Myra."

"And I regret it deeply… not even a word of thanks…" Pike winced as Erda applied some kind of ointment to his arrow wound. "Erasmus was a fool to bring her along."

"The others think it was foolish of me to use the Gift to save you. Where they wrong?"

"Not if you want your enemies in the ground. Don't think to compare me to that she-wolf. I didn't need to join the fight on the hill, not after the ungrateful shits tried to stab me. And where has that led me, tied up by forest apes and kicked in the ribs."

"Don't think the deed has gone unthanked Pike. You were to be executed, but we managed to bargain for your life, though it may prove to be of great cost."

"Oh? And how did you manage that? Did you have to give up another magic potion?"

"It was not I who made the bargain…"