Since an old accident, Osdas could only find a few hours of sleep, usually sitting on a large pillow on his chair behind the bar. And as such he was on this very chair when he woke up with a start and opened his eyes in a confused haze. It hadn’t been the dream, which had woken him, but his aching back. Stretching it as far as he could manage without falling to the ground a wailing mess, he shifted in his chair. The moon shone through the milky windows. Osdas reached for the oil lamp and lighter in front of him, but before he could take either, he flinched.
The tall stranger. He stood like a lurking predator in the dark, facing the door. Immediately, Osdas feared a robbery. Beyond the stranger and his lady-companion there was no none else in the inn and Osdas couldn’t fight such a brute of a man even with the help of someone else. Deciding to be smart about this, the innkeeper made himself smaller in his seat and waited. If he just let the stranger do whatever he wanted, he could at least live to see another day.
Suddenly, the stranger moved. It was a subtle movement, reminiscent of a cat stalking a mouse. Osdas followed the coppery wave of hair, as this was the only dominant spot of colour in the moonlight-dim room.
Suddenly, a ghastly thing emerged from the floorboards. It looked like it was made from black clothes and a dark curse. Skeletal arms emerged from the thin fabric, covered by stretched out pale skin. They ended in bony claws holding bare blades without a handle.
Osdas stifled the scream that was welling up in his throat. At the same time, the redhead pierced the creatures with his sword. It let out a shriek and vanished. But where it was, two more emerged.
The stranger dispatched those just like the first with great precision. He was fast. Almost inhumanly fast. But more of those creatures appeared and started to swarm him.
Suddenly, one of those creatures appeared right next to Osdas. Up close, it was even worse than hidden within the shadows. A gnarly skull floating in the hood of a black cape. Skeletal hands holding straight blades coated with rust and smelling like blood.
The monster raised its arms in a fluid motion, the blade shimmering deadly in the cold moonlight. For a few seconds time seemed to stand still and than it slashed at Osdas. Shrieking, he tumbled from his chair and felt onto the floor. Sharp pain scalded up his back to the base of his head and caused him nearly to black out.
-
Veduca shaw the demonic shade attack the innkeeper and rushed to his aid. As usual, only a flash of her staff, which she kept concealed during the day, was enough to drive the abomination away. As fast as she possibly could, she created a barrier above the innkeeper and herself.
Not a second too late, as another shadowy monster appeared right beside them, but luckily outside the barrier. With the wail of a mourning woman, the creature slashed at the magical barrier. Its blade only caused bright blue sparks to shoot into the air.
After a few slashes, the monster decided to go after Lodwin, who mowed them down with inhuman speed. Still, Veduca could see that he wasn’t doing well. There hadn’t been enough time for him to recuperate from the last battle.
A gasp beside her, forced her back to her present situation.
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“It’s alright, good sir”, she told the innkeeper with a warm smile. “Lod will take care of those vile creatures.”
Despite her father telling her to not be as generous with her abilities as she tends to be, she placed her hand on the old innkeepers back and conjured one of her more potent healing spells. It worked immediately, judging by the relieved sigh the old man made, but it also knocked him out for good. Probably for the rest of the night and part of the following day even, which might as well was an advantage.
Suddenly, the sounds of the battle were gone. Afraid, Veduca looked up but saw only Lodwin standing in the middle of the trashed inn. He breathed heavily and used his sword as support.
Hasty, she placed the old innkeeper on the ground, with the pillow from his seat underneath his head. Once that was done, she walked to Lodwin, who straightened his back and sheathed his sword.
“Are you hurt?” Veduca asked him worried.
Lodwin regarded her for a moment with a sour expression, but shook his head.
“Are you certain?” she insisted. “I would hate for you to be in pain.”
This time he looked annoyed and shook adamantly his head.
“Fine then”, Veduca sighed and looked around the inn — it looked like a whole horde of ruffians had entered, trashed everything and left.
Again, ignoring her father's warning, she used her magic to repair the room and make it a little more homely. Lodwin watched her intently, but his thoughts remained a mystery to her. A mystery she wished to understand.
-
Lodwin felt that this attack wasn’t over. He waited for the sorceress to finish her meaningless task, then he moved out of the inn. Veduca called after and followed him to his dismay. On the street in front of the inn, he stopped and turned around. She didn’t walk into him, but looked at him with an expression that made him regret being so rude.
“What’s the matter, Lod?” she asked, concerned.
As an answer, he unsheathed his sword and showed her with his finger on his lips to be silent. Perking up, she tilted her head inquisitively. To explain himself, he moved his sword in the slashing motion of the demonic shadows he just slew and pointed into the forest.
“The sorcerer’s close by?” she asked in a hushed whisper.
Lodwin nodded and move towards the place he could feel the sorcerer’s magic in the air. Veduca help him back by the arm. Miffed about her clinging to him, he tried to push her off, but failed.
“You’ll need my help if you go”, she explained, and stepped in front of him. “You haven’t had any real rest since your last battle with the last Dark Priest the other day.”
Angry, he pointed to his chest and past her. Then he pointed towards her, shook his head and pointed back towards the inn.
“Don’t say, you’re worried about my well-being?” she asked like a child, that got a long-awaited present. “Silly Lod, I’m capable to save myself. I’ve done so for longer than you’re alive.”
Unhappy about it, Lodwin pushed her aside and headed towards the sorcerer. He didn’t need to look behind himself to know that Veduca was following him. He could hear the jingle of her jewellery right behind him. If it weren’t for those, she could move without a sound, but Lodwin wasn’t sure he wanted that either.
The path ahead, if one could call it that, was a trail left by animals. It went past thick bushes and young trees barely taller than the shrubbery. The older trees were huge in comparison and their branches reached towards the ground, obscuring what was ahead. Despite this considerable disadvantage and the darkness of the night, Lodwin moved ahead with his drawn sword at the ready.
Suddenly, the trees gave way to a clearing, above which the moon shone mournful onto the chalked remains of pillars of a long-lost church. Lodwin stopped and crouched down. Veduca followed his example and stayed close by his side. The fragrance of lavender, which always floated around Veduca like a pleasant lilac cloud, eased his nerves.
A movement beside the pillars snapped his attention back towards his goal.
The sorcerer was just like the first Dark Priest Lodwin had encountered since his resurrection. Dark robes, shaved head and hollow eyeholes. Despite the grotesque lack of eyes, the Dark Priests could see. Even this one appeared to be not as blind as his condition should suggest. After all, he avoided the rubble scattered between the pillars as if it were board daylight.
Judging by the sluggishness of his movements, the sorcerer had expended a lot of energy. No wonder considering the number of shades he had summoned. Lodwin remained cautious. The Dark Priest could still summon one or two more entities.
For now, all Lodwin and Veduca could do was to watch and wait for an opening.