WBM
Chapter Three
Lake Bled Rambler Clan
~SV~
Blackstone Castle, After Midnight, 677, 29th, October
Miles away those with mystical blood at Blackstone Castle’s front gate witness a thunderclap, without lightning, in a clear sky. It leaves a jagged bright green opening, and then a moss green mist begins to flow through it, coming down from the sky to float above the area where the Dragon Sword ended Lola. The mist forms a trumpet and blows long and loud spreading a dark green web across the area. Those present hold their ears in pain.
Intense blue specks appear scattered across a five-hundred-yard area, slowly flashing as if they were fireflies caught in the green web. The trumpet becomes a green mossy whirl as it spins from the center of the web, it goes along the lines, collecting the blue specks. Within the cyclone, the specks now bond. As enough gather, it is clear that it is becoming a form. The whirling mist goes from land to river as the blue specs surface and the web catches them.
Once all of the specks are collected, the web dissolves. The glowing bits swell to be almost a female shape. The cyclone takes Lola’s missing essence into the crack of the Dark Window. A thunderclap closes the window and all disappears from sight. The event leaves those who witness it stunned, unsure of what they saw. A great distance away, again the thunderclap opens a crack creating a new Dark Window. The green mist seeps out through the space.
It brings Lola’s missing essence, as the moss green mist spins like a tornado. It delivers the glowing blue form to the given resting place, so it can find her soul and ash. Once it touches the ground, the power of her blue essence fades without her soul’s strength. The green mist leaves her missing blue essence in the dirt. As the green mist retreats up from the ground, like the wind, it goes back through the crack. The green mist flows into the Dark Window.
Then a loud thunderclap closes the window. It leaves this essence, to slowly combine with her previously gathered ash, and with Lola’s soul, which are buried where the skull and spell sent her.
~*~
Warlock Camp, After Midnight, 677, 29th, October
The Necromancers have black around their eyes, like the Warlocks. Yet, they wear light gray face paint, so it is easy to see the difference between them. The Necromancer females wear the small bones and skulls of rodent size animals in necklaces, some tied to their clothing, and dangling at the bottom of their braided hair. The males wear a larger animal skull tied to their head. When at war, they wear human skulls for battles, to frighten their foes.
The Prince hears them talking of past wins. Once Rorik’s mug is half-gone, he gets the nerve to speak to them. Rorik interrupts, “Can I ask you about the fights?” They nod, so he questions, “Is it a knife competition or a bare-knuckle fight?” The dark one says, “Weapons are not allowed. The first match is a bare-knuckle; the second fight is a no death magic.” Rorik sniffs, “Can anyone challenge the fighter of the first match?”
The dark one gets a big grin, “Yes, you want to fight boy?” Prince Rorik boasts, “I have won a few bare-knuckle matches.” The dark man says, “I can arrange for you to fight; if you are up to it.” Rorik scoffs, “Of course I am up to it.” The Prince forgets he is weak and sore from digging graves. Most important he failed to notice the current phase, as it is the first night of the Full Moon. There are cheers and boos, Rorik gasps, “The Goths are here too?”
Rorik has always disliked the idea of the Necromancer’s Death Magic, and cringes at the Goth’s Blood Magic. Yet, the Warlock’s Fire Magic fascinates him and he wishes he was born to it. The Goths wear a white face and body paint, with red around their eyes and a few rune mark designs on their body, arms, and legs. They wear matching red cloaks; under it, the women have a black tunic, the men wear black a wrap on their loins, and tall black boots.
Prince Rorik watches as they finish prepping the ground of the fight ring, with wood shavings. The Warlocks place five dark stones, just outside the rope, and spell them. Up comes a dark green glow, as the magical boundary covers the ring. Their gambling tables are set up, and they start accepting coin for bets on the fighters. The dark man comes back saying, “I signed you up for the first fight as long as you are not disqualified, you get money for participating.”
Rorik grins, “I plan on winning.” The dark man says, “Then you will get even more coin.” Rorik has not remembered Nera’s warning, when she foretold of this current Wolf Blood Moon.
~*~
Kolo’s Craftroom, After Midnight, 677, 29th, October
The three Witches had watched Kolo flee into the Throne Room where he died on the floor. Nepathi gasps, “No, Demons of the Dark Realm!” The Egyptian reaches for Kolo’s feet, twisting and groaning, she yanks against her chain, attempting to get just a little nearer to him. The Egyptian collapses and cannot believe the Evil One’s luck, as she groans nearing tears. She comes back into the Craftroom checking if her chain is tangled.
Pulling it tight, to give her as much length as she can get, she walks slowly backwards. Nepathi releases her chain as she goes into the throne room. This time she sees she got a few more inches, yet is yanked six feet short of reaching Kolo’s body. The Egyptian fumes, “Foul frogs, putrid pigs, and rotten rats!” She lays on the stone floor reaching out her full length, stretching the desperate Witch tries again, nine inches from grabbing Kolo’s foot.
Nepathi uses the knife to try reaching. She is only a few inches from her goal, yet it is still too far. Nepathi fumes, “Dirty dingo, slimy snake, and bloody bats! Even with the lousy length of the knife, I am still unable to stab his filthy feet! I should have grabbed the fiend, as soon as he swayed, and held on to him until he died!” The other two Witches are unable to see into the Throne Room as they are bound to their chairs, in the Craftroom.
The Egyptian wiggles to get closer, yet it does no good. Darciana sighs, “If you grabbed him too soon, he would have killed you. And where he is older than us, he would be too likely to come back to life before you.” Samala scoffs, “She should have tried it anyway. Clearly, this plan is not working.” The Egyptian curses, “Coldest Nifl, I should have removed his head!” A booming noise has all three going silent as they look around for its cause.
Darciana asks, “Did you hear that sound, is Kolo moving, or is it either of you?” The Queen scoffs, “It is not me, and seemed to sound further away.” Groaning, Nepathi says, “My ears are still forming, so everything is very muffled, like I am underwater. But it is not Kolo nor me, it sounded like it was nearer to both of you.” Samala mocks, “It must be Kolo!” The Egyptian replies, “My eyes are not so good either, but I see him, and Kolo is not moving, yet.”
Nepathi finally gives up, slowly she comes back to the Craftroom, dragging her chain. The Egyptian admits, “I was stupidly gleeful. His agony, had me too joyful, when I saw my successful poisoning and hex were making him scream. I became conceited, so sure I would give Kolo the painful death, he deserves. What an arrogant thoughtless, fool I was!” Samala hisses, “Lola’s taunts are wearing off on you.” Defeated, Nepathi sinks into her chair.
Samala seethes at her, “Instead of whining over what you would have done, or just sitting there; you have not tried to stop Lola from rising; do it right now!” The Egyptian waves both hands out above the table, “With what exactly? Does the Queen of Maggots have a Chant for me to use?” Darciana mocks too, “Perhaps the Mad Queen has Rune Magic or a Spell.” Samala tilts her head up, replying, “Your Grimoire is right there.” The Rambler scoffs.
Nepathi replies, “Darciana knows what is in it, so it does no good for me to waste time reading through it!” The Rambler scolds her cousin, “Yes, I would recall if I wrote a reversal spell. And, it would be nice if you sought a vision to see what can be done, with the little we have, rather than ordering us to find a way!” Nepathi taunts, “Let me guess, nothing is ever your fault or responsibility, so you never bother to help?” Samala glares, “It was not my plan.”
Scoffing, she adds, “It is not even my grimoire, nor spell.” Nepathi mocks, “You proved my point and are not helping. And it is too late. The spell works and Lola arrives, or it fails all on its own. Even if I could reach the cabinet or unlock it; I doubt there is a spell.” Darciana nods, “It would take hours of looking. I can create one, yet need the same items to reverse it.” Nepathi agrees, “If my chain could reach those rooms for the poison and grave dirt…”
She is near tears, “We still have no livestock nor a snake down here!” Darciana says, “Until we are free, we cannot get out of here and we are running out of time. Nepathi, can you move your chair closer?” Getting up she tries, the Egyptian curses, “Dark Realm Demons! Kolo bolted the chair to the filthy floor. What in the grim grave was he thinking?” Queen Samala smirks, “That he cannot trust us!” Scoffing, Darciana seethes, “Well, he is right about that!”
~*~
Half Moon Bay, After Midnight, 677, 29th, October
The Oracle’s sorrow at being unable to warn the ‘Lake Bled Ramblers’, and curiosity at what happened, has Sidonia receiving a dream-vision of it; the event began on the day of the 27th. Kristopher noticed Grigori watching him, making Krist anxious all day. It fails to deter him; as soon as it is dark, he leaves the flock and the boys watching the herds. Krist runs to the Crypt finding Lady Leticia is eagerly waiting. Kissing passionately, they undress each other.
Krist wakes later, in her bed within the mausoleum, as Leticia returns from her hunt of blood. He asks, “Is it dawn?” She smiles, “It is Midnight.” Leticia lays with him running her fingers through his thick hair and across his chest, and teases, “You seem part wolf.” He playfully growls, as they lay in the afterglow, he dreads Grigori discovering he has snuck away, to be with her. Krist asks, “Run away with me.” Leticia sighs, “I cannot be in the sun!”
He tells her, “We can go once it is night.” She sighs, “I do not want to leave all of this unattended, either. Worse, I would have to speak to Nicolas. You know how I dread seeing him.” Leticia sees that Krist is sulking, she adds, “It will bring his wrath. Be happy with what we have and do not seek more.” Leticia gets up, “I must tend to the Castle for a bit.” She leaves; Krist reluctantly goes back to the herd to watch for wolves, feeling even more alone and hollow.
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Krist checks with each of the boys watching the herd, none have seen any wolves. He becomes bored waiting in the dark for any predators. When he sees Leticia going back to her crypt; Krist decides he does not care what happens to Nicolas’s flock. He leaves going back to Lady Leticia. Seeing him arrive, Leticia blurs to him, hugging him tightly; it feels good to have her desiring him. Afterwards, he tells himself, ‘Leticia will soon leave Nicolas.’
Kristopher falls into an exhausted sleep. He wakes after dawn unsure how long he has slept, still tired, he decides he does not care and goes back to sleep, instead of tending to the flock.
~*~
Nepathi sits down on the floor using the knife to cut about the iron bolts in the chair; she curses, “The wood is uncommonly dense.” Darciana moans, “It is likely from the Mystical Realm. I was hoping you could at least reach his pocket to get the key to our cuffs!” Nepathi replies, “If I could reach his feet, I would pull him nearer, cutting him into tiny, rat sized pieces!” Sitting to pry the bolts from the stone floor, she is not having any better luck with it.
The Egyptian sneers, “Unless I failed to read your chicken scratch, we can expect Lola to rise in a day or two?” Darciana replies, “Normally, yes. But I did not see how quick it worked, when my mother did that spell. I am afraid with Lola’s power level; she will be quicker.” Nepathi fumes, “Oh and I was captured after you spelled Kolo’s tacky jewelry, so I could not read his thoughts or keep him from taking me. Thanks for that, Rambler!”
Coldly, Samala laughs. Darciana sighs, “Trust me I have regretted it, as it allowed him to take me as well.” The Queen muses, “I recall that he asked me about going to Egypt, I said he would enjoy it.” The Rambler smirks, “No wonder he avoids having us three awake, other than January. We would be learning this and more, far sooner.” Nepathi says, “While we are trapped here, we should try to only bicker with each other, when in front of him.”
Samala recalls, “Oh. Yes, he asked for my help to see if he would survive his assignment in the Necropolis. I told him to go, that he will survive as long as he avoids the tempest while crossing.” Mockingly, Nepathi replies, “You must have been vague in your wording, as he assumed you meant angry people. Not the weather and blames your wording as he nearly died because of it.” Samala laughs. Darciana says, “We should take advantage of what he fears.”
Samala frowns, “What? The storms?” Nepathi agrees, “Clearly, he knows that together we are smarter, stronger, and deadlier than he is.” Darciana says, “Exactly. He is only risking it now because he is desperate to have Lola back.” Nepathi muses, “And he is about to lose the book. I would love to read it if he desires it this much.” Darciana ponders, “He wants Sidonia too. I do not think it is just the book, there is another reason he wants her.” Nepathi groans, “This evil wood must be from Nifl!”
~*~
Midday the 28th, the leader of the ‘Lake Bled Ramblers Clan’, Grigori, finds Xiko and Wirf cutting trees, he asks, “Have you seen Kristopher?” They shake their heads, and Xiko offers, “Not today.” Wirf sneers, “What has he done now?” Grigori states, “Since he fails to get along with others, I assigned him to patrol for wolves. The boys tending the herd, have not seen him all day.” Wirf moves the cut timber to the wagon, saying, “It does not surprise me.” Seeing Grigori’s stress, Xiko asks quietly, “What is it?”
Grigori sighs, “He is stirring up trouble.” Xiko urges, “What sort?” Grigori groans, “I saw Krist near the crypts a couple of days ago and fear he is seeing Nicolas’s wife.” Xiko sighs, “Leticia? That is not good.” Grigori empathizes, “I guess it is because they are lonely. I hate to say it, but he is going to get himself killed if he is found with her.” Xiko replies, “I am lonely, yet will not look at another’s’ wife.”
Wirf overhears, spitting a curse, “Let Kristopher be the only one to suffer the consequences of his actions! For it is his own bloody fault, no one else’s.” Sighing, Xiko says, “It could cause us to have to leave here.” Grigori nods, “Yes, I fear that. I need to talk to him, I am working on what to say, I want to be fair.” This makes Wirf fume, “I have no sympathy for him, and neither should you. Not after the way he treated my sister, if it were not for the curse-.”
Xiko winces and Wirf sees, “Sorry, still it is true; I would have killed him myself!” Grigori nods, as Wirf adds, “Mercia felt she had to leave us, to be far enough away from Kristopher! She is my only family. It is Krist’s own fault, that none of our single women are willing to consider him. Not after the way he acted with Mercia! I will never trust him.” Groaning, Grigori firmly states, “Oh, I did not recall all of that. Mercia leaving was a great loss to Trina.”
Grigori adds, “Mercia took care of Trina as if she were her own mum; my wife really misses her. How did I forget that his actions have already affected us all. How he cheated on Mercia, and threatened her when she broke it off.” Wirf kicks a stone, shouting, “He squandered his chance! He had a good thing, and spat on it. I wish to be as lucky and find a girl with Mercia’s qualities.” Xiko sighs, “Yes, I am just seeking a chance with one nice woman.”
Wirf chuckles, “Well thankfully, Mercia found herself a good man in Mino. I just wish it was not so far away so I could see her often; he is down near Seaport, by the ocean.” Grigori smiles, “That is right Mino is now the leader of a clan. We should see about a Dark Door.” Xiko says, “It requires one of our women or men capable of it to go there first.” Sighing, Wirf nods, and Grigori says to them both, “We have several girls coming of age, they are all very nice.”
It gives Wirf a grin, however, Xiko sighs, “No thanks. Those girls, while nice, were children last year.” Wirf nods his agreement. Shaking his head, Xiko adds, “Girls cannot know what they are looking for in a man. I want a woman who is ready for love, marriage, and children. It is too late for me to marry one that age. I can wait for the spring gathering. I want someone nearer my own years. We can also create our Dark Door to the ocean while there.”
Wirf smiles, “Great idea.” Xiko adds, “Someone else at the gathering, is bound to have a Dark Door to Seaport, and it will be quick and easy that way.” Grigori waves, leaving to find Kristopher. As Xiko watches him go, he gets a dark feeling of concern for him.
~*~
Jacque uses her crystal to open her Dark Door, exiting into her Pitsville shack. She puts on a black dress; pinning a decorative dagger pin at her shoulder and puts on a bone belt. She dabs black around her eyes. Then she puts a necklace on. As the stone touches her chest, it spreads a glamor out across her body, changing her back into the thirty-ish looking version of herself. The hag exits her Dark Door, into her Warlock Camp hut, carrying a wood box of her stock.
The Hexing Hag gets a table and chair from her hut. She sets the crate of Poison Ampules, Spirit Jars, bag of graveyard dirt, and coffin nails, on the ground by her chair. The Witch puts just a few ampules and jars on her table; knowing how drunk the Witch Fights crowd gets, she avoids damaging her stock. Running her hand into her auburn hair, the hag smiles at the crowd. Jacque calls out, “Best Poison Ampules and Spirit Jars, guaranteed to work!”
~*~
Samala asks, “Now what?” The Egyptian says, “The bolt I was trying to pry up, has broken the tip of the knife off!” Samala sneers, “Let us hope we can get free before he wakes. You two need to attempt to figure out how to hex Kolo if he wakes, or Lola if she comes.” Darciana says, “To kill them, it requires a power item, if we try without one it will kill us. We can only give discomfort, or a little pain.” Samala fumes, “You live again, so why not try a Death Hex.”
Darciana says, “He is older and will live sooner than I so it is pointless. And, Lola essence is already binding to her soul, we need iron to disperse her. The Queen asks, “How do you know if your spell even worked, or if the Egyptian managed to do it correctly?” Nepathi scoffs, “I did it right.” Darciana replies, “If it failed, the collected ash and everything Nepathi put in, will be in the bowl.”
Samala says, “I cannot see in the bowl.” Darciana scoffs, “Neither can I, but Nepathi can, and Kolo said it was empty!” The Egyptian goes back to cutting the wood around the iron bolt, as she states, “That blue skull would not have appeared if, the spell failed.” Darciana muses, “Oddly it did not try to enter me nor Mum when she did it. But it did for Kolo?” Nepathi laughs, “It was fun seeing it attack him.” Samala gasps, “You can do a spell to open our cuffs!”
Nepathi mocks, “We would already be gone if we could. No spell will work on iron.” Gloomily, Darciana says, “If we get free, I will do all I can to send Lola to the Shade Realm.” The Egyptian says, “I fear we do not have the time. The poison is not enough to keep Kolo dead for very long.” Darciana praises, “You did admirably. Under such pressure, I am not sure I could have managed to also poison him.” Samala rolls her eyes, at her praise.
Darciana remarks, “That potion could not cause his visions, of reliving other’s deaths, what did?” Nepathi smirks, “I also Hexed him.” Darciana’s tone shows how pleased she is, “Do share.” Samala fumes, “Who cares we need what will kill him and keep him dead!” The Egyptian stops working on removing the bolts, to smirk, “You will like this! By Kolo stabbing your hand with the knife, it caused his wound to open and when he brough the bowl over to me-.”
Samala cuts in, “Stay on task.” Nepathi ignores her, “I saw that Kolo had left his bloody handprint on the bowl!” Grinning, Darciana says, “Oh, very nice. That makes the pain I endured, nearly worth it. How did you use his blood?” Glaring, Samala feels left out.
~*~
Country Inn, After Midnight, 677, 29th, October
Grekan’s coach arrives at a country inn very late, as they unload for the night. After putting his bags in his room, he goes to the dining room feeling hungry and hopeful for what they might offer. As he sits with the other passengers, he prepares himself to see Kolo’s men arrive, however they never do. He relaxes, then slowly starts to worry that they decided he is of no use, turning around to go after Sidonia. It causes him to fear for the Princess.
It is a strange dilemma to want them to not find him and yet fear they have left. As the few food items are brought out, Grekan grumbles, “I was hoping for a sumptuous feast.” He did not intend to say it aloud. He is startled, when another passenger, Molly questions him, “A feast? You might be disillusioned on this trip. Still, I welcome any food.” Grekan gives her a nervous laugh. Smiling, Molly adds with a bit of disappointment, “I am trying to be glad.”
She smirks, “That I will not go to bed hungry.” He nods, “You are right. I am grateful as well.” He eats, while thinking about Sidonia. His fingers go to his left pocket, touching her key, as he wonders where she might be now. Her friend tries to imagine how far away, she has gotten. Grekan then guesses how Sidonia escaped, assuming the Princess left on horseback. It causes a lump in his throat. He is thankful when Molly speaks to him again.
Smiling at him, she asks, “Do you mind if I inquire where you are from, Grekan?” The Clerk clears his throat, “I work at the Castle in the Black Forest.” She smiles, “Now, I see why you are used to a variety of food.” Grekan gives her an embarrassed chuckle, then tells them of the amazing library he works in and where he is going to buy new books for the King. Grekan is glad his bed is soft.
~*~
The Mad Queen mocks, “Do either of you realize that if you have succeeded in truly killing Kolo, without making an escape plan first, that we are stuck here like this for eternity?” The Egyptian quips, “As if it matters if we die sitting here, versus in his next experiment, or in our bloody tombs! And he will heal.” Darciana agrees, “If in our tomb, we will be too weak to get out! I still do not see you seeking a vision to help us escape this prison, cousin.”
She scolds then mimics, “You made him vengeful with your, ‘So you died?’ Why risk it?” Samala sneers, “I do not sound like that.” Nepathi chuckles, “Yes you do.” Darciana warns, “You are bloody evil, for choosing to assist Kolo in killing a Rambler, far worse your own daughter! It does not matter that you broke off from the clans, you took the blood promise. I vow, if you make any move against her, I will curse you for breaking the Oath of the Ramblers!”
Nepathi asks with interest, “Oath of the Ramblers?” Darciana continues to threaten Samala, “If you even think of harming Sidonia, I will make sure that you pay the consequences!” Nepathi agrees, “Yes, well it would not be the first time, that the Queen of Maggots tried to kill her daughter, she attempted it twice.” The Rambler’s eyes go wide, asking, “Twice?” The Egyptian grins, “Yes, before she was captured. In fact, her husband committed her for it.”
The Egyptian stops prying the iron bolts; and sits in her chair to rest; she says, “Oh Dark, this knife is useless; do either of you have a suggestion on how I get free?” They groan, shaking their heads.” Nepathi sighs, “I have no idea, whose grave dirt, Kolo gave me. Do you believe it will affect Lola’s rising?” Darciana says, “Yes. I am hopeful, especially where he called it Graveyard Dirt, rather than Grave Dirt. He might have given you the wrong one.”
The Rambler admits, “I think it will only delay things a bit.” Nepathi moans, “If Kolo read it all; it listed it as the victim’s Grave Dirt. I only said I need Grave Dirt, I hope what he gave me was wrong, keeping her gone.” She sits on the floor trying again to get her chain free. Nepathi curses the wood, “I swear it is the densest I have ever seen; how did he get these iron bolts in!” Darciana says, “He likely used the crystal staff on the wood, and stone.”
This gives Darciana an idea, looking at her cuff, yet she does not share it. The Mad Queen offers with a smirk, “Oh, I do know how you can get free Nepathi. If you are brave enough to try, you can cut your foot off!” Nepathi goes pale, wondering if she dares.
~WBM~