Chapter Six

            On the very night Gralamin was defeated trouble began to arise within the great city of Thano. Guards ran around frantically through the massive winding halls of the Citadel of the Ageless. An entrusted artifact, one of epidemic importance, was stolen right under their noses. Sazaar RuHein, an ancient sorcery who had been around since before the oldest of scrolls in all the libraries of Ohria, left the Amulet of the Damned within the Mage’s Library deep within the magically crafted tower for protection against it landing into the wrong hands. Now the wrong hands it surely has fallen.
            The dark thief crept through every crevice and every nook the citadel had to hide within. Avoiding the guards were the least of her worries. Bruna Corvida, the Vermin Witch of the Korgon, was extremely good at avoiding visual detection; it was magical detection that was the essence of her fear. The Citadel of the Ageless was thriving with magic users and it wouldn’t take much for one of them to stumble across her path; even when she was in her form of an insect swarm. Two more levels to pass through and she had the hardest part conquered. Soundlessly she approached a secret door that only the mages knew about; a special map that she paid dearly for told her of its existence. She began whispering a chant that was supposed to unlock it and allow her entrance. Like clockwork the door pulled itself within the wall and slid to the side to allow her entrance. Quickly she entered the secret hallway within the walls and began scaling the spiraling staircase that lead to the next floor.
            As she came to the next floor she came upon a labyrinth that she knew would take her to the floor she needed to be on in order to escape; assuming she outwitted the labyrinth. She closed her eyes and began chanting to herself a spell she had learned years ago. As she chanted insects, arachnids and snakes began crawling all over her body from under the brown hooded robe she was adorned in. The feeling of them crawling and slithering all over her body was ecstasy to her. When they finally quit squirming around the vermin had created a magical armor around her; leaving only her eyes open for her to see. She pulled her Staff of Crawling Death close to her as a mental ward against possible oncoming spells.
            Her first few steps into the magical maze triggered nothing that she was aware of. Then without warning massive tentacles sprung down from the ceiling and began flailing around looking for something to grab a hold of. Bruna, already being prepared for this sort of an attack, shifted into her insect swarm and scurried across the ground as fast as she could. Down a couple turns she scurried and the tentacles made chase; occasionally killing a few of her insects but unless they killed the entire swarm she was unaffected. Thankfully she was constantly checking her senses for traces of hidden magic for she about ran all her little insects into a fire pit. Back into her human form she returned long enough for her robe to turn into massive brown beetle wings and fly her over the fire pit. One of the tentacles wrapped itself around her but she had already scaled the fire so she quickly shifted back into the insect swarm leaving the tentacle nothing to grab hold of. Walls collapsed, floors shifted, blades twirled through the air and spikes sprang from invisible holes but none of it could stop her swarm. Even the lightning shield at the end of the maze proved useless when she shifted into her Thunderspike Scorpion form.
            The labyrinth was completed and she laughed at the futility of the mages traps against her power. She breathed in deep and muttered a word that caused her vermin armor to disperse back into her robe. She can’t believe how foolish today’s mages were. The tower was proving far too easy to defeat for it once being the dwelling of Sazaar RuHein himself. As she dusted off her robe and began to turn to continue down the rest of the hallway she realized she had made a mistake in not continuing to check her senses. At the other end of the hallway there was a female sorceress awaiting her approach. The Vermin Witch began walking forward to access the mage. She was Elven and female, that much was obvious, but how confident was this young sorceress. It’s so hard to truly determine an Elf’s age and amount of knowledge without knowing them directly. Her shoulder length brown hair was pulled back into a tail with silver hair decorations in it. Her silver base robe had semi powerful runes sewn into it which radiated a beautiful yellow color. Her lightly colored white skin seemed unharmed and completely to smooth to have ever been in a duel. Perhaps this mage isn’t aged at all thought Bruna.
            “You may stop right there! I am Saiz Dralerech, First Apprentice of the great Sazaar RuHein himself and you witch have been found guilty of stealing the Amulet of the Damned! Hand it over now and I’ll consider putting in a good word for a lax sentence!” warned Saiz. Bruna laughed very audibly and continued walking towards her.
            “Oh child…there is only one of you? You clearly underestimate me!” teased Bruna.
            “No witch…you clearly UNDERESTIMATE ME!” screamed Saiz as she withdrew her wand and began blasting the hallway with bolts of lightning. Bruna deflected a couple bolts with her staff but one bolt made its way in and sent her flying into a wall. Bruna exploded against the wall and became a cloud of flying insects only to reform in seconds halfway down the hallway; sending a ball of purple energy towards Saiz. The move caught Saiz at such a surprise she was unable to block the ball which pummeled into her chest and sent her sliding down the floor. As she tried to rise she began writing in pain. Her flesh literally felt like it was on fire. Tiny insects began crawling out of her skin only to begin chewing on the flesh that hadn’t been torn apart. She lifted her wand over her head and whistled a soft tune and a bright light covered her; within seconds the insects were gone and her body healed but this time she was more cautious of the witch. An attack like that wouldn’t be soon forgotten.
            Saiz started waving her wand in the air sending balls of fire towards Bruna. Fire spells were Bruna’s biggest weakness. Her vermin despised fire in a whole. She quickly shifted into her Dire Cobra form and used her snake like reflexes to dodge the fireballs. Saiz didn’t miss the fear within Bruna’s eyes. She knew fire was the key to defeating this witch. Swiftly she yelled out one of her fire keywords and shoved the tip of her wand onto the hard floor. A river of flame spilled from the wand and formed a circle of fire around the massive serpent. Bruna could see the odds turning against her now. The clever mage had figured out her main weakness. She quickly puffed up her chest and spit a stream of acid towards the sorceress. Saiz was able to easily dodge the stream but was distracted long enough for Bruna to return to human form and summon the beetle wings to fly her over the fire pit once again. Upon hitting the ground Bruna dodged another barrage of fire balls and swung her staff through the air creating an green energy whip in the shape of a scorpions tale and sent it slapping into Saiz’s wand hand. The spell tore Saiz’s hand in half and sent her wand flying down the hallway. Saiz quickly turned to run but was caught by a white energy field that wrapped her whole body up like a bug in a web. Bruna laughed as she approached the squirming mage. Only Saiz’s eyes and nose were left unwrapped.
            “I’m going to let you live this time mage...so that you may live with your defeat!” laughed Bruna as she stomped on Saiz’s face. “But before I go…I’m gonna leave you with a little present so that you’ll always remember me” growled Bruna as her eyes went completely black and fangs sprouted from her mouth. Bruna bit down hard upon Saiz’s cheek and devoured some of the blood that poured out. As she released and retracted her fangs her eyes returned to normal. She looked down at the now crying mage and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “That was my poisonous bite First Apprentice of Sazaar RuHein…it won’t kill you…your friends will find you before that…but the poison will work long enough to permanently scar your face.” Bruna laughed and licked the side of Saiz’s face that wasn’t bitten before standing back up and retrieving the mage’s wand. “I guess you won’t be needing this for awhile” stated Bruna as she snapped the wand and threw it on top of the crippled Saiz. The witch laughed one more time in spite of the foolish mage and continued down the hallway.
            Bruna quickly came to the exit to the secret chamber that would lead back into the main hallway. Past this door would be a single meaningless hallway that would lead her into the massive oval entry chamber that would allow her to escape. Bruna knelt towards the ground and started making high pitched screeching noises. Small insects began crawling to her from within walls and spoke to her telepathically telling her of what lays ahead.
            “Thank you my little ones” whispered Bruna as the insects returned to their homes within the walls. There were only three guards guarding the exit door which would prove futile against what she had in store for them. She pulled her map out once again and chanted the words required in order to open the door. The door slid back towards her and slowly slid to the side allowing her passage. As she walked through the door and into the hallway she reached within her robe and pulled out two grapefruit sized mud balls crawling with wasps. As she approached the oval entry room she whispered to the wasps. “Be fierce my friends…show no mercy.” As she entered the oval room she charged the three guards which quickly positioned themselves to thwart the witches escape. She launched the two balls towards the guard’s feet which exploded and became a cloud of dirt and violently stinging wasps. The guards were instantly encumbered trying to fend off the wasps and the witch was able to easily escape through the entrance door.
            Once outside Bruna summoned her beetle wings again and flew away from the walled tower, dodging arrows as they shot by her. It took a few minutes for her to escape the massive city of Thano and the rallying Thanonian Guard but just outside of the great city, on the bottom part of a cliff rested her trusted Chimera. The three headed monster was a magically enchanted present to her in order to assist her in retrieving the guarded artifact. The legendary beast was truly a creature of another realm. Its three heads were its most distinctive feature. One goat, one lion and one dragon head all rested upon the upper part of a lion’s body. With goat hooves, a dragon’s tail and dragon wings this gruesome foe wasn’t easily matched. The red dragon head noticed her coming first. He roared his approval of her returned and prepared to lift off as instructed.
            “There’s my boy! Right where I left him!” coaxed Bruna as she began to gently pet all three heads. She quickly leapt upon the creature’s back and the beast spread it wings. With one powerful leap the Chimera was in the air and soaring back north towards the Korgon Mountains.
                                                            ***
            All three members rested well that evening after being escorted to Castle Lancor. Sir Jason had put them all in very comfortable rooms and had his servants fetch them whatever they wanted to eat. In the morning Sir Jason sent his messenger boy to the three to invite them into his dining hall for a grand breakfast. Mousorrow was astonished by Sir Jason’s hospitality. After what he experienced in the dungeons of Morgalon he wasn’t too impressed by the Human race.  Two female servants accompanied Mousorrow in his bedroom to assist him in dressing in human clothes. Mousorrow quickly became irritated with their giggling from his apparently “impressive figure” and insisted he could figure out the process himself. The maids had him standing in the nude more then they were showing him how to dress himself.
            Mousorrow had no use for shoes or boots so he quickly discarded them along with the stockings that were apparently very common amongst richer Humans. He put on some black leggings and tore the bottoms of them off approximately knee high creating something similar to shorts. He found a matching black tunic and put it on followed by a black silk rope which he tied around his waste. This was dressed for as far as he cared and he was happy with it. Within the closet where he found all the clothes he also found another long black silk rope which he cut a piece off with a knife that had been left in his room and tied his hair back into a tail like he had seen one of the maids had done. He kind of liked the feel. It seemed to have been designed to keep the hair out of your face which Mousorrow greatly appreciated.
            Mousorrow ventured out of his room and into the dazzling light gray marble hallway that was the guests section of Castle Lancor. As Mousorrow started to walk down the hallway Agnarr emerged from his room that had apparently been just a couple doors down from his own. Agnarr was adorned in the exact same outfit he had worn the night before. Only this morning it was dripping wet. Agnarr noticed Mousorrow’s confused look and grunted a little bit while brushing his hand through his gray beard.
            “They told me m’clothes were in the wash but I didn’t care! I wasn’t about to wear pants that were clearly designed to show off me most precious stones!” grumbled Agnarr. Mousorrow began laughing hysterically clearing catching the sly euphemism. Agnarr began laughing as well after seeing the light of the situation; but both abruptly stopped laughing as Vheylora stepped out of her room dressed in an exquisitely gorgeous black dress. The dress was made of a fine Elven fabric even softer then silk. As she moved towards the two the dress seemed to sway in all the right spots and stay pressed in all the better ones. “By the Mountains of Drokken…I need me water flask!” said Agnarr as she rushed back into his room. Vheylora stopped before Mousorrow and gave him a second to gather himself back up.
            “I see you like the dress” teased Vheylora. Mousorrow quickly shook off the effect the dress seemed to be having on him.
            “Yeah it looks great. I mean…you know…for a uh…dress” Mousorrow managed to cough up which brought a smile to Vheylora’s face.
            “Yeah well it itches in areas I’m sure you wouldn’t find very pleasing” stated Vheylora while scratching at her rear end. The comment almost floored Mousorrow with shock; never before had he ever heard of a woman being so bold. Agnarr’s door flew open again and there stood Agnarr wearing the attire fit for a noble Halfling. All the pastels clearly accentuating the fact that half of his outfit was put on incorrectly and the other half didn’t match. His hair was combed down like he had been trying to press it to his head and his beard had been combed out giving it a much more fluffy of a look. Agnarr crossed his legs and rested against the wall with one of his hands and gave her the best seductive smile he could.
            “Hey…Vheylora” said Agnarr accenting all the syllables within her name.
            “Hey Agnarr” laughed Vheylora. Just then Agnarr’s balance foot slipped out from under him from not being used to wearing expensive shoes and flat on his face he fell. Vheylora began laughing hysterically as Mousorrow moved to help his Dwarven friend. Agnarr pushed him away not wanting the help and tried to rise himself only to slip again and smash his big nose into the floor. Vheylora turned and began walking down the hall laughing as Agnarr accepted help from Mousorrow, growling the entire time.
            “LEAVE IT TO A BLOODY HALFLING TO NOT KNOW HOW TO MAKE SHOES THAT KEEP YA UP RIGHT! I KNEW I SHOULD”VE LEFT THOSE BLASTED DRIPPING CLOTHES ON!” roared Agnarr as he slammed his room door shut with Mousorrow standing by himself in the hallway. About half an hour later, after Vheylora and Mousorrow had already made it to the dining hall, Agnarr angrily marched in wearing his wet clothes.
            “Awww Agnarr…you didn’t have to get all dressed up for me little ol’ me!” teased Vheylora. Agnarr sat down heavy with a growl not even paying attention to the Magesword. A servant quickly presented Agnarr with a full plate of food consisting of meat from a recently killed deer, boiled potatoes, freshly baked biscuits, a tube of sausage, a couple boiled eggs and some green vegetables that Agnarr quickly threw behind him and began devouring the rest of the plate. Mousorrow, having never seen a Dwarf eat before, wasn’t aware how truly disturbing of an experience it was. Apparently breathing and a fork weren’t required when eating. Now he truly understood the phrase “lost like food in a Dwarf’s beard” that he had heard his father joke to one of his friends when he was a youngling. Sir Jason smirked at Mousorrow’s obvious disgust and brought a flame to a pipe of tobacco he had waiting for him.
            “It’s rather impressive…the fact that you three brought down Gralamin the Thunderer without a single mark to show for it. Many skilled fighters have attempted Gralamin and none of them live to tell the tale” said Sir Jason while puffing on his pipe. Agnarr briefly looked up from his plate and gave the Knight one solid “HA!” and returned to his breakfast. Sir Jason smiled expecting such a reaction. “You may already know but in the event that you don’t I am Sir Jason McHarold, Duke of Lancor and more famously the leader of the Knights of the Golden Lance. The Knights of the Golden Lance is an army, trained by myself and a select few of my best men, and is known for its success in battle. Within this army I have certain elite teams that are specially trained for certain scenarios and I’ve been looking to create another one. I intend to create a team of the best of the best to stand strong against odds that are unbeatable. All I want is your sworn oath…to serve under me for one year within this team after that it’s entirely up to you…and you will have earned your freedom” said Sir Jason as the small party stared at him with interest in their eyes.
            “So you mean to tell me…all we have to do…is…fight your worst battles for you for a whole year…and we’re free to go afterward?” asked Agnarr while spitting chunks of food onto the massive wooden table.
            “That is correct master Dwarf” answered Sir Jason.
            “WELL BLESS MY BLIND MONKEY! COUNT ME IN! HAHA!” declared Agnarr while slamming his fists into the table pitching his plate behind him sending food through the air. Mousorrow couldn’t help but laugh at Agnarr’s consistent clumsiness.

            “I already owe you my life good Knight. I will serve under you for as long as I am capable” answered Mousorrow. Vheylora however grimaced at the idea of serving under a noble Knight, especially for one that was part of the kingdom that slain her love; but also knew she didn’t have much else of a choice since she had already sworn her oath to Mousorrow.
            “Count me in as well” growled Vheylora before quickly standing up and exiting the dining hall. Mousorrow could sense her dismay though it didn’t take much to see that she was clearly upset. He excused himself from the table and followed after Vheylora.
It wasn’t very hard for him to find her considering she was stomping the entire way to her appointed bedroom. Suddenly just before Mousorrow finished catching up Vheylora stopped in her tracks. “It wasn’t necessary to follow me to my room Therion!” said Vheylora with an obvious tone of irritation.
            “Not trying to offend m’lady but it’s not my custom to leave an upset woman to her sorrows” explained Mousorrow. Within a blink of an eye Vheylora and him were face to face with one of her shadow blades pulled to his throat.
            “Do I look like a woman you’re accustomed to?” growled Vheylora.
            “Perhaps I misjudged your character” said Mousorrow bowing his head in regret. Vheylora pulled the blade away from his throat and bowed her head as well. Gently she leaned back against the marble wall and sighed deeply.
            “I’m sorry Mousorrow…it’s just…I’ve seen the world out there! I know what we could possibly be getting ourselves into! Then to top it off I’ll be risking my life for someone who is associated with the killer’s of my lover! Someone we don’t even know! Ignorance gets you killed in this world my friend!” warned Vheylora. Mousorrow rested on the wall next to her and nudged her hand holding the dagger with his hand.
            “With blade skills like yours I’m not even sure ignorance could get you killed” teased Mousorrow. The joke brought a brief smile to her face which seemed to lighten her mood slightly but only slightly. Deep in her gut she knew something was stirring out there. She could feel it and she knew the Knight could as well. Why else would he need an elite force all of a sudden? Why couldn’t he of recruited out of the Il’Kar, the Guild of Dragon Slayers that he belongs to? Because he knows the evil is closer then that. His recruits wouldn’t have time to get here in order to make a difference. Evil didn’t normally bother someone like her but this was an evil she had never felt before. Something truly terrible and powerful was rising. Mousorrow nudged her again while staring into her glowing eyes. “Are you alright?” worriedly asked Mousorrow.
            “Yeah I’m ok…just remember there is more to this than any of us truly knows. Be mindful of your surroundings…AT ALL TIMES!” warned Vheylora.
            “Fair enough! Do we even dare return? Agnarr may be eating again” laughed Mousorrow.
            “No I’ve had my fill of that experience for today. I think I’m going to get changed and see what this Duke has for a training facility” said Vheylora with another rare smile.


                                                                        ***

            Days after the successful thievery of the Amulet of the Damned Bruna awaited sunset just off the edge of the Folgar’s Pass where it meets the Korgon Mountains. The clever witch only traveled at night so that her legendary beast wouldn’t get stopped by some nosey know-it-all mage. The open road was always a dangerous lifestyle. A successful wandering wizard could potentially prove a valid threat. Remembering a great moment in her own adventures, Bruna dug into her robe pockets and pulled out a clear crystal shard with the reflection of a older white haired man within it. The look of fear stuck on the man’s face brought an excessive amount of joy to her.
            “Tricked you I did! The all powerful…all knowing…all ancient SAZAAR RUHEIN…trapped within my crystal trap! The master is going to have fun with you! The pain you forced upon him will in turn be forced upon you!” laughed Bruna. Deep within the crystal Sazaar watched as the Vermin Witch taunted him relentlessly; but it was true, he was tricked like a first year fool and it got him trapped within a crystal shard. Many a dangerous foe Sazaar has faced in his seemingly ageless lifetime but always his magic was able to pull him out of it. Now it was magic that keeps him restrained. A twisted yet almost just fate for one who lives his life relying on it Sazaar thought while pondering his situation. “Hehehehe…all the mages look down on Bruna Corvida but who’s looking down on who now old one!” snickered Bruna a final time before pocketing the crystal once more. The time was drawing near…the sun was beginning to set.
            Bruna returned to the spot where she had left her magical pet and removed the shield of invisibility that she had casted over the beast. The creature stood ready for her; all three heads anxious to complete the mission. In one leap she mounted the creature and patted its side ready to go. The beast took off in a run and spread its wings and into the air it soared. Bruna’s home was a deep cavern the locals referred to as Makon “Home of the Vermin Witch”. The Chimera soared gracefully into the large mouth towards the top of one of the peaks of the Korgon Mountains. The Chimera had a fifty foot landing area once within the cavern and land it did. The witch hurried off the beast and patted all three heads in appreciation. Quickly she declined the magically crafted stairs taking her the lower section of the cavern. The cavern floor was a massive array of tunnels previously occupied by a clan of Goblins. Now the Goblins rotting bodies lay in a massive pile within the middle of a circular room. All along the walls were balls of energy glowing a bright green, creating dancing shadows along the very smooth rock floor.
            The witch briefly stood before her table of possessions needed for her witchery. Different breeds of insect crawled all over the table and her; welcoming her home after a long awaited return. Rats that had previously been gnawing on the Goblin’s bodies scurried to her feet in proper respect for their master & companion. The witch, so busy with gathering the materials she needed hardly even noticed their presence; that is until a particular black rat climbed its way up her robe and onto her shoulder. The witch stopped briefly and let a smile cross her face as she realized which rat it was that chose her shoulder as its resting place.
            “Well hello Thaylin! Did you miss me my darling? I have a wonderful surprise for us this evening!” giggled Bruna as she kissed the rat on the nose. Once upon a time, before Bruna had taken on the role as Vermin Witch of the Korgon, she had been consort to a fellow mage within her studying class. When Bruna came across the scrolls describing the power of a Vermin Witch she quickly took it to her lover in hopes he would wish to participate in practicing it with her. Unfortunately for him she found him in bed with another woman so she turned him into a mindless black rat as her oath to her practice and the body of the other woman as the human sacrifice to attract her crawling friends. She decided to keep his human name of Thaylin for a touch of inside humor.
            Within a magically forged hearth, a hearth big enough for a barbarian to walk into, Bruna had her pets carry a bag full of a human’s remains. In a orchestrated order she began pouring different vials of liquid and pouches of herbs upon the bag of remains with the hearth. Like limbs swaying in a strong wind Bruna swung her arms over the bag and began chanting a series of words repeatedly. The chant progressively became faster and faster as the ritual went on until she suddenly stopped in mid swing. Her body began shaking uncontrollably, her breath became deep and erratic, her eyes rolling to the back of her head while foam started oozing out of the side of her mouth. Subconsciously she began to panic; she was use to doing rituals but never had she attempted anything in the field of necromancy before. Dark magic such as that takes a toll on your existence as payment for its services. The remains began shifting as a bright green mist twisted and swirled through them. The witch was suddenly tossed to the floor and pinned with her arms and legs spread wide open. The entire experience was becoming very terrifying. Spouts of fire began igniting from all the candles in the room and a truly evil presence filled the void in the air.
            Within seconds the remains and ashes lifted into the air and formed what appeared to be the shape of a tall humanoid. Appendages began to form as the creature’s flesh slowly built itself over the frame it had been given. First a torso, then legs and arms, then a head as the creature pried its own mouth open and it took in a gust of air emitting a sound much like the brake’s of a slowing train. Bruna watched in horror as the creature slowly began to form through what looked like a very painful process. Finally eyes began to form as the obvious male creature opened them and stared directly at the pinned down Vermin Witch. Silence filled the room as the creature stared at her intently and Bruna began wishing that she had never started the vile ritual. The creature shook his head and body allowing the excess ash and dirt fall to the ground. The creature had turned into a gorgeous yet very powerful looking human male. His bald head decorated in runes that she did not recognized but could feel the power radiating off of them. His light gray skin, not typical for a human, gave Bruna the impression he took on some of the attributes of stone. The eyes that were burrowing deep into her soul had no pupil and radiated a bright green. She wasn’t sure if she had resurrected the correct soul but regardless whoever it was she could tell they greatly outmatched her own skill.
            “Are you to be my sacrifice?” whispered the being in a very deep demonic voice. Fear immediately jolted through her blood and bones. She hadn’t anticipated a sacrifice of that sort being necessary but she knew now there weren’t many other options.
            “NO PLEASE! I’M NOT YOUR SACRIFICE! I’M THE ONE WHO RAISED YOU!” pleaded the Vermin Witch. The being smiled a fanged smile and licked his dark purple lips.
            “I can smell your fear…it excites me in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine! You WILL be my sacrifice…and then…you will serve me!” growled the man demon. Bruna had enough time to scream for her life before the man was on top of her and biting into her throat. Her scream fell short as the force of his attack penetrated her senses. He lifted his head, blood dripping from his mouth, with a mighty roar into the air like the predator he was. He leaned his head down towards her midsection while clasping her throat and gave a couple quick sniffs. “Aaahhh….a virgin…I can promise you…your not going to enjoy this!” The man smiled a very evil smile and tore open her robe exposing everything natural about the witch. For once in Bruna’s miserable life she was regretting the mistakes she had made.