Topuka

Let us show you the inside of Tokuka, Glutua's lair of experiments

Chapter 22 Topuka

Querela was dragged into the dark abyss of Topuka, she dreaded every slow movement and cursed that she was ever born into this world with every centimeter closer, she grew closer to her doom; not just any doom though, one that was far more unforgiving than being slain by an orc, or having her house burnt down ontop of her. The chains reminded her of the choices she made in life, the one she chose to marry, the b*****d children she had, and never once told her husband that they were not his own. Why did it come down to his fine line?

She hit each step as the chains pulled her down, and the blood red moon light was the last light she thought she might see. Her voiceless cries reach no one. No one will help her as Glutua would drag her down in the depths of the darkness.

Slowly all light faded until a mint green torch lit up the dark room she was in. There was a large stone bed in the center of the room. Glutua let go of the chains, and rattling, they soared to the iron walls, taking Querela with her, who was too frightened to scream. Each limb was pulled towards each corner. The tension in her limbs was almost enough to break her, but she did not quiver with the pain; more so at the vast array of tools next to her. More were greatly used, others hardly touched. On the table next to her, Glutua was touching the tools, one was a chisel and a hammer, a handsaw, and a rather large rusty knife with uneven and curved edges.

“You failed me.” Glutua picked up the knife, and turned to her. His eyes glowed red in the dark, and though his tone was angry, he held not a frown upon that twisted face. It was a smile, not of happiness, but one of great desire. His teeth are not human teeth, they were filed at points like the mountain peaks. Blood stained his teeth as more flowed out his mouth like a seamless waterfall.

“No! I did what ye asked of me! I have tainted him!” Querela pleaded. She shook the chains with what energy she could muster but to no avail. She has little control, for she was not even rested on the bed underneath her.

“A deal is a deal, and ye did not deliver it to me. It needed to come here, for there can be no Godly men out there, and now as I fear, the elves will infect them with their righteousness. I cannot have that. Now, with that city, that I nearly destroyed, will become stronger. I am now on a greater time constraint than ever had I been on.” Glutua said angrily, his twisted face never once changed his expression. “I spared ye that day, and you chose to serve me to be able to see yer family once again. Well, I unlike ye, I will be keeping up my end of the bargain, and showing thee yer children once again.”

Querela sighed with relief. “Thank you, and I am sorry I failed you.”

“Do not be relieved yet. I said ye were gonna see yer children again. I did not say in what manner, but now will I reveal it to thee. I am going to send ye, to the Abyss of Chaos, where yer children are in torment, but first, I will make ye suffer in this world!”

Her heart sank deeper into her chest. It was grave news to hear this. Not only were her children suffering all this time, she found it inevitable that her contract was going to send her to the Abyss regardless if she succeeded or not.  Worse, she was going to suffer in the mortal world even longer.  

She wept as she eyed the knife in Glutua’s hand. He whistled, and she saw what he really was. All color but the crimson eyes faded away. His cloak became tattered, and white. The only reality that remained was the knife. She heard a door open underneath her. The creaking became unbearable as snarls and glares focused on her. She saw undead creatures, with decaying flesh grab her clothes, and tear them off.

She could still hear the gnashing of teeth, and silent screeches of pleasure coming from the creatures who drooled and spat on her. She could feel the cold touch of the finger that poked her from above. One just below each shoulder, one right in between the two. Another one, reaching towards the torso, and two towards her sides.

She whimpered as Glutua made the first incision, and cut from each point he poked. He used the knife, gently sawing through the flesh. She shivered and twisted in her chains, which rattled with the chains attached to her ankles and wrists. She screamed as the flesh was cut through shoulder to shoulder.

She could feel the warm blood slowly spill out of the wound dealt with the rusty knife. Its cold caress was uncomforting, even the warm saliva by the strange creatures that grabbed her were more wholesome than that knife in Glutua’s hand. “WHY!?” she cried out, and the shrieks of the dead only grew louder.

The sounds grew worse and worse as another creature saw fit to scratch the walls of metal with his nails. The sound was indescribably horrible as it scratched the ear lobes, and by extent, scratched the insides of her brain.

The knife began to cut down the middle of her chest. She groaned and started to babble incoherently. “Do not worry, the easy part is almost over!” The wraith that used to be Glutua said as his laughter echoed across all of the walls, and all of the creatures, over and over again.

The knife cut to either sides of her chest, and the flaps of her chest was ripped open by the dead that grabbed her. They pulled the flaps where they stretched out. The pain was ineffable as her screams matched the same guttural rejoices from the dead feeding on the stretched part of flesh.

The ripped off flesh was eaten, and it revealed the muscles and tendons of Querela, which was kept wonderfully fit through all the activities she has done as a farmer. However, it also revealed her rib cages and her sternum. Glutua put the knife down and picked up the hammer and chisel.

“Funny thing, we are all told where the heart lies. Yet, a pin can not crack it.” Glutua said to her. He focused the chisel on the center of the sternum. “So I posed the question...why? The answer, is this little bone here. It is the sternum, and I am one of few people that ever learned this secret. No one went as far as I did to learn what makes a human, a human. Though many wizards are lead to believe that the brain makes everything function, but without the heart, there can be no brain. The will to live is not the will of the brain, it is illogical.” The hammer hit the chisel. Querela screamed. The bone did not break. “Oh careful. It does not hurt that much.” The hammer hit the chisel a second time. Querela screamed again. “The will to live comes from the soul, that which is governed by the heart. A small thing, a blow to the head, a hard one or not and the brain can still function very limitedly. However, even the smallest blow to the heart will break it.” The chisel hits the sternum the third time. It cracks. “There it is.” He said before Querela’s screams pierced his ears.

She could feel the cool touch of the dead unforeseen hands of reach in with the chisel and pry up broken parts of her sternum. She screamed, and the heartbeat grew much faster. She could no longer just hear it, she could see it as she looked at her feet. The open cavity was open, and the heart was clearly visible in Glutua’s hands. He lifted it up ever so gently. thud, thud, thud. “The question is sweet sweet Querela, is shall I savor this heart for the last of my food, or dive right in to end thy misery?”

“End it! End it!” she cried, blood spilling on either side of her mouth as a vampire who had just sunk his fangs into someone.

“Shall I be kind, or shall I give out the same amount of agony your people have done unto me?” Glutua said. “I was once a great wizard, honorable even. I was on that high council. The wizards council with great wisdom. I powerful one. I was on the second hand man of the chief wizard of all men. I was not until I went into these ancient ruins that my perspective of the purest blackest magic out there, and how powerful it had become. Yet again, it was more than just this staff in which I wield power.

“At the very bottom I delved deeper and deeper into my soul, and the gluttonous nature that is me. I beheld a demon head, which I challenged, given the little pride I possessed. I failed, and it corrupted me. At first there was no change.

“I went to the meetings day after day, then a year passed. I found myself purchasing a home outside my home. I would start with drifters. I would kidnap, abduct them conduct experiments. Over time, the population greatly dwindled. The corpses I would summon to Topuka, here. I then went to the strong men, who could not defend against me, nor would they ever be able to protect their women; or their families. I experimented on them, turning them into beasts, and caged them.

“Then I started taking the women, pregnant or not. I devoured them in my gluttony. These are the skeletons ye see walkin’ around my home. Ye see them, ye fear them, for you will become one of them.

“Last and certainly not least, and not the least enjoyable, the little boys and girls. The children which have always put a glimmer in mine eye, I took them, and them, I killed awake. I boiled them, burnt them, and others, I tied to a bed as I casually cut them up in little pieces and fed them into my mouth. I listened to the choirs of screaming pleasantly sung in my ears.” He pulled off the knife from the table again, and grabbed the thigh. He furiously cut the inner thigh, ripping off a large piece. He began to devour it as the horror kept Querela’s screams quiet. He cut off another piece, dropping the bitten off flesh to the floor where she could hear the chatter of larger rats below, devour, and pull her flesh into the depths of this dark, evil place.

“Querela, are you ready for Hell?”

She did not answer, so Glutua proceeded to pull the heart out of its hole, and brought it to his face. He breathed in deeply before devouring the ecstasy. The heart exploded on his face and came spurting out like a fountain. Her vision faded after it blurred, seeing so much blood, especially that which belongs to the self can really be terrifying. Such a vision, such as that when someone sees their death before them, allots them the few moments required to see their life one last time; only the memorable parts, good or bad will be allowed into the small fragment of time.

This is what she saw in that small fragment of time. She was able to witness growing up from poverty, eating out of the barrels, the scraps that people who were too well off refused to eat. The canister, the rotting food with buzzing flies stinging her as she took their source of food. The dirt and smudge was all around her.

She barely remembered seeing her father’s blurry face, but what was clear, was the notice that came on the day he was supposed to arrive. It was a crisp paper. From what she could make out in so little time,

Here, the forces of Grento military forces are sincerely sorry for your loss. The lieutenant was a great man, and dear to all of you in the greatest time of need. He was taken down in an orc raid of our camp. We truly are sorry and words cannot express.

The fires burned her, but it did not harm. She could hear the voiceless cries of her children. They were voiceless, for the merciless roar of the fire was much greater than any sound they could muster. Their burning faces seared within those very few moments, and it was over.

This final memory, was not one of sorry, but one of great feelings. The sensual kisses she gave Leryk would be no more. The lies, the alcohol, it all ended, when her last memory was sleeping under the covers with the little boy, defiling him, sent his purity out the window, of no fault to him, she forced the bottle of mead down his throat, merely to get him drunk and subject him to her will. Adults are devious.

All of these things she saw before she died, but what didn’t she see. She didn’t see her marriage. She never saw the birth of her siblings. Nor did she ever see the birth of her children, all wonderful things that are normally planted deep within her memory, was lost. The only meaningful memories were ones that brought great pain, and the false heaven she brought upon herself in the form of false love, which took place too soon after her husband’s death…

“You did not have to come with me ye know.” Leryk said to Arcwa, descending into the marsh. The thick slimy liquid filled his boots, and continued to squish. His eyes were tired with lack of sleep and constant worry. That was the only sound he heard constantly.

“Truth be told, I would rather not be going with you young one.” she said, her boots kept her above him. “But I have a duty to uphold, by my Creator.”

Leryk didn’t ask her what she meant. He believed her to be an atheist, but perhaps that was not the case. He looked at the dark veiled sky, with red tints and the ominous green sky lights. He saw not stars through the labyrinth of smoke in the sky, but he did see shapes within the clouds. Often times he would see a large hand manifesting from the smoke; other times a scary face and large fangs.

“Where did you come from?” Leryk asked her, observing the reeds, and lilypads through the marsh. The air was soundless, excepting the noise in his boots, no flies, not birds, no other living creature did he find. None, besides he and her.

“I thought I made it clear that it is best you not know that information.”

“Then how can I trust ye?” Leryk said to her. “You know my story as horrible as it has become, and yet ye do not trust me to give yer realm of origins. Why?”

“Where I originally come from, well I was born in Jerto once. Many years ago. I was born with many siblings, and yet only of them now lives. My mother took me...places. Dark places that would make your young and feeble mind scream. Places even brave old Constable wished never existed. Places, where some say darkness originated. You ask me of where I have come from, and there you have it, I was born, not raised in Jerto, in Grento just like you.” she answered.

“But none with the skill and agility ye have comes from Grento, there is more. I cannot call ye human, for you do not fight like one. What are you?”

“That, is best left under the carpet, until the appropriate time, comes. Will it be soon, relatively speaking yes. But then, many things are soon for me, that will outlast your lifetime.” She looked at him curiously. “So why the sudden fascination in my skill and origin? Could it be the very young, and highly immature boy be interested in a far older woman, older than either of your great great great grandmother?”

He gasped and turned the other way.

“Only joking. Please mind my sick sense of humor.” she wore a sinister smile on her face. “It may get even more twisted when we descend into that dark place. Look!”

She pointed to it, Topuk, the ancient plateau said to be the home of ancient horrors as the cannibalistic wizard lives there. Leryk knew little, but along the way, as the studies of Arcwa went, she made sure he knew the wizard ate children. As well as the woman.

“You know Leryk, it is not too late to turn back now.” Arcwa said to him. She stood at the base of the plateau. There was a long narrow path that lead to the top of the ruins. Lightning cackled as it began to drizzle. The light rain was very comforting, and it was so light that is was almost like mist.

“I cannot turn back. I will not entertain the idea!” Leryk said to her as he began the slippery slope up.

Arcwa sighed as she reluctantly followed him. “Very well. Cursed humans, they are all stubborn and stupid like sheep!”

Leryk drew his sword as he ascended upon the mud. “Put it back.” Arcwa told him.

“But_”

“No, Leryk, put it back. You are young and inexperienced lad. You cannot possibly fight, and keep your footing at the same time. Not here at least.”

“Do not underestimate me!” he cried out, taking another step. His foot sunk into the plateau, the mud clinging on to him. He tried lifting it up but it wouldn’t move.

“See what happens when you overestimate your abilities Leryk? You get stuck.” She cackled in his ear as she reach him. With one hand she pulled his leg out of the mud. “Now, if I were not here, you would be stuck until Glutua decided to come out of his hole, then he would kill you...by eating you. Now, put your sword away, so you can focus on where ye step without having to worry about getting yerself killed. I will worry should these skeletons on either side of us decide to rise.”

He nodded and sheathed his sword. It made that ringing sound as the first time, he had noticed the arms and legs of bones on either side of the path. They were countless, as he looked, he could not fathom that so many were here, so many were taken. The flashes of lightning created shadows, that originated from them, and they were ever so menacing.

“How many?” He asked.

“You really need to get out of the habit of asking the wrong questions Leryk. Did you think for one moment that when you came here, you were going to get out alive?” She asked. He did not answer, nor did she want him to. She only wanted this little piece of information sink in his thoughts. “If ye did, you are a fool boy. If you did not, however, then ye are wiser than ye thought. However, should this boy decide life, then it would be best for him to back out now. Or if he is the knight he wants to be, to take after dear Arien in his nobility, then you will go forth, finish what ye started, die trying, and maybe, just maybe you will accomplish what ye set out to do.

“It is after all, Glutua’s domain you are are entering. He is one of the seven.” They continued walking up the plateau, ignoring the skeletons on the side, eyes forward, to the top. “With no shortage of allies here, considering everything that is dead, serves him. If we get to where we want to go, Leryk, you will be fighting for your life just to get out alive.”

“It must be done.”

Leryk’s right hand reached for the top, and pulled himself out of the muddy terrain as the rain fell harder. Clink...clink...clinkclinkclink. The noise bothered him, and he looked down below. He looked below, and smoke, black smoke rose up from the darkness. He saw the wet stone stairs to the right, as it spiraled within the plateau, downward. He did not see the end.

Arcwa looked down below, and held a smile to her face. Leryk wondered what could possibly be so amusing. She sniffed the air. “I smell fresh blood.”

“How could ye possibly smell something like that?” he asked her.

“If one becomes blood thirsty, after being around a lot of it, you can tell when blood is being spilt. I would say no more than fifteen minutes ago. It smells human.” She said.

“We have to go now, there is no time to waste!” he said, looking at the stairs with some hesitance.

“If you are contemplating a way down there are two options. A slow way, or the fast way.”

“There is no time for the slow way!”

She responded by laughing. “I thought ye might say that. Idiot.” She pushed him off the plateau and into the darkness. He let out a yelp, which escalated into a scream as he descended quite rapidly into the black infinity. Though it did not stay dark for long. Emerald green torches lit up each layer as he fell.

His screams were interrupted by an uncontrollable laughter, which was much louder than his screaming. This did not seem to work. “Do not be afraid Leryk, it is all part of the adventure.”

The fall became less scary, as as the sadistic individual was upon him. This woman is trying to help me...or is she trying to kill me? I do not know which anymore! “Why did ye do that!”

“You wanted a fast way. So I presented a faster way down!” She cackled, unable to control her sinister laughing. “Is this not what you wanted young Leryk?”

“You are going to kill me.”

“Only if you don’t survive the fall dear Leryk!” she warned. “Ah, the bottom is soon upon us. Or a bottom. The smell of blood is strong here.”

There it was. It was in his face, and getting bigger as his descent grew faster. The stone floor was large, and it looked like there were red puddles. He tried to look to his left, and to his right to see if he could slow down on anything. There was nothing. He closed his eyes, as he was sure he would hit the ground…

But he felt his descent slow down significantly. “There there, it was not all that bad right?” He landed firmly on his feet as Arcwa slowly let him down.

They are in a squarish room. The stairs ended to the left of them. Leryk looked to his feet and found a puddle of blood. It trailed off into another room. “Is this her blood?”

“I would not know. I have not had the misfortune to smell that woman’s blood. Only one way to find out though, this blood did belong to a human though. Let us move on, maybe there is hope for her yet.”

They went into the next room, through the door, following the blood trail down some more stairs, these stairs would have been a dwarf’s heaven, since it was carved from gold, even if it was stained with the impure human blood.

They beheld a dome like room. There they found the trail of blood. This room was lit not emerald green, but teal. Slowly, Leryk observed the trail of blood, and a trap door, leading further down into this horrific nightmare. The door was simply covered in a veil of human bodily fluids, and above it, was a human. He did not make out the face quite yet, but but the limbs were hooked and pulled the body, hanging it in place. The body was nude, but even his eyes would be uncorrupt, considering where the female breasts were, no longer existed. The heart cavity was ripped out, so too was the heart.

He looked at the lifeless, pale face of the human. It was Querela. “No, Querela!” He walked with a leaden foot. He wept at her feet as Arcwa rolled her eyes.

He wept uncontrollably as he bowed down to Querela’s bleeding feet. “Well, continue weeping like the baby you are. I am going to have a look around.” Arcwa said coldly. She walked around, looking at devices around such as the Guillotine, torture box, and of course who could forget the great machine.

It was nameless, because its original design was never jotted down before the city which built it was destroyed. It was designed for a slow, and indescribably painful death. Nails would penetrate the victims, which attached themselves to gears that turned very slowly, but firmly. These gears which turned, made the jerk of to be victims very uncomfortable, as their limbs turned first, to the point of never being able to be fixed, or replaced. The bones would crush underneath the pressure, and the skin would eventually be ripped off. Once the machine turned, the only one that could stop it, was the one with the key. It was created by Fastatru, though no living man ever saw its design, some were brave enough, to write about the horrors of it, which was a blow to Fastatru’s pride, and lead to the inevitable fall of Bristole, not too far away.

“So, coming here would be far more dangerous than it seems. I wonder if there are rats underneath. Though one can hardly devalue the use of such a creation, he was after all, the master of machines, and industry ended when he died.” She said softly, knowing who she was talking about.

“I will kill him!” Leryk said in extreme irate. “I will kill him!”

He took his hand to reach for the handle of the trap door. An arrow buzzed right passed him, nearly striking his hand. He looked to see Arcwa with her bow, without the knocked arrow. “Do not act here in utter emotion alone! You will get yourself killed!”

“I do not kill anymore. All I care about is killing him!” He went for the door again. Arcwa didn’t hesitate to shoot him this time. He received an arrow to the knee. He grunted and moved against the wall.

“First of all, foolish boy, how do you intend on killing him? When you are dead? This creature has killed more in cold blood than you ever could. He knows how to kill, and do you see that machine right there?” she pointed to it, and he saw it.

The iron structure was seated much like a bed, with shackles where the wrists and neck would be. He saw the gears and straps of leather connecting to them, the razor like teeth on the bed, used for even greater amounts of pain.

“That structure was not built by Glutua, rather it was built by Fastatru, another one of the seven. Now either, this was a gift of agreement, or there is more. Perhaps, Fastatru is also here. Now I came here to help you save that woman who destroyed you, and we failed, her insides are spilled, and probably on someone’s plate for consumption. As you can see, she no longer has a heart.” she cackled. “How ironic is it not, it is not like she had a heart while she was living either!”

“Do not talk about her like that! She was a good woman!” Leryk cried out to her, pulling the arrow out.

“I will talk as I please. I may have a twisted personality, but look, she is heartless.” She laughed at her own joke. “And to get on a more serious pattern, I have little desire of confronting Glutua. I even have less desire to confront him knowing that Fastatru might also be here. One of the seven servants of Decrepantaur, I have no desire to fight, let alone two at the same time. Get your sword, we are leaving!”

“I will kill him! I am not leaving!” he said. He opened the door.

“If you go down there,” she said, turning her back on him, facing the stairs. “You will be on your own.”

“I will kill him. Nothing will stop me.” He said, ignoring her.

She cackled yet again, knowing well that he is going to die if he goes down there. “You, merely a twelve year old boy, are going to kill a wraith which has been living for four thousand years or more? And still brave enough to go through with it. You would be lucky, to last more than a moment.”

“I can do it.”

“What makes you think so?” She mocked.

Crash!

She turned suddenly, hearing the noise coming from the trap door. It startled Leryk who dropped the door, and Arcwa dashed, preventing the door from slamming. “Silence! Stand away! Now!” She said in a harsh whisper. She gently closed the door, and put her ear against it. There, she heard it, and the confirmation that Fastatru was in fact here.

“Fastatru, it would be most unwise to kill me here!” they heard Glutua’s voice.

“Twice! Not once! Twice! You failed me you fat dunghole! You were picked to lead the charge against Grento, and you failed multiple times, taking the city. Not only did you fail, you wasted a vast number of our resources. I am going to lead the charge this time, ye incompetent imbecile!” said the other voice. It was deeper, and louder. It was very angry, the voice; and deep. “I will have ye watch both Bristole, and this hole until I come back. I am taking Hruthpar, and summoning not orcs, nor goblins, but an entire legion of Kuai at my command. They will be lead, by someone who understands warfare.”

“But_”

“But what?! You are a failure, who thinks with nothing but his stomach. Irenue put me in charge here, and I will not fail him. Besides, what now do ye have to worry ‘bout? My traps should prove sufficient enough.

“Then let me aid you, if not in leadership, but as a soldier. Together, we will take out the city, and with it, the remnants of elves that are coming.”

Fastatru’s laughter echoed across halls, and into their ears. “So, then at last here it is, the final piece of the puzzle. Unverdus, in your precious elves hearts, they will help the needy, in doing so they are all here. And with our combined might, the elves will cease to exist, with their libraries gone, there will be little left to remember who they were. Here is your punishment Unverdus, if you are the God that stands and watch, they will die. However, if you are the God that is indeed part of this world, as they are of you, they will live. Regardless if you show your face from the Heavens or not!”

“This is terrible.” Arcwa said to herself.

“What is?”

“We are leaving Leryk, and that is final.” She said, pushing him towards the door.

“I am not_”

She shoved him towards into the wall, and it made noise. Her face was not filled with the sadistic humor he grew accustomed to with her. “Do not test me! This is too important right now, it is far bigger than you, certainly bigger than me. Get up the stairs!”

He listened and was silent as they ran up the first set of stairs. “What is so important?” he asked.

“You, need to run as fast as your weak human legs will carry you back to Kenderhell. Tell Constable, or whoever that a legion of Kuai is on their way. Also tell them, it will be more than just Glutua this time, and Fastatru will be there also. Make sure to tell him, that Glutua, was merely a pawn.” she said. They got to the second room, and started running up the second set of stairs.

“And what of you? Where will you be off to?” he asked. “Why can you not do it?”

“Rumor has it, Shiro fell, so I do not expect to be able to enlist help from them. They are dead. However, Core Crest still stands, and if there is any fight left in them, they will help. Dark, truly dark days lie ahead young one. This world...it would be better had you never been born.”

They got to the top of the plateau; it was still raining. They slid down the muddy hill, all the way to the base. “I will not go with you Leryk, I am trusting you to do the right thing. Remember, if you seek love, it will never find you.” She chuckled. “You are much too young. Let this be a lesson, those that seek favor with the self, will find death in the flesh. Those who seek something greater, will not just die, but be reborn, and die twice. Go now, run.”

Leryk ran through the marsh, it became harder on him, with the rain. He glanced only once to see Arcwa run south. Her strides were far, and quick. It was not long before she disappeared over the Wheatley Plains.

Leryk arrived at Kenderhell not long after sundown. Awaiting his arrival, was a very angry Elgath and Constable. He saw spikes, and spears pointing towards the gate. They looked moveable. “One of these days Leryk! One of these days I am going to kill you!” Do not ever take off like that again!”

“Leryk, you are not your sister.” Memories came flooding back into Leryk’s mind.

She was cooking part of an elk over the open fire. She cut its thighs, and the main skin off, to get all of the hair out. She served the burnt, steaming hot elk on his wooden plate, stained with previous foods. He sat at the table, and Artaiya smiled as they both shared the first bite from her hunts.

He remembered her dark hair, always had roots or twigs sticking out. She always smiled with each bite. Though they were never rich by any means, she always made a point to have Leryk eat well, and herself, even if it was merely meat.

“I am sorely sorry Father, Sir Constable.” he replied, bowing his head in shame. Jurea, and Luthien came out after inspecting something. Luthien appeared busy stargazing. “I have news, important news that came with my rash and impulsive behavior.”

“What did ye find, son?” Elgath asked.

“We will be visited by more than just Glutua this time. Fastatru, one of the other Seven will be leading an entire legion of Kuai this time, set forth to march against us. Apparently. Glutua was a pawn, and nothing more. Fastatru will be leading the fight, while Glutua is demoted to a mere foot soldier.”

“Where is Arcwa?” Constable asked. “Even with that sadistic personality of hers, we will need her. I know she makes others uncomfortable, but her skill is far greater here. I already lost a good man, and we need the Guild now more than ever before. If they are kuai, there will be no chance for survival.”

“Do not count the Guild out. I happen to know three of them very well, and they are more than competent to kill a Kuai.” Luthien replied. “Besides, someone very far away has spoken to me. They are on their way. They expect to be here in the early morning. I have many questions for them, for this specific elf who has contacted me anyways. She exceeds magical powers beyond even my own.”

“And who is this Luthien? Can we trust her?” Jurea asked.

“Well can you trust Unverdus? For the person who spoke to me, claims to be the Prophet of Unverdus. I didn’t believe her when she spoke to me, I requested proof. So she scryed an image of a note, written by Cornelius, the last prophet, or he was the prophet when I was still peacefully inside the Courts of Kinasa. I recognize his handwriting anywhere, it is the kind of handwriting that cannot be mimicked, and it spoke of his death, and and the person whom would be succeeding him, Yara. Newly accepted to the Guild, my brothers never held information regarding the Guild’s new recruits.”

“You speak of the Guild as if it is it’s own person, why?” Constable asked curiously.

“Because the Guild is an entity, much like a church. It is it’s own entity, governed by the little creatures it hosts. These elves, though there is no longer a building, Like Topuka, like a country, it is governed by the creatures inside, influenced by the influences outside it.”

“Well, what do we do?” Constable asked. He grew to greatly value the opinion of the elf, seeing the last few hours they spent revising the Book of the Law.

“The answer is quite simple, but I suppose it can be quite complicated for you. We pray, and worship. This is the testimony we will give to our friends, and more so, a blow to Decrepantaur. Time and time again, this village has indeed fallen, but it rose, thanks to Unverdus. Our faith to him, is what will win us this fight, for no might can stand against the divine will of Unverdus. No might, not even the might of Decrepantaur, and even less so the might of Fastatru, and Glutua. Perhaps a song of praise will comfort thee, and indeed, yes I have my Lute.” Luthien pulled out a Lute and began playing.