Martinez examined the remains of the fallen ogres and was at a lost. The veteran demon hunter had suspected their foe to be some type of summoned monster because of the unexpected nature and single mindedness of the attack. Summoned beasts normally dissipated completely upon death, but the corpses of these creatures had begun to shrunk into something bizarre and unexplained.
"Teeth. These ogres turned into big rotted teeth. ", declared Jimmy as he prodded the shrunken ogre bodies with a nearby stick. " Are they demons? ", he curiously asked.
Raoul sniffed them and shrugged. " I smell a very faint whiff of brimstone on them, but no more then what you and I have on us. My senses do tell me they are magical , although most seem inert from the beating we have inflicted on them." , he said as he cautiously gathered them.
"They are dragon teeth. From the ancient Mycenaean legend of Cadmea , Jason and Medea. The entire tale is of no importance, except the part where enchanted dragon's teeth are sowed into the ground to form formidable warriors to do one's bidding. Similar to normal summons but they last longer, and also lack the typical fiendish or celestial qualities. ", noted Stille sagely as she healed the last of their wounds.
"Hmm...Dragon's teeth . That sounds familiar. ", replied Martinez. He was about to laugh at the baroness's dubious insight, but a hint of recognition prevented him.
"Correct. A rare form of magic in the south, but used frequently in the north. Mostly by dragons for the ability to create reliable humanoid guards, but also less frequently by wizards and artificers that specialize in the creation of constructs. It is said that the blue mage herself was a pioneer in this craft, and sometimes dragon teeth are found in ruins attributed to her throughout the countryside .", expanded the Baroness.
Martinez nodded to Stille. Mainly in recognition of her superior lore, but partly to get on her good graces. He still held up hope for a romantic tryst with the intriguing and hauntingly beautiful baroness after this demon hunt was over.
"This is bad then. ", added Raoul grimly as he thought over this new information.
"Why so? Didn't we beat these guys up?", asked Jimmy who was still excited over the battle . Unlike the encounter with the bandits, the young boy had a minor but active role against the ogres. This of course brought him to a new level of enthusiasm.
"From all indications of the succubus we are currently hunting, I doubt she has the ability or resources to employ these dragon teeth ogres on us. That means we have two threats, or more likely the succubus has a partner or a master. ", explained Martinez as he finished Raoul's thoughts.
Raoul began following the path the ogres came from. "They came from east of here. Away from town, near those ruins I spotted when we arrived at the barony. The succubus was headed close to town in a different direction , but she can't break the wards into that area . Unless of course she had help from a partner or master on the inside. ", noted the half giant.
"Stille, I want you to take Jimmy back to town. We're almost there , so the trip should be safe. Double check your wards and warn Sergent Taylor of this new threat. This summoner or mage might be disguised as a stranger in town , or maybe a stray bandit on the outskirts. Anyone who can command the services of a succubus is dangerous indeed. Raoul and I are going to backtrack the ogres immediately. There might be a chance we can surprise our attacker. ", commanded Martinez .
Stille was about to argue, but she saw how determined and commanding the duelist was at the moment. It was a side of him she never saw before in the brief time she had known him and despite their mounting opposition she felt secure he was handling the situation. She nodded in acceptance to his decision.
"What? I'm being ditched? What about carrying your stuff, and training to be a demon hunter? ", declared a frustrated Jimmy.
Martinez was about to say something, but Raoul shook his head first. "Look Jimmez. You did good so far, really good in fact. I'm not gonna lie to you and make up some story that we need you to guard the Baroness or something. The truth of the matter is things are gonna get really dangerous. More dangerous then what we initially expected. So we need you to go back to the village and keep your eyes , ears and most importantly your nose open . Can you do that?", asked the half giant in a surprisingly gentle voice.
Jimmy suppressed a tear, but nodded . The small group swiftly broke up and went their separate ways.
"Where is the baroness? ", demanded Sir Jose impatiently. The young knight had stayed up all night at his lord's side, and his vigil was starting to wear on him.
"I do not know, but I suspect she should return soon. The barony is quite large, and the latent magics in the woods prevents simple communication spells to contact her. ", replied a tired Anna. The young woman had only a rudimentary knowledge of healing magics , but she had ministered what she could to the drained Sir Rollo. "Your master's condition is dire, but I've stopped it from deteriorating. I will have a servant attend him, while I get some rest. I suggest you do the same. "
Jose growled , despite his fatigue the suggestion of inaction at his lord's most dire hour was unacceptable to him. "I'm tired of waiting. I'm going to find her myself. ", he declared as he left the room .
Anna was about to protest, but the knight had already stomped off . She sighed at the man's impatience, it reminded her of her husband's rashness, and for a moment she felt a deep yearning . Ever since the Baron of Veb had left to crusade against the Gnomes, she had prayed every night for an end to the war and his safe return. The recent events of the demon, and the injured Sir Rollo , weighed heavily on her shoulders and she made note to double her acts of piety for the day .
Sir Jose stormed out of the castle. As he left he looked puzzled at the fortification. Although he had little sleep, he was sure the interior looked much bigger then the exterior. He had heard of illusions and architectural designs placed on castles to make them appear stronger, but seldom had he heard of the opposite . He shrugged as he continued to march to town, he had more pressing concerns on his mind.
"Find this Baroness. Gain her favor with pies. Heal Sir Rollo. ", he said out loud as he organized his thoughts. Suddenly the knight stopped and realized he still didn't know what the baroness looked like. He turned around and approached the keep's gate guards.
"You. Gate guard or whatever your name is. I need to find your Baroness right away, what does she look like? ", Sir Jose demanded.
Despite the lack of manners in the request, the guard answered the knight swiftly. "Mid height, pale skin, shoulder length grey hair, often wears black . She left in the company of a small and a large ruffian yesterday. ", the guard barked in recognition of Jose's rank .
The knight nodded and turned around once more towards the town. This should be simple he thought as he conjured up an image of a morbidly obese half elf with pasty pale skin, wearing a long gothic black dress , with a mop of grey curly hair . He wasn't sure about the curls, but most senior noblewomen style their hair that way.
Once he reached a safe distance from the keep, he summoned his giant riding dog Greenpaw to his side. The loyal war beast appeared instantly in a flash, and growled menacingly. Jose nodded to his friend, who then began to whine as it saw the knight's weary condition.
"I'm ok boy. Just a bit tired. Can't wait around the keep any longer gotta find this pudgy busy body baroness before Lord Rollo expires. ", the knight said to his mount.
Greenpaw barked in confirmation as Jose mounted him before speeding to town.
Anna was correct, and the Barony was quite large, but it shouldn't be too hard to find the Lady Stille. She would most likely keep to the main roads. The inn he visited earlier was rather nice, and if there were more like that she would most likely have stopped there.
"ARIBA! ARIBA! PALADIN COMING THROUGH! ", he shouted to a young woman with a small boy in tow. The pair tried to wave at him to stop, but Sir Jose did not have time for autographs or some other demand of the peasantry. He glanced at the pair , and noted the child had a disappointed look to him while the woman was fair of face and form. She was wearing a dark breastplate, and Jose guessed she was a member of the militia or something. Most likely she wanted to warn him of some local travel speed regulation. Under normal circumstances he would most definitely had stopped and chatted with the fair Chica, but he was on a very important quest.
To find the Baroness Stille !
"Who was that guy? Do you think that's the summoner we are looking for? ", asked Jimmy after he hopped out of the path of the knight on the horse sized green dog.
" I don't think that's the summoner. ", replied Lady Stille , unimpressed with the manners shown in her own barony. " Summoner's require a degree of intellegince. That guy was an idiot. ", she noted.
Jimmy nodded in agreement, then his mood turned dark. "So I guess you want me to sound the alarm then wait right? ", he asked despondently.
The baroness sighed as she looked at the dejected boy. Jimmy was a good boy. Even though he lost his parents he was always dependable and never complained. He lacked the size to be a member of the militia or take up a proper trade but he still worked hard , hoping to get ahead. The fact he attempted to apprentice with the demon hunters didn't surprise her, he was a very enterprising and ambitious lad. Although she admired such qualities , she was not about to put him into any danger. A stray demon was one thing, a summoner capable of conjuring more was another. It would be best if he returned home till the crisis passed.
"Jimmy. I want you to warn as many people that you can. I want them to take shelter in the keep or town hall at the first sign of trouble. Report any signs of odd strangers to Sergent Taylor. ", sighed Stille . Jimmy did not like the answer but he nodded at her command.
"I'm going to warn Anna, and the both of us will check the wards . I'll meet you at the keep later. I don't want to use the warning bell immediately , it may force our foes hand. Or worse yet, cause a panic. ", the baroness added as she placed a blessing on the boy.
"I'll do my best. ", he said before sprinting away. Even though his task was a far cry from demon hunting, Stille knew that the eager young Jim would accomplish his task the best he can.
After Jimmy left, Stille proceeded to the inn. It was still early in the morning but Anna should be practicing her culinary craft. Even though their residence was officially at the Keep, both women began rooming in the inn more often then not. Partially because it was pratical to their buisness, but more because it allowed them to keep in contact with their subjects. After her husband died, Stille had stayed mostly in the keep for close to 25 years, in quiet mourning and reflection. When Anna came to study the culinary arts under her, she deemed it more practical to practice their craft at the village rather then the keep. Although her son and Sergent Taylor protested , Stille was the baroness and she got her way. The last few years serving as an innkeeper gave a new spark to Stille. It didn't close all her wounds, but she found some form of inner peace in her job.
As Stille approached the inn, she noticed that Anna wasn't present. Although she was a bit surprised, the baroness didn't panic at her absence. She might have been collecting ingredients for dinner, or more likely performing one of her many errands. None of her warning spells sounded, so she was reassured that Anna was in no danger. Stille decided to gather her things while she was here and went to her room. Although it was quite spartan compared to her lavish domicile at the keep, Stille regarded it as home. Mostly due to the treasures she kept there. They were simple things, mementos from her long life, but she valued them more then any golden work of art or jewel in her keep. A torn handkerchief, a spear head, a preserved apple, a scroll tube. She packed these simple items into a chest and decided to leave a note to Anna before checking the wards herself.
As the baroness entered the common room, she was surprised to see a handsome looking man in a robe sitting patiently at a table.
"Is Anna here?", the man asked.
Stille appraised the person before her. He seemed modest and polite enough. From his clothing and the satchel at his side, he seemed more like a scholar then a dangerous summoner. He did not seem threatening in the least so she decided to answer his question.
"Sadly she isn't. I was hoping to find her as well. ", the baroness finally replied.
"Ach. More delays to my research. Anna was very helpful yesterday , and I was hoping she would provide some insight to the discovery I made . By the way, my name is Loric. Loric the sage. ", smiled the scholarly gentleman.
"I am Stille. Despite my arms and armor , I run the Inn here, but I've been absent from my duties recently. I wish we met under better circumstances, but as you no doubt have heard, there's a demon in the woods, and we now have evidence of a hostile summoner as well. I'm here to warn everyone to be ready to retreat to the keep if this threat gets out of hand. ", explained the baroness.
"Yes, Anna mentioned this to me. I am only a sage, but I do have some magical talent. I guess the faster we rid ourselves of this demon and its master, the sooner I can finish my research. Where can I volunteer my skills to assist the barony? ", asked Loric.
Stille peered at the man. She wasn't a mind reader , but she could tell he valued his research highly. She didn't know what magical skills he had, but she wasn't going to turn them down. " You can follow me, I wish to check the wards around the town before retreating to the keep. Hopefully Anna will be there.", the baroness replied.
"Excellent. Lead on. ", said the scholar eagerly.
Jimmy had already warned several families of the new danger. They all knew he worked closely with the baroness, and no one doubted his word. A part of him was proud that the people placed such high trust in him, another part detested the fact he was playing messenger instead of learning the trade of demon hunting. It was a crazy dream, but Jimmy honestly thought he could do some good , especially after the skirmish earlier in the morning. Despite having his dream snatched away so suddenly , Jimmy had a job to do and he resolved to do it the best he could.
As the young boy marched to the residences at the west of town , he stopped as he smelled a faint familiar odor . It was exactly like last night, a scent of smoke, a wiff of ash , a stench of sulfur.
"Brimstone. ", he whispered to himself.
"These tracks are pretty obvious. ", noted Raoul.
"Well they are ogres. Nothing subtle about them. ", commented Martinez.
"Could be a trap, or an ambush. ", added the half giant.
"Or we could be letting our chance to end this quickly slip our grasp. Those bruisers they sent at us were pretty tough, I'm guessing the person that summoned them though they would be enough to finish us. There is a chance it was a diversionary tactic though. They sent a screening force to be defeated and use it to set bait for us . Seems like over kill though. If they had extra forces at their disposal , wouldn't it be better to commit them all in decisive attack?", asked the duelist.
"It's also likely they weren't sure where we were. The group we killed could be one of many seeking us. Since they didn't return the others might be amassing and heading in our direction. Sort of an uncommitted tactical reserve.", posed Raoul.
"Oh, now you're getting silly. ", sniffed Martinez. The two grinned at their own bantering. Regardless if it was a trap or not, they knew they would face it together like they had other threats in the past. Besides their embarrassing defeat at the inn by the baroness, the pair were often victorious.
"Wait...you hear that? Behind us. ", warned Raoul as he slipped into the foliage. His skin seemed to change color, and despite his size he blended in almost completely with the greenery.
Martinez nodded in silence, both to the question and the warning. Although he possessed no innate magical powers, hiding was one of his specialties. It was said he could hide in plain sight and was harder to spot then a mage with an invisibility illusion.
As the pair waited, a large green dog with a haggard looking knight galloped down the ogre path. The dog stopped and its ears perked up. It then started to turn and sniff the area.
"Greenpaw. What is it boy? Do you smell demons? ", asked the knight. The dog gave no reply except some low growls, but it was enough to spur his rider to begin concentrating on his surroundings.
"OWWW!", yelped Jose as a small rock struck his helmet.
"Don't you know by now, that the Devil's woods interferes with divination magic. Especially detecting evil. ", grinned Martinez and Raoul as they slipped out of cover.
Jose rubbed his head, then smiled at the demon hunters. " ESAY! Martinez, Raoul! What are you doing here? ", beamed the knight.
"Quit it with the gutter North Darokin dialect, its embarrassing. ", smirked Martinez. Although both of them hailed from that district, it was considered uncouth to use that language anywhere except in poverty stricken North Darokin. Even in the more populous South Darokin , using that particular tongue was considered lower class.
" As to what we are doing, we were attempting to sneak up to a demon and its master, but a giant green dog and its annoying master has scuttled that plan. Speaking of which, I thought you were a squire to Sir Rollo. That didn't go too well I guess ? ", jested the duelist.
Greenpaw barked enthusiastically when he was mentioned.
"A thousand pardons. ", replied the knight in a more formal Grommish dialect. "I seek the Baroness of these parts , I have urgent buisness with her. Despite my foreign upbringing, I wish to inform you that I am no longer a squire, but a knighted member of the prestigious Order of the Husky. ", Jose said while barely suppressing a cracked grin.
Raoul snickered at the exchange. "I think I like him better the other way. ", commented the half giant.
Martinez nodded in agreement, " If you do find the baroness, be prepared. She's not what you expect. ", he added wistfully.
Jose scoffed at the duelist, "Oh please, don't give me that. I wasn't born yesterday. I already clued into what she is. A half breed , am I not correct ?", he said with a proud grin.
Martinez and Raoul exchanged stunned looks, "Why...why yes. You guessed correctly. I just didn't want you to freak out or anything. You know, do the paladin thing and smite her or something . ", explained an embarrassed Martinez.
"Nonsense. I wouldn't do anything such thing, unless she got hungry and tried to bull rush me for my food or something. Or worse yet, try sitting on my knee. I'll need that special ointment of yours for sure to mend my bones. HAH! Don't worry about me, I've dealt with half breed abominations up north at the knight holds , and I know how to act in the presence of such a beast. If worse comes to worse, I've come prepared. I'll distract her with pies. ", stated Jose.
"Errrr...Ok. What ever you say. ", responded a confused Martinez.
"Enough with the pleasantries. We could use a hand if you have time to spare. We weren't kidding about tracking a demon, and possibly its summoner to their lair. We already dealt with a half dozen ogres and suspect more ahead. ", interjected Raoul
Jose grew serious and considered his options. "I really am on an important errand you know. But since I've had no luck locating the baroness I will lend you my sword in your task. ", he said in a serious tone.
The demon hunters nodded in appreciation and signaled the paladin and his mount to follow.
"What good is an esay , if you can't rely on him to lend a hand busting heads, eh? Hey is that a fresh wound? Want me to use my divine healing arts to heal it. ", added the paladin as he pointed to Martinez's bandaged side.
"Nah its fine. It's mostly healed anyways, although I had a heck of time with it. The succubus we are tracking clawed ripped the side of my ribs open, caused a really nasty cursed wound. Luckily the baroness's healing arts came through.", shrugged Martinez.
"Wait...Succubus, with cursed claws? ", said Jose as he stopped his mount. The demon hunters stopped and stared at the confused knight.
"My master, was laid low recently by a succubus with cursed claws. Its not a common combination , since most succubus prefer more subtle methods of killing. She was sent against us when we were closing in on her master. ", Jose declared as pieces of the larger puzzle fell into place.
"You think, this demon and its mage are the same pair that attack your band?", asked Raoul as his gaze narrowed .
"I'm ...I'm sure of it. If I'm correct, then this path is a ruse. The summoner had fooled and confused us a few times in the past with such distractions and subterfuge, while he was hiding practically under our noses. I bet my knighthood that the summoner and its pet succubus are near or most likely in town as we speak. ", reasoned the knight.
"You just came from the village. Did you see signs of this summoner or the succubus we seek? ", asked Martinez carefully.
Jose shook his head, "Sadly I didn't , but that doesn't mean anything. The town's a big place and I only went down the main roads. Greenpaw here is pretty obvious, if they were there, they would have hid from my sight. I didn't detect anything unusual with my paladin's vision, but this whole forest seems to disrupt it. ", explained the knight.
Raoul looked at Martinez, "Well boss. Your call. We follow this trail and see where it leads us, or double back to town and hope Jose isn't an idiot. ", stated the half giant.
"Hey! I heard that! I'm standing right here you know. ", protested the knight.
Martinez weighed his options. His instincts was to do this by the book. That meant to follow the immediate lead . It might be a trap, but him and his partner were well practiced on turning ambushes against demons. Jose seemed convinced they were going in the wrong direction. Besides being a fellow countryman from Darokin, Martinez regarded Jose as a trustworthy and honorably friend, he would not claim the summoner was in town if he didn't believe it. However due to their long association, Martinez also knew Jose was a bit of a fool. He wasn't the sharpest sword in the armory , and his judgement could easily be flawed.
The duelist considered what was at stake. If they went to town and it proved to be a false lead, they would lose approximately 5 hours of search time, basically the entire day would be for nothing, and their prey would be safely out of his reach. If he followed the path and it proved to be a diversion, then the villagers would be placed in immediate risk.
"We head back .", stated Martinez. He disliked this option, but he wasn't about to put people like Jimmy and Stille in danger. He knew this would most likely end up as a time consuming wild goose chase.
Jimmy first ran to the inn, and was disappointed to find the baroness and Anna were not present. He sniffed the surroundings and was relieved he did not catch any of the brimstone scent.
Then he raced to the local guard post. It was a small simple stone building which Sergent Taylor typically used to station a few men , to keep the peace in town . The young boy met some members of the militia and quickly told him what he found. The guards were leery of sounding the alarm based on a boy's fears, but he was a favored servant of the Baroness, and they rather he faced punishment for causing a panic, then they faced disciplinary action for not obeying him. With reluctance they sounded the alarm in town. The alarm was a simple bronze bell. It could be heard through out the town and some of the outlying farms, but beyond that , the forest's magical qualities disrupted its sound. Despite its limited strategic value, it was still useful in conveying warnings to the villagers. Satisfied that he did what he could at the guard post, Jimmy then raced to make sure his family was ok.
Jimmy ran to his house and warned his aunt and uncle of the danger. They had already heard the alarm bell and were already in the process of gathering his cousins to the town hall. Jimmy knew if he attempted such a warning a month ago, he probably would have been slapped by his uncle for wasting everyone time, the recent rash of deaths however made his relatives much more appreciate and receptive of his efforts.
Jimmy had full intention to go with his family to the town hall , but a thought crossed the boy's head. Martinez and Raoul were headed in the wrong direction. He doubt they could hear the alarm , since they were deep in the woods already. He reasoned they would be about 10 miles out by now. Even without the threat of a demon , it was a torturous and dangerous run under any circumstance.
He reasoned the smart thing to do was to go to the town hall and await Baroness Stille's decision. However Raoul did say to keep his eyes, ears and nose open. If he followed their train of logic then the next logical decision would be to report his findings immediately . If it happens to bring him through the dangerous woods, then so be it.
Stille and Loric swiftly examined the wards surrounding the town, to ensure they were still intact. They decide to begin at the west and work their way clock around the village. To the baroness's surprise, the sage was pleasant and knowledgeable company. She discovered that he was mostly interested in the local ruins , and any legends regarding the infamous Blue mage.
"Do you think the baroness or anyone in town has any tomes regarding the legends and myths of this barony? Anna hinted she knew of some, but sadly she isn't here .", asked Loric.
Stille nodded, "There are many myths surrounding Veb. Everything from the mighty Sampson, to the legendary Monte Nabisco. Most of those have been well documented and supported by primary sources, but the stories of the Blue mage however are mostly passed by unwritten records. We have little knowledge of her save for stories and tales to scare children. ", explained the innkeeper.
The weight of her comment struck Loric heavily. "Curses...I ..I was so close. I might have to return to Lower Lueders or Grom City after this crisis is over .", he lamented as he considered his options.
"I can assure you that neither the famous Library of Penguin manor or the vast book depository of the Great Academy possess the knowledge you seek. I had the unique opportunity to study at both locations when I was younger. ", explained Stille.
Loric paused and regarded the innkeeper in a new light, he did not suspect his recent companion to be a scholar like himself. "It is refreshing to meet a fellow seeker of knowledge especially in such an out of the way Barony , but I do not seek any additional lore about the Blue Mage. I have recently discovered what I suspect to be one of her hidden laboratories. Unfortunately, it is warded against my entry, and none of my spells can penetrate it. However, I suspect that if I have a focus item, one that belongs to the creator of the these protections that I can use it to channel my magic to unravel the ward. I was hoping for a personal ancient text , but perhaps some curio or object that was close to her heart can be located in one of the magic shops of the larger cities. ", explained the sage.
"I doubt, you will get anything authentic at Dimitris...wait... you seek an item from the Blue mage? I might have the answer to your problem. ", declared Stille. Even though she was checking the wards, the inquisitive woman was caught up in the sage's quest for lore.
Loric paused and raised an eyebrow, "Please..please explain!", he pleaded.
"My father was given an item to return to the Blue Mage's lair many years ago. At first his friends attempted to find it but failed. Then he gave it to my sister, and she failed as well. Finally he gave it to me, and as you can guess I had no luck . Currently it resides in the keep , but I'm sure we can procure it from the baroness after this affair with the demon is handled. It may or may not be the item you seek, but its worth a shot. ", explained Stille , carefully not revealing the fact she was in fact the Baroness of Veb. She found people treated her differently when given that knowledge, and she had no desire to change Loric's opinion of her.
The sage was shaking from the information that the innkeeper had just given him, "This object...what is it? ", he asked tentatively.
Stille shrugged,"A very realistic statue of a tall female halfling. A representation of the halfling Commodore Adara, from the Great War. ", she replied.
The sage breathed deeply. "Not many people know this, but the Blue mage was one of the first artificer's in the world. I've been to many ruins attributed to her in the north and I've discovered many of her creations. Golems, constructs, and even prototypes of the first warforged. This halfling statue you possess may very well be the item I seek." , beamed the sage nervously.
"I certainly hope so. I love advancing knowledge and discov...", began Stille but was suddenly interrupted by a feral growl.
The baroness knew immediately what it was and she motioned for the sage to stay behind her. "I got this. This might end sooner then we think. ", she said confidently as she drew her sword and shield.
The priestess intoned a few words and several blue runes shone around her . Prayers of conviction and protection were weaved around her . Loric was taken back, as he had not expected such powers from his recent companion.
Stille motioned for him to stay back as she advanced towards the source of the growls. As she drew closer the noise stopped. The baroness knew it was close, and it was probably watching her as she approached. She was in a clearing at the edge of the forest, full of ancient stones of a long forgotten ruin. There were many similar megaliths and ruins in her barony and Stille thought nothing of them save for their tactical applications. The demon had many hiding spots in the area, but the baroness also knew it gave her some cover as she approached. The upcoming battle could degenerate into a deadly game of cat and mouse. A normal cleric would hesitate , but Stille had plenty of experience in her youth of such hunts.
"You can come out now. You won't escape me that easily. ", Stille hissed to herself as she reinforced her shield with further magics.
Suddenly a large form stepped silently out into the open. It was a tall man , almost as big as Raoul but bearing a proud noble stature. He had well groomed grey hair and a weathered face and he projected power and command from his stance.
"Hal..Halvor ?", gasped the baroness as she confronted her husband.
The big knight smiled and took a step towards his wife.
Stille froze as a single tear fell down her cheek.
Longing and desire filled her , as the love of her life stood before her.
"HOLY SMITE! ", the priestess intoned as she suddenly brought a wave of divine power crashing down on the old baron. Stille gauged the distance and area of her spell carefully as she struck down her husband. Despite being a priestess of light, her unique heritage made her susceptible to her own holy magics.
Halvor shrieked a terrible cry, it filled the air and cut through even the sound suppressing trees. The big knight fell to the ground and almost instantly reverted into the form of a wounded succubus.
Stille half expected Martinez to have exaggerated the wounds he inflicted on this creature the previous night, but it did indeed have a terrible wound in its chest, and an almost severed wing. " You think your simple ploys will affect me ! If it didn't work on that fool Martinez what chance do you think I would fall to it! ", she shouted as she rushed the stricken creature.
The baroness slashed downwards with a heavy blow. The succubus recovered enough of its wits and spectacular speed to scramble out of the blade's path, but Stille's skill and power still managed to slice the creature deeply in the leg. "You dare prey on my people ! You dare desecrate the image of my husband ! " , the priestess roared as she cornered the demoness.
Stille raised her weapon again as she stood before the cowering demon. She was not typically a violent person, but the atrocities this creature had committed demanded swift justice. She readied a spell to bind the creature, to prevent it from escaping but oddly she couldn't recall the words.
The baroness paused as she found her mind filled with a heavy fog. She instantly suspected some form of magic, and intoned a dispel. Stille stopped as she realized she could not work that spell as well . Only grunts and hisses escaped her lips as her spell failed. The succubus saw this delay and seized her opportunity by scampering safely behind an ancient stone. Stille wasn't sure what was happening but somehow the tables had been turned on her. She turned to Loric to warn him to flee, but only hisses and growls came from her mouth.
"My...my ... you certainly had me deceived. ", frowned Loric. "I was under the impression that I was following a simple innkeeper who was part of the militia and dabbled in hedge magic. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that you possess more divine magic then even that fool Emilo. ", the sage lamented as he slowly shook his head.
Stille had trouble understanding the man and found even organizing her thoughts to be impossible. She was only aware of the fact there was an enemy behind a stone nearby , and a dangerous person was nearby.
"It's a pity really. I find your personality and knowledge delightfully refreshing . If you hadn't reveal the extent of your powers, I would have sacrificed my witless servant there to gain your trust . Together, we would have mended the wards I disrupted. Afterwards , with your now gained trust, I would have negotiated with the baroness and retrieve this halfling statue of hers. With the demon defeated and no sign of its terrible master, I could have finished my research in peace. I'm sure I could have smuggled some live sacrifices to my magics in secret into the barony to not arouse suspicion. During the day I could relax in Anna's or your own soft company at the inn, at night I could pursue my dark arts. All in all , a pleasant scenario don't you think. However, you have shown yourself much to dangerous to live. A person with your magical skills would eventually see past my guise, and may even threaten my person. I would have preferred the easy route, but it looks like I'll have to do things the hard way. You know , steal the statue, murder anyone that gets in my way, and summon more demons to keep intruders out . All so I can pry into the mysteries of the Blue mage.", explained Loric off handedly.
"Fee..eble...mi..nd. ", sputtered Stille with tremendous effort.
Loric paused and looked amazed at Stille , "Very good. Even with your thoughts slowly unraveling you managed to deduce my tactics. Before you become a vegetable like my servant here , I wish to congratulate on your accurate deduction. As you can surmise, I am a practitioner of the dark arts. Unlike ..lets say Enchanters, Summoners, Beguilers...or even Necromancers, those that practice the blackest of magics have to do so in secret and generally in seclusion. There is no Great Academy like in Grom City, Beguiler's School as in Narwhal Hold, or even that old fool Boryis the Spyder's enlightened harem of brides. Due to people's fear and ignorance , the study of black magics is considered illegal and dangerous. Even the morally challenged nations of the world frown upon their practice. This has caused many aspects of my art to be lost. One of the reason's I am seeking the Blue Mage's secrets is to "fill in the holes" so to speak. In ancient days, to summon demons and bind them to your will , required such spells as magic circle, caccodemon, wrack, and various other specialized spells are hard to find and jealously guarded. Sadly I do not have knowledge of such enchantments, but I have made do with I possess. I found feeblemind to be a double edge sword in demon summoning. On one hand it is very reliable and hard to resist, it turns the demon into an idiot, and thus easier to control . On the other hand , its an idiot and very unreliable. Also it can no longer use the bulk of its magics, only instinctual supernatural powers are available. ", the summoner proudly explained while pointing at its injured servant hiding behind a rock.
Stille continued to hold her sword, but did not know what to do. She could feel the man before her was addressing her but could not understand every word he said. She sensed he was once a friend, but now wasn't so sure. She felt so confused .
"Minion! Come here !", demanded Loric. The succubus hobbled its way to the summoner and knelt at its side. Loric smiled then slapped the demoness across the cheek. "How dare you stalk someone in my presence. I was prying valuable information from her until you interrupted. What's worse, you managed to have poor Stille here almost beat you. You would have been killed if I didn't interfere. ", he scolded.
The succubus cringed and hissed, but made no attempt to resist her master.
Loric sighed, " I suppose I can't be that angry. Your rash actions did reveal the level of power she possesses. I suppose , in your own warped way, you were trying to warn me. ", he said as he relaxed his hand and stroked the demoness's hair.
"I'll tell you what. I'll go make preparations to plunder this barony's keep. You can feast on our troublesome innkeeper here. I can sense she has a lot of life energy. That should take care of some of your injuries. ", smiled Loric as he turned and walked towards the keep.
Stille wasn't sure what was happening but readied her sword and shield when the man left. A twinge of fear coursed through her body as the demoness stalked towards her. The dark haired creature was naked and possessed a lewd sensual beauty . Even though it had a broken leather wing, horns, and a tail...Stille felt a kinship to this creature. Despite the bond she felt, she also felt danger, as an instinctive feeling of hunger from the demoness over powered her.
Stille thought about running, but her battle instincts told her to face her foe. Even though she could not think straight, years of combat taught her it was safer to face this foe rather then flee from it. As she prepared for battle, the demoness suddenly leaped at her. Stille smashed her shield into the creature's face but its lightning fast claws still managed to strike her upper arm, shredding armor, leather, and flesh like a piece of braised meat. The succubus was stunned by the blow and reeled backwards. Even though the injury was much more severe then the blow she gave the succubus, Stille managed to score a strike against her attacker, neatly slicing off its unwounded wing with her holy blade.
The succubus screeched again in pain. The sound was terrifying and Stille could feel her bones rattle from the scream. She wasn't sure why this creature was attacking her, but she pressed her advantage by charging her opponent. The demoness was injured badly, but it still possessed its terrifying speed. It ducked under Stille's slow attack and slapped her tail against her foot. It wasn't a powerful blow, but it put the baroness off balance and sent her crashing into the ground.
Stille tried to scramble to her feet, but the succubus almost instantly pounced on her shoulders. The creature raked her back repeatedly , tearing off chunks of armor and flesh in the process. Stille screamed in pain from the onslaught and tried to roll to safety. Even though the baroness was much stronger then she looked, the Succubus's strength was substantially greater. The demon trapped her victim and bit into Stille's shoulders . The sickening snapping of bones could be heard throughout the clearing as the demoness rendered the baroness's arm immobile.
Tears of pain and failure flowed down the Stille's cheek. She couldn't think coherently, but she somehow knew she had failed. She had failed herself, her people, and even the big knight whose image always danced on the edge of her mind. The demon then bit her deeply in the neck and Stille felt her life blood flow freely. She waited for the killing blow from her tormentor but it didn't come.
A soft serpent's tongue licked Stille's ear, followed by a soft kiss on her neck. It was warm and pleasurable, but the priestess knew that her soul was now unraveling along with her thoughts. Dark despair filled her as the creature turned her on her back and played with her panting lips. She wasn't sure how she knew but she did. The creature would not kill her immediately , instead it would smother her in lust and slowly feed on her.
As the baroness grew weaker she was stricken by a moment of helpless clarity. She wondered if she would die from loss of blood or from the succubus's sinister embrace. Regardless of how she died, she knew nothing would be left of her except for a drained shell.