Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope you liked the last chapter, and I hope you will like this as well. As always I own nothing, Games Workshop does and some of the ideas for this chapter came for Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 which is produced by Black Isle Studios.
As he left the mansion Karl shifted into his wolven form and headed eastward. Most of the buildings were burned out husks but some still stood, though even they were more ruins than anything else. Karl could smell other people and hear them as well but none of them came anywhere near him. After about twenty minutes or so he found the building that he was looking for, a shrine to Sigmar built in an archaic style of architecture.
As he saw it he found that he still did not know what he was going to do. He had to get Wilhelmina away from that creature, that was a given, but there was no way that he could give the wraith whatever it was that it wanted, just the thought of it made his stomach turn. But no matter how much he wracked his brain he found that he could not find away how to do otherwise, he was incapable of harming the wraith and even if he could harm it the ghouls would kill them. He would have to be clever but no matter how hard he tried he could not come up with anything.
His thoughts were interrupted as he drew near the shrine and he detected the all-too-familiar smell of magic. As he drew near the shrine's doors he felt his whole body tingling as he walked across something. Whatever it was it did him no harm and he walked on. He reached the doors when a thought struck him, whatever it was that he had felt had probably told whatever was inside that he was coming and walking straight in would probably not be a good idea. Instead when he reached the doors he pressed his hands to them and shoved them open while simultaneously jumping to the side. A move that proved to be well advised when three crossbow bolts sailed out. Karl braced himself to spring at anything that came out but nothing did. After nearly a minute, while Karl tried to think of a way to lure whoever was inside out a voice called out to him.
"Come inside please. I promise no further violence will be done to you." The voice was old and paper thin but it did not hold any of the hate that the wraith's voice did, if anything it sounded sad. But Karl was cautious and did not move for a moment but as no other idea came to him he slowly slid his head around to look inside. It was mostly dark but there was a fire in the center of the room which provided enough illumination to see what was in the room. Within stood a number of skeletons, all armed three with crossbows. In the midst of them stood what Karl at first thought was another skeleton but when he looked closer he saw that it still had skin, though it was dry and pealing and stretched tight across its face.
It was clad in the faded remains of what appeared to be priestly robes, though it appeared that all of the religious symbols had been torn away. The skeletons, Karl was not sure how many of them there were, lacked uniformity save for their lack of skin. Apart from the three crossbow wielders most were armed with swords or spears and if they wore anything they wore ragged and faded remains of the uniforms of many allegiances, from all over the Empire and beyond. The only exceptions were two standing near the undead priest. They were clad in heavy armor of archaic design and their hands clasped great bronze swords inscribed with runes. After a moment the priest began to speak.
"Well, you are certainly different than what he has sent in the past. You clearly have some intelligence, if you are capable of speech I would have words with you." Karl hesitated for a moment and then shifted into his human form. Determined not to let the creature control the situation he decided to go on the offensive.
"Who, or what, are you?" The being's lips drew back in a tight smile, a rather disconcerting sight.
"In my time it was considered proper for the guest to introduce himself first. Still, given the circumstances, some allowances can be made." The skeletal figure drew itself up to its full height and offered a bow. "My name, back when such things matter, was Detlef Von Luft and if you are here it means that you have met my brother, Lanfried Von Luft, at our family manor."
"That thing is your brother!" Karl interjected, to stunned to stop himself. At his outburst the Detlef gave the impression that he was smiling sadly.
"Indeed, ours is a rather sad tale, which I would tell you if you would hear it." Karl nodded, curious despite himself. "Our tale begins before the catastrophe laid our city in ruins. Our family was extremely wealthy and not over troubled by morals. My brother and I became fascinated by magic and the possibilities it offered. The study of magic was, of course, forbidden but anything is possible if one has money which we did.
"We soon became fascinated by the study of necromancy, we both feared death and necromancy offered us the chance to escape it permanently. As we studied it more and more I found that I had the greater talent and skill but my brother had more heart when it came to studying the art. The longer we delved into the mysteries of necromancy the more uneasy I became at what was required.
"At last I could take it no more. Taking some of the family wealth I left and established this shrine and became a priest, spending my days begging for forgiveness from our lord Sigmar."
"You became a priest and were not found out?" Karl asked, his skepticism plain in his voice. The creature did not seem offended, perhaps even a little amused.
"Normally I would have no doubt been found out. But by then the corruption which would doom the city was becoming prevalent and the city clergy were desperate to increase their numbers. Many of the more pious of the city were already flocking to the church so my entering at a later age than normal was not remarked upon. From here I watched as the city, as well as my family fell further and further into decadence.
"When the comet came I realized that my own death was at hand." Here the thing that had been a priest paused and when it spoke again Karl could hear shame and guilt in its voice. "I should have died that day but I did not. I was afraid to face the Lords Sigmar and Morr after all that I had done, so I endeavored to cheat death and judgment. I had learned the spells that promised immortality but had always been too fearful to use them. Now, in my terror, I did so. I succeeded and rose as a lich. Later I learned that when the disaster struck my brother attempted the same spells for the same reason. But, as I said, I was the stronger of the two of us and his efforts failed. He also rose as an undead, but not as a lich but as a wraith, little more that his consciousness bound to this world by his own will to remain on this plain of existence.
"Wraiths are driven by little more than hate and pain and I could not allow him to arm others so I resolved to trap him. I encircled the family mansion with a powerful enchantment that I knew that he would not be able to break, trapping him there for all time I hoped. His confinement has driven him mad and he seeks constantly to break free and have his revenge. First he sent the ghouls, the degenerate inbred remains of our once glorious family, to attack my shrine but they were no match for me. When treasure-hunters flocked to our city he lured them to attack me. As you can see," he said waving a hand to indicate the skeletons; "They did not succeed. When the city was burned I hoped that the fire would consume us both and bring an end but we both survived and our struggle continues, and now you are here. So here we are," he said after a pause; "If you wish to take what is kept here I am afraid that I cannot allow to do so."
"I don't want him to get out any more than you do." Karl said; "However, your brother is holding my…companion as a hostage. If I do not bring back what you hold she will die." The lich smiled its rather unpleasant smile at that.
"I believe that there is a way that we can help one another. He can sense me approaching and so there is no chance that I can take him by surprise. However, if you can dispatch him than I and my forces can put an end to my degenerate descendants and so bring an end and save your companion as well."
"How would this work?" Karl asked. He did not really trust the lich but he could see little choice. Besides, were not they here to fetch back a vampire, an undead creature, to make use of it? He would only be doing what Marx was already going to have him do.
"It would be very simple," the creature replied. "You may be strong but you cannot hurt my brother with mere muscles and mundane weaponry, however, I can help with that. He went to a chest by a wall and drew forth a long sword. Taking it in one hand it moved its other hand over the blade while speaking in a language that Karl did not recognize but which set his teeth on edge and made him feel nauseous, at last the hideous chanting ceased. "There, it is done. I have placed a powerful enchantment on it which will end him finally. I have also placed a glamor on it which will deceive my brother long enough for you to strike."
"And the ghouls?" Karl asked.
"I will follow with my troops. When I sense that he is gone I will strike."
"Wouldn't he sense you?"
"It is a risk that we have to take. However, I will follow at a distance and when he senses what he thinks is the key to his freedom he will focus on this to the exclusion of all else. At least, that is what I hope will happen." Not thinking of anything else to say Karl reached out and took the blade. It was wrapped about with necromantic magic and Karl found it extremely unpleasant to the touch but he gritted his teeth and held on to it. Eager to be rid of the thing he shifted back to his wolf form and hurried back to the mansion.
As he reached the mansion he shifted back to his human form. At the door were several ghouls who were clearly waiting for him. They escorted him through the doors and into the mansion. They went through the great hall, he noticed in passing that the bodies were gone, and back beyond where they had been. In another room they went to a staircase, less elaborate than the ones in the grand hall but was more or less intact. When they came to the top floor they led him to a room which had been enlarged by the demolition of several walls was clearly used as a laboratory.
The wraith was there as was Wilhelmina. She was laid out on a table and looked even worse than when Karl had left. She was sweating profusely she looked haggard and worn. Though it had been only a matter of hours she looked as if years had fallen on her. Her breath was ragged and her eyes were wide with terror and rolled about feverishly.
"Yyouu have it." Lanfried Von Luft said, a statement not a question.
"What have you done to her?!" Karl demanded, his voice rising in anger.
"Nothing compared to wwhat I will do if you do not give me wwhatt I waannnt." The wraith hissed at him while behind Karl the ghouls hissed in response to their master's anger. Trying to look reluctant Karl walked towards the wraith, the blade in his hand. As they drew close towards each other the wraith moved as if to grasp the blade, but suddenly it drew back. "Tthisss issss no…" Before it could finish speaking Karl lunged.
He thrust at its midsection but it glided to the side and its own blade appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and slice towards Karl's head. He saw it out of the corner of his eye and threw himself on the ground and the blade passed over him. As he tried to rise a weight fell on his back as one of the ghouls jumped on his back. Karl forced himself to his feet and jerked to the side, causing the ghoul to slide to his shoulder. He cursed in pain and then reached back and grabbed the back of the ghoul's neck with his free hand pulled it off his back.
He could hear the other ghouls coming at him and the wraith was advancing on him as well. Thinking fast he threw the ghoul at it and charged after it. As it sailed towards it the wraith slashed out at the ghoul, which wailed as the spectral blade sliced through it. As it fell to the ground Karl got within striking range and this time the wraith was too slow.
As the blade entered the wraiths robes, it let out a wail so piercing that Karl dropped the blade and fell to the ground, clutching his hands to his ears. The wail finally faded into nothingness and its robes fell to the ground. As he rose to his feet he heard the ghouls wailing at their master's death, he also heard the sounds of battle below, it seemed that the lich was making its move. After a moment's consideration he decided that he did not want to meet the creature again. Now that it had no further need of him Karl could not be sure that a second meeting would be as civil as the last one had been. Shifting to his wolven form he grabbed Wilhelmina, who whimpered softly at his touch and ran from the room, the ghouls had all vanished, no doubt to fight the lich and its forces. Running down the hall he ran down the hall till he came to the back of the mansion. Seeing a window he ran to it and jumped through it. Glass shattered and he sailed out into the night.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone I hoped you liked it. Did you see anywhere were it could be improved? Please let me know in the comments. Till next time please pray for persecuted Christians and all others who suffer persecution, the sick, the homeless and runaways, victims of human trafficking and all who need prayer. Bye and may Jesus bless you.
