"False Conscience"

by Black Mantle

ACT III:

The next day, Deneb and her entourage flew over the swamplands of Antalia, heading for the west. The carpet made several passes over the land. Setting down on a small island, the five disembark.

"Omicron said is was on one of these islands. He must have been lying, these islands are all vacant."

It was getting late so Deneb decided to look for shelter for the night, and headed towards Bil'jand. Deneb didn't want to raise too many eyebrows en route, so she flew low over the marshlands in the south, a little too low. As Deneb was looking around for a decent place to land, the back of the rug snagged something and its passengers fell of the carpet, into the bog. Deneb stuck her head out of the muddy water and spat.

"What the hell…?"

Looking behind her, she saw the carpet was caught by the bony hand of a living skeleton.

"AIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!"

With a thrust from his sword, the wraith tore the rug in two, causing the pieces to settle into the murky terrain. It then started to approach its flesh and blood opponent.

"Stay back! Stay Back!"

Deneb tried to recule in the mud as best she could, but the deceased warrior kept up its approach. It was a few feet away when a whistling sound could be heard, followed by a big splat as the wraith was crushed into dust beneath a large pumpkin. The resulting splash left Deneb covered head-to-toe in mud.

* * *

With no carpet, Deneb was forced to walk to Bil'jand. Cold and tired, she looked like the living dead herself when she finally reached an inn.

"Excuse me.♥ Can I get a room here?♥ Preferably with a bath.♥"

The innkeeper almost didn't want to have the unkempt lady, but the Goth in her pouch soon changed his mind.

Deneb didn't really like the bath; the only hot water she could get came from the kettle in her room, the rest was cold water. After her bath, she ordered some room service, ate, then retired for the night.

* * *

Deneb once again had a nightmare. This time, she was lying in the bog. This one seemed even more sinister than the one she had been in earlier. She was alone, as usual, but she was being followed. She tried to run from her pursuer, a silent creature that made no noise, no sign of its location. As Deneb tried to run through the thick murk, a hand grabbed her by the foot, causing her to fall.

Looking behind her, Deneb saw her pursuer, a wraith; a seemingly enormous skeletal creature that towered over her minuscule frame like a mountain. The bony figure was covered in the muddy marsh water, but it sword shined bright red, covered in blood, and certainly Deneb's blood.

She tried to run, hoping to escape her executioner, but the wraith had no intention on letting her go that easily, and slashed at her.

Deneb wasn't sure how badly she was injured when she grabbed onto a tree that just seemed to leap in front of her. Kneeling against the gnarly tree, her dress fell away from her back, held in front of her by the water that soaked it to her skin. Aside from her underwear, her entire backside was left totally exposed.

The wraith was a good 5 meters behind Deneb, as if she somehow managed to leap the great distance. However, the distance was growing shorter as the skeleton moved in on its target. Deneb let go of the tree and tried to run again, only to trip on the roots, landing face first into the bog.

The sound of cracking wood was heard, and then silence. All she could hear was the gasping of her breath and the powerful thumping of her own heart.

An eternity passed when a swishing sound was heard in the vast darkness, and all Deneb could sense, was a sharp pain running across her back. The wraith had brought his sword down upon her and slit her beautiful skin, splicing it, allowing a stream of blood to form at the injury. Deneb's screams echoed through her mind and the evil being brought its sword upon her flesh again. More pain, and more screaming filled the recesses of the marsh, followed by a third slash.

For several minutes, the creature stood above its victim, the three slashes intersected in the middle of her back were the blood was flowing the fastest. Deneb could feel her back going numb as she laid in her wet grave, her screaming had reduced to mere whimpering as utter helplessness set in. She only wanted it to be over.

Putting up its foot, the wraith stepped forcefully on Deneb's back, and the witch soon felt the intense pain, making her past experiences seem like a mere bee sting. The crushing force, the infected water now seeping into her wounds, it was all too much to bear as she was being pushed into the muck.

Her shoulders, head and feet were soon the only things lifted above the mud as Deneb's screams once again subsided to make way for whimpering and crying. With a mighty blow, the skeleton hefted its sword, and plunged it into the back of Deneb's neck, ripping through her throat, and out the other end.

* * *

Deneb jolted from her bed. Once again her body was covered in sweat from the fear of her last terrifying experience. Feeling the cold draft across her body, she pulled the covers back over her soft skin. She remained sitting for while, leaving her back totally exposed. The cold air stung her, and she could once again feel the terrible lashings she had received from the wraith.

She quickly laid back down to cover over her entire body, hoping to make the pain go away. It worked to some avail, but she was getting pretty cold, it almost made her wish that she wore some kind of nightgown to bed. Grabbing her covers, she wrapped them around herself like a towel, grabbed the lit oil lamp, and walked over to the stove, which had long since gone out. She put some of the coal that was sitting next to it in the iron casing and used her lamp to try and light a piece of paper.

After a few tries, the coals started to glow as they started to release the heat that had been stored in them over many millions of years. Deneb sat in front of the stove, and when she felt that the stove was hot enough, she laid the blankets on the floor, and laid down on them, facing away from the stove. She could now feel the heat stroking her back, making her feel a lot better then when the cold was raking across her flesh. Whenever one side got too hot, or too cold, she would turn around to ensure the most comfort to her being.

For the rest of the night she didn't sleep, she just let the warmth bathe her all night.

* * *

With her dress now a muddy and tattered mess, Deneb went to search for a new wardrobe, probably something a little less revealing than what she normally wore. She returned to the inn with several changes of clothing and a nightie. She changed out of her witch's robe and put on a blue dress, which covered her from shoulder to ankle. The dress reminded her of the blue outfit worn by clerics as she looked at herself in a mirror.

"Cut the skirt into a pair of pants, get one of those funny hats and a staff, I could pull it off."

Her time in the temple was the only time in the last month that she could get a decent night's sleep. To alleviate herself of these nightmares, Deneb almost did consider casting off her role as a witch. She would have to become an amazon first, but if she could prove herself worthy, she probably could become a cleric. Who knows, with a crown she could be a princess, at least she'd get to wear some real fancy clothes.

"Probably make me take an oath of celibacy, I'm not sure if I'm willing to give up my ways that quickly." Deneb stepped away from the mirror and went to put the rest of the clothes away.

She then took the nightie and walked back over to the mirror, holding it in place in front of her.

"I haven't worn any clothes to bed since I was 13. But last night was pretty cold, so maybe I should start." Deneb put away the white lace nightwear and left for dinner, leaving her pumpkins behind once again, fortunately for her, they didn't need to eat.

* * *

In her new clothes, no one would suspect that she was a witch, least of all the infamous Deneb whom the local populace seemed to be ignorant of. Deneb sat down at a local outdoor cafe and ordered a turkey sandwich with a few dinner rolls, and a glass of red wine. As the young lady ate her meal, she overheard a conversation between two men behind her; one a local who ran the store, the other one was a strangely dressed traveler.

"So, you say Rashidi had been through here?" the odd man asked.

The plainly dressed storeowner responded. "Yeah, he was doing something on one of the islands in the west. I just heard that something strange passed over there yesterday."

"Think they're connected?"

"I don't know, but many people around here believe that there's something weird buried over there."

"I've been hearing some odd stories myself on the eastern parts of this continent. A lot of people telling me to stay away from the west."

"I'm not surprised. But with Omicron gone, I hope things around here will start to brighten up a bit."

The stranger pulls out his pocket watch, "Hmmm… It's getting late, I had better go. Nice talkin' to ya'" With that, the stranger gets up and walks off.

Deneb was interested in finding out what the traveling salesman knew, so she got up from her table, dropped some Goth next to the leftovers and ran to catch up to him.

"Excuse me!♥"

The traveler turns around, "Why hello young lady, have you come to make a purchase by any chance?" The stranger opens the right side of his coat to reveal several pockets filled with potions, he then pulls one out. "A luck potion, very popular, only 21,000 Goth."

Deneb cringed at the hideous price. "No, I was hoping for some information. You were talking about Rashidi a minute ago and how he was seen at one of the islands a few days ago."

"A pretty little thing like you interested in him? Well, I've been hearing of him appearing in a few places now, apparently he's looking for the Chaos Gates."

"The what?"

"Chaos Gates, portals which connect various locations about Zeteginea, apparently Rashidi is trying to open them, his magic certainly seems powerful enough."

"Where are these 'Chaos Gates'?"

"I don't know, you see they've been sealed by a magic sword called the Brunhild, so they cannot be seen unless they are opened by the Brunhild."

"You wouldn't happen to have a Brunhild for sale, do you?"

"Sorry, and if I did it would cost an arm and a leg, although for someone like you, I'm sure a leg would be enough."

"What?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I put high value on quality."

Deneb thought to herself, {What a weirdo.}

The stranger looked at her, "Who are you?"

Almost without thinking she responded, "Deneb."

"Deneb?! Deneb the witch!"

Deneb's eyes opened wide when she realized that he knew of her. "Oh, please, don't tell anyone I'm here. Please!♥"

"If no one asks, I shall say naught. That is, if you wouldn't mind buying something? Try a strength or intelligence potion, only 15,000."

"Still a little out of my range." Deneb started to move towards the stranger rather suggestingly. "But if I could do you a service in exchange, would that do?♥"

"Sorry, for me only merchandise is worth money, everything else is free, for I am 'Anywhere Jack'! My card." Jack hands Deneb a small white card:

Any Time
Any Place
Anywhere Jack

"And as much as I'm sure it would be a great pleasure to partake in a little sport with you, I am a happily married man with 18 kids." Jack pulls out a picture of himself, his wife and 18 others of various ages.

Deneb gazes upon the picture, "18! Wow!"

"I'll say, but then again, they don't call my wife 'Anytime Beth' for nothing."

"Look, I don't have all that much money, but if I give you a few hundred, would you please not tell anyone about me!"

"Keep your cash, if no one asks about you then I will stay silent. However, if you should happen to come into a fair bit of money, you will call me for some business won't you?"

"Sure."

The stranger is elated, "Great! When you got the cash, just take my card, and tear it in half. I'll come a running!"

"Thanks."

"See ya!" The stranger is about to take off.

Deneb calls to him, "Oh, wait!"

"Yes?"

"Where can I get the Brunhild?"

"Only one person knows that, the current holder of the blade, Lexar!" Jack kicks up his heels and is off like a shot.

Deneb stands there with the card in her hands, {Lexar? How am I supposed to get the Brunhild from him?}

* * *

Deneb sought out someone who could take her to the Tundra where Lexar was mounting his next campaign against the fallen angel Mizal. Unfortunately, the only ship available was a pirate ship, which would only take Deneb and her minions if they would work for it.

She spent another night at the inn, her sleep was continuously being disturbed by her pumpkins who were ordered to wake her every time it seemed as if she was having another nightmare. Although she didn't get a full night of sleep, the next morning she was more rested since she left the monastery. She didn't wake up in a cold sweat like before, and she wasn't as cold thanks to the nightie she was now wearing. Deneb picked up a set of warm clothes for her voyage to the snow covered tundra, then headed for the ship.

The pirate ship was about to leave when Deneb worked out a deal with a captain. At first, the captain was willing to let all five on if she was willing to sleep with him and his men. After seeing Jack's picture, she definitely didn't want to take the chance, let alone with this scruffy band. After a few minutes, Deneb got a deal where her pumpkins would tidy the ship, swabbing the deck and all that rot, while she would assist the cook, and at nights perform a little strip show for the crew. She figured exposing herself was better than sacrificing herself any day.

The five boarded, and the ship set sail.

To Be Continued…