The big day finally came. The underground tunnel leading to the Fort's prison was cleared, though the steam erupting from slayed fire slugs carcasses made the area hot and humid. The breach which was the entrance to the prison was growing nearer and so did the light.
They brought no other light source with them, fearing being spotted, so the way was illuminated only by the faint glow of the collars around their necks. Nearing an actual torch was welcomed with relief. The feeling, however, was brief because as soon as they stepped a foot into the opening an alarmed scream reached their ears.
"W-wh-what? G-g-guards!" a female lizard with turquoise scales was tucked in a corner of the ruined cell. Once she spotted the intruders she tried desperately to stand up on her trembling legs. Shocked as she was, she had no luck to do it in time. Elane was first to enter the room and the first to react. Unsheathing her newly acquired sword she jumped forward, pressing the tip of the sharpened blade against the lizard's neck.
"If you want to continue being able to whine , you will shut up in an instant. Understood?" she hissed, staring into the very soul of the frightened creature.
The lizard gulped, her eyes opened so wide Elane could swear they would fall from their sockets should the creature tilt its head.
"Y-y-yes, I just…" she stifled a whimper, "they do terrible things here. If they think for a second I'm trying to escape again, they'll do to me what they did to him. "
Elane lowered the blade, being rather surprised by the lizard's unbidden confession. Sensing a good moment to step up, Vermil crouched right next to the scared prisoner, his face a mask of kindness and compassion that could fool anyone and melt any unsuspecting hearts.
"Would you mind telling us what you have seen?" he asked her gently, his words seeping from his lips like a sweetened wine.
The man quickly wooed the lizard into telling them everything she knew. His technique to pry information from the subject was quite impressive, hypnotic techniques proved handy once again.
All six of them listened carefully as the prisoner admitted having escaped the fort before and described the nightmares happening in these very halls. Allegedly, there was a man tortured right next to her cell. Magisters were questioning him about some 'Seekers' and 'Godwoken'. The looks exchanged among the party confirmed that neither of them had any idea what they were asking after.
"So, how did you escape in the first place? Can you tell us?" Vermil's final question hung in the air unanswered for a long while. The lizard, whose name turned out to be Vasnya, shook her head and then took one,deep breath.
"I-I tried to leave. There's a s-sewer in Kniles' dungeon but it's an evil place. I barely managed to pass un-unnoticed and when I did-" her body shivered in anxious spasms," the undead had their hands on me in five minutes...D-don't go there, for the Gods' s-sake!"
Her whimpers became louder and the spasms worsened, threatening to warn the guards if there were any. Ifan loaded his crossbow wordlessly, intending to silence the lizard once and for all but Vermil gestured for him to stop, laying one hand on the lizard's eyes and whispering. Moments after the poor thing was in deep slumber. The lone wolf crooked an eyebrow at the smallish, black-haired man before him. The hypnotiser noticed the look and offered an equally crooked grin.
"Let's not inform the whole Fort about our presence just yet, don't you agree?"
"Suit yourself."
While the two were exchanging thoughts, Fane was already tinkering with the shabby lock on the cell door with his fingers being closely observed by Elane. Her expression contained both awe and suspiciousness as the lock gave way quickly, too quickly for any moral citizen's liking.
"You seem proficient with lockpicking," the comment intended to be made as carelessly as possible, reeked of judgement but no without a hint of healthy curiosity.
"I have found myself in many predicaments since leaving my tomb, acquiring some skills was a matter of-" Fane continued working on the lock as he spoke and with one last tilt of his fingerbone the mechanism clicked, unlocked. "There," he dropped the subject of his predicaments the second the lock was opened.
Elane nodded as she grasped the handle to open the door slowly. "Do tell me about these adventures one day," she muttered to the Eternal before opening the door ajar.
Everyone tensed as they waited for any sign of alertness from the other side but no scream, gasp or call could be heard. Elane held her breath and opened the door wide enough to glance around the stone corridor. Scouting the area she counted at least six other doors, three to each side, and a staircase. The corridor was long, however her perceptive elven ears registered a sound, or more likely an echo of a sound, coming from the very end of the hall. The elf looked back at her companions with a stern and cold gaze. It was high time to act.
"Lohse, Vermil, Sebille, you check the left. Me, Fane and Ifan - right. Look for a way into the fort or anything that could be of use later. If a fight breaks out, alarm the rest. If matters turn ugly run back here. Am I understood?"
Her own determination was mirrored to some extent in the eyes of others, she knew they understood the instructions. Fane's sockets were as dark and lifeless as always but his posture was uneasy, stressed. Lohse pressed her lips in one thin line and nodded. Sebille and Ifan were among the calmest despite the flickers of excitement dancing in their eyes. The elf gave them a sign to move and left the chamber.
Her senses were not mistaken, something was going on up ahead but before the split party could venture forth they had to check the area. Surprisingly, the first cell they had chosen was not closed. The door swung open with as much as a push but what they witnessed inside justified the poor security. This cell was filled with laying and hanging metal cages, big enough to fit a man. Inside of one of those hanging cages sat a figure. Another lizard to be precise, but this one's skin was the color of flaming red…
"Red Prince of the House of War?," Elane gasped as soon as she recognized the creature, a shadow of amused but cruel smile on her face.
A glint of light could be seen in the shadows obscuring both the cage and the lizard. The fiery spark of his eyes was sizing up the trespassers. After a few seconds he decided to turn his whole body as if to greet them. The elf remembered this lizard well, all too well from the ship. She managed to pass him by but his snarky comments about 'the lack of pristine merchandise' on the 'squalid little ship' did not elude her ears. Lizards had the reputation of slavers among the western people, and Elane shared the human dislike of these practices.
"I assume that anyone able to recognize me had enough of a good upbringing and education to be worth my time. I'm almost flattered to meet another blue-blood," the prince hummed from his birdcage, locking eyes with the elf for a while, "Oh, it's you. Our glorious savior."
His gaze moved to eye up the rest of her companions, "Quite the entourage you've gathered, I take it you're trying to escape?"
"I take it you did not end up here by an accident?" The noble answered with a question of her own, resting the sword she held on her shoulder.
"I admit, this situation seems a little degrading. I, too, tried to flee this godforsaken prison but, as you can see, my attempts were futile."
"Quite the situation indeed," Elane hissed back, glancing both at Fane and Ifan, looking for advice.
Fane gave no feedback whatsoever, Ifan on the other hand mouthed 'kill him'.
The Prince sighed. "I am grateful for your help back on the ship and I would be even more so, had you helped me to get out of this cage."
The elf tilted her head, eager to steer this encounter to her favor. Indeed, as inexperienced in escaping prison isles as she was, the art of negotiation was something she felt confident in. This thought left her strangely relaxed and ready to bargain.
"I am humbled by your gratitude but I cannot stand the thought of someone in your position relying on my humble self. The mere sight of myself must be a disrespect to you. Please rest assured, once we get out there I shall send a word to the Empire about your distress," she offered him a formal bow, low enough to brush her unarmed hand against the floor.
"As much as I admire your knowledge about the Empire, I'm afraid it's a lost paradise for me," the lizard's tone grew irritated.
Elane's head gracefully jerked upwards and she let out a surprised gasp,"How come? Weren't you the All-Conqueror, the spouse of the Sun?
"I suppose I must own up to the fact that I find myself rather in between all-conquering and world-taming opportunities at the moment. The grandeur that is my fate has...hit a bit of a snag."
"So you have lost your Empire?" The display of sympathy from fellow, distressed noble she had put up was quite convincing, at least as far as Ifan could tell. Fane was more sceptical about it but still, anything that would lead him away from this place was very much in his favor.
"Worry you not, for the throne I was destined, and my throne I shall have,'' his words were strongly laced with confidence, despite his miserable position.
"I do wish that for you, from the bottom of my very heart. We shall leave you to your ruminations, we have wasted enough of your time," with another bow the elf began to step back towards the exit.
"Wait, for Gods' sake!" Finally, desperation rose in the lizard's voice, "Whatever is that you want, I will reward you but open this damned cage."
Elane stopped and respectfully bowed again, "I will require your cooperation in this quest, my prince-"
"You'll have it," he cut in.
"And obedience of my orders," her bow deepened.
"So be it," his tone grew impatient.
"Very well," with a grin, she straightened herself swinging the blade still in her hand at the rusty padlock that kept the cage shut. It shattered in two with a metallic clang and fell to the ground. The red lizard landed gracefully on the stone floor not far from the elf.
Elane eyed him thoroughly, noticing the threadbare tunic he wore and an empty sheath hanging on his hip. "You are unarmed, my prince. Please stay behind our backs for your safety."
The prince smoothened his garment in response and gestured for the elf to lead the way, which she cheerfully did.
"Was it quite necessary?" Fane's voice rang in her head again as she stepped back into the dim corridor.
The elf didn't answer, offering the undead scholar a fleeting but confident smile. He shrugged and his robes moved unnaturally in the place where his stomach would be. To make things worse, his non-existent stomach meowed. Elane shot one brow up, sheathing the weapon.
"Is that cat...still in your robes, Fane?" The question and the following concept of the stray nesting inside his skeleton made it difficult to remain unsmiling.
"Persistent creature!" He shoved a hand into the clothing and pulled the culprit by the nape, making a motion as if he was about to throw it away.
"Easy there!" Elane intervened, taking the poor animal from the skeletal hand. She carefully lifted the cat to examine it. He was an older stray but neither his fur or eyes showed any signs of neglect. Maybe it belonged to someone? The feline's eyes were hazy and it let out another quiet meow. "This furball looks more dazed than anything, we cannot really leave it here, can we?" She put the cat down and it wobbled back to Fane's legs, curling its tail around them.
Ifan and Red Prince remained silent witnessing the scene, though two completely different attitudes were visible on their faces. The wolf looked at the creature with warm understanding, the prince was utterly repelled.
"Shall we get on?" The scarlet lizard was clearly impatient and rather annoyed.
"It seems to be following me regardless of my desire for it to do so, curious," the eternal observed, scrutinizing the cat.
"We've got the last door to check, better to move on," Ifan finally nagged.
"Very well then," Fane crouched and parted the garments just enough for the puss to squeeze in, then casually moved to the mentioned door as if he didn't try to evict the uninvited guest from his bones in the first place.
Ifan and the elf exchanged confused looks, the man offering an awkward smile while doing so.
"Eternals, I guess," she threw her arms up in a gesture of admitting defeat to even understand the undead's motives and walked towards the door. The wolf raised his crossbow, scanning the area for any threat. The corridor was still clear.
The lock didn't give Fane's nimble fingerbones much trouble and the door opened with a faint metallic screech. The moment it swung open their nostrils were assaulted by the smell of decay forcing the still-fleshed members of the group to gag and cover their noses. The light from the corridor illuminated the cell revealing a macabre display. There was a pile of hay with something vaguely resembling a humanoid laying on it. Blinking away the nagging feeling of nausea Elane took a step into the chamber to get a closer look. To her own horror this thing before her turned out to be an elf in a state of slow decomposition. He was stripped of any clothing, his skin moulding on his muscles, forming black stiff spots on his body. His face was moving on its own accord, flashing with different emotion every time the spasms tensed what was left of his body. His flesh ruptured further with every movement but no blood was seeping from the wounds. The sight of him alone could make one's stomach turn, but there was also the smell, the groans. Suppressing the urge to gag, Elane took another careful step and the elf's eyes locked onto hers. Madness dwelled in his sight.
The prisoner took a wheezing breath and screamed "It's YOU!" in a hoarse voice.
"Leave him, he has clearly lost his senses from the pain," Fane said as he approached Elane, unfazed by the sight or the smell.
Shivers ran down her spine as she kneeled next to the tortured. "Who are you? Did Magisters do this to you?"
He broke into maddening laughter that echoed through the prison. Quickened footsteps followed the sound back to its source, alarmed by the screams and the rest of the party appeared in the doorway. The elven assassin was disconcerted by the unlooked presence of the red-skinned lizard but all hateful comments and deathly glares were put aside once her catlike eyes spotted the inhabitant of the cell.
"Great Gods…" Sebille uttered an incomplete prayer at the sight of the decaying kin and rushed beside him, kneeling next to him just as Elane did.
The lying elf started moaning, cradling his head. He mumbled about something making holes in his mind, digging tunnels and 'she' was responsible for it all. The two elves exchanged looks. There was no mistake, he went mad because of whatever that had been inflicted upon him.
"Is there anything we can do?" The taller of the two asked, gently placing a hand on the disfigured face.
The comforting took some effect, as the elf has calmed. One, single tear rolled down his cheek. "Verdas. I'm not the last. The bishop doesn't count. No, he doesn't count."
Speaking clearly caused him more pain as his face contorted in suffering but, nevertheless he continued. "I'm done for, but you...you...there's still hope."
"Sebille, we can't help him. We-" Elane's faint whisper was cut short by Sebille's scream.
"There must be something we can do! You want to leave him like this?"
The elf in question wailed again, distressed by the loud sound, "You need to go...Dallis...after she took me...she did something - my head...Get out, while you can. You….you don't see it but you are everything .
"I understand kin matters and all, but we've got to go," Vermil urged them quietly.
"You have heard them, Sebille. We have to move…" Elane placed a hand on the woman's shoulder before getting up, looking expectantly at the companion.
She answered with a grim look and single nod, "Give me a moment, I'll catch you outside."
They all left, albeit rather reluctantly when it came to Fane. He had heard of elven burial customs before and wished to witness them. Was the elf about to 'take root' in this here dungeon? Sebille's piercing glare, however, discouraged him from trying.
Elane's thoughts were not very different from Fane's. Being raised outside of elven culture she wondered whether the rumors about elves were true. Shutting the door behind her, the noble couldn't even force herself to peek behind. Was she going to eat him? Here? Now? Nausea wretched her gut at the thought. In fact, she was dangerously close to throwing up both from the idea and stress. In an attempt to distract herself she sought Vermil, counting on him to share what his party had found in the dungeon and use the conversation as a distraction from the nagging thoughts. Once the human caught her gaze all he needed was a questioning arch of her brows.
"We didn't find much, there is a secret passage to the surface but no luck with loot...except-"
he turned with an unspoken question towards Lohse. She gestured for him to continue,"-a clue, there is someone who could potentially help Lohse with her problem,"
"That is great news, are they in Fort Joy?" The sickness dulled, now forgotten in the light of the new cue.
The man shook his head, "No, Reaper's Coast. Driftwood to be precise."
"Seems like we do have a common destination after all," Fane cut in but his tone outlined that he wasn't pleased with the idea.
"I hope that our escape will lead us to the swamps. I seem to have business of my own, there," The Prince added.
"Oh, it's you ," Lohse placed her hands on her hips and pouted. "I'd like to remind you that Madame Josephine De Peep is no one's slave, milord."
Rolling his eyes in annoyance, the lizard sighed, "As far as the whole slave business is concerned, let's just forget about it, shall we?"
The Wolf chuckled under his mustache at this exchange and at the memory of the referenced scene. Then, the door behind him creaked open and Sebille emerged from the shadows back to the torch-lit corridor. No one asked her what she was doing there.
As she stood in the light, the ex-slave finally took proper notice of the Prince, the newest addition to their party, and frowned, shooting a deathly cold stare towards the creature and towards Elane.
"Do you mind telling me why this vermin is following us?" The accusation was clear in her speech, hand already resting on her dagger.
"A great question indeed. Looks like someone took pity on a runaway slave such as yourself." He folded his scaled arms," More's the pity that you and I have a problem. You've clearly relinquished your duties by running away from your rightful Master: a crime punishable by death."
She laughed, "The laws of your stupid empire have no validity here."
"Should they hold any value you would not find yourself dangling in a cage, Your Highness," Elane mentioned, clearly joking at the expense of the soon-to-be-monarch.
"I-" The lizard began to bellow but the slave's amused chatter extinguished his own.
"Really, they got him caged down here? Should have left him here to rot!"
"Oh," The raven-haired noble smiled innocently, "but he asked to be let out, pleaded in fact."
"I've got no intention of carrying out the death sentence that I should. Our common goal is to escape this place and I got matters more urgent to attend to than some vagabond slave. I say we bury the hatchet, for now at least," he spoke in statements instead of questions, trying to maintain the illusion that he was in charge.
The amused face of the now-spared slave was gleaming with cruel joy, giving the other elf a look of appraisement. "Very well, make sure you keep the forked-tongue out of my sight and we should be all jolly good." She did not address the prince but instead was talking to the other elf as if she was his Master.
The nerve! The Prince's eyebrow arch furrowed. He was ready to set the two aflame right here and now but instead, a smoky sigh left his jaws. Crude methods had to be used to achieve a noble goal, a minuscule price to pay to regain his Empire.
The party set off once again.
The echoes of human speech, now louder than before, rolled through the dungeon. Finally they reached its end marked by a door of sturdy steel. As solid as it seemed, it ought to muffle any sound coming from behind them but the ongoing conversation was intelligible. Two voices, both male but one being visibly distraught could be heard.
"How many was it, Del? How many of 'em did you let go?"
Ifan clung to the wall and followed it to an open, adjacent chamber at its left end, sniffing around like a dog. Said room was empty, spare for a few skeletons, but more importantly it was incomplete. The wall separating it with the bigger area where voices were coming from had crumbled and was only partially mended with planks. A small ladder was placed next to the makeshift barricade leading up indicating something had to be there. The wolf dared to climb a few steps and found a platform overlooking an interrogation scene. Few magisters were pacing the wooden planks oblivious to the Sourcerer's presence. Few more stood on the stone tiles below. Careful not to make the ladder creak, the wolf rushed down closing the distance to the party in long but quiet leaps.
"There's an opening but the room is crawling with magisters," he informed, lowering his voice to barely audible breaths.
"How many?" Elane whispered.
"Counted five so far, could me be more. There is a platform we could use to position ourselves but we will be immediately spotted."
"So you need a diversion?" The elf already knew that this role would be hers.
Ben Mezd nodded, scanning his companions' features.
"I'll go with you," Vermil laid a hand on Elane's shoulder
"So will I," needle was already glistening between Sebille's fingers.
The plan was confirmed with a nod from their elven leader. With that Ifan gestured to the rest to follow him.
"Count to five," he said before running off to take position.
The Red Prince, completely overlooked in this plan, stood quietly behind. He found this state of things strangely convenient. He would observe the unraveling events and react accordingly, should it be required.
Elane took a deep breath and started counting, hand on the doorknob. The magister was still talking.
"One."
"Two," the rhythm of her heart quickened,
"Three," she grasped the hilt of her blade and unsheathed it,
"Four," a faint rustle of a drawn dagger,
"Five!" She yanked the door open, the steel door flung open and the three of them barged in.
The Magisters were clearly unprepared for a planned attack. One heavily armored Magister was standing over another,scattered on the ground. Steel clad foot was crushing the man's ribs.
Wooden elevations built around the area were guarded by archers who were already drawing their bows. The diversion group had to evaluate their situation quickly. The interrogator was not alone, two other knights were sitting, or rather standing up from the chairs behind him. The noble elf locked eyes with the torturer.
"Sourcer-" The human adorned in heavy armor cried, only to be silenced by an arrow piercing through his cheek. He staggered back with a gargle, his mouth filling with blood.
The archers immediately turned towards the attacker - Ifan but Elane lunged forward, drawing attention to herself with a battlecry. Swinging her blade to finish the Lone Wolf's work, her lunge didn't hit home as she was shown aside by a Magister nearby. The battle began in earnest.
As the elf rushed forward, Vermil wasted no second either. Making use of the teleportation artifact, he clasped his hands together, sending an archer just about to fire her bow at the casters flying down on the wounded Magister. The falling weight slammed his head onto the hard floor with a loud thud.
Sebille dodged an incoming projectile shot by the remaining archer with a violent twist of her body. The arrow's tip drew sparks and splintered as it reached the flooring. One precise throw of her own dagger and the bowstring snapped making the weapon useless. The archer cried in frustration, disposing of the bow and pulling a small knife from her belt but Sebille was not far behind her throw. She pounced at the disarmed magister with a breakneck speed, grasping the needle tightly. The weapon sank deep right under the woman's chin. Blood splashed forth and the human fell to her knees, clawing at the wound, struggling to breathe, desperately trying to tame the bleeding. The skilled killer didn't even bother to look into the terrified eyes,the cut was precise and the target was doomed. Meanwhile, having put enough distance between the attackers, Vermil began his dark incantations but no deadly mosquitos rushed forth this time. Instead, the body of the shot knight exploded, brought back to life by the most vile of spells. The corpse attacked the nearest target, sinking its exposed bones deep into the knight's back. This allowed Elane to break the deadly chokehold of the magister who shoved her aside and sent him flying at the abomination with a kick, then jumped back to her feet.
" . .NOW!" Fane's voice cried in her head with enough force to make her stagger and trip. Her hand expecting the ground for support found the fallen, tortured prisoner instead. His bald head bloodied, skin pale as parchment. Taking advantage of the chaos around her she began to drag him away. The moment she reached the top step of the stairs leading up to the platform where the rest of the party fought, the barrel of oil placed unfortunately right under one of the towers exploded. A fireball hurled precisely at the target drowned half of the room in hellfire. The magisters caught in the explosion were rolling in the burning oil screamed and squirmed in a vain hope of dousing the flames. The plate armors turned into pots,with the steel getting more and more hot every second. The smell of sizzling hair and burned flesh filled the room and soon the cries and screams subdued.
Elane was crouching on the stairs, her foot mere from the fire that began to spread, the unconscious magister to her side. She watched the scene in horror, for she knew all too well the painful embrace of the flames. Soon enough thick smoke started to fill the room, clouding vision and irritating lungs with every breath.
"I told you it was efficient!"
The elf jumped at the sound of Fane's words. Primeval fear grasped her mind. The instincts urged her to run from the flames, run from the fire-wielding demon! Run!
A few coughs, a hand on her shoulder.
"You okay there?"
Vermil? Friend or foe? Her panic grew as her lungs began to fill with smoke.
"C'mon. Can't stay here or we choke," he urged her to get up, pulling her by her arm. She obliged, throwing the magister over her shoulder.
They left the burning chamber behind.
Notes:
Starting this fic I've wanted to stick to the original cast of my original run Vermil, Elane, Fane and Lohse but it grew into something overly ambitious thus all Origins shall make their appearances and play a part in the story. The first act is filled with subtle hints about the backstory I have in mind and it will get more and more apparent once out of the Reaper's Eye. The mystery will unfold slowly and I am happy to see people reading (and possibly enjoying)this might-as-well-be-an-actual-book kind of length fic. We're in for a wild ride and this is only the beginning!