Chapter 20

The sky was dark and the air chilly, at least in comparison to the desert Kazur had become accustomed to living in the Yshari Sanctum for just about his entire life of 25 years, as his caravan entered into the limits of New Tristram. The town seemed to be quite stirred up, by what, no one in the caravan could quickly identify.

Kazur had kept his agreement to the traders. They had given him a wagon to ride in and fed him, and in return he had kept them safe from more desert demons than he'd expected. Fortunately for them, he was an impressive combatant. Now, his contract with them was fulfilled and he split from them without much in the ways of farewell.

As any level-headed person on the search for other persons would do, he made his way into the nearest inn he could locate. In the case of New Tristram, this meant only one establishment: The Slaughtered Calf Inn.

Inside was a great deal warmer, which was welcomed by the large amount of exposed skin on his large body, which had become covered in goosebumps for the last many hours, at least since they had been near the Tamoe Mountains.

He, unbeknownst to him, acted in perfect imitation of his younger siblings the moment he entered the inn. Kazur bolted straight for the fireplace and warmed his freezing skin up. All eyes in the inn fell on the giant, handsome arcane user. While they were certainly weren't strangers to arcane users and warriors passing through, this one was particularly large and particularly handsome. A welcomed feature to the town from their typical bruised, maimed, and scarred heroes that visited.

The innkeeper, well aware that such a solo hero didn't just wander in because he wanted to vacation in New Tristram, approached the man a bit cautiously. It was never a guarantee that such a being was friendly. Every day was a risk in their world, even when just dealing with other humans. "Can I help you, sir?"

Kazur rose to his full intimidating height and smiled down at the man, immediately easing the anxiety he was feeling. "I hope so." His voice was deep and would have been equally intimidating had it not been soaked in a charming smile and a friendly tone.

"How so?"

"I'm looking for a couple of wizards." Kazur explained.

"Well..." The innkeeper leaned in close to the big man, who in turn leaned down so he could be at the same level. "I know passing this kind of information can be dangerous, but since it's pretty clear that you're from the Yshari Sanctum, I'll tell you."

"Okay." Kazur said quietly with a confused face. He had no idea what this man was acting all afraid over.

"We had two Renegade Wizards pass through here. They both just left, one last night, and the other this morning." He looked around nervously. "Now we're all worried that the wizard clans are going to come looking for them. You know that being a Renegade Wizard is incredibly dangerous. The clans don't care how they get their prey. They just want them, and I don't want to be in the path when they come looking for them."

"I won't tell anyone." Kazur promised him. "Nor am I here to start up trouble. They're my friends and I want to catch up to them."

"You're not trying to capture them?" The innkeeper looked Kazur over more closely. "Wait." He said, shocked. "Aren't you from the Yshari Sanctum?"

"Yes, but so were those two Renegade Wizards." Kazur explained. "I'm a Renegade Wizard, but I assure you, we're not here to cause you trouble."

"Well, they left." The innkeeper said sternly. "We've had nothing but terrible fortune since this town was built, and those two wizards just seemed to usher in more."

"How so?"

"Once they came so did a strange attack from some of the villagers. And then the kids all vanished." The man looked at Kazur with obvious fear in his eyes.

"Then why did everyone look like they were so stirred up when I arrived?" Kazur asked. "Was it because the kids went missing?"

"No." He answered. "Because the kids are back."

"They're back?"

"Yeah. The wizards brought them back." He seemed conflicted. A short pause brought a pregnant silence to the warm fireplace area. "But that doesn't excuse them from bringing the trouble to begin with."

"Just be glad they brought the kids back." Kazur instructed him gently, but sternly. "Now, do you know where they went?"

"No, sorry." He said genuinely. "I just know they left."

"How?"

"They stayed at this inn for a couple nights."

"I see." Kazur said. "Thanks."

After warming up in the inn over a hot meal and soaking in a nice bath, Kazur made his way back into the chilled air of New Tristram. He had no idea where Fan-Huang and Min were heading, but he figured he knew a way to figure it out. He stepped out of sight, behind a few tents that seemed to be unoccupied at the moment, and sat down for meditation. He was going to bring a premonition or a vision to himself. He was never sure which, but he could do it pretty much without fail.

As he focused his arcane energy toward the back of his eyes, in his mind, his eyes rolled back. Stretching out his mind to see where his little brother had run off to, he was blocked off by something unexpected and quite terrifying.

What he was blocked by was a large man, even larger than he was, with dark eyes and a wicked looking fairy sitting on his shoulder, marching an army of horrid demons and creatures into New Tristram. The village was on fire, every single building, and every life within the town was snuffed out. Screams echoed through the skies and smoke blocked out the sun. It hadn't been a battle. It hadn't been a war. It had been a massacre, and nothing more. The villagers were slaughtered like animals, and for no reason that Kazur could determine.

As the vision wrecked his body and mind, he quickly forced himself out of his vision as best he could. Sometimes he could manage, but other times the vision captured him. This time, he had succeeded. His chilled body was covered in sweat. He could feel the droplets of salty water running down his forehead and dripping off his nose. That was intense!

But it didn't give him the answer he was looking for. Where was Fan-Huang?

A bit nervous, he decided to give it one more try, hoping desperately that he didn't receive another invasive vision like that last. Once his eyes had rolled back again, he was greeted by a much more desired vision. It was of Fan-Huang. He was in the woods. The trees were dark and twisted. He was battling demons, but not as many as Kazur would have expected. He was traveling as if he was on a mission. With him was a woman, but it wasn't his sister. Where was his sister? Kazur focused on her. He saw a stone tower that looked mere moments from toppling over. She was entering it's dark bowels. The tower. Where was it? What was it? He focused on it. A vision appeared to him. A woman. Wealthy. Twisted. Evil. She was bathing in blood. It was her tower. She sought everlasting youth, but brought nothing more than demonic corruption upon herself.

Finally, Kazur was forced out of his vision, weak and exhausted. He had used every ounce of arcane energy he had on the vision. He'd have to take it easy for a while to regain his energy before he tried to do anything else like that.

He thought about what he had seen. Those twisted trees. He looked around the town. On one side of New Tristram was a deep forest. Examining the trees from within the village at a distance he could easily make out the mangled and twisted nature of their appearances. That was the forest. He knew it from his studies. The Cursed Woods. It was large and significant enough to be written onto a map. He could feel the curse over it. It was minor, but still present. He wasn't too worried, though. Once his arcane energy was back, which it would naturally recover over time, maybe an hour or two, he could handle the curse easily.

His thoughts traveled to Fan-Min and the strange tower he had seen her entering. What was that? And the woman within it. Who was she? He thought as hard as he could. He'd read so many history books and lore scrolls at the Yshari Sanctum. Surely, he had knowledge of that woman if she had significance. The bathing in blood... That wasn't normal. That could stand out as significant. Who had he read of that bathed in blood to gain everlasting youth? He thought and thought. Finally, it his him. The Countess! She wasn't known by any other name. Just her title was enough to strike fear into the lands around her. She had a castle, but that had long passed away. According to the Moldy Tome at the Yshari Sanctum, which he believed Isendra herself had brought in, there now only remained a single tower. The Countess had been put to death in the dungeons of that tower by the clergy back in the time of Old Tristram. That tower was supposedly in the Black Marsh, but where? The Black Marsh was an enormous, undeveloped wilderness infested with deadly creatures, lost souls, and wicked demons.

Despite all that, Kazur knew he needed to find it. He had seen Fan-Min go in. That meant she would go in. He also saw Fan-Huang wandering the Cursed Woods with some other woman. He wasn't one too keen on wandering the wilderness with demons and putting himself in danger. There's only two reasons he'd do such a reckless thing. One: Kazur. Obvious to him, that wasn't the reason. The second: Fan-Min. Kazur knew he was right. Fan-Huang was in pursuit of his little sister. He was persistent. He'd not stop until he found her. So, if she had gone into the tower, then Fan-Huang would surely head to the tower. That would mean he'd cross through the Cursed Woods and make his way to the Black Marsh.

Kazur could catch him. Of that, he was sure. Fan-Huang was determined, but so was he. The difference was that Kazur was the stronger fighter and the quicker traveler. He'd catch him. That was for sure. His fear was whether or not he could catch him before that woman with him hurt him. He had no idea who she was. Or even worse, before his vision of Fan-Min obliterating him came true. Time was not on his side.

With determination, Kazur stood and faced the Cursed Woods. He clenched his fists and he prepared himself for a trying trip. He was going to have to push himself as hard as he could, and he would. Nothing would stop him from rescuing his little brother and sister. They were all he had. Without bothering to look back at the village he had just arrived at, he ran as quickly as he could without running out of stamina too quickly, into the Cursed Woods. He needed to save his family.