The investigation wasn't yielding any results. Thrid sat down on the edge of his bed, armor on the floor, his body completely healed from his little 'Sparing match' with the summoner. 'I'm missing something, I know that I am looking for a document. That document is important to Crend, important enough to send me and my men out for it.'
He pressed his hands into his eyes, focusing on the pain and then relieved the pressure and watched the lights dance like the clash of swords. He remembered the attack that killed one of his best soldiers and good friend. 'Asli was killed, there are no coincidences so the theft is related.' His thoughts turned to the summoner and then to the old man. He laid down and placed his hand over the mark on his chest.
It had been three days since the interesting interrogations and the trail had disappeared. The sorcerers had been monitoring everyone who entered or left the town but they could find no one magical. The patrols were doubled but still no new evidence or suspects.
He rolled over and pulled the sheets back from his bed to reveal a slave girl. "You wouldn't have any clues would you?"
"No sir." her eyes were averted, a common practice among religious peasantry.
"Well leave then. I need to think tonight not rut." The girl got up and put her thin cloak back on before leaving. When the door closed he got back to the evidence.
The rest of the town was focused on the thievery as well. Peasants walked around with their eyes down praying not to get caught by an irritable guard. The prisons were full and the food was slow coming and less regular.
'I should be out of here by now, no famous Summoner's story begins with a fire and then the rest is imprisonment.' Master sat looking out of the bars on his cell. A mouse sat looking at him, it moved slowly closer and stopped inches from his hand where a single crumb had fallen.
"So even the mice are starving in this prison." Master hadn't seen the old man move but before he could say a word the mouse was in the strong hands of the former Divine.
"I thought this cell drained ya of magic." his interest peaked at the old mans super human speed.
"It does, but muscles don't count as magic do they? I may not look it but I'm several times stronger than most men, even in my current state." The old man smiled his black smile and snapped the mouses neck before pulling its skin off and eating its meat.
"Hand me the skin will ya?" Master held out his hand and received the still warm pelt. The guards that had been assigned their cell watched on with disgust at their actions.
"Don't eat that it'll just make you sick and waste water." The old man frowned at the inexperienced master.
"ya're worrying for nothing." The summoner lifted the pelt up to his mouth.
"For the love of the gods stop!" The guard shouted at the magic users "You may be hungry but if you eat that I will get sick so just stop! I'll get you some bread just hold on."
The guard returned in a few moments with a loaf of bread and opened the feeding hatch to let it in. as he tried to pull his hand out he noticed gnarled fingernails digging into arm. He looked into the face that belonged to the arm and found the black grin.
The five prisoner's moved out of the newly opened door, they quickly began looking for their magic. The one who couldn't cast his spells simply walked over to the guard and grabbed the knife that was sticking from his throat and plunged it into his heart. The others mourned long enough to grab the knife for their own defense, the master knelt by the fallen magician and flipped him over. Dipping his finger in the man's cooling blood he began to draw.
The others guarded the door, they timed their escape to coincide with the guard change, they knew that without any complications they had a full hour to prepare for their escape. They looked on with anticipation as the one who had the most magic remaining wove his spells.
"I feel my sense returning slowly." The old man grabbed his chest with relief.
"Rynd focus on the stairs, if anyone comes down you must kill them." the taller sorcerer sat at the table stuffing bread into his mouth.
"Tsin keep your mouth wet we might need to cast!" the smaller stockier one sat watching the Master work on the ground.
"It has been years since I have cast, I need energy to do it." after swallowing he pulled another chunk and began working at it.
They sat in silence for another ten minutes as the master drew and spoke quickly under his breath. "Help me with this!" He rose to his feet, finger cramped and raw from rubbing it over the stone floor. "Grab those bodies and put them in the middle."
The two sorcerers rose and lifted the guard and their fallen comrade into the center of the circle. A red light grew as the master focused on his missing finger, a large demon rose from the side of the circle and looked at the offering.
"Dead?" the voice in his head was strong and firm, matching the horned monstrosity in front of him. The demon had the head of a snake with the horns of a ram. Its body was that of a great ape with legs from a hawk and arms that were almost human, it was covered in a thick layer of gray fur.
"Yes now eat it. With this payment I bind you to this realm!" the master looked his demon in its eyes.
"Yes Master" The demon ate each sacrifice quickly.
"He accepted the pact?" The sorcerers looked on as the demon ate unaware of the conversation that had taken place.
"Aye" the master watched as his new creation ate. "once he finishes we move, watch the door and make sure that no one can enter." Demons are weakest when they are in a summoning circle, add to that the fact that it is eating and even a Non-Blessed could kill it. The unsaid words were known only to summoners and demons.
The rest of the castle was unaware of the freed prisoners below. The night had come and the guards were switching places all around the castle.