Party at Castle Grof (10 page)

Moving gingerly, he pulled himself into a sitting position, noting in passing that he wore clean breeches and nothing else. When he finally looked up at the owner of the voice, he recoiled. “You!”

“Sir Grald. You are a warrior of incomparable skill and intelligence. In my haste to gain you as my ally, I made the wrong decision about your treatment. Please forgive me.”

“You are
evil
!” the barbarian growled. “You spirit me away from my friends, have my back whipped until it’s raw and you want to me to forgive you?”

“I brought you here because I recognised that which your friends would never see. I recognised the longing to do something to save the world.

Grald was shocked. “How did you see that?”
I never thought it was that obvious.

“I am a powerful mage, Sir Grald. I can see many things. I can even see your love for the Dark Elven Maiden. You can have everything you desire and more.” The Lych Mistress sank gracefully onto the cushions beside him. “You can do this by joining Aracan Katuvana’s cause.”

Grald moved back as she leaned toward him.

“I am no turncoat. I will not aid the destruction of the Heart Kingdoms.”

The Lych mistress shook her head.

“You do not understand him. Our overlord’s cause is just. Lord Katuvana seeks to bring peace and prosperity to Quargard through rule absolute. He almost managed it before, he will complete that task this time.” She laid one hand on his arm. “There is a part for you in this, if you will accept his mark.”

Grald frowned. The warmth of her body subtly stroked his bare skin and the softness of her hand felt like silk against his harsher, tanned skin.

“The stories all say that Aracan Katuvana is evil.”

“What is Good and Evil?” she asked him, removing her hand.

“Good is when you do things that are nice and helpful for people. Evil is when you hurt people, enjoying their pain and suffering,” he answered absently, using the answer he was given as a child on the plains of Elysia. His eyes were drawn to the contours of her body under the silk robe she wore.
Is it dark red or black?
He couldn’t decide.
There’s a pattern woven into it as well… vines I think?

“Lord Katuvana wishes to bring peace and prosperity to Quargard. Is that not a good motive?” The Lych Mistress clapped her hands together and a slave girl entered, flowing translucent yellow silk bathing her fair form in golden light.

The girl carried a tray with a pitcher and two finely blown, gold tinted goblets. The girl poured out a deep red wine and handed one to Grald.

He held it carefully, admiring the colour of the wine as the second was offered to the Lych Mistress.

“But he causes pain and suffering. I know. I just experienced it.”

The Lych Mistress laughed, the sound wrapping itself around his ears and rippling through his mind.

“Silly man. That was a misunderstanding. The Torture Chamber is for the sole pleasure of my Ladies of the Dark. They enjoy such treatment and draw much pleasure from it. I merely created the chamber to allow them their fun.”

“Then why was I in there?” Grald sipped his wine, revelling in the warmth that it created, soothing his aches. “If I wasn’t supposed to be tortured…” The Lych Mistress dropped a tiny white tablet into her wine then another into his. “What’s in that tablet?” he asked, suspicious.

“Tincture of Aphrasia and a touch of Morphagia. Just a little something to take the pain away, ease your aches and relax the body.” She smiled at him and ran her hand softly over the thick brown hair that covered his bare arm. “Don’t worry, I’m drinking it too, it won’t hurt you.”

Grald shivered and swallowed his wine in one gulp.

“I won’t join you,” he said.
I won’t let her change my mind.

“You love the Viraldian girl, don’t you?” she said.

He jumped as her free hand caressed his shoulder. He could feel the strength in it and a strange chill ran over his skin.

“What if I do?”

“What would you say if I said that the Aracan could guarantee she would be yours for the rest of your life?” She moved closer to him.

Grald stared at her, her lips just inches from his.

“What do you mean?”

“She is already enamoured of you. I saw that much in my crystal after we liberated you from your companions.” She stared into his eyes and smiled, feeling the emotions running through him. “I can say, with complete certainty, that you would not go unrewarded for joining Lord Katuvana’s cause.”

“I will not hurt my friends.” He moved back slightly, his breath coming faster. “And I have to complete this mission to get enough gold to free my sister.”

“Aracan Katuvana can pull strings and accomplish much for the right person,” the Lych Mistress replied, handing her glass back to the slave girl. “Are you in any pain now?”

Grald blinked. Whatever she had given him had relieved the pain, but had also created other, more embarrassing effects.

“I’m not in pain, but I am uncomfortable,” he said.

“Let’s discuss this matter later.” She took the glass from his unresisting hand and set it on the girl’s tray. Then she put one hand on his chest and pushed him down, her long red-brown hair surrounding his face. “I feel that we ought to deal with what is making you feel uncomfortable and get to know each other a little better first.”

* * *

“My word, Master, that Lych Mistress is a fast worker. The barbarian will be ours soon,” the Jar said with a gleeful edge to its voice.

Lord Katuvana nodded, watching the couple that writhed on the cushions with a furtive air about him. They watched for a few moments longer, then Katuvana touched an icon.

The face of a Jinranian Pleasure House Keeper appeared, the bright red rose tattoo of her rank marked with the black thorns of a Soul-Owned.

“You know who calls you?” the Jar asked in an ominous tone.

“Jetara knows, Lord. Jetara will obey,” the woman replied.

“Jetara, you have a Barbarian slave girl by the name of Freya in your house.” The woman nodded. “Aracan Katuvana wishes you to free her and give her enough money to be able to live for several months.”

“But Freya is my best girl. I can no free the child, she is gold,” the woman protested.

Katuvana thrust his arm out at her and made a squeezing motion.

The Jar cackled. “You will free her or the overlord will free you from your miserable existence!”

“Yes, oh my Master! I do as you ask! Spare me!” the woman squeaked, her hands scrabbling at the invisible fist around her scrawny throat to no avail.

The Overlord shook his hand once, then “let go”. The woman rubbed her neck, panting.

“Good. See that you do,” the Jar retorted and the picture winked out.

The Overlord settled back in his chair to watch the show again…

* * *

Erendell found it strange that the skeletons weren’t patrolling the tunnel from the guard post to the treasury. She almost tripped over several dozen Gremlins that rushed back and forth carrying gold ore to the treasure room.

At least there will be no traps with this many workers around.
She crept into the treasure room. It was huge, but she saw several places where they could hide from the creatures.
I might as well look into the Dais room that Shilir marked on the map.

She found and disarmed an alarm trap along the next corridor and crept into the dais room behind a Troll bearing a huge stone hammer.

In the centre of the room the Crystal hung, a massive red gemstone glowing between four arms carved like dragon claws. It mesmerised her and she moved close enough to feel the breeze it created as it spun.

“Erendell.”
A familiar voice sounded in her head, pleasure flooding along her veins and making her gasp.
“Erendell, this is the voice of your overlord. Nod if you hear me.”

She nodded twice.

“I am speaking directly to you to confirm that you are my favoured servant.”

A burst of heat in her loins and a glance at the Tattoo on her hand confirmed the voice’s veracity. The rose had gone from black to full colour, the way it had appeared when it had first been done.

“Command me, Aracan Katuvana,”
she replied.

“Grald has come to see the beauty of the right side and my plan for both him and you requires that the Lych Mistress bring you both to I’Mor Barad.”

Erendell sighed with relief as she realised her barbarian friend was still alive.

“Bring your companions to the Heart Chamber. No one will challenge you. The Lych Mistress will bring you and Grald to the Tower and Morian will deal with the rest of them.”

As the Overlord withdrew his presence from her, Erendell sighed with regret for the pleasure and hardened her heart against what she must do to her oldest friends. She turned on her heel and strode back up the corridor, noting that the Gremlins had disappeared and the skeletons were hidden behind a new door.

* * *

Erendell reappeared half an hour later, a wide grin on her face.

“What’s cheered you up?” Aranok asked sourly.

“I beg your pardon?” the dark elf asked, one eyebrow rising in surprise.

Ariana shot an amused glance at her brother.

“Don’t mind him Erendell, he just lost an argument.” She dangled the glowing Tear on its chain over the map, its blue light reflecting off the pale surface of the fine parchment. “We were speculating about where the Devil Demon was now. I said that it had gone back to its little labyrinth, he thought it would be rampaging through the corridors to get to us.”

“You used the Tear to divine its position on the map to prove your point?” Erendell glanced at the stone, the tiny gem now showing that little red flame in its centre.

“Yes. It even conjured a picture of the demon asleep in its den on the right place on the map.” Ariana grinned, then frowned as she took in the change of colour.

Erendell giggled.

“He always did get grumpy when he lost anything. I remember the time I won his favourite wristband from him during sword practise…”

Aranok ignored his sister’s stifled giggle.

“Well? Can we get to the Crystal?”

“Do you want the short answer or the long answer?”

“Have you been eating Copperleaf candy again?” Aranok rolled his eyes in disgust “Yes or no, Erendell?”

“Yes; of course. I disarmed all the traps and wedged all the connecting doors shut, so we can’t be disturbed.” Erendell giggled again.

“How are we getting out then?” Ariana asked.

“I’ve got a little something up my sleeve for that one,” Aranok smiled.

“I hate it when he acts all mysterious,” Erendell remarked to Ariana who laughed.

“Come on.” Aranok slipped out through the door, his sword in hand.

Erendell and Ariana followed closely, Ariana wrapping the Tear’s chain around her wrist, still frowning at colour of the gem.

They encountered nothing as they moved down the corridor to the Treasure Room.

It made Aranok even more suspicious and he kept glancing down at the Tear on Ariana’s wrist. The blue flame had been replaced by a red one and when he exchanged a look with Ariana, the sad look in her eyes suggested he had won their argument after all.

“It’d be a shame to leave all this wealth lying around in the wrong hands,” Ariana suggested as they entered the Treasure room.

“You, greedy?” Erendell affected a shocked tone. “I never would have thought it of you, Ariana.”

“I’m a high maintenance Mage! I need the finer things in life like robes and food occasionally,” Ariana said, sorting through a large pile of assorted precious and semi-precious stones.

Aranok noticed that she would touch the Tear to each one as she did and only put it into her bag of holding if the Tear glowed green.

“What are you doing, Ari?”

“Making sure that they are real.” The mage smiled at him. “Some of these will have been looted from the cities during the Freedom Wars. I only want real stones.”

Aranok shrugged.

“Fair enough.” He looked around and sheathed his sword, before he started scooping gold and silver coins into his own moneybag.

Erendell waited patiently while the two of them looted the treasure room. Aranok noticed this and frowned.

“Not taking anything, Erendell?”

“I don’t need any – I took some while I was here in the cloak,” she answered carelessly.

“Hmm.” Aranok’s suspicions increased.
Erendell is never that careless. She wouldn’t have taken anything until we were with her before. I’ll have to confront her soon; make sure she hasn’t changed sides.

Once Ariana was satisfied with her haul, they moved through the only open door to where the crystal hung in mid-air. There was a faint whining sound as it rotated slowly and red sparkles reflected off the gilded and carved columns suspending it.

“Well, there it is. How do you propose we get it down?” Erendell asked folding her arms and looking from Mage to Ranger.