by Pdmac
“I understand your position.”
“Do you?” Manas challenged. “I’ve kept the secret of the portals for over thirty years and now I’m supposed to entrust this secret to a group of strangers who show up and claim they’re going to help defend us against a dreaded enemy, in a war they have no part of. For all I know, you all could be spies and Westhaven is dead already, as is Lady Gwen.”
“I will never let anything happen to the Lady,” Karl fiercely answered.
“Never is a pretty long time,” Manas tartly pointed out. “Do you intend to stay?”
“I… I haven’t decided yet,” Karl waffled.
“Apparently ‘never’ lasts only as long as you are here,” Manas stated.
“Who knows how long any of us are here?” Karl countered. “There is still a battle to not only win, but survive. As for me and my team, we have given our word to defend Westhaven and the Lady, even if it means our death. How many strangers offer such a bargain?” He abruptly remembered that he and his team could respawn, and just as suddenly his words rang hollow. But then, if the orcs at Abeloft could regenerate, did all the NPCs have the same capability? Was the approaching war a never ending affair?
“Point taken,” Manas said with a begrudging smile. Stepping through the door, he said, “What do you think of her?”
“Lady Gwen?” he replied, his thoughts still somewhat distracted with the implications of respawning and regenerating. What was the difference?
“No,” he chuckled, “Kamdyn.”
“She’s a strange one,” Karl replied, remembering the rising lust he felt even as they took their leave.
Manas chuckled, stepping out onto the quiet alleyway. Above them in the near distance, dim streetlamps provided flickering beacons.
“That’s because she’s part succubus.”
“Succubus?” Karl repeated, walking beside him. “What’s a succubus?”
“You don’t know what a succubus is?” Manas shot him a condescending glance.
“Obviously not,” Karl retorted, hearing the man’s patronizing tone.
“Odd. Don’t they have succubi where you come from?”
“If I knew what it was, perhaps I could answer your question,” Karl tartly replied.
“A succubus,” Manas said as though repeating the word would somehow explain it. “You know. A demon woman who uses her seductive powers to steal a man’s soul.”
Karl startled. “Kamdyn’s a demon?”
“No,” Manas huffed, “she’s not a demon. If she was, she wouldn’t be allowed to live… at least not here. But she’s enough of one to be forced to live where she does.”
Karl pondered the woman for a moment before asking, “So what does a succubus actually do?”
“You felt it,” Manas pointed out. “It’s an incredible urge to yield to her sexuality. She does it as a game. If she had wanted, both of us would have crawled on our knees to pleasure her.”
“Then what?”
“Then there would have been nothing left of us. We’d be mere shells of what we are now, our life sucked right out of us.”
Karl pulled up his screen and punched in ‘succubus’ and began reading. It was when he got to the powers and abilities that he uttered a low whistle. “No wonder she had such impressive stats. She’s immortal too.”
“No she’s not,” Manas said as they passed through an alleyway and out onto a wide street crowded with folks headed home or to the nearest tavern. “She’s only part succubus,” then changed the subject when he saw a passing reveler’s ears perk up at the word. “Let’s get back so you can brief your team.”
“I’d rather check out the…” he hesitated, realizing there were too many ears to hear. “I’d rather check out the place myself first.”
Manas nodded and they kept their silence until they were back in the safety of the castle walls.
“Where do we begin?” Karl asked, still aware that anyone could eavesdrop.
“Follow me.” Manas led the way back to Lady Gwen’s chambers.
“Here?” Karl sputtered.
“Yes,” Manas answered with a sly grin, giving a curt nod to the two door guards. One of the guards knocked loudly, waited a moment then opened the door for them.
Lady Gwen sat by the hearth, looking up and smiling when they entered. “I was wondering where you both ran off to. Last I heard you were traipsing the outer wall.”
“We went to visit Kamdyn,” Manas said.
“And how is she?”
“Well.”
Gwen’s smile turned impish as she focused her gaze on Karl. “And did she tease you too?”
Karl reddened under her stare and suddenly he felt the same primordial sexual urge that he felt when Kamdyn locked her eyes on him. It rose within and the desire to rush over there and tear her clothing off and force himself upon her shocked him. He struggled to break eye contact, finally succeeding and caught his breath as the urge dissipated. His lips tightened and his eyes hardened as he turned once again to look at her.
“Yes,” she admitted with a calm smile. “I too have the blood of the succubus.”
“Is that why I agreed to stay and fight for you?” He stood erect, staring down his nose at her.
“Do not be angry with me,” she sighed. “And no, that is not why you agreed to stay and fight for me. You agreed because you are an honorable man. The fact that I can use my power doesn’t mean that I do.”
“What’s the difference between you and Kamdyn?”
“I am not a sorceress,” she answered with a shrug.
“But she is forced to live where she does while you sit here and rule a domain,” Karl tersely stated.
“She was forced there long before I came here. She does so now out of respect for my position.”
“So she doesn’t have to live there?”
“Well… yes and no,” she said, patting the seat next to her. “Come sit and I’ll explain.” When he hesitated, she tilted her head and gave him a seductive smile. “I won’t bite. I promise.”
“How do I know you won’t be toying with my emotions?” Karl demanded.
“If I promise never to do that to you, would that suffice?”
“By the gods, man,” Manas interrupted, rolling his eyes. “Either you trust her or you don’t. If you don’t, just go ahead and leave. No one’s forcing you to stay. Otherwise, sit your ass down. My apologies, m’Lady for the inappropriate language.”
“No apologies necessary, Manas,” she laughed. “Your candor is one of the many qualities about you that I like and trust.”
Karl’s visage softened as he felt somewhat abashed. So what if she did use her powers to compel him to make love to her. What could be the downside? She was beautiful. And then he remembered the little part about having one’s soul sucked out and his flight of fancy quickly sobered. Yet she had given her word, just as he had done.
He walked over to stand before her. “Might I delay the lesson so that I can see the tunnel first?”
“Of course,” she sweetly replied, holding her hand out.
Karl took her hand and helped her up. She stood so close to him that their faces almost touched and for an instant he felt his heart quicken.
Peering into his eyes, she spoke, her voice warm and sensual. “See? I don’t need magic to make you feel what you feel. But I ask you, what magic is yours that makes me feel the same?”
Karl sucked in a breath, staring into her eyes, searching for the right response when Manas cleared his throat.
“Beg pardon, m’Lady, but time is of the essence. We need to be prepared.”
“Of course, Manas,” she answered, her gaze firmly locked on Karl. Turning, she slipped a hand in Karl’s hand, placing the other hand on top. “Follow me.” She gently tugged his hand and he yielded to her touch as she guided them into her bedroom.
Pausing in front of the hearth opposite the large canopied four-poster bed, she pointed to the mirror on the side. “That’s the door.”
&nb
sp; Karl stood staring at the reflection of Lady Gwen standing close beside him, one hand in his and the other tenderly grasping his arm. Again his heart skipped and he felt the urge to sweep her up in his arms and devour her. Behind them and to the side, grim-faced Manas waited.
“How does it work?” Karl asked, forcing himself to focus.
“You simply walk through the mirror,” she explained, using the mirror’s reflection to stare into his eyes.
“Like this,” Manas gruffly said, moving around them and stepping halfway through the mirror so that only the back half of him was visible before completely disappearing.
“You’d better go,” she said, reaching up and gently turning his face to hers.
When she kissed him, he felt his knees buckle as she poured out an intense passion that overwhelmed him and he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him. They lingered entwined in each other, lips locked together, tongues probing each other’s mouth.
It wasn’t until they heard the not so polite cough of a returned Manas that they separated.
“You’d better go,” she said with disappointment then whispered. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
Reluctantly nodding, Karl followed Manas into the mirror, turning around when through. He could see Gwen’s hazy form standing on the other side.
“C’mon lover boy,” Manas said. “We got things to do and a city to defend.”
Smiling despite himself, Karl turned around to find himself on a small platform enclosed within the stone of the castle. To the side, a set of spiral stairs descended into darkness, the light coming through the mirror the only light in the room. Following Manas, he descended into the darkness that was pushed away by a soft glow emanating from the stone wall by the steps creating a dizzying corkscrew.
“How far down does this go?” Karl quietly asked.
“It goes down until we are below the castle’s foundation.”
They hit another platform with a thick iron door to the side. It was barred and locked on this side.
“That leads to another escape route,” Manas said. “Never been used as far as I know.”
“Where does it lead?”
“Kamdyn’s place,” Manas answered, continuing down the steps.
Fifteen minutes later, the stairs ended in the middle of a large circular room, lit by the same low glowing stone lights at the edges where the ceiling and walls met. Karl glanced around, noting there were at least a dozen doors recessed in the wall surrounding the stairs.
“All except one is a false door. Take the wrong door at your peril.”
“Why?”
“They all lead to traps and a lingering death.”
“Which door is the right one?”
Manas stood at the bottom step and faced the door directly opposite them. He then executed a left face and faced the door to the left of the stairs. Marching towards it, he stopped two paces away and pointed to the next door to the left. “This is the door. You make a left and a left.”
Karl stood at the bottom of the stairs and repeated the steps.
Manas motioned him closer and had him feel along the door jamb towards the top. “Feel this?”
Karl raised a hand and felt the spot where Manas directed. It was a small smooth spot on the stone, warm, almost hot, but only in the spot where he touched. Move a centimeter away and the stone was cold.
“You know this is the right door by the hot stone.” Manas slid the bars back and opened the door to a tunnel paved and lined in the same stone as the castle. He was surprised that the air was dry and cool. As soon as they stepped inside, a series of lights set in the stone walls rippled down the tunnel.
“It’s pretty much a straight shot to the other end. There’s only two instances where you have to pay attention.”
They walked in silence for a bit before Manas warned, “You need to be careful.”
Karl glanced around yet saw nothing unusual. “Is there some sort of trap ahead?”
“That’s not what I mean,” he said, stopping abruptly, causing Karl to stutter to a halt. “I’m talking about Lady Gwen.”
“How so?” Karl cocked an eyebrow, thinking whatever passed between Gwen and himself was nobody’s business.
“She‘s not one to be trifled with.”
Karl folded his arms and stared down at the man. “Why don’t you just make your point?”
Manas returned the stare with equal strength. “It’s obvious you two are taken with each other. The fact is, you intend on leaving when the battle is over. What happens to her when you go?”
“Why does anything have to happen to her?” he replied.
“Don’t be daft, man,” Manas retorted. “The woman’s in love with you. A blind man can see that.”
“I’m sure it’s not the first time she’s been in love,” Karl defended himself. Before he had a chance to say, ‘She’ll get over it,’ Manas jabbed a finger in his chest.
“Yes it is the first time. I’ve known the woman a long time and I’ve never seen her like this, distracted and almost reckless, seeming not to care who sees how she acts. She’s acting like some fool of a young girl, starry eyed in love.”
“It’s not my fault how she acts,” Karl stiffly replied. “She’s a big girl and responsible for her own actions.”
Manas bowed up and his face hardened then just as quickly, he sighed and relaxed his shoulders. “Yes, she is a big girl. I’m just saying you need to be careful. You truly don’t know what you’re getting into.”
“I’ll be careful,” Karl nonchalantly answered, beginning to think that the man standing before him might be carrying his own torch for the lady in question. “How much farther ‘til we get to the end?”
“Not much further,” Manas said, stepping forward.
A short while later, they came to an intersection leading left and right.
“We go left,” Manas instructed. “Remember – left out, right in. You always go left when you go out and right when you come back in.”
“Where does that go?” Karl asked, ticking his head at the other direction.
“More traps,” Manas answered. “C’mon.”
Past another intersection later, they came to a door leading to a dimly lit circular room with a dozen doors, an imitation of the room at the other end. A set of winding stairs ascended in the middle of the room, disappearing into the darkness above.
“Just like the other room,” Manas explained, reaching up. “You can feel the smooth warm stone and know it’s the right door. When you come back down the stairs, you turn to your right and then pick the door to the right. Got it?”
“I think so.” Karl looked at the door and reached up to touch the warm stone.
“Not much further,” Manas said, leading the way up the stairs.
The climb was much shorter than the descent at the castle and Karl found himself following Manas thorough a heavy door held together with iron straps then into an empty room with a single door at the opposite end. The room was lit by moonlight that illuminated the ethereal walls and roof of what was a small cottage.
“We’re about half a kilometer beyond the outer walls,” Manas said.
Mystified, Karl did a slow circle around the room, peering through the shimmering walls at the hazy forms of trees and shrubs that occasionally pierced through the translucent roof and walls.
“How is this possible?” he asked, filled with wonder.
“One of Kamdyn’s spells,” Manas answered. “I think she calls it the ‘invisible portal’ or something like that. You can see out, but no one can see in.”
“Can someone walk though it?”
“Not unless you know the spell is here,” he said. “Whenever anyone comes close, they think there’s an impenetrable mass of thorny shrubs and go around it.”
Karl went over to the door through which they had entered the cottage, and tested the wood. “This seems real enough.”
“It is,” Manas chuckled. “It’s the only real thing here.”<
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Karl opened the door and saw the small platform and the descending stairs. Closing the door, he looked around and behind it and saw nothing but trees and underbrush.
“Fascinating,” he marveled, shaking his head. “How do we know where to come back to?”
“I’ll show you in the morning,” Manas said. “It’s easier to see in the daylight.”
“And no one can see us, even in the daytime?”
“No.”
“Why is there no mist here?”
“There is,” Manas smiled. “That’s the beauty of it. In the daytime, it looks like thick brambles. In the deep mist of the night, no one would dare venture here, thinking it full of thorns. Yet to those who come through the portal, all is made visible. You can see through the mist almost as if it was daytime.”
“So if I step outside this portal, I can still see like I can now?”
“Try it,” Manas challenged.
Karl strode to the edge of the cottage wall then passed through it and was shocked to see trees, bushes, and undergrowth as more than distinct. Not only was the mist gone, but there was a brightness to the landscape, not quite the light of day, but the kind of light one would have on an open road in the light of a brilliant full moon.
Passing back through the wall, he was energized. “This will allow us to wreak havoc on the enemy. They won’t know what hit them.”
Manas smiled, thankful the response was as he had hoped. While he and the soldiers of Westhaven held the line, Karl and his team of killers would destroy the enemy from behind. With a little luck, they would defeat Cyril and Gwen would become queen. And then, perhaps, he would become general of the armies.
Karl glanced around a bit more then said, “I’ll need the entire team with me. We need to learn the area around here so we can find this place with our eyes closed.”
“Agreed. You ready?”
“Yes.”
Manas followed behind Karl for the return trip, impressed that Karl had no problems finding his way back. When they emerged through the mirror into Gwen’s bedroom, Karl was surprised to hear Annabeth’s voice in the other room.
“So where have you been hiding?” Annabeth blurted when Karl entered the room. Her frown of disapproval turned to confusion as Manas followed him into the room.
