by Nic Weissman
Thost's response brightened Erion and Mithir's hearts. It was the answer that he had dreamed of a moment before asking the question. The two young men, who had been too accustomed to solitude, started to feel like they were a part of something bigger.
“Sorry to interrupt,” said Ithelas, appearing at the door and perceiving that the conversation had some transcendental tone. “The young woman just woke up,” he added.
Everyone got up and rushed into the room where the stranger had spent the night. As they arrived at the room Dreshpho smiled, next to the girl, close to the headboard. The young woman had opened her eyes but still looked weak.
“How do you feel?” Thost asked.
The girl looked at the group of strangers briefly before answering.
“Sore,” she said in a confused tone. “Where am I?”
“You're in the Mansion on the Hill south of Ekunon in Central Bor County,” Erion said.
“Wh... Where?” asked the girl.
“Central Bor,” repeated Erion.
“Bor! How it is possible? That's on the other side of the world!” said the girl.
She looked even more confused and puzzled at the group in front of her. She looked around, as if trying to find some explanation that did not reach her.
“Well. Take it easy. Step by step. What's your name?” said Thost.
“My name is Ronu. I'm from Bergen, on the island of Megara, Kingdom of Tylar,” said the girl.
“Tylar. That's what we had suspected,” Mithir said by gestures.
The girl looked at the magician even more confused, if it were possible. And she was even more surprised to see how Erion spoke almost at the same time that the magician made gestures.
“Ronu, my name is Erion and I'm from Lefport, Borydos County, in the kingdom of Bor. This is my brother Mithir and he is dumb. So, I reproduce his words based on the sign language he uses. Nice to meet you,” the young man introduced himself, trying to clear things up.
“I am also delighted,” said the knight. “My name is Thost and this is my home, where you are welcome. This is my son Ithelas. He has healed your wounds. That is Samar. And that one over there is Dreshpho, our beloved cook and friend. She has had a virtually sleepless night taking care of you.”
She looked at all of them and began to sob. She began shedding a few tears that soon after became a cry.
“What is it? Are you okay?” Ithelas asked.
“Yes. I'm...fine...thanks. Thank you all!” Ronu managed to articulate.
It seemed that she wanted to say more. So, they all fell silent and waited. It was obvious that Ronu needed her time.
“What do you remember?” Thost finally asked.
“I... was in a castle. That man... he was older and dressed very elegant, but a bit old fashioned. I crossed him in the street... I was almost home,” said the girl.
At this point in her story she had to stop. She felt a terrible lump in her throat. Her mother. She would probably be worried sick because she hadn't come home in so many days.
“I live with my mother in the center of Bergen. She doesn't know where I am. I have to find a way to get a message to her,” said the girl.
“I still don't know how, but we'll find a way to help you,” Erion promised.
“Please go on with your story,” requested Thost, trying to change the subject after seeing that the girl was very concerned about the situation with her mother, and understanding that at that time they couldn't do anything about it.
“The man... looked at me. Somehow I had to follow him. It's like I was watching what was happening from above, contemplating my body walk without being able to respond,” Ronu said as she paused. “He took me in an elegant carriage. He didn't say anything the whole way. He just sat there, still. It took several hours to reach our destination. It was a carriage without windows, so I had no idea where we were going. When he ordered me to get out of the carriage, I was in the courtyard of a castle. He took me inside an elegant room with antique furniture and told me to rest. When he closed the door I recovered... I don't know how to say it... my conscience or maybe the control over my body. So I tried to find a way out, but the door was locked and there was no other exit. After trying for a few hours, I failed to find a way out of there; so finally I fell asleep.”
At this point the girl paused and asked for a glass of water. She was very thirsty. Dreshpho brought it right away and she drank thirstily. When she finished, the cook went to get a second glass of water and put it on the table if she wanted more later.
“I woke up a few hours later. A very strange man, who then acted as a servant or butler or something, tapped me on the shoulder. He gave me some clothes and told me to get dressed. It was an elegant black night gown. When he left the room I put it on. Perhaps this would work so I could leave the bedroom and know more about the place where I was at. A while later, the man came back, opened the door and told me to follow him. I went through a corridor and then a huge room with a mosaic of pebbles on the ground, and finally to a dining room where the man was sitting at one end of the table. At the other end there were a full service and some food. The servant told me to sit there, and I did. I was hungry and started to eat without thinking much. The man had no food. I asked him if he'd have dinner and told me he would later. He just stayed there, watching. Needless to say, during the entire journey and my stay in that room, I tried noticing every detail, looking for clues on how to escape from that place. For example, when I passed through the mosaic room I noticed that there was a large door, which I thought could take me to the street. I heard footsteps outside and thought it wouldn't be so easy to escape. During the meal, I got a dessert knife and put it in my dress. When I finished dinner, the man bid me good night without coming close to me, and the servant led me back to my room. I lay down and I pretended I was asleep for half an hour. Then I got out of bed and, grabbing the knife that I got, I tried to pick the lock. It took me about half an hour of work, but in the end I got the door open. I hurried to the mosaic room and opened the big door. I was about to head out when I heard a voice behind me. I turned just a moment. I saw him. His eyes were full of anger. Even without saying anything, he made it clear that I would regret having tried to escape. He led me through many rooms in the basement and there he locked me in a kind of prison.”
“You don't have to tell us everything today. If you prefer, you could finish your story tomorrow,” Erion said, fearing that they would tire the young girl.
“No. I want to continue. I want to finish the story, face what just happened, then forget it and get on with my life,” Ronu said.
That girl had a great strength. She was little more than a child. She probably wasn't even twenty, and it was obvious that the experience had been very traumatic. But as the minutes passed, Ronu was taking more awareness and control over the whole experience. Erion looked at her, impressed.
“The worst thing happened next. Another came to see me. He was also very smart and had the same dark look. He was apparently younger. He was a sadist. He tied me and beat me several times. He seemed to enjoy when I suffered. He laughed and teased me. He said I wouldn't come out of there alive. He told me that I would never see my mother and they would make me a slave, licking the ground where he and his father walked. One time, I got angry and spit in his face. It was a bad idea,” said Ronu as she paused.
Dreshpho was very impressed with the young woman's story, and caressed her couple of times while she was telling it.
“That monster then moved me to another room that was very close by. In it he tied me to a kind of machine. They had another man strapped to a table in that room, with his face disfigured because of how much they had hit him. I think he was unconscious. With a rope he held my head on the machine so that I couldn't move it and then, with a stick, he began beating the man. He seemed to enjoy it. Some of the blows splashed blood on the floor of the room. Then the man began to show fangs, like a wolf. It was horrendous. It was when he looked at me again and lunged
at me. But just then the other one came, the older one, and took him away. I don't know what he said but when the young man returned, he took me back to my cell and left me there. The next two days are like a cloud. I remember sleeping and waking up many, many times. I was very tired because the sleep was not restful. Besides, I was tied up and in a very awkward position. My wrists were also hurt because of the bonds. Still, I tried to free myself with all my strength, but I just managed to hurt myself even more. The man gave me water to drink and a piece of bread; maybe twice, but I could not say for sure. I barely remember anything else. And then I woke up here,” said the young woman, ending her story.
Dreshpho then gave her a big kiss, told her she'd bring her something to eat and went to the kitchen, returning shortly with a tray crammed with things.
“The monster who kidnapped you is dead and will no longer bother anyone; you can thank Samar; you and all of us. He was very dangerous. Possibly he was several centuries old. He was a vampire,” Thost said.
Ronu was surprised and shuddered. All of Oris had heard of vampires. Although most people thought they were legends rather than real stories.
“Somehow it makes sense. Everything about the man was... unnatural,” confirmed the girl.
“Ithelas has checked you and we think you're okay. With his care, your wounds will heal quickly. But the experience had to be very traumatic and you must rest in the coming days. You can stay here as long as you need and when you're recovered, we'll try to help in whatever you decide to do. This is your home,” Thost said.
Ronu thanked everything they were doing for her, and was interested in knowing the full story of what happened in the castle. Ithelas told her a fairly comprehensive summary of all the adventure, avoiding details of their client, and their motivations. She ate with hunger while the cleric told the story.
Ronu was feeling better after finishing her food. She didn't want to stay in bed. They agreed to let her get up and sit on the porch outside for a while to take some air. Erion placed a blanket over her shoulders so she didn't feel cold. That girl's body was used to a tropical climate and not the cool autumn of Bor. She was surprised how different the landscape and vegetation was to what she was used to. But she told them that the place was also very nice, although very different.
A while later they persuaded her to lie down again and she, still very tired, agreed, but asked Dreshpho not to accompany her as she rested, since she felt much better.
The group then met in the great hall. Ithelas started bringing everything they had gotten from the castle, placing it in the center of the room. Erion could quite accurately determine the value of all the objects and Mithir, who had concentrated his energy for that day in magical identifications, would analyze what objects were magical and what was their usefulness.
Erion began reviewing the twelve paintings that they brought. After studying them for a while he concluded that the market value would be about twelve thousand gold coins, but even if they closed a great deal, they could not get more than 75 percent of that value if sold. He continued with the three old maps, the two candlesticks, the two handwritten books, the collection of coins and other objects they had found in the library. All this could be worth about eight thousand gold coins. The spectacular collection of jewels from the treasure room and the two rings of the servant could be worth about five thousand gold coins. Erion began to explain how and when they could sell each of the pieces to get the best possible yield, and that what they could expect would be around those three quarters. Altogether it could take about five days and he might have to visit Ekunon and Deepcliff.
“You mustn’t go alone. Someone should accompany you on this journey to ensure your safety and that of the booty,” proposed Thost thinking about Erion's welfare; or maybe it was that he didn't fully trust he young man yet?
It was Mithir's turn. First he explained that the tugrim eyes could be worth five hundred gold coins. Then he pulled out of his pouch all the gold he had managed to load. They counted about 9,500 gold coins; this coupled with the reward of 1,500 platinum coins from Phoroz made a total equivalent of 44,000 gold coins, assuming that all the businesses went like Erion expected. They agreed to set apart four thousand coins for any expenses that the group could have and distribute the remainder in equal parts. They also agreed to provide a bonus of two hundred gold coins to Dreshpho for her dedication and help. It was a tremendously generous tip, but everyone felt generous.
Mithir began reviewing the other objects. The book contained twenty magic spells. He didn't know twelve of them. This was undoubtedly the object that most attracted the magician. The magic rod could be used as a club; it was especially powerful against the undead and also contained a couple of very useful magical powers. The shield provided good protection against any kind of blow. In addition, once a day they could protect themselves against one of the essential elements, such as fire. The bracelets provided a greater skill to lead them and allow them to teleport, once a day, at a distance of up to one thousand steps. Finally, the cloak let them conceal themselves more effectively, and also had an inside pocket that allowed them to save many objects efficiently; something like what Mithir's sack did.
After a lively debate, they agreed to distribute this as follows: Mithir took the spellbook, Ithelas the rod, Erion the cloak, Samar the bracelets and Thost the shield. Although possibly not all the objects were equally valuable, everyone was happy with the deal because they got what they considered most useful to each of them.
The four laboratory flasks proved to be potions to fly, to breathe water, to cure diseases and cure blindness, respectively. Ithelas saved them all for future use. The six found in the chest in the treasure chamber, permitted the improvement of certain abilities. One made the person that drank it stronger, two of them more skilled, one smarter, one wiser and the last one provided a more vigorous constitution. They were distributed among Thost, Samar and Erion, Mithir and Ithelas respectively. They agreed to give the last of the potions to Ronu, because it would help her recover. Everyone was really happy. Things had gone much better than they had imagined.
“What are you going to do with your eight thousand gold coins?” Ithelas asked Mithir.
“First, we have to give Erion some time to sell the paintings and other things. Second, I will give two thirds to my brother so he can invest them while I continue saving to build a tower. Finally, the remaining third will go for the support of the orphanages of Bor,” listed the magician.
“Wow! It seems that the thing about the orphans was true,” said the cleric, surprised.
In the living room, there was a chest where they kept most of the things, and then closed it carefully. When they went to sit back and talk, a portal appeared in the middle of the room. Phoroz poked his head from the other side and asked them to leave everything and follow him.
EPILOGUE
After thinking for a moment Thost nodded and headed towards the dark elf and then walked into the kitchen where he told Dreshpho that they would be away, surely, for a short time. Then, he came back and told Phoroz that the next time he'd visit he should open his portal outside of the house, because appearing that way was very intrusive. The dark elf ignored this comment and said that he would only steal them for a few moments.
One by one they crossed the portal, leaving the safety and comfort of their home behind. The feeling of vertigo at the time of the transition was, this time, intense but brief. After coming out on the other side, they were in a huge circular room with stone floors, walls and ceiling. The roof should have be more than ten steps high. A wide staircase curled over the wall, leading to the top level. Small floating spheres illuminated the room by magic. The room had furniture that allowed a dozen people to sit comfortably. There were some drinks on a table. Nobody sat down or drank.
“The wizard will see you now,” Phoroz said as he began to climb the lengthy staircase.
The group began to follow the dark elf wondering who they were going to see this time. When t
hey reached the next level, they entered a hallway that led to numerous rooms. They crossed the hall to the end of the level where another staircase, this time in zigzag, rose to the next level. Before entering, Phoroz took a torch from one of the walls, as if anticipating that they would find darkness at the top level. They followed him.
Indeed, the third floor was almost completely dark. They could make out the silhouette of a half-open door, because a very dim light illuminated the room. The dark elf walked over there, and stuck his head into the room.
“They're here,” he said succinctly.
“Make them come in,” said a dry voice from inside.
Phoroz opened the door wide and turned to the group, indicating with his hand for them to pass. At that moment the room happened to be illuminated with multiple blue lights hanging from every wall. They entered. It was a large room; a studio with a large table of solid wood between light brown and ocher.
"Tesero wood",” Ithelas thought, always noticing these things.
The room had several shelves with many books. Most seemed very very old. Half a dozen chairs were arranged in front of the table. Phoroz indicated, with a gesture, for them to take a seat, while he sat in one of them. The rest of the group followed suit. Behind the table there was a much older man, almost senior, who was covered with a long, and elegant cloak. His eyes were fixed on an ancient parchment in front of him and did not look up until everyone was seated. At that time he looked at each of them with great care and attention.
“Samar, Thost, Erion, Mithir and Ithelas,” said the man.
“So it is,” said Thost. “May we know your name?”
“You can call me Mengul,” said the old man.
The wizard rose from his chair with a cane and walked to the nearest shelf, where he placed the parchment he had been reading. Then he turned his cane and spoke strange words. A semitransparent shape about the size of a man appeared in the middle of the room. The old magician told him to bring drinks for the visitors and sat down again.
