Of course, you don't necessarily have to die. Just tell me what I want to know, and I'll let you live.'
`I have nothing to say to you!'
`Fine. Let's do it the hard way!'
I open my magic pouch and reach into it. After a while, I find the object I seek, and pull it out. A long extraplanar item that I haven't held in my hand for a long time.
`See this, darlin'? This thing is called a chainsaw. Do you see the teeth of the saw? They're not part of the blade itself. They're attached to a chain. The chain rotates around the blade. Useful little tool. It runs with some stinky liquid called gasoline. Sadly, I never managed to convert this thing such that it would run on magic charges, but I do have a dozen of them, so it really doesn't matter. Now, do you know how I first came across such tools?
In a distant, alien world, I ran into some guy. A real weirdo. I mean, he was a little bit gone up there... And a real dumbass, too. He was babbling about selling things in his ass, and he couldn't memorize three words when I tried to teach him a ridiculously simple spell. But you know what, he was good at one thing. Killing zombies. Guess what he used for it?
Yes, that's right, if you haven't figured it out yet, he used this as a weapon! And guess what? He taught me all the triiiiiicks!'
She glances at the chainsaw, and then looks at me. I think I see a gleam of fear somewhere deep in her eyes. Yeah, she's scared! Although I'm sure she'd never admit it.
`Here, let me show you how it works! You just pull this cord here...'
I pull the cord, and the chain of the saw begins to rotate.
`Damn noisy, isn't it?' I tell her. `Now, I suggest you start talking, or I'll show you just how easily this thing can cut into your flesh!'
`You wouldn't dare, Zack!' she says.
`Who, me? Wouldn't dare? Ha! Haha! Hahahahaha! What, are you drunk, Ghaubel?'
She looks at Flora, and then points at her. Ghaubel's eyes flash brightly for a second, and then she exclaims:
`Kill him! I command you!'
Flora glances at me with narrowed eyebrows, and then looks back at her.
`Kill him!' exclaims Ghaubel once more, but Flora just stands where she's been all this time and just stares at her, frowning.
`You can't charm her, Ghaubel!' I tell her. `She's a vampire. You can't do it.'
`A vampire? Impossible...' she says, shaking her head. She looks at Flora in utter disbelief, and then back at me. `Impossible...'
`Black magic can do wonders, you know!' I tell her, smiling. She frowns in disgust.
`Now where were we? Right. I wanna know where Voi'Shek is. Start talking, or I'll use this little toy here to rearrange your face!' I tell her motioning towards the buzzing chainsaw in my hand.
`I have nothing to say to you!' she says slowly, and she looks at me steadfast.
`You asked for it!' I tell her, and I swing the chainsaw towards her face. I let the teeth of the chainsaw cut into her right cheek, deep, so that it slightly cuts into her cheekbone.
She cries out in pain and grasps the profusely bleeding wound as I pull the chainsaw back.
`Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?' I ask her, with a smile.
She just stares at me full of anger, and a small spark of fear. Time to change the balance between those two emotions, haha!
`Do you wanna talk? Or do I make a scar like that on your left cheek as well?'
`I... have... nothing... to... say...' she says with her teeth firmly pressed together.
`Fine. At least your face will look symmetric!' I tell her, and prepare to swing the chainsaw towards her left cheek. Before I could do it, I hear some noise from behind us.
I turn my head towards the noise, and I see that seven night elf men are barging into the room through the rubble, all of them with a bare upper body, and armed with swords.
`For the Mistress!' they scream, and they approach us with weapons drawn.
`Drop that thing and let's deal with them!' says Flora.
`Drop it? Fuck that shit, I'll show 'em!' I exclaim, and I swing the buzzing chainsaw towards Ghaubel's first approaching servant. The chainsaw cuts into the guy, first severing his sword-wielding forearm, then ripping into his stomach. He screams out loud and falls as I push the chainsaw deeper into him with an angry look. The blade of the chainsaw slowly reaches his backbone and I can hear it being slowly shredded in half.
`How do you like that, huh?!'
I pull the chainsaw back and swing it towards another night elf. He raises his sword high and prepares to strike me down with full force, but I cut into his gut with the chainsaw and he drops the sword and starts screaming. As I slowly finish him off with the chainsaw, I see from the corner of my eye that Flora is beating down the other night elves. She kicks one of them in the gut, she grabs a second one and tosses him against a third one. With these two down on the ground, she returns to the first one. With his left hand pressed on his stomach, he swings his sword towards her. She ducks and grabs his sword wielding arm, and she pulls on it forcefully. She rips out that arm, and tosses the sword towards the two night elves that are on the ground. One of them rolls out of the way, but the other one stays where he was and gets the sword right in his stomach.
In the mean time, Flora moves in on the screaming, now one-armed night elf, and grabs his head. She twists it forcefully, breaking his neck. The third night elf jumps up and attacks her, but she evades the attack with ease, and punches the guy in the nose with the bottom of her palm. He drops the sword and grabs his broken nose with both hands. Flora quickly picks the sword up and thrusts it into the guy's chest. He falls, silently wailing in agony. He's as good as dead.
By now, Flora and I have dealt with five of the seven night elves in less than a minute. Two more to go. They stand in a defensive stance and wait for us. Flora and I glance at each other, and nod to each other. She attacks the one on the left, I go for the one on the right.
I swing the chainsaw towards the guy's sword, and the weapon flies from his hand. He jumps back, but I follow and cut into his chest with the buzzing chainsaw.
`Die, motherfucker, die!' I scream at him.
He starts to scream. I laugh aloud as the chainsaw cuts deeper and deeper, and slowly comes out on his back. Then I pull it back and swing it towards his forehead. The chainsaw cuts into his skull, and for a second he screams out insanely loud, and then he goes silent.
In the mean time, the other night elf lunges at Flora as she approaches him. She ducks away from the attack, and kicks into his ankle with a sweeping kick. The night elf staggers, and Flora kicks the sword from his hand as she stands up. Then she grabs him, and sinks her teeth deep into his neck. The night elf starts to scream, but the scream slowly fades to silence as she sucks him dry.
I pull the chainsaw back from the dead night elf's corpse and turn back to Ghaubel. I'll let Flora feed in peace, I can do this alone.
`Now how do you like that, Ghaubel?' I ask, as I walk towards her. `Impressed by the demonstration? Who were those guys anyway? Your elite bodyguards, or your pleasure slaves?'
`You're a savage! How could you?!' she says, screaming at me angrily with a bleeding face.
`I see. They were your pleasure slaves!'
She gives me an angry look, and I just smile at her. Then I hear something falling from behind. I glance there, but it's just Flora dropping the last night elf's body to the ground. She finished feeding, and now she's walking towards us.
`Your servants were weak. Their blood was unsatisfying! Worthless night elves...' she says to Ghaubel, spitting the last words. My, she's a racist! Haha!
`Yeah, they were weak.' I tell her, then I turn back to Ghaubel. `Now, Ghaubel, will you start talking?'
`I have nothing to say to you, you bastard!'
`Fine!' I tell her, and I move the chainsaw towards her face with a smile.
Suddenly, the chainsaw stops working, and the smile fades off my face. I pull the cord, but nothing happens. I pull it again. Still nothing.
`Fuck!'
I drop the chainsaw and turn back to Ghaubel.
`Don't think it's over, bitch! There's always the old fashioned way, the weapon nature gave us!' I tell her, and I grab her by the throat and push her against the wall. I slowly begin to tighten my grip.
`Yes, that's right! I'm gonna break your fucking neck! Or I'll choke you to death! Whichever comes sooner! Unless of course you start talking.'
She starts gasping for air.
`What's that? You wanna talk? You do? So soon? I don't fucking think so!' I tell her, and I tighten my grip even more. She keeps on gasping for air.
`What? You wanna talk? You really wanna talk? You really fucking wanna talk? Nah, you don't look like you really fucking wanna talk...' I tell her, and I tighten my grip even more.
`Stop it, Zack, you're killing her!' exclaims Flora.
`Since when do you care if I kill her? You hate night elves!'
`We need her to talk, remember?'
`Right.' I reply, and I release Ghaubel's neck. She drops to the ground, face down.
`So, where's Voi'Shek?'
She gasps and coughs, still face down, but just won't start talking.
`Okay, let's start over!' I tell her. I open my magic pouch and reach into it, searching for the pitchfork I picked up not long ago. As I find it, I grab it and pull it out. I grab it with both hands and raise it high, then strike down towards Ghaubel's left ankle.
She screams aloud as the two middle tines of the pitchfork pierce her ankle and pin her to the ground. Flora glances at me with a surprised look on her face.
`You actually carry a pitchfork with you?'
`It was a souvenir.' I tell her, shrugging my shoulders.
I stand in front of Ghaubel and crouch beside her. I grab her hair and pull her head up so I can look her in the eye. She looks at me with a face contorted by pain.
`Do you wanna talk, or should I start twisting that pitchfork in your shapely leg?'
She presses her teeth together, and refuses to speak. I look up at Flora.
`Would you?' I ask her, smiling. She nods, and grabs the pitchfork and forcefully pulls on it. Ghaubel cries out in agony.
`Talk to me, you overused cunt! Where is Voi'Shek?' I ask, looking at her. She presses her teeth together again, and slightly shakes her head within my grasp. I look up at Flora again.
`Hold the pitchfork steady, will you?' I ask. Flora nods and firmly grabs the pitchfork. I grab Ghaubel's hair with both hands and pull her head back as far as I can.
`I will ask you one last time. Where the fuck is Voi'Shek?'
No reply. She just stares at me with her teeth pressed together, and with eyes full of anger.
`Fine.' I tell her, and I release her hair. I grab her arms and proceed to pull her forwards, while Flora steadily holds the pitchfork in Ghaubel's ankle down. This pulling causes quite some pain in Ghaubel's ankle.
She screams out loud, and starts writhing in my grasp, wildly kicking with her free leg. I keep pulling on her relentlessly.
A minute or so passes like this, and she just doesn't start talking.
Dammit bitch, what must I do to make you say what I want to hear?!
I release her arms and stand up. She slowly quiets down and starts panting.
`Flora, this just isn't working. We need to do something more drastic.'
`Like what?'
`First, I'll cut off one of her ears. Then we'll get some lamp oil and...'
Suddenly, Ghaubel cries out.
`Keehmor Keep! Keehmor Keep!' she says.
`What'd you say?'
`He's in Keehmor Keep...'
`Keehmor Keep?' I ask, with a highly surprised voice. `Danny Boy's castle?'
`Yes...'
I stomp my foot on the back of her neck and forcefully push her down.
`I'm gonna kill you, motherfucker! You're lying! Danny Boy would never align himself with a guy like Voi'Shek.'
`He... didn't...' she says, as much as her loss of breath lets her.
I take my foot off her neck and pull the pitchfork out of her ankle. She cries out in pain, then I grab her by the throat and pull her up.
`Show me! Show me the Keep! Now! Fucking right now! Or I'll really break your fucking neck! You've got two seconds!'
I let her go, and she stumbles to the wall. She throws her back against it, and points her arms towards the ceiling. A moment later, a familiar view appears there. Keehmor Keep. Danny Boy's home.
`Is that a present view?' I ask.
`Yes...' says Ghaubel slowly, nodding.
`You'd better not be lying, bitch!' I tell her, and then I examine the view. `The Keep is standing, and the golems are still there. That means he's alive.'
`I don't see any golems there.' says Flora.
`I'll explain later. Ghaubel... If that son of a bitch is in the Keep, what about Danny Boy?'
`He's alive...' says Ghaubel slowly. `I can't see into the Keep, so I can't be sure... but... as I've heard, Voi'Shek put him in a stasis void.'
I stare at Ghaubel with eyes full of anger for many long seconds. Then I grab her by the throat.
`If that's true, and I find out that you had a hand in it, I'll come back here after I killed that lousy-ass cocksucking cumface motherfucker Voi'Shek, and put you in a fucking stasis void!'
I toss her to the ground and sink the pitchfork in my magic pouch, then I turn towards the door.
`Flora! We're done here! Let's go!'
`What about her?' she asks.
`We're done with her. Let her lick her wounds.'
`Why don't you kill her? You rarely hesitated to kill before.'
`She may be of further use later. We've no reason to kill her just yet.'
`I'm not so sure...' she says, but she follows me anyway. And Ghaubel... The little bitch slowly scrapes herself up from the ground and throws her back against the wall. The skin on her neck is still red from my grasp, her left ankle is bleeding severely, and the right half of her face is a crimson mess. She breathes heavily and stares at me silently with a look of anger in her eyes as Flora and I walk out of the ruins of her once impressive stronghold. I think I pissed her off, haha!
As we walk out of Sil Velies, Flora asks me:
`What's a stasis void? I heard of a stasis field before. Is that the same thing?'
`No...' I tell her, shaking my head. `The stasis void is worse. Much worse. It's a spell so horrible, that it should never have been created...'
The Great Library
In the ruined courtyard of Sil Velies, Draconia, present day (1 day and 4 hours before Twilightfall)
`Much worse?' she asks. `What do you mean?'
`Have you ever actually seen a stasis field? A regular one, I mean.'
`What do you mean, regular?'
`In my stronghold, I sealed up that growing fireball in a green sphere, if you recall. That was a miniature stasis field. It can be cast relatively easily, but it has no real practical use, it's only good for experiments most of the time. Regular stasis fields are larger. Large enough to encase a human, or sometimes an even bigger creature. Those things are much harder to create.'
`Yes. I saw such a thing two years ago, when Jenathar tried to have Jason captured.'
`But you've never been inside a stasis field, have you?'
`No, never.'
`Well, let me explain what it's like inside one. The first thing you feel is that everything slows down. Your movements, your senses, everything. Until the spell is completed and you become totally immobile, and unable to use magic. The field completely paralyzes you, and sustains you as well, but you remain conscious. You see and hear everything that happens.
You remain in this state as long as the field is maintained. If a mage casts a stasis field, he pumps a certain amount of magic energy into it, and that makes it last for a while. Time after time he must re-power the field, or it will cease.
Now, a stasis void... That's a different story. The basics are the same, it puts you in stasis, you're immobile, sus
tained, and aware. But the field is teleported into the space between the Planes, the endless empty void that separates the Material Worlds. It is a place of total blackness and nothingness. If someone is placed in a stasis void, he is forced to endure the horrors of being locked into a place where you can hear and see and smell nothing, completely immobile, and yet be fully conscious. Can you imagine what that's like? It is the most horrible spell ever conceived...'
`Why would anyone create such a spell?'
`It was designed to imprison immortal creatures. Denizens of the Spiritual Planes that come to the Material Worlds cannot be destroyed. If killed, they just go back to their home plane. Of course, there, they can be killed, much like Jason killed Th'Mesh. Such feats are extremely difficult to accomplish however. The stasis void was designed to imprison the avatars of powerful spiritual beings. You see, it is maintained indefinitely, since the field doesn't decay in the space between the Planes. You cast it on someone, and he stays in the stasis void forever.
Except if you die. The energies maintaining the stasis void do not dissipate, but it is bound to your will when you cast it. With your death, the stasis void ceases to exist, and its prisoner is teleported back to the very place where you cast the spell on him. Which means, if I am to free Danny Boy, I have to kill Voi'Shek!'
`This man you mentioned, this Danny Boy... Who is he?'
`I'll tell you later. We gotta hurry! Every second counts! Grab my arm, we're teleporting!'
*
`What is this place?' asks Flora, as she sees the place where we arrived.
`Don't you recognize it?' I ask. She surveys the ruins once more. All the burnt down houses, the charred trees, the lack of signs of life, everything. She shakes her head.
`No. I don't.'
`We're in Gatestown.'
She looks at me in mild shock.
`This is Gatestown?'
`Well, what's left of it, anyway. You know, when Jason burnt it down, it was rebuilt in a few weeks. Bigger, better, stronger, with more fortifications, more guards, shit like that. Then, Jason killed the whole Council a year after. Within a few days, Gatestown fell into ruin. It was destroyed utterly and completely, and never rebuilt again. Didn't you know?'
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