“Who is it?” I mumbled.
“An old friend whose help you had asked for, not that long ago,” I heard the familiar voice say from the other side of the door.
I quickly jumped out of bed and opened the door. A frail old man was waiting outside, wearing a jet-black hooded cloak. His long, greyish beard reached down to his chest. The top of his head was bald, his scarce grey hair ended just above his shoulders. A tiny tattoo decorated his face under his left eye that was written in a language unknown to me. In his right hand, he was holding an ashen staff as tall as him, ornamented on the top with an eagle of wide open wings. Numerous strange rune symbols were carved into the staff. He pulled back his hood, his deep wrinkles were dancing on his cheek as he smiled at me.
“Motari, is that you, my old friend?” I hugged him in a thrill of joy.
“I came as fast as I could, Noan.”
“Please, come in and take a seat.” I closed the door behind him.
“Thank you! I have heard that you were in trouble and I can see it even with my old eyes that you look wrecked, comrade,” he said when placed his hands on my shoulder.
“You never beat about the bush, I like that about you. I haven’t been able to sleep for days, since the day we raided the witches of the town.”
He drew a bottle out of his scrip.
“Here, drink some of this. You need it as I can see! I made it myself, you won’t drink another spirit like this, piquant ingredients were added, spiced up with some magic,” he winked, pulling his mouth to a smile.
“I know this smile, my friend. I suppose nothing good can come out of it if I drink some, am I right?”
“Don’t talk so much, just drink.”
I pulled out the cork and I got the whiff of the strong, spicy smell of alcohol. I sighed and took a big swig. It burnt like the blood of a cobra, still, it made me feel better. I turned red, I felt as having had received a huge slap.
“This is some kind of drink, my friend, it gave me goosebumps,” I shook my head. “What do you put in this vile slop?”
“That is a dead secret, my friend,” he also took a pull but the old chap took the extraordinary spirit much better than I. It was water to him. “Now that we had a drink, in honor that we are meeting again, tell me, what happened exactly? I want to hear the whole story, from beginning to end.”
And so I told him all that had happened. The old mage was shaking his head with both awe and fear. “I have never heard of a witch who was capable of this. You have managed to encounter one of the most dangerous ones, indeed,”
“That is not all. The following evening, after going to bed, she appeared in my dreams and has been tormenting me since. Last night she got inside my room. she is gaining power over me. I can’t defeat this damned wench alone, Motari.” I looked desperately into the nougat brown eyes of my old friend.
“It has been long since you referred to an enemy of yours like this.”
“No one could ever frighten me so much. If she had wanted to, she could have murdered me long ago.”
“We must find her as soon as possible. Based on what you said, she might decide at any moment to finish her crazy game off.”
“Yes, I agree, I feel the same. But there is something else. Have you ever heard of the Eye of Damnation?”
“Not much, all I know is that it is a highly jeopardous relic.” He grabbed his staff with his veiny hands.
“We have found out that Iriana plans to bring it into the town to violate the tomb of an ancient saint. We must prevent this, Motari!”
“I will help you with all my strength, my friend.” He put his thin, bony hand on my shoulder. “But now I think that the shields protecting your mind could use some reinforcement. If you allow me, I will strengthen them so that you will be able to better resist her magic attacks.”
“Of course, this is your expertise. Let’s get it over with.”
He placed both of his hands on my head and started concentrating hard, murmuring some words to himself. I could feel how his hands pleasantly warmed up. Tranquillity overcame me as I felt the walls being built up around my mind. He opened his eyes and lifted his hands.
“We are ready, my friend, this will protect you from spells influencing your mind. However, the dreamworld is a different area, if she had once infiltrated, I cannot chase her out.”
“Thank you, my friend. Do you know anything of these wraith leopards?” I asked the old mage.
“Not much, only that they are incredibly dangerous and they prefer colder temperatures. I do know of a place where we could gather some more information.”
“Where is it, old mate?”
“In the Scientific Library of the Duchy. I am sure there must be ample notes concerning this animal.”
“In the palace of Duke Orlond?” I was surprised.
“Clearly. Where else would it be?”
“Will I be able to enter?”
“Naturally, when I departed I was the arch mage of the duchy,” he smiled.
“I am ready, we might even leave now,” I hopped up from my bed.
“Let it be so, let’s leave!”
He murmured a few words, touched my shoulder and all of a sudden azure blue whirlpools began swirling around us and suddenly disappeared with a loud sizzling voice. We were not in the One Armed Giant anymore. We were standing in front of a massive wooden door banded with iron hinges in a wide, torch-lit corridor. The two sides of the door were guarded by human-sized marble knight statues. I got a little dizzy from the effects of the spell. I was feeling nauseated. I never could handle teleport spells well.
“Is this it?” I asked, pointing at the door.
“That it is, my friend!”
“If you had taken us here, why didn’t you teleport straight to the library? It could have saved us some time.”
The old mage laughed out loud. “Because the magic protection of the place was created hundreds of years ago by mages of much greater power than me. If it hadn’t been so, any wizard could just go in and out arbitrarily, whenever they fancy. Now come, let’s enter.”
He muttered a few words and the eyes of the guarding statues flared up with a harsh light.
“The password is correct, you may enter the library, Earthborns,” they answered simultaneously in a strange, machine-like voice.
Motari pulled out a bundle of keys from under his cloak. He picked one of them and used it to open the gigantic door. Entering the room, we could see fifteen foot high bookshelves all around, sinking under the burden of the thousands of folios. The smell of science wafted throughout the hall. The smell of science wafted throughout the hall. Light vanilla mixed with a musty stench. In the absence of windows, magic lights brightened up the room that never dimmed and never set any of the valuable documents on fire.
“Only a few possess the key to enter. It is not simple smithwork, copying the magic key it is nearly impossible,” Motari straightened up proudly as he put his keys away.
“I have never seen such an abundance of books. How will we find the one we need?”
“I have been here hundreds of times, Noan, I know where to find the section on beasts. Just follow me and don’t get lost. It is easy to lose your way among the many shelves!”
We passed by an infinity of shelves, turning first on the right, then on the left. It felt like being in a labyrinth but my friend seemed to move around comfortably among the multitudes of books.
“This will be the one!” Motari stopped, pointing at a larger section. “These are all the books on beasts. I will start at the beginning, you should start at the end.”
“Good plan, let’s do it,” I sighed. I had never been a bookworm.
Hours had passed when I finally found the bestiary we were looking for. It was entitled the Creatures of the North, written by Master Rozwald.
“Motari! Thanks to Deremeron’s determination, I have found what we have been looking for!” I called out to the mage.
“I told you that there must be some no
tes here. This is one of the biggest libraries of the north. Let’s see what it says,” the old mage leaned in closer.
The wraith leopard is a particularly rare and highly dangerous predator that only inhabits the northern island of Gorolnia. The eyesight of its violet blue eyes is perfect even in pitch darkness. Its fur is as white as snow, but might contain stripes and other patterns. It has robust muscles. Its limbs end in paws the size of a human head, concealing its claws. Its height might even reach up to six feet. A bony collar protects its head that is highly resistant to physical impacts. Its foreteeth extrude from its muzzle from its upper jaw. Its tail is minimum six feet long and ends in a bony, mace-like nub that the animal prefers to use to kill its victims. Its fast-flowing slobber is venomous and triggers unconsciousness on contact. Wanderer, if you can, avoid this dreadful beast. It does not have many weak points but if you were to face one, read careful heed of the lines below. It fears fire, like all animals, and if its tail is injured, it loses its otherwise excellent balance. Its scent is extraordinary but gets irritated by the stench of wormwood and it confuses its senses.
“This is useful information. At least now we know some of its weaknesses. I will need magic potion against the venom, otherwise the fight will be decided after the first bite. Can you teleport us back? My team might already be looking for me.”
“Of course, Noan. Come, let’s leave these dusty folios behind.”
We turned around and went back to the entrance. Motari locked the door behind us and he began teleporting. The blue whirlpools appeared and before soon we were in my room once again. I quickly overcame my momentary nausea.
“Yesterday, we searched through the whole city but found no traces of the ramador. Do you know any spells that would reveal her whereabouts?” I asked, still fighting my nausea.
“I might. Do you have any of her personal belongings or clothes in your possession? That would help a lot.”
“Unfortunately no, but we might find something we could use in the house that we raided.”
“That might be a good idea. Show me the way to find out.”
“Alright, but first I must gather my people and eat because I am with hunger.”
“I can hear that even with my old ears,” he smiled.
I heard knocking on the door and a familiar voice started speaking.
“Master, are you inside? You haven’t come in the morning as discussed. This is Fist. We are all here.”
“I am coming, hold on a second,” I said as I opened the door.
“You didn’t come to the inn – are you Okay, Master?” the bald monk asked in the company of the other Inquisitors.
“An old friend visited me and I lost track of time. This is Motari, the Arch Mage of the Duchy of Orlond. He has come to assist us,” I introduced the old wizard.
“Greetings to you all, Inquisitors,” he spoke behind me.
“Greetings to you too, mage. If you are the Master’s friend, you are also our friend,” Tero said.
“We will meet at the inn and then set off to return to the house of the witches. Prepare yourselves.”
“We will, Master,” Fist replied and I closed the door.
I took my knight’s sword and my chest armor then rushed down to the ground floor of the inn with the old mage. I took some bites of bread and we left for the Street of the Troubadours where the empty house was situated.
“Master, if I may ask, why are we going back?” Freckledface turned to me in the saddle.
“My friend, Motari might be able to trace down Iriana, if we manage to find a personal belonging of hers.”
“This is fortuitous news. It would save us a lot of time.”
“First, I have to examine the premises where the fight happened, if I manage to find something that bears the personal aura of the ramador, the searching charm might work out,” the mage added.
“This orc language is magic to me but if you are saying so, it surely works,” Freckledface answered.
“I have utilized it many times, you can believe me, my Inquisitor son.”
“Have you known each other for long?” Funny asked Motari.
“At least for thirty years, back then he was only a weapon-carrier, lad.”
“I cannot imagine the Master as a boy who is running after others with weapons.” He looked at me with his annoying smile.
“I was also young once, just like anyone else. But I tire of nostalgia,” I replied.
“Tell me, Fist – this is your name, correct?” the mage said as he looked at the monk.
“Yes, sir, it is.”
“So, is it true that you are capable of summoning your inner energy to obtain supernatural powers, all this without the use of magic?”
“Yes, lord Motari. This is absolutely true, we practice complex breathing techniques throughout the years which allow us to move our inner energy if the situation deems necessary.”
“I trust the abilities of my arm and my sword more than these inner energies and whatnot,” Stout said, confidently straightening up on his horse.
“Countless secrets are hidden in this world, which do exist even if you are not aware of them, knight,” Motari responded. He wasn’t easy to debate with, the old rogue must have been over a hundred years old.
“The friend of the master is right, Stout. Just because you rigidly refuse certain things doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” replied Fist.
“Enough contemplating, we have a job to accomplish. We are almost there,” I interrupted.
Turning into a street, we glimpsed at the familiar house. Some guards were protecting the building. They let us inside after they had seen the symbol of the Inquisition. We rushed down to the basement where Motari began thoroughly examining the premises.
“So, is it here that the fight you talked about had happened?” he asked, turning to me.
“Yes, this is the basement where we fought the witches.”
“Fine, now I want everyone to remain silent. I need to concentrate in order to recall the events that had transpired here. There is a good chance that I will see something in the past that will lead us to Iriana.”
He closed his eyes and focused, murmuring incomprehensible words. He stood still for a few minutes, holding tightly onto his staff.
“How long will this take, Master?” whispered Funny.
“Shut it!”
He covered his mouth with his hands and began staring at the ceiling out of boredom. The mage then opened his eyes and pointed at the altar.
“It is what is there that is that I need!” he walked up to the altar and picked up a small amulet from among the animal skulls. “This was placed here by Iriana. I could see it among the visions of the past. This might lead us to her hiding place. All we need now is a searching charm.”
“Amazing, Motari! Now let’s find out where this fucking heretic is.”
He closed his eyes again and muttered something under his nose, then opened his eyes and looked at me.
“The witch is in the vicinity, I feel her presence. I will guide you there.”
“We will go back to the inn and get prepared for the fight. She will not escape like the last time!” I clashed my fists angrily. “I also have some important news for you. Inquisitor brothers, listen to me! As far as I know, the witch is capable of transforming into a wraith leopard, an incredibly dangerous beast. Its saliva is venomous, therefore, Father Tero, make everyone drink some magic potion that protects from animals venom. If I am right, you still have some bottles with you.”
“Yes, master, I still have some in my stock from the last raid.”
“Isn’t it enough, that she is a menace, she is even capable of turning into such a beast? This is what we needed!” Stout was grumbling.
We will defeat her together mate, have no fear!” Fist punched in the air.
“Fear? Who, me? Have you ever seen me afraid?” He looked around presumptuously.
“Oh, I have! When the big-breasted, carbuncled Kiranele sat on your lap and w
hispered that you either make her yours or she would strangle you with her own hands,” Funny was laughing.
“I would have liked to see your face, had you been in my place, Larond.”
“Taking things seriously, bring everything that might be useful during the fight. We have to deploy everything we can against that bitch! Come on, let’s go!” I ordered.
We got back to the saddles, not wasting any time. Everyone took their best weapons and most resilient armor from the inn. I put on my full plate knight armor, I only left the helm behind – I never liked it, it always bothered me that it hindered my vision. I offered a prayer to Dermeron before the battle.
“God of fight and courage! Listen to the words of your servant. I follow the path set by you. I fight my battles in the name of justice. If I shall be walking in the valley of darkness, may your light brighten my path. Bless your faithful servant so that he may fight valiantly in your battle, now and forever!”
I looked for the magic potions in my bag that I was keeping for difficult times, and which I prepared myself, boiling the power of our god within. I took the cork out and drank them all, one by one. A strong, sharp, bitter taste spread in my mouth. One potion can protect me from animal venoms, the other from fire attacks. I wouldn’t have liked to end like Handsome, the poor devil. Now I can fight the witch even if she transforms into a wraith leopard, I will be able to defeat her. We saddled the horses and left, following my old friend in the streets of the city. Despite the scorching heat, the streets were crowded. It was almost noon.
“I don’t know you, Inquisitors, but when we arrive, you had better be at your best form. Don’t give chance so the witch can kill you!” Motari turned back in the saddle to warn everyone to be careful.
“We have finished off more ramadors, my mage. Why would this be different?” asked Father Tero.
“Because the one we are chasing now is most probably the most powerful witch of the coven, Father,” the old mage answered.
Faceless: The Takeover (The Shapeshifters Book 1) Page 11
