by M. Gregg Roe
Andoran’s behavior became more and more erratic as time passed. He also disappeared for periods of years, or even decades. Strange and terrifying creatures appeared throughout the Realm, and Andoran was believed to be responsible.
Then the book just ended, greatly worrying her. It was the middle of the afternoon and she went looking for someone to ask about it. Saxloc had gone to train with Gabriel, and Almera was out shopping, but she found Draymund in his trophy room performing one of his regular cleanings.
“Uh … excuse me,” she said hesitantly. “I just finished reading a history of Andoran. Is Zardis still ruled by devils?”
He showed a trace of a smile as he replied, “No, Audrey. I can see that you’re worried, but you can relax. Zardis is now ruled by a council, and as far as we know there are no more devils in Andoran’s Realm. Let’s go downstairs and have some tea, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Okay! Thank you, Draymund.”
Audrey made tea and found some leftover snack cakes. The two of them sat down in the parlor and Draymund began his tale.
“The full story is much too long and complicated, and you don’t have the background to fully understand or appreciate it. So for now, I will just keep it simple and brief.”
“Okay. That’s fine with me.”
He paused to collect his thoughts before he continued. “I grew up in a small town called Hope just outside of Andoran’s Realm, along with Celebern, Branwyn, and Carlinda. There was a powerful cleric there known as Elswith, and he had possession of the LifeStaff. Andoran found out about the LifeStaff and coveted it. He slew Elswith and stole it, but when he took hold of it, it cured him of the insanity that had plagued him for untold centuries. He became very remorseful.”
“What did he look like?” she asked. The book had said little on that subject.
“The first time I saw him he looked like a handsome young man. But with his powers, he could look like anyone or anything he wished. I don’t think we ever saw his true appearance.
“To get back to the story, Andoran tricked and then slew the powerful devil that was ruling Zardis at that time. Then he drove out the other devils living there. This all happened about twenty years ago, and that was also when I found Saxloc Dragonslayer’s sword and shield.
“Not long after that, Andoran traveled outside the Realm to the city of Vox, where they have an annual Festival of Magic. On display at the Festival was Valadek’s sword, the very one that had been used to slay Andoran’s rival Rymac. The sword came to life and plunged into Andoran’s heart, killing him permanently. For days after that, magic wouldn’t function, and it has never worked the same since.”
“Did you actually see it?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied with a distant look. “I was there. So were Almera and her father.”
“Oh. Okay. So there are still a bunch of devils outside of Zardis, right?”
“No. After Andoran’s death, some of the devils returned to Zardis, but then they all mysteriously vanished about five years later. We still don’t know who or what caused it, but we do know what happened to the other devils in the Realm.
“Less than two years ago a trap was created. The remaining devils were lured to an old temple that was under repair. An avatar of Lasrina appeared there and banished them from this world. As far as we know, there are no more devils remaining in Andoran’s Realm.”
Audrey’s face lit up. “That’s a relief! I want to visit Zardis someday, but I wasn’t going to go if it was swarming with evil creatures. I’d like to go visit the temple too. I worship Lasrina.”
Draymund nodded. “Zardis may not be swarming with devils, but it is swarming with thieves and ruffians. It’s older than the Witch’s City, and a great deal larger.”
“Okay. I wasn’t planning on going there alone, and when I do, I’ll be careful. Thank you for explaining everything, Draymund.”
“You are welcome. I’m glad that I could help with your education.”
♦ ♦ ♦
On the first day of the third month, Audrey went to Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy to resume her Shorinken training. She walked there with Cinda, and it was much faster now that she could just take the shortest route. She walked into Grasapa’s office and placed a small sack of coins on the desk, saying, “I’m back. Here’s this month’s tuition.”
“Welcome back, Audrey. How did your adventure go?”
Audrey sat down before answering. “Not great. The travel alone really wore me out. I tried to fight a wolf and it knocked me down. Then I couldn’t get back up. It bit me and then Gabriel had to save me. I was so tired afterward that I almost passed out. We fought some other big white wolves later, and I didn’t do anything useful. Saxloc and his friends are really powerful and experienced.”
“Do not worry, Audrey. Your skills will improve and I know that you will do better next time. I was terrible when I started out. It is hard to compete with people swinging swords and casting spells. But over time, I greatly improved.”
“I hope so. I really thought that I would be able to do better. Danj told me that he killed a lion by himself on his first adventure.”
Grasapa rolled her eyes. “And did he mention that he nearly died doing it? I know, because I was there.”
“No, he didn’t mention that. It wasn’t all bad though. I got to see Siljan’s temple and—”
“You saw Ariel? How was she? Did she seem well?” Grasapa was leaning forward with a look of concern.
“Uh. She seemed okay to me. She does seem kind of childlike sometimes, but she was really happy and energetic.”
Grasapa visibly relaxed and sat back. “That is good to hear. Dulls and I have been worried about her. She lives so far away now, and we do not see her often.”
“Grasapa, can we get a big tub like they have at the temple? It would be great to soak in after a hard workout.”
Grasapa laughed. “You have been to the temple. I want one too, but it is going to have to wait until we do a major renovation.”
“Oh. Okay.” But she was disappointed.
Grasapa stood up. “Since you said that the travel exhausted you, we will begin working on improving your strength and stamina.”
Audrey was sorry she had mentioned it. She wondered what tortures Grasapa now had in store for her.
♦ ♦ ♦
When Audrey arrived home that afternoon, she asked Saxloc why Grasapa would be so concerned about Ariel, and he suddenly looked distressed. He began trying to explain to her about what had happened to Ariel, but he stopped abruptly when he finally noticed how confused she had become. She saw the look on his face and felt deeply ashamed.
“I’m sorry, Saxloc, but I just don’t understand. I don’t recognize hardly any of those people or places. I don’t know about monsters. I don’t know about magic. Aliva said her mother was a succubus, but I don’t have any idea what that even means.
“I was too ashamed to admit how ignorant I was, so I just kept my mouth shut. I’m not one of your friends who grew up with all that. I’m just an ignorant peasant girl from a little village.” He looked stunned as she turned and walked out.
Audrey went back to her room and laid down. She felt very depressed. She was a failure as an adventurer. She would never be able to talk to Saxloc and his friends properly because she just didn’t have their background. They had all grown up with adventurer parents and surrounded by other adventurers. They were constantly hearing old stories, and they were taught all about monsters and magic. All she had learned was how to cook and sew. It was hopeless.
After a while, there was a knock on the door. She opened it and saw Saxloc standing outside looking guilty. “It’s time for dinner,” he said quietly.
Audrey said nothing in reply, but she went out into the hallway and then walked along with him to the stairs.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I tend to assume that everyone knows the same kinds of things that my friends and I know, but you don’t. Most people don’t. I�
�ll try to explain about Ariel again after dinner. Hopefully, I’ll do a better job.”
She smiled and took his hand. “Thank you. I do want to learn more about all those things, but it’s going to take time.”
“I know that now. My mother pointed out to me that you could barely read or write when you came here. I never realized that was what your tutor was for.”
“Yes. I was embarrassed. I did everything possible to keep you from finding out, so I’m not surprised you didn’t notice. Even someone as oblivious as you would have noticed if I had been sitting around reading children’s books.”
Saxloc laughed. “Don’t be so sure. I’m remarkably oblivious.”
♦ ♦ ♦
When everyone had finished eating dinner, Saxloc said, “Audrey, let me try this again. This time I’ll be brief and keep it simple.
“For a time, an evil woman named Larna was trapped in Andoran’s Realm. She killed several people here in the Witch’s City, and she kidnapped Ariel. She used drugs to make Ariel obey her, and she forced Ariel to do some terrible things, including killing children.” Audrey was horrified, and she noticed Almera and Draymund now had grim expressions.
“When Larna finally escaped, she took Ariel with her as her servant. She disappeared for a long while, and we don’t know what happened to Ariel during that time. When she finally reappeared, Ariel’s father and his friends were able to rescue Ariel and slay Larna. But Ariel was Larna’s prisoner for almost a year, and the drugs Larna fed her almost killed her for good.
“Ariel returned home, and she seemed to have fully recovered. Then, on a trip to Siljan’s temple, Ariel tried to kill herself. Actually, Audrey, you met her when we passed through Farmerton.” Saxloc smiled. “That was the first time you tried to seduce me, and I somehow managed to resist.” Audrey smiled in reply.
“At the temple, everyone was very concerned about Ariel. Isadora was the one that befriended her and helped her the most. Dulls and Grasapa traveled there to see her, and then decided that Ariel was probably better off staying there.”
Audrey sat and thought for a moment about what she had just heard. “I see. Thank you, Saxloc. Now I understand why Grasapa is still concerned about her daughter.”
Almera clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “Audrey, Ariel may never fully recover from what happened to her. It had to be a truly traumatic experience. But it does sound like she’s doing well living at that temple, and we are all very hopeful.”
After clearing the dishes away, everyone went into the parlor. Audrey saw that a book had been laid out on a table. The book’s cover boldly proclaimed it to be an exhaustive reference to “All Creatures Benign and Malevolent”. Audrey immediately picked it up and began to page through it. She sat down on a nearby sofa, and Saxloc sat down next to her. She looked up and saw that Almera and Draymund had left the room.
Audrey was soon annoyed that she couldn’t find any entry for “succubus”. Saxloc noticed and told her, “You need to look under demon.”
“You mean there are different kinds of demons?” she asked. Then it suddenly hit her. “Aliva’s half demon? I thought demons were all horrible evil creatures. Never mind. I’ll read some first and then ask questions.”
Audrey soon found the information that she was looking for. A succubus was an inhumanly beautiful female demon that preyed on humans. They lured victims with their incredible sex appeal. They killed by draining their target’s life-force, usually during intercourse. That definitely fit with how Aliva looked and the things she had told them. Audrey found that there was also a male version called an incubus. The book did say that all demons were evil, and she found that worrying.
She turned to Saxloc and asked, “How accurate is this book? It says that all demons are evil.”
“That’s probably true,” he told her. “But Aliva is only half demon. I think that she is a good person.”
Audrey thought about it before replying, “I was afraid of her at first, but that’s what I think too. She was really nice to me the whole time.”
“I’m glad, but not all half-demons are like Aliva. That woman Larna I mentioned was actually Aliva’s half-sister—same mother but a different father. And she was thoroughly evil. Thankfully, she’s now dead and gone.”
“That’s good, and it probably makes Ariel feel better. Same mother means that Larna was also half succubus.”
“That’s right,” he said, nodding approvingly.
“I’m actually glad to learn that Aliva is that way,” Audrey confessed. “Now I don’t feel guilty for being so attracted to her.”
“Believe me, Audrey, I’m attracted to her too. Anyone near her is. That’s just the way it works.” He stood up. “I’ll leave you to it. Just don’t trust everything you read in that book.”
“Okay. Good night.”
She read the entry about wolves and it seemed accurate. They certainly did try to knock you down and bite you. The book said that the other wolves they had fought were called Winter Wolves. It described their icy cold breath and said that they were vulnerable to heat and fire. That all fit too. Audrey took the book with her to her room and then stayed up far too late reading. It was utterly fascinating.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey had been planning to assist her, but Almera left early and didn’t return until mid-afternoon. Then she promptly told everyone to clean up and put on something nice since they were having guests for dinner. Audrey asked who was coming, but Almera just smiled and didn’t answer.
To Audrey’s delight, the guests turned out to be Grasapa and her husband Dulls. After dinner, they all retired to the parlor and Grasapa and Dulls began to tell tales about when they had lived and adventured on Kaldir. Dulls had brought an old and much-used map of Kaldir, and he used it to show her where the things they described had taken place.
She was amused when Grasapa told a very different version of her first adventure than Danj had. Danj now came across as rather stupid and clumsy, but a skilled warrior and trustworthy companion. Audrey suspected that this was probably pretty close to the truth.
She heard about Albert, an eccentric wizard with a fondness for wearing purple robes, and a habit of accidentally hitting his own companions with his spells. Then there was a dwarf warrior who proudly called himself “Roho the Pounder”. He was inept and kept dying, forcing everyone to repeatedly haul his body off to a cleric to be raised. Before long, everyone was referring to him as “Roho the Pounded”. Grasapa finished by smiling and saying, “And then an inexperienced ranger named Medea joined our group, but that is all of the story for now.”
After their guests had departed, Audrey addressed the three of them. “I know what you three are up to, and I just want you to know how grateful I am. Maybe soon I’ll actually be able to understand the things that Saxloc and his friends are always talking about.”
Saxloc smiled and explained, “This is what the three of us came up with. You needed to start hearing some of the old stories, and we thought it best that you hear them from the actual participants when possible.”
“Thank you. I really do appreciate it. But I was puzzled about one thing: If Roho was such a poor fighter, then why is there now a town named after him?”
Draymund grinned. “It was Danj’s idea. He was very fond of Roho and of dwarves in general. I’m fairly certain that his version of Roho’s history would make Roho sound like some legendary hero who kept sacrificing himself for his companions.”
“I see. Uh … does Danj really rule Rohoville?”
All three of them began to laugh. Finally, Almera told her, “He thinks that he does, but Sabrina is the real ruler. And everyone other than Danj certainly knows it.”
“That’s a relief. I had been thinking that Rohoville was doomed.”
♦ ♦ ♦
The following evening, while Audrey and Saxloc were strolling around the grounds, they spied Gabriel running toward them with a huge smile on his face. Audrey was surprised; Gabriel always seemed s
o calm and reserved.
“Ermizad is going to send Petra away!” he exclaimed as he neared the two of them. “Soon I will be free!”
Audrey had heard Petra mentioned many times before, and she seemed to remember that Gabriel had actually gone out on a date with her. “Who exactly is Petra?” she asked.
Saxloc and Gabriel looked at each other briefly. Then Saxloc said, “That’s a little complicated. Why don’t we go inside and talk? It is pretty cold out here.”
The three of them went inside. Draymund and Almera were in the parlor, and Gabriel said a quick hello as the three of them passed through on the way to the kitchen. Audrey poured some rice wine while Saxloc put out some cheese.
“About two years ago, the four of us found a map that supposedly led to treasure,” began Saxloc. “We ended up on Fog Lake with a borrowed boat following this strange course that was indicated on the map.”
“Was that the boat you came to Farmerton looking for?” asked Audrey.
“That’s right,” he said in surprise. “We might never have met if it hadn’t been for that.”
“I would be dead if it hadn’t been for that,” she said forcefully. “Or at least missing a leg.”
“True. And it’s all because of how irresponsible we were. How about that, Gabriel? Let’s remember that the next time our parents lecture us about being responsible.”
They all had a good laugh before Saxloc continued his story.
“Anyway, it actually turned out to be some old trap that was probably created by Andoran as a sick joke. We ended up in an underground cavern, along with a bunch of others who had also been lured there. Some of them had been there for a long time. Decades. They had somehow managed to survive and even had children.
“There was an older man named Zale there, and he turned out to be Ermizad’s long-missing uncle. He had a daughter there named Petra. She had red hair and green eyes just like Ermizad, and she also had witch powers. That was actually how Zale was certain that she was his daughter.”
