I can’t describe how lucky I am at this moment to be able to write. If I thought last night was intense, it got worse. Much worse. Isaac was keeping watch while I slept in the suite. I hadn’t slept long when Isaac nudged me.
“Hey,” he whispered, “We’ve got company about to head upstairs,” he explained. My mind lit up, amidst the grogginess I was feeling, at the notion of people coming. I quickly turned myself invisible, grabbed the dagger and secured it about me. I then went to the window, opened it and flew out. I closed the window behind me to hopefully prevent them from following.
I went up to the roof and sat, hoping they’d leave so I could get some sleep. My hope was in vain. There was a distinct sound of shock below. As soon as I heard them announce to get a shaman who could see what spells had been used recently, I knew I had to go for my invisibility would soon be detected.
If I could just get over the wall, Isaac and I could leave Threll behind and figure out another way to get to France. I figured I’d be able to fly over the wall again. All Isaac would have to do was shoot another disintegrate at the force field and we’d be able to get out.
Unfortunately the guards were prepared. As I approached under the veil of invisibility, arrows and grappling hooks flew up at me. I flew faster and as the shimmer of the wall drew closer, I saw Isaac’s spell hit, only this time I smacked into the force field. Once more a familiar sensation took hold of me as a grappling hook successfully wrapped itself around me.
I was angry being caught. How unfair that evil was slain but the good were punished for it. Those were the last thoughts I had for a time. When I woke up, not having realized I had fallen asleep, I found myself in a cell. Isaac was hovering over me which was very comforting to not be alone.
“Good morning beautiful,” Isaac said. I rolled my eyes as a smile escape me.
“How long have I been out?”
“Probably a couple of hours.”
“Do you know where we are?”
“Yep,” he said clearly proud of himself, “We’re in the sewers. And guess what! Heinulfia’s cult resides here!”
I didn’t know why Isaac thought that was good news, but I corrected him that it was Heinul's cult since ‘Malfeiya’ was dead.
“Whatever, I killed them all too, well that is all but the leaders.” Isaac responded, “With that, we’ll need to carefully leave so they don’t catch us. One’s Szen and the other is a Red dragon. From the looks of that dragon, it’s a very old one.”
That had me alarmed. A very old red dragon would kill us outright. As much as I wanted Szen to pay for what he had done to me, I knew it was wiser to leave quickly and quietly. Isaac said he knew how to get out and went through a wall. I walked over to the cell door and right as I checked it I heard, “Oh hai there. What ah you doing heya?” It was the very accent I heard when I was poisoned!
Isaac came back in and said that Szen was outside disintegrating the prisoners. My eyes grew wide, but then again, part of me hoped he’d try to harm me. I still had my gear this time and I was prepared.
We both stood back from the door. Isaac then casted his black tentacle spell. It filled up the hallway and my cell. We could hear Szen getting battered by them while I dodged the black tentacles with ease.
We both stood back from the door. Isaac then casted his black tentacle spell. It filled up the hallway and my cell. We could hear Szen getting battered by them while I dodged the black tentacles with ease.
“I'm going to possess him, hopefully that'll do the trick,” Isaac informed me.
A few minutes passed when suddenly the tentacles disappeared.
“That’s betta,” I heard the accented voice of Szen, “Okay Araj-ya, I’m gonna open the door for ya and we’ll see what we can doo.”
Once the door was opened, I looked at the body of the man that had caused Hell for me. His hair was orange that couldn’t be hid under his wizard’s hat. His eyebrows and mustache were very full. He wore a striped blouse and a white apron with khakis. He didn’t seem like a typical wizard.
“Have him disintegrate me,” I said.
“I can’t do that when I’m possessing something. Nor can I make the person cast spells they know,” Isaac informed me, “But I can take off magic items.” He proceeded to find items to remove. There was 4 rings, a circlet and some boots, but each were attached to the body... The circlet had rings that pierced Szen’s head. The 4 rings he wore were so tiny that one would have to break his fingers off to remove them. The boots were some kind of demon hide that appeared to be infused with Szen’s legs.
However, Szen did have a dagger that looked like mine. I quickly snatched that figuring it’d be best to keep it on me.
“Hey Isaac, I have a thought. I’m going to use the dagger to kill Szen,” I announced.
“Um, okaee... I don’t like the ideya of this though,” Isaac said, seeming very hesitant.
I took Szen’s hand, holding his fingers, and brought the blade of the dagger down upon the palm. A strange lensing effect happened in which the dagger was reflected. I was baffled. Never had the dagger not been able to strike anything.
“Hey Aray-ja, how 'bout you give me that blade so I can try, okaee?” Isaac said suddenly. I hesitated. I knew I was possessive of the dagger, and now I had two... but Isaac just a moment ago didn’t want to be stabbed... Still, I handed over the dagger.
“Whoa,” Isaac said after taking hold of the weapon.
“Whoa what?”
“Uh, I blacked out for a moment. Why are you handing me the dagga?” Isaac said.
“Why’d you black out?”
“Not sure, but we should get out of here soon. It’s beginning to feel very uncomfortable inside Szen’s body.”
“We need to figure out how to kill him first!” I insisted. I didn’t know what was happening to Isaac, but it clearly wasn’t good. I was worried Isaac would lose control and we’d then be killed.
“Well, here. I might as well try and pry these rings off with his dagger,” Isaac suggested. I lifted an eyebrow. To me that sounded like a sure way to cut a finger off. But hey, if he was able to pry the rings off or cut them off, the less powerful Szen would be if Isaac lost control.
Sure enough, Isaac went to slip the blade under the ring only nic himself. A blood curdling scream escaped Isaac. The body disintegrated before me, leaving the ghost of Isaac momentarily, screaming. Another moment later he too disappeared.
I heard some items hit the floor as I looked around, trying to spot Isaac.
“Isaac?”
No response came. Something had happened to him, but what it was, I hadn't a clue. He was a ghost, surely he can't be destroyed.
I turned my attention to the items on the floor. I noticed the dagger was there as well as the circlet, a ring, a pocket watch, and a vest. I focused on the magical auras in the area and was nearly blinded by the deific level of healing that was happening. It was baffling how both daggers registered as healing but things kept dying!
The other items were strong, but I couldn’t figure out what they could do just by looking at them. I put the vest on and felt distinctly more attractive. Something about it made me feel good and sure of myself. I then picked up the ring and the pocket watch, placing them into my belt.
Last was the circlet. How I wish I had remembered the rings the circlet contained were the very rings that pierced Szen’s head! If I had, then I wouldn’t have placed it upon my head. However, curiosity got the best of me. I took my circlet off, feeling my wings grow and my hair shorten. I then placed Szen’s circlet on my head. As soon as my skull made contact with the device, I felt the rings pierce my head. The pain was so intense in that moment that I felt my eyes roll back before my senses faded to nothing.
✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻
When I woke, my mind was still searing with pain. I barely was able to lift my head. I used a hand to brace myself. I felt one of the rings that attacked the circlet to me. With my other hand I swiped away the blood that streaked down my face. I doubt it did any good as I pulled my hand back and saw it covered in blood.
Using the wall as a brace, I got to my feet. My head felt like lead and all I wanted to do was lay back down, but I knew I had to get out of there. At the time I figured whatever power the circlet had would protect me like it had protected Szen.
Then I heard him!
“Oh, I was just getting use to that body. I guess I’ll take yours now Araj-ya,” the accented voice chimed in my head.
It was like my heart had stopped. I couldn’t hear anything but the echo of Szen’s voice and my inner voice screaming NO! How was it I had been so foolish?
I felt a darkness begin to sweep over me. In my panic, I remembered the stone in my hand.
Gemmel!
And so with a flick of my hand, as the darkness spread through my limbs, I cast the stone.
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