"Good morning, Obran," a man’s voice said.
Obran opened his eyes and quickly tried to get his bearings. He was on a cold, hard floor inside a small cell. Knocked out again? Tori! He remembered her and quickly sprang up. The walls, like the floor, were made of stone and the metal bars in front of him completed his cage. He didn’t see a door or any sort of lock, nothing he could pick with his nails which was something he was adept at. A man stood in front of the cell; he was tall, fair skinned, and had long black hair and a matching beard. He wore a robe and tunic like those of a Roman nobleman. Obran approached the metal bars; they were sturdy and the gaps too narrow for him to squeeze through.
"Where are my companions?" Obran said.
As he spoke Obran winced in pain. His head hurt and he felt a wave of dizziness come over him. He regained his composure and stared directly at the man. How does he know my name? What did Tori or the others tell him?
"An interesting group of companions you have Obran: a prince, a centurion, and a Carthaginian princess. So what does that make you...a king perhaps?" The man said.
“What did you do to them?" Obran said.
Obran looked around past the bars. His cell was at the end of a narrow corridor but he didn’t see any other cells. He stepped away from the bars, turning his back to the man and pressed his ears against the walls and floor, but he didn't hear anything.
"They are safe for now. But it is you that may actually serve a purpose,” the man said.
“What do you want, necromancer?” Obran said. Obran guessed he was the man who had sent the skeletons and the mist creature. Obran walked back to the cell bars and studied his captor. The man did not carry any weapons or anything resembling a key, he just wore an archaic looking toga, like those he’d seen on old statues and paintings. Obran sat down, hoping to appear helpless. If the man got closer Obran could strike, slash at his throat, and maybe find a key but was there even a door?
“Necromancer...no one has called me that in a long time,” the man said.
“Seems to suit you fine,” Obran said, feeling the sharpness of his claws.
"I thought about having those talons of yours cut; I didn't want to give you the chance to hurt anyone—especially not yourself,” the man said.
“Why didn’t you cut them then?” Obran said.
“I decided to leave you some dignity despite the ease of your capture," the man said.
"You're so kind, necro…uhm...wizard. May I ask what were those creatures that brought us here?" Obran said.
"Just servants, Obran," the man said.
"Well can you at least tell me your name since you know mine," Obran said.
"You may call me Mondain. And I am very glad you survived your experience with my servants. Rest now and we'll speak again soon," Obran said.
Mondain left and a lone torch went out, leaving Obran in the dark. There were no windows but he could still see well enough. He checked the strength of the bars again and the space between them, but no luck, he was trapped.
"Hello, anyone..." Obran called out.
Not a sound. Where was Tori? Was she even alive? Obran sat in a corner and tried to stay up as long as he could but felt exhausted and dizzy. The blow that had knocked him out was still affecting him, better to sleep...better to sleep…better…sleep.
Obran woke up when he felt vibrations on the stone floor. He’d slept with his ear to the ground and now heard two sets of footsteps walking towards him, one much heavier than the other. As they approached, Obran pretended to sleep.
"Obran? How are you this morning? Sorry if the accommodations are not suitable but I rarely have guests," Mondain said.
Obran didn't answer but studied Mondain's companion. It was a large, stone creature roughly the shape of a human but nearly seven feet tall. It had no features on its face, just dark gray rock with rough edges like those of an unfinished statue; Obran rose and saw the golem held a tray of food.
"Good morning? May I know the time and day please?" Obran said.
He wasn't sure how long he'd slept. Not knowing the time made him feel almost as uncomfortable as being in captivity. But his watch was gone, along with his weapons and satchel and he couldn’t see the sun. He guessed it was the second morning after their capture.
"It is nine in the morning according to this clock of yours," Mondain said. "Quite a piece of engineering. How did you acquire it?"
Obran was happy Mondain didn't mention his brother.
"That old thing. I think I found it or stole it, I’m not sure. I was drunk and can't remember," Obran said.
"I was never an expert in mechanics but it is quite extraordinary," Mondain said. “Almost as ingenious as that poisonous bread of yours. So interesting what is coming from the outside world these days.”
Mondain slid the clock between the bars. He nodded almost imperceptibly to the stone creature and it slid the tray under the bars too. It was full of flatbread, cheese and figs, along with water.
"Who's your friend? Does it speak or are all your servants dumb?" Obran said.
Obran grabbed the tray. It smelled and looked normal so he began to eat. If Mondain had wanted him dead he could have killed him anytime while he was unconscious.
"Another servant, useful but a bit slow and lacking in imagination. You managed to injure my favorite servant, Obran. He’ll be underground for quite some time. That was very impressive, quick thinking with the fae dust and I’m guessing you got lucky with the garlic,” Mondain said.
“Is that what that was, fae dust?” Obran said. “Who knows what they sell you in the market these days?”
“Obran, I'm ready to let you and your friends go. I won’t insult you and say there aren’t reasons for that but for now just consider it a favor,” Mondain said.
"In my experience no favor is free," Obran said.
"Then let’s just say I have a proposition, one that you may refuse but which may interest you in the future," Mondain said.
"All that interests me is getting out of this light forsaken place with my companions," Obran said.
"I promise they are safe and you will be with them soon. All I ask is that you hear a story."
"Like I have a choice," Obran said.
"Perhaps, a choice is all we have."
Obran finished his food which tasted surprisingly good; he wondered who made it since he couldn't imagine the golem or the skeletons making it— let alone Mondain. Are there others here? Living beings?
"So my choice will determine what will happen to my friends?" Obran said.
"Isn't that true of every choice? But I'll just say, you will all be safe for now,," Mondain said.
Obran grabbed the bars seeing if the golem reacted but it stood motionless, same as Mondain so Obran raised his ears at full attention.
"I'm all ears," Obran said.
Mondain raised an eyebrow; it almost looked as if he were about to smile...almost.
"Obran, I’m sure you know that Roma was founded by one of two twin brothers, both of whom were descendants of a man who started a new colony in Italy. One brother, Romulus, eventually founded Roma, the other, Remus, founded its sister city, named after him. Romulus of course was a natural warrior and soon Roma prospered and conquered and subjugated all its neighboring cities. But Remus as you may know was a sorcerer and intellectual, his gifts lay elsewhere. His city prospered too but ended up a smaller copy of Roma, living alongside its neighbors in peace while focusing on pursuits of the mind and spirit. But Remus, the man, soon vanished, either from banishment or his own self imposed exile, depending which legend you believe.
All this I’m sure you know, I’m sure, but I’ll tell you another legend. One that few have ever heard before. Remus, the elder of the twins, eventually founded another city, here in Eritrea, on the ground we stand on. Remus had focused on the study of magic after the loss of his beloved princess, whose death he blamed on his brother Romulus for various reasons. He never forgave his brother or Roma for her loss and focused on the study of necromancy, bringing together the best wizards and witches he could find, hoping to advance magic even as its influence in the world diminished.
Remus founded the city of Nova Magicae or Pisae as it came to be known and through his advancements in necromancy learned many things that were lost to time or that he newly discovered. But what his followers didn’t know was that he had built his city and its temple in the spot of an old shrine from the old world before the great flood. A shrine of humility built after the destruction of an unknown ancient city. In Nova Magicae they learned many new things: to reanimate the dead, to give life to inanimate objects, to make contact with spirits, apparitions, and even to summon demonic forces. But all this came at a cost and eventually after many decades demons rose up and consumed Nova Magicae dragging its inhabitants to the underworld and cursing this forest. Remus again disappeared, this time presumed dead or dragged to the underworld with his followers.
Years later many came to believe necromancy was black and evil magic, something Remus never accepted. He believed that magic, like all knowledge, could never be good or evil and some of his knowledge and power remains in this place.”
"I've heard some versions of these myths," Obran said.
But many details were different. Obran guessed Mondain was a follower of Remus or even Remus himself.
"I'm sure you have, Obran," Mondain said. "And I'm sure your friends have as well."
“Please continue,” Obran said.
"Decades went by and Roma continued its expansion soon reaching into the northern lands and the borders of this forest. But Romulus believed his brother’s magic and madness would forever haunt this place so he forbade all Romans from entering this forest. A practice wisely continued by the successive kings of Roma,” Mondain said.
There was a long pause.
“So what do you want of me?” Obran said.
"You injured my captain, Obran and I will need more and better captains in the dark days to come. My captain was once a great warrior, not too different from you in many ways, and is infused with an ancient spirit; he lives eternally but let’s just say he has unnatural cravings. He's buried now so that he may recover and so that no one can harm him or release that spirit, something you almost accomplished. It will be some time before he can arise again. I tell you this story so you can know that I can also give you this power or something like it. I have given you a taste of it and it will be here when you need it again. But like you said, all favors have a price. Farewell gremlin."
“What did you do to me?” Obran said.
“Nothing permanent,” Mondain said as he waved his hand.
The strong sleepiness overtook Obran again. He didn’t even bother to try to fight it. 213Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTosWGR7RC
