270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRmEu1yzpM
“What did he say to you?”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJi8WysMiU
“Nothin much really.” Mort answered the masked man before him, not sure whether to trust him or not. “He was asking if there’d been any children around. I’d say he’s lookin for a kid.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDImgEZkCx6
The Musketeer turned to him, “A child?”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLa6bkVWQy
“Not much else he said. Just ordered a drink and sat there.” the bartender continued.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WGoP0tH5c
The Musketeer was silent for a few moments.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaXqm7mjro
“And in all honesty, he’s a ghost sure, but he seemed a decent man.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ty8AvdZIX
The masked soldier turned back to him, stating, “Do not speak a word of this, to anybody. I have work to do.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2daE0FDTF
____________________________________________________________
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolpFyHeRuf
“Your tastes in wine never seem to waver, your highness. Even now, you surprise me.” Aleric mused, as he sipped the glass of wine.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxzxja4yzN
“I should hope to.” The king stated, nonchalantly, “With your extensive experiences in mind.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNSlZXRKuI
Noticing his tone, the Earl asked, “Something troubles you, my liege?”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoGuPW1s1j
The king sighed, the warm glow of the fireplace between the two illuminating his plagued face. Not plagued in the flesh or the blood, but a plague of the mind. The pressures of his status take their toll upon him, and now, more than ever.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhypGtcfeGY
“This plague draws nearer by the day. And we sit, and enjoy wine. Just as we always have.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlStZvN7xu
“A rather grim take on things, if I must say.” Aleric replied, “When times of strife draw near, I make it my policy to enjoy what life remains for me. As it may end in a matter of months, when such times as this do scourge us. A final pleasure, before they become so horribly scarce.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMZDebBrdS
“And how many of such times have you witnessed?” The King asked.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPadRlUBHD7
Aleric looked to him, “More than I should like.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aSFmEFrZh
“I believe my friend, we are on the cusp of such days. Days of umbral sorrow. Days we may not see the end of.” The younger man stated, as he took another sip from his wine.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcAfQd6KLy
“On that, we agree.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC19OC5o07y
Both were silent for a few moments.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82s0ir2YUB
“You mentioned at court yesterday the ‘Scholars of Mortem’. Tell me of them.” The King mused.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhIZwPH01q
Aleric sighed, “Did your father, or mother, or anybody really, ever tell you of the Lich?”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmhqRNVt6r
“The Lich? A story they tell to keep children awake in the small hours.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCenxQmCgsg
“‘Stay out of trouble, or the Lich will make you one of her bone soldiers’.” Aleric stated jokingly, as the two shared a quick laugh.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nUIhxWnOw
“But what would a child’s tale have to do with this matter?” The ruler asked, quizzically.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zcrKGHM8L
“What if I were to tell you, it was not all lies?”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDpRTgeVgt
The younger man looked towards his elder, in slight confusion.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvGI6jhfA7
“When I was a boy, there were rumours, tales of a dark queen in the east. Every so often, in the small hours, we’d see dark figures lurking about the night, digging up corpses, and dragging them away. Dragging them east.” Aleric reminisced grimly.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjNleZcFLr
“Go on…”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCpyklKJM6
“One day, an army marched through my homeland. They called themselves ‘Crusaders’, seeking to spread the ways of Isrein. They marched east, and were not heard from for several days. On the dawn of the third day, we saw bodies flowing west down the river. Hundreds of them, clad in crusaders armour.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYJN5mEzfH
There was a long silence.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm67Xy23RG
“The sightings ended after that.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqd9JCmRDoE
“And these, Scholars of Mortem?”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLe86Bs3pp
“Ah, yes. In my early adulthood, I made a pilgrimage to the east, on the same road the crusaders marched. Until at last I came upon it: a massive temple of red sandstone, carved into the river bank, and riddled with armoured bones. I found records inside. Tomes. Written by the Lich Queen herself. She was taking notes, observing the progression… …of her four apprentices.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpWmNhgaZh
“Then these four are the scholars.” the intrigued king responded, making the connection.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFizTKtS4u
“I believe that whomsoever leads these Rott-kin, may very well be one of these apprentices.” Aleric stated, explaining his theory.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsK6XzMFbvo
“If what you say is true,” the King began, “Then we truly are in strife.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFvkHL6RcS
The two raised their glasses, and finished off their wine.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02budPUzt8
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiL2HH1bsN
____________________________________________________________
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIEr3avl1R
“Tell me why.” Letifer uttered from his cracked lips,
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDNT14OmNo
“What?” Halyenne asked, looking up from the tome in her hands.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWootfocFY
“Why you brought me here. Why he had you bring me here.” Letifer Explained.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiO2xP7lL8
Hallyenne closed her readings.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3vPSEabWZ
“You are hunted by our foes. So too, are you hunted by us. We merely have different intentions.” She answered.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2XgStWXEg
“So I’m a prisoner?” Letifer asked, not changing his tone.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedFBxIzQbV
“A guest, we’d prefer not to leave.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RweDlYJtS
Wordlessly, Letifer stood from the crate upon which he reposed, and walked aimlessly towards the shelves of wine. There in the glass of the bottles, he could see a distorted reflection of himself. It was the first time he’d seen it, since he fell. And it shook him to the core.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzW44gT2zg0
He appeared barely human, pale skin stretched over a skull. In his cheek was a large ovalesque wound, like a scalpel through a bat’s wing, and upon his nose was no flesh, only the bare bone. And his eyes, they shook him. For he had none of the conventional sort. It was as though there were a shadowy veil over his eye sockets, concealing their true emptiness.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TSZkd6bQ6
He simply stood there. For nearly an hour he stared into his own reflection. And with new, grim resolve, he moved determinedly towards his blade, which sat upon a keg.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UnTv2STIq
“I can’t stay here.” He stated, as he slid the blade into his belt.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPOz1wPrXQ
“My lord?” Halyenne asked, as she stood to stride towards him.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhaxGgebk7
“I must find my son. I’ve already waited too long.” Letifer continued.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ClOad76ws
As he began to start towards the door, the Earl’s voice rang in his ears, “I’m afraid that will not be the case.”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrWva5UJ3R
He turned to Hallyenne, and passed her a rolled note, muttering to her, “Your new assignment.” At this, she quickly made her way out of the cellar.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiJdtmAVda
The ageing man strode to the table that had been placed central of the cellar, and pinned to it with an ornate knife, a sheet of paper. Letifer made his way to the table, and saw that it was a poster. Upon it was none other than the sketched remains of his face, captioned, “The Phantom of Belfennse.” it listed a reward of thirty gold pieces.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq9Ourtfzn
“Every man, woman, and child west of Belfennse would have your head. I don’t suggest poking it out.” The Earl explained.
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡok3SPYYj4m
Letifer stopped his movements, as he unsheathed his blade, and lay it upon the keg. Sitting down, he asked, “Why did you bring me here, my lord?”
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcOFhbbCv1
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPOXBUKnQu
270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF4KJH53p5
