With a quick head turn, Haydis's eyes budged as he saw his assassin only a few feet away. He only had time to say, "You?!"
Zalthu enter a full sprint to close the gap on Haydis, but it was too late. Haydis raised his hand and shouted, "Cerof Selenree!" Once again, a huge cyclone of air surrounded Haydis. Broken chunks of wood and shingles flew in every direction as the powerful winds circled Haydis pushing Zalthu away.
As Zalthu reached the edge of the roof, he took his shot. He threw one of his kukris with full force at Haydis. The kukri was heavy in the blade, so it was a perfect throwing weapon. Zalthu aimed to the right intentionally. The wind circling around Haydis would definitely blow the kukri of target, so Zalthu had adjusted his aim to compensate. Despite the difficult throw, the kukri did exactly as expected.
Zalthu fell of the roof as Haydis screamed in pain. It wasn't a killing blow, but it was better than nothing. Zalthu ran out of sight taking cover behind the remains of another house.
With a grunt, Haydis pulled the kukri from his flesh and clutched his now bleeding forearm. Haydis screamed, "Nelz! You incompetent buffoon! This is your doing! You let the duke's assassins sneak up on us!" Haydis's words were loud and clear, but Nelz did not respond. He was gone. Haydis said again, "Nelz? Where have you run off to?!"
Zalthu didn't stop to look for him. He would much rather deal with two mages rather than three. He circled around to another building, then another. He had to stay on the move. It was his only chance against them. Once he had moved several times, Zalthu stopped to check the battlefield. Tamara was still standing by Geris. Geris was still on his knees crying with Valoris hiding underneath him. Haydis was still on the same rooftop holding his now injured arm.
Haydis pulled out his wand and angerly shouted, "Tamara, find that little shit and kill him! Or must I do everything myself?!"
With a quick turn the page in her spell book, Tamara found the spell she wanted. She turned toward Geris and began an incantation. Only, her target wasn't Geris. It was the bodies. Tamara said, "Rise my minions. Rise and serve me!" Slowly the dead villagers began moving.
At this point, Geris was even more horrified than before. The 20 plus dead bodies of his friend were now reanimated as zombies. He stood up and back away from his zombified friends. Tamara shouted orders to her minions, "Get it together! Find the assassin! Fan out and search the area!" The zombies started slowly fanned out to search the nearby buildings. They were not the most effective team, but Zalthu still avoided them.
As the zombies slowly walked away, Tamara stepped over to Geris and shouted, "Call to him!" Geris did nothing. Tamara grabbed him by his dirty white robes and said, "Call to your friend or I will turn you into a red puddle right here and now." Geris still said nothing. His mind was still broken. He could not form a single word. Tamara let go of him and said, "I have a better idea. Which house was yours? You are a local of this village, right? Which one means the most to you?"
Without waiting for Geris to respond Tamara pulled out her wand and began casting. One by one she blasted the nearby buildings with magic. Lightning bolts, ripped through the air as she casted over and over. Each time she shouted, "Galteov! Galteov! Galteov!" Tamara laughed manically as she switched targets and fired magic at the building. Once again, more chunks of wood and splinters flew by Zalthu's head. Zalthu knew this girl was dangerous. Reviving the dead and laughing while casting lightning and screaming "Galteov!" She either really loved her job or lacked the moral code to play fair.
Geris fell to the ground again. Zalthu knew he wasn't going to be much help. It's a pity. He was very close to Tamara. He could just grab her prevent her from casting.
On the rooftop nearby, Haydis used his belt to bandage the wound on his arm. Even with the belt in place a small trickle of blood ran down his arm and dripped on the shingles. Haydis looked down to Tamara and shouted, "I must return to the tower and bandage this wound. I trust you can deal with these insignificant whelps. Do not disappoint me, Tamara." Before she could respond, Haydis waved his arms, instantaneously turned into a bird, and flew away. Tamara did not seem upset. In fact, she was overjoyed. She was free to do as she wanted, like a dog cut loose from its master.
One of Tamara's zombies stepped around the corner within a few feet of Zalthu. With one quick swipe of his kukri, Zalthu beheaded the zombie and returned to his hiding place. This action did not go unnoticed though. Tamara looked in Zalthu's directions and said, "Oh, I just lost control of one of my minions. So, you ARE still here. Good. I have some new spells I want to test out."
With a few words spoken, Tamara began channeling a spell. She pointed her staff at her left arm. Within seconds, her arm grew into a long tendril. It was black as oil and moved like had a mind of its own. Tamara reached out to the build Zalthu was hiding behind and wrapped her tendril around it. Zalthu ducked and the tendril barely missed his head. Zalthu rolled out of the way as Tamara crushed the building with her dark magic.
This became a game of cat and mouse. Zalthu would move to a new hiding place, Tamara would seek him out. After a few more buildings were destroyed, Tamara picked up her staff and started casting Lightning again. She laughed as she said, "Running is your only option. Facing me would be your end!"
Seeing lightning bolt ripe through a nearby building, Zalthu changed hiding spots again. In the process, he found another zombie barring his way. Rather than killing it, Zalthu just pushed it out of the way. The zombie was still following him but very slowly. Zalthu knew he needed a plan. A distraction. As he moved away from the pursuing zombie, Zalthu picked up a stone. With a good throw, he launched the rock behind and to the left of Tamara. As the rock sailed through the air there was a moment of silence, then the rock landed on a rooftop making a very distinct thud sound. Tamara's attention was instantly drawn to it. She turned away from Zalthu and faced in the direction of the noise. "Oh, you are a sneaky snake now, aren't you? Why don't you stop hiding and face me!"
Tamara shouted, "Galteov!" As she fired another lightning bolt in the direction of the sound, then she swung her tendril arm wrapping to around one of the buildings. She was distracted. This was the best chance he was going to get. Zalthu took off sprinting towards Tamara. Out of the corner of her eye, Tamara saw Zalthu charging her from the rumble. He was fast but still 20 feet away. She released the building and swung her tendril in a back hand motion. Zalthu ducked as the inky mass flew over his head.
Now Zalthu was only 10 feet away. Tamara would not get another chance to swing the tendril again. Instead, Tamara raised her wand to cast. Valoris took the opportunity to jump from her hiding spot inside of Geris's robe and bite Tamara in the ankle. Tamara shouted, "Galt… AHHHH!" Tamara scream of pain caused her to misspeak the spell. Tamara looked down to see Valoris scamper away. A fraction of a second later, she looked up to see Zalthu, but it was too late.
Zalthu planted his kukri into her chest as hard as he could. The force that he stabbed her, combined with the speed he was running knocked her flat on her back. Tamara started to shake as she was losing control of her tendril arm. Apparently, she needed to maintain focus to use it. In one last attempt to kill him Tamara raised her wand to Zalthu's face, but before she could speak a word, Zalthu covered her mouth with his hand. Tamara said something, but her words were muffled by Zalthu's hand. Finally, Tamara's angry eyes faded. She dropped her wand and her tendril arm returned to normal. Zalthu held the blade until she lay there motionless.
After a few more seconds, Zalthu removed his hand from her mouth as she breathed her last breaths. In her final moments, she smiled and said softly, "Thank you." Another second later, she was gone.
This really threw Zalthu off. Of all the things she could have said, that was her choice. Zalthu pulled his kukri out of Tamara's dead body and inspected the area. The reanimated zombies were face down on the ground again. Tamara's control over them ended with her life. Zalthu checked on Geris. He was still in shock, but now he had blood splattered on his face. He had seen more in the last 20 minutes than he could handle. Zalthu stepped around Tamara's dead body and put his arm around Geris. "You know what, it's been a busy day. You should go back to the boat. You can find your way back, can't you?"
Before Geris could speak, Zalthu heard footsteps. In an instant, Zalthu grabbed his kukri and ducked down to prepared for a fight. Someone was hiding from them. For what purpose and reason Zalthu could only guess. He shouted, "I know you are there! Show yourself!"
From around the corner of one of the decrepit buildings, Nelz stepped out and raised his hands to show he was not armed. Nelz might have been unarmed but Zalthu knew magic was his weapon of choice. Nelz lowered his head and said, "Relax. It's just me."
Zalthu did not put his weapon away. Without taking his eyes off Nelz he said, "Geris, that place we were just talking about… you should go."
Geris did not hesitate. Without a word he took off running. Zalthu waited until he could not hear Geris anymore. Then he said, "So, how are we going to do this?"
"Do what?"
"You're one of Haydis's apprentices. I can't exactly trust you. So, I say again, how are we going to do this?"
"I am not here to fight if that is what you are asking." Nelz said as he lowered his hands. Then he added, "If I wanted you dead, I would have told Tamara and Master Haydis about you when they first arrived. Now Tamara is dead and Haydis thinks I am a coward or… a traitor. I would say I am no threat to you."
Lowering his weapon, Zalthu replied, "If so, then what do you want? Why did you come back?"
Nelz pointed to Tamara's body. He slowly walked over to her facing Zalthu the whole time. Then he said, "Oh Tamara, all this time you played with the bodies of the dead… and now you have joined them." Nelz pulled a scroll from his robe and placed it on Tamara's body. Then he said, "D'neltas." Nelz stepped back as Tamara's body burst into flames. A massive white fire erupted blinding Nelz and Zalthu.
Zalthu nodded and said, "Respect for the dead?"
"She was not a friend. In fact, we hated each other. But she did not deserve to be eaten by the buzzards. Nor her blood harvested by the Tyrant." Nelz and Zalthu watched as the body quickly burned up. The white fire was hotter than any normal flame. It burned up her clothes, bones, and everything. As the last of her burned up, Nelz continued, "Tamara was a tragic tale. Her entire family was killed by the Blood Tyrant last year. She trained magic with Haydis to seek revenge. She said that she would fight until her dying breath. If she failed, then at least she would be with her family again. Either way, she wins." The fire burned out and Nelz let of a sigh of relief. He shot a quick glance to Zalthu then he said, "That is all. I will be leaving now."
Nelz started to walk away, but Zalthu was not done with him yet. "Wait. Why didn't you side with Haydis? I mean, no offense. I am glad you didn't kill us, but why would you side with total strangers?"
Nelz rubbed his eyes and leaned against a burnt fence post. Then he said, "I have been Haydis's apprentice for six years now. Things used to be so simple. Read books. Learn magic. Practice spells. That was everything. Once the Blood Tyrant got involved… something changed. Haydis wants to weaponize spells. He spent hours with the duke in Cantiberry and even more time with the Blood Tyrant. Then Haydis took on another apprentice. Now he has less time to train us. Everything was for the liberation of Edosa. That blood mark on his eye changed him. Whatever happened to expansion of the mind? Why do we have to become tools of war?"
Zalthu listened to Nelz and finally understood. Nelz hadn't turned against Haydis. He was still the same as he had always been. Haydis was the one that changed. Then he said, "So, Nelz. That is your name, right? Sounds like your boss isn't quite the same anymore. He has even turned on the duke of Cantiberry. There is a strange spell burned into the duke's chest. Know anything about that?"
"Yes, I know. I was there when he made the incantation. It is a necromancer spell. The Curse of Lassitude. Normally, it is not fatal to most people. It merely drains your strength and energy over time. However, to an old man like the duke, it could kill him. Haydis and Tamara preformed the dark spell a few days ago. The duke should have been dead by now."
"He is not. Not yet. How do I break the spell?"
With a sigh, Nelz looked in a northwestern direction then he said, "It is a channeled spell, however Haydis set up an altar to cast the spell for him. In Haydis's Tower, there is a glowing green orb circled by mystical runes. Disturb the runes or break the orb and the channeling spell will be broken and hopefully the Curse of Lassitude will be lifted."
This was the moment Zalthu realized Nelz's importance. He had inside information on Haydis. He was invaluable. Zalthu said, "You might not want to hear this, but I have to stop your master. Haydis has betrayed the duke and joined the Blood Tyrant. That makes him an enemy to everyone."
"Yes, I figured as much." Nelz once again glanced to the northeast, then he continued, "The choices we make dictate the lives we lead. Master Haydis has made some bad choices. I cannot tell him what to do, but neither will I help him bury the land of Edosa."
"So, does that mean you will come with me? I know very little about magic… and I could use someone with your skill."
"I cannot. Or to put it plainly, I will not. Master Haydis probably views me as a traitor. Keep in mind, he is a master of four fields of magic. He has learned and forgotten more spells than most people ever learn. I don't stand a chance against him, even with your help."
"I almost had him earlier. One more second and he would have been dead on the end of my kukri."
"Yes, but now he knows you are here. You have lost the element of surprise. He will be ready. He always is. If I know him correctly, he will have the tower rigged with traps and spells in a manner that you won't stand a chance. I will beseech you not to go. There is no reason to be a hero. Perhaps you should live to die another day?"
Zalthu shot Nelz a half smile. Before he could speak, he felt a tug on his pant leg. He glanced down to see Valoris staring up at him. Zalthu scooped her up and asked, "You know a lot about Haydis and his magic spells. Maybe you can help me with this one."
Nelz was confused. He stepped closer and asked, "It's a rat?"
Holding up Valoris, Zalthu replied, "No, it's a girl. This rat is actually a wonderful dagger wielding outlaw named Valoris. Haydis turned her into a rat and she and been that way for over a week now. I thought transformation spells like this were supposed to wear off."
Once again, Nelz stepped closer and picked up Valoris out of Zalthu's hands. He inspected her and replied, "You have seen Haydis transform into a bird and back without any effort. He is a master of transformation spells. Long with other forms of magic. This is a simple trigger word spell. Nothing more."
"Do explain."
Nelz handed Valoris back to him and said, "Well, trigger word spell are exactly what they sound like. Spells linked with words. Turn someone into a rat, then say the trigger word and the person transforms back. Haydis writes all of his transformation spells this way. It's good because the spell can last for as long as you want, it's bad because if anyone hears you say the word, they can break all your spells instantly."
Zalthu nodded and scratched his chin. "Interesting. So, what is the word?"
"I can't say it."
"Oh, come one. Don't bait me like this!"
"No, serious. I physically can't say it." Nelz pulled down his collar so Zalthu could see the brand on his neck. "See? Haydis's binding spell prevents me from saying the word. Trust me, I have heard him say it a thousand times! It's the dumbest word ever! But I can't repeat it. I physically can't. I have tried."
Zalthu thought about it for a second then he asked, "Can you write it?"
Nelz smiled and pulled out one of his scrolls. He created an invisible desk and wrote on the parchment. Then he said, "I can not write the word. The binding prevents me from doing so. But I can write something else." Nelz continued to write for a moment then he handed Zalthu the page.
Zalthu read the paper out loud, "Tear. Intellect. Tournament. Time… This is just a bunch of random words on paper."
"It is." Nelz said with a smile, then he continued, "But the first letter of all nine words spells out the trigger word. Now I have told you the word, without actually telling you the word. Makes sense, right?"
Zalthu took the magical pen from Nelz's invisible desk and wrote each letter at the top of the page. Then he showed it to Nelz and asked, "This word?!"
Nelz confirmed, "Yes. That is the trigger word. If you say it your little rat friend will regain her human form. Go ahead."
Zalthu glance down to Valoris and back to Nelz. He showed the word to Valoris so she could see it. Then he folded the paper up and put it in his personal bag. Zalthu replied, "Not just yet. I have a plan. I am still going to Haydis's Tower. I have to. For the duke, Valoris, and everyone else he has wronged."
Nelz nodded his head and replied, "As you wish. The best I can do is wish you a safe journey. You will need it."
Zalthu turned and walked away from Nelz. He only made it a few steps then he stopped. He turned back to Nelz and asked, "If you won't come with me, maybe you would be interested in selling a few of your scrolls?"
There were no roads that lead to the northeast. Zalthu pushed his way passed branches as Valoris sat on his shoulder. As they walked, Zalthu explained the details to his plan. It wasn't much of a plan, but Valoris listened intensely. After he was done explaining, Zalthu asked, "Sound good to you?"
Valoris violently shook her head. She clearly hated the plan. Zalthu asked, "If you can think of a better plan, I would love to hear it." Valoris made a sad face at him. Zalthu smiled and bumped his head against hers. Even if she had a better plan, they both knew she couldn't tell him about it. Zalthu patted his bag and said, "Don't worry, we have three magical scroll to fall back on. Just in case things go bad."
Zalthu continued to walk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Valoris's sad expression. She clearly wasn't happy with the plan. Zalthu stopped and looked her in the eye as he said, "Okay, stop it. I'm not falling for your adorable sad rat face." Valoris's sad face did not go away. Zalthu put his finger under her chin and said, "If you stop acting like a sad rat, I will guarantee you one… no two things. One, you will get your human form back, AND two, you are guaranteed to survive this encounter. Does that make you feel better?" This put Valoris at ease but only a little bit.
In the distance, Zalthu finally spotted their target. The tower wasn't hard to see. It was built with white stones and blue shingles at the top. Its design was not to be hiding, but instead to inspire awe in everyone who saw it. Zalthu scoffed at the idea. The tower was in a clearing surrounded by dense forest. There were no roads leading out here, and no visible path in or out. Zalthu began his tactical movement. Staying behind trees and out of sight. According to Nelz a head-to-head fight with Haydis was a death sentence. Stealth was his only hope.
As Zalthu approached the base of the tower he noticed red lines on the forest floor. The red lines were at least five feet wide and completely circled the tower. This was obviously not a natural formation. Zalthu grabbed a stone and tossed it inside the red circle. Nothing happened. Zalthu inspected the red lines then he looked at the tower. This was the only obstacle in his way. If he ran, he could make it. Then again, the red lines were not to be trusted.
Zalthu glanced over to Valoris and said, "You want to give it a go?" Valoris quickly shook her head no and climbed down into his personal bag. Zalthu gave her an angry look as he said, "So much for good help."
With a deep breath, Zalthu stepped over the red line. Again, nothing happened. He carefully navigated the path making sure not to step on the red lines. Then his worst fears came true. As Zalthu stepped over the last line, the red symbols activated. A humming sound quickly drowned out the sounds of the forest, as the red lines turned into glowing lasers of death. Zalthu only had a fraction of a second to move as the red lines fired straight up into the sky. Almost as if it happened in slow motion, Zalthu rolled out of the way as the lasers sliced everything into bits. Grass, bushes, and even full trees were cut into tiny piece no bigger than a few inches.
As Zalthu landed on the ground he turned his head back to see the shredded forest crumble and fall to the ground. It was an impressive spell, Zalthu could only watch as the dozens of trees slowly tumbled to the ground in small wooden cubes. Zalthu stood up and inspected himself to make sure he had not lost any body parts. On the positive side, Zalthu had survived unharmed. On the negative side, the trap had been sprung. Haydis knew he was here.
"Welcome!" a booming voice shouted. Zalthu turned to see Haydis standing on the third story balcony with his hands up. He had a bandage on his arm and wicked smile on his face. Zalthu quickly got up and ran towards the tower attempting to get out of sight. Haydis continued, "I am glad you could make it. Did you enjoy my security spell? It is designed to catch sneaky rogues like yourself."
Zalthu stood completely still, but there was no reason to hide. Haydis knew he was there. He replied, "Well, it didn't work. At least you made some nice firewood."
Haydis peered down below the balcony but stopped when he realized how dangerous that idea was. Zalthu was his assassin after all. Haydis and Zalthu couldn't see each other but they continued to speak as if they could. Haydis said, "Listen, I don't remember what you name is, but whoever you are, I am sure that you think I am a terrible person. Believe me if I were in your shoes I would think so too. However, in this situation you are out matched. You are outmatched by my magical skill… you simply can't win."
In a moment of defiance, Zalthu replied, "Is that so? How's your arm?"
Haydis frowned as he said, "Arrogance is not a skill that will benefit you, boy. You should know that a few minutes ago, I called on the Blood Tyrant to come and defend my tower. He is on his way right now. If you stay, you with either die by my hand or his. If you leave you get to keep your life, and you can tell your children of the day that you squared off with the Master Wizard Haydis and survived. It will be a fascinating story to tell, I'm sure. No hard feelings. The best thing you could do right now is walk away."
Zalthu stood with his back to the tower. He laughed manically. Perhaps a bit too hard. Then he shouted, "Walk away? All of your years of knowledge and that was the best you could do? One spell and that pathetic speech? I don't give two shits about the Blood Tyrant. It will take him two or three hours to get here. I only need five minutes to climb up there and cut the Master Wizard into little wizard steaks! How about that?!"
The smile faded from Haydis's face. He pulled his wand and said, "The world needs more dreamers like you. Let's get down to business, shall we?" Haydis began casting a spell. Within a few seconds a bright yellow ball appeared on the railing of the balcony. The little ball breathed in the air growing bigger and bigger by the second. Haydis pushed it off the balcony as it fell down to the ground. The ball was now 5 feet tall and growing. It was a fire elemental. Zalthu quickly stepped away from it as the fire elemental grew to its full size. It was nearly 10 feet tall when it opened its eyes and mouth. Even its teeth were made of fire. It let out a roar like nothing Zalthu had ever heard before. It was truly a horrifying creature.
The element focused on Zalthu and began following him. Zalthu quickly rounded the side of the tower keeping his distance from the monster. Haydis smiled from the balcony and said smugly, "Have fun with that one. He is particularly aggressive summon. Now, I have to get back to work." With that said, Haydis returned inside the tower and disappeared from sight.
The heat let off by the fire elemental was intense. Zalthu stopped backing away from the creature and reached into his bag. He quickly pulled out one of the three scrolls he purchased from Nelz. He opened the first one. "No, that one's green." Zalthu dropped it on the ground and grabbed the second scroll. The fire elemental was almost upon him. Zalthu could feel the heat bearing down on him as he unrolled the second one and said, "This one!" He put his open palm on the scroll and slapped it on the fire elemental. The edges of the scroll instantly started to catch fire as Zalthu shouted, "D'neltas!"
For half a second nothing happened. Then the scroll burst into a tidal wave of water. An explosion of water erupted between the scroll and the elemental. Zalthu was blinded by steam as the fire elemental screamed in pain. The tidal wave also shot high into the air blanketing everything in water. After a few seconds of water flow, the scroll stopped. Zalthu backed away waving the steam out of his face. The grass around the tower was now flooded as water ran in every direction.
When the steam cleared Zalthu glanced down to the remains of the fire elemental. The once ten-foot-tall monster was nothing more than a tiny flame. It held onto a blade of grass attempting to avoid the water below itself. Zalthu smiled as said, "Darn, I was hoping you would turn to coal." With that said, he stomped the elemental into the ground. With a little hiss, the elemental was snuffing it out completely.
Zalthu quickly checked the balcony. It would have been funny to see the look on his face when Zalthu killed his elemental pet. Sadly, Haydis was not there anymore. Valoris pocked her head out of Zalthu's bag. She was soaked just as he was. In a moment of panic Zalthu rushed over to the scroll he had tossed on the ground. It was wet and as he picked it up the parchment tore. The magical lettering faded from the front. Zalthu groaned knowing that the scroll was ruined. He attempted to piece it together, but it was no use.
Once again, Valoris climbed up to his shoulder and gave him a somber look. Zalthu dropped the ruined scroll and said, "So much for the plan. We just wasted two of our three scrolls." Zalthu pulled out the last scroll and looked it over. This one was a little wet, but it was still intact. Zalthu dumped any extra water out of his bag and put the scroll back in it. Then he said, "I spent ten whole minutes thinking up that plan. I guess we should move on to plan B."
Once again, Zalthu checked the balcony for signs of Haydis. Nothing. Walking around the tower, Zalthu found no windows to the entire structure but there was a single door. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. The door had a doorknob, but it didn't appear to have henges or locks. Hard to imagine a wizard tower would not be locked. Zalthu attempted to open the door. As the doorknob turned, a massive purple fist came flying out of the door. The large fist slammed Zalthu in the head and chest, knocking him off his feet. Valoris also flew off his shoulder as they both tumbled backward. Once Zalthu was knocked to the ground, the magical fist disappeared.
"Ouch, that was unexpected." Zalthu said as he stood up. He picked up Valoris who was clearly shaken. "You okay?" She nodded to him as he and put her in his bag. Zalthu studied the door for a second time. A magical door with no locks to pick. This was unlike any door he had seen before. Zalthu quickly stretched and popped his back before going in for another try.
Stepping to the right of the door this time, Zalthu attempted to turn the doorknob from a distance. Once again, a massive magical fist came flying out of the door. This time, Zalthu heard a voice. As the magical fist returned to the door a little voice said, "How rude."
Instantly, Zalthu realized how the door worked and rolled his eyes. Staying to the right of the door, Zalthu knocked on the door. With a clicking sound, the door slowly swung open. Zalthu stepped in the door as he quietly said, "Filthy magic tricks."
Now on the ground floor of the wizard tower, Zalthu inspected his surroundings. This floor was full of basic household items anyone would need. There was a table with chairs, a furnace for cooking, bookshelves, and a spiral staircase going up to the next floor. The exterior of the tower was made of white stone, while the floor and ceiling of the tower were made of simple wood.
With a swift slam, the magic door shut behind him. For some reason, Zalthu could not help but think he was trapped in this place. He thought, perhaps Nelz was right. He shook the thought from his mind. Carefully inspecting the room, Zalthu felt like there were eyes watching him. He pulled his kukri and had it at the ready.
The kitchen stove had an interesting glow to it. It was a classic cast-iron stove but as Zalthu approached it a woman popped out of it. Zalthu stepped back and almost took a swing at her with his kukri. She smiled at him and said, "Greetings, I am Holly. Is there anything I can get for you?"
Confused beyond reason, Zalthu replied, "What? Umm, no. What the heck are you?"
With an even bigger smile Holly said, "Oh me? I am Holly. I am a stove."
Zalthu reached out to touch her but his hand phased right through her body. Zalthu had to asked, "Are you a ghost?"
"None, I'm just a stove. Is there anything I can get you?"
"Yeah, you can get me Haydis's head on a stick."
Holly paused for a moment then she said, "I am sorry, maybe you missed the part where I said I am a stove. I can only cook food. Is there anything edible I can get you?"
"Yeah sure, make me…" Zalthu thought about it for a second, then he said, "Cheese. For my rat."
In a flash, Holly returned to the stove and got to work. Within seconds, she returned to Zalthu holding and wheel of cheese on a platter. Zalthu was shocked, she created an entire wheel of cheese in mere seconds. Holly said, "Here you go, sir."
Zalthu took the wheel of cheese and said, "Wow, thanks. I wasn't expecting that." He showed the cheese to Valoris then he returned his gaze to Holly and asked, "Do you make food for everyone here in the tower?"
With another smile Holly replied, "I do. I make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for everyone. Master Haydis, Nelz, and Tamara… and now that you are here, I make food for you too, sir."
"So, you are a magical food conjuring stove. What else can you make?"
"Just food."
"Okay, well that is very interesting. But I got to get going. People to kill, lives to ruin. That kind of thing." Zalthu said this as he walked toward the spiral staircase.
Holly's face changed from a smile to concern, then she asked, "You know, you shouldn't take the spiral staircase, right?"
Before Zalthu put his foot on the first step, he froze in his tracks. He immediately turned around and replied, "What was that? Why no stair?"
Holly's face returned to a smile as she said, "You're new here. Haydis should have told you the spiral staircase is a trick to lure in unsuspecting invaders to their deaths. If you step on it, the steps become teeth and the monster eats you alive. I am surprised nobody told you. I figured that was pretty important."
Hearing this, Zalthu turned back to the stairs. Each step was moving slightly. He took a few steps back and tossed the cheese wheel onto the steps. Just as Holly had said, the stair immediately came to life as the steps turned 90 degrees and began to devour the wheel. Within a few seconds the cheese wheel was gone, and the spiral staircase returned to normal. Zalthu cleared his throat and said, "Yes, I am surprised nobody told me." Zalthu stepped away from the stairs and returned to Holly as he asked, "Forgive me for asking, but if you can't use the stairs how do you get to the next floor?"
With another smile Holly pointed to the wall on the right. Then she said, "The real stairs are invisible. Over there. It might take a few tries to walk up and down them without tripping, but you'll get used to it."
Zalthu walked over to the wall on the right. With his hand, he felt for steps. Just as Holly had said, he found solid steps that were completely translucent. He followed the invisible steps to the bottom and started to walk up them. It was strange stepping on air. Zalthu just waved and smiled to Holly as he walked up the invisible stairs. She had saved his live without knowing it.
On the second floor, Zalthu was greeted with a different scene. Somehow without windows or lights, the room was well lite. Zalthu dismissed it as more magic spells. This floor was set up as a bedroom for all the occupants of the tower. A total of three beds separated by curtains and storage chests.
On the left bed was small with purples blankets. The bed was unmade and messy. On the nightstand was a black flamed candle with glowing green candlestick. Next to the candle was a book was titled, "Mortem of the Damned". This bed must have belonged to Tamara. Zalthu could smell the pungent black magic on every surface. On the wall nearby were hand drawn runes and demonic letter. The chalk used to write these runes was on the ground nearby. She had some clothes and a spare wooden staff on the floor and in her closet.
The second bed was neatly made with blue blankets. Everything was in order. Even the shelf of books was organized alphabetically. Zalthu read the titles, "Arcane Mastery" and "Secrets of the Elements". This was clearly Nelz's bed. He was a well-organized good person at heart. Even his things matched his personality. In his closet there were several articles of clothing, but only one caught Zalthu's eye. The white tag on the hanger said, "Enchanted Fire Resistance". Zalthu picked up the cloak and took it over to Tamara's candle. He held it over the flame to see what would happen. The fire from the candle repelled against the cloth. With a smile Zalthu said, "This could be helpful."
Zalthu held the cloak out so Valoris could see it. She smelled the cloak then nodded in approval. Zalthu threw the cloak over his shoulder and said, "That's how you have to handle these magic users. You fight fire with fire… Or fire with fire resistance."
Around the next curtain was the last bed in the room. This large bed was white with fancy headboard and night tables. Of course, it was Haydis's bed. His bed had to be bigger and better than everyone else's. Zalthu did not search around it for fear of traps. There was an altar next to Hadis's bed. Kind of odd, no one of the other beds had such a structure next to it. The stone structure seemed to shift and move as Zalthu walked around it. Zalthu pulled out his kukri and swiped it over the table. For a moment, the illusion was lifted revealing runes and a green orb. Zalthu instantly realized what it was. He waved his hands over the altar removing the illusion spell completely.
On the altar was a glowing green orb circled by mystical runes, just as Nelz had said. With one big push Zalthu flipped the altar on it back. The green orb rolled across the floor and stopped glowing. Zalthu wiped the runes off the altar and stomped on the orb shattering it into pieces. The Curse of Lassitude was lifted. Zalthu grinned knowing that back in Cantiberry, the duke was probably feeling a lot better. Zalthu had completed his mission, but there was one task left. Haydis could set up the altar again. If left alive.
Zalthu walked over to the stairs. Haydis was up there waiting for him, unless he turned into a bird and flew away. Zalthu leaned left and right trying to see what was up there. But he couldn't see anything but the roof. Zalthu kneeled down on the steps and pulled Valoris out of his bag. He whispered, "Are you ready? Despite our failures, we are still going with the plan. You know what to do right?"
Valoris nodded then looked up the stairs. When she turned back to him, she made a hand signal that Zalthu didn't understand. She pointed her little hands at Zalthu, to the stairs, then to herself, Zalthu still did not understand. He said, "I don't know what you are trying to say but don't worry. We got this. You ready?"
Valoris nodded.