Doll on us."
The urgency of our quest hit Jiki full force
since our arrival. The Rusalka grabbed me and Leo by the wrist.
Diana followed along by default.
"There's a s-s-shortcut to Purilo's from
here," she said, leading us through a crevasse hidden behind a veil
of moss. Glow worms hung from high shelves in the stone, basking
the hall in an eery blue light. "Tell him about K-Koronos. He
s-should help free of c-charge."
"Purilo has a score to settle with him too?"
Diana asked. I heard the incredulous smile in her voice. "I thought
he just hated everyone equally."
"He was s-s-stupid enough to s-strike a deal
with him," Jiki spat. "Teach me Alchemy, he s-said! What does he
have to s-show for it? A hand made of s-s-solid gold, his middle
finger out and c-cast in precious metal for the world to
s-see."
"That's pretty epic, actually," Leo whispered
to me. I bit back a smile, but a glance at Diana told me we weren't
the only ones who found this funny.
The tunnel stretched for nearly a quarter of a
mile, leading farther and farther from the heart of Krisenburg.
This Purilo character really liked his privacy.
We heard the sound of rushing water as we
approached the final bend, coming by a waterfall. Jiki and Diana
took the lead, passing through the curtain. Leo and I followed
dutifully, startled to find that we were completely dry on the
other side.
"Oh MY-" Diana balked. Everyone turned to the
nearest wall, where we similarly did a double-take. The wall was
overtaken by the silhouette of a giant phallus.
In response to Diana's voice, it jerked,
disappearing a moment later. We turned around to see a- well...
nothing.
"Diana?!" It was a male
voice. Leo and I craned our necks and watched as an incredibly
short figure appeared from a neighboring hall. "I heard a rumor
that you were back, but I didn't think you actually-!" He fixed his
beady eyes on the Rusalka in our midst, his elderly face contorting
into one of acute displeasure. " Jiki ."
"Purilo," she responded. "Diana isn't your
only guest. This is Leo and Marvin; they c-came all the way from
Nethermount."
"Necromancers?" Purilo asked, his voice raised
in mild interest. He surveyed the two of us, finally stopping at
Diana, where he kissed the back of her hand. "No matter. It's been
ages, my dear."
"I'm afraid we aren't here for pleasantries,"
Diana remarked, offering a slightly uncomfortable smile. "Koronos
is giving us a bit of trouble. We were hoping you'd be able to
enchant our gear before we set off for the Salamander
Nest."
"KORONOS?" Purilo's eyes, a startling shade of
amber, burst into fiery life. "That EVIL, SCHEMING, TWO-TIMING
BASTARD!"
"Demons c-can only prey upon the
s-shortcomings of others," Jiki said nonchalantly. "Blame your own
greed."
"Don't make me get my mop you overgrown
puddle," he muttered. Purilo returned his attention to Diana while
walking beneath a curtain to an adjoining chamber. He waved behind
for us to follow him into this office setting. "Salamander Nest,
you say. So you're after the Eyes?"
"That's our main objective, yes," Diana
said.
Purilo eyed me and Leo sharply.
"Featherweight and Glacial Touch."
"What?" I asked.
"The enchantments you'll need if you want to
last a day in the Nest," he sighed exasperatedly. "Now give me that
damn armor before I change my mind!"
It was the first time I saw Leo flustered; I
was already so accustomed to being yelled at that I didn't respond
over half the time to new commands. We stripped into our
underclothes, handing the little man our gear. Diana did the same
with her chest piece.
"There's food in the larder," Purilo said,
pulling on a set of goggles. "I can see you're in a rush, and I
need to get started if you want to leave in the next hour. Leave
me."
One by one we filed out of the room, following
Jiki who seemed to be a common visitor in this hermit's lair. But
before I could touch the curtain I felt an invisible force blocking
my way; the familiar sensation of static told me magic was
The urgency of our quest hit Jiki full force
since our arrival. The Rusalka grabbed me and Leo by the wrist.
Diana followed along by default.
"There's a s-s-shortcut to Purilo's from
here," she said, leading us through a crevasse hidden behind a veil
of moss. Glow worms hung from high shelves in the stone, basking
the hall in an eery blue light. "Tell him about K-Koronos. He
s-should help free of c-charge."
"Purilo has a score to settle with him too?"
Diana asked. I heard the incredulous smile in her voice. "I thought
he just hated everyone equally."
"He was s-s-stupid enough to s-strike a deal
with him," Jiki spat. "Teach me Alchemy, he s-said! What does he
have to s-show for it? A hand made of s-s-solid gold, his middle
finger out and c-cast in precious metal for the world to
s-see."
"That's pretty epic, actually," Leo whispered
to me. I bit back a smile, but a glance at Diana told me we weren't
the only ones who found this funny.
The tunnel stretched for nearly a quarter of a
mile, leading farther and farther from the heart of Krisenburg.
This Purilo character really liked his privacy.
We heard the sound of rushing water as we
approached the final bend, coming by a waterfall. Jiki and Diana
took the lead, passing through the curtain. Leo and I followed
dutifully, startled to find that we were completely dry on the
other side.
"Oh MY-" Diana balked. Everyone turned to the
nearest wall, where we similarly did a double-take. The wall was
overtaken by the silhouette of a giant phallus.
In response to Diana's voice, it jerked,
disappearing a moment later. We turned around to see a- well...
nothing.
"Diana?!" It was a male
voice. Leo and I craned our necks and watched as an incredibly
short figure appeared from a neighboring hall. "I heard a rumor
that you were back, but I didn't think you actually-!" He fixed his
beady eyes on the Rusalka in our midst, his elderly face contorting
into one of acute displeasure. " Jiki ."
"Purilo," she responded. "Diana isn't your
only guest. This is Leo and Marvin; they c-came all the way from
Nethermount."
"Necromancers?" Purilo asked, his voice raised
in mild interest. He surveyed the two of us, finally stopping at
Diana, where he kissed the back of her hand. "No matter. It's been
ages, my dear."
"I'm afraid we aren't here for pleasantries,"
Diana remarked, offering a slightly uncomfortable smile. "Koronos
is giving us a bit of trouble. We were hoping you'd be able to
enchant our gear before we set off for the Salamander
Nest."
"KORONOS?" Purilo's eyes, a startling shade of
amber, burst into fiery life. "That EVIL, SCHEMING, TWO-TIMING
BASTARD!"
"Demons c-can only prey upon the
s-shortcomings of others," Jiki said nonchalantly. "Blame your own
greed."
"Don't make me get my mop you overgrown
puddle," he muttered. Purilo returned his attention to Diana while
walking beneath a curtain to an adjoining chamber. He waved behind
for us to follow him into this office setting. "Salamander Nest,
you say. So you're after the Eyes?"
"That's our main objective, yes," Diana
said.
Purilo eyed me and Leo sharply.
"Featherweight and Glacial Touch."
"What?" I asked.
"The enchantments you'll need if you want to
last a day in the Nest," he sighed exasperatedly. "Now give me that
damn armor before I change my mind!"
It was the first time I saw Leo flustered; I
was already so accustomed to being yelled at that I didn't respond
over half the time to new commands. We stripped into our
underclothes, handing the little man our gear. Diana did the same
with her chest piece.
"There's food in the larder," Purilo said,
pulling on a set of goggles. "I can see you're in a rush, and I
need to get started if you want to leave in the next hour. Leave
me."
One by one we filed out of the room, following
Jiki who seemed to be a common visitor in this hermit's lair. But
before I could touch the curtain I felt an invisible force blocking
my way; the familiar sensation of static told me magic was
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