two voices. One belonged to the High Priest, the other to another male.
“Varian, you miserable slug,” a calm voice said. “Where did you hide the dagger? I know it is here. The book told me so. Is it in your room? Is it with your winged beast?”
“I am not telling you anything," Varian said with pure contempt in his voice. "Just get it over with. Have your petty revenge for your daughter’s timely death.”
“Listen, you tub of fart lard. I am going to ask one last time. Where did you put the dagger?”
“Somewhere you will never think to look, you elven vermin.”
The elf's voice remained calm. “You can talk, or we can do this another way.”
“Ha. After what the witch said, you’ve got nothing.”
“I am going to count to three.”
I glanced at Emily and motioned to her that I wanted to break down the door, but she remained still, her eyes betraying her hesitation.
“One.”
Knowing that it was foolish to play with the priest’s life, I gently pushed Emily away. She gave me a nod and moved aside as I got ready.
“Tw… what is that bulge on the side of your robe?”
I kicked the door in, rushed into the room, and came face to face with an elf holding a kitchen knife over the High Priest’s throat. The latter was sprawled across the table with a spilled bag of jewels and coins at his side.
A black book, missing half its pages and front cover, dangled on a vine from the silver-haired elf's waist, right next to a small crossbow. The sole cover of the battered book suppressed the corruption but small tendrils escaped from the missing side of the book.
I pinched my nose at the overpowering stench of corruption. The elf glanced at me, and I recognized him as Mafis, the thief from the wanted poster, dressed in ragged robes.
With a grin on his face, Mafis slid the kitchen knife into Varian’s neck. "Thank you."
In response blood gurgled from Varian's mouth and spurted from his neck, spraying the elf's face.
The high priest's head slumped to his side and his glassy eyes staring at me, unblinking and unmoving, sending chills down my wings.
As I stood frozen, the elf tossed the knife away, reached into the priest’s robes, and pulled out an ivory dagger. Raising the weapon against the flame of a large fireplace, he smiled. “Perfect.”
Emily burst into the room, the orb of her staff glowing bright with magic. "Stop where you are, Narius. I got this."
Knowing Emily's lack of knowledge about the Grimoire, I moved in front of her and blocked her view. Then I took a hesitant step towards the elf.
The thief, with confidence in his eyes, sheathed the dagger by placing it against the vines around his waist. Roots slithered and swallowed the blade, securing it in place. Then the elf leaned over next to the dagger and pulled out the small crossbow. With the weapon aimed at me, he waved the Grimoire, smiling. “You want this, don't you?”
Though I knew the weapon didn’t pose a threat against my armor, I readied myself to summon a halberd when the Codex vibrated. Narius, wait. We can’t assume that he knows the true use for the Grimoire. Especially with half of the book missing. For all he knows, that old hag is just something he carries around because he is amused by her out-of-date advice about seducing the opposite sex.
Taking her wise words to heart, I pushed down my desire to disarm him and forced a smile. “Can I have the book?”
“No.”
"Please?"
"No."
“Why?”
“Because it’s not mine.”
I nodded, eyeing Emily's subtle movement to my side, readying herself to attack. “But it still needs to be destroyed.”
“Too bad. I need it to summon the demon.”
My wings twitched. "What? You know about—"
“Now.” The book burst open at the elf’s command. Dark smoke erupted from it and billowed toward us.
Emily stood her ground, oblivious to the threat before her.
I shoved Emily to the side.
The corruption slammed into me, throwing me back and pinning me against the
“Varian, you miserable slug,” a calm voice said. “Where did you hide the dagger? I know it is here. The book told me so. Is it in your room? Is it with your winged beast?”
“I am not telling you anything," Varian said with pure contempt in his voice. "Just get it over with. Have your petty revenge for your daughter’s timely death.”
“Listen, you tub of fart lard. I am going to ask one last time. Where did you put the dagger?”
“Somewhere you will never think to look, you elven vermin.”
The elf's voice remained calm. “You can talk, or we can do this another way.”
“Ha. After what the witch said, you’ve got nothing.”
“I am going to count to three.”
I glanced at Emily and motioned to her that I wanted to break down the door, but she remained still, her eyes betraying her hesitation.
“One.”
Knowing that it was foolish to play with the priest’s life, I gently pushed Emily away. She gave me a nod and moved aside as I got ready.
“Tw… what is that bulge on the side of your robe?”
I kicked the door in, rushed into the room, and came face to face with an elf holding a kitchen knife over the High Priest’s throat. The latter was sprawled across the table with a spilled bag of jewels and coins at his side.
A black book, missing half its pages and front cover, dangled on a vine from the silver-haired elf's waist, right next to a small crossbow. The sole cover of the battered book suppressed the corruption but small tendrils escaped from the missing side of the book.
I pinched my nose at the overpowering stench of corruption. The elf glanced at me, and I recognized him as Mafis, the thief from the wanted poster, dressed in ragged robes.
With a grin on his face, Mafis slid the kitchen knife into Varian’s neck. "Thank you."
In response blood gurgled from Varian's mouth and spurted from his neck, spraying the elf's face.
The high priest's head slumped to his side and his glassy eyes staring at me, unblinking and unmoving, sending chills down my wings.
As I stood frozen, the elf tossed the knife away, reached into the priest’s robes, and pulled out an ivory dagger. Raising the weapon against the flame of a large fireplace, he smiled. “Perfect.”
Emily burst into the room, the orb of her staff glowing bright with magic. "Stop where you are, Narius. I got this."
Knowing Emily's lack of knowledge about the Grimoire, I moved in front of her and blocked her view. Then I took a hesitant step towards the elf.
The thief, with confidence in his eyes, sheathed the dagger by placing it against the vines around his waist. Roots slithered and swallowed the blade, securing it in place. Then the elf leaned over next to the dagger and pulled out the small crossbow. With the weapon aimed at me, he waved the Grimoire, smiling. “You want this, don't you?”
Though I knew the weapon didn’t pose a threat against my armor, I readied myself to summon a halberd when the Codex vibrated. Narius, wait. We can’t assume that he knows the true use for the Grimoire. Especially with half of the book missing. For all he knows, that old hag is just something he carries around because he is amused by her out-of-date advice about seducing the opposite sex.
Taking her wise words to heart, I pushed down my desire to disarm him and forced a smile. “Can I have the book?”
“No.”
"Please?"
"No."
“Why?”
“Because it’s not mine.”
I nodded, eyeing Emily's subtle movement to my side, readying herself to attack. “But it still needs to be destroyed.”
“Too bad. I need it to summon the demon.”
My wings twitched. "What? You know about—"
“Now.” The book burst open at the elf’s command. Dark smoke erupted from it and billowed toward us.
Emily stood her ground, oblivious to the threat before her.
I shoved Emily to the side.
The corruption slammed into me, throwing me back and pinning me against the
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