Feral Mage Book 2: Chapter 39

Cadin gripped the pommel of his sword as he stood guard outside the temple. Night had set in, and the darkness frayed his nerves even more than they already were. He wished he knew what was going on. What had the Baroness so fearful.

“You’re a guard of this town. The people are looking to you,” he told himself, trying to use the words to steel his nerves.

He kept telling himself that he was on sacred ground, the domain of the Divine. This was perhaps the safest place within the town.

He drew a deep breath as he scanned the surrounding darkness, a few lanterns and torches providing scant light. Most did little but create shadows that made his skin crawl with anticipation of something stepping out of them.

The brightest he could see was the one on the city wall scaffolding. They hadn’t constructed enough to reach the section of the wall where the temple was, but Cadin could see the edge of the already built scaffolding where he was.

A guard should come to relieve me soon…

Though his replacement should have arrived at sundown.

“Undisciplined lot. An hour late for duty,” Cadin said aloud, his voice breaking the silence around him.

Movement from the shadows caught his eye, and Cadin started to pull his sword from its sheath.

“Easy Cad,” a voice called out as another guard approached. “It’s just me.”

“Damn it, man! Don’t sneak out of the shadows like that. I almost stabbed you,” Cadin scolded. “What took you so long?”

The new guard shook his head.

“They pulled me from the wall to release you. Your replacement got into a fight at the tavern and is still unconscious.”

He frowned wondering if someone had pissed off the steel rank mercenary.

The guard shook his head.

“The new recruits don’t even know how to hold a spear yet, but they sure as hell have the ego like they do. I’m ready for this farce to blow over,” he said.

Cadin arched an eyebrow.

“Farce?”

The guard nodded.

“The mayor doesn’t know what’s going on, just that the Baroness is acting off, but if you ask me, she’s been going that way for a while,” he said.

Cadin glared at him, but the guard held up his hands defensively.

“I have nothing but respect for our Baroness, but be honest with me, Cad, has she not seemed off to you since the Baron died?”

He reluctantly had to agree with that. Since the Baron passed, Baroness Julia had been more reclusive and rarely visited the town.

“She’s just a widow mourning,” he said.

The sound of a man humming caused Cadin to look up and see a dwarven man approaching with a lantern in hand. The dwarf stopped and frowned at them.

“The temple’s closed?” he asked.

Cadin gave a friendly nod to the dwarf. Still, he eyed him with suspicion.

“Yes, sorry,” Cadin answered.

“Pretty late to be seeking the Divine,” the new guard added.

The dwarf pulled out a flask, taking a deep swig as he came closer. Cadin rested his hand on the pommel of his sword, but the dwarf didn’t react.

“You’d seek the Divine too, if you had the dream I just did. A blond woman with the wings of a drake and fire-red eyes,” the dwarf said, shaking his head. “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

The guard chuckled.

“Not the kind of woman I dream of,” he said.

Cadin’s lips thinned as he nodded.

“Second time today I’ve heard someone mention a monster like that. The first thought was that it was just a rumor he heard from Witchbrook,” he answered.

The dwarf took another swig of his flask and held it out to them.

“Is the fella still here? I’d like to talk to him,” the dwarf said, shaking the flask so the liquid inside sloshed around.

Cadin was about to refuse the offer when his replacement smiled and took the flask.

“Damn, that burns,” the guard said, handing the flask back to the dwarf, who let out a laugh.

“I know, right? I picked it up from a brewer over in Deathridge. It’s a chip on my pride as a dwarf to admit that some human brewed better hootch than what we’ve got in the mountains, but that ain’t going to keep me from drinking it.”

The dwarf held it out to Cadin again, and this time he partook. The burn almost made his eyes water, but he had to admit the flavor was good. Did they use maple barrels for aging?

“That is a good whiskey,” Cadin admitted.

The dwarf nodded before taking the flask back.

“So, about the man who has seen the winged lass?” he asked.

“He just said it was rumors, but I believe he’s staying at the inn. He’s a mercenary, so I doubt he’ll stay in town long,” Cadin answered.

“Well now, he’s a brother in trade then. I’m a mercenary myself,” the dwarf said with a laugh. “Perhaps we’ll end up swapping old war stories over a pint.”

Cadin’s brows furrowed as he looked for the metal dog tags mercenaries wore, only to see none around the dwarf’s neck. He thought it was odd, but he knew only a little about their guild.

“Thank you, lads,” the dwarf said as he turned and walked away. “Both of you seem like right fellas.”

The dwarf let out a whistle as he stepped back into the darkness, the glow of his lantern swinging with his steps.

“Right fellas indeed,” the dwarf called back.

Cadin heard laughter, almost like a giggle, come from the darkness.

Slowly, from the shadows, a large dog-like creature stepped into the light. Its fur was spotted, and it almost seemed to grin at them with its jagged teeth as it stood on its hind legs.

Cadin’s hand started to pull his sword free when he heard a crack and felt warm liquid splatter on his skin. He glanced at the guard beside him, only to see another one of the dog monsters. The beast’s jaws were clamped down on the guard’s head, crushing it. The man died without even a scream.

Cadin managed a small one before he met the same fate as the other guard.

Thea

Thea smelled the smoke of the incense as she sat in the large chalk circle drawn on the floor of the temple, the statues of the Divine encircling her as the priestess chanted. Baroness Julia stood not far, a worried look on her face. She had kept the same one for the last few hours, and Thea was sure the Baroness had added a few more wrinkles to her forehead. Her eyes landed on the bandages wrapped around the older woman’s arms, a bit of guilt sinking in at how badly Thea’s claws had cut her.

The priestess finished casting her spell, and a warm blue light encompassed Thea. She felt her body become warm… and then nothing.

“Another failure,” Baroness Julia said, a pitiful look on her face.

The priestess shook her head as she stood up from the circle. The old woman stretched as she did, and Thea heard her joints pop.

“This is an…odd case, my Baroness,” the priestess said, frowning. “I’m afraid this is beyond my ability.”

The priestess had stated as much three times in various ways since they arrived in the temple two days ago. Baroness Julia did what she always did when the priestess said this.

“Keep trying. I owe Lady Thea my life, and I will do everything in my power to ensure she gets healed,” the Baroness said.

Thea gave a sad smile to the woman. Even when the Baroness learned the truth about what Thea was, she was still kind to her.

“Brook or even Witchbrook would have more capable healers than myself,” the priestess said.

Baroness Julia shook her head.

“We can’t travel, not yet. That monster will be looking for us,” she said, her voice quivering.

Monster was what Baroness Julia had started to refer to Thea’s uncle as, a term she felt was fitting. Apparently, Count Garland had invited her for a drink, only to drug her and take her to the wine cellar. Once there, Harold had started to cut into her chest. When she awoke, she fought back and escaped into the garden. Whatever the Baroness saw in the wine cellar, she refused to tell Thea about it. She would usually turn pale, shake her head and refuse to speak. Other times, she would break down crying, becoming a sobbing mess.

When they had made their escape from the hedge maze, Thea flew for several miles before the Baroness calmed down enough to speak to her. When she finally did, she guided Thea to her towerhouse and, once there, began giving her guards instructions to set up defenses.

“Please, there must be something else you can try?” Baroness Julia asked.

Thea looked down at her dress, still stained with the Baroness’s blood. She had felt the monsters inside her stir as she carried the woman, the iron scent from her wounds enticing them. How long did she have before they tried to take her over again? They hadn’t felt this restless in some time, and Thea worried as her thoughts ran wild. Had Harold done something to keep the monsters at bay?

She thought about how their souls seemed to retreat at his touch. That should have been her first clue that something was wrong. It was like the monsters were even afraid of that man. She looked at the chains in the corner of the room, something she had requested the Baroness bring in case Thea started to lose herself again.

The Baroness had refused her request, at least until Thea told her what had happened with Prince Vance. She thought the woman would look at her with disgust or fear, but instead Baroness Julia embraced her, and told her it wasn’t her fault.

Thea’s eyes widened as a faint scent appeared over the incense. A putrid scent of death, one she recognized.

“Quiet,” Thea hissed, fear in her voice.

The Baroness and Priestess stopped their conversation and stared at her in confusion. The Baroness looked as if she were about to speak, but Thea shook her head, her eyes wide as the scent grew closer.

She could hear the muffled voices of the guard and two others outside the temple. Their tone was cheerful and calm, but the scent was there, the scent that meant death. Then she heard it, a scream that ended abruptly.

The Baroness and Priestess paled at the sound as their confusion shifted to worry. Thankfully, they stayed quiet.

A new smell appeared with the putrid one she had smelled. The monsters’ souls inside her stirred at this scent, craving it. Thea hated how it made her mouth water and created an ache in her stomach. The smell of blood filled the air.

“There are gnolls inside the town,” Thea said softly. “My uncle’s mercenaries are here.”