The Temple of the Witch
The Temple of the Witch
When Zamara, who was the wayward rebel daughter of the mighty tyrant King Istrogar rode into the wealthy city of Kaldoria at the base of the Serpentine Mountains on a beautiful chestnut-colored stallion she was proudly sporting a curved-saber blade in a scabbard strapped to her back and her heart was pounding with a fierce intensity. Hence her tall curvaceous body was covered in a girdled scarlet knee-length tunic. To add to this, she wore an engraved sable-leather body armor that tightly covered her torso and black long-strapped sandals, which wrapped around her shins and calf muscles. As for her hair, it was long, and silky-blond. Moreover, it was straight and reached down to her firm, ample breasts. Thus her dark-sultry eyes were piercingly confident. Expressing as they did, a fiery, tempestuous nature. Yet a nature that was intelligent and wise nonetheless.
Then at a certain moment, the blond thief suddenly decided to halt her spirited horse with a good pull of the reins, for it came to a shrieking standstill at a point along a straight, wide, unpaved cart track on the western edge of the city. Now swiftly, in one continuous movement she dismounted and slid lithely from the saddle onto the ground and strutted along the dirt with her sandalled feet whilst peering around her immediate vicinity with the reins in her right hand. Afterwards, Zamara tied the magnificent stallion to a wooden post and walked in the direction of a brightly lit tavern on the other side of the cart track. It was called The Tavern of the Four Winds.
Inside, it seemed a lively looking place on first inspection, because it had an air of excitement and danger, which is what she sought most. And immediately upon entering, there came the pungent-aromatic odor of drink, sweat, and perfume perfectly mingled. Yet the sound inside was deafeningly noisy. Thus the interior had dozens of people crowded about throughout its entire length. Some were talking and laughing, some arguing, though most of them were drunk and excited. Moreover, on a hearth, below a chimney, a big fat roast pig was glistening above a fire, and its juices of fat were falling and making crackling noises upon the flames. Moreover, the tempting aroma emanating from it was highly pleasing to her sense of smell. “Hey! come and sit next to me,” said a scruffy, sullen looking man seated at one of the rough tables.
Quickly, she noticed, on glancing around, that the uncouth man was directing his words at her. So Zamara, in response, gave him a sneer of obvious disgust, and then walked to the bar to order a goblet of spicy-dark wine, which she tenderly sipped whilst looking more closely at the roaring roisterers, creeps, thieves and whatever else was in that loud, tumultuous semi-dark atmosphere. Nevertheless, her eyes gravitated towards a sweet young woman with brunette hair, blue eyes, and a sexy body, who had fine features and that was cozily sitting at a table with a few people, while casually giggling and generally having a good time amid the bustle of the place. So even though the daughter of the tyrant king was certainly attracted to both men and women alike, she in fact, preferred the company of flirtatious women more. For in her eyes, life was too wild and sordid to warrant that shame should ruin her enjoyment of whatever pleasures took her fancy.
Hence, she confidently approached the seated woman, and sat next to her, saying, “Well, the gods must be truly gifted, for I have never seen, in all my life, a lady so beautiful as you. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Ah, I’ll drink whatever you’re having,” replied the young woman, bashfully.
“Wonderful! I’m going to get you a goblet of dark-spicy wine from the bar. Don’t go anywhere!”
“Mmm, lovely, I look forward to it . . . what’s your name?”
“My name is Zamara,” she said, then went to the bar and bought another drink, and eventually came back to the table with a goblet of wine for the seated brunette, asking, “What do they call you?”
“Oh, it’s Eriswyn.”
“Hmm, it sounds so pretty and delightful. I like it,” said Zamara.
Thus Eriswyn was wearing a sumptuous purple dress with pictures of wild crimson flowers with emerald green stems that were neatly embroidered on its soft surface in fine quality threads. The needlework looked exceptional. Her father, a wealthy and successful merchant, was a trader that dealt in fish sauce, spices, silks and numerous other exotic commodities. His name, by her account, was Mitrodius, and he lived in a large marble house in the center of the city. Moreover, it had a magnificent tiled floor, mosaics, and frescoes, as well as many other interesting features, including a beautiful fountain in the garden, which occasionally birds would come and sit upon.
Now, The Tavern of the Four Winds was a place that Eriswyn frequently visited, and a place in which she would come to unwind without worrying too much about wealth or position. Hence, all kinds of people went there. In other words, everyone seemed equally accepted in this tavern, as they were free to mingle and conjoin irrespective of the world and its endless problems.
“Do you know of any people with rooms that charge a good price in Kaldoria?” asked Zamara, casually.
“Yes, I do, and I can take you to one after we’ve finished our drinks,” said Eriswyn. Her eyes were aglow with gregarious enthusiasm.
“How far is it?”
“Well, we must walk through a few paths and other areas to get there. But I don’t mind taking you. If you like, later we can talk about all the different things related to it along the way,” said Eriswyn.
Thus moving physically closer to the object of her attraction, Zamara tenderly looked more deeply into Eriswyn’s beautiful pale-blue eyes in the crisp semi-darkness of the candlelit room, and they spoke to each other for a long period of time and sipped their goblets of wine only occasionally until it was twilight. However, the horse was now neighing outside impatiently on the cart track. For it was waiting for its owner to come back and give it some attention. Indeed, when talking, the two inside the tavern had lost all track of time completely. It was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist as they were speaking. Neither did it matter to them, as both had found a real emotional connection.
“Are you ready to show me the place with a room, yet?” insisted Zamara, clearly wanting to get up from the chair. Then when she rose from the seat, her body language towards Eriswyn was tactful and gentle, because she felt totally entranced by the brunette's personality and beauty.
“Alright, let’s go!” suggested the daughter of Mitrodius, when getting up.
They soon headed towards the doorway and walked through it into the main airy cart track outside. Now the twilight of orange and azure was glowing in the distance above, and to the right, there were some dark clouds obscuring the many glittering stars illuminating the depths of the brilliant atmosphere of the sky.
“Wait a moment, my horse is over there. I need to get it,” said Zamara. In any case, she was a thief, and a rather good one, but she did not want Eriswyn to find this out. In fact, her whole reason for being in Kaldoria at all, was to go on stealing ventures throughout the city, and hopefully bag some glistening gems. Therefore the blond thief crossed to the other side of the pathway to get her trusty horse. In turn, it made a faint, though distinct neighing sound when approached, like it was pleased. Furthermore, she quickly fed it a turnip from her leather saddlebag, and then untied its reins from the wooden post that it was attached to. In addition, Zamara walked the horse across to where her new companion was standing.
“Come on, we can take that route over there,” said Eriswyn, when pointing in a direction that went off from the main one. Hence it was a route that seemed winding, narrow, and led towards the southeast.
Shortly thereafter, the two headed towards the path Eriswyn had indicated and they spoke whilst walking. Meanwhile some of the male inhabitants of Kaldoria looked at them with lustful attraction, for it was difficult for any red-blooded mortal to resist these luscious beauties in the prime of their bloom. However, the horse got confused at times when making its way through the route with them, because it did not really know where it was being taken. Yet it relied on its instincts. In fact, Zamara’s stallion, which she had stolen from her father’s stables three years earlier, was called Brythulix.
Soon the pathway gradually inclined uphill the farther they got. Moreover, along it there were numerous ghostly-dark and semi-silent alleys and lanes that passed to the east and west that cut across its entire length. There were also so many places one could hide, or get lost in, within this mysterious, shadowy city after dark. And certainly at this time in the evening, plenty of people were still bustling around relaxedly, going about their daily lives. Of course, Eriswyn seemed to be a good, reliable guide, because she was a native of Kaldoria, and knew the place extremely well. So when the pair reached a narrower lane farther along, which passed through the main southeast pathway that they were on, she told Zamara that they had to enter it, and go in an easterly direction. The ground on this narrower lane was level, and it was not so inclined as the pathway they were still on, and about to leave. Subsequently, the walk along this narrower lane was very long. Hence The Serpentine Mountains sat majestically to the northeast, appearing very dark against the starry evening sky. Now there was also a strong scent of flowers as they continued walking until finally they reached the edge of an old market square with many ancient, twisted, primal trees with rugged weathered boughs, and numerous people congregated throughout it. Indeed, some were eating, some sipped on drinks, others kissed, a few were arguing, and plenty were doing other things in the brooding gloom of that antiquated area.
“What direction is it from here?” asked the blond thief. She was stroking Eriswyn’s arm affectionately.
Immediately the brunette pointed towards the northeast, saying, “It’s this way. We need to pass through the market.”
Thus with enthusiasm, the two went in the direction that the daughter of Mitrodius had pointed at, which meant having to pass through the old market square. Therefore they strolled through and got to the other side. Here the land dipped downwards somewhat to the left, where there was a little woodland setting with trees, sweet smelling bushes and wildlife creatures, including a few chained leopards. Then both of them passed alongside it, moving to the right in the direction of an open area, which was bordered by more lanes that went into the distance. And after this, Eriswyn told Zamara what lane was the right one for them to enter, which they did, for it led to the east. Hence it was crowded with craftspeople and artisans of all types busily working away on wood and metal, as well as other materials. For many blacksmiths forged and banged on red-hot metal objects of different designs upon their anvils with heavy hammers. There was a chaotic, deafening, cacophony of sounds.
However, the two felt a strong urge to pass through this lane as soon as possible. So did Brythulix. It seemed somewhat unsettling to the senses. Then quickly moving along, and now having already passed through this noisy area, they reached a small public square full of produce stalls, which was animated and had numerous people casually talking with one another in a relaxed fashion. In addition, plenty of people were also seated at outdoor tables – eating and drinking joyfully. There was a strong smell of red wine. Also, many of those people seemed highly amorous.
“It’s in this direction, and soon we will be there,” said Eriswyn, as she indicated the route to her new companion. Hence the daughter of Mitrodius appeared excited, for the two of them continued on, passing across the public square, and heading towards a straight partially-illuminated lane. Furthermore, they walked along its length for a moderate distance, until finally, Eriswyn pointed to the left, and said, “Where here, in this place you can usually get a decent room for a fair price.”
Immediately Zamara began knocking on the old sturdy wooden door, and a few moments passed without the two hearing anything. But suddenly, and with a sense of eagerness, a sound of moving feet dragging on the floor appeared deep within the building. For shortly after, the door opened partially and a middle-aged man of average height with milky-gray eyes and pallid skin, who was brandishing a lantern, showed his face in the opening to greet them. In addition, he also had a mustache, and a sleepy, taciturn expression.
“Can I help you?” he asked, when talking through the doorway.
“Greetings, I hear you have some rooms to rent. Is that true?” said Zamara.
“Yes, it is – come on in.”
Now the thief quickly tied her horse to a wooden post nearby that served this purpose and entered the threshold of the building’s open door into its interior. Thus her face looked to the right, then up, and around when eyeing this unfamiliar atmosphere. And Eriswyn also walked in, closing the door quietly behind her.
“So would you like a room in the front, or at the back?” asked the man, looking at Zamara, and lightly scratching the side of his forehead, near the temple.
“I want one at the front.”
“Come on, I’ll show you where it is,” he said, whilst heading in the direction of the stairs.
The building had a wooden framework of a fine quality, as well as plaster walls painted in pale-beige, and its look was clean and homely, for this man seemed to take pride in his room-renting profession. In the meantime, the three made their way to the base of the stairs and soon started ascending until they approached the first floor landing, which all of them now presently stepped onto in quick succession.
“We need to go up another floor,” said the landlord, slightly out of breath.
He paused for a moment, and then continued walking up. Afterwards, when all three had made their way to the second landing, the man pointed to a door on the right and went towards it, motioning them to follow him. They did, and when going inside the room, Zamara noticed a square, grayish-brown table in the center, and it had two stools on either side. Moreover, to its north, a medium-sized bed with a burgundy blanket made of a rough and heavy material was positioned next to the wall.
“Good, it looks fine, I’m happy with it,” asserted the blond thief. She looked pleased.
“How long will you stay?” said the man, thinking about how much money he could possibly make.
“Well, several days at least, I think.”
“How many, to be precise?”
“It depends on how much I enjoy my stay here, in Kaldoria,” remarked Zamara.
“I charge ten Pelestas a day,” the landlord said.
“That’s fine, I’ll take the room.”
Then the man gave his guest a key to the front door and proceeded to light the lantern that was on the table. A brief instant later, he left the room. Following this, the new occupant looked into the eyes of the brunette, and said, “You and I, Eriswyn, we have an attraction to each other. Let us not be apart this evening. Be with me, so I can warm you with my body.”
“Oh, kiss me, kiss me now!” said Eriswyn, and her arms were now outstretched in a gesture of openness. Thus they kissed, hugged, and spoke at the table for a brief spell. Later they went to a produce stall to buy and eat food from a fine quality merchant in the nearby public square. However, a romantic walk through the many different bazaars that littered the city succeeded the meal. Yet in time, both of them made their way back to Zamara’s room. It was midnight by then, and the beautiful half-crescent moon sat luminously in the sky. Hence the two peered at it through the window before undressing to get in bed. Indeed, later on that night, the daughter of king Istrogar caressed the thigh of her lover, saying, “Many times I have thought of being with someone like you, and of the pleasure it would bring. And now I have it. The two of us, we have passion. Now we can make the cruel and ruthless world give us what we want!”
“Ah, the gods are truly mysterious. We must both find a way to understand them. That is how, I think, we might have a chance of succeeding in anything we do,” said Eriswyn.
“Ha! the gods, who knows if they even exist! But you, and the warmth of your body. That, I know, is a thing I would kill or die to protect.”
“Why do you not believe in the gods?” asked the daughter of Mitrodius.
“Well, my life has been difficult. For I have spent many days and nights alone. And at times, I have cursed the very idea that any gods could allow me to endure the pitiless hardships of my earlier years. I do not really think that the gods exist, except in fables,” said Zamara. Her face looked pained.
“What exactly happened to make you feel this way?”
“It’s a long story, and far too upsetting to describe.”
“Please tell me something about your hardships. I want to know,” persisted Eriswyn.
“Damn! it’s my father that bothers me, he’s evil, and all the misery of my life begins with him.”
"Who’s your father?"
“He’s king Istrogar. One of the cruelest and vilest men walking the earth,” answered Zamara, with a look of anguish.
“Ah, these are strange times. Maybe you are destined for better things without him. Be patient, because I’m sure the gods will one day show you a sign of many good things to come,” remarked the native of Kaldoria.
“I’ve found my destiny. And it’s to overthrow my father’s kingdom. No demons or sorcerers in all of hell will be able to save him from my wrath. He is a doomed man.”
“Hey! Zamara, please do not be too angry.”
“I spoke like that to make you understand my pain, because I could tell you had faith in something. Some kind of justice.”
“Do not fret too much, and try to understand the gods better. You will not regret it,” said Eriswyn.
“I will try, but do not expect any miracles.”
Hence they fell asleep embracing, and in the morning when the rays of the sun illuminated the awakening city, Zamara went downstairs and fed Brythulix some vegetables she had purchased at a produce stall the evening before. Indeed, he now looked extremely pleased to see her, due to his wild, and highly spirited movements. Of course, she never really worried about anyone stealing him, for whenever this was attempted, he would either resist them by making a lot of noise, or by going completely wild, or by kicking them. Afterwards, the couple breakfasted on meat, bread and fruit at the table.
Now Eriswyn wanted to take her new lover to see her family home in the center of Kaldoria. Therefore the two went downstairs. Then soon after having gone through the front door to the lane outside, Zamara decided to bring Brythulix with them, because he clearly needed the exercise, and they all walked along the lane in an easterly direction (which is to the left when you leave the front of the building) until eventually reaching the first main pathway going southwards. So they all turned and walked onto the main pathway south. It extended for a great distance into the hazy horizon. And the route included plenty of wonderful sights to behold, as well as numerous interesting characters walking or standing around in particular areas. Moreover, these areas that they saw had stalls with produce and animals in wooden pens, as well as places where building materials were stacked and where wagons full of merchandise sat, and also where horses for hire could be found.
“Please, give me food, Surbos, I am hungry!” said a pathetic malnutritioned boy to a swarthy looking man at a bread stall.
“Go away! I have no food for the likes of you. And anything I have left over, is for my dogs tonight!” said the man, angrily. He also waved his hands in the air, furiously.
After that, Zamara saw a middle-aged woman with leathery skin and turquoise pantaloons selling little birds in neat wooden cages. Some of them were of a very bright, luminous color. They chirped endlessly into the surrounding air. Subsequently, plenty of children, especially young girls, congregated near this woman.
Above all, Kaldoria was a sublime, prosperous, and ancient city. Hence it was famously known for its remarkable schools of architecture. In addition to this, it had nine prominent hills. Yet it also contained many caverns and grottos, where an array of orgies and feasts occurred. In fact, the revelers at these gatherings wore wreaths of many kinds of flowers, and they also carried baskets of fruit, which were tokens to honor the gods that presided over all carnal pursuits. Indeed, some of these gods were horned and bestial. Also, a great quantity of sculptures of different gods could be found around the city.
Thus when Eriswyn and Zamara were making their way to the center of Kaldoria along the main pathway, its many public buildings and other sights could finally be seen after that long walk leading there. Then the exact direction they needed to take to get to the house of Mitrodius soon occupied both their minds. And this, of course, brought them into the heart of the most wealthy area, and was where the dominant people that made the important decisions in Kaldoria spent a great deal of their money on public works. Moreover, the most dominant people here were an oligarchy of hereditary families that could trace back their ancestors to the murky dawn of the city’s distant and primitive past, since it was a past that meant a great deal to them, because according to their records, it was a very illustrious one that contained numerous events which were both miraculous and sublime in nature.
“Oh my! All my life so far has gone by, and I have never seen such fine architecture such as this,” remarked Zamara. Her expression was one of awe-inspired astonishment at what she was seeing.
“Yes, and it only gets better, you’ll see!” said Eriswyn, excitedly.
“Come on! Let’s take a look over there,” suggested the daughter of the tyrant king.
“Fine. But we shouldn’t take too long, because I want you to see where I live.”
In the meantime, they walked in the direction of a beautiful building that had captured Zamara’s attention. Hence the building itself, appeared to have a courtyard surrounding it, which one could see from peering over the outer wall, and the outer wall had a front doorway. Moreover, the front doorway had a pointed dome of limestone on top of it, and much of the surface of the outer doorway, the outer wall, and the building itself was beautifully carved with scenes from history and mythology. In fact, the two stood in front of it for a brief spell, admiring the carvings. Afterwards, having walked away from the building they had looked at, Eriswyn wanted her strong willed lover to see some of the places she adored and knew so well in the center of the city. Some of these places were temples, others were areas where merchants sold their splendid goods.
Then eventually the pair reached the house of Mitrodius, and the strikingly splendid structure of the wealthy merchant was made of pure white-solid marble. Nonetheless, it was simple and elegant in its manner of design, while it looked remarkably sturdy too. Furthermore, it was nestled in a well positioned location in a part of the city surrounded by several sacred trees. In addition, there was also a short outer wall going around the property that enclosed a garden between it and the house. And the garden had many bushes and trees.
“That’s my home, Zamara. What do you think?” said Eriswyn, looking excited.
“Let’s go in!” urged her blond companion.
So they excitedly walked through the opening of the front outer wall of the property, and headed along the thin path towards the main front door, though just before getting all the way there, Zamara guided Brythulix to the open area just to the left of the path, near to the house, and reassured him to wait in that spot for her until she got back. Next they went to the front door. However, when Eriswyn was just about to open the shiny-wooden pale green door with her key, she turned her head around quickly, saying, “I don’t think my father is here at the moment, he very rarely is, though I’m sure my mother is. Would you like to meet her?”
“Yes, I would. But I’m not sure what to say,” answered Zamara, in a manner which expressed consideration towards her host.
Then Eriswyn inserted the silver key into the keyhole and turned it swiftly around in the lock. As a result, the sound of the unlocking door was very clear, and abrupt, and the door opened smoothly, for there was no creaking in the hinges whatsoever. Also the inner hall was spacious and elegant. It was also echoey.
“Wait a moment here while I look for my mother. I’m sure she’s in the kitchen.”
“Go and find her, I’ll be waiting right here,” said Zamara.
Her host soon disappeared through a doorway in the main hall that was to the right of the main entrance, and there was a pleasant silence. Next, Zamara noticed that the interior walls of the main hall had paintings of pastoral scenes in between the red painted fresco borders. Now after only having waited for a short time, both the mother and daughter came together to greet her, and they came through that same doorway on the right.
“Zamara! This is my mother Devonia. She is from a place north of here,” said Eriswyn.
The two both moved forwards to stand closer to her.
“Ah! the north. Is it beautiful where you are from? How are you? Are you well?” said Zamara.
“Yes it is. I’m fine. Eriswyn told me that you're new to Kaldoria. So where are you from?”
“I am from the port city of Hyronis.”
“Interesting! Please come and have a morning meal with me and my daughter in the kitchen,” suggested Devonia.
“Good, let’s go.”
Hence the three women walked through the doorway that was on the right, and turned left into a spacious room. It was a place that contained several ornate objects and furniture thoughtfully arranged. Additionally, the floor had wonderful tiles that glistened under the rays of daylight that bathed its classy and brilliant designs. Therefore they passed through this particular room and went in the direction that led towards a corridor. Now the corridor was well lit, and all of them continued walking until getting to the kitchen at the back of the house. In essence, the kitchen appeared to be extremely neat and clean. The pots and other implements for cooking were arranged in a manner that was organized. So Devonia motioned to a chair beside a table that Zamara could see, and said, “Would you like to sit down?”
“I’m fine, I prefer to stand,” her guest said.
Thus the kitchen overlooked a garden through a large opening in the wall, and it could be closed off by large wooden shutters. However, the garden had a superb peristyle surrounding it, with finely carved pillars and in the center there was a magnificent fountain crowned by sculptured dolphins. Furthermore, an array of earthenware pots could be seen throughout the kitchen. Then from out of one of these pots, a black cat appeared and began rubbing itself across Zamara’s leg as it purred in a friendly way. In fact, she picked up the cat and stroked it several times and swiftly returned it to the ground. Moreover, on a wrought iron grill above a fire there was food being cooked in two separate pots, and one of them contained a sort of plain fish stew, with potatoes. The other had a type of boiled spinach. In the meantime, they spoke until the food was ready to be served. Therefore Zamara, who was ever courteous and did not want to constantly stand went and sat down on a chair close to a stern oaken table of a very fine construction to receive her food, which was brought to her by Devonia in a brown earthenware bowl. She was also given a wooden spoon and a blue ceramic cup with designs containing some natural spring water, and responded with the words, “Thank you! I appreciate your kindness and wonderful hospitality.”
“Anyone that my daughter brings here is very welcome,” said Devonia, who in appearance, resembled her daughter in the color of her eyes and was shorter, with hair of a lighter hue, and had a more cheerful face, for Eriswyn had inherited some of her father’s stern dignified features and hair type. After this, they all ate at the table together and spoke.
“What is the cat’s name?” asked Zamara.
“His name is Cortulius,” answered Eriswyn.
So when the meal was over, Devonia and her daughter showed their guest around the entire property until they ended up in the garden and talked for a long amount of time concerning many matters, both mundane and divine. Afterwards, at some point in the late afternoon, Zamara decided it was time to depart and told Eriswyn and her mother that she would be back the next day at noon for a midday meal at their property. Hence they all went to the front door together and she walked out of the house to get on her horse and rode away.
Thus Zamara slowly guided her stallion in the direction of a large, noisy, confusing market in the center of Kaldoria, and her motive was to buy a black tunic with material that could stretch effortlessly around the glorious contours of her lithe and shapely body. Moreover, when arriving there, she got off her horse, stumbled amid the pressing crowd to look at a particularly interesting stall which had many kinds of garments positioned everywhere. For it was filled to bursting. Yet after some frenetic searching, she found a tunic that suited her requirements perfectly and bought it from the slightly bored looking male stall owner. The sullen man had black hair, shiny-green eyes and dusky skin. Then Zamara asked him for directions to the nearest public bathing house.
Afterwards, she mounted Brythulix swiftly, placing the purchased tunic in the saddlebag, and got him to trot in the direction she was given by the man. Yet the crowd continued to press in on her and the trusty stallion beneath. They were certainly a lively throng of people. There was no doubt about that. So Zamara rode towards the northeast, and gradually the crowd was more dispersed farther along the route. Furthermore, her pace quickened. However, she also had to take a right turn towards the southeast to get to the destination that was on her mind.
Then eventually the rectangular bathing house, with its magnificent triple arched facade, became visible on the right, for it was partly concealed by the other buildings surrounding it up until that moment. Hence she rode to an area near to the structure which had numerous trees, dismounted, and tied her horse to one. Next Zamara took out the black tunic from the saddlebag and placed it in her side bag, so that no one could steal it. Then she walked towards, and through the middle of the three arches of the facade and into a doorway leading to a main hall. On the left was the bathing areas for the women, and to the right for men. Therefore she went to the left.
Now as Zamara walked through the doorway, she entered a narrow corridor that took her to the right, and at the end of it, another door to the left led into a changing room filled with naked and partly dressed girls and women of all possible ages. The room was very humid and quiet. It was also tiled, and had a hollow, echoey atmosphere. In fact, she went to an empty spot and removed her bag, sword, leather body armor, sandals, scarlet tunic, and undergarment. Immediately she then headed towards the main bathing room, which was beyond a large opening in the wall. Yet inside, there was a great deal of splashing sounds and three mischievous young girls were screaming and being a general nuisance in there. One of them even jumped into the water very dramatically. It caused a large splash. Soon Zamara made her way into the temperate water, and it felt extremely soothing. Also female bathing rooms with water of different temperatures also existed in another part of the building.
“How do you find it, the water?” asked a blue-eyed, middle-aged woman with tawny hair and a friendly countenance. For she was a regular, and knew all the people that came and went in the female bathing areas.
“All the gods in the universe wouldn’t be able to part me from this water!” said Zamara, even though she didn’t really believe in them. It was just her sense of humor that expressed itself in that way.
“Ah, that good is it?”
“Yes, I’m enjoying it a lot,” answered the thief.
Hence she returned to the rented room on horseback succeeding her wash. Furthermore, she meditated and also prepared for the night to come. Finally, as it got dark, and the night appeared, Zamara put on her new black tunic. Moreover, she slung her side bag and sword on, and then rode towards the center of Kaldoria along numerous quiet lanes.
Thus her motive for going to the center of the city was to look for places that might have something worth stealing. So a good place to start, she thought, was the building that had interested her from earlier during the day, the one with the courtyard and carvings on the outer doorway, and outer wall, as well as the building itself. Therefore she hid her horse somewhere and then stood in front of the outer wall that surrounded the courtyard of the main building. In addition, her side bag contained a rope with a grappling hook attached to the other end. Next Zamara scaled the outer wall and got into the courtyard and then onto the roof of the building and consequently noticed, to her surprise, that there was an inner court, as well. Once up there, she peered down into the dark inner court, into its gloom, and descended, using the rope to lower herself quietly upon the ground below.
Then she searched around, and finally saw the thin crack of an open doorway with some flickering torchlight within, and quietly approached to look inside quickly. There was no one around at that moment. She went in. Thereafter, there was a corridor that went in two directions. In one of the directions, there was a door ajar with a man praying to a small gold statue of a god on an altar. He also had many silver cups and other valuable items. Hence Zamara sneaked in, unsheathed her sword, and gave him a thump on the back of the head with the hilt of her weapon. The man was soon unconscious. Afterwards, she put the valuable items that were inside the room into her side bag, and returned to the roof. Following this, came the descent of the building to cross the courtyard, and eventually go over the outer wall using the rope with the grappling hook all the while. Subsequently, she mounted her horse and returned to the rented room with an intense feeling of excitement. And on getting there, it was time for the blond thief to sleep.
However in the morning, not long after the bright yellow rays of the sun had appeared through the hazy-crimson clouds, Zamara awoke and went to a tavern to eat some chicken, along with a salad, washed down with spring water. Soon after this, she went on a long ride on Brythulix around different parts of Kaldoria to check out in a curious manner the different places of interest. Finally the horse brought her to the house of Mitrodius for a midday meal.
So Zamara walked up to the front door and proceeded to make banging sounds with the bronze lion head knocker. It had faint traces of verdigris. Eriswyn opened the door. She looked cheerful and pleased to see the woman that had occupied her thoughts and dreams throughout most of the previous night. For it was a night filled to the brim with impassioned feelings. Therefore the lovely brunette said, “Come in, let’s go to the kitchen.”
Now Devonia had a friendly disposition when Zamara came into the room and saw her cooking. Thus on the stove some fish were being lightly fried with herbs such as tarragon and coriander. Furthermore, on the table, there was a bowl of salad with olives, lettuce, and tomatoes, which had large pieces of white cheese, as well as a loaf of wholemeal bread next to the bowl. In addition, there was also an amphora of white wine, and some earthenware cups. Now their guest soon sat down on the same chair as the day before, and then Cortulius appeared, a little later, but this time he came running from another part of the house into the kitchen to greet the new arrival. He ran swiftly and with his tail sticking up into the air, and it had a slight curl at the top. Also, his yellow eyes looked curious and insistent as it examined her countenance. Moreover, Zamara began eating as soon as the food was ready. In fact, they all did. Then when the meal was over, Eriswyn took Zamara to her own room and kissed her passionately. She also mentioned how aching and empty missing her had felt. So they spent much of that afternoon together in Eriswyn’s clean, well ordered bedroom being intimate with each other. Afterwards, the two went for a leisurely stroll around the center of the city and thoroughly enjoyed looking at the magnificent sights. Thus the blond thief at mid-evening returned to her room to await the oncoming darkness.
And when night arrived, she had a burning and compelling urge to go on another prowl in search of riches to steal. But this time, Zamara went to an area just east of the center of Kaldoria, where many wealthy people lived. A place where a good thief could surely find something worth their trouble. Hence she rode there and tied her horse to a tree, and stealthily made her way towards an unshuttered window on the side of a large house using her rope with the grappling hook. However, when she got inside, her nerves tingled with a sense of cautious fear, for anyone could appear at any time and strike. Indeed, she found herself inside a dark storeroom, which led to a corridor. At one end of it, there was a spiral staircase and in its opposite direction there was a corner with nowhere to turn. Thus many doorways lined the length of the corridor. So she approached one at random. For it did not matter which one. Then Zamara entered it quietly. Inside, the room was mostly empty except for a bed.
Not long after this, the thief withdrew from the room and continued along the corridor in the direction of the spiral staircase. Soon, she ascended it to the top floor of the house and went along the corridor until reaching a closed door. When entering the partly lit room, she saw a man and a captivatingly attractive young woman sleeping on a sumptuous bed with silk sheets. It was on a type of dais. Now to the left of them from where Zamara stood, there was a bedside table next to the wall that contained the woman’s things, and on the top was a beautifully carved wooden box. So she quietly tiptoed past the sleeping couple and went towards the box on the bedside table, peered inside, and saw all kinds of gold jewelry, which she soon placed under her left arm. And then the excited thief slinked out of the room, through the corridor, down the staircase, and along the other corridor into the storeroom.
Now she descended the outer wall with her rope fixed to the grappling hook attached to the unshuttered window frame, and afterwards unhooked it with a wave of the rope until the grappling hook loosened and fell down, which is a technique she had perfected because of having tried many different types of hooks, and then calmly walked to her horse, mounted it, and rode off into the silence of the shadowy night. In fact, when she got to her room, Zamara gazed at the box of jewelry more carefully, and ran a gold chain from it lovingly across the palm of her left hand with an amazed look of demonic glee, then went to sleep. Afterwards though, she awoke in the late-morning, which was followed by another visit to the same bathing house as before. Yet when there, it came to her attention through conversation with others, that a good jeweler lived in Kaldoria that paid a decent amount of money for items of jewelry. With this in mind, she wanted to visit him later on.
Thus Zamara returned to her room when leaving the bathing house to collect some of the pieces to sell and went to the part of the city where the jeweler could be found. It was a little to the west from the center along a thin winding lane. So she tapped on the door, and promptly he appeared.
“I am Shuriak, the jeweler. How can I help you?” said the man.
He had a suspicious, crafty, and dissimulating look to his countenance, for his face resembled that of a weasel, and was quite pointy, with dark penetrating eyes. Also his skin looked swarthy and his inky black hair was tousled.
“I have some jewelry to sell,” the blond thief declared.
“Come in,” he insisted, “and sit down.”
Meanwhile the interior of Shuriak’s business place was gloomy and littered everywhere with exotic clutter, and the sound of a small dog scuttling around in the background could also be heard. Now Zamara sat on a chair at a plain wooden table. Moreover, Shuriak asked her to show him the pieces being offered for sale. These she pulled out from her side bag. They were neatly wrapped in a black satin cloth, which was immediately handed over to him.
“Ah! this is good stuff,” he remarked, as his eyes inspected the merchandise after unwrapping it carefully.
“Take a good look,” came her response, “and name your best price for the pieces.”
“Um, well, for the gold ruby ring, I offer 600 Pelestas, and for the plain one 500. Now for the gold chain I offer 3000 Pelestas. That’s 4100 altogether for the three.”
“Good! I will sell you them.”
“Do you have any more like them?” asked the jeweler.
“Yes, but I’m keeping them for now. I don’t want to sell them yet.”
And so Shuriak went to another room, and it was a place where he kept his money. Shortly thereafter, he came back with a stringed-cloth purse with 4100 Pelestas, and gave it to Zamara. She then opened it and looked at it carefully until her mind was satisfied that the quantity was correct, though before leaving, she politely thanked him and walked out.
Hence Zamara got on her horse and rode towards the house of Mitrodius. When at the door, Devonia told her that Eriswyn had gone to The Tavern of the Four Winds, with some friends. Therefore the daughter of the tyrant king rode in the direction of the tavern, and got to the area. Tied Brythulix to the wooden post on the other side of the cart track. Then walked across and entered the place looking for Eriswyn.
“Let me buy you a drink,” said Zamara, when seeing her latest lover seated with friends.
“Um, alright, can you get me some red wine, please. And how have you been?” said Eriswyn.
“Good. I love this city, and I’m here with you. How can it get any better?”
“I missed you,” said the daughter of Mitrodius. Her face was full of emotion.
“I know, that’s why I’ve come here to find you.
“Let’s spend the night together in your room, again, as it was fun the last time,” suggested the young brunette, in a seductive and tender way.
Yet as tempting as it was, this offer of spending time with each other bothered Zamara slightly, because it ruined her plan of wanting to go out stealing later on that night, but she did not want Eriswyn to suspect anything about her criminal activities, so she agreed. Thus they drank, talked, and went back to Zamara’s room full of passionate embraces.
Indeed, on the following night, the discerning thief got ready for another stealing venture, so she rode towards the center of the city again, and chose another wealthy property, then dismounted Brythulix, and quickly tied him somewhere and approached the building, sneakily. Soon her athletic body found a window opening and she made her way through the wooden shutters into a dark room. It was a space of moderate size, because she had felt around quite vigorously and could tell. Also, there appeared to be nothing of any real value in that particular room, so an inner desire compelled her to go to the door. And on opening it, a partly lit courtyard could be seen, for it was illuminated to a certain extent by the reflected light of the wondrous moon. Now Zamara prowled along the courtyard, searching for the main part of the property, which when found, had an opened door that led to one of its corridors, and entered inside. Next, there were some stairs in this corridor, and up these, the thief went. But when at the top, voices could be heard coming from a room down the corridor from that floor. Thus she turned around and went back down the stairs to the ground floor corridor, and then went towards the main living area of that floor. In turn, her instinct induced Zamara to enter the kitchen. Inside the room, there were six valuable silver goblets, which promptly went into her side bag. So when leaving the kitchen, a tall man appeared. Apparently the owner of the property.
“Hey you!” he said, “what are you doing here?”
Her sword was soon drawn. It was ready for bitter conflict. It glistened in the reflected moonlight as the strokes expertly cut through the air in his direction a few times under her superb control. For those quick strokes were just warnings to instill fear. The man stood back aghast, and started throwing objects at her that were in the room of that main living area. Immediately she dodged them and sprinted full force past him in the direction of the corridor, and past the base of the stairs towards her initial entry route which was a door that led to the courtyard. Later, she retraced her steps until getting back to where Brythulix stood. Then mounted him in one carefully orchestrated acrobatic leap, and rode off with enormous haste. Eventually she got to her room and went to sleep.
In the morning Zamara arose, and ate a type of juicy fish with some bread along with a cup of water, and consequently rode to the bathing house for a wash. Afterwards, the thief went for a long easy ride around the outskirts of Kaldoria until the home of Eriswyn came into view in mid-afternoon. Thus she got off her horse and walked to the front door of the property and using the knocker, thumped it a few times to indicate her presence to anyone that may be within.
“Ah, Zamara, it’s good to see you again,” said the daughter of Mitrodius.
“Let’s go to the market, I want to buy a few things,” suggested the blond thief.
“Alright, but I want to change what I’m wearing. Wait a moment, please.”
Therefore Eriswyn went upstairs to change her clothes and Zamara patiently waited at the door for her to return. When the brunette came back, she kissed her lover on the cheek for being thoughtful enough for the market invitation. So Zamara rapidly got on the horse and stuck her left arm out to help Eriswyn climb on behind her, and they slowly made their way to the main market. Yet when the two arrived at one end of it, both of them got off Brythulix’s back and started looking around immediately at the interesting stalls that littered the area. Moreover, they searched, and Eriswyn held out a dress that she liked to Zamara.
“What else do you like? Do you see anything more?”
“Well, I like this one, too,” said Eriswyn, when pointing to another dress.
Hence Zamara paid for the pair of dresses, and the two of them continued looking at more stalls until coming to one full of jewelry made of animal ivory.
“Pick some items you like. I will pay for all of them,” declared Zamara. Her face had a carefree expression, for she wanted her current lover to have some objects to remember their relationship with, because she probably would not always be around, since it was a big world they lived in, and there were many potential lovers out there to enjoy. Both of them knew this. At least, they could always be friends in one way or another.
So after Zamara had bought Eriswyn three pieces of ivory jewelry in addition to the two dresses from earlier, they returned together to the house of Mitrodius contentedly, and thereafter ate dinner with Devonia in the kitchen in the middle of the evening. Then when it got exceedingly late Zamara departed and went to her room. As usual, it was time to prepare for a night of thievery. Therefore she mounted Brythulix and made him gallop towards the center of the city. On this occasion though, her desire was more ambitious than on previous attempts, and the greedy thief saw an opulent marble temple with pillars that had twisted spiral-like designs going all the way up their lengths. The temple was marginally to the south of Kaldoria’s center, and looked interesting. It was truly resplendent as it gleamed under the light of the moon.
So when approaching the general area of the temple, and getting off her horse, she tied its reins to a narrow column of a building nearby, and then stealthily paced towards the impressive temple. Indeed her heart was pounding faster than ever before, and a feeling of cold sweat pressed against the collar of her tunic in the cool night air, for there seemed to be something monumental about this venture.
So as Zamara got to the base of the mysterious looking temple, her eyes scanned the surface for an opening, and luckily she found one, for she threw the grappling hook with the rope into it, and did a pulling motion. There was a good grip. Now the thief pulled herself up. Yet when her body had reached the square opening itself, she entered, and pulled the rope with the grappling hook up. For presently, she was inside a chamber that had another opening that led to a walkway which surrounded the interior of the temple in its upper region near the ceiling, and so she left the first chamber by walking along the walkway and then found herself above the main temple chamber near the ceiling, and therefore lowered the rope inwardly and descended into its interior without any trouble since this main chamber was not completely dark, for there were many flickering candles throughout the temple. It also had an eerie atmosphere. Then immediately she saw a few gold and silver objects on a marble altar, and her eyes opened up wide. Hence she paced with great haste to get closer to see these riches. Now the sensation of blood in her veins pulsated immensely as Zamara saw a golden chalice encrusted with superb jewels that glistened in the candlelight. This magnificent object soon went into her side bag.
Afterwards, very quickly, a large shadow of a moving figure appeared on the wall, it loomed very mysteriously, there was also the sound of a strange ancient incantation, for instantly the blond thief felt herself completely frozen, for she couldn’t move at all, but was still alive. Her mind and senses were functioning as normal. Then from behind, came a voice saying: “I am the High Priestess Hecathia, and you have been made motionless to pay for your grave error, which is the grave error of disturbing the peace of my sacred temple by trying to steal from it.”
Then Hecathia left the main temple chamber without showing herself to Zamara because she wanted the daughter of Istrogar to be awed even more by the power of fear, and of a kind of fear which could be instilled since the witch already knew she had intimidated her victim, for the thief was helpless and alone. Moreover, one even got the feeling that Hecathia made it easy for thieves to enter her temple so that she could prey on them the way a spider does with insects on its web. Thus it had happened before, and those hapless victims have long been forgotten. Indeed, they have no graves which people can visit to remember them by.
Therefore when Hecathia came to show herself to Zamara, her uncanny beauty was very striking in its appearance, with its cold steel-gray eyes, like that of a goddess, as well as long straight carbon-black hair and smooth alabaster white skin, as well as a pair of magnificent well-formed breasts that looked firm and a bit pointy towards the nipples. Thus she also gave the impression of being hundreds of years old and wisely sinister.
Furthermore, the witch ridiculed the helpless Zamara with insults and abuses of every kind. And also told her how doomed things would now become under this enchantment, since there was no hope of freedom. No hope in hell.
“I have a nice dark crypt to put you in, foolish thief!” said Hecathia, in a scowling tone of proud disgust. “You will be forever my prisoner, to do with as I wish.”
At some point, she stormed off to another part of the temple to attend to other matters. Then after a short while, a tall young man with dark hair and swarthy skin appeared. He looked at Zamara with a curious attraction, and even seemed like he felt sorry for her, since it was apparent in his bright-brown eyes. For she was a beautiful, young, and sexy woman with much life left to live. It was such a shame. Yet in the meantime, Hecathia chose to perform a ritual from a sacred book she much adored. In fact, she considered herself a good person in general, but could be very dark and cruel to those that upset her. And so the witch had several followers, of which one was a man named Abelarin, who found himself scrutinizing Zamara in the main chamber.
Now Abelarin soon went to his private chamber, and when he was inside, he looked for a talisman that had been magically prepared which enabled him to read the minds of other people. Therefore he returned to where Zamara stood with this magical object around his neck. “I can read your mind with this talisman,” said Abelarin, as he looked into Zamara’s dark, frozen eyes. “Use your mind to communicate with me.”
Thus in her condition, she strained greatly to project some thoughts towards the mild mannered stranger. First it was her name, then place of birth. She also mentioned that her horse Brythulix was outside, and should be taken care of. Now a tear appeared in the corner of her eye and ran down along her face. Indeed, when Abelarin saw this, he felt deeply moved, and became convinced of helping the thief, but was not completely sure of how to do it, though he did have a spark of an idea floating about in his brain.
And so Hecathia finished her ritual and went to sleep for the night, though in the meantime, Abelarin found out more concerning Zamara’s situation and decided to tell Eriswyn in the morning about what had occurred during the night, as hopefully she would be able to look after Brythulix until a good plan was made to free Zamara from her frozen condition. Hence he returned to his room and began devising a plan to free the beautiful blond. Then eventually the young sorcerer fell asleep. So during the middle of the morning, he awoke and left the temple through a back door and went to see if Brythulix was still tied to the thin column. Then Abelarin walked to the home of Eriswyn and used the knocker to indicate his presence at the door. Soon the young gorgeous brunette appeared, smiling.
“Welcome, and how can I help you?” she asked, politely.
“Oh, by the gods! I am here on behalf of Zamara, for she is in great peril.”
“Really, what kind of peril?”
“Well, last night she was caught stealing from a temple by the High Priestess Hecathia, and the witch put her under a very powerful spell. A spell which has made her entire body motionless, as if she were frozen forever. Please, we must find a way to save her. She wants you to look after Brythulix.”
“How do you know she wants me to take care of her horse?”
“I have a way of communicating with Zamara using a special talisman. With it on, I can read her mind.”
Instantly both of them went to where Brythulix was tied up and Eriswyn loosened its reins from the thin column it was attached to. Luckily, the horse recognized her and didn’t resist. In turn, she returned to her home with Abelarin and the stallion trotted close behind the two. Also the young sorcerer spoke with her along the route. She even invited him in, and they talked about many more things. Eventually though, he returned to the temple around mid-afternoon. In fact, when Abelarin went to the main chamber to see the body of Zamara, it was no longer there. It had been moved. So he searched around in many different areas until discovering her body had been placed in one of the underground crypts. This saddened him deeply, and he returned to his room with greater conviction, so as to do some studying. He then commenced looking through his many occult books for ideas that could help him release her from the witch’s vile enchantment.
Meanwhile, as Abelarin was totally engrossed in the midst of reading, someone suddenly knocked at his door. In response, he walked over and opened it to see who was there. Now Hecathia was standing in front of him with a curious look upon her face.
“Where have you been recently?” she asked, insistently. “And what have you been doing?”
Abelarin shrugged and said, “Not much, just studying.”
Immediately she gave him a cynical look of venomous distrust, like she didn’t believe him, turned, and calmly walked off along the corridor. Thus he closed the door shut and went back to his books, studying for three days, though during this period the sorcerer went through many doubts, and at times, frustration threatened his very sanity, but eventually he figured out a couple of things that put him on the right course. And one of these was a particular ritual he needed to do at the next full moon to infuse a certain kind of magical power into a talisman. Yet first Abelarin had to make it, and soon gathered the materials that were necessary to create the talisman and got to work on its construction straightaway.
Thereafter, the sorcerer visited Eriswyn again to talk about his progress and efforts in helping Zamara. At one point in the conversation, she cried, and he comforted the poor young woman by stroking her back and saying that everything would be alright. Then when Abelarin returned to his chamber following this talk, he noticed that someone had been looking around inside there, because a few of his things seemed to be out of place. Nevertheless, the talisman was well hidden.
Hence he went to the crypt to be with Zamara and communicated with her again, though eventually the sorcerer heard the footsteps of Hecathia approaching and so he hid in another crypt and watched her. She soon started ridiculing and insulting her prisoner just as before, and Abelarin felt like stopping her, but he couldn’t. Of course, he had to bide his time until the right moment arose. Therefore he feared what the witch might do to Zamara’s helpless body. In fact, this thought ate at him constantly. It even kept him awake later on that night, for he had trouble sleeping.
Then the next morning, following Abelarin’s inability to sleep, the witch Hecathia arose feeling rather pleased with herself. Afterwards, she washed in a large basin, and went to perform her regular morning ritual of blessing the deities of the four principal quarters. Yet in her thoughts, she had decided not to kill Zamara straightaway. Indeed she would punish the thief for a long time before considering it. Now Hecathia had something to eat and left the temple to visit a sacred shrine in another part of Kaldoria. Furthermore, Abelarin went to see Zamara in the crypt when the witch was away, and was by this time, becoming more obsessed with this beautiful captive, since he thought about her constantly. In addition, he also felt bad for plotting against the witch because of their close friendship.
Now later on, at some point during the afternoon, all the members of Hecathia’s religious cult gathered in the main chamber to hear her talk. There were about twenty of them altogether, and most followed the High Priestess of this particular temple because she was very charismatic, but they also feared her too. She was not one to be crossed.
Thus her talk started with the words: “My loyal brothers and sisters, I know that the gods have chosen me, a mere servant, to be their mouthpiece here in the world of corruption. And we, being only their poor children, should not be fooled by the actions of those that are not divinely favored, because to be divinely favored by the gods requires a life dedicated to them. But sometimes the gods forget how weak and wretched are the desires and thoughts of all mortals. So we must constantly strive harder to be worthy of guidance from the gods.”
Thus Hecathia soon paused for a brief moment in silence as she looked around the room to observe how people were responding to what had been said, and continued talking again, until eventually a short, ruddy-haired woman with green eyes, called Jalena said, “I am very young and inexperienced at the moment, and don’t have your remarkable gift for understanding the will of the gods, which is the reason why I came here to learn from you. So how would I know when the gods are giving me guidance? How will I be able to tell?”
Undoubtedly Jalena was a new, naive follower of the cult, and when Hecathia finished her talk, she spoke for some with the young woman, giving her guidance and advice on many religious matters. Moreover, only a few of the witch’s followers lived in the temple itself, and most of them appeared only for regular meetings to hear their leader speak because they lived in different parts of Kaldoria. Now the primary deity worshiped at Hecathia’s temple was Balduk. Indeed, when the talk was over, the high priestess went to her private chamber to practice a sublime form of occult science: it was her greatest pleasure and she felt completely steeped in its lore. Hence Hecathia believed in the eternal nature of space and matter, as well as in her own creative magical power, which stemmed from the divine entities at work in the universe. She was also unashamedly megalomaniacal, and not many people could stand in her way for long without getting punished for their foolishness. Thus the witch washed herself again in a basin and put on a robe. Also she drew with a piece of chalk a circle upon the clean floor, surrounding it with strange symbols, representing wholeness and protection, while at the same time thinking about how magic worked, because the planetary alignments in the solar system influenced what was possible. As a result, any practitioner had to be attuned to these influences, and also know how to use them. For there was always a right, or a wrong time for any given operation. On that account, Hecathia performed an elaborate ritual which had been on her mind for some time. Thereafter, she noted down with a feather quill pen dipped in a dark sanguine ink all that had occurred during the practice in a special book of shadows. It included all her thoughts and feelings.
And when her record for that particular ritual was completed, she left the room, traversed a few corridors, and made her way down a flight of stone stairs to the underground crypts. But on this occasion, the witch was not interested in ridiculing and insulting the captive thief. Instead she walked towards a seemingly empty crypt, stood before its back wall and made a sweeping motion with her right hand, which had a special ring upon the forefinger, whilst uttering an incantation. All of a sudden, a door materialized on the wall, and Hecathia glanced around to make sure no one was looking. She quickly opened it, walked inside, and closed the door behind her. Instantly after having entered, the door disappeared to look like a wall again.
Once there, in this hidden place, she clicked her fingers and a torch attached to the wall instantly lit up. It illuminated the surrounding area. In turn, Hecathia grabbed the flaming torch and descended another flight of steps into a dark room. Hence she ignited more candles with her flame that were positioned within this secret space. One by one as they shone brightly, the light gradually revealed numerous books, and other kinds of objects upon shelves and tables. There were even many types of dead, deformed things within jars, suspended in liquid. It was a veritable panoply of grotesque oddities collected laboriously together out of a fascination for the mutated and macabre. Indeed, a lot of occult supplies were neatly stored in the room as well. Yet some of the books were rare, hard to find grimoires, as well as sacred religious tomes, and nothing in the room had a thick layer of dust, for everything was lovingly cleaned, ordered and maintained. Thereafter, she placed the torch on its wall mount. Now this was her favorite place in the entire world. A secret haven of familiarity and comfort.
So in the center, there was a chair and table where she studied occult books for long periods of time in complete peace and quiet, as no outside noises whatsoever could be heard in this secret underground place. It was an ideal spot to study, and the room even had shafts connected to the outside world that brought in fresh air.
Then she walked to a shelf near the western wall of the room and pulled out an old grimoire, and its dark leather cover looked battered and worn, no doubt due to innumerable years of repeated handling. Thus it was one of her favorites, and was called, The Black Book of Orivasha. Moreover, it was written by an ancient and dark witch. Thus Hecathia carried this much prized book to the table and placed it there, near the chair. Then she sat in front of the grimoire, and her fingers leafed through the pages with an exceptional assurance. The gaze of the High Priestess scrutinized the contents vigorously. After a short while, she slid a candle that was in a holder nearer to the text, which brought more illumination. Her eyes soon peered at the pages more closely, and she read aloud. Therefore Hecathia’s mind drank up the meaning of its contents like water.
Naturally she lost all sense of time while immersed in the book, until a good while later, when having finished reading, the witch returned it to the shelf and immediately grabbed another. It was a philosophy one, which in turn, she brought to the table to read by the light of the candle. So after the enjoyment that came from thinking about a portion of its text, Hecathia positioned the book back on the shelf just before some of the candles in the room were to burn out. And soon following this, she grabbed the burning torch from its wall mount, which was a torch that had a very long lasting flame and put out the remaining candles in the room, then departed the place, and went up the stairs. When at the top, her hand gesture and incantation made the door reappear again. The witch opened the door, passed through it, and walked along a passageway towards the crypt that Zamara was in as she wanted to see whether her captive was still there to check that no one had moved or interfered with the body.
“How do you feel? Scared, eh!” said the tormentor to the blond thief. “Think you can get away, do you? Ha! well you can’t. You’re my play thing, don’t forget!”
Now Hecathia returned to her private chamber and got ready to go on a long walk. In fact, doing this helped her to think more clearly about things in general. Therefore she changed her footwear, and put a knife into a girdle that was around her waist. Afterwards, she wrapped a long dark cloak, which had a hood, over her entire frame. The inside of it was lined with a shiny red satin, and was very classy, as well as smooth and luxurious to the touch. Of course, excessive vanity and pride ran through her nature at all times. Indeed, this centuries old woman walked out the chamber through the temple into the outside world, and briskly headed north with satisfaction, as her walks were much enjoyed.
Now Abelarin worked tirelessly to perfect the special talisman he needed to free Zamara, since it had to be an object of great craftsmanship and power. Additionally, it was kept hidden in a very secret place, a spot that the witch would never be able to find. Furthermore, the sorcerer also spent a lot of time studying. His knowledge during the days leading up to the full moon increased rapidly. It was like a fever of great and intense learning. He even went to the city library. Hence outwardly, whenever they had met, Abelarin displayed much dissimulation towards Hecathia. Clearly she never suspected anything out of the ordinary in the sorcerer’s behavior, for it seemed to her, like he had accepted all the recent events as being normal. However, in his heart and loins, an immense passion burned brightly for the mysterious thief, which was admittedly a desire that could not be constrained.
In the meantime, the young sorcerer visited Eriswyn just before the full moon ritual, because he wanted to tell her all the details of his recent progress, and they also walked around the area near her home and shared many personal feelings when speaking with each other.
Therefore when it came to the period of the full moon, Abelarin bathed and put on a new white linen robe. He also drew out a circle using sea salt on the floor of his room and the door was locked so as not to be disturbed. Yet obviously all the words and everything concerning the ritual had been memorized since he wanted it to occur without blunder or hesitation, and undoubtedly Abelarin knew what he was doing, for knowledge of magic ran in his family as his mother was a powerful witch in her own right, who had taught him magic from childhood.
And so he lit some incense in a cast bronze holder and performed a preliminary protection ritual as a necessary opening. It created the right atmosphere before doing the main ritual, which involved empowering a talisman with the ability to neutralize its wearer from any kind of enchantment, and would also instantly break any already existing spell when placed on the body of a person. Thus moving onto the main ritual, the sorcerer invoked the correct spirits to aid him in his magical work. Indeed he felt their power surge up within him. It was intoxicating. Once this power was aroused and channeled, things took a more formal nature as he proceeded to focus the divine forces into the talisman. In all, it required a long stretch of concentrated effort to perform. In conclusion, he did another ritual of protection and then relaxed on a chair. His mind felt completely calm.
Indeed, Abelarin held the talisman like it was the most precious object in the entire world, more than gold, rubies or diamonds.
He then changed his clothing and got ready to take the talisman to the crypt that Zamara was in. Therefore the lust stricken magician made his way along the route to where she stood and it felt like it took longer than normal to traverse that particular distance. Yet when he reached there, a surge of adrenalin punctuated by relief now flooded his senses for there was also a giddy excitement in his mind. Next Abelarin carefully placed the talisman around the neck of Zamara. Thus a short moment later, her frozen frame, in an instant, became animated and she glanced directly into his eyes with a sweet smile of intense pleasure.
“Abelarin, I have never felt so good as I do now. Let’s get the hell out of this accursed place!” she confessed.
So following this liberation from captivity, Zamara and Abelarin both cautiously walked along the passageway and up the stairs towards the temple. Indeed, there was no way to avoid taking that route. It did not matter, as the witch’s magic was powerless against the daughter of Istrogar, and she also tucked the talisman under the neckline of her tunic to make it difficult to remove. It was a precaution, for Hecathia could, at any moment, still reappear. She was certainly gifted at surprising people with her presence.
Now when the pair reached the upper stairway landing, the witch suddenly came into view, and seemingly out of nowhere was glowering. As usual, she appeared in splendid form and was rearing for a conflict.
“You worthless thief. Vermin! How did you get free from my spell? I will soon have you under my control again!” said the High Priestess, in a hissing tone. Moreover, the witch attempted to do another spell. But nothing came of it, and she tried once again. Clearly her behavior was beginning to look like empty, powerless posturing.
Then Zamara gave out a huge bellowing laugh that reverberated along the corridor and stairway. “Hey! your pathetic magic can no longer work on me. I’m leaving. You cannot stop me. Step aside!” said the blond thief.
“Aah! Aah!” screamed the witch, furiously, as she pulled out a knife from her girdle, and shouted, “You must pay for trying to steal from me!” Thus Hecathia, now got extremely angry and came towards Zamara with a threatening and menacing glare.
In response, the daughter of Istrogar unsheathed her magnificent saber from its scabbard. The bluish steel of the blade glinted faintly in the poor lighting of the upper stairway landing. The witch proceeded to thrust her knife forwards in a wild frenzy, but could not match her opponents fighting skills, for Zamara swung her trusty blade in a decisive chop that severed Hecathia’s hand clean off. Blood squirted everywhere. The witch was soon able to stop the bleeding with a spell, but Zamara and Abelarin pushed past her agonized body.
Afterwards they strode along the corridors and left the temple through the back door.
Outside, it was early evening. The twilight air felt good upon the liberated woman’s skin. However her stomach rumbled in need of some food. Later, she spoke with the sorcerer as they went through several wide lanes that led to the very heart of the city.
“I feel hungry. Do you know a place we can eat?” she asked him. After all, there was still some money in her leather purse.
“Yes,” he answered, “we have to go along that lane over there, in that direction.”
Therefore Abelarin pointed to a lane farther along to the right of them that intersected the one they were on at a right angle. Instantly both of them walked to the building that served food, for indeed its humble pale yellow wall had painted pictures of strange sea creatures and other beautiful designs. In addition, it had a large opening at the front and inside was a solid looking counter for serving, which was made of large stone blocks in front of a wall that had small pictures of different kinds of food. Now the main floor area in front of the counter had several tables and chairs. And also the place seemed like a pleasant and roomy space considering its size with an intoxicating smell of smoky-food wafting throughout that came from the back.
“What would you like?” said Abelarin, as his eyes moved back and forth between the pictures on the wall and Zamara’s face.
Thus taking a short while, she thought about it relishingly. “I want a bowl of soup with bread, and a salad. I also need some water.”
“What type of soup do you want?” asked the man behind the counter. He was plump and bald.
“Give me some lentil soup.”
Consequently Abelarin and Zamara sat down on a couple of chairs at one of the tables near the front, so as to wait for her food order. Then the sorcerer spoke more confidently now in this relaxed location, and she thanked him for what he had done, because without his help her existence would have been doomed. So undoubtedly there was a feeling of mutual respect for each other since it did not bother him that she was a thief. In fact, he felt a strange kind of fascination for her which transcended all judgements concerning the immorality of stealing.
Afterwards a boy with dark hair brought food and water to their table and Abelarin requested another cup of water from him. Hence Zamara commenced eating the soup eagerly with a wooden spoon while occasionally ripping small chunks of bread off from the main piece and dipping them into the bowl that were then chewed and swallowed. The salad was consumed next. Also, both of them talked and sipped on water. Furthermore she suggested visiting the home of Eriswyn to get her horse back.
Thus Zamara finished her meal and paid the man behind the counter and departed the place with Abelarin to go to Eriswyn's home. Currently it was mid-evening and the two were in high spirits. Therefore they arrived at their destination filled with immense joy to see the brunette. And after using the knocker, Mitrodius himself appeared, and for such a busy and elusive man, the pair were truly surprised to see him standing in the doorway. Moreover, he looked healthy, as well as stocky, and was also full of enthusiasm and beaming with life.
“Greetings . . . Are you here to see my daughter?” he asked.
“Yes, we’re friends of hers,” Zamara informed him.
“Wait a moment, I’m going to tell her you’re here,” and so he went to look for his daughter.
Then when Eriswyn came to the open doorway and saw Zamara, she immediately went outside and spread out her arms in a friendly gesture. Now both of them embraced each other. However the three went indoors for a friendly talk and Eriswyn took the other two to her room, for her parents were in the kitchen together, and needed some privacy.
“I was very worried about you,” the daughter of Mitrodius confessed.
“Well, many times I thought my death was imminent, but Abelarin gave me hope.”
“You need to be more careful where you steal from in future.”
“I will, don’t worry,” answered Zamara, and then asked, “How is Brythulix?”
“Your horse is fine. He’s being kept in my friend’s stable. I’ll take you there tomorrow.”
“Well Eriswyn, when do you want me to call?” asked the blond thief.
“In the morning, but not too early.”
Consequently they carried on speaking until midnight, which was when Zamara quietly departed with Abelarin into the cool night breeze of that wondrous city and she took her companion to the rented room, and he willingly slept on the hard wooden floor. For it was in an area near the end of her bed. The two experienced an extremely pleasant night away from that accursed witch. In fact, Zamara even had a splendid dream. One that moved her deeply.
And so in the morning, the unhesitating pair went to the bath house to clean themselves. Afterwards they breakfasted at a nearby tavern, and their meal consisted of roast pork, green beans, and potatoes. In the meantime, both of them also partook of a white drink that was made from the crushed pulp of a local nut. It was incredibly tasty and delicious. Therefore when the time was right, the two well-fed freedom lovers walked over to Eriswyn’s home. In turn, the beautiful brunette greeted them joyfully, and with much enthusiasm promptly walked out of the building and closed the door behind her. Thus all three, soon strolled in a southerly direction together. Fortunately the weather was pleasant that day and only a few lonely clouds floated amid the immense glowing sky. Furthermore they talked casually about many things. Admittedly, the two females were especially conversant with each other at this point.
However Eriswyn guided the others instinctively through the different lanes until all of them had made their way along a southeasterly course. Certainly their pace was now picking up a great deal. Yet eventually they got to a splendid limestone building of a finely wrought workmanship. Nevertheless, the area it was situated in, did not have as many trees and greenery surrounding it as the house of Mitrodius was blessed with, though it did have a charm all of its own.
Then Eriswyn soon knocked on the light blue front door that had paint flaking in a few places upon its glistening surface. Then gradually, a short while later, a slim young woman slowly opened the front door widely, and she looked around curiously to see if anyone was there. Her visage was not particularly beautiful, though her face looked very kind as well as oval shaped and was covered with numerous freckles, especially upon the cheeks. In addition, she also had auburn hair, and her blue eyes noticed the three figures patiently standing outside.
“Ah! Eriswyn . . . it’s good to see you,” commented the woman.
“Greetings, Aila,” said the daughter of Mitrodius, warmly, “I’ve come to collect my friend’s horse from your stable.”
“Come, I’ll take you there,” insisted Aila while closing the front door and proceeding to guide the others towards the rear of the property along a path near the right outer wall of the house. In fact, she walked in such a leisurely and nonchalant manner, that the three following her, noticed it immediately. For this young woman was simply being a good friend, without any expectation of reward. Moreover, as they steadily approached the wooden stables, Brythulix sensed their presence, and Zamara could hear him neighing loudly in anticipation of their arrival. Thus her pace quickened instantly on hearing the spirited stallion, and she traced the sound to its source. Inside, two other horses were also being kept there. Both looked healthy and well groomed.
Now impatiently walking up to where he was situated within the stables, Zamara automatically wrapped her arms around Brythulix’s neck, kissing him profusely. It was a touching sight, for sure, though shortly following this, the others also entered and witnessed the grand display of affection that ensued. Furthermore, she saddled him and put on his reins. And all of them walked to the front of the property while speaking casually to one another. Hence Zamara, at that point, expressed a few words of appreciation to Aila for looking after her horse, and Eriswyn also communicated some things to her freckled friend when the blond had finished talking.
Then the guests departed with Brythulix and said goodbye to the young woman, and afterwards went along a different route. Clearly they desired to go a different way. In actuality, they went for a long walk through the older parts of Kaldoria that involved some very pleasant sightseeing. So all of them returned in the late afternoon to Eriswyn’s, and had a lively celebration in the kitchen. There was drinks and food for all.
“So you, Abelarin, saved the beautiful Zamara from the clutches of an evil witch?” said Devonia while stirring a pot of food at the fireplace. Her glance was fixed firmly in his direction.
“Yes, I couldn’t resist helping her, because she looked so noble and helpless. Therefore I was moved to act out of compassion,” he answered.
“Of course, there is definitely something compelling about her, and if I was a young man myself, I probably would have done the same thing,” said the wife of Mitrodius.
Now the wealthy merchant of the house himself, who was in an especially jovial mood, began showing an interest in his daughter’s guests. And he seemed to be enjoying it too, as his laughter reverberated on the walls of the room.
“I heard you make a living stealing, is this true?” said Mitrodius to Zamara. His eyes were restless as he spoke and they sparkled with intensity and wisdom.
“I do what’s needed to survive,” she answered, in a manner that was proud, strong, and assertive.
“Good, I admire that,” he said, while showing a hint of respect.
Thus the mood of the celebrants increased in its mirthfulness, and for a brief moment, they all felt carefree. In essence, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was a highlight in their lives, it seemed, and a moment of supreme joy. Yet when it reached midnight, Zamara and Abelarin left suddenly and returned to her rented room. It was a calm night, but some distant sounds could still be heard. There was also a scent of flora in the air. It wafted pleasantly. She opened the window to admit its sweet fragrance and went to sleep.
So in the morning, Zamara awoke from a peaceful slumber. Immediately her glance noticed Abelarin curled up on the floor, and without hesitation, she called out to him. He did not answer. Apparently her body was more accustomed to the effects of alcohol than the sorcerer's. However, Zamara soon went downstairs to see how Brythulix was doing. The horse looked hungry, therefore she quickly walked to a local food stall and bought some well needed provisions. Mostly carrots and lettuce. Indeed, the daughter of Istrogar knew that her time in Kaldoria would shortly come to an end because her heart craved something new. For there was certainly a strong desire to leave this place beating within that restless and curious mind. Thus all things have an ebb and flow as one adventure will invariably lead to another.
Now Zamara gave Brythulix some food when she returned from the store. Thus his tale became more animated and his mood improved when she patted him as he ate. Indeed, he could clearly sense that something bad had occurred in the recent past, but he couldn’t verbalize it. If animals could speak, they would be just as passionate and thoughtful as people.
Afterwards she went upstairs to see whether Abelarin had woken up yet. He was sitting at the central table rubbing sleep from his eyes. However, the sorcerer seemed to be in a good mood. “Good morning, Zamara,” he uttered, casually.
“I’m fine,” she said, “did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I had a good night.”
“I think we should buy you a horse in the market today,” suggested Zamara.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“We’ll go later on.”
“Fine.”
Hence the two enthusiastically breakfasted at the table. It was a meal of fruit, bread, and some water. Additionally they spoke for some time, exuberantly, and then went to the market. It sounded especially noisy, busy, and confusing there. The smells were intoxicating, while the atmosphere was chaotic. Besides, Abelarin knew the best places to find a good deal on all kinds of stock, as this market was a favorite haunt of his, for he had been to it on many occasions in the past. In fact, it was like his second home. Moreover, Zamara peered at the line of horses that were for purchase. The selection was average, except for a couple of specimens that were of a fine quality. She immediately started haggling on a price with the seller. He was an old man, of around the age of seventy, and his head was wrapped in a piece of long white fabric with a red stripe on it. Furthermore, he leaned on a heavy, gnarled walking stick.
“I’m not easily fooled, you know,” he said. “I won’t lower my price below one thousand seven hundred and fifty Pelestas for any of my horses.”
“Ha! cheating you, is beneath me,” said Zamara, “I just want a fair price.”
“Don’t we all?” said a younger man. He was one of the seller’s assistants.
“Hey woman, I want at least two thousand Pelestas for the black stallion,” insisted the old man. He knew her mind was set on that horse. A truly fine specimen, for sure. Of course, she eventually gave in, and paid him the two thousand. His old face beamed with delight. It was a good deal. Yet they needed to buy a saddle too, so Abelarin pointed to the part of the market that sold them and Zamara handed the reins of the black stallion to him while both were slowly walking there.
“I do hope you treat your new horse well,” she said.
“I will.”
“What are you going to call him?”
“I need to think about it carefully . . . I’ll let you know later.”
And so they found three main stalls which sold all kinds of saddles and searched around for an ideal one amid the large selection until Abelarin eventually saw a saddle of layered-linen he found satisfactory. In particular, he liked its soft, bright-red lining. It was a handsome feature. Above all, he didn't like leather ones. They felt uncomfortable to him, and were too shiny. So the sorcerer pointed to his chosen saddle. Then Zamara asked the seller what the price was. On telling her, she paid him. As can be expected, Abelarin saddled his horse and returned with Zamara to her rented room. However, when getting there, they made preparations to leave Kaldoria. Obviously it had been brewing on their minds, and she paid the landlord all the rent money that was due for the room.
Now they mounted their horses and rode to the house of Mitrodius because it was time to bid Eriswyn farewell. Of course, sad moments were an inevitable part of life. Thus Zamara knocked on the front door of that wonderful house for the final time. It opened wide. Undoubtedly, the city had made a deep impression on her, and soon the beautiful brunette stood in the doorway. They spoke briefly. The two embraced. Both meant so much to each other and couldn't deny it. Surely they would meet again, then the sorcerer and the blond thief rode off towards a new beginning.
Comments
Post a Comment