of daisy-picking, tree-hugging Druid? Deep in thought, I kicked a toadstool or some such mushroom and volleyed it right into the wide hollow of a gnarled oak tree.
"Never mind," I murmured, looking around. "No good changing horses midstream. I’m an evil warlock, and no mistake. Where’s that cave of his? Come out, you old schemer! We’ve got business to discuss!"
And there it was, his cave: a cliff green with age hiding in the shade of a straggling fir tree. The entrance was wide enough for me not to have to duck. I made a shaky step or two, guided by the fire gleaming within its bowels. Another step, and I entered a large room dimly lit by a single wax candle. The light played games with the shadows, not letting me see properly. Then a shadow stirred in the corner and stared at me with two odd-color eyes.
"Grym the Hermit?" I asked, not quite sure, and stepped back, feeling the air around me for something heavy enough to pass for a weapon.
The dark shape in the corner grumbled and stepped toward me.
"You bastard," my fingers finally closed around something handy by the wall. I raised the object and took a swing. "Name yourself, O monster! Which eye you’d prefer to keep, the blue one or the yellow one?"
The shadow gave a skeptical chuckle and stepped into the light. A goblin, short and gray-haired, shook the cobwebs off his patched robes and looked over me.
"Put the broom back, young warrior," he said in a thin voice.
Shuffling his worn-out sandals, he walked around me, shaking his head with disapproval. "So! The young Elf has decided to defect and follow the Fallen One? Are you craving adventures or something? What do you want to prove? Many an immortal has visited me here but few have reached true power. They’d hover around for a few weeks before disappearing from sight. They have no will – no passion."
I lowered my head to him. "Sir Grym, one does not choose one’s parents. It's not my fault I was born an Elf. It was my own choice to follow the path of a warlock and with any luck, I shall prove it to you soon."
The goblin’s grim stare bored a hole in me. "It might happen sooner than you think, young clown," he hissed in my face.
He swung round, reached for a heap of old rags and produced a bundle, wrapped in purest white cloth.
"In the name of the Fallen One who demands a sacrifice! Cut her heart out!"
The goblin pulled the fabric away and the cave echoed with a baby’s cry. Tears welled in her bright blue eyes.
I recoiled. Something clanged against the stone. I looked down at a curved dagger now gleaming in my hand.
New quest alert! Demonstrate your loyalty to the Fallen One.
Quest type: general
Execution conditions: may vary
Reward: unknown
They were all raving mad here. Conditions may vary? My knuckles cracked as I squeezed the dagger. "How about a goblin’s heart instead? Will it do for my demonstration of loyalty?"
I stepped forward and stabbed the sickening face. At least I tried to. The air around me thickened and I froze in the awkward pose of a dueling musketeer.
You’ve been immobilized. Spell cast: Chains of Bone.
The goblin sniggered and waved his hand. The baby bundle disappeared. I collapsed in a heap on the floor. The dagger clattered on the stone and skidded away.
You’ve been knocked down. Damage sustained: 12 Life points.
"Cool down, young Elf. It was naught but an illusion. You shouldn’t listen to everything your priests tell you. We need no butchers here. The Fallen One isn’t the dark side. He’s just one of the Pantheon who lost his battle for the right to have his place in the Temple of Heaven."
Quest completion alert: Demonstrate your loyalty to the Fallen One. Quest completed!
Reward: Twilight Blade.
Your relationship with the Dark Alliance has improved!
Your relationship with Grym has improved!
"Arise, Warlock," Grym helped me back to my feet. "And pick up that dagger over there. It’s not an illusion. Don’t be
"Never mind," I murmured, looking around. "No good changing horses midstream. I’m an evil warlock, and no mistake. Where’s that cave of his? Come out, you old schemer! We’ve got business to discuss!"
And there it was, his cave: a cliff green with age hiding in the shade of a straggling fir tree. The entrance was wide enough for me not to have to duck. I made a shaky step or two, guided by the fire gleaming within its bowels. Another step, and I entered a large room dimly lit by a single wax candle. The light played games with the shadows, not letting me see properly. Then a shadow stirred in the corner and stared at me with two odd-color eyes.
"Grym the Hermit?" I asked, not quite sure, and stepped back, feeling the air around me for something heavy enough to pass for a weapon.
The dark shape in the corner grumbled and stepped toward me.
"You bastard," my fingers finally closed around something handy by the wall. I raised the object and took a swing. "Name yourself, O monster! Which eye you’d prefer to keep, the blue one or the yellow one?"
The shadow gave a skeptical chuckle and stepped into the light. A goblin, short and gray-haired, shook the cobwebs off his patched robes and looked over me.
"Put the broom back, young warrior," he said in a thin voice.
Shuffling his worn-out sandals, he walked around me, shaking his head with disapproval. "So! The young Elf has decided to defect and follow the Fallen One? Are you craving adventures or something? What do you want to prove? Many an immortal has visited me here but few have reached true power. They’d hover around for a few weeks before disappearing from sight. They have no will – no passion."
I lowered my head to him. "Sir Grym, one does not choose one’s parents. It's not my fault I was born an Elf. It was my own choice to follow the path of a warlock and with any luck, I shall prove it to you soon."
The goblin’s grim stare bored a hole in me. "It might happen sooner than you think, young clown," he hissed in my face.
He swung round, reached for a heap of old rags and produced a bundle, wrapped in purest white cloth.
"In the name of the Fallen One who demands a sacrifice! Cut her heart out!"
The goblin pulled the fabric away and the cave echoed with a baby’s cry. Tears welled in her bright blue eyes.
I recoiled. Something clanged against the stone. I looked down at a curved dagger now gleaming in my hand.
New quest alert! Demonstrate your loyalty to the Fallen One.
Quest type: general
Execution conditions: may vary
Reward: unknown
They were all raving mad here. Conditions may vary? My knuckles cracked as I squeezed the dagger. "How about a goblin’s heart instead? Will it do for my demonstration of loyalty?"
I stepped forward and stabbed the sickening face. At least I tried to. The air around me thickened and I froze in the awkward pose of a dueling musketeer.
You’ve been immobilized. Spell cast: Chains of Bone.
The goblin sniggered and waved his hand. The baby bundle disappeared. I collapsed in a heap on the floor. The dagger clattered on the stone and skidded away.
You’ve been knocked down. Damage sustained: 12 Life points.
"Cool down, young Elf. It was naught but an illusion. You shouldn’t listen to everything your priests tell you. We need no butchers here. The Fallen One isn’t the dark side. He’s just one of the Pantheon who lost his battle for the right to have his place in the Temple of Heaven."
Quest completion alert: Demonstrate your loyalty to the Fallen One. Quest completed!
Reward: Twilight Blade.
Your relationship with the Dark Alliance has improved!
Your relationship with Grym has improved!
"Arise, Warlock," Grym helped me back to my feet. "And pick up that dagger over there. It’s not an illusion. Don’t be
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