Chapter 8 The Tower
"If the alarm is raised the rest of the garrison will return.", David whispered.Weamar looked around for a better hiding place and noticed a stack of crates piled against the tower itself. They could all hide behind them, but Weamar didn’t think that they all could make it there in time. He tapped David on the shoulder, pointed to crates, and then made a run for them through the shadows. David watched the guard as Weamar run with his head down. The guard was looking elsewhere and didn’t notice Weamar’s dash.
David turned to the others, "One at a time. Fast, low, and quiet."
Marinae wasted no time and slunk elfishly to the shadow of the crates followed by Eliza soon after. The guard was taking his time and wasn’t looking in their direction, but the light of his torch was getting closer by the second, and he was sure to see the next person who tried to run across. Weamar watched from behind the crates, hoping to see the two who remained run across. David motioned for Lynn to go but she shook her head. She didn’t want to leave him again. As the soldier's footsteps came within a few yards of the door David pulled Lynn back against the wall and reached into his belt. He pulled out a length of thin cord and wrapped it around both hands, leaving a lightly slack section between. Lynn looked down and saw what he was about to do. She had a better idea, and to David’s amazement she stepped out in front of the guard.
The soldier stopped. "Halt.”, he said automatically. “What are you doing here? Identify yourself."
"You came.", Lynn whispered, wrapping her arms around the soldier.
Surprised, the guard stood dumbfounded as Lynn embraced him. She spun him around half way and started to pull off his helmet.
"I've been waiting all night for you.", Lynn whispered excitedly.
David smiled and seized the opportunity to run across to the crates. The soldier was completely engrossed in Lynn. He didn’t resist her touch and stood there stiff as a board.
"Wait.", Lynn said as she got his helmet off. "You aren't..."
"I'm not?", the guard replied.
"No.", Lynn frowned a little. "But you're cute. What's your name?"
"Neil.", the guard answered with a dazed expression on his face.
"Neil. I like that name.", Lynn said. She pulled down her hood, smiled, and took a few steps towards the tower. "Come, let's get out of the cold.”
The others ducked out of sight behind the crates as Lynn led the guard towards them. Weamar looked all around but the other guards were nowhere to be seen. Still, he wished that Lynn would hurry. Lynn walked over to the door of the tower and tried to open it but it was locked.
"Do you have the key?", she asked Neil.
The soldier fumbled with his belt and produced an iron key. He unlocked the door and held it open for Lynn. Lynn stepped inside as if she'd been there before. The soldier closed the door behind them but didn't bother to lock it.
"So...", Neil began but didn’t continue. He didn’t know what to say.
The hall inside the tower extended into the building for about forty feet and then became a curved ‘T’ intersection. Empty man sized alcoves lined the walls at even intervals and torches on the walls provided light. Once inside the door Lynn brushed up against Neil and pushed him gently against the wall. The studs on his leather armor clinked against the stone and he glanced up the hall to be certain no one was there.
"Have you ever, you know.", Lynn said smiling and reaching for Neil's belt buckle.
Neil blushed and stammered, "Yeah, of course. Lots of times."
Lynn smiled and looked down. "I'll show you a new way.", she said as she undid his belt.
Neil slipped the key back into a pouch on his belt as Lynn unbuckled him. "A new way?"
"You'll love it.", Lynn said as she began stripping Neil of his weapons and armor.
Outside, David was growing restless and Eliza was growing nervous. David frowned and whispered, "We need to get inside before they send someone else."
Weamar nodded and sneaked over to door. He put his ear to it and heard the sound of metal being set down on the stone floor. He readied his knife and tried to judge how far away the noises were from the door. Inside, Lynn slid one of her hands down into Neil's trunks and began to stroke him gently. Neil gasped slightly and let his head rest against the wall while Lynn made him feel really good. Lynn was pleased that her own desires were not being aroused. Her new found strength was allowing her to do things she never felt that she could do. As Neil breathed and moaned Lynn could think only of Eliza, and doing whatever it took to get her to safety.
Weamar listened carefully and heard a gasp come from behind the door. It sounded like it was only a few feet away. He opened the door quickly, and moved towards the couple, placing a knife at Neil’s throat and telling him to be quiet, but Neil was oblivious. He didn’t last long at Lynn’s touch and was soon breathless with pleasure, but his enjoyment of the moment was cut short as he opened his eyes and saw Weamar’s menacing face. The guard nodded quietly and froze in place. Wiping her hand off Lynn went over to the door and waved to the others. In a moment everyone was inside. David moved up to the end of the intersection and looked out for other guards while Weamar bound and gagged the captive soldier. Marinae locked the door to the tower and nervously looked around. Eliza gave Lynn a curious look and Lynn smiled back. She was happy that they didn’t have to hurt Neil.
Lynn glanced up the hallway and noticed that David was no longer there. She quickly drew her katana and went after him. The hall branched off in two directions, each following the curve of the tower. They were both empty but Lynn could just make out the faint sounds of soft leather boots on stone coming from the right. Lynn silently crept up the stairs after the sounds and was soon followed by Marinae with her staff and dagger at the ready. Eliza waited for Weamar to finish tying up Neil and then they both went up the stairs as well.
One floor up Lynn found David looking into one of the cells.
"Look.", David whispered, nodding towards the cell door.
Lynn swallowed hard and looked into the cell. Inside it was dark but she could make out the general shape of a person. He was laying on an old mat of straw. The smell was very unpleasant.
"Wow.", Marinae whispered as she peered over Lynn’s shoulder.
"Is it him?", Lynn asked.
"No.", David replied.
Upon hearing David's whisper, the man in the cell looked up. His face was a warped collection of features from across the animal kingdom: scales, slime, bumps, lumps, spines, and plates.
David looked away. "This is the least of what comes out of this place.", he said solemnly. "Damon should be up one more floor."
Marinae’s heart filled with dread. She desperately hoped that Damon would still be Damon when they finally reached him. On the next floor David moved assuredly to one of the cells and began picking the lock. There was a click and the door opened. Inside huddled in the corner was Damon. His face was thin and his eyes were sunken but he appeared to have been spared what had been inflicted on the man below.
"David, you crazy son of a bitch.”, Damon said, his eyes a mixture of surprise and relief. “What are you doing here?"
David helped Damon stand. "Well, a lady asked to see you and I could hardly refuse."
They came out of the cell and David nodded to Marinae. "I believe you two are already acquainted."
Damon smiled weakly. "Marinae."
Marinae gave him a careful hug. "You should know better than to run off like that.", she said with a half smile. "How are you?"
"I should but I don't.”, Damon replied. Then the smile dropped off his face. “We can't leave yet. There's someone else. They took Kenneth down to the dungeon. Ezra knows what they'll do to him."
Marinae looked around at the others. Nobody wanted to say no but nobody wanted to say yes either. Finally Marinae broke the silence.
"I'm in.", she said firmly.
"Can we do it?", Lynn asked David.
"Maybe.”, David replied. “The guards will probably be on their way back now. Getting down there won't be a problem. Getting back out is the problem."
"That's how it always works.", Marinae lamented.
"Should we?", Lynn added.
Damon stepped away from David, who handed him a knife. David drew another knife.
"I'm not leaving another of my people behind.”, David said with conviction. “Go if you wish but we have to try."
"Then we'll do it together.", Lynn answered. Everyone agreed and the group quickly headed down the stairs.
"Are you fit to do this?", Marinae asked Damon on their way down.
"I'll be fine.”, Damon replied. “Let's just try to keep the running to a minimum."
"A place full of guards, a prison block, a dungeon, and no running.”, Marinae said exasperated. “You don't ask for much, do you?"
Damon just grinned and kept on going down. It didn't take long to get into the dungeon. The place smelled foul and looked almost as bad. Cells lined the outer wall and doors lined the inner, with all the doors leading to a large central chamber. As they reached the floor a scream ripped through the air from inside the chamber, sending a chill up their spines.
A voice familiar to Weamar spoke from inside the chamber. "Now, now, Kenneth. None of that. You'll upset the others. And if you don't stop squirming this is going to leave a terrible mark. Lord Drakov will not be pleased at all."
Weamar recognized the voice as belonging to the pudgy merchant who he had met before and seen in the old house. It was Meech. Marinae got out her silver-tip crossbow bolts and loaded one in her crossbow while the others made similar preparations. The doors to the chamber were solid and lacked the windows of the cell doors, so they couldn't see in. Animalistic grunts and whines accompanied Kenneth's continued screams. One could only imagine the horrors going on inside.
Around the chamber there were six doors. The group quickly split up and fanned out with each person taking one of the doors. Marinae cast a shield spell and prepared her magical missiles. Then she nodded at Lynn to the left of her, Eliza to her right, and tried the door latch. It was unlocked. Her hand trembled at the latch. She was ready to go in, but she didn’t want to go in first. While she waited, Lynn opened her door and peeked inside.
In the center of the room a man was strapped to a large wooden table. Numerous long brass needles had been plunged into his flesh at various points. They were connected to glass tubing which extended up to a glass container. The vat was filled with a greenish yellow fluid. The fat man from the vision at the ruined estate, Meech, was on the far side of the room from Lynn. He was working at a panel of levers and switches. He pulled a large lever and the fluid in the vat began to churn. It flowed down the tubes and into Kenneth’s veins causing all of his muscles to contract at once. Kenneth’s eyes bulged and his face became contorted with pain. His mouth was open but he couldn't manage a scream. Behind Meech cages lined the walls which were filled with animals of various types. They were all on the verge of frenzy.
"Stop!", Lynn shouted as she stepped through the door with her katana in front of her.
Upon hearing Lynn shout, Marinae kicked her door open and leveled the crossbow at Meech with one hand while holding her other hand ready to launch a magical attack. With his sword at the ready Weamar threw his door open as did Eliza, David, and Damon. David rushed in, grabbed Meech, and held a knife to his throat. Meech stood stunned for a moment, then he slowly pushed the lever back and the injection stopped.
"Oh, uninvited guests.”, Meech said with a twitch of a smile playing across his lips. “How nice."
"David! The levers!", Lynn shouted. "Pull him away!"
Marinae didn’t wait for David to do so. Without hesitating or taking the time to aim, she fired her crossbow while chanting. Her bolt went high but her magical forces struck true. Three balls of light slammed into Meech's stomach and he let out a surprised squeal. Eliza rushed to the table at the center of the room and began carefully removing the long needles from Kenneth’s body while speaking a prayer of healing. Visibly angered, Meech began to struggle with David as the young man tried to pull him away from the panel. With astonishing speed Meech caught David off guard and knocked the knife from his hands. The fat man then lunged towards the levers and pulled several of them before David could restrain him again. The vat churned once more and the fluid poured down to the needles below. The ones still in Kenneth’s body pumped the poor soul with more of the fluid while the ones that hung in the air poured the foul liquid over the table, soaking both Kenneth and Eliza.
Damon rushed to David's aid and swung his knife in an arc that left a trail of blood across Meech's chest. Lynn ran forward and swung her blade at the tubes above Kenneth. Shards of glass flew everywhere along with more of the liquid. Weamar stepped towards Meech with his sword raised, ready to finish him off, but the floor had become so slippery that he had to stop and regain his balance. Another three spheres of light flew from Marinae's hand into Meech's gut and he doubled over in pain. David produced his garrote and wrapped it around Meech's neck while Damon rushed forward and with both hands jammed his blade into the disgusting man's chest. David's pull forced Meech to turn slightly, allowing the tip of Weamar's enchanted blade to slip across the man’s fleshy neck. The rotting wound along with the garrote ended Meech's existence all too swiftly.
"Let's get the hell out of here!", Marinae shouted. Then she thought for a moment and added, “Would the other prisoners help us? Or are they too dangerous to be set free?"
But all attention had been turned to Kenneth. Lynn, also covered in the yellow-green mess helped Eliza remove the needles and free him. The man groaned in pain. Once his restraints had been removed, Kenneth's groan escalated into a cry of agony. He started to spasm. Something was moving underneath his skin.
"Is there an antidote?", Lynn cried out, looking about the room.
There were a number of vials and bottles around the room, but the labels held no meaning to anyone but Meech. Kenneth suddenly grabbed Eliza's wrist hard. He opened his mouth as if to speak but instead his lower jaw split along a vertical line at his chin and lip. His face opened like that of some monstrous insect as his skin sloughed off in patches, revealing a chitinous shell underneath. Lynn ran over to Meech's body and rapidly searched it for anything that could be an antidote.
Between the hissing and the clicks coming from Kenneth, two words could be discerned. "Kill. Me.”
Eliza could do nothing but stare aghast at what was happening. Weamar stepped forward with his long sword raised, ready to bring a final peace to Kenneth. Lynn was rifling through Meech’s coat. In one of the pockets she found a syringe. It contained a milky gray substance.
"I found it!", Lynn said in a panic. "Hold him down!"
Weamar held back. David and Damon rushed over to pin Kenneth's arms as Lynn tried to find a gap in his growing carapace soft enough to allow the needle in. Finally she found a spot and injected him with the gray fluid. Everyone looked on, hoping to see Kenneth become human again but the injection didn’t seem to help. Kenneth was becoming a monster. The man's eyes were the last part of him to change. Those around him could almost see his humanity fading as his eyes segmented and became faceted. A surge of energy overtook the thing that was Kenneth. A set of giant wings, like those of a beetle sprouted from his back, knocking David and Damon away. One of Kenneth's claws gripped Eliza's wrist tighter and she cried out in pain.
Weamar could wait no longer. Standing at the head of the table, he reversed his grip and drove his blade downward. The sword pierced through the insect's head and through the table as well. The thing that was Kenneth screeched in agony and writhed on the table. After a horrid struggle, the giant insect’s body finally went limp. The serum finally took hold, but sadly too late, and the thing began to change back in a person. At last, Kenneth's eyes, human eyes, stared up on either side of Weamar's blade. For a long moment everyone was quiet.
"I'm sorry.", Lynn whispered to Damon. Then she stood up and helped Eliza to her feet.
Marinae looked at David, his face expressionless. David struggled to his feet and stood beside the table. He spoke softly. Though no one else knew the words, they recognized the language as that of the local people. Eliza put her arms around Lynn and turned her head away.
Damon put a hand on David's shoulder. "We need to leave.", he said. David nodded.
Eliza and Lynn headed out one of the doors. Marinae noticed a bottle of milky gray fluid on one of the shelves and snagged it on her way out. Weamar wrestled his blade free and began to leave. David blocked his path.
"Weamar.”, David said stopping him at the door. “May I borrow your musket for moment?"
Weamar hesitated.
"I will not leave him for Drakov's vultures to pick over.”, David explained. “This place must be destroyed."
Weamar nodded, "The pistols are already loaded, if they suit your purpose."
"Yes.", David answered.
Weamar handed the pistols to David. David accepted one and took aim at the puddle of green liquid. The impact of the bullet set it alight and the sound of the shot rang out through the hall. The fire spread quickly through the entire chamber.
"Can we save any of these people?", Marinae asked as the fire blazed.
David looked at Marinae and with a disturbing coldness said, "They're already dead."
Marinae took a look in his eyes and then hastened up the stairs. "Then this is best."