Dryad Eyes #56
1,049.
At the cusp of dawn, Haron finally emerged with bleary eyes from the room where he and Charis had spent the night. While content her to get a bit of real rest, likely the first such that she had been able to get since the demon Erek took her under it’s wing, Haron had been forced to wake her up a couple of hours before dawn. They had, between the two of them, taken steps to make sure that she looked artfully and properly abused. It would not do, she had agreed, to have the demon return to find her in better condition than it had left her.
Although the sun was undoubtedly rising, it made little difference to him. The mostly unexplored hallways on the edges of what they had explored of Keeper’s Gateway remained uniformly dark save for the single torch that lit his way. It would remain thus for many long minutes, until finally he reached inhabited hallways where other light sources were more abundant. On his way back to the little library he once used as an office, where he intended to check in with Bawo before returning to his own rooms where he could finally get some sleep, he left his torch smoldering in an empty bracket that had been set into the wall.
Bawo was waiting for Haron just outside the door to the library, and his haggard face seemed genuinely relieved when the officer came into view. Striding forward, he met the returning man and clasped his arm. Never one to waste words on a polite greeting, Bawo immediately said what was on his mind. “Endek is inside. Waiting for you.”
Haron blinked, surprised. “Inside? We weren’t supposed to meet until tomorrow. What happened?”
“Hell.” The shorter, stouter man said grimly. “Things went to hell on his end of things.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
“Is he--?”
“Wounded?” Bawo shook his head. “Not on the surface. When he first arrived he was covered from head-to-toe in blood, none of it his. I found him a bucket of water to wash up with.”
“How did he get into the Keep like that?”
“I asked him. He laughed at me.”
“I see.” Haron’s voice, like his face, was troubled. “I guess I had better get inside and talk to him then.”
“Yes,” Bawo agreed as he walked with Haron back to the door. It was not until the officer reached out to touch the door’s handle that he added, “Also, he has a souvenir with him. Be warned.”
Pausing for but an instant to consider his friend’s final words and what they might mean, Haron took a deep, long breath to help steel himself. Then he lifted the handle and went inside. Immediately, he felt nauseated. The metallic stink of fresh blood washed over his senses. Endek, huge and silent, was standing with his back to the door. His big hands and massive forearms were still stained faintly red. On the table, which had long been Haron’s workspace, was what looked to be a body wrapped in a red-splotched sheet. Whether the big man was simply staring at it, hanging his head over it, or praying was impossible to tell from the doorway.
“Endek?” Haron asked tentatively.
“Haron.” The big mercenary acknowledged him without turning around.
“What happened?”
“She died invoking the Angry God to protect me.” The words were empty, save for a hard, bitter edge. “I think she really loved me.”
“She?”
“Or thought she did.”
“Who was she?”
“Never-you-mind.” Endek growled as he finally rounded on Haron, stepping forward into his personal space and looming over him like the giant of a man that he was. The officer could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Did it work?”
“Do what now? You--”
“Were. You. Successful? Tell me that this was not a wasted effort.” Each word was carefully pronounced, as if the mercenary was speaking for the benefit of a child or a simpleton.
“I-- Yes, I was. It took some doing, but I was able to get through to her.”
“So, unless he figures her out and kills her, we have a kind of ‘inside man.’ Or girl. Good. That will have to do.” Turning away from Haron, Endek returned to his position by the table and he stared down at the remains of the young woman that had given her life to save him. “We’re one step closer to killing the bastard.”
“Perhaps.” Haron agreed, and then hardened his voice. “Tell me what happened. When we parted ways, you were confident that you could hold him for a few hours without a problem.”
“I underestimated the thing that my brother has become. And I overestimated the priesthood. It won‘t happen again.” Endek’s voice dripped with contempt. Were any of them still alive, Haron suspected, they probably would not be for long.
“It better not.”
“Watch it, Little Man.”
The officer was unimpressed with the other man‘s flat, angry tone. “Underestimating this creature will get you dead, or worse. That happens again, and you’re liable to take me down with you. If I think that is likely, don’t think for a moment that I will hesitate to cut my losses.”
“You’d already be dead if it weren’t for me,” Endek rumbled. “But I understand where you are coming from. I will be more careful.”
“I hope so.”
As Haron looked on, the big man lowered himself and gingerly lifted the body from the table. Though the weight was obviously negligible to him, he did move carefully as if certain motions caused him a great deal of pain. Whatever happened, he had obviously taken a beating. As he came around again, his precious cargo cradled protectively to his chest, Haron stood his ground and barred the doorway.
“Was there something else?” Far beyond flat and angry, a bit of real menace had entered Endek’s voice. This was not the night, or morning as it were, to play games with him.
“You were covered in blood and carrying… that. Tell me how you got into the Keep.”
A thunderous scowl slid across Endek’s brow. The big man leaned forward so that he was, quite literally, nose-to-nose with Haron. “No,” was all he said. Then he shouldered the smaller man aside and left the room.
At the cusp of dawn, Haron finally emerged with bleary eyes from the room where he and Charis had spent the night. While content her to get a bit of real rest, likely the first such that she had been able to get since the demon Erek took her under it’s wing, Haron had been forced to wake her up a couple of hours before dawn. They had, between the two of them, taken steps to make sure that she looked artfully and properly abused. It would not do, she had agreed, to have the demon return to find her in better condition than it had left her.
Although the sun was undoubtedly rising, it made little difference to him. The mostly unexplored hallways on the edges of what they had explored of Keeper’s Gateway remained uniformly dark save for the single torch that lit his way. It would remain thus for many long minutes, until finally he reached inhabited hallways where other light sources were more abundant. On his way back to the little library he once used as an office, where he intended to check in with Bawo before returning to his own rooms where he could finally get some sleep, he left his torch smoldering in an empty bracket that had been set into the wall.
Bawo was waiting for Haron just outside the door to the library, and his haggard face seemed genuinely relieved when the officer came into view. Striding forward, he met the returning man and clasped his arm. Never one to waste words on a polite greeting, Bawo immediately said what was on his mind. “Endek is inside. Waiting for you.”
Haron blinked, surprised. “Inside? We weren’t supposed to meet until tomorrow. What happened?”
“Hell.” The shorter, stouter man said grimly. “Things went to hell on his end of things.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
“Is he--?”
“Wounded?” Bawo shook his head. “Not on the surface. When he first arrived he was covered from head-to-toe in blood, none of it his. I found him a bucket of water to wash up with.”
“How did he get into the Keep like that?”
“I asked him. He laughed at me.”
“I see.” Haron’s voice, like his face, was troubled. “I guess I had better get inside and talk to him then.”
“Yes,” Bawo agreed as he walked with Haron back to the door. It was not until the officer reached out to touch the door’s handle that he added, “Also, he has a souvenir with him. Be warned.”
Pausing for but an instant to consider his friend’s final words and what they might mean, Haron took a deep, long breath to help steel himself. Then he lifted the handle and went inside. Immediately, he felt nauseated. The metallic stink of fresh blood washed over his senses. Endek, huge and silent, was standing with his back to the door. His big hands and massive forearms were still stained faintly red. On the table, which had long been Haron’s workspace, was what looked to be a body wrapped in a red-splotched sheet. Whether the big man was simply staring at it, hanging his head over it, or praying was impossible to tell from the doorway.
“Endek?” Haron asked tentatively.
“Haron.” The big mercenary acknowledged him without turning around.
“What happened?”
“She died invoking the Angry God to protect me.” The words were empty, save for a hard, bitter edge. “I think she really loved me.”
“She?”
“Or thought she did.”
“Who was she?”
“Never-you-mind.” Endek growled as he finally rounded on Haron, stepping forward into his personal space and looming over him like the giant of a man that he was. The officer could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Did it work?”
“Do what now? You--”
“Were. You. Successful? Tell me that this was not a wasted effort.” Each word was carefully pronounced, as if the mercenary was speaking for the benefit of a child or a simpleton.
“I-- Yes, I was. It took some doing, but I was able to get through to her.”
“So, unless he figures her out and kills her, we have a kind of ‘inside man.’ Or girl. Good. That will have to do.” Turning away from Haron, Endek returned to his position by the table and he stared down at the remains of the young woman that had given her life to save him. “We’re one step closer to killing the bastard.”
“Perhaps.” Haron agreed, and then hardened his voice. “Tell me what happened. When we parted ways, you were confident that you could hold him for a few hours without a problem.”
“I underestimated the thing that my brother has become. And I overestimated the priesthood. It won‘t happen again.” Endek’s voice dripped with contempt. Were any of them still alive, Haron suspected, they probably would not be for long.
“It better not.”
“Watch it, Little Man.”
The officer was unimpressed with the other man‘s flat, angry tone. “Underestimating this creature will get you dead, or worse. That happens again, and you’re liable to take me down with you. If I think that is likely, don’t think for a moment that I will hesitate to cut my losses.”
“You’d already be dead if it weren’t for me,” Endek rumbled. “But I understand where you are coming from. I will be more careful.”
“I hope so.”
As Haron looked on, the big man lowered himself and gingerly lifted the body from the table. Though the weight was obviously negligible to him, he did move carefully as if certain motions caused him a great deal of pain. Whatever happened, he had obviously taken a beating. As he came around again, his precious cargo cradled protectively to his chest, Haron stood his ground and barred the doorway.
“Was there something else?” Far beyond flat and angry, a bit of real menace had entered Endek’s voice. This was not the night, or morning as it were, to play games with him.
“You were covered in blood and carrying… that. Tell me how you got into the Keep.”
A thunderous scowl slid across Endek’s brow. The big man leaned forward so that he was, quite literally, nose-to-nose with Haron. “No,” was all he said. Then he shouldered the smaller man aside and left the room.