Ki opened the door to the small, wooden shack that was tucked into the mountain wall. The miqo'te was glad to be entering the building. Walking from Drybone in the middle of the horrific sandstorm had been a test of his endurance and fortitude; and the mercenary was sure he had sand in places he had never felt before. Ki shut the door behind him and pulled up his goggles. The sight of the horror slammed into him the same moment the smell did.
A hyur was sitting in a corner in a chair. His hands and feet had been bound with chains so tightly to the chair that the fingers and toes had turned purple from the stagnated blood. His nude form was covered in dozens of cuts and a pool of crimson had collected under him. Sticky foam bubbled from his shredded lips as he he wheezed painful breaths. It sounded like a few ribs might be broken. His half opened eyes stared at Ki, pleading.
"Ignore that one." came a dry whisper of a voice. Ki felt his hair stand up. He turned his head to gaze upon the speaker.Â
The necromancer called Mask of the Seven Horrors Hidden in Nald'thal's Mists, or Myst as he was called for short, sat in black robes on the floor. A hood was thrown up over his head and his face was covered in a porcelain mask painted with strange symbols. A blue pentagram was outlined around the robed male and a circle was sketched around both symbol and mortal. Candles burned at the five points of the star and large mounds of wax had been melted already.
"Wouldn't it be smarter to just have me kill him?" Ki grunted, swallowing his unease. Despite the mercenary's frequent, secret meetings with the necromancer, Ki was no more comfortable with the man now than when they had first met.
"Souls are like fine wine. The longer you age their death, the stronger the soul becomes. That hyur has been dying for nearly four days. He will be most powerful indeed when he passes." Myst's voice was dry but held a hint of criticism, as if he was educating a simple child about fine cheeses at an elite tasting. "But enough of this, why are you here? I told you I would contact when I found the soul you seek."
"Change of plans." Ki grunted, pulling out a sheet of paper. "I need you to find out something for me, urgently. I'll pay. Big. Have a list of ten souls here. Need to make sure they're all still rotting in the hells."
"Ohhh?" Myst gave a dismissive clicking sound. "Need I remind you how difficult it is to locate -specific- souls that have been beyond the void longer than seventy-two hours? You already know it could be years before I find the one I'm looking for presently. You might be dead yourself before I find all ten." Myst crossed his arms and, although Ki couldn't see the man's face, knew the necromancer was wearing a smug expression. His voice dripped of it.
Ki growled and swore.Â
"I'll pay whatever you need, just-"
"It's not about money, Grimsong. It's about-" the sound of several children screaming filled the air. Ki lurched back against the wall and pulled out his knife. Myst sat motionless for a few moments as the screams trailed away.
"What in the hells?!" Ki exclaimed. Myst waved his right hand and blue steam rose from it.Â
"Not important. Back to our topic. It's not a matter of money, Grimsong, its about how large the void is. And how well Nald'thal hides the souls. So, unless you have an army of necromancers as talented as myself, and you don't, you will need to be patient."
Ki sheathed his knife and chewed his lip.
"I don't have time to wait. Look, if-" there was a gust of wind that started out of nowhere. One of the candles blew out and Myst looked at the dying hyur.
"Be quick, Grimsong. That man is about to die and I will need to bind his soul. Best you are not here for that." Myst's harsh whisper was louder than Ki thought it could possibly be. Ki felt his palms grow sweaty as he took the door knob in his hands.
"If you could meet the person I think is dead, could you tell me who they are and if they are dead?"
"A free-willed deceased?" Myst's voice held a hunt of curiosity, though his head remained pointed at the dying hyur. "You think this person in question is an angry ghost come back from beyond the void for revenge?"
"I don't know." Ki grunted, suddenly wishing he hadn't come here. "I could be totally wrong. I probably am. They could be alive, but-"
More wind blew and another candle went out. The air began to grow colder and Ki suddenly saw his breath on the air.
"But you want me to confirm if this person is alive or has died to put your mind at ease." Myst finished Ki's sentence for him. "You are not the first to seek me for such a service. I do hate meeting people but..."
Ki tossed the soul stone he and his allies had taken onto the floor.Â
"The man wants that stone. Paying over a million gil for it. You take it to him in my place as my agent, you keep all the gil. I don't care if you can tell me who they were or are, but if you can tell me if they have ever died or not it-"
A howling scream like a skewered wolf filled the air as a third candle blew out.
"Would be money well spent." Myst cackled, though his voice was strained, as if he was under immense effort. The hyur began to writhe in his chair and fell over.
"Very well, Grimsong. I'll take the stone to this man in exchange for the gil once you contact me and let me know when and where. Then you'll have your answer, though I promise -nothing- beyond the most basic of information you seek, and even with that said, if they are a powerful entity, I may not gleam out the information you seek. Now get out."
Another candle was snuffed out. The shadows grew long and filled the cabin. Ki could swear he could see things in the darkness, pressing outwards. Ki tried to opened the door but felt as if something was trying to keep the door shut. Voices reached his ears and he snarled.
He used all his strength and the door finally budged. He stepped outside and slammed the door shut.Â
The duststorm still raged around him but he sank to his knees and threw up as an old proverb ran through his head.
To what ends is dragged my soul by the means which I employ?
A hyur was sitting in a corner in a chair. His hands and feet had been bound with chains so tightly to the chair that the fingers and toes had turned purple from the stagnated blood. His nude form was covered in dozens of cuts and a pool of crimson had collected under him. Sticky foam bubbled from his shredded lips as he he wheezed painful breaths. It sounded like a few ribs might be broken. His half opened eyes stared at Ki, pleading.
"Ignore that one." came a dry whisper of a voice. Ki felt his hair stand up. He turned his head to gaze upon the speaker.Â
The necromancer called Mask of the Seven Horrors Hidden in Nald'thal's Mists, or Myst as he was called for short, sat in black robes on the floor. A hood was thrown up over his head and his face was covered in a porcelain mask painted with strange symbols. A blue pentagram was outlined around the robed male and a circle was sketched around both symbol and mortal. Candles burned at the five points of the star and large mounds of wax had been melted already.
"Wouldn't it be smarter to just have me kill him?" Ki grunted, swallowing his unease. Despite the mercenary's frequent, secret meetings with the necromancer, Ki was no more comfortable with the man now than when they had first met.
"Souls are like fine wine. The longer you age their death, the stronger the soul becomes. That hyur has been dying for nearly four days. He will be most powerful indeed when he passes." Myst's voice was dry but held a hint of criticism, as if he was educating a simple child about fine cheeses at an elite tasting. "But enough of this, why are you here? I told you I would contact when I found the soul you seek."
"Change of plans." Ki grunted, pulling out a sheet of paper. "I need you to find out something for me, urgently. I'll pay. Big. Have a list of ten souls here. Need to make sure they're all still rotting in the hells."
"Ohhh?" Myst gave a dismissive clicking sound. "Need I remind you how difficult it is to locate -specific- souls that have been beyond the void longer than seventy-two hours? You already know it could be years before I find the one I'm looking for presently. You might be dead yourself before I find all ten." Myst crossed his arms and, although Ki couldn't see the man's face, knew the necromancer was wearing a smug expression. His voice dripped of it.
Ki growled and swore.Â
"I'll pay whatever you need, just-"
"It's not about money, Grimsong. It's about-" the sound of several children screaming filled the air. Ki lurched back against the wall and pulled out his knife. Myst sat motionless for a few moments as the screams trailed away.
"What in the hells?!" Ki exclaimed. Myst waved his right hand and blue steam rose from it.Â
"Not important. Back to our topic. It's not a matter of money, Grimsong, its about how large the void is. And how well Nald'thal hides the souls. So, unless you have an army of necromancers as talented as myself, and you don't, you will need to be patient."
Ki sheathed his knife and chewed his lip.
"I don't have time to wait. Look, if-" there was a gust of wind that started out of nowhere. One of the candles blew out and Myst looked at the dying hyur.
"Be quick, Grimsong. That man is about to die and I will need to bind his soul. Best you are not here for that." Myst's harsh whisper was louder than Ki thought it could possibly be. Ki felt his palms grow sweaty as he took the door knob in his hands.
"If you could meet the person I think is dead, could you tell me who they are and if they are dead?"
"A free-willed deceased?" Myst's voice held a hunt of curiosity, though his head remained pointed at the dying hyur. "You think this person in question is an angry ghost come back from beyond the void for revenge?"
"I don't know." Ki grunted, suddenly wishing he hadn't come here. "I could be totally wrong. I probably am. They could be alive, but-"
More wind blew and another candle went out. The air began to grow colder and Ki suddenly saw his breath on the air.
"But you want me to confirm if this person is alive or has died to put your mind at ease." Myst finished Ki's sentence for him. "You are not the first to seek me for such a service. I do hate meeting people but..."
Ki tossed the soul stone he and his allies had taken onto the floor.Â
"The man wants that stone. Paying over a million gil for it. You take it to him in my place as my agent, you keep all the gil. I don't care if you can tell me who they were or are, but if you can tell me if they have ever died or not it-"
A howling scream like a skewered wolf filled the air as a third candle blew out.
"Would be money well spent." Myst cackled, though his voice was strained, as if he was under immense effort. The hyur began to writhe in his chair and fell over.
"Very well, Grimsong. I'll take the stone to this man in exchange for the gil once you contact me and let me know when and where. Then you'll have your answer, though I promise -nothing- beyond the most basic of information you seek, and even with that said, if they are a powerful entity, I may not gleam out the information you seek. Now get out."
Another candle was snuffed out. The shadows grew long and filled the cabin. Ki could swear he could see things in the darkness, pressing outwards. Ki tried to opened the door but felt as if something was trying to keep the door shut. Voices reached his ears and he snarled.
He used all his strength and the door finally budged. He stepped outside and slammed the door shut.Â
The duststorm still raged around him but he sank to his knees and threw up as an old proverb ran through his head.
To what ends is dragged my soul by the means which I employ?
