"So what are we suppose to do?" Gourry asked as he poured some ale into his cup.
After unceremoniously dragging Gourry out of the tavern, the group had carried Gourry for a good five miles before Gourry convinced them he could walk under his own power. After that, the group had made its way steadily north to the upper borders. They were currently stopped in a simple quaint town to restock on supplies, get some info and rooms to stay in for the night. Gourry also took this as the time to find exactly why he was supposed to be here.
"We are heading toward the source of the problems," Arthur said as he balanced a dagger blade on his finger.
"Such is directed to us by the will of Ceiphied," Quar added. "We can only trust him into leading us in the right way," he said solemnly.
"What they said," Ashen expressed as he was chugging an entire bottle. "That's good ale for you."
"And how does this involve me, I'm just some fighter," Gourry asked as he drank from his cup. Pouring himself some more, he continued. "If you want to save the world, you should get some sort of magic user."
"No good," Arthur said shaking his head. "Most of the magic users are too in the clouds to give a rat's ass about these sorts of things. Besides, people have an easier time associating themselves with a fighter then a mage."
"I see," Gourry said holding his cup out and thinking about it. "So can we backtrack to where I'm supposed to be the one who does it?"
"It is written," Quar stated looking off into the distance.
"Where?"
"I'm not sure, but I'm sure it is written somewhere at least," Quar answered as the others hit the floor.
"Piety," Ashen grumbled as he fixed his helmet. "Give me a good axe and I'll be happy just splitting skulls."
Looking at the dwarf, Gourry muttered, "So you're a dwarf?"
"Yup, what's it to you?" Ashen asked as he drank from his bottle.
"The Prince of Saillune really does look like an overgrown version of you," Gourry remarked as Ashen spit out the contents onto Arthur.
"Yuck," Arthur muttered as the wine started to drip down his face. "Great, well I'm going to hit the baths first before I go to sleep," he muttered as he got up and left.
"So I am prophesized to do be doing this?" Gourry asked taking another drink.
"Yes, by the will of Ceiphied, I know that," Quar said as he closed his eyes in meditation.
"How do you know a Mazoku isn't talking in your head, faking it's Ceiphied?" Gourry wondered as a stressmark popped up on Quar.
"Watch where you tread, Blasphemy Breath," Quar muttered under his breath.
"Huh?"
"Watch what you say," Ashen sighed as he patted Gourry on the shoulder. "So do you people know how to dig up any rumors or gossips around here?"
"Well, the barmaids are usually good at that but they tend to charge you as well," Gourry stated as Ashen stroked his beard.
"Well, we got the money." Ashen shrugged. "Hey barmaid, come over here!!!" His roaring deafening everyone in the room. "What?" he asked at all the glares they were getting.
"Yes?" Barmaid asked looking a bit shaken from the call. "How can I help you?"
"Know any interesting news?" Ashen asked as he held up several gold coins.
Snatching them out of his hand in the blink of the eye, Barmaid said, "Well there is one interesting news that's been spreading around like a wildfire."
"Oh? What is that?" Quar asked looking at her silently.
"The entire Dukedom of Kalmaart has fallen in one night," she explained as Gourry choked on his drink at the news. "Need a napkin?" she offered.
"Thank you," Gourry accepted as he coughed a bit. "But the entire Dukedom has fallen?" he asked her as she nodded.
"Sounds pretty crazy, but it seems to be true. A bunch of soldiers from there were found along the northern borders and brought to Saillune capital to report what happened," she said as the others listen.
"That must be the source of all the trouble that is brewing," Quar said as he pressed his hands together. "Only something dark and evil could accomplish something like that."
"As if that wasn't already obvious," Ashen snorted as he grabbed his bottle and started to drink.
"What's even stranger are the rumors about the dead walking again," she said as the other blinked in surprise.
"The dead?" Gourry muttered as images from the past came back up.
"Yep, an entire army of the dead seemed to be stirring up in that region," she said as Gourry face started to darken.
Noticing Gourry's look, Ashen said, "Well thank you for your time. Here some more coins for you." Reaching into his purse he tossed held up a few more coins.
"Thank you," she said as she took the coin and departed.
"So what's bothering you boy?" Ashen asked tapping Gourry on the side of his arm. "Something bothering you?"
"No," Gourry said as he poured himself a drink. "It's nothing."
"Going on a drinking binge will not solve any problems," Quar said as Gourry ignored him. Standing up, he said, "I'll be retiring now to my quarters. You two should make sure you don't waste the rest of the night drinking."
"Don't worry," Ashen chuckled as Quar left. As soon as Quar was out of sight, Ashen smiled and called, "Yo barkeep, bring more ale and anything else you got here."
"Right O," the barkeep said as he grabbed a bunch of bottle and brought them to the table.
"You will go to the city of Grayfalcon, there you will follow the plan that I have carefully set aside for you," Ghuralli ordered. "Be sure not to screw this up for me, we are too far into the plan to have it fall apart on us. Also, make sure that no one will question what happens, it would be very unfortunate if some band of adventurers stumble onto our schemes. Those fools will only further complicate this endeavor than is necessary."
Ghuralli stood at the top chamber in one of the many spires that made up the castle in the capital of Kalmaart. After seizing the place, he had turned this place into his own private chamber to give orders to his minions. A single window overlooked part of the city and the staircase down was all that really stood out in this chamber, but that meant little to Ghuralli.
Kneeling behind him was his servant, Ynreut, a being he had picked along his travels before he had enlisted under AnCev. Currently, his servant took the appearance of a bald bearded man in rusted-red robes with glowing orange eyes.
"I will not fail you," Ynruet bowed toward his master.
"Good," Ghuralli smiled as he crossed his arms tapping his fingers against his metallic black skin. "Things will go a lot better for you if you do so."
"It shall be retrieved and no one will be the wiser," Ynruet stated as he grinned showing his fierce canine. "The foolish magic guild will be utterly clueless to my involvement in everything."
"Ensure that they are," Ghuralli remarked as he looked out of the window. "When they are all brought together then it will happen."
"Well spoken."
"AnCev?" Ghuralli choked as his enigmatic master appeared in a puff of smoke. "What reason do I have of your visit?" he asked as he bowed.
"Just merely checking on my servants," AnCev smiled as he looked toward Ynruet. "I believe you have a task to do."
"Yes, Master." Ynruet bowed as he stood up. "I'll take my leave."
"Now that he's gone," AnCev smiled as he watched the servant leave before turning to Ghuralli, "We can get to the real business."
"..." Ghuralli stood there silently.
Materializing a cigar into his bone hands, AnCev said, "You know, in my life I was never really one of the smoking types. Though now after being dead for over few centuries, I find myself quite drawn to it."
"You never have to worry about losing your lungs," Ghuralli stated as he stared at AnCev.
"Too true," AnCev chuckled as he materialized a wisp of fire to light the cigar. "But then again, now that I'm dead, I'm not truly drawn to the pleasure of life anymore. I've transcended such trivial boundaries."
"So what is it that you want?" Ghuralli demanded as AnCev took a puff of his smoke.
"Quite blunt aren't we? Well I was hoping for a nice lengthy conversation before we get down to business, but I see that it doesn't interest you one bit. Why don't we discard the mask? I know who you are," AnCev said as he tapped his cigar a bit.
Ghuralli just glared at AnCev for a moment before he closed his eyes and was engulf in a flash of light. As the light faded, there stood a slightly shorter figure dressed in completely beige attire with a cloak and hood on with an amulet for the clasp. The hood was off as it revealed the figure, which was blue with dark pebbles over it. Along with the wire like hair and the pointed ears, the person stared at AnCev with his cold blue eyes.
"The great grandson of the Red Priest, if I'm not mistaken," AnCev stated as Zel looked at the lich silently. "Oh do try to put up some attempt for a conversation."
"Your 'Voice of Maleficence' won't affect me," Zel warned as AnCev snickered at the statement. "AnCev!" Zel hissed.
"Sorry, it's just that it's been a long time since I've meet someone that realizes I'm more than just a common lich," AnCev remarked with amusement as he burned the cigar in his hand away in a flicker of bluish white flames.
"There is nothing common about liches, especially not your type," Zel said. "Your kind is a rare type known as the Banelich, you've been embodied with power from a greater source that gives you the delusion of grandeur."
"I believe godhood would be a more appropriate word," AnCev advised as he looked over the chimera for a moment. "And you're a rare type indeed for a chimera, most of them barely even resembled a human. In your case with the types that were mixed in, I'd only expect you to come out a lot more ghastly." He mocked as Zel gritted his teeth. "So tell me, what happened to my servant?"
It was Zel's turn to smirk. Zel said, "I took care of him earlier. Despite all of his confidence he was quite easy to take down. He was quite a disappointment."
"Well, it's hard to find good work among temps," AnCev shrugged absently. "So why have you come here?"
"To track down the one responsible for awakening Dread."
Nodding his head from under the hood, AnCev said, "Oh that. Well, I was just curious for what numerous things I've done that you were actually out to get me for."
"Don't take me lightly," Zel warned as AnCev burst out laughing. "I won't hold back on you so don't act so overconfident." He hissed at the Banelich.
"Oh please, you're killing me again," AnCev snickered.
"AnCev!"
"You must understand, Graywords," AnCev said as he calmed himself and his eyes started to glow. "Is how close you are to losing everything."
What?
Zel leap to the side as Lymafae's dagger tore through the back of his cloak as she popped out of the shadows behind him. Lymafae rolled on the ground and came to a stop in front of AnCev as she twisted around to face Zel. Zel merely picked himself up, as he looked at the black bladed dagger that Lymafae had gripped in her gloved hands.
How did she pop up behind me? I should have been able to detect her if she tried to hide in the shadows to backstab me.
"Oh to answer your question, yes, her dagger is fully capable of hurting the likes of you," AnCev stated as Zel edged to the window. "Go ahead and escape, you won't be able to stop what is going to happen anyway. You're just merely a pawn in all of this, just like Lina Inverse was."
Growling at AnCev, Zel said, "This isn't over." Leaping out of the window, he cast Raywing as he flew off toward the distance.
Walking up the window as he watched Zel go off, AnCev smiled, "Did I say was? I meant is."
AnCev laughter echoed through the halls as Lymafae just watched him quietly with her red eyes as her silver white hair blew in the breeze.