Chapter 2 of The Sword of a Goddess (2)

Chapter 2 Part 2

* * *

Bound at the wrists and ankles with thick metal cuffs and chains attached, Elroy was fighting with all his human and inhuman strength to get free. When he isn’t in his wolf form, Scarlet has him imprisoned. Elroy didn’t know why she chose to chain him up while he is human. She already made it clear to him that if he left she would have him kill many people.

“Let me go!” Elroy screamed at the top of his lungs.

He hated smelling the urine and feces of past prisoners. It was sickening.

The sound of the door unlocking echoed through the near empty dungeon. Elroy stood up, pulling at the chains. The door swung open and in walked a black skinned man with no hair. His eyes glowed white in the darkness of the dungeon.

“Scarlet sends a message, Dinner at sunset, please join,” the tall man recited in his deep, husky voice.

The man then walked over to Elroy and unlocked the cuffs around his ankles and then unlocked the cuffs around Elroy’s wrists.

“Follow me,” the man ordered.

Something powerful controlled Elroy as he followed a step behind the strange man.

The black skinned man led Elroy into the same room that he witnessed the meeting. Only this time, an enormous chandelier hung from the ceiling. The entire room was lit with bright light. The circular table that was once in the center of the room was no longer there, instead there were several long, rectangular tables with benches.

The smell of some kind of meat cooking drifted into the room. It smelled delicious. Elroy’s stomach began to growl. He had not eaten in days and a good meal is just what is needed to bring his strength back.

“Elroy, how nice of you to join me,” Scarlet, her hair all done up, greeted with a devious smile.

“Sit,” the strange man ordered.

Elroy felt himself being compelled to sit on the nearest bench.

“Thank you, Emaksa,” Scarlet thanked.

With a nod he walked across the room to sit at another table.

“Why am I here?” Elroy asked.

“You are a guest in my home, therefor you must be invited to all big events,” replied Scarlet.

What is so important that I had to be here? Elroy wondered with a weird look on his face.

A few breathes went by before Scarlet stated, “Tonight is my engagement party.”

Scarlet walked away to greet the guests that just arrived. People from the meeting entered as well as several weird looking beings. One being caught Elroy’s eye. It was a man, or at least it looked like a man, but his aura made Elroy forget what was going on around him.

Someone nudged Elroy, which broke his focus on the weird man-like being.

“You shouldn’t stare at him,” a young voice stated.

Elroy turned to look beside him as he asked, “Why not?”

Beside him was a young girl, about ten winters old, with gorgeous shoulder-length brown hair.

“That being, he is called Pelupa. He, and his kind, will make you forget everything if you stare at them too long or if they look into your eyes,” the girl answered.

Shivers went down Elroy’s spine.

“I am Elroy,” he introduced.

“My name is Gwen, I am daughter of Anjeliko and Shamarra,” she said shyly.

“The God of Darkness and The Goddess of Wisdom are your parents?” Elroy shockingly asked.

“Yes. I was conceived before Anjeliko turned bad… according to my mother.”

“If you are a daughter of Gods, then why are you here?”

“Anjeliko, my father, is the one who is engaged to Scarlet,” Gwen replied with a sad look on her face.

Elroy, shocked, put his arm around the young girl’s shoulder.

“I haven’t seen my mother in a hundred years. My father kidnapped me when I was still a child,” she added.

“How old are you?” Elroy asked curiously.

“I will be five hundred years on the next Beltane celebration.”

Dumbfounded, Elroy asked, “You look like a child still, how is that possible?”

“People with Gods’ blood in them age slower than everyone else. That is how Gods stay alive for thousands of years. Since I am a daughter of two Gods, I get older more slowly than anyone else. I will live longer than my parents ever will,” Gwen explained.

Music sounded throughout the grand room. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. The ceiling of the room had disappeared and the crescent moon shone brightly into the room. Elroy almost forgot everything else was going on while he was talking to Gwen.

A loud monstrous screech echoed through the night sky and into the room. The music stopped and the guests parted to make room. In flew a gryphon. On the gryphon was a cloaked black figure.

The figure hopped off of the gryphon, waved his hand and the gryphon flew off into the moonlit sky. The cloaked man threw back his hood. Elroy recognized the bright red haired man from the meeting.

“Is that…” Elroy started before being cut off.

“Yes that is Anjeliko; my father. Excuse me,” Gwen said as she gracefully stood up from the bench and walked over to where her father stood.

She wrapped him in a hug and he lovingly stroked her hair.

For an evil God, he sure seemed to love his daughter, Elroy thought.

Scarlet had joined Anjeliko and Gwen in the center of the room. Scarlet tried to hug Anjeliko and Gwen, but Gwen walked away the moment Scarlet touched her.

“I don’t think she likes me,” Scarlet whispered to Anjeliko.

“She will, if she ever wants to see her mother again,” the God of Darkness said in his raspy voice.

“Please, everyone, continue to have a good time. I am sure the meal will be served soon,” Anjeliko said with a wicked smile.

The music started to play again and the guests began where they left off.

“May I have this dance?” Scarlet asked her future husband.

Anjeliko smiled and grabbed Scarlet’s hand.

Gwen was nowhere in sight. Elroy assumed she left the festivities. He couldn’t blame her. He would leave too if he wasn’t compelled to stay sitting on the hard bench.

* * *

The tall gates of Shaylo stood high above the travellers. They peregrinated through the town. People bustled about doing their chores for the day. Kids were running about chasing after a weighted ball. The town was so alive.

Halfway through the town, Saphira stopped her fellow travellers. “We will stay here for the night,” Saphira stated as she walked into a building.

Gwilym, Lantis, and Chloe followed her in. Inside it was dark and smelled of ale and smoke. Small candles were placed evenly around the perimeter of the lobby. Tables and chairs scattered throughout the room. Barmaids with short dresses were serving customers ale and delicious looking food. Saphira walked across the room to the counter, where an old man stood.

“Can I help you?” he asked as he spit into a container on the counter.

Repulsed, Saphira answered, “Yes, I would like a room for a night for me and my companions.”

The old man looked her up and down, sceptically. He proceeded to look at Gwilym the same way. The old man then turned to a rack with many keys on it and picked one.

“That will be twenty gold pieces,” the old man said before handing Saphira the key.

Saphira reached into her small pouch she had tied around her hips and pulled out a ruby. “This should cover it and do not let anyone disturb us,” Saphira said as she handed the bug-eyed man the sparkling red ruby.

Saphira led her companions up the narrow steps and into a dank smelling hallway. She stopped in front of the last door, put the key into the door and opened it up. The room was small with two beds. There was a dwarven carved washing bowl with clear cold water inside.

“Freshen up and then we will go downstairs for a meal,” Saphira requested as she grabbed a cloth and dipped it into the water. Despite how cold the water was, it was still refreshing.

The light from the sun was darkening by the time the travellers had finished cleaning up. One by one they headed back down the hallway and then down the stairs to the lobby. Saphira grabbed a table that was not well lit. Gwilym placed Chloe on the wooden table and took a seat next to Saphira. Lantis had to climb onto his chair.

A brown haired barmaid walked over and asked, “What can I get you?”

Saphira cleared her throat and replied, “A glass of ale for all of us and I would like a plate of cooked chicken with some lettuce and bread.”

The barmaid turned to Gwilym and he said, “I would like the same as my companion.”

It was Lantis’ turn to say what he wanted, but his mouth was so dry he couldn’t say anything. He turned to Saphira and said into her mind, “I would like a cow heart, cooked and a piece of fresh bread.”

Disgusted by Lantis’ food choice, Saphira said, “He would like a cow heart, cooked and a piece of fresh bread.”

The barmaid nodded and walked off to get their orders. She came back moments later with three ales in her hands and a tiny cup for Chloe. Saphira poured some of her ale into Chloe’s cup and then gulped down the rest. The journey made them all thirsty.

Their food was brought out after what felt like an eternity. Gwilym noticed an old woman across the room at a table staring at him. He nudged Saphira to get her attention. Saphira followed Gwilym’s gaze and noticed the old woman, who was now walking towards them.

“May I use your room to clean up,” the old woman asked.

Saphira stared into the wrinkly woman’s eyes and saw something that looked familiar.

“Sure,” Saphira replied.

She stood up and her companions followed her lead. They all slowly walked back up to their room, the old woman following behind.

Inside the room, the old woman shut the door behind her.

“The bowl of water is over there,” Saphira stated as she pointed to the water.

The old woman grabbed the cloth and dipped it into the water, with each wipe of her face her wrinkles disappeared.

When the woman turned to look at the companions, after washing her face, her identity had changed. The old woman was now a young woman with long flowing blonde hair. Her blue eyes sparkled in the candle light.

“Good evening, Saphira,” the woman’s musical voice echoed through the room.

“Shamarra, what are you doing here?” Saphira asked the Goddess of Wisdom.

“I have seen a terrible tragedy. Someone has engulfed a town in darkness,” Shamarra said.

“Yes, that was Kohtalo,” Gwilym piped up.

Shamarra shook her head, “No, this was a different town. This town has magical meaning.”

Saphira gasped and fell to the floor in pain. She knew what town Shamarra was referring to…Maji.

“I was sitting by the Lake of Sight when one of the crystal balls floated to the surface. I picked it up and witnessed the sickening darkness sweep across your home, Saphira. I tossed the crystal ball back into the lake before it could show me anymore,” Shamarra explained.

“Do you know who was behind it?” Gwilym asked.

“Scarlet,” Shamarra and Saphira whispered in unison.