"So, my excitable young charge. Where do you wish to go first?"
Seras wasn't sure. She only had a basic understanding of what being a Keeper meant, and what she'd need to survive. "What do you suggest?"
"While you need to bolster your forces, the most pressing matter is your complete lack of magic. Few Keepers survive long without at least a basic understanding of magic and the command of a few spells. While you and Horny may certainly be able to hold off an assault, it would be foolish to ignore a glaring hole in your defenses."
That made sense. Even if she didn't know any of this magic stuff, she'd need someone who did. "What about that Azzimec guy?" She wasn't sure. Gorla had mentioned that the madman had demolished part of his last bosses estate. Seras definitely didn't want someone turning her dungeon into a ticking time-bomb.
"I have heard the name before. A wildly eccentric and rather dangerous warlock to say the least. He experiments with combustible and explosive materials, and I believe he may hold allegiance to Isubiar the Flame Emperor, Dark God of Ruin and Destruction. But that does not matter. You need a warlock, and he is available. If you feel that he is a liability, you can fire him later. After the necessary research is complete."
That sounded good enough. She'd still keep an eye on him in any case. Now, Gorla had mentioned that he was living outside the walls...
..........
"Well. I think we found his place."
The young Keeper and the Mentor were on a rock ledge overlooking an open field of bare stone, pitted with holes and craters. In the center was an odd, leaning tower made of scrap metal welded together that somehow managed to stay standing. At its peak, several large antennae like the quills of a porcupine arced with electricity. Out of nowhere, a loud boom like the crack of thunder ripped through the air, and a thick cloud of smoke drifted out of the towers windows.
Seras shot an uncertain glance at the specter, and he could only offer a shrug. Following a path that remained relatively untouched by the rubble of past explosions, Seras tread carefully towards the slapdash tower. Up close, the lean was even more evident, and she was surprised that the damn thing hadn't snapped in half. There was also a number of pipes and hoses leading into and out of the bent building. The entrance was a large, circular door inset with a number of strange eyes that followed her every move. In the center was a large gaping mouth, as if stuck in a frozen scream.
Before she could react, the mouth launched forward on a body like that of a stone snake, and was immediately in her face. "WHO IN THE BLASTED HELLS ARE YOU?"
"GAHHH!" Seras jumped back, instinctively assuming a fighting stance. From the other end, she could hear malicious tittering. Recovering from her shock, Seras inspected the weird device. Seemed like it was some kind of magical intercom. "Um, my name's Seras. Seras Victoria." She bowed in a small curtsy.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" She did not fail to notice that the eyes were no longer focused on her face.
Hiding her aggravation, she stepped forward and did her best to mime Sir Integra. "I am a Keeper, and I am here to discuss your employment."
The eyes darted back to her face, and she could hear some cursing on the other end. A loud crack and thump later, she heard a very different voice answer her. "A Keeper you say? One moment."
The door shifted, then softly rumbled as it slid out of view, and Seras got her first glance inside the tower. Piles and piles of books, papers and scrolls, cases of wands, boxes of magical reagents and crates of alchemical ingredients reached up to the ceiling. The alchemical symbol of fire was inscribed into the floor in gold, and floating orbs of fire lit the rooms.
To the side she could see a small creature resembling a goblin sporting a nasty lump on his head. Two small horns sprouted from its forehead, a pair of wings flapped on its back, and its feet were those of a goat.
"My Lady", a young man, no older than herself before she was turned, greeted her. He might have been handsome, but it was hard to tell under the layer of soot that covered him head to toe. "I am Elias, Master Azzimec's apprentice. Please, come in."
She stepped over the boundary that separated rough stone and a clean tile floor, and in the back of her mind she felt an odd buzz. She tried to identify it, but the sensation came and went in the blink of an eye.
The ugly little gremlin rose from the floor and stuck his blue tongue from between double-rows of razor sharp teeth out at the apprentice. "STUPID SLAVE! WHEN I TELL MASTER, HE'LL KILL YOU! THEN I EAT YOUR WORTHLESS CORPSE!"
"Run along, you little pest, before I thump you again."
The loud-mouthed humanoid hissed, his body warping until it took the form of a large rat, and he disappeared into a hole in the wall.
"Just what was that?"
"Oh, him? That's my master's pet homunculus. He's a terrible pain, and I'll likely get stuck cleaning the tower again for hitting him, but I'll not let him cause trouble with guests. My name is Elias", he bowed in respect. "You spoke of employment?" Seras nodded.
"I would certainly be interested in getting away from Skid Row." He wouldn't say it, be she could tell he wanted to put some distance between himself and Azzimec as well. "However..my masters experience with previous employers has been..less than stellar."
Seras couldn't help but cross her arms. "You don't say?"
"To be fair, Goristro let his bile demons run rampant through the dungeon, and they consumed many expensive and very explosive materials. They brought their demise upon themselves in their gluttony. Of course, the Keeper didn't care. Master Azzimec's parting words - and a goodbye explosion - did not help matters. I'm simply glad he hasn't bothered to send an assassin."
Elias removed a pendant resembling an open mouth, much like the one on the door, and spoke into it. "Master, we have guests. They come with an interesting proposition. Shall I show them up?"
"BRAGH! GET BACK IN THAT CAGE YOU INSIPID LITTLE VERMIN! SNAP GAAAAH! I'LL SEND YOU TO THE BLEAKEST DEPTHS OF TARTARUS, YOU WORTHLESS DUNG-HILL WORMS!!" BOOM
"A tad busy?"
"My master can be a bit..obsessive..when it comes to his research. He's smarting from being so violently ejected from Goristro's service, but he won't turn down guaranteed funding. Follow me please, and don't mind the mess. We're still unpacking."
...........
"Blast and damnation! Yet another dead-end!" The wizened alchemist had spent the last of his funds delving into the bleak ruins of Keeper Melcharn's dark sanctuary, risking life and limb (or at least his apprentice's) for a chance at finding ancient forgotten lore. All for nothing.
After testing a particularly volatile mix, Azzimec's laboratory was in shambles. Tables overturned, glass shattered, reagents scattered about, cloth burned, marble tiles broken. The remains of his test subjects plastered the walls and ceiling, while a smoking crater in the floor displayed how close he had just come to death. All in all, a normal day. With a wave of his hand, the room began to mend itself and would soon return to its previous pristine condition.
What was he to do? He had no means of income, thanks to that wretched Bile Demon. He made a note never to work with the gluttonous simpletons again. How did anyone allow him to taking control of the city? The cities of the Underworld were supposed to remain independent, by decree of the Lords of Dis. And yet that drooling pile of shit and lard was given free reign. Chuckling ruefully, he leaned back and summoned a tome containing countless alchemical formulas and magical incantations. Every time he came close to success, he hit a wall. It was as if the dark gods wanted him to fail.
Old, frail fingers caressed the leather-bound book in longing. A collection of hard-earned knowledge, both mundane and forbidden, obtained over nearly 500 years. He was proud to have achieved so much in his lifetime, but to be denied the answer to his final puzzle was infuriating. And who would take up his work when he was just dust and bones? The boy? He had to admit, Elias had great potential. But his heart was soft. He would never have been able to complete the trials necessary to become a true warlock.
A knock on the black stone door pulled him from his introspection. "What is it boy? Did you deal with that mess yet?" Another wave of his hand allowed the apprentice entry into the lab. What he brought with him made the old warlock's brows furrow.
A girl? She was definitely a looker, and she didn't appear to be much older than Elias. A lover? No. He kept the boy much too busy with his studies and chores to be able to have a love life. For him then. He had to admit, he was probably far too old to even be able to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman, even with the aid of magic. She wasn't a tavern wench or slave. She wasn't demanding pay, or crying like a babe. Her outfit suggested a military lifestyle. A guard? And the ghost at her side stumped him. No moaning or rattling chains, and he appeared far more lively than other specters. Where have I seen him before?
"Is this your attempt to cheer me up lad? I appreciate the effort, but I'm in no mood for any fun and games right now. You'll have to find work elsewhere, girl."
Elias was very nearly floored when his master thought he'd brought a whore to the tower. But his own nervousness receded when he saw how red her face had become. She was grinding her teeth, and her fists were balled tightly at her side. The young apprentice feared that his master may have just doomed them both.
"She's not a, um...working girl..sir. She's-"
Elias's introduction was interrupted as a large rat bit his leg and darted over to the elderly warlock. It leaped onto his chair, its body changing into a vicious little humanoid in midair. "KEEPER BOSS! IT'S A KEEPER!" the homunculus pointed a clawed finger in Seras's direction. The vile little monster grinned evilly at the apprentice.
Azzimec's brows furrowed even further. Now the warlock was certain his disciple had an unhealthy craving for pain. "What is the meaning of this, apprentice? Your answer shall decide your punishment."
"Sir, this is Lady Seras Victoria" he bowed, trying to avoid being turned into a toad, if at all possible. "She seeks your services." Seras made her own short curtsy, not breaking eye contact with the warlock.
Azzimec was somewhat surprised. Goristro had only been a temporary occupation, and a desperate one at that. Keepers were often harsh taskmasters, and he doubted he would do well in another's service. Looking the girl over, he judged her not a day over nineteen.
"Some Keeper's offspring then." He snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have no time for games. Begone." He waved his hands, shooing them away as he returned to his thoughts.
Elias led them back to the lobby, politely asking them to wait while he persuaded his master. Returning to the lab to find the warlock perusing his ancient texts, Elias was muted before he could breathe a word by a single raised finger.
"What in all that's unholy possessed you to even consider letting a Keeper into my domain, let alone my personal laboratory?" The old man's gaze had never left his book.
"Hmmm mmm mmmm, mmmm hmmmm mmmm." It was hard to explain his actions with locked lips. A wave of Azzimec's hand released the hex of silence.
"We've spent three years scrounging for funds, doing dirty jobs and degrading ourselves to fund your work. Now, we have nothing. If we don't find well-paying work soon, we'll be out on the streets."
Azzimec knew his apprentice spoke the truth. If he remained unemployed, the cabals would name him unworthy of his title, and his greedy peers would come to seize everything he owned. His wrinkled hands gripped the tome tightly, unwilling to surrender his life's work. The choice had already been made.
.........
Seras and the Mentor's wait did not last long. Appearing in a puff of smoke, Azzimec hobbled out of the sulfurous cloud, coughing into his hand. The old warlock then stood straight, peering into Seras', judging her worth. Behind him, Elias descended the stairs carrying a box full of books.
Cutting to the chase, Azzimec pointed a gnarled finger at the young Keeper. "What do you want with me?"
The Mentor took this as his cue. "My lady lacks proper training in the magical arts, and requires the service of a warlock for research and development."
"So, you need a teacher, not a serf."
"Exactly."
Cocking an eyebrow, Azzimec continued. "Proof of pay?" Seras reached into her pocket and passed a small bag to the old warlock. Peering inside, he saw several gemstones of high quality and value. He nodded appreciatively, and handed the bag back to the girl.
"As you can see, proper pay is guaranteed. Room and board is standard. You'll also have free reign over the library." the ghost added.
"I can assume that you're only just beginning?" Seras nodded. Azzimec was surprised. His luck may have finally changed for the better. He extended a thin, almost mummified hand, which Seras accepted in a polite shake. In just a few moments, a connection formed between the young vampire and the warlock, confirming his employment.
"Alright then. Apprentice! Pack my bags! We're got a lot of work to do."
...........
Hehehehehehe...."
The demon spawn were quivering in fear. They had smelled freshly spilled blood and expected a few bodies to scavenge, not...this. The giant horned monster with skin of coagulated blood had slaughtered all of their nest-mates, and now only three were left.
For his part, Horny was finally enjoying his new-found employment. It had been so long since he had tasted fear, and these little nuisances were positively dripping with it. In his eagerness, he had butchered the lot in only a few minutes. Now, with only a handful left, he meant to savor this.
"How shall I kill you, little worms? Shall I break your bones? Skin you alive? Eviscerate you and feed you your own guts?"
The bloodthirsty demon's next swing by the distant sound of crackling energy, signifying portal travel. Horny glared at the trembling little urchins and spat in the dirt. "Well well. It must be your lucky day. The Keeper just may have use for you."
The demon didn't appreciate being interrupted in the middle of his fun, but that was fine. Those little ankle-biters weren't even a snack. He needed much bigger, worthier prey. The sound of his iron-shod hooves echoed through the dungeon as he made his way to the portal.
"Keeper. You finally return from that wretched little slum. Told you it was a pile of shit..." Horny was surprised when, instead of a blonde vampire, he found an old man and his lackey.
"H-ho-horn-horned Re-eap-Reaper?" The boy immediately fainted, while the old man very nearly had a heart attack. An ugly grey rat retreated into the warlock's robes, hissing in fright.
"Bwahahahaha! I see she failed to mention me. You must be the new warlock. Welcome to the dungeon." He jutted a clawed thumb over his shoulder. "Library's that way. Don't mind the mess. Just finished a little pest control."
Horny made to leave, when he noticed the unconscious mortal. Standing over him, he let loose a terrible roar that shook the very stone. Wrenched back into the waking world, the boy skidded backwards, trying in vain to escape from the blood-red monster grinning at him.
"GET TO WORK!" The boy babbled incoherently, but was smart enough to do so while grabbing his master's luggage.
"My lord." The warlock shooed the boy into the winding tunnel, while maintaining a low bow in deference to the demon's might.
Personally, Horny was very pleased. Soon, he would return to the lava chamber to explore and hunt for new prey. But for now, he would wait and see what other surprises the Keeper sent through the portal.
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(Posted Sat, 29 Nov 2014 17:51)
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