Odder The Demon Hunter - The Blood Curse
Chapter 26: FROM ITS HEART, BLEEDS TEMPTATION

The Rigan twin volcanos appeared much less ominous during the day. Plumes of light gray smoke lifted into the sky as molten lava trudged from the hollow crest and down the carved channels like bleeding veins. An impious haze choked the base of the mountain, seeping into its crevices as the cooler air combined with the heat.

The group passed by crowds of sick, decrepit, and dying elves. Some passed out on the ground, camped in makeshift huts and tents, and roamed the area like mindless undead.

Odder held his fist over his mouth.

“Not a pretty sight is it lad?” Karzan questioned.

“What’s wrong with them?”

“They are called the less than.” Karzan pulled out his wand. “Unfortunate elves who have become slaves to silq. Be careful. They will kill to have it.”

“How does the silq control them?”

“They have tasted its madness,” said Serra. “Now they know nothing else.”

“Trace amounts of silq seep into the water and food of the local villages,” Karzan added. “Over time they hunger for its poison.”

A small youngling approached Odder and pulled at his pant leg. He bent down, rested on his knees, and looked into her dull fogged over eyes. The same lifeless eyes one might see in a blind elder on their deathbed. He covered his grief with a warm smile. “What’s your name.?”

She parted her crusted lips. “My name is Esha.” Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Do you have silq?”

“Laddy.” Finkle patted his shoulder. “There’s only one cure for her thirst, and it’s death.”

Odder turned and glared. “Show some sympathy. She’s standing right here.” He glanced at Aimma. “Can you help?”

Aimma knelt and took her hand. “Esha, where’s your parents?”

Esha pointed toward a pit. “Sleeping.” She sobbed.

A lump formed in Odder’s throat.

“I don’t mean to be crass, but gnomie’s right, we can’t help her.” Serra motioned her hand at the crowd, “There’s nothing we can do for any of them. We need to move on.”

Aimma deepened her voice. “I’m not leaving. She deserves to have someone try.”

Karzan leaned in. “I understand how you feel. It’s terrible, but every elf on Arcaina will suffer an even worse fate if you, Odder, don’t succeed in your mission.”

Odder looked into Esha’s eyes. He sensed her sorrow and pain and placed his hands on her head. He concentrated on healing her. A blue glow enclosed her delicate frame but faded. He pulled away. Her facial expression remained hollow and cold. He stared down at his empty hands. All this power… His chest tightened, and he stood. He knew what he had to do.

“Let’s go,” Odder said, waving forward. His face stern. “Times running out.”

Everyone followed him as he walked toward the mountain except Aimma.

“Odder wait,” Finkle said. “Aimma’s trying to heal her.”

“Leave her be,” Odder said, without looking back. “She’s doing her duty as a healer.”

“We can’t just leave her,” Finkle pleaded. “Tell him Karzan.”

“Odder’s right,” Karzan answered. “We can’t make her follow.”

“It’s alright, Finkle,” Serra whispered in his ear. “We’ll come back for her.”

“This power has changed you!” Finkle yelled at Odder. “Tell me different.”

After a long pause, Odder replied, “with great power, comes great responsibility. We have a world to save.”

Finkle kicked the dirt, then turned and yelled, “We’ll be back, Aimma. Wait for us here.”

Odder, Karzan, Finkle, Corbin, and Serra stood at the base of the mountain looking up at a daunting thirty-foot-tall iron gate. Etched into the metal were three fire-breathing dragons circling a sword similar in design to the Maha’De.

Karzan stepped forward and called out to the gatekeeper. Flames erupted from the ground in front of the gate. Corbin jumped in front, but Karzan ushered him back. He shielded is eyes. A twenty-foot creature made from fire stood before him. It’s two legs melted into the ground, and it stood with one fist clenched and its other hand holding a flaming hammer. The creatures head danced like a flame on a log and possessed no facial features.

“I am high wizard Karzan Ka, and we need entry into Rigan,” he said, with authority.

“What is it?” Odder asked, in a hushed voice.

“A fire elemental,” responded Serra.

The head of the elemental fluttered as it spoke. Its voice resonated like thunder. “High wizard Karzan, all entry is prohibited.”

Karzan held up his wand. The tip burst into flames. “By my command, grant us entry. We are on a mission to hinder the goblins from entering the portal.”

“What’s Karzan doing?” Odder questioned.

“Looks like he’s trying to use a fire spell to control the elemental,” said Finkle.

“You have no authority over me.” The elemental moved its hammer toward Karzan.

Odder unsheathed the Maha’De and held it above his head. “Stop!”

The elemental halted, withdrew its hammer and stood still for several moments. Its yellow and red flames turned black as coal. Then the creature burst into a plume of dark smoke that dissipated. The iron doors creaked open.

“Hurry.” Karzan pointed toward the opening.

As soon as the group entered, the doors shut. They stood on gray slate floors in a massive courtyard. Odder looked around in wonder. The township of Rigan was built within an enormous cave with a vast ceiling hundreds of feet up. The sides resembled a vertical cliff with dwelling structures built into the sides. An extensive network of pathways connected buildings to the courtyard. Rivers and streams of lava circled monuments and shrines then poured into reservoirs.

A fifty-foot statue of their King with lava dripping from his eyes stood to their left. While to the right, the Rigan castle emerged from the mountain like a recluse closing in on its prey.

A sudden showering of blue lightning filled the air in front of Odder and five elves, dressed in crimson leather armor with red leather hoods, appeared.

Finkle jumped in between, swinging his hammer and Corbin pounded his fists together. The elves lifted their brightly glowing red staffs in defensive positions.

The lead Rigan elf held out his hand to the others, motioning them to stand down. Their staffs faded to a polished silver. He turned toward Odder. “I am Ostasis of the royal guard. Do you wield the Maha’De?”

Odder nodded. “I do.”

“May I see it?”

Odder nudged Finkle to the side and held the sword up. Its radiance caused the guards to step back.

Ostasis stepped up to Odder. “You may sheath it now. We have been waiting for you.”

“Where’s the King?” asked Karzan.

“He did not return from the games. I fear he is lost from this world. King Jedifre instructed if such an emergency happened, to summon a fire elemental to stand guard and allow no one to enter the township except the wielder of the Maha’De.”

“So that’s why the elemental burst into ash,” said Serra.

“Yes,” Ostasis answered. He eyed Corbin. “The golem, he is not welcome here. He must leave.”

“He’s with us,” Odder defended.

The guard’s staff illuminated.

“It’s alright,” said Karzan. “Time is short.” He turned to Corbin. “Watch after Aimma. We’ll be back soon.”

Corbin grunted but walked out the doors.

The guards put away their weapons. “The Maha’De must be dipped into raw silq,” Ostasis said, walking toward the castle. “Please, come this way.”

“Where are all the townsfolks?” Odder asked.

“Hiding.” Ostasis pointed to several dwellings in the rocks. “Our homes are built into the mountain. What you see is only the surface of thousands of catacombs, passages, vaults, and rooms.”

“Do you not venture out?”

“We do for hunting, trading, or when the need arises, but the House of Rigan protects the most valuable substance in Arcaina. For that purpose, we are confined to live within these walls.”

“And what of the thousands of people outside of the city. Where’s their protection?”

“Unfortunate casualties of silq.”

Odder remembered the look in Esha’s eyes. He felt a wave of nausea pass through him. “You say it with such lack of compassion. They are fellow elves.”

Finkle growled.

“Be calm gnomie,” said Serra. “This is not our fight.”

“And why aren’t the townspeople of Rigan poisoned?” Finkle questioned.

“Surrounding villages are encouraged to stay clear. Their madness is their own fault.” Ostasis glared and Finkle. “We’re not mad simply because we drink the mountain spring before the water reaches the silq.”

Odder gripped his sword, squeezing the hilt until his knuckles turned pale.

Karzan discreetly placed his fingers over Odder’s hand and pressed down. Odder jerked and glanced at Karzan who narrowed his eyes. “Diplomacy is best right now.”

Odder released his hand from the sword and relaxed.

Serra cleared her throat, seeming to make a small distraction. “So your weapons. They’re unique.”

“Yes,” said Ostasis, with a smile. “Rigan fire sticks.” He held his staff in the air. The polished silver heated into a red glow. “Enchanted Elven steel heated to an incredible temperature. It pierces goblin armor as smooth as a flaming sword melts wax.”

The glow receded, and he placed the staff in a holster on his back. “We’re almost there.”

The group walked behind the castle, crossing a bridge over jumping flames, and then to another smaller iron gate.

“Odder,” said Ostasis. “Only you are allowed to enter. On the other side of these doors, in a large chamber, are statues of a thousand golden imps. They guard the entry to the sepulcher, where the source of the silq dwells. Keep your sword sheathed. They will only attack if the source is stolen or threatened.” He handed him a blue stone amulet. “Where this around your neck to protect you from the heat. It’s only temporary so do your task and hurry back.”

Odder placed the stone around his neck. Ostasis directed the others to stand back. He chanted a spell that opened the gate, and Odder stepped in. The door slammed closed causing a loud clang that echoed throughout the brightly lit chamber. The golden imps lifted their heads as if awakened. Odder crouched back, his hands in a defensive position, and held his breath. The statues stood still like corpses in a sarcophagus. He carefully inched close to examined one. It was made of solid gold, standing around five feet tall, and holding a sword, blade up with both hands. A golden cone-shaped hat etched with old elven writing, rested on its bat-like head. On the side of its face, attached what looked like small dragon wings. Gold jewelry adored its chest and waist, and its legs bent backward at the knees. Its irregular clawed feet were nearly the size of a wild cat. Eagle wings sprouted from its back and opened in a take-flight position.

Rows of the imps stacked along the path. Odder stood in awe. It would take an army to make it into the sepulcher. He stepped forward. No movement from the imps. Alright, nothing to fear. He took several steps. The imps moved their heads, fixed on Odder. He took a few more. This time, the thousand imps stepped with him, making a thunderous noise. He continued to the entry with the imps matching each of his steps until they arched around him. Odder wiped his brow. He wasn’t quite sure if his sweat was caused by the heat or the anxiety of the imps closing in. Finally, he stood at the iron gate that radiated a blue hue.

No handle? How am I supposed to get in? He pulled at his hair. The imps stepped closer. He turned. “Wait, wait, I didn’t take a step.” He held out his palms. They stepped closer, now within a few feet. The imps raised their claws as if ready to jump. Odder stepped back, his amulet flashed, and he fell through the iron gate, landing on his rear.

“What the…” He jumped to his feet. The amulet must have allowed me to go through. A strong smell of brimstone and a loud rumbling like giant boulders rubbing against each other caught Odder by surprise. He jerked around.

And there it was, Odder cringed, the source of the silq. He covered his eyes, then peeked through his fingers. He pulled his hands down his face and covered his mouth. Could it be? The Rigans treatment of the suffering elves is inexcusable, but this is appalling. The most valuable substance on Arcaina and it comes from this? A combination of shame for not knowing the truth and anger boiled inside his veins.

Odder looked into its eyes. He saw a fire of unforgiving hatred staring back. “How long have they entrapped you?”

It shook its head trying to free itself from a bluish illuminating brace that wrapped around its stone neck, jaw, and forehead. Its arms were stretched out by chains as large as a hundred elves and attached with spikes inserted into its rocky hands. Shackles circled its waste with more than twenty chains connecting it to the inner volcano walls. Its flesh twisted and warped resembling cooled magma. Metal claws pried its aggregate rocky chest open like an eagle gutting its prey and revealed it’s pulsating red glowing heart. Lava spilled from its innards and pooled up to its knees. An iron spout, embedded into its heart, siphoned the silq into a system of ducts and out of the chamber like a farmer harvesting sap from a tree. Odder knew in an instant that it was another golem and maybe even the dragon fire golem that Karzan spoke of.

Odder raised his voice. “I’m sorry. This isn’t right, but I must take some of your life blood to save this world. If I defeat the Queen and her goblins, I promise to come back and free you in return.”

Fire blew out the golem’s eyes. Its voice muffled by its head restraint. It pulled its arms trying to free itself from its bindings.

“I take it you don’t like that idea.” Odder searched the sides of the jagged cavern for a way to come close to the silq. A small ledge circled the walls and up to a domed ceiling. He spotted a metal basket at the end of a chain and pulley, hovering just above the pool of lava.

Odder traced the chain up to a swiveling crane that circled above the golem and back down to a winch on the opposite side. He calculated. A two elf job unless my magic comes through.

He scaled a small footpath to the bottom. The golem pulled again and shook the entire cavern. Rocks rained down from the ceiling and took out part of the path ahead of Odder. He heaved back, clinging to the rocks.

About a twenty-foot jump. He focused on the magic, I got this, and leaped. One foot landed sound while the other fell to the side. He fought to regain his balance then continued until he was near the basket. Alright, another ten-foot jump but this time over erupting lava. I hope this amulet keeps working. He leaped, falling into the basket.

The golem stomped like a stampeding herd. Odder used his magic to turn the winch and raise the basket just before a wave of lava overtook it. The golem twisted its body and yanked at the chains. More rocks tumbled from the ceiling and side.

Odder pointed a finger and used his magic to move the crane. The basket circled the golem and toward the spout. He unsheathed the Maha’De and knocked away some falling rocks. His swings nicked the golem’s chain, causing the metal to fracture. The basket went past the spout and he had to backtrack.

The golem viciously yanked at the weakened chain until it snapped, freeing its right hand. It swiped at Odder, missed, but instead it seized the chain and flung the basket up and down. Odder flew out but grabbed the metal link at the bottom of the basket. He flew in every direction as the golem tried to shake him off.

At the exact moment the basket swayed by the spout, Odder swung the Maha’De and severed the duct. Silq sprayed out fifty feet like a severed warm artery from a frost giant - giving Odder the opportunity to dip his sword into the golem’s life blood.

The Maha’De radiated beams of blue light that filled the cavern. The golem flinched and tossed the basket into the side of the wall. Odder tumbled off the rocks, down to the footpath, and nearly rolled off. He cried out in pain as his leg jammed in between two boulders.

The golem searched for Odder and found him helpless. It reached for him when several golden imps flew from above and jumped on its hand. Several more jumped onto its broken chain and pulled it toward the opposite wall.

Odder peered up. Just above him was the door he fell through but now with numerous golden imps flying into the cavern to subdue the golem. They must not only guard the source of the silq but make sure it doesn’t escape. He knew this was his one chance to escape while the imps were distracted before they turned on him. He forced the boulders away, healed his leg, and climbed out into the imps’ chamber. He sprinted to the iron door and slammed his fist into it. The door opened, and Odder hurried out.

Ostasis led the group into a luxurious tropical room with fresh ponds, waterfalls, and exotic birds and vegetation. Rigan servants served chilled water and food to the group. While they ate, Odder finished telling them what happened.

“I know it’s easy to hate what we’ve done, but please understand that our golem is a mindless raging brute that terrorized Rigan for hundreds of years.” Ostasis handed Odder another cold flask of water. “Nothing like your golem from what you say. The King received many plans. Some called for its destruction and some for its capture. The King found the golem too precious to destroy so our clerics enacted a plan to capture the golem and harvest its magic.”

“Yes but look at the harm it’s done outside your walls,” Finkle said.

“True,” Ostasis replied. “There are some unintended consequences but look at all the good. The advancements in out magicurgy, spells, armor, weapons, and our great economy. The pros cannot be denied. We have over two thousand years of this truth.”

“It doesn’t sit right with me,” mumbled Finkle. “Karzan and Serra, you’ve been quiet. What do you think?”

Serra leaned in and in a snarky tone said, “I don’t care.”

Finkle scowled. Her words too crass for even him.

“I don’t believe in the suffering of elven kind but at this moment we have a bigger battle than politics,” Karzan said, in a subdued calm voice.

Odder stood. “Karzan’s right. This is not our battle.”

“Your new power is blinding you, Odder?” Finkle said, anger in his voice. “Where is your compassion?”

“It disgusts me as much as it does you, Finkle, but our mission comes first,” Odder answered. “Once we’re triumphant, then we can work on changing the laws of the land.”

He bowed to Ostasis and thanked him. “Will you lead your men with us to Skyger?”

Ostasis shifted in his chair and pulled at his chin. A guard approached and whispered into his ear. He stood. “We have done our part to help you, but our greater purpose is to protect the source of the silq.” He held out his hand. “May the Celestines be with you.”

“But we are fighting an army of goblins,” Finkle interrupted. “We need an army!”

Odder gently pushed Finkle behind him. Holding in his anger, He took off the amulet Ostasis gave him and placed it into his hand. “If we can’t stop them, they will come for you.”

With that, he turned and left Rigan, leaving them to face the consequences of their own decisions.