∼ The Warlock of Aemsburg ∼

Chapter - 009

"You know... what exactly is that mark over its eye?" Oren asked as they trod their way down the worn road on the outskirts of Aemsburg, the sun already setting over the town wall.

"No idea. Maybe it's some kind of ownership mark, yet - it almost seems too natural to be a brand or a tattoo," Ailyn answered, casting a curious glance at the impling in her hold, looking at the intricate marking of what appeared to be an elongated elliptical shape with pointed ends that ran the length of the demon's brow down to its cheek.

Ailyn didn't know why, but the only thing that came to mind when she looked at that symbol was; prideful. A faint whimpering cry broke the party's gathering tension as they approached the mansion of the warlock. Lonesome from the rest of the town, the warren laid on the path towards their destination, and Ailyn couldn't help but let her expression darken ever so slightly as she averted her gaze from the worn-down building.

Unfortunately, Jasper thought this was the perfect time to speak up.

"Urgh, that place really does give me the heeby-jeebies," He gave a little shiver as emphasis. "-Oh yeah, Ailyn, didn't that crazy old pops of yours end up there last year?" He asked absentmindedly while lost in his wandering thoughts, speaking before his own words caught up to him.

Before he could react, Ailyn was storming past him, not sparing a glance. He immediately knew he had screwed up as usual and he tried to reach out for her, but she had already gained some distance and was not slowing. "Ailyn - sorry! I didn't mean- OW!" He was suddenly cut off by Oren's light smack at the back of his head.

"Idiot, think before you speak," said Oren as he steadied Jasper with a frown. The rest of the walk to the old mansion was done in awkward and painful silence for the rest of the group as they met up with Ailyn at the front door.

"Hey Ailyn, I really didn't mean to-" Jasper tried again, but was once again cut off by Aylin loudly banging the rusted door knocker before he could really say anything.

Knowing that as the cue to shut up, Jasper held his tongue as the party waited for anyone to answer. Soon the pitter-patter of steps could be heard moving inside and it was only moments before the large wooden door slowly creaked open on old hinges. But rather than what they had expected, it was not the face of a person that greeted them, but rather the red and long-nosed face of a demon barely tall enough to reach Ailyn's waist.

As the door opened wider, the demon came into full sight.

It was as if someone had taken the impling in her hands and just made it bigger, and uglier... the only real disparities being instead of having any similar markings or the same air of haughtiness about it, the demon wore ragged clothes and seemed much more skittish but somehow also more conniving that the one they had caught.

A long drawn-out moment was spent just staring into those blackened and yellow eyes before someone finally drew up the courage to speak as the demon seemingly was waiting for them to declare their reason for being here.

"I-um, we are adventures and here too - uh, see the master of this house?" Ailyn tried fumblingly, her previous anger-fueled bravado seemingly drained away in face of the surreal reality of the situation.

The large imp said nothing, simply scanning the faces of everyone present, its gaze lingering on the much smaller impling in Ailyn's grasp who had stopped its incessant struggles and flailing about in favor of staring back at its much larger brethren with an obvious wide-eyed expressing of shock on its impish face.

But surprisingly so, the larger imp despite its size seemed almost apprehensive as it tried to draw away from their locked gazes, and when it finally managed to do so, it let the door swing fully open while it scampered down a gloomy hall and disappeared around a bend.

Casting furtive glances at the less than an optimistic party at her back, the now much more unsure Ailyn walked hesitantly into the hall, the men reluctantly following along behind her.

"What's this Fritz - by the lords, who did you let in?" A hoarse voice echoed from down the hall.

Before they made it halfway down the old and dusty hall, the door closing itself due to its hinges, a person finally stepped into sight at the end of the gloom.

Unlike what they had pictured in their minds, he was not some old crazed-looking man in flowing robes and sporting a large beard, but rather he was a dangerously handsome man who looked to be barely in his thirties. Green eyes told of him being born a fellow Moraivian, yet his chiseled face and refined features seemed utterly alien to the backwater countryside of which they were and had all been born. Rather, he was the type of man you'd expect to be seeing courting the princess or being a prince himself from the stories they heard as children.

"Who are you lot, and what are you doing in... my... house?" The handsome man in decadent clothes sneered before his words suddenly fell short, trailing off at the end. His eyes were pinned to the small demon in Ailyn's hold like the eyes of a hawk to its prey.

Suddenly, and far quicker than any of the five could have ever imagined the man to be able to move, he closed the distance between them and peered intently at the impling from only scant inches away. The small demon wasn't particularly fond of the piercing scrutiny it was under, although it could certainly understand why.

Who wouldn't marvel at such an impressive and mighty being such as itself?

But that was beside the point.

"H-how... is this possible?" The man muttered breathily, more to himself than to the group.

However, despite the pleasant polishing of his ego, the impling couldn't help but feel a great unease by the man's gaze. It was almost as if his presence was suffocating. His power palpable.

Snarling at the man, the impling launched into a string of obscene gibberish that of course was only understandable to the demon itself. But still, it seemed that even though the man did not understand the unintelligible babble, he seemingly knew exactly the intent behind the inane screeching as he gave a creepy smile dripping with malice.

"I - uh, hello... would you happen to be the warlock?" Ailyn asked hesitantly, finally dragging the attention of the enamored man to her gaze. It almost seemed as if he needed a few seconds to recollect and remember that she had even been here the whole time.

"Where did you find him," The man asked instead of answering her question.

But even so, this made her brighten as a hesitant smile made its way onto her face, knowing now communication was actually possible. "Great! So... it is yours?" She asked with forced chipperness, hoping that she might've found some leeway here.

But as she saw the sudden scowl on the man's face, she realized that she hadn't actually answered his question. Luckily, Oren came to her timely rescue. "We found it at the edge of the Heartweald chasing rabbits, just south of town," Oren explained, putting a reassuring hand on Ailyn's shoulder that was as tense as a bowstring.

Not saying anything, the creepy smile returned to his face as he looked back at the impling, scrutinizing all its features much to the demon's chagrin.

Off to the side, Jasper frowned at the odd interaction. He couldn't exactly say why, but he felt an unnerving sense of dread. Not just from fear of a mage, but like a foreboding premonition about both this man's intentions and this situation as a whole. There was just something about what he could see in that man's eyes that seemed... off.

"And, there were no other warlocks or magi around where you found him?" The man asked cautiously, still not sparing any of the humans a single glance.

Now it was Oren's and Ailyn's time to frown. "No... not from what we could see. He just looked to be... um - alone out there?" Oren explained hesitantly.

But even so, his words served only to widen the smile from ear to ear on the black-haired warlock's face. Finally, he tore his gaze from the demon who had fallen completely silent, directing his sickening smile to Oren. "Did anyone see you take the impling or know of its existence?" He asked.

This question was very odd and specific, so Oren and Ailyn took a moment to think that over. But just as Oren was about to answer no to that question as even Boris, the drunken gate guard, had been sound asleep when they returned through the gate and walked to outside of the town as not to cause a stir, Jasper's hand landed firmly on Oren's arm, silencing him before he could say anything.

"Some did - why, does that have any relevance?" Jasper lied. "What, is it not yours?"

He had been feeling skeptical ever since Ailyn had suggested delivering the impling to the warlock for the chance of compensation, but it was first now he truly felt dread and he was barely able to keep up his jovial demeanor to hide it. But the man's next words and now very predatory smile proved Jasper's worries to have been spot on.

"So... no one," The man intoned, easily seeing through Jasper's desperate ploy.

None of the five had time to react before the warlock took one step to the side and turned sideward. Behind him stood a creature that no one of the five had even noticed creep up this close.

It had to be the single most terrifying beast that Jasper had ever laid his eyes upon. It resembled a pitch-black dog with the tell-tale canine body shape. But even so, it was twice the size of any dog he had seen before, and its leathery skin with barely any fur to speak of besides the mane of hair running down its back and the underside of its legs, seemed as if it could barely restrain the corded muscles underneath.

Tipped, hook-like claws extended from its paws, but much more deadly than those, was the terrifying visage of its face. It was as if there was no actual skin around its muzzle, but rather just a massive maw of bone that had fangs as long as his fingers lining it. Only from the jawline and up around to its nose were there any skin and flesh to be seen, attached like it was fused with the bone itself.

The last thing Jasper's racing mind managed to pick up on was the yellow glowing predatory eyes of the beast before a deep sonorous growl rumbled out as its haunched legs sprung forward to launch itself. At Ailyn. The sounds of cloth ripping and flesh being torn were almost instant, haunting the hall before she even crashed to the floor with an ear-piercing scream of agony.