Sword of the Godslayer

XIII - Bleeding Ink

With a flick of the drow's hand, all the floating furniture coalesced around the center of the room, and then she smashed them all towards the main door of the manor. "No one leaves this manor until I say so."

     The drow mage cancelled the spell and then cast another one. One of the linens covering the divans flew towards Cassana and wrapped around her neck. With a motion of the drow's fist, the blanket tightened and lifted her up to the ceiling. Cassana instinctively grabbed on it with her arms, but it wouldn't nudge. Her head began to bloat and the white of her eyes started turning red.

     "Such determination. Such will. If you were a drow, I would feel bad for you." The mage released her spell and Cassana dropped onto the floor, the white cloth spreading around her leg. She gasped for air and held back her tears.

     "I see what you're doing," the drow continued, "you think if you can keep up that facade of courage, you can convince yourself that you're brave enough to go through this. But I can see through the mask. I know that deep inside, you are trembling with fear. I know that you know, there's no way you and your gullible little boyfriend are getting out of this alive. That after we get what we want from you, we will kill both of you, and there will be nothing you can do about it.

     "I guess the best course of action for you now is to just... die. So why don't you get that blanket and tie it on your neck and hang yourself. That way, you could at least die on your own terms."

     Cassana looked up at the drow standing in front of her, with her eyes now the same crimson as her hair. She wiped the snot from her cheeks and tried to stand up. She should grab the blanket and wrap it around the drow's neck but her arms were shaking uncontrollably.

     The drow mage stepped aside and motioned for her to enter the parlor. "Chop chop. It's almost morning."

     The redhead obliged. She dragged her foot one at a time towards the door leading to the parlor. It seemed like exhaustion has drawn out every energy from her body and she probably wouldn't be able to cast a simple light spell. She opened the door and the familiar scene of the parlor room greeted her. Except there was only one drow inside, Nymgos. All the lamps were lit and in the center was the painted box that holds the bow. Beside it was another box, which Cassana recognized was the one where she put most of the stuff she got from her father's secret room.

     "You should have everything you need in here," the drow mage said, "so go ahead, we don't have all night."

     Nymgos shifted on his seat and watched Cassana approach the artifact. What, you just sit there all day? She would love to throw another quip but her whole body was shaking.

     Cassana opened the painted box and took another look at the weapon inside it. "I need a nugget," she announced.

     "Do you really think I would give you a focusing stone?" said the mage.

     "Just a small one."

     "No."

     "Look, the last time I touched this, the curse that's protecting it almost fried my brain. I would have died earlier if not for the nugget on my bracelet. If I touch this now, then you're gonna have to find another translator."

     The drow mage produced a piece of wool mitten, the kind one uses for cooking, and grabbed the bow from inside the box and turned it sidewards to reveal the part with inscriptions. "There, you don't need to touch it."

     "Can I have that?"

     "No."

     "Okay. And I need ink and paper."