Parallel Vol.2 [Legacy Edition]

Chapter 31: An Enchanting Tale

Merriheim,

Meiflour Mayor's Home.

Kashi, Syel and Rider got off their respective horses, and made their way towards the mansion. On their way, Rider had divulged as much information as possible.

Apparently he needed the Maggots to break some sort of curse that had been placed on him. He wouldn't say how exactly nor did he share what exactly the curse was, just that it could not be broken by his own will. There was some sort of rule limiting the actions he could take, and that's why he needed champions in his stead.

He was also over a thousand years old, which would have emphasized the theory that he was a vampire, except that to the delf's memory, vampires never lived passed a millennia - one of the traits given to them in the old game. Which meant he was a survivor of the old world like Fladnag.

Now that Kashi thought about it, if the wizard was from the old world, then he must be over a thousand years old - the old coot did not look a day over seven hundred. So he wasn't just a crazy powerful old man with too much spare time; he was a crazy powerful REALLY old man with too much spare time.

Kashi chuckled as they walked past the fountain.

It was not functioning - a fact Kashi noted at the back of his mind as they entered the mansion.

Kira led them to the common hall where a pleasant sight greeted them.

Miote sat with his back to them, immersed in a book he was studying. He nursed a wine glass with his right hand, flipping the pages with his left. A pleasing scent escaped from the embers of a grand fireplace, crackling of wood the only sound in the serene picture.

Kashi however had no time to appreciate the image for too long as -

"Yo," Syel called as he walked toward the chesch. "We meet again."

Miote placed the tome he'd been studying on the armrest as he turned around to look at his visitors. His gaze, distant and hazy travelled from the blood mage to Rider, before resting on the dark elf. A smile brightened his features as his eyes sharpened. "Well, took you long enough," he said, both as a reply to Syel, and a greeting to the dark elf.

"Well, you know, saving a whole town and all that," Syel countered in jest. "Never mind that. This' a sick place you got. How'd you get enough cash to buy it?"

"Oh, it's not mine. It's his," Miote corrected as he got to his feet.

Syel turned to Kashi. "Well, aren't you a regular old bag of surprises."

"Technically it belongs to my guild," Kashi clarified. "So, have you gleamed anything new from this place?" His question was directed at Miote.

Miote shook his head. "First, introduce your guest. Don't you think that's only proper?"

Kashi blinked twice. He had been trying so hard to get Rider off his mind, that somehow he had succeeded - too well. "My apologies." He said as he turned to Rider. "The gentleman's called Miote. Miote, meet Rider." He waited for both men to exchange pleasantries, then returned to his question. "So, you find anything of value?"

The Chesh's eyes sparkled behind a mischievous grin. "Did I?" He parroted, obviously relishing in the information he had to share but Kashi's impatient scowl urged him on. "Earlier we thought this mansion was guarded because of the mine deeds kept here."

"Yes," Kashi confirmed, a hint of impatient curiosity in his voice. "What of it?"

"Follow," Miote said in reply. He led them out of the mansion to the storehouse that housed the instruments. "You were in a hurry when you left, so you never stopped to consider. Why exactly did they store all these instruments here? They clearly had no intention of using them, so why not just destroy them? And even if not, why here of all places?" He widespread hand, indicated he meant more than just the compound.