Ch 40: Requests for Help

"Try not to get into any trouble." Piaras said as the group came to a small barricade at the entrance to the valley of Murfen.

"I will certainly try." Baldeur replied.

Piaras had decided to pass through the village due to time constraints with the cuttings of Blue Rooted Elm. Waiting for the beast tide to die down would take weeks, as would going around the village in question.

Magic could only keep the cuttings healthy enough to be transplanted for so long.

"Are you planning to stay in the valley for long?" One of the young men at the barricade asked.

Those on guard duty were very relaxed.

"We should just be passing through for the night." Piaras said.

"That's good to hear. We've got a lot of people from surrounding valleys and not nearly enough food or shelter for everyone." The young man said.

"Is this valley in any danger?" Piaras asked.

"Nah. The beast tide should be nothing if it does reach here and we've got a larger force on the side of the valley it'd come from." One of them said.

"Good to hear." Piaras said.

"Just make your way to the inn. They don't have room but the mayor wants everyone passing through to check in there." One of them said.

As they made our way into the valley, they saw a large village and a number of tents and makeshift shelters.

The path they were on eventually led past a small pond with two young women nearby. One sat on the ground with sunken features and a vacant look in her eyes. The other stood next to her in a protective manner.

After they passed them, Aisling spoke up.

"Sir, the one on the ground had some faint Infernium energy coming off of her."

"Does it seem like she's a user or just had some spells cast on her?" Piaras asked.

"I think someone cast a spell on her recently. If this world had Infernium as a Source I wouldn't even think anything of it. It would be less than background noise. But since this Source shouldn't even exist on this world, it's like a candle flame in a long pitch dark room for me." Aisling said.

"Let me know if you sense anything else. We need to be careful. This village isn't like that other one. There's a few people with moderate talent ahead." Piaras said.

What Aisling hadn't sensed but Baldeur had, was a Source of Infernium on the eastern side of the valley. Though just like what Aisling said about the young woman, it wouldn't even register if this world had Inferium as a Source.

As they entered the village, Baldeur noticed there was one two story home build with much better materials. Carved into the stone arch above the entry door was the name Sathanas, written in the language of Tartarus.

While the others couldn't read what was written, Piaras and Aisling recognized the script as the same as what was on the pedestal in the shrine from the cannibal village.

After entering the inn, Piaras provided them with their names and how long they planned to stay.

They were told to be civil and curtisious to the refugees in the valley. They were also told to stay away from the eastern end of the valley; there were a number of caves in that area that the villagers considered sacred.

As they made their way out of the inn someone started to call to them in a loud whisper.

"Hey. Hey you." Someone called.

As the group looked to the side of the inn they saw a man in torn clothes with a hood pulled over his face.

"I need to talk to you." He said.

"What can we do for you young master Lamara?" Piaras said.

The frustrated young master pulled off his hood and motioned them to come to the side of the inn.

After the group followed him, Mathys Lamara looked around trying to see if anyone was watching them.

"You're from the City of Gates right? I recognize you from that city. I need your protection. My father will reward you handsomely if you can escort me back to the City of Gates." Mathys said.

"What happened to your guardians?" Piaras asked.

"We got separated when the beast tide happened. Look, we can't stay here, it's not safe." Mathys said.

"Don't worry young master, this valley is perfectly safe from the beast tide. We plan to leave early in the morning and head straight back to our city. You are more than welcome to join us." Piaras wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to gain favor with the finance minister of their district for his company.

"We need to leave now." Mathys said.

"Is there a reason this valley isn't safe?" Piaras asked.

Mathys turned white as he looked around avoiding eye contact with their group.

"No. I just want to get back to the city as soon as possible." He replied.

Baldeur sensed not just fear but guilt from the young master.

"Just keep your head down and follow my orders and you shouldn't have any troubles." Piaras said.

Mathys pulled his hood back up and followed them as they headed to the western edge of the village.

Baldeur let himself fall to the back of the group and let his Laksulm spy rat fall to the ground when they passed the large house with Sathanas written over the door.

As their group made their way far from the village to camp, he guided the rat into the back of the house. Whoever lived there must have some level of authority and Baldeur wanted to have a heads up on any secret movements that might affect them.

The spy rat made its way around the rooms until it found an older man in finer clothes reading over some papers at a desk. Baldeur parked the rat in the corner.

It was several minutes later that their group found a good place to camp and a few minutes after that, someone entered the room with the older man.

"Master, the entity has started to act up again." The newcomer said.

"Hmm, that shouldn't happen for a few more weeks. We can't let the outsiders suspect anything. Find Leith and get her to the cave." The master said.

"She might still be weak from the last sacrament." The newcomer said.

"If she can't take it, then we'll just have to have another selection. Since Shelvil fell, our work is even more important to Lord Sathanas." The master said.

The newcomer bowed and left the room.

Over an hour later night began to set in. As the group was finishing their meal the protective young woman they saw near the pond approached their camp.

"You're adventures right? You help people in need, right?" She said.

"Not really. We work for merchants and are just finishing our job." Piaras said.

"Well I need your help. If you don't help me my friend Leith is going to die and I might be next." She said.

"Sigh, What's your name young lady?" Piaras asked.

"Tilda." She replied.

"Sit down and tell us what is going on. " Piaras had a hard time telling a frightened young woman to just go away.

"I don't really know the full details but our village has a dark secret in the eastern caves. They call it a holy sacrament but it's really just torture.

"Every few years a young woman is selected and taken to the caves every few months and stays there for a few days. After the first time they are changed. It's like life leaves their eyes. They slowly waste away over the next few years." Tilda said.

"What happens in the caves?" Aisling asked.

"I don't know. Other than the sacrifice, only the mayor and some of the older women are allowed in the area. But whatever is going on is evil and needs to be stopped before more people die." Tilda said.

"I'm not sure we can help you." Piaras said.

The shaky hope that Tilda had in her eyes vanished. She looked down in order to hide the fact that tears were forming.

"Please. They just took her again and it's too early. She's still too weak from the last time." Tilda said.

"And if she dies you might be next." Baldeur said.

"I don't care about that. I tried to take her place but they wouldn't let me. Please, you need to save her." Tilda was close to breaking down.

"No! I'm paying you to protect me, not make things worse." Mathys had been hiding in his tent until now.

"How would helping her make things worse?" Aisling said.

"Well.. it.. Just… We can't be involved and that's final." Mathys said.

"Young master, I'm the one that makes decisions for this group." Piaras said.

"This isn't our problem!" Mathys turned away and ducked back into his tent.

Piaras was starting to regret taking him in. He turned back to Tilda and looked at her with pity.

"I'm sorry but we can't help you. It's not our job to solve every problem we come across." Piaras said.

After a moment of shock, Tilda stood and ran away.

"We need to be on guard tonight. Things are getting complicated." Piaras said.