Blackwood's Plan

Mr. Blackwood's smile was a twisted knot of shadows. "Simple, really. I want to rescue my artifact from the clutches of Sir Riven. In order to do that, I need someone to take care of him, while I can get into his basement.

"And don't worry, you won't be fighting him alone. I'll offer you the services of my Sylvan Siren, she may not be a good fighter, but she's a very good supporter.

"She can heal you, boost you and even use illusion spells to support you. You just have to hold out long enough for me to complete my task and if necessary I will support you.

"After that is finished, you can take whatever you want as payment. The basement is full of rare and useful objects, so you're free to choose." He explained.

Aldwyn considered Mr. Blackwood's words. "Let me ask you something first. You mentioned that Sir Riven 'marked' lila.... What exactly do you mean by that?"

The Sylvan Siren spoke up, her voice a gentle melody. "The Mark is a dark gift, bestowed upon those deemed 'pure of heart'. It's a macabre rite of passage for one who seeks the power of the wolf. But it's also a death sentence, for only through the consumption of their purity can the transformation be completed."

„To become a werewolf you have to consume someone with a pure heart? That could definitely explain why he had such a hard time finding someone else... After all, this world is full of traitors and hypocrites. Purity is a rare asset these days...

„But the question is, how does she know that? Is this ritual part of common knowledge?" He thought skeptically.

Mr. Blackwood leaned back, his eyes glinting with amusement. "The Sylvan Siren is not just a pretty face. She has her... talents, which include being quite knowledgeable about the darker arts."

"But enough about her." He said with a serious face. "The full moon is essential for his transformation. He won't act until it rises in seventeen days. That gives us more than enough time to... deal with him."

Aldwyn's mind raced. "All right," he said, his voice cold and calculating. "I'll help you retrieve your artifact and eliminate Sir Riven. But if you're lying to me about this..."

Mr. Blackwood raised a hand to silence him. "There's no deceit in my words. This is a mutually beneficial agreement. You get to protect your Female companion and acquire the artifacts you need for your mission, and I get back what's rightfully mine."

Blackwood's eyes turned to Sylvan Siren beside him and he gave her a slight nod.

In response, she leaned closer to Aldwyn, her emerald eyes searching his silver ones with an intensity that seemed to cut through the very fabric of his being. Her breath was warm and sweet, carrying the faint scent of exotic flowers.

Aldwyn's hand pressed against her shoulder, "What are you doing?" He asked seriously.

Blackwood smiled slightly. "Don't worry, it will be to your advantage." He replied quite curtly.

When Aldwyn let the her go, her hand lingered for a brief moment on his bare skin, tracing the lines of his six-pack abs. A faint blush tinted her cheeks, as if she had just realized the intimacy of her action. Her eyes remained locked on his, a silent question hanging in the air.

„What the hell is she planning?" He thought to himself.

Her hand was cold and gentle, the touch of a ghost against his skin. As her fingertips traced the jagged line of his scar, he felt a strange warmth spread from the point of contact, a sensation that was both soothing and eerie. The scar had been with him since the battle, a constant reminder of his brush with death.

With a flicker of her emerald eyes, she whispered an ancient incantation. The air grew thick with power, and the shadows in the carriage seemed to coalesce around her hand. The scar began to pulse and shift, as if alive, the blackened flesh stretching and contracting.

Suddenly, with a pop like a cork leaving a bottle, the scar vanished, leaving behind unmarred skin. The warmth from her touch lingered, a gentle hum that resonated through him like the echo of a distant bell. The Sylvan Siren sat back, her face flushed with the effort of the healing spell.

Blackwood, smiling as he watched everything, said to me in a joyful voice, "This is her healing ability. Even the worst injuries can be healed... But it can't take away the pain you have in the rest of your body.

"However, you should feel a lot better without that scar that hurts with every movement. As soon as your body is recovered, meet me here." Blackwood reached into his pocket and handed Aldwyn a small piece of paper with an address.

The carriage stopped with a gentle jolt, the cobblestones of the quiet street outside seemingly muffling any sound of the night. The Sylvan Siren's eyes remained on Aldwyn as he took the paper.

With a curt nod, Aldwyn stepped out into the night, the carriage door closing behind him with a soft thud. The warmth of the carriage was replaced by the cold embrace of the Vellaris evening, the fog hugging the ground like a thick, damp blanket. His eyes quickly scanned the area, looking for any signs of trouble or pursuers, but all was still.

"Seventeen days..." He mumbled to himself.

....

The warmth of the shower washed over Aldwyn, steam billowing around him as he scrubbed the grime of the city streets from his pale skin. His thoughts swirled like the water down the drain, trying to make sense of Mr. Blackwood's revelation about Lila's marking and the impending danger of Sir Riven's transformation. The countdown to the full moon loomed like a ticking time bomb in the back of his mind.

„I should begin my training tomorrow... I need to get back to my old strength as soon as possible." He thought to himself as he let the pleasantly warm water rain down on his face.

After a moment of contemplation, Aldwyn stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He moved over to the bed, sitting down heavily as the weight of his thoughts settled on his shoulders.

Running his fingertips over the spot where the scar had been, he marveled at the Sylvan Siren's power. The smooth skin was a stark contrast to the jagged, puckered lines that had been etched there only hours before.

"It's as if it never existed," Aldwyn murmured, his silver eyes reflecting the flicker of the candlelight.

....