Wild Sorcery - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The Fortress of the Sorcerers

The Sorcerers Fortress loomed over us out of the mist. A hulking black pile of stone and masonry rising from the Forbidden Swamps. The huge iron gates yawned open before us like the gaping mouth of a skull. As Valorious led me through, past the the Doom Children who stood attentively on guard, I finally lost all hope, and followed him submissively with bowed head wherever he led me.

Within, the Sorcerer’s Fortress was an anthive of activity. Slaves of all races raced to accomplish whatever task devolved to them by the whim of the sorcerers, in hopes of avoiding terrible punishment. Through them strode The Doom Children, stunted horrible monsters raised from mutant offspring of humanity.

And there were the Demons Of The Blind Avatar, huge eyeless monsters with enormous nostrils that sniffed the air constantly. They could smell one’s emotions on the wind, or so I had been told. But even they gave way before the occasional Sorcerer, about on some errand of their own. Some garbed in a black robe, others in more bizarre or esoteric costume.

One of those Sorcerer's halted abruptly, staring at me. I shrank away uncomfortably from his sharp-eyed gaze, though if he chose to do something, I could not even protest it.

“Darth Vadake,” Valorious said respectfully.

I glanced up at the mention of the name. Darth Vadake was the leader of the Council of Sorcerers.

“A new slave, Valorious?” inquired Vadake. He was a tall villainous samurai, yet known to possess a sense of honor. His eyes were like two drops of molten gold and his braided hair was emerald green. He spoke softly, yet every word carried like a shout. His ivory-white teeth were perfect, even and clean. He wore a dark gray tight bodysuit that well showed off his lean frame. “Haven’t you had one very recently?”

“Yes,” Valorious said, then jerked on my leash, tearing a grunt from me. “But this one is very special,” he said with a grin.

Vadake sighed and waved us onward.

Valorious jerked on my leash again and strode away, leaving me to follow as best I could with the short steps I could manage with my hobble.  “That pompous prick is going to get what’s coming to him very shortly,” Valorious muttered to himself, apparently forgetting that I could hear.

A little further on, we passed a narrow alcove of a room wthin which stood a robed and cowled sorcerer hunched over a table with a pile of moldering scraps of parchment.

“Hello, Kingsley,” Valorious called. “I collected a wonderful new slave today.”

“Yes, yes, very nice,” Kingsley murmured, distractedly. “Now go on your way - I am researching a further variance of the Necromantic Chant of the Deceased Dragons, when brought to a higher pitch of Travalian motion...”

I did not understand a word of what he said, and evidently neither did the Sorcerer Valorious. He jerked me once by the leash, and strode away, dragging me when I stumbled on the uneven floor stones. In the passage we passed another one to whom Valorious nodded tightly.

Emanuel Bloodworth, vampire. He was very tall and plump with cream-colored skin, and yellow eyes lacking both white and pupil. He had a low forehead and prominent ears. His thick, wavy, crimson hair was worn in a style that reminded me of a burning fire. His power I had learned to respect, especially his power to control others’ minds.

We left the dark passage, and walked out into a narrow courtyard suddenly brightly lit by the sun above. I stumbled, blinded by the abrupt change from darkness to light, and was brought up short by Valorious’ grip on my leash.

“Hello, Elf,” Valorious said, not so pleasantly as he had greeted Vadake.

Blinking my eyes clear, I saw another member of the council, he was one whom I recognized.

Fortunately, he did not recognize me under my leather bonds. He lay on his side on a stuffed sofa, one naked beautiful slave girl pressed to his side, another fanning him, and a third standing by, her arms bound behind her back and a tray of sweatmeats hanging from her breasts. I recognized Luzataok, a dark elf I had cause to regret knowing. Once more I had cause to be thankful for Thom’s choice of costume, since the cruel dark elf knew me not.

But still the acquisitive villain thought he wanted me. He grinned, revealing his white teeth all filed to points and patted the sofa beside him. “Why not sit down, dearie?” he said invitingly. “I’m sure we could find all sorts of games to play!”

I shrank back with a whimper.

Valorious chuckled. “She doesn’t seem to like you, Elf,” he said.

Luzataok rose to his feet. “Now, why is that?” he asked condescendingly, walking over to me. I tried to back away from him, but Valorious held me still. Luzataok grabbed my full breasts in his hands and pinched my nipples, rolling them between his fingers.

I moaned with unwanted pleasure at the heat this sent rushing through me, then Mad Valorious made a pass with his hand and all that pleasant heat turned into a terrible burning!

“Mhmmmm!” I screamed, struggling vainly in my bonds, desperately trying to escape the dark elf’s hold on me.

“She doesn’t seem to like you,” the Mad Sorcerer Valorious repeated, looking at me. He glanced at the dark elf. “Maybe it’s the ears?”

Luzataok dropped his hands from my breasts, releasing me. “Shut up, alchemist!” he snapped, whirling to face Valorious.

Both sorcerer's attention diverted from me, I had a chance to catch my breath. My chest rose and fell as I heaved for breath, hardly daring to squeak, lest I draw their attention to me once more.

I needn’t have bothered. Valorious dropped my leash and held his long-fingered hands at his sides, quivering as if he ached to let forth a blast of his transformative power upon the elf’s head. “I had questioned the wisdom in permitting you to join the council,” Valorious said, his voice low and dangerous. “Now I think I questioned it not enough.”

“What are you saying, transformer?” Luzataok gibed. “Are things changing too fast for you?”

“For me, no,” the Mad Sorcerer Valorious said calmly,  suddenly back in control of himself. “But for you, the rules and mores of a civilized place must be stifling. Perhaps you would feel more at liberty in a tree?”

Of a sudden, I saw an opportunity. They were both so focused on each other, they paid me no mind at all. Glancing nervously up from my bowed pose at one then the other, I took a short hobbled step back. They paid me no mind, too intent on insulting and demeaning each other to notice my puny movement. I took another step, almost tripping on a root. I barely caught my balance, but the silver chain tinkled

I looked up and caught Luzataok’s eye. For the barest instant, he stared at me, knowing I was trying to escape. A smirk crossed his face so quickly I could have imagined it, then he turned back to Valorious, his rival. “So, poor Valorious, I have heard you have made a great breakthrough. So please tell me, what is the latest development in your search for the means to turn lead into gold?”

Grateful to Luzataok - a phrase I never thought I would have occssion to use - I turned and hobbled away as fast as I could, sure that he would not betray my escape to my master. And perhaps that he would endeavor to prevent Valorious, his sorcerous rival, from noticing my departure.

I hobbled into a dark corridor, back into the body of the castle and stopped, blinking my eyes blindly, to regain my sight before the Sorcerer Valorious noticed my abrupt exit. I needn’t have worried. I could still hear the two sorcerer's shouting at each other.

When the shadows had cleared from my eyes sufficiently, I took a step further into the darkness. With growing confidence, I hobbled as quickly as I could, further away from the courtyard. I hadn’t got far before I heard a terrible scream of rage from the courtyard that echoed through the castle: Valorious had discovered my escape. I gave a muffled squeak, and hobbled around a corner and almost ran into a woman coming the other way.

I stopped in surprise, then stared, wide-eyed, shocked.

Her eyes were the color of autum leaves and her very  short, curly hair was the color of turquoise and worn in an elegant style. She had a slim figure, with large breasts and a narrow waist. Her elegant dress was yellow and green, vaguely resembled a ballroom dress, and bore a pair of decorative wings. The Lady Dalisdiar!

With a garbled scream, I turned and hobbled away as fast as I could. ven being in the hands of Luzataok would be better than to be helpless in the power of this madwoman! But with two long strides she caught me and grabbed me by the collar with one hand, grabbing my trailing leash with the other. I cried and struggled, but she easily forced me to turn to face her.

“Well, Slave!” she cried, delighted. “I missed you, Slave. Didn’t you miss your Goddess, Slave? It was so sad that we were parted so soon. Now there is time for us get to know each other better!”

Continued in Chapter 29

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