The large black metal cauldron sat over burning logs with strong boiling liquid half filling it up. A smell of the melted Metals of Steel, Gold,
Mercury and Lead in that pot could be sensed for almost a half a mile all around the Castle that stood on the edge of a cliff. The other ingredients
in the pot caused an odor that blended with the metals creating a particularly strange smell......
Below was a wide slow moving river that stretched from beyond the village ports of Lancarm, to past the city of Basteelle.
Between those two ports there was a small cottage near the waters edge. It lay not far from The castle on the cliff. The occupants would often smell
odd things in the air coming from that Castle. Usually the smells were of plants, or meats being cooked for meals, they assumed. These new smells
however caught the attention of the cottagers and of one in particular.
Lemm was a Black Smith and knew that smell of very hot or molten metals. He often worked with Iron and other Metals in His small forge in an outlying
shed. For Years there He created Knives, Swords, and Axe of different sizes for the villagers and townsfolk down river from Him. Word of mouth spread
helping drive His business of making Durable High Quality items. In the area He had become famous in His own time!
His personally created Weapon was a long handled wide Double Bladed Axe, with a foot long Dagger sticking up between the Blades. It was his Prize
possession. Taking almost two weeks to fashion, He swore He would never give it up. Often He was asked to sell it to patrons of His Shop, but He
refused to sell every time. "You wouldn't be able to afford it." Was His favorite expression on the Axe.
He thought to inquire at The Castle to see what transpired there.
He told His Wife, Teela, He would return shortly after a journey to the Castle to speak to the inhabitants. Teela was an Elf. She was pretty, small
and looked even smaller when standing next to Her mate. He towered above Her and was 5 times her weight. Her beautiful green eyes widened when Her
Husband spoke of His intentions.
"Are You Serious? Never before have they came to You here for any of Your Trade Goods. Why must You go to them?" She inquired of Lemm.
As Lemm took Teela into His massive arms and hugged Her, He said, "This is not so much about MY goods, I don't think, but to see what they are up to.
Do You not smell the metals being worked there? I wish to see that they are not going to be any competition to My business. Also there are other
smells that I cannot place."
"Perhaps You are right. However, if they desire to make items such as Yours, do not fret. There is no way they can match Your Skills!" She smilingly
said.
"And You wonder why at times as to why I love You so?!" Lemm smiled back. "I shall return shortly."
With hug and kiss they shared done, He strode off towards His shop to grab His Axe, then down to the waters edge to walk along the shore line. The day
was fast becoming night, and the sun sank from it's last view in the sky. The light still shown somewhat so the walking was easy, but Lemm realized He
had left His lantern back in the shop. However the moon was full and high in the sky already and began to give the surroundings a bit of it's silver
glow. 'No worry', He decided. 'The night will be well lit by the Moon.'
Onward He walked towards the Castle. He was always wondering what the place looked like inside as He had never been in there before. He had been in
the court yard outside the front Gate before rattling the steel barrier tying to rouse those inside last year, but no one came out. Even hollering
loudly got no response. He thought that odd, at the time.
He climbed the hill up towards the castle and smelled death. Dead alligators, snakes, and other animals lay all around near the waters edge. A lot of
the meat was gone from the carcasses but what remained smelled bad! He wrinkled His nose as He climbed around and up past the bodies.
Soon He approached the Outter Gate. He grabbed the bars to begin rattling it and it opened right up! He looked around, up at the castle noticing a
lighted room high above the ground in a fore tower. He walked closer to the building and knocked on the door. It too swung open easily!
'What gives?! This is most strange.' He thought to Himself. 'Perhaps I sho....!!'
Just then He heard a scream of pain come from across the room and filter down from a sprawling stairwell directly ahead. It was leading up. He was
inside the room only a short way now and froze.
'That sounded like someone, or something wounded crying out!' He thought nervously.
In a dark corner was a wide leather seat piled with 3 Human Bodies. Dead Bodies at that! They were cut up and their clothing was shredded almost to
being none existent.
He walked Very slowly turning His head from side to side quickly looking for any presence there that may wish to harm Him. No movement could be seen.
He reached and slowly crept up the winding stairs. He must have walked up eight or nine stories before He could even see the top. Once seen, He again
stopped. Creeping slowly He rose another few stairs and could already hear noises coming from across the wide room in the top of the tower.
Now He spied Three Robed Figures leaning over a boiling Cauldron tossing small items into the mix. Smoke wafted out of an open window nearby. They
called out some items as they threw them into the pot all the while chanting. The chanting sounded eery. It gave Lemm chills to hear the sounds of
spoken word mixed with buzzing, and snarling sounds.
"Eyes of newts,
razor teeth of lions,
wings of bats,
power of scrying.
Claws of Bear,
feet of gators,
skin of snake,
attitude of haters." was heard from where Lemm was.
"Along With the mixture of melted metals before us,
send this churning mass into the Eye of Horus!"
The body of a wild boar lay on the floor near the pot. An alligator missing a fore arm was also seen, along with dead rabbits, raccoon, rats, owls
and numerous other animals. On the floor, Under the window on the opened river side of the tower lay a dead Human. Torn to shreds. A truly ghastly
sight.
A floor board under Lemm's slow footstep creaked loudly!
(Continued...)
edit on 20-1-2015 by SyxPak because: (no reason given)