Sorcerer's Shadow

Chapter 14: Visiting Alyssra

The side of his mouth quivered slightly, "Yes." He continued, "Your particular employee was last seen at Pardus Mountain. He had met me earlier for a small land deal. You're worried about his disappearance. Apparently, he made off with your valuable assets, so to speak."

"I happen to be aware of that," I confessed.

"Indeed. But now, you're on a mission to find him, possibly to eliminate him. You couldn't find anyone willing to venture to Pardus Mountain, hence your decision to meet me, hoping to uncover the truth behind the myths of Alyssra Volade."

I felt a mixture of annoyance and fear at his disturbingly accurate assumptions. He was such a smug, arrogant showman. But then I remembered that this smug, arrogant showman owned a powerful Norsanti blade, practiced sorcery, and I was under his roof. I decided to maintain my civility. "It's true that I'm intrigued by Pardus Mountain. Any information about it or its inhabitants would be appreciated."

By now, Drevolan's gaze flickered between a subtle derision and a vague frown. "Very well, Vorgan, I have a question for you: Do you want to find this errant employee?"

After futilely scanning for any verbal traps, I surrendered, "Yes."

"Excellent. Let's go find him."

He stood up, and I followed suit. As he moved a step closer, he seemed to concentrate for a split second. I realized his intention almost immediately. The thought of resisting crossed my mind, but I made a snap decision - this could be a one-time opportunity. In any business, one has to take certain risks. I let the teleportation spell take effect. My stomach churned as the surrounding walls disappeared.

The dagger was within my right hand's reach, and various herbs and objects were to my left. I hadn't yet identified all the items I'd gathered, nor did I intend to. However, I noticed the knotted string, the ash twig shaped like a bull's head, the tiny copper kettle, the elk's toe bone, the strip of braided leather, and some other things.

I pondered on their potential uses for potential situations.

Suddenly everything cleared and Drevolan announced, "Welcome to Pardus Mountain."

My stomach seemed to question, Why are you always putting me through this?

My legs felt unsteady, and I leaned against a cool, damp stone wall. We were on a small platform, enclosed by stones, with a single narrow staircase spiraling upwards. A faint light from a small window above illuminated the area. A torch burned on the wall beside the staircase, with ancient soot marking the wall above it. This place was seldom visited but well-prepared.

Doing my best to conceal my discomfort, I managed, "Pleasure to be here." I convinced myself not to vomit, repeating this mantra internally.

Drevolan began to ascend the stairs, "This way."

To buy time, I questioned, "Alyssra Volade?"

"She's waiting for us."

"Ah," I uttered, taking a few deep breaths before starting to follow Drevolan up the stairs. The steps were both narrow and steep, clearly constructed for Imperions rather than humans. As the stairway curved to the left, we passed a window, offering me a view of our lofty location. I glimpsed pine trees and a verdant valley below, marred by snow and a biting cold breeze slicing through the window. That icy wind continued to accompany us up the stairs, but my stomach was gradually finding its peace, so I let it slide.

Maintaining a two-step lead, Drevolan ascended with his back to me. This seemed to indicate a level of trust. Yet, I couldn't ignore that my gaze was level with his longsword's hilt, which kept me cautiously quiet for a while. Eventually, I ventured, "With all due respect, Lord Drevolan."

He halted and spun around, "Yes, my good Vorgan?"

"I wonder if you could shed some light on what, in the name of all the Demons of Beauregard, is happening?"

His lips curled into a cryptic smile as he resumed the climb. I followed suit. Glancing over his shoulder, he responded, "What do you want to know, my lord?" The last two words held a hint of irony.

"Why did you agree to see me?" I asked.

His chuckle echoed around us, "It would have been imprudent to decline, especially after all the effort we've made."

His words sent a chill down my spine. After a few more steps, I managed, "So, you planned to summon me here?"

"Indeed, if we couldn't persuade you to come directly to Pardus Mountain."

"Ah, right. My mistake."

"Indeed."

I bit back any further words, focusing on the hilt of his sword before me. Its silent threat made me shudder.

Finally, I broke the silence, "Okay, Lord Drevolan, why have you brought me here?"

In a hushed voice, he said, "Patience, my lord. All will be revealed soon."

"Alright."

We continued the ascent in silence, my mind whirling with thoughts about Alyssra Volade. I was about to meet her, but why? They had no reason to harm me, and they could have easily done so already. What did they want from me?

"What happened to Ignar?" I asked.

"Who?"

"My Point-man, the employee who vanished on Pardus Mountain."

"Ah. Yes, he was a decoy. He came here based on misleading information, believing he'd find sanctuary. The information was false."

"I see."

As we took another turn up the stairs, I asked, "How much farther do we need to go, Lord Drevolan?"

"Not much longer, I believe. Are you weary?"

"Slightly, but it's alright." He had said, "I believe," which got me wondering, "Do you often visit this place?"

"Oh, yes," he confirmed, "Alyssra and I meet frequently."

This left me with a puzzling question that kept my mind occupied for the next couple of rounds on the seemingly infinite staircase. If Drevolan frequently visited Pardus Mountain, why wasn't he certain of the stairway's length? Clearly, he didn't usually use this route. We walked past a hefty wooden door, but didn't pause. So why was he leading us this way now? Likely to exhaust me, size me up, or both.

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