Fortress Al-Mir

Arkk placed a long list in front of Rekk’ar, then stepped back and waited for the orc to look over the notes.

The first mercenary expedition had been a resounding success. It had been a simple task. A baron of a nearby village had been having trouble with wolves attacking his livestock. The dozen orcs Arkk had taken with him had been more than happy to hunt them down, culling the numbers. They even behaved themselves for the duration of a small feast in the village. The residents had been a bit surprised at Arkk’s choice of company, but no one had been able to argue with the pelts brought back.

It wasn’t enough. Not if Arkk planned to succeed. A few wolves taken care of for a village that few would have heard of out in the greater Duchy wouldn’t be nearly enough.

“No gorgons,” Rekk’ar said, striking the item from the list with an angry swipe of his pen.

“I merely included it for completeness’ sake.”

Rekk’ar just grumbled, striking several other items from the list. With a final glance over the list, he shoved it back over to Arkk.

Arkk immediately adopted a frown. “You crossed off all the large jobs.”

“We’re orcs, not your servant or you,” Rekk’ar said, standing. “I’m aware of our limits and, being responsible for the rest, cannot condone a suicide mission.”

Arkk pointed at one of the crossed-out items. “Surely a single vampire—”

“I don’t know much about vampires, it is true. I know you don’t either, so don’t bother denying it.” Rekk’ar grinned when Arkk couldn’t say anything. “They wouldn’t be offering that much if it was a simple task. Maybe we can do it easily. Maybe not. Do research and get back to me.”

Arkk gave him a look at being commanded around, but Rekk’ar just laughed. “Why did you cross off the viscount’s daughter? I kind of already accepted it…”

Even if he hadn’t accepted it, it was the one job Arkk was most interested in. The one that might put their name out there faster than any other single job. Viscounts, though Arkk wasn’t sure what exactly they did with their time even after meeting one, were important people.

Rekk’ar shrugged. “If nobody else has done it by now, the girl is either dead, doesn’t want to go back, or is being held by something too big for people like us to deal with. No matter what, a bunch of orcs getting involved with a missing human girl is only going to end poorly for us.”

“That…” Arkk sighed. “I can see your reasoning, but I’m overruling it. Getting a viscount vouching for us is the best way to get our name out there.”

“Waste of time,” Rekk’ar said, shaking his head but without fighting it further. “Might I suggest the expedition to a lost pyramid? It would get the boys some fresh air and get them moving. Maybe get us some treasure too.”

Arkk nodded slowly but didn’t think that job would be worth it at all. Not unless that lost pyramid brought with it great fame as well as fortune. With the state of Fortress Al-Mir’s gold mine, he didn’t need any treasure. Not that he said that. To the best of his knowledge, only he and Vezta knew of the wealth sitting around the [HEART]. Technically Zullie had heard as well, but the researcher had thrown herself into trying to uncover the magical mysteries of the fortress. She probably hadn’t even heard Vezta.

“Not worried about gorgons or vampires inhabiting a lost pyramid?”

“Figured they would have made a bit more noise.”

“I don’t know. I found Vezta here. The fortress was completely abandoned at the time and I had lived next door to it my entire life. Never suspected a thing.”

“Then you should be even more interested in it,” Rekk’ar said. “Maybe you’ll find another servant.”

Arkk opened his mouth to discredit that assumption, only to find that he couldn’t. After all, why couldn’t there be another creature like Vezta at some lost pyramid in the middle of nowhere? Looking down at the notes he had taken regarding that particular job, Arkk started nodding to himself.

“The expedition is being led by an elf along with some historian. They want a few guards for the journey. Get me three to five people who won’t have problems taking orders from an elf.”

Rekk’ar nodded, then headed to the door. As he moved, he said, “I’ll have your team by tonight.”

“Good. They can requisition whatever they need from the blacksmith, food supply, and whatever else.”

With a final nod, Rekk’ar stepped outside the meeting room.

Arkk didn’t linger. He teleported away, reappearing inside the fortress library. With the addition of Zullie’s crates of books, it was looking like a library these days. Zullie stood over three open books on the desk. She kept looking back and forth between the two of them while scribbling into the third.

His appearance had gone unnoticed thus far. Even after clearing his throat, she didn’t look up from whatever she was working on.

“Zullie.”

“Busy!”

Sighing, Arkk stepped closer, looking over her shoulder. As far as Arkk could tell in his inexpert observations, she was attempting to dissect the lightning spell. Most of what she was writing made no sense to him. Lots of words, lots of numbers. Since arriving back here, she had given him one of the beginner books she had brought and told him to get through it and then ask questions if he had any. He was only about a third of the way into it. There was just so much going on.

Between running the fortress and mercenary work, there just hadn’t been much time to sit back and read. And he was busy keeping a lookout for any sign that the inquisitors had followed him back to Langleey. Both tunnels were complete now and both had hidden entrances just outside the village and burg. He could teleport in, ask around, and get out in the blink of an eye. The extended tunnels came with the added benefit that they increased the size of his territory, allowing transport from outside the fortress into it from much further out.

“Did Vezta get around to teaching you the spell?”

Zullie didn’t answer right away, finishing her current batch of notes first. Eventually, she turned her head. “Nope!”

“I told her—”

“There wasn’t any need. I cast it myself on my own just using the incantation you gave me.”

“Oh? You figured it out on your own?”

“Not quite,” Zullie said with a frown. “More accurately, there was nothing to figure out. Simply repeating the incantation you gave me allowed me to cast three lightning bolts in a row before I felt like I was about to pass out. Through a few repeated tests, I believe I have discovered a few things. First of all, only I can cast that spell.”

“I’ve been fairly successful at it as well.”

Zullie held up a finger. “Sorry. I meant outside this place, I sincerely doubt anyone would be capable of casting that spell. When you performed whatever ritual magic made me an ‘employee’ and let you move me around, it created a connection between us. I’m having a very difficult time analyzing that connection, but it is that connection that allows me to cast the spell. It simply requires far too much magic to cast for any individual spellcaster. A team might be able to pool their magic together, but not any individual without your connection.”

“So you’re leeching magic from me?”

“Not you, there is something else here,” she said, looking around with narrowed eyes. Her gaze eventually landed back on Arkk. “I suspect you know what it is, however.”

The [HEART]. Arkk didn’t say anything and he tried not to react—the [HEART] was something only known to him, Ilya, and Vezta and he intended to keep it that way.

Still, Zullie nodded as if she expected his reaction or lack thereof.

“Wait,” Arkk said, “if the magic isn’t coming from you, does that mean I would be able to teach the lightning spell to all the orcs? Any employee, for that matter, regardless of whether or not they were capable of magic beforehand?”

“I doubt they will manage well,” Zullie said, scribbling a little note down on the side of her already full page. “Maybe a single weak bolt? I could be considered in the upper echelon of spellcasters in terms of power. If I can barely manage, I doubt a bunch of uneducated orcs will get much of a spark. Still, a fascinating experiment, to be sure.”

Perhaps only as an experiment, however. Half the orcs only agreed to work for him because he could sling magic around. If they could do it too… well, they would still have to break their employee bond and then… then they wouldn’t be able to cast at all. So perhaps it was a good idea all around then? It would make the orcs vastly more effective if they could use magic as well as their already superior martial prowess.

Maybe Rekk’ar would agree to some more prestigious jobs.

“Another thing I discovered was that the lightning spell you use is an entirely separate system of magic from what I—or anyone else—knows. It is the difference between magic and the holy spells wielded by higher-ranking members of the Abbey of the Light. I didn’t realize it right away because two words are hardly enough to linguistically compare to regular spells but by breaking it down analytically, it becomes obvious. I’m not sure what this means, exactly. I need more samples to work with.”

“I only know two other spells. I haven’t even used one and the other… Slave Natum.”

A lesser servant formed between them, slopping to the ground as a gaggle of eyes formed on its pulsating mass. Zullie stumbled back, bumping into a shelf hard enough to knock a few books down around her.

Arkk whisked the creature away, sending it to join the others in digging out a room on a lower level of the fortress. The new treasury.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Zullie said, pressing one hand hard against the base of her throat.

“Should have warned you. Sorry. You get used to them.”

After a few breathing exercises, during which Zullie managed to keep herself from throwing up, she shook her head. “I think I’ll pass on that one. What was that?”

“A servant of the fortress. They dig out new rooms, claim land, reinforce walls, keep things clean, repair damaged areas, and do other general maintenance work.”

“There are more of them?”

“Eight, right now. I try to keep them out of view for obvious reasons. Vezta was going to show me how to make them a little more aesthetically pleasing, but we’ve been busy with other things.”

Zullie shook her head again and, after a few more deep breaths, looked up to Arkk. “The other spell?”

“I don’t think it is one you can use. When I learned it, it was kind of just shoved into my head, but from what I understand, it is something only I can use. It, uh, lets me possess an employee.”

“Possess?”

Arkk shrugged. “I haven’t used it. Don’t know the exact details. Just the general concept.”

“Well? Test it out already.”

“Right now?”

Zullie spread her arms wide as if to say go ahead.

Arkk, however, wasn’t an idiot. An untested spell that could take control of someone else’s body sounded like the perfect way to mess something up. So, he ripped Vezta through space, pulling her from her work in the room with the large crystal archway. He felt a bit bad about dragging her away, especially because he was rather interested in her work with reopening the portal, but she didn’t mind.

As usual, Vezta simply bowed without any apparent discomfort or surprise.

“I’m going to test the possession spell.”

“Excellent,” Vezta said with a smile. “It is a good one to get used to. Keeps you safe while allowing you full use of your abilities. Will you be testing it on myself or your employee?”

Arkk glanced between the two. Vezta was the obvious choice. She had already stated that it was considered an honor to be possessed in this fashion. However, her body was about as far from human as it could possibly get. Arkk had no idea how the spell worked beyond that it took over someone’s bodily autonomy. Would he even be able to function while possessing Vezta?

Zullie, on the other hand, stood with her arms wide, welcoming the opportunity to experience the spell firsthand. He barely knew her and this felt like a fairly personal thing, but she was a human.

If Ilya was around, he might have asked her. Unfortunately, she and Olatt’an were on their way to the Marrowlands Fen in search of her people.

Ultimately, the deciding factor came down to one key thought that ran through Arkk’s mind. If something did happen, Vezta would be able to help him far more than the magical researcher. Trapping her in her body or whatever happened to someone while possessed was less than ideal.

“Ready?” Arkk asked, looking at Zullie.

“I’ve read about possession. Never experienced it, but it is supposedly the domain of ghosts or gods. Neither of which have physical forms, so I’m interested in seeing how this works out. Ghosts typically possess objects rather than people, but the latter has been documented. As for gods…” She shrugged. “They say the Light will possess the Holy Ecclesiarch in times of grave danger, but that hasn’t happened in my lifetime.”

“Alright. But are you ready?”

“I am completely focused on my internal magic in an attempt to uncover what will happen. Proceed at will.”

“Cranium Internum,” Arkk said. Not wanting to explode anyone, he carefully pushed out just a touch of magic toward Zullie, slowly increasing it until it felt like a bit of twine snapped between his fingers.

Arkk shook himself, wobbling slightly. Vezta reached out a hand, steadying him, but even after he regained his balance, he still felt off-kilter. His perspective was shorter than normal and his vision wasn’t as sharp as it usually was. His fingernails were too long, his chest was too heavy, and his back had developed a sudden ache.

Glancing down at himself, he didn’t see himself at all. Rather, he was clad in the black surcoat-like coat that Zullie wore. It left her arms bare—she said she didn’t like sleeves smudging ink—which was more than enough to realize that Arkk wasn’t at all Arkk anymore. His arms were thin and bookish.

Looking up, he saw Vezta smiling at him, but no sign of him.

“This is very strange,” he said, feeling like he needed to clear his throat.

You think this is strange for you? You should see it from my perspective.

“Zullie? Are you there?”

I wonder where your body went. Gods don’t have bodies and neither do ghosts, so it makes sense that they would be able to enter another being—or object—but you most definitely had a flesh and blood meat sack carting around your consciousness until just now.

“Please don’t refer to me as a meat sack,” Arkk said, then looked over to Vezta. “Is everything working properly?”

“I see no issue. You are fully in control of the body?”

Arkk held out a hand and drummed his fingers in the air. Slowly, he started walking around the library. His walk picked up into a light jog around the large desk. Surprisingly enough, despite his initial disorientation, he wasn’t having any trouble moving around. He had thought the smaller legs would have thrown him off, but once he started moving, it all came as naturally as if Zullie’s body had been his all along.

Please stop. You’re getting me sweaty.

Slowing down, not wanting to upset his magical researcher, Arkk stopped next to Vezta. From the information she had shoved into his mind when first teaching him the spell, he knew roughly how to end the spell. His magic was still being siphoned from him, slowly but surely. Pulling back on it for just a moment had him staggering in place.

Zullie almost toppled over, but Vezta’s quick movements saved them both from an unfortunate fall to the ground.

Back in his comfortable tunic, Arkk patted himself down, just making sure that everything was where it was supposed to be. Across from him, Zullie was doing much the same. Almost in the same patterns too, making him wonder if he was somehow still controlling her.

Then she opened her mouth.

“Fascinating,” she said, reaching for her pen. She somehow managed to speak and write at the same time. “Being a passenger in my own body is not anything I ever expected to experience. I could feel your magic thrumming through my bones. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to reassert control. I’ve heard of people fighting off ghostly possession but perhaps I need more experience…”

“I did hear you talking to me,” Arkk said. “Or talking to yourself. Not sure which. Once I started moving, it felt perfectly natural to walk around in your body.”

Zullie bobbed her head, adding his commentary to her notes. “We should soak you in water and then have you possess someone for an extended period of time.”

Arkk blinked. “Why?”

“I am curious to discover whether the water will have dried or if you will emerge as wet as you were before.”

“That makes sense. See if my body changes while it doesn’t… uh, exist? That could be vital if I get wounded. I could possess someone and ride their body around until I could reach someone capable of healing my body…” Arkk paused, an odd sense of disassociation hitting him. “This is also the strangest thing I’ve ever talked about.”

“Will you possess me now, Master?” Vezta asked, all of her eyes staring at him.

Arkk hesitated before slowly shaking his head. With how natural Zullie’s body had felt after a few minutes, he would probably get the hang of Vezta’s body, but… her body was just so very different. The thought of having so many eyes, limbs, and whatever minor shapeshifting ability she had to turn her thick tendrils into a long dress felt disorienting just imagining it.

“Later,” he said, not sure how much he meant it. Vezta accepted the response without any disappointment, just a slight bow of acknowledgment. “I actually had a job for Zullie. I’m sorry for disturbing your work. Both of you,” he said, looking from Vezta to Zullie. “But this could be important.”

“I live to serve,” Vezta said with another bow.

Zullie, on the other hand, shot him a dirty look. “Is this job related to your magic?”

“Not exactly.” Arkk winced at the flash of irritation in her violet eyes. “I’m planning to send some of the orcs to protect an expedition to some ancient pyramid. I would like it located and assessed before committing, however.”

“Assessed?”

“For danger as well as possible value in seeking it out. Lost magical knowledge, treasure, or anything similar.”

Zullie nodded with a small frown. “And you want me to do that? I thought… Vezta was our scrying professional. I can use a crystal ball, but—”

“Vezta is working on a different project for me,” Arkk said, looking at the monster for a moment before turning his attention back to Zullie. “If there is some pyramid out in the highlands, I assume it will be much easier to locate than a person. If you cannot locate it, it isn’t that big of a deal. I just prefer being forewarned about any dangers.”

“I suppose if I’m being paid to do this,” Zullie said, grumbling as she looked back to her notes. “You want me to pause the magic research?”

“Just for a few hours,” Arkk said, handing over his own notes on the mercenary job. “This is all the information I know. Spend at least a few hours today and tomorrow on it. If you haven’t found anything by nightfall tomorrow, you can stop.”

“Understood,” Zullie said with a sigh, looking over the notes. After a long moment, she walked over to the crystal ball in the library and hunched over it.

“Vezta…” Arkk said, thinking about what Rekk’ar had mentioned as he led her out of the room and away from Zullie. Once they were down the hall, he asked, “There are other fortresses like this, right?”

“Today? I do not know, but I doubt it. In the days of my former master? I wouldn’t have said they were common, but there were certainly a number around.”

“Do you know if there was one in the Cliff mountainside? The magical academy there reminds me a lot of this place.”

“The location you visited recently?” Vezta hummed. “It wasn’t called Cliff at the time, but I do believe that there was a Keeper of the [HEART] operating in the area. Malachite? Mendechaus, perhaps? I suppose whoever it was is long dead.”

“I wonder if I should make a contract with it next time I am there—”

Vezta started, actually losing her smile as she gripped Arkk’s arm. “Do not claim an unknown [HEART], Master. Your [HEART] is your heart.”

“Wasn’t I supposed to claim more for your other task?”

“Yes, but not on a whim…” Vezta trailed off, eyes shifting away from Arkk for a moment. “If you wish to merely expand your territory beyond great distances, beseeching the [PANTHEON] is the proper method. Other Keepers are known to lay traps, sabotage, or otherwise make it unpleasant for others to take what is theirs. In addition, there are many types of [HEART] devices and not all are compatible with each other. I must protest any action toward another [HEART]. If you discover one, inactive, we can assess it together.”

Never in the several weeks that Arkk had known Vezta had she used such passion and fervor while speaking. In tense situations, such as nearly being overwhelmed by goblins, she always used a demure tone with a serene smile on her face. Even when discussing her former master’s final orders and her desire to see them through, she had spoken with a reserved reverence, not anything like this.

“Besides,” Vezta said, slowly returning to a calmer state. “It is highly likely that any [HEART] in the area is already dead.”

Arkk, licking his lips, drew a breath and asked, “Why do you say that?”

“Have you forgotten what the surface looks like here? If there are people and plants near a still-living [HEART], I would be surprised. Unless, of course, someone claimed it or the [HEART] discovered another method of survival. I cannot rule either out, but find it unlikely given the location and population.”

“Hearts would be in other Cursed Forests,” Arkk said with a frown. “I understand.”

Vezta nodded, looking relieved. “I apologize for my outburst, Master. I merely wished to impress upon you the gravity of the situation.”

“No, it’s fine. There is a lot I don’t know and I appreciate you warning me before I bumble into problems. I was just thinking it would be nice to be able to teleport around Cliff at will… Vezta, are there more of your kind around? Perhaps near the fortress of this possible dead Heart?”

“If there are, I have not heard of such a thing.” Vezta smiled. “I would not be surprised to find that I am the last of my kind on this plane.”

“That’s… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Vezta shook her head, side to side. “I suppose it is a bit too peaceful like this.” Arkk raised an eyebrow, but Vezta simply bowed.

Shrugging, Arkk asked, “How is opening the portal coming along?”

Vezta clasped her hands together, rubbing a thumb against the back of her hand. “Not as well as I had hoped. I aim to recruit your magical researcher to my efforts, but she is still familiarizing herself with magic and life here. Perhaps… ask me for a progress report in two weeks?”

“I can do that.” Arkk nodded, then asked. “And the other task I assigned to you?”

“Scrying for the girl? I had something to report on that matter. I searched through the Darkwood forest. It appears incompatible with human existence, being filled with dangers I don’t believe any individual is likely to survive. Because of that, I focused a great deal on the burg. I spotted someone matching the description you gave me.”

“You found her?” Arkk perked up. His whole plan to get invited to the Duke’s party revolved around making a name for themselves. Rescuing a viscount’s daughter was their ticket to that renown.

Vezta held up a hand with a small frown. “There was an issue. I spotted a woman, but she possesses an artifact of some type that allows her to hide from my sight.”

“Hide how?”

“Invisibility.”

“Is that possible?” Arkk said, eyes widening.

“My former master has a spell that would allow that, but from what I observed of your missing woman, she possesses an article of clothing with a similar spell effect woven into it.”

Invisibility could be a problem, but… “She is there, right?”

“As of this afternoon, yes.”

“Then I’ll leave at once. If she shows again, alert me and I’ll focus on you and your crystal ball.”

Vezta canted her head. “If I were there in person, I imagine I would be able to track her.”

Arkk bit his lip then shook his head. “No. The inquisitors will be searching for any sightings of you. I need you to keep things running here anyway. With Olatt’an out, it’s just you and Rekk’ar. Luckily, we’re sending a few orcs out to that ancient pyramid, some are with Ilya, and I’ll be taking a few as well. There won’t be too many here.”

“Understood,” Vezta said with a bow. Her movements were the same as they ever were, but Arkk still felt a hint of disappointment in her tone. “If there is nothing else, I shall see to the tasks you assigned me.”

“No, that’s all. Thank you, Vezta.”

She bowed again before turning. Arkk watched her back—and the array of glowing yellow eyes that traveled down her spine—for a long moment until she turned down a different corridor. Pressing his lips into a small frown, Arkk turned and, after a few steps, teleported away.