Chapter VI:
The Daughter of Marfa
1
Near the northern edge of the wetlands that spread northwest of Roid lay Lenoana Lake, also known as Stillness Lake.
The companions were ten days out from Roid when they disembarked on a small island in the lake’s center. They had one goal: to confront Karla the grey witch, wizard of the ancient kingdom who had plunged Lodoss into this gruesome war.
Slayn gripped the wand given to them by Magus Wort. Its spell was supposed to be able to neutralize Karla’s magic.
The six crept through the fog, none daring to speak. This fog was common on the lake—it was rare for sunlight to reach the water’s surface, especially in the winter. Supposedly, the ruins of a city from the ancient kingdom slept on the bottom of the lake.
“This is the perfect place for that witch to live,” Parn muttered as he glanced around warily.
Soon, an old mansion loomed out of the fog in front of them. The two-story building was entirely grey—a fitting color for its inhabitant.
Slayn’s sharp eyes noticed Ghim rummaging through his pockets. Curious, he leaned closer, catching just a glimpse of gold before it disappeared.
“Is that a new weapon?” he asked. The dwarf was skilled at creating precise gadgets, which he often used to build traps and weapons.
Ghim hesitated for a moment, but then passed over the object in his hand.
“A hairpin—did you make this?” Slayn asked. “What fine work—though, it seems a bit plain to be your handiwork.” The wizard handed the pin back to Ghim. The ornament really did seem a bit simple for a dwarven craftsman. Its base had a rainbow of jewels arranged in the shape of a star, and a precise pattern had been carved into the rest of it. But beyond that, however, the only other enhancement was that the metal had merely been polished—though there was space where more jewels or more intricate embellishments could have been added.
“I made this during our stay at the castle in Roid,” Ghim said. “You may call it plain, but I consider it my masterpiece. There’s no point in overworking a piece like this. Why should an accessory be beautiful on its own? The important part is what it’s decorating. When an ornament is adorning its owner in perfect harmony, the result is all the more brilliant. A truly masterful piece of jewelry only shows its beauty when it’s worn.”
“Is that so…?” Slayn said hesitantly. He didn’t quite understand his friend’s point.
“I’m about to accomplish what I set out to do,” Ghim said. “I will free Leylia from the power of that circlet and send her home to Neese in Tarba.”
“Then that’s why you came all this way…” Slayn muttered as he gazed at the grey mansion standing before them. It was all the more eerie for how silent and empty it seemed—they’d been expecting an attack before they got this close.
Parn and Etoh both felt the tension as they scanned their surroundings, wary of an ambush. They had no idea how many minions Karla had, but they knew she’d been able to carry out several missions simultaneously all over Lodoss. She had to have many people under her command.
Slayn cast a spell, sending the eye of his consciousness flying. He was surprised to find no guards around the mansion. Slayn continued his search, slipping his consciousness inside the building. He expected to be repelled by an enchanted barrier, but he made it inside easily and checked each room uninterrupted.
“There she is!” he cried, voice shrill with nerves. “I see Karla. She’s in a room on the second floor, wearing armor and holding a weapon. She…she’s looking this way. I’m sure she noticed me—she’s smiling…” Slayn closed his mind’s eye and shuddered. “I think she’s abandoning this place. There’s nobody else inside, and most of the rooms are empty.”
“So she’s been waiting for us…” Parn slowly drew his sword.
Even from outside, they could sense her anger. To a wizard of the ancient kingdom, the people of Lodoss were the descendants of savages. But over the past months, Parn and his friends had destroyed several of her plans, denounced her whole philosophy, and were now planning to confront her in a battle to the death. Surely, she would want to punish them personally for their insolence and would never imagine for a second that she might lose. Such a mindset could be a weakness they could take advantage of.
“All right, let’s get started!” Parn cried, gripping his sword.
“Don’t forget—we’re not here to kill her,” Ghim said with a glare at Parn.
“Of course not,” Parn said. “I can hold my own without striking anywhere deadly.” He turned to glance at Woodchuck, who stood silently at the very back of the group, and added, “Anyway, Woodchuck has the leading role today.”
They had planned out their attack carefully. First, Slayn would use the wand to neutralize Karla’s magic. Once that was done, Parn, Deedlit, and Ghim would fight her in close combat to keep her attention, protected by Etoh. That would give Woodchuck his chance—he was to sneak up behind Karla and remove the circlet from her head—a vital, dangerous role Woodchuck had volunteered to take on himself.
Parn opened the front door. He stepped inside and led them up the stone steps to the second floor. He was no longer wary, since he knew that if Karla meant to trap them, she would have had guards with her. He headed straight for the room where she waited, knowing that the battle for the fate of Lodoss would be waged there. If they lost, Lodoss would be cursed forever, trapped in that grey balance between good and evil.
Parn gripped the handles of the double doors and flung them wide. Beyond was a large hall built like a throne room, the walls and floor made of polished, black marble. At the very back of the room stood Karla.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” her clear voice echoed through the large hall. She stepped forward and seemed to lock her gaze onto each of them in turn. “I will end this once and for all. Come!” She spread her arms wide, and her right hand held a dagger that emitted a magical light.
“Karla!” Parn yelled, a rush of anger propelling him forward. “You vile witch! You toy with people’s fates!” Deedlit and Ghim chased behind him, trying to keep up with Parn’s furious dash.
That was the moment Slayn was waiting for. “Te-u-ra!” he called in a clear voice, casting the spell of the wand he was holding. He felt a great magical power surging from it.
Karla held out a hand to cast a fire spell at the three fighters charging toward her. A red fireball flared from her graceful fingers, trailing bright flames as it streaked toward them, large and powerful enough to kill them all—but just before it reached them, it fizzled like the flame of a candle being snuffed out.
“What is this?!” For a moment, Karla was bewildered. But she’d seen the wizard wield a wand in the corner of her eye…Was he able to create a field that neutralized magic? The face of the Great Magus flashed in her mind. Numerous powerful magical items had been created in the glory days of the ancient kingdom. Karla herself had crafted many besides her circlet. She knew that their magic was powerful, but there was always a way to counteract it. They wouldn’t be able to seal her for long with such a simple trick.
Ignoring the charging warrior, Karla focused and cast another spell.
“Mana is the source of all! Magic alone can seal magic. Magic alone can breach it!” The moment she finished speaking, a dry snap rang out.
The magic wand crumbled in Slayn’s hand; he shuddered in fear. He knew Karla had cast an elimination spell to neutralize the effects of other magic—but this wand should have kept working until its power ran dry, even if counteracted. Karla, however, had destroyed the wand itself. How much magical power would it take to do something like that? Slayn couldn’t imagine, but he was certain of one thing: their plan had failed.
“Be careful!” he called out. “She destroyed the magic barrier!” But Parn, Deedlit, and Ghim were already close enough to cross swords.
Etoh prayed for their divine protection, ready to cast holy magic as it was needed. As he waited, he noticed the black shadow running soundlessly along the wall. Good luck, everyone, he called out to them in his mind.
With a cry, Parn turned to face Karla from her right. He struck out at the hand holding the dagger. Karla parried easily. Deedlit, on her left, thrust at Karla’s leg with her rapier—but the wizard dodged with a light step. All the while she was casting a spell with faultless concentration— if she reached its end, they’d likely all be dead. Parn and Deedlit kept up the pressure, knowing that was all they could do. They hadn’t forgotten Wort’s warning not to kill her, but they couldn’t afford to ease up. If they gave her any opening at all, the dagger would defeat them, no spell required.
Hurry up, Wood! Parn thought. The thief was their only hope left.
“Wake up, Leylia! What did Neese teach you?!” Ghim yelled out from his place right before Karla, his voice shaking the whole room. He was glaring at Karla, not even bothering with a battle stance.