#gulbrun

Gulbrun rolled his neck, popping each vertebrae as he went, a loud sigh of relief from his lips. “Finally. Feels good to not hear you every waking second.”

“Speak for yourself. Even in my head you snore when you sleep.”

The giant knelt down by the well of black energy as it spilled forth. The infantile black spirits goaded and coerced him as he swatted them away. “What now?”

“Now, my large friend, we go our own ways. I have this, and you can go… back to whatever it is you did before being in my employ.” Xiphrel palmed the black stone in her hand, the measly looking thing that got her stuck with the brute in the first place.

That did not seem to sit well with the giant, however. “There’s still the issue of payment.”

Xiphrel’s eyes snapped back to him. “Don’t start this again.”

Almost like deja vu he stepped forward and towered over her. “Your little trinket doesn’t have its energy restored yet. So you can’t pull the same trick. And you owe me payment for getting you here.”

“You presume too much, giant. Your payment is your freedom.”

“Not. Good. Enough.”

Tension hung in the air. Xiphrel bristling with ice. Gulbrun rising with anger. Neither one of them moved. The black spirits from the well swarmed and whispered promises in their ears but neither was there to listen. The longer they waited, the more energy the Heart would absorb. 

The moment was interrupted by the light tapping of footsteps. Neither turned fast enough before a blade flew through the air and narrowly missed Xiphrel’s neck. The body that followed was not so easy to avoid.

Faster behind them than expected, the assassin that Xiphrel had lured out there tackled her to the ground. “I said I wasn’t done with you.”

The sorceress responded instinctually, pulling a formation of ice from the earth, forcing the Veiled One to move. She was too fast for her and came back before she could get to her feet. Defense was the best Xiphrel could manage, pulling up a wall between them, trying to physically separate herself from the assassin.

“Gulbrun! A hand?!”

By the time she got her feet underneath her, the other woman was vaulting up and over the wall of ice. Steel flew, barely interrupted by more ice, as she descended upon her. Powerful as she might be there was no defense against pure speed.

“Gulbrun!”

“You’re on your own, witch.”

The summer heat sweltered in the scrubland of Mediah. Standing and waiting in the sun was not where a creature of ice and snow like Xiphrel wanted to be. Irritation rising, she knocked on the door again. Still no answer. “Where the fuck is she…” she growled under her breath. The buckskin in the stable was definitely the woman’s horse but she wasn’t home.

You’re putting a lot on the line here, witch. Trying to clean up your mistake.

“Shut it.”

“Excuse me?” A passing Shai grabbed her attention, with it an indentured black spirit carrying a few boxes. They gave a wary look to this sweating and white-clad stranger. “Are you looking for someone?”

Such a waste of power. Serving these peons as little more than slaves. She should strike down this creature where it stood. But she had bigger targets to worry about. Putting on her best face, she smiled. “Yes, actually. I was here hoping to find someone. I was told she lived in this house but it doesn’t look like anyone’s home.”

“Oh, Adessa? She’s usually across the way, stealing the cool air from the inn like the rest of us usually do. She’ll probably be there.”

Cool air? Excellent. Xiphrel bowed her head in thanks. “I appreciate your assistance.”

As promised, the cold air within the shade of the acacia trees and the cliff edge where the inn sat brought sweet relief. Maybe she wouldn’t melt out here before she found the woman she was looking for. Many eyes looked to her when she entered which forced her to play casual and buy something to drink from the cook in the back. It was, painfully, served warm. At least she had ways of mitigating that. By the time she sat down in the corner to look over the other patrons her tankard was frosted over.

The peak of the sun must have prevented most of the working hands out of the fields of the nearby farms as they filled in most of the seats farthest from the doors. It made finding one in the crowd more difficult. Thankfully she would stand out from the larger workers.

There.

A lithe woman in a light dress sat pressed into a table on the far side of the room with her right arm wrapped in bindings. Everyone around her passed by as if she weren’t even there. It wasn’t just that they were familiar with her presence - it was in her innate nature to disappear. That meant she was exactly who Xiphrel was looking for.

Yellow eyes flashed up as Xiphrel sat down at the table without acknowledging her presence. Her eyes narrowed briefly and went back to the papers before her. “Can I help you?”

There were no words for a moment as she let the question hang. Tact was necessary for the desired outcome. “Perhaps. I’m looking for someone.”

“I can’t help you. I don’t do that kind of work.” She didn’t even look up from her papers.

Taking a passing glance at what was on the table Xiphrel confirmed her suspicion. “You wouldn’t happen to be known as the Veiled One, would you?”

In an instant those yellow eyes were back on her. There was an inherent level of distrust there. That name definitely had meaning. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, I apologize. I thought I saw the name ‘Veil’ on that envelope there. My mistake.” The sweet chill of her drink made this moment more delicious.

It wasn’t shared by her table partner. The glare in her direction deepened as she hid the small envelope under her other papers. “My name is Adessa. Now leave. I can’t help you.”

“It’s a shame. If you were the Veiled One, I could have really used your help. You see there’s this monster...” Xiphrel let her words hang but got little response. It would take more coaxing. “It’s got this dark, demoralizing energy to it. Like smoke drifting off of it and covered in a blue fire. I think it used to be a man.”

There was the hook. The woman named Adessa did not look up at her but she was no longer looking at her papers. Her eyes widened and fixated on the table.

“It’s killed so many people. The Calpheon guard can’t stop it. There are times when it almost seems to vanish and reappear before it kills someone. And those eyes… I get chills thinking about it. They’re just empty and blue.”

It took everything Xiphrel had not to grin in satisfaction when she saw the fear in her eyes. The recognition. The pieces were clicking into place and she knew exactly what the situation was. A black spirit had overtaken someone she knew and cared about.

“Where did you say this… person was?”

“Bree tree forest, north of Calpheon.”

Not another word needed to be said before the woman had gathered up her things and was out the door. A twisted smile crept across Xiphrel’s face as she watched her go. If this huntress was as attached to the man in question as she assumed, she would not kill him. At worst she would weaken him - that was all she would need to get what she needed from him. And maybe she’d be able to find a way to get her hands on whatever else he had that caught her off guard.

Clever. Maybe this might just work.

“Don’t underestimate me when I’m determined, Gulbrun. That bastard caught us off guard, but she knows what she’s doing.”

Did a series kind of thing.

---

Many things passed without notice in the seedy underbelly of Calpheon. Thieves, murderers, runaways, shadow cults of prevalent religious factions. This one, however, was no more. Jagged formations of ice blocked the entrance to these ratways to prevent any unwitting person from entering while the necessary work was being done.

What makes you think they’ll have the answers we need?

“Because, my sweet Gulbrun, the church of Elion has many secrets. One of which is their attachment to the black stone and the black energy that broke out from the east. I have the Heart, thanks to you and yours, all we need now is the power to use it.”

Ha! Your sorcery isn’t enough?

Xiphrel side eyed the empty space beside her as if the giant existed there instead of parallel to her own existence. The sooner she was free of his ignorance the better. “The heart had enough energy to get us into this predicament. Not enough to get us out of it. My power, while great, is not the kind of energy it uses.”

And where do you propose we get that power?

“Oh, there’s a few options. The easiest would be a cave north of here. There’s an ancient well that’s been the source of many black energy infections. It was likely the source of the Black Death.”

I can hear the ‘but’ in your voice. What is it, woman?

“But,” she snapped at him, flipping through a few pages on a desk. Blood soiled the first useless few but the ones underneath were much more interesting to look at. “You remember our blue eyed friend?”

What of him?

“He has a black spirit as well. And I believe he has fed his a great amount of power from around this country. Instead of wrangling many of those little bastards, we may only need the one. He may even have a little… extra something.” Gulbrun’s silence asked the question in itself. “I don’t know exactly what it is. There’s just something. You can almost smell it off him.”

All I could smell was the rank lust. You’re filthy. 

Xiphrel laughed aloud. “You’re just mad because of what he said afterwards.” Gulbrun remained silent and she suspected he would stay that way while she finished perusing this broken place. No one jokes about pegging a giant like Gulbrun after they find out about their unique situation. He was lucky he was fast enough to get away before the giant got to him.

Oh, now this was interesting. Buried beneath pages of runes and inscriptions in the old language there was something that looked much more like a contract. It had names. Tiban, Reyfirel, Hufil, Cubor, Leithonris… Xiphrel laughed at that. Onris was a mark. It made her think back to some of his comments about being betrayed. Especially when she noticed the previous many were crossed off and “Veil/Ira'' was written next to each of them. It was also written next to his name, but he was not crossed off. Had they failed? Or were they the ones he meant when he said he was betrayed? Curious…

She found her answer beneath the sheet of contracts. Another paper listed the “veiled one” and Ira as priority targets. Desertion, it said. There was a story here between the lines. One that could prove useful if necessary. “Mediah?” was written in the margins. If these people could be used to lure Onris then she could use them. But who, or what, was the ‘veiled one’?

Digging deeper into the documents on the desk would yield varied results. Nothing concrete. Maybe the information she wanted was elsewhere. Or maybe it didn’t exist at all.

I grow weary of this, witch.

“And I grow weary of your presence in my head. If you would let me work , then we could both be free of perpetual irritation.” Before he could respond her eyes glanced across the words ‘Veiled One’. It was a page she had ignored before because of the blood stains. Unfortunate. Most of what was on the sheet was illegible now but she recognized one part of it. It was similar to a rune that was frequently on the ancient weapons in Valencia. Like the one in the center of the Heart of Edana. Only this one seemed almost… reversed. Instead of containing black energy did it expel it?

There were other runes surrounding this one, but that rune was the heart and would be the core of whatever power this held. It must be whatever the ‘veiled one’ used. Then it clicked. The names that were crossed off - they must have all had black spirits. This pair of assassins was sent after them to destroy them. Onris was their next target, but they failed, and they must have fled. Mediah was as far as you could get from Calpheon without venturing into the desert and a good place to flee from your past.

“I think we’re done here.”

Good. It’s my turn now then.

“Alright.” Xiphrel rolled her eyes. At least letting the giant have his turn would mean she could quietly ruminate on the things she learned. Onris would be an interesting target. And whatever secret he was holding could be quite the power to have for herself. Locked away in the Heart and free for her to use whenever she needed.

Do try not to make a mess, Gulbrun, she scolded him as he crushed one of their victims as they tried to crawl away from the library.

“I didn’t judge your methods, so don’t judge mine.”

Frostbite bit at the faces of those less prepared for the coming winter in the mountains above Duvencrune. The crisp scent of snow was in the air. Tantalizing and threatening at the same time. Those that lived in these mountains would shutter their doors and windows and pray that they had enough stores to survive until spring. At least, those that were still alive.

Blood stained the ice here. Jagged crystals in unnatural shapes occasionally decorated by the body of someone less fortunate. No survivors was the most delicious way, after all. Not all were claimed by the ice. Some were cloven in two or crushed beneath the weight of something no less than a monster.

The destruction was palpable in the air. If any yet lived in these ruins they dare not even breathe lest they be found. Xiphrel licked the blood from her finger, admiring the handiwork of her new toy. Who would have thought something so powerful would be hidden in a place so drab.

“Where is our pay?” the large, gruff voice interrupted her personal serenade. 

She waved him off with a hand, not even bothering to look. “Take what you want from these people. They’re of no use to me anymore.”

“That is not what we were promised. We had a deal, witch.”

“I am no witch.” Xiphrel snapped around, the venom in her eyes willing him to freeze like the air around them. “Our deal has changed, Gulbrun. Take what you want and go on your way. I don’t need you or your other brutes anymore.”

The giant straightened his back and glowered down at her. “Give us our pay, or I will take that trinket in exchange.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“You are outmatched here. Witch.”

That was the final straw. A crystalline spear materialized in her hand. Pulling on the frigid powers of the talisman, jagged blocks of ice solidified around the giant’s feet. The ice willed itself to her control. All it would take was a single strike and this argument would be over.

But Gulbrun was not so crippled by the predicament as the commoners that once populated this hamlet. He easily broke his feet from their confines and met the sorceress before she was ready. His giant hand wrapped itself around her throat and squeezed.

Iced gauntlets formed around her hands as Xiphrel tried to claw her way free but there was no room to give. Every cut she tore open only made him squeeze tighter. There was only one option she had left.

Using what air she had left, she began muttering an incantation. As the words passed over her lips Gulbrun squeezed harder to stop whatever game she was playing. Her pallid skin tinted to blue as she ran out of breath. A small spear of ice formed on her finger and, in a single fluid motion, it shot between the giant’s eyes.

Pain erupted behind his skull. He’d had enough of this nonsense. Eyes closed against the pain he twisted his hand to snap the woman’s neck but there was no satisfying crack. As the pain abated he opened his eyes to find his hand empty.

“I did not want to have to do this.”

Drawing the great axe from behind his back, Gulbrun roared and spun to try and find the source of the woman’s voice. There was no sign of her anywhere despite her voice being so clear in his ear. “Where are you, witch?! Coward!”

“Oh, don’t be stupid. You’re already a fool. I am always with you but never in your grasp.”

“Stop taunting me with riddles! Come out!”

“In due time. Now why don’t you be a darling and take me to Calpheon. I have some work that needs done.”

“I will do no such thing--” But try as he might to remain, his feet moved. Sloppy at first, as if he was not used to his own weight, until they found their stride. “What curse have you put me under?!”

“One of necessity. You brought this on yourself and now you’re going to fix it.”

“Release me!”

“Unfortunately, I cannot. Not yet. If you’d rather, I can take your place.” In a moment, the world spun in place. The vertigo took hold of his mind and all he wanted to do was retch into the snow. Forcing his eyes closed he fell to his hands and knees, breathing until the nausea passed. “Now, now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Opening his eyes again, he stared back at hands that were not his. Diminutive, slender hands. Her hands. He tried to scream her name but no voice came from his throat. 

“Oh, stop your blabbering.” The sorceress pushed herself back up to her feet, cracking her stiff joints. It was not a pleasant experience but necessary if she had wanted to survive that encounter. He should have just taken his payment and left it at that.

“I’ll let you out soon enough, you dumb brute. Once you learn to behave. Our souls are bound and you cannot escape - but neither can I. Until I find a way to undo this hex, you will cooperate, or you will never be allowed free again.”