be able to counter it.” She stepped through the thick steel door into what could only be described as a Treasure Vault.
“I decided to go through with it. The Dark Gods are merely the other side of Human Nature. There is nothing intrinsically evil about it.” Hezan smiled. “Besides, during the Dedication, I realised that there was more to be gained from being a Blood Mage than just the knowledge.”
Tavia stared at the riches around her. In the corner of the treasure room, the walls glittered with gemstones and numerous gremlins chanted softly as they dug the stones from the rock.
Another set of gremlins shaped the stones, then others gathered up the gems and any sizeable shards, distributing them amongst the piles of treasure filling the room.
“It certainly pays well,” she managed.
“Do you remember when we met? The Galivorian Pleasure House where you had decided to take training in the art of seduction?” his eyes drifted across her body and Tavia felt herself blush.
“I remember. You were my best customer.” She smiled shyly at him.
“Well, what I didn’t tell you at the time was that I’d already been recruited by I’Mor Barad. That was the beginning of my journey into the darker side of mage lore.” Hezan waved one hand around the room at the piles of treasure. “I visit a dungeon once a month to gather my pay. I have accounts with all the Thieves Guilds across the Heart Kingdoms. Every so often I visit each one and deposit a little bit more.” Hezan stooped, scooping up a handful of brilliantly sparkling diamonds. “About this much, in fact.” He slipped the handful into his belt pouch and smiled. “I’m the richest man in Franier and Valdier.”
“Not the richest one in Quargard then?” Tavia teased him.
“That would be the Dark Lord and I do not dare his wrath by surpassing him.”
“You have an easier time of it than I,” Tavia lamented.
“Harradine is a hard master?” Hezan slipped one arm around her waist familiarly.
Tavia leaned into the comfort of his strong body.
“Harradine is a King and a Man. He thinks of nothing except his own gain and luxury,” she snorted. “Indeed, if he hadn’t decided that he needed a throne of Elfwood instead of the stone and gold one his forefathers left to him, this whole quest would never have happened.”
Hezan laughed. “’Tis not his doing. Lord Jarsken is custodian of the Alethdin Dungeon and has been manipulating the High King for some considerable time.”
Tavia stepped away from the mage.
“Jarsken, the Duke of Alethdin? Is the High King in danger from him?”
“Harradine is in the middle of a border skirmish with the Elves. How much more in danger could he be?”
Tavia groaned. “I am the Commander of the Royal Bodyguard. I should be there, not here!”
“The Dark Lord has other plans for your person, Tavvie.” Hezan stepped in closer to her. “You are the first Paladin of Slaanesh for over a millennia and My Lord would have you join him, in a position of honour.” He grabbed her hips and pulled her into him. “I want you to join him,” he whispered before he kissed her.
* * *
Virrinel growled. “There are creatures in the treasure room, I can smell them.” He whirled on Joran. “You said that all the creatures responded to the alarm trap!”
The blood mage shrugged.
“I didn’t. You were the one that said you hadn’t seen any other creatures go past.”
“Would you two stop that? I can hear voices,” Qin-Dar snapped.
Virrinel concentrated.
“It’s Tavia and a male voice that I do not recognise.”
Julissa frowned. “How did she get from the Guard Post to here without us seeing her?”
“There’s a tunnel and another room between there and here,” Joran said. “You wanted to go through the training room, so I didn’t mention them.”
Julissa rounded on the mage.
“Next time tell me everything you find, not just what you think I want to know.”
Joran shook his head.
“We decided
“I decided to go through with it. The Dark Gods are merely the other side of Human Nature. There is nothing intrinsically evil about it.” Hezan smiled. “Besides, during the Dedication, I realised that there was more to be gained from being a Blood Mage than just the knowledge.”
Tavia stared at the riches around her. In the corner of the treasure room, the walls glittered with gemstones and numerous gremlins chanted softly as they dug the stones from the rock.
Another set of gremlins shaped the stones, then others gathered up the gems and any sizeable shards, distributing them amongst the piles of treasure filling the room.
“It certainly pays well,” she managed.
“Do you remember when we met? The Galivorian Pleasure House where you had decided to take training in the art of seduction?” his eyes drifted across her body and Tavia felt herself blush.
“I remember. You were my best customer.” She smiled shyly at him.
“Well, what I didn’t tell you at the time was that I’d already been recruited by I’Mor Barad. That was the beginning of my journey into the darker side of mage lore.” Hezan waved one hand around the room at the piles of treasure. “I visit a dungeon once a month to gather my pay. I have accounts with all the Thieves Guilds across the Heart Kingdoms. Every so often I visit each one and deposit a little bit more.” Hezan stooped, scooping up a handful of brilliantly sparkling diamonds. “About this much, in fact.” He slipped the handful into his belt pouch and smiled. “I’m the richest man in Franier and Valdier.”
“Not the richest one in Quargard then?” Tavia teased him.
“That would be the Dark Lord and I do not dare his wrath by surpassing him.”
“You have an easier time of it than I,” Tavia lamented.
“Harradine is a hard master?” Hezan slipped one arm around her waist familiarly.
Tavia leaned into the comfort of his strong body.
“Harradine is a King and a Man. He thinks of nothing except his own gain and luxury,” she snorted. “Indeed, if he hadn’t decided that he needed a throne of Elfwood instead of the stone and gold one his forefathers left to him, this whole quest would never have happened.”
Hezan laughed. “’Tis not his doing. Lord Jarsken is custodian of the Alethdin Dungeon and has been manipulating the High King for some considerable time.”
Tavia stepped away from the mage.
“Jarsken, the Duke of Alethdin? Is the High King in danger from him?”
“Harradine is in the middle of a border skirmish with the Elves. How much more in danger could he be?”
Tavia groaned. “I am the Commander of the Royal Bodyguard. I should be there, not here!”
“The Dark Lord has other plans for your person, Tavvie.” Hezan stepped in closer to her. “You are the first Paladin of Slaanesh for over a millennia and My Lord would have you join him, in a position of honour.” He grabbed her hips and pulled her into him. “I want you to join him,” he whispered before he kissed her.
* * *
Virrinel growled. “There are creatures in the treasure room, I can smell them.” He whirled on Joran. “You said that all the creatures responded to the alarm trap!”
The blood mage shrugged.
“I didn’t. You were the one that said you hadn’t seen any other creatures go past.”
“Would you two stop that? I can hear voices,” Qin-Dar snapped.
Virrinel concentrated.
“It’s Tavia and a male voice that I do not recognise.”
Julissa frowned. “How did she get from the Guard Post to here without us seeing her?”
“There’s a tunnel and another room between there and here,” Joran said. “You wanted to go through the training room, so I didn’t mention them.”
Julissa rounded on the mage.
“Next time tell me everything you find, not just what you think I want to know.”
Joran shook his head.
“We decided
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