The lucky Storyteller

I couldn't believe my eyes. The more I looked at the monstruous fire serpent with three heads down below, the more my resolve and any trace of hope were crumbling. From what I could see, the creature was at least fifteen meters tall, althought its body, glistening with scales like molten lava, was half buried in water that sat on top of lava veins. The water was boiling and turning into steam, then falling from the ceiling in little rivulets. The hydra seemed unaware, focusing its attention on something that was falling from the ceiling.

"What the heck? Are those... corpses? So that's what they reffered to as furnals. They are feeding this King Ghidorah here. This world is crazy! I don't stand a chance here. Since I discovered the secret tunnels, I never once thought that this castle would be my tomb, but now... I'm so afraid. Damn it! I can't stop shaking."

I fell to my knees, watching between tears and steam how the monster was hulping the bodies. Sometimes, I could've heard bones crackling and that reminded me of some old stories from North-Eastern Europe folklore, about a creature named balaur that was dwelling in poor villages wells and was asking for a virgin or child each month to eat in exchange for letting people get the water they needed. Strangely, these balaur creatures were always somehow related to the fire, water, and royalty. They possessed some kind of intelligence, but never served humans as far as I remember. Also, the number of heads was showing their powers. I've read about these creatures with three, five, seven, even twelve heads that could even spit fire, and move mountains. Some could even evolve into another creature whose powers were tremendous, a zmeu, but that required a very difficult ritual, which didn't seem the case here. Maybe I was overthinking. 

The hot air made breathing harder, but not impossible. I leaned over the edge of the floor, struggling to see something other than the hydra under all that steam.

"But where is all this water coming from?" I looked at the blueprint and the idea struck me. "The garden! There is a spring or something they used as aqueducts for the gardens, and the remaining water gets filtered and warmed here. That's why I haven't seen hearths or fireplaces whatsoever. And that's how they keep the castle warm. But how did they manage to keep this thing down here? Does it hibernate? Anyway, this is another dead end."

The sudden silence made me aware that something was wrong. It was as if the very air was still, and all sounds erased. The hydra was eyeing me with all its three heads.

The sudden silence made me aware that something was wrong. It was as if the very air was still, and all sounds erased. The hydra was eyeing me with all its three heads.

"Did it see me? Just how well their eyes can see? The steam should cover my presence... It's looking for sure in this direction. Why? The crystal!"

Without hesitation, I runned back to the tunnel as fast as I could. I barely made it in time to the stairs and right to the corner, when a wave of fire flooded the tunnel behind me, melting the stone walls. The roars were deafening, shuttering the walls, but I didn't stop.

When I got to the passage that led to the transparent wall, the sounds of roars stopped and the walls didn't tremble anymore.

"Hm? Why don't I hear the creature anymore?" I took ten steps behind, and the roars were still there, but not so intense anymore, then turned again, and after three steps I was again under that protective bubble where the roars vanished. "Clever. They knew that hydra was a problem, so they took measures to not disturb them, especially on such an occasion. I wonder if this is an architectural achievement or just some sort of spell. But is there anyone else who may have heard it? What if they verify these passages and learn about me? What should I do?"

The guards with the cart opened the door at the end of the other side and I could see outside for a few seconds. My heart was pounding so hard that I could hardly refrain myself from running towards the exit, especially when, touching the wall, I found how to open it to allow me to that corridor: it was the same as the one from the kings' chamber. I waited until they loaded another cart with corpses.

"I'm so tired, and frozen," said one of them, near the exit. "After this one, let's take a break, unless you want to throw me along with the dead."

"Fine," agreed the other. "We can eat near the garden."

"Eat?! How can you eat after... all of this?"

"Why not? It's harder for us now than it is for the dead."

They left. As I took another glimpse outside, I saw only white.

"Frozen? Snow. How could I survive out there in the cold? No, let's assess the situation first."

After four minutes I got out and headed to the outside doors, peaking to make sure there was no danger. I got out and took a deep breath, my expiration turning into a foggy mist in the crisp, cold air of the night. The sight was desolate. As far as I could see there was only snow. Mountains covered in snow, steep rocky cliffs, and a valley that lead to the furnals, then to a huge icy river. I wasn't ready to deal with such harsh weather, besides, with my experience, I would've only risked my life for nothing. 

"But what can I do?!" 

My eyes filled with tears, but the cold froze them and I blanked rapidly to get rid of that prickly feeling. On my own I had no chance to survive. The realization made me shudder and I barely had the energy to drag my feet back inside the castle. 

"Okay, Miha, don't panic. Things are not as bad as they seem. Yeah, right. Things are worse than they seem. The only thing I have on my side is the element of surprise… which is useless if I can't use it to my advantage. Talking about the obvious, but it's true. If they find out that no one is dead in my room, they will search the castle and then I'm done. So… so… so… so I just need a body!"

An idea started to take form in my mind.

It was extremely risky, but I didn't have a better one to rely on. It was time to act.

I went to the guards passage again, then straight to the room with the iron doors. Up close, the scattered bodies made me shrivel my shoulders. Maybe it was because of the guilt, knowing what purpose got me here. They weren't scary, but sad. Very sad. It was like that entire chamber was filled with their sorrow and anger, hopelesness and defeat. Some of them still had the signs of dried tears on their cheeks. Did those poor souls from the dungeons were about to have the same fate? Probably. Or even worse.

"But maybe I can change their story a little," I thought, searching among the corpses for a female with my constitution and similar appearance. "These people were all killed in the same way. I can see stab wounds on them, but not in vital points to get a swift death. With these wounds, they were made to bleed to death. A slow and agonizing death."

I wanted to move faster, but the blood on the floor didn't allow me to be careless. No matter how much I looked for, I haven't found a woman with white hair like mine or even a very light blonde. It was harder as almost all their heads were covered in blood.

"Whatever, I don't think I need one with white hair though, because I have to do something about those wounds, otherwise they will start to wonder what caused them in my room, since there is almost only poison. This one will do."

I chose a woman and wanted to put the corpse into my magic pouch, but it didn't allow it.

"Why doesn't it work? Isn't there any more space left inside?" I dropped a glove inside and it went down without problems, same for a tunic. "Can it be that it doesn't accept organic things? Or just cadavers or human bodies? Damn, it sure would be convenient to carry a corpse in a magical pouch… Actually, no. That would be scary. Would allow killers to march atound with their victims in their pockets. It would be nice if the creator of this pouch had thought about this too. I think too much, I should stop. Now I have to carry the corpse back to my room! Well, she doesn't seem too heavy, but it's still a long way to go."

I lifted the body on my back and went towards the iron door, but nearly had a heart attack when the two guards came sudenly. I instantly dropped to the floor, behind a pile of bodies, hoping to blend in.

"I hate that bastard!" groaned one guard, and I heard the thud of a body into the cart. "He thinks he owns this place just because he paid his way up with the Captain. That coward! He dares order me around after I saved his petty life two times already? Next time when he is to play hero and fights with a pajura, I will let that bird have its meal."

"I agree! They all went to drink and eat at the ball, and we are left to work like idiots. And he dares to interrupt our meal. I will remember that. And do you know how much…"

The rest was a mystery, because they left the room.

I didn't wait any longer. I rose to my feet, took the corpse and went to the secret tunnel. When I got to the wall that had a breach to the dungeons, I took a short break, just to take my breath from the effort. It was a dead end, the tunnel from the left ending after less than three meters, but it had the same transparent glass for the wall, allowing me to see the prisoners.

There were more than I expected.

"Thirty six people!!! Even elders and children. Many of them are hurt. That one has a robust build, that one too. Maybe..."

"Can you hear me?" I asked as loud as I dared, and they all eyed the wall beyond I was hiding. "I will take this as a Yes."

"Who are you?" asked a young woman. "I've never heard your voice before. You are not one of the guards. What do you want?"

"Your lives," I replied with coldness.