Continued from S3: Thedius, the bog-man. “The ‘Beast’ has taken ever soul with in a day’s ride of here… So why has it left you be?” Roland questioned the hermit as he settled down across the fire from him. “Perhaps this ‘Beast’ has no taste for the righteous,” Thedius returned mockingly. He had been ridiculed and shunned; called a crazy fool by everyone. But now that it was too late, the lord-protector had come for his help… and he’d brought a Melnibonean; a child of Chaos! “This place is protected,” Syn answered Roland. Motioning to the line of crushed white stones that marked the boundary of the hermit’s compound, and the mosaic of the sign of Arkyn. Between the gnarled trees, scrubs and tall grass, he could see that the line formed a huge triangle encompassing most of the dry ground, and that its other sides were marked by mosaics of the signs of Donblas and Goldar. “It sits within a rune of Law.” Then he turned to Thedius. “Tell us of the tower… this ‘fountain of blood’… and what aid you gave the others,” he demanded, his eyes seeming to bore straight to his soul. “Long before the Doom Folk sank this land and formed the Marshes,” Thedius began, calmly withstanding Syn’s glare, “a Melnibonean lady raised a tower less then a day’s march from here. She was banished from Imrryr for depravities to great for even the Dragon Lords to tolerate. Here, in her tower, she made a fountain that flowed with the blood of those she sacrificed to Slortar, and made a pact with him. In return for the sacrifice of her mate, a Melnibonean of the royal bloodline, she was granted immortality! But, like all bargains with the Dukes of Hell, there was a catch… she must drink from the ‘blood fountain’ to maintain her eternal life, and she can never again face the light of the sun… she must sleep through the day. When the Emperor learned what she had done he sent his minions to vanquish her evil. But even the mighty Dragon Lords of old, with all their sorcerous power, could not end her immortal life. So they sealed her in the tower, weaving a mighty spell that locked her in eternal slumber. Until the tower was breeched… and now that spell is broken!” He glared at Roland with clear contempt. “Your brother brought a servant of Slortar here, and demanded I take them to the tower. I warned them of the evil they would unleash. But they wanted immortality for themselves!” “No!” Roland shot back. “Ny’essa has a power over men. She has mesmerized Orlan, and makes him serve her madness.” Thedius grinned evilly at the Shazaarian nobleman’s denial. “He is not under her control,” he spat viciously. “He is her partner in this… and ‘other things’.” Then he looked to the dirt at his feet, as if in shame, and added solemnly; “But she does have a power over men.” “And you succumb to it.” Syn accused coldly, as if he could see the truth written on his soul. “Yes,” Thedius confessed, his voice broken with shame. “I gave her a map to the tower. I betrayed Arkyn, the innocents who died to feed the fountain, and my own soul… All for her!” To be continued on S3: Lady Sol, mistress of Blood Fountain Tower. Thanks for looking... Hope you enjoy! Comments and suggestions always welcome and appreciated!