Chapter 9: Leshac’s Revised Plan of Delegation

Truthfully, Leshac was at the end of his tether, he never would have gone with an infiltration plan if he had fully understood how insane the atmosphere of the Crimsoneye Lodge was, he had a little conversation with Quil before he went to visit the minotaur hunter.

-You sure you want to throw your progress like this?- Quil questioned him over their bond.

-I’m at my limit. This place and the hunters are clawing at my mind, my spirit. I underestimated the power of the eye, besides, do you really want to have the minotaur sacrificed that badly?-

Leshac felt a bit of exasperated annoyance over the bond.

-You know I didn’t mean that, I don’t want anyone sacrificed to an artefact, or anything else- Quil objected.

-Well, if I kept up the act, I’d probably have to sacrifice him-

-No sacrificing-

-I’m not really going to sacrifice him, I know it would make you sad-

-You shouldn’t do it even if it made me happy-

-Well, anyway I said I’m not sacrificing him, and you can’t convince me otherwise-

-Wha… I wasn’t trying to convince you to sacrifice him!-

-Yes you weren’t- Leshac admitted, quite enjoying pulling Quil’s leg.

-Ugh, enough, just get to stealing that horrible eye and quickly come home-

-Honestly I’m kind of glad I’m ending it this way-

-Hey, just be careful Lesh- Quil said, before leaving him to his own devices.

After that Leshac came into the cell and messed with the minotaur hunter’s head a little bit while having a good time mocking him.

“You… are not the Second Seeker, who are you?” The hunter said, confused and shocked.

Leshac changed his body from that of Ukyrt to the hunter.

“Did you really think I’d answer that question?” Leshac mocked.

“I-uh, no” The minotaur tried to assemble his thoughts, he tried to think of who this shape changer could be.

Was it a mage? A transforming mage? A being that was ability to transform by its own power? The hunter felt a shiver at the possibility of it being a troll.

“So, before we begin, what is your name?” Leshac asked, staring at the hunter’s shadow.

The hunter was muddle headed, but not so much that he’d give his real name.

“My name is Narl As’Golsog” he answered with fake reluctance.

Leshac however was ignoring the hunter, from the start, he hadn’t been asking him.

The hunter watched in dismay as his shadow wandered off and began whispering to the shapeshifter’s shadow. It was particularly distressing because the hunter’s power was invested in shadows.

“Ah…”

Leshac’s head shifted into a hooded form, face hidden in shadow apart from a pair of glowing white eyes.

The eyes seemed to see right through him.

“It is nice to meet you, Yale As’Berrolg, hunter of a Shadowcloak Lodge”

“What do you want?” Yale asked, his tone sour.

“Now, now, no need to be light that. I did save you after all. In fact, you don’t have to worry about anything, I’ll deal with the eye, I’ll even set you free”

“All out of the goodness of your heart? I’d rather die than see the eye in the hands of your dragon-lord” Yale spat.

“Oh dear, you seem to be mistaken, I’m currently living in Lathinles yes, but I’m not a servant of that frightening judge”

“You can do nothing to prove that!” Yale rashly said.

Leshac laughed, but abruptly stopped.

“I could, but it would be troublesome, so instead I’m just going to give you a choice, swear on your shadow to, after I give you your things, wreak havoc as you leave here, without attempting to get the crimson eye. Do that, or die in this place”

Yale gave Leshac a look like curdled milk.

Leshac sighed.

“Look, you were clearly sent here without all the information you needed, your Dramay Kingdom can’t deal with an artefact like the eye, do you really want such a thing to enter your homeland?”

Yale thought about it.

To begin with, Yale was just a hunter who had been given a request by the Royals. He wasn’t an agent of the crown, he hadn’t been trained as an agent of the crown.

Yale was sure now, after having seen the effects of the eye with his own eyes, that the eye was something seriously bad, perhaps even chlanic!

“Fine, you win, release me, I’ll do as you bid”

Leshac’s eyes blazed.

“Swear on your shadow!” he repeated.

“Tch”

Yale took a deep breath.

“I, Yale As’Berrolg swear upon the companion that has been with me since birth, the one who has always followed my steps, my servant, my shadow, I place this weight upon you, may you be shorn from me and cause me misfortune should I break this vow, I shall wreak havoc in this accursed lodge as I depart, and I shall not seek to gain the Crimson Eye!”

Yale’s shadow twisted and shuddered, it rolled up and down and finally it returned to his side. Yale was sweating a quite breathless from the flow of magic that followed the oath.

He felt the manacles around his limbs fall off.

There was a rush of air and he found that Leshac had clothed him in a few motions.

Leshac held out Yale’s lance.

“Go forth and cause a big mess for me” Leshac commanded.

Yale took his lance with a grunt and stomped past Leshac.

He stopped just in the entrance of the cell.

“Thanks for saving me” He said in a low gruff voice.

Then he was gone to do as he swore on his shadow.