It was early afternoon when they finally arrived at the cave Alex had spoken about in Leftwyne. The other prince seemed to have a natural sense of direction, or a very good sense of where they were going, for he didn't deviate from his course once or show any hesitation on where their destination was. Approaching the entrance carefully, Nikado scowled down into the cave. "It's very dark."
Alex was already pulling a torch from his bag, setting it alight with a murmur. "Let's go."
The other prince nodded, drawing his sword as Alex led the way down the rocky entrance, picking his way through the rocks carefully. "I've got your back," Nikado murmured.
"I'm more worried about our front," Alex replied. "They'll probably know we're here soon enough."
"Fight or flee, then?" Nikado asked, looking around.
"Fight, probably. It'll be difficult to flee here. They probably know this place better than I do."
Nikado nodded, then let out a shout as something sprang from the shadows, latching onto Alex's arm. The other prince jerked, dropping the torch as he tried to swing at the snake. It hissed in savage glee, letting go and circling around to take another bite. It was swiftly halted in its movements as Nikado thrust his sword down through the snake's head, pinning it to the ground. "You okay?" he asked Alex, a bit breathless from the spike of adrenaline.
The other man had his hand clutched to his arm, grimacing in pain. "Poison...probably," he muttered.
"Hold still," Nikado instructed, opening up his bag. "I've got antidotes."
Alex shook his head, pushing away from the wall. "They'll find us."
The other prince reached out with one hand, easily pinning the other man back against the wall. "You'll make it spread," Nikado warned, grinding the herb between his fingers and smearing some into the wound. "Then you'll need more. Tell me when it burns."
The other man let out a gasp, reaching for his arm again. "It burns."
Nikado nodded in satisfaction, handing the rest of the herb to Alex. "Chew on that and swallow it. It'll make sure it's flushed from your system. Let me have the torch, I'll carry it while you tie up your arm. Is it serious?"
Alex shook his head. "If it was, I'd just heal it."
"You can use healing magic?" Nikado was surprised.
Another nod. "And a few other kinds, though most of them I haven't tried yet. You don't use magic?"
He shook his head. "I tried, but my teacher said I don't have any ability for it."
Alex frowned. "That's odd. I would think all the houses of Loto would have inherited his power. Does your father have magic?"
"No, but Loto's blood is through my mother's line." Nikado handed him a bandage, letting him tie up the wound as they walked. "I don't know if she did or not."
"Hm" was all Alex had to say in response to that.
More snakes appeared as they walked, springing forth from the shadows, only to be swiftly dispatched with swords. However, the wounds began to pile up, and while the actual injuries could be healed with Alex's magic, the poison was another matter, and Nikado began to worry a little as the supply of antidotal herbs began to dwindle and then were used completely. "How much further?" Nikado asked. "We'll have to make a really quick exit."
"The base of the cave is just ahead," Alex replied. "If what I've heard is correct...Ah." Shoved in the corner of the cave, almost as if an afterthought, was a small treasure chest. Alex walked over, followed by Nikado, and studied the chest for a moment before opening it. Inside was a small key, inset with silver."
"Is that it?" Nikado asked, reaching in and picking it up.
Alex nodded. "Now we should be able to--"
Noise from the direction they had come made them turn, both swords raised. Nikado quickly tucked the key into his pocket, looking for the source of the dragging noise coming toward them. "Congratulations, heroes," a sibilant voice said in a low tone, and then the torchlight revealed rose-colored scales, connected to a shape that rose above their heads. "Your reward will now be death."
"Oh, crap," Alex realized. "It's a basilisk."
"A what?" Nikado raised his sword in one hand, the torch in the other, trying to determine where to strike. The creature was massive, and combined with the room, which was only lit by a dim torch, he had no idea of where any weak points were. With a hiss, the snake brought its weight down on him, and the air left his lungs as it crushed him against the ground, smothering the torch and blanketing the cave in complete darkness.
A shot of light--no, fire--whizzed through the cave, and then Nikado could see Alex's figure across the cave, holding a fireball. "Watch out!" he gasped as the snake moved off him, fumbling for his sword.
The basilisk moved surprisingly fast for its weight, bringing its tail around and swatting Alex aside. Nikado leapt at the snake as it opened its mouth, prepared to swallow the downed prince whole. Getting a glancing blow at the side of its head, he got it to turn away, starting toward him instead. The massive head darted forward before he could blink, bringing massive fangs down on his shoulder. Nikado let out a cry as fire coursed through his body, causing his muscles to lock up from pain. The snake chuckled as it let him go, the prince dropping to the ground with a limp thud. "In the end, a prince is nothing. I am a general of Hargon's army. I knew you would be coming here."
Alex had let the fire go out, and Nikado groaned, trying to find his dropped sword with a shaking hand. He tried to think. The snake was aiming for the source of the light to cripple them, since they needed to see. A snake that lived down in the darkness. A snake....
"Alex!" Nikado shouted hoarsely. He could hear a muffled shout as the snake moved again, seeking to smother the other man. Hauling himself to his feet, he stumbled toward the snake. There was a bright flare in front of him as Alex let off another fireball, and Nikado drove his blade into the snake.
It squealed and began thrashing about, throwing him back. Tossing Nikado the torch, Alex took careful aim, this time striking the creature in its other eye. "Your sword," Nikado gasped out, and Alex handed it over. Moving forward a few steps, Nikado hit the sword against a rock, causing it to clang loudly, and the snake turned its head, darting toward Nikado with its mouth open. Instead of trying to dodge away--he wasn't sure he could if he tried--Nikado plunged the sword into the snake's mouth, ducking back past the fangs as it shut its mouth, driving the sword into its brain.
"Nikado!" Alex said in alarm, catching the other man as he stumbled back. Nikado's head spun, the throbbing in his arm now slowing into a dull pulse, the fire in his body making it harder to breathe. "This...sucks," he managed to gasp out as Alex leaned over him, saying something he couldn't hear. Of all the bites to run out of antidote on, it had to be the basilisk.
Some time later, he was aware of leaning against something warm, the sound of water dripping reaching his ears. Huh, that's funny. I didn't know the afterlife sounded like that cave we were just in. Then he jerked into full consciousness, getting his eyes open with a groan.
"Shh," Alex said quietly. It was pitch black, so Nikado couldn't make out his face, but guessed he was pressed against the other man's back. "They're panicking because the basilisk is dead."
"Did you get your sword back?" Nikado mumbled, the words slurring together.
He nodded, then remembered the gesture wouldn't be seen. "Yes. How do you feel?"
"Like I'm not poisoned," he groaned, sitting back. "I thought we were out."
"We were," Alex told him. "I tried an Antidote spell."
"I didn't know you could do that."
"Neither did I, to be honest." Alex shook his head. "You still have the key?"
Nikado patted his pocket to be sure it was still in there. "Yeah, I have it."
"Good. When you feel up to it, we'll make a break for it. It's getting toward night, and we need to be out of here before these monsters get really active."
He nodded. "Give me a minute and I'll let you know." He stretched as best as he could, testing his muscles. Any trace of the poison seemed to be gone, and even his wounds were vanished--Alex must have healed him as well. "Thanks."
"No thanks necessary. We'll need each other's help for this. How do you feel?"
Nikado nodded in response. "Shall we make a break for it?"
The other prince readied his sword, then with a murmur lit up the torch in his other hand. Jumping down from the crevice the two had been hidden in, he led the way, Nikado following behind. Unlike the approach in, which had been cautious and exploring, the way out was a mad dash to the entrance, slicing at anything that got close with their swords. Ahead of them, they could see light, and Alex let the torch go, tossing it at a snake, and they were out in the open air. "We're out!" Nikado shouted, looking over at Alex.
As he turned to face the other man, he was only mildly aware of a whistling sound in the air before a scythe embedded itself in Alex's back, the other man dropping to the ground without a word. Nikado didn't have time to reach for the other man, shout, or even react at all before his side was filled with an incredible pain, instantly overwhelming his world wth black.
Pain was the thing that dragged him back from the blackness of unconsciousness, a terrible, unending pain in his side that threatened to block all his senses with only itself. Lacking the strength to groan or even whimper, Nikado somehow managed to get his eyes open, taking in his surroundings as best he could.
It was night out. Some distance away, there was a bonfire, and he could make out a few fuzzy shapes dancing around it, voices chattering loudly. Squinting at some of the shapes, he realized thy were monsters. "Yeah!" he could hear them shouting. "Those hereos weren't so tough! Take that! Yay for our general, Pazuzu!"
Pazuzu? Nikado forced his eyes to focus, and at last he was able to make out the shape of a monkey-like beast, Wings flapping as he puffed himself up.
"It's easy when you think about it," the monster called Pazuzu declared. "Humans are dumb and easy to crush. I imagine when they defeated the basilisk they thought they had killed the most important thing around. Little did they realize he was just a pawn for me!"
"Yeah!" the other monsters shouted. "You're the best!"
"Of course I am," Pazuzu agreed, "that's why I'm a general."
"Did you see their faces?" the monsters chattered among themselves. "They really thought they were away! What fools!"
Yeah, yeah, lesson learned, Nikado thought sourly, looking around his immediate area. The monsters were all a distance away; around him there was nothing but grass, and Alex, sprawled in the grass. Even from his position on the ground, Nikado could see the wound on his back. Got to get him some help.
Pushing himself to his hands and knees, Nikado thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have the energy to scream, for it was what his nerves were doing as he moved, desperately protesting the action. His side was sticky with blood that began to trickle down as he got up, dragging himself over to the other man. Alex wasn't breathing, and his body was cool to the touch. Nikado pulled one of the other man's arms across his shoulders, grunting as he stumbled forward, the other man's feet dragging in the dirt. Praying that the monsters were too wrapped up in their celebration to notice, Nikado began walking, carrying the other man along step by agonizing step. Hopefully, he could remember the way back. There were a lot of hopefullys involved in this process that Nikado could only hope would pull through. His vision seemed to narrow to a tunnel, one that pointed the way back to Leftwyne, and help.
He thought it might have been getting light when he finally stumbled to the gates of town. A few guards came out to help him, relieving him of his burden and easing him inside, shouting words he couldn't make out the meanings of. Ah well. It didn't matter, he had gotten them back to Leftwyne and now they were safe. Someone else could worry about the small details. Nikado let himself collapse into the waiting hands, letting himself drift into an easy unconsciousness.
And then he awoke with a start.
Nikado jerked to a sitting position, wincing at the pain the movement caused as he looked around, trying to identify his location. After a bit of his mind stumbling to put the shapes together, he realized he was in a room with stained glass windows, which probably meant the church. That problem settled, he looked down at himself. His armor had been removed, as had his bloodied shirt, leaving him with nothing but a snug bandange around his torso. His side still throbbed with pain, but the bandages were clean, so he guessed the bleeding had stopped. Step two down. Now, he resolved to find Alex, moving to swing his legs around from the bed and stand.
"Ah, you're awake?" The voice stopped him and he looked over at the priest that entered the room, shutting the door behind himself. The man was dressed in a priest's robes, but the insignia on his stole indicated he was one of the under-priests, still in training. "You need to take it easy. You're not fully healed yet," the younger man cautioned. "You were incredibly lucky to survive."
"Alex," Nikado got out, "my friend, the one that was with me, is he all right?"
The priest's expression softened into sympathy. "I'm so sorry. He didn't make it."
Fear gripped him, the idea enough to give him a chill and make him shudder. "Please. There has to be something you can do."
"I'm sorry," the boy apologized. "Even a priest can't bring back the dead."
Nikado shook his head, refusing to let the fact sink in. "He can't...He can't. He's got to save the world with me."
"Saving the world isn't something to be taken lightly," a lower voice spoke up, and another man entered the room, this one much older, clearly in his middle years. His own clothing identified him as the head priest of Leftwyne. "You're lucky to keep your life. Leave the world to the houses of Loto."
"He is from one of the houses of Loto!" Nikado shouted, then fell back as friesh pain swept through his body. "He is one of the houses. So am I."
The head priest fixed him with a look. "Your name, child."
"Nikado. Nikado of Lorasia. He's Alex, of Cannock."
"I see," the man said, more to himself than the other two in the room, after a long moment. "So that time has come at last. Riko," he addressed the younger man.
"Sir?"
"Bring him to the tower, carefully. Get some help for that. I will meet you there," the priest stated, turning and leaving the room with a rustle of robes.
Riko watched him go, looking confused, then turned back to Nikado. "Are you--oh, don't!" he said in surprise as Nikado moved to get off the bed, and promptly pitched forward with shaking legs. The shorter boy moved forward to catch him, but Nikado's heavier weight sent both to the floor. "Oww," Riko groaned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Nikado groaned, "no worse off than before. Sorry."
"Here, just sit down while I get some help," Riko said, pushing the other man into a sitting position before getting up himself. Having done that, he tore out of the room in a hurry, presumably to go get said help. Nikado leaned against the side of the bed, trying not to think about the possibility of Alex being dead.
The boy returned later with another under-priest, this one almost as tall as Nikado, scowling at him from behind spectacles. "Are you really a prince? Bloody stupid of you to nearly get killed like that."
"Kaso!" Riko protested in horror.
Nikado offered a weak smile and a hand. "Prince Nikado of Lorasia. A pleasure."
Kaso snorted, gripping Nikado's hand strongly and pulling him up. Despite the fact that he looked more gangly and awkwardly limbed than well-built, the other boy was surprisingly strong, pulling Nikado onto his shoulder. Riko took the other side, and the two supported his weight between them as they moved out of the room, Kaso doing most of the weight bearing and Riko negotiating doors and other tricky obstacles. Even with Kaso doing most of the work, Nikado felt exhausted by the time they got to the top of the stairs.
Inside the tower itself, the head priest had lit a beacon, moving it through the roof so that its light would be visible for miles. "You two may as well stay and see this," he instructed the two acolytes. "Come here, Prince of Lorasia."
Nikado nodded, walking over on unsteady legs. As he approached, he could see patterns set in the stone; obviously some kind of magic circle. In the center, set on a stone slab, lay Alex's unmoving form. Nikado felt his heart jump into his chest. "Give me your hand," the head priest instructed, and Nikado held it out, wincing as the priest sliced his palm open with a knife. The circle began to thrum with magical energy as the head priest turned back to Alex, then brought the knife down into the Cannock prince's chest.
Nikado let out a gasp of surprise, mirrored by the two acolytes behind him, but the knife was out as swiftly as it had gone in, perfectly clean and leaving no mark on the body behind. As the tip left his body, Alex jerked, taking in a gasping breath before falling back against the stone slab. "Alex!" Nikado shouted as the circle faded, the thrumming stopping. Stumbling over to the slab, he placed a hand on the other man's neck, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he felt a pulse between his fingers.
"That is the Revive spell," the head priest said quietly, "passed down for many generations among priests. For the time when Loto's descendants would need such a thing, it was laid into the churches many, many years ago. Indeed, you could say it's one of the reasons the churches were made. As long as one of the heirs of the house of Loto yet lives, a church will be able to restore the fallen ones. But do not be careless with your life," the priest warned. "It will save you if you fall in battle, but even I do not know the limitations of this power."
"Thank you," Nikado replied softly. "This gives me a little more hope that we may yet save the Princess of Moonbrook, as well."
"You will need her," the head priest stated. "The great evil that Loto faced and sealed away may yet be awakening again. Do not face it alone, Prince of Lorasia." The prince nodded solemnly, and the priest turned back to the two acolytes. "Take them both downstairs and let them rest. Make sure they are not disturbed."
Alex was first aware of a hard surface under his back, and second of a weight pressing against his stomach. Opening his eyes, he could see moonlight streaming down in colors from the patterns in the stained glass windows. Shifting his weight on the bed, he managed to prop himself up slightly on one elbow, taking in his surroundings. He was in a small room that was barely big enough for the bed, the stone walls lacking in any decoration, the stained glass the only source of color in the room. He didn't have to wonder where Nikado was, for the other prince was the source of the weight on his stomach, face turned away, sound asleep with his hands clinging to Alex's shirt.
Nikado's hands tightened on Alex's shirt as the Cannock prince sat up with some effort. "You scared me," the black-haired prince mumbled in a low tone.
"I'm sorry," Alex apologized automatically, putting a hand to his chest. "I'm...alive, then."
A slight nod. "The priest did it. Could do it because you're from a house of Loto."
"I see." Alex tried to take his mind away from what had happened upon their exit from the cave, the sudden pain and blackness. "How are you feeling? Were you injured?"
Another slight nod. "Some guy named Pazuzu ambushed us. I'm okay now, the wound's nearly gone."
"Pazuzu, huh." Alex considered, but the name didn't ring any bells. "We'll have to be more careful."
Nikado nodded agreement. "Don't scare me like that. I thought you were gone," he continued in a quiet voice. "When I think of the possibility of you being gone...I don't know what to do. It scares me more than anything."
"I'm sorry to have worried you," Alex apologized, wondering why the other prince was so worked up over it. "We'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again. We'll do that by defeating Hargon."
Another nod. "Yeah. That's what we have to do."
Alex paused. "I don't suppose you could let me sit up? It's making my back hurt to do this."
After a moment of hesitation, Nikado reluctantly released the other man's clothing from his grip, helping him lean against the wall. Nikado then sat on the bed with him, taking a seat that was uncomfortably close for Alex. "We have to go find the Princess of Moonbrook and rescue her. Have you ever met her, Alex?"
The other man looked at him, and Alex noticed a different expression in Nikado's eyes: not the usual innocent look, but something that was haunted. Alex decided it was best to try and take Nikado's mind off of their recent scare. "I only know of Moonbrook in general. They're a warrior people with strong magic powers. My understanding is that they have quite a few powerful spells passed down through the family."
"Hm. How far away is Moonbrook?"
"It's a day or two out from Hamlin. It's pretty far south on the continent, so it'll probably be at least a week before we get to Hamlin." Alex sighed. "My armor is probably beyond repair. I'll have to see if the merchant in town has a replacement set."
"If not, you could try mine," Nikado offered quickly. "You're pretty close to my size."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Then what would you use?"
"I'd find something. Don't worry about me," Nikado reassured. "I'm tougher than I look. The priests all said my wounds would have killed an ordinary person!"
"So you were badly injured?" Nikado winced at the question, mumbling something, and Alex sighed. "It's all right. As long as you were not permanently hurt."
"No, my side's still a little sore but they said that would fade," the Lorasian prince said with a quick wave of his hands. "I'll be back at one hundred percent in no time."
Alex let out another sigh. "All that fuss, and I'm sure that Pazuzu took the key back. Now there's no telling where it is. We may have to look into a boat after all."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Nikado pulled out a string around his neck, on which he had his royal pendant and now a small silver key. "They never took it back. I guess they didn't bother because they figured they had all the time in the world."
Alex looked at it in surprise, and then nodded. "Then we can go ahead with our plan. Tomorrow, we'll look into some new armor, and test that key."
"Test it? How?"
"There's a silver-laid door in town," Alex explained. "It's attached to the local bar and gambling hall. The place has been shut down since the curse went into effect, but that's not the worst of it. The manager was trapped inside."
"What happened to him?"
"Nothing's happened to him. They pass him food and drink through a small window. Now he'll be able to lea--Where are you going?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to get him out, of course!"
"It's the middle of the night," Alex pointed out, "and you're still not well. He's been there all this time, one more night wouldn't hurt."
"Maybe not. But if I was locked inside a dark place by myself...I don't think I'd want to be there a moment longer."
Alex sighed, pushing himself off the bed unsteadily. "You're a troublesome person."
"You don't have to come," Nikado protested. "You need to rest."
"I've done plenty of resting, I'd rather move. Plus, given the continual danger our lives are going to be in, I don't feel comfortable letting you far out of my sight."
That made Nikado pause, and then he offered a hand to Alex, letting the other prince rest his weight on Nikado's shoulder. "We'll go together, then."
"It's just this one?" Nikado asked as they slipped out the back door of the church, looking around. The streets were deserted, without even animals roaming around at night. Even though the barrier kept monsters from entering, no one particularly wanted to be out when they were the most active, and the bar's cursed closure gave people even less incentive.
Alex nodded. "Leftwyne isn't a rich town. It should be the only one."
"Do you think there are others in other towns? I'd hate to think of them being sealed up like that."
"Possibly. Gold and silver doors aren't common. As for iron, pure iron is really only used in jail cells, and those are barred with plenty of room to get food and drink back and forth. It's just that prisoners can't leave, and, well, that's the point of a jail, anyway."
"Still, it would be awful to be locked up for something small, like a little theft, and then have to spend forever in there because of that curse," Nikado noted. "Does anyone know where the gold and iron keys are?"
"Not to my knowledge, but that doesn't mean much. I only know of things outside from people that have visited Cannock. We may find more answers on the way to Moonbrook, and beyond."
"Beyond? Where would we go next?"
"It depends on where the Princess is and her condition. Finding her is our top priority. After that, we'll need to start looking for a way to defeat Hargon."
"You have an idea on that?"
"A vague one. Out to the northwest of the Moonbrook continent is the Tantagel continent. It's where Loto's descendant defeated the Dragon Lord. Have you heard that story?"
Nikado nodded. "In brief. He found the Orb of Light and Loto's old armor and defeated him, right? Then he took the lady Lora as his bride, and they founded the three houses of Loto."
Alex indicated a turn at a crossroad with his hand. "Yes. That was the last place a great evil attempted to rise. I'm hoping their might be clues on Tantagel, or possibly even the Orb of Light and Loto's armor."
"You think that would help?"
"To be honest, I don't know much about either item, but I know that Loto's battle items were no ordinary pieces. They have powerful enchantments laid in them."
"Hm," Nikado reflected, then turned his head as he heard a noise. "Don't look now, but I think we're being followed."
"An enemy?"
"Not unless you consider saving our lives to be a heinous crime. It's Riko, right? And Kaso? Come on out."
The redhead stepped out first, staring them down without fear. "What are you doing in the middle of the night?" Kaso demanded, Riko watching uncertainly from behind his taller friend.
"Come with us and you'll find out," Nikado stated cheerily.
"You're going to get us in trouble," Riko pleaded. "You shouldn't be up and moving so soon."
"We have the silver key," Alex told the acolytes firmly. "We're going to go open the bar door."
Riko's eyes widened in surprise. "You got it from the cave? No wonder you were hurt so badly!"
"Can't this wait until morning?" Kaso asked with a frown.
Alex shrugged. "That's what I said, but he's the one with the key."
Nikado took a step forward, pulling Alex with him. "I'm going. Are you coming or not?"
The two teens looked at each other, and then Kaso sighed, walking over to Nikado and holding out his hands. "Let me give you a hand, Cannock prince, or we'll never get there in a timely manner."
"I appreciate it," Alex replied, letting Kaso absorb his weight. "You have a lot of strength for someone your age."
"Runs in my family," he grunted. "Most of them are farmers."
"You wanted to do something different?" Nikado asked, Riko walking over to give him a hand.
"I'm better at thinking."
It was Alex that smiled slightly at that. "That's understandable."
"The bar's not too far," Riko stated, leading Nikado. "See, you can see the shape of the building already. I bet Sathal will be happy to have his door open again."
"From what I've read, the curse should stay broken once the key is used. I think we should probably test it to be sure once we've opened it," Alex stated.
Going up to the door, Nikado looked up at the sign. The bar was called "The Unlucky Apprentice", complete with a little wooden addition of a boy in robes fallen down on his face. Smiling slightly, he put the key in the lock, then turned it.
The lock gave way with a satisfying click, and the silver set in the door seemed to shimmer as Nikado removed the key. Giving the handle a pull, the door opened easily, as if it had never been sealed. "It worked!" Riko said happily.
Nikado peered down into the dim interior, squinting. The place smelled of dust and stagnation, although every chair and stool was perfectly in place as if the place had just opened. "Hello?" he called, taking a step inside.
"Maybe he's asleep," Kaso said, doubt coloring his tone.
Stepping down into the main room, Nikado looked around for some sign of movement. He heard a noise, and raised his sword as something darted at him, something with claws and a tail. Planting his feet, he prepared to cleave the monster in two.
"Don't!" Alex shouted from the stairs, and Nikado turned the sword to the flat side at the last possible second, meeting the impact of the monster. The sound of breaking glass was loud in the still room, Nikado gasping in surprise as he was soaked by the bottle of ale, staring in surprise at the monster in front of him. It raised the broken bottle, and even in the dim light he could make out the other's frightened expression.
"Sathal!" Riko shouted, entering the room behind Alex. "It's okay, it's us. We're here to help."
Alex took the torch that Kaso handed him, lighting it and setting it in the wall. Now that they were in the light, Nikado could see the other person, presumably the Sathal that had been trapped in the bar. He wasn't a monster like he had originally thought--he looked far too human for that--but he wasn't quite human, either. His skin had a reddish tone to it, and of course there was the imp-like tail and claws. Letting out a breath, Nikado dried his sword on an unsoaked part of his shirt before putting it back in its sheath. "You scared the daylights out of me!"
"Sorry," Sathal apologized, nervously tucking a lock of red hair behind one pointed ear. "I thought you might have been an enemy."
"We're no enemies to those who aren't allied with Hargon," Alex stated. "You're safe here."
"Safe..." The man quirked a smile at that. "That's usually not a word I use to describe my situation. I don't know how you did it, but I owe you my thanks."
"We got the key from the cave," Nikado explained, holding it out.
That made the bartender frown. "Pazuzu didn't stop you?"
"He tried."
"Be careful," Sathal warned. "Pazuzu doesn't take defeat lightly. He'll come after you again."
"Thanks for the warning," Nikado replied, "but don't worry about us. We'll be leaving the Lorasian continent soon enough."
"If we run into Pazuzu again, do you have any suggestions?" Alex directed at Sathal.
He frowned as he considered the question. "I would try his tail."
Alex gave him a nonverbal acknowledgement of thanks. "What are you waiting down here for?" Riko blurted out in the silence of the bar. "The curse is broken! Go outside!"
Sathal gave little resistance as Riko reached over, dragging him by the arm to the stairs. "Thank you," he said solemnly to the two princes.
Nikado smiled, giving him a little wave as Kaso followed. "You're welcome." Looking down at himself as the bartender and acolytes left, he made a face. "Bleh. I smell like alcohol." Putting one of his fingers to his lips, he took a taste. "Not a bad ale, though. How did you know to tell me to stop?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Alex replied. "Why would the townspeople go to the trouble of caring for a hostile monster?"
"Hm...I guess you have a point. He's an unusual person, isn't he?"
Alex shrugged. "I've heard of them occasionally. Some monsters like relationships with humans, but only certain kinds can actually produce a child."
"I didn't know that. I wonder how he knows about Pazuzu," Nikado wondered. "He certainly seemed worried about that guy."
Alex gave him a look. "Probably because Pazuzu sired him, did you think of that?"
"Are you serious?"
"It's not that hard of a logical connection to make," Alex pointed out. "Are you going to stand there and drip on the floor?"
Nikado looked down, expression a bit guilty. "You're right. Let's go."
