A Knight's Purpose (Book 1) ✔️

Interludes II

Ansely

Ansely set the last page of vellum down on his glass desk with a sigh. It had taken a week to order the ingredient required and last night he'd been contacted by a man claiming to be the head of another group of the Iron Claws. Claudus hadn't disputed the man's claim and so he'd sent the other man the pages of instructions.

He'd already set his own mages to the first half page of rituals and it had taken months to complete them. Thirteen and a half pages stood between him and Immortality. With more magicians they could cast more spells and move along quicker. He was lucky that this spell was made of multiple little pieces that were bound together in three large spells contained in the last five pages of text. That left nine pages that could be cast in whatever order or even overlapping, which considerably sped up the process.

But something about the text bothered him. The book had only one page remaining yet the spell Claudus had provided as replacement was fourteen pages long but he couldn't doubt Claudus when he said this was the final incantation.

Most of the language was beyond his grasp but Claudus had taught him the pronunciation and enough to lead his men in the set up of the first few spells. He'd just finished inspecting the last page and felt confident that he could speak every word and had every ingredient. There were even fifty men and four shifters currently being held in his dungeon ready to be sacrificed for the correct spells.

He swiveled in his chair and watched the sun as it hovered high in the sky, already passing above the skyscrapers. When he turned back he jumped, seeing a black haired woman grinning at him, her pointed teeth glistening with blood. Her voluptuous body was encased in a skin tight green evening gown accented with snake skin, black tissue, and blood stains. The effect was not pleasant.

"Mistress Ysbadden, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He jumped to his feet and found his hands nervously tapping away at his legs.

"You have inspected the spell thoroughly?" Her forked tongue flitted between her teeth occasionally.

"Yes, Mistress, very thoroughly. I have everything I need." He fought against the urge to bow and scrape as he spoke.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked down her nose at him. "Does it not trouble you that this is not the spell the book would have had you cast?"

"I trust in Master Claudus and the teachings of the Iron Claw," He carefully stated.

"Claudus has much larger ambitions than he did when we first helped write the Iron Claw, you know." She walked sensuously towards him and propped a hip on his desk, slowly sliding her way around so her thigh rested against his.

"How does his purpose differ?"

"That book was designed to bring to life one person and all his power with him. He would have ruled this world and brought bloody power with him." Her eyes flashed red and he swore she might have even moaned. "He will rule by fear, evisceration, turning the humans to livestock as they always should have been."

He sucked in a deep breath.

"Not you of course, seeing as you would have helped us do it. Magicians would have a place as loyal and trusted servants." She tapped him on the cheek with a pointed, red fingernail hard enough to draw blood. With a little lap of her tongue she cleaned the nail before continuing.

Her once bloody nail slid to the desk and started tap, tap, tapping on the vellum of the spell. "This spell is to open this world to even more power and with that we will all be stronger than we are now. But so will the Once-Knight." She literally hissed out the words.

"Claudus said the Knight was of no concern as he must have broken his oath."

With one hand, she pushed his should so he toppled into he chair, then crowded close so she was between his legs. "Claudus is short sighted. Now you, you don't look like a man that likes to be led blindly." Leaning down, she touched her nose to his and through his terror he noted her slitted irises.

And yet, he was perfectly calm. He couldn't move, couldn't feel any emotion.

"So, while I do not have the skills to track the Knight, that is Claudus's domain, I will warn you. Keep a strong eye on anything strange that begins to happen for it likely has more meaning than you could possibly imagine. This spell will be dangerous. Feel free to come to me if you need any help." And with that she placed an open mouthed kiss on his lips and disappeared.

Ansely shivered violently trying to rid himself of the ice that came with Ysbadden's touch. She'd never done that before. This change in behavior worried him, but he took her warning to heart if only to avoid another visit from her.

****
Things are starting to get interesting! If you're enjoying the suspense of just what Ansley's up to give that star a little love!

~M