It was only a
short time later that Korvos noticed that the Cilea and Huncek had
stopped talking.
Korvos: "What is happening, coachman?"
Cilea: "We are passing a gibbet."
Korvos: "Is this a famous gibbet?"
Cilea: "It has been up for five years. Perhaps you would like to take a
look?"
The group stopped and Korvos looked out the coach. Wooden posts held up
two iron cages, inside of each being the partially decayed corpse of a
man. Cilea explained the scene: "These are the Potock brothers,
notorious bandits whom King Oacan captured and sentenced to death by
exposure. They stopped rotting after a few days and their remains have
stayed up there for five years now. Occasionally, during a full moon,
they will climb down and terrorize the countryside. The King's Men have
tried to dispose of the bodies, but they always seem to find their way
back to the cages." With that last bit, Cilea crossed himself and
whispered a short prayer.
"Curses and monsters belong to the realm of dreams, my friend,"
proclaimed a condescending Racius to Cilea. "Such things don't truly
haunt the real world."
"You would do well to heed my words," warned Cilea. "This is a haunted
land, there are mysteries that can't be explained by your Rationalist
philosophy."
Racius tried ignoring the remark. But as the coach started up again, he
couldn't help but feel that the Potocks' eyes were following him.
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Chapter 3: The Castle
The coach and horsemen approached the walls of Castle Korath, a
worn-looking structure that jutted out of the countryside. Its stone
walls were covered with ivy, and a brackish moat encircled the
fortress. The scattered guards hailed the arriving travelers, and when
they discovered that the new King had come, hurriedly raised the
portcullis, its screeching gears sounding like a banshee of old.
Waiting at the entrance was a gloomy old man. "Greetings, Prince
Korvos, I am Elmuth, High Priest of Korath," ventured Elmuth by way of
introduction. He waited patiently for Korvos to acknowledge him, as
Korvos silently took measure of the man.
"I have returned as duty demands," solemnly stated Korvos.
Elmuth: "Excellent my lord. And I see you have brought some...
foreigners." The last word emphasized with a tinge of distaste that was
plain to see on Elmuth's face.
"Allies," corrected Korvos.
"Was he talking about us?" asked Racius, having missed the barb. "I
thought you were talking about Huncek."
"Which reminds me, what can you tell me of Huncek?" queried Korvos of
Elmuth.
"He is but a minor bandit lord, one whose exploits have not warranted
any special attention," replied Elmuth while eyeing the bandit.
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