Chapter 2 Chapter One: The Promise of Redemption

Zirkan Rufo wiped away the mud stubbornly sticking to the heels of his boots and muttered something to himself, as usual.He was an Outcast, and it turned out to be an ugly red and blue brand, drawing an unlit candle over a closed eye, right in the middle of his forehead. "Banna Telemara," Druzil whispered.It is a little devil with bat wings, a dog-like face, scales, and less than two feet tall, but the malice hidden in this small body is more than the most terrifying human tyrant. "What did you say?" Rufo snapped.He lowered his head and glared at this companion from his world.They spent the second half of the winter together, neither liking each other very much.Their hatred for each other began in the Simista forest west of the Snowflake Mountains, when Druzil threatened to force Rufo to serve his evil master, the leader of the Trinity Wall - when Druzil Hill contributed to Zirkan Rufo's defeat and downfall in the Denirian Cult.

Druzil watched the man curiously, squinting at the flickering light of the torch Rufo held in his hand.Rufo was over six feet tall, but scrawny.He's always standing crookedly, leaning to one side, and that makes him, or rather the world behind him, look weirdly incoherent.Druzil had been trekking in the Snowflake Mountains for the past few months, and he thought Rufo looked like a tree growing on a steep mountain face.The imp snickered, drawing another glare from the always sullen Rufo. The imp continued to stare at him, trying to see the man in a new light.With Rufo's black hair in tangled ropes clung to his head in a disheveled pair of eyes—two black spots on a pale face—and an unusual stance, it was possible to see It looks pretty intimidating.Now he parted his hair in the middle instead of parting it as usual, because Rufo, who was afraid of dying in pain, could not hide the terrible brand, a mark that forced him to become a recluse, a mark that made everyone see him from the road. Come here and avoid him.

"What are you looking at?" Rufo demanded. "Banna Telemara," Druzil said hoarsely again in the low plane.That was an absolute insult to Rufo's intelligence.For Druzil, who grew up in chaos and evil, human beings are clumsy things, easily blinded by emotions and unable to do anything.Rufo in front of him was clumsier than most people.Now, however, Druzil's master wizard, Aballister, was dead, killed by his son Cadderly, the young priest who had branded Rufo.In addition, Dorigen, Aballister's deputy, had also been captured, or had defected to Cadderly's camp.This left Druzil wandering alone in the Material Plane.With its natural abilities, and the fact that there were no magicians bound to serve it, the imp could find its way back to the lower realms, but that wasn't what Druzil wanted—the time hadn't come yet.For in this realm, in the dungeon of this very building, there is Tuando Chiro Mianche, the Curse of Chaos, the most powerful and evil potion ever created.And Druzil wants to get it back, and he has to get it through his subordinate Rufo.

"I know what you're talking about," Rufo lied, and then he mimicked "Benne Taylor Mara" to Druzil as well. Druzil snorted at him, showing that the imp didn't care if Rufo knew or not. Rufo looked back at the muddy tunnel that led them to the subterranean level of the Moezhi Library. "Hey," he said impatiently, "we've come this far. Keep leading the way so we can reach our goal quickly and get out of this damn place." Druzil looked at him suspiciously.After all the little devil's been talking to Rufo over the past few weeks, he still can't figure it out.leave here?Druzil thought.Rufo didn't get the point at all.They will get the Chaos Curse soon, why would they want to leave then?

Druzil nodded and continued to lead the way, realizing that he probably couldn't make this stupid human smart.Rufo just didn't understand the power of Tuando Chiro Mianghai.He had been enveloped by its power—the entire library had been enveloped, and it had nearly fallen—yet the stupid human didn't understand. That's the way it is with humans, Druzil came to the conclusion.It had to take Rufo by the hand and lead him to where the power was, just as it had led Rufo back to the mountains through West Caladon.Druzil tricks Rufo back into the library.Originally the branded man was unwilling to come, but Druzil gave him a false promise that the potion locked in the dungeon could remove the brand for him.

They passed several long, damp rooms, past many rotting barrels and wooden crates, objects from long ago, when libraries were much smaller and mostly underground, Area used as storage room.Druzil hadn't been here for a while, not since the battle at Trinity Wall and the battle in Simista Forest.Not since the death of the evil priest Barjin, killed by... Cadderly. "Banna Taylor Mara!" the imp yelled piercingly, dejected at the thought of the mighty young priest. "I've had enough of your insults!" Rufo began to protest. "Shut up!" Druzil snapped, too busy thinking about the young priest to talk to Rufo.Cadderly, young and lucky Cadderly, Druzil's great pain, the one who always stood in his way.

Druzil grumbled all the way, stomping loudly on the flagstones with his broad, clawed feet.It pushed open a door, walked down a long corridor, and pushed open another door. Then Druzil stopped, and the mumbling in his mouth died away.They came to a small room where Ba Jin died. Rufo held his nose and turned away, for the room was filled with the smell of death and decay.Druzil took a deep breath, feeling almost at home. There is no doubt that a fierce battle took place here.There was an overturned brazier in the corner to the right of Rufo and Druzil, with charcoal and incense remnants scattered among the ashes.There is also a burnt bandage from a mummy undead monster.Most of the monster's body had been consumed by the flames, but its bandaged head was still there, and shreds of cloth remained around the blackened bones.

On the ground near the corner of the wall behind the brazier, there was a dark red stain, which was the only remnant that witnessed Ba Jin's death.That's where he was leaning when Cadderly accidentally hit him with an explosive arrow point, blasting a hole through his chest to his back. The rest of the room displays similar devastation.The brick wall next to Ba Jin's blood stain had been knocked down by an angry dwarf, and the beam supporting the ceiling was only a short pile hanging down perpendicular to the ground.In the middle of the room, under dozens of scorched marks, lay a black weapon with a flat hand. It was the only part of Bajin's magical mace "The Wailing Maiden", and behind it was the priest who blasphemed remnants of the altar.

Behind that... Druzil's protruding black eyes widened, and he looked over the altar to a small chest wrapped in a white cloth emblazoned with the glyphs and emblems of the library's brother gods Denir and Oghma.Just the sight of the cloth let Druzil know that its quest had come to an end. The imp flapped his bat-like wings and flew over the altar, then heard the sound of Rufo scrambling to catch up.However, Druzil didn't dare to approach again, it knew that the priests had cast powerful magic to protect the cabinet. "Enchantment," Rufo agreed, noticing Druzil's hesitation. "If we get too close to it, we'll be burned!"

"No," Druzil reasoned, talking fast and frantically.Tandor Chiro Mianche was so close that the desperate imp could almost smell it, and it refused to back down. "You won't," it continued. "You're not like me. You were a priest of this sect. Of course you can approach..." "Stupid guy!" Rufo snapped at it.It was the first time the little devil heard him answer so fiercely since the man's downfall. "I have Denir's brand on my head! That cloth and the protective magic on the cabinet will eat me alive!" Druzil hopped up and down on the altar, trying to speak, but its hoarse voice became just a frantic slur.Then the imp calmed down and used his natural magic.It can see and evaluate all magical energies, whether spells cast by wizards or clerics.If the enchantment is not very strong, Druzil will open the locker by himself.It heals all its wounds—and heals more quickly if it holds the precious Tudor Chiro Mianghai in its greedy hands.The name means "Supremely Deadly and Terrible," and it sounds so right to the troubled imp's ears.

The energy aura emanating from the cabinet was almost overwhelming, and at first, Druzil's heart sank in despair.But as it continued to scan the energy, it gradually discovered the truth, and an evil laugh burst from between its fangs. Rufo looked at it curiously. "Go to the locker," Druzil instructed. Rufo continued to stare at it, not moving. "Go," Druzil said again. "The shabby protective magic of those stupid priests has been overwhelmed by the Chaos Curse! Their magic has been broken!" This is only part of the truth.Tandor Chiro Mianche is more than a mere magical potion, it is a magic that craves destruction.Tandor Chiro Mianche wanted to be discovered, to escape from the prison the priests had made around him.For this purpose, its magic has attacked the barrier for several months, thus weakening the integrity of the barrier. Rufo didn't trust Druzil (and rightly so), but he couldn't ignore the tug in himself.In this place, he felt keenly the reaction of the brand on his head, and the mere proximity of an object dedicated to Denir gave him a severe headache.He found himself wanting to believe Druzil's words, but he moved to the cabinet anyway, reaching out to lift the cloth from the cabinet. There was a blinding electric flash, followed by a second, and then a huge burst of flame.Fortunately for Rufo, the first blast sent him flying across the room, sweeping across the altar and crashing into an overturned bookshelf near the door. Druzil shrieked as he watched the flames engulf the chest, its wood burning brightly—it had obviously been oiled or enchanted with some kind of flammability.Druzil wasn't worried about Tuando Chiro Mianche, because the potion lasted forever, but if the bottle it contained melted, the liquid would disappear! Fire has never been a problem for Druzil, and the lower world it grows in is already full of flames.It flapped its bat wings and rushed into the fire, eagerly grabbing the contents of the cabinet with both hands.The sudden pain caused Druzil to scream and nearly throw the bowl across the room.However, it held back in time, carefully placed the thing on the altar, and then stepped back and rubbed its blistered palms. A vial containing the curse of Chaos was placed in a bowl and soaked in the clearest water, sanctified by the dying pleas of a deceased druid and the symbol of Sivanus, god of nature and order in all things.Probably no god in all the realms angered this twisted imp more than the God of Nature. Druzil studied the bowl, considering the dilemma he faced.After a while, its breathing became lighter, because it found that the sacred water had lost its proper purity, and the influence of Tuando Qiluo Miankai even had an effect on this. Druzil approached the bowl, muttered an incantation, and pierced his left middle finger with one of his claws.When the spell is complete, it drops a drop of its own blood into the water.There was a hissing sound, and a cloud of vapor hung over the bowl.Then it was gone, and so was the clear holy water in the bowl, replaced by a blackened, rotting fluid that smelt of swamps. Druzil jumped back onto the altar, reaching inside with his hands.Moments later, it whimpered with ecstasy, holding the precious bottle emblazoned with ancient inscriptions, already a magical object in its own right, like a baby of its own.It looked back at Rufo, not really caring whether the man was dead or alive, and smiled again. Rufo propped himself up on his elbows, his black hair bristling in wild bristles, his eyes twitching and turning on their own.After a while, he stood up unsteadily and staggered forward step by step towards the little devil, thinking in his heart that he would strangle the little devil to death, and it would be over once and for all. Druzil flicked his tail, the forked tip dripping with venom, which brought Rufo back to sanity a bit, but not much to calm him down. "You just said..." he began to growl. "Banna Telemara!" Druzil snapped back, the intensity not only overpowering Rufo's anger, but also knocking the man to silence. "Do you know what we have now?" Druzil handed the bottle to Rufo, smiling evilly, and the man's button eyes widened as he looked at it, feeling the inside of it. Power throbbed within him. Rufo barely heard Druzil rant about how much they would accomplish with the Chaos Curse.The lean man just stared at the red swirling liquid in the bottle, fascinated, but it wasn't the power that Druzil was clamoring for that attracted him, but the freedom that might brand him from himself.Rufo had this brand of his own making, but in his twisted mind, it wasn't the point.The only thing Rufo could understand and accept was the fact that Cadderly had branded him, forcing him to become an outcast. Now, the whole world is his enemy. Druzil continued to rant with excitement, saying that they should regain control of the priests, attack the whole land, uncork first, and then... Of all the ideas the imp spat out, Rufo heard only this last one.He heard it, and believed with all his heart that it should be done.It was as if Tandor Chiro Mianche was calling to him, and this curse of Chaos, created by an evil, demonic mind, was indeed doing so.This is Rufo's salvation, far more effective than God Denir.It was his way of getting relief from the dreaded Cadderly. This potion was born for him, and only for him. Druzil stopped talking as soon as he noticed Rufo uncork the bottle and smell the red smoke wafting from the potion. The imp was about to ask what the man was doing, but Druzil's words caught in his throat, as Rufo suddenly lifted the bottle to his thin lips and swallowed the contents deeply. Druzil kept stammering, trying to get words of protest out.Rufo turned toward it, his face twisted strangely. "What good did you do?" Druzil asked. Rufo tried to answer, but was choked, hands clutching his throat. "What good have you done?" Druzil repeated loudly. "Banne Thelemara! Stupid thing!" Still choking, Rufo clutched his throat and stomach, and began to vomit violently.He staggered away, coughing and gasping for air between the bile rising in his throat. "What have you done?" Druzil called after him, hurrying along the floor after him.The imp's tail was flicking ominously, and if Rufo survived the pain, Druzil would stab him to death and tear him to pieces as punishment for stealing this precious and irreplaceable potion. Rufo staggered and slammed into the door frame as he left the room.He stumbled down the corridor, hitting one wall and bouncing back, then another.He threw up again, and again, his stomach burning painfully, churning with nausea.He somehow made his way across the room and the hallway, half-creeping out of the muddy tunnel and back into the sunlight, but the sunlight cut his eyes and skin like knives. He felt himself burning, but also cold, deathly cold. Druzil followed him, wisely cloaked as they returned to the sunlight that would give away.Rufo stopped, throwing up again on a snowdrift that had fallen too late, leaving more blood than bile.The thin man then staggered around the corner of the building, slipping and falling numerous times in the mud and snow.He wanted to go to the door, to find the priests with healing magic. Two young priests, wearing black and gold vests representing the Oghma sect, were standing near the door enjoying the warmth of a winter afternoon, their brown cloaks opened wide to the sun in the wind.They didn't notice Rufo at first until the man fell hard in the mud a few feet away. Two priests rushed to help him turn over, then backed away with a gasp because they saw Rufo's brand.They hadn't been in the library long enough to know Rufo, but they had heard of the branded priest.They looked at each other, shrugged, and one rushed into the library to report while the other began to help the wounded man. Druzil peeked around the corner of the building, muttering "Banna Telmara" over and over again, bemoaning the Chaos curse and Zirkan Rufo's wicked joke on it. ※※※ Percival the white squirrel perched high on a branch near the door, watching the scene quite intently.Percival just woke up from hibernation this week.It was surprised to find that Cadderly wasn't around, and the main source of its favorite kakasha fruit was him. In addition, it was even more surprised to see Zilkan Rufo, a human being it didn't like at all. The squirrel could see that Rufo was in great pain, and could smell Rufo's sickness even from this far away. Percival moved closer to its nest of branches high up on the branches, and continued to observe.