“Don’t worry, Ing it’s a Merman. Alma, get your bow ready,” said Erste. “Usually, they are not very vicious creatures. I don’t know what has gotten into this one. Strange things are happening in this cave, to be sure. The Rod is said to have mysterious powers. It must be the reason for the Merman’s hostile nature.”
A moment later, the companions saw three more speeding through the water towards them.
“Make that, Mermen,” said Erste.
The boat’s journey was halfway over when one of the Mermen crashed into its side. Before it could get away, Erste hit it very hard on the head with his oak staff. He was strong for a man of his age. The Merman sunk to the depths of the lake.
Another one shot out of the lake over the boat and Ing sliced it in half. Water sprayed out of its dismembered body. Apparently, the remaining two Mermen got the message because they swam away.
“I haven’t seen a Merman with my own eyes in several years,” said Erste as they got out of the boat. “I do not like that we had to kill them.”
“Nor do I,’ said Alma.
“I’ve never even heard of one,” Ing chimed in. He had learned that there was a whole world outside of Ganwin that he didn’t quite understand. He had completely lost his bearings. Everything was so foreign to him outside of its walls.
Ing, Alma and Erste were now safely on the other side of the lake; they took a moment to catch their breath.
The three of them looked upon the cabin that loomed in front of them. It was quite ramshackle in appearance. All the wood looked dilapidated; a small chimney on top blew out puffs of smoke; the door knob looked like it was about to fall off; a sign on the door read, ‘The Forgotten One.’
“The Forgotten One,” Erste said. “Very curious, indeed. Let us see what waits inside.”
Ing didn’t like the looks of this place. He felt a dark presence nearby. Reluctantly, he grabbed the knob and opened the door.
There was no one inside. The place is empty. A book shelf was in a far-off corner; it was filled with books written in another language. It was the language of Condeth Rahal. Off to the left was a small kitchen, pots steaming inside. A purple wool rug lay on the floor. The place looked rather dirty. Two ebony, leather couches lay collecting dust in the corner of the room.
“Why is there no one here?” asked Ing. Alma motioned for him to be quiet.
“The resident may still be nearby,” she said. “Keep your voice down.”
Then Ing spotted some sort of creature on the ceiling. It looked like a man, but it had six long arms; in one it carried the Rod piece.
“Oooo, visitors,” said the creature. It peered down with its yellow eyes that resembled a cat. “Welcome. My name is Grimlee Alonth. The forgotten one. Is that Erste Roan of the mountain people who I recognize?” he continued and now he sounded both angry and pleased.
The next instant, the creature who had named himself Grimlee fell from the ceiling above and knocked Ing out cold.
“Foul creature of sin,” said Erste in a powerful voice. “Trouble us no longer. The Rod is not yours to keep. It answers only to Slithzalien and Slithzalien alone. You have let it corrupt your will, Grimlee. Remember your true self behind the mask.”
The man-creature was too fast for them. He grabbed Erste's staff out of his hands and rendered the old man unconscious with a blow to the head that sprayed blood upon Grimlee's grey skin. He caught Alma under her feet and swept her to the floor. The world spun around her and she blacked out.
When Ing awoke, he couldn’t move a muscle. He searched around the cabin with his eyes. He spotted Alma, and Erste in a corner of the room lying face down on the carpet. Are they dead, he thought in fear. Despair crept over him. On one of the couches sat the creature named Grimlee, drinking what looked like tea. Grimlee’s eyes had not yet taken notice of Ing and he was humming a tune softly to himself.
There once lived a boy with sandy blond hair
Who wandered far far away
He didn't seem to have a care
It was said that was his way
Stanley wandered into the witch's lair
To the north! To the north! He sang
And that path lead him to despair
For now his life was changed
In days gone by he listened to stories of The Warrior
Who wandered near and far
The boy sought adventure as well
And looked up to the stars
Stanley passed over hill and under valley
At the end the boy was scarred
The witch is evil! So they had warned him
But he was urged on by his friend Tim
He set out for the lake where she dwelt
While in the north the ice did melt
Not yet black was that land
The dark one had not yet laid his hand
But the queen was there and lured him thus
The sight of her filled the boy with lust
And thus the tale came to an end
It's said that not a soul saw Stanley again
“I see you’re awake,” the creature said with a malice-filled smile on his face. He took one more sip of the green-colored tea inside his old grey, earthenware cup.
Getting up from the couch, he walked towards Ing’s body which was lying on the floor. Grimlee no longer had the Rod with him.
“You are here for Bolsee’s Rod, aren’t you?’ questioned Grimlee.
‘What have you done to my friends,’ Ing felt like shouting. No words came out.
“Your companions have succumbed to the power of the Rod. It is very strange that you have not.” Grimlee tapped his fingers together. “There has only
