The Ghosts of Broken Blades by Monte Cook

Author:Monte Cook [Cook, Monte]
Language: por
Format: epub
Published: 2012-10-06T20:28:20+00:00

Chapter Four: A Terrible Choice

Roubris had no idea what to do with the information he’d just gained. The spirit trapped in the sword leading them to the temple in the Worldwound was not that of a slain warrior, but instead a demon. Can you trust a demon? Ever? It seemed like a bad idea.

Of course, Karatha might know. But at this point, telling her that Serth was a demon also seemed like a bad idea. She would, as likely as not, demand that they turn around and go home immediately. And maybe that would be the wise thing to do, but maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe the treasure Serth promised him truly lay within the black ziggurat temple at the top of the rocky spire they climbed.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Serth’s voice said in Roubris’s mind. “Well, not literally of course. I can’t tell what you’re thinking unless you try to speak to me with your thoughts. But nevertheless, I’m certain you’re worried that the fact that I wasn’t once a mortal soul means I must be lying to you. That this is a trap. I can assure you that it is not. I may not have been what you assumed me to be, but I am still in the dire situation you perceive. I am still a slain spirit trapped against my will in the weapon I once wielded in battle. And only you can communicate with me. Only you can help me. So the treasure vault hidden in the temple ahead is most assuredly real. You get paid and I get freed. That’s your standard mode of operation, is it not? This is no different.”

Damn it all if that didn’t make sense to Roubris. Demon or man, Serth wanted to be freed. Roubris had never thought about it before, but demons must have souls like mortals, right?

He had encountered the spirits of nonhumans trapped in weapons before. Orcs from Belkzen, mostly. Helping them had practically no potential for profit, so he never actually tried. But helping Serth had the potential for the greatest profit he’d ever earned. Or so Serth said.

Serth the demon.

He didn’t like the sound of that.

“Your wellbeing is of utmost import to me, Roubris,” Serth said mentally. “Without you, I never get out of this. I assure you, the path ahead of us is safe.”

Roubris grinned. He still had the power in this situation. He still had leverage.

“All right,” Roubris said aloud. “Let’s go in.” Still holding Serth in his hand, he took a few tentative steps toward the rune-girded doorway that led into the temple. Karatha followed. She drew her own sword, Severance.

To Roubris’s surprise, the door bore a conventional lock. He smiled sheepishly at Karatha. “I can take care of that.” He put the broken sword away and pulled his set of lock picks from his pack.

“It’s a temple of Deskari. We should expect a trap. Or even a curse. Wait.” With a brief wave of her hand and an invocation to Iomedae, she cast a very quick spell.

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