Abasdarhon's Castle

Thiollas slowed his pace, listening to the conversation, but without showing any interest, and as if he wasn't even looking for a place to stay for the night.

- He-he, - the elderly man chuckled, revealing the remnants of his teeth. - So, listen up, kids and guys. You've probably heard about the guys who drove the pointy-eared scum out of our city. But I know much more... I had a friend, an official from the government, let's call him Vasol. He knew a lot and told me a lot. It's true that a lot of things come out when you're drinking my moonshine.
- Oh, you're exaggerating, - said a stout, bearded man with a smile, taking a sip of beer from his mug, then wiping the foam from his red beard with his hand.
- Be quiet, it's interesting! - another listener, a two-meter-tall giant with a shaved head and a child's face, scolded the fat man.
- So, he said that one of his comrades was forced to cover up the atrocities committed by the Pain Eaters. Torture, dismemberment, impalement, hanging by the ribs, blood eagles...
- Grandpa, what's that? - one of the children asked.
- It's when they cut the ribs on a prisoner's back, spread them out like wings, and take out the lungs, - said the third man, thin, wearing glasses and with a small black mustache.
- Wow! - the children exclaimed in unison.
- Why are you saying "wow"? It's terrible! - said the old man. - So, he was covering it up. He said that the bosses didn't care what was being done to the enemies of the Republic, as long as they didn't attack us anymore. But the people might not like that, so he covered it up. And also, the reputation of the Republic!
The old man raised his voice and proudly raised his finger.
- So, he also told me about their leader, Count Orlean. Everyone knows that his mother was a Countess from Serhaim. There were interesting rumors about her at the time. They said she fed bad servants and criminals to griffins. And even, allegedly, fed her own husband, our Count, to them because of his constant infidelity.
- Heh-heh, - the bearded man chuckled. - He should have thought with his head before marrying a woman from another country.
- You just haven't seen her. I have a collectible card of her, in the style of... no one would think with their head.
- Dad, what's "no one"? - one of the children asked the speaker.
- It's for adults, son, you'll find out when you grow up, - the mustached man replied.
- So, according to the documents, the man is still considered missing. But that's not important. What's more interesting is what happened to his beloved son. He spent half his life with his crazy mother. And the other half in captivity. First with the orcs, then with the Djurans. All of this together completely broke him. Did you all hear about the gladiator uprisings 10 years ago in Jadnar? It was him. But the cats, of course, won't admit it. They say nothing happened, it's all a fairy tale. All the ferocity he encountered in his life mixed in him, and a legion appeared in his image and likeness. Everyone is scared when they hear who they have to fight.
- It's good that they're on our side, - added the shaved man.
- Yes, the pointy-ears were unlucky that they ended up in the part of the city under the Pain Eaters, - said the bearded man, taking another sip of beer from his mug.
- Grandpa, go on!

- So, the Dead Heads, there's also something interesting here. Vasol told me that another of his comrades covered up the activities of this legion. There were no bloody atrocities here. There were tortures of the mind, various necromantic experiments, and other nonsense. It seems not as terrible as ordinary torture, but wait, if the body remains whole and nothing is cut on it, that doesn't mean the person being tortured isn't in pain...
- Brr, - the two-meter-tall man shuddered. - I was in their part of the city. Not only is half of the legion skeletons, but the rest are also starting to look like them. And there's a chilling cold everywhere, right down to the bones...
- That's why, - continued the old man. - So, he told me about their leader, Lord Olam. Everyone knows that he was the heir of the poor Lord Terud. His father squandered everything and left nothing for his son. According to the documents, he's a lord, but in reality, he's a nobody. No money, no influence, no women. Not even peasant girls will give him the time of day. But somehow, Olam met a necromancer from the Society of Mages. And there are rumors that he even met a structuralist...
- Damn! - exclaimed the bearded man, his skepticism vanished, and he listened attentively to the old man.
- But there are children here! - the man in glasses pointed out.
- Sorry.
- So, that's where it started. People began to disappear from the surrounding villages and towns. Especially young women. It's unknown whether he did it or not, but at some point, it all stopped, and the lord disappeared for 10 years. There are rumors that he spent that time in captivity with the fairies. They kept him alone in some ancient crypt. And all of this finally broke him. Have you all heard about the dead forest on the outskirts near Deathmore? It's him. Nothing grows there anymore, and the fairies don't go there...
- Go on, Grandpa, go on!

- So, White Lily, Vasol told me that the third of his comrades covered up the experiments with demons. In addition to the experiments with combat creatures, which ended badly for the inhabitants of the local villages, there were other things... Children, cover your ears.
- Come on, Grandpa!
- I said cover them! - the old man barked, after which all the children covered their ears.
- Demon women with dildos!
- In the name of the Creator! - exclaimed the shaved man and covered his face with his hand.
- Heh-heh-heh-heh! - the fat man laughed like a horse, then took a sip of beer.
- Well, - sighed the mustached man. - The old man continued, gesturing to the children that they could open their ears. - He told me about their leader, Lord Never. Everyone knows that he was the heir of the minor lord Sadjar, who tried to engage in sea trade with Serhaim.
- But why not with the slant-eyed? It's right next door, - asked the bearded man.
- Because he hated them with all his might. While his son tried to secretly establish trade with Hain and Djuan. That's what his father didn't like... There are rumors that his father sold Never to the Hainese as a slave. Despite this, the young man turned out to be quite capable and managed to gain the favor of a noble woman. Who loved slaves very much... but not in the way slave traders do... But there were consequences. This woman introduced him to some local cult, which drove him crazy. Have you all heard about the soldier's uprising in Hain 10 years ago? It was him. I don't know how our authorities managed to cover up the scandal. But then there was almost a war with Hain.
- It's good that our houses ended up in their part of the city, - said the fat man and took a sip of beer. - The main thing is that those women don't appear in the local brothel, heh-heh.
- But not in front of the children! - the mustached man made another remark.
- Sorry.

I think that's all for today.

Added 2 minutes ago

remind me what Parfinor did, I already forgot

-Exactly. - Felian nodded.

I'll talk to you a little more

- From the way you look, it's obvious. I'm Lisa) What's your name?

Added 2 minutes ago

He saved her ass, and compared to Dargin, he was a saint.
By the way, where's my cookie?

It's all been written down already.