"Are we having fun Timmy?" A tiny squeaky voice in the darkness addressed him. Loward had awoken in darkness which frightened him because although it was dark as pitch, he could feel the heat of the torches nearby and he was certain that his eyes were open. He sat up and held his hands up to his face to see nothing. "That's right Timbo. You're blind" The voice seemed to be very close and low to the ground.
"Who are you?" questioned Loward. "How do you know that name"
"Why would your god not know your name?"
"Bartelby? I thought you were lost in the void?"
"He was, but like you he now resides here." He felt the touch of a small nose and whiskers brush his leg.
"Wait I thought you said you were Bartelby? Why would you refer to yourself in the third person?"
"Because I am a mere aspect of your god sent to watch over you." Loward chuckled a bit.
"And a damn fine job you've done so far Bartelby lite."
"The name is Bart, Timmy."
"The name is Loward, Bart." Loward blinked his eyes to try to regain his sight but to no avail. "So what are you plans for getting me out of here oh wise and powerful avatar?" Loward's speech dripped with sarcasm.
"Well you could stop acting like a Debbie for one and secondly we can't do anything until your sight returns."
"So you're saying this is temporary?"
"It's hysterical blindness brought on by the psychic backlash from that stupid collar you're wearing." Loward grinned.
"Perhaps we can use my situation to our advantage." Loward called for the guard he was certain to be nearby. "Guard, I wish to speak with Lord Fulton."
"What makes you think you can just request and audience slave?" replied the the sentry.
"Why else would you be stationed so close to my cell for me to smell your stink? Now take me to your master so we can get this over with." Loward could hear the sound the cell door opening and footsteps approaching. He stood to his feet and held outstretched arms to intonate the fact he could not see.
"What have we here? Don't tell me that the young slayer is sightless." Loward fell to the ground as he was struck hard in the temple by the butt of a rifle. He could feel cold steel pressed against his forehead. "Why shouldn't I waste you and tell his Lordship that you tried to escape?"
"Because I would gut you where you stood you dishonorable sack of filth." hissed Khai Lun. The guard removed the barrel of the rifle from Loward's forehead and saluted the Bushi Killian.
"I apologize for my insubordination sir. I will try to not make a habit of it."
"Of course you won't." replied Loward as he tripped the guard and snapped his neck as he fell on top of him. "Teach your sorry ass not pick on the blind."
"Impressive boy. You have the warriors spirit within you but that may not be enough to please the my lord." Khai Lun pulled him to his feet. He looked the boy in his eyes to discern whether or not his blindness was a ploy.
"You're awfully close to me lizard. I hope you are not trying to kiss me." Loward grinned. "Quite frankly you're not my type. I prefer blonds with something a bit more attractive than an extra set of arms if you catch my meaning?"
"I have not the time to listen to your crude attempts to goad me boy."
"Loward. The name is Loward." Khai Lun placed shackles on the boy's wrist and led him back to Lord Fulton's chambers. Lord Fulton grinned as the two entered
"Well that did not take long. You didn't even have to work one shift before coming to your decision."
"M'lord it seems the boy..."
"Loward." interrupted Loward. Khai Lun grit his teeth
"Loward has injured himself and is without sight." Lord Fulton stood from his chair and walked over to the boy. He closely inspected his eyes and a look of disappointment came over his face.
"Tis a pity. He may not be worth anything to me now. Perhaps we should just cut our losses and find another candidate?"
"Or perhaps you can bear with me and wait till my sight returns."
"And why should my lord do such a thing?" Khai Lun snorted.
"Because I may have something that he wants."
"What could you possibly offer me boy? I am a lord whose lands are blessed with iron and technomantic treasures which will bring the Kingdom of Fomour to it's knees."
"Yes, but do you have power? True power and not that fleeting thing that you borrow with money and fear." Loward's body became engulfed in a lambent green flame, it's glow tinted the room in a jade illumination. "You see, I have power but currently not a purpose to direct it. Perhaps we can find a partnership that is equally beneficial?" Fulton was astonished by the display and taken aback with a slight bit of fright which Loward could smell. Regardless of any fear that may have been present, Lord Fulton, knew an opportunity when it presented itself.
"I will spare your life...Loward and in return you shall train me in the use of your power. If you cannot comply then I will have Khai Lun feed you to my wolves feet first. Are we clear?
"Yes my lord." Loward bowed slightly in the direction of Lord Fulton's voice.
"Secondly you shall replace my hound and capture more travelers to work my mines and foundry. Serve me well and you shall be rewarded richly."
"Yes my lord." Loward bowed once more.
"Khai Lun, please take Loward to the medical staff to see if his vision can be healed more quickly and to dress his wounds."
"I shall do so m'lord." Khai Lun bowed his head and turned away from Lord Fulton. He grabbed Loward by his shackles and led him out of the chambers to the medical facility.
Although he could not see, Loward had a clear picture of the medical facilities in his mind. The smell of antiseptics and cool air gave the impression of a sterile environment, and he could hear the whir of technomantic machinery. Khai Lun guided him to an observation bed and had him sit.
"Sit here while I fetch the physician." Khai Lun left the room.
"So what is your plan, Timbo?" squeaked Bart.
"I told you my name is Loward. Now stop calling me that before you anger me." A sharp pain shot through Loward's body as his breathing became short.
"Who is the avatar and who is the humble servant? Now if I were you Timbo I would watch how you address me in the future and save your threats for others. Do I make myself clear?" Loward nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Good. Now back to what I had asked earlier. What is you plan?"
"I stall them as long as possible until I can find a way to disable this collar. After I accomplish that I should be able to formulate a plan of escape. Besides I am somewhat curious about what exactly is going on here." Khai Lun entered the room with a changeling with a stooped posture.
"Greeting Mr. Loward. My name is Hogarth Featherkey, head physician of this complex. Khai Lun tells me you are having sight problems."
"Problems would be an understatement doctor. I'm having blindness issues due to this stupid thing around my neck." Doctor Featherkey examined Loward's eyes and made notes on his clipboard.
"Interesting. It seems there is no damage to the eyes themselves, which leaves me to believe that you are correct in your assumption about the collar. We may have to remove it if there is any hope to correct to problem."
"You will do no such thing!" Khai Lun stood to his feet and approached the doctor. "May I speak with you for a second doctor?"
"Of course Khai Lun." Doctor Feather key turned to Loward. "Excuse me for a moment."
"Take your time doc." Khai Lun and Doctor Featherkey walked away just outside of Loward's hearing range.
"The Killian seems to fear your abilities Timbo."
"How are you doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Disappearing like that. I don't care how small you are; I'm pretty sure the lizard would be able to tell if there was a tiny mouse hanging out with me. Unless you posses incredibly advanced skills of stealth."
"Or maybe I don't exist on the same plane of reality as you do?"
"Then how are you talking to me?"
"Because we are bound to each other by Bartelby himself. By the way you don't have to speak aloud Timbo." Khai Lun and the doctor returned and Loward could tell that the collar was coming off before the words were uttered. The smell of Khai Lun's anger gave it away.
Featherkey removed the collar from around his neck but there was no miraculous restoration of sight. He blinked a bit in futile hope that perhaps that would speed up his vision's return but her knew that was not to be the case.
"I sorry young man but it still may be a while before you sight returns. While I have you why don't I dress those wounds and make sure you are in full health so that there is no risk of Lord Fulton losing his newest acquisition." He smirked at Khai Lun. "I do not believe I will be needing your services in the near future. If you could so kind to leave that would be quite appreciated." Khai Lun bared his teeth and his frill extended.
"I do not follow orders from you."
"You will follow my orders when they are in the best interests of Lord Fulton. If I have to fight you on these matters I will report directly to him about how you are hampering the boy's progress. Do I need to continue or have I made myself clear?" The proud Killian warrior clenched his fist and walked away. Before leaving the room he paused at the doorway.
"Doctor Featherkey, one day you will not be able to hide behind you position and when that day arrives I shall be there to clean the meat from your bones."
"Until then Khai Lun, I suggest you keep thoughts like that to yourself unless I forget my position as a healer and walk the path of the destroyer once more. Have a good evening." Khai Lun left. For a brief moment during their discourse Loward felt a palatable evil come from Featherkey but the feeling vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The doctor dressed Loward's wounds and took some samples of his hair, skin and blood. "Loward, have you been bitten by a lycanthrope recently?"
"Yes doctor I was in fight with a boy named Tomas who was a werewolf."
"I see. That may be a problem. Please lie down on the bed." Loward did what he asked to do and laid down. Featherkey began to strap him to the bed.
"What exactly is going on here doc?"
"Just a precaution to make sure things don't get out of hand if madness sets in."
"Madness?" Loward had forgotten about the fact that to most there is a chance to catch lycanthropy from a bite from a werewolf. That is a true enough statement unless you already are a werewolf.
"Don't worry young man. I'm going to analyze your blood to make sure whether or not you have contracted the disease."
"You can do that?" Loward found that hard to believe.
"This facility has many technomantic devices that are far superior to those that are found elsewhere. You would be surprised at what Lord Fulton has at his disposal here if he truly knew himself. But that is enough talking for today. I'm going to run these tests and you are going to lie there and rest. I'll get back to you later when I found out the results." Doctor Featherkey left his patient strapped to a bed, blind and alone.
"That guy has great beside manner. I think you should leave him alive when you kill every one else here."
"What males you think that I'm going to kill everyone else?"
"Because your mind is already planted the seeds for that task."
"What exactly does that mean?"
"You'll see Timbo. For now you should do what the good doctor says and get some sleep." Loward closed his eyes and drifted off into slumber.
Loward's sleep was plagued by the same jumbled visions that caused his blindness. Figments of shadow danced through his mind when he was rudely awakened by and incredible urge for violence. He eyes opened and he could see once more but what he saw disturbed him. For the first time since becoming a werewolf he had never shifted involuntarily and now here he was in half-form standing over a guard's mutilated corpse. He could hear more guards approaching and knew that trouble would surely follow their arrival. His muscles tensed in anticipation of combat. He lowered his stance and readied for a charge he knew would come around the corner. The sounds of footsteps stopped and Loward could hear a familiar voice.
"Halt! You are entering a restricted area as designated by Lord Fulton. Any further progress into this sector without authorization will force me to use lethal force." It was Doctor Featherkey. What exactly was he up to?
"Step aside doctor we are responding to the sounds of screams coming from this sector and the fact that your sentry has not reported in." The commander of the unit stepped forward the meet the doctor face to face. With a quick motion Featherkey used a hooked finger to remove a large section of the commander's trachea.
"It seems you have met with a work related accident commander. Let me escort you to the medical bay as your men return to their posts" He shot a glare at the rest of the guards who began to retreat to their posts. "Now I hope this will serve as a reminder in the future when you decide that you need to pull rank?" The commander gurgled as he held a tight hand over his throat. Doctor Featherkey escorted the bleeding man to the infirmary to receive treatment.
Loward could smell that blood had been shed and from the tone of the conversation he discerned that Featherkey is more a threat than previously imagined. He looked down at the mutilated corpse once more to try to ascertain how this situation may have come about. Thats when he noticed something truly bizarre. His fur was as white as Tomas's! Was it possible for him to catch lycanthopy from a different species? He shifted back to his human form and headed towards the infirmary. Having never seen it he could only guide himself by smell and recollection of the sounds of the machinery. He found the doctor tending to his patient and returned to his bed to rest. Featherkey did not say anything to him but nodded an acknowledgment in Loward's direction. He closed his eyes and sleep took him once more.
On to vol. 6 The mines of Fulton part 2