Chapter II: Master of Deception

    

	Arcus Odyssey: Heroes of Arcus

By Long Nguy


	On the edge of town Jedda and the others passed the cemetery 
were the presumed witches are buried.  It was highly decorated with crosses.  
Jedda eyed the area suspiciously and notice a pentagram with a cross on 
top of it.  Each of the freshly dug grave contained a pentagram and cross 
on it.  
	"Something must really be wrong here," Kara said worrily.  "The 
placement of the cross on a pentagram is used to seal black magic in."
	"Where there's a problem there's an opportunity to make money." 
Erin said without emotion.
	"Erin, where there's a problem innocent people are getting hurt.  
We aren't here for just the money were here to help people too," Kara 
explained to Erin.
	"C'mon lets ask around about whats going on here," Guy said.


	The streets of Waterloo were nearly as empty as the road they 
just came from.  What little people Jedda and the others saw, pretended 
they knew nothing about the graves.
	"Everyone is too frightened to tell us about whats going on," 
Guy slammed his fist into his hand.  "We should goto the mayor's home."
	After sometime of questioning for the directions to the mayor's 
home they finally found it.  There was no answer when Guy knocked on the 
door.  Then they heard it, someone was screaming for help.  They ran to the 
source of the call for help and discovered a mob in front of a bakery.  Two 
men was dragging a women out of the bakery.  A man who might have been 
the women's husband was being restrain and beaten.  Erin, Guy and Kara 
were about to rush in and help the women when Jedda stopped them.  
	"We have to find out whats going on here first before we can do 
anything," he whispered.


	"Friends we have discovered another one of Castomira's servants 
in our town," the priest shouted to the mob.  "They steal our children's 
health so that they are able to do their evil deeds.  Our children are ill 
because of these witches."
	A man stood in front of the mob, "My son ate a pastry from this 
bakery yesterday and now he's ill.  This witch is causing my son to be ill!"
	The crowd shouted angrily at the baker's wife, chanting to kill her.  
The women could only beg for her life.
	"The sentence for this witch is to be burned at the stake," the priest 
shouted so all can here.  "May Leaty have mercy on your soul.  Tie the witch 
to the stake!"
	The women sobbed as she lost all hope.


	"This has gone on far enough, stop this before it's too late," Kara 
pleaded to her friends.
	Jedda and the others charged through the crowed and stopped the 
torch before the priest was able to lite the wood on fire.  Erin knocked the 
priest aside and cut the rope that held the women to the stake.
	"More of Castomira's followers," the priest cries.  "Stop them all!" 
	Five men surrounded  Guy, but the coward in fear when he 
unsheathed his basterd sword from his back.  Erin and Kara were busy 
beating down the men that thought they were easy target when Drake 
appeared.  Drake took out a long sword from under his black cape he  
brought down his sword onto Erin's back but Jedda's stopped Drake's 
sword before it did any damage.  Erin turned in suprise to see the swords 
only inches away from her.


	Drake let out a Hmph then he pulled his sword away.  Jedda 
unsheathed his second sword.
	"Do you only attack when people's backs are turned?"  Jedda 
sneered.
	"Drake gave a grin "I attack when I have the chance."
	"Then you won't have the chance," Jedda shouted and charged 
with his two swords.
	The swords sparked as the collide, neither man was gaining any 
advantage on the other.
	"So who do I have the pleasure of fighting such a skilled warrior?" 
Drake asked.
	"I am Jedda Chef and may I ask who you are?" Jedda replied. 
	"Drake Sharen, Witch Hunter." Drake said with evil smirk.
	"Witch Hunter?  You basterd your the one that been causing 
these people to falsely accuse their people," Jedda said as he swung with 
one sword and blocked Drake's attack with the other sword.
	"What ever makes me money I do, even if it's tricking the whole 
town into believing the witches were making their children ill," Drake laughed.
	

	By now Jedda's companions were able to dispatch all of the 
attackers.  They rushed to help Jedda who was still battling Drake.  But in the 
end Jedda had the advantage with his two swords and not to mention three 
more people by his side.  
	"Can't you fight your battles yourself?" Drake said in a mocking tone.
	"Stay out of this, I can handle it," Jedda said to his companion.
	Erin ignored Jedda's demands and swung her chain sword at Drake.  
Drake dodged the attack and the bladed end stuck into the wooden stake.  
Erin tried to pull the chain sword out but it wouldn't budge.  Drake made a 
sly grin.
	"Unusual weapon," Drake said as he examined the chain sword.
	Drake yanked the chain sword out of the stake and pulled hard on 
the chain.  Erin tried to prevent Drake from taking the weapon.  She putted 
all her weight into her end of the chain.  Then suddenly Drake let the chain go,
causing Erin to stumble backwards.  He burst out in laughter.
	"Damn you!" Erin's face was red with a mixture of anger and 
embarrassment.


	"Jedda, on the count of three we both attack him," Guy whisper.
	"Right," Jedda nodded.
	"One, two, three, GO!"
	Drake was too busy laughing to notice Guy's scheme when suddenly 
he saw there swords heading at him.  He was barely able manage to dodge 
fast enough before he was cut to ribbons.  Seeing her chance, Erin rushed up 
and kicked Drake in the face.  The kick split Drake's lips and cause a nasty 
bloody nose.  Drake was now on his knees with one hand on his blood 
ridden face.  Erin was about to his Drake again when Kara walked over.
	"Murderous fiend!" Kara smashed Drake's back with her mace.
	"Arghhhhh!" Drake screamed in pain.


	Drake knew he better do something or it'll be too late.  Before 
Kara was able to hit him again, Drake grabbed her legs and tripped her.  
He pulled a knife from his boot and held it to Kara's neck as she struggle 
to stand up.
	"None of you move or your friend here going to get a nasty cut."
Drake smiled victoriously.
	Guy took a step forward, but Drake drew the knife closer to Kara's 
neck.  Guy stopped in his tracks.
	"Drop all your weapons, you wouldn't want your friend to be 
breathing through her neck now would you?"
	"Just then the men that been playing dead came be to life after 
seeing the Witch Hunter has gain the winning position.
	"Tie them all up," the priest said to the reinforcement that just 
came.  Jedda and Guy dropped their swords, Erin on the other hand was 
still pondering if she should drop her chain sword.  The townsmen started 
to tie up Jedda and Guy when they came up to Erin, she raised he bladed 
end of the chain sword at them.  But she threw it down when she saw a 
trickle of blood run down Kara's neck.


	"Ah, praise Leaty," the mayor clasped his hands together.  "More 
of Castomira's witches have been capture."
	The townsmen cheered as they lined the tied companions for all 
to see.  They awaited their decision for their sentence.  Drake stood in the 
shadows applying a healing herb to his face.
	"My friends once again Castomira's servants has been captured.  
Soon our children's health will return.  Leaty is watching us and now we 
must repay her by ridding these fiends from Leaty's domain!" the crowd 
shouted angry words when the priest pointed at Jedda and his companions.  
"and thanks to Drake Sharen for aiding us in capturing the witches."
	Drake came out and gave a phony wave with his same evil grin.  
The plump mayor handed Drake a money pouch.
	"Do you witch have anything to say for yourselves?" the mayor 
asked.
	"Drake is the one that been causing your children illnesses.  He's 
the one that been spreading the false rumors about the witches.  He's the 
one to blame!"  Jedda yelled.
	"Preposterous, he only says that because he knows he will die.  He 
fears Castomira because he failed his evil mission to destroy you people!  
Do not believe them, they are all witches." Drake said to the crowd.  "They 
are evil!"
	The priest nodded, "Throw the in the holding cell!"
	Angry shouts echoed through the town of Waterloo.

	
	The Guards shackled and bonded the companions in a dingy 
holding cell.  They could hear people moaning in pain.
	"Great what are we going to do now?" Erin asked.  "We came here 
to help but we ended accused as witches."
	"Waterloo what a great place to be," Guy said with a sigh.  "Maybe 
we can rush them when the unlock us for the execution."
	"Execution...  that Drake Sharen made the whole town mad," Jedda 
said.
	"Well it does us no good just hanging here, would you guys try to 
figure a way out" Erin said angrily.
	"THEN WHY DON'T YOU FIGURE A WAY OUT!" Jedda shouted.
	Erin was shocked for a moment, in all the time that she known Jedda 
he never lashed out at her before.  Erin was silent, the others were alittle 
shocked too but they expect it to happen sooner or later because of Erin's 
hostility to Jedda.
	"Stop it you guys," Kara shouted.  "We all can't break apart when 
we need each other most."
	

	Hours later a large crowd gather around a large oak tree.  The 
executioner strung a rope around Jedda's head.
	"I'm sorry, It was all my fault," Kara said with tears streaming down 
her cheeks.
	"Any last words witch?" the priest asked hatefully.
	Jedda was silent.
	"Commence the execution."
	"Stop it were not witches," Guy cried out.
	Erin and Kara closed their eyes.
	

	Just before the executioner pushed Jedda off the ladder a spinning 
metal blur came flying out of the nearby bushes and severed the rope part way.  
The rope was unable to support Jedda's weight and snapped.  Jedda dropped 
hard to the ground, nearly knocking him unconscious.  The weapon returned 
back into the bushes, cutting a lot of leaves off of trees along the way.  There 
was a moment of silence and confusion.  
	"What the hell is going on Guy?" Erin asked.
	"I don't know but someone or something just saved Jedda's life," 
Guy replied.
	Drake shouted out to the townsmen to kill the witches before they 
receive any help.  They were about to follow Drake's order when a man leaped 
out the bushes.  He was a densely built man with blonde hair, he was heavily 
armed with a halberd on his back a sword in his hand and a strange curved 
blade on the side of his waist.
	"Damnit a tracker," Drake sneered.


	The tracker pulled a dagger out of his boot and cut the rope 
that tied the companion's hand together.  Jedda was still dazed from the 
fall and was help up by Kara.
	"Are you alright?" Kara asked.
	"I think so," replied Jedda.
	"Who are you," Jedda asked the tracker.
	"I'm Vale, Vale Delrune.  Here," he slashed the rope that been 
holding Jedda then handed him his sword and pulled out the halberd from 
his back.
	"Hey don't we get anything," Erin yelled at Vale.
	"Um, ok..." Vale handed her a dagger and Guy a short sword.
	"Thats it, only a dagger?  What about that thing?" Erin said pointing 
to the curved bladed weapon.
	"Thats a slasher and I only use it, sort of my favor weapon," Vale 
placed his hand on the slasher.


	Drake gathered the townsmen, "They're all witches, kill them all!"
	This time they were well armed, using Jedda and his companion's 
weapons they surrounded them.  Drake slipped away in the shadows and 
started on his way out of town with his earnings.  Not bad for a month worth 
of work he thought to himself as he placed his hands on the packed money 
pouch and grinned.


	"So what business do you have here Vale?" Guy asked.
	"I was hired by the last town Drake Sharen used for his personal 
play ground.  I tracked him here but seemed you guys got into alittle trouble 
too.  Lucky I came when I did." Vale answered. 
	One of the townsmen, a skinny adolescent swung the chain sword 
at Jedda but missed badly because he had no idea how to use it.  The blade 
ended up in the ground.  Seizing the chance, Erin yanked on the chain making 
the boy fall face first.  She was able to get back her prized weapon back, Erin 
used the weighted end to hit the boy in the chest.  The townsman started to 
close in on them surrounding the companions.
	"Duck!" Erin yelled.
	The companions hit the ground and Erin swung the chain in a full
circle.  By the time Jedda looked up, all opposing men were moaning in pain.
	"Nice work," Vale complimented Erin's work.
	"I know," she returned with a confident look.
	

	With their freedom and weapons returned now they had the task 
of telling the truth of Drake's evil trickery.  When the companions arrived 
at the town square, the whole town was hiding for fear of the witches.
	"Your savior has abandon you, he cares only of the money he
gains from your misery, " Jedda shouted out.  "Now see where he is, 
cowering in fear.  There are no witches here, only innocent people what 
been con by this evil man.  He is the one that cause your children to be sick 
he is the real servant of Castomira.  Drake Sharen the real witch!"
	"Guy looked at Jedda, "Think they're going to believe us?"
	"Well if they don't listen to you then I have something that might 
change their minds," Vale shuffled through his backpack.
	"What is it?" Kara asked, trying to peer into the backpack.
	
	
	Vale pulled out a wanted poster with Drake's face on it with his 
same wicked grin.  The poster said Drake was wanted dead or alive for six 
hundred gold pieces.
	"He has a pretty price on his head," Guy said with a large smile.
	Vale punched the poster through a nail on a post, "If you guys 
help me catch or preferably kill Drake Sharen, I would be willing to split 
the reward fifty, fifty.   I get half and your little group gets half."


 	"What you think guys?" Guy asked.
	"I'll do it," Jedda said.  "Not just for the money."
	Both Erin and Kara agreed. 
	"I'll do it for the money and the chance to make that basterd pay," 
Erin said with a angry tone.
	"Ok then its settled, we'll help you Vale." Guy extended his hand to 
shake Vale's.
	"I'll leave the poster and let the townsmen decide for themselves 
if there are witches here or not.  For now we'll go after Drake, I think he's 
heading south.  I suspect that he may goto the Forrest of Silence and hide 
there for awhile.  Thats where we'll get him, lets go."
	So Jedda and their new found partner sets out to the mysterious 
Forrest of Silence.

	Upon arriving to their destination, the darkness of the night sets in.  
They started camp for the night in a cave near the woods outside the Forrest 
of Silence.  Vale insisted that the men do the hunting tonight, so he, Jedda 
and Guy went hunting for a deer in the woods, leaving Erin and Kara alone 
in the cave to talk.
	"Erin you been pretty quite after that fiasco at Waterloo, whats 
wrong?" Kara ask as she poked the camp fire.
	"Nothings wrong Kara," Erin answered with a hint of shock in her 
voice.  She brushed he hair aside and took a sip of water.
	"Well, something's wrong.  Your not acting like your usually self 
tonight Erin."
	"I'm fine Kara, really, now give me some of that dried beef.  Those 
men are so late again with our meal," Erin said trying to change the subject.
	Kara handed Erin a pouch of dried beef, "looks like it might rain, 
hope the men don't get caught in it."
	"They'll be all cold and wet while we'll be nice and warm," Erin 
said giggling. 


	"Looks like it's going to rain, "Jedda said looking at the cloudy 
dark sky.
	"Hey Vale haven't you found a deer yet?" Guy shouted.
	"Damnit Guy your going to scare them away," Vale shouted back. 
	"Oh sorry," Guy scratched his head stupidly.
	A rain drop fell from the sky and landed on Vale's crossbow as he 
lined up his sights on a deer.  He squeezed the trigger and unleash a bolt 
into the deer's neck, killing it.
	"Yeah! Got it," Vale laughed. 
	Guy walked over to the deer and carried it over his shoulders.  A 
flash of lighting streaked across the sky and rain started to pour down.  
Jedda and the others head back to their camp site with the kill.


	"The rain's coming down hard, hope they don't drown out there,
"Kara smiled causing Erin to also smile.  "See isn't it better to be happy then 
being grumpy all the time?"
	Erin made a serious face then she started to laugh, Kara joined in 
too.
	Then they heard Vale telling the other men to hurry.  Vale and 
Jedda came in soaking wet.  Guy followed after with a large deer on his 
massive shoulders.  
	"Now we eat!" Guy said as he drop the deer onto the cave's floor.  
	"You men cook, we already eaten," Erin said as she and Kara laid 
on the ground and went to sleep.
	Jedda, Guy and Vale spent half the night cooking their own meal.

	
	Drake was  laying on top of a large tree branch eating a loaf of 
bread and some cheese, "I can sense them, they're following me," he said 
to himself.
	Drake pulled a large net from his sack and started working on a trap 
for the companions. 


	"Rise and shine, hey wake up," Kara said as she tried to wake Guy 
up.
	"Is it morning already?" Guy asked sleepily then falling back to sleep.
	"HEY GET UP," Kara shouted in Guys ear.
	"I'm up, I'm up," Guy sprang to his feet.  "Jeez you don't got to yell.  
Where are the others?"
	"Jedda and Vale are practicing, Erin is doing something."
	"Doing what?" Guy asked.
	"Something personal," Kara gave Guy a wink.
	Guy just shrugged and headed off to the pond to wash up.


	When Guy reached the edge of the pond he notice a reddish thing 
floating in the water.  He stood there trying to get a better look at it when it 
started to move.  Guy pulled his sword out as the thing turned around.
	"HEY WHAT THE HELL YOUR DOING HERE!" Erin screamed.  
	"I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING," Guy said turning away.
	"GET OUT, GET OUT," Erin looked around for something to throw 
at Guy and found a rock at the bottom of the pound.  Before she could throw 
it at him, Guy ran off like a frighten little rabbit.


	Erin was just finish putting her clothes on when Jedda and the others 
arrived to see what was going on.
	"What happened, whats wrong?" Kara asked.
	"Nothings wrong," Erin replied with her back to them.
	"Then what was all the yelling about?" Vale questioned.
	"I said nothings wrong," Erin was starting to get angry.
	"Fine them, c'mon lets go back," Kara sighed and shrugged.
	Erin was about to follow Kara and Vale when she notice Jedda 
staring at her.
	"What the hell your looking at?" Erin snapped at Jedda.
	"You," Jedda said with a cold expression.
	Erin suddenly was unable to control her blushing.  She didn't know 
if she should yell at Jedda or give him a smile, but Jedda had other things on 
his mind.


	"Who the hell do you think you are," Jedda shouted at her.
	Erin was shocked, she didn't fully understand him.
	"We came here to help you but you act like a bitch.  Whats your 
problem Erin?  Why the hell do you treat everyone like your better then 
them? 
	Erin didn't know what to say, she became so angry that tears began 
to from in her eyes.
	"Well, what have you got to say for yourself,"  Jedda demanded.
	"Leave me alone," Erin said in a low tone with he head down.
	Jedda stared at her again with a cold expression before he left.


End of chapter II