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He shrugged. “What else would they assume? No one saw you arrive. You appeared this morning. We’re having a meal together.”
“A man and woman can speak without it meaning anything.”
“Not when you’re a single warlord.” He ate some toasted bread smeared with something creamy that almost had her asking for a bite.
“You will correct their misassumption and tell them I am a diplomat.”
“I will, but I doubt that will change what they think.”
Rather than go on a rant about his stupid people, she diverted to business. “Tell me of this Lomar. When did the symptoms first appear?”
“After an incursion into the Risead Pass.”
She interrupted. “Which is what?”
“There is a range of mountains to the far east, impassable but for a single road through Risead Pass.”
She wracked her brain to recall her geography. “These mountains separate your land from the mist beyond.” Not a place people knew much about.
“The Pass has long been defended, and before you ask, we don’t know from what. It’s been a tradition for centuries. Anyhow, after an incident at the garrison, I and a full battalion that included Lomar went for a visit. The entire battalion stationed at the garrison was found dead at the hand of the lieutenant.”
“Wait, how many men are we talking about?” she asked.
“Around a hundred.”
“And one man killed them?” She didn’t hide her incredulity.
“So it would appear, and yes, I’m aware how impossible it sounds. But that’s only part of the oddity. While there, we found a cave, manmade and the walls covered in markings I couldn’t read. In the deepest chamber we found a glass wall with something embedded within. It was after this discovery that the problems started.”
The unexpected answer brought a frown. “What makes you think this cave caused the affliction?”
“Because Simon and Lomar, the two men who touched the glass, went crazy. As did the former garrison commander and at least one of his men.”
“By crazy you mean they turned into murderers.”
He nodded. “As mentioned, the entire garrison was wiped out. When the affliction struck Simon and Lomar, a few more died before I put a stop to it.”
The story proved to be more convoluted than expected. “Did Lomar or Simon suffer a fever beforehand? Eat anything out of the ordinary? Come in contact with some plants?”
At each shake of his head, she thought of new questions. “Does either of them do drugs?”
“No. This isn’t an illness. Lomar is cursed, possessed by something that wants to kill. And believe me when I say it’s not something I concede lightly. Before, I would have scoffed and called a liar anyone who claimed it was possible. Even now I struggle despite the evidence.”
“So how many afflicted do you have in custody?”
“Just Lomar. Simon died attacking me. Lomar almost did too. It was only by chance I managed to quell his murderous rampage with a medallion I found.”
The tale kept twisting and despite herself, it intrigued. “What medallion, and what makes you think it helped?”
“In investigating the garrison massacre, we noticed how none of the soldiers appeared to fight their attacker except for one. He was holding the medallion in his fist. I happened to have it on me when Lomar attacked. Upon putting it around his neck, Lomar returned to normal. More or less. If it is removed at night, the entity possessing him takes over and kills everything in sight.”
“And if taken off in the day?”
“He’s fine. The affliction strikes at dark and disappears at dawn.”
“Unusual,” she murmured. “Is the medallion a magical charm?”
He shrugged. “Maybe? I don’t know. It started to glow after Lomar became infected and continues to glow to this day.”
