Chapter II: My roommate! 

Chapter II: My roommate!

"See this!!"

"What's this, my friend?" I asked, as Ashu excitedly brought us to his table and showed me his map with markings here and there. The map was old and was not printed ones, it was drawn by using hands.

"Have heard the story of the queen of the witches?"

"No, sorry I'm not familiar with it." I replied.

"Oh, I've heard of that story. Isn't it about the mistress of Count Dorthey?" Said Leon.

"Exactly," Ashu replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Would you like to hear about it?" Leon asked me.

I nodded eagerly, because my curiosity was piqued. "Of course, tell me." I said;

"Well, stories say's that the Count Dorthey of Lebernun had vast riches in year 1960. He was an honest and hardworking man, but he had one fatal flaw," Leon began.

"What was his flaw?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities.

"Greed? Power? No, his flaw was his overwhelming lust. It consumed him and ultimately led to his downfall; " Leon explained.

"But isn't greed the downfall of many great men?" I asked.

"Greed can be a powerful motivator too, but lust is a different beast altogether. It can consume even the strongest of men, not even gods can escape its grasp," Leon said, a hint of warning in his voice.

Ashu nodded in agreement. "It's true, a woman can make a man great, but they can also be the source of all our troubles."

I leaned forward, my attention fully captured by the story. "Please continue, I want to know more about this Count Dorthey and his mistress."

"So, the count had an insatiable desire for women, so much so that it was said he had cheated his wife with all the female staffs he had. One day, during his travels, he came across a young maiden who was breathtakingly beautiful. He was instantly smitten, but there was one problem - the count was already married. His wife was shrewd, cunning, and had an ugly personality."

"How so?" I asked, intrigued by the story. "She was so jealous and spiteful that she murdered all the female staff in their residence because of her envy towards the count's flirtations with other beautiful women. It's said that over 30 innocent women lost their lives because of her. I swear, if I had been there, I would have killed her with my own bare hands," Leon said, his anger palpable. "Easy there, Leon," I said, trying to calm him down. "Yeah, sorry," Leon apologized. "Where was I? Oh yes, the count was deeply in love with the young maiden and never wanted his wife to even hear about their affair. But his wife found out, and she was furious."

"Why couldn't the count just divorce his wife?" I asked.

"Because the count's wife was the sixth sister of the King of Artia Empire. Divorcing her would have been impossible, especially given the political implications," Leon explained.

"What happened next?" I asked, hanging on to every word. "Unfortunately, the countess found out about the affair and had her men kill the young maiden. She tried everything she could to separate the count from his lover, but nothing worked. What made her even angrier was that the young maiden, despite her humble origins, was more beautiful and elegant than she was. So, she came up with a plan to take away what she hated the most."

As the story progressed, I couldn't help but wish for some snacks to munch on. Leon's storytelling was truly captivating.

"She ordered her men to kidnap the young lady. The count found out about it, but she was still successful in capturing her before he could intervene. The countess then destroyed the young maiden's face by torturing her, burning her face, plucking her hair and teeth. Before the count could arrive, the young lady died from the pain. The countess then gave the body to a butcher and ordered him to cut it into small pieces, which she then fed to the dogs she owned. The count found out about the horror his wife had committed, and it broke him both mentally and physically. He truly loved that woman, so much so that he killed his wife in the same manner as his young maiden had died, and then he killed himself."

"Oh, what a tragic story," I said, feeling a sense of sadness wash over me. "But the story doesn't end there," Ashu interjected.

"There's another twist. You see, before count committed suicide, he asked the witch queen to resurrect his lover, in exchange he'll offer all the riches he has."

"And before the count died, he amassed all his wealth and treasure in one place as an offering to a queen of the witches in exchange for the life of his lover. But, bringing death back to life was not even possible for the witch queen. So she created a mausoleum out of all the treasure for the count and his beloved to rest together."

"The treasure then converted into a map, a map of the grand tower."

"You mean the grand tower!!"

"Yes"

"If what you're saying is true, then…"I started clapping, impressed by the story's depth and complexity. And then Ashu added one more amazing detail. "And the thing is, I discovered that mausoleum in the valley of Lucia. And I'm on my way to explore that place!" I couldn't believe my ears

"By the way, Ashu," Leon began, his voice low and serious as he settled onto a tall stool, gesturing for me to do the same. "We did not come here solely for idle chatter. My companion and I have a matter of business to discuss with you." Ashu's eyes gleamed with interest as he leaned forward. "Speak, friend," he said.

"My friend is searching for an affordable place to stay. What do you think of your previous offer? Is it still valid?" Ashu's smile widened. "Yes, I have been eyeing a prime location in the Lorn district for some time now. I have a suite that would be perfect for us both. The food will be excellent, I can assure you. Do you mind my cooking?"

"Not at all," I replied. "I enjoy a good home-cooked meal, and I even like to improve my own culinary skills in my free time." Ashu laughed heartily. "Then it's settled. I'll send for you tomorrow at noon and we'll inspect the rooms and make arrangements. Deal?"

I extended my hand for a handshake. "Deal." And with that, our partnership was established. Ashu returned to his work as Leon and I walked back to my lodging.

"By the way," I suddenly asked Leon, "how did Ashu know I was from Abu-sultan?"

Leon smiled mysteriously. "Ashu has a way of knowing things that others don't. He's a man of many talents and knowledge."

"I see," I said, intrigued. "I'm grateful to you for introducing us. I look forward to learning more about Ashu."

"Just be careful," Leon warned. "Ashu is not to be taken lightly. I have a feeling he'll learn just as much about you as you will about him." And with that, Leon said goodbye, leaving me to ponder the unknown that was Ashu. I walked to my hotel, filled with excitement about my new acquaintance.

To be continued…