From Chapter Fifteen: the Token

“What is thy name, supplicant?” asked a low, whispery voice, “What doth my son call thee?”

“I am called Zombiac of Warclover.  Arbeckarc called me Zombiac of Damperdrend, and his own name he called--”

Here the flame flashed like lightening and the fox spirit’s voice suddenly boomed out, “Do not utter the vile name of curse in this place, before me, supplicant!  Nor do thou speak again the name of the accursed object!  I come unto thee for my son’s sake, knowing full well what thou seeketh.  Many are accursed as thou.  Why shouldst I grant this boon to thee?”

I closed my eyes and wondered why I had dared single myself out among so many wretched victims of this curse.  What made me special?  Why should I be granted what Crownearth granted no other?

“Thou speaketh not?  Tell me now why I should suffer to bless thee when I am helpless to restore my own son?  What gift art thou to this world, that thou shouldst walk upon it unbenighted?  Speak now or else speak of my son and leave.”

“I will speak of your son,” I said, “but first I will answer you.  I have traveled from the far off land of Typhebdis where I knew many demons and spirits, and where I labored not of my own free will to restore a stronghold of evil onto the earth.  The more my master tasked me with, the graver became my despair.  I had been called on to make human sacrifice, and had killed too many in the name of he who had me in his yoke.  I rebelled and fled, trying to redeem myself as an honest soldier, fighting my way slowly to this country.  I destroyed evil beasts, and creatures of darkness on my way.  When I came here I was killed by an assassin and brought to life again by a magical fetish, in honor of my ancestor Rungrin, who had fought the god LeyFeynar nearly three centuries ago.  I called Warclover my home and was honored for the fighting I did for this home.  Part of this honor was a quest from the king of Glencoonith, who tasked me to find your son and answer for his withdrawal into darkness.  But not for my goodwill towards the king, no curse would have fallen on me.  It was in my power to refuse, but I did not.  Will you not honor this history?  Is there nothing I can do to gain your blessing?  I was not born to die in darkness.  I want to live and fight and love!”