The Detective drew a new card. It showed a warrior, armed to the teeth.
"The Warlord. He settled in an abandoned castle on a hill. The settlement pays him money, and in return he protects them from bandits and monsters." The Detective twisted his face in a predatory way. "Supposedly protects them. And that doesn't stop him from taking what he considers his rightful reward. At night, he rides into the settlement at the head of a band of thugs and takes whatever women he likes back to the castle for the amusement of himself and his bastards.
The village elder and the local men tried to resist at first. But the castle has a bad reputation. They say black magic came alive when the Warlord and his followers settled there, and took full hold of them. And now it's impossible to stand against them."
The castle stood on a hill, surrounded by forest. It stood in absolute silence.
The bridge was raised. The stone walls were encircled by a wide moat filled with a dark liquid that lapped in the moonlight.
As they approached the castle, iron mechanisms came to life, and the bridge slowly lowered, as if inviting them in as the next victims into a merciless trap.
They crossed the bridge. In the darkness of the inner courtyard, they were met by motionless figures in plate armor. Their faces were hidden behind masks of terrifying creatures. All the masks bore a single expression. Anger.
The figures escorted them through a dark corridor of the castle. Then they climbed a stone staircase to the second floor. And arrived in a large hall, where a tall, colossal figure sat on a black iron throne with toothed edges, clad in armor.
On his face, carved with scars, black, incomprehensible symbols were painted. Beside him, leaning against the throne, stood a large two-handed sword with numerous teeth along the blade.
The colossal figure on the throne bared his teeth in an eerie grin as they approached.
"Looking for some night entertainment, like me, Detective? Then you've come at the right time and to the right place."
"I'm interested in the girls who were taken in large numbers last night. Thirty girls."
"So, you're quite the ladies' man, Detective! Looking to enjoy yourself in a big way?"
The Detective stared at him in silence. The warrior on the throne grimaced in annoyance.
"Fine. I took some girls recently. Don't remember when. Last night or the night before. But no more than five. You hear me, Detective? No more than five. I treat them well and will return them home soon, safe and sound. If they even want to go back. They live better here than in the village. There it's poverty and misery. And here — good food, soft beds, and the lord's love."
The figure on the throne gave a vile laugh.
"Are you satisfied, Detective? Now leave. I've told you everything."
The Detective did not move.
"I would like to see for myself that the girls are all right. And that they are indeed the girls you're talking about."
The man on the throne grimaced again in annoyance.
"And where exactly did you come from?"
Then he slowly, as if unwillingly, rose from the throne, holding onto its armrests until the very last moment.
"Fine. I'll take you to where they are now."
The tall iron figure led them to another part of the castle. They were going down into the dungeons — to where iron bars and locked iron doors stood.
The Cursed felt uneasy about where they were being taken. But the Detective, it seemed, paid no attention.
"The girls misbehaved a little the other day. So I locked them in the cells to let them cool off and understand that they mustn't behave so badly."
He opened one cell and led them into a long chamber, where five girls were chained to the wall in a row. They looked at the intruders in terror. They were almost completely naked. Only torn pieces of their dresses covered their bodies. Their skin was covered in wounds and whip marks.
As the Detective and the Cursed looked at them, the iron gate slammed shut behind them. A cruel laugh echoed. The Warlord stood behind the bars and said:
"You'll all be fed to the Prisoner. He lives in these dungeons and has been crawling through them since ancient times. He has already sensed new prey and is crawling toward you now. I'll leave you to it. I won't interfere."
His footsteps faded away.