Christine, Joe, Mike and Den had been lured by Kral to this place. Unknowing they were to be victims of the Doppelgänger’s plan.
However, the group only saw two creatures, a Werebear and a Wererat attacking Brian and a huge red bearded man.
They quickly decided to aid Brian and the man who was with him and moved toward the fray.
************************************************************************
In the midst of battle, though, Brother Ajax had time to cast a spell. The Holy symbol hanging around Sir Tomas’ neck instantly glowed brightly, blinding and burning Kral. It was enough. Sir Tomas struck the big red bearded warrior and he fell unconscious.
Seeing his master struck down, Brian, who was fighting with Brother Ajax immediately disengaged and charged at the Werebear. His elf form had re-sprouted the fur he had while in the form of Sir Tomas. It would keep recurring for the next three days; he knew from his master’s experience with the Werewolf that he could not hide it for long.
In seconds it was over. Brian was laid out by a solid punch to his face from Sir Tomas. He lay not three feet from his master and was just as unconscious.
Quickly, Brother Ajax withdrew the silver leg shackles and manacles from his pack and placed them on Brian and Kral, binding their hands and feet and locking them into their natural form. He then made a quick prayer and it was as if the sound of a celestial chorus filled the air.
“There! They won’t be going anywhere!” Ajax said. “And further, they are bound to tell the truth as long as they wear those.”
The pair began shifting back into their human forms and beginning to load Brian and Kral onto Sir Tomas’ shoulders when they realized they were surrounded.
“Put them down!” Don demanded.
Brother Ajax once again looked heavenward and made a quick prayer and then began.
“You don’t understand, these are doppelgängers.” Brother Ajax said.
Don hesitated.
Christine then spoke up, “And what are you? All we saw was two hairy beasts attacking our friend and another man, now you have two creatures in chains on that big oaf’s shoulders.”
“They’re doppelgängers! Look, we’re from the Temple of Burning Light. We’ve been sent on a mission to rid this area of undead and doppelgängers. What you saw was that beast assuming the form of your friend. These two probably have your friend tied up somewhere to infiltrate the town.” Ajax said.
The group of friends, on hearing that, was not so sure of the situation anymore.
“OK, what you say might be true, but I want to hear it from those creatures. Wake them up.” Joe said and Christine nodded.
“Very well. Tomas set them down and bind them back to back in a seated position and wake them up.” Ajax said.
Sir Tomas did just that as everyone looked on. A stout piece of rope tied the two grey skinned creatures together. Looking at them, Don thought he was seeing double as they were identical in every respect, except for the blue-grey blood trickling down one’s nose and out of the mouth of the other. One, he did notice, had a furry belly, groin and butt that looked like he was wearing some strange loincloth.
Five minutes later, the creatures began to regain consciousness.
Ajax explained as the creatures were being bound that the leg shackles and manacles were blessed and had holy spells upon them to keep the doppelgänger wearing them from shifting shape. They also compelled the creature tell the truth.
Mike asked why rodenthrope and an ursanthrope would hunt doppelgängers and it was explained that doppelgängers can’t transform shape-shifters into doppelgängers and as such shifters made perfect hunters.
Kral and Brian became conscious and the point of Sir Tomas’ sword was at Kral’s throat.
“No games!” He growled.
“Just what kind of game do you think I cold play, trussed up like this you stupid beast?” Kral snarled.
Christine spoke up. “Who are you?” She asked the master doppelgänger.
“I’m a doppelgänger, isn’t that obvious?” Kral sneered.
“I think what the lady meant was, what is your name?” Ajax said and he brandished his holy symbol. The silver manacles glowed and Kral said.
“I am Kral, son of Tal. Long ago, over six hundred years in fact, I was a human warrior of great might, but now I am far greater than I was at my simple beginnings.” Kral said pride obvious in his voice.
“And who’s your friend?” Ajax said, indicating Brian.
Kral tried to resist, he struggled to keep his mouth closed, his eyes bulged and he was sweating.
“He’s resisting. I said; who’s the other doppelgänger tied to you?” Ajax said forcefully and the holy symbol glowed again.
“He is my beloved thrall.” Kral said, holding back as much as he could, but the words were being forced out of him.
Brian was weeping and shouted, “Let us go! Leave me to my master.”
“No!” Sir Tomas roared. “We cannot. You would twist people to your will bringing ruin with you wherever you go. Mighty and wondrous kingdoms have come to dust in just such a manner. This cannot be allowed.”
Ajax continued his interrogation.
“What is your beloved thrall’s name?” Ajax commanded and Kral again struggled, glaring at the cleric as the manacles glowed again, even brighter than before.
“It gets more painful if you don’t answer, Kral, son of Tal, but it never does damage. The manacles don’t harm, but they can bring pain if you resist.” Ajax said.
“His name is Brian.” Kral said at last. Kral realized it was no use resisting the magical bonds. The force of the Palinar, God of Burning Light, foe of the undead and those that stalk secretly, was far too strong and his champions were well chosen.
The group of friends was stunned.
“How long has he been your thrall?” Ajax demanded.
“That’s hard to say. I feel deep down, Brian wanted to be my thrall from the first night I inseminated him, but if you mean how long has he been a full doppelgänger the answer is one day.” Kral said. Then, over his shoulder to the weeping Brian he said, “I am sorry my beloved, I feel we shall both perish at the hands of these slayers.” Kral said.
“No! You can’t kill Brian!” Christine shouted and the others made a step toward the bound pair.
“Stop right there!” Sir Tomas said and his fur was beginning to grow.
“We don’t have to kill Brian.” Ajax said. “If he returns with us to our temple, we can change him back. We have the means at our disposal.”
“What about Kral?” Christine asked.
“He cannot be changed back into a human. It’s hard enough to bring them back to their species when they’ve spent almost a year as a doppelgänger, but impossible after that. Luckily, your friend can be saved, though there is a chance that he may end up as some sort of hybrid. Not doppelgänger and not humanoid. One of the brothers of our order is just such a being. Ajax said.
Sir Tomas raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t know that! Illiard is a hybrid?”
Ajax smirked, “There’s apparently a lot you don’t know. How do you think it was discovered you were sneaking out for a little pleasure after vespers when you should be asleep?”
Sir Tomas grunted. “It stands to reason.”
Don looked at the bound pair, Brian still weeping and Kral with his eyes shut and head bowed. “So you’ll kill Kral?” Don asked.
“You must understand, doppelgängers enslave humans with their lies and schemes, perverting them, they take some as their breeding stock to make more of their kind. They don’t just mate like the rest of us, they transform. They breed by changing others into them. They are like leprosy; they spread through the healthy body, slowly, stealthily, eating away at it until they kill it off. The only difference is that they don’t stop at one body, they move on to the next when they’ve killed the first. You can’t quarantine them like you can with lepers. As Sir Tomas said, kingdoms come to dust because of them. They are like rot in wood or rust on iron. They bring chaos and ruin with them.” Ajax said.
I have set off a beacon. Soon, within hours, reinforcements will be here, more hunters like us.
Ajax muttered something and moved toward Kral. He pressed his holy symbol against the creature’s chest and then removed it. A glowing white image of the symbol shone on his skin. He did the same to Brian.
That will not come off. You have been marked by Palinar and no place is there for you to hide from us anymore. The eye of the God of Burning Light will see you from now until you die. Resign yourself to your fate, Kral, son of Tal; you are defeated.