"Lair of the Evil Sorceress"

***"Lair of the Evil Sorceress"*** is the 4th chapter in the Didin Fragment story. It serves to introduce the antagonist of this saga, Samri, as well as show off the location of Lekturin more.

## Summary

Upon waking up in the morning, Crusher and Gombit leave the Undertunnel Pass, and continue to cross the Brovolian Hills. During the journey, they end up encountering a Dragontiger, and the two of them have to use their collective power to defeat it. After a long and hard battle, they are able to defeat the beast, and continue to move until they reach the Lekurthroth Valley. When they reach the top of Lemite Hill, they intersect with Lekturinth Road, which takes them down the opposite side of the hill and into Lekturin. They also notice a large castle sitting on a smaller hill at the center of the valley, which Gombit points out is the lair of the witch. They first enter the Polvo District, into Paplia Square. There, they see the Bando Bandis performing in the street, and several food stands, but also many homeless people, and a lot of run down buildings. Gombit was interested in the performance, but Crusher was simply trying to find the Castle.

They navigate through a maze of people, but are stopped by a large jester clown on stilts. He asks them if they would like to see his magic. Gombit says they shouldn't, they have to keep moving. Just then, Crusher catches the hand of a woman attempting to run away with their food. Crusher asks her what she thinks she's doing with his stuff. She tries to yank away from him, while the clown tries to attack him. He moves to raise his foot, putting it above and behind the clown to pin him down. He asks her one more time, before gripping her forearm so hard the bone breaks. She begs him to let go and gives it back, before Crusher kicks the clown to the ground, turning to tell Gombit they should get out of this part of town.

Before they could leave, an old man named Dylan is surprised by Crusher's power, and asks what a strong man like him is doing there. Crusher says they are on important business. Dylan tells them to just steer clear of Dacabon Castle, for the witch that lives there will curse them and they'll die if they so much as step near that castle. Gombit begins to express worry, recalling the time he went into Dacabon Castle to beg the witch to undo the curse. Crusher tells him it's too late to turn back, to which Gombit agrees. Gombit says he might be afraid, but he's not just going to let his son die. And he believes now that they will be able to defeat the witch. They continue through the Polvo District, and into the Davan District. Here they find the Parthenon Road, which contained more performances in the street, and other busy marketplaces.

When they reached the edge of the Davan District, they were both stopped by a man named Terry. Terry warns them that past the town line, they run the risk of being attacked by a dangerous witch. Crusher says he'll take his chances. As soon as they get far enough away, Terry speaks into a phone, telling the person on the other line that they are going to be having guests soon. They get up to the Castle, which looks very well kept. Crusher laughs, saying he was expecting something decrepit. They walk into the front door, go down a long hallway, and are greeted with a waiting room. Crusher is confused as to why there is a waiting room inside of a witches' castle. The woman at the front desk introduces herself as Samri and asks them what they need. They say they want to speak to the witch, and Samri says the witch will be done seeing the last person soon, and will see them. Soon after, Samri leaves, and it's just the two of them waiting for the witch. Gombit says this is something he had to do last time, but Crusher quickly stands up. He starts sniffing, and tells Gombit that they need to get out, now.

Samri visits with Terry, and thanks him for informing him of the arrival of those two, and she says the goblin looks familiar. Terry says that poisoning them is better than causing a ruckus. Samri tells Terry to inform the other Mages to be on guard just in case, and that she has a bad feeling about the one with the hammer.

## Fights

* Crusher and Gombit vs. Dragontiger (Crusher and Gombit win.)
* Crusher vs. Orslamba and Elizabrein (Crusher wins.)

## Appearances in Order

### Characters

* Crusher
* Gombit
* *Stranger 1* *(first appearance)*
* Bando Bandis *(first appearance)*
* Orslamba *(first appearance)*
* Elizabrein *(first appearance)*
* Dylan *(first appearance)*
* Terry *(first appearance)*
* Samri *(first appearance)*
* Zanara Mages *(mentioned)*

### Locations

Brovolian Hills

* Undertunnel Pass
* Lekurthroth Valley *(first appearance)*
* Lemite Hill *(first appearance)*
* Lekturinth Road *(first appearance)*
* Lekturin *(first appearance)*
	+ Samari Hill *(first appearance)*
		- Dacabon Castle *(first appearance)*
	+ Polvo District *(first appearance)*
		- Paplia Square *(first appearance)*
	+ Davan District *(first appearance)*
		- Parthenon Road *(first appearance)*

### Creatures

* Human
* Goblin
	+ Cyan Goblin
* Dragontiger *(first appearance)*
* Leminite *(first appearance)*

### Techniques

**Martial Arts**

* ***Kanin Style***
	+ Godly Grip *(first appearance)*
	+ Fast-Run Style Kick *(first appearance)*

### Items

* Schlagenheim
* Crusher's Backpack
* Gombit's Bow
* Cell Phone *(first appearance)*

## Narrative Impact

* Presents the environment of the city of Lekturin.
* Introduces the antagonist of the saga Samri, and reveals that the waiting room is a trap.

## Trivia

* This chapter was originally going to be much shorter, with a lot of the content of Crusher and Gombit in Lekturin was added last minute due to insufficient material.