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HTN 5-38 An invitation to dinner
🕑 Added 2021-12-22 15:56:53 +0000 UTC“How could it be gone?” Heather asked as she paced beside the barn staring at the empty space.
“It was already gone when I got here,” Legeis added and stood in his armor. “I didn’t see anybody here.”
“Who would even want to take it?” Quinny asked as Frank clawed at the earth where it once rested.
“I don’t know, pirates or something,” Heather replied in exasperation.
“I doubt it was pirates,” Frank said as he stood and looked into the woods behind the town. “There are drag marks on the ground. Whoever took it wasn't able to carry it, so they dragged it into the woods.”
“Then we had better follow,” Blackbast said irritably. “Do not forget the goblin woman is inside the room.”
“Oh, I did forget,” Heather groaned. “And my bone champion is in there. We have to get that palanquin back before somebody discovers the door and what's hidden inside it.”
“Maybe we should have put it in the barn?” Quinny suggested, but Breanne told her to be quiet. Blackbast suggested they hurry and threw up her hand, speaking a command word. A ring of light formed over her fingers and grew wide enough to circle her body. In the blink of an eye, it raced downward and struck the ground at her feet. A moment ago, she was dressed in skimpy black silks. Now, she wore elaborate plate armor, the wicked weapon once again in her hands.
“I take it you’re expecting a fight,” Heather said as Blackbast adjusted her feet.
“Whoever took the palanquin is not likely going to give it back without a fight,” she said and turned to Frank. “Can you see the marks clearly enough to lead us?”
Frank nodded and took the lead with Legeis right beside. Heather, Quinny, Breanne, and Blackbast walked a few paces behind. As a precaution, Breanne didn't assume her ghostly form for fear of being seen but had the magical bow in hand, ready to use. A distant wolf howled as Frank followed the marks, first going behind the barn then across an open field.
As they approached the dark forest, Heather was grateful for her night vision. She was rather enjoying being the lilithu devil and all the perks that came with it. For extra protection, they perched Webster on the back of Legeis's armor so he could turn about watching in all directions. Nothing moved in the darkness save the blankets of mist that crawled across the ground. They heard snaps and creaks coming from the forest, but Quinny's forest did the same. Noises were added to enhance the atmosphere but had no apparent source.
Stopping at the edge of the trees, Frank glared into the looming darkness, his undead sight well accustomed to the dim light. He was careful to search for hidden dangers, but so much was concealed by the trees. With a nod to Legeis, he started in, following the trail scrawled in the damp soil. Quinny remarked how many of the things they heard and saw she used in her own forest. It was proof that these were a player's domain, and she delighted in wondering what they might find.
For a brief moment, it all seemed light-hearted, just another adventure, then they heard the snapping noises. Frank called an immediate halt and tensed as the snapping noise drew closer. Legeis ducked low in the cockpit of his armor and worked the controls to ready his enormous hammer. The girls spread out behind them, looking in all directions as the sound began to echo around them.
“I don’t see anything,” Heather whispered and looked to Webster. “Do you see anything?”
He chirped and turned in tight circles, signaling his answer was no. Quinny suggested that she and Heather could summon minions to aid them. Blackbast thought otherwise, believing that whatever was making the sound might not be aware of them yet. Besides, she didn't want anyone to reveal what they truly were, especially Heather. Quinny pointed out that a lot of classes could summon a zombie or two, and using hers wouldn't give her away. Frank suggested they only summon minions if they were attacked, so the group pressed on without them.
“I think I see something moving,” Legeis said and pointed with the hammer to the right. Every head turned to see a black shape moving in the distance. It was hidden in the trees, but a distinct black form was shuffling about, slowly coming closer.
Quinny was the one who called the alarm as she recognized what it was. It was a type of advanced zombie, but to Heather's eyes, it looked almost alien. Its dark gray skin was smooth instead of scared and had small empty white eyes. It wore no clothing and carried no tools, but its hands and feet ended in short claws. The mouth was terrifyingly large, so big that it looked as if it split the head in two. Rows of curved teeth filled that dreadful maw, and it let out a warbling wail that was quickly answered from all around.
“There's more of them!” Breanne cried as they formed a tight circle, facing in all directions.
“They hunt in packs! Be careful of the speed. These are much faster than normal zombies,” Quinny yelled and began to claw at the earth. She called to her zombies despite what Blackbast had said. Just as the ground at her feet began to churn, a dark form came racing out of the gloom.
Heather had her scythe in hand with a single word of calling. She gripped it tightly as the dark form ran with surprising speed and closed the gap. Legeis was the first to react; a rocket fired from his shoulder, tearing a hole in the beast's side. Like all zombies, it shrugged the injury off as if it hadn't felt it and leaped with claws spread wide. An arrow buried in its mouth and protruded out the back of its head. The beast fell to the ground but only appeared dazed from the horrific injury. A quick stomp of Legeis's massive armored boot crushed the head and finally ceased the beast's movements.
It was little consolation as dark shapes appeared in the trees all around them, and that terrible warbling groan filled the air. They ran in as a single wave of claws and teeth like a noose tightening around a neck. Quinny sent her pack of zombies to meet them, and Heather was nearly taken by surprise when two small ghouls tackled one to her left. She had forgotten Frank was high enough to summon hunting ghouls and was impressed at how quickly he reacted.
Now the battle was on as the quick zombies attacked like savage animals. Heather put her points spent on weapons combat to use and cut one wide open with her scythe. Frank and Legeis tangled up an entire pack of the beasts as rockets and bombs filled the air. Blackbast matched the agility of the monsters, darting about with cat-like grace as she swung that terrible weapon. Unfortunately, the undead seemed immune to its painful kiss, and she was forced to batter them repeatedly to cause any real harm.
They held the line for a few tense moments then Heather felt an awful pain. She was tackled to the ground as claws dug into her back, the beast hissing in victory. That horrible mouth opened wide, but something white wrapped around its neck, and the beast was dragged away. Heather looked up to the ghostly form of Breanne hovering in the air as she turned to the wall of monsters closing in. A wail that sounded like a thousand lost souls shrieking in terror-filled her ears. She had to cover them to endure the sound but couldn't take her eyes away. The air before Breanne rippled like water as it blasted in a wave, radiating out. The monsters were struck and threw arms up as if trying to shield themselves, but the effort was useless. Flesh tore away from bones as clawed feet slid on the forest soil. A dozen creatures were reduced to broken masses in seconds, tumbling away like leaves in a stiff wind.
Quinny was at Heather's side in an instant, pulling her to her feet. Heather was dazed, but she realized the mistakes she had been making. It might be unwise to use her necromancer powers, but she was still a flower singer. Quickly she reached out, and a nearby tree animated and began to beat at the monsters with its branches. She turned about and animated another, then another. Soon the forest was fighting more of the monsters than they were, but Heather was not done. She caused thornwhip plants to grow with blinding speed and quickly begin attacking the horde.
In moments the tide was turned as too many zombies were tangled up in the trees. Frank was shredding them with powerful blows while their claws hardly made a dent on his armor. Legeis was equally effective with the giant hammer, crushing the beasts with single blows. As their numbers dwindled, there was a screech in the distance. Those that remained suddenly fled as if called away by some terrible master.
“Well, that was awful,” Heather panted as she leaned on her scythe.
“Why did they give up?” Legeis asked as he stepped back.
“They didn’t give up. Somebody called them off,” Quinny replied as she stepped over a dead zombie.
“If I could use my necromancer powers, this would have been easy,” Heather grumbled and turned to Breanne. “You got to use your ghost powers.”
“We were in trouble, and I made a decision to give away what I was,” Breanne countered. “I am in less danger than you will be if anybody finds out.”
“We are all in danger now,” Blackbast interjected. “I understand why you did it, but that wail of yours will be heard for miles. If the master of this forest didn’t know we are here, they most certainly do now.”
“Everything knows we are here now, but it couldn’t be helped,” Frank said and began to study the ground. “We need to find the trail in all this mess and move away before anything else comes to investigate.” He set about searching the ground as Heather finally remembered she was injured. With a quick cast, her pulsing heal began its job, and she asked if anyone else needed help.
Frank had to wander into the forest beyond the battle to find the marks, but he was soon back on course. The trail was a straight line, cut through the forest with no effort to hide its passing. It only deviated when a tree or large rock forced the thief to go around. The mood was more somber now as the danger of the forest had been made clear. Quinny explained just how advanced those zombies were, which meant the master had to be decently high level. She would have access to these in another ten levels, but a group the size they had encountered would need many more. For safety sake, they kept her zombies in the rear to absorb a potential ambush while Frank's ghouls hunted just ahead. Webster was alert in her mind as he turned round and round and watched their flanks from his lofty perch.
They followed for well over an hour, the marks leading ever closer to the jagged hill on which sat the lady's castle.
“At this rate, we can assume that whoever took it has gone there,” Breanne whispered as she floated behind.
“And we can assume they are connected to the owner,” Frank added. “Nobody else would risk traveling in this forest at night.”
“We could do it,” Quinny said before glancing to Heather. “Those zombies would probably ignore us undead. I bet they only attacked because of Heather, Blackbast, and Legeis.”
“I could put on my guise of undeath,” Heather offered, but she knew it would potentially give her nature away and would do little to help Blackbast and Legeis. She also realized that nobody knew Princess Hannah was a necromancer aside from present company. She couldn't risk using her necromancer powers while wearing her disguise and calling herself Hannah. She would have to be limit herself to being a lilithu devil flower singer despite how odd a combination that sounded.
“Just keep what you are hidden,” Breanne said in a ghostly tone. “Let the rest of us worry about it.”
Frank looked back and voiced his agreement. He also pointed out that if they were being watched, this lady had to know some of them were undead. That might be why the zombies were called off, and the path cleared. It was true that while Frank and Quinny were well disguised, Breanne was impossible to mistake for anything else. They carried that thought as the trail left the trees and entered a cobbled lane. It ran unmistakably to the distant hills and began to wind up the slope in long loops.
“We should have known,” Heather grumbled as Frank pointed down the road. “This person probably knew we were here the moment we entered her land. I bet she had the palanquin stolen just to lure us here.”
“Let’s hope she is willing to give it back,” Blackbast growled as her green eyes searched the road ahead.
“I don’t think she is going to have much choice,” Heather said and started down the road.
Frank and Legeis kept up the lead, but nobody doubted where they were going. The castle loomed overhead as the forest started to thin, giving way to steep cliffs on either side. A while later, they crested the hill to arrive at a long causeway over a ravine. It was wide enough for ten to walk side by side and every twenty paces or so was a stone brazier burning with logs. The light danced on the dark stone of the bridge, giving it a most uninviting appeal. On the far side was the castle whose imposing size dominated the night sky. There was a wooden drawbridge at the very end, but thankfully it was down as if waiting for them to arrive.
Heather stood next to Blackbast, their green eyes searching the barren walls for danger. Not a soul stirred on the battlements or stood guard at the open gate. It was as if the castle was abandoned or the owner was sure no one would be foolish enough to trespass. She let out a sigh of annoyance and proceeded to the gates knowing full well she couldn't turn back. They had to recover the palanquin at any cost and hopefully before Umtha blundered out with the egg.
Passing under the massive stone archway that was the gate, they entered into a narrow yard surrounded by the imposing structure. The surface was polished stone, broken only by the occasional crack or chip. There were towering windows of stained glass flanking either side and hinting at an almost monastery feel for the building within. A coach of red and white stood to one side before a pair of double doors and slit-like windows that could have been a stables. Directly across from them was a double door of polished wood held together by a lacework of iron straps. It appeared to be the main entrance to the castle proper though a few smaller doors were scattered around the sides.
“Let's go knock,” Heather suggested and hurried toward the large door. She was in no mood for foolish games and didn't feel like standing around trying to decide what to do next. She was going to be bold and go directly to the source to demand her property back. Arriving before the massive doors, she beat on them with the back of her scythe, producing a sharp thumping drone inside.
“Not one for subtlety, are you?” Blackbast asked as they gathered around, and Breanne assumed her elvish form.
Heather shook her head and explained that she had grown tired of the games people play. Everyone made it so hard to learn the system by constantly manipulating others. She was not interested in playing this particular adventure and just wanted her palanquin back. Besides, she knew if she asked what they should do next, Frank would have walked up and knocked anyway. When nobody answered, she tried again, this time beating on the door with force.
“They have one minute to open up, or I am going to open them myself,” Heather said loudly as she stepped back to look up. She wondered if perhaps somebody was watching from atop a wall or distant window, but nothing moved in the darkness.
“I could pass through the door and see if I can open it from the inside,” Breanne offered just before they heard a loud click. All eyes turned to the doors as one side suddenly moved and swung outward slowly. The glow of yellow light spilled into the night air as they gazed on a scruffy man dressed in a fine coat. He was tall for a human and wore an expression of annoyance as his gaze fell over the group.
“The Lady will see you now,” he said before stepping to one side and throwing an arm out to indicate they should come in.
Heather and Blackbast went in first, quickly followed by the others as they filed into a long grand hall. It was paneled in wood and decorated with long banners and exquisite paintings. A flight of stairs curved its way up the right wall to a balcony high above. The space was lit by a crystal chandelier that glowed with a magical light filling the room with a warm yellow hue.
The strange man took the lead and told them to follow as he led to the right and into a narrower hall. They passed doorways to several rooms, but these were closed and the contents hidden. Heather leaned over to Frank and asked him what he thought about the situation. Frank surprised her by letting her know their escort wasn't alive. He didn't have the aura of a living creature and thus had to be undead or some kind of construct. Heather nodded as they arrived at a door, and the man stopped as if waiting for something.
“Why are we just standing here?” Quinny asked when it had gone on a few moments.
“Do not try the ladies patience,” their tall escort said. “And remember to show good manners.” He turned around to glare at the group as if they had insulted him before reaching for the door and slowly opening it. Heather made sure to watch him as she passed through the opening.
Inside she was greeted by a sight that made her pause. This part of the castle showed the stone of the walls, but the ceiling soared up to a pointed arch giving it a cathedral-like feel. Candles burned in a hundred locations around the walls, and the left side was broken by tall stained-glass windows they saw from outside. The middle of the room was dominated by an oaken table set with a red runner and covered with bowls of fruit, bread, cheese, meats, trays of cake, and a dozen other foodstuffs she couldn't identify. There was enough seating for fifty, and plates were set out at every chair. Goblets of silver and gold stood beside every plate, waiting to be filled with wine. A great hearth taller than Frank and wide enough for he and Legeis to stand inside roared with flames on the far wall. The head of what looked like a bear with short jagged horns hung on a plaque over it.
There were four people seated at the table, all together at the far end near the fire. One of the men was handsome with wild brown hair and piercing eyes. He had sideburns that ran down the side of his face, ending just before his chin. He smiled with a devilish grin and lifted a glass of wine to them in a sort of salute. Across from him was another man of narrower frame and almost no hair at all. He had thick brows and deep-set eyes with his hands folded before his face. He gave them a glance to acknowledge them but didn’t seem at all impressed that they were there. To his right was a woman with long golden hair and sharp features. She wore a gown of dark greens punctuated with golden flowers. There was a slight grin on her face as she slowly looked over the group.
Of all the people gathered here, the woman at the head of the table drew the most attention. She had midnight black hair that curled over her shoulders and was adorned by a silver chain studded with red stones. Her eyes and lips were equally as red and contrasted sharply with her pale skin. She wore a black leather corset with red lacing down the sides that left her bare from the top of her chest to her shoulders. Her features were gentle, and her face graceful as she smiled to see them. Rising from her chair, they were able to see this woman was wearing red pants with narrow black stripes. She held up a goblet of wine and bent her head as she threw her arm out.
“Welcome to my home,” she said in a sweet voice that seemed overly inviting. “I am Lydia Valrossa, the Lady of Nightbrook, and you are my guests for dinner.”
There was a loud thump as the door shut behind them. They turned to look just in time to hear the sound of a brace being put over the door. Heather glanced to the door and realized they had been locked in with the strange woman. Turning her gaze back to their host, Heather watched as the woman took a slow sip of her wine.
“And what are you hoping to gain by locking us in?” Heather asked as she gripped her scythe.
“You may as well sit,” Lydia replied as her smile grew wider. “You’re not going anywhere for a long while.”
