Day 26
The wind howled past the window, there was another storm; there was no rain currently, just the blowing winds. Two guardsmen stood watch wearing wool over coats that were gray as the stone. They watched the blight, looking for anything, a rider, monster, or demons. The storm had kicked up dust and was blowing it into the blight, the weather was fickle and it could turn and blow towards the wall, making the task of keeping watch even more grueling that it normally was. Nothing moved except dust and the black grasses. On a clear day, the top of the far fortress in the blight could be seen. It had been set that distance any further and it would be too far to see on a clear day.
They sentries were on edge, there was an army of demons, moving in the blight somewhere, so far they hadn’t seen it. It was somewhere between the fourth wall outposts and the most western outpost that the new Lord Bloodstone oversaw. He had been put in charge of the western most outposts the one that touched the sea, ten miles to the west and twenty miles to the east was the next fortress. The actual holdings of the third western most Lord were twenty miles in all directions from the fortress. The fourth wall outpost would be his new holdings if he could complete his section of the wall. The walls typically moved east to west as the quarries were in the eastern districts, where there were more mountains, and hills where the stone could be dug up and quarried. There were hundreds of souls who depended on the wall to keep the safe, in the western section they had not been able to establish towns between the third and fourth wall, like they had in the east. They had also received word that a number of those towns had been attacked, and there were no further reports.
A war counsel had been called, by Bloodstone, there were soldiers and guardsmen and a silver rank team who had arrived earlier and reported to the wall commander.
“The scouts estimate that they saw between thousand and three thousand demons on the move. It’s a big force with the magical defenses we should be able to keep the walls from being breached. We haven’t spotted them in this weather, so either they have moved beyond our range or they are hiding up in one of the dips in the terrain. The Steel Scars have agreed to help us in defense of the wall. Their leader, Aleyne wanted to make a statement” He gestured to the five members of the Steel Scars. The leader who stood up was human and was big, and had a large double bladed axe he was holding. A small frail looking pale woman sat next to him on his right, her eyes were everywhere. To his left was a drake, which looked like he had seen better days. He looked older as drakes sometimes do. There were numerous scars across his visible skin. To the left of the drake, was a short bearded man who seemed to fidget, and shift in his seat. The last member was a woman who was a half-elf, she looked like she was very nervous being the center of attention.
“Hello I am Aleyne, I am a Axeman, I served with “Leeless who served one of the walled cities during the second antinuim war. Pren, our trap expert.
Mina, our magic expert, and Kana, who has studied at Wistram. We were asked to come here by the King to help with the defense of the wall.”
The Wall commander turned towards Bloodstone, “Our new lord, whom the king sent here to defend the wall, and help build up the fourth wall.”
“I know I am new here, and I have yet to see you all fight. I trust that you are all ready, ready for the days ahead, where you patriots will defend this country. I will stand with you to defend this wall. I will stand with you to protect those who need protecting. We stand together, we will not fail, we will not falter, we will win.”
Everyone in the hall was looking at him, and then a cheer erupted across the hall. The Commander was smiling. “Good speech”
A messenger handed Bloodstone a letter, and disappeared back into the crowd leaving the hall. “Wife wants to talk, I will catch up with you later.”
“Before you go, I wanted to ask you about something you said the other day.”
“Sure, what up?”
“You mentioned the prince, do you recall what princes name was?”
“Othius, I assumed it was the king’s son.”
“No that’s his nephew, from his younger brother. Technically he is a prince just not the king’s son.”
“Does the king have any kids?”
“Two alive that I know about, his two daughters.”
“Never met them”
“They were most likely out with the Queen, visiting the other nobles.”
“I heard mention of the Queen, never met her either. I thought she was dead.”
“The first Queen was murdered, the second Queen she doesn’t sit still long.
“I heard the king has a new Steward, did you meet him before you left?”
“No, Is it a kid?”
“No, he’s someone who has been loyal to the crown for ages. Nereshal the chronomancer, it’s unusual for anyone to see him. Now that he is the kings steward, that should change.”
“I am so confused. How did I miss all of that when we were in the capital?”
“The king, he is shrewd, and know more than he lets on. I was surprised the Seer you brought with you, she is known as the blind seer, yet somehow you got her to marry you and follow you and she is not blind anymore.”
“I think I have been played.”
“Pardon?”
“Nevermind, I will talk to you later.”
Bloodstone left the nearly empty hall and returned to the section of the mansion that they had set aside, for him and his group. He knocked on the door. “Come in”
He opened the door, “Isabel”
She smiled at him, “It’s not about you. It’s about saving the Kingdom, you understood that.”
“You, how, I am so confused.”
“Everything must happen, otherwise the kingdom will fall, and it will be a long time before we can get this close. The assassin on the wall, was that part of the plan?”
She stopped smiling, “It is, but not something I can control. You didn’t think making an enemy they would just give up.”
“You knew?”
“Of course, if you had met either of the princesses, it would have messed up the weave of fate, you needed to believe something” She shrugged.
“Who else knew, I feel like I have been played.”
“The king knows, he decided that your best place is here, my reward was getting my sight back.”
Bloodstone sighed, “I have been avoiding using my time abilities, I understand temporal mechanics, and I think I see why I wasn’t allowed to meet Nereshal, the kings new steward.”
“You are important, but not the main string of events, I can’t tell you much more. You are going to change the world, with the right people guiding you.”
Bloodstone sat down on the edge of the bed, “Your infuriating, you knew way more than you let on, about what was going to happen. I trusted you.”
“You saw what you wanted to see, and heard what you wanted to hear. I never lied to you. You just never asked the right questions.”
His head in his hands, he looked up, a smoldering anger in his eyes. “You are not going to control me, anymore are you?”
She laughed, “I never once controlled you, husband. You are just angry because you didn’t see it. I am sorry I shouldn’t laugh, it’s just you think that with all your abilities you would see what is right in front of you.”
“What’s your deal?”
She sighed, “It’s not about you.” She knelt down, and stared into his eyes, “I really do care about you, you let me see again, no mage in this world could do that. I also know what is as stake here, not just Rhir, the whole world.” She bit her lower lip, “I want to tell you, I can’t, there are certain things that I can’t talk about.”
“Why is someone threatening you?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
His eyes considered hers, and he stood up and grabbed her wrists, “Who”
She shook her head back and forth, “I cannot say”
He let her go, “Not because you don’t want to your unable to.”
“That’s one interpretation.”
“You can’t even talk about it, a geas or compulsion”
“Please stop asking,” she said averting her eyes.
He gently touched her chin and had her look back at him, “I’m sorry, I will try and be more perceptive. Now what did you want to talk to me about.” He opened the note and handed it to her.
“I didn’t write this, I don’t know all the letters yet, I was blind remember.”
“Come with me,” he took her right hand in his left and opened the door slowly to the hallway. There were no guards. “This I bad, there were guards when I came down the hallway.” He drew his sword. “Stay behind me.”
He went to the door across the hall and knocked on it.
Rana opened the door, sword ready behind her Xyrdiane was putting on her belt. “What’s going on?” Rana asked.
“No idea, can you watch Isabel, I’m going to check the other rooms.”
“I am not a child I don’t need to ….” Isabel started to say.
A guardsman stumbled out of the next room bleeding from a gash, on his neck. Marie, stepped out into the hallway, facing into the room. She helped the guardsman stay standing. “What is going on,” he asked
“Not sure There is another guard in my room, he is dead though,” Marie said.
There was an explosion and the door down the hall was blasted off its hinges, a body flew across the hall and impacted the far wall. There was something odd with the body, it appeared to be a ninja, at least that’s what it looked like. Kuya stepped out into the hallway, a wreath of flames coating her body, her staff glowed with a white blue flame. “That’s what you get!” She said acidly.
Several other doors opened and others began to look out in the corridor. Amethyst came down the corridor, there was a sense of magical energy in the air. Everyone turned and looked in her direction. Newton and Beth, were looking around, “Whats going on?” Newton asked.
“Not sure looks like an attack let’s get everyone together.”
Some guardsmen came from both side of the corridor weapons ready. “My lord, is everything all right?”
“No two dead unknowns, where is everyone else?”
Two guards dragged the corpse out of Marie’s room, it had been sliced several times. “What happened Marie?” Another guard Gave a healing potion to the injured guard. More guards came down the corridor.
“I was taking a nap after working with Coreen all night, I had just dozed off when this person started to strangle me, I screamed, and he rushed in and was stabbed, gave me enough time to get my dirks out.”
Bloodstone looked at the bloodied guard, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, the healing potion is working now. My post happens to be right across the hall, I heard a noise”
“Any idea how he got in?” Bloodstone asked.
“Through the window, “one of the guardsman said. They showed him that the latch had been sprung, that’s was odd since they were on the third floor.
They checked on the rest of the rooms, only Coreen and Sarah were missing. No other groups were found, the bodies were turned over to the watch.
The commander came to see him, after they had secured to rooms. “We haven’t found the cook or your wife.”
“Any idea where they were last seen, I can’t imagine someone climbing down with one of them let alone two.” Bloodstone said to the commander.
“It’s not unheard of, we are checking other leads, and doubling the patrols. Usually they would make demands by now. There is another matter I want to discuss with you.”
“What’s that?”
“Your daughter, she keeps visiting that goblin.”
“She’s interested in its language, she’s a linguist.”
“I’m worried about her safety.“
“I wouldn’t worry about her, she’s got a temper. This was all her.” He said pointing to the cracks on the wall across from her room. The door was singed and had been leaned against the wall.
“What kind of mage is she?” he asked.
“Not a mage, something even more terrifying.”
“What?”
“I wish I knew, she says she has a class called [The sister] if my son gets one called the brother” He shrugged, “Let’s just say she can take care of herself”
A guardsman approached, “Sir, we found the cook girl”
“Where?”
“They are bringing her up here now.”
Sarah looked confused, and walked over to them, “Something happen?”
“Your all right, where have you been?” Bloodstone asked.
“Uh..looking around town.”
“Well it’s not safe to do that alone.”
She shrugged, “If you say so.”
“Have you seen Coreen?” He asked.
“No, I went out early.”
A guardsman came a few minutes later with a runner. The runner was lightly perspiring, “I have a delivery for a Lord Bloodstone.” He said holding out a small pouch.
“That would be me.” Bloodstone said, taking the pouch. He gingerly opened to see what was inside. There was a small sealed letter and a white pearlescent potion. A second potion bottle, was a deep red brown. He closed the pouch and put it in one of the bags at his hip. He then handed the runner a small triangle of gold. That was embossed with a fine detailed image on its surface.
“Thank you” The runner said and was escorted away.
“What was that?” The commander asked.
“A delivery, of potions I asked if they could make.”
“What kind of potion?”
Bloodstone looked at him, “I will check the letter later, we need to find Coreen.”
More guards came, “We are under attack on of them reported.”
The commander and Bloodstone followed the guard, two demons were fighting guardsmen in the hallway. Bloodstone drew his blade and advanced. The two guards had been killed, viciously. They grinned as he approached, the commander drew the blade he had been given. The two demons were at least seven feet tall, the one on the left had large tentacles for hands and a molted purple green skin, it wore armor and had a larger blade and shield. The second demon, was several inches shorter than the first and had multiple eyes, randomly on what could be called its face or head. They were various colored eyes and his skin was a dark black and scaled. It was wielding a two handed blade that was a jet black.
“You take the big one”, the commander said.
“Sure.” Bloodstone said as he swung the blade at the demon. The demon raised its sword to block the impact, and swung its own blade. It the span of a second, the sword sliced through the magical shield, through the demon’s arm behind it and struck the floor, gouging a deep scar into the stone. The sword the demon swung impacted with Bloodstones left bicep, through his shirt and there was a metallic sound as it struck his arm. A fine line of blood began to soak into the sliced cloth. The demon screamed and pulled back as the pain hit. The shield pieces struck the floor and the arm stump sprayed a purple green blood.
The commander and the other demon traded blows, sword on sword. Showers of sparks as each blade contacted the other. Looking closer the demons blade was showing sparks, from the contact.
Bloodstone grabbed the demon by the sword arm and pulled him forward, in that moment he used the removed class ability, as the demon fell forward and down, Bloodstone struck the demon in the back of the neck, in a downward piecing motion. The demon collapsed, and fell forward still. He turned to help the commander, who was still fighting the demon.
[sub class acquired Slayer 28]
Bloodstone nodded, and ran down the corridor, ignoring the voice in his head, as the skill wave hit. He took a dozen steps, and heard the others shout about more behind.
“I have got this, see if there are any more.” The commander said.
He turned and saw that the group behind him had six demons approaching from the other direction their weapons were drenched in blood. First one froze in place than another, as Amethyst began casting. Marcus, and Zach stepped up and began melee combat with the two in the lead. A third one froze in place. The fourth was hurled backwards into the wall, where it stood dazed. At first the demons seemed to be waiting for the others to attack, and paused when they didn’t. Zach and Marcus both began cutting into the demons, forcing them back.
Kuya stepped past the two demons in melee combat, and faced off with one of the demons. Her glowing staff caused her shadow to move and shift.Her shadow for a moment had glowing red eyes. The shadow reached out and began strangling the shadow of the ones that was stunned, lifting it into the air. It tried to reach for what was around its neck, and there was nothing there. It gurgled and thrashed hanging a foot in the air. It then dropped to the ground and the shadow was gone. After a moment it twitched and stood up. The shadow it cast was vastly different, it looked strange and marbled and appeared to be a distortion of a head, and a long slender body.
One of the stunned demons shook off the enchantment and began to back away as Kuya walked forward, Sarah stood behind her, “What the hell was that?”
“It’s my shadow, she offered to help.”
“Remind me never to piss you off, I don’t see you having any unusual skills, how are you able to do that?”
Kuya shrugged, “You don’t wana know, let’s just say its magic?”
The demon who was possessed by the strange shadow turned and lurched over to one of the other frozen demons and clawed at it. The two of them began to wrestle, their weapons forgotten. The Demon possessed suddenly went slack and its dead weight fell on the other demon. The two spears that had dropped to the floor, were used to pin the two demons together in a macabre fountain of blood.
Two more demons came around the corner and paused, as if not understanding what they were seeing. Beth threw a ball of blue green energy down the hall, where it exploded in a shower of green flames lighting the two demons on fire, they howled in pain, weapons forgotten as they tried to extinguish the flames.
Bloodstone and the commander had reached the second floor, there were several guardsmen and two demons dead in the hallway. The heard a scream and rushed towards one of the side rooms. Two demons were playing tug of war with a maid, who’s clothes were torn up. She was bleeding from many wounds and her hair had been torn out in chunks. The two demons never saw what hit them as their blood sprayed across the room, when they were hit with two very sharp blades. The maid was in hysterics.
“Sleep” Bloodstone said and she dropped. He then knelt and gave her a half dose of a healing potion.
“Let’s keep going,” he said to the commander. The commander was closing the eyes of one of the dead guardsmen.
“Yes, lets”
The moved swiftly down the hallways, they only encountered a few demons as they hit the first floor of the residence, they were fighting with guardsmen and were being killed and killing demons. It was a standoff until the commander tore into the demons with the sword. The commander rallied his men, and they pushed forward to the outside. Demons swarmed through the streets, there were fires in the town, buildings burning, and screaming. The commander and his men held the door and began killing demons. The held the steps to the door, repelling demons and killing them. While they held the door, and the main residence and entrance to the controls for the gate, it was a losing proposition as more demons came through the gate and into the town.
Dozens of demons stood off to one side of a portal. The portal shimmered, and more demons poured through the open portal. Through the portal a strange city could be seen, and then another group of demons came through.
“We need to close that portal!” The commander said his voice carrying to the men.
Bloodstone sat on the top step, catching his breath.
“You all right?”
“Yeah just winded, I need to exercise more, my fat ass isn’t made for running.”
The commander smiled slightly, “Any thoughts on how to close that portal?”
They both looked across the square, the demon who was controlling it was easy to recognize, and it stood next to the portal, a droning coming from it as it gestured with its appendages.
“Sir, there are fearless there.” One of the guardsman said gesturing with his sword.
“Fearless?” Bloodstone asked.
“They don’t scare, they are ruthless, they have to be slaughtered, they are very tough to kill as well.”
“I’m going to have to break that portal more demons are coming through every moment.”
Lady Amethyst and the others came out to the front door, and joined the group. There were many servants and support staff who had armed themselves, and were with the much larger group, of the Lady Amethyst.
“Can you give us a mana boost, haste?” He asked her.
“What are you going to do?” The commander asked.
Bloodstone turned and said, “I am going to bring fear and death to them.”
“They are fearless.” A guardsman said.
“Good then they will not be able to comprehend what is about to happen to them.”
Kuya, Zach, I need you both to do something.
“What?” They both said in unison.
“I need you to channel mana to me. Until that portal drops, can you both do that?”
“Sure.” Zach said.
Kuya raised her staff over her head, and it began to glow with a bright inner light. The demons all turned as one to where the bright light was coming from. He turned to Lady Amethyst, “Dragon”
Lady Amethyst smiled, “ready?”
“Ready!”
Spells went off in rapid succession, A gold dragon shot into the sky, a roar echoed off the walls. For a moment every living thing froze. The Dragon was big, bigger than the residence. A dozen demon archers fired arrows at it and they all fell short or missed.
The dragon flew over the town, demons only noticed when the shadow passed over them. Some fled or took cover, some fired arrows.
The dragon made a second pass over the town, and fired shards of glowing energy at demons as it passed. Some struck true other missed, leaving deeps smoking craters where they struck. There was a small rallying cry from the townsfolk.
A third pass left more demons in the town dead, injured or fleeing. The dragon landed in the courtyard, near the portal. The fearless stood ranks and prepared to attack. In that moment the dragon winked out of existence. Bloodstone stood off to one side.
“Beware demons, you have entered my domain prepare to die!” Bloodstone shouted.
The fearless began to rush toward him, trying to be the first to slay the human. They stabbed and slashed and chopped at the human standing there. Every weapon passed through him, and then he to winked out of existence.
There was a confusion and they began to look around trying to find the human.
“Over here!” He shouted, standing next to the portal.
The light shining from her staff, began to glow brighter. There was a smell of ozone, as a bolt of lightning arced from the sky to kuya’s staff.
They rushed toward him, and he stepped through the portal.
There was even more confusion as they stopped short. A bold of lightning, impacted the demon holding the portal open, and then arced to the portal itself. Making it glow with a blue white light. The portal shifted and shrank down to about three feet across. Lightning continued to arc from the sky to Kuya’s staff to the portal.
Bloodstone came back through the portal, and rolled across the ground. “DROP THE MANA FEED!” He yelled.
Kuya set her stand back to the ground and the lightning suddenly stopped, and in that moment the portal started to shrink.
“Nine, eight seven six” Bloodstone said.
The portal closed.
Several demons attacked him has he started to stand up. Knocking him back down with the force of the blows. The group of soldiers and the others began to push forward into the demons. Some guardsmen died, others pushed back the demons. When they got to where Bloodstone had fallen there was a body covered in blood and shredded flesh. The body was curled into the fetal position protecting his face. The magical weapons seemed to have done a lot of damage to him. His sword was still in its sheath.
They dragged him back to the steps where Violet, Sarah and Lady Amethyst tended to him.
The rest of the group began to cut down the demons, there was magical support from the mages, who would toss out a lightning bolt or fireball if the demons clustered in the area.
Hours later, the cleanup continued, they had moved the wounded and injured to a secure area, the townsfolk had taken shelter, though many had not been so lucky and had been found butchered. The silver rank team had been caught off guard, and had managed to pull a group of soldiers and townsfolk together to protect on section of the town.
There were demons still roaming the town and some had run off into the district.
Lady Amethyst had taken command, the mages were still able to cast, and the mana potions hadn’t been needed. Healing potions however were very scarce as the demons had destroyed the stockpiles, that were both in the town and the fortress.
A second wave had started to assault the doors of the fortress, and word had gotten through that the fourth wall outposts were under siege as well. The defenders began dropping boiling oil and stones, as well as casting magic at the besieging demons.
The commander and Lady Amethyst were dealing with the demons inside and out. “How is your husband?” He asked.
“He’s resting, Violet is keeping an eye on him, and everyone else is helping as they can.”
“What was that magic you cast on the mages earlier?”
“A mana enhancement, it draws magic to the one its cast one allowing them to regain mana quicker. It’s a very high-level spell.”
“My assistant says that it has helped out remarkably today. They haven’t run out of mana yet, what’s it called for future reference.”
“It’s actual name?”
“Yes”
Her spell book materialized in front of her and she began flipping through it. “Here it is, its actual name is Voice of Foresight”
“That’s a strange spell name”
“That’s what it is; I have others that are weaker versions.”
“While your husband is resting you are in charge, there are a lot of things that need to be taken care of.”
“I can handle it, tell me what you need from me.”
They began discussions, of the recent attacks as well as what had happened.
“It was an illusion?”
“Yes the dragon was an illusion, I have a lot of illusions I can cast”
“Remarkable, your children are capable, as well. We have received a message from our King. They came under attack last night. Others from your world were on hand and rectified the situation. The King also sent word. You would be allowed to build your own manor, the exact words were, As long as we get our fourth wall they can build whatever they want. There is also an acknowledgement for the equipment and gear that was sent to the Kings armory.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in” The commander said.
A soldier, entered, “Commander, they have located Bloodstones second wife, I came right away.”
“Report”
“We found her in one of the inns, she has some wounds, from the fire as does not look like she will make it.”
“Has anyone informed Lord Bloodstone?”
“No sir, your orders were to report to you.”
“I will get him” Lady Amethyst said leaving the room.
Bloodstone and Lady amethyst stood on each side of the cot that Coreen had been placed on. She had numerous cuts and abrasions and one arm was charred from fire, the one wound that concerned the soldiers tending to her was that she had taken a blow to the side of her head. She hadn’t woken up since they had found her.
“A healing potion won’t fix the bone” One of the healers said.
“I know that,” Bloodstone said looking her over.
“She’s also very cold, we are not sure why.”
“Cold?” he said putting his hand on her forehead, “Your right.”
“Keep looking this isn’t my wife.”
“What?” The healer said.
“This is a Sephalid. “
“How can you tell!?” she asked.
“She’s not wearing the amulet I gave her for one.”
“How does that prove anything?”
“No bags or other gear, not even a gold ring.”
“Oh right,” Lady Amethyst said looking at the ring on her hand.
He told one of the guards, “Tell them to keep looking, I know who this is, it’s not my wife”
Day 27
The next morning Bloodstone was up. He was taking it slow and had Marcus, Rana and Xyrdiane with him as he inspected the damage done to the town. The fires had been put out and there were somber looks, there was a grim determination on the locals. The other thing that was noticeable was the silence. The locals, had seen the dragon. Rumor had spread that the new Lord was the dragon, they gave him a looks as well as a little fear when they walked past.
A grieving woman knelt outside a partially burned home. Two bodies were covered she held the third. “Why?” She screamed at him.
Bloodstone stopped, and stood in front of the bodies. “Why did you not help us? My husband and children are gone.” She accused “All you lord’s don’t care!”
Bloodstone knelt to eye level with her. “Tell me about them” He said softly.
The woman was still sobbing over the corpses. Bloodstone stood and slowly walked farther down the street.
“It’s not your fault” Rana said.
“Then who’s is it?”
“You can’t take this blame onto yourself, you’re the lord here.” Marcus said.
“Oh really, are you telling me what I can and can’t do?”
“No, it just there is no benefit to taking on all the problems here.”
Bloodstone stopped, and stared at Marcus. “You are wrong”
From one of the alleys a figure in a dark form fitting suit stepped out of the shadows. His face was visible and familiar. It was the assassin from the wall.
“You!” Bloodstone said reaching for his sword.
“I have several things to say to you before you draw that weapon be aware I have your wife. If something were to happen to me she would most likely be killed.”
“Where is she?”
“First you will turn over all the deeds to the holding in the first and second districts to me by noon today, second you will give me all the classes you have taken and lastly the gold and other gear you brought with you.”
“Or else what?” Bloodstone asked.
“Or else we send Coreen to you a piece at a time.” The assassin said.
“Proof of life or you will get nothing.”
“This is not a negotiation.”
“Oh, yes it is, because if you think for one minute I am going to turn over a single coin or deed to a two bit assassin, your sadly mistaken. How do I even know you have her?”
“Perhaps this will help.” He tossed a small pendant over. It was the one of the tokens Bloodstone had given his wives and children.
“I’m listening.”
“Noon south side of town, the carriage you rode here in and all the deeds and gold you brought.”
“I have a counter offer, give me my wife back unharmed and you and your associates will live.”
“I am not afraid of you, I know some of what you are able to do. Your wife’s and children are not here.”
“I don’t think you understand, you are about to cross over into a world of hurt that you cannot possibly fathom. You see if you continue to pursue this vendetta against me and mine, we will be forced to find you, your associates and wipe you from existence.”
The man laughed, “Many have tried, or boasted they could do that and yet our organization still stands.”
Bloodstone looked the man up and down, “I’m not bosting, nor will I try, I will be there an hour before noon. You should be aware, that you are playing with fire.”
“Very well an hour before noon, bring the gold and the deeds.” He turned to walk back down the ally.
“I warn you harm her at your peril. There are things worse than death.”
The man disappeared into the shadows.
“Can you keep an eye on him Rana?”
“No, I lost him already; he is a Ninja, and likely either a high level one or a skilled one.” Rana said.
“Well that leaves a couple of hours to get the carriage ready.”
“After all of that you are going to give him what he wants.” Xyrdiane asked.
“I’m going to give him what he deserves, kidnapping, extortion, threatening me an mine.”
“It sounds like you have something in mind?”
“Definitely I am not done here through, Marcus can you return and have them get that carriage ready?”
“Are you going to be all right here?”
“Rana and my wife can keep an eye on me.”
Marcus nodded and turned around and returned they way they had come.
“I suppose you didn’t want Marcus to know what you were planning.” Rana asked.
“Tell me what you say yesterday Rana.”
“You mean when you turned into a Dragon?”
“I thought it was an illusion” Xyrdiane asked.
“If it was I couldn’t tell, why is that?”
“Lady Amethyst is a raid enchanter, its equivalent of a level one hundred enchanter.”
“You’re serious?” Rana asked.
“Was the dragon real?” Xyrdiane asked.
“No it was an illusion, coupled with a fly spell as some defense magic, gave the illusion more weight. Do you think that’s the only illusion she has?”
“You mean she knows more?” Rana asked.
“Yes and some you may not even be aware of.”
“What does that have to do with your plan?”
“You’ll see.”
An hour later, the carriage was ready. Marcus stood off to one side, “I really think you should take more than the driver and two footman with you.”
“It’s fine.” He said to Marcus.
“Let’s go” He said to the driver.
The two footmen sat up next to the driver, neither of them said anything. The trip through the town was uneventful. They arrived just outside the town, six men in various gear blocked the road. A tent stood off to one side, the Assassin stepped out, as the carriage rolled to a stop.
One of the footmen jumped down and opened the door. Bloodstone stepped out, he was dressed in rich clothes, as had his emerald sword at his hip. “Where’s my wife?”
“First the deeds and gold.”
“No first you show me my wife, otherwise we go back to the fortress.”
“Bring her.” He said to one of his men.
One of them went into the tent and carried a body out. He dropped in between the assassin and Bloodstone.
“I said where is my wife!” Bloodstone said louder.
“You don’t think I would bring her here did you.”
“You don’t think I came here without a plan, did you?”
“You came alone, what are you going to do?”
“Me nothing, you see I am extremely pissed off right now, so my judgement is suspect.” He looked down at the form on the ground, it wasn’t Coreen, she had been beaten so that her face was swollen, and unidentifiable. “To do something like this, just to make me think it was my wife, are you a moron?”
“I want the gold and the deeds, I don’t care if I have to ransom you off to get them.”
“You are a moron, there is no quick way out for you, I will ask you one last time. Where is my wife.”
The assassin smiled, “Where you will never find her.”
“Wrong answer!” In the span of a single heartbeat, many things happened. First the illusions concealing the driver and the two footmen dropped, Lady Amethyst, Sarah and Xyrdiane were there. The same instant a pulse of blue energy erupted from Lady Amethyst and struck all of the assassins freezing them in place.
“That was a very convincing illusion”, Xyrdiane said.
“Thank you” Lady Amethyst said.
“Are they Mezzed?” Bloodstone asked Lady Amethyst.
“Should be, if not I can hit them again.”
Sarah and Bloodstone approached the leader. “I am going to give you his levels take his skills first.”
Sarah nodded and touched him on the forehead, “Nice, this will be very helpful.”
Bloodstone waited until she was done and then removed his class.
[Sub class Ninja 67]
“Oh dam! He is a high-level Ninja” He then transferred the class to Sarah.
[sub class Ninja removed]
“Sarah go wait in the carriage you are going to feel the skills.”
She nodded and barely made it to the carriage before passing out.
“Should I take the classes from the rest of them?”
Neither of them made a comment.
Bloodstone walked around to each of them and started removing their classes.
[sub class ninja 27]
[sub class ninja 50]
After the first two he walked back over to Lady Amethyst, “For you, some more levels.”
[sub class ninja removed]
He did this for the next two and then transferred some levels to Xyrdiane.
[sub class mage 31]
[sub class ninja 29]
[sub class ninja removed]
[sub class mage removed]
He then removed the classes from the last two associates of the assassin group.
[sub class assassin 42]
[sub class ninja 22]
[sub class thief 26]
“Whoa that’s a lot of levels. I am so glad I decided to give Abigail those druid levels before we came here.”
“How many did you end up with?” Xyrdiane asked.
“Ninety, so who wants what? Or are you both good?”
“I’m good, Lady Amethyst said.”
“I am as well, we still need to find Coreen.”
“Ok, time to mem blur them.” He gently picked up the injured woman and put her in the carriage with Sarah.
Lady Amethyst cast a spell on each one of them and then climbed back up onto the carriage with Xyrdiane. Xyrdiane turned the carriage around and drove it down the road.
Bloodstone turned and walked with them until they were out of sight, and then turned the carriage around. Amethyst began casting illusions on them again. They waited for a few minutes and then rode back down the road.
As they rode to where they had left them, two of them blocked the path of the carriage.
Bloodstone got out, and waited.
The Assassin from earlier, glared at him. “Did you bring the deeds and the gold?”
“Of course, did you bring my wife?”
“You still think this is a negotiation.”
“No, actually I think it’s your last chance before I take your head.”
“You don’t scare me.”
“I don’t need to, you classless, skill less want to be ninja.”
The driver said, “Just kill him, and the rest if he’s not going to answer you.”
He turned to the rest of them, “Your boss is a dead man walking. Tell me what I want to know and I may let you live.”
The six men chuckled, as if he was joking, one of the men said, “You think you have the upper hand here?”
“I know I do.” Before they could react, he had drawn his blade and took off the leader’s head in a single fluid motion faster than the eye could follow. The sword went back into its sheath with a click.
They froze, first in disbelief and then in terror. “Last chance, tell me what I want to know or die.”
One of the men began to cast, and nothing seemed to happen. Another stepped into the shadows.
There was a fast fluid motion and a second head fell to the ground. “Five left.”
The mage froze as Bloodstone approached him. “You think you can intimidate us?”
“No, I think one of you will tell me where my wife is to save your own hide.”
The other four drew weapons and took two steps towards Bloodstone, and then again froze in place as they were hit by a blue field of energy. The Mage turned to run and impaled himself on a large spike of stone that erupted from the ground. Bloodstone looked back towards the carriage.
“What, he was running” the driver said.
Bloodstone slapped one of the four men, “You are up, tell me where my wife is or die.”
He blinked, and tried to stab Bloodstone, who side stepped the attack and hit him in the back of the head. He dropped like a rock. He repeated this with the second stunned man. He attempted to back away. “I don’t know!” he pleaded.
“Not a good answer.” Bloodstone said.
“Really I am just following orders.” He pleaded
Bloodstone didn’t wait for him to run he knocked him out. He smacked the third man, “Are you going to talk?”
The man reached for something in his belt pouch. Bloodstone grabbed the man’s arm and held it. “Last chance.”
The man spit it his face. Bloodstone slugged him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he fell forward, Bloodstones knee impacted into the man’s face.
He slowly approached the last man, and slapped him like the others. “You have anything to say?”
“Please, they have her in a house in town, off gill ivy.”
“This one lives if he is telling the truth.” He said over his shoulder.
“I am my lord.”
Dozens of guardsmen appeared from out of thin air. The look of shock crossed the man’s face.“Invisibility, you would think these people would have seen all the tricks.” The guards took the unconscious men into custody and tied the one conscience man’s hands behind his back.
The commander walked over, “I sent me to there, what do you want done with them?”
“If my wife is found and unharmed, all but the one man who told me where she was will be tried.”
Hours later Coreen had been found bound and gagged, and hidden under the floorboards, of a home that they had assaulted the owners, taking over the residence.
There was a public trial of the four men and three others who had been at the residence, and had surrendered to the guards. After a lengthy trial they were set to be hanged in the morning. The one man who had told Bloodstone where his wife was, was brought before him.
“You told me the truth and you helped me. You are free to go.”
“They will know I wasn’t loyal to the code.”
“Not my problem, however, if there are any further incidents hanging will be the least of the worries they will have.”
“I will let them know,” he said starting to back away.
“See that you do.”