Chapter 50: Elf
The darkness crowds around you, it presses against the ring of light cast by your spells and torches. At the edge of your vision the creature sits twitching, looking for an opening, in the distance, above and around you, you can hear its comrades growing closer.
Terror, horror, death in the dark, cold earth.
And yet you are not afraid. Perhaps you have simply tired of fear or perhaps like any good mage you know that you will force your desires upon reality, you will remake it in your image and these things will fall before you.
The beast rolls forward slightly, its great bulk casting shadows along the wall behind it.
Okay, maybe they won't fall before you exactly but you should still be able to slip out of here with your people... maybe...
"What are we going to do Derryth?" Biliku repeats her sister's question.
"Something stupid," Thaïs answers with a smile.
"You have not even heard my plan yet," you protest with a grin, doing your best to put on a brave face.
Your grin quickly fades though as the beast, once more, begins to sing
"Broken, bleeding, lacking in spine," the soprano voice of the woman's head call out from across the chamber.
"Come to me children, please be mine," the child-like treble giggles.
Your men waver slightly.
"Oh, fuck off!" Lyssa shouts which prompts a wave of cheers from your men.
A little defiance in the face of an unfathomable terror. That gives you the spark of an idea.
The four heads call out as one, weaving shrill tones together into a horrifying melody.
Your men start to move forward, "Lyssa," you point at the creature, "Stop it."
She focuses, and the cavern fills with the whistling of a high wind. It is just enough to break the hold the creature has on your people. Quickly they fall back into formation.
"Why is it not attacking," your friend whispers.
"It is waiting for reinforcements," Caoilainn answers in your mind, "That is what I would do."
The choir above your head grows louder, somewhere in the darkness dozens, no, hundreds of voices call out in unison, "Love, love me do. You know I love you, I'll always be true, So pleeeasseee love me do..." it is terribly catchy.
You are definitely outnumbered here, even if each creature consistently has four heads, each with a different voice, you guess that your enemy has at least double your numbers and they are quickly falling upon you.
"Well," you flash a wicked grin at your friend, "Maybe we have reinforcements as well."
"What are you thinking?" your disembodied officer enquires.
"She is thinking of calling an old friend of yours," Thaïs responds with a frown, she directs her next question at you "Is that a good idea Derryth?"
"Probably not," you chuckle, "But it will sure as hell be surprising."
Thaïs sighs, "Alright then, where do we begin."
Lyssa shakes her head and begins to laugh, "You two are insane, you know that?"
The two of you beam, "Well thank you for the vote of confidence," you reply together as you all dissolve into laughter.
Kaf eyes the three of you suspiciously, "Ah, what is going on?"
"Mage stuff," you reply, "I will need you to command the retreat while we work our magic. We need to fall back across the room and through the tunnels, we need to get to that fissure and through it before we are overwhelmed. Have the grenadiers lay down satchel charges as we go, if those things start to pursue we will at least be able to thin them out a little."
Your captain nods, unlike eldritch horrors and magic rituals, these are concepts he is familiar with, these are things he can do, and instantly he becomes more confident, "What about the prisoners though?"
"I have a plan for that too, you will break their chains with your bare hands once I am done with you," he seems uncertain at your words but your confidence is contagious, "Once the prisoners are free you are to lead our people out of here, we will remain at the rear where we can best engage the enemy so I will need you to lead the men to the fissure. Keep them moving and do not bunch together, these things can launch that sap of theirs at you."
"Alright," your captain takes a deep breath, "Anything else?"
"Actually there is one thing," you reply with a smile, "Know any good songs?"
"A few," he smirks, "But they are not really fit for ladies and children."
"What did you have in mind?" Thaïs asks with a look of amusement etched on her face.
"Well," Kaf scratches the back of his head awkwardly, "You happen to know The Ball o' Kirriemuir?"
Your friend laughs and nods, as does Lyssa.
Of course you know it. It is common throughout the empire, a bit ribald to be sure, and that is likely why the mercenary and his men know it, but it is certainly simple and catchy. It should work perfectly to drown out the creatures' music, "Alright, once I hit you with the spell needed to free the prisoners I want you and your men to start singing at the tops of your lungs, drowning that thing and its friends out completely. It should hopefully protect us from the music these things play."
Kaf snickers, "Never thought singing would save my life. You do realize we won't be able to give many orders that way, right?"
"I don't see what other choice we have," you remark with a shrug, "We just have to keep falling back in an orderly fashion. Try to look out for each other and make do. If someone falls behind though..."
"Goes without saying," the captain answers quietly as he holds your gaze, "I will do my best."
It is all you can ask for.
The creature scrutinizes your group from the doorway, it clearly wishes to attack but it must not like its odds without help. For the time being it waits.
Above you, you can hear thousands of tiny legs drumming in the dark, you have little time left.
You approach the child, "Help me!" he screams again.
"I am," you quietly reply as you focus upon his form, every scar, every defect, every horror visited on him by these beasts serves to make your spell easier. You close your eyes and you cast retrieve item on the boy.
As soon as you feel his weight in your hands you pitch him away from you.
Opening your eyes you watch its body crash down mere metres from you. It begins to bubble and twist, skin, scales, fur and hair rip and tear along the length of it. Tiny insect-like appendages burst forth from its open wounds as it rights itself. Its mouth opens, its jaw splits in half as a trio of fluted stalks burst forth. It writhes before you and begins to billow smoke.
"What have they done my lovely one?" the tenor croons.
"What have they birthed so far from the sun," the baritone spits while it spins closer in curiosity.
The smoke billows out into a form you are all too familiar with, the demon that Lyssa calls Morpheus, appears before you with a broad smile upon his chiselled face.
He considers each of you in turn then bows slightly and smiles, behind him a pair of impossibly wide wings spread out into the darkness, "My dear saviours. I thought you would send me a rat, a bat, perhaps another hare but not this! A child, oh, but he is so much more than a child! He knows so many delightful things, secret things, he is so very unique and interesting. Why I-" he stops as, for the first time, he takes in the room in its entirety, "Ah, my dear ladies. What have you been up to? Where have you brought me? I-"
"A beautiful visitor arrives in great haste," the woman sighs, batting her eyelashes at Morpheus.
"I wonder dear mother, just how does he taste," the child giggles, licking her lips.
"Oh," he turns slowly to take in the creature, "Now this is interesting."
It fires a glob of yellow sap at Morpheus, the semisolid blob passes through the demon without any ill effect.
"A rhyming beast if I am not mistaken," Morpheus grins, "If it attacks me again, its spine I'll be break'in."
The beast hisses but does not make another attempt.
The demon prince turns his attention back to you, "Am I correct to assume that you desire my help to escape?"
"We certainly would not turn it down," you answer with a wink.
"Well," he pretends to stretch, "It won't be easy," he cocks an ear, "Sounds like there are an awful lot of those things out there. What is your current plan?"
For a moment you worry about the creature hearing your plans but you quickly dismiss the concern. Everyone here knows there is going to be a fight and the creature is well aware of what you are trying to do.
"We are going to free our people," you gesture to your men, "Then will fall back, ah, singing."
"Singing," Morpheus nods to himself, "Yes, I can see how that would work and I can already think of a way to help. I know a few... people... give me, oh, three or four minutes to pull them through and we will cover your retreat. I ask only one thing of you."
"What?" your friend asks with a little trepidation.
"When it starts, when my people come through, you run and do not stop running until you are out of these caves," he tilts his head back, looking up into the darkness, "I have met these things twice now, I do not intend for there to be a third time."
In the shadows above you legs and tendrils begin to creep from the darkness.
You take a deep breath, grab an energon cube and begin to cast.
Kaf gasps as his skin shifts taking on a metalic sheen. He gains bulk and strength, "Derryth..."
"Get to work!" you shout, "We will need every second we can get!"
He grabs a hold of Neel's chains and with a twist snaps them, "Alright boys! We are leaving, grab the prisoners, grab your weapons and let's haul ass!"
Lyssa and Thaïs each lash out with a bolt of energy while Uttu and the rest of your ranged fighters unleash a withering barrage at the beast.
Its four heads scream as it is ripped apart, it wheezes and whistles while puss and gas pour from its rapidly deflating torso. Above you the creatures weave an entrancing melody and fully half of your men lower their weapons.
Kaf sings in response as he shatters Bari's chains:
"Oh, the ball, the ball, the ball, the ball
The ball o' Kirriemuir,
Where folk o' high and low degree
Were screwin' on the floor.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
His men begin to laugh, some shake their heads and raise their weapons as they join in for the second verse, twelve boisterous voices against the dark.
"'Twas on the first of August
The party, it began.
Noo, ne'er shall I forget, me lads,
The gatherin' o' the clans.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
'Twas the gatherin' o' the clans, mon,
And everyone was there
A-playin' wi' the lassies
An' twinin' curly hair
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
They loose arrows, they hurl cocktails and grenades at the walls as the beasts slide down them. With a crack Kaf frees the last of your prisoners and shouts for his men to move. They are slow in turning given the deafening roar of the beasts and the raucous revelling of your soldiers. But after a verse or two more they begin to withdraw toward the far end of the room.
The grenadiers bellow out a verse as they lay their charges.
"Five-and-twenty virgins
Came doun frae Aviemore,
Ane o' them got back sae,
But she was double-bore.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
John McGowan, the father,
Was quite surprised to see
Four and twenty maidenheads
A-hanging frae the tree.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
There was dancin' in the meadows,
There was dancin' in the ricks,
Ye could nae hear the bagpipes
For the swishin' o' the pricks.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
As your men flee the beasts increase the speed of their advance and their tune comes on stronger. They hurl their horrid fluid at your withdrawing soldiers and catch one or two but your men sing on and as you drop your spell you join in with a laugh,
"There was screwin' in the parlour,
An' screwin' on the stones.
Ye could nae hear the music
For the wheezin' and the groans.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Thaïs takes up the next verse as you and your mages hold the rear of your force together,
"There was screwin' on the banister,
Screwin' on the stairs;
Ye couldna' see the carpet
For the mess o' curly hairs.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
You wonder for a moment if she always knew this song or if she learnt it from one of your memories, you shake your head at the thought as Kaf sings in front of you,
"There was fuckin' i' the stable,
There was fuckin' i' the ricks;
An' ye couldna' hear the rantin'
For the plungin' o' the pricks.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
They tried it on the garden path
And once around the park,
And when the candles all burned out
They did it in the dark.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Lyssa fires off a strong wind that sends your pursuers rocking backward on their bulbous frames. Then she hits them with a freezing wind, they scream as the hail and frozen rain pierce their soft, squirming hides. She casts off another pair of energon stones as she takes up the tune,
"The deacon's wife was standin' there,
Her arse against the wall;
"Put your money on the table, lads,
I'll take ye ane an' all.''
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The three of you sing the next pair of verses in harmony and to be honest it sounds quite nice, well and truly at odds with your surroundings and the material itself. 'Angels singin' filth' you think you hear Morpheus mutter as he works his spells across the room from your retreating band,
"The queen was in the parlour,
Eatin' bread and honey
The king was in the chamber maid,
And she was in the money.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The groom was in the corner,
Oilin' up his tool;
The bride was in the icebox,
Her private parts to cool.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
At first they tried it simple,
Then they tried it he's and she's,
But when the ball got rollin'
They went at it fives and threes.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Your men work quickly to free anyone trapped by your enemies' sap but in the end you are forced to leave far too many people. As you plunge into the entrance to the tunnels you count four mercenaries pinned to the floor, at least they will die quickly as you give the order to blow the satchel charges.
In the seconds before the charges explode you survey the room one final time, dozens of the beasts skitter across the floor over their dead. In the distance you can see Morpheus fighting, blasting away the beasts with nothing but his voice. He has opened some sort of gateway made from the flesh and blood of the fallen, and three tall pale horrors have come through to join him. They are dressed in black leather, wild hair down past their shoulders, they salute you oddly, with their index and little fingers raised in the shape of ears or horns. Behind them and around them tiny elves and goblins, twisted amalgams of dozens of breeds, build. They raise great black boxes, they set up flashing cylinders of life and light.
One of the demons raises an odd rod with a narrow head and a fat base, you could swear it is some sort of musical instrument but it looks like no instrument you have ever seen.
You want to stay, to watch and satisfy your curiosity but that is not an option, the blast has reduced an entire wave of the enemy to puss and paste but still they press on and so you push on into the tunnels, guarding the retreat of your men.
It is curious, singing an old drinking song while men fall around you, you do not feel the fear you would expect, you feel defiant, maybe there is a very good reason why armies march to war with drums and horns, it really does make a difference. One of the beasts stumbles out of the dust and smoke, it rears back, intending to lob a great yellow ball your way. No time to react this one is going to hit you as proudly you sing,
"O' cocks some men had but a tad,
An' some men had a lot,
An' some would make a lassie glad
That she'd been born but naught.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Your friend is there beside you, she burns through her last energon cube as she hits the beast full on in the torso with a greater energy bolt, "Keep moving!" she shouts in your ear. The two of you sing in harmony,
"The bride was in her bower,
Explainin' to the groom
The vagina, not the rectum,
Is the entrance to the womb.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
You really hope those will not be your last words as another knot of fluid arcs past you.
"The parson's dochter, she was there
A sittin' way down front,
A wreath of roses in her hair
And a carrot up her cunt.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Come to think of it, those are not much better...
"The minister's dochter tae was there
An' she gat roarin' fu'
Sae they doubled her ower the midden wa'
An' bulled her like a coo.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Well there probably is not a single 'respectable' verse in the entire bloody song...
"The village priest was also there,
And on the floor he sat
Amusing himself by abusing himself
And catching it on his hat.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The undertaker tae was there
Dressed in a lang black shroud,
Swingin' on the chandelier
And pissin' on the crowd.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Masturbating priests and pissing undertakers tumble through your mind as you ignite three of the beasts with a greater firebolt and your last energon cube. One more beast tumbles out of the smoke and ruin and lobs a ball of yellow fluid at you.
"The mayor's dochter, she was there,
And kept the crowd in fits
By jumpin' off the mantle piece
And landin' on her tits.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
What a delightful verse to sing right before this thing hits you. You close your eyes as your men sing behind you.
"The village idiot, he was there,
He was a perfect fool;
He sat beneath an auld oak tree
And whittled off his tool.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Only the projectile never hits, you open you eyes and Biliku is before you with her shield raised. The substance hits the girl hard and she tumbles back into you, you steady her as the sap slides harmlessly off her shield.
"The minister's wife was there as weel,
A' buckled to the front,
Wi' a wreath o' roses roun' her arse
An' thrissels roun' her cunt.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Of course! Her shield, "Kid, stick close to us and keep that shield raised!"
She nods and smiles at you over her shoulder, today she really will be your protector, then she does something else that surprises you. She sings,
"The groom by then was daft wi' glee
An' racin' through the halls
A-pullin' on his pecker an'
A-showin' off his balls.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Your men laugh and cheer the girl. She winks at you and you laugh, slightly concerned, "Did you just make that up?"
"Yeah!" she proudly beams and you wince a little inside.
Oh the things you are teaching these kids... you wonder what Casgair would say if he were still alive. But no time for that, your group is falling behind the main body so you sing louder,
"It's the first lady forward,
And the second lady back
And the third lady's finger
In the fourth lady's crack.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
You race with your remaining people back to the fissure, the mice on Lyssa's shoulder shouting instructions to ensure you do not lose your way. They squeak loudly and in tune with your men, you wonder just what they are singing to make it through this. Lyssa obliges you by translating,
"It's a' the ladies back,
Wi' yer arses tae the wall;
Gin ye can't get fucked at Kirriemuir,
Ye'll ne'er get fucked at all!
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Charming, there goes another little part of your innocence.
The five of you have sent the rest ahead, you are not going to lose anyone else down here, you are going to protect your men. A pair of the beasts squeeze together down the tunnel, with a nod you, Thaïs, Lyssa and Uttu fire a barrage. The beasts wail as they die and the fluid they hurl toward you is absorbed by Biliku's shield. That girl is a lifesaver, without her you would probably all be stuck to the walls by now. Behind you Kaf's singing grows, you must be getting close.
"The village pervert, he was there,
Scratchin' at his crotch,
But no one minded him at all;
He was only there to watch.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
Big John, the farmer, swore an oath,
An' then he cursed an' grat
For his forty acre corn field
Was completely fuckit flat.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
The village masochist, he was there,
Beggin' for a blow;
The sadist merely looked at him
And cruelly answered, "No."
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
The fissure, you have made it. Looks like your wounded are through and only the last of your men are left now, "Derryth!" the mercenary shouts down the tunnel as his men continue to sing,
"Four and twenty virgins
Came doon frae Inverness,
And when the ball was over
There were four and twenty less.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo.
Several lusty wenches
Gathered 'round the door,
And tripped the men as they came through
But beat them tae the floor.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
That last verse, was that Myora singing from the other side of the fissure?
Yes, that was her, she and the mauls are making an awful racket over there. You grin and call out in response,
"John the Blacksmith, he was there
He wouldna play the game;
He fucked a lassie seven times
But wouldnae see her hame.
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
"Derryth!" she calls back and the mauls break into cheers, they call out to you in verse,
"Guid old Jock McNorris
Took his partner by the arm,
And grinned, and said, "Another 'do'
Won't do us any harm!"
Singin' "Wha'll dae ye, lassie,
Wha'll dae ye noo?
The mon wha did ye last nicht
Cannae dae ye noo."
Together Kaf and his men on your side of the crack sing along with Myora and your people on the far side. You do not break your stride as you race toward them singing the final verse,
'And when the ball was over,
The opinion was expressed:
The music was exquisite but
The screwin' was the best!'
You listen intently from the edge of your group, peering back into the darkness as your people slide through. In the distance you can hear the beasts singing their horrid tune but you can hear something else as well, battle and... music but you can not quite make it out.
Thaïs, meanwhile, gives Kaf his orders, "You did well captain, now go to your men."
He salutes as he follows the last of his mercenaries through the crack.
"Derryth, we have to go!" your friend calls to you, she turns to Lyssa, "You are next."
The witch nods and plunges into the crack in the wall.
Behind you, your friend continues to work, "Derryth will you hurry up! Uttu dear, your turn."
You can hear the girl squeak as she slips into the passage, followed by her sister.
You feel a hand on your shoulder, "What are you doing?"
You glance at your friend, "Do you hear that? On the wind?"
Wind?
There should not be a breeze down here.
But there is.
And there is a whispering on this wind. An odd progression, familiar and yet like nothing you have ever heard before. It weaves on down the tunnels, through the rock, delicate, slightly sinister and yet enthralling.
"Yes," your friend steps next to you, "What is that?"
The swaying cords are quickly joined by something lower, deeper, a sort of light thundering, a crashing, metal and hide and something else.
And words.
You can not make them out from this distance.
Then you hear them behind you, the beasts, and as you turn they roll out of the passages behind you. Just how many of these things are there?
They lumber out of the dark, separated from the rest, but you are near your breaking point and they are more than a match for you, they sing so softly, so sweetly as they raise their tendrils.
You begin to drift off as Caoilainn screams at you both.
You squeeze your friend's hand, she squeezes back, this is it.
Then you hear something else.
Something about... women?
But you can not make it out.
The beasts laugh, then they scream, in pain and terror and it hits you.
"Dowwwnnnn!" the sound bursts from the darkness as the subtle strains of the music flare to life around you. The rock begins to roll, it begins to bend, and twist and dance.
The aggression of this music stands in stark contrast to everything that came before it, your entire life, nothing like this, you... lack the words...
And you are merely thankful that whatever this is, it is not an attack directed at you, the words are clear now as they drift down the tunnels,
"Hey you, you know me, you've touched me, I'm real
I'm, forever, the one that lets you look and see and
Feel me I'm danger, I'm the stranger
And I, I'm darkness, I'm anger, I'm pain
I am master, the evil song you sing inside your brain
Drive you insane"
The creatures babble to themselves, their legs twitch out of tune, their tendrils snap and slash at each other. Something is manipulating them, making them attack each other, thrash against each other. Is Morpheus doing this? Or perhaps his followers...
"Don't talk, don't let 'em inside your mind"
Then it hits you, this order, this compulsion as the caves begin to dissolve around you and you remember Morpheus' words.
"Run away, run away, girl!"
"We have to go," your friend reminds you or you remind her, you are not sure, it all grows so cloudy, so shaken.
You and your friend stumble together toward the hole, "You first!" you shout.
The cavern pitches around you, "No, you first!" she shouts.
"We are not having this argument!" you put your foot down.
"Right!" she shouts, digging in, "That is why you are going first!"
You grumble and slip into the passage, still holding her hand.
The two of you shuffle as quickly as you can, behind you the roof starts to fall in.
"No, no, no don't let them in your mind
Protect your soul"
The screaming, wailing spell behind you is destroying everything and worst of all the fissure begins to close.
You slip out of the hole, Thaïs' hand still firmly in your grasp, but she, she isn't going to make it, you pull, with all your strength you pull but the fissure is closing so quickly.
Visions of her death race through your mind, trapped between great slabs of rock, crushed into paste, you, you-
Lyssa grabs your hand, "The Warrior's Mask!"
Right, you focus on your friend, you pour every ounce of magical energy you have left into the spell while Lyssa channels everything she has into you and then...
You cast.
The stone crashes in on her but she does not give way, Lyssa howls, you scream, Thaïs roars and she bursts from the hole, tearing a large chunk of rock off with her.
You drop the spell as the three of you sail across the room.
You are not looking forward to hitting the far wall, thankfully you do not have to as Myora plucks the three of you out of the air and gently spins you toward the ground.
She deposits you in a pile against the wall.
"Oh Wyrd..." Lyssa moans.
"Thank you," Thaïs gasps, "Thank you both."
You cough from the middle of the pile, "Next time, you go first."
"You two really are insane," Lyssa groans from the bottom of the pile and laughs in spite of herself, "But I will be damned if you aren't a lot of fun also."
The three of you chuckle wearily in between groans and just as you begin to untangle yourselves you are tackled by Biliku and Uttu.
Somewhere above you, you hear Kaf ask Myora, "And this happens all the time?"
You do not catch her answer over the girls' joy and your own relief to be alive.
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Upon returning to your tower you tended to your wounded and made what arrangements you could for Bari, Neel and Stigr. They have not woken yet which is probably for the best, their bodies could use a little rest and recuperation.
Already you and your colleagues are trying to plan the best way to restore them but you are simply too tired to think. You are exhausted, completely, absolutely exhausted.
In fact as soon as the three of you limp up to your tower, supported largely by the girls, you collapse together onto one of the spare beds and pass out.
Sleep claims you and with it comes a whole world of dreams.
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You awake in a crimson meadow under an emerald sky.
You rest upon a jade altar in the dress that Albrecht bought for you.
As you rise you notice two other altars, one of ruby and one of axinite. Thaïs and Lyssa rest on each. They rise from their altars with yawns and groans.
"Derryth?" your friend calls to you, "Where are we?"
"Dreaming if I had to guess," you reply cautiously, "Are you real?"
"Of course I am real," she replies a little annoyed, "Are you real?"
"We are all real," Lyssa mutters, "This is some sort of shared dream."
The three of you come together in the center of the meadow, "So why are we here?" you begin.
"Oh," a rich voice calls from above you, "I brought you here."
Morpheus drifts down on a warm and soothing current of air, "For a... ah, a sort of debriefing," he grins, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
You try to ready a spell, try to focus but you find yourself unable to muster enough energy for even the simplest incantation.
He merely shakes his head, "Now, I understand I have a certain reputation but you have nothing to worry about here. I could not sweep the three of you away even if I tried, even if you begged me with all your sweet hearts. You are not actually here, you see, you are dreaming and so you are safe. You can not hurt me and I can not hurt you so I thought we would talk a little."
"Is he telling the truth," you ask the witch.
"Yes," she answers, eyeing the demon, "He is not lying as far as I know. He should not be able to harm us if we are simply dreaming."
"Alright," you turn back to the creature, "What do you want?"
"Wow, straight to the point," he fakes a deep wound, "I thought we could maybe talk a little first, get to know each other, maybe you would see that I am just misunderstood, maybe we could arrange for that vacation for you all, after all?"
"No," the three of you answer in unison.
He dramatically sighs, "Oh very well, I wanted to thank you for giving me that mage. He is such a delightful little thing and he has seen so much. He is a truly unique addition to my... circle of acquaintances. In fact, I am now the envy of every duke and prince in the entire Dreaming, we have not had a find like this in a very long time. I-"
He stops as the three of you glower at him, "Alright, alright. I have an offer for you. The mage you sent me has a master. The boy speaks very highly of him. I would like you to procure this Thin White Mage for me, I should like to add him to my collection, er, my circle of dear acquaintances. I would not normally ask but you are such a resourceful trio and I am certain you could manage somehow. I am also certain we could come to some sort of arrangement. Simply name your price and if it is in my power to give it I shall. So what do you say?"
An interesting proposition to be sure, you confer with your colleagues for a moment and readily come to a decision.
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Turns out the three of you slept for almost a day. As you wake the girls bring in three trays of breakfast, salted pork and thin ale... again, but they also bring something far more interesting. Four letters for you.
The first is a dispatch bearing the seal of the House of Welf, it reads:
To the mercenaries of Fort Blackrock:
We have suffered a number of attacks over the last several days but fear not, we are bloodied but victorious and even now we make slow progress toward the fort.
We are greatly cheered to learn that you have bested the raiding party that was so vexing you, we are certain that the King will also be quite happy to learn of this fact.
We expect to arrive within another day at the latest.
Loyal servant of the Crown
Lord Welf
"Well I suppose that is good news though this 'Lord Welf' sounds like a bit of an ass," Lyssa chimes in as she tries her best to ingest some of the pork, "We will have proper reinforcements within half a day at most based on when the eagle returned."
"Yes, I suppose so," you frown, "I wonder though if they really were attacked or if they were just taking their sweet time to get here."
Your friend snatches up another letter as she speaks, "Hmm, this one is from Mayer. It details some of what he has been up to but he is being purposely obtuse. He writes to say that our finances are in 'good order' but that he has also had to take a number of 'measures' that he will not discuss save in person. He notes that we have lost most of our merchant clients by now but he has managed to convince a few of the families that owe him funds to remain under our protection. Sounds like it will be a bit of an uphill battle to turn that around though. He also says that there was an attack on the city by Eberhardt rebels while we were gone, they hit a government facility, he does not come out and say it but it is clear he is talking about a Pathfinder prison, from what he can tell the attack failed but he can not be certain as the Palace is keeping everything very quiet. He also says that something is happening in the South, the Lords forced Albrecht's hand and most of the army has been dispatched in that direction. Further he states that Albrecht sent an army toward our position several days ago. He notes that they are not actual military, they are all House Albrecht, Welf and Hesse guards..."
"So the Lords did not send help after all," you mutter, "Wouldn't that be treason?"
Your friend skims the letter further, "It seems they heard our witnesses and immediately agreed that the threat was quite severe. In fact they agreed so much that each member of the assembly felt compelled to rise and give a speech," she sighs, "A very long speech to that very effect. Albrecht sent out his army eight hours into the proceedings when two thirds of the lords had yet to speak."
"Those fucking assholes!" Lyssa damn near tosses her tray across the room.
"Lyssa," you stop her, "Don't waste good, er, don't waste food."
She sighs and mutters.
Well hell... it does not come as a complete surprise that the lords are trying to get you killed. You will likely have to deal with that at some point as well.
"What else have we got here," you pick up on of the remaining letters, "Albrecht's seal."
"Well open it," Thaïs nudges you.
You skim the letter and mutter to yourself, "He congratulates us on our victory and he apologies for being unable to send more help and help sooner. There is a vague promise that he will do all he can to help us and... little else, he does not mention the attack Mayer mentioned, nor does he say much of anything about events to the south. He does mention in passing that most of the army has gone south and he asks us to return as soon as possible to the capital to discuss our next move."
"Not terribly enlightening," Thaïs replies with a shrug.
"At least he is not trying to kill us," Caiolainn interjects, "That puts him on a rather short list."
You and your friend snicker.
"What is the final letter?" the witch asks.
You turn it over in your hands, it is simple white envelope with a simple white seal, you mutter, "Three guesses who this is from."
You crack the letter and begin to read out loud.
To my Pretty Things,
Very well, subtlety did not work, deception did not work and so I challenge you.
March your remaining forces two days to the southeast.
There you will find me waiting.
Do not make me come and find you.
TWM
Well, that was direct...
1. What do you want to do? (If you want to split your personnel up for any of these options then simply set up a freeform where apprpriate.)
A) Nothing, you will wait for Albrecht's forces to reach the fortress. Once they have reinforced your position and you have met the allied commanders you can decide what to do.
B) Head to Myrgard, you will head to Myrgard in the remaining balloon and meet with the King. (B options will be counted together)
i. You want to renegotiate your relationship with the dwarf. No more hiding things from you though you suspect he will have demands of his own as well.
ii. You want to arrange with the King to cast a Gate spell, you are going to need a lot of mandrake roots to restore your three wounded allies and the only place you will find them is in Muirthemne. You can negotiate the specifics of the process with the king when you see him.
iii. You simply want to hear what the King has to offer, you will meet with him and listen to his plans.
iv. As per Bi, but meet Welf and Hesse on the way to Myrgard and establish the chain of command with the help of Argus and your mercenaries before leaving the fort.
v. freeform
C) You will march to the southeast, if the Thin White Mage wants a fight you will oblige him.
D) You will explore the secret passage your mice have found in the fort.
E) freeform - You will do something else instead.
2. Morpheus' deal. He wants you to send him the Thin White Mage, somehow. To do so you would have to incapacitate the mage without killing him. He is willing to negotiate on the price of this transaction and he has not imposed any sort of time limit given the difficulty of the task. Do you accept his offer?
A) No, you reject the offer. The boy was a one time deal, you have no intention of working with the demon again.
B) Yes, you will accept the demon's offer, all that is left is to negotiate a suitable payment. The demon has no problem paying you in advance. (B options will be counted together).
i. You request spells.
ii. You request secrets.
iii. You request memories.
iv. You request a servant (you will have to provide a body for it to inhabit but the demon will tell you how to prepare a proper anchor).
v. You agree to the deal in principle but you do not want to be bound by it. You will take no reward until the deed is done and then you will negotiate your price.
vi.You request the secrets of Metal! in exchange for the mage should the opportunity present itself but you refuse to commit to the task ahead of time.
vii. You request a Nightmare spell
viii. freeform. You request something else.
C) freeform
And finally given all the sexual themes in this update it is only fitting to present the long awaited waifu choice (have at it lesbomancers...) :
3. Thaïs: Well you both survived and she expects an answer as to where the two of you stand. You are certain you love her by now but you have never tried to categorize that feeling till now and there are a great many different types of love. It would probably be best if you figured this out before she asks you again or you could choose to ignore the issue until it comes to a head.
A) Romantic Love - just as it sounds, nothing could be simpler and yet so complicated though you are not really a stranger to it either. (If you want to come up with a suitably romantic plan to woe said maiden then be my guest.)
B) Compassionate Love - she is your dearest friend but she is just that, a friend, nothing more. (If you want to get a bit specific in how you break the news to her then feel free to suggest specifics.)
C) Familial Love - she is closer to you than a friend, more like a sister maybe though you are not yet sure. (Again, if you would like to give specifics on how to make this news easier for her then feel free to suggest something.)
D) No, you do not need to deal with this at the moment. You will just play it by ear and give her an answer when next she asks. (If you want to be reactive instead of proactive on the issue then this is the choice for you. The issue will certainly come up again though)
E) 'Soulmates' - In the original meaning of the word. You are two halves of a single whole, you would not want to be without her.
F) freeform - as mentioned there are a great many different varieties of 'love'. Have something else in mind? Then feel free to suggest it...
4. A Dream Deal: In exchange for his promise to protect you and your people while in the Dreaming (to the best of his ability) Morpheus would like you to entertain him by telling him stories. You can cancel this contract at any time but when you do his protection will also be revoked. As part of his protection he promises not to abduct any member of your group or detain them, he also promises not to try and influence your companions to return to him at a later date when the contract is not in effect. Do you accept this deal?
A) Yes
B) No