Chapter 42:Legion and Horde

The clear skies from the night before had given way to an overcast morning. With the intent to keep the true nature of the Garfunkel secret, The ship was to set down into the water to finish the journey. While it would extend the length another day, no one aboard had a problem with it. We didn't want to attract any extra attention. As the ship came down over the water, Vern started his daily caterwauling about using magic, and the rest of the passengers reacted to the sensations of decent. To'Li was of course enjoying the sensation, as we had been throwing her up into the air for the last three days. Everyone within a mile could obviously hear Mittens displeasure, and with all my experiences, I had simply tied myself down, and held on for dear life. Spike had the misfortune of skittering across the deck, Where Melfina would have to go retrieve him. He had been heading for the galley, maybe there was a little less misfortune there as first thought. Bellia was something else entirely.
Busy keeping track of the ship, she didn't have the luxury of staying put in one place. With bent knees, she simply ignored any jolting in the air, then absorbed all of the impact of the water landing with her legs, using her tail to keep balanced. All while working. It was the most Badass thing I had ever seen her do, and I had never been more attracted to her in my life.
Of course with one more day of travel I had time to figure something else out. I didn't want to tell someone they couldn't leave the ship, But I also didn't think the city would be a very good place for To'Li. In fact, I wasn't even sure that the captain would be staying in or near town for that matter. I needed to confirm what the plans are, and figure out a plan if need be. I wanted to ask the captain first, but she seemed to be above, or aloft or whatever the term was. Bellia however was keeping stock of the cargo on the ship, making a list of what was needed that could be procured in town if possible. While I wasn't thrilled about interrupting her work, I had to know.
“Bellia, uh Dah'ling. What were your plans once we get into town?” I ask. I may have stumbled over the term of endearment, but there is a chance she didn't notice.
“Yes? oh.” She didn't look up over her ledger. “I was panning on getting some supplies for the ship, maybe shopping for myself a bit. To'Li should be fine on the ship with the rest of the crew. They seem to have really taken a liking to her.” I wasn't really sure of that myself, but if Bellia wasn't miffed about the various scorch marks that had appeared on the ship, the crew wasn't about to say anything to her about them. “Plus,” she continued, “Have you talked to Leona? She may be staying on the ship.”
I had not talked to my oldest daughter, as I was almost afraid of what her response would be. Or maybe I was worried what my response would be. The problem was I had no idea where it would be safe in this city, so I wouldn't be sure about either answer she could give. Thinking like that wouldn't get my anywhere though, Time to just ask her.
When I finally found her, it was clear I had over stressed myself for no reason. When giving her the chance to come with us into untold danger and meet old army buddies who may or may not even be alive, she told me in a very straightforward manner that her choice was to stay on the ship and watch over her little sister. She was giving me a look like I had just told her I was going to grow another head. Chuckling to myself, this solved so many problems. I didn't have to worry about several different locations, as the ship could simply leave if things were going to get problematic.
With all those problems out of the way, we prepared ourselves to embark into the city. Without the aid of a forge, I probably wasn't going to be able to fix the hole in my breastplate, and my axe was of course always in prime condition, I didn't have much to do except watch the country side go by. Informed by the Captain that we would land past nightfall, it seemed a better idea to stay on the ship one more night instead of wandering about town, strangers looking for a place to sleep. Marda spent most of the day playing with To'Li, the laughter of both of them were heard on most of the ship. Geno was down in the hold, checking over Mikey, Who he had decided to take into the city. A suggestion had been made to cover the being in something to pass him off as livestock, and Geno had simply walked away, pretending to not hear the words. Spike, we found out later, had in fact slipped into the galley, was was subsequently fed a multitude of fruits by the cabin boy.
Near night fall, the very top towers of the city were visible, and a soft glow came from that direction as the light faded. With Yun playing the lute for the crew, it allowed for ease of mind tonight. A brief thought flickered through my head trying to figure out how high up we were, the night before but it was cut off but soft explosions.
Rumbles echoed softly off the city walls. They were not nearly as raucous as the fireworks had been in Laketown, and no bright lights appeared from over the city. Concerned as to what they may be, there were no other clues that we could glean information from. So, too far from the city to do anything about the noises, and with very little to do otherwise, we turned in. I lay awake listening to Bellia sleep thinking about who in the legion will be there in town, Since I started writing to Mr. Corbin, I had not sent anything to any of my old comrades. In fact, I wasn't really sure who was still alive. Well, I heard that some of them will be here. It can't really be that many. I'm sure they have work needing to be done in other places.
In the morning, we find the ship in dock, and a sleepy, irate dock master waiting for us at the bottom of the ramp. An older Human gentleman,he has gray hair, a bulbous belly, and small spectacles that sit on the end of a long round nose. Asking us if we are bringing in any odd creatures, weird vegetables and the like, we tell him that we have nothing to declare. Eyeing both Spike, and Mikey, and scowling at my axe, we pay the fee he asks, and he leaves us alone.
As we start through the city, the mood around us is certainly more dour than the last own we were in. While not openly depressing, the atmosphere of those around us was not bright and bubbly. Unexpectedly Marda asked us if she could have that walk she had wanted, alone. While we all expressed some worry, she assured us she would be fine, and started in another direction. With Yun getting directions to our destination we eventually found the place.
The Dog's Breakfast was at best a rundown aged establishment. A cloud of hopefully pipe smoke covered the inside of every window, and the doors were slightly at an angle, probably from being forcefully opened from the inside too many times. Once inside, conditions did not improve. While there were patrons at a few tables, they too were coated in a film, that turned out to be grease. The nicest part was a large rectangular rug, one large enough to take up most of the floor. Something about it showed great care was taken to keep this rug in pristine condition. An old woman, a permanent smile on her face, and one eye doing whatever it pleased, cheerfully waved us to a table. With backed benches attached to the floor on either side of the table, it took a small amount of time for us all to shuffle into them.
Once we were all in the woman came back over and introduced herself as Suzan. I was about to ask her about the owner Drax, when both Yun and Vern inquired about the special this morning. Both of her eyes lit up, and she enthusiastically looked at both of them at the same time. They were of course sitting across from each other. The special turned out to be a stack of 8 waffles that had either had the center removed and replaced with fruit, or it just had normal fruit on top. I wasn't really sure, as she herself was slightly drooling at the end of the description. With two specials ordered, the rest of us chose less ostentatious food, and Marda came in just in time to get her request in.
Marda sits, but she has a look about her face. Not a look deep in thought, or one that is just clearing one's mind. A look of instinct. Giving in to the first thought. Melfina saw it too, and she simply pout her hand on Marda's shoulder. The touch was enough to bring her back into this space, and Marda blinked a couple times. Taking a deep breath, she came back to us, and with a short, silent wait, the food is brought out.
As she was passing out the plates, I asked Suzan if Drax was available. While alarm was not the right word, she was somewhat surprised by the question. “Oh,” she starts. “The boss was involved with some drama out by the gates last night involving the Legion. Last I checked he was still asleep, but I can check if you want.”
“Was there a problem with the Legion last night?” I ask? I was getting concerned now.
“They tried to get into the city last night, and there was a fight between them and the guard. Drax got involved.” I was really worried now. Whatever those explosions were last night had probably been the guard fighting. Why would the Legion be Fighting the Guard? And whose side had Drax been on? We need an ally in the city, and we need that circle in the basement if we have any hope of getting more people here. I guess it was all up to what Drax was going to say.
While she went to get Drax I studied my meal. I had no idea what the Classic Claddagh was going to be, and I was rather surprised. Small sausages, rashers of bacon, toasted bread, spiced roasted potatoes and brown beans were gathered on my plate in no particular order. I wasn't sure if I needed to cook it more, as some of it looked rather cold, but I found it quite good.
Heavy footfalls came from the stairs at the end of the dinning area. Ancient boots appeared, followed by what could only be the owner of the tavern. A half-orc, instead of the normal greenish tint his skin was a pallid grey, but otherwise strength radiated from him. With no shirt on I could tell he was by no means Fit, but I had no doubt he could take thick bar stock and snap it like a twig. A beer belly proceeded him when he moved, and I could tell he was by far older than me. Something else was off with him. The last thing I wanted to do was stare at him as he approached, and I quickly studied the remains crumbs on my plate.
Standing at the end of the table, his scratched his stomach, considering us for a few moments before saying anything. “I was told you wan'ed somethin'” His speech was slightly slurred, and I couldn't tell if it was from just waking, alcohol, or some sort of physical ailment.
I didn't want to spout out that I was here for a magic circle, so I simply said “Garnet sent us.”
That immediately caught his attention. Reaching back, he pulled a chair from underneath a patron, flipped it around and straddled it all in one swoop. Drax was sitting before the patron hit the floor. Turing to see who had pulled the prank, the nearby patron palled slightly, found another table, and moved there.
“What did she want?” the tavern keeper asks us. Again, I didn't want to say much out loud, so I tried to think quickly.
“There may be a more private place to discuss this right?” I asked. “Maybe the basement?”
He blinked at me a few times. “What's wrong with talking here? What does Garnet need?”
“We were told she may have left something down there that we should see.” That seemed to help.
“Ohh of course. Suzan, these fine folks are going to help with the basement inspection. If you need me I will be down there. Guiding us through the kitchen, and back to the stairs that led to the basement. It was no simple cellar, but a constructed level that seemed a bit larger than the floor above. Normally a cellar like this would have been only for storage, but this one seemed to house something more. A large pristine rug in similar condition to the one a level above sat in the middle of the floor, away from anything else. An armor stand stood near a wall, next to a small sword rack. A singular breast plate sat next to a short sword, both of the most exquisite metal.
Drax grabbed the rug to pull it off the floor, revealing a circle of runes. It was similar to the one we saw all the months ago in the bottom of the Bards tower, but it just looked like some circle of stories. Vern was clearly curious enough to start investigating it, but was very carefully not touching it, almost like the simple act of running his fingers over the circle would summon the mage hunters from hundreds of years ago. As he studied it, I turned to Drax. “What happened at the gates last night?”
He gives me the rundown. The legion was trying to get into the city again. Something about looking for captives in people's basements. They have been trying to get in for a while now, but the city guard won't let them. More accurately, the local mob won't let them. A council member named Kevin is heading a local group of thugs. This allows Kevin to seemingly corrupt the guard, and probably do many other nefarious things here in town. A likely candidate for a leading role of the Othertoe. Drax is no fan of any of these happenings, and has apparently sent some of these thugs on permanent vacation. The gang is very much not welcome in his establishment.
“Garnet sent us to look for a faction we call the Othertoe. It's a group who specialize in slavery and other foul deeds, and we know they are here in the city. The Legion is right. They are taking people.”
“Where would we be able to find Kevin?” Geno asks.
Drax shrugs. “I'm not so good at finding him, but I know someone who could. A lad by the name of Post. He's a good mate, travels all around the city, knows it inside and out. As a Halfling he can explore everywhere, and is seen less than others would be. He could probably help you find him. ” I'm sure if Drax had been younger, he would have had no trouble finding whatever he was looking for.
Vern spoke up at this time, informing us that the Circle, if activated, would lead to another circle in the Incantori mountain range. Glancing that Marda and Melfina, We know where it goes. We had been there. While Vern was muttering about never using magic anyway, I stepped a bit closer to look that the artifacts down here. A mouse skeleton sat nearby the sword and armor. It was most purposely placed there, not left over from neglect. What could the mouse mean? And who was I to care. Looking at the breastplate, it would have been a little small for me, but some slight modifications it would fit just fine. And the metal could only be one thing. Adamantine. The armor had been inlaid with the harder black metal, both decorative and functional. Large Adamantine plates covered all the vital areas, and bands of it wrapped around the sides. The short sword was the same, with the metals combined in construction of the weapon. These were no ordinary items. While there was obvious wear, they had not seen use for a while. Before I could ask Drax about them, I saw he was giving me a baleful eye, and I decided not to ask.
Inquiring about the map, Drax again told us that Post would be the best person for the job. Since he wouldn't be around for a few more hours, we needed to find something to do. Asking the others if we could go see the Legion, everyone agreed it would be fine. Informing Drax we would return to talk to Post, we climbed back up from the basement floor and back out into the dull light outside.
It had cleared some, but there were still a fair number of clouds in the sky. Drax had given us rough directions but we had to ask a few other people. Looking for landmarks I didn't see the troublemaker until he ran his shoulder directly into me. “You and your dirty legion should leave town while you can!” A human, wearing a leather coat, ending at his waist stood in my path. His hair was slicked up in a large wave, almost like a crest itself, looking like it wanted to float above his head. It looked like some creature had made a nest atop his head, and molded it into a tight nest.
My first instinct is to simply kill him. Instead of grabbing for my axe, I reach my hand out for him preparing to clamp down in his shoulder. Slipping away, he calls “Ha! As slow as the rest of them.”
With a growl, I unleash a wave of fire from my maw over his shoulder. A look of shock flashes on his face. Eyes darting from one side to another, he recovers his composure. “Most people apologize when the run into me!” I challenge. My hand had clasped my Axe still behind my back. He says nothing in return, simply turning and leaving. Not in a slow gait mind you. A poorly painted red one eyed skull on the back of his jacket, I make sure to remember what he looks like. He will have one chance to apologize.
I turn, and realize more of these men are about. This must be the gang Drax was talking about, and I can see why he dislikes them. All with the same ridiculous haircut, which Marda informs me is called a Pompadour. All with a similar coat, although some are in worse quality than others. Each one has the word Baraxus on the back. Turning in a complete circle, I see now that the whole interaction was probably a spectacle for the gang. And coming from where the assailant had gone, Yun was trotting back, smiling, with Geno bringing up the rear a bloodied blade in his hand. Handing it to Melfina, he smiles. “We can find him later when we need to.” the goblin says nonchalantly.
Reaching the gate a few moments later, I can see that the guards are letting people pass, but no many are coming in. Spotting the blade of my axe, a gatekeeper approaches me. I guess my cloak had rode up on the blade when I was about to unleash it earlier. “Hey! Legion! Who let you in here? The Legion is not allowed inside the city!”
“I live here. I've always been inside the gate.” I had spoken before I had even thought. A soft snort of laughter came from Max next to me. I was getting slightly perturbed that no one had bothered him, but then again, he was taller, older, and more vicious looking than I was. His giant mace had never left his shoulder either.
The quick response had dumbfounded the guard. It was a terrible plan, and wouldn't hold any water should he ask any question at all, like Where I lived. I don't know how I did it, but the guard let us through, with the promise of my reentry. Leaving the gate tunnel I stopped in place when I saw what lay beyond. Not twenty feet from the wall, and going for as far as we could see, a huge camp, orderly and full was stretched before us.
Only the closest individual faces could be picked out, but in the sea of tents the green doublet of the Axes was in view. The Blue and gray of the Maces. And of course The Black and Red of the swords. The various green hues of the Axes were never the same, as each one was custom made by the owner. Scouts and skirmishers, the Axes needed to blend in with the grasses and bushes. The Blue and Grays were a nod to the Gods and faiths of the Maces. Healer,s and divine casters, they always stood out, Guiding those who needed spiritual aid, in healing or prayer.
The Black and Red were the colors of the Swords. Wiping blades off on a foe's cloak, it would leave the Black of the blade, and the blood of the fallen. It stood out as a challenge to the legions enemies, and a symbol of the Elite warriors and Commanders.
Murmurs rose from the camp, and heads started popping out of tents. When I could hear what was being said I grimaced. “The Legend is back!” “It's the Myth, I never thought he would show up!” I had never adjusted to the moniker, The Legend, but it was a lot better than what I had been called. In the Legion, Last names were commonly used when talking about someone. Since Panathalax was a longer name, it had been shortened to an insufferable-
“Panny! Is that you? We knew you would show up and join us!” Great. The jubilant cries come from one Ragnus Harnal. Looking at him, he was still as lively as when he took over the Armorer position from me. He wore the vest of the Axes, with arms bare, showing off his ember like skin. He appeared almost like a crackling piece of firewood burning from inside. Veins of ember colored light could be seen faintly through his tanned skin, and his hair appeared darker, the color of dying coals. Soot gray, but with a glow of deep red here and there.
“Ragnus, Who put you in charge?” I was smiling when I said it, but I was also serious. While he was a good soldier, as far as I knew, There Should have been more qualified people here.”
“And Sergeant Corbin! How are you big guy?” he was ignoring me. This wasn't going to be good. Pulling out a fold of parchment, Ragnus pointed near the bottom. “If I can have you both sign here, we will get you some proper fitting gear and a place to stay in no time. It looks like you brought some new recruits too! The troops will be thrilled!”
All humor gone now, I folded my arms across my chest. “Ragnus, we are not here to sign up. We heard that some of the Legion was coming here, we never thought it was going to be this many! Where is everyone Else from the Company?”
The Fire Genasi dropped his act. Rolling up the sheaves of parchment, he waved us towards a larger open tent. More of an awning really. While not dejected, he was more serious, and that was nearly as bad. “The Legion isn't really getting paid anymore. No one wants to hire us, anymore really. Support has dwindled for us. A Wealthy family has offered to support us if we are able to find their son, and we tracked the kidnappers here, but we haven't been able to find anything else. We started searching in people's basements, but the public wasn't really happy about it, and we were told to leave the city, not allowed in again. Now the city wil fire a cannon every once in a while, and shoot at us but it's not that effective. Injuries mostly. The Maces can heal anything that happens.”
I found it hard to Believe that no one needed the Legion anymore. The stuff the Legion stood up against never really rested, did it? “Ragnus, what are they shooting you with?”
“Oh.” He responded “Cannons use something similar to what is in the Fireworks. But the cannon here can't point far enough down to hit us, so they just go above us.” So that was what we had heard last night. “They have also been firing pistols like this one.” He held aloft a device similar to what the deputy of Cherwood had carried. A sort of Hand crossbow without the bow. Pulling the trigger, there was a tremendous explosion. People nearby jumped a bit, and I may have been one of them. “There are nearly six thousand of us around the city, so the Maces are busy treating small injuries and making food.
“Ragnus,” Max started, voice soft, “Why isn't the Legion allowed inside anymore?”
The Armorer's shoulders drooped a bit. “Well, when we couldn't find anymore clues, we started a house by house search. Looking in basements and attics. Most people were not very happy about that. In fact no one was. The guard got involved, and after a couple fights we were told to stay out.” He looked rather depressed about that, understandably so. Half of the power of the Legion was reputation. And we had lost it here.
“Look, Ragnus.” I start. “Barging into people's homes and conducting a search for something isn't What we should be doing. We can't just pick a fight with no questions asked, or evidence.” Look who's talking Druss. “Let us look into the missing kid, and get some credit back for the Legion. I know for a fact that some seriously bad people are here in town, and the Legion will be needed. Keep the troops ready, and be ready to answer the call for aide.”
Max put his hand on my shoulder. “I am going to stay here for a while. I want to catch up with everyone, and look around.” I couldn't blame him, I would have liked to stay for a bit too, and was tempted to.
Melfina must have been reading m mind, as she cleared her throat and nodded towards Marda. Oh. Yeah. We needed to get back to Drax and find out where that Soul Stone was. “That's fine Max. You know where we will be, if you can get back in. Ragnus, has anyone seen Quiet?”
“Yeah, she is probably around here somewhere, but no one has seen her for a few days.” So she is still alive. She had never talked much in person, and getting a letter to her was difficult at best. We had simply fallen out of correspondence.
Giving our good byes, We headed back into the city. I made sure to be in the middle of the group as we got through the gates, and we quickly got back to the Dog's Breakfast. The Legion hadn't been at all what I expected. Six thousand. I could not have even hoped for that many, but it also made it a problem. I could not allow them to become an invading army simply taking over a city. We would need to gather proof that something was going on here in town. And we would need to find someone to prove it to. Sounds like this gang leading Council member had some power.
When we got back to the tavern, we found it to contain the same amount of people, and on second look, they were in fact the same people. Drax came pounding down the stairs to see who had come in, and seeing it was us, waved us to follow him. Leading us to a room on the second floor, it turned out to be a good sized office. A large desk, or one big enough for Drax sat on one side of the room, and a few chairs faced it, along with a long table with bottles on it, all of them empty. A fine square rug sat on the floor under the chairs, the colors still vibrant. A young Halfling sat in a Large chair behind the desk atop several Tomes. A ledger open on the desk, He seemed to be doing Drax's accounts, or checking over them at least.
“Post here helps with the numbers sometimes.” Drax admits. “Since Garnet never comes by much, I have some trouble keeping track.”
Taking the Map from Vern, Geno approaches the desk, unfolding the map. “Post, Drax here says you would be able to help us with finding where this spot is on the Map. It's quite old, and chances are the city would have changed a good deal since it was made.”
“Sure!” the halfling says cheerfully, “I love this kinda stuff. A treasure map right?” It took him a few minutes, turning the map this way and that, the whole time muttering to himself in halfling. “Ah. Oh. Oh dear. I know where this is, but you aren't going to like it. How are you all at fighting?”
“We will be fine with that.” Marda replies. A small blush appearing on Post's face, he jumps down to dig around in a satchel. Pulling out another folded map, he opens it to show what was probably a more current version of the city.
“Well, that's good, because that is going to be the location of the Gambling house. Or the Baraxus Casino, which is what the Councilman is calling it. That is where that Gang hangs out most of the time, providing full time security. If you go in there, there will be a fight.”
It all clicked, and looking to the others, at the same time for everyone. Councilman Kevin Baraxus, and his gang of Pompadorks. Well, it may just be a bit fun looking around his place. In fact, we just happened to have someone here who really didn't like that whole group. “Drax, my good man! How would you like to come with us? I'm sure a “vacation” is in order for a good amount of the gang, as they seem to be working quite hard. What do you say?”
“I am not sure it would be such a good idea... Garnet told me to stay out of trouble.” I could tell he was fighting for excuses, and a thought struck me.
“You know Drax, I bet that place would have some really nice rugs.”
That did it. He agreed immediately to helping us out, and we quickly decided to wait until night to go. This Gambling house happened to be open all hours of the day and night, so hopefully there wouldn't be as many members of the public around. We just had to wait, which would have been a problem if there was nothing to do. But I had something else I wanted out of him.
“Drax. About that breastplate we saw.” I started.
“What about it?” he was quick. Protective.
“It was armor of a great warrior wasn't it?”
It took him a few moments to answer. “He was a friend. Not as close as Garnet, but we went through many trials together.” He was silent for a time. “He died a long time ago.” I could tell he wanted to say more, but just didn't have it in him.”
“Would he have wanted that armor to sit there, or be used, go on more adventures?” I asked. Of course I wanted it. Why wouldn't I? It would be a huge upgrade on the account that it didn't have a large hole in the side.
Drax acquiesced to me taking the armor, and Geno and I had to spend some time modifying it. For my use. It was an incredibly tough material, and reshaping it for me was difficult, but eventually we were able to slip it into the layers of fabric that made the vest. It was a slightly different weight, maybe a bit lighter. Drax also gave the short sword to Marda. While her hooked swords were phenomenal weapons, the short sword was perfectly suited for her, as if it had been made for a halfling.
When the time to go came, we headed out to the Casino. Bringing Mikey along had been a bit troublesome, and it took longer than we had hoped, but we got him across town. I couldn't blame Geno for wanting him there, and the large mechanical bull would be useful. We had planned on Yun, Melfina going in. Yun and Melfina would play the same roles they had played in the strip club, an older wealthy gentleman and bodyguard, while Vern would simply be the target audience for the establishment. The old Elf had put on old clothing, worn out and ratty, and none of us had figured out where he had acquired it. It was somewhat startling to find out that the casino was catered to the elderly, and simply made us dislike Baraxus more. The plan was to get the public out, and Yun was fairly certain a strong illusion could make it look like a fire had started. That would get everyone out, and Drax was part of the volunteer fire brigade, which would give him a reason for being there. The trick is, we had to be quick, to make sure that reinforcements didn't show up and ruin our good time.
I had now been several minutes since the trio had gone in, and we were wondering if something had gone wrong, when screams could be heard from inside. Younger folk rushed out the door, smoke wafting from the opening. Before we could do anything, Marda stopped us.
“Melfina says that Spike found one of those Magic hunter cats. It scared spike pretty badly too.” she said. Well, we had killed one before, how hard could it be?
Running to the doors, we pushed inside. I was responsible for locking the door once everyone was inside, so I waited by the door, getting people out. There really looked to be a fire, with a heat I could feel. Many Baraxus gang members we standing in front of a door, some looking for orders, some trying to put fires out. As the distraction of the fire was getting people out, the rest of the group started getting rid of the gang. Vern had simply vanished, and I really wish I knew how he did that. A fireball from Yun, and a bloodcurdling scream from Marda, and most of the fight was done. Drax had pulled a massive great axe out and had unleashed a yawp of his own, one more brutal and devastating, than Marda's. As the Half-Orc waded in, most of those that had somehow survived the intensive inferno we cut down with a single swipe. I Had infused natural energy to make myself faster, should my allies need me, but there was nothing left to fight now. The door that had been behind the guards bursts open, and a scream of terror emanates from somewhere to my right, as Vern sees the creature behind the door.
With the last of the public out, and the doors locked, I rush up to stand with Drax at the door, to find a vaguely familiar creature. A large cat, no eyes on the head but a Single large eye on the end of the tail which is held up and over the creature. We had fought one before, but it had been sickly and malnourished. This one was healthy, and angry.
With Vern screaming “This is what you get for casting spells! I knew they would come!” in the background, we lay into the creature. With Yun chanting behind us, the creature starts to slowly float up the the ceiling, allowing Marda and Geno to scurry under it. A long tunnel, sloping downward leads off into the distance, With a few cuts from the Drax and I, the creature is soon bloodied, and is desperate to leave us behind. Scratching at the ceiling, it shuffles down the tunnel, out of my reach. As we run after it, just before I can reach it, a single arrow from Vern hits the beast between the ribs, and it dies. As Yun releases the spell, the corpse splats into the ground of the tunnel right behind Marda.
With us all racing down the dark tunnel, I come to the end, finding Yun and Geno already there looking into a huge chamber. Undead stand, packed in shoulder to shoulder. A great horde of them, more than one hundred strong stand, gazing at a enormous stone pillar stood in the center, the Horde facing it, as if in a trance. A sickly red glow emanated from the top, many feet above. As we all stood there trying to figure out what to do, Melfina and Drax catch up, the Half-Orc giggling with glee. With everyone here, Geno runs up to the first of the undead, attacking it. The rotting skin and bone give way to the sheer force of his hit, and it goes down. Those closest in the Horde turn.
Pausing for a brief second, Melfina closes her eyes. Raising her voice, holding her dagger aloft she Proclaims, Her voice twining together with another, A Greater Sound. “To Those Departed: You Are Mine!” Darkness enveloped her. The sensation of wind picked up around us, but the air was still. Energy, Dark and Corrupt buffeted the corpses before us, and something within revealed the darkness was not encompassing Melfina, not emanating from her. It was being absorbed. The dagger we had made her, the weapon she had Poured her Faith into was absorbing and destroying the energy around us, and in turn eradicating the closest ofthe undead horde before us. Nearly a third of it was gone.
“Yun, Get me up there!” I cried. I hjad a feeling this stone was pretty dangerous, and we didn't have much time. I was hoping that my fake arm would protect me from at lesat some of the negative forces.
As Drax waded in, a large wall of fire rose up, blocking off the far side of the chamber, past the pillar. Anything walking through that would be decimated. Coming up to Grasp my shoulder, he muttered a familiar chant, and I had the feeling of walking through a door. I hadn't actually moved myself, but a force propelled me forward, and we were suddenly atop the pillar. The glow of the Soul stone was nearly blinding now, and without thought, I grabbed it with my right hand.
I saw everything. I was everything. A younger Drax and I were fighting alongside Garnet, who appeared to be wrapped in some sort of a curtain.
I was looking at a Tiefling flying through the air, both her axes clutched in her hands, as she cursed Giants and trees, and the world around her.
I watched as my companion stood on the second floor of the inn, and up ended his bag of ten foot poles on the unsuspecting people below. He was laughing as the poles kept coming out, filling the area and crushing everyone in the inn.
I saw this and so many other worlds. I was in those worlds, I was those people. Then it all snapped back. My right arm held the stone, and a cold shiver ran up my spine. I did not like this stone. Not one bit. But we had to get off this pillar so we could leave. While I couldn't get us up here, I could at least get us back down.
Shakily I turned to Yun, reaching out my left arm. “Do you trust me?” I ask. I must have spun too fast, or not been as steady as I could have. It didn't really matter as Yun responded “not for this” and I slipped backwards off the pillar. I had no idea what side I as on, and I had to turn in midair to figure it out, cursing and swearing the whole way. Calling on my gifts, I disappeared halfway through the fall.
With a shower of red hot sparks, I reappeared about 5 feet above the ground, and made an awkward landing, pitching forward to face plant somewhat painfully against the pillar, thankfully not the wall of fire. Getting up, I began to fight off the few remaining undead that Melfina had not been able to destroy outright. As Yun descends slowly to the ground and we dispatch the last of the horde, Geno shuffles up to me.
“Sorry, I was a bit distracted”he admits. “I meant to do that thing I did to your daughter. The slow fall thing.” I nod, rubbing my forehead.
“No big deal.” I nod, rubbing my forehead. “Let's get out of here.”
As we gather around Vern turns to Drax. “Would you like to go kill more things?” He asks the Big Half-Orc. With a energetic nod, still laughing raucously to himself, Drax agrees. With a turn, the wizened Elf touches the big fighter and opens his mouth. “Well then, I bid you farewell. Come Drax, let's go have more fun!” With that, they are simply not there anymore. No chanting, no ritual. Just Gone. Who in the Hells Was this Guy??