Day 5, Rain. Can't set up camp cause everything is under water. I am hoping we come across and inn or something. Been testing my limits on my sheild by using it as an umbrella, so at least we are dry from the waist up. I think the girls appreciate it, I know the boys do as they are sticking closer to me, which is the center of my umbrella field. Fire types are not happy with water falling from the sky.

Only 'town' we saw we left behind, Goblins do not like adventurers. Their guards made sure we understood that. I think they were surprised we left them in peace. Sarah certainly was. I pointed out that killing the goblins was about the same as killing humans. They are an intelligent species and I am of the mind to live and let live. Besides they out numbered us by a few hundred to 1. Rose chuckled over that one.

The cloak provided us with 2 water proof travel cloaks that magically fit the wearer. That helped the girls mood a tiny bit. Presently Sarah is riding on Ollie because we were talking about the animals in my cloak and I let slip the dogs came from the Riding Dog patch. Ollie does not mind to much as it means he gets to share her cloak. Stan is happy not to have her on his back, Sarah scares him. He does not mind Rose though. Vampire and all. Thinks I should give her the lance and let her ride him. They could play Knight and Insane Biting horse. Stan has a pretty good sense of humor. Picks on his size, my size, not Ollie cause he has heard all his jokes and is picky about his humor. Me and Stan though make the self effacing jokes and laugh at each other. Over all we get along pretty good all things considered.

I been mentally going over my list, which is the only way to do it as it's stored in my head anyway. I found I got mandolyn and Singing in my skills and an exceptional mandolyn in my bag. So I get it out, tune it and start playing, curious as to what songs, if any are in my memory. I got Skyrim songs All of them. Which really is a goodly number especially as I got the bard upgrade versions. Which gives me some not original to the game like Scarbourogh Fair. Still fun songs even if they are not this world type. Bunch of Celtic songs as well as Jimmy Buffet. Find I have a deep baratone kind of voice and I like the sound of it. So apparenly do the dogs and Sarah. Rose is not much for singing. She likes instrumentals fine though. On the other hand she liked Ragnar the Red when I played that, so I think humorous songs about people dying she likes to. Not sure if that is just her or the vampire side. Even she admits her taste in entertainment is more bloody now than it was when she was mortal.

After my 4th Celtic song Rose remembers I can far see and teleport. She ask why we have not done just that. The reason is simple. I forgot I could. I am still not used to all my powers and I sometimes forget things while dealing with other things. Thus I sent my mind outward Following this road and looking for an Inn. I see a bunch of things I would rather avoid to. Brigands, a town under siege by a strange looking army and then out beyond the rain a nice looking town, multiple races, looks like a trade town. Not sure how far it is. My people get in close and I port us there. I Thought I chose an out of the way place but I was wrong. Or my Luck kicked in. Appeared on the edge of the market area. People did not react well when a wet group of people just appear out of thin air. A few screams, someone making a sign against evil and guards all heading our way. I look around confused cause this is not the town I was aiming for. It's the one under siege. So Not good.

Less an hour later we have been herded in to a guard house. No one got close enough to try and take anything, but the dogs gave them some pause. I managed to get my mandolyn put away. We are very surrounded by the time we are in this house which has it's own guards and 2 grey robed mage types in it. They are muttering in butchered English about stopping all Travelers of Time and Dimension over and over. I look over at an officer type "Hello, why are they blocking all teleporters ?"

He looks surprised, "They are casting a spell to keep the evil out of the city." I shake my head, "No I can hear them quite plainly." I repeat the spell using the common tongue word for word. The officer winces at some of it, "That is all they are saying bad grammer to." The officer sighs, "Your a mage I take it ?" I nod, "Yes sir. We were on our way somewhere else when we got yanked to here. I suspect their spell is the cause." We are still dripping over everything. The city is dry and has not seen rain in a while.

Sarah starts to ask about incence which gets both me and the officer to give her an odd look and she states that the spell these two are doing sounds like something from the Followers of Harold, but lacking the inscence and the bells. That strikes him in an unpleasant way for us. I explain she is an Ex priestess of Harold. He ask about how someone can be an Ex, I explain Harold is Dead. Got himself blown up in a backlash of spiritual enegy that wiped out his castle and a good section of the area under it. Turned out Harold was really a very Evil being who had been stealing souls to power his god hood. Another god found out and 'fixed things' ergo the pillar of souls he had stolen all getting released in one massive blast. His priest and paladins all lost thier magic and are now just Ex everything. Though a bunch of his paladins and high ranking priest all died to. We know as we were there when it happened. Nice ring side seat as we all got blown back by the blast.

Needless to say he did not believe me. Turns out the Army outside are the infamous Church of Agnes. Convert or die, types. They have not lost any power. I point out they don't worshop Harold, they worship Agnes. It's in their name and there is not a single priest in their ranks. Lots of demon sorcerers though. That gets me questioned as how I know that. I explain I scryed my location for teleport First, saw this army during the scry and decided not to get involved, Only to have the two idiot mages here yank me out of my destiation and pull us here. He is just about to have us Shot for being spy's when word comes another 12 people have appeared all over the city. 2 of which are Very recognizable. 15 minutes later the new people are hearded in to the same guard house. I don't know any of them but 2 in question are getting better treatment. Turns out One is a King and the other a well known 'meddling mage' who only shows up where their is trouble. Lots of yelling and people trying to figure out what is going on. Me and mine just lean against the wall and watch. The Kings guards push him behind them and he ends up next to me. Turns out he is an elf.

I nod, "Welcome to the insanity." He looks left, then up then stares, so I smile. "You a giant ?" he ask.

I smile wider, "Half Elf actually." his eyes go big, "Wow ok then. Do you know what is going on here ?"

I nod to the 2 mages further in, behind a couple sets of bars, "Those two are casting a spell that pulls anyone teleporting here. They seem to think its a protection spell at least the officer over there does. I can understand them perfectly and they are seriously butchering that spell."

He nods, "Your a mage then." I nod he nods and sighs.

"We got more fun, this town is under siege by the church of Agnes according to the that officer over there. They are a bit high strung about visitors right now."

His head drops, "I knew I should have just taken the long route and gone by carriage but my mages assured me that teleporting would be faster and safer. Never has been before. But no I let myself get talked in to it."

I nod, "Your one of those people that if something bad is happening it comes looking for you."

He nods and sighs, "Oh yes. 210 years old and I get more drama cause it has my name."

I snort, "Me to actually."

He looks up again, "Prove it."

I nod to the dogs, "Tried summoning war dogs got them. They are hell hounds. Neutral aligned hell hounds."

He blinks then nods, "Ok thats a good start."

I pull out my staff from my purse, his eyes bug out, "How did you get that ?"

I shrug, "Woke up one morning and it was there, waiting for me. Talks to me sometimes mostly suggestions and commentary on my life and how I should study more. "

He nods, "The staff of the Arch Magus, one of 5 legendary items. I studied those in my youth."

"Only 5 ?" I ask with a touch of humor.

He grins, "Well amoung my people anyway. There is a sword, the staff, a cloak that a god is supposed to ride in that looks like ... your wearing it aren't you ?" I nod. "You have the sword ?"

I think, "I hope not. I have a sword but it's just a rank 3 long sword that has blue fire for it's light aspect." he sighs, "Not it then. Where was I ah, A shield with a purple maiden in it. Um thats I forget the 5th I always forget that one."

"I have heard of the Maiden shield supposed to be in the hands of the Care Taker of a flying city, As-something or other. I forget to."

He nods, "That's the one. It's an odd name never wants to stay in my head."

I nod, "I tried writting a fictional story on it once, got stuck about half way and never finished. I used to write stories in my youth, just for my own fun you know."

He nods, "Oh yeah I did poetry myself. Father did not approve but my mother loved my simple poems. She kept them in a book."

I nod, "Mothers often do things like that." he nods and sighs.

"We were on our way to Harden Castle about the disaster that happened there. They say Harold is gone." he sighs again.

"Gone, dust in the wind, good ridence to that evil s.o.b. He was stealing souls to power his so called God Hood. I got pulled in to one of his soul factories, full of all kinds of undead. The staff proved its value there, capable of projecting a sunlight sphere so many burning undead. I found a few other people down there in my predictament and met the King of the Undercity, descent sort for a vampire." the elf king is chuckleing in to his robes, "sorry sorry" he gasp, "John Carter, I met him once as a boy. He actually saved my life from some people trying to kill me as they wanted my younger brother to take the throne. He was a magnificiently terrifying being. Turned out my sister had a crush on him and kept sending him missives. He was only there at that time to tell her he was honored but spoken for. Let her down easy kind of thing. He knows how elves feel about vampires. But he is a true gentleman for an evil blood drinking monster."

I smile, "Yeah he is. Good New Jersey man." I get an odd look, "He and I are from the same part of the world. I come from a mountain region south of where he is from."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

He nods, "Ah that makes more since" he nods. He straightens, "I am Elfrond Arango Telfassian King of the Elves of Treafall Forest. At your service sir."

I smile and nod, "Well met your majesty I am Robert Magus, Mage, traveler, part time adventurer, person trying to survive the luck the gods put on me."

He giggles a little but pulls himself together, "Well Met sir Magus."

I shrug, "Not been knighted but thank you. I am desended from royalty but its so far back that its pretty meaningless these days."

He nods, "I was trying to get back in to the king role. I have only been king for 2 years. Still feels new and I keep forgetting I am Supposed to act a certain way."

I nod and sigh, "Oh yeah. I understand that. But in this case, extraordinary circumstances and all, I think a little leeway is in order. Cause being a King means little when your backed to a wall by a bunch of paranoid sorts that are close to shoot first and all."

He snorts, "True. You don't seem worried though." I shrug, "I got an invisible shield and 2 artifacts, 2 loyal hell hounds and a girl who is a berserker and a mage, interesting combination that."

He nods laughing, "good mix." Sarah pulls on my arm, "what about me ?" I smile at her, "Oh right,ex priestess of Harold. She was in shock when we met and followed us when we left the city. Seems attached to me for some reason." I say with a grin.

She looks up at me, "Extremely sexy man, thick as a stone though." The Elf King gets a wider smile coughs in elven, "Love struck".

I switch to elven, "You think so ?"

He nods, "She acts like it. You're not that way ?"

I shrug, "Only known her 5 days hard to say in that short of time."

He nods, "True. Your a careful type. Heck so am I, we with the luck of the gods tend to become that or become dead to soon."

I nod, "True. I been doing this for 70 years now. Took a few blows to the head, so to speak, to get me to realise about my nature."

He nods, "Me to. A few close calls and learning you can't ever really hide from it. I tried that for a time. Real home body you know."

I nod, "OH yeah. that was my writing period. Seemed to help if I focused it in to my stories for a little while. Then 5 days ago I just appeared in Harolds city. Wierdness build up is how I am catagorizing it."

He smiles, "oh so that is what is going on. All us God Touched are being pulled here. That is not good."

"Another not good thing, those mages chanting over there, they are illusions. Something Else is casting it and the interferance. I am a clairvoyant, been looking around so to speak. Something is really off about this place. None of the guards or that wall ... Pardon me I want to test something."

I push past the guards and move forward. I reach the very nervous officer and then reach forward, my hand passes through his middle. The other prisoners all see this as I nod, "Thought so, He's a ghost." I walk toward a guard and he swings his sword at me, goes right through, no harm. I hold out my hands, "Mix of illusions and ghost, interesting. This place is not what it seems." Turning back to the Elf King, "Your majesty, You mentioned John, How old was he when you met him ?"

He thinks, "About 200, why ?" I nod, "Because when I talked to him 5 days ago, he was just over 500. I am afraid your a ghost." he looks very surprised. Thinks about it then nods, "ok then ..." and he is just gone as well as a few others.

The 'meddler' bumps in to me, then jolts, "Oh your real, well that is good I suppose." he is unsure of himself.

He reminds me a bit of the Doctor. "Ollie Stan, Deaths Howl please."

The hell hounds look at each other and shake their heads then move out to the yard and do so. A few moments later 3 medium level 'collectors' show up and look around then nod to the dogs, "Good dogs." the middle one says, "You may return to your Master now." so they trout over to me and sit down. The 3 beings look surprised. I shrug, "A god gave them to me." That gets 3 sets of nods. Then they proceed to gather all the Lost Dead. In the matter of a few minutes we are alone in a ruined city. Only ones left beyond myself and my people are the "meddler' and his 3 companions. They all look around and a cute girl in his group, "Did you do that Professor ?" I smirk at the name, nailed it. He is a Doctor type.

Professor, "No my dear, the tall fellow figured it out before I could. Well played sir." I bow to him, "Not at all sir." He shakes his finger as he walks around, "How did you figure it out ?" he ask.

"The Elf king, who told me he was just over 200, had met as a boy a person I personally know, that person when the King met him was 200 then. He is 500 now. The ages did not add up. It was the illusions that threw me at first. Then that bad recording of the mages. I knew something was off. So I had my boys call the Collectors."

Girl, "What are Collectors ?"

The Professor fields that, "Death my dear, spirits of death, one for each type of soul, good evil and damned."

"Neutral is not damned." I point out he shakes his head, "They must be one or the other, there is no True Neutral, that is a lie."

Stan snorts, "You are a stupid git aren't you. Of course there is. Mostly only Tree spirits though. Humans can never maintain it for to long is all. But to say all those of Neutral is damned is like saying You are not a stupid git."

"STAN! Stop it." I shake my head, "Sorry he is a hell hound, Neutral evil and all that." He looks mildly insulted, "You should banish those."

"Can't they were a gift from an Elder God, one does not send back gift like that with out insulting the source."

He pahs, "No Such thing as Elder Gods."

I think, "Do you believe in Titans ?"

He nods, "OF course!"

I nod, "An Elder God IS a Titan. Titan is just the Greek word for Elder God."

He looks ready to come to blows over being corrected, but my cloak is laughing and that throws him off. Then the Hermit manifest, "Gerald you always were an over opinionated know it all."

Gerald 'the Professor' looks shocked. He obviously recognizes the spirit before him, "You don't exist. Your just an evil dream. Now go away."

I look at the Hermit, "He is a touch insane I take it ?" the hermit nods, "Got close to the center then went and fell in to a time hole showing all the Doctor Who shows. Decided he would become this worlds version of him. Problem is he has not the age, experience or knowledge of that estimed person. So he does what he can to fake it and if he could have taken credit for what you did here, well he would have. But you have witnesses to and he can't chance they would talk. So he had to bow down to your solving this. Though I am surprised you knew of the Death Howl."

I shrug, "I remember it from a book and put it together with their nature, so I tried it, it worked, alls well that ends well."

Hermit smiles, "You did not know it would call the deaths. "

I bow, "Either that or a fear effect. Both would work for my mutliple plans. plan 2 was distract and run."

The Hermit shakes his head. Looks at the Professors companions, "He is not what he appears to be. And the last of his companions who realized it he killed. Says they went off on their own journeys. He is really quite insane. Oh and I am an Elder God. Just to get that straightened out." He bows and vanishes.

The 'Professor' tries to stab me in the back, he breaks his wrist on my shield. I turn and look at him, "Sheild spell Professor, goes all the way around, but you did just prove your dangerous and can't be trusted. Rose love, you want him ?"

She smiles fangs dropping, "Yes actualy. Have not fed in days after all." she chased him all over the ruins. I know how fast she can move when she wants to, so she is playing with her food.

I go over to the other group, "Sorry about that. Vag normally does not manifest, so he must see something in one or more of you."

Boy, watching Rose chase the professor, "She really going to eat him ?"

I shrug, "Probably though not likely to kill him. She is not that hungry. Vampires drink blood but rarely kill unless starving."

Other man, "Vampires burn in sunlight." he states like its fact.

I nod, "Those whose heart has been given to darkness do. Those who have not given themselves to the dark don't. It's a choice when they are turned. Though it can happen later to."

He glares, "You are in league with evil!"

I nod, "Your point being ? You Helped the professor kill the last group. Vag is whispering to me your secrets. Your the only companion to live through his madness, because you like being able to kill." He pulls a wand and Ollie leaps and tears off his arm, then Stan comes in and takes out his throat. That just leaves to two innocent ones. I look at them. "Your call, what happens next."

The girl looks green, the boy looks ... oh not good, he is enjoying watching the boys eat the evil one. I nod to the girl to look at the boy, she does and then moves away from him. The look on his face, as the other is eaten says allot. Dangerous level of perversion. He is getting off on it.

She runs and hides behind Sarah. I look at him, "Like what you see there do you boy ?" He turns to me, "of course not." I sigh, "Then stop smiling like a horny idiot. You got a hard on watching that idiot die. So easy to see through you. Only one in your group not evil is the girl." I snap my fingers and the boys drop the body, slurp up the last of the corrupt soul and trot over to me.

Sarah hugs her, "It will be ok. Robert will protect you, he is good at that." The girl is shaking and in shock. I can't blame her. The look of fury on the boy though, I put my staff between him and her, "I would not she is scared and in shock and what ."

He shoves my staff out of the way and tries to grab her. Sarah to my surprise Grabs his hair from behind, pulls him backward then kidney punches him till he is down. Then she kicks him in the nads so hard I think it broke his dick. He ended up howling and rolling on the ground.

The girl went with Sarah after that. And they stayed in the shelter of the old guard house.

Much to my amusement Ollie went and peed on the crying little moron. A scream in the distance tells me Rose finally cornered her prey. Hope she enjoys him. After Rose has eaten (and collected the Professors head as he bit her back and she really did not want That running lose in the world.) She dropped the head on the broken one, got caught up and is happy to have another potential donor on the road.

We search the place, find some nice items, money's and the like then walk out the broken gate, look at the open grave yard that is the forgotten battle field before finding our way back to the road.

I ask Vag, "What is with all the manifesting ? That is not like you." he sighs, "People of this world are forgetting me. I used to have a presence here, but other than ones like you most are starting to forget me. I decided to put myself out there. Be seen like these younger gods. See if my people will remember I exist and have not completely withdrawn from the world." and then he whispers, "and help you get that harem you wanted." but it was almost to soft to hear.

The Girl, Sarah learns, is called Angel Leeks and has been picked on cause of her name more than she likes to remember. None of us say a thing about it. Well the boys think a few things but as only I can hear them it does not matter.