Chapter 22.2 - The Hidden Door
He’d stripped the clothes off one of the culn corpses so he wasn’t naked anymore. Again, they were too big for him as the culn were slightly taller, but he did his best to adjust them so his walking or running wasn’t impared. Specifically, he’d taken the leather off the archer because he didn’t like the heavy metal armor. Surprisingly he could equip it, and the All Spirit’s system recognized all the pieces as available for use, so he tried them on and had the required strength… but he felt clumsy in it. He needed to be fast. The defense perks on the armor were relatively shitty to be worth incapacitating his movement speed anyways...
Leather it was.
He tried summoning his culn minion Jerekka a couple of times throughout the day to glean information on his upcoming target, but he didn’t keep the man long so that he could heal in the nether realm and be useful to Trey later. The first time the culn came back he was still in bad shape, though the minor cuts and bruises he had experienced were gone and there was some healing noted to his face. The second and third times showed slightly more improvement, but at the rate he was going Trey doubted the man would be in fighting condition after the severe ass-whooping he’d dished out to Jerekka… at least not until tomorrow. Trey forced the demon man to tell him where the culn base of operations was located, and through the minion contract compelling the information to come forth: Trey was set on a detour journey off the beaten path and into a small side valley where small but frequent patrols were discovered.
He would have tried summoning and capturing another minion through his ‘least summoning circle’ spell, he’d been wanting to use it to see how it worked... Or maybe he would have ambushed another culn patrol to capture and enslave another of their soldiers, but he had no control slots for minions left. Nor did he have any stat points available for a willpower increase… So instead he left the lucky bastards alone on his way through the rocky valley and towards the spot where Jerekka had told him a fortress was built.
By nightfall he finally spotted it, carved partially into the cliff with deep gray stone and significantly less impressive than Trey had been expecting. It was a shoddy, small hold with only one entrance: a wide and tall metal gate that had three layers of doors built into thick walls. Only a few stone towers with archers posted at each were along the front wall, though soldiers patrolled the walkways too, and another small courtyard inside showed a busy bustling group of culn men, women, and children. Most of them weren’t wearing armor or carrying any weapons at all. He couldn’t make out much from his position on the hill nearby, but he was certain most of the people inside weren’t soldiers. He also saw dozens of minotaurs amongst the many patrols he passed coming here, so he could expect to see some of them inside too.
As the torches and magelights began to light up the small fortress, Trey took little time in summoning Jerekka again behind one of the large boulders. The culn warrior hadn’t healed fully, but Trey was eager to get this over with. He‘d been waiting too long to wipe that stupid grin off the smug bastard who’d killed him and led the other demons to recapture the escaped human prisoners at the lake.
“Not much of a fortress.” Trey commented lazily while eyeing his new minion. “You sure this is the place?”
Jerekka spat at the disrespect Trey showed and folded his arms. He was missing the gauntlet along his right hand and forearm after it had been crushed by Trey’s chains, and had considered taking off the breastplate too... but it was still for the mostpart intact. So he left it in place.
“It is much bigger than it appears. What you see is only the exterior. It leads down into a larger area below ground.”
Trey scowled and raised an eyebrow. He turned to the imp. “Napoleon. Are you allowed to lie to me while under minion contract if I ask you a direct question?”
The imp stopped rubbing up against a rock to scratch an itch and scampered over to sit beside him. “No no. Can’t lie lie to you, unless you lets us. You is master, stupid master but nice nice master.”
Trey facepalmed and ignored the jab but couldn’t help notice the grin Napoleon wore when he said it. Trey returned the grin shaking his head with a chuckle and sigh. Blinking to clear away some of the dirt that the wind had kicked up into his face, he considered his options.
He counted 52 soldiers manning the walls and tower. The gate had been closed as nightfall had come, and the activity inside the small courtyard was nil. From where he sat on the hill he could make out another patrol off to his left casually taking their time returning to the fortress. They didn’t seem to think anything was actually coming after them and their guard was obviously down. The soldiers on the wall were the same, being very loud and many of them drinking.
“Why are they so off their guard? Don’t your people have enemies here?”
Jerekka didn’t reply at first. To Trey’s surprise after further inspection, the veins on the culn’s forehead were building and he seemed to be straining… against what: Trey couldn’t tell. A second later and Jerekka gasped and blurted out the answer:
“This is only one of many communities our lord has under his control. We have enemies… but not here in the center of our lord’s domain.”
Trey scowled at the culn asshole he’d minionized and pointed to one of the large healing gashes that still remained across the culn’s face. It was scabbing over now that he had spent a decent chunk of time in the nether realm. Trey was seriously impressed with how fast they healed when sent there, but he made a point to push on it slightly. The culn flinched at his touch and let out an uncomfortable grunt as a hate filled glare stared back at Trey.
“You want more of those?”
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Jerekka shook his head slowly, still seething with hate and contempt for his new master.
Trey only smiled back. “Good. Then don’t fight the minion contract and tell me what I want to know. Otherwise you’ll get much worse than what I did to you the first time, you worthless sack of shit.”
Trey took the culn’s helmet off and slapped the demon across the face, not enough to do damage: but enough to hurt Jerekka’s ego. Then he leaned in with one clawed finger extending to press against Jerekka’s neck.
The pitch black of night didn’t allow the culn to see as well as Trey or Napoleon could, but he could still see Trey’s glowing red eyes and could feel the press of something sharp against his throat. Jerekka stiffened at the touch and his pulse quickened.
“I come here from another world.” Trey began softly… withdrawing his finger and letting the culn relax a little. “I got here and was killed many times over before I finally escaped that asshat gargoyle who turned me into his snack. Each time I came back, I felt the trauma and the pain racked my brain to scar my subconsciousness. I have become jaded. I have come to value life less, especially if it gets in my way. Do not think I value your life more than a cockroach. If you displease me again, I will dispose of you immediately.”
Jerekka took in his words with concern and curiosity. He thought carefully about what his reply would be as he looked Trey over and eventually took in a long breath. “How do you keep coming back? I was surprised to see you back on the trail… as I have seen you before. Your body is strung up in the great hall where we feasted on the humans and dwarves that escaped.”
Trey blinked. “You and your people ate the prisoners?”
Jerekka smiled evilly. “Yes. I still remember their screams as we opened them up while they yet lived. I had the liver of one of the women myself, while the captain who killed you… he had your heart.”
This earned the culn a rocking punch to the jaw. Jerekka lost his smile and toppled over, dazed by the blow, and Trey had to use all the restraint he had to not kill the vile little fucker right there.
‘Do it. Kill him.’ Sithis prompted as the symbiote’s hunger began to rise.
Trey trembled with rage flowing through him and shook his head slowly. He needed this bastard, but when the time came where that was no longer the case... he would dispose of the culn. Painfully.
He ordered the culn man to kneel back behind the boulders and did so himself, not wanting to give any chance of being spotted even if the culn had a harder time seeing in the night. Jerekka did so grudgingly but obeyed, compelled by the contract of minionhood.
“How many are there?” Trey asked bluntly.
Again Jerekka tried to resist answering, to Trey’s mounting anger, but the demon eventually gave in.
“Hundreds of warriors. Hundreds more women and children. The slaves we had were shipped out so there are likely only a few dozen slaves left, if even that. They might all be eaten or sent to the mines by now.”
“Why does everyone seem to be celebrating? Is there something going on tonight?”
Jerekka nodded. “Yes. The tribe that calls this area of our lord’s domain home is having a wedding between Captain Coraza… the man who killed you, and the chieftain's daughter. They are likely feasting now.”
Trey grinned at the thought of crashing the wedding, but he’d only take action if it was realistically winnable. He’d have to move carefully even if it meant he didn’t strike tonight.
“Do you know where this ‘Captain Coraza’ lives inside the fortress?”
Jerekka nodded yes.
“In your honest opinion, what would be the best way of getting in and out of the fortress to kill this man?”
Jerekka’s eyes widened and he looked like he was in shock. “You really want to go in? Even after seeing you are completely outnumbered? You will lose! WE will lose! You would be wise to run!”
“Shut the fuck up and tell me!” Trey hissed with anger, the greatsword to his right hissing in its own right but in excitement of an upcoming fight.
“Your minion Talsh’Noc’Un has increased its opinion of you from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Content.’ Your minion will now receive a 15% bonus to experience gained.”
The mechanical words of the All Spirit echoed in Trey’s mind as he looked over in surprise to the greatsword sitting against another large rock. The sword didn’t even have levels, how would experience be put into use by a living weapon?
Trey shrugged, but couldn’t help smiling a little bit knowing that he had gained favor with the weapon simply due to his aggressive stance on revenge.
The culn soldier simply stared at him before shaking his head in defeat. He looked over to where the magelights and torches lit up the towers and walls, illuminating the small fortress to pierce the dark.
“There is a passage, an escape tunnel that leads out from the hold into a concealed exit. It is masked with illusions.” Jerekka pointed further out into the mountains. “The hidden door is only a mile from here and leads directly into the great hall. If we really are going in, this is the way we should do it.”
Trey was very aware the culn soldier hadn’t mentioned this before, and he made a mental note of how he truly couldn’t rely on minions that were held against their will. Trey slapped the unaware culn on the back of his head excitedly and tossed the helmet back. “That’s what I’m talking about! Maybe you’re not so useless after all!”
Jerekka looked uncomfortable, but as Trey got up and ordered him to show the way he got up and began to walk. He tripped twice while showing Trey the way, cursing the rubble littering the hillside and stopping short of another large boulder twenty feet away.
“That rock isn’t really there.” Jerekka muttered softly, angrily even. “A wooden hatch is built where the rock should be and underneath is a tunnel. There will be at least two guards soon after coming down.”
Trey cackled gleefully and felt Sithis urge him forward in approval, readying them for the kills to come. “Good Job Jerekka… very good job. Where do you get the wood though? This place is full of rocks and occasional shrubs, I haven’t seen any trees.”
The culn soldier sneered. “You just haven’t looked in the right places, imbecile.”
Trey shrugged off the insult of his slave and crept forward, motioning for Napoleon and Jerekka to be silent as they went. Unfortunately Jerekka’s heavy armor didn’t give him the option of being too silent, but as Trey glared back at the culn it occurred to him that he may be able to use Jerekka like a trojan horse.
“How would the guards react to you if you took this entrance unannounced?” Trey asked curiously.
Jerekka shrugged grudgingly. “If I knew them they’d likely blow it off, if not… then they’d question me and report me to the superiors. There are no other culn factions outside of this lord’s domain for many many leagues, so it is unlikely that any of us would be considered spies or assassins.”
The resulting malicious smile Trey gave Jerekka in response caused the culn to shiver.
“Good.”