We kept talking about what we were about to do in next few days for few more hours, in the end such actions couldn’t be done without preparation… unless your name is Gisele.
* “I think we should name our party!” Jason said with wide grin “It helps us to keep our identity, remember us about our goals and also may be bane of our enemies, what do you think?”
Childish. Stupid. Pathetic. We are not five years old!
* “Name! Name!” Twins yelled together as their eyes started sparkling.
Ok, I can understand them. They are still kids, but I doubt that…
* “SOMKIN’!” Pryox yelled while turning his head above and breathing fire like a dragon
Ok, another man that I can understand. Poor thing must have been tortured by most of his life, he doesn’t even know his own name and use nickname instead. He is mentally unstable so using a name he can pick really can help him in understanding who he is, but then again…
* “Sounds like fun.” Morgana joined discussion “Unfortunately me, my brothers and sisters couldn’t pick one by ourselves. First, we didn’t even consider naming our group as we started studying and later on we were already known as Keepers of Night… that could be refreshing….”
Ok, once and for all I have just lost my faith in humanity!
* “Don’t look at me! I am not a mage, I love you guys, but I doubt we would have many opportunities to work together. I am a freelancer!” Ay said casually eating her piece of deer “Zari, you could have use some spice…”
I pointed on the ground next to her chanting quietly. A small plant started growing there.
* “Give it couple of minutes and you will have pepper growing right next to you…”
* “… You are thlesse sweetest client I ever have!”
* “Anyway. Looks like it is already decided. If you want, just pick a name and I will roll with that.” I gave up. I was simply outnumbered.
* “So… we are about to do something crazy, pretty much impossible and for sure – illogical. At least I have never heard about five magicians, one rouge and one… crippled magician” he said last part looking at half demoness “… to attack inquisition outpost.”
* “Hey! It won’t be that bad! We took a whole castle with over four hundred hunters inside. And outpost should be less fortified and far fewer guards should protect it. In the end this is just a building near trade route that serves only as supply and information distribution point…”
* “Ok, still this is bit crazy… so, as we are going to do something that most of the witches consider suicide…” no. Don’t say it. No. I shall not agree! “… what would you say about suicide squ…”
* “DON’T YOU EVEN DARE TO SAY ANOTHER WORD! I dare you! I double fucking dare you!”
* “Z..Zari, something wrong? Some bad memories attached to this name?”
But I only jumped from the ground, grabbed him by the shoulders and begun shaking him violently
* “ALSO JARED DID A GREAT JOB! HE JUST HAVE BAREALY ANY SCREEN TIME! IT WASN’T HIS FAULT AND DID NOT DESERVE SUCH HARSH REVIEWS!”
* “Zari, please. Calm down! One I have no idea what are you talking about, but if this name doesn’t suit you we can pick another! Just calm down!”
Pyrox moved to Morgana and tried whispering to her eat quietly, yet we all manage to hear that:
* “I think big boss is crazy…”
Finally I calmed down. Seriously, was I the only one who enjoyed that movie? Maybe the only thing that annoyed me bit more than it should was black deadshot but… screw this. And that. And everything. This movie should have much better reviews!
* “…If it is such a delicate subject for you, how about choosing one yourself?
* “I am fine with whatever you pick!” I just waved my hand
* “No… we insist!”
* “I really am fine with everything! Really!”
* “Ok… some… how about..”
Yet the next name they pick didn’t suit me. Nor another. Nor another one. Honestly!? Why are they picking names that are ref to books, movies, shows etc? Can’t they be bit more… original and less direct? In the end I needed to join the discussion as their taste was getting worse. In the end we decided on Legion that came from hell and is back for more – Hellion.
* “Ok. Name is shit, but let’s stay with this one…”
* “I still don’t know what was, in your opinion, wrong with Devil May….”
* “One more word and your head shall roll. Anyway. Let’s get back to bed. We all need some rest after those attractions served to us by old Bob… Ay, would you be so nice and take a first watch?”
* “No problem, Whitey!”
I wanted to take a spot somewhere alone under the tree, but twins kept standing behind me all this time
* “Something I can help you with, sunshines?”
* “Big brother, big brother, you told us we can sleep together…”
* “Big brother, big brother, this is exactly what you said!”
* “I did? I think I did. Really? Are you sure? Like, you sure I didn’t lie? No? Ok. Come here.”
* “…”
* “Something wrong?”
* “Big brother, bog brother… could you turn into fluffy doggy like before?”
Well, what I turned into last time could be named in many ways, but I doubted that fluffy dog was one of those. But they did great, so I think I can spoil them a little… I morphed my body doing my best to grow as much soft fur as it was only possible and rolled on the ground. Kids jumped right away and laid on my side. Now as I think about it, these kids slept god only knows how long without pillows nor quilt having themselves as the only source of warmth. Before falling into sleep I looked over the camp one more time. Morgana looked at me with an ironical smile, she must be remembering the moment in which I said that I hate children.
* “Don’t you dare to say a word.” I hissed in her direction
* “I wasn’t going to say anything.” She smiled sweetly
* “Are you sure? You totally look like someone who wants to speak her mind.”
* “Must be your imagination.”
* “Good.”
And I just closed my eyes, yet I felt her mocking gaze on me for some more time.
I woke up in the morning. Jason was holding the watch
* “Why no one woke me to hold a watch?”
* “Because then we would also wake kids, and they surely needed sleep. So did you. Let me just remind, that old Bob for those past few days focused mostly on you.”
He was right. I slept through the whole night, seven hours? Eight? That twice as much as usual. I waited couple more minutes before waking twins. I poked each of them with my nose couple of times.
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* “Get up or I am going to lick you. And once I start there would be no turning back.”
They giggle quietly and pretend to keep sleeping.
* “In that case justice shall be served!”
They run away while screaming in terror. I morphed back to my human form. I was smiling looking at them. Their powers awoke due to desperate need of protecting one another, they may be murderers, but if any sin could be committed because of innocence, that would be exactly what they did. Morgana once again was smiling at me with one of her brows up. In a moment neutral expression returned on my face and with [Hmph] I started helping in packing the camp.
* “Ok, so we are about to find inquisition outpost. Why? We could target few less dangerous facilities.”
* “No, no and no. You see, I told you I have some debt to be paid. There was a paladin that kept escorting me back to this castle. She was followed by few companions also paladins. One of them was nice enough to tell me that his sister bakes world best apple pies and I wish to check if it is true… We are going to start a chaos. And when everyone’s eyes would be focused on us, Ay would locate and still information about Gorge Blaig. To be exact where he and his sister are living.”
* “Why do you think they would have such information?”
* “We are talking about inquisition sunshine. They want to have information about everyone just to blackmail them if situation would turn dire. And as they live somewhere around here local office should have the data. I doubt that they would sent information about every local villager to capital.”
* “Yet… those are all only presumptions, you are risking the life of every team member because you think it will work?”
* “Wow, it sounds really bad when you name it like that. But technically yes, this is exactly what and why we are about to do.”
* “… let’s do this.”
In same time a group of bishop reached at the Castle Wergern. It was a wonderful occasion, mage wanted by prophetess has been caught! Oh, the possibilities were infinite! They would take him and move to the capital and locate in dungeons of headquarters of inquisition. Alice, that little stupid girl wanted him dead so much! Yet the whole council of bishop would decline it! [No now, my lady, we can obtain so much knowledge that could help us hunt down even more witches, we shall not allow such an opportunity to go waste…] as if they would care about witches in the first place. But that silly girl would do everything to see that witch burn… and that would be used to improve possibilities of bishops even further. Their final goal was to take away every possible power from prophetess. To turn her into a nice puppet, the doll that would say a speech prepared by bishops beforehand… for past years they were slowly marching onward to reach this goal, but this.. this was a milestone.
Yet in castle they were not welcome by anyone nor anything… except smoke and broken buildings.
* “No…” bishop whispered in disbelief “No, no NO! This can’t be happening!”
The whole group rushed inside. The walls were the only structures that somehow wasn’t completely destroyed. And it was at least weird sight. In every kind of assault the walls would be damaged first, how would enemy forces get inside if not by making a hollow in defense line?... Unless.. the attack started inside.
* “Search the area! Look for survivors! Paladins! With me! To the chapel!” This castle was special. It served one purpose – to keep an ancient evil at bay. But the seal was left untouched. It has to be! Whoever did it, there was no way that they could have known about it! About her!
Burned bodies of three nuns were the first thing that they noticed. Open flap leading to the lower chamber was second.
* “No! For all creation! No!” Bishop rushed down
They broke the seal, they found a way inside, but it was impossible for them to break the curse! It was impossible! Imposs…
The pedestal was empty. As the old text says, a vessel of calamity that wanted to violate the natural order of the world was placed here. Yet it was gone. Whoever or whatever was supposed to be here… it was gone.
No, wait. On the further inspection pedestal wasn’t completely empty. There was a small piece of paper. A letter? No. It was only a small drawing, very basic one as if done by a kid or in hurry. It was showing a smiling face of something that looked like a wild man, almost beast, with incredibly sharp teeth. Someone was mocking him, mocking the church.
* “Sir!” one of solider returned from inspection “There is no one alive in the castle, all witch cells were opened. There are no signs of breaking in, so it looks as if they were open by keys… also… The torture master is in his cell in the block S… but…”
* “You just say that no one is alive…”
* “Yes, sir… exactly… but apparently… someone…”
* “Just spit it already!”
* “Yes, he looks as if somebody was torturing him instead. His eyes were cut off missing and into his eye sockets some acid had to be poured..”
* “Why do you think acid was poured after cutting eyes off?”
* “Sir, because they were put in the jar on the table next to him…”
* “… something more to report?”
* “Yes. His throat is filled with some… black rock? Maybe tar? Can’t be sure we prefer not touching anything.”
* “You did well. Send messenger to the nearest inquisition office and tell them to sent investigators. Made a camp near the castle. As soon as investigation here would be done and we would get new information we would decide what to do next. Send another messenger to the capital… to the council of bishops to be precise. None of this things can be heard by her heightens prophetess… her heart could not stand such tragedy.”
* “Sir, yes, sir.”
Five hooded travelers were getting closer to the office of inquisition. It was located on the crossing of few trading routes to let traveling inquisitors locate in quickly no matter where they came from or traveled to. It looked like pretty bug mansions, with stable, well, chapel, barracks and – the main reason why those five travelers came here – the library. Well, word library wouldn’t really fit the description. There were not books about science, culture or politic here. Only records of cases and people from around.
* “Only two meter tall wall? I can’t see too many guards either. Why aren’t they protecting this facility more?” man around his forties asked
* “No one with bit of sanity left wouldn’t attack church in the first place. I am pretty sure that within a day forces from nearest towns would come here and hunt down idiots responsible for that.” Young man leading the group answered
* “We are those idiots.”
* “A-ha.”
* “So, why won’t we be hunted down in a day?”
* “Because of our brothers and sisters we freed yesterday. There are many traces. Also, we would leave them some fake information. Just in case.”
They got closer to the gate. There was exactly one guard on the wall.
* “State your business!”
* “Sir! The castle Wargern has fallen! Witches run in all directions! We saw it happening and have information about them! Please! Hear us out!”
* “Incredible. Not a single lie…”
* “This cannot be! Do you think what we will do to you for such jokes!”
* “Look on us, dear sir! We have came directly under your gate to deliver those information! Personally! If that would be a joke we would send letter instead of risking our lifes!”
* “…Fair enough. I will open the gate. Head inquisitor will hear you out.”
The gate slowly start moving to the sides letting travelers inside
* “Follow me. You better not be joking or I will personally skin you alive.”
* “Old Bob would start with pulling nails off.” Man on the front said
* “… civilian, how do you know nickname of Master Torturer?”
* “Civilian? We are not civilians.”
* “But you said…”
* “WE told you that we have information about witches that destroy castle. This is not a lie. You have just let them in.”
Guard turned around and wanted to say something, but wave of fire turned him into walking, screaming torch.
* “Ok, lady and gentlemen, let’s do the show.”
* “It irritates me more than it should that you are leaving me behind.” First witch said irritated
* “Honey, guessing by what Whitey said you are useless. They don’t want to risk your life not to lose focus. Tis only logical way….” Explosion could be heard from direction of the castle “.. Okie-dokie, that was sign for me to step in! Stay here, don’t talk with stranger and eat your veggies. We will be back in a blink!”
Assassin patted witch head, put nun robes on and moved running in direction of explosions.
Travelers entered the mansion. It wasn’t richly decorated, but it was far from being poor. One of the man tried to start burning the building, but was stopped but white-haired leader
* “Not yet, Pyrox, we will still have time for that. We don’t want fire to burn records for which we came, don’t we? As soon as Ay would let us know that she has what we came here for you are free to burn every single plank in this place.”
The punk only [Hmph]ed annoyed in response, but did as he was told.
A sound of running foot could be heard from behind a corridor and about ten man dressed quickly in light armor tired surrounding them.
* “Surrender! You are outnumbered! You shall pay of invading this…”
* “I think you got slightly wrong idea of what is happening here. We are not trapped here with you, you are the one who are trapped here with us.”
Twins that stood behind a man grabbed each other hands. Man who yelled a moment ago grabbed his head as surge of pain went through his body.
Silly him. Why did he ordered them to surrender? They were the one who should fell on their faces and beg for mercy! To say such rude words to angel! How foolish he was! Such sin can be only paid by blood! Their blood! He took his blade off and with polite, apologetic smile said
* “I am sorry, may this sacrifice undo my sins…”
And pierced man standing next to him
A single nun was running through the corridors of building next to the mansion, she tried locating records regarding specific person. She shouldn’t waste too much time, in the end she was looking someone with family name starting on [B]
* “Halt! What are you doing here sister!?”
* “Have you lost your mind? Don’t you know what is happening?! Office is under attack! They entered the head inquisitor mansion! He ordered me to grab as many records and flee! What are you still doing here? Go aid your brothers!”
And she pushed man to the side entering records.
B…B…B…B…B… HERE! Now, family name… there it is! Now only look for two specific people, it can’t be much of job, can it… in the end she wasn’t looking for some…
Huge family with incredibly long record. Of course this fucker belong to one.
Another inquisitor was send flying over the corridor with twisted neck as monstrosity that looked like two meter tall breed of wolf and lizard moving on two rears legs ended his life.
* “Jason. Look at the mast on the library. What flag is there?”
Dark haired man rushed to the window
* “Red sun on white background. Flag of the church. Nothing changed.”
Guard opened side door with the kick holding the crossbow in his head. Aimed at beast and shot. Arrow pierced creature’s side making it roar, more in surprise that pain. It looked at the guard, at wound, again on guard and again on wound. Grabbed the arrow and pulled it off. Guard, much in his terror could notice how wound was vanishing. Like it never was dealt. No, wait. A small scar was left on the creatures arm.
Poor man dropped his weapon and start running back in direction where he came from. Yet the beast dropped on its all four and with speed of galloping horse run into darkness of hidden passage. Within few seconds a scream of man in agony could be heard followed by sound of flesh being tore apart.
Same creature came from the corridor, yet half of his body was painted in red.
* “Jason. Mast.”
* “How many times I have to tell you that… Wait… are those… Zari, I am pretty sure that flag was replaced by… underwear… pants, to be precise.”
* “That’s our sign. Pyrox, remember what I told you? You can have your fun now.”
A man with spiked hairs smiled from ear to ear and in next moment room in which they were standing turned into raging inferno.
* “Ok guyz, let us show them what we are made off. Blood and gore! We have been in hell and we are back for more! We are legion that came from the abyss!”
* “WE ARE HELLION!”