“The lever will be manned I suspect,” Morgan spoke softly as he peered through the crack in the door into a ruby rugged hallway. It was empty but for portraits on the walls and alcoves with stands that held vases from craftsmen of ancient times, all precious and illustrious.

“We need to figure out where we are, this place is huge and there aren’t windows, why would that be?”

Morgan closed the door, “I suspect by design, this place does not feel Paladinic for certain, I taste something off in the air.”

Footsteps clanked from the other side of the door and Morgan hissed and flapped his hands like a chicken whose feathers were ruffled, “Hide.”

Iridia lept behind a couch and Morgan crawled under the table that held the black book that sucked him in. He could hear it speaking above his head, like a million whispers vying for the podium, some sharp, some sad, some angry. He placed a hand on his hilt and eased the blade free of its scabbard.

The steps stopped outside the door and a loud exhale could be heard. Morgan watched without blinking until his eyes stung. The door began to shimmer and warp as if it were melting, Morgan blinked away the forming tears but to his surprise, the door still appeared otherworldly.

Iridia peeked from behind the couch and caught sight of the door, she glanced at Morgan with confusion etched into her brow, and he replied with the same frown.

A clawed hand emerged from the door that rippled like a pond in the summer, the room reflected to them now and was fractured by the disturbance of the creeping hand. The hand was black as soot and its nails were like thick talons. A leg came next and then a face, a most gruesome sight. Its face was skeletal and ashen, two yellowed eyes glowed with dancing green pupils that searched the room frantically.

Iridia ducked and Morgan tightened his grip on his sword, it was hard to contemplate what he was seeing, but it was not natural. The head moved through the door and panned around, it breathed deep and licked its chattering teeth. It focused on the couch Iridia hid behind, lids narrowing and tongue lashing to taste the air as if it was reaching out to feel around the room. It let out a growl and retreated into the corridor. The door went back to normal and they didn’t move for another minute.

Morgan crawled out as silently as he could and stood, “Iridia.” he hissed.

Iridia popped her head up and blinked. “What was that?”

“No idea, let’s not find out.”

“We need to get out of this room.”

Morgan nodded in agreeance, it would mean they’d have to leave into the hall where that creature came from and was potentially stalking. “We should be all…incognito.”

Iridia nodded, she closed her eyes and took a breath, she was invincible, she was a Paladin. She gripped her spear tightly and walked around to the door. “Stay behind me.”

Morgan nodded, “I’ll be with you all the way.”

Iridia placed her finger to her lips and eased the door open to peer out into the hallway, it was clear, and she peeked around the other side to check the other side of the hallway; just a blacked-out window, made sense now. She moved out into the hallway and waved Morgan to follow.

They moved along the wall and Iridia looked around the corner, they were in the reception, it was clear from the grand staircase and the bannister that spiralled up the sides. The floor was red and gold checkerboard tiles that made Iridia a little dizzy.

“Are we clear?” Morgan whispered.

Iridia looked back and nodded, “I don’t see anyone, but it’s hard to tell, we are at the front, so the gatehouse will be through the main doors.”

Morgan nodded and checked behind them, “After you.”

Kaleb marched up to the edge of the canal and boomed out in his most authoritative voice, “Trinius and Saldagor, I am Paladin Kaleb of the house of Zale, you will submit to a search, lower your bridge.”

A crowd had formed around Kaleb, Esme, Vince and his two Orcs. Entertainment was at a premium currently and few would forgo the opportunity, watching wingless fairies fight scorpions with a sharpened match had gotten old fast, also they were running out of willing tiny folk.

The bridge remained erect and the guards in their silver armoured remained defiant by their post, they would not budge for one who climbed up the ladder of a small standing post, she spoke through a great brass horn. “Your authority is not respected here, Paladin Kaleb of the House Zale, go home to Angelspree.”

Kaleb turned on the spot and looked at Esme for a clue, she simply pushed her bottom lip out and looked back over the bridge. Flencer was still out of sight and hidden, how he’d love for him to put a bolt through the brass horn man's skull. Kaleb’s face flushed under his helmet for the speaker was not wrong, he had no power and now he looked a fool in front of the waiting crowd. The militia had gathered in a unit across the way and looked ready to put an end to Kaleb’s insurrection at any moment, though, even with their numbers they might not be equipped.

“Do not make me call upon the divine heart!” Kaleb growled back over the bridge, he prayed for success, calling out to Iridia through the void in hopes his words would be pumped down the veins into her heart.

“The Divine heart is with true Paladins of the order, you are a pretender, if you do not disperse you will be arrested and an example will be made of you.”

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The nerve of the speaker brought ire that seethed into every fibre of Kaleb’s being, how dare such a poxy little guardsman even consider the formation of a sentence, let alone let those foul words flick from the tip of his serpentine tongue. He took in a deep breath. “Call forth your masters to speak to me, lest they fear my inquisition.”

Morgan and Iridia could hear the commotion from outside, they scuttled quickly through the main hall toward the large doors that led to the court outside where the bridge house must be.

“Where do you think you are going?”

They both froze, at the top of the steps stood the creature that had been stalking the halls. Its body was slender and long, arms out of proportion and neck wiry and stretched most peculiarly.

Morgan drew his blade, “Iridia, go, pull the lever, I will stall him.”

“You couldn’t possibly.”

“Go.”

Iridia closed her eyes, she felt the divine heart rise within her and she could feel Kaleb’s desperation. The Eighth bell rang in her mind and the bridge fell, the bridge must be lowered on the eighth bell. “No, Morgan you go, I will hold this beast.”

“What?”

She looked at him with great intensity. “On the eighth bell, pull the lever, the bridge will fall the crowd will see Kaleb’s connection to the divine, do it.”

Morgan nodded and slipped away and out one of the large double doors into the courtyard.

The creature took each step with a deliberate motion as it descended to her level. “I look forward to consuming you, Paladin.”

Iridia spun her spear between her hands and took up a stance, “I do not fear you.” Her eyes glowed with the inspiration of the divine heart, casting a light upon the creature that approached.

Morgan moved silently in the cover of darkness, the guards of the courtyard had lined up at the edge now to make a show of their presence for the bellowing Kaleb on the far side. The house that held the mechanism for the bridge was kindly marked out, only a thirty or so long strides away, he could dash it. He looked back at the doors of the tower, worry overcame him, he couldn’t delay.

The first bell chimed.

“Lower the bridge, or the divine heart will do so for me!” Kaleb called from the other side. The guards laughed at him.

The second bell chimed and spurred Morgan into action, she darted towards his destination.

“Go back home, Paladin!”

The third bell chimed.

The crowd began to join in, tossing their rubbish and whatever they could find at him and the party, Kaleb stood like a statue, waiting for the bridge to lower, he couldn’t possibly know if it would.

The fourth bell chimed.

Morgan reached the lever house but to his surprise, a guard was coming out of the doorway. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m, eh, the helper boy…come to check if you need some biscuits…”

His nose crinkled and he sneered, he had no armour like the other presentable guards, he must have been one of the lesser bodies doing more menial work.

The fifth bell chimed.

Morgan drove his blade into his stomach and he let out a stifled gasp, he pushed him back into the house and landed with a thud, the bell chime covering the commotion.

He looked over at the dying guard who was grabbing at his belt to try and get his blade free, blood spurted from his stomach when he slid the blade out. “Agh!”

Morgan finished the job and pushed the tip into his throat, the feeling was cold yet exhilarating, his first kill, a guard that had been none the wiser to his intentions, a rogueish murder, but rightful for the lever must be pulled.

The sixth bell chimed.

Kaleb’s voice called out but it was hard to understand what he was saying now, he was certainly displeased. He frantically looked around the small house and found the lever protruding from the ground, the mechanism looked old and cranky, spider webs decorated it and the air was musky and damp. He dropped his sword and then gripped the leather-padded end of the lever to use his full body to pull it. He grunted and it barely moved.

The seventh bell chimed.

“If by the eighth bell, you have not lowered this bridge, it will be done so for you, and you will be punished!” Kaleb roared now. Esme had a nervous look about her, yet Vince was cool, a sly smirk covered his lips.

Morgan heaved once more, “By the divine heart will you budge!”

The eighth bell chimed.

A click, a tock and then a rusty whir whizzed around the lever house. Morgan fell flat on his back and sprawled over the legs of the dead guardsman.

Kaleb’s eyes went wide with a cocktail of joy, surprise and pride, by the great golden heart they had done it. The eighth bell’s final echo was punctuated by the slam of the bridge as it landed before his feet.

The crowd gasped and stepped back, silence first and then low mutters brewed from the darker corners until it led into an excited chatter. Esme nodded to Kaleb, “You have trained her well, she has succeeded most perfectly.”

“Of course, I trained her well.” He didn’t know what else to say, had he trained her so well? Or was this yet more luck? It couldn’t be, he could feel the burden upon the heart as it pumped out his plea, suddenly he felt not so alone in this quest…something somewhere wanted the party to win.

“I suppose we should cross?” Vince leaned out from beside Esme and raised both eyebrows, “Lead the way, Paladin of Zale.”

Kaleb nodded and marched forward across the bridge. Flencer came bustling through the crowd, crossbow in hand. “Outta me way, you slack-jawed ninny’s, am with the Paladin!” he tailed the group and joined them across the bridge.

The silver-adorned guard stood in silence now, only a rattle from their shaking fear as Kaleb glared at them. The horn man had clambered down and nervously greeted them. “Paladin, Kaleb of Zale, you do not…”

Kaleb snatched the horn from his hand and crushed it. “Move aside.”

“Right, you are…” He stepped out of the way grimly and bowed his head.

Morgan rushed out to meet Kaleb, he wheezed out his words, “My lord…I…Iridia…”

“Calm down Morgan, where is she?”

“Inside…monster…we must help her.”