Joe sat in the front office of the Canakin watching the people in the room with him. There were far more guards than Joe had seen in the jailhouse previously and he was pretty sure the reason for it had to do with one of his quest partners. Count Valloc sat with his feet up on one of the guard’s desks. He was reading what looked like an old-time penny dreadful with an amused smirk on his face. At first, Joe thought the watchmen would object to the placement of the man’s boots but it quickly became apparent that the Count was the equivalent of a rock star or, better yet, a hometown sports hero to them. Joe’s favorite part was watching any time a new guard entered the room. They’d stop, and do a double-take, before rushing excitedly over to their colleagues. At one point the monster hunter even stopped reading to sign autographs for starry-eyed patrollers.
Hah’roo also perched on a desk instead of a chair. She did not have the status that Count Randeau had but she was benefiting from his second-hand deference. She sat cross-legged tying elaborate chains of knots into the strings she carried. Joe loved the look of utter concentration she wore. At difficult points in her crafting, she would adorably stick her tongue out of the side of her mouth. When she finished one she would hop off the desk and stretch in ways that made Joe wince to witness. These included lifting her leg over her head and folding herself completely in half at the waist. She then would sit back down and start another knotwork project.
Azbekt paced, tramping back and forth across the room, ceaselessly.
Joe could have happily spent the hour watching Hah’roo’s nimble fingers or the interactions of the guards and the Count. The storm cloud over his people-watching was, of course, the teeth-grinding, impatiently-muttering dwarf. His heavy angry stomping tread followed one wall, back and forth and back again. Joe had enjoyed letting him stew for a while but he could see the paladin was quickly reaching the end of his forbearance. He could tell that at any minute the dwarf was going to blow up and start barking orders. To cut that off at the pass, Joe decided to establish his role as the quest leader first. He stood up and addressed the champions of the orders of law.
“I think we have waited long enough. It is pretty clear that the Church of Justice’s champion is not coming. We should get going. Is there anything we need before we go? Since clearly you all have far more experience with this sort of thing, I would really like your input.”
“Communication is likely going to be a problem,” the Count stated. “When you are hunting monsters, there are times when you can’t speak out loud. Since we have never worked together before and so we do not have a shared set of hand signs.”
“I’ve got that covered for us Count Randeau,” Hah’roo announced. “I made us all charms of signing. The charms are only common level items, which means they won’t translate complex concepts, but they should be sufficient for basic martial maneuvers and warnings.”
“Wonderful. And please, Valloc will be just fine while we are working together.” the monster hunter beamed. “I was going to suggest we purchase just that sort of item. There is a potion seller in Krulmer Row that has a Tactical Tonic but you have saved us the trouble.”
Hah’roo blushed under the compliment and added “I also have woven you two strong charms, Joe. The first is another one of my better charms for mana renewal. The other one is a one-shot item to prevent mortal wounds. You have by far the lowest health of the group. I’ve seen you survive an impressive amount of damage but you are still vulnerable to being one-shotted. If you take more than your total health in a single blow this charm will leave you with 1 hit-point, once.”
“I noticed you made a couple of others too, Hah’roo,” Joe mentioned.
“Those are for me,” she said, as she handed out the charms. “Like you, I burn through resources, so I made myself one for mana renewal and one for stamina too.”
The Count took his with a smile. “Ah. I have not seen filumancy in years. Are you from the Sapphire Coast by any chance?”
“My clan is. Cord magic is a long-time tradition for us. Not too many folks from Duskrug get out to the Sapphire Coast,” the tracker stated with a hint of surprise in her voice.
“When this is all done, I’ll tell you about my hunt for the Jaskowallow. Now that was a chase!”
“Can we please stay focused?” Azbekt growled. “We are now a man short and saddled with this useless reprobate. We don’t have time for tall tales or arts and crafts. The day is fading and we still don’t know where we are going because this malefactor refuses to share what he knows.”
Joe pinched the bridge of his nose and counted to ten. “Fine. Let’s go. I will tell you exactly what I know as soon as we get to a private spot to speak.” Joe noted a number of the guards perk up at that declaration. “No offense guys,” he blurted. “Diviner's orders.”
“No worries, Joe,” Hemna replied. “We are all pulling for you guys. Good luck.”
The rest of the guards echoed her sentiment gathering around the group. Each of them took a second to shake Joe’s hand as they headed for the door. He was humbled at first until he realized that this also allowed the watch to shake Count Valloc’s hand as well. Those hand clasps were much longer and more vigorous than the ones he received.
Outside the building, Joe activated his party screen and willed an invitation to Hah’roo and the Count eagerly and somewhat grudgingly to Azbekt as well.
Hah’roo (Level 22, Ranger/Dancer) has joined your party
Azbekt VanderAxe (Level 34, Fighter/Paladin/Champion) has joined your party
Count Valloc Randeau (Level 46, Duelist/Fell Bane Hunter/August Harrier) has joined your party
He stopped cold on the sidewalk and stared at the screen. He knew his level was far below theirs but he had not expected that much of a gap. He was barely a third of Hah’roo’s level and she was the lowest of the three. They each had multiple classes and combat classes as well.
Joe’s confidence plummeted. He suddenly became aware of precisely how big a liability he was to the group. Just as his thought turned to maybe handing the reins of this quest over to one of the others, a friendly hand squeezed his shoulder. Joe turned to see Count Valloc smiling warmly at him.
“I will not lie to you and say the One Above only gives as much as we can handle. The Speaker of Fates often presents us with challenges that are beyond us. Knowing when you are out of your depth is a vital key to living a long adventurous life but do not be guided by fear and insecurity. That will only make the task ever so much harder. Know your strength and weakness, young healer, and know we will have your back. Everything else is just distractions.”
Joe felt more than just the words and tone radiate from the noble adventurer. He felt an aura of camaraderie envelope him which drove away the avalanche of doubts that had been trying to bury him. He blew out a deep breath and lifted his gaze to the city around him. He was feeling stronger, at least strong enough to keep moving forward. He gave the Count a nod back and refocused on the world around him again..
Looking at the wide boulevard, Joe was stunned at the change. The bustling busy avenue of the night before was almost empty this evening. The mass of traffic that had filled the street yesterday was gone. The shops that had been open and doing business by lantern light were now closed up tight. The tavern lights were lit but there were no revelers on the balconies or porches and no merry music floating on the air. The broadway was so quiet you could hear the wind blowing up from the ocean. The few people on the road were hustling along with worried expressions on their faces.
Joe looked to the sky. Even though it was too early to see the rising full moon, its effect on the people of Peregrine Bay was clear. The Night Skinner’s seemingly unstoppable butchery had terrorized the citizens of the city.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Well it looks like we won’t have to work too hard to find a private place to talk,” Joe mused. “Though asking for directions just got harder. Do any of you know the northern part of the city well?”
The Count spoke up. “I am familiar with it.” Azbekt huffed a sound that sort of sounded like an assent as well.
“Great. The guard allowed me to take a map and I found the site where we are going but I was afraid of getting lost on the way there.” As they passed a closed eatery, Joe stopped and unfolded the city map. He looked and found the tower of Vhyne and pointed it out. “Here. This is where the Skinner will be tonight.”
“That is a long way from anywhere,” the monster hunter uttered. “No chance a city patrol will be close enough if we need it.”
“The diviner was very specific. If we bring anyone but ourselves, we won’t find him.”
“Bah,” Azbekt huffed. “Surely the gods do not expect us not to marshal our order against this fiend. This massacre has gone on far too long. I have holy warriors ready and waiting on my call. This diviner of yours, if she even exists, played you for a fool. Surely you did not pay enough.”
“I’ll give you that she was one very sketchy lady but on this point she was adamant. It can only be the five of us, well four of us now.”
Azbekt maintained his dubious stare.
“I have heard of quests of this nature, sir paladin,” Valloc interjected. “The One Above is known to present challenges that are for a specific select few. If Joe is certain that it must be just us, then I say we heed his warning and not foul our chance to slay the beast.” He looked to the galeling and asked, “What say you, Hah’roo? Would you tie the vote or settle the matter for good?”
“I don’t know as much about adventuring or questing. I am a guide and occasionally a guard. I do know that the quest was given to Joe, so I think if he is certain then I’ll follow.”
“Fools,” the dwarf spat. “You gamble with the lives of all those around us. Yet order is order and if this folly is the will of the majority then so be it.” He glowered at them and then stabbed a finger into the map. “We will take Hart Street. It will bring us there the fastest.”
Joe had planned to take a different route but Hart Street looked just as good so he did not object. He did not know the city and what looks good on a map may not be so in reality. Besides, letting Azbekt have a win might make him a bit easier to deal with.
Heading along the wide northern running road, the party seemed to be the only ones out and about. They encountered not a single soul before reaching the road Azzbekt had picked. As the sky darkened, magical lights filled the hanging glass globes on poles spaced along the avenue.
Joe looked down side streets. While the larger ones also had magical street lamps, many of the smaller streets were fading into the darkening shadows. Every now and then Joe saw young men and women on stilts with long burning sticks, hurrying to light mundane lanterns along a road. As soon as one young lad finished his row he ran full tilt back into one of the buildings. Joe had never seen anyone on stilts move that quickly before.
The party reached the end of Hart Street just as the last edge of the sun glinted above the ocean. The fading light turned from hints of orange to shades of blue as a huge round moon rose in the eastern sky. Joe was afraid he was not going to be able to see and that he should have bought some sort of darksight potion.
He needn’t have worried. The fat rising moon washed the streets with bright cold light. He could make out each of the cobblestones under his feet and even read some of the large shop signs as he passed them. The night was so clear that Joe could see the first of the stars in the sky even before the sun finished slipping behind the waves.
Four city blocks later the tower of the old vineyard god came into view. The structure stood forty feet tall, flat-topped, and wreathed in twisting vines. The area around the tower was clear of buildings. Circular paths ran between five ornamental grape arbors and a large stone table, all of which looked very old. The timbers holding up the grapes sagged mightily but they must have been maintained by the locals since they were still standing. Moss and lichen coated the stone table and weeds had pushed through the gravel in the paths.
Hah’roo, who often glided ahead of the party, stopped and crouched down over a patch of grass that had split the pathway. “Tracks,” she voiced.
The Count stepped up to her and nodded his agreement. He then hunched forward and tilted his head from side to side all the while staring at the tower.
“Clever monster,” Valloc stated. “The Skinner knows how to pick his sites. The vines have choked closed the windows. It would take an exceptionally bright light from within the tower to be seen from out here. If you look carefully enough though, you can catch small glimpses of candlelight from within. I believe our beast is in the lair. Now is the time to invoke any moderate duration enhancements you might have.”
Hah’roo grabbed Joe’s wrist and tied on the three items she had made for him. She did the same for Azbekt and the Count with the communication charm, and then her own three. She then reached up and tied back her azure mane of hair.
Azbekt knelt and uttered a low prayer. As he did so the air around him seemed to grow heavier, charged with potency. It made sense that prayers in Illuminaria would be more powerful than those back on Earth but Joe was still surprised by the tangible aura that arose from Azbetk’s devotions.
The Count ran skilled hands across his gear double checking that everything was where it should be. He had donned several belts as they left the Canakin. These were filled with various blades and vials and even a classic wooden vampire stake. A bandoleer across his chest was filled with darts. He had a long slim blade on one hip and a short sword and a whip on the other. Even his tall boots had a pair of sheathed blades worked into them. When his inspection was done he took out a wooden dowel about a foot and a half long and moved a weird-looking pouch from the back of his belt to the front.
He caught Joe’s questioning looks and said “Regent’s Glue,” as if that explained anything.
“What?”
“Regent’s Glue is amazingly strong and dries in an instant. It does not last more than an hour. It is a great trick for making sure a monster does not escape behind you. After we enter, I will seal the tower door behind us, as well as any others we find. The Skinner still may flee from a route we are not aware of, but it will limit the beast’s options.”
‘Why not just use it to glue the killer to the floor?”
“Alas, the glue does not work on creatures. I have often wished it did. Though I have been in situations where I am equally glad it did not. It spilled on me once during a fight. I ended up having to cut my pants off but at least I was not bound stiff and easy for the kill.”
When everyone was ready they crept up to the tower. They circled the building once finding a smaller doorway on the backside of the structure. The Count tested it and found it locked. He slathered a liberal amount of glue on the frame, sealing it tight before they finished their circuit. Once back at the main door both the Count and Hah’roo checked it for traps. They were certain a spell was bound into the binding of the door, though they were less sure if it was a lock, a trap, or an alarm.
Azbekt lifted his shield emblazoned with the sun and moon symbol of Phealti. His voice dropped into such a deep register it sounded to Joe more like the bass from some far-off speaker than actual words. Golden symbols appeared on the door and flowed to the edges. There they encountered something which suddenly gave off a crimson glow. The gold sigils sliced into the ruby aura banishing it from the portal. Azbekt nodded and Hah’roo eased open the door. When nothing happened, not even a creak from the hinges, the four slipped inside.
The bottom of the tower was filled with old moldering wine racks and broken barrels. A still mostly intact table stood in the center of the room. On the wall, a single torch lit the downstairs. Old tapestries had fallen from their poles and lay in heaps on the ground. On the east wall, a curved stairway rose up to the second floor.
Sounds could be heard from above. Light glowed from the second floor as well, peeking through cracks in the floor and down the stairs. The floor creaked and groaned as something moved about over their heads. Either whatever it was was very large or the floor was rotting through. Or both. The first floor was roughly twelve feet in height, yet even in the dim light, they could see the boards sag under the weight of what lurked above them.
Echoing down the stairs, the questers caught fragments of a horrid-sounding incantation being uttered in a deep garbled voice.
Valloc pointed to himself, then Azbekt, then Hah’roo, and finally Joe. They all nodded and the famed monster hunter stepped up onto the stairs. Azbekt followed, hugging the wall so as to keep his heavy boots off the middle of the steps. The Count vanished off the steps when Azbekt was about halfway up. Hah’roo followed, seeming to slide up the wall itself, skipping the stairs entirely.
Before Joe could even take a step forward, he felt a strange heaviness in his arm. He looked down and his eyes landed on the sign of the Thirteen Omen, the Mark of Death. There was something there that wasn't there before. It was as if the mystical tattoo had a noticeable weight to it. He reached out to touch the glittering rose but suddenly a titanic bellow erupted from the room above.