“Well,” Stokrar pushed onwards, “What would that be?”
“Cultist, can you cast your spells?”
Volodar looked towards his hands as they were bound. Could I trust them with the truth? “Firstly, I am a necromancer. Do not lump me with the average acolyte who practices with dark arts. Second, my magical prowess cannot be contained with such bindings.” A slight bluff as there were certainly some spells and reanimation that he could do, but others were off the table. Sealing his mouth was the correct play if they truly wanted him not to cast spells, a perk of being an unknown sorcerer is having the secrecy of your magics.
Holding onto the bars, the tengu pressed his head upon it in either direction. “Okay, necromancer. If I bring the guard, could you take care of him?”
I could, but why would I? He nodded, “I could, if I wanted to do so.” I could also reanimate him and let myself out without your assistance. Volodar looked over the men as he examined them. Raising his hands up to his head, Volodar used an incantation to speak with Hunter.
Hunter seemed aware of the connection as he spoke up, “Master Volodar, is that you?”
“Yes,” Volodar sighed, “it’s good to know your animation did not cease. How is Doppel and Adelia?”
“They are fine, we followed the tracks of Lucas for a while now. Lucas is quite agile.”
“He is a vampire, after all.” Volodar felt something that he could only know to be a similar feeling to when his creations died at the tower. Rage, this must be what inner rage felt like. He wiped his hands as he brushed off the dirt, “His abilities far exceed our own at this moment when it comes to physical dexterity. From what I have gathered, I am in the dungeon of the nobleman. It’s Boar, Lucas must be working in tandem with them.”
Hunter raised his voice, “The bastards placed you in a cage? Those insolent cretins. I’ll place a bolt personally between the eyes of the pig, himself.”
“Yes, but I need to escape,” Volodar glanced at the others, “Two people who’ve wanted my death in the past are here even now. I may have to work with them.”
“You can walk over to that corner if you’d like, but we can still hear you,” Stokrar said as he paced back and forth in his cell.
“We’ll be there before nightfall.” Hunter’s voice seemed filled with determination.
“When is that? I have no way to see the sky from here.”
Two voices rang out as Blackjack and Hunter responded at the same time. It was going to be dark in a few hours. That is confusing, to say the least. The last time Volodar heard that much feedback while talking was when he visited the adventurer’s guild in Strosa. Disconnecting the line, Volodar looked over towards Blackjack. “In a few hours, my people will be here to save me from this cell.”
Blackjack seemed unconvinced as he looked up and down. “We shouldn’t just wait for your soldiers to come, my fellow tengu are somewhere within the surroundings. Should both parties meet, surely conflict will follow.”
I could just send another message to Hunter, Volodar thought as he waited for the conversation to play out. “So,” Volodar mused, “what is your plan?”
Toying with metal on the bars, he spoke about the plan. “Like I was saying earlier, we call the guard over with my abilities. Once we have done so, One of us three will grab him from the bars and hold him while you use your magic.”
Cederic interrupted the conversation, “There is a mercenary company of black tengu outside the city walls. They are hurt from a skirmish, but they should still be able to fight back should the men sally out and attack them.”
“What’s the company name,” Volodar asked.
“Stone Crows,” Blackjack proudly replied, “fine soldiers of my uncle.”
A question pestered Volodar’s mind since the beginning of this conversation, “I see and why would I trust you all over waiting for my allies?”
Blackjack and Stokrar had no response as they stood by the bars. Cederic breathed outwards slowly as he stood up and looked towards Volodar. “I am a cleric in service to the one true god of life, Esus. My vows were sworn upon my eighteenth namesake day and I shall never break them.” Volodar watched skeptically as he continued his monologue. This man conjured images of Drake to the forefront of his mind. He couldn’t help but to smile at the mannerisms that both shared. “I, Cederic Delannoy, swear upon my-”
“I understand,” Volodar said, “one of my companions is a cleric as well. You don’t need to do the whole bit for me. We’ll work together, for now.” Stokrar simply whistled past the conversation as they waited in their cells for a perfect time to strike. Blackjack seemed to keep track of time well as he would update people constantly.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“It’s a trick I picked up when I killed humans for a living.” Blackjack twirled a small twig in his hands, “Such predictable creatures, they’re like clockwork with their routines.”
Stokrar laughed, “I’ve known a few exactly like that, you would’ve enjoyed taking bounties out on them. Unfortunately, I’ve worked for a lot of them. Gotta break bread with the devil to do some good.”
“It is what it is,” Cederic said as he leaned back against the wall. “I think it’s time for Volodar and Blackjack to do their part.” Blackjack opened his beak in a forty-five degree angle as a strange sound erupted from it. It was the sound of metal clashing with one another or some scuffle that occurred in the past. This noise seemed to carry down the halls as it echoed about. No more than a minute passed before a man in leather armor and a heart protector rounded the corner.
The man had a helmet that was open faced and a red cloak on. He wielded a black looking rod as he rattled it against the bars walking towards Blackjack’s cell. He asked, “What the hell are you doing, bird?” Cederic and Stokrar walked to the edge of the bars as they gauged the distance between the man and themselves. “Get back to the wall,” the man barked as he lashed out against the metal. Blackjack seized that moment to grab his other hand as the guard instinctively started to crush it with his weapon.
Volodar opened the palm of one hand as he blasted the guard with dark magic, inhibiting his strength as he fought back. Stokrar kept flailing his arm around the side of the bars to grab a hold of the guard as they fought, latching onto a part of his armor and pulling him back. Wrapping his hand around the neck of the man, they fought as the guard suffocated. If I fire more attacks, it could possibly hit them as well, Volodar thought as he held back and watched the slow end of this man’s life.
After a minute the guard slumped to the floor as Stokrar caught his breath. Stokrar nearly broke his arm due to the poor angle that the guard was at. He placed his other arm through the bars as he rifled through the man’s belongings. “Shit,” Stokrar said, “the bastard doesn’t have any keys on him. What do we do now?”
“We escape,” Volodar said plainly as he examined the body and ushered an incantation. Reanimate him, dark energy left through his mouth as it went into the body. Shuddering and moving in an unseemly way, the guard knelt before Volodar. “You will be a ghoul under the command of Hunter when he arrives. Until then, get me out of this cell.”
Swiftly, the ghoul acknowledged the request and left the hallway as it walked away. Cederic shook his head in disapproval as the creature left. After a few moments, he walked back in with a set of keys as he jiggled the handle and released Volodar. He ordered the ghoul, “Unbind me from this and release these three. They assisted me in escaping.” Everyone felt better out of their cells although it was too early to celebrate. With the ghoul as their guide, he led them to a small room that was probably a secondary armory of sorts. A few short blades and helmets rested in the room alongside many mundane items.
Stokrar looked at the blade in his hand, “It’s too small, but the blade will do for now.” Large noises could be heard from above as the sound of screams emanated from the exit. Other convicts would cry out to be released as they went to escape. Volodar ordered his ghoul to release them. Either way, they gain freedom for the price of being a diversion. A fair deal, should anyone care to ask him. From above, the noises kept growing as smashing noises could be heard as well.
Prisoners trickled out one by one giving gratitude as they headed above to deal with whatever was out there. Stokrar and the others decided to push ahead as well. Outside, it was dark out as the moon wasn’t doing much work to light the scenery. However, many lights were within the city walls. Flames from burning buildings, candles and torches all seemed to show a pathway.
Cederic whispered, “We’re out of the keep, but we need to get to the outer walls without too much attention.” Blackjack seemed confident as he beckoned the others to follow him towards the wall. Weaving in and out of back streets and main roads, the path was hectic as Blackjack did his best to disguise his tengu body. The walls could be seen as pitch was igniting with flames at the top of the walls. Archers were using it to lace their arrows as they fired away.
Now that the wooden gate of the town was in view, Volodar could see that it was on the verge of being broken through. Every crack and seem of the wooden structure seemed to moan as a crowd of soldiers waited for whatever was beyond the door to come through. A moment of silence fell as the door slowly bent back. Suddenly, one last thrust sent the intruders flying inside. Doppel led the jotuns through the door as he swatted away the soldiers in front of the door.
Volodar felt an urge to sprint towards the group and show himself to Doppel, but Blackjack held onto him. “Not now, necromancer. Think about it, they need to clear a path first.”
Roars from Doppel bellowed out as he called for the death of the soldiers who defended this fort. The fortification of his body has done wonders for him, Volodar thought as he witnessed the display of strength that Doppel had. Stokrar smiled as he looked towards Doppel, “What a strong soul, I can feel my inner flame wanting to be fed by that creature.”
“Try him,” Volodar said, “he will break your body before your spirit in that case.”
“Quiet,” Blackjack said, “we are not going to fight one another. Honor your agreements.”
“I’m not sitting around,” Stokrar said as he sliced his hand with the blade. Along the edges of the blade, flames shimmered along the shortsword as he sprinted towards some of Boar’s men.
“He may have damn near broken his arm, but sure.” Cederic started to jog after him, “That sounds about right.”
Volodar asked, “Are they always like this?”
Ruffling the feathers of his arm, the tengu responded quietly. “Don’t ask me, we’ve only known each other a few days. They are of good morals though.”
“I see.” The corners of Volodar’s mouth rose, “They are truly free men.” Doppel continued his warpath as the once fleshy, tall mass now had blood soaking most of his arms and torso. Many of the soldiers would use spears and stab it into him. Only to have the assisting jotuns smack them down with their weapons. Men of this skill couldn’t possibly hope to kill the jotuns when they were in this many numbers. Volodar enjoyed seeing his creations do well. It required dozens of adventurers to take on these jotuns in life, what makes them think they’ll kill them as an undead.
Smiling at the carnage of Boar's men, an idea sprung into the mind of Volodar. Suddenly, he lost his will to hide any longer as he stood up from his hiding position. “I remember what I promised not too long ago. I’ve found just the time to pay him a visit.”