Outside of his personal dungeon, Deacon skulked around a corner on this way to the packed square outside of this city’s town hall. He thought about this urge to have Armand think highly of him. If the Cardinal Unit didn’t come along, would he have even hesitated to claw his way through those people? Deacon needed to keep in mind those people are just as much victims as Amanda was. Although she has a mean streak a mile long, Amanda did become an invaluable ally. All these thoughts were running through his head distracting him just long enough to miss the outstretched foot in front of him. Deacon face planted in the back alley he was traveling through. He popped back up to his feet to see Typhus standing behind a crate grinning like an idiot.
Typhus pointed out of the alley way and gestured for him to get low to the ground. Deacon did so. They crept closer to the edge of the building and Deacon peered out into the square. The town hall was surrounded on all sides by mob of people trying to get in. The boards were up on the inside of the wall and as they masses managed to push some free, they were just nailed back into place quickly.
“So, what’s your hair-brained plan to get past them?” Typhus whispered.
“I was just going to walk right through them.” Deacon said with no hint of jest in his voice.
“Wake up, they may not be able seriously damage you, but they can certainly hold you down and suffocate you. Are you thinking clearly?” Typhus said.
“I can walk through walls, Typhus. How hard will it be to walk through a crown of people then into the building?” Deacon said.
“Right, your spooky ghost powers. I keep forgetting that since you didn’t start out with it. What’s the dragon got say about this?” Typhus asked.
“I think its still hibernating.” Deacon said with a higher pitch voiced toward the end of hibernating.
“I’ll send my shadow duplicate to trail you. Never know if you’ll need help or not.” Typhus added.
“I spilled the beans on the dungeon to Armand.” Deacon said as he psyched himself up to walk through the crowd.
“I take it he wasn’t happy.” Typhus said like he expected that result.
“That’s a conversation that will have to wait for another time. You know I just realized. This happened here and I was nowhere near it. You won’t be able to call it a Deactastrophe.” Deacon said with a mocking tone.
“Events not over yet. We’ll see how badly you cock this up.” Typhus replied.
Deacon strode out into the square and activated one his newer abilities. Ghastly Defender activated and Deacon could see twenty percent of his soul energy bar turn a more solid shade of green signifying it was being held in reserve. He was now fifty feet from the backs of the townsfolk and closing the distance. One of them turned to look at him and a murmuring that he couldn’t quite make out began. The first few ran at Deacon, hands balled into fists but when they reached the extent of his aura’s range the faltered. They stutter stepped and their faces blanched. They started shivering and holding each other as they looked for the fastest way to get away from the strange man. As the first group broke off another group tried to engage and were also turned away. Deacon couldn’t believe how well this ability was working. He started to run. His new Ghastly Defender parting the crowd. He was ten feet from the wall of the building when someone just stepped past his fear inducing barrier.
“Child of Ruin. You should not be here. I see my Summoner was not enough to delay you.” Came the voice of Elder Ruby from inside a little girl wearing a bow in her hair. That bow had a little red stone in it.
“This is madness. Is there no way we can settle this like reasonable sentients. By the ten hells, that’s a little girl your forcing your voice through. Where is the line?” Deacon pleaded.
“I tried that in the council chambers, but you wanted to be an obstinate little shit. Now my new followers will destroy everything on the surface world and raise up a new pantheon.” Said the little girl in the old woman’s voice.
“Don’t you mean old pantheon? Yea, that mage was a talker.” Deacon replied as he sneered at her.
“That nugget of information will do you no good. Drop whatever spell that keeps my minions from attacking you or I’ll turn them on this vessel.” Said Elder Ruby.
“I’m sorry I can’t hear you; I’m going through a tunnel.” Deacon said as he passed right through the wall of the building he was slowly backing up to this whole time. He hoped that distraction would be enough for Ruby to give up her attempts at harming the little girl.
Inside the lightless room, Deacon could stained his eyes. Soul sight gave him the ability to see up to fifteen feet but beyond that was just darkness. He felt around the walls until his knee banged into a desk. At that point he heard shuffling on the floor above him. Feeling around until he found a doorknob, he turned it to see a faint light at the end of the now apparent corridor. The light looked like it was coming from the cracks of another door. Striding more confidently down the hall he began to hear voices.
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“I’m telling you I heard sound from down that way.” Said one voice.
“Nonsense. There are no windows or doors on that side of the building. How could anything get in?” Said another.
“I’m going to look. Grab that sword and just keep watch. If there isn’t anything there, we’ll go back to what we were doing.” Said the first voice rummaging through something.
Deacon thought he might want to announce himself before they swing the door open and start stabbing. It would probably be a good idea to dismiss Ghastly Defender as well. He calmly walked up to the door and knocked on it to the tune of shave and a haircut. There was silence from the other side of the door. For a full minute no one moved. Then one of them whispered to the other.
“That was no monster. Why would a monster knock?” Said voice one.
“Some monsters knock. It’s a way of intimidating its victims.” Said voice two.
“I’m not a monster. I’m from the Adventurer’s Guild. We’ve come to help.” Deacon responded. The door flew up and two blades were immediately pointed at Deacon. Deacon to his credit, just stood there looking at the two men. One was dressed in farmers overalls while the other had on a fresh tunic and trousers.
“How did you get in there?” The farmer asked.
“More importantly, what have you down to the citizens of this town?” Said the more well-appointed man.
“I came in through the wall and nothing.” Deacon answered continuing to stand stock still.
“There’s a breach in the wall! You idiot they’ll get in here.” Said the farmer pushing past Deacon and looking for a hole.
“I said I came through the wall; didn’t say I made a hole. Farmers, am I right?” Deacon said to the well-appointed man still leveling a sword at him.
“Come out here into the light. We’ll get to the bottom of this one way or another. I don’t recognize you so your not from here. Where did you come from? How many are with you? You better start talking, or I’ll skewer you where you stand.” Said the man angrily gesturing with the sword.
“Wouldn’t do you any good. My name is Deacon and like I said I’m here to help. Need to assess the situation in here before my party can mount a rescue.” Deacon said finally putting his hands down and walking into the well-lit common area of the Town Hall. There were several groups of people huddle up in here. They were breaking down furniture and repeatedly barricading the doors and windows. Deacon also noticed there was man furiously converting a wooden bench into planks of wood. Instead of pulling nails out and returning it to its subsequent parts, he was actually converting the furniture into its original raw materials. Deacon was fascinated by it before feeling a slight pressure on his side. The well-dressed man was yelling and stabbing Deacon. He’d forgot all about him.
“I said get on your knees…Why aren’t you bleeding? I just ran you through and there isn’t a scratch on you.” Said the irritating man. The farmer came back out and closed the door behind him shaking his head.
“There ain’t no hole in the wall. For the life of me I’m sure I checked this hallway twice before now. Shouldn’t be anyone in there. Are you stabbing this guy. What’d he do?” Asked the Farmer.
“Stop poking me. It tickles.” Deacon said attempting levity but leaving the two men even more worried.
“What did you say your name was, Demon or something?” Asked the well-dressed man stabbing one more time before just giving up.
“It’s Deacon, and your name are?” He asked.
“I’m clerk Brandon Fallsworth, this is Farmer Ed. Now answer the question. How did you get in here?” Asked the clerk.
“Ok clerk, so you're not in charge and dumb as a rock. Farmer Ed, where can I find whoever is in charge in here?” Deacon asked brushing Brandon off.
“Well Mr. Deacon, that would be Mayor Fallsworth, he’s in his office upstairs trying to figure out what to do here.” Replied a nervous Farmer Ed. It was in this moment Deacon realized he made a mistake. The mayor of this city and the clerk shared a family name. If he got out of here without having to kill one of them, it would be a miracle.
“Ok, I need to see the mayor. I have some explanation for what’s happening, but I don’t know how it started. Can we get past the rude words quickly and get to the heart of the matter?” Deacon asked hoping his slight to the clerk earlier wouldn’t cost him precious time.
“Sure the main staircase is this way. The only thing up there is his office so…” Farmer Ed was cut off by his sneering companion.
“You’re not going anywhere mister. We don’t know who you are no matter what guild you say you're affiliated with. You will be bound and wait for the mayors official word on what to do with you. Guards!” Yelled clerk Fallsworth. Two armored men stopped barricading a window and jogged over in Deacon’s direction. They appeared to have mismatched armor and one had a barely covered gut. The first took out a truncheon and the other just held board they were using for the barricade. Deacon almost fell over laughing.
“You know I haven’t had a good laugh in ages. Come on I won’t even attempt to fight. Let’s just go upstairs and talk to the man in charge.” Deacon said barely holding in his snickering. The clerks face began to shine beet red. The man with the truncheon over committed on his swing aimed at Deacon’s head as it passed right through harmlessly causing the guard to go sprawling out on the floor. Next came the board. Deacon maintained intangibility and watched as the board swung right through his midsection and into the furious clerk.
“Look out, he’s got a board with a nail in it.” Deacon said as the clerk doubled over in pain.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen please. He’s offered no resistance and says he’s here to help. Shouldn’t we at least alert the mayor?” Asked Farmer Ed.
“Ed here is the only one of you with two brain cells to rub together.” Deacon said wiping his eyes from witnessing the three stooge-eque display. He began heading toward the stairs behind Farmer Ed. Deacon hoped Typhus’s shadow was relaying everything that was going on to Typhus. He even imagined a Deep Dweller hiding in the shadows desperately trying not to laugh and give away his location.