In the Highgrove Cellar…

Ice crystals installed at each corner smoulder, cooling the air to frigid stillness. Casks heavy with the scent of fine wine and wood line aisles stained in red and half-eaten Giant Rat corpses. It’s a real fucked up mess.

Following the bloodstains brought us here, and we aren’t alone. Guttural, demonic growling rings out from the aisles. Imps, I’d reckon. Unlike the thralls from earlier, I doubt they’re under the Shadow Fiend’s control. They’re merely scavengers seeking free and easy meals by hanging around a greater Demon, feasting on the dead and the dying. Little bigger than a child, but deadly in large packs. And when there’s one, there’s always at least three more nearby.

But that’s the end of the line, for the trail of bloodstains ends only after a bunch of steps past the door. It was as far as Roderic and his crew of beginner adventurers got before what happened to them, happened.

Rae and Celia, whoever they were… died here. I say this because I think I’m looking at what remains of them right now – nothing but shreds of armour and broken weapons lying on puddles of wine and broken wood. Imps love the taste of Human flesh and bones.

Fucking hell. Now, they’re coming for us, wanting more to eat. Emerging from the shadows of broken casks and sundered aisles, their beady eyes flash with ravenous hunger as they size us up, demonic hooves and savage claws soaked in wine and blood and gristle.

There’s five… ten… twelve… damn! Way too many imps for comfort. They could bum-rush us easily, drowning us in bodies and sharp claws, but they all look unsure of what to do. Little Demon bastards all wanna eat flesh and drink blood, but none of them want to be the first to die trying. Because that’s what they do – they sense fear, and they go in for the kill.

Oho! Dare I say that they’re… afraid? Maybe it’s me! Imps can sense Mana the same way a dog can sniff out a scent, and right now, I’m their enemy.

That’s good, though! The bit about fear, I mean. It's a weapon to be used like any other, even if it wasn’t part of our plan. And in this situation, we have the initiative to act!

“Let’s go on the offensive,” I whisper sharply to Anna, bestowing my Divine Blessing on her with a wave of my hand. “We’ll kill them all before they get their heads outta their asses.”

“Okay. Rinnah, I trust in you… let not my enemies overcome me in my hour of peril…”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Get them!”

Together, Anna and I rush toward the main cluster of imps, Ascalon’s edge and my Holy Fire tearing into them like a hot knife through butter. We put down a few of them before the rest muster up the nerve to attack us. Frenzied to all hell, they go for Anna instead of me, viciously tearing at her armour while the silver light of her Sanctuary protects her from the worst of their claws.

It’s working like a charm. As she fights the imps off with all her might, I cast Heal on her, over and over, keeping her strong and steady as she executes them, one after another.

“Shit. We were too late for Celia and Rae…” I say when the last Imp dies, frowning deeply as I eye the broken armour and weapons. “Fuck!”

I look at Anna and bow my head. She’s visibly winded, and her armour’s definitely seen better, cleaner days. Probably in need of repairs once all this is done and dusted. My robes, on the other hand… are still intact. I’m safe and sound, all thanks to her. And that’s what I should focus on instead. There’ll be time to deal with the dead later, Rinnah willing.

“You alright?” I ask, prompting her to nod at me. “We may be too late for Roderic’s crew, but we can still avenge them, and put an end to this nightmare for good.”

“No matter what happens next, I’m with you,” Anna says resolutely. “What do we do now?”

I focus up and cast Clairvoyance. Across the cellar, there’s a door leading into a room for waste disposal. From there, down the steps past the maintenance door… is pitch-black darkness. Not even a single sliver of light to gaze from. So much for that, I guess.

“There’s a way down into Warrens through that door. Same way the garbage goes. Gonna be really filthy and dark, I reckon. Demons too,” I say with a frown, pointing at the doorway across the room. “You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, Arisa.”

“Good. Since it’s gonna be dark, let me just…”

“Save your Mana,” Anna offers with a wink. “Let me handle this.”

With a snap of her fingers, she brings forth a Candlelight that blazes momentarily like a newborn star as it phases into existence. Hovering around us like a miniature moon, it radiates silver, holy light that illuminates a circle as wide and far as Ascalon’s unstoppable arc of certain death.

“Let’s do our best!” Anna declares determinedly. “We’ll slay that Shadow Fiend together and put an end to this evil.”

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In the Highgrove Warrens…

Darkness, black as pitch. It melts away bit by bit as we advance with Anna’s Candlelight spell, revealing Giant Rat corpses scattered across the filth that reek of demonic taint.

Only one way forward, thank fuck. These ancient aqueducts were built to convey waste from one point to another. Nothing more. These walls have enough space between them for the Vineyard workers to enter and clear blockages from time to time. Enough space to swing a claymore around.

“Stay close to me, Arisa,” Anna whispers worriedly, her grip on Ascalon firm and steady. “I’ll lead and light the way.”

“Sounds good.”

We don’t get far before running into more imps. They’re feasting on dead giant rats, and like their dead friends upstairs, they’re hungry. Always hungry for more. This time, however, they take the initiative and attack us, possibly out of fear that we’re here to steal their food. Or not. There might be something or someone commanding them from the shadows. Not the Shadow Fiend, but another type of Demon – an Imp Master. And as we slay the imps, as they fall…