After conquering the Lich and returning to camp, Valicar encountered an apprehensive merchant brought before them as a form of payment. Intrigued by the clandestine trade he hinted at, Sophia, with an air of curiosity, prodded the rat-like beastkin. "You deal with them?"
The merchant hesitated, his voice cautious. "I do, There are few who can reach out to them but Death Tooth needs supplies from our world as much as we need what they offer."
Mike, suspicious of the man's vague answers, interjected, "What kind of goods are you trading with these scum bags?"
The merchant, visibly on edge, revealed, "Information, food, tools, wine—all the essentials for a city. As for the payment we receive, that's none of your business."
Sophia, genuine curiosity lighting up her eyes, pressed further about the cryptic city. "Tell us about their city."
The merchant shifted uncomfortably. "I've never been there myself. We meet twice a year on the full moon at a particular spot," he admitted, his voice hushed. "Our next meeting is in three weeks. You could travel with me. I was worried I'd never make it there safely with that Lich haunting the roads. The journey is treacherous enough without those vile creatures."
Sophia, intrigued, probed the merchant about the peculiar nature of the Lich she had defeated. "I thought the place was crawling with undead horrors. What made the one I fought so different?"
The merchant's expression turned somber. "The Templars' crusades forced most of the southern horrors to flee northwards. The farther north you venture, the more treacherous it becomes. The southern shoreline tends to be the safest part of the continent."
Valicar mulled over the merchant's cryptic words. There was something about the summer that brought a haunting understanding of the continent's dangers, especially concerning the menacing necromancy cult known as Death Tooth.
Their journey north unfolded over several weeks, marked by encounters with undead beasts and zombies, though nothing as horrifying as the Lich they had conquered. As they rounded a hill, a massive castle emerged, seemingly fully inhabited—a sight that left Sophia in shock.
"People way out here?" she questioned, perplexed by the unexpected presence of civilization in such remote undead lands.
"The lawlessness of the land draws all kinds. A man out here can be the king of his own castle," the merchant explained as they approached the imposing gates. The castle's walls were bustling with guards, and the defense had been well-used, evident from the undead bodies littered outside, riddled with arrows.
As Mike surveyed the formidable defenses, his keen eyes scanning for potential escape routes, he couldn't help but question, "How long have these people been here?"
"Since the fall, I suppose. Now hush, I must do the talking," the man replied his hand signaling to the guards in a cryptic language. The guards, responding to the unspoken command, eased their stance, and the massive gate creaked open. Valicar and the merchant were then guided inside, stepping into the mysterious realm beyond the protective walls.
The courtyard appeared like any other castle, with a bustling staff and guards manning their stations. However, an unsettling feeling crept over them. Something was undeniably wrong with the castle and its inhabitants something dark like the land—the staff were all far too pale.
The merchant continued to converse on their behalf, and soon they found themselves ushered into the dining hall. There, a striking woman in a red dress caught their attention—platinum blonde hair, piercing red eyes, and a porcelain complexion. Her intense gaze bore into them as they exchanged words in a language unfamiliar to Valicar. Eventually, she addressed them in basic human.
"You seek Death Tooth? Why would anyone in their right mind seek out such a despicable cult?" she questioned, a disdainful expression on her face.
Sophia inquired, "I take it your not allies then?"
"No, we are not. Although I would be lying if I said we have not had dealings. They stop by twice a year, much like your merchant friend here. You are a few days early, however, before they are due. Since we don’t get many visitors here, I welcome you to stay as my guest until they arrive. Dinner will be served shortly. Make yourselves at home."
With those words, the staff hurriedly guided them to their quarters—simple, yet a welcome relief from the weeks of sleeping in bedrolls and tents. The enchanted bed offered comfort, a luxury not taken for granted after their arduous journey.
"What do you make of this place? So far, I’m feeling evil cult vibes, but they’re not the ones we’re looking for," Sophia remarked casually as Valicar sprawled out on the bed.
"Who really cares? None of them seem overly dangerous, but that hot lady isn’t human," Mike stated with certainty.
"You know the crazy thing is we aren’t either, not anymore," Sophia said as she adjusted their tail into a more comfortable position on the bed, still getting used to the new limb.
"I know. These stupid horns shredded my favorite pillow," Mike complained as he prodded the ever-growing bone from their head. They had started crimson, but now they had an ebony shine with red at the tips. They were nearing 8 inches long before the horns appeared to have stopped growing.
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"Well, whatever. They better have good food at dinner," the twins said as Sophia cast several spells and wards on the door before catching a nap.
They woke to something tripping her alarm, causing Mike to jump out of bed. Although not wearing their armor, he was ready to quickly summon his blade hand. However, upon seeing who entered the room, he lowered his guard. It was simply the merchant, coming to tell them it was time for dinner. They found one of the nicer outfits they had in their bag, held it out, and got dressed before joining their host in the less-than-grand hall. The castle was meant for survival; it was a minimalist's dream. As they sat, their host continued speaking in a combination of basic and the language she was using with the merchant, casually switching between them. They spoke about the land and its history. She claimed they have been here for nearly a thousand years a mix of natives and immigrants fleeing the pressure of the rest of the world. They wanted a place to be free. All the while, Mike and Sophia's minds churned with possibilities. What were these people up to that they had to come to the middle of a godforsaken wasteland to be left alone?
The woman played the role of a spectacular host, a master of small talk, inquiring about global events, as news was a rare commodity in these desolate lands. Her queries for Valicar focused on the striking horns and devilish teeth that set her apart.
"You were clever to seek refuge in the north among your own kind, even if you are a fool seeking Death Tooth," the woman remarked, sipping from a glass of what appeared to be red wine.
With a smirk, Mike retorted, "And what do you believe I am?" recalling the adventurer's previous reaction to their claim of being Dragonkin.
"A freak, a monster, a demon—it matters not. They will call you all of them. Even if I don’t know what you are, I know the world would never accept you. You would be welcome here, however." the woman declared, her offer of asylum carrying an ominous undertone.
"I appreciate the offer, but I have places to be. While the world isn’t perfect, it’s a hell of a lot better than this shit hole," Mike responded tactlessly. The doors swung open, and waiters emerged, carrying trays covered with steaming plates.
"Shame, we have the best cook on the continent," she said with a smirk as the waiters placed the food on the table.
Without hesitation, the twins reached out to unveil the dishes. "We'll see about that; I am starving..." To their horror, a severed head with its pair of hands lay before them, meticulously arranged to resemble an unholy flower. The fingers clutched it like a grotesque blossom, making the entire presentation a macabre display.
The palms of the severed hands pressed firmly against the back of the head, the fingers spread wide along the skull's contours. The eyes of the decapitated head were wide open, frozen in a sunken gaze that seemed to pierce through the abyss of death, looking up at Valicar in a perpetual state of terror. The lifeless visage bore an expression of horror and disbelief, capturing the final moments of agony before succumbing to the gruesome fate that awaited it on the dinner table.
The unsettling arrangement seemed like a sinister work of art, a mockery of life, and the twins, unable to contain their revulsion, promptly vomited onto their plate. The revulsion and disbelief painted on their faces mirrored the gruesome reality of the dinner scene, where the grotesque and the macabre danced in a horrific display of culinary cruelty.
"What the hell is wrong with you people!" Sophia exclaimed, her voice laden with horror, as Mike summoned forth Red Noon from their bag.
The woman, unfazed by their visceral reactions, continued her meal, plucking out an eyeball with disturbing calmness. "Oh my, and I thought with your monstrous traits, you would understand what we are," she remarked, her words carrying an unsettling weight as she plopped the eye into her mouth like a grape.
The merchant, unsurprised by Valicar's outburst, seemed nonchalant about the gruesome dish. "What the hell is going on here?" they demanded from the merchant.
The ratkin whispered under his breath, "Fucking vampires and their theatrics." The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, and the twins struggled to comprehend the horrifying reality of the situation. Disgust and revulsion manifested in every fiber of their being as they grappled with the sinister nature of the dinner scene.
"Calm yourself, dear. If you attack, Death Tooth won't grace us with their presence," Sophia hesitated, a broader question forming in her mind.
"Where did these people come from?" She motioned towards the dinner table, realization dawning that several lives had been taken for this horrifying feast.
"From our farm, of course—all locally grown and raised, well, with some imports," she replied with an icy nonchalance.
"Only on occasion! But, as she said, most of their food comes from... local sources," the rat admitted, his voice tainted with guilt. This didn't seem to be his first grand reveal to the vampires' guests, and the woman took evident joy in their discomfort.
"Now put down your blade! If you ever wish to leave here, much less meet Death Tooth, I have only one request: let me drink from you," the woman said, licking her lips as her eyes fixated on the veins pulsing in Valicar's neck.
"Fuck this, Soph. I'm ending these bloodsuckers," Mike declared as he charged Red Noon, its blade blazing with the power of the sun. The woman recoiled, burning before the artificial sun in her presence, the staff turning to ash before the blade's might. The twins were determined to put an end to this nightmarish charade.
During the chaotic battle against the vampire menace, Sophia's voice cut through the clamor, "Don't kill the rat or the woman! We can question them after we save these poor souls." With those words, they set about clearing the halls and castle of the vampire threat, Red Noon's' light leaving a trail of maids and guards slain in its wake. They made their way to the dungeons, where they encountered a scene of unimaginable horror.
Naked and shivering people, emaciated and malnourished, were chained to contraptions designed to harvest their blood. The dungeon resembled a slaughterhouse, where the grim reality of the dinner's preparation was laid bare. Young men and women, captured and confined, had suffered unspeakable torment in a life devoid of freedom, bound by chains and needles.
Among the pitiable captives, they found a dark-skinned man who stood out, expressing profound gratitude. He was the only foreigner who spoke basic, his eyes reflecting the trauma of an existence confined to bars and subjected to unspeakable cruelty. As liberation beckoned, the prisoners, though meek and fearful, were now liberated from the clutches of their tormentors.
"Now that they are free, all they have is a castle and a dream," Sophia remarked sadly as they waited at the top of a tower after questioning the merchant about Death Tooth, they had shoved the barley, alive vampire, into their bag.
"We did what we could; now we have to hope Death Tooth still shows up, at least long enough for us to follow them," Mike said as he scanned the surroundings. His sharp eyes caught movement along a nearby cliffside. "There!" Using a scrying spell, Sophia observed a small undead scout circling the castle. "Found you." The impending encounter with Death Tooth loomed on the horizon.