Chapter 151
Pools of blood marked their passage.
"Up ahead," Tobias projected as Riley nodded in agreement.
They were in the main hall of the castle. Red carpet chased through the center, giving way to a majestic and wide staircase that was a masterpiece of beauty in its own right.
"I've never seen anything like it" Riley boggled. The stairs themselves resembled a water fall in motion, some type of carved, almost perfectly transparent crystal caught the light, and flowed with seemingly frozen channels and eddies down towards the main hallway.
The railings were made of gold and silver, twisted, shaped, and hammered into what looked like tree roots and vines, granting the hall an ethereal and otherworldly air.
"We can look later. Focus, assess," Tobias ordered, laser-locked on the mission before him.
Riley concentrated and cast Celestial Insight with a sigh.
Castle Guard Reserve, Lawful Good, 2-1
Castle Guard Reserve, Lawful Neutral, 2-2
Lots of presentations, not much preparation...
"More rookies and ceremonials." She reported, as her stomach lurched.
Tobias, moving like the shadow of death stalked forward, as Riley pulled at her power...
Plant whisperer.
Tiny vines threaded up between the stonework before the staircase. With a flick of her paws in the direction of her will, the vines wrapped around the ankles of the unfortunate Guards slammed to the ground with a sickening crack.
Weaving her power into the spell, the vines continued to grow up and around them, cutting off a half-uttered shout, as bones cracked, and ligaments tore.
Tobias emerged and, in quick, remorseless action, thrust his dagger down, slamming it into each lung before slitting their throats. Deprived of the ability to gasp, their eyes widened in horror as each saw death coming for them.
Riley quivered as Tobias whipped his dagger toward the floor, sending a spray of blood over the artistic staircase.
She choked back the urge to vomit or turn away, "This is war. This war, it's not ok, but the alternative is worse,"
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't convince herself as the blood leaked out from the mess of vines, seeming to frame the memory of the prompt within her own mind.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Lawful Good
Lawful Neutral
"I know, they're just in the way, and they don't deserve this, but either we leave them behind and our rear exposed, or we take them out quick and clean. Give me a better option, and I'll take it," Tobias replied, not needing to be told.
"This Castle is in the middle of a slow-moving coup'd'tat. I don't like it but I don't see any other choice," Riley justified, saying the words with a twinge of disbelief.
"Remember much of the guard fled. These men chose the wrong side and died, but before you weep for them, remember two innocents are caught in all of this that are only here because of us. We have to make that right," His voice grew cold and resolute as he spoke, like ice freezing over a lake in winter.
Riley nodded, "Get the Civvies out. Superhero rule number one."
She took a deep steadying breath that did nothing.
"Potion up and get ready. It's time to get noisy," Tobias ordered as the com crystal appeared in his hand.
"At the base of the stair, minimal resistance, moving towards the throne room, and kicking off the fireworks, status?" He whispered.
A moment later, Sabine's voice flowed across it, "Waiting on you. Breach."
"Tuck and roll," Riley gripped the conjured mana potion from her inventory between her two paws, worked out the cork, bit it, and rolled, suppressing her urge to cough as the liquid slammed down her throat.
It only lasted so long, with a mighty gulp that made her chest and throat burn. The remainder spewed forth in tiny droplets as she sought to clear her abused respiratory system while Tobias easily tossed one back.
The sound of running, far at the top of the massive staircase, of armor jingling drew their attention as Riley and Tobias shared a look.
"We lit this candle. We were hardly stealthy on that last takedown," she critiqued, pulling her veil.
Four soldiers, seeing the twin pools of blood, came running down the stairs before one held up his hand.
"Whoever did this is still here. Stay alert!" He called out as each of his men crouched in a ready position, scanning around, telegraphing their concern.
Tobias, safely obscured, shook his head. "It was such a nice staircase,"
His dagger and sword vanished away only for three vials to appear between his fingers in each hand.
Riley hit the deck and scrambled to throw her front paws over her ears as Tobias Tossed three vials, then three more in a quick left, right movement at the feet of the soldiers before dropping down himself, pulling his cloak over his face.
Six concussive booms shook and rattled off the walls of the palace, followed by a terrible crashing thud that sent debris pelting over them, raining down like hail stones.
The men never had the chance to scream as Tobias looked up, with the dust raining down all around him.
"It was a nice staircase," Riley remarked with sadness. A huge portion of it had collapsed and descended into the floor below.
The guards were gone, either swallowed up in the rubble or vaporized entirely.
"Alarm! Alarm!" Came the cries of guards throughout the palace.
"Riley! Wrap up the doors!" he ordered.
She nodded, pulling at her vines, reaching out with her magic, looking for the hints of seeds, long dormant under the heavy cobblestones, some perhaps from fruits dropped or dozens of meals, balls, and galas, just waiting for the right prompting the right magic to will them back to life.
There were so few, but it hadn't stopped her so far, she realized. There was something about crossing her most recent threshold that had the power coming easier than it ever had, and with it, her perception of the magical sharpened, but, maybe that was cumulative?
She paused for a moment, halting her movement, as she considered, what was really the difference between 2-8 and 2-10, especially if the human mages of this world didn't have idea of that nuance...
Tiers were just tiers here. What about her perception w...
"Riley, by the dead gods cast!" Tobias urged, projecting with forceful timbre, his words echoing off her mind snapping Riley from her brief reflection, slamming magic into the seeds she found, just as one of the doors began to open.
The vines growing up, along with plants, and the branches of fruit trees, and roots wrapping around cobble stones, slammed the door home lopping off a hand at the wrist.
Distantly, the screams echoed through the wooden door as the grand reception area became a strange and unruly forest of food plants, their revenge patient, but total.
"I talk to my food indeed," Riley remarked as she and Tobias began to pick their way up over the ruined staircase.