At the fields of the Highgrove Vineyard…
The grapevines stretch out endlessly, forming palisades of green and brown under the gentle spring sun. No grapes yet – just the promise of them, hanging in the breeze.
Scattered across the Vineyard are cottage-sized buildings, each with its purpose. One of them, the one surrounded by casks toppled and broken like discarded chess pieces… leads to the Highgrove Warrens. A shipment gone awry, no doubt. Somewhere within lies our way down into the Warrens. Probably through filth. Definitely through danger! I’m not thrilled.
Anna and I have a plan. Sort of. It’s straightforward enough – we’ll get down there and kill everything that moves! But killing the Shadow Fiend? Not so simple. Such demons command the darkness like it’s alive – swords of shadow, shields of night. They’re truly creatures born of nightmares. But it’s alright – we’ve got a plan for that, too.
We move through the Vineyard in tense silence. Not a soul stirs. The eerie calm has me gripping Elizabeth tighter. We’re undoubtedly walking into a trap. Shadow Fiends love their sick, twisted games… and I’ve gotta sinking feeling about what this one has in store.
“Arisa! Over there!”
Anna’s shout snaps me to attention as she draws Ascalon, her claymore gleaming in the light. In the distance… a mob of Vineyard workers shamble towards us, wielding gardening tools like makeshift weapons.
“Those people…” Anna gasps, horror creeping into her voice. “They’re not themselves…”
“YOU… MUST… DIE…”
The workers lurch forward, their eyes unnaturally wide and pupils clouded like stormy skies, their movements a grotesque mockery of life. They’re little more than puppets, their strings pulled from afar by the Shadow Fiend. Slowly, they shuffle in eerie unison… a shambling wall of flesh converging on us from every direction. Rakes, hoes, and sickles glint menacingly as they close in.
“Yeah, they’re under Mind Control…” I mutter, snapping my fingers to activate Mage Armour, letting its teal light protect me. “Each of those poor sods has a Shadow Parasite inside, acting as a conduit for that Demon bastard’s spell."
“Umm… you can break the spells on them like you did with Mister Roderic, right?" Anna asks, shifting into a defensive stance. "But there’s so many of them…”
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“Yeah. Don’t worry, I got this. Just keep them off me.”
Anna nods, her jaw set as her Sanctuary spreads beneath our feet, its protective aura shimmering silver like the moon. “Okay. I’ll keep you safe.”
I wave my hand, and my Divine Blessing takes hold of her. “Blessed is Rinnah… for she is my courage in my hour of need…” Anna whispers, steadying herself. “May she forgive me for what I must do.”
“DIE…”
The thralls attack. Their blows are frantic but sloppy, the tools meant for tending vines now aimed at breaking bones and hacking limbs. Anna meets them head-on, Ascalon flashing as she parries and counters with brutal efficiency. She uses the flat side of her blade to knock them back, her movements a blend of strength and precision as she holds the line for me.
With the space I’m given… I plant Elizabeth into the ground and focus. The air crackles as I channel Dispel Magic, pulling the demonic parasites from their unwilling hosts. The spider-like demons emerge, screeching as they’re wrenched from the workers’ bodies.
Each Shadow Parasite meets its end from Ascalon’s edge, reduced to inky smears on the ground that quickly fade away. One by one… the thralls collapse, lifeless but alive… freed from the Shadow Fiend’s grip. Sweat beads on my forehead as I continue channelling Dispel Magic. It’s… draining, but we press on.
When the last of those little Demon bastards fall, silence returns. The Vineyard workers lie unconscious around us, their tools scattered like remnants of a storm.
“Nice work, Anna,” I say as I put Elizabeth away, surveying the scene. “You did good.”
“You too, Arisa…” Anna replies, breathless but steady as she sheathes Ascalon, glancing worriedly at the fallen workers. “Will they… be okay?”
“Yeah, but we need to mend their wounds. Let’s get to it.”
We move from one worker to the next, casting Heal on them. There are many of them, but with Anna’s support, the strain on my Mana is… manageable. Slowly, colour returns to their faces. Sure, they’ll wake up with splitting headaches… but they’ll live. Their souls are free.
Anna hesitates, her hand lingering on one worker. “Arisa. Those parasites I just slew… they make me wonder.”
“About what?”
“Mister Sinclair. Was he under the Shadow Fiend’s control as well?”
“Almost certainly. He was sent to the Guild for a reason – to lure us here. His cries for help weren’t his.”
Anna frowns. “Umm… you don’t think it was a coincidence, do you? Him showing up when we were in the guildhall?”
“Not with demons. Especially not with a Shadow Fiend. They’re crafty bastards.”
“But Mister Sinclair… is he himself again?”
“Yes, but only because we got to him in time. He thought he was still fighting with his party, remember? It was his last conscious memory before succumbing to the Shadow Fiend’s Mind Control. That’s how deep it goes. Anyway…”
I look towards the building with the broken casks. It awaits, dark and foreboding… and the way down lies within. Anna follows my gaze and nods, her resolve hardening.
“Let’s finish this,” I say, my voice firm. “It’s time to face the source of all this madness.”