There was a knock on David's door, Vivian entered “I can’t believe I killed a lord, I just saw a heavily armoured opponent who couldn't dodge my attack”. He put a hand on her shoulder, “to put it another way you saved a duke”. She sighed, “It’s complicated with the nobility, that's one of the appeals of working as a mercenary in the free company. It’s normally simple, monsters and thieves that are considered monsters in the eyes of the law. No political implications with a shot from your bow, just another pest dead”. He hugged her more tightly, “Remember what Alexis said, it was probably better that that lord is dead. He can’t beg or plead his brother for clemency he tried and failed in his coup”.
She sighed “some of the traitorous vermin hide themselves with no signs, well no signs on the surface to reveal what they are. No taint no drugs no debts, but deep down you can see the resentment his father his brother he thought he was better. Can we negotiate this quagmire with nobles and merchants and priests?” David thought about it, “I think we are too far in to go out now, we will never have a simple life again. I have come round in my way of thinking, being an agent of the triune gives us authority and leverage. People will remember you killed a lord, but they will also remember you killed a traitor”.
She sighed “I suppose its one thing, we are going to have to get used to. Alice has been in the tower for six years, she knows something about this sort of thing, its all nobles. Martin doesn't care he is unmoved by the snobs and lords unless one turns out to be a traitor”.
David nodded, “we will probably have to pick up some fancy learning. All we were ever trained to do was stand guard and keep our mouths shut. Alice could give us a few pointers, her tower education includes working for a local noble etiquette”. She sighed “our problems will probably get more complicated, you remember what Melcher was talking about, a doppelgänger one of those especially a high level one would make the situation a real pain”. He sighed “after you said that you can bet we will meet one eventually”.
Martin finished the sheath for his four barrelled pistol. It was a comfortable weight on one hip offsetting the weight of his two long pistols on the other. He had the last pistol around the back hidden out of sight, well more hidden than the other three anyway. He had secreted the four thin octium throwing knifes in his jacket, they would be useful especially against magic users.
The rest of the group got up, they had one last job to do. They got ready Cameron the razor was still out there. He was no ancient but still competent, the money on their heads was still about. There was one last thing to do before they could claim their reward. One more set of fangs they had to collect. They were armed and prepared, they had there morning meal and headed out to meet the bishop. They would either have a lead to work on or they would not. There was bound to be some pest to be exterminated, even if it was to clear a further logging route in the forest.
The bishop was guarded by several crusaders and militia. The guard was smaller than the previous day, but they were still wary. Alexis was expecting them, “Welcome please sit down, and this little chapter of your lives is starting to come to a close. I have seen the duke curse and weep over his brother. A misguided man poisoned by ambition, who helped to end the lives of to many people”. Martin wondered “what about the battle alchemist”? “Melcher had a good long talk with sir Percival, we have some idea of the munitions he has created for the vampires over the years. Some items match devices used as far a field as old root the market town for an assassination of a druid”.
Vivian questioned, “Has any of this helped find Cameron”? The bishop answered quickly “oh yes we have identified his daytime muscle, the blood thralls he uses. A local contact provided by lady Imoline has given us more concrete information. The local thieves’ guild perceived them to be rivals we have a location. I know that lexicon was able to slip through your fingers, Cameron is far less powerful, but also far more cautious. I expect no vampire to survive no prisoners, they would be more trouble than they are worth”.
He held out a small bundle of paper, “this map shows the location Cameron has picked. The farmstead was abandoned years ago, it was attacked to many times. It has been used as a shelter by vampire’s smugglers and a large salamander over the years. The structure was intact, I expect at least one retreat tunnel. I don't expect you to fail the information was not cheap”, Vivian looked about the rest of the party. “We won’t fail, Cameron is as good as dead”.
The group were all fully equipped and fully armed. They headed out of the cathedral through the city and through the gate house. They got a mixture of looks some cheered some looked quizzically at them not sure what to believe. Some looked damned scared about them, they were gaining a rather ruthless reputation. As David had suggested to Vivian more than one noble took note to keep out of there way, the militia and guards at the gate saluted them. They followed the main road for about an hour then split off to a side track. There were still the traces of a farm but the benefit vs the cost and risk of maintaining it had been two high, so the place had been abandoned.
The main barn had been maintained by someone, the windows boarded up the roof patched. The group circled the barn there was a door to the back, a short distance form a well sunk into the ground. A desperate vampire could probably make it from the back of the barn to the well and escape. Especially an elite that would just about survive the exposure to the sun. Islington had once escaped them in a similar manor, they used and upturned cart to block off the back door. Then for good measure they blocked the top of the well, with board’s form what was once a store house.
The doors to the barn were angled so that no sunlight would flood in, it was a pity. They could try pulling the boards off the windows or burning the place to the ground but they had to be certain Cameron was inside, and not just burn it down. He could just bury himself and weight it out if they were two unsubtle. They pushed the doors to the barn open. The place was lived in, a small fire and cooking pot nine blankets, a little game hung up in a corner. A crude writing desk set up in another corner.
There were four third generation blood thralls, the vampire’s legacy in their blood made them significantly tougher than a normal human of an equivalent level. They were loyal to a fault the perfect basis for new vampires. There was a swords master in steel chainmail, next to her was a marauder in heavy iron plate, they had a shield and flail. There was one guy in ring mail coming up to his knees and elbows he had a number of javelins and a medium round shield. The heavy set woman next to him had a heavy winch crossbow, she had lots of bodkin bolts for armour piercing.
Behind the blood thralls were four full vampires, every one over 25 years undead. There was one sorcerer in a read robe. She had two demons at her side, a soldier red and tall carrying a large iron sword that was enhanced with infernal magic and hell hound. The beast had intelligent eyes its jaws looked like the grate on a furnace its eyes glowed. There was one necromancer in purple robes with a very compact flesh golem. The golem had started out as a heavily modified ghoul corpse. Adding to the variety was one archer and one spear man, they stood behind the thralls ready expecting an order.
Apart from the two magic users they all wore black or dark brown clothes, Cameron the razor stood behind them. He wore thin light steel chainmail over his heart with a thick neck guard made from steel around his throat. At his side was a sabre enchanted with electricity, his features were sharp and vicious. Martin pointed to the necromancer, “working with the king of bones?” she shook her head “I am loyal to the empress of shadows”. Her voice was cold calculating letting no emotion into his words”. The vampire in Cameron’s group had probably worked for the king of bones at one point but had been recruited elsewhere.
Alice cast her shield spell, then cast an electric strike and fire ball in to the centre of the blood thralls, the electrical attack was enough to floor them. The magic caused a lot of wounds, a lot of projectiles bounced off her shield spell. The Vampire necromancer got two octium arrows right through there spell shield and into their chest. It was enough to knock them over and temporarily out of the fight, a present from Vivian.
The Hell hound was not the smartest creature when enraged, its cunning evaporated in the tight space. It went straight for David, he struck it with a shield bash. Knocking down the infernal creature. David was not going to give any quarter, without hesitation one power attack cut its head half way from its neck. Even with half its head cut off the demon was still alive and could have recovered. The second swing from David's blade was enough, the head was gone. He just managed to blocks an attack from second demon the foot soldier. The hell hounds conjured flesh expired and faded, leaving just a greasy black stain on the ground.
Martin uses his “chain smite” on the vampire Archer. He knew how powerful Vivian could be so he wanted to remove the danger. The vampire was getting hit again and again with a barrage of lightning bolts, each one more powerful than the next. He dropped his bow started to stagger. The Second vampire approached the hunter, while he was supposedly distracted. The spear wielding vampire was the first to experience Martins stake special. He had loaded the four barrelled pistol with four stakes, with a silver bullet behind each of them. Backed by an Overload powder change.
Martin had already expected such an attack. The weapon acted almost like a small blunderbuss or cannonade. As martin drew set and fired it in a blur. Four hits on the vampires centre of mass it staggered back, a massive hole in its chest silver and wood lodged in its insides. They had not broken Martins concentration for the fight, his Chain smite blessing was still going, that vampire would not last much longer.
Cameron unsheathed his glowing sword, sparks of electricity and vampiric magic shot up and down the edge of the blade. He waited for his opportunity to strike and slay one of the attackers. The blood thralls organised themselves getting back up. The two melee fighters headed for Martin the two ranged fighters tried to target Vivian. The vampires tried to organise themselves. Two were almost out of the fight. One burned with bolts of lightning the second with their chest filled with wooden stakes and silver shot.
The sorcerer tried to target Martin with a spell an infernal bolt, with a bit of demonic power behind it. The necromancer sent her creation forwards, as she tried to pull the arrows out from her rib cage. They had missed her heart due to the lose robes hiding her shape, but she still had a very high grade arrow wedged in her chest. The necromancers creation moved forwards towards David, its flesh twisted spines emerged. Its flesh pulsated sending bone spikes towards David only for the weak attacks to bounce off his shield and armour.
Martin shot Cameron with the Lion hearts hammer pistol, right into Cameron's knee joint dropping him to the floor keeping him out of the fight. Martin blocked a thrown spell with his holy symbol the infernal sorcerous energy fizzled into nothing. Cameron uses his claws to pull the burning silver out his knee healing as best it could, expending his blood pool to gain back mobility. The pistol was blessed with a strong effect his blood aura and shield aura were completely bypassed as if his supernatural defences were not there.
Alice hit the two injured vampires with a double cast fire ball, it was too much for the spell that animated them they were obliterated into a pile of ash and fangs. David was badly matched with the demon and flesh golem, which was exactly why they had been thrown at him. He was tough and could bog down the supernatural units. But non fire magic and holy items would dispatch the demon far more quickly.
The demon was talkative, “you might have defeated one of my kind before mortal. But I am stronger and far more powerful than the other one you faced”. The demon easily dodged back away from a thrust only to hit the flesh golem. The nearly mindless construct got in his way, allowing David to deliver a cutting power strike removing the demons sword arm at the elbow. The demon reacted as if it was a mild inconvenience. The demon rolled out of the way grabbed the sword of the floor and held it in his other hand. David grinned, “You also have allies in the way and you don't have the shield the other one did”. David had to guess that the demons could communicate with each other. This sorcerer may have been the one that trained the ratmen he had seen earlier.
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The demon fell silent concentrating on what its next move would be. It had to split its attention with its idiotic reanimated companion mindlessly wading forwards. Vivian avoided a thrown javelin, but didn't avoid a cross bow bolt. It struck her armour penetrating it and wedging up in her second layer of spider silk cloth armour. She responded back with a mithral arrow that hit the crossbowman in the shoulder, sending her reeling back out of the fight.
Martin called on his holy blessings “hand of judgement”, a hand formed of glowing light and smashed Cameron into the ground. Keeping him out of the fight, just as he had recovered from the wound to his kneecap. Martin received a few wounds from the attacking blood thralls. “Hallowed earth” a second blessing damaged everything tainted or unnatural in the area. Alice used a duel cast electric strike spell. Everything in the radius of the spells took immense damage. The blood thralls aiming at Vivian collapsed dead. Vivian put an octium arrow into both the vampire spell casters, distracting them from the fight.
David cut the flesh golems left arm right off. In response it sprouted two more and a bony claw, he carved those off as well. The demon looked on for a way to even the odds, a lax moment allowed David to shield bash him hard enough to send him spinning across the room. The demon cursed as it over thought the fight.
Martin used his blessings “circle of consecration” his “sphere of consecration” and his “holy aura” blessings. The local monsters were weakened and damaged, the magic that animated them or bound them to this plane of existence faded. This included the two melee orientated thralls, who collapsed and died as there tainted blood was cooked inside their veins, they died begging their master to save them. Martin pulled one of his pistols from its sheath, a focus shot with a mithral bullet and the necromancer collapsed a hole in her skull. Their body dedicated and remained immobile they were probably not going to recover from that.
The demon was hit with two mithral arrows from Vivian and collapsed dissolving. The flesh golem staggered backwards, Martin dived out of the way as Alice nailed it with a duel cast fire ball. The sorcerer picked a different target, Martin was able to stop her spells. Alice felt the her infernal bolt spell crashed into her sending her to the floor, red energy and black smoke curling up from the impact.
Cameron the razor charged towards, David delivering a number probing of melee attacks with his sword. David suffered a little damage but stood his ground. The vampire looked surprised, “you have elemental resistance to counter my sabres enchantment, you are well prepared”. The vampire was hit with two enchanted mithral arrows, he switched targets to try and kill Martin instead. He didn't have a large shield to worry about with the hunter.
Martin activated his lightning resisting blessing, it helped to stop the energy effects of the sabre, but it didn't help with the three inches of blade thrust between his armour buried in his gut. Martin drew his other pistol, the vampire gripped his wrist “not today hunter”. Martin held his holy symbol above Cameron's blade, “purify”. the vampiric magic of the blade reacted adversely and the blade shattered. Cameron dropped the hilt his hand smouldering, where it had been touching the metal. He also let go of Martins arm.
Before Martin could level his pistol another infernal bolt hit him in the side of the head. It burnt skin away he staggered back unable to aim his pistol properly. The vampire sorcerer prepared another spell, he had plenty of magic left. He noticed a healing spell being cast, then Alice stood up. She had already used her shield spell. The Sorcerer’s infernal bolt hit the shield and popped it out of existence, it was more a distraction. She had a duel cast fire ball ready. She spoke after she cast, triumph in her voice, “don't forget that mages over level fifty have a high base spell resistance”. The vampire tried to doge the spell forgetting just how badly injured she was. The two balls of fiery doom annihilated her leaving dust and fangs.
Cameron was still trying to fight without his blade, his fingers extended into claws but they were not enough to punch thorough David's defences. Martin shot him in the face, then hit him with every offensive blessing he had under his belt. Wrath of the almighty smite divine retribution. Vivian emptied her quiver into the vampire, as bit by bit he was driven back. The battle was decided when Alice hit Cameron with her icy tomb spell. Slowing him down as his frozen flesh, fought against his muscles attempts to fight back.
He was strong but no vampire elder, by the time that the spell had run its course he was a spent force. David put an adrenalin power strike through his legs, the mithral blade didn't go all the way but he would not be walking any time soon. He collapsed down on the floor with a pitiable grunt. Martin had a hammer and stake out. Cameron coughed up blood and gave them the finger, as Martin hammered the stake home. Cameron's hand fell to his side, his skin then muscle then bone withered and faded away leaving a skull and two fangs.
.
Martin had to grin, there was a certain satisfaction in killing a vampire like Cameron. He was a powerhouse himself, when he had his sword. But he still kept to the shadows a plotting scheming threat. Someone competent who's loss would be missed by those higher up the vampire hierarchy. It felt very good. Alice had been worth her weight in silver, her electrical strike spell covered a nice wide area and her fire balls could hit hard. The blood thrall's and the full vampires were not used to dealing with spell slingers of her calibre. She had gotten so many of them that she was bound to level up more than once.
The level up hit David and Vivian were currently excluded, they needed to perform a feat of martial strength and single handedly kill an opponent around level 50 to break through. Then they could keep raising their levels. Martin who specialised on killing vampires gained three levels from Cameron. Even if he had a lot of help, he landed the killing blow that sure seemed to cunt for something. Allowing him to reach level 62 of his vampire hunter job.
Martin put two levels into his general melee weapon skill. It went up to level 7 which gave him access to a focus strike stun. It could very briefly stun humanoid targets around the same level as Martin. The most important thing was the class level he got at level 60, he got two more blessings allowing him to cleanse soil and water. He could use sphere of consecration two more times and wrath of the almighty once more. Alice might have been several levels behind him but she was catching up at level 54.
Alice was able to master her electric strike spell and learn a new spell illusionary allies. One of lady Imoline's recommendations, it would produce several very life like illusions around the mage so that there appeared to be six mages at the most basic level, going up to 13 copies of a mage for enemies to shot at instead of the mage. It was good for about 1 minute 40 seconds to begin with. As each illusion was struck it would dissipate, it was a good defensive ability. If combined with an invisibility spell a mage could retreat fairly safely.
If Alice cast all three of her defensive spells elemental shield physical shield and illusionary allies Alice would be very hard to hit. But she would not be able to maintain any offensive spell, unless she got her hands on a really unique item. So she had to wait until level 60 before she could maintain 4 spells simultaneously.
Martin held his holy symbol, he pulled the tip of the sabre out of his stomach. “Divine favour, divine favour”, his wounds began to close up. The skin on his face healed over the damage from the infernal bolt healing away. Vivian pulled the crossbow bolt out of her side. Alice healed her a little. David's belt of three favours had resisted most of the damage from Cameron's magic blade. But he was still not one hundred percent, a healing spell later and he felt much better. His nerves didn't tingle so much, it was still far less damage than the electric blue beetles had done, before he got his hands on the magic item.
“I beat another demon, they need plenty of room to manoeuvre”. Vivian coughed “you beat a hell hound, I killed the demon”. He shrugged “I softened it up a lot”. Vivian sighed “I need arrows with some sort of area effect ability, it’s one thing my arsenal lacks”. Alice was hesitant to dissuade her but, “any area effect enchantment would be really weak. You might find a damage over time spell, but things will move out of the way fairly quickly”. Martin tried to be helpful, “chemistry is the answer a glass bulb filled with poison or a thermite bomb would give you an area of effect weapon.” Vivian nodded “I suppose but they are not cheap and only single use”. Martin used his blessing to remove demonic influence form David, just on the off chance as they had been fighting him.
The necromancer’s corpse was thrown into the sun, it dissolved into ash leaving a pair of fangs. The flesh golem was rolled out of the building and set on fire. They wanted to be sure to dispose of the tapestry of rotten flesh. They collected up the vampires fangs, purified the bodies of the dead thralls and headed back to the city. David carried two of the blood thralls Vivian and Martin each carried one.
They would bring them back to the cathedral for last rights and cremation. It would hopefully put their spirits to rest, so that the vampires could not use there trapped spirits in some ritual or another. Though a weak opponent one necromancer had turned such a foe on them before. What equipment they could find was brought back in a sack Vivian carried. It would be of some use to the city militia. They got back to good forge two hours later. The various equipment was donated to Melcher the sheriff, he would be able to use it. The bodies of the blood thralls were checked then a priest began the ceremony of last rights.
They stopped off at a tavern and had a meal and several ales. Before heading over to the cathedral citadel and the bishop. He still had guards and militia around him, but there numbers were fewer. He sighed in contentment finally allowing himself to fully relax. “I believe that congratulations are in order. Cameron the razor has been trying for a decade or more to conquer us from the inside out. Any other agents he might have been grooming are mute and done, there finance and contacts are gone.”
The bishop offered them a glass of wine, he took a drink and continued “The sheriff indicated a reward for the assassins you killed, specifically the master assassin a criminal that went by the name of the exterminator. The reward is 80 silver. The reward for the destruction of Cameron was five gold, I will pay it out in silver, and the reward for the other vampires has been calculated by Reginald as 65 silver, based on the teeth you recovered. The bonus you receive for destroying the plot to kill of the duke is 40 silver each, so together you earn eight hundred and five silver, you walk away from this two gold richer each. I have two less plotting nobles and one less elite vampire skulking about my city, it is a very good day”.
Martin grinned, “There is a certain amount of satisfaction in staking one of the swine, Alexis I am sure that you’re aware that one way or another we have been offered garrison jobs or something similar”. The bishop nodded “and as I suspected none of you took them, you have a longer road to walk together”.
David looked around the group, “we still need at least another 1200 silver before I can get a full suite of mithral armour”. Vivian smacked him on the back of the helm, forcing the visor to fall shut with a loud clang. The bishop was serious “you can all finance far better equipment if you continue to work for me, despite your lack of subtly you are acceptable as agents, a righteous fist against the enemies of the triune”.
Martin looked over the group, “I want to kill vampires and my best chance is with allies like these and the backing of a bishop. I am all for becoming a full agent”. Vivian spoke next “I have only seen a little of the world up until now, but my eyes are open. An agent wields a measure of power and we have powerful enemies. Lexicon is out there and whoever Cameron's master is will not be pleased to have lost a lieutenant, it’s a good idea to become a full agent”.
David added his bit after Vivian, “I want certain things that money can buy”. He looked at Vivian “and certain things money can’t buy, the pick of contracts will help me build up the equipment and finances I need, I think it’s a good idea to be a full agent”. Alice looked around the room “I see the mages guild and I don't like the way its run, I could become a chapter master and make life a little better for a small group. But I want more if I can reach level 75 or higher then I would have a guaranteed place on the mages council. As an agent with those connections it would be easier for me to achieve this”.
The bishop looked at them, Vivian spoke for them. “We are agreed we are your agents” The bishop grinned and poured them wine “I can see you all reaching grand master status, there are so many things in this world that do not belong. That form no part of the creator gods plan, with your help many of them will be swept aside and many people will be helped”. There was a knock on the door and Reginald entered, he put a keg of brown ale down on the table, “I guess that the bishop recruited you for his own crusade, let us drink and celebrate your promotion”.
They had a mug of the ale and chatted. There was more knocking at the chamber door, Jonathan and lady Imoline entered. Jonathan handed a flask to Martin, “well they managed to brew something out of the dragons remains, you’re the only one with poison resistance hear so you can have it all to yourself”.
He nodded his thanks. Jonathan turned to Vivian, “you have had a better offer I guess, you would have made a fine addition to the emerald bows. Remember us for mobile artillery if you need it”. Lady Imoline hugged Alice, “it seems that things will go back to being normal soon, I wish you well. Who knows we might meet at the mages tower one day”. She had a clear bottle with her, it was filled with liquid glowing pink that smelled like gin. there was a crystal at the bottom of the bottle that glowed faintly with a pinkish colour.
The chapter head of the merchant’s guild Gavin arrived, with two very nice bottles of wine. The last one to arrive was Melcher he has a barrel or orange ogre ale and several tankards. He tapped David on the shoulder. “One day you will be a guard captain or a sheriff or even lead a mercenary company, you never know, you will look back at this and wish things were this quiet”.