Realms of Dread, Chapter Four

[BigBadQDaddy]

Mara's little house-

Alain reddens in the face letting his eyes drop down to the floor. So Mara wouldn't be any help. He was foolish for getting his hopes up with such a convoluted theory, but now he was grasping at straws, trying to make sense of it. Perhaps he would be best served starting from scratch.
The young author takes a deep breath, exhales slowly and unfolds into a standing position.
"No need for apologies mademoiselle. You are right, people from where I am from speak in the most silly manner imaginable.
"I apologize for wasting your time this evening, please allow me to make up for it by taking a look at the wound on your leg. It must hurt something dreadful and must impair you a great deal when you make your rounds."

[ewancummins]

Mara's little house-

''Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!''

Mara slides her skirt up to her knees, revealing not just two, but maybe a dozen of the small marks. Some are old and scabbed-over, and some are raw.

''I was embarrassed to show you this...but I don't want you to worry about me. This is how I make my living, Alain. I wade into the marsh and the leeches cling to me. After I get out of the water, I pick them off and put them in my wheelbarrow with some damp earth. ''

[ewancummins]

Blackpillars, that very night

''Right lads, it's like Ereint said- we get in and kill that stupid whore, Nell Wynnet. Steal anything that aint nailed down. Ereint wants to see all our loot from this job- but she's only lookin' for certain items. The rest, we can keep for ourselves. ''

Studying the big house from his hiding spot in the garden, the leader of the small gang of four burglars says to his men:

''Hmmm, I see a hole under the porch. Might be a way to get inside the house, unexpected-like! Riddle, you go pop in, right.''

Riddle, a weasel-like man in drab leather armor, grumbles a bit but complies with his orders. He crawls from the bushes to the porch, and creeps up to the gap below the veranda. Cautiously, he enters and has a look about, letting his eyes adjust to the gloom under the porch.

Then, having performed his duty, he exits the space under the porch and returns to the garden to make a report.

''Crawlspace, boss. Found some loose floorboards- bet we could get in from underneath the house.''


The boss tweaks his henchman's nose.

''Heh, good idea. The wench probably had the good sense ta' put some kinda traps or alarms on her doors- maybe even windows. Who traps the underside of floorboards, though? Right, we'll try coming in from below. Hehehehee, this is gonna be fun. Hob, you stay here for now, keep an eye out for us. I'll meow like a cat if I want you to come in, okay?''

The man called Hob nods.

''Yes, of course. Good luck, friends.''

The others crawl away, leaving Hob alone in the cover of the bushes.

All three of Hob's friends vanish into the darkness under the porch.
Hob waits. After a few minutes, he hears a little scuffle- one of the gang is removing boards, perhaps? Silence for a minute or more, then, very softly a good imitation of a cat's meow.

Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Hob creeps to the gap and crawls inside. As his eyes adjust to the near-darkness, he spots Riddle, lying on the ground, facing away from him. Where are the others?

Without warning, cold hands seize Hob! A terrifying sense of helplessness floods his body, freezing his limbs and cutting short his cry for help. A heavy weight presses down on his back, pushing the air out of his body. He can see one of the thing's hands- a human-like hand but withered and gray, with long and sharp yellow nails. The creature leans forward, placing its black lips very close to Hob's right ear. The smell of death and decay is so strong that it brings tears to Hob’s eyes. A long rugose tongue flicks across his cheek, cold as an icicle. Softly, very softly, the monster meows, a perfect imitation of a housecat.

[ewancummins]

outside the King's Tower


Looking up and down the line of the foul moat, you all can see that it doesn't run the full length of the outer walls, but only on the south side- where you are standing. Anyone looking can now see, through the night's darkness and the gathering fog, bright lanterns in the watchtowers at either end of the long water-filled ditch.



''Perhaps it's a sump- just a place for all the waste water and filth to collect? No matter- we've got to either cross it or go the long way round- but that risks us being seen. Ino, what do you think- should we risk being seen, or swim this filthy water? Or should we just alert the Baron's men? I don't want to waste time, but I do value your counsel.''

[VAN]

"At this point I think is better go in, I can make all of us fly so hopefully we will not touch the water very much."

Pointing at Blaise she says:

"Don't worry you can get your original form back. None of your mental abilities has changed, you can also use your innate powers without problem. If everyone decides to go in through this pipe I'll dispel the spell right now so you can come with us."

[Lord Skybolt]

" That's a great idea . Why don't you do that as me and my brother have never flown before . So it's sounds like it would be fun ." Threan says with a big grin .

[VAN]

Inovidil looks at Jamethon and Blaise.

"And what about you two? Do you agree?"

[ewancummins]

King's Tower-

Jamethon agrees.

Once Ino has cast her spell and the party has flown across, Jamethon asks-

''Threan can you go first? You are smaller and so will have more room to maneuver, and you seem to be better able to see in the dark than us humans- is that right?''

[Lord Skybolt]

"Sure I can see just fine in the dark . I will go first to scout ahead so to see where this leads . I will only go ahead about 100 feet though so to let my brother know whats ahead . "And with that he points at his brother with his finger . Then leaves to scout ahead flying like superman as he goes with a big grin on his face at the new experience .

[ewancummins]

Threan enters the tunnel. Flying through the dark and grimy drain, he notices several small openings to the left and right of the big drain-pipe. These openings are about a foot in diameter, and appear to be outlets to smaller pipes that angle upwards.

Up ahead, maybe seventy feet in, Threan sees a little girl in a soiled and torn dress, being dragged further down tunnel by a feral-looking boy. The girl is whimpering and struggling feebly to get free from her captor. The wild boy’s eyes glow red! He gives no indication of having spotted the flying gnome.

[Lord Skybolt]

On seeing the girl being dragged away by the undead monster . Burning with rage he attacks the thing to free her from it .

[ewancummins]

Threan's first strike catches the undead boy unawares, chopping into the monster's face! Ripping his kukri free, the gnome flashes his crooked knife again and takes the creature's right arm off at the shoulder. Flying behind the vampire-boy, Threan swings the knife again as the ugly creature drops the girl and spins to counter-attack.

Plop. The head lands in the bottom of the drain, fangs out and red eyes still glowing.

The girl struggles to get to her hands and knees.

''I'm scared! The bad boys have my friends. ''

[Lord Skybolt]

Telling his brother through magic what just happened . He says to him that he has found one of the girls and they need to find the rest them with her help so the rest the party needs come along and Glim needs to Cast a party wide message when we get together .

[ewancummins]

''Threan just put down one of the undead and rescued a little girl. Let's go help him!''

Glim enters the drain, as the others [anyone that is coming along, that is] move up to join him in the tunnel, he points at each of them in turn, whispering a spell.

Glim's whispered message reaches the ears of each member of the rescue/search party.


''I can talk to you guys now, and of course you can all hear me. I'm am flying up to join Threan- we'll scout ahead of that circle of light that Ino has made.''

[kintire]

Shana glances over Mara's legs, but if all the bites do look like leech bites she will relax.

"Well, Mara, thank you for your hospitality. You must allow us to return it soon. Are you usually free at about this time? Perhaps you would like to visit us for dinner?"