Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Six

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio blinks. "Wait, Eustace, someone was opening your window? The same thing happened to me our first night here. I could have sworn I'd latched it, but it was open when I awoke. Very strange, very strange."


"Benn, those little creatures, the ones like Gruz and Smezel, could it be them?"

[steveflam]

Jürgen
In the pitch dark, the boy must move by feel and with the help of his companions. After crawling for several minutes, Jürgen finds a grate that, when pushed open, lets him into a large room near the back of the house, lit by a single candle on a table in the far right corner. Looking about, he makes out the dim shapes of tables, cabinets, hanging pots and pans, a row of stone ovens, and a couple of doorways. The air here is warm and smells of butter, fresh baked bread, and cooked fish.

The boys stomach grumbles. He realizes he is quite hungry, but at the same time no need to scare people off cause of his teeth, thought hey are really really cool! "Dark One, go and see if the coast is clear. I want some food and I think so do Gruz and Smezel. Once we have food we will go back to my room and wait until it is sleepy time and go see Dorgio. I think he is the most level headed of everyone here."

[Ail]

"Not just that, Dorgio. It was this morning, I was going to look for Primeiro after my daily prayer. When I got to the hall, I heard a crash behind me, and I found my window open, my alchemical lab smashed and my things in disarray. I saw our shadow there, and I invoked Belenus that make it flee, but I don't know how hurt it was. I didn't see anyone else, but after I found Primeiro and we returned we were attacked by a crazied servant... surely that shadow's business. I just wonder, but I could assume that shadow has some telekinetic powers."

[ewancummins]

The kitchen


Dark One glides out of the kitchen and under the light-rimmed doorframe on the south wall.


While the shadow is absent, the boy has ample opportunity to stuff his rucksack with food; bread, cheese, and cooked fish not yet taken by the...

The door creaks open and light spills into the dark kitchen. Acting on instinct; the boy ducks under a table to hide.

A fat servant in a flour stained apron waddles into the kitchen and grabs the candle from its resting place in the corner.
Jürgen can see the plump lackey, but the man gives no sign of having spotted him.

''Thought I heard some ‘at. Must uv been mice. Hrrrmph."


The man pokes about the room for a bit, and grabs a fresh loaf of bread.

''Got to keep yer strength up. Trying times."

He blows out the candle and walks out, swinging the door shut at his back.


Jürgen remains alone in the dark for a little while (Gruz and Smezel are hiding under the house).

A familiar voice whispers,
''I'm back. Benn, Dorgio, and some of the others are having a moot in a little barroom close to here. "

[steveflam]

Jürgen hisses........ "Dark One......I will still wait to see Dorgio alone unless you think it a good idea to go see them now?"

[ewancummins]

Jürgen hisses........ "Dark One......I will still wait to see Dorgio alone unless you think it a good idea to go see them now?"

''I don't know when you will get a chance to see him alone. They are holed up in there really tight. Maybe they are scared of being alone..."

[ewancummins]

Primeiro



After running his errands, the young gentleman heads back to the private bar.


In the hallway...

[steveflam]

Jürgen hisses........ "Dark One......I will still wait to see Dorgio alone unless you think it a good idea to go see them now?"

''I don't know when you will get a chance to see him alone. They are holed up in there really tight. Maybe they are scared of being alone..."

"Okay, we go back to my room then."

The boy exits the kitchen stockrrom and heads for his room.

Jürgen is taking 20 to move silently and hide to make it to back to his room.

[ewancummins]

Jürgen hisses........ "Dark One......I will still wait to see Dorgio alone unless you think it a good idea to go see them now?"

''I don't know when you will get a chance to see him alone. They are holed up in there really tight. Maybe they are scared of being alone..."

"Okay, we go back to my room then."

The boy exits the kitchen stockroom and heads for his room.

Jürgen is taking 20 to move silently and hide to make it to back to his room.

The boy creeps out of the kitchen and down the darkened hallways with great care, hardly making a sound.

He can hear merry voices and lively music from the direction of the dining hall, the sounds of a fellowship now denied to him.
As he passes through the central area where the garden squares are located, something whips round the corner just ahead, a long shroud flaring out behind a bestial, hunched figure with a long snout and eyes that glow like embers. The hairy thing knocks into Jürgen‘s legs, sending the boy crashing to the floor!

[steveflam]

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Exclaims the boy as he tumbles and tries to disengage from the hairy thing between his legs. "Dark One! Attack this thing! Gruz, Smezel help! Monster! Monster!" Jürgen will disengage from the beast and try to stand up facing it, and not make any offensive gestures but ready to run like hell!

[ewancummins]

Primeiro-

Walking back to the private bar, Primeiro hears Jürgen cry out in fear!

[ewancummins]

The dog-headed demon shrieks, leaping for Jürgen’s throat!

[steveflam]

Jürgen turns and runs like hell! "MOnster monster monster.... hairy Monster!!!!!!!!!!!! Dark One, distract it!"

[ewancummins]

The creature lands on the boy's back, knocking him flat on his face. It rips at his clothes, howling in fury--and then it is gone.

[steveflam]

The boy gets up and runs as fast as he can towards the barroom where Dark One saw the others.