Ghosts of Gauntcliff, Chapter Seven

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Pfh," Everline sneers at Griffith. Slowly, with some discomfort, she starts to lever Benn to his feet. "Up. Get," she grunts as she starts trudging back to the ballroom, blazing hand held high to lead the way.

[ewancummins]

Griffith tells his men-
''Come on, time to change the guard."

They tramp off towards an exit.


Everline reaches the ballroom only to find all the doors are locked. She hears something going on in there-- weird mumbling, a scream, breaking glass..

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline grunts, her emotions in an uproar.

'Tired, so tired... So much pain. And I am not whole... I could just hide, couldn't I? Couldn't I...? No!'

Everline carefully pats Benn's face in an attempt to wake him up, and then forcefully applies her boot to the door. "Open! Up!" she shouts, as loudly as she can.

[ewancummins]

Fists pound against the door from the other side.
A woman's voice cries out-
''Help, help! I don't have the keys! It's a madhouse in here! I--ahhh, let go of me, let go of me!"

Insane laughter shakes the heavy wooden door panel.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline draws a deep breath and screams: "Guards! Guards! Ballroom! Now! Guards!" That being done, Everline backs well off and chants Words of Power: "Malleus Umbrorum!"

A warhammer of purple-edged darkness materializes in front of Everline, hurtles forward and starts smashing away at the door with brutal power.

[ewancummins]

Benn comes to.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Going. Wrong in. There," Everline rasps at Benn, shaking him a little, then releasing him - provided he can stand. "Hel. P!"

[Adam]

Benn shakes his head to clear the cobwebs and stands up to his feet, pulling his walking stick from Everline's pack. "I have had just about enough of this bastard," Benn growls before invoking words of power in a guttural, barking tone. Before Everline's eyes, the wood of the walking stick broadens and entwines with vines, turning hard enough to nearly resemble iron.

Turning and throwing all his strength into a swing, Benn begins smashing down the ballroom door.

[ewancummins]

THE BALLROOM

Using magic and raw muscle, Benn and Everline burst the door.

Inside the ballroom, they find a scene of utter chaos. Men and women rush madly about. Two maids lie on the floor either dead or unconscious. A boy of nine or ten climbs the curtains. Other folk have gathered into a tight herd in the middle of the room.
The chandelier swings wildly, casting dozens of dancing, leaping shadows on the yellow wallpaper.
Denys Sancerre crouches in the broken frame of one of the big windows on the west wall.
The estate owner turns to look right at Benn and Everline, a twisted smile on his face.

''We will all die on Gauntcliff!” The large man leaps from the window sill and runs out into the night!

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Rally!" Everline rasps at the group of -at least seemingly- unaffected people. She moves the dark hammer to block one of the running people. "Work tog. Ether! Mob them one by. One! Hold them. Down!"

[Adam]

Benn's heart sinks, his worst suspicions about Sancerre appearing to have been confirmed.

Not having time to worry about that now, however, he turns to the crowd, searching frantically for his wife and child. Any strangers who get in his way or hinder his ability to find and tend to them will meet with the blunt end of his cane.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Everline grabs Benn by the shoulder and points at the huddled sane folk. "There," she says, pointing out Charlotte. For a moment, her eyes meet Benn's, and he can see her understanding briefly shine through.

[ewancummins]

Charlotte, tears running down her cheeks, presses her way through the frightened cluster at the middle of the dance floor.
''Jonas went out the window ahead of Monsieur Sancerre, Benn! “

[Adam]

Bennedict hurries to Charlotte's side. "Where is Jonas?" he shouts over the din.

[ewancummins]

Bennedict hurries to Charlotte's side. "Where is Jonas?" he shouts over the din.

She waves frantically at the broken window.

''Outside! He's outside! I don't know how he..."
She breaks down sobbing.

''We have to find him!"
She rushes torwards the broken window....