Eight Months Later…
He tried not to blink, but his eyes were watery and blurry from the biting wind. It was difficult to see through the blowing snow. He stared as long as he could. He had to keep alert, but he was no match for the whipping wind.
He closed his eyes.
In that moment, Thorry thought of what led him to this day. It had been eight months since heading to rescue his friends trapped in a mysterious forest, the group scurrying around in their small, transformed animal bodies. It was in that adventure that the group enlisted Bane, the tall, fur-covered, cat-hating, and perpetually happy gnoll, whom they met from Ellsworth, one of the leaders of the monster hunter guild. After escaping the threat of forever eating acorns, the party reverted to monster hunting. They were quite successful, earning over 15,000 crowns from killing creatures both big and small for their valuable materials. The party also used Freedom Tower, as Thorry so named it, to its advantage of instantaneous travel by aiding in the Rendarian war effort, creating a lucrative market for trading weapons. The party amassed an additional 25,000 crowns in a short amount of time, all the while contributing to a good cause. The party’s coffers were stuffed.
Thorry’s mind lingered on the magical forest, and part of him wished he had been there from the beginning instead of nursing a broken arm. He wondered if anyone would believe Lovejoy’s recounting of the tale, one of which needed no exaggeration. He hadn’t had a chance to ask Lovejoy about the book, though, for he had left the tower. He had found love and married, and his heart had no room left for any other stories for quite the time. Thorry was a bit confused as he thought Lovejoy was already married, but before long the plethora of meat blossoms at the reception put the thought to slumber.
Lovejoy’s wedding was not filled with all of his companions. Donovich McSwill, the party’s chef, housekeeper, and shifty coin-snatcher, met his end as a meal to a manticore from one of the party’s previous monster hunts. Belfaur was off with his dwarf brethren helping in their war with the orcs. Brother Osho lost his patience with the party’s delays and set out to uncover the mystery of his tattoo of shame.
That left Thorry with only the newcomer Bane in his group. Unfortunately, despite holding the plain red ball, also known as the Orb of Eternal Friendship, an undefeatable duo they were not. Thorry tried to enlist the help of Lilith, but like with his date requests, he his request was denied. However, Lilith bestowed upon the party consolation gifts: to Bane, she enchanted his axe with a magical flame and the power to return to its owner after being thrown; to Thorry, a wand of cure wounds to keep his party standing and a wand of illusion that places cats, Bane’s archenemy, upon its target. Although great and interesting gifts they were, they were still only two. So, in their monster hunting when they encountered a very strange man who was hunting the same mark, Thorry convinced the man to join. Thorry quickly convinced Bane to accept him as well once Thorry threw the little red ball to the strange man.
“Three is greater than two. We can’t be stopped now, not since we possess the Orb of Eternal Friendship,” Bane proclaimed.
The strange man was Paul Anthony Dean, a self-taught neekromanker, as he called it. Paul A. Dean never had heard the words he read in his books aloud, so he knew not how they were pronounced. Thorry was sure that wasn’t how the word sounds. What concerned Thorry more than the man’s questionable intellect was that he had heard these dark mages made love to the deceased, that is unless Thorry himself was misremembering what a necromancer was. Even more troubling to the halfling was that Paul was accompanied by three animated skeletons, yet Paul spoke to them as if they were alive.
“You mean seven, right? Steve, quit being shy and say hello,” Paul said with delight.
Beggars can’t be choosers, Thorry thought. Over time, Thorry pieced together that Paul’s bony pals were Paul’s previous traveling companions. Paul described a perilous struggle with deadly creatures that severely endangered his group.
“So, how did you make it out alive?” Thorry inquired.
Paul nonchalantly stated, “Fortunately, I had just found a scroll of Aygaynazzare’s Scorker, and I quickly cast the spell Weest.”
Thorry’s brow raised. “East?”
“No, Weest. The group was Ee-ast.”
Thorry looked over at “Steve,” whose arm was currently being gnawed by Bane. Poor Steve, Thorry thought.
Thorry’s mind crashed back into the present as snow and ice exploded upwards in front of him and a massive arm swung down at him. Fortunately for Thorry, he was using his shield to protect himself from the raging winds, and he managed to raise it just in time to deflect an axe of ice. He bent his head far back as he looked up at the frost giant in surprise.
Paul was ready and quick to react, and he began chanting and motioned to Bane. Bane grew much larger, the spell enlarging his muscles and amplifying his wet dog scent to the detriment of Thorry’s nose. Bane crashed his axe down, striking the giant’s shoulder, but the giant brushed it off.
Standing small, Thorry yelled at the giant, vowing to defeat it. He whipped his warhammer forward and quickly cracked the giant’s shin twice, angering the towering foe. The giant struck back, slamming its axe into Thorry, leaving an icy splinter in his side. Bane chopped away at the giant, which caused the giant to retort. This, in turn, opened up an opportunity for Thorry to strike. He missed his target of the shin but found the giant’s toe, forcing a yelp from the creature. Paul’s skeletons surrounded the frost giant as Paul began to drain the giant of its moisture using his dark arts. “Go for the shins!” Thorry screamed. Bane obliged and began chopping away, exposing bone. With a final mighty swing, he cut the leg clean off, dropping the giant into the snow, blood spurting from its wound.
Bane wasted no time skinning the beast as Thorry climbed onto the giant and searched its pouches. He pulled out two massive hunks of gold bigger than Bane’s head. He rolled them down the giant and placed them into the bags of his celestial steed Cecilia. Once Bane completed skinning the giant, he rolled the skin up like a rug and carried it back to Freedom Tower, leaving a bloody trail all along the way.
It was times like these when Thorry missed McSwill. Perhaps the party could use their gains to hire a cleric to restore his life from his buried bones at their home, Thorry wondered. He pulled out his Decanter of Endless Waters and sprayed down the path. He then walked to Lilith’s Tower to boast of his feat. “Lilith,” he shouted, “I felled a frost giant!” His child-like bragging had no effect on the disheveled lady. “That’s great,” she said dismissively. “Say, could you bring me some food?” “I will make you dinner!” Bane shouted next to Thorry, causing the halfling to jump.
Bane quickly ran to the kitchen and pulled out a giant hunk of meat he procured from the frost giant and began to cook it. Once the meat was nice and slightly-less dark red, he plopped it on a platter. Forgoing the traditional method of preparation, Bane grabbed an unwashed potato and carrot and dropped it on the platter. He scurried back to Lilith’s tower and held the food high about the waiting Thorry’s head.
“I have brought you food!”
“Where’s mine?” Thorry asked.
“You did not say you wanted food. Only Lilith said she wanted food.”
Thorry hopped up to see the food on the plate. He noticed the carrot and potato were both uncooked and uncleaned, so he swatted them off the plate.
“It’s not much, but here’s the food I got for you. I hope you like it,” Thorry said, hoping to steal the credit.
Lilith opened her tower’s window, reaching out with droopy, tired arms and grabbing the plate. Thorry eyed the strange-looking meat as it passed hands.
“Bane, where did you get that meat?”
“From the frost giant.”
“From the giant? As in, the meat is giant meat? Lilith! Don’t eat it! It’s frost giant meat! I’m so sorry! It’s not my fault!”
Lilith either didn’t hear or didn’t mind. Thorry had never tasted giant meat before, but he knew some things just weren’t trying. He shrugged, then climbed the tower and swiped the mirror, revealing the grand city of Gracia. He walked his way to the portal, and Bane followed behind holding the giant skin. Paul and his friends followed, but Thorry stopped him before proceeding.
“You should leave your, um, friends behind.”
Paul was puzzled.
“Why?”
“Some people in Gracia may take issue with their…appearance.”
“I shall have them put on something else, then.” Paul began to command the skeletons to the tower to change.
Thorry blinked. “I don’t think that will help.”
“Fine, I will command them to stay here. They will do anything I wish.”
Thorry’s shifted his weight. “About that…are they aware of what is going on? Is there a part of them that is still your…friends? Because if so and they are your slaves…”
Paul smiled innocently, “Of course they are my friends, especially Steve. But they will always do what I say.”
“I always listen to my master,” Bane interjected.
Thorry turned to Bane. “That’s different. You still have free will. You could choose to not listen to your “master.”
“Why would I disobey my master? He is my master.”
“Nevermind. We will talk more of this later.” Thorry huffed and walked through the portal.
When the group emerged in Gracia, they startled two heavily clad paladins. One began to draw his blade, but the other recognized the group and waved for him to stand down. Bane recognized the man through past dealingsinvolving his master. He looked familiar to Thorry, but he was not important enough for the halfling to remember his name. However, Thorry did inquire if the paladin had leveled up recently, and if he by chance knew of any Gracian organizations that may beable to grant an ascension, for Thorry believed he was ready to become a level 8 Holy Light Knight. Baffled, the paladin said no to both inquiries and got down to business. He handed the party a pouch of 150 crowns, and he and the other knight hauled away the heavy frost giant skin.
The party headed back through the portal, but seeing Lilith’s tower and still feeling dejected, Thorry felt the need to lift his spirits. He announced to the others that he was donating his share to the righteous cause of freedom. Seeming as good of a cause as any, Bane donated his share as well. Seeing as how Paul appreciated control, despite his lack of grasp on pronunciation, he did not donate. Thorry stepped back into Gracia and wandered into a nearby church of Ariel. Since slavery is the greatest evil there is, Thorry assumed the clergyman knew exactly how to put the 100 crowns he gave to the best of use, but it took a bit of explaining that may or may not have gotten through to the holy man.
The party regrouped and Thorry was about to discuss their next course of action when all of a sudden something pierced his neck. He whirled around but saw nothing, but a moment later he heard a hiss. The small, winged pixie Kip popped into existence. With his hair slicked back and his clothes all black, he hissed again. His tiny fake fangs fell out of his mouth, but he quickly replaced them.
“The Dark Lady demands your presence immediately!” Kip hissed. “Do not be late, for it is a matter of life and death of your friend!”
Kip disappeared before the party’s eyes, and Thorry felt a shuffle in his pouch at his side.
“They have one of our friends! We must go rescue them!” Bane said somehow both gravely and excitedly.
But which one, Thorry pondered. Lovejoy? That would concern Thorry, but it was doubtful Lovejoy would get caught up in any trouble that his silver tongue couldn’t rescue him. Brother Osho? It could be possible, since the group is clueless of his whereabouts, and Thorry did consider him a friend of sorts. Belfaur? He is involved in war efforts, so it’s quite likely, but Thorry hardly knew him, and he left before completing his work on Cecil’s armor, so Thorry was in no rush to aid him. Daylin? Thorry found him quite uninteresting.
Or McSwill? Oh, right, McSwill is dead, Thorry remembered. The party should probably put forth their profits towards bring him back from the dead. Paul offered to bring him back for free, but Thorry emphasized that back from the dead means alive. Paul didn’t see much of a difference. He even showed Thorry and Bane that McSwill would be able to clean just like his friends, which handled a broom with such stiffness that most of the mess remained on the tower’s floors. Thorry waved the thought off and got back to the matter at hand. Somewhat.
“We’ll see what the Dark Lady wants after we recuperate. It can wait.”
Paul was intrigued by the name spoken. “Who is this dark lady?”
“An evil vampire that is forcing us to do her unrighteous bidding,” Thorry snarled.
“Oooooh, she sounds bad,” Bane quipped.
“Oh, I don’t think she sounds so bad,” Paul mused.
The party regained their strength before moving the portal and visiting the Dark Lady. Upon their arrival, they approached to the chatter of a group far down the long, dark room. As the group approached, they noticed the Dark Lady, accompanied by the other vampires Ed the Snake and Jin Atwater.
“Ah, if it isn’t the little halfling who believes himself a knight. Have any more slaves for me to devour?” Jin teased.
Thorry restrained his rage. “What do you demand of us this time?” he said to the Dark Lady.
The Dark Lady’s eyes opened only slightly. “Demand? Why, I have merely sent for you to warn you of your friend’s capture.”
“Why do you continue to hound us? We have done everything as you asked. Release our friend!”
“Yes, you have made yourself very useful, and you shall again. But it is not I who has your friend, the one you call Brother Osho. He has been arrested for the murder of the Duke. He is to be executed in two days time. That is, unless you assist me in another task. My workers have been excavating some ruins beneath the city and have come across an immovable object. I want you to move it. In return, I will see to it that your friend is released with his head still attached.”
Thorry was once again annoyed by the Dark Lady’s vagueness. “How do you propose we move something that is immovable?”
“Your group has been quite resourceful before. I expect the same again.” The Dark Lady eyed Thorry’s new companions as she continued, “Despite the new composition of your party.”
Paul approached and bowed. “Paul Anderson Dean, the great neecromanker, at your service.”
“I am Bane. I am Thorry’s friend, for he wields the Orb of Eternal Friendship. Thorry does not like you. Thorry, shall I kill her for you?” Bane clenched the handle of his axe.
Thorry’s face went from fear to excitement to fear again. “No, Bane. Stand down.”
Jin Atwater’s faced showed disappointment. The Dark Lady continued as if no threat was made. She handed the team a map marking the location of the immovable object. Thorry stomped away towards the portal, though Bane lost his way and began to open a door in the room. Thorry called him back, and after a few more moments of admiration, Paul also left with the group. When the team arrived back at Freedom Tower, Thorry realized they never discovered what the immovable object actually was. Bane offered to go ask, and wanting nothing more to do with the vampires, and wanting to stay a living, breathing halfling, accepted. Surprisingly, Bane quite quickly got the answer they were seeking. Somewhat.
The immovable object is a black dragon.
The party was taken aback. They were only three, and although they quite handily felled a frost giant, they felt no match for a black dragon. Thorry could do nothing but fret. He had previously fought dragons, but only when they were sleeping, and this one was likely awake. He also had many more companions at his side. He had the momentary thought of forgoing fighting the black dragon and working to free Brother Osho themselves, but he feared the wrath of the Dark Lady, especially with how depleted his forces are currently. Paul felt more confident since he has his bony companions at his sides. Bane was not as worried, and had a thought to help even the odds.
“We should prepare for this fight, just like my master would do.”
“Brillaint, Bane! There must be something to help prevent our demise,” Thorry cheered.
Thorry scurried to the portal control and swiped to Kel Nadaar’s shops, and the party set out to suit up. They first entered a potion shop where they met a big-headed halfling who sold the party potions to resist the effects of the black dragon’s acid breath and a potion of strengthening to Bane. Bane also procured ten healing potions, taking only two for himself and handing the rest to Paul and Thorry. The party then went to a weapons and armor shop. Paul spent little, purchasing exploding bolts for his crossbow. Bane turned down a weapon with a vengeance enchantment and instead opted for a ring to regenerate his wounds. Since the party already purchased resistance potions, Thorry turned down a shield that would guard him and his nearby companions against the dragon’s acid breath. He also rejected a sword with a sharpness enchantment, instead purchasing a dragon-slaying sword. In all, the party spent about five-sixths of the funds held at Freedom Tower in one day.
The group returned to Freedom Tower, and Thorry haphazardly aligned the portal to sit in front of one of three pipes possibly leading to deep below the city. Paul cast a spell of light for the trip, and Thorry brought his trusty pair of bull mastifs for carrying dragon treasure. The party took their chance and headed down the pipe. They were quickly intercepted by a stealthy set of humans bearing crossbows down upon them.
“Halt! Who goes there?” one man said.
Assuming the group was in league with the Dark Lady, Thorry stated, “We are here to do as requested.”
“We have requested nothing. Go back from whence you came.”
Bane shouted to the man matter-of-factly, “We are here to defeat the black dragon for the Dark Lady so that we may save our friend.” Thorry shook his head and sighed.
The man spit. “This is the realm of the Kingdom of Chant. The Dark Lady holds no quarter here.”
“Ah, yes, the king. I met him once,” Thorry said, trying to befriend the man. “We had past dealings. I, Thorry, am a friend of his.”
The men looked to each other. “Thorry? Do you know the name?”
Another man responded, “Might have heard the name.”
“A friend of the Kingdom would not be friends with the Dark Lady. You and your friends must cease whatever work you are doing below, or you will face the consequences.”
“She is forcing us to work for her,” Thorry tried to explain futilely. Paul interrupted.
“Allow us through, and we will tell them your demands,” Paul calmly said.
The plea worked, and the men disappeared. The party continued down the seemingly endless pipe which had no turns but descended deep below. The eventually emerged in a massive room that mimicked a mined quarry. Off in the distance, they heard clanking and began to head toward the noise. They announced their presence, which triggered two sets of red eyes to spark in the darkness. The eyes grew closer, and the party saw metallic forms. The metal creatures began to buzz and transform, blades protruding from their arms as they started whirling and took flight. Thorry froze, unsure of how to proceed. Paul suggested they continue forth, but Thorry didn’t want to provoke the metal creatures. Soon more metal clanked forth and surrounded the party. The party called out into the darkness, stating they were here to kill the black dragon, and eventually a strange sounding dwarf approached from where Paul suggested they head and called off the whirling blades.
“I told you so,” Paul told Thorry.
The party asked the dwarf why the killing machines couldn’t solve their dragon problem. The dwarf explained to them that the machines did not fare well to acid, and he had lost several to the dragon. He pointed the group to the dragon’s lair, and the party advanced.
As the party ventured ahead, they saw a city beneath the city. They walked past several buildings, all seemingly made out of one material, with soft, round edges. Each building was completely cohesive, containing one single piece to construct the frame. The windows held a glass impossibly clear, nothing like the party had ever seen before.
As they continued to walk ahead, they noticed the lifeless metal things pulling items from the buildings, throwing items into several piles. Thorry eyed a pile of lance-like items, though they looked dull and ceremonial if they were indeed weapons. He grabbed one and placed it on his steed and moved forward.
The buzzing of the metal creatures dissipated as they continued and neared the dragon. Thorry left his steeds a safe distance behind. As the group neared closer, they saw a geyser of acid erupt into the air and slam into the ceiling. They inched as close as they could and then formulated a strategy. Paul was going to use his neecromanker powers to transform Bane into a black dragon to fight acid with acid. Bane would rush in and fight the dragon to distract them, which would allow Thorry to charge forth without being spewed with acid and would also allow Paul to find a relatively safe position from which to launch his magic attacks.
The group drank their elemental resistance potions and Bane gulped down his strength enhancer. Paul chanted and waved his arms about and Bane grossly morphed from furry beast to winged monstrosity. Thorry unsheathed his dragon slayer. The group rounded the bend from which they were hiding and prepared to enact their plan.
Their plan was ruined before it began. The party gazed upon the massive black dragon lying on its mountain of treasure. Surrounding the treasure was a moat of the dragon’s acid, sitting above what appeared to be some sort of magic protecting the ground below, preventing the acid from seeping through. Although the acid would not harm Bane in his new form, there was no way for Thorry and Paul to traverse through the green moat. The dragon eyed the group and let out a yawn.
“Ah, so you’ve finally gathered the courage to confront me.” The dragon’s voice was guttural and intimidating. Drops of acid spat out as the dragon growled. “I have lived time and time again beyond your miniscule years. Do you really believe your strength can remotely compare to mine?”
Thorry’s will did not break. “It must be done to save our friend. I’m afraid your time has come to an end, old dragon.”
Each party member put forth their best battle cry, except for Paul, who cheered on Steve as he clacked forward. Bane strode at an angle toward the black dragon, hoping to encourage it to leave its golden nest. However, the dragon only pounced into its pool of acid and awaited the group. Thorry charged in, as did Paul after some encouraging by Thorry. Bane looked up to spot any vulnerabilities in the ceiling’s structural integrity, but the dragon had already meticulously eroded the roof, leaving little to fall with even a concentrated blast of acid. He instead met the dragon face to face, though his transformation was still much smaller than the real dragon. Bane bit, clawed, and whipped his tail at the dragon, but did little to anger it. His heart was not in the fight, for the dragon was not a cat, the most vile and evil of all creatures, and a lesser foe did little for motivation.
Seeing the halfling advance, the dragon skirted around Bane and heaved acid from its mouth. Thorry managed to block the blast with his shield, and the potion’s magic repelled much of the assault, leaving Thorry in good shape. Thorry approached the dragon and swung his new blade, but the dragon easily dodged the halfling’s flurry. The dragon bit and clawed down at Thorry but missed. Seeing no credible threat from the tiny paladin, the dragon stomped past him. Thorry whipped his blade at the dragon’s leg as it went by, managing to slice off several of the dragon’s scales but not inflicting a grievous wound.
The dragon’s next target was Paul, who, at Thorry’s behest, had approached just a tad too close. The dragon roared and unleased another wave of acid. Were it not for the potion’s protection, Paul may had been a bubbling puddle on the floor, but he escaped with only burns. Paul responded by blighting the massive dragon which evaporated much of the creature’s blood and water from its body. Paul’s former crew surrounded the dragon, but the dragon began laying waste to them. Bones flew through the air as the dragon clawed and bit. The dragon lashed his tail out at Paul, striking his side and knocking him into a wall.
Bane breathed acid below the dragon, hoping to collapse the floor beneath, but the floor held the same protection they saw before. If the party were to win this battle, they needed to fight with full ferocity. Thorry reached to his side and grabbed Lilith’s gift. He pointed it at the dragon and penetrated its defenses. An incredible amount of felines suddenly enveloped the dragon.
The dragon gave a quizzical look. “Cats?”
“Bane’s dragon eyes filled with fury. “The ancient enemy!”
Bane charged up to the dragon. He clawed and bit wildly, disrupting the dragon’s attention on Paul. Thorry and slashed and hacked at the dragon. The dragon smacked Thorry with its claw, but the halfling did not relent. Another acid splash by the dragon did little to wear down the party. The dragon was surrounded, and its extreme confidence turned to something it had never felt before: fear. It struck out at everything and anything it could, but attacks came from too many angles, and each time the dragon swung at anything but the halfling, Thorry found an opportune moment to strike.
Bane climbed onto the dragon’s back, biting it along the way. He hopped onto its shoulders and dug his claws in and began ripping out flesh and muscle. The dragon let out a painful howl. Bane tore at one of the dragon’s wings, and Thorry struck at the dragon’s belly. Soon Bane’s thrashing was enough to drop the creature, and the party had won.
Thorry sheathed his sword and stood tall with pride. Bane walked over to the treasure pile in his dragon form and began launching gold towards the others. Paul motioned with his hands made his skeleton crew anew. He commanded them to pick up the gold that Bane had tossed. After only a few handfuls of treasure were gathered, they heard a distant clapping.
“Well done! Well done,” Jin Atwater hissed as he walked toward the group. Behind him was Ed the Snake, looking quite bored and not amused by Jin’s theatrics. Also behind Jin was the dwarf the group previously met, who was now smiling, exposing his elongated teeth. Jin continued, “You have done what the Dark Lady asked. As promised, your friend will be released. Now go. You are no longer needed.”
Thorry eyed the treasure. “The treasure is ours. To the victor goes the spoils,” Thorry harrumphed.
Jin smiled. “Yes, it does. And who do you think the victor will be?”
“Shall I eat him, Thorry?” Bane offered.
Thorry thought of letting Bane loose. They just defeated a black dragon and had plenty of fight left in them, but facing three vampires would be too much. It’s possible that Ed would sit out the fight, since it seemed like he had no affection for Jin, but that still left two vampires, and who knows when those metal things would show up. He also didn’t want to anger the Dark Lady, who still could stop Brother Osho’s release.
Thorry told Bane to stand down. He attempted to negotiate with Jin, but he had no leverage. He managed only a handful of treasure in the deal, but he snuck a few dragon scales into his pouches as well.
The adventurers won a hard fought battle, but were denied the dragon’s hoard. They hoped the Dark Lady would keep her promise, and their reward would be the return of Brother Osho.
