We tied the surviving cultist to the chair that Vanessa had been tied to. She staggered her way to the reception desk and pulled a bottle of whiskey from a drawer before taking a large swig straight from the bottle.
Knight 3: “Umm… miss… I don’t think that’s a good…”
Vanessa: “Fuck off.”
Knight 3: “Understood.”
Chenowith drew his sword and put it to the neck of the cultist. The cultist looked terrified… although he tried to hide it by spouting bollocks.
Cultist: “You will regret this! You will all regret this! When she comes, you shall all suffer for eternity!”
Chenowith: “And what exactly makes you think you are so safe from this eternity of suffering?”
Cultist: “We are her devoted followers… when you are all suffering in torment, we shall be raised up high and rule over a world of peace and harmony!”
Darlington: “Peace and harmony? Are you high? Have you seen that deranged horde that you have unleashed on the world?”
Cultist: “They are necessary for the cleansing! Once it is complete, they shall return from whence they came.”
Darlington: “No they fucking won’t. They’ll just murder you… or rape you… or rape you then murder… or possibly the other way around, who knows. Point is, they don’t care how devoted you are. They aren’t going to just leave you alone because you wear that stupid robe.”
Cultist: “The elder says…”
This guy has been totally pulled in by this shit. Hopefully the truth with give him cause to rethink things a little.
Dwynfel: “The elder isn’t even human!”
Cultist: “Lies!”
Dwynfel: “She told me herself. She’s a demon in a skin suit.”
Cultist: “Lies! She is the kindest, most loving human being that I have ever met. I will not allow you to slander her in this way!”
Dwynfel: “Then why did she flay all those people? Why make children pull out Flynn’s heart? Why have that fucking awful urn of Amelio?”
Cultist: “Their suffering was to bring about the new world. They were all vile sinners. Their lives were of no consequence.”
Dwynfel: “Some of them were children… some of those bodies looked as young as two!”
Cultist: “They were products of a corrupt society. The sin was rooted deep… there was no saving them.”
Dwynfel: “Do you seriously not see the absolute bullshit in what you are saying?”
Chenowith placed his hand on my shoulder and gestured for me to step aside. He pressed his sword firmer into the cultist’s neck. A trickle of crimson flowed down the blade.
Chenowith: “I care not for your beliefs. I simply wish to know what your plan is.”
Cultist: “You will get no information from me, you vile heathen!”
Vanessa stepped forward… the crossbow bolt still sticking through her foot. She kicked the sword… it sliced deeper into the man’s neck, clearly severing an artery… blood sprayed everywhere… Chenowith looked panicked.
Vanessa: “He wasn’t going to talk, no need to waste your time.”
Knight 3: “You cannot just kill someone like that. He was subdued and unarmed. What about due process… what about…
Vanessa glared at him, her left eyebrow split, the eye beneath it battered and bloodshot. The skin missing from half of her left hand. Blood dripping from a gash on her stomach.
Vanessa: “Fuck off.”
Knight 3: “Understood.”
Knight 2: “I don’t understand. Shouldn’t there be more people here? And why kill all of these people and not you?”
Vanessa: “Fucking knights, you really think I’m just going to hide a load of civilians in the fucking lounge.”
Vanessa clicked her fingers in a heavily sarcastic manner.
Vanessa: “Illusion.”
A door appeared in the wall underneath the balcony. A door that I have never seen before.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Vanessa: “They tortured me because, like you, they thought there should be more people here. And they were right… because I hid them all down the fucking stairs behind that door.”
Knight 3: “Then why not hide down there yourself, miss?”
Vanessa: “Then who would direct newcomers down there? Think, ya daft cunt.”
Knight 3: “Fair point, well made.”
Suddenly there was a very loud and rather high-pitched scream coming from the doorway. We turned to see Isha and Toria stood in the doorway. The scream had come from Isha. He looked horrified by the sight of all the blood and bodies in the room. Toria just rolled her eyes at him.
Dwynfel: “What are you two doing here?”
Toria clipped Isha around the back of the head.
Toria: “Pull yourself together, you tit.”
Isha: “Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting all the…
He gestured around the room.
Isha: “…well… death.”
Toria: “It’s an emergency alarm for a reason. Clearly there’s an emergency.”
Isha: “I know, but still.”
Dwynfel: “Kids… focus.”
Toria: “Right. We live in the eastern district. We were on our way to meet up with the guys when the alarm went off. This was the nearest safe zone.”
Vanessa: “See. Somebody needs to man the front fucking desk. Now, you two, get behind that fucking door and don’t come out until somebody comes down and says its fucking safe.”
Toria and Isha started to walk across the room. Isha was being very careful not to step in any of the blood that was on the floor. Toria didn’t seem to care.
Dwynfel: “Hang on… before you go. Where exactly were you meeting the boys?”
Toria: “By the fountain in the southern district.”
Dwynfel: “Great, thanks… off you go. And stay safe.”
Toria smiled at me before grabbing her brother’s hand and dragging him through the door. Vanessa recast her illusion spell and the door disappeared. She then pulled out a cigar and cutter.
Vanessa: “Oi, beardy.”
She threw them to the hammer guy.
Knight 3: Umm…”
Vanessa waved her half-flayed hand at him.
Vanessa: “Hand’s fucked. Cut the end for me, before a slap ya wi’ me good hand.”
Knight 3: “Understood.”
He did as instructed, before handing them back to her. She placed the cigar in her mouth and raised one of the fingers of her good hand to the tip.
Vanessa: “Ignite.”
The end of the cigar lit in an instant. She had a few puffs to get it going then took a long drag from it.
Vanessa: “That’s better. Now… any of you idiots know healing magic?”
They all shook their heads.
Chenowith: “Apologies, madame. None of us have magical capabilities. All of the magic users are attempting to stop the imps from entering the city.”
Vanessa: “Fucking typical. More whiskey it is.”
She went back over to the reception desk where she had left her bottle, sat at the desk, and poured herself a glass. She picked up the glass and looked back over at us.
Vanessa: “So what the fuck are you lot doing now?”
Dwynfel: “We go to Madame Laurent’s next.”
Chenowith: “You sure?”
Dwynfel: “If those insane cultists are purposely destroying the safe zones, then it is as good a place as any. And Madame Laurent’s is right next to where the boys were meeting. I need to make sure that they’re okay.”
Knight 2: “We should redirect any stray adventurers that we encounter back here on the way. This place needs the additional protection.”
Chenowith: “Good call, Wu.”
Vanessa: “And now that we know there are crazed cultist fucks, we’ll be prepared. We weren’t expecting humans to be a risk, that’s how they got the jump on us. Cheeky fucks. If Gary hadn’t noticed one of them was carrying a knife, then I would have dropped the illusion and everyone down there would be fucked.”
She gestured to the corpse of a tall, well-built man. He had several lacerations all over his body. I’m pretty sure that he used to be one of the guild security guards. When everything went down, they must have targeted him first, seeing him as the biggest threat.
Knight 3: “He shall be honoured, miss.”
Vanessa: “No time for that shit. Fuck off and go stop the cunts.”
Knight 3: “Understood.”
