The Dead Fortress: A LitRPG Epic (World of Samar Book 3)

by LitRPG Freaks

  Bishop smiled and told someone to loot the bodies. “I think we’re spending tomorrow repairing and sleeping,” he added, checking to see how bad his gear was.

  “At least, you didn’t lose your weapons,” Calista groused. “Freshly forged and now they’re gone.”

  “Want me to make you some new stuff?” Bishop offered, and she laughed so hard she was crying and clutching at her sides. “What? I can forge.”

  “Sure, sure you can,” she gasped through her laughter.

  He rolled his eyes, but smirked when bracers popped up in the items for hunters. He rolled for them, always in the market for an increase in agility, and they appeared in his bag.

  You have received: Bracers of the Dead Fortress. Agility + 16, Armor + 150, Medium Demon Hound Hide.

  “Fancy. Demon hides.”

  “Yeah, I got a few from these two,” Calista told him. “Okay, make that more than a few. Damn, why can’t we find more hounds this size around Samar?”

  They divvied out the rest of the loot, but the only other thing Bishop wanted wad Demon Shards, and he was not disappointed.

  You have received: 25 Demon Shards.

  Once everyone was ready to go, they moved to the portal and felt their bodies shrink down again. Bishop felt so small now, yet he was glad to get the hell out of the Dead Fortress and the Demon Realm.

  He paused before going through the portal. There was no sense of Valen watching him and no voice in his head.

  A good sign, he hoped, and he stepped through with the others.

  Chapter 07

  Calista swung her new hammer in her hand. She tossed it high over her head and caught it easily, swinging it around in an arc as she spun. “I think this one’s better than the last.”

  “See? It getting destroyed was a good thing,” Bishop told her.

  “Yes because we all love wasting two days of game time remaking all our gear,” Jimmy threw back over his shoulder as they walked down the road leading further south. “And now what are we walking into? Some town called Chesterville and what is that? Huh, another dungeon?”

  He gestured to the monolith structure jutting up in the center of the territory they made their way towards. It wasn’t manmade, unlike the Dead Fortress, but the foreboding aspect was still present and, soon enough, it would start blocking out the light. The single upright mountain, though it was flat at the top and too perfectly rounded to be a true mountain in Bishop’s mind, was a dark blotch against the vibrant blue sky.

  “I don’t like it,” Zoe agreed with Jimmy. “It’s creepy.”

  “It can’t be worse than the Dead Fortress,” Trajan argued.

  “Don’t say that. Nothing in this game seems to be what it seems anymore.” Maverick stabbed her staff into the ground hard enough to dig up mud and dirt. “Just one time, I want a normal, simple dungeon that doesn’t drive me crazy.”

  “Maybe this time we’ll get it.” Bishop smiled as Calista holstered her hammer and slipped her hand into his, leaning into his side.

  Since the last dungeon, all the voices and strange instances of thinking he wasn’t alone were gone. Two full days had passed and he was starting to feel like he had at the very beginning of the game.

  Normal. Happy.

  He wanted to say it had nothing to do with the whiskey he was sneaking, but he sensed the alcohol was keeping whatever craziness had taken hold in him at bay. For the moment, at least. No one seemed to notice he was drinking again either, which was a win-win situation in Bishop’s book. No voices, no seeing Valen, no feeling like he was slowly losing his mind with every day he spent in this game. Things were finally feeling as they should.

  “I see buildings ahead,” Jimmy announced, staring down at the floating map before his eyes. “Chesterville?”

  “It’d make sense if it was the first town we came to.” Calista leaned her head back even further as the shadow of the monolith fell over their group. “Everything in this place is centered around that. Wonder what it is, really.”

  “Let’s just enjoy the surprise,” Bishop said as they neared the town.

  People bustled around it, pulling carts and leading horses around. Considering how the rest of Samar seemed to be in upheaval over the Demons attacking and their King being nearly killed several times, this place looked downright cheery. Too cherry. The hair on the back of Bishop’s neck stood on end and his fingers twitched, wanting to hold his bow.

  “Anyone else feel like we just walked into an episode of some creepy ass too happy sitcom?” Jimmy whispered, out the corner of his mouth. “Didn’t the Governor say there was a problem?”

  “Yeah, a Demon problem.” Bishop and Calista went on high alert, separating far enough apart so they could reach their weapons more easily as they moved into town. “Says the Governor should be somewhere near the Manor House.” He brought up the letter again from his inventory to double-check he hadn’t misread the message, but clearly it stated Chesterville was under siege by Demons. “This is either a glitch, or something’s up.”

  “I don’t think this is a glitch.” Calista nodded down the street. “That looks like the Manor House.”

  “Alright, eyes and ears open, people,” Trajan ordered. “And keep smiling. Don’t want to piss off these people until we know what we’re dealing with.”

  “Always the pessimist,” Zoe teased, and they moved forward into Chesterville.

  The people smiled and waved at the new travelers. Bishop nodded back, forcing a smile to his face, but it was strange. He listened to them talking as if there wasn’t anything wrong going outside their small town. He heard no mention of Demons, or attacks. Nothing about Godfrey and what happened in Weston. Curious, he walked up to a trader at a booth.

  “Ah, good day, sir,” the NPC said in greeting.

  “Yes, hello. I had a question about the mountain,” Bishop said, pointing at it. “What is it exactly?”

  The man scratched his perfectly trimmed red beard and turned around. “That, that’s been there as long as I can remember. Just a mountain, sir, nothing special about it.”

  “Nothing at all?”

  “Nope, not that I can remember,” he said with a laugh that sounded a bit on the nervous side.

  “And Demons? You haven’t seen any of them around, have you?”

  The man’s eyes turned ice cold as he glared Bishop down. “No, there are no Demons in these parts. There’s no Demons anywhere in Samar. None, except you half-breeds.”

  “I see. I thought half-breeds were welcomed everywhere in Samar.”

  The NPCs eyes narrowed for a brief moment before he smiled again and his eyes softened. “We welcome all refugees. Now, may I assist you with a trade or purchase?”

  “No, no need. Thank you for your time.” He stalked back to Calista and nearly removed his bow as he felt eyes watching him intently. “No mention of Demons, won’t say what the mountain truly is, and hates half-breeds.”

  “Sounds like you had a fun conversation,” Calista said as they walked faster to catch up with the others already outside the Manor House. “What do you think is going on?”

  Bishop eyed each NPC they passed and swore after they did, their eyes continued to follow him and Calista. “Would it be too crazy to suggest the entire town has been possessed by Demons?” He was certain he had whispered it, but two NPCs suddenly turned to glare at them as they passed.

  “You know, you might be onto something there,” she said on a breath. “You think the Governor is possessed, too? Or he sent that before it all happened?”

  “I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out.”

  Trajan stood at the bottom of the stone steps leading up to the house. “Guards. Should we go unarmed?”

  “Hell no,” Jimmy said. “I vote no.”

  Trajan ignored him and waited for Bishop. “I say we leave some of our number out here and the few of us who do go in are unarmed. Who volunteers to stay outside?” He wasn’t surprised to see nearly every hand go up except Maverick, hi
s own, Calista, and Trajan. “Right then. The rest of you, guard the front. If anything goes wrong, warn us.”

  He placed his bow in his bags along with his dagger. Calista, Trajan, and Maverick followed his example. Maverick at least was a weapon without actually needing a physical one, and if things did go wrong, they wouldn’t be completely defenseless. Bishop nodded to Trajan and he marched forward.

  “Halt,” the guard towards the right said as he and the one to the left crossed their spears over the doors. “State your purpose here, travelers.”

  “We received a letter from the Governor,” Bishop announced.

  “Have you now?” the guard stated. “And what would the Governor want with a half-breed like yourself?”

  “I don’t know, that’s why I’m here, to see how I may help your lord.”

  The guards exchanged a look. “You travel in a large number. Why?”

  “The roads can be dangerous,” Bishop explained. “Demons and orcs abound in Samar these days. A smart man would not travel alone.”

  “And they are well armed.”

  “We are not,” Trajan assured him, holding up his arms and spinning around.

  The guards exchanged another look and finally withdrew their spears. “You may enter. You will be watched, closely. Governor Yoran awaits you inside.” The man on the right reached out and opened the door. “Keep your visit to the point. He does not like those who waste his time.”

  Bishop bowed his head in thanks and led the way inside. The inside of the Manor was decorated with bright colored silks and ornate wooden carved doorframes. Weapons were displayed along the wall the further in they moved, swords and daggers, even a massive double headed axe that Trajan stopped to admire, reaching out as if to grab it.

  “Trajan,” Bishop whispered, and he stopped.

  “What? I just wanted to see how heavy it was,” he mumbled.

  “Where are we supposed to be going?” Maverick glanced around. “There’s no one here.”

  “Not quite,” a man’s cheery voice called out, and they saw a bearded, tall man step out from a doorway to the left up ahead. “Good day. Are you here to see the Governor?”

  “Yes,” Bishop said, and he pulled out the letter from his bag to hand over.

  The man took it and read over the words. “Ah, I see. Please, come in.”

  Bishop hoped this man was the Governor, but apparently he was wrong. The room seemed to be a study of some sort with a large, heavy oak desk and the walls lined with bookshelves overflowing with scrolls and books. “Is he here?”

  The man smiled brightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. They were filled with fear. “Governor Yoran is currently indisposed,” the man said in his light tone, his head tilted to the right. “I’m afraid he is quite unwell.”

  Trajan and Bishop caught each other’s eye. “I am sorry to hear that,” Bishop said loudly as Trajan and Calista moved towards the right of the room where a tapestry hung. “I hoped he could give us a map leading us to someone we need to find.”

  “I’m afraid he did not leave me any notes on the matter before he fell ill.”

  Trajan stepped around to the front as Calista and Maverick moved to the right and left of the tapestry.

  “That’s too bad. Is there any way we could leave a message for him? Perhaps wait and see if he’s well in a few more days?” Bishop asked.

  The man’s eyes widened and he subtly shook his head. “I’m afraid my Lord may not recover for quite some time if at all. His future seems dire.” The man stepped back to the desk as Trajan nodded to Maverick. She rolled her shoulders and Bishop saw the change begin to come over her. Bishop planted himself between whatever, or whoever, was behind the tapestry and the man as Trajan’s hand reached out to yank the tapestry down.

  A Demon with an ugly snarl and black horns curled close to his head barreled out, tackling Trajan to the floor. Maverick shifted fully and bit down hard on the Demon’s neck, yanking him free of the dwarf. Bishop wanted to charge in and help, but Calista yelled at him to stay back. Three tanks could handle one Demon, even without weapons. The Demon tried to draw its sword, but Calista lunged for its hands and drew it out for him, snatching it from its grasp, and whirled around to dig it into its chest. The Demon dodged and kicked out her legs sending her crashing to the floor. The Demon tried to follow her down, but Calista aimed the sword upright and, as her fury built and a red haze surrounded her, she thrust it upwards into the Demon’s body. The monster snarled, its life taking a massive hit, but it still wasn’t dead.

  Maverick followed up the attack with a swipe of her claws across the Demon’s face, giving it a bleed, and Trajan raced out of the study. A few seconds later, he returned, hoisting the massive axe over his head. As the Demon snarled and growled, he brought it down hard on its neck, killing it.

  “Damn, I think I want this,” he said with a wicked grin and hefted it over his shoulder.

  “Thank you,” the man said with a trembling voice. “You have no idea how terrifying it’s been these past few weeks.” He clasped each of their hands in turn, shaking them profusely as tears filled his eyes. “The Demons, they appeared months ago. Yoran tried to get aid from Weston, but none ever came. He sent out letters, but you…you are the first to arrive.”

  “What happened?” Calista asked softly as they guided the man out of the study and away from the dead Demon. “Take your time, you’re safe with us,” she added when the man could hardly speak without quaking in his boots.

  “What’s your name?” Bishop asked, hoping to start with a simpler question.

  “Timothy, I’ve worked under the Governor for years and this…I never expected anything like this to befall our town.” He leaned in close, face growing pale as he whispered, “They’re Demons. The entire town is possessed by Demons!”

  “And the Governor? What about him?” Bishop urged.

  “Follow me.” Timothy turned and hurried through the Manor, up a set of grand stairs, down a hall and finally through a door where a man coughed and hacked on a large bed. “Sir? The heroes, they’ve arrived,” he announced and rushed to his master’s side.

  Bishop moved further into the room and saw a man struggle to sit up to speak with them. He coughed harshly and Timothy hurried to get him a drink of water. Governor Yoran’s skin was pale, his lips tinged blue, but it was his eyes that made a chill run down Bishop’s spine. They were almost completely white as if he was blinded, but not from old age. The man wasn’t that much older than Timothy. He made it to a sitting position and waved the group forward, but how he could see them, Bishop wasn’t sure.

  “Governor Yoran,” he said and held out his hand. The man took it without any fumbling whatsoever. “My name is Bishop and I run the Bishop’s Guard, along with Trajan. Calista and Maverick are the companions here with us. The rest of us are outside.”

  The man’s grip was weak. “Thank you for coming, but I fear you may be too late to save us all from the Demons that plague our town. We pleaded to King Godfrey for many months, but he refused to listen to me.” The man hacked horribly and Timothy offered him water again, but he shook his head and shoved the goblet away. “I need you to do the impossible. I need you to save them, save them all.”

  “Save them from Demons?” Maverick asked. “Are they possessed? The entire town?”

  “That mountain is a curse,” Yoran spat. “It has always been a curse, but never has the darkness within spilled out.”

  “How do we save you and the town? There has to be a few hundred Demons here,” Trajan said.

  “You can’t do it alone and you can’t do it by charging in with your weapons,” Yoran explained, his voice strained and his energy seeming to wane the longer he spoke. “You will need the aid of the Red Witch.”

  Bishop frowned. “I thought you wouldn’t lead us to her until we aided you?”

  “That was before,” he said, and he motioned to his nightstand. Timothy picked up a rolled-up item and walked it to Bishop. “Take it. Find her and fi
nd a way to contain the darkness back in that mountain and destroy it. Save my people.”

  Bishop took the map and a prompt appeared before his face.

  Accept Quest: Mountain of Despair Part 1?

  He hit yes without any hesitation and Timothy handed him the item. “This is a map,” he told Bishop, “it will lead you to the last known location of the Red Witch. But be wary. She is powerful and does not take kindly to being disturbed by strangers.”

  “Fantastic,” Trajan muttered.

  “It’s ok. I think she won’t mind us as much,” Bishop said and tucked the map in his bags. “Is there anything we can do to help you now?” he asked Yoran.

  “No, if I live, I will count it as a miracle. And if not, then so be it. I should have fought harder for my people. I’m afraid that burden now falls to you and your companions. May the gods be with you, Bishop, for they have left us far behind.”

  He sank back to the bed and Timothy laid a damp cloth over his head before he led the heroes from the room, closing the door behind him. “I cannot thank you enough for risking your lives.”

  “Are you sure there’s nothing we can do for him?” Maverick asked. “I could make a salve, an ointment of some kind to soothe him.”

  “Thank you, but he has told me countless times he is not long for this world.” Timothy sighed sadly. “We tried to save everyone and he blames himself for failing. Please, please make this right so, if he dies, he dies knowing his people are safe from torment.”

  Bishop nodded. “We don’t give up easily. We’ll do what we can to save them. Are you safe here? Won’t the Demons know you killed their guard on Yoran?”

  “They will come for me, but they won’t kill me,” he said. “They need me alive to keep the surrounding towns thinking all is well while they move to take them over next.”

  “Oh my god,” Calista whispered. “She’s creating an army, isn’t she?”

  “How many towns are here around the mountain?” Bishop asked, wondering if this was part of the game or if Valen was creating an army for a completely different reason.