by Eden Redd
Thorrin poured glowing energy into his free hand as it curled into a fist. Devvil kept his sardonic smile as his whip moved around like a snake to a snake charmer. The player knew he had to get closer or the dark paladin would take him down.
“Queeny wants you alive but accidents happen. After I finish using your ass as my come dumpster, I’ll be sure to strangle you so you will always have something to remember me by,” Devvil grinned as his whip curled around him and lashed out.
Thorrin’s hand shot up and grabbed the glowing purple whip mid strike. Golden and dark purple energy surged as the paladin held on. Devvil’s eyes went wide as he tried to pull back but nothing happened. Before he could dismiss the weapon, Thorrin yanked with all of his strength. The dark paladin was pulled off his feet and sent spiraling toward the paladin. Thorrin let go of the purple whip as it faded from view. Golden hand reaching up, he grabbed Devvil by the collar of his armor and slammed him down into a wooden pew. Wood shattered, sending splinters everywhere. The paladin said nothing as his eyes bore into the Devvil’s surprised expression.
“Wait! I can…..,” was all the dark paladin could say before Thorrin’s hammer came down.
A darkness swelled against Thorrin’s heart as he rained down his hammer again and again. Holding the enemy player down, he slammed his hammer against his face and neck like an unchained beast. The primal side of Thorrin took hold and it growled its pleasure as he smashed Devvil until his body cracked and he shattered into shards of greenish light.
Wyrm glanced over at the brutality of Thorrin, his own eyes widening in disbelief. Before he could switch his attack, a blunt baton struck him against the neck once again. Wyrm gurgled a cry as he whipped his sword out, trying to keep the rogue at bay. Deidra flipped through the air and landed behind the dark paladin. Foot rising up, she brought her heel down on the base of his neck and sent him crashing forward. Wyrm grunted as he tried to push himself back up and regain his footing. Turning, he saw the large chest of Thorrin and a hammer swinging hard against his chest.
Wyrm went flying into pews. Cursing he slowly stood up, sword in hand. Deidra stood on the top of a pew a few feet away. Thorrin moved in closer, determination etched into his brow. The dark paladin backed up as he quickly saw he was outnumbered.
“Just leave and I’ll tell the Bone Queen that you escaped. We won’t chase you!”
“We are beyond anything you have to offer,” Thorrin said with a dark tone as he stepped closer.
Wyrm’s eyes narrowed, “Fuck you and your light!”
Sword slashing, Thorrin brought up his hammer and parried the blow. Deidra stepped across the pews and drove her foot into the side of Wyrm’s head. The dark paladin fell into the aisle with a “thud” and scrambled to his feet. Thorrin stalked after him, hammer at the ready. The dark paladin back peddled as he held his sword up, fear bleeding into his eyes.
“You can’t stop us! We will come back and finish you fuckers off!” Wyrm screamed defiantly.
“Come at me. I will strike you down each time until you lose your taste for the game,” Thorrin said with a hard edge.
The dark paladin turned and ran. Deidra flipped into the air while throwing a baton. The hard metal baton spun through the air and struck at the side of Wyrm’s knee, sending him crashing to the floor once again. The dark paladin’s hands reached out to catch his fall, his wicked sword faded from view. Palms slapped against the smooth stone floor as legs scrambled to keep him up. Just as he managed to stumble forward, a hammer came down on his spine.
Wyrm cried out as hit points drained and he hit the floor once again. Before he could turn over, Thorrin’s hammer came down again and again. The enemy player cursed with each strike until his body cracked and he burst into shards of light.
Deidra slipped down from the pews as Thorrin stood up with hammer in hand.
+10 to Sphere of Light.
+10 to Sphere of Light.
The player looked to the edge of his vision to see his abilities grow in strength. Even his attribute bonuses grew beyond what they were when he started this quest. The rewards for stamping out evil were apparent even if the player was having a difficult time with the darkness surrounding the very town.
“Now we have a chance,” Thorrin said in a low whisper.
Deidra looked to him and nodded, “Shall we start for the inn?”
Thorrin shook his head, “Not yet. You mentioned you had been watching the Bone Queen’s movements.”
Deidra nodded.
“I need you to do something first,” Thorrin said with a gleam in his eye.
Eight
Sybil stared daggers into her fellow dark paladin, “Fine then, we will let the Bone Queen decide who we can take!”
Skullz looked down at the agitated player and crossed his thick arms, “You think she will continue to feed your greed?”
Sybil nodded with wide eyes, “Oh yes she will if she knows what’s good for her. Without us, she would have been slain a long time ago. She needs us.”
Skullz shook his head, “She doesn’t need us. She tolerates us. You saw how she took on the paladin and his companions practically by herself.”
“Only because we weakened them,” Sybil said with a maniac edge.
The large dark paladin kept his stance as his head tilted forward, “Are you this crazy in real life?”
“Don’t call me crazy! I’m not crazy!” Sybil spat.
Skullz let his arms drop to his sides, “Let the Bone Queen decide but don’t act crazy when you don’t get what you want.”
Sybil’s eyes went wild as her fingers flexed. Skullz could see her contemplating drawing her weapon. It wouldn’t have been the first time they cut each other over the spoils of combat. The player hoped it wouldn’t happen again. He genuinely believed she was a few bricks shy of a load in reality and it seemed to translate into the game.
Letting out a sigh, Skullz backed off. He knew it was the only way to calm her down. Sure enough, Sybil’s hands stopped flexing and the crazy look in her eye began to dim. Letting her win was the only means to stem her insanity. Wyrm and Devvil liked to toy with her but after a few rounds; they decided to play with other people. Skullz on the other hand liked a little crazy. Sybil was a monster unleashed when she was horny and at first that suited the big dark paladin just fine when he wanted to fire off a few rounds. But she was insatiable and often drove even his needs to a sore point.
“If she gives me the goblin, I will share her with you,” Sybil grinned, trying to butter up her fellow dark paladin.
“I’m beginning to feel like it’s not worth it,” Skullz said in low tone.
Sybil moved up to him and put her hand on his chest, “Don’t be like that. We can still discuss who gets the armor. How about we torture the goblin together? I’m sure she’ll crack under the two of us.”
Skullz looked to Sybil as she blinked her eyes slowly. He gave the barest of nods and Sybil planted a big kiss on his cheek. The dark paladins were about to turn for the stairs when a floating skull appeared before them. Dots of light glowed from the eye sockets as it gave them a blank stare.
“Sybil, I have need of you in my private chambers. Skullz, check on the prisoners,” the floating skull demanded.
Sybil screwed up her mouth as the skull vanished in a puff of smoke, “Don’t touch them until I get back. We’re doing it together.”
Skullz remained silent as Sybil marched off toward the spiral stair case. The dark paladin made her way down to the bottom floor and walked over to an unmarked door. Speaking the special words, the edges of the door glowed for a moment before it slid to the side. Sybil stepped into a lavish hallway as the door slid back into place. Eyes looking to the doors at the end of the corridor, she closed the distance in moments. Reaching out, she pulled a door opened and stepped into a large room.
The room was covered in dark red and black colors. Expensive lamps, couches and seating dotted the room as a book shelf took up the entire back wall. To Sybil’s righ
t and left hung weapons and armor of many different makes, their power filling the space with arcane vibrations. Sybil’s eyes drifted to the strange goblin armor as it hung on a wall and she walked down the middle of the room to a finely crafted desk. The Bone Queen sat with a large book before her, eyes moving from left to right.
“Wyrm and Devvil are dead,” the necromancer said plainly.
Sybil’s mouth curled into a frown.
The Bone Queen continued, “My spirits have seen the paladin and he is coming to us. Killing Wyrm and Devvil have only increased his power.”
“I will gather the guards. He would be a fool to attack us head on,” Sybil growled.
“The paladin does not concern me; it is the woman who is with him. I have seen her before but she has been able to hide her actions from me. No rogue has such an ability to hide from the dead. She had left the paladin’s side and is now beyond the eyes of the spirits who serve me.”
“What would you have me do?”
The Bone Queen’s eyes looked up from her book to give Sybil a chilling gaze, “Go to the Red Bunk House and guard the contracts with your life.”
Sybil raised an eyebrow, “She’s going for the contracts? How would she even know they are there?”
“Some of the dead have stopped speaking to me. I can only assume they are speaking to her now. She is more then she seems. Go to the Red Bunk House and make sure the slaves are doing their jobs. Only allow the regulars and stop any newcomers.”
“What about the paladin? He is going to come here to free his friends.”
The Bone Queen kept her icy gaze, “He will know what it means to cross me in my own home. Go and ensure the vault is safe.”
Sybil hesitated and then clenched her hands, “About the goblin….”
The Bone Queen was still as a statue as her lips curved into a small smile, “She will be yours to torture as will her armor to wear……but only if you succeed in keeping my interests intact.”
Sybil gave a wicked smile, “As you will, my queen.”
***
Skullz climbed the stairs one by one, eyes on the guards at the door. The two guards quickly lowered their gaze as the large dark paladin reached the top of the steps and stood before them. Skullz eyed them for a moment, noticing the expression of panic in their body language. Neither one moved as they tilted their heads forward. When the guards did not produce the keys, Skullz brow hardened.
“The door,” Skullz said simply.
The guards looked to one another before one stepped forward.
“We cannot find the key,” The guard said with a trembling lip.
Dark energy curled around Skullz’s hand as he gave the guard a blank stare. The guard’s legs began to shiver as Skullz stepped closer and lifted up his hammer. With a mighty swing, the black hammer came down on the door, forcing it open with a “Crash”! The guard stood frozen, his digital life appearing before his wide eyes. Skullz placed a big hand on the guard and shoved him into a wall before stepping through the doorway. The other guard moved to the fallen one, helping him up as the dark paladin stepped in and closed the door behind him.
Skullz looked to the prisoners. Everyone was still chained to the walls, heads turning and looking to the large dark paladin. Stepping further in, he eyed each prisoner in turn until he reached Renner. The rogue was looking up and grinning.
“What’re you so happy about?” Skullz asked the smiling rogue.
Renner kept his gaze but could see Gylda lifting the hood off of Nugan and fluttering silently behind the dark paladin’s head.
“We’re going to have a real bonding moment,” Renner smiled.
Skullz raised an eyebrow, “I’m not into guys.”
Renner’s grin grew broader, “Oh…I wasn’t talking to you.”
The dark paladin’s fingers curled into a fist. Lifting his meaty hand, Skullz hesitated when he saw that the chains holding the prisoner were not around his wrists, but held up by his hands. Darkness snuffed out his vision as the luck fairy brought fabric over his head, stifling him from shouting. Ro let go of her chains and rammed her little green fist into his balls. Skullz’s eyes went wide as his body involuntary bent forward. A stun effect blinked into his vision as the prisoners jumped the dark paladin. Fists and kicks shot out, striking him multiple times while the luck fairy held on for dear life. A black aura blazed as Skullz struggled against the onslaught. Armor and aura taking most of the damage, he managed to plant his feet and swung his hammer outward. Jon’s hands went up to stop the weapon in mid swing. Vass and Renner drove booted feet into the dark paladin’s midsection.
Nugan stepped away from the wall. The troll master’s hand glowed before fire danced along his fist. Ro gave the dark paladin one more punch to the balls as she spun away. The troll master slammed his fist into the dark paladin’s gut, fire exploding against the dark barrier and scorching his armor and clothes.
Skullz let out a muffled groan before his dark aura blazed and exploded outward. Everyone was thrown back against the walls. Dazed, they all watched as Skullz pulled the hood from his head and threw it aside.
“Nice try,” The dark paladin said as he lifted his hammer over Renner.
Ro turned her head to the chains by her. Snatching the chains, the goblin planted her feet and launched herself at the giant dark paladin. Skullz turned his eyes to see the look of determination in the goblin’s eyes as she flew past his neck, the chain trailing behind her. Vass and Jon saw the signal and burst forward. The chain wrapped around his thick neck. Ro was falling to the floor when she turned her body mid fall and pulled. Vass and Jon each took hold of a chain and pulled with the falling goblin. Nugan rammed his shoulder into Skullz back while Renner swept the dark paladin off his feet.
Like a painting, bodies were caught in mid action. Skullz was silent as he fell to the floor. Ro’s gaze held a focused rage. Jon was grunting as he pulled the chain. Vass gritted her teeth as she pulled. Nugan followed along, both hands blazing with fire while Renner grinned.
The dark paladin hit the floor with a loud “Thud”! Ro, Jon and Vass landed on their sides, their arms still pulling the chain. Links tightened as the dark paladin struggled to free himself when fiery fists rained down on his back. Skullz pushed against the floor and rolled onto his back. One hand reached up to the chain while a black dagger formed in his free hand. Renner grabbed at the dark paladin’s wrist as the troll master pummeled the dark paladin’s stomach. Ro planted her small feet and let out a muffled grunt. The chains tightened even further. Skullz witnessed his hit points dwindling and let out a loud grunt as they quickly reached zero. Cracks of light appeared along his neck and stomach. The player let out a hiss of defeat when his body exploded into shards of light.
The chains slacked and a sigh of relief filled the room. The two guards burst in with swords at the ready, their eyes wide as they saw the dots of light fading away and a room of free prisoners rising to their collective feet.
Renner looked to the two guards as he stood up, “Why thank you gentlemen for the weapons.”
The guards looked to one another before one turned his gaze to Renner, “What do you mean?”
Gylda closed the door behind them.
Renner stepped closer with a knowing grin, “The weapons in your hands, if you would be so kind, place them on the floor. We have an escape to finish.”
***
Sybil stepped from the Firefox inn with six guards trailing behind her. Walking with purpose, she stepped along the dirt road to a few small buildings. Colored lanterns glowed against each structure in the Black Garden District. The glowing moss formed patterns as a few lost souls stepped out of the way of the imposing dark paladin.
Sybil took long strides until she and her guards stood before the Red Bunk House. Bodies behind windows danced like snakes as the dark paladin took in her surroundings. The street was nearly empty except for a few cloaked figures shuffling toward her. Sybil’s eyes narrowed as the figures moved unnaturally. Reaching out w
ith her senses, her mind touched the dead but could not speak to them. Hands flashing forward, dark energy swirled into sharp fans. Taking a defensive stance, the guards around her drew their swords.
The dark paladin could feel a loving dread as the figure shuffled closer. The player knew despite being a dark paladin, necromancers held the true power over the dead. Sybil could speak and even command the undead to work with her but to raise them was an art beyond her class. Seeing the figures moving toward her, she could tell they were being controlled by another.
“What is it mistress?” A guard whispered.
Sybil made out the rotting lips of one of the figures as they stepped into the lantern light, “These are not patrons. Cut them down!”
Sybil and the guards launched themselves at the four robed figures. Swords and dark fans cut through the zombies with ease. In a matter of seconds, all four fell to the ground, bursting into shards of light.
“Is that the best you got,” Sybil said with contempt.
As if on cue, a dozen shambling corpses emerged from nearby alleys, hands out and decaying mouths hungry for flesh. Sybil readied herself as the dead moved in closer. A thought that this was all a distraction stabbed into her mind just as a shadow slipped into an open window. The dark paladin turned to the Red Bunk House and let out a hiss.
“Slay the dead,” The dark paladin commanded before turning and running for the bunk house.
The guards eyed one another as their leader ran off. The corpses moved in closer with hungry white eyes and grasping hands. Sybil ran in the front door just as men cried out, swords sinking into undead bone and muscle.
Sybil crashed through the front door and didn’t slow down. Doors along her left and right opened, frightened eyes taking in the sight of the dark paladin racing through. Sybil reached the doors to the basement; a guard was slumped to the ground as cracks of light appeared along his body. Sybil ignored him as she burst through the door and jumped down the stair case. Reaching the bottom, she whirled around the edge to the large basement and took in the sight before her.
