"Cae'dar. Lothas," said Roald. "It feels like overkill with you two here at the door, but Selune is so paranoid these days."
The two heavily armored Barghests grunted, knowing smiles creasing their lips. The wider Barghest said, "As long as I get paid, I don't care if I'm guarding a box of turnips."
"A man after my own heart," said Roald, slapping his shoulder as the other Barghest opened the door.
During the exchange, Terran had hurried forward, daring to move right behind Roald, who meandered into the tower. When the door closed, Terran had to shimmy right on the assassin's heels or get clipped.
The narrow avoidance of disaster was followed by relief, but Terran didn't dare exhale, keeping his chest inflated. The entryway of the tower was empty except for open crates filled with empty wine bottles and discarded foodstuffs piled on a wooden table. The stale, rotten air made Terran wrinkle his nose as he looked for a spot to hide should Roald not ascend the stone stairs that wound around the inner wall of the tower.
As the invisibility icon counted down, Terran took a step forward, right when Roald spun around, concern on his wrinkled forehead. The assassin half-pulled his dagger from its sheath, examining the interior of the entryway. Terran knew that he hadn't made a single sound, but Roald had sensed him regardless.
Roald took a step forward, bringing them nearly face-to-face. Terran hadn't taken a breath, but now with the assassin only inches away, he couldn't for risk of discovery. He was so close he could smell the garlic and wine on Roald's breath, see the hairs of his nose wavering as he flared his nostrils with suspicion.
The invisibility only had a few seconds left. There was no way Terran could scurry under the table full of old wine bottles before he was visible.
3...2...1…
Right as the buff faded, Roald spun back around, muttering to himself and shaking his head as he ascended the stairs, leaving Terran stunned—and completely visible—from the close call at the bottom. He waited a full minute before following, making careful advances, but having trained with Luna in the forest where abundant dry leaves and crackling sticks made travel difficult, the stone steps made quiet sneaking easy.
He made it up three flights, stopping at each door along the way to find no sound coming from inside, before he heard voices above him. It appeared the Trio were having a discussion on the fifth floor, which as Luna had predicted was the highest possible spot in the fortress. There was no door, the fifth floor had an open plan, so their conversation traveled.
"...this has taken far too long," said Selune, her tone dripping with discontent. "That rotting old corpse is getting impatient."
"Ta—I mean, Selune. He can wait for all I care," grunted Kratow, slamming his mug on the table. "And what does it matter, we're about to finish the quest. There's no way that wet-nosed elf lover can stand against us a second time, not with the Crimson Brigade and the Steel Hooves at our command. It was a fluke that he beat us the first time."
"Rotting corpse or not," said Roald, "we better finish this, or I don't think he'll be as forgiving."
Dishes and mugs rattled, suggesting they'd paused for more dining, and Terran contemplated the identity of the "rotting corpse," which had to be Grimchar the Necrochanter. It made sense they were working for him. He'd given the Trio the original quest to acquire the seed, along with extra equipment and magical items to speed their advancement.
His guess was rewarded when a sonorous gong sounded in his ears.
You have completed a major quest: Find out who is behind the Trio and the Crag Trolls.
You have received the Boon of the Champion
Boon of the Champion: Increases effectiveness of all spells and abilities by 10%
You have been offered the next step in the major quest: Find Grimchar the Necrochanter's home.
You might want to bring some friends.
It was luck that Grimchar hadn't realized he was the owner of Gneiss Glen, or that whole encounter might have gone differently. Grimchar had clearly thought he was a random adventurer who'd made an unlucky discovery. Their conversation also explained why the Trio had traveled so far in a short time. Grimchar had probably offered the quest to them at the starting settlement and transported them to the Belavar continent.
The part Terran still didn't understand was Grimchar's mention of the return of the offworlders. The hag had said the same thing, which confused him. This world was supposed to be fresh, a playground for their lives, but it appeared that wasn't the case. Terran didn't understand the nature of these other forces but they presented a big threat.
He was so lost in his thoughts he almost didn't register the sound of a chair scraping across stone until it was too late. As heavy footsteps approached, Terran scurried down the steps. He'd made it past the second door when he heard the tower door slam shut from below. Trapped between, he backed up and threw himself through the second-floor door, carefully shutting it behind him.
The room stunk like body odor and looked like a whirlwind had blown through with clothing and old mugs scattered throughout the room. Based on the massive hammer leaning against the bed, it was Kratow's room.
A healthy belch outside had Terran throwing himself underneath the king-sized bed. From his hiding spot, Terran watched Kratow enter the room, lift an old mug from the messy desk and chug it, then throw himself onto the bed, which nearly collapsed from the impact. Kratow sunk the center of the bed, trapping Terran against the floor and pressing the staff into his spine painfully.
The big man couldn't get comfortable, tossing and turning, which squished Terran flat each time there was movement, until he was on his back. Stretched out, Kratow didn't quite pin Terran to the floor, but there was only an inch between them. As he shifted to a more comfortable position, the bed reverberated with an earthquake-sized fart, which smelled like rotten eggs and sweaty feet. Terran swallowed back bile, pinching his nose and holding his breath until the gas dissipated, which took until he was blue in the face.
As he recovered from the nostril-destroying flatulence, he heard Kratow muttering. Terran scooted to the edge so he could hear what he was saying, nearly exclaiming out loud in shock when he finally made out the words.
"...Tabitha Green's a killer queen, you know what I mean..."
It was the song that he'd sung to Tabitha Green before he entered this world. The one that Kaiser recorded and used to humiliate him. But why would Kratow be singing it? Their cohort was in the thousands. It was unlikely that it was random, which meant the most likely reason was that Kratow was Kaiser, the person who'd recorded the song.
Eventually Kratow's muttering turned to snoring, which echoed through the room like thunder. Terran let himself get comfortable before attempting to sneak out. He didn't want to leave until he thought Selune and Roald had left the upper floor, but trying to hear what was going on outside the room with Kratow's chainsaw snoring was difficult.
Eventually he heard the sounds of conversation passing him. Roald was speaking to another, someone with a deep voice, probably a Barghest, as they headed down. The faint thunk of a door closing below him suggested that Roald had returned to his room. Terran gave it an hour before he shimmied from beneath the bed.
Terran stood over Kratow's sleeping form trying to imagine him as Kaiser from before Kingmakers. While their outer appearances were quite different, he recognized what Kaiser had wanted to be. This place revealed who people really were inside.
As Terran made that connection, he realized another truth: Selune was Tabitha. The one he'd poured his heart out to, and paid the price. In a way, the appeal of Kingmakers had been not just to hang with his friends, but to avoid the people that had hurt him. While he knew that it was possible to run into them again, the world was big enough he hadn't expected it so soon, and had hoped that Kingmakers might change them for the better.
Is that why Grimchar had sought them out? He'd seen the darkness in their hearts and had appealed to that?
Kratow snorted as he turned over, le
aving Terran to nearly jump out of his skin. He needed to move on. If Kratow awoke, he'd easily destroy Terran.
Not wanting to push his luck, Terran carefully stepped over the debris in the room, but froze when he heard a gruff call from the bed.
"Hey."
The hairs on the back of his neck went up. Terran spun around, sliding the Sonic Staff from its holster in one smooth motion.
In his mind, he was outlining the details of his escape—knock Kratow back on the bed, run out of the room, blow past the Barghest guards, and rally his friends towards the cave exit.
But Kratow's eyes were still closed. He grunted softly, a pleasant smile spreading across his wide face.
"Hey, Tabitha."
His expression and the mid-body lump in the covers told the tale of his dream.
Shaking his head, Terran left the room, only exhaling when he was finally in the stairwell. He moved up to the fifth floor, pausing briefly before Selune's door. To think he'd had a crush on her. It was almost a relief to know that she was rotten inside, and he'd gotten lucky not having to bother himself with her any longer.
The living quarters on the top floor matched the general state of Kratow's room and the entryway. It looked like a drunken party had been raging for weeks. Terran stepped over broken bottles, looking for a way to leave them a note. On the back table, a map lay spread out with three half-full mugs and a piece of moldy cheese holding down the sides.
Terran recognized the Rock Leaf Forest and the surrounding areas, all the way west to the sea, and as far east as the old trade road. He had a similar map back in the settlement. He'd half-expected the map to have notes on it, preparations for the attack, but the Trio probably thought their overwhelming numbers were enough. They were right.
He almost dismissed the chest beneath the table as he moved away, but he thought he might find a quill or other writing utensil. Crouched on his heels, he wondered if the Trio were paranoid enough to have it trapped.
A tentative tug on the lid revealed that it was locked. He wasn't a rogue, and had no way to pick the lock. If sound wasn't an issue, he would have tried to blow the chest up with his Sonic Disruption, but that might destroy the valuable items inside.
As he glanced back at the absolute mess in the room, he realized that the Trio were lazy. He lifted the chest, finding a brass key beneath the right front corner.
Chuckling to himself, Terran unlocked the chest to find a pile of coins of various sizes and metals, the majority in gold. Knowing that a large amount missing would be obvious, he skimmed off a few handfuls, filling up his inventory with the heavy coins. As he took the last scoop, his fingers caught something hard and smooth deeper in the pile. After digging through the coins, he produced two crystals—a rose crystal and an indigo—both the size of his finger. He only had one spot left in his bag, and not wanting to give up any stolen coin, he shoved the rose crystal into his boot.
At first he thought it strange to find the crystals, but then remembered that the Rock Leaf Empire had been quite strong in its day, trading far and wide. The world was probably filled with them. Once the Mother Tree was producing them again, it would be a great source of income.
After relocking the chest and returning the key to its hiding place, Terran found a quill and inkwell next to a pile of papers. He found copies of the contracts with the Crimson Brigade and the Steel Hooves. The Barghests wrote in stiff, militaristic handwriting, while the centaurs had more flourishes.
Terran practiced a few lines of each, deciding he could reproduce the Barghests' more easily before writing a brief note, asking the Trio to come down to the blacksmith shop to review the new weapons. He signed it as Captain Veskari, who was the leader of the Crimson Brigade they'd seen in the smithy. Terran hoped that this method of communication was appropriate.
Leaving the note at the table, Terran made his way down the tower until he reached the window at the third floor, which was above the entrance, though slightly to the left near the corner of the courtyard. The rough stone would make convenient handholds, but the two Barghests would easily see him when he landed.
He signaled to the dark patch near the wall, hoping that Chanterelle could see him. Not knowing if she could, but not daring to wait longer, Terran climbed out of the window.
Digging his fingers into the angled stone, he descended, slowly moving away from the guards. When he reached the wall, where there was no more room, he continued downward, pausing when he was at the Barghests' head height. He didn't know how long he could stay clinging to the wall, but thankfully the two guards moved away from the door briefly. Terran dropped down, cushioning the impact by bending his knees, then sprinted into the darkness where Chanterelle waited.
"What took you so long? I was worried," she said.
In the darkness of the inner keep, rage radiated off her skin like billowing coronas. Her knuckles squeezed to white on the hilt of the Nightblade.
"I got stuck beneath Kratow's bed. Don't ask. But I managed to leave the note and acquire some loot in the process," he said.
Her eyes rounded. "I was worried. I thought I would have to go in after you."
The way she said it, holding onto the weapon, suggested that it wouldn't have been a normal rescue.
"Let's go set up our ambush," said Terran. "I don't know if the Trio are light sleepers."
Chanterelle led them back to the passages that led to the smithy, which echoed with faint hammering. Terran was right on her heels as she pushed through the doorway in the room they'd hidden before to come face-to-face with the armored centaur Captain Nodran.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Behind the centaur captain stood five more centaurs, carrying crates and other equipment. A shocked glance from Chanterelle showed that they hadn't entered the passages from the same entrance they'd used. There must be a connection between this area and the centaur apartments.
Captain Nodran reached for his sword, his eyes glinting with suspicion. "Who are you?"
Terran put his hands up. He didn't want a fight now, not that he didn't think they could win, but the noise might bring others, which would quickly spiral out of control, and they needed to be planning their ambush.
"Lord Ostric sent us," said Terran.
The name sent waves of shock through the other centaurs while Captain Nodran tightened his grip on his hilt, his jaw pulsing.
"Where did you learn that name?"
Terran sensed the mood in the room was on a knife's edge. Casually, he placed one hand over the other, triggering the signet ring.
"Wunderlust Keep," he said as the ghost of Lord Ostric appeared in the room.
The bushy-mustached centaur opened his mouth, before sensing the tension in the room, crossing his arms, and narrowing his gaze.
"A tragic part of our history. He sided with the wrong cause and our people paid the price," said Captain Nodran.
"And now you work for Crag Trolls?" asked Terran.
"We work for ourselves," said Captain Nodran, chin held high, while the other centaurs nodded. "We decide when we work and for who, and most importantly, for how much."
"A fool he is," grumbled Lord Ostric.
Terran resisted the urge to respond to his ghostly friend, keeping his attention focused on Captain Nodran.
"But you live the life of a mercenary, no place to call your home, no allies, only temporary business partners that might be on the other side in a month's time," said Terran.
Captain Nodran squeezed his lips flat in defiance, shifting on his hooves, while the centaurs behind him looked away. Terran sensed that his comment had hit a mark.
"You said Lord Ostric sent you. Explain."
"He'd been captured by a powerful mage, but I freed him," said Terran. "He sent us to bring you back to Wunderlust Keep." He paused. "Amongst other things."
[You have gained the skill Subterfuge]
Skill: Subterfuge 1 (CHA)
Also known as a habitual liar
"How do I know you're not just m
aking this up? Lord Ostric was a legend, but he's been long dead. Even if he'd survived the war, he'd be dead of old age by now," said the captain.
"He told me stories about how your grandfather Percian once jousted twelve times with him, before finally losing, and that's why your emblem is crossed lances," said Terran, and Lord Ostric nodded approvingly.
The other centaurs seemed impressed, but Nodran scowled. "A story you heard once. It still doesn't prove anything."
"Tell the whelp that his grandfather had a scar on his right shoulder from that final tilt, when the lance shattered," said Lord Ostric.
Terran repeated the addition, which brought more gasps from the other centaurs. A female centaur with her black hair in two braids that hung over her shoulder took a step forward.
"Captain, if this is true, we could have a home again," she said.
"Shut up, Aeresteel," said Captain Nodran, making a dismissive motion towards her. "This is all a lie. Lord Ostric is long dead, and we're mercenaries now. And this elf? Human? He's a liar."
"I'm not a liar, but I'm not being totally honest with you. Lord Ostric is not long for this world, and he wanted his heirs, his people, to reclaim Wunderlust Keep," said Terran.
"I wish I could believe you, but the keep is not yours to give," said Captain Nodran. "It's under the control of the Rock Leaf Elves, which in a week's time will no longer exist, making that promise a mirage."
"Actually, it is mine to give," said Terran. "I'm the leader of Gneiss Glen, Champion of the Mother Tree. If you help us now, you can ensure the defeat of the Trio and ensure your place at Wunderlust Keep as its lord."
The offer stunned the captain, who clearly didn't know how to process it.
Aeresteel put her hand on his shoulder. "Captain. I hope you're strongly considering this offer. I can't speak for the rest of the company, and while your leadership has been exemplary, and we would follow you anywhere, the life of a mercenary is not easy, and we cannot have families without a home."
The Crystal Bard: A LitRPG Adventure (Kingmaker Saga Book 2) Page 18
