52. Lord Tavorick

Lord Tavorick's Estate was not far from Castle Never. Within a few minutes of being given instructions to protect Cyren Tavorick, Kail and her companions were stood outside the Lord's front door, being scrutinised by two Watchmen.

"Halt, there!" said one of them. "Who're you, an' what business have y'here?"

"Quit with your 'Halt there's' you great bumbling nit," said the other. "Tis Kail Farlong, or I'm half a troll. You'll have to pardon my comrade, your ladyship. We started as watch-hounds, you see, and there's nothing a watch-hound likes better than the sound of his own voice, 'specially when it's tellin' folk to 'Halt' and 'State your business!'."

"That's alright. Where is Captain Ballard?" she asked.

"Old Black Ballard's a waitin' for you, inside, Squire. Right through the door and straight on to the main hall." She nodded, and led her friends into the mansion.

"I say, this place is rather grand, isn't it?" said Grobnar, looking around at the stone walls. Long, luxurious carpets ran down the middle of the corridors, cushioning their steps, while torches lined the walls, creating a warm light.

"I wouldn't say no to living here, that's for sure," said Neeshka. She was examining some of the artwork adorning the walls. No doubt estimating its worth.

"This is the main hall," said Casavir, opening a door.

"How do you know that?" asked Kail.

"I have been here, once before, when my parents visited Lord Tavorick on business. I was much younger, of course, but little seems to have changed since then."

She entered the hall as Casavir held the door open, and noticed several people stood in the middle of the room. They were in the middle of a conversation, and she hurried forward to catch what the current speaker was saying.

"I'm sorry, m'lord, but the girl must leave," said a man in a fine gold and black suit of armour.

"Oh come now, look at her. Look! Pretty girl like that would keep any man alive and well, even a spotty old wart like me," said an older man who was obviously Tavorick. The girl he spoke of stood behind him, wearing a long, high-necked dress that was richly embroidered. "That is what Nasher wants, isn't it? To keep me from dropping dead? Eh?"

"Lord Nasher is concerned about m'lord's well being, in light of the recent deaths of m'lord's associates."

"Bah! If Nasher cared about m'lord's well being, he'd buy me a potion of youth. Failing that, he'd send me a harem. Eighty-four girls, one for each of my years. Yes? Maybe?" The other man merely gave him a blank stare, so he turned to the girl instead. "Soldiers... Melia, my dear, I insist that you come back and play for me again. The night after next, perhaps?"

"M'lord is very sweet. I'd be honoured," said the girl, in a fawning voice that made Kail immediately dislike her.

Melia sauntered out of the room, not even acknowledging Kail and the other newcomers.

"Squire Kail Farlong?" asked the man in the armour, approaching her with a salute. "Captain Andrey Ballard, at your command. If you don't mind me saying, Squire, it's an honour to serve with you. My men and I were there for your trial by combat. Warmed a lot of veterans' hearts to see you rout that Luskan dog."

"Thanks," she said, not wanting to admit to him that Lorne was not a Luskan, but a Harborman, like her. She didn't want people to associate West Harbor with murderers like Lorne. "Have you inspected the house?"

"Yes, Squire. I've already made an initial sweep of the house, secured the outer doors, and billeted my men on the second floor. We're five in number, and all proven men. The quiet one with the bow is Comely Finn. Doesn't say much, but he's killed more Luskans than any of us with those arrows of his. My sergeant is Deorwin, called Graylocks. Like a father to the boys, and deadly with an axe. Guff and Wetherly you've already met. I'll be bringing them inside and locking down the front door soon. By your leave, I'll like to barricade all the exits, as well."

"Do it," she nodded.

"I'll send Finn and Deorwin to gather some tables and such. The old man won't miss them. This place has rooms that haven't been touched in decades, perhaps more. After you've sent the old man upstairs, we'll get underway."

"I'd like to inspect the house myself," she said.

"Certainly, Squire. Plenty of time for that now, or after you've talked to Tavorick. I won't lock down the house until you give the word." She nodded as he spoke. It felt... strange... to have people who were older than her, deferring to her. And people who were much better at their jobs than she was, too.

She decided that she would deal with Tavorick first, and studied the old man as she approached him. His grey hair was thinning on top, and receding around his temples. His purple coat, once fine, was now a little threadbare, as if it was a favourite item that he wore every day and never bothered to replace. And his eyes lit up when he saw her approach.

"What's this, more of you? Nasher thinks an army's going to stop me from dropping dead?"

"I'm Kail Farlong. Lord Nasher sent me to keep you safe."

"Well, good for Nasher. He ought to send more women to guard me. Hells, sack all the men and hire on an army of pretty ladies City Watch would be a good deal more popular, I guarantee."

"Who was that woman I saw earlier?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"What, Melia? She's one of Ophala's girls from the Mask. Comes and visits from time to time, reminds me what it's like to have a lady in the house. Lovely girl, Melia. Plays the hard like a songbird. I can't actually hear it, you understand, but she's wonderful to watch. Beautiful hands. My fourth wife had beautiful hands, come to think of it. Know where it got her? Scorched to a crisp, that's where."

"Scorched to a crisp?"

"That's right. Thought she'd try those lovely hands at wizardry. Begs me to buy her a spellbook. Then tries to cast Explosive Runes on her own diary. Pretty girl, but not so bright. I should have kept a better eye on her. Not that I didn't keep an eye on her, but it was the wrong sort of eye, if you catch my meaning." Casavir sighed in the background.

"It's almost a shame she didn't cast Explosive Runes on you," said Qara, though the old man didn't seem to hear her.

"I'm sorry about your friends," said Kail.

"What, you mean Dalren and Brennick? Probably happier now, those two. Acted like they were dead anyway. Hawkes was different, though. Used to walk up to the Academy and back every morning. 'Cyran,' he'd say, 'my heart's gotten just as forgetful as my head. If I don't remind the lazy old thing to keep pumping, it'll up and quit on me'. Good old Hawkes. We used to sit on those benches out front and ogle all the pretty girls. Never know when you'll meet one who fancies older men... that's what Hawkes always said."

"Well, you do look young for your age," she replied, humouring him.

"See this? Full head of hair, and me eighty-four years old. go on, it's real... yank on it, if you like!"

"Maybe later. Where's the shard?"

"Got it right here in my pocket. And that's where it's staying, too. Told Nasher I wouldn't give it to him, and he said I wouldn't have to. Nice enough fellow, Nasher. Seems to like sitting on that throne of his. Ancestor of mine made that throne, and you know where it got him? Exiled to Icwind Dale. Silly fool thought he'd sign his initials on the bottom. I ever tell you what I think of artists?"

"You should head upstairs, m'lord," she said before he could start rambling again.

"Oh, very well. Shoo the all dotard away, he smells like boiled cabbage, anyway. No, don't bother to disagree. I know what I smell like. I'll be upstairs in my chambers. Think I'll go to bed and dream a bit. Always pretty girls in my dreams, and I don't even have to pay them to keep me company."

With that, he wandered off, and Kail sighed with relief.

"I wish I had dreams like his," said Bishop. "It would certainly save me a lot of coin."

"It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that the only women you can get are women of negotiable affection, Bishop," said Elanee.

"All womens' affection is negotiable. You just have to know the currency. Care to tell me yours?"

"Protect Tavorick now. Negotiate later," said Kail. Neeshka smirked at Elanee as the elf went red, though most likely with anger than embarrassment. "Look, why don't you all find the kitchen, make up some food? I get the feeling this is going to be a long night, and there's no point in spending it hungry. I'm going to inspect the rest of the ground floor, so you've got time yet."

"The kitchen sounds like a fine idea," said Khelgar with a gleam in his eye. "And maybe the old man has some caskets of ale lying around."

"Just don't expect me to serve it to you," sniffed Qara.

"I say, food sounds like a splendid idea," said Grobnar.

"I will show you where the kitchen is," said Casavir, leading the way across the hall. Grobnar, Khelgar, Elanee and Neeshka followed him.

"Whatever he makes is bound to taste like crushed beetles," said Bishop.

"Why do you have to be so nasty to people all the time?" said Shandra.

"I dunno. Maybe some people just bring out the worst in me, farm-girl. But if you'd like me to show you my good side, we could go somewhere more... private."

"In your dreams," said Shandra, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at him.

Kail rolled her eyes. "Come on, children. Let's check out the rest of this floor."

"Oh, oh, we've found something!" came Grobnar's excited voice from the kitchen. Kail hurried over to the door, followed by everybody else. "Look here," said Grobnar, indicating several large barrels stood in the corner of the room. There was a sticker on the top of each lid, and she read it aloud.

"Quantity - 40 blast globes, granted by the Many-Starred Cloak, Neverwinter City, to Lord Cyren Tavorick, 1360 DR."

"Quite old, and probably very unstable," said Grobnar. "Let's open one up and take a peek!"

"Ah... how about we don't open the barrel of old and volatile globes of fiery death, Grobnar. I'll let Ballard know about them, maybe we can use them to defend this place."

"What a marvellous idea! I wish I'd thought of it."

"Nevermind. You just be sure to cook us something really delicious, while we finish inspecting the place."

"Worry not, Grobnar Gnomehands shall provide a feast to remember!" he called as she left the room.

Stood in the main hall, Kail looked around her. The main entrance was to her right, and there was an exit to her left which had already been barricaded. Once they had finished checking out the smaller rooms, like the kitchen, she would block those off too. Those were the only doors in or out of the hall, except for the stairs to the next floor. Lord Tavorick was already up there.

"Sand. Do you think that once we've barricaded these doors to the kitchen, you could find some way to magically trap them with a spell?"

"Hmm. Well I suppose I could cast delayed-blast fireball. It would only go off when somebody steps into proximity of it. But I'm not sure how much good it would do."

"Why not?"

"If it really is demons that have been attacking and killing all the men who've been carrying the shard... well, most demons have at least partial resistance to fire, if not total."

"Damn. Well... what about if we put the barrels of blast globes in the doorways, and then you cast delayed-blast fireball? That way, when it goes off, it will ignite the barrels and cause part of the doorway to collapse. I'm sure demons are just as succeptible to falling masonry as are non-planar beings."

"And risk blocking off our exits?" said Bishop drily.

"And possibly bring the ceiling down on our heads?" asked Qara. "I mean, you saw what a single crate of blast-globes did when we used them to clear the pass at Old Owl Well. Now you're talking about whole barrels of them."

"What do you think, Khelgar?" she asked. The dwarf went around the room, tapping the walls with a hammer he had pulled from his pocket. He tapped softly, with one ear pressed against the wall. Then he moved to the doorways and did the same.

"Sounds good, lass. There's supporting beams throughout the walls, and the door lintels aren't taking too much pressure at the moment. I think we could stand to lose two or three doorways before we risk the structural integrity of the ceiling."

"Khelgar, I'm impressed," said Qara.

"Well, thanks. But if there's one thing us dwarfs know, it's stone-work."

"No, I mean I'm impressed that you know the word 'integrity'. It's a long word, after all, and I didn't think you possessed any of it."

"Why you cheap little daddy's girl, you listen to me-"

"Later, Khelgar," said Kail, resting a hand on his shoulder. She couldn't afford for everything to fall apart now. She needed everybody to stick together, to work as a team.

"Bah!" he said, grumbling to himself as he walked away. Qara grinned smugly.

"Now. Let's go and tell Captain Ballard how I want the defences to be arranged. Then we can lock down this place, go upstairs, and try to get a little sleep."

o - o - o - o - o

"Goodnight, Lord Tavorick. Try to get some sleep, we'll make sure you're safe," said Kail, closing his door as she left his bedroom. The old man wasn't even changed into his night clothes, and she doubted he'd do any sleeping tonight. Not that she could blame him, really. If her life was in the hands of other people, she wouldn't sleep either.

"Well, lass, how d'ye wanna do this? There's plenty of bedrooms, so we can take it in shifts if ye like," suggested Khelgar.

"Alright. I'll take first shift, with Neeshka. Then I want... Sand and Bishop, you and Elanee, Casavir and Grobnar, Shandra and Qara." It was the best way of pairing them up, and would cause the least amount of problems, argument-wise. She couldn't put Casavir with Neeshka or Bishop. She couldn't put Bishop with Casavir, Grobnar, Elanee, Shandra.... just about anybody, really. She couldn't put Qara with Khelgar, Grobnar or Sand. But putting Elanee with Casavir or Shandra with Grobnar would probably lead to them talking throughout their shift, and not being alert.

It seemed like half of leading people was about politics. Was this what it was like for Nasher, but on a much larger scale? It was a sobering thought, and her respect for him rose immediately.

"You're not giving me the last shift because you think I need more rest than anybody else, are you?" Shandra asked her quietly as everybody else filed off to find a room. "I mean, I know I've not been doing this whole 'adventurer' thing as long as everybody else, but I'm not soft. I worked on a farm all my life, I'm no stranger to hard work and sleepless nights."

"It was just how I paired people up, Shandra. There are times when you'll be asked to keep watch first, and times when you're last. It's the way things go. Don't worry about it, just get some sleep."

Shandra nodded, and followed the others down the corridor.

"She's nice, she just tries too hard sometimes," said Neeshka, sitting down on the floor a few feet away from Tavorick's door.

"She'll learn." She has to, she thought, sitting down opposite her friend.

"So. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"You know me too well," she said, and Neeshka smiled. "I want to tell you something, but it's very important that nobody else finds out. So you can't mention it to anyone, not even to Khelgar."

"Sure. I'm not only the best thief in Neverwinter, but also the best secret-keeper. You have my word, that whatever you say is between you and me."

"Thanks. Well, you know how I've been sorta... keeping to myself, lately? Since I killed Lorne, I mean."

"You mean, since Lucas left?"

She winced. Neeshka was too astute for her own good, sometimes.

"Yeah, that too. Well, after Lucas left, Duncan came to talk to me, and he told me some things about my mother. Things that I'd never known before. Things that aren't exactly nice."

"Such as?"

"Such as... she was one of the Children of Bhaal, and that when she gave birth to me, the taint of her evil divine blood may have passed on to me."

"Wow," said Neeshka, letting out an impressed whistle. "That's a pretty heavy thing to digest."

"Yes. And I'm worried that this evil taint may try to... control me. Before I left West Harbor, on the night the bladelings and duergar attacked us, I'd never killed another sentient being before. But once I'd started, I found it really, really easy to keep going. And not just bladelings or duergar, either. Those guards who were hassling you when we met, and attacked us for sticking up for you... I helped to kill them, and I never gave it a second thought. I never wondered if they had families who would miss them, if they had wives or children waiting for them back home... I just killed them because they were attacking me. I could have tried to disarm them, or knock them unconscious, but at the time, I didn't even consider it. What if killing, and... and murder, is literally in my blood?"

"Maybe it's not. Maybe the taint never passed onto you."

"I think it did. I don't know how I know, but I can... almost feel it, sometimes, lurking beneath me."

"But maybe that's not the taint of Bhaal's blood. Maybe that's just this dragon thing that you told us about, and how you sometimes go berserk."

"It's hard to explain. The dragon-fire, the berserking... they're tools. And I use them, sometimes purposely, sometimes by accident. Like when I was fighting Lorne, and I used dragon-fire. And when I go berserk, it's like my mind switches off, and I become something primitive, without any concept of good or evil, only fighting to surive. But there are times when it's felt like something else has been controlling these tools. Like that time when I threatened Qara in the Flagon, something was telling me to embrace my gifts, and to use them to kill. And when I went berserk and beat Moire to death... that wasn't just me berserking, it was me wanting to kill her, to completely obliterate her. That was like... pure evil, using my gifts to cause maximum pain, to kill because it was convenient for me, or because somebody upset me. It's as if there's somebody else inside me, trying to take over." And sometimes, she does.

"And you think that the others may think less of you if they find out? That's why you made me promise not to tell anyone?"

"Partially. It's also because the Children of Bhaal have been hunted and persecuted wherever they go... by knights, by harpers, by bountyhunters, by armies, by each other... my mother took refuge in West Harbor because she thought that it was the perfect place to lie low, that nobody would ever find her there. I don't think she was being paranoid, I think she was being cautious. I don't want to attract too much of the wrong attention. I've already got the King of Shadows and Black Garius and the githyanki after my blood. I don't want to spend the rest if my life running, because that's no life at all."

"Don't worry, I won't breathe a word about it to anyone. I'm glad you told me, though. And you know I'll always be here for you if you need to talk."

"Squire!" came a shout from the stairs. Deorwin Graylocks bounded up them two at a time, with Comely Finn right behind him. "Cap'n sent us to fetch you, Squire. There's some foul mist gathering downstairs, and the lights have gone funny."

"Alright, I'll go take a look. Will you wake everyone else? They're all asleep in the bedrooms. Send them down, but you two stay here to guard Tavorick."

"Aye Squire, as you say," said Graylocks, saluting as she left.

"And you said tonight was going to be a long night," said Neeshka, nocking an arrow to her bow as she followed Kail down the stairs.

o - o - o - o - o

"It's been like this half a candle, no more," said Ballard. Looking around, she noticed that the flames in the torches on the walls had turned blue. And, curling around their legs, was an unnatural black fog that seemed to move with purpose, as if seeking something. "No sign of trouble yet, beyond the mist and the stink and the foul light."

"I say, this is rather atmospheric, isn't it?" said Grobnar, leading everybody else down the stairs. He took out a wad of paper and a pencil and began scribbling away, his tongue poking out of his mouth as he concentrated.

"What are you doing? Though I dread to ask," said Sand.

"Just jotting down some notes, trying to capture the scene for when I write about it in detail later."

"Squire!" shouted Guff from the front door. "A horde of little demons! They burst through the front hall and forced us back!"

"Aye, and something else, too, back behind the rest," said Wetherly. "Whatever it is, it's big!"

"How many? Could you tell?"

"No time, Squire! They're coming through!" said Guff. From the corridor there came the sound of an almighty splintering. The door giving way, she assumed.

As the two Watchmen backed into the room with their blades raised, they were followed by a host of small, flying demons. She didn't know whether they were imps, or quasits, or mephits, or whatever, but she didn't care. Around her, arrows and bolt and spells were loosed into the mass of demons. She took the safety latch off the RAMP and fired into the throng, not even bothering to aim; at this range, with this many enemies, it was bound to hit a few somethings.

The disadvantage of fighting flying opponents was that they tended to keep out of close range, rendering several members of the team ineffective. There wasn't much that Khelgar, Casavir, Shandra and Ballard could do as everybody else picked the demons off one by one. Guff and Wetherly had switched to their bows, but they weren't as good a shot as Bishop or Neeshka.

And from above, spells rained down on the group as the demons used their own magics. Most of them fell harmlessly upon the barriers erected by Qara and Sand, but a few made it through to their targets. Casavir, unable to fight, fell to tending wounds as and when they arose.

At last the deluge of demons into the room slowed and then stopped, and it wasn't long until all of the flying menaces were twitching lifelessly on the floor. Elanee went around the room checking everybody's injuries and fixing anything worse than scratches.

"They'll be coming again, Squire," said Ballard. "It's likely to get worse from here. What are your orders?"

She quickly assessed her companions; although they had already dealt with thieves tonight, everybody still seemed fresh. Neeshka, Bishop and Grobnar still had a decent supply of arrows and bolts, and she knew that Qara, Sand and Elanee had a fair number of spells left between them. Casavir, Khelgar, Shandra and herself were unharmed, and capable of handling any close fighting. Both of Ballard's men were injured, though he himself was not.

"Stay back by the steps and use your bows against them," she said. At least, that way, in the unlikely event that she and her companions were all killed, the demons would still have to get past Ballard and his men. He nodded, and took Guff and Wetherly to guard the stairs.

"Fall back to the stairs," she told her friends. "We'll let them come to us. With any luck, we'll be able to get rid of a few of them by arrow and magic before we have to fight."

"Bah! That's no way t'fight, lass! We need to be in the thick of it, carving a name for ourselves in the blood of our foe!" said Khelgar, slapping his fist to his chest. There was a chattering sound from out in the hallway, followed by the sound of many bodies approaching.

"Trust me, Khelgar. Pretty soon, you're going to be right in the thick of things. Now, back to the stairs! That's where we'll make our stand."

Everybody began to form a ring around the base of the stairs. Ballard and his men stood closest to the stairs, Guff and Wetherly with their bows to hand. Surrounding them were Sand, Elanee and Qara. In front of them were Bishop, Neeshka and Grobnar, with their bows and crossbows at the ready. And in front were Casavir, Khelgar and Shandra, hefting their own weapons as the sound of approaching bodies grew louder. Kail sidled upto Sand and began to reload the RAMP.

"How are you holding up?"

"Just fine," he replied.

"Be ready to target the barrels of blast-globes as soon as you see a decent number of demons beneath the doorways."

"Leave it to me. Those demons won't know what hit them. Literally."

"Here they come, lass," said Khelgar from the front of the group. Everybody with a missile weapon raised it, aiming towards the main door. Then the first wave of demons rushed into the room. A succubus went down with an arrow and a bolt in her chest, and the smaller bolts from Kail's weapon finished it off. The other arrows found their marks in some of the imps -- or quasits or mephits -- that followed. But the archers could not keep up with the demons, and soon the room was filled with them.

"Now, Sand!" shouted Kail above the din. The wizard sent a fireball hurtling towards the first barrel, and it exploded violently. The doorway caved in, the demons beneath it crushed under a ton of rubble.

"Tavorick isn't going to be happy about that," said Captain Ballard as he took a swipe with his sword at an imp above his head.

"He can get it fixed. It's not like he's short on money," she said, aiming at the imp with her weapon and pulling the trigger. Ten bolts peppered its small body, and she realised that those were her last ten.

The battle raged on for what seemed like hours; Shandra was injured by a steel-clawed Erinyes, and fell back so that Elanee could tend her wounds. Grobnar ran out of bolts for his crossbow, and began reading spells from his collection of scrolls. Bishop started aiming for vitals, a sure sign that he was beginning to run out of arrows. Ballard hacked at anything that came to close to the stairs and his men, while Sand and Qara sent wave after wave of magic missiles speeding towards their attackers.

Suddenly, Kail got a creeping feeling at the back of her neck, as if something was watching her. She spun around, and found herself staring into the cold, deep eyes of a succubus. She raised her daggers, but found herself unable to strike. The succubus' eyes were hypnotising. Her face was the most beautiful face that she had ever seen, and she wanted nothing more than to be closer to it, to serve that face, to make it smile at her. She stepped forward, and the succubus reached out to her.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist, dragging her back. Even as she squirmed to free herself, two arrows shot past her and pierced the chest and neck of the demon. As the creature died, so did its spell over her, and her wits came back to her. When she stopped struggling, the arm holding her back released her.

"Don't worry Squire, we've got your back," said Ballard, giving her a worried smile.

"Thanks. I hate to think what that thing would have done if it got its claws on me," she replied shakily.

"Best to never find out, I think."

A high-pitched scream cut through the sounds of battle, making the hairs on her neck stand on end.

"That came from upstairs," said Ballard, looking worried. "It must be Tavorick. Go and see what's happening up there, my men and I will take care of the demons down here."

"Alright, but I'm not leaving you completely alone. Khelgar, Neeshka, Sand, come with me."

Her friends broke off their attacks and followed her to the stairs. She bounded up them two at a time -- a difficult feat for a somewhat short person -- and ran panting towards Tavorick's room. Deorwin and Finn were nowhere in sight, but the Lord's door was ajar and she heard sounds from within. Without a second thought, she kicked the door and rushed into the room, taking in the scene. Several imps were harassing Lord Tavorick, who was cowering in a corner, while Finn and Deorwin tried to stab at them with their swords.

Several arrows flew past Kail as Neeshka fired rapidly with her bow. Magic missiles zipped around her, hitting the demons with unnatural precision. As each imp was plucked from the air and fell to the ground, Deorwin, Finn and Khelgar finished them off with a blow from their weapons. When the last imp had been despatched, Tavorick kicked its tiny body; it landed with a splat against the wall, and dropped to the floor.

"Horrible beasts appeared out of nowhere! Just came shrieking out of the dark," he said. "Listen to me, Farlong. Our only chance is the crypt. I had the place warded... they'll only be able to come through the door, and it should take them some time to penetrate the wards."

"You might have mentioned that earlier..." she sighed. A more defensible position would have made her job much easier.

"I am very fond of my ancestors, Squire, but they make for dull company. And these demons are rather more determined than I thought they'd be."

"Alright. Just follow me, and stay close."

She led everybody back down the stairs. In the main hall, the fighting was over; at least this round of it, anyway. Grobnar and Bishop were searching the bodies for arrows and bolts to recover, and Shandra was helping them. Casavir was tending to a bleeding slash on Qara's arm, whilst Elanee was healing Guff and Wetherly.

"I caught a glimpse of that big demon," said Ballard. "He's hanging back, giving orders. He's the source of the stench, too. You can trust in in that."

"We're making a break for the crypt," she announced. Grobnar, Bishop and Shandra ceased looking for ammunition and rejoined the group.

"Are you sure?" asked Ballard. "There's no way out of that crypt, except by the way you go in. We'll be trapped."

"Maybe so. But we'll have the demons in a bottle-neck. We can't keep letting them come at us from all directions."

Ballard nodded reluctantly, and led the way towards the back of the main hall. A blockade stood in front of the door, and everybody started dismantling it while Tavorick took out his keys and searched for the key for his ancestors' tomb. Kail helped Grobnar with a heavy piece of wood that he was struggling with, and in a couple of minutes the barricade had been reduced to nothing.

"I hear something. I think they're preparing for another attack. Better hurry with that key, wildcat," said Bishop, at the rear of the group.

"This is the one," said Tavorick, handing her a large iron key. She pushed it into the lock and turned it, pushing the ancient wooden door open with all her weight. "Quick, everyone, down the corridor!" When everyone was through, she pushed on the door from the other side, trying to close it. But the corridor was dusty, and the door hinges rusted. All the managed to do was slide back down the floor while the door remained ajar.

Then, without warning, she stopped sliding as the door moved forward and began to close. As it slammed shut she locked it again, then turned to see Casavir stood behind her.

"Thanks," she said. "That thing was a lot heavier than it looked."

He nodded. "We should hurry. We do not want to be caught out of the crypts when the demons break through this door."

Together they ran along the corridor and caught up to the others. Lord Tavorick was seated on one of his ancester's sarcophogi, taking deep breaths. Captain Ballard was talking quietly with his men. Qara was walking around the chamber, lighting torches with magic. Everybody else was setting up defensive positions, aiming their sights on the door in front of them.

"Predictable creatures, demons," said Tavorick when she approached him. "Can't abide wards, not when they're done right. Now they'll have to come at us through that- Oh, Oghma's eyes, what is that stench?" He began coughing as a foul smell wafted through the doorway. Outside the doorway, something large growled, and bent its head to look through the opening.

"I can smell you, little lordling. I can scent your craven soul amidst the dust of your ancestors."

"And we can smell you too," said Kail. Everyone backed away from the door, trying to get away from the stench. "What do you want?"

"I am Qaggoth-yet, leader of hordes, cleaver of babau and bebelith, the hunter who does not tire. From the yawning clamourous layer of Yogguul was I plucked, and now I hunt at the bidding of my Master. And who are you, my mortal friend?"

"I am Kail Farlong, leader of the Companions Ten mercenary group, cleaver of orcs and Luskans, the bard who does not tire. From the murky depths of the Mere was I plucked, and now I kill demons for the fun of it. Plus, I make an excellent pot of soup."

"You have a wonderful anarchic scent about you. Beneath your weariness and your sweat, you smell of lives shattered, and hopes trod underfoot. Perhaps I could smell you better... if only I could come... a bit closer..." There was a heavy thudding sound from the corridor, and the ground underfoot tremored. The demon, she realised, was trying to smash the wall, to make an opening big enough for it to enter.

"The door! Get away from the door!" cried Tavorick.

"We need to stop it before it gets inside!" said Kail. "Everybody, throw whatever you've got left at it!"

She rushed forward with her daggers, ducking as she passed through the door to avoid crumbling masonry. She was followed by Khelgar, Casavir and Shandra, while Grobnar, Bishop and Neeshka shot their remaining arrows and bolts. But when the missiles struck the creature's body, they merely bounced off its thick, oily skin.

She slashed at its leg with a dagger, but the blade did little more than slice open a tiny part of the skin. The demon barely seemed to notice. The air around them was thick with magic, but not all of the spells seemed to touch the creature; half of them fizzled out before reaching it, and she she cursed silently to herself.

On the other side of the creature, Shandra was also hacking and it with her blade. Either she had injured it, or was annoying it, because it flicked its huge tail and her, which sent her flying into the far wall. She crumpled to a heap, and was still. Khelgar appeared underneath the creature, hitting its belly with a dwarven hammer he had been given by Khulmar, at the Ironfist stronghold near Old Owl Well. The demon lifted one of its back legs and kicked him out of the way, then swung at him with its front claws.

Kail realised that she had to distract the demon, or it would make short work of Khelgar. Running around to the side of the creature, she stabbed one of her daggers vertically down with all of her strength, plunging the blade into its foot. It roared in pain, picked up Khelgar, and threw him back into the crypt. He landed heavily on Sand and Qara, and all three were sent sprawling into a heap.

The demon swung its tail again, but she had anticipated it, and jumped over it like a skipping rope. But as she was still airborne, the demon used its massive front claws to knock her out of the air, and she landed heavily, winded on the ground. Through swimming vision she saw the creature rear up, preparing to crush her beneath its bulk.

Then, something leapt at it from halfway up the doorway, landing on its back. The demon roared, trying to reach around to its back with its arms. The 'something', she realised as her breath came back to her, was Casavir. He had climbed the damaged masonry and was clinging to the creature's back. He had saved her life, and she took the opportunity to drag herself out of crushing range of the demon.

Seeing her clear, Casavir raised his war-hammer and, with all his strength and a prayer to Tyr to guide his blow, brought it down upon the creature's head. Its skull made a sickening crack sound, and it crumpled to the ground. Casavir stepped down from its back and helped her stand. Her legs felt like jelly, and he helped her back into the crypt as Elanee rushed out to tend to Shandra.

"That thing... it has a Master. You heard it, didn't you? I told Nasher this hoodwinking business wouldn't work, but does he listen to the eighty-four-year-old? Of course not," said Tavorick.

"What are you talking about?" asked Kail.

"I haven't got the shard. Haven't had it since yesterday. Passed it to Melia, in fact, just before you got here. Whole business was a diversion, to get whoever's seeking the shard to reveal himself. Instead he sent that brute with the tongue-twisting name.

"You passed the shard to Melia? To some girl from the Mask?"

"I do still have a few wits left, you know... Melia's one of the Nine. She's holed up at the Moonstone Mask with a half-dozen guards posing as patrons. Only, the demon's Master has seen through our ruse. He sent the demons here to occupy you, and to kill me in the bargain. The man himself's on the way to the Mask to claim the shard... I'd bet my heirs on it, if I had any."

"We'd better get to the Mask and warn Melia."

"Don't let the old dotard stand in your way. Probably ought to stay down here with people more my age."

"My men and I will take care of Lord Tavorick, Squire," said Ballard. "I think you and your friends will be needed more at the Mask."

"Alright. But at the first sign of more demons showing up, get him out of there. It will be less convenient for them to attack you in public."

Ballard saluted her -- a gesture that made her feel extremely uncomfortable -- and gathered up Tavorick and his men, leading the way out of the crypt. Kail walked unsteadily to Shandra and Elanee, with Grobnar right behind her.

"How is she doing?" she asked the elf.

"She had a fractured skull, which I have healed. She should wake up in a few minutes, though she will probably have a very bad headache for a few hours."

"Alright. Will you stay here with her until she wakes? The rest of us need to get to the Mask, and we don't have a moment to spare. You stay too, Khelgar. Don't think I can't see you limping. Elanee can heal you, and then you can all catch up to us."

Khelgar sulked, but did as he was asked, and Kail led her companions out of the mansion.

o - o - o - o - o

"You could have told me that Melia was one of the Nine," said Kail to Casavir as they made their way to the Merchant District.

"It has been a long time since I have seen Melia, and never dressed like that before. And her hair was different," he replied a little guiltily.

"Alright. Let's just hope we're in time to warn her about the shard."

The Moonstoon Mask was in chaos when they arrived. The body of one woman lay face-down on the floor beside the door, and the other entertainers were seeking refuge under tables, their patrons huddled beside them.

"Thank the Gods you're here!" said Ophala, peering from behind the bar. "A man with glowing tattoos on his face came in here with a pack of demons -- and he's still upstairs now. He murdered Evelyn at the door, and if he's not stopped... he'll... please, you must do something!"

"We'll deal with him. Stay here, and don't let anybody upstairs."

"Be careful!" called Ophala as Kail walked towards the stairs.

Cautiously, and as quietly as possible, she climbed the steps. Behind her, the others crowded near, ready to attack, or defend, as required. Kail pressed her ear to the door, but heard no sound from the other side, so she opened it a couple of inches, and peered around the corner. There was a still body of a woman in a dress a few feet away from the door, but nothing else in sight. She pushed the door open further, and stepped onto the second floor.

"Geez... this was a massacre," said Neeshka with a shudder. Around the room were bodies of women, all blood-soaked and silent.

The carnage continued into the bedrooms; each one held a dead woman, each dressed similarly to Melia, but none of them actually her. The woman inside one room was wearing a dress of pure white, decorated with pearls. And her blood was splattered across the front of her dress in a circular pattern. It looked almost... artistic. Kail crouched by the body to examine it closer. She'd never really seen a dead body up close before, at least one had she she hadn't killed herself. And those were usually orcs or bugbears.

She had to admit, she had always been a little squeamish around dead things. She seemed to have no problem doing the killing, but actually staying around the bodies, touching them, searching them... she didn't have Neeshka's love of looting to fall back on, or Sand's cold, elven reserve gained from centuries of experience. Squatting down beside the body of the woman, she examined it more closely.

The skin was pale, but not yet white. The eyes were closed, almost peaceful, but the mouth was open, portraying fear. It was a strange contradiction, as if the body didn't know whether to be at peace or not. She was reaching up to close the woman's mouth when Bishop stuck his head around the doorway.

"There's another door out here that's locked from the inside. The tin-man's going to kick it down. Figured you'd want to see what's inside."

"I'll be right there."

"I hope you're not thinking of blaming yourself for these deaths," he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Of course not. I didn't kill these people."

"Well. Good. Hurry up, I don't think the tin-man intends on waiting for you."

She nodded, and left the body as it was, twisted and frightened. When she found her friends, Casavir was in the process of kicking down the door. Three hard kicks did it, and the door caved in. Kail stepped through, and everybody followed.

A strange man was squatting over a blue-clad corpse. The uniform was that of the Nine, and the corpse was obviously that of a woman. Kail could have laughed. In the midst of all the chaos, Melia had still found time to change. She had died as what she was; a soldier.

"Ah, reinforcements," said the strange man. "I am afraid you're too late to save this one. And if it is the shard you're after, I am afraid I have that as well. It seems to me all you have left is your life... but that is easily corrected."

The man raised his arms, and as he began to fade, two huge dogs were conjured in front of the group. Kail ducked to avoid a plume of fire spat from one of the dog's mouths, and everybody followed suit.

"What in the hells are these?" she asked.

"Nessian War Hounds," said Sand. "A particularly nasty breed of hell-hound."

"Well I'm fed up of demons."

She ran toward one of the dogs, then rolled as she came near. Once underneath it, she aimed upward with her dagger, plunging it into the dog's throat. It collapsed onto her, covering her in warm blood. When the others hauled the corpse off her, she saw that the other dog had been killed too.

"I need a bath," she said. "And we need to to tell Lord Nasher that one of the Nine is dead. So... who wants to be the one to do that?"