A lone guardsman walked nervously down the street . Judging by his gait and apprehensiveness, from his vantage point Martinez guessed he was neither confident or competent. As he approached the alley they had been observing, the man suddenly ducked into it . Martinez turned and glanced at Raoul at this turn of events.
"He's not a demon, and he's not charmed either. ", offered the half giant.
"I'm not an idiot. I see that. What do you make of it though? Does the Rakshasa have …ahem…how should we say…catspaws hidden in the militia. ", chuckled the duelist at his own cleverness.
Raoul rolled his eyes, "It appears so. Vinnraj is suppose to be a pretty wealthy place I heard, with lots of evil spirits about. "
Martinez nodded, "Aye…supposedly buildings made of gold, gems the size of fruit, and other such nonsense. It's all musk ox baloney I say. It's like the rumors of the Great Vault , the Plateau of Velmon, and other such children's tale. I'm sure the place is wealthy , but c'mon buildings made of precious metals? How do they even stand without collapsing from the weight?" , asked the duelist as the man in the alley appeared to wait nervously. Though their plan was simple enough, it was dependent on one thing, that the entrance was open . They would only have a small window of opportunity to force their way in, and so far no such portal has presented itself.
Raoul shrugged. "Magic can do all sorts of stuff. Back in my homeland , they told me that buildings were made of sand and supported by the ribs of some monstrous unknown creatures."
Martinez looked puzzled. "Wait…Isn't your family from Darokin like myself?"
Raoul sighed. "Yes they are, I mean where they originally migrated from. Athas, the land with a dark sun, and endless deserts. "
Martinez chuckled at his comrades ridiculous statement. Deserts are suppose to be hot. How could a black sun radiate any heat he thought. He chalked it up more as another half giant tall tale, rather than any useful geographical lore he should remember.
"Giants come from many lands. They are an adaptable people that are known to not only live in harsh deserts but also in desolate volcanoes, underwater, and even the frozen tundras. ", spoke a soft feminine voice behind them.
Martinez was shocked at this sudden voice and in a single motion, managed to twirl and greet it with his dagger in hand. Raoul on the other hand held a hand in front of his ally.
"I smelled you and the tiefling earlier, but I didn't realize you were after the same prey.", responded the half giant.
Martinez saw that Raoul was addressing an odd looking young woman but saw no sign of a tiefling. Even though she was crouching he could tell she was extremely tall. Not as tall as his comrade, but still a half foot taller than himself. Besides being tall, she appeared very athletic and muscular, and was dressed in ornate gold and blue scale armor. What was unusual about her was that she had extremely pale skin and long white hair, practically an albino. At her side it appeared she was wielding some form of oversized blade staff. She gave off an overall impression of danger about her.
Martinez scrutinized the interloper and there was something about her movements and the way she carried herself that he found familiar, then it finally dawned on him. "Another half giant? ", he asked.
The woman seemed surprise at the duelist's deduction ." I applaud your powers of observation. I am not quite what you label a half giant, but something very close. You can call me the Ivory Lady."
Martinz shrugged. "I heard tales of you. Are you the one that has her own fiefdom in Vinnraj? If so, that explains why you are here I guess. ", noted the duelist . "Sorry Ivory, this contract is taken. We got here first. "
Raoul shook his head. "Technically she got here first. I detected her and her partner earlier , but wasn't sure of their intent at the time. "
Martinez still could not see a tiefling and shot his so called ally a withering glare. He was gonna blow this this, and cost them not only the bounty, but points with the Sardar . He considered kicking the big oaf , but thought better of it. They were too exposed on the roof, best to save the kicking for later.
Before the two demon hunters began bickering amongst themselves, the Ivory Lady held up a hand to silence them. "Fear not, I wish nothing for your contract, and the bounty that comes along with it. I have been called forth from Vinnraj to slay the beasts that have killed many children in the past. That is an unforgivable sin and I am here as a point of honor and vengeance rather than to acquire gold and fame. I , like yourselves, have tracked the Rakshasa's to this lair and like yourselves I am awaiting for an opportunity to strike them down. There are more of them than I anticipated and I wish to propose an alliance, since our goals appear to be compatible. ", the tall young woman responded.
Martinez and Raoul exchanged glances. Martinez twitched and eyelash which in their own private code, told his companion he wasn't sure about this. Raoul wrinkled his nose in return , which signaled he was in favor of the plan. After about ten seconds Martinez sighed . "Okay sister . You can come along, but we do things my way. I only agree to this because it's better we keep an eye on you , than having you run around and possibly spoiling our attack. "
"Agreed. ", the Ivory Lady replied before the trio settled in. They watched the lone guard who was nervously waiting in the alley.
"So….you come to Grom City often?", asked the half giant.
"I've been here once or twice, but that was over a century ago. I'm sure everyone that I know here is long dead. My experience here was mixed at best. I got shot by a hundred arrows here once.", smirked the Ivory Lady.
"Oooh…..I hate it when that happens. " Raoul said empathically.
"Don't you just hate it when this happens. ", smirked Jimmez as he watched Sammy stalk around the Menagerie. Though the young pretend guard promised he could get them into the Warehouse of Wonders for free, it was all apparently some great boast. The boy seemed to walk around the back wall of the building in frustration, unable to penetrate the interior. " I mean if you can't get in just say so. Poor Lally is confused as much as me , as to why we are here and not returning him to his family . "
Lally was indeed confused but the long furry creature in his arm was making calming clicking noises. The furred creature seemingly lulled the young boy to simply followed his older peers without too much hassle.
Sammy motioned Jimmez to be quiet. The young demon hunter was about to protest but then he saw a shadow from one of the warehouse's high windows appeared. The shadow appeared to be moving methodically across the window , and soon it was gone.
"That's the guard, you doubting goblin head. ", snickered Sammy. "You aren't very good at this sneaking around stuff are you?", he taunted further with a smile.
Jimmez grew red, but remained quiet. The thrills of seeing the wonders of Porlock's Menagerie would outweigh any slights he had to take from the pretend guard. He guessed Sammy had to get in his shots , since Jimmez had literally saved him from the mob of angry boys earlier.
Sammy waited and appeared to count to himself , after a minute he motioned to the long furry creature in Lally's arms. The bushy beast obediently hopped out of the young boy's arm and onto Sammy's hands. Lally appeared to be distraught at first, but his eyes grew wide as the creature stood up comically on its hind legs.
"I haven't introduced you guys . This is my faithful companion Chit the mongoose. Say hi Chit. ", smiled Sammy. As on cue the furry creature waved its small arms and made soft chittering sounds , much to the delight of the other boys. Lally was more animate about the performance, but even Jimmez cracked a smile at its act.
Sammy grabbed the creature by its long neck to his mouth and kissed it on the head. "Ok Chit, you know what to do. ", he whispered and handed the creature the end of a cord of rope. Chit snapped its jaws shut and immediately began to scamper up the wall. It reached the upper window where they saw the shadow, and unbelievably looped the cord over one of the crenulations that adorned it. It then scampered back down the wall to Sammy's hand. The young guard petted it before returning it back to Lally, much to his delight. Then he tied the cord into a loop and offered it to Jimmez.
Jimmez examined the loop, and wondered if it would hold. He also wondered if this was just a big ploy to make him look stupid. He could well see himself entering the above window, and triggering the wards that must have been there. The guards would seize him, enabling Sammy to return Lally and claim the reward all to himself. He admitted that after the fight with the bullies he trusted Sammy more, but there was something about him that seemed off.
"Are you sure this will work? Are you positive there are no magical protections guarding this place?", asked Jimmez once again.
"Of course I am. I told you I snuck in there once. Are you scared or something?" Sammy shot back.
Jimmez wasn't about to admit his doubts, but then an idea dawned on him.
"Ladies first. ", snickered Jimmez as he pushed the loop back.
Sammy stopped and glared at Jimmez . Not angrily as the young demon hunter hoped to evoke, but in a kind of a shock. The young guard quickly recovered and smiled before securing the loop to his waist. Then with practiced skill he swiftly climbed the wall , with the cord as support. When he reached the top, the young guard probed the window carefully with a knife. Miraculously the window came open easily. Sammy gave a thumbs up , before crawling through the opening.
Jimmez looked on in surprise. Sammy was telling the truth , there weren't any wards or protections on this place. He wasn't sure why there wouldn't be any , unless the owner relied on fear to keep trespassers away. Lally began to babble and it appeared he wanted to go up as well. He wasn't sure what Sammy told him, but Jimmez decided it would be best if he was the last one to go up. The young demon hunter secured the young boy to the loop and pulled the cord lifting him up.
The boy kicked and wiggled merrily as he was lifted up , and Jimmez half expected him to start to swing or something. It would have been disastrous if he did, and unhook the cord from the crenelation that Chit had secured. Luckily he didn't and Sammy grabbed and hefted him through the window. Jimmez half expected the alarms to go off then, but once again there was no signs of any magical defenses. The loop was lowered once again, and Jimmez eagerly attacked the cord . The wonders of Porlock's menagerie awaited him.
As he made his way to the window. He was surprised that from where he dangled he could catch a glimpse of the displays inside. There was something resembling a stone suit of armor. Several dragons of various sizes, mounted and posed in various frightening stances, even what appeared to be a weapon rack with weapons too exotic for a common warrior to know what end to hold. Jimmez could not wait to see this place for himself. With a shove of the window the young demon hunter quickly scrambled inside.
*WAHH WAHH WAHH WAHH *
The three uninvited boys stopped as the alarm suddenly went off.
"Look, I know I'm uninvited , but there's no need to sound the alarm my good man. I just need to talk to one of your guests. ", argued Sir Jose in his formal voice to the Admiral's doorman.
"The Admiral and his guests are in the middle of a private social gathering. Unless your name is on the guest list, I suggest you wait for the gala to conclude. Preferably off the property and take your big green dog with you, so we don't have to suffer your presence. ", replied the doorman in his most condescending tone.
"Look here. Not only is it important, but it might be a matter of life or death. ", exclaimed Jose .
"Yes I am sure it is. Look here Sir Hoe-say or whatever your name is, the social elite of Grom is at the Gala right now. You aren't the only one that has been star struck and wished to rub shoulders with the high and mighty of our City . If you were suitably attired and actually resemble one of our guest's servants I might be convinced to deliver this message, however judging by the look of you, it appears you were involved in a brawl recently, and from the smell, I would say in a bar. There is no way I will embarrass the estate of the Admiral by letting a drunk crash his party. ", declared the doorman.
Jose hands shivered as he considered throttling the man, but instead he took a step back and took a deep breath. "Yes, I was in a brawl recently, and yes it was in a bar, however that is the nature of my message. I wish to inform my ally Martinez that we were attacked by evil tiger spirits, and we need his assistance to track these creatures down before people are killed. ", explained Jose while containing his frustration.
"I don't have time for this.", declared the doorman. "Please leave the premise. If there are demons or spirits, then seek the militia or the Royal Guardsman, otherwise I can not help you. Begone , else I call them myself. "
Jose had had enough, he motioned for his blade but a gentle touch stopped him. The knight looked at Lady Stille and was calmed by her serene visage.
"Let me try to reason with him Sir Jose. ", the priestess smiled.
The doorman looked impressed by the beauty before him but his stance did not soften. "Sorry lady, no entrance to the Admiral's gala except by invitation. "
Stille sighed and for a second Jose thought she had quit before she even started. "Look under Lady Sharliss von Veb. I should be on the guest list. I always am. "
The doorman scoffed at her but his eyes grew wide when he scanned the list. A moment of confusion descended on him and he quickly waved over an elderly servant and pointed to the name.
The elderly servant smiled and waxed nostalgically. "Oh that reservation is for Lady Sharliss of Veb, The Emperor's godchild and one of his favored subjects. A pretty thing if I recall, but she went into seclusion about thirty years ago after her husband died. The Emperor and most of the social elite were heartbroken that she didn't attend their parties, balls, and galas but they kept an open invitation for her if she ever returned. Of course, she never does , but it's a tradition I guess. "
Stille then pointed to her coat of arms on her battered shield. It was an obscure symbol consisting mainly of a crude drawing of a strong man wrestling a bull over a river dividing an two different armies. They symbolized the mighty Sampson defeating the mad cow of Veb, and General Monte Nabisco's victory over the Dark River horde in their barony. A normal Grommer would not recognize it as the Heraldry of Veb, but the doorman did.
The confident doorman seemed stunned and unable to decide what to do next. "If you want, I'm sure someone in this get together will recognize me. I know that the Admiral certainly does. I'm sure he will be pleased to see me, despite the wait I had to endure. ", she remarked coolly.
Stille and Jose were soon ushered inside with utmost haste as the doorman relented. The doorman did not know the exact whereabouts of Martinez and Raoul , but did recall that Admiral Edmund wished to see them. He offered them an escort to direct them to the Admiral, but Stille waved him off stating she had a good idea where he was. Before the doorman knew what was happening the Baroness and the paladin stalked off into the gala.
The party was everything that Jose thought it would be. Knights and heroes in their grandest finery were mingling with damsels and noblewomen attired in spectacular form accenting gowns. In the background, servants rushed to serve the most tantalizing of dishes, while musicians played beautiful haunting melodies. Jose was ashamed that he looked so out of place. Despite her battered armor, he noted that the Baroness seemed to blend in and shine through the crowd.
Several times it appeared that someone recognized her, but she took Jose's arm and hurriedly walked past them, using the paladin as a shield.
When they finally crossed the main ball room pair exchanged uneasy glances and Jose noted a hint of embarrassment in his lovely companion.
"I assume you don't like parties? ", he said with a chuckle.
" We don't have time for socializing. I had my share of these events when I was younger. It's not the same without my husband. He was a remarkably good dancer. ", she said with a sad smile.
Despite his better judgement Sir Jose suddenly took her arm , then spun her outward before reeling her in again. He then stepped pivoted and rotated , while appearing to displace one of her legs with his own. Stille responded by whipping her free leg energetically in front of her before dragging backwards to her now weighted leg. Someone then threw a rose into the air, which Jose easily caught between his teeth. The couple then sauntered rhythmically back and forth for a few moments, before they dipped dangerously to the ground. They remained in their precarious position, nose to nose , breath to breath for a few seconds then Jose brought them back up again.
A small crowd that had gathered to witness the pirouetting display clapped in delight at the performance.
"I've been called a remarkably good dancer on occasion. ", he commented with a smile.
Martinez smiled as their vigil was finally over. A crack in the wall opened to reveal a conceal door for the nervous guard. That was what they were waiting for and they jumped at the opportunity.
Raoul began by calling forth a throwing hammer made of pure force. He tossed the weapon at the surprised guard and struck him squarely to the side, crumpling him in the alley with its power.
Martinez and the Ivory Lady both descended and rushed the revealed entrance. Ivory seemed to float to the ground while Martinez leaped to the far building's walls, leaped off the structure to a light post, balanced him self on the post for a few seconds before diving into the alley in a combat roll.
"Show off. ", scoffed Raoul as he descended by a more traditional method, rope.
Martinez saw the faint outline of something bestial in the the darkness beyond the concealed door. He fired his crossbow directly at it , and an animal like grunt erupted from the alley. The creature then began working some mechanism and the concealed door began to close. Martinez slid into the shrinking portal, and saw that the creature he struck appeared to be a man in dark silks. The duelist's keen eyes was sure that this was the same creature that had escaped from the Admiral's Gala earlier, and fired another bolt at it.
The creature bended unnaturally and avoided the shot. Then it screeched in fury as it tore its silken mask and robes off , revealing a terrible monster resembling a black furred snow ape. It pounded its chest before charging the duelist in a rage. Martinez noted that the concealed door was still closing and knew he had to dispatch this beast swiftly before he was trapped with possible reinforcements arriving. The creature swung its massive ape arms at the duelist, and Martinez barely was able to tumble backwards to avoid the strike. He drew and threw a dagger at the creature at the end of his roll and caught it square in the belly. The creature roared again, frustrated that is normally impervious hide was being penetrated by the demon hunter.
Just then the sound of grinding stone halted the battle, and Martinez saw that the Ivory Lady had placed herself between the two shifting stone walls. She braced her back on one wall while her legs pressed hard against the other. The building seem to shake as sparks flew out of the floor as whatever mechanism which triggered the concealed door was halted.
The ape creature roared once again, and unleashed twin rays of fire at his foes. Martinez easily avoided the blast directed at him, while a dark form intercepted the one against the Ivory Lady. Raoul grunted as he summoned forth his internal reserves to absorb the fiery blow. It seemed to scorch his skin, but his flesh seemed to effortlessly grow and replace his blackened hide.
"Please. Using fire again? Don't you have any new tricks? ", scoffed Martinez as he positioned himself behind the Rakshasa.
Before he could unleash a series of pinpoint strikes with his dagger, a bladed staff lanced forwards effortlessly into the monster's head. The creature's eye crossed before it collapsed into a rapidly dissolving heap on the ground.
"Hmmm…That was my kill. ", complained Martinez in a good natured tone. The Ivory Lady already said she didn't want a monetary reward, so the duelist was quite happy with any help they got from her.
"I smell five more inside, and about two dozen slaves or guards. ", noted Raoul as he brushed the last of his blackened skin away.
"Then let us be off then. " declared the Ivory Lady , before the trio descended into the Rakshasa lair.
Sardar Milan descended into a spiral of doubt. It was bad enough that there were Rakshasa's in this foreign slum, but news that the Prince Lalit's bodyguards had been found slaughtered drove him to the edge.
He was the eldest of his generation , and though he could never claim the throne himself, he thought it was his responsibility to ensure that their family would retain their power. Milan cursed himself for not doing more, when Princess Charvi was slain he just thought it was an unfortunate accident. When the lecherous Prince Rajeev was slain , he thought it was Karma and almost celebrated his death. The Prince was not a well liked man and brought shame to the family for his excessive ways, but he did not deserve a death like that. After that incident they sought to protect the last two heirs. The elder Princess Sampada and the younger Prince Lalit . They were both small children at the time, and it was thought that exile would be the safest protection for them. They even had mystics and wise man place wards and protections on the pair for their survival. Sadly the precautions they took were no match against the evil spirits that had cursed their family. Sampada perished in the fire at Barkwark , despite all the wards and guards that Milan had hired. The Sardar even entrusted a celestial mongoose to guard her but it had proven for naught. Security was of course doubled for Lalit, and though it came at an expensive price it was nothing for the almost endless coffers of the Sardar. The efforts seemed to have work though, and the Prince was kept safe for nearly a decade, but tonight's news had floored Milan.
"Have faith Milan. "comforted Admiral Edmund. "There's no sign of Lalit's corpse. They might have taken him to their lair, and if they did Martinez and his companion might have intercepted them. " he said, but Milan knew their was little conviction in his own words.
Even though the Admiral's sitting room was thoroughly thrashed in a melee recently, his mages and servants swiftly cleared and repaired the damage. Milan however did not take advantage of any of the fine amenities that were provided and paced nervously in the room. "I feel so helpless. What can I do? Is my family doomed?", asked the Sardar to himself.
Milan glanced at the Admiral and saw he had no answers. Edmund should have attended to the guests at his party , but had decided to comfort the Sardar in his darkest hour instead. Milan thought for a foreigner he was a very honorable and noble soul.
As the Sardar brooded, a messenger knocked at the door. The admiral waved him inside and he whispered a message into his ear. Edmund frowned and shook his head.
"I have terrible news friend. A patrol has found what appears to be the major domo in charge of Lalit's security. He was discovered a dozen blocks away from the "incident" , slain with his chest cavity cracked open and his heart ripped out. ", reported the Admiral grimly.
Milan considered the information then smiled. "Really? Then there's still some hope! ", beamed the foreign nobleman.
Admiral was shocked at his joyous reaction , but pressed for more information." The man in charge of your nephew's safety has been found dead, in a most macabre fashion. A good man has died. How is this hope? ", pressed Edmund in an annoyed voice.
"The major domo is of a caste much lower than my own, his sacrifice is sad but in the grand scheme of things irrelevant. ", responded Milan in a dismissive voice. Though the Admiral and Sardar were quite cordial and friendly, there still existed many cultural differences between the pair. " The Rakshasa's would not have taken his heart unless they thought it was the Prince's. They do not seek sacrifices that are low born. A security protocol we employ is that in a situation such as this one, the major domo would assume the guise of the Prince and draw his enemies away while the real Prince would theoretically escape. I assume our foe fell for this deception. It does not mean Lalit is out of danger, for they very well might have captured and slain him already, but it does give me hope."
"If we have a piece of Lalit's personal effects, I'm sure my diviners can track him down. ", offered the Admiral.
The Sardar shook his head. "No, the wards that were placed on Lalit render him practically invisible to detection spells. That is why he had survived for so long. It will require more mundane means to find him I am afraid. Hopefully the Major Domo's death has bought him some time to flee from his foes."
The Admiral frowned at how the death of such a loyal and capable servant could be so easily dismissed. " It's a pity you did not contact me about this earlier. Martinez might have been able to hunt these creature's down thus sparing your men and brave servant from being slaughtered."
Milan sighed and agreed. "Yes, the man and his cohort you introduced to me seem competent but a bit uncouth. His ability to detect the Rakshasa is a bit uncanny and might have made a difference if I employed him sooner. My people have not be idle though . When we detected actual Rakshasa's in Thyatis I sent word for our own version of your "demon hunters" from Nashput. Sadly, I haven't heard from them . "
Edmund was intrigued. One of the reasons he became an Admiral was to explore the vast oceans and the foreign lands that were connected by them. "Your homeland has demon hunters as well? Are they swamis, mystics or perhaps holy men of your people ? "
The Sardar sighed, "Alas no. They are mostly foreigners drawn to our lands by the vast wealth we have accumulated. Our own method of hunting demons is much too ritualized and thus slow to be of any use in this situation. Their methods are effective but I would classify them as more reactive then proactive. "
Admiral Edmund nodded as he plainly understood his dilemma. Most branches of the government in Grom were handicapped similarly by the burgeoning bureaucracy, only a few elite branches like the Royal Adventurers, Royal Rangers, or the often hinted at Royal Assassins seemed freed of such unnecessary red tape.
The Sardar closed his eyes at the mention of his land's own demon hunters. " As your lands are plagued by giants and dragons, mine are plagued by evil spirits. We have assembled quite the rogue's gallery of so called heroes from around the world to do battle with them …for the right price of course. The ones that are successful have quite the reputation and are treated like minor nobles. In some cases they are even granted lands for their efforts. In Grom you call them mercenaries, but they go by colorful names in my homeland of Vinnraj. The Hellhound, the Knight in Violet, the Ivory Lady to name a few. "
The Admiral was delighted at discovering this tidbit of information. It was much more interesting than any conversation he would have had if he attended his own gala.
Sardar Milan considered all that had gone in the evening. News that the Major Domo had sacrificed himself to save Lalit's life was heartnening, but the Prince was far from safe. Milan wished that his own summons would have been answered. The demon hunters he had hired seemed confident and competent , but would they be enough?