Thank you for all the feedback you wonderful people! And especially thanks to all of you who left me little skits in the comments. I will take note of them all - and either use them as ending skits, or incorporate them into the dialogue itself. Once again, I appreciate everyone who is following this story, and hope you enjoy reading, as much as I enjoy writing.
Armour: Victide (Ranger)
Weapon: Mandible Bow (Jester Arrows); Arkhalis
Acc(11/11): Band of Regeneration, Amidas Spark, Sailfish Boots, Luxor's Gift, Ocean Crest, Amidas Pendant, Crown Jewel, Tsunami in a Bottle, Frog Leg, Aero Stone, Shield of the Ocean
Health: (400/400)
It was a miserable shack, their clubhouse. Small and dingy, the dugout was constructed of leafy boughs driven into raised earth. The structure was hidden so cleverly amongst the trees and the thick undergrowth that a passerby would never find it unless they knew exactly what they were looking for. The ingenious construction was courtesy of The Arms Dealer, who was an expert at setting up camp in enemy territory. He had trafficked goods through the most hostile of lands, and took it upon himself to conceal their activities from their wardens' prying eyes. After all, one didn't prepare the instruments of a coup in view of the enemy.
There was a shift and a scuffle as loose wires clinked against each other. A gruff voice gave warning.
"That's it. Careful now… I haven't hooked 'er up, but she's still dangerous."
"Dangerous enough to kill a monster, Sir Dwarf?"
The Demolitionist chortled and offered a toothy grin as he carefully received that amalgamation of dynamite, wires and plastics from The Old Merchant's arms. The two of them were huddled away in their leafy bunker, carefully assembling the tools of their little war. The bright noontime sun filtered in from between the branches and spotted the dirt floor - upon which several diagrams had been scrawled. Birds chittered and sang outside. Crickets called to one another. It was a peaceful scene, almost pastoral… if not for-
*Thud*
"Big Betty is what I call 'er. And Dontch'a worry Merchant. She's powerful enough to kill a dragon."
The Demolitionist patted Big Betty on her shell casing and laid her carefully on the ground. She was a fearsome thing. All sharp bits and protruding wires, and perhaps one of his finest creations. An experimental landmine that his team had been working on before The Great Witch attacked. They had tested it during a skirmish with Yharim's forces in defense of The Sacred Mountain, and the resulting explosion had split the ground and obliterated an entire squadron of soldiers in a single blast. No matter how big or scary The Monster Knight might be, there was no way it'd survive this.
The Demolitionist chuckled and reassured The Merchant.
"This bomb can uproot a countryside. You can consider yer Monster Knight as good as dead. I've even got the pressure plate set up and ready to go… just tell me where to install 'er, and she'll make our problems disappear."
"Good."
The Old Merchant nodded gravely and took a seat on a makeshift stool. The three of them (Himself, The Merchant, and the Arms Dealer) had been very careful not to take anything from the compound, lest somebody notice and become suspicious of the missing articles. As such, all of their furniture was of crude construction - but in The Demolitionist's opinion, it was much preferable to the alien fakeness of the items created by the Monster Knight.
I wonder what sorta creature it is? A vampire maybe? Well, Even for a vampire - this is overkill.
This assassination had been their pet project over the last few days, and - with nothing else to entertain them within the compound, the three men had gotten quite involved in their gruesome assignment. The Merchant was their leader and mastermind. He had been collecting information on The Monster Knight and their strange confinement for approximately a week, and had promised them the death of the knight would lead them to freedom.
But I suppose if something's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. Heh. Time to blast my way ta victory!
For freedom? What an appealing plea. Both himself and The Dealer were freedom-loving souls. They hated tyrants of all sorts and had experience laying down their lives for such a cause. They were resistance members and no strangers to violence. If they needed any further motivation to stir them to action, the encroaching Crimson was souring the eastern breeze, and the smell grew worse by the day. Should they wish to escape the Crimson flood - then The Monster Knight must die.
"Lads."
There was the shuffle of leaves and branches as The Arms Dealer lifted the door (a primitive thing made of pine bogues lashed together) and stepped into the cramped space. The clatter of firearms beneath his cloak rattled in time with his stride. As he maneuvered his considerable bulk into the narrow space, he beheld Big Betty and whistled, impressed.
"That's our bomb?"
The Demolitionist puffed out his chest in pride.
"Impressive, ain't she?"
The Arms Dealer chuckled briefly before he furrowed his brow in worry.
"That's… gonna blow the whole compound, ain't it?"
"Depends on where we set 'er to blow. Ya find it's spawn point yet? The sooner we kill that monster, the better."
The Arms dealer nodded, then pulled up a stool and took a seat. The plan was very simple. According to The Merchant, 'The Guide' was a powerful sorcerer who had not only imprisoned them here, but was also able to brew Recall Potions - an item his Knight used liberally. These difficult-to-craft items would teleport a person to the place they subconsciously called 'home'. They were extremely useful, but also easily exploited as an ambush location. Once their group determined the exact spot The Monster Knight would appear, they would rig the area and the monster would come home to Big Betty's warm welcome.
The Arms Dealer sighed, then spoke with an uncharacteristic glumness.
"Just talked to The Nurse earlier. The Monster Knight is back. She said it came home with a severed spinal cord and a ruptured lung. She experimented on its injuries for half an hour before eventually fixing it. I can't imagine what sort of stuff she was doing. There's bloodstains we can't scrub out of the kitchen table, and I had to help her dig bone shards out of the ceiling."
A shiver went down their collective spines as they undoubtedly pictured The Nurse as a cackling mad scientist. After a long moment, the Dwarf scoffed. He'd heard far too much about The Nurse's 'charms' from The Arms Dealer. Love was a beautiful thing, but in this case, it was unexpectedly gruesome.
"Yer dating a terrifying beast, Dealer. Ya better sleep with one eye open, or one of these days, yer gonna wake up with an extra arm."
The Merchant, always serious, interjected before The Arms Dealer could defend his 'queen'. The two of them rested their bickerings to listen.
"Sir Dealer, you mean to say The Monster Knight is injured very badly at the moment? Perhaps this is an opportunity for us. What do you think?"
"No."
His answer came all too quickly. His worried expression deepened. The Arms Dealer wasn't one to be overly cautious. In fact, one would characterize him as a foolhardy individual. For him to show this level of anxiety spoke volumes.
"That thing, its not injured at all. It must have regenerated 'cause I saw that bastard on my way here… and it was perfectly healthy. Looks like any normal man wearing a full set of armour, but the visor on the helmet was up. It's got these empty, dead eyes and moves real strange. Was staring at the ground in the far end of the compound. Didn't look at me, probably didn't notice me - but it made every hair on my body stand on end. What the hell is that thing, Merchant?"
The Old Merchant shook his head gravely. When he opened his mouth to speak, even the birds and the breeze fell silent, as if to listen.
"A powerful enemy indeed, Sir Dealer. Don't be dismayed. Our raw power," The Merchant nodded at Big Betty, "Is greater than the monster's. We will take one or two days to learn it's routines before we put our plan into action, and the two of you can go home, boasting of killing the most fearsome of creatures. Now, let us go about this business carefully... and by no means will either of you disclose details of our plan. Understood?
"Understood."
"Understood."
ATTN: The Private Secretary to His Majesty The King,
A report drafted on behalf of Clandestine Corps, Unit #5534 concerning fugitives residing on the Crimson Border. Unit #5534 pursued Dwarf Explosives Commander as he fled from The Sacred Mountain during WITCH CALAMITAS Strike. Chase lasted three days until Dwarf Explosives Commander took refuge in an Unknown Settlement on the Crimson Border.
The Unknown Settlement is guarded by non-arcane forces. A Trap that contains all that fall within it indefinitely. Note - the location of Unknown Settlement matches the location LUNATIC CULTIST first fled to upon his betrayal.
Request for forces to: Investigate Barrier Anomaly.
Request for forces to: Capture Dwarf Explosives Commander
Request for forces to: Investigate LUNATIC CULTIST activity
Your Humble and Obedient Servant,
The High Captain of The King's Clandestine Corps
(Drafted by CC head of Royal Correspondence)
ATTN: UNIT #5534
Enclosed is a letter personally written by His Royal Majesty, King Yharim in response to your inquiry:
I have enough bullshit to deal with.
Investigate it on your own.
If you find that moon bastard, kill him.
-Y
Guide: Slayer! I've been looking all over for you! Hey, can you make sure at least half the castle is underwater? The Sea King has been very particular about that. He also wants green stained glass, so the sun isn't too harsh, and some coral decorations. Maybe you can go back to the sunken sea and collect some of the things there. He mentioned that he likes the glow of the underwater crystals, and would like them to be part of his- (etc...)
Slayer: I have no intention of following your orders, Guide.
G:...
S:...
G: Fine, then I'll do it myself.
Oof, you think I forgot about the Mysterious guy chasing The Dwarf? naah. I have notes! (lmao. jk. I'm bound to forget some loose ends. pls don't search for them!) Notes: 1) Guide is deffo not gonna build a castle lmao. 2) You wonder where Amidas is chilling rn? he's soaking in The Guide's bathtub lmao. 3) It's not just The Terrarian who's scared of The Nurse.
Thanks for your continued support! Tell me your thoughts. I love to hear for you guys.
Much love