Chapter 33

I set off towards Moonrise Towers; Gale, Wyll, Karlach and Astarion in tow. Shadowheart needed to sort through her thoughts about what Thaniel revealed, so I left her to it. I was surprised to see Astarion volunteer to take her place, due to our last conversation, he didn't mention it. Astarion just smirked that stupid fake grin and said he was missing out on the action.

So, it was the five of us that walked up to the open gate leading to Moonrise Towers. The gate was blocked by a layer of darkness, which, once we stepped through, cut off the effects of the curse. It was then that I saw the tower. It looked like a gothic castle right out of an Edgar Allan Poe poem, except for the massive roots growing out of the sides and top of the structure, an accessory of the curse. The stones were also blackened with age and dark magic, giving the place an even more macabre look. I might have laughed at the absurdity of the design if every instinct in me wasn't screaming at me to run like hell. But me and those instincts have never been that tight, so I continued forward towards the front doors.

Two guards were at the entrance, as they moved to engage us, my parasite hummed in recognition.

"Welcome back, True Soul- what news?" One of the guards asked.

I moved to the right and revealed Barcus in chains, shuffling behind me, "Prisoner. Another of those gnomes. Same crew as the others." I responded.

The guard grunted, "Right. The general would want to see him, to pass judgment at the very least. He is in the Royal hall at this time, just beyond the first doors as you walk in."

I nodded to the guard, "In her name."

"Praise the Absolute." Both guards said in response.

The inside of the tower was far better maintained than the entrance, with adorned rugs covering freshly scrubbed stone floors and banners of the Absolute symbol on stable walls. The entrance hall was also a mish-mash of different symbols, there were the banners sporting the Absolute symbol, statues of Shar that took on the only dust in the room, and just behind those were crumbling frescoes to what I assumed were Selune.

"Really gets around this, General. I've never seen a reject pile for two gods in any place but an abandoned mausoleum." I quipped.

"This is why I never courted twins. Too much trouble even for my tastes." Astarion commented.

I choked down a chuckle to keep our cover. Walking around the room, I saw the people who occupied it. There were the usual humanoid races that we've been fighting, the goblins, a few ogres, knolls and some robed people who gave off the magical surge of practitioners. There had to be twenty if not thirty cultists on this level of the Tower alone. If it came down to a fight, I wasn't sure we'd make it out alive.

Continuing to explore, I walked through a small door just to the side of the larger entrance to the Royal Hall. Inside, I smelled a strange combination of blood, chemicals and putrid meat. It came from the table on the far wall of the room where a drow woman was mixing something in a vat and pouring it into test tubes.

The woman turned to us and gave a curious, yet detached stare, "Araj Oblodra, trader in blood and the sanguinous arts. It is a pleasure to stand before a True Soul and your pale companion. I'd like to offer my services."

"Greetings, Harry Dresden. Intermediary of the wizarding arts and very much in favour of keeping my blood where it is, dear merchant." I said wearily as I thought of a way to get out of this conversation quickly.

Araj huffed out a breath, "A pity. I could have used your blood for some revolutionary work. But no matter, I have other business to discuss, involving your vampire companion."

Astarion grinned, "Oh, don't worry, we're all friends under the Absolute. I won't bite." Astarion said, a subtle chuckle in his tone.

"Oh, I'd prefer if you did," Araj responded, which knocked the chuckle right out of Astarion's manner. "I assume he belongs to you?" The drow asked me.

I raised an eyebrow, "No. He's his own person. He'd be too irritating as a servant."

It was Araj's turn to chuckle, and it was not a happy sensation; it dripped with hollow sarcasm and contempt, "I'm sure he believes that. How utterly adorable." The blood merchant then scowled at Astarion, "Do you have a name, spawn?"

"Astarion, but hold on…"

"Good. Now, Astarion, I've dreamt of being bitten by a vampire since I was a young girl." Araj interrupted.

"I'm sorry you want to be bitten?" Astarion continued in a tone mixed with confusion and disgust.

"To feel your life's blood slipping away? To dance between life and death? Yes, I want it." The blood merchant groaned in a voice of longing and desire that would have made the chick from Twilight question her life decisions. "I'll even compensate you- a potion of legendary power that forever increases the strength of the one who consumes it. It's not for sale, but it's yours if you bite me."

"I will have to decline," Astarion said, trying to mask his deep discomfort with his flippant tone.

"Excuse me? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you're squandering it." Araj responded, offended.

"I gave you my answer?!" Astarion snapped in irritation and discomfort.

"Can't you talk some sense into your obstinate charge?" Araj demanded.

"He gave you his answer. Back off or we'll see what's in your blood." I threatened lighting the runes on my staff.

Araj rolled her eyes at us, "How very disappointing. Get out of my lab, your minor magics will damage the instruments."

We turned around and left, Astarion giving me an appreciative nod as we continued back to the Royal Hall.

We walked through the massive doors to the Royal Hall, which was likely a repurposed chapel due to the pews that lined the floor. Following the seats to the end of the hall were a group of goblins standing before a stone throne. On that throne was an aging elf with long grey hair and a matching beard. Ketheric Throm sat in the throne lazily but still exuding command, garbed in a skeletal-themed armour with a purple gem slotted in a golden hilt on his chest. The stone radiated with so much power that Gale and I nearly doubled over with the effort to stand in its presence.

"We did what we was told General! Followed every order-" The goblin in front pleaded.

"The facts suggest overwise. You were ordered to retrieve the artifact- you failed to do so." A large woman with green skin and protruding boar fangs denounced as she stood next to the throne.

"Us? No no, it was Minthara. She got the orders, she-" The goblin continued, his pleading getting more desperate.

"Enough!" The woman commanded a blast of psychic energy accompanying her words that stunned both the goblins and myself. "You failed to retrieve the artifact. You failed to protect your True Soul. You do not deserve to live."

Kethric, whose attention was on the bizarre trial, turned his eyes to me, in the split second before moving my gaze, I saw how empty and calculating those eyes were. This man was not a confused thrall of the Absolute, he couldn't have been. Those eyes were too focused, too… knowing. He spoke in a voice that was far too rich, "True Soul. You have seen these goblins at work, have you not? What do you say?"

This man had to be one of the people behind the Absolute. A dangerous and intelligent creature bent on domination. So naturally I decided to mouth off, "You see your boniness… I mean your holiness, I've watched these creatures perform acts of great depravity in the name of the Absolute. Disloyalty is not an issue."

Ketheric raised an eyebrow in surprise and what could have been seen as amusement, "Bold of you to speak in such a free tongue, but faith without action is anaemic, sickly. In a word, useless. We are too close to the ending and the new beginning. I can coddle failure no longer." Ketheric turned to the green woman, "Kill them. Quickly."

A cry of rage came from one of the goblins, "You creaking old bag of shit!" It screamed as it knocked over a guard and threw their spear straight into the general's chest.

The weapon struck true, piercing Ketheric's armour and causing a spout of pure black blood to spill over the elf's chest. The general twitched in pain for a moment before getting up off his throne and walking up to the goblin, spear still in his chest. He pulled the weapon out and dropped it at the goblin's feet, "Try again." Ketheric said with no emotion or sign of pain in his voice. The goblin frantically snatched the weapon up and buried it in the general's neck, more black blood sprayed out as Ketheric pulled the spear out again and simply crushed the goblin's skull with a slam of both fists.

Ketheric then turned his bloodied eyes back to me, and with no more emotion in his voice than he had a moment ago, he said, "Dispose of the rest of these whelps. Then transport the gnome down to the holding cells."

The general then walked off to a staircase behind the throne, his right-hand judge at his side, who turned to me and ordered, "Come see me when the task is done."

I looked at the remaining goblins, all of whom were begging for their lives. These creatures were killers, marauders, scum of the most basic and cruel sort. They'd probably be doing the same things they were now, with or without the Absolute. But… while I am a killer, a predator, a certified button man for the queen of air and darkness. I'm not some pay-by-the-hour executioner. At least I try my hardest not to be. So I scowled at the snivelling goblins and growled both in my own voice and through the tadpole, "Leave this place and never return. You are unworthy of the grace the Absolute bestowed and are not worth even the energy to kill you. RUN!"

The goblins bowed in fear before running as fast as their tiny legs could carry them. I turned to my companions, Astarion and Gale looked at me with varying levels of confusion and annoyance, while Wyll and Karlach gave the impression they understood and agreed with my decision. Looking down at Barcus he simply looked terrified, "You're quite scary when you're angry." He said meekly.

"I'm aware," I growled like a curse before raining my tone back to normal levels. "Come on, we gotta get you down to the cells."

Following a trail of blood and a quick hint of directions from a bowing cultist, we found our way down the creaking staircase to the prison. The prison was dank and dark, the candle lights barely making the area walkable. It smelt of blood, sweat and faeces, and as we moved to the cells themselves, I noticed that the stone floor was held above a large chasm going down far beyond what I could see. One of the guards approached us, and I said, shoving Barcus forward, "Another prisoner. General wants him with the other gnomes." The guard nodded and directed us to the cell with about four other deep gnomes in it. The one in front was bald with a scar running down from his right temple down to his lip. The way he stared at me with contempt and how his purple-shaded eyes softened to recognition as he noticed Barcus showed that this was the famous Wulbren Bongle. I unshackled Barcus and kicked him into the cell as the guard slammed it shut.

I nodded to the guard and moved on to the guard tower that stood at the edge of the precipice. Going inside, I was greeted by a tiefling with skin like charcoal and deep red hair wearing wizard robes adorned with the Absolute symbol. "State your business, True Soul. I am the warden of this prison and thus have little time for niceties."

I gave the warden my best obedient nod, "Of course. The general tasked me with inspecting the prison. Looking for weaknesses in the tower's security."

The warden scowled at me, offended, "My prison is up to the highest quality for control. General Throm truly sent you to inspect what is already known?!"

I smiled innocently, "Yep, was with him in the Royal Hall. Watched him execute some troublesome goblins. It was good fun."

I felt an icy hand run its fingers through my brain, the warden was looking through my thoughts. I used the half-truth in my words and all the mental manoeuvring I could muster to sell the story. The feeling dissipated, and the warden looked apprehensive but still said, "Very well. Begin your inspection, and you'll find all I have said is true." The warden spun arrogantly away and up a ladder.

Watching as she went all the way up, we continued through the door on the opposite side of the room and walked to the edge of a narrow walkway. At the edge was a metal tube that led down to the bottom of the chasm. The reek of blood and rot was amplified tenfold as we looked down the crimson speckled tunnel. Gale gasped uncomfortably at the stench and croaked, "Are you certain this is the only way forward?"

I coughed out a similar reply of, "Unfortunately, gotta take the plunge. Just pretend it's one of those game shows where you're dipped in sludge." Gale looked like he was going to reply to that, but gave up and directed us behind him. He cast a Feather Fall spell and we all leapt into the gaping hole.

The trip down was similarly fun and light, but the landing was far less pleasant. Our feet squelched on the river of congealed blood that flowed through the cave like water. The sound of vomiting could be heard as an invisibility spell flickered out of use. Rolan appeared beside Wyll as he turned to us and spat, "Fucking hell. No one said anything about the smell when this plan was pitched."

"Perk up, buttercup. We need you sharp if you're gonna be able to pull off the illusion." I chirped with fake enthusiasm, which the robed tiefling scowled at.

We continued through the cavern, following the blood river until we were in a larger cave marked by thick stalactites. At the far end of the cave was a rock wall that would lead us to the back of the cells. As we walked towards the wall, we heard a screech that sounded like a vulture but amplified far beyond what a bird of that size could make. Suddenly, three creatures jumped up from behind the stalactites. They were about nine feet tall, with the head of a vulture but with long feathered necks and bodies armoured in what looked like an insect's carapace.

"Hook Horrors!" Rolan wailed as the monsters screeched again and leapt at us with hungry fury. I dragged Rolan away as we all rolled out of the way of the carnivorous beasts. The trio quickly oriented themselves around us, cutting off the group to pick us off.

One of the horrors cornered Rolan and me, and with the curved claw at the end of its arm, went for Rolan's throat. I quickly pushed Rolan behind me and took the blow on the back. Enraged, the hook horror slammed me down before I could set off a spell. It slashed at my back with both claws, again and again and again. Even through the spell-shielded leather, I could feel the blade like talons cut into me. The bombardment suddenly stopped, and the horror was knocked back by a concussion of force. I turned on my back with a wince to see Rolan, hands outstretched in a spell. Before the monster had a chance to move, I fired a lance of flame at its chest. It bellowed with pain as a piece of its carapace sizzled and fell. The hook horror went to leap again, but Rolan said a word, casting a haze over the creature's eyes. While it staggered, I aimed my blasting rod at the exposed muscle on its chest and cast, "Assantius!" The blast of kinetic force ripped through the monster's entire body, tearing the carapace apart and exposing raw bleeding muscle. The creature howled, fell and died twitching.

The effort of the fight and bruises on my back winded me for a moment, so I only watched as the other hook horrors were taken care of. Wyll and Karlach stunned their attacker with Wyll's necrotic tenacle spell, which gave the raging barbarian an opening to cut the creature down, starting with its claws and ending with its head. Gale and Astarion went with a similar strategy as Gale froze the horror's legs while Astarion jumped on the creature's back, draining it of blood before it could shake him off.

Rolan extended a hand to me, "Get up, buttercup. Time for a sit-down has long passed." I scowled at the cheeky wizard before taking the helping hand.

We all dusted off and climbed up the rock wall, which led us to a small dock with a chained-up boat and two brick walls that stuck out of the cave surface. I walked over to one of the walls and put my ear to it. I focused and listened, and could hear a faint echo of arguing, "What are you doing here, Barcus? This isn't your business." An angered voice, presumably Wulbren's, spat.

"You are my business, Wulbren. Now hush, I'm waiting for the signal."

On Barcus's word, I tapped lightly on the wall in five bursts, 'Shave and a haircut.' Hey, don't look at me like that; it's not clichéd in this universe. I got the appropriate 'Two bits' back from Barcus which signalled Rolan to start the illusion. I stood behind the tiefling as he reached out his arms and two waves of magic spread through the walls and into the two cells. Gale then cast a silence spell on both areas.

Within moments, I felt the air shift abruptly, The Brilliant Retort going off. Through the illusory wall, I saw the Ironhand gnomes run into the cave, led by Barcus. Wulbren himself looked astonished at the handiwork of Rolan's illusion. Before he could praise the young magician, I handed him a pickaxe, "Get the tieflings out now!"

The gnome leader obeyed, and within four strikes of the pickaxe, the tiefling prisoners came running out of the illusory wall. Cal and Lia looked at their brother, who turned to them and said, voice strained by the effort of the spell, "You two have fun sitting about while I do the heavy lifting."

The tielfing siblings gave equally loving and exasperated smiles to the wizard who waved his hands in a sharp motion before walking up to me, "The spell should hold for a few more minutes, but we need to go."

I nodded and directed the prisoners over the moored boat. Wulbren quickly smashed the chains holding it down and asked, "Boats good to go- all that's left is to ship off. My plan for now is to hide out in the water. Unless you have a better idea?"

"Sail to Last Light Inn. They've got protection from the curse. You'll be safe there."

"Safe? No small claim in these parts. Lead the damn way." Wulbren said.

Thus, we all jumped on the cramped boat and began to sail back, but before we could leave the caves, I heard a yell from behind the walls. The warden and about five guards ran through the walls. "I knew that bastard sounded fishy. Escapers! Kill them! For the Absolute!" The warden cried.

Thinking quickly, I aimed my staff at the cave ceiling above our pursuers and cast, "Fozare!" The cave collapsed on top of the guards, crushing them as we narrowly escaped and headed to Last Light's dock.