These hands' got blood on them.

"What things?" Drub asked, turning to look at the elf.

He nodded over his shoulder at the half-breed girl being attended by the herbalist. "The things that did that? What is going on?"

Suddenly Drub felt a tingling sensation at the back of his neck. Something was... different.

He whirled as the red-haired elf let out a warning cry. A shadow blanketed him, unnaturally strong arms wrapping around him.

Drub screamed a battle cry as he sent a balled fist into what he assumed was the creature's stomach. His punch sent the cloaked figure flying to hit the far wall with a crash. The impact would've killed a human or half-orc. But before Drub could even register what he was looking at, the creature hurled itself to its feet, hissed, exposing sharp fangs...

...and vanished.

The red-haired elf ceased the incantation he'd been uttering, the building magic collapsing harmlessly into nothingness. To the other side, the herbalist was trying to placate the half-breed girl, who was standing, half-naked, looking ready to kill.

"What was--" Drub began to ask.

Geoffrey, the inventor, had come to at some point. He was sweating profusely, licking his lips, and staring at nothing in particular. He began muttering.

"Don't worry Anna. I'll protect you. Must protect you. Nothing's gonna hurt my Anna."

As he spoke, his speech began to pitch higher and higher, until the words were barely recognizable squeaks. His eyes bulged, and hair began to sprout from his exposed flesh. His face stretched, the nose becoming sharper and longer.

"Geoffrey, no!" Anna was screaming, her patient forgotten as she witnessed her partner's transformation. "Not now, no, please!"

Geoffrey, heedless to Anna's cries, was loudly uttering a rapid staccato of squeals, squeaks, and chirps. His reddening eyes stared at Drub with an almost mindless fury.

The pyrotechnic axe was in Drub's hands before he even realized he was drawing iit from its sheath.

The elf had begun a new incantation. Fire was beginng to arc between his fingertips as the magic built up.

Anna threw herself in front of Geoffrey, facing the half-ogre and elf.

"Don't hurt him, please--I've got medication, I can get him out of this, just don't hurt him--he's just got to get his medication!"

Geoffrey, now fully in rat form, albeit a rat standing on its hindlegs, was looking this way and that over Anna's shoulders--wanting to get at Drub but unwilling to hurt one he knew as a friend and lover.

But his cry for help had been heard, and Anna could do nothing to stop the three monstrous rats that erupted from the floorboards behind Drub. As Drub whirled to face the tremendous crash, one of the rats almost immediately burst into flame, target of the elf's finally unleashed energy. It squealed in pain, and turned to rush the spellcaster, even as the flames devoured its fur and flesh.

The other two advanced on Drub, whiskers twitching and mouths foaming as they bared viciously sharp teeth, dripping with saliva.

One leaped for Drub's throat, and the pyrotechnic axe first knew blood, as Drub sent it to meet the granite rat head on. Two halves of the creature fell to either side of the vicious swing with a messy slurping sound. In shock at the power of his own strike, Drub failed to account for the second rat, and it rammed his left leg, causing him to lose his balance and send the pyrotechnic axe skidding along the floor, leaving a flaming trail.

As Drub sent a fist slamming into the rat, busy trying to gnaw through his leggings, and struggled to regain his feet, his eyes had followed the pyro axe's skid. Suddenly a sea of fur poured over the axe, some of it catching aflame. Drub took in the sight as realization dawned.

Dozens of smaller rats of varying shapes and sizes had poured through the hole in the floor made by their larger cousins. The rats now formed a semicircle around Drub. He glanced over at the elf, who was looking back at him over the flaming husk of a now dead granite rat.

"We've got rats," Drub quipped needlessly.

He looked to where the half-breed had been, but she was busy ferrying ingredients to Anna behind him.

The rats slowly advanced. The elf began another incantation. Drub's pyro axe was somewhere under all those rats.

"There's no time," Anna was saying behind him. "Just hit him with the bottle!"

Drub reflexively braced for an impact, even as he realized they were talking about Geoffrey.

A crash of glass, and a squeal that petered out just as the rats burst towards Drub en masse. Right before his vision was blanketed in grey and mottled fur, Drub saw his pyro axe glistening in the flickering flames of burning rat corpses that surrounded it.

Dammit! he thought, and then all was fists and fang, fury and furry...

 

All along I heard a steady, soft clanking sound. Chains? Something smaller... Someone was counting pieces of gold. Female hands were tending to my wounds, bandaging the scratches in my arms. The back of my head lay in a bowl of water; Geshtianna bless her for doing so; I felt much better. She pressed on my scapular and pulled my left arm, I tried to keep myself from shouting, but I lost consciousness again for a couple of minutes, for when I came around, the woman was still examining me. “Water,â€￾ I asked her. She pressed a wet cloth to my mouth; no doubt she would heal me as long as she heard the sound of the coins.

I opened my eyes and peered through the steaming bowls which I had been placed among. There was a man in the corner of this room. Red-haired. The elf. He’d brought me here. I didn’t know what to feel for him; first he’d looked for me in the temple, but he’d risked my life when he tried to set me free, then he’d attacked the vampire that held me captive but had almost killed me at the same time. Then, in spite of my blow, he’d brought me here to be healed... but he’d stripped me and carried me along the Tarantian streets.

Someone entered the shop and talked to the other man in the room, and then he exchanged some words with the elf. I began sweating; why did I feel uncomfortable? Something was coming...

It all happened so fast that I could barely react. A vampire, but... in broad daylight and there? What the heck were they looking for? Before I realized I was standing, ready to throw the first thing that my hand touched. But the vampire disappeared and then the other guy in the room turned into a huge rat. “By Alberich!â€￾ I thought, “what is the matter with this place?â€￾ Dozens of rats heard the were-rat’s cries for help. Soon, the room was filled with smoke from the attacks of both the axe and the elf. No doubt the fire didn’t suit me, I was choking, but still I grabbed a couple of things and threw them at the rats that were attacking a half-ogre.

The elf looked at me, said something and made some gesture with his hands. The image got blurry through the smoke and was imprinted in my mind. I felt dizzy. “Not here, please,â€￾ I begged, “not now...â€￾ I shut my eyes tight and tried to hold the scream that longed to come out. All the images flitted through my mind, and I blurted out,

“The gem set in the dark crown of stone is still to decide the path. Whichever is chosen shall unleash the adversary. There is not one for only one, but one for each one. When the time comes, half and pure shall unite.â€￾

 

The half-ogre turned and started to ask me some Question, "What things? The things that did that? What is going on?" just as I was about to respond I saw something running up behind him, I shouted out “watch out, behind youâ€￾, it was one of those things it grabbed the half-ogre trying to restrain him long enough to bite him. As I started to cast a spell he broke free and sent the thing flying against a wall. It jumped back towards him then it vanished.

I looked over to see the inventor looking at the half-ogre like he was a pot-roast "Don't worry Anna. I'll protect you. Must protect you. Nothing's gonna hurt my Anna." As I watched he started to transform it o ware-rat. He started to make a high pitched scream that hurt me ears, I was just about to torch the basterd when Anna jumped in front of him and started begging us not to hurt him "Don't hurt him, please--I've got medication, I can get him out of this, just don't hurt him--he's just got to get his medication!"

Just then three rats burst through the floorboards, I redirected my spell and lit one of them on fire it had just enough time to take a step toward me before it died. I turned to the next one only to see the half-ogre’s pyro-axe cut it in half as the third one rushed in to the half-ogre's leg. His pyro-axe went skidding across the floor setting a flame the floor and part of a hoard of smaller rats that now came threw the floor after the first ones. I expanded the flames the axe had lit to create a fire wall in front of me. Now I looked over to see another granite rat moving towards the nude half-breed I conjured another fire ball and threw it at the rat igniting it and some of its smaller brethren. Looking at the half-ogre as he saidâ€￾we’ve got ratsâ€￾ I had to reply “that’s a Duh man!â€￾ as the rats now piled on to him. I conjured a new spell that sent forth a wave of electricity that shocked the rats, with that and the fact that the flames where starting to go up the walls most of the rats began to flee the building.

“We need to get out of here, I’ll clear a pathâ€￾ I could feel as some of the rats jumped on my leg and started biting me. “Lets see how you like this!â€￾ as I immolated myself in flame, drew my new dagger, and charged what rats that where still attacking kicking the ones on the ground.

Thinking of my riches for a second I turned back and raised a shield of protection and the breastplate that carried my gold, before continuing to clear out the rats near the door.

Ooops… I kinda left you to the rats didn’t I Nukenin, my bad. Well the shock should have helped some.

 

"The gem set in the dark crown of stone is still to decide the path. Whichever is chosen shall unleash the adversary. There is not one for only one, but one for each one. When the time comes, half and pure shall unite."

The half-breed's words carried over the squeal and scream of the rats, as a fireball engulfed the remaining granite rat, dropping it to the floor at the half-breed's feet, flaming fur casting a glow against her bare legs.

The red-haired elf shouted, "We need to get out of hear, I'll clear a path!" Rats surged towards him, as he was enveloped in flames. The flaming elf met the onrush of rats with flame and steel, drawing a dagger to help fend off the creatures.

Drub swung his fists to and fro, cracking rat skulls, sending rats flying, but the sea of rats seemed endless, still pouring from the tunnel in the floor that the granite rats had carved out.

Drub realized that many of the rats out of his reach had been stunned by a flicker of electricity that had washed over the rats before the elf had called for escape. Drub took advantage of the lull to look behind him. The inventor was slumped to the floor again, halfway out of his rat transformation, eyes staring listlessly at the floorboards in front of him. Anna was tending to Geoffrey and the half-breed had found a large pipe with which she was bashing any rats that got near.

Drub glanced over at the inventor's table, flames flickering across one corner. It might do the trick.

He swung his arms widely, sending rats sprawling, and leaped towards the table. He grabbed the sizeable table and flipped it upside down, sending a slew of mechanical and electrical components scattering.

He stepped over the table and braced himself against the legs on one of the narrow ends of the table. He surged forward, back towards the rats, plowing through them, the table scraping loudly over the floorboards of the shop. He suddenly realized his pyro axe lay in his path, so he swung the table along the floor to one side of the axe, then flicked it back in the opposite direction. The axe twirled along the floor, taking the legs off several rats unlucky enough to be in its path, and setting more aflame, before digging itself into the brickwork along the base of the far wall.

Drub pivoted the table again, and slid it over the tunnel opening in the floor. He then toppled a nearby shelf of parts, crashing it onto the table to provide some extra weight. It wouldn't keep the rats out if they were determined, especially if they had a few more granite rats down there, or their rock rat brethren, but it might help stem the tide for now.

A sharp pain at his ankle had him look down. A largish rat, covered in green-tinged fur and mange, had somehow found a hole in his leggings, and was biting him firmly on the ankle.

"Damnation!" Drub cried, as he kicked his leg, sending the putrid rodent arcing into a ceiling light fixture--electrocuting the wretched beast, but darkening the shop near the front door.

Drub knew he had been poisoned, but he had more pressing matters. He dropped to the floor and rolled to where the pyro axe had come to rest. He grabbed at the haft and yanked hard, freeing the axe from the wall and sending it back through a cluster of prodigious vermin that were still recovering from the electric shock they'd received earlier.

The elf had reached the door and yanked it open. Sunlight spilled through the entryway, sending the light-sensitive rats scurrying away from the door.

Another wave of electricity spread from the elf over the rats near him, many of them dropping for good from this second shock.

Drub took advantage of the rats distress and confusion and lingering stun effects, and sent the axe through many a rat skull. Behind him, the half-breed handled her pipe with uncanny skill, sending more of the vermin to whatever afterlife rats knew.

Most of the rats were dead or dying. The elf still stood at the door, oblivious to a few passers-by standing behind him outside, craning to get a look at what was transpiring within the shop.

"We really should get out of here--that will not hold!" Incongrously, a breastplate hovered next to him, piled with gold coins.

The smell of death and decay was really starting to get bad. Behind him, Anna was feverishly working over Geoffrey, the last vestiges of his affliction fading, at least visibly.

The half-breed was looking at him over a pile of dead rats. She had numerous scratches and abrasions to show for the fight, but aside from that was no worse off than she started. And she was still naked.

Drub blushed and looked away. He spied a coatrack toppled along one wall, and grabbed at a robe that had been hanging from it. He walked over to the half-breed, watching his feet, holding the robe outstretched.

"Here," he said, speaking softly. "You might want to put something on, um..."

She took the offered robe and wrapped it around her, wincing as the fabric touched the burnt flesh across her back.

"Thank you," she said, simply, and he raised his eyes to meet hers, grateful that she had fully wrapped herself in the robe.

"What you said before, the gem? Crown of stone? Adversary? What does it mean?"

The girl started to reply. "I--"

A loud noise from behind Drub--the table bucked up sharply, sending the tilted shelving bracing it shifting to one side. The foul odor that had permeated the shop grew sharply.

"Come, we must go!" the elf cried from the door.

Drub turned to look at Anna and Geoffrey. The healer looked up at him helplessly. "I can't leave him," she pleaded.

"He's coming with us," Drub replied. He sheathed his axe, and scooped up the unconscious inventor, slinging the poor man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Anna smiled weakly. "Thank you. Let me gather his medication--and I need salves and bandages for her." She nodded towards the half-breed.

Another crack from the table.

Drub looked at the half-breed, nodded to Anna. "Help her. Hurry!"

The two women quickly gathered what herbs and supplies Anna needed, with Drub looking helplessly at the improvised barricade as it buckled yet again.

"Okay, we've got what we need," Anna spoke from one side. "Let's go."

The three walked towards the doorway, sidestepping the table barricade. It bucked again, the shelving finally sliding off.

He turned to face the barricade. "Go!" he commanded the two women sharply. "I will cover you."

"Let me take him," the half-breed said, and she lifted the inventor from Drub's shoulder with surprising strength.

She smiled at Drub's puzzled expression. "It's the orc in me," she quipped, as she turned to the door, half-dragging Geoffrey.

A wave of nausea crossed over Drub as he faced the barricade. The poison? Suddenly he realized that the stench had grown improbably worse. What the...?

The table shattered, splintered wood flying everywhere.

What came out from the opening was...

"That's no rat!" the elf blurted.

A living mass of garbage and sewage poured from the tunnel, formed into a vaguely humanoid shape. It lurched towards Drub, who had drawn his axe without realizing.

"Time to take out the trash," Drub said.

A chorus of groans behind him.

"Duck!" the elf cried, and Drub, having witnessed the elf in action, dropped to the floor, atop the crumpled bodies of a few rats, as a ball of seering heat flew over his back. Thankfully his armour and the axe sheath strapped to his back were fire resistant.

I've spent too much time lately in Tarant's sewers.

 

A part of me wasn’t worried, not in the least. Something told me that the appearance of this half-ogre was a good sign. Maybe he was the missing link in my chain? But the other part kept on telling me that this was not right. A blushing, articulate half-ogre? A short-red-haired elf? A were-rat owning a shop? What did these strange occurrences mean? Was Tarant always like this or...?
I took the human from the half-ogre and as I was dragging him out of the shop, one of the creatures that dwelled in the sewers burst out of the wooden floor. “Darn it,â€￾ I groaned. I couldn’t help with the man in my arms and the woman interfering.

“Duck!â€￾ cried the elf, and launched his fire attack, probably the one that’d sent towards me before. Impressive, very impressive. The half-ogre dropped to the floor, unharmed, and the creature yelled; it was on fire. I looked at the elf and I saw he was exhausted; the attack hadn’t been powerful enough. I dropped the man and covering my hand with the robe that the half-ogre had given to me, I pushed the elf aside. I got in the shop and the creature, sensing a new target, came towards me. I used the pipe as a javelin and nailed the burning filthy thing to the opposite wall; it yelled more than ever. “You are finished,â€￾ I smirked over its screams.

I turned around and told the half-ogre, “Help the elf, take him and his load to the back of the cemetery, to the north side. We’ll meet you there. Hurry, before the guards get here.â€￾ And I told the herbalist to help me with the man; together, we took him round the corner of Grimson Way. A short time afterwards we saw five guards running towards the shop. I hoped both of them had made it.

 

As the half- ogre helped me towards the grave yard. I looked at him and asked him “why are we going to a grave yard, those things are probably vampires and with our current luck every body in the grave yard will come up and try to kill us.â€￾

“Ohhh… Yes… let’s go hide from the vampires and rats next to a tomb, well be safe there!â€￾ I remarked sarcastically.

“Why don’t we go someplace a little more useful and safe? Like… let’s… go buy the girl a dress, all she’s got to ware is a dirty bathrobe. Besides I burned her old close and used the rest of a carrier, so I guess I should buy her a new pare of close.â€￾

 

Geoffrey leant on Anna and me. He was feeling much better too, since Anna had given him some medicine. What they needed was a potion from Tulla, not that stupid medicine, but I supposed that would be enough for the time being; as long as he didn’t want to attack us, all of us would be fine, and if he did, I’d kill him.

Eventually we got to the back of the cemetery. I scanned the place and spotted the trapdoor I was looking for, an underground room that used to belong to the old caretaker of the cemetery, back when I was a little girl. I had intended to head for that place as soon as I got to Tarant (was it just the night before?) and then everything had started. “Will you stay alone with him for a while?â€￾ I told Anna. She nodded, but said “I should finish healing you first.â€￾ “I’ll be fine, just wait here,â€￾ I was growing impatient, I was not used to be kind with people. I turned around and faced the river. Even though it was noon, I had to do it; I didn’t care if there was someone looking.

I took off the robe given to me by the half-ogre and got into the water. That was the bright side of the curse I underwent, I only needed water to keep going... although I could do with something to eat, too.

I got out of the water and got dressed. As I was walking to where Anna and Geoffrey, I could see their faces; the look in their eyes overwhelmed me. There were two people that cared for each other. A well-hidden feminine string was touched by this sight, and for a moment I also wished I had someone to look after me. I dismissed the silly thoughts quickly.

“Where the heck are they,â€￾ I grunted. I couldn’t open the door without them, for I was sure that there would be spiders down there, and experience told me that the best thing against them was fire.

 

After rambling on for a wile we stopped, it happened to be that the tailor was on the way. After just standing around outside catching our breath for a wile, we went inside. I quickly spotted a nice leather pack that I could use to take the place of the breastplate which was starting to take some ware from being dragged across the hard roads for so long. The half-ogre had gone over and started talking to the shop keeper about something. Mean wile I started looking for a fitting outfit for the half-breed. Some of the dresses where so frilly I even picked one up to picture what the half-ogre would look like in it, I quickly put it back before he noticed then started to laugh. The thought of a male half-ogre in a pink frilly dress was quite amusing.

After looking through the store for a wile, I found something that looked about right it was a grayish robe with a tag that read Robe of Stealth. The half-ogre had placed my gold on the floor of the shop so I went over and grabbed some of it to pay for the robe and pack. The robe took about an eighth of what I had but there was more than enough left over.

Preparing to leave the store I stuffed the pack with my gold, and strapped it to my back. After heading out towards the graveyard still feeling the scrapes and bites of those bugger on my legs, I started to wonder “Did the half-ogre leave before me, or was he… still in the bathroom?â€￾

I finally arrived at the grave yard only to see the half-breed naked once again, as she got out of the near by river she put on the bathrobe and started giving a strange almost caring look as she headed towards Anna and her husband, She quickly shook off whatever it was she was thinking about.

I headed over to the half-breed and handed her the new robe I bought for her “I think I owed you this.â€￾


What are you doing in that bathroom Nukenin, are you getting your revenge on those sewer rats? :lol:

 

I could feel that my necromantic skills had grown while I was unconscious. Strange and unfamiliar thoughts floated around in my head. Instinctively, I summoned a zombie. At first, the sight of the thing was revolting. But it started hammering away at the chains that held me, and I looked away and tried to ignore its appearance. When I was free, I unsummoned the zombie, and stretched. My hands rubbed my aching neck. My index finger suddenly found two holes in my neck. Two perfectly round holes.

 

When the elf decided to do some shopping at the tailor's, Drub set down the breastplate of gold and stepped back outside, to get a breath of what clean air could be found in Tarant. The elven tailor definitely did not seem accommodating of his presence, so he felt his companion would not have so much difficulty shopping if he were to make himself scarce.

He stood to one side of the doorway, back against the wall, eyes closed, practicing a breathing exercise a blacksmith he'd apprenticed to ages ago had taught him.

"That's the one!" a cry came from one side, and he opened his eyes, startled. He'd gone a little too deep in his trance and now found himself staring at a trio of guards, swords drawn.

He held up his hands, offering no resistance. "May I help you, good sirs?"

"What matter of sorcery is this?" one of the guards snarled. "Look, wizard, I know not why you wear the guise of an ogre, but your eloquent speech betrays you. You were followed here--we know you are responsible for the disappearance of Geoffrey and Anna and the savage destructive forces unleashed in their shop!"

Drub looked aghast. "Please, let me explain what happened!" He stretched out his hands for emphasis.

"He's casting a spell! Tranq him!" the senior guard screeched.

"Wha--" Drub began to say, and then a thick dart hit him in the neck.

"Uh..." Drub slurred, sounding more like an ogre than ever before.

The guard who had shot him,with the odd little firearm fired again.

"I--" Drub stated, then he slumped to the ground.

"Bring up the cart!" the senior guard shouted. "Must be powerful magick indeed if he hasn't returned to his normal form. Carsdale, get some shackles on him!"

"Yes suh!"

A couple guardsmen came up, wheeling a large pushcart. The guardsmen dumped Drub unceremoniously in the card, then the lot of them tropped off, pushing and pulling the half-ogre-filled cart as the streets waranted.

Soon after, the red-haired elf, oblivious to Drub's abduction, appeared at the doorway of the shop, bid the tailor farewell, and made his way to the graveyard.

* * *

"--up! Wake up you oaf!"

A splash of water hit Drub's face. He was awake, but he kept his eyes closed and listened.

"Damnation--why does Willoughsby want him here?"

"Says he's an acquaintance."

"He knows this wizard?"

"I don't think this is a wizard--I think we screwed up, and we're lucky Willoughsby didn't have our hides."

Another voice.

"Could you keep it down? Master Bates has an important visitor next door."

Snickers.

"Ah, stow it! Keep it down!"

Footsteps heading away in the requested silence. A voice nearby, familiar. Talking to someone about a clan of dwarves, Black Mountain?

Some discussion with another voice followed, but the words were too low to make out.

More footsteps.

"Master Bates will see your guest now."

Snickers.

"Unbelievable!"

"He's still snoozing," a voice said to Drub's side.

He opened his eyes. "I'm awake."

One of the guards jumped, startled at the voice.

"Come on you," the senior guard said, dragging on Drub's shackled arm.

The guards led Drub to a large, well-appointed receiving room. The elderly gentleman waiting there was a face familiar to Drub, as was the half-ogre bodyguard standing nearby.

"Mister Bates," Drub nodded. "Chukka."

"Good heavens!" Bates cried. "Drub, why are you in shackles? Why is this good man in shackles, release him at once!"

"Um, we feel he's a danger, uh, Mas--Mister Bates, ah, sir," the senior guard stammered.

"Who do you fear more, Captain, him or me?" Bates replied icily.

"Um, ah, Mr. Willoughsby said he was to be released to you on your recognizance."

"Well, then, release him, Captain--unshackled!"

"Yes, uh, yes sir," the captain said, nervously. He motioned to his fellow guards, and the shackles binding Drub were unlocked and removed.

"Um, he had this axe," the captain volunteered, holding out the sheathed pyro axe one of his subordinates had carried over to him.

"Well, then, give it back to him," Bates enunciated.

Drub took the axe from the shaking hands of the guard captain.

"Now leave us, before I report your insolence to your superiors!"

The guard captain huffed and shuffled out, followed by his lackeys. Only Chukka, Bates, and Drub remained.

"Well, then, friend Drub--I received a telegram from your employer informing me that you had left his service and would be seeking employment here in Tarant."

"That is correct--ah, when did you receive this telegram? Has Mr. Sutcliffe arrived safely in Black Root?"

"Yes, indeed, he sent it from Black Root, just as he was about to embark on a ship for a destination he chose not to specify."

The hidden question Drub could not answer, so he let it be. "I am glad to hear he made it safely to Black Root."

"Ever the bodyguard, eh?" Bates smiled. "I can find you work in my employ should you desire it."

"Thank you for your offer, Mister Bates," Drub replied. "But I dare say I could do nothing that Chukka here does not already exceed your expectations in doing himself." He smiled at Chukka, and the quiet, simple half-ogre returned the gesture.

Before Bates could respond, he held up a hand. "I have made some acquaintances, here in Tarant, and I fear they may be in some trouble and will be needing my help, so if I may be excused?"

"By all means, good friend Drub," Bates replied. "If there is anything you need..."

"I know where to find you," Drub finished. "It is good to see you, Gilbert Bates. Chukka."

Bates extended a hand.

"Good to see you, Drub Keg Draught." He smiled.

Drub accepted the handshake, nodded at the pair, then quickly slung his axe sheath across his back as he turned and heated out.

He'd lost some time, he only hoped his newfound companions were waiting near the cemetary as the half-breed girl had directed.

There was something about her--something that blurred logic and reasoning. He realized he was heading to the back of the cemetary because of her, primarily. He didn't even know her name.

He chuckled to himself, drawing nervous looks from Bates' guards as he exited the mansion and made his way through the courtyard.

So many years ago, he had fallen in love. In his naivety, he'd professed his feelings when learning the human girl whose company he enjoyed was betrothed to another.

"But you're just a half-ogre!" the girl had replied, before realizing what she had said.

Drub had left home then, a quiet village outside Dernholm, realizing that he had been living a lie, that despite the villagers acceptance of him on the surface, he'd always be "just a half-ogre". He'd since come to terms with his place in life, but he'd never again let himself feel love.

But now?

He snorted. "I don't know what love is," he said out loud, shaking his head sadly..

"Excuse me sir?" the gate guard said.

Drub looked up, realizing where he was.

"Um, the cemetary--I don't know where the cemetary is--what's the quickest route?"

This was taking place alongside the main plot of the game, right? Well, there's our game protagonist in an unseen cameo!

 

I heard the elf’s footsteps on the grass before I actually saw him coming. Alone. I felt both disappointment and relief at the same time, the elf was safe and that was important. He came to where I was standing and handed me a new robe. “I think I owed you this,â€￾ he said.

For a moment I was speechless, goggling at him. Had I been a more affectionate person, a normal woman, I’d have embraced him tenderly, but I couldn’t do that, because I’d come to realize we were like opposites; he was fire and I was water, and it wouldn’t be me who’d get the worst part of the deal. Strangely, this knowledge had only made me want him more. I guess that always happens, you always want what you can’t have.

Dismissing the thoughts, I looked at the robe. A tag read “Robe of Stealthâ€￾. Pricey. I cleared my throat and grunted, “You didn’t owe me anything. I’m the one who owes you one...â€￾ I turned around, took off the robe I was wearing and put on the new one. It fitted me perfectly. I turned around again and saw the elf was looking at me. I looked away and continued, “Or more than one, I do not really know. In the shop... You... were fine. What I mean... What I wanted to say...â€￾ Blushing inevitably, I looked at him and spoke quickly, “Thank you... Er... I don’t know your name... But it’s fine if you don’t want to say it, we all have to remain impersonal when it comes to dangerous matters, anonymity is the best policy. Where’s he? I thought he would be with you, I asked him to help you get here. I hope he comes soon,â€￾ I said, embracing myself. Suddenly I felt cold, in spite of the warmth of the sun. Probably because I knew that daylight no longer was a guarantee...

I took the other robe and held it close to my chest. I wondered what had happened with the girl and the other man. I still had to find out what “Azriâ€￾ and “Teeh Elleâ€￾ meant. And I was still afraid of letting more images into my head, at least more than what I could handle without cracking. “Not yet,â€￾ I told myself, “not yet.â€￾

 

“You didn’t owe me anything. I’m the one who owes you one...â€￾ “when she started to change in front of me, taking off the robe she was warring and slipping on the new one I just gave her she said [/color]"or more than one, I do not really know. In the shop... You... were fine. What I mean... What I wanted to say...â€￾ she began to blush and I couldn’t help but to raise eyebrow and crack a smile “Thank you... Er... I don’t know your name... But it’s fine if you don’t want to say it, we all have to remain impersonal when it comes to dangerous matters, anonymity is the best policy. Where’s he? I thought he would be with you, I asked him to help you get here. I hope he comes soon,â€￾

“It’s ok… My name is Merloc.â€￾

“As for the half-ogar, when I decided to leave I think he might have still been in the bathroom, if he was in there at all. I had thought he might have already left so I came here to meat up with you.â€￾

“What’s your name if you don’t mind me asking?â€￾

 

The elf had no problem sharing his name with me; luckily, he was not a pretentious dwarf. "Merloc," I repeated. "That doesn't sound like the old elven tongue. My name is Eien... Eien Noshi; when I'm around a city," I smirked, "normal people prefer first and last names. I guess that makes them feel they can trust you."

I looked away; Merloc was still raising an eyebrow and that made him look really funny. "I suppose he's got lost, I wonder whether I should look for him," I said in a quiet voice. Then I remembered what Merloc had said, and that served me as an excuse for being moody again. "And never call him half-ogre when I'm around; not all of us were born as good-looking as---" I stopped and breathed in deeply. I spat, "He's not just a half-ogre. Do you think you're feeling well enough to roast whatever spider is down there or do you prefer to wait for him?"

There was no doubt about it, the elf was dangerous... I would have to keep him at arm's length.

 

“Merloc, that doesn't sound like the old elven tongue. My name is Eien... Eien Noshi; when I'm around a cityâ€￾ She smirked, "normal people prefer first and last names. I guess that makes them feel they can trust you."

She started to whisper something “…I wonder whether I should look for him.â€￾ After saying that her mood suddenly change from being pleasant to being angry saying "And never call him half-ogre when I'm around; not all of us were born as good-looking as---" she took a deep breath and yelled even louder "He's not just a half-ogre. Do you think you're feeling well enough to roast whatever spider is down there or do you prefer to wait for him?"

Feeling shocked by the sudden change in attitude I stayed silent for a moment. Yelling back “What the hell brought that on?! If I new his name I would have used it, I had no idea you would be offended by such a thing!â€￾ pausing for a moment to calm down, “and yes, I can more than likely handle a little spider.â€￾ Most of my strength had yet to return and the bite on my leg was just healing, but I felt I could take on simple spider.

She walked over to a trap door Hidden on the ground behind one of the tombs. As she opened the door a rush of stale air left the passage on the other side. Seeing as I was the fighter I went first, as I headed down the latter there was only the light from the door to illuminate the space. Reaching the bottom I extended me hand and lit a small flame in my palm just bright enough to light the area. It was a long tunnel it seemed to extend for quite a ways, further than the light would let me see. There was a torch on the wall that I grabbed lighting it and extinguishing the flame in my hand. Looking around the immediate area I saw only the small webs of common spiders, the old stone walls, and a stream running down small gutters on either side of the walkway. Calling to Eien “It seams to be safe enough, come on down.â€￾ But I Stayed causes knowing things can change very quickly, and who knows what could be waiting for us just out of sight.

 

I opened the trapdoor and Merloc went down. In the meantime, I looked at Anna. Geoffrey had fallen asleep and Anna’s face seemed a little weary, but they appeared to be fine. She waved a hand as if she was dismissing me. Merloc’s voice called, “It seams to be safe enough, come on down.â€￾ And so I came down.

He had a torch in his hand and he lit another for me. I gave a few steps, aware that his eyes were on my back as well as the surroundings. “Follow me,â€￾ I told him, and we started walking down the long corridor. I was counting the steps, ten, twenty, and we spotted the door at a certain distance. Was it this near? I had childhood recollections of the tunnel being more important than this, but sizes and measures change when you grow larger.

Merloc had barely stopped when I myself did it. He was listening attentively and so was I. “Those are not familiar footsteps,â€￾ I murmured as I detached myself from the light of the torch and pressed my back to the wall. It couldn’t be Anna, for she wouldn’t have left Geoffrey alone, and it couldn’t be our new companion, for that way of walking was...

“A male human,â€￾ I whispered. Our position already risked, I wondered whether I should ask who was there and be prepared to throw the torch. I looked at my partner and I saw that he intended to do something similar.

Our voices boomed in the tunnel, “Who’s there!â€￾

[OOC] Where is our pyro half-ogre?

 

After yelling down the tunnel I waited for a response. I stared in the direction of the foot steps trying to tell weather this person was friend or foe, when I started thinking to myself “If it was indeed a human than I could extinguish my tourch and I would have the advantage, but if it was a vampire he would have the advantage in the darkness. I must know at least what it is before I react.â€￾

 

As the figure entered the light I reached for my dagger when it said "Calm down elfie, it's just me". It was the man I had followed from the bar. Although he seemed to be better armed this time, I felt a slight sense of relief when I saw him.

After approaching he lit a cigarette on my torch and asked “Right, so what do we know about those fuckers thus far?â€￾ assuming he meant the creature we where fighting before, I replied “We just know that there really hard to kill, don’t like fire or sun light, and there probably vampires. Other than that I don’t know what to say.â€￾

“There attacks on the surface seem to be getting more common and are even starting to come during the day, and we seem to be the only people that can make any sense of it at all. I just want to know why they picked now to start attacking, they where always there in the shadows, but never openly challenging groups of people.â€￾

“Our best bet to figure this out is to follow what we have, which seems to have led us here.â€￾

Behold the start of the quest…