Mirthholme Saga 1: A New Peril Beckons

[Malkadocian]

The man in wraps slid off the roof, and back down to street level, finding his footing rather easily. He spared a glance at Isabella... at her fallen form, her disgusting landing, and how such must have felt. After a moment of introspection, he saw the gathering group of seeming authority figures, and walked towards them. He was going to get more social interaction with people in this one day then he had in years previous. He wasn't looking forward to it.

As the mage came down to street level and spoke to him with that stammering voice, and bowing persona... it spoke to Taharial of why he had avoided people for long. With a voice like dry leaves, he responded simply, not expecting a responce before the mageling ran off to the crowd forming. "She came for me that night... she was my responsibility." The statement was really for himself, then others.

Before not too long, Taharial had approached the growing crowd, but stood back, away from the immediate ring of people. He heard talk of leaders, and of a need for a "PR" agent, or sumsuch nonsense. It didn't really make sense, but maybe these people could help with what he saw earlier. The missing girl that he was seeking was abducted right in front of his eyes... vanished, to boot. Magicks. A handsome man with long black hair and green eyes in civilized attire. He also seemed to command Isabella, the assassin that attempted to take his life, twice.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

"Everybody's a leader in their own right," Kestrel agreed amicably and trying to sooth some ruffled egos, if any, "solo hunters and fighters may be hindered by a larger group bickering about any current situations, and-- Oh my, I'm about to start waffling on, aren't I?" Kestrel put a hand gently to her beak in mild reproach at herself. Without another word, she gave a polite head bob to all of them before heading off after Millie and her promise of healing and possible nice simple food.

[Astral Harmony]

The meal (which included a lot of fish, obviously, but surprised some of the party by the other delicious offerings) and cheery mood didn't last long enough, unfortunately. Terrance Frodnoth, son to Millie and inheritor of his's father curse of having lethal bowels, became a casualty that night. He had tried to take on the Niflos demons when they first appeared, and thanks to his bravery, many people had the warning and the time needed to escape to safer areas. Everyone could see that Millie was on the verge of breaking down then, but she held strong. "He died doing what he believed in to be his destiny since birth. I'm proud of him," was all she said before she asked to be alone and left the table.

Kaitlyn and Joshua were together that whole night. There wasn't any romance involved, for they were both more concerned about gathering information. Information about the Niflos demons. Information about the drug used to turn a man into a monster. Information on the Reaping Lillies and on what came out of Isabella when she died. Information on the military. And last but not least, information on Dormond.

-----

Meanwhile, in one of the higher level assembly rooms in Granseal Castle in the Mirthholme Kingdom...

High Chamberlain Ashley Dormond: "Let us begin."
Reaping Lillies Leader Sophia: "Wait, aren't we missing someone?"
Research Chief Snell Cardinus: "General Magnar...yes, where is he?"
Dormond: "Probably entangled in some orgy. I doubt he's bothered to look at the documents I sent him."
Sophia: "What an imbecile. Are you sure you need him?"
Dormond: "He's easy to please and he's one of the best at what I need him to do, which is to provide me with military strength and authority without questions asked before and after the sortie. I'll speak with him in due time so let's just get this over with. First issue. Sophia?"
Sophia: "Yes?"
Dormond: "I observed Isabella from the moment I dispatched her until her death. The Niflos Envy inside her was very small and weak. Obviously, she has a hard time following directions. Your thoughts?"
Sophia: "I won't make excuses. Though I instructed Isabella to enter the underground chamber and bathe in the baptismal pit of the Black Blossom, I can only assume she did not fully submerge herself."
Dormond: "Next time, I want you to go and make sure the next assassins do it right."
Sophia: "Is it actually so effective?"
Dormond: "If Isabella had done it properly, she should have been able to kill both Taharial and Edrian. Tonight, I want both Mandora and Phillys to bathe in the Black Blossom. They will deploy rather early the next day. I want Phrayke accompanying them."
Sophia: "Then you want Phrayke to baptise herself as well?"
Dormond: "It won't work with Phrayke, given how she is a vampire and all. At any rate, that concludes that issue. Now, Doctor Cardinus?"
Cardinus: "What's our next step?"
Dormond: "So, what is your opinion on the first human test subject?"
Cardinus: "Pretty much what I'd expected. Actually, Dormond, I'm glad you'd called this assembly together. I'm been working on Maximum Output for a while and I've created a dumbed down version of it. I call it Madsoldier Serum."
Sophia: "Will that really be helpful to us?"
Cardinus: "Time will tell."
Dormond: "Here's what I'm thinking. Marldukes doesn't have an airport, and a ship won't get the heroes all that much closer to Granseal Castle which will become their ultimate objective. If I was them, I'd head overland to...here, Trade City Hazelake."
Sophia: "And make a direct shot to Mirthholme from there?"
Dormond: "It's the fastest way."
Cardinus: "And one of the most dangerous. Why would they go that way?"
Dormond: "The heroes know their enemy now, or at least enough to know that we can deploy considerable defenses wherever they go. Besides, I don't think a lot of them particularly care about finding the safest way to get to us."
Sophia: "True. They'll want to kill the assassins who tried to kill them, and some of them are interested in or utterly despise our forces and would gladly endanger themselves further if it means that they can get their hands on the enemies they want."
Dormond: "Cardinus, I would like you to experiment with the Madsoldier Serum and the applications of Maximum Output on certain monsters."
Cardinus: "I can hardly wait to show you the fine specimens that will confront the heroes in the very near future."
Dormond: "I'll go ahead and let Magnar know what I need from him, and that concludes this meaning."

-----

Much of the city's wreckage was cleaned up and stored in piles by morning. Joshua and Kaitlyn sat near a small coffee table. They both looked like they hadn't gone to bed at all, but they both did that often. They weren't alone. Scott recognized the third woman with them. It was the raven-haired lute player and songstress that played for the ships early yesterday afternoon.
"You have to hate the guy," the woman said. "But you also have to admire how he has it all figured out. From the assassins to the demons to even the military, he has a deathgrip on just about anything you could use against him. I'd hate to break your hearts, but if you want to get Dormond, you're going to have to go to him, and it's likely you'll be going to him on his terms."

"Oh, they're awake." Joshua said, standing up to greet the heroes. "Let me introduce you. This woman, and this is crazy I know, but this woman is Mirika, and she claims to be the instructor who brought Dormond's black powers to the surface."
Kaitlyn frowned. "If you knew Dormond was this dangerous, why didn't you keep him from learning how to use that kind of power?"
"If I refused, I would face death, and so would he," Mirika said. "So, I did the best I could and told him that use of those powers would only lead to self-destruction. He obviously decided not to listen to me, and he has summoned the dreaded Black Blossom to achieve victory."
"What's the Black Blossom?" Joshua asked.
"An immense malevolent force from Niflos. The Black Blossom grants Dormond incredible powers, but it also helps bridge the rifts between this world and Niflos. In other words, even though the Niflos demons have been defeated, it's possible for more to enter this world through the rift opened yesterday without further action from Dormond."
Kaitlyn grit her teeth. "Damn, I'm going to have to evacuate the entire city."
"And go where?" Joshua asked. "If this Black Blossom can do what Mirika says it will do, then no safe is going to be safe."
"Fortunately, the rift will not be able to allow as many to pass as before," Mirika assured Kaitlyn. "Your Resident Blades should be able to handle the smaller numbers that will come through from time to time until the Black Blossom is destroyed, in which the rift will close permanently."

"Where's the Black Blossom now?" Kaitlyn asked, already knowing where Dormond would have it.
"In Granseal Castle, the Mirthholme Kingdom capital." Mirika said. "So, in order to cut Niflos off from this world, we'll need to get there, and fast. Dormond will obviously use every resource at his disposal to prevent anyone of capable skill from getting anywhere near Granseal, and this is why I bring the information to all of you."
Kaitlyn shook her head to reawaken herself. "How do you destroy this Black Blossom?"
"That's the risky part. The only one who can destroy the Black Blossom is none other than Her Highness Princess Sulea."
Joshua visibly shook from the realization. "So that's why Dormond had Sulea abducted, isn't it!?"
Mirika nodded. "Sulea has a holy power within her. Dormond intended to use his black powers to remove the light from within her, or seal it away. Unfortunately for him, Sulea was rescued by Commander Remalia Stockword and the ritual didn't exactly go as planned."

Mirika poked at her cheek thoughtfully. "I wanted to stop Dormond then and there, but knew that I wouldn't be able to do it alone. Unfortunately, I did not know of this Joshua Graham who stands before me until just two weeks ago, and it's only today that we meet face to face."
"What did you want to see me about?"
"I wanted to see them, actually." Mirika gestured to the heroes. "I was hoping to recruit some help for the task, but it seems Dormond has gotten, or tried to get to them first with the Reaping Lillies. Now we are here."
Mirika turned to the heroes. "I know that I am asking a great deal, but Dormond's ambitions must be stopped. He'll keep trying to have you killed for as long as you at least appear to be a threat. The Black Blossom will continue to trickle Niflos demons into this world. And both Her Highness Sulea and Joshua's sister Chelsea are in Dormond's evil clutches. Please, help me save this world from him. I cannot offer much, me not being a rich woman or anything, but I pray that common cause is more than enough for us to join forces."

"I can offer much," Kaitlyn said, standing up and affixing the heroes with her tired, yet strong gaze. "My city is in constant peril until the Black Blossom is destroyed, and I fear gravely for Chelsea's life. We've already lost lives to the Niflos, including Millie's precious son. Please, please help us all."
Joshua nodded. "You're the only ones who can stop Dormond, and he's just going to keep sending death dealers at you until one of you drops. And Chels is my sister and I dunno what I'd do if I lost her. You're the only ones I can count on. Please, I know it's dangerous, but I'm begging you to go to Granseal and kick that bastard Dormond's ass. Of course, I'll help you all in any way that I can."

[Steel Shadow]

During the battle Soan hadn't really interacted with the Legendaries. Instead of rushing in to fight the monsters he had taken to the air and begun using his considerable speed to clear the battlefield of as many bystanders as he could. It was tricky work, and by the time he was ready to join in the fray the creatures were already dead.

Afterwards he joined in with the main group, thanking them for trusting him to do the job properly, given how much people normally trusted him with such things, and asking Kestrel for her autograph ("You're like the most awsome air-magi type ever!"). From there he more or less went along with the others.


--- The Next Morning ---


"So we're going to Granseal? Huh, that's where Elly- Master Shara is." Soan frowned, worried. "I hope she's not in trouble..."

He brushed his hair out of his eyes as he put his feet up on the table and looked at the ceiling above. "I dunno if I could maintain a flight spell for all of us at once... And Granseal's waaaay far off. I think we'll have to go the long way..."

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

~At the dinnertable...~

Kestrel had finished her meal and was enjoying a cuppa hot water at the fireplace. She was quietly and calmly brooding into the flames when a little burbling cough interrupted her thoughts. Looking down at her tea, she saw part of it had risen up into a small sprite-like figure.

"I'm not disturbing anything now, am I?" it said in a watery, echo-like voice.
"Ch-yah, now why would you think that, Undianine?" Kestrel responded with a beak full of teeth and smiles before prodding a taloned finger at the small watery figure. It momentarily distorted the little water figure, before clearing again in disapproval.
"Hey hey! You know how hard it is to maintain such a long-distant connection. I had to browbeat a couple of my best students into getting into contact with you. Now what happened?"
"Accident at Port City Marldukes. Any further disclosure may breach my contract policies," Kestrel responded promptly. The elementalist nodded.
"If that's the case, I'll get around to sending a couple of the best students on the fastest boat there. They need some practice anyway," Undianine added with some enthusiasm. Kestrel's fluted laugh was light-hearted.
"Thank you, Undianine. How is Moraine?" the figure hesitated for a moment.
"I'm going to be frank with you, Headmistress. Her condition hasn't worsened, but it isn't any better. We can't seem to get the poison out of her system without risking her life. We've already transfered her to the best intensive care unit in the Academy, but..." the silvery voice trailed away.
"Get her to the best hospital possible then," Kestrel said softly, her hawk eyes hardening, "if even our best medical efforts aren't going to help her, then I want her in the care of the 'Finest Hour' facilities." The watery sprite looked alarmed.
"You know they won't treat anybody like her!"
"Tell them they'll be fulfilling the favour they owe me. If they can bring Moraine back, the debt on their slate is paid in full."
"... Ye-yes, Headmistress Kestrel. I will do as you say. Be careful out there, alright? We're all waiting for your safe return." Kestrel's hooked beak curled at the corners in a gentler smile.
"Don't worry. Death is not on my busy schedule."

~~

In the early hours of the morning, a beautifully-crafted ship had docked in the city, and was currently unloading its contents. A dozen or so exotic-looking humanoids (and elementals) descended onto the pier to survey the damage that had been done to the city. An elven woman descended last, and instantly the others - being students - leapt into action. The elven woman had a few words with Kaitlyn before their 'Operation: rebuild' project began.

It was a long time after the initiation of the rebuilding project began that Mirika spoke, the soft noise of reconstruction could be heard dimly outside as Kestral's students bent their backs into their work enthusiastically. Kestrel listened intently, and tapped the side of her beak thoughtfully afterwards.

"Ch-yah. Rest assured, I doubt many of us are driven by money on this occasion, Mirika," she said with a nod of respect to the woman, "what concerns me most is that he's bringing those abominations-" she almost spat that word "-into this world. I will not have all of my work in my previous battle with them unravel at the hands of this High Chamberlain."

To Soan's voicing, Kestrel tilted her head, mildly musing.

"Flying with such a large group always has the chance to backfire horribly. Without the proper precautions, and with Dormond on our backs already, we'll probably want to try an indirect route. One they won't suspect us of going on. Now, if memory serves correct, Hazelake shouldn't be too far from here. Granted, it's fraught with the dangers of gods know what, but I doubt Dormond would expect us to strike from that direction. Plus, it'll give us a bit of a warm-up before we meet him," Kestrel added.

[Overcast]

Scotty had not attended dinner. Needless to say they weren't serving on the menu his meal of choice, and in town he had already found himself caught three times trying to eat said meal with little success. Not total failure though, more than one family would have to deal with the fact that they had a family member missing an arm or a leg that if they were there earlier would notice it being spirited away with great speed by a neurotic looking undead man.

~~~Skippable scientific mumbo jumbo~~~

He spent most of his time in the lab with said limbs and what matters he had taken from the battlefield. The MO was what was interesting him at the time. They had definitely improved it since the last time he met the drug, but he wasn't entirely sure how. Before it had simply been a quick augmentation style thing. You put in body, muscles are rushed with both sugars and enzymes, the super creature occurs, and eventually dies from energy loss. Even to start with it was a bit of a wonder drug for the speed it added to the natural metabolic system converted fat and muscle to energy like a dream. The muscle had been a criticism, for it caused the creature to be worth little by the end. This one was a little more though, to augment muscle and bone mass noticeably like that was quite a feat. The rest of it had been done before, the rage, the painlessness, the quick death. Though the muscles...he itched his skull, and realizing he was not hitting flesh he healed that up again. It wasn't a druid mark, used often by alchemists in a magic/chemical potion, this was a pure undiluted scientific truth. He caught it suddenly, mass convulsion and regeneration could work. The increased metabolism could have sped up the healing process a great deal, cause the mind to reflexively convulse the muscles and there would be great stressful to cause muscle growth and by extension bone mass growth, particularly with the inclusion of HGH to keep the process speedy. The possibility of cancer could be ignored for the short lifespan. Include a large amount of inherent glucose and calcium salts and you had everything you needed. Though looking at the demonic tissue he realized there was quite a lot he would need to edit to make it viable. He tapped his chin. He needed a clothier.

~~~end mumbo jumbo~~~

"No you fool, you have messed up the form. How am I supposed to make a generator for something like that? There is nowhere to put it, she'll be stuck with clothes that stay in one form, and that is just plain inconvenient."

The clothier wasn't being very useful. This had been going on a while, but they were on the final level, and they were just about done. The clothier shot him up a glance that seemed to be made of sharp objects and a few blunt ones,

"Look you creepy freak if I wasn't so proud of my work, and if you weren't giving me a chance to work with this wondrous fabric here I would have thrown you out a while ago with a crappy product. Still you aren't making this easy for me, let me finish this. I guarantee you won't be disappointed."

To be honest he was, about another hour of arguments, corrected stitches and one good hit to the face before they had a finished product they could be proud of. Honestly looking at the end of it they were actually rather happy about all the hate they had exchanged. He took up the strange thing and paid the man. Another good day.

Meeting the bard from the street again was something that felt quite good. It caused him to have that blush like feeling again his body couldn't actually do. Learning who she was slightly elated him as well, an odd thing to meet the old master of his enemy. If he had a heart it would be beating fast. It seemed that they had no choice but to face the mastermind himself to beat this, and hope that they didn't get too battered on the way there to be beyond beating him. It wouldn't be the first time he had been on a mission like this. It seemed like they were pleading in a way, and to be honest this amused him,

"No need to be so asking of me. If I am known for something it is holding a grudge. They tried to kill me. More than once they tried to kill me. So I will hunt them down. Dormond is already is dead, Sophia shall meet her doom before old age can get her, they will fall and anyone else that has an inch of blame or could meet my grudge will die as well. I don't leave survivors. I don't leave legacies. I leave a mark, like a chemical burn. Then I walk away. Threat extinguished. I wouldn't mind some aid on the way."

He tapped his fingertips on the wall, his mind and heart both cold like ice. His soul filled with the negative energies that kept him alive. His world a blur of dark things. If Dormond thought he knew what evil was he wasn't quite ready for what he woke up. Somewhere in his bag something shifted, a small bottle filled with darkness, a very special darkness. A darkness from his past. Something that felt the rage in the soul of the undead creep,

"I appreciate the idea Kestrel. Though I shall say good Joshua hasn't led me the wrong way before, so lord of spies what path might you suggest?"

He made sure to give the garment he had been holding on to so oddly for the while to Kestrel, not saying anything to clarify what exactly it was, though if she held it out she might notice it was clothing, with a small patch of steel on one area that seemed to twitch on occasion. As if it was impatiently waiting for her to do something.

[lazy man]

Asche stood at the back of the immediate group, his size making him easy to notice despite the size of the group. He didn't quite like the idea that some of them were merely out for revenge for being killed instead of trying to stop a legitimate threat, but it was something he would have to deal with for now. If anything, giving some of the others a drive to actually move was better than having fewer numbers, considering the situation.

But, listening to Mirika's description of Dormond reminded him of something that had happened thirty years ago. Multiple people like Dormond--less powerful but just as evil--wanted to bring the world to its knees with whatever they could summon from other worlds, dimensions or existences. Asche didn't want to see that again. Ten years of fighting that off had nearly driven him insane, and this seemed no different. He had to help, lest someone else go through what he had gone through for thirty years now.

"I agree with Kestrel, actually," Asche put it in regarding location. "If anything, we want to try and stop Dormond's plans every step of the way. If we try and trick him, all we'll do is let him cause more and more needless destruction. And it's obvious he's underestimating us at this point, otherwise we'd all be dead by now. Then, with a smirk directed toward Scott, "And you've already said we can't fight as a team right now. Why not start trying as soon as possible?"

[Astral Harmony]

Joshua grinned. "With determined friends like you, I almost believe I'd have my sister safely back home before the week is over."
"Granseal ain't that close," Kaitlyn said, but her tone of voice carried optimism as well. "So, Trade City Hazelake, it is. The most direct route would take them first through-"
Kaitlyn broke off. "I think they'd better go around that."

Mirika knew what Kaitlyn was talking about. "And miss a chance at taking down someone big in their organization, like a couple of those assassins? Not a chance."
She gestured towards a bushy dark green spot on a map laid out on the table. "Evernight Forest. Elves lived there eons ago, and when the first signs of evil creeped up in the emerging polluted mire, they vacated their ancestral home pretty damn quick. The local monsters are pretty tough. Mirespawn, Dragon Zombies, that kind of thing. But what's really going to be trialsome is Evernight Forest would make the perfect staging ground for Dormond's next ambush."

Kestral's mind was already working. A forest, even one polluted with evil energy, contained a great deal of nature. Her assassin was very plantlike, much like Taharial in the skills department. If Kestral ventured into Evernight, would the one who killed Dylan and put Moraine be there waiting for her? It would be where the assassin's own powers were strongest, so...
"We can expect about the same kind of attack as what happened here in Marldukes," Mirika was saying. "Except this time we know they'll be there and they'll need to lure us in to begin their ambush. There's definitely going to be at least a few of the assassins who tried to kill you all."

Mirika stood up and looked at everyone. "Evernight isn't all that far. We should reach it by late afternoon if we depart now, though once we enter the forest, it's going to be damn dark."
"There's a clearing," Kaitlyn advised. "Much brighter and better to handle an ambush. I'm not sure if I'm on the right track here, but I have a feeling that assassins and demons don't really need much light to kill by."
"Indeed they won't," Joshua agreed. "So, then if they start to attack, the best thing to do at the start would be to take the battle into the clearing."
"That could be a trap, actually." Mirika countered, already leaving. "Unfortunately, there's just too many unknowns. This coming battle, like the battle before and probably every battle in the future, may have to be played entirely by ear."

[Arcanum]

Alex had been listening closely while everyone was making plans, but for once he knew when to keep his mouth shut. He wasn’t the best strategist out there, but when people started throwing names of places back and forth he had pulled out his own maps from one of his pocket dimensions. While not a strategist he was and adventurer and knew his way around Mirthholme. Hazelake was by far the best choice for where to go first in order to get closer to Granseal, but the problem was that it was too good of a choice. As much as he enjoyed killing people who tried to kill him and putting an end to world-threatening disasters, a suicide charge was never a good choice. Then again it was the fastest path, and patience was something Alex didn’t have much of. Another thing that bothered him was Evernight Forest. It was one of the places that Alex had always heard about but never bothered to go to. Regardless, if they were going to walk into an ambush, he wanted to be prepared.

“If I may interject,” Alex said, straining himself to be polite, “but if we are going to be walking into an ambush I’d like to stock up on some extra supplies. Weapons, tools, things like that. I’m literally a walking bag of tricks-” a throwing knife appeared in Alex’s hand to prove his point “-so why not make good use of it?”

Kaitlyn paused for a second in thought and then scribbled something down on a piece of paper. “Take this to the armory,” she said and handed the note to Alex. “They’ll give you whatever you need. Be quick though, the sooner you all leave the sooner you can stop Dormond.”

“I’ll be back in a flash. Oh and to our undead friend over there,” Alex said, getting Scott’s attention. “I might want to borrow some of your potions as well, but we can discuss that on the road.”

With everything taken care of Alex sprinted off to the armory at top speed (which was very fast thanks to his tattoo). It was too much work being polite but it was necesarry. He wasn’t going to be caught with his pants off again, metaphorically and literally.

[Naqel]

The child that could have seamed taken from a different picture for someone not knowing who he was kept wandering silently around the room. Thar didn't like spending time inside buildings and as soon as the speech was over he went outside.

Since it was easy getting on the roof, he spent most of the day lying on top of it, thinking about the journey to come. Being his first time in Mirthholme he wondered how was his grandfather feeling doing things for the first time in the human world...
"I'll ask him next time I'll visit a water shrine."
He whispered to himself.