Accidental Incubus, page 23
“Anyone have any idea on why the castle is shaking?”
“It has to be the monster Gloym, right?”
Kit’s question mirrored his own concerns and he looked to the others to see if they had a clue. Strangely, it was Rem Dovi staring at them that seemed to provide an answer. Her voice harsh and accusing. Her shining eyes staring into him like she wished to carve him with her bare fingers.
“You’ve awakened the sleeping demon. The beast isn’t bound to the dungeon and now it will rise and depart to spill blood in the world.”
He opened his mouth to comment, then closed it. His head turning to look at Selene. His dragon-folk lover spread her hands as she stripped her armor and tested pieces taken from the Squire’s to see if they would fit. She shook her head, indicating she had no information. Nicolette similarly shrugged. She was going through the gear as quickly as she could and collecting quite a pile of health elixir. She let out a squeal of joy at finding that Corbin’s body had several MP rejuvenation potions and she quickly drank one and brought another to each of them. Everyone drank, each having abilities that used their MP, though it was far less demanding for the warriors. Each gained three health elixir as well and almost all of them immediately drank one. Selene had come through unscathed, her tough scales having prevented more serious injuries.
Elisa crouched before Rem holding her ivory handled dagger as she stared into the Paladin’s face. Her voice a strange mix of euphoric and cross. She was riding high from the death of Corbin; but angry that the Paladin knew something she didn’t. Her voice reflected that as she poked the Paladin sharply in the breast with her blade.
“Tell us what you know. We have just been trying to survive since the moment we reached Floor 2 of the dungeon. We haven’t done anything to trigger any of this, except teleporting down using a Key.”
The woman stoically ignored the prodding blade and seemed ready to spit in Elisa’s face. She arrogantly swept her gaze from one to another of the companions and something she saw made her relent and speak more freely. Her air remained haughty, but Jace found it almost admirable.
“Bellgrime Castle is not from the dungeon. Faustine Bellgrime moved her home into the Dungeon to escape justice. She was a demon worshiper and a killer. Her goal was to summon a powerful demon that would be under her control. According to the insights my party gained heading towards the Castle, the adventurers that killed her and her servants left the demon dying; but failed to kill it. Our quest claimed that demon worshipers had returned to Bellgrime and offered us 10000 XP to kill them.”
Jace raised his hand and ran his palm down over his face. Taking a moment to breathe deeply. Trying to sort out his thoughts on the matter. He wasn’t prepared for Selene to suddenly start laughing. When Nicolette joined in, he stared at the pair as though they had started speaking in tongues. Then, it hit him. There were demon worshipers in Bellgrime. Selene was an Abyss Guard; having pledged herself to a demon.
Him.
He started to laugh as well and saw confusion pass over Elisa and Kit’s faces before his form rippled and he revealed himself in his burgundy fleshed glory. His wings spreading wide for a moment with a snap before he folded them around his shoulders like a cloak. His tail whipping back and forth slowly as he looked down at Rem. She had started to struggle against her manacles and he raised a hand in the hopes of calming her. His voice resonant to his own ears.
“Calm down Rem Dovi. The only demon that I am aware of here is me; and I care absolutely nothing to wreaking havoc on the world. I just want to level and get laid.”
His hand gestured towards Selene.
“That is Selene. She is an Abyss Guard; pledged to protect me. I’m her patron demon and I was born human. Not even three months ago a brand turned me into a demon when a fellow apprentice stabbed me with an enchanted iron. It changed my race. I was an apprentice blacksmith and now, I’m a demon. Not by choice, mind you.”
The Paladin stared at him in confusion. Her face was intense as she gazed on him and she turned her head away. Clearly thinking over what he was saying. Elisa had straightened up and let out a soft chuckle as she realized the nature of the joke. Her lips curling into the familiar smirk as she nodded. Kit had gone to Nicolette and was whispering to the Svartalfar about the loot. Pestering the Divine Healer to see what kind of things they might have to split up. Jace let out a soft laugh when the impatient Rogue received a slap on the bottom and a firm kiss to shut her up. The woman blushing to match her auburn hair as she went to get herself some food and water.
Another jolt shook the foundations and dirt crumbled from the ceiling. It occurred to Jace that Kit’s nature as demon-blooded might have something to do with the quest as well. But he had no intention of revealing her secrets to anyone. He valued his companions and wouldn’t betray their secrets. Then, with a shocking suddenness; the party dissolved.
Everyone but Elisa let out a startled sound when it happened. None had stopped to consider that their contract had terms only for a group until Corbin died for Elisa’s satisfaction. With the Knight dead the contract lay fulfilled and thus, rendered void. The small pouch containing Kit’s necklace suddenly flew off Selene’s neck to land in the Rogue’s hand. Her face a mix of emotions as she slit the knots and took out the necklace. She replaced the keepsake and then looked from Nicolette to Jace. Unsure where to go without the excuse to spend time with them. As he adjusted to the missing group; he noticed he still had a sense of where Selene, Nicolette and Kit were. Ephemeral bonds connecting them; feeling tinged with sexual energies. Jace hadn’t felt like that towards Melody or Joy; nor any of the women he had seduced on the trip down to the dungeon. He wondered if this was because the ladies had chosen to follow him out of their emotions; instead of their libido. Had he gained them as thralls or followers?
Before he could answer; three quarters of the treasure room exploded into debris and then vanished into the ground; leaving a pit with a deep growl emerging from it.
Chapter 18
The sound that emerged from the hole was like an avalanche. A cascade of cracks, booms and a constant grinding sound. The group, throw off by their party dissolving, scrambled to gather their weapons. Jace summoned his shade armor to cover his form in ebon plate and as he drew his dagger once more, he sent the darkness coursing down the length of the blade, lengthening it in a rippling display of power. He tried to see what was down in the hole, but the dust of the shattered stone and the disintegrating boxes filled the air with a haze that blocked his vision. He made out a void, an empty space in the dust cloud that was rising towards them. Calling out, Jace wanted to make sure his friends were ready.
“Something is coming up!”
The dust suddenly sucked inwards towards the empty space. The cloud condensed into a series of thick blocks of stone. The blocks formed a curving staircase with a few platforms set on pillars. Like an obstacle course the stairs led down into the hole and the pillars seemed to stand at random among the twisting stone; allowing the figure who suddenly revealed herself to stand above them. Her skin was smooth, comprised of basalt with sparkling crystalline pores. She stood nude and statuesque with hair that rose from her skull in shimmering white crystals that curved back behind her head. Her eyes were a pair of large emeralds that seemed to flare with life as she raised a hand. Broken fragments of stone began to vibrate against the floor and sudden blasted forward in a cone of jagged projectiles; all aimed at Kit and Nicolette.
The Rogue snapped off an arrow before diving to the side. Tumbling into the shelves she caused a cloud of disintegrating wood to rise and coins jangled as they scattered along the ground. The stone riser that held the shelve up blocked some of the stones, crackling as the rocks struck and chipped it. Then the shelf caved down as the wooden vibrated and broke. Chests dropping to shatter in a weak crumbling mess as coins and other treasures went sprawling everywhere. Nicolette had summoned a golden shield to try and protect them both; the aura shattering like glass as too many stones struck. A few of the jagged rocks slashed across the healer’s flesh and drew blood. Kit’s arrow had flashed towards the stony woman and sliced through her ear. The rock parting and leaving a notch; but Jace didn’t see any signs of blood.
Elisa fired a pair of arrows as rapidly as she could. Each doubled in the air and struck the stone woman’s torso like hammer blows. The woman rocked back and while cracks formed across her skin, she showed little sign of discomfort. Her glowing green eyes turning towards the Bounty Hunter as her mouth twisted into a silent face like she prepared to scream. The stones around her vibrated as though a great sound was emerging; but Jace heard nothing.
Jace checked his MP and summoned a Shadow Mimic of the woman. Watching as her shadow swelled to life and then threw a hand up. More debris rising to fire at the elemental. The shadowy fragments struck in a shower of night. Glowing cracks forming along her skin and one of her eyes shattering in a shower of green shards. The geomancer reeled under the attack and her screaming face turned to focus on the shadowy figure attacking her.
Selene, lacking armor had her heavy shield and had snatched Corbin’s hammer into her grip. The shaft had leeched of color; changing from gold to a dull red as the Abyss Guard moved. Her scales flashed as she came to stand before Nicolette and Kit. Her shield banging as she braced it against the floor and ducked her head. Ready to stand as a guardian over their healer to prevent the Svartalfar from taking further damage.
What Gloym intended for Elisa came forth when her hands rose into the air and then raked downward. Five blasts of stone, thin blade like projections flashed down like fans. The blades slashed towards the Shadow Mimic and the figure twisted to avoid them. One of its arms vanished in a cloud of spreading darkness and it took damage to its skull; but the false geomancer was not quite dead. Its remaining arm scooped nothing; then threw it in the form of a spinning boulder of darkness at its rival. The block shattered across her flesh and send more glowing cracks radiating along her torso. Almost knocked prone, Jace cursed as she seemed to regain her balance at the last minute. A pair of arrows struck the back of the woman and caused wider cracks; one shoulder blade flaking to reveal a glowing emerald energy within the missing patch of stone.
Kit had recovered her feet and leaned out from behind Selene to send one of her enchanted arrows at Gloym. The strike sounding like a light bell as it pierced her back and emerged through her stomach. The chiming noise fading as the creature arched as though screaming once more. Jace stepped into his own shadow and emerged on one of the platforms to the side of the battle. Out of the line of fire of Kit and Elisa, he raised his hand and sent a bolt of darkness shooting towards the glowing patch on the stone woman’s back. The black shard causing a vicious snap as the green energy cracked and a nebulous blue light radiated out.
The geomancer responded by sweeping her arms up and a globe of stone rose from the ground and wrapped around her like a shell. Hidden within her shell it was impossible to hit her with arrows and Selene took it on herself to run down the stairs and then jump until she caught the ledge of Gloym’s platform with torso. The Abyss Guard hauled herself upwards with her weapons in hand until she had climbed onto the platform. Pausing to reorient herself in time to see the Mimic burst into a cloud of nothing, disappearing completely and leaving no trace of its existence.
Kit and Elisa fired on the shell and the protective covering began to crack. A shadow bolt from Jace cracked it further and when Selene charged her shield impacted the stone and broke it like a bubble. Abandoning her normal style, the warrior dropped her shield and clasped the hammer in both hands. The ruddy weapon whirled like a willow switch. The square head impacted Gloym’s torso with a boom and then reversed, coming back and sweeping around as Selene spun her wrists and drove the back of the hammer into the geomancer’s glowing shoulder. The exposed crystal came apart like an egg shell and the creature produced an audible screech of pain that broke cracks through the stones. Whatever spell Gloym had been working on within her protection popped, suddenly backfiring as the platform exploded in a burst of power and the woman’s legs shattered from the knees down. Selene and Gloym dropped towards the bottom of the pit in a hail of debris and Nicolette threw out her hand to send golden energy swirling around their warrior.
Jace dove from the platform and spread his wings. He had never tried to fly before; his wide wings flapping hard as he attempted to catch the air and guide his fall. His demonic agility came to the fore as he descended and he felt a swell of relief to see that Selene was falling as lightly as a feather instead of plummeting to her death. It gave him the time he needed to sweep past her and when she caught his tail in her hand, he drew them both down to one of the platforms just above the bottom. Jace caught a glimpse of coins all over the floor. Other things were shining among the stones but he couldn’t make out what they were. Bones seemed scattered everywhere; strange emerald crystals growing from inside them to crack them apart.
Gloym impacted like a meteor. Her damaged legs shattering further, breaking apart up to her hips. The arm struck repeatedly at the shoulder broke off and spun away into the darkness and the crystals that formed her hair burst apart. Her mouth spread open once more and Jace shuddered to see that she was still alive. Her remaining arm rose as she clawed at the air. The emerald crystals within the bones began to vibrate and flake apart. Dust drifting towards her and Jace’s eyes widened, shaken by the thought she was healing. Selene seemed to have the same fear as the Abyss Guard took off running and leaped into the air. Her scaled hands wrapped around the hammer and Jace flinched to see her bring the hammer down in a brutal arc. The geomancer’s head exploded in a brilliant cloud of blue light. Then her stone body slumped and lay still. The glow in the stones all around them faded and went dark. The flash of a notification confirmed his hope.
Quest Alert! – Siege
(Active)
Defeat Gloym (Complete)
Reward: 6000 XP
Bonus: Claim Bellgrime Castle by finding the signet of Faustine Bellgrime – 6000 XP
Jace descended when Selene called for them all. He saw the green scaled dragon-folk lifting the arm of the dead monster. The woman pulled a ring of silver and copper off of her finger. The ring had a wide carved sapphire on its face; engraved to resemble a pouncing gargoyle, it was clearly a signet ring sized for a woman. He felt a tingle running through him, realizing it was likely the Bellgrime Castle signet ring.
He accepted it when she handed it over to him and he turned his head to see Nicolette, Kit and Elisa coming down the stairs. He was surprised to see that Kit was dragging the Paladin along with her. He wondered what it was that drew her to include the woman. Elisa derailed his growing questions by crashing into him and kissing him hard. Her arms tight around him and her legs wrapping around his hips. Her voice husky when she finally broke the kiss.
“We did it! Corbin is dead, Gloym is dead, the castle is ours! We just need to find the ring!”
Her comments trailed off as Jace held up the ring to show her. A grin splitting his face as he wiggled it back and forth to cause the sapphire to sparkle. Her breath hitching and her hand rising to pinch around the ring slightly as she exhaled.
“You found it. With this we can claim the castle and become nobility in our own right.”
“Selene found it; it was on the finger of Gloym. What was she anyway?”
Elisa climbed down and held the ring up to look it over. Jace laughed at her fascination as he turned his head to look at Kit and Nicolette. The robust figure of their healer bouncing as she skipped down the stairs. Her voice bright and almost radiant with joy.
“She was an Elemental. I would guess a sub-race; given her human shape. Why she was fascinated with this place I’m not sure; but I can feel a great deal of magical energy surrounding us. Perhaps this is where Faustine Bellgrime performed her rituals?”
“We’re FUCKING RICH! Look at all these coins Jace! We’re LOADED! We can live like queens for years off all this platinum!”
He was confused by the sudden look of fear that flashed across Nicolette’s face as Kit crowed their triumph. Then the sound of a bow echoed in the pit and an arrow struck each of them in the stomach. The women doubled over in sudden pain and Jace spun to see what was going on. He turned in time to see Elisa just as the elf drove her ivory handled blade into his ribs. Her face a mask of sorrow as she whispered to him.
“I’m sorry Blackbriar, but Corbin was right. I need to do something to make his death up to my father.”
He had a close look at the tears in her eyes as she yanked the blade free while placing a small kiss on his lips. He saw Selene loom over her and as he fell backwards, he saw Elisa duck to the side and stab the Abyss Guard in the thigh. It gave her time to draw a pendant and rip the chain from her neck. She hurled it to the ground and a crimson smoke enveloped her.
She disappeared and the world seemed to shake. Stones roaring and everything was shaking wildly. He landed upon his back in the debris like a felled tree and his hand scrambled to try and get the healing elixir from his pouch. He was having trouble breathing and he heard the coughs of his loves as everything started to grow dark. The last thing he was fully aware of was the muscular form of Rem Dovi standing over him with a fierce expression. Her hands reaching for him. Then it was all darkness.
