Countess Mara Graycastle watched from her luxurious
throne as the double doors swung open. Captain Ivor Marsk strode into the room
followed by the two skeleton knights, four skeleton guards who were dragging
the adventures into the room, and Dorn the Wight who was slightly limping.
The adventures’ hands and feet were bound with rope and
their weapons and magical items had been confiscated. Shandri and Thamior had
been gagged to prevent them from chanting spell incantations, and Sir Mark had
several blood-stained bandages crisscrossing his chest. The undead guards
stopped a short distance into the room and forced the adventures into kneeling
positions with their hands behind their backs.
“You’ve done an excellent a job as always with this one,
Ivor,” Mara pleasantly commended the guard captain. “Please stay here with the necroguards
until the proceedings are complete, but the other guards may return to their
duties.”
“Yes, my lady,” Ivor assented with a slight bow.
The four skeleton guards and Dorn quickly filed out of
the room, leaving the adventurers alone with Captain Marsk, the two skeleton
knights, and the Countess.
“What are you going to do with us?” Sir Mark demanded in
a voice that betrayed his fear.
“You will find out soon enough, wont you?” Mara mocked as
she stood from her throne.
As Mara began slowly approaching the captives, a spectral
orb of yellow light rose out of the floor and began curiously flitting around
the room. While the ball of light seemingly surveyed the room, Shandri summoned
her notebook and quill, one of the only feats of magic she was capable of performing
while gagged, and began awkwardly scrawling notes behind her back. After a few
more seconds, the orb stopped and hovered in place next to Mara.
“Go and tell Vesna to make sure that the servants have
the coffins ready for when I am done with the adventurers,” the countess off-handedly
ordered to the will o’ wisp. Bobbing in the air to show its assent, the light drifted
down through the floor and out of sight. Mara looked back at the prisoners and noticed
what Shandri was doing. “What is she writing in that book?” the vampire queried,
a hint of amusement in her voice.
“It… appears that she is taking notes on the
characteristics of the undead from studying us and the wisp,” Ivor explained in
a puzzled voice as he looked down at the bound mage. “Shall I confiscate the
book?”
“No, she can do no harm to us with it, and I am quite
interested to read what she has written later today.”
“Let us go!” Syllia
shouted in a threatening, yet nervous, voice.
“Why?” the countess questioned with an amused grin.
The elf clenched her fists as her hands were engulfed in
flames and her bonds rapidly burned through and fell from her. With impressive
speed, Syllia leapt to her feet and spun around, delivering a flaming punch to
Ivor’s chest. The force of the blow flung the surprised guard captain against
the room’s double doors in a small, fiery explosion. “Because I doubt you would
like it if I punched a hole in your face!” Syllia announced with renewed
resolve.
Ivor quickly recovered from the blow, strode forward, and—ignoring
the pain—reached for his sword. Before the paladin could draw his blade,
Thamior rapidly transformed from an elf into a seven-foot-tall, brown bear, his
bonds vanishing into his new form along with his clothes.
“Well, I guess you will get to try and kill me after all,”
the countess laughed as she turned and retrieved a decorative ebony cane that
was leaning against her throne.
Syllia dashed forward, hurling a blast of radiant power
from each hand. Mara sprang out of the way and stood, unbothered, wielding the
cane by its bat-shaped, onyx handle. The elf launched a second attack with her
bare hands, unleashing a rapid a flurry of punches, but the vampire deflected
each one with her cane, painfully striking Syllia in the arm. Taking a step
back, the elf began concentrating, and in a few moments, her fists were engulfed
in flames.
Thamior the bear leapt at Ivor, swinging both of his
great, clawed paws down at the vampire. “Watch the other two. I can handle
this!” Captain Marsk barked at the skeleton knights as he rolled out of the
bear’s way. An explosion of pain erupted in Thamior’s side as his foe’s glowing,
clawed gauntlet dug brutally into his ribs. He retaliated with a furious swipe
that collided with Ivor’s armored torso. The bear’s powerful jaws closed around
the vampire guard captian’s arm before he could attack again.
Syllia lunged forward, punching with both flaming hands
in succession. With a bored yawn, Mara held out her left hand and conjured a shadowy
barrier. The elf’s blows smashed against the barrier in a blast of fire and
smoke that consumed the last of Syllia’s ki power. The adventurer waited
intently for the smoke to clear, hoping to find the countess sprawled on the
floor, but to her horror, the smoke did not clear, and instead formed itself
into several dark and hazy tendrils that lashed out at her.
Ivor thrust his free hand into the bear’s jaw, forcing Thamior
to stumble back and let go of his enemy’s limb. Before the bear could recover,
the vampire guard captain’s deadly blade plunged into its chest in a burst of
dark energy. Slamming his foot into Thamior’s chest, Ivor pushed him off of his
blade and onto the ground. As he hit the floor, the druid transformed back into
his elf form, still bound and unable to do anything but watch helplessly as the
terrible scene unfolded.
Syllia struggled against the inky tendrils as they snaked
around her limbs. Despite her best efforts, the elf was unable to free herself as
they wrapped around her body and held her firmly in place.
“You
certainly did try,” scoffed the countess as she strolled up to the restrained
elf. “I think that you’ll be first.”
Syllia was helpless to stop Mara as the vampire sunk her
fangs into the elf’s neck. After a few seconds, the countess stepped back and
wiped the blood from her mouth with a white, linen handkerchief as the tendrils
dissipated and Syllia’s lifeless body slumped to the ground.
“Syllia!” Sir William shouted in horror. “What have you
done to her?”
“I have had a delicious snack, and prepared her to become my servant,” Mara explained with a cheerful grin. “Don’t worry, you and your other friends will be joining her on my staff.”
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