The room was bright in the morning sun. The feel of her body laying over mine made me hopeful things would go smoothly today. Sliding off the bed, I place my feet to the floor and have an unnerving realization. I'm colorblind. I close my eyes hoping it is just temporary. I stagger for the bathroom.
"How was your night, as if I need to ask." Stilla says setting silverware on the table.
"Don't you sleep?" I ask.
"Not more than an hour. I'm too afraid I won't wake up." She replies.
"This because of the ring and soul thing?" I ask stepping into the toilet.
"And he's right in one." Stilla says.
"Is that Nameless out there with you?" Strike calls from the second bedroom.
"Most of him." She says.
"Your wife's a funny one, Strike." I call back.
Stepping back out I am full frontal to the waiter putting food on the table. Strike snickers behind a hand hiding his grin. Stone shakes his head with half a grin himself. All bets are off when Jezabell steps out as naked as the blade she is wielding. The waiter yelps before scurrying from the room.
"Did you have to do that?" Stilla asks.
"He posed a threat. Don't use the jam. It's poisoned." Jezabell says.
Strike is out of his chair and at the waiter's throat before I have a chance to react. He whimpers and spills that the owner wanted it done. When food was ordered that none of elves would be eating, venom was laced in the food. Stone drops his fork back on the plate.
"So we aren't getting breakfast?" Stone asks.
"I'll handle this." I say stepping for the bedroom. "Toss him out. Don't kill him."
"But he'll warn them." Strike says.
"Yeah, I want him to." I say closing the door after Jezabell follows me in.
"Shall I hunt?" She asks.
"No." I answer putting my cloths on.
"Why?" She asks.
"I'm colorblind from over using my powers one way." I state.
"You're hoping that using it the other way will help restore your proper vision?" She asks.
"Something like that." I say pulling the last of my gear on.
"I will be in the ether." She says grabbing her things and fading away.
I open the door to find the three of them geared and ready. "Your call." Strike says.
"Just hang back. They want to make this about me. Well they have my attention." I reply walking towards the door.
As I figured the waiter ran down raising the alarm. When we got to the head of the staircase only a handful of armed people remained in the main room. A quick glance over the room gives me a little relief that none has a bow. The owner stands at the foot of the stairs blade drawn.
"You won't be leaving this building alive, Meadir." He says all but cursing the word Meadir.
"Unless you want to die, I suggest you leave." I say coldly holding eye contact with the owner. "You cuss the word at me without knowing what is means."
"You are nothing but a ..." I silence him by turning him to stone.
The others pull weapons but shield their eyes.
"You wanna die for him?" I ask.
They retreat further into the room.
"The stupid should not be allow to breed." I hiss at the statue as I walk past it.
None of them try to stop us as we walk from the building. I taller elf in long robes stands outside the building. Seeing us puts a scowl on his face. I turn right at him. He averts his eyes trying not to be noticeable. It's too late for that. After being hunted by so many others, having these abilities are going to be put to use. I won't run. Not anymore.
"You think to claim my corpse?" I yell at him.
The street comes to a stop.
"Your minion makes an ugly bird perch. I just have one question." I say.
"You vile despicable creature." He rants and he looses a chain lightning spell.
Knowing my ring is full I drive my sword into the ground. The arch of energy obliterates the blade but harms on one else on the street. The local wielders quickly side up. Two rush to his aid, the rest take up defensive potions against him. Not siding with me but I'll take what I can get.
"You call me monster, yet you would kill innocent people just in an attempt to wound me." I ask.
"How many of them would you feed on if I don't stop you?" He asks.
"None, elves are too gamey. You all might taste better if you ate meat." I say bluntly. "Though licking the females has been most satisfying. They seemed to enjoy it greatly." Strike chokes back a laugh.
"You will die for your vile existence." He growls.
"Try it." I say spells ready.
He starts to chant but I loose a missile at his face. He swings a hand up to block it. His sight of me blocked by his hand I rush forward. Hos eyes widen in fear making contact with mine. My eyes burn as I end him. I don't stop at his flesh. I kill him.
I close my eyes and try to regain my composure. I feel a hand at my shoulder but dare not look to see who it is. A few screams ring out from the onlookers. The hand pats twice before leaving my shoulder. At a guess it was Strike.
"All of you should be about you way." Strike says.
"Tell that thing to put him back." A male voice says closer to me.
At that I reach forward and shove the statue over. A few more gasps followed by a scream when it shatters on the ground. The discomfort in my eyes recedes so I timidly open my eyes. I can see color. I turn toward the demanding voice.
"I will not restore this pile of rubble. I didn't want to do this. By the law, he was wrong. By the rules of mage combat, he again was wrong. I have acted fairly and in self defense. By doing so saved any number of the innocent people here from harm. Would you still champion the rantings of a madman?"
"You will leave this city at once." A member of constabulary demands.
"Very well." I say as I take to the air.
Strike, Stilla, and Stone are quick to follow. Once outside the city limits I slow to let them catch up. Strike nods and takes point. I then follow. It is an hour before we touch back down. We are just at the edge of a small town. Stone's stomach growling has all of us thinking about food.
"How far are we from the boarder?" I ask.
"We passed it five minutes ago?" Strike says.
"How far are we from jackass's keep?" I ask.
"Fifteen minute flight. Six hour walk. Two by horse." Strike says.
"Food?" Stone asks.
"I'm with you." I say walking towards town.
"How did you find this insane fuck?" Stilla asks Strike.
"I fucked a mermaid so good she spared my life." I blurt as I pass her.
Stone steps to my side, "How was it?" He asks.
"Oh, you're that guy. Why do we need him?" I ask.
"We had enough weird this morning. Can we just get food and move on?" Strike asks.
No one says a word as we walk into the Inn. No one gives us any looks they shouldn't. Two full roasted chickens and a gallon of tea later, money's on the table as we head for the door. A swimg through an armor shop to grab a cheap sword and out of town we go.
"Do you have a plan Strike?" I ask.
"Once we're closer we recon the keep for the night. See were the Lord hangs his hat and lays his head. From that we get Stone here to give us a clue what might be hidden around that location. With his ego he isn't going to stay far from his trophies, so to speak." Strike says.
"Sounds reasonable." I say.
"Once we have a location that seems the best for the search, it slaughterhouse rules. Leave nothing in our wake to raise an alarm. If they are serving this fiend willing, death would be deserved. If they aren't willing, death will probably be welcome. You Ok with that Nameless?" Strike asks.
"Putting it that way, I can live with it. One pint of concern is the devil. It is to be taken alive. That said, if he has one..." I say.
"He may have others." Stone finishes the statement.
"That, I'm hoping, is where your Lordship comes in. As a Lord, you trump his enslavement. If we free them and you offer to take them into your house. You have allies and we have less to fight." Strike says. "The devil is supposedly already of your House. Freeing it first is the goal here."
"Moving order?" Stone asks.
"Moving order?" I ask, only confused.
"We'll decide on that after we get some idea of the layout of the buildings and guard placement." Strike says. "Nameless it's who goes first and who stays in the back."
"Got it." I say.
"Let's get a little more air under us before we are stuck walking." Strike says.
They talk to the air and fly. Strike keeps them close to the ground. They stay over hunting or lumbering trails for most of the flight. Reaching the outskirts of the city just around evening feast. There is a noticeable lack of non-human residents. Twenty minutes of watching and not a single halfling or dwarf had been seen.
Pulling up our hoods we go in for a closer look. In under two blocks it is clear that this city is full human. A few checks of the local guild boards we head for the out quarter, it's called. Reaching that part of town is like walking in to an internment camp. A door opens for them and Strike waves them in.
"Ya'll just lookin ta die? What ya wandrin here fer?" A white bearded cobbler.
"We're looking for someone." Strike says.
"If they's been takin by the Lord, just put up a tombstone and save yerselves the hassels." He says.
"You've seen others the Lord has taken?" I ask.
"When he want's to speech it up, he'll put them on display at the keep gates. Most of them ain't much left of. He's got creepy guards. That's why none of us leave this part of town, cept to leave town." The old guy rattles.
"When did he get the creepy guards?" I ask.
"A number of years back." The old guy says tugging his beard.
"I got coin and need a safe place. We can hide out here?" Strike asks.
"Yeah, long as we stay's dry. The upstairs leaks. It would be drier in a tent." The codger says.
"What is it about these guards that's so creepy?" I ask.
