_{by jaymamma.}

We had been wondering these woods all day, Mystic swore she knew where she was going. I, could swear we had passed the same rock outcroppings multiple times. I couldn’t tell you how one pile of bear shit could be told from the next, but I could also swear I had now stepped over the same pile at least twice. Day turned to night and I almost hadn’t noticed. When one has dark vision the only thing that really changes is that every thing becomes more a gray color to varying degree. I truly noticed when Mercarri started bumping into, and tripping over everything the rest of us dodged around. Which I guess isn’t much of an indicator as she had been doing that all day already.

    It didn’t help that I was preoccupied by Ajax. He hadn’t yet returned from the Tor before our departure. We left a message with Droop to catch up with us should he return. I also drew directions for droop should we not return, or if he felt the need to follow. Fat chance. I tried constantly to get him to come along. It was probably safer for him with us, protecting him. I think he just liked having a warm place to call home, tending the gardens, and whatever it was he did down there in the caverns. 

    Torchlight pierced the trees up ahead. Could this be it? We approached cautiously. Really we could only make out a long line of stone, an irregular line of stone. The torches made focusing on the structure difficult. We agreed we had found the castle. Just then Dare froze.

As I watched it was like life left his eyes. He staggered and Mystic caught him. He regained his composure and brushed her hand away. 

“I’m fine, just got a little dizzy is all” 

Could it be the curse, or the drugs. Both? We laid out our bedrolls and decided we would go without fire, not wanting to draw attention. Mercarri could not take a watch, being the only of us that could not see in the darkness. I took first as I often did. It was the longest most drawn out watch thus far. Maybe it was the absence of firelight. Maybe just worry for my somewhat dumb but also very brave companion. I find myself pondering if there is a difference between the two. Mystic awoke on her own to take her watch. We had opted to make Dare sleep and have last watch.

  Sleep, I could not find unfortunately. Was Dare’s condition my fault? The direct result of my needed battle with the banshee? I was unaware a banshee could lay such a powerful curse. Well, maybe I could ask? I summoned cursebringer. Knowing my Patron reveled in my use of it. I would use it now as a symbol of my prostration. Gods above I hated doing this. I knelt and put the tip of the blade into the ground and rested my forehead upon the hilt. I closed my eyes…

“Are you praying” Mystic asked.

I sighed. I hated doing this, With an audience it was well beyond hate.

“I Would not call it praying as much as submitting or begging, and I prefer to not have an audience”

“Oh, she replied sorry.

She then began to walk a little further away.

I smiled. “Not too far, wouldn’t want you to get snuck up on again”

She sighed but it sounded more like a growl. “Yes, Mother” she replied with a very harsh emphasis on the “TH”.

I hadn’t wanted to sound to harsh pushing her away, I think she understood.

I closed my eyes and began to speak.

“Patron, I have need to ask another question of the banshee. The half orcs condition. The tattoo not his innate stupidity. I don’t think there’s anything that can done about stupidity He is a powerful ally, that does not frown up my past misdeeds. Please, grant me the audience so I can know how to break the hold of this curse. I am a devoted servant as always, name your price. With that cursebringer winked out of existence as I released it. 

Just then Mystic’s footprints heralded her return. 

“So did you just know when I was finished, or did you hear everything.”

“You have to ask, seriously?”

“That means what?”

“I was curious, I’m sorry. I commune with nature without words, I wondered how you communicated”

“I can ask, but no guarantee I will get an answer”

“Foolish, Lil”

“Excuse me?”

“It is noble that you would sacrifice for one of us, it is and I appreciate it. It shows you are not the callous monster that bounty made you out to be, but still you are just as foolish as a certain orchish idiot we both know. You leap before you look. How do you know the cost will not be too much to bear, or maybe spark another incident like Ely”

I had no answer or rebuttal, I was often times finding myself shamed by Mystic.

    “Think before leaping, now we will have a tougher time breaking a castle tomorrow with Dare’s condition. You need to get your rest we will need you at the fore to protect us all including Dare. She lifted her hand and it pulsated with green and then white and black energy. Before I could utter a word…darkness.

    Mystic satisfied that Lilvari could now sleep, chose not to wake Dare. She sat and let her consciousness flow into the forest surrounding her, and into the night sky. She was the forest and the nigh sky of stars above. She could both watch and rest.

    I awoke swiftly and glanced around taking in the daylight seeping through the forest canopy. I looked to Mystic who immediately looked back. That bitch knocked me out with some kind of sleeping magic. Mystic smirked. “Sleep well?”

“I slept great. Dare said. I don’t even remember taking watch.”

“I was talking to Lil, I know you slept well I never woke you I did your watch., You needed the rest. Do you feel you are up for this”

Dare shrugged. “Feel fine”

“Your going to have to back him up Lil, like I said”

“I could do it. Me and my hammer.” Mercarri chimed in as she put her bedroll in her pack. “I have heavier armor”

“True, but you are not near as proficient in close combat as Lil. You are a wonderful healer though and that’s what we will need.”

“I did say I felt fine”

“Yes but for how long?” This is nothing new Lil always backs your crazy ass up, now that Ajax is absent. I just want to stress caution and for once stealth” Mystic said while looking at Mercarri

Mercarri blushed a little.

In agreement we cautiously approached the tree line.

    Wow, I was disappointed. What a mess. I guess it had once been a castle, in much the same way as a zombie used to be a human. If a necromancer could raise a building from the dead I imagined this is exactly what it would look like.

“Looks like fun” dare grinned. hand on the hilt of talon.

Mercarri swatted him across the back of the neck. “stealth keep that in mind”

He looked at her. “Ok I have a cursed tattoo and maybe I put something up my nose that I didn’t know what it was. At least we knew it was bad, yes and none of you got hurt”

“Awww Mystic said you do care see Lil a lot alike”

“Ugh it was one thing to say it to me, but in front of him” I replied

“what are those Mercarri pointed to little slits in what once had been a tower”

Dare looked “Arrow slits, and we are out here in the open. Come.” We inched closer to the bereft of life structure. Under the slits.

“I could throw you in there Mystic”

She just glared at him. “I’m thin yes, I may weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet yes, but in no reality would I fit through there unless I changed shape.

“Oh” was his only reply.

The rest of us just looked around each other with no small amount of worry. Again was this the curse, the drug, or stupidity.

“You could lift me up and I can peek in”

“Oh yea I can do that”

    He hoisted her up and for a second it could have been considered a good idea. Then before we knew it her heels were over her head, and then on the ground.

“You ok?” Mercarri helped Mystic up.

“yes I’m fine I didn’t see anyone in there just an altar and maybe chanting?”

   With no discernible entrance we began creeping east slowly, stealthily, some more than others. 

    I don’t know if Mercarri tripped, or if it was the sound of Dare’s loud ass mouth poking at the rest of us for how much stealthier he was in heavy armor. We had apparently drawn attention. How do I know? I think it must be the arrow that now protruded from Mercarri’s side. She grunted as she pulled it out. “To the wall dare yelled stay close and they won’t be able to get a good shot. Just then another bolt bounced off his shield.

“Ha see”

    For a second I though Dare was back to top form, which may not always be the best thing for the situation. We rushed by another set of slits and another arrows tracing our progress. Finally, a way in.

    We rushed up and were met by a hobgoblin in a narrow hallway. We used it to our advantage, Dare raised his shield leading the charge Talon at the fore. I launched an eldritch blast as the others closed into position. Mercarri’s foul smelling hammer appeared. I never understood the shit hammer, I would have to ask her sometime.

    As the Hobgoblin was joined by another, I brushed past dare. We had fought before but not in such close quarters, he smelled like mint for some odd reason, not what I expected. An opportunity presented itself for me to weave both my shadow controlling prowess with my wielding of Cursebringer.

    The spell was called Green-flame-blade, but I knew it would not be green at all. Black shadowy flames sparked and spread across the blade. I brought it about close to my body and spun the blade scratching the stone walls of the narrow passage. As I cleared the wall I thrusted the blade into the Hobgoblin in front of me. It screamed and fell dead to the floor.

    The howling however continued as the black flames upon my sword leapt from the fallen Hobgoblin and into his ally. These flames did not burn though, they literally sucked the life, the light from their target necrotizing the skin and flesh that they touched. I absorbed all that was happening in the instant as I stepped over the fallen hobgoblin, swinging cursebringer as I went. This time I got in a full overhand slash utilizing the extra space. The hobgoblins eyes went dark and he too fell. 

“I totally had them where I wanted them. Dare said.

I looked at him. “I know you did, right in position for me.”

He rolled his eyes. “I am so tired of you stealing my kills with that freakishly big sword”

I just smiled :Why do you smell like peppermint?”

He blushed purple. “I do not”

Mystic and Mercarri moved up the hallway.

“Nice Lil”

“I was here too” Dare reminded

“Yes to set up Lil, take it easy focus on defense”

“Why is your face purple, and what smells like peppermint” Mercarri asked.

Dare grunted and walked ahead.

“What did I say?”

Mystic just smiled.

“You know why he smells like peppermint?”

“I do but I am not telling”

She was blushing now and I had no idea what that meant and really didn’t want to.

Is that singing? We all looked at each other. 

“Looks like we just alerted these two, lets bypass and move along quieter areas.” Mystic whispered.

    We all nodded in agreement. I pushed past dare taking the lead and found another door. I looked back to see Dare standing outside the door with all the commotion on the other side. What the hell was he doing? He’s not going to go in there, he just nodded in agreement to bypass the noise. Then I watched as he just casually turned the handle and strolled in cool as a cucumber.

I looked back at Mercarri and Mystic. Their jaws hung open in amazement, annoyance, some raw emotion that just couldn’t be quantified in words maybe? 

I briskly walked back to the door muttering as I went.

“I must be the fucking idiot, of course he was gonna just open the dam door, because it’s Dare, cursed and basically retarded, why not.

As I got closer he muttered something about the shitter.

    When the fuck would he realize that never worked. I grabbed him by his coif and pulled him out. Stealing a quick glance over the now silent room, I watched more goblins than I could quickly count get up, arm, and make towards us.

I placed Dare on one side of the door and me on the other. We will kill them as they come out use the hallway like we did before.”

“Great plan, way better than stealth” he replied.

“I am totally going to break your face when this fight is done, but for now I need you”

Mystic ran up. “I guess stealth is out”

“Yes I replied get ready to go heavy there were more than I was able to count. Fucking goblins, I hated goblins well except for droop.

Mystic shifted to starform much swifter than usual, and after a gesture a radiant shaft of light appeared and moved into the space outside the doorway.

The shithammer floated there as well. 

Mercarri yelled out. “Welcome to the grinder of death and Conjunctivitis” 

Dare looked away from the door and at Mercarri what the hell is conjunti…., con….

“Focus dare focus”

    With that the flood of goblins came and where met with flying shit, lunar brilliance, and swords. Then something happened and Dares eyes open wide in fear. He covered his eyes for a moment. 

“I don’t know what’s happening I am just so scared of goblins right now.”

We looked around at each other once again perplexed with the various problems afflicting dare.

“I just felt lucky, and like I could just do anything so I went with it and then I felt a numb pain and then goblins are so scary”

Just then we could hear shouting and movement but not towards the door

“Dare what the fuck are they saying”

“Other door”

“Shit, we have to move come on.” We rushed to the other door dragging Dare against his will may have been difficult, if he was not weakened.

   Mystic left the moon beam in place to deter them from using that door as long as we kept them in a tight what did Mercarri say “Grinder of death and conjunctivus” Hah I got it that was very clever I like it. If we lived I would tell her how great a line that was. We had to control the flow of the battle I could kill goblins one on one all day long and so could the others. Whether there was enough to overrun us I wasn’t sure. Better not to give them the opportunity.

We positioned.

Mystic put her hand on the back of Dare’s neck and put her forehead to his temple.

“Are you with us we need you, I know your scared, but that is not you. You are scared of nothing, there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity….”

Did we think that similar, I wondered, or was she more in my head with harmony magic than I knew.

she continued “A little of both Lil  a little of both. and then whispered again to Dare. “You walk that line Dare we need that braveness or stupidity either or both will do. Swing your sword once its dead it can not scare you any more.”

His eyes again got steely still with a hint of fear.

“Ok mystic back up, Mercarri join the Grinder.

She moved up smiling as she came and she didn’t trip.

    They came out and we cut them down. Convinced they were not going to try the other door Mystic moved the moonbeam towards us, there was guiding bolts and clashes of steel, and we can’t forget the distraction of coming face to face with a floating hammer composed of shit. Many goblins fell and Dare held his ground, contributing as best he could. 

“I need a break” he grunted.

“There’s just one more I said”

Just then the moonbeam flicked back towards the other door.

Mystic Yelled. “There’s more coming from this way”

    She moved the moonbeam and I could hear sizzling and popping. Then a second later unleashed a guiding bolt too much more sizzling and a exceptionally large pop. I didn’t think it was possible to both command the beam and fire off a spell with such swiftness, but none the less it came to be.

Still watching in the southern direction she shot us a single thumb upwards.

“Two less coming form this direction”

How many more Mercarri yelled.

Mystic shrugged, as she readied her next spell.

I just stared at Dare. “I so want to punch you right now”