The abandoned farmstead was easy enough to find. Team Ramrod set off at first light and reached the area less than an hour later. Of the farmhouse itself, there wasn’t much left — just the footprint of a stone foundation filled with heaps of rubble. About three hundred yards ahead, though, they could make out the stable where Droop was supposedly being held captive.

The structure was two stories tall. Three windows on the second story faced Team Ramrod but from this distance nothing else could be discerned. Whatever lie in wait on the ground level was hidden behind the fields of tall grass. They’d have to be careful on their approach, this they knew. According to the note, if anyone other than Nazzeth showed up, Droop would be killed. But they had a plan.

Nazzeth offered his hands to Dare and Mercarri. As soon as they each took hold of one, Nazzeth closed his eyes and muttered a few arcane words.

“Did it work?” Dare asked a few moments later, opening his eyes. “Wait, I know how I can test it. Lilvari, how many fingers am I holding up?” Dare was trying (and failing) to suppress a fit of giggles.

Lilvari sighed. “Just one, Dare. The middle one.”

“Awww, it didn’t work,” Dare said to Nazzeth. “We’re not invisible.”

“Oh you’re invisible,” replied Lilvari, ” I just know how your mind works.”

It was true. Dare and Mercarri disappeared the moment Nazzeth finished his spell. Now that they were invisible, it was time for Mystic to do her part. She focused on the shape and temperament of a field mouse. Moments later, she transformed into one. Dare scooped her up and placed her inside his armor, making her disappear as well.

“The spell lasts an hour,” Nazzeth told them, “or until you attack someone. And as long as Mystic stays on you, she’ll be invisible too. Are we ready?”

They were. The four of them — Nazzeth, Dare, Mercarri and Mystic — started down the overgrown path towards the stable. Lilvari, the only one besides Nazzeth who was still visible, stayed put and waited for the signal.

As they neared, three more windows came into view — these ones on the ground floor. Torchlight flickered from somewhere inside.

“Go on ahead,” Nazzeth said in Mercarri’s mind telepathically. “Take the left with Mystic. Dare and I will go to the right. Try to find Droop while I meet my brother. Just be on your guard.”

With that, Mercarri and Mystic headed towards the left as quickly and quietly as they could, then turned the corner. From there, they could see a pair of waist-high doors standing thirty feet ahead of them, near the center of the stable. For a mouse, it was an easy way inside. All she had to do was climb over. Mystic scurried down Mercarri’s leg and headed for them.

Mercarri wasn’t going to risk having the door squeak. She continued towards the back of the stable instead. Invisible or not, stealth wasn’t one of her specialties so she gave the doors a wide berth as she went by. She wished she could have stayed back at the collapsed farmhouse. If not for her ability to resurrect Droop should he need it, she probably would have.

At the back of the stable, Mercarri found something promising. Several hay bales were stacked against the wall, reaching the second floor. Not too far from the topmost one was another window.

“Perfect,” she whispered to herself. She climbed up the bales of hay with ease. Standing on her toes, she was able to peek inside the window, but unfortunately there wasn’t much to see. More hay and crates were lying about, blocking her view. She listened for sounds but heard none. Still invisible, she climbed inside.

Mystic, meanwhile, was just inside the door. She was sitting on a thin layer of hay, trying to remain absolutely quiet. The room she was in was large and smelled of damp earth. Several small stalls were on both sides of the ground floor, but she dared not investigate further. Kassdian was standing just a few feet in front of her. Thankfully, he was facing the other direction.

Even if she wasn’t a mouse, he’d be an imposing figure — a sapphire-scaled dragonborn just over seven feet tall. He was dressed in leather armor and had a rapier hanging at his side. She was about to speak internally to Nazzeth, to tell him that she’d found his brother when she heard Nazzeth’s voice bellow from outside. It was loud and angry — seemingly coming from every direction.

“Kassdian! I’ve come. Now release the goblin and face me.”

“Ah, dear brother,” replied Kassdian coolly. “I’m surprised you’re actually here. You’re not one to usually care for anyone but yourself.”

“Well, here I am. Now release him.”

“In due time. First, enter. There’s a door around the right side.”

With Kassdian distracted, it was the perfect time for Mystic to make her move. She still needed to find Droop. To her left, stairs went upwards. She headed in that direction.

As she did, Dare was following Nazzeth around the right side of the stable, taking care to peer into each window he passed. He saw nothing of interest — only hay and the occasional saddle or rotted bag of feed. He wondered how Mystic and Mercarri were faring. Did they find Droop or did they find trouble? He quietly unsheathed his sword as soon as the door came into sight.

Lilvari couldn’t wait any more. It felt like hours had passed since the rest of her party headed towards the stable. What if they were set up? What if Mystic didn’t get a chance to raise the alarm and they were all dead? Lilvari crouched down in the tall grass and started towards the stable.

As Mercarri’s eyes adjusted, she could see that the second floor was a loft that wrapped around the room below. A wooden railing bordered the inside edge, so someone wouldn’t accidentally fall off if they got too close. She’d just taken a few steps when Nazzeth announced himself. When Kassdian responded, she froze. It seemed as if he was right below her. She willed herself to stay quiet.

Nazzeth stepped in front of the doors. These, like the ones on the opposite side, were waist-high. To Nazzeth, they barely reached the middle of his thighs. Nazzeth looked in and glared at his brother.

“I’ve waited so long for this moment,” Kassdian said.

“As have I,” replied Nazzeth.

“Now come. Let’s finish this. I will make it quick and show you the mercy that you never showed our parents.”

Nazzeth went inside. Dare, who was still invisible, slipped in as well. As Kassdian unsheathed his rapier, a loud squeaking sound came from somewhere upstairs. Kassdian risked a glance towards the stairs but turned back to face Nazzeth just as quickly. A hint of a smile played on his face. “So, you couldn’t follow simple directions. I told you to come alone. Now, the goblin’s blood is also on your hands. Tio!” he called towards the rafters. “Do it!”

At that moment, Nazzeth and Dare heard the muffled cry of Droop from somewhere above. Mercarri heard it too. It was coming from the other side of the loft — the direction in which she was heading when she’d accidentally stepped on a loose board.

This was getting bad. Mystic wanted to help Nazzeth and more than anything she wanted to help Droop. But before she could do anything, she had to follow the plan. She hurried up the rest of the stairs to the nearest second-floor window and used her sharp mousey claws to scale the side of the stable. As soon as she reached the roof, she transformed back into her true form and pulled a scroll from her satchel. She faced the sky and read it aloud.

Lilvari was still a good one-hundred-and-fifty yards from the stable when a fireball erupted in the sky. It was the sign. She sprang forward, running as fast as she could.

Nazzeth rushed towards Kassdian muttering a spell as he did. His hands were glowing red by the time he reached his brother. Kassdian ducked out of the way just in time. Instead of lunging with his rapier, he instead aimed his fist at Nazzeth. That’s when Nazzeth and Dare saw the ring on his middle finger. It was shaped like a ram. Within the span of a moment, the ring glowed a bright blue. Nazzeth and Dare dropped to the ground. A strong wave of energy pushed out from the ring, over their heads. Behind them, the doors slammed open from the force. Dare saw an opportunity. He sprang to his feet and struck out with his sword. Kassdian’s bellowed out in pain as Talon carved into his side.

Mercarri heard the scuffle downstairs, but she was focused on Droop. She rounded the last corner and saw a horrible sight. There stood Tio, the halfling. He was holding the hilt of the dagger. It’s blade was buried deep in Droop’s chest.

“No!” Mercarri cried. She quickly uttered the words to bring forth Shit Hammer, and as she did a brown, slimy substance began to swirl in the air above Tio’s head. Maybe he felt something was wrong or maybe he smelled it. Whatever the reason, he glanced upward… just as Shit Hammer slammed down on his head. It dropped him. Mercarri covered the rest of the distance quickly, Light Bringer already in hand. Tio managed to roll to the side as she brought it down, avoiding its impact. Droop, meanwhile, sunk to his knees. Blood welled from the wound and puddled in front of him.

Lilvari had just about reached the stable. She heard the fighting inside. She needed to get to Droop and take care of that asshole, Kassdian — preferably all at the same time. Maybe there was a way. She reached deep inside herself and found a source of dark magic. It pulsed like a second heartbeat. About twenty feet ahead of her, a creature materialized — something from another plane, something grotesque with black leathery skin, viciously sharp fangs and nails. It’s red eyes burned into hers. “Go,” she commanded. “Fuck shit up!”

She thought she saw a smile appear on its face before it turned towards the stable. Lilvari got there shortly after the demon. She climbed through the window and saw a ladder leading up. With Nazzeth and Dare (and now the demon) taking on Kassdian, she decided to go after Droop. She reached the top rung, and was glad to smell Shit Hammer’s familiar stench. But then she saw Droop and panicked. Droop lay on his side, bleeding out while Mercarri was too busy with Tio to do anything about it.

“I’ll take care of the halfling,” Lilvari said, climbing atop a bale of hay. “Heal Droop.”

As Lilvari cast Eldridge Blast, Mercarri dove to the side and came within arms length of Droop. She muttered her healing spell and placed her hand on his shoulder. Warm, yellow light glowed from around them both. Droop’s eyes fluttered open.

Below, the fight started making its way towards the stairs. Kassdian would attack, then dodge and parry. He was bleeding, and the once dignified, righteous look in his eyes had faded to fear. Lilvari’s demon, several times, managed to best Kassdian’s defenses and sliced his flesh to ribbons. With its great speed, it even managed to get around him on the stairs. Now, Dare and Nazzeth stood to one side and the demon on the other. Suddenly a bright bluish-white light could be seen from just outside the stable doors. It was Mystic glowing with the brightness of a thousand stars, ready to join in the fray.

Lilvari, from her vantage point atop the hay, could see her demon and Kassdian on the stairs. Kassdian had just deflected an attack from someone else and was focused on that… not the demon. This was her chance.

“Nazzeth,” Lilvari shouted, “we got this!” In her mind, she commanded the demon. “Do it.”

The demon lurched forward and ripped into both sides of Kassdian’s neck, pulling its long, black fingers in opposite directions and separating Kassdian’s head from his body.

A look came over Nazzeth’s face at that moment, one of complete and utter satisfaction. But as soon as it came, it was gone — first turning to confusion and then exhaustion. Nazzeth’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the ground at the base of the stairs.

Dare looked at him, not sure if he should do something. From above, came the clash of more fighting, giving Dare his answer. “He’s fine, right?”

“I mean, he’s breathing,” Mystic said, “but–“

“Good enough for me!” Dare ran up the stairs.

Tio saw he was outmatched and saw that his friend now lay dead. There was no other choice. He jumped out the closest window. The dexterous little bastard he was, he landed on his feet and took off towards the fields.

Mercarri was the first to jump out after him, but her foot slipped on a bit of feces stuck on the window sill, and she fell to the ground below, landing on her backside. Dare went next, but thanks to his magic boots, had no issue whatsoever. The demon, already halfway to the first floor, clamored down the rest of the stairs and chased after the halfling. It caught up with him about the same time Dare did. As the demon skewered Tio’s left and right side, holding him in place, Dare sliced him down the middle into two neatly carved pieces. The fight was over. And Droop was alive.

Lilvari removed the gag from Droop’s mouth. “Sorry, buddy,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Not… not your fault,” he replied, his voice hardly a whisper. “Thanks for coming. Thanks… for saving me.”

All Lilvari could do was nod. She could see that Droop’s devastating wounds were already on the mend. In a few more minutes, by the time she got the other restraints off, he was able to walk on his own. They met the others downstairs, stepping over Nazzeth to get there.

“Is he okay?” she asked.

“We think so,” Dare said. “He’s breathing. Right Mystic?”

Yeah,” Mystic said, “but I can’t wake him. It’s weird. He keeps mumbling to himself like he’s having some sort of deep conversation.”

Lilvari went over to Kassdian’s headless corpse. She kneeled and rooted through his pockets. In all, she found a letter, a strange looking flower and a potion of invisibility.

“I think we got what we came for,” she said. “Right buddy?”

“Right,” Droop said and as tired as he looked, he managed to give her a smile.