Assault of the Sorcerer Kings
"This may be our last chance for a nights rest indoors and a mug of ale." The elven ranger said to the group.
That having been decided, the group of heroes cantered along their way to the village.
Most of the homes had candles burning in their windows, indicative that the groups' entry to the town wouldn't awaken any of the people. In the center of the village was a larger structure illuminated from within. A sign hung from above the door, indicating that the building was an inn.
"This looks like the place." Glavian said, dismounting his horse. The rest of the party dismounted as well. Glavian handed the reigns of his steed to his apprentice, Jamis. "Find a suitable stable for our horses, boy." He said to him.
Jamis nodded in acceptance and took the reigns of his trainer's horse as well as his own in hand. The dwarf, Ront, also handed the boy the reigns to his mount, Mordel and Austius did the same.
Swan dismounted and told Jamis that she would assist him in locating the stables. She took some of the reigns from him and walked away with him while the others entered the inn.
The door swung in with a creak and as the group of four walked in all eyes within the inn/tavern turned towards the travelers.
"This joint is kind of packed for a small village." Ront whispered to his companions.
"What the hell else do they have to do?" Mordel asked.
The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and followed the towering figure of Glavian to the bar, Mordel walking at his side and Austius straying behind.
The whole walk there, the eyes of the people were upon them and the bar was in utter silence. Ront looked around uneasily at the score of people inside. Something about their stares didn't leave his stomach sitting well.
Glavian explained to the barkeep that the party of six was just passing through and required rooms for the night, food and drink. The barkeep smiled a cold smile at this and told them that he would be happy to accommodate them. The only problem, he said, was that there were exactly four vacant rooms. Glavian told him that would be good enough and ordered a round of drinks for the whole bar.
Not long after the ale had been passed around the room, the doors swung open and Swan walked in with Jamis. The two made their way over to the table. Swan ordered a wine and Jamis ordered water.
After a few drinks, a dark haired elven woman of exquisite beauty approached the group, sitting herself closely beside Austius. She whispered into his ear in a low tone that no one else was able to hear, but it was evident enough that she was seducing him. He smiled occasionally at whatever she was suggesting and eventually stood up with her, and followed her to the back of the tavern where a hallway lead to the inn's rooms.
Swan shook her head disapprovingly at her cousin's actions. The men shook their heads with mirth, laughing raucously between themselves. Jamis was a little red in the face, but laughed along with everyone else.
The group enjoyed one another's company and drank to the road ahead. Occasionally they mocked Jamis' drunkenness from the previous night, but all in light hearted tones.
Suddenly the jovial atmosphere of the tavern was broken by a half naked elven man bursting from the hall, clutching at his neck with his right hand where blood seeps from between his fingers. "That bitch in there is crazy." He said, running up to the group, his dual bladed sword hanging from his left hand, still in its sheath. "She bit me in the fucking neck!"
"Let me see." Swan requested. He removed his hand and she wiped at the wound. Beneath the mass of blood were two puncture holes. "She is a vampire," the druidess told them.
Just then the doors to the taverns slammed shut and one of the patrons slid a bar lock between the handles. The woman came into the bar from the back room, a bit of blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. All eyes looked upon the group of travelers, their eyes full of hunger.
"Shit." Mordel swore.
"I told you this place wasn't right." Ront said.
Everyone drew their weapons simultaneously and got to their feet. Looking at the faces of the people who were surrounding them, Swan couldn't help but curse herself for not noticing before how pale everyone was.
There would be no rest for them this night, they realized as the undead men and women closed in around them.
"We need to get to that door." Ront said, stating the obvious.
They attempted to side step their way to the door, but found the way blocked. Glavian was the first to strike, bringing his blade in at a downward arc which lobbed off a man's arm. The vampire screamed at this, but came in closer, mouth leading the way like some sort of primitive version of the evolved parasites. The dwarf, Ront, cleaved the vampire's skull in half before its jaws could reach his companion.
Swan produced a ball of blinding light, seemingly from thin air, and held it up high. The vampire's fell back from this, shielding their eyes with arms. "Quickly," Swan ordered her companions, who ran for the door and removed the bar which blocked their way. "It is holy light, and I know not how long it will last," she said.
They went through the gate and out into the town where the streets were barren. "Lead the way to the stables, Jamis!" Glavian said.
Jamis, shaken, responded after a moments hesitation and lead the way into the village where their horses were kept in a barn. The stable hand within hissed at them and sprung atop of Jamis. Jamis fumbled for his dagger while avoiding the snapping jaws which came in at him relentlessly. Two quick jabs with his blade weakened the vampire enough for him to roll him off of his body and onto the ground where Glavian quickly plunged his sword through the creatures chest.
"Y'all right, boy?" The dwarf asked.
Jamis nodded wordlessly in reply and got to his feet.
Everyone mounted up quickly and ran their horses out of the village while the pack of evil poured out of the inn right behind them.
As they galloped by, a sudden weight hit Ront's horse. The dwarf turned around to see a vampire behind him, clawing the steed's back and making his way up behind him.
"What the hell do ye think yer trying to do?!" Ront screamed at the vamp, bringing his axe down with two heavy chops that took off each of the creatures arms.
The vampire fell off of the back of the horse and was left in the dust behind the fleeing party of heroes.
They galloped on for hours, each of them weary beyond reason, the horses occasionally, exhausted from the day's events.
"We need to rest." Mordel suggested to the group. Austius agreed with the rogues reasoning, stating that they would need to replace their horses if they kept at this pace.
"We cannot rest this night," Swan replied, "What if the vampires are still following us?" Ront shared the druidess's sentiments.
That made it Glavian's call. He took a look around at his companions and noted their weak and weary state, then glanced behind them at the darkness of the night wherein a pack of hungry and angry vampires could very well be lurking.
He made his decision.
That having been decided, the group of heroes cantered along their way to the village.
Most of the homes had candles burning in their windows, indicative that the groups' entry to the town wouldn't awaken any of the people. In the center of the village was a larger structure illuminated from within. A sign hung from above the door, indicating that the building was an inn.
"This looks like the place." Glavian said, dismounting his horse. The rest of the party dismounted as well. Glavian handed the reigns of his steed to his apprentice, Jamis. "Find a suitable stable for our horses, boy." He said to him.
Jamis nodded in acceptance and took the reigns of his trainer's horse as well as his own in hand. The dwarf, Ront, also handed the boy the reigns to his mount, Mordel and Austius did the same.
Swan dismounted and told Jamis that she would assist him in locating the stables. She took some of the reigns from him and walked away with him while the others entered the inn.
The door swung in with a creak and as the group of four walked in all eyes within the inn/tavern turned towards the travelers.
"This joint is kind of packed for a small village." Ront whispered to his companions.
"What the hell else do they have to do?" Mordel asked.
The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and followed the towering figure of Glavian to the bar, Mordel walking at his side and Austius straying behind.
The whole walk there, the eyes of the people were upon them and the bar was in utter silence. Ront looked around uneasily at the score of people inside. Something about their stares didn't leave his stomach sitting well.
Glavian explained to the barkeep that the party of six was just passing through and required rooms for the night, food and drink. The barkeep smiled a cold smile at this and told them that he would be happy to accommodate them. The only problem, he said, was that there were exactly four vacant rooms. Glavian told him that would be good enough and ordered a round of drinks for the whole bar.
Not long after the ale had been passed around the room, the doors swung open and Swan walked in with Jamis. The two made their way over to the table. Swan ordered a wine and Jamis ordered water.
After a few drinks, a dark haired elven woman of exquisite beauty approached the group, sitting herself closely beside Austius. She whispered into his ear in a low tone that no one else was able to hear, but it was evident enough that she was seducing him. He smiled occasionally at whatever she was suggesting and eventually stood up with her, and followed her to the back of the tavern where a hallway lead to the inn's rooms.
Swan shook her head disapprovingly at her cousin's actions. The men shook their heads with mirth, laughing raucously between themselves. Jamis was a little red in the face, but laughed along with everyone else.
The group enjoyed one another's company and drank to the road ahead. Occasionally they mocked Jamis' drunkenness from the previous night, but all in light hearted tones.
Suddenly the jovial atmosphere of the tavern was broken by a half naked elven man bursting from the hall, clutching at his neck with his right hand where blood seeps from between his fingers. "That bitch in there is crazy." He said, running up to the group, his dual bladed sword hanging from his left hand, still in its sheath. "She bit me in the fucking neck!"
"Let me see." Swan requested. He removed his hand and she wiped at the wound. Beneath the mass of blood were two puncture holes. "She is a vampire," the druidess told them.
Just then the doors to the taverns slammed shut and one of the patrons slid a bar lock between the handles. The woman came into the bar from the back room, a bit of blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. All eyes looked upon the group of travelers, their eyes full of hunger.
"Shit." Mordel swore.
"I told you this place wasn't right." Ront said.
Everyone drew their weapons simultaneously and got to their feet. Looking at the faces of the people who were surrounding them, Swan couldn't help but curse herself for not noticing before how pale everyone was.
There would be no rest for them this night, they realized as the undead men and women closed in around them.
"We need to get to that door." Ront said, stating the obvious.
They attempted to side step their way to the door, but found the way blocked. Glavian was the first to strike, bringing his blade in at a downward arc which lobbed off a man's arm. The vampire screamed at this, but came in closer, mouth leading the way like some sort of primitive version of the evolved parasites. The dwarf, Ront, cleaved the vampire's skull in half before its jaws could reach his companion.
Swan produced a ball of blinding light, seemingly from thin air, and held it up high. The vampire's fell back from this, shielding their eyes with arms. "Quickly," Swan ordered her companions, who ran for the door and removed the bar which blocked their way. "It is holy light, and I know not how long it will last," she said.
They went through the gate and out into the town where the streets were barren. "Lead the way to the stables, Jamis!" Glavian said.
Jamis, shaken, responded after a moments hesitation and lead the way into the village where their horses were kept in a barn. The stable hand within hissed at them and sprung atop of Jamis. Jamis fumbled for his dagger while avoiding the snapping jaws which came in at him relentlessly. Two quick jabs with his blade weakened the vampire enough for him to roll him off of his body and onto the ground where Glavian quickly plunged his sword through the creatures chest.
"Y'all right, boy?" The dwarf asked.
Jamis nodded wordlessly in reply and got to his feet.
Everyone mounted up quickly and ran their horses out of the village while the pack of evil poured out of the inn right behind them.
As they galloped by, a sudden weight hit Ront's horse. The dwarf turned around to see a vampire behind him, clawing the steed's back and making his way up behind him.
"What the hell do ye think yer trying to do?!" Ront screamed at the vamp, bringing his axe down with two heavy chops that took off each of the creatures arms.
The vampire fell off of the back of the horse and was left in the dust behind the fleeing party of heroes.
They galloped on for hours, each of them weary beyond reason, the horses occasionally, exhausted from the day's events.
"We need to rest." Mordel suggested to the group. Austius agreed with the rogues reasoning, stating that they would need to replace their horses if they kept at this pace.
"We cannot rest this night," Swan replied, "What if the vampires are still following us?" Ront shared the druidess's sentiments.
That made it Glavian's call. He took a look around at his companions and noted their weak and weary state, then glanced behind them at the darkness of the night wherein a pack of hungry and angry vampires could very well be lurking.
He made his decision.