Dependable Blades

by DocDelray

The Castle Ambrose: A New Adventure

Light, blinding light filled Elwick’s vision as it bathed him with seemingly endless and glorious splendor. Bringing his hand up to his eyes, he managed to force his vision to clear and shapes to form from the brilliance. He found himself standing in a city that was far and beyond the grandiose scale of even Le’Ratte.

It was a city that sat within the clouds themselves, in every direction he looked was an endless blue sky and wisps of white clouds. Pillars of polished stone that gave off a glow from deep within the masonry stretched far into the endless blue sky until their tops faded from view. All around him, he could see vast structures carved from this gleaming material. Beyond this, there was a strange sense of peace that this place radiated; it traveled through the air and seeped into his bones with a calmness that he’d never felt before.

The wall beside him exploded, filling the air with dust and debris, blinding the mage. Elwick’s eyes went wide in both fear and wonder when the dust settled. He was staring at a pair of figures that stood heads above even the most sturdy built man or orc. Their bodies were clad from head to toe in gleaming armor that seemed woven from the light itself. Massive wings of pure white plumage stretched out from their backs. Despite their furious and savage exchanges, he couldn’t help but find something graceful and perfect about these creatures.

Neither of these titans paid Elwick any mind as they continued to exchange blows. This was fine with the small mage, as it gave him the distraction he needed to run further down the marble streets. His escape came to a slow halt as he beheld the rest of the city laid out before him.

As far as his eyes could see, more of these winged beings fought one another. The towers of perfectly polished stone crumbled around them. Crestline structures shattered and littered the air with shards. Flames of pure white heat devoured everything they touched. All around him, paradise burned.

Elwick did the only thing that made sense to him at this point: he ran. He ran as far and fast as his tiny legs could carry him. All around him, these majestic creatures slaughtered one another with growing intensity while the city continued to burn and crumble around them. It wasn’t until he came to a wide opened atrium of polished stone and crystal that he finally came to a stop. It was there that he saw them.

A pair of winged warriors that stood tall even compared to their kinsmen squared off. On one side, stood a warrior clad in shimmering gold and armed with a long, ornate trident. His opponent had clad himself in pure silver and wielding a longsword of impeccable craftsmanship. The air itself around them became heavy and unmoving as creation itself waited with bated breath.

In a blink of an eye, the pair launched at each other. Elwick grabbed the wall with all his might when a shockwave resounded through the would-be arena. Looking up he could see the sword locked between the points of the trident while neither warrior seemed to give or lose even a fraction of an inch. With another ear shattering clash, the pair broke free and clashed with each other again and again. He watched in awe as these giants struck and blocked, countered and parried, it seemed unlikely either one could strike the blow needed.

It was not until the silver warrior let his guard drop by only a fraction that things changed. His golden adversary plunged his weapon with all his might deep into the shoulder of his enemy. White blood leaked from the shattered shoulder plate and pooled at his feet. But this victory would not last long. The silver warrior’s true intentions became very clear when his blade leapt into action. Piercing breast plate and mail alike, it slide with ease through the armor and the being beneath, white blood splattering against silver armor.

With a quick pull, the sword was taken from the golden knight’s side and he was sent toppling to his knees. Rising to his feet, the silver knight yanked the trident from his shoulder with a pained grunt and then tossed the offending weapon away. His opponent crawled away from the silver knight, holding his side in a feeble attempt to stop the blood from leaking out. Gripping the sword tightly, the silver warrior took his golden enemy roughly by the wings and placed a foot on the back of his head. With one swift cut, his wings were severed and thrown aside.

Beaten and broken, the silver knight did not seem done with his golden enemy. Grabbing him by the back of his armor, he hefted him over his head. With one loud cry that seemed to shatter the very air, the argent combatant threw his auric victim over the edge and into the endless abyss of sky below.

Cautiously, Elwick inched his way to the edge and looked over. What he saw he could not believe. The golden speck was falling, but as it fell, it broke an unseen barrier within the sky itself. He found himself unable to keep his balance as all around him creation itself seemed too trembled in pain. And so, Elwick fell. The golden knight falling just ahead of him and breaking through what seemed reality itself.

The deafening rush of wind fell away and was replaced by his screams as he sat up quickly in bed. Beads of sweat ran down his face and coated his entire body. Elwick fought and struggled with all his might to regain composure and slow his breathing back to normal. Quickly looking around, he found that was back in his room, back at the tower. Sighing in relief and exhaustion, the gnome fell back into the warm embrace of his mattress.

“A nightmare, nothing more…” Elwick assured himself and pulled his covers up around himself. “That’s all, just another nightmare.”

---

“Whoooooooo, on the road again,” Amber happily cheered while soaring over her comrade’s heads.

Once again, the adventurers of Dependable Blades were on assignment. Once more loaded into the back of an old wooden cart, all present seemed in good spirits after the success of their last mission. All save for one.

“I swear to the gods, if she keeps up this bubbly happy crap all the way to our destination, I’m going to make her think that her hoof is a delicious sandwich,” a very bedraggled Elwick grumbled in annoyance. Reaching up, he massaged the growing pain forming in his temples.

“Let her have her fun, Elwick,” Larisa countered. “She’s excited to play with her new toys.”

On cue, Amber Shine shot from the sky and landed in the center of her companions. She had clearly put her share of the loot to good use. No longer clad in the ornate armor of the Night guard, the batmare instead had taken up a shirt of lightweight interlocking chain links. Upon her chest, she still proudly displayed the sigil of her princess. Thick solid armor encased all four of her hooves while a pair of darkly tinted goggles sat over her eyes.

“You know, these cart rides aren’t so bad when you don’t have to squint to see everything,” Amber stated with a pleasant grin. “So, what’s our latest mission, anyways?” she asked with no shortage of excitement. “Stopping ogres, maybe punching out some trolls, or what about saving a prince or two?”

“Someone else tell her,” Elwick hissed as he brought the hood of his robe up over his head. “I don’t have the patience for this right now.”

“We’re on our way to the village of Chiuin’Cnoc,” Alistair told her. ”It’s a small fishing in the south along the coast. A few weeks ago, one of the locals dragged something up in his nets, a strange artifact. This is supposed to be a fairly simple task, we’re on our way to pick up the mystery item and transport it back to Le’Ratte. This mission comes from pretty high up, The Arch Magus Mikhail.”

“The Arch Mage, huh, guess that means we just moved up in the world,” Amber said with an excited grin.

“It also means there can be no margin for error,” the grouchy gnome was quick to point out.

“Tch, somepony’s in a good mood today,” Amber snarked.

“I didn’t sleep well,” Elwick retorted. “Or at all….” he added under his breath.

Nearing the village, they soon found themselves surrounded by a thick grey fog that choked visibility to nearly nothing. So much so that they very nearly missed that they had finally entered Chiuin’Cnoc. A quaint village nestled at the base of a steep hill that straddled the coastline. Anxiously, their driver dropped them off at the center of town and quickly drove his cart back the way he’d come, nearly leaving without his payment.

Looking all around them, it became very clear that this village showed little to no signs of life. The first thing they noticed was there was no sound save for the crashing of waves against the coastal cliffs. Secondly, there wasn’t a single light in any windows, not even the inn or tavern. This town was dead.

Stepping forward, Volf made his way towards the nearest building. Gently placing a hand upon the door, he gave it a soft push. The door slowly swung open with little to no resistance. Cautiously he peered inside. From the darkened entrance, he could make various supplies and foodstuffs that lined shelf after shelf. Taking a few more cautious steps into the establishment, he could now see that nothing in this shop looked out of place.

It was the same with every building they entered and examined. Empty, no signs of life but also no indication of any attack. Possessions and valuables were left to rest neatly and without any kind of disruption. There was no one in this town other than the six of them and yet it looked as though it looked as though it had been abandoned only a few minutes ago.

The deeper they traveled into the town, the more they found themselves looking over their shoulders. Dark shapes slipped through the shadows just out of the corners of their eyes, always just out of sight and just out of reach. Before long their dark pursuers had herded the team to the front gates of a sizable estate. Through the fog they could hear the heavy crash of waves against the steep cliffs that the castle sat atop.

“Soooooooooooo, anypony else feel like this is more than likely a trap,” Amber asked.

“Lured by shadows through a deserted town to an isolated castle, what could possibly seem untrustworthy about this,” Alistair said with a playful smirk.

“Who would set up a castle in a nowhere town like this,” Larisa asked.

“No one would,” Elwick replied while examining the front doors. “There is no money to be made out here in a podunk fishing town. Something is very off about all of this.”

“So what was your first clue,” Amber snarked.

The spellcaster merely rolled his eyes on the bat-mare’s snide comment. Instead he occupied himself with examining the large heavy wooden doors in their way.

“Looks like it only opens from the inside,” Alistair pointed out. “Maybe if we sent Winky and Amber over the wall and-“

Elwick muttered something in his arcane tongue and rapped his knuckles against the doors. A ripple of energy moved over the doors. From the other side a loud click sounded as they unbarred and began to creek open.

“Breaking in is always fun, but it’s rude not to at least knock first,” Elwick said with a smirk.

“Like I said,” Larisa chimed in. “Wizards always love to suck the fun out of things.”

The loud creak of heavy wooden doors echoed off the walls of the wide empty entry hall of the castle. A gust of wind pushed past the Dependable Blades and brushed through the tapestries that decorated the walls. They were sheets of finely woven fabric that each depicted great moments in the life of the still unknown lord of this palace. Candles flickered and pushed back the darkness that would otherwise consume the room.

Cautiously, they entered. Amber stopped just beneath one particular tapestry that showed a man holding what looked to be a crown over his head whilst people bowed their heads on either side of him. “Well, somepony thinks pretty highly of himself.”

“Could be a clue to all of this,” Elwick stated. “We need to find the lord of this manor, so stay on your guard.”

Winky curiously approached the first door to catch his eyes. Pushing it open and peering inside, the goblin called back to his friends. “Winky find some’in!”

Moving to the side room, they found it to be luxuriously furnished with plush chairs, polished tables, ornate rugs and other fine furniture. Said furniture however had been pushed back against the walls to make way for an impromptu boxing ring that had been set up at the center of the room.

In one corner of the ring stood a very tall heavily built person, his light grey skin and solid features however hinted at something far more. Standing heads above the entire team, he was a solid wall of muscle and toned form that was clad solely in a pair of red trunks. Upon seeing them enter, a smirk moved across his face and his fists lifted into a defensive stance.

Just outside of the ring, sitting upon a large wooden chest, sat a man of far more human quality. Wavy black hair that hung past his shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard, his bright blue eyes twinkled happily. He was clad in colorful silks, fancy lace and rich velvets with a wide brimmed hat, while at his side hung a jeweled rapier and a large ornate silver key that hung heavily from his belt. At either side of this man stood a pair of heavy suits of armor, both wielding long gleaming pole arms.

But the strangest thing off all about this room was the single plush chair that sat facing the ring. Well crafted from polished wood and lush fine fabrics, it sat empty save for a pair of floating eyes that hovered at what could be seen as head height. Slowly they turned to look at the newcomers, staring unblinkingly at them.

“Ah, welcome,” the finely dressed man greeted them. “My good friends and I were hoping that we’d receive some visitors.”

The group looked at each other with a touch of unease before Elwick spoke up. “Yes, well, we became lost in the dreadful fog outside and stumbled upon this place. I am Elwickshintzlefick Whizzlepop VonFrook, and these are my companions. Tell me friend, who is the lord of this castle?”

“Well met, master gnome,” he praised him with a low bow of his head a flourish for style. “I am John-Louis, and the strong silent fellow I have simply been calling Philippe. You, my friends, are in the home of Lord Ambrose of course. On behalf of the rest of the staff, I welcome you!”

“So what’s with the boxing ring?” Amber asked as she eyed the silent giant.

“Ah yes, his lordship enjoys a good scrap,” John-Louis told her while motioning to the floating eyes. “Philippe and I are in charge of finding fresh entertainment to fill this demand. You look like a capable lot; perhaps you’d like to try your luck and skill?”

“We really shouldn’t,” Alistair protested. “We actually need to find your master, if you could-“

“There’s a pot of six thousand gold coins for the winner.” John-Louis quickly interjected with a wry grin.

“Six thousand you say,” Elwick mused with a hungry expression.

“Granted, the only way to get the money is to beat Philippe in a fair fight. No weapons, no magic and of course no backup. Only one of you may enter the ring at one time to challenge him. Besides that, the master will be more inclined to speak with you should you prove yourself a strong and capable fighter.”

A wry smirk flashed across Amber’s face. “Oh really, is that all?” Before she could stride into the ring however, her path was blocked by the gnome. “What the hay?”

“Let Alistair go first,” he ordered her under his breath. “Trust me.”

Alistair gave Elwick and Amber both an uneasy look before sighing in annoyance. After removing all his gear, save for his slacks, he climbed into the ring. Compared to most humans, his build could be called average yet athletic, but standing in front of this grey wall of muscle however, he looked small and lithe. Muttering a few choice words about his current circumstances and the gnome who put him here, he took up a stance that mimicked that of his opponent’s.

Once squared off with him, Philippe let fly a heavy, powerful jab. Alistair’s lighter frame, however, let him duck under the blow and quickly close the gap. Over his shoulder he could hear the shouts and cheers of his comrades as he brought his fist in and up with a swift uppercut. Any hope of possible victory however shattered along with several bones in his hands, the punch did little but smash uselessly into the silent brawler’s chin.

Crying out in pain, the mage knight stumbled away while tightly gripping his hand. Alistair had barely noticed the heavy right that Philippe had sent flying towards the spellsword’s forehead. He barely managed to dance out of the way, the powerful fist brushing past his face. Alistair soon found himself on the defensive, using superior footwork to keep one step ahead of the rapid succession of punches. When he felt the corner post press into his back, he knew he’d run out of room to run.

He barely caught Amber’s warning when a fist slammed into his gut. This was just the opening volley as Philippe begun unleashing a series of gut shots before bringing his fist back for one full-force blow. A gasp of pain and a bit of his lunch escaped the warrior as momentum took over for him. The force of the blow sent Alistair hurtling over the ropes and mentally he braced himself for what was sure to be the painful slam of solid stone. Instead he found himself hitting a firm wall of metal and fur as his egress from the ring was halted.

“Al, you alright?” Amber Shine asked him before gently lowering him onto the stone floor.

He coughed up what was left of the vomit stuck in his throat before replying, “Peachy,” in a raspy voice.

“My, that was less than sporting,” John-Louis said sadly. “I’m afraid I can’t even award you any kind of participation prize for that poor performance, my boy.”

Amber’s wings and fangs flared in rage, but once more her path was blocked by Elwick. “What say we make it more interesting then,” the gnome suggested. “Our best against your man here, no holds barred, double or nothing?”

John-Louis raised his brow curiously as he stroked his beard in thought. “Hmmmmm, I suppose we could take your little bet, master gnome, however there will be one extra stipulation.”

“And that is?”

“If Philippe wins and the match was a dreadful as the last one, you and your friends are to join the others in service to his Lordship.”

Elwick’s gaze narrowed on the well dressed man and a smirk curled his small lips upwards. “Deal,” looking over his shoulder at Amber he motioned towards the ring. “Now you can fight.”

“I’ll fix him up,” Larisa reassured her. “You go kick that big guy’s ass.”

She gave the gnome one last glare before removing her gear and armor, stripping all the way down to the cutie mark. Trotting her way to the edge of the ring, she entered with a flap of her wings and landed gracefully. Within seconds, Philippe was on her with a heavy blow aimed for her head. Ducking to the side, Amber let the blow sail past her and launched into her own attack. She began dancing and hopping around the larger opponent, avoiding his attacks while launching a series of rapid taps against anything he left exposed. She was constantly moving in and out of reach while keeping Philippe from standing his ground and digging in. Finally she spotted what she’d been waiting for, a stumble in his legwork.

With a strong flap of her wings she vaulted into the air, and with another she sent herself hurtling back towards the earth, forehooves first. She felt the satisfying crack of hoof against skin. Amber didn’t need to look to know that she hadn’t brought him down, but she had at least thrown him off balance, and that’s all she needed. With a swift buck of her hind legs, she knocked his feet out from under him and sent Philippe crashing to the mat. Scrambling to continue capitalizing on the momentum she’d gained, Amber proceeded to wrap her fore and hind legs with his to force the giant into a very painful leg lock.

“Had enough!?” the mare taunted the writhing Philippe whom still said nothing. To her joy, he finally relented and tapped the edge of the mat in submission. Amber released him and raised herself up, wings and forelimbs spread high over her head in triumph.

“My, my, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen Philippe bested,” John-Louis said with a touch of laughter. “Well fought, my dear!”

“Now, I believe a bargain was struck,” Elwick happily reminded their host.

Nodding in agreement, John-Louis stood up from the chest and knocked twice on the lid. “I just hope you have a way to carry it all, master gnome.” Lifting the lid, it was filled to the brim with coins of solid gold.

Taking a small bag from his belt, Elwick strode over and began dropping handfuls into the sack. And yet, no matter how many coins he added, it never seemed to change shape or show signs of getting full. “Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

Amber shot her small comrade another dirty look before gliding from the ring back to her wounded team-mate. “How’s the gut, killer?”

“Doesn’t hurt as much as my pride,” Alistair replied with a smirk. He couldn’t help but wince as he tried to force down a long gulp of bright red liquid. “Ugh, Larisa, I am thankful for your healing talents as always, but I do wish these potions were more palpable.”

“I’d add honey to the mixture, but that would turn it into a volatile acid,” Larisa told him. “Those were some impressive moves, Amber. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“You don’t get to protect the princesses of Equestria by being a slouch,” the bat-mare replied with a smug look on her face.

“My lady,” all eyes shifted back to John-Louis. “My master was quite impressed by your performance in the ring. He asks that you join him for dinner, to celebrate your impressive victory. Your companions are invited, of course.”

---

Amber and the other members of the Dependable Blades followed John-Louis as he led them to a pair of elegant oak doors. On the other side, she beheld a dining room to nearly rival even that of Canterlot Castle. The floors and walls were keenly-polished marble while long flowing tapestries like those in the main hall decorate the walls. At the center sat a long wooden table with ornate gold leaf designs worked into the surface. At the head of the table sat what looked to be a mass of shadows in the form of a man, andeep within the darkness was what Amber could only assume were dimly glowing eyes that sent a shiver down her spine. With a flourished bow, John-Louis stepped out of the room and closed the doors behind him.

Rising to greet them, their dark host motioned to them all, “So glad you could join me, my friends,” his voice seemed to ring out from the walls themselves rather than the figure. “ I am lord Ambrose, master of these lands and this castle. I welcome you.”

With a touch of reluctance they took their seats around the table. After a short time, twelve men and women in costly garb began filing into the room as well. The unsettling thing was, they entered through the solid wall at the end of the dining room. The newly arrived dinner guests all appeared to be a mixture of humans, elves and dwarves, all dressed in elegant finery, but the more Amber and the others stared at them the more they began to notice other details that were off about them. Their skin held an icy, pale color and their eyes looked to be empty and dulled while their entire bodies seemed to be translucent.

Soon, more ghostly beings shuffled into the room as well. Humanoid in appearance, they were dressed neatly in black suites and carried with them platters of food and jugs of wine. Soon the table was covered by an impressive spread while the air became awash with the smell fine cooking and lavished spirits. Bowls of onion soup topped with a layer of white cheese, warm and inviting loaves of freshly cooked bread, a large bowl of various vegetables mixed together in a salad drizzled with fragrant vinaigrette dressing, sweetly-scented ale of a deep amber hue and at the center of it all a succulently glistening roasted hog.

“Please, help yourselves,” the shadowy host insisted. “I’m sure you are all hungry and tired after the long journey to my humble estate.”

Before any kind of precautions could be made, Winky lunged forth and greedily snatched a fist full of the pig and bread. With no hesitation he began shoving the food into his maw with a hungry snarl. “Best foods is frees foods!”

They watched the goblin as he continued to gobble down fistfuls of food until it became clear that he wasn’t dying of any kind of poisons. Still airing on the side of caution, they began helping themselves to the presented meal.

As the meal progressed, the shadowy figure known as Lord Ambrose turned his attention to the bat-mare whom happily partook of his hospitality. “Young lady, I must know, who are you?”

Forcing a mouthful of roast and salad down she managed to cough out, “Amber Shine, uh, m’lord.”

“Amber Shine,” he gleefully repeated. “A fitting name I suppose. You know, I’ve seen a number of travelers pass through my halls but none of them gave Philippe such a sound beating like you did. A warrior with your skill would be most welcomed here on my estate.”

“That, uh, that would really great, but I’m afraid my friends and I are just passing through.”

“Oh, and what brings you out here?”

“We’re on an official guild mission, see we’re looking for this creepy artifact and-“

Before she could finish her sentence the shadowy Ambrose shot up from his seat, “THIEVES!” his bellowing voice echoed through the entire castle. Suddenly the ghostly diner guests all looked to them in unison. “You have come here to steal my treasure! I will see this castle become your tomb like all those who came before you!”

In a flash the shadow disappeared and the room drastically changed. No longer was the dining hall a thing of polished beauty, but rot. The wooden table looked to be in a state of decay, dirt and grime caked the walls and tapestries, the food they had been enjoying vanished from the plates and platters leaving them bare and covered in filth. A low wailing began to rise from the phantom guests as their visages began to rot and decay as well. It was then, that they turned on them.

“Everyone, down,” Larisa roared before leveling her mechanical gauntlet with the ghostly fiends. With a loud thump a small projectile fired out of it and into the center of their attackers. It burst open with a blinding light the caused them react in pain.

“Amber, the door,” Elwick ordered as they made a mad dash for the opposite end of the room.

The mare scraped her hooves against the stone floor before barreling forward into the heavy double doors. A small twinge of pain crawled through her body as she hit them with all the force her body could produce, smashing it to splinters. With a clatter of metal, she tumbled across the dirt and grass as well as the warm embrace of the sun. Quickly she was joined by the rest of her companions who took up a ready stance to face off against their ghoulish adversaries.

One of the undead that had recovered from the burst of light attempted to float forwards. It recoiled in pain with a loud hiss when the sunlight touched its translucent body causing it to quickly pull back.

“So, the sunlight harms you does it,” Elwick pointed out as a triumphant grin curled the edges of his mouth. Leveling his staff at the would-be pursuers, he began to trace an invisible pattern in the air. The gnome muttered words of arcane power drawing out the ambient glow of his spell. With a motion towards their attackers, a ball of bright light appeared behind them. It was a small sun. its brilliance more than they could withstand. Shrieks of pain and howls of agony spilled out of them as they sizzled and turned to pools of dust under the bright light. “You shall come out, no more!”

“Hey guys,” Amber called to them. “You might want to look at this.”

With the ghosts no longer an issue, they found themselves looking at what appeared to be an indoor forest. Scattered around the grounds were trees of various types, in the distance could be heard the sound of rushing water while strangely enough a cool breeze blew across their faces. They could see the stone walls of the rest of the palace rise up from the tree tops in the far distance while up above them was a series of high shimmering domes. The warm glowing image of the sun moved across it, bathing the room in soft natural light.

“This all looks quite lovely,” Volf commented. “But there is nothing natural about anything here. We should stay on guard.”

“Natural, that’s quite the understatement,” said a soft unknown voice.

Drawing their weapons and readying for another attack, the members of the Dependable Blades spun around to face this possible threat. What they saw however was something that gave them pause. Lounging beside the path, under the shade of a willow sat a woman of humanoid features. Her skin was of flawless alabaster; long golden tresses fell about her head and framed a perfectly sculpted face. Her delicate and shapely frame was draped in a long dress of daffodil yellow and a saffron cloak hung about her shoulders. Peering through the shade however were a pair of sharp golden eyes.

Amber however found her attention drawn to her companion. Lying beside this strange maiden was a unicorn, its size shape and form was unlike any unicorn pony she’d ever known. Its coat was of the same matching white as the woman’s skin, however this creature was leaps and bounds taller than any pony-bred unicorn she was familiar with. Looking into the creatures eyes her heart leapt with joy as she was greeted with the spark of intelligence she’d found lacking in every other equine she’d met thus far.

“Who are you?” Elwick asked.

“My friend and I are prisoners, just like yourselves.” she replied with a cool demeanor.

“I suppose you know what’s going on here then?”

“Indeed,” she replied with a soft smile while running a hand through the unicorn’s mane. “This entire castle is the paranoia and arrogance of one human. A simple fisherman found something at the bottom of the sea, rather than throwing the dreadful thing back in, he tapped into its power. He finally has the power to live the life he’s always dreamed of having, but in doing so has been driven mad by the overwhelming need to keep this power.”

“Hold up, how do you even know all this?” Amber chimed in.

“Because we came here to take it from him,” she replied. “We made a… small miscalculation of his newfound powers. Because of this minor error, he was able to subdue the both of us and imprisoned us here in this artificial forest.”

“Who are you?” Elwick asked.

“My companion was the guardian and protector of the local forest,” she informed them. “While I, well, I’m something completely different.” Her lips curled high into a smile that revealed the slight glint of long pointed teeth. For only a millisecond, her eyes shifted and became reptilian like. The air around her seemed to become heavy and laden with a power that could be felt with every breath. All of this melted away with her jovial laughter at how shaken everyone around her seemed to be. “Don’t worry though; in this place I’m mostly harmless. You see, he has bound my friend’s life to this new forest and then bound mine to his. We are trapped in a cell with unlocked doors.”

Alistair was the first to regain his composure long enough to say, “We were sent here by the Arch Mage of Le’Ratte to find the artifact that has stolen this Ambrose’s mind. All we have seen so far are shadows and phantoms, where is the real Lord Ambrose?”

“Now you’re asking the right questions,” the golden haired woman cooed. “I’m afraid he is far out of your reach, sadly. He has retreated into another plane to keep himself safe from any more of my kind. I don’t know where it is, but I know where the doorway lies. Deep in the belly of this cursed palace’s dungeon, you will find the silver gate that will lead you to where the coward hides. To pass through it, however, you will need to locate three silver keys.”

“Oooooh, you means like this!?” Winky asked excitedly as he produced a large ornate silver key from his pack.

The woman stared at the goblin in surprise before slowly regaining her senses. “Yes, just like those. Where did you find that little one?”

“Funny hat man had on belt, Winky grabsed it while horsey monster fight grey man.”

“Well then, your little friend has solved part of the puzzle for you,” the mysterious woman happily declared. “There are two more keys to find. I do hope you find them all and bring Ambrose to a most deserving end.”

Comments

[AdmiralPopeyesBeard]

Hmmm, now this is gettin' interestin'!

Can't wait for more!!

[TheTownCrier]

Time to bring your A game.

[AdmiralPopeyesBeard]

Sooo, what's the update on the update, Doc?

[DocDelray]

5287921
Kiiiiinda hit some writer's block then wandered back over to Star Wars.

[AdmiralPopeyesBeard]

5288159

Ahh, I see. Thats perfect, well, it sucks you hit writers block, but I just started reading Smuggler and a Princess.

[NetherWalker]

The little guy looks like crash bandicoot...

just saiyan...

[gamer4COD]

5288159 Hit it with a sledgehammer! Seriously, if you asked this to a bunch of groups and published a new chapter, you might easily get to a hundred likes! And make a bunch of people happy.