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Chapter 13 - "Faith"

Raku could hear the dwarf as they quietly crept up a spiraling staircase of stone. Torches kept the area lit just enough being placed at every half spiral. Behind them the soft murmur of music and laughter. Climbing higher and higher it was soon nearly drowned out by the moaning of the wind winding through the various passages. Raku fiddled with the sleeves of his houppelande a long draping garment with equally long spacious sleeves The one he had chosen at the tailors was blue with. A silver trim that circled in on itself in a repeating pattern. It was not the best for movement and worse still if he had to engage in combat but it allowed him to keep the majority of his gear on without raising suspicion. Raku paused as they reached a landing that leads down a hall lined with sturdy wooden doors just as dimly lit as the stairwell. Raku hesitated there for a moment. Both ears angled towards the hall then behind them. Garrock continued up a few steps.

"I don't know how you can hear anything over the wind and the party downstairs. Even with those-" Raku suddenly hurried past him before flattening himself against the inside wall of the spiral. One arm pinning the dwarf as well.

"Shh! Someones coming," he whispered Garrock gave him a nervous look.

"That's guards quarters no one is goin tah stop there!"

"SHH!" Raku reiterated. They both finally went silent as the shuffling of feet approached.

"Hang me out to dry? The Archmage? We will see how pompous they are when they find out I've absconded with them both! Rob me of the findings I made." Vandel rambled as he reached the top step to the guards quarters. Raku shook his head at the dwarf seeing his hand reach for the hammer on his belt. Raku leaned out just enough to see Vandel fidgeting with something before heading down the hall. Before either the dwarf or the brute could relax dull roar echoed down the hall. Rakus ears perked picking something up unheard to Garrock or Vandel it seemed. "Damn it Baymon I'm going to thrash you if you lost your temper again," he sighed. His footsteps sounded more hurried now. Raku started back down the stairs curious to see what Vandel and his pet were up to considering they were both as of recently looking for the same person.

"Dog! What are you doing!?" Garrock whispered.

"Just looking..." he said rather dismissively. "Do you hear that strange humming? It's deafening" Raku peeked around the corner just in time to see Vandel closing a door behind him.

"You've lost it mutt I only hear the wind and the music." Before Raku could say anything else Shouting came from the room Vandel entered. Garrock moved to look as well now. The door shuddered, the metal handle rattled for a moment before there was a flash of flame under it. "What in the blazes?" Garrock muttered before jumping slightly as something slammed into the other side of the door. The sound of wood cracking and a few rivets popping loudly as it struggled to hold in whatever it was. An instant later it gave spiraling across the hall before exploding against the stone wall on the other side.

"How!?" Vandel grunted from inside the room. The next thing they heard was a high pitched scream. Raku recognized it immediately, jumping down the stairs he sprinted down the hall nearly tripping over his houppelande. The claws of his feet skittering on the stone as he stopped and braced himself in the door frame, Garrock was hot on his heels.

"This isn't good dog! Someones sure to of heard that," he warned. Raku wasn't listening as he took in the scene before him

"Baymon has no master now!" The beast growled. In the darkened room Raku saw Vandel in the claws of the mutated beast, his arms pinned at his sides. Slender horn-like spines jutted from Baymon's back. The eye he could see was sealed shut with what appeared to be wax. A long Tail of what looked to be just vertebrae hung from his backside coiled partially at his feet. There was no mistaking it now. Baymon was more than just another beast slave.

The elves feet kicked furiously as a flash of fire appeared in his palms for a moment. Baymon's teeth looked like rows of misaligned knives that folded out similar to snake fangs as his maw opened impossibly wide, the flesh of his cheeks splitting revealing more unnatural fangs. This drew Rakus eyes to Baymon's very skull, smoking and singed it looked blackened and burnt down to the bone possibly from Vandel's attempt to save himself.

"AuAUGH!" The elf cried as Raku realized what was actually happening. Baymon hoisted the elf up into the air, his arms twitched with an unholy strength, bones popped and cracked. Baymon was pressing the elves arms and shoulders into his own chest cavity. Rakus eyes darted around the room now trying to find the source of the scream he heard before The beast noticed him. Off to the side, He saw a bed, frame and all flipped on its side. Vandel's lungs let out an abrupt gurgle as he tried to scream realizing his fate. Baymon forced the elf into his maw clothing an all nearly up to the elves waistline and then it closed like a giant trap. Blood gushed around the beasts gums, soaking his neck and chest as it ran to the floor. Raku spotted that familiar fire red hair cowering in the far corner behind the bed. Reecie's hands clapped over her ears tightly as she watched in horror as Baymon ate his former master and her only safeguard against him. Garrock, on the other hand, spotted something else. An object fell from Vandel's hand bouncing a short distance away almost to The dwarf's feet the object rattled on the stone floor spiraling some as it went. Never one to pass up on an opportunity Garrock Scooped it up and pocketed it quickly. Vandel certainly wouldn't be needing it but at the same time if it was something of the former Archmages it would certainly be of some use or value in the future.

"Distract him..it" Raku breathed as he moved to the side attempting to skirt around Baymon unnoticed. This was a fight he wanted nor was he prepared for. Garrock, on the other hand, wasn't one to back down no matter the opponent. It certainly was attributed to that dwarven stubbornness. He focused his attention back on Baymon and blocked the doorway

"Oye ya fucking cunt! What are ye!?" he shouted at the beast drawing his hammer gripping it tightly with both hands. Baymon's head lurched to the side, Vandel's feet swinging with it. Like tearing a piece of meat Baymon grabbed Vandel's hips with one hand and wrenched the set of legs from his maw spilling some of the elves intestines on the floor before hurling the lower half of the elf at Garrock. The dwarf ducked the flying legs as they spiraled past his head before splatting against the far wall of the corridor with a wet thud. "Come on then!" he shouted, banging his hammer against his helm a few times. A barely audible growl reverberated from Baymon's throat as his head raised upward allowing Vandel's remains to slide down his gullet. The spikes on his back began to quiver as he stood to his full height facing the dwarf. One pearlescent eye shining from its scorched head. So far it was working.

"Reecie come on let's go!" Raku muttered grabbing her by the wrist as he looked back to Baymon. A new issue presented itself as that skeletal tail of his started to move to whoosh past they're heads. At first, Reecie didn't budge still in shock. A firm tug brought her back as she Looked to Raku for a moment before Following him still unable to keep her eyes off Baymon, tripping over his tail on its backswing. Raku scrambled to get her back to her feet nearly dragging her as the beast spun around its bony tail whistling through the air before smashing into Garrocks chest sending him rolling backward with a thud.

"LITTLE ELF IS MINE!" he roared furiously at the wolf stealing his prize. Baymon grabbed the footboard of the toppled bed at his side swinging the whole thing like a giant paddle at the two. Raku tackled Reecie, diving towards the doorway as the bed frame came apart on a flurry of fabric, fluff, and wood. As Raku rolled to his back with Reecie still in his arms Baymon was on them in no time looming over the two Raising up and arm to skewer then both into the floor with his claws. Raku rolled to his chest and braced himself over Reecie.

Before he could tell her to run. He felt a foot stomp off his back as Garrock used him as a makeshift platform to jump up and slam his hammer into Baymons snout. The beast reeled backward grasping its muzzle as blood began to drip between its fingers. Garrock rolled to the side as he landed getting another smashing blow onto one of Baymon's feet. The beast collapsed to one knee letting out a roar of pain that echoed in that ethereal convolution of voices Reecie heard before.

"Stick to tha plan I'll catch up!" Garrock shouted as he dogged and blind swipe. Raku wasted no time as he heaved Reecie over his shoulder and Made for the staircase they had come from.

"STAY IN THE LIGHT!" Reecie hollered from Raku's shoulder hoping Garrock could hear her. In the brief moments before they had shown up she saw Vandel cast some sort of blinding light that seemed to cause Baymon significant pain, it wasn't enough to save him, however. Hopefully, Garrock would fare better. Raku could hear the thundering of boots and clattering steel at the other end of the corridor as he hurried down the stairs.

Still shaken from her second encounter with Baymon Reecie was quiet for a long moment. The scene she had witnessed still fresh in her mind. Vandel had no idea the plans Baymon had for him. She remembered sitting there on the floor shaking as Vandel let his guard down to take the shackle off her ankle. Right before Baymon blindsided him, tossing the elf-like a ragdoll into the door. How could he have been so foolish to think he could control such powerful...monster. Another thought crept into the mind that had her watching the ceiling. Now there was nothing stopping Baymon from coming after her relentlessly. She half expected to see him barreling down the stairs after them. Reaching the bottom floor Raku set her down and looked her over for any wounds.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. Reecie shook her head slowly her amber eyes still fixed on the stairs they came from. "Good, good. We almost missed you were it not for Vandel." Reecie's eyes slowly shifted to Raku' a sense of hopelessness in them.

"Raku I'm scared." She muttered. Raku looked puzzled.

"Wha- why? Your safe now, I'm here, and were getting the hell out of here." his voice trailed as he leaned overlooking out the doorway at the bottom of the stairs.

"Right now." he continued and gave her a promising smile.

"Raku..." she started but he was already tugging her along down another corridor. The voices and music of the party getting louder as they went. The end of the hall opened into an intersection. A soft glow illuminated the door frame on they're right. Raku lead her this way into the banquet hall. A group of musicians with all manner of harps, lutes, and other instruments was filling the air with soft slow music set up in one corner. On a balcony above overlooking the party stood King Locke himself decorated in purple and gold along with the remainder of his royal entourage and one black hooded drow. Half the room was set with tables piled with all sorts of delectable looking foods. The other half was cleared for people to dance to the music if they wished. The room itself was quite packed, most of the spots at the table were occupied and the dance area was pretty crowded as well. It took everything in Raku not to confront the drow for what he'd done. But now was not the time nor the place. Raku swallowed his hatred.

They stuck out like a sore thumb though standing there and the exit to the outside of the castle was on the other in the corner diagonal of where they entered. If Acharion recognized either of them they would never reach the gate.

"Shit, we need to blend in, can you dance?" Raku asked looking down at Reecie. She herself was staring at Acharion now. But it was already too late. The drow spotted her almost immediately letting out a sharp whistle. Raku looked back up to see Acharion pointing down at them over the railing before dashing off out of sight.

"Damn it!" Raku retreated back through the door and down the corridor, they had just come from. Reecie ran to keep up as Raku shed the houppelande. "Backup plan, Garrock you'd better be ready," he muttered. His cover was blown and the houppelande would only slow him down anyway as he discarded it to the side. Raku glanced back to make sure Reecie was still behind. The wolf halted turning on his heels realizing she was standing in the middle of the corridor now. A Look of fear on her face as she shook her head.

"No Raku I-I can't I can't go back there I won't, not if that thing is still there."

He returned to her, his sense of urgency couldn't be greater.

"Reecie we don't have time for this! I can keep you safe, trust me!"

"No! No one can! If Vandel couldn't stop him how could you hope to? Baymon's not normal Raku you saw what he did! And that dark elf has my amulet, they were talking about it Raku you lied to me! Where did it come from? Were in this situation because of that damned thing!" Her eyes were welling up with tears as she tried to fight the urge to cry.

"Reecie.." The Brute whined and tried to grab her hand. She pulled away.

"NO! Tell me where it came from!"

"Reecie please!"

"They said it allows me to control something! Like a demon or or or a monster." She took a deep breath before whimpering "What if it's you?" Raku was thoroughly confused and honestly somewhat insulted.

"You...you think I'm like Baymon? Reecie your not making any sense, we don't have time for this!" He pleaded. Still, she refused to budge.

"WHERE RAKU?" She shouted. Raku threw his arms up, his chops drawing into a snarl.

"Fine! For Fuck sake! I think it's from Meesari. I've had nightmares about that stone for years." he put his hand over his heart where the brand was on his chest. "I'm pretty sure that's where I got the mark as well. But I swear I don't remember how or why. It was all around the time Titus and I parted ways. Is that what you wanted to hear? You happy now?" Raku could tell something still bothered her. She nodded weakly but didn't look any happier about his answer. "Keep up, we need to get to the eastern wall." As they ascended back up the stairs Raku motioned with his hand for Reecie to stop as they reached the guards floor once more.

The silence was disconcerting, Gazing down the corridor most of the torches near the exploded door and severed legs had been snuffed out. Almost dead center of the corridor was giant smear of blood, a few handprints dotted the walls, Scorch marks were everywhere. At the far end where it turned a Luthalve lay motionless on the floor its chest cracked open. More concerning was the lack of a large beast body and tell tale paw prints leading away and around the corner. One foot must of been dragging by the looks of it but still. It seemed Baymon helped his own against several Luthalves. Raku prayed Garrock escaped in the chaos.

"Don't look and keep going it should be the next floor." Raku whispered ushering her past him. Reecie kept her gaze to the floor and hurried upward. The next landing looked like a simple passageway lined with open windows and was far enough from the party to be nearly silent save for the winds tearing through the open windows The soft moon light shining through was the only illumination on this floor. Thankfully though it was exactly as the dwarf had described. A hallway of windows on the right hand side. Reecie waited for Raku to go first before moving. "Third window, stables below." he muttered as they went passing one then two. Reecie stopped and grabbed Rakus arm tightly, freezing in her tracks.

"R-r-raku!?" She stammered.

"This is it, what?" His head turned to look where she was staring. Just a few feet away just beyond the pale light of the next window a single white orb shone in the darkness. Tiny drops of blood landed in the light, an eerie moan echoed down the dark corridor with a sudden gust. Raku pulled Reecie in front of him roughly as a growl came from his left. Her body frozen with fear forced the brute thrust her out the window, the elf made not a sound as she fell. Before Raku could follow a flash of sparks rained down around his feet as what sounded like a chain slapped across the stone with sharp crack. Looking to the source at his right he saw Acharion sprinting from the stairs directly at him. A whip made of fine chain,every link had a sharpened spike on either side of it was wound in his left hand for another strike. That ornate gauntlet on his right rose from inside his cloak as its fingers snapped with a metallic ping. The gauntlet lit up like the brightest torch he'd ever seen. Raku braced himself partially blinded by the light. He would have to wait till the last second or else risk landing on Reecie below. A shrill cry like the squealing of a pig being butchered assault his ears from the left as Baymon retreated. Dazed and deafened Raku fell out the window just as the Drow hurled the length of that vicious whip again unleashing another shower of sparks on the stone floor. A brief moment of free falling came next as the window flew away from his feet before he crash landed in a cart of straw. Garrock had made it after all and had the straw from the stables ready. Just as planned. Climbing out still a bit disoriented Garrock helped him to his feet. Reunited Raku saw the aftermath of the fight with Baymon. Garrock had a bruised cheek and small cut on his lip. His armor was scraped and dented and he looked as if he might be a little sore but it didn't slow him down a bit. Raku couldn't help but gaze back up at the window only to see that hood looking down.

"you escape me this time beast...but mark my words...when our paths cross again, I will kill you." the drow muttered.