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Mourning Wood

Crowds gather around the various precipices in Sharn to gawk at a brand new and in some ways down right alien design for an airship the front most portion is a large sphere fit snuggly into a setting that gives the ship the overall appearance as being inspired by a hammerhead shark with triangular fin like structures to either side and somewhere beyond this flying bridge are a trio of fins with one spiking perfectly straight up from the main chassis of the vessel with the other two jutting out at angles on either side to create the trilateral symmetry of many sea creatures with a barely visible air elemental forming what seems like a ring of storm clouds with lightning occasionally arcing all around the circumference of the ring with the faint sound of thunder emanating as the smell of ozone associated with a summer storm wafting from this particular section of the ship and all the way at the terminus of the vessel are more sculpted construction to suggest the majestic tail fluke a great shark replicated in metal and canvas. Newspapers have been hyping up today for weeks as this is the debut of the Sky Shark, the latest, greatest innovation the Izzet League has ever created. Final preparations are underway by many of those that would be its crew on this its maiden voyage but one member of the Blade Storm Legionnaire's Guild that hired on as a mercenary marine is looking at the ring and questioning the sanity of the Izzet League for their pride if he is seeing what he thinks he is seeing.

Herzog Hauptmann Kodyax Mumphouzen von Fenryx one of the many kymera the Simic Combine claim are their creation and a double classed Druid-Ranger besides who wears what seems to be simple travelers garb consisting of a well made green and brown tunic with trousers to match with a tribal tattoo design of a coiled dragon in stark black markings. With simple gloves on his feet and boots upon his feet and a wide brown belt girding his waist that seems to go well with his russet brown fur just as the goggles of vaguely owl like countenance blends in well with his wolf like head even if most of the rest of his body is more like that of a bear with a wolf's tail as afterthought added in at the last moment he was formed as he leans on an ash grey staff and inspects the ring with great intensity. The hood of his voluminous gray cloak is drawn over his head as he draws a flask of something from the satchel resting on his left hip attached securely to his belt with a covered quiver resting on his right hip.

Under intense scrutiny secrets of the elemental being that makes up the ring keeping the Sky Shark afloat and will propel it forward once it leaves its station in Sharn as scales not unlike those one would expect on the skin of a dragon subtly but surely reveal themselves as they cycle around the ring as if a draconic serpentine thing were constantly chasing its own tail. As Kodyax just stands and observes more and more features reveal themselves as a creature that mixes aspects of the Nordic linnorms and the great dragons that appearing in the art decorating practical pieces of architecture and housewares of the Chinese emerges from the mist of its very being obscuring anything resembling a true view of the thing undulating in idle irritation. The Izzet league is well known for drawing up contracts with otherworldly creatures and being to serve as mystical beasts of burden and worse so there is probably nothing to worry too much unless some reckless wizard in the Izzet League contracting an oath breaker to power the ship and of that there is some concern as Kodyax knows that should this thing decide to void its contract and run amok, it will be up to him to hunt it down and send it back home by destroying its physical form so that it has no choice but to retreat back to whatever plane of existence from whence it came.

His interest in the elemental storm dragon almost distracts him from noticing a gnome in a mechanical spider vehicle leading a changeling wearing only a bondage harness including a hooded cowl parades past him as the gnome gives him a coy wink. Kodyax crosses his arms across his chest and gives the smaller humanoid a lethal look of disapproval. The gnome just chuckles and taunts the kymera.

"She made a deal with us and now she's paying the price aren't you, Kessundroa?" The gnome asks pointedly to which the changeling can only hang her head in shame as he twirls his moustache and grooms his beard in evil travel like a cartoon villain gloating over a hero he has unfairly bested. "I need an answer girl, your contract demands it!" "Yes, Master Beelzebub," Kessundroa says in a regretful sigh as she gives Kodyax a wan smile.

"Beelzebubble Gum-Man," Kodyax growls and shakes his head. "I should have recognized you from the start. I'd ask what kind of shell game you played to enslave her but I know better. Not that I want to know, but what are your intentions for this poor unfortunate soul?" He says with a tone of bitter sarcasm as the irony of the situation just makes the impish gnome smirk.

"That my dear, ranger, would be telling and you I never do that." Beelzebub says in a manner more fitting some Satanic sideshow salesman than the dark wizard he knows he is specializing in summoning other things to do his dirty work rather than soil his own hands. "But I'll make you a deal." He holds up a pair of dice. "Roll these and enter the portal they summon. If you beat the monster or monsters within she's yours for the duration of the trip. Otherwise I'll have your soul."

"I should know better but I will play your game." Kodyax growls and glares at him. "We shall see just what develops."

Kodyax shakes the dice in his hand and throws them to the ground. The red die comes up as a 1 as the black die displays a 6 which causes Beelzebub to scowl as he thinks the fight will be too easy and grabs three dice from a hidden pocket that are black as night with numbers the color of blood which comes up 333 which causes him to beat on his clockwork vehicle in utter frustration as a portal opens up for Kodyax to walk through and before the gnome can protest he steps through and it closes behind him. Beelzebub takes out a crystal ball clutched in a demon's claw as he focuses it on the action he is to observe for the conclusion of this wager.

Crimson skies the color of freshly spilled blood greets Kodyax as he steps as storm clouds starts to gather above dumping torrential rains as black lightning splits the sky quickly bringing a demonic thunder that sounds as much like the screams of agony of those damned souls condemned to Hell as it does normal thunder. The path before him is not unlike that of a mountain pass with jutting jagged stone not unlike blades of serrated steel on either side that dissuades travelers not to stray from the pass stretching out before him. A sense of foreboding fills him with gathering dread as he walks forth to find whatever monster or monsters he is supposed to kill and get back home.

Scythe wielding goblins with bloody red hood scarves in suits of black leather with crimson gloves and shoes walk deftly on the jagged stones adeptly as he look at him as starving men gaze a buffet laid before them. A chant of "Fresh Meat!" sing sung in alternating tongues of sylvan and goblin as if each of the six before him was some unholy hybrid of goblin and powrie. Kodyax shakes his head as the staff transforms into a powerful bow as he draws back the string and notches an arrows as lightning crackles at his very finger tips "Are you prepared for the storm?" he asks in goblin as a predatory grin creeps onto his face and he follows it up by chanting in sylvan: "Your time to die has come today; for I am the HUNTER and YOU are my PREY!"

The red caps look at each other in utter surprise as Kodyax whips his bow to the right side and lets loose his shaft whose head practically sparkles with the shocking power of the storm the plows its way through the red cap's heart and pokes through his backside even as his body blackens with the discharge of its electrocution. "He can't kill us all!" One of the red caps says to his brothers in goblin and another agrees with him: "We must strike as one!" As all five of them leap from their perches to target the wolf-bear folk with their oversized blades that hunger for blood their would be victim shoots again and impales one of their member with another arrow and drops his scythe, dead before his corpse hits the ground as the ranger-Druid leaps back to avoid getting impaled himself.

Kodyax gets off one more lethal shot before he commands his bow to turn back into a battle staff which it does only to almost be cut in half with the sheer force the red cap puts behind his scythe strike that he manages to block as his twin brothers score deep gashes in either side of the hero they are battling. The redcap whose scythe attack Kodyax blocked strips him of his weapon which forces him to leap back in defense once more and skillfully avoid get double slashed again by the other two redcaps as he takes up his axe and snarls. All three redcaps come at him as one and raise their weapons to eviscerate their foe as soon as they can but this is a mistake that costs them dearly as Kodyax surges forward to decapitate the lead redcap and rush through him with such precision that the two remaining foes decapitate each other when their swings miss their intended target which causes Kodyax to smirk and take a long swig from a flask he plucks from one of his satchel as he picks up his staff and deposits it in his quiver as he walks through the portal and gives the gnome a smirking glare. Knowing full well that Kodyax would gladly cleave his own skull in twain given half an excuse, Beelzebub hands Kassundroa's chain over to Kodyax with a look that says "This is NOT over" which only causes the wolf-bear folk to chuckle and tell him. "By your own code please do try again, once I win six such challenges in a row your claim over her is forever forfeit."

"If you do manage to claim her as your own I will curse her to have a slave's mind until the end of her days." Beelzebub growls. "I will NOT be undone some mere hero!" He spits that last bit with utter contempt. "You've won this round, little hero, but your magic can't solve everything."

"Prepare yourself little man," Kodyax growls back. "A storm is brewing and you better make sure you're ready when it comes to blow."

"Don't you dare threaten me, Druid!" Beelzebub retorts. "I have more resources than you know of. I will find a way to get back what is mine." "You know, I've been meaning to get myself a Warhammer or an axenhammer," Kodyax says with a smirk and guides Kessundroa below to his bunk and she nods with a smile as she follows willingly.

"You do have a plan, don't you boss?" A kobold asks as she watches the exchange. "She will make a great a great sacrifice if we can get her back."

"Aye, Wrench," Beelzebub growls. "The dice cheated me. But victory is so much sweeter when it is wrought through treachery. We have plans to make and implement. Mark my words." "As you wish, master," Wrench says with a bow and a smirk of his own then she turns to another kobold coming up behind her. "Revenge is a dish best served cold, Corkscrew, isn't that what the humans often say?"

"In many cases, Wrench," Corkscrew says with a smirk. "What deviltry are you contemplating, and might I humbly be a part of it?"

"Pride goes before the fall," Wrench says with a conspiratorial wink. "Our contracts to that wretched gnome only fully get voided with his death."

"Ravnos grows impatient for his sacrifice," Corkscrew states. "He was promised the changeling as a plaything I am curious as to how the boss portends to fulfill his end of the bargain now." "Exactly," Wrench says with a smirk. "The ranger-druid will gladly kill the boss given half the chance. And if Beelzebub meets his end in some bloodsport with Kodyax."

"Beelzebub will become the sacrifice to our demon dragon lord." Corkscrew says with a knowing smirk and then cocks his head to the side. "So how are we going to do it?" "Patience, my dear friend, these things need time to properly develop." Wrench says with a coy remark and playful lash of her tail on his torso. "How long is thing going to be flying again?" "A quarter of a year if I heard right." Corkscrew says as he taps the side of his own muzzle in deep thought. "Doesn't the boss have a secret cache in the Mournlands we are supposed to look in in on?"

"Aye, that we are," Wrench says with a knowingly mocking grin. "Including a gnome sized war frame battlesuit he wants to smuggle out and sell to the highest bidder."

"Well," Corkscrew says with a conspiratorial grin. "In that case we better make sure Kodyax gets that axenhammer he mentioned he wanted."

"Glad to know we are on the same page, my dear." Wrench says with a dark grin.

"I do believe we are, my dear," Corkscrew says as they laugh together on go down below.

Kessundroa smiles to herself as Kodyax leads her to the huge bed that he has been given as a senior marine on this trip and lays down upon without being ordered to do so. She is fully aware of what lustful intentions the mutated shifter has for her and even welcomes it as the alternative that gnome had for her is far less desirable as she knows what sorts of things he is into. His muzzle on the nipples of her breasts sends of waves of pleasure up and down her body as he is gentle and considerate of her limits as she eagerly awaits his invasion.

Her outfit is actually enchanted and while it can indeed function as a bondage harness as she spreads herself for his enjoyment and groans as he takes advantage of her making herself prone as she knows what kinds of beings he is malicious towards and is going to do her best not to appear to be anything like that because she isn't. Even being made his permanent sex slave won't be that bad as she has been in this position before and he inadvertently rescued her from that pseudo life that could have well killed her, the source of sustenance for a mental marauder that are the mind flayers. She got her hood and harness from that lifetime that allows her all the protection of a suit of armor and the ability to appear to be clothed in any way she chooses which only compliments her natural ability to shapeshift into different forms and gives her so many options to slip away into the societies of the world.

His tongue upon her clit and the lips of her labia pleases her no end and he has placed his sheathe and scrotum where her mouth can easily touch them as she licks his balls eagerly and moans as he eats her out so delicately. Her tongue stimulates his member to action as its tapered point telescopes away from his sheath and as she bears witness to his erection she vaguely hopes he will fill her with his seed. He does not disappoint her as he soon teases his engorged phallus against her cunny before pushing himself inside slowly but surely which causes her to close her eyes and moan in utter ecstasy.

Even if she was not rendered helpless to resist him, Kessundroa has no intention of resisting his sexual advances as he thrusts deeply within her, his muzzle attending to her breasts and satisfying her sexual needs more than any other male creature she has allowed herself to be preyed upon in this manner and in Kessundroa's mind she is his spoil of war, a plaything for him to use as he sees fits and she loves every second of her time under him. The illithids experimented with her brain, inserting all the skills of a psychic rogue and a bard while opening her mind to the terrors that dwell in the heart of Xoriat, the moon of madness. They wanted to seduce her targets with sex and song, lulling them into a vulnerable position before she would eliminate her target, stealing away to a hidden safe room before her next victim is selected. But when he infiltrated the colony and killed the elder brain with his bath bomb of deadly toxin she was freed from their corruption and was guided to the surface by unscrupulous individuals with whom she has drifted in and out of various legalities until she made an ill advise wagering contract that resulted in her current situation.

Kodyax is definitely getting his rocks off pounding her pussy and the best thing about having a changeling to have sex with is the fact she can shapeshift into so many forms it may never be having his way with the same fetching female twice. He can smell the taint of that which he does his best to destroy but in her case he hopes she is merely and innocent victim of the taint of the moon of madness than someone that chose to pursue the darkness of such a foul place. She is very willing to have him take what he wants from her sexually with makes him wonder just how submissive she is and how far can he take her and is there any demand he could make that she would balk at. Lust fills him now and once that is depleted he wonders what else will he do with her as while he knows not exactly what Beelzebub wants with her, it can't be good so he is determined to fully remove her from his ownership as soon as he can without resorting to any undue violence on his part. He may be a mercenary in some ways but even he knows the difference of killing as part of his duties to a client and outright murder.

Unbeknownst to either the kymera or the changeling is that they are being monitored by Beelzebub himself in his own private state room aboard the Sky Shark that was a pittance to pay for from his hordes of ill gotten wealth garnered over the many years of his life as gnomes can live for hundreds of years unlike those he deals with and cheats out of their fortunes on a regular basis. Although it's not just mortals he has cheated as the largish snow globe on the table where he plots his wicked schemes while mastering his own fate as he bears witness to the pleasure the druid-ranger is now enjoying due to that ill conceived he made in his arrogance that even now is costing him as he fully intended to make her his own little fuck toy until it was time to sacrifice her for his greater long term goals. Inside the snow globe the Krampus stalks some children but turns his face to growl at Beelzebub.

"Patience little demon," Beelzebub growls back. "You will have someone to torment soon enough I swear. In fact if I have things planned out well enough for my next trap, the changeling will again be mine."

The Krampus cocks his head to the side as Beelzebub takes up the globe and places it in a satchel and grabs a deck of tarot cards as he gets of his throne and makes his way back on deck where a table has been set up to play a version of Texas Hold'Em style poker with his tarot deck as the cards including the major and minor arcana to be used to enhance the effect of Zilargo Stake-Out. Already seat at the table are a number of players that includes Kodyax who has redressed himself in his usually attire and what looks like a clothed human woman with mocha colored skin and neon pink hair and deep sapphire eyes like the depths of the ocean dressed in full dress of lime green with grape purple highlights including a hat to match with the purple accentuated as a wide ribbon hatband that terminates in an extravagant bow that Beelzebub knows is Kessundroa in an elaborate and complex disguise combining natural abilities of her race and a special magic item that he procured for her but she failed to properly repay him and thus he managed to enslave her to his service. Beelzebub is the dealer and the collateral has not but hoisted on the table as he puts up the enchanted snow globe and everyone else puts up some sort of enchanted bauble as their stake in the game with Kodyax offering up an enchanted compass.

Others at the table include a halfling barbarian, an elven war mage, a dwarven artificer, a tortle druid, and a pair of raccoon-ferret kymera well known to Kodyax as Moses and Karl Stooge who are both fighter-rogue combos and along with their brothers Lawrence and Shempatirck are lower ranking members of the same mercenary guild as Kodyax. Since the opening antes are already offered Beelzebub starts dealing cards with Kodyax getting the Devil and Fool as he deals the Magician, the Knight of Swords and the Knave of Wands to the table which causes Kodyax to internally smirk as the Magician combined with the cards in hand are one of the power sets of the game which Beelzebub well knows and this is a cause of concern for him as the cards are marked by him in such a way that only he knows what everyone is holding even as he holds the Wheel of Fortune and the Tower in his hand. Moe has the two and three of swords, while his brother has the two and three of wands which causes them to shake their head as beside them the tortle holds the king and queen of cups, the dwarf has the knight and knave of rings, the elf has the king and queen of wands while the halfling has the king and queen of swords.

No antes are raised so the next card dealt is the hanged man which prompts the Stooge Brothers to fold as there is no path to victory for them and the halfling slaws his fist on the table which secretly amuses Beelzebub. Again nobody decides to up the stakes, which does not surprise Beelzebub in the slightest as Kodyax plays his hand conservatively which is ironic since his is the best hand followed by Beelzebub himself since four major arcana cards are a flush but for Kodyax four major arcana cards of people constitute a hand with a higher ranking than a royal flush which is the cause of horror when the final card is dealt as the elf and dwarf both fold. The last card is the Hierophant which causes Kodyax to smile darkly and Beelzebub to sweat bullets as the halfling looks ready to draw a weapon as the city of Sharn shoots fireworks into the sky as part of a celebration for the Sky Shark making its maiden voyage as it departs from its moorings and begins to sail the seas of sky towards the Mournlands.

Kodyax gathers his winnings and begins to leave as the halfling begins to draw a bladed boomerang only to be tackled by Larry and Shemp as they along with their brothers are officially the subordinates of Kodyax within the guild they are all a part of. The halfling manages to extricate himself and hops on the back of a nearby Pteranodon before flying away and the brothers replace the departing members at the poker table. The halfling takes out another bladed boomerang only to be fatally wounded by a gunshot fired by Kodyax who holds out a broom handled Mauser and glares at his would be assailant while the barrel of his firearms still emits a plume of smoke and when his dinosaur mount looks like it might want to attack, he takes a few more potshots to put it down as well.

Below decks in his suite Kessundroa dismisses the illusory dress she had summoned but does not change back to her natural form as she willingly kneels before Kodyax and pulls down his pants so she can lick at his sheathe and scrotum like a good slave. Kodyax is more than happy to allow this as he undresses himself the rest of the way and places the enchanted snow globe on the bedside table. Inside the snow globe the Krampus looks on with grim amusement.

Feelings of safety, security and confidence in her sexuality, swell within Kessundroa as she spreads herself invitingly for Kodyax to come take his pleasure from her body which she abundantly wishes to provide for him. Her eagerness to serve him causes conflicting emotions to swirl within him as Kodyax licks her chocolate tits and rubs the tip of his blood engorged phallus against the lips of her labia as shs whines in a pleading tone of voice for him to breed her. Concern for her mental well being fights desperately with his own lust and desire to just take her as the sexual plaything she is more than willing to offer herself to her temporary.

His invasion fills her with deep emotion beyond the carnality of physical sensation. As a changeling the number of configurations of skin, hair and eye colors are practically limitless and she wants to display as many of them as she can for him. Primal emotions surge within her and she has no desire to even try to keep them in check at this point as she feels so alive just surrendering to her inner beast in perpetual heat while in the presence of a male that will fulfill her unspoken desires effortlessly as Kodyax is more than capable of rendering even if he has no idea what his touch and the administration of his lust instills within her.

Exhaustion propels his trip into the dreamlands like lighting a rocket and riding it into outer space but without the forefront knowledge of what awaits him in the fantastic realms beyond the wall of sleep as the Krampus laughs maniacally. In the landscape spreading out as far as the eye can see in his dreams are the frozen ruins choked with overgrowth covered in blankets of snow as a blizzard rages all around him, the falling snow limiting visibility as he tightly grips both handles of his assault rifle. Kodyax stares at the tommy gun in his hands as he does not own such a weapon nor does he know that it even exists but it only takes a few fading seconds for him to realize that he is within a dream even if the setting surrounding him is utterly foreign to his mind as even existing.

A bolt of lightning strikes the firearm but instead of dropping it for fear of his own safety, Kodyax reaches out with his own will and mystical abilities as a druid of the storm to force the electricity to become contained with thin the drum magazine of his gun and have it add its fury to the ordinance within. An angry howl of frustration sounds and causes Kodyax to quirk an eye ridge in inquiry at manner of beast could have made it. A window opens up in the sky as Kodyax can see Beelzebub looking down at him with some concern and the realization hits him like a runaway freight train: The snow globe has some entity in it and Beelzebub purposefully lost it to him so it would try to kill him in his dreams.

Kodyax laughs and extends two finger claws from his one hand and holds it up for Beelzebub to clearly see which causes the gnome to go wide eyed in horror as he realizes just what is happening. Once again his treachery is laid bare and this time it will cost him as the fact causes Beelzebub to panic as this is the second of six attempts to cheat Kodyax of his life and his prize before the gnome looses his slave to the kymera permanently. It's also too late to take back the snow globe and try something else as he no choice but to watch on and hope this champion fares better than the last attempt.

Treacherous ice is hidden beneath the snow just waiting for someone to come across it blindly as a tripping hazard leading spikes of ice in some places. But Kodyax is too cautious to fall victim to such traps as he is an experienced explorer and while he has never been in this region before, if it ever really was a region in the first place, he has explored enough locations similar to this and is proceeding with such partial knowledge acting as a constant warning that he knows well enough not to ignore. The fact that something is stalking him is not lost on him either but at this point he is more curious than incensed as it will be just one more thing he has to brag about surviving.

Halls of white marble with a forest of columns made of the same material stretch out before as the ruins of a palatial estate of some forgotten civilization lay before him just begging for him to explore and examine them with statues of bronze depicting mighty warriors in a distinctly Greco-Roman style stand about in attention like pawns of some insane chess game just waiting for players to arrive and move them about. Kodyax smirks to himself as he enters while idly looking for the redundant sign proclaiming the situation to be a trap but given that this is a dream there could be a way he can use it to his advantage. Somewhere about halfway through his stroll through the hall the Krampus enters the building behind him which causes the explorer to turn around and face his pursuer.

An ebony furred Wildman with wicked horns, a wicker basket and a club like scourge bundle of switches confronts him on hoofed feet with a crimson eyed serpent for a tail and hands like talons with long, sharp claws. An impossibly long tongue lolls out his mouth festooned with fangs that are much more scary that the teeth in his own mouth which cases Kodyax some cautious concern as he assess the threat this thing might be to himself. A voice of inhuman malice and depravity broadcasts from lips stretched uncomfortably wide in sinister sapience is directed to him as the thing speaks for once.

"Well, well, well," the Krampus growls in a gravely voice one assumes would reverberate in the very soil of a cemetery. "It would seem that I finally have a naughty boy with enough in their brain case to think they can actually face me in direct combat and survive. That has not happened in quite some time."

"And whom do I have the displeasure of facing?" Kodyax asks guardedly. "I am Kodyax, a hunter of that which haunts the darkness to terrorize those that prefer to live their lives in the light of peace and harmony; what most consider good things to keep and share with one another." "Call me Krampus," the Krampus states, "I have been entitled the Christmas Demon and the dark mirror of Sinter Claus."

"Krampus you say?" Kodyax says in a tone that betrays his utter lack of being impressed which only goads his opponent forward with murderous rage. "Can't say I have ever heard of you or these things you would use to entitle yourself."

"It matters little, naughty boy, the sovereignty of the faith I am a mockery of stills holds sway because it amuses and empowers me to do so. You name means little in the end for the names of my victims are as meaningless to me as are the prayers of the sinful to the ears of God."

"Very well then," Kodyax says with a mocking smirk on his muzzle. "Enough talk, lets get down to the business of killing each other."

Kodyax grips his assault rifle with both hands firing bullet after electrified bullet at the demon as it stretches out a hand to command the statues to shield him and then stares wild eyed as the bullets hit him and the statues fail to come to life. Collapsing to the checkered floor Krampus stares in dis belief as Kodyax makes his way to the back of him as he trades his firearm for a melee weapon that is only seen in fantasy with one side the deadly edge of an ax and the other side the crushing might of warhammer head. Swinging for the fences, Kodyax separates the head of the Krampus which rolls ways wailing its frustration at being defeated so easily that only ceases when Kodyax reverses his weapon to crush the skull of his opponent which causes the snow to change into a rain of glass shard descending with murderous intent as the snow globe shatters in the real world.

Calling on nature's power and majesty, Kodyax heals his wounds and proceeds to continue exploring on in the frozen landscape until at last he awakens to begin his shift on the watch. Only clouds greet him as he ascends above decks to begin his vigil and transforms his staff in the great bow to shoot down what he needs to shoot down if he needs to shoot something down as the skies transition from the inky blackness of night to the orange glow of morning. The Stooge brothers soon join him with rifles of their own as they salute Kodyax before they take their own places to do an overwatch and ensure the safety of the vessel as it makes its way into the Mournlands.

As their shift draws to a close, the quintet is joined on the top deck by a warforged merchant carrying the very weapons Kodyax had wielded in his dreams and Kodyax cocks his head with great interest. The warforged in question bears all the markings of the Izzet League as if that lends an air of legitimacy to what it is selling. The brothers bought their toys from it earlier and it is looking to see if it can interest a higher-ranking member of the guild in its wares.

"Greetings and salutations, Captain Kodyax!" The warforged beams in all the neutrality of a carnival barker just about to start his sales pitch but with the all the flatness of tone of a computer-generated instruction track for a textbook on salesmanship. "If it pleases you to know, I have the designation of Gunner Smith and am an artificer and full-fledged member of the Izzet League authorized to sell their products far and wide. Might I interest you in a few tools of war that may please you?"

"Certainly," Kodyax says amicably. "I see you have an axenhammer some sort of rifle. Does the drum magazine come standard?"

"Ah, I see you are interested in the Storm Bolter 9000," Gunner Smith responds with a respectful bow and nod. "I regret to inform you the drum magazine only comes with the deluxe model which is more expensive that the standard model. But I will say the axenhammer I have for sale comes with a special extra eldritch capacitor that can hold the full power of any spell you wish to cast, especially if it has a range of touch and discharge it with a strike."

"I'll take one of each and two extra magazines if you have them." Kodyax states as he turns over his winnings from the poker game. "I had wanted an axenhammer for some time now. A pleasure to do business with you."

"My gratitude to you is boundless Captain Kodyax," Gunner Smith states honestly as it is happy to make a sale of this magnitude. "I will make myself available should you need any more of my wares."

The day passed uneventfully although Kodyax could feel like he was being shadowed constantly even as he didn't see anyone and did not want to waste one of his daily spells on something as trivial as finding hidden spies. The only clue he got is a vague smell like that he smelt before when he had to deal with a kobold Khyber cult which prompted him to give an assignment to the Stooge brothers to see if there are any kobolds aboard the Sky Shark and whom they are working.. The result of this inquiry was hardly surprising to Kodyax as the Stooge brothers are a blunt implement at best but unleashing them on this fact finding mission causes his shadows to recede which grants him an answer in and of itself as he suspects that they are working for someone that has his worst interests at heart.

Beelzebub is beside himself with grief as his machinations are slowly but surely falling apart as the Stooge brothers are on the lookout for kobolds which means his minions can't make a move without the risk of being detected. Summoning imps would tip his hand too much for his taste and potentially give Kodyax evidence to act on and his attempt to conjure a retriever demon to steal Kessundroa back ended up backfiring as Kodyax was able to easily defeat them which prompted him to make three deep slashes in the door to the gnome's suite with the axe blade of his new toy which nearly gave the scoundrel a heart attack as he was on the other side of said door when the kymera carved his warning. And he can't complain to security, the guild Kodyax is part of are the ones the people actually in charge of the Sky Shark hired to provide security and besides the full disclosure would constitute a fourth strike out of six and he is damn well not willing to go there.

Demons are not exactly the most subtle of provocateurs but as chaotic as Beelzebub likes to be and with all the malice and pure evil in his heart he prefers keeping a given victim unawares of the truth of his sinister intentions until it is far too late for them to do anything to stop him. But someone like Kodyax is always on the lookout for treachery as he is a Gatekeeper which means he is looking for subtle machinations of malevolence damn near constantly as he hunts down the terrors of the night to keep others safe from things beyond their comprehension and vision. Initially the challenge is what drew Beelzebub to the ranger-druid, after all how much more of an ego stroke it is when you manage to fool someone looking for treachery yet still falls for your deception, but it is becoming apparent that he is willing to use underhanded tactics to force folks like the gnome warlock to be even more subtle than usual and second guess every move he makes to ensure everything is perfect.

Kodyax lies in bed with Kessundroa sleeping peacefully on top of him her form slowly returning to her natural state from the elf maid form she took earlier to please him. She feels safe and secure as his property and does not want to be freed from his service, that much he can tell and it worries him. He has developed affection for her and her innocence; it reminds of why he does what he does, she is safe from harm because of him and he knows he will do his darndest to keep it that way.

She treats him like some kind of hero but does he really deserve it? Yes, people are safer because of what he has done, but is he really worthy of being acclimated as a hero with how many lives he finds he sometimes has to sacrifice to make sure some powerful terrors are put down and even then not permanently because as far as he could tell there is no way to eliminate some terrors without sacrificing all you hold dear and controlling the minds of others in such a brutal fashion that it makes you no different than the tyrants you have helped depose for their depravities? Eventually he knows his own time will come to sacrifice his life now and all future lives to ensure something that should not roam free is kept suppressed for as long as possible but even then he fears that is a sacrifice he cannot make as he knows of few others that can take his place as selfish as that is and he hates such a decision every time he has to make it with the ramifications of those decisions haunting his waking mind every moment of the day.

As Kodyax drifts off in his mind, mentally conjuring up a duplicate of himself to travel along the long and winding road that leads up to a massive stone edifice that he knows all too well is the wall of sleep and the massive gatehouse one must travel through to get beyond it but something is different this time. Naked and bound, Kessundroa is hung by the neck from the rampart and is choking from the noose secured to her neck and strangling her slowly. Twin ant like humanoids gripping serrated glaives march out to confront him as he takes out a disc crossbow to cut her down and save her life.

Jellyfish swimming through the air as if it were water each featuring an illusion of Beelzebub's face explode from the watchtowers like a squadron of attack helicopters launch from the watch tower each broadcasting the gnome's sinister, yet annoying laughter as if trying their awful best to make him fire off target. Kodyax is far too practiced to let something so trivial spoil his aim as he pulls the trigger and lets loose a serrated circular saw blade that easily slices through the rope holding her aloft and he rushes to grab her before the demons do as they maneuver to impale her on their weapons and he takes another quick shot with his disc crossbow that decapitates the one even as the other gets close to positioning itself so that it will indeed kill Kessundroa but it does not count on Kodyax being as dedicated as he to protecting his charge. Performing a diving tackle, Kodyax moves the demon out of position to impale her before he rolls under her to break her fall.

Words of power flow like a rapid stream from Kodyax's muzzle lips as dark clouds start to gather and the air fills the smell of ozone so common to a summer storm as sparks of lightning illuminate the sky above accompanied by the traditional roar of thunder. At his command a thunderous bolt of lightning strike the remaining demon and sends lethal voltage coursing through what it counts on for veins, electrocuting instantly as a downpour of rain drenches the scenery in its unrelenting torrents. Buffeting winds form a localized tornado that lifts Kodyax into the sky and grants him the power of flight as he effortless catches Kessundroa and cradles her in his arms.

Kessundroa hugs Kodyax tightly as she struggles to remain in the drreamlands and not be forced into the waking world that happens when one is killed in dreams. Kodyax keeps her close as he struggles to keep her safe and manipulate the primal magic that he himself unleashed and uses the wind and rain along with the lightning and the thunder to shred the jellyfish with the sheer force of his will with a fire behind his eyes as he can see the will of Beelzebub and it only infuriates him. After the first thousand of them are torn asunder the rest of them flee and in the real world Beelzebub himself bolts awake in a cold sweat as he fully expects Kodyax to attack the door to his suite at any second as he knows that the gnome was behind the attempt on her life and this does count towards the six attempts he can try to regain her from the kymera before she becomes his slave permanently.

In the realms of the dream world Kessundroa and Kodyax are walking on the boardwalk of a nameless city on the coast of a forgotten ocean where concrete buildings made to look like circus tents are set up along the one side amidst a beach of endless sand while on the other side over the water are a myriad of amusement piers as far as the eye can see. Voiceless automatons of brass clockworks are the only other beings besides themselves that are perceivable so far many of them look at the pair with guarded fascination, as Kessundroa has chosen to make herself look like an elven mermaid in an wheeled tank that propels itself through seemingly mystically and thus invisible means. All in all they travel in blissful silence, although Kodyax hopes he is seeing things when they pass poles topped with gaslight lanterns whose perpetual flames turned into unblinking eyeballs that watch their passage before going back to contained pyres of illumination.

Riding in their own private car on a Ferris wheel Kessundroa kneels before her master and eagerly takes his member into her mouth to please him. She stimulates him orally until his release followed by her swallowing down all he gives her eagerly. When she sits next him after her feeding he fondles her breasts and nether region without mercy until they are rudely snatched back to the harsh reality of the waking world.

Hellish choking smoke envelops the ship as the screams of vultures seems to come from everywhere with vile and contemptible speech contained within said screams in a foreign tongue that Kodyax has heard too many times before. The blasphemous tongue of the lower planes like Hell and the Abyss are familiar enough to the ranger-druid that he recognizes it instantly even if the nuances and particular meanings of words and phrases is utterly foreign to his mind. If he really wanted to know exactly what they were saying he has the mystical remedy in the form of a spell he knows all to well how to cast but he is disinclined to do so as the pitch of the speakers alone are enough to reveal to him that a flock of vrocks has invaded the ship and needs repelling as he dresses and grabs his tools to do what he was hired to do at the onset of this journey as Beelzebub cowers in his suite as he is sure that some rival of the entity he serves has sent the demons after him or his own dark patron has sent them to remind him of the services he agreed to provide when he made his pact for power so many years ago.

Kodyax is damn sure Beelzebub is behind this attack in one way shape or form and will count it as just one more attempt by him to recover Kessundroa for whatever nefarious purposes he has in mind for her which will mean he has a singular opportunity in the future which the craven gnome intends to take full advantage of as he draws a demonic rapier that he received as a reward for a favor that he did his patron a long, long time ago and has been used for countless assassinations since then. With deft precision the blade of the rapier will drink up the soul of whomever it is plunged into making all the more deadly in the hands of someone as crafty and underhanded as its current wield as the gnome sneaks out of his suite armed with his weapon of eldritch evil with the intent of stalking and killing Kodyax in order to reclaim the prize he foolishly lost at the onset of this journey. Unfortunately for Beelzebub, Kodyax is only too aware of his duplicitous nature and while the Stooge brothers are not the most competent of stealthy sneakers their incompetence is far less indicative of their character and as the saying goes: "The Gods smile on fools" so when Beelzebub makes his way out, Lawrence Albert Stooge, the second born of the four notices his departure and notifies his boss of the fact and with the level of trust that Kodyax has in those assigned to him as underlings within the guild and the double dealing treacherous nature of the gnome in question takes the report as full blow warning as something and someone to be aware of as he goes demon hunting.

Billowing smoke provides a measure of cover as the visibility in the corridors of the airship are poor at best and non-existent at worst. This is something Beelzebub is counting on as he can see through the smoke just fine but he knows others cannot but what he forgets to take into account is the fact that kymera like Kodyax are not as reliant on sight as other races such as humans and are just as reliant on their senses of smell and hearing which are just as good if not superior to his sense of sight and it's the scent that give the gnome away. Expensive and exquisite cologne is something that Beelzebub prides himself on with the pungent odors his choice of masculine perform to apply to his own skin aiding him in many ways with the talents of his tongue in weaving elaborate speeches laden with half truths to outright lies in order to convince a given victim into doing exactly as he wants them to do without him ever having lift a finger in aggression to enforce whatever it is that he has gotten some unfortunate soul to foolishly agree to provide him no matter how outrageous such a demand might be. Unfortunately for the devilishly deceitful gnome it also provides a means for identifying his presence in a given area without the benefit of a clear view, the mere scent of him is enough for folks like Kodyax to know that he is here and a general direction in which he is approaching.

As much as he may think he does, Beelzebub does not have a monopoly on the use of dubious tact for devious maneuvers as Kodyax is already thinking of how to use this to his advantage as accidents do happen in the midst of such poor visibility and he would hardly be blamed if a miscalculated swing of his of his axe resulted in the decapitation of one who really had no business being out and about in a crisis such as this. Safe and secure in the knowledge that he is unnoticed and certainly unseen and unknown in presence, Beelzebub walks behind Kodyax bold as brass and taking aim at his vitals all the while. Assuming something sinister is behind him Kodyax puts both hand paws on his battle axe and makes a whirlwind swipe around him, the satisfying feeling that only comes when he cleaves through something with his axe rewarding his senses that the kymera had scored a solid hit on something or someone cause him to chuckle as the headless corpse of Beelzebub collapses to the floor whilst the shocked and horrified head of the gnome rolls away a foot or two before stopping.

The spectral form of Beelzebub's ghost rises from his corpse and begins to curse Kodyax when an invisible opens up beside him with the distinct scent of brimstone wafting through before the massive hand of a demon lord lashes through to grab the gnome's soul and pull it through the portal from whence it came. A disembodied voice echoes throughout the ship shout an order of some srot in the degenerate tongue of the of the abyss that only the vrocks, humanoid vulture like demons, understand and have little recourse but to obey as they disembark, much of the bewilderment of most the ship's hired defenders. The Stooge brothers gather around Kodyax and give him an inquisitive gaze as he silently directs them to the blackened corpse of the wicked gnome lying headless on the floor with only his severed head still recognizable as belonging to the living scoundrel it served whilst the soul and will of its degenerate owner still walked the highways and byways of mortal existence.

"Dead, huh?" Moe asks with a disappointed smirk on his muzzle. "Well that's a surprise. Not sure what kind but it is a surprise." "I saw him exit his suite with an evil looking rapier drawn." Larry admits. "And given the short history on this trip I think we can guess what he was going to do."

"Exactly, Larry," Kodyax admits "And more than likely I'm the one that killed him as he was sneaking up behind me. I could smell his cologne."

"Self-defense," Moe states. "I'll testify to that if you go to trial, boss." "I know you will, Moe, Larry, but I doubt it will go that far. How far are we from the Mournland?" Kodyax inquires as he looks at his subordinates.

"We should be crossing the border sometime soon." A warforged responds as it waves to Kodyax. "Your martial prowess has been much appreciated, Captain Kodyax. I shall write my compliments to your guild when we return to Sharn."

"Much appreciated, Stylus," Kodyax says with a nod to the Izzet League Administrative officer. "I do my best to keep damage to the ship as minimal as possible. "

"A factor that is much appreciated if I do say so myself," Stylus beams with pride but then notices the corpse. "Oh dear, what is this? It appears that one of our passengers has been murdered!"

"He was intent on murdering me, Stylus," Kodyax admits. "And in the fog of the demon attack I felt a presence behind me and swung my axe."

"Passengers are required to remain in designated safe areas during the time of a crisis." Stylus intones as it shakes its head. "Situations like this is exactly why that provision is in place. And I do believe he signed the waiver before coming aboard so I will mark this down as a accidental death with a rider that the deceased had murderous intent on you person which makes this an act of self-defense and thus perfectly legal. I'll have maintenance transfer the body to the storage hold."

With that, Stylus walks off to attend to its duties as Kodyax and the Stooge brothers ascend to the topmost decks. Before them are the permanently charcoal colored skies of the Mournland choked with clouds and fog that seemingly can never dissipate due to the events that transpired on the day of Mourning. By chance Kodyax notices something unusual that causes him to raise an alarm.

Descending from the skies above within the Mournland is a creature with physical features combining a jellyfish, some sort of undersea mollusk such as an octopus or a nautilus and a crustacean like a crab with the massive overall dimensions not unlike a modern skyscraper. A ring of eyestalks makes a kind of alien crown at the top of the thing as massive claws appear at its circumference and a mixed forest of crab like legs and nautilus like tentacles dangles at the opposite end of the thing. Something resembling lighting flash illuminates parts of its body at random before dimming as quickly as it lit up as Kodyax calls out for battle stations to the rest of his guild as they approach warily since the thing is directly in their path and there is little course they can take to avoid it.

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