#rainbowsparklepowerfriendsreunited
The crow hopped up onto Morven's shoulder and allowed itself to be taken into the study, where the 4 of them planned a strategy to infiltrate the Warlord's castle. Beatrice and Morven returned to the tavern and arranged supplies and horses for the journey to the air ship hub that had been discussed in the tavern, packing up and getting a day's travel from the town. They changed course and headed towards the castle the next morning, meeting the crow at a clearing. Muth projected an image of herself to let them know that her decoy action was in place for the next morning.
Morven, Beatrice and the crow spent a dark night in the forest with a cloaking glamour cast over them, to appear like just another cold clearing, sharpening weapons and munching on cold rations and drinking fresh spring water. Muth appeared in the pre dawn gloom in a haze of blue lights.
She had some re-enforced leather armour on over her robes, Beatrice was strapping a chest plate on, a range of weapons strapped to her or on the ground in front of her, Morven had already had a got her armour on and was counting her throwing knives strapped across her chest, a hand and a half sword was thrust point first in the ground next to her, short sword was on one hip with 3 daggers on her other hip strapped over the armour, her helmet was next to the long sword on the ground along side 2 throwing axes.
"Morning," Muth said, producing 3 cups of steaming coffee, sipping one herself and passing one to Morven and the other to Beatrice. They gratefully accepted the hot drink and savoured the warmth flowing through them after a cold night.
"When does the distraction start?" Beatrice asked.
Muth sketched a symbol in the air and looked at something only she could see, "Not long, we should move to the tree line nearest the castle. You do have the key?" The crow jumped and flapped it's wings, the key in its beak.
"The little guy picked it up when we were getting ready and we know where it is." Morven said, strapping the 2 axes to the bandolier and putting her helmet on. Beatrice picked up the pole arm she'd taken from the group the other day and a few other weapons and they followed Muth to the tree line. Muth provide a second cup of coffee and a hot sandwich, the apprentice bringing them and disappearing. Beatrice and Morven ate and sipped their drinks. Morven noticed the tremor rings in her cup first, looking around she noticed the wave of motion in the tree line, "What did you get as a distraction?" she asked Muth.
"I think you'll like this." The Wizard smiled, a little to wide, her teeth sharp and pointed, like she'd forgotten her glamour. She pointed to the motion in the trees, "The castle there stands on the remains of a giants castle, I talked to a couple of the local giants and got them to agree to come and kick the shit out of the walls. Only cost me 9 butt's of wine too."
"This won't be suspicious?" Beatrice asked.
"You 2 have no known connection to the local giants, I who usually come over at least twice a year and cause trouble, they get pushed off after a couple of hours, by which time we'll be inside and raising hell." The first giant cleared the tree line as Muth finished talking, closely followed by 2 mores. Alarm bells sounded within the castle, the sound distance and tinny." We'd better move, "Muth sketched out another symbol," don't fall to far behind, I've cast a glamour to hide us from view as we approach the port. Lead the way there fella." She said to the crow.
The crow hopped and flew off, heading for a concealed tunnel under the wall. They reached the door, distance shouts and the sounds of walls being hit could be heard, with the odd tremor from a sizable strike loosing dust. The crow dropped the key into Morven's hand and flew off back down the tunnel. Morven pushed the key into lock and turned it, feeling the resistance of the leavers, guessing the lock hadn't been used in a while. It opened with a click. Morven pushed the door open, "shield" she whispered a faint blue glow emitted form her hand and walked cautiously into the tunnel beyond the door. She reached a turning and signed for Beatrice to stop. She pulled a highly polished metal mirror out of a belt pouch and used it to glance around the corner, seeing that the tunnel opened up into a room a few meters beyond the corner. She signed this to Beatrice, who tapped 5 times on Morven's hand meaning 5 guards were probably stationed in the room. She put the sword down, and pulled the 2 throwing axes, risking a quick look she saw one distracted Guard sat at the table, bare headed and with his back to corridor, she guessed he was looking at something out of view. She whipped around the world corner and threw the first axe, the blade struck the back of the head with a thunk, blood spraying and a wet slap as the guard's limp body flopped to the floor, Morven moved towards the room, Beatrice picked up the long sword and followed closely behind Morven.
Morven caught 2 gasps and a third voice saying the name of the guard, she pushed against the side wall and saw 2 more guards, stepping away from the wall she spun around letting the second axe fly, this one hit the guard in the chest, making it gasp. Morven grabbed the first axe and slammed it into it's face, blood sprayed and bone shattered and the guard collapsed to the ground. Beatrice cleared the entrance and threw Morven's sword at the 3rd Guard with one hand piercing it's armour and staggered the guard backwards a few feet with the momentum, she flipped the table with her free arm scattering plates and cups. The remaining Guard looked stunned by the explosion of violence that had erupted into the room. Morven picked up the second axe and threw it at it, hitting it's face, it slumped to it's knees a confused expression on its face. Using a discarded knife Morven cut some cloth from the clothing of the second Guard she'd killed and cleaned her axes, strapping them to the bandolier again and getting her sword from the 3rd Guard, pulling it out with push, I twist and a pull. 2 doors lead out of the room, one next to the corridor entance they'd come in by and one in the far wall. Morven looked at Beatrice and held up 5 fingers and folded 4 fingers down, the question not really needing to be said. Beatrice looked at one door then the other, walking quietly as possible to the far door, Morven took the door near her, pushing it open she saw an empty privy. Beatrice opened her door and saw the empty corridor, she closed the door and leaned against it, Morven cleaned her sword, noticing a couple of crossbows she primed one and loaded a bolt while asking,
"Okay now what?"
"This corridor leads to an arming chamber and stair case upwards, 4 floors to the battlements and the nearest cannon."
"Right, okay. So a floor each?" Muth asked doing warming exercises. Beatrice looked at Morven who shrugged and nodded.
"Sounds like a plan." Beatrice said with a smile, pulling open the door and checking the passageway beyond again, "Clear." She called pulling it all the way open. Morven handed her the loaded crossbow, then primed the second bow and offered it to Muth.
"I'll use my brain melting cosmic powers over an accelerated pointy stick, thanks though." Muth demurred., Morven checked the sights and stood beside her friend.
"After you." Beatrice said, patting her on the shoulder.
Morven sighed, "shield" she called out again the blue glow intensified and she advanced towards the chamber with the stairs, "no guards?" she asked.
"There shouldn't be anyone stationed in there, but I can't be certain." Muth replied, Beatrice snorted. Morven advanced listening intently, she couldn't hear anything as more of the room came into view, this one was twice the size of last room and was mostly filled with empty racks that should be packed weapons. The trio advanced to the stairs, it spiraled upwards out of sight, distant sounds of fighting could be heard from far above then.
"Okay, Bea takes the first floor, Muth the second and I'll clear the 3rd, we clear the section that takes us parallel to the giants, leave no one alive behind you." The others nodded in agreement and they advanced up the stairs. Beatrice leaving at the first floor, Muth on the second and Morven on the third. Looking around the tower landing she'd come out in the 2 corridors had firing holes on the outside wall, and several doors on the rear wall. The booming sounds of the giants assault could be heard easier now she was above ground. Bow raised Morven advanced towards the first door, she paused when she reached it and listened but couldn't hear anything. Opening the door she looked in, seeing two rows of 3 made beds, the next door was the same as was the 3rd. The 4th door was a mess hall, plates of half eaten but still warm food suggesting the diners were currently on the opposite wall. Looking for any kitchen staff Morven spotted a door in the wall that would lead the next room. She walked behind the table that held containers of food and listened at the door, she could hear splashing as if someone was washing up and voices talking , pushing the door open she saw 2 people washing up and joking about not being on the walls as a punishment.
"Shock shot" she called as she shot one in the back with her sapphire hand, both went rigid as the electricity raced through them, "stunning shot" again aiming at one then the other. She tied their feet together with their boot laces, then tied them back to back on the floor. Looking around the Morven noticed 2 more doors, one she guesses would take her back into the hallway another lead through the door opposite the one she'd come in through. She listened at the door, not hearing anything she pushed it open finding another mess hall with seating for 18, this one didn't have any half eaten food on tables, Morven woundered if this meant that this platoon was already on the wall or was sleeping in the next 3 rooms.
She opened the door and saw movement and pulled back into the mess hall, getting the mirror out and seeing 2 guards on what looked like a regular patrol, as they looked relaxed, dispite the attack happening. The guards drew level with the 2nd barrack room, opened the door and went in. Morven moved, heading towards the door as it swung closed and pulled the cross bow up to her shoulder and focused along the bolt. The door opened, and one of the pair walked out, talking to their partner, it's large dark eyes going wider in shock as it saw the cross bow out of the corner of it's eye, Morven pulled the trigger and the bolt went through one eye. She kicked the body aside and smacked the bow into the second Guard, pulling a dagger she rammed it upwards into it's jaw, it's dark eyes also full of surprise. She pulled the dagger out, pushing the body back into the room and then dragging it's companion back in with it. She cleaned the knife quickly and thrust it back in the scabbard. She looked at their weapons, the usual cruel curved blades favoured by the Unseelie. She unsheathed her long sword from her back and moved along the corridor towards the next tower. She reached the stairs and started downwards, Muth was waiting for her, smoke was wafting from most of the doors.
"No alarms being raised here." Muth smiled at her, her teeth sharp again, this time the smile looked like a threat.
Beatrice came up the stairs, "All clear, top floor and battlements to go." She said as she climbed the stairs upwards to the 4th floor, Morven and the Wizard followed her. Beatrice paused at the top of the spiral and looked to both sides, seeing a number of guardsman stationed at the loopholes. She mimed out how many guards were on each side. They decided to skip over this floor and go straight to the battlements.
They ghosted up to the battlements and checked the situation. It looked like everyone stationed up here had joined the defenders on the other wall. The 3 of them went over to the first cannon, cutting the ropes to restrain the recoil, Muth levitated the cannon and Beatrice turned it 180 degrees and aiming it at Bailey, they did this with the second cannon. Rather than risk being seen they moved to the other battlements, cutting the ropes and moving 2 of those cannons, these they aimed at the wall with the defenders atop it.
"Okay we need to fire these as close to in unison as we can. Muth can you handle 2 at once?"Morven asked, Muth nodded," Fire after we fire." Muth moved back to the other wall. Morven grabbed two of the slow burning matches and passed one to Beatrice," We fire on 3." Before moving to furthest cannon, she held up 1 finger, then 2 then 3, dropping the match to the touch hole. The rapport of both cannons firing was deafening, the smoke blinded everyone inside the curtain walls, the cannons bounded backwards, skidding across the stones and slamming into the battlements, cracking the stone work on the inside. Morven was moving before the pair of cannons had stopped sliding around. The next pair fired, the sound another assault on the senses, adding a second bank of smoke to that already filling the curtain wall. Muth dropped down from where she'd levitated to avoid the recoil. Morven noticed only 1 cannon remained atop this section of wall, the other had smashed it's way through the battlements and sailed into the air and was now falling towards the ground.
"We better go this wall is going to get popular." Beatrice shouted. Muth lifted all 3 up and and flew them across the gap to the Bailey, entering through the hole blown in the wall by the twin cannon blasts.
They dropped down into a large chamber, the Warlord looking at one of the cannon balls that had fallen from near the celling.
"Muth?" He shouted out, "You dare to attack me?" He was wearing loose fitting clothes with no visible armour, carried only a sword that from where Morven saw it looked like a falchion with extra cutting edges on the back. She drew her own blade as they landed.
"I told you, you owe me. Shit head." Muth shouted back, her ears still ringing from the blasts, glaring at him. "Now my new bad ass friends here are going to kill you, I'm going to take what you owe me and with any luck the giants will get through the curtain wall and rip this place apart." Morven circled one way, Beatrice the other.
"The Sapphire Handed Assassin and her war cow assassitant, I'm honoured you would change tactics and come for me yourselves. What can I offer you to use your skills on the little Wizard? I have an amazing armoury, you can have your pick of it, gold? Medicines?"
Beatrice spoke up first," How about any information on Minotaurs?"
" Your kind come from the slave markets in the mid east. Fetch a pretty price too." He swung the sword at Beatrice, who parried it with ease,"And you human, what do you want?"
"Lots of things, most of them are out of the power of a petty Warlord, who's monologue ing us." Morven replied, she thrust with her sword, the Warlord parried it with no effort, Morven punched at his arm, "Concussion punch." She called, connecting with his arm, shattering the bone, the sword clanging to the floor. He spun away, kicking the sword and picking it up with his off hand. Beatrice followed him Morven a step behind, throwing axes flying first, then the knives as distraction. Beatrice thrust her sword at his leg, severing the tendon and staggering the Warlord. Beatrice moved back, Morven stepped forward sword point aimed at his throat.
"The most helpful thing you can do is die." She told him. "Then I can cross the divide and hopefully get home."
Beatrice drove her sword into his back, a gasp escaping his lips. "And now we'll take your money." Beatrice said, her ears no longer ringing.
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