Black Hart

To Kill A King

Chapter 11 - The Hunt Begins

After what seemed like an age, probably only about half an hour, there was a deep thud from the Doors. Those who waited outside, surrounding the Doors, tensed visibly in anticipation of whatever was about to emerge from this strange manifestation.
The Doors opened slightly, then smoothly opened out fully. Before them stood the ugly, hideous face of a deformed and wicked-looking beast, peering out from behind the door.
"Eloi!" Jean-Paul exclaimed.
Eloi looked relieved, saying, "Is it gone?"
Jean-Paul nodded, and Eloi wiped his brow, shouting back, "OK, bring him out." He turned to the assembled mass, saying, with a broad grin, "The King is alright, we saved him"
There were several sighs of relief as necks were spared around the room. Thoggin clapped his hands once, saying, "Zarryon, take the King to my study, and hold the place, nobody in or out except me!"
Hamman, Eloi and Baulkar, who was bleeding from his shoulder, carried out the King. Zarryon and his men carted him away, surrounding him, weapons still drawn. He appeared to be in reasonable health, but wounded.
Eloi turned and locked the Doors behind him. He muttered something and they transfromed into what looked like a canvas painting of a pair of doors. He then pulled this off the wall, rolled it up and folded it into the smallest of sheets, sliding it into his, undoubtedly grotty, underpants!
Thoggin turned to the Mareschals Wissig and Darrak, saying, "Wissig, take our good heroes to the study, I'll talk to them there." The Mareschal nodded. "Darrak, have the grounds searched, and I mean thoroughly! I want this place sealed now."
The dwarf nodded too and headed off. Wissig led the party from the room into the study downstairs, where everything was pretty much as before. On the way, they saw the Guards removing the dead and injured, and searching the palace thoroughly. Once in the room, Wissig excused himself, saying he would return in ten minutes.
The party looked at each other in stunned silence.

"Now maybe we can compare notes on what all this nightmare is all about," thought Akhan.
Eloi was first to break the silence.
"My story is quite terrifying and unsettling my friends, for I fear that we do not simply have some petty assassination attempt by some minor Baron or lord. I witnessed the summoning of the pit-fiend, which was raised by some mage wearing red-robes in the cellars."
"There are two disturbing facts. Firstly, my old 'friend' Shabass T'Lann was present at the summoning. And thirdly, a palace guardsman was also present, and I fear he was not quite as he seemed. In front of my eyes he changed from a giant rat into a man."
Akhan interrupted him. "I also saw such a ratman, but I'll let you finish first."
Eloi continued, noting that Jean-Paul was trying to work out where 'secondly' had gone.
"When I found the King's quarters he was already injured and I felt it was more important to get him away from the beastie and to safety. The other disturbing thing was that I heard that some Olven children had been kidnapped, and I witnessed their slaying at the hands of these foul people who summoned the demons."
"Whomever the perpetrator of these crimes I suggest that the key is to find the rat-guardsman who may hopefully lead us to the mage, and also Shabass T'Lann."
Jean-Paul took the opportunity to add his story.
"I am afraid that I have been unable to get any information which I consider to be useful to our cause or at least to discover who is behind the assassination attempt on the King. I too heard of those kidnappings of children from Axewood. It is a sad day when our children cannot sleep soundly in their own homes."
"I also witnessed the outburst at the ball from Baron Arganass, I do not believe that he could be behind this. He appears to be a bitter man who feels badly let down by his King, however I am sure that whatever grudges he harbours, he would not consider assassination. Especially using the foul beasts that we have been fighting against."
"Alas I know no more except the terrible fight with the pit-fiend and barbed demon, we are all lucky to be alive. I rejoice at the fact that the King still lives and toast my comrade Eloi for his quick thinking and bravery in the terrifying events that took place."
Akhan chose this moment to interrupt the paladin, before he suggested three cheers for their drunkard companion.
"Right Gents, if we've all had enough of running around saving Kings, or chasing our tails, maybe we can put what passes for brains amongst you lot and see if we can catch this cursed traitor!"
"I know for certain there's at least one treacherous bastard around here because I heard the same voice tonight as I heard talking to some Drow just before I lost my eye. Those that shot me were plotting against the King, so we've got Drow involved here somewhere, and we know they have no reason to be fond of us, but we definitely had a bloody wererat involved here too!"
"I came across it in the woods while we were out searching for the assassin which killed the guard. It came from the direction of the palace, dressed in a Royal Guardsman's uniform and met someone who shot it with a Drow hand-crossbow. I got these disgusting articles off the wererat..."
Akhan produced a pouch, from which he pulled out a mummified hand on a leather thong and a bunch of long twiglets, one of which had a very chewed appearance.
"Maybe you've seen some of this bollocks before Mordekei?"
Mordekei picked up the mummified hand, saying, "Looks like some sort of disgusting charm or Holy Symbol to me!"
"It is!" declared Jean-Paul. "A Holy Symbol - but not just any run-of-the-mill God. It is for the worshippers of Tharizdun!"
Hamman, Mordekei and Akhan appeared shocked.
"Come now, Jean-Paul," Mordekei said, ever so condescendingly. "We have all heard of Tharizdun, 'He Who Sleeps', but he is a myth, a legend. I mean, an awesome God so powerful that the other Gods found it necessary to join, putting aside all differences, to defeat him before he destroyed the Oerth and the Gods with it? And even their combined strength could not destroy 'He Who Must Not Be Awakened', and he lies dormant, waiting for his worshippers to awaken him for the destruction of the Oerth. We are talking the stuff of campfire horror stories, not the real world!"
"Anyway, his worshippers are all finished," Hamman said, although as he stared at the symbol he sounded as though he said it more in hope than in disbelief. "The worshippers of Tharizdun died at the end of the Suel Empire."
There was silence. Jean-Paul pointed to the mummified hand.
"Apparently, Hamman, someone forgot to tell them that!" he said dryly.
There was a chill in the room - it was like finding out that all their childhood nightmares were all true!
"Anyway," Hamman continues. "What about the twigs?"
Mordekei surveyed them, shaking his head.
"Some kind of root, I guess. A spell component maybe, or a drug? Food even? Perhaps a herbalist would know better."
"Anyway," Akhan said, returning to his tale. "This wererat was in the form of a guardsman I had seen earlier this evening and as it died it cursed, 'Fimuth and his kind'! The one who shot it was also wearing some form of magical cloak which hid him, or her, well. I think he spotted me too but didn't do anything. The evidence is definitely piling up against the bastard Drow and it doesn't look good of Fimuth either..."
"I think you're mistaken Akhan," Bermen said emphatically. "The weapon proves nothing and I have already seen a Scarlet Brotherhood assassin within the grounds tonight. Mordekei and I came across the Suel assassin just as he teleported himself out of the area. It seems to me that the Brotherhood are the ones we wish to consider here and not the Drow! And there is yet another thing about this Suel, which should concern us greatly. This was the same one who was the leader of the assassins we first came across in the 'Wolf and Halberd' in with our friend Eloi here!"
"Besides, you were there when we followed the tracks of the one who shot the wererat and we found that scarlet silk robe by the Oak tree. That person I should add was around five feet tall and of moderate build and there was a long blond hair caught inside. I'm not sure that gets us any further forward."
"Drow or Brotherhood," Akhan said, showing his annoyance. "It isn't really the point at the moment, Major. It's the traitor we're after and I say that Fimuth has a lot of question marks hanging over him. Mordekei, did you not tell me that the King had left the palace with Fimuth by a back door with only a few guards. What on Oerth was he up to unless it was a convenient way to get the King into harm's way? And then there's Arganass! Isn't it as little bit convenient that he just happened to get himself thrown out of the palace just before there's an attempt on the King's life?"
"Anyway, I intend to do a little digging into Fimuth's private life to see what I can find out." Akhan beamed a happy little smile, obviously pleased at the prospect for some reason. "And I don't buy this business about an attempt on his life the other day there. That'd be just too convenient- a smoke screen to draw suspicion away from him. He says he was not alone! Hah, more like he pretended to have been attacked."
"Something has returned to memory," Bermen declared. "I think I may have seen your wererat Akhan. The Mareschal Wissig Arturrsen and I saw it in the clearing before we came back and I told you of the guardsman's death. But I definitely did see Baron Arganass' carriage move off towards the village!"
"Another curious detail which Thoggin related to me was that there have been children going missing in the woods for a while now, just as Jean-Paul and Eloi have also told us. And what of Thoggin himself? Where was he disappearing to all night? Anybody spot him anywhere suspicious?"
They shook their heads and looked about at each other, as though seeking some elusive wisdom.

Hamman cleared his throat and spoke.
"Seems we've got a few considerations here, and little consensus. Obviously we'll have to think this through carefully, since a lot is at stake here. If you'll permit, I would play Devil's Advocate, and no sick joke intended there."
"Eloi first - where was this 'summoning'? None of us saw it, how did you come across it? What did the mage look like? You're ratman sounds like the same one Bermen and later Akhan saw. Looks also like the mage in red decided to close off that loose end, but then again, a mage using a hand crossbow - never heard of such a thing. Where are the children's' bodies? And how did you get into those secret passages?"
Before Eloi could answer, as though he feared that he may forget his questions, Hamman pressed on.
"Jean-Paul, I would hope your belief that the Baron could not attempt regicide was not based on bias. A noble he may be, but we seem to be considering Fimuth, the second most powerful noble in this country, as a suspect, so why not Arganass? His anger and desire for revenge is evident. He is not a mage, but his magist happens to be five feet tall, moderate build, with long blond hair."
"And the Baron's carriage, Major - you saw 'it' go 'towards' the village. Did he arrive? Did it arrive? Could he have left the carriage, returned through the woods, where he was discovered and forced to kill a guard, then attending the summoning, or otherwise becoming involved? After all, his ejection does seem to have provided him with an apparent alibi?"
"I have little further to say on the subject," Jean-Paul stated. "But if you feel so strongly about Baron Arganass, Hamman, should we not detain him and elicit the truth from him."
Eloi nodded vigorously, shouting, "Me, me, I'll get the truth from him!"
Hamman shook his head.
"No Jean-Paul, I am merely stating the possibilities!"
"Which brings me to the Major's story. That description, unfortunately, fits most of the people in the surrounding countryside. Sounds like an elf or half-elf to me, Major - which offers us Fimuth, Arganass' magist, Lominstrall, half the staff at the Palace, most of the Palace Guard, a few of the Royal Guardsmen and undoubtedly a few of Thoggin's minions too."
"Akhan, where did you hear this voice, and who was around when you did? How were the Drow plotting against the King? Did they say anything that may lead us to them?"
Hamman then continued.
"And this Fimuth thing, Akhan, your reason for mistrusting him so? He is more powerful than you and I could ever be, and I fail to see what he has to gain from this. He cannot succeed to the throne by killing the King, it would only lead to his downfall. And we have Thoggin's word that he was attacked too, I believe it was his men who helped Fimuth fight off his assassin. Cursing 'Fimuth and his Kind' may only mean the Olvenfolk - is there a possibility here that the King was not the real target?"
"And what of the fact that Fimuth was alone? Eloi was alone for most of the night - who is to say he was not involved? He knows the secret passages, slopes off, helping the assassins, when things go bad he carries off the King, hoping to kill him, but is stopped by the Guard and me, fearing discovery. Or Akhan for that matter - you met with the ratman in the wood, and killed him to cover up the loose ends."
As Hamman drew his questioning to an end he saw the indignant look that Eloi was aiming his way.
"I mean no offence men, just pointing out the treachery of suspicion over proof."
"I resent the implication that I am involved in this matter," Eloi declared, feigning hurt. "After saving the King and all. Bermen your comments about Aranon are noted, but whilst we are discussing suspects, let us note that Aranon is not here, having business elsewhere. Is he involved in some other noble cause or is he distancing himself from any nefarious doings?"
Hamman shook his head woefully as Eloi talked. "Perhaps you better lay off the booze for now, my friend, it has clearly affected your brain!" he said.
"As I tried to impress, I was not accusing you of anything. I was merely pointing out that it would be easy enough to accuse anyone of treachery, then make up the circumstantial evidence to back it up, even one who acted so bravely and above reproach as yourself! And now you seem to want to do it with Aranon too! Sometimes I despair!"
Tired from all his talking, Hamman took down the only remaining decanter from the shelf, and poured himself, then the others, a large whisky.

Eloi continued after he finished his drink.
"The summoning, I came upon by pure chance. A serving wench I was, ahem, 'entertaining' in a closet offered to show me something interesting for a few coins. Thinking I was going to get a little more than my oats I gave her the money. To my disappointment she showed me the castle's intricate network of secret passages."
"Upon hearing a noise down one of the passages I investigated and discovered the summoning taking place in an unknown room, perhaps a wine cellar, I am sure I could find it again given the chance. Anyways, the room had an ornate lectern in it and three cages, which held the Olven children."
"The mage summoned the pit-fiend, whose name was Baalthrazep and it was Shabass T'Lann who bade it to murder the King. The wererat brought the mage the mummified hand and holy symbol which the mage used to control the beast."
He pondered for a moment.
"I remember when I first met Shabass T'Lann in the Wolf and Halberd Inn in Niole Dra that he to wore a crimson red tunic under his over-robe. He said he was a priest of Lendor, master of Time, whatever that means? He apparently had business in the town with someone who no doubt is behind the attempt on the King's life. If we could find out who that was then we would know who is to blame. My friend Kro got me the job which lead me to meet Shabass T'Lann, so he may have more information on this subject, but he has been away from Niole Dra on business. If we were to find the wine cellar we may be able to find some further clues which may lead us to the perpetrator of this crime."
"Lendor, master of Time is a Suel God," Mordekei stated. "But I think he was probably misleading you. If the ratman was of Tharizdun, perhaps he was too!"
"As for the Drow versus Brotherhood thing," Hamman continued. "I'd agree that our priority right now is to find the assassin, not his master. But why say Drow 'or' Brotherhood? Why not both? Or neither for that matter? Just because they're involved doesn't mean their organisations are. Drow renegades, Brotherhood dissenters, all trying to keep the Wars going. And we do seem to be compiling a whole lot of clues very easily - are we perhaps being led where we 'want' to go? Seeing what we 'want to see, or what someone wants us to see?"
"This Suel from the Wolf and Halberd - what happened there? How do you know he was Brotherhood? How do you know he was an assassin?"
Mordekei interrupted there.
"Yes, quite, he seemed to be casting a spell when he disappeared - unusual for an assassin!"
Reluctantly, Eloi recounted the tale of their encounter with the three Suel from the 'Wolf and Halberd', which seemed to appease Hamman.
"Major, your worries about Thoggin, I'd question them too. What has he to gain? And as for him leaving, is that not part of his job, to oversee his men?" Hamman looked exhausted. "It seems we have more questions than answers. Is there anything we've missed? Anyone who could help us? I suggest we answer these points before moving on to more questions, and are sure in our minds before the accusations start flying."
Akhan said, "I doubt if Thoggin is likely to let us wander around the Palace until he has spoken to us. He told us to wait here. What are we going to tell him? Is he above suspicion?"
"Another point," Bermen said. "I doubt Thoggin put us here because we're all chums. I think a blind man could see we're up to something, and he's bound to want to know what it is. We better think what we're going to tell him, and whether we trust him. How much of our clues we reveal too. I doubt he'd let us leave without a reasonable explanation. After all, as Hamman says, we could be suspects too!"
Bermen picked up the mummified hand, and stared at it.
"I'll tell you," he said with a sigh. "I'd be a lot happier if Aranon was here."

They were clearly getting nowhere, and all except Mordekei seemed to find great comfort in the decanter of whisky.
"What resources do we have?" Mordekei asked as they drank. "Have we anything, magical or otherwise, such as Lareng, that could help us investigate?"
Before they could answer Mordekei, the door opened, and Thoggin walked in, followed by the Mareschal Wissig Arturrsen. Bermen pocketed the mummified hand. Thoggin did not look happy.
"First, let me thank you all, your help has been greatly appreciated." he said, appearing distracted. Thoggin paused from pacing the floor and turned to Eloi. "Particularly you, master Eloi. Without you, Baulkar reckons our King would be dead for sure!"
He continued pacing, evading direct eye-contact with any of the party.
"However, It is very clear to me that something is afoot among you people. This was not mere chance that you were here. What I want to know is what were you doing here, what information do you have, and I want everything, gentlemen! And I mean it all! No secrets, no surprises, I demand to know what is going on here and everything you know."
He looked quite angry, turning a sort of beetroot colour. He looked around them all, one by one, giving each a long, hard stare.
"Now will one of you tell me what is going on, and what you know of the traitor and attempt on the King."
Jean-Paul stood up and coughed.
"Master Thoggin, your are right it was not pure chance which brought us here. We were advised during a visit from Berran of Greyhawk that he considered the King's life in danger. He has knowledge that our enemies may be in Keoland, forging pacts with unknown parties. He specifically mentioned the Scarlet Brotherhood. All he would say was that he considered that someone close to the King would betray him and try to assassinate him."
"It was with this news that we decided to return to Axewood via Niole Dra, we wished to gauge the mood of the people and gain whatever intelligence we could. This proved of little use as our sources in Niole Dra were not available, so we returned to Axewood."
"It was on our way to Axewood when we were intercepted by one of your Mareschals, who advised us that you required our presence here for the celebrations. At this point we considered that this would be the time when the forces of evil would seize their chance and murder the King. We felt it prudent that we did not advise you of our fears and that it was best if we acted discretely. Berran advised us that no one, not even you Thoggin, could be considered above suspicion."
"During the party we mingled with the revellers intent on seeking out and pacifying any ill-intent before it happened. Baron Arganass was halted and ejected from the building when he became abusive towards the King. He is a key suspect and we would like to apprehend him to allow us to question him on this matter."
"Unfortunately it was by pure chance that Eloi stumbled upon the events leading to the attempt on the King's life. He witnessed a mage and a Suel named Shabass T'Lann, whom we have had prior dealings, summoning the pit-fiend in a wine cellar. It would seem that they had employed the services of a wererat who had infiltrated the palace guard to do their bidding and no doubt allowed them to gain access to the palace undetected."
"Akhan and Bermen witnessed the murder of the wererat in the palace grounds by its master whilst they were out searching for a reported intruder in the grounds. Eloi also witnessed the slaying of the Olven children who had been kidnapped earlier as part of this foul summoning"
"Shabass T'Lann and the mage both were wearing scarlet robes which would seem to indicate the involvement of the Scarlet Brotherhood, but the weapon used to kill the guard was a Drow crossbow. It does not seem to be certain at this time which of these two parties were directly responsible, but the odds do seem heavily stacked towards the Scarlet Brotherhood. Unfortunately, we have still to tie the information all together and link it to the traitor in the King's court."
"The rest of this evening's events are pretty much as you already know Thoggin. Eloi's brave rescue of the King and the carnage of the battles with the demons. If I have missed any pertinent points I am sure my colleagues will fill you in. I would also request that you grant us permission to search out the palace in particular for the location that the summoning took place as this may grant us clues which will help us solve this mystery."
Thoggin looked increasingly depressed with the news as Jean-Paul continued. To the end he slumped down on a chair, and looked around at the room, with a quizzical look on his face.
He sighed as the paladin finished, saying, "Traitors, assassins, Drow, Scarlet Brotherhood, Devils, and now some bastard has taken the fucking brandy away too." He shook his head and his left hand continually ruffled through his finely trimmed beard as he deliberated in silence.
"Well," he said, as though resigned to some foregone conclusion. "It seems as though you are the only ones who have any idea of what's going on around here. But you must report back to me, through Wissig here."
He pointed to the bulky Mareschal.
"You may wander at will around the Palace, but I warn you all - even you are not above suspicion here."
He walked over to the almost empty whisky decanter, and poured a glass, emptying it before he had sat it down.
"Eloi, if you would lead Wissig to the wine cellar. The search of the woods and the site where the robed killer's tracks stop must wait for morning." He walked to the door, pausing as he opened it. "Oh, and Eloi," he added. "His Royal Majesty would see you tomorrow morning. His tailors will be round to fit you out properly first thing in the morning, and this time do not send them away!"
Thoggin left, closing the door quietly behind him.
"Our greatest thanks to you all." Wissig said. "I will meet you in the kitchens in a quarter hour, I feel time is of the essence here." The Mareschal then left the room.
"Fine," Hamman said. "So what now? Where does this leave us?"
Jean-Paul stood up, and Eloi groaned in anticipation of another of his long-winded and boring speeches. He noticed that Thoggin had even finished the whisky.
"My friends we should now perhaps consider what our next step should be and whether any of us has any idea who might be behind this foul crime."
Eloi butted in. "We should be hunting down that bastard Shabass T'Lann and torturing the truth from him, every fucking time I meet him there is trouble."
Ignoring the outburst, Jean-Paul continued.
"What concerns me the most is how these people got access to the castle. I fear that the culprit might be closer to home than we considered and we should certainly not dismiss Thoggin as a suspect. Still, with what he now knows, if he is indeed the mastermind behind this he may foul up in his attempts to cover up his deeds and we should be there to make sure he pays for his crimes."
Eloi coughed. "What I want to know is how the feck a wererat managed to infiltrate the palace guard."
"Indeed, Eloi, I think one of us should pay particular interest to Wissig, he again is in a position of some power in these parts and may just have the motives to murder the King. I would also suggest that we make it part of our aim to seek out any ledger containing information about the palace guards to see where this individual hails from."
Eloi muttered, "I guess we should also go and lift this Baron Arganass guy for a little one-to-one. A little pressure might break the little bastard"
Jean-Paul added, "Please my friends your own thoughts in this matter would be useful, Mordekei, what do you know of the items retrieved from the Wererat and their uses. Also what does anyone know about the Masters of Time?"
"I agree with J-P," Hamman said. "We need some action. But we also need sleep too. I'd say the only thing that can't wait is to find this summoning room of Eloi's. And where'd the wench go to, Eloi? Perhaps she noticed something that you never saw. But tell me, where did yo uget this 'Masters of Tome' thing from."
"From Eloi," Jean-Paul said.
Eloi looked completely bored by now. "The Lendor thingy," he said. "And we've already decided it was a ruse."
"OK," Akhan said, rising to his feet. "We better get our stories straight here before we go haring off again. I'll try and remember exactly what happened the night of the Battle when the Drow shot me with the hand crossbow. Hah, these just keep turning up!"
"There was a non-Drow wearing expensive boots who could speak Drow. This person was talking to two Drow whom the guy, probably a noble, blamed for failing to kill the King. This figure stated that he, had set the King up for them. This was the voice I heard in the ballroom but it couldn't have been Thoggin, Fimuth or Arganass as they weren't there at the time and I know their voices anyway. Then they spotted me and one of the Drow, who was female, shot me in the eye"
Akhan tapped his green eye theatrically. "So, Major, the Drow are involved! Oh, I almost forgot - the Drow said that the traitor must hide them till they could return to UnderDark and revise their plans.
"There are many confusing fragments here!" Bermen confessed. "Let us leave off apportioning blame and concentrate on possible traitors. This figure of yours has expensive boots you say. It may be a noble but it could equally be a merchant or a soldier, who knows? Let us formulate some actions: I will go and question the villagers and coachmen. If you doubt Arganass then we should try and follow his movements."
"And I'll go and have a chat with Fimuth!" Akhan said. "Maybe I'll turn up something talking to him. I'll ask him about this assassination attempt. What did the assassin look like? If he is telling the truth it might be the same one I saw in the woods. Wait though, if we're going to investigate these passages of Eloi's then perhaps I better come along first. Don't want you missing any secret trapdoors."
"OK, so the plot seems a lot wider now." Hamman said. "We have linked the traitor with the Drow to the ball tonight. But if they are one and the same, that sort of excludes our main suspects! Are we looking at two groups at work here, or just one?"
"Are we agreed to let J-P call the shots for now? I'd vouch we turn in after the search in the passages, I doubt we'll get access to Fimuth right now anyway Akhan! Once we've done that, we can decide what the next course of action is, and set about it with some sleep behind us."
"Alright then," Akhan said, walking to the door. "If we're going to search these passages and then get some shut-eye then let's get moving, eh, Eloi? Why don't you lead the way and we'll see what sort of chamber this Shabass T'Lann has been using. But before we go sticking our heads into the demon's maw for it to enjoy a tasty munch, why don't we all get properly kitted out with all our usual weapons of mass destruction. I must admit to feeling a bit underdressed just now"
On his way out of the door Akhan smiled in recollection, as he goaded Bermen.
"By the way Major, as we're discussing 'loose' ends maybe you can tell me if Aranon managed to catch that floozy he was transporting in the coach last time I saw him. He didn't seem too pleased by her quick exit."
Bermen ignored Akhan, staring hard at the floor, as if by looking aggressively enough he could bore through the stone.
"All this makes my cursed head ache," he said to no one in particular, and with a very sour dangerous look on his face. Akhan's crack about Aranon's fugitive female seemed to needle him in exactly the wrong way and as the half-elf sauntered through the doorway Bermen cast a murderous looking glance at his quickly receding back.
Akhan guffawed loudly to himself as he walked off down the corridor, humming a lewd drinking song to himself and muttering, "Interesting times!" to himself rather abstractedly.
Rising to his feet he kicked his chair away and, glancing at a fellow fighting man for support, said to Jean-Paul, "Damn smartass Olven thief. That one does nothing but malign others without proof!"
The Major strode off to collect his sword, with a look that spoke of a man swimming in unfamiliar currents.

Ten minutes later they had met up with Wissig in the kitchens.
On his way there, Mordekei had noticed that there were Royal Guards and Palace Guards, plus a few of Thoggin's folk stationed at every room and every corner. The Mareschal and Jean-Paul were there when he arrived, and they all had to wait for the ever-late Eloi. Surprisingly he was only a few minutes more. Wissig nodded at Eloi.
"If you'd be so kind as to lead the way, Eloi."
Eloi spoke to one of the servants, asking of the maidservant and the cupboard.
"Ariall!" the man said. Eloi seemed to remember the man's name was Patrach. He grinned a dullard's grin, saying, "Yes, sounds like Ariall to me. But I haven't seen her since she left with you!"
Eloi looked a bit concerned at hearing this. Patrach continued. "But if its Ariall's cupboard you're looking for..."
He led them off down the hall to a cupboard. The cupboard stank to high heaven of hanging game and some other stench which Mordekei couldn't quite put his finger on. The servant wandered off after Wissig gave him a coin for his troubles.
Eloi entered the cupboard, the Mareschal raising his lantern to let him see better. He fumbled around, pushing, pulling, looking for the secret lever. With a click, a hidden door opened slightly, and they set off down it, Eloi first, then the Mareschal, Hamman, then Mordekei. Eloi led them along with great confidence, and they were soon at the bottom of a ladder.
"Up there to the King and the Count," Eloi whispered.
He carried on, over to a passage on the left, following the passage round to the left, a right, then another left turn, and suddenly the passageway ended. There, on the floor, lay something, which Mordekei saw Eloi pick up, look at, then pocket without a word.
The he reached up to the wall on the left, sliding back a peephole cover, staring into a partially lit room behind it.
"The children!" Eloi muttered, involuntarily.

Wissig pushed him gently aside, peering in through part of the peephole.
"Quick," he said. "There must be a door somewhere."
Everyone turned to the wall and started looking.
Within seconds, Akhan said, "Here."
He reached down and clicked open a small door, having to stoop before he entered. In reverse order the party followed him in, Jean-Paul the last to enter the room, which had a quaint smell, a mixture of incense and sulphur. The room was about thirty feet by forty, with an ornate lectern positioned to the fore, and in the centre a magical circle, inscribed with glyphs and weird signs.
To the back were three cages, which Wissig was heading over to. In them lay three sleeping Olven children - they were alive!
Jean-Paul and Hamman rushed over with him, and helped to free them.
There was one wooden door, to the far right of where the peephole was, and out of its sight, which presumably led up to the kitchen. This door had a split in the centre down its entire length.
Once the children were freed, Jean-Paul walked over to the magical circle, where Mordekei was crouched, and looked closely at the glyphs.
"This appears to be some form of magic," he stated to the mage. "Do you know what the glyphs mean?"
Mordekei shook his head, saying, "Not exactly!"
The magical circle, the type used for summoning demons and devil-kind, was colourful and well made. Mordekei recognised it as similar to an ancient Suel protection circle, specifically used for holding devils. The coloured chalks that made it up were now scattered by many footprints, but he could still tell its fine craftsmanship.
Between the obscure choice of circle, which was perfect for a Pit Fiend such as attacked the King by all accounts, and the craftsmanship of the circle, Mordekei was certain that the mage who summoned it was a powerful and learned one, who clearly knew what he was doing. The thought of this foul summoner's power sent a cold shiver down his spine.
Bermen was looking over the floor.
"There are many footprints within this room but I can pick out human ones, one weighted down more than the other, one similar to the track I followed from the wood after it killed the ratman - this one was behind the lectern. And this here is a rodent trail"
Bermen pointed out a curious track, which seemed to puzzle him somewhat.
"But it is not one which looks natural to me. There is something wrong with it. Mayhaps it was this wererat, and see it may perhaps be that it turned into human form before continuing here. So, I suggest that there were three roughly human-sized creatures: the lighter ratman, a heavier man and the, probably Olven, summoner behind the lectern."
Bermen looked quietly satisfied with his pronouncement.
Eloi scanned the room for any signs or items he might have missed as he entered the room. In a dark corner he saw a small gutter, where he reckoned the Ratman came from in rat form. As he went to check it, Mordekei shouted him over to the lectern.
"Give it the once over for traps, would you Eloi?" he asked.
Akhan was back at the goading, picking on Eloi this time. "Wouldn't want you being viciously put to sleep like those poor children, eh Mordekei?"
Eloi drew Mordekei a scowl, as he was distracted from his search, briefly looking over the lectern. He got up to his feet after he was finished.
"Read away, Mordy," the half-orc said contemptuously, before returning to look into the gutter on the far side of the room. Akhan started to double-check the lectern, goading Eloi about the children as he did so.
"What made you think these children were killed Eloi?" Akhan asked, deciding he could be pushed a bit further. "They don't seem particularly dead to me." Turning to Mordekei he continued. "And what would the purpose of caging these Olven children be anyway? I could understand if they had been killed in some grotesque sacrificial summoning but they're still alive. What do you make of that o mighty mage?"
Akhan gave a mildly mocking bow to Mordekei.
"They were most likely the payment," Mordekei said. "The souls of the innocent in return for the diabolical deed. And would you give the Pit Fiend his payment before he completed the task? If so, there is nothing to stop him from leaving with his prize without performing his service."
Finally answering the waspish Akhan, Eloi had his right arm inside the gutter, up to his elbow.
"Like you I assumed they would have met their ... wait a minute, what's this?"
Everyone turned and looked at Eloi, whose arm was now inside the gutter up to his shoulder. There was a grinding noise, and the wall panel next to the gutter pivoted, sliding out of the room.
A secret door!
The corridor beyond was dark, but Wissig soon lit it up with his torch light, pausing as if to offer Eloi to enter first.
"Like fuck!" Eloi thought. "Someone else's turn now."
"After you," he said, gesturing the Mareschal into the corridor.

Wissig moved in slowly, followed by Eloi and the others. This passage seemed more natural than the others were, earth walls with frequent wooden supports. This was a tunnel, not a passage. The tunnel turned gradually, and also seemed to go slightly upwards. It had no side-tunnels or rooms off it, and after a couple of minutes the party had come to a small ten by ten room, with a wooden ladder leading upwards into the ceiling above.
Around the room twisting and twining tree roots could be seen everywhere in the walls. Wissig quietly went up the ladder, prodding his torch up first for light. He disappeared for a few moments, then shouted down.
"There's only room for one more in here. It seems to be the inside of a tree."
Eloi went up, and within a few minutes the Mareschal shouted back.
"Come on up, we found the way out."
One by one the party went up the ladder, into the five by five foot room which did, in fact, seem to be the inside of a tree. To the left was a small three by four-foot exit, cut into the tree, with a hinge.
As everyone crawled out they realised that they were in the woods out front of the Palace. Bermen instantly recognised the clearing.
"This is where I found the Scarlet Robe from the Ratman's killer," Bermen said as he looked around.
"Probably an escape tunnel," Hamman added.
"A good way in and out of the Palace unseen for our prospective killer."
Eloi suddenly dropped into a low fighting stance, his hand moving onto his flail.
"Shhh!"
Everyone held their breath for an instant, and all could hear the padding of feet coming closer, and the rasping pant of breath, something coming toward them through the woods. Almost as one their hands went to their weapons as the grey furry beast burst through the undergrowth and pounced on Akhan, sending him hurtling to the ground.
"Ash!" the startled thief cried as the giant wolfhound affectionately slobbered all over his face, knocking his hat off in his frenzy.
With a collective sigh, the weapons were put away.
An overweight and out of breath boy ran into the clearing with a dog lead in his hand.
"I'm sorry, Milord, he just went berserk and broke from me," the boy said. Akhan laughed, taking the lead from the boy and pressing a silver piece into his hand.
"Don't worry, boy!" Akhan said. "My friend just wanted to point out the lack of attention I'd been paying him of late."
The dog was stuck firmly to Akhan's side now.
"Seems we have met a dead end for the night," Wissig said calmly. "If you gents retire I will have guards secure this area and search it for other clues. I will meet you in the study tomorrow morning to discuss our plans and theories."
Exhausted, one and all, the party headed back to the heavily guarded Palace to the comfort of sleep.

As they walked back, Mordekei, at the rear and trailing the massive Wissig suspiciously, suddenly felt unbalanced and a strange picture entered his head. He was watching himself from a distance, and some height above the ground too.
"Grymalkin!" he thought, realising his familiar was close enough now for him to see through its eyes. He had almost forgotten his long-time companion was here!
Mordekei moved back toward the woods and could see Grym soaring to him, settling on a tree branch ten feet into the woods.
"Good evening to you, Grymalkin," the mage said up to the pseudodragon.
"Good evening, master," Grym replied in his head. "Where Grym sleep?"
Mordekei smiled. His familiar did like his home comforts.
"Second floor, west wing," Mordekei told him. "The window's open, third from the left on the south side."
Grymalkin spread his wings and soared off towards the Palace.

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