The Count of Castle Rock

Chapter XLIV- Sour Downs

Fate unknown, what is left of the expedition is led along twisting muddy paths through stagnant marsh and mire. Ugly crooked trees watch as the travelers from Castle Black Roost walk beneath their sinister canopy. The very air of the place screams evil, its stink whispers of death. The Hag Swamp is no place for man.

Broken by the loss of Juanita and the brutal consumption of Alice, there is no fight left in them. Hans walks behind Leesa, one foot shuffling in front of the other. Guilt eats away at Hans with each step. The mistakes mount up and the wrong turns build. Blame falls on no one but him. The faces of the guards they've lost come to him whenever he closes his eyes. His training brings them to mind with perfect recollection.

As his eyes settle on his remaining companions, Hans's guilt grows stronger. Their misguided attempt at rescue has put them into the hands of monsters known for their cruelty. With cold surety, Hans realizes they are all going to die.

"I'm so sorry," he says to no one in particular. He doesn't expect a response and he doesn't receive one.

The dark trees grow more abundant even as they grow more robust in size. The expedition passes fewer pools of stagnant water and more patches of muddy mire and bog. Under a slate grey sky they enter the heart of The Hag Swamp.

Following a muddy path through a thicket of dark trees, they emerge at the top of a muddy valley. Down below are the remains of an old elven palace. The pillars and walls are stained from ages of filth and neglect, but the architecture and style stands the test of time. Even hurting, a part of Hans can't ignore the ancient majesty or the implications of finding such a place so far north.

A mounted sentry bars their path. A brownie armed with a long spear seated atop a massive black wolf. The little fae creature says nothing, but the wolf snarls in a pattern not unlike primitive speech.

"They are with us," Broomag snarls, moving towards the front of their line. "Step aside, annoying creature."

The brownie raises its weapon and the wolf spits a series of snarls and chuffs.

Broomag draws her cruel dagger.

"Just say it, sister," Brigieza says. "I am ready to be home."

Broomag hisses at the little man and her fat sibling. "Behold, Sour Downs, seat of power to The Hag of Hubris, Queen of Beauty and The Northern Covens." She sweeps her huge hand towards the sunken palace below.

The brownie and wolf bow low and back out of the way, leaving the procession a clear path. The muddy stretch is heavily trodden, with signs of animal tracks as well as humanoid footprints of various sizes. At the bottom of the slope wait rows of broken marble pillars. Debris surrounds them, a garden of shattered stone. More brownies linger among the stones, watching in silence. One of the creatures offers a small jug to the hags as they pass and Brachuka claims it in exchange for a necklace of black beads from a pouch on her hip.

Prodded on, the giant leads the group to a long avenue ending in a massive thirty foot high stone archway. A hideous green-skinned hag watches from her perch on a stone cube. Nude save for the pelt of what had to have been the largest bear ever recorded, the hag plays with a cap made from the same bear's head. She glares at Brigieza for a pregnant moment before bringing up a wad of phlegm and spitting at the fat hag's foot. Brachuka cringes in disgust.

Broomag pounces on the green hag, beating her with the pommel of her weapon. Hans can't believe the level of brutality the monsters are capable of. It reminds him of how inhuman they truly are. The skirmish is over quickly. Claiming the bear hide for herself, Broomag leaves the green hag the bear cap and broken eye sockets.

Hans startles when a small hand grabs his own, but the sense of warmth and familiarity that flows from that one gesture tells him it is his city girl before he looks up. It's clear she's been crying, and his heart aches to see her this way. He wishes he can fill her with reassurance, but he knows there is no hope. The thought is sobering. He still squeezes her hand, hoping to be some comfort in their last hours. Olivia moves towards them, but stops when Broomag snaps at one of her sisters. The look of fear and dread on the half-elf's face is accentuated by her split lip and the bruises on the side of her cheek. Once the armored hag strides past her, Hans and Leesa close the distance. Coming to Olivia when she is too scared to come to them.