DEVILRY [FANTASY LGBTQ]

Chapter Eight:

The trek into the mountain was a short one, the sun continuing to set as they walked. By the time they had reached the ruins edge the sun had all but set, its wanning glow obscured by the lumbering shadows cast by the trees. The ruins were a towering fortress, parts of it crumbling from age and disuse. Its worn walls covered in a thick weave of ivy stems and moss. It must have been a military stronghold or such many years ago, now forgotten and decaying. Strange place for a wolf to be hiding, at least as far as he knew. He had skipped a majority of his bestiary classes. Much to his chagrin. At least he did recall one thing. Werewolves could be felled with silver. Reaching out he touched the hilt of his silver sword, hanging heavy at his waist. Idlily, he wondered if anyone else had such a weapon. He couldn't tell by looking at their weapons or armor. Without pause the group stepped through the crumbling archway, what was left of the door was soft and rotting and scattered on the stone floor. The soft wood crumbling under his boot as he stepped across it.

The interior of the ruins was eerie and dark, what little sunlight was left streaming through gaps and holes in the walls, casting motes of burning light across the uneven floor. The first room of the garrison was large and wide, a series of passages strewn about the room. Some corridors and others stone stairs. Hendryk watched as some of the mercenaries began to light torches, their burning glow casting back the gloom. It was times like this Hendryk was glad for his uncanny ability to see rather well in the dark. Perhaps a byproduct of his infernal lineage. Alongside him Vaalyun lit a torch, holding the torch before him. Hendryk glancing slowly around the room as the band alongside him began to split up into smaller groups. It seemed they were splitting up. Whether or not that was a good idea remains to be seen.

"You can go with the knight" one of the mercenaries groused at Vaalyun. The wood elf giving the man an impetuous smile in response.

"With pleasure" He mused. He then turned his attention to Hendryk. "Shall we be off then?" Hendryk watching the groups of their separate ways, each group disappearing down a different corridor. Without a word he gave Vaalyun a brief nod, the wood elf motioning with the torch before he began moving. The two making their way across the room towards an unventured corridor. The long corridor gives way to a winding stone staircase, the two wordlessly ascending the stairs. Their footfalls echoing off the walls as they walked, it was quiet, eerily so. "So, what's a knight of the order doing out here alone? From my understanding you knights normally travel in groups or at least pairs" Vaalyun inquired, breaking the silence. Hendryk was aware of this fact, it was safter to travel in groups, though he had taken jobs on his own before. Given he hardly considered ghoul culling a job requiring more than one knight.

"....can't say" Hendryk responded cryptically. Vaalyun humming in response, the torch popping and crackling between them.

"So mysterious" he chuckled.

"Is this really the time?" Hendryk grumbled.

"Fair, fair" the man relented. "I was just curious" he added. He shouldn't be surprised, on the way here Vaalyun was rather talkative. Not to him but to the rest of the group. No surprise he was talking even now. When the two reached the top of the stairs it opened up into a large room, a large pile of debris scattered across the floor, the roof having collapsed revealing the night sky. The moon was full and high, a scattering of wispy clouds across the black sky. Hendryk stared up at the moon, the decaying room bathed in its silver glow. Vaalyun stepping past him, moving further into the room. His boots scuffed against the rubble, sending it skittering across the stone floor. It was then when he heard it, the faint sound of footsteps approaching. Vaalyun must have heard it too seeing as he straightened himself, his hand falling to the hilt of a sword at his side, head tilting into the direction of the sound. They saw their torchlight before he saw them, the trio of mercenaries stepping out from the shadows of a corridor across the room. The trio pausing at the sight of them. "Oh, it's just you" Vaalyun snickered, his form relaxing, hand falling from his blade.