Captain Nodran flinched away from her hand without turning. "If we broke this contract it would dissolve our mercenary charter, and if we lost, it would mean no work for us, and our lives would be worse. The safer bet is to continue on the path before us."
Aeresteel gestured towards her fellow centaurs. "Look into their faces. They're hopeful for once."
Captain Nodran begrudgingly turned with a heavy sigh. He stared at his compatriots for a long while. "This is what you want?"
The other centaurs nodded enthusiastically.
"I guess Lord Nodran isn't a bad title," said the captain, and the centaurs shared excited glances behind him.
Lord Ostric's ghost grunted. "He'll make a good lord, but I have much to teach him."
Terran stifled a grin, thinking about the moment when Nodran would first learn the truth about Lord Ostric.
"If we are to join you, what is the plan?" asked the captain.
Terran shot his companions an enthusiastic grin. The assault on the fortress was going better than he'd planned.
"We're luring the Trio—that's our name for Selune, Kratow, and Roald—into these rooms, where we'll knock them out and take them to the glen. We can send them far away, which will put them out of commission for a long time, giving us a chance to build up the settlement to its former glory. And without them, the attack on the settlement can't happen."
Captain Nodran narrowed his gaze while crossing his arms. "And what would you want us to do?"
"With your help, we could easily get them down here," said Terran. "Once we have them, we can knock them out, and there's a secret passage out of the fortress through the smithy."
He wasn't going to tell them he didn't know where the secret exit led, but they'd felt cool air, so it had to be to the outside.
Captain Nodran checked back with his centaurs, who had wide eyes of excitement, especially Aeresteel.
"Okay. I'll do it," he said. "Everyone back to the quarters. Once the Trio, as you call them, are dealt with, we'll gather everyone and leave. But through the front door. There's no way they can catch us once we go out the gate."
Aeresteel and the other centaurs left their burdens and headed back to their quarters, leaving them alone with Captain Nodran.
"If you haven't been honest with me, this is going to be a very short partnership," he said sternly, before leaving towards the Trio's tower, his tail swishing.
Alone in the room, Terran turned to his friends. "This is great. Not only are we turning the tables on the Trio, we're gaining more allies."
Lord Ostric grunted approvingly. "I knew my kin would come through for you."
Chanterelle looked skeptical. "Don't count your leaves until they've fallen to the forest floor."
Sitting on her haunches, Luna said, "I'll feel better when we're out of this fortress."
"Thank you for the information, Lord Ostric. Without your help this wouldn't have been possible," said Terran.
The ghost nodded his head before returning to the signet ring until he was needed again.
"Let's get in position," said Terran, handing Chanterelle a packet of hibernating mushroom dust. They only had to blow it in the faces of the Trio to knock them out instantly.
After what seemed like forever, but was probably only twenty minutes, considering Captain Nodran had to wake up the Trio, they heard voices in the hallway. Terran tensed behind the door, keeping the packet at the ready, while Chanterelle did the same on the other side.
"...I'm sure once you see the weapons, you'll understand," said Captain Nodran, his voice growing louder.
The centaur was doing a great job of making noise with his hooves, which helped them get ready for the ambush. When the captain made a double tap with his front hoof, which was the agreed upon signal, Terran flung open the door and, together with Chanterelle, leapt into the hallway.
Facing them was Captain Nodran—and only Captain Nodran—who wielded a smug expression like a bludgeon.
Terran realized what had happened, but was not quick enough to react in time. Before he could reach for his Sonic Staff or spin around, a force collapsed around him as if he'd been captured by an invisible hand, spilling the hibernating dust onto the stone floor.
Beside him, Chanterelle disappeared in a puff of shadow, and then Luna tried to sprint from the room, but the force that had captured him froze her in place.
The invisible hand spun Terran in place, bringing him face-to-face with the Trio. Selune stood in front, her clawed hand hovering in place as if she were controlling puppet strings, while Kratow and Roald glowered.
"Isn't this a lovely gift," said Selune. "Thank you, Captain Nodran. Wunderlust Keep will be yours as you requested."
"Thank you," said Captain Nodran. "Do you need my help further? Or can I return to my quarters to prepare for the march?"
"That is all, thank you," said Selune, her lips twitching with a grin. As hoof sounds retreated, she shook her head. "Oh, Terran. What are we going to do about you and your little pet?"
Terran wanted to respond, but his words were ashes in his mouth. His whole world had been turned upside down.
"What about the elf girl?" asked Roald, glancing around. "She managed to escape your spell."
"What's one little elf girl?" Selune said dismissively. "We have the main prize. But send out the Crag Trolls to search for her. I'd rather not have any more trouble." She glanced behind her. "Kratow. Strip him of his gear. Then we'll take them to the dungeon."
Terran struggled to stop Kratow, but the invisible binding held him tight. He shared a moment of despair with Luna, whose ears were pinned against her head.
After being stripped of his equipment, including his armor, they were carried to a jail cell near the smithy. He was thrown into one room, while Luna was placed in another.
Through the barred window, Selune said, "Don't get any ideas about using magic. These cells are magically sealed. Nothing you do will matter."
"You shouldn't trust Grimchar," said Terran with his hands on the bars. "He's just using you."
"Oh, he speaks now," said Selune with a raised eyebrow. "And don't you worry your pretty little head. We're quite aware of what Grimchar is, probably more than you. It's a dangerous game, but better to be on this side of the equation than yours."
As Terran stared through the bars at Selune, he couldn't help but see Tabitha's face. The version of herself she'd chosen in the game was more beautiful by far, but unlike her benefactor, her rottenness was all on the inside. He thought about bringing up her former self, but didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing whom they'd captured.
"Wouldn't you rather work with the Rock Leaf Elves and the Mother Tree than that rotting bag of flesh Grimchar?" asked Terran.
Selune narrowed her gaze. "Later on, you'll be explaining how you met him and survived, but for now, we have preparations to make. I'm sure you're aware that we're about to march on your home to destroy the Mother Tree and take back what should have been ours in the first place." She tilted her head. "You know, you could have avoided all this by not betraying us in the ant caves. Now, look what's happened. We're about to get everything we wanted, and more. I'm sure Grimchar will enjoy our gift to him, of you and your little furry friend. And when he ascends, takes his full powers, he'll be in our debt."
"What would stop him from turning on you?" asked Terran.
She wrinkled her nose. "That's the thing, Terran. You understand so little of this world. He needs us. He needs offworlders. Just like your precious Mother Tree. We're the engine that makes this world go round. He could do to us like he's going to do to you, but then he'd be powerless again."
Even though he wasn't sure how, he knew that Selune was right. This world had been created for them. They were given quests and rewards. It made sense that nothing could really happen without the offworlders. But it didn't explain why these forces like Grimchar were already present and scheming. He would have asked Selune, but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction,
plus she'd disappeared during his contemplation, leaving him alone in his cell.
Pushing his face to the window, he found a pair of Crag Troll guards sitting at a table and playing cards. One of them gave him a snaggletoothed smile, chuckling under his breath, before returning to his game.
Devastated by the turn of events, Terran collapsed against the wall, burying his head between his knees.
"Terran?"
Luna's voice came through the wall.
"Yeah, Luna?"
A pause.
"Are we going to get out of this one?"
Her heartfelt question left him reeling with frustration. His bones ached. He wanted to punch the walls, but there was nothing he could do. He was trapped. Captured. They'd lost and the Trio had won.
Chapter Thirty
A few attempts at magic proved Selune's warning. Not only did the spell not complete, but the non-resolution left him with a headache, as if the mana had gotten stuck in his head. Frustrated, Terran sunk against the wall and put his face in his hands. They'd been so close to completing the mission. If Captain Nodran hadn't betrayed them, they could have been on their way to the settlement, the safety and future of the Rock Leaf Elves secured.
He didn't even have Lord Ostric's signet ring anymore, so sending the ghost out for scouting was impossible. The only chance they had was that Chanterelle was still loose in the fortress, but with all the Crag Trolls searching for her, he didn't think she could avoid them forever. Hopefully, she escaped, heading back to the settlement to warn them about what was going to happen.
The aching in his right boot reminded him that he'd secreted the rose crystal there. He pulled out the hard mineral, rotating it in his hands. While it was nice to know that he'd snuck something by the Trio, it wasn't like he could use the crystal since the room was magically blocked. Of course, he didn't know how to use rose crystals. He only knew that they were involved with mind control, or other mind-based powers, which would have been really useful given his circumstances.
With nothing else to do, Terran softly sang out notes until he found the resonant frequency for the crystal. When he climbed to a B, the crystal caught his note, vibrating with a warmth that spread throughout his body until he was tingling with pleasure.
"Whoa," he said, letting the note drop.
The crystal hummed in his hand for a few seconds after he'd stopped singing.
"What was that?" asked Luna through the wall.
"I snuck a crystal into the room," he said. "I'm going to see if I can use it to get out."
Terran stuck his hands outside of the room and his face against the bars so his mouth was technically outside. He didn't know if it was going to work, but he had to try. The two Crag Trolls were busy with their game.
It was awkward to sing in that position, but he managed to catch the B note on the second try. The crystal rang out, making his arms feel like warm butter. The two Crag Trolls lifted their heads, pushed away from the table, and made their way to his cell door. The curious, dumbfounded look on their faces was promising.
As they neared, Terran focused his intention on the rose crystal, pointing it at the Crag Troll on the right, which unfocused the creature's eyes.
"What are you doing, human?" asked the other Crag Troll, his dumbfounded expression turning to one of suspicion. "Stop your singing."
Before Terran could pull his hands back into the cell, the Crag Troll slapped the crystal out of his hands. It bounced across the stone floor, still ringing with his note.
"Shit," said Terran as he saw his chance to escape slide against the other wall.
To his horrific surprise, the other Crag Troll bent his knees in a crouch and began to grunt as if he were sitting on a privy.
The realization of what was happening made him both excited and terrified. Before the Crag Troll could complete the act, Terran said, "Bring me the crystal."
[You have learned the Silky Suggestion spell]
Silky Suggestion - Crystal Bard Spell [CHA]
Cost - 75 mana
Range - 20 feet
Requires a rose crystal.
Spell success is based on quality of rose crystal, Subterfuge skill, pitch, and intelligence of target.
The slack-jawed Crag Troll moved to collect the rose crystal, while the other stared back at Terran.
"You can't do that," said the Crag Troll.
"Clearly I can," said Terran. "And if you don't let me out of this cell I'm going to tell you to jump off the side of the mountain."
The Crag Troll's eyes widened as he reached for his keys. "Not before I kill you."
Terran threw himself back into the cell as the troll unlocked the door. Without his magic, no crystal, and barehanded, the Crag Troll would make short work of him. Death would be welcome, since it would send him back to the settlement, but that would leave Luna and Chanterelle to their fates.
When the Crag Troll stepped into the cell, Terran shouted to the second one. "Defend me!"
The troll, unfortunately, only stopped and stared at the crystal in his hand. The ringing had faded and he seemed to be returning to his former self.
Terran had no more time to contemplate the duration of his new spell. He backed into the corner of the cell as the first Crag Troll pulled out his warhammer, watching for an opportunity to slip past it when he swung its weapon, but the creature was so wide, he didn't think there'd be a chance.
Outside the cell, the other Crag Troll was making a racket. Terran wasn't sure if he was trying to find his weapon or fit inside the small cell, but he didn't care too much, as the one in the cell was lifting its weapon to smash him. At the apex of his swing, the Crag Troll froze, a strange expression on his face.
The Crag Troll turned on wobbly legs, a huge gash in his back, which made no sense to Terran until he saw the billowing shadows outside the room. Chanterelle dodged past the Crag Troll, slicing his side right open before shoving the Nightblade into his neck. The Crag Troll dropped to his knees and then fell flat on his face.
Relieved, Terran went to throw his arms around his girlfriend, but she twitched her weapon towards him as he approached, and he froze with his hands out. Her eyes were jet black, even the whites had filled in, and smoke rolled from her body like a cloak.
Then she relaxed and pulled her weapon back, and the shadows dissipated.
"Sorry," she said, glancing away with a shrug, "the heat of battle."
It wasn't an explanation, but Terran didn't care since he was free.
"Thank you for the rescue," he said, collecting the rose crystal next to the corpse of the Crag Troll, while Chanterelle scooped the keys off the stone floor and released Luna from her cell.
"If you hadn't distracted them, I'm not sure I could have beaten those two," said Chanterelle, gesturing towards the bloody bodies.
"Did you…?"
Her lips flattened. "No. I'm afraid what accepting will mean."
Luna gave them a funny look but said, "What do we do now?"
Terran formed his hands into fists. "I don't know. If we leave now, I doubt we'll make it back to the settlement before the Trio does. We have to stop them, here and now, but I don't know how with only the three of us. Maybe we could jump off a cliff and return faster."
Chanterelle shook her head. "That won't work. Death by your own hand means a three-day penalty for respawn."
"What about Aeresteel and the other centaurs?" asked Luna. "She seemed excited about the prospect of leaving the mercenary business. Maybe we could convince them to turn on Captain Nodran."
"But I don't have my staff, only this rose crystal, which worked fine on a dumb Crag Troll, but it'll be less effective on smarter creatures," said Terran.
"I'm not suggesting that you charm her," said Luna.
"We need to take out the Trio," said Terran, shaking his head. "They're the source of these problems."
"I only have one pinch of hibernating powder," said Chanterelle. "You have the rest in your pouch, which is now with the Trio."
"Yes. Yes. We could get it. If it's still there. If we could take out two of them, then maybe," said Terran. "It would require going into the tower."
"Then what?" asked Chanterelle.
"It's better than just running and letting them destroy the Mother Tree," said Terran.
Luna tilted her head. "So let me get this straight. We're going to make a frontal assault on the tower, killing two fully armored Barghests, then barge up those stairs and take out the Trio while you're missing most of your arsenal."
"It's not ideal, but we're kinda out of options," said Terran. "At the very least, we can make them kill us. Then we take the short ride back to the glen."
No one spoke for a while. Chanterelle's jaw pulsed with thought and there was pain in her eyes. Eventually she nodded.
When Terran looked to Luna, she said, "Some days I really regret you saved me from the Spirit Bear."
"Love you too, Luna," said Terran. "Shall we?"
Chapter Thirty-One
The hibernating powder was in the hallway as they'd hoped. Terran had thought there was little danger of it being cleaned up when the rest of the fortress had old mugs and moldy bread lying around. They had enough for two pinches, which would at least give them an advantage against the Trio. The best course would be to knock out Kratow and Selune and bind up Roald, but in the chaos of battle, anything could happen.
The inner courtyard was alive with activity, though mostly near the front of the massive fortress as the two mercenary companies gathered their gear, readying for the march south to Gneiss Glen. A red glow on the horizon warned of morning, though it'd be another hour before the sun graced the sky, which gave them the opportunity to move through the courtyard unseen, and thanks to the loaded wagons, they were able to sneak near the tower door with little trouble. It was still guarded by two massive, armored Barghests, which posed a problem. Combat would bring the rest of the courtyard down upon them.
The Crystal Bard: A LitRPG Adventure (Kingmaker Saga Book 2) Page 19