It was another morning in the City of Starcoast. As the sun seeped in from behind the curtains, the number on the clock turned over from 6 to 7. A blue orb rose from the top and started to glow as it cast a stimulation spell.
Lilly slowly opened her eyes. She was wearing only a pink transparent night gown, and even then, it wasn't fully covering her. She pressed her hand on the mattress and pushed herself up, then pressing down on the orb, sending back into the clock and ceasing the spell.
Someone shifted under the covers. It was Lilly's companion for the previous night. She wore a golden collar around her neck, a leather blindfold over her eyes, and a pair of leather cuffs behind her back. Her nipples were adorned with gold rings, similar to the one on her navel.
Lilly stroked her olive skin, giving her a bit of a squeeze before reaching behind her back and opening the cuffs. "Last night was wonderful." She lifted up her chin and gave her a kiss.
"Thank you, Mistress." She sat up and bowed. She then removed her blindfold and gathered up her clothes from the floor, leaving the room immediately after.
Lilly smiled, her eyes focused squarely on the slave's butt as she left the room. Once the door shut, she held out her left arm. The golden bracer resting on the nightstand floated into the air and flew over to her, sliding onto her arm. She then stripped off her gown and put on a robe.
Her first stop was the bath. It was a lovely marble-tiled room. The petrified form of a mermaid sat by the pool and poured water from her endless vase. Leaving her bracer and robe in a basket, Lilly stepped into the herbal water and relaxed for a moment.
A busty slave with sky blue skin entered the bath soon after. She aided her mistress in getting clean. While Lilly didn't mind washing herself, she rather enjoyed having the slave's skilled hands slide across her skin.
Once she was relaxed enough, she stepped out of the water and her nude slave followed. She toweled her off as Lilly dried her hair with a spell. She then slid on a red latex catsuit another slave provided her with. It zipped up in the front and had a transparent skirt that stopped at her knees. It also had golden accents. Next, she slid on a black latex jacket and held out her arm, her golden bracer once again returning to its place on her arm. Then she put on her earrings, two large gold ones, one for each ear, and a small sliver one for the right.
Waiting outside the dressing room was Chinatsu, a four-tailed kitsune. She wore a pink latex kimono with a hole for her tails. Today, it featured a flower-print pattern. She had long hair, the two lengths in front decorated by silver hair bands. It was early in the morning, but she had already taken the time to do her makeup. "Good morning, Mistress," she said with a bow. "Breakfast is ready for you."
Chinatsu was Lilly's head slave, the second to earn the title. She had served her in Starcoast for many years, having been grandfathered in under the old slavery regulations. Still, she was a trusted slave and oversaw Lilly's interests in this country, mainly her properties in Starcoast such as Maplevale Mansion, the Cheerful Fairy, and Smith Magicworks.
"Good morning, Chinatsu. Thank you for the notice." Lilly stroked Chinatsu's head before heading to the dining room.
The dining room was a bit on the large side, but could be expanded should she need the extra space for larger gatherings. For now, only a handful of people were present. The mahogany table had 12 chairs, but most of them were empty. Lilly took her seat at the end of the table, while Chinatsu sat to her right.
They were joined by the head maid of Maplevale Mansion, the manager of the Cheerful Fairy, and the director of Smith Magicworks. Normally, they would report to Chinatsu, but Lilly spoke to them directly when ever she was in town.
Latex-clad maids wheeled in serving carts, placing plates in front of Lilly and the others. One girl filled Lilly's glass with orange juice before moving onto Chinatsu and then the others. There was plenty of food and any not eaten would be sent to the slaves in the servant dining room.
A maid entered the room holding a parchment in her hand. "Mistress, my apologies for the interruption, but there is a delegation from the Abros Region requesting to speak with you. They have a letter of introduction." She held out the paper.
"Let's see it." Lilly motioned closer with her index finger. The parchment flew out of the maid's open hand and hovered in front of her. It was from a king of a small city state south by southwest from here. It had both a royal crest and seal; both seemed to be authentic. "Mmm, it seems they are in a fair bit of trouble. Do the usual screening and have them wait for me in the parlor. Offer them some tea."
"Yes, Mistress." The maid bowed and left the room.
"Chinatsu, I want you to sit in on this."
"Of course, Mistress." Chinatsu smiled.
After they finished, Lilly checked herself over. She made sure her hair was combed, above most else. Once her check was complete, she headed to the parlor.
On either said of the door was one of her latex guards. They wore a purple latex spiked coat and black ruffled miniskirt over a latex catsuit. Their faces were hidden by their masks and military caps. Both had tonfas hooked to their belts. They stood at attention as Lilly approached, and then opened the door.
Lilly smiled and walked through. On the other side, she found five people in traveling clothes sitting around the table. A latex maid was standing by holding a vintage tea pot.
The five of them stood up when they saw Lilly and Chinatsu. "Thank you for meeting with us."
"You are quite welcome." Lilly put on a friendly smile. "Please be seated." She walked over to an armchair and sat down, as did the group. She set down the letter of recommendation. "I see you were referred by the king of Heikki. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's right,” said one of them, a mustachioed man with the widest girth of the group. “My name is Josef and I represent the Patel Baldini Merchant Association." He glanced around briefly. "I must say, you have a lovely home here. The artwork is exquisite."
"Patel Baldini. That name rings a bell, at least." Given that a significant portion of her wealth came from trade, Lilly had at least heard of all the merchant associations that could be anywhere near her business. That wasn't to say she knew the names of all of them, as there were still plenty of regions she knew nothing about.
A tiger neko spoke next. "I am Agim of Swanford Village. We represent of a coalition of Swanford and other small villages in the Abros Region."
"My name is Rohese from Dunstan Village," said the blonde woman in the group.
Sitting next to Agim was a woman with dark green hair. "My name is Sibyl from Ravenwallow."
The raven-haired woman sitting on Sibyl's other side fiddled with her fingers nervously for a moment before looking up at Lilly. "My name is Jamini... also from Ravenwallow." Her eyes frequently shot back to the gold statue of an elegant woman playing a harp. The harp was enchanted so it could play itself, but was currently silent.
Agim glanced at Jamini for a quick moment before clearing his throat and looking at Lilly. "We have a critical matter which we need to discuss with you. One that will effect the future of our villages and the other villages in our coalition. Patel Baldini has agreed to lend us some support in this matter."
Rohese spoke in a strict tone. "Last year, a necromancer occupied an abandoned castle a few miles from my village. We could live with that, but then she started marching into the local villages and demanding they serve her. She attacked with her army of skeletons and turned many people to stone. At first, she only asked for food and drink, taking a few of us as hostages. Then she started asking for labor in fixing up her castle. Now she has started demanding coin."
Sibyl held Jamini's hand. "She has been taking copper from us every month, calling it taxes. At first it was only a few coins per person, half as much for children. However, she has doubled it with the new year."
Josef put down his empty tea cup and the maid refilled it. "The masters of Patel Baldini have a growing concern about the hardships of these good people."
The small silver band just above Lilly’s gold earring contracted, pinching her right ear slightly. She hid her annoyance in the matter. "Please elaborate."
Josef reached for his tea cup. "Err, well, we can't just sit back and let her conquer the region."
"There has got to be more to that." Lilly tapped the runes on her lone bracer. Its gems lit up and a small screen appeared above the rune pad. She tapped a few more runes and a keyboard appeared in front of her. It was made up of glowing yellow lines. Floating in the air above it was a larger screen showing an interface. She switched over to the keyboard and searched for the Abros Region. A map of it then appeared on a new screen to the side. Despite it being nothing more the light, she grabbed it and tossed it to the table, letting it float upon reaching there.
There were a number of dots on the map, each showing the labeled location of towns and villages in the area. With a few keystrokes, the dots labeled Swanford, Dunstan, and Ravenwallow turned red. She noted that the Patel Baldini HQ was quite some distance away, as were its branches. "You stated you were in a coalition. Show me what other villages stand with you."
"Well, we are mainly made up of the villages she has attacked. She started with Giha..." Agim pointed to a dot and Lilly turned it red. "And before long she started moving on the other villages." As he pointed them out, Lilly turned their markers red. "Within two months, she had forced seven villages under her heel. After about four months, she paid Swanford a visit. Now she controls nine villages. There are also two other villages who are supporting us in this." Lilly marked those in orange.
"And where is her castle?"
"Here." Rohese pointed to an unnamed icon between Giha, Hareville, and Dunstan. "She was demanding stone from Dunstan to be brought there."
"I see." Lilly looked at the map and the villages the necromancer had controlled. It seems she is slowly expanding east mainly. To the west is Lord Dragutin Thunderfang's domain. She likely doesn't want to mess with that old dragon." She also noted a highway passing through one of the orange villages.
"We have been asking other villages to join in, but after what happened to Raven..." Agim paused and glanced at Sibyl and Jamini. "Well, she doesn't like being attacked. Many of the local villages are worried she will target them should they organize any kind of assault on her."
Lilly quickly traced the highway's path with her eye. "I noticed Patel Baldini is quite a ways away from the area. How did you get involved in this?" She looked over at Josef.
"Well, you know how it is. We heard some things during our travels. This got back to the guild masters and they soon developed some concerns."
"I can imagine. There must be quite a lot of hardships in the villages for word of it to spread all the way to you. Could you think of the trouble she would cause if she went just a bit farther east? Say over to Forstford."
"Oh yes, that would cause us no end of trouble." Josef blinked for a moment. "I mean, I fear their way of life would be crippled should she take Forstford." With that last line, Lilly felt another pinch.
"Do you get goods from Forstford?"
The villagers nodded. "We get a caravan in Forstford every few months and they sell some goods, which get passed to the other villages. Mostly things we can't make on our own."
"So if she takes over Forstford, then the caravan would be unable to make the journey?"
Josef nodded. "I fear we might not be able to travel that way anymore. At the very least she may charge a hefty levy on our goods." No pinch that time. "If that happens, we would have to raise our prices. It's already expensive enough to transport goods between the regions."
"And that seems to be the only highway you could take." Satisfied, Lilly moved on. "So tell me more about this necromancer. Does she have any allies? What magics does she use? I assume raising the dead."
"She calls herself Queen Juana Underwood. She will ramble on at times about her royal lineage, but I've never found anyone who knew any more than what she told us." Sibyl sighed. "She has few people by her side. There is a werewolf she keeps by her side and..." She phased for a bit. "A few adventurers we had hired to fight her. For some reason, they started working for her."
Agim put down his cup. "There are some rumors about it. The werewolf was a guard from Hareville. They all wear collars and people say she has some kind of curse on them."
"And the skeletons? About how many are there?"
"She seems to bring a few dozen with her when she travels, but she's got over a hundred at her castle,” Rohese stated. "As for magic, well… She likes to turn people to stone. She also casts fire balls and lightning."
The pieces were coming together. The coalition was weeks away from Starcoast. The Abros Region was mostly unsettled. Even if the population data was a few years out of date, the villages would be unlikely to put up much of a fight. There were some cities a few days’ travel away, but they were small and most likely couldn't spare the soldiers necessary to fight off such a horde, not without leaving themselves defenseless. The mid-sized kingdoms, on the other hand, were too far away. They would have to travel through at least six other territories, not counting the coalition, just to reach her. Sending a large armed force through other kingdoms was not only expensive, but would be treated as an act of aggression. There was a certain amount of distrust between the states; territory disputes and whatnot.
"I take it you asked for aid from the Heikki Kingdom?"
"Yes, that's right. But he refused to loan us any men." Sibyl picked up the letter. "He did offer some help. It was his suggestion that we seek aid from a powerful mage or sorcerer to help."
"You came highly recommended. We came straight to you." As Josef spoke, Lilly's sliver earring pinched her once more, forcing a subtly annoyed smirk out of her.
"While I am aware of my reputation, it seems like it would be rather difficult to take to me at the consulate. Mostly likely, you would of had to deal with Chinatsu here."
"While I would be happy to help with what I can, I'm afraid taking on such a mission would be a little beyond my authority." Chinatsu smiled at them.
"Still, it's a honor to be your first choice. I am well-acquainted with the other sorcerers in this city and I know full well of their abilities. We do get to talking over drinks and whatnot."
Rohese spoke next. "Well actually, we spoke to Mistress Nightshade yesterday, but she turned us down. Headmaster Nevin also declined our pleas."
Lilly's regular smile returned. "Oh, that is quite understandable. Mistress Nightshade holds the unofficial title of strongest combat sorcerer in the city, even rumored to be the strongest in the tri-kingdoms. It's not surprising she would be your first choice. As for Headmaster Nevin, I'm afraid he doesn't leave the city much these days, and instead stays close to the Academy. We were old drinking buddies and I've seen him in action back in his heyday. Still, he is a resourceful old man."
"Thank you for understanding." Josef smiled, blissfully unaware of the slight he caused.
"Well, is there anything else you think I need to know about Juana?"
"No."
"I can't think of anything."
"Then we should move onto the matter of my payment. This will be a big job, and we will have to move a lot of people for this."
Josef leaned forward. "The villagers and I, err, the association, have put together something of a war chest. We can offer you 700 gold should you vanquish the necromancer."
"Is that the number you offered Mistress Nightshade and Headmaster Nevin?"
"It is." He nodded.
"Well I can see why she turned it down." Chinatsu giggled. "There is rather a large risk involved and I will be needing to spend some on equipment."
"I'm afraid we have only so much liquid capital to work with. However, we do have another offer. It was my understanding you collect people, namely women with special powers." Josef smiled.
Jamini gripped her skirt tightly in her hands.
Lilly nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"I had heard you were a woman of extraordinary taste. The lovely Miss Jamini here was born with one such power.” Josef gestured to the raven-haired woman. “She is able remain awake indefinitely without any detrimental effects to her physical and mental health."
Chinatsu's ears perked and she looked over at Jamini. "I can see how that could be useful."
Lilly looked over Jamini more closely. Unlike the woman sitting next to her, her hair had been neatly cut. Her nails had been manicured and she seemed to be wearing makeup. Her dress also seemed to be new. It was rather pretty, but didn't seem suited for a long journey like the one she would have taken to get here. "Is this true, my dear? Are you able to go without sleep?"
Jamini nodded. "Yes, I haven't slept in three months."
The makeup made it hard to tell, but there didn't seem to be any bags under her eyes nor any hint of fatigue in her voice. She did seem nervous, but she wasn't lying.
Chinatsu moved closer and sniffed the girl. "Three months? I though you didn't need to sleep at all."
"I can if I really want to, but it's difficult and takes a while. I have to be completely relaxed. I only really do it when I have nothing else I can do. I'm told that I kept my parents up all night when I was a baby as I wouldn't settle down. They often say I didn't sleep a wink until I was five years old."
Lilly stood up. "Come over here. Let me get a look at you."
Slowly, Jamini slowly rose to her feet. She walked around the couch and over to Lilly. She had a floral scent and seemed to be wearing a bra that lifted up her breasts. The dress was rather tight and gave her a good idea of the shape of her body.
"Seems like Josef dolled her up in an attempt to raise her price tag." Lilly still smiled as she looked her over.
"She is quite a rare gem, wouldn't you say?" Josef chuckled slightly. "She has graciously agreed to enter slavery to help save her village. A rare power such as hers would likely fetch a high price at auction, but we thought we would give you first bid on her."
There was a slight pinch at Lilly's ear as Josef spoke. "That's partly true at least. I'm sure she would fetch a well above average price at auction, but it's an underrated ability. He likely just offered her to Mistress Nightshade and Headmaster Nevin first." She turned her attention back to Jamini. "Slavery in Starcoast is strictly voluntary for non-felons. Are you aware of this?"
Jamini closed her eyes for a moment as she nodded. "Yes."
"And are you willing to enter a lifetime slavery contract with me?"
"If it will defeat that... if it will save my village, then yes."
"I'm assuming this will be your first time as a slave. Tell me, do you have any skills? Can you fight? Can you use chi or magic?"
Jamini phased. "I'm afraid I've only learned craft from my family. I only know a little of combat, but I can cook, clean, and sew as well as anyone in my village. I can do some repair work around the house."
Lilly feigned a look of disappointment. "Hmmm, hold still for a moment." She tapped a few runes on her mini keyboard. A ring of light appeared at Jamini's feet and rose up around her body. Lilly then looked at her screen at the results of the scan. "She's in good health, and her mana level is high for someone untrained. She's human, but young enough for training in a new disciple. It couldn't hurt to have another like her." She looked up. "Thank you. You may sit back down now." Lilly returned to her seat.
"Thank you... Ma'am." Jamini sat down.
Josef clasped his hands together and smiled. "So can we count on your support? Certainly it should be an easy mission for one as powerful as yourself."
"‘Easy’ isn't a word I would use when facing a necromancer. Their magic is on par with that of the sorcerer. I'm afraid without seeing her for myself I can't say how much of a fight she will put up. However, I will entertain further talks about such a battle."
Josef frowned. "I'm afraid we can't offer any more gold then we have already." The ring pinched Lilly's ear. "Many of these villages are farming villages. Perhaps we could offer food as additional payment." He got a few looks from the others. "You have a wonderful and large house. Certainly you have many servants you need to feed."
"Indeed I do. I have a few hundred in fact, counting my other properties as well. However, the Abros Region is rather far away and I can't see it being easy to send food such a distance."
Rohese sighed. "I'm afraid the same would go for the stone of my village. We normally only export it to the neighboring villages and in rare cases the closer kingdoms."
"We would be happy to offer you food and shelter during your stay with us." Agim forced a smile. "I'm afraid it isn't much, but you are welcome to our hospitality."
"I'm sure I will need to make use of that." Lilly waved her hand slightly to the side. "However, if we are talking about non-monetary incentives, I have a few ideas. First of all, the necromancer is mine, as well any magical items and treasures in her possession. I will need signed documents from the village chiefs to verify her crimes against you. I will also need to be exempt from any entrance fee to all of these villages, as well as for my slaves."
"My village doesn't collect an entry tax," protested Sibyl.
"Then you shouldn't have any trouble with that demand. However, I do know Forstford does."
"What about the statues she has taken? The people she petrified. Some of them were taken back to her castle." Rohese tried to calm herself. "Some of them were my friends…”
"I could return them to the flesh, for a reasonable fee. At least, the ones she has taken from the villages. Any unclaimed statues will be mine to keep."
"I'm fine with that, as long as you make that dreadful woman suffer." Jamini growled under her breath.
"But I already said we couldn't offer you anymore gold."
"True, but I'm a merchant as well. Patel Baldini is far outside of my distribution network, but I could stand to send my goods to another region. I will have to look into it first, but perhaps you could transport my goods for a discount."
"I can't..." Josef paused. The gears seemed to be turning in his head. "I will have to bring it up with the guild masters."
The discussion went on for about another hour. Lilly put in a number of demands early on, such as erecting statues in her likeness in all the villages. That number dropped to one, and then zero, as she cemented things she was truly interested in. Her price fluctuated as well. She was able to raise the overall price by cutting it into payments. It would be a few years before she fully collected on it, but they could offer less up front.
In-between discussion points, the maids brought in refreshments. Once Lilly finished a slice of cake, she let go of the plate, letting it float in the air until one of the maids took it. "I think we have a basic agreement all set. I will have a contract drafted soon. I will take Jamini as a down payment. I expect her to be registered and under my collar before I leave the city in three days time."
"Three days? But it took us over two weeks just to get here! Certainly it would take just a long to get back. How long do you expect my people to wait?" Agim started to get flustered.
"I do have some obligations here. I come to Starcoast for business and I have other people to meet with in person. Three days is as soon as my schedule will allow. What's more, I'm sure you will have to call and confirm the terms with the rest of the coalition. Besides, you've survived her rule for about a year now. I'm sure they can take another month."
Rohese stood up. "But it will take too long to get a message to them! Dunstan doesn't have communication mirrors!"
Josef grabbed Rohese's arm. "But Forstford does. We can get a message out to them. Besides, she's right. I must contact the merchant association to clear everything with them."
Rohese relaxed. "All right."
"Then I look forward to speaking with you again soon." Lilly stood up. She shook their hands and saw them out.
She then headed upstairs to her study. With a wave of her hand, the curtains pulled away from the large mirror on the wall. The image was distorted and soon showed a maid wearing a golden collar.
"Hello, Mistress. How can I help you?" She smiled at her.
"I wish to speak to Dame Renna. Fetch her."
"Yes, Mistress. Right away." The maid stepped away from the mirror.
A few moments later, a purple elf in a maid uniform walked into the image and bowed. Like the maid before she wore a gold collar around her neck. "Greetings, Mistress." She smiled and tilted her head slightly. Dame Renna Vaynore was Lilly's first head slave. She oversaw her home of Topaz Tower, as well as the more militaristic aspects of her operations.
"Hello, Dame Renna. I have received a new mission. The paperwork hasn't been signed yet, but it's best to start gathering intelligence. Is Shadow at the tower?"
"Yes, Mistress. She returned four days ago. She is ready to go at any moment."
"Good. I want you to send her and a support team to head to the Abros Region by griffin. A necromancer by the name Juana Underwood has claimed a castle in the area. I'm sending you my notes on the map. The villages in red have been occupied by her skeletons, while the orange have allied themselves in a coalition with the others, as well as with the Patel Baldini merchant association. I need them to scout out the location and ascertain Juana's abilities and forces."
"Understood. I should be able to dispatch them with in a few hours."
"Good. Additionally, I want you to prepare for battle. I will need a stock of anti-undead weapons prepared. And be sure Arjean Lumiere is available when the time comes. I will contact you later with the rendezvous point later once I know more. I will be traveling out there myself for this mission."
"It will be done, Mistress."
***
Lilly's carriage pulled up into Dryrock Village, stopping in front of the Little Rabbit Inn & Tavern. She had chosen to use one of the less sumptuous ones, as it strongly resembled a merchant's wooden carriage, but it was still rather spacious. Additionally, she had hoped to use regular horses.
The driver was Aki. She was a tiger neko. A veteran adventurer, she served as one of Lilly's bodyguards. Beneath her traveler's robes was a set of lightweight armor. Her weapons wear a pair of mithril gantlets, each sporting a set of claws. Seeing how she was using her hands to hold the reins, she had no use for them at the moment.
Next to her sat Gweyr, a wood elf. She was the lookout and used a bow, with a pair of short swords as backup. Like Aki, she wore traveler's robes over her armor. "We're here."
Sanya opened the door and stepped out first. The redheaded woman wore a cloak and kept her gear hidden beneath it. She wasn't a bodyguard, but had been selected for this mission regardless. She looked around before stepping aside to make room for Lilly.
Lilly had done without her extravagant latex costume, instead donning dark red robes and cloak. Still, her gold bracer was with her as always, hidden beneath her sleeve. "It's nice to stretch my legs."
Enide followed behind. She was a newer member of the team, but she had experience and some much needed skills in the field of spirits. She had a claymore at her side. "So this is Dryrock?"
"Yes, it is." Aki jumped off the driver's seat. "My butt was starting to get sore." She wagged her tail slightly as she rubbed her behind.
"I'm going to get us some rooms. Aki, Sanya, with me." Lilly walked into the inn, flanked by Aki and Sanya. Enide followed behind. The others stayed with the horses.
The first room was a tavern. A number of tables and chairs filled the room. A number of them already had people sitting and enjoying their drinks. Against the east wall was a set of stairs. Behind the counter stood a man in his 40's. "Hello, ma'am. What can I do you for?"
"Hello." Lilly smiled. "I would like a room for seven please, and the use of your stable. I have two horses and a carriage."
"I could put you up in two group rooms, then. It would be 50 copper for each room, and 8 for the stable, for the night."
Lilly reached for her coin purse. She kept most of her traveling funds in her hammerspace, but it would be best not to show that off right now. She handed over 5 small sliver coins and 4 large copper. "We are waiting on some friends. Shouldn't be more than a few days."
The man took the coins. "Thank you, ma'am. We will be happy to have you for your stay. One moment." He put the coins away and pulled out a pair of iron keys. "The rooms are upstairs. I'll put you in rooms 6 and 8. Do you have any luggage?" He walked around the counter.
"A few things. No need to put yourself out about it. We will just need a place to park." Lilly followed behind him.
"It's no trouble at all, ma'am." He headed up the stairs and passed a few doors. He took one of the keys and opened door number 6. Inside were four beds. "Here you are. I'm afraid the rooms are only big enough for four."
"That's quite alright." Lilly glanced inside. "Do you have a place to wash up?"
"There’s a well in the back. It's fenced off, if that's an issue."
"I think I'd rather stick with the shower in the carriage. So much for enjoying a nice bath…" Lilly took the key he handed to her. "That's quite alright."
The man held up the other key. "Room 8 is right next door."
"Thanks, we should be able to find it." Sanya took the key.
"Now if you like, I can help you bring up your things."
"That's quite all right, but we do need to park my carriage. Enide, be a dear and show him to Gweyr and the horses."
"Yes, Miss... Yes, ma'am." Enide let her tongue slip for a moment. She then turned and left the room. The innkeeper followed.
Once they were gone and the door closed, Lilly lifted up her arm and touched the runes on her bracer. A dim light came off of it and spread across the room like a ripple in a pond. Lilly checked for wards and other enchantments. She filtered out the ones on herself and her slaves. "Looks like this place wasn't even given basic enchantments. Aside from the lights, I'm not finding anything."
In Starcoast, it was common for the buildings to have enchantments woven into the framework. Things like structural support or insulation. Naturally, there were also ones for security or concealment, and there were those that were just there as gimmicks. The lights seem to have been added in after construction, likely bought from some place else.
Aki ran her fingers across the wooden wall. "I'm not surprised. This village isn't sponsored by a kingdom. They might not have any enchanters."
"I could only get a reading on a handful of notable mana pools."
"That was my finding as well. Either way, it doesn't really matter." Lilly started lightly chanting. She applied a few protective wards to the room. Mainly, it was to ensure their privacy. She attached one to the door so that it would alert her should it be opened. A similar one was placed on the window. She also scanned the room for bugs. It was rather clean, all things considered, as there were very few to be found. Lilly quickly got rid of the ones she did find with a spell.
After paying room 8 a visit, they headed down to the tavern. They managed to find a larger table and sat down, leaving a few empty seats. Aki sat next to Lilly while Sanya left some space.
It didn't take long for Enide to find them. She lead Gweyr, Nisha, and Eleena behind her. They each found a chair at the table, Gweyr sitting on Lilly's other side.
Eleena leaned her staff against her, a cloth wrapping covered it's mana matrix. Even with its crystal covered, it still looked to be some type of wand. Eleena was a healer and was assigned to Lilly's party for this mission. Like the others, she wore simple traveling robes, which had a hole in back for her mouse tail. She was the shortest member of the group. "Have you ordered yet?"
"No, not yet. I think we could all use a drink." Lilly turned to look at the busty raven-haired barmaid. "We'll have a round of ale."
"Coming right up." The woman took a quick count before filling seven pints of ale. She brought them over and started setting them down on the table. "What can I get you to eat?"
"A hot meal sounds good." Aki smiled. "Do you have fish?"
"We have some river fish, but I'm afraid not much."
They placed their ordered after talking it over for a moment. The barmaid left.
"So are we staying here for the night?" asked Nisha. She had left her shield in the carriage, it seemed, but she still had her dark sword at her side.
Lilly grabbed her ale. She held it for a moment while she looked at her ring. Sure enough, it was clean. There was unlikely to be anything wrong with their drinks, but Lilly had a ritual about checking her beverages for poisons before drinking them. "Yes. We will be split between two rooms. Aki, Gweyr, and I will be taking room 6. The rest will be staying in room 8."
Enide put down her ale. "So are we just going to hang out in the tavern the whole time while we wait?"
Lilly shook her head. "No, I don't think anyone wants that. I'm going to try and get a few sales while we're here, but a few of you can enjoy the village at a time. Just stay in groups. Oh, and Enide, you'll need to set up those wards in the woods. Take Nisha with you."
"Oh, I have to babysit?"
"If you want to call it that. I can't be sure what monsters lurk in these woods, so stay on guard." They had talked about it during the ride, but Lilly wanted Enide to erect a detection barrier around the village to alert them should the undead cross it. The delegates said that Juana hadn't made a move in a while, but better safe than sorry.
They made small talk until the barmaid returned. She started setting down their food, having to make two trips.
Sanya looked up at her. "Hey, what do you do for fun around here?"
"Oh, there are a few things. We have a minstrel who plays in the square most days. Some people like to fish in the river. There is also a small gambling hall. Nothing major. I guess everyone has their little hobbies. Later in the day, we get a lot of costumers who like to get drunk, some more then others."
"That sounds like they could be quite the handful." Gweyr got to work on her salad.
"They can get a bit grabby." The barmaid took deep breath. "So what brings you into these parts?"
"We are passing through, but we are waiting on some... friends to meet up with us. So we will be spending a few days here." Lilly gave a wide smile as she looked into the barmaid's lovely blue eyes.
"Well we're happy to have you."
"Thank you. Tell me, do we need permission to sell goods here? I'm a merchant, you see, and I figured I could do a little business while I wait. Mostly to pass the time."
"A merchant? Kind of an odd time for it, but I could see some logic in doing it now. Once a year we get a caravan through here. They fill up most of the inn when they stop by. Still, that's a few months away. This time in the year, we have to go all the way to Forstford if we want anything we don't make here, and that's not a trip you can make in a day." She thought about it for a moment. "As for permission, if you want to set up a stand somewhere outside, I think you will have to ask the chief. Depending on what you're selling, you could just ask the old man if you want to sell things here in the tavern. Every now and then, we get a traveling merchant passing through."
"Thank you. I'll be sure to do that." Lilly batted her eye lashes. "By the way, my name is Lilly. I didn't get yours."
"I'm Nikol." She smiled.
Sanya looked around the half empty tavern. "Tell me, does it get busy in here?"
"Busy enough to keep me on my feet. We're a small village, but not too small that we can't fill up what few taverns we have. We've also got a notice board if you want to post something. The local adventurers guild uses this place as a hangout between hunts."
“A guild? That wasn't in the report." Lilly raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had an adventurers guild."
"They call themselves a guild, but they’re really just a bunch of hunting buddies. They don't have a guild hall, just an old storehouse. That's why they spend so much time here. Still, they help keep the local monsters in check."
A man called out from another table. "Hey, can I get another ale?"
Nikol faced him. "Right away." She looked back at the group. "I've got to get back to work. It was nice talking with you."
"We will have to chat again later." Lilly let her go. She then returned to her meal. Her little talk had put her a bit behind the other girls. With Nikol gone, they started chatting among themselves.
****
Lilly slowly woke up to a small beeping noise. The first thing she noticed was the migraine tormenting her head. She sat up in the bed and the sheet slid off her naked body. She summoned her bracer to her hand and stopped the beeping.
"Oh, I can't take this…" Lilly put her hand on her head and her palm glowed. In a moment her hangover was gone. "I had too much last night."
Nikol shifted in the bed, her clothes sprawled out across the floor with Lilly's. "Erha. Moaning." She slowly got up. "I think I might have over done it last night."
"Well I certainly enjoyed it, Miss Pratt~." Lilly giggled.
Nikol rubbed her head. "True, it was a lot of fun. I've got to say, I never thought I would be bound in light. I'm still not sure why I did that, maybe the booze? Come to think of it, you had a lot more than me. How's your head?"
"Oh, it's fine. I cured it already. How's your rump?"
"It's okay, I can't really feel it anymore. Say, could you do that cure thing with my hangover? It's minor and I can work though it, but it’d be best to get rid of it sooner."
"Not a problem." Lilly placed her index finger on Nikol's forehead and it glowed for a moment.
"Thanks." She pulled away and started to collect her clothes off the floor.
"You're welcome." Lilly admired her bare rump as she bent over. "I wouldn't mind going another round."
"Neither would I, but the tavern will be opening soon and I have to get ready."
"Such a shame. Still, if you would like to travel, I wouldn't mind taking you with me." Lilly had gotten rather fond of Nikol during the past few days.
"Tempting, given what's going on with that necromancer, this might not be the safest of places right now, but I've made a simple life for myself here." Nikol got dressed in a moment.
"Such a shame, but my offer stands if you change your mind."
"Thanks, anyway." Nikol left the room.
Aki soon entered. "I see your little party is done."
"I hope it wasn't too much trouble."
"No, not really. Enide let me use her bed while she kept watch. Besides, one less thing for me to do." Aki lightly chuckled. She eyed Lilly's bare chest as she got up.
"I don't make you service me all the time. You're a bodyguard first." Lilly put on her clothes from the day before, not bothering to dig out new ones. She then headed out and they locked the door behind them.
"But you still do it." Aki playfully stuck out her tongue.
Lilly walked downstairs and headed to the back of the inn where her carriage was parked not far from the stable. She unlocked the door and walked inside.
The room was rather wide, far more so then one would guess from looking at it from outside. Crystals lit up the room, which had a table, two coaches, and even some cabinets. There were a few doors as well. One led to a room with fold-out beds, another to storage, and one to the bathroom.
Lilly entered the third one. It was rather difficult to get plumbing in a carriage; she could make the inside only so large and the recycling system took up a lot of room. Still, she needed to keep herself clean on long trips.
She stripped off her clothes and put her bracer on the sink. She then stepped into the shower stall and got to work. It was a quick shower, only taking her a few minutes. When she came out, she dried off with a spell and pulled out a new set of clothes.
She headed back to the tavern, Aki following with a lockbox in hand. Once inside, she put it under the table. The seven of them enjoyed their breakfast, although Sanya couldn't help roll her eyes when Lilly flirted with Nikol.
After they finished up, Lilly moved over to a smaller table by the notice board. She opened the lockbox and started pulling out items, mainly bottles of potions but a few accessories as well. It was mainly spare inventory she brought with her as a cover, but also to test the market. The Foe Hammers, the local adventurers, had bought a few potions, mostly for recovery, but Lilly had been trying to sell them on a healing amulet as their witch was untrained in the healing arts.
They had been reluctant to do so. Instead, they had tried to recruit Eleena to their guild. She had been allowed to pick up some coin on the side by healing the locals. There wasn't much to deal with; a broken arm, a sick child, a sprained ankle, and a couple of other minor things. Eleena was kind of timid around new people and quickly backed away when they started pressuring her to much. Lilly warned them to leave her alone.
"Come on, can't you loan her to us for a day?" The Foe Hammers’ witch begged. "It's not like you leave the village!"
Lilly sighed. "I'm afraid you've been bothering her too much for that. Besides, I can't really see what good having her for only one hunt will do in the long run."
"I'm sure she will enjoy the hunts once she gets to know us. Maybe she could stay on longer."
"She's under contract, so once I leave this village, so does she. Be thankful she was at least around to heal your friend after eating that mushroom." Lilly picked up the amulet. "The best I can offer is one of these amulets. I'm sure you've got the mana to use them. I'll offer a discount if you bring me enough mana matrixes."
"I'd have to go out on another hunt for those. I've already sold off the ones from my last kill."
Lilly pulled out a small book. "Then how about this beginner's spell book? It can teach you the basics of healing magic. Only 45 copper."
The witch sighed. "You're lucky I can read." He pulled out his coins and counted the coppers, setting them on the table, before taking the book. It seemed only about half the people in this village could read to any real use; they only had one school teacher.
"Thank you for your business." Lilly smiled and put the coins away.
As the witch walked away, a gray-haired man walked up and sat at the next table. He wore dark gray traveling robes and walked with a cane. Lilly took note of the brass clover pinned to his chest.
Nikol walked up to him. "Welcome. What can I get you?"
"I'll have an ale, thank you."
Lilly rattled her knuckles on the table six times and the man cleared his throat, tapping his cane on the table.
"Nisha, take over for me. I'm going to be in the room for a while."
Nisha looked up from polishing her sword. "Hmm? Sure thing, Mistress." She moved over once Lilly got up.
Lilly then headed upstairs, followed by Gweyr. She unlocked the door and sat on a bed.
Gweyr closed the door and looked around. "You know, I don't spend all that much time in here."
"We have better things to do then spend all day in here."
"Like scoring with the barmaid." Gweyr fumbled with her bag. She pulls out a small blue orb on a brass stand. "I hear all that you know. These walls aren't that thick."
"They need to work on that, but I'm sure the issue is that hearing of yours."
After a few minutes, there were six knocks on the door. Gweyr's ears twitched. She moved to the door, waiting a moment before opening it.
The elderly man from the tavern stood on the other side. "May I come in?”
Lilly nodded. "Of course."
He walked in and Gweyr closed it. "Thank you, Mistress."
Lilly placed her hand on the blue orb. She poured mana into it, causing it to glow. A wave of light came off of it, washing over them as it expanded across the room. Suddenly, everything when quiet. This orb was a mana matrix, the crystal core taken from a rather crafty monster known for its stealth. "There, now we can be as loud as we want."
The old man raised an eyebrow. "I don't think we need to get to noisy in here." He raised his hands and gripped the sides of his face, pulling on it. His skin ripped like it was made of silly putty. The face shifted, becoming ceramic, while the rest of his body shifted as his clothes and skin darkened as he became taller and stood up right. The contours of his body became more feminine.
Standing in the room was now a woman in a black zentai with an opening for the face. Over it was a tactical vest. Her katana was now visible, strapped to her back. The latex like marital hid her face completely. She then set the mask on the table and bowed. "Mistress, I'm ready to make my report."
"Then let's hear it, Shadow."
"There were plenty of real crows and ravens in the area, so the muninn fit right in." Shadow pulled out a scroll and spread it out on the table, placing a small crystal on top of it. Ink spread out across the scroll, forming a map. "My team and I have observed the castle in question. It is estimated to be over 200 years old. However, recent repair work has been made. Its first line of defense is a three foot thick wall around the court yard, which is about one story high. The castle itself stands five stories at its tallest tower. Surrounding it are the ruins of a fallen city. They offer some cover, but not much. I have detailed records stored with in the crystal, including the topography of the area. However I could not get a floor plan for the castle itself. We spoke with stone masons and carpenters who did the repair work. However, they have not been inside the castle in a few months. Currently, the people are working on roads to connect the castle and the other villages, but they are far from complete."
Lilly and Gweyr looked over the map, the latter tracing a line from the castle to the trees. "Would it be at all possible to snipe her?"
"Currently, that is unlikely. It is rare for Juana to leave the castle. Normally, she sends someone else to make pick-ups of food and other supplies. From what we gather, she rarely visits the villages herself anymore, but keeps her skeletons stationed there."
Lilly returned to her seat. "And what of her forces?"
"Her army is comprised of approximately 250 skeletons. The majority of which are humanoid, equipped damaged armor and worn swords. It appears they have been salvaged from battle fields. There are also 2 ogres, roughly 50 wolves, and a few horses. Additionally, there are three zombie bears."
"Zombies? That's the first I'm hearing about them."
"They seem to be new." Shadow pulled out a mirror with a marble size crystal on the frame. "Most of the undead wander around the area around the castle, some with in the courtyard. The attack strategy appears to be ‘hit it until it dies’." She pressed her finger on the crystal. The image in the glass swirled around until it showed a number of skeletons wandering around in the tall grass. "I lured a group of bandits into the open with a shikigami and observed the skirmish."
Lilly watched the fight. A group of goblins chased something into the tall grass, which disappeared. They were unable to stop their wargs and the skeletons spotted them. They soon broke into a fight. The wargs powered through skeletons, breaking them apart. However, they soon put themselves back together. Despite the vastly superior numbers, the fight lasted quite some time as they tried to catch the goblins. They swarmed the group before finally taking them down.
"I have other recordings, random monsters that roamed the woods. There was no real difference in their fighting." Shadow set the mirror down. She then pulled out some photos. "There are also living members of her army. There are a total of eight heat sources in the castle. There appears to be a healer, an archer, and three swordsmen. This includes a werewolf from Hareville. The others appear to be the adventures hired by Ravenwallow, but I could not locate the male spellcaster they hired. I also have heard that Juana took a human woman to be her chef. There is also an unknown neko dressed as a maid who tends to the garden."
"Have you seen them fight?" Gweyr asked.
Shadow shook her head. "No, not outright. However, I have seen five of them training in the courtyard."
Lilly thought about that for a moment. "Hmmm... That could be the tricky part, as we don't know the extent of their abilities. What are their mana levels?"
"The lizard-kin healer is level 3, the elven archer is level 1. Juana is level 7. The others are all below 1. Additionally, there is a large mana source in the basement, I believe it to be a mana generator."
"Level 7. Impressive, but not completely unexpected." Lilly sighed. "Any idea if Juana is using it for herself, the skeletons, or the castle?"
"The castle's current magic use does not merit such a powerful generator. There is a barrier around the outer walls, but it seems to just be a sensory type. I'm not sure if Juana has been using it to supplement her own or just to keep the skeletons running. Most of them do seem to be gathered around the castle, but the ones at the villages have low energy output." Shadow then pulled out a few more scrolls. "I could not obtain a full layout of the castle, but I spoke in detail with the craftsmen who did the repairs, and got a basic layout. Regrettably, the basement is unknown."
Lilly took the scrolls, looking them over and scanning them with her bracer. "Thank you for your report. You have done well."
"You're welcome, Mistress." Shadow bowed again.
*****
Lilly had taken a few days to plan her attack before reformists arrived. Like herself, they traveled under the guise of traveling merchants and their armed escorts. They sent one carriage into Dryrock Village to meet up with Lilly and lead her to the temporary hideout. It was hidden in the woods and warded against roaming monsters.
Lilly met with the team leaders in one of the carriages. This one was as close to a mobile command center as she currently had. There, they were viewing mirrors, image projectors, and maps.
Lilly had a seat at the end of the table. Shadow sat next to her. Arjean chose to remain standing. She wasn't holding a polearm, but stood as a gleaming sliver knight.
"Let's begin. You've each been giving a mission summary, but let me go over the finer points." Lilly placed her hand on a control crystal on the end of the table. A 3D topographical map appeared above the table. "Our goal is the subjugation and capture of the necromancer Juana Underwood."
An image of Juana appeared on the mirror behind her. "We were able to gather some knowledge of her spells from the memories of a girl named Jamini. She appears to favor lightning and fire magic, and to a lesser extent wind. Additionally, she has a petrification spell ring, which by all indications affects only living things. She also is able to summon a wall of bones as a defensive shield."
Shadow spoke next. "She has roughly 250 skeletons at her disposal, about 200 of which are stationed in or around the castle. There are also three zombie bears. She also has seven living allies, at least five of which are capable of combat."
"Our primary plan is simple. Arjean will lead team Alpha, supported with shikigami to bolster their numbers. You are to engage the skeletons at point 1 and draw their aggro. Use the shikigami as decoys to draw in as many as you can and to cover your retreat. Try and lead as many as possible to point 2. There, you are charged with keeping them occupied for as long as you can. If necessary, you may retreat to point 3."
Arjean nodded. "Understood, Mistress. Still, I could fell her entire undead army myself. Do we really need to risk the others like that?" Arjean was a demon hunter before joining Lilly's ranks. Her version of ferrokinesis combined with her sliver weaponry made her well-suited to slaying the undead as well. She had also crafted a number of silver swords and polearms just for this mission, dispensing them to the melee soldiers.
Lilly frowned. "I'm sure you could, given enough time. However, that could take hours or even days. There is the possibility of them being recalled during the battle."
"Fair enough. So what would happen if they do retreat?"
"Should any substantial number retreat, you are to use plan C, cutting off their escape route and pursuing them. If not all of them flee, then at your digression, you may bring who you wish to back you up. A dozen or so could be allowed to escape."
"Yes, Mistress."
Lilly continued. "Once the bulk of her army is safely engaged, I will lead Team Hotel into the castle itself. We will seek out Juana herself, as well as deal with what ever guards stand in our way. Presumably, that will include the living members of her forces and a number of skeletons."
The map changed to a view of the castle. "Plan A is to charge the throne room, but we will take a mana scan of the castle to determine Juana's location before Alpha's attack, and again before Hotel's. Shadow will lead team India and disable the mana generator, prioritizing stealth."
"As you wish, Mistress." Shadow pressed a rune. A blue ball appeared below the castle. "The generator, if it exists, is believed to be here. Its readings are too consistent to likely be anything else, and it's linked to the leyline. However, its type is unknown."
"Maritza will lead team Juliet. Stay in telepathic contact with me and the other team leaders. You are to wait in the bushes outside the runes while Shadow and I advance. Your role is backup. Should skeletons try and return to the castle, you are to slay them and, if necessary, you are to aid in our retreat."
Maritza nodded. "Yes, Mistress."
"With any luck, you won't be needed. But we can't count on luck holding out." Lilly moved the map back to point 2. "Now, I want teams sent to points 2 and 3 and prepared for a lengthy battle. You have two days. I will have to meet with the village leaders and finalize our terms before then."