{"id":4613,"date":"2023-02-11T20:05:55","date_gmt":"2023-02-12T04:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dungeonetics.com\/gamediary\/?p=4613"},"modified":"2024-11-16T14:40:41","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T22:40:41","slug":"legacy-of-the-night-walkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dungeonetics.com\/gamediary\/legacy-of-the-night-walkers\/","title":{"rendered":"Legacy of the Night Walkers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

Five years ago<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bel took the vials and jars out of her knapsack and placed them on the table, one after the other. It was a motley collection of clear and tinted glass in various shapes, made even more so by the array of fluids and powders contained within. Most of the former were clear or a light brown, and the latter came in shades of white.<\/p>\n

Masildi looked on in growing horror as Bel pointed to each, rattling off their contents. \u201cSkunk essence. Wolf urine. Clove oil. Ammonia. Capsaicin powder. Cinnamon oil. Lye. Powdered sulfur. Cat urine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStars, Bel\u2026This is\u2026This is\u00a0disgusting<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bel resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. That would be pejorative and would run counter to what she was trying to accomplish. Convincing people meant bringing them along, not judging their thinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook. I know this isn\u2019t pleasant, but animals make their way in there from time to time. Some lair there. Others are lured by the scent of potential prey. You don\u2019t want to be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Isn\u2019t pleasant\u2019? You certainly have a gift for understatement. I am not covering myself in\u2026in\u00a0any\u00a0<\/em>of this,\u201d Masildi replied, disgust still registering on her face. \u201cI can handle myself. I don\u2019t need to smell like\u2026 Stars! I don\u2019t even\u00a0know<\/em>\u00a0what this would smell like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bel stood firm. \u201cLook, you don\u2019t have to use\u00a0all\u00a0<\/em>of these.\u00a0I<\/em>\u00a0only needed the first two. But going in there with\u00a0nothing<\/em>\u00a0to mask yourself could attract unwanted attention, and this way you have options. This isn\u2019t the Ritual, Masi! It\u2019s a\u00a0whole night<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine.\u00a0Fine.<\/em>\u00a0I\u2019ll take your gross alchemy kit with me if it will get you off my back!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Bel replied tersely, not rising to the bait. She quickly but carefully placed the collection back in the sack and held it out to Masildi. Her friend grabbed it and slung it roughly over her shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see you in the morning,\u201d she said. The usual warmth in Masildi\u2019s voice was gone, and irritation had filled the vacuum. She left quickly, without saying another word and without looking back.<\/p>\n

Bel never saw her again.<\/p>\n

Three years ago<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bel awoke to an urgent pounding at her front door. She looked around groggily, it slowly registering that she had dozed off. It was a rare Starday where she had the afternoon off.<\/p>\n

Her flat was one of the smaller ones in the tenement house, and much more cramped than the quarters she used to share with her family, but it was clean, reasonably well maintained, and mostly free of pests and vermin. It was also relatively free of furniture. Most importantly, though? It was\u00a0hers<\/em>. She could barely afford it, but sleeping alone instead of with a colony of roaches meant living on the financial edge.<\/p>\n

The pounding continued, unconcerned that she was not fully awake.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming!\u201d she yelled, hoping that it would be enough to make the noise stop while she got to her feet.<\/p>\n

Mercifully, it did just that. Bel reached the door and cracked it open, leaving the security chain in place. She kept a dagger mounted on the inside of the door where she could grab it quickly in case of trouble. If someone really wanted to get in, they\u2019d probably not knock at all, but there was no sense in taking chances. Trouble was rare, but this was still Diamond Lake.<\/p>\n

Alina\u2019s face was visible through the narrow opening.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlina!\u201d she exclaimed. She was still groggy, and the unexpected appearance of her old friend left her flustered. She fumbled with the chain at first but got it unhooked. Alina wasted no time coming in, pushing the door open and pushing Bel back with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBel! Who is leading the Night Walkers these days?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d was the best she could manage. Bel was just getting her mental footing, and Alina had knocked her off it again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Night Walkers, Bel. Who is leading them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0no Night Walkers, Alina. Not anymore. Not since\u2026\u201d Bel let the sentence die. There was no need to finish it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you\u00a0certain<\/em>? There\u2019s\u00a0no one<\/em>\u00a0trying to start them up again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bel shut the door, finally recognizing that it was still open. \u201cI mean, we were never as secret as we thought we were.\u00a0Half of the town<\/em>\u00a0knew there were kids running around out there. They just didn\u2019t care enough to try and stop it. If someone was doing that, we\u2019d all hear about it. What is this about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Alina bit her lip and took in a deep breath. \u201cSergiu heard a rumor that someone is planning to spend a night in the Cairn.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Bel wasn\u2019t fully awake before, she was now. \u201cWhat?!<\/em>\u00a0Who? For Stars\u2019 sake, why?!<\/em>\u00a0When?<\/em>\u00a0Stars, we have to stop it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Alina snorted. \u201cYou are asking questions I don\u2019t have answers to. I was hoping\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0had heard something. And, I agree with you. Problem is, we don\u2019t know who to stop, or even when they are going to try.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho else have you told about this?\u201d Bel asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far, I\u2019ve only spoken to you. Sergiu is asking around, too. He\u2019s trying to find Eduari. Sergiu heard it from Hassi, and Hassi said he heard about it from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEduari? I know where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Bel and Alina found Eduari at the Lakeside Stables, grooming one of the horses.<\/p>\n

\u201cBel. Alina,\u201d he said warily, looking back and forth between the two. \u201cStars, Alina, I haven\u2019t seen you in ages. What are you doing here? What are the\u00a0two of you<\/em>\u00a0doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bel never really got along with Eduari. He was prickly, frequently a jerk, and quick to verbally cut someone else down for whatever offense he deemed them to have committed. But he had earned his spot in the group like everyone else, so she had respect for his skills, and for his nerve.<\/p>\n

Alina answered him. \u201cWe heard a rumor that someone is planning to spend a night in the Cairn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what? Several of us did that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last one that tried it\u00a0died<\/em>, Ed,\u201d Bel answered angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u00a0died<\/em>\u00a0because she told her idiot watchers they could wait in the house. She wouldn\u2019t listen to anyone, not even you. She even sent your little gift bag with them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u00a0died<\/em>,\u201d Bel repeated, raising her voice, \u201cbecause doing this was always\u00a0dangerous and stupid<\/em>, and our luck finally ran out!\u201d Respect for his skills and nerve didn\u2019t automatically imply respect for him, personally, and she didn\u2019t have a lot of it.<\/p>\n

Alina intervened before their exchange could escalate. \u201cDon\u2019t be an ass, Ed! Spending the night in there was always a bad idea. You know it. I know it. Bel knows it. So, who is it? Is someone trying to resurrect the Night Walkers?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eduari snorted derisively. \u201cThe\u00a0Night Walkers<\/em>. I can’t believe we actually called ourselves that.\u201d He saw Alina\u2019s expression darken, and quickly added, \u201cNo, Alina, no one is trying to make more Night Walkers. It\u2019s just someone trying to prove themselves as tough as we were. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bel stepped forward and glared at Eduari, her feet apart, hands on her hips, and elbows out. She cut an imposing figure, and he flinched as she spoke. \u201cWho<\/em>, Ed? Give us a name!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLennick Grasu, OK? He\u2019s just some kid. I don\u2019t even know him. But you\u2019re too late, because I heard he\u2019s doing it\u00a0tonight<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two girls looked at one another, a silent exchange passing between them. And then Alina said, \u201cFuck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Bel and Alina dashed out of the stables, breaking into a moderate run. It was a pace they could both sustain for a significant distance, a skill they had honed from night after night under moonlit skies.<\/p>\n

\u201cBullshit, we are \u2018too late\u2019,\u201d Alina said as the stables retreated. \u201cWe can\u2019t stop them from going\u00a0in<\/em>, but we can sure as stars yank them\u00a0out<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed! I\u2019ll run home and gear up. You find Sergiu. We can be there a couple hours after nightfall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll meet you in the square.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gearing up didn\u2019t take Bel very long. Keeping a bag packed and ready to go was another one of her old habits, and she was in and out of the tenement in less than five minutes. She arrived at the square first but didn\u2019t have to wait long for Alina to show. She had found Sergiu, and he was jogging beside her.<\/p>\n

\u201cBel,\u201d he said as he came to stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cSergiu,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n

It had taken almost three years, but he had eventually warmed up to her. Just in time for him and Alina to leave the Night Walkers and run off to get married, just like everyone but the two of them knew they would do, eventually.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to see you,\u201d Sergiu said. \u201cNow let\u2019s go save this jackass from themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

It had been six years since Bel had been here. For Alina and Sergiu, it had been even longer. Without the regular visits by Night Walkers, there had been no one to trample the weeds, clear the underbrush, or cut back the vines and roots that draped over the entrance. Even knowing exactly where it was, the Cairn was difficult to find until they were nearly on top of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this place has certainly gone to shit,\u201d Sergiu said quietly.<\/p>\n

They were studying the entrance carefully from a distance, crouching behind a tangle of bushes. The waxing gibbous moon provided just enough light for them to see.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to let the landscaper go,\u201d Bel said, dryly. \u201cI don\u2019t see any watchers, do you? Did this kid really come out here\u00a0alone<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get a closer look,\u201d Alina suggested.<\/p>\n

Alina and Sergiu lit the lanterns they carried with them and swept the clearing in front of the Cairn as they approached. It was weird to see former Night Walkers using light like this, but they were searching for someone, not playing games in the dark. To do a proper search, you needed to be able to see.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere,\u201d Sergiu said, pointing to a patch of crushed weeds. \u201cLooks like they were here recently. Either they abandoned their friend, or something scared them off.\u201d He studied the trails of flattened grass and bent stems. \u201cThey came in this way, walking. Then one walks off to the cairn; I assume that\u2019s Lennick. And there: two sets of tracks, much more recent than the others, running away. Roughly towards town. We took a more direct route in, so they probably didn\u2019t pass near us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see a set of tracks over here, too,\u201d Alina said, about twenty feet off to the side. \u201cBipedal; they don’t look human and they aren\u2019t coming from town. Seem to lead in, then back out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is not good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bel didn\u2019t wait for either of them to act. She ran into the entrance, calling out, \u201cLennick! Lennick!<\/em>\u00a0Are you in here?\u201d Her voice echoed down the long hall. There was no reply.<\/p>\n

\u201cBel! Wait!\u201d Bel heard Alina and Sergiu scramble into the entrance and she saw her shadow dance ahead of her as their lamps bounced with their footsteps. She was running far ahead of them because she didn\u2019t need a lamp to see in the dark.<\/p>\n

Bel stopped at the junction and checked both alcoves. The was nothing in the one to her left, but in the one to her right she saw a young boy crumpled on the ground. He wasn\u2019t moving.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp here! Hurry!\u201d she called out. She bent down to him and saw that he was unconscious and taking ragged breaths. There was a gash on his forehead, and blood was starting to pool on the ground. \u201cHe\u2019s hurt! Bad!\u201d<\/p>\n

Alina and Sergiu reached the junction and light filled the alcove. The blood was more obvious now, as was the wound. It looked like he\u2019d been hit with a rock. Said rock was on the ground a couple of feet from him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been attacked,\u201d Bel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we can\u00a0see<\/em>\u00a0that,\u201d Sergiu replied, annoyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho or whatever did this,\u201d Alina said, looking at the rock, \u201cwasn’t really trying kill him, if that’s what they used.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey weren’t trying not <\/em>to, either. You two prop his head up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could hurt him worse,\u201d Alina said.<\/p>\n

Sergiu pulled a vial out from his waist pack and kneeled on the ground. \u201cIf he bleeds out here, which he seems to be doing very fucking quickly<\/em>, he could die. We need to get this in him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pulled the stopper from the vial. Bel supported the boy\u2019s neck while Alina lifted and turned his head.<\/p>\n

Sergiu poured the contents into the boy\u2019s mouth and said, \u201cNow tilt his head back so it goes down his throat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bel had\u00a0heard<\/em>\u00a0of healing potions, but she had never\u00a0seen<\/em>\u00a0one, much less seen one in action. Within seconds, the gash on his head had not only stopped bleeding, but had disappeared entirely. The boy spasmed and coughed, spitting out some of the liquid. Then his eyes fluttered open.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2026 What\u2019s going on?\u201d he asked in a raspy voice. \u201cWho are you?\u201d He looked disoriented, and about five seconds from a full-on panic.<\/p>\n

Bel gave him a smile and spoke in her most soothing voice. \u201cIt\u2019s OK,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

From behind her came Sergiu’s voice, as diplomatic as ever. \u201cWe\u2019re your rescuers, asshole.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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