Cless took only a glance at the debris-filled pit before she continued with what she intended to do. Guided by her spell, stone rose from four points at the edge of the pit and as if fluid, shaped itself into a roof over the whole pit, leaving a hole in the middle. More stone flowed up and up, erecting a cylinder one meter wide to a height of thirty-and-a-lot meters. That should be tall enough, she thought to herself. Feeling the air already being drawn inside the pit from the gap between the floor and roof, she ignited the debris with a fireball. The dry wood creaked and immediately caught on fire.

Cless opened four vents to bring air from the surface and below the pit and adjusted the ceiling until it was low and over the edge of the pit enough to prevent soot from coming outside. That would burn and illuminate the terrain for the whole night. The last rays of sun showed the wind blowing the smoke east. They were near the north gate and the graveyard was west of here. The smoke was going away from the city center. The chimney might be above build limit but she would take it down soon enough.

She placed Light spells near the ground next to the wall around the whole property. This way the ground would have enough light to move by without glaring the sleeping neighbors. After going around and checking that the wall next to the cemetery was tall enough to grant privacy, she returned to the spot next to the pit where her guild was gathered. It was warm enough to do without the winter clothing and she felt happy to discard her coat.

"Do you think the vampires will come, Cless?" Silverfang asked with a scowl. He seemed to hate the vampires for some reason. Maybe they were natural enemies or something like that.

"Well, if the vampires are real, they will come up at night to check what happened," Cless stated after she received a bowl of stew from Kurt. "If they don't, their loss. Tomorrow we are going down those catacombs and getting them while they sleep." That is, if vampires sleep during the day, she mentally added.

They set watches and rested outdoors at a comfortable distance from the burning debris. They set Vic, Venaris, and Cless on separate watches so they could firebolt, not fireball, the pit to rekindle the burning debris. The night went by, morning came and the promise of fighting vampires went unfulfilled. The debris at the pit would burn for days still, but the sheer amount of ashes threatened to smother the burning embers.

She sent the golem down to stir and shovel the ashes off the debris and embers so the rest of it would burn properly and lowered down the until it was only ten meters above the ground.

"What should we do now?" She asked around, fishing for ideas.

"Let's go underground and fight the vampires!" Silverfang suggested. His sudden bloodlust was something unexpected.

"I believe we should flush them out. Vampires are too strong in their natural environment," Vic pointed out. "I believe our leader has the right spell for that, don't you?"

Cless nodded. She knew what Vic was talking about. She didn't know if it went down into the ground but it was worth a try.

"Ok, let me try to get them from up here. Vic, give me [Stage Magician] to increase my range."

Cless stood up and moved around, sensing the presences with [Tremorsense]. She found them and moved to try and put them into range. She didn't know what they were, only that they were bipeds and human-sized. And she used her spell.

"Hallow!"

The usual ring of holy power washed over the ground, covering all of her plot of land. She kept monitoring the presences and they didn't move. They should be in range. She kept the spell ongoing for a few more minutes and stopped. They didn't shift a bit.

"I don't think the presences I feel are vampires. Ok, gear up, folks. We are going down. We are closing the catacombs passages under our land and forgetting that the rest exists. We are not going to explore further than what we need."

They readied themselves and Cless resummoned the golem back on the surface. The construct would help her measure the boundaries of the tunnels that belonged to her. The entrance to the catacombs was in the manor's basement. Cless warily removed the debris they left blocking the stairs, expecting a vampire to pounce on her even though they were on glaring daylight. They went downstairs, carefully watching over for enemies. Soon Cless figured out a problem.

"The tunnels are too cramped for Kate. I'll leave her upstairs." She told her group.

"I want to stay aboveground too," Kurt raised a wing. "It will help if someone that can speak stays aboveground with Kate."

Cless nodded. Vic and Kate stayed behind. They shifted their formation, Cless and Silverfang in front, Venaris and Vic in the back row with Shad free to move around. They went down and the basement was a mess. Barrels and crates everywhere, all of them too old to be of any use anymore. The stench of mold and other rotting things was almost unbearable. After moving around, they decided to halt their exploration to move the stuff in the basement to the firepit.

The whole morning was spent carrying the containers, some of them breaking and spilling their contents everywhere. Rotten grains and stale meat. Some of the barrels sloshed. They were punctured through termite action and whatever beverage they contained long became stale dirty water. They drained the contents on the ground and ditched the barrels in the fire pit.

"Who is up for going out to grab some lunch?" Cless asked. "I'm tired of camping inside a city."

Everyone was. Cless left Kate sleeping near the stairs and the golem on standby to fight any intruders. She would know through her [Appoint Stronghold] if anything happened. She took Shad with her and they went out for lunch. As they crossed the gate and she closed the stone behind the bars, she noticed two city guards stationed in the shade of an awning nearby. She nodded at them and, after noticing she didn't know where to eat, went to talk to them.

"Morning, guardsmen."

"Good morning, guild master." Oh, interesting. They were really posted there to keep tabs on her.

"Is everything in order?" She asked

"You tell us. Quite the racket you raised yesterday. There are people upset about the number of complaints at the station."

"Well, maybe I'll drop by later. I can help you guardsmen a lot don't you know? Back in my hometown, I was always there to give a hand. Let me show you, excuse me." She clapped his shoulder and used magic. Detoxify, Heal, Cure, Purify, Clean, even an Uncurse for good measure. "How are you feeling now?"

The guard smiled. "Quite better, guild master! My ribs stopped hurting, I don't know what to say!"

She giggled, "Think nothing of it. It is my treat for the fine guardsmen that keep us safe. Would you let me help you too, young man? By the way, is there any good place around that would cater to my guild? We worked all day and night clearing debris and we are starving now."

She got directions to a nearby tavern that is open for eating all day long a couple streets away and after treating the other guardsmen, she promised to visit the guard station for that district tomorrow. They said goodbye and moved down to the tavern. The group couldn't draw more attention. Cless in her light beige cloak, hiding her features, a gnome, wolfkin, lamiak and Kurt closing the group, fanning his feathers and using his charm on the ladies. Cless didn't know what to cringe about the most. That he was doing it or that it was working.

Dreams of feathery enrapture aside, they reached the tavern. There were music, conversation and other assorted sounds coming from there. What's better, the tantalizing smell of cooked food. Cless opened the door and they quietly filed inside. They found a space with five seats at the end of one long table and took them, Vic discreetly moving the seat under the table as his tail took over for him, putting his torso in the proper height.

"Hey, what do we have here? Newcomers! By the looks of it, delvers. What can I do for such a diverse group?" A female server in barmaid clothes came to take their order.

"Well met. We are indeed new to the town but we are settling down," Cless beamed at the server. "We want five portions of whatever you are serving today and five beverages."

"We have lamb stew or roast pork with potatoes. What are you having?"

"Five of each then!" Cless cheerfully decided for the group. "We are starving. For drink, whatever you recommend that goes well with the food."

She went away. Cless sighed in relief. Finally a place that doesn't mind their presence. She didn't mind the glares they were getting. Maybe after they've proven themselves and won the trust of their neighbors. Or after they've beaten everyone and won the fear of their neighbors. Nobody came to talk to them until the server returned with a tray full of bowls. After serving their ten bowls of food and five mugs of dark ale, she told them.

"That's one ducat and thirty-five solidii."

Cless watched the server and didn't sense any prejudice from her. She took two silver coins. "I'm Cless and this is my guild. What is your name, friend?"

"I'm Helga." She took the coins from Cless and groaned.

"We'll be around for the time being, and would love to eat here, Helga," Cless beamed and waved a hand when she saw Helga fishing for coins. "Could you bring me three portions of the roast pork with potatoes to go? You can keep the change."

They ate and Helga brought a cloth bundle with her order. "Thank you, Helga. We'll be back for dinner."

Before they could leave, Helga called them out. "Hey, were you the ones that demolished that old mansion?"

"Yes, we bought that place. Unfortunately, the old manor fell down on its own. We didn't demolish it."

"Have you found anything strange?" She asked. It was a strange question. Maybe she was related to the catacomb tenants.

"No. We are going to explore the basement this afternoon. Not much to see, I bet. Just some empty cellar and rotten barrels. Did someone lose something strange there?"

"Nevermind. I was just curious."

They left and returned home with Kate's food. What Helga asked made Cless think. How far did these catacombs reach? She could feel the tunnels going away in the distance beyond her senses. The only way to know was going down and finding out.

"Ok, Kurt. Stay here. If there is anything wrong, trigger this ward here by stepping on it. I'll resummon the golem and I'll know it."

"Fine. Have a good afternoon in the catacombs. Hope the vampires don't suck you dry and stuff."

They went down to the cellar and then took the formerly hidden stairs to the catacombs. Silvefang shifted into werewolf form. It went in a slow spiral, going around thick a central pillar underneath the manor. After forty meters or so, it ended in the corner of a room with some crates piled against one of the far walls and three rooms. Trails on the dust showed that two of these doors were frequently used.

"What is in the crates?" Venaris asked.

"What is in our crates," Cless corrected her.

She could sense the bipedal trespassers along with several rats, spiders, and other vermin. They gave a good image of the layout of the catacombs.

"Herbs," Silverfang sniffled near one crate. He didn't stop at one, "Monster parts. More monster parts."

Cless shaped a stone crowbar and opened the herb crate. Bundles of dried herbs and mushrooms for potion crafting, some useful even for making poisons. The monster parts were also valuable for crafting weapons and armor and for some alchemy too.

"Is this contraband?" Cless asked out loud.

"It really looks like it," Vic gave his opinion. "Probably to evade taxes from the Association and the Lord."

They opened the other crates. Fangs, tusks, horns, pelts and some dried organs. All ready for shipping. They closed the crates and Cless sealed the other doors behind a slab of stone. They went down the last door, the one she knew would lead them to find the intruders.

The tunnels of that first floor seemed like a prison. Broken rotten doors dotted the corridor, with small rooms left and right. There was a door separating this cell block from the next and Cless felt the intruders moving toward them. Thinking of setting an ambush, she canceled the Light spell and spread a few copper coins on the ground ahead of them. Venaris could see with a very faint light, SIlverfang had his hearing and nose and Vic could see heat.

"Silverfang and Venaris, hide on the left cell. Vic and I get the one across. Incapacitate, don't kill."

The door opened and the intruders entered their corridor. They had lanterns, of course. If they were people, they would have light.

"Hey, Jack. Copper coins!"

"Why there are copper coins in here?"

Cless signaled. Silverfang burst out of the cell room, dashing behind one of the intruders and slashing at the rear of his leg. Venaris shot the second one on the knee, making the man fly back. Cless also ran out of her hiding spot with the black sword and slashed the right arm of the third one and going around them to block their retreat. Vic sprung and slammed two of them, wrapping his tail around them.

"Surrender!" Cless shouted.

The six men, for they were not vampires but people looked between the growling werewolf and surrendered.