Alice slowly stirred from her short sleep. She sat bolt upright panicking as if dreading some half remembered dream, her frantic breathing slowly came down to a reasonable beat. It was not a good night’s rest, she was tired and lethargic. But it was all she was prepared to give herself as much of a compromise as she would allow. She got to her feet grabbed her staff and walked off to look for some breakfast. Some food would be the least of these people's worries now.

Vivian was the next to stir her golem eye focused in and out for a second. Before she could even clear her head she noticed Alice was gone and she noticed something was on the floor. She shouted a hint of panic in her voice “Wake up” and dived for her bow. Having an arrow notched and ready to fire at the construct on the floor. Martin woke up and had a pistol in his hand. Ready in a second pointed in the same general direction a fraction of a heart beat later. David was up his back up weapon his dagger in his hand.

David walked over and nudged the remains of the construct, opening a window to get some light. They realised this one mask construct was destroyed, melted with a corrosive probably Alice's spell. David relaxed and put his blade back. “It’s dead a left over from last night”. Martin and Vivian kept their weapons drawn. Vivian looked around her artificial eye a blur, at the chimney at the windows, “there could be more keep your guard up”.

The door to the house opened, Alice had a bowl full of potage and was busy ladling the boiled mush into her mouth with a wooden spoon. She looked at Vivian and Martin then to the destroyed enemy on the floor. “Can sense them … enchantments used … in there making... no more around”. “You killed it and didn't bother to tell us”?

She looked at the mages casual demeanour “ok Alice I suppose if you’re sure”. Vivian relaxed and put the arrow back in her quiver. Martin returned his pistol to its sheath. David looked at Alice's breakfast her mouth full of a second scoop, she pointed with her spoon in a general direction, Vivian and David headed off to get their own breakfast heading along that bearing.

Martin stepped into an abandoned side room, he bit into a chunk of wood. He used his purge soul blessing, shrieking in agony as the pain burnt out the corruption. It was about three minutes before he could get back up. The burn marks already started to fade. He sighed and nodded to Alice he passed Vivian and David who were heading back with their breakfast. There was a cauldron and a fire a couple of volunteers were putting a meal together for the community. From whatever was to hand. Martin got a bowlful and returned to his compatriots, a brief prayer and he started to gulp down his food.

They advised the priest to keep an eye out and quickly prepared to leave. The coach driver looked at them. “I suppose we go to light house hill now, that is the largest local village. There are about 750 people. The sheriffs good and there is a mage based there some of the time. They have high walls they might have fared better, certainly better than Sand point”.

They headed off as soon as the driver could get the horses hitched onto the coach. The journey was much of the same. They found little sign of anything no birds no game it was surprisingly quiet, as if even nature herself was holding her breath, waiting for something to happen. Half way to the village they found an abandoned cart filled with lumber. There were no remains of the horses no signs of people. But the cart was left at the side of the road, hoof prints disappeared forwards along the road. If the horse bolted or was ridden away they could not tell.

Another mile down the track they found a bloody smear across the bottom of the road. It was too small to be human. A chewed goat corpse, at least what was left of it. Something had caused a rather large predator to stop and leave there meal. Not even bringing it with them, the coach slowed Martin had a brief look at the tracks. He could not be sure a young troll perhaps, they moved forwards along the road it was not important now.

They drew close to the base of light house hill. The coach stopped and Martin hopped off the front. There were signs of a battle bits of destroyed archanist machines and creatures. The village of lighthouse hill must be holding out. It was on a naturally defensible position and there was a high level adventure around, they were probably defending the place. The professor had left some sort of rear guard. Fixed in place to stop reinforcements, the party would hit it at any minute.

David got out of the coach Vivian and Alice followed suit. This stretch of path was narrow and the sides were steep they appeared to have a clear run. Martin started to jog forwards David came behind him Alice cast a physical shield spell on herself. Vivian's eye zoomed out scanning the cliffs anticipating an ambush or some sort of ranged attack.

As Martin moved down the track he encountered the first opposition. A group of five brass hounds were left there to act as guard dogs. Alerting whatever was further down the road to their attack. The hounds barked and surged forwards as one, a heavier pack leader front and centre of the charge. Martin drew his four barrelled pistol with his right hand and his lionhearts hammer pistol with his left.

He fired without having to draw on his focus reserves. His bullets obliterated the two rebuilt hounds to the left then the two rebuilt hounds to the right. Just leaving the pack leader homing in on Martins throat. At less than three foot away he fired the lionhearts hammer. The pistol bucked in his hand and the pack leader’s reinforced skull exploded, leaking oil green gooey preservative fluid and bits of bone.

Martin moved along the trail with David and the rest having trouble keeping up. There was a temporary barricade made from lumber and an overturned wrecked cart. There were 8 greater walkers 8 spider constructs and one overseer prime manned this barricade. They were oblivious deployed to stop reinforcements approaching the village. The overseer looked at the approaching hunter. The man had gone through the entire pack of guard dogs without breaking sweat. “This is not your business leave this place human”.

Four of the greater walkers had repeating crossbow attachments on their arms. They stood up and took aim at Martin he drew both his long pistols and advanced. The overseer sent the spider constructs to flank Martin, while the crossbow bolts pinned him down. Martin walked into the hail of crossbow bolts laughing, “You’re wrong about the human bit”.

They hit him and did very little, he fired back with his pistols two of the spider constructs fell. Martin threw a silvery canister over the blockade, it detonated in a flash of light and a cloud of thick smoke. The overseer prime tried to scan the area. Whatever he was facing had shrugged off a dozen of the light crossbow bolts like they were splinters.

The rest of the group arrived, Alice hit the group of spider constructs on the left side of the path. They were climbing in an attempt to flank the group. With two fire balls the less substantial automatons were cooked. Dropping from the edge back down to the road as broken husks of their former selves. Vivian shot two bodkin arrows and got two kills as deadly as ever.

With the more mobile units dealt with it was David's time to shine. As the smoke cleared he burst through a gap in the barricade. He cut into one end of the defenders formation slicing them apart with his mithril blade. There regenerative abilities were mute when his adrenalin strikes could cut them almost in half. The overseer prime tried to order his greater walkers to flank David. But Martin was now on him, stabbing away again and again at the overseer's neck an octium blade in his hand.

The overseer tried to fight back tried to slam Martin against a barricade to make him let go. It was no good Martin had used the cover of the smoke bomb to get close. He had a death grip he would not relinquish. Alice hit the other side of the barricade with an acid strike. The corrosive disintegrated the wood making it easy for Vivian to target the walkers with crossbows, removing the enemy's ranged capability.

David finished off the last few as Martin stabbed away with a knife finally severing the overseer's head. The main advantage that the archanists constructs had over regular monsters or men was that they could be put back together. They could be rebuilt unless you burnt the remains quite thoroughly. Alice kept watch while Martin Vivian and David piled up the brass hounds overseer walkers and spider constructs. Stacked on top of the barricade that they had been guarding it was made of wood and would burn well.

Vivian gathered her arrows Martin reloaded his pistols. Vivian nodded to Martin David Alice and she got the other side of the barricade. Martin reached into her backpack and removed a flask of oil a quick splash he returned it to Vivian. A bit of work and a spark from his tinderbox and the pile of constructs went up in flame. No archanist and certainly not the professor would be rebuilding this lot.

The next obstacle was a group of 4 greater walkers. They must have been paroling the road or sent to check on the first barricade. They were clutching heavy duty hammers and mauls, blacksmithing tools as improvised weapons. Martin fired into the first of them, right through the eye socket with the first focus shot. The second slightly higher penetrated above the eye and took off the top of the greater walkers head. It took a half step then fell forwards its limbs twitched it released its weapon and folded. Vivian picked one, she put one mithril arrow after another into the beast. On the third hit it was something critical or reached a threshold of damage. The construct collapsed unable to move.

David got in close he blocked an attack from a massive hammer then knocked the greater walker to the ground with his shield. He dropped his blade straight onto its neck cutting through bronze and iron plate with the mithril sword. A second cut and the greater walker was no more. Alice hit her target three times in the head with acid strike spells. The green conjured corrosive ate away at the metal bone tissue leaving spine and pale green flesh. That one would be particularly hard to repair, if they were planning on leaving anything behind.

Ahead of them was another barrier it consisted of a series of stones and logs this also stretched across the road. It looked like it was designed to keep the people from light house hill from attempting a break out and running. It was manned by a larger force 10 greater walkers 12 spider constructs lead by one overseer prime. The overseer was not unintelligent, he could reason.

He could see that he was not in a very good position. He had numerical superiority but that was transitory. He faced a foe that could obliterate him at range, which was more flexible. Also probably the reason that there were no reinforcements from Sand Point or Spring Wall. Seeing the smoke rise the overseer knew he faced an opponent who would make sure that he could not be repaired and brought back.

The overseer tried one last time to raise his creator over the crystal communicator. There was nothing. No trace of the mind link, his creator was busy this was bad. He would do the best he could, send the spiders to engage the hunter. Hopefully cut him down before he could get them all. Send the five greater walkers with repeating crossbows towards the spell caster and the archer. Then use his remaining greater walkers to bog down the warrior with the shield. While he flanked him to get a clear shot with his chemical thrower, hopefully they could take a few of them down.

Martin charged recklessly forwards, he saw the group of twelve spider constructs coming for him. He opened fire his four barrelled pistol claimed four of their number. Then they were on him trying to claw and stab and scratch him away. He laughed at the wounds drawing the lion hears hammer he fired. The construct he killed was instantly replaced, he fired off his other two pistols at point blank range two more kills. The five remaining constructs were enough to push him to the ground. Martin grinned like a madman seizing his holy symbol, he began to call on the power of the creator god.

“Martyrs sacrifice”, he activated the blessing pain streamed through his body. His strength grew he threw the constructs off him he grinned. “I deserve the pain for my failures, bear witness to his wrath”. He held his holy symbol forwards “Pillar of salt” his arm erupted in pain as his curse fought the blessing, the construct in-front of him collapsed into a pile of salt. He thrust his holy symbol forwards again “pillar of salt”, a second spider construct crumbled before him. He reeled in more pain as the kick back from the blessing hit him again, only three constructs remained.

He grinned manically filled with zealous wrath, he barely seemed to feel boiling the pain. “Wrath of the almighty”. A construct twitched as holy light enveloped it, its reanimated flesh steamed then became engulfed in fire then it froze it dropped dead. There was more feedback as he screamed triumph and agony as one. Holding the holy symbol forwards like a shield, “wrath of the almighty” a second spider construct crumbled in the same way.

Martin held his holy symbol in a death grip and leapt at the last construct tackling it to the ground. He raised his glowing holy symbol, “divine retribution”. He brought it down onto the construct head shattering it. He grinned again “divine retribution” the construct crumbled its head caved in. Martin looked about there was nothing else left to fight.

David had ploughed into the group of greater walkers, scattering them like pins. He had twisted round to block the overseer, severed his chemical thrower arm. This was not the first or even second overseer that David had killed. Alice cast a shield spell on herself and on Vivian. The repeating crossbows low power bolts were easily stopped by the shield. They focused on decimating the greater walkers attacking David. A fire ball some fire bite spells and a few bodkin arrows and the group surrounding him and the overseer were dismantled.

They immediately switched their attention to the five greater walkers with repeating crossbows behind the barricade. David charged round it and started to hack them to pieces. Vivian sniped a pair that had peaked out from cover. Alice lobbed acid strike spells over the barricade to splash down from above on the greater walkers. She was getting really good at using the trajectory of the tracking spell to attack opponents. Martin noticed a mask construct disengage from one of the dead spider constructs. He stabbed down onto it with an octium knife before it could get very far.

The spider must have been the last hostile enemy in the area. The level up hit power surged through the group as they eyes glowed. Vivian reached level 56 gaining the 5th level of her shatter shield skill, it really helped to cut through her opponent’s defences. Alice hit level 58 mastering her illusionary allies spell. David reached level 54 boosting his counter armour skill, allowing him to really cut the greater walkers to pieces. Martin hit level 67 gaining the second rank in his poison skill, unlocking the knowledge of hemotoxins.

Immediately they set about dealing with the remains of the constructs. They pulled apart the second barricade for wood creating a suitable pile. They dragged every single construct and piled them up including the group of four greater walkers that they had cleared earlier. They made sure that the pile was to the side of the road a little oil and a tinder and they were ablaze. With the preservative chemicals in the constructs organic parts they burnt really fast. To the point where in five minutes there was nothing that could be recovered even for spare parts.

Martin placed his holy symbol to his skull “purge soul”. He dropped screaming in agony two minutes later he nonchalantly got up like nothing had happened. He grabbed a maul from the tools dropped by the dead constructs. They moved back up the trail and pulled the remains of the burnt barricade to one side allowing the nervous coach driver to move there transportation threw the gaps

They finally arrived at the gates, they was singed and chipped but not broken. There were militia and town guards looking over the wall. Crossbows and the like pointed in the general direction of the coach and party. A woman stood on top of the wall, obviously the witch finder. She wore a hat and coat very reminiscent of a vampire hunter. With a slightly higher brim to her hat. She had a steel neck guard a holy symbol by her side. A brace of three double barrelled pistols and a large rapier she had an octium chainmail vest under her jacket that reached to just above her knees. She looked over the adventures and the coach.

Beside her to the left was a mage in brown robes. A woman wearing a leather chest guard, she carried a red oak staff tipped with a chunk of polished mithril. To her right was a woman in a mix of leather and ring-mail. A scout also wearing a sheriff’s sash of office. She had a recurved short-bow with some sort of fancy pulley system. Perhaps a battle alchemist or mechanist invention, she had a steel arrow ready to draw.

The witch finder shows a hint of relief, “So word got out and they sent someone to help us”? Vivian answered, “Actually the bishop sent us to find you”. Puzzlement showed in her voice, “which bishop”? She answered, “Alexius of Goodford”. The interrogation continued, “Why have you come hear”? She looked over to Martin, “We need a witch finders skills in curse breaking but that is a discussion to have in private”. The witch finder shrugged her shoulders “hold your hands out for the holy symbol … that's good open the gates”.

She met then below “You are agents of the bishop Alexius the four masters, the zealot the eagle eye the shield and a mage called malice. My name is Nicole Fitzalan a servant of his holiness the patriarch. They call me the necromancers’ bane. The others hear of note are the local mage Mary Brook, she is a potent healer but also has a few spells that can affect constructs and the sheriff Alyson Appleby. There is a young priest tending to the wounded. A mayor and a trader are also hear, but they are of no worth hiding in the strong room of the castle church by the light house tower”.

She needed information urgently, “What can you tell me of Sand Point and Spring Wall, are they overrun are more constructs on the way? Vivian stepped up “sand point lost 2 thirds of its people but still stands. We encountered two new types of construct mask like creatures and spider like constructs”.

“We destroyed a foundry mother it won’t be reassembled any time soon, all other forces were destroyed. Spring wall fared better losing only about 25 people, we completely destroyed the attacking force. This professor will not be getting any further reinforcements, word should have reached North port by now, so additional forces should be on their way to help us”.

“I have heard rumours stories passed of your deeds. You have killed several elite vampires a dragon wiped out entire tribes of rat men and Lamia. The zealot is everything I expected practically frothing at the mouth to get into the fray. Eagle eye I dint expect this”? She looked at the artificial eye. “It’s only a recent change, I have a ring of the eagle’s eye and this golem eye”. “Quite so, the shield is as the name states. A good blade a good shield but you look a little awkward some injury”? David was surprised how perceptive she was, “yes you could say that”. She continued her appraisal, “the mage she does not look quite right”. “Recovering from an attack ... be myself … soon enough”. Nicole’s head dipped, “As you say”.

Light house hill was a reasonably large village for the area with 750 people in it, it had a bit of growing land. Ultimately it was the fishing and shell fish that brought the village its money. The surrounding area had been stripped of timber, meaning that there was a clear field of fire and a strongly fortified outer wall. The village had been cut into the hill with some paths at a stepper angle than others. The local mage that served the area was based hear under the local mayor. The witch finder was now leading the defence of Lighthouse hill village. She was the strongest one on the field and an emissary. An official backed by one of the three heads of the triune.

Martin looked at Nicole “what is the current situation in this settlement”? “So far we have only suffered a few dozen losses. People on the gate or on the walls. They have some repeating crossbows that we have not seen before. You have herd mention of the one attacking us? Martin nodded, “One of his underlings mentioned it before the abomination died we just have a name but guess they are high level”?

She confirmed there assumption, “The professor is a level 100 archanist his supreme skill is upgrade, it temporarily empowers his creations. The problem with fighting archanists is that they can salvage and repair their creations. I have probably fort against the same things for the last few days”. Martin assessed the situation coldly, “He can keep doing this as long as he can recover the bodies? “Yes or most of them” “Has he upgraded himself”? “I believe so a unique creation taller than a human thinner. I am sure I saw and extra mechanical arm or two. He is trying to build an army to threaten north port. He has no-wear near the critical mass he needs. I am here to stop that happening”.

There was the banging on a gong and shouting from one of the village militia. “More of those things climbing the walls now”. The group looked round there were spider constructs climbing the hill from every direction. They looked like they had been upgraded with more defensive plating and some sort of electrical generator on their back.

The attackers consisted of 34 greater spiders with regeneration. They seemed to be there as a distraction. The main force that the professor was banking on was a block of 40 greater walkers with thick iron shields. They formed a heavy metal box that was slowly lumbering towards them. The greater spiders had traded speed for armour, at least they would be easier to target. David looked at the block of oncoming greater walkers with shields he grinned. “I have something to deal with them”, he ran over to the coach.

The ranged fighters took to the walls Mary brook cast an ice bolt at one of the constructs. It froze half its body and caused it to fall back down to the base of the hill where it started to regenerate back in shape. She aimed for another. Alice looked at her “concentrate fire ... each one to destroy ... or they regenerate”. Alice hurled three acid strike spells at the same construct, just as it crawled over the barricade. It collapsed the corrosive eating away at its body. Two militia men started to stab it with spears to make quite sure it was gone.

Martin and Vivian nodded sure of what Alice was doing. They needed to destroy those things at the top of the wall. Where they could not be recovered and later repaired, it was a danger to let them get close. But otherwise they could spend all night knocking these things to the bottom of the wall and watching them regenerate and climb back up again.

Martin had his four barrelled pistol ready two shots to the head and another greater spider construct expired. He emptied the other two barrels into the next one that came over the wall. It slipped backwards he ran grabbed it and dragged it forwards. A Levi with a hammer started to pulverise it to make sure.

Vivian put two octium arrows into another construct as it reached the wall it fell forwards. The next construct over the wall vaulted only to be picked off by the sheriff. She put a steel arrow through its head her bow was powerful, with its pulley system providing mechanical advantage to back up her precise aiming abilities. The witch finder spun on her heel and emptied one of her pistols both barrels into a construct. She pulled her holy symbol out and gestured to another that was leaping over the village wall. “Accuse” the powerful blessing flattened the construct and set it on fire. She shook her head though her abilities were potent they cost her much to use.

Alice took to the northern part of the wall, Vivian took the west Martin the east. The sheriff witch hunter and the local mage brooks took the south were the gate was. David had a plan to deal with the group of approaching greater walkers with shields. So that they could not demolish the gate, he carried a barrel of lamp oil heading for the gate house.

The spider constructs came over the walls in greater numbers. Martin emptied both his long barrelled pistols into the next over the wall. Then his lion hearts hammer into the next out of pistols he drew his octium throwing knives. Alice obliterated one construct with a barrage of fire bite spells and a second with acid strikes. A third pounced on her only to find that it was an illusion. Vivian was faced with two at once.

Her first shot smashed straight through the first spider and into the second pinning it in place. She finished them both off with head shots. Five militia with good spears pined a construct down. A guard with an axe finished it off. A man with a sling managed to hit one only to have it leap on him and grievously wound him, before it could be sent back with a spear through its side.

The witch hunter emptied her other two pistols into the attacking constructs, putting two more out of the fight. The mage Mary hit another one with a few of her icy bolts. It froze the creature which was hacked to bits by two town guards. On the walls the sheriff brought down another one a steel arrow through its regenerator engine and a second shot through its head. Two of the greater spider constructs got over the wall and headed for David. They didn’t want him to use whatever was in the barrel against the walkers heading for the gate house. He hit one of them hard enough to smash them against a wooden wall using the barrel as a bludgeon. He drew his sword and made short work of both of them.

They had permanently disabled half the spider constructs but they were still doing their job, keeping the defenders occupied. While the greater walkers advanced to smash down the gate house. Martin used focus throws against two of his opponents expending his high end throwing knives. He switched to his oil coated blades and took a third one head on. Alice put two more of the creatures attacking her section of the wall out of commission with acid strikes losing most of her illusion decoys in the process. Vivian got two more with her mithril tipped arrows a third got behind her. She twisted round and kicked it away from her. It landed and before it got up a group of militia armed with farming implements set on it beating hacking it down.

Three of the greater constructs attacked the witch hunter together. She had some tricks up her sleeve holy symbol in one hand rapier in the other she faced them. She used a blessing “crushing binding”, bands of light formed around the construct. They slowly contracted its flesh and metal was slowly crushed, until its regenerative abilities gave out and it fell down a broken puppet. She cut with her rapier trimming one of the limbs away from the nearest spider construct.

Her holy symbol was up again “obliterate” a surge of holy energy struck the construct shattering it knocking it back it crumbled into pieces. The third moved forwards, Nicole had expended her last reserves of mental fortitude. She didn't have the ability to use another blessing, she was barely able to hold the spider back with thrusting attacks from her rapier. The mage Mary got one of the constructs in the head with her ice bolt. The construct fell into a weighting group of militia, who held it down with spears and finished it off with hoes and pitchforks. The sheriff tackled another putting five steel arrows into its chest and neck in quick succession until it failed.

The spider constructs were almost expended but the greater walkers were nearly at the gate. David had reached the gate house with his barrel of oil. He griped it firmly then threw it over head with both hands onto the shield formation it shattered going everywhere. David gave it a few seconds to soak in then threw a torch at the centre of the formation, the fire erupted into a blazing inferno.

The grater walkers took one step forwards unflinching, even with the flames raging they took a second then a third. David wondered if he had made a mistake were they fire proof? On the fourth step they faltered the inner elements were not keeping up. The formation twisted some of the shields in the centre wavered and dropped. Slowly the formation fell apart the shields were released or held weakly and the formation was open up to attack. David switched target and soon the last spider constructs on the walls fell.

The group started to concentrate there fire power onto the greater walkers below. Stones and bricks were hurled down at them. Spears arrows Alice's fire balls Martin reloaded and emptied his pistols several times. The witch finder reloaded and fired her pistols. The greater walkers fell one by one to flames and arrows spells and pistol balls. In the centre of the formation they dropped a battering ram that had been hidden beneath there shields. At some unseen command the greater walkers turned and retreated seven or eight of them were all that remained of the forty that had made up the initial attacking force.

The witch finder looked at the defenders. “it’s not over yet start a fire burn the bodies open the gates and drag those things in quick before they can recover them, get the battering ram as well.” Martin David and Vivian sprang to action as soon as the gates opened they ran out and began to drag the mangled constructs inside the settlement. Nothing would be left to be repaired or reanimated. A group of eight militia men grabbed the iron tipped battering ram and dragged it inside they would not leave it to be recovered.

The militia also made sure to grab every one of the dropped metal rectangular shields. They were a lot better than the wooden round shields that the militia generally carried. The professor had expended his reserves of greater spider constructs and his greater walkers. Two waves of his best creations had been destroyed.

David had used his barrel of oil to toast most of one wave. He was exceptionally smug about his idea. The last of the constructs were dragged in and thrown on the pile in the centre of the village. It was ignited with kindling and fire wood the archanists arts going up in smoke. The witch finder was exhausted but grinning, “The professor must be very angry his toys keep getting smashed, he might start to make mistakes”.

The level up hit the last of the professor’s toys must have limped its way to a safe distance. Their eyes glowed even Vivian's artificial one. Alice had gained two levels from all the constructs she had destroyed. Hitting level 60 she gained a new spell the poison gas cloud spell, not very good against constructs it still rounded out her arsenal a bit. She had a class level a very important one her base mana cost dropped from 3 points to two points. In effect her ability to cast spells became far more efficient. She would only need to use a little mana to use her spells. She also gained the ability to control up to four spells at a time. She could really layer on the defences or attack with several spells simultaneously.

Martin reached level 69 gaining two more ranks in his poison use skill, adding necrotic and metallic poisons to his arsenal. David reached level 56 he picked up the same class level Vivian had and a skill that allowed him to counter heavy armour making him better at tackling armoured opponents.

Vivian reached level 58 gaining level 7 of her shatter shield ability, various other people gained levels militia guards the sheriff. Some of the militia were not so lucky, the priest would have to perform a few last rights tonight.

The group broke up Martin sort out the witch finder, “Let us discuss some matters in private”. There was an inn and the witch finder had taken the best room as her lodgings. Martin turned to her “we fought the vampire Bismark, he had a werewolf body guard I was bitten and infected. The bishop Alexius sent us to the Bishop of North port who sent us to you. Can you help me”? The witch finder looked him over “I assume you’re keeping it in check with the purge soul blessing”? “Oh yes and purify, if I need to keep it under control can you help me”. “Not today I have expended everything I have. Tomorrow after a nights rest I can help you, if the professor gives us a nights rest before they attack again”.

They were put up in a merchant’s room at the inn. Vivian and David got a meal at the bar and some ale. Alice looked at her fellow mage a woman whose raw power she dramatically exceeded but whose general knowledge was in all likely hood significantly greater. Her voice was sluggish, “what do ... know about … mind magic”. Mary looked her over, “you mean spells that can influence the mind, there are different sorts some designed to control some to simply destroy others to punish what happened to you”? “Could not … wake up”. She understood, “That sounds like a spell designed to kill, vampires have a form of innate blood magic that they can cast using blood rather than mana was that’s what hit you”.

“Yes … think was it”. Mary used her own magical senses, “Your level is above master level did you have a magic item on you that gave you a bit of defence”? Alice responded slowly, “yes” “the spell severs the connection between the body and the mind. It disrupts them leavening the body to fade away. It dose intense trauma against a regular person, you were strong enough that part of your mind still remained active, still connected. Even with that permanent loss of memory or skills can be a side effect how long ago was it”? “One ... week”. She was surprised, “you’re already feeling better, a psionic might be able to help you a little but you will get better in time”.

Alice looked about, “do you … have house hear”? “The local lord allows me a few rooms but I can’t own a house, mages can’t own land or run business outside the tower. Only tools and personal effects, you know that it’s one of the ways that the nobles keep us in check”. “I didn't ... remember” Alice felt a rising anger at the back of her mind. Purpose why she was trying to become stronger, it pushed out some of the cloud hanging over her thoughts. “I suppose you’re fresh out of the tower so they never taught you that, or you forgot when you were attacked”.

Alice looked at her “what else … don't ... you agree with”? Mary held up a locket to Alice, “see this it’s a picture of my daughter Ruth. It’s the only thing I have, all mages children are raised at the tower by nurses. Once they are weaned and strong enough to travel”. “Why ... is that”? She felt indignant, “so that they don't pick up any bad habits, preposterous they don't want mages forming families or owning land, preposterous so we can’t organise”.

She was quiet for a moment, “why didn't … you resist ... taking your child”. “I only have some idea what a witch hunter can do, but for example they have at low level ability a mana draining strike without mana a mage can’t fight”. “I suppose ... your right... Didn't your husband ...resist or object”? She looked at Alice again certainly some things were erased form her mind. “No my partner in this duty was selected for me. He was nice enough but a bit wet, he just saw it as another service he had to do for the mages tower. And he didn't want six months in the gallows prison at the jail city”.

She looked down, “it’s not like we are necromancers or sorcerers out for blood. I swear it’s the same way the nobles treat wyverns and dragons powerful tools. But animals to be maintained as a population trained to be used and dealt with if they rebel, I feel more like breeding stock than a woman now. They would have thrown me to the gallows tower jail if I didn't hand over my baby and you herd of the warden”?

Alice drew a blank, “no ... the way you say ….the warden … it sounds... like there has only... ever been one”? “You haven't heard a literal monster of some kind Bloody Samuel, they locked them up there inside a circle of concentrated ground. The warden considers it there job to punish anyone who falls into their grasp. As if we deserve to be handed over to a monster for stepping out of line”. Alice examined her own actions, “I have helped ...send people …to the warden... the jailer …a few times. One of our own … that joined a thief’s guild ... a collaborator … I think ...there was a thief … or two”.

A cold angry look flushed across Alice's face. “I don't like … the idea of being … a note on a …. Noble’s genealogy book … but I don't have … the strength to change ... it now. Do you have any... reading material ... I would rather … read than sleep”. Mary gestured towards her rooms and Alice followed.

Martin has to use purge soul on himself one more time, then settled into troubled sleep. Vivian and David returned back after a few drinks and bedded down for the night, ready to jump to the sound of the alarm.