Alice woke up on her bed she climbed to a sitting position and hesitantly looked at her arm. There was no mark no hint of what she had been doing the previous night. She breathed a sigh of relief, the use of her magic the pain it was focusing her mind. Clearing out the last vestiges of the fog she had felt. Now that she was able to think more clearly, she could tell that some parts of her mind had grown dull. Some parts of her mind were diminished they were not gone. The weight of certain emotions and memories certain feelings were lessened.

She thought about it, realising that there was no panic at the loss. That should not be right that could not be right, could it? They were things that felt generally a little dead, the trauma of the mental attack and her mind fighting against it had affected her. She no longer felt, she paused what would be the best way to describe it. A worry that nagging feeling at the back of her mind, it was dulled. The hooks the links that caused fear to manifest inside her they were lessened. The underpinning memory of every little scrape and scratch. Everything that had taught her to avoid pain, to fear it they were dull. Yes, that was the best way to describe it, perhaps a reaction of her mind to cope.

She wondered if this constituted a form of brain damage, a trauma to her mind. She was not so hesitant to act. The part of her that questioned herself, that cast doubt on her thoughts and actions it was again dulled. Not the mechanism but the memory's that underpinned it. The things that made her hesitate to doubt they were grey faded.

The times her family had scolded her, told her that she was wrong. The unpleasant feelings that had plagued her in the tower. Growing up in an academic environment and just scraping through the bottom of every class, that was irrelevant now. The memory's once vivid their lessons telling her that she was not good enough, that she should hesitate doubt herself. They belonged to a different person. She was malice the mage, not Alice the child.

Vivian woke up to the usual confusion, her golem eye took a few seconds to focus properly. Her mind became fully conscious and the connection was back fully in place. She looked over at mirror on the wall. She idly picked up the eye patch and red scarf. The scarf wrapped around her face the eye patch over her artificial eye. That was stupid it limited her perception for a little exercise in vanity. She pulled the patch away and put it down.

The scarf was ok it kept her neck warm, it hid her face. Martin had started to wear a face concealing mask for that little bit of armour protection. David had a full-face visor, perhaps it was best if they all wore masks or some such. They would be the four masters, then they could take off the mask and just be people.

She could feel a lot of pressure bearing down on her. There decisions could save or kill dozens or even hundreds of people, what did it matter what colour scarf she wore. She was a mercenary in good standing, contracted to the trade guild. To defend its interests and the triune and all the people in the northern land. She could be the difference between the line holding and falling, every call every shot had to matter. She looked about no sound around her, she slowly removed the bag of blue moon dust. She gripped the bag and put it back.

David woke up and flexed his hand, it was getting close soon he would have the full motion of his hand back. He had to question himself a little refection in a mercenary, when it was quiet the lull before a storm was a good thing. The ability to evaluate your situation to alter your strategies or confirm that you were heading on the right course was a skill. Taught as any other martial skill he could apply it to himself now.

He had lost his hand originally, because he had faced a stronger opponent. He was getting stronger himself day by day and he was saving up for better armour that might close the gap eventually. But perhaps it was best to rely on something else for a change not just Vivian. His sallow youth in the church orphanage came to mind, boring days of humble food and monotonous lessons that never stuck with him.

Now he might have to accept the help of something greater. A bottle of holy water or blessed salt or something could give a vampire pause for thought. It might not be long, but it would be just enough to give him or Vivian time to retreat attack, or plan. It could purchase them a moment to think, if Martin or Alice were absent and they had nothing to help them.

David had to wonder why he had not thought of this before. Why had it been a week and a half maybe two weeks until he had sat down and thought this threw. The answer was it was better late than never, it was better to be prepared for all or most eventuality than not. They had been busy getting themselves cured. They had been busy fighting the constructs now he had a break in pleasant surroundings.

He had time to think and to reason, he didn't need to be a priest to use holy water. He didn't think it would affect the enchantments on his equipment as long as he kept the two separate. He was good as far as he knew, he had to check it with Martin then perhaps go to the cathedral. A few minutes later Vivian had fished her own preparations and entered David's room to help him with the last bits of his plate armour.

Martin woke up to the dawn chorus, well the squawking of the gulls. He felt for his night stand the reassuring weight of thermite. He was a grand master but that would not allow him the power he needed to both get his revenge and keep people safe. To make some lasting change in this ongoing war between humans and vampires. He could lead a large number of people as a grand master many would die, but they would achieve their goal of killing a few ranking vampires.

But if he continued to build his own personal power. Along with a few other individuals then he could be more. Four exalted masters working together could be a razor-sharp blade. That could cut away the canker of the vampires from this land relatively cleanly. With some effort with some planning he could defeat a worthy opponent. Mithril bullets, octium bullets thermite a plenty he would triumph. They would triumph together, together they could take a chunk out of something far higher up the food chain.

They sat around the breakfast table and ate a very well-prepared fish stew. The duchess's personal cook had presented them with an excellently seasoned meal. Her thanks for giving the hidden hand thieves a bloody nose and a few vacancies in their ranks. David looked over to Vivian, “what's our current budget for equipment?” Vivian did a little calculating in her head. “its 2370 silver give or take about five”. David looked about the table, “we have saved up for a bit lets invest in some equipment like the bishop said. Some mithril armour for me, Vivian you would be after some better ammunition right some Alice Martin any ideas”?

Vivian grinned, “you know me quite well David those adamantine tipped arrows are excellent an equalizer against a tough target. I could put one right through a dragon and a strong enchantment on top would do even better”. Alice interjected, “I have been doing my reading … you might want to look … at a corrosion enchantment. Not very common but there … is very little that can resist it ... especially from an arrow lodged inside them”.

Vivian wondered, “I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but wouldn't that melt the shaft of the arrow”? “The arrow shaft and feathers … would have to be enchanted at … the same time, but think about it”. “Yes, I see what your aiming for, not many things would be able to concentrate on a fight with an arrow like that inside them”.

David looked over, “what about you Martin, do you need extra armour a new weapon”? “I already have my thermite and plenty of exotic ammunition, what I need is to track down an artefact something which endures from the vampire hunters of old. Supposedly the six who founded the original order of vampire hunters each had a weapon forged from or with black adamantine, the holy blessed metal”.

He elaborated, “I have the names of the artefacts, if not the details they are sketchy. Tesla's hand, Colts masterwork, Nobel's prize for the three battle alchemists. The blades of St Michael and George for the two crusaders. For the sixth undocumented founder the mystery, he had something called the chain of judgement. With one of these holy relics I could really do some damage to a vampire elder or ancient, I suppose the information to track one down would not be cheap”.

David turned to the last member, “what about you Alice? What would you need to push the boundaries of your power”? “The broach that amplifies … my spells got me thinking. I don't lack for offense … but for defence there are some artefacts that … prolong a mage’s defensive spells. It makes me able to … use my mana more efficiently … there is less chance of me running out in a fight. There is less chance … of being caught unaware”. David finished his drink, “that settles it then let’s go to the trade guild and start commissioning some pieces. We have not met the local guild representative, anyway who knows what contracts they could have ready”.

The group headed back to the merchant’s guild. They headed for the grander main entrance where more official deals were done, where nobles and dignitaries were received. They were planning to spend an awful lot of money anyway. A receptionist led them to senior trade guild member who in turn lead them to the office of the guild bigwig. They waited outside the office for a few minutes were announced and entered, immediately they noticed the nautical theme. Pictures of ships and models of ships were on shelves and most available walls.

The trade commissioner was a grand master a level 75 merchant. Her name was Gilda Jendryng the third. The woman was wearing spectacles that had been enchanted with a lot of perception boosting spells. Her eyesight must have suffered from the years at her profession. She carried a bit of weight like many successful merchants, they could enjoy large quantities of the finer things in life.

Merchants who generally didn't get much further than their office to their strong room and back again. They exchanged a few pleasantries, “I hear that we would be up to our elbows in a hoard of archanist constructs if you had not intervened. For keeping my life quiet I thank you, I come from a family of merchants and goldsmiths no combat abilities. But a talent to make coin to see an opportunity”. Vivian politely enquired, “what opportunity's do we have now”?

She was quite enthusiastic, “You have herd of the elves yes new markets and we control it all from this port. If the central plains or the south lands want to sell to the western elves. If the dwarves want to do business, they must come to us first. Heck even the confederated colonies at the northern end of the western continent want to do business with the elves. It’s our ships that are going to transport the goods”.

They let her continue, “And such goods, our alchemists are analysing hundreds of things. I have spices exotic woods for our carpenters’ new fabrics and dyes. New plays and music, some of the arts lost in the golem rebellion are found again, some of the crafts didn't die. The western elves have had two thousand years of peace. A few centuries of conflict to clear the monsters out of the land they inhabit, and they have a land of milk and honey. With the long ocean we are the only one's who's ships can reliably cross it”.

She was already planning the next move, “now imagine if we could take back one of the eastern dwarven holds from the vampires. We could set up direct trade with the dwarves again. No merchants from the central plains adding their bit onto the deal. No tariffs no tributes to the nine gods. No having to negotiate with every city state on the road, a few years and we will have more ships we can send larger convoys. The buccaneers might force our hand, but the judgement is more than enough to deal with them. Who knows they might send you after the pirate lords, I hope you don't get seasick”.

She grinned her hubris at the anticipated future deals subsiding, “I believe that you have come to make a deal on some custom-made equipment, something best suited to your skills and abilities. But first let me put a proposition to you, there is a lich you might have heard of a servant of the local vampires. There is five hundred silver coins on that lich's head, but no takers. She has spent decades fortifying her position. That lich is becoming a pain, her forces are attacking our logging operations. I have ships I need to build and repair, I will raise the bounty by an extra 300 silver to sweeten the deal, to evict that pest”.

They weighed her words, “Now let us speak together about business opportunities. What sort of budget do you have”? David was to the point, “Let us say 2000 silver”. “You definitely came to the right place”. Vivian was front and centre, “I have a very fine bow, but arrows are a problem. You can never have enough. I would want ten adamantine arrows tipped with a strong corrosion enchantment, something that when stuck in a wound will really do some damage.

An assistant seemed to materialise from a side room and handed the trade commissioner a price list. “Ten bodkin adamantine arrows would be 200 silver, the enchanting for a constant ten points of corrosion damage would be an extra 50 silver and the delivery time would be one week”. Vivian could negotiate, “come on if we risk our lives to clear the undead out of your logging operation you can do something for us”.

Gilda nodded, “you make a good argument, Alice is a member of the tower so I believe they could give us a little discount. Let us say 40 silver for the enchantments I can knock 20% off of the usual price for the adamantine so let us say 200, after what happened to the mines in Grey-forge adamantine is very rare and we only have a very limited stock”. Vivian shook her hand, “you have a deal”.

David was up first, “I have a very good Damascus tower shield can you do better with mithril”. She used an enchanted grimoire to analyse the shield, “let me check”. She scratched out some calculations, “yes we have mithril in stock we could enhance your current shield with a boss and edging of mithril with mithril reinforcing for 200 more silver. Or we could go all the way a master work mithril tower shield”.

She did some scribbling on a piece of paper. “Normally its 1200 silver, but with your current shield it could be 900 silver and your old shield in exchange. I can guarantee a defensive rating of 300 combined with an increase of the impact absorption enchantments from 30 points to 55. I can have a natural armour enchantment of 40 points, and may I suggest a 10-point agility boost it would make it much easier to wield the shield, the delivery times would be two weeks”. David tried to push it, “can I get a discount”? “you’re already getting a 300 silver discount” his shoulders casually shrugged I suppose “it’s worth a try ok”.

Gilda looked about, “what about you vampire hunter”? “I already have a lot of thermite what I want is information the location of one of the founder’s relics of the vampire hunters order. It might be a bit of a stretch asking a merchant, but I can’t think of anything else yet.”

“There are a lot of vampire hunters in the judgement and large archives at the church and mages chapter house. I might be able to find something. Report the lich dead and I will give you anything that I can find”.

“have you ever come across … an item that can boost defensive casting”. The merchant flicked through a catalogue “do you want the power of the defence increased the longevity or both”?

“Primarily the longevity … of my defensive spells”. “There is something in the book, a ward of enhanced defence apparently it can prolong the effects of shield spells by a minute. But they are rare this one was made by a dwarven master of glyph enchanting”. Hew own interest was piqued. “how much … is it”? “I don't know it is apparently in the private collection of house teach, one of the duchess's relations has it. They might sell for the right price or the right favour you will need to speak to the duchess about that”. Alice curtseyed “thank you for … the lead at least”. They parted with 1100 silver and went on their way.

Alice remembered the duchess she was definitely wearing armour under her robes. That gave her an idea for her own look. She went round to a series of clothing stalls and picked up a green hat for 25 bronze pennies’ to hides her light helmet. She felt that she looked more like a mage and less like a town guard. A senior member of the merchant guild approached them. “I have a little extermination contract for you, some sea life bothering shell fishers outside of town, I need to get some people hear, meet me after lunch and I can make it worth your time, actually give them this token at the Cod tavern, lunch is on me”.

They were considering their options; they went to the cavorting cod tavern. Outside it had a crude picture of a dancing fish on a sign. They went in and showed one of the serving girls the token. Immediately she took an order and showed them to a table. Next to their table was a single pilgrim slowly tucking away into a fish stew. Martin noted the hooded pilgrim as a little odd out of place. Most pilgrims went for white or grey robes, she had a lilac dyed robe he never remembered seeing something that colour.

Surreptitiously she removed a pouch of spices from her robe and added a little sprinkle. In that moment Martin understood. Her dress was amazingly vibrant, incorporating a variety of prints that he had never seen before. He made the assumption that she must be one of the western elves, a strange twinge overcame him. A feeling that she was connected to the creator god in some way. An instinct perhaps she was a high-level monk on a pilgrimage. She looked young but then elves did live almost twice as long as humans.

Martin checked his monocle it seemed a little off perhaps, the reading was different for an elves physiology. David wandered over to her and politely introduced himself. “Hi, my names David I don't think I have ever seen robes like yours, where do you hail from friend”. She sighed and gently brushed he hood back revealing her elven ears. They were far shorter than Martin had expected but still quite notable. She didn't have some ethereal beauty; she was a charming homely girl. Rather than long flowing silken blond hair she had practical short cropped brown hair.

She reached out a hand and shook David's. “Hi David and well met, may the blessings of the creator god be with you on all your days, I come from the theocracy of Dryadalis its far to the south of the confederated colonies on the western continent”.

The rest of the party wandered over “I see you have friends with you David, the blessings of the creator god be upon you to”. She looked at him and the group with keen intelligent eyes. “I guess I am the first elf you have ever seen, I believe that some small remnant of the old people still exists in the capital”. Alice nodded, “they keep to themselves … in a small ghetto. The last remnants … the descendants that escaped … the golem rebellion”. “That is sad to hear but hopefully something can be done about the golems. We might reclaim our old city's, or at least bring peace to the spirits of the elves of old”.

“Well met I am Vivian this is Alice and Martin What might your name be”? “It’s Agapanthus, Porsus people call me Aggy”. She looked at martin “I wager you have a religious job and you don't recognise the name?” He shook his head dumbly. “Agapanthus it’s the name of a flower that blooms only on the lower slopes of the holy mountain”.

Vivian steered the conversation onto something else rather than dwell on how little they know of their own lands, “it must be unusual for you to see humans”. She dismissed the notion “oh not really, a fifth of our population is half-human. With over five percent of our population identifying as human”. “Alice a pleasure to meet you”. She wondered, “do they have … mages in your lands”? “No, the only magic users we have are druids, it can be a surprisingly flexible discipline I believe”.

David was still enthusiastic, “How come you are all the way overhear on the other side of the ocean. Are you part of the diplomatic party or someone of rank from the western church”? She was again dismissive, “Nothing like that I was the daughter of a pig farmer. I entered my name in a lottery for places on the voyage and over I have come”. Vivian spoke, “What do you think of our city and our land”. “It’s interesting to see how the faith has endured in these lands against constant war. The cathedral citadel is amazing, I will see the grand cathedral and the holy mountain. There are a dozen other sights of pilgrimage I wish to see. The food and drink is a little bland but that is expected when you have to fight so hard to put a meal on the table”.

She looked over at Vivian's weapon, “I see your bow has yew from the holy mountain”. Vivian nodded “for one of the first to come over you seem to know a lot about our land already”. “Yes, they planted groves of sacred yew around all our cathedrals, more because they are lovely tree's than the need to have strong bows”. She pulled something from the folds of her robe. “This is a family heirloom a red oak holy symbol from the holy mountain. Carved thousands of years ago with a preservative blessing on the wood”.

Martin reached out hand and touched it he felt his burdens ease for a moment. Aggy looked over to the quiver at Vivian's side. “The feathers on some of your arrows are griffon, they raise them in the fortress monasteries around the mountain. The ship bough us here to north port had some on board”. Vivian was impressed, “your very perceptive”.

They ate their meal and casually chatted with the elven pilgrim for twenty minutes. The Weston elves were a very peaceful nation. Good food fine clothes a fairly egalitarian society with both half-elves and elves occupying most positions and strata of society. Unlike the northern church both men and woman served in the clergy and could become bishops. Though the head of the church was still a patriarch not a matriarch.

They didn't have a massive military not having had to fight anything substantial in over two thousand years. But they did have lots of good craftsman and good enchanters. The elves lived a long time plenty of time to build up there crafting jobs to high levels.

The senior member of the merchant’s guild that was paying for lunch arrived back. Whatever preparations he was making had been finalised. The party looked back and the elf pilgrim had gone disappearing from the table. The merchant sat down and ordered a round of drinks. “Right down to business, I want you to go and deal with some giant crabs on the coast. They sneaked past the leviathan. They are large powerful creatures but very slow, there meat is delicious and rarely seen as the leviathan normally gets to them first”.

The drinks arrived, “They would be a danger to shell fishermen, but I am sure that you can get to them before they can cause two much trouble. I have four carts ready to haul them into the city for the fish market. I can make a tidy profit and you can get 30 silver for a half an hour’s work, do we have a deal”.

David was sure that they could squeeze the merchant for a bit more money. But he had a full belly and a drink in his hand curtsy of the man, so he let it slide this once. They followed the merchant and joined up with a group of four large flatbed carts, a dozen general labourers and drivers. A short journey out of the city along a coastal road and down to a shingle beach and they saw their objective.

There were eight of the giant crabs, each one the size of a cart. They were a dull red on top and white on the bottom, they possessed a fearsome strength. But moved very slowly out of the water, in the water it would negate their weight, it might be another thing entirely to deal with them if they got to the waves.

They were busy picking over the beach, there were recently abandoned shacks campfires nets and boats. The giant crabs would definitely be disrupting the local fishing. Martin looked through his book of monsters. David nudged him “any weak spots”. “it says the claws have the best meat and the brain is somewhere behind the mouth”. Vivian looked over the theatre of war her upcoming battlefield. “They are spread out we each take the closest and try to kill them if we can’t manage to do that, we retreat up the beach and focus on them two at a time. If that don't work one at a time, they are slow on land. Any ranged attack Martin”? “No, not according to the book”.

The group split up targeting the nearest four giant crabs. They wanted the bodies relatively intact, so Martin had to forgo his usual thermite. Martin grinned he could use his top shelf abilities today just letting lose. His four-barrel pistol at the ready in his right hand his holy symbol in his left he advanced. The crab stopped eating what appeared to be half a large dog and faced him.

Two quick focus shots rang out obliterating both the crab’s eye's before it could raise its claws up to protect itself. The crab charged forwards flailing its pincers in front of it. Martin stepped to the side and held his holy symbol forward, “chain smite”. Bolts of lightning began to hit the crab shocking it on its right flank, it was having trouble moving as second by second. The lightning fried it the crab slowly collapsed to the shingle, it weekly clawed forwards then dropped. Martin checked with his monocle it was dead, then he moved onto the next target.

David charged into his assigned target; it was busy breaking open a lobster trap preparing to eat what was inside. David batted the crab’s giant claw aside with his shield and delivered a power strike right to the joint of the second claw removing it with a bit of cracked shell. The crab swung back at David who dropped down, his shield embedded in the shingle braced then took the blow stopping the crab in its tracks.

David was up and running around the side of the crab. He delivered more power strikes taking off two of its legs at the joint David completely avoided its claws frantic flailing. he moved round to the limping crab’s side and cut into its remaining legs dropping it to the shingle. A block and a cut severed its other claw. Then one final strike into its mouth and up. David hit something vital and the massive crustacean stopped flailing.

Alice prepared for the fight casting illusionary allies, her bonus vitality spell on herself and a physical shield spell to protect herself. She hit the crab in front of her with an icy tomb spell the already slowed crustacean was reduced to a crawl. It barely seemed to realise what was going on as its inside temperature dropped and its limbs were encased in a layer of ice. She hastened its demise with the poison gas spell. After the spell dissipated the poison would evaporate into nothing so it would not spoil the meat. The icy tomb spell ended, and the crab started to scuttle towards her, Alice finished it off with an electric strike spell, she looked about for her next target.

Vivian targeted one crab she went straight for her adamantine arrows considering its thick hide. She aimed and fired. The arrow struck the crab and pierced the shell sinking in nearly 2 feet the crab was knocked to the sand by the force of the impact or the stun enchantment. Vivian drew a second arrow aiming for the centre of the crab. It started to flail about and ran towards her. A second arrow through its shell and it dropped again weakly trying to rise. Vivian put a third arrow into it, she must have hit something vital as it collapsed.

Martin hit the next crab in a very similar way, two shots blinding it then he hit the crab with pillar of fire, and a few smites followed by wrath of the almighty. The crab was surrounded and engulfed in a pillar of burning hot fire for five seconds. Struck with electricity and an assortment of other things, it collapsed under the weight of the divine attacks. David charged into the next crab. If flicked a large glob of sand and mud at him. David blocked the projectile with his shield and charged in knocking its pincers to one side. He surgically cut its legs out from under it, then its claws then finished it off up through the mouth into he guessed the brain.

Alice attracted her next target with a fire bite spell to get its attention. The angry crab walked straight into the same combination of spells, gassed frozen and shocked it collapsed dead. Vivian put her remaining two adamantine arrows into the last crab using power shots they sank in deeply down to the fletching. The crab collapsed barely taking one scuttling step towards her. It would be a pain to get her arrows back as effective as the power attack was. Digging the arrows out of the target was sometimes problematic afterwards.

They were in for a rather nasty surprise what appeared to be some rocks off the coast shifted. And started to move towards them. She noticed it first, “Get back from the shoreline something is coming”. Vivian turned and retreated up the beach followed by the rest of the group. The rocks moved very fast the hull of a sunk ship emerged from the water, it was the wrong way up. There were many barnacles and chunks of weed obscuring the shape. But what was coming out of the water certainly resembled a substantially greater version of the giant crabs that they had just been killing.

The big crab was a lot faster than the little ones, that should not have been possible. It had much stronger limbs it should by all rights have collapsed from its own weight, but it didn't. It was in fact moving very fast up the beach. Rather than one eye stalk it had four, each one of them fixed on the adventures that had just slain her kin. The entire crab was 60 foot across with the wreck of a thirty-foot upturned ship marooned on its back. Martin grumbled, “definitely some blood alchemists attempt at getting better sea food”.

Martin looked at the enraged crustacean it must have had 100000 health according to his monocle. It would be really difficult to penetrate its armour. It had one large claw on the left side and two smaller claws on the right. His chain smite would have been useful about now, but he still had some powerful blessings. They had better be paid a good amount of gold for this monstrosity.

One of the coach drivers casually walked past the group a huge silver whistle in his hand, he grinned at their dumbfounded looks. “The boss was sure you could get big momma out of hiding by killing the last of her brood”. He blew the whistle with everything he had, the sound was magically amplified the note was very low and very powerful. They each felt their ears vibrate like they were standing next to a loud horn. The coach driver stood there waiting for something to happen the party looked on confused.

The crab paused where it was, it didn't like the noise. There was a wave in the water a dark shadow behind the crab. The great leviathan green belly slowly emerged out of the water. Its face was angular wedge shaped it eyed up the enormous crab and its jaws practically salivated. The leviathan surged up the beach its head clamped onto the crab from behind and delivered a crushing amount of force.

The impact of the leviathan on the beach felt like a small earthquake. Everybody had to take a moment to get their balance. The crab manically flailed its claws and legs trying to get free. The leviathan bit down with more force there was an almighty crack and the crab’s body broke, it stopped its struggles. Slowly the leviathan backed itself down the beach into the sea. It slowly lazily turned around in the water and disappeared off to enjoy its substantial meal.

Out of danger the level up hit, three sets of eyes glowed, they each gained a level from the crabs. Alice hit level 68 improving her bonus vitality spell to the greater version. David reached level 64 putting his counter shield defence up to level 4. Vivian reached level 66 her strike through target skill rising to level 5. Martin still had to break through past level 75 to advance further. Vivian looked around with some relief. The remains of the crabs were still on the beach and not squashed by the leviathan she could reclaim her adamantine arrows.

The labourers arrived with the carts, they used hammers and picks to remove the rest of the crab’s limbs. With rope tackle a few A frames and a bit of help form Vivian and David the crabs were loaded onto the carts. The crab’s limbs were tied on the entire lot lashed down and they headed back to North port.

Vivian sighted the merchant had hired them probably got himself a real good deal. He had cleared the fishing grounds had four cartloads of shellfish to sell and there was probably a bounty on that giant crab. Big momma that he was going to collect and all they had agreed to was a measly 30 silver for acting as bait to a big crab.

They came back to town with the giant crabs. The merchant was waiting for them back at the tavern. He already had a rather expensive bottle of wine laid out for them. David and Vivian looked like they wanted to punch him. Alice gave him an icy stare and Martin looked like he had drunk a pint of vinegar.

The merchant turned to them, “my friends sit have a drink with me I have your reward ready to collect 30 silver”. David pointed a finger accusingly at him Vivian gave him a warning look not to start anything yet. “You didn't tell us we were bloody bait, did you see the size of that crab, big momma”? David added, “is there a reward for the giant crab”?

He offered the wine towards them, “Calm down my friends have a drink. There is a reward for big momma she has been a pain to the outer community's fishermen for decades. Right under the nose of green belly, its three gold 75 silver and its mine. I have already invested the money, but if you give me a few weeks I can wait for my deal to reach fruition and I can appropriately compensate you for the little surprise”. The party grumbled and sat down the merchant ordered more food as they listened to his proposal.

“I am just finishing the acquisition of the remains of a minor noble estate, part of this estate is a collection of old adventuring equipment, including a greater belt of five favours 50 points of elemental resistance but also resistance to sonic and corrosive damage. Let me get it from the estate, let me get an enchanter to verify it and recharge it. Such an exquisite magical item would be fair compensation for risking life and limb against such a beast? The group nodded

Martin looked at the rest of them. “Let’s get the contract on the lich underway, we can start scouting out her forces. Even get rid of a few it would make the church and the merchants guild happy, pay back our debt to the bishop. It will get us paid and a bit of favour with the merchants guild”. Vivian reached for her arrows, “we have faced lich's before I have plenty of octium arrows to crack their shields. We might face some stronger undead but nothing we can’t handle”. Alice was as confident, “between your holy blessings … and my magic we can take them down”. David grinned “most of the undead don't have brains, it’s going to be easy, but we need to bring plenty of oil”.

They returned to the duchess residence. The dam giant crab big momma had scared the hell out of Vivian. She had thought about having to fight it, having to fish all her arrows out of its carcass afterwards. They had decided to fight the lich, it was supposedly a supreme skill user but then there were four of them quite high level. They had fought necromancers and a weaker lich before. They were stronger now. She needed to calm herself no point in worrying Vivian reached into the bag of blue moon dust.

She paused briefly remembering the effects of the drug that had been drilled into her. That was for other people she was over level 60; her body was a lot harder a little couldn't hurt. She put a pinch on her tong and let it dissolve away. She felt a little numbing sensation as her body relaxed. She put the bag of blue moon dust away. Idly she searched in the coin bags grabbed a hand full of coin and found David.

Wordlessly she gave David some coin to waste on gambling. Only 40 bronze pennies’ but he would enjoy it. She turned in to bed feeling relaxed. Martin grinned in anticipation of facing off against the undead again and went to sleep. Alice exhausted her magic practising and went to bed. She would show the lich that a mages magic was superior to necromancy, in the most practical way possible, one fire ball at a time.