The Cardinal Unit was positioned to the right of the mine entrance. All scouts from the Mountains Shadow Guild returned and a map of the tunnels was being created. Some of the guild members were piling Sanguine Vessel bodies behind the command tent. Mr. Clean and some higher ranked King’s Knights were conferring on the proper storming tactics when one of the scouts pointed out a pit trap he could not get passed. It was this corridor that wasn’t completely scouted.

“It seems to me they have to be holed up beyond that trap. How far did you say the mouth of the pit extended?” Mr. Clean asked.

“It was greater than fifty yards. They don’t want anyone going that way.” Replied the scout.

“No one is jumping that.” Added one of the knights.

“What spells did you get from the Champions Advantage?” Mr. Clean asked.

“Nothing that covers that distance. We should ask the Cardinal Unit what they have. Inside the mine they have home field advantage. If they want to, they can just collapse a tunnel on top of us and that would be the end of it. We either need to draw them out here or find another way.” Said another Knight chiming in.

“Why don’t we just collapse the mine and burry them inside?” Asked one of the scouts.

“Because then we have a mine we can’t use that has a nightmare inside of it waiting to be let loose. We know where they are now and now is when we end this.” Answered Mr. Clean.

Meanwhile Typhus was getting nervous. It was too obvious all of them were out here, and they were making enough noise to wake the dead. They would need bait to get whatever’s left of the vampires to come out. He decided to ask Armand what he knew about Cullep.

“Any way we can get that ass hat to come out here? Do you know of anything we could say to get a rise out of him?” Typhus asked.

“You’ve been spending too much time with Deacon. Angering people probably isn’t in our best interest. But you have given me a good idea. Let me go speak with Mr. Clean. I’ll be right back.” Armand replied.

A few minutes later Mr. Clean, the knights in charge, and Armand walked back over to the entrance to the mine. Typhus just stood there wondering if they had just blown the advantage of Armand still being alive. Then they all began speaking loudly.

“Congratulations Armand, now that the mine is cleared and Cullep’s status as a lord has been revoked, you now own the mines. Your father Lord Desentes must be very proud of you, very proud.” Said Mr. Clean shaking Armand’s hand.

“I was just as shocked as you were, apparently his majesty is also giving me twenty percent of the profits as well. I think Cullep was only getting ten. I’m just glad that hideous family no longer darkens the landscape of Iron Mountain Plateau.” Armand replied grinning from ear to ear. That’s when they heard a wailing coming from the entrance. Kenneth Cullep came sprinting out straight at Armand fangs bared. Typhus whipped his legs out from under him and he hit the ground with a thud. Unfortunately it appeared Kenneth had grown into his monstrous powers. His body turned to black smoke, and he appeared standing on his feet. Armand immediately drew his ember blade while bringing his shield up in front of him. It wasn’t the vampire they wanted but it appears Kenneth was scouting for his father.

“Surrender Kenneth, you can not win this.” Armand yelled.

“You filthy worm, you don’t deserve what was supposed to be mine. Twenty percent is outrageous! I will bleed you slowly.” Kenneth replied practically frothing at the mouth just before Elle called up a trellis of vines covered in thorns behind him. Armand shot forward using his newly learned bash and slash technique. He hit Kenneth right in the chest and sliced a line down left leg getting a hiss from his target. Before Armand could push him into thorns Kenneth managed to switch their positions using sheer force slamming Armand into the thorns. His armor protected him from most of the damage. Typhus popped out of Kenneth’s shadow stabbing up with the cursed dagger from Gossamer. It sunk deep into Kenneth and started glowing. Kenneth’s shriek could be heard bouncing off the walls of the mine as the arcane energy left in the sacrificial dagger ravaged his body. He slumped down to his knees where Armand beheaded him.

“Why do you still have that?” Armand asked.

“Never found a good way to get rid of it.” Typhus answered wrapping it back up in leather. The leather started to heat up as the daggers white glow did not cease.

“Get rid of it!” Elle shouted.

Before Typhus could throw it away Lord Cullep was in their midst. He was holding Typhus’s hand tight around the dagger with his left hand and backhanding Armand with his right sending him careening to the ground. He must have healed from the injury he received in the dining hall. The entrance devolved into chaos as vampires flooded out following Lord Cullep’s arrival. Mr. Clean and the troops all engaged at once. He drove his cane sword at Cullep who blocked using Typhus as a meat shield. The sword sunk deep into Typhus’s left side prompting Mr. Clean to release it to prevent further harm. Lord Cullep lifted Typhus into the air and let the blood on the sword drip into his mouth. The fights around him and Mr. Clean started to spread out as they were all inflicted with intimidation. Mr. Clean held strong, and Armand got to his feet mumbling some words under his breath. Elle was firing arrows like they were belt fed killing at lest three vampires per volley. There was an easily discernible gap in power between Lord Cullep and the others.

“Kill him or put him down Lord Cullep, either way you will not escape me this day.” Mr. Clean proclaimed as his eyes started glow golden yellow. His fur covered wings breached his pristine tunic and a gentle thrum was coming from the rest of his body.

“Do you really think I’d kill such delicious preserves? Dwarves taste of strawberry jam. Fermented jam.” Lord Cullep said his eyes going completely black. Armand was then swarmed by vampires as he completed his incantation. His skin was coated in a dark metallic sheen, every bite from the vampires glanced off of him and he was able to grip his sword again. Knights were fighting a fierce melee all around. Several of the vampires around Armand burst into flame as arrows sprouted from their chests. Armand then began attacking in earnest hoping the spell would last long enough to save everyone from this hoard.

Mr. Clean flew at tremendous speed at Lord Cullep who interposed Typhus between them. Typhus was not idle this whole time, he was murmuring an incantation himself. As Mr. Clean reached him, Typhus pointed his left hand back and a jet of oil coated Lord Cullep from head to toe. That distraction was enough for Mr. Clean to separate the two with a flying kick punting Cullep back a few yards and securing Typhus. Elle was there in a flash casting a healing spell.

“What do you think this will do Dwarf, cause me to change clothes.” Lord Cullep asked. Just as Armand showed up behind him plunging his sword into the growing puddle of oil at his feet. The oil went up in a brilliant blaze as Lord Cullep was immolated.

“Don’t call him a Dwarf.” Armand gasped out as his spell ended. Just then he heard a slurping sound and it turned from a dim early morning to bright noon. At this point all the other vampires that were fighting burst into flames and left ash piles on the ground in front of large hedges that formed a tight walkway.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deacon looked around wondering what to do next. He was alone and his party was now disbanded. He walked over to the chair and put it upright taking a seat. He looked up into the sky and could see Iron Mountain Plateau in the distance. He had no idea how he got so far away or was it because he was in the maze. Did it start you in a random location? Deacon looked back over to the spot he arrived in and saw something shiny on the ground. It was the Adventurer’s Die. He quickly walked over to retrieve it when he started to hear an eerie cricket sound. He looked around. Spotted several skeleton warriors gesturing towards him excitedly. It was probably time to get moving so he grabbed the chair and put it back in his satchel. Just before the skeletons made it halfway to him the roach carriage smashed through the hedge walls like a Mac Truck hitting a fruit stand at full speed. The enemy was in here as well and he was much too close to that bug. He decided to climb the hedge instead of just running down the path. Unfortunately he couldn’t get a solid grip or plants would move out of his grasp before he could put weight on them. Deacon thought about how to get out of this and created medium sized Ice Sickles floating in front of him to cut his way through. That seemed to work, and it was a good thing it did because the roach carriage ran through the path he just vacated.

“Screw this maze shit, I’m cutting my way back to the city.” Deacon said putting some pep in his step. Once the crashing sound of that bug became distant, he slowed his pace looking around. He cut his way into a clearing that had four statues in it. The first one was of a woman in armor with two handed sword. The second was man with a large staff in robes. Statue number three was a hunched over old crone with a lantern. Finally there was a statue of Deacon. It looked just like him down to the hoody he was wearing and his steel toed boots. Deacon took a big step back from the statue and as he did it hoped off its pedestal. It even moved like Deacon.

“Will you help?” The statue asked.

“Help what?” Deacon replied.

“These three champions tried to help. They died. Will you help?” asked the statue again.

“With what? I need more than “Will you help”.” He said emphasizing the question.

“Save the master.” Said the statue.

New Quest- Legend, Please- Philo’s Wandering Maze has asked you to do what three other Champions before you could not. Kill Philo. Rewards- The key and map to Philo’s workshop, Iron Mountain Plateau will be returned to the real world, and 1,500 Guild Renown.

“Cheshire Damn it!” Deacon said shaking his fist in the air.