“The cult is here? What did they do to this city?” Armand asked.

“Speak softly. I think we are being watched.” Amanda whispered as she looked around at all the buildings. Deacon put his back to Tantus, and they both turned in a slow circle.

“Ok, here is the plan. We regroup with both Elle and Typhus, and we make our way to the Town Hall.” Armand said as Elle flew over a nearby roof top, landing on the edge of one of the buildings.

“It’s like this all over the city. I noticed a throng of people trying to get into the Town hall. It’s several blocks in this direction.” Elle pointed a feathered wing the direction of the building.

“They can’t all be cultists, right? That would mean they have abducted or converted hundreds of people.” Deacon asked looking at Amanda.

“No time to guess. If they are infected with Ruby’s curse, they won’t have full control of their bodies. Without the church of Astrael being here, I don’t think we can save them. We’ll have to put them down.” Amanda said flatly.

“We can’t just murder mind-controlled citizens of the Kingdom.” Armand spat back.

“Don’t think of it as murder, think of it as mercy.” Amanda said pulling ahead of the group to scout.

“This is a monster of our own making.” Armand muttered to himself.

“You can’t think that. You didn’t force her to leave her people. You didn’t force her to abduct whole families and magically brain wash them. Put the blame where it lies, on Elder Ruby.” Deacon said only half believing it himself. They continued up the street before noticing a collection of rams and sheep that got out of their pens. Paying them no mind, they continued on. Suddenly they heard a bleating coming from behind them. When Tantus looked back he eyed a ram that had broken away from flock. It was pawing at the ground in front of it with its hoof. It lowered its head before Tantus tapped Deacon on the shoulder to get him to look. That’s when it ran full speed at Tantus. He took it in the stomach like a champ and collapsed into Deacons arms struggling for air. Deacon’s head snapped up to see all the farm animals looking at them now. They each had a red glint coming from a collar around their necks.

“We need to run!” Deacon shouted hefting Tantus over his shoulder with little to no effort.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Armand asked looking over his shoulder as Deacon sped past him.

“The animals are effected as well. This whole city is a trap. Everyone that must have come to investigate what happened to the bridge must have been murdered too. That’s why no one knew the bridge was down.” Deacon said as he moved. Armand jogged alongside him looking confused. Before they passed a grown over fence that started growing into the street creating a hedge barrier that the animals couldn’t get through.

“The only answers we are going to find have to be at the Town Hall. Thanks Elle.” Armand called up to the roof tops.

“Wait.” Came the voice of Typhus’s shadow.

“Why?” Deacon asked putting Tantus on the ground. He must have passed out from all the jostling.

“The survivors in the Town Hall have boarded the windows and doors. I’m watching from an alley way right now. There have to be at least fifty people in various states of dress pounding on the windows and doors, trying to get in. There is something wrong with them.” He said.

“Yes, this town has been taken by Ruby Cultists. Whoever is in the Town Hall will have answers about this.” Armand said.

“That makes sense. From the high born to what’s clearly a farmer, they all have some kind of jewelry on. I don’t see an easy way to get inside the town hall through all those people. The rooftops a no go considering its in the middle of a square. The closest roof is seventy feet away. I’ll keep watching from here but that’s all I can relay until something changes.” Typhus reported.

“I can get to the roof. Maybe I can make my way in from there.” Elle commented from high above.

“I can get us all onto the roof, but if there is no entrance we might be stuck there.” Said a groggy looking Tantus.

“How about I just walk right in through the wall?” Deacon asked.

“What?” Replied Armand.

“If it’s just regular people, yes mind controlled, but regular people. I should just be able to walk right through them.” Deacon explained.

“That might work. Then you could tell us what the situation is, and if they need help escaping.” Armand nodded along with his words. The party rounded a corner toward the square where a Knight of the realm was being stripped of his armor. He was obviously dead. Armand slowed their approach as two of the townsfolk were focused on their task. Amanda dropped down on one of them from above as Deacon pulled his punch hitting the second one in the breadbasket. They both went down silently. Deacon looked at Amanda and then back at Armand who was shaking his head. Amanda lifted her dagger for a coup de grace, but Armand waived her away from the body. He took the time to secure the unconscious persons arms and feet with some rope. Then did the same to the other one after Deacon failed to remove the earring, he found with the ruby in it.

“It doesn’t look like we can remove the jewelry without the church. That is going make this difficult Armand.” Deacon said scowling knowing full well he won’t want to kill them if he doesn’t have too.

“There is always another way Deacon. These people are innocents.” Armand shot back standing to his full height with a defiant glint in his eye.

“Fine I have an idea. Typhus you still with us?” Deacon asked aloud before shadow Typhus emerged from Deacon’s shadow.

“Yes.” It said.

“Remember our hallway conversation.” Deacon said raising an eyebrow.

“Absolutely not, you are not feeding these people to your pet dungeon.” Shadow Typhus spat.

“What pet dungeon?” Armand said staring at Deacon.

“If I may now that the idea of Alfred is out in the open. I might be able construct something that disrupts the unholy energies coursing through the gems. I would need time to decipher it. I imagine it won’t be hard considering the vast quantity of them. The working can’t be that complicated if they could mass produce them. I’m sure in consultation with Alfred, I would be able to disrupt it. At least temporarily.” Tantus added. Deacon immediately added everyone who was here to his party including the bound person at his feet. When Armand cocked his head to the side out of curiosity, Deacon tore the earing out along with half the earlobe. The woman screamed but Amanda clamped a hand over her mouth. Deacon then tossed the cursed item to Tantus who caught in a sphere of air. Shortly thereafter the woman’s ear lobe grew back.

“Let’s clear this building and set up Alfred. That’ll give you all some place to rest while I go into the Town Hall building.” Deacon said walking into the now abandoned two story home. It didn’t take long to clear the building before Deacon placed Alfred’s cube in the center of the main room. It poured out covering every surface before changing the environment to Deacon’s mansion. Elle and Armand were looking around in wonder at what they have just witnessed.

“What is this, Deacon?” Armand asked.

“It’s one of the things I got for defeating Philo in the maze. Hang on a second. Alfred, may I introduce you to the only other two people in the world I trust as much as Typhus. Armand Desentes and Elle of the Kakiat Forrest.” Deacon introduced them with a flourish.

“Well met. I’m Alfred, the spirit of this dungeon cube. Although I won’t be a cube much longer.” Alfred said.

“Why is that?” Deacon asked.

“The Shard of Divinity is potent. I believe an evolution is eminent.” Alfred said.

“Ok we’ll have to get back to that soon. Do you know our current situation?” Deacon asked.

“Well your memories are quite clear on this. You don’t want to trap the cursed in my maze? I see, I’ll work with Tantus on a method to destabilize the curse itself.” Alfred explained.

“You are treading in dangerous waters here Deacon. Anything Philo made should have been suspect. What are you doing?” Armand said while grabbing Deacon’s arm and leading him back toward the door.

“I just need you to trust me. If Tantus and Alfred can figure out a way to give these people their minds back, then we don’t have to kill them. Remember you are the one that doesn’t want that to happen.” Deacon half shouted half whispered at him wrenching his arm from his grasp.

“So we are supposed to sit in here while the mage tinkers away at that earring?” Armand asked.

“No. The boy is right. This is a rare opportunity. I will work with Tantus on his solution. This will come in handy in the future if this is the kind of havoc that woman can create. Get ahold of yourself. We can address the dungeon cube issue another time.” Elle said leaning into Armand and Deacon’s aside.

“I’m going to check the Town Hall. Maybe you’ll have a chance to calm down before I get back.” Deacon said exiting the now stationary dungeon and heading toward the Town Hall.