Fates of Grenora: Return of the Night

For four days, Aldrin scoured the city during the day and night, doing his best to map out potential places to attack, of which the number one priority was the Research District. If he could get the Undead to focus on that area of the city, he hoped he could spare as many lives as possible versus the wanton slaughterfest of the entire city. With the help of Pierre, when he could lend a hand, he found three probable places that would hamper whatever experiments the Research District was conducting.

One was a laboratory that specializes in progressing Health Potions using regenerative properties of a Troll and Vampire. They deemed it too unstable for public testing for now, but once the Research District, specifically Tanyth, had a breakthrough, it would rocket the Potion to the top of the testing lists. However, it made Aldrin wince at the thought because ‌that Potion could be the difference between life or death during battles.

The second location turned out to be a store that acted as an entry point for the Slavers to sneak in and out of the city without anyone knowing. This didn't stop Aldrin from trying to discern how many Slavers trickled in from the dead of night and deposited their "goods" in the store for the Apprentice Alchemists to pick them up. The apprentices seemed subdued, like their elders had threatened or beaten them into submission. Aldrin wouldn't put it past them, remembering how Tanyth was towards his own apprentice.

Lastly, the third was all the Research District, and from what Pierre said when he finally gained entry there, was that everyone seemed to be autonomous, like they were being mind controlled somehow. That little tidbit is what kept Aldrin from passing any of this information to Hyde the Ghost. He knew from whatever connection he shared with the Undead, the Zombies in particular, that lay dormant beneath the earth, beyond the walls of Lor-Vold, l. He wasn't sure how many there were, but he felt the pulse overpower the one that led to the library of the Research District.

"I'm having second thoughts about this," Pierre said one night, dropping into their signature corner booth after a day full of mixing and brewing Potions.

"This city will be wiped," Aldrin said. "It's not as protected as it should be if it's considered the World's Potion dispensary hub. It doesn't make any sense." Aldrin drank another swig of Dwarven Killer.

"Well, the Queen that is supposed to lead people is corrupt, so there's that and it's probably just a misdirection?" Pierre shrugged.

"How so?"

"Would the Queen really keep this place undefended?"

"From my scout missions at night, yes."

"We are missing something, something that would make this place deliberately unguarded."

"You still haven't been able to find anything?"

Pierre frowned before answering. "No, which also makes it weird. I haven't seen any Master or Grandmaster Alchemist either. It's been a week, and all I have seen are Apprentice Alchemist wandering around the grounds."

"And the library is fake."

That drew Aldrin's attention, "Fake?"

"The books that lined the shelves are all blank."

"What about the labs and factories around here?"

"Those are manned, but like I said, it's all apprentices running the show, making enough potions to keep the facade going, or at least the ones I've been in."

"Where are the other Alchemist then?" Aldrin pondered. "And what are the Queen and her court up to?" he whispered to himself.

Seated away from prying eyes and ears as the patrons of the sleepy inn were still hungover from the two nights of partying. Aldrin was jealous that they weren't burdened with the knowledge of impending doom. A doom that would come swiftly at night. The door to the inn swung open, breaking his train of thought, and making all heads whip to see who it was.

"Jared! Welcome back, my friend!" Thakheam bellowed, pouring one for the weary traveler, beckoning him over to the bar.

Aldrin and Pierre sidled up next to him, watching him chug down the full tankard.

"Found your sister."

Gulp.

"Real hardass, like you said."

Gulp.

"She's on her way, though."

Gulp.

"Told her you might be captured by the creepy Alchemist," Jared burped and wiped his mouth, giving Aldrin his best award winning smile.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Aldrin screamed.

"Okay. I know it sounds bad, but she was dead set on solving the murders of a traveling Adventurer group, the bandit camp destruction, and Saloth's appearance, who also chased me to the forest's edge," he listed.

"Oh! And looking for you to add on top of all that!"

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"Look, I'm tired and I'm at my wit's end, so if you both would excuse me," he pushed off the bar and staggered up the stairs.

Aldrin and Pierre watched him go, then at each other before Pierre went after his friend. Now left at the bar by himself, Aldrin ran his fingers back and forth through his curly dark brown hair, his stress exponentially growing by the second. Leaving the inn, he stepped outside, feeling the vitalizing night air embrace him like a lover would.

The silver-haired and glossy pale-skinned Moon Elves that enjoyed their nightly moon bathing occupied a few of the tables outside. A few recognizing Aldrin dipped their heads in greeting before resuming their hushed conversations amongst themselves. Starting his nightly walk to the Production District, he paid no mind to the few that still roamed the streets still.

He took his usual route through the city, eyeing each building with suspicion until finally hiding in the shadows cast by one of them. He stared at a storefront across the street from him called Hexes and Jinxes. It was rustic, sitting against the towering walls of the city, an oddity among the brick and concrete factories that sat on both sides of it. However, as Aldrin came to find out, the Apprentice Alchemist came here for their cauldron enchantments; but at night this was the Slavers way in.

He had been watching this building after tailing two hooded, robed figures two nights ago during his night of flying. They discreetly left the Research District right when the streets were empty, except for a few who were pulling a late night. Curious and ever watchful, he followed them here, to Hexes and Jinxes after its hours of operation. One of them had a key, which they let themselves in and stayed in there for what Aldrin considered being an hour and a half.

When they finally emerged, they came with seven prisoners with the same black silk sacks covering their heads. They stumbled after their captors as one of the robed figures led from the front, while the other kept up the back, leading the prisoners like cattle back to the Research District gates. Later that same night, the pulse and tug that came from the District slightly grew. After that, he had been coming back here, waiting for the next drop off, determined to get answers.

His plan tonight was to wait for the shopkeeper, who was ‌a short, neatly cropped, blonde-haired, scrawny Human, to close up shop and leave. It went according to plan, seeing the shopkeeper walk outside to lock the door. Using Shapechange, he let his fog form crawl towards the Human. He could not reform in time, allowing ‌the shopkeeper to see him materialize from the fog, making his eyes go wide with fear.

"Don't scream. I only want answers and then you'll forget me," Aldrin said, for the first time using Charming Gaze.

Aldrin selected yes.

"Ah, shit," Aldrin's shoulders tensed.

Sucking in air, the shopkeeper screamed, forcing Aldrin to dash in, pinning the shopkeeper against the door and covering his mouth..

"Quiet!" he hissed, showing his fangs. The intended action had the opposite effect as the shopkeeper fainted. Now limp in his arms, Aldrin heard the pounding metal feet of the High Guards headed this way. Gently setting the shopkeeper against the door, Aldrin picked up the keys that dropped, unlocked the door, and dragged the unconscious shopkeeper in with him.

Inside the now dark building, it was more of a lounge than what he was expecting. Plush dark green velvet couches sat along the wood panel walls for people to sit and wait, a long chiseled stone countertop sectioned off the area where Aldrin assumed the cauldron enchanting would take place, and draping plum colored tapestry hung behind the couches. It was homey, but also polished to adhere to a certain clientele.

With no time to really admire the interior, Aldrin heaved the shopkeeper onto his shoulder, the Strength granted to him making it an easy effort. Lifting up the part of the counter that allowed entrance to the back of the shop, he ducked down beneath to hide and placed the shopkeeper down. Closing his eyes to listen, the High Guards were almost here.

"Came from this way!" A gravelly booming voice yelled.

Soon, two sets of boots came to a stop in front of the shop. "Do you think it's part of the kidnappings?" Another voice chimed in; it was throaty and out of breath.

"Normally, I wouldn't care, but they took one of our own, so now it's personal. Come on."

They ran off, their metal boots clanking as they went. Aldrin breathed a sigh of relief, but that was soon disrupted as the shopkeeper stirred. Looking around for something that would keep the man from screaming, he rushed to the back of the shop, which was cluttered with diagrams and broken cauldrons.

The front door to the shop opened, followed by shuffling feet. Aldrin froze, taking a small inhale to catch a scent. Nothing returned except for freshly baked bread that stemmed from the shopkeeper, making him frown. Slowly, he crept towards the front of the shop. Peering out, he saw the two robed figures from two nights ago standing stock still, staring at the shocked Human that awoke mere seconds ago.

Fear danced in the eyes again as he held his hands in front of him, forgetting all about his ordeal from before. "Wait-"

One of them threw a knife that was embedded in the chest of the Human. He had enough time to look at the knife in shock before collapsing, crashing against the wood panel behind him. The one who threw the knife climbed over the stone counter to retrieve it. They were silent except for the swish of their robes accompanying each movement. They didn't talk or think twice about the body when they walked past it.

They felt along the back wall before coming to a stop at a small indention that you wouldn't be able to see if you were looking straight at it. They pushed it, opening up a dim underground passage. Aldrin waited before following them down the passage. It was angled downward, small, and cramped, leaving no room to turn around. He reached the bottom, opening it up to a maze of cavern paths, each illuminated by magical blue flame lanterns hoisted on the wall at perfect intervals.

Rattling chains greeted his ears from the left cavern passage, but also the tug and pull signaled the center. That worried him the most because it meant that the Undead were probably scouting for their own way in to take the city by surprise. The image of many Zombies bursting forth from the shop sent shivers down his spine. If not contained, it would quickly become a survival game to get out of the city; or at least it would be for the living.

He followed the rattling chains, positive that his prey also went down the path. He drew his steel longsword, the vampiric side of him welcoming the carnage that was about to ensue. Careful not to make any noise as he approached, the two robed figures stood over their quarry, eyeing them with contempt and silence. Aldrin looked around for any signs of Slavers before he moved.

"Time to be a hero," Aldrin psyched himself up.