Stygian Forge

Kyrie watched Alicia and Casey head back upstairs together, the bundle of leather armor tucked under Alicia’s arm while Casey still carried the bat. A soldier now stood watch at the top of the stairs, posted in the hallway after the rooms had been cleared. The presence was reassuring, at least somewhat. Safer than before.…

Casey glanced over at Nikolaus, still holding the bat with a black smear running down its length. She gave the weapon a small shake, as if trying to decide whether what had just happened had actually been real. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you have armor in my size, huh?” she asked, only half-joking.…

Just then, Alicia’s door opened at the far end of the hallway. Neither Casey nor Kyrie had realized she had come upstairs to change as well; and now she stood only a few feet from the window. Casey reacted instantly. She shifted direction in two quick steps, raising the bat defensively as she moved toward…

Kyrie pulled her shoes on in record time, her eyes flicking back to the window every few seconds as she did. The moonlight outside hadn’t changed, but now that she’d seen the movement, every shifting shadow felt threatening. She grabbed her hat, shoved it down onto her head, and opened the door. She ducked into…

Casey tapped the bat lightly against the side of her leg, the soft metallic rhythm punctuating the otherwise tense quiet of the room. Standing there in a tank top and shorts, she looked distinctly unimpressed by the situation despite the armed men surrounding them. “Since we’ve decided to be friends, can we go change into…

Phillip gave a small nod to Kyrie and Erica as they came down the last few steps, clearly relieved to see them both. He straightened slightly, turning his attention back to the armored man as he spoke up, his tone measured but confident. “I was just explaining to Captain Nikolaus and our new friends here…

Kyrie knocked softly on the door and waited, holding her breath as she listened for any sign of movement inside. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. She glanced back down the hallway toward the soldier standing watch, his silhouette rigid in the dim light. She reached for the handle and tried it carefully.…

The main room of the tavern had changed. Tables and chairs had been pushed aside, clearing the center of the room. The fire still burned in the hearth, but the cozy atmosphere from earlier had been replaced with something far more tense. Two wounded men lay on blankets or mats near the center of the…

Kyrie got ready for bed, changing into her pajamas and putting a few of her things away in the trunk at the foot of the bed. The routine helped settle her nerves after the strange events of the evening. Outside, the rain had finally stopped, leaving the world quiet in its wake. Moonlight filtered through…

It was Erica’s voice that finally cut through the silence. “If that damaged my hearing in any way, we’re going to need a lawyer,” she muttered, her voice still a little shaky despite her attempt at indignation. The comment, mundane as it was, seemed to break the tension. People shifted, straightened, and began cautiously testing…