Kintsugi

The Villain

The ladies prepared for whatever might come during their exploration of the island. Aisling had some weapons that didn't disappear into her skin, and she belted them to her person. Sable had a sidearm that she holstered beneath one arm, and she checked through the backpack that held her first aid supplies one last time before swinging it over her shoulders. Rebecca belted a girdle around her waist, leather pouches holding various spell components and straps for hitching her skirts out of the way allowing easy movement. Aisling took the time to braid Rebecca's hair, plaiting a length of clear barbed wire through to discourage anyone from grabbing her and holding on there.

Anson wished one last time he had a decent sword, but there wasn't much he could do about it now. His claws and fangs would have to do. Eveirdo just seemed eager and excited to be so close to his goal.

They made landfall just before sunset. The wards around the island that kept it hidden from sight and repulsed unwary travelers gave way to Eveirdo's insistence, and he moored the ship on the little stretch of beach on the leeward side of the island. He and Anson beached the ship and they left it there as they hiked up the mountain. The hillside had been tiered, farmlands stretching to either side. The little village that surrounded the manor built into the side of the mountain was abandoned and showing the wear of time.

When they reached the wall that surrounded the manor, Anson paused before the gates. The wall towered above them, stones fit perfectly together to make a smooth surface. Ramparts lined the top and watchtowers stood as silent sentinels at the corners, steep roofs topping each. Eveirdo gave Rebecca a moment to check the gates before anyone touched them and she identified nothing more malicious than a simple alarm ward.

"A fancy magical doorbell," she said.

Eveirdo shrugged and placed his hands against the stone gates, shoulders straining as he pushed them open. "Knock knock."

A wide courtyard, paved in flagstones, led to the front doors of the manor. Anson's eyes trailed over the structure, thinking it looked more like a temple than a house or manor. Doors led into the base of the ziggurat carved from the mountainside. A balcony surveyed the courtyard and the village below, the vantage good enough Anson guessed anyone standing there could probably see all the way down to the shore. The mountain was an imposing backdrop in and of itself, and there was no telling how deeply the manor delved into the rock.

These doors had no wards at all. Eveirdo led the way inside, ignoring the expansive rooms stretching on either side of the entry hall in favor of striding straight for the wide steps that reached down into the roots of the mountain. Anson halted.

"Eveirdo."

He stopped, half turning back, feet shifting and obviously eager to continue on.

"This is too easy."

Eveirdo frowned, casting one last look down into the dark depths of the mountain before turning his back on the descending stairs. He shoved his hands in his pockets and cocked his head. "What do you want to do then?"

Anson breathed a little easier, grateful for the trust. "I don't like leaving unexplored rooms at our backs, especially since we just rang the bell and let ourselves in. Our chances of meeting something nasty are greater down those stairs, so better to make sure we know our retreat is safe before charging headlong into whatever guards below."

Eveirdo dipped his head, agreeing. "Take Aisling and Rebecca with you that way? Sable and I will go the other?" His eyes flicked to the receiving rooms on either side of the entrance hall.

Anson considered. He wasn't a big fan of splitting the group either, but so far, the space seemed manageable. Connected enough they would be able to hear each other if they ran into trouble. So far. "Take Aisling with you. Rebecca is a cannon when she starts throwing spells, like you are. Sable and I are better at stealth and Aisling straddles the line. But she won't abandon Sable if you forget yourself and charge." The women gave him smiles of varying degrees of amusement. Eveirdo smirked.