[While on a rescue mission gone crazed, a holy warrior and a rogue fight bandits, demons, and the urge to rip each other's clothes off.]
The mission, rescuing a princess, could be going better.
Séa is an earnest paladin, honest and gullible. Tash is...
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Back in the orange-lit sitting room, Zorexis extended a key toward the magically protected door that led to Buzzard Keep. Short of insertion, his hand stopped, and he swiveled his head to eye the party. "Wait. There are only two keys. Brant, the human, had the only copy. He was supposed to give it to King Pharing of Omnius."
"Brant?" Ghomarck, Séa, and Tash said simultaneously.
"Was he tall, dark, and hairy?" Ghomarck said.
"Was he rich?" Tash said.
"Did he wear a scarf woven by the bare-beaver weaver?" Séa said.
"Erm, yes to all?" said the incubus faintly.
Tash grinned toothily. "He sort of ... lost his key. And we found it!"
Doubt chased across Zorexis's features. "You ... just found it." Tash's insincere grin was his only answer.
Séa schooled her features to be as blank as possible. Inside, mirth lit her like a festival fire. See, Tash? I can be deceptive. Especially if it's to foil a demon, or have a joke at his expense.
Reluctantly, Zorexis swiveled to face the lock and inserted the key. The disintegration field faded. He ignored the doorknob and slid a disguised bolt to one side.
Séa and Tash exchanged a glance. Séa narrowed her eyes and mouthed, "liar."
Tash stuck her tongue out.
Séa attempted to repress the smile that sprang to her lips, but her cheeks tightened anyway.
Ghomarck mused, "So the key was on its way to the King. Interesting. I presume that its method of use would have been explained by this Brant fellow. The purpose of this elaborate scheme was to bestir the King, then. Remarkable."
"And ominous," the paladin said, "given that demons wrote the script to it." They wanted the King to get the key, so the King could come get the princess. So they arranged the kidnapping and then they arranged a rescue. It's circular and ridiculous. Forget Vawl, this feels more like Giasleppi the Trickster's work. She'd impersonate Vawl in a heartbeat. But I don't think she'd work with demons. So, poof, my logic explodes into a cloud of smoke.
Zorexis pushed the door open and his voice hushed. "Dooch is a freak, even by demon standards, but he is under my command. Hopefully, he will listen to me and not flee screaming."
The door opened to a rougher, squarer chamber lit by magical orbs, diseased red in color. Crude iron brackets held the orbs, which cast a ghastly radiance over the room's shabby counters, shelves, and appliances. As a kitchen, it seemed dysfunctional. A stained meat cleaver hung on a nail. A large and dented stove dominated one wall, but its chimney led nowhere so that any fire built in it would fill the room with smoke. A few rusty pots and pans hung from a ceiling beam. On a blotch-covered counter, a dull brass urn squatted, and alien, greenish stains crept over its rim. Next to the dubious urn squatted a basin, presumably placed there to wash dishes. The basin brimmed with liquid. However, judging by the appearance and smell, the liquid was swamp water that teemed with algae, water bugs, and flatworms. Mossy spoons and chipped cups trailed from the basin across the filthy counter.
