I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 48 - One Success, One Failure

There had been a few different ways to fulfill Harrowheart's quest. Most involved meeting her in the forest, though there was nothing that stopped a player from going ahead and finding the cheating merchant without her, the chances of her coming with the party after were nil if that happened. But this scenario, Harrowheart getting captured by goblins before the party met up with her, Evangeline had only heard about. It was a rare interaction that could result in Harrowheart getting killed, which meant the quest couldn't be truly fulfilled.

She conveyed all this as the party tromped quickly through the forest, as quietly as they could. For the most part, they had all made their skill checks and were doing really well not making to much sound while still moving at a pace through the undergrowth. Even Artmond.

Hagor took point, using his survival skills to track their way, with Valerian running parallel, keeping eyes ahead. Artmond was next with Sigismund and Evangeline in the rear with their more ranged abilities at the ready. Evangeline had a feeling this was going to be their more common formation moving forward.

Soon enough, Valerian gestured a fist at his shoulder, and the whole group stopped, dropping down into crouches.

Rogue Skill: Sneak. Success.

They proceeded that way, sneaking through the brush.

"Let me go now!" a muffled but clearly understood voice cried.

"Just shut up, cousin. You're lucky we recognize our family," a goblin sneered at her, pitching their voice down as if aware that someone could hear them. They were right. "If we're up to me, I would have just gut you and move on. Is it almost ready?"

Evangeline scurried up to a bush, its leaves splaying outward from its center providing excellent cover while she observed the scene.

A small fire burned in the tiny, dry-brush clearing. There were two goblins, one crouching beside the fire, the other talking to a trussed up Harrowheart. Her hands were bound in front of her, which should have been a mistake except the goblins had wound rope all the way up her arms with further rope cocooning her legs. They had then done the same with her main body, binding her to the tree round and round. A probably not clean rag, had been tied like a bridle, the cloth cutting through her open mouth, leaving her lips free around it. It looked painful.

Harrowheart growled at her closest closest captures, then her eyes darted to the fire, her expression shifted as despair and disappointment mixed with the anger.

"Ah, poor orc princess," Valerian whispered, sidling up beside Evangeline. "She's going to be so mad when we rescue her."

Evangeline couldn't help smirking. He was right. It was clear as Harrowheart's eyes flared as they met Evangeline's.

Rogue Skill: Perception. Failed.

Evangeline frowned, wondering what it was she failed to notice.

"Huh, that's strange," the other rogue, who had clearly made his roll, whispered.

"What?" she asked back, squeezing up closer to him, to follow the direction of his gaze.

Valerian held still, pointing without giving them away. "The fire," he breathed in her ear.

A shiver ran down her spine as his breath tickled the hairs along her ear, but she ignored it. This wasn't the time to savor his naturally spicy scent. Sure enough she saw what he did. The fire was burning a rainbow of colors.

She thought to burn a Meta point to see if she remembered why it was doing that, but there was no tingle of knowledge. She realized this was something she didn't already know about.

"It's ready," the goblin crouched by the fire said, as they lifted up a familiar collar. It glowed red on the edges where the circle would connect once it was placed around Harrowheart's neck.

Evangeline turned back to the rest of the party, who had gathered up behind the two rogues. "Valerian, you go ahead into sneak attack position, I'll cover you. The rest of you hold ready actions."

They all nodded. It was a simple plan. She hoped it would be effective.

Harrowheart didn't know the plan, but she seemed to understand it as Valerian snuck out of the brush. The two goblins moved closer to Harrowheart, their back perfectly exposed to the rogue.

"Now be a good girl and hold still. We want to put this friendship collar on you," they said. Harrowheart thrashed then, throwing herself back and forth as hard as she could against her ropes. They were always going to hold, she was too trussed up to do otherwise, but her actions made it very difficult for the goblins to simply snap the collar around her neck.

"Hold still I said!" the first goblin sneered and attempted to seize her in a headlock. Unfortunately, it turned him around enough to spot Valerian. The creatures long, jagged ears perked straight up almost like a green rabbit's ears would. That's when Valerian backstabbed the second goblin.

The creature screeched, dropping the tongs holding the collar as he arched back. Harrowheart had the presence of mind to kick her bound legs up enough to bounce the collar away and not burn her with its red hot fieriness.

At the same moment, Evangeline loosed her arrow. It went true, aided by her synergy with Valerian, and buried itself into the first goblin straight in the middle. His whole body flinched as he curled around it, letting go of Harrowheart as he stumbled back. She had hoped to get him in one shot, but she must have just been short on her damage.

"Now!" Evangeline shouted, and the rest of the party stood up.

Artmond darted forward.

"You bastards," the first goblin managed to say before Artmond's sword finished them off.

Valerian's goblin had succumbed to the sneak attack and had already keeled over.

Combat finished.

"Harrowheart, are you alright?" Evangeline asked as she stood as well, moving into the goblin's little camp.

"The fire! The fire!" Harrowheart cried through her gag.

"The fire?" Evangeline echoed, looking down at her feet, but already the rainbow hued flames were dying out.

To be continued...

To read the latest chapter as it comes out join my newsletter at meganmackieauthor.com 

Author Note: Sorry this chapter came out late, I thought I had scheduled it but the holidays also ate me alive!