I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 77 - Easy Encounter

"Solaris!" Sigismund shouted as another three harpy's appeared, hovering over the group. Artmond drew his sword, the small dog still in his one arm barking a fierce challenge at the hideous monsters.

A ball of white light appeared in Sigismund's hand, before she flung it at the group of harpies hovering over them. Two dodged out of the way, but the third took it in the shoulder. Another sickening screech ripped the air as a burst of feathers wafted to the ground.

And that was enough for the harpies. The remaining two dashed away, deciding that their puppy prey was too much trouble now. The third wounded one, also fled albeit slower in a sort of odd half glide, wafting away through the trees.

The last one remained still on the ground, unconscious, but breathing.

"I guess they had enough," Artmond said, cuddling the dog to his face.

"Harpies are not stupid. They could tell they were outnumbered," Valerian said, bringing his sleeve to his nose. "Even if they smell like garbage cesspits."

"Why would you throw garbage into your cesspit?" Artmond asked.

Valerian narrowed his eyebrows at him. "Excuse me?"

"It's just," Artmond readjusted the little dog so he could hold them in one arm, looking even more like a nobleman for doing so. "Cesspits are where human waste from the household can be collected, in a safe environment away from the house's watercourse. But if you throw garbage in there, it can cause all kinds of troubles..."

"And why do you know this particularly... interesting fact?" Valerian asked, arching an eyebrow high.

"Well..." Artmond looked to everyone in the party, whose faces also wanted the answer to the question. "I've spent the last five years learning how to run a household for my future spouse." His words got softer and softer as he spoke, his cheeks pinking. "Piping and waste removal is an important part... of... that."

Rogue Skills: Perception. Critical Success.

"Shush," Evangeline said, gesturing for the rest of the party to be quiet. All eyes turned to look where she did, in the direction the harpies had come from. Valerian came up beside her and closed his eyes, his longer ears twitching as he listened. Hagor by contrast, knelt down on the ground and buried his finger into the earth.

"What is it?" Sigismund whispered, impatiently.

"Horses," Hagor said, "Two I would guess. I can feel them stamping the earth nearby."

"Screaming," Valerian said, opening his eyes. "Inhuman. Like the harpies."

"And I hear a man with a deep voice shouting," Evangeline said.

The little dog gave a whine, drawing all of their attention back to the start of the whole situation.

"I suppose this little fellow had to come from somewhere," Harrowheart noted, hefting up her large forge hammer up onto her shoulder, which made her deltoids and biceps bulge.

"Is that what happened, little guy? You ran away to get your mommy or daddy some help?" Artmond asked the little dog.

As if that reminded him, the little dog yapped a sharp yip and wiggled harder than Artmond expected. Soaring back to the ground, he landed hard, but scrabbled with his little claws, tearing up old leaves and turf to gain purchase before he took off running at full, tiny dog speed.

"No! Wait!" Artmond called after the dog. He took off into the brush. Truthfully, the whole party took off after the dog. Except for Valerian, at least at first. He only stumbled after when his collar yanked into motion.

They didn't have to run far through the trees and the dog's barking kept them going the right direction. Ten feet closer, the sounds of shouts and harpy screeching spurred them on faster. A horse's screaming neigh also cut through the air.

"They must be farmers or merchants or something being attacked," Harrowheart shouted, ducking under a branch.

"And we are helping them why?" Valerian shouted back.

"Doggie wait!" Artmond shouted, crashing directly into a wall of bushes after the little white creature.

The other side of the scratchy bush opened up into a cart-wide dirt road.

Instead of a wagon or cart of some sort, it was a fine carriage blocking the road.

Knowledge: History. Failure.

Evangeline didn't recognize the crest painted on the side door. She cared more for the man in livery, trying to use his whip from the driver's seat to keep the harpies away from the horse. Or rather the remaining horse. The other horse laid on the ground in its traces, blood pooling on the ground beneath it. There was a second liveried man, tucked half under the carriage, his blue tunic darkened with his vital fluids, a hand clamped to his shoulder.

In front of him, a woman stood. Based on her fine, if battle damaged, clothing, she was the noble in question the carriage had been transporting. Instead of cowering inside however, she stood in front of her employee, swinging a sword like it was a baseball bat. Three harpies were laughing, taking turns flying in to bait at her. It was clear they were baiting her.

Pulling her bow free, Evangeline had an arrow nocked and loosed in one smooth motion. Since the harpies had their backs to her, not expecting a rear attack, her ranged attack had all the advantages and hit home in the back of nearest. The harpy's laughter cut short and she arched back against the arrow. Her wings locked up and she dropped like a stone out of air to land at the noblewoman's feet.

The noblewoman didn't waste the opportunity, swinging her sword at the nearest one, who had made the mistake of looking away at the commotion while in mid-swoop. As untrained as the noble clearly was, her sword slashed a nice slice through the harpy, like a kid nailing a ball on a stand.

By then more harpies rose up from the nearby trees, a whole proper swarm of them. Evangeline's eyes went wide as there were too many, and they were moving to erratically, to count.

"Oh crap."

To be continued...

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