I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 90 - Two Barks for Danger

Harrowheart's laughter rang out in the small space as she smashed her hammer head into the remaining bit of Excreta Beast. The gel body of the creature couldn't withstand the pressure and burst into an explosion of... filth. It's remains splashed the walls, splashed across the attacker and splashed over every member of her party.

They all turned away in disgust, trying and failing to shield themselves from the onslaught of putrescence. Their groans were a chorus to Harrowhearts triumphant joy.

"This might be the best day of my life!" she shouted.

"Shhhh! Will you be quiet!" Valerian snapped, before turning back toward the direction they were headed.

Everyone did as he said, holding still, even to the point Harrowheart still held up her hammer over her head in triumph.

Thieves Skills: Perception. Failure.

"What is it?" Evangeline asked, softly, coming up beside Valerian, her senses straining to hear or see what his did. But all she saw was the darkness beyond their little beam of light and all she could hear was the liquid running along its set path. "Another one?"

"No," he breathed. "Footsteps." Valerian slid forward in a crouch, gesturing a hand at the last second to not come forward with him. Everyone in the party held their breath, though they had already been breathing shallowly. After what felt like an eternity, they all felt a gentle tug, meaning that Valerian had reached the end of their magical tether. Almost immediately it slackened. Then Valerian returned.

"Okay, there is a group of people gathering up ahead, but I can't get any closer," he whispered, "We're going to have to go together, except you." He pointed directly at Harrowheart.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. "If something goes wrong, we're going to need back up and you're the only one of us not linked together," he explained.

Harrowheart closed her mouth, then reluctantly nodded, though her expression was still one of annoyance and disapproval. She finally set her hammer down and leaned on the handle.

Valerian jerked a thumb at Evangeline. "Evie, me, and Hagor will go ahead, as long as he stays in his badger form. You two," he gestured at Artmond and Sigismund with his pinky and forefinger, "Come in the rear and only enough so that we can keep moving forward. You got it?"

"You're not our leader," Sigismund snapped, albeit hushed.

"No, he's right. You're stealth abilities are pretty bad and Artmond will follow wherever you go, so it would be safer for us to continue to have the element of surprise, if you guys stay as far back as you can," Evangeline explained.

Sigismund's lip with thin and flat, but she didn't argue. She then reluctantly nodded, and Artmond put a finger to his lips.

"We still can't see in this dark very well," Sigismund pointed out.

"Hagor can," Evangeline pointed out. "Keep a hand on the wall, and keep coming as long as you feel the magical tug. If there is danger or something, Hagor can alert you. Right?" She asked the last of the badger sitting next to her.

He barked once.

"Once for 'stop,' Twice for danger?" Evangeline offered.

Hagor nodded.

"Agreed," Sigismund said with Artmond nodding.

There wasn't much more to say after that. The party arranged itself into the agreed upon order and the proceeded again down the sewer, which they had become more a part of then they would have liked. The system they had worked out functioned more or less, with only a few moments where they needed to pause and readjust.

It wasn't very long before Evangeline could hear what Valerian's vampiric senses had heard.

"Oh, please, Gerbert. Your accommodations may not be a palace, but I had no other expectations to find you in anything else," a sharp voice said. Though they were speaking softly, the speakers diction was so crisp that they could have whispered in a cathedral and been clearly understood.

"I thought it best to bring you to a place you would feel most at home, my lady," another softer, smoother voice responded. "It may not be the mountains, closer to a grave really, but then either must be familiar to you."

"Then let us be grateful that you indeed have something that I want, otherwise I do not see the point of continuing in current company," the sharp voice turned icy.

"So this is a bauble of yours then?" the smoother voice asked, not doing a good job of hiding their delight.

"Yes, and based on all the precautions you have taken for this meeting, I think you knew that."

"Well, you don't live long in this business without knowing how to handle things properly."

"I do think the garlic is a bit much," the sharp voice replied airily.

"It's working, isn't it?"

Then there was a snapping sound and a splash. "Oops. That came right off in my hand, I'm so sorry. Were you planning on eating that?"

At the sound of the plop, Valerian held out an arm, pulling Evangeline up short beside him.

While the voices had become clearer, Evangeline still couldn't quite place where they were coming from. All she could sense was the walls of the sewer and the gentle tinkle going past them.

Carefully, Valerian took up her hand and began tracing into her palm.

Thieves Skills: Thief Speak. Success.

Very clearly, he traced a familiar symbol.

Vampire.

I got that from the context clues, she thought, but didn't dare say. What she was more interested in was the other voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Then off in the distance behind them, Evangeline heard two faint barks.

"Hagor!" she hissed and spun around toward the call for danger.

Perception Skill. Failure.

Thieves Skill: Evasion. Failure.

Condition: Flat-footed.

Evangeline didn't see what hit her but she felt it really well. Despite the darkness, she saw stars and bursts of color. She was aware of hitting the ground and then nothing until she came to what felt like a moment later.

"Well, now, here we are. Now little dearie. You want to tell me what you're doing here and not bringing me my phoenix egg like you promised?"