I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 93 - Sewer Camp

"That was amazing, Evangeline," Artmond exclaimed once they had gotten far enough away from the thieves den to feel safe talking.

"How long were you and Sigismund conscious? Like how much did you hear?" Evangeline asked, as she helped Sigismund walk, the cleric's arm over her shoulder.

"I got the gist," Sigismund said, pressing a finger to temples. "We need to treat this blood loss issue as soon as possible first."

"How did we get blood loss like that?" Artmond asked, leaning on Hagor, since Valerian had pushed him away the first time he had reached for help.

"Reverie. It's her special ability. She whammied all of you, drawing on your blood in one go. She can't do a lot of damage that way, one or two hit points per person, but it does invoke the blood loss condition which is what you're feeling right now. Lethargy and half speed," Valerian said, leading them through the sewer back the way they came with less caution and more stomping.

"Val, slow down," Evangeline called, as he reached the ladder bolted into the wall.

Yet, he clambered up it without slowing and opened the hatch above, only to hiss as light poured down. He dropped back, a hand still holding the ladder, shaded in the dark as he moved away from the light.

He flashed a guilty look at Evangeline, who offered him an unsympathetic eyebrow in return before clearing his throat. "This should be near the inn, but if one of you who can go pop up and confirm?"

Sigismund shifted off of Evangeline's shoulder, transferring her weight to the wall in a silent agreement it should be Evangeline to clamber up herself. It unfortunately wasn't the sewer nearest the inn, but it was one that gave her a view of Harrowheart, still guarding the grate in the alley across the street.

Coming the rest of the way out of the dark, Evangeline found some pebbles on the ground.

Non-Lethal attack, ranged. Successful hit.

Her pebble flew true and tapped lightly against Harrowheart's bare deltoid. Looking up from where her gaze rested on the grate, her eyes narrowed then widened as she saw Evangeline waving at her. After a quick glance at the grate she had been guarding, and an additional second to pick up the hammer she had been leaning on, she quickly crossed the street.

"Were you successful?" Harrowheart asked.

"Not exactly, but we didn't exactly fail either. There are just a few more hoops to jump through," Evangeline said, then gestured for Harrowheart to follow her into the sewer.

Coming back into the dark, Evangeline saw that Valerian had retreated from the ladder, his usual snarky self darker and broodier than she could remembering seeing him, both in and out of the game. "We're nowhere near the inn, but look who I found," she said as Harrowheart came down the ladder.

"What happened to all of you?" Harrowheart asked, as she resettled the hammer onto her shoulder.

"We found some vampires," Sigismund said with all the disgust she could manage.

"A vampire," Valerian growled. "We found a vampire and now they all have blood loss. We need to rest somewhere safe. And I can't go into the sunlight still, and they can't leave without me."

Hagor snorted. "And honestly I don't know how we're going to even get in to our rooms. People are going to notice how we smell and that will be hard to explain."

"It's too dangerous down here to just stay," Sigismund snapped. "I don't want to be eaten by that jelly thing while I'm trying to sleep!"

Hagor sighed, then gestured.

Around them the sewer shifted. A more flattened floor appeared beneath their feet, as well as several stone lined alcoves. Their bedding and stored belongings appeared as the campsite fit itself into the surrounding area. Instead of an arched doorway, like in the forest, the ladder became the entrance to the camp. Otherwise, all around them were sewer walls creating contained space. The sewer water still flowed through, but instead of into an open tunnel, it appeared and disappeared through a metal grate set in each end.

"I wasn't sure that would work," Hagor said, brushing a hand across his sweating brow.

"It's perfect, thank you," Evangeline said, tapping the side of his arm in thank you.

Immediately she went over to the nearest alcove and dropped her pack next to the waiting bedroll.

"Couldn't the jelly monster come through that grate though?" Artmond asked, pointing to it.

"No," Hagor said, squatting down to take a look at it. "That's copper. It'll keep it away. We're completely safe while we sleep here."

"So what exactly is this jelly monster you all keep talking about?" Harrowheart asked.

Evangeline left the rest of the party to tell the tale of their adventure while she went to the furthest away alcove where Valerian had tucked himself into.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked gently.

"I'm fine," he said, tucking his hand away, the gesture making it very clear that his hand was not in fact "fine."

"Let me see," she offered, reaching to pull it free into view, but he turned himself away bodily, blocking her.

"Valerian, what are you upset about?" she asked.

He stayed turned from her for a moment longer, then said, "Take a wild guess. I'll even give you three."

She sighed. "There was no other way to get you amulet back," she said.

Apparently, she guessed right, because Valerian kicked at the wall and started pacing back and forth in the small alcove.

Digging into her pocket, she pulled out the scroll with the black ribbon tied around it. Slipping the fastener off, she unrolled it and immediately felt sick.

"Oh right, this is why I avoid this mission," she muttered.

Valerian noticing her perusal, stopped and she handed it to him to look over. He nodded at it as if he expected that was what it said.

"Great, now we have to assassinate Lady Enrichetta."