The Crucible Campaign

24: Grand Opening

.^^ the Iron Golem ^^

— Caroline —

I gently removed the sword/staff from my lover's hands, and set it aside. "Are you on the rails again, my love?"

He blinked slowly, his teeth shrinking. "I believe I am, yes... that was rather unsettling. I do not remember doing that... perhaps I should take up Yoga again, to retain control of my emotions? They seem to be extremely heightened, and it's only getting worse." He frowned, and then glanced at me, confused. "Was I terribly savage?"

"More... efficient. You moved quicker than I could see, but there's only one wound on each of them." I explained.

"That is most curious... and the guard are coming, correct?" He asked.

Just then, an echoing set of footsteps began, about thirty yards away from us. I turned, and twelve guards were approaching, followed by a massive, 20ft tall humanoid in Plate Armor, with a scarred Tower Shield as tall as he was, but no visible weapon, beyond the gargantuan fists that adorned the ends of his wrists. Both showed signs of heavy use. An elf, dressed in robes and clearly not a member of the guards, was at the back, touching a circlet on his head, staring intently at the giant.

I grinned. "Oh, that's awesome."

"I agree. Gentlemen, I assure you, you can lower your weapons, all the enemies have been dealt with, some more permanently than others..." Teagan hummed, and grabbed his staff, gingerly cleaning the blood off of it.

"So I surmise from what they told me that our daughters managed to kill the Captain? What was his name, Weatherbee?" I hummed.

"Weathertree, I think. And I got the same feeling." Teagan glanced at the giant, and frowned. "They haven't stopped walking." He added quietly.

I nodded. "I noticed. Hello, there! You can have them, I'm done with them." I gestured at the unconscious men on the ground.

Half of the guards split off and checked the men on the ground, then began cuffing them and dragging them onto a large cart, pulled by a pair of oxen, while the other half surrounded us.

"And do you need something?" I asked dryly, staring down at them.

A person I hadn't noticed, a small woman wearing proper attire, approached. "My apologies, we take attacks on the residence of a member of the Royal Family quite seriously. Princess Ridicule resides in this tower, and therefore any sort of attack against it is treated as High Treason. These men, therefore, and their entire Guild, are considered Traitors to the Crown. We'll just be taking them, if you don't mind."

"Why would I mind? I just told you to take them." I asked, confused.

She blinked. "Ah... well, most Trollkin are incredibly possessive of their conquests. That does make our job easier. Boys, step away, thank you!" She addressed the guards, and they dispersed, some of them cleaning up the bodies, and the others examining the scene.

"Where is the Gnome? A gnome was here." One of the tiefling guards asked Teagan.

"A messenger. I sent him off. I assumed he was a small child, I'd no notion otherwise, so I sent him away when the fighting began. A Gnome, you say? And they're always that small? Curious." Teagan hummed.

The guard nodded. "They are curious little people... very well. He is of no consequence."

I glanced at my husband curiously, and he gave me a Doe-Eyed innocent look I saw right through. I chuckled softly, and kissed his cheek. "That was impressive, though, even if it was rather distressing... now, we should get out of these good guard's ways, and go take a bath, yes? The Tower is finished. We should check out our apartment, Hmm?"