The Brotherhood of The Black Rats

5.45 Shadows

An icy frost crept along the side of The Dreamweaver as it passed through a dense pack of clouds in the cold winter night. Outside its enchanted hull stars above and the city lights below combined it a cacophony of twinkling diamonds silent in the darkness. Inside was an entirely different matter.

Kai, Simon and all the rest reached the casino level finding it empty and noiseless save for the electronic jingles of unmanned slot machines and vacant roulette wheels still under spinning spells. Their own magic faded a moment after their arrival. The Ship's wards caught them off guard leaving them suddenly exposed.

"Well that was fun while it lasted," quipped Simon as he came into view along with the others around him.

"What now?" Asked Colin pointing to where their once transfigured guide was returning to his natural form.

It was slow going. The group of them could do nothing but watch as the figure in front of them grew into the size and shape of the man who had tormented their colleague. Unlike The Glamours worn by those seeking disguise, transfiguration actually transformed the victim into whatever form the caster wished. Inside and out, it was often a messy business.

Yelps of pain filled the air as fur turned back into simple black clothing while skin and bone reformed underneath. At first it was a high pitched nasally moan, given the size of his deformed snout and crooked teeth. Yet as the facial features on The Goon returned amid shirking whiskers and baleful eyes the sound became all too human. There was nothing to be done for the pain.

"Something is coming," said Isabelle as the man's cries subdued into pleas and whimpers before he fell to his back unconscious from the ordeal.

"We need him," said Calvin going to the man's side. "How are we suppose to get to Bison and The Spell doors now?"

"We keep moving," stated Simon "He mentioned Bison should be loading them on the main deck. That can't be far from here."

"We can also make for the Queen," suggested Isabelle "If I can just speak a word to her she will have to aid our cause."

"Look," said Kai pointing toward the display at the center of the room "There's two Spell Doors right there."

"And there's the ‘something’ Izzy warned us about'" stated Calvin motioning to where a group of red masks were making their way down a grand staircase in a cloud of black cloaks and smoke.

"More like somethings," noted Colin "and what the heck are they anyway?"

"Bison uses them," said Simon "I don't know what they are but they're creepy as hell."

"They are what trapped me in The Spell Door," said Isabelle.

"Well in that case..." said Simon pulling out the joker from his deck. “Let's see how they like being the ones trapped for a change.”

The four Black Rats and Isabelle circled around their fallen guide. Simon hurled the orb of Death magic at the oncoming group of Shadows incinerating one of the leads. The red masked figure turned to dust before their eyes. Its ashes formed a wall the others simply passed right through. 

“There's no way these things are human,” stated Calvin using one of his elemental charges to raise a row of nearby slot machines and throw them into the path of the oncoming assailants. It slowed them down, but not by much.

“But they can be dropped,” noted Kai combining one of his dagger cards with The Ace of Hearts before flinging it into the crowd. The result was explosive. 

“Keep at it Gents!” exclaimed Simon as he disappeared into a puff of black smoke, to reappear behind a pair of the Shadows as they came in close. “We don't know what kind of Wards we're up against.” he added using two of his four cards like a pair of knives as he slashed away at the unsuspecting creatures.