No Longer a Game Ch. 19

Everyone was silent and let Natalie cry and Lou, Jason, Ahira and the two drow males gathered the bodies of the vampires and their heads and placed them in a corner of the room. Lou cast his fireball spell and the bodies burned quickly to charred bone. Natalie had calmed down and stood up and the smell of blood and burnt flesh pulled her out of shock and with that and the images of the combat she had witnessed still fresh in her head she quickly walked to one of the corners of the room and threw up.

"We still have not seen the leader." Ahira said after Natalie rejoined the group. "And we need to search the place."

"There may be more captives also." Rain added.

"Agreed, we need to free them." Nalfal nodded. "The priest was a cleric of Bane. That does not bode well." Bane was the god of hatred, fear, and tyranny. "Still curious why a servant of Bane is in league with these vampires. We need clues so we can report this to Sinafey."

The group went through the far side door and started their search. The entire underground complex was not large and they found several rooms, now empty, where the humans must have used for their quarters. Ahira, Jason, and Rain searched the rooms for any treasures or trinkets they could sell to help fun their expedition home and found some coins of gold, silver, and copper as well as some jewelry. The dwarf found a bag to hold their loot in.

Exploring the small complex under the crypt and after searching several rooms they did find a larger room that contained numerous coffins where the vampires slept. The group counted the coffins and debated on the number of vampires they had killed and finally agreed that the number dead matched the coffins and assumed they did indeed kill all of the vampires, which made them more relaxed. Still thought there was no sign or evidence of any head vampire but they had a few more areas to search. They came upon a large room that was furnished much nicer than the other rooms and on the desk in the room were papers neatly stacked as well as books. Jason started going through the papers while Christie flipped though the books and Rain and Ahira searched to any loot.

"I don't think there is a head vampire." Jason said as he read the papers. "There are some letters to someone from Boulder's Gate here and some written to the same person. We stumbled on a Zhentarim base...well one that they are trying to establish here."

"Zhentarim? Are you sure?" Ahira asked.

"Yeah, Jason is right. These books like financial records and a list of items received and sent back to Boulder's Gate." Christie added. "And even a list of names that the vampires turned, all Shadow Thieves by the records. Even some names of the thieves they wanted to turn or kill...Linvall's name is on the list and so is Bayle's.

Ahira gave a long whistle, "Fuck...that's all we need. I think we've been set up."

"If they were Zhentarim then Sinafey will want to know." Nalfal added.

"Set up how? Who are the Zhentarim?" Natalie asked.

"They are what we would refer to as an organized crime syndicate that operates up and down the Sword Coast." Rain told her. "Also known as the Black Network and they are evil and worshippers of Bane."

"Now it's making sense why there is not a head vampire here." Jason said.

"Why?" Natalie asked still confused.

"Because, baby, the current leader of the Zhentarim is a vampiric lich named Manshoon." Christie told her, "It seems we are pawns in a power struggle between the Shadow Thieves and the Zhentarim. I agree with Ahira, Linvall set us up and knew damn well who these people were."

"Agreed." Jason said.

"Well that's all fine and dandy, but let's get out of here. We did our job know let's just leave." Natalie told them in English. "Y'all can discuss this and nerd out over this later."

"We will but we need to see if there are any prisoners as well as make sure we killed everyone else." Ahira added.

"Agreed." Nalfal said.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Natalie screamed, "When will y'all get it through your heads this is not a game! We just can't go around murdering people. The vampires I can see, hell we may have even done them a favor, but the others...the people...like the slaves that were here...we...we just butchered them."

"When did you get all sympathetic and start caring about people?" Rain asked.

"Fuck you, Rain! It's...what I have done and...fuck! We just can't kill innocent people! We already got one person killed in y'alls little adventure."

"They are not innocent, Natalie. The servants weren't slaves they drew their weapons and attacked us and you don't understand the Zhentarim." Christie told her. "They are like...well think of the Mexican drug cartels. They find out we did this then they will put a price on our heads and they have a long reach and are extremely powerful."

"So let them...you act like we are staying here...all of you do. We are going home soon so who cares if they do."

"True," Jason joined in, "But how long will it take for us to get home? We still don't know where this portal is or how long it will take us to get there."

"Come, let us look for any captives and leave this place." Nalfal said calmly to try and ease the tension.

Jason and Christie took the letters and books and Ahira found a small chest containing more gold and jewels. "We will give this to Sinafey." He said. "I know she said she did not want any loot or a cut of our gold but even they need funds for the temple to buy supplies and what not."

Natalie rolled her eyes, "Yeah a small chest of gold will make up for the loss of her daughter that we got killed."

The party found no one else alive in any of the rooms and were satisfied they had killed all of the servants and agents of the Zhentarim and they soon found the dungeon area where the captives were held for food for the vampires. The dungeon area was simply made up of one large cell, the floor covered in straw, and the stench of body waste and rotten food filled their nostrils. The room was dark and damp and seemed empty.

"Help me." A weak voice of a child called out as soon as the party entered the room.

Natalie gave the command word and her staff filled the room with a bright light and in the corner of the cell they saw a young girl about ten years old in ragged clothes and a filthy face. Natalie dropped her staff and ran to the girl.

"Natalie, wait!" Rain said and grabbed her arm but the elf girl twisted free.

"She is just a little girl and needs our help!" Natalie shouted and ran to the girl.

Natalie knelt down on her knees and slowly reached out to the girl who backed into the corner, "Shhh...it's ok...you are safe now." She said in a soothing voice.

The little girl looked at Natalie and slowly inched closer and then suddenly threw herself in the elf's arms hugging her tight. Natalie ran her hands through the girl's dirty blonde hair.

"It's ok. I got you...you are going to be fine and we are going to take you back to your mother and father."

"They...they are dead...the monsters got them." The girl said and pulled back a little and looked at Natalie. She reached out with her small hand and brushed the elf's thick black hair over her ear. "You...you are so beautiful...can...can you be my mommy now?"

Natalie gave a sad smile, "I...I can't but we will take care of you I promise. We...we will take you to the temple of Eilistraee and they will care for you." Natalie looked at Nalfal and the drow nodded. "See they will give you a home...a good one and they are nice people. You can be happy there."

The girl looked at the drow and back to Natalie and tilted her head, "No...I think not. You will be my mommy." The girl said and before anyone could react she opened her mouth to reveal her fangs and drove her face to Natalie's throat. Natalie screamed out and her scream turned into a gurgling sound as the vampire girl's fang punctured her jugular and tore open her throat and blood poured from her mouth and neck as the girl made grotesque slurping sounds.

Her companions were stunned at the sudden attack and did not react for a couple of seconds, except Nalfal. The drow quickly drew his sword and grabbed the girl and pulled her off Natalie and then with a fast motion beheaded the vampire. Christie recovered next and quickly knelt next to Natalie and put her hands over the wound to try and stop the flow of blood.

"Hurry! The healing potions!" Christie screamed with panic in her voice.

The group looked around for the back pack, "Fuck! She left them in the main room." Rain screamed back.

Jason knelt down next to Natalie and placed his hands over Christie's and chanted a prayer and a bluish light glowed around his hands and Natalie's neck but still the blood flowed from the elf. Natalie's eyes were open wide and she tried talk but instead of words coming from her mouth she made sickening gurgling sounds as blood poured out of her mouth.

"That's all I can do and it's not enough." Jason said.

"Fucking somebody get the potions!" Christie screamed and tears came from her eyes.

"I'll get them." Rain said but as she started to run she felt a hand grab her. The half elf turned to see Ahira holding her.

"You won't make it." He said grimly. "She'll be dead before you get there."

"I have to try God damn it!" She screamed and took off running.