Hello readers! What we have this year is a sequel or ending to last year's story Halloween- King Fear and the night of the Blood Lust. Towards the end of the original we showed some angry devils who were upset about the meddling of the evil Kings and it was hinted next year they might seek their revenge. This is that story as they've had a year to plot and come up with an evil response!
It is recommended you refresh your memory with last year's story. I guess this might stand alone as a new tale but since it has some familiar characters back revisiting last year's story would make it easier to identify with them. Besides the original has some scary and gory parts and is appropriate for the impending Halloween day soon to come!
D-Dagan our young hero
L-Lysa (lie-sa) our young heroine sister to Dagan
CM- Chief Mage of the Mage council
Part One- A Troubling Apparition!
There it happened again. Dagan came running out of his room to find his sister screaming out from yet another nightmare. For the last three nights a horrible apparition appeared in her dreams, a huge devilish head staring at her at first in a sinister and threatening snarl and then changing into a hideous and cruel contorted smile. He shook her awake
D- Lysa! Lysa! Wake up!
L- Oh Dagan….(she broke into tremendous sobs)…it was so real…so hideous…ahh
D- It’s over now…take a deep breath…there that’s it….
L- It must mean something brother…(he interrupted her)
D- Yes it does…(quivering a bit) I had the same dream too this night!
L- Oh no! What shall we do?
This was difficult for Dagan to admit. He had to be the strong one and always looked out for Lysa but this was beyond his power to battle.
D- I think it’s time we pay a visit to our mage friends, this has to mean something.
L- Oh Dagan, I thought all this was behind us…I thought life was finally returning to normal..
D- Me too, but like it or not it seems there is something yet for us to do.
During the last year since that horrible night of carnage Dagan and Lysa had tried to rebuild. At first they labored with the undertaker at Ashdown Village to bury their dead and to pay honor to them and secure what they could of the family members that remained. They both had lost close intimates, Dagan had an eye on a sweet girl but she had been undone by orcs, and Lysa had many suitors who were interested in her but most perished in the attempt to protect their town and loved ones. So here they were brother and sister going through the motions. They had been unusually brave about fighting evil on that night but when it came to their own futures they hoped for better days but were not doing much to bring them about. Maybe the scars were too deep and still too fresh to hope and now this troubling dream promising to set them back even further from a settled life.
At the Mage Council
CM- Hello my dear friends! So glad to see you again, we still talk much about your bravery that night and saving all of FT! What brings you here today, and tell me how goes it with you? (At this both Dagan and Lysa frown heavily showing the weight of concern upon them) Oh…my dear…I see…what troubles you my friends? We will do all we can to aid you!
D- We have been having a hideous dream, Lysa the last three nights and I joined her last night with the same dream.
CM- Oh…those can be quite troubling…tell me what you saw. If you both saw the same we must examine it closely.
L- We hoped you would say that! At first there appears a large head of a devil at a bit of a distance, and then it draws closer as it snarls and threatens, and when it gets close…oh dear it is so hideous..
D- When it is very close the snarl turns into a most cruel and hideous smile as if…
L- As if it is pleased in its conquering..
D- As if it has captivated your soul and now is his own…
L- As if in a moment he could snatch it away
D- Or bend it totally to his will…it leaves you frightened and feeling very vulnerable..
CM- Oh my..I had hoped you would say something different…but I have to tell you many of our mages and the residents of FT have had the same dream!
D- Whatever does it mean?
CM- We suspect now that Halloween approaches the Devils are planning some kind of FT mischief, but without a blood moon we can’t tell now what they hope to do that they don’t do all the time anyway.
L- So they intend on mentally intimidating…that seems rather a small ambition for them...though I definitely feel intimidated!!
CM- We have checked with our Devil spies and they have nothing to tell us…perhaps nothing is going on or they are known to be spies now and aren’t getting current information. We have charged them to risk sneaking into the Devil’s Council and get back to us.
D- Dare we trust them to tell us accurately? Once a devil always a devil I say…that is why we were so perplexed about them helping us during the blood moon night. I figured there would be a pay day sometime perhaps this is leading up to it.
CM- An astute observation Dagan, the Devil Council meets today so hopefully we will have more to go on.
L- Ok, please let us know if we can be of assistance. I am glad but also sorry we are not the only ones having this dream. It is intentional though and that frightens me!
CM- Yes my children we will sort this out and yes stay in readiness.
D and L- We will!
Part Two tomorrow- The Devious Devil's Council
Last edited by Gullander on Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CD- Chief Devil
DC1- Devil council member
DC2- Devil council member
Before the meeting convened the two Devil spies were able to find a place of seclusion where they could hear what was discussed. They agreed among themselves they hated to spy on their own kind but they had been passed over too many times for important tasks and it didn’t bother them to change allegiance if the reward was worth it. If they brought back important info to the mages they would be rewarded nicely. Ultimately that’s all they cared about…what’s in it for me!
CD- I now call this meeting to order. Let’s cut to the quick and talk about how our Halloween plans are going.
DC1- We can assure you nearly all of the FT inhabitants have had our dream and phase one is therefore activated.
CD- Excellent!!
DC2- Our spies tell us King Corpse, King Scorpion, and King Fear are quite at their ease still boasting and relishing a bit their so called victory of the blood moon Halloween domination of the realm. They have no inclination that soon they will be paying for that insolence! Mhuwahaha!
CD- It is well, those fools shall soon feel what the tables turned feels like!
DC1- And just to be clear sir, we have no intention of hurting any FT inhabitants?
CD- Exactly…well at least not directly…and hopefully not many…
DC2- I still don’t get that part. Why should those Kings have so much fun causing carnage last year and we still are proposing sitting back again!
CD- My dear council members…need I remind you…that without these inhabitants we have no one to torment…no one to frighten…no one to extract gold and items from…our joy is their displeasure but their death is only a momentary joy…in living they provide us a steady stream of food to feed our lust!
DC1 and DC2- Long live the FT inhabitants! Down with those meddling Kings!
CD- Now we are all set, on Halloween we can release the final dream and watch those Kings and their minions squirm and be hunted down like they hunted just a year ago!
Back at the Mage Council
The spies enter grinning that they have some juicy tidbits that will bring them a nice reward.
CM (chief mage)- Aha! I can tell by your looks you are feeling rather proud of yourselves!
Spy1- Certainly not…you know us…humble servants..
Spy2- Hired servants you mean! Ha ha ha…betrayers…back stabbers..
Spy1- Oh I like that…entrepreneurs to the highest bidder…your pain our gain…ha ha ha..
CM- I’ve met a few mages like you…ha ha ha…wait a minute…enough of this banter what have you learned?
Spy1- That dream was part one of a plan. Evidently a huge part of the FT population has had them.
Spy2- The first dream must have triggered something as a second dream is supposed to unleash the FT inhabitants to take revenge for last year’s blood moon terror on Halloween.
CM- How will they exact revenge and against who?
Spy1- Well that part is a bit fuzzy except that the initiators of last year’s carnage, the three evil Kings, will feel the bite of it.
CM- I don’t see how that can be. Our people have had enough of death and are most are not soldiers. I can’t see what could possibly move them to attack anything. They are just now getting back to normal living.
Spy2- I have some information on that….if you are interested..
CM- Of course I am…oh I see…you mean for an additional price
Spy1- This was not discussed at the council meeting…you can trust me on that…he he he…but it is something we heard last year just after Halloween ended.
CM- Very well…I guess I should have expected this of you two!
Spy2- We are flattered! You pay us a high compliment! But some more jingle seems more appropriate than just nice words.
CM- Ok get on with it…you will be nicely rewarded…. providing it is valuable information
Spy1- Didn’t you wonder why the devil’s helped rescue inhabitants last year, which is hardly what we do.
Spy2- Of course we need the living to feed our hunger and provide us goods but there was another reason. We aren’t nice without a price or a plan in place to our advantage.
CM- I thought as much and Dagan and Lysa thought it was too good to be true and there eventually would be a payback. So…
Spy1- Oh it is so wonderful this business of deception, we can do something good to get our evil result or we can do something evil to get us a good reward…you really should become a devil..
CM- Oh please get on with it…your insufferable blabbing would drive anyone into a depression!
Spy1- See you are closer than you thought that is exactly what we do! Ok ok…here it is…in all of the places we offered as shelters for FT refugees we took good care of them. We gave them all they needed. We gave them blankets, and we gave them……food and drink.
Spy2- Yes you guessed it…aren’t you clever…the food and drink was laced with a drug that remains and only affects them with certain triggers…in this case that dream state. The full effect of the drug will come with the second phase.
Spy1- And believe us when we say there will be only a few who can withstand it. And to think your Dagan and Lysa were so proud to save so many to our shelters only to find out it comes with an exacting cost!
CM- Be careful you two! Many died whom we loved and cared about and if your kind means to do in the rest of us there can be no reward for such villainous plotting!
Spy2- Relax… relax…we meant no disrespect…one last bit of info from the Devil Council. Evidently few are expected to die from this among the people. It will be such a shock to the Kings and their minions they will be overcome before they know there is a struggle.
CM- How can that be?
Spy1- Well the bad news is the drug will make them as berserkers and the intensity of attack will override any lack of battle skill, and the good news is once it has run its course then the drug will be used up in them and they will return to normal and no more unified dreams.
CM- Very well…so your revenge is to use others to do it
Spy2- That is our way we do much by lying to get our way. They will not become berserkers because they are mindless, they will become so because they remember what was done to them. And those who were spared last time will be told a lie that the Kings and their minions plan another Halloween assault. I assure you all will fight with resolve, and when it is all over will feel no regret or guilt.
Spy1- Ha ha ha we can remind them later and make them cringe!!!
CM- I have had enough…go to the treasurer and get your reward…we must see now what if anything we can do against this new threat.
Tomorrow Part Three- An Impossible Task
Last edited by Gullander on Wed Oct 26, 2022 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CM- Ah come in Dagan and Lysa…let me fill you in on what I know
Dagan- Just so you know we had the dream again last night
Lysa- I try to fight it in my sleep but I seem powerless to change it any
CM- And you will continue to fail. It is a dream sent out if you will by the combined mental power of a number of devils so the mage council thinks. It will continue until the eve before Halloween when the dream will change and cause action out of the dreamers.
Dagan- Oh no…that is what I feared a mind control making us like zombies!
Lysa- I would rather die than be taken over…if it happens kill me brother
Dagan- I will jump off a height before I yield to any devil’s wish
CM- Hopefully my friends that will not be necessary. Now don’t be upset but I must tell you a drug was administered to the refugees while in the devil’s shelters in the food and drink. It will cause the action when another different dream is cast.
Lysa- I knew it! I knew it had a hitch…those lying ….
Dagan- Yes we suspected…but Lysa we also ate and drank there. I don’t think we will be any help against this as we too are affected.
Lysa- I just can’t take this…(she begins to cry)
CM- It is not without hope my friends. Even if we cannot stop it the effect will last only a few hours and then all will return to as before. The description makes me think of a rather formidable force exacting revenge upon the beings that caused last years bloodshed. We will be the tools to do the devil’s revenge especially on the three evil Kings that spawned this. But I cannot see it happening without some casualties.
Dagan- So a drug given…sorry my fellow inhabitants if only I had guessed…what about an antidote. Certainly we can stop it before it happens, right?
CM- I have my best mages working on it but they are not very hopeful. And I must concede there are a lot of mages who think we should let it just run its course as the devils have provided us a way to pay back the attackers that killed so many of our loved ones. Even if a tool only the ends are a pleasant thought that they pay for their crimes.
Lysa- How sad…are we not better than that?
CM- Well there are still a few days, perhaps we still may find a way.
Dagan- One last question before we go…how do they project these dreams to everyone?
CM- Of that we are not sure but they are the experts at planting thoughts in minds and deceiving. It does seem to be a bit bleak right now.
Dagan- Might I borrow the magic sword then my friend? It may be if we become zombies it might help us win and survive, and who knows we were constantly learning all the things it could do when we used it before. It always seemed, and I know this sounds strange, to learn and react accordingly.
CM- Well I don’t see how it will help all of us but if it can provide you two safety to make it through another trying Halloween it will be a small payment for all you did for all of us last year. Certainly you may have the sword, but it is as you recall beyond value so it must be returned after the day of testing is over.
Dagan- Certainly and thank you!
The Next Day
Dagan spent the day getting reacquainted with the magic sword. He loved how it felt in his hand like it was a part of him. He tried striking the ground and swirling it around his head in the hopes of causing a blast of power or make a protective canopy over him but it didn’t seem to do anything. He was of course disappointed. It seems without a threat the sword was as ordinary as any other though it’s craftsmanship and materials were unlike any other sword owned in the land. Lysa watched out the window in amusement at her brother and his feeble attempts. Those had been horrible days but they did formulate both of them into who they are now, brave and confident, but alone like they were the only two of their kind. In a way they were, no one faced what they faced, no one saw the wonders they did out of that sword, and no one saw the suffering and loss like they did. It was weird but Lysa felt like seeing the sword made them complete again. Like an old friend who at one time had been inseparable from you where your thoughts were theirs and vice a versa, a closeness of souls and minds. She remembered the first time she asked the sword to speak and give guidance and though it wasn’t an audible response from it an answer still came. The thought intrigued her and she wondered might she ask the sword now? It seemed silly talking to a thing like that but if Dagan had failed to make the sword manifest any magic maybe she could get some guidance somehow. So she went outside and told Dagan her thoughts. Of course he laughed at her, not because it was a bad idea, but because she had a way of finding the simple solution while he overthought and overdid things. Lysa took the sword in her hand and like Dagan it felt good to her as they had shared its use. She held it up and told it what they were facing and asked what they ought to do. Nothing. She tried striking it and waving it too. Nothing. She said maybe if Dagan held the sword and she asked as that worked before, still nothing. More waving, more striking, more asking, more silence. Unfortunately Lysa’s demeanor went from amusement and hopefulness to one calling the sword stupid! Dagan quietly apologized to it but he secretly had his own doubts whether in these circumstances the sword would be of any worth. He began to worry he had been impetuous and now risked this unusual treasure being stolen or lost while in his possession. He didn’t say stupid sword, but he did say stupid Dagan! So they both retreated inside as night time approached and the dread of yet another night broken up by that terrible devil faced dream awaited them. This would be the last sleep before the eve before Halloween day. Tomorrow night’s dream would awaken the zombie if no solution was found.
After midnight
Dagan awoke abruptly having dreamt that dream again and could hear Lysa in the other room struggling against it in her sleep. So far he had to stir her each time to break her free from it so he arose intending to go into her room and wake her up. As he began he suddenly felt something he hadn’t felt for nearly a year. It was as if a presence was there with him in the room, not unpleasant, somehow familiar and beckoning somehow to him. It was the sword! It did speak in its own way! As he unsheathed it he was met with a delightful glow emanating from the blade. The once dark room had an other worldly luminescence and he began to feel a pull from the sword, a pull to leave the room and go into Lysa’s room. He knew from experience to follow the swords lead and upon entering felt compelled to lift up the sword and make the swirling motion that before had made a canopy of force. As he did Lysa settled down no longer struggling and seemed to return to peaceful sleep. Aha! The sword had the power to somehow cancel the signal the devils sent. But he must test it out. He put the sword back in his room and waited and watched Lysa in her room. It wasn’t too long and the tormented state of sleep returned as she struggled again against the hideous devil face. Dagan got the sword back and waved it again with the same result Lysa relaxed and the dream left her. Awaking her he discovered what he suspected she could remember the dream fading away as a brief glow flooded in from somewhere. So he surmised he could now protect himself and Lysa from being overtaken the next day. Maybe he could cover up the mage council too and protect them as well, but the sword before had limits to how far the protective canopy would go. The prospect for his own safety and Lysa was very encouraging but what of everyone else. Perhaps all he could do this time of Halloween madness is help after the fact in cleaning up things and burying the dead as there inevitably would be some that die. He didn’t relish the idea of playing the undertaker again but what else was to be done?
Tomorrow our conclusion Part Four- An Incredible Attempt
