My foot stepped into the darkness. I moved forward by touch. My hands found the walls to the left and right. Reflections of moonlight from the room showed the outline of a small corridor in front of me. I walked through it and bumped into a panel. I pushed it forward, but nothing happened. I ran my hands over the panel and found a button in one spot. I pressed the button. The panel slid aside, and a new room opened before me.
On the far wall, a carpet. A couch under it. On the stand to the right, a sword in its scabbard was fixed. In the center of the room — a table. On the table — candelabras. But the candles were out. The room was in twilight, stirred only by the moonlight from the window, which at times disappeared behind dark clouds.
I rushed to the sword on the stand. A weapon — exactly what I especially needed right now against the monsters lurking in this house! I approached and pulled the sword from its scabbard. An ordinary longsword. The blade was sharpened and ready for battle. I made several sharp test swings.
Sword Skill: 12
I had been trained to use a sword during my preparation at the base, and I also knew a few secret strike combinations. The rest of the techniques I was supposed to learn here, including magical ones, because according to the agents — before they finally disappeared — magic had been used here, often very frightening dark magic.
In any case, now I was armed. At least at a basic level. It gave me a certain calm.
Morale: 7 (+1)
I returned the sword to its scabbard and headed toward the table.
When only a few steps remained, the candles in the candelabras standing on it suddenly flared up and lit the table. Only now did I notice that a sheet of paper was lying on it. I came closer.
A note.
I bent over it and began to read:
"Come to me, all of you, to the castle…"
I couldn't make out the next word. I felt unable to see it. As if I didn't have the strength for it. A bright flash followed, a strike, and I was thrown against the wall.
I stood up and found myself in a large dining hall. At several long tables arranged in a row sat horrific creatures. With long filthy hair, black eyes, nostril holes, sharp teeth, and lacking skin. They were more like they were covered with keratin plates. Dressed in leather armor.
They were noisily devouring raw meat, lying in chunks on the plates before them. The hall was filled with the murmur of their voices.
When I appeared in the hall, they stopped what they were doing. Some of them rose from the wooden benches and surrounded me.
One of them snatched up a sword with a serrated blade and lunged at me. The others roared bloodthirstily.
I drew my sword and engaged in combat.
A thought flashed through my mind: if I hadn't taken the sword from the stand in the room in advance, I would now be unarmed — and then this would hardly end well.
The creature delivered several powerful blows. It was taller than me. I dodged, not trying to block, understanding that its sword was much heavier than mine. The third time I dodged unsuccessfully. The edge of its blade grazed my arm. Blood spurted. I winced in pain. The creatures around screeched like the damned.
Energy: 2 (-1)
This time I dodged by moving toward the attack. The heavy serrated blade swept past, and with a slash of my sword I tore open the monster's side. Then I moved behind it and, with half a turn, chopped at its thick neck. The hall fell silent. The creature's head hung halfway off. For a moment the enemy remained standing motionless, then collapsed heavily onto the filthy floor.
Sword Skill: 13 (+1)
Energy: 7 (+5)
The hall vanished. Again I was in the room with the candles.
The wound on my arm was bleeding.
I tore a piece of fabric from the curtain on the window and bandaged the wound.
Medicine: 10
Now the first line had been read: "Come to me, all of you, to the castle for dinner."
I began reading the second line.