Chapter 44

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"There you are," Madge said as they emerged from the staircase into the common room. "I was getting worried about you."

"What is the meaning of this racket?" Fabian asked. "We were trying to get some much needed sleep. We'll be expecting a full refund on our room. This is absolutely ridiculous."

"The Inn is under attack by a band of brigands. I'd heard they'd been raiding in the nearby countryside, but I didn't think they'd target such a small establishment as my Inn. I don't have much of value here, but I guess those bastards just take pleasure in wanton destruction. Luckily your friends are out there bravely battling them."

"Yes, and we're about to join them," Brandon said. "Don't worry, Madge. We won't let the bad people destroy your Inn."

"Thank you, young fellow. You're much too kind to an old lady like me. Say, what happened to Krystal? Is she okay?"

"Sadly she was struck by one of those evil brigands' arrows," Fabian said. "I'm afraid she didn't make it. But fear not, we will avenge her sacrifice. In the meantime, you got anywhere we can shove the body?"

"I can stick her in the pantry until this is all over and we can bury her," Madge said. "Now get out there and stop those brigands."

"Yes, ma'am," Fabian said as they hurried out the door. "You know, Scrote, we can still ditch the paladin and the cleric and hit the road. There might be a lot of brigands out here. I hear they can form bands that number in the thousands. That's a lot more than just four guys can handle. All I'm saying is we don't have to go down with a sinking ship."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm a pirate captain," Brandon said. "I think it's my duty to go down with a sinking ship."

"All right, well, I think it would be wise from a strategy standpoint if one of us stayed here and guarded the entrance to the Inn so no brigands get in and rape Madge or anything. I think that sounds like it's probably a much more dangerous task than charging straight into a horde of armed bad guys, so I will selflessly volunteer to do it while you do the relatively safe and easy job of helping Derek and Sir Mikael fight hand to hand with brigands."

"Good thinking, sir," Brandon said as he pulled out his cutlass and charged out into the night.

"Behaving valiantly as always, are we?" Druvidia said as she suddenly materialized next to Fabian.

"For crying out loud, would you stop doing that, lady? You scared the hell out of me. Why don't you make yourself useful and go scare some of those brigands like that."

"Aren't you a brigand?" she asked.

"I'm a thief, not a brigand," Fabian said with a sniff. "They're completely different."

"I see," Druvidia said.

"And besides, I am being valiant. In case you hadn't noticed those guys are firing flaming arrows at this Inn. I'm pretty much making myself a target just standing here."

"It seems to me the arrows are striking the other side of the Inn. This seems like a pretty safe spot, what with a whole building between you and the incoming arrows."

"Yeah, well, part of the Inn has already caught on fire and the rest of it's probably going to burn down if somebody doesn't do something about it."

"Then allow me to do something," Druvidia said as she closed her eyes and began chanting softly. A bunch of clouds assembled over the Inn and let loose with a torrential rainfall. The flames in the roof were doused and the area was blanketed in steam.

"Hey wait a minute, I thought your magic was getting weaker the further we got away from your forest."

"What, that?" Druvidia asked. "That was just whipping up a little storm. That barely takes any magic at all. Even still, it has greatly tired me out."

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