The Bleak Walker

The chamber where the meeting between the highest noble of houses sat. Claudia, the daughter of the King Nimrod, sat alongside these men. Her brothers and sisters sitting with their respective backers. She sat with the only one who was with her. Rufus of House Farley.

“The festival will commence and the dance of Ninon shall continue,” a man said. “There are many reports from the expeditions that say that the monsters have been stampeding. Guardian behemoths, Wyverns, Snake Lords, and Deeper Liches were seen raising armies while fighting the upper beasts. They have been climbing faster than recorded.”

A man said, “You could be wrong. Seasons like these are when the monsters come knocking. The Tower of Nimrod has been protecting the city and it will not fail to do so. However, we will do what we always do and sent forces to quell the anger of these monsters while we perform the ritual of Ninon. Her ladyship will surely bless the tower.”

“But can we stop them?” Another person said. “I heard that the expeditions retreated far from the where the scene was. We’ve barely been able to penetrate the one hundred floors and yet there’s something that is making these monsters runaway into the surface. It was as if they were trying to grasp for air. There is something suffocating them inside the labyrinth. We’ve confirmed, that there is also the matter of Ancient Dragons coming out, racing their way to the floors above.”

“Dragons,” a woman holds her head in her hands. “I assume that the wyverns coming are going to be a part of the stampede. Sirs, do we have enough manpower to combat these enemies.”

“No,” a dwarf bluntly said. “We don’t have enough, your highness. We are too stretched out and not even with the help of Sir Lionel and Sirs Bors that we could contain the stampede. The Black Dogs, however, are willing to help out if needed.”

“Those mercenaries?” A noble said, he turns his eyes towards Rufus. “So you brought those dogs to the demesne?”

Rufus smiles, “And what of it?”

“You think that those dogs of war are welcome here?” He spat. “They are war dogs that have been roaming the land and seeking fortune! Yet their desires are of bloodshed and fury!”

The man interlocks his fingers, “And you are letting them inside this city?”

“They are men of fortune,” Rufus calmly said. “The Black Dogs, I don’t deny, have been wandering the land for good. But they are good dogs, men who were former warriors of kingdoms, turned mercenary. If you have doubts about their loyalty? They can prove it to their feats. They are men who sprinted into the fray of the battle and they know no fear. Your hatred for mercenaries doesn’t mean that you cannot rely on these dogs of war.”

Rufus sternly said without flinching. The woman who was at the center of this meeting calmly claps her hands.

“Enough,” she said. “I do not need this at the moment. Do this after this session is over. What I need are capable men who will guard this demesne. We will not let our people down. Hire the Dogs, Sir Rufus, and ONLY those who are loyal ones. We don’t need dogs who can’t be told what to do.”

She turns to Claudia, “And I expect that my children will manage as well. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Claudia said, the other children of the woman answered.

“Queen Galatea,” a noble said. “It seems that the east has heard of our situation. Should I repeat our stance?”

“Do so,” Queen Galatea waves her hand. “The Tower of Nimrod and her cities shall not take any stance towards anything other than itself. We shall rule as a beacon of unity, and power. That is the creed of our tower and we shall never falter upon it. Tell the far eastern folks to not ask such boorish request again.”

“Understood, my Queen,” the noble bowed.

Queen Galatea trains her gaze at them, “The Dance of Ninon shall commence without fail. The hearth fire that quells the monsters must be done. Nonetheless, we shall not be arrogant in the regards of our defense. I have no doubts that the dance will succeed. My thoughts are one whatever that is coming to surface in the bottom of the tower. It has been fifty years since we pushed down the tower. Whatever is making its way up here is a threat. We shall worry about this threat once the tower is calm. Until then, focus on making sure that the dances would proceed well. Goddess Ninon requires the dance for her blessings to be laid; she’s a merciful goddess that warms the heart. However, she must be called for her to do her blessings.”

“We understood, our Queen.”

The rest of the nobles left the chambers. Only Rufus and Claudia remains.

“What do you think it is, Rufus?” Claudia asked.

“Something that must not get out,” Rufus held his jaw. “I heard that her majesty was coming out to talk. To think that we will have to face the might of dragons and their army of wyverns. An army of undead as well comes to the land to resurface.”

“Do you think that it is a dark lord? Or is it an Overlord of Demons?”

“I don’t know,” Rufus shook his head. “Whatever the monster that is scaring all of these powerful beings, it cannot be anything other than trouble. I will call all our allies, Claudia. Do you mind?”

“Hmm,” Claudia stayed her gaze on the table. “No matter how much I climb, she’s always so far, isn’t she. Rufus, we shall help purge the monsters that might come out. Tell Annie and Wendy to come, and borrow Einar the moment he’s done guarding his dancer. We’ll need all the blade that we can if we are to hold the monsters.”

Rufus thought that it would be another lackluster festival of Ninon. Rufus couldn’t have thought that the days that would follow would shake the foundations of the Tower of Nimrod.