reports I have been hearing. That is why I asked the Prelate to contact you.”
Samone nodded. “Very good thinking, Inspector. There are too many bodies and the attack was far too conspicuous to have been a simple feeding. You say the King was there, Prelate?”
“Yes. He was weary so I escorted him to the castle early.”
“Is he still in the city?”
The acting duke shook his head. “No. He wished to return to Brelland as soon as possible and I felt no reason to inform him of what transpired. He and his people departed early this morning. Paladin Samone, have you encountered this level of undead in your recent duties?”
“No, Prelate. Nearly all of the undead we have encountered have been relatively weak and mindless. The worst has been a few shades or specters, but nothing as powerful as vampires.”
The Prelate looked crestfallen at the implication. “Then it is safe to assume the situation is getting worse.”
“I fear that is so, Prelate.”
“I will need to inform Bishop Caalendor. Paladin Samone, I need you and your people to find these murderous abominations and destroy them.”
Samone ducked her head. “Solarian’s will be done.”
CHAPTER 3
Azerick was busy in the large underground laboratory he had constructed beneath the new tower. It was by far the largest room, but only one of several underground chambers and passages running beneath the two towers and several of the surrounding buildings. He was just fitting the shoulder guard of the steel golem in place when he heard the shouting.
Thinking he may need to intervene, Azerick stopped what he was doing and went to investigate. He barely reached the top of the stairs when Agnes, his head cook, confronted him.
“Master Azerick,” the older woman practically shrieked, “you must do something about that gluttonous beast!”
“Is Sandy filching hams again?” Azerick asked.
Agnes waved a hand dismissively. “The dragon I can tolerate. At least she has manners. I mean that disgusting demon child, Wolf! They are in the meat cellar again.”
Azerick went into the kitchen, conjured a light, and headed down the creaky wooden steps. He found the source of Agnes’s distress sprawled out on the stone floor of the chilly room. Sandy lay on her side with the end of a large ham bone sticking out of her mouth. Wolf was on his back clutching a half-eaten sausage in one hand and his stomach in the other.
“Oh, I think I’m going to be sick,” Wolf moaned.
“I told you I could eat more,” Sandy said heavily after spitting the bone out of her mouth.
Wolf glared at the dragon. “You only ate five times as much as me and you weigh ten times what I do. That means I ate more.”
“The bet was raw volume, not by scale in accordance with each other’s mass, so you lose. Next time, do make such foolish wagers.”
“What do you two think you are doing?” Azerick demanded, trying to sound cross but failing to hide the laughter in his voice.
“Eating contest,” the half-elf and dragon said in unison.
“It looks like you two have eaten an entire week’s food in a single sitting.”
“I ate a week’s worth. Wolf maybe had two, three days worth—tops,” Sandy answered in a moan.
“You’re huge. It wasn’t a fair contest,” Wolf moaned.
“Not fair is the motto of the loser.” Sandy fixed an eye on Wolf. “Loser.”
Wolf threw his half-eaten sausage at the small dragon and laughed as it bounced off her head.
“People all over the kingdom are hungry right now and you two are wasting food,” Azerick lectured. “Now get out of here and do not ever have another eating contest unless you hunt down your own food.”
“You can count on that. I probably won’t be able to eat for—hours,” Wolf said as he and Sandy rolled onto their feet and started up the stairs.
“Sandy,” Azerick called up to the departing dragon, “you need to exercise more. You are getting fat.”
Sandy’s mouth dropped open in
Samone nodded. “Very good thinking, Inspector. There are too many bodies and the attack was far too conspicuous to have been a simple feeding. You say the King was there, Prelate?”
“Yes. He was weary so I escorted him to the castle early.”
“Is he still in the city?”
The acting duke shook his head. “No. He wished to return to Brelland as soon as possible and I felt no reason to inform him of what transpired. He and his people departed early this morning. Paladin Samone, have you encountered this level of undead in your recent duties?”
“No, Prelate. Nearly all of the undead we have encountered have been relatively weak and mindless. The worst has been a few shades or specters, but nothing as powerful as vampires.”
The Prelate looked crestfallen at the implication. “Then it is safe to assume the situation is getting worse.”
“I fear that is so, Prelate.”
“I will need to inform Bishop Caalendor. Paladin Samone, I need you and your people to find these murderous abominations and destroy them.”
Samone ducked her head. “Solarian’s will be done.”
CHAPTER 3
Azerick was busy in the large underground laboratory he had constructed beneath the new tower. It was by far the largest room, but only one of several underground chambers and passages running beneath the two towers and several of the surrounding buildings. He was just fitting the shoulder guard of the steel golem in place when he heard the shouting.
Thinking he may need to intervene, Azerick stopped what he was doing and went to investigate. He barely reached the top of the stairs when Agnes, his head cook, confronted him.
“Master Azerick,” the older woman practically shrieked, “you must do something about that gluttonous beast!”
“Is Sandy filching hams again?” Azerick asked.
Agnes waved a hand dismissively. “The dragon I can tolerate. At least she has manners. I mean that disgusting demon child, Wolf! They are in the meat cellar again.”
Azerick went into the kitchen, conjured a light, and headed down the creaky wooden steps. He found the source of Agnes’s distress sprawled out on the stone floor of the chilly room. Sandy lay on her side with the end of a large ham bone sticking out of her mouth. Wolf was on his back clutching a half-eaten sausage in one hand and his stomach in the other.
“Oh, I think I’m going to be sick,” Wolf moaned.
“I told you I could eat more,” Sandy said heavily after spitting the bone out of her mouth.
Wolf glared at the dragon. “You only ate five times as much as me and you weigh ten times what I do. That means I ate more.”
“The bet was raw volume, not by scale in accordance with each other’s mass, so you lose. Next time, do make such foolish wagers.”
“What do you two think you are doing?” Azerick demanded, trying to sound cross but failing to hide the laughter in his voice.
“Eating contest,” the half-elf and dragon said in unison.
“It looks like you two have eaten an entire week’s food in a single sitting.”
“I ate a week’s worth. Wolf maybe had two, three days worth—tops,” Sandy answered in a moan.
“You’re huge. It wasn’t a fair contest,” Wolf moaned.
“Not fair is the motto of the loser.” Sandy fixed an eye on Wolf. “Loser.”
Wolf threw his half-eaten sausage at the small dragon and laughed as it bounced off her head.
“People all over the kingdom are hungry right now and you two are wasting food,” Azerick lectured. “Now get out of here and do not ever have another eating contest unless you hunt down your own food.”
“You can count on that. I probably won’t be able to eat for—hours,” Wolf said as he and Sandy rolled onto their feet and started up the stairs.
“Sandy,” Azerick called up to the departing dragon, “you need to exercise more. You are getting fat.”
Sandy’s mouth dropped open in
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