Mal led his group deeper into the lush green valley following the churning river heading right for the ruined castle. There was an abundance of wildlife in the shadowed trees around them and in the plush fields. Mal heard the baying of wolves in the distance so perhaps some hunting would be in order after they sorted out the ruined castle in the lake. Mal thought his skills could use a little polishing after all he was going to have to keep up with his new guild mates.

After some travel Mal realized the valley and the fortress were larger than he first assumed. The size of the fortress made it seem closer than it was when in fact it was further away to the center of the hidden valley. The travel was much in contrast to the time spent in the canyon maze since they could clearly see where they were going and weren’t frustrated by the endless labyrinth of arroyos.

Mal and his crew snacked on berries and fruits hanging from the trees and bushes that were growing naturally in the valley. They replenished much of their supplies that had been depleted in the trek to get to this point.

The going was almost too easy to Mal, they all began to sense it, a deep calm before a storm. Mal started to wonder what guardian made this ruined citadel their home and if he and his group could overcome such a force. What if this is set up as some kind of raid boss type encounter Mal continued to worry. Well there was nothing for it he decided only by pushing forward would he face what was to come and find out if he was up to the task.

Alison thankfully chirped up trying to defuse the tension as they walked.

“Mal, I can be queen of the castle can’t I? I’ve always wanted to be a queen. I’m in definite need of subjects to do my bidding after all this schlepping around” Alison said wistfully. Omega chuckled around a mouthful of apple.

“Of course Alison, if we can conquer it…” Mal said somewhat ominously letting his worry creep into his voice.

“Well obviously we’ll conquer it silly, why else are we here? And besides Atish sent us here, he wouldn’t steer us wrong so it must be within our powers to succeed here.” Alison said matter of factly.

Mal hadn’t fully considered that and it clicked in his head that if they needed a raid group Atish surely would have told them. With a great thankful sigh at the unintentionally insightful Alison, Mal changed his tone.

“And who would be king if you were queen?” Mal said with a raised eyebrow to her over his shoulder.

Alison’s tinkling laughter filled the air around them. “Your trying to give me a loaded question but I already thought this well through. Sylvester will be king of course because most kings have heads that are like a box of rocks!”

They all joined Alison in her easy laugh at Sylvester’s and king’s everywhere expense. Alison’s easy going mood helped push the feelings of something foreboding raising it’s head before them away and into the background. Mal thought it felt like they were being watched in some fashion and he kept a wary eye on the surroundings but there was never anything there that gave hard evidence to this 6th sense. Still the feeling persisted and intensified as they closed in on the outer great curtain wall of the peninsula citadel.

Omega let out a long whistle of appreciation when they stood finally before the huge gates of the outer curtain wall. The doors must have been 20 feet high when intact though they were smashed now and blocked the way with debris. The wall itself was 30 or 35 feet high and it made them all feel small under it’s imposing shadow with it’s abandoned watchtowers and battlements watching them, judging them.

Rather than picking their way through the mess that was formerly the main gate, Mal led his brave party to a large rent in the wall further down the line that would be easier going in gaining access to the inner courtyards of the place. They easily vaulted over the massive stone bricks, that were the size of a person, that made up the collapsed section of wall. Then they were inside.

There was a large clear area behind the main gates that was probably a rally point if the castle was under attack. In the center of this clearing was a pristine stone and blue crystal fountain of a beautiful naked wood nymph spouting pure clear water into the basin around her. The crystals sparkled in the sunlight and gave the illusion that the nymph was alive and moving.

“Oh pretty.” Alison said simply at the sight.

Taliah and Nena moved up to the fountain and after taking a tentative sip both began to drink deeply.

“Is that such a good idea? That fountain looks cared for unlike the rest of the mess around here, you sure you should be drinking from it?” Omega said in askance to Mal as he too approached it.

Taliah snorted at him and turned to Mal. “The water be fine deary, I do believe me and me Nena gotten some stat boosts.” She said.

“Really? Let’s see.” Mal said cupping his hands in the deep blue waters and taking a drink. Sure enough:

- Plus 5 to all stats and plus 10 percent experience gains in all skills for 24 hours from drinking from Fairy Nymph Queen’s fountain.

“Wow that is some boost!” Alison exclaimed as she too took a drink.

“Hmm appears to be a valuable resource. This liquid would be worth it’s weight in gold on the open market or to potion makers.” Omega said thoughtfully.

“Fairy Nymph Queen. I wonder what that means…” Mal said trailing off admiring the statue.

“Nothing for it. Let’s a poke about a bit.” Taliah said.

Mal snapped out of his reverie. “Yes but let’s stay together, Omega has a point, someone has been caring for that fountain.” Mal replied glancing about and up the slope deeper into the complex.

They were surrounded by ruined buildings shortly as they moved higher up the slope heading towards what looked like a palace at the summit. Some of the ruined buildings they inspected and found some to be former residences as well as former tradesmen buildings. Others were old warehouses with rotting and decaying goods.

The place was deathly still except for their hushed voices and shuffling feet. It put a weight on the party to walk through such a ghost town. There were tiered defenses and fortifications they walked through as they ascended so that the higher up you were the more protected you were from any foe coming from the plains below in the valley proper.

Eventually they made it to the upper most tier of defenses that were protecting the top of the promontory that featured the palace and some other buildings that all seemed to be much more cared for compared to the rest of the dipladaded fortress. The final wall of defenses were not just basic stone, they were carved with runes inlaid with what appeared to be gold. Also the main gate to the final area was made of heavy and thick looking red metal that offset the gold inlays giving this area an intimidating appearance.

The defenses appeared intact with the gate closed so Mal wondered if it was locked and if they’d have to find a way to bypass their way in. But as he approached the gate it swung open of it’s own accord with no apparent person or persons near by who had opened it. Mal traded a look with each of his adventurer’s as he stood before the shadowed maw of the gate. Alison gave him a fierce nod and with that support Mal drew his Blessed Darksteel Longsword as he advanced through the gate.

The first thing Mal noted was how thick the wall was he was traveling through and he was keenly aware of the murder holes that surrounded the short tunnel he was traveling down. Thankfully no murder came….yet. Next the inner portcullis opened for him as if by magic as he neared it and Mal led his stalwart adventurers into a main courtyard beyond the thick walls.

Not knowing what to expect Mal went through the opening hard and fast with his shield upraised. But no attack came, instead he was greeted by a shocking and confusing sight.

Statues.

Dozens and Dozens of statues made of different types of stone and metal. There was no rhyme nor reason to the way they had been set up in this fairly large courtyard but most of the space was occupied by various statues. Orcs, Undead, Elves, Dwarves, and Humans were all represented as they were the main races of Planus. As Mal looked closer there was a heavier showing of the races of the light with less of the evil races. Also Mal saw some of the more queer races represented as well from treants to giants to gnomes to beastkin though to a lesser degree.

“What in the hell?” Mal wondered aloud to his group and his voice echoed around the graveyard of statues.

“I don’t know, but look!” Alison said pointing ahead to the palace where the gold and glass doors swung open in silent greeting to them. “Oh Mal! Maybe you were right let’s come back with a raid group. I don’t like this place at all.” She hissed in displeasure.

“No. We are here now. Atish sent us here, we advance. I have faith in us and our cause.” Mal said steadfastly leading the way. “If any of you wish to wait out here, you may.” Mal added after a moment.

To his surprise no one even hesitated and followed him straight into the darkened palace.

The palace was large and had an open cavernous feel to it interspersed by pillars reaching up the ceiling. Stained glass windows of various events lined the upper walls allowing a spooky multicolored light to filter through from outside. At the far end of the open space was a throne, that was empty, and a circular pool of water about 10 feet across. Also to the left of the throne was a bulky pile of stone and metal taking up much of that corner of the open area.

Multicolored torches sprang to life on the pillars around them as they approached the empty throne. Red’s, blue’s, green’s, violet’s and gold’s gave a strange hue to the proceedings. Mal had an odd stray thought of how beautiful Alison looked in the lighting with her determined face but he quickly shook that thought away. There was going to be a confrontation here that much appeared to be clear and he needed to be ready for it.

The door’s behind them slammed shut with a bang causing them to jump from the tension and then a gravelly voice greeted them.

“Welcome! Welcome! Haha! I thought I would have to wait much longer before one of these player characters made their way to my abode and here we have 2! And something else as well, not a player but not a simulacrum, most interesting.” The voice sounded like rocks grinding on each other but it was intelligible. The voice was coming from the pile of rubble and metal to the left of the empty throne.

With a great grinding of metal and stone screeching and scratching the pile next to the throne formed itself into a shape of half a dragon. The back end of the dragon appeared to sink into the ground below the surface of the room but the front end shook it’s head as if it had been resting and was just awakening to deal with these interlopers on it’s domain. Long sinewy front arms as well as metal wings on it’s back stretched out and made popping and creaking noises as if from disuse for a long time.

“How kind of you to travel all this way to join my wonderful collection! You saw them on the way in yes? I’ve been collecting them for years now to keep me company in this forsaken place. Their minds whisper to me even now…..”

“We aren’t here to join your damn collection, We’ve come to make this place ours and it appears you are the guardian we need to defeat...so Attack!” Mal shouted. With that his party sprang into action.

Omega had pre cast a fireball during the talking and he launched that right away only to see it splash against a magic shield. Mal drew his crossbow as he was leery to get into range of those long arms and started firing but this too just harmlessly bounced off the shield. Alison hurled dagger after dagger and Taliah shot green bolts of nature magic from her staff but again it appeared to have little effect.

The dragon simply laughed at them.

“Fools. Hahaha. I am far beyond your ability to defeat!” The metal eyes glinted at them a sharp red as he gestured with his long arms casting a spell.

Mal dove to the side on instinct and escaped the spell that the rest of his group wasn’t so lucky in dodging. The floor came alive and metal and liquid stone grasped everyone’s legs even Nena’s who let out a pathetic squeal being unable to move.

Mal felt a deep terror settle over his heart. He didn’t know if they would respawn if they were caught up in some sick statue collection. They may just be trapped here for god knows how long. And even if they somehow respawned Omega’s and Nena’s death would be permanent and possibly Alison’s but he wasn’t sure on that. What had Atish sent them to!!! He cursed Atish in his mind as he dove and dodged the liquid floor trying to grasp his legs.

Mal made a valiant effort of it with even managing to hurl an acid flask at the stone dragon but it was a lost cause. Eventually he was surrounded by the roiling liquid metal and stone on the floor that slowly creeped towards his legs. Sparing a glance for his companions he saw they were bound up to the waist with there arms pinned behind their backs.

A feeler reached out and grazed his leg of the liquid stone and the dragon hissed in surprise.

“You are starkissed? How is it that the first player to make it here happens to be starkissed….who sent you here?” The dragon asked pausing the advance of it’s liquid metal attacks.

Mal’s head was reeling, starkissed? To him that just meant he received extra stat points and XP when he leveled and killed stuff. He didn’t even know what it meant actually.

“Yes I am starkissed and sent by Atish.” Mal said as he braced himself for a mad rush at the dragon’s head.

“Well that changes things boyo! You might have within yourself to actually command this fortress and restore it to former glory! Oh that would be grand. And sent by Atish….yes I’ll let you face the challenge to see if you have what it takes but if you fail you are mine in stone forever. Deal?” The dragon grinded out with it’s strange voice.

Sensing there was some kind of bargain going on based on the starkissed ability and on Atish’s name dropping Mal decided to go for broke.

“If I defeat your challenge all the stone and metal statues go free and you serve me in the event of restoring this fortress.” Mal said still wondering how far he could leap to reach the dragon’s head with his powered up mana blade.

“Well-” The dragon began but Mal cut him off.

“And! You assist me in defeating Shiva!” Mal shouted still measuring distances as he crept closer and closer.

The dragon paused and took a ponderous blink then laughed long and hard.

“HAHA! I’ve been bored for so so long boyo, you have a fire to you that I think will keep me quite entertained with your adventures, now we have a deal?” Mal nodded. “Now face your challenge, approach the pool of fate and look within and see…..yourself.” The dragon ended quietly with a deadly whisper of rock on rock.