Huddled down in the center of the tower room the imp rubs a piece of the burnt-out fire logs along the wooden floor. He carefully recreates the magic circle once more going over each line multiple times in the off chance they get smeared and the ritual fails.

“Okay I think this should be good enough.” Wiping some dust and soot off his hands, Stolas sets aside the piece of wood and motions for Ansel to come over.

Picking up the body of the dungeon ant she gently sets it in the center where Stolas indicates, before helping him lift the beetle and placing it on top as well. Jade just sits in the corner slowly and happily digesting the head of the ant.

“Do you think we should use him too?” Jabbing a thumb towards the half-eaten corpse. “I’m not really sure how this works, but from the sounds of it more is better right?”

“I think so,” Rubbing his chin he thinks for a moment, before adding, “Might as well grab my club too.”

“Alright,” Ansel shrugs listening to his request she heads into the other room and drags the oversized pincer to the pile. While he hefts the corpse on top of the ant and beetle. Looking at the grisly pile she smirks at Stolas. “You need anything else? I’m sure I can find another dead thing in those crates.”

“No, I think this should be enough.” The shakes his head and positions himself just outside the circle.

“I was joking.” She turns her smirk towards him and leans against the wall maintaining a safe distance between the circle and her.

“Oh… uh, I was too?” Stolas looks away a bit of red creeping into his cheeks.

“*Snort* Sure you were.” Her smirk nearly turns to laughter.

“Okay, I’m starting now. So, no distractions.” His voice is a bit more hurried than necessary.

The circle begins to glow with arcing currents of mana, filling he room with light. The pile of bodies lifts up, floating inside that glass like bubble. A glorious rainbow of colors arc, flow, and shift within the transparent casing as the bodies quickly dissolve. Not forgetting the most crucial step, Stolas steps in placing his hands on glass bubble.

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Ansel calls out to the imp shielding her eyes from flurry of wind kicked up from the releasing mana streams.

“Hasn’t killed me yet!” He raises his voice just to be heard over the wind rattling throughout the room.

“That’s less than reassuring.”

Ignoring her comment Stolas focuses on the mana streaming through the glass like orb. With a bit more practice behind his technique the imp starts separating out the different streams of mana. It appears that brown is the dominant color of mana this time, so begins isolating all the shades of brown and ejecting all the other colors out. But oddly enough it seems that some of the shades he kept are incompatible with the others. Feeling the tension in the orb begin to rise he removes any that don’t mix with the others.

“It’s …Dazzling.” Ansel looks around the room in wide eyed wonder, her gaze focused on the colorful streams. The room shifts from a kaleidoscope of colors to a deep rich brown. She follows the flow of the streaming ribbons back to the orb in Stolas’ hands. “I’ve never seen anything like this before…”

Seeming to reach the end of the ritual the orb in the imp’s hands begins to settle, becoming single shade of brown. A deep rich brown forms as the other tones and variations swirl and assimilate into one uniform shade.

Looking deep into the center of the core, Stolas frowns.

“Something wrong?” Ansel cautiously approaches remembering his comment about how the first one exploded.

“Maybe…” The imp continues to inspect the orb. “I was just wondering why its only earth mana in here.”

“Isn’t that what grabbed?” Ansel peers into the orb. The imp’s brooding attracted Jade’s attention as well and green slime crawls it’s way over to him and focuses its attention on the earth core as well.

“No, I grabbed more than that.”

“Wait I thought you said doing that would make it exploded?!” Ansel jumped back raising her hands up in front of her incase the orb decided to do just that.

“I was sure it wouldn’t.” Stolas shakes his head and looks up to Ansel as she slowly drops her guard. “The last time I did this I noticed that I could grab as many types of mana as I could as long as it was all the same color. But this time…”

He shakes the orb as if trying to make the contents swirl again.

“There was some incompatible mana despite being similar shades.”

“I don’t understand…” Furrowing her brow Ansel tilts her head.

“I don’t either.” Stolas shrugs, his brain was starting to hurt from all the possibilities he could come up with, but with out further testing he couldn’t confirm any of them. Or… “Maybe the tome has the answer?”

“Probably, didn’t-”

*Bang* *Bang*

Interrupting her a series of loud strikes echo from the front door, rattleing the already unsteady barrier.

Startled the orb slips from Stolas’ hands and splats into Jade, sinking within its body. Ansel whips around daggers in hand and she faces the source of the sound, her ears twitching around listening for all threats in the area.

“Trespassers!” A deep stern voice yelled out from behind the door, “You are intruding upon Lady Lenore’s territory! Come out and submit yourselves to her custody.”

“I thought you said they wouldn’t notice?!” Ansel harshly whispers jabbing a finger at him and getting closer.

“I didn’t think they would!” Keeping his voice low Stolas holds up his hands.

“Trespassers! Did you not hear me?!” the man’s voice grows louder as he pounds against the door once more. “Come out now and her ladyship maybe lenient!”

“What do we do?” The wolfgirl tightens the grip on her daggers ready for what ever comes the door.

“Pretend we’re not home?”

“Stop joking around this is serious!” In response to his suggestion Ansel cuffs the back of his head.

“I wasn’t joking…” Sulking a bit from undeserved, in his opinion, blow the imp looks around the room wracking his brain for what to do. When his eyes come to a stop on Jade. “I think we should go out and talk with them.”

“Just because they haven’t busted down the door yet doesn’t mean that they are friendly.” Ansel catches his arm as the imp starts to walk towards the door.

Jade sits in the middle of the two of them shifting its attention back and forth between whoever is talking. The gelatinous blob was completely lost as to what is happening.

“It’s fine I have a plan.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it just came out nervous. With a small wave of his hand he beckons the slime to his side. “Come I’ll need your help for this one.”

Creeping up to the door he peeks out from one the gaps in the frame.

Three figures stand outside of the tower, two male one female. The two men seem to be half orcs, both of similar large builds and equipped in leather armor reinforced with small plates of metal. Their pale green skin was marred with numerous whitish scars. Both kept swords hanging at their sides. Where they differed were their facial features one had a sterner, weathered face and the other had more chiseled and attractive features.

The woman seemed almost out of place next to them. Her black dress decorated with white lace looked like something a noble would wear around the house. What was most eye catching about her out of place aesthetic was her pale, pallid skin and deep red eyes.

“I think this Lenore lady is a vampire.” Stolas whispers over his shoulder towards the wolfgirl leaning over his shoulder.

“Realy?!” keeping her voice as low as possible Ansel cranes her neck to look outside through the crack. “Aren’t vampires really sadistic and prideful? So, by lenient they mean less torture, right?”

Stolas grabs his tome and motions for Jade to follow. “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with vampires before.”

“You have?”

Two beady eyes watch the trio from deep in the darkness of the tower.

…

Outside the tower Lenore and her half orc guards, Morag and Uriel, stand together facing the tower’s entrance. 

Morag, the more weathered and soldier like of the two, crosses his arms as he stares hard at the door as if trying to burn it down with his eyes. “I’m going to knock again.”

“Give them a second,” His companion Uriel holds out a hand stopping Morag from moving. “They’ll do something soon. I can see their shadows at the doorway.”

“…” Lenore just remains silent observing the situation with a detached expression, the only sign of her displeasure is the slight frown forming on her lips.

Feeling Lenore’s gaze shift to him, Uriel shuffles in place. “…Well, we will just give the one more minute…”

“Fine…” Lenore lets out a small sigh. Grabbing the hem of her dress she gathers it up in one hand revealing her legs as she prepares to jump. “I’ll just go to the roof and hurry their decision.”

“Hold on a moment my lady,” Uriel quickly stops her pointing at the door. “I think they are coming out.”

Hesitantly Stolas pokes his head out of the door, followed by Jade he steps out from within facing Lenore and her guards.

“That can’t be right,” Uriel frowns upon seeing the duo leave the tower. “Were the scouts wrong?”

“Imp!” Morag harshly barks out as he approaches Stolas and Jade. Who both shrink back upon seeing the harsh scowl etched on his face. Despite stopping a few paces away his voice stayed at its loud intimidating volume. “Bring out your master. The coward will return what he stole and face his punishment. Be quick or your head will roll with his!”

“So much for being lenient…” Uriel shook his head, earning himself a quick glare from Morag.

At a loss for words Stolas just blurted out what immediately came to mind. “I didn’t steal anything. At least nothing belonging to you guys.”

“So you are a thief,” Morag’s scowl darkened, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword he continues, “Just like your master.”

Seeing where the half orc placed his hand Stolas suddenly regrets leaving his spear inside with Ansel. “I don’t have a master! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“There is no use in lying,” The half orc advances a step, his tusks exposed. “We know the mage fled in this direction and we saw the light of a ritual being performed.”

“There’s no one in here, I swear!” Retreating a step Stolas shrinks back from the half orc, and Jade clings to his legs puffing itself up.

“…” Lenore’s eyes focus on Stolas’ gelatinous companion and the two cores, she tilts her head briefly distracted by oddity.

“Is there something wrong?” Uriel looks back to the vampire.

“Other than wasting our time, no.” She shakes her head.

A tiny dark brown blur darts across the night sky heading straight for Lenore. Catching sight of the small blur the vampire raises a hand and catches the small bat. Hanging off her fingers the tiny mammal squeaks and chirps at her.

“Pup?” Uriel comes over frowning at the small creature in his lay’s hand. “Where have you been this entire time?”

“It seems the imp is telling the truth. The mage isn’t inside.” With a wave of her hand she sends the bat out into the night. Turning to her other guard currently harassing a scared Stolas. “Morag finish this business quickly, we’re leaving. The mage isn’t here.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to say!” Relived Stolas immediately follows up her statement, but his relief is short lived when he sees Morag draw a sword. “Wait, Waitwaitwait! What are doing?!”

“You don’t really think that we would let a potential thief run around freely, do you?” The half orc pointed out what he thought was a perfectly reasonable conclusion. His previous anger quickly draining once he knows that Stolas isn’t associated with their quarry.

“Considering it’s me we’re talking about killing, I would say no.”

“Understandable.” Morag shrugs and raises his sword.

“Hold on!” The imp retreats bumping into the door behind him. “Lady Lenore I have an offer!”

With an annoyed frown, Morag looks back to the vampire silently asking for her direction.

“Make it quick, imp.”

“Right, well,” Straightening his posture Stolas steps past Morag keeping a healthy distance between them and addresses Lenore directly. “You said that you guys are searching for a mage. Well, I can help find him.”

“And how do you purpose to do that?” The vampire gives him an appraising look taking in his ragged appearance.

“Well, because I’m an imp.” Stolas proudly declares pointing at himself.

“…” She just raises an eyebrow. “I fail to see the connection.”

“Well, since I’m from one of the demonic races, I can use my mana sight to track him down for you.” She does pause to consider his words, but little changes in her expression. Unsure if he managed convince her or not Stolas adds, “We also have a werewolf who can track him by smell. I can guarantee.”

“Huh?!” Ansel exclaims from her hiding spot, startling Morag. “Stolas!?”

Watching Ansel come out from tower to stand by Jade, Lenore seems to have come to a decision. “Very well, if you do manage to track him down the I will consider keeping you three around.”

“’Keeping?’ I don’t…” Stolas swallows whatever else he was going to say when Lenore fixes a cold stare at him. He quickly bows and corrects himself. “I mean, your kindness knows no bounds.”

“Good, Morag and Uriel will provide what you need,” She walks a few paces out facing away from everyone towards the night sky. “I will continue searching on my own.”

“My lady I don’t think…” Uriel speaks up to stop her, but he is a moment too late. Lenore leaps into the air, her body shifting into a large bat about the same size as Jade.  With wasting any more time, she flies off into the night lost amongst the darkened sky.

Stolas stares up into the night sky searching for the vampire when…

*Bam*

“Ow!” Ansel stalks up behind him and cuffs him in the back of the head again.

“What are you doing?” She practically shouts at him, her expression somewhere between a scowl and pout. “Don’t go dragging me into suicidal plot.”

“Sorry I was panicking,” Stolas sulks rubbing the back of his head. The blow didn’t really hurt since there was no strength behind it. “Besides what was I supposed to do? They were going to try and kill us, and I didn’t have a weapon.”

“You’ve got your ice breath.”

“Shh! Don’t go telling them all my secrets!” Shushing her He quickly shoots a glance over at Lenore’s guards hoping they didn’t hear her. in the worst-case scenario, he would need a surprise to help them escape. “And I told you it’s not ice.”

“Mist whatever, how do expect me to know it’s a secret.” Ansel frowns crossing her arms, “You blabbed all about it the second you met me.”

“Are you two done arguing…” With a heavy sigh Uriel steps in between the two of them. “We would like to get started as soon as possible. There’s no telling how far the mage has traveled by now.”

“Sorry.” The two answer in unison.

Jade crawls to the imp’s side and pushes up against his leg, seeking comfort now that the danger has passed at least that’s how the imp sees it.

“What’s with the slime?” Uriel kneels to get a better look at Jade, poking at it with a finger. “Why does it have two cores, is it a sub species?”

“That’s not a core, well not a slime core at least.” Stolas shakes his head, reaching down he pulls the earth core out of Jade. Holding in his hand Stolas peers deep into the softly glowing orb. His eyes widen in realization. “I forgot. I was going to try and sell this.”

“So you were a merchant,” Uriel nods, placing a hand on Stolas’ shoulder he half pats half prods the imp try to get him to hurry along. “Well, you can tell me about on the way there.”

I’m not really a merchant it’s just…” Stolas ties to explain as the group of five start heading northward towards the vampire’s home.