A cat's revenge

At first, the heroes see nothing. Darkness surrounds them, and the shock of the transportation is still present. They sense the presence of several large creatures around them. A foul, but familiar smell is in the air. Succubus is the first to notice where the party has been transported to; they are inside a stable. As they exit the stable, nothing reminds them of the mountainous land of AuroFerrum. The land is mostly flat, with some slight grassy hills. The sky is slightly gray, and there is a wind that seems to be growing stronger; a storm is on the rise. Not far from the stable, there is a sturdy, wooden house. As the heroes near it, they notice a sign above the door. In gold painted letters, it reads: ' the wayfarers friend.' The adventurers quickly conclude that this must be an inn. Inside the inn, there seems to be nothing but merryment. There is a warm light, and judging by the smell, someone is preparing roast pig. Most of the tables in the inn are empty, save for two. One is occupied by a blond woman, sitting alone. Six men are talking to eachother at the other table, in a loud tone of voice, the one you could expect after consumption of a lot of alcohol. A big, broad shouldered man is in the middle of a story when the adventurers enter. "I tell you, that was the biggest damn boar I ever saw. -And you know I've seen a few. I mean it was the size of small horse! And it was coming right at me..." His companions do nothing but grin, one of them remarks that "You have probably had an encounter with a keg of beer." The storyteller looks angrily at the heckler. He opens his shirt and shows his friends a very large, fairly fresh scar that runs across his chest. By the looks of it, it will be a permanent. "Can a keg of beer do this?" He asks. Just then, he notices the adventurers still standing in the doorway. "And just what are you looking at?" Succubus, sensing anger, already reaches for her weapon. Then, a voice comes from behind the bar. On a friendly tone, he welcomes the adventures. "Welcome travellers. Welcome to the wayfarers friend. My name is Belmar, I am your host. Please cease the hostilities; we are all friends here." The heroes turn to the innkeeper. He is a jolly man, a bit plump, with a friendly face and a greying beard. "He smiles at the adventurers. "I've got room for your horses if you need it. Plenty of rooms available. I don't think you'll be going out anymore anyway: There's a storm coming this way. You're welcome to stay a while; in the wayfarers friend, the first drink is always on the house." The big man mutters something. "No more for you tonight Denton." The innkeepers says. "you've still got work to do tomorrow. It's time you went home, if you want to make it before the storm." "I don't need to tell you to tell me when I've had enough." The broad man responds. It is apparent his name is Denton. "I'll go allright. Put the beer on my tap." He slowly gets up. "And when do you plan to settle that tap?" Belmar responds. "Soon enough. See you tomorrow night." Denton makes his way out, giving the adventurers an angry look as he exits the inn. Soon after, the party is enjoying it's drinks. They're discussing how they got here; but it seems it isn't a bad place so far. Succubus has the feeling of a pair of eyes burning a hole in her back. As she turns around, she notices the blond woman, who is still sitting at her table. She looks at Succubus and smiles. Then, she rises and tosses a few gold coins on the table to settle for her drink. Quickly, she leaves, without saying a word. "Please come again." Belmar calls after her in vain. Succubus, wondering what the woman might want of her, follows her to the stable. She is just in time to see the woman gallop away on a black horse. Mystified, succubus goes back into the inn. It would be the first strange encounter in the party's new surroundings.

The storm breaks that night. Rain is pouring down and the wind is howling through the trees. The heroes are all in their beds. No other people remain in the wayfarers friend except Belmar and his wife. It is around midnight that the heroes are awakened. A crack of thunder explodes, a deep rumble resounds through the hills. This is followed by a terrifying scream. For a moment after this, all is eerilie silent, if it wasn't for the steady dripping of the rain. Again, a spine-chilling scream echoes through the night. Il holy one, Sir Gawain and Morkatal jump from their beds. For some reason, Succubus and Nimrod have locked themselves in one room. Then, there is a woman's call through the inn. "Belmar! Are you allright? What happened?" With the scream fresh in their memory, the heroes doubt that she will receive an answer... (to be continued.)