The Innkeeper

Lex was not unaware of what was happening in the castle. Even if he ventured into the jungle, and left the castle in Luthor’s capable hands, it was no excuse for letting down his guard. He’d made that mistake before, and wouldn’t do it again.

Just as he left a spiritual mark on Fenrir and the others, he had left a mark on the castle and many of the workers there as well. When the armies of Abaddon appeared, he was the first one to inform Luthor that they were unlikely to target them. Instead, they were gathering to face the jungle.

Similarly, despite the many inherent dangers of the jungle, Lex sensed that the jungle did not actively reject him, and even treated him as a part of it. He did not know why this was so, most likely because he had a soul, and was not filled with the ever present hunger that belonged to all creatures of Abaddon. Either way, the jungle would most likely end up being a refuge for them if they entered.

Lex had suggested shutting down the castle and rushing to the jungle, for it would be quicker. Luthor, instead, opted to take the castle as is, for without the protection of the castle, the mere aura of the army gathering would immediately cripple the Inn staff who were not yet immortals. As someone who was personally there, he had a better understanding of the situation than Lex, so Lex deferred to him.

Thus the Reaving Dread mercenaries and those from the Inn rode the castle like a chariot, pulled by two armies. This was not an exaggeration, for as soon as the castle was pulled out, the Midnight Battalion and many others immediately used their powers to craft earthen wheels below the chunk of land that the castle was attached to.

Fortunately, even as the castle drove away, no one paid attention to them or targeted them. The issue itself came from the fact that soon, they could crash into the trees.

“Do not stop,” Kaemon suddenly yelled, unsure of whether whoever was controlling the two Hellion armies could hear him. “The Condottiere has become aware of our situation and has offered help. All we need to do is make sure we take back a sapling from within the forest for him.”

No one felt a change, nor did they know if anything happened at all. Yet as the armies approached the jungle, the trees moved out of the way, allowing them to venture into its depths.

Yet the commotion seemed to attract the attention of the insects that filled the forest – the insects that seemed entirely unaware, or unbothered, by the invading army gathering at their doorsteps.

Instead, they attacked the targets that came right to them. The castle came under siege, and so did the armies pulling the castle itself. This was a critical moment, for they needed to get in as deep as the jungle as possible.

They didn’t even know if entering the jungle was safe to begin with. All they knew was that this was their only hope.

“Fight back!” Leonidas roared. “Keep them off the walls and protect the two armies!”

As the battle to protect the castle began abruptly, there was no time to build up the music. Z picked up his baton and immediately dove to the crescendo, shocking and eliminating many insects.

The others didn’t hold back either. Sunny lit the sky on fire, making it rain fiery hail on the numerous insects. The mercenaries used their long range weapons to target distant insects, distracting them even if they were not defeated. Tavern workers served cold drinks and sandwiches to replenish spiritual energy and alleviate mental fatigue – as well as hunger!

For a time, they managed to hold off the insects at bay. Yet the commotion caused was too great, and the castle too large and prominent. Eventually, even though the Hellion armies were not vanquished, and the defenders kept fighting, the chains attached to the patch of land were broken, ending the castle’s journey.

If they wanted to go deeper, they would first have to fight off the armies, and that was easier said than done. That’s because soon, the stronger insects scuttled over. Hundreds of Heaven Immortals, and dozens of Celestial Immortals, filling them with dread.

“The Condottiere says we don’t need to fight them off,” said Kaemon, wearing a grave expression. “We only need to survive until the battle outside begins.”

“It’s tough to say whether we can survive for even a few minutes,” said one of the mercenaries, looking at the incoming army of insects.

If it were just Earth Immortals, even if their numbers were many, they would have been able to do something. Or maybe if it were only a few Heaven Immortals, there was still a chance. But in front of so many powerful enemies…

Even Lex nearly tried to teleport back. It wasn’t that he had a weapon that he could certainly use – but rather if anyone had a chance to do something, it would be him. Whatever they did, they could not rely on using the Innkeepers business card, for that might attract the attention of Dao beings, and that would most certainly spell their doom.

Each and every moment was critical, and everyone was thinking of the best possible solution, when someone entered the Great Hall.

“Excuse me, do you mind if I try something,” asked the musician fairy – the one that had been playing the flute earlier.

“What do you have in mind?” Luthor asked, showing none of the anxiety that such a situation called for.

“Well, it’s not much. I just thought about what the Innkeeper would do in this situation, and had an idea. So if we…”

The fairy told Luthor his idea, and though it was bizarre, completely insane and entirely unlikely to work, Luthor nodded.

“Go ahead.”

He raised his hand and created a massive projection of the fairy above the castle walls, looking out at the jungle filled with insects.

All eyes fell on him, and for a moment the fairy had stage fright. Yet his belief in what the Innkeeper would do was strong, so he forced himself to act. He connected the flute to his lips and played a short and quick jingle, before setting it aside.

“Welcome, residents of the Abandoned Jungle, to the Midnight tavern! We provide food, we provide drinks, but more than anything else, we provide a good time to all our guests.”

Silence. Deafening silence filled the air after the fairy spoke, and not even a cricket chirped.