The Haunted Guard

Inixibis survived the dark underbelly of the demon realm Neath all on her own for sixteen years before the flesh peddlers hunted her down and sold her as a slave to Enneia’Eth, the Realm of Myst.

The kingdom treats her better than expected. They teach her to fight, read, and even cast simple spells. And all she has to do is stand guard at the watch tower and, if need be, fight to protect the realm. A useless job, since Enneia’Eth has been at peace for thousands of years. Which means that no one cares if Inixibis slips away from her post every now and then to visit the nearest tavern for a pint or two.

Until the night of the invasion. With the watch tower abandoned, no alarms sound when the Drow Usurper’s armies sweep into the realm like a tidal wave. By sunrise, the king and queen are dead, the borders are Veiled shut, and the realm belongs to the Usurper.

Guilt over her transgression haunts Inixibis for months as she drinks herself into a stupor, watching the Usurper destroy the home she failed to protect.

One day, she passes out in the stables and wakes up inside the royal palace. The Usurper has heard of her, the Tiefling slave who stood down from her post, allowing him to storm the realm unopposed. To show his gratitude, he presents Inixibis with an offer: Join his troops, be his spy, and help him find the Jewel of Myst, and she will want for nothing.

With every word he speaks, the shadows shiver more. Where Inixibis touches darkness, it sticks to her, weaving threads into a black cloak that cinches around her throat, choking her. “Your fault,” they whisper. “You killed them. The realm suffers because of you…” No one else sees or hears them. But they will not shut the fuck up.

Unaware of her torment, the Usurper goes on about eradicating the blood of Aster in all its forms, including the stone and the child.

That last word silences the shadows completely. The rightful heir to the throne of Enneia’Eth went missing on the night of the invasion. She might have survived. There might be a chance for Inixibis to redeem herself. All she has to do is accept the Usurper’s assignment to find the Jewel of Myst, and then use it to find the heir. The people of the Myst only need to see her alive to find their will to fight back. And the Usurper will never question her allegiance if she speaks her blood oath just so.

But what happens when the task of finding the heir proves to be far easier than convincing her to give up her dishonorable ways and return to her people? What happens when an oath to protect the royal bloodline turns into a thankless task of keeping the unscrupulous rogue alive while she thieves her way across the countryside?