Chapter 1: The Wailing Death
The Sword Coast North... A region on the northwestern coast of Faerun that stretches from Waterdeep in the south to the Spine of the World in the north, also known as "The Frozen North", is twice as dangerous as the Baldur's Gate region of the Sword Coast, teeming with barbarian clans, giant tribes, and vicious dragons. But amidst the dangers of the Sword Coast North's wilderness lies Neverwinter, also known as the "Jewel of the North". Behind the tall, protective, fortified walls of the city, men and women of different attempt or are attempting to make a decent living here in this land under the guidance and protection of the legendary hero, Lord Nasher Alagondar, a fearless former adventurer and ruler of Neverwinter who holds Neverwinter firmly in the Lords' Alliance. Years ago, when he was somewhere between the age of 26 to 30, he once singlehandedly defeated a Minotaur alone with a sword he personally forged himself. The emblem of the city of Neverwinter comes from the same eye shaped emblem on Nasher's sword. Yet, regardless of Nasher's legendary history, there are some forces of evil that courage alone cannot ward off.
Recently, on the 30th day of Tarsakh in the Year of Wild Magic (1372 DR), a virulent plague is sweeping through the city, a horrible affliction that originally began in the Beggar's Nest. Soon, all of Neverwinter would feel the touch of the Wailing Death, which is the name of the spreading disease. There is no cure for the disease, and as a result, panic ensued, riots broke out in the streets, panicking civilians turned against friends, families and even guards out of fear. Violence suddenly erupted in the city, and the Jewel of the North became severely crippled. In an attempt to save Neverwinter, a half-elven paladin of Tyr and Lord Nasher's right hand, Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande, put forth a call for a champion. In the following days, a crowd of would-be heroes of all races, men and women, ranging form ages 18 to 29 answered her call. Some answered this call to one day be known as the Hero of Neverwinter or to gain fame, while others joined for the gold. Those that showed the greatest potential were initiated into an academy that trains young men and women under the greatest fighters, paladins, rogues, clerics, mages, rangers, etc. of Neverwinter, all in the hopes that a champion might emerge among them to save the city from the wrath of the Wailing Death disease, and whoever is responsible for the disease.
A tenday has passed since the plague started spreading, and it is another day of rigorous training in the Neverwinter Academy at the Beggar's Nest district of Neverwinter, a few miles east from a bookstore called Maskado's Maps & Legends. Instructors of all kinds of classes trained men and women in the ways of their specialized class. For example, instructors who are Fighter class trained students who aspire to be Fighter classed warriors. Cleric instructors train cleric students, Mage instructors train students who want to be taught the ways of the Mage... However, among the hundreds of students training at the academy, very few showed more promise than young Anakin Lunar, a 22 year old male human who enlisted in the academy to be trained in the ways of the Rogue and Fighter. He is one of the students who wants to aid Neverwinter in its time of crisis not for heroic fame or selfless act of heroism, but for the rewards, the money.
Standing 6 feet tall, he is a lean, fit, impressive young man with bright, lime green colored eyes that almost seem to glow in the shadows, and semi short brown hair that seems to stand straight up towards the ceiling almost like porcupine quills. Born and raised in Westgate, the oldest, richest, and most corrupt port in the Sea of Fallen Stars, he took to adventuring at the age of 18 during the Year of the Banner, when the Iron Throne and their schemes were foiled at Baldur's Gate. That was four years ago. Anakin may look like an average ruthless person, but surprisingly, Anakin is very intelligent, calm and quick thinking during a battle. Not one student, or even seven students can defeat him in one of their training exercises.
Today, in one of his training exercises, Anakin is in the sparring room facing nine Fighter classed students alone. Four of them are humans, two are half-elves, one is a dwarf, one is a halfling, and the last one is a half-orc, five males, four females. Every one of them, including Anakin are each armed with wooden sticks carved and designed to look like long swords and short swords. The students had Anakin surrounded in the middle of a wide open room, waiting for their instructor, a war veteran known as Herban, to give the signal. Anakin stood in the middle of the circle calm and collected, eyeballing his fellow students coldly, causing some of them to grip the handle of their wooden weapons as if they are trying to draw upon their courage to wield their weapons.
"A-Are we seriously doing this...? I heard this guy is a beast..." A 23 year old male human whispered to the female half-orc standing next to him.
She snorted dismissively at him.
"Show no fear, human. Even the most intimidating foe can be defeated," the half-orc woman said to the unsettled human.
Herban, the Fighter class instructor, is a stern, 48 year old man who has seen battles against Luskan forces for three decades. His neatly groomed hair and neatly trimmed facial hair is orange like a carrot. His eyes are brown colored as well, and he stands 4 inches taller than Anakin.
"All right students! This is day 15 of our training! Tomorrow night will be graduation day so I want every single one of your worthless hides to look presentable to Lady Aribeth!" Herban declared. Then he cast a cold glare at Anakin. "That includes you, Anakin!"
Anakin grunted and rolled his eyes disdainfully at Herban. He is one of the instructors Anakin hates the most. Sometimes he wished that he could get his hands on a real weapon and quietly slit Herban's throat in some secluded room. He doubted any of his students would miss him. Herban closed his hands together behind his back for a few seconds, then raised his right hand up in the air.
"Let's see if any one of you can take down Anakin. Far as I know, no one has been able to best him in a sparring duel," Herban said with a smile, anticipating an interesting fight to watch, then he slowly raised his right arm up in the air.
One of the students, a female half-elf, who has obviously never heard of Anakin's prowess, had her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"Seriously?" She asked Herban.
Instead of replying, Herban quickly dropped his right arm and shouted: "Begin!"
All of Anakin's opponents had their "weapons" drawn, but he hadn't touched his yet. He just stood there looking calm, waiting for someone to make a move. Some of the students began to wonder why he hasn't drawn his long stick or short stick for battle. Soon one of the students, a red haired human girl grew confident and charged at Anakin from behind. Anakin heard her footsteps and after he heard the 6th clop of her shoes, he ducked down and just when the girl thought she would successfully stab Anakin from behind, her wooden sword sailed over him, and she was unable to stop running, and as a result, she fell on Anakin's back and he rose up, causing her body to somersault off him and land on the floor on her back. Then the rest of the students retaliated and charged at him.
Anakin narrowly dodged the strike of a male half-elf, and finally drew his long wooden sword and short wooden sword just in time to parry the sword strikes from the female half-orc to his left and a blonde haired human boy to his right, then immediately he somersaulted to the left away from his crowding opponents before anyone could stab him. The students didn't give him much breathing room. They came at him again, but Anakin just needed a little time to be on the offensive.
"You're mine!" A male halfling exclaimed with a confident grin and lunged with his wooden longsword out to strike.
Anakin dodged his lunge attack and quickly realized that attack was only a ruse to leave him open to be attacked by other students. The rest of the students quickly closed in on him hoping that he wouldn't get his guard up in time after dodging the halfling. He raised his short wooden sword up at the first incoming student, parrying his wooden sword, then parried the next, then quickly crouched and rolled forward through his opponents before they could gang up on him with sword strikes, then he sprang back up and spun around with his long wooden sword outstretched, striking 4 students in their midsections.
The remaining students who weren't hit relentlessly came at Anakin hoping to overwhelm him. But to their dismay, every move he made was calm and calculated, he showed no signs of battle anxiety, believing that his chances of winning is very low. Anakin expertly deflected strike after strike, moving swiftly like a butterfly through students, and stinging them like a bee, striking them either in the abdomen or leg. Not one student could hit him. Herban looked at the sparring exercise in amusement. As much as he hated Anakin's attitude, he had to admit that the young man has some serious skill for a rookie multi-classed Rogue/Fighter. He heard rumors that before Anakin joined the Neverwinter Academy, he was already a raw, yet exceptional fighter. Most of the men and women training at the academy are a little green around the gills, but Anakin, though young, has some experience.
Soon all the students were laying on the floor moaning and groaning, holding their abdomen in pain or left or right leg. Anakin looked down at them and dropped his weapons down.
Herban applauded and nodded in approval.
"Sparring practice is over! Exceptional work, Anakin... As usual," Herban said, picking up a pen and paper sitting on a desk near him and gave Anakin extra points next to his name on the paper.
The students groggily stood up on their feet.
"Damn... He really is tough..." An elven boy said while rubbing his aching left arm.
The pride of every student in the room fell rock bottom, having been bested by one person. Some couldn't believe it.
""Even the most intimidating foe can be defeated". That's what you said, right?" The human boy mimicked the half-orc woman's gruff voice, then glared at her.
The half-orc woman grunted in reply, not wanting to reply using words. Everyone got in line for roll call, awaiting instructions or advice Herban has to give.
"All right everyone. Even though you failed to take down your target, you've proven yourselves to be exceptional additions to the Academy. Now, for your next training exercise, go to the courtyard and meet up with Hewwet for ranged and missile combat training!" Herban started pacing up and down the lined up students like a drill instructor would. "Stay sharp, you witless greenhorns! Do I need to remind you that there are creatures out there that might be bigger, stronger and faster than you are? So I expect all of you to perform past your limit to face whatever obstacles await you out there! Do any of you virgins have the guts to do that?" Herban exclaimed like a drill sergeant.
"Sir, yes sir!" All the students exclaimed except Anakin, and Herban noticed that.
"Good. Dismissed... Except you, Anakin," Herban nodded.
All the students departed the sparring room, except for Anakin. When the last student leaving shut the door, Anakin and Herban looked each other in the eyes silently for a few seconds.
"I won't lie, Anakin, you are the best student here in the Academy. I can see why Lady Aribeth wants to personally meet you during the graduation ceremony tomorrow night. But there's one thing about you that I don't like," Herban said.
Anakin lifted his right eyebrow in mock amusement.
"Your attitude. You don't respect your superiors. I aim to change that today," Herban said almost in a grudging tone.
Anakin sighed a bored sigh.
"What do you expect from me... Herban?" He asked in a bored tone.
"As far as your worthless hide is concerned, you can just call me "Sir"!" Herban replied.
Anakin rolled his eyes.
"I don't need to address you as "Sir" all the time. I know you are a man." Anakin paused and took a few quick looks left and right as if to make sure no one is eavesdropping, then he whispered to Herban: "You are a man, right?"
Herban bristled in offense and glared at him.
"Why you little maggot...! If the plague hadn't made us so desperate for recruits, I'd boot your worthless ass out of here for that type of attitude! Fortunately your smart mouth isn't going to be my problem much longer! But you will learn to respect your superiors! It may save your life one day! Do you understand me, greenhorn?!"
Anakin rolled his eyes again and muttered under his breath.
"What was that, maggot?! I didn't hear you clearly!" Herban yelled in Anakin's face.
"Damn. Say it, don't shout it," Anakin said as he wiped the spittle off his face.
"If I don't shout it, recruit, it might not get through that thick layer of dung covering your brain! You better address me as "Sir" like you mean it or we are going to have a problem!" Herban warned him.
Anakin sighed and shrugged, motioning to leave.
"You know what? I don't have time for this. How about we compromise and I call you "Shirley"?" Anakin walked past stunned Herban towards the door.
Herban snapped out of his stunned state and glared back at Anakin who is already walking towards the door.
"You think that's funny, recruit?! Well, I left my sense of humor dangling on the tip of a blood encrusted Luskan spear 30 years ago! Just remember, when a giant is ripping your arms off for talking back remember that somewhere I'll be smiling! Remember that!" Herban yelled before Anakin shut the door.
Anakin caught up with the rest of his fellow Fighter classed recruits at the courtyard of the Academy, accompanied with his fellow Rogue classed recruits, and even Mages and Cleric classed recruits. Mages and Clerics can't use ranged weapons like crossbows or bows and arrows, but they can use slings and bullets, at least. Hewwet, the ranged and missile weapon instructor is one of the instructors Anakin has no problem with, he's not as stern and demanding as Herban. He has short black hair and no facial hair. His eyes are dark green colored and is 5'7 feet tall. By the time Anakin reached the courtyard, hes fellow students and a few mages and clerics in training have already started practice, trying to hit the targets with arrows, bolts and bullets.
"Anakin, there you are! Herban held you up again?" Hewwet asked Anakin.
"Every damn day," Anakin shook his head.
Hewwet smiled. Not many instructors in the academy admit it out loud, but no one considers Herban to be a friend; the man is no-nonsense, all serious, even when there are no battles to fight or students to train.
"I admit he is rough around the edges, but still... Anyway, I saved you your favorite crossbow." Hewwet handed Anakin a lightweight crossbow.
It is so light and small, compared to usual crossbows, its almost the size of a handgun. Soon Anakin joined everyone shooting targets trying to hit the red dot in the center. Hewwet surveyed everyone, making sure everyone performed exceptionally. Everyone came close to hitting the red dot on the targets, but it was difficult for them, especially with the wind blowing to the west at 5 mph.
Hewwet heard some of the students start groaning in disappointment at completely missing the target or failing to hit the red center of the target.
"Don't get discouraged. Don't get discouraged. I have some advice for all of you. When aiming at a target with wind blowing like this, you'll never hit the target by aiming directly at it. Its best to aim your weapon in the opposite direction of where the wind is blowing, and when you fire your weapon, the wind will cause your arrow, bolt or bullet to pull to the left or right, causing your projectile to hit your target more accurately." Hewwet told the students.
Anakin already knew this. He aimed his crossbow at the target but he already knew with the winds blowing west, he would never hit the bulls-eye by aiming his crossbow directly at it. So instead he adjusted his crossbow a few inches to the right, and when he was ready, he fired. The wind made the bolt pull to the left, causing it to directly hit the bulls-eye. Anakin smiled and nodded, beginning to reload his crossbow. He hit bulls-eye 6 times before the ranged weapon training session ended. As always, Hewwet was impressed with Anakin's marksmanship. The other recruits had a hard time hitting the bulls-eye of their targets. They had a hard time figuring out how to adjust their aim so that their arrows, bolts and sling bullets can hit the center of their target.
"Wow! 6 bulls-eyes in a row! Then again, I shouldn't be so impressed. You've done well, Anakin." Hewwet congratulated Anakin.
"Stop, you're making me blush," Anakin said sarcastically but hardly smiling.
"No, seriously, you show good promise. I see why Lady Aribeth wants to personally meet you during the graduation ceremony tomorrow. I'd consider it a great honor," Hewwet said.
"I suppose," Anakin shrugged and handed Hewwet the crossbow back.
The jealous students started mumbling among themselves.
"Anakin this, Anakin that... What's so special about that glory-hungry bastard anyway?" One of the students mumbled.
Minutes later, Anakin had to head on over to the south wing of the Academy to his Rogue training class. His Rogue classed instructor is Ketta, a halfling woman who is also head of Security, Espionage and Intrigue at the Academy. She is short, like all halflings. She wore shadow armor, which is a type of lightweight armor that is perfect for Rogues to wear when sticking to the shadows for stealth. Anakin entered the classroom and shut the door behind him.
"Ah, there you are, Anakin," Ketta greeted him with a warm smile.
Ketta is another instructor that Anakin does not hate.
"Hello, Ketta," Anakin said then looked around at the recruits picking the locks of chests, perfecting their skill of stealthily sneaking around trying to pickpocket Bruno, an intimidating half-orc. "There are some new faces here," he added.
"We just received some new recruits a few days ago, haven't you heard? Even though the Neverwinter militia normally doesn't let anyone into Neverwinter because of the plague, they are desperate to have new recruits come into the Academy and train," Ketta told Anakin.
At that moment, a half-elf man named Shade approached Ketta and Anakin.
"Excuse me, Ketta, I need your help. I think there's something wrong with these lock picks. I can't open a single chest with them," he said, showing her the lockpicks in his hands.
Ketta shook her head and motioned with her right hand to tell Shade to put the lock picks back in his pocket.
"There's no such thing as a defective pick, Shade. Some locks are more complex than others. just keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it," she encouraged him.
"Thanks. And who is this?" Shade finally noticed Anakin.
"Oh yes, this is Anakin Lunar, my best student in the class and the entire Academy," Ketta said.
Shade smiled. "Ah, I've heard all about you."
"Oh really? Everything good, right?" Anakin raised his right eyebrow in amusement.
"Yes. Silk has told me a lot about you. In fact, she has her eyes on you all the time."
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.
"You really don't know? She's been spying on you all the time," Shade said.
Anakin had a weird feeling that Silk may have seen too much.
"How long has she been spying on me exactly...?" He pressed for more answers.
Shade shrugged.
"It's not my place to say. If you really want to know, you should ask her in the alcoves northeast from here before training starts. We have... 6 minutes," Shade replied.
He found Silk in a secluded, semi dark alcove with a practice dummy anchored in the center of the room, perfecting her sneak attacks on the dummy which stands on a rotating block to simulate it as a living target trying to find its attacker who is hiding in the shadows to avoid detection, then striking with her rapier, then jumping back into the shadows. She's a half-elf from the looks of it. She has long black hair, and judging by the way her eyes are shaped, her human parent must be Kozakuran. She wore lightweight, black colored armor like Ketta, the only differences is there's a small opening in the chest area that exposes some of her cleavage.
"Are you Silk?" Anakin asked her.
She turned to face him and sheathed her rapier.
"Hello, Anakin. You don't know me, but I've been watching you lately."
"So I've heard. I hope you're not looking for an opportunity to jump behind my back and put a dagger to my throat or anything," Anakin said while taking a quick glance at her bosom.
Silk smiled. "Don't worry, it's nothing sinister. Just a little harmless spying on my part. Ketta says that I need to hone my espionage skills."
The question has been nagging Anakin ever since Shade told him that Silk has been spying on him.
"Have you been spying on me even when I take showers...?" He asked curiously.
Silk replied with a humored chuckle at first.
"I'll leave that up to your imagination," she said in a near seductive voice. "But since you'll be graduating tomorrow night, you'll leave the Academy. I'll have to find a new person to spy on..."
"...You sound almost disappointed," Anakin said, trying to get a read on Silk's feelings.
She shrugged.
"Maybe I am disappointed," she said when she got close enough to reach out and touch Anakin's face, but she didn't do it.
"But I think that Lady Aribeth will be as interesting to spy on as much as you are."
This Silk is a very amusing girl, Anakin thought.
"Why Lady Aribeth, of all people?" Anakin asked out loud.
"Because she's a respectable paladin and right hand of the ruler of Neverwinter. A high ranked person like that must know a lot of secrets, especially about the plague, and maybe how to cure it. Besides, I want to know why so many men drool over her."
Anakin grinned.
"Oh! You want to know what she has that you don't?"
"That's basically it. It really confuses me why so many men are infatuated with that woman. Where's the appeal in honor, duty and virtue? I don't get it. Don't men want women who are more... mysterious?" Silk replied.
"Men have different preferences in women. That's just the way we are," Anakin said while he shrugged, then he had a smirk on his face.
Silk gave Anakin a curious frown. He could see her question coming a mile away.
"Tell me the truth, Anakin. What do you look for in a woman? Are you interested in a goody-two shoes like Aribeth, or are you interested in a woman who is more... naughty?"
Anakin crossed his arms and sighed.
"I don't have anything against paladins like Lady Aribeth, but I find mysterious women very... interesting. Like you, for example," Anakin said.
At that moment, Silk started to blush. Anakin's suspicions were proven true. She has become obsessed in spying on him.
"Aha, I knew it. During your training you started to become infatuated with me," Anakin smirked.
Silk slowly nodded. "I admit that ever since I started spying on you I've become a little bit obsessed. Hazard of the job, I guess. But I couldn't help thinking what it would be like getting to know you more... intimately," Silk said, her face getting a bit more redder as she brought her right hand up to Anakin's face and gently touched his left cheek.
Anakin is obviously starting to like where this is going. Even though he barely knows this half-elven woman, that doesn't mean he doesn't find her beautiful. Plus, since he took a few quick glances at her heaving bosom during their conversation, he's in the mood for an intimate introduction anyway. He looked back, making sure no one else is coming into the semi dark room.
"It's the best way for a man and woman to get to know each other, I admit. And I admit that I'd like to get to know you more intimately too, after seeing what a nice rack you have. Since no one else is coming into this room, we should get started," Anakin said suavely as he put his arms around her waist.
Silk smiled showing her beautiful white teeth.
"Not here. Why don't we get together tomorrow night after the graduation ceremonies? Just the two of us. You can learn some of my secrets for a change," she said as she inched closer towards Anakin, her body coming in contact with his.
"And I can show you some of mine, even though you may have seen them all during your spying," Anakin replied.
"Oh I've seen it all," Silk kissed Anakin's nose and he felt a tingly sensation rush all over his body, and he felt his manhood stiffen a little.
"I promise it will be a night to remember for the rest of your life. That's all I can tell you- I'll let the anticipation build up," Silk said.
Anakin chuckled. He didn't need her to explain everything, he already knew what is in store after graduation.
"The anticipation is definitely building up on a certain part of me," he smiled while licking his lips, imagining how fun it would be feeling Silk's warm, voluptuous figure pressing against him.
Silk knew what he is referring to and giggled, then licked her lips, imagining the feeling of Anakin's warm, muscular figure embracing her. Both Anakin and Silk had something to look forward to. They left the room to return to Ketta and their fellow classmates to continue more of their Rogue training, unlocking boxes, pick-pocketing people, that sort of thing.
A few hours later that evening, Anakin took a nice warm shower then later got dressed into his plain white shirt and blue pants and wandered down the hallway with his bath towel slung over his right shoulder to the men's sleeping rooms. Along the way down the hallway while walking past more than a dozen recruits trying to reach their barracks, he heard someone shout out among the indistinct chattering of the recruits around him: "Hey you! Wait up!"
He wasn't sure if he was the one being addressed so he slowed his walking pace a bit. Soon a 20 year old man with a neatly combed auburn colored hair and hazel colored eyes came up next to him to his right from behind.
"Do I know you?" Anakin asked him as he stopped walking to get a good look at this guy as several recruits walked past them.
"No, I just wanted to talk before we turn in for tonight. You're Anakin Lunar, aren't you? You're the talk of the Academy. I'm Pavel. I'm one of the new recruits. Nice to meet you," Pavel said, then he extended out his right hand for a handshake.
Anakin simply looked down at Pavel's hand for a second then looked up at Pavel. He then realized that Anakin is not the handshaking type and withdrew his hand. Then they continued walking down the hall along with almost a dozen people around them.
"I hate to break it to you, but I don't do autographs," Anakin said dryly.
"No, it's not that, it's just... I hear your name all over the place. I heard some students say that you managed to defeat 3 mage recruits in a sparring practice 2 days ago. They said none of their illusions of magic missiles, fire or ice spells could hit you because of your lightning reflexes and you used the environment to your advantage or something like that," Pavel said.
Anakin, Pavel and a few other recruits walking behind them reached a "T" junction at the end of the hallway and made a left, walking past dozens more recruits.
"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't," Anakin shrugged indifferently.
"Hey, is it true what they say about you? That Lady Aribeth herself ordered the academy to send you an invitation to come here for training?" Pavel asked Anakin with concern. He had a feeling that there's more to Anakin than meets the eye.
"How I came here is none of your concern. Why should it be your concern?" Anakin curtly replied.
"It's just that I've never heard of anyone being invited to train at the Academy before. Usually people are begging to get in. It must be a great honor for you," Pavel said with a mild smile.
"Who cares about honor? I only came here because of the promise for great rewards," Anakin said.
After Pavel heard that, he finally figured out Anakin's nature.
"So you're in this for the money, are you? Well, I guess you aren't the only one. But some of us came to the Academy for a different reason," he said.
"For what? To be a hero? To save innocent lives from death and destruction?" Anakin asked almost in a sarcastic tone.
"Yeah," Pavel nodded.
Anakin snorted. He could tell that Pavel is naive to the cold ways of how the world works. Justice is only an ideal, a lie, a justification used to hide a person's darkest secrets, something Anakin has learned the hard way. But he had no intention of telling Pavel why he doesn't believe in the goodly things anymore, he wouldn't understand. At that moment, they finally reached their rooms. Anakin opened the door and stepped inside. Pavel followed.
"How did you get wrapped up in this?" Anakin grew curious about Pavel's reason for being here.
"My twin brother Bim and I work as handymen. We were working on one of the nearby farms outside the city when we heard Lady Aribeth had put out a call for heroes to come to the aid of Neverwinter. We knew the city was suffering, but we didn't know how bad things were until we arrived. We got here just before they sealed the gates and quarantined the city. Things are terrible out there. Thank the gods I got accepted into the Academy. I wouldn't want to be out there on the streets with the plague- not with the city guards barely able to keep order anymore," Pavel said.
At that moment, Bim approached Anakin and Pavel. He looks just like Pavel only his hair is longer, about neck length.
"Who is this you're talking to, Pavel?"
"Oh, hi, Bim, this is Anakin Lunar," Pavel replied.
"Ah, so you are Anakin Lunar. I've heard a lot about you since my brother and I enlisted in the Academy," Bim tried to shake Anakin's hand, but was forced to withdraw his hand just like Pavel when Anakin simply gave him the blank, emotionless look.
"I don't know much about this plague. All I've heard is that its the worst disease the citizens of Neverwinter ever had," Anakin said to the brothers.
Pavel scoffed.
"That's the understatement of the year. It's so bad, the whole city is quarantined, nobody is allowed in or out," he said with a nervous shiver.
"The Neverwinter militia are putting all their power in making sure the quarantine is fail proof, but that doesn't make things any better. Nobody likes being quarantined. Riots break out in the streets at random... I don't blame them, it's only been a couple tendays and already the death toll is over a thousand... What a nightmare..." Bim groaned sadly.
"Shouldn't someone be looking for a cure?" Anakin asked. Where there's a disease, there has to be a cure.
"There is no cure for the plague, Anakin," Pavel said sadly.
"Most people have given up hope of finding a cure for the Wailing Death. Healing spells, potions and medicinal herbs do nothing and even the prayers of the city's most powerful clergy have been ineffective," Bim said.
"I heard a rumor, though... The word on the street is that Aribeth is actually working on a cure right here in the Academy. But that's just a rumor. It may not be true," Pavel said hopefully at first, but then disdainfully at the end.
"We need facts, Pavel, not rumors. Rumors won't get me any closer to getting paid. Anyway, I need some shuteye. See you at the graduation ceremony tomorrow." Anakin said then yawned and walked into his room, shutting the door.
"I don't get it." Bim said, shaking his head.
"Get what?" Pavel asked.
"I can tell that he's no saint, yet Lady Aribeth wants to personally meet him tomorrow. I don't understand it. What does she see in him?" Bim scratched his head.
"I don't know either, but we'll never save Neverwinter if we judge our allies by their character," Pavel said.
"I suppose you're right." Bim shrugged, rubbing his eyes.
Later that night, Anakin fell into a troubled sleep because of a nightmare. Its the same nightmare he gets at random. Some nights he never has nightmares, and some nights like tonight, he does. In this nightmare, he only heard sounds, he could see nothing but pitch blackness. He could hear the sound of fire crackling loudly. Fire... There is only one bad memory he has that involves fire.
"No... No... No..." Anakin muttered in his sleep, trying to wake up but he couldn't, its as if most of his body had been paralyzed or something.
Then he heard the sound of a young child panting, as if trying to get away from something or someone. Soon the panting stopped and he heard the child say:
"No... Oh no... Mama... Mama...! MAMAAAA!" Anakin heard the child in his nightmare cry out.
"Gwah!" Anakin woke up in a cold sweat panting heavily.
His head had a mild headache but it soon subsided and he fell back to sleep.
Later, that evening, the graduation ceremony of the Academy is starting to get underway. Anakin, dressed in his black colored rogue tunic followed the rest of the students into the graduation room. The room where the graduation ceremony takes place is a large rectangular room with two wooden tables at the far end where the instructors and Aribeth herself are, and on both sides of the tables are coat of arms flags with the Neverwinter symbol on it, a beautifully designed black colored eye that seemed to glow purple on the outlines. On the left side of the room sat the new recruits who haven't been in the Academy since Day 1. Anakin has been in the Academy ever since the first day it opened to recruits, so that means Bim and Pavel are somewhere among the recruits who can only watch the graduation on the right side of the room. Each graduating student took his/her turn walking up to the instructors to be congratulated and then take their seats on the right side of the room.
It took 20 minutes for Anakin's turn to be commended for graduation. When he heard his name called out, he began to approach all the Academy's instructors ahead of him and saw Lady Aribeth herself step forward to greet him. Aribeth is somewhere around the young adult age for half-elves, she is 1 foot and 5 inches shorter than Anakin, she has long beautiful brown colored hair which reminded Anakin of the color of the leaves when they fall from the trees in the autumn season, and she wears bright silver chest exposing plate mail armor that has a strange design on the shoulder pads. The right shoulder pad appears normal sized, but the shoulder pad on her left shoulder is a little bigger and has four sharp zigzagging metal spikes. And sheathed on the left side of her waist she carries the same sword that Lord Nasher used to defeat a Minotaur several decades ago which made him legendary in Neverwinter's history, and on the right side of her waist she has a short sword. When Anakin saw Aribeth for the first time, he felt and noticed an odd, fuzzy feeling in his body. He realized that he is captivated by Aribeth's beauty. There is something about this woman that makes his heart flutter, but he pushed those thoughts aside. He seriously doubted that a paladin of Tyr like her would enter a romantic relationship with a man like him because everything he has done in his life was for money, not out of the "goodness" in his heart because he has none.
Still, her beauty is captivating like the morning sun rising over the horizon... Anakin silently admitted to himself.
When he got close enough to Aribeth, she shook hands with him and smiled, much to Herban's surprise.
"Congratulations. Your training here at the Academy is now complete. May the blessing of Tyr be upon you," Aribeth said with a pleased smile.
"Thank you," Anakin nodded politely, again, to Herban's surprise.
"I have been looking forward to meeting you, Anakin. The instructors here at the Academy speak very highly of your skills. I am Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande."
Anakin could sense the sheer jealousy of some, if not most of the male students watching him converse with Aribeth. He remembered what Silk told him yesterday that Lady Aribeth has many admirers.
"Skills aside, is there something else about me that interests you?" Anakin asked Aribeth, trying his best to make it sound like a professional, polite question rather than a flirting question.
"I am sorry, Anakin, but I cannot speak more about this here. Perhaps after the graduation ceremony we can speak in private. Neverwinter can use a good man like you," Aribeth said and that made Anakin feel uneasy deep down inside.
"Good man"... I'm everything but a good man... But does she know that or not...?
"If you say so," Anakin shrugged.
Aribeth nodded. "Good we should arrange..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Anakin felt a slight tremor in the floor. At first he thought it was his imagination, but he quickly realized it wasn't when he saw the urgency in Aribeth's eyes.
"Wait! What was that?" She wondered.
"What was what? I didn't feel anything," Jaroo, the instructor of arcane magic said.
Aribeth looked back at Jaroo incredulously. "You really didn't feel it?" She turned her head back towards Anakin. "Did you feel it, Anakin?" She asked him.
"Yeah. It felt like an earthquake tremor..." Anakin slowly nodded.
They felt the tremor again. This one is much more stronger than the last one. Not only Aribeth and Anakin felt it, but also Herban, Jaroo, Elynwyd (the instructor of divine magic) and Ketta did as well, even all the recruits in the room. Aribeth now had a clear idea what is going on.
"Brace yourself, we are under attack!" She exclaimed.
"What?!" Elynwyd exclaimed in shock.
At that moment, nine mysterious, hostile mages appeared in the room through dimensional portals! Two were closest to Anakin, Aribeth and the instructors. The recruits who didn't study the ways of arcane magic ran for cover! The guards posted around the room engaged the hostile mages! The recruits who studied arcane magic tried to help out. Aribeth drew her weapons and engaged one of the closest mages. The instructors split up to help the recruits and guards.
"All recruits, get to the armory! Go go go!" Herban yelled, urging all Fighter, Rogue, Ranger and Paladin classed recruits to leave the graduation room and get to the armory.
Jaroo fired a magic missile at one mage, killing him, but the other mage behind Jaroo, who is a blonde haired woman blasted Jaroo in the back with a frosty beam of ice. Anakin wanted to join the fight but he knew that without a sword or crossbow, he can't do much. He needed to leave with the rest of the unarmed recruits to get armed. He then heard a mage chanting a few words to cast a spell. He realized the mage to his left is about to cast something at him! Retaliating quickly, he kicked one of the tables up in front of him and used it as a shield to protect himself from the Melf's Acid Arrow that the mage sent flying at him.
"Damn it!" The mage cursed.
Anakin knew that it'll take a few seconds for the mage to cast another spell charged at the mage. The mage drew a dagger from his belt and made an attempt to slit Anakin's throat. He dodged the blade by crouching and jabbed the mage in the stomach, causing him to bend over, then he held his head with his right hand and brought his knee up towards the mage's face, breaking his nose. then Anakin punched his face several times and delivered a roundhouse kick to the left side of his head. Aribeth cut down the first two mages, and the Academy guards managed to slay most of the other hostile mages, but they have already killed a number of recruits, including Herban, Ketta, Bim, and Elynwyd and the other instructors! Pavel managed to escape with the surviving recruits and made their way to the armory to get suited in armor, gear up and attack these mysterious assailants. Aribeth heard one mage beginning to cast magic missiles at her and she expertly dodged the two magic missiles by running towards the mage and rolling forward as the two missiles tried to intercept her on both sides and ended up colliding against each other, then Aribeth slashed the mage with both her short sword and Nasher's sword. Anakin managed to take down the last two mages like the previous one, using chairs and tables as cover to protect himself from magic missiles, acid arrows and ice beams.
"Who is this guy?!" mage #2 exclaimed, confused as to why Anakin is fighting mages unarmed.
As the second mage began to cast a magic missile, Anakin managed to get close enough to the first mage, disarm him of his dagger and use him as a human shield.
"No! Wait!" The mage cried.
Too late. The 2nd mage fired the magic missile and instead of hitting Anakin, it his his fellow mage instead! Anakin dropped the dead mage from his grasp and gave the other mage a few good punches then when the mage was dazed, Anakin quickly stepped behind the mage, grabbed his head and roughly twisted it to the right until he was rewarded with a sickening crack of the vertebrae, then the mage collapsed. Anakin started breathing heavily. He could hardly believe that he took down mages with his bare hands. Some people have managed to using a sword or ranged weapon, but with their bare hands? Not often at all. At that moment, Anakin noticed that the graduation room is FULL of corpses, not just the mages, but most of the recruits and all of the instructors!
"Looks like you won't be laughing after all," Anakin said with a small smile looking down at Herban's body, thinking about his last words yesterday.
"Anakin! I must speak to you!" Aribeth called out to him.
Anakin approached Aribeth, stepping over corpse after corpse.
"What the hell is going on here?" He asked her.
"I don't know, but I fear this is no random attack we have suffered." Aribeth shook her head.
Anakin frowned at Aribeth with suspicion. "You're holding something back. Mages just don't get up and attack an Academy for no reason. We have something they want. What is it?" He pressed for more information.
"I suppose you should know. We have a way to cure the Wailing Death. Or at least have the ingredients to make a cure," Aribeth admitted.
"So the rumors are true..." Anakin rubbed his chin in amusement.
"A number of creatures were brought form Waterdeep to the academy. It was believed the reagents for a spell to create a cure could be extracted from them. We tried to keep this information secret. But this attack reveals our secret is well known, even to our enemies," Aribeth said.
"Who are our enemies?" Anakin asked her.
Aribeth replied with a shrug and said: "Neverwinter has many enemies. Some declare themselves openly, such as the city of Luskan. Others keep their identities and motives hidden from us, striking from the shadows."
"So you don't know who is behind this?"
"No, I don't, but it is obvious that they are here to destroy our hope of ending the Wailing Death. Please, you must protect the Waterdhavian creatures, Anakin! They must not be allowed to fall into the enemy's hands!" Aribeth exclaimed.
"Just me? Wait, you're not joining me in protecting them?" Anakin frowned in confusion.
"I would help you and take you to the creatures myself, but I fear that my presence would make protecting the creatures more difficult, if not impossible."
"How?"
"Look around you, Anakin! Our attackers appeared in this room. It is likely their arrival was magically centered on me. They must have assumed I would be with the Waterdhavian creatures. Even now our enemy may be watching me through magical means, hoping I will lead then right to where the creatures are kept. I cannot take the risk."
"I understand," Anakin nodded slowly.
"You must do this alone, Anakin. Go back through the hallway leading to this room, and take the corridor to the east, then make your way through the courtyard to the east wing of the Academy. That is where the Waterdhavian creatures are being kept," Aribeth instructed him.
"All right," he nodded.
"Hurry! The fate of Neverwinter depends on you, Anakin! May Tyr be with you!" Aribeth exclaimed before leaving out another exit.
Anakin left the graduation room the way he came in before the attack.
Down the hallway he encountered another mysterious mage. The mage is clearly surprised to see Anakin.
"What the?! Where's Aribeth? I was expecting her to come this way, not a wet-behind-the-ears whelp like you!" He exclaimed in shock.
"Watch your tongue, mage, or I'll yank it out," Anakin warned him with a threatening scowl.
"Bah! You're not even worth my time. Minions, kill this whelp!" The mage commanded, summoning two goblins and then used a spell to teleport elsewhere.
The goblins, armed with daggers exclaimed a few words in their native language and prepared to engage unarmed Anakin.
"Goblins, huh? Come on, mage, give me a challenge here," Anakin chuckled, cracking his knuckles.
The goblins charged at Anakin, believing that since he is unarmed, they have the advantage. They were proven wrong. Anakin dodged their strikes and finished off one goblin by kicking him in the chest then kicked the other one, and stomped the first goblin he kicked in the chest until his ribs broke apart. He left the barely conscious goblin alone and continued walking down the hallway.
The goblin regained consciousness and saw that his buddy's chest has been crushed into a bloody pulp. The goblin cried for a few seconds and then decided to avenge his friend. He grabbed his dagger and ran towards Anakin, hoping to successfully stab him in the back. The goblin yelled its war cry as it neared closer to Anakin and when he got 9 feet close, it jumped at Anakin, poised to bury its dagger into his head. Anakin heard the goblin coming, readied his right arm, curling his fingers into a fist, and spun around with his right arm outstretched for a brutal backhand, his wrist colliding with the goblin's neck and Anakin slammed the goblin so hard against the wall, he heard the goblin's skull crack. He held his arm against the goblin's neck for a few seconds. When he saw the goblin's arms and legs droop down lifelessly, he released the goblin's neck, causing it to slump down to the floor and he continued on. He could hear the shouts and screams of the Academy guards and recruits outside the Academy walls fighting more mages, goblins and other armies the enemy has out there. Soon he saw a large door to his right down the hallway and entered it.
He found himself in the storage rooms of the academy, where they keep all types of provisions in crates. He made his way through the storage room until he heard the sounds of steel clanging, shouts of anxious recruits and chattering of goblins. Anakin realized that he's getting close to the armory. He quickly made his way into the armory and found Pavel and two more recruits accosted by several goblins. The recruits managed to kill 3 goblins before getting killed by the remaining two. Now only Pavel is left, armed with a medium shield in his left hand and a flail in his right hand. Anakin jumped into the armory kicking down one goblin, surprising the other goblin long enough for Pavel to crack its head with his flail. Pavel sighed upon relief seeing Anakin.
"Thank the gods you're here, Anakin. I thought those goblins would be the death of me!"
"The gods had nothing to do with it, Pavel. Where's your brother?" Anakin asked.
"He's gone. They killed Bim. Look, Anakin, it isn't safe traveling alone. Let me come with you."
"Are you serious?" Anakin asked Pavel.
Truthfully, Anakin didn't like the idea of having a sidekick. They usually get in the way.
"Everybody needs help from someone once in a while, someone with skill you don't have," Pavel replied.
"My skills outranked everyone in the Academy," Anakin reminded Pavel.
"It doesn't hurt having a helping hand or two. Allies make you more stronger, you know," Pavel tried convincing Anakin.
"Hmm... You make a good point," Anakin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "All right, you can tag along as long as you make yourself useful, and try to keep up. I won't come back for you if you fall behind," he warned Pavel.
"I'll be fine," he assured Anakin.
After Anakin got suited up in studded leather armor and equipped himself with a long sword, a dagger and short sword, he and Pavel left the armory, fighting their way past goblins who are searching out surviving recruits indoors of the Academy. Both Pavel and Anakin could hear the Academy guards shouting out commands outside the Academy walls. Whatever they are fighting, it's likely a little worse than goblins.
Soon Anakin and Pavel found their way into the courtyard, where most of the Academy recruits and guards are in an intense battle against the mysterious mages and their minions. The entire courtyard has become a war zone!
"Run! We got to get to the east wing of the Academy!" Anakin exclaimed to Pavel.
"Right!" Pavel nodded.
He ran close behind Anakin, weaving their way past shouting recruits and guards led by Corporal Dendy shooting arrows, crossbow bolts and casting magic missiles at the enemy mages and their summoned minions, animated skeletons, and goblins. All around Pavel, every recruit and guard were getting shot down brutally, either by acid arrows, magic missiles, it was too much for his mind to absorb. He saw one hostile mage cast a flame arrow at a Ranger classed recruit. He never had a chance. Both sides were taking heavy losses, Pavel wanted to help out, but he knew he's better off following Anakin to wherever he is going. There's no way just the two of them can help everyone take on a group of unknown, well armed assailants.
"Don't stop! Don't stop!" Anakin called back at Pavel, reminding Pavel that he'll keep going if he falls behind.
Pavel managed to move past a guard armed with a crossbow just before he got hit by a bolt of lightning from one of the enemy mages.
"Auugh!" The electrified guard groaned, causing Pavel to gasp in surprise at how close he came to getting hit as well.
All around him, guards and recruits were shouting words during the battle like:
"Let's go! Let's go!"
"You heard the man! Let's move!"
"Follow me!"
"Right away, sir!"
"They're everywhere! Look out!"
"On your right!"
"Get down!"
"Take them down!"
"Fire! Fire!"
Pavel also noticed that a Cleric classed recruit was trying to heal an injured Fighter classed recruit who has an arrow stuck into his waist from one of the animated skeletons the mages are using against them. Pavel then looked to his left and saw an enemy mage beginning to summon a fireball, waving his arms, calling upon the arcane energies and sent a fireball the size of a volleyball flying towards a group of guards and recruits close by.
"Watch out!" One of the guards yelled.
The fireball exploded between them, setting everyone on fire. The image was too much for Pavel to take in, seeing them flail about and scream in pain as the fire cooked them... The sounds of the intense battle in the courtyard nearly faded away in Pavel's ears. All he could hear almost loud and clear was his heartbeat, heavy breathing and the painful screams of his fellow recruits around him. Part of him wanted to just lay down and hope this is all just an intense nightmare. Anakin noticed the corpse of the ranged weapon instructor, Hewwet ahead of him. He ran up to Hewwet's body, knelt down and noticed that he had Anakin's favorite crossbow in his right hand. Anakin pried the crossbow out of Hewwet's cold hand and grabbed his bag of crossbow bolts and continued running for the east entrance of the Academy. He looked behind to see that Pavel is keeping up fairly well even though he seems to be traumatized at all the death and destruction happening around him. Pavel also noticed that one of the enemy mages cast a Fear spell on another group of guards and recruits, causing their minds to descend into irrational panic so that their animated skeletons and goblin minions can easily finish them off. Pavel tried to calm his rattled psyche and continue following Anakin.
"Heads up!" Anakin exclaimed to Pavel, seeing two animated skeletons armed with swords blocking their way.
He aimed his crossbow at one of the skeletons and fired. The crossbow bolt flew at the skeleton's skull and buried itself into the forehead, causing the skeleton's skull to pop off its body. Pavel wasted no time in breaking down the other animated skeleton with his flail. The skeleton tried attacking first, but Pavel blocked the sword strike with his shield and swung in with his flail, shattering the skeleton. They eventually reached the east wing entrance of the Academy and ran indoors.
In the room closest to the stables, Anakin and Pavel encountered the same mage Anakin met before, the same one who summoned goblins to attack him.
"You again? You survived?!" The mage couldn't believe he crossed paths with Anakin again.
"Surprised, are you? You'll be even more surprised when I shove your guts into that mouth of yours," Anakin threatened the mage.
"Ha! I doubt it, because I'm not the dead man walking. You and your pathetic friend are! Your pitiful lives end right here!" The mage exclaimed and used a summoning spell to summon three goblins.
"I got the goblins. You get the mage," Pavel told Anakin.
"Just the way I wanted it," Anakin grinned at Pavel then charged at the mage.
When he noticed the mage beginning to cast a spell, Anakin dived behind the nearest crate to avoid getting blasted by a beam of ice. Pavel blocked the goblins attacks with his shield. Two of them tried to flank him, but unfortunately for them, he's the one who wields the strongest weapon compared to their daggers. Pavel bashed the goblin to his right, then bashed the goblin ahead of him with his shield. At that moment, the third goblin jumped on his back!
"No! Get off!" Pavel grunted, trying to shake off the goblin before it drives its dagger into his head.
He flailed about wildly until he crashed on top of a small wooden table with a small flowerpot sitting in the middle of it. He fell on his back on the table, causing it to crack in two, and the goblin's back broke the flowerpot, causing the soil that was once in the pot to spill out. Anakin peeked out from behind the crate and fired a crossbow bolt at the mage, hitting his left shoulder.
"Argh! You little runt!" The mage snarled.
Anakin noticed that Hewwet's bag had much less bolts than he thought, it only had one more bolt left. Although now that the mage's left arm is disabled, he can now melee attack the mage. Anakin drew his dagger out and charged at the mage. The mage grabbed his own dagger with his right hand and started swinging at Anakin to keep him back. Then they started circling each other, looking for a good moment to attack. Pavel stood up and yanked the barely conscious goblin off of him, and frantically looked around for his flail. He dropped it somewhere and now can't find it! He had no choice but to stomp the goblin to death before it fully regained consciousness. The mage charged at Anakin and he dodged then expertly used his dagger to open a wound above the right side of the mage's waist. The mage screamed in pain, then Anakin buried his dagger into the mage's back and pulled it down, damaging the mage's spinal column and he collapsed dead.
Pavel shook his head, checking the back of his head for any injuries then he noticed that his flail is next to a marble statue of a knight.
"Will you live?" Anakin asked Pavel curiously.
"I believe so," Pavel nodded.
"Good. Let's keep moving and find these Waterdhavian creatures," Anakin said.
"What?" Pavel frowned in confusion.
"Aribeth told me the rumors of the Academy having a cure for the Wailing Death is true. We must protect the Waterdhavian creatures at all costs," Anakin told him as they headed for a door to the stables.
"That makes sense. It explains why we are attacked," Pavel said as he followed Anakin into the stables.
In the stables, Anakin and Pavel found two men, Fenthick Moss and Desther Indelayne trying to defend two Waterdhavian creatures from a group of goblins. The creatures Anakin and Pavel saw before them is a dryad or nymph, fey-maidens who are protectors of forests and trees. They look like beautiful human or elven women with delicate slender bodies that seem to be made of soft wood. The dryad Anakin saw looked like a half naked young elven woman with scanty clothes made out of moss and a few leaves and seemed to be losing some of her beauty due to her separation from nature, but still she appeared very attractive. The other Waterdhavian creature is a pureblood Yuan-ti woman. Yuan-ti are a race of evil humanoid snakes, but pure blood Yuan-ti are the most human looking breed of the Yuan-ti, they have minor reptilian features such as snake-like eyes, a forked tongue and patches of scales on their skin. The pure blood Yuan-ti woman Anakin saw has long black hair, dark green eyes, bright gray skin that almost looks scaly and wore a skintight, provocative leotard. Fenthick Moss is a male elf with a golden headband around his forehead, he wore red robes and brown sandals. Desther is an elderly but healthy looking male human with receding gray hair and wore gray and red colored clothing. Half of the goblins were busy fighting Desther and Fenthick while the others attempted to eliminate the dryad and yuan-ti.
"Hurry! Kill the dryad!" The goblin leader exclaimed.
The goblins readied their bows and arrows and aimed at the dryad standing in one of the cubicles where horses used to be kept.
"Eeek!" The dryad shrieked and shut the stable doors just in time, the doors ended up being a shield for her, protecting her from the arrows.
"No! I must escape! I need to flee!" The dryad exclaimed, trying to use a teleportation spell from a scroll she stole during her escape.
Then as luck would have it for the dryad, she teleported out of the stables, away from the hostile goblins.
"Damn! That one got away!" Pavel exclaimed.
"No!" Fenthick wailed after blasting a goblin with a wand that shoots magic missiles.
"They've freed the Yuan-ti too!" Desther exclaimed.
"Get the Yuan-ti! Now!" The goblin leader exclaimed as some of his minions engaged Anakin and Pavel, who are trying to intervene.
The Yuan-ti woman is not as defenseless and timid as the dryad. She pelted a couple goblins with magic missiles then teleported away like the dryad using a scroll with the same teleportation spell. "Now that my bonds are broken, I am free to leave this accursed place," she said before disappearing.
"Nooo!" Fenthick wailed in despair.
It didn't take long for Anakin, Pavel, Fenthick and Desther to finish off the remaining goblins. After the fight, Fenthick fell into depression.
"We came too late! The creatures are lost, the Academy students slain... NO! This cannot be! How could this happen?!" He cried, dropping his magic missile wand and falling to his knees in despair.
Desther frowned in frustration. "Yes, all is lost, Fenthick. The nymph has fled, the yuan-ti and the other creatures have escaped into the streets of the city. And where was Aribeth during all this?" He asked Fenthick in a harsh tone.
Anakin sensed that Desther is accusing Aribeth of this setback. He wasn't going to let that slide.
"Aribeth sent me here. I came to protect the creatures on her behalf," Anakin told Desther.
Desther looked at Anakin in sheer disbelief. "You? Did Aribeth really expect a... a whelp such as this would be able to defend the Waterdhavian creatures? Is she really so blind to the truth, Fenthick?"
Anakin knew right then that he would dislike Desther as much as he disliked Herban.
Fenthick immediately looked up at Desther in near outrage and got up on his feet. "Desther! I will have you speak no more ill of Lady Aribeth. She did what she thought was best."
Desther turned his back on Fenthick and scoffed. "Bah! I know of the feelings you and Lady Aribeth have for each other, but it does nothing to change the facts. She was wrong to bring the creatures here."
Fenthick wanted to say something else to Desther, but he held his tongue. He wanted to tell him that he's not defending Lady Aribeth simply because they are lovers, but Desther would believe otherwise anyway.
"I will leave you and your lady love to clean up this mess, Fenthick. I must go and make arrangements to recover the cure Aribeth has so carelessly lost," Desther said as he walked towards the stable doors ahead, opened them and walked out.
Pavel noticed that there is no more shouting outside, no more clanging of steel, no whooshing of arcane energy, nothing. It seems as soon as the dryad and yuan-ti left, the attackers of the Academy suddenly retreated.
"Hmph. That man seriously needs a girlfriend, maybe then his demeanor would adjust. Then again, I'm not sure even a hag would mate with a bastard like him," Anakin huffed.
"You must forgive Desther. The strain of the Wailing Death weighs heavily on the Helmites. As their leader, Desther has worked long and hard to help ease the suffering of Neverwinter, and this most recent setback has upset him greatly," Fenthick assured Anakin.
"It doesn't change the fact that he's a bastard..." Anakin muttered.
Fenthick didn't want to think negatively about Desther, so he decided to change the subject by introducing himself to Anakin. "I am Fenthick Moss, priest of Tyr and companion of the Lady Aribeth. You must be Anakin, the student Aribeth told me about."
"I take it you spoke to Aribeth today?" Anakin asked him.
"Desther and I arrived with reinforcements shortly after the attack began. I found Aribeth in the south assembly chamber, hard pressed by dozens of the mysterious assailants. We managed to drive off the attackers and Aribeth told us she had sent one of the students on ahead to defend the Waterdhavian creatures," Fentick told him.
Anakin began to wonder why Desther was surprised that Aribeth told him and Fenthick that he is sent to defend the Waterdhavian creatures.
"While Aribeth tended to the wounded, one of the mages who had arrived with reinforcements teleported Desther and me to this room. Alas, we arrived to find the cages unlocked, and the creatures fleeing," Fenthick continued his story.
"So do you have any idea who attacked us?" Pavel asked Fenthick.
"We have no clues as to who planned the attack, and I doubt any prisoners we take will know anything about who is truly behind this. A few straggling goblins are all that remains of our attackers, but I fear we have lost this battle. The Waterdhavian creatures are gone, and all the students are dead..." Fenthick replied, wiping a tear.
"Not me, or Pavel," Anakin said.
"Well, that's true, but still, the losses are very high..." Fenthick slowly nodded.
"So, do you think there would be some kind of reward if I hunted the creatures and brought them back?" Anakin asked Fenthick, realizing this is an opportunity for a bonus, bringing back the Waterdhavian creatures and stopping whoever is behind the Wailing Death.
"I would like to think whoever helps in this task does so out of the selfless desire to end this misery of a plague, Anakin." Fenthick told him. "However, there's no doubt that there will be both gold and glory for those who recover the Waterdhavian creatures."
"Then in that case, you have my assistance, Fenthick," Anakin said.
"From all accounts you are a capable young man, Anakin. Aribeth told me the instructors at the Academy spoke very highly of you. I don't know what your role is, Anakin. That is for my Lady Aribeth to decide. You must meet her at the Halls of Justice next week. She will have more information for you there. Hopefully we will have a better understanding of what we are up against during that time. We all must do our part, Anakin."
"Before we part ways for now, I have one question. Are you and Aribeth really lovers?" Anakin asked curiously.
Fenthick shamelessly nodded. "Aribeth and I are of one heart, it is true. Is this surprising to you? We are both disciples of Tyr, we are both servants of Neverwinter. We draw our strength from each other during these difficult times. In duty, in out faith and in our love we will find a way to best the Wailing Death!" Fenthick admitted.
It upset Anakin to know that Aribeth is taken. And here he is, developing feelings for for a woman who likely won't accept him due to his dark nature, and Silk, the only woman who would accept him is most likely among the dead... Oh well, it is inevitable. Once a rogue, always a rogue, the only strength he relies on is himself. As a personal rule, he never counts on anyone else all the time. Relying on other people for strength only hinders your effort in finding your own strength. That's what Anakin learned growing up.
"All right. so next week, we'll meet at the Hall of Justice," Anakin said.
"Yes. There is much to attend to in the coming week. Aribeth and I will need you at the temple. May Tyr's blessing be upon you, Anakin." Fenthick said before walking out the stable doors.
Anakin looked back at Pavel and he could tell that Pavel is still rattled by all the carnage and death he has seen lately. "Anakin, I..." He started to say.
"Go on, spit it out," Anakin urged him.
"I owe you my life, Anakin. Without you, I wouldn't have made it out here. I... I could have died, just like my brother..." Pavel managed to say.
"All you owe me is money, nothing more, nothing less. I don't babysit people for free," Anakin said.
Pavel forced a smile, realizing Anakin can stay cool under pressure, but he can't. "You got what it takes to be a hero, Anakin, maybe even a legend, but not me. This life isn't for me, I know that now. I'm going back home," he said in depression. "Seeing all this... It made me realize something. Being a hero is not as glamorous as we thought it would be when we were kids. When we were running through the courtyard, I was scared of dying. All I could think about is laying on the grass, curl up in a fetal position and hope that this is a nightmare. A hero shouldn't act like that."
"Life isn't all sunshine and butterflies, Pavel. People like you have to wake up and realize that sooner or later," Anakin said.
Pavel nodded slowly. "Your words are truer than you know. Real heroes have the will to face adversity in many shapes and forms. I know you're destined for great things someday, Anakin, but I don't want to risk my neck for fame and fortune," Pavel said.
"Some people have the guts, some don't," Anakin said.
They walked out of the stables, their ears welcomed by the screams of severely injured guards in the aftermath of the attack nearby. Pavel took a deep breath and sighed, dropping his flail and shield.
"I'm no hero. I just want a nice, quiet life. I doubt our paths will cross again anytime soon. goodbye, Anakin, and good luck," Pavel said.
"Goodbye." Anakin said. Good riddance, weak willed fool.
In one brutal attack, the promise of those at the Academy had been all but snuffed out. Hope disappeared with all of the Waterdhavian creatures, and the weight of the terrible sickness pressed down on the city once more. Even more chilling, rumors about an enemy wanting to destroy Neverwinter from within has been proven true. Still, a flicker of hope remains, for not all had died in the attack. From the bloody carnage at the Academy, a survivor, named Anakin Lunar had stepped forward to be Neverwinter's champion in this dark hour.
