I stayed shut away in my room, pouring myself into the scriptures of light. They were more fascinating than any tome the Illithids had access to. There was also something strangely calming about their message…the world of salvation and love that Pelor offered was still foreign to me, but it was what I needed after all that I'd been through.
It wasn't until late in the morning on the next day that a knock came from my bedroom door. I dropped one of the books from my tentacles and immediately grabbed at the sheets of my bed. I began wrapping them about me.
"One minute!" my mind called out to the other side of the door.
I made sure my body was carefully hidden under the sheets before opening the door and peering out at who had knocked. It was the young girl who had bumped into me and Welljinx; Agatha had called her Nika. She held a bundle of clothes in one arm and a plate of bread and cheese in the other. She looked up at me with her bright green eyes and I could tell by her expression that she thought I looked crazy.
"Hi…uhh, Malachor right?" she asked, her red eyebrows still quirked up at me.
"Yes." I said and motioned for her to come in.
She obviously hesitated before coming in and setting the plate of bread and cheese down on the bedside table.
"Agatha wanted me to bring you some food and give you these," with that she held out the bundle of cloth to me. It was a priest's robe much like Agatha's but about 2 sizes too large, even for me. The sleeves and hood would easily cover me, but just in case some white bandages had been provided as well.
"This is perfect!," I exclaimed as I took the robe and bandages from Nika, "Please thank her for me."
"Yea I will…whatever." Nika answered, obviously bored and she turned to walk out of my room.
"Wait." I stopped her before she could leave and held up one of the books of light.
"You're Agatha's child, correct? So you have read the scripture also?"
Nika suddenly made a face like she was about to vomit, "Ugh no, I'm not her kid! She's just in charge of me cause I don't got folks. And she's trying to teach me to read, but I've got more important things to do than read some dusty ol books."
"Like what?" My mind asked her curiously
The question seemed to frustrate her and it took her a moment of frowning before coming to an answer.
"Like going out into the woods," Nika said her answer with a smile on her lips and before I could stop her again, she walked out and down the hall…I could have sworn I heard her mutter the word "weirdo" as she left.
I closed the door to my bedroom and got dressed. Bandages covered my arms as well as bound my tentacles but when paired with the hooded robe, it worked like a charm. Once dressed, I made my way out of the chapel and into town, ready to explore…and that was when I ran into him…or actually almost stepped on him.
Many of you will recognize the names of the people in my story. Many of them became legendary such as Nika, Princess of the Fey…Donovan the Great…even King Zane….but as fate would have it, the world never came to know about the man I was about to meet. I think it was because he never truly belonged in this world…but everything that happened was because of him…he was the cause and the solution of it all…the truest hero among heroes. His name was Kyruske Rosseau.
I wasn't looking as I rushed down the steps of the chapel. I ended up stepping on something and nearly falling down the steps in the process. I grabbed the railing on the steps to steady myself as whatever I stepped on let out a loud barking yelp.
The thing I had stepped on was a shaggy looking black dog. Sprawled out on the steps next to the dog was a haggard looking man. His dark brown hair was just as shaggy as his pet's fur and his face sported stubble. He seemed to be sleeping with his mouth open, but once his dog let out that distressed bark, he awoke with a snort. His eyes were glazed as he looked around and waved a corked bottle in his hand like a sword. Eventually his eyes focused on me and he staggered up, still holding that bottle like it was a weapon.
"What the hell did you do to my dog?!" he demanded to know and as if to join in, his pet started growling at me.
I started to slink down the steps, keeping my back pressed against the railing, "I didn't mean to hurt your animal." My mind staggered, "but you were in the middle of the stairs"
He suddenly closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye and grabbed me by the collar. The strong smell of alcohol rushed into my hood and I quickly noticed just how well muscled this man was.
"I don't care if I was sleeping in your goddamn confession booth. You stay away from me and my dog. You got that, cleric!' He threatened me through gritted teeth, mistaking me by my outfit as a member of the chapel.
"Let him go, Rosseau." Welljinx's voice commanded and I turned my head to see him watching us from the bottom of the steps.
Rosseau looked at Welljinx and then back at me. He glared and tightened his grip on my collar before roughly pushing me away and stumbling down the steps. His dog followed him without fail. He walked past Welljinx but made a point to bump his shoulder into the old man. Welljinx and I silently watched Rosseau make his way to another large building with a sign above it that read: "The Frog's Head Tavern."
"You'll have to forgive him Malachor," Welljinx said, "Rosseau ended up here after the war. He tends to prefer drinking over making friends and doesn't much care for the Gods."
"Its alright." My mind mumbled…I was just happy it hadn't come to a fight.
"Well anyways, you look great in those clothes!," Welljinx was obviously trying to change the subject, "I thought I would introduce you to some of the townsfolk today and show you around some of the spare lodgings we have, though I will have to depart around five. I have a student to teach then."
"That sounds wonderful, Thank you…for everything." I put a lot of emphasize towards the end.
Welljinx laughed, "No problem, my friend. I would like to think anyone would do the same for me if I had been the one lost and in need."
I just nodded and resigned to follow him around town. It was on that day that I met everyone else from Lucan who would later impact me: Donovan was then the student of Welljinx and lived with his mother and father…He was the same age as Nika, with a mop of brown hair, matching eyes, and scrawny frame. Rhiannon lived and worked with her step father, a blacksmith by trade. She was slightly older than the other two. Her skin was darker, with coal black hair and thoughtful grey eyes.
We toured the few unoccupied homes within Lucan. I chose a modest cabin that was furthest from town, out into the woods Nika loved so. It offered me much needed privacy and a steady supply of animal brains.
Four years would pass by peacefully…
I became part of the town in that time. I took up gardening and medicine making…I spent long evenings with Agatha, talking theology with her. I joined the chapel of Pelor officially and every Sunday I attended the Light service... Welljinx would visit me from time to time for tea…things were nice. I began to forget my old life in the underdark.
