Ch. 8
Among Thieves
After spending the next day and night in Kodlonu, where the locals had insisted on honoring them with the best food and accommodations they had to offer, the party made their return to Champion's Dawn. With the corsair threat largely subdued, the Xunlai agents had returned to the area and facilitated the party's travel. The Sunspear outpost was, as usual, abuzz with activity when they arrived through the portal and stepped into the bustle of the town. Anicara stepped forth and formally requested a brief leave of absence, which Rakiv immediately granted.
"Take some time," Rakiv nodded, "As much as you need. We're just investigating and running errands 'till Kormir gets back anyway."
"You're sure you're going to be alright?" Alendra asked with a note of concern, laying a gentle hand on her fellow officer's shoulder.
"I will be," she answered truthfully, "I just… need some time."
"Take care of yourself," Kydar added.
"I will," she smiled, "Thank you everyone."
With well wishes and a hug from Alendra the water mage departed, striding steadily away as the party turned and made its way towards the western gate.
"Should… we have sent a report with her to Spearmarshal Jerek?" Tahlkora piped up.
"I doubt he gives a damn," Rakiv responded, "Besides, we've only got part of a map to go on. I'd prefer to get some concrete evidence first. We'll find this Mindhebeh, and see if he's got anything we can use."
"And if he's got the piece we need?" Kydar asked as they strode into the verdant woods of Dohjok, "What then?"
"Then we track down this meeting place," Rakiv said, "If Kahyet's really in bed with the corsair's, we'll want to catch her red-handed. The bog is filled with pirates though, so we'll have to sneak in somehow."
"I'm thinking disguises," Kydar nodded.
"Yeah!" Tahlkora agreed, "We catch some of the corsairs and switch clothes with them."
"Sneak into the meeting, get our info, get out," Rakiv nodded thoughtfully, before smiling a little, "Sounds like a good enough plan. Then we report our findings in Kamadan."
"And hope Jerek will believe us," Alendra added with a small sigh.
There were nods all around as they made their way down the path leading south west, heading towards the deeper forests that marked the eastern edge of the swamps. With an abrupt halt, Rakiv stopped and whirled around, her hands blurring as she drew her bow and notched an arrow. A figure sprang from the foliage to their left and landed in a graceful crouch before the group. The lithe form of the Zaishen ranger kneeled before them, bowing her head and planting one fist in the dirt.
"Zaishen Acolyte Jin," the woman said, "Reporting."
Rakiv sighed with mild relief, slipping her arrow back into her quiver and propping her bow over one shoulder.
"Almost shot you Jin," she said, shaking her head.
"Apologies Commander Maelstrom," Jin nodded sharply.
"Nevermind that," Rakiv waved a hand, "Since when do you report to me anyway?"
"I sent for her…" Anorah spoke quietly, "To track the pirate."
"Oh," Rakiv raised her eyebrows in mild surprise, "Did you find him?" she asked the other ranger.
"Yes Commander," Jin nodded sharply again, "He is not far from here. Sousuke is keeping watch."
"Good work," she nodded, "Let's move out. And stop calling me commander."
"Yes, senpai," the Zaishen nodded as she rose to lead the way.
Rakiv turned to Kydar and arched an eyebrow at him, silently requesting a translation. Kydar scratched his head and then shrugged.
"I think it's a Canthan term for seniority," he said and chuckled sheepishly, "My Canthan's not as good as it should be."
"Figures," Rakiv sighed as she started to follow the acolyte, "These military types are sticklers for formalities."
"It helps maintain discipline," Alendra offered helpfully.
"It gets on my nerves," Rakiv responded.
The party made their trek through the Dohjok woods, encountering only the minimal opposition of insects and angry vegetation. The woods were quite beautiful when they weren't filled with harpies or corsairs, and the group strolled and talked as they made their way through the trees. They finally arrived at a clearing near the cliff-side, where the blue clad form of Acolyte Sousuke stood tall. Kneeling before him was a captured corsair captain, who dared not move for fear of the floating stone shards that were poised to strike at the back of his neck.
"He saw me, and he tried to run," Sousuke responded, his speech laden with his native accent as he gave a wry smile to his fellow Zaishen, "Sorry Jin, I'm not as good at hiding as you are."
"All that blue makes you stick out," Jin reprimanded with minor annoyance.
"But I caught him!" Sousuke protested, "So it's okay."
Anorah stepped up to him, giving the acolyte a once over before drawing her golden eyes up to his.
"Conspicuous," she stated.
Sousuke could only sigh crestfallenly as he lowered the Stone Daggers to the ground. Rakiv chuckled lightly as she stepped forward and looked down at the pirate at her feet.
"Captain Mindhebeh?" she queried.
"An' if'n ah am?" he asked in response, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You have something I want," Rakiv said, holding out the parchment of scroll pieces that Tahlkora had stitched together.
Mindhebeh looked at the scroll, his mouth twisting with scrutiny. He returned his gaze to the woman holding them and arched one brow.
"If'n you've got those," he said, "Ah guess it's safe ta 'ssume that Grenth's got the other cap'ns now."
Rakiv said nothing, staring hard at the pirate captain as he weighed his options.
"Tell ye what ah'll do," the captain said, "Ah'll trade ye for it."
"Or we could just take it from you," Kydar snorted.
"Ahh, but ah ain' got what you want," the captain grinned, "Not wit' me anyway."
"Then where is it?" Rakiv asked.
"Ye wants it?" the captain smirked, "Ye'll 'ave ta deal for it."
"Fine, what do you want?" the ranger sighed in exasperation.
"Not much," he shrugged, "Jus' me life is all. Ah give ye the scroll, n' ye'll send me on me merry way."
"Done," Rakiv rolled her eyes, "Where's the scroll piece?"
"Gave it to me first mate I did," he said, "Ye'll find 'im in Blacktide Den."
"This guy got a name?" Rakiv asked.
"Could ah get me shield n' spear back?" he returned, rising to his feet.
Rakiv nodded and Sousuke brought them forth, handing both to the pirate as he shouldered the shield and gripped his spear.
"Fellow by the name o' Nunbe," he answered, "Savage Nunbe."
"If you're lying, you're a dead man," the ranger said coldly.
"I figured that were h'implied," the captain chuckled, "He'll have what ya want, an' give it up easy too."
"Nice doing business with you Mindhebeh," Rakiv nodded as she strode past him.
"Believe me," the captain responded as the party left, "The pleasure's all mine."
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Once just a simple camp set up by raiders in the marsh, Blacktide Den had become the single most populated haven for all illegal activity in Istan. Though a notorious center of crime and debauchery, it was well defended by the natural barriers of ancient trees, deep bog water and thick vegetation. Attempts to remove the village had been largely unsuccessful, and Sunspear forces had contented themselves to keep watch in Dohjok. Nonetheless the outpost had thrived, becoming a haven for all things dark, dirty and secret.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy," Rakiv completed, before smirking up at Kydar.
The scribe grimaced and then sighed, retrieving his notebook to quickly scribble down the ranger's explanation.
"We don't exactly cover thieves' dens at the Academy," he grumbled.
"Mmhm," Rakiv grinned, "Well let's find this Nunbe. And everyone remember where you are, this isn't Sunspear territory. We must be cautious."
The party split up, searching the Den for the man they needed. All sorts of shady characters populated the outpost, from raiders and cultists to corsairs and cutthroats. After combing the entire Den, Rakiv and Kydar stumbled across a shady man waiting by the camp's southern entrance. After only a little questioning the pirate revealed himself to be Savage Nunbe, and Kydar called the party to assemble at the gate.
"Alright here's yer map piece," Nunbe grumbled, offering the parchment, "Ye'll be headin' inta the swamp fer the meetin'."
"You guys are givin' this up pretty easy," Rakiv noted.
"We be pirates," Nunbe shrugged, "I ain' riskin' my neck fer that lot."
"Hmph," Rakiv snorted with a chuckle, "Cowards."
"An' still breathin' because of it," Nunbe laughed.
"Are we really going in there?" Tahlkora asked unhappily, "It's all gross and… muddy and sticky!"
"It is our objective," Anorah said simply.
"Wait, yer not all goin are ye?" Nunbe's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why would we not?" Rakiv asked.
"Cause they'll know yer Sunspears fer sure!" he exclaimed.
"Oh yeah," Rakiv nodded, "We've got the whole disguise thing covered."
"Don't matter what you look like," the corsair groaned, "The meetin's only fer three people."
"Wait… what?" Kydar scratched his head.
"There be three fleets that attacked Istan," Nunbe sighed, "Commander Werishakul were supposed ta take the Keys, Commander Bahreht landed in Dohjok an' Ironfist's ships hit the Reach. Us pirates here be what's left o' Bahreht's crews. But the meetin' is fer three people only, them bein' the Commanders or their first mates. Ironfist already sent one o' his crewmen in. Cap'n Besuz were Baherht's numba two an' he be at one of the camps in the bog."
"So that means only one of us can go…" Alendra sighed dejectedly.
"Or maybe two of us…" Kydar said thoughtfully.
"Two?" Tahlkora asked curiously.
"Yeah," the scribe nodded, "All we gotta do is catch whoever Ironfist sent in and take his place. Then one of us can pretend we're from Werishakul's group, and the other will be from Ironfist."
"But then two of us will be alone and surrounded by corsairs," Tahlkora protested, "If they were caught… there'd be no one to help them."
"It's a risk…" Rakiv nodded, "But I don't think there's any way that all seven of us are getting in there. Not with this kind of secrecy going on."
The party gave murmurs of agreement, thinking over their options before Rakiv spoke again.
"Alright, I'm going," she said, "One of Werishakul's captains was a ranger… Faird I think they called him. I'll pretend to be him. Kydar, you're coming with me."
"Me?" the scribe exclaimed, "Why me?"
"I'll need your firepower," she said, "If we are discovered, you're the only one here who could help me against those numbers."
"Commander I…" Anorah began quietly.
"You're a Zaishen. Great in a fight, but I can't have you suddenly taking someone's head," Rakiv shook her head, "I'd take Jin but I need someone who can hit lots of people at once to back me up. And with Anicara down, Kydar's the only one here who can do that."
There were glances all around, but the ranger's logic was sound. Crowd control was the fire elementalist's forte, and without a healing source the only chance of surviving was to hit everything fast and hard.
"Commander," Jin said, bowing quickly, "I can move quickly, quietly and unseen. Allow me to follow you, to provide assistance if needed."
"Very well, you can follow," Rakiv nodded, "Just don't blow our cover."
"Yes Commander," Jin saluted.
Rakiv sighed as she shook her head and turned to Nunbe, giving his boot a kick with the tip of her own.
"Take your clothes off," she ordered.
"Well that's one way ta ask fer it," the pirate grinned lecherously.
He received a swift right hook to his chin, that nearly lifted him from the ground and sent him stumbling backwards. He snarled angrily before the sound of several weapons being brandished changed his attitude.
"Take your clothes off, please," Rakiv smiled.
Nunbe grumbled darkly, his swearing containing something about Sunspears and their methods. He did as bidden however and Rakiv retrieved his things, which were obviously a few sizes too large for her. Nonetheless she dropped the many straps that held up her gear and pulled the pirate's clothes on over her own. Popping her head out of the neckhole in the tunic she wrinkled her nose.
"When was the last time you washed," she growled.
"Yesterday," the half-naked pirate snapped, "But it was in bog water."
A collective noise of disgust rose from the group. Nunbe only laughed at them and turned away.
"Ye won't fare much better," he cackled as he laughed, "Have fun on yer li'l mission heroes. The meetin' point be three day's journey into the bog."
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"Great," Kydar sighed, looking down at himself, "Mine's too short."
The pair stood amongst the ruins of one of Fahranur's ancient watch posts, built in the olden days to keep watch on the dark crypts to the south. Rakiv snickered as she looked the scribe, whose stolen uniform was clearly too small for him.
"Well at least you don't have to pretend to be a different gender," Rakiv grumbled, "You'd think there'd be at least one female corsair I could dress-up as."
"Eh," Kydar shrugged, "Wrap up enough, deepen your voice and I'm pretty sure you can fool a few pirates into thinking you're a man. At least your clothes cover your entire body!"
"Well it's your own fault for being so tall," Rakiv laughed.
"It is not!" he countered, "I can't help my height!"
The ranger only laughed as she wrapped the corsair cloths over her face hiding her completely. Butter waddled up to her, looking at her curiously before giving an amused chuffle.
"Oh hush," she shook her head at him, "And be good, I can't have you blowing our cover either."
The crocodile appeared thoughtful for a moment, before waddling a few paces away. With a quick turn he splashed into the muddy water, rolling back and forth before crawling out covered in muck. He gave a bit of a shake and looked up at her, croaking at his mistress.
"Yes, very nice," she replied with a roll of her eyes, "You look like a real wild crocodile."
Butter appeared pleased with the compliment and hunkered down to wait as mayflies buzzed about his newly muddied scales. Rakiv chuckled and turned back to Kydar sighing impatiently.
"Are you ready yet?" she asked, "The tunic won't get any longer no matter how much you pull on it."
"I guess…" he sighed, picking up his wand, "Fine, let's go."
The disguised Sunspear agents strode into the bog, mud and loam squelching beneath their boots. Lahtenda Bog had once been a lush and beautiful rainforest, known for its peaceful serenity. The Sunspear Guard had built their crypts far to the south, believing that the peace there would provide the dead with easier passage to the Mists. However the jungle had thickened and as seasonal storms caused the Anur River to swell as it ran its course towards the ocean. At its shallow elevation and protected by the natural seawall that surrounded the western half of the island, the Lahtenda Jungle had become the Lahtenda Bog. Transformed into a place of murky waters inhabited by wicked creatures and wailing spirits, even the Primevals of Fahranur had come to fear it. Though the Sunspears continued to bury their dead in the crypts, the Kings had been quite content to let the jungle grow over and left a single watch post behind as a safeguard… should anything claw its way out of the swamp.
It was a story that Butter remembered well, from his days as a fingerling in the marsh when his mother had croaked to him tales of his ancestors and the beautiful riverbank. The crocodile would have gladly conveyed the story to his human comrades. But as he had yet to master reproducing the sounds of a human voice box, he very naturally said nothing. And so Rakiv and Kydar tromped onward, blissfully ignorant of how calm and peaceful the bog had once been.
The swamp was mazelike, great trees and foliage wound and grown so closely together that many places were completely impassable. The trio followed the meandering path that the bog chose for them, until it spat them out into a broad clearing of surprisingly solid ground. Several figures lurked in the gloom of the swamp, turning their attention to the new comers.
"Well, well," one of them grunted, getting to his feet, "It's 'bout time you got here. You're late, you know that right?"
"We are?" Kydar asked without thinking.
"You were supposed ta be here hours ago!" the man snapped as he stepped forward, "If the commander's weren't gonna come themselves, they coulda at least sent ya on time!"
"Oh stow it," Rakiv snapped in her best impersonation of a male corsair, "We're 'ere ain't we?"
"Hrmph, I suppose," he grumbled, "I'm Cap'n Besuz, leadin' what's left o' this here crew. It's gonna be a ways into the Bog an' we'll be stoppin' at my camps. 'Tain't safe ta travel at night."
"Why?" Kydar asked, throwing on his own accent, "Ye skeered o' the dark?"
"Ye'd be too shipmate," Besuz replied grimly, "If'n ye'd 'eard what we been 'earin' these nights."
Rakiv and Kydar glanced at one another and then returned their attention to the captain. Besuz looked genuinely troubled, but shook it off after a moment and looked at the pair.
"Well, who be ye then?" Besuz demanded.
"Cap'n Farid, I be comin' in from Commander Werishakul's crew," Rakiv lied, and then continued when Besuz glanced at Butter, "An' this be me mate… uhm… er… Sharptooth."
Butter obligingly opened his mouth wide, to show that he had indeed been aptly named.
"N' you?" Besuz asked, looking up at Kydar.
"Bosun Makun," Kydar improvised, "Servin' as Ironfist's Envoy."
"Hmph," Besuz snorted, "Well then we best get ta movin'. Wanna get ta the first stop afore nightfall."
"Did you say Nightfall!?" Kydar asked very loudly, to ensure that Jin overheard.
"Yes…" Besuz nodded slowly, giving the scribe a curious look, "Because bad things come out at night."
"Sorry Cap'n," Rakiv chuckled deeply as she elbowed Kydar in the ribs, "Had to bring down some Mandragor on the way in. One of 'em clocked 'im good an' he's still a li'l woozy."
"Hmph, well shake it off shipmate," Besuz grunted, "We got tracks ta make."
With a wave of his hand the other corsairs fell in, Rakiv taking a quick inventory of their weaponry. One bore a sword, though he lacked a shield to compliment it. The other carried a scythe over his shoulder, though the weapon was beat up and rather dull looking. As Kydar moved to step forward Rakiv caught his arm and strode past him.
"Don't be an idiot," she hissed as she followed the others.
Kydar only chuckled sheepishly as they headed further into the Bog.
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Walking through the Bog was a frustrating chore, as plotting a course of any kind seemed almost useless. Their path was at the mercy of the swamp, and it forced them onto winding and roundabout trails. The thick jungle denied them nearly at every turn, and every step was a gamble between firm ground or muddy terrain. Though Rakiv was an expert at tracking through wild environments, even she wondered how difficult finding the way back would be.
The swamp was infested with all manner of hostile creatures. The pirates' progress was repeatedly brought to a halt by mobs of skale, swarms of insects or pop-up mandragor the sun began to set Besuz picked up the pace, demanding that they move faster. As the sky beyond the trees began to turn golden they found themselves splashing into bog water up to their waists, Besuz leading the way forward. Butter was quite content and swam along lazily beside them. Finally the pirates slogged up onto dry land and Besuz gave a sigh of relief.
"Welcome ta Haunted Quag," he said without enthusiasm, "Ye see them torches 'round the place? Stay inside 'em. All manner o' terrible beastie be lurkin' out there. Washin' pool's over there if'n ye wants the mud out yer boots, an' don't worry 'bout no supper. There ain't any."
"Don' worry mate," Rakiv whispered and elbowed Kydar, "I'll 'ave ole Sharptooth see what fish there's ta be had in these waters."
"I think I'd rather go hungry…" Kydar admitted, looking back into the swamp.
"Well make yerselves comfortable," Besuz gestured, "There's a few cabin's about with naught but strange village folk in 'em. So feel free ta kick 'em out if'n ye wants a roof o'er yer 'eads. "
"Erm… will do," Rakiv saluted.
Besuz nodded and stomped away, shaking mud from his boots as his lackys followed in his wake. The undercover Sunspears decided to take advantage of the wash pool and clean out their boots of the day's muck and grime. Rakiv sent Butter into the swamp to hunt for fish while Kydar managed to secure an unoccupied stilted cabin. An hour later night had fallen and Rakiv and Kydar sat in the cabin, where the elementalist began roasting the fish Rakiv had skinned and gutted.
"So far, so good," Kydar commented.
"Mhm…" Rakiv agreed, slicing open one of the small snappers with her arrowhead.
"You know… it's been a couple days now," Kydar said, "And no one's said anything about what happened in the Keys…"
"I was gonna ask Anicara when we got back," Rakiv said, "We can't have that happening again."
"She's not the only one I'm worried about," he said.
The ranger stopped her work and looked up at him, her features unreadable in the firelight. The elementalist however, continued to watch the meat he roasted.
"This is getting out of hand Rakiv," he said slowly, "We've got a pretty odd group here, and our little quirks are starting to come out. And it's starting to worry me that none of us knows what our teammates are really capable of."
Rakiv remained silent, looking back down at her fish. She twisted the arrowhead, spilling the innards through a hole she'd carved in the cabin floor.
"You're no ordinary mesmer," she observed quietly.
"You're no ordinary ranger," he returned, raising his eyes to her.
The woman looked up, his hazel eyes glowing back at her in the firelight. There was something about those eyes, something almost… enchanting. The thought crossed her mind he was trying to read her thoughts, but she felt no magic around her… save for the soft, warm prickle of the fireball he held in his palm. She chewed her lip thoughtfully, understanding what his gaze meant and she finally gave in with a sigh.
"I've no idea where I was born," she said as she returned her attention to scaling the fish in her hands, "No idea who my parents were either. I don't remember much of my early life… but I do remember the trees."
She was silent for several moments, as she sliced off the tail and handed the fish to Kydar, who set it cooking in his free hand.
"I grew up in Zehlon Reach, near the village there," she said, "Sometimes I'd play with the children… but mostly I was by myself. Spent my days 'exploring', running around and seeing what trouble I could get into. But I always loved the trees. I'd sleep in them most nights, and play around them all day."
She paused and laughed lightly as a memory came rushing back to her.
"The local Skale hated me," she laughed, "When I got bored of 'exploring', I'd pass my time raiding their dens for the goodies they'd horde, then take them in town to sell for food."
Kydar chuckled himself at the thought. Rather resourceful, and daring for a little girl.
"The locals didn't know what to make of me," she chuckled, "I'm sure some of them thought I was some kind of wood nymph. After all, I was just a little red-headed, pale-skinned wild child that popped in and out of the reeds and led their children on wild adventures. Once I stole a boat and took several of the village kids out to sea. Armed with sticks and slingshots we were going to hunt the Great Skale Lord… or something like that," she laughed.
Kydar grinned as he handed one of the finished fish to her. The ranger thanked him and took a bite, munching thoughtfully and swallowing before continuing her story.
"There was one lady that tried to look after me though," Rakiv said, "I didn't talk to her much, was afraid that she'd try to 'catch' me. But I guess she watched me often enough to know which trees were my favorites, and would sometimes leave things near them for me. When I started to out grow my clothes, she brought me a shirt and a new pair of britches," she nodded, and paused thoughtfully, "I wonder where she is now… I'd like to thank her."
The ranger took another bite, chewing and swallowing as Kydar began to eat as well.
"Anyway, one day a man came to the village, and he stuck around for awhile," Rakiv said, "I asked the kids about him, but no one seemed to know his name or really where he'd come from. He seemed interested in the children though, and I often saw him speaking to the village mothers. And then a day came when I woke up to find him standing under my tree. It scared me at first, cause no one ever came near my trees if they could help it. But he just stood there, so after awhile I came down a little bit to look at him. He didn't say anything, but he held up his arm and handed me a sweet roll. I don't know how long we sat there staring at each other, but I finally got the courage up to take it from him and then climbed back up away from him. He never said a word that day, just watched me for a few more minutes and then walked away."
The ranger paused and tilted her head as she looked at the elementalist.
"You know now that I think about, that's actually pretty creepy huh?" she asked.
Kydar laughed, rocking backwards and shaking his head as he motioned for her to continue.
"Well the next day he was there again," she chuckled, "And he had another sweet roll for me. And he was there the next day, and the next day and the next day. Then he started bringing me two sweet rolls every morning. So finally after… I dunno, maybe a week or so of this, I got up the courage to ask him his name. He said he'd tell me his if I told him mine. So I gave him the only name I had, Rakiv. He told me to call him Eidolon, and that in a few more days he wouldn't be able to bring me sweet rolls anymore. I, of course, protested and he said that if I'd like more sweet rolls I should come see him in the village. Then, as usual, he just walked away."
Rakiv paused again to pop the rest of her fish in her mouth, wiping her hands on her turban and sliding her gloves back on.
"Sho.." she said with a full mouth before swallowing, "A couple days later, I decided to go into the village. I think I even took a bath that morning," she laughed a little, "So I went into town and asked around. Most folks were surprised to see me out of the marshes, but they pointed me in the right direction. I found the house he was staying at and he came out to talk. We were there for hours I think, just trading questions and answers. Some of his answers were pretty vague though… I'd ask him where he was from and he'd say 'far away' ya know? But I was just happy someone wanted to talk to me. He told me cool things though, about strange animals and monster's he'd seen, stuff like that. Then I asked him why he came to my tree… and he said, 'Because you, Rakiv, are a very special person.'"
Kydar raised both eyebrows curiously, but Rakiv only shrugged and continued.
"So then he told me about the gods, things no one had ever told me before," she said, "And I was pretty excited when he said that the reason I loved trees, and lived in the wild and all that was because the goddess Melandru had been watching over me. Then he told me that he had come from a place called Gandara, the Moon Temple and that he and others like him had been sent out to find the special little girls in the world that the gods were watching over. He said I was one of those little girls and asked if I wanted to come with him to the temple," she paused and then chuckled, "I don't think I even hesitated when I said yes."
The ranger stopped, violet gaze staring off into space as Kydar finished the last of his fish. There was silence for some time and then Kydar tilted his head and looked around.
"You think we gotta worry about spies?" he asked.
"Nah," Rakiv shook her head, "Butter's outside. If there was anyone out there, we'd have heard somebody screaming."
As if on cue, a terrible and bloodcurdling wail split the night. Both ranger and elementalist grabbed their weapons and sat stock still as they listened to the sound. It was a moment before it became apparent that the sound had not come from within the camp, but from somewhere in the Bog beyond. The first cry was soon joined by a woe filled moan that lingered in the thick, humid air. As they listened carefully they could just make out more such noises far in the distance, wails and cries that reverberated through the trees.
"That…" Kydar gulped, "Is not cool."
Rakiv said nothing, though she too was unnerved. The noises of a nighttime forest had never bothered her in the least, but this was just unnatural.
"No wonder Besuz was so jumpy," she said, "That's enough to drive a person mad."
Neither spoke as the wails continued, receding further and further into the darkened Bog until their sounds were finally gone. Kydar and Rakiv traded disturbed glances.
"We'd better get to sleep…" Rakiv said, with a sigh, "I'm sure it's nothing worse than a wandering ghost."
"I've never heard a ghost scream like that," Kydar said.
"Just leave the fireball burning," she nodded to the light source, "We'll be fine."
Kydar grimaced but nodded, waving a hand across the burning orb to reduce its glow. Rakiv wrapped her pirate scarf across her face once more as she laid down on the cabin floor. Sleep was elusive, particularly with the anguished screams still echoing in her head. After a sleepless half-hour she raised her head to glance across the cabin towards her companion. The scribe lay on his back, the beginnings of a snore rising from his lips. The ranger's eyes narrowed. Lucky bastard. A gentle roll of thunder came from the skies far above as the pitter patter of raindrops began to beat against the roof of the cabin.
The ranger chewed her lip thoughtfully and finally scooted across to the other side of the cabin. She was careful not to get too close to the sleeping male, just moving enough to lay down on the other side of the fireball. After all it was good have friends close, especially when surrounded by enemies. As she hunkered down she allowed her violet gaze to wander to his face.
Such a strange man he was. Intellectual and academic… yet oddly violent in battle. His mission oriented thinking made her assume he had some form of martial training. Yet while he had focus he lacked the discipline and of a tempered warrior. Elementalist and mesmer, scribe and archeologist… these were his titles. But the ranger had begun to learn this was not who he was. Something else drove this man, something far more meaningful was his purpose. She'd seen it in his eyes, he was here because he was fighting for something… something very close to him. The only question now was what. It was this question, the riddle of the man beside her that followed her into her dreams as the low roll of thunder rocked her softly to sleep.
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"Getcher selves up ye slack-hearted laddies!" Besuz slang laden voice rang through the Quag, "We gots ground ta cover!"
Rakiv woke with a start, blinking blearily at the dim light that filtered into the cabin. That was odd, dawn was usually her instinctive wake-up call. She pulled herself to her feet, gathering her equipment and snapping her many belts across her hips and torso.
"Oi," she called, giving her elementalist partner a kick, "Wake-up ye lazy dog!"
"Mrrrrm!" Kydar protested, rolling over and turning his back to her.
"Hey!" she snapped, "Get up!"
The scribe responded by waving a hand at her dismissively and mumbling something entirely unintelligible. Rakiv frowned and gave him another kick.
"Matey if'n ye don' get up I'm tossin' ye in the bog!" she cried.
Kydar sat up slowly, glaring at her darkly as he rose to his feet and wrapped the filthy corsair coat across his shoulders.
"Next cliff we come to," he grumbled as he headed for the door, "I'm kicking you off it."
Rakiv chuckled and shook her head as she bound her face wrap tighter and stepped out of the cabin after him. The midnight storm had lingered over the bog, painting the sky a thick shade of grey and releasing a steady drizzle into the swamp. Besuz and his crewmates waited in the middle of the small village, having wrapped themselves tightly in thick tarps to keep out the wet. The original pair stood with their captain and the group was now accompanied by six others, presumably other corsairs who had been watching the camp in Besuz' absence. Kydar and Rakiv approached the pirates, and Besuz turned to face them.
"I think after a night in the bog, ye've seen why I be in a hurry," Besuz nodded, "We be fine s'long as we travel by day. We'll 'ave ta move quick like though, 'tis a good ways from 'ere ta the next camp."
"Then let's get ta trailblazin'," Rakiv slurred.
"Aye," Besuz agreed, "Forward then mates. I ain' endin' up in the Grasp t'night!"
So saying, the party of brigands started back into the swamp, sloshing into the bog water as Besuz forged the path before them. The steady drizzle lasted throughout the day, often times intensifying as a wind brought with it chilling cold and heavier rain. Well used to the elements herself, Rakiv could only give Kydar a quick sympathetic pat as he shivered beneath his meager coat. The elementalist gave her a shaky shrug, conjuring a small ember between his palms and blowing on it gently as he did his best to protect it from the pouring rain. As they made their way up onto drier land, Besuz called a short stop beneath the branches of a weeping willow.
"Five mintues," he called, settling down on a large root and uncorking a flagon of grog.
Kydar leaned against the tree trunk, valiantly attempting to quell his shivers. Rakiv walked past him, muttering quietly under her breath.
"Hang in there mate," she whispered encouragingly.
"Aye… aye, cap'n," he responded, raising his ember to his lips again.
The ranger strode across their rest site, examining the jungle around them. The bog was staggeringly dense, and the way forward was a narrow trail that wound through the thick, dark trees. A small hiss escaped her animal companion and she glanced down at Butter, who was staring off into the trees. She leaned forward and squinted, discerning nothing out of the ordinary in the foliage. And then something moved, a hand ever so slightly beckoning to her before slipping back out of view. Rakiv's eyebrows raised in mild surprise, the Zaishen was as good as she had claimed. Grumbling something aloud about having to relieve herself, the ranger swaggered over to the thick ferns, making a large show of undoing her pants to take a whiz.
"Beware," Jin's voice, barely audible above the falling rain, drifted to her, "Something is following us, and it is not alone."
"Any idea what?" Rakiv murmured, equally softly.
"Animal," the answer came, "Predator. Hungry."
Rakiv nodded slightly. Predators she could handle. There was a savage simplicity that existed in the relationship between predator and prey. They came to her, and she showed them what a predator really was. The ranger bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, as she had often seen males do when they concluded their 'business'. She then set to refastening her pants as she strode away.
"Let's get movin'!" Besuz shouted, standing at the trail and waving for the party to assemble.
"Haran ain' back yet!" one of the crewmen shouted.
"Then he'll catch up!" Besuz snapped, "Sunset waits for no man! Let's move!"
Rakiv looked down at Butter, watching the spines along his back slowly raise. The crocodile made no noise however, and looked up at his mistress. Rakiv gave her companion's nose a small pat as she moved to follow the pirate crew. She caught up with Kydar and the elementalist glanced down at her as they strode in the captain's wake.
"Keep a sharp eye…" she muttered.
Mystified, but alert the scribe nodded slowly as they continued their progress through the swamp. The ranger couldn't help but chuckle as Kydar began whipping his head towards every rustle, chirp and splash that came from the trees around him. She elbowed him lightly and shook her head.
"Not that sharp," she said.
"What exactly am I looking for?" he asked.
"Not sure," she responded truthfully, "Just… stay alert."
"Oi," a voice from behind them spoke up, "Where's Kokun?"
The party came to a stop as Besuz turned to look at his men. The pirates glanced among themselves for the missing crewman as one of the cutthroats scratched his head.
"Yeah… Sarred's missing too," he mumbled curiously.
"Headcout!" Besuz ordered.
It had been a party of eleven (and one animal) that had set out from Haunted Quag that morning. The hours of travel so far had passed without incident, yet they were now a party of eight. Besuz counted again, and then a third time.
"We be missin' three…" he grumbled, "Where the hell did they go?"
The pirates were silent, looking around at the forest for any sign of their missing crewmates. Rakiv turned and began to follow their tracks back, purple eyes scanning the numerous prints their march had left behind.
"Here," she called, "'ave a look!"
The pirates gathered around to look at the mud as rain spattered all over and around them. Finally Besuz gave a grumble and pointed at the ground.
"What the hell are we looking at?" he demanded.
"We lost a man here," she responded gutterally, "Ye see there? Nine sets o' tracks, them 'eavy ones is yers Cap'n Besuz. An' right there, one o' the tracks be gone."
The ranger turned to examine the jungle around them, and stepped to a tree to squint at its bark.
"He went this way…" she said, "But it don' look like 'e wanted to."
"Why ye say that?" a crewman asked shakily.
"Mud at the tree base 'as a deep streak in it," she said, "Like 'e were dragged. N' my guess is 'e tried ta grab the tree, it be missin' a good strip o' bark like it were clawed at."
"What about the Sarred?" Besuz asked.
"My guess'd be the same thing," she shrugged, " 'is tracks end way back there there."
She pointed further down the way they had come up the narrow trail. An uneasy silence settled over the pirates, broken by the constant patter of the drizzling rain.
"I knew this jungle were an evil place," one of the crewmen whimpered, panic rising in his voice, "We should go back!"
"We come too far ta go back now ye ninny!" Besuz snapped, "We move on. Keep yer wits about ye an' watch them trees!"
Under the captain's orders, the party moved out again and resumed their increasingly dangerous trek through the Bog. Kydar strode along in silence like the rest, closing his eyes to focus. His senses spread outwards, feeling the vastness of the swamp around them. Small blips registered in the violet ocean of his magical probe, the diminutive minds of the animals and wildlife of the forest. A strong wave came to him, washing through his mental radar like a razor blade. It was primitive and undeveloped, but the emotion was unmistakable. It was a powerful and overwhelming intent to kill.
Kydar turned around, opening his eyes just in time to witness the beast as it attacked the corsair bringing up the rear of their march. It was big, far taller than any of the men in the party. Smooth brown scales covered its body and a broad frill framed its head. It moved on two legs with thick haunches that propelled it silently out of the jungle. Each three fingered hand was equipped with a single, long scything claw. It was with these claws that the reptile skewered the pirate through his torso and his neck, silencing his attempted scream as it sprang clear across the path from the jungle foliage. As quickly as it had come it disappeared, taking the pirate with it and vanishing into the vegetation on the other side of the trail.
"Balthazar defend us…" he swore.
"What?" Besuz asked, turning around.
"Bosun?" Rakiv queried, "What's wrong."
"I-i-it just took that guy…" Kydar stuttered.
"What did!?" she demanded.
"I don't know!" he responded, "It was big, and had brown scales and long claws and a frill!"
"Long claws and a…" Rakiv repeated, and then paused in mid-sentence.
"Cap'n Farid?" Besuz asked, "What the hell be takin' me men?"
The ranger did not reply at first, her eyes slowly rising to the rainforest around them before she finally made her answer.
"Monitors," she breathed.
"Mono-whats?" a crewman asked, holding his sword hilt tightly
"Monitors," she repeated, "Rinkhal… Monitors."
It was perhaps the worst predator the Bog had to offer. Rinkhal Monitors were natural born hunter-killers, breeding in jungles and woodlands and killing almost anything that crossed their paths. Despite their size, they were lithe and graceful, able to move without a sound through almost any terrain. And the thicker the jungle, the better they hunted. At the sound of those words Butter immediately began slithering quickly down the path, and Rakiv moved to follow him.
"Move!" she cried, "We have to get to open ground!"
"Open ground?" Besuz called, "What good'll that do!?"
"It's been following us since the Quag!" she called as she broke into a sprint, "It waited for us to get into this trail so we'd have only one direction to run! It'll pick us off if we don't move fast!"
A hissing shriek from the woods to their right confirmed her fears and the pirates wasted no time, breaking into a panic stricken run as they splashed through the bog. Mud flew and their feet churned the earth in their effort to escape, the whooshing of the hunting beast now audible in the foliage around them. Rainwater clouded her vision, but Rakiv continued to run as she followed the streak Butter left in the mud. The trees began to thin and the men caught glimpses of the creature, a thick brown blur that moved through the jungle with inhuman speed. They broke from the narrow trail into a muddy expanse of earth mounds and ponds, Rakiv sliding in the mud as she drew an arrow to her bow and took aim. The pirates came thundering out of the jungle, panting and gasping as they scrambled for the relative safety of the clearing. And then it struck.
The Monitor came flying out of the jungle, launched high by its powerful legs and landed squarely on the back of one unlucky corsair. The brigand screamed and clawed at the mud in an attempt to escape, just as the Rinkhal ran him through with one long claw. Standing over its kill the Monitor crouched, extending it's long neck and puffing its frill as it gave a challenging roar at the remaining six party members. Rakiv took aim, preparing to take it through the eye when another brown blur caught her attention. As Jin had predicted, the Monitor was not alone. It was not one or two that joined the lizard, but four. Four Rinkhal Monitors came bounding from the jungle, snapping their fangs and raising their claws menacingly.
"Balthazar's flame…" Kydar breathed, his hands aglow as he prepared to cast.
"Steady men!" Besuz shouted, "We'll not be done in by these beasts!"
"Oh gods…" one of the pirates quailed, "Oh gods!"
"Stout heart lads!" Besuz snapped, "Form up! Kill these scaley bastards!"
With wicked hiss the first Rinkhal charged, two others following it as they dashed forward on long, powerful legs. The panicking pirate screamed and bolted, his fright propelling him away from the group and towards the jungles. Shouts tried to call him back, but he was beyond hearing. A whooshing sound reached his ears and in moments the Monitor was on top of him, bearing him to the ground beneath its claws. With gleeful shrieks the reptile tore him apart, the pirate's screams filling the jungle as the Monitor feasted ravenously.
"Stand fast, here they come!" Besuz shouted, raising his wand and sending a ball of cold flying towards the oncoming serpents.
Butter wisely stayed at his mistress' side, prepared to strike should one of the creatures get too close. Rakiv drew back her string and let fly, her target swiftly ducking and hissing as it turned its attention towards her. A Fireball flew towards its feet as it ran, the orb detonating explosively and blasting the reptile off its feet. The Monitor howled in pain, the spell having taken one of its feet. Butter dove after it, his powerful jaws clamping onto its throat as he threw his considerable weight into a death roll. The lizard's shriek ended with a gurgle as the crocodile's fangs tore through its scales and snapped its neck.
To their right Besuz' dervish crewmate attacked another reptile, succeeding in taking its arm with his scythe before the Monitor skewered him with its other claw. The sword wielder finished the reptile, giving a punishing swing with his cutlass to decapitate it. The remaining four humans quickly regrouped, facing down the three remaining Monitors. Rakiv swore under her breath as the first pair advanced, the third stealthily slipping into the jungle.
"It's tryin' ta get 'round behind us!" Besuz warned.
"Leave it!" Rakiv responded, "Worry 'bout these two!"
Behind her she could feel the now familiar swell of prickling warmth as Kydar murmured the incantation for his spell. With a wild scream the Monitor's charged, slavering hungrily and swinging their claws. Besuz slurred a swift cast and thrust his wand forward, a sheet of ice crawling across the ground to send Ice Spikes up into the monitor's path. The warrior pirate moved in immediately, shouting as he swung his sword at the trapped Monitor. The second made a wild leap just as Kydar released his cast, bringing down fire from the heavens. Rakiv notched three arrows to the bow and took aim, preparing to pincushion the Rinkhal when a shriek behind her drew her attention.
The ranger threw herself aside as sharp bone claws came crashing down at her, sinking instead into the soft swamp mud. Rakiv rolled down the slope, spinning to her feet and releasing all three arrows at the Monitor that had snuck behind them. The projectiles hit their mark but the reptile would not be brought down so easily and charged her once more. A hiss and a snap announced Butter's attack as he caught the Monitor's foot in his jaws. The reptile tripped, crashing to the mud as it kicked at the offending crocodile. Rakiv sprang forwards and flipped gracefully, landing on the downed serpant's back as she notched an arrow to the bow and released it into the back of its skull.
Kydar however, was not faring so well. Streaking flames pelted the Monitor as it attacked him, scorching its scales. The lizard dealt the elementalist a kick to the chest, a blow that sent him off the dirt mound to land with a splash in one of the shallow ponds. The scribe pushed himself up, mumbling quickly to summon a Fireball before the reptile landed on top of him. Kydar shouted defiantly as the Monitor swiped at him, the elementalist rolling to avoid the scything blows. As the Monitor pinned him with a foot on his chest, the scribe pointed his wand upwards and released a volley of fireworks from the blazing end. The attacks were almost worthless in terms of damage, but the Rinkhal shrieked as the brilliant sparks blinded its eyes and scorched its face. Kydar jumped to his feet, throwing back his soaked pirate coat and thrusting his Fireball forward. The sphere exploded, blowing the Rinkhal backwards and onto the muddy ground. Kydar stood over the wounded creature and held out his palm, blasting it mercilessly with repeated Flares until nothing remained beyond charred flesh and carbonized bone.
Besuz stepped away from the frozen and shattered corpse of the final Monitor, kicking aside the impaled body of his warrior crewman as he strode to the top of the hill. Rakiv and Kydar panted lightly as they regrouped with the corsair captain. Of the eleven that had started out that day, only three had survived the Monitor's attack. The trio sat to catch their breath, Besuz pulling off his helmet and letting dirty dreadlocks fall across his shoulders. Kydar and Rakiv glanced to one another but said nothing, all three recovering from the brutal battle.
"Alright…" Besuz said after several minutes, "Camp's not far now and sun's goin' down."
The corsair captain rose from the ground, pushing his helmet back down over his head and striding off across the clearing. Rakiv sighed and got up, offering a hand to help Kydar to his feet.
"Where was Jin?" he asked quietly, "I could have used a friendly arrow back there."
"Her arrows are different from mine," Rakiv whispered, "Dead give away."
"Mmm, point taken," he sighed, "C'mon, we've got to get to that camp."
The pair moved to catch up with the captain, who was already disappearing into a new soggy trail. The remainder of their journey was largely uneventful, and the three of them walked in silence under the steady downpour. As the gloom of the swamp began to deepen they arrived at a new clearing, this one illuminated by the light of a large fire on a hilltop. The corsair camp had been set up amongst the walls of a small ruin, where their tents surrounded a great bonfire. The campsite was hedged in by ward torches, which flickered and sputtered under the rainfall.
"Empty tent's over there," he pointed, "And ye'll be bunkin' t'gether again. Ain' no food an' nothin' but bog water 'round 'ere so… figure yerselves out."
With that the captain turned in and the pirates huddling around the fires began to do so as well. Rakiv gave Butter a pat on the back as the crocodile waddled off to find a pond to sleep in. The ranger and the elementalist climbed into the tent and collapsed, lacking even the energy to remove their boots. Without a word to one another the pair drifted off into sleep.
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The morning of the third day came like the one before it, with a steady downpour of rain. Besuz and the pirate gang that had held the second camp were formed up and ready as Rakiv and Kydar joined them. The meeting was today, and the remainders of the pirate crews would receive their orders from their mysterious benefactor.
"We'll be leavin' our weapons here," Besuz said, "Ain' nothin' livin' dares come close to the crypts, so we won't be needin' 'em. But orders is we come unarmed."
"Ain' comfortable wiv'out ole Bessie," Rakiv drawled, patting her bow.
"Aye," Besuz nodded, "But thems the rules. Weapons be stayin' here."
Kydar gave a sigh and tossed his wand back into the tent, more than certain he'd never see it again. With the exact same misgivings Rakiv unslung her bow and unbuckled her quiver, turning to place them in the tent as well. With her back turned to the pirates she carefully slipped one arrow up her sleeve, depositing the rest of her weapons into the tent. Divested of their weapons, the crew headed away from their camp and back into the boggy trails towards the deepest part of the swamp. As they walked Kydar stepped up next to Captain Besuz and struck up a conversation.
"Ya know cap'n," he said, "I noticed it don' look like much o' yer crew be left. Lessen there be others in differen't camps 'round the Bog."
"What ye've seen be what we got," Besuz said grimly, "We weren't so lucky as you n' Werishakul's fleets. Commander Bahreht's fleet stormed that Sunspear outpost… Champion's Dawn I think. But them Sunspears put up a damn good fight that day. We'd taken most o' Dohjok from the Shore Watch, but Champion's were a massacre."
"But that were a lot o' men ye 'ad," Kydar blinked, "I 'eard Commander Bahreht 'ad the biggest fleet of 'em all!"
"Aye," Besuz nodded, "An we woulda been strong 'nough ta come back n' attack again… if'n it weren't for this 'ere bog. If it weren't the Skale or the Mandragor, it were the fever what got the men. Started droppin' like flies they did and disease tore up whole crews in here. Those of us left are the toughest… or the luckiest."
"Well that's a bloomin' shame," Kydar responded, "Guess it's up to Werishakul's and Commander Ironfist's fleets now huh?"
"Oh don' count us out jus' yet matey," Besuz chuckled.
"Oi, what's this lot about?" Rakiv asked, jerking a thumb over her shoulder towards the men following them, "I thought the meetin' were only fer us first mates?"
"I don' trust our client," Besuz said, "We've been nickel-n'-dimed the whole time we been out here. This be all that's left o' me crew an' I mean to see we get's paid fair for all we've gone through."
Rakiv glanced to Kydar, wishing she'd brought the party with them as well. Kydar only gave her a short, reassuring nod and turned his focus forward as they trudged onward. The ground they walked began to become firmer, though still slickened by rain. Soon their footsteps landed on carved stone, a pathway leading them out of the trees and into the shadow of a truly massive ruin.
The great edifice of the Sunspear Crypts rose above the dense foliage of Lahtenda Bog. Built in Primeval times, the crypts had been built mimic the ancient Tombs of the Primeval Kings, offering a place of tranquility and honor for brave Sunspears to seek their final rest. However, since the fouling of the Anur by the evil summoned into Fahranur, the Bog had overgrown the crypts and the restless darkness had seeped into the graves. The crypts were now a place of woeful darkness, haunted by the souls of Sunspears seeking to follow their forebears and finding the way closed to them. It was their howls that haunted the night, and their spirits that now walked through the ruins.
The party forged its way forward into the ruined crypts, finally coming to a halt in a long forgotten passage way that led into the interior of the great mausoleum. Besuz stood at attention, glancing around as though waiting for something until finally footsteps reached their ears. A figure stepped from the shadows at the end of the passage, slowly approaching with firm, purposeful paces. The person raised their hands and began to offer a slow, methodical, mocking applause.
"Well done Captain Besuz," the woman spoke, her voice scratchy yet sinister, "You've managed to lead Sunspear agents right into the heart of our whole operation. Well done sir, well done indeed."
"What?" Besuz balked behind his helmet, "What are you talking about?"
"The envoys of Ironfist and Werishakul?" the woman cackled, "You two may have fooled these ignorant corsairs, but I know who and what you are. But I will say, your dedication to interfering with our plans has proved most annoying… Rakiv Maelstrom."
Wordlessly the ranger drew down her turban, allowing the long cloth strands to drape across her shoulders. Scarlet locks fell down her back as her violet eyes glared at the woman before them.
"General Kahyet," she said, "Somehow, you've been a hard woman to find."
"That I have," Kahyet grinned wickedly, "It takes a great effort to hide from the greatest hunter and tracker of the Battle Isles."
"You're Sunspears!?" Besuz roared, "Men! To arms!"
"Uh… we left our weapons at the camp sah," one of his crewmates reported.
"And how good of you to do so," Kahyet said, "It will make disposing of you so much easier."
"Disposing?" Besuz turned, "What do you mean, 'disposing'!?"
"You corsairs have served your purpose," Kahyet announced, pointing dramatically at the captain, "From the beginning you were a distraction, nothing more. A smokescreen to blind the Spearmarshal to the Kournan spies that slipped through her cities and outposts. Your invasion kept their forces busy and thinned their numbers while we extracted what we needed from this island."
"The Apocrypha," Kydar said, pulling off his head wraps as well, "We destroyed it! And all the other knowledge in Fahranur!"
"Ahh, but not nearly soon enough," Kahyet smirked triumphantly, "In her zeal to open the First City, Kormir had her diggers blast away the entrance with no knowledge of what lay within. And during the night, while her army lay sleeping and she herself preparing to purify the shadows, she left me an eight hour window in which to infiltrate the city. Make no mistake Kydar Raelesin, we obtained all we required from Fahranur."
"How do you know my name?" Kydar's eyes narrowed.
"Oh I know a great deal about you Scribe Raelesin," the general chuckled, "And I know what brings you back to these lands. But you are too late. Our god cannot be stopped!"
The general flung out a hand, a flash of purple lighting arcing to her palm to form a wicked looking scythe with a long serrated blade. Three more violet lightning bolts struck her, layering purple dervish robes over her, the hood of which bore the insignia of six baleful eyes. Spreading her arms wide Kahyet levitated from the ground, her eyes beginning to glow a deep, evil purple. Behind her the air warped and twisted as it suddenly gave way to a swirling vortex of evil.
"Let your sacrifice feed the dark one!" she cried, her voice layered with otherworldly power, "May your souls rise unto him as a craven offering! The dark god Abaddon… will eat your eyes!!"
As she spoke the vortex spilled forth demons, four great stone bodied creatures springing from the portal. With unearthly howls they attacked, slavering madly as they raised their obsidian claws to strike. Kydar and Rakiv darted away, the pirates screaming as the Grasps of Chaos leapt upon them.
"Commander!" a Jin shouted as she sprinted towards them, "The general is summoning demons!"
"I can see that Jin!" she snapped.
"Kill Kahyet!" she called, "Kill her and the portal will close!"
"Just like in Kamadan!" Kydar exclaimed turning to Rakiv.
The ranger took a moment, and then nodded as she turned away from the elementalist. Violet eyes focused on her target, the purple robed sorceress floating at the end of the hall and continuing to call out to her dark god. Rakiv straightened her right arm, allowing the arrowhead in her sleeve to slide into her palm as she leaned forward and broke into a sprint.
"Wait!" Jin called, "I have your weapons!"
Rakiv was beyond hearing, her focus purely on her target. She sped forward into the fray, spying a high rock outcropping that jutted from the passage wall. Around her the corsairs screamed and died as the demons attacked them viscously, tearing at their flesh and shattering their bones. Captain Besuz dealt a hard kick to an approaching demon, before whipping of his helmet and beating the creature with his armor. The rapid approach of footsteps caught his attention and he turned just in time to catch the blurring figure of Rakiv approaching.
"You!" he roared angrily, raising his helmet to strike her.
The ranger was faster by far, nimbly planting one foot on his knee, the other on his head and pushing off of him. With the corsair as her springboard the ranger jumped high, her feet scraping the stone as she maintained her forward momentum with a brief wall-run before she struck the outcropping and jumped from it. The moment was surreal, as it had been with the Apocrypha, while she hung in the air and descended towards her target. Kahyet's blazing eyes turned to her and the Kournan general brandished her scythe. Rakiv fell towards the woman, her body crouched in the air and the many scarves of her disguise streaming dramatically behind her. She reared back her right hand, the arrowhead protruding from sleeve as she spread her fingers wide. The moment passed and the ranger struck the unholy dervish, bearing them both to the ground as Rakiv's arrow point found the woman's throat.
Kahyet's glowing eyes flashed and Rakiv's vision clouded over as the world around them melted away. She was left standing in a realm of deep purple as violet mists swirled about her. Ethereal lightning jumped across the violet clouds as the ranger turned slowly, wondering where she was.
"You… are a fool," Kahyet's voice came from behind her.
The ranger whirled to find herself facing the Kournan general, though she seemed much more like an old woman now than the evil sorceress she had become.
"You cannot stop us," Kahyet said.
"What are you and Varesh plotting?" Rakiv demanded, her voice echoing in the eternal expanse.
"Plotting?" Kahyet chuckled, turning to pace slowly and clasping her hands behind her back, "No, not plotting. It is what we have begun. And it will change this world… forever."
"I won't let this happen," Rakiv growled, "I killed you, and I will kill Varesh if I have to."
"Oh yes," Kahyet laughed, coughing a little as she cackled, "You've slain me. But I am merely a woman, playing my part. As are we all."
"I'm not going to let the Warmarshal get away with this," Rakiv said determinedly.
"You won't?" Kahyet wheeled to face the ranger, "You, the great failure of Gandara? You, the prodigal child of the Khel Varr? You don't even know what you are! Monster, Hunter, Slayer! Empty, fallen creature that you are!" the general shook her head in disgust and turned away, "You cannot stop us."
Rakiv set her jaw but said nothing in return, instead turning from the general to walk away.
"Fight against it all you like," Kahyet taunted, causing the ranger to pause, "But in the end it will not matter. For as surely as day meets its end, and the sun sets over the earth… so too does darkness come for this world. Know this child and make no mistake. This is the end of all things. Nightfall comes."
As the general concluded her speech the world of purple mists and surging lightning fizzled away and Rakiv's vision cleared, giving way to the stark reality of the real world. The corpse of General Kahyet lay in her arms, rain splattering on her silent and ancient features as her empty eyes stared up at the great vault of the sky. Rakiv withdrew her arrowhead from the general's neck and laid the body on the ground. No sooner than her hands left it the corpse began to rot, black whisps and purple smoke rising from it as the flesh melted away. Soon nothing remained of the body or the demonic robes, leaving behind only the clothing beneath that the general had worn. The ranger reached forward, picking up one of the general's signet rings and examining it closely as she rose to her feet. Turning her head she found Kydar and Jin, panting from exertion as they watched the last of the demons die. When the body remained lying on the stones, Butter gave a quick chomp at the unholy corpse, tearing its throat out for good measure.
"They…" Jin panted, "They are not vaporizing."
"This was stronger magic," Kydar said, wiping water from his eyes, "Much stronger than what was in Kamadan. In the city those demons were mere nightmares, bad dreams taking physical form. These… these were true demons, summoned from the depths of Torment itself."
All were silent for a long moment as Rakiv strode back to them and Jin dug into the large pack she carried on her back.
"I brought your gear," she said with a nod, "It will be better than those rags you are wearing."
"You're handy," Kydar complimented, "I like you," he chuckled.
"Thank you, Commander Raelesin," she bowed curtly.
"Jin, see if one of these corsairs has one of those nets they like to throw at us," Rakiv ordered, "Bag one of the demon bodies and we'll carry it out with us. With that and this signet," she held up the ring, squinting at it through the rain, "We should have enough to make a case to Jerek."
"We still need a connection between her and the corsairs," Kydar added.
"I'm sure there's a pirate captain or two on this island willing to make a deal for his life," the ranger chuckled as she palmed the ring and accepted her gear from Jin.
Rakiv set shedding her disguise and began binding the many belts of her gear around hips and torso, cleaning her bloody arrow before sliding it back into her quiver. While Kydar found relatively dry in which to change his clothes, the Zaishen ranger busied herself binding up a demon body in the corsair nets. Satisfied that the creature could be dragged, she looped a sturdy rope around Butter's neck, patting the crocodile's head. Butter croaked and waddled forward, straining a little but dragging the dead demon with relative ease. Minutes later the elementalist emerged once more, smoothing his tunic and adjusting his gloves as the Sunspear party regrouped.
"Nice kill by the way," Kydar chuckled, "That jump, run, jump thing? Very impressive."
"Thank you," Rakiv chuckled and shook her head with a tired sigh, "Alright troops. Grab whatcha can and let's move. I wanna get the hell out of this stinkin' swamp."
Butter turned his head, somewhat miffed that his mistress would speak of his birthplace in such a manner. Perhaps it wasn't a great place to live, but it had very nice ponds, lots of shady trees, and some days you could even catch a good sunbeam. All of this he would have happily related to the human female he had chosen as his companion. But the complexities of the human tongue remained beyond his ability to reproduce. And so the crocodile said nothing, releasing a hissing sigh as he followed the humans on their long march out of the bog.
