Ralis and his party journeyed through the southwestern outskirts of the Forest of Wyrms for back to Boareskyr Bridge feeling a sense of accomplishment. They are alive, they have the wardstone, and Ralis and his group are one step closer to earning the trust of the crusaders who have Bridgefort besieged. The party walked through the forest, heading southwest back towards Bridgefort. With a party of sixteen people, no predator in the forests that made up the southwestern outskirts of the Forest of Wyrms dared to attack them, not even a single displacer beast attempted to attack them. Ralis walked alongside Keherrem to his left, Keherrem's party of five crusaders to his right, and Ralis's own party following close behind.
"I owe you my life, Liam. I don't know how you found us, but I'm glad you showed up when you did," Keherrem said to Railis.
To hide his true identity, Ralis told Keherrem that his name is Liam Ensler.
"Think nothing of it. I just like to believe that all of this happened for a reason," Ralis stated.
Keherrem grinned wide. "Whatever the case may be, I'm glad you showed up when you did."
The entire group kept walking through the forest several more yards in silence before the next person spoke up, a human man with short red hair, blue eyes and a few freckles around his nose.
"Look, uh, don't accuse me for looking a gift horse in the mouth, but how did you find us? I mean there is no way our superiors could have told you where we were," he said while scratching his nose for a few seconds.
"It wasn't easy finding you, I'll say that much. We ran into giants, giant spiders and giant beetles... But as you can see, we survived it all," Glint stated cheerfully to the redhead man.
"Speak for yourself, Glint. I almost became spider food," Ralis said as he turned back to look at Glint, glaring at him.
"Yes, yes, that is very true, but in timely fashion, we came to your rescue," Glint replied, unfazed by the offended glare Ralis gave him.
"Ho ho, the little gnome is right! Take pride in the fact that you live to see today, tomorrow and the days after tomorrow! Not many who were in your perilous predicament can say the same thing!" Voghiln came up to Ralis and gave him a friendly pat on his back.
Ralis smiled a little, wanting to take pride in that he is still alive, but the memory of that giant spider with a missing leg coming close to chewing his face off will forever be burned into his memory, hard to forget. Keherrem, his remaining party and Ralis and his party continued chatting for a while as they walked through the forest, except for Jaheira, she stayed silent, listening or watching for any signs of danger. Under normal circumstances, everyone wouldn't talk much, but they felt confident in the strength of their numbers.
"... For what it's worth, at least the mission wasn't a failure. You found the wardstone we were looking for," Keherrem said.
Ralis reached into the jewel bag and pulled out the wardstone, looking at it in the palm of his right hand.
"So this little stone here will turn the tide at Bridgefort, huh?" Ralis asked Keherrem.
"Yep. At least that's what Uncle Kharm says," Keherrem said.
"Hey, uh, Liam, got a minute?" One of Keherrem's party members, the young human man with short red hair came up to Ralis with a book in his left hand.
"What is it?" Ralis looked at him with open curiosity.
"Before we left that cultist cavern, I filched this book off a body of one of the dead cultists." He handed the book to Ralis and he took the book into his hands.
"What's it about?" Ralis asked, flipping through the pages slowly.
"I don't know, I haven't read through it all yet. But from what I recall from the pages I have read, those cultists were particularly interested in this dead god called Bhaal, and how he died," the man replied.
Ralis felt a cold shiver run down his spine. What Keherrem and his party, including Glint, Voghiln, M'khiin and Coogan don't know is that he is one of Bhaal's children. He had heard tales of how Bhaal died, but remembering how he died with the knowledge that he is one of his sons makes this all feel surreal. Ralis found a page that caught his attention. It says:
"In the Time of Troubles, the god Mask, Lord of Shadows, hid himself within a blade of terrible power, called Godsbane. The blade was sharp enough to bleed even a divine being. Cyric took up Godsbane when he faced Bhaal, Lord of Murder, on the mortal plane. Mask laughed from within the blade's steel as Cyric slew Bhaal and cast his body into the river below. The waters turned foul and tainted, poisoned evermore as the Lord of Murder's corpse sank beneath the surface."
Ralis closed the book and handed it back to the young man without turning his head to look at him.
"Well? What do you think, Liam?" He asked Ralis.
Ralis looked up at the branches of trees above everyone and the blue morning sky beyond the branches.
"... Honestly... *sigh*, I don't even know what I think," he said sullenly.
At that moment they emerged out of the cluster of trees and into a clearing, a clearing mostly devoid of grass. And almost immediately, they saw something in that clearing that made their eyes widen and mouths drop open in shock and awe.
"By Moradin's hammer...!" Keherrem gasped softly.
"What the hell happened here...?" Jaheira whispered in disbelief.
What they saw, in the middle of a clearing is a large crater. 22 feet wide in diameter, and possibly 16 feet deep. The crater is sixteen feet ahead of everyone, a rather abnormal sight in the forest.
"Who or what the hells made something like this?" One of Keherrem's fellow crusaders wondered aloud as everyone cautiously advanced towards the crater, Ralis, Minsc, Rasaad and Keherrem taking the lead of the group.
"Someone who is very adept in the art of spellcasting..." Rasaad guessed, peering down into the crater while standing on its edge.
Jaheira joined up between Rasaad and Minsc, peering down into the crater with them with a mild scowl of concern on her face.
"Or maybe more than one spellcaster. This is bad," she guessed.
"What makes you think that?" Ralis asked Jaheira with a puzzled frown.
"Use your head," she scolded. "There is not a single mage in these lands that can cause this much damage alone."
The entire group now gathered around the crater's northeastern edges, peering down into it.
"The only way to find out what happened is to go down there and find some clues," Coogan said.
"Nah-ah, it's too risky," Keherrem quickly shook his head in denial. "See how steep that crater's slope is?" He pointed out. "There is no way to climb back out unless somebody got some rope."
Coogan crouched down near the rim of the crater and peered down into the center, seeing something among the charred soil. Something white. It looks like a piece of paper.
"Hey. I see something down there," Coogan informed everyone.
"No, forget about it. I recommend not going down there unless you have a way to climb back out," Keherrem warned her.
Then, without warning, Ralis jumped into the crater and slid down to its center!
"What the?! Liam! What the blazes are ya doing?!" Keherrem exclaimed.
Ralis slid down to the center of the crater four seconds after Keherrem noticed that he jumped in there. Ralis is somewhat in a sitting position, very close to the object that caught Coogan's attention. Ralis grabbed the white object and pulled it out of the soil, discovering that it is a partially damaged piece of paper with something written on it.
"A letter?! You risked your neck for a letter, Liam?!" Keherrem exclaimed.
"I've done worse for less!" Ralis called back, then started to read what he could on the letter. The note, although smeared in dirt and torn in half, some parts are still readable, in the elf language, not Common. It says:
"Valeriss,
Our scouts espied the Exile near Boareskyr Bridge. Do not allow him to escape the justice he merits. Our queen is merciful, but you and I both know that he has fallen too far to be saved. You are the strongest of our mages- use the power at your disposal. We must ensure the safety of Suldanessellar at any cost."
Ralis has no knowledge of the elf language, so unfortunately he couldn't understand a word of it.
"Well, Liam? Was it worth it?" Keherrem called down, breaking Ralis out of his thoughts.
"Hard to say. Give me a minute," Ralis called back, placing the tattered paper in one of his item bags and unsheathing both of his swords, preparing to use them to climb out of the steep crater.
Using them to climb out worked well so far, the soil is soft enough for the blades to dig deep into, allowing Ralis to climb up without sliding back down. All he had to do is anchor Albruin down first, then pull himself up, then anchor Severance down, then climb up while pulling Albruin out and anchoring Albruin further up, then pulling himself further up and pulling Severance out and anchoring it further up, and so on. Kherrem laughed in amusement at Ralis's resourceful thinking. It took him little more than a minute to get close to the crater's rim where everyone else stood.
"Well I'll be damned. You sure know how to use your brain, Liam," he said with a hearty laugh when he and Rasaad pulled Ralis out of the crater.
"What did you find down there?" Glint asked.
Ralis pulled the piece of paper out of his item bag. "A letter. I can't read it because it is written in the elf language." Ralis said.
"Let me read it," Jaheira ordered, taking the letter out of Ralis's hands and read it aloud.
"Hmm. So this Valeriss was a mage sent by someone from Sul... uh... Suldun... Suldan... essellar to deal with someone known as the Exile? Judging by this crater and the tattered state of this note, I'm guessing Valeriss was defeated by this Exile," Ralis guessed after Jaheira read the note aloud.
"I've heard of this place, Suldanessellar. That is an elf city far south from here, in the forests somewhere between Amn and Tethyr, or so I heard. I've never been there before, but I've heard of it," Coogan said.
"I think we are overlooking the more relevant piece of information. Who is this Exile, and how did he manage to defeat a powerful mage sent to kill him?" Jaheira interjected with mild annoyance in her voice.
"Jaheira is right. This is a troubling detail," Rasaad said.
Glint gently scratched his hairless chin in thought for a few seconds before he blurted out: "I think that this Exile might be a mage too. Yep, I think that's it, what we are standing near is the aftermath of an epic mage vs mage battle."
Everyone lapsed into silence for a few seconds, thinking of this new detail Glint sprung on them.
"I don't like this," Coogan said uneasily, breaking the silence between them. "Two mages in a fight? And one of them is known as an exile? There is something odd going on here, and I don't like it."
"I agree. But we can't sit here speculating on an event we didn't witness. Let's focus on the task at hand and deliver Keherrem and his scouts back to Bridgefort," Ralis said, then they walked around the big crater, heading southwest.
Hours later, they reached Bridgefort less than an hour away from highsun. The guards in front of the palisade gate stood where they always have been, keeping a watchful eye on anyone coming up the road from Soubar. When the Crusader sergeant saw Ralis and his party approaching with Keherrem and his scouts, she frowned in confusion.
"Is that who I think it is...?" The crusader to her left leaned towards her and whispered towards her ear asked.
Before the sergeant could reply, Ralis exclaimed: "We have returned. And we have brought Kharm's son and his scouting party with us."
The crusaders around the sergeant gasped in unison.
"What?"
"I don't believe it...!"
"This is going to put Kharm back in a good mood!"
The sergeant approached tired and dirty Keherrem with a smile on her face.
"Welcome back, sir," she said.
"Good to be back," Keherrem replied with a relieved smile partially concealed by his small beard, then gestured his right arm towards Ralis. "If it weren't for Liam Esler and his lot, we probably would have starved to death or worse, been dragon chow."
The sergeant turned her attention to Ralis and smiled at him.
"I had my doubts about you. I didn't think that you would succeed, or less, forget about searching for him. I should have had more faith in the gods," she said humbly.
"I figure I'm here for a good reason. I meant what I said, you know. I want to help your cause," Ralis said in a sincere tone.
"That's not for me to judge. We'll let Kharm be the judge of that. You may enter." As soon as the sergeant said that, two crusaders, a man wearing a helmet and a woman with short dark blond hair approached the closed gate and pushed it open.
Then Kherrem approached Ralis and said to him: "Let me and my scouts enter first. Officer Delgar Munsch doesn't trust strangers easily."
"Got it. Go on ahead, we're right behind you," Ralis nodded, then let Keherrem and his scouts move on towards the open gates.
Corwin rubbed her chin in thought as she followed Ralis with his party, finding the name Delgar Munsch very familiar.
When Ralis and his party entered the palisade, he took stock of his surroundings, noticing that the inside of the palisade surrounding Bridgefort is a perfect spot for a tent community, there are crusader tents all over the place, too many to count with so many crusaders around, ranging from man to woman, human, elf, half-elf, dwarf and gnome doing various activities. Some were playing board games like Checkers and Chess, laughing and telling jokes, some were practicing skill with sword, bow or crossbow, shooting arrows at practice dummies made out of straw and held up with a wooden pole like scarecrows fairly close to the right side of the cobblestone road. For those practicing their skill with swords and other melee weapons, they were attacking practice dummies wearing various kinds of body armor. Ralis was surprised to see that there is a community here near Boareskyr Bridge. The story behind Bridgefort's community is that even though there is no formal government here, two adventurers named Barim Stagwinter and Theskul Mirroreye walled off a tent community in order to make a proper town near Boareskyr Bridge several years ago, which is an impressive accomplishment.
The cobblestone road leads to a closed gate 42 feet ahead to Boareskyr Bridge on the other side, and 19 feet ahead between the gate Ralis and the others came from and the gate leading to the bridge, the path branches to the right, towards the fort of Bridgefort itself. To the far right, near the moat's edge, there are little more than a dozen crusaders hiding behind large thick wooden planks used as shields and firing arrows and crossbow quarries up at the Bridgefort rebels up on the fort's walls, firing down their own arrows and crossbow bolts in return.
The crusade also had a few siege weapons lined up several yards away from the fort's moat and the crusaders shooting arrows and bolts up at the walls, two catapults and one trebuchet that almost looks like a counterweight. Ralis couldn't help wondering how the fort could still be standing after all this time if the crusade has been using siege weapons on them. The only possible explanation is that a group of mages within the fort are using magic spells to enhance the wards that shield the fort.
"I wonder where they keep all the drinks?" Voghiln wondered aloud, but he was largely ignored. But not for long.
"Hold! Who are the new faces?" A man nearby exclaimed.
Ralis and his party froze where they stood, trying to see where the voice came from. They got their answer when they saw a gruff man clad in full bright silver plate mail armor with the emblem of Caelar's Crusaders embroidered on the breastplate of his body armor, four crusaders flanking him on both sides as they aprpoaced Ralis and his party with wary frowns. The gruff man who spoke wore a helmet that covers only his head but no part of his face, revealing his piercing gray eyes and thick dark brown sideburns and beard.
"I see a lot of new faces here. Who are you, and where did you come from?" The gruff man asked.
Ralis opened his mouth to speak, but Keherrem returned to speak for him, positioning himself between the gruff man and Ralis.
"At ease, Delgar. This man and his companions rescued me from certain death. They want to assist our cause, that's why I invited them here," Keherrem explained.
"(Delgar? Delgar Munsch?)" Corwin whispered to herself, realizing why that name sounds familiar.
She learned about it from Duncan's field report. In his report, Duncan explained that when he and his fellow scouts asked the people here at Bridgefort about what they knew about the crusade, several of them brought up the name Delgar Munsch. He used to be a leader of a band of hunters. No one he worked with or personally knew him considered him a friend because everyone viewed his personality as gruff and overbearing with an inflated sense of self-importance, but when it comes down to mentioning his skill with a sword and bow, everyone has nothing but good things to say about it. Delgar's band of hunters used to hunt not only deer, rabbits and turkeys, but also goblins and orcs for sport. For some reason, Delgar retired from being a hunter and at some point in his life, for reasons unknown, he joined Caelar's Crusaders. One of his former hunting partners told Duncan that Delgar has been made an officer in the Crusader ranks, a position of authority he really enjoys.
Delgar rolled his eyes as soon as Keherrem claimed responsibility of inviting Ralis and his party into Bridgefort.
"Gods. There's too many damned people joining this bloody thing." He moaned.
Keherrem cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow, silently ordering Delgar to accept the newcomers whether he likes it or not. Delgar got the message and sighed.
"Okay, okay." He took a few steps towards Ralis and extended his right hand for a handshake. "I'm Munsch. Delgar Munsch. Right hand to Colonel Cordell."
"I'm Ensler. Liam Ensler. These are my traveling companions Corwin, Rasaad, Safana, Jaheira, Coogan, Minsc, Dynaheir, Voghiln and Glint." Ralis replied and shook Delgar's hand, and took note that he had a strong, firm grip even though his arms aren't muscular. Probably comes from handling a sword and bow for so many years.
M'khiin is with the party even though Ralis didn't mention her, but she is hiding inside Coogan's rucksack because Corwin is certain that the crusaders would attack M'khiin in sight.
"What're you doing here now, Ensler?" Delgar asked.
"Looking to join your glorious cause, sir. Currently I'm cleaning latrines," Ralis said casually, and with a hint of sarcasm at the end.
Keherrem snickered, recognizing that Ralis was subtly being a smartass to Delgar.
Delgar nodded approvingly yet indifferently. "Be about yer business then," he said dismissively then walked away, his guards following.
When Delgar and his guards moved far enough away, Ralis shifted his eyes towards Keherrem's direction and said to him: "He's a regular snob, huh?"
"Pay him no mind. Between you and me, he's a bit of an arse. Come on, I don't want to keep my uncle waiting." Keherrem said to Ralis, still smiling, then led him and his party to Kharm's tent, which is further ahead along the cobblestone road, past the tents where crusaders are boiling a two large pots of soup over two campfires, possibly to feed all the crusaders here. Judging by the scent of the soup, it must be mixed vegetables and noodles. Several feet ahead of the tents belonging to the crusader cooks, Keherrem and Ralis spotted Kharm arguing with another crusader, a half-elf with shaggy red hair.
"... B-b-b-but Lieutenant Kharm, we are seriously shorthanded! We don't have the numbers to conduct a search party!" the half-elf exclaimed.
"Look around, you dimwit!" Kharm shouted back in his face. "There are fifty able hands with nothing meaningful to do! You mean to tell me you can't send either of them to the forests to search for my nephew?"
"Oloneiros is against that idea," The half elf wiped sweat off his forehead. "She said that splitting us up is not beneficial for our primary objective here-"
"Bah!" Kharm interrupted. "Apparently she hasn't looked around lately. Even Revered Brother Hormorn has more sense than she does! We can't get into the fort and force the rebel refugees to surrender their supplies, the drawbridge is closed, and the back door bridge has been cut down! Our objective is a lost cause unless my nephew or someone returns with the wardstone!"
At this moment, Kherrem is standing several feet behind Kharm, and even though the half elf is focused on Kharm, he never straightened his head up from looking down at Kharm to notice Keherrem standing behind him.
"You mentioned me, Uncle Kharm?" Kherrem called.
Kharm gasped upon hearing his nephew's voice, and then he and the half-elf noticed him. When Kharm laid eyes on Keherrem, a smile formed around his beard.
"Commander Keherrem! Y-y-y-you're alive!" The half-elf exclaimed in shock.
"I... don't... believe it..." Kharm said in a near whisper, his eyes widening so much that all the white parts of his eyeballs became visible.
"Believe it, Uncle Kharm. I'm alive, and I wouldn't have been if it weren't for these generous people behind me," Keherrem said, revealing Ralis and his party next to him.
Ralis stepped forward. "My friends and I took it upon ourselves to find your nephew, because no one else would," he said.
"I see. And who are you?" Kharm asked Ralis curiously.
"My name is Liam Ensler, sir."
The half-elf walked away now, nodding courteously at Keherrem when he walked by him, and Kharm stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Liam, eh? It's a good thing my idiot of a nephew found decent bodyguards to look after him. Still, I am grateful. Here is a token of my appreciation." Kharm handed Ralis a small satchel containing 250 gold pieces.
Ralis opened the satchel and counted the money inside.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Kharm. In return, I think we have found something else that you were looking for." Ralis said, then reached into one of his inventory bags with his left hand and pulled out the wardstone, revealing it to Kharm.
The grizzled dwarf gasped and staggered back a few feet in shock, and Keherrem couldn't stop himself from grinning with excitement when he saw his uncle's mouth drop open.
"Somebody pinch me please. You... you found the wardstone...!" Kharm managed to say, barely a whisper.
"My companions and I wish to join Caelar's cause, that is why we volunteered to rescue your nephew, sir," Ralis stated.
Kharm blinked twice before replying. "But why? Why would you go through so much trouble going beyond and above what was expected of you?"
"Because I lost a friend who fought in the second Dragonspear War. In his honor, I would give my life to prevent a third Dragonspear War if I can," Ralis stated.
Kharm nodded approvingly. "You are a noble man, Liam. Tell you what, I have a mission for you and your party. Meet me over at that white and green striped tent over there in three minutes," Kharm pointed northeast towards the tent on the other side of the cobblestone road closest to the closed gate which leads out to Boareskyr Bridge. "Revered Brother Hormorn and The Barghest will be there to welcome the other new recruits to the crusade. I want you to be there before I give you your mission."
Ralis nodded.
Three minutes later, Ralis, Corwin and the rest of the party joined the other crusader recruits gathered in front of the green and white tent, which belongs to Revered Brother Hormorn. There are nine new recruits willing to join the crusade, most of them humans. In addition to Ralis and his party, the Crusade has 19 new recruits, not counting M'khiin since she is still hiding in Coogan's rucksack. Revered Brother Hormorn was nowhere to be seen at first, but The Barghest himself did appear, searching for him outside his tent. Corwin stood next to Ralis, watching The Barghest with him, studying his physical appearance as he waited for Hormorn to come out of his tent. The Barghest is a tall and strong half-orc, several inches taller than Dorn Il-Khan, as far as Ralis could tell, he wore bright clean full plate mail armor, and a close helmet with a pivoting visor and bevor to protect his neck. He had the visor lifted so that his face can be revealed. The Barghest's skin color is dark brown, slightly darker than the color of caramel. As for his weapon of choice, The Barghest has a two-handed claymore sword attached to his back, the sword obviously too heavy to hold with one hand judging by how thick the blade is, and a flanged mace attacked to his belt as his secondary weapon.
The Barghest called to Hormorn twice before he finally emerged from his tent. Revered Brother Hormorn wore tan robes with a necklace made out of copper holding the emblem of Caelar's crusade around his neck, the sun cresting the horizon. Hormorn has short black hair, gray eyes, and a mustache but no beard. As soon as he emerged from his tent, he looked at The Barghest for an explanation to why he has been summoned.
"It is time. Hormorn?" The Bargest gestured his left hand towards the recruits lined up outside his tent.
Hormorn finally remembered that today the crusade will be getting a batch of fresh recruits.
"It is, Barghest. Thank you," He nodded courteously at The Barghest, then took a couple steps forward towards the new recruits and slowly spread his arms wide as if to give everyone a hug all at once. "And welcome to you, noble and worthy servants of Caelar."
At this moment, Corwin took the opportinity to turn her head left and right out of caution, simply because she had a gut feeling that there could be someone here who knows Ralis by name, his face or worse, both.
"You know why you are here: to receive the blessings of the gods. To feel their divine light shining within you," Hormorn continued.
He paused to study the reactions of the recruits. Some showed signs that they were eager to listen to more of what he had to say, and others were a little to calm or casual to read their emotions clearly. He had been told about "Liam" and his party by Kharm three minutes ago, and he is clearly aware that they are among the recruits, and he welcomed them for their deeds, rescuing Keherrem and even managing to find the wardstone. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, dropping his spread arms towards the ground slightly.
"You can feel it, can't you? In your hearts, your very souls, you know, you KNOW we walk a righteous path," he said proudly.
Since when did righteous paths involve forcefully displacing farmers and settlers from their homes, taking their foods and supplies? Corwin thought to herself, feeling her anger begin to boil. She felt Ralis's arm nudge her, and she realized that Ralis is reminding her to keep their emotions in check here, otherwise they might blow their cover.
"That righteous path will take us to the darkest places. The most hideous of devils we will face, but we know no devil shall harm us." Hormorn now raised his arms high towards the sky, as if triumphant over a victory of some kind. Then as he spoke, his body began to slowly brighten up briefly. "We do the will of the gods. We do the will of Caelar Argent. Our victory in this realm and every other is assured!"
The Barghest approached hormorn's side and placed his right hand on his left shoulder.
"Thank you, Hormorn," he said.
Hormorn nodded courteously at The Barghest then reentered his tent.
"And thank you, new servants of the Shining Lady. I welcome you with open arms to our cause. Return to your tasks, secure in the knowledge that we have the favor of the gods," The Barghest said before walking away towards the crusaders still firing arrows and crossbow bolts up at the refugees firing at them from atop the fort walls. Then the new recruits went their separate ways, but Ralis and his party stood where they always stood since before Hormorn's lecture.
"What the hells was that?" Corwin asked Ralis with a puzzled frown.
"I don't even know," Ralis replied.
"That was Revered Brother Hormorn's way of welcoming new faces to Caelar's cause," Kharm said suddenly as he approached them.
"Kharm. You said you have a mission for us?" Ralis said.
Kharm smiled. "Yes, I did. That wardstone you have there will activate the teleport circle on the fort's eastern side. We can't get all of our troops in that way, but you and a small contingent might be able to get through."
As Kharm was explaining what to do, Corwin overheard a woman shouting nearby. She turned her head to the left and from behind a few crusaders having a conversation in the foreground of her point of view, she saw a human woman with short red hair dressed in beige green mage robes arguing with a Red Wizard man named Vichand. The red haired woman is Oloneiros, the woman the half-elf man who spoke with Kharm earlier mentioned.
"It is irritating, I've tried to tell them over and over, but they won't listen!"
"What do you expect me to say to them? That we should divert half of our attention away from Bridgefort? You know that Delgar and the Barghest will hear none of it!" Vichand argued back as they walked into clear view of Corwin without any crusaders around them partially or even fully obscuring her view of them.
Oloneiros looked so frustrated that she looked as if she is fighting the urge to pull her own hair. "They are shortsighted, the lot of them! They can't see the bigger picture here! They don't know how much of a threat the hero of Baldur's Gate is, but I do! Ralis is a greater threat than most of the crusade realizes!"
Corwin gasped softly in shock. How did someone in Caelar's Crusade learn Ralis's name so quickly? It is unlikely that Caelar would waste time spreading knowledge of the identity of the hero of Baldur's Gate when she must return to Dragonspear Castle and await Ralis' arrival.
Vichand scoffed at her. "Really? If he is such a big threat, then why isn't he here? Why isn't he attacking us this very moment?"
"Urrgh, forget it!" Oloneiros snapped.
Corwin, growing more and more nervous about Oloneiros possibly knowing Ralis' physical appearance in complete detail kept a close eye on her as she argued with the Red Wizard.
Ralis nodded to show Kharm he understood the objectives. "That sounds simple enough. Once inside, we could lower the drawbridge, giving the rest of our people access."
"Yes, that, or you can negotiate a truce with them. Will you do it?" Kharm asked Ralis with an expectant smirk.
"I will, sir," Ralis said.
"Good. Move 'em out!" Kharm ordered with an excited smile.
As they walked down the cobblestone road towards the exit leading out of the palisade and to the road that stretches for miles towards Soubar, Ralis looked around at the activity going on around him. Crusaders of many races were either interacting with each other talking or playing different kinds of board games or honing their skills with their weapon of choice, and he couldn't clearly hear any relevant conversation among them that might be worth listening. Corwin kept a close eye on Oloneiros ever since the group walked away from Kharm. She is no longer arguing with Vichand, they've gone their separate ways a few seconds ago, now Oloneiros is fuming alone, trying to vent her anger walking almost parallel from Ralis and the other, moving by tent after tent rather than sticking to the cobblestone road. Beads of sweat formed on Corwin's face, she is extremely worried that sooner or later their paths might cross, and Oloneiros might recognize Ralis, so it is best to tell him what is going on and put some distance between her and them.
She tapped Ralis's left arm and whispered to him: "Ralis, that wizard over there knows who you are!" She pointed over at Oloneiros after she passed by a pure white colored tent, keeping her pointing arm close to her body so that no crusader around them can notice and possibly get suspicious. Ralis looked over towards the direction of where Corwin's index finger of her right hand is pointing, and behind a small crowd of crusade soldiers and a few tents, he saw a woman with short red hair walking parallel from them about seven yards away, grumbling angrily and swearing to herself for reasons he did not know.
"Are you sure?" Ralis whispered to Schael.
Corwin nodded. "I overheard her talking about you! Quick, we need to put some more distance between us and her before she sees you!"
Turning his head to the right and spotting the jail cages made of thick metal bars containing several trolls several yards away from the only exit out of Bridgefort's palisade that they are allowed to leave, Ralis decided to head that direction. Before Glint, Voghiln or anyone else could ask why they were diverting away from the only way out of Bridgefort's palisade, Ralis told them that they needed to take a brief detour. They moved away just in time, because Oloneiros had just begun to move towards the cobblestone road. She was searching for Delgar, hoping to tell him what she thinks about their priorities, so even though Ralis and his group were in her line of sight moving away towards the organized row of cages, she paid them no attention, fortunately. Even if she were paying attention to them, Rasaad, Corwin, Minsc and Jaheira crowded behind Ralis to make sure that she never gets a clear view of him.
The closer they came to the cages containing trolls, the more distant they put between them and the crusader campsite. The trolls noticed them coming and began to plead to them, speaking in Common to the best of their ability, begging them to be released.
"There's no such thing as a good troll, no sir! These trolls may beg and plead with crocodile tears, but they cannot hide the evil that lurks within them! Eh, Boo?" Minsc exclaimed and looked to his hamster friend for confirmation. And as expected, Boo squeaked in agreement.
"You ask your hamster for opinions?" Corwin asked Minsc in confusion.
While Minsc was explaining his bond to Boo, Ralis noticed a wheelbarrow up ahead, about 6 yards away from the cages. He also noticed that there is something inside it. Upon further inspection, he saw a familiar sword and familiar pieces of armor in the wheelbarrow.
"Hey, guys," Ralis called to his group in a slightly high whisper. Everyone crowded around him, looking into the wheelbarrow.
"Minsc, Jaheira, do you recognize these pieces of armor and this sword?" Ralis asked them.
Jaheira frowned in concern. "Yes. It is that half-orc Dorn Il-Khan's body armor and sword. What are they doing here?"
"I don't know..." Ralis muttered in concern, digging into the wheelbarrow for any other items that Dorn's sword and body armor are sitting atop of. His hands found something, and he pulled it out, revealing a tattered journal. Once he opened the journal, he noticed that the pages of the journal are cobbled scraps of leather and parchment, most of it already used. The original author of this journal apparently made notes about supplies and troop movements, but the new author crossed out most of the original author's notes, and added comments in a scrawled, almost incomprehensible hand. And judging by the new author's handwriting and bad grammar in Common, he or she is most definitely not human or elf or even half-elf, most likely a gnoll, a gnoll named Myf since he or she mentions the gnoll god Yeenoghu in the notes.
"Entry 1
Humans want to pay Myf to kill other humans. That's a good thing, methinks. This camp full of magic humans who want to tell Myf about their gods. Me not care about anyone but Yeenoghu, but let humans talk. Tall officer say his name "Mor-alle" teach Myf to make words on paper. Practice every day, Myf. Myf write lots so far. Now Myf write about me and stupid humans. Give me lots of gold to kill other humans, then take gold back to pack.
Entry 6
Leader of humans shine like sun. Her name Kaylar. Kaylar wants to talk trolls, asks me to take trolls. Myf say no! Trolls eat us all! Kaylar put her hand on Myf's shoulder. She say all creatures, gnolls, and stupid humans and trolls, can serve her light. Kaylar's voice nice, but her words make no sense. Myf is not in light. Trolls will eat us.
Entry 8
Myf was right and Kaylar was right. How can both be right? Trolls came out of cave ready to eat us all. Then Kaylar talks about her light. Promises gold and food. Some trolls think this is good, like Myf did. Get lots of gold and take it back to pack. Then other trolls yell and say no, stupid. Say Kaylar is making a trap. Trolls fight each other. Try to eat us. Kaylar tries to stop them, says wait listen to me. Trolls don't listen just fight. Myf helps kill a troll and sets it on fire (but steals an arm to eat. Very stringy). Kaylar and other humans put nets and chains around trolls. Now they locked up in camp. Kaylar tells the Brother Hefernan she is sad. She say "my arrow gants ("arrogance") cause many innow sense ("innocent") deaths." Brother say it's not Kaylar's fault but Myf think maybe it is.
Entry 20
Big ceremony tonight called the Lightning but there was no lightning. Just a big fire and we all chant. Brother started and we said what he said. People yelled that they saw light. Myf didn't see light. There was light inside though. A fire in Myf's chest. Felt hot and strong. Kaylar came out and her eyes were like fire. Maybe trolls should have said they work for gold.
Entry 24
Kaylar marched us to old castle. She came to Myf and put hand on shoulder again. She smells good, but not like prey. Strong. She said Myf I am cownting ("counting") on you to keep trolls in a line. The fire lit up inside again, like the Lightning night. Me made sure trolls all walked very straight. None eat us. We stopped to camp and Kaylar said good job Myf. Pack never says good job Myf.
Entry 30
On way to castle we pass by Myf's home. Pack hides in hills. Pockets are full of gold but me not go to pack. They don't have fire inside and if Myf left Kaylar would be sad. Who look after trolls? Myf has important job here. Myf not let Kaylar down."
After reading the journal, Ralis slowly shook his head in denial and astonishment. "Unbelievable. It's just unbelievable. How did she do it?" he said.
"What?" Corwin asked.
"According to this journal, Caelar entrusted a gnoll named Myf to look after these imprisoned trolls. From my experience with gnolls, they show no devotion or loyalty to anyone, not even to a human, they are too bloodthirsty to be that way. But somehow, Caelar managed to inspire devotion and unwavering loyalty to her cause in a gnoll who wrote this journal."
"Huh? No way," Coogan said.
"Gnolls? The evil dog men with the rotten smell? Minsc is confused three ways to a tenday," Minsc moaned, placing both hands on his head as if he actually has a headache.
"I seriously underestimated Caelar Argent. If she is able to inspire loyalty in evil creatures like gnolls, there's no telling how many unusual creatures she has recruited to her cause," Ralis said.
"Free us! Free us!" One of the trolls exclaimed.
"Ignore the trolls. You're nothing but meat to them. I, however, have more to offer- if you release me," a familiar gruff half-orcish masculine voice said.
Ralis frowned, recognizing the voice and ran towards the row of cages leaving the others behind with the wheelbarrow, passing by each cage containing a troll until he found the third cage to his left containing someone he hasn't seen in months.
"Dorn Il-Khan. I never thought I'd see you caged. What happened?" Ralis asked, crossing his arms and smiling.
Dorn blinked twice and looked at Ralis in surprise briefly. "Ralis. What are you doing here-? No, I don't care. Open the cage. Free me."
"And us. Let us out too!" One of the trolls next to Dorn's cage exclaimed.
"Silence vermin. Sentient creatures are talking," Dorn snapped at the troll while casting a serious death stare at him, securing his silence. Then he turned his attention to Ralis. "What are you waiting for, Ralis? Release me!"
Ralis couldn't help wondering how did the pawn of Ur-Gothoz end up getting captured by Caelar's crusaders. This man broke out of a prison in Luskan. What's keeping him from breaking out of this cage? Must be a juicy story.
"Perhaps I will- after you tell me how you came to be in that cage to begin with," Ralis said, arms still crossed, and at that moment, the rest of his party joined by his side, Jaheira looking none too happy to see Dorn again.
"I was captured while attempting to slay the Revered Brother Hormorn, priest of Caelar. I did not anticipate the one they call The Barghest interfering with my mission," Dorn explained, gripping both of his hands on the bars, but made no attempt to pull them apart.
"What can you tell me about The Barghest?" Ralis asked.
"He commands the crusaders stationed here. A powerful fighter. He will make a worthy sacrifice to my patron, Ur-Gothoz. I have told you everything. Now, release me," Dorn urged.
"Not now, Dorn. If the crusaders see me leaving this place with you, they will attack us. I'll come back later and free you," Ralis said.
Dorn frowned in disdain. "You just expect me to trust you blindly?" He asked.
Ralis winked at him. "It's all you can do. I'll be back, but don't worry, when I come back, the fun begins." He winked again, then signaled his party to follow him.
They exited the Bridgefort palisade and made their way back to the back entrance to Bridgefort. They followed the eastern side of Birdgefort's moat until the palisade walls ended giving Ralis and his party an unobscured view of the fort's structure. Across the 17 foot wide moat, the fort walls of Bridgefort stand tall and erect, protecting the refugees hiding from Caelar's crusaders inside, and if Jaheira is right, Khalid should still be in there if nothing bad happened to him. Fortunately the refugees defending the fort are busy raining arrows and crossbow bolts down at the crusaders within the palisade, because if they noticed Ralis and his party walking alongside the eastern side of the moat, they would likely be taking potshots at them too, believing them to be hired mercenaries of the crusaders. Corwin couldn't help admiring the fort walls of Bridgefort, though the fort is obviously old and decrepit, it is still sturdy.
"Look at how high that wall is. Even if we manage to get across this moat, a ladder wouldn't be enough to climb those walls," she pointed out.
Up ahead, they saw the teleport circle Kharm mentioned near the broken bridge that would have taken them into Bridgefort's back door. The teleportation circle itself is made out of gray stones lined up perfectly forming the outline of the circle. The sticks and stones within the circle formed a triangle shape, making the circle look ritualistic in a certain way. Dynaheir estimated that judging by how large the circle is, only nine people or less can stand inside the circle with the person holding the wardstone. That means Ralis, Minsc, Dynaheir, Jaheira, Voghiln, Rasaad, Glint, Corwin and Coogan can stand within the circle, but M'khiin must stay inside the rucksack otherwise she must get left behind when the wardstone is used.
"Ach, I need rest. And I need a drink. But mostly to rest," Voghiln said.
"Don't worry, Voghiln. I'm sure they got some sweet mead for you to drink in there," Ralis assured him.
"Are we certain that this circle will be able to bring us all into Bridgefort?" Rasaad asked with uncertainty.
"We won't know lest we try and find out," Dynaheir said.
Ralis stepped into the circle first, then Jaheira, Voghiln, Rasaad, Minsc, Dynaheir, Coogan and Corwin. Then they waited for something to happen. After a few minutes of silence...
"What now?" Corwin asked Ralis.
"Uh, hold on a minute..." Ralis pulled the wardstone out of his item bag and held it in the palm of his right hand, looking at it, expecting it to glow or something. "... I don't know what I should do with it..." He admitted.
Coogan peered down at the ground despite the fact that Rasaad and Voghiln crowded in front of her and noticed on the ground in the center of the triangle made of sticks within the outline of the circle they are in, there is another circle, much smaller within the triangle, and she had an idea.
"Ralis, put the wardstone down in that circle in the center," she instructed.
Ralis looked down between his legs and noticed the small circle within the triangle and felt like slapping himself in the face for not noticing it earlier. Being in the center, he crouched down as much as he could without causing his posterior to bump anyone out of the circle and placed the wardstone in the center of the circle within the triangle. Then suddenly, the entire teleportation circle glowed with arcane energy in response to the wardstone's presence. Then the world around Ralis and his party turned bright white as Bridgefort to the left and the forests to their right disappeared into whiteness.
Then a few seconds later, a new environment materialized into view. They appeared to be in some kind of large room, a cafeteria of some kind, crowded with people walking around or sitting at tables eating soup and such. But their activities came to a sudden halt when Ralis and his party teleported into the room.
"What the...?" Corwin looked around in confusion.
"It worked. We're inside," Glint smiled.
Ralis looked down and noticed that they are standing within a circle similar to the one outside, the only difference is this one had no triangle within its outline, only the wardstone itself at the center. Before any of them could react, several refugees wearing old body armor accosted them, pointing their weapons at them. Some were armed with swords, others had crossbows or bows and arrows.
"Stay where you are and don't move!" A man armed with a heavy crossbow demanded.
Ralis held his hands up. "Whoa-whoa-whoa! No need for hostility, friends! We are not here to harm you!" He reasoned, but the armed refugees never let their guard down, not even for a split second.
"We've heard that before. How do we know that you're not with the crusaders out there?" The crossbowman asked skeptically.
"Khalid! Come down here! We have company!" One of the armed refugees turned his face towards the direction of the stairs behind them and called out.
Then a few seconds later, Khalid himself came descending down the stairs into the cafeteria to see what the ruckus is about. He hasn't changed at all these past several months.
"What is this? Adirran, w-w-w-what's going on-?" His voice trailed off as soon as his eyes focused on Ralis. "Wait- Ralis? Is t-t-t-that you?"
"'Tis me, Khalid. How have you been, you stuttering half-elven bean?" Ralis grinned.
Khalid gently moved his way past his armed refugee guards and gave Ralis a friendly handshake.
"My f-friend! 'Tis good to see you!" He exclaimed.
"Khalid! I am so glad to see you alive!" Jahiera exclaimed from behind Ralis and the others.
"Jaheira...? Dear, is that you?" Khalid blinked in shock.
Jaheira rudely brushed past her companions and embraced Khalid in a hug.
"Ohhh-h-h, Jaheira, dear! I-I-I've been w-worried sick about you for the past few days!" He exclaimed as Jaheira hugged him tightly, and suddenly, their lips made contact.
Adirran and the other refugee guard lowered their weapons, taking in the hint that Khalid knows some or at least a few of these strangers. Khalid and Jaheira kissed for twenty seconds before they finally let their lips part so they can speak to each other.
"I've been waiting three tendays to do that to you," Jaheira smirked proudly.
Khalid chuckled then glanced over at Adirran and the other guards. "Oh, I'm sure you have, dear," he said, then Jaheira released him.
"Thank you, Ralis, for helping my wife reunite with me. All of you, thank you," Khalid said with gratitude.
"It is no problem, friend Khalid," Rasaad said.
Khalid blinked in surprise. "Rasaad? You're here too? I'm surprised to see that you've come all this way north."
Ralis grinned, happy to see that the reunion is going so well.
"As you can see, Kahlid, I've reunited with some familiar faces, and met some new ones. Khalid, allow me to introduce you to Captain Schael Corwin of the Flaming Fist, Voghiln, Glint, Coogan and... Hey, where's M'khiin?" Ralis asked, noticing that M'khiin isn't standing among his party.
Coogan allowed M'khiin to climb out of her rucksack, and as soon as M'khiin appeared, everyone screamed: "Goblin!" in shock and horror. "Kill the wretched thing!" Someone else exclaimed.
"HEY HEY!" Ralis shouted at the top of his lungs to get everyone to calm down before everyone armed with a weapon starts to attack, and everyone calmed down, lapsing into silence. "The goblin is with me! She won't harm anyone! I swear my life on it!"
"Can you be so sure, Ralis? Do you remember how many goblins we have fought in the past?" Khalid asked skeptically.
"I remember, but M'khiin is not like any other goblin we have met. Corwin, Dynaheir, Minsc and Safana can vouch for me," Ralis said.
Corwin stepped forward.
"He is right. M'khiin is... an unorthodox goblin," she said.
Then Dynaheir stepped up alongside Corwin.
"'Tis goblin, though stale and in serious need for a bath, has been thus far very reasonable and harmless," she said.
"Huh. I've been called worse," M'khiin commented.
"I agree with Corwin. Though the goblin smells like three week old smelly boots, she has never harmed a hair on anything that is good. She has been kicking evil butts ever since we left Baldur's Gate!" Minsc exclaimed, and Boo on his left shoulder squeaked in agreement.
Corwin facepalmed her face into her right hand. "There he goes with the posterior metaphors..." She groaned.
Safana said nothing, she just walked over to the nearest chair and sat down.
"But there is one thing I must know. Why are all of you here? Do you have a purpose for coming here?" Khalid asked.
"I do. I am accompanied by an army of Flaming Fist troops from Baldur's Gate. We're to free Bridgefort, then move on to Dragonspear Castle," Ralis explained.
Khalid smiled. "Th-that is excellent news. We are almost at the end of our r-resources, and your help will be invaluable. L-let me tell you what happened."
Before Khalid began the story, Adirran and the other refugee guards offered Ralis and his party all the unoccupied chairs they could find. They didn't give M'khiin a chair to sit on, but it didn't matter to her, as she expected treatment like this from people who are more used to attacking a goblin than interacting peacefully with one, though it is debatable that maybe the guards couldn't find an empty chair for M'khiin to sit on, but it is more likely that the former is true more so than the latter. Then, Khalid, sitting in his own chair, began to tell his story of how he and Jaheira came to Bridgefort and got separated.
"A few months ago, Jaheira and I came north to find a p-peaceful place to spend time together," Khalid began.
"I chose to stay in Bridgefort for a while because it is a place that seems the most unlikely to attract large numbers of tourists and adventurers," Jaheira interjected.
Khalid slowly nodded his head in agreement. "... Y-yes. We stayed in Bridgefort for two months, enjoying our peaceful vacation until the crusade arrived. When the crusaders hit Bridgefort, we were separated. since I have the most combat experience, I took command here," he explained.
"And you were trapped inside?" Ralis asked, wondering if Jaheira and Voghiln were fighting the crusade outside Bridgefort while Khalid and the others were inside this fort.
"Ind-deed. I found myself at the helm of a fast-sinking ship, if you know what I mean. We were instantly besieged and t-trapped inside," Khalid said sullenly, slumping down in his chair slightly, his depressed eyes showing telltale signs that he has seen many people brave in heart but inexperienced in combat try to fight the crusaders but fell at their weapons.
"But why are the crusaders attacking you in the first place? Fighting innocent people isn't their usual style, it goes against Caelar's moral code," Corwin said.
"The crusaders seek the supplies we hold here," Khalid confirmed. "Our situation is this: Beyond the closed drawbridge, we have scores of crusaders who have barricaded Boareskyr Bridge. They call their leader the Barghest."
"We've heard of him. A veteran of the Dragonspear Wars and a dangerous warrior," Corwin said.
"With the Flaming Fist company you brought, we might stand a chance in a direct fight," Khalid replied hopefully, straightening his sitting position on his chair.
"Are you sure about that?" Ralis asked with caution.
Khalid blinked twice, then frowned in serious consideration over the idea. "Well... I don't know, honestly. Being o-optimistic is better than being p-p-pessimistic."
"We can't be blindly optimistic or pessimistic here. Our decisions affect the lives of every person here in Bridgefort. We need to consider our course of action carefully before we act," Ralis said.
Corwin looked over at Ralis and smiled, pleased to see that the child of Bhaal has a rational, calculating mind.
"I value your opinion, Ralis. Take a look around the fort and see what we have to d-d-deal with. Then tell me what course of action you recommend," Khalid said.
"Thank you, Khalid. Where shall we begin our inspection?" Corwin asked.
"S-start with the wizard Wynan Hess. You should find him in one of the rooms at the rear of the f-f-fort. He knows the state of our defenses. Also, talk to Jegg Hillcarver, our smith. She can tell you about our supplies," Khalid replied.
"Noted. I will seek out Hess and Hillcarver immediately," Ralis said.
Khalid exhaled a sigh of relief. "Th-thank you, Ralis. Fate has smiled upon us by sending you here."
Then Ralis stood up out of his chair ,rubbing his hands together.
"All right," he began, speaking to his party. "Corwin, M'khiin, Glint and I are going to explore the fort. The rest of you rest up."
"Finally, he lets us take a break!" Safana raised her arms up towards the ceiling in relief.
"Good idea!" Glint exclaimed enthusiastically as he hopped out of his chair. "I need to find Uncle Hoach if he is here."
"Come on. We might find him if we look around," Ralis said, gesturing to Glint to follow him.
"I will stay here with Khalid for a while. We have... lots of catching up to do," Jaheira said.
Ralis chuckled as he walked away.
Voghiln stood up out of his chair as well. "Don't mind me, I'll just be searching for a drink, ja," he said aloud. "And a single woman," he added, clearly disappointed that Jaheira is happily married.
As Ralis, Corwin, Glint and M'khiin moved through the cafeteria, they sensed dozens of eyes watching them warily. They also heard barely audible whispers like:
"Who are they? Where did they come from?"
"I don't trust them. They could be mercenaries hired by the crusaders."
"They have a goblin with them? Are they mad?"
Glint looked around, trying to find his uncle among the groups of people. When they were halfway to reaching the exit away from the stairs where Khalid came from when they arrived, Glint saw a gnome sitting at a table by himself. He wore a green tunic and his facial hair is dark blue.
"Uncle Hoach, is that you?" Glint called.
The gnome looked up in surprise. "Ah-ya. Reckon it is at that," He nodded, then got a good look at Glint as he approached. "How ya doin' nephew?"
"So this is your uncle, Glint?" Ralis asked.
"Yeah. Ralis, this is my uncle Hoach Randymonk. Uncle, this is Ralis, hero of Baldur's Gate," Glint introduced them.
Hoach smiled and took a quick sip of his ale. "Is he now. Isn't that a thing?" He asked with an amused chuckle.
"Yes, though I'm not exactly sure what kind of thing it is. Good to meet you, Hoach," Ralis said, nodding courteously.
"Pshaw," Hoach scoffed, lifting his legs up, resting them on the table then crossing his right leg over his left, getting more relaxed. "Ain't no great thing meetin' someone like me. Still 'n all, I'm pleased t' make your acquaintance. Now if you'll excuse me, I got some work to do."
"What kind of work do you do, Hoach?" Ralis asked curiously.
"He's one of the greatest cobblers this side of Waterdeep," Glint proudly told Ralis, then turned his attention to Hoach, coming up next to him and pulling up a chair to sit next to him. "How have you been, Uncle? Mum's worried about you."
Hoach shook his head indifferently with a smug smile. "Aw, y'r mother just like t' worry, that's all. I'm stuck in this fort n' all, but there's plenty got i worse than me. I'm fine. You tell y'r mother that, when ya get the chance."
"I'll do that Uncle Hoach. And I'll come back and talk to you again soon, if I get the chance," glint said, climbing out of his chair.
ralis waved goodbye at Hoach before he and the others continued walking towards the exit to the back hallways of the fort.
Among the whispers and indistinct conversation around him, Ralis heard a voice loud and clear exclaim: "SHUT UP."
Finding the voice familiar, Ralis turned his head left and right, scanning the room for the source of the voice. Up ahead, he caught sight of a woman with pink hair heading out of the cafeteria at the other end of the room away from the stairs where Khalid came from earlier.
"Is that...?" Ralis whispered with a confused frown when the pink haired woman disappeared down the hallway not far from the cafeteria's exit.
"Who did you see?" Corwin asked.
"I think I saw Neera. She's the only woman I know who has pink hair, but let's go make sure," Ralis replied.
He hurried towards the exit he saw Neera leave, Corwin, Glint and M'khiin followed close behind him, and not far behind them, in the second row of tables, Voghiln found a woman he fancied, a mature adult Damaran woman with semi short black hair, and started a conversation with her.
"Ho ho, how does the day fare thee, oh beauteous one? My name is Voghiln. What is your name, hmm?"
The woman rolled her eyes in disgust. "Back off, loser. Never gonna happen." Then she stood up and walked away.
"Ho ho! Playing hard to get, eh? Very well, I will play! Voghiln knows this game all to well!" He called as he followed the woman across the cafeteria despite her pleas to leave her alone.
Safana, watching the whole event unfold buried her face into her hands, surprised and depressed to see that there is another man who thinks and acts with manhood just like Coran. "Gods help me. He is just like Coran..." Safana moaned.
Meanwhile Ralis, Corwin, glint and M'khiin followed the woman that he thinks is Neera out of the cafeteria, took a left at a "t" junction hallway and followed her into a part of the fort where the prison cells are, every door is rusty and wide open. They eventually found Neera in one of the open prison cells talking to herself, her back turned on them.
"NO, SHUT UP, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK, NOBODY CARES," Neera exclaimed angrily to no one in particular.
"Uh... Neera?" Ralis called, inching towards her cautiously.
"WHAT?" Neera abruptly turned around, startling Ralis. She had an angry frown on her face at first, but she changed her expression once she realized she yelled at a concerned person who doesn't deserve to be yelled at.
"Uh, I mean- hello! Hi!" She said with a friendly smile.
"Hello," Ralis responded, wondering if Neera remembers him.
Then at that moment, Neera's eyebrows arched down towards the middle of her eyes not in anger but in puzzlement, possibly because she finds this man in front of her familiar.
"Wait a second. I know that voice- NO, NOT YOURS, THE NEW ONE- yours," Neera said, pointing at Ralis at the end of her statement.
Ralis shook his head in disbelief. "Of course you know me. Ralis. You helped me deal with the iron crisis..."
Neera blinked in surprise. "You!? Gods, I hardly recognized you." She approached Ralis and gave him a hug. "What are are you doing here? How did you get in here, for that matter?"
"Oh, with the help of a wardstone. See, I came from Baldur's Gate with a large force of Flaming Fist soldiers less than a day south from here. This siege won't last much longer. Would you like to join me once again and help break it?" Ralis replied.
"Does that mean you can help me get out of this bloody fort? Yes? Count me in," Neera said with a relieved smile.
"Great. Now let's get out of here, this place stinks," Ralis said, eager to leave the jail cells.
"Oh, uh, Neera, allow me to introduce you to Schael Corwin of the Flaming Fist. And this is Glint, and M'khiin." Ralis added.
"Hiya! Pleasure to meet you all. NO, I'M NOT GOING TO INTRODUCE YOU, SO SHUT UP AND GO HIDE IN SOME CORNER LIKE THE NOBODY THAT YOU ARE," Neera said.
M'khiin frowned up at Neera in concern. "Did you hit your head against the wall recently? What's wrong with you?"
Neera said nothing in reply and Glint simply snickered. As they retraced their steps down the hallway, Ralis couldn't help wondering why Neera was talking to herself recently. Has her mental health been slowly degenerating ever since she learned that Adoy couldn't help her with her wild magic? Then, as if on cue or as if Neera had gained the ability to read minds, she tapped Ralis's right shoulder to get his attention.
"Hey, you. How are you doin'? YES I'M ASKING, JUST GIVE ME A SECOND, WILL YOU PLEASE? I don't suppose you happen to have found any belladonna on your travels by any chance?" Neera asked.
"Nope, can't say I have," Ralis shrugged. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, how about a feather from a planetar's wing?" Neera asked with this look of growing desperation in her eyes.
Planetars are a species of angels that have either blue or green colored skin with large, beautiful white wings. Both the men and women of this race are bald yet beautiful, generally being nine feet tall and weighing 500 lbs. Ralis knew very little about these angels, all he knows is that finding one in this plane of existence is astronomically impossible, planetars only live in the celestial planes of existence.
"Are you kidding?" Ralis asked, raising his left eyebrow incredulously. "Good luck finding that."
"What about a leg from a seven legged spider?" Neera asked.
"I don't..." Ralis began to say, but he suddenly remembered something, turning his gaze slowly towards M'khiin.
"What? Why are all of you looking at me?" M'khiin asked, feeling uncomfortable with Ralis, Neera, Corwin and Glint looking at her.
"Remember that spider you saved me from before? I seem to remember you eating one of its legs, and you tore off another one of its legs and kept it in your bag," Ralis stated.
"What? Oh, that's right, I nearly forgot about that." M'khiin reached into her pocket, pulled out the spider leg she was going to eat later and gave it to Neera.
Neera took the spider leg and placed it in her bag. "What about a potion of perception?" She asked.
Ralis checked his potion bag. "Hmm... let's see..." he muttered as he rummaged through dozens of potions he forgotten that he had, potions that he has had ever since the iron crisis. "Ah! Here we go!" Ralis pulled it out and gave it to Neera.
She smiled and placed it inside her bag. "Finally- and I can't believe I am saying this, but it's on the list- the juice of one turnip."
"Huh?" Corwin scratched her head in confusion, and so did Ralis. Corwin looked over at him, he looked over at her for three seconds, then turned his gaze back towards Neera.
"What would I be doing with turnip juice?" He asked her.
"I dunno," Neera shrugged casually. "What would anyone be doing with turnip juice? Other than making a potion, I guess. Anyway, thank you so much, Ralis! At this rate, I won't be driven completely mad before I get rid of- I mean, before I free the voice in my head."
"Why do you need all of these potion ingredients?" Ralis asked.
"Because I need this special potion to get Adoy's stupid-" Suddenly Neera looked up at the ceiling with an annoyed angry frown. "YEAH, I SAID STUPID! YOU DON'T LIKE IT? FEEL FREE TO LEAVE-" she calmed down and focused on talking to Ralis. "- voice out of my head."
"Huh? Adoy is with you?" Ralis asked.
"Yeah. He somehow got inside my head, or at least his voice, and has been in there ever since we met him during the iron crisis. Only I can hear his voice somehow, and he has been pestering me ever since we split up after that parade a couple months ago," Neera nodded.
"Who is Adoy?" Glint pressed.
"A wild mage like Neera. She thought he could help her understand how to control wild magic, but he couldn't help her," Ralis explained.
"Yeah. And in a sudden twist of irony, he has now become a pain in my -I KNOW YOU ARE ACTUALLY IN MY HEAD, GET OUTTA THERE! MY BRAIN ISN'T RENT FREE, YOU KNOW!"
"Oookay, let's get going before this weirdness makes my head start spinning," Ralis said, feeling a bit lightheaded from hearing Neera yell so much.