The path to the Highcliff castle ruins was eerily quiet. It was once a glorious cobblestone road, winding tediously around itself, but now the cobbles were covered with red dirt and cracked with age. The grass around the bottom of the hill was lush, but as our heroes ascended, it grew brittle and gray.
"There is an evil here." Elanee gave voice to what all of them could sense.
"Yeah. Lizardmen. That's why we're here." Neeshka huffed and rolled her dark eyes. "Oh, don't look at me like that. We can all sense it. We all know. You don't need to say it."
"Sssh!" Aly stopped and held a hand up. "Listen." she whispered. They all strained their ears and looked towards the gray ruins looming over them.
"That's a fight! Sounds like lizards. The elder did say they took up in there, heh, not surprising for them to be fighting each other." Khelgar drew his weapon.
"No. I mean, yes, one of them is a lizard but what is that… that groaning?"
Neeshka shivered and drew out the curved alchemical silver daggers Aly made her back at Fort Lock. "Undead. Zombies, probably."
A painful hiss rang out, charging the group to run the rest of the way where they were greeted by a few croaking zombies. Their pale arms reached for Aly, fingers twitching, desperate to consume her. She lopped off their arms and heads.
There were more, so many more. A large lizard man weilding a bastard sword only glanced at them briefly before returning to fighting the half-dozen corpses that were bombarding him.
Aly charged towards him, cutting down one until she could stand back to back with the lizardman. More undead emerged from the crypts below, only to be taken out by an all-too-enthusiastic Khelgar, a dancing Neeshka or Elanee's hobbling badger companion, who she affectionately named Hobbles.
The druid herself watched from a distance, keeping tabs on the fights, ready to step in where she could to be of some use. When Aly and the Lizard got overwhelmed, she'd pull some roots from between the stones to ensnare them, buying time.
"Hells!" Khelgar's axe fell as he let out a violent cough. A zombie rushed at him but before it could attack, Neeshka swooped in with her daggers and took it out. She saw the purple sunkeness of his eyes and immediately fished a cure from her bag.
"You got diseased, quick, drink this!"
He almost didn't catch it.
When the zombies that surrounded them were all finally down, Aly and the Lizard man turned on one another, their weapons between them.
"You help Slaan. Slaan not fight you." He dropped his sword.
Aly's nose twitched as his forked tongue darted out between his tiny pointed teeth to sniff her.
"Why are the lizardfolk attacking the ships of Highcliff?" Aly asked.
"This is our land. Humans not welcome here. Chief says we attack boats, humans leave."
Neeshka blinked. "That doesn't make any sense."
"Sshh." Elanee chided.
"You help Slaan rescue clan?" He pointed to the ground, where presumably his clan was trapped among more hoards of the undead. There were red gashes in his blue-green scaly skin where the animated corpses had clawed and bit him. He might have lasted out here on his own, but who knows how many more zombies waited below.
"If I do, will you take me to see your Chief?"
Elanee shook her head, but Slaan's back was facing her so he did not see. She had walked through the West Harbor crypts where the lizardfolk took up not too long ago. If history was any indication of Alysanna's intentions, nothing awaited this tribe except extermination. Having Slaan take them to the chief would only make it easier for Aly to murder them all.
Then again, Elanee thought, her leader had seemed to calm a bit since she left West Harbor. Maybe this wouldn't end in bloodshed.
"Warmblood must promise not to harm Chieftain." Slaan cautiously hissed.
"I just want to talk to him about the boats." Aly said.
His solid gray eyes narrowed as he examined her, and then he nodded. "Slaan believe you. Help Slaan save clan. Slaan take you to chief."
"Great!" Aly slung her axe over her shoulder and turned her attention to her group. "Ready for more undead?"
"Bring it on, I say." Khelgar was still smiling, looking all healed up from the little disease incident.
As Aly walked passed him, they slapped hands and the four of them started down the decrepit stairs into the dank darkness.
The door was partially open and through the black sliver, more groans awaited them.
Abalyth and Vitani stood with their hands still pressed to the temple wall. They were back outside, in the dark swampland. Their palms burned from the siphoning magic of necromancy, leaving a red glow on each of them that slowly faded.
"Damn her." Abalyth was shaking her head, her white ponytail swaying to and fro as she paced. "Why did you pull me out of there? I was so close!" Her voice cracked as she restrained her righteous anger.
"She wasn't going to tell you anything. Shadows were gathering. I sensed we were going to be ambushed. Abby, all of that was an illusion. All of it. I think even her voice was."
"That's not possible, she's not an illusionist."
"No, but she's been trapped in there for-"
"I know! I know. Lots of time to stew in her own mind and spiral..."
"And learn."
Abalyth's birthmarks were shining with holy light. Her aura began to siphon the moisture out of Vitani's skin, making her step away from it. Finally, the paladin calmed herself, her birthmarks dulled to their standard pale white hue.
"There is something else." Vitani said "I don't think Tasida was in there at all."
Abalyth was silent for a long moment, contemplating what that meant. "Are you sure?"
"Quite, but not beyond all doubt. She screwed with my senses somehow. But there was a moment, right before we were out when she was just… gone."
"That's not possible. We're equals, we're not supposed to be able to…"
"She wasn't lying." Vitani realized.
"Someone got her out of there, and I really don't think it was you."
Abalyth had checked that ritual herself. Vitani double-checked it. They paid some wizard with limited information to triple-check it. There was no way that Tasida should have been able to escape without one of them to undo the enchantment. They were godborn, they were immortal, some of the most powerful beings in all of-
"Probably Garius, whoever that is." Vitani suggested. "If he's really the big-bad equivalent of Tasida, who knows what kind of magic he has access to?"
"Are you suggesting he is also child of a god?" Abalyth raised her eyebrow indignantly. "And why marriage? Why corrupt a holy union like that?"
"Because she knew it would irritate you, Misses Righteous Fury."
Abalyth shot Vitani a frustrated glare, only for her to shrug back in response. "Or maybe she actually loves the guy. Who knows?"
"I need to get back to Neverwinter." Abalyth said and began to scatter the evidence of their ritual. "Who knows how long she's been out. We don't know what she's planning or-"
Vitani wordlessly cut her off with a hand and turning her head sharply down the path where she detected someone was eavesdropping, or maybe just walking...
"Who's there?" She called, but only stillness answered.
Abalyth turned her head to look but saw nothing. Vitani had vanished into the land, as she does, so the Champion of Neverwinter decided to simply wait for her return.
"Daeghun." Vitani's voice came from up the path. "What can I do for you?"
"You're still here." He said, unrattled by her presence. When Abalyth strode up to them, he barely acknowledged her. "You think this darkness has to do with this imprisoned woman, but I don't think she's the only party at play, here."
"What do you mean?" Vitani asked cautiously, already knowing the answer.
"If you have watched over this land as long as you claim, then you should already know."
"You're not the type for riddles, speak plainly if you have something to say."
"The thing these enemies wanted is gone. I suspect if this dangerous woman was affiliated with them, she is also gone. Am I correct?"
"What did they want?" Abalyth asked, but her question got swallowed up in the damp air.
"I believe so." Vitani answered.
"Then we should be safe for the time being. But you must leave here at once. You are not welcome in West Harbor."
Vitani scoffed, as if they could keep her from roaming the land as she wanted. She could be a tree they all napped under after their High Harvest Fair and they wouldn't know. She could be a long-nosed beast in the swamp and they'd walk blissfully unaware into her gaping maw. She could be the reason for a bountiful harvest and a treacherous winter. But it didn't matter. Daeghun was a gnat. Vitani was the earth itself.
"You have no such authority." Abalyth stepped in. "West Harbor is under the protection of Neverwinter and as such, will respect my position here as well as that of my companion. But fear not, Daeghun Farlong. I will instruct Lord Nasher at once to send a patrol here as an extra security measure. I don't believe we can be too cautious, and it is the least we can do for imposing."
He felt himself become affected by her righteous aura and turned away feeling peaceful.
After trudging through what remained of the castle, Alysanna followed Slaan to the Lizardfolk's lair to confront the chief, who was not at all pleased to see her. That mattered little to Aly – she just wanted to get to Neverwinter, already.
"So here's what's going to happen," She began, after he was finished chidding Slaan for bringing her. "I'm going to tell the people of Highcliff to leave you be, and you're going to stop attacking their ships. You can both share the damn land."
"Warmbloods do not listen. They go where they pleassse, crashing, smashing, burning..."
"Or," Aly continued, taking a step towards him. "I can just slaughter you and your entire tribe right now and make it easy for everyone."
Blood dripped off of the blade of her axe like the foreboding tick of a clock as she waited for his response. He lifted his long head defiantly. "Warmblood dares threaten the chief in his own hallss! This one thinks-"
"I know I can. I've done it before and I won't lose any sleep over doing it again. Is that a chance you really want to take? I hear lizardfolk are becoming a rare species these days."
But the large beast just shook his head. "Best for tribe." he nodded. "We will attack the boats no more. Once warmbloods break their end, boat attacks will continue."
"See!" Aly beamed. "That wasn't so difficult, was it? Let's go." She turned on her heel and marched passed Khelgar and Elanee. She learned by now to not make any acknowledgement of a missing Neeshka – no doubt the rogue was off picking the locks and pockets of all the hidden treasures in this reptile-infested cavern.
They walked themselves out of the lair, the eyes of a hundred lizard folk followed them from the shadows.
Aly was twitching for one of them to attack her, but grateful they didn't.
Outside, Neeshka was on the path waiting for them. The bag of holding slung over her shoulder. "You will not believe the stuff they had in there!" She squealed upon seeing them.
Aly patted her belt where the pouch had been tied and shook her head at the Tiefling. "You can't do that."
"Whaaaat? Oh come on I had to make sure I could get it all and I didn't think you'd mind if it meant more money and better gear. Aaaand!" Neeshka's arm disappeared into the pouch. "I got something extra special for you, too!" She dug around until she found it.
A silver ring with a dark blue band, decorated with silver studs. "It's a ring of regeneration! It'll replenish your health while you wear it, it's pretty handy!"
"How many of these did you swipe before deciding to share?" Aly asked, turning it over in her hand.
"Ah, you know me too well. But, none, actually, I just thought since you're always raging out and getting exhausted, which tends to leave you kinda like a temperamental dragon that woke up to a missing hoard… I just thought you'd get more out of it than us!"
Alysanna smirked and slipped it on a few fingers before finding the right fit. "Thanks, Neeshka." She said. "Now give me back my bag. I like you and all, but if you take it without asking again I'm going to mount your horns on a helmet, got it?"
"Roger!" Neeshka gave her a playful salute before falling in line with the others. Once they passed the Highcliff gates, they touched base with some of the citizens whose fliers remained unanswered and spoke with Elder Mayne about the new understanding with the lizardfolk. He was panicked, but agreed to leave them be.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Aly asked Khelgar as they headed back to the inn.
"Ale time!" They shared a laugh. There was nothing quite like finally sitting down over a cold mug and hot food after a good day's work of fighting and lining pockets.
It finally felt like Neverwinter was right around the corner, even if it would still be a few days' time before the next ship was ready to set sail.
"Maybe I'll put in an order with that blacksmith. Something to tie him up for a few days." Khelgar mused over his second chicken.
"Oh I wish there were craft benches here!" Aly said before ripping apart a steaming biscuit slathered in the chef's signature sausage gravy. "I would love to experiment on some of the more regular weapons. Elanee, who are you staring at?"
In the far corner of the room sat a cloaked figure. A bow strung across her back and her skin looked dark and strange, even from this distance.
"Hmm?" Elanee had barely touched her bowl of soup.
"That woman over there. Ever since we sat down. Do you know her?" Neeshka leaned forward.
Aly looked over her shoulder and felt the cloaked figure was staring directly at her, even though she couldn't really see her.
"I do." Elanee confessed. "She is a friend of nature. Of mine. I'd like to go speak to her, if I may."
"Who is she?" Neeshka demanded.
Elanee bowed her head and played with her napkin. "She is..."
"Now hang on!" Khelgar's elbow slammed on the table, his finger in Neeshka's face. "She's been nothing but good to us since he came along, there's no need fer ya to be so hostile about it."
"I would like to know." Aly said as Elanee looked at her curiously.
"She is my partner. I have not seen her in quite some time."
Neeshka and Khelgar's eyes went together as they both turned to Aly, waiting for her response.
"By all means," Aly gestured for Elanee to go ahead. The three of them watched Elanee slink away across the tavern and gracefully slide into the seat across from the cloaked figure.
"Ugh. Please tell me there's a brothel in Neverwinter." Aly turned back to her plate and took a huge bite out of a sausage link. "Preferably one that serves men."