1079 AD(After the Duke)
Shattered Mountain Foothills, north of Grom City
"I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot Amirah, but we only have Reyzenhart's interests in mind," said Allison from within her summoning circle. With her comely looks and kind smile the kneeling dark winged Infernal looked more like a Celestial than Amirah herself.
"We're best buddies. Truly we are, " added Garth as he stroked his writhing prickly beard.
Amirah was still too angry to reply. How dare he abandon her? Did he think she was some helpless flower that would wilt from the heat of the Pit? She was a Huntsman of Arborea once, and could easily best a pack of Fiends, just like she defeated the two before her.
"Is something trouble you, my dear?" asked Allison.
"Grr….you know what's troubling me," snapped Amirah.
The dark winged Erinyes nodded emphatically. "You wish to follow your Reinhardt but you can't. He's gone off on one of his secret entrances to Stygia, while you are barred to pursue him. Even if you did a find way, you would be forced to enter from either Avernus, and fight your way down four Baatezu filled levels, or to sail in from the Styx. A very central, and easily guarded river, full of denizens as bad or worse than the creatures from the Great Pit."
"She can't even plane shift," chuckled Garth.
"Now, now Garth," admonished the Allisonara. "You shouldn't brag. Your greater teleporting is always off. You need to rely on a ride from someone as myself. Someone that happens to know all the routes like Reyzenhart does."
Amirah stared at the smiling fallen angel.
"I'll take you there, if you wish. Who am I to stand between an…err…Ice Devil and his Bralani lover."
Garth raised a bushy eyebrow. " By the way, how does that work? Do the pair of you roll around in humanoid form, or does he shift into a bug, and you in the wind or a cloud or whatever? Or is it a bug on elf thing, hmm or maybe a tiefling on wind? Though the last one sounds kind of lame."
Allison suppressed a chuckle as she licked her lips.
"That's none of your business," said Amirah as she was beginning to visibly shake in anger.
"Oh, but I think it is our business, that is if you wish to catch up to Reyzenhart. Reyzenhart is our friend and we only have his interests in mind. And if you happen to be a distraction, than we have to factor that in," purred the dark winged angel. "Just tell us what we want to know, and we'll take you to your Reinhardt. It's that simple, and you know a Baatorian can be trusted on their word. That's kind of our thing, and you can call me Allison by the way."
Amirah saw red. She wasn't the one trapped, she shouldn't be the one demanding private details of her life. But they did offer a way to follow Reinhardt….."We experiment with different positions, as well as different forms, "she finally admitted.
"Oohh...I didn't expect that from Reyzenhart," cackled Garth.
Allison smiled from ear to ear. She closed her eyes and rocked her head back and forth slowly before finally opening them. "Well that was a thoroughly enjoyable thought. Now a deals a deal, you can release me and I'll take you to Stygia. You can free Garth as well, or leave him here if you wish. We made no deal about his release."
"What..Hey!" interjected the nearby Bearded devil.
Amirah shook her head. "I may be rash, but I'm not stupid. Though, I've gained your word I won't release you until I've bound it with magic."
"Oh, my word is worthless it seems. What has the world come to, that a wild Azata girl, that's what you are aren't you? A Bralani Azata I take it?... won't trust the word of an honorable Infernal from the Great Pit. So much for the trust of Baator. " Allison laughed lightly as she placed her hands over heart and gave a mocking look of shock. "Despite your reservations you have no choice in the matter. I will assume from your lack of planeshifting ability that you don't possess the magic necessary to bind me to your will. So your only option is to trust me. Don't worry I won't attack, Garth and I already tried that and failed miserably. The truth is we really are looking out for Reyzenhart. He is a friend, and in Baator, they are few and far between. So just have faith in us and break the circle binding me and I'll take you to your 'lover'. "
Amirah raised one of her long elfin ears. "Say that again?"
"Eh which part?" puzzled Allison.
"The 'lover' part, it sounded like I hit a chord," inquired Amirah.
Allison chuckled. "And you sound like you are jealous."
"Perhaps I am. Azata's are known for their wild emotion swings. You two claim to be his friends, but I find that dubious. Tell me how you two know Reinhardt before I decide."
Allison smiled but remained silent.
Amirah shrugged her shoulder and drew her scimitar, in a second it changed into a bow and then back again. "See that? A little something I earned for working with mortals. It's a nice little toy called unimaginatively a 'swordbow' of all things, but its just a toy really." She then held her hands together and slowly drew them apart. From the gap a shimmering blade floated into view. It had a golden scabbard sparkling in radiance, with a white braided hilt. Amirah allowed the blade to rotate a few times for her prisoners before she drew an incandescently white scimitar that filled the room with a holy light. "Do you see this? Now this is a real blade. This is the hero Kelvan's golden scimitar. See how it glows fiercely in your presence. It sense the pair of you, and wants nothing more than to cleanse your corruption….."
Allison and Garth both attempted to shield themselves from the blade's judging glow with their hands and arms, but small wisps of smoke trailed off their skin where the scimitars light struck them.
"Okay enough! We're his army buddies!" said Garth. Amirah sheathed the blade. "We served with him and then under him for centuries in the Thorn Legion, and even assisted him a few campaigns during the Great Reckoning. It's the whole army buddy thing, we save his life he saves ours. There's a connection in that, a real bond. I'm just a simple grunt, but I've spied Allison talking to him all the time, even spotted her kissing him a few times. "
Allison shot Garth a cold stare that sent the bigger Infernal sulking into a corner of his small circle.
"Oh…so who's jealous now," laughed Amirah.
"We were just experimenting. I was curious when he first started shifting into a humanoid. That's not a normal ability of Gelugons," said Allison. " This changes nothing however. You either let us go, and trust us to take you to Baator, or good luck trying to find your own transport there. I might remind you that even if you find a wizard willing to shift you there, they won't know the special paths like Reinhardt or I do. If I were you, I would seriously think about how you are going to appease us for our cooperation."
Amirah placed a finger on her chin." I think you're missing another option."
"She is expecting you inside," said the voice of a gruff guard outside. Though the door was thick, Amirah's keen hearing picked up everything they said.
"This is highly unusual, I've done nothing wrong," protested a clear crisp voice."Are you sure you don't want one of my companions, the dwarf is always getting into trouble and the ogre ..well he's just big."
"You worry too much finger waggler. You aren't being arrested, you are being called as a …consultant, " said the gruff voice again. "You should be honored to be called by Royal Adventurer Amirah. Since I've worked here, shes kept to herself. She hasn't called on anyone, not even accountants to help her do book keeping."
The door opened, and a tall middle aged man wearing a patched up foreign military uniform walked in. He had short greying hair and a lean look to him.
"That will be all guard," said Amirah.
"Greetings ma'am, err your grace, " said the thin man in a flustered voice. "How can I assist the Republic, sorry I mean the Empire. Wait….you're not an elf."
"Very perceptive, and please, this is not an official meeting," explained Amirah as she waved him to follow. "I have need of your unique talents, Petrus Thule."
"Unique talents?" asked Petrus keeping a suspicious eye on her.
Amirah nodded as they walked through a shimmering wall. She then pointed to the two Infernals locked in Reinhardt's magical circle. "Yes your unique talents. I need you to perform a binding ritual for me."
"You wish me to banish an Erinyes and a Bearded Devil? What would you have of ..."
"Oh please, " laughed Allison. "This mortal will bind us to your will? Even behind this magic circle I can tell he's only of intermediate power. You will need an archmage to get us to do your bidding, not this whelp. Just look at him, I wager I can melt his will without even the use of magic."
Petrus' brow furrowed. He took the insult as a challenge and stepped towards the captured Eryines. While most mortals would cringe at the sight of Infernals, Petrus did not seem to have that fear. "Outsiders locked in magic circles shouldn't be tempting one such as I."
"Hold on," said Amirah as she stepped between the pair. "Please a little civility. "
Petrus bowed before the Elfin woman. "Sorry my lady, but I see now why you have need of me. I can assure you that I am more than capable of extracting or banishing these fiends for you."
Allison smirked. "I would love to see you try morsel."
"Enough you two," said Amirah in a soft voice that oddly filled the room. "This requires some explanation on my part. While Petrus doesn't know who I am, I am quite familiar with him, or more accurately with his companion, the dwarf."
"Kirgi? You know Kirgi? That orange haired idiot? When he told me he was connected in high places, I thought he had glued himself to the ladder ...again."
"Yes, I know the dwarf," explained Amirah. "I was his …how do you say… house guest for a while. During his numerous adventures, I witnessed Petrus' unique skills rom the dwarf's perspective. For one thing, he's not from this world, the one the locals called Grom or sometimes Mystara, he's from the dimension of Golarion specifically a country called Cheliax. "
Garth raised his hand. "..ohh..ohh, I've been there. That's the stooped human country with all those devil worshippers, and that sexy queen…Abby.."
"Abigale…" corrected Petrus.
"Yes, and in that world there's a unique profession known as the Summoner. Yes, that is a generic term, and there are some that practice that profession here, but few have mastered the skills like those from Cheliax," explained Amirah. "While an Archmage is a magician that has mastered all forms of magic to a degree that can even challenge a Duke of Hell, a Summoner whose sole specialty is the summoning and binding of extra planar entities. True, for a mortal I've met many that are more powerful, but unfortunately I do not have the time to request their assistance. For all I know, poor Reinhardt is already in trouble or worse. Due to my link with his friend Kirgi, I know Petrus here was nearby, and I've witnessed firsthand his power in such matters. I am sure he can easily perform the binding ritual I need."
Garth and Allison exchanged wary glances.
Petrus nodded. "I'm not sure what I've done to warrant such trust, but whatever task you require from these two, I am sure I can coerce it from them."
"Excellent, my guard will provide what you need," smiled Amirah. "In the meantime, you two will need to think about the fastest and safest way you will get me to Stygia."
"Stygia? " said Petrus. " Excuse me ma'am. Am I to understand you are making an excursion to Baator? For what purpose may I inquire?"
Amirah smiled. "For love of course."