Chapter 11: A Late Arrival
Terren crept forwards, moving from shadow to shadow as he moved closer to the place Flayer had said the child had come from. Even now Flayer remained in mental contact from the safety of his tower, speaking telepathically with Terren as he climbed over a wrought iron gate.
Think of it as a test run, if you can survive this then you'll have proven your usefulness. Claire had been quite supportive, passing Terren a magical dagger that could catch aflame and giving him a hug as he left. Terren was still mystified about why Claire was siding with a Mind Flayer, years of friendship or not.
No time for that now, I'm doing a stupid thing just so I can join a group that does even stupider things, I can't make fun of Claire for doing the same thing. Terren continued his infiltration of the Red Wizard's manor. Apparently the rumors he'd heard on the street were true- the fellow had a taste in Necromancy. Terren passed heaps of bones and corpses that still retained some animation magic still- despite being partially destroyed.
Flayer's voice guided Terren. Zombies and skeletons work on orders, if they can't attack you and don't raise any alarms, you're fine. If they become a problem bash their skulls in.
Looks like somebody already did. Terren thought in a dry response. Whoever or whatever had come through before apparently had no issues with the undead, many were in pieces and the few that weren't had completely destroyed heads. Terren didn't lower his guard, keeping a keen ear out for noise and constantly looking around for any danger.
Which was why Terren was already moving as a silver mace embedded into the stone wall right where his face had been a second before. Terren caught a glimpse of a coated figure as he was falling backwards, rapidly stepping back before the figure could strike again. I found him Flayer!
Terren ducked underneath another swing from the mace but unfortunately caught a shield right upside the face instead. Head ringing, he stumbled backwards as his enemy kicked him in the chest to knock him over. Terren quickly brought his legs around to scissor the shins of his opponent, bringing him down as Terren jumped to his feet and took a few steps away.
Terren was surprised as he finally got a good look at his quarry. An Elf? The figure was slight, and had a dark coat covering a set of green armor that looked similar to platemail; but lighter. He also had a new weapon in his hands that hadn't been there a second ago. Terren brought his hidden daggers out of his sleeves just in time to catch the downward slash of the glaive between both of them. Terren took the moment to try and talk some sense into the Elf.
"Listen- I can help you if you just hold on a second!" Terren noted a hesitation behind the eyes of his adversary and pushed his point further, noting that rivers of blood were traveling through the silver hair of the Elf. "We've fought Red Wizards before- we can fight them again- but you're never going to get out of here without my help." Terren was surprised as the Elf staggered forwards and collapsed to his knees. By the gods, he's already got a pool of blood! Flayer- get your ass down here!
With a shimmer of air Flayer stood in front of Terren, cloaked in red and bearing his staff. Any other unreasonable requests? This was supposed to be 'your' test. Flayer suddenly stiffened to attention. Terren understood why as several ripples in the air surrounded them. Grab the Elf- NOW!
Terren obeyed without further thought, grabbing the Elf and slinging the deceptively light burden over his shoulders. Flayer reached out and grabbed his shoulder as several Red Wizards appeared via teleportation. One was already in the midst of casting a spell as Terren saw the world melt and shimmer as Flayer's magic whisked them away to the tower.
At least- that has been the plan. Instead, Terren found himself ramming face-first into a stone wall in an alley that was definitely not Flayer's tower. He managed to keep his feet and kept the Elf on his shoulder as he quickly took in his surroundings. Flayer was standing nearby, a hand flexing in the air as he glanced back and forth as though he were listening to something.
"Why aren't we at the tower?" Terren whispered.
Because one of the mages that showed up was smart enough to immediately try and use a spell to prevent teleportation. He wasn't fast enough though- or else we'd still be there. Give me a moment and I'll try again.
"HEY!" Terren and Flayer alike jumped as a high-pitched voice sounded from nowhere. "That was cool- do it again!" Both looked down at the Elf.
You said it was a 'him'... Flayer's thoughts reached Terren, who replied in kind. It is- he is- he's not THAT feminine!
"Hey- hey listen- down here!" Terren felt an odd dread as he looked down to see a Pixie flying around the fallen Elf. She floated upwards until she was at their eye-level, constantly darting around too close for Terren to focus on.
"Right, stop that and hold still for a second." Terren implored the Pixie. To his surprise, she obeyed the command, halting in front of him so he could properly get a look at her. She wore short green skirt trimmed with gold embroidery that resembled small flowers, a matching chemise covered her torso- leaving her wings to flutter freely- the draft causing her shoulder-length black hair to waft as though in a breeze.
"You two aren't gonna hurt Laminas are you? Because I'll stop you from doing it!"
Terren raised his hands, trying to appease the Pixie. "I have no intentions of hurting him- it is a him right?"
"Of course Laminas is a guy!" the Pixie placed her hands on her hips, "Now- who are you and what are you doing?"
Terren gestured towards Flayer, who was standing still with his eyes closed. "He's the Red Slayer of Thay. He heard someone was caught who was supposedly him-"
Indeed, I could hardly let that slide, although how they got it so wrong mystifies me. Laminas is garbed entirely in green and has no hat- how far off do those rumors really go?
The Pixie flew behind Terren with a shriek. "Illithid! Mind Flayer! Run for your lives!"
Terren hastily reached around to try and grab her, but she was too fast for even him to grab. "Calm down and be quiet." He pleaded with her, "He's a friend to me and I'm a friend to you- that makes him okay right?"
She seemed uncertain but she was no longer screaming, "He's not gonna take Laminas' brain?" Flayer telepathically responded.
I'm not planning on it, I was rather hoping to recruit him- anyone who can walk into a Red Wizard's stronghold and come back out alive is someone I want on my side. However... Flayer walked forwards and pulled out a potion from his belt pouch before handing it to Terren. I want him to talk for a bit before we proceed. Terren if you please? I'm making sure nobody is coming for us.
Terren picked up the fallen Elf's head and tried to get him to drink it as the Pixie floated around his head. Terren decided to engage her in a conversation before she went crazy again.
"So you're who exactly? And why are you in the city? I thought Pixies liked to be out in nature and all that crap."
She stuck her tongue out at him before she responded. "My name is Selenea and I go where Laminas goes- he keeps me safe and I make sure he doesn't do something too stupid."
"Like attacking a Red Wizard?" Terren responded drily as his attempts to pour the potion down the Elf's throat finally started having a small amount of success. "Most would call that too stupid."
Selenea drifted downwards towards Laminas, "We didn't mean to come this far, Laminas found him looting a cemetery and stealing bodies- we attacked him and wound up here when he used some sort of teleportation door. Where are we?"
Laminas began coughing, slowly recovering his vitality as Terren administered the potion of healing. Boy, he was nearly gone. After the coughing subsided Terren answered the question. "You two are in Eltabbar, the capital city of Thay- home to the Red Wizards." Selenea still looked confused until Flayer's voice echoed in their minds.
You're in Eastern Faerun, a long way from Silverymoon.
Selenea's wings drooped as she descended to sit down on Laminas' chest, which had resumed the normal breathing pattern of rising and falling steadily. "So far... I knew Laminas didn't want to go back to Silverymoon but now it's so far away we might not be able to even try."
Laminas suddenly sprang upwards, reaching for Terren's throat even as Terren was jumping away. So fast! The initial lunge failed and Laminas stood quickly and summoned his glaive to his hands before Selenea stood between the two, arms outstretched. "Laminas! Enough!" Laminas lowered his glaive, panting slightly. For the first time since Terren met him, the Elf spoke, his voice was surprisingly musical.
"Greetings, and my apologies, the last few hours have been quite hectic for me- I'd have felt genuine sorrow for striking your head from your shoulders."
"Yeah, I'd be pretty sad too." Terren replied, keeping a wary eye on the newly risen warrior. "You've got some neat tricks- how can you do that with your weapons?"
"Oh this?" Laminas outstretched a hand and a silver mace appeared in a soft glow of light, nestled snugly in his grip. "I may be a warrior first, but I have more than a little talent in magic as well."
A shame you didn't pursue that talent more, another mage would've been quite useful.
Laminas displayed the sort of reaction Terren was expecting- whirling around to face Flayer and hurling the mace at him. The weapon struck Flayer with the sound akin to a hammer hitting a nail- bouncing off with no visible harm to the Illithid. Laminas sprinted forwards, another light forming to create a glaive in his right hand as he slashed in a long, sweeping arc towards Flayer's torso.
The attack was aborted as Flayer reached a hand out to point at Laminas, who disappeared in a haze of white mist, reforming behind the mage.
Flayer was ready, and fast too- Terren could hardly follow his movements as the Red Slayer of Thay spun around on the spot and hurled the spell he was weaving at Laminas. Terren thought he recognized it as the same spell Flayer had used before, and was proven correct when Laminas' glaive was frozen inches from the edge of Flayer's face.
Now, we're going to talk like reasonable... people. Then if you wish you can continue trying to kill me and I will add another body to my current count- and yes- I do keep count.
Laminas wasn't moving at all, but Terren was reasonably sure he could see the muscles flexing in his neck as the Elf tried to defeat the spell holding him in place. Terren tried to reassure him, "Believe it or not, he's not out to kill us. If he was, is there really anything stopping him from slitting your throat right this second?"
"Yes," Laminas responded curtly as he continued to strain against his invisible bindings, "because it's easier for him to trick us than control us- and he needs allies. I will not trust a Mind Flayer."
Well that's a damn shame. Flayer raised a hand and a flame appeared in his palm. I can't have you running around telling people who and what I am- I would've thought saving your life held more value for you than that. Terren noticed a flicker of doubt cross Laminas' eyes. How well will Selenea survive without you?
Open rage distorted the fair features of the knight, "Do not dare to harm her- or so help me I will kill you!" Selenea flew between Flayer and the enspelled Laminas.
"Please release him, he can be reasoned with- I don't want him to die!" It was a childish remark, but it seemed to work on Flayer, who lowered both of his hands. Terren watched warily as Laminas shrugged his shoulders but otherwise made no effort to attack again. Terren realized Flayer was either not projecting the thoughts to him anymore or simply wasn't speaking. A silence fell over the group as Terren felt the beginnings of joke come into being. A Pixie, an Elf, and a Mind Flayer walk into a tavern...
Laminas spoke again, a note of curiousity tinging his voice. "You could be reading my mind and using what you learn to control me- why aren't you?"
Terren quickly interjected on Flayer's behalf, sensing the conversation was not a one of his strengths. "Take it as a mark of his sincerity."
Especially considering I showed no such restraint when you were attempting to kill me.
Laminas was silent for some time before nodding. "I still don't trust you- but saving my life and that of Selenea means I owe you a chance at least. So- what do you want?"
Terren could almost taste the anticipation in Flayer's mind as he mentally projected his thoughts to all three of them.
For starts, we're going back to where you were captured to finish your job.
A short time later, Terren crouched on the roof of the building alongside his newest ally, both carefully examining the compound they had been at only moments before.
"Do you see them?" Terren whispered to his conspirator.
"No," came the quiet reply, "but I doubt they would leave before helping themselves to his treasures. Follow me."
The two of them crept down the roof. Eventually they came to a balcony on the 2nd floor. Terren instructed Laminas to keep watch as he bent to play with the lock. Flayer, are you sure about this plan?
You remember that Claire told you I've not even seen 10 Summers pass yet? Your plan was no better.
My plan didn't depend on something so dangerous as our enemies being stupid. Terren finished the mental conversation as the lock came undone, allowing Laminas and himself inside. Terren crept further in as Laminas pulled a longbow out of nothingness. Terren couldn't help but briefly stare at the weapon. The bow itself was made of dark wood the likes of which he wasn't familiar with, with silver runes running down it and forming a circle around where an arrow was already resting on Laminas' finger. Terren shook his head and stuck to the shadows as he attempted to finish his part of the plan.
He's whining to me about his part of the plan being dangerous? Flayer laughed to himself as he finished his spell, teleporting directly in front of the manor in a shimmer of displaced air. A cantrip later and he began his plan as his voice echoed across the grounds.
"Red Wizards of They, come and accept your doom at the hands of the Red Slayer!"
If Flayer were human, he'd have grinned from ear to ear as the Red Wizards all but fell over themselves as they ran from the manor, each clutching a wand and sporting some items that likely belonged to the previous owner of the manor. All of them furiously scanned the grounds to locate the owner of the voice. Flayer raised his staff and carefully took aim.
Flayer tapped into Targon's staff and a ray of energy fired forwards, going straight through the mage as though he wasn't there at all.
Damn, illusions, they aren't stupid.
Flayer immediately conjured up a barrier around himself, not a moment too soon as 3 fireballs all flashed into existence around him.
Laminas looked down at the battle, a large crater had been gouged in the stone courtyard, some 40 feet wide at its widest part. In the center stood Flayer, a shield protecting him from the attacks that had just gone off. Laminas drew his bow back and held the arrow, feeling the power increasing. He had enchanted this bow himself, it would store his potential energy for as long as he held back the arrow, unleashing it all in one shot when released.
Laminas let fly, the compressed power causing the arrow to fly forth and pierce cleanly through the closest mage, nothing more than a spark to indicate the wards it had gone through. The Red Wizard crumpled to the ground with a scream as the other two whirled to let fly a fireball each at Laminas' position. Laminas was already in motion, leaping off the balcony, landing on the ground and recovering as the fireballs hit the window- blasting the balcony apart.
Even as the shards of stone were falling towards him Laminas was tapping into his magical energy, hurling himself forwards in a haze of mist to close on them before they could use another spell. His glaive appeared in his hands and he cut at their arms, hoping more to prevent them from casting spells than anything.
One of the humans had a scar on his face, bringing up his hands and conjuring up a floating sword to block Laminas' attack. Laminas parried the flying blade as the wizard crafted another spell, causing a blast of wind to push Laminas backwards. Off to the side he saw the other mage briefly glow before facing Flayer, both of them making gestures as though casting spells. Damn it Terren, where in the Nine Hells are you?!
"Killed all of the zombies already my ass!" Terren yelled as he hung from a chandelier, a dozen zombies underneath him and moaning as they stretched their arms upwards. Terren suddenly felt the his small perch of safety shake as he heard an explosion off nearby. Damn- they're fighting already! This line of worry about his companions vanished as he felt a jolt and sank a foot lower towards the monsters. He looked up to see the chain breaking free from the ceiling.
Thinking quickly, Terren took the dagger Claire had given him and held it next to the chain, speaking the command word to set it alight. "Inferi!" The flames lit and Terren struck, again, and again, until on the 4th strike he cut clean through the chain holding the chandelier; causing the entire ensemble to plummet and fall onto the zombies below. Terren dropped onto the chandelier, rolling to his feet and sprinting towards the entrance before any of the zombies could reach for him.
Terren ran through the open doors and was amazed at the devastation he saw. The battle had only been going for minutes at best, but the courtyard had a massive crater in it and the balcony he had left Laminas on was gone. Terren suddenly noticed he had attracted the attention of one of the Red Wizards, he had just long enough to see a giant bloodstain on his side before his focus was arrested by a light growing on his wand as he pointed it at Terren.
Terren dove to the side as the glow brightened, a bolt of lightning shooting from the staff to hit the wooden doors squarely; knocking them off their hinges and setting them afire. Terren quickly hurled the flaming dagger at the mage, noticing it struck him in the side and stayed there for a moment, burning the man as Terren closed the distance quickly.
But this was no amateur mage, already his hands were weaving a spell; causing 3 rays of flame to emerge from his hand and fire at Terren. He ducked under the first one and the second one missed, but the third one caught him right across the left arm. The scent of burning flesh filled his nostrils as Terren screamed with pain. He managed to keep his feet under him and moving, reaching the wizard and bringing out a dagger with his good right arm, cutting the man across his right arm.
Caught in close combat, and with his arm wounded, the mage panicked; he tried shoving Terren away with his remaining good arm. Terren rolled with the hit, allowing the momentum to push past him before making a savage blow towards his enemies neck- burying the dagger hilt-deep. Terren took a moment to reclaim his magical dagger before catching his breath.
The ground shook again, another fireball lighting up the surrounding area. Terren noticed Flayer standing in front of a large crater that hadn't been there a second ago, flames still crawling along it. Nearby, Laminas was furiously trying to get past a floating sword, the mage he was fighting was throwing spells at him while the sword kept him busy. Terren grimly took several steps forwards and stabbed the foe in the back, the Red Wizard fell as the magical sword suddenly vanished from Laminas.
Grab anything you think is valuable, time to go. Flayer commanded them and so they acted quickly. Terren found a wand and Laminas had picked up a few potions. Flayer himself quickly disintegrated the bodies once they were through with them before offering his hand for teleportation. Terren took the proffered hand from Flayer and looked back at Laminas, who was hesitating. Terren groaned.
"We don't have time for this now!"
Laminas sighed and touched Flayer's shoulder, looking unhappy about it. The three vanished in a shimmer of air, leaving the burning manor to crumble to its foundation along with whatever secrets it may have held.