Fetch wasn't sure he heard Surry correctly, " Oh sorry, can you repeat that? I thought you said you were the high priestess or something."
Surry smiled a deep proud grin, "You heard right. There's two high priests in the family now. You and me ! Except I didn't beat up some old guy in a pit like you do it. I dazzled my followers with my true divine power!"
Fetch was at a lost, Surry was making no sense, " What do you mean? You have no divine powers. You're a wizard! Did you cast a mass charm or something. I can do something similar I can make them all fall to the ground or something like that."
Surry looked at Fetch , she still didn't believe how clueless he was," Look, these are elves and half elves. They have innate resistance to charm. C'mon lets just dance, I'll explain later when its more quiet."
Fetch sighed, he didn't like dancing, but it was one of the few times he's seen Surry so happy and freed from cynicism . Normally she was a Schadenfreude type of girl. An old barbarian term for "taking pleasure in the misfortune of others." Oddly enough she seemed happy and free, something unexpected but not unwelcome to Fetch. He danced awhile with Surry. He noticed Dietrch was dancing with Tyris during his absence. Surry laughed when she noticed his growing jealousy and she quickly rectified the situation by switching partners .
Fetch did not find it amusing dancing with Dietrch.
Fetch had a deep headache the next morning. That was uncommon for him, he could normally out drink any of his companions and he rarely drank enough to get truly drunk. He smiled as he remembered the last time he was this drunk. He was in Mammoth Keep, and he had been abducted by a certain bard.
He looked at his surroundings and saw that Tyris was at his side . She flicked opened a single eye and stared at him.
He was still feeling energized from the previous night, and whispered something in thieves cant to her. She smiled and giggled, but shook her head.
"You're suppose to meet your liaison from Kerr today. You have a million things to do still. ", Fyris said. She said something back in thieves cant. Something about maybe tonight if you have a productive day.
Fetch nodded eagerly and began to ready himself for the day. His wounds were gone , but his clothes were still ripped from the fall and subsequent beating he took from Earl / Longshadow. He wondered if he would see him again. He also wondered if he would tell the real Earl about him. It might mean Longshadow's death, but his friend had a right to know if an unwarranted clone of him was running around. He knew if he was in that situation, he would like to know if a copy of himself was loose. He wondered if he was in the same situation , would he want to destroy his other self.
Tyris noticed Fetch lost in thought and helped groom and dress him. She noticed the tears in his clothes and quickly mended them the best she could. It was a rough job , but Fetch admired the speed and skill of her stitch work. If they were ever short of money , she could always sew for a living he thought.
"HAH you are a constant source of entertainment Fetch. Let's see...things you could make your wife to do to earn some money. Let's see , take assassination contracts, pick anyone pockets, steal from the rich and powerful, fight in the arena, body guard for a noble...the list is endless...but you think seamstress ? You crack me up!", laughed Baalphzon in my head.
"Hey how come you can read my thoughts , but I can't read yours. ", thought Fetch at the interloping imp.
"Oh you can read mine, if you practice, but I don't think you want to see into my terrible mind. Its a place of my dark memories, endless millennium of bloodshed, torture, and death. It's not a pretty place to wander.", the imp thought grimly.
Fetch at first thought it was more of Baalphzon's boasting, but he sensed a dark regret and truth in his words. He let the subject drop.
Fetch wasn't sure where he slept the previous night. At first he thought it was an inn , but he noticed no other patrons. It seemed more like someone's house. He looked out the window and could see some elves clearing the garbage and debris from around the tree. Despite the wild dancing and drinking, the tree still looked serene. He had doubts about his plan to destroy it but he could not forgive what the cult had done to Nara. Maybe if Surry was really made a priestess of this cult, he could have an inside track to stop it.
Fetch made his way down the stairs and noticed everyone having breakfast at a large table. At the head of the table was the gnome that threw him out the previous night. She smiled and gave no hint of the rough treatment she gave him .
"Errr hi...", Fetch said nervously , while looking for the big elf servant.
"Oh its alright Fetch, Henrietta told us of your little altercation.", said Surry," Its OK, I told her of your mental disabilities and how you get things mixed up all the time. Like how could you mix up this delightful little elf for a gnome? Isn't that the silliest thing."
"Thank you high priestess.", said Henrietta, glowing from Surry's compliment.
The large elven woman walked into the room with heavy steps and set down a chair for Fetch. Fetch thanked her and sat down as he was served a wonderful fusion cuisine. Gnome Battas, eggs, and elven figs. The cleric was about to comment but thought better of it.
"So , you guys are probably wondering how I became high priestess. Well first off, I didn't beat anyone up to claim the title. We aren't a barbaric religion like some. ", she said while motioning at Fetch, ". The tree itself picked me. Its a long story, but I'll make it short. The current high priestess was the woman you first saw on the rock next to the tree. She had the standard divine powers and that type of stuff, she healed the faithful and preached about the tree's will. The only problem was...she couldn't touch the tree. None of them could . As some of you know, nobody can approach and handle a Tree of Life except the appointed Treekeeper. A Treekeeper is the spirtual guardian and guide for a village, and is the second most important elf in a village, save for the king or queen. Most Treekeepers are actually chosen from the royal lineage, normally the second or third in line for the throne. Keeps things in the family and reinforces their divine right to rule."
The entire table stared at Surry and expected her to continue, but she just stood there waiting for them to draw the obvious conclusion. A painful silence fell on them.
"Errr you dispelled the tree so you managed to get close till the magic re manifested itself ?", asked Fetch.
"No..no...she casted an illusion of herself to make herself appear to touch the tree!", proudly deduced Trip.
" The trees a fake! It never had a barrier in the first place, since Surry didn't know about it , she freely touched the tree.", Dietrch replied.
"Umm your part dark elf and your innate magic resistance overcame the trees magic?", said Henrietta. Fetch was annoyed at the gnome's answer. Her answer was really close to his own. He felt she was trying to take credit for his clever observation.
"Bark ! Bark! Woof! Bark!", yipped Freiki.
"Close , but not quite. ", smiled Surry at the wolf pup.
"You are your mother's daughter.", smiled Tyris .
"BINGO! My beautiful and clever stepmother wins! Brita is the last princess of the ice elves. Therefore that makes me a direct royal descendant. Sure my blood has been diluted by the last few generations...but thankfully the tree doesn't know that. I suspect the tree itself was a seed from the Tree of Life of my families former lands. So naturally, it chose me to be the Keeper. ", boasted Surry.
Fetch was trying to take this all in. "Let me get this straight. So you're in charge now. You're not just a middle priestess or a dupe to this cult, but your in control? "
"Are you hard of hearing or something? I'm the Keeper of the Tree. I'm the high priestess. The voice of the Wood, the Treekeeper. ", Surry proclaimed.
"So you can stop this cult of yours from getting elves to sell themselves into slavery?", asked Fetch.
"Stop referring it to a cult, and yeah I'll stop that practice right away. As soon as I get the books or whatever from the former priestess, err Lady Talia or something, I'll see if I can get things reversed. Oh and you're not the only person that has tried to destroy the tree you know. The tree has been under attack a few times now , most of the attacks are harmless , but some came pretty close to succeeding. I'm sorry, but I might have to keep an eye on it. That mean's no following you on your "important" quests all the time. You know...having breakfast with the governor, beating up slaves in the arena, avoiding your real job . I might run that errand to Veb though, 40 years is a long time to be late, and reflects badly on my family.", said Surry with her usual sarcastic tone.
Baalphzon quipped, "I might be able to help with providing guardians. As you know , I've acquired a sizable fortune recently from betting for and against Insector here. It would be an honor to aid my lovely comrade in protecting her sacred charge."
Dietrch looked at Fetch in surprise, "You're Insector?"
Everyone ignored the barbarian and continued.
Surry smiled at the scaly imp,"You flatter me with your loyalty. I'm sure its will be something double edged but I'm curious what kind of guardians you will set me up with. Some tramps from the tiefling orphanage I'm guessing?"
Baalphzon just grinned and showed off his many layers of razor sharp teeth.
"I could set traps around the area!", Trip and Henrietta both said at once. The "elf" blushed and the small warforged halfling's cheeks seemed to go a bit rust colored as well.
Dietrch didn't like where this was going, " Err does that mean I have to protect the tree ? Can I follow the Captain or his wife today? I just want to repay my debt and continue with my quest."
Surry was disappointed, Fetch could tell she wanted the handsome knight's company, "What quest are you on anyways? Is it a secret quest or something?"
Dietrch shook his head,"No..No...its not a secret. I am here to rescue the Princess Ulla, or at least confirm her fate. A few years ago, pirates raided the royal long boat, and made off with her. Many knights were sent to recover her , I was one of them. For a long time, I met with failure, but recently I met a strange one handed sage , who told me what I seek was here in Lower Lueders. Well I'm here, all I need to do is find her now."
Fetch looked at Dietrch and asked inquisitively,"Ulla you say? The grand champion of the arena?"
Dietrch laughed,"I saw the posters too and the statue of "Ulla". I assure you ...that is not her. My Ulla is like a tundra flower. She's way to delicate to be an arena grand champion or whatever the title is. All northerners are trained to handle sword or axe, but I can tell you first hand she was horrible at both. We grew up together and trained with each other. I was told the arena Ulla even rides a massive red dragon , I highly doubt that is the 40 year old frail princess of the walrus, the one that was captured by raiders."
Surry noticed immediately his fawning for "Ulla" and she lost all interest in the knight, " You can go with Fetch...but you still owe me your taxes minus wages. I figure about 240 gold."
Dietrch began pleading with Surry but knew it would be no use . Baalphzon however smiled and counted out the money owed to the Wizard. He turned to Dietrch and whispered, " You work for me now pretty boy."
The party broke up again to complete various errands in town. Surry was to retrieve any books or journals detailing with the grove's expenses. Henrietta and Trip were to set traps to deter interlopers. Fetch wondered if their "traps" would differentiate friend or foe, since the elves seemed to frolic merrily around the forest, but it seemed a trivial detail to Surry. Baalphzon said he was going to secure his guardians , but he vowed to return to Fetch as soon as he completed his task. Fetch, Tyris and Dietrch were going to go to the barracks and report to Captain Malik. Hopefully afterwards he can go to city hall and claim his estate. He wasn't sure where either were and hopefully he wouldn't look too stupid asking for directions.
"Captain Fetch ?", asked a deep husky womanly voice .
Fetch looked around and saw no one except a few elves and a well dressed young man. The man was a muscular and handsome youth. He was dressed in a strange exotic dress, pantaloon pants, a flaring red sash, a billowy silk shirt, and a lace fez. He sported a well groomed pointed mustache and goatee. His skin was a dark olive, and he had black hair and clear blue eyes.
"Captain Fetch ?", the man repeated in the womanly voice.
"Errr yes, I'm Fetch.", answered the cleric warily at this soft spoken man.
"Ahhh, greetings. I am Yasmina , your Liason sent from Lord Kerr. I am to assist you in integrating into the city and to help you organize your affairs. Think of me not as a liaison but more like a personal assistant. ", said the man with the incongruous voice.
"Psssstt Fetch...Is that a man or a woman?", asked Dietrch.
Fetch hesitated and shrugged, he remembered stories from Lord of harem guards . They were brutally mutilated to prevent them from sampling the treasures they guarded. This man's appearance fit the racial profile of a harem guard, but he always thought they were large brutes with higher voices.
"She's a woman.", smiled Tyris sniffing the air ,"Don't let her appearance fool you.", Despite her proclamation Fetch and Dietrch both had their doubts.
Fetch agreed to Yasmina's help and he quickly waved his hand and a tent magically appeared. He beckoned the 3 to enter , and they were greeted by a strange brass bottle connected by tubes and silk pillows. The 3 sat down and the liaison promptly filled the bottle with a gentle applewood smoke. He proceeded to detail the itinerary and the situation in the city for Fetch.
"First off a bit of background about the city. Its a rapidly growing city, its already tripled in size in the past 5 years . Its already the largest city in the north. Third only to Grom City and the Rock of Doug in all of the Republic. Its mainly a trade city, its geography is both a blessing and a curse. The other cities find it too far to the south to serve as a proper capital, but its the only city in the north that's port doesn't freeze over in the winter.", explained Yasmina with a slight shudder at the mention of freezing.
"The city is still experiencing rapid growth, but the logistical problems are solved by a team of dwarven engineers employed by Lord Kerr. The demographic problems are a different matter though. I'm sad to report that various indirect agents of the government employ less then savory tactics to displace the poor from valued properties. More unsavory then simple taxes and crooked laws. Also , I'm sure you noticed that this entire area seemed cursed by animals. Its true. Most animals go berserk when near the city. Unless they have magical protections or have a direct link to a druid or ranger or some other magic user, they tend to attack humans relentlessly unless they are put down. The city guard has done an admirable controlling the attacks, but the beasts have grown more numerous and fiercer.", continued Yasmina. The part of the animals brought nods from Dietrch as he recalled his own encounter with the wolves outside of town.
"Finally, a warning. The city has its own serial killer or kidnapper or something. It seems a man with a black carriage would come at night and claim young beautiful men and women . They are whisked away never to be seen or heard from again. No bodies or trace of their deaths, but all the witnesses say the same thing. A dark carriage would carry them off, sometimes willingly sometimes with a struggle. I'm sure it won't affect most of your group, except the handsome knight over here. ", he said with a giggle and a wink. Dietrch felt uncomfortable at Fetch's aide flirting with him. He heard of the decadent ways of the southerners. It seems the further south one would go, the more debased their actions would be come. He was from the savage north and he didn't swing that way.
"Today is simple, we will first meet Captain Malik of the guard. Complete any necessary paperwork. I understand your commission is mostly non combat and advisory in nature, so your assignments should be light at best. Next we'll report to the city hall and records department . I have seen the estate that Royal Adventurer err Reinhardt is it? gifted you ...and you are quite fortunate indeed to have a friend like him. The service you must have provided him must have been great indeed, or he has little value for material things. From the royal adventurers I have the privilege of meeting I highly doubt that. Finally we need to get you properly fitted for proper formal attire. That was one of Lord Kerr's main points. He wishes you and your lovely wife to attend the fall festival , and he was less then impress with your frontier clothes. ", Yasmina stated .
Fetch was impressed how thorough this strange man was. When he was in the army , he found Lt Bram useful , but Yasmina was on a different level. He thanked him and told him to lead on. He smiled, waved a hand and the tent , pillows and hookah were gone. Instead was a sturdy floating decorative rug. Yasmina sat on it bow legged , and beckoned the others to get on. Fetch and Dietrch were leery at this strange device. He saw Frank use one before, but it flew away erratically. Tyris silenced their fears by hopping on and reclined comfortably on it. The other two reluctantly followed suit.
With a word they where whisked away into the air.
Captain Malik was furious , "What do you mean non combat role? We're up to our eyeballs in rock baboons and fiendish dire wolves out there. I've heard reports that penguins have been spotted amassing at our northern borders. Also the elves and trogs are on the verge of rioting as well as a mysterious black carriage making off with people. Here I am, understaffed , enemies at all our sides, they've finally given me another Captain to split my duties with and I find out he's here on an advisory role. He's not even advising me apparently, hes apparently flipping through old war plans or somethings. Sheesh, why doesn't someone make me drink penguin poison right now and end it !"
"Now. now Captain Malik. Captain Fetch's orders are quite clear. Its from General Olive herself. I've never met the general but I'm sure she knows whats shes doing. ", responded Yasmina coolly.
"Whats with that girly voice of yours anyways? Aww forget it. Give me the papers I'll sign them. Your office is the down the hall, since you aren't in active duty you can work from your own office or estate. Or whatever pampered dwelling you live in. I'm sure this is all the result of heavy back scratching isn't it? Look how young you are . Influential father ? A bribe here or there? Which is it?", asked Malik with menace in his voice.
"Captain Fetch obviously earned his position because of his brilliant tactical mind. Now please refrain from insults ...", began Yasmina but was interrupted by Fetch. Fetch noticed his aide tried talking in a deeper voice when confronted about it by Malik but did a poor job of it.
"Look, If you need help that badly I'll take a patrol or two. I can see your understaffed , and I'll do my part to help out till we get things under control. I just arrived in this city a few days ago, but I want law and order as much as the next guy. This is my wife, we're gonna raise a family here, you think I want baboons running amok in the streets?", proclaimed Fetch as Tyris beamed at his comments.
Malik fumed, but his anger relented when he realized Fetch had given in to his demands, "Sorry Captain, guess I got a little animate there. I'm glad we see eye to eye on things. I'll send details of your patrol to ...err...your assistant as soon as possible."
Malik watched Fetch, and his companions leave, and wondered how long it would be till they became baboon or penguin food.
The hall of records was centrally located in town. Fetch passed the building a few times and had previously thought it was a school. Yasmina gave a girlish laugh and told him that it was formerly a library, but was taken over by the Grommers when its taxes were in arrears. Dietrch sighed at the mention of taxes and he sympathized with the displaced teachers and scholars.
The paperwork was simple to fill out, the only proof of identity required by Reinhardt's instructions was the mark of the high priest of Rawk. Fetch was embarrassed but he reluctantly pulled out his holy symbol . Strangely it shone brightly and menacingly as he brought it out. It seemed to know its identity was being challenged. Yasmina was taken back by this show of power, she assumed like Malik ,that Fetch had earned his position by influence or bribery. Rawk was an influential deity even in the mono theological kingdom of Yllarum , but she never suspected the young man before him commanded that much power. Dietrch had not suspected that as well. Rawk was amongst the three patron gods of his tribe, and he never thought he would meet the high priest himself. Since he met them, he always assumed Surry was the one calling the shots , he always thought Fetch or Fletcher or whatever he called himself was a minor priest at best. He attributed his wins in the arena to have been rigged by that shady looking dwarf. Gazing now at the man with the amulet, he wondered if this was the legendary Warmaster that led the Order of the Walrus and the other Orders of the great host to victory over the demonic gnoll horde a few years ago. He participated in the battle and actually saw the Warmaster, though he did not recognize him now . He looked a lot taller and more menacing when he rode a mammoth , he thought.
After the formality of his proof of identity was proven, they flew on the carpet to his estates. It was a small manor inside the city , it was currently occupied by renters while waiting for his arrival. Yasmina assured him they would be gone in a week. Even though it was a "small" manor , it was almost as big as Olive's estate in McDunnalds. It had a large hedge garden and even though he only got a brief glance at the inside it seemed quite comfortable.
His other estate was outside town and seemed more like hobby farm . It was as large as Clovis's mansion complete with a stable and its own forest and lake. More importantly it had its own wineyard and plots of vegetables. Fetch noted that several families worked the land there, Yasmina assured them they were servants in charge of keeping the estate in good repair. The mansion was ready for his occupation , and had been that way for awhile.
Fetch was in shock , when Reinhardt told him he was gifting him estates he never expected such a palace. He tentatively entered and was shocked by the alien interior. The main room seemed to have iced floors and no standard discernible furniture. Yasmina shivered and insisted on staying outside as Fetch explored the bizarre building. There seemed to be two types of furniture, ones that seemed made for a giant, and another smaller more fragile set that seemed to float in the air. There were various portraits decorating the building, some of Reinhardt, some of Amirah, others of a giant white insect and some abstract art of what could best be described as a winter wind. Fetch knew that the pair operated together but he never knew they lived together. They seemed like opposites and thought they only tolerated each others company because of their job. He pondered this thought and looked at Tyris, then he laughed.
Fetch didn't mind the cold, but the furniture had to go. He put it on his to do list. He didn't want to scrap the bizarre furnishings though, he hoped to store it somewhere in case Reinhardt returned.
"Whatever happened to Reinhardt?", Fetch asked Yasmina.
Yasmina shook her head and seemed very sadden ,"One of the stories I've heard was that he traveled on a secret mission for Lord Kerr. I'm not sure of the details but he and his partner Amirah accompanied the infamous Order of the Baboon, that was 2 maybe 3 years ago, and they've never been heard of since. One of their companions was my husba...ahh never mind...its a tale for another time. "
Fetch sensed he wanted to say something else, but his aide held his tongue. He saw a deep sense of loss in the man. Tyris sensed it too, and he put her arms around him and comforted him.
Fetch wanted to return to Henrietta's house and see his daughter and friends progress, but Yasmina insisted that they had to be properly fitted for their formal attire. Fetch grumbled at the prospect , but it proved to be a quick and painless experience. The tailor was fast and efficient and seemed accustomed to dealing with important men with limited time on their schedules. Tyris picked out a few dresses , she didn't tried them on but told the tailor exactly how they needed to be altered to fit her. Yasmina asked if she needed jewelry or other fashion accessory for her dress, but Tyris shook her head.
Yasmina made it clear what was expected from the tailor. His outfit was to be dark and project power, it also should employ horizontal lines to make him appear broader. Since he was a soldier in the army , his shoulders should be wide and his cuffs should be rigid , almost military looking. A loose belt for an ornamental sword should also be included. He wanted Fetch to look like a veteran military captain , not an out of place youth.
Fetch shrugged and wondered if the tailor could accomplish all these things. He would have been happy to show up his captain uniform. He learned a long time ago in Mammoth Keep not to attempt to dress himself in anything too fancy. He smiled at the memory of Frank still making fun of him for his "clown" outfit.
Dietrch was impressed by the strange Yasmina as well."Hey Yasmina buddy...you seemed to know the town quite well. I'm looking for someone named Ulla, a barbarian princess from my tribe. No not that arena champion...I was wondering if you can help me out."
Yasmina smiled a seductive smile to the handsome knight," Hmm the only Ulla I'm aware of is the arena Grand Champion, who claims to be a barbarian princess by the way. Are you sure its not her? Anyways I'll see what I can do. I'm sure you can repay me suitably afterwards.", he said while running his finger down his chest.
Dietrch shuddered and wondered how far he would go to rescue his tribe's princess.
After a productive but boring day Fetch, Tyris and Dietrch finally returned to the grove of the Tree of Life. Dietrch was glad he didn't have to be Surry's porter that day , but was still annoyed by the lack of action. He wondered how much the imp would deduct from his debt for body guard services rendered. Yasmina waved goodbye but Fetch invited him to meet the rest of his group. He was happy with his work that day, and concluded that he would retain his services . He should at least meet the people in his "inner circle". Everyone was there except Baalphzon.
Surry greeted them at Henrietta's house. She stared at Yasmina suspiciously but shook his hand in a friendly manner. The small elf was overjoyed that the high priestess would chose her house to attend to elven affairs. Fetch wanted to tell her that she was being taken advantage of , but the thought of being thrown out by Henrietta still stung his pride. He kept quiet as Surry disclosed her findings.
Surry had a troubled look on her face, "Fetch...I hate to say it, but you were right. Something really fishy, no...sinister is going on here. I didn't manage to retrieve any journals or ledgers . Talia managed to destroy or take them away before I was able to get them. Instead I asked some of the more devout worshipers, and they did indeed confirm that Talia asked worshipers to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the tree. Parts of the tale are true, the Grommers had indeed threatened to destroy the tree, if the lot it was on wasn't bought out, and they did indeed charge a high sum. Its standard operational procedure for them though, nothing too costly, they just want to make a few bucks. However the part of buying out the neighbors was complete crap. They were happy to sell , and there's no good neighbor law in Grom. The very notion is laughable. "
"Wow, a priest taking advantage of his flock, for personal advantage or for his temple's advantage, nothing new there.", said Trip. The small warforged and their hostess was covered in flecks of dirt. Fetch wondered if they spent the day digging pits, and how soon would an unsuspecting elf fall into one.
Surry silenced him with a look," No ...so far that's just typical clerical shenanigans. Sorry I shouldn't say typical . Fetch has never done anything of the sort. The fact that he's never visited a temple means hes never had followers to take advantage of." Fetch bristled at the remark, but the others nodded and agreed heartily with the wizard.
Surry took a deep breath,"The most devout followers stated that many of them had volunteered to sacrifice themselves to save the Grove. Its the living projection of their god after all. A piece of Ygdrassil, a branch of Rilifane the leaf lord, even the soul of Correlon Larethan. Whom ever they worship, the tree is their version of their avatar . The curious thing is, despite all the volunteers, Talia only chose the most ...how should I say...pleasing to the eye. Both men and women. The old, and the not so good looking were not chosen . Even though the records were taken most of the worshipers had committed the names of the those who sacrificed themselves to memory. 30 of them in fact. Now we all know that the selling of slaves is illegal except for tax recovery purposes in Grom. The arena and the department of public works is the only legal venue where one can literally sell their lives away. The arena pays triple what the department of roads pay by the way. I did some inquiries at the arena, and Hoaglie told me they don't discriminate the old and ugly. In fact as Fetch know's first hand, the gladiators normally wear masks or full helms to disguise their looks. Amateur night is always popular so there is always a demand for the old. Also he only bought 10 elves and halfelves from Priestess Talia. After some charming, he even showed me the books to confirm this. "
"So my question is? What happened to the other 20 slaves? And why did they choose the young, handsome and beautiful, why not the old or decript. I don't want to seem callous but if you have to sacrifice someone from your "family" I would choose the old ones first and give the younger generation a chance. My brief study of elven religion confirms that its a recurring theme in tales of self sacrifice. The old warrior sacrifices himself to the hordes of orcs to save the village or the matronly queen sacrifices herself to the dragon instead of the young princess.", finished Surry to the troubled looks of her companions.
Fetch pondered Surry's detective work. Was there a secret slave market in Lower Lueders. Even if there was , the arena paid a handsome premium for "slaves". He doubt the markets could match Hoaglies payment. The dwarf needed a constant stream of fighters, he would have bought all 30 in a heartbeat. Also why would Talia sell only "good" looking worshipers, if she needed the money she could have easily picked some of the older elves. He wondered what he would do in such a situation. Would he pick only the old, or would he spread out his choices. Or maybe he would be more fair and pick by the order they volunteered. He never met Talia but thought she must have been pretty annoyed that Surry usurped her spot as Tree Keeper, or high priest. Whatever plans she had brewing had come to a halt when she lost power. Would she attempt a take over of the cult? Would it be peaceful or violent?
As Fetch guessed Talia's plans , he was suddenly answered by a cacophony of explosions. Henrietta's house withstood the lightning bolts and fireballs that exploded outside but the power was too great for her windows. Fire and electricity flooded into the house, and scattered the group . Fetch was amongst the few standing , he gave a quick prayer and radiated divine power to heal his friends.
"Come out you half breed fake! We all know you used an illusion to fool everyone , but we won't be deceived by your trickery!", yelled a feminine voice that could only be Talia's. "Surrender to me now , and I'll spare your pathetic companions lives. "
Fetch shook his head and knew it was a lie. Henrietta seemed shaken by the attack, and even though her wounds were healed she sat in the corner stunned at the carnage around her. Trip checked the small elf and made sure she was ok. He drew both his dragon golems , and a glint of menace appeared on his cold iron eyes. Fetch noticed Yasmina wasn't affected by the initial assault, but his lack of combat experience was evident. He was in a panic and unsure of what to do. Dietrch had his blade and shield ready and assumed the lead position behind the front door. He seemed happy at the chance for some old fashioned barbarian violence. Surry made some hand signals to Fetch and the cleric knew she was prepared to dimension door or something behind them when the battle started. Tyris of course was nowhere to be seen, but Fetch knew she would make her presence known painfully to her attackers.
The cleric intoned a brief prayer and then uttered a spell of conviction for the group. Surry and Trip disappeared through a portal as Fetch and Dietrch rushed through the front door. Even Henrietta's guardian Vanna rumbled behind them , ready to deal with the attackers.
Fetch was surprised as he exited Henrietta's house. He was expecting a dozen maybe 2 dozen elven priests and malcontents. Instead he faced demons, or creatures resembling demons. They had elven features but the bodies of monstrous demons. The priestess Talia was in the form of a massive snake woman, with 6 arms each wielding an elven longsword. Her face was still clearly elven but contorted in a mask of rage . The most elven looking were a couple of bat winged maidens flying lazily in the air. They were lovely but their beauty was profane and crass. There was a huge elf with a shaggy boar body and tiny wings. Several with bipedal vulture bodies and beaked elven faces. Lastly about a dozen elves with skeletal bodies dripping with black acid were present. Fetch had battled real demons before, but he had Bartog, Frank , Brita , and Hildraxel with him. He wondered if Surry ,Vanna, Trip and Dietrch would be passable replacements.
Vanna thundered towards the nearest black boned elf. Her heavy stride made the earth shake, and the large elf punched the abomination infront of her. The creature easily blocked her blow but the force of it snapped his arm in two. Black acid sprayed on the elf, and soon more of the black bone skeletons piled on top of her.
Dietrch joined the fray and fought a vulture elf. His blade brought a pained cry from the creature, but soon spores exploded around it and his attacker. The spores took root and began painfully burrowing into the knights flesh.
Trip fired both golems at the large boar elf. They struck from behind and caught the large demon by surprise. Not only from the direction of the attack but by the fact they sliced through his large muscular body. It roared a challenge and descended on the small warforge . Fetch lost sight of Trip as the creature crashed with a thunderous boom as it landed.
Surry tossed a pair of long swords into the air . They went up and fell plainly towards the ground. Before they reached the ground however some magical force caught them and they hovered uneasily next to the wizard. The elf smiled as she aimed her bow at Talia, "Hope your proud Brita."
Fetch surveyed the battlefield, and thought Vanna needed the most help. Righteous power flowed through his veins as he grew to the size of a giant. He intoned an acid protection spell that covered the companions closest to him. He then gripped the Fist of Rawk and waded into battle.