The Deal

Mozarikan walked slowly and carefully through the Lady's Ward. She was surprised that Celestide had honored her request for a visit, but she was in no hurry to get there.

Celestide was dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than Blazerthai. The residents in Blazerthai's fortress only spoke of him in hushed whispers. When one of Blazethai's employees mentioned the name aloud, the old Arch-Wizard disintegrated the poor sod before he could utter another word.

Mozarikan's friend, Aurora Duvet, said that during one of Blazerthai's experiments, the old man had found out a secret about Celestide that enraged the old man. Blazerthai never gave what information that might be, but it was enough for the old man to lividly hate Celestide.

Celestide lived in modest house within the Lady's Ward. It was considered somewhat expensive. That alone made Mozarikan nervous. Worse, she knew she was lost.

"Hello, officer. Perhaps you could help me?"

"Yes, Milady, how may I help you?"

"I am alone, and have not been here in quite some time. I am nervous traveling by myself. Would you be so kind as to escort me to the home of Master Celestide? I fear I have been traveling in circles."

"Do you have the proper paperwork to enter that section of the Lady's Ward?"

"Of course, here." She said as she handed the Harmonium officer the paperwork Celestide sent to her.

"It would be my pleasure, Milady Mozarikan. Right this way."

Within the hour , they reached Celestide's front door. The house looked old and run down. It may have once been pretty and quaint, but now it looked like a dump.

"Here, a gold piece for your cause. Thank your fellow members of the Harmonium for me."

"Thank you, I will. If you need our assistance again, do not hesitate to call."

Once the Harmonium officer left, Mozarikan took a deep breath and knocked on Celestide's door.

"Just a moment." Came from a male voice on the other side.

An extremely handsome man with shoulder length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes answered. He was dressed in a white silk shirt, a pale blue ascot, a dark blue velvet jacket with gold trim, clean, black leather breeches and freshly shined, black boots.

"Come in. I am sorry the place is such a mess," he said as he took Mozarikan's hand and kissed it. " Mozarikan Artemese, I am Lodo Celestide. I rarely have visitors these days. With all of my studies, I rarely have the patience to hire regular servants. I am sorry. It is a bit dusty. Would you like a glass of champagne before we dine? "

This was certainly not what Mozarikan expected. The wizard was young, polite, and absolutely charming. His manners made him look like an excellent catch for any woman.

"Oh yes, that would be fine."

"Go ahead and have a seat. My cook, Carlson will have dinner ready shortly. "

A fire was in lit in the small fireplace. Other than some dust here and there, it was impeccably clean. The furniture was lavish, and well maintained. The look of the outside of the house and the inside of the house completely contradicted each other.

Celestide brought in two glasses, and an unopened bottle of champagne. He made a show of uncorking the bottle and carefully poring the liquid into the glasses. He made a slight bow as he offered Mozarikan a glass. He smiled and his eyes twinkled.

"Thank you."

"So tell me, why has such a lovely lady come to dine with me?"

"I have a request from a friend of yours."

"That is strange. I don't have very many friends."

"I can understand, given your reputation."

"So, which fancy name have they saddled me with this time?"

"Kin Slayer. They say you murdered your sister."

Celestide's face grew ashen and sullen.

"Are you alright?" she said, afraid her words were going to get her thrown out.

"I'm innocent. She was killed by an assassin. He was hired by that bitch that calls herself my stepmother. I was the target, but my sister got in the way. My stupid stepmother failed to mention to the assassin that my sister was not to be harmed. That idiot never had a good head for details. It cost my beloved sister her life."

"Oh, I am sorry, I did not mean to drudge up bad memories."

"Its alright, rumors are just what they are, and rarely true."

Mozarican sighed. Celestide was a kind man, nothing like the ruthless beast she had come to expect.

"About the business at hand," she said as she opened the large purse containing the soul sphere, "I am here at the request of Solonund Brasher."

"Really," Celestide said with an arched brow, "who has the dog impregnated this time?"

"No, no nothing like that." she replied as she placed the sphere on the table in front of the couch.

Celestide peered into the sphere. He dropped his glass and laughed so hard that tears fell from his eyes.

"By Azuth! How did you manage to get trapped in a soul sphere?"

"It wasn't easy," Solonund replied," Kordon took over my body."

"How did he shrink you down so small? Oh and I see he gave you a friend to keep you company. Sorry luck though. He gave you a boy. That is no fun for you."

"Quit joking around Lodo, I need you to help me out of this thing."

"That will take some time. Kordon has to be ousted before you can return. I don't think your uh, hem, can stand being a spirit very long. Not even your wife could slow down your libido."

"I don't necessarily need to go directly to my body first. Olwa here has volunteered to allow me to use his body. I need you to get me out of here. I can get myself into Olwa's body. Once that is done, get this sphere back to Waterdeep, and give this sweet lady a letter of introduction to your acquaintance, Onaagron Straan."

"I can do that, but it is going to cost you, Solonund."

"No way, you owe me. I helped you find this place, and I helped you keep its location secret from Naduaa. If you are not nice, I will tell her where you live. You don't want that insane, lovesick, succubus thief breaking down your door. Tell me, how many times have you had to move because she found out where you lived. "

"Must you always resort to blackmail?"

"With you, yes. "

"I should have known better than to get in a drinking contest with a Harper. Very well, you can have the first two. As for the third, milady has to stay and enjoy dinner with me, and stay longer if she wishes. I want you back in her purse until we are finished."

"Done."

"This makes us even, Solonund. If you ever bother me again, Ill kill you. Out of curiosity, who is caring for Olwa's body in Waterdeep?"

"Khelben Blackstaff, who else. I am guessing he has Kordon, in my body, cornered as well."

"I hate you. " Celestide grumbled.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but Lodo, if I may call you that. It smells like dinner is ready. Let me put this rake away so we can enjoy the rest of the evening."

"Nothing would make me happier, Milady."

Once the soul sphere was in her purse, Celestide held out his arm to escort his companion into the dining room.

**********

Solonund grumbled as he waited for Mozarikan and Lodo to finish their dinner. Both he and Olwa were exhausted. The longer they stayed in this sphere, the worse the exhaustion got. They both sat down and tried to preserve their strength.

"Olwa, can you tell me something?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Do you know how big this sphere was when you first entered it."

"Not really, I was so upset."

"Was it bigger than it is now?"

"Yes, it was about as large as a chair, I think. I was surprised that it fit in Mozarikan's hands when she first caught us."

"Yes, and now she can hold it easily with one hand. I'm positive. The sphere is growing smaller. Since I arrived, the speed at which the sphere is shrinking has increased."

"Growing smaller! That means?'

"If Lodo doesn't quit taking his sweet time seducing Mozarikan, we could be crushed. If that happens, we will never get out of here. We will simply cease to exist. Crushed souls can not move on. Clever, Kordon, very clever."

Olwa sighed and looked at his feet. He tried to fight back his tears.

"Cry if you want to. This is as good a time as any to cry. I just wish.. I wish."

"What do you wish, Solonund?"

" I wish I could have found Mallen Quanta. I have so much I want to ask him."

"Which Mallen Quanta?"

"There is more than one?"

"Of course. Mallen Quanta is used as a title for a wild elf that looks over several tribes, but belongs to none of them directly. I guess it is what the humans call a governor."

"Oh, I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"Ever since I was small, I believed that Kordon was my birth father. I hated it. I felt it was my curse. A few weeks ago, someone told me that Kordon was not my birth father, but someone called Mallen Quanta was. "

"I see. Your birth father must have been powerful and charismatic, as well as pious."

"Pious?"

"Those who hold the title are all wild elf high priests or priestesses of Rillifane Rallathil, Solonor Thelandira or Fenmarel Mestarine. That is why they separate themselves from individual tribes, to serve all nearby tribes equally. I suspect, from your name, that the Mallen Quanta who is or was your father served Solonor."

"That clears things up some. It still makes him difficult to find."

"Perhaps not. Of all of those who hold the title, the fewest of them venerate Solonor above the others. It will make search easier, If we get out of here."

"When we get out of here. Lets take reverie. I need to formulate a plan."

**********

Notes:

reverie- generally, elves do not sleep. They enter a deep state of meditation, where their body rests, but their mind stays active.

Fenmarel Mestarine- the lone wolf, Elven god of outcasts, isolation and self-sufficiency.