Neverwinter Nights: The Mage of Shining Hope
By: Star Dragonmaiden
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance (although, not until later)/Some Humor
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Disclaimer: I don't own Neverwinter Nights, only Arianna, Iccarrus, and Antracan.
A/N: Not much action in this chapter. Also, this chapter is written from the point of view of a bartender and will switch to third person in the next.
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It was a stormy night when a slender stranger clad in a flowing black cape breezed into the tavern, carrying what appeared to be a calico cat with red wings, which was placed on the floor. The cat rubbed against its owner's leg and scampered toward the fireplace. I heard a patron snort in disgust.
"Another damned spellcaster... If these mages are SO bloody powerful, they'd do something about the Wailing Death." I ignored the drunk's harsh words and walked toward the waterlogged mage who was currently in search of an empty table.
"Lousy weather we're having, aye?" I smiled amiably as the spellcaster turned with a start, "Sorry if I startled ye. Let me take yer cloak while ye pull a chair next to the fire; ye look to have been dropped in a lake!" The stranger regarded me for a moment before undoing the ruby-studded clasp that held on the cloak. The mysterious wizard was a young human girl, probably in her late teens or early twenties. She had long, black hair with pearls strung through it, a small string of which dangling between a haunting pair of blood-red eyes, ending with a small ruby. Her snow-white skin contrasted with her hair and eyes, giving her an almost unearthly beauty. Her attire consisted of a crimson tunic and matching leggings with black leather gloves, boots, and a belt set with small and large rubies. I took note of how thin she appeared. Hanging the heavy, wet cloak over a chair to dry, I was surprised to find the girl seated on the floor near the fire.
"What are ye doing on the floor? Yer clothes will get dirty that way!" I laughed, pulling a small table and a chair over to the fireplace, and motioned her to sit.
"Can I get ye anything, lass? Would you like some ale or maybe wine?" I asked as she sat at the table. The girl's brow furrowed slightly in thought. When she spoke, her voice as melodious as harp strings when plucked.
"Some wine and bread for me, please," she paused, "and Iccarrus would like tuna and milk." I nodded and walked to the kitchen. As I was getting the food she asked for, I heard slurred voices shouting from behind me and would chalked it up as two drunks getting into a fight if the word 'spellcaster' didn't ring out in their words. I glanced out of the kitchen to see two particularly surly drunks confronting the wizard. I crept closer to hear what was being said.
"Bloody spellslingers... Ye shthinks yer sho damned powerful...why don't ye stay in yer bloody towers where yer belongs!" growled a heavily built human. The girl matched his gaze evenly.
"I have no quarrel with you...Leave me in peace."
"Well, WE have a quarrel witsh YE!" the human bellowed, grabbing her arm. The girl's impassive expression darkened and her eyes blazed with red fire.
"...Unhand me..." The human and his companion, an elf, laughed at this.
"What will ye do if we don't? Put a curshe on us?" I had heard enough.
"I don't know what she'll do, but I know I'll be throwing ye on the street!" I yelled, grabbing the offensive drunks by their tunic collars, and throwing them out on the street.
"Sober up before ye try speaking to a young lass, ye curs!" I slammed the door and turned toward the mage, "Ye all right, lass?" The girl stared at me with a rather astonished look on her face before nodding slowly. I smiled disarmingly at her as I continued filling her order. Minutes later, I returned with a tray loaded with food and a bottle of Evermead with two glasses. The spellcaster gave me a curious look as I sat the tray on the table and placed a bowl of milk and a plate of tuna on the floor for Iccarrus.
"I know, it be more than ye asked for, but ye look to have not eaten decent in days," I pulled a chair over to the table, "Mind if I join ye, lass?" She shook her head with a smile, her eyes glowing like rubies held before a flame. Sune be praised but she was a pretty one. I poured some wine into our glasses and watched as she took a delicate sip.
"So, ye have a name?" She paused mid-sip, looking at me thoughtfully from over the rim of her glass before setting it aside.
"I am Arianna Archania of Easthaven." I choked on my wine.
"Easthaven?! In the Icewind Dale region?!" I paused, her name sinking in, "Wait, Archania? Isn't that a noble family of sorcerers in the Dales?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Ha, I should have left those drunken curs to ye, lass. Ye could have taught them some manners right quick! Anyway, what brings ye to Neverwinter, Arianna? Do ye wish to browse the libraries, or maybe ye are looking for magic items?" Arianna shook her head, laughing softly.
"Neither of those, actually. I'm on my way to visit a family friend at Hilltop. I thought maybe I'd stop here for the night." I sighed.
"I would have kept going if I were you, lass. There's an illness called the Wailing Death going around. Be careful lest it be yer corpse we smell burning." Arianna nodded slowly and we both fell silent. A thought dawned on me.
"Say, lass, do ye know Drizzt Do'Urden?" Arianna stared at me blankly for a moment.
"Drizzt...oh yes, I've seen him in Easthaven a couple of times, but I've never met him personally." I nodded in acceptance and was about to ask something else when I noticed her stifle a yawn.
"Why didn't ye tell me you were tired, lass?" Before Arianna could respond, I pulled a key out of my pocket and placed it on the table, "You can stay in the first room on the right." Arianna smiled at me, her eyes glowing, and gathered her things.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir. Good night."
"G' night, lass."
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As I said, there is not much action yet. Please read and review.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Neverwinter Nights, only Arianna, Iccarrus, and Antracan.
A/N: Not much action in this chapter. Also, this chapter is written from the point of view of a bartender and will switch to third person in the next.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a stormy night when a slender stranger clad in a flowing black cape breezed into the tavern, carrying what appeared to be a calico cat with red wings, which was placed on the floor. The cat rubbed against its owner's leg and scampered toward the fireplace. I heard a patron snort in disgust.
"Another damned spellcaster... If these mages are SO bloody powerful, they'd do something about the Wailing Death." I ignored the drunk's harsh words and walked toward the waterlogged mage who was currently in search of an empty table.
"Lousy weather we're having, aye?" I smiled amiably as the spellcaster turned with a start, "Sorry if I startled ye. Let me take yer cloak while ye pull a chair next to the fire; ye look to have been dropped in a lake!" The stranger regarded me for a moment before undoing the ruby-studded clasp that held on the cloak. The mysterious wizard was a young human girl, probably in her late teens or early twenties. She had long, black hair with pearls strung through it, a small string of which dangling between a haunting pair of blood-red eyes, ending with a small ruby. Her snow-white skin contrasted with her hair and eyes, giving her an almost unearthly beauty. Her attire consisted of a crimson tunic and matching leggings with black leather gloves, boots, and a belt set with small and large rubies. I took note of how thin she appeared. Hanging the heavy, wet cloak over a chair to dry, I was surprised to find the girl seated on the floor near the fire.
"What are ye doing on the floor? Yer clothes will get dirty that way!" I laughed, pulling a small table and a chair over to the fireplace, and motioned her to sit.
"Can I get ye anything, lass? Would you like some ale or maybe wine?" I asked as she sat at the table. The girl's brow furrowed slightly in thought. When she spoke, her voice as melodious as harp strings when plucked.
"Some wine and bread for me, please," she paused, "and Iccarrus would like tuna and milk." I nodded and walked to the kitchen. As I was getting the food she asked for, I heard slurred voices shouting from behind me and would chalked it up as two drunks getting into a fight if the word 'spellcaster' didn't ring out in their words. I glanced out of the kitchen to see two particularly surly drunks confronting the wizard. I crept closer to hear what was being said.
"Bloody spellslingers... Ye shthinks yer sho damned powerful...why don't ye stay in yer bloody towers where yer belongs!" growled a heavily built human. The girl matched his gaze evenly.
"I have no quarrel with you...Leave me in peace."
"Well, WE have a quarrel witsh YE!" the human bellowed, grabbing her arm. The girl's impassive expression darkened and her eyes blazed with red fire.
"...Unhand me..." The human and his companion, an elf, laughed at this.
"What will ye do if we don't? Put a curshe on us?" I had heard enough.
"I don't know what she'll do, but I know I'll be throwing ye on the street!" I yelled, grabbing the offensive drunks by their tunic collars, and throwing them out on the street.
"Sober up before ye try speaking to a young lass, ye curs!" I slammed the door and turned toward the mage, "Ye all right, lass?" The girl stared at me with a rather astonished look on her face before nodding slowly. I smiled disarmingly at her as I continued filling her order. Minutes later, I returned with a tray loaded with food and a bottle of Evermead with two glasses. The spellcaster gave me a curious look as I sat the tray on the table and placed a bowl of milk and a plate of tuna on the floor for Iccarrus.
"I know, it be more than ye asked for, but ye look to have not eaten decent in days," I pulled a chair over to the table, "Mind if I join ye, lass?" She shook her head with a smile, her eyes glowing like rubies held before a flame. Sune be praised but she was a pretty one. I poured some wine into our glasses and watched as she took a delicate sip.
"So, ye have a name?" She paused mid-sip, looking at me thoughtfully from over the rim of her glass before setting it aside.
"I am Arianna Archania of Easthaven." I choked on my wine.
"Easthaven?! In the Icewind Dale region?!" I paused, her name sinking in, "Wait, Archania? Isn't that a noble family of sorcerers in the Dales?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Ha, I should have left those drunken curs to ye, lass. Ye could have taught them some manners right quick! Anyway, what brings ye to Neverwinter, Arianna? Do ye wish to browse the libraries, or maybe ye are looking for magic items?" Arianna shook her head, laughing softly.
"Neither of those, actually. I'm on my way to visit a family friend at Hilltop. I thought maybe I'd stop here for the night." I sighed.
"I would have kept going if I were you, lass. There's an illness called the Wailing Death going around. Be careful lest it be yer corpse we smell burning." Arianna nodded slowly and we both fell silent. A thought dawned on me.
"Say, lass, do ye know Drizzt Do'Urden?" Arianna stared at me blankly for a moment.
"Drizzt...oh yes, I've seen him in Easthaven a couple of times, but I've never met him personally." I nodded in acceptance and was about to ask something else when I noticed her stifle a yawn.
"Why didn't ye tell me you were tired, lass?" Before Arianna could respond, I pulled a key out of my pocket and placed it on the table, "You can stay in the first room on the right." Arianna smiled at me, her eyes glowing, and gathered her things.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir. Good night."
"G' night, lass."
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As I said, there is not much action yet. Please read and review.