Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to NWN. Short, simple, and sweet.
Chapter Two: Invasion
"I'll Not Have My Future Decided For Me!"
The hall was crowded. I nervously ran a hand through my sweat dampened, short dark auburn hair. My green eyes flicked around the room, taking in all the young graduates of the academy. I spotted a commanding figure in the center of the room shaking hands with a few of the graduates and offering her blessing. The Lady Aribeth had all the haunting beauty of an elf and all the strength of one of the most powerful paladins in all the Sword Coast. She glanced up and saw me; her deep green eyes searched mine for a moment before she beckoned me forward. "Kestral Fynn, I have heard much about you."
That was
the third time someone I didn't really know knew something about
me. I tried to stop the biting comment, but it came anyway, "You
and everyone else. Do people really talk about me behind my back that
much?"
I froze. I wanted to slam my head into a wall, impale
myself in my own sword, anything! You just weren't sarcastic around
the second most powerful person in Neverwinter. To my great surprise
and utter relief, she merely shook her head with a thin smile. "Your
pluck may save you outside these walls, Miss Fynn, but it is hardly
suitable here."
I tipped my head. "Forgive me Lady Aribeth. My mouth often speaks before I can stop it."
"No harm done. Now, if you must know, yes many people have seen your progress. Students, Masters, even myself and Fenthick." she said, referring to the elven priest. "You have far surpassed your fellow students in your training and in your test, therefore, I have an urgent request for you."
I nodded.
"You know of the Wailing Death ."
Wailing Death is what they decided to call the thing that stole my life from me. I found it to be good name for the abomination. I nodded again. I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell her how it had taken my family from me and how I was all alone now with no one outside the walls of the academy waiting for me. No home to go home to. None save the academy of course. I was loathe to hear the rest of what she said. I didn't want to leave now. Suddenly, the immensity of what I had just accomplished was washing over me. Graduating the academy meant leaving the walls that were my only home. Leaving the only family I had now for a world that I didn't know anymore. "Miss Fynn, are you listening?"
I glanced up at her and cringed. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat whatever you just said."
"I said," she began a bit tersely. "That the four magical creatures might make the cure. You must help me pro--"
Suddenly the room was rocketed by a rumbling and a flash of light. There was a cruel laugh and a voice chanting a spell. A mage? Here? Trying to kill us? The thoughts weren't coherent, it didn't make sense and yet, it did. I drew my sword and charged behind a chanting Aribeth. I sang a spell of strength. Tyr knows I needed it! My sword flashed along with Aribeth's and the mage was slain. Goblins appeared everywhere and out of thin air. Skeletons grew from nothing. Hastily I fought them off. The hall was clear. Panting, Aribeth ran up to me. "They must have a magical tracking on me. They probably thought I was with the creatures. You must go protect the creatures! Here's the key. Go out the door and down the east hallway."
I nodded. "I'll do my best."
Aribeth smiled. "Yes. Yes, you will. Be careful, there are likely to be more goblins afoot. I have no idea who the mage was, but he was a high level. Stay sharp."
I nodded again and hurried out the door. I was suddenly beset by three goblins. I dispatched of them and rounded another corner straight into a human wall. I jumped back, ready to attack, when I heard a familiar voice cry, "Stop! It's me, Pavel!"
"Pavel! Why are you--"
"Bim is dead!" The young man interrupted.
"They're everywhere. Goblins and skeletons and a few mages have gotten in. I don't know why, nor do I know how, but we need to join forces to get out of here alive!"
"That'd be wise." I agreed. "But I have to do something for Lady Aribeth. It's of the utmost secrecy and importance. Can I trust you."
He nodded, his face showing sincerity. I had to be sure. "I'm sorry," I apologized ahead of time. "this isn't about you, it's about the safety of Neverwinter. I'm going to have to truth spell you."
He nodded grimly. "I understand."
I cleared my throat and chanted a truth spell. He glowed green. "You're good. Hurry! We have to find the Waterdhavian creatures!"
We rounded the corner and met up with a tall, particularly evil-looking mage. I swung my sword and in the back round, I heard Pavel chanting a counter-spell, readying an attack spell right behind it. Together we killed the mage. I pulled up beside him. "You didn't tell me that you had magic."
He nodded. "I'm training to be a Cleric."
I might have said something else, but there was a loud pounding behind a door in front of us. I ran over and pushed it open. A lash of light blinded me and I stumbled back into Pavel, who caught me before I fell. "Get the Dryad!" someone was shouting.
"Don't let them escape!"
I wanted to help, but I couldn't see. Everything was white. I clung to Pavel until the light faded, then we both stepped in to see two men. An elf and a human. They both looked rather...put-out. "Kestral Fynn?" the elven man asked, seeing me.
"Yes..."
"I am Fenthick and this is Desther. Aribeth told me that she had entrusted you with the safety of the Waterdhavian creatures."
I nodded. The elven guy was pretty good-looking. For a priest anyway. I could see why Aribeth had a major crush on him.
Fenthick sighed and sheathed his sword in a rather tired manner. "Unfortunately, someone found them first. They've been set free. They're probably wandering somewhere around Neverwinter."
I groaned. "This isn't what I agreed to. Protecting these creatures was one thing. Looking for needles in a haystack of a plagued city is an entirely different matter."
The Elven priest looked regretful. "I am sorry, but the circumstances are dire. We need you're help."
The man next to Fenthick snorted. "Leave the half-grown whelp to her own devices. We don't need her! We have to find the creatures!"
"Steady Desther! We cannot do this alone. There's been a slaughter this night."
"There's a slaughter every night! People are dying all over the city! We have no time for half-trained, green-ears."
I couldn't just sit by and listen to this Desther fellow berate me! No matter how little I wanted this task, I'd be damned before I let anyone tell me that I was a "half-trained, green-ears"! "Don't you dare tell me about the slaughter. Here or in the city! I know of it better than you do!"
Desther fixed his steely gray eyes on me and snorted. "Well, the whelp has a tongue. How do you know what's behind academy walls?"
I hesitated to tell him, so I said, "That's not for you to ask. My secrets are my own. I'll help you. If not for the sake of Neverwinter, but for my own glory and a nice, hefty reward."
If I had been trying to sway him through my honor, I sure wasn't doing a good job! But hey! I needed money too!
Fenthick glanced impassively at me. "There is no reward for failure. You were sent to protect the Waterdhavian creatures and now they're gone. Forgive me for placing blame, but it is the truth."
Up until this time, Pavel had been silent behind me. In fact, he had been pretty silent since I found him after his brother had been killed. Now he spoke and his voice quivered only slightly. Only my sensitive, half-elf ears caught it. (Although I'm sure Fenthick caught it too.) "Who was here before us?" he questioned angrily. "We tried to rush in but some blasted magic kept us out!"
Desther threw up his hands and shook his head. "See what I told you, Fenthick! Had they both been better at their craft, they could have found a counter-spell! They're nothing more than half-trained whelps! The whole lot of them!"
"Nevertheless, they're all we have! Few have escaped the attack tonight. The guard is running themselves thin with the plague, the riots, and the rumors. Whether they want to or not, they must help."
Sure, I wanted to help. I needed something. I had nothing outside these walls and helping Fenthick and Aribeth would occupy me until I found whatever it was I was truly looking for in this life. However, it's the principle of the matter! They say that I'm important. That I'm...well, whatever special thing they think I am, and yet they go and decide my future for me! Every part of my being rebelled. Once again, I spoke before I could stop myself. "I'll not have my future decided for me!"
Everyone looked at me. Desther was gloating, Fenthick looked like a mix between worry and pity, Pavel looked angry. I sighed. "See here, it's one thing to ask for help. It's another thing to demand it."
"Then I ask...no, I plead for you to help us." Fenthick corrected himself.
Pavel answered for us. "We'll help you as long as you need us!"
"Good. Then come to the Hall of Justice in a week. Lady Aribeth will explain everything there. Now we must leave and assess the damage done to the academy. Until we meet again." He bowed slightly at the waist.
Desther tipped his head, still looking annoyed.
They were gone. I turned to look at Pavel. "What? No money to pay for an inn? It's been a good many years since I've been outside these walls."
Pavel looked like he wanted to talk about my behavior with the two men, but at my words, he cocked his head and asked, "I thought you had family in Neverwinter."
I shook my head. "No."
He might have questioned me further, but the look on my face stopped him. "Well, I have parents in the Peninsula District. We can stay with them."
He had parents in the midst of the plague ravished city? "They don't have the plague?"
He shook his head a negative. "They're safe for now. As safe as anyone can be."
The unfairness of the situation was nearly too much for me to bear. My parents had lived in the Peninsula District too! I wanted to yell at him, but it wasn't Pavel's fault. It was no one's but the Plague and whatever or whoever caused it. So we started for the Peninsula District.
Another short chapter…sorry ya'll. I really need to start making these things longer.
Review please!
