I changed this one around…mwahaha
Chapter Three: Waterdeep
"Bread! Fresh bread"
"Come get yer bottles, fer potions and oils or whatever ye fancy!"
"Treasures from afar! From balor eyes to miniature giant space hamsters!"
Mor peeked his head out of my bag of holding to laugh at the merchants calling along the main street of Waterdeep. He was occasionally making a fool of himself and craning his neck to see the wares close as we passed by (and of course guarding the belongings within from thieves). Indeed the city was all it was said to be. The dark beamed buildings lined with intricate scrolled metalwork, the stone keeps and mansions that stood like soldiers along the streets that crisscrossed through small, lush parks and burning forges were all too familiar. The poor rogues and wretches mingled with the dandy and elite, creating a dangerous mix of need and want in the minds of all. It was frightening and amazing all at once. I sighed softly as I ducked behind a horse-drawn carriage. Inside I could see a man and women in Waterdeep's finest, drinking from sparkling crystal glasses and kissing daintily on the lips after a few sips. I cringed and flattened myself against the wall of a butcher shop, the smell of death and flesh reeking from inside.
The merchants calling, the smell of warm bread and cooking meat, the heat of forges and the occasional over-dressed citizen were all something I had seen before; experienced before. I wrapped my brown cloak around me tightly, hiding under the layers of drab cloth.
"Like beetles glimmering in their shells," Mor whispered haughtily, peeking out again and pointing his beak at the carriage. I just pushed his tiny head lightly back into the bag, hearing him curse slightly as he got the hint. I continued down the street, avoiding merchant carts and wandering eyes as best I could. When I finally reached the docks, I could see the three chimneys of the inn I was looking for sending smoke into the quickly turning twilight sky. Mor cawed triumphantly and ducked back into my bag of holding as we approached the two story building. It was a sturdy inn with many long windows glimmering in the dying sun. Behind it was the edge of the city, a massive granite wall that the inn seemed almost half built in to. Outside of it was a rickety sign with the words "The Yawning Portal" painted on in loopy writing.
I walked up slowly, the door was wide open and warm smells of cooking food and bread flowed out into the cool air. But it was odd, the inside of the inn was almost as black as midnight.
"Hello? I'm looking for Durnan, and—"
A blast of hot wind flew out of the door, throwing me to my feet and breaking all the windows in the inn in one long, hurricane-force blast. Luckily I had enough magic resistance to not be affected by the gust of wind spell, but when I stood up, I didn't see the typical scene of a warm, welcoming inn.
Drow were attacking. The dark skinned elves were striking like panthers in the night at the patrons and heavily-armed warriors alike in the inn. There were less drow then others, but they were making quick work of everyone around them. I let my instincts take control as Mor flew from my bag of holding and into the high rafters to get a better advantage point. I let deep blue lightning form in my hands, feeling it running through my body as I summoned as much magic as I could. I had no specific spells; I was a sorceress, gifted with power and a will to wield it how I wished. I turned my gaze on the drow, fanning my hands out in front of me and sending tendrils of lightning towards as many far as it would reach, sending two to the ground and stunning another, giving a large half-orc warrior a chance to cut her down.
There were only two drow left, and I stood against the wall inside of the inn as the last were taken down by an elven priestess and a halfling rogue.
"Good Lady, we thank you for your timely entrance," said a stout voice. A man emerged from the crowd of bloody patrons and warriors, he seemed to be in his later years and in plain dress but his eyes held a mischievous glean that told of an adventurous soul. Though at the moment his face was grim and the short sword in his hand was smudged with various colors of dried blood. I nodded my thanks to him and yelped as Mor flew to my shoulder and nipped at my ear.
"OW! What is it you feathered fiend from the pits of—" In a split second I saw the drow materialize next to Durnan, and in that time I managed to grab the drow's shoulder and stun him with magic, giving enough time for Durnan to plunge his sword in the elf's gut. The drow slumped to the ground, its red eyes gazing upward in a blank stare as his blood oozed onto the wood floor. Durnan's eyes were wide and he sighed heavily.
"As you can see, we have a bit of a problem. I am the owner of this inn, call me Durnan. You are obviously a magic user of some talent…who are you?" he asked. I bowed slightly and Mor dropped his feathered head in respect.
"Orela Vash, good sir. I—"
"Ahhh, you're the one that poorly-written tome is about, are you not?" I nodded, having read the book myself, I knew it was poorly written, but it was indeed a good read.
"That kobold bard was in here earlier, hoping to find another story to write. It's a pity he followed another into Undermountain, I think you two could have made a nice sequel together!" Durnan walked over to a barrel and poured some ale into a flask, drinking deeply and shouting a few orders to those cleaning up the inn. He didn't noticing my look of utter shock and horror.
"Who…did Deekin go with?" I asked slowly. Mor cawed in disbelief.
"A paladin…the hero of Neverwinter, I believe.I think his name was Gareth—"
"SIR Gareth Tristram Evelann, at your ser—by the GODS it's you!"
I blanched. My skin turned five shades of white, finally settling on a sickly green. The booming voice sent me rocking back on my heels and staring at its source with a look of death.
"You're alive!" Mor took the words right from my mouth. Gar, SIR Gar, the bane of my existence, the Hero of Neverwinter. And the possible hero of Undrentide if he hadn't got "caught up" with a traveling gypsy right before I took the initiative to enter the city. I would have walked out right then, but a booming scratchy voice called out from behind the armored paladin's mass.
"BOSS!" Deekin ran up to me, arms outstretched and kobold face grinning broadly.
"Boss! Paladin man crazy! Deekin not want to go back in there with him! Deekin SO glad you here with nasty bird!" he latched onto my leg and smiled up at me with his overly-large brown orbs. Durnan turned to Gar and handed him a mug of ale.
"So you've cleared it out?" he asked, offering me some and looking disappointed as I turned it down. Gar nodded and took a long swig.
"Aye, the drow that came up here were the last of them. I've cleared all but the room Halaster is in. I was just coming up to get a few more healing potions from Thestha." He was just as I remembered him. A blonde haired, cheerful, clean shaven shining example of the Order he followed. Disgusting.
"You killed everything?" I muttered, emotionless. He just smiled and nodded his big head while squinting his green eyes, oblivious, as usual, to my tone of disapproval.
"Everything! Well, except this drow woman that's been following me around. But she seems harmless enough. I even threw some talking sword, evil, mind you, into a convenient patch of lava. Blasted thing wouldn't be quiet…and you know us paladins don't like things that you can't see howit thinks. Usually meansits evil."
"I don't even think that's true, and funny, I've never met a paladin that could think at all…" Mor muttered. I had to stifle a laugh, coughing in a noticeably false way instead.
I felt Deekin unlatch from my leg as he began writing the interaction between us with a long quill in a new tome-looking notebook, humming to himself.
"Well then, you both might be able to help us free Halaster. Tamsil!" Durnan shouted, a small brunet girl appeared from an upper floor holding a dagger. She quickly pocketed it when she saw that the drow were gone, but almost took it back out when she saw me glaring angrily at the armored menace.
"Oh no. No. I'm not traveling with him. Ever. He is…" I was interrupted.
"But, my lady, this is for the good of Waterdeep! If we work together our foes will surly be vanquished." He winked. I shuddered. He was right, and that made my blood boil even more. I came here to help the city, and that was what I was going to do.
"Get as many healing potions as you can find from Thestha and give them to these good people," Durnan told his daughter, who ran off cheerfully. He then looked at us skeptically and muttered, "By the looks of things, they'll need all the help they can get…"
