A/N: The magnificent world of Exile (Avernum) remains the property of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software. I promise to return to the game unharmed the following persons: Mayor Arbuckle, Kessle, Valoda, Captain Agrod, Captain Maxine, Anaximander, Mazumdar, Berra, and Levy; and places: Krizsan and Fort Emergence.
Returning to Krizsan, they took the time to stop at the inn, asking for a room so they could get cleaned up, and then looking about the city for new boots, finally coming back to city hall, where they were ushered in to see Mayor Arbuckle.
"Your honor," said Anicka, "we believe we have stopped the slimes."
"How is this?" said Mayor Arbuckle, looking like he wasn't quite ready to believe the news.
"Well, the tip about that mage was very helpful," said Anicka. "He apparently found the slime pit and was making his own slimes."
"Making his own slimes?" said Mayor Arbuckle. "Then there will be more?"
"Oh, no," said Anicka, "we learned that intense magical fire could destroy the pool ..."
"They seem to have spawned in these pools," said Phaedra, "and a fireball to the pool killed the pool and the slimes born from that pool."
"Except in the slime pit," said Daniel. "There, there was this huge ass ... uh ... really big slime thing with tentacles and eyes everywhere."
"There were five slime spawning pools in the place," said Anicka, "and we ... well, Phaedra, she's the one who can, fireballed the pools, and then we beat down the big monster. It was one of the most hideous things I've ever seen, but when it died, we heard the other slimes in the area die as well. We ran into some militia on our way back, and they hadn't seen any slimes since our fight."
"Excellent!" said Mayor Arbuckle, clapping his hands, and a page ran from the room to return with a large sack of gold. "I know not your opinion of the Empire, but know this ... by slaying the beast, you have saved many innocent lives. I will let news of your brave deed spread. If I have my way, you will be greeted with open arms everywhere in Valorim. Even though you are aliens among us, you deserve no less."
Anicka looked to Frrrrrr and back to the mayor, and said, "And they won't be insulting Frrrrrr?"
"No, no," said Mayor Arbuckle. "I've heard about how adventurers work—a team that needs every one of their members, and our gratitude extends to all of you, no matter how different you may be."
"So how have things been going?" said Angarahad.
"Well, so well that I have no need for adventurers. My guards have been up to the task of destroying the remaining pests," said Mayor Arbuckle. "And that is what they are now. Dangerous pests, but mere pests nonetheless. Of course, if you're looking for work, you might check next door with Valoda. I think even Agrod has some sort of minor task ... busywork not worth mentioning when the slimes were so heavy."
"Thank you," said Anicka.
Leaving the mayor's office, Anicka said, "This is a lot of money, but ... having some coming in a little faster than twenty-five a day would be nice."
"I agree," said Daniel.
In the next office, there was an officious-looking woman with a turned-up nose behind the counter. She looked up at them, and nervously continued to shuffle papers.
"I am Valoda," she said. "Welcome travelers. Would you like a job?"
"What sort of job involves so many papers?" said Frrrrrr.
"I'm the delivery dispatcher," replied Valoda. "Even in these awful days, the mail must go through."
"What's a delivery dispatcher?" said Anicka.
"When someone needs something sent somewhere, they come to me, and I find someone to do it for them. If you'd like a mission let me know," said Valoda. "Before you get a mission, however, I have some advice for you."
"What's the advice?" said Anicka.
"These are paranoid times. You may not want to take a mission to a city until you know you will be let in. Also, we job dispatchers are unforgiving of failure," said Valoda.
"What happens if we fail to complete a mission?" asked Anicka.
"Fail to complete one of my jobs on time, and don't be surprised if I don't give you another for a few months," said Valoda, sternly. "The Empire is responsible for the mail, and the Empire insists the mail continues to move as much as possible. It might occur to some that perhaps they should send more troops to help us, and fewer orders for us to obey," she said with a sigh. "It is, of course, not my place to criticize the Empire."
"What's so awful about these times?" said Daniel.
"It's nearly impossible to find anyone going anywhere these days. Too many monsters. Far too dangerous," said Valoda. "People are paying plenty of money to the people who take my missions."
"Are you worried about the monsters?" said Nathan.
She shuffled her papers, and said, "One slime could wreck all of my records! I'm a constant wreck with worry. I know they say they're gone, but they could come back."
"What sort of records do you keep?" asked Anicka.
Looking distressed, Valoda replied, "I have records of every mission I ever gave, and the outcome! How am I supposed to work if I lose that information!"
"Yeah, I can see that's a problem," said Anicka. "I don't think we're free to take any work just now."
Leaving that office, she said, "We don't know where enough stuff is. I don't want to chance it."
Moving to the next office, they saw a captain of the Empire army with a squashed, puffy face and a huge nose.
He looked at the group with extreme distrust, and said, "I'm Captain Agrod."
"Can you tell us what your position is in Krizsan?" said Anicka politely.
He pulled out a small hip flask and took a swig from it, and said, "I'm the Empire liaison for this area. I'm the one who ended the slime plagues here."
"You didn't do that," said Daniel. "We did."
"But you won't be writing a report to the Empire. And I will," said Agrod. "So there it is."
"Do you always drink while working?" said Angarahad, her nose wrinkling.
He grunted and took another swig before saying, "If you had to live around here, you'd take a nip once in a while, too. You best not cause trouble."
"Why do you think we're troublemakers?" said Anicka.
"Look, we all know there are Avernites wandering around. If you were near the center of the Empire, this would be a serious problem. But this is the middle of nowhere, and we don't care here," said Agrod. "Just don't cause trouble, OK?"
"Sure," said Anicka. "What's an Empire liaison for?"
"The Empire stuck me out here in the middle of nowhere to look after things and implement their inane policies," said Agrod. "Speaking of which, what's your opinion on unicorns?"
"Unicorns?" said Daniel. "Why do you ask?"
"Don't have any romantic ideas about friendly, happy creatures. When we got out here, we found a bunch of them, and they're nasty, vicious pests. The Empire told me to hire someone to get rid of them," said Agrod. "So tell you what. Every unicorn horn you bring me, I give you ten gold. Just come back and tell me you have the horns."
"Is this really the middle of nowhere?" said Anicka.
"Well, the south end of nowhere, but yes. That's what Krizsan province is, that's for sure," said Agrod. "The most remote end of the Empire."
"So what kind of inane policies does the Empire want you implementing?" said Daniel.
"The Empire is too busy crushing anyone who questions it to worry about what happens in the middle of nowhere. They don't send anyone out here to help out, only to tell people what to do and not offer assistance," said Agrod. "For example, this area's been torn apart, and I'm supposed to be hiring people to deal with the unicorns."
"We'll think about that, thanks," said Anicka, and she headed out of the office.
On the street, they encountered Captain Maxine again, and she looked more cheerful than before, clapping Anicka on the shoulder as she said, "I heard that the slimes have started to disappear and that you're likely responsible! Good work! Bad news is, not all the slimes are dead yet, though the source is gone. The chopping continues."
"Thanks," said Anicka. "I guess the chopping's a lot more manageable."
"Oh, aye, it is," said Maxine. "Practically a vacation now. Carry on, now."
"I guess," said Anicka, as they watched the captain leave, "it's nice that we're not getting all that nasty talk any more."
"I'm not sure it'll be that way everywhere," said Daniel.
"We better get back and report in," said Anicka, and she led the way out of Krizsan.
Following their course to the northwest, they made sure they were not being followed before entering the valley where the entrance to Fort Emergence was hidden, and then came into the fort.
Entering Anaximander's officer, Anicka launched into a telling of the fight against the alien slime, the exuberance in her voice as she told of the difficult fight unmistakable. Anaximander, on the other hand, looked more worried than before.
"You see what this means, don't you?" he said. "Some powerful force, with great magical ability has launched an attack upon the surface. This is grim. The best that can happen is that the Empire will blame us and attack us again. The worst is that the attacker has the power to make the surface unlivable, and we will be doomed to stay in Avernum forever!"
"I never thought of it like that," said Anicka.
"Of course not," said Anaximander. "You're young, full of hopes and dreams. You never realized the nightmares of the war, too young back then. It's clear that your mission is becoming much more important than we thought. We need you to get information for us, instead of just a brief survey of this fort's surroundings. Keep exploring the surface and find out as much as you can about these monsters. More importantly, find out where they came from. Otherwise, they may come for us! And if you find any evidence of who might be responsible, take it to Berra. You'll find him in the library, most likely."
"Oh, there is one other thing," said Angarahad, and she described the body they had found in the slime pits.
"That sounds like Erin," said Anaximander. "She was one of the first group to ascend and explore the surface. Thank you for letting us know what happened to her. I sincerely hope that you can avoid the same fate. In the meantime, I will let her relations know of her tragic demise."
"Thank you," said Angarahad.
"And also, you have done so well, you should receive rewards. Check with Levy, and then go to Portal Fortress. You'll have clearance to go to the Tower of Magi for some training," said Anaximander.
They went to Levy's office, and Anicka asked the smug man, "Have our achievements merited a reward yet?"
Levy turned to a large book, scanned through it, and produced a potion from under the counter. "Well done," he said. "Here is the reward for dispatching the alien slime."
Leaving Levy's office, Daniel said, "You know, we probably should go talk to Berra. I almost forgot about that mark we found."
"You're right," said Anicka. "Let's go."
She led the way into the main Fort Emergence laboratory. Specimens from the surface world had been brought here for examination, and alchemical herbs were grown in long, stone pots. A young woman with a piercing gaze looked at them.
"I am Mazumdar, Head Mage of Fort Emergence," she said, carrying a pot with a surface flower in it.
"So what do you do, exactly?" said Daniel.
"I coordinate all magical activities that take place in Fort Emergence. The fort will eventually be used for experimentation, training, and launching magical spells against our foes," said Mazumdar. "However, the Triad keeps us from being nearly as powerful as we could be."
"Why are they interfering?" said Phaedra.
"The Triad consists of the three greatest mages of Avernum. they are in charge of all things magical. Unfortunately, they tend to not want to let power out of their control. For that reason, our resources are nowhere near what they could be," she said, and grinned. "With exceptions."
"Exceptions, such as?" said Phaedra.
"We are supposed to be training mages here. Yet the Triad won't let us have the books to teach spells from," said Mazumdar. She grinned mischievously, and said, "However, we've managed to sneak a few things past them. We need those tomes, after all."
"That sounds interesting," said Phaedra. "May I read some of your tomes?"
Mazumdar thought, and said, "It seems you are now important enough that I should help you if I can. We have hidden in a secret chamber nearby spellbooks with several spells. They are guarded by a magic barrier." She taught them a short series of hand motions. "These movements will help you pass the barrier. Please, don't tell anyone of the spells we have here. If you did, we'd lose them."
"My lips are sealed," said Phaedra.
"Go ahead," said Anicka. "That's your gig, not mine."
After Phaedra came out, looking triumphant, they moved to the library where a small, bent wizard, heavy with years was poring over a thick book, researching esoteric topics.
He looked up at them vacantly, and croaked, "I am Berra. I hope you are not here to waste my time."
"What are you working on?" asked Anicka.
"I mainly concern myself with doing research," said Berra. "If only the facilities here were adequate. If I was at the Tower of Magi, I would have all the tomes and materials I need! But here, I have little to work with."
"Well, we found and killed the alien slime that seemed to be causing the slimes to overrun the surface," said Anicka. "Dan may have some evidence for you."
Daniel offered the sketch he had made.
Berra looked highly disturbed, and said, "I know that symbol. That is the emblem of Erika the Archmage. Perhaps you should go speak to Anaximander. This is dire news."
"We better do that before we go elsewhere," said Anicka, and she led the way back to Anaximander's office.
"We just got word," said Anicka, "the rune we found in the alien slime's lair is the symbol of Erika.
"This concerns us greatly. Erika is our greatest archmage, and her hatred for the Empire is absolute," said Anaximander. "The possibility that she may be responsible for the ravaging of the surface is both unsettling and plausible. You should go and try to speak with her. She lives at the north end of this cavern, far north of Ghikra. See what she has to say about this."
"I hope she'll see us," said Anicka. "We couldn't cross the bridge when we were mapping."
"This information may change her mind," said Anaximander. "Please, report back to me whatever she has to say on the subject."
"Do you think she's responsible?" said Phaedra.
"Honestly? I am not sure. Her hatred of the Empire knows no bounds, and because of a curse they once laid on her, she can never return to the surface," said Anaximander. "The best way to see is to make contact with her. Good luck."
"Thanks," said Anicka, "I guess we need it."
As they came out of Anaximander's office again, they met a gaunt, severe man wearing armor with the insignia of a commander. He had a regal bearing, cruel eyes, and gazed at them with detached interest. "I am Commander Johnson. You're the secondary surface crew, yes? What do you want?"
"You're the leader of this fort?" said Anicka.
"I have complete command of all the soldiers in this fortress," he replied, an odd accent on the word 'soldiers' as this group answered to Anaximander only.
"Only the soldiers?" said Anicka.
"Yes, I command the soldiers, which you aren't," said Commander Johnson. "Someday, we're going to have to slay all those Empire bastards, and when we do, it'll be the soldiers who do the work."
"Do you really believe we'll eventually have to destroy the Empire?" said Daniel.
"Yes, that's right, slay all of them. And you and your other 'Covert Operations' wastes of air will be no good to anybody," said Commander Johnson. "It's your turn now. But someday, it'll be up to the men, not the kids."
He turned, the conversation clearly at an end, and Anicka shrugged, and led the way back to the quarters they'd been given.
"I thought we were headed out," said Phaedra.
"I've got to think," said Anicka, pulling off the armor and flopping onto one of the beds.
"What's to think about?" said Daniel. "We go up to Erika's and see if we can get in. If we do, we ask her why her rune's on the surface at the core of the slime problem."
"Right," said Anicka. "I'm sure that's going to go over really well. Just like talking to that damn dervish, Dan. Sometimes, you can't just go blasting in ..."
"I'll talk to her, if we get in," said Phaedra.
"OK, fine," said Anicka. "And then after we do that, head back here and see what Anaximander thinks? Whether she's telling the truth or not? And then we gotta go to Portal Fortress and go down to the Tower of Magi."
"So what's the problem with that?" said Phaedra.
"I dunno, it just worries me," said Anicka. "There was that one bartender said something about roaches in with the slimes. And I didn't see any roaches."
"Maybe we did and just didn't recognize them," said Daniel. "I mean, it's not like we have the same problems here in Avernum that they do."
"That's a good thing," said Angarahad. "Can you imagine having slimes like that? They'd probably multiply even faster in Avernum."
"Yeah, and right now, I'm beat," said Anicka, rolling over. "Being a hero can be exhausting."
"Especially when you have to hike miles in slime-eaten boots," said Daniel, holding one of Anicka's blistered feet.
"Owwww! Don't do that," said Anicka.
"I didn't realize it was that bad," said Nathan, and he started clearing space on top of the dresser and brewing potions.
"Yeah, swinging a sword at them, sometimes you just can't watch where you step," said Anicka. "I'll live. I just wanna rest a bit. Is that so awful?"
"No," said Daniel. "We probably deserve a little time to rest up after all we done."