PATHFINDER: ERA OF THE LOST OMENS

Welcome back to my Golarion-inspired saga! I had a few problems that kept me from updating it... but you know, copyright issues and all that junk.

Whatever, I hope this chapter will be to your liking. Especially since, as you can see from the title, it heralds the arrival of an important NPC of the Rise of the Runelords

Chapter 6 – Goblin Huntress Shalelu

ooooooooooo

It was almost nightfall when the trio composed of Reji, Jolan and Aldern returned to Sandpoint, bringing the carcass of the huge boar they had caught with them. As expected, many of the town's inhabitants had immediately come to see such formidable prey, staring at it with admiration... and almost immediately, Reji found herself surrounded by admirers and curious people asking her one question after another.

"How did you manage to catch this beast?"

"So... is there something going on between you and Mr. Foxglove, young lady? He's a good catch, and he's quite young, too!"

"Tell us about it! Did you use your martial arts to take this boar down?"

Reji smiled awkwardly and tried to evade that barrage of questions as best as she could, even though as she had to admit that she didn't mind becoming famous so soon. If it weren't for the fact that she and her group were still on a mission on behalf of Sheriff Hemlock and the people of Sandpoint, she might have gotten a little carried away with her excitement.

"It seems that your skill and prowess have left their mark on the people of this town, Miss Reji," Aldern commented with satisfaction.

Jolan shrugged. "Yeah... it sure doesn't seem like they're paying much attention to yours truly. After all, what does a simple local guide matter..." he said, giving a short laugh at the end to say that he didn't feel resentful. "Still, it was a fruitful hunt, and I hope we have more opportunities like this one in the future."

"Likewise. Right now, however, I think it would be a good idea to talk it over with Miss Ameiko, and..." began Aldern, only to be distracted when he saw Yan approaching, wearing a worried and anxious expression on his face. The young swordsman politely made his way through the crowd and joined the trio, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. "Hm? Good evening to you, Mr. Yan. Is it... just me, or something has just gone wrong?"

"Yan?" Reji asked, getting serious all of a sudden. His companion looked like he had just heard something very troubling, and needed everyone's support... but where were Eli and Misia? "Yan, what's going on? One might as well have written 'shit just went down' all over your face!"

"Mr. Aldern... good evening. It's... a pleasure to see you again, though I was hoping for better circumstances..." Yan addressed the young nobleman with a polite greeting, but one that failed to hide his anxiety. "Reji... Jolan... Eli and Misia need our help. It seems that... they had to deal with a goblin that had managed to hide in a house during the battle a few days ago! Eli... is trying to handle a very delicate situation!"

"What? One of those little bastards was here in town... and no one noticed?" the halfling asked. "Merciful Desna...I hope he didn't do any damage!"

Yan wrinkled his nose. "Unfortunately... um... I'm afraid he did! Please, come with me! This is quite a mess. That damn goblin was able to kill a guy before Eli took him out..." he stated. Reji, Jolan, and Aldern all looked quite shocked and alarmed, and the two adventurers quickly turned to the young nobleman.

"Mr. Aldern, we hope you'll excuse us. I'm afraid that as much as we have enjoyed your company, we cannot stay any longer." Reji apologized to him. "Now... I'm afraid that some very important matters require our presence."

"Of course, that is understandable." Aldern replied. "Go ahead, do what you must. We will meet later, if at all possible."

"Thank you. See you later." Jolan concluded, and the three adventurers walked off at a quick pace, under the astonished eyes of several Sandpoint residents who wondered what had happened...

"What the heck... what's going on all of a sudden?"

"What, didn't you hear? A goblin killed Mr. Barret!"

"He didn't…? Fuck, he killed Alergast... And just how did he manage to stay hidden under our noses?"

Jolan and Reji heard such and similar sentences, and an increasingly overwhelming tension began tobuild up as they followed Yan. Finally, the party reached the front of the house where, only a couple hours before, tragedy had struck in the form of a well-hidden, crazed goblin commando. Eli and Misia were standing by the half-opened front door, and the bespectacled half-elf was leaning against the wall, holding her forehead. She had such a desolate expression that even a casual observer could tell that something was gnawing relentlessly at her... and Misia was next to her, trying to console her somehow.

Adding to the dramatic scene was a weeping woman, accompanied by a child holding a baby, standing next to Magnimar's female adventurers, and a woman a little younger than the first one who was looking at Eli and Misia in vicious disapproval. Sheriff Hemlock was standing nearby, asking questions about what had happened.

"Sheriff!" Reji exclaimed as she reached ther place and turned to her still shocked friends. "Eli, Misia! Just... what happened here?"

Eli slowly raised her hollow glance to look at Reji, but before she could explain what had happened, the younger woman walked up to the monk and accusingly jabbed an index finger into Reji's chest.

"Oh, what happened, you ask?" she exclaimed, her anger dictated by pain and her eyes visibly trembling. "What happened is that you so-called heroes were not thorough enough in your 'hero-ing'! You let one of the goblins escape, and the little green snot hid in my sister's house and killed her husband!"

"What... the Hell?" Reji exclaimed, wearing a stunned and displeased expression. "Are you... are you trying to tell me that... one of those little monsters escaped us? And had been hiding in a Sandpoint house all along?"

Jolan gritted his teeth, furious and displeased at the same time. "I knew they could hide pretty well," he answered. "But to even go so far as to hide in a house... I'm... I'm sorry... we had no idea that one of them was hiding there, otherwise... we would have tracked him down and eliminated him!"

"You can say what you want, but facts don't change!" the woman exclaimed, shaking her head. "My brother-in-law is dead, and my sister is left alone to raise two children!"

"Miss Amele, your anger is more than understandable," Sheriff Hemlock tried to calm things down a bit. "But these youngsters risked their lives to save us from the invading goblins, and even now they do what they can to help. Believe me, if they could have known in any way that there was still a dangerous goblin hiding in Sandpoint, they would have done everything they could to find it."

"Heh...we do what we can. This is my town too, and I want to defend it." Jolan stated. "But... you know, we can't do anything if we don't even know there's a threat. Right now... we're doing everything we can to stop the goblins before they can attack again." The halfling thought it was a good idea not to talk about the discoveries they had made so far, particularly the existence of a demonic cult.

"All we can say right now is... we're sorry." said Yan shaking her head. If nothing else, the woman seemed to understand the boys' reasons, and her anger seemed to subside, replaced by a somber desolation.

"I... I don't think we'll be staying in Sandpoint, anyway," the older sister finally said, as she retrieved the smaller child from the arms of her eldest son. "Here...we would have nothing but memories of when my husband was still alive. I think... my sister and us will move south to Magnimar. I hope we can at least start a new life there. So..." she reached out to her younger sister and put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Famra, don't take it out on these people. If... if you want to blame someone, blame the goblin that killed Alergast."

"Amele... hm… I understand, it's fine..." the younger sister finally said, deciding it wouldn't make sense to nurse a grudge on the people who had been helping Sandpoint. It certainly wasn't going to help her sister and her children get over the tragedy. "So...we'll be going."

"Thank you... thank you anyway." Amele said, mostly addressing Eli and Misia. The half-elf was still leaning against the wall, an almost petrified expression on her face, and she shook herself off her funk just enough to nod and lower her hat on her face. In a gloomy and depressing atmosphere, the Barret family walked away, with their young son still sending some melancholic glances to the five adventurers. The people of Sandpoint began to disperse, but a few of them stopped to give a few words of comfort and thanks to the people who had been helping them for so long.

"Don't blame yourselves," a middle-aged farmer said. "It's thanks to you that my family is still alive."

"Yeah, he's right..." said a young boy who must have been a couple of years younger than Reji. "You guys did the best you could. You couldn't have known about that damn goblin."

Eli showed no reaction, but gritted her teeth and let out an angry sigh. She couldn't stop thinking... about the fact that she couldn't save that poor man, about the anger she had felt in that moment, about how savagely she had killed that goblin. She almost couldn't recognize herself any longer... had she, a student at a distinguished academy in Magnimar, really been able to get down to such levels of brutality? Even now, looking at her clothes, she could see stains of the goblin's blood...

"Eli, come on... don't... you can't keep blaming yourself," Misia said. "By the time we got there, the man was dead. There was nothing we could have done anyway."

"It's... it's not just that, Misia." the wizard stated, finally recovering from her shock, if only just a little. "I... still can't believe that... that... I was capable of such ferocity... at that moment… I was no different from one of those monsters... I was so enraged and terrified... that all I could think about was killing that little bastard..."

"Listen... it's understandable. You... aren't used to violence, I guess. So far... no offense, but for the most part you've been stuck studying magic in books. These are your first experiences as an adventurer." Yan tried to support to his companion as best as he could. "It's all about gaining experience. At that moment you were scared, you feared for your life... I can understand that you lost control for that moment, it doesn't mean you're evil or violent by nature..."

Eli sighed wearily, and stood for a few moments pondering Yan and Misia's words... but it was Sheriff Hemlock who convinced her once and for all. "Unfortunately, the truth is that no matter how hard we try, we can't save everyone. And that anger and desire for revenge that you felt are very human feelings that should not be criminalized or considered wrong. What you have to be careful of is, once you realize they're there, to keep them in check so they don't explode at the wrong time."

"That's true. You should listen to good old Belor, he knows what he's talking about." interjected a clear, mature female voice belonging to a woman who was getting there at that very moment. The sheriff glanced up in surprise, and a pleased smile appeared on his normally hard and composed face. "It's good to see you again, Belor. I know it hasn't been long since the last time, but...it's always a pleasure, what can I say."

"Shalelu? I didn't think you'd turn up so early in the day!" the sheriff exclaimed, turning his full attention to the newcomer. She was an elven woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a studded leather bodice and mid-thigh-high travel boots over some fairly anonymous-looking clothing, glancing at Yan's group with a pair of large, pupil-less green eyes. She carried an exquisitely crafted bow over her shoulder, and around her left shoulder, she carried a quiver decorated in silver. Her pointed ears, which left little opportunity for confusion about her race, gave her an elegant and delicate appearance, but even so her athletic and surprisingly robust physique was visible, and the determined attitude with which she presented herself made her almost intimidating.

Noticing the way Yan and the rest of the group looked at her, with a mixture of amazement and excitement (except for Jolan, who had recognized Shalelu and was already greeting her cheerfully), Hemlock thought it was time to make the proper introductions. "Well, gentlemen... I've already told you about our very own Shalelu, Sandpoint's official goblin hunter, haven't I? Well, here she is! Shalelu Andosana, heroine of this town, and a ranger who has taken out more goblins than all of Sandpoint combined. We can safely say she's an unofficial member of the Sandpoint militia."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, won't it, Belor? And these are the fledgling goblin hunters, who would like to steal my job, eh?" the elven girl asked with a wry smile. However, she suddenly became serious, and decided to get to the point of the matter. "That being said... I've seen that the people of Sandpoint are very nervous recently, and I've seen that the activity of the goblin tribes in this area has intensified a lot. In fact, I've even been able to confirm that some of the tribes are cooperating with each other."

"Yeah... and since the goblin tribes usually wage war against each other, that means something big is brewing," Jolan said. "We've already done some investigating, and we found out that the tribes are being commanded by... a mysterious woman, most likely a cleric of Lamashtu."

"Yeah... I expected that, actually," Shalelu said, nodding affirmatively. "Lamashtu is a fairly popular deity among the goblins. And if one of her worshippers took over a tribe, I don't think it would be hard for her to force other tribes to fall in line. Anyway, I don't think this is the best place to discuss this. Belor, is it okay if we talk in your office?"

"Of course it's okay, Shalelu," said the man, speaking as if to an old friend. "I think we'll have all the privacy we need there…"

oooooooooo

No more than half an hour later, in the sheriff's office, the party had briefed Shalelu and Hemlock on what they had discovered during their investigations - and Yan had thought it would be a good idea to talk about the encounter with the mysterious goblin Tup as well. As the young man had expected, the sheriff and the elven huntress' reactions had been of obvious concern - and once the adventurers had finished narrating, Shalelu nodded her head in approval.

"You have done a good job thus far," Shalelu said. "I have devoted several years of my life preventing goblins from causing trouble around here, but those little buggers are tenacious and multiply like rats. They are like weeds, only they bite."

"Yeah, that we've noticed..." sighed Misia, casting a worried glance at Eli. The half-elven wizard seemed to have recovered a little, but she was still quitw shocked by what she had seen.

Shalelu took a sip from a glass of water resting on the desk, then went on. "As far as I know... and I have a fair amount of experience with the surrounding area of Sandpoint... there are five particularly important goblin tribes in this region - and usually, these goblins are actually quite good at keeping each other in check, between disputes between tribes and within the tribes themselves. However, I found that the attack on Sandpoint was carried out by members of all five tribes. Some of the goblins I came across in the wilderness as of yesterday were already quite battered, and they were talking about the 'longshanks' who had killed many of them. And now that I have met you, it seems obvious to me, from the descriptions they made, that they were talking about you specifically. From what I could see, you really put the fear of Asmodeus in them."

"We had to defend our city, after all," Jolan replied, casting a knowing glance at Yan.

"In any case, there are five main tribes - and they're all working together," Reji replied thoughtfully. "That goblin we ended up talking to... Tup, I think his name was... told us about four individuals who control the goblins. To be exact, he mentioned two men and two women, including an half-elf... and a priestess of Lamashtu."

"I see... I'm afraid I can't add much on this topic, since I've been focusing on prominent elements of the goblin tribes so far," the huntress replied.

"Usually goblins live short, violent lives, and rarely gain genuine notoriety... but there are some who manage, through skill, intelligence, courage or sheer stubbornness, to stand out among their peers. And in this region, there are seven goblins who have earned this notoriety. That Tup you said to have met is one of them, although he is now no longer a member of any tribe."

"Yes, he mentioned that," Misia commented. "He seemed pretty crazy, even by goblin standards..."

Shalelu rolled her eyes and gave a half laugh. "Heh... He calls himself Tup the Terrible and goes around making messes of everything. And yet, he's not quite as bad as other goblins infesting this place. Do treat him with some caution anyway... but I don't think he will do anything against you, since he will want to use you to take revenge on his tribe for exiling him." he stated. "Anyway, I was saying... about particularly notable goblins. In addition to that Tup, there would be... Gugmut, a particularly tall and strong goblin of the Mosswoods tribe; Koruvus, a champion of the Seventh Tooth tribe... though he disappeared several months ago, so I can't really say much about him; Vorka, a cannibalistic goblin who lives in the Brinestump swamp; Rendwattle, the chief of the Brinestump tribe; Ripnugget, the chief of the Thistletop tribe... and finally... well, a personal enemy of mine, the bugbear Bruthazmus."

Jolan furrowed his brow. "Bruthazmus? I've heard of him... he's a bugbear hunter with a particularly sinister reputation." the halfling stated. The rest of the group immediately showed signs of disquiet. All of them had at least heard of the subrace of goblinoids known as bugbears: hulking, furry, seven-foot-tall beasts who were smarter and stealthier than any hulking furry seven-foot-tall beast had any right to be. Yan and Reji had actually faced some of them in their previous journeys, and it had not been a pleasant experience.

Shalelu nodded in assent. "That's right. To be honest, Bruthazmus is not a member of any tribe, he is simply... well, kind of a bounty hunter that the tribes call in to eliminate those who bother them ... and of course, I am his most sought-after prey." she affirmed. "Bruthazmus and I have clashed several times, and we have often come out badly beaten. But as you can see, neither of us has come out a definite winner. And I have every intention of making sure he's not the winner."

"I understand." the sheriff finally replied, and then cleared his throat and made an announcement. "On that note, gentlemen... it would be my intention to leave for Magnimar with some of my militia. I would like to try to recruit additional help to protect Sandpoint from goblins and other threats, possibly even recruiting some mercenaries. While I am out of town, Shalelu, I would need you to do some scouting in the nearby wilderness, in the places where goblins live, so that you can keep an eye on them and intervene if necessary."

"Of course, Belor," the goblin huntress replieds. "Rest assured that nothing those little pests do will get past me."

The sheriff nodded in assent, then turned to Yan and Eli. "And as for you... I would appreciate it if you could maintain a public presence in Sandpoint, at least for the next few days." he asked. "After all, my fellow citizens seem to have taken a liking to you, and seeing you in town would certainly help calm their anxiety about what's going on."

"No problem." said Eli with cold determination. The half-elf clutched tightly the wooden staff she always carried. "This time, I will do my absolute best to make sure no one has to suffer because of goblins or whatever else..."

"Count on us, Sheriff Hemlock." Yan replied with an affirmative nod. Each of the party members assented, much to the man's relief. "We will make sure that Sandpoint stays safe even when you are gone."

"Thank you, friends. That means a lot, to all of us," the sheriff replied. "I know you won't let us down."

"Of course not, Belor. You know me, and if these guys are really as good as you told me, then Sandpoint will have nothing to worry about." Shalelu stated with a witty smile. "That said...I think it's getting late now. What do you say, guys? Shall we go to the Rusty Dragon for dinner? I guess you already know my friend Ameiko - every time I stop here in Sandpoint, I go to the Rusty Dragon for a few merry nights!"

"Of course we already know Ameiko!" Misia replied with pleased surprise. "And whoever is her friend is our friend as well, right?"

oooooooooo

As was to be expected, Shalelu's return to Sandpoint had lifted everyone's spirits... and in particular, the Rusty Dragon Inn had fully recovered its chaotic and jovial feel as soon as Shalelu had set foot in. After just a moment of astonishment, Ameiko had enveloped her old friend in a running glomp.

"Shalelu! You're back to Sandpoint earlier than we thought, you foxy lady!" the young innkeeper exclaimed with a jovial laugh, hardly noticing the presence of the quintet of adventurers along with Aldern Foxglove following her a short distance away. "What brings you back to our humble little town? You missed your little sister Ameiko, right?"

"Hahahaa! You know this place is always in my heart!" Shalelu exclaimed, returning her friend's hug. "I heard you had some goblin trouble, although these guys have done a good job in my absence. So I thought you would appreciate my help."

"Your help is always appreciated, Shalelu," Ameiko replied, then parted her embrace and motioned the rest of the group to take their seats. "And I'm convinced that now that you're here together with our new local heroes, the problem will be solved in no time! For tonight, however... go on, have a seat! Today our esteemed citizen, Lord Aldern Foxglove..." She gave a nod of thanks and respect to the young nobleman, who responded with an elegant bow. "...and his companions have succeeded in capturing a really huge prey, so... only for tonight, the Rusty Dragon is offering a special dish! Roasted boar with honey and nuts!"

"I can almost taste it already!" Reji exclaimed joyfully, as the rest of the inn cheered encouragingly. All of them were looking forward to tasting their favorite innkeeper's new cooking feat...

oooooooooo

Ameiko sighed in relief as she closed the doors of the Rusty Dragon Inn, looking forward to a good night's sleep. Running her tavern was always a pleasure for her, especially when her patrons showed appreciation for her somewhat innovative cuisine - the boar that Lord Foxglove, Reji and Jolan had hunted was a roaring success.

Besides, the presence of Shalelu, who had shared stories of her most recent travels with the patrons, had helped make it a pleasant and eventful evening. However, when closing time came, she still felt the weariness of the day taking ahold of her.

"Well, at least that stubborn old fool hasn't shown up again," she whispered to herself. "It has been a great evening, and I didn't need him to ruin it for me."

The young innkeeper put the lock on the door and used a simple Light spell to see around her and head for her room. The five adventurers had already retreated to their rooms, as had Aldern and Shalelu, and the tavern had become oddly calm and quiet again - a stillness that Ameiko found in some ways melancholic and eerie. It was precisely in those moments, when the revelry around her ceased and she was left alone with her thoughts, that Ameiko felt the restlessness and sadness return, like clockwork, ever since that disastrous expedition...

Ameiko lifted the sleeve of her shirt and looked at the tattoo that appeared from beneath the fabric. A stylized snake, its tongue flicking out of its mouth, with mottled patterns running from its neck to the tip of its tail. She sighed again and closed her eyes. Whenever she was taken by those moments of sadness, she remembered what had happened in the Fogscar, and kept wondering if it really could have been avoided.

"I don't think I will ever be able to ask you that, Sandru... but I hope you can forgive me someday," Ameiko murmured. She covered her tattoo again and began to head to her room, but stopped short as she heard a small voice calling to her. An elderly halfling woman, the same one who had tried to calm Lonjiku's anger a couple of nights before, walked to Ameiko, holding a letter still enclosed in an envelope. "Oh? Sorry, Bethana, I was kind of spacing out... tell me... is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, Miss Ameiko... it's just that... well... a little while ago, I found this letter addressed to you by the front door." Bethana replied as she addressed Ameiko with a comforting smile, like a grandmother to her favorite granddaughter. "I thought I'd wait until the inn closed before delivering it to you. It is... kind of a delicate matter."

"Thank you, Bethana." Ameiko replied with a grateful nod. By the light of her spell, Ameiko began to read the letter, and her expression darkened when she realized it was written in Tian language. To her knowledge, there were only two people in Sandpoint, besides her and Bethana, who could read and write in that language. One was her father, and the other...

As soon as Ameiko's eyes rested on the first few lines of the letter, the young innkeeper began to read almost eagerly, wanting to know what was going on... and after a few minutes spent brooding in silence, she passed the letter back to Bethana, who widened her eyes in obvious surprise. "Miss Ameiko? Is anything the matter?"

"I think... I'm going to be busy tonight," Ameiko said. "Keep that letter, Bethana. In case something happens to me. It's a personal matter - and I have to try to solve it myself."

"W-what?" the elderly halfling exclaimed in surprise. "But...Miss Ameiko, what are you saying? What is this all about?"

Ameiko had already sprinted toward the exit of her beloved inn, but she paused for a moment... and after thinking about it for a while, decided that it was only fair to at least answer her faithful Bethana's question. "Well... it's about Tsuto. He asked me to meet with him. At the glassworks. He has something very important to tell me."

"Tsuto...?" Bethana murmured in shock, the letter still in her hands...

oooooooooo

Tsuto checked his equipment, not wanting to take any chances. He knew his half-sister well enough to believe she should have given him no problem, but it was always best to be cautious. After all, Ameiko had still been an adventurer, not too long ago, and Tsuto wasn't sure he could get the better of her if the situation escalated for any reason. Always better to be cautious in such cases... Hopefully, the goblins he had left at the glassworks would comply with his orders and not attack first. They knew well what the consequences would be if they got any of their crazy ideas...

"Well... I'd say I'm ready." he told himself, then gathered everything up and decided to be on his way to the glassworks. It was going to take some walking to get there…

He was somewhat startled as he heard Nualia's voice calling him from behind. "So you really decided to go speak to your half-sister, hm?" the aasimar priestess of Lamashtu said, emerging from the dark corridor behind him. Her long white hair moved elegantly behind her, and she combed it back with a gesture from her left arm. "Well, I wish you good luck, and I hope you can convince her."

"Thank you, my love..." Tsuto began, only to freeze mid-sentence when he saw that the arm with which Nualia had combed her hair was... quite different. Now that he could take a better look at Nualia under the light of his lantern, Tsuto saw that his beloved's left arm had taken on an eerie dark red color, like that of clotted blood, with strange lighter veins running across the limb from her shoulder to her knuckles. The skin of the affected limb seemed to glisten in the dim light of the lantern, a strange and unnatural effect that easily gave away that something was out of place...

"N-Nualia?" the half-elf murmured. "Your... Your arm..."

The angel-blooded woman smiled in satisfaction and raised her mutated arm in front of herself with misplaced pride. "Do you like it, Tsuto? It's a gift from Mother Lamashtu. Her reward for giving her that bastard's body." she replied, clearly referring to her adoptive father's body. "I'm finally starting to get rid of that damn celestial blood... and when we sacrifice Sandpoint to her, she will transform me all the way, and finally make me one of her daughters!"

Tsuto did not share his beloved's enthusiasm. That demonic arm looked horrific - and the idea that Nualia would be completely transformed once Sandpoint was destroyed certainly did not fill him with joy. Would she be transformed into some revolting monstrosity? Was she not interested in being with him once their revenge on Sandpoint was accomplished?

"I see..." Tsuto sighed, aware that nothing he said could change her mind. "Well... I hope everything goes well. Now... I have to get to the glassworks. I'll see if I can return with Ameiko - or with good news, at any rate."

Nualia nodded in assent, but a shadow of suspicion crept in her eyes. "Alright, Tsuto. I look forward to good news. In the meantime, I will make arrangements for Orik and Lyrie to reinforce surveillance. Bruthazmus has informed me that there may be an old acquaintance of his around Sandpoint. A goblin huntress , if you know what I mean. He is chomping at the bit for a chance to end their rivalry once and for all."

Tsuto nodded seriously. "So, Shalelu is about to return to Sandpoint? That does make things a little bit harder." he stated. "Anyway, I'll try to get as much information from Ameiko as I can. Hopefully... we'll be able to eliminate any threat within a few days."

"That's good." Nualia coolly replied. "Good luck, Tsuto."

Tsuto nodded and waved at Nualia, feeling oddly ill-tempered. Was Nualia really willing to go that far in order to get rid of her "celestial blood"? Was she even willing to give up her beauty and turn into a demon? Yes, he wanted to turn Sandpoint to scorched earth, too... but he wasn't sure he could go that far in his pursuit of revenge...

The half-elf sighed and quickened his pace. "Perhaps I will get lucky. After all, succubi are demons too, aren't they?" he said to himself.

With a confident but heavy gait, the half-elven outlaw began to head towards the glassworks. He managed a small smile, thinking that Ameiko would surely appreciate the gift he had ready for her...

oooooooooo

The glassworks was a fairly reassuring building during the day, or at least that was what Ameiko Kajitsu thought as she took her personal key and entered through one of the main entrances... but now that it was deserted, the corridors illuminated only by moonlight offered a bleak sight. The young woman's footsteps echoed ominously in the corridors of the building, interrupted only by the screeching of some insect or the crunching of shards of glass or pebbles under the soles of her boots. The girl sighed, wondering why Tsuto had chosen such a sinister place for their meeting - and why had he wanted to meet her after so long, by the way? The last words they had exchanged a year ago had not exactly been kind...

Guided by her instincts, Ameiko entered another room - the mess hall that the workers used to relax, have their meals and play cards during their breaks. She felt that was the right room - and indeed, as soon as she opened the door, she saw her half-brother sitting casually at a table.

As soon as he heard the door open, the half-elf looked up, and his face seemed to light up, pleased to see Ameiko as well. The young innkeeper had no difficulty recognizing her half-brother, even after such a long time. Tall and lanky in build, with slightly pointed ears that left no doubt as to his half-breed nature, a barely-there beard and black hair pulled back behind the nape of his neck, Tsuto wore a white shirt with a dark green jacket and matching pants, as well as a pair of dark leather boots. A bandoleer was around his chest, and he carried a quiver filled with arrows on his back.

"Ameiko!" Tsuto exclaimed happily. He jumped up in a rush, disregarding the chair falling to the floor with a loud clatter, and hurried toward his half-sister with a joy that Ameiko found almost excessive. However, when Tsuto caught up with her and hugged her affectionately, the young woman was more than happy to reciprocate. "It's been such a long time since we last saw each other... you look great, you know!"

"Well, yeah... business is good, and I enjoy running the Rusty Dragon. No matter what that stubborn old fool says." Ameiko replied with cautious optimism. "But... honestly, I didn't think you would ever come back around here. Ever since mother died, I mean…"

Tsuto sighed, barely resisting the temptation to repeat, for the umpteenth time, that their mother's death had not been an accident. He was sure Ameiko felt the same way, so why play dumb and act that way? "I know, I know... let's say we had disagreements. We were both upset about what had happened, and the old man only made things worse by spewing his bullshit. We ended up saying things we didn't mean."

"I'm glad you're willing to reconcile, Tsuto," Ameiko affirmed. "But I'm afraid father won't be so willing to let bygones be bygones. You know how he is - he can never get over that stupid 'honor' thing of his, and he still thinks your birth was a personal insult. I've tried to reason with him... but no dice."

"Yeah, I can see that." Tsuto replied, finally breaking away from the embrace to address the topic he wanted. "That man... he never had much regard for you either, did he? But... it doesn't matter anymore. I've found a way to make him pay – along with the whole town that rejected and mocked us!"

Ameiko's vaguely optimistic expression became doubtful, and the young woman frowned. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"You see, when I left this place one year ago, I moved to Magnimar, hoping to make a new life for myself," the half-elf stated with growing enthusiasm. "And you know who I met there? Nualia! Yes, that's right, that senile old coot Ezakien's adopted daughter! She wasn't dead like everyone thought... Finally, luck was beginning to turn to my side! Just think! Nualia had her own grudge against Sandpoint, too! She had already gathered quite a few loyals who shared her anger and thirst for revenge! So... when she approached me and asked me to join her little band... I certainly couldn't say no, could I?"

Ameiko had listened intently... and soon, she went from curiosity, to confusion to an expression of horror when she realized what her half-brother meant! She took a step back and blinked, then swallowed hard. "Tsuto... what... what are you saying? This is… no way this can be true, right? This… this is a joke, right? I heard… that Nualia and her father had perished in that fire!"

Tsuto laughed jovially, not realizing his half-sister's state of mind. "Hahahaaa! Sure, sure, that's what everyone thought!" he answered with incongruous glee. "But that's not what happened. Nualia - or rather, the woman I love... is now a priestess of Lamashtu, the demon goddess! And thanks to her powers, and the goblins now working for us, we will be able to turn Sandpoint into smoldering ruins! The final attack is only a few days away at this rate! But... since you are the only person in Sandpoint who has never disrespected nor mistreated me... Nualia and I have decided to give you a chance! What do you say, Ameiko?"

The young woman stood, frozen with horror, when Tsuto smiled kindly at her and held out a hand in a gesture that was meant to be one of reconciliation... but that Ameiko now regarded as a gesture of betrayal.

"Join us, Ameiko!" Tsuto continued. "Together, we will take revenge on Sandpoint... And then go even further! It is time for us to show what we're all about!"

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED…