SILVERYMOON
Chapter 23
"You and Dad may think this is a good idea, but why does it feel like we're walking to our own deaths?" Alexis asked as they stood a little beyond the first guard post to reach the Palace. They didn't have a reservation or a request for them to come. All of this was just wishful thinking.
It was only Rick, Kate, and Alexis with Patches next to her. Corimin was left out of this since he wasn't family.
"We need answers, and these people have them. We know we're not evil, but we don't know they aren't. The United States Government was supposedly not evil, yet, a good deal of what they did could be called evil. Don't get me started on what other countries did," Kate answered hotly.
"There is a silver lining to all this," Rick offered. "This place doesn't even know what a nuke is, let alone threatening anyone with one."
"Not helping, Dad. Next, you'll tell me they don't have biological or chemical weapons, and we should be happy about that. You do realize that if they wanted to, the Dragons around here could take this place. All of it," Alexis argued.
Rick opened his mouth to tell her that they didn't. Only he didn't know that they didn't. So he closed it.
"Let's get this over with." Kate began walking resolutely toward the first Gate. There was more than one. The Palace was extremely well-guarded, and this was only Stage One.
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It took an hour to reach a side room where the guard told them to wait. Rick and Kate were sitting and waiting, but Alexis was pacing while Patches watched her.
Patches didn't like what he was seeing and feeling. His best buddy was all wound up and worried, so that caused him to be worried.
"MEOW!"
That had Alexis stopping and bending down to scoop him up, hold him, pet him, and kiss his fire. "Sorry."
It only confirmed to Kate, and even Rick, that she understood what Patches was saying. It was just a simple meow to them, so how did he fit an entire sentence – if it was one – into just a meow, a small one at that?
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Eventually, a guard showed up and asked them to follow him.
The room he took them to was one they'd been in before. Yet it was empty of everyone. There wasn't even so much as a single guard. Even the one that brought them there left them alone.
Kate was well aware of this tactic. She had used it frequently during interrogations. Let the suspect stew in his or her own juices for a time. Emotions they weren't used to controlling could loosen a tongue. Kate had no intention of playing that game and had Rick and Alexis sitting on either side of her, doing what she could to keep them both quiet while they waited.
"Kate?" Alexis wasn't used to that.
"Observation room. We don't see the one-way mirror, but there is one," Kate whispered.
"OH!" Alexis got it now. She patted her lap and petted Patches, waiting patiently for a change. She could play this game now that she understood it.
"Not used to being on this side of the mirror," Rick commented softly.
"You know the rules, Castle. We're simply waiting for our suspect to be delivered," Kate told them.
Eventually, in walked Mitala and one other person they had seen before but for whom they didn't have a name. Two guards came next, followed by High Lady Alustriel Silverhand. The only actual difference from the usual setup was that they didn't have a table to sit around.
The Lady had her chair while Mitala and the other two stood to either side. Kate, Rick, and Alexis sat in chairs about fifteen to maybe twenty feet away from her.
"This is unexpected. Why do you need to see me?" The Lady questioned them.
"I think you know exactly why we're here," Kate countered since she was ready to get right down to it. "You. Lied. To. Us. You've been lying to us for months, if not an entire year. You know all about us, and we want to know everything this time," Kate demanded.
The Lady's eyes blazed. "You are aware of my status here."
"You're lying and using us. We've been playing this game faithfully, but you and your aids aren't being truthful. You know full well that Rick and Alexis are what you call Demons, an Incubus and a Succubus from the Abyss. That I'm a Vampire, a supposedly Undead being. You know that, have known that," Kate challenged her.
Suddenly, The Lady sighed. She had hoped it would never come to this, but these people were still surprising her. She simply waved her hand at Mitala.
"My Lady." Mitala bowed to her then turned to face the others. "Yes, Kate, we know. We have cast more spells over the three of you than we have over anyone in our history. The first was immediately after that unfortunate business with the Anus Hag. Most citizens don't involve themselves to the extent that you three did. However, even without being made to, you three did.
"This piqued our interest in you. You didn't really think that we would let you set foot inside Lady Westwood's Mansion without knowing all we could about you, do you? That Egg is possibly the single most precious object in this City, let alone the Lady herself.
"To be blunt, you confuse us. Every spell we cast tells us that you are not Evil. In fact, Kate, you and Alexis read as Lawful Good. Rick reads as far more Chaotic, though still Good. This is totally the opposite of a true Demon or Vampire.
"The Abyss that all Demons are from is truly an Evil place. Vampires themselves are actually Undead, not living and not dead. You three are different. Very different.
"We have used very powerful Clerics casting spells to try and read you. They are called Divination spells. In essence, the Cleric asks its God questions that they answer if it pleases them. None of the Clerics we have used learned much about you. More alive than dead or even Undead.
"We have asked you to do things for us. No, we didn't have to use you. We have people far more powerful than you that we could have sent instead." Mitala paused to consider what to say next.
Alexis was catching on. "You were testing us."
"More like using us, since we're expendable. You don't understand how we are what we are, so if we don't ever come back, it's no great loss," Kate said bitterly.
"Think of it more like what Alexis said. We were testing you," The Lady suggested. "Demons and Vampires are indeed Evil. You can only hide your true self for just so long. You might be using a spell or magical item, but they won't hold up forever. Eventually, your true self will shine through. It is inevitable. A good person can pretend to be Evil for far longer than a truly Evil person can pretend to be good. But being good is part and parcel of who and what you all are."
"The Anus Hag, Lady Westwood, not to mention Durgeddin. Eventually, your basic Evil would shine through," Mitala said.
"Our spells cast just yesterday told us the same thing as all the others. That still leaves you a mystery," The Lady stated.
Kate was finally getting answers. They were talking and not lying this time, so that was good. However, there was still one more topic to discuss.
"Who brought us here?" Kate asked, though that still left the question of whether they could send them back.
"That we still don't know," Mitala responded. "We do have a theory on why that is. We are using Divination spells and talking to Good Gods. Why would a Good God kidnap you and send you to a prison of the Drow? That is more of an Evil act.
"More to the point, why would an Evil God tell a Good God anything about what they had done? We are still at a loss as to who did this, let alone why," Mitala told them.
"Actually, one of my aids has a theory. Given that Demons and Vampires are Evil and you are not, you need to pay for turning good. A life of pain and torment in the City of Spiders would do just that. At least until the day you finally died from all the pain," The Lady explained.
"DROW! I should have known," Alexis spat. She hated Drow like no one else.
"MEOW!"
"See, even Patches agrees with me." Alexis bent down to kiss his fiery fur.
"Lolth, most likely," The Lady offered.
"We've heard that name. We were in a city of the Drow where a civil war was happening. Those that followed Lolth versus others who followed someone else," Kate mentioned.
"So we have heard. Lolth will not sit still for that. She will make them pay for it. It does mean the Drow will be busy with each other and not bothering us on the surface. At least until she is satisfied," The Lady said. "Is there anything else?" She felt they had answered all their questions.
"Yes. Are we still a secret?" Kate didn't want over half the City at their door trying to force them out or perhaps finding a way to kill them.
"You are. Outside of those of us here, we have told no one. The Clerics we know that have cast the spells only know what they have learned. We have been careful. You may remain in our fine City. If we have another task that might suit you, we will let you know," Mitala assured them.
With that, the Lady got up, taking two of her aids and the guards with her, leaving Mitala behind.
"Then you're still a friend?" Rick loved having friends he could talk to and count on for things.
"I am. You have proven to be trustworthy. I may still be trying to figure out how a Demon and Vampire could be so Lawful Good, though what we have learned only proves that you three can be trusted.
"At the moment, I don't know of anything that might be something you can help us with, but something will likely come up eventually. You have certain skills that others don't. And I so enjoy your meals," Mitala said, his eyes twinkling.
"Ember Cats are extremely rare. The fact that one has chosen you speaks well for you. You are free to go home and open your business." Mitala tilted his head for a second and left the same way he entered.
"And that means we're safe?" Alexis queried.
"It would appear so. We still don't know who did this, and dammit, I forgot to ask if they could send us back." Kate could kick herself over that.
Alexis looked from her dad to Kate. "Do we want to go back? I miss Grams, but I'm learning to like it here. Maybe not winter so much, but this place is beautiful, and unlike Sundabar, it doesn't stink."
"We can talk when we get home." Kate stood up. "Come on, babe, we have some decisions to make. The first one is, do we come back, and the second is to ask if they can send us home."
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Alexis excused herself on the walk home and headed to where Corimin lived. She wanted to see him and needed some of his Cum soon, so sex was on her mind.
"It's getting colder," Rick noticed as they walked. He glanced at Kate. "Do you want to go home if they offer?"
Kate kept her eyes straight ahead and didn't look at him. "I don't know. I'm…I'm confused and need to think."
"Are you thinking with your head or with your heart?" Rick thought she was getting better at letting her heart do the talking. "We're getting married in the spring."
"Both, I think, and I know we are. I want to marry you. I only wish Dad was here to see it. Though I do wish Mom was here to see this." Kate still missed her more than she had words for.
"You go ahead and go home. I have a task I need to do. I'll be home soon." Rick stopped and kissed her and walked away.
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"Mr. Castle." Dima was a little surprised to find him here. She knew with certainty that he was Chaotic Good instead of Lawful Good, but that wouldn't stop her from helping him if it was within her power. He was goodhearted and had solved that spirit problem at the College.
"I have a couple of questions," Rick told her.
"I live to serve Pelor. Ask your questions." Questions were easy to answer.
"Tell me all you know about Lolth. Just how much power does she really have?" Rick asked Dima.
"Let's see. Lloth, known as the Queen of Spiders as well as the Queen of the Demonweb Pits, is the most influential goddess of the Drow within the pantheon of the Dark Seldarine.
"She is a goddess of cold cruelty not out of place in the darkest depths of the endless Abyss, reveling in betrayal and bloodshed, and toying with everyone from her minions to her victims. She not only enjoys but thrives upon torture, destruction, and death, whether personally performing it or causing it. Nothing is out of bounds for her.
"Lolth demands absolute fealty and complete obedience from all Drow, and questioning her motives or wisdom is considered a sin. Punishment is nearly unimaginable.
"The War of the Spider Queen was a period during which Lolth transformed herself into a greater deity and turned the Demonweb Pits into an independent plane.
"Have you seen a Centaur?" Dima inquired and saw Rick nod. "Think that instead of a horse, it is a black widow spider. The upper portion is much like that of a Centaur. In this case, the body of a Drow. Her body overall is larger than a Centaur. She has great power and is pure Evil."
Rick made a face of disgust. Why would anyone want to look like that?
"Do you have another question?" He had said a couple.
"She rules the Drow, but just how much power does she actually possess?" Is it possible that it was Lolth who brought them here? Placed them in a Drow prison?
"Deities like Pelor, for example, come in all kinds of power. Lesser, average, to great. Pelor has great power, as does Lolth. It is said, though not confirmed, that she has created portals; we believe they are mirrors. These portals allow her access to other planes of existence.
"She can send her minions through a mirror and they will perform some task she has ordered them to. Failure means death. Perhaps she has learned of a Dwarven mine that produces a metal that she desires. Gather forces to besiege the Mine. Send forces through the mirror. Anything is possible with Lolth. In any case, if she is involved, you can guarantee that Evil is involved. Pain and suffering cannot be far behind," Dima told him.
"If you ever meet her, pray for your soul since your life as you know it will be over soon, but not before you are made to suffer unimaginable pain. Do you have another question?" Dima had told him all she knew that answered the questions he had asked.
"No. That's all, thank you." Rick didn't know if Lolth did it, but it sure sounded like her. Except, he didn't know how to undo what she had done.
"May Pelor's light shine on you always." Dima bowed and left him. That left Rick with a problem: How to explain all this to Kate. She wasn't going to believe it.
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Kate came downstairs a few days later and found Rick in the kitchen. She hadn't seen him in their bed and wondered if he'd been up all night. It looked like he was cooking, so she stuck her nose in to look.
"Another soup, I see." She couldn't eat it, but she could enjoy the smell.
"We have a great big pot, so it's either soups or stews unless I grill something. It's kinda like a great big Crock Pot," Rick told her.
"I have a class with my Master, so take care." Kate kissed his cheek and headed for the front door.
Rick stopped her just as she reached the door. "You're on year two, so you must be making progress."
"Being a Rogue really isn't what I want to do, but I need the knowledge that Rogue gives me in order to be a Slayer of Domiel. The only problem I have is that to be a Slayer of Domiel, I need to swear allegiance to one of the Tome Archons who rule the Seven Heavens. And, in exchange, gain power to act on their behalf.
"I never was overly religious, but this place is full of religions and Deities of all kinds. Now I need to follow one of them. That might be the hard part," Kate admitted to him.
"We all have that problem. I need to select one, as does Alexis. I don't know who Corimin follows. Haven't asked him. Haven't asked if Alexis has even thought about it." One more thing to get used to around here.
"We can talk later. I have a class I need to get to. Love you." Kate opened the door.
"I love you too," Rick replied as the door closed. "Never doubt that."
Kate had heard him and thought about that all the way to her class. She loved him and wanted to be married to him. But would she ever marry him if they were back home? Kate didn't know, but she kind of doubted it. Life would be very different there.
Though she did like it here. She felt different. She wasn't hiding what she was from Rick, Alexis, or even Corimin. And apparently, the people in the Palace knew too.
Did she want to go home? She didn't have that option presently, so it wasn't a question she could answer. She needed to focus on her class.
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"Hi, Dad!" Alexis entered and saw him standing in front of the fireplace, stirring something in their big pot. "Soup or stew?" Their options here were a little more limited.
"Soup." Rick gave it a taste test to see if he needed to add some spices. "What have you been up to?"
"I just got home from school. Being a teacher instead of a student is strange. These people know so little." Then Alexis suggested a career change to him. "You know, you should try it. You know things."
"All my time is taken up with training to be a Warlock and writing. There is one good thing about it. I don't have Gina calling me daily asking me for chapters." No phone meant Gina wasn't on his case.
"You mean hourly. I still don't know why you married her. She was mean as a wife and still mean as your editor. Speaking of editor, you better hand over the last one you finished before you make too many copies of it," Alexis said. "You don't want fifty copies with the same mistake over and over again."
"It'll be downstairs; you're free to look. So what are you learning about Patches the Familiar?" He didn't have one and was learning he would never have one.
"As I gain in strength, so will Patches. He gains Alertness, Improved Evasion, Share spells, Empathic Link, Deliver touch spells, Speak to me, Speak with others of his kind, Spell resistance, and even scry on my own familiar. He can be my spy. Oh, and his intelligence will get better and better," Alexis said enthusiastically.
"So that's how you know what he says." It was still just a meow to him.
"Actually, I think I understood him before that. But yes." Alexis didn't think him being a Familiar had anything to do with her understanding him.
"MEOW?"
"We can get Mops tomorrow after she's out of school," Alexis replied.
Rick shook his head. To him, it was still a simple meow. It had nothing to do with Mops.
"All right, I'm going to change and then go back to sewing. I'm getting away from Santa and more onto others. I'm not sure this place is ready for him." Alexis headed for the stairs to reach her room.
Eventually, she was back down and then, downstairs to start sewing until the soup was ready.
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It is now four months later
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They were calling it April even if this Realm didn't keep track like that. They were pretty close to having been here for two years. Time was a bit of a mystery. It was hard to say with impunity just how long it had been, but it felt like it was close to two years.
Kate had just gotten home from her training class. Just two more years – two more! – and she could officially be called a Rogue. Then gain a little experience, and she could start training to be a Slayer of Domiel. Right after Kate finally figured out how to follow someone like a God. Just not THAT God.
She was reasonably sure Rick, Alexis, Mops, and even Corimin were downstairs, working. They were open for business again and were even getting people walking into their place. Most looked, while a few bought something. They all asked about just what this Christmas was. The brochures explaining it were still free.
She was just starting down the stairs when there was a knock on the door.
"Mitala! What have we done this time?" They had been left alone ever since their big meeting. Kate knew she was joking with him and blamed Rick for that. He was rubbing off on her.
He bowed slightly. "Greetings, Kate. I trust everyone is here?" He had something he wanted to discuss with them.
"Everyone, including Mops, is downstairs. Follow me." She closed and locked the door behind him and led him downstairs.
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It was a little later and Alexis and Patches were back after taking Mops home. Patches got petted and kissed, and he gladly accepted her affection.
Alexis found a still-warm bowl of stew waiting for her. She sat next to Kate on one side and Mitala on the other, across from Corimin and her dad.
"We have something for you to consider." Mitala fished out a scroll, handed it over to Rick, and watched him unroll it to look at it.
Rick read it out loud to them all:
Search ye far or search ye near
You'll find no trace of the three
Unless you follow instructions clear
For the weapons abide with me.
North past forest, farm, and furrow
You must go to the feathered mound
Then down away from the sun you'll burrow
Forget life, forget light, forget sound.
To rescue Wave, you must do battle
With the Beast in the Boiling Bubble
Crost cavern vast, where chain-links rattle
Lies Whelm, past water-spouts double.
Blackrazor yet remains to be won
Underneath inverted ziggurat.
That garnered, think not that you're done
For now you'll find you are caught
I care not, former owners brave
What heroes you seek to hire.
Though mighty, I'll make each one my slave
Or send him to the fire.