Chapter Four
Ari floated in the astral space, her dreads hung wild and free around her. She was tethered to the skiff by a rope pulled from Chaucer's bag, in front of her a dark figure floated frozen in suspended animation. Crom was dressed in his typical black leathers, his long silver hair brushed back showing off his slender elven ears. His eyes were dark and piercing and his face was frozen in anguish. Back on the skiff everyone lined up along the railing to watch Ari work her magic. This was the climax of the trip and the moment they'd all been waiting for. Carefully Ari wove the somatic motions in the air as she recited the incantation. Her spell focus glowed and she laid a hand on Crom, casting her Freedom of Movement spell. Crom's eyes sprung wide open as he broke free of his stasis. Laughing he grabbed Ari by both arms and pulled her in for a kiss. Ari sneered and turned her head away but not before Crom could kiss her on the soft cheek.
"I'm free," Crom shouted into the space with his arms wide. "I've cheated death yet again!" He laughed with relief as Ari pulled him over so that they could be drawn back onto the skiff by the others.
"Not so fast, old friend," said Samash in a low voice. "I'm afraid there's a price for your rescue and it isn't one to be paid to us." He hesitated as he and Gravetender pulled Crom and Ari back on deck. "Do you remember that lizard wizard from the cave in the jungle?" Samash asked Crom.
"Sure. Razzle or something like that. What about him?" remarked Crom as he stretched himself out after being stuck in one position for so long.
"Turns out he wants you for a job, a one-man job, and he supplied and sent us to come rescue you so that you could perform this task for him." Samash stated. "It's an infiltration and assassination mission. The Zhentarim," Samash said with reservation. "Raz wants you to infiltrate Darkhold Keep to assassinate the dark lord Sememmon and steal an amulet he wears."
"Sounds easy enough," said Crom. "I know a lot about the Zents so I should have no problem blending in. Getting close to Sememmon is going to be the difficult part," he said thoughtfully. As Samash and Crom spoke Chaucer pulled the scroll from his satchel that Bilben had given him. Gravetender was quick to inquire about its relation to their mission.
"What have you got there, little frog man?" asked Gravetender curiously.
"Well this is a scroll of plane shift that was given to us by our benefactor of sorts, Bilben Mulberry," said Chaucer proudly.
"Bilben Mulberry?!" squawked Thane with surprise. "That's my uncle!" He looked over to Bran next and muttered, "How does so much of my life keep popping up?" Thane just sat by Poppy and shook his head while Poppy patted him on the back to comfort him.
Gravetender spoke up once again. "I understand that you're done here on the astral plane, but we are not. We do not wish to go back yet so if you'll please let us off your boat before you plane shift it would be greatly appreciated."
"I think I have a better idea," chimed in Kuku. "Why don't we just leave the boat to them and cast the spell to not include the ship this time." Everyone but Bran nodded in agreement. The swashbuckling rogue stood there, hands on his hilts, staring down the group.
"I was promised this ship as payment from Raz. I'm not letting it go that easily," he said cunningly. "Now, if you Chult folks want to bounce and go back home, be my guest but I'm going back with my new boat," he said stubbornly.
"What if we offered a third option," said Syl, brushing a strand of silver hair behind her elven ear. "We can pay you to ferry us through astral space after which time I can cast plane shift on you and your ship once we're done." She smiled softly to Bran and gave him a coy look.
Bran looked around for a moment while he thought. He didn't know this new group but he had saved them. Their mission didn't sound impossible. Dead gods floated all around in astral space. He looked back to Syl who stood clasping her hands to her front awaiting his response. He nodded lightly and said, "Okay, but how much does it pay? My services aren't cheap you know."
Syl looked up at Gravetender with wide eyes and the two mouthed something back and forth to one another. Gravetender looked back to Bran and said in a low voice, "We will pay you two hundred and fifty platinum, half now, the other half when we get what we came for. What do you say?"
Bran thought for a moment more. He had to consider that without the Oakdell Circle he had no other way back to the material plane, but then again, this lady was offering to cast the plane shift spell on him after they were finished. Smiling he opened his arms wide and said with a light laugh, "Welcome aboard, friends! We'll set out just as soon as these freeloaders shove off." He went over to his apprentice Thane and bent down to his ear and in barely a whisper said, "Looks like you get to see a little more of me after all. Miss Chult yet?" Thane just sighed. He was in Icewind Dale under Bran's orders as secret leader of the Silent Hand back in Chult. He never said so, but Thane believed he was in the frozen tundra as pay back for accidently getting Bran thrown in jail for several weeks. He was supposed to be hunting down and assassinating Zents in the area of Ten Towns while the rest of the Silent Hand quietly dealt with the Zhentarim down in Chult that were gaining a foothold. The Silent Hand saw the Zhentarim as competition and were working to systematically be rid of them wherever they operated.
"Well it sounds like everything is solved and I'm ready to get back to city life," said Tamar as she approached Chaucer who still held the scroll. "Are we gonna do this or what?" Tamar, Samash, and Kuku stood ready alongside Chaucer as Ari and Goilon walked up, all their gear loaded up.
Chaucer held out the scroll and looked around. "I'm going to cast it just off to the side of the boat. We'll have to jump in before the boat passes it by or have Bran stop the boat." Bran nodded and headed to the top deck where he controlled the skiff from. There he concentrated for a moment, closing his eyes and focusing on what he wanted the ship to do. When he opened his eyes the ship had stopped.
"You're all set, little frog man. Do your thing," Bran said with confidence. Chaucer began to recite the text of the scroll as the two parties bid farewell to one another. "Say hello to my uncle for me, will you," remarked Thane as he said goodbye to Tamar. As the party finished Chaucer completed the spell and the portal opened up on the starboard side of the skiff. One by one the party jumped into the portal, Crom hopping in last after looking around at the vastness of the astral sea. "I'm not going to miss this," Crom remarked. Once the party had gone Bran called out to the remaining people on the skiff. " Let's find us a dead god!"
Bilben teetered around his tower looking for a specific tome of magic. It wasn't in the library where he'd expected it to be and it wasn't in his study where he thought he'd left it. He was on his way to Nyx's room, thinking perhaps that she'd taken it out to study from it. He hoped that wasn't the case since the book he was looking for was on the magic of the abyss and she wasn't yet ready for that level of casting. As he rounded the corner to her room he heard chanting. Opening the door he found her half-dressed sitting cross legged on the floor before a summoning circle she'd drawn in chalk on the floor. At her side was the text he was looking for.
"Whoa, child!" Bilben called out, startling the mageling and cutting her incantation short. "You shouldn't be summoning demons! You aren't powerful enough yet to control them and that isn't something you want to be messing with." Nyx grunted in reply, standing as she pulled her robe on over her undergarments.
"Don't you knock?" she chided her mentor in a snarky voice. "I can handle a demon, Master Bilben. My grandfather was half demon and he taught me well," she said tying off her robe as she turned around to face him.
"That's all well and good but I would point out that summoning a full demon from the pits of the nine hells is very different from anything a half blood can do," Bilben scolded her. "Not to mention the intentions of a demon are much more nefarious than that of your grandfather's I'd venture." Taking the book he looked her over and considered her training. "We'll start to work from this tome in your training, but it will be at the pace I set and you will be supervised." He said. "For now go and sweep the study. There're dust bunnies everywhere."
Nyx sighed heavily and walked past with her head down. Going to the closet she grabbed a broom and dustpan and headed slowly for the study, not the least bit anxious to be around Raz who was probably still holed up there. Bilben shook his head watching her go. "Headstrong, that one. She'll make an excellent mage one day." With that Bilben headed off for the library to find the spell he needed from the tome.
In the study Raz was sitting in the same chair he'd been in since he arrived, Sprinkles the faerie dragon perched atop the chair and a tome opened on his lap. He looked up briefly as Nyx entered the room then promptly went back to reading his text, ignoring the short gnome. Nyx set the broom against the wall and quickly went through the motions to cast unseen servant, directing the magical phantasm to grab the broom and start sweeping. Guiding the servant as it went along she heard a loud commotion out in the courtyard. It sounded like people falling onto one another. Raz perked up as well hearing the same thing. Together they went to the window and looked out into the courtyard. There they saw the party of adventurers dogpiled on top of one another, an elf in dark leathers with silver hair on the top of the pile.
"They've returned," exclaimed Raz, "and with Crom! Sprinkles, let's go!" With haste Raz made his way out of the study and into the winding stairwell, Sprinkles close behind flapping her wings to catch up. "Go and tell your master, gnome, that the Oakdell Circle has returned." Nyx scoffed and turned away from the window following Raz out of the room and leaving the unseen servant to mindlessly sweep.
In the courtyard the party moaned and groaned as they rolled off of one another. At the bottom had been Samash and he winced in pain as he finally stood, his back sore from the short fall. Kuku rolled out of the pile, standing as he ruffled his feathers and smoothed the tiny feathers on his arms back in place. Goilon found himself stuck; his beard trapped under Tamar. Tugging at it feverishly he managed to pull himself free and rolled down the pile of adventurers and into the grass. Ari was able to easily shimmy her way out and stood to compose herself while Tamar found herself trapped under Crom. Above them just a few feet in the air the portal slowly closed, the silvery shimmer disappearing in the afternoon sun. Standing and brushing themselves off they looked around curiously, realizing instantly where they were.
"How long do you think we were gone?" asked Kuku as he adjusted his backpack. "The sun seems to have moved west from when we left. Do you think it's the same day?"
"Hardly," remarked Raz as he walked up. "You've been gone for three days. I told you time moved differently in astral space, where is the pirate and his ship that we sent you with?" he said as he walked up to the group. Crom stepped forward.
"He stayed behind with another party in the astral plane. I assume I owe my rescue to you then?" the assassin asked as he met Raz halfway. "I'm told I owe you a debt for my rescue."
"That's right," said Raz with a hiss. "Welcome back from your imprisonment. I will grant you a week's time to get your affairs in order before you set out for Darkhold. Celebrate your return if you must," he said bitterly. "After your week is up come and find me here and I will set you on your way."
Crom nodded and looked back to the party. He was glad to be back with them and somber that he wouldn't be travelling with them to their next destination. Hearing footfalls shuffle into the courtyard he looked back towards the tower to see Bilben joining them. "Welcome back everyone! I'm very glad you're all safe. You must be Crom! Welcome, welcome! Please, all of you, come into my tower and we will feast and celebrate your return, after which I have a task you might be interested in!" exclaimed Bilben with excitement. He came up and, taking Crom's hand without notice, shook Crom's hand vigorously. Turning to Raz he asked, "Are we all set then? Let us go and celebrate."
The lizard let out a light sigh and extended a hand towards the tower, signaling the party to venture inside. Bilben led the way as they all followed, Ari bringing up the rear taking her time to admire the groves of trees and luscious bushes that grew in the courtyard garden. Swiftly she tore off her boots and trotted over to the grass, sliding her feet among the smooth blades of green and twirling around amid the small plot of nature. Raz just stared at her in confusion, shaking his head at what he saw as inane behavior. Tamar came over to him and rested her hands on her hips. "She really missed nature while we were gone," she said to the wizard, "and I don't think the city is something she likes. I would just let her be. She'll settle down in a bit."
Raz just nodded and waved a dismissive hand as he turned back towards the tower. Placing his staff out ahead of him he set off for the tower behind the rest of the party, his staff guiding him along. Tamar stood for a moment and watched Ari frolic. She smiled softly seeing her so at peace. "We'll be inside the tower when you're finished," Tamar called out to her friend. Ari lifted a hand in a wave to acknowledge what Tamar had said. The druid laid back among the grass and flowers as Tamar made her way into the tower. Rolling back and forth in the grass and flowers Ari paused and closed her eyes to softly meditate, a pleasant smile on her mocha soft face as the afternoon sun beat down on her soft skin.
Inside the party was lead to a small banquet hall on the first level of Bilben's tower. There they found a feast laid out and awaiting their arrival. Meat, fruits, breads, and beverages flowed freely and deserts lined a smaller table to the rear. One by one they sat around the long wooden table, passing fine plates and silver flatware to one another as they made small talk and got comfortable. Animated suits of armor came out from a backroom and went around and poured drinks for everyone while others set the remainder of the feast out on the table. Bilben smiled to everyone taking his seat at the head of the table as Raz took the seat opposite him at the other end.
"In honor of your victory over Acererak and Astral Space, I dedicate this feast to the Oakdell Circle. Please, everyone, dig in and enjoy," Bilben said with a hearty smile. "It isn't every day I get to dine with heroes of such renown. In the morning we will go over the task I have for you should you choose to accept it." As he finished his remarks Samash grabbed for some meat and slapped it on his plate with a smile. Looking over to Kuku he said softly, "If I get to keep eating like this I may never go back to Baldur's Gate. Can we make our home here in Port Nyanzaru?" Kuku chuckled and snatched a few fish from a nearby platter and gulped them down his gullet.
"I wouldn't mind that," replied Kuku, "but I don't think Chaucer and Ari would like it very much. They're very much at home in the wilds of the jungle." Just then Ari arrived and shuffled barefoot over to a vacant chair and took a seat. Looking over the spread she smiled, taking some fruits and vegetables for her plate. Samash held out a large turkey leg towards her which she promptly turned up her nose at. "Na tank ya, Samash," she said lightly. "I dun eat meat unless its all dat is available." Samash retracted the turkey leg and shook his head. "What a terrible way to live," he commented as he took a big bite from the leg, his tusks digging deep into the meat.