Chapter 7

Pushing against him as he passed Droc found that the man was stronger than he looked. He had held his position and did not flinch or show any emotion to the threat he had just received from the large golden dragon.

A maid moved into the room and to Captain Stormwalker, "King Eric has requested your presence in the common room there seems to be a new development in this situation and he is with Councilwoman Doe." Raven only gave a curt nod concentrated and teleported out of the room.

Marstoq moved to peer down at the woman that now had this island all upset and worried over her and her condition. Thanks to Droc she now looked a little bit healthier and he knew she was going to be madder than nine hells when she awoke to find that she had been regenerated and restored to a better health than when she had arrived.

Gently lifting her up, he carried her to the room sighed and then he with her in his arms teleported from the room to her cell at the guardhouse. Where he gently laid her to rest on the cot and covered her form. Then pressed fingertips to her face and brushed the hair from her forehead. "My little mother look at what you have created in such a short time of being here." Leaning down he planted a soft kiss on her forehead and then he teleported back to the Inn to collect his horse.

Baloq listened as the heavy conveyance drew up in front of the Hoch, he had prepared her favorite meal, serpent worms covered in a chocolate sauce, the tenebrous claw was seasoned to perfection and he had chilled the finest wine.

He watched as the two warlocks that had breezed into town like a cloak of doom moved into the room and began to set traps at the doors and to check the room over. Raven with his hideously scared face moved with precision around the room and coolly assessed all entrances or exits from the building and nodded to his partner the devilishly handsome Vanqu Nureyev and watched as he assumed a position by the door leaning negligently against the door with his ankles crossed and his arm crossed over his chest.

Raven moved to the bar and stood looking at the food that had been prepared and then watched as Captain Marstoq supported his mother into the room moving to seat her at a table and hoover over her. "I am going to make this understood and will not permit any interference from you or your men Captain is that clear?"

Marstoq bristled silently as he listened to the cold emotionally devoid tones of a man that he knew he would have to face someday to be accepted as a full-fledged warlock. "Your conditions have been met Captain Stormwalker. Now allow us our visit so that I might entreat my mother to eat."

Raven turned and looked to Baloq and nodded, "You may take it to the woman."

Baloq snorted at the warlock and lifted the tray of food and carried it to the table. Sitting the succulent dishes he knew were her favorite in front of her. He frowned though he had heard Droconis had restored her health she still looked pale and fragile as she looked disinterestedly at the plates and turned away. "Little mother please you must eat." M'lar shook her head.

"I am not hungry." She looked away from the food and sighed softly. Raven looked over to Vanqu and signaled him as another patron entered the bar, an old warrior in rusty armor and a large belly waddled into the room and over to the bar. "Tender! Ale for a weary warrior!"

Baloq moaned and wondered at the influx of old coot warriors that had frequented the bar recently. "Captain please get her to eat."

Baloq turned and moved back to the bar and tapped out large human brewed ale and set it in front of the old man. Then moved to the kitchen to see if he could find something else for her to eat.

Again the door opened and two more patrons moved into the room and moved to sit and be attended as they spoke softly to each other. Each time the patrons came in there was a subtle but definite signal to Vanqu from Raven and each time Vanqu studied and watched the patrons as they took up seats at the various tables.

M'lar sat watching the room with disinterest and sighed as she looked at the plate of fruit and pulled a strawberry to her lips and sucked the juice and then nibbled.

"Thank you little mother." Mars spoke softly to his mother as she tried to eat and found herself growing ill from the food lying on her stomach. Feeling more ill from eating she quit and reached for the wine and took a small sip.

As the hour passed Raven grew irritated and turned to his partner, "He is not going to come kill her!"

Vanqu pushed from the wall drawing his blade and advancing on M'lar. Marstoq stood up blocking his advanced. "What do you mean kill her she is entitled to her trial!"

Vanqu continued to advance towards M'lar with rapier drawn. M'lar stood up and peered wide eyed at the advance of a man that had intended to end her life now. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and awaiting the plunge of the blade into her heart. But before Mars could pull his arquebus to defend and summon his own power, the old fat man at the bar staggered towards M'lar and between Vanqu. "Oh now what is a pretty little thing like you doing over here?"

Raven charged forward pulling his rapier watching the old man shouting, "Its him!" The image of the old man faded and Rahvin stood before Marstoq and M'lar, reaching for M'lar he jerked her to his chest and tried to teleport out of the room. Too late the wizard locks were set and Marstoq, Vanqu and Raven now surrounded him.

Pulling M'lar in front of him he was using her as a shield. "Do not come any further or I will kill her!" Raven shrugged reached for his pistol and fired point blank into M'lar's stomach. The pain ripped through her body and M'lar collapsed to the floor being caught and held by Rahvin. Marstoq's actions were immediate as he jerked M'lar away from Rahvin and carried her across the room allowing Vanqu and Raven to advance on the necromancer.

Rahvin seeing the blood pour fourth from M'lar screamed out. "Let me heal her! Don't let her die!" Vanqu moved to Rahvin hitting him with the basket hilt of his sword knocking him unconscious. With no emotion what so ever Raven moved to the necromancer and bent breaking his fingers and placing the shackles on him.

Then rising he looked to his partner, "Take him to the ship and secure him in the brig." Turning to Marstoq he frowned, "Take her to Manshak and then bring her to my ship on the docks." Turning Raven moved to the bar lifted his glass of water and drank it down then turned and followed his partner out of the door.

The chain of events that just transpired dumbfounded Marstoq. Looking down at his mother he noted pale and unmoving she was in his arms. Drawing upon the will of his way he teleported with her to the doctor's office. Marstoq appeared in the office, Morgan who had been in the back moved into the room and stopped frowning he looked at M'lar in his arms. "What happened?"

He stepped aside so that Marstoq could carry her into his examining room area. ":Put her on the table."

Marstoq laid her on the narrow table and watched as Morgan looked at her wound. "She was shot?" Marstoq nodded. "How?" Marstoq was growing alarmed over the amount of blood she was loosing and sighed as he held the pressure to her stomach.

"Captain Stormwalker shot her to get to Bloodthorne." Morgan smiled, "Oh the necromancer lover who conspired with your mother to kill me."

Marstoq growled, "Look Morgan if you do not wish to heal her I will take her to the temple of Tempus and get Kagar to heal her. At least there I know she will live."

Morgan looked down at the woman that had been on his mind a lot lately and smiled. Moving his hand to her wound he began to concentrate and Marstoq could see he was exerting a lot of psp to heal and remove the shot that lodged in her stomach. Marstoq watched as the lead ball round moved out of her and into his hand and the wound began to close.

M'lar began to moan softly and Morgan snapped out of his concentration mode. "Keep her out, there is more repair I need to do."

Marstoq concentrated on his mother and moved into her mind to ~ego whip~ her then stun her. This allowed Morgan to go in and regenerate the organs and the wound to make it as if it never happened. As he finished he staggered back and slumped to a chair, reaching into his pocket to pull out a snuffbox to take a pinch of red powder substance to sniff up his nose.

Marstoq looked down at the blood soaked prison gown his mother wore and then over to the doctor. "Thank you Morgan" Morgan waved his hand as if it meant nothing and then looked at her lying on his table. "I saved her life while she plots with the island to take mine."

Marstoq locked his jaw and Morgan could see the tiny tick as the nerve jumped in his jaw and Morgan knew Marstoq was holding in his angry retort. "Go on and say it Captain, you want to defend her go ahead. But when the day comes that she faces the gallows for her treachery remember I did save her life."

"You know Morgan she never wanted you dead just to stand trial for Joe's death, you and I both know and I suspect that you paid to have him killed and some day maybe not today or tomorrow but some day we will prove it and then we will see who laughs last."

Morgan moved to a basin of water and smiled, "But by then she will be dead and you will have won nothing." Marstoq moved to tower over the effeminate male. His slender body, and blond pale looks only remind Marstoq of how sick and depraved this man was.

"Maybe Morgan, but even now with her lying here and near death and even in her death she wins, because this island will never trust you again and they will hate you and resent you for taking her away."

Though his words did ring true to his mind he was not about to let Marstoq know that it bothered him that in the short time she had been here she had usurped his authority and standing in this community.

So, he chose instead to fall back on his devil may care glibness. "And I care what this island thinks because?" In times of great stress Marstoq noticed hat Morgan had a strong accent that was much like a southern drawl as he spoke and this was one of those times that certain words took on a more pronounced drawn out form.

"I think it bothers you that you could not control her and she did not fall head over heels into your bed and beg your attention. If anything she rejects you and your charms and that is eating you up inside. We all know what you cannot control or manipulate you try to destroy."

Morgan giggled as he turned and moved to peer down at the woman that now lay on the table. "She is your mother and half this island's males want her, but she chooses none, do I wish to belong to the M'lar contingent of unwanted males. Not hardly, there are a number of beautiful woman that demand my attention and deserve it so why do I care what your mother thinks or desires?"

Marstoq lifted her from the table and looked at Morgan, "Because she will be the one that got away and you can't stand she did not fall down and ask for your attention."

Without giving him a chance to dispute his words he concentrated and teleported to the Realm Mistress. Appearing on the deck of the ship he was immediately surrounded by three men that were the crew. From the stern castle Raven stepped out and called down. "Take her below deck and put her in a cabin. She will remain here until her trial."

Vanqu moved onto the deck, "This way Captain I will show you her room and you may wish to bring her some clothing while she remains as our guest here."

Of the two warlocks he had met, Marstoq liked Vanqu the best at least he had a personality and showed some emotion and was not as sterile as Raven. Marstoq followed him down a narrow set of stairs to the galley then a connecting hallway to a room at the end of the hallway where a bed had been prepared.

The room was simple with its narrow confines and made to handle realm space and the seas. "We keep things simple and it has to be better than the cell she was in. At least she will be allowed on deck as long as she does not try to escape."

Marstoq nodded, and then looked back at his mother. "She will give her word of honor and she is determined to see this trial to its end."

Marstoq laid her on the narrow bunk and covered her then turned and looked the room over. Two small chairs a table that represented a desk or a place to have meals and two small portals for the light to filter in. Against the wall was a small chest. "Once you bring her clothing we can secure the items in here for her. She must bathe in here as well but we will make sure she had enough water to bathe herself. Now we have a condition to her remaining on this ship."

Mars nodded and waited for the condition. "That is she must make all her meals and eat, if she does not care enough to keep her body strong to prepare for her ordeal then why should we care if she lives or die. She may have visitors as long as you clear it with Captain Stormwalker first. We do plan to allow her some time out and may even allow her time in your tavern but we will not tolerate anyone trying to mess with her mind or her memories they must stay in tact is that understood?"

Mars nodded, "Plainly understood but she is subject to nightmares from her time in Tarin's temple."

Vanqu frowned, "Then she will learned to deal with her nightmares without anyone tampering with her mind."

Gabrielle Kane moved into the room and peered down at M'lar as she lay sleeping too soundly on the bunk. "No one messes with her mind Marstoq understand Kane will not allow it. Why is she sleeping so soundly now?"

Marstoq looked up at Lady Gabby, and was always amazed at how Kane had been fortunate to obtain her as his wife; she was a beautiful druid priestess that ran the woods as a white wolf. She had given Kane three beautiful children and was the town magistrate.

"Morgan had to fix the wound caused by the gunshot issued by Captain Stormwalker so we had to stun her mind to sedate her and that was at Morgan's insistence. "

Gabby frowned and looked at Vanqu, "I will tell Kane and see what he says, but he was specific that she was not to have anyone tamper with her mind."

Marstoq sighed deeply and looked down at the frail form of his mother. "Then be sure to tell him it was what Morgan said to do and that all that was done was to stun her so he could repair the damage that was done by Captain Stormwalkers weapon."

Gabby nodded curtly to Marstoq and turned to move out of the room. The enclosed room was making her claustrophobic and it was all she could do not to crawl out of her skin to get out in the open. Marstoq followed behind her leaving Vanqu to secure the room to M'lar's cabin.

As they all moved to the deck of the ship Gabby gave a sigh of relief. "You must know how angry I am that she allowed herself to be brought into this unfortunate mess. I know she is grieving the loss of Joseph but she should not try to commit treason to seek her vengeance."

Marstoq sighed softly, "So much for justice being blind and allowing her day in court to decide, I see you have prejudged Lady Gabby so I will take my leave."

Marstoq turned his back on a woman that he had always considered a friend until now. Gabby snapped her anger towards Marstoq's back. "MARSTOQ!" Before she could speak further there was a subtle popping noise as he teleported away from the ship.

Gabby felt frustrated, she was angry that he would not think that she was being sympathetic but truth be told she was angry at M'lar for allowing herself to be manipulated by the man that now was held prisoner in the hold of this ship. "Take me to the prisoner Bloodthorne please."

She turned to Vanqu. Since M'lar's arrest the forests, the island the whole place had been off balance and it seemed nature had contrived to make her life a living hell and she was angry because the island was so sympathetic to M'lar and did not even consider she had committed treason by trying to have Morgan killed.

Vanqu bowed to her request and escorted to a different set of stairs and down to the lower level of the ship to a set of cells that lay in a row. The man that had caused so much trouble now lay on his bunk and watched the ceiling of the ship. He was it appeared meditating. Vanqu moved to the cell door and used the heavy key ring and clanged the bars. "Stand up and be attentive Mage, the Lady Gabrielle wishes a word with you."

Rahvin blinked and then rolled to his side and pushed himself up and put his feet on the floor and stood with his arms crossed behind his back. His fingers had been broken but now he was under a dead magic zone in the tiny cell he had been allowed to have his fingers healed. Rahvin looked impassively at Lady Gabby and waited for her to speak. "You have caused a great deal of unrest and turmoil for your callous actions but because this island feels it fair to allow you to have your say you will be given your day in court after we try M'lar for treason. Do you wish to make a statement?"

Rahvin looked impassively back at her and shrugged, "Would it matter? It seems that you all have condemned us for our love and the need to see this island rid of a menace that is Manshak."

Gabby sighed, "You condemn yourself with your own admissions."

Rahvin looked down at the tiny female in her ranger clothing as she stood appearing to be so superior over all around her and then Rahvin saw that the close confines of the room was beginning to get to her druid nature.

"I condemn nothing had you just turned her over to me so we could leave together and live out our lives you would have never had to worry about me or her again, but instead you choose to persecute us and now you will loose in the long run. Your balance is so unsettled druid that even now you cannot tolerate being this close to me, I smell your death at hand."

Gabby spun and rushed from the room. Vanqu looked at the necromancer. "She is here you know."

Rahvin looked mildly interested. "Who is here?"

Vanqu stepped back and moved down the hallway. "Think about it mage, who would you care to have so close but unable to touch her, she is in a cabin on this ship awaiting her trial."

Rahvin stepped forward and cursed softly the torment this man had inflicted with just a small amount of knowledge he had just imparted. "Where? I wish to see her!"

The door closed and Rahvin was once again left to his own thoughts as he looked around the dark confines of the prison that he now lay in. A small glimmer of hope filled him as he thought about how close she was yet how far away.

Sitting back on his bunk he sighed sadly and then chuckled, "Hold on my love, soon, so very soon we shall be together and nothing will stop us and our rein of terror will level this island." He leaned back and closed his eyes and the smile that edge his lips held no humor as he began to make his plans within plans.

Kaitlin moved into the Hoch in a hurried rush, word had come to her at the Silver Fiend Inn that M'lar had been shot and was dying at the Hoch. Rushing into the room she could see that Baloq was mopping up the floor and stacking the chairs away from where the battle must have occurred. "Where is she Baloq? Is my dear sister dead? Please tell me this is not so?"

Baloq sighed deeply and looked at the worried brow of Lady Kaitlin. "No she lives my lady but she is on the warlock's ship being held prisoner there."

Kaitlin moved to the bar and slid on one of the high stools. "What happened Baloq? Someone said she was shot and that Rahvin was captured and that M'lar died."

Baloq shook his head. "No she was here and then the necromancer Bloodthorne tried to take her and leave but the warlocks had wizard locked the room and they captured him. As he held M'lar as a shield in front of him he threatened to kill her and that is when Captain Stormwalker shot her. Marstoq took her to Morgan and than afterwards to bring her to their ship."

Kaitlin sighed and shook her head. "Then she lives and she can have visitors on the ship?"

From the overhead balcony area of the inn a voice spoke softly to Kait, "As long as you get Captain Stormwalker's permission she can have visitors."

Kait looked up to see Marstoq and shook her head as she saw how tired and worn he looked. He held several of M'lar's gowns over his arm and carried a bag. Kait recognized the bag as the one she had stored her battle armor. It was the same ceremonial armor she had worn the day she met the citizens of New Damara.

Kait had recalled how magnificent she had looked in the golden armor that fit her like a glove and accented all her positive attributes. From the breast plate armor that appeared to be this huge bird rising out of flames, and the over jacket that plunged in and accented around her breasts and body the wide belt that accented her small waist and the leather boots that she wore that came up to her thighs and as she walked the leather skirt that parted in slits that allowed her to move in battle and yet protect he body from deadly blows.

The headgear was simple band of gold that circled the top part of her head and lay almost like a crown with a tuft of shear material that trailed down the back to fall in a train that drug behind her. To this day Kait could vividly recall how regal she looked and the shocked looks upon the faces that looked at her in scro royal battle gear but bearing the features of an elf. She and Marstoq had become a buzz of gossip and rumors as word got out that there were two half elf and half scro on the island with a contingent of scro warriors.