Volume 2, Part XVIII: Show Me A Trick
The streets were a bustle of late night activity; harlots, beggars, cutpurses, gamblers, dealers in foreign herbs and rare drugs; most of the common folk were already indoors, shutters shut and locked tightly against the new and oppressive atmosphere rolling off of the small patrols of guardsmen as they made their rounds. The air was tense; she could practically feel it pressing against her. Torio kept her face turned down, one hand barely touching Sand's elbow solicitously...an apprentice helping his master along.
When they reached one corner, Molly and Silverfox turned towards them. "This is where we part ways," said Ringside Molly, and there was a dim flash of white teeth as the lamplights reflected her slight smile. "Good luck to both of you; we owe you much for what you've done."
Silverfox bent down towards Sand's ear, whispering, simply, "Take care of her." The two spies nodded and turned, melting into the shadows nonchalantly and disappearing from sight.
Lightfoot gestured to a set of tall gates. "Thereon lies the docks; lets press on, Master Wizard; you and your apprentice have a ship to catch."
Sand kept his head tilted down and hobbled forward as quickly as an old wizard would be able to. Torio was marching resolutely besides him and Lightfoot was beside her. He could see very little from under his hat and it was frustrating only being able to see legs and cobblestoned streets.
You'll have to guide me, dear girl. I can't see a blasted thing with this infernal hat.
He kept his ears alert. There was a cacophony of sounds around him: yelling, whispering, cursing, singing, cajoling, seducing... With a start, Sand realized he felt safer among the thieves and whores of Luskan than he did among the merchants and mages. He nearly laughed bitterly - just like at the Docks.
"...aye there, just a gold piece, a gold piece for the night..."
"...give 'er the potion and she'll love ya back, mate..."
"...alms for the poor..."
"...and I says I'll cut yer throat I will..."
Funny how no matter what city you were in - Neverwinter or Luskan - the lower classes were all the same. He heard Lightfoot whisper quietly, "We're through the gates now. Now this gets tricky..."
The voices from the alley ways dropped off quickly and around the docks he could hear and smell the sea. Salty, calm, cool - freedom. He heard the lapping of the waves against large wooden ships, the muted cursing of sailors, the occasional squawk of a gull. Sand also heard, in the distance, the steady footsteps of what could only be soldiers. Only soldiers walked with that set rhythm and heaviness.
A voice called out softly to them, "Ahoy! Do cats like fish?" Lightfoot stopped, "Only by night when the tide is in." The first voice replied, "Then the tide is in and let us feed the cats."
They were turning now, headed towards the docks. He could see crates and barrels and everything reeked of fish. He gagged slightly but maintained his composure. His foot hit the wooden planks of the dock when suddenly a very familiar voice greeted them, "A little late, friend, to be taking a ride aboard the Lusty Luskan!"
Abelor.
Oh dear gods...
Lightfoot cut right in, his voice smooth and amiable. "Well, Captain, you know how it is; these wizards now-a-days wait for nobody." He gestured rather helplessly towards Sand, shaking his head. "Old man wouldn't even let us stop for a bit of supper. Is everything ready for them?"
Abelor was eyeing both of them rather piercingly; Torio kept her hand firmly on Sand's elbow, sending him a cautious thought; how much do you think he knows?
"Aye, we've got as much prepared for their departure as can be. Nice to make your acquaintance, Master Roslyn!" Abelor nodded towards them. "And this is..." His eyes fell on Torio's, and a slight glimmer of recognition flashed through his own for a moment.
Even with a polymorph spell, her eyes never changed...
Abelor knew exactly who he was taking on to his ship.
"Jacob," she said gruffly, nodding at the Captain.
"A fair name," said Abelor, his mouth twitching in amusement. "Well, my good men; the tide is rising and I intend to be on it; follow me!"
Abelor turned and strode towards a long boarding plank leading up to a huge, darkened, hulking mass that settled in the water before them. Lightfoot turned to them. "Best of luck to you both," he whispered. "Be careful; Abelor will take you to your destination, but do not trust him completely." He regarded them both steadily. "Fair seas and strong sails to you both; you'll be safe and secure soon enough." He gave them both a slight bow, and left.
Torio gave Sand's arm a firm tug, and with a deep breath, guided his steps as they stepped onto the boarding plank and boarded the Lusty Luskan.
Sand could only follow Torio up the ramp to the Lusty Luskan, trusting her as she guided him around ropes, boxes, andc hests. Abelor was ahead of them, singing a cheery drinking song, acting for all the world like what he was doing was routine business.
Maybe it was.
"The good young soldier lad...Did find a buxom young damsel fair... Hey there! Smitty! Draw in the lines! Never a man had she had ...So with his sword he took care... Move handsomely, men!" They reached the helm and Abelor stood there a moment, his thumbs hooked on his belt, watching the crew beneath him, before turning to them. "I'm putting myself, my men and my ship in danger for you. Once we sail, I expect honest answers to my questions. I have been paid for the voyage but to best protect you, I'll need to know what we could possibly face."
Sand nodded mutely. They had made it on the ship. Freedom was so close - just over the dark horizon. At this point, he'd agree to nearly everything.
Abelor reached into his pocket and handed them each parchment. "Your papers, Master Roslyn and Jacob. Now we wait for the harbormaster to grant us leave. He should be here shortly."
Torio kept her head ducked low, standing close to Sand; the bustle of the ship preparing to hoist anchor and depart the docks seemed utter chaos around her, and yet the tang of sea salt on the air and the fresh, cold wind that tickled the sails as they were hoisted and prepared to be stretched taut over the masts promised freedom. Oh gods, they were so close...
A cry went up as a dark figure began moving down the docks. There were three other ships preparing to leave as well, and she looked from underneath her hood, watching as a small group of dark shapes boarded every ship in turn. She clutched her identification and permissive papers in her hand easily, her palms hot and dry against the parchment. They were leaving the ship in front of them an approaching their gangplank...
Abelor stepped forward as a tall, staunchly uniformed man and a full squad of guards stepped on board. "A fine evening, Harbor Master Drakken! Welcome aboard my ship once again."
"Let's get this over with, Captain," said the uniformed man, his voice bored and irritated. "I've got another ship still and it'll be twelve bells soon."
"Of course, of course." Abelor gestured to them almost dismissively. "Just the two tonight, Master Drakken, an old mage and his apprentice."
Drakken and his guards approached; the uniformed Harbor Master held out a white-gloved hand, his gesture impatient. "Papers, you two."
Sand silently handed his papers over and watched Torio do the same. The Harbor Master scanned them both quickly; then he frowned and looked over it again, holding them up against the torch light, side by side, comparing them.
Sand's heart sank. They knew something was up...
He turned to Sand, "Master Roslyn is it? Sailing with the Lusty Luskan on her voyage to Tethyr and Calimport. What interests do you have there?"
Oh gods they expected him to speak... He dropped his voice low, raspy. "Eh! The boy needs to get experience at sea. I want an apprentice who can sail for me. Roads too dangerous these days to travel by land. Destination didn't matter."
Drakken tapped the papers against his palm a moment."I see." He glanced at Torio. "How old are you boy? Does he treat you well? Does he teach you much? Show me some of your magic tricks."
Sand interrupted. "Eh! The boy is dull! He'll just be wasting your time."
Drakken held up a hand. "I wasn't speaking to you, old man. Now, Jacob, show me a trick."
Torio's heartrate skyrocketed, but she merely mumbled, "Yessir," and reached into the packing hanging between her shoulders, pulling out a wand...
...Tymora have mercy on me for once, you miserable old wench...
She looked up at Drakken from under her hood expectantly. He gestured towards one of the metal rope anvils rising from the deck, and she swallowed hard, pointing the wand towards the small metal structure.
She concentrated...took a breath...flicked her wrist and the wand along with it...
Nothing.
Mentally she cursed; her eyes darted to Drakken's face, who was watching her narrowly. She tried it again, desperately attempting to mimic the movements Sand had shown her. The wand remained passive in her hand, gleaming dull white in the slivered moonlight.
Shite.
"'M not vury good, Sir," She said haltingly, dropping the wand to her side. "I practice but Mastuh says 'm duller than a Mere militia captain wit' arusty soup spoon." Thank you, Bevil, for proving useful for something at least. She fidgeted under Drakken's watchful gaze.
The uniformed man kept his eyes on Torio, saying acidly to Sand, "You're telling me, old man, that you have this magicless, dull,and seemingly useless boy as your apprentice?"
Sand snorted even as his mind raced to come up with an excuse, a reason, something. "Eh! His mother made me. The wench blackmailed me, said if I didn't take her son and do something useful with him she'd tell the whole marketplace I watered down the contraceptive potions which resulted her in her getting heavy with the boy." Sand jabbed a hard finger against the side of Torio's head. "That's why he's coming on this trip. If he can't do magic, he can ferry me around."
Drakken eyed them both, his eyes narrowed, his expression shrewd. He held up the parchment again. "I think it's best the two of you step off the ship with me." The guards circled them and began tightening...He turned to Abelor. "You, of course, may keep whatever monies they have given you for their voyage. Of course, tragic things happen at sea - storms and such - do you understand me?"
Abelor nodded. "Of course of course. We have a ship full of cargo that needs to get to their destination. The sooner we leave the better..."
Torio knew, without a doubt, that if they got off that ship they were dead. Hers and Sand's disguises wouldn't stand up to the very pointed questioning that they would no doubt receive...and there was no way come hell or (ironically) high water that she was going to be tortured again. Her or Sand.
Her mind was racing; something clever, unexpected...they were moving towards her, hands reaching...do something, you're supposed to be a diplomat...
A meaty, heavy fist clamped down on her arm so fast that she yelped in a surprised, high, un-boyish manner, and whirled, lifting her booted foot up so hard between the guard's legs that the man dropped like a boulder to the deck, releasing her instantly.
Drakken's voice cracked through the air. "Seize them now!"
And then Abelor was there as the sound of drawn steel rang throughout the ship. "To me, lads!" he hollered, drawing a cutlass and squaring off against the Harbor Master and his men.
Without another moment's hesitation, the guards attacked.
The moment Torio attacked, Sand was already fumbling with his component pouch. He knew they needed to dispatch of these guards before reinforcements were called in and he knew now was the time for the big spells. He also realized that he would have to watch what he cast since they were on a ship. A wooden flammable ship.
Right.
Fireball - out of the question.
He pulled out the small glass rod and the tiny tuft of fur even as he ducked behind Abelor, who was swinging his sword around with glee, yelling at the same time "Line in, lads, line in! We sail now!" Sand quickly began muttering the incantation for Chain Lightning and then jabbed the glass rod towards the Harbor Master.
Torio dodged back as two more guards lunged for her, swords flashing; Abelor's bulk seemed to momentarily stand between her and any subsequent guards, and she took the moment to switch the wand in her off hand, drawing one of the long, curved daggers from her belt.Should have paid more attention to lessons on weapon use...
You don't have to kill them well, you just have to kill them.
She saw the Harbor Master stumble back for a moment, the lightning spell ripping through him and ricocheting between the guards behind him. The man sizzled slightly when he straightened, but he looked disturbingly less injured than Torio knew he should be...She noticed a small glowing outline that clung to Drakken's body as he drew his own weapons, advancing on Sand; a protection spell? But there didn't seem to be any mages with...
A hooded figure at the back of the group stood, incanting while his hands gestured in the air. Oh.
A sailor was next to her, and then charging past her, throwing himself on one of the guards with a profanity-infused battle cry. The ship creaked and groaned as it pulled away from the harbor suddenly, the gangplank splashing into the water. She could hear shouts, orders, curses from shore as more squads ran towards the boat, but it was too late; the Lusty Luskan turned and began making her way out into the water.
One of the guards spotted her and leapt for her; she raised her curved dagger high and caught his downward swing at the hilt of his blade, a wave of triumph filling her as she effectively blocked his strike; then, almost instantaneously, a hand connected with her cheek, the blow knocking her off of her feet. Her face exploded in a riot of hot, sharp pain as she felt the deck slam into her backside. Abelor was to her right, and she watched with stunned fascination as his sword arced towards the guard; she kicked out, her foot catching on the man's knee, a satisfying squick! meeting her efforts. The guard hollered, Abelor lunged, and the sword sank into his side.
Her head swam as she was hauled to her feet. "Not the fighting type, are you?"
"The improvising type," she replied shakily, and then Abelor was off, rushing to help Sand...
Sand nearly fell over when the ship lurched away from shore; he had been too occupied by Drakken who was now barreling towards him, sword raised and looking less fried than he should have been. Torio seemed to be holding up all right on her own but he needed to - or rather - wanted to get closer to her. He scrambled backwards, buying himself more time to cast a spell but then tripped over a prone body lying on the deck of the ship, dropping the useless gnarled staff.
Gods be damned -he couldn't see a blasted thing in this hat!
He yanked the hat off his head, feeling his hair fall around his face, and tossed it aside even as Drakken was brining the sword up and then down towards his head.There was no time to look for components, no time to consider the value of casting one spell over another; Sand shut his eyes and cast the first spell that came to mind,Power Word Stun, on the Harbor Master.
There was a moment of breathless anticipation where Sand waited to see if his spell or the sword would come first and then...nothing. He opened one eye and then the other,and then looked up. Drakken was standing in front of him, not moving, the sword inches from his face. He sighed in relief and then backed up further.
Abelor ran up to him. "Good job! We'll take him prisoner; maybe we can ransom him off or something. How long does the spell last?"
"A couple of minutes, at best estimate. Tie him up now or else here's your best chance to kill him." Sand left Abelor to do what he wished with Drakken and then ducked and dodged his way over to Torio. "Dear girl,I know how much you like being invisible..." He had the two components ready in his hand, the gum arabic and the eyelash, and cast Greater Invisibility on her. "I'm going after the mage!"
Torio lurched slightly at suddenly looking down and seeing herself disappear from view, but there was no time; the guards and Abelor's sailors were still at it, and Sand was saying something about the mage...
She thought to him, Be careful, Bodaes, and then she ran into the fray, slashing and hacking inexpertly but effectively with her knife. The guards wore chain; she was able to take her time thanks to the invisibility spell, locate the small creases, cracks, and grooves that were present in every suit of armor, and slide her small, curved blade between them with inexorable patience. It would have almost been amusing if she wasn't desperately trying not to die at the moment; a guard would fight a sailor, and then suddenly he would fall, screaming, and blood would be rushing from a sudden wound that by no rights should be there.
The hooded mage watched unperturbedly as Sand rushed towards him. His hands were gesturing in the air, and as Sand came within a few feet there was a pop! of light and then Hold Person settled down onto Sand's body. The mage walked forward, seemingly oblivious to the carnage and chaos around them, and reached out, touching a gloved finger to Sand's face. Abelor was shouting something, and the sound of approaching, booted feet could be heard sprinting across the deck, but the mage ignored it all.
"Sand," said a low, gutteral voice. "Leaving Luskan so soon?"
Had the situation not been so serious, Sand might have been embarrassed at being caught by such a low level spell. He had been distracted, in the midst of the incantation for a Greater Dispel when he felt the spell sink into his limbs first. He tried fighting the spell, but it was too late: the paralytic effects crept up to his shoulder, then like a disease spread through his torso and up his neck to his head.
He stood there frozen on the deck, a strange living, breathing statue with fingers outstretched. He could watch and hear the fighting and dying around him. He couldn't see Torio and wondered briefly if he should reach out to her. Too risky.
Sand looked back the mage before him, struggling against the spell to speak, his tongue feeling thick and sluggish. "I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome. I'm afraid I don't believe we've been properly introduced?" If he could just wiggle a finger...
There was a small, clear patch that Torio stood in for a moment, gasping for breath; theGreater Invisibility still cloaked her, and she scanned wildly around, looking for Sand...
He was standing, unmoving, in front of the mage that had been casting earlier, and even as she watched a group of Abelor's men rushed forward, throwing themselves at the cloaked figure.
The mage lifted his hands, casting Sonic Rumble...the ship shook as a deep, sonorous, rhythmic pounding rolled over it, knocking everyone immediately close to the mage off of their feet, and causing everyone else on the ship to stumble haphazardly around as the Lusty Luskan keeled wildly on the waters. The ship itself was approaching the blockaded exit to the harbor, the boats forming the blockade teeming with confused crewmen and captains alike as they shouted for their guns to be readied.
Torio steadied herself on her feet and pulled the cumbersome cloak from her shoulders; she vaguely saw it reappear out of thin air as she sprinted across the re-aligned deck, desperately running for where the mage held Sand fast in a spell.
The mage pulled back his hood as sailors and guards spilled to the deck around them in the aftereffects of the spell. His face was lean, grey skin spiderwebbed with a network of scars; one such scar sliced down across his eye, rendering it cloudy white and sightless. The man's bald head was marked with a strange glyph...and he reached up, stroking his oiled, curled, long black beard, his mouth flitting into a smile. "Come now, elf," he said, "after all the time we spent together, and you don't even remember me?" The effects of the mage's Hold Person were wearing off, and he began gesturing, readying another spell. "You were a rather dull pupil, apprentice; too many moral conjectures and not enough raw drive. I am not terribly surprised to find you here amongst the rabble..."
Sand felt his insides ice over, a wave of irrational fear sweeping through him. He never thought he'd see this man again and his mind was dragged unwittingly back to his time at the Hosttower: helping the other apprentices dig up corpses from the graveyard for necromantic experiments, and then having to dispose of the fleshy remains when they were done,testing poisons and their antidotes on beggars, setting magical glyphs and traps for the apprentices of other mages, until finally they started training him in the ways of magical torture.
That was when he left - after the first torture session he ever conducted. The screams of the man, some poor farmer captured trespassing on Luskan lands, haunted him for days, rendering him sleepless until he resorted to taking sleeping potions to get any rest. He had wanted to stop but knew that refusal would mean his death. It took weeks of careful planning before he was able to escape to Neverwinter and beg for protection.
It was an awful time of his life, one he had struggled to forget. He had no idea where Torio was but sent her a strong message: Stay away. He is dangerous.
"The space in my mind is valuable, Master Yarreth, I wouldn't want to waste it on you and my time here." He could move his fingers and toes now and he struggled to get his hands free. "I think you will find your former 'dull' pupil now has something to teach you." He began the recitation for Power Word Kill, hoping that resisting the spell would cause Yarreth to lose his concentration.
Torio hesitated; once the hood fell back from the man's face she thought she vaguely recognized him...and then Sand's mental bolt of a warning shot through her head and she nearly staggered from the force of his vehemence. She crept forward slowly, circling around towards Yarreth's back; the men around Sand and the mage were staggering to their feet, steel leveling towards both of them as guards and sailors alike circled around them.
"An impressive attempt, little elf." The mage's body glowed briefly as Sand's spell thudded into him, ineffective; two of the sailors lunged forward, attempting to take out the cloaked man, while one of the guards leaps towards Sand. Yarreth's Hold Person was now almost completely worn off, but the mage's spellcasting was effectively interrupted; he jumped back from the attacking sailors, his face twisted slightly in a frown; one of the sailor's sword clipped the man on the shoulder, and he hissed as a shallow gash slices through his poorly protected skin; the other sailor missed completely.
Abelor's voice suddenly rang over the deck, "Ahoy, my fair Captains! Fire on this ship at your peril!" The sounds of fighting died down for a moment as every head turned; The Lusty Luskan was slowly sailing through the opening in the blockade, with every ship within firing range pointing their cannons towards the ship's hull. High above the deck, strung up like a veritable sow for slaughter, was Harbor Master Drakken, hanging by his ankles for the entire harbor to see. "We'll send him back to you in one piece once we're on the high seas!"
There was a howling, frustrated cacophony from the ships around them; Drakkan was struggling against his bonds, the gag in his mouth muffling the outraged cursing spilling from his throat. Abelor stood below on the deck, holding the rope that held the Harbor Master steady while the Lusty Luskan pushed out through the blockade and spilled out into the edge of open waters.
There was a reason why Sand stayed back from one-on-one battle and as the guard's blade sank clean through his shoulder, he remembered why. He had enough mobility now that he staggered stiffly back, watching his body remove itself from the blade, which was now coated in a dark crimson.
His blood.
And it hurt like a banshee.
The guard was taking another swing at him and Sand cast the quickest, most instinctive spell he could - Magic Missiles - at the man, and watched, satisfied as the man stumbled back, yelling in pain as the white balls of energy smacked into him successively. When in doubt, magic missile.
Torio felt an involuntary gasp rip from her throat at the guard's blade struck true into Sand's body, and then a terrible, hot red mist seemed to tug at the corners of her eyes...she leapt forward, snapping the wand in her off hand, and quite suddenly a blast of frost shot from the tip, spraying two of the heavily chainmailed guards and grazing one of the sailors.
Oh bloody hells,finally!
One of the other guards was howling on the deck, ducking as small missiles barraged his head and shoulders; she could see Sand, bleeding and staggering, around the edge of Yarreth's body as the mage recollected himself and began gesturing, casting a spell she didn't recognize.
The arm of the injured shoulder was beginning to go numb and Sand could feel himself getting light-headed from the blood loss. It was sheer chaos around him, with the yelling from the ships surrounding them, Drakken above them and Abelor commanding his men and Sand blinked, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to focus. A pair of guards in front of him were stepping around the guard he had injured a moment before when sudden a random spray of cold burst from mid-air, slamming into them.
Torio.
She got the wand to work!
Despite the immediate danger Sand couldn't help feel immensely proud,thinking to her:Well done, dear girl. Did you flick your wrist like I told you to?
With his uninjured arm, Sand held his hand to the wound trying to staunch the blood flow even as he backed away slowly and woodenly from the guard. Damn thisHold spell. He hoped the sailors would be able to distract Yarreth long enough for him to get another spell in. He fumbled with hi sspell reagents for a moment before finding the tiny piece of platinum and began casting Mordenkainen's Sword.
A sword materialized in the air near Yarreth's head and began barraging the mage, swiping at the man and making small, neat little cuts that bled instantly. Yarreth's spellcasting continued, however, and as he finished the words of the spell his hands seemed to pop with energy...Blue bolts of light shot form his fingers, heading towards Sand.
Torio slipped behind him, flipped the grip on her dagger, and rammed it forward, driving it deep into the mage's back.
The feeling that they might have turned the tide of this battle was short-lived. Sand saw the flashes of light coming for him and before he could avoid the incoming spell, they blasted him hard in the chest before bouncing away, slamming into all the nearest sailors, eliciting screams of pain. He saw Yarreth suddenly give a gurgling yell before sinking to the deck of the ship, the magical sword and some unseen assailant pinning him between them. Sand staggered, sending the sword to the next guard even as he watched the life dim from his old master's eyes, before collapsing on the deck unconscious, the blood pooling out around him.