The Romancer Onyxbane
Episode Eighteen:
It didn't take very long. The Archmage summoned them all back to his office two days later, but made Wisthera, Priestess Feathershine, and Willypearl wait outside.
"Young man," the Archmage fumed. "You have, perhaps the dirtiest mind I have ever come across in all my years working with novices. And, more to the point, you are not a novice warrior, but an accomplished professional, and I can see no reason for you chasing these women the way you did. Nor can I… believe that they can still care for you or stand your presence at all after what you did in Menethil, Silithus, and…" the Archmage had a hard time pegging the last incident.
Onyxbane sighed. "It was on the ship from Darkshore to Darnassus. And thank you for reminding me."
"By the Light, I've never met someone with such a remarkable career who was able to outrace his perversion, keeping it so far from anything he ever did. I spent the first day with this book, just reading, and re reading." The Archmage said, his eyes getting wide. "I was convinced this was the truth on the first day, because no man in his right mind would include such self-deprecating things in a forgery for the authorities of Stormwind to hold forever as evidence."
At that, Onyxbane winced. "On the second day, I had as much research done on you as possible, and found you a dazzling specimen of a warrior, with not a blemish on your record at all. I'm especially impressed with what you did for us in Westfall. But according to this book, you were intimately involved with all the women in your party who are now being found at fault. Yet, somehow you escaped having your name darkened."
"It certainly wasn't on purpose Archmage!"
"Oh, no it wasn't, you're right. From what I can tell, this journal was a last resort for you, and I don't blame you at all for hesitating to use it. It was… damn embarrassing, as you said."
"So, you believe me? Can my sister go free now?"
"Now, wait just a minute. We'll have to clear some smaller matters up first, but I think the ambassador to Darnassus can help with most of that. And as far as my reputation is concerned, I'll have to keep holding the Conventions of the Cloth Classes of the Alliance for a few more years so that no one can link their ending to any guilt on my part. But I will certainly modify the activities at those meetings. Perhaps one of the gnomes could come up with something more useless to fill the time. In fact, I'll turn it over to them completely and let the gnomes just run it into the ground. Then everyone will be begging for me to end it."
"By the Light of the Moon!" Onyxbane cheered. He was a modern kaldorei in human lands, but he had prayed to Elune for this outcome, and it felt more than right now.
"Don't celebrate yet. There is one more thing I need to know, and I won't allow you to leave until you tell me."
"Sure, whatever it is, it's all yours."
"Who are you going to choose for your Wreathe Day? That's what it's called isn't it? Not that you have much choice now after all that fouling it up, but I just have to know how this ends."
Onyxbane smiled wide. "I have to talk to my sister first, sir."
"Oh, you're just toying with me. A man as capable as you must have some idea."
"No, I'm very serious about this. I always talk to her, or write when I'm really stuck on something. In a way, my life can't go on until Opal is free."
"I see. But don't go telling anyone that I dropped the charges against your sister because I wanted to know how this all turns out. That is not the reason anyways, you see."
"Of course not." Onyxbane smiled.
"Oh, and I'm keeping the original. But I had a third copy made for you."
"You're not being entertained by my misfortune, are you Archmage?"
The Archmage only laughed at Onyxbane's expense and called the ladies into the room to announce the good news.