Chapter 19
Blake hesitated as he looked down at the elderly woman. He was confident in his judgement that she deserved death and was too dangerous to spare but he did not have the law, as with the Luskan Ambassador Torio, or this person trying to fight back, like the Red Wizard students, as a comfort to cloak this execution. But The Founder had endangered Neeshka by forcing her to chase and rescue him so Blake let his anger at that flush down his arms. He decided he could strike a clean enough blow, even with this strangely shaped blade, without needing both hands and needing to remove his shield.
"Go to your rest," Blake declared, bringing the Sword of Gith down and through the fragile old neck.
"Murderer! Our mother is dead!" screeched one homunculus as the headless corpse slumped forward and the blood began to spread across the tile. "Vengeance, brothers and sisters, vengeance… her words bind us no more!"
"You stupid little pile of flying crap," Blake growled, "this old hag had one final request and you cannot honour it?"
"Aieeeeee!" screamed that homunculus as it dove at Blake, tiny hands clawed in attack.
Blake swatted at it with the Sword of Gith and though that was not as precise a blow as his normal habit this was more than compensated for by the tiny size of his opponent. One of the curves of the blade dug in as the flat of it crushed the homunculus' body in and the force of the blow smashed it across the room. The other one tried to dive at the back of Blake's neck but Neeshka stabbed it deftly from the air. Her attack was so quick and precise it almost looked as if the homunculus' animating energies had just suddenly vanished and it had fallen.
She grinned to Blake about the contrast in style and then nodded towards the shadow portal. "This way!"
"We don't know where the portal goes…" Blake began to say as he brought his shield up and an arrow from one of the Thayan Golems thunked into it.
"No, silly…" replied Neeshka, leaning back slightly so the arrow from the other Thayan Golem passed just in front of her. Her fingers brushed the wall and a previously almost indiscernible section of it suddenly slid aside as she triggered the hidden door.
"Every day you impress me more than ever," Blake said admiringly as he turned back to the others. "Through here," he called, as the Thayan Golems nocked more arrows, "we can use the doorway to make them face us one by one."
"Grahhhhh!" Okku rumbled, yellow eyes flicking over the advancing Golems. The two Clay Golems were advancing diagonally from his left and right and the pair of Spider Golems had moved together and were moving toward him from the direction of the door. "I will not retreat."
Blake stared at Okku for a moment and hesitated on the edge of telling the bear-god to go to the Hells. Or of telling him to go engage in carnal activities his spirit-form might no longer be capable of, and to do those with himself as Blake was not going to risk Neeshka. Glancing at Neeshka though she smiled sympathetically and then bounded towards the Thayan Golem taking aim at her or at Blake's back. Gann caught his eye as he looked back towards Okku and gave Blake a shrug.
"At least protect your flank with that pillar, old father bear," Gann suggested smoothly, giving the bear-god an appeasing smile.
Okku grumbled but shifted his position and settled to meet the Golems rather than throwing himself on all four of them at once. Deciding to settle for this Blake charged at the other Thayan Golem. Neeshka had already reached her target and her rapier stabbed out and through its throat before it could drop its bow. As this was a Golem rather than a man this was not a fatal blow but Neeshka's follow up slash across its eyes was almost as disabling as if it had been flesh. Several quick stabs through its chest seemed to discommode it enough it collapsed.
Being not as fast as his sweetheart and having delayed in his charge Blake had more challenge. The other Thayan Golem cast its bow aside and drew the shortsword scabbarded at its waist. Unfortunately for it this weapon was no match for Blake's larger sword and the greater reach and power it gave him. The Thayan Golem tried to parry but the Sword of Gith smashed its sword aside. Blake cursed as he misjudged the blow and the recovery from it. Thankfully although this Golem was tough it was not armoured and did not have bones so striking it at mid-forearm rather than wrist did not matter as much. There were no small bones of the wrist to strike in preference to those along the forearm and no bracer or gauntlet metal to aim for just past the edge of. The shortsword and half forearm dropped to the floor as Blake raked the Sword of Gith back across the Thayan Golem's belly and then brought it down onto the Golem's head as it crumpled.
Okku growled despite the minds of the Golems being too simple to know they should be intimidated. Then he brought a paw down onto the front of the Spider Golem ahead of him and crushed it into the floor. The Clay Golem to his right punched Okku in the shoulder and a smear of colour spread from the impact before Okku's resilience and his normal hues reasserted itself. Taking the chance offered by that diversion the Spider Golem scuttled back a little, its front visibly flattened and one of its several eyes having been popped out.
To Okku's left Gann was fending off the other Spider Golem. He was glad that his spear was longer than the Golem's forelegs and the blades attached to the outside of them but he was not sure what he could do against these foes. They had no hearts or other vital organs to rupture with a precise spear thrust and he had the feeling he might have been better off with brute force and one of the flails the Myrkullites had used. Gann stepped back to avoid a right cross from the Clay Golem and the Spider Golem moved forward to continue to press him. This could be a problem as if he had to retreat too much then that Spider Golem might attack Okku's flank.
Getting between a bear-god and a stone pillar or getting in Gann's way had both seemed like poor ideas so Neeshka had circled around and sheathed her rapier in favour of using the thicker heavier blade on her bracer. She sliced this blade across the small of the Clay Golem's back, deep enough that had it a spine that would have been severed. As fragments of hardened clay and the softer clay that 'skin' had contained fell to the floor the Golem slowly turned. More of the soft clay leaked from the wound as its movement ground the edges together and Neeshka grinned and struck again, this time at one of its thick arms.
The other Clay Golem also turned as a clank betrayed Blake's approach. The pillar was in the way so its backhand blow was more of a vertical sweep. Blake still had to dodge this though, but as the Clay Golem's gaze and posture followed him Okku saw a chance. His great right paw thrust out in front of him in almost a punching motion to rake those claws across the Golem's side. The force of this tore a chunk of clay free and knocked the Golem into the pillar.
Gann's concerns proved valid as the Spider Golem's legs on each side suddenly worked against each other, right side stepping forward and left side back, to spin it around in place. Its two foremost forelegs lifted in preparation to strike at Okku. Before it could Gann moved and thrust his spear into it, sighing as he felt it catch on something. Neeshka was still dancing around the Clay Golem as if it was a statue and keeping its attention so this was not as dangerous to Gann as it might have been. It was still frustrating though as he wrestled with the spearshaft to try to free the head.
The damaged Spider Golem started scuttling towards Blake and slicing at him with its forearm blades. Its attacks were hampered by the need to use those legs to walk as well as attack but, even if the Golem could not use them all at once, the four blades were coming in at different angles and combinations. Blake was used to opponents with one or maybe two weapons and he was also used to his other sword so this was a little challenging. Metal clinked against metal in another parry and a decision began to form in Blake's mind.
Okku relentlessly tore at the Clay Golem, not letting it regain its balance and keeping it pressed against the pillar. The Golem tried to push against the pillar to turn or free itself but Okku's left paw swept across. There was a slight noise of grating stone as the Golem was smashed back into the pillar and the shock of Okku's blow was transmitted through it. More of the Clay Golem's magically animated substance crumbled or sprayed onto the floor and its body began to resemble a tree that had almost been felled.
Meanwhile Gann had managed to free his spear and was more cautiously stabbing at the joints of the Spider Golem. He rather wished this was an Ant Golem as that would mean only six legs rather than eight and it would have a separate body and head and thus have a neck for him to stab at. His spear was not doing much damage as with the angles he was having to attack from its head was more likely to scratch across the joints rather than dig in. Gann's accuracy was apparent though as around some of those joints the metal was beginning to look rather crosshatched but there were no scratches elsewhere.
Irritated with being on the defensive Blake brought the Sword of Gith down in a short sudden chop. The Spider Golem met this attack blade to blade and a definite notch appeared in the edge of the Golem's weapon. For a brief moment Blake was concerned about the risk of damage to the Sword of Gith. Even a small notch could cause a sword to break just as you did not have to score something deeply for it to snap at that point. His concern passed though as he decided the Sword of Gith was too magical a weapon for its edge to be marred and that he didn't much care as long as it remained intact long enough to be used as a key.
Ducking beneath yet another clumsy blow Neeshka darted in again to carve another wound across the Clay Golem's outer surface. With those she'd already inflicted the Golem was beginning to look like a victim of ritual scarification. But rather than being fairly shallow these wounds were deep enough that had this been an enemy of flesh it would have been in serious danger of bleeding out. Unfortunately it was not and though surrounded by clouds of dust as it continued to leak its filling that did not seem to affect the Clay Golem in the same way.
Having finished reducing the other Clay Golem to a pile of dismembered limbs and head and mud Okku turned and came down off his hindpaws to slam his forepaws onto the Spider Golem's abdomen. It squirmed under his paws but was trapped by the bear-god's weight and that Okku's claws were long and sharp enough to have pierced the Golem's plates. Gann took advantage of this to move a few steps sideways where he could get a good stab at one of the Spider Golem's upper leg joints. He twisted and levered at his spear and though his spearshaft flexed managed to pop the leg free. Of course that did still leave seven.
Blake looked at the Spider Golem he was facing and brought the Sword of Gith down onto its foremost left leg. He started to drag it back across the leg to try slice the edge deeper as it withdrew but one of the curves caught. With a grunt he wrenched it free and tore the point through the metal of the Golem leg. Though Blake had been strong enough to pull it on this slowed him enough that one of the Spider Golem's other forelegs came across and its blade grazed Blake's boot before he could avoid this. The Mithril plate resisted the blade but the impact still made Blake's foot skid a little and put him off-balance.
Across the room Okku's head came down to bite at one of the rear legs of that Spider Golem. This lacked the blade of the forelegs so his teeth safely settled around it to get a good grip. Then he wrenched his head to one side and, disdaining Gann's greater subtlety, tore the leg off. As the bear-god spat this out Gann drove his spear hard into the front of the Spider Golem, piecing it amongst its eyes. To his surprise it convulsed and then went inert and he realised he must have hit its spirit core.
Seeing Blake hopping a little Neeshka was worried for her harbour-boy but was busy with opening another wound on the Clay Golem. As the Golem swung its fist down at her Neeshka easily dodged this but had to jump rather more hurriedly back when the Golem appeared to try to throw itself on her. As it fell Neeshka saw it had a god of bears clinging to its back and realised it had been knocked forward rather than that being its choice. Okku rode the Golem down and bit at the back of its neck before raising his head and looking at Neeshka.
Okku spat out a mouthful of clay. "I will deal with this, help your mate, if you wish."
Neeshka barely hesitated before turning and bounding off across the room, tail streaming behind her as she ran and drew her rapier again for extra reach. Blake had regained his balance but was still pleased to see her and spared the instant for a quick smile to his beloved. He cared far more about her than he did the Sword of Gith so even though that meant meeting blade-edge with blade-edge again he launched a clumsy obvious blow at the Spider Golem to keep its attention. Once more it was only the Golem's weapon that was damaged.
Looking at the happily digging Okku and the Clay Golem that, had it the emotions to feel such, would be far less happy to be being dug into by a bear-god Gann decided there was nothing he could do to aid there. With less speed and more caution he began to cross the room towards the second Spider Golem. With some good fortune perhaps he could repeat his previous success in striking something essential within the Golem's structure.
A quick flickering strike from Neeshka stabbed her rapier into one of the knees of the Spider Golem's rear legs and out again before her slender blade was trapped by the joint's flexing. There was a slight creak as the damaged joint seemed to seize up and the Golem's scuttling become clumsier. Blake brought the Sword of Gith down towards the Spider Golem's eyes but to his surprise it raised and crossed its two fore-forelegs into a V. Blake's blade slid down the Golem's two and thunked into the point of the V with enough force that the Golem's damaged left leg bent at the cut. It still tried to bring its right rear-foreleg blade into Blake's left leg but as Blake wrestled the Sword of Gith free the damage to its rear leg and having three of its four forelegs off the floor caused it to lose its balance. Rather than passing above the floor the attacking blade scraped across and dug into it and gave Blake plenty of time to step back.
While the Spider Golem tried to free its blade Gann moved in and stabbed down with his spear at its waist, then moved quickly back and away as its splayed out legs scrabbled on the tiles. Neeshka took the opportunity to stab at another knee and cripple another leg. The Spider Golem was beginning to slow from its damage so Blake tried another attack and found, as he had hoped, that the Golem's primitive artificial mind was not smart enough to compensate for its bent leg. The Sword of Gith swept across above the Golem's blade and raked across its eyes.
"If we can pierce deep into it," Gann suggested as the lenses shattered, "then that could finish it."
"Or we can simply smash it until it stops moving," rumbled Okku, padding over and leaving muddy footprints that used to be part of a Clay Golem.
The Spider Golem clumsily skittered around to face Okku as its simple judgement decided the bear-god was the highest threat. Two of its rear legs were not moving right after Neeshka's stabs, one foreleg was bent, its waist seemed to be partially jammed, and it was almost blinded by being reduced to only a few secondary eyes. Before it had even halfway turned Okku's teeth closed on one of its previously undamaged rear legs. He whipped his head and body around and Gann had to dodge back as the bear-god swung the Spider Golem by its leg and then released it to fly across the room and smash into the wall on the opposite side.
It was still feebly twitching and trying to get its legs untangled as Blake charged across the room and drove the Sword of Gith into its exposed underbelly. He worked it around in whatever served the Spider Golem as guts until that twitching stopped. Then he looked at his hand in disgust. "Gods, this sword is ugly, and does not feel right in my hand."
"Now what?" Neeshka asked.
"Now I try to find something that will protect one of my bags from its curved points," muttered Blake in reply as he gave it a perfunctory wipe. He paused and turned and explained to Okku. "A sword with straight edges or a single curve can be slid in and out of a scabbard…"
"I understand little one," Okku rumbled in amusement. "As little use as I have for your metal claws myself I have seen enough of them, and of great cats and how their claws can retract in and out."
Blake nodded to him and after glancing at the bloodstained robes on The Founder chose instead to use a rug. He placed the Sword of Gith on this and unbuckled his shield from his arm to let him use both hands to wrap the sword and use a cord, helpfully supplied by Neeshka, to keep this bundle folded together as it disappeared into the maw of one of his magic bags. Satisfied with this Blake moved past the headless corpse of The Founder and started to examine the shadow portal.
"This will likely take us back to Shadow Mulsantir," Blake nodded after a few seconds, "from there we can reach Mulsantir and purchase what supplies we can for a return to the Thaymount."
"Excellent," commented Gann. "I was hoping you had not forgotten."
"Difficult to forget when The Founder reminded me that Academy was created in support of her schemes and crimes," Blake replied, "and when I mistrust if there might be another fragment of that soul out there."
"One that she might have been rejoined with when you slew her," mused Gann, "though I am not sure. It might be that fragments could return to the original but that their journey would only be possible in that direction."
"Hard to know my friend, but it is a shame that she was able to live all these centuries rather than having to become a Lich."
"Giving such eternal rest, as you have other Undead, would have been more certain an ending to her," agreed Gann. After a moment he continued to ask. "But we know there is more to the curse than just the hunger or the power you would have used to that end. Would it have obeyed your will had you been able to use it on her?"
"An excellent point, my friend," Blake admitted. "I was able to wrench it into the shape I needed to aid rather than feed on the Wood Man but…" He paused and looked lovingly at Neeshka. "I think if Akachi's love also survives in it then that would have been even harder to overcome."
Neeshka turned from where she had been leaning slightly through the open doorway. "Room looks like a dead end, harbour-boy," she reported, wondering why he was looking so sappy, "but an armour rack and a chest to check."
Blake and Gann followed her into that hidden room but Okku rumbled as he looked at the distance between the shadow portal and the doorway. He was not interested enough in what trinkets the little-one might find to make his mate happy to want to squeeze through that, to him, narrow gap. Instead he busied himself with rending the Thayan Golems apart in case they were still too intact. In the room Blake and Gann turned right while Neeshka turned left.
"Interesting armour," Gann commented, glancing it up and down. "Not quite as much metal as yours."
Blake tapped the breastplate and listened carefully. "Sounds like iron so could be heavier despite that," he replied. Peering at he nodded and continued. "Good runes of protection upon it but I think you'd rather move more freely and look more attractive than look scary and be more protected."
"And there is what I said about preferring leather," Gann reminded him.
"I'd not forgotten," replied Blake, turning his attention from the armour to his friend, "but I'd also not given up hope we'd find something of sufficient quality."
"You think my principles so easily bent?" Gann asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I think things will only continue to get more dangerous," corrected Blake. "I'd not expect you to change your mind, but I was hoping for some armour that would at least tempt you."
"Plenty of things that tempt Gann," Neeshka commented, rejoining them from her examination of the chest, "but armour is not one of them."
"That depends on who is wearing it," smiled Gann.
Neeshka ignored him and turned to Blake. "The only thing in that chest was this ring, harbour-boy." Blake took it as she held it out, hissing as he felt his curse writhe within him, and her beautiful face showing Neeshka's concern at that reaction. "Blake?"
"I don't know if this is more of The Founder's blasphemies," Blake replied, "but I… my curse can feel souls within this ring. Two of them, yearning to be together and never apart."
"Looks like a double-ring," said Neeshka, pulling Blake's fingers out of the way and looking at it in the palm of his hand, "so maybe one soul in each ring?"
"It could be, but I doubt this will be as easy to shatter as the soul housings," Blake nodded, adding after a moment. "And it is a pretty enough ring I'd rather let you have it than melt it down."
"And for this double-ring there would be a double risk," commented Gann. "The first that it would take some small time for it to melt, and this time in a forge might be perceptible to the souls within. The second that you are assuming the souls in this would be better released."
"Tymorra's luck willing we will get home and can ask Aldanon," Neeshka suggested. "There's a subtle lustre to old gold and this looks old enough it might not be The Founder's work and might have a story attached."
Blake nodded and started to remove the armour from the rack and load it into their Bag of Holding while Neeshka began checking for hidden compartments like the one in the other room where the Sword of Gith had been stashed. Gann watched this for a while and then returned to the main room and the company of the bear-god. There seemed no more cubbyholes but as Blake checked through the bookcases he did find a few books of interest. As he searched he considered things and what The Founder had said to them. A thought occurred and he looked around the room to confirm it.
"She had a workbench," Blake commented, "and plenty of bookcases. However either there is another room, hidden too well for even Neeshka to find, or when she said she had never rested she meant it.
"Ah, there does seem to be no bed here" nodded Gann. "But sleep deprivation can have ill effects, as we learned with my mother, and The Founder did not seem quite that mad. With your lady's beautiful eyes and skills I think it unlikely there is something hidden, so perhaps The Founder slept someplace beyond that portal."
"Slept and bathed," Blake agreed, "since she was not too pungent and there is no bath here either. Nor a kitchen." He sighed. "I start to wonder if this was even The Founder with how many of the needs of a home are missing in this supposed Sanctum. This dead old woman did mention stagecraft and that one fragment dying to protect the others." Blake looked again at the corpse of The Founder and then out through the doorway to where the Myrkullites lay. "Not enough fuel to cremate these bodies," he thought aloud, "and there does not seem anywhere in this place that would be more respectful to put them than where they already are."
"I suppose they could be arranged neatly in that hidden room," said Gann, his tone conveying how little he cared, "though how many of them could be put there does depend whether those daises can convey us in reverse."
Blake nodded to this as Okku rumbled deep in his chest. "They are just meat. This one already died once and the others served a God of Death," the bear-god reminded them. "They know there is another life and that their bodies are irrelevant once their souls have departed."
"Which makes the deeds of this Founder's Academy even more reprehensible," Gann scowled. "She knew there was an afterlife from personal experience but she still risked peoples' eternity by trapping them between life and death and manipulating their souls. Of course she also knew the terrible fate that awaited her there so perhaps she felt nobody deserved a better one."
"Even with an afterlife, if bodies were irrelevant then there would be no need for Jergal and his domain of 'proper burial'," said Blake, addressing Okku. "Though of course Gann would argue there was no need for any Gods."
"Of course," Gann agreed, his scowl shifting to his more usual wry smile.
"Ah," sighed Blake after another moment of thought, picking up his shield, "this whole place seems a tomb, musty and mouldy enough and difficult to reach."
Entering the portal they were unsurprised to find themselves back in the Room of Doors in the Shadow Veil Theatre. Blake led the way out of this room and started towards the shadow portal in the corner of the other room.
"Wait!" Neeshka said hurriedly.
"What?" asked Blake, turning to look at her, which was a pleasure even in the light of the Shadow Plane.
"We are rather covered in blood and gore," Neeshka reminded him, "which could draw unfortunate attention."
Blake looked at Okku and his self-cleaning spirit form, at Gann who avoided much thanks to the length of his spear, and at Neeshka who was agile enough to almost dance between the blood-drops. It was kind of her to say 'we' rather than 'you' Blake decided as he looked down at himself and despite the dimness saw what she meant.
"They would not hamper a god-of-bears," murmured Okku.
"If we entered the Veil Theatre clean," smiled Blake, "and came out hours later covered in blood what would you think?"
"Hmm, right," Okku admitted.
"And when the people were found alive," added Gann, "that would raise the question of where that blood had come from."
Deciding that the table on which he had been cut open was dirty enough that more blood would not matter Blake moved into that room. As he removed his helmet and each plate to scrub and polish at it he placed it in his bag as Mulsantir was safe enough, in the company of a god-of-bears at least, to not need full armour. Okku rumbled impatiently at the delay as Gann and Neeshka dealt with a few spots of gore on themselves but they had all learned to ignore this. Even Okku was complaining more for the sake of it than from any true feeling.
Blake scowled as he wiped off his shield and saw the hole through it again. The magic was still intact and the hole was a clean one but he did wish his shield was undamaged or that they had the time to spend and the services of an artisan to repair it. He'd had to remove his boots to check the scratch the Spider Golem had inflicted on one so he also slipped off the chainmail trousers to leave just the quilted padded ones he wore beneath. Having reduced himself down to a chain shirt he put his boots back on and strapped his shield over his shoulders on the carrying straps.
"Now are you done, little-one?" Okku rumbled.
"Aye, let us regain some colour in our surroundings," replied Blake, putting his hat on.
After the dankness of the lair of the Red Woman and the gloom of the Shadow Plane the Veil Theatre was quite a contrast. Magda jumped slightly as the portal bloomed into existence and disgorged them. A reassuring smile from Gann helped ease her nerves and Blake tried to follow suit a moment later. Magda smiled back and approached them from where she had been puttering around the shelves.
"Did whatever you did go well, milord?" Magda asked politely.
"Well enough," replied Blake, "and your rehearsals of your play?"
"Oh, those rogues will be the death of me yet," Magda complained good-naturedly, "they all want their part to have more lines and stage time, and they all think their improvisations are better than Vesper's script."
"Which Vesper, I take it, would disagree about," smiled Blake.
"Quite so, milord," Magda agreed, "and we had to take a break or Amber would have slapped Lothario, again."
"Lucky man," commented Neeshka as she fastened her cloak at her neck. Magda looked at her enquiringly so Neeshka grinned, her hood still down. "A lot of the girls I know, even at the Moonstone Mask, wouldn't be gentle enough to just slap him."
"It is a dance they go through," Magda shrugged, "though the steps were disrupted by her setting her sight on Gann-of-Dreams here. Her hope in that direction made Lothario's attempts less welcome than normal."
"Perhaps not such a lucky man then," said Gann sympathetically, "after all, how can anyone compete with me?"
"Do you want me to list the reasons?" Neeshka winked, raising her hood.
"I shall pass on that generous offer," replied Gann. "Not for my sake but because I would not wish Blake either to be embarrassed or to have his ego too inflated should you use him as an example."
"Oh!" Magda said. "Before I forget, milord, I have those sheets for you."
"Thank you," nodded Blake courteously. "We have some business to attend to before we return through that portal. This should take less than an hour and we can take the sheets now or when we return, whichever would be the more convenient for you."
"Go about your business, milord," Magda replied, making shooing motions. "Give me a chance to sort them out in peace, or peace until those rogues return and start arguing again as they will."
Blake accepted being shooed and they walked to and out of the Veil Theatre's front doors. Neeshka glanced around from the shadows of her hood and smiled slightly to herself as the people in the marketplace ignored them. First seeing the bear-god inside the walls had been a cause for comment but seeing him yet again had become normal. Blake's attention was more on the sun and its position in the sky. He'd lost track of time a little with how much they had done within the Academy but seeing how the sun had dipped towards the horizon reminded him, and reminded his stomach, of how long had passed.
"I think we have some notes to add to those for Sheva, and some discussion on the… particulars… of our return to from where we have come. So let us sit and eat and talk."
"And let us hope, little-one," Okku chuckled, "that the waitress is less reluctant this time if you intend to visit the Sloop Inn."
It was only a short distance down towards the docks and into the Inn. This time Vladek didn't even try to persuade his staff to approach the table at which Blake sat with Okku making a furry barrier to one side. He gave them a professional smile, though his wife Zorah continued to glare as she had still not quite forgiven them for the fight and for the trouble she'd had to go through clearing this up.
"Well met again my friends, honoured bear-god," Vladek greeted them. "To my pleasure and your convenience the Sloop Inn has guests in the suite…"
"Did you warn them about the shadow portal?" asked Blake.
"Shadow portal?" repeated Vladek. "Those are just ru…" He stopped and lowered his voice. "No, I didn't warn them and I'd appreciate it if you don't either. I trust the warding the Witches put against that opening but I don't want to risk losing more guests after they speak to you."
"So," Blake said, accepting this, "how is your pleasure in having guests my convenience? If the portal is warded against opening then the room being empty and available for myself and Neeshka might have been better for me."
"If you recall, my friend," replied Vladek, "I did say our kitchen was not as well staffed when there were not guests there."
"Ah, yes," Blake nodded. With all the fighting and unravelling of centuries old mysteries that had slipped his mind.
"And if you recall, harbour-boy," added Neeshka, "I did say I wasn't going to sleep… or do anything else… in a room with a portal. Even one supposedly warded."
"True," Blake smiled. "If I'd realised how long we'd stay in the area of Mulsantir I might have tried warding it myself, but you were quite definite about that."
After a brief discussion three bowls of steaming chunky vegetable soup along with some bread were brought to tide the mortals over while a more substantial meal was cooked for each of them. Okku dozed slightly as these meals arrived and they chattered over them. He was glad they were such valiant and worthy allies or all these delays for eating and sleeping and cleaning of themselves and their garments would be even more frustrating. The bowls and plates cleared and cleared away and replaced with more drinks Blake reached into a pack to withdraw some paper and ink and quill.
There was more to write than he'd thought with all the suppositions that had been confirmed and the new information they had learned. Eventually though that sheaf of papers could return with its notes and diagrams to Blake's bag and the conversation shifted to discussing, in guarded words, the specifics of how to deal with the Thayan Academy. Neeshka's gestures became quite animated, even for her, as she discussed the various methods.
"Your lady has a surprising knowledge of pyrotechnics," Gann said, turning to Blake and looking and sounding impressed.
"Setting a small fire can be a good diversion," smiled Neeshka, "the hard part is making it only be a small fire. Getting everything to burn might be easier."
"So I recall from that sweep through the Back Alley slums in Neverwinter," Blake commented, "and after that I should not have been so surprised how well you judged the placement of… blast."
"Blast?" asked Gann.
"To slow the advance of the army of undead on Crossroad Keep we had to blow up a pair of bridges," Blake said, "which hopefully won't have been properly rebuilt yet as I have some ideas for better replacements. But thinking of how well Neeshka placed the explosives to destroy them reminded me also that Grobnar, the Gnome bard I mentioned, had to use his alchemical skills to make those explosives rather than the Keep having those on hand."
"Ah," breathed Gann, "and you have been thinking of how rather than if you can do a thorough job on the… on our destination. Perhaps though the Witches have some and will open their stores, or use their skills to make some?"
"Perhaps, though the more people are involved or the more specific a request the harder a secret can be to keep" Blake sighed. "We should at least be able to get some Alchemist's Fire as that is used a lot in crafting and so Azim should have it in good quantities."
"And if it is so useful for crafting," smiled Gann, "then he can semi-plausibly protest he never imagined what else you might be doing with it."
They finished their drinks and thanked Vladek for his hospitality and the quality of the meal. Then to the relief of the waitress they left and returned with Okku to the marketplace. Seeing their approach and hoping he could sell them another wagon Azim gave them a broad grin of welcome. "My friends, my friends," Azim said cheerfully, "I hope that wagon was satisfactory?"
"The family of Shou seemed satisfied," replied Blake, "but now is different business. Do you stock Alchemist's Fire?"
"Of course," Azim said, managing to look insulted, "what sort of merchant would I be were I not to have something so useful. And though a little suspicion in my heart reminds me that you have not yet bought any other supplies for the making of things I let that be quiet in favour of serving you."
"We would be returning into the Veil Theatre," smiled Blake, "and to a room with some workbenches."
"Then let me be of service and speed your return to there," Azim nodded. "What quantity do you require, oh valued customer?"
"How much do you have?"
Azim paused and looked at Blake for a moment before deciding, again, that his questions were best not asked. It had been good to get the ten thousand gold back and would be better to get some more back as well. He would make a good profit on the things he had bought from the hooded lady but he had let his enthusiasm for those future gains lead him into having an uncomfortably empty coin purse. Azim showed Blake the flasks and Blake nodded.
"That should do," Blake said.
"Should?" asked Azim. "If you require more then I would be most happy to go and fetch some extra. It would be better for you to have plenty, and better for me to have a greater sale and to fetch this now rather than have none on hand for the next customer. So long as you are willing to watch my stall for those few minutes."
"Thrice as much would be better," Blake admitted, making Azim's eyes widen as that was a lot. "And this seems a fair exchange of favours."
"I can stay here alone," offered Gann, "if you wish to use this time to speak with Sheva Whitefeather."
"And I can stay with the Hagspawn," Okku rumbled, "if you wish him to not use this time to seduce passing shoppers."
"Well, I'm going with my harbour-boy!" declared Neeshka, moving closer to him.
Blake offered his arm and Neeshka happily slipped her own through it. "Always a pleasure to go for a walk with you, my dear."
Together they ambled up the hill enjoying the weak sunshine. Neither spoke as they walked as words would just remind them of all the troubles they'd had and break the spell of just being out for a stroll. They reluctantly disentangled their arms as they approached the Temple of the Three and the witches there and both knew it was time to return to business. Neeshka remained a little back as Blake stepped forward.
"Again you return, child," Sheva greeted him. "What news?"
"I have confirmed, from Myrkul's own," began Blake, then he paused. "Well, I was going to say lips but in death he had become naught but a skeleton." Blake started again. "I have confirmed from Myrkul himself that the spirit-eater curse is his doing and was punishment on Akachi. But more than that it was also his attempt to keep himself from fading completely. While Akachi's remnants continued to live and suffer the fear the spirit-eater created would also sustain Myrkul."
"Ah, the 'civilised' gods," Sheva sighed. "They commit such unpunished crimes and yet others think our worship of spirits foolish."
"This crime might not now be unpunished," replied Blake. "Despite Myrkul claiming otherwise it did seem the hunger of the Wall of the Faithless, channelled through this curse, did have power even over Gods. And that Undead Gods are as vulnerable as to being granted rest as other Undead have proven since I discovered how to make the curse perform this."
"Granted his rest by his own creation," Sheva said, a very faint smile coming to what was visible of her old face. "Justice, long delayed but justice." The smile faded a little. "Though you say 'might not' and 'did seem' so you are unsure?"
Blake decided to not mention his concern over the Myrkullite clerics still being empowered by something. "Should this curse continue, and prevent his name from being forgotten," he said instead, "there is the question of if Myrkul might yet return with the trickle of power that provides."
"Then we have extra reason to wish for your success," Sheva replied.
"I also hope I have ended the existence of the Red Woman whose actions had placed me in Okku's burrow and released this curse again," continued Blake. "As we had suspected she had been the woman whose soul Akachi had waged his Crusade to rescue from the Wall of the Faithless."
"You 'hope'?" Kazimika sniped. "It seems you are not sure about anything."
"Or that I am being honest about there being doubt," corrected Blake, ignoring the tone and how it caused Neeshka to bristle behind him, "when things are more complex."
"Complex how?" Sheva asked.
"As well as somehow having managed to live these centuries," explained Blake, "she had also learned how to split off fragments of her soul to lead other lives and act as her agents. When those were slain they returned to her to merge again with the greater whole. I cannot be certain whether this would work in reverse and whether she had another fragment out there somewhere. Though I do hope she has rejoined death and the punishment Akachi tried to spare her."
"Oh child, was that justice or was that revenge?" Sheva warned him. "Your voice has much anger in it and you need to be sure in your heart."
"I am sure in my heart," replied Blake confidently. "I am sure that her crimes deserved death, though I admit I did not kill her dispassionately. I was pleased that justice and revenge could both be served with a single sword stroke."
"Very well," Sheva nodded. "I shall warn you no more on this. What now do you plan?"
"In the hope I would use it to follow her chosen path the Red Woman returned the Sword of Gith which she had stolen from me," reported Blake. "Though this gives me the problem of whether the Githyanki will begin hunting me again it does also serve as the key to the Betrayer's Gate within the Death God's Vault. This will allow me to travel to the Fugue Plane and try to recover my soul and end this curse."
"May the spirits be with you in both tasks," Sheva politely said.
"Thank you, though my first task is to return and burn the Academy the Red Woman founded," replied Blake, "so I must ask if you have any explosives you…"
Sheva held up a hand to stop him. "That alchemy we do not greatly use, and we do owe our Berserkers honesty," she informed him. "If they ask why we are handing over what little we can spare how should we answer them? Moreover if they ask how you are returning then how should you answer them? Ignorance can be a fragile soap bubble that pops if pressed too far."
"It can indeed," Blake said, having expected as much, "but I had to make sure."
"Please though accept this gift from we who also struggle to control what lies within us, beneath our masks," continued Sheva, holding out a ring, "and accept the prayers we shall make to the Triune Goddess in the secret places only she can hear."
"Thank you," Blake said, taking the ring. "I doubt we shall meet again but if that is our fate then I hope it is so I can report victory."
Blake bowed to her and retreated, taking Neeshka's arm again as they started down the hill. A slight motion under her cloak showed her tail was twitching with curiosity and they did not get very far before she turned bright interested eyes on him. "So, what does the ring do?"
"It's shiny," Blake replied, his sentence cutting off with a sudden 'oof'.
Blake looked slightly down at his sweetheart who managed to look almost entirely innocent. As if there was some mysterious invisible person who had managed to punch past her into his ribs rather than her having brought her free hand across her body. Blake wished he had put his breast and back plates back on as even with the padding beneath his chain shirt that had winded him a little. He considered making some joke about her being breathtaking but decided to just pause and look at the ring more closely. Neeshka craned her neck a little to look at it in Blake's hand as she had with the double-ring they'd found.
"Very shiny?" Blake teased, risking further wrath and then smiling as she gave him a mock glare. "Some strong enchantments, to help with cuts and scratches and aid in greater speed. A powerful ring and I think, my love, its best home would be one of your slender fingers."
With that he slipped his arm from Neeshka's to take her hand to remove the thin leather glove and, after raising her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers, slide the ring on. She turned her hand about so it caught the light as she admired it. It was a simple design but it seemed to gleam more than her other rings, aside from where letters were engraved to let her read that it was called 'The Heart of Rashemen'.
"You are right that it is shiny," admitted Neeshka. "Careful though harbour-boy, I could get used to you putting rings on my fingers."
"I don't know what you mean," Blake replied with a wink. "I was just being practical, since I can speed myself with my spells I need the ring less. What other reason would there be?"
"I don't know either," said Neeshka, before suddenly drawing him down into a deep long passionate kiss that nearly knocked her concealing hood down. Releasing him she adjusted her hood and grinned at him. "But I think we have some ideas. If not ideas that involve 'greater speed'."
"Though sometimes," Blake replied, kissing the tips of her fingers and her neatly trimmed fingernails, "there might be some scratches."
Neeshka giggled as she took Blake's arm and they began walking again. That had been a fine excuse to rub some healing ointment on his back and they'd both enjoyed what happened after he'd had that little rest with her fingers running across him. Of course he'd not needed any excuse except her proximity and state of undress to start also running his fingers across her. She blushed slightly as though they reminded her of her present state of frustration these were still very happy memories.
"Ah, you are back and in high spirits," Gann said in greeting as they approached the marketplace. "We had wondered if you had finally found a private spot…"
"He had wondered," rumbled Okku.
"And you seem cheerful enough," Gann finished.
"If we had found a place," said Neeshka, more of her regret that they hadn't leaking into her tone than she realised, "then you would still be waiting rather than my harbour-boy having… returned… prematurely like you might do."
"Oh, a hit," Gann cried, clasping his hands to his chest over his heart, "a palpable hit."
Blake looked over the three bundles of neatly tied together flasks of Alchemist's Fire and decided that would be enough and that as pleasing to the ego as it was for your lover to praise your prowess it was also quite embarrassing. Azim had been watching and not trying to hide his amusement but as Blake reached for his coin pouch he gestured to him.
"No need, my friend," said Azim, to Blake's surprise, "the honoured bear-god was persuasive that these would be used for the good of Rashemen, and then Gann-of-Dreams was even more persuasive by handing over enough coins."
"Material wealth is of little interest to me," Gann smiled when Blake glanced to him, "and you paid for the meal at the Sloop."
"Well then," nodded Blake, picking up a bundle as Gann and Neeshka followed suit, "let us be back into the Veil Theatre to where the workbenches are."
"And, more important, where the…" Okku began, before an unsubtle kick from Gann silenced him. They got most of the way back to the Veil Theatre front doors before the bear-god recovered enough from his surprise to rumble, in a dangerous tone, "why did you kick me, spawn-of-hags?"
"Because Blake here was avoiding mentioning the portal," replied Gann. "The portal that is in the same room as the workbenches."
"Oh," Okku said, adding after another moment of thought on what had been said, "Oh!"
They entered the Veil Theatre where the actors and playwright had not yet returned. Magda saw them and started to bustle over with a pile of neatly folded sheets but she slowed as she saw what they were carrying. "What is all this then?" she asked nervously. "Do you mean to leave us homeless milord?"
"Not at all," Blake reassured her, taking the sheets with a smile. "Our destination is again beyond a portal in your white lady's secret room."
"And if he," added Neeshka peevishly, pointing at Blake, "wasn't so nice in trying to avoid trouble for you we'd have had less trouble for ourselves."
Magda nodded and despite Blake's smile and reassurance still looked nervous as she stepped aside. "This is probably farewell," Blake said, trying again to ease her concern. "Thank you for your hospitality and good fortune with your play. Tymorra and Milil's blessings."
"Thank you, milord," replied Magda, "and good fortune to you as well."
Continuing into the back room they passed through the portal and into the Shadow Veil Theatre. Leading the way into that place's gloomy auditorium Blake descended the stairs to one side of the stage and moved back across to place the sheets midway along. The pile was already looking less tidy after being carried for so short a time one handed by Blake but compared with the corpse at his feet it was very neat. Blake felt a moment of concern as he realised just how many fights and deaths there had been since he'd entered this room for the first time and since that man had committed suicide throwing himself forward against the edge of Neeshka's blade.
One by one, and with more difficulty with the one that had been partially dissolved with acid, they wrapped the Red Wizard corpses in the sheets. Thankfully although they had not rotted in the Shadow Plane they had drained of much of their fluids so these did not soak too badly through. As they laid another corpse across Okku's back he suddenly rumbled in amusement. "I wonder why you chose me, little-one," Okku chuckled, "to bear this burden."
Taken by surprise Blake looked at him for a moment before chuckling back. "Why indeed, my friend, it would be so easy to overburden you."
"Quite so," Gann added, asking in fake surprise, "are his knees starting to buckle under this massive weight?"
"I fear so, Hagspawn," rumbled Okku, "only a few… dozen… more and I might start to feel it."
It was not the most imaginative of exchanges but they felt better for what small touch of humour it lent their grim task and almost as grim surroundings. Even when they left the auditorium and the Golem Keeper of Doors had opened the way for them to return to Thaymount things did not much improve. Blake made the portal shrink to invisibly small but as they moved out onto the road the corpses of the Gnolls showed the Wyverns had been feeding and had not left enough for the few remains to need to be moved.
"Best to be cautious though we also need to work fast," Blake said, looking around as they advanced. "We don't know if we missed any survivors, especially since we didn't find any barracks or dormitories and there seems much of that building we did not manage to find a way into. Let us hope the amount we can set fires in will be enough and that survivors or visitors do not interfere."
"Caution would be wise," smiled Gann, "since you didn't get completely dressed again."
"And his mobile door is still on his back," Neeshka teased, referring to Blake's shield.
"And he has a god-of-bears to guard him," rumbled Okku, "though I think I might be arguing the other way than you mortals."
They moved through both sets of walls and up the ramp. As they neared the main doors to the Academy Neeshka crept forward to listen at them. "Sounds silent in there, harbour-boy," Neeshka reported after a few moments.
Blake nodded and pushed the doors open. He moved cautiously in and then stood and looked around and rubbed at his beard, muttering something as this made him realise he hadn't even raised his chainmail hood and swapped hat for helmet. "Right," he said after a moment, "if Okku can work his way classroom to classroom smashing the desks then that will give some wood Gann can pile up around flasks of Alchemist's Fire."
"That should burn well," Gann commented. "And I take it the same process in the other rooms?"
"Neeshka and myself will deal with the Soul Depository and the Tower Room, but aye, smash the furniture and crates and build pyres. We'll meet at the bottom of the Tower stairs in the instructor's quarters."
"Very well, little one," Okku rumbled as he shrugged the corpses off. "Come Hagspawn, we have destruction to wreak."
Gann rolled his eyes a little but followed as Neeshka sidled up to Blake. "What are we going to do about the defences?" she asked quietly. "That Caretaker Golem might not have been smart enough to recognise setting up explosives, but if we start smashing soul housings he'd recognise that and might be able to trigger them."
"Magic would be of no use," Blake replied as he started off down the hall. "This is a wizard academy so he would be proof against that. And I don't think decapitating it would destroy it, would still be animated by the spirit-core, though it might at least become blind and deaf."
"Or I can stab it in the core," suggested Neeshka. "Assuming it keeps that where the similar ones did… though they did take some killing."
"I think we shall have to be grateful Okku is not with us."
"Of course," said Neeshka, adding after a moment. "Why?
Blake decided to reply by demonstrating. They entered the Soul Depository and as the Caretaker Golem dully turned to look at them Blake felt down inside himself to where the curse lurked. He had felt something back when they had first entered the Room of Doors and to his satisfaction that feeling had been accurate. The tentacles of the curse reached out and wrapped themselves around the energy at the heart of the Golem, draining and darkening it to nothing. This was a subtle enough use of the curse to not require its form to manifest and its use to be visible so Neeshka jumped a little in surprise as the Golem suddenly collapsed.
"I could have put my own energy into the Keeper of Doors," explained Blake to her enquiring look. "And as hoped I was able to do the reverse here."
"Well that answers why you're glad we don't have Okku with us," Neeshka whistled. "He gets a little twitchy about that sort of thing."
With a nod Blake crossed to the soul reader and confirmed nothing happened when he tried placing the double-ring in it. However the souls were bound inside this it was too different a method from the one the Red Wizards used. And a far more durable method Blake decided as he picked up a soul housing and dashed it to the floor. His curse wailed as it smelt the escaping soul and Blake almost felt like he could see a wisp of smoke rising. He knew this was just his other senses trying to interpret the feeling the curse had given him though.
Neeshka began happily throwing the soul housings to break though she winced slightly when Blake's expression reminded her they were releasing souls rather than just having fun. Soon they had finished this stage and the floor of the Soul Depository was glittering with glass shards. With some crunching underfoot Blake moved over to one of the bookcases. He frowned at it as he overcame his reluctance about what he was going to have to do.
"Books do not burn well if intact," Blake muttered, taking one off the shelf. He examined it and then stood it upright on the table before, after another hesitation, bringing his sword down to cleanly slice the spine off. As they fluttered down to the floor Blake added. "But if made into pages it works better."
"Oooh, let me do one," said Neeshka, her happiness at cutting things far greater than her love of books.
"I'll let you do them all if you want," Blake replied, forcing a smile.
"Sometimes you can be too generous harbour-boy," smiled Neeshka, mistaking his reluctance for him wanting her to have all the fun.
Blake managed to chuckle as despite himself he felt his spirits lifted by Neeshka's joy. Together they worked though checking and slicing up the books though when it came to the bookcases Neeshka contented herself with watching her harbour-boy flex. He was still wearing too much but she was not going to waste the chance to see him using his strength when not wearing his full armour and all those obscuring plates. As the Soul Depository was near the centre of the building Blake was quite generous in how many flasks of Alchemist's Fire he used and how many separate piles of splintered wood and sliced pages they built.
There were some happy smashing noises coming from the Golem Lab so Blake headed in the opposite direction out of the Soul Depository. He stopped and cursed as he looked in one room. Neeshka moved to his side, her hand going to her rapier. "Trouble?" she asked, glancing past him and looking puzzled as she saw nothing but the single student corpse.
"The Mephits," replied Blake, "as annoying as they were they don't deserve to burn alive."
"Could free them, like you did the imps in Blacklake."
"I am very glad Sergeant Brockenburn never learned who did that," chuckled Blake. "Twenty years he'd been patrolling that district of Neverwinter and then we disrupt it like that."
"They were cute, so feisty with the way that one was hissing at you about how they would sting the mages that had been prodding them."
"You thought so," replied Blake with a shrug, "and that was enough for me to take the key and slip it to you to sneak up to those crates. Despite my doubts."
"Could be worse," Neeshka smiled, adding when Blake looked to her, "the tree-worshipper could have learned what we did."
"How is that worse?" asked Blake. "I doubt Elanee would have been as upset as Brockenburn. The Imps were unnatural but…"
"But do you think I wanted her to have a reason to think better of you?" Neeshka interrupted. "More reason for her to hang around?"
Blake looked at Neeshka for a moment. "I suppose there is that."
Passing the corpse that was still where she had been felled near the blackboard they moved into the experiment room. There the Mephits flew little abortive charges at their faces and hissed what sounded like insults as they tried to shoo them to freedom. Each time they thought they were getting a few out into the corridor they flew back around them and into the experiment room.
"This could be fun for them," growled Blake, "or could be the Red Wizards conditioned them well to not stray, or could be they just don't like the idea of the barren Thaymount with all those Wyverns waiting to eat them."
"Magic?"
"I expect they would leave if I started throwing fireballs to herd them," said Blake, ignoring another rude noise from a Mephit. "But let's just make sure they have an escape route and trust they will use it when the flames start."
Giving up on the Mephits they left and began the long climb up the tower stairs to Nefris' room. This too had not changed since they left it through the portal to the Astral Plane and Myrkul, other than the pool of blood around the woman they'd slain with blade rather than spell having dried and become sticky. A few flies buzzed into the air as they were disturbed from their egg laying and this reminder of the difference between here and the Shadow Plane made Blake feel glad they'd not delayed their return. By the time he'd finished double-checking the books, they'd sliced up those he'd rejected, and had started on smashing the furniture he'd begun to feel quite weary.
Not weary enough though to ignore the smell in the room and be tempted to use the bed for a nap. Even if all bar one of the Red Wizards had died instantly with a Wail of the Banshee their bowels had still released in death and there had still been long enough for that smell to spread. That smell and visions of being discovered in the act by Gann and Okku, or by Red Wizards, also sufficed to drive out the very great temptation represented by a bed and Neeshka and privacy in the same room. Blake raked his sword along the mattress to free the stuffing and began scattering it to be burnt.
Seeing this Neeshka turned her face away to hide a quiet giggle at the violence of her harbour-boy's action. She'd seen the look in his eyes and the way he'd been glancing between her and that bed. A room with corpses in was hardly romantic but she was rather pleased with herself that despite that she'd managed to tempt him without really trying. Of course the problem was that he'd also tempted her without trying.
Eventually piles of paper and mattress stuffing and smashed furniture surrounded all the Red Wizard corpses and flasks of Alchemist's Fire. Blake started to lead the way down the other set of stairs from the ones they'd climbed but as they got halfway down a roar seemed to echo up at them. It was faint as if it was coming up the stairwell from the classrooms but Blake decided it would be better to continue down to the instructors quarters and then go back up. He did not want to risk falling down such a long flight of stairs but he tried to hurry. When they reached the bottom though they found no trouble, just Gann and Okku calmly waiting there.
"We heard a roar," Blake said, looking at them.
"Ah," replied Gann, "that was likely old father bear encouraging the Mephits to depart this place. They seemed obedient once he explained it in his unique manner."
"We tried that," Neeshka grinned, "but harbour-boy here is too nice."
Okku rumbled in pride that they had not defied the will of a god-of-bears. Once he had snapped one from the air and spat its chewed body out the others had learned to flee and be food for beasts that still needed to eat. It had been quite amusing as they flew into each other in their rush away from his teeth.
"The flames would likely not hurt them," commented Blake, "but they might annoy them, so we had better unsummon those Pit Fiends."
"If anything annoyed them it would be that we killed all their customers," Neeshka pointed out. "Flames and destruction would feel rather cosy."
Blake nodded to this. "Good point, my sweet," he admitted. He thought a moment and then continued. "Still, however cosy they feel the fire would still be annoying as it would be burning down where they had done their trading."
"And restrained as they have been in those circles," added Gann, "they might have heard something but they have not seen anything."
"Maybe, maybe not," Blake frowned. "I'd not put it past them to have some magic to let them spy throughout this academy. But whether they do or not I think remove them from here and remove them as witnesses. Even if all they would see is us setting the fires in that room."
"He's always been concerned about witnesses," winked Neeshka.
"No doubt thanks to your influence," Gann smiled.
Neeshka started to smile back and then wondered if Gann meant that she had been teaching Blake caution or that she had been swaying him into illegal or immoral acts. The former was a complement and deserved the smile while the latter was not and did not. Looking at Blake as he led the way across the hall she saw her harbour-boy had not bristled at the comment, as he was inclined to do at the hint of an insult to her so, despite him being male, maybe she was being over-sensitive rather than him insensitive. As they entered the room she also saw that the summoning circles were empty.
"Where did they go?" asked Gann.
"They could have got bored," Blake commented, "nobody coming in for a while."
"Pit Fiends do like mortals or lesser Devils around to amuse them, and for them to taunt" agreed Neeshka, one hand unconsciously going to a horn.
"They were here as traders rather than having been bound to service," Blake nodded thoughtfully. "That they would be free to depart, if more likely only depart back to their own plane, would make sense." Without the Pit Fiends the room was rather bare so after looking around Blake continued. "I think we will need to bring some wood and paper in here for fires."
They worked their way through the instructor's quarters with Blake double-checking the books and with himself and Neeshka slicing apart the rejected ones. As well as smashing furniture Okku also helped them with tearing apart the mattresses. That was aside from those on the beds in the Ward of the Soulless. Blake could understand the bear-god not wanting to use his claws on these ones with how tainted they were. They were bad enough that Blake was reluctant to use his sword on them and was not sure how well they would burn.
As the trio sorted and sliced and smashed Gann trotted around happily with armfuls of paper and wood and flasks of Alchemist's Fire building the fires at nice regular intervals to ensure no room was untouched. "We seem to have a lot of bonfires ready to go."
"I do wish we had been able to find some powder kegs or other explosives," Blake replied, stamping his heel down to break a piece of wood in two. "This academy seems sturdily built so the fires might only gut it rather than it collapsing. And that is assuming the fires will spread."
"Gut it as we have done its teachers and its students, little-one," rumbled Okku, looking around for anything large enough to be worthy of his attention. "They might reuse this building but I think we have been thorough in destroying this Academy."
"True enough, even if The Founder can return there will not be much left here for her."
"Thinking of that," said Neeshka, "what about the queen-bitch's lair?"
"Good point," Blake replied, realising to his surprise that this had been the final room and they were done. "The fires we set up there would be visible for a long way like a lighthouse and there would be the problem of having to get back down the tower."
Neeshka grinned to her paramour. "I bet I could do that before you and Gann plodded around and finished the rest."
"Then let this be done," murmured Okku.
They returned to the hall and with a final grin Neeshka dashed away up the stairs. Her new ring would have aided her greatly in this had she not already the benefit of Blake's spells. Blake watched her go until she was out of sight and then turned away. Gann made a little jerky motion as he started to move and then realised Blake was not. A few moments more passed and then Gann smiled and spoke.
"Losing the bet?"
"Better than losing her should we move faster than she thought," replied Blake.
After an extra few minutes Blake finally started moving and he and Gann worked their way through the rooms and the piles of fuel Gann had so carefully built. In some ways he had done too fine a job as the speed with which the flames built and their ferocity surprised Blake. He found himself moving a little faster to ensure that they got through this level and the one above before those flames burned through the ceiling here and the floor there. Glancing back down the hall Blake was rather concerned how much the fires had already so much joined into one.
Having quickly climbed the stairs to the classroom level Blake looked to his right along the corridor towards the stairs that led up the tower. Neeshka's ancestry gave her a greater tolerance for heat and fire but, as far as Blake knew, she still needed to breathe. "We'll start with the left," Blake said, not surprising Gann.
The classrooms and rooms and the Golem Lab to that side of the building were soon alight and Blake reluctantly set fire to the Soul Depository as well. He hoped it was his imagination but it felt like he could feel warmth through the soles of his boots. Very reluctantly he also set fire to the room near the stairs to the tower so now Neeshka's route out of the building had burning rooms along one side of it. To his relief as he dithered over setting more fires there was a nearly silent rush of footsteps and Neeshka arrived. She looked breathless with exertion and happiness and grinned at Blake as he tried to pretend he had not been dawdling and went to set fire to the Mephit Experiment room.
"I win!" Neeshka said as Blake returned and Gann threw a flask of Alchemist's Fire to spontaneously ignite and set the strange Golem's room on fire. "Though I win because I didn't say I bet I was fast enough." She winked to Blake. "I bet you would make sure I had enough time to finish before you did."
"That would seem an even more certain bet," smiled Gann as they went down the right-hand corridor, "assuming that was what he did."
Blake looked away for a moment under the excuse of throwing a flask of Alchemist's Fire into a classroom. "I would never insult you, my dear," he said, turning back once he'd got his expression under control, "by doubting your speed."
"Sure," Neeshka replied, looking into the Soul Depository as they passed and lobbing her bundle of flasks of Alchemist's Fire into it. There were gouts of flame from both doorways of the room and she hoped Blake would assume her grin widening was down to that. She didn't want to admit she'd paused just out of sight in the stairwell for a few moments and had heard from the lack of footsteps and armour clinks and bear-god padding it had taken them longer than that to start moving.
Despite Neeshka's taunts about Blake plodding they swiftly reached the front doors and, after throwing a few flasks of Alchemist's Fire into the nearest classroom, the relatively clean air of Thaymount. As they passed through the front doors there was a crunching noise and a rush of warmth past them that suggested part of the floor behind them had collapsed. Blake paused as they reached the inner wall and looked back at the flames coming out of the Academy windows and the beacon the tower room had become. Despite his doubts and desire for explosives or fuse-cord this seemed well alight.
To Blake's relief the windows above the floor the main doors linked to started to glow orange as well. Two floors of fires had been enough to burn through into those rooms without needing to pull out his older longbow and attempt, along with Gann and Neeshka, to loose fire arrows through those windows. The desire to leave before enemies arrived warred inside him against wanting to both watch and be sure the fire continued to spread. Eventually though the former won.
"Better get out of here," Blake judged, the firelight reflecting off the links of his chainmail, "that will be drawing attention… even in Thay."