Chapter 41 Out of the Frying Pan...
Usual disclaimers: The characters in this story are owned by Wizards of the Coast, Atari, Obsidian, and a whole lot of other people and not by me, except for an occasional NPC and a bear and paladin lovin' ranger. Dialog is also paraphrased from the OC.ar
At the Keep:
Word had spread like wildfire, and the audience chamber was packed with people who wanted to see them off. Sand reluctantly handed a wicker basket containing his beloved cat over to the tender care of Mimi and Mignon, the twins from the Festhall, and gave a kiss to each of them. Dee slipped a letter for her master of horse into Kana's hand telling him that if she didn't return, Blossom and Thunder were to be turned out to pasture for the rest of their lives. She suspected that Blossom was with foal, and Thunder would still allow no rider but Casavir, though he did allow Dee to brush him and feed him apples.
She walked back to where Aldanon was explaining that the spell in the tome allowed the user to fold space on itself so that two places or two people that were far apart became next to each other. It wasn't so much opening a portal as it was creating one temporarily between them and Black Garius. Dee asked quietly, "How do we do this?"
She caught Daeghun's eye and smiled and nodded, which he returned then did the same with Elanee, who smiled back and blushed. No final words were necessary. Everything had been spoken between them the night before over birthday cake. She had taken him aside and given him her old Harper pin to give to Wolf in a few tendays when he came of age, in case she wasn't around to do it herself. She had discussed him with Daeghun and Grobnar, and they both agreed he was a good candidate. It was a tradition, passing on a Harper agent's pin to a new recruit. Daeghun had told her he had hoped to pass his on to her before he sent her to Neverwinter.
Aldanon cleared his throat and caught her attention again. "It's quite simple, Captain. As I was saying..." He began the lengthy explanation again until Sand interrupted him with a terse, "Oh, let's get on with this. How doesn't matter. What matters is that it does. Everyone gather together and join hands."
"Is everyone ready then?" Her companions gave their assent through a grunt or a nod. Dee looked around at her companions, all carrying packs loaded with supplies of healing potions and spare weapons. Everyone but Dee was splendid in their best armor and equipment, but she was comfortable in her leather brigandine, which had been crafted with unique enchantments for Harper agents. She also wore an ingenious cord Grobnar had created with loops on the ends that would hold her spectacles securely in place no matter how much she got tossed around.
Khelgar's Ironfist regalia still looked out of place against his simple robe. Sand wore a new brilliant emerald green cloth-of-gold robe which bore such strong enchantments that he shimmered with a magical aura, as much as from the gold woven into the fabric. He also wore a golden headband he had just enchanted using the beljuril Dee traded to him when she first arrived in Neverwinter. It gave him nearly godlike cognitive abilities. Dee noticed that Qara had relented and donned Sydney Natale's grey robe, which Dee guessed rivaled Sand's in the quality of its enchantments. She also carried Sydney Natale's staff. Grobnar had fashioned himself a saddle so he could ride high on the Construct's back, and he scurried into place.
A few minutes later Aldanon had spoken the words and activated the spell, and they stepped through a portal in the audience chamber and emerged in an ancient structure with distinctive Ilefarn craftsmanship. It was just a guess, but she suspected this was that ruin deeper in the swamp that she had approached with Bevil two years ago, the one that Daeghun had always insisted she stay away from it when she was out exploring. It took them a few minutes to get their bearings and recover from the strain of teleporting, though Dee was pleasantly surprised to find she was getting used to it and didn't feel half as sick as she usually did.
Deep in the Mere:
It wasn't much past highsun, but there were no windows or skylights in this chamber. Sand had created more of his ingenious light tubes, though he had refined his idea and created smaller ones that could be fitted onto a helmet so they could have their hands free as they moved through the ruin. He had also cast permanent light spells on a number of copper coins and stones and pulled out a few out of a pouch on his belt to toss across the floor and light the chamber.
The air inside the structure was stale and reeked of dust, mold, rot, and death. A quick perusal of the chamber they landed in revealed corpses, thankfully still and lying where they fell. Some looked fairly fresh while others had been reduced by time to skeletal remains or dessicated mummies; all looked as if they once had been adventurers who met their ends trying to loot the ruins. In another time they would have searched the dead for useful equipment. Dee called out, "Is everyone ready?"
Grobnar suddenly cried out in alarm, "Oh my! Excuse me, Captain, but Neeshka is gone!"
"What do you mean she's gone?" Throwing caution to the wind Dee shouted the tiefling's name, but there was no reply. Elanee said helpfully that she had been there moments ago when they came through. Dee hoped she had only given in to temptation to loot the corpses. They shone their lights around the ground, concerned that the tiefling was lying injured or worse. Cillian reported he couldn't smell her, and Dee again called out to her frantically. But Neeshka had vanished as if she had never been with them at all.
Casavir put his gauntleted hand on Dee's arm. "They've surely taken her somehow, love. Perhaps they targeted her because of her lower planes blood. We must move on and pray to the gods that we find her." Dee was about to reply when they heard a clattering moving over the marble floor and turned their lights on a clutch of bone spiders racing to catch fresh prey. They drew their weapons and took up defensive positions.
They fought their way through chamber after chamber. The bone spiders gave way to skeletons and ghasts, and then wraiths. They could tell they were reaching their goal of finding Black Garius's inner sanctum because the attacks became more frequent and more deadly. They finished a grueling battle with vampires and a mummy lord and tried to take a few minutes to rest, but resting only made them targets, and they found themselves facing a lich. Dee worried that the spellcasters would deplete their spells before they reached Garius and the King of Shadows, though Ammon Jerro's spells seemed endless and Sand had created as many wands, rods, and scrolls of his most powerful spells as he could in the months leading up to this battle. Qara was another matter, and the girl was showing the fatigue from blasting the hells out of everything they encountered.
Travel was difficult because of the locked and trapped doors that Dee struggled to disarm and unlock, muttering while she did that Neeshka could have opened the locks in her sleep. Eventually they let the Construct bash the doors down or activate the traps. They found they could only gain access to the deeper recesses of the structure via travel through ominous looking clouds of black fog, created by Black Garius as a means of defending his sanctum. The last portal took them to a huge, ornate set of doors, which had obviously once been a place of importance. They slumped to the floor to take time to rest for a few minutes then and everyone pulled out their water skins and healing potions; for once it seemed they had destroyed all the undead in this chamber. But with Neeshka still missing, they didn't dare risk more than a few minutes to rest.
Casavir handed Dee his water skin. She smiled warmly at him and took a drink then handed it back. She leaned her head against his and closed her eyes. "I think we're getting close to her. Wouldn't be surprised but that Garius has reserved the worst for last. More shadow reavers for sure."
He kissed her cheek and put his arm around her shoulders. "No, I should imagine he would have his strongest minions protecting him and his portal. Don't worry, love. We will find her."
"I only pray it's in time." She opened her eyes and turned so she could face him and pulled off her glove while he removed one gauntlet so they could touch hands. "I just want to look on you until we get movin,' love." She hesitated as if she was unsure of her words. "I pray we have enough charges on that rod too. I've set the gold aside with Brother Ivarr for resurrection spells if any of us..."
He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Indeed, we need only a small portion of the...remains, though there are limits even to such a powerful spell."
She looked grim. "That's assuming they can even get to our...remains if we're all..." She closed her eyes again. "But I swear if I live I won't leave anyone behind unless we're forced to. Brother Ivarr said we've got ten years in which to have the spell cast."
He smiled sweetly at her. "Have faith, my love, that a few months from now we'll be honeymooning in Marsember at my aunt's villa—even if one or both of us must be resurrected first."
She stroked his cheek. "And if not...I read in The Book of Grace that there's a gate in the wall at the entrance to Kelemvor's gray city. I'll meet you there just inside it on the right side. We can wait there outside of the queue..."
She trailed off, and he grabbed her and kissed her fiercely then drew back and said with determination, "I want you to know love you with all my being. We've shared a lifetime's worth of love in the past months, and we're just getting started. Come, give me another kiss before we get under way." After another kiss they reluctantly broke away.
She stood and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, let's do this. We have some demigod ass to kick to the hells." After a too-short rest everyone took up defensive positions again as Dee nodded at Casavir and he pushed the doors open.
Beyond the doors they found they had to cross a bridge, and then another. Dee peered across the first one and muttered, "Perfect spot for an ambush," and Casavir agreed. And they were right as Sand gasped, "Three shadow reavers?" But by now Ammon Jerro had learned there was strength to be gained in working as a team as he and Zhjaeve, shielded by her Sanctuary spell, held back from the first bridge and calmly recited the scrolls while the others fought. Sand and Elanee summoned elemental creatures as fodder to defend them until the scrolls were read. One after another the reavers fell, and they only lost Qara and Elanee. Dee made use of Lord Nasher's rod of resurrection and prayed it still had a few charges. They still hadn't found Garius nor Neeshka though they heard blood-curdling screams that surely had to have come from her that made them more anxious to find her.
Once they crossed the second bridge they entered a small alcove leading to another set of even more ornate double doors. "This must be it. Let's get ready." Dee sat down and took a few moments to reform the sword of Gith. Sand took the time before they went on to pull out scrolls of protection from missiles spells from his scroll case, which he cast on Dee and Casavir first. He pointed out that it was a matter of time before they encountered Bishop, and they were his most likely targets, though he cast another on himself knowing how the ranger felt about mages. When everyone was ready, Casavir opened the doors.
Arranged in a semi-circle around the chamber were replicas of the statues in Arvahn which they had used to complete the ritual of purification. Behind it was a glowing song portal. Neeshka was in the center of the chamber hunched over, bloodied and battered. She staggered to them, and Zhjaeve rushed to her side and immediately cast a healing spell. She struggled to talk, her voice panic-stricken. "I knew you would get here if I just hung on, but we have to get out of here now. Garius will be back!"
"He's going to pay for what he did to you, Neesh," Dee snarled as Black Garius stepped from behind a statue. Most of their companions murmured their agreement.
"I've about had it with your meddling, knight of Neverwinter," Black Garius scolded as if she were an errant schoolgirl.
He explained calmly how he had tortured Neeshka, spilling her lower planes blood to activate the ancient Illefarn defenses, and that now she was his to control. He explained that she must have powerful lower planes blood flowing through her veins, and that was why she attracted demons and devils like Mephasm and Xaxis. It wasn't lost on Dee that he sought to weaken their resolve.
He gestured towards Dee dismissively. "But let me demonstrate. My dear Neeshka, you will remove this annoying Knight for me."
Neeshka raised her rapier as if to attack, but she didn't move. Her eyes glowed crimson. The strain of fighting the geas showed on her face, and beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. "I...don't want to do this...but it's like the whole of Illefarn is pressing down on me making me do it." Her companions encouraged her to fight it while Garius quietly insisted she kill Dee at once.
"You're stronger than this, fiendling!" Khelgar roared as he stood by ready to drop her with his quivering palm attack, but he prayed to Tyr he was right.
Neeshka took a step forward then threw her rapier down and cursed. "By the hells I won't do this! You're my best friend! I won't do it!" She gasped loudly and dropped to her knees as Elanee and Zhjaeve came to her aid. With their help she stood and grinned triumphantly as she snatched back her rapier and took her place with her companions. She glared at him. "And now you're going to pay, Garius."
Black Garius looked unfazed. "She doesn't matter. I still have your former lover as an ally."
A heartbeat later Bishop, looking haggard, stepped into view from behind one of the statues. Karnwyr again wasn't at his side, and Dee wondered if he had finally had enough of Bishop. She felt a twinge of regret in her heart at that thought. He glared at her, his bow strung and his hand resting casually on two arrows. "For what it's worth, you almost made me stay. Almost. But I really didn't have any choice. The strange thing is I tried to hate you like I hated your uncle, but I couldn't. Not that it matters now."
"You're telling me you have to kill me because you hate my uncle?," Dee asked incredulously. "And what did Uncle Duncan do to you anyway? You're not making any kind of sense, Bish."
Black Garius said condescendingly, "Oh go ahead, tell her, Bishop. We have time enough for you to indulge yourself." It wasn't lost on Dee or most of her companions that he was stalling for time (Sand speculated he was waiting for their protection spells to expire) for the King of Shadows to break through the portal.
Bishop glared at him, wanting to smash him in the mouth. He explained his connection with Duncan like a defendant giving testimony before a jury—how he was being inducted into a Luskan assassin's guild, and they were to select some remote village to slaughter. He had chosen his home village. But by then he was through with Luskan and saw that as his way out. He had thought that instead of following orders, he would warn the villagers then kill the Luskans and be free. His village died despite his efforts, but so did the Luskans, though he was badly wounded too. "And then when I thought it was all over and I was free, Duncan found me and saved my life."
Dee got the feeling as she listened that he wasn't telling the whole truth. There had to be a reason why the villagers didn't trust him or believe him and didn't flee even after he set fires around the perimeter. She had seen burn scars on his back and legs and remembered how he had bristled when she asked him about them. Despite her anger at his betrayal, she found herself pitying him. Dee understood then the hatred he felt for the man who saved him from oblivion. "But why not just kill Uncle Duncan then if he was the only one who knew the truth about your past?"
He gave her that look he used to give her right before he would call her stupid. "You just don't get it. I owed him, so I couldn't kill him. But you know what a big mouth he has, so I had to watch him to make sure he didn't tell anyone else, like Sal, or you."
Dee remembered that night at the temple when he was hinting that she knew something, that she was 'blackmailing' him. Now it made sense. "He never told me, for what it's worth. He tried to talk to me about you, but I wouldn't hear it. You probably don't believe me, but it's the truth." Just for a moment she saw something in his eyes—sadness, or regret—before they darkened as he hardened his heart against her again.
Black Garius interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Touching, but I grow tired of your prattle. Bishop, enough of this. Our master awaits." Bishop shot him another furious glare then looked puzzled for a moment.
Dee said mockingly, cupping her hand around her ear, "Was that an order I heard? Sounds like you only found yourself another master, Bish."
He glared dangerously at her too, but he knew the wench was right though he hated her for rubbing it in. Right now he didn't know who he hated more, her or Garius. But at that moment he realized something else too, something he had suspected since Garius had him sabotage the gate but didn't dare hope. Something had broken Garius's hold over him. But he had hesitated to test whether he was free until now. Last time he tried he nearly fainted from the pain.
Black Garius inadvertently forced his hand. "We have heard enough from this knight of Neverwinter and from you, ranger. Now be silent!"
Bishop glared at him again, cursed and spat on the ground. "Yeah? Well I don't take orders from you or anyone. Good luck, Garius. You'll need it. See you around, sweetheart," he added saucily. He expected another round of excruciating pain, but nothing came. It worked! He was free! He could hardly believe that something was going right for him at last.
Black Garius sputtered in outrage, "What? I warn you, Bishop, if you leave here you will die! I will come for you when I've finished them!"
Bishop chuckled with disdain at the fear in his voice. "No, you're going to die if you stay here, Garius." Before Garius could react, he sprinted away to the quarters he was given where he had been forced to leave Karnwyr. If he got out fast enough, they could lose themselves deep in the mountains and find a cave to hole up in for the winter then get the hells out of Neverwinter and Luskan territory as soon as the mountain passes were clear. The thought occurred to him as he ran that he need not disappear. He could play on the wench's sympathies with a tale of how Garius had tricked him and the horrors he had endured because of the geas. He might touch her soft heart. Wenches were weak like that. Trouble was, he had the paladin and the pansy mage to convince too, not to mention Nasher. No, that was too risky to his neck. Better to get Karnwyr and get far away while he could.
Black Garius regained his composure and decided to deal with the ranger later when he had the full power of his master behind him. The ranger may have broken the geas, but he had other ways of finding him. For now he was more interested in surviving until his master broke through the portal. He turned to Dee's companions, offering them their heart's desire based on what Bishop had told him about them to tempt them to his side.
Casavir, Khelgar, and Zhjaeve immediately declared they would die first, as he expected. Sand and Ammon Jerro also refused his offer with contempt, with Sand adding a pithy crack about all the shadow reavers they had already sent to the hells. Ammon Jerro growled a promise that he would watch him die for daring to speak Shandra's name.
But as Bishop had led him to expect, and to really none of her companions' surprise, Qara immediately accepted his offer of godlike power-"magnified ten, a hundred times"-power beyond her wildest dreams. She smiled greedily and ran over to join him as he raised energy fields to protect the portal (and himself), leaving Qara, his shadow golems, dread wraiths, and a balor to deal with the Captain and her companions. Sand wasted no time during the ensuing battle in showing her his superior defensive skills, though it was Elanee who finished the sorceress with an arrow to her heart so that Sand wouldn't waste his spells on her, as she surmised had been Garius's plan.
Then Sand, Ammon Jerro, Elanee and Zhjaeve turned their spells on Black Garius as the rest cleaned up the fodder. They couldn't get around the barriers, but the spells, arrows, and the shards from the sword could. As the shards from the Sword of Gith tore into him, Dee swore she heard him whine, "But how?" She didn't bother to answer.
They caught their breaths, Neeshka not even bothering with looting Qara's body, though she covered her with her cloak and handed Sand her staff. Dee considered for a moment using Lord Nasher's rod of resurrection to bring her back to face justice if for no other reason, but she didn't know how many charges remained. She muttered as she looked at her corpse, "We might need it for someone who hasn't betrayed us. We can always haul her body out when we leave." But it wasn't lost on Dee that no one would know the truth if they left her here. She would be a dead hero, not a traitor. She handed the rod to Casavir, who stuck it in his weapon belt.
Dee meditated to reform the sword as the rest kept wary eyes on the portal as they drank potions and cast healing spells then did what armor repairs they could. Just as Sand was speculating about whether they could simply destroy the portal and prevent the King of Shadow's return, it flared to life and his avatar stepped through. There was no reasoning with him by pointing out that the Illefarn empire was many years dead, but they had to try. All their arguments were pointless.
His deep voice rumbled through the chamber. "You fail to understand what I protect, and that is why you all must die." He almost sounded as if he regretted what he must do to counter this threat to Illefarn.
Dee and Ammon Jerro had combined their ritual powers while the others attacked. They defeated him easily—too easily, Sand declared in disbelief, and in their gut they all knew he was right. A few heartbeats later many smaller versions of the King of Shadows streamed through the portal. It seemed like two more sprung up for every one they cut down. But as soon as they defeated the last one and they looked around for more, there was an ominous rumbling in the chamber as a black cloud enveloped the portal before the King of Shadows himself stepped through.
He was darkly magnificent, and they could feel dark power of the Shadow Weave radiating from him. They realized at once the others had been merely shadows with a fraction of his power. Even the usually indefatigable Grobnar felt his insides turn liquid with fear. Could they defeat a demigod? For that's what this thing was.
Sand was reduced to scrolls, wands, and his staff (and Qara's) by now, but he had crafted many scrolls of his most potent spells, as had Zhjaeve. Ammon Jerro glowed with an unholy light as he fought grimly, appearing to be strengthened by the challenge of facing his old enemy again rather than weakened. Dee thought she would have dropped by now if not for the power of the sword coursing through her body. Casavir sang a battle hymn of Tyr as he fought. Khelgar channeled his qi attacks into the Ironfist artifacts he wore to increase their power.
Ammon Jerro paused and studied the situation then shouted, "Those statues—they give him his power! Destroy them and then the portal!"
Dee replied with the faintest of nods and immediately broke off the fight and attacked the statues with Casavir and Khelgar assisting her and Cillian defending her while the others concentrated on the King of Shadows. They bashed away at the first one for only a minute before it cracked and broke down the middle and fell to the floor with a satisfying crash, and she smiled grimly as they felt their enemy's power diminish slightly. She mused that they might even make it home in time for a late supper as she attacked another. One statue fell after the other, and each one encouraged them to fight on. Once they finished they destroyed the portal; then it was only a matter of time before they destroyed the King of Shadows as well, everyone turning to attack him at once with spells and weapons.
In the aftermath Sand lay on the floor, gray, and still—as Casavir ran to his side and used the rod to bring him back to life, Dee thanked the gods they hadn't wasted a charge on Qara. Everyone cheered then Elanee broke out healing potions and passed them around.
Casavir had just helped Sand to his feet and Dee sent a badly wounded Cillian back to Meilikki's care when they heard an ominous, deafening crack. They paused in mid-motion and gave each other puzzled looks. Then heard another. Dee realized what was happening, just like in her dream. There was no time for Sand to reactivate the incantation in the tome and get them home. "Run!," she screamed, and they did, retracing their steps out of the inner sanctum and across the bridge. But the structure was a maze, and they had traveled through it via the black portals before. Now they went on instinct as pillars began to fall, and then the ceiling they supported began to crack.
On the other side of the structure Bishop hurried through the tunnels as fast as his legs would carry him, growling at Karnwyr to keep up. He congratulated himself on having the foresight of finding ways out of the ruin in case he was able to escape. He had made it to his room and freed Karnwyr and grabbed his pack. The one thing he was worried about was that the wench might fail. He knew Black Garius would torture him to death then raise him just to do it again. He also knew he was far in the claimed lands and he wouldn't make it far before he ended up a corpse like those in West Harbor. But none of that mattered if he was free. He was just about to an exit when the building began rumbling and his way was nearly cut off as a pillar crashed to the floor in front of him. He cursed and vaulted over stones, growling again at Karnwyr to keep up. The door was tauntingly close, and then he reached it and shoved it open. He turned and whistled at Karnwyr to run out ahead of him when there was another tremor and the doorway collapsed in a shower of stone on top of them.
Neeshka was in the lead holding her lucky coin tightly and throwing out a short prayer to Tymora as she deftly dodged falling stone. Khelgar focused for a heartbeat then jumped into the air and kicked a large slab of stone blocking their way, breaking it and removing the obstacle. The Construct was carrying Grobnar in its arms. Casavir and Dee took the lead, with Ammon Jerro right behind them. She ran through a doorway and waited for the others to pass then turned because Casavir hadn't caught up to her. She saw him in the doorway bracing it; it was one that had been rigged with an acid trap earlier. The trap had weakened the door frame enough that it was in danger of collapse, and Casavir was holding it up as Zhjaeve and Elanee passed through it. Dee ran back to him and took his hand, and cried urgently, "Hurry, love."
"Go, my love. I'm right behind you." Just then there was another violent tremor and the doorway collapsed, followed by the wall above it. She heard him groan in pain and felt him drop. He groaned again and said with his voice choked with pain, "Save yourself...I'm trapped." Rocks continued to fall around them.
A large piece of ceiling tile glanced off her head and shoulder, and she dropped to her knees stunned. She heard Khelgar shout something as Casavir struggled to free himself of the debris. Her head was spinning from the blow. As the dust cleared she could see the pain in his face. She gasped, "Won't be a widow...Together, or not at all." She could feel the blood running from the wound on her head, but her pain was flowing away with it and in a moment she felt like she was floating. She fought to keep her eyes open as Ammon Jerro and Khelgar both shouted something she couldn't focus on.
Casavir tried in vain to push a large slab trapping him aside, but he was held fast, and he didn't know if the others could get help to them in time. He found her hand and gazed into her eyes, though he wasn't sure if she saw him any longer. He was almost close enough for a final kiss as he said weakly, "Right side...of the gate..." But as the words left his lips he was horrified to see a portal open and several dark winged shapes appear looming behind Dee. One of them began fighting with Khelgar, but the others headed towards her purposefully. He tried to shout a warning, but they swarmed her in a heartbeat, tossing aside stones holding her leg as if they were paper then hoisting her up and spiriting her away into the portal. Ammon Jerro growled a curse and dove into the portal after them just before it closed.
As for the rest:
Sir Nevalle was on the wall examining the completed repairs when one of the guards shouted to get his attention. He turned and saw that the dark miasma emanating from the Mere suddenly began rolling back on itself. He watched awestruck for a few minutes then sent the guard for Kana and called for more to travel with a courier to send word to Neverwinter.
Not that the dissipation of the murk had gone unnoticed in Neverwinter. Lord Nasher left his privy council and strode out on his balcony when the Greycloaks began shouting and cheering. "By the gods, they've done it!" He watched for a few minutes then sent his secretary to call his advisors and the Many-starred Cloaks to join him in his throne room to await confirmation and make plans to begin the return of the city's citizens.
Some miles away from the Keep and dangerously close to the claimed lands, Wolf watched the Luskan camp below him from his perch high in a oak tree. He looked up at a strange sound and saw the dank clouds begin to roll back. The Luskans noticed too and began to break camp. Wolf made a bird call to alert the others and climbed down and followed at a safe distance.
Neeshka's apprentice Zeta cocked her head then whispered to the others, who were also pointing at the sky and exclaiming that the Knight Captain must have done it, "Oi, that's the signal; we're movin' out." She rose gracefully and took the lead, still not convinced that the others could keep up or should even be here. But they were here, and that counted for something.
Wolf had sent word to his crew when he and Daeghun returned from scouting, but Zeta was the only one of those who remained at the Keep who responded to his call. Wolf was undeterred and asked Leather and Hiram the cook to come along too since they had helped him before. They met in a room near the main kitchen. Leather had persuaded one of the twins from the Festhall, Mignon, to join them. He explained to the others she could cast mage spells and Sand had been teaching her to use wands and scrolls and had left her a decent selection for the Keep's defense. They had discussed the Luskans and what they thought they intended, then decided to strike out on their own to follow them.
Zeta took the lead. She had decided that Pops was alright because though he was old and his chain mail was noisy, he was strong (and he could cook). But she wasn't sure about the two tarts. Leather was willowy and delicate though she had to concede after watching him fight he was wicked fast with his flail. But in her opinion the other tart looked too plump to keep up with them for long. At least she wasn't in armor. She remembered with scorn how she had showed up to Wolf's meeting carrying a parasol and wearing shoes with ridiculous heels that they convinced her she had to change. They had set out not long after the Captain's company left and had made good time in finding the Luskan camp again. The Luskans' purpose had been the main topic of discussion at the meeting, and they had come to an agreement that they didn't seem to be interested in the Keep or any of the villages. This was no assassin training squad. They decided they must be after the bounty some in Luskan had put on the Knight Captain. But she had done right by them, and this was their way of paying her back.
Many miles away:
The portal flared, a warning that someone or something was about to come through. Two women wearing the robes of a red wizard of Thay stepped aside as five creatures out of a nightmare bounded through carrying a still, broken form. One of the women, a dessicated crone, clasped her hands and chortled in glee as she examined their prize then gasped in alarm at her injuries. The younger of the two grabbed a bag of potions and shouted, "Quickly, through the other portal!" The creatures hurried to obey, and she followed, her hand on the shoulder of the last creature.
The crone was muttering to herself when the portal flared again and a man in black robes with glowing tattoos etched into his head jumped through. It took her only a heartbeat to recognize him though it had been years since she last had last seen him. Though he didn't recognize her, he recognized her robes. He was fast with a spell but she was faster and quickly incapacitated him, which was made easier on account of his injuries. "What to do, what to do...I know!" she muttered as she brought a green glass sphere close and leaned over him and spoke an incantation. "To the infirmary with him. That way there is no more innocent blood on my hands, though from what I recall this one is far from innocent."
Very far away, later that same day:
Safiya moved through the barrow with nervous determination and glanced over her shoulder from time to time as if she were being chased by fiends. If anyone but her mother had asked she would have refused, but she trusted her even though this was the farthest she had ever been from the academy. She was no hedge wizard who had to make her living adventuring. She had been an instructor at the Academy of Shapers and Binders since she graduated eight years ago with honors. Like many of the scholars, she rarely left the grounds, content to spend her time when out of class in research or in her workshop. She kept herself fit performing several sprints up the three levels of stairs to her mother's private chambers then back down to the instructor's quarters every morning; she found the exertion also helped focus her mind. But her feet were sore because she was unused to walking so far over rough terrain, deep in Rashemen, where the natives would not hesitate to attack her on sight.
She wouldn't be here if it weren't important, she reminded herself. Her mother had sent her on a mysterious rescue mission, though she hadn't told her much other than to look in the lowest level of this barrow for an outlander who was hurt and who would need her assistance in reaching her friend Lianna's theater in the Rashemi city of Mulsantir. She lost track of how long she had been following the passageway, but she could tell she was moving lower. She had spoken a command word which caused the gem embedded in the top of her staff to give off a soft glow when she first entered the barrow, enough to see by, but she hoped not enough to attract the attention of the spirits. Eventually she entered a large chamber. She could make out rune-covered pillars set in the floor in the center in a circle. She could tell the runes were magical, but she couldn't tell from this distance whether the pillars were meant to contain something or summon something.
She crept closer, close enough that she could now see a figure lying prone on the ground. Finally she found her outlander! Now they could get out of here before they were discovered. He was tall and slender, with flaxen hair worn long, down to his shoulders. She thought he must be a northman or be descended from the northern barbarians because of his exotic coloring. He looked peaceful, as if he was sleeping. His head was turned to the side, so she could see his face in profile. He was handsome, though almost effeminate, with a fine brow, high, deep cheekbones, a long, thin nose, and a generous mouth. Her eyes traveled over his muscular shoulders and back down to his narrow waist and firm, round buttocks and long, strong legs. She noticed he was missing his left boot.
She scolded herself for taking such a long look and behaving like a silly first year student rather than the serious scholar she was, but there was something about him she couldn't put her finger on she found very attractive. He looked very young, for she couldn't detect a trace of beard. She shook her head. What was wrong with her? This was certainly out of character for her. She was no simpering virgin, but she had never felt such an instant attraction. Safiya scolded herself again and reminded herself she was here on a rescue mission, not to let herself be smitten by some fair-haired outlander.
It was then that she realized something was glistening on the floor of the chamber around him and commanded her light to flare brightly. She recoiled in horror as she realized he was lying in a pool of blood! That he needed her help was certainly an understatement she planned to discuss with her mother the second she returned home!
The brightness of the light must have awakened him and caused him to stir, groaning something softly that sounded like 'Cas.' He tried to rise and fell back then struggled to turn over, his white shirt ripped open and soaked with blood. There was a hideous wound crudely sutured in the center of his chest. Safiya muttered, "I've seen better work on golems." But to her chagrin and dismay the blood-soaked shirt clung to his body, revealing small but obvious breasts. This wasn't a pretty boy at all, and she scolded herself again for her foolishness.
Dee wasn't sure if this was death. It couldn't be because she hurt too bad, she decided. Fine then, let it come quickly. She screwed her eyes tightly closed as a bright light enveloped her, and she tried to call out for Cas but only managed a weak groan. She had heard there would be a bright light guiding her way to the gray city. But this light was all too real, as was the pain. She tried to turn over and fell back. She took a deep breath and struggled to turn over to face the source of the light, blinking at its brightness and feebly holding a hand up to block it. "Cas.." she croaked. She didn't remember what happened, but she felt like she had taken on a hundred orcs with only a soup spoon. But she could feel her ring slowly healing her.
She heard a command word, and the light dimmed. A female voice said, "You're hurt. Don't move, I'm here to help. Let me dispel these runes that have trapped you here."
Dee's head was splitting and her vision was cloudy, and she pushed her bloody spectacles on top of her head out of her way. She blinked and murmured, "Cas" again, but there was no answer from her husband. Where was he? Where was anyone? She tried not to give in to a rising hysteria. At least rescuers were here, and soon she and Cas would be back at the Keep.
She looked up and could make out a woman judging from her shape, dressed in what looked like a mage's traveling robe. As she peered at her she saw that her head was shaved and Dee could barely make out runic tattoos all over it. For a moment she thought it was the blood still obscuring her vision and coloring her surroundings, but then she realized the woman was wearing a red robe. Something clicked in her memory, and she realized this was a Red Wizard of Thay. But what was she doing here on the Sword Coast? Dee had heard from Grobnar that Harpers had worked relentlessly against the evil rulers of Thay and had been accused of trying to incite a coup to overthrow them. She had to tread carefully until the others got to her.
She called for Casavir again then called for her bear as she struggled to get to her feet. The woman had been extending a hand to help her up, but she jumped back and took a defensive stance and began casting a spell as Dee summoned the bear. Dee frowned at the treachery and reached for her swords, but to her horror the sword of Gith was gone!
Safiya was about to help the outlander up when she heard her say, "Kill." She realized she must be a spellcaster, and a powerful one to cast that spell! Safiya wasn't sure if she was simply threatening her or was actually casting the deadly Power Word: Kill. She had cast several protective spells on herself before she entered the barrow, but she didn't feel the magic ripple over her as would have happened if her greater spell mantle spell negated the outlander's spell.
The woman reached to her weapon belt and drew a short sword, but discovered the scabbard on her right hip was empty and she grasped empty air. What kind of a spellcaster was she if she carried swords? The woman looked around wildly and responded to this development with an angry curse that made Safiya blanch. Safiya quickly countered with a Bigby's Grasping Hand spell, which she hoped would hold the struggling woman in place until she could get her to calm down. Safiya turned on her instructor's voice and admonished the woman sternly. "Calm down! You are not thinking clearly because you're hurt. My name is Safiya, and I'm here to help you!" At that moment a green shimmering appeared in the air, which coalesced into the shape of a dire bear. It looked from the bloody woman to Safiya and growled dangerously.