Author's Note: Nissa is pronounced NEE-suh. As usual, please review! :)
After receiving payment and parting ways with Ser Bryan outside the inn, Ceileigh led the way while Leandor helped Alon up the stairs to their room and sat the painful trader down on his bed. Elyze immediately knelt before him, flipping her long brown hair out of the way, and pushed a green ball of healing light into his leg. Boris closed the door and leaned against it, watching the proceedings with crossed arms and a sour look on his face. Alon winced, gritting his teeth as the mage's spell did its work.
"Thank you! Thank you very much," said the man, blowing out a relieved breath. "Waiting a normal amount of time for that injury to heal would've put quite a hold on business. Ah, who am I thanking, by the way?"
"We're glad to help," Ceileigh told him, then made a quick decision. "I am the Arisen, and these are my pawns. Now what can you tell us about the situation in the quarry? Does the Duke know the route is obstructed?" She figured she should start using her proper title if she was trying to become known as the defender of Gransys.
"Ah, you are the Arisen! I thought you might be, what with pawns following you, but others use them for labor sometimes too. Well, what an honor," Alon smiled with a quick nod. "I don't know if the Duke has heard about the monsters, but he knows the passage is no longer used. I always wonder that he hasn't sent men to investigate. The situation is detrimental to Gransys, since it slows trade across the nation. The way around takes days longer and runs through some dangerous territory. Believe it or not, the quarry was once the safer way to go."
"What kind of monsters did you see?" Ceileigh asked him.
"Well, there were all the usual cave-dwellers, you know - rodents, bats and creepy-crawlies. Those I can handle. But I came upon a group of goblins farther in. Some were throwing goods into a pile while others ate around a fire. The Maker was watching out for me because they didn't look my way once. I was about to sneak back the way I came when an ogre ran out of the passage next to mine. It attacked the goblins and just…tore them apart. I was too scared to move at first, but then it turned and I saw that it was holding half a goblin. Entrails were hanging out…it was just awful." Alon paused, looking like he might vomit. Not for the first time, Ceileigh was glad her former occupation and natural inclination gave her a strong stomach. "Anywho, that's when I ran. I think I was halfway back to the capital before the pain in my leg finally slowed me back down!" He said it jokingly but she could tell he was embarrassed too.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Ogres are formidable and you're a trader, not a warrior. Surely you would be ill-prepared, weaponless and laden down with goods, to take on such a beast," Ceileigh reassured him.
"That's true," he said, smiling gratefully. "On the other hand, such things are right up your alley, yes? Might you clear the way? It would be a most welcome boon, and I'll pay you well."
"If you can lead us there, we'll set out the day after tomorrow," she told him.
"'Tis good of you, Arisen!" said Alon, rising to shake her hand. "I know you'll prevail! "
They talked for just a bit more when Ceileigh asked where he was from, curious since his manner of speech was like hers instead of the more formal speech of Gran Soren's residents. It turned out he was born in a small village on the far side of the Greatwall, although he hadn't been home in some time. After Alon took his leave, Ceileigh and Leandor removed their armor and led the other pawns outside the city to check their traps and hunt a bit.
During dinner, Ceileigh silently congratulated herself on keeping her mind off of Leandor all day. And that breaks my streak, she thought as she eyed him surreptitiously. He's just impossible to ignore, as are my feelings. I'll just accept that I'm attracted to him, and not act on it. Besides, if I approached him about it he would probably just be confused.
Ceileigh and her pawns spent most of the next day practicing with Jenner, this time at the sorcerer's own house. His back yard was bigger than Aleena's, which made it easier to practice both magick and regular fighting. Jenner agreed to have them over at least once a week for training, since Ceileigh had nowhere else to practice anymore. She was grateful for that and grateful to have another friend, especially since Leandor seemed more okay with him than he did with most other people. They had lunch there, then left to prepare for their upcoming mission. Leandor got a new iron helmet that fit more snugly to his face and had a liftable visor. Ceileigh wished she could buy a magick bow but she still didn't have enough gold.
Ceileigh released Boris after dinner, then the rest of them went to the Pawn Guild to find a new party member. Ceileigh thought herself into the Rift and called for sorcerers. Several pawns disappeared through the shifting walls and new ones filtered in. Ceileigh settled on a female sorcerer named Nissa who had chin length white hair that contrasted with her youthful face, and wore a rust-brown robe with waist-high slits on both sides. Pointy ears just barely poked out through her hair. With her heart-shaped face, rosy lips and big green eyes, she truly looked like a doll and reminded Ceileigh of Ser Bryan's words.
Alon met them at the city gate the next morning and led them up the north road, through a few more ruins like the ones they'd seen when they first came to the city. The road split off west in the far distance, where the ground flattened and more trees grew. As usual, Ceileigh had her daggers, her bow and arrows, her barbed glove, and now her spiked boots. She felt fairly well prepared.
"I've come to feel more at peace when the capital is in sight," Elyze noted, glancing over at the city walls.
The mage's green and white robe grew dusty as she wandered back and forth off both sides of the road, gathering herbs and fruit. After a while she commented thoughtfully, "All roads seem to lead to Gran Soren."
"Stray from the road and you'll soon find monsters," Nissa chimed in.
Ceileigh chuckled and looked at Leandor. "Why don't you ever state the obvious like the rest of your kind?" she asked, habitually flipping one dagger over and over again as she walked. It was a little harder to do with the Helmbartes but she still managed.
"Because I know it irritates you, master. I strive to offer only useful information. Besides, unlike them, I already know what knowledge you do and do not have."
She laughed. "Thank the Maker! Although I can't imagine anything you do irritating me." She groaned internally at her flirtatious tone.
"Not even this?" he asked. He moved closer to her and snatched her dagger out of the air mid-flip.
"Ha! Nice try, but that was just impressive, not irritating," she winked, holding out her hand expectantly. He shrugged and handed the dagger back. His face was neutral but for a small twinkle in his eye. She looked at him sideways and resumed her habit.
They caught up with Alon, who began telling Ceileigh about his trader's guild and the territory they covered. She found it quite boring but listened politely. Her attention was focused on Alon when suddenly her dagger didn't land back in her hand as expected. She looked over sharply to see Leandor holding it again. She chuckled, raised her eyebrows and held out her hand once more. He returned it with a small smile. She smirked and pointedly continued, daring him to try again.
A few minutes later, as Alon was explaining the price variations between apples from different regions, Leandor did it again. This time Ceileigh ignored him altogether, crossed her arms, and continued talking to Alon as if nothing else was going on and apples were the most interesting thing in the world. "So apples in the north grow larger than ours? I had no idea!" she said.
She thought she heard a snicker from behind her. Her back stiffened and her eyes flew wide. Did he really just LAUGH at me?! she thought incredulously, but she refused to look back. Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Leandor had come close again, flipping the dagger as she always did. That's it! As he tossed it up she pulled his wrist down and caught the weapon in her other hand.
"Okay," she said, rolling her eyes and sheathing the weapon emphatically.
"Please explain, master. This pawn does not know the meaning of just the word 'okay' with no context," said Leandor in mock confusion.
Ceileigh couldn't help but laugh at his innocent act. "You win, that was irritating," she admitted, shaking her head in equal parts exasperation and amusement as her companion broke into a smile of his own.
"Hmmm." He raised his own eyebrows and walked on ahead. This time Ceileigh heard a chuckle for sure.
"The quarry's northeast entrance is just around that bend, past these houses," said Alon after another hour or so. A few stone dwellings stood crumbling on either side of the road, which curved to the right on the far side. "Miners used to live here, but they left when the quarry shut down long ago."
Suddenly the wooden door of one house banged open and two young men with long blonde hair barreled out, each carrying a huge basket and yelling at the top of their lungs. Several screeching goblins immediately burst from behind the building to give chase while a few stayed by the side of the house to watch and cheer on their comrades. The men were headed straight for Ceileigh's group.
"Help! Help us!" cried the man in the lead, struggling to keep hold of his basket.
"Alon, get off the road," said Ceileigh. "Nissa, give us some thunder." The sorcerer complied, then stepped away from the action to cast miasma under the ones by the house. The rest of the party waited on the road, their weapons now crackling with electric energy.
The two men, who appeared to be twins, ran past them at full speed with goblins hot on their heels. Leandor caught one on his sword and launched it away with tusk toss as Ceileigh dodged another's blow next to him. The very tip of the creature's sword slashed her lower stomach as she spun away. She slammed both daggers into the goblin's back as she completed the turn, smelling blood and burnt flesh as it was electrocuted by her thunder-enchanted weapons. It fell motionless to the ground when she yanked her daggers free to face the next one.
Ceileigh and the second creature circled each other. Only the goblin's hands, feet and eyes were showing around the too-big shield it held in front of its body. She heard Leandor skewer one in the distance as two more appeared to either side of her, sneaking up to attack while she was occupied. Suddenly the one on the right attacked, shrieking and waving a club, and the one with the shield followed suit a second later. Ceileigh whirled into scarlet kisses, spinning between both goblins with a flurry of slashes and kicks. The club-wielding goblin fell dead but the one with the shield only stumbled slightly and renewed its efforts.
It barreled into her and kept going until she fell with it on top of her. The large convex shape of the shield pressing her down made it very hard to move effectively. The creature brought out a short sword and stabbed at her from around it. She blocked the best she could, but it scored hits on her shoulders and arms before she was able to dig her barbed glove into its wrist and use her dagger to chop its sword hand off. She grabbed the sword with the charred hand still attached, and drove it through the goblin's head. Two more fell beside her and shattered into icy pieces as she heaved the dead creature and its shield away, grimacing in pain.
Ceileigh got to her feet and assessed the situation. The other goblin that had been sneaking up on her was laying down the road in two blackened, smoking pieces. The immediate area was littered with other damaged goblin bodies and the group by the house was on their hands and knees, covered in boils and vomiting on ground that had turned into a bubbling swamp. Nissa was picking them off one by one, driving the pointy end of her purplish-blue staff through their hearts.
Leandor was fighting off the last two and Ceileigh ran over to help. As she reached him, Leandor knocked one goblin's sword away and used tusk toss to throw it at the other one, sending both rolling. As he did so the thunder enchantment faded from their weapons.
He flings them around like they're nothing! Ceileigh thought in admiration. "How do you do that?" she blurted.
Leandor lifted his visor and walked over to the last pleading goblin. "What, this?" he said nonchalantly, running the creature through and flinging it away. The monster shrieked as it flew through the air and hit a small tree, where it thudded to the ground and died with a gurgle.
Ceileigh doubled over in laughter even though it really hurt. "Well now you're just showing off!" she chastised him, and he laughed along with her. She really liked his developing sense of humor, and she loved hearing him laugh. "Don't get cocky," she said with a smirk, smacking his arm. They walked over to the two blonde men, who were sitting on their baskets, recovering from their ordeal. Elyze trotted after them, healing both of their wounds as they walked. Ceileigh put her hand through a gash in her bloody shirt, sighing over the ruined clothing.
"This is Alastor, and Keenan," said Alon as they approached. "They said they've been hiding in that house since yesterday!"
Nissa walked over to join them. "Did it!" she announced grandly. Leandor and Ceileigh shared a glance and she suppressed a laugh.
"Yes, thank you for saving us, sers!" said Keenan. He jumped up and shook their hands. "My brother and I were gathering fruit when that pack of goblins came after us."
"We sell it in the city," said his twin. "We could not get very far with our goods, but we were loathe to give them up, so we ran to that house and barricaded ourselves in as best we could. It means our family's livelihood after all."
"They circled us all night, chanting and waving torches, banging on the door," Keenan put in.
"When you came by this morning we saw our chance and made a run for it. You looked like you could take on those monsters," said Alastor, eyeing the bodies on the road with distaste.
"We were glad to help. Are there usually goblin packs around here?" Ceileigh asked them.
"Yes, but we normally manage to avoid them. These ones took us by surprise," Alastor told her.
"Shouldn't patrols be keeping this road clear?" she asked.
"They do not usually come this far off the main road," he replied. "They mainly stick to the big roads between here and Windbluff Tower to the north, and down to the encampment area in the south. They have the odd rest camp here and there, and a big station at the Greatwall, but that is about it."
"Do not forget the Shadow Fort, brother," Keenan reminded him.
Alastor shrugged and nodded. "Now, tell us how we may repay you," he said to Ceileigh.
"Oh - well, just tell people that the Arisen rescued you today. Let anyone in need know that I'm here to help, and when the day comes I will protect Gransys from the dragon."
"The Arisen!" Keenan exclaimed. "We have heard of you and your adventures! Forgive me, I do not know the protocol." He gave a small, hesitant bow.
"We will do as you say, and spread the word," Alastor added, bowing awkwardly as well. They gathered up their baskets and left with many more thanks.
Alon sighed in relief that the fight was over and led them around the bend. "This is as far as I go, I'm afraid," he said outside the wooden door of the quarry. "It's a maze in there, but if you try to stick to the main tunnels you'll probably be okay."
"How comforting," said Ceileigh wryly, but then she smiled and opened the door. "We'll be back as soon as we can." She took a last look at the gleaming white chunks of stone to either side that had been cut away to make the entry, then she and her pawns disappeared into darkness.
Ceileigh's eyes struggled to adjust as she fumbled for her lantern. From what little she could see, the air seemed smoky, although the inside of this passage wasn't as musty as the Everfall had been. Once their lanterns were lit, she could see that the short entrance tunnel opened into a spacious cavern. Oversized rats scurried between broken-down crates and long-forgotten sacks of food that had turned to dust. Ceileigh wondered just how long ago the place had been abandoned.
Elyze immediately began picking mushrooms from the walls and stuffing them into her pack by the handful. She even found triangular shaped pink ones that Ceileigh had never seen before. On the far side, two tunnels ran right and one ran left. A ledge directly left led to a much smaller cavern.
"There's a chest up there," said Ceileigh, heading toward the small space. Leandor drew his sword and stayed close in case something jumped out from the shadows. Leandor watched her back as she kicked off the rusty lock and opened the heavy wooden lid. Nissa crowded close to see what was inside while Elyze continued to gather everything in sight.
"There's a sword in here!" Ceileigh exclaimed. She had to use both hands to keep it steady as she presented it to her main pawn. "What do you think? If you like it, it's yours."
Leandor took the sword from her with one hand, turning it this way and that. The sword was a bit longer and heavier than the one he already carried. Both handle and blade were dark gray and the title 'The Bastard Sword' was engraved near the hilt. "It appears to be of high quality, master," said Leandor. "It will serve this pawn well. You have my thanks." Ceileigh had Nissa strap his old sword on her back, out of the way. It should fetch a good price when we return to Gran Soren, she thought.
"Where shall we head next, Arisen?" Elyze asked as she shouldered her now-bulging travel pack.
"Let's go left," she suggested. They didn't get far before their way was blocked by a metal bar door with a large stone pedestal directly in front of it. Elyze and Nissa couldn't avoid stepping on it as they moved to examine the door. The pedestal rumbled and began to sink slowly beneath their combined weight.
"I don't see a keyhole or even a handle on this door. This must be how it opens," said Ceileigh, stepping on and motioning Leandor to follow. The pedestal lowered faster, and when it was flush with the floor the door creaked open. As they stepped through, their lanterns revealed a room instead of more tunnel. They found several money pouches, a few curatives and a cloak inside the barrels and chests there.
Suddenly Ceileigh gasped and clapped a hand to her outer thigh. She was surprised to see her fingers covering a large snake's head. Its fangs were buried in her leg and the rest of its tan and copper speckled body was now writhing, slapping against her as it struggled to free itself.
"Shit, that really hurt!" she exclaimed, frowning down at the angry reptile. She gripped the snake firmly behind the jaw and pried its fangs out of her, then held it against a rock and chopped it in two. A sharp pain shot through her leg and she sucked in a sharp breath, sitting down abruptly. Leandor dropped to one knee beside her and turned her face toward his to see how she was doing. She felt sick to her stomach all of a sudden and her head started to throb.
"I feel a little foggy," she said, squinting. She looked at her leg again, alarmed to see the area around the bite swelling rapidly. Leandor searched through his pack as Elyze started healing the wound.
"Here, master. Eat this," said Leandor, handing her a small batch of mithridate leaves. Ceileigh barely managed to get them down without vomiting, but as soon as she did the pain and swelling began to recede. In another moment that strong feeling flowed through her and she jumped to her feet. Ceileigh thanked her pawns as Nissa approached her.
"I found this key, Arisen," the sorcerer said, handing it to her.
"Good, we might need that," said Ceileigh, slipping it into her belt pouch.
"Let's see what lovely things the other tunnels hold," said Ceileigh, and lead the way around the corner to the right-hand passages. The first one didn't run very far before opening into another small cavern. Someone or something had gathered a store of goods there, which Ceileigh's group quickly depleted.
"I didn't know Gransys had cave systems like this," said Ceileigh, waving a few fluttery bats away from her face as they moved on.
"'Tis dark and unsettling, this place," said Nissa. "I do wish our lanterns cast a wider glow."
"Master, look. Torch light," Leandor said quietly, pointing into the distance. Indeed, Ceileigh counted a dozen or more flames bobbing around. They crept forward more carefully. The tunnel soon ended and now they could tell the torch bearers were on the far side of another large cavern. Ceileigh motioned her pawns to follow as she set out across the dark room. Leandor stayed to her right, trying to watch everywhere at once, while Elyze covered her left and Nissa brought up the rear.
Ceileigh paused partway across, resting her hand on a pillar of minerals and water that had merged to become solid over time. She wrinkled her nose and coughed quietly at a sudden burst of foul odor. Where did that come from? she wondered. I hope there aren't pockets of noxious gas under the cave floor or something.
"I'd judge we're about halfway to them," she whispered, turning to face her party. "Let's get a little closer, then Nissa, you can cast torpor and then miasma under them before they even see us. With torpor they'll take longer to get out of the miasma field and it'll damage them more. After they start to drop we'll go in and pick them off, easy as that. I want a short, quiet battle that won't attract ogres. Okay?" She took a breath and gave a short nod. "Let's go."
She turned and started off, only to have thick brown fur fill her vision as an ogre turned into her path from the other side of the pillar. It grunted as if it was also startled, and reared up to full height.
"Maker!" Ceileigh yelped, stumbling back and falling on her rear. "Fuck!" The ogre roared and a bolt of fear ran through Ceileigh's whole body. Her reflex to the beast's sudden appearance was to lash out with everything she had. She scrambled to her knees, half screamed 'igneus propugnaculum' and drove her daggers into the ground as hard as she could. But she was too close the creature and that level of sunburst was still beyond her skill to control. Ceileigh vaguely heard Leandor and one of the female pawns shouting as she was blown backward and her world dissolved into flame.