Hey everyone.
Things have been hectic lately. Been rather depressed this month - mostly upon hearing the news of Kevin Conroy's passing, followed a week later by the same news about Jason David Frank. Plus holiday hassles, bills, and all that junk. But I still managed to write, and with this chapter, I will be leading up to one of my most ambitious chapters to date.
I hope I'm not way over my head.
So, onward!
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Shadowchasers
Blue Blood
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Chapter Four
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The Preparation
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The Great Library was impressive, Francis had to admit, as they stepped from the foyer into the huge, vaulted chamber. The room appeared to comprise the entirety of the tower that they'd seen from outside, with walls twelve feet high topped by a dome that rose to a vaulted height easily forty feet above their heads. Long, narrow windows punctuated the dome near its base, filling the room with slivers of light that were augmented by at least a dozen bright brass lamps hanging on chains about the perimeter of the room. A long bar with dozens if not hundreds of bottles in organized rows on shelves behind it ran inconspicuously along the edge of the room to their left. A buffet table had been set up near the bar, and chefs were just in the process of bringing out trays, pots, and tureens. The spacious interior of the hall was filled with comfortable-looking padded chairs, small tables where several well-dressed patrons were gaming with dice. The room was filled to about half its apparent occupancy with a representative sample of the races of Shadowkind of both genders but given how it was a masquerade party it was hard to tell if some of them were human or not. There were also four wings off the main hall, a large one that seemed to be the library proper, and four small ones on the other side, seemingly housing a variety of museum pieces and trophies.
"Welcome!" exclaimed an enthusiastic voice.
The greeting came from the dwarf in front of them - obviously Lord Governor Lamour in the gaudiest costume any of them had ever seen. Maddie, Red, and Sonya had yet to meet him, but they realized it could not possibly be anyone else.
His costume was based on the famous portrait of King Henry VIII, a painting that had been done to enhance the king's majesty, and it seemed Lamour might have been trying for the same effect. The tunic with blackwork embroidery, rings, necklaces, emphasized codpiece and oversized shoulders had been faithfully reproduced, all of it covered with sequins made from precious stones. Francis estimated his hat alone cost more than the D-Wheel he had back in Chicago. Unfortunately for Lamour, seeing as he was a dwarf (only five feet tall, with a beard far longer and bushier than Henry's neatly trimmed goatee) he looked rather ridiculous, and despite his cheery attitude, didn't look comfortable at all. To each side of him were attractive young serving girls with bright eyes and near-perfect teeth (evidenced by their smiles) dressed like sylphs.
"Uh, greetings, Your Excellence," said Francis, trying very, very hard to sound polite and avoid cracking up.
"Glad you could come! Buffet opens in thirty minutes, dice tables are over there, card tables are over there, feel free to mingle and peruse the art and library! Sign-ups for the costume contest are next to the bar, ritual starts at nine thirty, and don't forget, the grand unmasking occurs at midnight! Enjoy! After all, it's deductible! Heh."
Of course, the mention of a "ritual" caught their attention, but before Francis could ask, he had gone to greet some other guests.
"I already don't like him."
"I know, Red, that was my reaction yesterday." He straightened his belt. "Well, everyone, I'd say this is the point of no return. Make sure nobody is out of your line of sight for too long." Everyone nodded, and the Demonskarr Ball had - for them - begun.
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Boring, thought Sonya.
She was afraid this was going to be some dull rich guy's party, the type where she would often have to be the designated driver, and thus far, it didn't show otherwise.
Looking around, she took note of some of the more unusual costumes. A woman wearing an outfit that she would compare to Morticia Addams' with protruding fangs and a floor-length wig was talking to a portly man in a pirate costume. He wore an overcoat covering his otherwise shirtless torso, an atypical pirate hat, and pantaloons, with three muskets tucked in a big, red sash; he seemed entranced by everything she said. There was a cartoonish-looking giant caveman (obviously a two-person costume) with a bulbous nose, struggling to keep from falling over.
The music was provided by a group wearing Mardi-Gras style outfits and masks, including a heavy-set man dressed in lederhosen wearing a mask shaped like a pie (playing drums); another a man in foppish period dress with a cavalier hat with a plume and a green domino mask (playing the flute), and a woman playing a mandolin who…
No way, is that Sypha?
It was certainly possible. The bulky noblewoman's mask, overdone hairstyle, and bird-like mask covered a lot of her features, but her voice as she sang her slow, moody melody was very recognizable.
Watching them with some interest was a little fellow dressed as a leprechaun. (Or maybe an actual leprechaun who had decided to dress in the traditional outfit - hard to say with this crowd.) "Give us something we can kick our heels up to, Wandering Minstrel." The odd way he addressed her with that name seemed like it was said as a formal title. She nodded, and the musicians switched to a livelier ragtime melody. Everyone on the dance floor joined hands and started to move about in a wild chain dance. Sonya had to dodge, drop, and roll to evade them and avoid being forcibly drawn in.
She got up, her dodge placing her in front of something she hadn't noticed before.
No… way… she thought.
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Elsewhere in Cauldron…
Fawley had been invited to the Ball, but he had turned it down. He rarely enjoyed listening to a bunch of egotists talking about themselves.
He was working late, in one of the many libraries on the Colfer University campus, where he needed a tome that he never enjoyed using as a reference. While it wasn't cursed or even magical, it was not exactly decent bedtime reading.
It didn't take him long to find it. Lexicon of the Abyss, Volume 27.
No author was given credit on the cover, as this was a collaborative work by the Fraternity of Order, commonly called "the Guvners" - an uncomfortable percentage of the collaborators here were given posthumous credit. They were a sect of sorts who challenged Jalal's belief that Knowledge was Not Power; these intellectuals not only thought knowledge was power but that it was the key to ultimate power. Find out all you could about the laws governing the universe, learn how the laws work, learn how to manipulate them, and you will rule it. They were certain everything had laws, even realms like Limbo that embodied Chaos, although they did admit many laws were harder to uncover than others. Thus, they were involved in many exploratory projects, like this one, which they had been pursuing for three centuries.
Cataloging the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. The Realm of Demons, Chaos and Evil made manifest.
The widely held opinion that the name was not hyperbole did not dissuade them, after all, brainy types like them tended to believe that it was impossible for something to be truly infinite. After three centuries of work, they had managed to catalog 711 layers, an admittedly impressive body of work.
As far as the present task was concerned, finding Cammy Grains and figuring out her ultimate plan seemed to rest on identifying that horrible place where she and Maddie had dueled, and seeing as Hextor's realm was in the Abyss, this was the best place to start, although Maddie's description didn't seem like Scourgehold at all.
He took the tome to a nearby reading table, thinking to himself, Best get this over with.
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Feel like I'm wasting a fortune just standing here.
Maddie was looking over the activity at three of the gambling tables; it looked like all three were playing the same game, a dice-tossing affair that used small metal dice of a variety of shapes. What surprised her the most were the stakes; there were piles of gold coins, gold bars, jewelry, and mounds of paper money. She knew enough about precious metals to estimate that these players were wagering hundreds, if not thousands of Sovereigns on each toss.
"These folks don't mess around, do they?" she said out loud.
"Indeed, for them, this is recreational gambling."
"Uh, Mr. Arlintal?" she exclaimed.
Wearing a gentleman's tailcoat, waistcoat, trousers, and cloak (all black) plus a white shirt and white formal gloves, all of it a very old and formal style, Dorisan was also wearing a porcelain mask engraved with odd symbols that covered the right side of his face. Clearly, he was dressed as the Phantom of the Opera.
"I… I didn't know you were coming."
"To be honest, Ms. Fulton, I was going to RSVP in the negative, but then I found out you mainlanders would be hare, and I changed my mind at the last minute. I still owe you all after that whole ordeal on Magma Avenue the other day. You not only saved Glory, but you also saved me a fortune I might have lost from those ruffians who tried to rob one of my stores."
"It took about a minute before Maddie remembered those goblins who tried to rob Curaro's Curio Cabinet. She nodded. "So, uh, how is Glory?"
"Not good," said Dorisan, his tone noticeably changing. "All we know now is, she was poisoned, likely by someone who wanted to use her as a weapon. If I find out who…"
Dorisan clenched his fist, and Maddie could swear that for a few brief seconds, there was an otherworldly glint to his eyes and the smell of ozone around them. She and the others already suspected he was a wizard, but she really didn't want to confirm it by seeing him angry.
But he quickly calmed down and changed the subject. "So, uh, Madelyne was it? I hear you're good with dice?"
Before she could answer, he waved his hand, causing three dice to appear, held between each of his fingers (sans thumb). Some sort of sleight of hand, she assumed. She nodded and said, "Well… I've been playing Swindlestones here and there…"
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Hard to believe one town could sustain so much foppery, thought Red Feather.
She was trying to remain inconspicuous, something she was never very good at, given her looks. Fortunately, it seemed the gawking from guests at the gambling tables and the couples on the dance floor were minimal right now. She couldn't help but be a little disappointed, however.
The actual library was a collection of volumes on tall bookshelves accompanied by metal-frame ladders mounted to the wall on rollers running around the entire length of the wing. The wing was set up like a lounge, with some comfortable-looking chairs and sofas, and an inviting, lit fireplace in the center of the fall wall, with wooden carved busts of dwarves mounted on the wall above.
She looked over a small section, and went to pick one at random, if only to make it look like she knew what she was doing here.
"Quite an impressive collection, ees eet not?"
The comment had come from a man reclining on one of the armchairs, his costume resembling that of the atypical soldier of the Crusaders (via modern perception, at least); chainmail, covered by a tunic with a fleur-de-lis battle standard design. The mask used to conceal his face was, however, shaped like that of a fox.
She recognized his accent… Not that it was easy to forget…
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Maddie didn't know what to make of Dorisan here. He seemed to know how to play Swindlestones, but not very well. He had by now lost five matches, with Maddie increasing the 30 Sovereigns she had brought to the ball with her to 400. Either Dorisan was lousy at this, or he was letting her win for some reason.
They each rolled. "I'll bet two twos," he said.
"Mmm, three threes," said Maddie. "So, uh, where are you from?"
"I, eh? Oh, South Africa, I think. Call it."
They turned their dice hands forward, Maddie having three threes and a one, Dorisan two twos, a one, and a four. She was winning again.
He pocketed one of his dice, and they rolled again. "You think?" she asked. "I'll wager three fours."
"Pretty sure I was born there at least. Call it."
Again, it seemed he had made a bad move, as she did have three fours and a two, he had three twos.
"Pretty sure?"
"I'll ante an additional 50 Sovereigns," he said. After placing the cash down, he rolled his remaining two dice, Maddie rolling her four. "Well, my parents were… 'independent contractors', that's the term my father used, and we moved about quite a bit. I'll bet one four."
"Hmm," said Maddie, "two fours."
"Never really knew what service they were contracted for, though I do know they did a lot of jobs for Yoshitsumo Consulting."
"WHAT? Maddie almost fell out of her chair in shock. His folks worked for Mr. Yoshitsumo. That's… That's a pretty big deal.
"Three fours," he said.
Maddie dropped her poker face and said, "CALL!" enthusiastically. She had bluffed him, her hand being two ones and two threes. Obviously, he could not have had more than two fours in his hand.
"You are clever," he said, smiling smugly. "I will fold, I know when I'm licked."
Maddie was shocked. She had just won almost a thousand Sovereigns! "You sure?" she asked. "Don't you want to try best out of eleven?"
"I'm afraid that's all the cash I have on me," he said, shaking his head. "Although…" He looked towards another table. "Maybe you'd prefer more of a challenge?"
Maddie swallowed hard, realizing she had gotten a little too overconfident with the Swindlestones. She had seen a lot of sitcoms and movies where the protagonist gets over his head on a gambling winning streak, only to go too far and lose everything.
She carefully made her way to the table Dorisan had indicated, where four partygoers were playing, using gold coins as one would use poker chips. One of them was easy to identify - Lamour. The others were a man (she assumed) dressed in a long, black cloak, boots, cloves, a wide-brimmed hat, and a full-face mask with a long beak, the garb of a Plague Doctor. There was a young elf woman (she could tell from her ears) dressed in a tight leather "catsuit" that covered every inch of her body except her head, with two belts and iron wristbands and choker. Her black hair was tied in very long braided pigtails, and she wore a porcelain mask over her face. Dollface, Maddie thought, reminded of a similar-looking character in an old video game. Finally, there was a balding, portly human (probably) male wearing goggles with the whole lower half of his face covered by a comical fake mustache. While the mustache wasn't the same style and his outfit was a crimson suit with a cummerbund and cravat, it was hard not to compare him to Dr. Eggman, whom she remembered from another old game. He and the Plague Doctor nodded at Maddie in greeting as she approached. There was a padded bench a short distance back from the table for spectators, so she hopped up there hoping to get a better look at this odd dice game, which was far more complex that Swindlestones, more than even craps or any other dice game she knew about.
It didn't take her long to figure out how it worked, as apparently chatter was a big part of this game and the nobles seemed welcoming enough of a potential new player. The game was called "gemsnatcher," and Eggman (as Maddie would refer to him) explained the rules in between his turns. Each player had access to a standard six-sided die, a pyramidal four-sided dice, and one each of an eight-, ten-, and twelve-sided dice. The game started with everyone rolling the four-sided dice simultaneously, and if a player rolled a one on their turn, they were "promoted" and used the next-larger size for the next toss. This continued until someone made it up to the largest die, a fat, nearly spherical bronze slug slightly larger than a walnut that had 20 facets. (This was the "gem", and the player rolling it was the "gemsnatcher".) On a round where the gem was cast, then everyone who did not roll a one in that round had to pay the gemsnatcher coins equal to the number the gemsnatcher had rolled.
"And then you buy the table a round from your winnings!" Lamour laughed, making a sweeping gesture. It seemed he had already consumed quite a few such victory toasts.
"The purchase of libations is strictly optional," Dollface added, not seeing as much humor in the Lord Governor's behavior.
Of course, much like poker chips, the value of the coins was fixed depending on which table the game was played; here each were worth 20 Sovereigns, the maximum payout being 400 per round, something Maddie could cover twice over with her windfall and have enough left to treat the acolytes tomorrow, something she had intended for a long time.
The game concluded with Dollface gaining the gem and rolling a four on it. Eggman, who'd gotten up to the twelve-sided die quickly before rolling ten straight throws without a one, cursed but managed a forced smile as he handed over the coins. It was clear to Maddie that this much money was chump change to all of them, as even Eggman's pocket watch (which he seemed to look at frequently) was easily worth at least a hundred times the total stakes at the table.
The Plague Doctor stood up. "I'm afraid I have a small matter to attend to... you may have my spot, madam." He nodded to Maddie, and Lamour stood up as well.
"Alas, I also have duties that must be dealt with, governor stuff and all." He gathered up all his coins and deposited them into a purse. "Good day," he said before leaving.
"Oh, poo," said Dollface, "it's bad luck to play gemsnatcher with less than four. Say, mainlander, perhaps one of your friends would join us?"
Maddie was sure any of them would be happy to oblige; Red would likely enjoy the chance to show up these snobs. But as she was about to try to find them, a familiar - and annoying - voice spoke up and said, "If you need a fourth, I would be willing to play a round."
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Fortunately for Fawley, there were quite a few parts of this book he could skip. There were many layers of the Abyss that were thoroughly explored, many that could easily support mortal life, and many where the inhabitants were not completely hostile - even demons could at times recognize the benefits of alliances. So, the most detailed entries could be briefly skimmed over or skipped entirely.
Many of the entries included the word "interdicted", a catch-all word that meant further study or entry was forbidden without special authorization, usually because it was far too dangerous to do so.
Layer the 9th, "Molerat', discovered by gnome illusionist Pylo Crasor and his kin. Interdicted. This layer is a dank fen of eternal darkness, where native demons hunt each other and any visitors via hearing, smell, and possibly echolocation. While the inhabitants of Molerat greatly fear light and fire, their numbers are too great to justify a return trip.
Obviously not, thought Fawley, and continued to the next.
Layer the 12th, Unnamed, discovered by Fanasma the Mage. Interdicted. This barren layer seems uninhabited, lacking anything but a rocky, desert surface, and no atmosphere. Fanasma survived due to use of an ion stone, describing how she could only watch as her companions died in agony, their blood literally boiling.
Eww… thought Fawley. He quickly turned to the next.
Layer the 15th, called "That Hellhole" by Glumon of the clan of Norminus of the Iron House, Interdicted. Glumon only remained in this deadly place for approximately three minutes and was the only survivor of his expedition. It seems this layer is a feeding frenzy of ravenous beasts who constantly prey on each other, as the expedition was set upon as soon as they cleared the gate. The bite marks he was treated for upon return support this observation.
Layer the 18th, discovered by Mansarmo the Melder, Interdicted. This is believed to be the much rumored "dead end" of the Lower Planes. Mansarmo describes this cavern-like layer as dark, wet, and cold. Magic of all sorts does not function in this place, including portals that lead into it. Mansarmo was able to use his inborn psionic abilities of Probability Travel to escape, but had to abandon his four companions, their ultimate fates unknown.
Fawley had noted when he first perused this tome that "sole survivor" was a common theme among exploratory groups who had supplied the reports.
Layer the 20th, "Sulfanorum", discovered by halfling explorer and tobacco merchant Chumblebum. Referred to by Chumblebum as "The Promised Land", Sulfanorum is only tolerable by those able to withstand its toxic atmosphere. Demons use this layer as a place of recreation, smoking pipes and cigars composed of the foulest variants of tobacco known, causing all but the hardiest of mortal visitors to cough, choke and wheeze. Low fires constantly burn in this layer, emanating the soot and filth that covers the sky.
In exchange for his report, Chumblebum was granted tariff-free mercantile rights to Sulfanorum for the next five decades.
Fawley shook his head. This was going to take longer than he had thought.
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Maddie had been startled slightly, not having heard the newcomer come up from behind her. She felt a nasty twinge as she recognized the voice, which was confirmed a moment later as he walked around her, sliding easily into the vacant seat.
She recognized Todd quickly. Todd Vanderboren, one of the Stormblades, a group of young socialite glory hounds who called themselves the Stormblades, they fancied themselves "adventurers" - or in his case, maybe a toady of the others. Maddie didn't know whether he was human or Shadow-touched or what, he seemed to have an… aura or something that put everyone off for no visible reason.
He wasn't very good looking. He was a little too thin for his frame, a weak chin and long face making him look a bit like a weasel, with short, black hair that was unkempt, unwashed, and uncombed. Maddie did have to give him credit for his costume, though, which was… unique. He seemed to have taken fabric of the brightest, gaudiest colors he could find, cut them into pieces with shears, sewn them together haphazardly into a shirt and trousers, and topped the whole thing off with a rugby helmet and aviator goggles. She had no idea what he was supposed to be, but it certainly made him stand out.
The important thing about Todd and his friends was that they had taken a dislike to the Shadowchasers for, it seemed, no reason at all, other than possibly jealousy. Francis, Nichole, and Dugan had risked life and limb (and possibly their very souls) delving through the gnomish city and the Malachite Fortress to rescue civilians (many of them children) who had been abducted by slavers. While they had succeeded with the help of some allies with a common goal, one of those allies - Fawley's apprentice Mr. Nacht - gave his life to save Nichole.
While Maddie had not been in Cauldron for that excursion, she was there when the Stormblades had showed up at the Coy Nixie vocally and publicly mocking them and implying that the endeavor had been staged as a PR stunt, even claiming poor Nacht had been a stooge in the plan. While Annah (the assumed leader of the group) did most of it, neither Todd nor any of the others did anything to dissuade her.
"Todd," said Dollface under her breath, her tone indicating she was as annoyed by the socialite's arrival as Maddie was.
"Nice to see you too, Veronica," said Todd, smugly, emphasizing the name for some reason. He sat down and laid out a small pile of the golden coins in front of him with a sweep of his hand. Maddie glanced around the room, wondering - and fearing - that the other Stormblades might be here with her, but barring some really good costumes on their part, it seemed Todd had come alone. He looked at Maddie with an expression that seemed just short of a leer, then deftly swept up the dice that Lamour had left behind.
"So… Feeling lucky today, Sonya?" he asked.
One thing Maddie did feel lucky about was that she still had her poker face on - it seemed Todd was trying to expose the identities of the guests. While she had no way of knowing whether he was right when he called Dollface "Veronica", he was obviously wrong this time.
She struggled to hold back laughter and decided to play along. "Oh, I always feel lucky," she said. It wasn't as though the Stormblade was going to start a fight or something. (She hoped.) Her friends hadn't noticed him yet, but she was sure that if it ever came to a fight between them, it would be no contest - Maddie would teach this spoiled brat a lesson in humility, likely by giving him a well-deserved spanking.
"Coins please," she said, and threw her winnings from Dorisan on the table.
Speaking of which, Dorisan was sitting unnoticed about ten feet behind Eggman where Maddie could easily see him, giving her a slow nod. Did he have some reason for wanting her to challenge Todd? Or these other two players? Only time would tell.
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Sonya wondered if she had died and gone to Heaven.
She was one of two people she knew who could play the harpsichord. The only other was her teacher. Manella claimed she was part of a group of artists who adhered to old-school mediums that had gone out of style, vowing no form of art would ever truly become lost and forgotten. A lofty goal, but then, Manella was a lillend. The only price she had required was that Sonya promised to eventually teach it to someone else before she died.
Now, Sonya was in front of the Rolls Royce of harpsichords, an Elysium Celestial Harmonic. Designed with schematics created by the master craftsman Giovanni DeLunoir during the Italian Renaissance, less than thirty were ever built. The frame was a unique gold, bronze, and steel alloy, preserving its beauty while enhancing its toughness, invented by a dwarven metallurgist, the formula for creating it was a secret jealously guarded by his clan. Each Harmonic had a frame etched with a unique design that made each an artistic masterpiece in itself. It had two keyboards, the lower one with keys made of ivory and obsidian, the upper one of blue lapis and jade. According to legend, they had been so finely made that when DeLunoir performed, Queen Morwell herself attended, and then invited him to perform in the Court of Stars. Well, some versions of the story replaced "invited" with "kidnapped", but with stories about "the Fair Folk", those words are often interchangeable.
And despite the nearby security guards in plain sight, nobody tried to stop her as she walked towards it, as if in a trance…
This was way too much a temptation.
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The man in the Plague Doctor costume - Ferid Momoe, actually - clutched his forehead, staggering to the bar. He never liked parties in general, and masquerade parties worst of all. This costume was almost like a straitjacket.
"Uh," he said to the bartender. "Bourbon with ice. Ah, and a glass of ice water."
Ferid was struck by the irony - he was a janni, a type of genie much like the djinn and efreet, but likely the most common and weakest that kind of Shadow. Genies were elemental beings, but a janni was different than most, made up of all four elemental powers. He was one-fourth Elemental Water and yet he was at risk of dehydration due to this dumb costume.
Of course, there was a reason for this, and he knew it. A janni's unique condition meant they could only survive on the Prime Material Plane for 48 hours before needing to travel to one of the Elemental Planes for another 48 hours. Something few janni liked to do, as their condition also made them the lower class of any community on those Planes, regarded as mercenaries at best or slaves at worst. And in Ferid's case, he was a wanted criminal in all four of them, a war criminal in one case.
That was why he had so eagerly accepted the role of Khama's apprentice and their uneasy partnership with Xokiek, the magical amulet he used and the odd liquid he used to recharge it were supplied by the odd goblin sorcerer and let him stay on the Material Plane indefinitely. Yes, it was extortion and yes it cost him much of his power, but it was still better than -
"Excuse me -" said Francis' voice, next to him.
Ferid was in the process of lifting his mask up in order to drink, but quickly slammed it back down. Was the mainlander onto him?
"Are you all right?" asked Francis. "You looked like you were about to fall over."
"I'm, uh… I'm fine," answered Ferid. "I just haven't eaten much today… Busy, you know, I should be okay when the food comes out."
"Uhm, okay…" said the Shadowchaser. He gave an odd look before walking away.
Ferid took the time to wipe his brow before downing the water in two gulps, but was startled again, this time by a voice that, to him, was more annoying.
"Living dangerously, aren't we, Ferid?"
The eerie voice had come from an equally-eerie woman. Her costume suggested a Geisha, but darker than most, having a long, dun-colored kimono with a plain white obi, with an emotionless Noh-style porcelain mask. The most unnerving part about her, she seemed to float slightly above the ground.
"Yes, I knew it was you, I'm not very good at remembering faces, but I never forget a nose like yours."
"Don't start with me, Rivaldi," he growled. "I have a job to do here, and I assume you know what it is."
"We could have gotten someone else to do it."
"I always finish a job and always do the job I agree to do. It's called commitment, a concept someone like you could learn."
"Ah yes, such dedication and determination." Rivaldi started to float away. "If we had more people like you, we would have less people like you."
Ferid glared at her briefly, then downed his bourbon. If there was a school of magic that could harness sarcasm, that woman would be a High Magus of Boccob.
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Alonso dressing up as Reynard the Fox was hardly surprising. Red Feather had to admit, though, as obnoxious as he had been, it was good that there was someone she could talk to.
"Not a big fan of events like this, eh?" he asked.
"I… do not get out much," said Red Feather, which was true enough. Social events did make her rather uncomfortable.
"Fear not, mi ami, galas like zis are often where zee most stringent of Cauldron's upper crust show their lighter sides." He adjusted his mask, adding, "Zat ees why vee use zees." He adjusted his mask slightly. "Not zat zey are much of a disguise ven you frequent zese parties enough times."
"Social obligation, right?"
"Indeed, but you learn from experience. Look over zere."
He pointed to the woman in the "Morticia" costume. "Zat is Danna Vanderboren, a gossip who thinks she knows everything. She and her brother Todd have a wager every year as to who can identify more guests."
Todd? A common name to be sure, but Red Feather recognized it as quickly as Maddie had.
"Vatch vat you say within earshot of either of zem, any secret zey learn will be known by all of Cauldron the next morning. And he -" he pointed to the man dressed as a pirate, "ees Captain Collinsworth Jaroe. No idea if he ees an actual Captain, but I do know he claims to be an uh… 'exobiologist' who does 'empirical research' on 'interspecies relationships'."
"Meaning he wants to bed every possible species of Shadowkind?"
Alonso nodded. "Nobody ees certain whether his 'research' vill result in a new offshoot of humanity or several new STDs."
This may have been the closest Red had come to laughing in months. Her attention was drawn briefly to the music - or rather, sudden lack of it, as the minstrels had stopped playing - but quickly started listening to Alonso again. He motioned towards the two-person caveman costume. "Zat is Morton and Bert Dombey. Those two have been trying to win zee costume contest here for zee past ten years. Zey have managed to come in second place twice and third place four times, but never first. Zere is a rumor zat every time zey don't win, zey spend zee entire rest of the year thinking up different costumes. Zat is not the first time zey have had zee two-in-one idea. Last year they came in a big pear made of papier-mâché."
Pear? thought Red, what… Oh, right. Well, points for originality, I guess.
Then the music resumed, but it was different music, and quickly saw the cause.
"Maddie found the Elysium Harmonic," she said.
And she was making good use of it, it seemed, playing Jonas Sebastian Bach's Concerto No.1 in D Minor. Everyone on the dance floor had stopped momentarily to watch and to listen.
"Would mademoiselle care to dance?"
He offered her his hand, and Red was about to react the way she had to his advances last time, but then wondered if she was being too prude. She simply said, "Ah… Why not?"
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"Let us play," Eggman said, taking up his 4-sided die.
The four dice clattered into the velvet circle that was etched into the center of the table, the arena for this battle of chance. Each was of a different color, so each player's die was clearly distinguishable from the others - Maddie's were blue, Todd's were red, Dollface, yellow, and Eggman green.
The little pyramids did not have an actual top face, so the numbers were scribed around the base where it landed. In the first toss, Maddie and Eggman rolled fours, while Todd and Dollface both got ones, gaining the honor to replace their pyramids for cubes for the second toss.
"I heard that there was some action on Magma Avenue the other day," Eggman said, as he took up his pyramid die. He scowled as the second toss resulted in a one for Maddie, who joined Dollface and Todd with a six-sider. His own die came up two.
"Ah, yes, the umber hulk," Todd said, grinning as his third toss showed another one. He discarded the cube, upgrading to the diamond-shaped eight-sider. Eggman also rolled a one and upgraded, while Maddie and Dollface rolled higher numbers on this cast, no help to them.
"I have heard that the creature's sudden appearance may have been magical in nature," Dollface said. "Possibly not an accident. Someone from Colfer has been looking into the matter."
"Well, if we want more information, why don't we just go to the source?" replied Todd. They made another toss, but no ones came up when the dice stopped tumbling. He turned to Maddie and added, "You and your friends were there, were you not?"
"Uh-huh, we fought the creature." Maddie watched Todd very carefully as they made another toss. Even before her die settled to the felt cover of the table, a single pip showing on its top face, her suspicion was confirmed.
Figures. The Stormblade was trying to influence his rolls by the way he held and cast them, a tactic Maddie had seen in some shady casinos. It wasn't technically cheating according to the rules of most casinos (if it was, it would be very hard to prove), but anyone who used this trick at a respectable establishment wouldn't be thought highly of. Edgar - her mentor - had seen it more often, and was able to do it himself, having learned how to do it himself from a verbeeg informant who frequented one of those same shady casinos. Dollface and Eggman seemed completely clueless, however.
"You were the ones that battled the creature?" asked Dollface. "I heard it took the head off a sentry with one bite."
"We're just lucky that our brave heroes were there to put a stop to the creature's rampage," Todd said, her voice full of bile like that of a hissing snake, her words intended as an insult poorly disguised as a compliment. "Plus, that terrible bomb threat the day after. Funny how you mainlanders always seem to be right there, whenever something terrible happens in the city.
Sure, Todd, I'd like to see you do better. Probably hiding under your bed while I was going after Cammy in that awful… place.
"You are holding up the game," Dollface said, hefting her palm with the die inside. Once more Todd scored a one, upgrading to the ten-sided die, while the others got nothing. To Maddie's sharp eyes it looked like this miscreant was eschewing subtlety and all but dropping the die on the table, trying to get that one.
"I don't think Francis found it funny," Maddie said.
"Uh, waitress?" said Eggman. He lifted his hand motioning for one of the servers.
"Indeed," said Todd, "a frontal assault is almost certainly suicide against an umber hulk. One would have to be incredible stupid to try it and have the luck of the gods to survive."
"Maybe he prevailed because the hulk didn't expect it either." Eggman's voice seemed irked, he also seemed to be getting annoyed with Todd.
The waitress came to the table, smiling and asking, "What can I get you all?"
Todd had not broken her scornful glare towards Maddie and lifted his die as they prepared for another cast. Maddie lifted her hand and said, "Wait…"
She had just gotten the craziest idea…
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Fawley had managed to narrow down his search slightly by now. Many had at least a few similarities to what Maddie had described.
Layer the 34th, Twelvetrees, Interdicted. This layer is considered a pilgrimage site for demons, respected as sacred ground by all Demon Lords. Reports submitted by the Order of the Planes Militant claim this isolated layer was discovered by twelve unfortunate celestials who were tricked into going there with offers of a peace conference. The unnamed orchestrator of the plot double crossed and ambushed them, and then sacrificed them in a vile ritual, binding their souls to twelve giant pine trees on the peak of a plateau on the otherwise barren layer. To this day, their screams of agony can be heard throughout the layer under a sky that is eternally overcast and thunderous. The ritual infused the entire layer with a strong evil energy that amplifies and enhances the effects of all dark magic cast there; some reports claim this includes wild magic. Aside from the demonic pilgrims (who reportedly enjoy a sort of religious ecstasy while visiting), Twelvetrees is sparsely populated, mostly by chasme and bulezou. It is also believed the cabal of mortal sorcerers responsible for building the notorious Ship of Chaos holds a fortress here, possibly having used the layer's dark properties to build it.
Fawley marked down the name and page number in his notes before continuing.
Layer the 36th, "Chaos Heart", discovered by Hans Brigman of the Legislators. This dreaded layer was formerly the home of the reviled Queen of Chaos; since her defeat at the Fields of Pesh, Chaos Heart has no known ruler, as the layer seems to reject civilized beings and civilizations in general; most sapient beings (including demons) are consumed in a manner of weeks by some unknown hazard of the layer itself (though Brigman somehow managed to survive for four years), and any structure built by such is reduced to ruins within a few months. The only native inhabitants being Abyssal fauna such as yeth hounds, vorrs, and nightmare beasts, and demons who fancy themselves hunters may make temporary visits. While little of value remains in Chaos Heart from the Queen's reign of terror, one area of note is a pool on a mountainside which reportedly rejuvenates anyone who bathes it, restoring their youth and curing them of any disease, curse, or infirmity. A female demon named Spirac always resides in the pool; considering it her property, anyone who wishes to use it must surrender part of their free will to do so. It is also known that the once-powerful primordial Malgoth met his end here, hunted down by seven demon lords who had allied with each other to oppose him, his giant-sized skeletal remains now serving as a monument to the event.
The problem was, of course, that while these descriptions did have a few similarities to what Maddie described, there were also quite a few inconsistencies. And there was also a clue as to why Cammy and her accomplice would be interested in either of them - anything valuable left behind by the Queen of Chaos would likely have been found centuries ago, and unless she planned to rebuild the Ship of Chaos…
He shuddered a little before moving on - gods help them if she managed to do that.
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Maddie cast a sly smile towards Todd. "You know, it may be silly of me, but… There's a game we play back in the states called Yahtzee…"
"Eh? Yahtzee?"
"Heh, yeah, Yahtzee is a dice game where the player throws five dice at once, by putting all his dice in a cup, shaking it, and then dumping them on the table. It's kind of fun, you know, hearing all the dice clatter before tossing them all on the table, so I was thinking that maybe…" She looked at Eggman's now empty glass, the reason he had called for the waitress, then towards the waitress herself. "Yes, you suppose that could work here, with a cup for all four dice? It really makes me feel lucky."
The hostility in Todd's stare deepened, but he didn't respond; he was smart enough to know that any complaints would only make the implication of Maddie's words worse. Dollface and Eggman were quick to voice approval for the plan, each stealing a quick glance at the Stormblade as they placed their dice into a metal tumbler glass that the waitress quickly provided from a storage drawer under the table.
The next cast was a push, with nobody rolling one. They paused for a moment then as a waitress took drink orders. Maddie ordered ginger ale (even if there was only a slim chance this was more than a simple party, she couldn't risk getting drunk) Dollface asked for Irish coffee, Eggman sherry, while Todd ordered a Bloody Mary, emphasizing the word "bloody" as he looked at Maddie. The waitress nodded, took their orders and empty cups, and departed silently.
Todd leaned back, tilting his chair back precariously on two legs as he scanned the room. "It seems like this place just doesn't have the same aura it used to," she offered. "Used to be, you could expect a certain... refinement when you came here."
Maddie almost had to bite back a laugh. In a way, Todd had an almost refreshing lack of subtlety. Eggman did not restrain himself. "I know exactly what you mean," he replied, his own gaze fixed squarely on Todd. "This place started to lose that refinement, I would say," he opened his pocket watch again, "about twenty minutes ago."
"Roll," the Stormblade snarled, lunging forward to all but hurl his die into the cup. It was Dollface's turn to shake the cup, and her toss revealed another one for Eggman, who upgraded to the twelve-sided die, the last one before the bronze dodecahedron.
"Ah, luck favors me tonight!" the portly nobleman chortled. But on the next toss he rolled a three, while Dollface's one allowed her to upgrade to the eight-sider. Now she and Todd were tied with eight sides, while Maddie still had six and Eggman twelve.
"Speaking of treasure," Todd said, although they hadn't been talking about anything of the sort far as Maddie could recall, "did you hear, the Stormblades found a cache in the tunnels under the city? After what happened yesterday with the umber hulk, the Lord Governor asked us to close that opening to the Underlands that had been found in the tunnels under the city. Seems the place had been used by the slavers connected with those abductions we'd had some trouble with last month. 'The Malachite Fortress,' I think they call it. Anyway, closing the tunnel was easy enough, but afterwards we poked around a bit, and found a hidden cache... gold, silver, jewels... seems the slavers left behind some of their ill-gotten gains."
Maddie was about to respond to this blatant act of self-praise, but Dollface leaned on her hand and asked, "And what will you and your little crew do with this newfound windfall?"
"Oh, you know Annah, and her good heart—she insisted that we donate to the orphanage, and to the families of those who had suffered at the hands of Kazmojen and his evil allies. Those poor children... they've suffered enough, I think."
"His voice was so thick with false sincerity Maddie wanted to throw up. She refused to let this jerk successfully bait her, however, so she simply said, "Oh, is it my toss?"
The next two rounds came up without any ones. As the cup passed to Todd, he twirled it in his hand and said, "This game grows tiresome. Shall we raise the bet, say, to ten times face value."
"The rules for this table are clear," said Dollface, sternly, "let us continue the game."
"Ah so rare to find individuals of stout heart in these troubled times," Todd said. He shot the dice onto the table with far more force than necessary. When they settled, Princess had another one, bringing her up to the ten-sided die. The next toss resulted in a one for Maddie, and she swapped out for the eight-sider.
"Blah, this is just like the last game," Eggman complained. He got yet another false roll on his next play, a five. "Get stuck on the twelve-sider…"
"You still have the lead," Dollface said, "and the odds of rolling a one on the twelve are rather longer than on the smaller die." Her distinguished façade cracked, however, when on the next toss she achieved a one, upgrading her to the twelve. Her pleasure was drowned out by Todd, however, who loudly declared, "FINALLY!" as he moved up to the ten-sider. Now Maddie was alone in last place, on the eight-sided dice, as the cup passed to her.
"Looks like your luck has deserted you today," Todd chortled. "Might want to be careful, bad luck tends to come in streaks."
With her patience severely starting to thin, Maddie shot him a venomous look despite herself, and rolled. Nobody rolled one that time, nor did any for the four rolls afterward; bad luck seemed to be contagious in this case. Eggman was starting to show frustration now as his twelve-sider produced a twelve and three elevens in those five tosses, although the waitress arriving with the drinks brightened his spirits somewhat. Maddie didn't see the point of his anger, since getting an eleven was no worse than a two for this game, but she supposed she could see the mental effect of rolling a number far from the desired objective.
Todd drained his drink noisily and belched. "All right let's get this game over with," he said, taking the cup and making his toss. And in fact, his ten-sided die showed a one. Now three players had the twelve, and Maddie had the eight.
"What say you to a little side wager?" he said to Maddie, leaning over the table until she could smell the liquor on his breath. "If I go up on the next toss, you're mine, for a night."
Eggman looked shocked, and Dollface glared at Todd with a look of disgust that the mask could not hide. Maddie however, had gained control of herself, and only wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"You know, I'd be tempted to agree, if only I could demand that you bathe, if I should win. But sadly, I promised my parents that I wouldn't lay with vermin, so I must decline your bold offer."
A chortling behind her indicated they had gained a few spectators. Francis was watching with some concern, while Danna and Jaroe were watching with bemusement.
Eggman couldn't help but laugh too. Dollface said, "Let us finish this game. I suddenly find myself quite tired of the present company." She took up the cup, shook it more vigorously than before, and rolled. Her die came up with a one, and she took up the bronze twenty-sider. The others placed their dice into the cup, and without bothering to pass the cup to Todd, the elf woman went ahead and made the final toss. There were no ones, and Dollface's roll of fifteen marked the settlement of the wager. Maddie and Eggman carefully counted out fifteen coins, while Todd ungraciously shoved a pile of coins in her direction.
"And now, I think I will adjourn," Dollface said, standing up. She turned to Maddie and added, "It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope we may resume our acquaintance under better company."
The Stormblade stood as well. "One final wager," he said, leaning over the table, leering down at Maddie, his voice thick. "If you are not too cowardly to refuse."
"As long as it doesn't involve… touching you," Maddie suggested.
"No, you've missed that chance, my dear, though... who can say, in the future?" He reached down and took up the twenty-sided die. "A simple proposition. One toss each. High toss wins, winner collects the face value... times one hundred Sovereigns."
Dollface stopped, turning back towards the table - it seemed she was not going to miss this. Nobody even noticed that the music from the harpsichord had stopped. More partygoers started to gather, and Todd sneered down at Maddie, as if awaiting her rejection of his offer. Obviously, that was the intent. His lame accusation might not seem so lame if Maddie refused.
Maddie hesitated, genuinely uncertain. After all, she was a Shadowchaser who had wagered her life and soul in the past, literally, and this was seemingly only money. Seemingly. The real wager here was her pride and reputation, possibly that of the other Shadowchasers too.
Only money, she repeated to herself. While she wanted nothing more than to show up this weaselly brat, the possible sums involved in this wager were considerable. She could cover the bet, most likely—though she might have to pawn some of her belongings or sponge money from the others if the roll was too high. In her head, she could already hear Gregory, Jenya, and possibly even Nichole and Jalal scolding her for even considering such a reckless move…
"We accept." Francis' voice cut through Maddie's musings. She looked up and saw that Red and Sonya were there too, Red still with Alonso, with about a dozen other nobles. The games at the other tables had come to a temporary halt, as everyone watched to see how this showdown would conclude. Maddie thought it was silly, actually - most of these folks had abandoned the tables with far larger wagers than this one! But she felt a surge of excitement as she stood atop her chair (she hated all these big folk looming over her) and nodded.
Todd glanced at Danna, but his sister simply shook her head as if to say he was on his own.
The Stormblade hefted the heavy bronze die. This, of course, was where Maddie realized they were no longer using the dice cup and Todd once again had his unfair advantage, but it was too late to change the terms of the wager now. He launched the die onto the table with a snap of his wrist. It bounced off the raised edge of the center game-space, then spun to a stop.
Seventeen.
Todd Vanderboren smiled, but there was nothing pleasant in it. "Your turn…"
Maddie took up the bronze die, which felt unnaturally heavy in her small hand. She gulped, then looked up at the gathered onlookers, including her friends, which included Sonya now. Francis met her gaze, smiled, and nodded, sending the message, Whatever happens, we're in this together.
She nodded back and cast the die. When it settled to a stop, the crowd let out a cheer. The number showing on the die's top face was…
Twenty.
Todd Vanderboren looked down at the table in disbelief.
Maddie was struggling not to pass out from the shock. "You lose," she finally said. "That's… two-thousand Sovereigns."
The young man looked truly afraid for the first time since they'd first seen him at the Coy Nixie. "I... I don't have that much cash."
"I am sure that the club will be happy to advance the funds, in your name," came a voice from beyond the circle of onlookers. They all stepped aside to let the owner of the Cabaret Arcana approach.
Red Feather had met Hester once before, her opponent during the flood season's archery contest. But while the casual clothing had been swapped for an elegant evening gown, she still blended "beautiful" and "terrifying" in a unique way. She was an asura, a soldier of the Upper Planes; she stood nearly seven feet tall, had bronze skin and floor-length, billowing red hair, wings with golden feathers, and sharp talons on her hand and bare feet that seemed made of ruby.
"Ooh, he's in trouble…" said a serving maid next to Francis.
Todd cowered from Hester, a sight that was easy to compare to a rat cowering from a hawk, but Hester calmly and politely continued. "After all, we all know the Vanderboren name... and that they honor their debts."
Todd snarled, but there was nothing he could do but nod in agreement agree. The short fellow in the leprechaun costume brought Maddie a stack of the platinum bars on a tray, the tokens used at the high roller's table, twenty of them. "Thank you," she said, softly. Todd remained only long enough to quickly scratch his name onto a receipt provided by the club, then slunk quickly towards the restrooms on the far side of the dance hall.
"Think he has learned his lesson?" asked Red.
"I kind of doubt it," replied Sonya.
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Fawley noted the word "Ebon" in one entry, wondering if possibly that had some significance. He was glad he had dined three hours ago, this was not a description one should read while eating.
Layer the 53rd, Sholo-Tovoth, Interdicted. This is the realm of the Elder Evil called Turaglas, also called the Ebon Maw, the Devourer, the Hunger Eternal. According to the Demonicon of Iggwilv, Sholo-Tovoth and its monstrous master were spawned by the Abyss itself, "not merely from the Abyss but of the Abyss... a manifestation not of the Abyss's rage but of its eternal, unslakable hunger for all things." Initially a powerful demon lord embodying gluttony and consumption, it competed for dominance of the Abyss in the Age Before Ages and failed, now imprisoned underneath its home realm.
Demons that inhabit this place include bar'lguras, evistros, hezrou, and vrocks, but demons with more intelligence tend to avoid Sholo-Tovoth entirely. The layer is also home to turagathshee, a demon subspecies unique to this layer believed to be spawned by Turaglas. Other residents include otyughs, gibbering mouthers, purple worms, and monstrous slimes, plants, insects, and arachnids of all varieties.
Even more dangerous is the malevolent nature of the layer itself. While Turaglas usually slumbers in a barely conscious state, Sholo-Tovoth itself seems partially quiescent, theorized to be an extension of the Ebon Maw's will, an organism of pure, predatory hunger which everything feeds on everything that it can. The landscape itself eerily resembles organic material. Holes open in the ground at unpredictable intervals, dropping those nearby into pools of digestive acid.The inhabitable parts of Sholo-Tovoth (the word should be used loosely) are mostly surrounded by the Gnashing Crags, a range of mountains that resemble upward-pointing teeth, arranged like a lower jaw. Unconfirmed reports say a second range of upside-down mountains can sometimes be glimpsed from far above the clouds, like an upper jaw.Forests are inhabited by monstrous, carnivorous trees that even the demons seem to fear, and explorers who manage to wound or kill these monsters find that they bleed bile rather than sap. The layer itself even corrupts the appetites of anyone who resides there; after mere days, a visitor is no longer nourished or satisfied by regular food, craving the flesh of sentient beings, especially that of their own species.
Fawley stopped for a minute to take this all in before continuing. Having dinner two hours previous may not have been the boon he had assumed, as he was now at risk of losing it. He continued to read:
The only major settlement of Sholo-Tovoth is the city of Taan Shavas, where due to a curse of unknown origins, any edible material turns to dust if brought within the city gates. The only available food one can obtain is the flesh of other citizens. A caste system enforced by dark priests imposes a social ranking that determines who may eat whom, the -
Fawley slammed the book shut, certain that if he read any more of that he really was going to be sick. At very least, he was sure it had nothing to do withthe Ebon Triad.
He had heard once that the outer planes were shaped by the beliefs of mortals. It was terrifying to think that so many mortals had such sick minds…
"Professor Fawley!"
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"I have to say, I'm quite pleased that I came when I did," Hester told them, once the nobles had returned to their activities and the four Shadowchasers had moved to greet their hostess. "That young man has an ill favor about him." She frowned briefly, looking toward the arch where Todd had retreated through, but quickly shifted her gaze back to the Shadowchasers, a warm smile returning to her face. "Come. You haven't eaten already? Well then, I am certain you will enjoy the fare offered by the Cabaret Arcana."
As hungry as they were, it was impossible to refuse. She guided them to the buffet table mahogany tables and plush, padded chairs that each seemed as welcoming as a sofa. The table had been set with cutlery and dinnerware that shone brightly with the reflected light of the ballroom's glimmering lamps.
"I could get used to this," Sofia commented. She seated herself, holding up a crystal goblet that caught the light and spread a rainbow of colors onto the linen tablecloth.
"Please," said the asura, "enjoy yourselves, and do not hesitate to notify the staff if you require assistance."
Francis thought this a good time to ask about that ritual Lamour had mentioned, "Uhm, ma'am," he started. But Hester had vanished, as if she had melted into the air. Well, he thought, we'll figure it out later, and focused on the buffet.
And it was quite a buffet, with dozens of exquisite delicacies - simmering French onion soup accompanied by thick slabs of bread, roast leg of mutton (with garlic and butter glaze), Swedish meatballs, pheasants drowned in spicy mushrooms, a fair dozen selections of vegetables prepared in a variety of ways, and a breaded stuffing with chips of fresh bacon and walnuts.
"Well, guess the diet starts tomorrow," said Maddie with a sigh.
Francis was a little puzzled looking over some of the dishes - at this sort of event, he never knew what to take.
"New to this, I see?"
Francis turned to see the ghostly Geisha hovering in front of him. As creepy as Rivaldi was, Francis recognized her odd aura, and even the most horrific of Shadows weren't as frightening the second time you met them. But he still decided to stay wary. "Sort of," he replied, "no idea what to choose here."
"Let me help," she said, her helpful tone almost contradictory to her appearance. "That entree over there is Foie de Catoblepas, and that one is Langue de Boeuf."
Francis knew enough French to know that those meant "catoblepas liver" and "braised beef tongue", neither of which seemed appetizing. "They actually eat that?"
"I often suspect that they serve such entrees at these galas to see if any of the new guests are gullible enough to actually eat them. That plate over there is Cervelles au Beurre Noir, calves' brains in black butter. Much better than it sounds, but about three times the cholesterol and fat content as the mutton."
Francis decided to pass those by. "Those are deviled eggs, right?"
"Yes, the chef calls them oeufs de cockatrice in hot sauce," she answered, "Pretty sure they are goose eggs, however. Those over there -" she pointed to a plate of palmiers, "- are anchovy cheese puff pastry."
This seemed a little more promising, so Francis took one of them to sample. "The Lord Governor says he got the 'idea' for those from visiting eladrin dignitaries."
"The Lord Governor's idea?" Francis tasted it, and then made a face. "Must be why it's half-baked."
He heard a slight laugh from behind her mask. "Try that over there," she said, and pointed to a large tureen. "Bouillabaisse a la Brunwabena. Supposedly it was a favorite of Spellmason himself."
His mother's recipe, I assume?" She nodded in reply - "Brunwabena" was a dwarven girls' name. Still, bouillabaisse was something he could handle, so he reached for the ladle nearby.
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Todd gasped. "Dammit," he said.
Splashing the hot water onto his face from the sink in the washroom wasn't helping him calm down much. Looking in the mirror, he growled. Damn woman… he thought to himself.
He was currently weighing his options - usually in this situation he'd storm out and find some bar and grill where he could down beer until he was plastered and eat until he was sick, hopefully one that had lodgings and serving maids who offered "benefits". On the other hand, the food and drink at the buffet here was much better quality, and was free, but he doubted they'd let him sleep it off here. Going home in the morning with a hangover was a lot better than trying to in the middle of the night while drunk; his parents were going to be angry enough at him without having to bail him out of jail again.
But the worst part about staying here would be having to deal with those mainlanders again. He looked in the mirror, and he could actually see Maddie looking over his shoulder, slyly smirking at him. Damn, now I'm losing my… Wait…
That wasn't Maddie's face. Nor was he hallucinating.
"Annah, what the -" he started, but halted when Annah - the de facto leader of the Stormblades - grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him against the mirror, breaking it.
Her costume was as risqué as Maddie's, but with a very different theme. It consisted of a corset, opera gloves, a bikini bottom with garter belts, evening gloves,and knee-high boots, all of it purest white. Her wig was golden ringlets that reached almost to the floor, and she had feathered wings - the image of an angel, with an appalling lack of modesty. Unfortunately for Todd, her beauty was marred now, given how pissed she was.
"Annah are you nuts?" he gasped. "This is the men's room!"
"You want us to drag you into the lady's room to chew you out?" she asked.
"Wait, 'us'? Who - Oh…"
Then he saw Cora leaning against the door, her arms folded over her chest, looking at him crossly. She was wearing a costume a lot like Annah's, her long, red hair tied in a ponytail that reached her waist the most notable difference; she seemed just as annoyed at him.
The irony wasn't lost on Todd - two gorgeous women dressed in lingerie; this would be a dream come true if they didn't both look like they wanted to rip his arms off.
"As I attempted to explain before we came here, your job was to observe that mainlander and gauge any noticeable strengths, not try to get in her pants!"
"Well, gee, one could say that could have done the job pretty well! You think?" She violently shoved him against the wall again. "Uh… I'm not helping my case, am I?"
"The term 'free-fall' comes to mind," added Cora.
"Okay, okay!" gasped Todd, "so what do we do now?"
"You are going to do nothing, Todd. We're going out there, and you are going to find a nondescript corner and keep your mouth shut. Cora and I are going to have to salvage what's left of the Stormblades' reputation here if we want to be invited next year."
"So how are you going to…" Then Todd noticed another accessory of their costumes. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me…"
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In the dining area where the four Shadowchasers were gathered, there was little left of their meal by now except greasy plates; Francis leaned back in his chair contentedly, belching loudly. Fortunately, unlike Todd he remembered to add an "excuse me".
"What is it with you men and your noises?" Maddie asked chidingly. She had eaten about twice as much as any of them and was wondering whether it would be crass to ask for a doggie bag. Even she was surprised at how ravenous she had become.
"I hope you have all saved room for dessert." They turned to look at Hester, who had suddenly appeared at the spot they had last seen her, as if she had never moved from it, having returned as suddenly and quietly as she had departed, though there was nothing untoward in her manner. "The caramel custard is superb."
"We're pretty full, thank you," replied Francis, "but, uhm…" He checked his watch - nine 'o'clock. "Ma'am, we were hoping to ask about this 'ritual' the Lord Governor spoke of, you see -"
"Ah, yes, I suppose an explanation is long overdue."
Maddie sat back down at the table, having leapt up to grab one of the caramel custard plates that Hester had mentioned. As curious as she was about this "ritual" they had heard so much about, her sweet tooth was far less easily sated.
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Dr. Flores' voice had startled Fawley, but he got over it quickly. She had brought with her the student apprentice robe he had loaned Maddie, which she had been wearing during that Turbo Duel. She had given it back suggesting he burn it, and he intended too - once they got any information they could glean from it.
"I hope you found something," he said, "because I sure haven't."
"Take a look at this," she said. "I used every divination I had and then double and triple checked them. Eighty years since I was first certified, and I have never seen something like this."
Okay, that sounded troubling, but when he saw what was written on the scroll she handed him, well…
"What the…? How…"
"The clothing showed average traces of necromantic, transmutation, evocation, and wild magic, not surprising, but also average traces of Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, and given that normal fabric would show residual traces at most and the rate of aura decay -"
"...the environment itself must have had Overwhelming traces of all four auras, at least," he added. "Two sets of contradictory auras that potent… How is that possible?"
"It's possible in creatures. For example, if we could get Dispater or Mephistopheles to stand still long enough we might get this reading, but with a place, well…"
Fawley knew what she meant. According to legend, those names she mentioned were Archdevils who were once celestial hosts who fell from grace alongside Lucifer himself. In theory, their original divine auras might remain, though it was doubtful anyone would volunteer to confirm it. But it was hard to see how such a situation could be present in an entire planar layer, even if a whole army of fallen angels inhabited it.
Maddie would have literally had to be in Heaven and Hell at the same time, he mused. He looked back at the Lexicon. Certainly, nothing chronicled in that book qualified.
Where do I even start?
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Fifteen minutes after Hester had finished her "long overdue" explanation…
"Attention!" Hester's strong voice echoed over the dance floor as the music died down.
"I hope everyone is enjoying themselves; it has been such a pleasure having you all here. I am so glad to see so many new faces attending this year. I don't know half of you as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you about half as well as you deserve."
There was a short pause, with some giggling coming from Sonya; Hester would thank her later for suggesting that line.
"I'm sure you are all waiting for the big event, which I will get to in a minute. First, we have decided on the three finalists for this year's costume contest. Ahem. The finalists are… The giant caveman," a spotlight focusing on the Dombey brothers, "the vampire girl," another spotlight focusing on Danna, "and the demon sorceress." The third spotlight focused on Maddie, who seemed to blush a little as everyone looked at her. "Good luck everyone, the winner will be announced at eleven-thirty, right before the unmasking.
"Now, for the event everyone has been waiting for." Somber music started to play as she continued - a quick glance over at Sypha showed she had switched to an oboe. "As most of you know, the Demonskarr Ball is so named, as it is the celebration of the event that led to the founding of our fair city. For our younger attendees, I will give a brief recap."
"Would it kill them to write it down one of these years?" whispered Ferid, electing a loud "Shush!" from Rivaldi.
"Thousands of years ago, the island where our city would be built was a lawless and wild, where individual cabals and primitive tribes of Shadowkind competing for dominance. One such cabal, in their foolish hubris, used forbidden magic to this end, enacting a ritual that sundered the island and creating the dark rift now called the Demonskarr.
"But the worst was yet to come, for the dark rift spawned a demonic entity of infinite cruelty. Via an infernal army known as the Nabthatoron, the Lord of the Demonskarr subjugated and enslaved the entirety of the island, starting a dark empire that threatened to eventually move beyond its shores."
Danna and Jaroe were watching from the bar, where Lamour, was finishing another yet another cocktail; while he could hold his liquor as well as the next dwarf, he was starting to become tipsy.
"So, uh, what exactly does that mean in English?" asked Jaroe.
"Uhm," he said. Lamour noticed the four Shadowchasers were close enough to hear, and remarked, "I'll, uh, tell you later." It actually meant "lowlife hired thugs", but he didn't think it wise to tell her that now.
"After centuries of this tyrant ruling with an iron grasp, an expedition led by the great Suramar Spellmason chanced to land upon the isle's shores." (Here we go, thought Maddie, knowing her three friends held similar views.) Unafraid of the dark presence of the Demonskarr and possessing a talent for sorcery nearly unheard of for his people, Suramar quickly delved into the villain's lair, his efforts aided by heavenly muses brought to the mortal world via his alliance with the Gold Moon Coalition."
(Oh, please, muses? thought Francis. Why not include the Einherjar while you're at it?)
"The battle between Suramar's forces was long, brutal, and sadly, undocumented. While the Lord of the Demonskarr has yet to trouble the world again, Suramar could offer no proof that he had vanquished his foe, only his word and his scars that took decades to heal. Thus, ever since the foundation of Cauldron was laid, the event that gave the first Lord Governor his title has been reenacted here, at the climax of the Flood Festival!
"In years past, the Grand Ritual of the Demonskarr was done via actual combat, but as you are aware, times change, and our distinguished guests, who as you know, saved our fine citizenry from a rampaging umber hulk earlier this week, have introduced a new form of combat that was just too entertaining to pass up!"
Spotlights fell on one side of the grand ballroom. Dorisan, Annah, and Cora were there, and all three had Duel Disks. The Shadowchasers (three of them, anyway) were facing their opponents, and now knew just why the costumes they were provided with had the odd… motifs.
Hester had explained briefly just why this odd change had been made. Originally, when the city was still a penal colony, the Grand Ritual was indeed something of a blood sacrifice, as the Nabthatoron were portrayed by condemned inmates. But even without the… ethical concerns, it was dangerous, and not just for the Nabthatoron; guest spectators often compared the result to bullfights, or even worse, cockfights. They switched to mock fights with paid gladiators, but few mercenaries were willing to participate in such a farce (and those who did tended to want more money for it) and were rarely as entertaining.
When Hester and Lamour found out about Duel Monsters, it seemed like a godsend.
"You sure you're okay sitting this one out, Maddie?" asked Francis.
"Positive," she answered, "wouldn't want to be disqualified from the costume contest, after all. Get up there and break a leg!"
"You got it!" said Sonya, with a thumbs up.
The three Shadowchasers stepped up to face their three opponents, and Annah grinned wickedly. "I'd say this wasn't personal," she said with a shrug, "but then I'd be lying."
"Funny," said Red Feather, "I always thought 'Angels with Dirty Faces' was only an expression."
"Ladies…" said Dorisan, holding up his hands, "can we at least attempt to be civil?"
Sonya grinned inwardly. To think, I thought this was going to be a dull party…
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If it hasn't sunk in yet, it seems the Stormblades are poised to become the Shadowchasers' rivals in Cauldron, and Todd was only the warm-up challenge. Next chapter, a thrilling three-on-three (likely converting two chapters) begins!
Hope to see you all soon. Peace out.