Once More Into the Breach My Friends…
"Oh, hey Kuhl!" Sky said, waving.
It seemed a far too commonplace greeting given the tabaxi was mounted on a gold-scaled dragon which had just dropped down from the ceiling of the vast subterranean chamber and crushed a vampire, yet also seemed very Sky.
"I believe the threat has passed," the dragon rumbled, sinuous neck allowing him to turn and face his rider. "Which means you can get off my back now."
"Aww, do I have to," Sky asked, tail lashing and eyes growing big with pleading.
"Yes," the dragon rasped.
"Fiiine," the tabaxi sighed.
She threw her far leg over the dragon's back and slid off, not dropping directly down but instead doing a diagonal descent over the folded wing to dismount near the tail and thus prolong both her slide and her ride. In one hand she carried the curious staff carved and painted to depict a pair of entwined dragons - one red and one gold.
"It's Barok," Sky whispered conspiratorially when she landed, pointing back at the dragon. "I went to go get him when the fighting started."
"Yeah, we kind of gathered that," Jhelnae said, dropping her abyssal blade and letting it mist out of existence. "Where'd they all go? I had that shape-shifting, form-stealing bastard!"
With the appearance of the dragon, the woman in the malachite robes, the former Red Wizard of Thay, had cast some sort of spell and all the remaining opponents in the subterranean chamber - the wizard Manshoon, the devil visaged golden masked man and woman, the halfling wererat, the burn scarred man with the severed hand, the malachite robed woman herself, all of them - had vanished in an afterglow of light.
"Teleportation spell," the Open Lord answered, sweeping strands of her mussed silver hair behind her ears and out of her face. "Readied just in case they felt the battle went against them. Apparently, a dragon suddenly joining our side fit their 'just in case' scenario."
"I can see why they felt that way," Aleina said, craning her neck and looking upward at the dragon. "Hello again, Barok. You look a little different than the last time we met you."
"A little," the dragon rumbled with a hissing laugh, then he bowed his neck slightly towards Laeral. "Lady Silverhand."
"Barok?" the Open Lord said, part greeting, part question.
"In this form, Aurinax would be more appropriate," the dragon answered.
"I guessed as much," Laeral said, nodding. "The friend of the wizard Maaril?"
"The same," Aurinax said. "The Lady Silverhand has a good memory."
"He and Khelben held mutual respect for each other," the Open Lord said. "Can't say I cared for him much myself. I found him to be a self-important and arrogant ass."
"Pretty sure that could be said of nearly all wizards," Mirt wheezed.
The flushed face and sweating old man knelt next to the two fallen swordswomen amidst a circle of vampire corpses. He helped one of his downed companions sit up and held a bottle to her lips.
"But Maaril," he continued. "At least threw good parties. I'll grant that to him."
"How are Ravva and Waratra, Mirt?" Lady Silverhand asked, voice concerned.
"Be all right after they quaff a healing draught or two," the old man rasped. "Me? Based on the hammering in my chest, Myrkul will soon be scything my soul and Jergal will soon be scribing my name. I'm near dead, that's certain. Unless a silver fire kiss saves me."
"You'll be mourned, Lord Walrus," Laeral said, with a faint smile.
"Wait," the dragon rumbled. "You're that Mirt? The Moneylender? I was at those same parties!"
"You were?" the old man asked, one eyebrow raising skeptically as he gave an encouraging pat on the thigh to the first swordswomen and helped the next one, a dark-haired, dusk-skinned young woman with ringlet curls, sit up. "I got roaring drunk at those, to be sure, but not forget a dragon drunk."
"I wasn't at the parties in this form," Aurinax said. "Wait, let me change."
He whispered to himself, and his entire form shimmered in a golden light, then seemed to become the light itself, which shrank and shifted to settle into the form of the aged dwarf with red hued wrinkled skin, bright blond hair and beard, and wearing crimson robes embroidered with golden threads.
"I do recognize you!" Mirt roared now that the dragon was in dwarf form. "We had some drinking contests!"
"You have an amazing constitution, sir," Aurinax said, bowing and shaking his head in apparent amazement. "A human who can drink a dwarf under the table? Let alone a disguised dragon? Wait, that was over a century ago. Shouldn't you be dead?"
"Aye should be," the old man said, nodding. "And I'm working on it. Why else would I be hanging out with the likes of her other than to find a timely demise?"
He hooked a thumb in Laeral's direction, who gave a roll of her green eyes.
"Well met again lasses and you lad as well," Mirt said, nodding to the companions. "Last saw you in Skullport, right? And well done sir. Been trying to die and get revived by one of the Seven myself and failing at it."
The dark-haired swordswoman was now strong enough to hold the potion bottle on her own and the Mirt used her shoulder to heave himself up with a groan of effort.
"Hey! Watch who you are sweating on Sir Beer Belly!" the young woman complained. "And what sort of bloke uses the near dead like a cane?"
"One with creaky knees," the other sitting woman chuckled. "Did you hear them just now?"
"Sir Beer Belly Creak Knees," the dark-haired swordswoman agreed, nodding. "His new term of endearment."
"As I told you," Mirt said, with a wink at Laeral. "A few healing draughts and as sharp-tongued and able-bodied as ever."
"Wait, what did Kuhl do well?" Aleina asked, voice concerned. "What is this about being revived?"
Lady Silverhand and the half-elf shared an uncertain look. Kuhl suddenly recalled coming back to life in her tumbling embrace. Raw magic, her silver fire, had poured into him from their joined lips. He felt the sensation again like a physical reality for a moment and his face flushed. She pursed her lips into a thin line, letting him answer the aasimar's question, yet he found he could not. The realization of what happened fully fell on him.
He'd died!
Died and came back. And he felt changed by the experience. Like he didn't fully fit in his body. As if it was now tailored a size too large for him, though the feeling was fading. Had there been something beyond the nothingness after he lost consciousness?
Perhaps.
The vision of the moon shining down on a misty nightscape filled his mind, his heart finding it achingly beautiful, but even as he tried to focus on the memory it slipped away from his recollection.
"Dawnbringer!"
This he said aloud, and his gaze searched the area the dragon once occupied. The vampire woman had picked up the sentient blade moments before she was crushed. Relief flooded him when he spied the sword hilt on the floor amidst the dust and debris. Kuhl walked over and scooped her up.
"Ground into the dust under a dragon," Dawnbringer's mental voice complained the moment the half-elf's fingers touched her hilt. "And then my bearer forgets about me and leaves me lying about while he chats away."
"Where is the body of the vampire?" Kuhl asked, confused.
It should be here. The teleportation spell came after the dragon dropped on top of her. The half-elf was sure of that, and the other vampire corpses remained present.
"She must have been the master vampire," the Open Lord said. "Had she died under your sun sword's light she might have been destroyed. Instead, I fear she went gaseous at her death."
"So, she survived?" the half-elf asked.
He really didn't like the idea of that. In his mind's eye he saw the fanged pale-skinned woman with the dragon tattoo on her neck glaring at him with golden eyes that promised a painful revenge for the harm he and Dawnbringer caused.
"Perhaps," Lady Silverhand said. "My flame-tongue blade should also be nearby. I dropped it when I tackled you."
"Tackled Kuhl?" Jhelnae asked. "Why would you have tackled Kuhl?"
"I need to be… close to the target to revive them," Laeral explained as she retrieved her sword from the sword. "Tackling him gave us some distance from the nearest threats and proximity to him."
"Very close proximity," Mirt said, chuckling.
The annoyed look the Open Lord gave him only seemed to add to his amusement.
"Selune's Tears!" Aleina said. "You died!"
With a couple of rushing steps, she hugged the half-elf, snuggling into his chest and holding him tight. Not since she used to use him as a convenient pillow in the Underdark had she been so close to him. It felt good and Kuhl hugged her back.
"Are you alright?" the aasimar asked. "It must have been terrible! How do you feel?"
"It was terrible, but I'm fine now," he soothed.
Over the aasimar's shoulder, Laeral cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.
"Ah… not so terrible actually," Kuhl amended. "Sort of pleasant really. Very pleasant I mean. Wouldn't mind even doing it again."
He cringed as he said the last part.
"Dying was pleasant?" Aleina asked, pulling back and giving him a quizzical look. "You wouldn't mind doing it again?"
"Not the dying part," the half-elf explained, "The revival part."
"The revival was pleasant?" the aasimar asked, brow wrinkling in confusion. "In what way?"
Kuhl could feel the weight of the Open Lord's stare on him as he stumbled to find the right words to explain and found all the wrong ones instead.
"Pleasant in a very chaste, celibate way. By that I mean nothing but the purest of thoughts entered my mind during it. Despite the circumstances. Mostly at least."
"Stop talking!" Dawnbringer mentally commanded. "Right now!"
He winced and decided to follow his sentient sword's advice lest his tongue betray him more.
Mirt's chuckling had evolved into what could be described as full out, wheezing, coughing laughter.
"Is he acting strange?" Aleina asked, looking at Jhelnae.
"Really strange," the half-drow said, shaking her head.
"We should take him to the Temple of the Seldarine," the aasimar said, releasing her embrace, but keeping one hand touching his shoulder in apparent concern. "Have a priest look him over. Just to be sure the revivifying magic worked as intended. No offense."
The last part she directed over her shoulder to Lady Silverhand.
"None taken," Laeral said. "I wouldn't worry over much. The ones I have revived over the years have been few, but none have had cause for complaints afterwards."
She favored Kuhl with a half-smile he found infectious.
"No complaints," he said with a shrug and a laugh.
The exchange had Aleina giving a narrow-eyed contemplative glance between the Open Lord and the half-elf. Her hand dropped from his shoulder.
"Well of course you have no complaints," Sky said, with a dismissive wave. "You were dead before, and then alive. So, why would you complain?"
"No reason for either of us to complain," Lady Silverhand agreed. "And he actually saved me first. Interestingly, this is the second time a 'Kuhl' with a magic sword came to my rescue. The first was his grandfather during the war against the phaerimm in Evereska. Though he wielded a dark sword rather than one of light."
"That is an interesting coincidence," Jhelnae said. "Amazing, really. Did you ever have to revive Kuhl's grandfather as well during the fighting?"
"No, no," Laeral said quickly. "Never needed to, thankfully. He actually looked much different. Strongly built, but like a bear rather than having some of the leanness of an elf like the present Kuhl."
"That's good," Kuhl breathed out in a sigh.
"Definitely would have been a bit of awkward knowledge," Dawnbringer observed telepathically. "Knowing she had revived your grandfather in the same manner."
"What's good?" the aasimar asked. "Good she never had to revive him or good you look different from your grandfather? And why would what someone looks like have anything to do with a revivification spell?"
"It really has nothing to do with it," the Open Lord said. "Nothing at all and definitely not something I think about before, during, or after casting it, of course."
Laeral seemed a bit flustered as she spoke, her gaze casting about the chamber as she spoke until it settled on the staff Sky carried.
"The missing Dragonstaff of Ahghairon," she breathed.
"That is actually mine," Aurinax in dwarf form said, quickly taking the staff from the tabaxi. "My reward from Neverember for guarding his hoard."
"That staff controls the ward protecting Waterdeep from dragons," the Open Lord said, standing taller.
"It does," the dwarf-dragon said, clutching the staff a little tighter.
"So, you can understand why I, the Open Lord, might have an issue with a dragon possessing it?"
"On the other hand," Aurinax said. "Who more jealously protects their territory from dragons more than a dragon?"
"He has a point, Laer," Mirt said. "He probably won't let any others in the city."
There was no hint of laughter in his voice now and it struck Kuhl that the man could go from jovial and carefree to sage and serious in an instant. When the Open Lord needed someone she could trust in the group to hunt the mind flayer, she'd sent Mirt and now when she came to secure an embezzled hoard, here he was again.
"He does," Lady Silverhand said, nodding. "Neverember was not the most honest Open Lord, but he was a shrewd one. Here is another example of that."
"I'll take a crooked shrewd politician over a dumb honest one myself," the old man said.
"I've been a better bearer of the staff than Maaril," the dwarf-dragon said. "All song dragons had to do was take a pretty female shape and he'd protect them from the ward."
"What about Jalanvaloss?" Laeral asked. "Would you revoke her protection from the ward if you could manage to catch up to her with the staff?"
It was clearly a test and Aurinax took a moment to consider the question.
"That steel dragon is a schemer, a meddler, and an endless gossip, he said. "I know your husband Khelben tried to drive her from the city more than once. But you'd be hard pressed to find another who loves Waterdeep more. Also, she has built up a number of businesses over the years. You force her out and there are economic repercussions. No, I would not revoke her protection from Ahghairon's ward."
"In many ways, she's more Waterdhavian than most Waterdhavians," the Open Lord said, nodding. "You as the guardian of the staff might work. But we need to discuss it further. As for the treasure you were guarding, it was embezzled."
"So these four have explained," the dwarf-dragon said, looking at the companions. "If you follow me, I'll deliver it into your custody."
Mirt helped haul both of the swordswomen up, one after the other. They both stood on unsteady feet and put hands on each other's shoulders for support.
"Laer…" the old man said, frowning.
"I'll teleport the three of you back to the Palace," the Open Lord said. "Ravva and Waratra, you are to get some rest and heal up. Mirt, go to Blackstaff Tower and tell Vajra to gather any members of the Watchful Order and Force Grey she can muster quickly and meet me at Kolat Towers. Then find Jalester, the real Jalester, and both of you do the same with the City Watch, the Lords Alliance, and the Harpers. Manshoon doesn't know we know where he lairs. I plan on taking advantage of that - tonight."
"So, rest for the young and hoofing it all over the Deep for the old and weary," the fat man said, heaving a sigh. "Got it."
"No rest of the wicked they say," Laeral said.
"That explains why you won't get any rest tonight," Mirt said, a twinkle in his eye. "But what about me?"
"Very funny," the Open Lord deadpanned.
"You sure the information is sound?" the old man asked. "The note was given by the false Jalester after all, and the source of the information was a vampire. Hate to rouse all these folks in the dead of night to have them assault a couple of empty towers and look like a pair of fools."
"The note came from them, from what I understand," Lady Silverhand said with a nod towards the companions. "And so far, the information contained has been accurate."
"The note came from us," Aleina confirmed.
She was the one who had written it.
"But the information about Manshoon being in Kolat Towers did come from a vampire," Jhelnae added.
"We had no idea Bonnie was a doppelganger," the aasimar said. "Obviously we wouldn't have note to her had we known."
"We thought she was our friend," the half-drow said with a sigh.
"We still think she is our friend," Aleina corrected. "She is our friend. She just has some explaining to do."
"Well then we have a difference of opinion on that," Jhelnae said. "Because from where I'm standing, she has been lying to us from the beginning. Poor Surash."
"She said she was trying to save the souls of three innocent children," the aasimar said. "She looked right at me when she said that. We can't judge her until we know what she meant by that."
"If she had stuck around to explain herself," the half-drow said, throwing up her hands. "We would know what she meant, wouldn't we? But she ran off. You're too trusting sometimes."
"And sometimes, you're too quick to judge," Aleina countered.
"Well I think Bonnie being a doppelganger makes her a much more interesting friend anyway," Sky said, tail lashing.
"By all that dances," Jhelnae said, exasperated. "Of course you do."
"I think Jhelnae has the right of it," Laeral interjected gently, interposing herself between the aasimar, half-drow, and tabaxi. "Doppelgangers are, by their very nature, deceptive and manipulative. They prey on trust and can feign friendship well. She is trying to protect you."
Kuhl could tell Aleina wanted to refute that, but instead just crossed her arms, pursed her lips, and gave a shake of her head.
"Let's act on the information on Kolat Towers," the Open Lord said, speaking to Mirt. "We might look like fools if it is wrong, whereas we will be fools if it is right and we did nothing or waited too long."
Receiving a nod of acknowledgment for that course of action, she cast her spell of teleportation and the old man and swordswomen disappeared in shimmering light. Those who remained followed Aurinax as he led them through the vault. They proceeded through the doors to the room with the vibrant fresco of dwarves in a subterranean war against goblins.
"Avoid staring directly at that painting," Laeral said as they passed by. "An enchantment of enthralling is placed on it."
"Don't I know it," Aleina mumbled to herself.
Kuhl found himself envying the two young swordswomen ordered to get rest as he trudged up the long set of steps to the hallway with pillars shaped like head down warhammers and the mosaic of the dwarf god forging the first dwarves out of black metal and diamonds. The only real rest he'd gotten on a very long, very involved day, was while watching the play at the Pink Flumph Theater.
"You can rest when you are dead," Dawnbringer mentally lectured.
"Tried it," he thought back. "Didn't work."
"Don't try to garner sympathy with me over that," his sentient sword telepathically said. "I can read your memories and know you didn't mind the experience. The waking up part at least."
Their progress through the vault stalled for a bit when they claimed the five treasure filled patina tinted copper urns in the dust filled secret room, placing them in a portable hole brought by the Open Lord. Laeral then cast a wall of force, the same spell as used by Manshoon, but positioned horizontally to span the broken gap of the bridge.
"You jumped over this?" the aasimar said in amazement, looking down into the darkness beyond the transparent force holding her up as she crossed.
"The distance she jumped was a little shorter," Aurinax said. "More of the bridge fell away when I transformed into my true form."
"I still could jump it now," Sky said. "Shall I go back to the other side and prove it?"
"No!" Jhelnae growled. "This is my third time walking back and forth this same way and I'm tired of it. Let's just get this treasure and get out of here."
They passed the adamantine door Kuhl had forced open the last time they came this way and entered the small chamber with the four rusty suits of dwarven plate armor covered by cobwebs.
"A secret never before told will part Dumathoin's lips," Lady Silverhand said, reading the runes on the far wall. "Dumathoin is one of the Moradinsamman. The dwarven god of secrets."
"Someone has to speak a secret," the Aurinax said. "And the way down to the vault will open."
I can feel the enchantment loosening my inhibitions on what I reveal," the Open Lord said, nodding. "This magic and the one on the fresco below have remained in place since the empire of the Delzoun dwarves fell. Over a millenia has passed and both are still potent. Remarkable."
"Yeah, it's fascinating," Aleina said with a dismissive wave, gaze fixed on Kuhl. "But no one say anything. We all agreed Kuhl would speak a secret the next time we came this way. So talk. What is it you didn't want to tell before?"
"Strange," the half-elf said. "I don't remember agreeing to anything. And isn't anyone curious what secret Sky spoke when she went to get Aurinax?"
"Shush you," the tabaxi said.
"Don't try and deflect," the aasimar said. "Out with it."
Kuhl didn't understand how the enchantment worked, but for some reason he kept feeling the urge to speak the same quite harmless secret whenever they came to this chamber. The problem was he knew Aleina and Jhelnae. The moment he told them he preferred their hair long and was glad they grew it out again was the moment they would start making plans to visit the Temple of Love and Beauty to get it cut once more. But his tight-lipped silence couldn't last much longer. His resolve crumbled and took an inward breath. But someone else spoke first.
"The revivification magic I used on your half-elf friend involved a kiss," Laeral said.
All eyes turned to the Open Lord as she hesitated before saying the rest. Meanwhile, the trap door leading down to the vault remained sealed and hidden. Apparently, another pending secret triggered her to speak. The silence stretched and Laeral winced slightly with embarrassment.
"And before that… it had been… more than a century… since I last shared a kiss."
Her slight wince became a full cringe as the trap door popped open with a click.
"My husband, Khelben, died," she explained. "And since then I have… well since then I have been busy."
"Just to clarify," Jhelnae said. "A century since you revivified someone using that magic or a century since…?"
"Other than pecks of greeting," Laeral said. "The latter one."
"By all that dances!"
"Yeah…" the Open Lord sighed. "Busy. Really, really busy."
"You miss him," Aleina said. "Your husband. Of course you do. It's sweet and romantic really."
"I suppose that is one way of looking at it," Laeral said with a resigned chuckle. "Shall we proceed."
"So, I have to ask," the half-drow said, as the group moved towards the spiraling stairs downward. "After more than a century of abstinence, how did Kuhl do?"
"For someone starting out as a still warm corpse and considering it was in the middle of a battle," the Open Lord said, amusement in her tone. "Not too bad."
"Not sure if that was an insult or compliment," Dawnbringer observed in Kuhl's mind.
The half-elf thought the former judging from the collective feminine laughter echoing up and down the stone stairs.
"Wait, this means she is available?" the sentient sword mused telepathically. "Not romantically attached? I wonder if her powers as a Chosen of Mystra manifest in her offspring? Offspring who might just need a radiant blade previously wielded by their father."
Kuhl rolled his eyes as he descended the stairs while Dawnbringer schemed. The Open Lord marveled, neck craning upward, as they entered the sunlit vault.
"A fresco ensorcelled to put those who gaze too deeply at it into a trance and runes and a trap door which influences you to tell secrets," she breathed. "Those still being active after all the passing years is impressive, but this? And Neverember found it and chose to use it as a hidey hole for embezzled treasure? The lack of imagination frustrates me more than the theft."
She clenched her fists and shook her head.
"The city could use this," she said. "Perhaps as a place to grow emergency stores or the like. I'll think of something."
"The treasure is this way," Aurinax said.
The butt of his dragon staff clicked against the stone floor as he led the way to the alcove containing the pile of gold coins.
"I was going to clean up more before you got here, but Sky interrupted me and said I had to come quickly," the dragon in dwarf shape said.
Next to the pile of gold was a much smaller pile of swept up dust, about ankle height.
"Sorry," the tabaxi said, shrugging. "I thought saving your lives might be more important than Aurinax getting the place cleaned up for those others."
"I think you had your priorities straight," Lady Silverhand said with a smile. "Now if all of you will help me put this gold into the portable hole, I'll just have one more favor to ask of you."
"You want us to help you assault Kolat Towers tonight," Jhelnae groaned. "Don't you?"
The Open Lord's expression was slightly apologetic as she nodded.
I am very unsatisfied with this chapter. I think the main reason is because I didn't want to write it and in my gut I think it should all be cut. My original plan was to move on to the next chapter and the reader would get the aftermath from the dragon descending in the thoughts of a new POV character. But Aleina, who frequently breaks the fourth wall to give writing advice, was like, "You can't do that. You need to write an aftermath chapter."
And I was like, "We'll be retreading old ground and going back through the vault. We already described it once going down and again going back up and now you want me to try and describe it AGAIN going back down?"
Her reply was, "Look, just try, okay! Put in some banter and stuff so it isn't a slog..."
So, here we are, and my instinct tells me the retreading of ground a third time was one time too many. And it made me use Laeral Silverhand, one of the most canon of canon characters of the Forgotten Realms, for humor! Thankfully no Forgotten Realms fans ever make it here or I'd be for some negative comments, ha ha! :)
But I remind myself that this is fan fiction and it is supposed to be a bit fun and experimental. So I'm going to just post it and move on. Speaking of which, only TWO more chapters to go for Dragonheist!