Savior
Chapter 3
They found enough wood to start a fire that night.
"What's with the temples?" Rick wondered.
"I'm thinking competing temples. They're small temples without many Yuan-Ti there manning them," Roy said.
Rick nodded, understanding. "Makes sense."
"What exactly are Yuan-Ti?" Kate asked them.
"Yuan-Ti come in three versions as far as I know: Pure Bloods, Half-Bloods, and Abominations. The females we killed were Half-Bloods. Recently, those we killed while they slept were Pure Bloods, and you know what an Abomination looks like. Abominations are the worst of the three – tough to kill, and powerful.
"They can all cast spells, and Half-Bloods have a natural immunity to spells," Roy told her. "They are completely evil. I forgot to Smite Evil when I attacked that Abomination, or I might have done more damage. I'll remember next time."
"I see. Do you think we will? See more of them, I mean," Kate asked him.
"This isn't a jungle. The Yuan-Ti prefer jungles, which helps explain why the temples are all so small." Roy thought for a moment. "It's possible there may be others around here somewhere."
oo0O0oo
They traveled for two more days. This time, they were out by the coast when they spotted something. "Would you look at that!" Roy exclaimed.
"Amazing," Rick declared.
"Magnificent!" Kate breathed.
It looked like a spire with levels to it, every one of them covered in plants, with even more plants lower down. It looked like a set of stairs went to the top. But a waterfall was coming down the stairs, making them treacherous.
Rick sighed. "If only we had a boat."
"We could try swimming it," Kate suggested. "I know how to swim," she told them. "Though the base looks treacherous, what with all the waves hitting it."
Roy shook his head. "No, not really an option. We need a boat, which I don't see anywhere." He looked up and down the coast. "Pity."
So they went inland and began searching. One day later, they spotted another cave entrance that looked promising.
Unfortunately, 20 feet in, the ceiling had collapsed, blocking the entrance partially. It looked recent; there was even dust still falling from the ceiling. They would have to crawl over it to get to the far side.
Kate patted the dust off after she crawled through and joined the others. It was dark, given that the light from the outside came in through that small opening. So Roy broke out the torch and carried it.
He could go straight or go right. Straight looked like there was another cave-in, so he went right. Then he went left, and Roy saw a worked opening, that the corridor had light, so he put out his torch and drew his weapon, getting Rick to ready his bow and Kate her dagger.
They traveled it as it went up slowly, turned to the left, and then turned right when they came across a down portcullis. They searched for a lever that would open it, but didn't find one, so Roy and Rick put their weapons away and used their muscles.
"Go through and hurry," Rick told Kate through gritted teeth. After she scuttled under it, they dropped it because it was too heavy. "Now, look for a way to raise this thing."
Kate avoided the symbol drawn or chiseled into the floor and searched the walls. "I think I found something!" She pulled the lever and up went the portcullis.
"Nice!" Immediately, Rick pulled out his bow and nocked an arrow while Roy took out his sword. They avoided the symbol on the floor and followed the corridor. It went up and twisted back around itself, going over where they had just been.
Roy was able to work it out. "It's a snake."
"Yuan-Ti," Rick whispered.
They kept going, and it twisted around, but they were going down this time. Then they came across yet another down portcullis. Beyond this one, they could see crates, boxes, and barrels on both sides of the corridor.
Roy and Rick put away their weapons and put their muscles to use. Kate scrambled under it, and then they dropped it. Kate searched for the lever that would raise it. She found it, and up went the portcullis.
Kate smiled at them as they passed her by with their weapons out.
They hid behind a large crate when they spotted a Half-Blood female at the far end. She looked to be praying before a statue of a snake.
"Ready? One… Two… Three." Roy burst out and charged her. Rick stood and fired two arrows, and Kate popped up and cast Magic Missile. Roy struck the female in the back.
It took her by surprise, but she recovered quickly, drew her sword, and swung, missing Roy.
Roy swung his sword, and Rick fired two arrows, hitting her. The last arrow killed her, and she crumpled to the ground. They quickly searched her and found a bag holding gold and silver. It went into a backpack uncounted.
Kate cast Detect Magic and told them her cloak was Magical. They took it off of her and stuffed it into a backpack for later.
They found an opening behind the statue, slipped through it, and found a round room going around the head of the snake. They saw seven engraved symbols in the floor at all seven spaces with a corridor behind six of them.
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe," Roy chanted, and they began with the far right one.
They squeezed past the symbol on the floor and entered the corridor. They found a set of stairs going down after just ten feet of corridor. The stairs lasted for 20 feet. At the bottom, they spotted a pair of Pure Bloods moving boxes around.
Roy rushed one of them, and Rick fired two arrows into the other. They both ended up hitting them, but they didn't kill either of them.
They dropped their boxes and drew out a weapon, allowing Roy and Rick to attack them again. This time, the men ended both of them.
They did a quick search of their bodies and found a little gold and silver on them, which went into a backpack. Then they rapidly searched the room but only found food stuff and drink.
They went back up the stairs and over to the next corridor, avoiding the symbol in the floor that ended in a door. Roy cracked it open and saw two Pure Bloods sleeping in beds. There were two other empty beds in the room.
Roy and Rick killed them while they slept, then did a quick search of the room. They found a small amount of gold and silver and lots of copper. The gold and silver went into backpacks and counted later.
Then they returned to the round room and went down the next corridor. It ended in a door, and Roy spotted four sleeping Pure Bloods. Roy and Rick killed them while they slept. A quick search of the room revealed a little gold, some silver, and lots of copper; they only packed the gold and silver into the backpacks.
They moved to the next corridor, where they came on four more sleeping Pure Bloods that Roy and Rick ended while they slept. After searching the room, they found a little bit of gold, some silver, and a lot of copper. The gold and silver were stowed in Rick's backpack and counted later.
Quietly, they walked into another corridor, where they saw two already sleeping Pure Bloods and two Pure Bloods getting ready for sleep. Roy attacked one of them while Rick fired two arrows into the other.
Two Pure Bloods yelled, which woke up the other two. One rushed Rick, who put two arrows into him, killing him. The other one swung at Roy but missed him, and Roy ended him.
Then they killed the other two as they got out of bed. A quick search of the room revealed a little gold, more silver, and some copper. Rick packed the gold and silver into his backpack.
They moved to the other corridor, down the stairs, and listened at the door. This time, they heard something. Roy nodded at Rick, opened it, and rushed the Abomination in the room who was moving boxes around.
Roy swung at him and struck him. Rick fired two arrows at him and hit him both times, while Kate cast Magic Missile.
The Abomination dropped the box and drew his sword, allowing Roy another swing while Rick fired two more arrows, and Kate cast Magic Missile, yet again.
He swung at Roy and hit him, causing Roy to grunt from the pain.
This time, Roy used Smite Evil as he swung and hit him. Rick fired two arrows, hitting him with both, and Kate cast Magic Missile. The Magic Missile killed the Abomination.
They searched the body and found a bag holding gold, silver, copper pieces, and a single gem. It was all put into the backpack Roy carried. They searched the room fast and saw it contained more food and drink. Kate cast Detect Magic and found that his scimitar was Magical, just like all the others.
The three left the area, crawled back through the tunnel collapse, and got far away. Once they were safe, they set up the tent and counted the gold and silver pieces, discarding the copper.
Altogether, they had 1,224 gold, 1,999 silver, and one gem they estimated at 500 GP. Plus, a Cloak that they had no idea what it was.
"I can cast Identify, except to do it, I need a 50 GP pearl, but I don't have one," Kate told them. Neither did they, unfortunately. And they had yet another Magical scimitar, just like the other two.
They were all still fifth level, though they were well on their way to being sixth level after that.
They each gained 408 gold and 666 silver, plus one silver piece, a 500 GP gem, three Magical scimitars, and a Cloak.
oo0O0oo
They returned to the coast, hoping beyond hope to find a boat. They found one with lots of footsteps in the sand coming from it, surprisingly. "How is your sailing ability?" Roy asked them since it was a small boat with a single sail.
Rick shook his head. "Never sailed in my life."
Kate moved back a step. "Don't look at me! I've never even been on the water before."
"How hard can it be? We'll push while you run the oar," Roy told Kate. "At least I think that's what it's called."
"Great, the blind leading the blind," Rick snorted as Kate got in the boat while he lifted the anchor holding it to the beach. Then he and Roy pushed it out to sea, scrambling onboard.
Kate managed to turn them around as Roy set the sail, and they were off.
They were pretty far out to sea when the three heard lots of yelling and cursing and saw the swinging of weapons on the beach.
"I don't think they like us borrowing their boat," Roy commented.
"What was your first clue?" Rick countered and waved at them. They continued to yell and hurl curses at them, and swing their swords.
"Try and make your way to that spire we saw earlier," Roy told Kate.
"I am trying," Kate said, her jaw clenched.
oo0O0oo
Roy tried to sound encouraging to her. "You're doing good." He was upfront, watching where they were going. Rick was in the middle, ready to take down the sail.
"You're doing great. Try and aim for that opening in the rocks," Roy called out.
"I'm trying to," Kate told him, "but the seas are rough!"
They were in, but it was a close call, closer than Roy would have liked it. There was even a small dock. They came close to it while Rick lowered the sail. Roy jumped out, tied them off, and helped the others out of the boat.
Roy clapped her on the shoulder. "Nice work, Kate."
"Thanks." Kate would take any compliment he cared to give her.
Next, they walked toward the stairs and watched water crashing down them and into the sea. The three of them looked up the stairs. It was a long way up, with several tiers along the way, each tier filled with plants.
Roy looked at Kate. "You first."
"ME!? Why me? Why don't you go first?"
"In case you get swept away in the water," Roy told her. "One of us will catch you. Hopefully."
"Oh, that makes it okay. Me first." She looked again up the long way and started up the stairs. She was instantly wet and getting wetter, if that was possible.
Kate was maybe about half way up when she needed to stop for a breather. So she got off the stairs, onto the tier, and sat down.
Roy and Rick joined her and looked at her. "I needed a break, so sue me," Kate said tiredly.
"Alright, you take a break. We're going to take a look around," Roy told her, and they both left her sitting there sucking in the air.
"There are no trees as far as I can see," Rick commented. "And these plants are diminutive compared to the others of the species."
They walked for about 30 minutes and didn't see anything, so they turned back and saw Kate still sitting there. "We didn't find anything on this level anyway," Roy told her.
"Ready to go again?" Rick asked her.
"Ready." With help from Rick, Kate got to her feet and started back up the stairs.
But she stumbled and began tumbling down the stairs. She screamed! Roy couldn't catch her, but Rick did. "I got you," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her. Her lips were right there in front of him. All he had to do was move an inch, and he would be kissing her. The water made her even prettier than she already was.
"Thanks." Kate looked at his lips and only his lips. All she had to do was lean forward just a little, and she would be kissing him. Except she backed away from him. "Thanks, it's a long way down."
Rick didn't look down. He didn't need to, already aware it was a long way down to the bottom.
Kate got back out in front and climbed the stairs, all while still being sprayed with water. She shook it off of her.
"These stairs are man-made," Roy called out. "I can see the chisel marks in them."
Kate stopped climbing and looked at the stairs. She had to agree with him. She saw the chisel marks in the stone and wondered who would bother to make all these steps, What was the purpose?
Finally, she reached the top, no longer being hit by water. She looked around and saw she was in a stone gazebo-like structure. It even had a roof.
Roy joined her, and Rick made it up there, too, at last. They all looked around and looked at where the water was coming from. They spotted a pitcher that continuously produced water.
"That's it? I walked clear up here for a pitcher that won't stop pouring water?" Kate was shocked and upset. She almost died, and this was all there was?
"Look around. There has to be more than this. There must be," Roy insisted, and they started searching.
They found a gazebo they thought was marble. It had the veining of marble. Roy stopped looking. "Anything?
"Nothing, I've got nothing." Kate was disgusted.
Rick shook his head. "Nothing but the pitcher. It's on a stand of sorts. I think I can remove it. The question is, do I want to? If I remove it and it stops the water, the plants lower down may dry up. Maybe that's its purpose – to provide water for the plants."
Roy thought about it. If the plants were fed by this pitcher, removing it really might dry them up, spoiling the natural beauty of this place. He made up his mind. "No, leave it. If you're right, it will spoil the beauty of this place. I'm not a nature-loving Ranger, but even I can see the beauty of this place. It can stay."
"So, do we start back down again? It isn't going to be easy going down. One slip and you'll fall a long way," Rick warned them.
The other two agreed, so Rick went first, followed by Roy and then Kate. They made it halfway down when Kate called for a time-out. So Rick got off at the first tier, followed by the others. "Thanks." She doubled over, sucking air.
"We'll pitch the tent and spend the night here," Roy decided. So he pulled out the tent, and he and Rick set it up. There really was no wood to burn, so they did without a fire.
"Who do you think built this place? And why? Kate asked them.
Roy shrugged. "I have no idea."
"Me neither," Rick added. "Nice here, though, lots of fresh water. Some of these plants will produce fruit. No meat, but it's enough to keep you alive."
They went to bed. But unbeknownst to them, they were visited in the night by Sprites, Pixies, and Nixies, who helped themselves search their backpacks. They took a shiny gold piece each.
Come the morning, they went their separate ways and did their business. Upon return, they ate some trail rations and took down the tent. Satisfied they packed everything, they went carefully down the stairs to their borrowed boat.
Once they reached it, something showed up. It looked like a female human or an elf with the lower torso of a multicolored serpent and huge, strikingly patterned wings like a bird's.
"Thank you. May you have safe travels." And she vanished just like she appeared.
Kate blinked and looked at the men. "What was that?"
"I have no idea. But it's possible that was a thank you for not taking the pitcher or stopping it," Roy replied.
They got in the boat and sailed out of the bay into a calm ocean. "It wasn't like this when we got here," Kate noted.
"No, it wasn't. I think she has something to do with that," Roy offered.