Chapter 7

We behave like responsible citizens

We dropped into bed when we got back to the Sleeping Lion that night, leaving our valuables in the care of Hanz who insisted they didn't sleep anyway. We left them sitting on them out in the stables as we didn't want to be seen carrying chests of "loot" through the place, giving me an idea I would look into more later. The next morning it seemed Snarly was out doing whatever he thought was needed to fulfill his promise to that khi'teen, leaving us to pick through and sell the goods. I didn't have any cleaning magic but we did get some soap, water, and rags to at least knock the worst of the dust off the stuff and make it presentable. I also had some fun with a spell I didn't get to use much, that allowed me to measure things, so I could tell what materials everything was made of and how much it weighed. We hauled the stuff around the various markets all morning, I had disguised myself as a dwarf with a big bushy beard "down to here!" When we were unpacking the stuff a strange looking figure started rummaging in the chest and pulled out one of the items. I looked him over as he did this. His robe was in a style I had never seen before, and while he was scaly like Malachite, his face was closer to that of a human than a dragon's snout. His eyes almost looked like a cat's, but he had feathers sticking out the back of his head instead of hair. I sensed magic on his person, but didn't want to stand there staring at him to tell what type or what the purpose of it was. After looking our treasures over for a moment he dug out a strange looking coin and presented it to me, showing me his intended purchase.

"What's this?" Malachite demanded.

"I think he wants to buy it," I told him, after the man didn't speak.

"We only take real money!" he insisted.

They proffered the coin again. I looked it over, it was a strange metal, half black and half white with some writing on it. "It is certainly interesting."

"Oh, is this one of those non-material transactions you're always talking about?"

"It could be."

"Or it could be a scam. You were the one concerned about that map, but now you're ready to take a coin from some weirdo off the street. Look at this guy, you think you're cursed!? Ha!"

"Malachite please, he could understand every word you say."

"Doesn't look like it."

"Look I'll ask about it, okay?" I held up a finger, took the item from the guy, set it down, and pointed to the ground. He looked curious but set the coin down. I nodded. He looked quite interested as I cast my spell, seeming to approve. A minute later I had an answer to the question "Is the coin a worthwhile trade for the object this being desires?"

Yes

"Done," I told him, picking the coin up. He broke into a grin and took the item back. He bowed several times and vanished into the crowd.

"Well, you meet all kinds in the city," Malachite remarked.

I looked the coin over, it didn't seem magical in any way, and again my magic failed me in trying to decode the writing on it. I stuck it in my pouch to look at later and got on with my negotiation for the rest of the items.

We made out well, everyone treating the dwarf they saw instead of the cursed woman I was under the magic with respect, and we managed to make a tidy sum from the sale of the items. We met back up for lunch and I passed out the small mountain of silver we had made. Snarly seemed pleased, but with Hanz it was hard to tell. They repaid us for the map they had bought though.

"I spent some time in the library," they told us. "As this Gloom cult does seem to be more than a single group of crazed bandits. The librarian did mention rumors of some odd cult operating in the area, but nothing concrete. As far as the Gloom itself, the only mentions I could find dated back to the mage war, when researchers were trying to do dimensional research. It does not mention if the Gloom is a being, a disease, a power source, or some inter-dimensional horror beyond our understanding. Naturally most research done during those times was related to weapons and holding onto power, so you can draw your own conclusions about that. This afternoon I intend to speak to the city guard about all this, if you agree?"

I shared a look with Snarly and Malachite who both nodded. "It has my vote," I told them. "I would rather tell them now, not be believed, and when some eldritch horror shows up be able to say 'we tried to warn you' than say nothing and they're completely unprepared for it. Someone may listen."

"I shall do my best to be persuasive."

"It is curious," I mused. "The name of the town. A haven for Gloom? Maybe you should look into how the town was founded? Maybe that will give us other clues?"

"I will keep that in mind. If there is nothing else at the moment I will depart and meet back here at dinner time?"

"Sounds good."

With lunch finished Snarly went off to continue trying to sway public opinion or whatever and I was sitting there waiting for Malachite to be done in the bathroom. I had taken the coin out and was lazily spinning it in front of me with magic, looking it over. I was trying to figure out exactly how to ask the questions that would reveal how it was a good trade for the item when someone stopped in their tracks and leaned back to look at it.

I never thought I would see one of those again.

"What?" I snapped out of it and looked over at my new admirer. It's a wanderer! Huge black eyes, almost no nose, mouth or hair, dressed in a simple robe with a walking staff in their hands. And for a wonder they really did glow, I could barely see it as it was a rather overcast day outside. Now there's another type of person you don't see every day. This town is suddenly bustling with strange and wonderful folk, isn't it? These guys are even more well traveled than I am, they spend their entire lives just moving from place to place and being inscrutable. I cleared my throat, remembering I was in dwarf mode at the moment. "I mean, aye, what's that, stranger?"

Apologies, I didn't mean to startle you, good dwarf. Did you excavate that meeting marker in one of your tunnels?

"Actually no, I was traded it recently for an antique by a strange person that would not speak."

Now that is a strange tale. May I see it?

"Of course! We dwarves are very trusting!" That's something a dwarf would say, right? I waved my hand and stopped it spinning, then floated it over to them.

My, my, this is truly rare! These markings indicate a meeting in the future, rather than the past. Most of these you find are discarded, no longer useful except as a rarity. But this one… This describes a meeting yet to come.

"A meeting of whom?"

They shrugged. Whomever shows up, I suppose. Perhaps fate itself has guided this token into your hand, and me to you. I can decipher these markings if you wish to attend the meeting. I have heard they are not to be missed.

"And what would you want for such a service?" It is a huge coincidence that I happened to have the coin out, and this wanderer who just so happens to be able to read it happened by. What a strange way to get people together. But they can't be lying? Right? I mean that feathery person just happened to decide to send me on a wild goose chase? I don't buy it. Huh, wonder if they were disguised just like I am. Didn't think about that, whatever race they seemed may not even exist.

They waved that off. Not in coin. I will pass this way again after the date has passed. Please, tell me of the meeting, who was there and what transpired. I fear without this token I would be unwelcome, but I am curious what they are about.

"Very well. I expect to be here for some time yet. We have a bargain."

I am pleased. Allow me a moment.

They gave me a date and approximate location for the meeting, and I thanked them and they went on their way. Malachite came back, saying he had been watching for signs of trouble, and I explained what the wanderer had told me.

"Will you go?" he asked.

"But of course. How could I pass up such a mysterious invitation?"

"Of course. Say, do you mind if we split up this afternoon?"

Is it just me or does he look a bit nervous suddenly? "No, I don't mind. I was just going to pay a visit to the town's magic shops, inquire about the pocket watch item we found. It would probably bore you anyway."

"Okay, meet you back here at dinner time!" He nearly raced out of the place. Now what was that all about?

I stretched, patted my pocket to make sure I still had the item, and headed out the door on my own. It was a little strange, Malachite was always hanging around now, and being on my own was something I was no longer used to. I was a little lonely. I'm more than two hundred years old, I can manage being on my own for a few hours. Get it together, Orchid.

It turned out there were two major wizards in the town, and right across from each other too. I stood in the street for a moment, considering which to visit first. To my right was the shop of Solara the Magus, the left was the Humble Shop of Brellen Yellow Cheeks. I cocked my head to the side, pulled out the token, flipped it, and as the white side pointed to the right I headed there first. The bell above the door chimed and a young girl hopped up off a chair to meet me.

"Can I help you, good dwarf?" she asked politely.

"That ye can, lass," I answered, getting into character (or what I thought was a dwarf's character anyway). "I've got business to transact with yer master, if she's about. Run and fetch her for me, that's a good lass." I dug out a copper and flipped it to her.

"Yes sir, right away!" She scampered off towards the back, and a woman in red replaced her. I stifled a laugh. For all I know they're the same person, using the same spell I do to currently look like this. Never mind.

"I am Solara, what can I do for you?"

"I'm here to discuss three things with ya," I told her. "One of which might earn ya some coin, it will. Is this a good time? I'm not disturbing ya?"

"I am at your service, good dwarf."

"Right then. First order 'o business is a wee magical item I took off some bandits yesterday. Naturally I won't just show it to ya, meaning no offense of course, but I can tell ya one side looks like a clock face, while the other looks like a compass. If ya've heard of such an item being stolen from one such in town I'd like to return it to the owner. They describe it, and it's theirs, no reward necessary." Though I would of course not turn one down...

"That's quite generous of you," she told me, sounding impressed. "But sadly I've not heard of such an item, stolen or otherwise."

"Pity."

"Yes, it is. Such an item would have been very expensive to craft. I myself have lost some goods lately coming into the city, so I know there's a plague of bandits roaming the countryside. And the city guard does nothing! Can you believe it?"

"Aye. It's a real problem and make no mistake! I'll keep a lookout for you, if I run into any more bandit camps in me travels."

"I'll certainly pay for the return of my supplies. And I'll ask around about the lost magical item as well."

"Thank ya kindly. Now we've already touched on the second piece 'o business. These bandits you speak of, they be no ordinary thieves I be saying to you."

"No?"

"Nay. They're part of a cult, dedicated to something they call the Gloom. One of my party is even now informing the city guard of their dastardly deeds, which include raising the dead!"

"That's quite illegal, especially in town," she agreed. "But why tell me this?"

Well it's a good thing I've not raised any zombies myself then… In town… "Just this. Ya might want to brush up on yer combat magic, or get a combat spell or two of yer own if you don't know any. I have a bad feeling that this cult is going to make trouble for the town before it's through. Eliminate those that have a chance to stop them, and all that, no? So that's just a courtesy, me warning you there's some bad magic users out there in addition to the usual thieves and whatnot."

"I take your meaning. Yes, the guard would expect me to help out, and probably for free as it was for the good of the town or something like that. I'll look over my spells, your warning has not fallen on deaf ears."

"Good, good. Now for the business transaction!" She leaned forward a little. "One of me party has the heart of a warrior but not exactly the stature of one, if you take my meaning? He's no dwarf! I'd like a spell to help him out a little. Preferably Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, or Uranus. Not maintained, but can help him do more damage when he hits something. Poor little sprout just doesn't have the strength yet to be a proper warrior. This can supplement him until he does. I can already make him hit better, or have his opponent not dodge as well, depending. But if it's pinpricks what's the point?"

"I see your dilemma," she agreed. "Let me look through my book."

"Of course."

She found me a Neptune spell that was suitable, it would cause whoever I cast it on to do elemental damage on their next attack. I didn't have to maintain it, the spell was cast and forget, and low enough grade it didn't have a long incantation. It was perfect. After some haggling I traded her my spell of detecting if someone meant you harm, and some coin, and we copied the respective spells out of our books and handed them over.

"Pleasure doing business with you," she told me after she counted the coins.

"Same here. I'll send someone round or come meself if your missing goods turn up."

"Let us pray they do. Have a good afternoon."

"You do the same."

I repeated the "performance" across the street, he too did not know of any lost magical items, and he too had a shipment of goods stolen. Probably came in on the same caravan, it got hit, and both orders were lost. It would be nice these two owing me a favor or two…

I headed back to the inn, hardly an hour had passed so I had some time before the others would be back. I studied the spell, copying it into my own spell book, and was confident in our next encounter I could help Snarly out a bit more. I mean it's me attacking a guy or him attacking a guy, but like Hanz said I'm a lot faster than them so if I can help him out and still act defensively I may as well. The faster he dispatches his opponent the safer he'll be, and I'm usually acting at a distance anyway.

I also asked about the goods the two wizards had lost, casting my divination spell a few times.

"Are the goods stolen from the wizards I spoke to earlier easily recoverable?"

Yes

Okay, so they still exist. That's good.

"Are the goods stolen from the wizards I spoke to earlier in the possession of cultists of the Gloom like the ones we have been killing lately?"

No

That's surprising. If these are magical goods why would anyone but the cultists steal them? I figured they would be used for the rituals but apparently not. Who else do I know could be stealing stuff around here? Oh no…

"Are the goods stolen from the wizards I spoke to earlier in the possession of khi'teen?"

Yes

It can't be. Please don't make it be them.

"Are the goods stolen from the wizards I spoke to earlier within the Dagger Forest?"

Yes

"Are the goods in the encampment we already know about?"

Yes

I slammed my head into the table. It's the group the merchant lady told us about. They have the goods. They must have just robbed a merchant train and grabbed what they could. We have to go out there and murder a bunch of bug people if we're going to get them back. And earn more favor with the merchant's guild. And get more money. Great, this is just great. Wait…

"Do the khi'teen we met along the Still River live at the settlement in the dagger forest?"

No

So different group then. That would be awkward. Yeah, like killing them won't be, Orchid. Stupid. But it all ties together, doesn't it?

I looked up to see Malachite coming in, and he spotted me. He seemed to have something behind his back, and sort of stood awkwardly over me. "Sit down ya bloody fool, getting a crick in me neck looking up atcha!" Man am I in character today or what? Forget all this magic business I should have been a star on the stage.

"That is you, right, Orchid?"

"You know any other dwarves as cute as me? Look at this beard I've got going on here! Thing of beauty it is!"

"Just checking. Here I got this for you hope you like it bye." He shoved something at me and sort of ran off again. I was sitting there with my mouth open holding… what? I looked it over with my critical dwarven eye. It was an opal, in a nice setting hung on a chain. He got me a gift? After I nearly killed him? And then ran off. Something wrong with that… No, you don't think… No, I do think? And am I okay with that? To forestall any further thought in that direction I got out my other necklace and compared the two. It was a nice gesture and everything but I didn't want my original one scratching up the stone. I was pretty sure wearing the new one wouldn't interfere with the magic, but I also didn't want to chance losing either one. For the moment I shrugged, put the magical one in my pocket, and clipped the opal around my neck. When no one was looking I recast my spell to be a more feminine form, and in keeping with the theme of the day I just sort of made up my look. I had bright feathers in place of hair, completely black eyes, a small nose and month, and as I could change my outfit too made sure the dress I was wearing was low cut enough to show the opal. There. Now to get everyone back together and plan our next move.