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[Jon Potter]

Ayremac looked from Del to Maleko and nodded slowly.

“In an effort to be diplomatic," he began, "my mission here is simply to purge this vessel. As you stated, association with a Neogi vessel is somewhat questionable in itself."

"Diplomatic?" Maleko scoffed. "Once you start with insults it's a bit late for diplomacy, don't you think? I can't say I am fond of being called a fool."

“I apologize for the unkind words," the Officer of Umba said. "With the threat of battle, I tend to fall back on the heavy weight of authority that can break the will of the common criminal. You are obviously not such a man, and no disrespect was intended.”

Del breathed easier at this and again offered his potion to Ixin.

"Are any more of you 'kung fu fighters' injured?" Maleko asked, stepping closer with his holy symbol of Nethlar displayed. "I assume that is what you call yourselves since that was the battle cry we heard."

"Yeah, we're hurt," the pale twins admitted in unison, stepping closer. One was gingerly probing his chest where Maleko's Magic Missiles had struck and the other was holding a bleeding gash on his arm from Jinissi's dagger.

"We did not see an Officer of Umba when we engaged you. I am relieved we did not kill any of your crew," Maleko apologized. "Were you prisoners here? Neogi are famous for their mind tricks; I was worried that you could be deceiving us." Ayremac looked at him impassively and touched the holy symbol of Umba worked into his breastplate.

"In the name of She Who Judges," he intoned and invoked his Sacred Healing ability. Ixin and the twins both visibly relaxed as the healing took hold and Ayremac turned his attention back to Maleko and Del.

"You needn't worry about deception from me" he said definitively. "Now what brings you here?”

"We mean to explore this, the ship of the alleged enemy neogi," Maleko explained, "and perhaps go back to the ship we came from with what we found here." Del immediately caught the significance of his friend's assertion that 'perhaps' they'd go back. He wondered what Jinissi thought of that statement and suddenly realized that she was nowhere in sight.

“There was another amongst your party…” Ayremac began, picking up on clues in Del's demeanor.

"One of our party is missing," Maleko said, only just noticing her absence. "Jinissi, the lizard folk. bears hostility towards Neogil she was their prisoner once and has lots of information about this ship. Come out please, Jinissi."
She did not come out and Ayremac glanced about for the lizard woman.

“Ixin, do you see the cloaked figure?” he asked.

"No," the skull-faced woman told him as her four globes of floating light spread out to better fill the cargo hold with illumination. "But I'll find her."

"Not likely," Cerrakean croaked from the hatchway leading out. "Not if she doesn't want you to find her." With a single motion the hobgoblin sheathed her scimitars across her broad back.

"Do not underestimate my abilities," Ixin snapped and Cerrakean snorted.

"It's not about you, sweetheart," the hobgoblin sneered as she hopped over the umber hulk corpse. "But I know her type and you're not gonna just trip over her in the dark."

"Perhaps you could assist in the search?" Ayremac suggested. He looked at one of the twins. "Perhaps you'd like to go as well, J'inn? To keep the two groups in contact?"

The three searchers moved off through a doorway that led deeper into the deathspider, leaving Ayremac, Del, Maleko and the second twin, J'ann, to exchange information.



“So you are in the service of a githyanki captain?" the holy warrior asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you pirates?” Del shook his head fiercely.

"No!" he said quickly. "We hired his ship and crew as transport on the Astral plane, but it has proven to be a difficult contract." Maleko nodded.

"He is a seasoned trader here, with his own code of conduct and a devil as a first mate," Del went on. J'ann, stepped forward.

"You came on the Dire Hag?" he asked, surprised. Del nodded and J'ann shook his head. "I'm surprised you made it this far. Grawl isn't known to follow the spirit of a contract."

"The only law out here is his law was how I believe he put it," Maleko smiled and saw the Officer of Umba's lip curl in disgust. "I do not know if Grawl is totally bad; he just has his own interests first and foremost."

"His interest in this vessel is not to be taken lightly," Del asserted and Ayremac turned his gaze on the half-elf.

"And just what is his interest?" the holy warrior asked.

"He wants us to commandeer this ship for him," Maleko answered simply. "But since it could be said that you were here first, it seems we have little right to take it from a just party."

"I have no desire for this evil vessel," the Officer of Umba said. "It's helm must be destroyed, but the rest belongs to the Buommans as far as I'm concerned." He indicated J'ann and the pale man nodded his thanks.

"Captain Grawl and his crew may not feel the same way," Maleko cautioned. "If we deal with him, I suggest you change your tone to be more polite. He would certainly not tolerate being called a fool."

"If this Grawl consorts with fiends, there will be no deals," Ayremac said flatly and Del and Maleko exchanged a glance.

"What have you found about the ship so far?" the elf asked, deflecting the conversation away from talk of the Dire Hag.

"It was all but deserted when we arrived," Ayremac said. "There was a single neogi on board and two of those umber hulks." He indicated the massive aberration wedged in the open hatchway. With a new note of icy bitterness in his voice he added, "Their slaves were all dead."

"Drained of life by the ship's Helm," J'ann explained. "Deathspiders use a Lifejammer Helm powered by the vitality of whoever's attached to it. There's a half-dozen withered husks on the bridge that used to be strapped into the thing."

"That's why the Helm must be destroyed," Ayremac said. "Ixin can burn it before we leave."



"What do you know of this ship and its crew and slaves?" Cerrakean asked, her voice a low whisper in the darkened hallway.

"The crew are all dead," Ixin replied, spreading out her Dancing Lights to show more of the corridor. "The slaves were all dead when we got here."

The hallway from the cargo hold sloped downward toward the front of the ship. Six doors were set in the walls, three on either side, and all were locked. Ixin sent a globe of light to the far end of the hall where another door stood, this one half open. "Those lights are just gonna alert Jinissi to our pursuit," Cerrakean grumbled and Ixin turned a sharp eye on her.

"You would have us stumble about in the dark?" the sorcerer snapped and Cerrakean shrugged her meaty shoulders.

"I can see just fine in the dark," the hobgoblin grinned. She turned to the Buomman and asked, "What about you, pasty?"

"I can see in darkness," he admitted. "And my name is J'inn."

"And I'll bet you a gold piece that Jinissi's got no trouble with the dark either," Cerrakean said, smiling at Ixin. "That just leaves you, sweetheart. You can hold J'inn's hand if you're scared."

"Do not mock me, trolblood!" Ixin snarled, raising the scimitar in her hand. "I am Ixin, daughter of Ventisjir the Red, granddaughter of Lady Dominor Corastrixarosvith of Clan Vermillion!"

"Sister, I don't care who you are," the hobgoblin said in a low purr. "But you want to put that sword away. There's not a spell-slinger alive who can cross blades with me and walk away." Ixin looked at her and curled her lip in disgust.

"This will not help us find the lizard woman," J'inn interceded. "That was our task, was it not?" Ixin sighed and looked at him, lowering her sword with a nod.

"Yes," she admitted. "Ayremac would not be pleased to see me let my pride get in the way of our success." Cerrakean raised an eyebrow.

"Are you and the angel...?" she let the question hang in the air, but the lascivious grin on her face left little doubt as to her intimation. Ixin shook her head.

"He stood by me when everyone else I cared about had given up on me," she said. "He has earned my respect and friendship. That is all." Cerrakean shrugged.

"Pity," she said. "He's real pretty to look at." Ixin turned her eyes away and changed the subject.

"I can dismiss the Dancing Lights if you think it will aid our cause," she said but Cerrakean shook her head.

"Don't bother," the hobgoblin replied. "Just keep 'em back and let me and J'inn go up front."