Plntng 25
My work goes well, and I have made good headway on the enchantment on
Griff’s gloves. The periapt for Taklinn is a bit more difficult, not in it’s crafting, but
in finding a ‘legend lore’ spell to use as the base. I finally had to settle for having an
academy wizard cast it for me for a price. No matter, it’s not a spell I’d have really
wished for in my library for anything other than it’s novelty value. It’s far to vague
for my tastes.
At any rate, I visited Freya today and told her the news. She took it quite badly,
and I am not used to dealing with women in crisis. I fear I could do little more than
pat her on the knee and say, “There, there.”
I explained to her that the Broken Blade is hers, that Caribdis would have wanted
it that way, but she professed not to want the bar. She has no interest in running it,
and it was then that I could see that she is exactly what she appears to be: a very
young farm girl who was caught up in something she has not the imagination for.
She was used as a pawn by Melesandre, and Caribdis chased her across two worlds.
She was swept off her feet by his heroics; how could she not fall in love with him?
But I see now how the bloom had left Caribdis’ rose. She is not stupid, but rather
simple. She has no vision beyond everyday life; no ambition other than to build her
nest and live happily ever after. Her capacity for intellectual conversation is non-
existent, and she has no wish to speak in words of more than two syllables. I
quickly grew uncomfortable in her presence, and assured her that I would do what I
could to alleviate the responsibility of the inn to her.
One thing did strike me though. As I sat consoling her, I looked into a basket that
was set near her chair. In it was a ball of yarn and a pair of knitting needles. When I
saw what she had been knitting my heart leapt in my throat and then sank like a
stone. She is knitting booties. Baby booties.
I have since done what I can to procure management for the Broken Blade,
insuring that the place will continue to run, with a portion of the profits going to
keep Freya in a decent lifestyle. She has been through enough, and I know that,
even though Caribdis had tired of her, he would still see her comfortable and taken
care of.
All of this had cut into my work a bit, and I must be to bed now so that I can get
an early start in the morning.
Plntng 26
Work continues steadily. I hope to be back with the crew by early Flocktime.
Plntng 29
Happy’s belt of many pouches is nearly complete. I think that she will like this
item very much, for I have seen her look with envy at my handy haversack many
times.
I have succeeded in finding a manager for the Broken Blade. He realizes that he is
dealing with a wizard who intends to scry him from time to time, and who will
check the books to make sure accounts are being handled correctly. He knows that
there is no place he can hide from me should he try to steal from the bar, which I
think will keep him honest. No one wants to be on a wizards black list.
Flktme 5
Taklinn’s periapt will be complete by tomorrow. I intend to return to Latona the
minute they are done. I miss my friends, and hope they are well. Unfortunately I
cannot scry them, as they all wear rings of nondetection.
Over these past days I have had much time to dwell upon Caribdis’ death. The
weight of it will not leave me, and I have been (somewhat obsessively) scouring
tomes that deal with the art of communicating with the dead. I must somehow talk
to him. I must know why he didn’t come back. I must know that he is happy where
he is. And I must say goodbye.
Also, there is the matter of Freya, or, more to the point, what could be growing
within her. If she is with Caribdis’ child, should I tell him if I have the chance to
speak with him? Does he already know? Would he have come back had he known?
So many questions.
I hope to speak with Taklinn about this upon my return, for clerical magics will
be of far greater use in finding and talking to him.
In the end, I suddenly feel a part of something incomplete. The Crew is without
one of it’s vital components, and I fear further splintering will occur. Will we heal
ourselves? Will we find a replacement for him? Or will we dissolve?
I like to think that we are stronger than that, but the possibility is there. Each of us
lends our balance to the whole, and suddenly we are teetering, without center. I
wonder now if the one thing we cannot defeat is our own internal dichotomy now
that it has been pushed off kilter. These thoughts keep me up at night, and I fear that
I will return to Latona to find a crew steeped in discord. I doubt my wisdom in
leaving them for so long, as I am often times the voice of logic and reason, yet I
must trust them to police themselves.
Perhaps this loss will make us stronger. It may prove to be the most difficult thing
we must ever overcome.
Flktme 9
How swiftly the worm turns! Two days ago we were heroes. Today, we are
wanted criminals. As I write this Taklinn languishes in a prison cell and the rest of
us have been branded fugitives.
Our story has taken such twists and turns in such a short time it is difficult for me
to unravel it all. The more I try to make sense of it the more tangled it becomes, but
I shall attempt to relay an account of this mess in the hopes that writing it may
somehow reveal some pertinent wisdom I have overlooked.
I spent an extra couple of days in Havilah undergoing an initiation into the
academy of mages there. Given the benefits of membership to the Order, it seems a
wise move, though now that my future is unclear and my honor besmirched, I may
have to reconsider my options.
I returned to Latona on the 8th of Flocktime and found Taklinn drinking in the bar
with a woman I had never seen before. She was a stunningly beautiful human with
an air of mystery to her. Even though I am not given to amorous desire in most
cases, I could not help but appreciate her features, though I still regarded her with
mistrust when Taklinn introduced me to her after our initial greeting.
Her name is Scylla D’neif, and according to her, she was an acquaintance of
Caribdis. A very ‘close’ acquaintance, it seems. To be succinct, she was the Other
Woman in Caribdis’ life. How strange it seems to suddenly have one of his secrets
revealed in the wake of his death. She told me that she had heard of Caribdis’ death
only a few days hence, and had used a scroll of ‘teleportation’ to travel to Latona
where she had sought out his friends. Apparently she felt somehow responsible for
his death, given the fact that she had given him an ultimatum shortly before he’d
left Havilah. She was under the impression that her having drawn a line in the sand
with Freya on one side and herself on the other, had been the reason Caribdis had
left the city. She claims to have come here to help us find a way to bring him back.
I gave her explanation a sideways glance, not trusting her in the slightest, even
though Taklinn assured me that he detected no evil upon her. I was still unsure
though, and kept my eye on her as we waited for Happy and Griff to return.
An hour later the pair walked into the bar and were delighted to see me. I was
eager to catch up, and the five of us sat around a table exchanging our stories over
warm mead. Taigel and Mardath, growing weary of life in the city, had taken a
hunting trip into the tundra that was expected to last only another day or two.
Though it seemed ludicrous that they would actually go looking for trouble out in
that accursed snow, I could do little but shrug and hope they fared well and returned
safely.
My first order of business was to give Griff, Taklinn and Happy their newly
crafted items, with which they seemed quite pleased.
Our second item was the further matter of Caribdis. I was reluctant to speak of
this in front of Scylla, but Taklinn, Happy and Griff had, apparently been keeping
company with her since her arrival in Latona, and they seemed at ease with her.
Reasoning that I would be giving up few secrets, I allowed the conversation to run
its course.
It looks as if Taklinn and I have been on the same page regarding this, for while I
was in Havilah doing research of my own, he has taken it upon himself to gather
information from a source intimately familiar with the realms of the dead. He told
me that he had called a celestial deva and sought guidance from her, and that she
had told him that, yes, it was possible for us to make contact with Caribdis again;
that it was even possible to petition his deity for a second chance at a resurrection.
The only hitch was, we would have to go to him.
I watched Happy and Griff grow more and more uncomfortable as Taklinn
explained the convoluted process we would have to go through to reach Caribdis. It
involved the crossing of several planes of existence, the infinite staircase, a trip into
Ysguard, and still further possible rejection from Caribdis even after we pay what
will surely be a steep price for a second chance for our bard, should his deity even
decide to give it.
It was a long shot, and a dangerous one to boot. I immediately declared my
willingness to take it. Taklinn agreed, though he sighed and explained that the
dragon would have to be dealt with first. I argued with him, but he was adamant
about it, and in the end I could only agree that Caribdis wasn’t going anywhere
soon.
The final item on our agenda was the sticky matter of an assassination attempt on
Griff and Happy some two weeks ago. As they explained it to me, they had decided to
do a little fact finding themselves while I was gone in the hopes that some of the
locals might know something about Acessiwall, given their close proximity.
They roved from bar to bar, casually asking questions and being greeted with blank
stares or turned backs. No one, it seemed, wished to talk about the old wurm.
Finally they were pointed in the direction of a fellow named Losom the Large, an
ironic moniker, given the fact that he is a gnome. Losom was reputed to be a retired
bard who now dealt in information. Happy and Griff paid him a visit, as well as
some hard coin, but unfortunately received little more information about white
dragons (and Acessiwall in particular) than I had already provided. Feeling
frustrated and a bit put out with having paid for trivial information, they returned to
our inn.
A few nights later Griff woke up with a start as a shadowy figure plunged a blade
into him as he slept! Griff was quite fortunate that the assassin’s blade missed it’s
mark by a fraction. He was able to roll out of bed and grapple his assailant while
Happy grabbed a dagger and nailed the assassin a couple of times. Weakened and
wounded, the would be murderer was little match for Griff once he grabbed his
sword, and with a slash, he crumpled to the floor, dead. They disposed of the body
after searching it in a fruitless effort to find clues.
Happy was convinced that Losom had been in some way involved in setting the
assassin on them, and to that end she resolved to question him. She snuck into his
house and confronted the gnome, but he merely ‘charmed’ her and called the guard.
She just barely managed to escape. As we sat at our table she reiterated her
assurance that he was a prime suspect and that they had been waiting on my arrival
to deal with him.
It all sounded reasonable to me, and I suggested we pay Mr. Large a visit with a
few ‘charm persons’ of our own. There being no time like the present, I fortified
myself by memorizing a few appropriate spells before attempting to scry him. To
my happy surprise, I was able to locate him despite having no more than a name to
go on. I viewed him as he sat in a small room full of books as he sat reading. I
studied the room carefully, and within the hour we set out for Losom’s house.
Scylla trailed after us, though I was still unsure of her. I shrugged, reasoning that
she couldn't do much harm.
How wrong I was!
I must have been filled with either misplaced confidence or foolish pride, for we
formulated a half baked plan that contained many holes and no contingencies
should things go wrong.
It was decided that, since Losom would probably not recognize me or Scylla, the
two of us would pose as would be information seekers while the rest of the crew
waited across the street, ready to lend aid. Happy scouted through a window or two,
and saw that three body guards lounged in the main sitting room downstairs.
I knocked on the door and it was answered by one of the guards, and though he
answered me, it was Scylla that he could not take his eyes off of. He seemed utterly
smitten with her beauty, as did the other two guards who vied for her attention as
we were let in after I introduced ourselves. They fell over themselves getting her a
comfortable chair and something to drink while I explained that we were here to see
the master of the house; that we had good coin to exchange for information. One of
the guards finally tore his attention from Scylla, who appeared a little
uncomfortable with the attention, and went to fetch Losom.
Five minutes later a finely dressed gnome entered the room with a wide smile and
greeted us. He seemed only too pleased at the prospect of selling a bit of his
knowledge, and listened intently as I spun a threadbare tale. We were, I inexpertly
lied, seeking information on the whereabouts of a band of scoundrels which
included a halfling, a dwarf, and a tall swordsman. Describing my own crew gave
the story some small bit of validity, but it was merely a ruse, a framework within
which I wove a spell.
He did not see the ‘charm person’ coming, but to my amazement, he got lucky
and shrugged it off!
It was at this point that things began to spiral out of control.
His face turned pale and he immediately drew a dagger and backed toward the
door as he yelled at his body guards. “He tried to cast on me! They're thieves! Get
them!” He suddenly blinked out of view as I recognized the ‘invisibility’ he had just
cast. Swearing, I just had time to cast ‘see invisibility’ on myself as one of the
guards rushed me. I watched, frustrated, as Losom fled through the door. The guard
grabbed for me but I ducked and danced back a step. Two of the guards were
attempting to grapple Scylla, but I was determined not to let Losom escape. I
quickly cast a ‘teleport’ and the guards arms closed around empty air as I popped
into the book lined room I had seen Losom in earlier.
Sure enough, a second later the door opened and Losom entered with a look of
fear on his face. He was surprised to see me there, but not so much so that he could
not try a ‘confusion’ spell on me. Fortunately the dweomer slid off my mantel, and I
grinned at him. “Not today!” I said, cheerfully, and targeted him with a ‘hold
monster’ which stopped him in his tracks.
Now, what to do with him?
I quickly shut the door and cast an ‘improved invisibility’ on him, reasoning that
the guards would be here to check on him soon. Then, just to be sure he didn’t
escape, I cast a ‘feeblemind’ on him, which turned him into a drooling, held,
invisible idiot. In retrospect, the ‘feeblemind’ may have been a little overkill, but I
knew the hold would only last a minute or so, and I wasn’t about to allow this
slippery fellow to escape. I just had time to read a scroll of ‘invisibility’ for myself
as I heard the pounding of booted feet in the hall outside. The door swung open, and
I cursed when I realized that Losom stood too near it. The door hit him, knocking
him over, and giving away the fact that the room was not unoccupied. Two guards
stepped into the room, finding Losom by feel, and vainly asking him what the
matter was.
I was surprised to see Griff step in behind them. The two guards seemed to pay
him no mind, and I believe I must have blown a cover of some sort when I said,
“We’re going to need the bag of holding, Griff!”
Hearing my voice, the guards looked about wildly, then at Griff. With suspicious
faces, they drew their swords and pointed them at him.
Griff sighed. “Look,” He said, “I don’t want to kill you. We’ll pay you double
what he was paying. Just take it and get out!”
The two guards looked unsure until I wondered out loud if it might help to
convince them if I turned one of them into a toad.
“Fifty gold!” one of them shouted.
“Apiece!” agreed the other one.
“Pay them, Doorag.” Griff grunted, walking around them to find Losom’s form.
Grumbling, I tossed the guards the coin. They scooped it up and ran as if the devils
of hell themselves were on their heels. Griff rolled Losom into the bag of holding as
I heard whistles of alarm sound outside.
“Now what?” I wondered aloud. “Griff, get him to the inn and take care of him.
I’m going to search around here for a bit and I’ll catch up with you! Go!”
Had I only known what was going on downstairs!
I followed Griff from the room to find Happy waiting for us. “I heard whistles!”
She said, nervously. “Let’s get the hell out of here!” The three of us made our way
downstairs and saw Taklinn and Scylla. I gaped at Taklinn, who stood beside a pile
of his own weaponry and gear.
“What are you doing?” I asked him warily.
“You’d better go.” He replied stonily.
“What,” I asked again, “are you doing, Taklinn?”
“Come on, come on!” chattered Happy, standing near the door.
Taklinn stood as still as a statue, neither speaking nor looking at us. I was
exasperated, though still invisible, so I’m sure that my expression of frustration was
lost on anyone.
“Taklinn! Come on!” Griff snapped. “Let’s get out of here!”
“I think he’s waiting for the guard.” Scylla interjected quietly.
“What?” I cried, “Taklinn, what?” He merely nodded.
“Ah to hell with this!” Griff muttered. “We’ll meet you back at the inn! Come on,
Hap. You too!” He grabbed Scylla and ushered her out the door. The three of them
disappeared into the night.
“Taklinn, what’s going on?” I pleaded, hearing more whistles in the distance.
“It ain’t right!” The dwarf said, at last. “I ain’t no kidnapper!”
I groaned. “Kidnapper? This guy is our prime suspect in the assassination attempt
on Hap and Griff! We’re going to question him, that’s all!”
But any reply from Taklinn was cut off as city guardsmen piled through the door,
swords drawn. Still unseen, I quickly backed away and watched helplessly as
Taklinn greeted them stoically. “There’s been a kidnapping and an attempted
murder.” He said without emotion. “I’m one of the culprits. That’s my gear on the
floor, and there’s a wounded man across the street. I’ll come quietly.”
I stood there, mouth hanging open as they shackled him and led him out the door.
Soon the house was full of guardsmen and it was all I could do to avoid them as
they searched for more kidnappers. Finding none, they left after about fifteen
minutes, and I was alone. I clapped my hand to my forehead in disbelief at what I’d
just witnessed, and walked in a few tight circles in a lather of frustration. This was
bad. Very bad.
Gathering myself, I focused on the task at hand. I began a methodical search of
the house, looking for evidence that would tie Losom to the attack on Griff and
Happy.
Nearly five hours later, I cradled my tired head in my hands in despair. I had
found nothing. Not a single incriminating factor to point to Losom as our culprit.
The pit of my stomach dropped away as I was forced to accept the fact that we had
made a terrible error. Sighing heavily, I used my last teleport to return to our inn
room.
There they sat, Happy, Griff, and a drooling Losom, tied as comfortably as they
could make him to a chair. When I arrived they both leapt to their feet and began
pummeling me with questions.
“Where have you been!”
“Where’s Taklinn?”
“What the hell is wrong with this guy? What did you do to him?”
“Hold on a second!” I yelled, holding up my hands defensively, “Give me a
minute! Where’s Scylla?”
Griff scowled. “She’s gone! She went to the bathroom and never came out. When
I checked, she’d disappeared. I don’t know where the hell she is, and I ain’t gonna
go looking for her! Now what the hell is going on?”
I gulped and looked nervously at poor Losom. “I have good news and I have bad
news.” I said.
Happy eyed me. “What’s the bad news?” She asked, hesitantly.
“Taklinn is probably in jail. He gave himself up to the guard. He told them that he
was part of a kidnapping plot. He may have told them where we are, though I’d
think they’d have been here by now.”
Griff stared at me. “Your kidding!”
“No.”
“What’s the good news?” Happy asked hopefully.
“Actually, I’m not through with the bad news. Apparently someone was injured.
Probably one of the body guards. We can likely add attempted murder to our list of
crimes.”
Happy’s face drained of blood and Griff gaped at me. “What about him!” Griff
pointed to Losom.
“Um, yeah,” I stammered, “More bad news there. He’s under the effects of a
‘feeblemind’ spell. He had roughly the intellect of a sack of mud.”
“You don’t say! And how long does that last?”
“Well, permanently, more of less…”
“What!?”
“…permanently, until the right spell is cast on him!”
“And what would that be?” Happy groaned.
“’Heal.’”
“And can you cast that?”
“Actually, no.”
Happy sat down on the bed, thunderstruck, unable to talk. Griff paced the room,
shaking his head. “You cast a spell on him that you can’t fix? Are you crazy?” He
shouted.
“Well Taklinn can fix it!” I replied defensively. “Of course that will be a bit of a
trick at this point…”
Silence followed for several minutes as the pair digested this information. I sighed
and went on. “There’s more.” I said.
“Not more bad news!” Happy pleaded.
“Actually, yes, I’m afraid so.”
Griff growled deep in his throat and glared at me. “What?”
“We got the wrong guy.” I said. “I didn’t find a shred of evidence to tie him to
that assassin. Either he doesn’t keep any kind of a record of his criminal activity, or
he keeps it somewhere else, or he’s not involved at all. At this point, I’m leaning
toward that last hypothesis.”
“Doorag!” Happy cried, “What’s the good news!”
“Oh, that. There is no good news. I was just trying to soften the blow.”
Happy fell back onto the bed again, and I sensed that she was close to panic.
“How could you do this?” She demanded, sitting up and glaring at me. “How could
you turn this guy into a turnip while Taklinn gets hauled away to jail!”
“Me?” I answered, indignantly, “Happy, you’re the one who seemed so sure he
was the guilty party! I’m not the one who went to him asking about dragons! I’m
not the one who snuck into his house and got herself charmed! But I am the one
who’s dealing with it! Now calm down and lets think this thing through! This place
isn’t safe, but we don’t have any other place to go. I’m nearly out of useful spells
and I need to rest. However, we’re not without a few tricks yet. I have a couple of
‘rope trick’ scrolls that should provide us with a safe hideout until I can get my
spells again and try to figure this thing out. In the meantime, I’m going to scry
Taklinn. It’s probably safe to assume they took his ring off, so I should have an
easy time of it. Now let me read the scrolls, we’ll get out of sight, and I’ll do what I
can.”
“This is bad.” Muttered Griff.
“Yes, it is.” I agreed, pulling scrolls from my haversack. In short order I had cast
the ‘rope trick’. I had to burn another scroll to ‘levitate’ the chair Losom was sitting
on so we could get him into the space. We climbed up after him and I sealed the
entry.
“There.” I said, “We should be reasonably safe.” I withdrew my crystal ball and
held the image of Taklinn in my mind. The mist within the ball shifted and parted to
reveal our cleric. He was indeed in a cell, kneeling on the dirty floor in prayer.
Before him, drawn in the dust and hay on the floor, was a crudely inscribed outline
of Clangeden’s holy symbol. I sighed deeply. How, I wondered, were we going to
fix this mess?
***
Eight long hours later we opened the hatch of the extra dimensional space and
climbed out. It took another ‘levitate’ to help Losom to the ground. We immediately
noticed that our room had been ransacked during the night. Obviously Taklinn had
finally gotten around to telling his jailors where we were staying and they had come
to see if we remained. The fact that we had eluded them while being right under
their noses did not make me feel smug. The events of the past night were still fresh
in my memory, and the sight of poor Losom, with the attention span of a ferret and
the mental faculties of a gnat, only made me feel worse. I could tell that Happy felt
much the same way. It had been Happy who had tended Losom throughout the
night, and it had not been a fun job. She’d fed him and cleaned up after him as best
she could, but he was still a mess and she looked frazzled. I quickly used an ‘unseen
servant’ and a few well placed cantrips to freshen him up.
“I feel so sorry for him!” Happy moaned. “I wish we could talk to him and
explain what’s happening.”
I nodded sympathetically as I secured my hat on my head and prepared to learn
my spells for the day.
My hat!
“Happy! I’m so stupid!” I cried. “I must be slipping! Of course we can talk to
him!” She looked at me quizzically, but understanding dawned on her as I quickly
removed my enchanted hat and placed it on Losom’s head. Immediately a light
seemed to return to his eyes. He blinked and regarded Happy and I with curiosity,
then fear, as he remembered the night before and realized who we were. His
intelligence was probably nowhere near what it was before the ‘feeblemind’, but he
was at least able to understand me when I reassured him that we meant him no
harm.
His eyes kept returning to Happy with fearful glances, and she smiled weakly
back at him as I attempted to explain.
“Losom,” I began slowly, “A terrible mistake has been made…” I toiled over the
tale for an hour, repeating parts that he had obvious trouble understanding. I told
him of the assassination attempt, of our suspicion that he was involved, of our half
baked plot to charm and question him, culminating with his ill advised capture, the
‘feeblemind’, and our night in the ‘rope trick’. Happy interjected periodically with
sincere apologies. I went on to tell him that my main goal for the day was to
procure a spell that would return him to normal, which would be followed by his
immediate release.
He nodded, but said nothing. I could tell that his comprehension still left a lot to
be desired and that he still didn’t trust us a bit. I could not blame him. It pained me
to do so, but I told him that I would leave my hat on him to insure that he would not
have to endure still more hours as an idiot.
After a quick discussion Happy and I decided that she and Losom would remain
in the room inside a fresh ‘rope trick’ while I teleported to Taklinn to explain the
situation to him. Perhaps the knowledge that he could cure Losom would convince
him to let me help him escape from his cell. My hopes were not too high, for it
appeared that Taklinn was bound and determined to suffer the full consequences for
his part in our plan, but it was about all I had to go on. I selected my spells
carefully, scryed Taklinn again to make sure he was still in his cell, made myself
invisible, and cast the teleport.
I appeared in Taklinn’s cell and he was in the same position I’d seen him in last
night, head bowed in prayer and supplication. His eyes were tightly shut, and his
lips moved wordlessly. To my surprise, in the cell next to him, sat Scylla. She wore
a strange pair of manacles around her wrists which I eyed suspiciously. Anti-magic,
I wondered? They would need something of that sort to keep her from using her
spells, especially given the fact that she was probably a sorcerer.
I cleared my throat loudly, and Taklinn’s lips ceased their whispered prayers,
curling instead into a knowing smile.
“Hello, Doorag.” He said.
“Good morning, Taklinn.” I replied, taking a seat on his cot. “How was your
night?”
“Not bad.” He answered, opening his eyes and looking toward the sound of my
voice. “I have been treated surprisingly well, all things considered.” Scylla perked
up, listening to our conversation but saying nothing.
“Err, Taklinn, it seems that we’ve gotten ourselves into a bit of a bind.” I said,
humorlessly.
“Yes.” He said blithely, “Kidnapping and attempted murder. How does Losom
fare?”
I sighed deeply and began to unravel the story again, explaining that Losom was
innocent as far as I could tell, and that he was ‘feebleminded’. “You can cast heal,
can’t you?”
“Not without my holy symbol.” He said, shaking his head. “And they’ve taken
that from me.”
I brightened a bit. “You could use mine! The one you gave me!” But he quickly
squashed my enthusiasm.
“That one has not been properly consecrated.” He explained. “Besides, the fact
remains that I am in here while Losom is out there.”
“Well that’s just a matter of logistics. Give me five minutes and a couple of spells
and we’ll be out of here! I could even ‘port to your temple and get another symbol
for you…”
That would not be wise.” He cut me off. “Teleporting into a dwarven temple
would not be looked kindly upon.”
“I did it before,” I replied, “After Caribdis died. I went and visited his body.”
“Did the clerics see you?”
“Well, no, I guess not.”
“That is lucky for you. Besides, I cannot allow you to facilitate my escape. I have
broken the law, and a penalty must be paid.”
I groaned in frustration. “Taklinn! Your missing the forest for the trees here! We
have bigger fish to fry! We’ve got a dragon to slay and Caribdis to get back from
the great beyond! We can’t let a stupid mistake detour us from what must be done!”
He shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Doorag. My honor is at stake. I must uphold
the law, no matter how small the crime, nor the intent behind it.”
“The law? We don’t even know what the law is here!”
“I must assume that kidnapping and attempted murder is against the law here, as
they are in Havilah.”
“How do you know you’ll even get a fair trial here?”
“I don’t”
“Then how…”
“I have faith.”
I stood up and paced back and forth, trying to put my thoughts together. “What
did you tell them about us?” I asked.
“Everything.” He said.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
I smacked my forehead with my hand. “Taklinn, how could you…?”
“I cannot lie, Doorag! And frankly, I am surprised at your eagerness for
duplicity!”
I sputtered and swore at his stubbornness. “What about this attempted murder
thing? What happened there?”
Taklinn pointed over his shoulder to Scylla with a thumb. “She took one of the
body guards down with a spell. By the time I got to him he was near dead. I healed
him.” Scylla suddenly became very interested in a speck of dirt on her gown.
“Well thank the gods we don’t have a murder on our conscience! What were you
thinking, Scylla?”
“I acted in haste.” She replied. “I have never been in such a situation before, and I
cast without thinking, wanting only to stop him from raising the alarm. I realize
now that it was a foolhardy move, and thus I have joined Taklinn here after turning
myself in.”
“Marvelous!” I said, caustically. “You two make a fine pair of martyrs.”
Just then the jingle of keys could be heard coming down the hall. I quickly went
silent as a guard approached Taklinn’s cell. He looked around curiously.
“Everything all right in here?” He asked.
“Yes.” Taklinn answered. “Everything is fine.”
“Hmmm, thought I heard voices.” Satisfied that things were as they should be, the
guard turned to leave. I gritted my teeth in mute frustration.
“Wait!” I shouted. The guard turned in surprise, looking into the cell suspiciously.
“Who’s in there?” He demanded.
“My name is Doorag Marzipan.” I answered. “You can’t see me, but you can rest
assured that I am here. I need to speak with the magistrate. Now!” The guard looked
quite unsure, and I prompted him in no uncertain terms. “Well, what are you
waiting for? Go get the magistrate before I change my mind! Come on! Chop
chop!”
The guard seemed to finally realize that this was no trick, and he took off down
the hall at a quick jog.
“What are you doing?” Scylla asked.
“Probably making a terrible mistake.” I said. “But I suppose that would be no
surprise.” I sat down to await the magistrates arrival.
***
My wait was short. Barely ten minutes passed before we heard the sounds of more
footsteps hurrying toward Taklinn’s cell, and presently we were joined by a small
troop of guardsmen and a distinguished looking fellow with graying hair and a stern
expression. He bore an air of importance; of not having his decisions questioned.
“What goes on here?” He demanded, looking at Taklinn.
“Good morning, your Lordship.” I said, wearily. “I am Doorag Marzipan. I
assume you’ve heard of me.”
The magistrate stiffened visibly at the sound of my voice. “Indeed I have. Show
yourself!”
“Well now, that seems an awful waste of a spell.” I replied, shuffling my feet.
The old man sniffed indignantly and I could see color fill his cheeks. “How dare
you! You will show yourself, or this conversation is at an end!”
I began to get a little indignant myself. His tone was haughty, and I surmised that
he did not yet realize that he was not dealing with average criminals. “Your
Lordship, if I may just…” But he cut me off.
“This is outrageous!” He cried. “You break our laws, you enter my jail, you
dishonor me this way! Is this how things are done in your precious Havilah?”
I bristled at his derisive mention of Havilah, but did my best to maintain my
composure. “Your Lordship,” I began again, “I am merely attempting to right our
wrongs. If you would allow me…”
“You may right your wrongs by turning yourself over to me!” He snapped. “And I
will speak no further with you until I can see you, that is, provided you are brave
enough to show yourself.”
His attempt to shame me into becoming visible by questioning my courage was
thinly veiled, but I decided to concede the point to him. The spell was near its end
anyway, so I dismissed it, and within a second he could see me. “There,” I said,
“May we have a civil conversation now?”
He ignored me. “You can be sure that a message has been dispatched straight
away to Havilah informing your superiors of your activities. You are in no position
to make demands, Mr. Marzipan! You may think that you are above our laws simply
because we are a tiny city, but I assure you that you are sorely mistaken.”
I scratched my head. What would it take to make this man listen? “Your Lordship,
I am not arguing the fact that what we did was wrong! If you would just hear me
out you would see that I am trying to do the right thing, the most important of
which is the return of Losom…”
“Ah! So you do have him!”
“Yes, he is safe. But he is under the effects of a spell, and I need Taklinn to…”
“What is the ransom?”
“There IS no ransom!” I shouted, exasperated. I want to turn him over to you! I
want to free him! Do you understand that? I simply need Taklinn to be able to cast a
spell on him that will reverse the effects of a spell I have placed on him!”
“You enspelled him?”
“It was necessary at the time, so yes, I did. Unfortunately Taklinn is the only
person I know of who can reverse the effects.”
“This is outrageous!” The magistrate was working himself into a fine lather, and I
began to despair of ever reaching a meeting of the minds with him.
I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice calm. “Lordship, I am sure
Taklinn has already told you who we are and why we are here. I’m sure he’s told
you why we did what we did. It was ill advised and ill conceived, but our intentions
were good. I know that does not excuse us, but I need you to understand that we
mean your city, nor it’s inhabitants any further harm. This has been a most
regrettable occurrence, and no one is more sorry or embarrassed than I. Were we in
Havilah I would have already turned myself over to you. But we are not. We are
here to slay Acessiwall…” The magistrate inhaled sharply at the mention of the
dragons name, and I looked at Taklinn. “You have told him about Acessiwall,
haven’t you?”
“Actually, no.” Our cleric shrugged.
“Wonderful. Anyway,” I turned back to the magistrate, “That is why we’re here.
We have a debt to pay and a dead comrade to rescue. I cannot be detoured from
this, especially not to face trial in a place where I cant be sure of receiving a fair
trial. This incident with Losom the Large has compromised us already. It is my
fervent wish to return him to you, and to return him to his full faculties.”
I looked at the magistrate hopefully, but all I could see was righteous anger. “Mr.
Marzipan,” He began, struggling to control his voice, “I am unused to such
disrespect. You have kidnapped a prominent citizen; you have nearly caused the
death of one of his bodyguards; you have entered my jail uninvited; and now you
question the validity of our judicial system. How dare you come to me with
demands…”
“Your Lordship, I have made no demands!”
“You want your cleric to cast a spell on Losom…”
“More a request, I’d say.” I interrupted him again. Unfortunately this seemed only
to have the effect of making him so angry that he could not speak for several long
minutes.
“Mr. Marzipan,” He began again when he had regained his composure, “This
conversation is at an end. You will release Losom to me and I will see to his well
being, be that through the care of Taklinn, or another of our priests. After that, you
will surrender yourself to me or be branded a fugitive. It is that simple!”
I opened my mouth to say something but thought better of it. There was obviously
no reasoning with this man, at least not until I’d met him half way. “Very well.” I
nodded, and cast a ‘teleport’, leaving Taklinn’s cell and the disagreeable company
of the magistrate.
I appeared back in our inn room and called out to Happy. She cracked the hatch to
the ‘rope trick’ space and, seeing it was me, climbed down. “How did it go?” She
asked hopefully.
“Not very well.” I sat at the table and ran a hand through my hair. “The magistrate
is unwilling to listen to reason, and for that matter, neither is Taklinn. I’m going to
take Losom to them. Let it be their problem.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know.” I admitted glumly. “We can’t hope to defeat the dragon without
Taklinn, and frankly this whole business has compromised me to an extent that I am
unsure as to my own future. The magistrate is a disagreeable chap, and I have never
so wished to turn an innocent man into a toad before. But he is right about many
things. If only I had a real notion as to what kind of justice one can expect here. I
have to assume that we will be found utterly guilty and that the full extent of the
law will be applied to us. If we are prisoners, that can only mean death or a life time
of incarceration. I don’t know that I can submit myself to that kind of penalty.”
“What if we can convince Losom to drop the charges?” She asked.
“Well, again, I don’t know if that would have any bearing. We might be accused
of magically coercing him to do so. It may be out of his hands at this point. I just
don’t know.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“Turn Losom over to them. After that, I have some thinking to do, and perhaps
some research into the judicial system here. They obviously hold the law in high
regard here, though I cannot know to what extent. We are in a sticky spot, Hap, and
no doubt about that.”
She nodded.
The two of us brought Losom down from the ‘rope trick’ and I explained to him
what was to happen. He nodded in understanding and I led him from the room. Folk
in the common room gasped as we made our appearance, and many of them
followed us into the street. In a short time the avenue was lined with onlookers,
many of them grumbling and hissing at me. Word had obviously spread.
I led Losom to the jail and bid a guard to fetch the magistrate. Moments later the
old man arrived, once again flanked by his guards, as well as a fellow I suspected to
be a spellcaster. Yet they did not attempt my capture. I apologized to Losom a final
time and retrieved my hat from him as a guard led him away from me. Not a word
was spoken as they entered the jail and left me alone in the street, surrounded by
citizenry who, I’m certain, were held back from trying to lynch me only by their
fear of my reputation. I hung my head sadly and walked back down the street,
ignoring the jeers of the crowd. My direction was aimless, and my thoughts were
scattered. I was made doubly sad by the notion that Havilah would soon hear of
this, and I wondered what sort of disciplinary action we could expect from the
academy. If only Losom had been the culprit! If I had found evidence to incriminate
him, we would probably be hailed as heroes, or at least well intentioned vigilantes,
for ridding Latona of a criminal influence.
I needed to gather the crew together. We needed to talk. I glared at the crowd
following me and returned my path to the inn, hoping to find Happy that the two of
us might find Taigel, Mardath and Griff.
As my boots trod through the ever present snow, I focused inward, ignoring the
hostile onlookers and taking the long way back to the inn. I hoped that Happy could
take care of herself; she still had the ‘rope trick’ to hide in if the authorities came
calling so I figured she would be safe. I needed time to think.
How had it all happened so quickly? One day we were regarded as one of the
finest group of heroes Mycondros has ever seen, and the next, we’re outlaws! I
gnawed on that strange turn of events for long moments and a plethora of emotions
welled up inside me, not the least of which was anger. Anger at Taklinn for being
so stubborn. Anger at the magistrate. At Happy and Griff for poking their noses
around in the first place. Anger at Scylla for using deadly force in a situation that
had not called for it.
I had a prideful swell of anger at the temerity of those too blind to see that I was
above the law simply by dint of the power I could wield, and I had a sudden dark
vision of myself, flying above Latona, dropping ‘fireballs’ on the heads of it’s
citizens in an insane show of retributive magical talent that would teach them all
that it would have been better to let sleeping dogs lie. I could turn the magistrate
into a toad; I could level buildings; I could summon terrible creatures to wreak
havoc through the town; I could…
But of course I was most angry with none other than myself. For even having
those thoughts, and for attempting to place blame. I was furious for
allowing myself to ever be put into such a position. I was angry that I would
consider myself above the law, for that would shame a philosophy I had thus far
dedicated my life to: that all, be he king or beggar, must follow the Rules.
I mused over that philosophy for awhile. It had not changed. The law had not
changed. But I had changed dramatically. A year ago I had been little more than an
apprentice wizard, barely able to hold my own against a few zombies in a
monastery. How I had depended on the strength of others for my survival. Even up
to the battle with Melesandre I had felt that I was little more than good backup for
Griff and Taklinn. But sometime after that, in these ensuing months, my power has
crept up on me, and suddenly I command magic’s that even a dragon like
Acessiwall must fear. I had never considered the awesome responsibility that
having such power at my fingertips would entail. The fact was, I COULD do
terrible things to this town. I could very likely slay every living thing in Latona,
given a day or two. There was also the matter of my superior intellect. I looked
about at the faces of Latona’s citizens and knew that I was vastly smarter than
nearly all of them, even without the benefit of my hat. I realized how easy it was,
given that knowledge, to consider myself above them, and therefore above their
law.
I could so easily rationalize it. Was I not benevolent? Was I not basically good?
Did I not strive to uphold the ideals of truth and justice? Surely it was better to have
someone such as I in a position to ignore laws that got in the way of the greater
good! Did the ends not justify the means?
I sighed, half believing my own argument. For someone so smart, I thought, I feel
pretty dumb right now.
I considered The Old Man In The Pointy Hat and wished that I could seek him for
council. I supposed that I could teleport to him, but perhaps that would be taking the
easy way out. To let someone else tell me the path to choose right now would be to
miss an important lesson, I thought. There is wisdom to be gained here, if I can just
figure out what to do. The only trouble was, all of the choices that seemed to lead to
the most enlightened paths were also the hardest.
Responsibility. I chewed on that word for many minutes. Who was responsible for
our predicament? What was our responsibility to Latona? How could I responsibly
wield the power that I had learned to control? What was my responsibility to the
law? To the crew? To Havilah? To our honor? Was I more responsible to the law,
or to the concept of good?
I knew then that my personal philosophy would have to be considered in depth in
the future. Right now there was the matter of our situation, and I had a sudden
epiphany. I felt my responsibilities settle squarely on my shoulders and I believed
then that I knew what had to be done. Abruptly, I spun on my heel and quickened
my pace. My step knew a determination and sense of purpose, and I knew that,
come hell or high water, this thing would be resolved soon.
Within fifteen minutes I stood, once again, in front of the jail, my jaw set, my
mind made up. A pair of guards eyed me suspiciously as I approached. “I must see
the magistrate!” I announced to one of them. He sniffed, but walked into the
building. Moments later he returned and bid me follow him. I was led to a small
antechamber and told to wait, which I did for what seemed like a very long time. I
surmised that the magistrate was probably trying to figure out what to do with
Losom, assuming that Taklinn would have to wait until his next chance to pray for
spells.
The hours dragged by, but finally the simple door opened and the magistrate
entered. I had expected him to be accompanied by a full contingent of guardsmen,
but to my surprise he was alone. He pulled up a chair and regarded me. “You asked
to see me?” He said, simply.
I took a deep breath and resolved to carry through with my plan. “Yes, Your
Lordship.” I replied. “First, allow me to apologize for the tone of our earlier
meeting. I spoke out of turn and treated you with less than the respect that you
deserve. I hope that you can overlook my rash words and we can have a civil
conversation as gentlemen.”
The magistrate cocked an eye at me. “This is a difficult situation, Mr. Marzipan,”
He said, “I can imagine the stress it puts you under, though I’m afraid you’ll find
little sympathy here. Still, I am not so unwise as to close my ears to you should you
have something important to say.”
I nodded and plunged ahead. “Your Lordship, a terrible mistake has been made,
of that there can be no doubt. We have insulted your town and it’s citizens, and
things must be set right. Under normal circumstances, that is to say, were we in
Havilah, I would already be under your guard. But we are not. Latona is alien to
me, and you must understand that I have no idea how your law deals with such
offenses, nor if I can expect to receive a fair trial. Can you give me any assurances
of the validity of your court here?”
The magistrate, to his credit, did not take offense to my reasoning. He simply
answered my question. “Mr. Marzipan, the only assurance I can offer you is my
word and the history of justice in Latona under my stead. I believe you will find
very little evidence of corruption within my court. This has not always made me
popular among the less moral of our citizenry, but the law is the law, and I will not
be responsible for seeing it bastardized by greed or influence.”
I mulled on this for a moment. “And what could I be facing here?” I asked.
“Well,” He sighed, “The charges are serious. I’m sure that they would be just as
serious in Havilah. Yet it does sound as if there are extenuating circumstances,
though that will have to be born out in court. Much will depend on the testimony
and disposition of Losom the Large and his guardsman that was wounded. I can tell
you that we are not in the habit of handing down death sentences lightly. Still, I
won’t lie to you. If things go very badly, you could well face a significant term of
imprisonment.”
“I suspected as much.” I nodded glumly. “Yet that doesn’t change the fact that
reparations must be made. To that end, I have a proposal for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“Your Lordship, after much consideration, I realize that the root of this fiasco can
be traced back to me. I would like to offer myself up to the court, taking full
responsibility for my own actions, as well as the actions of my cohorts. They were
simply following my lead and instruction. I would ask that they be absolved of all
guilt, or at least have it understood that they were mere accomplices under my
direction. If that can be agreed upon, I shall turn myself over to you and accept
whatever penalty you hand down.”
The magistrate cocked his eye at me again. “That is an interesting proposition,
Mr. Marzipan, and one that I can neither accept or decline until I am able to speak
with Losom. If his story supports your assertion, then I can strongly consider it.
Your clerical friend tells me that he will be able to cast the proper spells to return
Losom to his full faculties in several hours. Only after that can I give you an
answer.”
“Very well.” I replied. “I suppose I will see you tomorrow then.”
“You're welcome to remain in my custody tonight.” He smiled.
“That is most generous of you, Your Lordship, but I really should talk this over
with the rest of my crew.”
“Of course. Then perhaps tomorrow?”
“Yes, perhaps tomorrow.”
I left his offoce and hurried back to the inn, my heart still heavy, but with some small
light at the end of the tunnel at last. I found Happy pacing the inn room, so nervous
that she nearly hurled a dagger at me when I entered unannounced.
“Where have you been! I’ve been going crazy here! Did you return Losom to
them?”
“Yes.” I answered as I pulled my crystal ball from my pack and set it on the table.
“Well? What happened?” She demanded.
“I’ll explain in a moment. First we have to find the others.”
Happy bit her tongue and paced again as I concentrated on Griff, seeking him out.
The mist within the ball parted, and he came into view. “’Bert’s cudgel!” I swore as
the scene revealed itself.
“What? What!” Happy asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Grab your gear! We have to go to them! Now!”
Without asking me again, she scooped up her pack and grabbed my outstretched
hand as I cast. The teleport blinked us out of the room, and the next second we were
whipped by the icy wind of the tundra as we appeared behind Griff, who stood,
swaying a bit, and cursing loudly. In his hand he held the melted remains of his
sword. It was little more than a blob of useless steel. Ten feet from him lay the
carcass of the rhemorez I had seen him fighting. Taigel and Mardath stood across
from it.
“Oh no!” I cried, “Not your sword!”
Griff jumped, startled at my voice, and spun around. He scowled but relaxed
when he saw Happy and I, and tossed his ruined blade to the ground in disgust.
“Yep. The blade the king gave me. Son of a… I don’t like rhemorez!”
“Are you hurt?” Happy walked to Griff, inspecting him for wounds.
“I’ll be ok.” He grunted. “How are you?” What’s going on with Taklinn and
Scylla?”
I picked up his melted blade pondered it for a moment. “It’s going to be awfully
difficult to fight a dragon without a magic sword, especially one of this quality.” I
mused. “Hang on to it, Griff. Who knows, I might be able to fix it.” He shrugged
and dropped it into our bag of holding. “As for what’s going on in town,” I said,
“We need to talk. Lets find a place out of this wind.”
An hour later found us hunkered down within a shelter built of snow. It was cold,
and a far cry from the Leomund’s shelters Caribdis had provided us with, but it
would do for our purposes.
“What?” Griff demanded when I had told him my plan.
“You can’t take the blame for all of this!” Happy exclaimed. “If it’s anyone’s
fault it’s Griff and me! We’re the ones who started this whole mess!”
“That may be,” I explained patiently, “But the fact is, it was I who formulated the
plan of charming Losom; it was I who cast the first spell; and it was I who
incapacitated him. The rest of you can viably claim to have been following my
orders.”
“And why would you do this?” Griff asked.
“Because it’s better for one of us to take the fall for this than all of us. Besides,
reputations are at stake here, and I will not have your names sullied. Especially
yours, Griff.”
“Mine? What the hell does my reputation have to do with anything?”
“Your reputation has everything to do with this, Griff. You are the savior of
Havilah; the slayer of Melesandre, and the wielder of Everyman’s Blade! I will not
have your name tarnished by some stupid mistake! The people need their heroes!”
Griff rolled his eyes.
“Besides,” I continued, “It’s a matter of principal for me. I am guilty, after all.
Furthermore, who better to defend themselves in court than me? I am eloquent,
loquacious, and verbose. I know that you and Hap aren’t going to turn yourselves
in, and I wouldn’t ask you to; and Taklinn really isn’t guilty of all that much. He
has association and intent going against him, and I’m sure they could charge him
with conspiracy, but in the end I am the culprit most able to deal with the charges
and the penalty.”
“What if the penalty is hard labor for the rest of your life?” Happy asked.
“That would be most unfortunate. I’m ill suited for it.”
“And how are we supposed to fight a dragon without you?” Griff added.
“You’ll find a way. I am not indispensable, and Taklinn will hopefully be with
you.”
Griff swore and spat. “If I have to choose between you and the dwarf, I’ll take
you.”
“You don’t mean that.” I said, giving him a stern look.
“Whatever.” He said. “If your going to do this I can’t stop you, but I still think it’s
a bone head move. I say we bust Taklinn out and make tracks!”
“You’d have to pry Taklinn’s fingers from the bars of his cell.” I laughed. “He is
determined to accept the full weight of the law. I believe he has an over developed
sense of justice. Anyway, I will need the two of you to get your stories straight; that
you were both following my orders. I know your prides may not like that, but its
essential.”
The two of them looked at each other and shrugged their acceptance. It was
decided that we would sleep in this shelter tonight and that I would port us back
into the town in the morning. I have spent the rest of the day catching up this
journal and with returning Taigel to his normal half-dragon form. He feared that,
should I be put away for good, he would have to spend the rest of his days as a
human, a situation he has no desire for.
I must try to rest now. Tomorrow will be a long day.
My work goes well, and I have made good headway on the enchantment on
Griff’s gloves. The periapt for Taklinn is a bit more difficult, not in it’s crafting, but
in finding a ‘legend lore’ spell to use as the base. I finally had to settle for having an
academy wizard cast it for me for a price. No matter, it’s not a spell I’d have really
wished for in my library for anything other than it’s novelty value. It’s far to vague
for my tastes.
At any rate, I visited Freya today and told her the news. She took it quite badly,
and I am not used to dealing with women in crisis. I fear I could do little more than
pat her on the knee and say, “There, there.”
I explained to her that the Broken Blade is hers, that Caribdis would have wanted
it that way, but she professed not to want the bar. She has no interest in running it,
and it was then that I could see that she is exactly what she appears to be: a very
young farm girl who was caught up in something she has not the imagination for.
She was used as a pawn by Melesandre, and Caribdis chased her across two worlds.
She was swept off her feet by his heroics; how could she not fall in love with him?
But I see now how the bloom had left Caribdis’ rose. She is not stupid, but rather
simple. She has no vision beyond everyday life; no ambition other than to build her
nest and live happily ever after. Her capacity for intellectual conversation is non-
existent, and she has no wish to speak in words of more than two syllables. I
quickly grew uncomfortable in her presence, and assured her that I would do what I
could to alleviate the responsibility of the inn to her.
One thing did strike me though. As I sat consoling her, I looked into a basket that
was set near her chair. In it was a ball of yarn and a pair of knitting needles. When I
saw what she had been knitting my heart leapt in my throat and then sank like a
stone. She is knitting booties. Baby booties.
I have since done what I can to procure management for the Broken Blade,
insuring that the place will continue to run, with a portion of the profits going to
keep Freya in a decent lifestyle. She has been through enough, and I know that,
even though Caribdis had tired of her, he would still see her comfortable and taken
care of.
All of this had cut into my work a bit, and I must be to bed now so that I can get
an early start in the morning.
Plntng 26
Work continues steadily. I hope to be back with the crew by early Flocktime.
Plntng 29
Happy’s belt of many pouches is nearly complete. I think that she will like this
item very much, for I have seen her look with envy at my handy haversack many
times.
I have succeeded in finding a manager for the Broken Blade. He realizes that he is
dealing with a wizard who intends to scry him from time to time, and who will
check the books to make sure accounts are being handled correctly. He knows that
there is no place he can hide from me should he try to steal from the bar, which I
think will keep him honest. No one wants to be on a wizards black list.
Flktme 5
Taklinn’s periapt will be complete by tomorrow. I intend to return to Latona the
minute they are done. I miss my friends, and hope they are well. Unfortunately I
cannot scry them, as they all wear rings of nondetection.
Over these past days I have had much time to dwell upon Caribdis’ death. The
weight of it will not leave me, and I have been (somewhat obsessively) scouring
tomes that deal with the art of communicating with the dead. I must somehow talk
to him. I must know why he didn’t come back. I must know that he is happy where
he is. And I must say goodbye.
Also, there is the matter of Freya, or, more to the point, what could be growing
within her. If she is with Caribdis’ child, should I tell him if I have the chance to
speak with him? Does he already know? Would he have come back had he known?
So many questions.
I hope to speak with Taklinn about this upon my return, for clerical magics will
be of far greater use in finding and talking to him.
In the end, I suddenly feel a part of something incomplete. The Crew is without
one of it’s vital components, and I fear further splintering will occur. Will we heal
ourselves? Will we find a replacement for him? Or will we dissolve?
I like to think that we are stronger than that, but the possibility is there. Each of us
lends our balance to the whole, and suddenly we are teetering, without center. I
wonder now if the one thing we cannot defeat is our own internal dichotomy now
that it has been pushed off kilter. These thoughts keep me up at night, and I fear that
I will return to Latona to find a crew steeped in discord. I doubt my wisdom in
leaving them for so long, as I am often times the voice of logic and reason, yet I
must trust them to police themselves.
Perhaps this loss will make us stronger. It may prove to be the most difficult thing
we must ever overcome.
Flktme 9
How swiftly the worm turns! Two days ago we were heroes. Today, we are
wanted criminals. As I write this Taklinn languishes in a prison cell and the rest of
us have been branded fugitives.
Our story has taken such twists and turns in such a short time it is difficult for me
to unravel it all. The more I try to make sense of it the more tangled it becomes, but
I shall attempt to relay an account of this mess in the hopes that writing it may
somehow reveal some pertinent wisdom I have overlooked.
I spent an extra couple of days in Havilah undergoing an initiation into the
academy of mages there. Given the benefits of membership to the Order, it seems a
wise move, though now that my future is unclear and my honor besmirched, I may
have to reconsider my options.
I returned to Latona on the 8th of Flocktime and found Taklinn drinking in the bar
with a woman I had never seen before. She was a stunningly beautiful human with
an air of mystery to her. Even though I am not given to amorous desire in most
cases, I could not help but appreciate her features, though I still regarded her with
mistrust when Taklinn introduced me to her after our initial greeting.
Her name is Scylla D’neif, and according to her, she was an acquaintance of
Caribdis. A very ‘close’ acquaintance, it seems. To be succinct, she was the Other
Woman in Caribdis’ life. How strange it seems to suddenly have one of his secrets
revealed in the wake of his death. She told me that she had heard of Caribdis’ death
only a few days hence, and had used a scroll of ‘teleportation’ to travel to Latona
where she had sought out his friends. Apparently she felt somehow responsible for
his death, given the fact that she had given him an ultimatum shortly before he’d
left Havilah. She was under the impression that her having drawn a line in the sand
with Freya on one side and herself on the other, had been the reason Caribdis had
left the city. She claims to have come here to help us find a way to bring him back.
I gave her explanation a sideways glance, not trusting her in the slightest, even
though Taklinn assured me that he detected no evil upon her. I was still unsure
though, and kept my eye on her as we waited for Happy and Griff to return.
An hour later the pair walked into the bar and were delighted to see me. I was
eager to catch up, and the five of us sat around a table exchanging our stories over
warm mead. Taigel and Mardath, growing weary of life in the city, had taken a
hunting trip into the tundra that was expected to last only another day or two.
Though it seemed ludicrous that they would actually go looking for trouble out in
that accursed snow, I could do little but shrug and hope they fared well and returned
safely.
My first order of business was to give Griff, Taklinn and Happy their newly
crafted items, with which they seemed quite pleased.
Our second item was the further matter of Caribdis. I was reluctant to speak of
this in front of Scylla, but Taklinn, Happy and Griff had, apparently been keeping
company with her since her arrival in Latona, and they seemed at ease with her.
Reasoning that I would be giving up few secrets, I allowed the conversation to run
its course.
It looks as if Taklinn and I have been on the same page regarding this, for while I
was in Havilah doing research of my own, he has taken it upon himself to gather
information from a source intimately familiar with the realms of the dead. He told
me that he had called a celestial deva and sought guidance from her, and that she
had told him that, yes, it was possible for us to make contact with Caribdis again;
that it was even possible to petition his deity for a second chance at a resurrection.
The only hitch was, we would have to go to him.
I watched Happy and Griff grow more and more uncomfortable as Taklinn
explained the convoluted process we would have to go through to reach Caribdis. It
involved the crossing of several planes of existence, the infinite staircase, a trip into
Ysguard, and still further possible rejection from Caribdis even after we pay what
will surely be a steep price for a second chance for our bard, should his deity even
decide to give it.
It was a long shot, and a dangerous one to boot. I immediately declared my
willingness to take it. Taklinn agreed, though he sighed and explained that the
dragon would have to be dealt with first. I argued with him, but he was adamant
about it, and in the end I could only agree that Caribdis wasn’t going anywhere
soon.
The final item on our agenda was the sticky matter of an assassination attempt on
Griff and Happy some two weeks ago. As they explained it to me, they had decided to
do a little fact finding themselves while I was gone in the hopes that some of the
locals might know something about Acessiwall, given their close proximity.
They roved from bar to bar, casually asking questions and being greeted with blank
stares or turned backs. No one, it seemed, wished to talk about the old wurm.
Finally they were pointed in the direction of a fellow named Losom the Large, an
ironic moniker, given the fact that he is a gnome. Losom was reputed to be a retired
bard who now dealt in information. Happy and Griff paid him a visit, as well as
some hard coin, but unfortunately received little more information about white
dragons (and Acessiwall in particular) than I had already provided. Feeling
frustrated and a bit put out with having paid for trivial information, they returned to
our inn.
A few nights later Griff woke up with a start as a shadowy figure plunged a blade
into him as he slept! Griff was quite fortunate that the assassin’s blade missed it’s
mark by a fraction. He was able to roll out of bed and grapple his assailant while
Happy grabbed a dagger and nailed the assassin a couple of times. Weakened and
wounded, the would be murderer was little match for Griff once he grabbed his
sword, and with a slash, he crumpled to the floor, dead. They disposed of the body
after searching it in a fruitless effort to find clues.
Happy was convinced that Losom had been in some way involved in setting the
assassin on them, and to that end she resolved to question him. She snuck into his
house and confronted the gnome, but he merely ‘charmed’ her and called the guard.
She just barely managed to escape. As we sat at our table she reiterated her
assurance that he was a prime suspect and that they had been waiting on my arrival
to deal with him.
It all sounded reasonable to me, and I suggested we pay Mr. Large a visit with a
few ‘charm persons’ of our own. There being no time like the present, I fortified
myself by memorizing a few appropriate spells before attempting to scry him. To
my happy surprise, I was able to locate him despite having no more than a name to
go on. I viewed him as he sat in a small room full of books as he sat reading. I
studied the room carefully, and within the hour we set out for Losom’s house.
Scylla trailed after us, though I was still unsure of her. I shrugged, reasoning that
she couldn't do much harm.
How wrong I was!
I must have been filled with either misplaced confidence or foolish pride, for we
formulated a half baked plan that contained many holes and no contingencies
should things go wrong.
It was decided that, since Losom would probably not recognize me or Scylla, the
two of us would pose as would be information seekers while the rest of the crew
waited across the street, ready to lend aid. Happy scouted through a window or two,
and saw that three body guards lounged in the main sitting room downstairs.
I knocked on the door and it was answered by one of the guards, and though he
answered me, it was Scylla that he could not take his eyes off of. He seemed utterly
smitten with her beauty, as did the other two guards who vied for her attention as
we were let in after I introduced ourselves. They fell over themselves getting her a
comfortable chair and something to drink while I explained that we were here to see
the master of the house; that we had good coin to exchange for information. One of
the guards finally tore his attention from Scylla, who appeared a little
uncomfortable with the attention, and went to fetch Losom.
Five minutes later a finely dressed gnome entered the room with a wide smile and
greeted us. He seemed only too pleased at the prospect of selling a bit of his
knowledge, and listened intently as I spun a threadbare tale. We were, I inexpertly
lied, seeking information on the whereabouts of a band of scoundrels which
included a halfling, a dwarf, and a tall swordsman. Describing my own crew gave
the story some small bit of validity, but it was merely a ruse, a framework within
which I wove a spell.
He did not see the ‘charm person’ coming, but to my amazement, he got lucky
and shrugged it off!
It was at this point that things began to spiral out of control.
His face turned pale and he immediately drew a dagger and backed toward the
door as he yelled at his body guards. “He tried to cast on me! They're thieves! Get
them!” He suddenly blinked out of view as I recognized the ‘invisibility’ he had just
cast. Swearing, I just had time to cast ‘see invisibility’ on myself as one of the
guards rushed me. I watched, frustrated, as Losom fled through the door. The guard
grabbed for me but I ducked and danced back a step. Two of the guards were
attempting to grapple Scylla, but I was determined not to let Losom escape. I
quickly cast a ‘teleport’ and the guards arms closed around empty air as I popped
into the book lined room I had seen Losom in earlier.
Sure enough, a second later the door opened and Losom entered with a look of
fear on his face. He was surprised to see me there, but not so much so that he could
not try a ‘confusion’ spell on me. Fortunately the dweomer slid off my mantel, and I
grinned at him. “Not today!” I said, cheerfully, and targeted him with a ‘hold
monster’ which stopped him in his tracks.
Now, what to do with him?
I quickly shut the door and cast an ‘improved invisibility’ on him, reasoning that
the guards would be here to check on him soon. Then, just to be sure he didn’t
escape, I cast a ‘feeblemind’ on him, which turned him into a drooling, held,
invisible idiot. In retrospect, the ‘feeblemind’ may have been a little overkill, but I
knew the hold would only last a minute or so, and I wasn’t about to allow this
slippery fellow to escape. I just had time to read a scroll of ‘invisibility’ for myself
as I heard the pounding of booted feet in the hall outside. The door swung open, and
I cursed when I realized that Losom stood too near it. The door hit him, knocking
him over, and giving away the fact that the room was not unoccupied. Two guards
stepped into the room, finding Losom by feel, and vainly asking him what the
matter was.
I was surprised to see Griff step in behind them. The two guards seemed to pay
him no mind, and I believe I must have blown a cover of some sort when I said,
“We’re going to need the bag of holding, Griff!”
Hearing my voice, the guards looked about wildly, then at Griff. With suspicious
faces, they drew their swords and pointed them at him.
Griff sighed. “Look,” He said, “I don’t want to kill you. We’ll pay you double
what he was paying. Just take it and get out!”
The two guards looked unsure until I wondered out loud if it might help to
convince them if I turned one of them into a toad.
“Fifty gold!” one of them shouted.
“Apiece!” agreed the other one.
“Pay them, Doorag.” Griff grunted, walking around them to find Losom’s form.
Grumbling, I tossed the guards the coin. They scooped it up and ran as if the devils
of hell themselves were on their heels. Griff rolled Losom into the bag of holding as
I heard whistles of alarm sound outside.
“Now what?” I wondered aloud. “Griff, get him to the inn and take care of him.
I’m going to search around here for a bit and I’ll catch up with you! Go!”
Had I only known what was going on downstairs!
I followed Griff from the room to find Happy waiting for us. “I heard whistles!”
She said, nervously. “Let’s get the hell out of here!” The three of us made our way
downstairs and saw Taklinn and Scylla. I gaped at Taklinn, who stood beside a pile
of his own weaponry and gear.
“What are you doing?” I asked him warily.
“You’d better go.” He replied stonily.
“What,” I asked again, “are you doing, Taklinn?”
“Come on, come on!” chattered Happy, standing near the door.
Taklinn stood as still as a statue, neither speaking nor looking at us. I was
exasperated, though still invisible, so I’m sure that my expression of frustration was
lost on anyone.
“Taklinn! Come on!” Griff snapped. “Let’s get out of here!”
“I think he’s waiting for the guard.” Scylla interjected quietly.
“What?” I cried, “Taklinn, what?” He merely nodded.
“Ah to hell with this!” Griff muttered. “We’ll meet you back at the inn! Come on,
Hap. You too!” He grabbed Scylla and ushered her out the door. The three of them
disappeared into the night.
“Taklinn, what’s going on?” I pleaded, hearing more whistles in the distance.
“It ain’t right!” The dwarf said, at last. “I ain’t no kidnapper!”
I groaned. “Kidnapper? This guy is our prime suspect in the assassination attempt
on Hap and Griff! We’re going to question him, that’s all!”
But any reply from Taklinn was cut off as city guardsmen piled through the door,
swords drawn. Still unseen, I quickly backed away and watched helplessly as
Taklinn greeted them stoically. “There’s been a kidnapping and an attempted
murder.” He said without emotion. “I’m one of the culprits. That’s my gear on the
floor, and there’s a wounded man across the street. I’ll come quietly.”
I stood there, mouth hanging open as they shackled him and led him out the door.
Soon the house was full of guardsmen and it was all I could do to avoid them as
they searched for more kidnappers. Finding none, they left after about fifteen
minutes, and I was alone. I clapped my hand to my forehead in disbelief at what I’d
just witnessed, and walked in a few tight circles in a lather of frustration. This was
bad. Very bad.
Gathering myself, I focused on the task at hand. I began a methodical search of
the house, looking for evidence that would tie Losom to the attack on Griff and
Happy.
Nearly five hours later, I cradled my tired head in my hands in despair. I had
found nothing. Not a single incriminating factor to point to Losom as our culprit.
The pit of my stomach dropped away as I was forced to accept the fact that we had
made a terrible error. Sighing heavily, I used my last teleport to return to our inn
room.
There they sat, Happy, Griff, and a drooling Losom, tied as comfortably as they
could make him to a chair. When I arrived they both leapt to their feet and began
pummeling me with questions.
“Where have you been!”
“Where’s Taklinn?”
“What the hell is wrong with this guy? What did you do to him?”
“Hold on a second!” I yelled, holding up my hands defensively, “Give me a
minute! Where’s Scylla?”
Griff scowled. “She’s gone! She went to the bathroom and never came out. When
I checked, she’d disappeared. I don’t know where the hell she is, and I ain’t gonna
go looking for her! Now what the hell is going on?”
I gulped and looked nervously at poor Losom. “I have good news and I have bad
news.” I said.
Happy eyed me. “What’s the bad news?” She asked, hesitantly.
“Taklinn is probably in jail. He gave himself up to the guard. He told them that he
was part of a kidnapping plot. He may have told them where we are, though I’d
think they’d have been here by now.”
Griff stared at me. “Your kidding!”
“No.”
“What’s the good news?” Happy asked hopefully.
“Actually, I’m not through with the bad news. Apparently someone was injured.
Probably one of the body guards. We can likely add attempted murder to our list of
crimes.”
Happy’s face drained of blood and Griff gaped at me. “What about him!” Griff
pointed to Losom.
“Um, yeah,” I stammered, “More bad news there. He’s under the effects of a
‘feeblemind’ spell. He had roughly the intellect of a sack of mud.”
“You don’t say! And how long does that last?”
“Well, permanently, more of less…”
“What!?”
“…permanently, until the right spell is cast on him!”
“And what would that be?” Happy groaned.
“’Heal.’”
“And can you cast that?”
“Actually, no.”
Happy sat down on the bed, thunderstruck, unable to talk. Griff paced the room,
shaking his head. “You cast a spell on him that you can’t fix? Are you crazy?” He
shouted.
“Well Taklinn can fix it!” I replied defensively. “Of course that will be a bit of a
trick at this point…”
Silence followed for several minutes as the pair digested this information. I sighed
and went on. “There’s more.” I said.
“Not more bad news!” Happy pleaded.
“Actually, yes, I’m afraid so.”
Griff growled deep in his throat and glared at me. “What?”
“We got the wrong guy.” I said. “I didn’t find a shred of evidence to tie him to
that assassin. Either he doesn’t keep any kind of a record of his criminal activity, or
he keeps it somewhere else, or he’s not involved at all. At this point, I’m leaning
toward that last hypothesis.”
“Doorag!” Happy cried, “What’s the good news!”
“Oh, that. There is no good news. I was just trying to soften the blow.”
Happy fell back onto the bed again, and I sensed that she was close to panic.
“How could you do this?” She demanded, sitting up and glaring at me. “How could
you turn this guy into a turnip while Taklinn gets hauled away to jail!”
“Me?” I answered, indignantly, “Happy, you’re the one who seemed so sure he
was the guilty party! I’m not the one who went to him asking about dragons! I’m
not the one who snuck into his house and got herself charmed! But I am the one
who’s dealing with it! Now calm down and lets think this thing through! This place
isn’t safe, but we don’t have any other place to go. I’m nearly out of useful spells
and I need to rest. However, we’re not without a few tricks yet. I have a couple of
‘rope trick’ scrolls that should provide us with a safe hideout until I can get my
spells again and try to figure this thing out. In the meantime, I’m going to scry
Taklinn. It’s probably safe to assume they took his ring off, so I should have an
easy time of it. Now let me read the scrolls, we’ll get out of sight, and I’ll do what I
can.”
“This is bad.” Muttered Griff.
“Yes, it is.” I agreed, pulling scrolls from my haversack. In short order I had cast
the ‘rope trick’. I had to burn another scroll to ‘levitate’ the chair Losom was sitting
on so we could get him into the space. We climbed up after him and I sealed the
entry.
“There.” I said, “We should be reasonably safe.” I withdrew my crystal ball and
held the image of Taklinn in my mind. The mist within the ball shifted and parted to
reveal our cleric. He was indeed in a cell, kneeling on the dirty floor in prayer.
Before him, drawn in the dust and hay on the floor, was a crudely inscribed outline
of Clangeden’s holy symbol. I sighed deeply. How, I wondered, were we going to
fix this mess?
***
Eight long hours later we opened the hatch of the extra dimensional space and
climbed out. It took another ‘levitate’ to help Losom to the ground. We immediately
noticed that our room had been ransacked during the night. Obviously Taklinn had
finally gotten around to telling his jailors where we were staying and they had come
to see if we remained. The fact that we had eluded them while being right under
their noses did not make me feel smug. The events of the past night were still fresh
in my memory, and the sight of poor Losom, with the attention span of a ferret and
the mental faculties of a gnat, only made me feel worse. I could tell that Happy felt
much the same way. It had been Happy who had tended Losom throughout the
night, and it had not been a fun job. She’d fed him and cleaned up after him as best
she could, but he was still a mess and she looked frazzled. I quickly used an ‘unseen
servant’ and a few well placed cantrips to freshen him up.
“I feel so sorry for him!” Happy moaned. “I wish we could talk to him and
explain what’s happening.”
I nodded sympathetically as I secured my hat on my head and prepared to learn
my spells for the day.
My hat!
“Happy! I’m so stupid!” I cried. “I must be slipping! Of course we can talk to
him!” She looked at me quizzically, but understanding dawned on her as I quickly
removed my enchanted hat and placed it on Losom’s head. Immediately a light
seemed to return to his eyes. He blinked and regarded Happy and I with curiosity,
then fear, as he remembered the night before and realized who we were. His
intelligence was probably nowhere near what it was before the ‘feeblemind’, but he
was at least able to understand me when I reassured him that we meant him no
harm.
His eyes kept returning to Happy with fearful glances, and she smiled weakly
back at him as I attempted to explain.
“Losom,” I began slowly, “A terrible mistake has been made…” I toiled over the
tale for an hour, repeating parts that he had obvious trouble understanding. I told
him of the assassination attempt, of our suspicion that he was involved, of our half
baked plot to charm and question him, culminating with his ill advised capture, the
‘feeblemind’, and our night in the ‘rope trick’. Happy interjected periodically with
sincere apologies. I went on to tell him that my main goal for the day was to
procure a spell that would return him to normal, which would be followed by his
immediate release.
He nodded, but said nothing. I could tell that his comprehension still left a lot to
be desired and that he still didn’t trust us a bit. I could not blame him. It pained me
to do so, but I told him that I would leave my hat on him to insure that he would not
have to endure still more hours as an idiot.
After a quick discussion Happy and I decided that she and Losom would remain
in the room inside a fresh ‘rope trick’ while I teleported to Taklinn to explain the
situation to him. Perhaps the knowledge that he could cure Losom would convince
him to let me help him escape from his cell. My hopes were not too high, for it
appeared that Taklinn was bound and determined to suffer the full consequences for
his part in our plan, but it was about all I had to go on. I selected my spells
carefully, scryed Taklinn again to make sure he was still in his cell, made myself
invisible, and cast the teleport.
I appeared in Taklinn’s cell and he was in the same position I’d seen him in last
night, head bowed in prayer and supplication. His eyes were tightly shut, and his
lips moved wordlessly. To my surprise, in the cell next to him, sat Scylla. She wore
a strange pair of manacles around her wrists which I eyed suspiciously. Anti-magic,
I wondered? They would need something of that sort to keep her from using her
spells, especially given the fact that she was probably a sorcerer.
I cleared my throat loudly, and Taklinn’s lips ceased their whispered prayers,
curling instead into a knowing smile.
“Hello, Doorag.” He said.
“Good morning, Taklinn.” I replied, taking a seat on his cot. “How was your
night?”
“Not bad.” He answered, opening his eyes and looking toward the sound of my
voice. “I have been treated surprisingly well, all things considered.” Scylla perked
up, listening to our conversation but saying nothing.
“Err, Taklinn, it seems that we’ve gotten ourselves into a bit of a bind.” I said,
humorlessly.
“Yes.” He said blithely, “Kidnapping and attempted murder. How does Losom
fare?”
I sighed deeply and began to unravel the story again, explaining that Losom was
innocent as far as I could tell, and that he was ‘feebleminded’. “You can cast heal,
can’t you?”
“Not without my holy symbol.” He said, shaking his head. “And they’ve taken
that from me.”
I brightened a bit. “You could use mine! The one you gave me!” But he quickly
squashed my enthusiasm.
“That one has not been properly consecrated.” He explained. “Besides, the fact
remains that I am in here while Losom is out there.”
“Well that’s just a matter of logistics. Give me five minutes and a couple of spells
and we’ll be out of here! I could even ‘port to your temple and get another symbol
for you…”
That would not be wise.” He cut me off. “Teleporting into a dwarven temple
would not be looked kindly upon.”
“I did it before,” I replied, “After Caribdis died. I went and visited his body.”
“Did the clerics see you?”
“Well, no, I guess not.”
“That is lucky for you. Besides, I cannot allow you to facilitate my escape. I have
broken the law, and a penalty must be paid.”
I groaned in frustration. “Taklinn! Your missing the forest for the trees here! We
have bigger fish to fry! We’ve got a dragon to slay and Caribdis to get back from
the great beyond! We can’t let a stupid mistake detour us from what must be done!”
He shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Doorag. My honor is at stake. I must uphold
the law, no matter how small the crime, nor the intent behind it.”
“The law? We don’t even know what the law is here!”
“I must assume that kidnapping and attempted murder is against the law here, as
they are in Havilah.”
“How do you know you’ll even get a fair trial here?”
“I don’t”
“Then how…”
“I have faith.”
I stood up and paced back and forth, trying to put my thoughts together. “What
did you tell them about us?” I asked.
“Everything.” He said.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
I smacked my forehead with my hand. “Taklinn, how could you…?”
“I cannot lie, Doorag! And frankly, I am surprised at your eagerness for
duplicity!”
I sputtered and swore at his stubbornness. “What about this attempted murder
thing? What happened there?”
Taklinn pointed over his shoulder to Scylla with a thumb. “She took one of the
body guards down with a spell. By the time I got to him he was near dead. I healed
him.” Scylla suddenly became very interested in a speck of dirt on her gown.
“Well thank the gods we don’t have a murder on our conscience! What were you
thinking, Scylla?”
“I acted in haste.” She replied. “I have never been in such a situation before, and I
cast without thinking, wanting only to stop him from raising the alarm. I realize
now that it was a foolhardy move, and thus I have joined Taklinn here after turning
myself in.”
“Marvelous!” I said, caustically. “You two make a fine pair of martyrs.”
Just then the jingle of keys could be heard coming down the hall. I quickly went
silent as a guard approached Taklinn’s cell. He looked around curiously.
“Everything all right in here?” He asked.
“Yes.” Taklinn answered. “Everything is fine.”
“Hmmm, thought I heard voices.” Satisfied that things were as they should be, the
guard turned to leave. I gritted my teeth in mute frustration.
“Wait!” I shouted. The guard turned in surprise, looking into the cell suspiciously.
“Who’s in there?” He demanded.
“My name is Doorag Marzipan.” I answered. “You can’t see me, but you can rest
assured that I am here. I need to speak with the magistrate. Now!” The guard looked
quite unsure, and I prompted him in no uncertain terms. “Well, what are you
waiting for? Go get the magistrate before I change my mind! Come on! Chop
chop!”
The guard seemed to finally realize that this was no trick, and he took off down
the hall at a quick jog.
“What are you doing?” Scylla asked.
“Probably making a terrible mistake.” I said. “But I suppose that would be no
surprise.” I sat down to await the magistrates arrival.
***
My wait was short. Barely ten minutes passed before we heard the sounds of more
footsteps hurrying toward Taklinn’s cell, and presently we were joined by a small
troop of guardsmen and a distinguished looking fellow with graying hair and a stern
expression. He bore an air of importance; of not having his decisions questioned.
“What goes on here?” He demanded, looking at Taklinn.
“Good morning, your Lordship.” I said, wearily. “I am Doorag Marzipan. I
assume you’ve heard of me.”
The magistrate stiffened visibly at the sound of my voice. “Indeed I have. Show
yourself!”
“Well now, that seems an awful waste of a spell.” I replied, shuffling my feet.
The old man sniffed indignantly and I could see color fill his cheeks. “How dare
you! You will show yourself, or this conversation is at an end!”
I began to get a little indignant myself. His tone was haughty, and I surmised that
he did not yet realize that he was not dealing with average criminals. “Your
Lordship, if I may just…” But he cut me off.
“This is outrageous!” He cried. “You break our laws, you enter my jail, you
dishonor me this way! Is this how things are done in your precious Havilah?”
I bristled at his derisive mention of Havilah, but did my best to maintain my
composure. “Your Lordship,” I began again, “I am merely attempting to right our
wrongs. If you would allow me…”
“You may right your wrongs by turning yourself over to me!” He snapped. “And I
will speak no further with you until I can see you, that is, provided you are brave
enough to show yourself.”
His attempt to shame me into becoming visible by questioning my courage was
thinly veiled, but I decided to concede the point to him. The spell was near its end
anyway, so I dismissed it, and within a second he could see me. “There,” I said,
“May we have a civil conversation now?”
He ignored me. “You can be sure that a message has been dispatched straight
away to Havilah informing your superiors of your activities. You are in no position
to make demands, Mr. Marzipan! You may think that you are above our laws simply
because we are a tiny city, but I assure you that you are sorely mistaken.”
I scratched my head. What would it take to make this man listen? “Your Lordship,
I am not arguing the fact that what we did was wrong! If you would just hear me
out you would see that I am trying to do the right thing, the most important of
which is the return of Losom…”
“Ah! So you do have him!”
“Yes, he is safe. But he is under the effects of a spell, and I need Taklinn to…”
“What is the ransom?”
“There IS no ransom!” I shouted, exasperated. I want to turn him over to you! I
want to free him! Do you understand that? I simply need Taklinn to be able to cast a
spell on him that will reverse the effects of a spell I have placed on him!”
“You enspelled him?”
“It was necessary at the time, so yes, I did. Unfortunately Taklinn is the only
person I know of who can reverse the effects.”
“This is outrageous!” The magistrate was working himself into a fine lather, and I
began to despair of ever reaching a meeting of the minds with him.
I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice calm. “Lordship, I am sure
Taklinn has already told you who we are and why we are here. I’m sure he’s told
you why we did what we did. It was ill advised and ill conceived, but our intentions
were good. I know that does not excuse us, but I need you to understand that we
mean your city, nor it’s inhabitants any further harm. This has been a most
regrettable occurrence, and no one is more sorry or embarrassed than I. Were we in
Havilah I would have already turned myself over to you. But we are not. We are
here to slay Acessiwall…” The magistrate inhaled sharply at the mention of the
dragons name, and I looked at Taklinn. “You have told him about Acessiwall,
haven’t you?”
“Actually, no.” Our cleric shrugged.
“Wonderful. Anyway,” I turned back to the magistrate, “That is why we’re here.
We have a debt to pay and a dead comrade to rescue. I cannot be detoured from
this, especially not to face trial in a place where I cant be sure of receiving a fair
trial. This incident with Losom the Large has compromised us already. It is my
fervent wish to return him to you, and to return him to his full faculties.”
I looked at the magistrate hopefully, but all I could see was righteous anger. “Mr.
Marzipan,” He began, struggling to control his voice, “I am unused to such
disrespect. You have kidnapped a prominent citizen; you have nearly caused the
death of one of his bodyguards; you have entered my jail uninvited; and now you
question the validity of our judicial system. How dare you come to me with
demands…”
“Your Lordship, I have made no demands!”
“You want your cleric to cast a spell on Losom…”
“More a request, I’d say.” I interrupted him again. Unfortunately this seemed only
to have the effect of making him so angry that he could not speak for several long
minutes.
“Mr. Marzipan,” He began again when he had regained his composure, “This
conversation is at an end. You will release Losom to me and I will see to his well
being, be that through the care of Taklinn, or another of our priests. After that, you
will surrender yourself to me or be branded a fugitive. It is that simple!”
I opened my mouth to say something but thought better of it. There was obviously
no reasoning with this man, at least not until I’d met him half way. “Very well.” I
nodded, and cast a ‘teleport’, leaving Taklinn’s cell and the disagreeable company
of the magistrate.
I appeared back in our inn room and called out to Happy. She cracked the hatch to
the ‘rope trick’ space and, seeing it was me, climbed down. “How did it go?” She
asked hopefully.
“Not very well.” I sat at the table and ran a hand through my hair. “The magistrate
is unwilling to listen to reason, and for that matter, neither is Taklinn. I’m going to
take Losom to them. Let it be their problem.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know.” I admitted glumly. “We can’t hope to defeat the dragon without
Taklinn, and frankly this whole business has compromised me to an extent that I am
unsure as to my own future. The magistrate is a disagreeable chap, and I have never
so wished to turn an innocent man into a toad before. But he is right about many
things. If only I had a real notion as to what kind of justice one can expect here. I
have to assume that we will be found utterly guilty and that the full extent of the
law will be applied to us. If we are prisoners, that can only mean death or a life time
of incarceration. I don’t know that I can submit myself to that kind of penalty.”
“What if we can convince Losom to drop the charges?” She asked.
“Well, again, I don’t know if that would have any bearing. We might be accused
of magically coercing him to do so. It may be out of his hands at this point. I just
don’t know.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“Turn Losom over to them. After that, I have some thinking to do, and perhaps
some research into the judicial system here. They obviously hold the law in high
regard here, though I cannot know to what extent. We are in a sticky spot, Hap, and
no doubt about that.”
She nodded.
The two of us brought Losom down from the ‘rope trick’ and I explained to him
what was to happen. He nodded in understanding and I led him from the room. Folk
in the common room gasped as we made our appearance, and many of them
followed us into the street. In a short time the avenue was lined with onlookers,
many of them grumbling and hissing at me. Word had obviously spread.
I led Losom to the jail and bid a guard to fetch the magistrate. Moments later the
old man arrived, once again flanked by his guards, as well as a fellow I suspected to
be a spellcaster. Yet they did not attempt my capture. I apologized to Losom a final
time and retrieved my hat from him as a guard led him away from me. Not a word
was spoken as they entered the jail and left me alone in the street, surrounded by
citizenry who, I’m certain, were held back from trying to lynch me only by their
fear of my reputation. I hung my head sadly and walked back down the street,
ignoring the jeers of the crowd. My direction was aimless, and my thoughts were
scattered. I was made doubly sad by the notion that Havilah would soon hear of
this, and I wondered what sort of disciplinary action we could expect from the
academy. If only Losom had been the culprit! If I had found evidence to incriminate
him, we would probably be hailed as heroes, or at least well intentioned vigilantes,
for ridding Latona of a criminal influence.
I needed to gather the crew together. We needed to talk. I glared at the crowd
following me and returned my path to the inn, hoping to find Happy that the two of
us might find Taigel, Mardath and Griff.
As my boots trod through the ever present snow, I focused inward, ignoring the
hostile onlookers and taking the long way back to the inn. I hoped that Happy could
take care of herself; she still had the ‘rope trick’ to hide in if the authorities came
calling so I figured she would be safe. I needed time to think.
How had it all happened so quickly? One day we were regarded as one of the
finest group of heroes Mycondros has ever seen, and the next, we’re outlaws! I
gnawed on that strange turn of events for long moments and a plethora of emotions
welled up inside me, not the least of which was anger. Anger at Taklinn for being
so stubborn. Anger at the magistrate. At Happy and Griff for poking their noses
around in the first place. Anger at Scylla for using deadly force in a situation that
had not called for it.
I had a prideful swell of anger at the temerity of those too blind to see that I was
above the law simply by dint of the power I could wield, and I had a sudden dark
vision of myself, flying above Latona, dropping ‘fireballs’ on the heads of it’s
citizens in an insane show of retributive magical talent that would teach them all
that it would have been better to let sleeping dogs lie. I could turn the magistrate
into a toad; I could level buildings; I could summon terrible creatures to wreak
havoc through the town; I could…
But of course I was most angry with none other than myself. For even having
those thoughts, and for attempting to place blame. I was furious for
allowing myself to ever be put into such a position. I was angry that I would
consider myself above the law, for that would shame a philosophy I had thus far
dedicated my life to: that all, be he king or beggar, must follow the Rules.
I mused over that philosophy for awhile. It had not changed. The law had not
changed. But I had changed dramatically. A year ago I had been little more than an
apprentice wizard, barely able to hold my own against a few zombies in a
monastery. How I had depended on the strength of others for my survival. Even up
to the battle with Melesandre I had felt that I was little more than good backup for
Griff and Taklinn. But sometime after that, in these ensuing months, my power has
crept up on me, and suddenly I command magic’s that even a dragon like
Acessiwall must fear. I had never considered the awesome responsibility that
having such power at my fingertips would entail. The fact was, I COULD do
terrible things to this town. I could very likely slay every living thing in Latona,
given a day or two. There was also the matter of my superior intellect. I looked
about at the faces of Latona’s citizens and knew that I was vastly smarter than
nearly all of them, even without the benefit of my hat. I realized how easy it was,
given that knowledge, to consider myself above them, and therefore above their
law.
I could so easily rationalize it. Was I not benevolent? Was I not basically good?
Did I not strive to uphold the ideals of truth and justice? Surely it was better to have
someone such as I in a position to ignore laws that got in the way of the greater
good! Did the ends not justify the means?
I sighed, half believing my own argument. For someone so smart, I thought, I feel
pretty dumb right now.
I considered The Old Man In The Pointy Hat and wished that I could seek him for
council. I supposed that I could teleport to him, but perhaps that would be taking the
easy way out. To let someone else tell me the path to choose right now would be to
miss an important lesson, I thought. There is wisdom to be gained here, if I can just
figure out what to do. The only trouble was, all of the choices that seemed to lead to
the most enlightened paths were also the hardest.
Responsibility. I chewed on that word for many minutes. Who was responsible for
our predicament? What was our responsibility to Latona? How could I responsibly
wield the power that I had learned to control? What was my responsibility to the
law? To the crew? To Havilah? To our honor? Was I more responsible to the law,
or to the concept of good?
I knew then that my personal philosophy would have to be considered in depth in
the future. Right now there was the matter of our situation, and I had a sudden
epiphany. I felt my responsibilities settle squarely on my shoulders and I believed
then that I knew what had to be done. Abruptly, I spun on my heel and quickened
my pace. My step knew a determination and sense of purpose, and I knew that,
come hell or high water, this thing would be resolved soon.
Within fifteen minutes I stood, once again, in front of the jail, my jaw set, my
mind made up. A pair of guards eyed me suspiciously as I approached. “I must see
the magistrate!” I announced to one of them. He sniffed, but walked into the
building. Moments later he returned and bid me follow him. I was led to a small
antechamber and told to wait, which I did for what seemed like a very long time. I
surmised that the magistrate was probably trying to figure out what to do with
Losom, assuming that Taklinn would have to wait until his next chance to pray for
spells.
The hours dragged by, but finally the simple door opened and the magistrate
entered. I had expected him to be accompanied by a full contingent of guardsmen,
but to my surprise he was alone. He pulled up a chair and regarded me. “You asked
to see me?” He said, simply.
I took a deep breath and resolved to carry through with my plan. “Yes, Your
Lordship.” I replied. “First, allow me to apologize for the tone of our earlier
meeting. I spoke out of turn and treated you with less than the respect that you
deserve. I hope that you can overlook my rash words and we can have a civil
conversation as gentlemen.”
The magistrate cocked an eye at me. “This is a difficult situation, Mr. Marzipan,”
He said, “I can imagine the stress it puts you under, though I’m afraid you’ll find
little sympathy here. Still, I am not so unwise as to close my ears to you should you
have something important to say.”
I nodded and plunged ahead. “Your Lordship, a terrible mistake has been made,
of that there can be no doubt. We have insulted your town and it’s citizens, and
things must be set right. Under normal circumstances, that is to say, were we in
Havilah, I would already be under your guard. But we are not. Latona is alien to
me, and you must understand that I have no idea how your law deals with such
offenses, nor if I can expect to receive a fair trial. Can you give me any assurances
of the validity of your court here?”
The magistrate, to his credit, did not take offense to my reasoning. He simply
answered my question. “Mr. Marzipan, the only assurance I can offer you is my
word and the history of justice in Latona under my stead. I believe you will find
very little evidence of corruption within my court. This has not always made me
popular among the less moral of our citizenry, but the law is the law, and I will not
be responsible for seeing it bastardized by greed or influence.”
I mulled on this for a moment. “And what could I be facing here?” I asked.
“Well,” He sighed, “The charges are serious. I’m sure that they would be just as
serious in Havilah. Yet it does sound as if there are extenuating circumstances,
though that will have to be born out in court. Much will depend on the testimony
and disposition of Losom the Large and his guardsman that was wounded. I can tell
you that we are not in the habit of handing down death sentences lightly. Still, I
won’t lie to you. If things go very badly, you could well face a significant term of
imprisonment.”
“I suspected as much.” I nodded glumly. “Yet that doesn’t change the fact that
reparations must be made. To that end, I have a proposal for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“Your Lordship, after much consideration, I realize that the root of this fiasco can
be traced back to me. I would like to offer myself up to the court, taking full
responsibility for my own actions, as well as the actions of my cohorts. They were
simply following my lead and instruction. I would ask that they be absolved of all
guilt, or at least have it understood that they were mere accomplices under my
direction. If that can be agreed upon, I shall turn myself over to you and accept
whatever penalty you hand down.”
The magistrate cocked his eye at me again. “That is an interesting proposition,
Mr. Marzipan, and one that I can neither accept or decline until I am able to speak
with Losom. If his story supports your assertion, then I can strongly consider it.
Your clerical friend tells me that he will be able to cast the proper spells to return
Losom to his full faculties in several hours. Only after that can I give you an
answer.”
“Very well.” I replied. “I suppose I will see you tomorrow then.”
“You're welcome to remain in my custody tonight.” He smiled.
“That is most generous of you, Your Lordship, but I really should talk this over
with the rest of my crew.”
“Of course. Then perhaps tomorrow?”
“Yes, perhaps tomorrow.”
I left his offoce and hurried back to the inn, my heart still heavy, but with some small
light at the end of the tunnel at last. I found Happy pacing the inn room, so nervous
that she nearly hurled a dagger at me when I entered unannounced.
“Where have you been! I’ve been going crazy here! Did you return Losom to
them?”
“Yes.” I answered as I pulled my crystal ball from my pack and set it on the table.
“Well? What happened?” She demanded.
“I’ll explain in a moment. First we have to find the others.”
Happy bit her tongue and paced again as I concentrated on Griff, seeking him out.
The mist within the ball parted, and he came into view. “’Bert’s cudgel!” I swore as
the scene revealed itself.
“What? What!” Happy asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Grab your gear! We have to go to them! Now!”
Without asking me again, she scooped up her pack and grabbed my outstretched
hand as I cast. The teleport blinked us out of the room, and the next second we were
whipped by the icy wind of the tundra as we appeared behind Griff, who stood,
swaying a bit, and cursing loudly. In his hand he held the melted remains of his
sword. It was little more than a blob of useless steel. Ten feet from him lay the
carcass of the rhemorez I had seen him fighting. Taigel and Mardath stood across
from it.
“Oh no!” I cried, “Not your sword!”
Griff jumped, startled at my voice, and spun around. He scowled but relaxed
when he saw Happy and I, and tossed his ruined blade to the ground in disgust.
“Yep. The blade the king gave me. Son of a… I don’t like rhemorez!”
“Are you hurt?” Happy walked to Griff, inspecting him for wounds.
“I’ll be ok.” He grunted. “How are you?” What’s going on with Taklinn and
Scylla?”
I picked up his melted blade pondered it for a moment. “It’s going to be awfully
difficult to fight a dragon without a magic sword, especially one of this quality.” I
mused. “Hang on to it, Griff. Who knows, I might be able to fix it.” He shrugged
and dropped it into our bag of holding. “As for what’s going on in town,” I said,
“We need to talk. Lets find a place out of this wind.”
An hour later found us hunkered down within a shelter built of snow. It was cold,
and a far cry from the Leomund’s shelters Caribdis had provided us with, but it
would do for our purposes.
“What?” Griff demanded when I had told him my plan.
“You can’t take the blame for all of this!” Happy exclaimed. “If it’s anyone’s
fault it’s Griff and me! We’re the ones who started this whole mess!”
“That may be,” I explained patiently, “But the fact is, it was I who formulated the
plan of charming Losom; it was I who cast the first spell; and it was I who
incapacitated him. The rest of you can viably claim to have been following my
orders.”
“And why would you do this?” Griff asked.
“Because it’s better for one of us to take the fall for this than all of us. Besides,
reputations are at stake here, and I will not have your names sullied. Especially
yours, Griff.”
“Mine? What the hell does my reputation have to do with anything?”
“Your reputation has everything to do with this, Griff. You are the savior of
Havilah; the slayer of Melesandre, and the wielder of Everyman’s Blade! I will not
have your name tarnished by some stupid mistake! The people need their heroes!”
Griff rolled his eyes.
“Besides,” I continued, “It’s a matter of principal for me. I am guilty, after all.
Furthermore, who better to defend themselves in court than me? I am eloquent,
loquacious, and verbose. I know that you and Hap aren’t going to turn yourselves
in, and I wouldn’t ask you to; and Taklinn really isn’t guilty of all that much. He
has association and intent going against him, and I’m sure they could charge him
with conspiracy, but in the end I am the culprit most able to deal with the charges
and the penalty.”
“What if the penalty is hard labor for the rest of your life?” Happy asked.
“That would be most unfortunate. I’m ill suited for it.”
“And how are we supposed to fight a dragon without you?” Griff added.
“You’ll find a way. I am not indispensable, and Taklinn will hopefully be with
you.”
Griff swore and spat. “If I have to choose between you and the dwarf, I’ll take
you.”
“You don’t mean that.” I said, giving him a stern look.
“Whatever.” He said. “If your going to do this I can’t stop you, but I still think it’s
a bone head move. I say we bust Taklinn out and make tracks!”
“You’d have to pry Taklinn’s fingers from the bars of his cell.” I laughed. “He is
determined to accept the full weight of the law. I believe he has an over developed
sense of justice. Anyway, I will need the two of you to get your stories straight; that
you were both following my orders. I know your prides may not like that, but its
essential.”
The two of them looked at each other and shrugged their acceptance. It was
decided that we would sleep in this shelter tonight and that I would port us back
into the town in the morning. I have spent the rest of the day catching up this
journal and with returning Taigel to his normal half-dragon form. He feared that,
should I be put away for good, he would have to spend the rest of his days as a
human, a situation he has no desire for.
I must try to rest now. Tomorrow will be a long day.
