The Marvelous Mister Meeessh.
Meeessh tromped through the rocky passage and out into the open bright morning. The diminutive grayish misty creature stood no taller than three feet. His tapered toes at the end of large feet paced through the rocky dirt leaving wet steaming footprints in his wake that half seeped into, half evaporated from the dry ground leaving no trace of his passing. Two bat-like wings, appearing too small to lift the creature’s body, protruded from his back. From the edges of these wings, as from the wispy looking brow that shielded large grey eyes, wisps of mist or steam trailed away off of the small being.
Meeessh grumbled to himself as he turned down the dirt path along the base of the mountain ridge. He headed towards the hot springs just slightly lower on the slope for some much needed rest and relaxation from his current plight.
“Cohhhlect the gahb-gahblesss, Meeessh. Bring me’sss sssstafffff, Meeessh. Nohhh taunt wahhhtersss, Meeessh.’ Pah!” spat the creature.
The creature arrived at the bubbling and steaming pools of the hot springs and stopped a moment to watch a plume of white steam hiss forth from a crevice if the ground. Meeessh smiled a twisted smirk on his broad thin line of a mouth.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Meeessh stepped into one of the boiling steaming pools and sat on its edge.
“Ahhhhhhsssss.” The sigh escaped his throat as from a boiling pot. Meeessh reclined with his arms behind his point-eared head. The master’s whims could wait a moment.
“Eh hem. Excuse me.” Came a voice behind Meeessh.
The creature’s eyes popped open but he did not budge from his position.
The steaming brow furrowed a moment as he looked upside down at a small being in a green tunic with blond bushes of hair on his feet.
“Wuht you wahhhntsssss?” questioned Meeessh with a scowl.
“Erm. Well, yes. Forgive the interruption, um, Mister…?” said the small hairy thing.
“Meeessh nohhht getting gahb-gahbblesss now. You waitssssss.” Meeessh shut his eyes again.
“’Gahb-…’ oh. No no. You see, ehm, Mister-er Meesh, I’m not a goblin.” Said the being.
“Meeessshh.” corrected the steaming creature in annoyance, emphasizing the extended sounds of his name. “Meeessh, on buhhh-reak. Geht yousssss later.”
“Well again,” continued the hairfooted intruder, “You see, Mister Meeeesssh, my friends and I are looking for a way into the mountain and we were wondering if you’d be so kind…”
Meeessh jumped up with a flutter of his wispy wings. He turned to face the intruder and burst out in irritation. “Meeessh nohhht care! Meeesh on buhhh-…”
Meeesh’s rant was broken to see the green garbed hairy footed being was now flanked by two human females in robes, each with a staff. “More mages!?” thought Meeessh. To his left a large armored warrior with drawn sword and an elf with a bow, lowered but nocked. His eyes darted to his right and there stood another armored man with a spear. He took two swift steps back toward the path he’d come down to see a leaf-shaped spear tip and wielder seemingly appear out of nowhere from the path-side brush and trees. “…on buhhreak ?”
The steaming creature’s shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground and let out another sigh, this one gurgling and hissing like a tea kettle. He shook his head from side to side. “Hhhhsssss. Noh noh nehhhver rehhhhst fohh Meeessh."
Haelan attempted to lift Meeessh’s spirits with a bright smile. “Mister Meeessh. Might I present my companions. We are on a mission of great importance and could surely use your help to find the item we seek.”
Meeessh raised a steamy eyebrow. “Meeessh hasss no itemssss. Noh hehhhlp foh youssss.”
“Would you be able to direct us into the mountain, you see we seek a black pearl to…” Haelan attempted to continue.
At the mention of the pearl, Meeessh’s thin mouth curled in disgust. The creature hissed loudly in a sound that could only be taken as disdain. “Noh hehhhlp wisss buhhh-lack bahl. Meessh neeeedsss noh moh mahsssssterssss. Hsssss.”
“Where is the black pearl, imp!” shouted Coerraine.
“Meeessh noh ihhhmp!” spat Meeessh. He jumped into the air. His steamy wings fluttered furiously for a moment before the he returned to the ground as all of the company’s weapons swiftly moved to the ready.
“Meeessh noh ihmp.” He said again softly and looked at the ground again.
“What is it then?” Haelan half whispered to Alaria.
“It appears to be a mephit.” Answered the magess. “A quasi-elemental creature, as I recall…Steam, in this case, would be my guess.”
“Yehsss. Yehs. Magusssss knowssss Meeessh.” Confirmed the mephit. “Meeessh hisss fihhhh-rend foh magusss. Noh hurtssss. Meeessh his fihrend. Hssss.” He cast a sidelong look at the young paladin and rung his steaming fingertips.
Seeing the opportunity to solidify a possible ally, Alaria stepped forward. “We have no desire to harm you, Meesh...nor to be your masters. We only need some information and direction. How came you to this island?”
Meeessh cast the R’Hathi wizardess a questioning glance. “Meeessh hisss rehhhhssssting plasssse. Meeessh hiss cohhme heeeeeresssss ahnd noh leeeeavesss now. The mahssster noh lehtssss.”
“Oh that’s so sad.” Said Haelan in all sincere empathy.
“yehsss.” Answered the mephit quietly.
“Who is your master?” Alaria asked, already suspecting the answer.
Meeessh looked to his left and right again. “Nohhh hurtssss, Meeessh.”
Alaria nodded and the majority of the band lowered their weapons.
Coerraine scowled in obvious disagreement, but the paladin had to admit to himself that the strange creature was not, in fact, “evil” according to his gifted sight.
The mephit leaned in a bit closer to Haelan and Alaria and answered in a hissing whisper, “Mahhsssster Trehhhsssssahhhhd. Noh lehts Meessh goh hohmesssss.” His eyes darted nervously about the area as if he were worried that he might have been heard.
“Why can’t you go home?” offered a sympathetic halfing cleric.
“Hsssss. Mahsssterssss buhhh-lack bahhhl. Hssss.” Meeessh’s mouth again twisted into a sneer of disdain.
“Meesh…” began Alaria.
“Meeeeessssshhhhh.” Corrected the mephit. The wisps of steam coming from the mephit's body seemed to increase when it got annoyed.
“Apologies. Meeessh. Can you take us to the black ball? We will take it from this place. You will be free.” Alaria said pointedly.
A steamy brow rose, seemingly nearly floating off of the mephit’s face. “Ihf Meeessh shhhhohhhsss magusss sssssehts freee?”
“Absolutely!” chimed in an indignant Haelan. “No creature should be held against their will.” The cleric thought a moment and then continued, “Well, except demons. Demons kind of have to be, don’t they? You’re not a demon are you Mister Meeessh? Because if you are, YEOW!”
“Yes! Yes, we will set you free if you show us take us to the black ball.” Alaria quickly interjected as the butt of her staff came down swiftly on Haelan’s foot.
The mephit gave the group another long slow look before resting his eyes on the wizardess. After what seemed a very long pause, the mephit answered.
“Yehhhsssss. Yehs. Thihhhhsssss way.” Meeessh pointed back up path he’d come down and began to move, being sure to stick close to Alaria. As they passed the spear-wielding Redstar Knight, he shot Coerraine a defiant scowl.
The companions fell into line behind Haelan, Alaria and the mephit and began their trek up the slope to a small cave opening in the mountainside.
Next up: Into the bowels of Dragonbone
Meeessh tromped through the rocky passage and out into the open bright morning. The diminutive grayish misty creature stood no taller than three feet. His tapered toes at the end of large feet paced through the rocky dirt leaving wet steaming footprints in his wake that half seeped into, half evaporated from the dry ground leaving no trace of his passing. Two bat-like wings, appearing too small to lift the creature’s body, protruded from his back. From the edges of these wings, as from the wispy looking brow that shielded large grey eyes, wisps of mist or steam trailed away off of the small being.
Meeessh grumbled to himself as he turned down the dirt path along the base of the mountain ridge. He headed towards the hot springs just slightly lower on the slope for some much needed rest and relaxation from his current plight.
“Cohhhlect the gahb-gahblesss, Meeessh. Bring me’sss sssstafffff, Meeessh. Nohhh taunt wahhhtersss, Meeessh.’ Pah!” spat the creature.
The creature arrived at the bubbling and steaming pools of the hot springs and stopped a moment to watch a plume of white steam hiss forth from a crevice if the ground. Meeessh smiled a twisted smirk on his broad thin line of a mouth.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Meeessh stepped into one of the boiling steaming pools and sat on its edge.
“Ahhhhhhsssss.” The sigh escaped his throat as from a boiling pot. Meeessh reclined with his arms behind his point-eared head. The master’s whims could wait a moment.
“Eh hem. Excuse me.” Came a voice behind Meeessh.
The creature’s eyes popped open but he did not budge from his position.
The steaming brow furrowed a moment as he looked upside down at a small being in a green tunic with blond bushes of hair on his feet.
“Wuht you wahhhntsssss?” questioned Meeessh with a scowl.
“Erm. Well, yes. Forgive the interruption, um, Mister…?” said the small hairy thing.
“Meeessh nohhht getting gahb-gahbblesss now. You waitssssss.” Meeessh shut his eyes again.
“’Gahb-…’ oh. No no. You see, ehm, Mister-er Meesh, I’m not a goblin.” Said the being.
“Meeessshh.” corrected the steaming creature in annoyance, emphasizing the extended sounds of his name. “Meeessh, on buhhh-reak. Geht yousssss later.”
“Well again,” continued the hairfooted intruder, “You see, Mister Meeeesssh, my friends and I are looking for a way into the mountain and we were wondering if you’d be so kind…”
Meeessh jumped up with a flutter of his wispy wings. He turned to face the intruder and burst out in irritation. “Meeessh nohhht care! Meeesh on buhhh-…”
Meeesh’s rant was broken to see the green garbed hairy footed being was now flanked by two human females in robes, each with a staff. “More mages!?” thought Meeessh. To his left a large armored warrior with drawn sword and an elf with a bow, lowered but nocked. His eyes darted to his right and there stood another armored man with a spear. He took two swift steps back toward the path he’d come down to see a leaf-shaped spear tip and wielder seemingly appear out of nowhere from the path-side brush and trees. “…on buhhreak ?”
The steaming creature’s shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground and let out another sigh, this one gurgling and hissing like a tea kettle. He shook his head from side to side. “Hhhhsssss. Noh noh nehhhver rehhhhst fohh Meeessh."
Haelan attempted to lift Meeessh’s spirits with a bright smile. “Mister Meeessh. Might I present my companions. We are on a mission of great importance and could surely use your help to find the item we seek.”
Meeessh raised a steamy eyebrow. “Meeessh hasss no itemssss. Noh hehhhlp foh youssss.”
“Would you be able to direct us into the mountain, you see we seek a black pearl to…” Haelan attempted to continue.
At the mention of the pearl, Meeessh’s thin mouth curled in disgust. The creature hissed loudly in a sound that could only be taken as disdain. “Noh hehhhlp wisss buhhh-lack bahl. Meessh neeeedsss noh moh mahsssssterssss. Hsssss.”
“Where is the black pearl, imp!” shouted Coerraine.
“Meeessh noh ihhhmp!” spat Meeessh. He jumped into the air. His steamy wings fluttered furiously for a moment before the he returned to the ground as all of the company’s weapons swiftly moved to the ready.
“Meeessh noh ihmp.” He said again softly and looked at the ground again.
“What is it then?” Haelan half whispered to Alaria.
“It appears to be a mephit.” Answered the magess. “A quasi-elemental creature, as I recall…Steam, in this case, would be my guess.”
“Yehsss. Yehs. Magusssss knowssss Meeessh.” Confirmed the mephit. “Meeessh hisss fihhhh-rend foh magusss. Noh hurtssss. Meeessh his fihrend. Hssss.” He cast a sidelong look at the young paladin and rung his steaming fingertips.
Seeing the opportunity to solidify a possible ally, Alaria stepped forward. “We have no desire to harm you, Meesh...nor to be your masters. We only need some information and direction. How came you to this island?”
Meeessh cast the R’Hathi wizardess a questioning glance. “Meeessh hisss rehhhhssssting plasssse. Meeessh hiss cohhme heeeeeresssss ahnd noh leeeeavesss now. The mahssster noh lehtssss.”
“Oh that’s so sad.” Said Haelan in all sincere empathy.
“yehsss.” Answered the mephit quietly.
“Who is your master?” Alaria asked, already suspecting the answer.
Meeessh looked to his left and right again. “Nohhh hurtssss, Meeessh.”
Alaria nodded and the majority of the band lowered their weapons.
Coerraine scowled in obvious disagreement, but the paladin had to admit to himself that the strange creature was not, in fact, “evil” according to his gifted sight.
The mephit leaned in a bit closer to Haelan and Alaria and answered in a hissing whisper, “Mahhsssster Trehhhsssssahhhhd. Noh lehts Meessh goh hohmesssss.” His eyes darted nervously about the area as if he were worried that he might have been heard.
“Why can’t you go home?” offered a sympathetic halfing cleric.
“Hsssss. Mahsssterssss buhhh-lack bahhhl. Hssss.” Meeessh’s mouth again twisted into a sneer of disdain.
“Meesh…” began Alaria.
“Meeeeessssshhhhh.” Corrected the mephit. The wisps of steam coming from the mephit's body seemed to increase when it got annoyed.
“Apologies. Meeessh. Can you take us to the black ball? We will take it from this place. You will be free.” Alaria said pointedly.
A steamy brow rose, seemingly nearly floating off of the mephit’s face. “Ihf Meeessh shhhhohhhsss magusss sssssehts freee?”
“Absolutely!” chimed in an indignant Haelan. “No creature should be held against their will.” The cleric thought a moment and then continued, “Well, except demons. Demons kind of have to be, don’t they? You’re not a demon are you Mister Meeessh? Because if you are, YEOW!”
“Yes! Yes, we will set you free if you show us take us to the black ball.” Alaria quickly interjected as the butt of her staff came down swiftly on Haelan’s foot.
The mephit gave the group another long slow look before resting his eyes on the wizardess. After what seemed a very long pause, the mephit answered.
“Yehhhsssss. Yehs. Thihhhhsssss way.” Meeessh pointed back up path he’d come down and began to move, being sure to stick close to Alaria. As they passed the spear-wielding Redstar Knight, he shot Coerraine a defiant scowl.
The companions fell into line behind Haelan, Alaria and the mephit and began their trek up the slope to a small cave opening in the mountainside.
Next up: Into the bowels of Dragonbone
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