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Tales of the Legacy - Concluded
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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2815390" data-attributes="member: 5203"><p><strong>Homecoming</strong></p><p></p><p>There was a grand reception awaiting the Armadillo in Praxos as they sailed into the harbor. Other ships of all sizes crowded the harbor, their crews waving and cheering as the ironclad ship lumbered toward port.</p><p></p><p> The response to their arrival back in Tlaxan, after being gone nearly four and a half months, was understandable. After all, they had recovered one of the country’s most important treasures – the ceremonial courtblade from Emperor Jhoxan’s coronation – from the clutches of a dragon.</p><p></p><p> As the members of the Legacy stood on the deck, watching the commotion, several of them had to suppress smiles. Finding the courtblade in Auxariel’s hoard had been a fluke, an unexpected twist of fate. But after a few sendings between Arrie and Herion, it quickly became public knowledge that recovering the sword had been the ‘real’ intent of their voyage. It not only helped Herion justify the money that the Court had put up for the expedition, but it gave the Legacy a safe story, so that they wouldn’t be pressed for details on why they had gone.</p><p></p><p> Of course, the real discovery in the dragon’s hoard was still safely tucked away in Autumn’s portable hole, waiting until the party could decide what to do with it. Some argued that it should be dismantled and the components sold off; others were just as firm in their opinion that it should be preserved whole. No one was sure who they should try and give it to – only that simply keeping it seemed foolish. They’d finally agreed to put that particular item aside, and take care of other business before picking up the discussion again.</p><p></p><p> After making port, securing the ship, and bidding farewell to their loyal crew, the party made their way to the Imperial Manor in Praxos, where they took a teleportation circle to the Palace in Noxolt. Here, again, a crowd of excited citizens awaited their arrival. The Legacy was escorted to the entrance to the main palace by an honor guard, where they were greeted by all three members of the Imperial Family. For weeks afterward, people in the crowd would talk about the reverent hush that fell over the courtyard, as the Princess Ariadne ascended the steps and formally presented Jhoxan’s coronation blade to his eldest son, the Emperor Haxtha.</p><p></p><p> The party spent another week in Noxolt, though very little of that time was actually spent at the Palace. There were treasures to appraise, preserved portions of draconic anatomy to sell to eager collectors and arcanists, and a few generous donations make to the churches of Krûsh, Dakotha, and Rovenor by Lanara in gratitude for not being capsized in a storm or lost at sea. But for some of them, the activity was more a way to postpone the day that came all too soon – the day they had to go their separate ways.</p><p></p><p> Autumn could no longer put off officially visiting her new duchy in the city of Vargas, in order to cement her rule there. Arrie went with her, of course, not only for moral support but to lend the weight of the Crown to her arrival. Autumn had also asked Osborn to accompany her.</p><p></p><p> “I may not be experienced at governing,” she told him, “but I know that the centers of power in any city are not always the obvious ones. Since I won’t be able to personally oversee Vargas most of the time, I’d like to at least have a sense of the… well, the…”</p><p></p><p> “The ‘less savory’ part of town?” Osborn finished for her, cracking a smile.</p><p></p><p> “Yes. Not only to find out who I should be watching, but also to make sure that whatever balance of power has been reached between the law and the underworld is maintained for now. The last thing I need is for my reign to herald in a sharp rise in the crime rate.”</p><p></p><p> “Some of that’s unavoidable,” Osborn said. “Change is always an uncertain time, and some will always take advantage of that. But I get your point; make sure they know not to push it too far, so you won’t have to push back harder.”</p><p></p><p> “Exactly.”</p><p></p><p> “Of course,” Osborn said, affecting an innocent look, “one thing that could help ease the transition would be some sort of big celebration. You know, like a wedding or something.”</p><p></p><p> Autumn sighed heavily, clearly aware of the hin’s hidden message. “I know, Osborn. I wish it was that simple. But I haven’t even been able to sit down with Kyle and discuss wedding plans, ever since the Library.”</p><p></p><p> “Eh, he just needs time for things to settle down a bit,” Osbon said. “We all do.”</p><p></p><p> “You’re probably right.”</p><p></p><p> Osborn looked up at Autumn, his head cocked to one side. “You mad at him for not going with you?”</p><p></p><p> “No… yes, a little. But I can’t ask him to put off trying to find his family. Besides, if he goes to Vargas with me he’ll feel useless. It’s going to be nothing but meetings, official receptions, formal dinners…”</p><p></p><p> “Am I invited to the dinners?” Osborn asked.</p><p></p><p> “Of course,” Autumn laughed. “I have to have my advisors close at hand, don’t I?”</p><p></p><p> There was a pause in the conversation as Autumn finished signing a letter she’d been writing while talking to Osborn. When she put the pen down, Osborn cleared his throat to get her attention.</p><p></p><p> “There will be bacon at these dinners, right?”</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> Kyle, Lanara, Razael and Xu sped southwest from Noxolt, heading for Aleppi and the gateway through Targeth’s magical barrier. Indistinct, gray landscape flitted by them as they walked in the Shadow Plane, occasionally interrupted by a wandering undead spirit that they quickly left behind under the spell’s power.</p><p></p><p> Razael couldn’t help but feel nervous. Not only because they were now technically walking through the land of lost souls, but because Madrone was now hundreds of miles behind him. Whatever else was said about him, he took his job seriously, especially when the orders came from Erito’s church. To be so far away from the woman he was supposed to be guarding was unsettling. He had to remind himself that Maddie was staying at the main temple of Erito in Noxolt, undergoing a spiritual exercise, and that he’d been directed by the high priestess of the temple that he could stand down from his duties while she was there. As to his secondary mission of watching over the Crown Princess and the Duchess, well, when Arrie gave him a direct order to accompany Kyle to Targeth rather than follow them to Vargas, he decided he’d let her hash it out with Herion. In truth, he was glad; Vargas was going to be nothing but politics and courtly nonsense; this promised to be much more entertaining.</p><p></p><p> As his mind drifted into the subject of entertainment, Razael’s gaze wandered over to Lanara, who walked next to him, also eyeing the surroundings with a mix of curiosity, awe, and apprehension. He took a few moments to study her curves, which he found helped distract him from everything else around him; he imagined that the bard had that effect on most men. Though he’d not expected to be spending his nights with the bard (his tastes were usually for his own race, though this wasn’t the first time he’d sampled the delicacies of other cultures), he found it an enjoyable pastime. The cansin was youthful enough to appeal to his attraction to that kind of innocent energy (though truthfully, from his perspective all humans and human-bloods were ‘youthful’) but seasoned enough to be able to give as good as she got.</p><p></p><p> Lanara caught Razael staring at her, and grinned, shimmying her hips a little as they walked. His lips curled into a return smile. Given her capriciousness and his cynicism, he wondered which of them would tire of the other first. Given that he expected to be around her for a long time afterward thanks to his assignment, Razael reminded himself to try and make the split amicable.</p><p></p><p> “Slow down,” Kyle called out suddenly. “We’re getting close to Aleppi.”</p><p></p><p> “Can’t we just walk through the gateway like this?” Lanara asked. “It’s only been about six hours since we left Noxolt.”</p><p></p><p> “No,” he replied. “The barrier extends into the Shadow as well. And this spell may be fast, but it isn’t terribly accurate, because it’s too hard to tell where you really are in relation to the real world. I’ll need to end the spell well outside of Aleppi so that we don’t risk slamming into the barrier.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara nodded, swallowing at the thought. Contact with Targeth’s barrier from the outside meant instant disintegration.</p><p></p><p> “Besides,” Kyle said, “I want to stop in Fingol for a day or two once we cross the river. Once we’re inside the barrier, I can try scrying my family again.”</p><p></p><p> A few minutes later the four travelers seemed to step out of nowhere, in an empty field just east of Aleppi. They walked the rest of the way in, and after reporting to the border guards, booked passage on one of the many ferries going across the Lassh River to Aleppi’s sister city in Targeth, Fingol. It was early evening by the time they found an inn, so they retired early in order to get an early start in the morning.</p><p></p><p> Kyle was already up by the time Lanara and Razael came to his room; Xu was also awake, but going through her morning exercises. Kyle sat cross-legged on the floor, sitting in front of a large silver mirror.</p><p></p><p> “What’s the story?” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “I’m trying to find my father, Rufus,” Kyle said, speaking slowly so as not to break his concentration.</p><p></p><p> “Any luck?” Lanara asked.</p><p></p><p> He shook his head. “It takes an hour to invoke this spell, I’m only about half finished. But I expect this to fail anyway.”</p><p></p><p> “Why?” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “Because my father is one generation before me,” he said. “If my generation is the first to be free of Erito’s curse, then he should still be under it, which means magic can’t touch him. But I need to confirm that. After this I’ll try my brothers and sisters.”</p><p></p><p> “Well, we can start asking questions around here, to see if there are any Goodsons in the area,” Lanara offered.</p><p></p><p> “You and Xu go ahead without me,” said Razael. “Someone should stay and keep an eye on Kyle, just in case any of those Scion-Watchers are close by.”</p><p></p><p> ‘Thanks,” Kyle said, “but it’s going to be pretty dull here.”</p><p></p><p> “No worse than having to watch Madrone watch you work on the ship,” he replied.</p><p></p><p> Lanara left the room, leaving Kyle and Razael alone. About twenty minutes later, just as he predicted, Kyle finished the spell to locate his father, and nothing happened. Sighing, he reset his components and began the long ritual again, this time focused on his oldest brother Angar.</p><p></p><p> An hour later, the image in the mirror shifted and wavered. Razael glanced over and saw the image of a large man, with black hair and olive-colored skin like Kyle’s, but with a full beard and wearing dirty laborer’s clothing. The man was holding a wood rasp, carving a few simple details into a cabinet.</p><p></p><p> “That your brother?” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “Yes,” Kyle said, very quietly. “That’s Angar.”</p><p></p><p> It was several minutes before Kyle could speak again. Razael knelt down to watch Angar working. “So, can you tell where he is?”</p><p></p><p> “Not really. The spell only lets me see a person and their immediate surroundings. If I were going to try and find him, I’d have to cast this spell over and over again, hoping that he’d walk close to something I’d recognize. I’m just doing this to see if they’re still alive.”</p><p></p><p> “Well, could you send him a message? Or just do one of your teleports?”</p><p></p><p> “I don’t know the teleport spell, remember? I was going to buy it in M’ioch to get us through the pass, but no one seemed very keen on the idea, so I never did. As for a message… well, I have something that might work, but it’s only a fifty-fifty shot. Besides, Angar hasn’t seen me since I was eleven, and he has no idea that I’m a wizard. How would you feel if you were going about your day when all of a sudden a strange voice whispered to you, saying it know your name, that it was looking for you, and asking you to tell it where you lived?”</p><p></p><p> “I’d likely think I was either crazy or haunted,” Razael said.</p><p></p><p> “Exactly. Besides, from everything I can tell, Angar’s safe for now. Better to check on the other three first.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle sat watching his brother work until the spell ended, and then began casting a third scrying. Lanara and Xu came back to check in as he was casting, and decided to wait around for a while. Kyle finished his spell, paused, and then scowled.</p><p></p><p> “What’s wrong?” Lanara asked.</p><p></p><p> “Nothing,” he said. “When I try to find my older sister Varda, I get nothing.”</p><p></p><p> “What does that mean?” the bard asked, though she had some idea already.</p><p></p><p> “The most likely explanation is that she’s dead,” he said. “You can’t scry a corpse. But it doesn’t tell me how she died. She could have been killed by the Scion-Watchers…”</p><p></p><p> “…or been run over by a hay wagon six years ago,” Razael finished for him.</p><p></p><p> “Right. The other possibility is that she’s in an anti-magic area, but that seems unlikely.”</p><p></p><p> “Is it possible she simply resisted your spell?” Lanara asked.</p><p></p><p> “It’s possible, but not likely. Given that she’s my sister, it’d be pretty hard for me not to find her. And I’d be able to tell the difference if she’d just willed away the sensor.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle abruptly scooped up his materials and stood up. “I need a break,” he announced. “I’ll start again in a while.”</p><p></p><p> It had started to snow lightly by the time Kyle resumed his efforts that afternoon. Lanara resumed her efforts, knowing that the snow would drive people indoors. This time Xu stayed with Kyle, sitting patiently and quietly.</p><p></p><p> Her meditation was broken by the sound of Kyle cursing. The monk opened her eyes, and saw Kyle staring at the mirror.</p><p></p><p> “What is wrong?” she asked.</p><p></p><p> “Stupid. I’m an idiot.” He waved his hand at the mirror.</p><p></p><p> “I see nothing. Has this attempt failed as well?”</p><p></p><p> “No, it’s working,” Kyle snapped. “But wherever by little brother Bryant is, it’s dark – too dark to see him. I forgot to prepare a vision-enhancing spell before I started this.”</p><p></p><p> “I could try and locate Lanara for you,” Xu offered, “she can see even in total darkness.”</p><p></p><p> “It won’t work,” Kyle said. “The sensor operates based on my sensory abilities, not on whoever’s looking in the mirror.”</p><p></p><p>“Perhaps he is resting in a darkened room?” Xu offered.</p><p></p><p> Kyle shook his head. “Goodson’s don’t nap in the middle of the afternoon. Besides, even if he were, there’d be enough light around him that I could see him. When was the last time you were in a truly pitch-dark room?”</p><p></p><p> “I see. Then you fear something more sinister?”</p><p></p><p> “I don’t know what to think yet. Let me try Bryant’s twin sister Pella now.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle’s final attempt at the spell produced results similar to what he’d seen with Bryant; wherever Pella was, it was too dark to see. He explained the results to everyone over dinner.</p><p></p><p> “Now I’m worried,” he said. “Both of them in lightless rooms?”</p><p></p><p> “Could they be in prison?” Razael asked. “In an oubliette?”</p><p></p><p> “Both of them at the same time? What are the odds? And what could they have done to deserve that? Goodsons aren’t criminals.”</p><p></p><p> “Goodsons aren’t wizards, either,” Lanara pointed out, jabbing him with a finger to emphasize her point.</p><p></p><p> “Well, there’s nothing I can do until tomorrow, when I can cast a darkvision spell before scrying,” he said.</p><p></p><p> “Well, nothing promising turned up here,” Lanara said. “No one in Fingol knows any Goodsons, so it seems none of your family settled here.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle sighed. “Tomorrow we can start heading up to Farmer’s Circle, where we were born. It might be easier to track my family down from there. My spells can wait until the afternoon.”</p><p></p><p> “You sure about that?” Razael asked. “If they’re in trouble…”</p><p></p><p> “Then I can’t do anything about it, because I still don’t know where they are,” he snapped. Kyle pushed himself away from the table and left, his meal hardly touched.</p><p></p><p> They set out the next day, walking north. Kyle decided to forgo the shadow walk spell, trading speed of travel for the chance to stop at smaller towns along the way to ask about his family. They made camp early to give Kyle a chance to set up his scrying mirror.</p><p></p><p> Kyle cast the spell, this time under the effects of darkvision. As he completed the ritual, and the image in the mirror wavered and changed, he let out a cry of shock and anger.</p><p></p><p> “What is it?” Lanara asked, coming over next to him. Looking into the mirror’s surface, she saw an image of a stone room with no windows. A heavy wooden door, banded with iron, was on the far wall. Lying in the middle of the room was a man, who had obviously been severely beaten and tortured. His arms and legs were bound tightly behind him, the ropes cutting deeply into his flesh. A gag made of a thick piece of wood and leather cord was jammed into his mouth, and a heavy blindfold covered his eyes. The scene brought back painful memories for her of the time she spent as a captive of her sister Aranal, and she gasped.</p><p></p><p> Xu and Razael, who had also come over to see what was happening, saw the same image. Lanara turned and buried her face in Razael’s tunic, not really thinking about what she was doing.</p><p></p><p> “Can you tell where he is?” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “In a dark stone room somewhere in Targeth,” Kyle snapped. “I told you, the spell doesn’t reveal where they are unless I see something I recognize.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara looked down at Kyle, having composed herself. “What kind of stone is it? Maybe that will give you a clue as to what part of Targeth they’re in.”</p><p></p><p> In response, Kyle gestured at the image. The scene was filtered through Kyle’s darkvision, which only allowed viewing in shades of gray. It would be impossible to get the detail they would need to identify the type of stone.</p><p></p><p> “Can you send him a message?” Razael said, “Maybe rouse him into telling you where he is?”</p><p></p><p> Kyle shook his head, clearly frustrated at his helplessness. “There’s only one communication spell that will work through the scrying, and he has to be able to speak to respond. He’s gagged.”</p><p></p><p> “What about that teleport?” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “I don’t know that spell!” Kyle shouted. “If I did, I’d go now!”</p><p></p><p> Razael remained calm. “What if we went back to Fingol and got the spell for you?”</p><p></p><p> Kyle paused. “Yes, that would work.”</p><p></p><p> “Now, I don’t much care for the idea of teleportation,” Razael said, “but if it’s going to get your family out of there, then we’ll do it. I’ll take Lanara and go back to town, and get the spell for you. You should stay here with Xu, and use your mirror to check up on your sister.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle nodded. “I should spend more time scrying the room. The better I know where I’m going, the better chance the teleport has of working right.”</p><p></p><p> “You do that.” Razael turned to Lanara. “You ready?”</p><p></p><p> “But we just stopped for the night!” she complained. “I want to help, but I’m not going to make it all night without sleep! And I’m not exactly in the habit of long-distance running.”</p><p></p><p> The old elf sighed, and pulled out some rope. “You got them levitating boots, right? Well, tie this around your waist and turn those boots on.”</p><p></p><p> After Razael and Lanara had packed up their belongings and left, Kyle cast his spell again to find Pella. He found her in much the same state as her twin brother Bryant. Pella’s room was slightly lower, and about three inches of fetid water sat on the floor, presumably to keep her from sleeping. After studying the image in the mirror for several minutes, she rolled over, and Kyle saw that Pella was not gagged. He quickly cast another spell.</p><p></p><p> “Pella,” he whispered, “please, listen to me.”</p><p></p><p> The young woman in the mirror jerked and splashed around, as if she were looking for the source of the voice. “Leave me alone!” she cried out. “I don’t know anything about magic!”</p><p></p><p> Kyle’s jaw set. His worst fear was coming true.</p><p></p><p> “Pella, please. This is your brother, Kyle. There’s too much to explain right now. Please, just tell me where you are.”</p><p></p><p> Pella continued to thrash around weakly, clearly terrified. “I already told you everything I know! I don’t know what you want!”</p><p></p><p> Kyle swore, and for the millionth time in his life cursed his clumsy, wooden tongue. He wasn’t getting through to her, and time was running out. “Pella, just tell me anything you can, please.”</p><p></p><p> “All right! Just don’t beat me! You came and took me in the night from the farm. When I woke up, I was here.”</p><p></p><p> “Where, Pella? Where’s your farm?”</p><p></p><p> “Our farm outside of Delgan!”</p><p></p><p> Kyle swore again. Delgan was a city in western Targeth, on the other side of the country. Forcing himself to calm down, Kyle tried to think of how he could calm Pella down. An idea hit him.</p><p></p><p> “Pella,” he whispered softly, “do you remember when you were seven, during that really hot summer? We were swimming in the creek one day, just after Midsummer, and I dumped those leeches down your shirt? Remember how Pa was supposed to punish me, but he got to laughing so hard over it that Ma got mad at him too, and we both had to sleep in the barn?”</p><p></p><p> Pella’s panicked thrashing stopped. “Kyle?” she whispered, “is that really you? But… how?”</p><p></p><p> “I’ll explain later,” he said. “But I’m coming to get you soon.”</p><p></p><p> “Please hurry,” she pleaded.</p><p></p><p> “Don’t worry,” Kyle said, “I’ll be there as fast as I can. What can you tell me about…”</p><p></p><p> Kyle’s question was cut off as the scrying ended.</p><p></p><p> “<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />! Son of a bitch!” Kyle stood up, and turned to talk to Xu. He saw the monk standing patiently, the campsite already packed up.</p><p></p><p> “I assumed after hearing your interaction with your sister that you might wish to catch up to Razael and Lanara rather than wait for them here,” she said.</p><p></p><p> “I do,” Kyle admitted, “but Razael runs faster than I do. I know you could catch him easily, but I can’t, and I don’t have any spells prepared that would make me faster.”</p><p></p><p> Xu picked up her pack, which was sitting on the ground next to her, and held it out by the strap. “Put this on,” she said, “and I will carry you.”</p><p></p><p> “Carry me? That’s ridiculous. I’m twice your size, Xu.”</p><p></p><p> The monk only smiled. “I am stronger than I appear.”</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> The four of them reached Fingol at the crack of dawn. Kyle paid for the first room he could find, allowing an exhausted Razael and Xu to rest, and then went with Lanara to ask about scroll-makers. There were several in town, but most people suggested Magrum, who was a mage of advanced years that tended to open earlier than most of the others.</p><p></p><p> Kyle and Lanara entered Magrum’s shop, which appeared little more than four walls and a desk. A row of pull-strings hung from the ceiling behind the desk, seemingly attached to nothing. Magrum sat at the desk, wrinkled and stooped. He peered at his two customers through spectacles.</p><p></p><p> “Oh, my,” he said, standing slowly. “Don’t usually get customers this early.”</p><p></p><p> “We’re in a bit of a rush,” Lanara explained.</p><p></p><p> “I’m looking for a teleport scroll,” Kyle said.</p><p></p><p> “Ah, teleport, yes. Well, let me see if I have that spell on hand.” The old man shuffled to the back of the shop, and contemplated the pull-strings for a while before grabbing one and tugging. From an extradimensional space in the ceiling, a long strip of cloth dropped down, with several dozen pockets sewn into it. Parchment rolls were stuffed into each pocket.</p><p></p><p> “Let’s see here,” Magrum said to himself. “T… T… Tenser? No…”</p><p></p><p> The wizard poked through the scrolls at what seemed a snail’s pace, occasionally pulling one out, reading it, then putting it back. Kyle paced back and forth in the tiny shop as Magrum pulled down another row of scrolls.</p><p></p><p> “Can we help you look?” Lanara offered.</p><p></p><p> “No, no, I have a system,” Magrum said. “I look until I find it. Was it Terra Cotta Warrior?”</p><p></p><p> “No,” Kyle said through clenched teeth, “teleport.”</p><p></p><p> “Aha!” Magrum said, pulling out a roll of parchment, “here it is!” He shuffled back to the desk, unrolling the scroll and laying it down long enough for Kyle to confirm it was the correct spell. He then rolled it back up and dropped it into a simple bamboo tube.</p><p></p><p> “I don’t suppose you’re having a sale?” Lanara asked. “We’re rather short on funds, you see.” She had launched into her usual routine out of habit, unaware that Kyle was looking impatiently at the back of her head, not wanting to waste time haggling.</p><p></p><p> “Well, I do charge the standard fees, plus a little to make a living on,” crooned Magrum. “After all, making scrolls does take more than my time. I’m willing to discuss a price, if you like.”</p><p></p><p> “Look,” Kyle said, “if it helps, we’re going to be using the spell to go eradicate a bunch of magic-hating cultists.”</p><p></p><p> “Really?” Magrum asked, peering at Kyle over his spectacles. “Well, in that case, I can offer it to you for one thousand gold.”</p><p></p><p> “Done.” Kyle reached into his belt, pulled out a sack, and slapped a handful of coins onto the desk. Kyle snatched up the scroll as Magrum scooped the coins into his robes. “Thank you.”</p><p></p><p> “Pleasure doing business with you,” Magrum said as they went out the door.</p><p></p><p> They met up with Razael and Xu a few minutes later. “So, we need to do anything special to get ready?” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “Just stay close,” Kyle said, as he started to unroll the scroll. Then he paused, looked around, and let the parchment close. “This isn’t right,” he said. “I’m letting my feelings run away with me.”</p><p></p><p> “But you saw your sister in the hands of those Scion-Watchers,” Razael said. “Now you don’t want to go?”</p><p></p><p> “Of course I do! But I have no idea what to expect once we’re there. And we’ve all been up all night, and you two have been running that whole time. Are you seriously telling me you’re ready to jump into battle? And all I have prepared for spells are divinations and such. I loaded up all my higher valances with scrying spells. Not to mention that I haven’t even used most of them, which means I don’t have a good sense of where to teleport us to.”</p><p></p><p> “All right, Kyle,” Lanara said, “so now what?”</p><p></p><p> “Now, we rest for a day,” he said. “I finish using up my scrying spells on Pella, to study our arrival point. I can also use the time to actually learn teleport rather than just use the scroll, so that I don’t have to lay out another thousand gold the next time I want to do this. Then I can sleep, prepare new spells, and then we go. If the Scion-Watchers try anything with Pella before then, I’ll know about it, and we can go early if we have to.”</p><p> “That’s fine, Kyle,” Lanara said. “It’s your decision. We’ll go tomorrow.”</p><p></p><p> The four of them spent the day resting and making other preparations while Kyle studied spells and cast scryings. After a night of fitful sleep, he awoke, spent an hour going over his spellbook, and then joined his companions, who were armed and ready.</p><p></p><p> “Look, before we go,” Kyle said. “I want you all to know that I appreciate your help.”</p><p></p><p> “Think nothing of it, Kyle,” Razael said. “Like I said back at the Library, the only way to deal with fanatics is to eradicate them.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle nodded his understanding. “I still hope that I can find another way, but I understand where you’re coming from. Now, everyone hold hands and get ready.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle summoned up arcane energy as the others linked hands. “And I’m sorry if I end up killing us all in a horrible Ethereal Plane accident,” Kyle said.</p><p></p><p> A look of alarm crossed Razael’s face. Now wait just a…”</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p> They appeared in darkness. Lanara, who could still see, looked around and quickly spotted the bound form of Pella, huddled against a wall laying in fetid water. She moved quickly to her side and started untying her even as Kyle summoned up a faint light. Pella squirmed against the wall at first, startled by the strange noise of the teleportation and then the sounds of people approaching. The sight of a strange, pink-haired woman hovering over her didn’t help. It wasn’t until Kyle came over and knelt down next to Lanara that she stopped struggling.</p><p></p><p> “Kyle?” she gasped, “is it really you?” Her eyes went wide at the sight of a brother she hadn’t seen in fifteen years. A mix of emotions played across her face, as she took in the sight of Kyle, his strange companions, the expensive-looking robes he wore, the glimmering ball of light in his hand…</p><p></p><p> Pella’s hands, now freed from their bonds, clutched protectively across her chest. Her clothing was ripped and soiled, barely covering her. Razael quickly produced one of his spare camouflage outfits and draped it across her shoulders.</p><p></p><p> “Who… how…”</p><p></p><p> Kyle took Pella’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “I’ll explain, Pella, I promise. But not now. We have to find out way out of here. Have you seen Bryant?”</p><p></p><p> “Bryant?” Pella looked around at everyone. “No, I haven’t. Is he here? Oh, dear Bles, I hope they don’t have him too.”</p><p></p><p> “We’ll get him out, I promise,” Kyle said. “What about Angar or Varda? Do you know where they live? What about Pa?”</p><p></p><p> Pella shook her head. “Kyle, why are they doing this?”</p><p></p><p> Kyle opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He was unable to speak, not only because of the vow he’d taken at the Library, but because of the sheer enormity of what he would have to tell her. “I can’t explain it,” he said at last, “but it’s not because of anything you’ve done. If anything, it’s because of me.”</p><p></p><p> Kyle stood, helping Pella to her feet, as Razael came back from checking the door. “It’s unlocked,” he said. “Seems they weren’t too afraid of the little gal escaping.”</p><p></p><p> “I suggest we leave quietly, find Bryant, and get them out of here before dealing with the Scion-Watchers,” Kyle said.</p><p></p><p> Nodding, Razael went to the door and opened it, hoping to take a quick glance outside. Standing just outside the door were a pair of skeletons, one on each side. Razael had been listening for guard earlier, but hadn’t counted on undead guards. Nevertheless, his reactions were much faster than the undead guardians, and within seconds had smashed both into bone powder.</p><p></p><p> “I didn’t make a lot of noise,” he said. “I think we’re safe.”</p><p></p><p> The party moved out into the hallway, Kyle supporting Pella. They found themselves in a short corridor, with several doors and side passages in view. Torches flickered on the walls in sconces, providing dim light. Razael moved over to the left, and peered inside a doorway that looked similar to Pella’s cell. Inside, he saw stacks of supplies, perhaps enough to provide for a large family for a summer. He glanced at the piles of cloth, rope, and dry wood.</p><p></p><p> “Hey, Kyle,” the tracker whispered, “want a distraction?”</p><p></p><p> Kyle came over and looked at the supplies. “Good idea,” he said, “but wait until we have Bryant and are on our way out. No sense ‘distracting’ them right to where we’re standing.”</p><p></p><p> Meanwhile, Lanara had gone to check another door to the right, set in the opposite wall. Opening it a crack, she saw light spilling out. The room beyond was relatively posh, with thick carpeting on the floor and a fire crackling in the fireplace. Though she couldn’t see anyone inside, she heard someone moving as though they were lying on a bed or couch, and she heard the sound of pages being turned.</p><p></p><p> The bard must have lingered for a moment too long, for suddenly a female voice called out, “Hello? Is someone there?”</p><p></p><p> Lanara froze. She hadn’t expected to attract attention. While she weighed her options, the voice called out again.</p><p></p><p> “Ixara, is that you?”</p><p></p><p> Lanara swallowed, said a quick prayer to Feesha and Ladta, and answered. “Yeah.” A lack of response now would have certainly given the woman cause to come to the door to investigate.</p><p></p><p> “Come in, come in.”</p><p></p><p> Biting her lower lip, Lanara stepped into the room. Laying on the bed, propped up, was a human woman reading a book. A suit of plate armor and a morningstar hung from a stand in the corner.</p><p></p><p> There was a brief pause. “You’re up early,”</p><p></p><p> “I was just heading to the kitchen.” It was a ridiculous thing to say, but so was anything else she might have uttered.</p><p></p><p> Another pause. “Come here.”</p><p></p><p> “You know, I have things I need to do,” Lanara said loudly, starting to inch toward the door. Outside, Kyle and Razael heard her.</p><p></p><p> “I think we need that distraction now, Raz,” Kyle said.</p><p></p><p> “I’m sure you do,” the woman on the bed said, “but you’re going to approach, instead.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara felt the energy of a spell try to seep into her mind at the word approach. She shook it off, and the urge to walk right up to the woman on the bed faded.</p><p></p><p> “No, really, I have to leave now.”</p><p></p><p> In response, the woman gestured, and a pillar of flame dropped on Lanara’s head.</p><p></p><p> Xu, who was in the hall near the door, jumped back as flames shot out of the doorway. Pella screamed, and Kyle pushed her back into the cell and told her to remain quiet, casting a displacement spell on her just to be safe. Razael emerged from the supply room, black smoke already starting to trickle out. He notched a trio of arrows and began scanning the hallways. A door opened, and a goblin head poked out. Razael fired, but the goblin was quick, and ducked back into the room, leaving Razael’s three arrows buried in the wooden doorframe. Then the goblin charged out as Razael reloaded, a rapier in hand. The goblin went after Razael with gusto, giving him a few minor cuts.</p><p></p><p> Meanwhile, Kyle and Xu waited outside the door as Lanara came running out, singed but not as badly hurt as she might have been. While the bard ducked back inside the cell with Pella to guard her, Xu and Kyle waited for whoever was inside to emerge. When no one came out, Kyle charged in. He saw the woman in the corner of the room, a robe draped over her shoulders and a helmet on her head, with a morningstar gripped in both hands.</p><p></p><p> “I hear you’re looking for Goodsons!” Kyle snarled, and launched a beam of negative energy at her. The ray hit her full in the chest, and the woman screamed as her life-force was ripped away. In response, the woman summoned up a beam of white light, which scorched Kyle’s stomach and hip. As the light from her spell faded away, Xu leapt into the room and began pounding on the woman, sending her off-balance and reeling.</p><p></p><p> “Back up!” Kyle shouted, unleashing a web spell as soon as the monk tumbled away. The sticky strands enveloped the cleric, trapping her. She struggled against the webbing, but it held fast.</p><p></p><p> “What should we do with her?” Xu asked.</p><p></p><p> “Watch her, make sure she doesn’t get out. I’m going after my brother.”</p><p></p><p> As Kyle dashed off, Xu watched as the woman thrashed against the web. The monk could see that she had a chance of breaking out, though a small one.</p><p></p><p> “Hold still,” Xu growled, but the cleric continued to struggle. Finally, Xu waded into the webbing, her magical ring keeping her from being entangled, and landed several solid blows into the woman’s ribs and stomach until she stopped struggling.</p><p></p><p> “You were warned,” Xu said.</p><p></p><p> “Why?” the woman said. “Why do you help him? Why do you aid that abomination, that foul practitioner of magic? Why not strike down one who would defy Erito’s will?”</p><p></p><p> Xu tried to respond, but felt the magic of her vow bind her words. There was nothing she could say to explain how wrong this woman was. Xu felt a cold fury well up inside her, anger at seeing such arrogance, such blindness be the cause of so much suffering. Willing her magical bracers to sheathe her hands in electricity, Xu allowed her anger to express itself.</p><p></p><p> Razael’s battle with the goblin was going well. Though the creature was nimble, and skilled with the rapier, he had yet to land a serious blow. Several arrows stuck out of the goblin’s body, and he was bleeding heavily. Lanara had also come out of hiding, and was using her whip to good effect, knocking the goblin off his feet to keep his rapier from opening more holes in Razael. Finally, with a yelp, the goblin dashed off down the hall.</p><p></p><p> “We’ve got a runner!” he shouted. At first he was content to let the little cretin go, so he could help with whoever was behind the other door, but then a thought struck him; the goblin might be going to kill the prisoners. Cursing, Razael ran off after him. Rounding the corner, he barely caught sight of the goblin, well ahead and running for all he was worth.</p><p></p><p> Kyle emerged from the room, and gave a nod to Lanara, who was helping Pella out of her cell again. He turned and began heading the opposite direction that he had last seen Razael, assuming the elf could account for himself, and still needing to find his brother and deal with any other Scion-Watchers. Lanara and Pella followed right behind; Pella somewhat disoriented by the fact that the pink-haired woman kept talking to her as if she was four feet away from where she was actually standing.</p><p></p><p> Kyle came to an intersection, and looked around, trying to decide which of the several doors to try first. Then he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see a goblin run into another intersection at the far end of the hallway. The goblin had several of Razael’s arrows sticking out of it, and as he watched another one landed in the goblin’s shoulder. Ignoring the injuries, the goblin opened a nearby door and dashed inside. Kyle wondered for a moment why the goblin would choose to trap itself in a room, but then had the same shocking flash of realization as Razael had. Kyle turned and bolted down the corridor, slamming his shoulder into the door just before it closed. The room inside was dark, and the goblin stood in one corner. In the other was a bound form, gagged and blindfolded. Kyle quickly interposed himself between the two.</p><p></p><p> The goblin sneered at him, still bleeding heavily. Suddenly, the door burst open again, and Razael came through, bow drawn. Several things happened at once. The goblin launched himself forward, spinning close past Razael. The move forced the elf to take a step back to fire, which caused his arm to slam into the frame of the door. The arrows skittered uselessly off the far wall. Then the goblin changed direction suddenly and launched himself at Kyle. The wizard grabbed for him, but at the last second he shoulder-rolled out of his grasp and came up next to the bound form on the floor. Drawing his rapier, the goblin screeched triumphantly, a gleam of religious fervor in his eye.</p><p></p><p> “For the Cleansing!”</p><p></p><p> The point of the rapier came down, piercing Bryant Goodson’s heart. He stiffened, then went limp.</p><p></p><p> For Kyle, it was as if the world stopped for the space of a heartbeat. All reason was shattered. The goblin could have escaped. He could have fled. Instead, he chose… this. All the doubt and uncertainties that had been plaguing Kyle for weeks suddenly melted away into insignificance, replaced by a red haze.</p><p></p><p> Screaming, Kyle pointed at the goblin and spat words of power. The goblin’s form vanished, reduced to a fine powder. Kyle was unaware that Lanara and Pella had come into the room right behind him. Pella gave out a cry as she saw her twin’s body on the floor. Lanara began to move to comfort Kyle, but then heard a noise coming from the hallway behind her. Turning, she saw a goblin trying to sneak up on them, a pair of daggers in his hands. Lanara dashed out of the room and struck at the goblin with her rapier.</p><p></p><p> “I need some help!” she called out, as the goblin slashed back at her.</p><p></p><p> Razael heard the call, and looked at Kyle, who was still staring at the spot where the goblin once stood.</p><p></p><p> “Help her,” Kyle said in a low voice. “I will deal with the rest.”</p><p></p><p> Razael nodded, and ran out of the room. Kyle looked at his sister, who was still just inside the door. He walked up to her, and pressed a dagger into her hand.</p><p></p><p> “Stay here,” he said. “Cut him loose.” With that, he stalked off, turning down another hallway.</p><p></p><p> Between Razael and Lanara, they made short work of the goblin, who was nowhere near as skilled a combatant as the first. Razael turned to the bard.</p><p></p><p> “Go back and get Pella, take her back to where Xu is. I’ll find Kyle.”</p><p></p><p> The tracker went off, backtracking to the room where Kyle’s brother had been killed. He glanced in quickly to see Lanara helping Pella cut the ropes on the body. Then he went down the other hall, knowing it was the only way Kyle could have gone.</p><p></p><p> He came across the first goblin just around the corner, burned until it was nearly unrecognizable. The second was only a few yards further on. The pitiful creature was writhing on the floor as if its blood were on fire.</p><p></p><p> “Help me,” the goblin screeched. “Please, make it stop!”</p><p></p><p> Razael stepped past the goblin and moved on. He turned two more corners before he finally saw Kyle. He was about to call out to the wizard when he saw another goblin charge out of a door behind Kyle, a curved dagger in his hand. Kyle turned toward the screaming goblin, but made no move to avoid its attack. Instead, he caught the goblin by the throat as it charged in, slamming it against the wall. The goblin’s blade sliced into Kyle’s arm, but he seemed not to notice. Razael heard Kyle intoning a spell, and suddenly the hand around the goblin’s throat was limned in an electrical field. The goblin screeched and began twitching, but Kyle’s grip never wavered.</p><p></p><p> Razael decided to backtrack and rejoin the others about the time that smoke started to seep out of the goblin’s ears. He found everyone in the room where Lanara had been hit with the flame strike. A woman trapped in a web was slumped over, unconscious, and Xu stood nearby. Lanara was helping Pella lay Bryant’s body on the bed.</p><p></p><p> “What happened to her?” Razael asked, nodding toward the woman.</p><p></p><p> “She was warned to remain quiet,” was all Xu said.</p><p></p><p> “Too bad,” snorted Lanara. “She owes me.”</p><p></p><p> “No,” Razael said, “she owes Kyle.”</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> The interrogation of the woman was brief. Lanara led the questioning, with Kyle watching. They’d already pulled everything valuable or useful they could out of the complex, which turned out to be an abandoned Targethian military outpost. Among the items rescued were several carrier pigeons, which were apparently used to send messages to other cells of the Scion-Watchers.</p><p></p><p> The leader of this particular cell gave them useful information. She revealed that she was one of several cells of the order, and that they operated independently, sending reports to each other. She didn’t know where any of the other cells were, nor did she know the location or identity of the Arcanamach. She also revealed that to her knowledge, none of the other Goodsons had been found. She was also completely unremorseful over the death of Bryant, and made it clear she would gladly see both Pella and Kyle dead as well. No one asked the priestess her name; it was deemed an irrelevant detail.</p><p></p><p> “Well,” Razael said, when they had asked their last questions, “the only thing left to decide, Kyle, is how slow do you want her to die, and do you want to watch?”</p><p></p><p> Kyle stood silently, glaring down at the woman. He was torn, but not in the way he expected. There was no question that he wanted her dead, that he wanted her to suffer. But alive, she could serve a greater use. Kyle contemplated the dilemma while his mind regarded one of the spells he had prepared. A dark spell, gleaned from the spellbook of the necromancer Neville. One that would bring death to this woman, certainly, but would also carry that death to others of her sect.</p><p></p><p> Razael interpreted Kyle’s silence as uncertainty. “I’ve skinned people before, you know,” he said. “It’s quick… but it doesn’t have to be.” He was about to say more, when he felt a tugging at his back. He turned in time to see Pella running toward the woman, one of his arrows in her hand. Razael caught her and held her back as she screamed.</p><p></p><p> “Let me go! I want to kill her! I want to hurt her!”</p><p></p><p> “Easy now, girl,” Razael said, pulling the arrow gently out of her grasp. “You don’t want to do it like that.” Glancing at the arrow, and noticing the dark stain on the head, he added, “especially not with that arrow.”</p><p></p><p> Razael knelt down, helping Pella down as well. He pulled out a very thin blade. “Now, if’n you want her to suffer, you want to start here.” Razael grabbed the cleric’s bare foot, and slid the blade under her large toenail. Blood poured out of the wound, and the woman screamed. Lanara just looked Razael, and Xu observed the woman, both of their expressions unreadable.</p><p></p><p> Kyle heard the woman’s agony. He saw as Razael began to slowly twist the blade. He saw the eager gleam in Pella’s eyes.</p><p></p><p> Kyle reached into a pocket and pulled out a wand, blasting the priestess with magic missiles. Razael and Pella jumped back as the woman tried to rise, then slumped to the earth.</p><p></p><p> “Why?” she said weakly, looking up at Kyle. “Why do you defy Her will?”</p><p></p><p> “Ask Her yourself,” Kyle said, and then unleashed another barrage of missiles, until she stopped moving.</p><p></p><p> “Aw,” Razael said, standing up and putting away his blade. “What fun was that?”</p><p></p><p> Kyle grabbed Razael’s arm. “I will not have my sister turned into a monster,” he hissed, then loosened his grip and stalked off.</p><p></p><p> Razael was about to call after him, to tell him he was being naïve, that a cruel world demanded cruel choices. But then he felt another hand on his arm.</p><p></p><p> “Don’t,” Lanara said, her eyes unusually hard and insistent. “Don’t even try it.”</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> Lanara woke up the next day, far too early for her tastes. Of course, by her tastes, waking up any time before the sun crossed the midpoint of the sky was ‘too early’.</p><p></p><p> She lay huddled under heavy blankets, warding off the cold air of winter. After their trek to the south pole, she never wanted to be cold again. Despite the fact that a Targethian winter was no comparison to the frigid polar environment, Lanara still felt like she couldn’t stop shivering.</p><p></p><p> She heard the tent flap open, and felt a cold wind creep inside the tent and shoot straight under her blankets.</p><p></p><p> “Shut the door!” she shouted.</p><p></p><p> She heard the flap close, and felt someone lay down next to her. “Are you cold this morning, lass?”</p><p></p><p> “Freezing,” she said, “shouldn’t you be doing something about that?”</p><p></p><p> “Might be I could help,” Razael said, “with the proper persuasion.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara normally would have instantly risen to the bait and matched his banter, but this morning didn’t feel like wasting the time. She decided to go straight for his weakness.</p><p></p><p> Lanara rolled over in her bedding, while concentrating on her Talent. When she looked up at Razael, she looked like a very youthful, golden-haired elven maiden. She noticed that Razael had already disrobed before laying next to her. So much for hard-to-get.</p><p></p><p> “Persuasive enough?” she asked.</p><p></p><p> “Aye, lass,” he said with a grin, “you drive a hard bargain.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara looked Razael up and down, and couldn’t resist one bit of hackneyed banter. “Looks like you do, too.”</p><p></p><p> Afterward, as they lay together, blankets pushed off into the far corner of the tent, Lanara rolled over next to Razael. His presence was reassuring, in a way. Pushing strands of pink hair out of her face (her ‘nubile elf maiden’ guise having faded long before), she raised herself up on one elbow to look at him.</p><p></p><p> “So, I take it Kyle’s gone, then?”</p><p></p><p> Razael laughed. “Well, if it was Kyle you wanted warming your bed this morning, you should have said something earlier.”</p><p></p><p> “Hmm, tempting,” Lanara said, “but I don’t want the last thing I see in this world to be the head of a greataxe, if you catch my drift.”</p><p></p><p> “Aye, lass.”</p><p></p><p> “Besides, you know what I mean.”</p><p></p><p> “He left with Xu and Pella this morning before sunrise,” Razael said. “They took Bryant’s body, too. He’ll try to get their families to go with him back to Vargas, to protect them from the Scion-Watchers.”</p><p></p><p> “Think he’ll have any luck?” Lanara asked.</p><p></p><p> “Maybe,” the elf said, “but it’s a rough trail, to be sure. Kyle’s family, but family they’ve not seen in fifteen years. And farm folk can be plenty stubborn when it comes to leaving their homes.”</p><p></p><p> “Maybe I should have gone with him,” Lanara mused.</p><p></p><p> “I think it was something he was wanting to do on his own,” Razael said. “At any rate, no matter what he’ll take his brother’s body back to Vargas to try and get him raised there, and to get the others to come here to help.”</p><p></p><p> “And what do we do?” Lanara asked.</p><p></p><p> “Other than keep each other warm? We keep an eye on that outpost, see if any of the other cells come to see what happened here. We go through the papers we pulled out of the cell leader’s chambers, to see if they lead us anywhere. We intercept any messenger pigeons replying to Kyle’s message.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara reached over to her pile of belongings and snatched up a piece of parchment near the top. She unfolded it and read it again.</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>To the ignorant fanatics known as the Scion-Watchers;</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>This message contains three things – some helpful information, a request, and a warning. The information is that there is indeed a Goodson that practices arcane magic – me. I am the only one in my family so gifted. Of course, if any of you had the sense Erito granted a swamp rat, you would already know this. Clearly, the goblins are the intellect driving this little sect.</p><p></p><p> The request I ask is this: all cells of the Scion-Watchers are to immediately disband, and its members report to the nearest church of Erito to seek forgiveness for their deeds. The Arcanamach is to seek me out, and offer a personal apology on their knees for the pain and suffering they have caused my family. The Arcanamach is then to relinquish the title and spend the rest of their lives tending to diseased swine.</p><p></p><p> Finally, my warning. If you do not comply with my request, and continue to pursue those of my blood needlessly, then your fate will be the same as those who I found here.</p><p></p><p> - Kyle Goodson, Wizard</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> She smiled as she read it. “I still can’t believe he had it in him,” she said.</p><p></p><p> “You saw how he sealed them before he sent the pigeons off, right?” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “No, how?”</p><p></p><p> “He sealed each one with wax using that priestess’ signet ring, just like she probably did,” he said. “Then he put his own mark right over the top of that with magic.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara cackled with glee. “Beautiful,” she said, “nice touch. Think it’ll work?”</p><p></p><p> “Well, let’s see. He just told a fanatical cult that he’s destroyed one of their cells, that he has no respect for their beliefs, and basically told them to go <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> themselves. Yeah, I think it’ll work.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara’s tone became serious. “Think we can handle it?”</p><p></p><p> Razael paused before answering. “Yup.”</p><p></p><p> “Think he can handle it?”</p><p></p><p> This time, the pause was longer. “We’ll see.”</p><p></p><p> The cansin sighed, then shivered as she felt the cold winter air begin to creep back into the tent. “It’s going to be a cold winter,” she said.</p><p></p><p> “Aye, lass,” Razael said. “Colder for some than for others.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2815390, member: 5203"] [b]Homecoming[/b] There was a grand reception awaiting the Armadillo in Praxos as they sailed into the harbor. Other ships of all sizes crowded the harbor, their crews waving and cheering as the ironclad ship lumbered toward port. The response to their arrival back in Tlaxan, after being gone nearly four and a half months, was understandable. After all, they had recovered one of the country’s most important treasures – the ceremonial courtblade from Emperor Jhoxan’s coronation – from the clutches of a dragon. As the members of the Legacy stood on the deck, watching the commotion, several of them had to suppress smiles. Finding the courtblade in Auxariel’s hoard had been a fluke, an unexpected twist of fate. But after a few sendings between Arrie and Herion, it quickly became public knowledge that recovering the sword had been the ‘real’ intent of their voyage. It not only helped Herion justify the money that the Court had put up for the expedition, but it gave the Legacy a safe story, so that they wouldn’t be pressed for details on why they had gone. Of course, the real discovery in the dragon’s hoard was still safely tucked away in Autumn’s portable hole, waiting until the party could decide what to do with it. Some argued that it should be dismantled and the components sold off; others were just as firm in their opinion that it should be preserved whole. No one was sure who they should try and give it to – only that simply keeping it seemed foolish. They’d finally agreed to put that particular item aside, and take care of other business before picking up the discussion again. After making port, securing the ship, and bidding farewell to their loyal crew, the party made their way to the Imperial Manor in Praxos, where they took a teleportation circle to the Palace in Noxolt. Here, again, a crowd of excited citizens awaited their arrival. The Legacy was escorted to the entrance to the main palace by an honor guard, where they were greeted by all three members of the Imperial Family. For weeks afterward, people in the crowd would talk about the reverent hush that fell over the courtyard, as the Princess Ariadne ascended the steps and formally presented Jhoxan’s coronation blade to his eldest son, the Emperor Haxtha. The party spent another week in Noxolt, though very little of that time was actually spent at the Palace. There were treasures to appraise, preserved portions of draconic anatomy to sell to eager collectors and arcanists, and a few generous donations make to the churches of Krûsh, Dakotha, and Rovenor by Lanara in gratitude for not being capsized in a storm or lost at sea. But for some of them, the activity was more a way to postpone the day that came all too soon – the day they had to go their separate ways. Autumn could no longer put off officially visiting her new duchy in the city of Vargas, in order to cement her rule there. Arrie went with her, of course, not only for moral support but to lend the weight of the Crown to her arrival. Autumn had also asked Osborn to accompany her. “I may not be experienced at governing,” she told him, “but I know that the centers of power in any city are not always the obvious ones. Since I won’t be able to personally oversee Vargas most of the time, I’d like to at least have a sense of the… well, the…” “The ‘less savory’ part of town?” Osborn finished for her, cracking a smile. “Yes. Not only to find out who I should be watching, but also to make sure that whatever balance of power has been reached between the law and the underworld is maintained for now. The last thing I need is for my reign to herald in a sharp rise in the crime rate.” “Some of that’s unavoidable,” Osborn said. “Change is always an uncertain time, and some will always take advantage of that. But I get your point; make sure they know not to push it too far, so you won’t have to push back harder.” “Exactly.” “Of course,” Osborn said, affecting an innocent look, “one thing that could help ease the transition would be some sort of big celebration. You know, like a wedding or something.” Autumn sighed heavily, clearly aware of the hin’s hidden message. “I know, Osborn. I wish it was that simple. But I haven’t even been able to sit down with Kyle and discuss wedding plans, ever since the Library.” “Eh, he just needs time for things to settle down a bit,” Osbon said. “We all do.” “You’re probably right.” Osborn looked up at Autumn, his head cocked to one side. “You mad at him for not going with you?” “No… yes, a little. But I can’t ask him to put off trying to find his family. Besides, if he goes to Vargas with me he’ll feel useless. It’s going to be nothing but meetings, official receptions, formal dinners…” “Am I invited to the dinners?” Osborn asked. “Of course,” Autumn laughed. “I have to have my advisors close at hand, don’t I?” There was a pause in the conversation as Autumn finished signing a letter she’d been writing while talking to Osborn. When she put the pen down, Osborn cleared his throat to get her attention. “There will be bacon at these dinners, right?” * * * Kyle, Lanara, Razael and Xu sped southwest from Noxolt, heading for Aleppi and the gateway through Targeth’s magical barrier. Indistinct, gray landscape flitted by them as they walked in the Shadow Plane, occasionally interrupted by a wandering undead spirit that they quickly left behind under the spell’s power. Razael couldn’t help but feel nervous. Not only because they were now technically walking through the land of lost souls, but because Madrone was now hundreds of miles behind him. Whatever else was said about him, he took his job seriously, especially when the orders came from Erito’s church. To be so far away from the woman he was supposed to be guarding was unsettling. He had to remind himself that Maddie was staying at the main temple of Erito in Noxolt, undergoing a spiritual exercise, and that he’d been directed by the high priestess of the temple that he could stand down from his duties while she was there. As to his secondary mission of watching over the Crown Princess and the Duchess, well, when Arrie gave him a direct order to accompany Kyle to Targeth rather than follow them to Vargas, he decided he’d let her hash it out with Herion. In truth, he was glad; Vargas was going to be nothing but politics and courtly nonsense; this promised to be much more entertaining. As his mind drifted into the subject of entertainment, Razael’s gaze wandered over to Lanara, who walked next to him, also eyeing the surroundings with a mix of curiosity, awe, and apprehension. He took a few moments to study her curves, which he found helped distract him from everything else around him; he imagined that the bard had that effect on most men. Though he’d not expected to be spending his nights with the bard (his tastes were usually for his own race, though this wasn’t the first time he’d sampled the delicacies of other cultures), he found it an enjoyable pastime. The cansin was youthful enough to appeal to his attraction to that kind of innocent energy (though truthfully, from his perspective all humans and human-bloods were ‘youthful’) but seasoned enough to be able to give as good as she got. Lanara caught Razael staring at her, and grinned, shimmying her hips a little as they walked. His lips curled into a return smile. Given her capriciousness and his cynicism, he wondered which of them would tire of the other first. Given that he expected to be around her for a long time afterward thanks to his assignment, Razael reminded himself to try and make the split amicable. “Slow down,” Kyle called out suddenly. “We’re getting close to Aleppi.” “Can’t we just walk through the gateway like this?” Lanara asked. “It’s only been about six hours since we left Noxolt.” “No,” he replied. “The barrier extends into the Shadow as well. And this spell may be fast, but it isn’t terribly accurate, because it’s too hard to tell where you really are in relation to the real world. I’ll need to end the spell well outside of Aleppi so that we don’t risk slamming into the barrier.” Lanara nodded, swallowing at the thought. Contact with Targeth’s barrier from the outside meant instant disintegration. “Besides,” Kyle said, “I want to stop in Fingol for a day or two once we cross the river. Once we’re inside the barrier, I can try scrying my family again.” A few minutes later the four travelers seemed to step out of nowhere, in an empty field just east of Aleppi. They walked the rest of the way in, and after reporting to the border guards, booked passage on one of the many ferries going across the Lassh River to Aleppi’s sister city in Targeth, Fingol. It was early evening by the time they found an inn, so they retired early in order to get an early start in the morning. Kyle was already up by the time Lanara and Razael came to his room; Xu was also awake, but going through her morning exercises. Kyle sat cross-legged on the floor, sitting in front of a large silver mirror. “What’s the story?” Razael asked. “I’m trying to find my father, Rufus,” Kyle said, speaking slowly so as not to break his concentration. “Any luck?” Lanara asked. He shook his head. “It takes an hour to invoke this spell, I’m only about half finished. But I expect this to fail anyway.” “Why?” Razael asked. “Because my father is one generation before me,” he said. “If my generation is the first to be free of Erito’s curse, then he should still be under it, which means magic can’t touch him. But I need to confirm that. After this I’ll try my brothers and sisters.” “Well, we can start asking questions around here, to see if there are any Goodsons in the area,” Lanara offered. “You and Xu go ahead without me,” said Razael. “Someone should stay and keep an eye on Kyle, just in case any of those Scion-Watchers are close by.” ‘Thanks,” Kyle said, “but it’s going to be pretty dull here.” “No worse than having to watch Madrone watch you work on the ship,” he replied. Lanara left the room, leaving Kyle and Razael alone. About twenty minutes later, just as he predicted, Kyle finished the spell to locate his father, and nothing happened. Sighing, he reset his components and began the long ritual again, this time focused on his oldest brother Angar. An hour later, the image in the mirror shifted and wavered. Razael glanced over and saw the image of a large man, with black hair and olive-colored skin like Kyle’s, but with a full beard and wearing dirty laborer’s clothing. The man was holding a wood rasp, carving a few simple details into a cabinet. “That your brother?” Razael asked. “Yes,” Kyle said, very quietly. “That’s Angar.” It was several minutes before Kyle could speak again. Razael knelt down to watch Angar working. “So, can you tell where he is?” “Not really. The spell only lets me see a person and their immediate surroundings. If I were going to try and find him, I’d have to cast this spell over and over again, hoping that he’d walk close to something I’d recognize. I’m just doing this to see if they’re still alive.” “Well, could you send him a message? Or just do one of your teleports?” “I don’t know the teleport spell, remember? I was going to buy it in M’ioch to get us through the pass, but no one seemed very keen on the idea, so I never did. As for a message… well, I have something that might work, but it’s only a fifty-fifty shot. Besides, Angar hasn’t seen me since I was eleven, and he has no idea that I’m a wizard. How would you feel if you were going about your day when all of a sudden a strange voice whispered to you, saying it know your name, that it was looking for you, and asking you to tell it where you lived?” “I’d likely think I was either crazy or haunted,” Razael said. “Exactly. Besides, from everything I can tell, Angar’s safe for now. Better to check on the other three first.” Kyle sat watching his brother work until the spell ended, and then began casting a third scrying. Lanara and Xu came back to check in as he was casting, and decided to wait around for a while. Kyle finished his spell, paused, and then scowled. “What’s wrong?” Lanara asked. “Nothing,” he said. “When I try to find my older sister Varda, I get nothing.” “What does that mean?” the bard asked, though she had some idea already. “The most likely explanation is that she’s dead,” he said. “You can’t scry a corpse. But it doesn’t tell me how she died. She could have been killed by the Scion-Watchers…” “…or been run over by a hay wagon six years ago,” Razael finished for him. “Right. The other possibility is that she’s in an anti-magic area, but that seems unlikely.” “Is it possible she simply resisted your spell?” Lanara asked. “It’s possible, but not likely. Given that she’s my sister, it’d be pretty hard for me not to find her. And I’d be able to tell the difference if she’d just willed away the sensor.” Kyle abruptly scooped up his materials and stood up. “I need a break,” he announced. “I’ll start again in a while.” It had started to snow lightly by the time Kyle resumed his efforts that afternoon. Lanara resumed her efforts, knowing that the snow would drive people indoors. This time Xu stayed with Kyle, sitting patiently and quietly. Her meditation was broken by the sound of Kyle cursing. The monk opened her eyes, and saw Kyle staring at the mirror. “What is wrong?” she asked. “Stupid. I’m an idiot.” He waved his hand at the mirror. “I see nothing. Has this attempt failed as well?” “No, it’s working,” Kyle snapped. “But wherever by little brother Bryant is, it’s dark – too dark to see him. I forgot to prepare a vision-enhancing spell before I started this.” “I could try and locate Lanara for you,” Xu offered, “she can see even in total darkness.” “It won’t work,” Kyle said. “The sensor operates based on my sensory abilities, not on whoever’s looking in the mirror.” “Perhaps he is resting in a darkened room?” Xu offered. Kyle shook his head. “Goodson’s don’t nap in the middle of the afternoon. Besides, even if he were, there’d be enough light around him that I could see him. When was the last time you were in a truly pitch-dark room?” “I see. Then you fear something more sinister?” “I don’t know what to think yet. Let me try Bryant’s twin sister Pella now.” Kyle’s final attempt at the spell produced results similar to what he’d seen with Bryant; wherever Pella was, it was too dark to see. He explained the results to everyone over dinner. “Now I’m worried,” he said. “Both of them in lightless rooms?” “Could they be in prison?” Razael asked. “In an oubliette?” “Both of them at the same time? What are the odds? And what could they have done to deserve that? Goodsons aren’t criminals.” “Goodsons aren’t wizards, either,” Lanara pointed out, jabbing him with a finger to emphasize her point. “Well, there’s nothing I can do until tomorrow, when I can cast a darkvision spell before scrying,” he said. “Well, nothing promising turned up here,” Lanara said. “No one in Fingol knows any Goodsons, so it seems none of your family settled here.” Kyle sighed. “Tomorrow we can start heading up to Farmer’s Circle, where we were born. It might be easier to track my family down from there. My spells can wait until the afternoon.” “You sure about that?” Razael asked. “If they’re in trouble…” “Then I can’t do anything about it, because I still don’t know where they are,” he snapped. Kyle pushed himself away from the table and left, his meal hardly touched. They set out the next day, walking north. Kyle decided to forgo the shadow walk spell, trading speed of travel for the chance to stop at smaller towns along the way to ask about his family. They made camp early to give Kyle a chance to set up his scrying mirror. Kyle cast the spell, this time under the effects of darkvision. As he completed the ritual, and the image in the mirror wavered and changed, he let out a cry of shock and anger. “What is it?” Lanara asked, coming over next to him. Looking into the mirror’s surface, she saw an image of a stone room with no windows. A heavy wooden door, banded with iron, was on the far wall. Lying in the middle of the room was a man, who had obviously been severely beaten and tortured. His arms and legs were bound tightly behind him, the ropes cutting deeply into his flesh. A gag made of a thick piece of wood and leather cord was jammed into his mouth, and a heavy blindfold covered his eyes. The scene brought back painful memories for her of the time she spent as a captive of her sister Aranal, and she gasped. Xu and Razael, who had also come over to see what was happening, saw the same image. Lanara turned and buried her face in Razael’s tunic, not really thinking about what she was doing. “Can you tell where he is?” Razael asked. “In a dark stone room somewhere in Targeth,” Kyle snapped. “I told you, the spell doesn’t reveal where they are unless I see something I recognize.” Lanara looked down at Kyle, having composed herself. “What kind of stone is it? Maybe that will give you a clue as to what part of Targeth they’re in.” In response, Kyle gestured at the image. The scene was filtered through Kyle’s darkvision, which only allowed viewing in shades of gray. It would be impossible to get the detail they would need to identify the type of stone. “Can you send him a message?” Razael said, “Maybe rouse him into telling you where he is?” Kyle shook his head, clearly frustrated at his helplessness. “There’s only one communication spell that will work through the scrying, and he has to be able to speak to respond. He’s gagged.” “What about that teleport?” Razael asked. “I don’t know that spell!” Kyle shouted. “If I did, I’d go now!” Razael remained calm. “What if we went back to Fingol and got the spell for you?” Kyle paused. “Yes, that would work.” “Now, I don’t much care for the idea of teleportation,” Razael said, “but if it’s going to get your family out of there, then we’ll do it. I’ll take Lanara and go back to town, and get the spell for you. You should stay here with Xu, and use your mirror to check up on your sister.” Kyle nodded. “I should spend more time scrying the room. The better I know where I’m going, the better chance the teleport has of working right.” “You do that.” Razael turned to Lanara. “You ready?” “But we just stopped for the night!” she complained. “I want to help, but I’m not going to make it all night without sleep! And I’m not exactly in the habit of long-distance running.” The old elf sighed, and pulled out some rope. “You got them levitating boots, right? Well, tie this around your waist and turn those boots on.” After Razael and Lanara had packed up their belongings and left, Kyle cast his spell again to find Pella. He found her in much the same state as her twin brother Bryant. Pella’s room was slightly lower, and about three inches of fetid water sat on the floor, presumably to keep her from sleeping. After studying the image in the mirror for several minutes, she rolled over, and Kyle saw that Pella was not gagged. He quickly cast another spell. “Pella,” he whispered, “please, listen to me.” The young woman in the mirror jerked and splashed around, as if she were looking for the source of the voice. “Leave me alone!” she cried out. “I don’t know anything about magic!” Kyle’s jaw set. His worst fear was coming true. “Pella, please. This is your brother, Kyle. There’s too much to explain right now. Please, just tell me where you are.” Pella continued to thrash around weakly, clearly terrified. “I already told you everything I know! I don’t know what you want!” Kyle swore, and for the millionth time in his life cursed his clumsy, wooden tongue. He wasn’t getting through to her, and time was running out. “Pella, just tell me anything you can, please.” “All right! Just don’t beat me! You came and took me in the night from the farm. When I woke up, I was here.” “Where, Pella? Where’s your farm?” “Our farm outside of Delgan!” Kyle swore again. Delgan was a city in western Targeth, on the other side of the country. Forcing himself to calm down, Kyle tried to think of how he could calm Pella down. An idea hit him. “Pella,” he whispered softly, “do you remember when you were seven, during that really hot summer? We were swimming in the creek one day, just after Midsummer, and I dumped those leeches down your shirt? Remember how Pa was supposed to punish me, but he got to laughing so hard over it that Ma got mad at him too, and we both had to sleep in the barn?” Pella’s panicked thrashing stopped. “Kyle?” she whispered, “is that really you? But… how?” “I’ll explain later,” he said. “But I’m coming to get you soon.” “Please hurry,” she pleaded. “Don’t worry,” Kyle said, “I’ll be there as fast as I can. What can you tell me about…” Kyle’s question was cut off as the scrying ended. “:):):):)! Son of a bitch!” Kyle stood up, and turned to talk to Xu. He saw the monk standing patiently, the campsite already packed up. “I assumed after hearing your interaction with your sister that you might wish to catch up to Razael and Lanara rather than wait for them here,” she said. “I do,” Kyle admitted, “but Razael runs faster than I do. I know you could catch him easily, but I can’t, and I don’t have any spells prepared that would make me faster.” Xu picked up her pack, which was sitting on the ground next to her, and held it out by the strap. “Put this on,” she said, “and I will carry you.” “Carry me? That’s ridiculous. I’m twice your size, Xu.” The monk only smiled. “I am stronger than I appear.” * * * The four of them reached Fingol at the crack of dawn. Kyle paid for the first room he could find, allowing an exhausted Razael and Xu to rest, and then went with Lanara to ask about scroll-makers. There were several in town, but most people suggested Magrum, who was a mage of advanced years that tended to open earlier than most of the others. Kyle and Lanara entered Magrum’s shop, which appeared little more than four walls and a desk. A row of pull-strings hung from the ceiling behind the desk, seemingly attached to nothing. Magrum sat at the desk, wrinkled and stooped. He peered at his two customers through spectacles. “Oh, my,” he said, standing slowly. “Don’t usually get customers this early.” “We’re in a bit of a rush,” Lanara explained. “I’m looking for a teleport scroll,” Kyle said. “Ah, teleport, yes. Well, let me see if I have that spell on hand.” The old man shuffled to the back of the shop, and contemplated the pull-strings for a while before grabbing one and tugging. From an extradimensional space in the ceiling, a long strip of cloth dropped down, with several dozen pockets sewn into it. Parchment rolls were stuffed into each pocket. “Let’s see here,” Magrum said to himself. “T… T… Tenser? No…” The wizard poked through the scrolls at what seemed a snail’s pace, occasionally pulling one out, reading it, then putting it back. Kyle paced back and forth in the tiny shop as Magrum pulled down another row of scrolls. “Can we help you look?” Lanara offered. “No, no, I have a system,” Magrum said. “I look until I find it. Was it Terra Cotta Warrior?” “No,” Kyle said through clenched teeth, “teleport.” “Aha!” Magrum said, pulling out a roll of parchment, “here it is!” He shuffled back to the desk, unrolling the scroll and laying it down long enough for Kyle to confirm it was the correct spell. He then rolled it back up and dropped it into a simple bamboo tube. “I don’t suppose you’re having a sale?” Lanara asked. “We’re rather short on funds, you see.” She had launched into her usual routine out of habit, unaware that Kyle was looking impatiently at the back of her head, not wanting to waste time haggling. “Well, I do charge the standard fees, plus a little to make a living on,” crooned Magrum. “After all, making scrolls does take more than my time. I’m willing to discuss a price, if you like.” “Look,” Kyle said, “if it helps, we’re going to be using the spell to go eradicate a bunch of magic-hating cultists.” “Really?” Magrum asked, peering at Kyle over his spectacles. “Well, in that case, I can offer it to you for one thousand gold.” “Done.” Kyle reached into his belt, pulled out a sack, and slapped a handful of coins onto the desk. Kyle snatched up the scroll as Magrum scooped the coins into his robes. “Thank you.” “Pleasure doing business with you,” Magrum said as they went out the door. They met up with Razael and Xu a few minutes later. “So, we need to do anything special to get ready?” Razael asked. “Just stay close,” Kyle said, as he started to unroll the scroll. Then he paused, looked around, and let the parchment close. “This isn’t right,” he said. “I’m letting my feelings run away with me.” “But you saw your sister in the hands of those Scion-Watchers,” Razael said. “Now you don’t want to go?” “Of course I do! But I have no idea what to expect once we’re there. And we’ve all been up all night, and you two have been running that whole time. Are you seriously telling me you’re ready to jump into battle? And all I have prepared for spells are divinations and such. I loaded up all my higher valances with scrying spells. Not to mention that I haven’t even used most of them, which means I don’t have a good sense of where to teleport us to.” “All right, Kyle,” Lanara said, “so now what?” “Now, we rest for a day,” he said. “I finish using up my scrying spells on Pella, to study our arrival point. I can also use the time to actually learn teleport rather than just use the scroll, so that I don’t have to lay out another thousand gold the next time I want to do this. Then I can sleep, prepare new spells, and then we go. If the Scion-Watchers try anything with Pella before then, I’ll know about it, and we can go early if we have to.” “That’s fine, Kyle,” Lanara said. “It’s your decision. We’ll go tomorrow.” The four of them spent the day resting and making other preparations while Kyle studied spells and cast scryings. After a night of fitful sleep, he awoke, spent an hour going over his spellbook, and then joined his companions, who were armed and ready. “Look, before we go,” Kyle said. “I want you all to know that I appreciate your help.” “Think nothing of it, Kyle,” Razael said. “Like I said back at the Library, the only way to deal with fanatics is to eradicate them.” Kyle nodded his understanding. “I still hope that I can find another way, but I understand where you’re coming from. Now, everyone hold hands and get ready.” Kyle summoned up arcane energy as the others linked hands. “And I’m sorry if I end up killing us all in a horrible Ethereal Plane accident,” Kyle said. A look of alarm crossed Razael’s face. Now wait just a…” * * * They appeared in darkness. Lanara, who could still see, looked around and quickly spotted the bound form of Pella, huddled against a wall laying in fetid water. She moved quickly to her side and started untying her even as Kyle summoned up a faint light. Pella squirmed against the wall at first, startled by the strange noise of the teleportation and then the sounds of people approaching. The sight of a strange, pink-haired woman hovering over her didn’t help. It wasn’t until Kyle came over and knelt down next to Lanara that she stopped struggling. “Kyle?” she gasped, “is it really you?” Her eyes went wide at the sight of a brother she hadn’t seen in fifteen years. A mix of emotions played across her face, as she took in the sight of Kyle, his strange companions, the expensive-looking robes he wore, the glimmering ball of light in his hand… Pella’s hands, now freed from their bonds, clutched protectively across her chest. Her clothing was ripped and soiled, barely covering her. Razael quickly produced one of his spare camouflage outfits and draped it across her shoulders. “Who… how…” Kyle took Pella’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “I’ll explain, Pella, I promise. But not now. We have to find out way out of here. Have you seen Bryant?” “Bryant?” Pella looked around at everyone. “No, I haven’t. Is he here? Oh, dear Bles, I hope they don’t have him too.” “We’ll get him out, I promise,” Kyle said. “What about Angar or Varda? Do you know where they live? What about Pa?” Pella shook her head. “Kyle, why are they doing this?” Kyle opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He was unable to speak, not only because of the vow he’d taken at the Library, but because of the sheer enormity of what he would have to tell her. “I can’t explain it,” he said at last, “but it’s not because of anything you’ve done. If anything, it’s because of me.” Kyle stood, helping Pella to her feet, as Razael came back from checking the door. “It’s unlocked,” he said. “Seems they weren’t too afraid of the little gal escaping.” “I suggest we leave quietly, find Bryant, and get them out of here before dealing with the Scion-Watchers,” Kyle said. Nodding, Razael went to the door and opened it, hoping to take a quick glance outside. Standing just outside the door were a pair of skeletons, one on each side. Razael had been listening for guard earlier, but hadn’t counted on undead guards. Nevertheless, his reactions were much faster than the undead guardians, and within seconds had smashed both into bone powder. “I didn’t make a lot of noise,” he said. “I think we’re safe.” The party moved out into the hallway, Kyle supporting Pella. They found themselves in a short corridor, with several doors and side passages in view. Torches flickered on the walls in sconces, providing dim light. Razael moved over to the left, and peered inside a doorway that looked similar to Pella’s cell. Inside, he saw stacks of supplies, perhaps enough to provide for a large family for a summer. He glanced at the piles of cloth, rope, and dry wood. “Hey, Kyle,” the tracker whispered, “want a distraction?” Kyle came over and looked at the supplies. “Good idea,” he said, “but wait until we have Bryant and are on our way out. No sense ‘distracting’ them right to where we’re standing.” Meanwhile, Lanara had gone to check another door to the right, set in the opposite wall. Opening it a crack, she saw light spilling out. The room beyond was relatively posh, with thick carpeting on the floor and a fire crackling in the fireplace. Though she couldn’t see anyone inside, she heard someone moving as though they were lying on a bed or couch, and she heard the sound of pages being turned. The bard must have lingered for a moment too long, for suddenly a female voice called out, “Hello? Is someone there?” Lanara froze. She hadn’t expected to attract attention. While she weighed her options, the voice called out again. “Ixara, is that you?” Lanara swallowed, said a quick prayer to Feesha and Ladta, and answered. “Yeah.” A lack of response now would have certainly given the woman cause to come to the door to investigate. “Come in, come in.” Biting her lower lip, Lanara stepped into the room. Laying on the bed, propped up, was a human woman reading a book. A suit of plate armor and a morningstar hung from a stand in the corner. There was a brief pause. “You’re up early,” “I was just heading to the kitchen.” It was a ridiculous thing to say, but so was anything else she might have uttered. Another pause. “Come here.” “You know, I have things I need to do,” Lanara said loudly, starting to inch toward the door. Outside, Kyle and Razael heard her. “I think we need that distraction now, Raz,” Kyle said. “I’m sure you do,” the woman on the bed said, “but you’re going to approach, instead.” Lanara felt the energy of a spell try to seep into her mind at the word approach. She shook it off, and the urge to walk right up to the woman on the bed faded. “No, really, I have to leave now.” In response, the woman gestured, and a pillar of flame dropped on Lanara’s head. Xu, who was in the hall near the door, jumped back as flames shot out of the doorway. Pella screamed, and Kyle pushed her back into the cell and told her to remain quiet, casting a displacement spell on her just to be safe. Razael emerged from the supply room, black smoke already starting to trickle out. He notched a trio of arrows and began scanning the hallways. A door opened, and a goblin head poked out. Razael fired, but the goblin was quick, and ducked back into the room, leaving Razael’s three arrows buried in the wooden doorframe. Then the goblin charged out as Razael reloaded, a rapier in hand. The goblin went after Razael with gusto, giving him a few minor cuts. Meanwhile, Kyle and Xu waited outside the door as Lanara came running out, singed but not as badly hurt as she might have been. While the bard ducked back inside the cell with Pella to guard her, Xu and Kyle waited for whoever was inside to emerge. When no one came out, Kyle charged in. He saw the woman in the corner of the room, a robe draped over her shoulders and a helmet on her head, with a morningstar gripped in both hands. “I hear you’re looking for Goodsons!” Kyle snarled, and launched a beam of negative energy at her. The ray hit her full in the chest, and the woman screamed as her life-force was ripped away. In response, the woman summoned up a beam of white light, which scorched Kyle’s stomach and hip. As the light from her spell faded away, Xu leapt into the room and began pounding on the woman, sending her off-balance and reeling. “Back up!” Kyle shouted, unleashing a web spell as soon as the monk tumbled away. The sticky strands enveloped the cleric, trapping her. She struggled against the webbing, but it held fast. “What should we do with her?” Xu asked. “Watch her, make sure she doesn’t get out. I’m going after my brother.” As Kyle dashed off, Xu watched as the woman thrashed against the web. The monk could see that she had a chance of breaking out, though a small one. “Hold still,” Xu growled, but the cleric continued to struggle. Finally, Xu waded into the webbing, her magical ring keeping her from being entangled, and landed several solid blows into the woman’s ribs and stomach until she stopped struggling. “You were warned,” Xu said. “Why?” the woman said. “Why do you help him? Why do you aid that abomination, that foul practitioner of magic? Why not strike down one who would defy Erito’s will?” Xu tried to respond, but felt the magic of her vow bind her words. There was nothing she could say to explain how wrong this woman was. Xu felt a cold fury well up inside her, anger at seeing such arrogance, such blindness be the cause of so much suffering. Willing her magical bracers to sheathe her hands in electricity, Xu allowed her anger to express itself. Razael’s battle with the goblin was going well. Though the creature was nimble, and skilled with the rapier, he had yet to land a serious blow. Several arrows stuck out of the goblin’s body, and he was bleeding heavily. Lanara had also come out of hiding, and was using her whip to good effect, knocking the goblin off his feet to keep his rapier from opening more holes in Razael. Finally, with a yelp, the goblin dashed off down the hall. “We’ve got a runner!” he shouted. At first he was content to let the little cretin go, so he could help with whoever was behind the other door, but then a thought struck him; the goblin might be going to kill the prisoners. Cursing, Razael ran off after him. Rounding the corner, he barely caught sight of the goblin, well ahead and running for all he was worth. Kyle emerged from the room, and gave a nod to Lanara, who was helping Pella out of her cell again. He turned and began heading the opposite direction that he had last seen Razael, assuming the elf could account for himself, and still needing to find his brother and deal with any other Scion-Watchers. Lanara and Pella followed right behind; Pella somewhat disoriented by the fact that the pink-haired woman kept talking to her as if she was four feet away from where she was actually standing. Kyle came to an intersection, and looked around, trying to decide which of the several doors to try first. Then he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see a goblin run into another intersection at the far end of the hallway. The goblin had several of Razael’s arrows sticking out of it, and as he watched another one landed in the goblin’s shoulder. Ignoring the injuries, the goblin opened a nearby door and dashed inside. Kyle wondered for a moment why the goblin would choose to trap itself in a room, but then had the same shocking flash of realization as Razael had. Kyle turned and bolted down the corridor, slamming his shoulder into the door just before it closed. The room inside was dark, and the goblin stood in one corner. In the other was a bound form, gagged and blindfolded. Kyle quickly interposed himself between the two. The goblin sneered at him, still bleeding heavily. Suddenly, the door burst open again, and Razael came through, bow drawn. Several things happened at once. The goblin launched himself forward, spinning close past Razael. The move forced the elf to take a step back to fire, which caused his arm to slam into the frame of the door. The arrows skittered uselessly off the far wall. Then the goblin changed direction suddenly and launched himself at Kyle. The wizard grabbed for him, but at the last second he shoulder-rolled out of his grasp and came up next to the bound form on the floor. Drawing his rapier, the goblin screeched triumphantly, a gleam of religious fervor in his eye. “For the Cleansing!” The point of the rapier came down, piercing Bryant Goodson’s heart. He stiffened, then went limp. For Kyle, it was as if the world stopped for the space of a heartbeat. All reason was shattered. The goblin could have escaped. He could have fled. Instead, he chose… this. All the doubt and uncertainties that had been plaguing Kyle for weeks suddenly melted away into insignificance, replaced by a red haze. Screaming, Kyle pointed at the goblin and spat words of power. The goblin’s form vanished, reduced to a fine powder. Kyle was unaware that Lanara and Pella had come into the room right behind him. Pella gave out a cry as she saw her twin’s body on the floor. Lanara began to move to comfort Kyle, but then heard a noise coming from the hallway behind her. Turning, she saw a goblin trying to sneak up on them, a pair of daggers in his hands. Lanara dashed out of the room and struck at the goblin with her rapier. “I need some help!” she called out, as the goblin slashed back at her. Razael heard the call, and looked at Kyle, who was still staring at the spot where the goblin once stood. “Help her,” Kyle said in a low voice. “I will deal with the rest.” Razael nodded, and ran out of the room. Kyle looked at his sister, who was still just inside the door. He walked up to her, and pressed a dagger into her hand. “Stay here,” he said. “Cut him loose.” With that, he stalked off, turning down another hallway. Between Razael and Lanara, they made short work of the goblin, who was nowhere near as skilled a combatant as the first. Razael turned to the bard. “Go back and get Pella, take her back to where Xu is. I’ll find Kyle.” The tracker went off, backtracking to the room where Kyle’s brother had been killed. He glanced in quickly to see Lanara helping Pella cut the ropes on the body. Then he went down the other hall, knowing it was the only way Kyle could have gone. He came across the first goblin just around the corner, burned until it was nearly unrecognizable. The second was only a few yards further on. The pitiful creature was writhing on the floor as if its blood were on fire. “Help me,” the goblin screeched. “Please, make it stop!” Razael stepped past the goblin and moved on. He turned two more corners before he finally saw Kyle. He was about to call out to the wizard when he saw another goblin charge out of a door behind Kyle, a curved dagger in his hand. Kyle turned toward the screaming goblin, but made no move to avoid its attack. Instead, he caught the goblin by the throat as it charged in, slamming it against the wall. The goblin’s blade sliced into Kyle’s arm, but he seemed not to notice. Razael heard Kyle intoning a spell, and suddenly the hand around the goblin’s throat was limned in an electrical field. The goblin screeched and began twitching, but Kyle’s grip never wavered. Razael decided to backtrack and rejoin the others about the time that smoke started to seep out of the goblin’s ears. He found everyone in the room where Lanara had been hit with the flame strike. A woman trapped in a web was slumped over, unconscious, and Xu stood nearby. Lanara was helping Pella lay Bryant’s body on the bed. “What happened to her?” Razael asked, nodding toward the woman. “She was warned to remain quiet,” was all Xu said. “Too bad,” snorted Lanara. “She owes me.” “No,” Razael said, “she owes Kyle.” * * * The interrogation of the woman was brief. Lanara led the questioning, with Kyle watching. They’d already pulled everything valuable or useful they could out of the complex, which turned out to be an abandoned Targethian military outpost. Among the items rescued were several carrier pigeons, which were apparently used to send messages to other cells of the Scion-Watchers. The leader of this particular cell gave them useful information. She revealed that she was one of several cells of the order, and that they operated independently, sending reports to each other. She didn’t know where any of the other cells were, nor did she know the location or identity of the Arcanamach. She also revealed that to her knowledge, none of the other Goodsons had been found. She was also completely unremorseful over the death of Bryant, and made it clear she would gladly see both Pella and Kyle dead as well. No one asked the priestess her name; it was deemed an irrelevant detail. “Well,” Razael said, when they had asked their last questions, “the only thing left to decide, Kyle, is how slow do you want her to die, and do you want to watch?” Kyle stood silently, glaring down at the woman. He was torn, but not in the way he expected. There was no question that he wanted her dead, that he wanted her to suffer. But alive, she could serve a greater use. Kyle contemplated the dilemma while his mind regarded one of the spells he had prepared. A dark spell, gleaned from the spellbook of the necromancer Neville. One that would bring death to this woman, certainly, but would also carry that death to others of her sect. Razael interpreted Kyle’s silence as uncertainty. “I’ve skinned people before, you know,” he said. “It’s quick… but it doesn’t have to be.” He was about to say more, when he felt a tugging at his back. He turned in time to see Pella running toward the woman, one of his arrows in her hand. Razael caught her and held her back as she screamed. “Let me go! I want to kill her! I want to hurt her!” “Easy now, girl,” Razael said, pulling the arrow gently out of her grasp. “You don’t want to do it like that.” Glancing at the arrow, and noticing the dark stain on the head, he added, “especially not with that arrow.” Razael knelt down, helping Pella down as well. He pulled out a very thin blade. “Now, if’n you want her to suffer, you want to start here.” Razael grabbed the cleric’s bare foot, and slid the blade under her large toenail. Blood poured out of the wound, and the woman screamed. Lanara just looked Razael, and Xu observed the woman, both of their expressions unreadable. Kyle heard the woman’s agony. He saw as Razael began to slowly twist the blade. He saw the eager gleam in Pella’s eyes. Kyle reached into a pocket and pulled out a wand, blasting the priestess with magic missiles. Razael and Pella jumped back as the woman tried to rise, then slumped to the earth. “Why?” she said weakly, looking up at Kyle. “Why do you defy Her will?” “Ask Her yourself,” Kyle said, and then unleashed another barrage of missiles, until she stopped moving. “Aw,” Razael said, standing up and putting away his blade. “What fun was that?” Kyle grabbed Razael’s arm. “I will not have my sister turned into a monster,” he hissed, then loosened his grip and stalked off. Razael was about to call after him, to tell him he was being naïve, that a cruel world demanded cruel choices. But then he felt another hand on his arm. “Don’t,” Lanara said, her eyes unusually hard and insistent. “Don’t even try it.” * * * Lanara woke up the next day, far too early for her tastes. Of course, by her tastes, waking up any time before the sun crossed the midpoint of the sky was ‘too early’. She lay huddled under heavy blankets, warding off the cold air of winter. After their trek to the south pole, she never wanted to be cold again. Despite the fact that a Targethian winter was no comparison to the frigid polar environment, Lanara still felt like she couldn’t stop shivering. She heard the tent flap open, and felt a cold wind creep inside the tent and shoot straight under her blankets. “Shut the door!” she shouted. She heard the flap close, and felt someone lay down next to her. “Are you cold this morning, lass?” “Freezing,” she said, “shouldn’t you be doing something about that?” “Might be I could help,” Razael said, “with the proper persuasion.” Lanara normally would have instantly risen to the bait and matched his banter, but this morning didn’t feel like wasting the time. She decided to go straight for his weakness. Lanara rolled over in her bedding, while concentrating on her Talent. When she looked up at Razael, she looked like a very youthful, golden-haired elven maiden. She noticed that Razael had already disrobed before laying next to her. So much for hard-to-get. “Persuasive enough?” she asked. “Aye, lass,” he said with a grin, “you drive a hard bargain.” Lanara looked Razael up and down, and couldn’t resist one bit of hackneyed banter. “Looks like you do, too.” Afterward, as they lay together, blankets pushed off into the far corner of the tent, Lanara rolled over next to Razael. His presence was reassuring, in a way. Pushing strands of pink hair out of her face (her ‘nubile elf maiden’ guise having faded long before), she raised herself up on one elbow to look at him. “So, I take it Kyle’s gone, then?” Razael laughed. “Well, if it was Kyle you wanted warming your bed this morning, you should have said something earlier.” “Hmm, tempting,” Lanara said, “but I don’t want the last thing I see in this world to be the head of a greataxe, if you catch my drift.” “Aye, lass.” “Besides, you know what I mean.” “He left with Xu and Pella this morning before sunrise,” Razael said. “They took Bryant’s body, too. He’ll try to get their families to go with him back to Vargas, to protect them from the Scion-Watchers.” “Think he’ll have any luck?” Lanara asked. “Maybe,” the elf said, “but it’s a rough trail, to be sure. Kyle’s family, but family they’ve not seen in fifteen years. And farm folk can be plenty stubborn when it comes to leaving their homes.” “Maybe I should have gone with him,” Lanara mused. “I think it was something he was wanting to do on his own,” Razael said. “At any rate, no matter what he’ll take his brother’s body back to Vargas to try and get him raised there, and to get the others to come here to help.” “And what do we do?” Lanara asked. “Other than keep each other warm? We keep an eye on that outpost, see if any of the other cells come to see what happened here. We go through the papers we pulled out of the cell leader’s chambers, to see if they lead us anywhere. We intercept any messenger pigeons replying to Kyle’s message.” Lanara reached over to her pile of belongings and snatched up a piece of parchment near the top. She unfolded it and read it again. To the ignorant fanatics known as the Scion-Watchers; This message contains three things – some helpful information, a request, and a warning. The information is that there is indeed a Goodson that practices arcane magic – me. I am the only one in my family so gifted. Of course, if any of you had the sense Erito granted a swamp rat, you would already know this. Clearly, the goblins are the intellect driving this little sect. The request I ask is this: all cells of the Scion-Watchers are to immediately disband, and its members report to the nearest church of Erito to seek forgiveness for their deeds. The Arcanamach is to seek me out, and offer a personal apology on their knees for the pain and suffering they have caused my family. The Arcanamach is then to relinquish the title and spend the rest of their lives tending to diseased swine. Finally, my warning. If you do not comply with my request, and continue to pursue those of my blood needlessly, then your fate will be the same as those who I found here. - Kyle Goodson, Wizard She smiled as she read it. “I still can’t believe he had it in him,” she said. “You saw how he sealed them before he sent the pigeons off, right?” Razael asked. “No, how?” “He sealed each one with wax using that priestess’ signet ring, just like she probably did,” he said. “Then he put his own mark right over the top of that with magic.” Lanara cackled with glee. “Beautiful,” she said, “nice touch. Think it’ll work?” “Well, let’s see. He just told a fanatical cult that he’s destroyed one of their cells, that he has no respect for their beliefs, and basically told them to go :):):):) themselves. Yeah, I think it’ll work.” Lanara’s tone became serious. “Think we can handle it?” Razael paused before answering. “Yup.” “Think he can handle it?” This time, the pause was longer. “We’ll see.” The cansin sighed, then shivered as she felt the cold winter air begin to creep back into the tent. “It’s going to be a cold winter,” she said. “Aye, lass,” Razael said. “Colder for some than for others.” [/QUOTE]
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