A little short this time, but I'm determined not to let the story hour slip to page 2. Enjoy!
Chapter 15
The heavy mace came down in a crushing blow, shattering bone and flesh alike and sending teeth flying into the pool of water. In a flash of light, the summoned bearded devil was sent back to hell. Ganamemnon’s eyes flashed as he leveled the mace at Jelani, still dripping the barbazu’s blood. “Summoning devils is a dangerous thing, sorcerer. Be more cautious in the future, lest you attract the gods’ wrath. They do not take well to consorting with fiends.” Jelani’s triumphant smile faltered in the face of the angel’s anger. The astral deva then turned to Rhys. “My oath has been fulfilled. I pledged to aid you once, and I arrived when you called. You are on your own from here on out.” With a flash of light, the angel disappeared.
The expression on Jelani’s face reflected puzzlement, with a hint of amusement. He stared at the spot where Ganamemnon had vanished for a moment before speaking his mind. “Fascinating!” he exclaimed, in an almost cheery tone, no doubt quite a different reaction than the divine agent had been expecting when he delivered the stern, if short, lecture. “Have any of you had experience with other powerful, good, otherworldly agents? Do they all act like that?” Rather than the mocking tone one might expect with a question of that nature, Jelani’s was one of genuine curiosity.
"Only when forced to work alongside incarnations of evil,” said Rumar coldly. His head and torso slowly swiveled about as he turned to look in Jelani's direction, faintly glowing eyes staring at the mage from deep within his suit of armor. Now and again his wings beat in unison, perpetually keeping the assamir floating a scant few inches off the ground. ”We may talk more on this later."
The mystic theurge and paladin stared at each other, but luckily Grundar stepped between them and broke the tension. “That was some spell, friend…I’m glad you’re on our side.” He smiled, but then grimaced as a fresh surge of pain came from the claw wound in his side.
“Let me tend to your wounds, Grundar,” said Rhys, stepping up and laying healing hands on the elf. In a few seconds, the worst of the wound had closed up. The priest then cast a sad look at Allanon’s body and the crumpled pile of flesh that used to be Terenon. “Unfortunately, our victory came at a great cost. We will take them back to the Temple of Torm in Silverymoon and hope they will be able to resurrect them.”
Wings folding against his back once more, Rumar slowly settled to the ground. With a grunt, he slung the dead slaad over his shoulder. "Let us gather the dead and their things, both comrade and foe, before we teleport away. I would not leave behind any of the fallen in such a place as this."
The surviving adventurers moved through the cistern, now host to the grisly scene of carnage left in the wake of the fierce battle. Most of the pool had turned red from the blood of the troll and Durzhul, and the desk was overturned, papers scattered everywhere. After stowing the corpses inside Grundar’s portable hole, Jelani teleported the group back to Silverymoon.
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The temple was a bit smaller and less flashy than the one in Baldur's Gate, but the priests were just as friendly. The High Priestess listened to the party’s tale and agreed to bring the mages back from the great beyond, for a sizable donation to the church, of course. Performing miracles isn't cheap, you know.
As the party awaited the return of their companions, Rumar quietly caught the attention of one of the acolytes of Torm. With hushed words and careful gesturing, he made it clear that he wished to see the bodies of Durzhul, the High Conflagration, and the troll properly treated and buried. The cleric responded with surprise. They normally provided burial services for humans and humanoid races, but he told Rumar that the Temple of Torm would not deny those of other kinds the same rites. It would take some doing to find a coffin large enough to hold the troll, but the priest assured the aasimar that the bodies would be properly taken care of.
Nodding, Rumar turned to settle his gaze on Jelani. He had wanted to speak with the priest of Akadi, and now was as good a time as any. He marched over to the man and stood before him. “Tell me: is it often that you consort with natives of the Nine Hells?” he asked bluntly.
Jelani regarded the paladin with a cool stare. “I summon creatures on occasion when I am in need of them. I felt it was prudent to bring in some extra aid against the leaders of the Hidden Flame.”
“I am familiar with summoning spells. You could just as easily have summoned a servant of good as a servant of evil. Yet you chose to call a vile baatezu from the depths of Hell rather than a native of the Upper Planes,” said Rumar.
“Sometimes it takes the aid of a lesser evil to defeat a greater one,” replied Jelani.
“Beware the influence of devils,” Rumar’s sword Pergium suddenly said. “Calling upon their services leaves an indelible taint on your soul. You will not even be aware of it until your time comes and they drag you kicking and screaming down into the pit.”
“I usually make it a point not to take advice from weaponry,” Jelani added, smiling, “but I will keep that it mind. If it makes you feel better, I’ll be sure to only summon good creatures from now on.”
“See that you do,” said Rumar, turning to stalk off to a corner.
Grundar and Rhys had watched the conversation with amusement, and they smiled broadly as Allanon and Terenon emerged from the back room a short while later, alive and well. “Glad to have you back!” said Grundar cheerily. “It seems we’re visiting a temple every time we come out of that place.”
Allanon chuckled, but Terenon’s expression was somber. “My friends…I thank you.” He embraced Rhys in appreciation. Surprised, the aasimar patted the mage’s back and subtly tried to extricate himself from the mage’s embrace.
“We should get some rest tonight,” said Rhys, clearing his throat. “Tomorrow we will head back and clear the out the top two levels of the ruins. Then we can head down the well to the Firebringer’s prison.”
“That means we’ll need a place to stay,” observed Grundar.
“I’ve got someplace I can stay,” Allanon said, grinning. He cast a two spells in rapid succession and then literally flew out the doors of the temple, leaving them swinging in his wake as he took off across the city.
“I guess he couldn’t wait to see Deirdriel,” said Grundar, laughing.
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Terenon felt his bones snapping as his body folded in on itself. His organs were crushed and ground to paste, his muscles stretching until they snapped from the pressure. He tried to scream, but his lungs were already punctured and no sound came out. His teeth splintered and cracked, and his eyes swelled and burst.
“No!”
Terenon bolted upright in his bed, his body covered in a cold sweat. The mage blinked a few times before he realized he was safe in his room at the inn. Crickets chirped merrily in the bushes outside, and the only sound was the mage’s breathing, shallow and fast. He let out a long sigh as he laid back down to calm his nerves. Only a dream, he told himself, but his death had been all too real earlier that day.
It was the first time Terenon had died. Adventuring meant hanging onto the brink of death almost daily, and he knew it had only been a matter of time before it caught up to him. It was unsettling nonetheless.
Terenon laid back, willing himself to rest. There was work to be done tomorrow: he had to read through all of Durzhul’s and the High Conflagration’s papers before they returned to the Dungeon. He wondered if it was worth it. The Firebringer still lurked in the depths of the dungeon, his prison unsecured. There was still time, but as the mage drifted off to sleep once more, he was not looking forward to the future challenges.
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Terenon was awakened the next morning by the sun streaming brightly through the windows of his room at the inn. He opened the window to get some fresh air, and a cold wind blew through the room, shocking what was left of his sleepiness from his head. Autumn was on its way, and the wind was but a harbinger of the cold times to come in the next few weeks.
The mage headed downstairs to the inn’s common room to find the rest of his party already partaking of a hearty breakfast. He joined them in their meal, and Allanon arrived about halfway through, a large grin plastered on his face. Terenon could only guess at what had made the mage so happy this morning. The horrors of the previous day beginning to recede from his mind, the group began to make the final preparations for the day to come.
“Now that the cult has been destroyed,” said Rhys, “we need to head back to the ruins and start searching the place. We shouldn’t forget to intern the mage’s skeleton, as well.”
"And what exactly would we be looking for?" Rumar asked, tilting up his head in attention from his current task of re-checking the straps on his armor. "And what is it we are to do with the dead mage, precisely?"
"For one thing, we still have to deal with Bazim-Gorag and the hydra guarding the entrance to him,” replied Grundar. "As for the mage, we just need to find the room with the rest of his buddies' skeletons and put him there. And of course, we should remove any equipment the cult left behind so that they don't fall into the wrong hands." The elf smiled broadly.
“Ancient powerful weapons like the axe the ghost mentioned probably abound in the ruins, but would be hidden artfully to survive scavenging like the Acolytes and previous adventurers must have done,” said Terenon. “I do think the first order of business is to place the skeleton in it's final resting place. Just to make sure you understand, I doubt it will be an easy task. I have a feeling that the mage asked us only because he thought we could succeed. Otherwise, any previous wanderers could have done it. I don't know what to expect, but until his soul is at rest, he won't make the search of the place easy. Besides, I gave my word. After we get the axe he mentioned and get whatever else we can find, we take care of the beholder.”
"I am going to retire to my quarters and read through the papers. It may take me a few hours. Do what you need to in the mean time.” The mage got up and walked towards his room.
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Several hours later, Terenon returned to the common room and called his friends together. His face showed that the news was not good. He ordered some wine before beginning.
"I have read the papers in detail, and I have good news and bad news. First the good news: the Acolytes of the Flames have been effectively crushed. Some remnants remain scattered across Faerun, but since the head of the cult has been cut off, the body will soon follow. The bad news is somebody named Yarrick Zan. He was hired in the past few days to capture a wizard named Procyon and bring him back to the Dungeon of the Ruins. Later papers suggest that Zan will be arriving any day, if he hasn't arrived already. We may have a surprise when we return to the ruins."
"The High Conflagration proposed a possible alliance with Zhentil Keep, once the Firebringer was freed from his prison. Some of the papers are the High Conflagration's personal journal, detailing his plans of destruction once the Firebringer was freed. He was beginning to suspect that somehow Thornridge had been taken control of by agents of Acessiwal. Acessiwal is a great wyrm white dragon who lairs in the Spine of the World mountains north and west of Silverymoon. He has been working for the past few years to thwart the efforts of the Acolytes. Acesiwal wants to take control of northern Faerun for himself, and he sees the release of the Firebringer as a major obstacle in his plans. The dragon is beginning to gather forces to himself in preparation for an assault, but will not attack until the Acolytes and the Firebringer are destroyed."
Jelani frowned as Terenon finished, staring off into space. One could almost see the gears turning as he thought things out. He seemed oblivious to the world for a few minutes, as if he just switched his brain on, and left the rest of his body far behind. Suddenly, he spoke up. “Well, this is a bit of a problem. On one hand, we’ve got the Firebringer to deal with, and on the other this Acessiwal. Presuming that the High Conflagration was right, than there’s no way we can deal with one threat without empowering the other. I would suggest that we first deal with Zan and the threat he poses for the release of the Firebringer. Then we need to see what sort of damage we can deal to the mounting forces of the dragon. You all have more contacts here in Silverymoon than I, what do you think it would take to persuade them to find out more information about Acessiwal and his plans?”
Terenon nodded. "I agree with your assessment. Zan may be a problem, but he may just leave if he finds no others there. We should just be aware of his potential presence. I think he may just be hired muscle and not an actual member, according to the information I have read. I do believe we should let the others in the mage guild know what we've learned. They can get the information out to the others. Allanon, this would be a good job for you. After they are informed, we should leave as soon as possible."
“Very well,” said Allanon. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“I’ll go check with Torm’s clergy to see if they know anything,” said Rhys.
“I’m going to speak with Serrila,” said Terenon. “We’ll meet back here in an hour.”
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Serrila was busy poring over a large tome as Terenon entered her room at the mage’s guild. She looked up as the mage entered the room, smiling radiantly. “Back so soon? I had heard you guys came back yesterday. How may I be of assistance?”
Terenon smiled brightly back at the aasimar. He sat down next to her and apologized for his interruption, then went into the lengthy monologue he had given the others that morning. "I was wondering if you can do a little research for me,” he continued once he had explained the situation. “Acessiwal. We will need a great deal of information on him before we can make our move. We also need to leave Thornridge alone, as he is now under the control dragon, and we don't want to tip our hand that the Acolytes of the Hidden Flame have been crushed."
"I have not heard of this great wyrm before,” Serrila said, her expression serious, “but I will see what I can do to gather some information on him. Hopefully my divinations will have shed some light by the time you return. Acessiwal no doubt has vast resources at his control, though, so I do not think it will be long before the dragon becomes aware of the Acolytes' fate. Even if the Firebringer remains a potential threat, the dragon may decide to take the risk and begin sending his forces down soon. We shouldn't tell anybody else about this, not even Lady Alustriel: if the Thornridge simulacrum is a servant of the dragon, there's no telling how many other Silverymoon natives are under his control. I will learn what I can: be sure to contact me once you return from the Dungeon again."
Terenon nodded in agreement. It seemed that he wasn't the only one with a healthy sense of paranoia. He smiled and patted Serrila's hand. "I will leave the particulars in your capable hands. When we return, the group will bestow a special gift upon you for all of your hard work. Your friendship is highly valued by all of us, especially me. Hopefully we won't be gone long. Good luck to you, Serrila."
“Good luck to you, Terenon,” the aasimar replied, smiling. “I’m not the one who is out exploring ancient ruins and battling hideous creatures.”
Terenon smiled as they stood, and then enfolded Serrila in a hug. He felt the warmth of the woman’s body against his own, her lustrous hair tickling at his hands. Without thinking, he pressed his lips against her forehead in a tender kiss. He lingered for a few seconds before drawing back, surprised by his own boldness. Serrila looked up at him; she was blushing, but she was also smiling. Hesitantly, she moved her hand up to touch the mage’s chin. Her fingers played over his features, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. Her golden eyes sparkled as she slowly extricated herself from his grasp.
“You don’t want to keep your friends waiting,” she said. “Stay safe. I’ll see you later.”
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Terenon met the rest of the adventurers at the inn a short time later. The foul mood he had awakened with was gone now, replaced by a lightness of his soul that was Serrila’s influence upon him. Smiling at his friends, he said, “Once more into fray, then?”
