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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7298987" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 98</p><p></p><p>Kosk’s stomach gurgled unpleasantly as he stepped through the back door of the inn into the muddy courtyard behind it. There was a time when the greasy, fatty fare at a place like the Brown Barrel would not have fazed him in the least; he supposed that the years of eating the healthier cuisine available at the monastery had softened his stomach.</p><p></p><p>The jakes was housed in a small wooden structure adjacent to the stable that had a definite lean to it. As he approached, the door in the side swung open and a dwarf appeared, still fastening his belt as he stepped out into the yard. Kosk barely gave him a look—the population of Wildrush was roughly a quarter dwarvish, a relic of its history as a mining town—but as the two passed the other gave him an intense, squinting look. The monk was used to such scrutiny, especially from other dwarves, as his clean-shaven features and loose garments were quite atypical for his kind. He’d left his staff inside, but resisted the urge to finger one of the darts stuck through his bracers as he started inside.</p><p></p><p>“Kosk?”</p><p></p><p>The monk paused with his hand on the door and turned slowly. The other dwarf looked rather hard-worn. He was dressed in a leather tunic over a shirt that looked like it had seen better days, and there was a hole in one boot that showed a toenail encrusted with dirt. He was armed only with the short knife that seemed ubiquitous here, but there was something in his manner that sent a sudden spike of alarm through Kosk.</p><p></p><p>“It <em>is</em> you!” the other dwarf said. “What’s this, you don’t remember your old mate? It’s Kiefer!”</p><p></p><p>“Kiefer,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“Aye. Almost didn’t recognize you without the beard! Whatja do, get it stuck in a rock crusher?” Kiefer chortled at his own jest. “And what’s with that outfit? Lose a bet?”</p><p></p><p>Kosk didn’t respond to either jibe. He did remember the other dwarf now. “I would have thought someone would have stretched your neck by now,” he said.</p><p></p><p>Kiefer snorted. “Not bloody likely! Hey, what are you doing here? You come in with that wagon train that just rolled into town? You got a job going?”</p><p></p><p>“Not a job,” Kosk said, still a bit off-balance. “Not that kind of job.”</p><p></p><p>“Gods above,” Kiefer said. “Old Bloody-Fist himself, right here in the back of the Brown Barrel. What are the chances, us meeting like this? Me, I’m just making an honest buck now… well, mostly honest. Always on the lookout for the chance to make a few extra coins. Man’s got to keep his ears and eyes open, I always say. Lots of chances in a place like this. But look at who I’m talking to! Kosk Stonefist, master of the main chance.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes, well,” Kosk said, nodding significantly toward the reeking interior of the jakes.</p><p></p><p>“Ha! Right! Don’t stand between a man and his dump, I always says. Say, we should catch up sometime, when you got less <em>pressin’</em> matters to attend to. Ha! I’ll buy you a drink, eh?”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, right,” Kosk said. “Later.” The other dwarf had already turned around and was headed back toward the inn. From the way he walked he’d already had more than his share of the sour ale that the place seemed to specialize in. Kosk’s eyes lingered on him until he’d gone inside. For a moment his hand tightened on the door handle until it seemed like it would snap off from the pressure.</p><p></p><p>Then he swung the door open and went in.</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p>The sun made a spectacular display on the scattered clouds as it descended below the uneven line of the valley rim, but Bredan’s attention was focused on the closer surroundings of the town around him. From his vantage atop the second-story balcony that ran along the side of the inn that faced the main street he could see most of Wildrush. There were people out and about as the day faded, but it looked like most of them were hurrying to finish their errands and head indoors. Bredan saw a lot of them glancing up at the sky. From what he could tell of Wildrush the wooden buildings wouldn’t offer much protection against a creature that could fly and breathe fire, but he supposed even a dubious shelter was preferable to nothing at all.</p><p></p><p>The door creaked open and Bredan glanced back to see Glori stepping out onto the balcony. There were two empty chairs further down from Bredan, but she avoided them and instead settled onto the sill of one of the windows that opened into their suite of rooms. The lodgings at the Brown Barrel were hardly fancy, but it seemed likely that Wildrush had offered its best to the small band of adventurers. The wagon drivers and other surviving members of the expedition from Adelar had been offered quarters in the barracks near the main gate, but Glori had been too excited at the thought of her own room to accept that as an option.</p><p></p><p>Glori didn’t say anything, and for the moment the two of them just watched the night settle upon the town in silence. Finally, she said, “Okay, spill it.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan blinked and looked at her. He had to twist his head around to do it, which had probably been why she’d chosen her current seat. “What?” he asked.</p><p></p><p>“Something’s up with you,” she said. “I can tell that something’s been bothering you, so tell me what it is.”</p><p></p><p>“It’s nothing,” he said.</p><p></p><p>At that she did come around and took the chair next to him, turning it so she could look at him directly. “I’d like to think I know you better than anybody,” she said. “And that after all that’s happened, all that we’ve been through, you can tell me anything.”</p><p></p><p>He didn’t say anything at first, but she could tell that he was collecting his thoughts. He kept staring out at the town, although the deepening night made it increasingly difficult to see anything. Glori sometimes had to remind herself that he lacked the night vision that was a gift of her mixed heritage, but right now it didn’t matter. She knew that he wasn’t looking into the present.</p><p></p><p>“Something happened, back in the fight with those giants,” he finally said.</p><p></p><p>Glori shuddered. “We came pretty close to all getting killed,” she said.</p><p></p><p>“It’s not that,” he said. “I mean, yes, of course I’ve thought about that, but this… this isn’t that.”</p><p></p><p>“Okay,” she said.</p><p></p><p>“Something… magical.” He looked over at her as if to confirm that she was there, patient and waiting. It took him a while, since he still didn’t have a clear understanding of what had happened himself, but he explained the magical shield that had blocked the ogre’s killing blow, and the way his sword had gone over the cliff only to reappear in his hand.</p><p></p><p>When he was finished he waited for her to say something about how he must have been confused, or dazed from being knocked from his horse, but she only looked thoughtful. She tapped her chin with a finger and said, “So you cast a spell?”</p><p></p><p>“It’s not like that,” he said. “I don’t know the first thing about magic, what you and Quellan do. It was more… instinct. I’m not sure what I did.”</p><p></p><p>“That sounds more like the magic that Xeeta used,” Glori said. “Wild magic. Can you do it again?”</p><p></p><p>“I’ve tried,” he said. “I can’t make it work again.”</p><p></p><p>She got up, but only to grab the baldric that he’d hung on the back of his chair. The town was supposed to be safe, but with the chimera out there Bredan hadn’t wanted to be separated from his weapon for even a moment. She drew the blade out, with a bit of difficulty due to its size and weight. Then she went to the window and pulled it open before tossing the sword onto one of the beds inside the room.</p><p></p><p>“Go ahead and try to summon it,” she said.</p><p></p><p>“Like I said, I’ve tried…”</p><p></p><p>“You said it was like instinct,” she said. “So maybe the magic only works when you have a great need. Close your eyes and focus. Try to imagine that the chimera’s out there right now, circling in the sky. Pretend that the town is in danger, that <em>we’re</em> in danger, and you need the weapon right now, more than anything.”</p><p></p><p>He nodded and closed his eyes. He lifted his hands as if to grasp the hilt of the sword. His brow furrowed with concentration, but nothing happened, and after a moment he sagged back in his chair.</p><p></p><p>“I told you,” he said.</p><p></p><p>“Don’t give up just yet,” she said. “But first… do you have any idea about why this might have happened to you?”</p><p></p><p>Bredan’s face suggested he hadn’t been looking forward to the question. “I think it might have been that book,” he said.</p><p></p><p>“Book? What book?”</p><p></p><p>“The one in the ruin, where we fought that ghoul.”</p><p></p><p>“Ghast,” Glori corrected. She shuddered again; she remembered that particular battle quite well. “The one that Xeeta took, the one that crumbled to dust.”</p><p></p><p>“Yes. But when we found it, I looked inside it. It was covered in writing, all scrunched together.”</p><p></p><p>“But I thought the book was blank.”</p><p></p><p>“When Xeeta distracted me, I looked back and it was. But there <em>was</em> something there. I only saw it for a moment, but sometimes I still feel like I can still remember the words, if not the language.”</p><p></p><p>“Huh. And you don’t remember what it said?”</p><p></p><p>“No, it looked like complete gibberish.”</p><p></p><p>“That’s when you started getting those headaches, as I recall,” she said.</p><p></p><p>Bredan nodded.</p><p></p><p>“And how do you feel now?”</p><p></p><p>“Fine. Really. I mean, tired, and my back’s a bit sore…”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, tell me about it. Next time we take a trip by wagon, I’m buying a cushion. Ten cushions.”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p></p><p>“Have you considered talking to Quellan?”</p><p></p><p>“I don’t know. Maybe. But right now, I’d prefer it if you kept this to between us.”</p><p></p><p>“Sure. Just promise you’ll tell me if the headaches come back, or if anything else happens, okay? We’ve come too far for you to leave me alone in this place with monsters and giants and the like, not to mention a whole army of goblins that might appear at any second.”</p><p></p><p>“You said you wanted adventure,” he said. But on seeing the look on her face he added, “I promise.”</p><p></p><p>She touched his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” She got up. “Want to come buy me a drink?”</p><p></p><p>“I’ll be there in a bit,” he said. She patted him again and then went back inside, leaving him alone in the deepening gloom, watching the town as the night enveloped it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7298987, member: 143"] Chapter 98 Kosk’s stomach gurgled unpleasantly as he stepped through the back door of the inn into the muddy courtyard behind it. There was a time when the greasy, fatty fare at a place like the Brown Barrel would not have fazed him in the least; he supposed that the years of eating the healthier cuisine available at the monastery had softened his stomach. The jakes was housed in a small wooden structure adjacent to the stable that had a definite lean to it. As he approached, the door in the side swung open and a dwarf appeared, still fastening his belt as he stepped out into the yard. Kosk barely gave him a look—the population of Wildrush was roughly a quarter dwarvish, a relic of its history as a mining town—but as the two passed the other gave him an intense, squinting look. The monk was used to such scrutiny, especially from other dwarves, as his clean-shaven features and loose garments were quite atypical for his kind. He’d left his staff inside, but resisted the urge to finger one of the darts stuck through his bracers as he started inside. “Kosk?” The monk paused with his hand on the door and turned slowly. The other dwarf looked rather hard-worn. He was dressed in a leather tunic over a shirt that looked like it had seen better days, and there was a hole in one boot that showed a toenail encrusted with dirt. He was armed only with the short knife that seemed ubiquitous here, but there was something in his manner that sent a sudden spike of alarm through Kosk. “It [i]is[/i] you!” the other dwarf said. “What’s this, you don’t remember your old mate? It’s Kiefer!” “Kiefer,” Kosk said. “Aye. Almost didn’t recognize you without the beard! Whatja do, get it stuck in a rock crusher?” Kiefer chortled at his own jest. “And what’s with that outfit? Lose a bet?” Kosk didn’t respond to either jibe. He did remember the other dwarf now. “I would have thought someone would have stretched your neck by now,” he said. Kiefer snorted. “Not bloody likely! Hey, what are you doing here? You come in with that wagon train that just rolled into town? You got a job going?” “Not a job,” Kosk said, still a bit off-balance. “Not that kind of job.” “Gods above,” Kiefer said. “Old Bloody-Fist himself, right here in the back of the Brown Barrel. What are the chances, us meeting like this? Me, I’m just making an honest buck now… well, mostly honest. Always on the lookout for the chance to make a few extra coins. Man’s got to keep his ears and eyes open, I always say. Lots of chances in a place like this. But look at who I’m talking to! Kosk Stonefist, master of the main chance.” “Yes, well,” Kosk said, nodding significantly toward the reeking interior of the jakes. “Ha! Right! Don’t stand between a man and his dump, I always says. Say, we should catch up sometime, when you got less [i]pressin’[/i] matters to attend to. Ha! I’ll buy you a drink, eh?” “Yeah, right,” Kosk said. “Later.” The other dwarf had already turned around and was headed back toward the inn. From the way he walked he’d already had more than his share of the sour ale that the place seemed to specialize in. Kosk’s eyes lingered on him until he’d gone inside. For a moment his hand tightened on the door handle until it seemed like it would snap off from the pressure. Then he swung the door open and went in. * * * The sun made a spectacular display on the scattered clouds as it descended below the uneven line of the valley rim, but Bredan’s attention was focused on the closer surroundings of the town around him. From his vantage atop the second-story balcony that ran along the side of the inn that faced the main street he could see most of Wildrush. There were people out and about as the day faded, but it looked like most of them were hurrying to finish their errands and head indoors. Bredan saw a lot of them glancing up at the sky. From what he could tell of Wildrush the wooden buildings wouldn’t offer much protection against a creature that could fly and breathe fire, but he supposed even a dubious shelter was preferable to nothing at all. The door creaked open and Bredan glanced back to see Glori stepping out onto the balcony. There were two empty chairs further down from Bredan, but she avoided them and instead settled onto the sill of one of the windows that opened into their suite of rooms. The lodgings at the Brown Barrel were hardly fancy, but it seemed likely that Wildrush had offered its best to the small band of adventurers. The wagon drivers and other surviving members of the expedition from Adelar had been offered quarters in the barracks near the main gate, but Glori had been too excited at the thought of her own room to accept that as an option. Glori didn’t say anything, and for the moment the two of them just watched the night settle upon the town in silence. Finally, she said, “Okay, spill it.” Bredan blinked and looked at her. He had to twist his head around to do it, which had probably been why she’d chosen her current seat. “What?” he asked. “Something’s up with you,” she said. “I can tell that something’s been bothering you, so tell me what it is.” “It’s nothing,” he said. At that she did come around and took the chair next to him, turning it so she could look at him directly. “I’d like to think I know you better than anybody,” she said. “And that after all that’s happened, all that we’ve been through, you can tell me anything.” He didn’t say anything at first, but she could tell that he was collecting his thoughts. He kept staring out at the town, although the deepening night made it increasingly difficult to see anything. Glori sometimes had to remind herself that he lacked the night vision that was a gift of her mixed heritage, but right now it didn’t matter. She knew that he wasn’t looking into the present. “Something happened, back in the fight with those giants,” he finally said. Glori shuddered. “We came pretty close to all getting killed,” she said. “It’s not that,” he said. “I mean, yes, of course I’ve thought about that, but this… this isn’t that.” “Okay,” she said. “Something… magical.” He looked over at her as if to confirm that she was there, patient and waiting. It took him a while, since he still didn’t have a clear understanding of what had happened himself, but he explained the magical shield that had blocked the ogre’s killing blow, and the way his sword had gone over the cliff only to reappear in his hand. When he was finished he waited for her to say something about how he must have been confused, or dazed from being knocked from his horse, but she only looked thoughtful. She tapped her chin with a finger and said, “So you cast a spell?” “It’s not like that,” he said. “I don’t know the first thing about magic, what you and Quellan do. It was more… instinct. I’m not sure what I did.” “That sounds more like the magic that Xeeta used,” Glori said. “Wild magic. Can you do it again?” “I’ve tried,” he said. “I can’t make it work again.” She got up, but only to grab the baldric that he’d hung on the back of his chair. The town was supposed to be safe, but with the chimera out there Bredan hadn’t wanted to be separated from his weapon for even a moment. She drew the blade out, with a bit of difficulty due to its size and weight. Then she went to the window and pulled it open before tossing the sword onto one of the beds inside the room. “Go ahead and try to summon it,” she said. “Like I said, I’ve tried…” “You said it was like instinct,” she said. “So maybe the magic only works when you have a great need. Close your eyes and focus. Try to imagine that the chimera’s out there right now, circling in the sky. Pretend that the town is in danger, that [i]we’re[/i] in danger, and you need the weapon right now, more than anything.” He nodded and closed his eyes. He lifted his hands as if to grasp the hilt of the sword. His brow furrowed with concentration, but nothing happened, and after a moment he sagged back in his chair. “I told you,” he said. “Don’t give up just yet,” she said. “But first… do you have any idea about why this might have happened to you?” Bredan’s face suggested he hadn’t been looking forward to the question. “I think it might have been that book,” he said. “Book? What book?” “The one in the ruin, where we fought that ghoul.” “Ghast,” Glori corrected. She shuddered again; she remembered that particular battle quite well. “The one that Xeeta took, the one that crumbled to dust.” “Yes. But when we found it, I looked inside it. It was covered in writing, all scrunched together.” “But I thought the book was blank.” “When Xeeta distracted me, I looked back and it was. But there [i]was[/i] something there. I only saw it for a moment, but sometimes I still feel like I can still remember the words, if not the language.” “Huh. And you don’t remember what it said?” “No, it looked like complete gibberish.” “That’s when you started getting those headaches, as I recall,” she said. Bredan nodded. “And how do you feel now?” “Fine. Really. I mean, tired, and my back’s a bit sore…” “Yeah, tell me about it. Next time we take a trip by wagon, I’m buying a cushion. Ten cushions.” “Yeah.” “Have you considered talking to Quellan?” “I don’t know. Maybe. But right now, I’d prefer it if you kept this to between us.” “Sure. Just promise you’ll tell me if the headaches come back, or if anything else happens, okay? We’ve come too far for you to leave me alone in this place with monsters and giants and the like, not to mention a whole army of goblins that might appear at any second.” “You said you wanted adventure,” he said. But on seeing the look on her face he added, “I promise.” She touched his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” She got up. “Want to come buy me a drink?” “I’ll be there in a bit,” he said. She patted him again and then went back inside, leaving him alone in the deepening gloom, watching the town as the night enveloped it. [/QUOTE]
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