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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7386279" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 142The interior of the temple in Wildrush seemed almost to glisten in the pale light that filtered in through the tall but narrow windows.  A constant soft patter on the high roof indicated that it was still raining outside.A faint gust from the foyer caused the flame on the stand-lamp next to the lectern to flicker, and Quellan looked up from the book he’d been writing in with an annoyed expression on his face.  The half-orc had brought in a tall chair to turn the lectern into an improvised writing desk.  He tilted his head to see if someone was coming in, but whoever it was must have gone to one of the other two shrines that shared space in the ancient building with the temple of Hosrenu.  He hadn’t given those as much attention as he had the sanctum of his own faith, but reckoned that they were cleaner than they’d been in his lifetime.He turned back to the book, at the page he’d almost filled with entries.  The inventory wasn’t quite complete, but it made him feel good to see the neat rows of text.  He dipped his pen again, making a mental note that he would have to make another batch of ink soon.Before he could resume his work, however, a creak of the cellar door sounded behind him.  Shenan shuffled in, carrying a stack of books that he laid down on the altar beside the lectern.  At Quellan’s look he let out an exasperated sigh and moved the books to one of the nearby shelves.“Most of these are suitable only for the trash-heap,” the older priest said.  He held up one of the books so that the half-orc could see the shattered binding.“I have some experience rehabilitating old texts,” Quellan said.“If you apply half as much effort as you do to rehabilitating old clerics, then I shouldn’t doubt you’ll manage it,” Shenan said.  His tone was caustic but there was little heat in his words; the two had reached something of an understanding since Quellan had returned.Another cold gust filled the room, flickering the lamp again and rustling the old priest’s robe.  “I wish you’d let me keep the inner door shut,” Shenan complained.  “It’s hard enough to keep the heat in here without letting the breeze in.”“The whole point of a temple is that it is welcoming to the public,” Quellan said.  “The people of Wildrush need their sacred spaces, especially in times like these.”“Not that anyone bothers visiting ours,” Shenan said, but he had to eat his words as they heard footsteps clearly coming their way.“Ah, Lady Leliades,” Shenan said, as Glori came into the room.“Just Glori, please, Shenan,” she said.  “Wow.  The temple’s looking really…”“Orderly?  Indeed, I fear that your friend has had quite the transformative effect.”“Yes, he does that.”“We were just speaking of rehabilitation,” Shenan went on.  “I understand that you’ve been engaged in some of that yourself.”“What?  Oh, you mean with Rodan, don’t you?  I just thought it was important that the people of Wildrush know what he did to keep them safe.”“Yes, ‘The Ballad of Rodan’s Run’ is all I hear whenever I venture out into town, it seems.  Quite a catchy tune.  Though the escape of the villain somewhat undermines the final effect.”“I’ve always found that people are more receptive to truth, even shaded truth, than a reassuring fiction,” Glori said.“Yes, well,” Shenan said, looking between her and Quellan before turning toward his quarters.  “As it happens, I was hoping to make a brief run over to the inn before it gets too late.  Is there anything you need me to get, brother?”“I’m fine,” Quellan said.“Thanks, Shenan,” Glori said, as the old cleric left.  He got his heavy winter coat and walked down the hall to the temple foyer and the exit.“He seems to have softened a bit,” Glori said.“It’s a work in progress,” Quellan said.Glori turned and gave the interior of the temple a sweeping look.  “You’ve accomplished a lot here,” she said.“Just restoring a bit of order, like Shenan said.”“I haven’t seen you much over the last few days.”“Been busy.  How’s the training with Bredan going?”“Still sore,” she said with a laugh.  “If I’d known how hard the path to becoming a warrior-bard was, I’d never have started down it.”“You’ve never been the sort to let a challenge stop you,” he said.She walked past him, running a hand along one of the shelves that filled the room before turning back to face him.  “I was wondering if we could talk some.  About what happened in that place.  I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”“Me too.”“My magic, it’s gotten stronger.  I’m almost as powerful as Majerion was, back when we parted ways.  You said you could channel more of Hosrenu’s power as well.”“Yes,” Quellan said.  “I can manage spells of the third valence, now.  It’s not exactly rare—there is far more powerful divine magic—but I’ve known clerics for whom it took years to reach that level.”“Have there been any other… effects?”“What do you mean?”“I don’t know.  Odd feelings, dreams.”“I’ve never been able to remember my dreams,” Quellan said.  “Why, have you been having nightmares?”He began to rise, a concerned look on his face, but Glori gestured him back.  “No, nothing like that,” she quickly said.  “Not really.  Just… I don’t know.  Impressions.  Flashes.  I keep seeing a book.  Words on a page, moving.  I can’t make any sense of them.  I tried talking to Bredan about it, he seems to know more about this than any of us, but he doesn’t want to talk about it.”“There’s a great deal about the lore of the Mai’i that we know little about,” Quellan said.  “Even when the Empire was at its peak, they were secretive about their power.  As for books… I’ve read many of them, obviously, but none that spoke of anything like this.”“I sometimes wish I could talk to that sage in Northpine again, or Lady Starfinder, back in Crosspath,” Glori said.  “I often wonder if everything that’s happened to us, if it’s all connected somehow.”“We do keep finding ourselves fighting for our lives in ancient dungeons pretty frequently,” Quellan said.  “Perhaps when this war’s over, we can investigate further.”“Right, the war,” Glori said.  “Sometimes it’s easy to forget about that, even with our little clash with our friends from the mountains.  Rodan seems convinced that we’ll be safe once the winter storms arrive in a few months, but I guess that means we’ll be stuck here for a while.”“I suppose,” Quellan said.There was an awkward pause, and after a moment Glori finally shrugged.  “Well, I guess I’d better get going,” she said.  “I promised Gavis over at the Barrel that I’d play two rounds tonight, the “Ballad” and “Battle with the Chimera.”  Ever since I mastered the major image spell, my performances have been much in demand.”  She strummed a few evocative notes on her lyre and turned to leave.“Wait,” Quellan said.Glori stopped in mid-turn and looked at him.  “Um… I was going to come find you later,” the cleric said.  He fidgeted a moment, then finally closed the book in front of him to have something to do with his hands.  “I… I borrowed this from Xeeta.”  He pulled open his robe to show that he was wearing the tiefling’s amulet, the one she’d taken from Rodan when his true nature had been revealed.  Now that his secret was out, he’d let her keep it.“Quellan…”“I attuned myself to it earlier,” he said quickly, before she could say more, and then his brow furrowed with concentration and his form shimmered.Only his face changed, but when the illusion was in place the difference was remarkable.  Gone was the greenish-gray tinge of his skin, the squashed nose, the oversized jaw with its protruding teeth.  The features were still recognizably Quellan’s, but he looked like an average human, though there were a few subtle hints that suggested he had worked in some elvish traits to match Glori’s mixed ancestry.“I thought we could maybe go out together without people looking at me like I’m some kind of monster,” he said.“Don’t say that,” Glori said.  “You’re not a monster.”“I know how people react to me,” he said.“Then they are idiots,” she said.“I’m not a saint,” he said with a sigh.  “I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”“We all have,” she shot back.  “Remember those goblins that I put to sleep under the manor house, near Northpine?  The ones that Kosk killed?”“That was his choice, you didn’t…”“But it was me.  At the time, I was glad.  Glad that he did it.  Those creatures were evil, and they deserved to die.  I still hear the snap of their necks in my dreams.”“Glori…”“Don’t,” she said.  “Don’t ever hide what you are, not for me.  Take it off, undo it, whatever.”He reached up and removed the amulet.  The false face dissolved and his true features returned.  “I’m sorry,” he said.She stepped toward him and placed a hand on his arm.  “I’m not a total fool, Quellan,” she said.  “I… I’m not sure I can give you want you want.”“I’m happy to have you as my friend,” Quellan said.  “If I did anything wrong… if I ever…”“You’ve always been a perfect gentleman,” she said.  “I don’t fault you for feeling more.  Can you… can you just give me some time?”“Of course.  I would never pressure you, Glori.  And I would never want you to feel like you couldn’t… that we couldn’t be friends.”“I know.  Just as long as you promise to always be honest with me.”  She took his hand, the one that held the amulet, and closed his fingers around it.  “Just give this back to Xeeta.  You don’t need it.”</blockquote>

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