Into the Moral Darkness: (Now a Completed Story!)

[Nonlethal Force]

Master Searthu stepped forward and complied with Mallus’ request. He reached into a tube fastened to his waist and removed two pieces of paper. There were words written on the paper that he had prepared earlier in his office. “Kashan Umaam Diast.”

As his associate waved his hands over Thealle and Skuundar, Brandt smiled and nodded. “My associate’s magic will remove the compulsion caused by the Arum Dracunculus, if any residual effect remained. However, their recovery will be long. They will need to be told of what happened and encouraged to try and get at any residual memories that might have been implanted. The compulsions are no longer present, and with the wizard now dead they’ll not be revived. But subconscious memories might still linger behind. These should be explored and dealt with, as we have done with Opheiluka.”

Mallus nodded and listened as Ischarus continued the discussion. “Is it safe to assume that we will not be seeing Pahk today? Since you were searching for several hours without finding the little guy, are we to assume that we’ll never get a chance to speak to him?”

Mallus smiled, obviously amused by Ischarus’ inquiry. “Pahk is an interesting creature. He is more resourceful than one might expect. And there is no telling just how much he learned from his master wizard. He didn’t let on that he knew much at all, but he may have surprised us. At the very least, we are convinced that he was taught how to hide from magical detection. Unless he’s dead, we should have been able to locate him by now. At the very least, it goes to show that magic cannot be used to solve all problems. It also goes to show that even those with a small amount of magical knowledge can be quite formidable so long as the knowledge that they do know is useful.”

Ischarus couldn’t help but conclude that there was more to the story than they were being told, but he also knew that a wizard within the Wizard’s College would not reveal more than they were willing to reveal. The whole truth would have to wait, if they learned it at all.

Ophee looked to Thealle and Skuundar with a sympathetic glance. “Don’t worry, you weren’t the only ones to be used by the wizard.”

Charis smiled and rested a hand upon Ophee’s shoulder. “Nope, that’s for sure. You’re among a long list of people that the wizard used. Some were used with their knowledge and consent. Some were used without their knowledge but still with their consent, like us for example. Others were used without their knowledge and without their consent. This wizard was a remarkable soul, and he almost succeeded. But don’t be too hard on yourselves for being used. You’re in good company on those terms.”

Mallus spoke, relieving Thealle and Skuundar of the ability to reply to Charis. “The wizard had many of us fooled. Even still, there are no doubt consequences from what happened in this place. Every action that we take has consequences in the lives of those around us. We cannot escape the fact that our actions affect other people whether we intend it or not. From those to whom little is given, little is expected. From those to whom much is given, much is expected. The gift of magic is significant; and the world, much less the Wizard’s College, expects much from those of us who wield magic.”

Thealle and Skuundar took their cue from Mallus and stood up from the couch. Thealle spoke first. “I am ready to await my hearing.”

Skuundar nodded in agreement. “If I was under the effect of the Arum Dracunculus, I will accept the ruling of the administration.”

Mallus dismissed the Skuundar and Thealle. “Your hearing will take place at a later time. Until you are summoned, consider yourselves confined to your personal quarters. You are dismissed.”

Thealle and Skuundar walked out of the room without a word. Mallus watched them leave, knowing that their punishment would not be as severe as they were imagining that it would be. The transgression had been the wizard’s. Skuundar had no recollection of aiding the wizard, and Thealle’s assistance was clearly not completely of her own choosing. However, by Thealle’s own admission she did not regret the learning and elevation of status that she received for her participation. Her punishment would be more severe than Skuundar’s.

When Skuundar and Thealle had closed the door behind them, Mallus turned back to the party. “You should consider yourselves lucky that you are not under the jurisdiction of the Wizard’s College. The fact that the four of you traveled to Quehalost willingly and returned with a harmful substance would not sit well with our administration. Ignorance is no excuse for the danger that you four introduced into our land. However, since you are not under our jurisdiction we cannot restrain you and keep you here. We hope that your conscious weighs heavily and like Thealle and Skuundar you will learn your lesson so we do not need to fear you repeating it.”

Mallus’ voice had taken the tone of a disciplinarian. Of course, he was part of the Wizard’s College guard, so discipline would be part of his duty. Semeion, Ischarus, and Rhema hung their head as Mallus spoke.

Instead of hanging her head, Charis replied to Mallus’ insinuation. “I would suppose that it is a matter of interpretation, then. I have seen my three associates do far more good than evil. They have saved countless lives from evil, including being the force that foiled this threat here. Yes, we were fooled by the wizard and brought a portion of Arum Dracunculus to him. And we have learned the importance of investigating the possible outcomes from accomplishing tasks that we know little about. But if the wizard’s influences had been checked before he could impact the world outside of the Wizard’s College, we wouldn’t have been in the position in which we were placed. I cannot deny that we made a mistake, but we have corrected that mistake as best we could.”

Semeion smiled as his wife spoke and interjected a statement into the middle of her speech. “And we are not yet done. We will find this Allyssa and stop her assignment as well.”

Charis grinned as she paused to let her husband speak. She was glad that he had been brought out of the guilt that Mallus had placed her associates under. When he finished, she continued. “While we have learned our lesson, it is my hope that the Wizard’s College has likewise learned yours.”

Brandt spoke quickly. He approved of Charis’ words, but knew that they would likely only refuel the argument from earlier in the day. It was clear that the party and the Wizard’s College were at odds in how they looked at the world and duty. “And I do believe that it is time for us to leave, unless you have a reason for us to stay in your presence longer, Mallus.”

Mallus was quick to offer up no resistance to Brandt’s assertion. “You are free to leave. The magical barrier will not prevent you from teleporting away from the Wizard’s College. Remember, though, that once you leave you have already promised to adhere to the proper regulations for reentering.”

The seven wasted no time leaving the Wizard’s College. Brandt took Ophee with him, and the rest used spells or a ring to return them to the temple in Fingerdale. The spells had brought them back to Master Searthu’s office. It was a relief to see the symbol of justice that marked Reah’s territory hanging upon the wall.

Rhema sighed. “I never imagined that seeing the symbols of justice would feel so welcoming.”

Brandt smiled and nodded in appreciation. “Reah can be a difficult master to serve, but she is always welcoming. Even the guilty are welcomed onto a path of repentance.”

In their own way, each of the party found warmth in Brandt’s words. He had offered up a sentiment almost opposite to the implications of Mallus. Here they were welcomed, even as often as they had made mistakes in the past.

Semeion turned to the two priests of Reah. “If we’re going to find this Allyssa, don’t you think we should try and find out a little more about that succubus? I didn’t expect the Wizard’s College to offer up any information, and I didn’t come across anything while looking through the wizard’s residence.”

Rhema nodded in agreement. “If nothing else, I would like to learn more about her in case we see her again.”

Ophee had a sour look on her face as Semeion and Rhema spoke of the demonic woman. “Personally, I’d rather just avoid her in the future. Once was already too often.”

Ischarus allowed his left fingers to run along the hilt of his sword as it hung at his side. “I think a little research is a fine idea. I know that I’ve got a score to settle with her, anyway. I hope I do see her again, and next time I’d like to know a little more about what she is and how to stop her more permanently.”

Brandt nodded, feeling the party straying away from the task of finding Allyssa. “And what of Ophee’s replacement?”

Charis smirked, knowing that Brandt was trying to refocus them. “We don’t even know if Allyssa is here in Fingerdale, Brandt. It is a good guess, but it is only a guess. Besides, the day is getting late and soon it will be too difficult to search for her anyway. If we take advantage of the library here in the temple, we could research tonight and go out to find Allyssa tomorrow. Besides, if we wait for tomorrow we’ll be more prepared to find her and be able to do something about it.”

Master Searthu smiled, and Brandt grinned at his fellow priest. “I know, they make a strong argument. They aren’t as helpless as they would have the world believe.” He stepped towards the door leading out of Master Searthu’s office. “Come, then. I’ll show you to the library and set you loose upon the histories contained with its walls. But I will not be joining you. I’ll spend the rest of this evening trying to find Allyssa’s location. Perhaps by dividing our efforts we can accomplish the necessary task at hand even quicker.” He led the party out of Master Searthu’s office.

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
Master Searthu stepped forward and complied with Mallus’ request. He reached into a tube fastened to his waist and removed two pieces of paper. There were words written on the paper that he had prepared earlier in his office. “Kashan Umaam Diast.”

As his associate waved his hands over Thealle and Skuundar, Brandt smiled and nodded. “My associate’s magic will remove the compulsion caused by the Arum Dracunculus, if any residual effect remained. However, their recovery will be long. They will need to be told of what happened and encouraged to try and get at any residual memories that might have been implanted. The compulsions are no longer present, and with the wizard now dead they’ll not be revived. But subconscious memories might still linger behind. These should be explored and dealt with, as we have done with Opheiluka.”

Mallus nodded and listened as Ischarus continued the discussion. “Is it safe to assume that we will not be seeing Pahk today? Since you were searching for several hours without finding the little guy, are we to assume that we’ll never get a chance to speak to him?”

Mallus smiled, obviously amused by Ischarus’ inquiry. “Pahk is an interesting creature. He is more resourceful than one might expect. And there is no telling just how much he learned from his master wizard. He didn’t let on that he knew much at all, but he may have surprised us. At the very least, we are convinced that he was taught how to hide from magical detection. Unless he’s dead, we should have been able to locate him by now. At the very least, it goes to show that magic cannot be used to solve all problems. It also goes to show that even those with a small amount of magical knowledge can be quite formidable so long as the knowledge that they do know is useful.”

Ischarus couldn’t help but conclude that there was more to the story than they were being told, but he also knew that a wizard within the Wizard’s College would not reveal more than they were willing to reveal. The whole truth would have to wait, if they learned it at all.

Ophee looked to Thealle and Skuundar with a sympathetic glance. “Don’t worry, you weren’t the only ones to be used by the wizard.”

Charis smiled and rested a hand upon Ophee’s shoulder. “Nope, that’s for sure. You’re among a long list of people that the wizard used. Some were used with their knowledge and consent. Some were used without their knowledge but still with their consent, like us for example. Others were used without their knowledge and without their consent. This wizard was a remarkable soul, and he almost succeeded. But don’t be too hard on yourselves for being used. You’re in good company on those terms.”

Mallus spoke, relieving Thealle and Skuundar of the ability to reply to Charis. “The wizard had many of us fooled. Even still, there are no doubt consequences from what happened in this place. Every action that we take has consequences in the lives of those around us. We cannot escape the fact that our actions affect other people whether we intend it or not. From those to whom little is given, little is expected. From those to whom much is given, much is expected. The gift of magic is significant; and the world, much less the Wizard’s College, expects much from those of us who wield magic.”

Thealle and Skuundar took their cue from Mallus and stood up from the couch. Thealle spoke first. “I am ready to await my hearing.”

Skuundar nodded in agreement. “If I was under the effect of the Arum Dracunculus, I will accept the ruling of the administration.”

Mallus dismissed the Skuundar and Thealle. “Your hearing will take place at a later time. Until you are summoned, consider yourselves confined to your personal quarters. You are dismissed.”

Thealle and Skuundar walked out of the room without a word. Mallus watched them leave, knowing that their punishment would not be as severe as they were imagining that it would be. The transgression had been the wizard’s. Skuundar had no recollection of aiding the wizard, and Thealle’s assistance was clearly not completely of her own choosing. However, by Thealle’s own admission she did not regret the learning and elevation of status that she received for her participation. Her punishment would be more severe than Skuundar’s.

When Skuundar and Thealle had closed the door behind them, Mallus turned back to the party. “You should consider yourselves lucky that you are not under the jurisdiction of the Wizard’s College. The fact that the four of you traveled to Quehalost willingly and returned with a harmful substance would not sit well with our administration. Ignorance is no excuse for the danger that you four introduced into our land. However, since you are not under our jurisdiction we cannot restrain you and keep you here. We hope that your conscious weighs heavily and like Thealle and Skuundar you will learn your lesson so we do not need to fear you repeating it.”

Mallus’ voice had taken the tone of a disciplinarian. Of course, he was part of the Wizard’s College guard, so discipline would be part of his duty. Semeion, Ischarus, and Rhema hung their head as Mallus spoke.

Instead of hanging her head, Charis replied to Mallus’ insinuation. “I would suppose that it is a matter of interpretation, then. I have seen my three associates do far more good than evil. They have saved countless lives from evil, including being the force that foiled this threat here. Yes, we were fooled by the wizard and brought a portion of Arum Dracunculus to him. And we have learned the importance of investigating the possible outcomes from accomplishing tasks that we know little about. But if the wizard’s influences had been checked before he could impact the world outside of the Wizard’s College, we wouldn’t have been in the position in which we were placed. I cannot deny that we made a mistake, but we have corrected that mistake as best we could.”

Semeion smiled as his wife spoke and interjected a statement into the middle of her speech. “And we are not yet done. We will find this Allyssa and stop her assignment as well.”

Charis grinned as she paused to let her husband speak. She was glad that he had been brought out of the guilt that Mallus had placed her associates under. When he finished, she continued. “While we have learned our lesson, it is my hope that the Wizard’s College has likewise learned yours.”

Brandt spoke quickly. He approved of Charis’ words, but knew that they would likely only refuel the argument from earlier in the day. It was clear that the party and the Wizard’s College were at odds in how they looked at the world and duty. “And I do believe that it is time for us to leave, unless you have a reason for us to stay in your presence longer, Mallus.”

Mallus was quick to offer up no resistance to Brandt’s assertion. “You are free to leave. The magical barrier will not prevent you from teleporting away from the Wizard’s College. Remember, though, that once you leave you have already promised to adhere to the proper regulations for reentering.”

The seven wasted no time leaving the Wizard’s College. Brandt took Ophee with him, and the rest used spells or a ring to return them to the temple in Fingerdale. The spells had brought them back to Master Searthu’s office. It was a relief to see the symbol of justice that marked Reah’s territory hanging upon the wall.

Rhema sighed. “I never imagined that seeing the symbols of justice would feel so welcoming.”

Brandt smiled and nodded in appreciation. “Reah can be a difficult master to serve, but she is always welcoming. Even the guilty are welcomed onto a path of repentance.”

In their own way, each of the party found warmth in Brandt’s words. He had offered up a sentiment almost opposite to the implications of Mallus. Here they were welcomed, even as often as they had made mistakes in the past.

Semeion turned to the two priests of Reah. “If we’re going to find this Allyssa, don’t you think we should try and find out a little more about that succubus? I didn’t expect the Wizard’s College to offer up any information, and I didn’t come across anything while looking through the wizard’s residence.”

Rhema nodded in agreement. “If nothing else, I would like to learn more about her in case we see her again.”

Ophee had a sour look on her face as Semeion and Rhema spoke of the demonic woman. “Personally, I’d rather just avoid her in the future. Once was already too often.”

Ischarus allowed his left fingers to run along the hilt of his sword as it hung at his side. “I think a little research is a fine idea. I know that I’ve got a score to settle with her, anyway. I hope I do see her again, and next time I’d like to know a little more about what she is and how to stop her more permanently.”

Brandt nodded, feeling the party straying away from the task of finding Allyssa. “And what of Ophee’s replacement?”

Charis smirked, knowing that Brandt was trying to refocus them. “We don’t even know if Allyssa is here in Fingerdale, Brandt. It is a good guess, but it is only a guess. Besides, the day is getting late and soon it will be too difficult to search for her anyway. If we take advantage of the library here in the temple, we could research tonight and go out to find Allyssa tomorrow. Besides, if we wait for tomorrow we’ll be more prepared to find her and be able to do something about it.”

Master Searthu smiled, and Brandt grinned at his fellow priest. “I know, they make a strong argument. They aren’t as helpless as they would have the world believe.” He stepped towards the door leading out of Master Searthu’s office. “Come, then. I’ll show you to the library and set you loose upon the histories contained with its walls. But I will not be joining you. I’ll spend the rest of this evening trying to find Allyssa’s location. Perhaps by dividing our efforts we can accomplish the necessary task at hand even quicker.” He led the party out of Master Searthu’s office.
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

The party searched through the tomes of religious history for hours looking for any hint of mention of a succubus. They had begun looking in the temple’s section of research specifically devoted to Yrraxea, her followers, and the rituals of Yrraxean worship. However, due to the fact that Yrraxea was nearly the chief unholy antagonist against Reah there was a considerable amount of books that needed to be looked at. In fact, it was Charis who first stumbled across a useful tome after several hour of serious searching.

Charis snapped the tome closed with her finger in the edge to mark the place that she had been researching. When she looked up from the large volume on Yrraxean history she noticed that she had the attention of Semeion and Ophee. They had been researching in the same aisle. She smiled at the pair who was waiting curiously to hear what she had found. “Ischarus and Rhema, can you hear me?”

Rhema and Ischarus had decided to start at the opposite end of books on Yrraxean history and work their way towards Semeion, Ophee, and Rhema. As a result, they were in the aisle directly to Charis’ right. Rhema replied to Charis’ inquiry. “Loud and clear, Charis. What have you found?”

Charis knew that they were the only people in the temple’s library by this late in the night, so there wasn’t much need to worry about keeping the peace of the library. “I’ve found a book entitled Darron’s Illustrated Guide to the Yrraxean Underlings. The date inside the front cover shows that the information compiled in the tome is centuries old, but it still seems feasibly true. The author describes how he had been sent by what he calls the Dominant in Barghost. He describes the Dominant as the head of the organized followers of Reah’s justice. By Darron’s descriptions, that would make the Dominant the head administrator in the church. I guess it would be parallel to some kind of high ranking bishop or something.”

Semeion nodded in agreement. “That would make sense. A religion founded upon the principles of justice that Reah commands would likely have some kind of organized hierarchy. And from what I have learned from Ausaphaborishan and Llywessair, Barghost would be the likely place for such a person to reside. As dark and in touch with the aspects of evil as Quehalost is, Barghost is equally in touch with the aspects of good and the deities that promote virtue in life.”

Ischarus spoke from the next aisle. “That makes sense with my understanding of the situation as well. From what I can gather, Tongra and Fenneress are often caught between Barghost and Quehalost. The powers of good have sworn to influence the world only so much as to keep the balance against the powers of evil. In other words, if good is ultimately going to triumph over evil, it will be at the hands of the people in the world, not the direct intervention of the divine powers.”

Charis listened carefully and continued speaking. “And I think that really is the way it should be. If any deity is attractive enough to follow, then the followers of that deity should be excited enough to promote the directed lifestyle and the tenets of the faith. But, we digress. The author of the book, who I am assuming is this follower of Reah named Darron, claims to have been asked by the Dominant to venture into Quehalost on some sort of fact finding mission. He was sent to find the secret lairs where Yrraxea is strong in Quehalost and observe what he saw. Apparently, he didn’t see any actual demonic summons, but he did manage to infiltrate and document several Yrraxean worship sites. Given Yrraxea’s teachings towards avarice, the temples were not that difficult to find. People who worship a deity that focuses on greed and materialism typically are more about flaunting what they have than hiding away in some secret hole.”

Charis paused for a breath and was glad that nobody took advantage of the silence in order to interrupt the recounting of her findings. “Anyway, this Darron was able to covertly study the art and symbols that the Yrraxeans used in their worship and holy spaces. He documented many of their images, especially those that he believed to be demonic and thus a rival to Reah and her court. What is interesting is that Darron mentions depictions of a succubus on several accounts. Apparently, this succubus is quite an interesting character.”

Ophee shuddered at the memory of what the succubus had done to her. “Interesting is not the word I’d use. But please, continue on with what you were saying.”

Charis tried to smile in a manner that comforted Ophee, but there was little that could be done to comfort the way that the succubus had taken advantage of Ophee. “Apparently the succubus is noted for her ability to change appearances based upon the physical preferences of her next victim. So, the art on this succubus is quite diverse. But what is interesting is that this particular succubus is the only one mentioned in Darron’s writing. This succubus is always given the same name: Ankh-Bahl.”

Semeion could’ve sworn that at the mention of her name a cold chill shot through the room. “What makes you think that this is the right servant of Yrraxea? I mean, just because the author only mentions one succubus doesn’t mean that we have the right one. Who knows how many of them serve the Queen of Avarice.”

Charis understood Semeion’s skepticism. “True, but listen to a few of the details. Once you hear some of the stories about Ankh-Bahl, I think your tone might just change. For example, the teachings of Yrraxea indicate that Ankh-Bahl was entrusted into Yrraxea’s service solely for the purpose of finding a way for Yrraxea to come into this world. The preferred method that Yrraxea desires to use, and thus Ankh-Bahl is searching for, is to find a willing host and become channeled into the host. In other words, the soul of the person within the body would be displaced; or at the very least put in a sort of spiritual coma while Yrraxea assumes control over the body and possesses it as her own. That certainly sounds familiar, although we can be quite sure that the wizard was not possessed by Yrraxea herself.”

Semeion nodded, but it was Ischarus who took advantage of Charis’ pause. “That does sound eerily familiar. What else did you find out about this succubus that makes you think that we have the right one?”

Charis replied with confidence in her voice. “It seems as though Ankh-Bahl is also some kind of demonic assassin. Apparently her job was to find a way for this possession to initiate outside of Quehalost. Yrraxea wanted her servant to find a way to make the possession outside of the dangers of the evil land. Although a demon – or even a goddess – cannot be killed away from the celestial or damnable home, Yrraxea has a desire to take the world by surprise and storm. She wants the world for her own domination, hence why she is called the Queen of Avarice. But when she comes into this world she wants to do it right the first time so as to give nobody any warning.”

The rest of the party was busy assimilating the information that Charis was giving them. When nobody took advantage of Charis’ pause, she continued her explanation of what she had learned from Darron’s writings. “The fact that this Ankh-Bahl is some sort of demonic assassin implies ruthless behavior. Darron was convinced that should Ankh-Bahl ever find a way into this world that she would be willing to use and then dispose of any forces of evil that she could find, especially those of other gods and goddesses. Her goal was to use any means necessary while weakening any who oppose Yrraxea in the process.”

Ischarus called out as he rounded the corner and entered the row of bookshelves that held Ophee, Semeion, and Charis. “Well, it certainly sounds feasible, that’s for sure. The devil we banished was ruthless.”

Ophee agreed readily. “And willing to resort to any means necessary I might add.”

Ischarus continued in his thought. “If the succubus was indeed Ankh-Bahl, it would make sense that she should be found here in Tongra. Or, I suppose Fenneress for that matter. But if Darron’s history is any authority, it would appear that Yrraxea is actively trying to increase the range of her influence dramatically. It doesn’t sound like Yrraxea is interested in the slow and steady growth through the spread of ideals. It sounds to me that Yrraxea is the type of goddess to wait for a moment and then lash out in a strike in order to gain as much ground as possible in a quick amount of time. To me, that sounds like what the succubus described to you all.”

Rhema had followed Ischarus around the corner to speak with her friends. “Again, that would certainly make sense. From what I have learned from my time around the dragons and around the temple, Quehalost is held by the powers of evil. if Yrraxea were to begin in Quehalost, she’d have to begin her fight in Quehalost itself. But if she could instead take Tongra or Fenneress by surprise, she could move quickly and amass resources and go back against Quehalost if she so desired.”

Charis smiled as she interrupted Rhema’s thought. “And remember, most creation myths talk about how the Tongra-Quehalost and Fenneress-Quehalost Mountains were brought forth to contain the evil. Many of the myths speak about how the evil could not be quenched from the land, so it was contained and set apart. Granted they are only myths, but if there is any hint of truth to the myths, Yrraxea would gain substantial power should her influence extend beyond the mountains. If she herself could be summoned into the land of Tongra, I don’t know what would happen.”

Rhema finished her thought once Charis had concluded. “Granted, there have got to be small pockets of worshippers of evil throughout the land. It’d even imagine there are miniscule pockets of Yrraxean worship in Barghost. But there is no record of anything capable of accomplishing something to the magnitude that we are talking about here. The gods and goddesses haven’t walked the ground with mortals in longer than even the dragons can remember.”

Semeion nodded in complete agreement. “And that is a considerable amount of time. The stories of the gods and their servants walking freely among the lands with mortals are so old that many of them are simply considered myths and nothing more. I doubt anyone would even consider the possibility that Yrraxea still looks to be summoned and brought into a legitimate possession of a mortal here in Tongra. That’s just not the way that we think anymore.”

Charis continued where Semeion left off. “Needless to say, stopping this threat was no idle matter. Most people won’t ever know what happened in the Wizard’s College today. We all know that the Wizard’s College isn’t going to be upfront and honest about it, and they’ll deny anything that may be told.”

Rhema looked at the shelves around her. “Well, we’ve got several more shelves of books to search for, although I’ll admit that the solution that Charis just stumbled on seems to really fit the possibility here. The scary part is that if what Charis found is actually the correct reason, then we don’t know how the succubus managed to escape Quehalost. Either there is a significant sect of Yrraxeans worshipping in Tongra that the wizard might have been connected to and thus was summoned directly, or Ankh-Bahl managed to work her way out of Quehalost and through the underground passages and into Tongra. I don’t mind saying that neither possibility will make it any easier to sleep at night.”

Semeion looked back to the shelves. “Well, let’s keep on looking. We’ve got the rest of the night, and tomorrow we’re planning on heading out to finish our work by finding Allyssa. Maybe we can find something else tonight.”

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
The party searched through the tomes of religious history for hours looking for any hint of mention of a succubus. They had begun looking in the temple’s section of research specifically devoted to Yrraxea, her followers, and the rituals of Yrraxean worship. However, due to the fact that Yrraxea was nearly the chief unholy antagonist against Reah there was a considerable amount of books that needed to be looked at. In fact, it was Charis who first stumbled across a useful tome after several hour of serious searching.

Charis snapped the tome closed with her finger in the edge to mark the place that she had been researching. When she looked up from the large volume on Yrraxean history she noticed that she had the attention of Semeion and Ophee. They had been researching in the same aisle. She smiled at the pair who was waiting curiously to hear what she had found. “Ischarus and Rhema, can you hear me?”

Rhema and Ischarus had decided to start at the opposite end of books on Yrraxean history and work their way towards Semeion, Ophee, and Rhema. As a result, they were in the aisle directly to Charis’ right. Rhema replied to Charis’ inquiry. “Loud and clear, Charis. What have you found?”

Charis knew that they were the only people in the temple’s library by this late in the night, so there wasn’t much need to worry about keeping the peace of the library. “I’ve found a book entitled Darron’s Illustrated Guide to the Yrraxean Underlings. The date inside the front cover shows that the information compiled in the tome is centuries old, but it still seems feasibly true. The author describes how he had been sent by what he calls the Dominant in Barghost. He describes the Dominant as the head of the organized followers of Reah’s justice. By Darron’s descriptions, that would make the Dominant the head administrator in the church. I guess it would be parallel to some kind of high ranking bishop or something.”

Semeion nodded in agreement. “That would make sense. A religion founded upon the principles of justice that Reah commands would likely have some kind of organized hierarchy. And from what I have learned from Ausaphaborishan and Llywessair, Barghost would be the likely place for such a person to reside. As dark and in touch with the aspects of evil as Quehalost is, Barghost is equally in touch with the aspects of good and the deities that promote virtue in life.”

Ischarus spoke from the next aisle. “That makes sense with my understanding of the situation as well. From what I can gather, Tongra and Fenneress are often caught between Barghost and Quehalost. The powers of good have sworn to influence the world only so much as to keep the balance against the powers of evil. In other words, if good is ultimately going to triumph over evil, it will be at the hands of the people in the world, not the direct intervention of the divine powers.”

Charis listened carefully and continued speaking. “And I think that really is the way it should be. If any deity is attractive enough to follow, then the followers of that deity should be excited enough to promote the directed lifestyle and the tenets of the faith. But, we digress. The author of the book, who I am assuming is this follower of Reah named Darron, claims to have been asked by the Dominant to venture into Quehalost on some sort of fact finding mission. He was sent to find the secret lairs where Yrraxea is strong in Quehalost and observe what he saw. Apparently, he didn’t see any actual demonic summons, but he did manage to infiltrate and document several Yrraxean worship sites. Given Yrraxea’s teachings towards avarice, the temples were not that difficult to find. People who worship a deity that focuses on greed and materialism typically are more about flaunting what they have than hiding away in some secret hole.”

Charis paused for a breath and was glad that nobody took advantage of the silence in order to interrupt the recounting of her findings. “Anyway, this Darron was able to covertly study the art and symbols that the Yrraxeans used in their worship and holy spaces. He documented many of their images, especially those that he believed to be demonic and thus a rival to Reah and her court. What is interesting is that Darron mentions depictions of a succubus on several accounts. Apparently, this succubus is quite an interesting character.”

Ophee shuddered at the memory of what the succubus had done to her. “Interesting is not the word I’d use. But please, continue on with what you were saying.”

Charis tried to smile in a manner that comforted Ophee, but there was little that could be done to comfort the way that the succubus had taken advantage of Ophee. “Apparently the succubus is noted for her ability to change appearances based upon the physical preferences of her next victim. So, the art on this succubus is quite diverse. But what is interesting is that this particular succubus is the only one mentioned in Darron’s writing. This succubus is always given the same name: Ankh-Bahl.”

Semeion could’ve sworn that at the mention of her name a cold chill shot through the room. “What makes you think that this is the right servant of Yrraxea? I mean, just because the author only mentions one succubus doesn’t mean that we have the right one. Who knows how many of them serve the Queen of Avarice.”

Charis understood Semeion’s skepticism. “True, but listen to a few of the details. Once you hear some of the stories about Ankh-Bahl, I think your tone might just change. For example, the teachings of Yrraxea indicate that Ankh-Bahl was entrusted into Yrraxea’s service solely for the purpose of finding a way for Yrraxea to come into this world. The preferred method that Yrraxea desires to use, and thus Ankh-Bahl is searching for, is to find a willing host and become channeled into the host. In other words, the soul of the person within the body would be displaced; or at the very least put in a sort of spiritual coma while Yrraxea assumes control over the body and possesses it as her own. That certainly sounds familiar, although we can be quite sure that the wizard was not possessed by Yrraxea herself.”

Semeion nodded, but it was Ischarus who took advantage of Charis’ pause. “That does sound eerily familiar. What else did you find out about this succubus that makes you think that we have the right one?”

Charis replied with confidence in her voice. “It seems as though Ankh-Bahl is also some kind of demonic assassin. Apparently her job was to find a way for this possession to initiate outside of Quehalost. Yrraxea wanted her servant to find a way to make the possession outside of the dangers of the evil land. Although a demon – or even a goddess – cannot be killed away from the celestial or damnable home, Yrraxea has a desire to take the world by surprise and storm. She wants the world for her own domination, hence why she is called the Queen of Avarice. But when she comes into this world she wants to do it right the first time so as to give nobody any warning.”

The rest of the party was busy assimilating the information that Charis was giving them. When nobody took advantage of Charis’ pause, she continued her explanation of what she had learned from Darron’s writings. “The fact that this Ankh-Bahl is some sort of demonic assassin implies ruthless behavior. Darron was convinced that should Ankh-Bahl ever find a way into this world that she would be willing to use and then dispose of any forces of evil that she could find, especially those of other gods and goddesses. Her goal was to use any means necessary while weakening any who oppose Yrraxea in the process.”

Ischarus called out as he rounded the corner and entered the row of bookshelves that held Ophee, Semeion, and Charis. “Well, it certainly sounds feasible, that’s for sure. The devil we banished was ruthless.”

Ophee agreed readily. “And willing to resort to any means necessary I might add.”

Ischarus continued in his thought. “If the succubus was indeed Ankh-Bahl, it would make sense that she should be found here in Tongra. Or, I suppose Fenneress for that matter. But if Darron’s history is any authority, it would appear that Yrraxea is actively trying to increase the range of her influence dramatically. It doesn’t sound like Yrraxea is interested in the slow and steady growth through the spread of ideals. It sounds to me that Yrraxea is the type of goddess to wait for a moment and then lash out in a strike in order to gain as much ground as possible in a quick amount of time. To me, that sounds like what the succubus described to you all.”

Rhema had followed Ischarus around the corner to speak with her friends. “Again, that would certainly make sense. From what I have learned from my time around the dragons and around the temple, Quehalost is held by the powers of evil. if Yrraxea were to begin in Quehalost, she’d have to begin her fight in Quehalost itself. But if she could instead take Tongra or Fenneress by surprise, she could move quickly and amass resources and go back against Quehalost if she so desired.”

Charis smiled as she interrupted Rhema’s thought. “And remember, most creation myths talk about how the Tongra-Quehalost and Fenneress-Quehalost Mountains were brought forth to contain the evil. Many of the myths speak about how the evil could not be quenched from the land, so it was contained and set apart. Granted they are only myths, but if there is any hint of truth to the myths, Yrraxea would gain substantial power should her influence extend beyond the mountains. If she herself could be summoned into the land of Tongra, I don’t know what would happen.”

Rhema finished her thought once Charis had concluded. “Granted, there have got to be small pockets of worshippers of evil throughout the land. It’d even imagine there are miniscule pockets of Yrraxean worship in Barghost. But there is no record of anything capable of accomplishing something to the magnitude that we are talking about here. The gods and goddesses haven’t walked the ground with mortals in longer than even the dragons can remember.”

Semeion nodded in complete agreement. “And that is a considerable amount of time. The stories of the gods and their servants walking freely among the lands with mortals are so old that many of them are simply considered myths and nothing more. I doubt anyone would even consider the possibility that Yrraxea still looks to be summoned and brought into a legitimate possession of a mortal here in Tongra. That’s just not the way that we think anymore.”

Charis continued where Semeion left off. “Needless to say, stopping this threat was no idle matter. Most people won’t ever know what happened in the Wizard’s College today. We all know that the Wizard’s College isn’t going to be upfront and honest about it, and they’ll deny anything that may be told.”

Rhema looked at the shelves around her. “Well, we’ve got several more shelves of books to search for, although I’ll admit that the solution that Charis just stumbled on seems to really fit the possibility here. The scary part is that if what Charis found is actually the correct reason, then we don’t know how the succubus managed to escape Quehalost. Either there is a significant sect of Yrraxeans worshipping in Tongra that the wizard might have been connected to and thus was summoned directly, or Ankh-Bahl managed to work her way out of Quehalost and through the underground passages and into Tongra. I don’t mind saying that neither possibility will make it any easier to sleep at night.”

Semeion looked back to the shelves. “Well, let’s keep on looking. We’ve got the rest of the night, and tomorrow we’re planning on heading out to finish our work by finding Allyssa. Maybe we can find something else tonight.”
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Chapter Twelve: FERRETING OUT THE WIZARD’S HOUND

Brandt met up with the party the next morning. The party hadn’t learned much else in the library the prior evening, and when they explained what they had found Brandt was in agreement that they may well have been battling Ankh-Bahl. However, it was not the news of Ankh-Bahl that had the party in anticipation. They wanted Allyssa and her location.

Once the party had finished explaining their research, Ischarus asked Brandt what news he had managed to discover. “Any word of Allyssa’s location?”

Brandt slowly shook his head. “No. I tried everything of which I could possibly think. I tried different appeals to Reah, but someone is hiding her location from me. I tried several attempts to magically locate her, but without a description the magical spying sensors weren’t able to really focus on anyone in particular. Apparently there are just too many people named Allyssa around here. I even went back to Master Searthu, but he was unable to have any success.”

Semeion looked disappointed. “There has got to be some way of finding her. If only we had more information. Doesn’t the temple have a collection of spell references?”

Brandt nodded in the affirmative, but his tone was clearly against Semeion’s thought. “Magic is not always the answer, Semeion. Sometimes, work must be done the old fashioned way. Sometimes in order to find someone you just have to go out and do it.”

Ophee smiled. “You all found me, remember?”

Semeion turned to Ophee and returned her smile, but his smile quickly turned into a look of rejection. “Yes, but we found you because you really found us. Your former master was watching us and knew where we were going to look. So, he sent you there in order that we would find you.”

Charis listened to the conversation, but stared at the joint where the head of her pick had been joined with the handle. When she needed to think, she would hold the pick’s handle in her hand and rotate it over and over. She found that the rolling of the head helped her mind focus on something deeply. “Wait a minute. Maybe Ophee is still the answer.”

A look of horror flashed upon Ophee’s face. “Oh, no. I’m not Allyssa. I might have been brainwashed to try and kill you under the guise of the Whetting One, but the magic mixed with the Arum Dracunculus has been removed from my system, remember? And I have been with you all in this temple every moment from the barn until now. There is no way I’m Allyssa. I’m positive of it.”

Rhema chuckled at Ophee’s vehement argumentation. Of course, she knew that Ophee still carried around a guilty conscience for what she had been tricked into doing for her former master. Of course she would misinterpret Charis’ words. “No, Ophee. I don’t think Charis was trying to say that you were also Allyssa. You’ve played your part out already, and we know that. But you’re right. Your brainwashing has been purged.”

Charis explained her thought a bit deeper once Rhema had comforted Ophee. “Of course not, Ophee. You’re not Allyssa. But Allyssa was brought in to replace you. Think about it. The wizard paid for you to stay in Fingerdale. He’s already got an apartment here that he rents.”

Ischarus’ face brightened. “Of course! He’s already paying for the space, so he might as well use it. Do you think it is that easy? Do you think the wizard would use Allyssa to replace Ophee so predictably?” By the time he had finished speaking his face glistened like that of a child on his birthday.

Semeion nodded. “Of course he would. He’s a wizard. There are many things that can be said about wizards, but most of them are logical and pragmatic. The only people who knew where Ophee lived prior to the incident in the barn were presumed dead. Putting Allyssa in the same apartment would be a hassle free and immediate solution.”

Ophee reached down the front of her shirt and removed the end of a small necklace made of beads and mulberry hemp that was hanging around her neck. A bronze skeleton key hung from the end of the necklace. “Only one way to find out, and I’m going with you.”

The whole party smiled at Ophee’s assertiveness. She was beginning to come into her own. Brandt also smiled and wished them well. It was clear that he was needed at the temple and would not be joining the five adventurers in their excursion across town. They were off quickly, stopping only for a light breakfast as the traveled across Fingerdale.

The trip was fairly short and they soon found themselves staring up at the squatty building that had once been Ophee’s home. It wasn’t the nicest of apartment complexes, but it was only two stories instead of the normal three or four. It had been a fairly quiet home, and Ophee suddenly felt saddened at the thought of someone else living in her space.

Ophee pulled the key out from under her shirt once more. “You know, I didn’t even get a chance to clean it. All my papers, belongings, books, and everything else were laid open for that wizard’s perusal. No doubt that he took advantage, of course.” There was a hint of bile in her tone.

The door to the building opened suddenly, and a woman popped out from the inside. She gave the party a strange look, but then quickly turned and walked towards the center of town. The party watched her go and then moved inside the building.

The stairs leading to the second story floor were in obvious need of repair, but they were still functional. The ascent up the stairs went quite easily, and Ophee slipped her key into the lock and opened the door with a single jerk of the handle. As she stepped inside, a hand reached out from behind her and jerked her back into the hallway.

Ischarus pulled her back into his chest, and his sword was drawn. “Let Charis and I go first, Ophee. Allyssa may be in there, and we’ve no idea what kind of power your former master had granted to her. She’s obviously skilled, and I’d feel better if we went in first.”

Ophee nodded and moved aside to let Charis and Ischarus enter. Once they made sure that the first room was clear, Ischarus motioned for Ophee, Rhema, and Semeion to enter. Ischarus disappeared into the room to the left while Charis took the room to the right. Ophee, Semeion, and Rhema moved into the room and looked out the windows onto the street below.

Ophee spoke, and there was sadness in her voice. “She’s moved in. Nothing is the way that I left it. In fact, much of this furniture has been moved and lived in since I was last here. I don’t think that there can be any doubt that we’ve found where Allyssa lives.”

Ischarus spoke as he returned from the room to the left. “Well, that’s obviously her bedroom, and she’s not there. She’s quite a vigorous sleeper, if the way the sheets and blanket strewn about the bed are any indication.”

Charis also returned. “Nothing in the bathroom, either. Someone’s been here, and reasonably recently. There was still water in the wash basin. And it was cool, not room temperature.”

Ophee looked back out the window and her eyes suddenly opened. “You don’t think that the woman was her, do you? She gave us a strange look, but I didn’t recognize her. Could she have known me?”

A dark and rumbling voice spoke from behind the party. “I think that’s a clear possibility.” The voice was clearly male and quite unwelcoming.

Ischarus and Charis were already facing the entrance to the room and saw the figure approach. He held two short swords, and the one in his left hand reflected green when it caught the light. Ischarus lifted his sword high and pulled the shield off of his back. Charis responded by likewise shielding herself and moving to intercept the intruder.

Semeion slipped his signature spell into the approaching figure before Ischarus could converge upon him. “Thin-tok Egro.” The familiar blue pulses flashed from his right shoulder and down his outstretched arm. The blue energy launched off of his fingers and merged into two magical balls that flashed in the direction of the intruder. Each ball of energy struck the newcomer solidly, and Semeion smiled at the blow. His magic had served him well.

Ischarus reached the intruder and swung hard. The man crossed the backs of his swords together and blocked Ischarus’ attack. The man laughed as his swords blocked the attack, and once they were free of Ischarus’ own sword he spoke while thrusting at Ischarus with both blades. “Allyssa told me that you would fight. I’m glad to have the honor of killing you and watching you die slowly.”

Ischarus noticed that the green tint to the intruder’s left blade was from some kind of oil. He called out as Charis charged. “Watch the left blade! I think it’s poisoned!” As he spoke, he brought his own blade down and deflected the stab from the intruder’s left hand. His body tucked and rolled out of range for the man’s attack with his right hand. He managed to survive the combination unscathed.

Charis arrived at the scene, but the intruder had wisely positioned himself in the doorway so that she couldn’t move around him. Unable to fight him from the opposite side as Ischarus stood, Charis took up a position beside Ischarus and swung her pick. The pointed attack nearly landed, but it was deflected at the last minute by the man’s pair of blades.

Rhema had been planning to try a bit of her mind control, but she saw Charis and Ischarus both fail to land a blow. “For the sake of the poison, guys, nail him!” Her eyes focused in on the man’s pair of eyes and she pierced his soul with a mental strike. The man yelled in pain as Rhema assaulted his mind.

Semeion wanted to finish the man, but he knew that he needed to save his magic. He was the most limited in resources of the party, and he would need to depend on Charis’ and Ischarus’ ability to finish the man. He watched as the opening for one of his spells vanished when Ischarus stepped forward to attack. He also watched as the man deflected the strike into the doorjamb. Ischarus’ blade stuck fast in the wall when he tried to pull it out.

The man snarled as Ischarus lost his blade. “You know it’s not wise to lose your sword when facing an assassin!” The assassin’s left blade caught Ischarus on the arm and the green poison leaked into the cut. Ischarus cried out at the sudden pain from the poison, but managed to stay focused on the assassin’s right blade. As the assassin continued the attack, Ischarus struck out with his shield and knock the sword out of the hand of the assassin.

As the blade clanked to the ground around the assassin’s feet, Charis returned the blow that the assassin had just given to Ischarus. The end of her pick dug into the assassin’s side, nearly dropping him to one knee. As Charis yanked the point of the pick out of the wound, thick red blood flowed freely. “Surrender now and tell us about the poison, and you live.”

The assassin spat back in Charis’ direction but missed his mark. “You don’t kill, anyway.”

Rhema looked at the man and grimaced. She knew he was right, and he had obviously known enough about the party. “Feel the burn of my wrath, anyway!”

The assassin smiled. Her power refused to enter his mind. He had mustered up enough of a defense through the agony of the blows to ward off her assault. “Ask your husband whose burn is worse, mind witch.”

Ischarus reached for the hammer at his side and swung it at the assassin. However, the man blocked his blow and Ischarus noticed that his own attack had lost some power. The poison leeching through his body was sapping his strength.

The assassin returned the strike as he picked up his fallen sword. Ischarus managed to jump over the assassin’s low blow from the blade in the assassin’s left hand. When he landed, he easily spun away from the hurried attack from the assassin’s right blade.

Charis swung once more and put the assassin on his back. The point of her pick dug into the rising assassin’s leg, and the man collapsed as his leg gave out below him. His head thumped hard against the floor and he passed into unconsciousness.

Rhema ran to her husband. “Ischarus, how bad is it? Charis, can you heal him?”

Charis nodded, but also pointed to Ischarus’ face. “I think he’ll be fine. I can’t counter the effect of the poison here, but he seems healthy enough to make it back to the temple.”

Ophee had already moved to the body of the fallen assassin and was rummaging through his pockets. She pulled out a piece of paper and read the writing aloud. “The note says, ‘Araxis, there are unwanted guests in my apartment. Deal with them and meet me at the docks ten minutes after sunset.’ Of course, it is signed Allyssa.”

Ischarus looked down at Ophee as she finished reading the note. “Well, we at least know where to go next. Let’s search this place for a little bit and then go back to the temple. Don’t forget to put the note back, Ophee. There’s no reason to let Allyssa come back and know for certain that we’ve found it.”

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
Chapter Twelve: FERRETING OUT THE WIZARD’S HOUND

Brandt met up with the party the next morning. The party hadn’t learned much else in the library the prior evening, and when they explained what they had found Brandt was in agreement that they may well have been battling Ankh-Bahl. However, it was not the news of Ankh-Bahl that had the party in anticipation. They wanted Allyssa and her location.

Once the party had finished explaining their research, Ischarus asked Brandt what news he had managed to discover. “Any word of Allyssa’s location?”

Brandt slowly shook his head. “No. I tried everything of which I could possibly think. I tried different appeals to Reah, but someone is hiding her location from me. I tried several attempts to magically locate her, but without a description the magical spying sensors weren’t able to really focus on anyone in particular. Apparently there are just too many people named Allyssa around here. I even went back to Master Searthu, but he was unable to have any success.”

Semeion looked disappointed. “There has got to be some way of finding her. If only we had more information. Doesn’t the temple have a collection of spell references?”

Brandt nodded in the affirmative, but his tone was clearly against Semeion’s thought. “Magic is not always the answer, Semeion. Sometimes, work must be done the old fashioned way. Sometimes in order to find someone you just have to go out and do it.”

Ophee smiled. “You all found me, remember?”

Semeion turned to Ophee and returned her smile, but his smile quickly turned into a look of rejection. “Yes, but we found you because you really found us. Your former master was watching us and knew where we were going to look. So, he sent you there in order that we would find you.”

Charis listened to the conversation, but stared at the joint where the head of her pick had been joined with the handle. When she needed to think, she would hold the pick’s handle in her hand and rotate it over and over. She found that the rolling of the head helped her mind focus on something deeply. “Wait a minute. Maybe Ophee is still the answer.”

A look of horror flashed upon Ophee’s face. “Oh, no. I’m not Allyssa. I might have been brainwashed to try and kill you under the guise of the Whetting One, but the magic mixed with the Arum Dracunculus has been removed from my system, remember? And I have been with you all in this temple every moment from the barn until now. There is no way I’m Allyssa. I’m positive of it.”

Rhema chuckled at Ophee’s vehement argumentation. Of course, she knew that Ophee still carried around a guilty conscience for what she had been tricked into doing for her former master. Of course she would misinterpret Charis’ words. “No, Ophee. I don’t think Charis was trying to say that you were also Allyssa. You’ve played your part out already, and we know that. But you’re right. Your brainwashing has been purged.”

Charis explained her thought a bit deeper once Rhema had comforted Ophee. “Of course not, Ophee. You’re not Allyssa. But Allyssa was brought in to replace you. Think about it. The wizard paid for you to stay in Fingerdale. He’s already got an apartment here that he rents.”

Ischarus’ face brightened. “Of course! He’s already paying for the space, so he might as well use it. Do you think it is that easy? Do you think the wizard would use Allyssa to replace Ophee so predictably?” By the time he had finished speaking his face glistened like that of a child on his birthday.

Semeion nodded. “Of course he would. He’s a wizard. There are many things that can be said about wizards, but most of them are logical and pragmatic. The only people who knew where Ophee lived prior to the incident in the barn were presumed dead. Putting Allyssa in the same apartment would be a hassle free and immediate solution.”

Ophee reached down the front of her shirt and removed the end of a small necklace made of beads and mulberry hemp that was hanging around her neck. A bronze skeleton key hung from the end of the necklace. “Only one way to find out, and I’m going with you.”

The whole party smiled at Ophee’s assertiveness. She was beginning to come into her own. Brandt also smiled and wished them well. It was clear that he was needed at the temple and would not be joining the five adventurers in their excursion across town. They were off quickly, stopping only for a light breakfast as the traveled across Fingerdale.

The trip was fairly short and they soon found themselves staring up at the squatty building that had once been Ophee’s home. It wasn’t the nicest of apartment complexes, but it was only two stories instead of the normal three or four. It had been a fairly quiet home, and Ophee suddenly felt saddened at the thought of someone else living in her space.

Ophee pulled the key out from under her shirt once more. “You know, I didn’t even get a chance to clean it. All my papers, belongings, books, and everything else were laid open for that wizard’s perusal. No doubt that he took advantage, of course.” There was a hint of bile in her tone.

The door to the building opened suddenly, and a woman popped out from the inside. She gave the party a strange look, but then quickly turned and walked towards the center of town. The party watched her go and then moved inside the building.

The stairs leading to the second story floor were in obvious need of repair, but they were still functional. The ascent up the stairs went quite easily, and Ophee slipped her key into the lock and opened the door with a single jerk of the handle. As she stepped inside, a hand reached out from behind her and jerked her back into the hallway.

Ischarus pulled her back into his chest, and his sword was drawn. “Let Charis and I go first, Ophee. Allyssa may be in there, and we’ve no idea what kind of power your former master had granted to her. She’s obviously skilled, and I’d feel better if we went in first.”

Ophee nodded and moved aside to let Charis and Ischarus enter. Once they made sure that the first room was clear, Ischarus motioned for Ophee, Rhema, and Semeion to enter. Ischarus disappeared into the room to the left while Charis took the room to the right. Ophee, Semeion, and Rhema moved into the room and looked out the windows onto the street below.

Ophee spoke, and there was sadness in her voice. “She’s moved in. Nothing is the way that I left it. In fact, much of this furniture has been moved and lived in since I was last here. I don’t think that there can be any doubt that we’ve found where Allyssa lives.”

Ischarus spoke as he returned from the room to the left. “Well, that’s obviously her bedroom, and she’s not there. She’s quite a vigorous sleeper, if the way the sheets and blanket strewn about the bed are any indication.”

Charis also returned. “Nothing in the bathroom, either. Someone’s been here, and reasonably recently. There was still water in the wash basin. And it was cool, not room temperature.”

Ophee looked back out the window and her eyes suddenly opened. “You don’t think that the woman was her, do you? She gave us a strange look, but I didn’t recognize her. Could she have known me?”

A dark and rumbling voice spoke from behind the party. “I think that’s a clear possibility.” The voice was clearly male and quite unwelcoming.

Ischarus and Charis were already facing the entrance to the room and saw the figure approach. He held two short swords, and the one in his left hand reflected green when it caught the light. Ischarus lifted his sword high and pulled the shield off of his back. Charis responded by likewise shielding herself and moving to intercept the intruder.

Semeion slipped his signature spell into the approaching figure before Ischarus could converge upon him. “Thin-tok Egro.” The familiar blue pulses flashed from his right shoulder and down his outstretched arm. The blue energy launched off of his fingers and merged into two magical balls that flashed in the direction of the intruder. Each ball of energy struck the newcomer solidly, and Semeion smiled at the blow. His magic had served him well.

Ischarus reached the intruder and swung hard. The man crossed the backs of his swords together and blocked Ischarus’ attack. The man laughed as his swords blocked the attack, and once they were free of Ischarus’ own sword he spoke while thrusting at Ischarus with both blades. “Allyssa told me that you would fight. I’m glad to have the honor of killing you and watching you die slowly.”

Ischarus noticed that the green tint to the intruder’s left blade was from some kind of oil. He called out as Charis charged. “Watch the left blade! I think it’s poisoned!” As he spoke, he brought his own blade down and deflected the stab from the intruder’s left hand. His body tucked and rolled out of range for the man’s attack with his right hand. He managed to survive the combination unscathed.

Charis arrived at the scene, but the intruder had wisely positioned himself in the doorway so that she couldn’t move around him. Unable to fight him from the opposite side as Ischarus stood, Charis took up a position beside Ischarus and swung her pick. The pointed attack nearly landed, but it was deflected at the last minute by the man’s pair of blades.

Rhema had been planning to try a bit of her mind control, but she saw Charis and Ischarus both fail to land a blow. “For the sake of the poison, guys, nail him!” Her eyes focused in on the man’s pair of eyes and she pierced his soul with a mental strike. The man yelled in pain as Rhema assaulted his mind.

Semeion wanted to finish the man, but he knew that he needed to save his magic. He was the most limited in resources of the party, and he would need to depend on Charis’ and Ischarus’ ability to finish the man. He watched as the opening for one of his spells vanished when Ischarus stepped forward to attack. He also watched as the man deflected the strike into the doorjamb. Ischarus’ blade stuck fast in the wall when he tried to pull it out.

The man snarled as Ischarus lost his blade. “You know it’s not wise to lose your sword when facing an assassin!” The assassin’s left blade caught Ischarus on the arm and the green poison leaked into the cut. Ischarus cried out at the sudden pain from the poison, but managed to stay focused on the assassin’s right blade. As the assassin continued the attack, Ischarus struck out with his shield and knock the sword out of the hand of the assassin.

As the blade clanked to the ground around the assassin’s feet, Charis returned the blow that the assassin had just given to Ischarus. The end of her pick dug into the assassin’s side, nearly dropping him to one knee. As Charis yanked the point of the pick out of the wound, thick red blood flowed freely. “Surrender now and tell us about the poison, and you live.”

The assassin spat back in Charis’ direction but missed his mark. “You don’t kill, anyway.”

Rhema looked at the man and grimaced. She knew he was right, and he had obviously known enough about the party. “Feel the burn of my wrath, anyway!”

The assassin smiled. Her power refused to enter his mind. He had mustered up enough of a defense through the agony of the blows to ward off her assault. “Ask your husband whose burn is worse, mind witch.”

Ischarus reached for the hammer at his side and swung it at the assassin. However, the man blocked his blow and Ischarus noticed that his own attack had lost some power. The poison leeching through his body was sapping his strength.

The assassin returned the strike as he picked up his fallen sword. Ischarus managed to jump over the assassin’s low blow from the blade in the assassin’s left hand. When he landed, he easily spun away from the hurried attack from the assassin’s right blade.

Charis swung once more and put the assassin on his back. The point of her pick dug into the rising assassin’s leg, and the man collapsed as his leg gave out below him. His head thumped hard against the floor and he passed into unconsciousness.

Rhema ran to her husband. “Ischarus, how bad is it? Charis, can you heal him?”

Charis nodded, but also pointed to Ischarus’ face. “I think he’ll be fine. I can’t counter the effect of the poison here, but he seems healthy enough to make it back to the temple.”

Ophee had already moved to the body of the fallen assassin and was rummaging through his pockets. She pulled out a piece of paper and read the writing aloud. “The note says, ‘Araxis, there are unwanted guests in my apartment. Deal with them and meet me at the docks ten minutes after sunset.’ Of course, it is signed Allyssa.”

Ischarus looked down at Ophee as she finished reading the note. “Well, we at least know where to go next. Let’s search this place for a little bit and then go back to the temple. Don’t forget to put the note back, Ophee. There’s no reason to let Allyssa come back and know for certain that we’ve found it.”
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Rhema frowned at Ischarus’ suggestion. “Oh no you don’t! We are not hanging around here while you have a toxin running through your system. There is no telling how that green stuff might affect your body!”

Ischarus frowned. “I’m fine, really. The poison sapped my strength a little, but I’m fine. I can certainly stay here for a few more minutes to help search. Then we can all go back together.”

Rhema looked her husband straight in his eyes. “I don’t think so. It’s stupid to not go and get healing right away!”

Charis didn’t particularly enjoy getting between Ischarus and Rhema. She didn’t like the idea of choosing sides; and she liked even less the thought of becoming involved in a marital dispute. However, she knew that the quicker they moved past this issue the less time they had to stay in potential danger. So, she looked up from her position of tending to the fallen assassin and interrupted their dispute. In spite of what her heart told her, she interjected her opinion anyway. “Rhema, I guarantee that I can keep him alive for another hour. I can’t deliver him from the poison here, but I can make sure that so long as we leave within an hour that he will live. Give me that hour and then I’ll take your side.”

Ischarus saw his opening and smiled. “Besides, if I go back to the Temple of Reah now, someone will have to go with me. If Allyssa is watching and she has friends like the poor guy lying here on the floor, then we put ourselves in more jeopardy if we split up. If we search and then go together, then we’ll be more likely to all arrive intact.”

Rhema shot a nasty glance towards Ischarus. She wasn’t very appreciative of his logic; and in terms of his safety she hated being argued with. “Fine, do it your way. But if you die before we get back to the temple I’m going to have one of the temple priests bring your spirit back so I can kill you myself! I might even ask Brandt to do it!”

Semeion tried his best to not laugh at Rhema’s suggestion. A slight snort came out of his mouth and his lips curled up in amusement; but he was able to hold in the rest of his laugh. His look vanished completely when Rhema and Charis both turned to him and glared. Rhema’s look was one of anger. Charis gave Semeion a look that told him to stay out of Rhema’s way.

Rhema turned to the bedroom. “You’ve got an hour. I suggest you use it.” She spun on her heels away from Ischarus and marched into the bedroom. Her pace indicated that she was not pleased about the decision.

Semeion turned back to Ischarus and Charis. “I’ll search the bedroom with Rhema. I don’t think it is safe for either of you two to be in there with her right now. Besides, Charis should stay near you, Ischarus. That way if something does happen she’ll be here.”

Ischarus nodded and watched Semeion leave the room. “Well?”

Charis nodded with an interesting smile upon her lips. “Come here. I found something in the bathroom earlier and I’d like you to see it for yourself.”

Ophee stayed in the main room to search while Ischarus followed Charis into the small bathroom and watched her bend down to the floor. She removed a small gold ring from where it was rest behind the wash basin. “It looks like some kind of token for an organization.”

The ring had a flat face which would rest above the finger. Upon the face of the ring was a very intricate design. The picture presented a small hand reaching into a coin purse. The drawstrings were opened and hanging free from the edge of the purse. The coin purse was currently full, but the implication of the picture was that it was soon to become empty.

Ischarus accepted the ring from Charis and examined it thoroughly. “Do you know what this is? I came across this picture yesterday while I was doing the research on the succubus.”

Charis nodded in full agreement. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. It looked familiar from last night, but I wanted someone else’s opinion before I went wild with the implications. If this is true, then Allyssa could well be a follower of Yrraxea. If that’s true, then who knows what else could follow.”

Ischarus sighed heavily as he thought for a few seconds. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “How do you know it is Allyssa’s?” He nodded in the direction of the main room where Ophee was currently searching.

Charis pulled back from Ischarus and gave him a disapproving look. “Come on, Ischarus. You can’t be serious. After all she’s been through? No way is she a follower of Yrraxea. It’s Allyssa’s ring.” Her voice lowered to make sure she wouldn’t be overheard easily.

Ischarus nodded in agreement. “I’m just saying, that’s all. We don’t know for certain. I think it’s kind of odd that Allyssa would leave a holy symbol lying behind a washbasin. This looks more forgotten than left behind. People who take their religion seriously aren’t usually forgetful about their holy stuff. This is especially true about holy stuff that is banned in the civilized lands.”

Charis grinned. “Unholy, Ischarus. Yrraxea is evil enough to qualify for being unholy.” She took the ring back and slipped it into a pocket before nodding that they should return to the main room.

In the bedroom, Semeion and Rhema were also making progress in their search. Once they had collected the bed sheets that had been strewn everywhere and then piled them on top of the mattress, they began to find items of interest. When Semeion crouched to the ground to look under the mattress he discovered something shiny and pulled it out.

The object that came out was an interesting looking dagger. The steel blade was bent nearly forty five degrees about eight inches after coming away from the handle. The actual edge of the blade was on the inward side of the blade, indicating that the blade would most likely be used in a slicing motion by a hand moving backwards or in an arc around the body. The outer edge of the blade was wide and flat, and Semeion could see that there were several marks along the edge where the blade had been used to block an attack. “It looks like some kind of dagger. And on each side of the flat of the blade there is an unusual marking.”

Rhema turned towards Semeion and held out a hand in order to ask for the blade. She examined the strange dagger and the delicate carving inscribed twice on the blade. “Ischarus pointed this symbol out to me last night in the library. It is a symbol used by the followers of Yrraxea. It is a hand reaching into the coin purse of another.”

Semeion nodded. “Well, Yrraxea does seem like the greedy type. If it was indeed Ankh-Bahl that we fought, she certainly wasn’t concerned with who she used and destroyed.”

Rhema corrected Semeion. “Not just greed, Semeion, avarice. Someone who is greedy is nothing more than a simple horde collector. The typical evil dragon is greedy, but not all of the evil dragons display true avarice. Avarice takes greed a step further. Avarice is greed without care of whom or what is lost in the process. Anyone can be greedy. Yrraxea takes greed to another level and delights in combining greed with power.”

As she spoke to him, Semeion took another look around the room. “You know, Allyssa left in a hurry. The bedclothes don’t tell me that; they could just indicate that she was messy in her housekeeping. But look over there.” His hand extended to a small pile of papers. Underneath the papers was a delicate golden colored drawstring leading from a cloth bag. “That looks like a coin purse. The more we talk about Yrraxea, the less likely I think someone who follows Yrraxea would leave a coin purse out in the open like that.”

Rhema moved so that she could remove the papers from the coin purse. Semeion cautioned her as she worked. “Careful, it could be trapped.”

Rhema frowned in Semeion’s direction. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. But I don’t see any traps. I think that you’re right. I think she saw us coming and panicked. She wanted to get out quickly and couldn’t afford to take her valuables with her. I could see the ceremonial dagger being left behind, but the coin purse? That isn’t something becoming of an Yrraxean.”

Semeion nodded. “Yeah, but this dagger has seen action. I don’t think it’s as ceremonial as you think. I think it was left because she couldn’t find it in her rush to leave the apartment.”

Rhema had moved the papers and opened the drawstring of the bag. Nothing happened as she did so, and she reached in to remove some of the contents. She pulled out several gemstones. “No coins, but there is plenty of obsidian in here.” Her left hand held enough obsidian to provide food for several families for half of a year. “She’s obviously not short on money.”

Semeion nodded as he spied the obsidian. “Nor influence, I’d imagine. Are you planning on taking it?”

Rhema knew better than to think Semeion was trying to give her a moral dilemma. “Stealing is stealing, Semeion. But since she did send an assassin after my husband, the least I can do is exact payment for his healing at the temple.”

Semeion reached out and lifted the end of the bag off of Rhema’s hands once she had removed enough money to pay for Ischarus’ healing. “You know, I’d hate for someone else to follow us in here and take this money from her. I think I’ll take possession on her behalf. When we find her tonight, I’ll give it back. Or in the more likely case that we find her and take her to jail, I’ll turn this over to the temple for the benefit of the poor here in Fingerdale.”

Rhema lifted an eyebrow at his words. “Stealing, Semeion?” Her lip curled mischievously. If Semeion wasn’t planning on bringing the moral question into play, then she would do so.

Semeion nodded. “Technically, I agree. This would be stealing. And the fact that she’s an Yrraxean doesn’t make it alright. But this kind of money could sustain her for a while if she slips through our fingers tonight. You can’t tell me that there isn’t wisdom in removing resources, even if it is technically wrong.”

Rhema smiled. There was wisdom in his words, just not pure holiness. “You know what they say about a certain road and good intentions.”

Semeion held up his hands as though he were going to be arrested. The coin purse dangled in midair below his right hand as his fingers held onto the drawstring. “Guilty as charged. But I admit it. Maybe I’ll just do confession and penance with Brandt later so he can atone me for my error.” His voice was teasing just enough that Rhema thought he might seriously be considering it.

Rhema nodded. “I’ll hold you to that. No we’ve got what we need. We can connect Allyssa to an Yrraxean cult and pay for undoing the damage that Allyssa’s assassin did to us. Let’s get out of here.”

In the main room, Ischarus was looking over some documents that Ophee had found in a locked drawer. Ophee had easily managed to pick the lock without destroying it. She had stuffed a few documents into her pockets, and Ischarus was trying to help her decide if there were any other pieces of parchment they needed to take.

Ischarus looked up to Semeion as he carried the coin purse and strange dagger out of the room. “That is a nice kukri, Semeion. Where’d you find that?”

Semeion smirked. “Hidden under the bed. But what’s important about it is that it is Yrraxean. We can tie Allyssa to Yrraxea.”

Charis held up the gold ring. “So can we. And Ophee managed to find some documents with her name on them. They mention the wizard, but they also talk about some other people. We’re reading what we can and leaving the majority behind. That way she hopefully won’t notice the few missing pieces if she returns here.”

Semeion watched as Ophee scanned the last page. “Good. Let’s go, then. We’ve got what we need, and we are going to need a plan for tonight.”

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
Rhema frowned at Ischarus’ suggestion. “Oh no you don’t! We are not hanging around here while you have a toxin running through your system. There is no telling how that green stuff might affect your body!”

Ischarus frowned. “I’m fine, really. The poison sapped my strength a little, but I’m fine. I can certainly stay here for a few more minutes to help search. Then we can all go back together.”

Rhema looked her husband straight in his eyes. “I don’t think so. It’s stupid to not go and get healing right away!”

Charis didn’t particularly enjoy getting between Ischarus and Rhema. She didn’t like the idea of choosing sides; and she liked even less the thought of becoming involved in a marital dispute. However, she knew that the quicker they moved past this issue the less time they had to stay in potential danger. So, she looked up from her position of tending to the fallen assassin and interrupted their dispute. In spite of what her heart told her, she interjected her opinion anyway. “Rhema, I guarantee that I can keep him alive for another hour. I can’t deliver him from the poison here, but I can make sure that so long as we leave within an hour that he will live. Give me that hour and then I’ll take your side.”

Ischarus saw his opening and smiled. “Besides, if I go back to the Temple of Reah now, someone will have to go with me. If Allyssa is watching and she has friends like the poor guy lying here on the floor, then we put ourselves in more jeopardy if we split up. If we search and then go together, then we’ll be more likely to all arrive intact.”

Rhema shot a nasty glance towards Ischarus. She wasn’t very appreciative of his logic; and in terms of his safety she hated being argued with. “Fine, do it your way. But if you die before we get back to the temple I’m going to have one of the temple priests bring your spirit back so I can kill you myself! I might even ask Brandt to do it!”

Semeion tried his best to not laugh at Rhema’s suggestion. A slight snort came out of his mouth and his lips curled up in amusement; but he was able to hold in the rest of his laugh. His look vanished completely when Rhema and Charis both turned to him and glared. Rhema’s look was one of anger. Charis gave Semeion a look that told him to stay out of Rhema’s way.

Rhema turned to the bedroom. “You’ve got an hour. I suggest you use it.” She spun on her heels away from Ischarus and marched into the bedroom. Her pace indicated that she was not pleased about the decision.

Semeion turned back to Ischarus and Charis. “I’ll search the bedroom with Rhema. I don’t think it is safe for either of you two to be in there with her right now. Besides, Charis should stay near you, Ischarus. That way if something does happen she’ll be here.”

Ischarus nodded and watched Semeion leave the room. “Well?”

Charis nodded with an interesting smile upon her lips. “Come here. I found something in the bathroom earlier and I’d like you to see it for yourself.”

Ophee stayed in the main room to search while Ischarus followed Charis into the small bathroom and watched her bend down to the floor. She removed a small gold ring from where it was rest behind the wash basin. “It looks like some kind of token for an organization.”

The ring had a flat face which would rest above the finger. Upon the face of the ring was a very intricate design. The picture presented a small hand reaching into a coin purse. The drawstrings were opened and hanging free from the edge of the purse. The coin purse was currently full, but the implication of the picture was that it was soon to become empty.

Ischarus accepted the ring from Charis and examined it thoroughly. “Do you know what this is? I came across this picture yesterday while I was doing the research on the succubus.”

Charis nodded in full agreement. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. It looked familiar from last night, but I wanted someone else’s opinion before I went wild with the implications. If this is true, then Allyssa could well be a follower of Yrraxea. If that’s true, then who knows what else could follow.”

Ischarus sighed heavily as he thought for a few seconds. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “How do you know it is Allyssa’s?” He nodded in the direction of the main room where Ophee was currently searching.

Charis pulled back from Ischarus and gave him a disapproving look. “Come on, Ischarus. You can’t be serious. After all she’s been through? No way is she a follower of Yrraxea. It’s Allyssa’s ring.” Her voice lowered to make sure she wouldn’t be overheard easily.

Ischarus nodded in agreement. “I’m just saying, that’s all. We don’t know for certain. I think it’s kind of odd that Allyssa would leave a holy symbol lying behind a washbasin. This looks more forgotten than left behind. People who take their religion seriously aren’t usually forgetful about their holy stuff. This is especially true about holy stuff that is banned in the civilized lands.”

Charis grinned. “Unholy, Ischarus. Yrraxea is evil enough to qualify for being unholy.” She took the ring back and slipped it into a pocket before nodding that they should return to the main room.

In the bedroom, Semeion and Rhema were also making progress in their search. Once they had collected the bed sheets that had been strewn everywhere and then piled them on top of the mattress, they began to find items of interest. When Semeion crouched to the ground to look under the mattress he discovered something shiny and pulled it out.

The object that came out was an interesting looking dagger. The steel blade was bent nearly forty five degrees about eight inches after coming away from the handle. The actual edge of the blade was on the inward side of the blade, indicating that the blade would most likely be used in a slicing motion by a hand moving backwards or in an arc around the body. The outer edge of the blade was wide and flat, and Semeion could see that there were several marks along the edge where the blade had been used to block an attack. “It looks like some kind of dagger. And on each side of the flat of the blade there is an unusual marking.”

Rhema turned towards Semeion and held out a hand in order to ask for the blade. She examined the strange dagger and the delicate carving inscribed twice on the blade. “Ischarus pointed this symbol out to me last night in the library. It is a symbol used by the followers of Yrraxea. It is a hand reaching into the coin purse of another.”

Semeion nodded. “Well, Yrraxea does seem like the greedy type. If it was indeed Ankh-Bahl that we fought, she certainly wasn’t concerned with who she used and destroyed.”

Rhema corrected Semeion. “Not just greed, Semeion, avarice. Someone who is greedy is nothing more than a simple horde collector. The typical evil dragon is greedy, but not all of the evil dragons display true avarice. Avarice takes greed a step further. Avarice is greed without care of whom or what is lost in the process. Anyone can be greedy. Yrraxea takes greed to another level and delights in combining greed with power.”

As she spoke to him, Semeion took another look around the room. “You know, Allyssa left in a hurry. The bedclothes don’t tell me that; they could just indicate that she was messy in her housekeeping. But look over there.” His hand extended to a small pile of papers. Underneath the papers was a delicate golden colored drawstring leading from a cloth bag. “That looks like a coin purse. The more we talk about Yrraxea, the less likely I think someone who follows Yrraxea would leave a coin purse out in the open like that.”

Rhema moved so that she could remove the papers from the coin purse. Semeion cautioned her as she worked. “Careful, it could be trapped.”

Rhema frowned in Semeion’s direction. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. But I don’t see any traps. I think that you’re right. I think she saw us coming and panicked. She wanted to get out quickly and couldn’t afford to take her valuables with her. I could see the ceremonial dagger being left behind, but the coin purse? That isn’t something becoming of an Yrraxean.”

Semeion nodded. “Yeah, but this dagger has seen action. I don’t think it’s as ceremonial as you think. I think it was left because she couldn’t find it in her rush to leave the apartment.”

Rhema had moved the papers and opened the drawstring of the bag. Nothing happened as she did so, and she reached in to remove some of the contents. She pulled out several gemstones. “No coins, but there is plenty of obsidian in here.” Her left hand held enough obsidian to provide food for several families for half of a year. “She’s obviously not short on money.”

Semeion nodded as he spied the obsidian. “Nor influence, I’d imagine. Are you planning on taking it?”

Rhema knew better than to think Semeion was trying to give her a moral dilemma. “Stealing is stealing, Semeion. But since she did send an assassin after my husband, the least I can do is exact payment for his healing at the temple.”

Semeion reached out and lifted the end of the bag off of Rhema’s hands once she had removed enough money to pay for Ischarus’ healing. “You know, I’d hate for someone else to follow us in here and take this money from her. I think I’ll take possession on her behalf. When we find her tonight, I’ll give it back. Or in the more likely case that we find her and take her to jail, I’ll turn this over to the temple for the benefit of the poor here in Fingerdale.”

Rhema lifted an eyebrow at his words. “Stealing, Semeion?” Her lip curled mischievously. If Semeion wasn’t planning on bringing the moral question into play, then she would do so.

Semeion nodded. “Technically, I agree. This would be stealing. And the fact that she’s an Yrraxean doesn’t make it alright. But this kind of money could sustain her for a while if she slips through our fingers tonight. You can’t tell me that there isn’t wisdom in removing resources, even if it is technically wrong.”

Rhema smiled. There was wisdom in his words, just not pure holiness. “You know what they say about a certain road and good intentions.”

Semeion held up his hands as though he were going to be arrested. The coin purse dangled in midair below his right hand as his fingers held onto the drawstring. “Guilty as charged. But I admit it. Maybe I’ll just do confession and penance with Brandt later so he can atone me for my error.” His voice was teasing just enough that Rhema thought he might seriously be considering it.

Rhema nodded. “I’ll hold you to that. No we’ve got what we need. We can connect Allyssa to an Yrraxean cult and pay for undoing the damage that Allyssa’s assassin did to us. Let’s get out of here.”

In the main room, Ischarus was looking over some documents that Ophee had found in a locked drawer. Ophee had easily managed to pick the lock without destroying it. She had stuffed a few documents into her pockets, and Ischarus was trying to help her decide if there were any other pieces of parchment they needed to take.

Ischarus looked up to Semeion as he carried the coin purse and strange dagger out of the room. “That is a nice kukri, Semeion. Where’d you find that?”

Semeion smirked. “Hidden under the bed. But what’s important about it is that it is Yrraxean. We can tie Allyssa to Yrraxea.”

Charis held up the gold ring. “So can we. And Ophee managed to find some documents with her name on them. They mention the wizard, but they also talk about some other people. We’re reading what we can and leaving the majority behind. That way she hopefully won’t notice the few missing pieces if she returns here.”

Semeion watched as Ophee scanned the last page. “Good. Let’s go, then. We’ve got what we need, and we are going to need a plan for tonight.”
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

The party had little trouble finding and paying for healing services at the Temple of Reah. They paid the healer well for his services and offered a substantial tip from the coin purse that Semeion removed from Allyssa’s apartment. The money was given as a donation to the poor and needy. They had also brought Allyssa’s hired assassin to the temple for observation and interrogation and use some of the funds to cover those expenses as well.

Unfortunately, Brandt was unreachable, and they were unable to share their findings regarding the tie to Yrraxea with their mentor. They hung around the temple of Reah for most of the day just in case Brandt returned. While they were able to use the time to plan for the upcoming visit to the docks, Brandt did not surprise them in returning unexpectedly. An hour before sunset, the five adventurers left the temple and headed to the northern edge of the city. There they hope to be able to spot Allyssa and follow her to the appropriate section of the docks.

The trip across town was uneventful, and they managed to set up an observation post a half hour before Allyssa was supposed to meet her assassin. They had used an alleyway to sneak onto a rooftop that overlooked the various entrances to the dock. They waited in silence until Ophee spotted several forms drawing closer to the docks.

Ophee spoke in a hushed tone. “That’s Allyssa for sure. It looks like she’s with four others.”

Ophee pointed over the edge of the flat rooftop at a group of five people heading towards the dock. Each of the five wore a black traveling cloak, and only Allyssa had pulled her hood down along her back. The other four walked with their hoods up in a traditional clerical fashion.

The black robes flowed from shoulder to only an inch and a half off of the ground. They completely concealed clothing as well as any worn arms and armor. Since the party was on the rooftop well above Allyssa and her associates, they could not even see any feet beneath the robes. The impression given by the flow of the cloaks was that the five people heading to the dock were floating on air.

Ischarus squinted as they drew closer to the roof. He caught sight of a common silver medallion worn around each of the necks of the five in black cloaks. “Yrraxeans.” His voice spoke in disgust, and it was likely a combination of the identification of the medallion and the fact that he had to keep his voice hushed. “If I am seeing the engraving and the painting correctly, I see a hand and a coin purse.”

Charis nodded along with Ischarus’ words. “And they’re wearing the medallions so openly, too. They don’t seem to be afraid of discovery.”

Rhema countered Charis’ suggestion. “Perhaps, but would you have known what the symbol for Yrraxea looked like before yesterday? If I would’ve seen those medallions few days ago I would have thought it to be a sign of a merchant’s guild.”

Charis agreed with Rhema’s counter to her own thought. “Or some kind of rogues’ or thieves’ guild.”

Allyssa and her four companions took no notice of the party as the walked below them. They headed straight onto the nearest dock and walked past several moored boats before turning right and boarding a large vessel. They had a few brief words with the dock guard who had been paid to restrict access to the moored boat. There was no hesitation or caution in their movement. They didn’t seem to care who might be following them.

Semeion spoke for the first time since seeing the five followers of Yrraxea. “They didn’t wait at the docks for the assassin. My guess is they know that he failed. That means they may know that we are still alive and pursuing them”

Ischarus noted Semeion’s comment and put the group into motion. “Good observation. We’ll need to approach with caution, then. Let’s go.”

They slipped off the roof and into the alley that had given them access to the roof. In a matter of minutes they casually entered the main road and began walking towards the docks. Ischarus was beginning to take the lead and plan his speech to the dock guard when he was surprised by a ring of metal and a voice from behind.

The voice was clearly feminine. “Allyssa is expecting you. Good thing you aren’t expecting us!”

Semeion took two quick blows to his back before he could turn around and face the voice. Rhema had also taken a strike from a blade. Rhema removed her sword and spun around. Semeion was not so lucky. The combination of attacks was enough to catch him off guard and he merely fell to the ground in pain, motionless.

As the party turned at the sound of the voice, they discovered that they had been followed. They saw three figures dressed in black assassin’s robes. The female was in the center and she was flanked by two slightly larger men. Fortunately, Ischarus made a quick check of the blades and could see no indication of poison use.

The party hadn’t considered that Allyssa would have gone to such measures, but it didn’t surprise any of them too much. They were dealing with an organization that seemed to excel at staying hidden and covering their tracks. They were skilled at working with assassins, too.

Charis cried out as Semeion fell to the ground, but there was little she could do at the moment. Before she could draw her own weapon, the three assassins were swarming past Semeion and towards Ischarus and Charis. The first two assassins missed, but the third assassin landed another blow against Rhema. She looked to be in a significant amount of pain after the strike.

Ischarus turned his blade over in his hand and faked a strike. Instead of swinging with his blade, he reached out with his hand and nearly touched the woman leader. His goal wasn’t to make contact. He simply needed to gesture in her direction. “Zysh Egro Umaam.” The woman was bathed in a dark silhouette and a sudden look of panic spread across her face. Ischarus prepared his blade for when she would run.

Rhema knew that she didn’t have much time left before she would be overcome and lying helplessly on the ground beside Semeion. She wasn’t sure how tough her adversaries were, but she knew that she had been hit hard twice in a row. She mustered her mental powers and launched the most vicious mental strike that she had ever unloaded against another being. The man’s face grew immediately red as if his mind and body were suddenly under a great amount of stress. His heart rate increased so rapidly on account of the duress that the man fell of unconscious before he could even crouch down to the ground or grab his head in agony.

Charis knew that she had one of the assassins looking to do the same thing to her as he had done to Semeion. She twisted the handle of her pick once in her hand and then snapped her wrist forward. The pick sprung forward and bit into the assassin’s flesh, drawing a fair amount of red blood from the meaty part of his thigh. The assassin received the blow well and returned the solid blow with one of his own. Charis winced under the pain, but managed to shrug off the cut and blood with clenched teeth.

Ophee took a swing at the woman assassin, but her blade missed its mark. She positioned herself defensively so that if the woman would strike out again she would be prepared. She didn’t realize that Ischarus had made her afraid of him through magic.

The woman assassin fled, much like Ischarus thought that she would. His spell had convinced her to lower her defenses and move as quickly as she could. Ischarus swiped at her retreating back as she moved by, but the edge of his blade didn’t catch anything except the air as she moved away. He turned and focused on the assassin who was looking to harm Charis. He used the momentum of the turn to drive his blade home. His blade dug into the back of the assassin’s right shoulder. As he pulled his blade free, the man slumped to the ground.

Ischarus turned and made eye contact with his wife. “Rhema, stop her if you can. Don’t get too close, but use any trick you can to attack her while she’s running away!”

Rhema focused on the retreating leader and unleashed another mental strike. This blow was not as menacing as the one she had thrown up in defense a moment ago. The assassin shrieked in pain as she ran away, but Rhema’s attack was not enough to bring her to the ground. As the woman shrieked, Rhema turned to Charis. “We’ll take care of her. You check on Semeion and get him on his feet! We’ll be back for the others.”

Ischarus stowed his blade and drew his bow as he ran after the fleeing woman. He knocked an arrow and drew the string back. He stopped only for a moment to aim and fire. His arrow missed high and long, barely threatening the retreating woman.

Rhema knew that the woman was very quickly going to be out of range for both her mental strikes and Ischarus’ arrows. She charged after the woman, hoping to at least keep pace with her until Ischarus’ spell wore off. As Rhema ran, Ischarus was forced to forego firing again and run with Rhema in order to protect her in case the spell wore off.

As Charis watched her two friends charge after the female assassin, Charis suddenly became suspicious of the area around her. She rushed to Semeion’s side and checked on his wounds. She could tell that he had been hit hard, but he was in little danger of dying. She took a quick look around to make sure that there weren’t any assassins waiting for the party to split up before attacking.

Once she was sure that she was safe for the moment, Charis dropped her pick beside her husband and removed her left glove. She knew that the magic would have worked through the leather, but she need to feel his skin after watching him fall limp to the ground. “Bondras-tol Shintar.” She stroked his hair for a few seconds until he opened his eyes and let out a light groan. Charis smiled, knowing that he would be stiff from his injuries.

While Charis had been healing her husband, Ischarus’ spell had managed to wear off. The female assassin turned around and examined the battlefield. She could see that her associates were down, but she had managed to split the party up. If she could attack Rhema and Ischarus before Charis could come to their help, there was a chance for victory still. She pivoted and charged towards Rhema and Ischarus.

Ischarus did a good job protecting Rhema and getting in the way of the charging assassin. The assassin took advantage of Ischarus’ obvious defensive positioning and made a delicate strike. Her blade caught Ischarus in the side and opened up a long gash. Several streams of blood trickled from the nine inch wound, although the blade hadn’t penetrated nearly far enough to put Ischarus in too much danger.

Ischarus returned the blow with one of his own. His blade caught the assassin across her arm and dug into the skin. The woman’s dark clothing darkened even more and clung to her skin as the cloth absorbed the flowing blood. He smiled as he realized that if they continued to simply exchange blows he would be victorious.

Rhema thought for a moment about charming the woman and trying to interrogate her in case she had any useful information regarding the meeting that was happening on the boat. However, she assumed that her mental control would have a difficult time overcoming the effects of the current battle. She opted for another mental strike and in response to the assault the woman howled in pain. The assassin dropped to one knee and hung her head for a moment.

Ischarus paused for a moment, thinking that the woman was going to surrender or fall unconscious from the mental anguish. The assassin took advantage of his hesitation and drove upwards in a desperation strike. The blade of her short sword caught Ischarus in the arm and drew blood again. The wound was far from fatal.

Ischarus twisted his blade in his hands and brought it down upon the woman. He caught her cleanly and she sprawled backwards onto the ground. Her head thumped against the stone road and she passed into unconsciousness. Ischarus stooped to her side to ensure that she was breathing before looking around for Charis.

By this time, Charis had managed to get Semeion to his feet with Ophee’s help. They were already making slow progress on their way to meet Ischarus and Rhema. When Charis saw Ischarus crouch beside the assassin and look up, she called to Rhema. “Rhema, come help Ophee bring Semeion along. He’s a little stiff from his wounds. I’ll come and make sure the assassin isn’t going to die.”

Rhema turned and sprinted to Semeion while Charis ran to Ischarus’ side. In a matter of minutes the party had managed to secure the assassins in such a way that they weren’t in danger of dying, yet they weren’t able to escape. There hadn’t been any other sign around the docks of more henchmen working for Allyssa. It seemed like getting onto the boat was soon to be the next order of business.

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
The party had little trouble finding and paying for healing services at the Temple of Reah. They paid the healer well for his services and offered a substantial tip from the coin purse that Semeion removed from Allyssa’s apartment. The money was given as a donation to the poor and needy. They had also brought Allyssa’s hired assassin to the temple for observation and interrogation and use some of the funds to cover those expenses as well.

Unfortunately, Brandt was unreachable, and they were unable to share their findings regarding the tie to Yrraxea with their mentor. They hung around the temple of Reah for most of the day just in case Brandt returned. While they were able to use the time to plan for the upcoming visit to the docks, Brandt did not surprise them in returning unexpectedly. An hour before sunset, the five adventurers left the temple and headed to the northern edge of the city. There they hope to be able to spot Allyssa and follow her to the appropriate section of the docks.

The trip across town was uneventful, and they managed to set up an observation post a half hour before Allyssa was supposed to meet her assassin. They had used an alleyway to sneak onto a rooftop that overlooked the various entrances to the dock. They waited in silence until Ophee spotted several forms drawing closer to the docks.

Ophee spoke in a hushed tone. “That’s Allyssa for sure. It looks like she’s with four others.”

Ophee pointed over the edge of the flat rooftop at a group of five people heading towards the dock. Each of the five wore a black traveling cloak, and only Allyssa had pulled her hood down along her back. The other four walked with their hoods up in a traditional clerical fashion.

The black robes flowed from shoulder to only an inch and a half off of the ground. They completely concealed clothing as well as any worn arms and armor. Since the party was on the rooftop well above Allyssa and her associates, they could not even see any feet beneath the robes. The impression given by the flow of the cloaks was that the five people heading to the dock were floating on air.

Ischarus squinted as they drew closer to the roof. He caught sight of a common silver medallion worn around each of the necks of the five in black cloaks. “Yrraxeans.” His voice spoke in disgust, and it was likely a combination of the identification of the medallion and the fact that he had to keep his voice hushed. “If I am seeing the engraving and the painting correctly, I see a hand and a coin purse.”

Charis nodded along with Ischarus’ words. “And they’re wearing the medallions so openly, too. They don’t seem to be afraid of discovery.”

Rhema countered Charis’ suggestion. “Perhaps, but would you have known what the symbol for Yrraxea looked like before yesterday? If I would’ve seen those medallions few days ago I would have thought it to be a sign of a merchant’s guild.”

Charis agreed with Rhema’s counter to her own thought. “Or some kind of rogues’ or thieves’ guild.”

Allyssa and her four companions took no notice of the party as the walked below them. They headed straight onto the nearest dock and walked past several moored boats before turning right and boarding a large vessel. They had a few brief words with the dock guard who had been paid to restrict access to the moored boat. There was no hesitation or caution in their movement. They didn’t seem to care who might be following them.

Semeion spoke for the first time since seeing the five followers of Yrraxea. “They didn’t wait at the docks for the assassin. My guess is they know that he failed. That means they may know that we are still alive and pursuing them”

Ischarus noted Semeion’s comment and put the group into motion. “Good observation. We’ll need to approach with caution, then. Let’s go.”

They slipped off the roof and into the alley that had given them access to the roof. In a matter of minutes they casually entered the main road and began walking towards the docks. Ischarus was beginning to take the lead and plan his speech to the dock guard when he was surprised by a ring of metal and a voice from behind.

The voice was clearly feminine. “Allyssa is expecting you. Good thing you aren’t expecting us!”

Semeion took two quick blows to his back before he could turn around and face the voice. Rhema had also taken a strike from a blade. Rhema removed her sword and spun around. Semeion was not so lucky. The combination of attacks was enough to catch him off guard and he merely fell to the ground in pain, motionless.

As the party turned at the sound of the voice, they discovered that they had been followed. They saw three figures dressed in black assassin’s robes. The female was in the center and she was flanked by two slightly larger men. Fortunately, Ischarus made a quick check of the blades and could see no indication of poison use.

The party hadn’t considered that Allyssa would have gone to such measures, but it didn’t surprise any of them too much. They were dealing with an organization that seemed to excel at staying hidden and covering their tracks. They were skilled at working with assassins, too.

Charis cried out as Semeion fell to the ground, but there was little she could do at the moment. Before she could draw her own weapon, the three assassins were swarming past Semeion and towards Ischarus and Charis. The first two assassins missed, but the third assassin landed another blow against Rhema. She looked to be in a significant amount of pain after the strike.

Ischarus turned his blade over in his hand and faked a strike. Instead of swinging with his blade, he reached out with his hand and nearly touched the woman leader. His goal wasn’t to make contact. He simply needed to gesture in her direction. “Zysh Egro Umaam.” The woman was bathed in a dark silhouette and a sudden look of panic spread across her face. Ischarus prepared his blade for when she would run.

Rhema knew that she didn’t have much time left before she would be overcome and lying helplessly on the ground beside Semeion. She wasn’t sure how tough her adversaries were, but she knew that she had been hit hard twice in a row. She mustered her mental powers and launched the most vicious mental strike that she had ever unloaded against another being. The man’s face grew immediately red as if his mind and body were suddenly under a great amount of stress. His heart rate increased so rapidly on account of the duress that the man fell of unconscious before he could even crouch down to the ground or grab his head in agony.

Charis knew that she had one of the assassins looking to do the same thing to her as he had done to Semeion. She twisted the handle of her pick once in her hand and then snapped her wrist forward. The pick sprung forward and bit into the assassin’s flesh, drawing a fair amount of red blood from the meaty part of his thigh. The assassin received the blow well and returned the solid blow with one of his own. Charis winced under the pain, but managed to shrug off the cut and blood with clenched teeth.

Ophee took a swing at the woman assassin, but her blade missed its mark. She positioned herself defensively so that if the woman would strike out again she would be prepared. She didn’t realize that Ischarus had made her afraid of him through magic.

The woman assassin fled, much like Ischarus thought that she would. His spell had convinced her to lower her defenses and move as quickly as she could. Ischarus swiped at her retreating back as she moved by, but the edge of his blade didn’t catch anything except the air as she moved away. He turned and focused on the assassin who was looking to harm Charis. He used the momentum of the turn to drive his blade home. His blade dug into the back of the assassin’s right shoulder. As he pulled his blade free, the man slumped to the ground.

Ischarus turned and made eye contact with his wife. “Rhema, stop her if you can. Don’t get too close, but use any trick you can to attack her while she’s running away!”

Rhema focused on the retreating leader and unleashed another mental strike. This blow was not as menacing as the one she had thrown up in defense a moment ago. The assassin shrieked in pain as she ran away, but Rhema’s attack was not enough to bring her to the ground. As the woman shrieked, Rhema turned to Charis. “We’ll take care of her. You check on Semeion and get him on his feet! We’ll be back for the others.”

Ischarus stowed his blade and drew his bow as he ran after the fleeing woman. He knocked an arrow and drew the string back. He stopped only for a moment to aim and fire. His arrow missed high and long, barely threatening the retreating woman.

Rhema knew that the woman was very quickly going to be out of range for both her mental strikes and Ischarus’ arrows. She charged after the woman, hoping to at least keep pace with her until Ischarus’ spell wore off. As Rhema ran, Ischarus was forced to forego firing again and run with Rhema in order to protect her in case the spell wore off.

As Charis watched her two friends charge after the female assassin, Charis suddenly became suspicious of the area around her. She rushed to Semeion’s side and checked on his wounds. She could tell that he had been hit hard, but he was in little danger of dying. She took a quick look around to make sure that there weren’t any assassins waiting for the party to split up before attacking.

Once she was sure that she was safe for the moment, Charis dropped her pick beside her husband and removed her left glove. She knew that the magic would have worked through the leather, but she need to feel his skin after watching him fall limp to the ground. “Bondras-tol Shintar.” She stroked his hair for a few seconds until he opened his eyes and let out a light groan. Charis smiled, knowing that he would be stiff from his injuries.

While Charis had been healing her husband, Ischarus’ spell had managed to wear off. The female assassin turned around and examined the battlefield. She could see that her associates were down, but she had managed to split the party up. If she could attack Rhema and Ischarus before Charis could come to their help, there was a chance for victory still. She pivoted and charged towards Rhema and Ischarus.

Ischarus did a good job protecting Rhema and getting in the way of the charging assassin. The assassin took advantage of Ischarus’ obvious defensive positioning and made a delicate strike. Her blade caught Ischarus in the side and opened up a long gash. Several streams of blood trickled from the nine inch wound, although the blade hadn’t penetrated nearly far enough to put Ischarus in too much danger.

Ischarus returned the blow with one of his own. His blade caught the assassin across her arm and dug into the skin. The woman’s dark clothing darkened even more and clung to her skin as the cloth absorbed the flowing blood. He smiled as he realized that if they continued to simply exchange blows he would be victorious.

Rhema thought for a moment about charming the woman and trying to interrogate her in case she had any useful information regarding the meeting that was happening on the boat. However, she assumed that her mental control would have a difficult time overcoming the effects of the current battle. She opted for another mental strike and in response to the assault the woman howled in pain. The assassin dropped to one knee and hung her head for a moment.

Ischarus paused for a moment, thinking that the woman was going to surrender or fall unconscious from the mental anguish. The assassin took advantage of his hesitation and drove upwards in a desperation strike. The blade of her short sword caught Ischarus in the arm and drew blood again. The wound was far from fatal.

Ischarus twisted his blade in his hands and brought it down upon the woman. He caught her cleanly and she sprawled backwards onto the ground. Her head thumped against the stone road and she passed into unconsciousness. Ischarus stooped to her side to ensure that she was breathing before looking around for Charis.

By this time, Charis had managed to get Semeion to his feet with Ophee’s help. They were already making slow progress on their way to meet Ischarus and Rhema. When Charis saw Ischarus crouch beside the assassin and look up, she called to Rhema. “Rhema, come help Ophee bring Semeion along. He’s a little stiff from his wounds. I’ll come and make sure the assassin isn’t going to die.”

Rhema turned and sprinted to Semeion while Charis ran to Ischarus’ side. In a matter of minutes the party had managed to secure the assassins in such a way that they weren’t in danger of dying, yet they weren’t able to escape. There hadn’t been any other sign around the docks of more henchmen working for Allyssa. It seemed like getting onto the boat was soon to be the next order of business.
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Ischarus turned back to his associates and brandished his sword once more. “Alright, now it’s time to go and deal with that dock guard. When we get through him, we’ve got Allyssa trapped on that boat.”

Ophee reached out and placed a gentle hand on Ischarus’ forearm. “Are you sure you want to do that? I’m willing to bet that if we approach the boat by way of the dock that he’ll be suspicious and raise the alarm. After all, he had to have seen some of the armed conflict we just finished.”

Semeion nodded. “She’s right, Ischarus. He had to see something. I’m sure that the only reason he didn’t come and investigate is because either Allyssa or her associates is paying him plenty to stand guard. But if we come near him, he’ll no doubt sound an alarm.”

Ischarus sheathed his sword and turned back to look at the dock guard. His back was turned to the party as he spoke softly. “Then how do we get to Allyssa? For all we know, she could be in there with the other followers of Yrraxea fulfilling their plan.”

Charis walked up and stood beside Ischarus. “I agree. We’ve faced worse odds before. I mean, you all went after my dragon father when you guys were clearly outclassed. And you had to keep me from betraying you on top of it. Surely these odds aren’t as steep as that situation.”

Rhema looked to Semeion and shook her head. It was clear who the thinkers were in the group. It was also clear who the ones driven to action were as well. “Did you see the four people that Allyssa was walking with? They were priests of Yrraxea, no doubt. I don’t know how powerful they were, but the fact that they wore those holy symbols outside their cloaks makes me think that they’ve nothing to fear from the city guard. If they are priests – and powerful ones at that – are you sure you want to take on Allyssa right now? Sure, maybe they’re nothing to worry about. But there were four of them. If even one of them is as strong as Brandt or the wizard of Eberdeen, we’d be in serious trouble.”

Ischarus turned his head away from the side of his body where Charis stood. He spat quickly upon the ground and responded to his wife’s assertion. “Then what do we do? Sit here and wait? Leave the docks with the assassins and possibly lose Allyssa into the general population of Fingerdale?”

Ophee smiled. “What about reconnaissance? If Allyssa doesn’t see us, she can’t really know if her assassin friends were successful. In fact, she might not even know she was followed.”

Semeion saw the logic in Ophee’s words. “She’s got a good point, Ischarus. We’ve got a little window of time here where Allyssa doesn’t know if we’re alive or dead or even here. If we can get close, we might be able to learn something without risking a direct confrontation. And Rhema’s right, too. If we go in there with sword and magic flying, we might be biting off more than we can chew. But if we sneak aboard and investigate, we can be more informed.”

Ischarus sighed. They were right. “Very well. Charis and I will slip onto the boat through the water in the bay. We’ll swim up to the boat and climb up either the anchor rope or the mooring lines.”

Semeion began to object to being left out of the plan, but Rhema knew why. “Yes, and I can certainly influence that dock guard’s senses. He won’t hear you swimming or climbing, trust me. Maybe if I am lucky, I can even get him to see things a little my way, too.” Her face danced flirtatiously and she made a mock kissing motion towards Semeion, who smiled.

Charis continued where Rhema left off. “Yeah, and Ischarus and I are the most likely to be able to get on and off without help. If things get ugly, we’re the ones most likely to be able to survive long enough to get back into the water. Semeion and Ophee can stay here and watch the captives.”

Semeion still wasn’t happy, but he already knew that he was outnumbered. His objection wouldn’t really matter anyway. “Fair enough. But you guys are only going for reconnaissance, right? When we go after Allyssa, I want in on the action. I’ve got a score to settle with her. I need to repay her for what her assassin friends just did to me.”

Charis and Ischarus grinned at each other. Semeion wasn’t as much of a thinker as he thought. He wanted as much of the action as they did. When the time was right to take on Allyssa, Semeion would likely be leading the party into battle.

Ischarus nodded and turned to Rhema. “Well, it sounds like we’ve got a plan, then. Are you going to go and try to work your magic on the dock guard before or after we enter the water?”

Rhema studied the dock for a moment and realized how long it would take Ischarus and Charis to swim around the few boats that were moored closer in than the boat that Allyssa had entered. “Go ahead and lose most of your gear and slip into the water. I’ll watch you until you get past the first boat. Then I’ll stroll up to the dock guard and make sure that I am ready for the noises of your swimming.”

Ischarus and Charis didn’t need much more encouragement. They removed most of the gear that they were carrying. Ischarus retained his sword while Charis kept her pick. Everything else they left behind. They waited for a passing cloud to cover the light of the moon and slipped over the edge of the dock and into the water.

Rhema teased her wavy brown hair and fluffed it a bit in order to give it some body. While Charis and Ischarus tried to slip through the water as quietly as possible, Rhema took a moment to lace up her boots even tighter. Just as she saw Ischarus and Charis manage to swim around the first boat, she decided to untie the topmost string that held the neck of her shirt closed. Even with it untied there was nothing even remotely to be seen. However, the untied string near her neck hinted enough to her flirtatious nature to be believable.

She walked down the dock, making sure that her low heeled boots clomped hard against the wood planking. She didn’t have much heel, but her riding boots gave her just enough of a noise to announce her coming to anyone watching the dock. Of course, at this time of day there were few people up and about on the docks. Most people were either in the taverns in Fingerdale or below deck. Rhema was only concerned with the dock guard; and as she approached she knew that she had his attention. To add to her demeanor, she feigned a few stumbles as she approached.

The dock guard immediately rose to a heightened state of alertness as Rhema approached. His eyes couldn’t help but admire her delicate yet well toned frame. His hand slipped to the handle of his sword, but the action was more out of a nervous fidget than a cognitive act of defense.

She smiled as she caught his eyes with her own gaze. Quickly she tossed her hair with a subtle movement of her head and stepped a few steps closer. “Begging your pardon, sir, but do you happen to know where the ship from Trappersdale is docked? I’m afraid your docks here all look alike and I’ve gotten myself a bit lost. I’d really hate to lose that ship, too. It’s a long walk back to the eastern coast of Fenneress. And the thought of going through the obnoxious goodness of Barghost is only slightly more palpable than going through Quehalost, if you know what I mean. Not only that, but I’d hate to think of what I might have to do to earn enough money for another passage by boat. So I’ve got to find that ship.”

The dock guard shrugged his shoulders and answered with a low voice. “Don’t know, ma’am. I’m just paid to stand here and protect this one, not to know about other boats. I don’t remember a boat from Fenneress coming in today. That’s a far voyage. We don’t get many of them through here, so I’d be sure if one arrived today.”

Rhema smiled and mocked a stumble as she drew another step closer towards the dock guard. It was time to employ a little charm and use the knowledge that she had just received. “Well, it has been a few days. Of course, in a few of your taverns here the days and the nights all blend together after a while.” She reached out a hand as if to grab the dock guard, but she was too far away. She feigned missing his arm and stumbled two more steps toward him. “Oh my, these docks just won’t stay still tonight.”

Rhema knew that her actions told the man that she might be under the influence of a few too many ales from a nearby tavern. However, her words lacked the slurring that would have indicated total intoxication. She hoped that he would interpret the mixed signals as being a bit freed by ale but not totally drunk.

Rhema could hear the subtle splashing of Ischarus and Charis as they tried to make their way towards the ship. They were drawing near, and she could tell by the dock guard’s eyes that he was alerted to the slight noise of the swimming. She had lost his attention for a moment as he looked to the waterline of the ship moored immediately in front of the ship that Allyssa had boarded. It was time to use her powers of suggestion.

Rhema reached out once more to rest her hand gently on the dock guard’s forearm. This time she was close enough to reach him, but she missed intentionally. She faked a stumble to her right, which gave the impression that she was going to fall off the dock and into the water. The dock guard instinctively focused on Rhema and reached out with a strong arm and caught her before she could fall. Once she recognized that he would catch her, Rhema let go of her weight and allowed herself to naturally fall into his grasp.

The dock guard lifted Rhema back to her feet. “Careful, miss. Can’t be having to dive in after you should you fall in.”

Rhema leaned into the dock guard’s torso at his embrace. “You know, you’re stronger than you look. And a might bit faster in reflex than you look, too. Are you smarter than average, too?”

The dock guard blushed as she leaned into him, but accepted the compliment well. “Thank you, miss. But I think you are being too kind. If you are interested, though, you’re welcome to sit down on the dock where it is safe. When I’m relieved of my duty I’ll be sure to help you find what I think you’re looking for.”

Rhema couldn’t tell if he was being genuinely sincere or trying to pass a subtle innuendo. She continued to lean into him as she spoke once more. He was ready for her mental suggestion. “Don’t you just love the way the waves lightly brush against the moored boats? Between that and the gentle sway of the dock, it’s so peaceful.”

The dock guard no longer heard the subtle swimming motions being employed by Charis and Ischarus. Instead, his mind interpreted the noise as water lightly lapping against the large keels of the many boats around him. A smile came across his face. “Please, ma’am. You’re welcome to sit and listen if you’d like. But while I’m on duty here I need to stand guard. You can sit beside me if you want and listen to the waves against the ships, though. I like the way that you express it.”

Rhema allowed her body to slip gently through the arms that he had wrapped around her as she leaned into him. She slid down until she kneeled upon the dock. In a quick motion she flipped over into a seated position, awkwardly allowing one of the legs to flop over the side of the dock to maintain the disguise of not being in total control. But she knew that he now heard what she wanted him to hear. She could use her suggestive input to convince his mind that his ears were hearing something slightly different than what he actually heard. Instead of two people lightly swimming through the water, the guard heard the light sound of water against the boats.

Rhema sat quietly until she could vaguely make out Ischarus’ form reach the thick rope that connected the heavy iron anchor to the boat. She waited until she heard the sound of Ischarus’ body sliding up the rope and out of the water. The sound was faint, but still detectable. It would need to be disguised. “Do the docks always creak as they sway? You’re sure they are safe?”

The dock guard looked down to Rhema. “They’re unusually noisy tonight, miss. But I assure you that they’re safe. They’ve stood for many years, and they’ll stand for many more.”

Rhema smiled as her suggestion masked the climbing noises in the dock guard’s ears. It wasn’t long before Ischarus and Charis had managed to climb unnoticed onto the moored boat. She decided to stay at the dock guard’s feet as long as she could without arousing suspicion. Ischarus and Charis might need their noise disguised again before the night was over.

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
Ischarus turned back to his associates and brandished his sword once more. “Alright, now it’s time to go and deal with that dock guard. When we get through him, we’ve got Allyssa trapped on that boat.”

Ophee reached out and placed a gentle hand on Ischarus’ forearm. “Are you sure you want to do that? I’m willing to bet that if we approach the boat by way of the dock that he’ll be suspicious and raise the alarm. After all, he had to have seen some of the armed conflict we just finished.”

Semeion nodded. “She’s right, Ischarus. He had to see something. I’m sure that the only reason he didn’t come and investigate is because either Allyssa or her associates is paying him plenty to stand guard. But if we come near him, he’ll no doubt sound an alarm.”

Ischarus sheathed his sword and turned back to look at the dock guard. His back was turned to the party as he spoke softly. “Then how do we get to Allyssa? For all we know, she could be in there with the other followers of Yrraxea fulfilling their plan.”

Charis walked up and stood beside Ischarus. “I agree. We’ve faced worse odds before. I mean, you all went after my dragon father when you guys were clearly outclassed. And you had to keep me from betraying you on top of it. Surely these odds aren’t as steep as that situation.”

Rhema looked to Semeion and shook her head. It was clear who the thinkers were in the group. It was also clear who the ones driven to action were as well. “Did you see the four people that Allyssa was walking with? They were priests of Yrraxea, no doubt. I don’t know how powerful they were, but the fact that they wore those holy symbols outside their cloaks makes me think that they’ve nothing to fear from the city guard. If they are priests – and powerful ones at that – are you sure you want to take on Allyssa right now? Sure, maybe they’re nothing to worry about. But there were four of them. If even one of them is as strong as Brandt or the wizard of Eberdeen, we’d be in serious trouble.”

Ischarus turned his head away from the side of his body where Charis stood. He spat quickly upon the ground and responded to his wife’s assertion. “Then what do we do? Sit here and wait? Leave the docks with the assassins and possibly lose Allyssa into the general population of Fingerdale?”

Ophee smiled. “What about reconnaissance? If Allyssa doesn’t see us, she can’t really know if her assassin friends were successful. In fact, she might not even know she was followed.”

Semeion saw the logic in Ophee’s words. “She’s got a good point, Ischarus. We’ve got a little window of time here where Allyssa doesn’t know if we’re alive or dead or even here. If we can get close, we might be able to learn something without risking a direct confrontation. And Rhema’s right, too. If we go in there with sword and magic flying, we might be biting off more than we can chew. But if we sneak aboard and investigate, we can be more informed.”

Ischarus sighed. They were right. “Very well. Charis and I will slip onto the boat through the water in the bay. We’ll swim up to the boat and climb up either the anchor rope or the mooring lines.”

Semeion began to object to being left out of the plan, but Rhema knew why. “Yes, and I can certainly influence that dock guard’s senses. He won’t hear you swimming or climbing, trust me. Maybe if I am lucky, I can even get him to see things a little my way, too.” Her face danced flirtatiously and she made a mock kissing motion towards Semeion, who smiled.

Charis continued where Rhema left off. “Yeah, and Ischarus and I are the most likely to be able to get on and off without help. If things get ugly, we’re the ones most likely to be able to survive long enough to get back into the water. Semeion and Ophee can stay here and watch the captives.”

Semeion still wasn’t happy, but he already knew that he was outnumbered. His objection wouldn’t really matter anyway. “Fair enough. But you guys are only going for reconnaissance, right? When we go after Allyssa, I want in on the action. I’ve got a score to settle with her. I need to repay her for what her assassin friends just did to me.”

Charis and Ischarus grinned at each other. Semeion wasn’t as much of a thinker as he thought. He wanted as much of the action as they did. When the time was right to take on Allyssa, Semeion would likely be leading the party into battle.

Ischarus nodded and turned to Rhema. “Well, it sounds like we’ve got a plan, then. Are you going to go and try to work your magic on the dock guard before or after we enter the water?”

Rhema studied the dock for a moment and realized how long it would take Ischarus and Charis to swim around the few boats that were moored closer in than the boat that Allyssa had entered. “Go ahead and lose most of your gear and slip into the water. I’ll watch you until you get past the first boat. Then I’ll stroll up to the dock guard and make sure that I am ready for the noises of your swimming.”

Ischarus and Charis didn’t need much more encouragement. They removed most of the gear that they were carrying. Ischarus retained his sword while Charis kept her pick. Everything else they left behind. They waited for a passing cloud to cover the light of the moon and slipped over the edge of the dock and into the water.

Rhema teased her wavy brown hair and fluffed it a bit in order to give it some body. While Charis and Ischarus tried to slip through the water as quietly as possible, Rhema took a moment to lace up her boots even tighter. Just as she saw Ischarus and Charis manage to swim around the first boat, she decided to untie the topmost string that held the neck of her shirt closed. Even with it untied there was nothing even remotely to be seen. However, the untied string near her neck hinted enough to her flirtatious nature to be believable.

She walked down the dock, making sure that her low heeled boots clomped hard against the wood planking. She didn’t have much heel, but her riding boots gave her just enough of a noise to announce her coming to anyone watching the dock. Of course, at this time of day there were few people up and about on the docks. Most people were either in the taverns in Fingerdale or below deck. Rhema was only concerned with the dock guard; and as she approached she knew that she had his attention. To add to her demeanor, she feigned a few stumbles as she approached.

The dock guard immediately rose to a heightened state of alertness as Rhema approached. His eyes couldn’t help but admire her delicate yet well toned frame. His hand slipped to the handle of his sword, but the action was more out of a nervous fidget than a cognitive act of defense.

She smiled as she caught his eyes with her own gaze. Quickly she tossed her hair with a subtle movement of her head and stepped a few steps closer. “Begging your pardon, sir, but do you happen to know where the ship from Trappersdale is docked? I’m afraid your docks here all look alike and I’ve gotten myself a bit lost. I’d really hate to lose that ship, too. It’s a long walk back to the eastern coast of Fenneress. And the thought of going through the obnoxious goodness of Barghost is only slightly more palpable than going through Quehalost, if you know what I mean. Not only that, but I’d hate to think of what I might have to do to earn enough money for another passage by boat. So I’ve got to find that ship.”

The dock guard shrugged his shoulders and answered with a low voice. “Don’t know, ma’am. I’m just paid to stand here and protect this one, not to know about other boats. I don’t remember a boat from Fenneress coming in today. That’s a far voyage. We don’t get many of them through here, so I’d be sure if one arrived today.”

Rhema smiled and mocked a stumble as she drew another step closer towards the dock guard. It was time to employ a little charm and use the knowledge that she had just received. “Well, it has been a few days. Of course, in a few of your taverns here the days and the nights all blend together after a while.” She reached out a hand as if to grab the dock guard, but she was too far away. She feigned missing his arm and stumbled two more steps toward him. “Oh my, these docks just won’t stay still tonight.”

Rhema knew that her actions told the man that she might be under the influence of a few too many ales from a nearby tavern. However, her words lacked the slurring that would have indicated total intoxication. She hoped that he would interpret the mixed signals as being a bit freed by ale but not totally drunk.

Rhema could hear the subtle splashing of Ischarus and Charis as they tried to make their way towards the ship. They were drawing near, and she could tell by the dock guard’s eyes that he was alerted to the slight noise of the swimming. She had lost his attention for a moment as he looked to the waterline of the ship moored immediately in front of the ship that Allyssa had boarded. It was time to use her powers of suggestion.

Rhema reached out once more to rest her hand gently on the dock guard’s forearm. This time she was close enough to reach him, but she missed intentionally. She faked a stumble to her right, which gave the impression that she was going to fall off the dock and into the water. The dock guard instinctively focused on Rhema and reached out with a strong arm and caught her before she could fall. Once she recognized that he would catch her, Rhema let go of her weight and allowed herself to naturally fall into his grasp.

The dock guard lifted Rhema back to her feet. “Careful, miss. Can’t be having to dive in after you should you fall in.”

Rhema leaned into the dock guard’s torso at his embrace. “You know, you’re stronger than you look. And a might bit faster in reflex than you look, too. Are you smarter than average, too?”

The dock guard blushed as she leaned into him, but accepted the compliment well. “Thank you, miss. But I think you are being too kind. If you are interested, though, you’re welcome to sit down on the dock where it is safe. When I’m relieved of my duty I’ll be sure to help you find what I think you’re looking for.”

Rhema couldn’t tell if he was being genuinely sincere or trying to pass a subtle innuendo. She continued to lean into him as she spoke once more. He was ready for her mental suggestion. “Don’t you just love the way the waves lightly brush against the moored boats? Between that and the gentle sway of the dock, it’s so peaceful.”

The dock guard no longer heard the subtle swimming motions being employed by Charis and Ischarus. Instead, his mind interpreted the noise as water lightly lapping against the large keels of the many boats around him. A smile came across his face. “Please, ma’am. You’re welcome to sit and listen if you’d like. But while I’m on duty here I need to stand guard. You can sit beside me if you want and listen to the waves against the ships, though. I like the way that you express it.”

Rhema allowed her body to slip gently through the arms that he had wrapped around her as she leaned into him. She slid down until she kneeled upon the dock. In a quick motion she flipped over into a seated position, awkwardly allowing one of the legs to flop over the side of the dock to maintain the disguise of not being in total control. But she knew that he now heard what she wanted him to hear. She could use her suggestive input to convince his mind that his ears were hearing something slightly different than what he actually heard. Instead of two people lightly swimming through the water, the guard heard the light sound of water against the boats.

Rhema sat quietly until she could vaguely make out Ischarus’ form reach the thick rope that connected the heavy iron anchor to the boat. She waited until she heard the sound of Ischarus’ body sliding up the rope and out of the water. The sound was faint, but still detectable. It would need to be disguised. “Do the docks always creak as they sway? You’re sure they are safe?”

The dock guard looked down to Rhema. “They’re unusually noisy tonight, miss. But I assure you that they’re safe. They’ve stood for many years, and they’ll stand for many more.”

Rhema smiled as her suggestion masked the climbing noises in the dock guard’s ears. It wasn’t long before Ischarus and Charis had managed to climb unnoticed onto the moored boat. She decided to stay at the dock guard’s feet as long as she could without arousing suspicion. Ischarus and Charis might need their noise disguised again before the night was over.
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Once Ischarus and Charis managed to climb up the heavy anchor rope, they quickly took an inventory of the ocean worthy ship and stuck close to the outside rail. There was enough moonlight and starlight available that the rail provided a thin area of shadow in which they could crouch. Their movement along the rail was slow, but as wet as they were they were grateful for the need to move slowly and steadily.

They could tell from when they were in the water that this ship was a frigate. A second fighting deck rose above the first, and its sidewalls had been reinforced against the ramming tactics of the western pirates. On their way up the anchor rope they discovered several plugs in the mid-ship sidewall that could be removed. Spikes would be fastened through the holes made by removing the plugs. These spikes ensured that any ship which attempted to ram it would have its own hull punctured badly. Many of the punctures would be above the waterline, but in rough seas they would be deadly enough.

The top deck was nearly empty, and this was no surprise for an anchored ship with a posted dock guard. Two additional guards stood near the archway that led to the steps below deck. Neither of these guards wore the clerical robes of the men they had seen walking with Allyssa earlier. Their simple leather told Ischarus and Charis that they were simple sailors pulling a duty shift in port.

The guards still wore their eye patches; it hadn’t been so long since the sun had been lighting the sky. Ischarus spoke quietly to Charis. “Those eye patches might give them an edge in the dark light. If they slide them over so that they cover the exposed eye, the eye that is covered now will already have perfect night vision.”

Charis smiled. “Good thing that our dragon heritage enables us to have better than average vision in poorly lit conditions, then.”

Ischarus spoke as though he was in thought. “Yeah, but we don’t know about them. They could have a lineage like ours or from an elf. Then they would then have the same benefit. At least we know that they don’t have the subterranean vision that enables them to see perfectly in the dark. If they had that, they wouldn’t need the eye patches at all.”

Charis continued to whisper in Ischarus’ direction. “What are we going to do about them?” She nodded in the direction of the two guards. “Too much noise and we alert the dock guard. Or worse, too much noise and we alert Allyssa and her associates.”

Ischarus smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about Allyssa below. This is a big ship, and I can’t imagine that they’ll be meeting right under the staircase. The creaking of the wood, the narrow passageway below, and the many storage areas below will mask the sounds of battle. As for the dock guard, hopefully Rhema can continue to handle him.”

The guards suddenly looked in their direction, causing Ischarus and Charis to freeze in the shadow of the ship’s rail. They had talked enough, and it almost led to giving up their cover. Ischarus quickly looked at the shadows lying across the ship. There was no means of getting to the stairway without stepping into the moonlight. They could crawl a bit closer, but eventually they would need to leave the cover of the railing.

He turned to Charis once the guards had lost interest in their direction. When she drew near to him he whispered. “Take a good long look in the direction of the guards. I’m going to make it difficult on them and us in a few seconds.”

Charis immediately glanced in the direction of the staircase and counted strides. She knew it would only be about five running strides to meet them in combat. She listened to the steady barrage of waves lapping at the ship’s hull and used one to disguise her response. “Fine.”

Ischarus lifted his right hand and pointed towards the guards. He was careful to keep his arm tight against his body and in the shadows. “Ehoim nuan Egro.” An eerie vapor centered on the staircase began to lift off of the deck. Within seconds both of the guards were covered in the thick mist.

Ischarus heard Charis chanting once the mist rose up from the deck. “Meion Shintar.” She could feel the magic flow through her chest and arms. Her strength increased, and she could feel her ability to give a precise blow with her pick augment as well. She stood and began to lightly charge into the mist. She quickly felt her way through the mist in her mind rather than trust her eyes.

Ischarus was not about to be outdone in the magical realm. He cast his own spell, although the subject of his spell was his sword. “Thin Zecka Egro.” Thin sparks of electricity shot from the fingers of his left hand and into the steel blade. The long sword danced with bright energy as Ischarus followed Charis into the thick vapor. He assumed that Charis would strike a blow against the guard on the left, so in his mind he imagined a path that would allow him to converge on the rightmost guard.

The guards immediately drew their swords at the appearance of the magical mist. The guard on the right spoke quickly. “Is this ship haunted? First we hear ghostly whispering from the rails and now the mist.”

The guard on the left offered a more rational thought. “Calm yourself, Jehoi. I’d rather face an odd mist caused by the winds along the harbor than the wrath of Tindrahk below. Stay steady. The mist will pass eventually. There is enough wind to keep it from lingering.”

The guard’s speech masked the delicate footsteps of Charis and Ischarus until it was too late. As if they were specters emerging from another dimension, Charis and Ischarus broke through the mist on target. Rall, the guard on the left, was caught unprepared. His sword offered up no protection as he watched Charis materialize before him. He saw her muscular arms swing the pick and drive it deep into his side. He let out a cry, which Charis quickly muffled with her left hand.

Jehoi heard the sound of Charis’ pick solidly strike his companion and nearly dropped his sword. To his own amazement, a man strode out of the mist towards him with a ghostly blue sword. The sword danced with energy as if it had a life of its own. The mist reflected the blue energy dancing along Ischarus’ sword back onto his face. Ischarus seemed to glow as if he were an apparition.

Ischarus’ sword sliced through the fog before Jehoi could raise a defense. The blade dug into Jehoi’s arm as the blue electricity jumped from the blade into Jehoi. The guard’s eyes opened wide as he jumped backwards from the shock. A loud electrical snap echoed across the harbor for several seconds as the discharge left the blade and entered Jehoi.

Charis managed to land another swing as Rall struggled against Charis’ left hand. His nose was free, so he was in little danger of suffocation. Charis used her position to bring the end of her pick upward into his torso. The blow was designed to puncture his gut and leave his heart and lungs unharmed. The force of the blow was enough to knock the wind out of him and he crumpled to the deck.

Ischarus emerged through the mist just in time to see him fall. “He’s still alive?”

Charis shook her head confidently. “Oh yeah. He’s still alive. He’ll recover in a few minutes or so, although the wound to his midsection will likely hurt for a while. What about yours?”

Ischarus smiled. “I think that the guard I struck would’ve wet himself if we would have left him alone in the mist long enough. He was already terrified. He went down easily enough. I’m pretty sure he’s down and out, but not dead.” He closed his eyes for a moment and released the magical control that he held over the mist. As quickly as the mist had come, it vanished by rising into the air.

The two guards were easily bound and gagged in their unconscious state. Charis and Ischarus carried their bodies to the rail near the anchor rope that they had used to gain entrance to the frigate. They pulled the unconscious men away from the stairway in case they revived before Charis and Ischarus were finished below deck.

Charis reached out and touched the wound on Rall’s abdomen. “Should I heal him?”

Ischarus looked at Rall for several seconds. He had seen Charis heal wounds enough to know that healing him would likely revive him immediately. “Is he in danger of dying in the next hour?”

Charis shook her head. “No. He might die in a few days if he doesn’t get it treated. Infection will inevitably set in. But the wound itself won’t be enough to kill him, at least not tonight.”

Ischarus turned back to the staircase. “Then leave him. We’ll have to come back this way, anyway. If you want to heal him on our way out, that’s fine with me.”

Charis nodded. “Well, let’s hope that things go well below. Shall we?”

Ischarus nodded. “Yeah. Let’s head below deck. And be careful. There might be guards below deck, too. We’ll be entering the stairs blind, and most ships don’t give the staircase much protection. If there are guards below, we’ll have to think fast.”

Charis grinned. “Quickly and quietly, then?”

As the two approached the staircase, Rhema sat below the dock guard, still acting as though under the influence of ale. She was still concentrating on making sure the dock guard’s senses were under her subjective control. “That was a brief crack of thunder. It doesn’t feel much like rain, though. You guys get surprise storms from the ocean here?”

The dock guard turned back to the woman at his feet and smiled. “We do get some storms, but the weather isn’t right for that. It must have been something weird in the sky. In the summers we get what I call heat lightning. But it isn’t hot enough for that tonight.”

Rhema shrugged her shoulders and feigned almost falling off of the edge of the dock once more. As the guard put out his left hand to catch her shoulder and steady her body, Rhema spoke. “Oh well. So long as it doesn’t rain. This is the only pair of dry clothes I have. I’d hate to have to sleep in wet clothes tonight on the boat. Once I find it, that is. I do hope it hasn’t left the harbor without me.”

The guard smiled, his thoughts taking him elsewhere in his mind. “Well, it doesn’t feel like rain. It must have just been a rogue lightning strike.”

Of course, Rhema knew that the noise of electricity was much to quiet to be a lightning strike. But her control over the guard’s sense confused his perception. He was none the wiser about the battle that had taken place on board.

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
Once Ischarus and Charis managed to climb up the heavy anchor rope, they quickly took an inventory of the ocean worthy ship and stuck close to the outside rail. There was enough moonlight and starlight available that the rail provided a thin area of shadow in which they could crouch. Their movement along the rail was slow, but as wet as they were they were grateful for the need to move slowly and steadily.

They could tell from when they were in the water that this ship was a frigate. A second fighting deck rose above the first, and its sidewalls had been reinforced against the ramming tactics of the western pirates. On their way up the anchor rope they discovered several plugs in the mid-ship sidewall that could be removed. Spikes would be fastened through the holes made by removing the plugs. These spikes ensured that any ship which attempted to ram it would have its own hull punctured badly. Many of the punctures would be above the waterline, but in rough seas they would be deadly enough.

The top deck was nearly empty, and this was no surprise for an anchored ship with a posted dock guard. Two additional guards stood near the archway that led to the steps below deck. Neither of these guards wore the clerical robes of the men they had seen walking with Allyssa earlier. Their simple leather told Ischarus and Charis that they were simple sailors pulling a duty shift in port.

The guards still wore their eye patches; it hadn’t been so long since the sun had been lighting the sky. Ischarus spoke quietly to Charis. “Those eye patches might give them an edge in the dark light. If they slide them over so that they cover the exposed eye, the eye that is covered now will already have perfect night vision.”

Charis smiled. “Good thing that our dragon heritage enables us to have better than average vision in poorly lit conditions, then.”

Ischarus spoke as though he was in thought. “Yeah, but we don’t know about them. They could have a lineage like ours or from an elf. Then they would then have the same benefit. At least we know that they don’t have the subterranean vision that enables them to see perfectly in the dark. If they had that, they wouldn’t need the eye patches at all.”

Charis continued to whisper in Ischarus’ direction. “What are we going to do about them?” She nodded in the direction of the two guards. “Too much noise and we alert the dock guard. Or worse, too much noise and we alert Allyssa and her associates.”

Ischarus smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about Allyssa below. This is a big ship, and I can’t imagine that they’ll be meeting right under the staircase. The creaking of the wood, the narrow passageway below, and the many storage areas below will mask the sounds of battle. As for the dock guard, hopefully Rhema can continue to handle him.”

The guards suddenly looked in their direction, causing Ischarus and Charis to freeze in the shadow of the ship’s rail. They had talked enough, and it almost led to giving up their cover. Ischarus quickly looked at the shadows lying across the ship. There was no means of getting to the stairway without stepping into the moonlight. They could crawl a bit closer, but eventually they would need to leave the cover of the railing.

He turned to Charis once the guards had lost interest in their direction. When she drew near to him he whispered. “Take a good long look in the direction of the guards. I’m going to make it difficult on them and us in a few seconds.”

Charis immediately glanced in the direction of the staircase and counted strides. She knew it would only be about five running strides to meet them in combat. She listened to the steady barrage of waves lapping at the ship’s hull and used one to disguise her response. “Fine.”

Ischarus lifted his right hand and pointed towards the guards. He was careful to keep his arm tight against his body and in the shadows. “Ehoim nuan Egro.” An eerie vapor centered on the staircase began to lift off of the deck. Within seconds both of the guards were covered in the thick mist.

Ischarus heard Charis chanting once the mist rose up from the deck. “Meion Shintar.” She could feel the magic flow through her chest and arms. Her strength increased, and she could feel her ability to give a precise blow with her pick augment as well. She stood and began to lightly charge into the mist. She quickly felt her way through the mist in her mind rather than trust her eyes.

Ischarus was not about to be outdone in the magical realm. He cast his own spell, although the subject of his spell was his sword. “Thin Zecka Egro.” Thin sparks of electricity shot from the fingers of his left hand and into the steel blade. The long sword danced with bright energy as Ischarus followed Charis into the thick vapor. He assumed that Charis would strike a blow against the guard on the left, so in his mind he imagined a path that would allow him to converge on the rightmost guard.

The guards immediately drew their swords at the appearance of the magical mist. The guard on the right spoke quickly. “Is this ship haunted? First we hear ghostly whispering from the rails and now the mist.”

The guard on the left offered a more rational thought. “Calm yourself, Jehoi. I’d rather face an odd mist caused by the winds along the harbor than the wrath of Tindrahk below. Stay steady. The mist will pass eventually. There is enough wind to keep it from lingering.”

The guard’s speech masked the delicate footsteps of Charis and Ischarus until it was too late. As if they were specters emerging from another dimension, Charis and Ischarus broke through the mist on target. Rall, the guard on the left, was caught unprepared. His sword offered up no protection as he watched Charis materialize before him. He saw her muscular arms swing the pick and drive it deep into his side. He let out a cry, which Charis quickly muffled with her left hand.

Jehoi heard the sound of Charis’ pick solidly strike his companion and nearly dropped his sword. To his own amazement, a man strode out of the mist towards him with a ghostly blue sword. The sword danced with energy as if it had a life of its own. The mist reflected the blue energy dancing along Ischarus’ sword back onto his face. Ischarus seemed to glow as if he were an apparition.

Ischarus’ sword sliced through the fog before Jehoi could raise a defense. The blade dug into Jehoi’s arm as the blue electricity jumped from the blade into Jehoi. The guard’s eyes opened wide as he jumped backwards from the shock. A loud electrical snap echoed across the harbor for several seconds as the discharge left the blade and entered Jehoi.

Charis managed to land another swing as Rall struggled against Charis’ left hand. His nose was free, so he was in little danger of suffocation. Charis used her position to bring the end of her pick upward into his torso. The blow was designed to puncture his gut and leave his heart and lungs unharmed. The force of the blow was enough to knock the wind out of him and he crumpled to the deck.

Ischarus emerged through the mist just in time to see him fall. “He’s still alive?”

Charis shook her head confidently. “Oh yeah. He’s still alive. He’ll recover in a few minutes or so, although the wound to his midsection will likely hurt for a while. What about yours?”

Ischarus smiled. “I think that the guard I struck would’ve wet himself if we would have left him alone in the mist long enough. He was already terrified. He went down easily enough. I’m pretty sure he’s down and out, but not dead.” He closed his eyes for a moment and released the magical control that he held over the mist. As quickly as the mist had come, it vanished by rising into the air.

The two guards were easily bound and gagged in their unconscious state. Charis and Ischarus carried their bodies to the rail near the anchor rope that they had used to gain entrance to the frigate. They pulled the unconscious men away from the stairway in case they revived before Charis and Ischarus were finished below deck.

Charis reached out and touched the wound on Rall’s abdomen. “Should I heal him?”

Ischarus looked at Rall for several seconds. He had seen Charis heal wounds enough to know that healing him would likely revive him immediately. “Is he in danger of dying in the next hour?”

Charis shook her head. “No. He might die in a few days if he doesn’t get it treated. Infection will inevitably set in. But the wound itself won’t be enough to kill him, at least not tonight.”

Ischarus turned back to the staircase. “Then leave him. We’ll have to come back this way, anyway. If you want to heal him on our way out, that’s fine with me.”

Charis nodded. “Well, let’s hope that things go well below. Shall we?”

Ischarus nodded. “Yeah. Let’s head below deck. And be careful. There might be guards below deck, too. We’ll be entering the stairs blind, and most ships don’t give the staircase much protection. If there are guards below, we’ll have to think fast.”

Charis grinned. “Quickly and quietly, then?”

As the two approached the staircase, Rhema sat below the dock guard, still acting as though under the influence of ale. She was still concentrating on making sure the dock guard’s senses were under her subjective control. “That was a brief crack of thunder. It doesn’t feel much like rain, though. You guys get surprise storms from the ocean here?”

The dock guard turned back to the woman at his feet and smiled. “We do get some storms, but the weather isn’t right for that. It must have been something weird in the sky. In the summers we get what I call heat lightning. But it isn’t hot enough for that tonight.”

Rhema shrugged her shoulders and feigned almost falling off of the edge of the dock once more. As the guard put out his left hand to catch her shoulder and steady her body, Rhema spoke. “Oh well. So long as it doesn’t rain. This is the only pair of dry clothes I have. I’d hate to have to sleep in wet clothes tonight on the boat. Once I find it, that is. I do hope it hasn’t left the harbor without me.”

The guard smiled, his thoughts taking him elsewhere in his mind. “Well, it doesn’t feel like rain. It must have just been a rogue lightning strike.”

Of course, Rhema knew that the noise of electricity was much to quiet to be a lightning strike. But her control over the guard’s sense confused his perception. He was none the wiser about the battle that had taken place on board.
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Ischarus and Charis quietly crept down the stairs. They were careful to walk only where the steps joined with the wall. The immediate support of the wall would minimize any squeaking or groaning protests that the bare wooden steps might offer. It didn’t take either of them long to leave the open air and descend to the first level below deck.

Ischarus bent low while he was several steps above the floor below the top deck. In effect, he was looking down the ship’s main hallway from just below the ceiling. “It appears to be clear. Perhaps they gave the crew the night off, thinking that the dock guard and the sentries above would be enough. It doesn’t seem right, though. Allyssa knew that we were alive. That’s got to be why she left the surprise just before the docks. She had to know that we would come after her. If she knew that we were coming, why such a lightly protected boat?”

Charis whispered in return. “True, but she’d assume that the assassins would have stopped us. They were a tough fight given that they surprised us. Besides, if she’s trying to keep herself and her faith a secret, I’d imagine that posting too many redundant guards would only draw attention from the dock master. At some point she has to assume that we aren’t going to make it this far without her knowing about it.”

Ischarus nodded and finished descending the staircase. The hallway was straight, and it appeared that the captain’s quarters were the room at which the hallway terminated on the far end. Just before the captain’s quarters on the right, there was another doorway leading to a staircase descending to the ship’s main storage area. Opposite the hall from that staircase was a door that was closed tight. The rest of the rooms on the ship only had archways and curtains as a means of keeping privacy.

This was the first time in Charis’ life that she was aboard ship. “Surely there is more crew aboard ship than the archways indicate.”

Ischarus smiled and suppressed the urge to laugh. “Life aboard ship is never dull, and unless you are the captain it is also never private. These sleeping quarters are most likely housing hammocks floor to ceiling. Of course, they’re never full at any one time because on the seas there is always a watch. But yeah, there are many fewer rooms than actual sailors. At that’s assuming that this is a legitimate merchant ship. If this is a ship involved in piracy or smuggling, it’ll have more sailor than that. After all, you’ve got to sail with enough people so that if you lose a bunch in a boarding party you can still set watches afterward.”

Charis grinned. “And commandeer the new ship for sale in a nearby harbor, no doubt.”

Ischarus shook his head in the negative. “Perhaps, but highly unlikely. After a battle, a good bit of the boarded ship’s hull would be torn apart from the ramming process. If so, it would only slow the smuggling vessel down. Not only that, but if it is a local boat, there is a chance that the dock master might recognize that the ship is no longer under the proper administration. Only if it is seaworthy enough and the captain has enough sailors under him that he can trust will a prize crew be established.”

Charis found this aspect of life fascinating. Life at the seas would certainly be much different than her old life in Quehalost or even her new life at Iasho’s villa in Huetown. “So we want the closed door at the end of the hall?”

Ischarus nodded as he moved down the hallway. He didn’t want to risk speaking any further. Charis followed him as quietly as she could. Their lack of equipment certainly made it easier to sneak around the ship. The subtle swaying of the boat didn’t make it easy to remain quiet, however.

Less than a minute later, Ischarus and Charis flanked the closed door. Ischarus crouched to the right of the door in the slight depression made by the doorway into the captain’s quarters. Charis knelt on the opposite side. They each remained quiet as they listened to the conversation from inside the closed door.

A female was speaking, but it was not the voice of Allyssa. “You are no doubt aware that we have lost contact with your master? We have not received direction from Ankh-Bahl recently. Your master was chosen to be her mouthpiece.”

Allyssa responded. “Yes, Barrie. I am aware of this fact. While the lack of direction at this crucial time bothers me, it does not have me concerned. We have a job to do, and we will accomplish it.”

A deep male voice followed up Allyssa’s comment. “Good. I am glad to hear that you still intend on fulfilling your calling. With the disappearance of Opheiluka, this post was in jeopardy for several days. That is, of course, why we were sent here. If your master was unable to arrange for a replacement, we were going to find a new way to accomplish the plan.”

A second male voice continued the explanation of the first. “Yes, Gallahn. That much is obvious. But assuming that Allyssa can fulfill the desires of the Egoist and the Queen of Avarice herself, there is little need for concern and overanalyzing the situation.”

The sound of a chair sliding backwards across a wooden plank floor echoed down the ship’s hallway. Gallahn’s voice responded quickly to the one who had followed his speech. “Yes, Tindrahk. If you are satisfied with the wizard’s solution in Allyssa then I will offer no complaint. After all, you are the one who received word from the Egoist to expect Ankh-Bahl.”

Another third male voice spoke, and this voice was easily the highest voice in pitch of the three men. “If we can assume that Allyssa will fulfill her destiny, what of the rest of the plan? Ankh-Bahl’s silence is a foreboding omen. When I tried to contact Yrraxea this afternoon for assurance, I was unable to make contact. Her fury was acting as a barrier to my appeal. She is not pleased with our efforts.”

Barrie spoke, and it was clear with her tone that she was speaking through a smile and enjoying the opportunity to poke an insult at the man who had just spoken. “Tahnet, you always worry! And your attempts to contact Yrraxea seldom work the way you want them to anyway. Would you have us stop with the plan because your faith isn’t strong enough to reach out to our queen?”

Ischarus and Charis smiled as they heard Tahnet’s fist slam down on the table. “You will insult me once more? Remember your rank! When I rise in power, it is you who will need to fall.”

Tindrahk let a loud laugh flood over the argument in order to drown out the discussion. “Priest and priestess, if you will listen to me and my dominant rank. Yrraxea is pleased at your devotion to personal gain, even at the expense of each other’s dominance. Your fighting keeps you sharp. But this is not the time for fighting. We are in hostile territory. This port is a stronghold for Reah, and geographically speaking we are not that far from Barghost. While your arguments are entertaining, let us remember that here in this place we are not each other’s enemy. There are greater enemies that we must concern ourselves with first.”

Allyssa continued with the argument as Tindrahk paused. “Such as the pests who ransacked my apartment this morning. My master was supposed to deal with them. I do not doubt Ankh-Bahl’s ability to plan and deceive, but for a demonic assassin I was hoping that she would have dealt with this problem already. To leave it up to us is disgraceful. Fortunately, you brought along enough minions to take care of them.”

Gallahn again countered Allyssa’s assertion. “Deal with them? You are sure that there was a battle?”

A subtle pause in the conversation carried an eerie silence down the hallway. Ischarus and Charis both fought the urge to flee as the conversation completely died out while speaking about the party. The only thing that gave Ischarus and Charis the ability to stay put was the lack of footsteps pounding the wooden floor in the direction of the closed door.

After several long seconds, Allyssa’s voice broke the silence. “You mean that you did not spot them watching us as we boarded the boat?”

Gallahn responded intensely. “You mean to imply that you did? Why did you say nothing? Tindrahk and I alone could have used Yrraxea’s power right then and there to defeat them! Then we could act in complete confidence!”

Another pause followed, but this one was not quite so long. Once more, Allyssa broke the silence. “You would use your dark powers out in the open? And then what would you do? Were you not listening to Tindrahk a moment ago? The town of Fingerdale is a den of followers of Reah. There temple is strong here, and their priests are in command of significant power because the faith of the people is strong. If you would have called upon the powers of Yrraxea out in the public, you would have doomed our plan! If anyone would have observed the act, the priests of Reah would be alerted, and we would have immediately risen to the spot of primary suspect regarding the death of Lord Ironblood. Use your powers in the open and you doom us all.”

A slight growl seemed to escape Allyssa’s throat as she turned her speech to the leader of the priests of Yrraxea. “Tindrahk, perhaps Barrie should not descend down as Tahnet suggests. Perhaps Barrie should ascend and take the place of Gallahn. Your second shows little ability to understand his impact in the world. While I could care less for his personal gain or safety, the fact that his rashness could impact my standing displeases me.”

Tindrahk was now in an awkward place. Allyssa had called upon him to either support her claim or denounce her assertiveness. He knew that her argument was correct, but if he chastised Gallahn he would be lending credence to Allyssa’s assertion that Barrie should rise in power. The two were not necessarily as connected as they should be. Gallahn was being rash, but Allyssa seemed to have a vendetta against Gallahn that he could not ignore.

Instead, he refused to allow himself to become triangulated in between his loyal followers. Instead, he would chastise Allyssa. His chair scraped backwards as he rose to a standing position. He thumped the table hard with his hand and there was anger in his voice. “Know your place, assassin. Do not attempt to come between me and those who have sworn loyalty to Yrraxea underneath my temple in Tongra. You will not inflate egos where they should not be inflated for the purpose of fueling your own vendetta against my second. Gallahn and Barrie are good servants, and they serve where they serve for a reason. I will not allow the field assassin of another Yrraxean to drive a nail of jealousy into my command. They will settle their own hierarchy issues without your envious influence.”

Another uncomfortable pause followed. Gallahn, Barrie, and Tahnet were not about to speak while their own master was caught in the rage. Allyssa was also not about to respond and risk feeling the great wrath of an Yrraxean high priest. Instead, it was Tindrahk who continued the conversation.

As he continued to speak, the anger diffused out of his voice. “Gallahn, she is right. Your action would have been rash. Your devotion and desire is commendable, but your lack of tactics would certainly have doomed us all. Learn the lesson that you have been taught. As for you, Allyssa, just do your job. Kill Lord Ironblood at the appointed time. And do it with the Ephistaemi daggers as planned.”

Outside the room, Ischarus and Charis exchanged confused glances. The Yrraxeans were using Ephistaemi daggers in their actions. That sentence echoed back to the information gleaned from the wizard of Eberdeen. That information took their minds back to the smoldering remains of the villa in Huetown.

Tahnet was not about to let his name continue in the shame that Barrie had cast it. “And what of this party? Your master brought them into the plan by requiring them to go to Quehalost for the Arum Dracunculus. The drug was necessary so that the Yrraxeans would not be doing the killing and leaving a trace behind in many places. In fact, the only true Yrraxean to partake in an assassination was in Eberdeen. The rest of the murders were to be accomplished through the Arum Dracunculus and the Ephistaemi daggers. But when your master was unable to destroy the party through Opheiluka, much was complicated. They know enough to be dangerous, and they have not been dealt with to our knowledge.”

Allyssa began to speak, but Tahnet was not finished. “The fact that you saw them enter the building that your apartment is in does not bode well for us. The fact that your apartment was ransacked after you sent one of your own assassins in does not bode well, either.”

Tindrahk was growing impatient. “What are you getting at, Tahnet?”

Tahnet spoke his mind cleanly. “Most of you think that I have too much dreamer in me. You think that my imagination is too great. I can see it in how my warning to you all about Yrraxea’s wrath was dismissed. But it matters not, really. I think the wizard of Eberdeen has been compromised. If they knew to look for Allyssa, then they had to get that information through the wizard. They had to get that information through Ankh-Bahl. If they knew to look for Allyssa, then they knew to look for the rest of the servants of Ankh-Bahl as well. What if the whole mission is compromised? What if that is the reason why Yrraxea would only shield herself from me with her wrath when I tried to contact her?”

Allyssa chuckled, and she was quickly joined by Tindrahk and Barrie. After they had laughed for a few seconds, even Gallahn began to laugh. Allyssa replied to Tahnet’s warning first. “You think that a bunch of nothing fighters from the backwater village of Huetown could take on Yrraxea’s personal demonic assassin and win? Oh, come now, Tahnet. I know that you are a half-breed, but certainly one of parents gave you access to a brain. Either your human or elf parent had to have taught you some ability to think. Those freedom fighters from Huetown are nothing but glorified thieves. They sneak through the tunnels and use guerilla tactics, and that is the only way that they do anything remotely capable of being called winning.”

Ischarus and Charis couldn’t help but smile at the fact that their resourcefulness was being mocked and underestimated. They knew that Tahnet’s instincts had led him down the path of truth, but the vanity of the others wouldn’t let them listen. From the perspective of Ischarus and Charis, the conversation had just gotten interesting.

Tahnet objected once more. “You heard the report from Ankh-Bahl herself through the wizard. They defeated a red dragon of Quehalost. That is no small feat.”

Tindrahk chuckled once more. “Tahnet, don’t embarrass yourself, and don’t embarrass me for choosing you to be a part of this expedition to Fingerdale. They didn’t defeat the red dragon. A flight of three virtuous dragons from Barghost flew to their aid. The dragons battled one another. If the party had to fight the dragon alone, they would have lost miserably. And that means that there is no way that they could have taken on the wizard. Even if they would have found a way to defeat Allyssa’s master, they would not have been able to get past Ankh-Bahl. They just aren’t that powerful, especially since they would have had to defeat the wizard in a tough battle first.”

Tahnet began to object again. “There is a reason you brought me, sir. I can see things.”

Tindrahk paused for a moment and spoke once more with reason in his voice. “Indeed. You are a dreamer of dreams and a seer of visions. But think about it. This time your imagination has gotten the best of you. The defeat of Ankh-Bahl at the hands of the puny party from Huetown is ridiculous. Even you must admit that.”

Tahnet didn’t want to admit it, but he silently nodded. The nod put him in his place. He was submissive to Tindrahk. It was as if he were the omega in a wolf pack that had been forced to expose his vulnerable underbelly. He had voiced his mind, and when he was challenged he had been forced to submit.

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
Ischarus and Charis quietly crept down the stairs. They were careful to walk only where the steps joined with the wall. The immediate support of the wall would minimize any squeaking or groaning protests that the bare wooden steps might offer. It didn’t take either of them long to leave the open air and descend to the first level below deck.

Ischarus bent low while he was several steps above the floor below the top deck. In effect, he was looking down the ship’s main hallway from just below the ceiling. “It appears to be clear. Perhaps they gave the crew the night off, thinking that the dock guard and the sentries above would be enough. It doesn’t seem right, though. Allyssa knew that we were alive. That’s got to be why she left the surprise just before the docks. She had to know that we would come after her. If she knew that we were coming, why such a lightly protected boat?”

Charis whispered in return. “True, but she’d assume that the assassins would have stopped us. They were a tough fight given that they surprised us. Besides, if she’s trying to keep herself and her faith a secret, I’d imagine that posting too many redundant guards would only draw attention from the dock master. At some point she has to assume that we aren’t going to make it this far without her knowing about it.”

Ischarus nodded and finished descending the staircase. The hallway was straight, and it appeared that the captain’s quarters were the room at which the hallway terminated on the far end. Just before the captain’s quarters on the right, there was another doorway leading to a staircase descending to the ship’s main storage area. Opposite the hall from that staircase was a door that was closed tight. The rest of the rooms on the ship only had archways and curtains as a means of keeping privacy.

This was the first time in Charis’ life that she was aboard ship. “Surely there is more crew aboard ship than the archways indicate.”

Ischarus smiled and suppressed the urge to laugh. “Life aboard ship is never dull, and unless you are the captain it is also never private. These sleeping quarters are most likely housing hammocks floor to ceiling. Of course, they’re never full at any one time because on the seas there is always a watch. But yeah, there are many fewer rooms than actual sailors. At that’s assuming that this is a legitimate merchant ship. If this is a ship involved in piracy or smuggling, it’ll have more sailor than that. After all, you’ve got to sail with enough people so that if you lose a bunch in a boarding party you can still set watches afterward.”

Charis grinned. “And commandeer the new ship for sale in a nearby harbor, no doubt.”

Ischarus shook his head in the negative. “Perhaps, but highly unlikely. After a battle, a good bit of the boarded ship’s hull would be torn apart from the ramming process. If so, it would only slow the smuggling vessel down. Not only that, but if it is a local boat, there is a chance that the dock master might recognize that the ship is no longer under the proper administration. Only if it is seaworthy enough and the captain has enough sailors under him that he can trust will a prize crew be established.”

Charis found this aspect of life fascinating. Life at the seas would certainly be much different than her old life in Quehalost or even her new life at Iasho’s villa in Huetown. “So we want the closed door at the end of the hall?”

Ischarus nodded as he moved down the hallway. He didn’t want to risk speaking any further. Charis followed him as quietly as she could. Their lack of equipment certainly made it easier to sneak around the ship. The subtle swaying of the boat didn’t make it easy to remain quiet, however.

Less than a minute later, Ischarus and Charis flanked the closed door. Ischarus crouched to the right of the door in the slight depression made by the doorway into the captain’s quarters. Charis knelt on the opposite side. They each remained quiet as they listened to the conversation from inside the closed door.

A female was speaking, but it was not the voice of Allyssa. “You are no doubt aware that we have lost contact with your master? We have not received direction from Ankh-Bahl recently. Your master was chosen to be her mouthpiece.”

Allyssa responded. “Yes, Barrie. I am aware of this fact. While the lack of direction at this crucial time bothers me, it does not have me concerned. We have a job to do, and we will accomplish it.”

A deep male voice followed up Allyssa’s comment. “Good. I am glad to hear that you still intend on fulfilling your calling. With the disappearance of Opheiluka, this post was in jeopardy for several days. That is, of course, why we were sent here. If your master was unable to arrange for a replacement, we were going to find a new way to accomplish the plan.”

A second male voice continued the explanation of the first. “Yes, Gallahn. That much is obvious. But assuming that Allyssa can fulfill the desires of the Egoist and the Queen of Avarice herself, there is little need for concern and overanalyzing the situation.”

The sound of a chair sliding backwards across a wooden plank floor echoed down the ship’s hallway. Gallahn’s voice responded quickly to the one who had followed his speech. “Yes, Tindrahk. If you are satisfied with the wizard’s solution in Allyssa then I will offer no complaint. After all, you are the one who received word from the Egoist to expect Ankh-Bahl.”

Another third male voice spoke, and this voice was easily the highest voice in pitch of the three men. “If we can assume that Allyssa will fulfill her destiny, what of the rest of the plan? Ankh-Bahl’s silence is a foreboding omen. When I tried to contact Yrraxea this afternoon for assurance, I was unable to make contact. Her fury was acting as a barrier to my appeal. She is not pleased with our efforts.”

Barrie spoke, and it was clear with her tone that she was speaking through a smile and enjoying the opportunity to poke an insult at the man who had just spoken. “Tahnet, you always worry! And your attempts to contact Yrraxea seldom work the way you want them to anyway. Would you have us stop with the plan because your faith isn’t strong enough to reach out to our queen?”

Ischarus and Charis smiled as they heard Tahnet’s fist slam down on the table. “You will insult me once more? Remember your rank! When I rise in power, it is you who will need to fall.”

Tindrahk let a loud laugh flood over the argument in order to drown out the discussion. “Priest and priestess, if you will listen to me and my dominant rank. Yrraxea is pleased at your devotion to personal gain, even at the expense of each other’s dominance. Your fighting keeps you sharp. But this is not the time for fighting. We are in hostile territory. This port is a stronghold for Reah, and geographically speaking we are not that far from Barghost. While your arguments are entertaining, let us remember that here in this place we are not each other’s enemy. There are greater enemies that we must concern ourselves with first.”

Allyssa continued with the argument as Tindrahk paused. “Such as the pests who ransacked my apartment this morning. My master was supposed to deal with them. I do not doubt Ankh-Bahl’s ability to plan and deceive, but for a demonic assassin I was hoping that she would have dealt with this problem already. To leave it up to us is disgraceful. Fortunately, you brought along enough minions to take care of them.”

Gallahn again countered Allyssa’s assertion. “Deal with them? You are sure that there was a battle?”

A subtle pause in the conversation carried an eerie silence down the hallway. Ischarus and Charis both fought the urge to flee as the conversation completely died out while speaking about the party. The only thing that gave Ischarus and Charis the ability to stay put was the lack of footsteps pounding the wooden floor in the direction of the closed door.

After several long seconds, Allyssa’s voice broke the silence. “You mean that you did not spot them watching us as we boarded the boat?”

Gallahn responded intensely. “You mean to imply that you did? Why did you say nothing? Tindrahk and I alone could have used Yrraxea’s power right then and there to defeat them! Then we could act in complete confidence!”

Another pause followed, but this one was not quite so long. Once more, Allyssa broke the silence. “You would use your dark powers out in the open? And then what would you do? Were you not listening to Tindrahk a moment ago? The town of Fingerdale is a den of followers of Reah. There temple is strong here, and their priests are in command of significant power because the faith of the people is strong. If you would have called upon the powers of Yrraxea out in the public, you would have doomed our plan! If anyone would have observed the act, the priests of Reah would be alerted, and we would have immediately risen to the spot of primary suspect regarding the death of Lord Ironblood. Use your powers in the open and you doom us all.”

A slight growl seemed to escape Allyssa’s throat as she turned her speech to the leader of the priests of Yrraxea. “Tindrahk, perhaps Barrie should not descend down as Tahnet suggests. Perhaps Barrie should ascend and take the place of Gallahn. Your second shows little ability to understand his impact in the world. While I could care less for his personal gain or safety, the fact that his rashness could impact my standing displeases me.”

Tindrahk was now in an awkward place. Allyssa had called upon him to either support her claim or denounce her assertiveness. He knew that her argument was correct, but if he chastised Gallahn he would be lending credence to Allyssa’s assertion that Barrie should rise in power. The two were not necessarily as connected as they should be. Gallahn was being rash, but Allyssa seemed to have a vendetta against Gallahn that he could not ignore.

Instead, he refused to allow himself to become triangulated in between his loyal followers. Instead, he would chastise Allyssa. His chair scraped backwards as he rose to a standing position. He thumped the table hard with his hand and there was anger in his voice. “Know your place, assassin. Do not attempt to come between me and those who have sworn loyalty to Yrraxea underneath my temple in Tongra. You will not inflate egos where they should not be inflated for the purpose of fueling your own vendetta against my second. Gallahn and Barrie are good servants, and they serve where they serve for a reason. I will not allow the field assassin of another Yrraxean to drive a nail of jealousy into my command. They will settle their own hierarchy issues without your envious influence.”

Another uncomfortable pause followed. Gallahn, Barrie, and Tahnet were not about to speak while their own master was caught in the rage. Allyssa was also not about to respond and risk feeling the great wrath of an Yrraxean high priest. Instead, it was Tindrahk who continued the conversation.

As he continued to speak, the anger diffused out of his voice. “Gallahn, she is right. Your action would have been rash. Your devotion and desire is commendable, but your lack of tactics would certainly have doomed us all. Learn the lesson that you have been taught. As for you, Allyssa, just do your job. Kill Lord Ironblood at the appointed time. And do it with the Ephistaemi daggers as planned.”

Outside the room, Ischarus and Charis exchanged confused glances. The Yrraxeans were using Ephistaemi daggers in their actions. That sentence echoed back to the information gleaned from the wizard of Eberdeen. That information took their minds back to the smoldering remains of the villa in Huetown.

Tahnet was not about to let his name continue in the shame that Barrie had cast it. “And what of this party? Your master brought them into the plan by requiring them to go to Quehalost for the Arum Dracunculus. The drug was necessary so that the Yrraxeans would not be doing the killing and leaving a trace behind in many places. In fact, the only true Yrraxean to partake in an assassination was in Eberdeen. The rest of the murders were to be accomplished through the Arum Dracunculus and the Ephistaemi daggers. But when your master was unable to destroy the party through Opheiluka, much was complicated. They know enough to be dangerous, and they have not been dealt with to our knowledge.”

Allyssa began to speak, but Tahnet was not finished. “The fact that you saw them enter the building that your apartment is in does not bode well for us. The fact that your apartment was ransacked after you sent one of your own assassins in does not bode well, either.”

Tindrahk was growing impatient. “What are you getting at, Tahnet?”

Tahnet spoke his mind cleanly. “Most of you think that I have too much dreamer in me. You think that my imagination is too great. I can see it in how my warning to you all about Yrraxea’s wrath was dismissed. But it matters not, really. I think the wizard of Eberdeen has been compromised. If they knew to look for Allyssa, then they had to get that information through the wizard. They had to get that information through Ankh-Bahl. If they knew to look for Allyssa, then they knew to look for the rest of the servants of Ankh-Bahl as well. What if the whole mission is compromised? What if that is the reason why Yrraxea would only shield herself from me with her wrath when I tried to contact her?”

Allyssa chuckled, and she was quickly joined by Tindrahk and Barrie. After they had laughed for a few seconds, even Gallahn began to laugh. Allyssa replied to Tahnet’s warning first. “You think that a bunch of nothing fighters from the backwater village of Huetown could take on Yrraxea’s personal demonic assassin and win? Oh, come now, Tahnet. I know that you are a half-breed, but certainly one of parents gave you access to a brain. Either your human or elf parent had to have taught you some ability to think. Those freedom fighters from Huetown are nothing but glorified thieves. They sneak through the tunnels and use guerilla tactics, and that is the only way that they do anything remotely capable of being called winning.”

Ischarus and Charis couldn’t help but smile at the fact that their resourcefulness was being mocked and underestimated. They knew that Tahnet’s instincts had led him down the path of truth, but the vanity of the others wouldn’t let them listen. From the perspective of Ischarus and Charis, the conversation had just gotten interesting.

Tahnet objected once more. “You heard the report from Ankh-Bahl herself through the wizard. They defeated a red dragon of Quehalost. That is no small feat.”

Tindrahk chuckled once more. “Tahnet, don’t embarrass yourself, and don’t embarrass me for choosing you to be a part of this expedition to Fingerdale. They didn’t defeat the red dragon. A flight of three virtuous dragons from Barghost flew to their aid. The dragons battled one another. If the party had to fight the dragon alone, they would have lost miserably. And that means that there is no way that they could have taken on the wizard. Even if they would have found a way to defeat Allyssa’s master, they would not have been able to get past Ankh-Bahl. They just aren’t that powerful, especially since they would have had to defeat the wizard in a tough battle first.”

Tahnet began to object again. “There is a reason you brought me, sir. I can see things.”

Tindrahk paused for a moment and spoke once more with reason in his voice. “Indeed. You are a dreamer of dreams and a seer of visions. But think about it. This time your imagination has gotten the best of you. The defeat of Ankh-Bahl at the hands of the puny party from Huetown is ridiculous. Even you must admit that.”

Tahnet didn’t want to admit it, but he silently nodded. The nod put him in his place. He was submissive to Tindrahk. It was as if he were the omega in a wolf pack that had been forced to expose his vulnerable underbelly. He had voiced his mind, and when he was challenged he had been forced to submit.
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Ischarus turned to Charis and gave her a slight smile. It was good to know that their efforts were being underestimated. Of course, even so what Tindrahk had said was true. They couldn’t have defeated the wizard or Ankh-Bahl on their own. Without the help of Masters Brandt and Searthu or even the Wizard’s College guards the party would not have been successful. Fortunately, it seemed as though the followers of Yrraxea were unaware of the party’s connections to the temple of Reah.

Gallahn turned the conversation within the room away from the youngest of the followers of Yrraxea. “We are ready with the Ephistaemi deception?”

Neither Ischarus nor Charis could see it, but Allyssa smiled. There was a certain level of enjoyment in her response. “Yes, and that is my favorite part. The deception is absolutely perfect, and it has been the best part of my master’s plan. I suspect that the plan was actually derived from Ankh-Bahl within him, but either way it is largely brilliant. Each of the assassins in the seven towns will be equipped with daggers inscribed with the secret Ephistaemi insignia.”

Barrie grinned as she reached across the table. “May I see it?”

A serious tone overcame Allyssa’s speech. “Most certainly not. My master went through a good bit of trouble to discover that insignia. The fewer people that know about it, the better off the deception will be.”

Tindrahk knew the plan, but he wanted Allyssa to bring his companions into the well crafted plan. “And the party? You’re not worried about the fact that they were not destroyed?”

Allyssa grinned. “The party? At first I was dismayed at their ability to show up outside my apartment. And as I said before, it is a disgrace to Ankh-Bahl that they remained alive. By now, their presence should be removed in any regard. But even if they are not, they will only help the deception. My master and I spoke on this possibility when he was unable to find any remains after Opheiluka was supposed to have destroyed the party. As far as they know, their villa was destroyed by the Ephistaemi. Even if they are alive, they will be pulled into the deception. In my greatest hope, they may even add to the belief of the deception.”

Barrie completed the logic of the plan. “If they are alive, when they hear of the Ephistaemi dagger found in the murder of Lord Ironblood, they will bring their own evidence to bear. Again, that is assuming that they somehow survived your surprise at the beginning of the dock.”

Allyssa confirmed the conclusion. “Actually, if Iasho is as smart as my master assumed him to be, the status of the party is actually irrelevant.”

This information was new to Tindrahk, and he questioned Allyssa on the name. “Iasho?”

Allyssa grinned at just how detailed the wizard of Eberdeen had been in explaining the plan to her. “Iasho. He is Rhema’s father and owner of the villa in Huetown. In the original plan, he was supposed to be so distraught about his daughter’s death that his inner turmoil would drive him to seeking justice upon discovery of the Ephistaemi plot to kill Lord Ironblood. If the party is alive, then they play his part in our modified plan. But if the party was handled by your servants as we approached the dock, his inner angst will be all the more raw and tender. Either way, the earlier deception in the destruction of Iasho’s villa in Huetown continues to serve our purpose.”

Tahnet was impressed. “So, the Ephistaemi deception has already given us the Arum Dracunculus for free. Now, the past deception will only serve to make this deception more realistic.”

Allyssa was pleased. “Exactly. When the Ephistaemi daggers show up all over Tongra and the connection is made to the villa in Huetown, the people will have their villainous organization. The hunt for the mysterious Ephistaemi will be on. Of course, a leader for that hunt will step forward. Ankh-Bahl, using the knowledge within my master, will step forward and lead the hunt for the Ephistaemi. Once Ankh-Bahl obtains her first bits of success, she will have the toehold that she needs. She can bring Yrraxea to Tongra either subtly or dramatically.”

Outside the room, Ischarus shook his head. This had been the second time through the explanation of the Yrraxean deception and he still couldn’t believe the incredible chance that it had for success. Had the assassins not already been intercepted, the Confederacy of Tongra would be on the verge of losing seven of the ten most significant leaders of Tongra. The three that would remain were hardly powerful enough to stabilize the country. The areas they governed were already wracked by the battles along the Tongra-Quehalost Mountains.

Tahnet grinned as he allowed his nature to take him down the path of dreaming. “Once Tongra, then where will our Queen want to master? Fenneress? The holy territory of Barghost? Perhaps she will want a conquest into Quehalost to liberate our trapped brethren?”

Tindrahk chuckled as his younger servant added to the conversation. “Putting the cart before the horse a bit, aren’t we? The control for Tongra will take time to evolve. And once the truth about Yrraxean control does eventually leak out into the public, there will no doubt be an offensive from Barghost, if not Fenneress as well. To speak of control of Tongra as if it is a foregone conclusion is a bit premature.”

Barrie added an additional opinion to the conversation. “Of course, that doesn’t even bring to light the additional hidden gatherings of opposing deities brought to power in the land of Quehalost.”

Gallahn jumped onto what he thought was Allyssa’s conclusion. “Yes. Once they see the power of Yrraxea, they’ll be forced to capitulate with our greatness and join our cause.”

Allyssa chuckled in obvious amusement. “Yes, you might think that. But we are not in league with the followers of other deities from Quehalost except in the rare instance where we are called to defeat those who are strong in Barghost. The truth is that if we are found out to be in power over Tongra, the hidden followers of other gods and goddesses of Quehalost will no doubt react in anger and jealousy. They will come against us to take what is ours.”

Tahnet decided to allow his youth to show through and question the older and wiser Yrraxean leaders. “So even when we control Tongra, we will still have to be wary of a civil war?”

Tindrahk explained even further. “Of course. Many will be persuaded to join our ranks when we deliver them from the Ephistaemi threat. But many will not. Many will oppose our Queen in spite of the order that we will bring to Tongra. We will unify the confederacy, but there will be people inside the boundaries of Tongra that simply do not ever accept what we bring to this world.”

Allyssa allowed a tone of sarcasm to be present as she spoke. “You mean, of course, people like us who have a better plan for Tongra than its current existence?”

Tindrahk chuckled with Allyssa’s assertion. “Of course. But few are as driven as we are.”

Allyssa thumped the table hard as she rose up from her chair. “Of course! But I feel like we have spoken enough for the night. Tomorrow I’ll show you that I’m good for my word. Lord Ironblood will be dead by noon. And, unless you have anything else for me, I think it’s time for me to be heading towards my apartment.”

Ischarus’ eyes widened with the realization that the meeting was ending rather suddenly. He turned to look to Charis, but she was already backing away from the door. With a nod he directed her to head to the top deck.

Before Ischarus had an opportunity to follow, he heard Allyssa stride to the door while Tindrahk officially concluded the meeting. He didn’t have time to follow Charis up the stairs. Instead, his head turned to the archway across the hall from the closed door. It was a fair way down the steps, but there was a chance it might work. It might be his only chance to avoid detection.

Charis easily reached the top deck and burst out of the staircase and into the moonlight. She saw that both of the guards were still tied up, and only one of them had regained consciousness. At this point, she no longer cared much about noise. She ran across the deck and stopped for a moment beside the guard who was not conscious.

The other guard tried to cry out through his muffled gag, but Charis was in little danger of the gagged guard raising an alarm. She knelt to the deck and could see that the unconscious guard was in little danger of dying. She also knew that it didn’t matter. “Bondras-tol Egro.”

The now conscious man breathed in deeply through his nose as he woke up. It was then that Charis turned around to look for Ischarus. She didn’t see him, but she did hear Allyssa’s footsteps at the base of the staircase. She didn’t have a choice and couldn’t wait any longer. She stood up and dove over the rail of the ship. She entered the water with a loud splash and tried to swim as far under water as possible before coming to the surface for air.

Rhema knew what the splash meant. Something had gone wrong aboard the ship and either Charis or Ischarus needed to leave in a hurry. The dock guard immediately turned towards the splash and began searching the dark water. Rhema stood up so quickly she almost legitimately fell into the water. Had the guard not grabbed hold of her once more, Rhema would have entered into the water for sure.

Rhema turned to him and allowed her mental power to flow through her voice once more. He was already under her influence, so adding to the effect would be rather easy. “I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood for a swim. I don’t see anyone from the prior splash coming to the surface. They might need our help. We’ve got to get in there!”

She turned and jumped head first into the water without waiting for a response. She had done all that she could to get the guard into the water. If the dock guard stayed, he would likely feel the wrath of Allyssa and the Yrraxeans once they discovered that the ship had been boarded. If the dock guard followed her, they could at least protect him from their wrath. She hoped her urgency would help compel the dock guard into action.

The guard did jump head first in order to follow Rhema into the water. It wasn’t the logical choice, but his brain was no longer working in a logical manner. He had been sucked into Rhema’s control, and he now acted out of instinct. Fortunately for him, Rhema was ultimately protecting him. She was responsible for his safety since her ability to deceive him had put him in jeopardy. He couldn’t have known what heinous villains were gathering and planning on that ship.

Under the main deck, Allyssa had opened the door only moments after Charis climbed the stairs. Ischarus had taken two quick steps down into the storage hold when he spotted several ropes tied to the supports that held up the floor from the level that he was just on. He leapt off of the staircase and grabbed one of the ropes. As he swung, he reached out and grabbed a second rope in order to reduce as much momentum as he could. Luck was on his side. Before Allyssa could enter the hallway, he hung silently from the ropes.

He listened as Allyssa walked down the hallway. Her footsteps were the only ones that he heard. She climbed the stairs, and he slowly let himself down to the floor using both ropes. He quickly hid once again as he made out Allyssa’s hurried footsteps returning down from the top deck.

She called out and raised the alarm. “We’ve been boarded! Two individuals came on board and fled into the water! The dock guard went with them. Come, we’ve got to search the water before they escape.”

Tindrahk and his followers quickly moved above deck and searched the water from the ship’s rail. When they didn’t find anything, Tahnet was left to guard the staircase while the rest moved up the dock to search among the other moored vessels. They were not successful.

Ischarus couldn’t understand how lucky he was. He knew that the deck guards were aware that two people had boarded the ship. He also knew that at most the deck guards could have seen Charis go overboard. He couldn’t know that Rhema’s quick thinking to enter the water and take the dock guard with her had allowed the deck guards to count the proper number of splashes. He couldn’t know that from their perspective, three people had entered the water. He couldn’t know that from the perspective of the deck guards everyone was accounted for.

[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]
Ischarus turned to Charis and gave her a slight smile. It was good to know that their efforts were being underestimated. Of course, even so what Tindrahk had said was true. They couldn’t have defeated the wizard or Ankh-Bahl on their own. Without the help of Masters Brandt and Searthu or even the Wizard’s College guards the party would not have been successful. Fortunately, it seemed as though the followers of Yrraxea were unaware of the party’s connections to the temple of Reah.

Gallahn turned the conversation within the room away from the youngest of the followers of Yrraxea. “We are ready with the Ephistaemi deception?”

Neither Ischarus nor Charis could see it, but Allyssa smiled. There was a certain level of enjoyment in her response. “Yes, and that is my favorite part. The deception is absolutely perfect, and it has been the best part of my master’s plan. I suspect that the plan was actually derived from Ankh-Bahl within him, but either way it is largely brilliant. Each of the assassins in the seven towns will be equipped with daggers inscribed with the secret Ephistaemi insignia.”

Barrie grinned as she reached across the table. “May I see it?”

A serious tone overcame Allyssa’s speech. “Most certainly not. My master went through a good bit of trouble to discover that insignia. The fewer people that know about it, the better off the deception will be.”

Tindrahk knew the plan, but he wanted Allyssa to bring his companions into the well crafted plan. “And the party? You’re not worried about the fact that they were not destroyed?”

Allyssa grinned. “The party? At first I was dismayed at their ability to show up outside my apartment. And as I said before, it is a disgrace to Ankh-Bahl that they remained alive. By now, their presence should be removed in any regard. But even if they are not, they will only help the deception. My master and I spoke on this possibility when he was unable to find any remains after Opheiluka was supposed to have destroyed the party. As far as they know, their villa was destroyed by the Ephistaemi. Even if they are alive, they will be pulled into the deception. In my greatest hope, they may even add to the belief of the deception.”

Barrie completed the logic of the plan. “If they are alive, when they hear of the Ephistaemi dagger found in the murder of Lord Ironblood, they will bring their own evidence to bear. Again, that is assuming that they somehow survived your surprise at the beginning of the dock.”

Allyssa confirmed the conclusion. “Actually, if Iasho is as smart as my master assumed him to be, the status of the party is actually irrelevant.”

This information was new to Tindrahk, and he questioned Allyssa on the name. “Iasho?”

Allyssa grinned at just how detailed the wizard of Eberdeen had been in explaining the plan to her. “Iasho. He is Rhema’s father and owner of the villa in Huetown. In the original plan, he was supposed to be so distraught about his daughter’s death that his inner turmoil would drive him to seeking justice upon discovery of the Ephistaemi plot to kill Lord Ironblood. If the party is alive, then they play his part in our modified plan. But if the party was handled by your servants as we approached the dock, his inner angst will be all the more raw and tender. Either way, the earlier deception in the destruction of Iasho’s villa in Huetown continues to serve our purpose.”

Tahnet was impressed. “So, the Ephistaemi deception has already given us the Arum Dracunculus for free. Now, the past deception will only serve to make this deception more realistic.”

Allyssa was pleased. “Exactly. When the Ephistaemi daggers show up all over Tongra and the connection is made to the villa in Huetown, the people will have their villainous organization. The hunt for the mysterious Ephistaemi will be on. Of course, a leader for that hunt will step forward. Ankh-Bahl, using the knowledge within my master, will step forward and lead the hunt for the Ephistaemi. Once Ankh-Bahl obtains her first bits of success, she will have the toehold that she needs. She can bring Yrraxea to Tongra either subtly or dramatically.”

Outside the room, Ischarus shook his head. This had been the second time through the explanation of the Yrraxean deception and he still couldn’t believe the incredible chance that it had for success. Had the assassins not already been intercepted, the Confederacy of Tongra would be on the verge of losing seven of the ten most significant leaders of Tongra. The three that would remain were hardly powerful enough to stabilize the country. The areas they governed were already wracked by the battles along the Tongra-Quehalost Mountains.

Tahnet grinned as he allowed his nature to take him down the path of dreaming. “Once Tongra, then where will our Queen want to master? Fenneress? The holy territory of Barghost? Perhaps she will want a conquest into Quehalost to liberate our trapped brethren?”

Tindrahk chuckled as his younger servant added to the conversation. “Putting the cart before the horse a bit, aren’t we? The control for Tongra will take time to evolve. And once the truth about Yrraxean control does eventually leak out into the public, there will no doubt be an offensive from Barghost, if not Fenneress as well. To speak of control of Tongra as if it is a foregone conclusion is a bit premature.”

Barrie added an additional opinion to the conversation. “Of course, that doesn’t even bring to light the additional hidden gatherings of opposing deities brought to power in the land of Quehalost.”

Gallahn jumped onto what he thought was Allyssa’s conclusion. “Yes. Once they see the power of Yrraxea, they’ll be forced to capitulate with our greatness and join our cause.”

Allyssa chuckled in obvious amusement. “Yes, you might think that. But we are not in league with the followers of other deities from Quehalost except in the rare instance where we are called to defeat those who are strong in Barghost. The truth is that if we are found out to be in power over Tongra, the hidden followers of other gods and goddesses of Quehalost will no doubt react in anger and jealousy. They will come against us to take what is ours.”

Tahnet decided to allow his youth to show through and question the older and wiser Yrraxean leaders. “So even when we control Tongra, we will still have to be wary of a civil war?”

Tindrahk explained even further. “Of course. Many will be persuaded to join our ranks when we deliver them from the Ephistaemi threat. But many will not. Many will oppose our Queen in spite of the order that we will bring to Tongra. We will unify the confederacy, but there will be people inside the boundaries of Tongra that simply do not ever accept what we bring to this world.”

Allyssa allowed a tone of sarcasm to be present as she spoke. “You mean, of course, people like us who have a better plan for Tongra than its current existence?”

Tindrahk chuckled with Allyssa’s assertion. “Of course. But few are as driven as we are.”

Allyssa thumped the table hard as she rose up from her chair. “Of course! But I feel like we have spoken enough for the night. Tomorrow I’ll show you that I’m good for my word. Lord Ironblood will be dead by noon. And, unless you have anything else for me, I think it’s time for me to be heading towards my apartment.”

Ischarus’ eyes widened with the realization that the meeting was ending rather suddenly. He turned to look to Charis, but she was already backing away from the door. With a nod he directed her to head to the top deck.

Before Ischarus had an opportunity to follow, he heard Allyssa stride to the door while Tindrahk officially concluded the meeting. He didn’t have time to follow Charis up the stairs. Instead, his head turned to the archway across the hall from the closed door. It was a fair way down the steps, but there was a chance it might work. It might be his only chance to avoid detection.

Charis easily reached the top deck and burst out of the staircase and into the moonlight. She saw that both of the guards were still tied up, and only one of them had regained consciousness. At this point, she no longer cared much about noise. She ran across the deck and stopped for a moment beside the guard who was not conscious.

The other guard tried to cry out through his muffled gag, but Charis was in little danger of the gagged guard raising an alarm. She knelt to the deck and could see that the unconscious guard was in little danger of dying. She also knew that it didn’t matter. “Bondras-tol Egro.”

The now conscious man breathed in deeply through his nose as he woke up. It was then that Charis turned around to look for Ischarus. She didn’t see him, but she did hear Allyssa’s footsteps at the base of the staircase. She didn’t have a choice and couldn’t wait any longer. She stood up and dove over the rail of the ship. She entered the water with a loud splash and tried to swim as far under water as possible before coming to the surface for air.

Rhema knew what the splash meant. Something had gone wrong aboard the ship and either Charis or Ischarus needed to leave in a hurry. The dock guard immediately turned towards the splash and began searching the dark water. Rhema stood up so quickly she almost legitimately fell into the water. Had the guard not grabbed hold of her once more, Rhema would have entered into the water for sure.

Rhema turned to him and allowed her mental power to flow through her voice once more. He was already under her influence, so adding to the effect would be rather easy. “I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood for a swim. I don’t see anyone from the prior splash coming to the surface. They might need our help. We’ve got to get in there!”

She turned and jumped head first into the water without waiting for a response. She had done all that she could to get the guard into the water. If the dock guard stayed, he would likely feel the wrath of Allyssa and the Yrraxeans once they discovered that the ship had been boarded. If the dock guard followed her, they could at least protect him from their wrath. She hoped her urgency would help compel the dock guard into action.

The guard did jump head first in order to follow Rhema into the water. It wasn’t the logical choice, but his brain was no longer working in a logical manner. He had been sucked into Rhema’s control, and he now acted out of instinct. Fortunately for him, Rhema was ultimately protecting him. She was responsible for his safety since her ability to deceive him had put him in jeopardy. He couldn’t have known what heinous villains were gathering and planning on that ship.

Under the main deck, Allyssa had opened the door only moments after Charis climbed the stairs. Ischarus had taken two quick steps down into the storage hold when he spotted several ropes tied to the supports that held up the floor from the level that he was just on. He leapt off of the staircase and grabbed one of the ropes. As he swung, he reached out and grabbed a second rope in order to reduce as much momentum as he could. Luck was on his side. Before Allyssa could enter the hallway, he hung silently from the ropes.

He listened as Allyssa walked down the hallway. Her footsteps were the only ones that he heard. She climbed the stairs, and he slowly let himself down to the floor using both ropes. He quickly hid once again as he made out Allyssa’s hurried footsteps returning down from the top deck.

She called out and raised the alarm. “We’ve been boarded! Two individuals came on board and fled into the water! The dock guard went with them. Come, we’ve got to search the water before they escape.”

Tindrahk and his followers quickly moved above deck and searched the water from the ship’s rail. When they didn’t find anything, Tahnet was left to guard the staircase while the rest moved up the dock to search among the other moored vessels. They were not successful.

Ischarus couldn’t understand how lucky he was. He knew that the deck guards were aware that two people had boarded the ship. He also knew that at most the deck guards could have seen Charis go overboard. He couldn’t know that Rhema’s quick thinking to enter the water and take the dock guard with her had allowed the deck guards to count the proper number of splashes. He couldn’t know that from their perspective, three people had entered the water. He couldn’t know that from the perspective of the deck guards everyone was accounted for.
[/Sblock]

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Rhema quickly found Charis in the water and feigned helping her to the shore in order to keep the dock guard under her influence. The disguise of helping her reach solid ground kept the dock guard out of danger from the Yrraxeans for the time being. As they swam, they could hear the confusion on the ship behind them.

Semeion and Ophee helped get Rhema, Charis, and the dock guard out of the water as quickly as possible. They had been alerted to the impending danger by the sudden splashes of water. As he and Ophee helped get their friends out of the water they could hear a few of the Yrraxeans leaving the boat and walking along the dock. The party hurried to the small storehouse that they had been using as cover for the night. Rhema was able to convince the dock guard to come with them in case Charis needed assistance.

As they entered the storehouse, Rhema took a look at the assassins that they had managed to defeat earlier this evening. “We’ll need to keep them quiet until our pursuit looses interest.”

Charis ignored Rhema’s comment and interrupted with her own concern. “Well, to be honest, it isn’t going to make much difference how quiet we are. We’ve left a bit of a water trial from the dock.”

Semeion turned to his wife and gave her a bit of a kiss on the forehead. “I can take care of that.” He turned back to the water and spoke softly while gesturing a sign of dismissal. “Pazuhs Umaam.” The water appeared to vanish as soon as Semeion spoke the words.

Charis turned back to her husband and smiled. “You know a spell to evaporate water?”

Semeion shook his head. “No, but I do know a spell that will alter the appearance of small things. I simply made the dock appear to look dry. But the water is still actually there.”

Rhema pulled Semeion inside the storehouse and closed the door quietly. She turned to Charis and a look of panic appeared on her face. “Okay, so what happened to Ischarus? Please tell me that he’s safe and alive.”

Charis looked away, knowing that Rhema had done a good job of keeping her composure up until now. However, it pained her to think of the emotional turmoil that she was about to spring upon her. “He was alive when I left. The conversation we were spying on ended much more suddenly than we thought. I was able to make it to the stairs, but he wasn’t. Instead of getting to the stairs, he jumped down into the hold of the ship. Considering that everyone in the room charged up the stairs after me, I’m assuming that they didn’t know that he was down there.”

Rhema didn’t offer up a response. Her face paled as she thought of Ischarus trapped aboard the ship. She turned to the dock guard and mustered as much charm as she could offer. “Thanks for looking out for me. The thing is that the people aboard that ship are planning some pretty evil things. To keep you from getting implicated in their plan and spending the rest of your life in jail, I wanted to bring you here and keep you safe. I wouldn’t have wanted anything to happen to you if you didn’t know what you were getting into.”

The dock guard looked a bit confused as the sudden revelation seemed to blindside his life, but Rhema’s mental charm continued to work on him. He didn’t respond, but he did sit down upon the ground and stare at the tied up assassins. He nervously smiled at the rest of the party, wondering about his own fate.

Semeion turned back to Rhema. “You know, if we wait out the Yrraxeans, we could return to the temple. We’ve made good use of the rings of teleportation before. I don’t see why we couldn’t use them one more time to get into the hold of the ship. We could be in and out without them knowing about it.”

Rhema breathed in slowly. She was clearly unhappy with the situation. “Unless they have the ship protected.”

Charis smiled and gave Rhema a loving embrace. “They won’t. They don’t know about our tactics. They didn’t even know that the wizard in Eberdeen had been destroyed. We’ll get him, so long as he is willing to stay put and not try anything heroic.”

They stayed in the storehouse for several hours, keeping everyone quiet. They hadn’t heard the Yrraxeans pass by their location, which was for the best. Had the Yrraxeans passed near their hiding spot, they might have stepped on the wet spots and potentially ruined Semeion’s illusion. As it was, they remained undiscovered.

After several hours, the party decided to head back to the temple. They decided to leave the assassins in the storehouse while they made their way back to the temple. If the assassins were discovered, it wouldn’t hurt their situation. If they weren’t discovered, they would return for them the next day after they had apprehended Allyssa.

When they returned to the temple, Brandt gave Rhema two of the gold rings. “Go and get him. There’s no point sending all of you in. If he’s there, you can give him the spare. If they’re expecting you because they’ve discovered him, it’ll be easier to rescue two of you than four.”

Rhema snatched the rings from Brandt’s hand and slipped one on her finger. She didn’t need any explanation on how they worked; she’d used them enough before. She twisted the ring and immediately thought of the ship’s hold. Since she was able to bring up a vivid image of the ship, the ring’s magic worked perfectly. A second later she appeared in the cargo hold.

The hold was darker than the outside world on a starless and moonless night. There was no light whatsoever flooding into the hold from the floor above where Ischarus and Charis had crouched outside the doorway. However, Rhema’s biology didn’t require her to have light to see in the dark. She could make out several stacks of boxes, although her ability to see them only allowed her to see them in a light shade of gray.

Even though she could see, Rhema didn’t want to risk making any noise by stumbling around in the ship’s hold. She simply whispered in the dark. “Ischarus?”

The hold was silent for several seconds, so she spoke a little louder. “Ischarus, it’s Rhema. I’ve got a ring that will get us out of here. Are you still down here?”

She waited several more seconds before she heard a soft noise from the other end of the ship. “Rhema? I can’t see you! Where are you?”

Rhema swallowed hard. It sounded like Ischarus, but she realized that it could easily be a trick. With her heightened vision, she scanned the room again but couldn’t see anyone struggling in the dark. She decided to risk shedding a bit of light into the hold so that Ischarus could find her. She reached into her pocket and removed a match. With a single strike, she caused the match to flare up in flame.

She could hear Ischarus chuckle, and then whisper. “I’ll need a bit more light than a match, Rhema.”

Rhema was now beginning to doubt his voice. He should have known that she could see in the dark. She smiled and focused her thoughts on the flame before it burned the whole way down to the end. The flame increased in size until it rivaled the size of a flame dancing upon the end of a torch.

Rhema heard a bit of movement from the direction of Ischarus’ voice. She used her mind control to cause the flame to leave the match and float through the air in the direction of the noise. As soon as the flame moved, she saw Ischarus’ head pop around one of the crates in the ship’s hold. There could be no doubt that it was her husband.

Out of excitement, Rhema forgot about the flame as soon as she saw Ischarus’ head. Since the flame had been feeding off of her mental energy and not the wood of the match, it winked out of existence as soon as Rhema stopped focusing on the flame. The hold of the ship was bathed in complete darkness once again.

Ischarus stopped short and whispered once more. “Rhema, I need light to come to you.”

Rhema walked cautiously towards Ischarus, trying to make as little noise as possible. “True. But I don’t need it to find you. Stay put.” Within seconds Rhema had met up with Ischarus.

Ischarus received her into his arms as she reached him. After they hugged for several seconds, Rhema pulled back and slipped a gold ring into his right palm. She gave him a simple piece of advice. “Put this on and think about Brandt’s office.”

Ischarus didn’t need any more help than that. He slipped the ring on and gave it a twist. Rhema watched his gray form vanish and gave her own ring a twist. In a matter of seconds the party was once more reunited in the temple of Reah. Ischarus stood with his hands over his eyes. After several hours in the darkness of the ship’s hull, his eyes couldn’t take the brilliance of Brandt’s office.

Brandt smiled. “Well done. I doubt they even knew that you were there in that short of time.”

Ischarus smiled. “Well, I’m just glad that’s over. I wondered how long I was going to be in the hold of that ship. I didn’t want to leave, because I didn’t know if I would have to fight my way off.”

Brandt motioned to the seating area in his office that was becoming like a second home to the party. “Care to sit down and tell me what you all learned?”

The party wandered over to the chairs, but the truth was that they were tired after the activity of the day. Charis began to tell the tale. “Well, the truth is that we don’t know much. We know that there is going to be an attempt on Lord Ironblood’s life tomorrow.”

Brandt looked to Charis. “That’s all that you learned?”

Charis continued, noting that Ischarus was still a little overcome with the experience. “Yeah. We confirmed a bunch of things that we had already guessed. And we learned that they really don’t know what happened to the wizard. And we know that it is the Yrraxeans that are behind the attempt. But as far as the immediate plan, all we know is that at some point tomorrow Allyssa is going to assassinate Lord Ironblood with an Ephistaemi dagger. Their hope is that the Ephistaemi are going to be blamed so that the Yrraxeans can come into power. But that part at the end we learned from the wizard.”

Semeion shrugged. “Well, then, it seems like we don’t have much choice. We have to follow Lord Ironblood around tomorrow and hope we get lucky. We already fell for the Ephistaemi dagger rouse, and we fell for it hard. I’d expect the people of Tongra to do the same.”

Rhema shook her head. “No, there is something else we can do. If we can convince Lord Ironblood to allow himself to be replaced with a doppelganger then we might be able to do a bit more.”

Charis wrinkled her forehead as she tried to make sense of Rhema’s suggestion. “Doppleganger? But we don’t have access to that kind of resource, do we?”

Rhema laughed. “Well, if you mean someone who can quite literally change their appearance flawlessly, then not that I am aware of. But we can use a little magic to make an effective disguise.”

Brandt nodded. “I think that may be our best choice. If we can get Lord Ironblood and his people to agree to the plan, it is likely going to be our best chance at ensuring no harm comes to the lord. I’ll handle those details while you all prepare yourself for the morning.”

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Rhema quickly found Charis in the water and feigned helping her to the shore in order to keep the dock guard under her influence. The disguise of helping her reach solid ground kept the dock guard out of danger from the Yrraxeans for the time being. As they swam, they could hear the confusion on the ship behind them.

Semeion and Ophee helped get Rhema, Charis, and the dock guard out of the water as quickly as possible. They had been alerted to the impending danger by the sudden splashes of water. As he and Ophee helped get their friends out of the water they could hear a few of the Yrraxeans leaving the boat and walking along the dock. The party hurried to the small storehouse that they had been using as cover for the night. Rhema was able to convince the dock guard to come with them in case Charis needed assistance.

As they entered the storehouse, Rhema took a look at the assassins that they had managed to defeat earlier this evening. “We’ll need to keep them quiet until our pursuit looses interest.”

Charis ignored Rhema’s comment and interrupted with her own concern. “Well, to be honest, it isn’t going to make much difference how quiet we are. We’ve left a bit of a water trial from the dock.”

Semeion turned to his wife and gave her a bit of a kiss on the forehead. “I can take care of that.” He turned back to the water and spoke softly while gesturing a sign of dismissal. “Pazuhs Umaam.” The water appeared to vanish as soon as Semeion spoke the words.

Charis turned back to her husband and smiled. “You know a spell to evaporate water?”

Semeion shook his head. “No, but I do know a spell that will alter the appearance of small things. I simply made the dock appear to look dry. But the water is still actually there.”

Rhema pulled Semeion inside the storehouse and closed the door quietly. She turned to Charis and a look of panic appeared on her face. “Okay, so what happened to Ischarus? Please tell me that he’s safe and alive.”

Charis looked away, knowing that Rhema had done a good job of keeping her composure up until now. However, it pained her to think of the emotional turmoil that she was about to spring upon her. “He was alive when I left. The conversation we were spying on ended much more suddenly than we thought. I was able to make it to the stairs, but he wasn’t. Instead of getting to the stairs, he jumped down into the hold of the ship. Considering that everyone in the room charged up the stairs after me, I’m assuming that they didn’t know that he was down there.”

Rhema didn’t offer up a response. Her face paled as she thought of Ischarus trapped aboard the ship. She turned to the dock guard and mustered as much charm as she could offer. “Thanks for looking out for me. The thing is that the people aboard that ship are planning some pretty evil things. To keep you from getting implicated in their plan and spending the rest of your life in jail, I wanted to bring you here and keep you safe. I wouldn’t have wanted anything to happen to you if you didn’t know what you were getting into.”

The dock guard looked a bit confused as the sudden revelation seemed to blindside his life, but Rhema’s mental charm continued to work on him. He didn’t respond, but he did sit down upon the ground and stare at the tied up assassins. He nervously smiled at the rest of the party, wondering about his own fate.

Semeion turned back to Rhema. “You know, if we wait out the Yrraxeans, we could return to the temple. We’ve made good use of the rings of teleportation before. I don’t see why we couldn’t use them one more time to get into the hold of the ship. We could be in and out without them knowing about it.”

Rhema breathed in slowly. She was clearly unhappy with the situation. “Unless they have the ship protected.”

Charis smiled and gave Rhema a loving embrace. “They won’t. They don’t know about our tactics. They didn’t even know that the wizard in Eberdeen had been destroyed. We’ll get him, so long as he is willing to stay put and not try anything heroic.”

They stayed in the storehouse for several hours, keeping everyone quiet. They hadn’t heard the Yrraxeans pass by their location, which was for the best. Had the Yrraxeans passed near their hiding spot, they might have stepped on the wet spots and potentially ruined Semeion’s illusion. As it was, they remained undiscovered.

After several hours, the party decided to head back to the temple. They decided to leave the assassins in the storehouse while they made their way back to the temple. If the assassins were discovered, it wouldn’t hurt their situation. If they weren’t discovered, they would return for them the next day after they had apprehended Allyssa.

When they returned to the temple, Brandt gave Rhema two of the gold rings. “Go and get him. There’s no point sending all of you in. If he’s there, you can give him the spare. If they’re expecting you because they’ve discovered him, it’ll be easier to rescue two of you than four.”

Rhema snatched the rings from Brandt’s hand and slipped one on her finger. She didn’t need any explanation on how they worked; she’d used them enough before. She twisted the ring and immediately thought of the ship’s hold. Since she was able to bring up a vivid image of the ship, the ring’s magic worked perfectly. A second later she appeared in the cargo hold.

The hold was darker than the outside world on a starless and moonless night. There was no light whatsoever flooding into the hold from the floor above where Ischarus and Charis had crouched outside the doorway. However, Rhema’s biology didn’t require her to have light to see in the dark. She could make out several stacks of boxes, although her ability to see them only allowed her to see them in a light shade of gray.

Even though she could see, Rhema didn’t want to risk making any noise by stumbling around in the ship’s hold. She simply whispered in the dark. “Ischarus?”

The hold was silent for several seconds, so she spoke a little louder. “Ischarus, it’s Rhema. I’ve got a ring that will get us out of here. Are you still down here?”

She waited several more seconds before she heard a soft noise from the other end of the ship. “Rhema? I can’t see you! Where are you?”

Rhema swallowed hard. It sounded like Ischarus, but she realized that it could easily be a trick. With her heightened vision, she scanned the room again but couldn’t see anyone struggling in the dark. She decided to risk shedding a bit of light into the hold so that Ischarus could find her. She reached into her pocket and removed a match. With a single strike, she caused the match to flare up in flame.

She could hear Ischarus chuckle, and then whisper. “I’ll need a bit more light than a match, Rhema.”

Rhema was now beginning to doubt his voice. He should have known that she could see in the dark. She smiled and focused her thoughts on the flame before it burned the whole way down to the end. The flame increased in size until it rivaled the size of a flame dancing upon the end of a torch.

Rhema heard a bit of movement from the direction of Ischarus’ voice. She used her mind control to cause the flame to leave the match and float through the air in the direction of the noise. As soon as the flame moved, she saw Ischarus’ head pop around one of the crates in the ship’s hold. There could be no doubt that it was her husband.

Out of excitement, Rhema forgot about the flame as soon as she saw Ischarus’ head. Since the flame had been feeding off of her mental energy and not the wood of the match, it winked out of existence as soon as Rhema stopped focusing on the flame. The hold of the ship was bathed in complete darkness once again.

Ischarus stopped short and whispered once more. “Rhema, I need light to come to you.”

Rhema walked cautiously towards Ischarus, trying to make as little noise as possible. “True. But I don’t need it to find you. Stay put.” Within seconds Rhema had met up with Ischarus.

Ischarus received her into his arms as she reached him. After they hugged for several seconds, Rhema pulled back and slipped a gold ring into his right palm. She gave him a simple piece of advice. “Put this on and think about Brandt’s office.”

Ischarus didn’t need any more help than that. He slipped the ring on and gave it a twist. Rhema watched his gray form vanish and gave her own ring a twist. In a matter of seconds the party was once more reunited in the temple of Reah. Ischarus stood with his hands over his eyes. After several hours in the darkness of the ship’s hull, his eyes couldn’t take the brilliance of Brandt’s office.

Brandt smiled. “Well done. I doubt they even knew that you were there in that short of time.”

Ischarus smiled. “Well, I’m just glad that’s over. I wondered how long I was going to be in the hold of that ship. I didn’t want to leave, because I didn’t know if I would have to fight my way off.”

Brandt motioned to the seating area in his office that was becoming like a second home to the party. “Care to sit down and tell me what you all learned?”

The party wandered over to the chairs, but the truth was that they were tired after the activity of the day. Charis began to tell the tale. “Well, the truth is that we don’t know much. We know that there is going to be an attempt on Lord Ironblood’s life tomorrow.”

Brandt looked to Charis. “That’s all that you learned?”

Charis continued, noting that Ischarus was still a little overcome with the experience. “Yeah. We confirmed a bunch of things that we had already guessed. And we learned that they really don’t know what happened to the wizard. And we know that it is the Yrraxeans that are behind the attempt. But as far as the immediate plan, all we know is that at some point tomorrow Allyssa is going to assassinate Lord Ironblood with an Ephistaemi dagger. Their hope is that the Ephistaemi are going to be blamed so that the Yrraxeans can come into power. But that part at the end we learned from the wizard.”

Semeion shrugged. “Well, then, it seems like we don’t have much choice. We have to follow Lord Ironblood around tomorrow and hope we get lucky. We already fell for the Ephistaemi dagger rouse, and we fell for it hard. I’d expect the people of Tongra to do the same.”

Rhema shook her head. “No, there is something else we can do. If we can convince Lord Ironblood to allow himself to be replaced with a doppelganger then we might be able to do a bit more.”

Charis wrinkled her forehead as she tried to make sense of Rhema’s suggestion. “Doppleganger? But we don’t have access to that kind of resource, do we?”

Rhema laughed. “Well, if you mean someone who can quite literally change their appearance flawlessly, then not that I am aware of. But we can use a little magic to make an effective disguise.”

Brandt nodded. “I think that may be our best choice. If we can get Lord Ironblood and his people to agree to the plan, it is likely going to be our best chance at ensuring no harm comes to the lord. I’ll handle those details while you all prepare yourself for the morning.”
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