Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 985329" data-attributes="member: 9546">THINGS WITH WINGSThe ox cart pulled up to the small courtyard entrance to the temple of the Even-handed.  Two acolytes hurried out to meet it, glancing furtively up and down the street before pulling back the tarp.  Three unconscious figures lie on the bare boards, their dull, gray skin pierced by several deep wounds, blood dried and congealing around them.  “Quickly, get them inside,” Pez instructed.  The two young priests jumped to obey.  They knew better than to anger the tall elf.  He had a quick temper that he had demonstrated on more than one occasion.  It was no wonder the common folk sometimes referred to the Tyrites sarcastically as Tyrants.Oso helped Sal carry the second prisoner, while Pez hefted the third.  Tilly patted the oxen affectionately on their rumps.  He thought it had been one of his more brilliant ideas to have the church send the cart over to Keygan’s shop so that they could transport their captives without drawing undue attention to themselves.  Once inside, the creatures were taken to a little used vespers chamber.  There the acolytes began tending their wounds, but also made sure to bind their wrists and ankles to the posts of the beds on which they were laid.  Compassion only went so far after all, especially where the Lord of Justice was concerned.Ruphus bustled into the room, and after assessing the condition of Pez and his companions, he clucked his tongue and offered what aid he could.  His softly murmured prayers immediately eased the worst of the aches and pains, and closed most of the deeper injuries.  “You’ll still need rest,” he pronounced, “but that should hold you for now.”At that moment, Jenya appeared at the doorway, looking troubled and grave.  “I’ve spoken with Keygan,” she said, “His story is very disturbing.”“I should say so,” Pez nodded firmly, “So when is his trial?  Will he be executed immediately, or put to the question first?”“Pez, your overzealous nature is going to be your undoing,” Jenya scolded, “Justice does not equate with vigilanteism.  This city still has its own laws, and those dictate that guilt must be proven in court, and the accused is innocent until such time.”“Yes, well, I can see how that whole ‘evil men stole my rat’ story should impress a jury,” the elf scoffed, “How I long for the days when a lone priest in the wilderness could serve as judge, jury and executioner when it was called for.”“What about these three?” Jenya pointedly changed the subject, “Have you questioned them?”“I’m afraid not,” said Pez, “We were too busy engaging them in more ‘aggressive’ negotiations.  Besides, I don’t think we speak the same language.  According to the rat-lover…er Keygan, they speak a strange dialect.”“There are ways around that,” Jenya sighed, “but it will have to wait until tomorrow.  Their wounds must be taken care of, and I must meditate on the proper ritual to aid in communicating with them.  In the mean time, I have come upon some interesting information.  Those thugs that attacked you and Ruphus…it seems they were in the employ of the Last Laugh guild.  The masks they wore are distinctive.”“The Last Laugh?” Tilly piped up, “Those are some tough customers.  Sal and I had a bit of a…difference of opinion with a couple of them simply because we were trying to conduct a little honest trade on a street corner they considered their turf.  They didn’t seem like the kidnapping types though.  Break-your-legs-tie-rocks-to-your-feet-and-throw-you-in-the-lake kind of guys, to be sure, but not kidnappers.”“I would tend to agree with you,” Jenya nodded, “and I don’t know what their interest or involvement is with this.  Perhaps our gray friends can provide us with some insight in the morning.”“What about Keygan?” Pez asked, “Where is he now?”“He is in safe keeping,” Jenya replied, “We will keep him here in our custody until we get to the bottom of this, and then we will turn him over to the authorities.”“Fine,” Pez said shortly, “but I think a close watch should be kept on that shop of his.  Now that his associates know we’re on to them, they may escalate their activity.”“Any excellent idea!” said Jenya with a mischievous look in her eye “Why don’t you and your colleagues head back over there this evening?”  “Doesn’t that silly gnome keep any decent food around here?” Tilly muttered to himself as he rummaged through the pantry in Keygan’s kitchen.  The boredom had set in relatively early in the evening.  This whole ‘standing guard’ thing just wasn’t his cup of tea.  So, indulging his natural curiosity, he decided to explore.  Wouldn’t you know it though, all of the really interesting places in the shop were padlocked with some remarkably sturdy locks.  Leave it to a locksmith.  Fortunately, the pantry wasn’t quite so well guarded, and Tilly could see why.  There was nothing in there worth stealing…just some hard bread, and jerky.  “Oh well,” he thought to himself, “beggars can’t be choosers.”  He made himself a few sandwiches, then decided the others might want something, and so carried the entire contents back downstairs on a large tray.“Anything?” he asked as he entered the workroom where they had set up a makeshift camp.  “Not a peep,” Sal answered absently as he continued to toss coppers into a hat across the room.  Oso paced restlessly, occasionally stooping to examine this patch of dust or that one on the floor.  Tilly still didn’t know what to make of him.  He wasn’t exactly easy to get to know.  Still, he would hate to be on the receiving end of that bow.  The elf seemed to be a crack shot with it.  Pez seemed distracted.  He kept shrugging his shoulders and scratching at his back when he thought no one was looking.  “This is going to be a long night,” Tilly said to nobody in particular as he settled down to eat his booty.Pez had taken first watch, and had quickly entered Reverie afterwards.  As his mind told him that about four hours had passed, he roused himself.  Immediately he knew something was different, but it took a moment to figure out just what it was.  His first reaction was joy, but that was quickly followed by  anxiety and bewilderment.  His wings had returned, and not just vestigially either.  They unfolded to their full span with a mere twitch of his shoulder blades.  What did this mean?  Where his powers returning?  Was he once again in Favor?  He decided to try a little magic.  Concentrating, he pictured the temple sanctuary in his mind, willing himself to appear there.  When he opened his eyes, however, he was still in the workroom.  He sighed.  That was probably too much to ask for.  After all, his trumpet hadn’t suddenly reappeared.  Still…he did feel a slight tingle in his fingers, and a buzz in the back of his head.  Maybe something was there.  He would have to experiment a bit more later.  If his divine essence was indeed returning, then perhaps his actions of late had put on the path to redemption.  He could only hope…“Hey now!!  What’s this?”  Tilly’s squeaky voice startled him out of his thoughts, “Wings!!  You’ve got wings!  Where’d you get those?  Huh?  Where?  Can I have some?  How come you can have wings and we can’t?”So here was the conundrum.  On the one hand, Pez knew he was forbidden to reveal his true nature, while on the other hand, evidence of his true natured had just sprouted from his back for the entire world to see!“Now you listen, and listen closely, halfling,” he said in a low, menacing voice, “and this goes for you two as well.”  By now, Sal and Oso were awake and staring wide-eyed at him.  “My wings are none of your concern, and I don’t want to hear any of you mouthing off about them.  Do I make myself clear?”“Why?”  Tilly asked, undeterred.“Yes, why indeed?” said Oso, “It is clear that you are an Avariel, though why you didn’t reveal this from the beginning is beyond me.  Why are you ashamed of your heritage?”‘Of course!’ Pez thought to himself, why hadn’t that occurred to him sooner?  A winged elf!  That was the perfect cover story!“Well,” he said, recovering quickly, “Avariel’s aren’t widely known in these parts, as you are aware, and one might be treated with distrust and fear,” stretching the truth, but far from bending it.  At least his companions were content with the story.  Now to see if Jenya would be as gullible…“My, my…aren’t we taking our divine purpose a bit literally?” Jenya said smiling as she circled Pez, reaching out to stroke the feathery appendages.“No such thing, high priestess,” he quickly replied, “They are merely part of my…heritage.”“Yes,” Oso agreed, “He is an Avariel…a winged race of elves.  I’ve never met one before now, but my people tell many tales of them.”“An Avariel, you say…” Jenya rubbed her chin, “I too have heard of them, but it was my impression they achieved full use of their wings at adolescence.  Is there something you’re not telling me Pez?  Late bloomer are you?” she smiled secretively.“I…I…” Pez stammered.“Now, now,” she said, “don’t get yourself all in a fluster.  I’m just teasing you, but in any event you will tend to draw stares.  If I were you, I’d keep those under cover as much as possible…and any other…attributes…you suddenly decide to manifest.”Pez had a sinking feeling that the priestess knew more than she was letting on, so he tried to change the subject and let the matter drop.“Have you had any luck with the prisoners?”“As a matter of fact, I have.  Much more than I would have anticipated, actually.  The language they speak is called ‘Undercommon.’  It is apparently spoken in the subterranean realms.  The creatures refer to themselves as ‘those who go about unseen.’  The nearest word I can equate it to is ‘Skulk.’  “What about their allies…the ‘small ones’ Keygan referred to,” Salazar asked.“Yes, I asked about them as well.  The skulks call them ‘dwellers in shadow.’  Again, the word that seems to fit best is ‘Creeper.’  They say that the creepers are new arrivals in Jzadirune.  They are led by some other type of creature…a ‘Stalker’ for lack of a better term.  It seems that the two groups have reached some sort of truce.  The creepers assist the skulks in their kidnapping endeavors, in exchange for the wealth that they steal from their victims.”“But why are they kidnapping people in the first place?” Pez asked.“They claim to work for someone, or something called Kazmojen.  They identify him as a slave trader of some sort.”“Where is he?  Did they say?” Pez asked eagerly.“Not in Jzadirune, apparently.  They will only say that he is ‘below.’  Perhaps there is another set of ruins deeper than those of the gnomes.  You will certainly have to return there and investigate this further.”Pez narrowed his eyes suspiciously, “Why were these wretched creatures so forthcoming?  They seemed to have spilled their guts quite readily.  How can we be sure this is not some sort of trap?”“I’m afraid you can’t,” Jenya sighed, “though they strike me as essentially cowardly.  They seem to shun open confrontation, and under a bit of intimidation, they lose their nerve.”“Well, we had best return to Jzadirune soon,” Pez said, turning to leave, “lest their comrades find some hidden stores of resolve and organize the whole place against us.”As the quartet glanced up and down the street before reentering the locksmith’s shop, a pair of steely eyes watched them suspiciously from a dark alley.  The hidden observer waited for them to go inside and then detached himself from the shadows and quickly crossed the street…</blockquote>

Verification