Episode 25
Tome Chasing
“Wait!” E’lissar called out. “Do you want me to check the door for traps?”
“I have checked the door,” Quarion replied haughtily. “There are no traps.”
“Another set of eyes could not hurt,” E’lissar offered.
Quarion stared back, “I am trained. I know what I am doing.”
“Uh oh, an elf fight!” Gerhardt jeered. “There will be a lot of slapping, scratching, and hair pulling in this affair.”
E’lissar relented, “Of course you are expert in this area Quarion. My apologies. Understand, I was only trying to help.”
“Thank you,” Quarion replied. Quarion turned back to the door and yanked it open. A spear trap was set off and went straight through Quarion’s abdomen, lacerating internal organs. The rogue rolled to his side and began to bleed profusely.
Gerhardt began laughing.
Hilde ran to aid Quarion, pulling a healing potion from her pack. “Shut up Gerhadt!”
“I can’t help it,” he replied. “It’s just too damn beautiful!”
“We got company,” Ranin warned as he drew his bow and notched an arrow.
“Halt!” Gjord commanded the figure.
The human took off running to the far side of the chamber and tried to run up the stairs. Ranin and E’lissar were both too quick for him. They let their missiles fly as he reached the first landing.
The set of arrows hit home, and the man stumbled and then fell off the staircase back to the floor. Gerhardt rushed in and raised his sword over the wounded man. Shock had taken effect and he could see he would die from the arrow wounds.
“Gerhardt don’t,” Gjord called.
“I wasn’t, I can tell he’s going,” Gerhardt replied.
“Hilde come quickly,” Gjord implored the cleric.
Hilde left Quarion’s side and approached the man. She said a quick chant that stabilized him and saved him. “He will recover,” she said.
“He is coming back,” Gerhardt reported. “Can you hear me?”
The man nodded.
“Look at this,” E’lissar called from the other side of the room. He pointed to a dark stained pattern in the floor.
“A summoning pentagram,” Hilde stated. Her eyes returned to the man and she asked, “Did you summon that demon?”
He shook his head in denial. He spoke with a weak voice, “I am just working a job for the network.”
“The network?” E’lissar asked.
Why would the thieves’ guild be involved? he wondered to himself.
Quarion pushed himself up and slowly shuffled over by the man. He took the man’s hand and looked at his palm. “He has the mark.”
“What mark?” Gerhardt asked.
“The mark of mercy,” Quarion answered. Seeing by the look on the fighter’s face that this did not answer Gerhardt’s question he elaborated, “When a young person under the age of two decades is arrested for a crime they may plead for mercy of the Messenger in court. If mercy is granted, which it normally is, the prisoner is branded with the sign of the Messenger’s mercy on their palm and they are spared.”
“They live, but their prospects are further reduced by the mark,” E’lissar added. “Most must find alternative employment.”
“It only proves he was convicted of a crime. It does not mean he is in the network,” Gjord said.
“I believe him,” Hilde said confidently. “We have no quarrel with the Network, however, a good friend of mine has died at the hands of the demon summoned here. What do you know about that?”
“I only know about a delivery job. I know nothing about a demon.”
Hilde half smiled, “I believe you. What kind of delivery job?”
“My part was to find an entrance into Darman’s shop and that’s it,” the man insisted.
“What else do you know? Where did they take the tome?” Gjord asked.
“They were taking it to meet a fellow at one of the old border towers,” the man said.
“So you knew it was concerning a tome?” Hilde asked.
“Yes, but after I found the way in, I left through the main tunnel under Agape Street. I was assigned to keep an eye on this place a couple of hours ago and if anybody came through, I was to report it to my boss.”
“How else is the network involved?” Gjord asked.
“How many strands in the spider web?” the man replied. “I know my part and I know the delivery was completed, aside from that – nothing.”
“You have been helpful,” Hilde remarked. “Return his weapon to him.”
Gjord threw him his sword.
The man caught his sword. “Am I free to go?”
“You are,” Hilde answered.
The man disappeared into the darkness of the sewer.
“Do you think that was wise?” Gjord questioned.
“Do you want to tangle with the network?” Gerhardt asked.
“It was unnecessary to create more enemies,” Hilde agreed. “As the old saying goes ‘He that shows no mercy deserves none.’”
“Or my favorite,” Gerhardt offered. “Do not mess with the network.”
……
The tower in the wilderness outside of Derlon still looked abandoned, but the keen eyes of the rangers had picked up numerous signs of activity. The group entered the debris-laden first floor.
A spiral staircase went up from the floor. Ranin looked the stone steps over, “Not much traffic this way.”
“I’ll check it out,” Gerhardt volunteered. He ran up the stairs and came down a few minutes later. “A few stirges, nothing else,” he reported.
Gjord had discovered a trap door in the debris in the corner of the chamber. The group descended an ancient iron rung ladder into a small room. A long corridor extended away from the room.
The elves Ranin and E’lissar scouted ahead and towards the end of the long corridor, they spied a light.
To be continued…
