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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 3286793" data-attributes="member: 5203">Secret MissionIt lives!&nbsp; It lives!!----------------------------------&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly’s spade bit into the hard-packed earth, turning over chunks of hard clay and flinging them out of the deep hole in which the Inquisitor stood.&nbsp; Sweat ran down his dirt-caked brow, despite the chill of the winter day, stinging his eyes.&nbsp; He stood for a moment, surveying his work, and then looked up at the two acolytes standing above him, nodding.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The two men hoisted Tolly out of the hole, and then four more Ardarans carried over a bundle wrapped in white cloth, and placed it as gently as they could into the pit.&nbsp; Tolly stood silently at the foot of the grave for a moment, then stepped aside to allow the Eritan priest waiting nearby to perform last rites.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As he listened to the words being intoned in Elvish, Tolly looked over at the row of wrapped corpses still waiting for burial.&nbsp; There were still five left, and the sun was starting to descend.&nbsp; He would not finish tonight.&nbsp; He could, of course, have used magic to dig all of the graves in a single day, rather than the fourteen he had spent at the task, but Tolly knew he had to do the work by hand.&nbsp; It was only right.&nbsp; And he had hoped he would find some solace in this deep communion with the Earth, that each blow of a pick or turn of a shovel would unearth answers in his own soul.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; But comfort still eluded him.&nbsp; Why had he done this?&nbsp; Why had he unleashed such destruction in the pursuit of those agents of Meeranda?&nbsp; He knew what answer he would have given at the time – there were agents of the enemy about, blasphemers who had infiltrated the city’s heart and abducted a high-ranking political figure, and he had acted to protect the realm as a whole.&nbsp; This answer no longer satisfied him as sufficient, but he could not pin down what was missing.&nbsp; Until he knew, Tolly feared he might chose to act in a similar fashion in the future.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is not the work of a scalpel, Tolly thought, hearkening back to that time three years ago when his purpose within the church had been laid before him by the archons before Archprelate Jerome had raised him from the dead.&nbsp; This is the work of a cudgel.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching hoofbeats.&nbsp; He looked up to see his apprentice, Crystal, dismounting and walking toward him, scroll in her hand.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I have a message for you, sir,” she said, handing him the scroll.&nbsp; The wax seal bore the stamp of the Ardaran Prelate Council.&nbsp; Tolly looked at the seal for a long time.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Are you going to read it, sir?” Crystal asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I already know what it says.”&nbsp; Despite this, Tolly produced a dagger and sliced through the seal, then unrolled the heavy parchment.&nbsp;Brother Tolly Nightsleaving,By Order of the Archprelate and the Prelate Council, you have been relieved of the duties, privileges, and authority of the office of Inquisitor Primus.&nbsp; You will immediately return all badges and symbols of office to the Cathedral of Eminent Order.&nbsp; You have also been expelled from the Order of the Inquisition, and may no longer publicly claim fellowship with said Order on pain of censure.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As your new status within the Church of Ardara no longer permits you the authority to oversee the training of acolytes, Sister Crystal has been reassigned to apprentice with Inquisitor Primus Ardent.&nbsp; Any obligations which either of you may have held toward the other as a result of your previous relationship are considered void by this Council.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It is our hope that in the future, you will choose to be guided by Ardara’s will in your thoughts and actions.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly’s face remained impassive, even when a few short lines, penned in Frelarr’s own hand, appeared briefly at the bottom of the page and then faded.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly, Tlaxan wanted your head.&nbsp; This was the best I could get for you.&nbsp; Good thing you’ve done the elves a favor or two recently, but you still ended up being an expensive problem.&nbsp; Keep your hands clean from now on.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Frelarr’s parting admonition stung worse than the demotion he’d been expecting.&nbsp; Perhaps it was the emotion from this that Crystal saw on his face.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m sorry, Brother Tolly,” she said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She knows, Tolly thought, bemusedly.&nbsp; She called me ‘Brother Tolly’, not ‘sir’.&nbsp; Just like a proper Inquisitor would.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s all right, Crystal,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “Ardent is a good man.&nbsp; Let me know before you leave, will you?&nbsp; I would like to say my farewells properly.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Of course.&nbsp; Will I find you here?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes,” Tolly said, looking around, “until tomorrow, at least.”*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara strolled through the streets of Noxolt, a smile on her lips.&nbsp; She might have whistled, too, if whistling wasn’t so gauche.&nbsp; She had a reputation to maintain.&nbsp; Especially now.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The cansin had just come from a meeting with Sorene, the wizened gnomish woman who was the Princess of Telluria.&nbsp; Sorene, who was now in full-time residency at the Imperial Palace since the Taurics had overrun her own principality, had taken an interest in Lanara’s career.&nbsp; After some careful inquiries, especially with Ambassador Nissa from the Peca Provinces,&nbsp; Princess Sorene had officially become Lanara’s patron in the Imperial Court, which firmly cemented her place in Tlaxan.&nbsp; The old gnome had scoffed at concerns that spending money on a bard was somewhat frivolous when the empire was at war.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “She’s more than just an entertainer, you know,” Sorene had snorted, “she’s a top-notch spy, from what I hear tell.&nbsp; And it seems to me that morale is as much a part of war as anything else, and her voice is one of the best in the land.”&nbsp; Sorene had then slapped Lanara firmly on the buttocks.&nbsp; “And even if she couldn’t sing a note, the sight of that would inspire a soldier to fight a dozen Taurics.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara’s smile widened at the memory, even if her hindquarters still stung a bit.&nbsp; She remembered that Sorene had had the same “hands-on” style at Kyle and Autumn’s wedding – she’d pinched and squeezed their hips and buttocks like she was sizing up livestock before declaring her approval of the match.&nbsp; She couldn’t be sure, but she thought that one of Sorene’s advisors had stopped the Princess just short of reaching up Kyle’s robes and groping his testicles.&nbsp; The old gnome meant no harm by it, of course… but Lanara would try to stay out of arm’s reach, just in case.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Beyond the improvement in her social status, Lanara’s new patron had been valuable in more valuable ways.&nbsp; The Princess had brokered several arrangements with various agents to help Lanara obtain some much-needed supplements to her tactical abilities, and helped her distribute some of the magical items she no longer had use for out into the front lines where it would be put to better use.&nbsp; Sorene had promised to help seek out other items for Lanara when she had the chance, especially if she and the rest of the Legacy worked hard to “get those animal people out of my domain”, as she put it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Walking into an unfamiliar part of the city, Lanara started paying attention to the streets and intersections, comparing them to the directions she’d been given.&nbsp; She’d been approached yesterday by an Imperial Messenger, who had asked her to come to a particular house in the middle of the city this afternoon to discuss “Alliance business”.&nbsp; The messenger had not given her anything more than that, but his credentials had checked out (after their recent experience with Autumn and the doppelganger, none of them were ready to implicitly trust – as Kyle had put it –&nbsp; “any elf with a badge”).&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She arrived at the specified destination, a nondescript house in the part of town where many minor merchants and craftspeople lived.&nbsp; Running her hands through her black hair (she was, of course, in disguise), she looked around casually, and then approached the house and grabbed the door handle.&nbsp; She felt a slight tingle in her hand, which alarmed her initially until she realized it was probably some sort of divination magic.&nbsp; She opened the door and went inside.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The other members of the Legacy were seated around the room in a ramshackle variety of old chairs and benches.&nbsp; They turned to look at the new arrival.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’d point out that you’re late,” Tolly said to her, “but I’ve said it so often it’s become synonymous with ‘hello’.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’d put you in your place, Tolly,” Lanara shot back, “but obviously you’re only lashing out at me because of your recent demotion, so I’ll be kind today.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So, we’re here,” Autumn said, to no one in particular, “now what?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, whatever we’re doing, it’ll be private,” Kyle said, glancing around.&nbsp; “The place reeks of abjuration magic.&nbsp; Didn’t see any of it from outside, though.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Probably because of the lovely cedar paneling,” Arrie quipped, rapping a knuckle against a wood-colored wall and hear the dull metallic sound of lead sheeting.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Across the room, one of the wall panels slid aside, and an Imperial servant appeared at the bottom of a set of stairs.&nbsp; Each of then recognized the man as the same messenger who had told them to come here.&nbsp; “Please, up the stairs to the end of the hall.”&nbsp; He stepped aside to let everyone past him.&nbsp; The Legacy proceeded up the stairs and to an ordinary looking door, which opened to a fair-sized room.&nbsp; The walls of the room were lined with cork, and a quick nod from Kyle told them that the same wards that were downstairs were in place here as well.&nbsp; An oval table was set in the center of the room, and Emperor Haxtha sat at the far end.&nbsp; But the Tlaxan Empire was dressed in ordinary commoner clothing, looking more like a local resident than the ruler of the realm.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Please, sit down,” Haxtha said, “I would prefer not to linger here.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Legacy took up seats around the table.&nbsp; “We use this house to conduct the most secret business of the Empire,” Haxtha explained.&nbsp; “It has been warded in every conceivable way, both mundane and magical.&nbsp; We believe that even the psionic abilities of the enemy would have difficulty eavesdropping on us here.&nbsp; As part of this security, each of us – myself included – will submit to memory modification to erase the location of this house from our minds.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When each of them nodded their understanding, Haxtha leaned in.&nbsp; “I’ve brought you here to discuss a mission vital to the Alliance.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What do you want us to do?” Arrie asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I can’t tell you.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They all looked at each other.&nbsp; “Not your usual briefing, that’s for sure,” Lanara quipped.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I do have a mission I wish you to undertake,” Haxtha explained.&nbsp; “But I cannot give you the details of the mission yet.&nbsp; I wish for your role in the mission to remain unknown, even to you.&nbsp; You may be the primary agents of the mission, or I may be sending you out as a distraction while the real primaries act in secrecy.&nbsp; If you are captured, you cannot give away information you don’t have.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “All right,” Tolly said, “what are we doing, then?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You will set sail in your own vessel, the Armadillo,” Haxtha said, ignoring the low groan from Lanara.&nbsp; “The ship has been outfitted, and you will be provided with a crew.&nbsp; You will sail west to the Haran Desert, where you will rendezvous with an orcish warchief who will provide details of the next part of your mission.”&nbsp; The Emperor turned to Osborn.&nbsp; “Because of the nature of this mission, you will be invested with full diplomatic authority for the Empire and the Alliance.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Who is this warchief we’re meeting?” Tolly asked, though he already suspected.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Warchief Keth,” Haxtha replied.&nbsp; “When your ship arrives at the port town at the mouth of the Kruga River, you will be contacted by his people to arrange the meeting.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party looked at each other.&nbsp; Knowing that they were meeting Warchief Keth, they now had a better understanding of who the Legacy was being sent, and why Osborn in particular had been appointed as an ambassador.&nbsp; They each had a dozen questions, but knew it was likely that Haxtha would be unable or unwilling to answer them.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You have one day to prepare,” Haxtha said, when he saw the consent in their eyes.&nbsp; “You set sail at dawn on the fifth.”*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn looked at the small scrap of parchment in his hand, frowning, as he reached up with his free hand to scratch his nose.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The message was clear enough – Imperial Stables, three bells, near the Legacy’s horses, for private meeting.&nbsp; He’d been slipped the note on his way back from the meeting with Haxtha, through channels he recognized as his own people.&nbsp; But there were oddities about the code that he used to communicate with his network of operatives; slight variations that seemed amiss.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The hin reached down and patted Rupert on the side as he sat next to his friend and master.&nbsp; Osborn puzzled over the note a bit longer, and then reached into a pocket and withdrew a small hunk of raw steak.&nbsp; Osborn wadded up the parchment and folded it inside the meat, and then held it out on his palm to Rupert, who promptly swallowed it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Had his network been infiltrated?&nbsp; He supposed it was quite possible, even inevitable, given how much ‘unofficial’ aid he’d given to the Alliance and to the refugees of the war.&nbsp; Barely a scratch on the surface, he thought bitterly to himself.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn mulled the message over in his mind, trying to put himself in a more positive frame of mind.&nbsp; The discrepancies in the code could be nothing more than the mistakes of a relatively new agent.&nbsp; There might not be anything more sinister than a lapse in training.&nbsp; Still, Osborn mused, he didn’t get to where he was by assuming the best.The fact that it referred to the Legacy was the most puzzling.&nbsp; He’d taken care that no one in the Shadow General’s network knew that he had any connection to the Legacy.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I think I’ll have to go to this meeting,” he said aloud to Rupert, who was looking at the hin expectantly for more treats.&nbsp; “But maybe I’ll go a little early.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn entered the stables at half past two bells, sneaking quietly into the building.&nbsp; He wore his ring of invisibility, but was still taking no chances.&nbsp; Osborn immediately noticed that the stables were devoid of the normal cadre of groomsmen and stable hands that tended the Emperor’s many horses.&nbsp; But if anything was amiss, the horses in their stalls were showing no signs of disturbance.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn crept along slowly, looking and listening for any signs that someone was here preparing an ambush or some other nasty surprise.&nbsp; He approached the stall where Arrie’s horse Ghost was stabled, and peeked around; both horse and stall were very well kept, as might be expected for an Imperial Princesses’ steed.&nbsp; In the next stall over, Autumn’s Defiance gave a snort and stomped his hoof – the warhorse probably smelled him, but since he was a familiar smell, Defiance only showed token annoyance at the intrusion.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He moved on, a bit more cautiously.&nbsp; The other horses in the nearby stalls belonged to his friends as well, but unlike Ghost and Defiance, these were newly acquired, and so would be more fidgety at his approach.&nbsp; Still, Osborn surmised, they would be equally ill at ease with some stranger hiding in their stall, so if they horses were calm, it was probably safe.&nbsp; Thus, Osborn had to admit to himself later, he was somewhat surprised when he heard an unfamiliar voice behind him as he passed the stall for Tolly’s mount.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, you’re really early, aren’t you?” said the voice, in a slightly nagging tone.&nbsp; The voice sounded strange, as though the person’s jaw was broken or somehow malformed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn turned to address the speaker, and was quite surprised by what he saw.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; With a sharp pop, the party arrived in the courtyard of Autumn’s manor house in Vargas.&nbsp; Several servants stood nearby, awaiting their arrival calmly.&nbsp; Aleria, Autumn’s personal valet, approached the Duchess immediately, holding a large wooden box.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We’ve made the preparations you requested,” she said, bowing, “These men will escort you to the river where your ship is docked.”&nbsp; She gestured toward a large wagon, already laden with luggage and supplies, surrounded by twenty men at arms.&nbsp;&nbsp; “Lady Auror and General Togusa have prepared the reports you wanted.”&nbsp; She offered the box to Autumn, who took it under one arm.&nbsp; “However, I took the liberty of reading through them and providing a summary of the salient points, should you wish to use that instead.”&nbsp; Aleria reached into her tunic and produced two folded sheets of parchment.&nbsp; Autumn regarded the papers for a moment, and then took them, handing the box back to Aleria.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Thank you, Aleria, you’re a life-saver.&nbsp; Take care of yourself.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Of course, Your Grace.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly came up to the two women.&nbsp; “Autumn?&nbsp; The advisor?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “She arrived two days ago, and is awaiting you on the ship, Inquisitor Primus,” Aleria said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly’s face darkened slightly.&nbsp; “You may address me as ‘Brother Nightsleaving’ now, Aleria,” he said.&nbsp; Aleria reddened.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “My apologies, sir.&nbsp; I intended no offense.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn put a hand out and touched Tolly’s chest.&nbsp; “It’s my fault, Tolly.&nbsp; I didn’t tell anyone here about that… change in your position.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly paused, and the color slowly drained from his face, though not entirely.&nbsp; “No offense taken, of course.&nbsp; It is a very recent change.”&nbsp; He looked at Autumn.&nbsp; “Will we be leaving right away?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “As soon as Kyle gets back…” there was another loud pop, “…with the horses.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Five orders of griffin food to go!” Kyle joked, as valets approached and led the horses toward the waiting escort.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn walked over and slugged Kyle in the arm.&nbsp; “I’ll feed you to a griffin before Defiance,” she growled.&nbsp; A matching punch came from Arrie in the other arm.&nbsp; “And I’ll feed it Violet as an appetizer.”&nbsp; Perched on the horn of Kyle’s saddle, Violet cawed irritably at Arrie.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Forget the war,” Kyle grumbled, rubbing his sore arms, “I’ll need to learn to wear armor just to survive marrying into the Verahannen family.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The only nobles in Tlaxan whose family tree is a tendriculos,” Lanara quipped nearby, earning a chorus of laughs, from Arrie and Autumn especially.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It was, truth be told, a thin veneer of good cheer, put on to impress the servants and the soldiers of their confidence in the face of adversity.&nbsp; But after the party took to their horses and had left the bustling city of Vargas behind, when they were riding on the long, lonely road to the Lassh River, their mood became more somber.&nbsp; There was some anxiety about their mission, of course – going into the unknown with no sense of their true purpose would worry anyone.&nbsp; But there was an undercurrent of doubt beneath it.&nbsp; Each of them, it seemed, was struggling with their own inner demons; some well known, others hidden from everyone, even the person struggling with them.&nbsp; Demons that, for the time being, had to be forced back, out of conscious thought.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They arrived at the river without incident and with little fanfare.&nbsp; The small fishing village they arrived in had been hastily modified to accommodate the large ship that was berthed just off shore.&nbsp; After exchanging a few pleasantries with the local mayor, Autumn and the rest of the Legacy moved on to the dock.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I thought you said they made improvements, Kyle,” Lanara said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “They did,” he countered, “can’t you tell?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Still looks like a iron tub to me.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Correction,” Tolly interjected, “it’s an iron tub with a cannon.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; At first glance, the Armadillo did look much the same at it did before.&nbsp; But a pair of pontoons had been mounted low on the hull, most likely to provide stability for the pair of ballista that now stood on the port and starboard side.&nbsp; From the front of the bow, midway up from the water line, a cannon protruded out a sally port.&nbsp; The metal tube had been cast with the likeness of an armadillo’s head, its gaping mouth wide open where the bore opened.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “They had to make it look like an armadillo, didn’t they?” Osborn sighed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “At least it’s a ferocious-looking armadillo,” Kyle said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Other changes were less obvious.&nbsp; The ship’s metal plating had been redistributed, focusing on protecting the vessel in battle rather than forcing its way through solid ice.&nbsp; The ice ram had been replaced with a more typical military ram, and the collapsible mast had been reinforced as well.&nbsp; The flag of the Alliance flew just below a flag bearing the Legacy’s symbol.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Guess there’s no hiding who we are,” said Arrie, peering up at the flags.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yeah, wouldn’t want to be mistaken for all the other iron tubs out there,” Lanara griped.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Shouldn’t you wait until you’re actually on the boat before you start your nonstop complaining?” snapped Kyle.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara flipped Kyle a mock salute.&nbsp; “Aye aye, captain,” she said, and then quickly dismounted.&nbsp; “I believe I know the way to my cabin.&nbsp; With any luck it still smells like massage oil, so I can at least pretend I was able to bring a masseuse along.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The others dismounted and allowed members of the crew to lead their horses below decks, while they found their own cabins and stowed their personal gear.&nbsp; Kyle remained above deck to supervise the final preparations and give orders as the elven crew cast off.&nbsp; Lanara did emerge briefly, standing at the stern railing as they sailed away from the village, and then she returned below, after snarling something at the third mate.&nbsp; Kyle reassured the sailor that he’d done nothing wrong.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It took the Armadillo three full days to reach the mouth of the river, and that was going with the current; despite Kyle’s protests, the ship really was an iron tub. With little traffic on the river in winter, sailing the ship was relatively easy, so the Legacy and the crew had some time to kill.&nbsp; Eventually, throwing rocks at Targeth’s magic barrier and watching them disintegrate lost its charm, so each of them found their own form of distraction.&nbsp; Lanara spent much of her time familiarizing herself with some of the new magical items she’d recently acquired, but other than that she remained in her cabin most of the time.&nbsp; Others decided to examine the improvements in the ship.&nbsp; The party was somewhat disconcerted when they discovered that the Tlaxan shipwrights had added a secondary method of propulsion, consisting of a pair of submerged water wheels powered by a team of zombies stored below.&nbsp; Even knowing the zombies were licensed and sanctioned by the church of Erito did little to reduce the creepiness factor.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Imperial Advisor, a plain-looking elven woman, mostly kept to herself, saying that she would be of more use once they got to the desert.&nbsp; She did have some skill as a sailor, and informed the Legacy that she would be able to take over as captain if Kyle were killed or incapacitated in some fashion.Travel on the river was not rapid by any stretch of the imagination; once they got into the open ocean, however, things went much slower.&nbsp; The weather was unpleasant, with numerous winter storms even this close to the equator.&nbsp; None of them threatened any significant damage, but they did result in more than one member of the party having to revisit their last meal.There were bright moments.&nbsp; The party used the voyage to begin a new tradition; sharing a large morning meal together, provided to them with Ardara’s blessing via Tolly.&nbsp; The Legacy saw it as a time for them to bond as a group; the fact that it bolstered their health and rendered them immune to poison and fear didn’t hurt either.&nbsp; The party noticed that Osborn would usually save a large slab of steak or a napkin full of sausages to take to Rupert.Three weeks into the voyage, the lookout hailed Kyle.&nbsp; “Sails astern, captain!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Everyone went to look.&nbsp; Sure enough, far back on the horizon, three sails dotted the sky.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What colors?” shouted Kyle at the lookout, who already had a spyglass out.&nbsp; A moment later, the crewman shouted down descriptions of the banners on the three ships.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Those aren’t any colors flown by an Affon ship,” the first mate said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Uh oh,” Arrie said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They watched at the three ships tacked onto a course behind the Armadillo, and then began pacing them, staying roughly five miles back.&nbsp; They remained there for several hours.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What are we going to do about them?” Autumn asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Can we get a closer look?” Osborn chimed in.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I haven’t prepared anything suitable today,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “Tolly?”&nbsp; The priest shook his head.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Let’s wait and see,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “They don’t seem interested in catching up.&nbsp; Maybe they’re just curious.&nbsp; Besides, this may be exactly why Haxtha sent us out here.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The ships remained in their positions for two more days, when they were joined by two more.&nbsp; In that time, Kyle was able to use a combination of arcane eye and scrying to get a good look at their escort.&nbsp; All five were Tauric war galleys, crewed mostly by humanoid slaves with metal ring piercing their ankle just inside the tendon.&nbsp; A few of the humans did not wear ankle rings, marking them as officers, though it was impossible to tell through the divinations whether they were lycanthropes or psions.&nbsp; Other command crew included a centaur, a creature like a minotaur but with reptilian features that Kyle eventually identified as a dracotaur, and a feathered humanoid female with wings that they recognized from their voyage with Captain Starke as a raptoran.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Do we want to lose them?” Tolly asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, we aren’t going to outrun them,” Arrie said.&nbsp; “You got a stormcloud in your pocket, Tolly?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “As a matter of fact,” he replied, “I can influence the weather to a certain extent.&nbsp; Perhaps I could call up a small storm to drive them off.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party looked at Kyle, who nodded his consent.&nbsp; Tolly walked to the aft castle and threw his arms wide, and began to intone a ritual.&nbsp; Within minutes, the sky had darkened, and soon heavy rain began to fall behind the Armadillo as they sailed on.&nbsp; Black, angry clouds rolled toward the line of Tauric vessels, but as they drew near the rain slowed, then stopped, and the clouds dissipated, revealing clear blue sky.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What happened?” Autumn asked.&nbsp; “Were you countered?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Overridden would be more accurate,” Tolly said.&nbsp; “I suspect they have a druid aboard, and a potent one at that.&nbsp; In a situation like this, nature magic would probably trump Ardara’s power.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The party watched for about an hour, but the enemy ships made no move to close the distance.&nbsp; “What now?” Arrie asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I think we’re being herded,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Or they’re curious, and not sure what to do about us,” Arrie said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “From what I can gather from my scrying, they’re waiting for something,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “Whether they’re waiting for us to do something or for something on their side to happen, I can’t tell.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I can keep attempting to send storms to disrupt them,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sure, maybe every other day or so,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “Let them think we’re still trying to throw them off.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They were followed for another three days, still without incident.&nbsp; Finally, the party decided to take a gamble.&nbsp; Tolly launched another control weather spell late in the evening, but followed it with a summoning spell that sent a giant celestial squid after the Tauric flotilla.&nbsp; At the same time, Kyle used a screen spell to make it appear that the Armadillo was making a run for it.&nbsp; The ploy worked; the Tauric ships scattered as they tacked to follow their illusionary quarry.&nbsp; The crew of the Armadillo awoke to an empty ocean, and cheers went up.&nbsp; But by midmorning, Kyle began to detect the presence of several scrying sensors, and a day later the five ships were back on their tail as though nothing had happened.&nbsp; The Legacy resigned themselves to the fact that the Taurics would have to make the next move.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Late that night, Arrie was walking above decks, and spotted Tolly at the ship’s stern. She joined him at the railing.&nbsp; They both looked out across the black ocean; the ships couldn’t be seen, of course, but their presence could be felt.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “They’ll attack, eventually,” Arrie stated.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Soon, I think.&nbsp; We’ll be bearing south now, heading away from Tauric-controlled waters.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The warrior sighed.&nbsp; “More blood, more death.&nbsp; I suppose it was inevitable.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You say that with the same tone a housemaid would use when it’s time to beat the dust out of the rugs.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’ve seen so many battles in the past three years,” Arrie said.&nbsp; “What’s one more?&nbsp; Or a dozen more?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “A somewhat jaded view,” Tolly commented, “I would think someone in your position would be more apprehensive about personal combat.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie shrugged.&nbsp; “I’ll die at some point, whether its tomorrow at the end of a sword or old and feeble in bed at the Imperial Palace.&nbsp; Nothing can change that.&nbsp; For someone like me, the only difference is how many people I send to the afterlife ahead of me.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There was a long silence, broken only by the splashing of the Armadillo’s considerable wake.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “So, isn’t this where you’re supposed to offer some tidbit of Ardaran wisdom?&nbsp; Save my soul, or something?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly remained silent, looking out over the ocean.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Aw, come on.&nbsp; You’re supposed to be my moral compass, remember?&nbsp; Point out the error of my ways?”&nbsp; There was the tiniest hint of desperation in Arrie’s voice, barely detectable.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly looked down at Arrie.&nbsp; “You cannot find north with a broken compass, Arrie.”&nbsp; With that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the gloom.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Silently, Arrie stared after the cleric long after he’d vanished from sight.&nbsp; Then, she looked back out across the inky water, toward the five ships behind them.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Happy new year,” she said quietly to herself.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 3286793, member: 5203"] [b]Secret Mission[/b] It lives! It lives!! ---------------------------------- Tolly’s spade bit into the hard-packed earth, turning over chunks of hard clay and flinging them out of the deep hole in which the Inquisitor stood. Sweat ran down his dirt-caked brow, despite the chill of the winter day, stinging his eyes. He stood for a moment, surveying his work, and then looked up at the two acolytes standing above him, nodding. The two men hoisted Tolly out of the hole, and then four more Ardarans carried over a bundle wrapped in white cloth, and placed it as gently as they could into the pit. Tolly stood silently at the foot of the grave for a moment, then stepped aside to allow the Eritan priest waiting nearby to perform last rites. As he listened to the words being intoned in Elvish, Tolly looked over at the row of wrapped corpses still waiting for burial. There were still five left, and the sun was starting to descend. He would not finish tonight. He could, of course, have used magic to dig all of the graves in a single day, rather than the fourteen he had spent at the task, but Tolly knew he had to do the work by hand. It was only right. And he had hoped he would find some solace in this deep communion with the Earth, that each blow of a pick or turn of a shovel would unearth answers in his own soul. But comfort still eluded him. Why had he done this? Why had he unleashed such destruction in the pursuit of those agents of Meeranda? He knew what answer he would have given at the time – there were agents of the enemy about, blasphemers who had infiltrated the city’s heart and abducted a high-ranking political figure, and he had acted to protect the realm as a whole. This answer no longer satisfied him as sufficient, but he could not pin down what was missing. Until he knew, Tolly feared he might chose to act in a similar fashion in the future. [I]This is not the work of a scalpel,[/I] Tolly thought, hearkening back to that time three years ago when his purpose within the church had been laid before him by the archons before Archprelate Jerome had raised him from the dead. [I]This is the work of a cudgel.[/I] Tolly was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching hoofbeats. He looked up to see his apprentice, Crystal, dismounting and walking toward him, scroll in her hand. “I have a message for you, sir,” she said, handing him the scroll. The wax seal bore the stamp of the Ardaran Prelate Council. Tolly looked at the seal for a long time. “Are you going to read it, sir?” Crystal asked. “I already know what it says.” Despite this, Tolly produced a dagger and sliced through the seal, then unrolled the heavy parchment. [FONT=Book Antiqua]Brother Tolly Nightsleaving, By Order of the Archprelate and the Prelate Council, you have been relieved of the duties, privileges, and authority of the office of Inquisitor Primus. You will immediately return all badges and symbols of office to the Cathedral of Eminent Order. You have also been expelled from the Order of the Inquisition, and may no longer publicly claim fellowship with said Order on pain of censure. As your new status within the Church of Ardara no longer permits you the authority to oversee the training of acolytes, Sister Crystal has been reassigned to apprentice with Inquisitor Primus Ardent. Any obligations which either of you may have held toward the other as a result of your previous relationship are considered void by this Council. It is our hope that in the future, you will choose to be guided by Ardara’s will in your thoughts and actions. [/FONT] Tolly’s face remained impassive, even when a few short lines, penned in Frelarr’s own hand, appeared briefly at the bottom of the page and then faded. [FONT=Arial Black] Tolly, Tlaxan wanted your head. This was the best I could get for you. Good thing you’ve done the elves a favor or two recently, but you still ended up being an expensive problem. Keep your hands clean from now on.[/FONT] Frelarr’s parting admonition stung worse than the demotion he’d been expecting. Perhaps it was the emotion from this that Crystal saw on his face. “I’m sorry, Brother Tolly,” she said. [I]She knows[/I], Tolly thought, bemusedly. [I]She called me ‘Brother Tolly’, not ‘sir’. Just like a proper Inquisitor would.[/I] “It’s all right, Crystal,” Tolly said. “Ardent is a good man. Let me know before you leave, will you? I would like to say my farewells properly.” “Of course. Will I find you here?” “Yes,” Tolly said, looking around, “until tomorrow, at least.” [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Lanara strolled through the streets of Noxolt, a smile on her lips. She might have whistled, too, if whistling wasn’t so gauche. She had a reputation to maintain. Especially now. The cansin had just come from a meeting with Sorene, the wizened gnomish woman who was the Princess of Telluria. Sorene, who was now in full-time residency at the Imperial Palace since the Taurics had overrun her own principality, had taken an interest in Lanara’s career. After some careful inquiries, especially with Ambassador Nissa from the Peca Provinces, Princess Sorene had officially become Lanara’s patron in the Imperial Court, which firmly cemented her place in Tlaxan. The old gnome had scoffed at concerns that spending money on a bard was somewhat frivolous when the empire was at war. “She’s more than just an entertainer, you know,” Sorene had snorted, “she’s a top-notch spy, from what I hear tell. And it seems to me that morale is as much a part of war as anything else, and her voice is one of the best in the land.” Sorene had then slapped Lanara firmly on the buttocks. “And even if she couldn’t sing a note, the sight of that would inspire a soldier to fight a dozen Taurics.” Lanara’s smile widened at the memory, even if her hindquarters still stung a bit. She remembered that Sorene had had the same “hands-on” style at Kyle and Autumn’s wedding – she’d pinched and squeezed their hips and buttocks like she was sizing up livestock before declaring her approval of the match. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought that one of Sorene’s advisors had stopped the Princess just short of reaching up Kyle’s robes and groping his testicles. The old gnome meant no harm by it, of course… but Lanara would try to stay out of arm’s reach, just in case. Beyond the improvement in her social status, Lanara’s new patron had been valuable in more valuable ways. The Princess had brokered several arrangements with various agents to help Lanara obtain some much-needed supplements to her tactical abilities, and helped her distribute some of the magical items she no longer had use for out into the front lines where it would be put to better use. Sorene had promised to help seek out other items for Lanara when she had the chance, especially if she and the rest of the Legacy worked hard to “get those animal people out of my domain”, as she put it. Walking into an unfamiliar part of the city, Lanara started paying attention to the streets and intersections, comparing them to the directions she’d been given. She’d been approached yesterday by an Imperial Messenger, who had asked her to come to a particular house in the middle of the city this afternoon to discuss “Alliance business”. The messenger had not given her anything more than that, but his credentials had checked out (after their recent experience with Autumn and the doppelganger, none of them were ready to implicitly trust – as Kyle had put it – “any elf with a badge”). She arrived at the specified destination, a nondescript house in the part of town where many minor merchants and craftspeople lived. Running her hands through her black hair (she was, of course, in disguise), she looked around casually, and then approached the house and grabbed the door handle. She felt a slight tingle in her hand, which alarmed her initially until she realized it was probably some sort of divination magic. She opened the door and went inside. The other members of the Legacy were seated around the room in a ramshackle variety of old chairs and benches. They turned to look at the new arrival. “I’d point out that you’re late,” Tolly said to her, “but I’ve said it so often it’s become synonymous with ‘hello’.” “I’d put you in your place, Tolly,” Lanara shot back, “but obviously you’re only lashing out at me because of your recent demotion, so I’ll be kind today.” “So, we’re here,” Autumn said, to no one in particular, “now what?” “Well, whatever we’re doing, it’ll be private,” Kyle said, glancing around. “The place reeks of abjuration magic. Didn’t see any of it from outside, though.” “Probably because of the lovely cedar paneling,” Arrie quipped, rapping a knuckle against a wood-colored wall and hear the dull metallic sound of lead sheeting. Across the room, one of the wall panels slid aside, and an Imperial servant appeared at the bottom of a set of stairs. Each of then recognized the man as the same messenger who had told them to come here. “Please, up the stairs to the end of the hall.” He stepped aside to let everyone past him. The Legacy proceeded up the stairs and to an ordinary looking door, which opened to a fair-sized room. The walls of the room were lined with cork, and a quick nod from Kyle told them that the same wards that were downstairs were in place here as well. An oval table was set in the center of the room, and Emperor Haxtha sat at the far end. But the Tlaxan Empire was dressed in ordinary commoner clothing, looking more like a local resident than the ruler of the realm. “Please, sit down,” Haxtha said, “I would prefer not to linger here.” The Legacy took up seats around the table. “We use this house to conduct the most secret business of the Empire,” Haxtha explained. “It has been warded in every conceivable way, both mundane and magical. We believe that even the psionic abilities of the enemy would have difficulty eavesdropping on us here. As part of this security, each of us – myself included – will submit to memory modification to erase the location of this house from our minds.” When each of them nodded their understanding, Haxtha leaned in. “I’ve brought you here to discuss a mission vital to the Alliance.” “What do you want us to do?” Arrie asked. “I can’t tell you.” They all looked at each other. “Not your usual briefing, that’s for sure,” Lanara quipped. “I do have a mission I wish you to undertake,” Haxtha explained. “But I cannot give you the details of the mission yet. I wish for your role in the mission to remain unknown, even to you. You may be the primary agents of the mission, or I may be sending you out as a distraction while the real primaries act in secrecy. If you are captured, you cannot give away information you don’t have.” “All right,” Tolly said, “what are we doing, then?” “You will set sail in your own vessel, the [I]Armadillo[/I],” Haxtha said, ignoring the low groan from Lanara. “The ship has been outfitted, and you will be provided with a crew. You will sail west to the Haran Desert, where you will rendezvous with an orcish warchief who will provide details of the next part of your mission.” The Emperor turned to Osborn. “Because of the nature of this mission, you will be invested with full diplomatic authority for the Empire and the Alliance.” “Who is this warchief we’re meeting?” Tolly asked, though he already suspected. “Warchief Keth,” Haxtha replied. “When your ship arrives at the port town at the mouth of the Kruga River, you will be contacted by his people to arrange the meeting.” The party looked at each other. Knowing that they were meeting Warchief Keth, they now had a better understanding of who the Legacy was being sent, and why Osborn in particular had been appointed as an ambassador. They each had a dozen questions, but knew it was likely that Haxtha would be unable or unwilling to answer them. “You have one day to prepare,” Haxtha said, when he saw the consent in their eyes. “You set sail at dawn on the fifth.” [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Osborn looked at the small scrap of parchment in his hand, frowning, as he reached up with his free hand to scratch his nose. The message was clear enough – [I]Imperial Stables, three bells, near the Legacy’s horses, for private meeting[/I]. He’d been slipped the note on his way back from the meeting with Haxtha, through channels he recognized as his own people. But there were oddities about the code that he used to communicate with his network of operatives; slight variations that seemed amiss. The hin reached down and patted Rupert on the side as he sat next to his friend and master. Osborn puzzled over the note a bit longer, and then reached into a pocket and withdrew a small hunk of raw steak. Osborn wadded up the parchment and folded it inside the meat, and then held it out on his palm to Rupert, who promptly swallowed it. Had his network been infiltrated? He supposed it was quite possible, even inevitable, given how much ‘unofficial’ aid he’d given to the Alliance and to the refugees of the war. [I]Barely a scratch on the surface,[/I] he thought bitterly to himself. Osborn mulled the message over in his mind, trying to put himself in a more positive frame of mind. The discrepancies in the code could be nothing more than the mistakes of a relatively new agent. There might not be anything more sinister than a lapse in training. Still, Osborn mused, he didn’t get to where he was by assuming the best. The fact that it referred to the Legacy was the most puzzling. He’d taken care that no one in the Shadow General’s network knew that he had any connection to the Legacy. “I think I’ll have to go to this meeting,” he said aloud to Rupert, who was looking at the hin expectantly for more treats. “But maybe I’ll go a little early.” Osborn entered the stables at half past two bells, sneaking quietly into the building. He wore his [I]ring of invisibility[/I], but was still taking no chances. Osborn immediately noticed that the stables were devoid of the normal cadre of groomsmen and stable hands that tended the Emperor’s many horses. But if anything was amiss, the horses in their stalls were showing no signs of disturbance. Osborn crept along slowly, looking and listening for any signs that someone was here preparing an ambush or some other nasty surprise. He approached the stall where Arrie’s horse Ghost was stabled, and peeked around; both horse and stall were very well kept, as might be expected for an Imperial Princesses’ steed. In the next stall over, Autumn’s Defiance gave a snort and stomped his hoof – the warhorse probably smelled him, but since he was a familiar smell, Defiance only showed token annoyance at the intrusion. He moved on, a bit more cautiously. The other horses in the nearby stalls belonged to his friends as well, but unlike Ghost and Defiance, these were newly acquired, and so would be more fidgety at his approach. Still, Osborn surmised, they would be equally ill at ease with some stranger hiding in their stall, so if they horses were calm, it was probably safe. Thus, Osborn had to admit to himself later, he was somewhat surprised when he heard an unfamiliar voice behind him as he passed the stall for Tolly’s mount. “Well, you’re really early, aren’t you?” said the voice, in a slightly nagging tone. The voice sounded strange, as though the person’s jaw was broken or somehow malformed. Osborn turned to address the speaker, and was quite surprised by what he saw. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] With a sharp pop, the party arrived in the courtyard of Autumn’s manor house in Vargas. Several servants stood nearby, awaiting their arrival calmly. Aleria, Autumn’s personal valet, approached the Duchess immediately, holding a large wooden box. “We’ve made the preparations you requested,” she said, bowing, “These men will escort you to the river where your ship is docked.” She gestured toward a large wagon, already laden with luggage and supplies, surrounded by twenty men at arms. “Lady Auror and General Togusa have prepared the reports you wanted.” She offered the box to Autumn, who took it under one arm. “However, I took the liberty of reading through them and providing a summary of the salient points, should you wish to use that instead.” Aleria reached into her tunic and produced two folded sheets of parchment. Autumn regarded the papers for a moment, and then took them, handing the box back to Aleria. “Thank you, Aleria, you’re a life-saver. Take care of yourself.” “Of course, Your Grace.” Tolly came up to the two women. “Autumn? The advisor?” “She arrived two days ago, and is awaiting you on the ship, Inquisitor Primus,” Aleria said. Tolly’s face darkened slightly. “You may address me as ‘Brother Nightsleaving’ now, Aleria,” he said. Aleria reddened. “My apologies, sir. I intended no offense.” Autumn put a hand out and touched Tolly’s chest. “It’s my fault, Tolly. I didn’t tell anyone here about that… change in your position.” Tolly paused, and the color slowly drained from his face, though not entirely. “No offense taken, of course. It is a very recent change.” He looked at Autumn. “Will we be leaving right away?” “As soon as Kyle gets back…” there was another loud pop, “…with the horses.” “Five orders of griffin food to go!” Kyle joked, as valets approached and led the horses toward the waiting escort. Autumn walked over and slugged Kyle in the arm. “I’ll feed you to a griffin before Defiance,” she growled. A matching punch came from Arrie in the other arm. “And I’ll feed it Violet as an appetizer.” Perched on the horn of Kyle’s saddle, Violet cawed irritably at Arrie. “Forget the war,” Kyle grumbled, rubbing his sore arms, “I’ll need to learn to wear armor just to survive marrying into the Verahannen family.” “The only nobles in Tlaxan whose family tree is a tendriculos,” Lanara quipped nearby, earning a chorus of laughs, from Arrie and Autumn especially. It was, truth be told, a thin veneer of good cheer, put on to impress the servants and the soldiers of their confidence in the face of adversity. But after the party took to their horses and had left the bustling city of Vargas behind, when they were riding on the long, lonely road to the Lassh River, their mood became more somber. There was some anxiety about their mission, of course – going into the unknown with no sense of their true purpose would worry anyone. But there was an undercurrent of doubt beneath it. Each of them, it seemed, was struggling with their own inner demons; some well known, others hidden from everyone, even the person struggling with them. Demons that, for the time being, had to be forced back, out of conscious thought. They arrived at the river without incident and with little fanfare. The small fishing village they arrived in had been hastily modified to accommodate the large ship that was berthed just off shore. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the local mayor, Autumn and the rest of the Legacy moved on to the dock. “I thought you said they made improvements, Kyle,” Lanara said. “They did,” he countered, “can’t you tell?” “Still looks like a iron tub to me.” “Correction,” Tolly interjected, “it’s an iron tub with a cannon.” At first glance, the [I]Armadillo [/I]did look much the same at it did before. But a pair of pontoons had been mounted low on the hull, most likely to provide stability for the pair of ballista that now stood on the port and starboard side. From the front of the bow, midway up from the water line, a cannon protruded out a sally port. The metal tube had been cast with the likeness of an armadillo’s head, its gaping mouth wide open where the bore opened. “They had to make it look like an armadillo, didn’t they?” Osborn sighed. “At least it’s a ferocious-looking armadillo,” Kyle said. Other changes were less obvious. The ship’s metal plating had been redistributed, focusing on protecting the vessel in battle rather than forcing its way through solid ice. The ice ram had been replaced with a more typical military ram, and the collapsible mast had been reinforced as well. The flag of the Alliance flew just below a flag bearing the Legacy’s symbol. “Guess there’s no hiding who we are,” said Arrie, peering up at the flags. “Yeah, wouldn’t want to be mistaken for all the other iron tubs out there,” Lanara griped. “Shouldn’t you wait until you’re actually on the boat before you start your nonstop complaining?” snapped Kyle. Lanara flipped Kyle a mock salute. “Aye aye, captain,” she said, and then quickly dismounted. “I believe I know the way to my cabin. With any luck it still smells like massage oil, so I can at least pretend I was able to bring a masseuse along.” The others dismounted and allowed members of the crew to lead their horses below decks, while they found their own cabins and stowed their personal gear. Kyle remained above deck to supervise the final preparations and give orders as the elven crew cast off. Lanara did emerge briefly, standing at the stern railing as they sailed away from the village, and then she returned below, after snarling something at the third mate. Kyle reassured the sailor that he’d done nothing wrong. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] It took the [I]Armadillo [/I]three full days to reach the mouth of the river, and that was going with the current; despite Kyle’s protests, the ship really was an iron tub. With little traffic on the river in winter, sailing the ship was relatively easy, so the Legacy and the crew had some time to kill. Eventually, throwing rocks at Targeth’s magic barrier and watching them disintegrate lost its charm, so each of them found their own form of distraction. Lanara spent much of her time familiarizing herself with some of the new magical items she’d recently acquired, but other than that she remained in her cabin most of the time. Others decided to examine the improvements in the ship. The party was somewhat disconcerted when they discovered that the Tlaxan shipwrights had added a secondary method of propulsion, consisting of a pair of submerged water wheels powered by a team of zombies stored below. Even knowing the zombies were licensed and sanctioned by the church of Erito did little to reduce the creepiness factor. The Imperial Advisor, a plain-looking elven woman, mostly kept to herself, saying that she would be of more use once they got to the desert. She did have some skill as a sailor, and informed the Legacy that she would be able to take over as captain if Kyle were killed or incapacitated in some fashion. Travel on the river was not rapid by any stretch of the imagination; once they got into the open ocean, however, things went much slower. The weather was unpleasant, with numerous winter storms even this close to the equator. None of them threatened any significant damage, but they did result in more than one member of the party having to revisit their last meal. There were bright moments. The party used the voyage to begin a new tradition; sharing a large morning meal together, provided to them with Ardara’s blessing via Tolly. The Legacy saw it as a time for them to bond as a group; the fact that it bolstered their health and rendered them immune to poison and fear didn’t hurt either. The party noticed that Osborn would usually save a large slab of steak or a napkin full of sausages to take to Rupert. Three weeks into the voyage, the lookout hailed Kyle. “Sails astern, captain!” Everyone went to look. Sure enough, far back on the horizon, three sails dotted the sky. “What colors?” shouted Kyle at the lookout, who already had a spyglass out. A moment later, the crewman shouted down descriptions of the banners on the three ships. “Those aren’t any colors flown by an Affon ship,” the first mate said. “Uh oh,” Arrie said. They watched at the three ships tacked onto a course behind the [I]Armadillo[/I], and then began pacing them, staying roughly five miles back. They remained there for several hours. “What are we going to do about them?” Autumn asked. “Can we get a closer look?” Osborn chimed in. “I haven’t prepared anything suitable today,” Kyle said. “Tolly?” The priest shook his head. “Let’s wait and see,” Kyle said. “They don’t seem interested in catching up. Maybe they’re just curious. Besides, this may be exactly why Haxtha sent us out here.” The ships remained in their positions for two more days, when they were joined by two more. In that time, Kyle was able to use a combination of [I]arcane eye[/I] and [I]scrying [/I]to get a good look at their escort. All five were Tauric war galleys, crewed mostly by humanoid slaves with metal ring piercing their ankle just inside the tendon. A few of the humans did not wear ankle rings, marking them as officers, though it was impossible to tell through the divinations whether they were lycanthropes or psions. Other command crew included a centaur, a creature like a minotaur but with reptilian features that Kyle eventually identified as a dracotaur, and a feathered humanoid female with wings that they recognized from their voyage with Captain Starke as a raptoran. “Do we want to lose them?” Tolly asked. “Well, we aren’t going to outrun them,” Arrie said. “You got a stormcloud in your pocket, Tolly?” “As a matter of fact,” he replied, “I can influence the weather to a certain extent. Perhaps I could call up a small storm to drive them off.” The party looked at Kyle, who nodded his consent. Tolly walked to the aft castle and threw his arms wide, and began to intone a ritual. Within minutes, the sky had darkened, and soon heavy rain began to fall behind the [I]Armadillo [/I]as they sailed on. Black, angry clouds rolled toward the line of Tauric vessels, but as they drew near the rain slowed, then stopped, and the clouds dissipated, revealing clear blue sky. “What happened?” Autumn asked. “Were you countered?” “Overridden would be more accurate,” Tolly said. “I suspect they have a druid aboard, and a potent one at that. In a situation like this, nature magic would probably trump Ardara’s power.” The party watched for about an hour, but the enemy ships made no move to close the distance. “What now?” Arrie asked. “I think we’re being herded,” Tolly said. “Or they’re curious, and not sure what to do about us,” Arrie said. “From what I can gather from my [I]scrying[/I], they’re waiting for something,” Kyle said. “Whether they’re waiting for us to do something or for something on their side to happen, I can’t tell.” “I can keep attempting to send storms to disrupt them,” Tolly said. “Sure, maybe every other day or so,” Kyle said. “Let them think we’re still trying to throw them off.” They were followed for another three days, still without incident. Finally, the party decided to take a gamble. Tolly launched another [I]control weather [/I]spell late in the evening, but followed it with a summoning spell that sent a giant celestial squid after the Tauric flotilla. At the same time, Kyle used a [I]screen [/I]spell to make it appear that the [I]Armadillo [/I]was making a run for it. The ploy worked; the Tauric ships scattered as they tacked to follow their illusionary quarry. The crew of the [I]Armadillo [/I]awoke to an empty ocean, and cheers went up. But by midmorning, Kyle began to detect the presence of several scrying sensors, and a day later the five ships were back on their tail as though nothing had happened. The Legacy resigned themselves to the fact that the Taurics would have to make the next move. Late that night, Arrie was walking above decks, and spotted Tolly at the ship’s stern. She joined him at the railing. They both looked out across the black ocean; the ships couldn’t be seen, of course, but their presence could be felt. “They’ll attack, eventually,” Arrie stated. “Soon, I think. We’ll be bearing south now, heading away from Tauric-controlled waters.” The warrior sighed. “More blood, more death. I suppose it was inevitable.” “You say that with the same tone a housemaid would use when it’s time to beat the dust out of the rugs.” “I’ve seen so many battles in the past three years,” Arrie said. “What’s one more? Or a dozen more?” “A somewhat jaded view,” Tolly commented, “I would think someone in your position would be more apprehensive about personal combat.” Arrie shrugged. “I’ll die at some point, whether its tomorrow at the end of a sword or old and feeble in bed at the Imperial Palace. Nothing can change that. For someone like me, the only difference is how many people I send to the afterlife ahead of me.” There was a long silence, broken only by the splashing of the [I]Armadillo’s [/I]considerable wake. “So, isn’t this where you’re supposed to offer some tidbit of Ardaran wisdom? Save my soul, or something?” Tolly remained silent, looking out over the ocean. “Aw, come on. You’re supposed to be my moral compass, remember? Point out the error of my ways?” There was the tiniest hint of desperation in Arrie’s voice, barely detectable. Tolly looked down at Arrie. “You cannot find north with a broken compass, Arrie.” With that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the gloom. Silently, Arrie stared after the cleric long after he’d vanished from sight. Then, she looked back out across the inky water, toward the five ships behind them. “Happy new year,” she said quietly to herself. [/QUOTE]

Verification