NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4170682" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 22DECISIONSOutside of the old ducal palace, the city of Camar was relatively quiet as the deepening night settled upon the city.  Inside the massive stone walls of that complex, however, a buzz of activity persisted despite the late hour.  Small parties of armed men rushed about, dodging the servants who moved with no less haste as they attended to various errands.  In the armories weapons and armor were being attended to by teams of smiths, while veteran guardsmen carefully checked and rechecked supply packs.  Messengers departed on fast horses, heading for locations within the sleeping city, or toward the permanent camp a mile from the city’s walls where the First Legion was headquartered.In their modest but comfortable suite of rooms in the wing of the palace complex reserved for guests, Corath Dar and Allera Hialar were likewise still awake.  Both looked tired, but they had only just returned from the meeting with the leaders of Camar, and there was a lot to be done before they could seek the comfort of sleep. Dar drew out a heavy leather satchel from their luggage, grunting as he lifted it onto the hutch at the foot of their bed.  It clanked with the sound of metal as he laid it down.  “I don’t know why I even brought this,” he said.  “Instinct, I guess.”  He ran his hand over the flap, but paused as his fingers reached the clasp.  “I don’t even remember the last time I wore it.”Allera looked up from where she was going through her own bag of healing supplies.  “Six years ago, Harvestide.  The hydra.”Dar nodded.  “Yeah, I remember that.”  He looked wistful for a moment, but then he snorted and released the satchel, striding back and forth across the room as if he was trying to work off some extra energy.  “I guess I’m going to need a new sword.  I could go to the armory, I suppose... or maybe Alzoun might have something useful.”Allera did not respond, but her mouth twisted slightly; she did not like the priest of Dagos, and his new position of relative “respectability” in Camar did little to ameliorate that. Dar picked up on that without having to look at her.  “Yeah, maybe you’re right.  But if we’re going after a bunch of freaking cultists, I will need something more than this,” he said, picking up his scabbarded knife from where it rested next to the heavy pack.   “Maricela told me that Jaduran wants to see you in the morning, before you depart.  Perhaps he can help with that.”Dar grunted.  “She’s young, very young, that priestess.”  At Allera’s raised eyebrow, he grinned and added, “That’s not what I meant.  You’re more than enough woman for any man, angel.”The healer shot him a wry look.  “Maricela’s the most powerful priest of the Father currently serving in the capital, save Jaduran himself.  As far as I know, she’s the only one other than the Patriarch and myself who are capable of raising the dead, although I wonder about Alzoun.”  At Dar’s look of surprise, she continued, “There’s something between her and that knight, Kiron.”Dar nodded.  “Yeah, I picked up on that as well.  I’d rather we didn’t have to bring either of them, but Koth and Octavius both agree that the boy’s the best that Darius has.  And there isn’t exactly a crop of veterans from the legions or the Watch that are clamoring to go to Rappan Athuk.  Most of those who were smart took their pensions after the Demon War and got as far the hell away from Camar as they could.”Allera put down her bag and came over to him.  “We can’t do it alone.”He took her in his arms.  “Yeah, I know.  Damn it, angel, when did we get so old?”She smiled up at him.  “It just sort of creeps up on you.”  She elbowed him slightly in the gut.  “And besides, speak for yourself, old man.”She started to pull away, but he held her.  “Maybe I’ll show you just what this old man can do.”Her smile deepened, but then she shook her head.  “I... I need to spend some time in meditation tonight.  I thought I’d go to the grove at Camarellia.”“In the middle of the night?”“There is too much dead stone here, too much fear, and anxiety, bred deep into the foundations of this place itself.  I need to be in a place where I can feel the energies of the land and the pulse of its lifebeat.”She pulled away from him again, and this time he let her go.  She walked across the room.  “I have a feeling that we are going to need every bit of power that I can channel, on this mission,” she said.  “I haven’t used... I haven’t drawn as much as I did, since that last time...”“I know, angel.  I understand.”She took up her cloak.  “You should get some sleep...”He snorted again.  “Like hell.  You’ll get your privacy, but if you think I’m going to let you out of my sight, then you’ve taken one too many shots to the head over the years.”She started to protest, but he spoke over her.  “Look, these guys are bad news; not only did they have the resources to invade the cathedral and penetrate the vault, but they are planning on breaking into the freaking Well, for gods’ sake.  If they think they can take on Amurru...”Allera shuddered; she had a particularly vivid memory of their last encounter with the ancient lich guardian. “Anyway, an enemy like that is going to know that you and I are a possible danger to their plans.  They have to know that we’ll try to stop them; I wouldn’t put it past them to try to take us out.  The very least we can do is not make it too easy for them.”Allera digested his logic, found no fault with it, and nodded.  “All right.”Dar buckled on his belt, adjusted the hilt of his dagger, and grabbed his own cloak.  “Let’s stop by the armory on the way.  Let’s see how much sway a retired old general still has in this place.”</blockquote>

Verification