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<< previous | Fan Fiction & Art Home | Chronicles Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | next >>
Luckily, the trip to Lys is uneventful, except for one pirate ship that appears in the distance. The marauders are easily outrun, but the party does not relax until the black sails are well out of sight.
On the ship, Dobro shares the story about the dragon, Stronghold, that joined with her body many years ago as part of a prophecy. Before speaking, she subtly makes sure that Kerod is not in the area. In typical dwarven fashion, her gestures are expansive and larger than life as she tells her tale.
"This prophecy told of 'He that wields She,' a great being who will fight the Unlife. Stronghold believed that he was the 'he' and I was the 'she,' and chose me as his host." Dobro sighs. "I was asked, and I accepted, although I didn't completely understand what it all meant. We lived together in the same body for two years. But at the time of the Great Flow Storms, my dragon went mad. The events he saw had not been foreseen by any of the prophets of his kind, and it was more than he could bear. I shared his madness—it was—well, I'd much rather take a mace in my head."
"What happened?" asks the Ambassador Maximilian, quite concerned. He once sent a love letter to Dobro, many years ago, and this is the first time he has seen her since.
"Stronghold finally sank deep inside of my mind. I can no longer reach him." She turns to Roan. "To make things worse, Kaijben, the man I loved, turned out to be a philanderer and a liar. I am brokenhearted."
"He was a fool!" insists the Ambassador, his voice turning into a high-pitched shriek at the outrage. Later, in secret, he asks Dobro if she wishes him to challenge Kaijben to a duel.
During the boat ride, Kerod uses his sculpting ability to create little statues. Ganelon is quiet and thoughtful. He seems to be considering the party, especially Roan, like a man who has been thrown into something he doesn't understand. He, like Kerod, has some healing skill, and the two Elves strike up conversations of emergency medical care, the use of herbs, and other such things.
Roan makes it clear that she does not care to speak to Kerod, and shrinks from being touched by anyone except Dobro. She spends time talking with the sailors and learning once more, for the first time since her childhood, about stargazing and knots. At night she writes in a little diary.
Shayna is quiet and restless. Orland is also quiet, but always seems to be laughing at a joke only he can hear.
Every evening, the Ambassador brings everyone together for a tale or a smoke. His companions, Hooter the owl, Screaming Lord Byron the war llama, and King Imhotep the wolverine, seem to handle travel over water very well. Roan's condor Belladonna, on the other hand, is quite unhappy and Roan constantly has to ask for rotting meat from the galley to feed her.
One night, the Ambassador shows Dobro, Roan, and Ganelon some treasure belonging to the party. First is a Mask of Dreaming, which allows the wearer to communicate with someone he knows who is also dreaming. Roan attunes herself to its magical signature, and asks if she may carry it. Second comse a Cup of Clotting that cures bleeding and a Cup of Healing that can heal severe damage. Ganelon attunes to both of these healing items and asks if he may have the honor of guarding them.
Finally, the Ambassador produces something that makes Dobro gasp. It is a gem-studded corset which can transfer wounds from an injured person to the wearer, who can then use the corset to heal himself. The Ambassador points out that the corset is a mite uncomfortable, restricting movement in the wearer, who, unfortunately, has to wear the corset for some time before it can be activated. Dobro barely hears these warnings as she puts it on. Roan frowns at the gaudy, gem-encrusted display, but Dobro finds her reflection in a porthole and smiles widely.
The captain lands on the southern part of the continent of Lys, right in Lord Meralonne's town, Glendil. The voyage lasted five weeks. Oddly, Kerod hasn't noticed that Dobro has not addressed him, answered any question from him, nor been alone in the same place with him during the entire voyage.
Lys is a beautiful country filled with Linaeri Elves. Linaeri believe, unlike other High Elves, that industry should be joined with a sensitivity to nature. Therefore the city of Glendil does not tower over the sea or the forests but rather blends in, barely seeming to be as large or as busy as it really is.
Having been stuck on a boat for such a long period of time, the group is overcome with a sense of urgency. After securing rooms at a comfortable inn, they hurry to Lord Meralonne's manor. On the way, they notice the height and size of the ancient trees, the comfortable yet elegant clothing of the Elves, and the functional yet graceful architecture. Ganelon is pleased to be in a country like Lys, which compared to Kaitaine is clean, peaceful, and very green.
As the party walks down a tree-lined boulevard, the Ambassador tells everyone, "Lord Meralonne is what you might call, well, 'eccentric,' although that might have negative connotations that of course I do not mean to infer. He is very tall and striking, and he rides a winged beast that looks quite fearsome—do not be afraid."
Lord Meralonne's large house is situated in the midst of carefully cultivated splendor. The approach is lined with flowers, and the door knocker is made of solid platinum. Dobro covers her mouth in amazement. "Surely this man is like a king! Look at that metal!" she exclaims. Roan sniffs. Shayna turns to check behind them in case they were followed.
The Ambassador lifts his head to examine the knocker high above him. "I will give someone else the honor of announcing our presence," he announces grandly. Dobro reaches up and after a brief caress (to assess its workmanship, of course) raps the door with it. A servant answers the door, and the group is led into an exquisitely furnished manor.
Lord Meralonne himself is a sophisticated, dark-skinned, white-haired High Elf. He seems an unusual blend of eccentricity and nobility, with a dash of smoldering sexuality under the surface. He asks everyone's names and converses with each person briefly. Dobro is very effusive and compliments the door knocker at the first opportunity. Orland, Kerod, and Garvin hold back, watching the proceedings while saying very little.
Lord Meralonne frowns at Roan and says that her name seems familiar. Roan fidgets slightly. After thinking for a moment, he nods and says "Nok, like the shipping lines?" Apparently, he uses her brother's ships frequently. Roan looks uncomfortably at the door.
Lord Meralonne drops the topic and turns to the Ambassador. "Did you find your payment sufficient?"
The Ambassador was given six magical rings before his mission began. One of those now adorns his finger. He holds his tiny hand in the air proudly. "Oh, your payment was greatly appreciated, good sir! I distributed the rings amongst my compatriots and they certainly came in handy, I must say!" Shayna and Kerod are wearing two of the rings; the other three are worn by Noi Wok, Kygar of Eissa, and a fighter by the name of Galina Ravenswing.
The Ambassador Maximilian signals to Ganelon who produces the Dragon Slaying Sword from beneath his cloak. He passes the powerful blade across to Lord Meralonne who gently holds it. Stepping back a few feet, he gives the blade an experimental, yet expert swing. "Excellent! Yes, this will do nicely," purrs the Lord as he signals for his manservant to take the blade from him. "Put this in its prepared place. I wouldn't want it to go missing." The servant bows slightly, withdrawing from the room with the Sword of Dragon Slaying.
Roan looks at Lord Meralonne. She lifts her chin and asks, "Are you going to kill a dragon with that?"
Looking more amused than surprised, the lord simply states with a wry smile, "I? Not I!"
Shayna, who up until this point has been hanging in the background, nods to Roan. Shayna has her hand on the pommel of the magical Dagger of Lie Detection. Lord Meralonne did not lie.
Before allowing the party to leave, Lord Meralonne asks if the group is willing to take another job for him. A package has to be delivered to a school on the Northern slopes of the Barrier Hills by a certain date. Roan looks surprised and more than a bit suspicious at this coincidence. She points out that this was her husband's school, and that she owns the building. Lord Meralonne makes a "small world" comment. Roan squirms with mistrust.
Eventually, the party concludes that they can't be certain they will get the package to the school on time, given their other obligations. Meralonne simply responds, "Since I was pleased with the job performed on this contract, I thought that I would offer you another. No matter—I will find others who are available. Good luck with where your travels take you and let me know if you are seeking employment in the future."
The group returns to the inn, where the Ambassador, Kerod, Orland and Shayna begin to discuss some other business. While they were in Falias, they acquired a holy item of Jaysek—in fact, it is an interdimensional gallery preserving the art of a lost civilization. They have decided to deliver it to a temple of Jaysek in Glendil, since there is no temple of Jaysek in Kaitaine. Shayna asks if she can go alone and deliver the item unobtrusively. She points out that she is a better bargainer than average, and that one person traveling alone will attract less attention. There is general agreement to this, although some, including Orland, seem uncomfortable with the arrangement.
Shayna slips out and makes her way to the temple. She quickly realizes that Orland is stealthily following her. Shayna meets the head priest anyway, and shows him the artifact. The priest is very excited, but doesn't have the kind of funds he needs to secure the item. He arranges to meet with Shayna the following day.
Shayna tells the priest she apologizes for the rudeness, but someone is following her, and she needs to cast "invisibility" inside the temple so that she may investigate. He is surprised, but he agrees. Shayna, now transparent, exits the temple and begins to watch Orland.
Orland waits outside the temple for two hours. When Shayna does not emerge, he decides to go start his way back to the inn where the rest of the party is waiting. At an opportune moment in a deserted side street, Shayna ambushes him. She uses the flat of her blade, but nevertheless knocks him to the ground. He groans, seeing stars.
Shayna then picks up Orland by his collar and says, "If you ever follow me again or interfere on a lone mission I will kill you."
Orland screams, "I had to protect you! You were carrying a valuable item belonging to the party! If you'd have been attacked or robbed, we'd have never known!"
"You had no right to follow me and endanger the mission!" Shayna almost spits out the words. "I was meant to do this solo for a reason. Your amateur garbage could have got me killed!"
"I never agreed to that! I had every right to follow you!" Orland insists, and slaps her across the face.
Shayna's eyes turn to the coldest ice and she seems to grow very calm. "If you ever touch me, or follow me, or interfere in my work again, I will kill you without any warning." She leaves him sputtering on the filthy ground.
The next day, the priest of Jaysek makes a handsome offer. He gives the group a Necklace of Heal Life Essence and Bracers of Repel Undead. Also, he gives them money and a Letter of Friendship which will allow them to claim privileges at any Temple of Jaysek in the world. The party is happy with this arrangement and gives the priest the interdimensional gallery. The priest then makes the comment that he received help from Lord Meralonne, who is a great philanthropist. Lord Meralonne will hold on to the item until the Temple is able to pay their debt to him. Roan frowns and mutters over this development, and scribbles in her diary.
The group purchases supplies and horses for the journey to the City of the Dead, and hires a guide to take them to Delir'rol. This is the last city on the border of Lys and Uj, and is indicated by Roan's magical map to be their destination. The map tells her where to go, and then undergoes a change each time she gets to a specified location.
The Ambassador presents Roan with the gift of a carved cigarette holder and some quality halfling leaf. This particular halfling leaf comes all the way from the east, south of the great city of Ardana. The halfling tobacco of this region is known to be exquisite. Roan is very appreciative.
Two days later, the party is ready to leave Glendil. It is the first stage of the journey toward the City of the Dead. The group turns north, facing the great Barrier Hills. From the lovely city where they stand, the Hills look cold and forbidding. Nevertheless, it is there that they must go.
The group begins the journey. Shayna follows behind invisibly, as is her wont. Dobro has some trouble mounting and then riding her horse; she falls off several times, but never concedes defeat. At last the horse is under her control and is persuaded to follow the guide, Anilith. Anilith for her part is very good, and keeps her charges out of many scrapes. However one evening, as they are looking for a camp site, several black, wolflike creatures emerge from the forest. "Dark Hunters!" shouts the guide.
Before Kerod can react, a dark hunter springs toward him and bites his leg. Blood gushes from the wound. Kerod loses consciousness from the pain and falls from his horse before his shieldman can rescue him. As the creature bends over him for another bite, Ganelon hits it in the neck with an arrow.
Roan casts a flying spell and lifts herself from the clearing. Dobro dismounts and wades into battle, immediately taking a terrible wound. Ganelon takes a wound also, and Dobro stumbles to him and transfers it to herself using the magical corset. Roan shouts, and fires a ball of ice at one creature lurking in the trees.
Orland fires his bow. Shayna does a backflip over one beast, hits it from behind, and destroys it. Garvin stands over Kerod's still form and bashes yet another dark hunter with his large shield. It whimpers. Anilith cries, "I'm bitten!" and Dobro hurries over to her, taking on her wound. Dobro then uses the corset to heal all of the wounds she has transferred.
The dark hunters decide that the party does not present an easy meal, and they disappear into the trees. Kerod comes to and stands up. Everyone notices that although a dark hunter tore into his leg, his outfit is clean and mended as if he just came back from the launderer. Noticing everyone's surprise, Kerod just shrugs and says, "These cost me a great deal of money, but I like to be clean." Anilith tells him that dark hunters thirst for the taste of elvish blood, and that the party is quite lucky to have survived.
On the sixth day of the journey to the City of the Dead, the band rides into the tree city of Eowylas. Ganelon is delighted. Huge, ancient trees house small huts with bridges from one to the other. Everyone has to climb to get there. Dobro scrambles up the rope ladder effortlessly, even in her dwarven chain mail, while others are forced to use flying spells to get to the top. It is a five hundred foot drop. They secure a hotel and enjoy taking baths and eating fresh food. However, Orland soon comes to see the others with a worried expression.
"I was walking past a certain room down the other corridor," he says, "And my knife of Detect Enemies alerted me to danger!"
Roan looks up from her diary with an annoyed expression. "Did anyone attack you?" she asks.
"No," he answers.
"Well then, don't walk down that hallway anymore," she suggests, and returns to her scribbling.
Kerod and Shayna do a little bit of investigating anyway, and find that the knife reacts for them also when they pass that room. Shayna stands outside, hiding in the shade of a large tree limb, and learns that the room in question contains what look like two spell casters and a Changramai monk. Changramai are known to be unrelenting bodyguards—to those who can afford them. One spell caster is tall and thin, and wears his brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. He wears a robe covered with runic symbols. The other is more heavyset, with short black hair and brown eyes. He has an arrogant demeanor and wears plain, dark-colored robes.
When the group meets to discuss the problem once more, Kerod emphasizes his concern that the magic users may be evil, in which case he definitely wants to take action. Roan is somehow infuriated by these words, and impatiently tells him that their mission is not to look for enemies but rather to rescue her husband from the jaws of death. There is grudging agreement.
The mysterious threesome leaves early the next morning. Kerod urges for the party to get moving also, but Roan insists on finishing her tea. A while later the group is ready to say goodbye to their comfortable rooms. Faced once more with the five hundred foot ladder, Roan gives an unexpected whoop and jumps, casting a spell at the last minute to cushion her fall. Dobro climbs down expertly and with special urgency, since she wishes to scold Roan for taking risks. At the bottom, Ganelon sighs and looks wistfully up at the elvish town. Anilith gently urges everyone to their horses and at last, the group sets off. Before long, Ganelon notices heavy bootprints in the soil. He dismounts and slowly walks along the road, frowning as he fingers crushed twigs and leaves. Finally he tells the others what he has learned: the party is moving in the same direction as the two spell casters and their guard...
To be continued…
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