Posted by AlOmega on June 27, 2004 at 17:51:48:
Viconia’s return to consciousness had mixed blessings. Though someone had searched her, apparently they had missed her boots. Hidden therein was a slim ebony blade that seemed to blend into the purplish-blue leather. Foolish humans, she thought as she called to the blade.
As she used the blade to cut her wrist bindings, she saw the Fox-character using her sword like an ax. She winced thinking about how much time she would have to spend on sharpening her scimitar later. The bear and fox seemed to have been preparing to toast rabbit. Made no sense really but this place made no meaning even to her Drow senses. She seemed to be inside a cave without a roof. It was as if the place was an enclosed canyon without entrance or exit. That was strange in itself. But using infrared vision, she could make out rows and rows of seats as if she were in a gigantic drow arena. The drow did have arenas but all were small affairs - even small by human standards. She had once seen a human arena with its warring beasts and human participants. While not as bloodthirsty as Drow would have had it, the event she had seen had been little more than a glorified execution. This arena - as huge as it was - must have had thousands of such battles and killings. However the floor was mostly grass with only a little dirt. How did they remove all the blood such an arena would generate? She had no idea.
As she persistently cut her way to freedom, she continued watching bear and fox. She thought of them as ’bear’ and ’fox’ because they looked like a brown bear and a red fox - even though they wore clothes, stood upright, and spoke. That was another surprise. The animals spoke what she had always known as ’common’ - the trade language used by all races above and below. Each race also spoke its own language though they might have others as well as their primary racial language. For instance the wood elves spoke two languages. And, though the Drow only spoke one common language among themselves, they also used finger-speech.
Her attention was riveted back to her current circumstances as the last of her bounds fell away. It was time to make an assessment of what she had. One of her scimitar was missing and the other in possession of the fox. Her whip was in a tied-up bag at the waist of the bear. It would do no good to communicate with that as even with her help, the snakeheads couldn’t escape. She had her ebony blade and that seemed to be her only weapon - well her blade, wit, and surprise. She didn’t think either bear or fox could stop her from obtaining her scimitar but its edge might not be sharp enough to cut through fur.
The Drow had fully assessed her possibilities; however, what was she to do after subjugation of these lower lifeforms? From what she could overhear, they knew less about where they were than she - and she knew next to nothing. But what else could she do. These two animals had overpowered her and she wouldn’t let that slight go unanswered no matter what. However, about the time she was ready to pounce on Fox, wrest her scimitar from him, and weigh in on Bear and Fox together, someone else shouted something that made her pause.
“Hey, Fox, Bear, does ya know where we are?” shouted the one called Rabbit. “I knows even if you doesn’t.”
Bear scratched his head dislodging his hat once again before catching and replacing atop his head.
“I donno, Rabbit. Does you know where we is, Brer Fox?”
“Didn’t think to ask. No one to ask about that anyways. And I sure don’t wanna ask Brer Rabbit. I remembers his briar patch and Happy Place. He’s too tricksie he is.”
“Aw, Brer Fox. You’s the tricksie one. How many times has I heared ‘Smart as a Fox’. And you’re Brer Fox and gotta be the smartest amongst us. I just only wanted to know where we was is all. Sides if’n you asks that dangerous-lookin’ black woman there, I bet she knows something.”
“She don’t know nuttin’,” chimed in Brer Bear. “She’s so dumb that I caught her followin’ us and clunked her one aside the head.”
But just as Brer Bear said his piece why that woman made with a back flip and landed on her toes brandishing her ebony blade. A calculating smile lit her eyes as she realized she’d taken them by surprise.
Brer Bear grabbed one of the funny-looking sticks preparing once again to strike her. His intent was to bash her skull in so she wouldn’t be waving her knife at him no more. It was about this time that Brer Fox stepped in.
“Now, now. No call to get mad at US, lady human…”
“I’m NOT human. I’m Drow, you stinking animal.”
“Humph, to us you looks like a humans. ‘Sides, I don’t know nuttin’ ‘bout no ‘Drow’. Never seen em. Never even heared of em.”
Thinking quickly, Vicona said with a wave of her dagger, “Let’s start with cutting that Rabbit free. Maybe for a time we can join up and see if we can come to an understanding of where we are and what we must do to return to our homes.”
“A very laudable thought, Priestess”, said a voice from the shadows. “After Mr. Fox removes Mr. Rabbit’s bindings, I think it would be a very good idea.”
The Drow peered into the darkness. However even utilizing her infrared vision….
The voice chuckled before continuing. “Your infrared sight will not assist you at the moment, Priestess.”
“Viconia, whomever you are.”
“I?” he chuckled again. “I am Gaite and Gaite means me. Now, Mr. Fox, kindly return Ms Viconia’s scimitar to her. She may feel uncomfortable without it. Besides I have another.” And from the darkness, another - her other - scimitar floated across to her.
“And now,” the voice added. “Perhaps a little food and drink as we rest by the fire.”
Again from the darkness flowed a large table and several chairs. As they settled next to the small fire Brer Fox had prepared, from the darkness the voice said once more, “Oh, and maybe I should visit as well.” There came a chuckling sound as from nothing, a figure slowly emerge.
“Now Ms Viconia,” he added with a wave of his hand. “Please do not attempt to employ the use of your weapons now that you’ve finally been freed. Not only is it undiplomatic but it is not nice.”
Though the Drow Priestess was fuming, she restrained her anger in order to ascertain what this ‘Gaite’ male knew. Oh, he was male - that she knew quickly enough.
“Please sit, drink, eat. We must wait a few minutes more for my friends to arrive. There is so little to do and so much time to do it in. Strike that and reverse it,” he added with a smile in his eyes.
As Viconia sat, she assessed each one seated around the twenty-foot circular table. The Fox was just under five feet while Bear was over six feet and heavy as bears generally are. Rabbit wasn’t much smaller than Fox but seemed thinner than the rabbits in her world. Both Fox and Bear wore floppy-rimed hats that looked as if they had not only seen better days but had seen either seen many rains or been used as water buckets. All three had trousers that came down to their knees but none of them wore shoes - although none had any difficulty walking upright on hind legs. Each wore a vest of sorts. Bear’s was a bit too big, Fox’s fit just right; and, Rabbit’s was very lose around his chest as if it would be an easy thing to shrug it off if someone caught it.
Gaite on the other had was quite different. His dark brown hair was very short and seemed to extend down his back. He wore a heavy light-blue coat with an even lighter blue canvas shirt underneath. The shirt had had ruffles instead of collars and cuffs. He wore some strange device around the neck….
~A cravat, Ms Viconia,~ Gaite volunteered with a smile and nod. It was as if he was reading her thoughts. In addition, he wore darker blue suede leathers and for some reason he wore heavy blue suede boots. His complexion was light brown as if he hadn’t been under the sun in a long time.
~I could add,~ Gaite replied to the unspoken question while ripping off the top of a carrot. ~that my eyes vary from blue to green. Beware however for they can become as purple as your own beautiful eyes. And, yes, I AM tuned to your thoughts.~
What Viconia hadn’t realized until then was that Gaite’s mouth hadn’t moved. Even more irritated than before, she voiced the question that the others had failed to solicit. “Just where are we?”
“Impatience, impatience, my dear. I think if you wait a few minutes, the others will finally arrive.”
Gaite glanced at the glowering Viconia and with a deep sigh, decided that the Drow was even more edgy than he had though.
“You should wait, Ms Viconia. But just for you and so you’ll calm down - and I see Mr. Fox also is imbued with your malady - I’ll say you are on a planet far beyond your own. Factually, this place is not even in your universe. It is a place known by the locals as “Earth” - though I believe some call it Terra. At any road or whether you like it or not, you were sent through what I call a Doorway - in this instance one created by a mage.
“You three - Brers Fox, Bear, and Rabbit - also chanced to be in the same place cosmically as did Ms Viconia. Although not from the same world, your home has five congruencies whereby you can almost interact with Ms Viconia’s world. I hesitate to disclose that time and space play more of a part in what happened than the spell of a simple mage but these things can and have happened. It’s time that’s the unlikely interferential nexus in this instance. Strange things happen. You four were followed by some associates though associates may not be the correct word. But then that doesn’t matter in this instance.
“Hey, you”, shouted a voice from the seats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What was that all about?” asked Viconia while sharpening her blade.
“Someone who guards this place. At least baseball is not in season which would have created more problems than you know. And…” Gaite turned once more to the seats before lowering his gaze. “I believe my associates have arrived. Please come out of the shadows, Lou-San, Plard, and I believe Godfrey. Or perhaps you continue to call yourself ‘Capper’,” Gaite added with a knowing smile.
“What’r you doing here, Gaite?” inquired Lou-San. Clearly she was miffed that he had shown up.
“Not to worry,” Gaite responded.
“I don’t like you, Gaite. I never have. You’re showing up has always been followed by some kind of disaster. I don’t know what your about now and I don’t care.”
“Plard, please….”
“Isn’t any use. She’s always gone her own way - a reason I’ve loved her for so long. And her instincts are not to be taken lightly. You should know that. Even Alfraeo bows to her judgment rather than yours. He’s got cause as I understand it.”
“Not true, though he doesn’t understand. If only Lou-San would do as I asked, all those problems that seem to be, won’t be, wouldn’t be, can’t be. I know it’s difficult to understand but it can be true, if only she would trust me.”
“Trust you”, she said with a snarl. “The last time I did that, Garenst almost died. If it hadn’t been for Lor’T’An and the Twins…”
“That’s just it. That was to have been a learning experience - a way to stop Garenst from following his curiosity - which you must admit he has tempered. He would do as I ask. So why not you?”
“Because I don’t trust you.”
“Perhaps later then. I’ll not push you into this. Besides there’s this problem. I can help with that at least.”
“What are you three chattering about?” asked Viconia who was irritated that she had not only not been part of the conversation but understood nothing about what was going on.
“My dear, Viconia, please bear with us a minute - though you are right,” replied Gaite. “I suggest that I take these creatures back to their own world while you, Plard, and Lou-San remain with the rest. At the same time, I’ll have some of my little friends clean up this mess.”
And with that, Gaite vanished as did the bear, fox, and rabbit. Small hovering creatures with tiny hands appeared suddenly and quickly removed ash and charred wood as well as the remnant of food, drink, table, and chairs. It was as if they crumbled everything into several balls of refuse. And just as they rolled their little balls of trash in their hands, they and the trash vanished. Vaconia had never seen anything like it nor had Capper. But tiny robots-creations such as these were familiar as creations of their spacecraft, Betea. Almost as soon as the small robots vanished, Gaite reappeared.
“An interesting trip, I must say. I placed the rabbit in somewhere which he called his ‘Happy Place’ and the two others near their homes. All three retain no memory of what they encountered or did. That was as it should be and as it is now.”
“But what about me?” queried Viconia who sheathed her freshly sharpened scimitar. “I definitely do not belong here.”
“And so you shant - shall not. Lou-San, Plard, would you escort Viconia to her home world?”
“Sure, anything to get rid of you,” Lou-San said with a sneer.
“What about Capper?” asked Plard.
“I’ll see to him, myself.”
Lou-San was not pleased to hear that response but realized that it was either stay here with Gaite or leave with Viconia. And even with the aura of anger that Viconia still displayed, she would rather be with her than Gaite. Suddenly a swirling pattern of color opened before them.
“Take my hand and Plard’s, Viconia. This is how we travel between your world and this. And it is possible - probable actually - that you can become lost if you’re not careful.” So saying, she, Plard, and Viconia entered the swirling mist of color leaving Gaite and Capper alone.
Capper jerked twice just as if he was awakening from a hypnotic daze. Shaking his head a few times, he realized just where they were. Gaite he accepted as if he had always known him and that bothered him at first.
“Plard shouldn’t have brought you with him - THAT I failed to foresee, Mr. Griffin. However, I think I know what should be done.” And with a small gesture another swirling mist rose from the ground only this one was powder blue. “Come,” was all he said. As the black teenager entered the mist along with Gaite, he wondered why he followed this smaller man. None of this made sense.
The two emerged into a brightly lit hallway which to Capper’s eyes appeared like the hallway of some castle. There were stone walls, floor, and ceiling. The stones seemed to be held together by mortar but as he was unfamiliar with construction he couldn’t ascertain whether he was correct or not.
“Where are we,” he ventured.
“At my training facility, Godfrey. Here you shall learn many things - some strange, some not so strange. Have you ever heard of magic?”
“Yeah, in fairy tales - white man fairy tales.”
“Here there is no ‘white’ or ‘black’. Here you will learn much. You’ll have to learn sword play as well as the various magics. I think however that for your new life, you should start with wand magics. You may be a bit old for this but here, you can learn as long as you wish or need. By the way, I also know you have a gift for learning magic. That is why you’re here - first to learn, next to use. Then there will come a time when you shall know everything that is worth knowing.”
Capper thought on that for a moment. Then he replied, “So when will I go back home?”
“Home? Where is that?”
Capper thought long and hard.
“I don’t rightly know. I think there was a place with roads of stone but I don’t remember much about that.”
“Don’t think about that too hard. In a short time you’ll come to see that you’ve been here all your life. This will be your new life for now. Then you shall travel to another time, another place called Earth, where magic and sorcery live - a place where magical creatures like giants and dragons share the land with elves and men. A place where you will live forever.”
“I should like to go to a place like that.”
“It will be a good place; and, though you will encounter dangers, you will live long and prosper. Now to began your new life, Godfrey.”
And so began a time of learning, forgetting, and finding himself once again.
Viconia on the other hand was greeted with sharp sunlight.
~Damn him,~ thought Lou-San to Plard. ~He knows that sunlight is detrimental to Drow.~
Traveling the Doorways between time and space is not always safe. Someone once said that traveling the Shadow Worlds was tantamount to walking across a fifty-lane highway backwards. A traveler who knows where he or she is going has an advantage. And for the experienced, there are various protections employable - some are more pleasant than others. Moreover time and space play tricks on one’s mind. And then there are the demons and other even more dangerous creatures that both travel and inhabit the Shadow Worlds.
To a novice, the Lanes of Shadows are only so much gray. But there are not only dividing lines but lines of color that can be used as guides. One ‘sees’ differently in the Shadow Worlds - not only colors but shapes. A person’s vision and perception differ as well. Most find that the mind sees more than the eyes - so much so, that many travelers prefer to have their eyes covered relying on other senses to travel from one place to another.
Lou-San was ambivalent about the Doorways for to her the Doors to the Shadow Worlds meant Gaite. Betea and Lor’T’An were familiar with their existence. Both called them Cressways as if a word could make a difference in a place that knew neither place nor time.
Most first time travelers were uncomfortable and Viconia was no different. Her inferred vision gave her insight into things that she would rather know nothing of. And the creatures that seemed to hover near caused her more than once to attempt to wrench away from her guides and have her scimitars taste blood once again. However both Lou-San and Plard gripped her hands tightly preventing her.
“You must fight this, Viconia,” Plard said. “Beware for therein are your worse fears. There is no power in what you see unless you give it power. Even the demons cannot cause you any harm unless you stray from the lanes we follow. And you do not wish to find out what would happen if you do.”
Viconia never realized that within Plard’s mind was that of another - a student/follower of Gaite’s called Alfraeo Omegus. He also could create and dismiss the entrances to the Shadow Worlds. What had caused this amalgamation of mind and body had occurred only a few years ago on another world where Plard had been attacked by dragons and Druids. And soon after that blending, Lou-San had her first encounter with Gaite. One does not mess with Lou-San’s Life-Mate with impunity.
Like ice skaters, the trio, hand-in-hand, neared their goal. And as suddenly as quicksand, their journey ended. That was when all three entered the world in full sunlight. Plard quickly directed the trio to the darkness of a close by cavern. Viconia wondered if it was luck that the shelter was so close. It was all too much for her and since she was so tired, sleep came easily.
~Plard, why would that dolt, Gaite, have pushed us though here at noon! He’s…~
~…done this because of time, my Darling. She has yet to see what happened to herself - how she was sent to that world and by whom. I see that she can be read using the P Thought-Band. I suspect a mage was involved and a quick read should tell us who the mage worked for. That bit of information we’ll pass to her and our job is done.~
~And we can go back to what we were doing?~ She responded with a smile as if she’d cornered him and he was IT.
~If only we had time to play here, I’d be more than willing. But yes, we’ll finally be free for a while. I don’t suppose Counselor will have anything more for us to do. Or I suppose we could have a little fun while traveling back with Betea - except that’s such a short trip.~
~True, Plard. But what can we do to pass the time while we’re here?~
~Perhaps a nap. I’ll be aware - as you always are - if something happens while we sleep. Viconia will sleep until around eight local time.
Some time passed while the Drow and offworlders rested. It was the emergence of millions of bats that roused Plard and Lou-San. A thought also roused Viconia. It was Plard’s suggestive thought that allowed the two offworlders to feel free enough to sleep. She was still a dangerous individual. The three emerged from the cavern and walked toward the clearing where Viconia had originally seen the woodelves dancing.
While they walked, Viconia looked once more at the two humans beside her. For some reason Lou-San looked a bit different. Viconia remembered her skin color as being almost as violet-black as her own. But now even in the light of the moon, her skin was a flat black. And a casual touch of her arm disclosed she had donned some kind of fur albeit fur that was very short. Plard also had changed. She could barely make his form out in the moonlight. And both seemed to see as well in the dark as she. These were two strange humans she concluded.
As they neared the clearing, Plard stopped her. She almost gave a gasp of surprise as he began drow fingertalk.
“Remain silent. Watch what happens. In a few minutes you and the other drow will discover these woodelves. With some luck, you should be able to identify the mage that sent you to that other world. Point him out to us.”
~Lou-San, do you notice something?~
Cautiously she examined the area. Indeed there was something unusual but what it was remained hidden. And then…
~The elves. Something to do with the woodelves.~
~Yes, there’s more here than I thought before. I’m not sure what, however. And is it for Viconia’s, ours, or the other drows’ benefit. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.~
And so the three remained hidden as the drow - Viconia included - crept up on the unsuspecting happy woodelves. Then as if a floodgate of horror was loosened, the drow began indiscriminate killing. As Viconia watched, she saw herself approaching the trembling elven children. As she approached them, she saw a flash of light and watched as her other self was pushed into a swirling mass of gray smoke.
“It was HIM,” she was about to say before realizing that to speak would counter her need for revenge.
“Yes,” said Plard in finger speech. “A thought, a stray thought and something else. Do you know someone called Kataan? Perhaps a bit taller than you with lighter skin? She seems to have had a whip much like yours.”
Anger suffused Viconia’s face as she rose to exact her revenge. Lou-San managed to restrain her with a gentle push on her right shoulder.
“Wait,” she finger-signaled. “Both Plard and I have noticed something isn’t quite right here.” They waited as the drow killed all the woodelves. As soon as the drow had verified that none of the woodelves lived, they left for their real goal which actually had been the capture of kobolds and goblins as slaves.
A cold breeze cooled the trio’s faces as they waited in silence. Plard was becoming irritated thinking his imagination had gone astray when he heard a tiny “pop”. Lou-San was aware of the sound as was Viconia. They were staring at the scene of so much carnage when they again heard the pop. Viconia was the first to notice.
“It’s the woodelves,” she whispered in bewilderment. “One of the bodies disappeared.”
Again a popping sound was heard and then two more quick, quiet pops erupted in the silence as more of the butchered bodies vanished. Abruptly numerous popping sounds announced the disappearance of the rest of the bodies. These sounds blended together so that the overall effect was more of a hiss rather than a pop - a prolonged fizzling of perhaps thirty seconds.
Unexpectedly all was silent save for a few leaves silently drifting onto the soft grass of the forest glen.
Godfrey soon established himself as an accomplished wizard. It was as if magic was a part of his being. Additionally, unlike typical mages, he learned well the wielding of sword and shield. For a time he worked with the smaller epees and poniards graduating to long swords and tower shields. He also practiced with hand axe and great axe but never became proficient with either. And, although he could fire the long bow with a fair amount of accuracy - enough to bring down a deer or boar, he never could have skewered a small creature such as a rabbit.
Perhaps he preferred the sword to all other weapons because sword and shield were more protective while magic was more aggressive. After a time, he became so well accepted that his instructors would place juniors under his tutelage. Occasionally he would see Gaite but that became rarer and rarer. Why this was, he had no idea. Then one day, Gaite approached him in the vast library wherein were all manner of books on swordsmanship and magic.
“It is time,” Gaite said quietly.
“Time?”
“Yes. It is time to travel to your permanent home. Gather your things.”
And so Godfrey gathered his few possessions and placing them in a haversack which he put on his back. With his sword at his side as well as a poniard and buckler, he was ready to travel.
“I think you could use this“, Gaite said gently once more. And with hardly a flourish, he produced a rather fancy sword, wand, and hat. “These should outfit you properly and that is as it should be.” Saying this, Gaite created a Doorway; and, they passed from the castle-like structure to a great hilly pastureland almost instantly.
“Godfrey, there is a village nearby that calls for someone such as you. It lies some distance; however, a stretch of the leg should see you there in an hour.”
“Is that all? You’re going to just leave me here?’
“Yes. In a few minutes you will not remember anything that has transpired. You will not remember me, nor where you trained, nor anything else of your past. What do you know about Houston?”
“Houston? Is that a place or a person? I don’t think I know anything about that. What is it and why do you ask?”
Gaite smiled before responding. “Nothing, though I suppose inquiring minds want to know. I was ascertaining whether or not you might have remember that person as part of your training.”
And as a summer breeze filled the air, Gaite vanished once again. And as Godfrey walked briskly westward, all memory of Gaite and his former surroundings vanished as well. This was probably for the best since the place where he had learned so much for so long no longer existed.
After Godfrey had walked about an hour, he came to a stream near which was a group of houses with thatched roofs. However rather than the normal bucolic scene of pastoral peace and beauty, he saw a large number of villagers with various farming pieces which they were brandishing about as weapons.
“Hale, villagers, if you please. What’s the commotion about?”
“Well, stranger. If ya don’t see it, there are a buncha raiders a-comin’. Don’t think ya got too long a wait ‘fore they’re here.”
Dropping his backpack, Godfrey asked, “Could you use a hand in repelling these raiders?”
“Shore,” replied a gaunt man dressed in raggedy homespun. Although he was probably thirty, flecks of white were showing up throughout his hair. He looked at Godfrey wondering not only where this stranger was from but why he wanted to help. He must be a warrior of sorts otherwise he wouldn’t have a sword. Why he was holding a long, polished stick though was anyone’s guess.
As the villagers were gathering behind piles of straw mixed with broken wooden tools, the raiders - screaming and shouting and brandishing their weapons - came into view. Godfrey smiled knowing that was all bluster - an attempt to frighten the villagers.
“Quidus Flamarias,” shouted Godfrey pointing his wand at the advancing hoard. Magically a stream of fire spewed forth from the end of his wand forming into a towering curtain of flame between the villagers and their attackers. Startled, the onrushing men tried to stop. However the men in the rear didn’t stop quite quick enough jostling the men in front. Three or four of those men blundered into - and through - the flame curtain unharmed. Realizing it as an illusion, the men began advancing once more - albeit guardedly.
With a sigh, Godfrey realized that illusionary spells would not cause the attackers to flee. Shrugging off his failure, he pointed his wand once again at the advancing men while at the same time saying, “colpo di lampous.” This time a lightning bolt sailed from his wand striking the ground just ahead of the advancing party. Two of the men were killed outright while several more in close proximity were burned. The rest paused and began chattering among themselves.
“What’dja do?” asked the villager. “You some sorta magical person?”
Ignoring the man, Godfrey put the wand back in his belt and drew forth his long sword. But as he did that, the attackers stopped chattering, gathered their wounded and their dead and headed back toward where they had come from.
Godfrey, hoping the attack was over - at least for now, sheathed his sword once more. As he looked at the villagers, he saw mixed emotions. Some were grateful. Many were afraid. All stared at him as if he was a freak. That bothered Godfrey for some reason.
But it was the village leader who made a momentous decision.
“I don’t know who you is, stranger, but we’d have ya stay a while for a bit.”
“Thank you, sir,” Godfrey acknowledged with a smile and offering a handshake which the villager quickly accepted.
“Ain’t no’Sir’ hereabouts, Sonny.”
“Oh, s-s-sorry,” Godfrey stuttered. “I’m called Godfrey. Godfrey Griffin. I’m from a village well east of here on the ocean called…”. However, Godfrey couldn’t remember where he had lived before. But that didn’t stop him from being accepted.
Over the years, Godfrey rarely used magic because that frightened the local villagers. He did find a couple who’s daughter seemed to be magically inclined. The couple were Martin and Vicky and their daughters were Karin and Kristin. Their last name was a bit strange - Raven’s Claw - but there were many strange names and things in this land not the least of which was his finding that at other villages lived more children magically inclined.
It was almost a year to the day after he had saved the village from the rampaging hoard that he fell in love with Gayle. She was the daughter of the village elder and herself a rather wise woman - even though she could only count seventeen summers. But that didn’t matter since Godfrey thought he was probably eighteen or maybe nineteen.
Gayle and Godfrey had two sons and three daughters as the years passed. Though he loved them all, only one son, Cancun, and two daughters, Venus and Mystique seemed to be disposed to learning magic. As he approached his tenth year in the village - an uneventful time without troubles - there appeared a very strange, stooped man who was selling polished wands fairly similar to his. Though quite old, the man was surprisingly spry. At first he wouldn’t say what made the wands so magical but eventually that came out one evening as Godfrey and he was sharing a bowl of pipeweed. However what this secret was, Godfrey never told.
Godfrey would walk to the various villages encouraging those with magical potential to visit him now and then. He was nearing forty when he met a couple whose last name was Torcimento. Although they had originally lived in a country across the ocean on the mainland, they had decided to settle nearby because their son had shown so much magical talent that the local Church Fathers were going to burn him at the stake. Possibly that was because of his interest in snakes.
Another couple, Rikard and Lizza who were from a country further north, settled nearby. They had a lovely daughter, Kristion. All three were magically endowed.
It was after the sixteenth year when something unusual happened that resulted in the return of some of Capper’s old memories. This is how that happened….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lou-San and Plard remained puzzled only for a moment. Why worry about something even if they never found out the cause. They only needed to report their findings and perhaps have some R & R.
“Well, Viconia,” started Lou-San. “We’ve gotten you this far. You should be able to find the rest of your way. We’ve even provided you some clues to what happened.”
“But what happened to the bodies?”
“No concern of ours nor yours,” added Plard without so much as a nod as the two traveled west.
Viconia watched for a moment or two until she couldn’t see them. She wasn’t sorry to be rid of them but was curious as to why they helped return her to her world. Taking off for her home, she knew that she would have to find out why Kataan wanted her dead. First she’d kill that no account mage, Ryld. Then she’d torture Kataan until she confessed her guilt. Viconia thought perhaps that everything that had happened to her must have originated from House Xentoralo. Kataan’s mistress was Zaltor, daughter of the Matron Mother. Although Ryld wasn’t affiliated with House Xentoralo, he was known to be Kataan’s lover - if any female drow took lovers. Viconia had heard - although she discounted it as some sort of unbelievable tripe - that Kataan might be in love with the younger mage. Wouldn’t make any difference to her. Both were as good as dead.
Viconia made excellent time returning to Hazzabreaniem and her own living quarters in House Xentoralo. A quick search disclosed that no one had entered her quarters. Opening a nondescript chest, she removed a small adamant crossbow and a quiver of thirty poison arrows. From a much smaller box, she retrieved several scrolls. Adjusting her piwafwi cloak, Viconia walked to the balcony stopping when she heard a soft, indefinable sound. As she neared the northwest corner of her balcony, she saw its source. Two males bared to the waist, rapiers in one hand and parrying daggers in the other, were circling one another. They stood straight and stepped lightly in the manner of well-trained fencers. Their discarded piwafwid, mail, and shirts lay where they’d tossed them on the ground along with a pair of empty wineskins. A third male looked on from beneath an overhanging balcony some distance away - probably where the combatants quite possibly hadn’t noticed him.
Viconia sighed. This little tableau was mildly intriguing, but it clearly had nothing to do with her own situation.
Viconia would spot the raiding party when it returned. Because the rest of the party was probably unaware of what the two had done, she reasoned that they would set themselves apart for a discussion of what had happened. She walked onto the roof easing herself toward the edge.
As she achieved her goal, she noticed that one of the duelists groaned as his foe’s blade plunged through his torso. Magic flickered and sizzled, and the victor dropped as well. The wizard who’d been watching from a distance stolled forward to inspect the steaming corpses.
Viconia wondered if the three had been siblings, and the wizard was the clever one. She’d had a brother like that once, until an even trickier male had turned him to dust and absconded with his wands and grimoires. A minor setback for House Xentoralo, but interesting to watch.
Overhead, something snapped. She glanced up. Four or five riders on wyvern-back were winging their way east. Above them projecting from the cavern ceiling, the stalactite castles shone with their own enchantments, a far lovelier sight, in her opinion, than the miniscule monochromatic stars that speckled the night sky of the so-called Lands of Light.
Then, so faintly that she wondered if she’d imagined it, something brushed against something else. The sound had issued from the southwest just about where the raiding party would have entered the city proper.
Vaconia scurried over to that part of the roof and peered down. Yes, there indeed was the party and two drow, - one male, one female - had detached themselves from the other raiders. She waited until the two had stopped. She was a fair hand with the crossbow and probably would have been able to shoot down the culprits from behind, but that would gain her few answers. She didn’t happen to possess a scroll with the spell for interrogating the dead. So she need to catch both of them alive.
She read from a scroll she did have, then she stepped away from the top of the tower into empty space.
Except that it wasn’t empty for her. The air was as firm as stone beneath her soles. For two paces, she strode on a level surface, and, because she willed it so, the unseen platform dipped into an equally invisible ramp. She sprinted down with no fear of blundering off the edge. Wherever she set her foot, the incline would be there to meet it. That was how the magic worked.
Her progress entirely silent, she dashed unnoticed above the two, then with a thought dissolved the support beneath her boots. Her hand crossbow ready, she dropped the last ten feet to the ground and landed in front of her prey.
Startled, the traitors jumped. While Ryld remained silent, Kataan gave a sharp gasp.
“My lady,” Kataan said, bending with her usual stiffness into an obeisance.
“I know all about it, Kataan. Ryld tried sending me to some other world. He failed. He should die for that alone. And why are you acting the servitor. You’ve never done that before.”
“I don’t know what you mean. I was on the other side of where you were killing those woodelven children and…”
“You lie. I saw where you were. I saw Ryld trying to send me to another world. But now I’m back. And soon you both shall pay. Do you think I haven’t realized I had an enemy in Hazzabreaniem? Two tendays ago, Zoathan considered me loyal. She approved of me. She granted most of what I asked for on behalf of our house. Now, she doubts me, because someone has persuaded her to question my true intentions. What did my foe offer to lure you and Ryld to her side? Don’t you realize that by betraying me, you betray House Xentoralo itself?”
The drow scribe hesitated, then said, “L’Venorik Velve, Matron Zoathan has people watching the residence. Someone is watching us now.”
“Perhaps,” Viconia replied.
Kataan swallowed. “So you can’t harm us. Or they’ll harm you.”
Viconia laughed, “Rubbish. Zaltor’s agents won’t reveal their presence just to keep me from disciplining one of Matron Zoathan’s retainers.” She was greeted with another flinch. “They won’t see anything odd oor detrimental to the House nor to Hazzabreaniem for that matter. Now, now be sensible and surrender.”
So now Viconia knew she was on the right track.
After another pause, Kataan said, “Give me your word you won’t hurt either of us and that you’ll let us go free - perhaps even help us flee the city. You must understand, I fear to betray he..them and remain. They‘ll kill us if we do.”
Ryld realizing Viconia’s attention was on Kataan started muttering a spell. Viconia might have acted inattentive but she wasn’t. Moving slightly right, she let loose a poisoned bolt. The poison worked quickly.
“Ryld!!” Lataan shouted jerking toward Ruld before returning to face Viconia.
“You fool,” Viconia said with distain. “I might have let you both live.”
Viconia quickly reloaded her hand crossbow and made a show of sighting down its length.
Trembling a little, her nerve having been broken, the clerk raised her hand to her face, perhaps to massage her brow. No - to lift a tiny vial to her lips!
Viconia pulled the trigger once more and her aim was true, but by the time the quarrel pierced Kataan just below her navel, the scribe’s form was changing. She grew even thinner, shriveling, but taller as well. Her flesh cooled and stank of corruption, leathery wings sprouted from her shoulder blades, and her eyes sank into her head. Even her garments altered, blurring and splitting into moldering rags. No blood flowed from the wound the poisoned dart had made, and it didn’t seem to inconvenience her in the slightest. She didn’t even bother to pull the missile out.
Viconia was furious at herself for allowing Kataan to trick her. Next time, she’d remember that even a dark elf devoid of beauty, grace, and facil wit, seemingly undone by fear, was yet a drow, born to guile and deception.
Thepotion had temporarily transformed Kataan into some sort of undead, in which form she likely wouldn’t suffer at all from her usual clumsiness. She first tried to call on Lolth, but clearly something was wrong. If not, Viconia might have controlled the cadaverous thing with her clerical powers, but that was no longer an option. Nor were any of her other retainers likely to notice her plight and dash to her rescue.
It was unfortunate, because like most undead, except for the lowely corpses and skeletons spell casters reanimated to serve as mindless thralls, Kataan in winged-ghoul form could probably do grievous harm with any strike that so much as grazed the skin, and Viconia had left her scimitars in her quarters so she could move silently. After all, how was she to have known the servant was possessed of such a potent means of defense?
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