Campaign Log: Confessions of a Forked Tongue

[coronatiger]

14th of Rama, year 412 (continued)

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

Food arrived, but I did not eat. I was waiting for Yana, and explored my fangs idly with my tongue. Had they sharpened, recently? I thought my night vision had improved as well, but it was hard to tell, as the change wasn’t very big, and had come over time.

The others partook of the food, but Lord Lunas wanted better fare and ordered the servants to have food brought from the nobles’ kitchen. He returned to talking about his father, and told Wolfram that he wanted Lord Madan observed over some time. He informed us of the strict rules that were to ensure that Tusa, the demon possessing Lord Madan, wasn’t released. These were rules that Lord Madan had imposed earlier, when Lady Varja was possessed.

Xipil expressed concern about being locked inside a room with a demon, but Wolfram said it would be all right. Xipil reiterated that we needed to retrieve Lunari’s ring before going inside, and perhaps we should study the urn in the dungeon as well.

It became clear that we needed Ebsalon’s advice, so Lord Lunas left to fetch him. Xipil asked if he could get Pak and Groman, too. I watched the door longingly, but not for his return. When a strange noblewoman entered, dressed for a ball, I had to look twice before I recognized Yana. She was gorgeous! My jaw dropped, and I could only wave her over, but she acted like a lady and made me stand up and pull out her chair. Her expression was all seriousness, but I discerned a playful smile hiding around her eyes when she glanced at me.

Lord Lunas entered while we were helping ourselves from large, shallow bowls containing a variety of fruits. He complimented Yana on her dress, calling her “my lady” and acting as if she was a foreign guest. Keri brought a selection of spirits, and stronger wine than what the servants had chosen to go with the fruit. As was his custom, the dwarf started drinking as soon as he had seated himself. Xipil took a bottle of liquor and served everyone from that as if it was wine.

So as not to be outdone by Keri and Grogg, I downed my glass in one swig. I’m not really familiar with drink, but I could tell this stuff was strong. Yana looked at her glass skeptically and took a small sip, whispering for my advice. Someone her size might not be able to handle the amount that Xipil had poured for her. Of course, the two of us are quite similar in build, but Yana doesn’t have Your blessing, like I do. I took her glass and poured the contents over to mine, and refilled her glass from one of the wine bottles the servants had provided.

Ebsalon and Pak joined us at the table, and Keri and Grogg got everyone to toast Lunari. I downed my refilled glass of liquor, and Yana put a gloved hand on my arm to signal that I should take it easy with the booze. That suited me fine, for the liquor didn’t really go along that great with the fruit. Yana’s gentle touch felt nice, so I used my other hand to refill my glass, this time with wine.

Things got a little awkward around the table. Wolfram seemed nervous, jumping when Lord Lunas clasped his shoulder amicably. Grogg was staring at Wolfram, which certainly didn’t help the situation, and I found it difficult to banter with Yana while she played the role of a foreign lady. I got an idea, though. I excused myself and went upstairs, letting myself into Grogg’s room.

When I returned to the dining hall half an hour later, I looked every bit the dashing nobleman, having pulled back my hair into a ponytail and redone my makeup. Lunari had been a little shorter than me, but I successfully found clothes from his luggage that fit, albeit tightly, so my feminine forms were strongly accentuated. Grogg glared at me, but I ignored him. I bowed to Yana and asked if “milady” cared to dance with me.

Lord Lunas called for music, clearly enjoying the show. Yana and I didn’t care to wait, and started dancing in silence. Then the musicians arrived, and Yana taught me the steps of a noble dance. It felt weird being the one to lead, especially while being taught, but having Yana for a partner more than made up for it. I enjoyed myself immensely. Pak, Wolfram and Xipil left to talk somewhere quiet, and I missed a step when I noticed Xipil carrying a bottle of wine. Grogg followed after a minute or two.

Ebsalon had left while I was gone, but arrived now with Lady Isa, asking where everyone had gone. Lord Lunas told him they had gone upstairs, but would certainly be back soon. Ebsalon used the time to instruct Lady Isa in diplomacy, and to impress upon her the importance of keeping one’s mouth shut when one receives forbidden knowledge. I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but then again, I didn’t pay much attention, living in the moment of the dance.

I could have danced with Yana forever, but eventually the main course arrived from the kitchen, and Pak and Xipil drifted back inside the dining hall. I returned to the table with Yana and asked Xipil where Wolfram and Grogg were. They had gone to bed. I quite understood. Grogg needed more healing, and Wolfram had felt out of place in “high society”.

Lord Lunas came over to Yana and me and put his arms around our shoulders, asking what fine folk had come to visit the Evening Fort. I was uncharacteristically speechless, but Yana introduced herself as Mirabella, and she and Lord Lunas made small talk. Before he returned to his seat, he invited us over for a private party later. Getting no replies, he amended his invitation to “or perhaps we men-folk should go for a smoke and let the ladies chat”. Yana thought this was fun, but I groaned fatalistically, “What have we done?!”

[coronatiger]

Yana talked for a while with Lady Isa, while Ebsalon reminded the noblewoman about being diplomatic and courteous. Yana rattled off “noble chit-chat”, having a great time, but Lady Isa looked bored. I noticed Xipil sneaking off. Then Lord Lunas came and asked me to join him for a pipe. He clearly had something he needed to get off his chest, so I followed him outside and through to the inner courtyard.

Lord Lunas told me how much he had enjoyed our night together, earlier, and said he would very much like an encore tonight. I didn’t know what to say. I had seduced him in order to gain his protection from the Moon Shadows, and I didn’t want to jeopardize that, but knowing Yana’s feelings, I didn’t want to sleep with Lord Lunas again either. The nobleman saw how hesitant I was, and asked me to fetch Keri for him instead. “I don’t want to force you to anything, Nuur-Karif, but I’ll leave my door unlocked tonight.” “I’m going to fetch Keri! I’m going to fetch Keri!” I repeated frantically until I realized I was just standing there making a fool of myself, and dashed off. I saw Lord Lunas head for the lounge, so when I returned to the guest hall, I told Keri where he could find his master waiting for him.

“Can we talk?” I interrupted Yana. The fake lady phrased some finishing pleasantries to the real lady, who was relieved to be allowed to go. The act hadn’t been to Lady Isa’s liking. However, I thought what really bothered her wasn’t Yana’s pretense at being nobility, it was more that she herself had to engage in the silliness of nobles. Ebsalon followed Lady Isa out, and Yana dropped the façade. “What’s up?” Glancing at the musicians at the other end of the table, and at the servants hovering around the room, I answered, “I need to talk. Privately. Can we go up to my room?”

In the privacy of my room, I told Yana I needed advice from a good friend. I confessed to having slept with Lord Lunas, staying the night with him. I emphasized that it was a while ago, and only one night. “I slept with him because he needed company, not because I had feelings for him. And just now, he invited me back to his bed, and I don’t know what to do. I had hoped he understood that it was a one-time deal. I don’t want to ruin his friendship.”

Yana asked if I had something to drink, so I ran downstairs for a bottle of wine and two glasses. We both drank half a glass, rather quickly, and then Yana said she had advice for me, but before she told me what it was, I had to promise to say no and forget about it, if I thought it was a bad idea. “By the forked tongue, I so promise!” Yana was a bit startled, but accepted my unfamiliar oath.

Yana’s advice was that the two of us should go over to Lord Lunas and surprise him tonight. “Won’t it be weird to see me with him?” I protested, “I thought you were in love with him!” “What!? No!!” Yana’s outburst was loud enough to possibly wake Wolfram down the hall, if not Grogg who was likely under the spell of the healing needle. “You must have misunderstood,” Yana explained in a lower voice, “I’ve only done some innocent flirting with him, just for the fun of it. I don’t have romantic feelings for him.” She turned serious: “I’m sure Lord Lunas would appreciate the sight of you and me cuddling.” From talking to workers in less reputable establishments, I knew that some men enjoyed watching women play with each other, and recalling Lord Lunas’s delight at seeing us dancing earlier, I figured he just might be one such man.

I told Yana I accepted her proposal. I felt the same comfort in her embrace as I did in the coils of snakes. There was a big difference between soft, smooth skin and rigid, overlapping scales, but the comfort was the same, and I couldn’t wait to feel it again. I didn’t tell Yana this, of course. With her fear of snakes, the comparison would only unsettle her. I hope one day to be able to convince her to let You into her heart, but I don’t think that day is in the near future.

Yana fetched my box of makeup from my pack and we freshened up before heading for the inner courtyard. At the gate, we met Xipil and said a quick hello before he hurried on. We entered the nobles’ house and went upstairs. Lord Lunas’s door was ajar as promised, so I went inside, pulling Yana with me. Lord Lunas said he was happy to see us and opened a bottle of wine. He told us he wanted to give us a tour of the facilities; he was particularly proud of his bedroom, so we went there. We were sitting in a circle on the floor, passing the bottle around, when Keri came bursting in. Lord Lunas asked pointedly if this was important. Keri was rather flustered, but he nodded vigorously. Lord Lunas sighed and told Yana and me that we could spend the night here if we wished, for he would most likely be gone for quite a while.

They left, and Yana suggested that we should warm up the bed. She was tired of playing the noblewoman, and indicated that she would want to get out of the elaborate dress she was wearing. Someone was yelling outside, but that had nothing to do with us. Yana stopped fiddling with her dress and we sat down on the side of the bed, talking.

Yana told me flirting stories. She had more experience with men, but had on occasion flirted with women too, to rile up the men. I confessed that I use my looks (and my body) in Your service. While I’d been with more men than I cared to admit, I had never felt emotionally connected to any of them.

After we had talked for a while, Yana asked me to help her with the lacings on the dress. It was a wonder she had been able to put it on without help. We had pulled the dress down to her waist when we heard footsteps approaching. I hurriedly pulled up her bodice again, and Lord Lunas opened the door. He asked if he could come inside. I was really uncertain, but then I realized that it was Yana who was half undressed, not me, so it should be up to her. “Is it all right if he comes in?” I whispered in her ear.

“Welcome, my lord!” Yana told the nobleman, “If you will pardon us, we only wanted to keep your bed warm.” Lord Lunas seemed upset, so I asked what was wrong. He sat down next to us on the side of the bed and sighed that he doubted that he would be able to perform tonight, but if one of us would hold him, he would appreciate it greatly. “Of course!” I said.

I took off Lunari’s clothes. I didn’t dare sleeping in them, for they were so tight that I feared I’d rip them if I should toss and turn during the night. Lord Lunas had already seen my birthday suit, as had Yana, for that matter, but although it was clear nothing was going to happen tonight, I wouldn’t have undressed for him if Yana hadn’t told me of her lack of feelings for him. Since Yana wasn’t interested in Lord Lunas, I lay down behind him and directed her to lie behind me. If Lord Lunas got frisky, I could fend him off easily enough. I didn’t think Yana had combat training equivalent to mine.

Lord Lunas did turn around, but he kept his sword sheathed. He just brushed his fingers over my breast and sighed that some days just never end. He lifted his head and told Yana he hoped this didn’t make things awkward between them, but Yana told him not to worry. Tonight, we were here for him, she said. I thought she sounded a little strange saying that last bit, but she might just be tired. I didn’t think it was really that late, but it had been an eventful day.

I closed my eyes and sent my evening prayer to You. Feeling gentle caresses from both sides was strangely titillating. If Yana wanted to put on a show for Lord Lunas by playing with me, that was fine by me, and if the nobleman wanted to fondle me a little, that was all right too. My body belongs to You, after all. Allowing Lord Lunas to caress it would keep relations good between us. I eventually found sleep.

O Ashtar! I surrender my life to Your coils. Take me while I sleep, or grant me another day in Your service, as You will.

[coronatiger]

15th of Rama, year 412

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

Lord Lunas must have had some errand outside during the night, for I woke briefly when he came back. I had turned towards Yana during his absence, and he let me know how he felt about it with a sharp pinch to my bottom. My eyes shot open and I was about to let him hear it when I saw Yana sleeping so peacefully right in front of me. The blissful sight defused my temper and I returned to sleep.

When I woke next, the hand that had rested on Yana’s back had moved down to her thigh. If I stretched my fingers but a little, I’d be able to touch … WHAT! I pulled back the offending hand and apologized profusely to Yana. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I really didn’t mean to grope!” I tried keeping my voice low so Lord Lunas shouldn’t wake up, but although I knew he was there – in fact, I felt him against my back – somehow it felt as if Yana and I were the only people in the room, in the world, actually.

Regarding me through sleepy eyes, Yana took my sinful hand and replaced it on her thigh. “I don’t mind,” she murmured. Wide-eyed, I slid my hand lightly up her side, over her hip, down through the valley of her waist and up the side of her chest. My fingertips tingled where they touched her silky chocolate skin. Was I really allowed to do this? Yana had closed her eyes again, and made no protest, so I guessed it was all right. I moved the hand between us and touched her breast gingerly. Yana put an arm around me, pressing on my back, ever so gently.

A million thoughts crashed through my head like an avalanche. Was she signaling for me to stop? Did she want me to continue my caress? Why were her breasts so enticing? Although similar in size, shape and feel, mine were just lumps of fat compared to these divine globes. My heart was racing, hammering in my chest to get out. The thunder was loud enough to wake the whole house! No. There was someone at the door! Lord Lunas bellowed “Busy!” causing me to pull back my hand in panic.

The hammering at the door kept up the pace with my galloping heart. “Lord Lunas! You must come!” the voices said, and he got up and opened the door while I hid Yana and me under the blanket. I heard Keri’s voice in the distance, calling out that he had things under control, there was no need to disturb Lord Lunas. The lord himself threatened to send those who had been banging on the door off the island to guard pigsties on the mainland. Only Keri had permission to disturb him now.

Yana whispered that we should let Lord Lunas lie between us, but I told her I had to go to the chapel, so I dressed once Lord Lunas had closed the door on the guards outside, and left. I heard him ask Yana if they should lock the door, but I didn’t catch the reply.

It was still dark outside. I had thought it was morning. Keri stood on the steps when I exited the building, berating Xipil. I asked Xipil what the problem was, and he replied, “I drank too much, according to Keri.” I took a few steps before his words caught up with me, then I turned around. “Keri, you know that Xipil doesn’t drink, right?” Keri glared at me and stomped off, leaving us with some words of late-night wisdom and a slammed door: “That’s his problem, not mine!” I shook my head at the thought and proceeded to the chapel. Something was definitely going on tonight, but I had to clear my head.

I stripped and did a full wash at the chapel entrance, meticulously removing all the makeup. It had smeared while I slept. The cool water relaxed me and Your holy presence sharpened my mind. I realized that I had just left Yana naked and alone with a horny Lord Lunas. My stomach twisted at the idea of the two of them together, so I sprinted back to his room, barely taking the time to squeeze into Lunari’s clothes first.

They hadn’t locked the door, so it yielded when I tore it open and burst into the room. Yana was still naked, but she was leaning against the headboard with Lord Lunas’s head in her lap, stroking his hair and singing a lullaby. He wasn’t as horny as I had feared. This was all right. I deflated and plumped down on the floor where we had sat drinking last night. There were still some drops of wine in my glass, so I drained it, dried it with a cloth, closed my eyes and began meditating. Yana’s soft voice didn’t disturb my meditation, in fact it set the mood for quiet contemplation and prayer.

I knew we sat like that for more than four hours, for I spat poison into the glass four times, and was ready to spit again when Lord Lunas declared that he had to go deal with “this”. I threw a confused glance at Yana while he dressed, but she only shook her head. She didn’t know either. Lord Lunas turned to me before leaving, asking if I had spent much time in Larma’s land. I told him I had passed through several times, but had never lingered long there. “With Yana’s help, do you think you could pass for one of them?” he asked. “Of course! Yana is very skilled.” Lord Lunas asked us to gather the others, and we agreed on the living room upstairs in the guest hall. That would be suitably private.

Once he left, I startled myself by asking Yana if I could touch her again. Feeling her under my fingertips gave me such delightful chills, I explained. Yana stood up and walked over to me, sitting down in front of me. “Touch me all you want,” she declared hoarsely. Her throat had to be parched after singing all night, and she reached thirstily for the glass that stood next to me, but I grabbed it first. “This isn’t wine!” I exclaimed. Yana looked at me, confused. I gaped and showed her my fangs, releasing a dose of venom so she could see the yellow-green liquid coating my extended upper canines. I closed my mouth and sucked my fangs dry, then spat into the wine glass. “Poison. Ashtar’s gift,” I explained looking up at Yana as she pulled back in horror. I cursed myself for making such a blatant display. I had known Yana was afraid of snakes. “Maybe we should get you dressed and go do as Lord Lunas asked?” I queried.

Yana didn’t want to put on the ballgown again, so she raided Lord Lunas’s wardrobe. She decided to dress us both up in his clothes. Thinking and talking about clothes had her back to normal in no time, and I drew a relieved breath. Yana offered to have Lunari’s clothes washed and wrapped up nicely so I could return them to Grogg. She had noticed that Grogg wasn’t best pleased that I borrowed those clothes.

In the outer courtyard, we split up to go change into our own clothes. Yana was very skilled, but Lord Lunas’s clothes were very large. A soldier whistled after Yana, so I whistled after him, loudly and pointedly.

Back in my room, I carefully transferred the venom from the wine glass to its proper container, a small glass vial, then I changed into the white dress with blue embroidery that Yana had made for me. We met up again in the dining hall, where Xipil, Nujan and Wolfram already were seated, discussing Wolfram’s totem pole over breakfast. He claimed he could use it to perform a ritual that made spirits visible. That would be useful; I had wondered why he was lugging that log around. Yana and I dug in to the meal, too, and then Yana rested her head on my shoulder, saying in a low voice, “Pretty Nuur-Karif. Everything’s going to work out for the best.” I stroked her hair.

Xipil wanted someone to wake Grogg, for he was surely hungry. I asked why he couldn’t do it himself, but he said he did it last time, so it was someone else’s turn. I didn’t want to move as long as Yana was leaning on me, so I asked if Wolfram could go and pull the needle from Grogg’s neck. He thought someone who knew Grogg better should do it. Yana bounced to her feet and said that she and I could go. She turned to me on the stairs and asked if she should go and ask someone to launder Lunari’s clothes first. I told her to go; I’d wait right there.

When Yana returned, we went upstairs and woke Grogg. He hurled his pillow at me. Yana told him he looked much better now than he did earlier. Grogg glared irritably at me, but at least he was awake. Yana and I went back downstairs, and Grogg followed soon after. I apologized to him for taking Lunari’s clothes without asking for permission first. That was disrespectful of me, and Lunari was absolutely an elf worthy of respect. Yana added that Grogg would get the borrowed clothes back once they were cleaned, but he told her to keep them.

I really made an effort to appease Grogg, and as he decided he wanted to locate “the box”, Yana and I came with him to search. Grogg believed that Xipil knew where it was, and we found the lizardman sleeping on a roof. Grogg lifted him down and asked where the box was. Xipil told him it was in Grogg’s own room, so we went there. Xipil returned to the roof to sleep.

In Grogg’s room, we found only the wrong box, so I asked him what box we were looking for. It was the one with the armor from Guling. I suggested asking around for the box. Grogg told me to go and do that; he would continue searching. Yana and I left Grogg, and when we got out to the courtyard, Yana offered to talk to the servants.

[coronatiger]

I watched Yana’s departing backside until Wolfram invited me to practice knife-throwing with him. He carried blades, so I didn’t have to fetch mine. His knives were quite large, and they took some getting used to, but after a while, I had them more or less figured out. I still preferred my blades, though. Wolfram asked if I could throw two knives at once. I usually can, but again, his knives were too large for me to use comfortably. If this had been a competition, Wolfram would have won.

Grogg showed up after a while, and I invited him to join our practice. As he wasn’t familiar with throwing knives, Grogg asked if he could throw something else instead, and Wolfram warned him about using his hatchet. The troll-sized weapon could easily destroy the practice target we were using.

Yana approached and waved me over, so I handed Wolfram’s knife back to him and went to talk to her. She had discovered that the shipment from Guling was most likely in the vault, but there was currently a conflict between Remi and Keri about the keys, and she didn’t want to get involved. I told her I could deal with them, and Yana said Keri was still asleep, and would probably remain so until lunchtime. Grogg and Wolfram switched from target practice to wrestling.

I told Yana that now that we were all more or less at the same place, I should probably get Lord Lunas, so he could talk to us all. I pointed out Xipil and Nujan on one of the roofs, in case she hadn’t spotted them yet. Yana remained to make sure nobody wandered off.

Lord Lunas’s room was empty, but the first guard I asked could tell me that he was with Remi, who had rooms above the lounge, so I headed in that direction. As luck would have it, Lord Lunas was just on the way down when I got there. I asked him if he wanted to go and talk to people now that they were gathered, but he wanted Keri along, and wasn’t keen on waking him. I offered to do it, so Lord Lunas gave me a bottle of dark ale that I could use to bribe the dwarf.

I woke Keri and gave him the bottle once he sat up. Keri seemed very possessive of a large heap of keys he wore at the belt. I told him Lord Lunas wanted him to get up; he waited outside. When we joined him there, I asked the two men a favor. Could we go and retrieve the shipment that Grogg was looking for? That wouldn’t be much trouble, so we went down to the vault. The shipment consisted of several boxes, so Lord Lunas summoned four guards to do the carrying.

When we came back to the outer courtyard, Grogg was declaring that Wolfram had beaten him at wrestling. I nodded in respect to the giant human, who looked like a child next to Grogg. We broke open the boxes, and Grogg got the armor piece he had ordered, a heavy metal sleeve with spiked shoulder protection and a glove. Lunari’s new breastplate was there too, among other stuff, but he wouldn’t need it in the afterlife, so Lord Lunas retained it.

Wolfram asked if he should demonstrate how to make spirits visible now. He suggested we go to the tower ruin across the island, where we could be private. Xipil went to fetch Nujan, who was still sleeping. I asked Keri and Lord Lunas if they wanted to come along, but they wanted to stay here and talk. It was all right if the rest of us went, though. Lord Lunas said we should come to the living room in the guest hall once we finished our experiment.

Grogg made a hole in the floor tiles of the ruined tower so Wolfram could set his pole upright without holding it. I warned Yana that what came next might seem scary, but it wouldn’t be dangerous. She offered to go and divert the guards that where on their way to see what Grogg’s banging on the floor was all about. I reminded her that Lord Lunas wanted to talk to us all afterwards, her included, and she promised to be at her workshop when I came for her.

Wolfram put his totem pole in the hole and started drawing symbols around it with chalk. We all had to stand back while he performed his ritual where he called upon Tiri and waved his arms about. Rituals of other gods seem silly to me, but Wolfram was dead serious. After a few minutes of chanting and armwaving, he suddenly had a shimmering aura; the ritual was finished. Grogg entered the zone around the pole, and as well as him gaining the shimmer, the outline of Kraa became visible on his shoulder. Grogg wondered what it would look like if I stepped into the circle, so I did. I felt the aura around me more than seeing it, but when I concentrated, I thought I saw it. The others certainly did. I asked Grogg how I looked, and he sniffed my scent and said I smelled like a human who belonged to something. That would be You, I thought.

I discussed the ritual with Xipil. While useful, it took quite a while to set up, so it wouldn’t be practical in a fight. We still needed the ring. And the incense, he added. Xipil had Nujan show his aura, and then I suggested that we finish up here and go back to talk to Lord Lunas, but Xipil wanted Grogg to make a hole in the ground first.

Looking at Grogg and Kraa, I could tell the troll was really fond of the spirit raven. Disgusting creature! In the interest of group coherence, I try to hide my feelings for the bird from Grogg, but they seem to shine through, or perhaps he just can’t forget that I once said that birds weren’t to be trusted. I’d never take a bird for a pet. It would find a way to betray me, of that I was certain. If I should have a pet, it would obviously be a snake. Of course, it wouldn’t be a pet in the usual sense, it would be a brother or sister who had chosen to stay with me for a while. A large constrictor that could wrap around me on lonely nights would be nice, but not very practical when traveling. I’d much rather have a tiny one, small enough to live in my pouch where it could guard my valuables, and easy to carry around. It should be venomous, of course, to punish pickpockets, and because it would be closer to You.

Wolfram didn’t want to wait for the excavation, so he started back towards the fort. Nujan, seeing that we were splitting up, decided to head for the village, but I stopped him with a promise that Lord Lunas would reveal secrets to us soon. Nujan followed Wolfram up to the fort to get some sleep on the stable roof until the rest of us arrived.

Grogg demolished part of the floor and revealed a hidden staircase leading down. Inexplicably, Xipil wasn’t curious about what could be found in the basement, and we returned to the fort. The gate guards had heard Grogg’s excavation and asked if everything was all right. Xipil said it was. I guess that was true, but it left the guards wanting to know more. We didn’t reveal any more to them, though. They could easily take a stroll over to the tower and discover the broken floor.

I fetched Yana and Xipil woke Nujan, and then everyone met up in the living room. I pulled Yana into my lap, for none of the chairs were large enough for the two of us side by side, except the one Grogg had occupied. We waited eagerly for Lord Lunas to speak.

“I have received visitors,” he declared, and Grogg asked if it was so unusual that he had to hold this meeting with us. Lord Lunas was unwilling to say much about the visitors, except that the guards had escorted a man and a woman up to the fort last night, and he had decided to interrogate them and put them in separate cells in the dungeon. Lord Lunas didn’t like what they had said, that much was clear. The man claimed to have met Lord Mir, who apparently allowed him to come here. I sensed there was something special about these people, for I believed that just about anyone could stroll over the land bridge and knock on the door to the fort, if they so desired. Why would these people need permission to visit?

Lord Lunas wanted us to talk to the “guests” and make up our own mind about them, which explained his reluctance to tell us much. Maybe we could learn something he hadn’t. We got the impression that the man might belong to Tivito, and that they therefore could never leave the island again. Wolfram said he didn’t want anyone from that organization to learn his identity, and Xipil was also hesitant to reveal himself. I said that they could remain outside the cells while Grogg and I entered. They could hear what was being said inside, through the hatches in the doors.

We decided to bring the incense from the crypt, which we could use to see if there were spirits roaming around the dungeon. We didn’t know what powers these people possessed. Maybe they could have their spirits leave their bodies, or perhaps they had bound captive souls to follow them. I asked if I could have an hour to prepare. After displaying my powers to Yana, I hadn’t had time to restore my venom glands, and I felt naked and unarmed without poison at the ready. Xipil needed some time to disguise himself, and Yana volunteered to help Wolfram; she’d make him look like a troll.

[coronatiger]

An hour later, we were outside the dungeon, waiting for Keri to arrive with the keys. He instructed us to go in together and to come out together, and told us we wouldn’t be allowed to reenter once we had left. Wolfram left his totem pole with the guards outside, and we lit the incense. “Do we have a strategy?” I asked, “Should I go inside alone, first?” Grogg didn’t want me to, for he thought I might kill the prisoners on a whim. We agreed that Grogg, Wolfram and I should go inside together.

In the hallway outside the cells, Xipil asked if I had conferred with You, and to my shame I hadn’t, so I fell to my knees in prayer. After a while, You told me that if I killed the man, I would have to kill him again. I reported this to the others.

Wolfram held a bulls-eye lantern and Grogg carried a bowl of burning incense. We saw nothing out of the ordinary in the light from the incense in the hallway, so we approached the man’s door and opened the hatch. He asked if it was Lord Lunas who had arrived, but I said, “No, it’s just me.” He then asked if I was Lady Isa. I didn’t reply.

Wolfram looked through the hatch, unlocked the door and entered. Grogg and I followed, and Grogg introduced himself and asked if the man wanted to be his friend. I laughed wickedly. “Is this my last meal?” the prisoner asked, but I told him I only wanted to talk. The man looked like a pure-blood elf and gave his name as Irdol Larma, so I asked if he was related to the Larma family who lived east of here. He said there was only one Larma family, and asked if any of us claimed the name of Aldera. I told him none of us did.

It took some work getting Irdol to talk, but we got out of him the reason for his visit. He had come to fetch his half-sister, Isa; they were both Varja’s children. Irdol wanted to talk to Lady Isa and was certain he would be able to convince her to follow him back east. I told him I didn’t believe she would want to leave. In my mind, I saw him ensnaring her mind with magic, so letting him near her seemed like a very bad idea. I offered to bring a message to her, but he wouldn’t confide in me, Lunas’s rented woman. “Did you just insult my honor?” I asked him. For a reply, he insulted me again. I asked Grogg for permission to kill him, and felt Xipil poke my shoulder, so I turned and left the cell. I didn’t really want to kill Irdol, just to scare him a little. If I was going to kill him, I’d bring poison and knives, and my gear was in my room.

Xipil wanted me to ask about Tivito, so I went back inside the cell and asked what he could tell me about them. He told me I reminded him of his wife. “Does she also nag you with questions?” I asked, but he didn’t reply to that. Instead, he told us that he knew something was wrong with Lord Madan, and that he had offered to help Lord Lunas with the matter by interceding with Tivito and convincing them there was nothing for them here at the Evening Fort.

I asked how Lord Oridal was doing, him being the head of the Larma family. Irdol gave me a rote reply about everything being well in the house of Larma.

Due to the incense, Kraa was visible on Grogg’s shoulder, but Irdol had taken it completely in stride. It was obvious he was familiar with spirits. We discussed Kraa briefly, and then his wife, whom he had offered to Lord Lunas as compensation for Lady Isa. Irdol said that Grogg could borrow her until Lord Lunas agreed to the deal.

We talked a little longer without getting anything more out of Irdol. Then we left the cell and peeked into the neighboring one. Irdol’s wife lay completely still inside, but she sat up when Grogg, Wolfram and I entered.

I asked her who she was and what she was doing here. She didn’t answer before Grogg mentioned that Irdol had said we could have her until the deal with Lord Lunas was finalized. Then, she answered hesitantly, probably scared of the two apparent trolls I had brought with me. Her name was Nami. She told us approximately the same as Irdol had said, but in a way that made me think that she had been told how to answer. She might believe in what she was saying, but someone else had thought it up.

Nami offered one new piece of information, in response to why they were coming just now. She said the signs were right, now, that this was the time when “everyone” was released. This echoed ominously in my mind, for I knew of a plot to unleash demons into the world, and I was fairly certain Irdol and Nami were affiliated with the culprits. The evil mage who first made an appearance attacking Lord Madan, he belonged to Tivito as far as we could reason out, and from Irdol’s statements, he had influence there, if he wasn’t a full-fledged member. Xipil muttered something outside, in his own language.

I noticed that Nami had dyed her hair, and approached her to study it. I asked what she had used to color it, and she borrowed chalk from Wolfram to write the recipe on Grogg’s arm. It was quite complex, and I wouldn’t recommend drinking the concoction, for one of the herbs was quite toxic. When I looked at her closely, I noticed that her ears looked remarkably human. Wolfram must have noticed, too, for he wanted me to find out if she really was Irdol’s wife. He must be more knowledgeable about Arland than he first let on, for I wouldn’t have thought he knew about Larma’s racism. I found it unthinkable that a scion of that house would marry anyone who didn’t have pure, elven blood.

Nami didn’t want to answer questions about her marriage, and I tried to explain that if she wanted to help her husband secure a deal concerning Lady Isa, it would be in her best interest to tell us what we wanted to know, thus convincing us of their good will and honest intentions. She still didn’t want to answer. Grogg mused that we had herbs that could make her talk, which frightened Nami a little, but she only repeated that if I wanted help with more than hair dying, I just had to ask.

I scrutinized her thoroughly. She might well have all human blood in her veins, but she had done a fair job covering it up. I made as if to punch her in the face, and her reaction was very revealing. She just closed her eyes and steeled herself for the blow. It was the reaction of someone used to violence from their spouse. She could well be married to a Larma son, and had likely been for years. There are some nasty rumors floating around about Larma, spousal abuse among them. If she was really all human, she had to be about twenty-five. I went with that assumption, building a scenario in my mind: Irdol had married her, possibly off the street, perhaps ten years ago, maybe more if she had elven blood, with the intention of trading her for his sister at some future time.

I pulled Wolfram with me out of the cell. We climbed the stairs out of the dungeon, and Xipil copied the recipe on Grogg’s arm, borrowing writing materials from the guards. He whispered in my ear, “She wrote a code. It means ‘Asylum gives info’!” Wolfram wanted to know what we were whispering about, and I told him we’d discuss it upstairs, with Lord Lunas. Grogg brushed off the chalk from his arm, and we returned to our living room.

Lord Lunas wasn’t there, and neither was Keri, so Wolfram sent a servant to find them. While we were waiting, Wolfram said he suspected that Irdol brought spirits to the island. “We need the ring,” I said. We also might have need of the “fun juice” that made the imbiber lose all inhibitions, which we could use to interrogate the prisoners. Those herbs were also lost in the Kabal temple.

Lord Lunas and Keri arrived, and I told them what we had learned from the prisoners, studying Lord Lunas for signs of surprise. If I told him something he didn’t know already, I wanted to know. When we told him that Irdol would need to be killed twice, Keri confirmed it. Irdol had threatened Keri when the dwarf became violent, saying something about coming back to get him.

Lord Lunas was reluctant to talk about the convoluted family relations of the Aldera family, including Lady Isa, but he said that his sister was a King’s Bride, a trait that passes from mother to daughter in a single line. As a King’s Bride, Lady Isa had the potential to become the most dangerous elf in the world. Lord Lunas clearly wanted to preserve her innocence, and forbade us to mention anything about the prisoners or their mission to her.

We informed him of Nami’s message. It could be a ploy, a way of placing a spy in the Evening Fort, and we discussed how we could ascertain the truth, without coming to a conclusion. It was more urgent that we infiltrated the Kabal temple and retrieve Lunari’s corpse and possessions.

[coronatiger]

It was still some time before Ebsalon’s spell wore off, and Xipil went to get some sleep. I believed he had stayed awake most of the night. I returned to my room to pray and meditate, to top off my poison vial. When that was done, I convinced myself to consult You on a matter that I had failed to figure out on my own.

“O Ashtar, Holy Mother! Bless me with Your divine wisdom and dispel the confusion that is clouding my mind!

As You know, I have befriended Yana, the tailor's assistant here at the Evening Fort. We hit it off at once, and my fondness for her has only grown since our first meeting. I like her very much, and so I find it all the more disturbing, this emerging suspicion that something is terribly wrong.

Why am I so often speechless around Yana? Why does my heart race when I think of her? What is the tingling feeling I get when we brush against each other? From where comes this fascination I feel for her body? What kind of sorcery is this? Is it a test of my faith?

If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought that the demon Gritt was still influencing our minds. I have seen no signs of witchcraft when I’ve been around Yana, nor do I see a reason for her to put this curse on me. I realize that her spell might blind me to these things, so I beseech You, open my eyes that I may see the truth!

I would like nothing more than to bring Yana to Your faith, but if she is an evil spellcaster, I understand that this would not be Your desire. If You so decree, I will send Yana to You for judgment at Death's Door, even though it would break my heart. But I am Yours, heart, mind and soul, to dispose of as You wish. If this is to be the end, grant me leave to follow Yana to Your domain, for I do not know how I could live on without her.

O Ashtar, the Merciful, I implore you! Find in your heart forgiveness for my wrongdoings. I fear that my devotion has been lacking of late. I supplicate You, groveling on the ground before Your magnificence and splendor! Command me! Your will shall be done!”

Covered in tears and emotionally exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed. I slept until Wolfram knocked on my door, informing me that we were heading for the Kabal temple soon. I got up, washed my face and brushed my teeth, mulling over the dream I had just had.

I was standing in Gritt’s crypt. Vaguely aware of the presence of my companions, my attention was focused on the cursed crown inside the sarcophagus. I grabbed the crown and put it on, much as I had done in real life. The dream shifted, and I couldn’t tell if what I perceived next was part of the same scene, just seen from another perspective, or if this was another time, another place: I had a near-death experience. As strong as the impression was, I couldn’t remember any details now that I was awake, except all my senses had faded away, and I lost my connection to You.

I had no sense of time either, so it’s impossible to say how long I remained in this void, but suddenly, a snake swallowed me, and as it did, my senses returned and I could feel Your comforting presence again. With the clarity of being awake, I surmised that the snake represented the priestess from Guling, who had relieved me of Gritt’s crown, but in the dream, it had just been a snake. What she had eaten would destroy her, and there would be no salvation for her. I could only hope that in death, she might return to You, but I feared that this might not be the case.

Next, I noticed Yana watching me, and it felt like she had been observing me throughout the dream thus far. Nujan walked over to her and explained how one should respect “Hsstar”, but he couldn’t “give himself up to the snakes”. Yana nodded, but looked uncertain. I tried approaching them, but they slid away without really noticing my struggle.

A sequence of scenes followed, where I felt an overwhelming confusion, and the only constant, the only clear thought in my head, was that I had to find Yana. I finally caught up with her by floating through the air. The sense of confusion dissipated, and I brought Yana to the great serpent in the Evening Fort. The snake terrified Yana, and both her eyes opened wide. One had been closed by Gritt, the other by something else, but now she could truly see.

In the next scene, I was talking to Yana. It was over in a flash, but I remembered that Yana had looked around nervously while we talked. Then I saw Yana, Nujan, Xipil and Grogg discussing how they were afraid of horses. There might have been more to the dream, but the next thing I could recollect was Wolfram banging on the door, waking me.

I retrieved my knives from my backpack and belted them around my waist with a smile, feeling much better. As is the nature of dream visions, some elements may seem clear and others vague, but I was confident that You would grant me understanding when I needed it. What I understood right now, was that Yana wasn’t evil. She might not come to the Faith, and it’s not our way to force someone to believe, but we could still be friends. I didn’t have to kill her!

I patted the knives hanging around my waist. It felt good and right to wear all my fangs once more. Just one thing was missing: I transferred the vials of holy poison from my medicine roll to my pouch. Now, I was ready for anything!

Xipil commented on my blades when we met in the upstairs hallway. Did I really think that knives would do much good against clay statues? Should I go and find a hammer somewhere? I said I didn’t think so, that I had a better idea. I wasn’t proficient with hammers, and Your divine fighting style didn’t allow for such weapons. I told Xipil I would meet the others outside the tower in a quarter of an hour. He thought I was going to the chapel, but I said I needed to see Keri.

I got what I needed from Keri, with minutes to spare, so I visited the chapel. I washed hurriedly, just feet and hands, and knelt before the altar, praying silently. The great serpent perceived my purpose tonight, and gave me Your blessing.

At the tower, I told Xipil my priority was to get to the ring, hopefully before we roused the temple guardians. That was what was really important. If we had to flee and leave Lunari’s corpse behind, so be it, but we needed that ring! I was prepared to help if we needed to fight, and I brandished my fist, displaying the set of brass knuckles Keri had lent me from the armory.

Ebsalon arrived with Lady Isa. He told us he would make a protective barrier outside the temple door, and it was important that we didn’t disturb his drawings when we entered or left the temple. With that, we went upstairs. Ebsalon removed his old symbols and made new ones, while Lady Isa wished us luck. Grogg asked Kraa to remain with her when we went inside, and Lady Isa took the job of raven guardian seriously.

[coronatiger]

Grogg and Wolfram entered first, the troll wielding that huge club of his, and the human with pick and flail at the ready. I followed next, and then Xipil, quarterstaff in hand, bow at his back. The large room was strewn with plant matter, but it had mostly rotted away, except for a dense, magical thicket at the center of the room. I could see clay containers here and there, some intact, some not, and Lunari’s corpse on the far side of the room.

We made our way towards Lunari along the outer wall. Xipil grabbed me, I passed the signal ahead, and we all stopped. Xipil treaded carefully towards a broken clay box with clay coins spreading from it. He touched every clay piece cautiously, searching for magic, but found nothing. Wolfram became impatient and whispered that we had to go on.

Half-way along the long wall, we passed a whole clay box, but didn’t touch it. When we reached Lunari, Grogg picked him up, but Lunari’s fancy pipe fell out of his backpack and broke on the floor. Grogg put Lunari down again and howled. I took the backpack off the corpse and put the two pipe pieces into it. I thought someone must have tampered with the backpack, and searched it in vain for the magic ring. I suggested that we removed the body from the temple, and returned to… I clamped my mouth shut, in case someone was listening from inside the thicket.

Lady Isa nearly sicked up at the sight of Lunari’s beaten body. The guardians had made sure he was thoroughly dead. We went through Lunari’s backpack again, and his pockets, just in case, and discovered that in addition to the ring, a magic key was missing. Ebsalon suggested that we moved the body, as it was clearly disturbing Lady Isa, so Grogg carried it around the corner.

How should we proceed? The guardians might not become as enraged if we broke one of the clay containers that were spread around the room as if we attacked the thicket. Maybe we could trick them to attack us, one at a time. We entered the room again and walked over to the nearest intact container. The jar was stuck on the floor, but I noticed a crack between it and the floor tile, large enough to put a knifepoint into. Wolfram regarded my blade and suggested we use one of his knives instead. My fine weapons were likely a lot more expensive than his were. He inserted a blade and tapped on the pommel to widen the crack.

We could hear wind rustling the leaves of the thicket, and sparrows on the other side, so Xipil moved to take a look. It seemed the birds hadn’t left the dense growth, so he failed to see any. Wolfram knocked one last time on his knife, and the jar broke in two, spilling clay coins on the floor. Grogg removed his helmet, and Xipil and I filled it with the contents of the jar.

When Xipil, carrying the helmet with the coins, neared the door, it slammed shut, but Xipil left easily through the hole Pak and Groman had made by bending one corner of the metal door. Wolfram asked him to hurry back, for he thought there would be fighting soon. No enemies had appeared, though, so we moved to the next box. Wolfram smashed it with his flail, and Xipil started to refill Grogg’s helmet. Then the ground suddenly shook, accompanied by the thunder of hooves. Grogg put on his helmet again and we pulled back. This caused everything to calm down, so we approached the broken box again and Grogg once more handed his helmet to Xipil.

When Xipil started picking up coins again, the ground shook again, more violently than last time, and Grogg fell. The thicket opened up, revealing the large, animated statue of a man pretending to be a horse. A small hut stood in the middle of the thicket, and another statue stood next to it.

Wolfram hefted his weapons and warned us that if we decided to go inside the thicket, we all had to go together. Xipil moved towards Grogg, pushing the helmet towards its owner. Grogg focused the other way, towards the thicket, and got up on his knees without registering the helmet. I drew a melee blade and looked around for more enemies. The horse statue ran out of the thicket and away from us. The thunder of his “hooves” caused the ground to shake.

Wolfram ran after the horse statue and smacked it with pick and flail. Xipil called to Grogg that his helmet lay just behind him, and readied his staff. Grogg paid no mind to Xipil or his helmet and stood up, readying an attack in case someone should come near. I followed Wolfram and the horse statue and struck out with my left hand. That hurt, even with brass knuckles to protect me, but I didn’t think I actually injured myself. It did cause me to miss when I swiped my blade after the statue, though.

The horse statue continued away from us, and another statue appeared in the opening of the thicket. Wolfram ran towards the new opponent, and took a swing at the thicket with his flail. Xipil ran forward and attacked the statue, and Grogg charged ahead, slamming into it so hard it fell over. I just danced around, ready for the horse statue, should it come back. It turned and made threatening moves, but didn’t approach me just yet.

Wolfram moved up to Grogg and attacked the fallen statue. Xipil tried to slip past Grogg into the thicket, but the statue blocked his way. Grogg swung his club at something I couldn’t see, but the statue he had toppled got up and parried, losing his arm to the huge maul. The horse statue charged ahead, trying to slam me, but I was ready and gave it a crack and a cut before dodging acrobatically to the side.

“You know what you quest is; what you don’t know are the tasks of others,” I heard the great serpent whisper to me in Shamara, the hissing language of snakes. I opened my eyes and blinked in confusion, staring up at the ceiling. I was sure the horse hadn’t actually struck me, and I didn’t feel injured. I had a peculiar feeling that there were people here at the fort who needed my help. I got up, and saw Grogg and Xipil rising too. The entire room was filled with dust, and the thicket had toppled outwards, but the guardians and everything made of clay had vanished. Only the hut seemed unaffected, if old and rickety. We couldn’t have been out for long, for Ebsalon was just making his way into the room, insisting futilely that Lady Isa should remain outside.

Wolfram lay still on the floor, and Xipil called me over to check on him. The giant was all right, and woke when I shook him gently. “What in the name of the Holy Serpent just happened?” I asked nobody in particular.

[coronatiger]

15th of Rama, year 412 (continued)

I asked Ebsalon if he saw what happened, but he just looked around in confusion. Lady Isa, on the other hand, got a worried look on her face, saying “There are so many spirits!” Wolfram confidently placed his totem pole in the middle of the room, telling her he would deal with them. Xipil and I rushed towards the small, rickety cabin, and Lady Isa warned Wolfram that spirits were getting away. Ebsalon confirmed that he had made a barrier, but it was done hastily, so he was unsure of how effective it would be.

Wolfram alerted us that he was going to transform. Xipil turned and looked at the process with interest, but I only glanced over my shoulder, learning that Wolfram took the shape of a giant bear, slightly translucent. That might have been interesting another time, but I had to find Lunari’s spirit-seeing ring. I kicked in the door to the hut, which was full of clay dust. The ring as well as the key the others had mentioned lay on a wooden shelf, so I picked them up and left. Xipil breathed in dust and coughed.

As I exited the cabin, Lady Isa screamed in fright, and Wolfram charged towards me. I hurled the key at Grogg, yelling “Catch!”, and turned while holding the ring before my eye. Spirit horses were circling around in panic, and a flock of spirit sparrows were flying along one of the walls of the large room. There were human spirits both inside the cabin and outside, including one looking like an old man. He seemed much more familiar with his spiritual existence than the others, and looked to be trying to escape, pulling other spirits with him in his wake. Wolfram slammed into him, and I drew a knife, charged and materialized the old man by stabbing his spirit form with my blessed blade.

Everyone gathered around the old man as he stood up and demanded who we were. “I am Nuur-Karif, emissary of Ashtar,” I intoned. Nobody else spoke, but Wolfram put a huge paw on the old man and forced him to the floor again. The spirits that had followed him dispersed, no longer drawn by his pull. “It’s remarkable how much damage one small twig can do to other twigs,” the old man said. Grogg picked him up and tossed him over his shoulder. I closed my eyes and prayed for advice.

Xipil asked how long the materialization lasted, but I didn’t reply, for I was busy praying. Did this man know Rhuk’s ancient language, or was it just a coincidence that he called me a twig? The man demanded, “Kill me and be done with it!” Why did everyone have to talk while I was praying!? I tried to shut out the world.

Kraa began making a cacophony outside the temple entrance, and Grogg’s heavy footsteps hurried in that direction. Xipil ran after him and asked him to put down the old man, and Ebsalon called out that Grogg needed to calm down. The old man demanded to be let down, and Grogg dropped him to the floor.

I thought I heard a faint woman’s voice calling for help, but I didn’t recognize it. I opened my eyes and looked around for female spirits that might be in need of assistance. I spotted one and moved towards her while Ebsalon tried to interrogate the old man, demanding obedience as a member of the Council of the Eleven. The old man replied scornfully that Ebsalon had no power over him.

My path towards the woman I had spotted took me past the panicking horses. I thank You for Your protection, for the horses didn’t harm me; a couple came near me, giving me icy chills, and I stumbled, but that was my fault. When I got up, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

I returned towards the cabin and saw that Xipil had smashed in the old man’s skull with his staff. The fallen body mummified in seconds. Inside the cabin were three man spirits and a woman as well as a horse and three sparrows. The horse panicked and ran through the wall. I looked at the woman and asked if she needed help, but she didn’t notice my presence at all. I asked You if I should materialize the woman, but got the impression that she wasn’t the one in need.

Ebsalon entered and picked up a folded-up piece of paper that was on the shelf where I had found the ring and the key, then he took Lady Isa out of the fallen temple. Wolfram and Xipil began preparing the totem pole for a Tiri ritual to send the remaining spirits on to their final rest. Grogg returned, having chased down Kraa.

I told Xipil about the woman who needed help, and realized that she wasn’t necessarily here in the Kabal temple. She might not even be on the island. Then I heard Yana call my name from the courtyard, so I dashed off. Wolfram wanted me to keep an eye on the spirits while he completed his ritual, but I only threw the ring to Xipil and told him to do it.

I met Yana in the lounge; she was on her way up. She seemed anxious, and asked if we had been in the Kabal temple. I confirmed that we had. Her fist was clenched, and I looked at it questioningly, so she opened it to reveal clay dust. I asked what had broken, and she replied me it was a family heirloom. I told her how sorry I was, and that we had had an accident in the temple. I didn’t know exactly what had happened, but I could tell her that everyone was all right. She clasped me in a hug, and I stroked her back. Yana wanted me to go back up and ensure that everyone kept being all right.

Lady Isa startled when I got back up, and said that a sparrow just flew past. Grogg was standing with her and Ebsalon, and he looked fine. He might still be moving a bit stiffly because of his wounds from the previous incursion of the temple, but it was hardly noticeable.

I passed Ebsalon’s symbols carefully so I didn’t smear them, and went inside again. Neither Xipil nor Wolfram seemed injured. Xipil asked what Lady Isa’s outburst was all about, and I told him she saw a sparrow. He observed me through the ring and said he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Xipil asked what Yana wanted, and I told him she was worried for our safety, but I had calmed her. Clay objects outside the temple had also disintegrated, so she had been concerned something had happened to us, knowing we were in the Kabal temple. Xipil reminded me of the urn we had found in the dark tower. Where was that now?

Nujan appeared outside and tried to get Ebsalon to come. Lord Lunas needed his help. Ebsalon said he couldn’t go before he had finished his spell, but when Xipil and I hurried over and said that the urn might have disappeared, he dropped everything. We all ran past the lounge where Yana looked up worriedly, and I called as we passed her that she should stay where she was.

Unexpectedly, there were no guards in the inner courtyard, but the alarm bells were ringing. Nujan showed the way across to the nobles’ house, just as guards entered from the outer courtyard and took up positions in the inner. The guards inside the house pointed us down, towards the basement.

In the cellar guard room, upstairs from the dungeon, Keri stood yelling at the ten soldiers there. I asked him what was happening, and he grabbed the front of my dress and demanded that Lord Lunas should come up alive. The soldiers had been barricading the door down to the dungeon, but they cleared the way so we could pass. I began running as soon as there was space, but Xipil asked me to wait for Wolfram. I bellowed the giant’s name, and he appeared, moving across the room, clearly uncomfortable with the crowd. I applied poison to one of my long knives while I waited. Xipil badgered me about him needing poison, too, so I handed the vial to him instead of replacing it in my pouch.

We ran down the stairs. Irdol Larma yelled angrily for us to let him out, threatening to force his way out if we didn’t open the door quickly enough to suit him, and to kill Lord Lunas if he had killed his wife. All four cell doors were closed, and I hurried over to Nami’s door. I looked through the hatch. Nami lay unmoving near the far wall. I asked Xipil if he had the key, and he fumbled with the lock for a second. I pushed open the door, but something blocked it. It was Lord Lunas who was sprawling on the floor, unconscious.

Lady Isa and Ebsalon had followed us downstairs, and I gestured to Grogg to get Lady Isa out, but he said he didn’t understand. Wolfram was whispering in Ebsalon’s ear, and then he guided Lady Isa out, so I didn’t bother to reply to Grogg.

I pushed on the cell door and squeezed through. Lord Lunas had a knife in his chest, and it looked self-inflicted. Blood was streaming out of the wound. Nami was clearly dead. I yelled “First aid!” and put my knife in my mouth so I could have both hands free to work on the fallen half-elf nobleman. Xipil asked if he should fetch help. I spat the knife unceremoniously down on the floor and shouted, “Grogg! Your needle!” Xipil asked what he could do, so I sent him to get my medicine kit; it should be in my backpack, just inside the door to my room.

I put Grogg’s needle into Lord Lunas’s finger, and tried my best to staunch the bleeding. Ebsalon entered and started examining Nami. I asked if he had any skill at healing, but he just shook his head. Using Grogg’s clumsy hands was out of the question.

Grogg instead looked in on Irdol, and I heard the prisoner was really mad, and he thought we had stolen something from his pouch, something made of clay. Ebsalon said he thought someone had used Nami’s body to fuel their magic. Lord Lunas, despite being stung by the magic needle, whispered that someone tried to take him. Ebsalon left the cell, telling Grogg to watch over me.

Wolfram arrived in the hallway with Lady Isa and bandages from the guard room, and I had Grogg fetch it from him, so Lady Isa wouldn’t see what was going on. Grogg dropped the bandages where I nodded, and asked Kraa to fetch something to help Lord Lunas. Bloody bird! I began bandaging the nobleman.

[coronatiger]

Ebsalon and Xipil reappeared, and Xipil had even brought a handful of earth, which I would be needing. I complimented his clarity of thought, and said I would have called him an angel, if that had meant anything to us. Ebsalon checked on Nami again.

Xipil offered to assist me, and I directed how he could help while I removed the knife from Lord Lunas. I was just putting my hand on the hilt when Ebsalon said he needed to speak to my patient, and asked us to pull back. “Tell me who your mother is,” Ebsalon demanded of the nobleman. I told him to remove the needle from Lord Lunas’s finger, as that might allow him to reply more easily.

Lord Lunas struggled to breathe, and couldn’t talk. Ebsalon wanted me to come up with a question to see if Lord Lunas was indeed himself. I asked, “The mole on my belly, which side is it on?” Lord Lunas waved his fingers from side to side, as if he knew of no such mark on my skin. I told Ebsalon I was satisfied with the reply, and he said he needed to return to the Kabal temple to complete his warding spell. I had him return the needle to Lord Lunas’s finger, but when I started working on him again, I realized he was dead.

I studied Nami. She reminded me of the medium in the forest near Gritt’s crypt, who also had been emptied of blood or life essence. Xipil tasted Lord Lunas’s blood, and said that he had been guarding something while he died.

I walked over to Irdol’s door and listened on it. The prisoner had calmed down, or at least quieted. I got my poison vial back from Xipil, and was about to ask him what to do with Irdol, when I realized I should ask You. I knelt down and prayed.

Grogg opened Irdol’s hatch and informed him that Lord Lunas was dead. Spiteful laughter returned. After a while, he revealed that while Lord Lunas had taken something from him, he was still immortal. Then he set about insulting Grogg. The troll took the key from Nami’s door and tried to open Irdol’s cell, but the key didn’t fit the lock. Irdol called out that he wanted us to let the troll in to kill him. Grogg even tried to bash in the door, but it proved too sturdy.

You gave no indication of what the best cause of action was, but I recalled that You had told me that if I killed Irdol, I would have to kill him again. I asked Grogg and Xipil what they thought we should do with him. Grogg wanted to tear off his arm. That would likely cause him to bleed out, and I didn’t want to kill him that way. I had the holy venom that I had been given by the woman in the swamp, that would prevent someone from returning after death. If Irdol was to die, the executioner should be me.

Grogg asked for his ring back, so I handed it to him. He checked on the spear in one of the cells, and had Xipil pick the lock so he could retrieve it. The spear was still “full of horse crap” according to Grogg. Xipil took some bandages and wrapped them around the spear so he could carry it without actually touching it.

Xipil tasted Nami’s blood, and then we left. Lady Isa had been sitting in the stairs with Wolfram, crying, and looked up at us expectantly when we approached. I told the noblewoman as gently as possible that her brother had passed. As responsibility settled on her shoulders, a look of acceptance came in her eyes. I asked her if she agreed that we should consult with Keri and Ebsalon concerning what should happen now. She agreed.

In the guard room, Lady Isa sent Keri to gather the officers of the guard and meet her in the council room. Yana was there, too, but I didn’t have time to talk to her before Lady Isa sent her off to fetch the senior servants, also to the council room. Lady Isa commandeered two of the soldiers to be her personal guards from now on.

Fearing that whatever had tried to possess Lord Lunas would seek a source of energy, our party ran towards Grogg’s room, where the box of star energy was. Nujan met us on the way there, and asked if it was true that Lord Lunas had died. Xipil said he didn’t know; we had to wait for Lady Isa’s announcement.

The star box was untouched, and we grabbed it before running back to the inner courtyard, seeking Ebsalon outside the Kabal temple. We needed to speak with him and Keri about Irdol Larma; Lady Isa shouldn’t know anything about him. Ebsalon feared that a wraith was loose on the island. Wolfram explained that wraiths are dangerous spirits, and exhorted me to look out for it. I got the ring back from Grogg and affixed it to my face with the straps Yana had made. This wraith had been bound to the urn in the dungeon, but was released when the clay urn turned to dust. Xipil asked what was the difference between wraiths and demons, and Wolfram told him that demons are immortal, unlike wraiths, who can be destroyed.

Ebsalon was concerned that the wraith, which should be weak, might find a crypt or a graveyard on the island, where it could gain strength. We had seen no signs of such things, so we decided to ask Remi about it. The chief servant should know.

Thinking about all the clay objects that had been destroyed, I realized that I had seen other things made of clay, that hadn’t been affected. Perhaps only spirit-related objects had disintegrated. The others agreed. I decided I had to discuss Yana’s heirloom with her, but now was not the time.

We asked Ebsalon what should be done with Irdol, and he thought the prisoner would turn into a wraith after his death. This wouldn’t be instantaneous; it could happen in an hour or in a day. We discussed it for a minute, and decided Irdol had no way of committing suicide, as he wouldn’t have taunted Grogg the way he did, if he didn’t need some outside force to kill him.

Xipil gave Ebsalon the star box and asked him to ward it, and then we were off. We ran into Remi in the stairs, and I asked if there was a crypt at the Evening Fort, or on the island. Or what about an old graveyard? Remi said there were no such things here, but the way he said it gave me the chills. Remi thought that searching for a crypt would be messing with Lady Isa, which we were absolutely forbidden to do.

Grogg asked Kraa if there was a graveyard on the island, and the spirit raven alighted from his shoulder. I dashed after it, and heard the party follow. Of course, Kraa didn’t know of any graveyard, and flew around searching. Wolfram claimed to know a spell that could show us the direction the wraith took from the dungeon, but tracking it that way would be cumbersome, so we decided to talk to Pak and Groman first. The historians might know if there was a gravesite on the island.

Pak was standing outside their door when we got there. He said they didn’t have any visitors. Wolfram asked if he knew of a crypt or a graveyard on the island, and Pak went inside after making us promise not to enter. After a few minutes, he opened the door and waved us inside. We gathered around a table, and Pak silently sketched the outline of the island for us, pointing at the ruined tower.

We met Nujan again outside, and I told him we were going for a walk. He agreed that getting away from the fort would be nice. Wolfram told us he could summon nearby spirits to him. That could be useful if we couldn’t get to the crypt.

The stairs down were blocked, so I asked Wolfram to begin his summoning ritual. Grogg called for Kraa and asked it if there was a way inside. Of course, Kraa couldn’t help. Why had I thought it could, earlier? Xipil dashed off to fetch the incense that makes spirits visible, and returned before Wolfram completed his spell. Wolfram called upon Tiri, praying for her light to guide the lost souls here.

I could see two sparrow spirits approaching, and asked what I should do with them. Wolfram told me he would handle them. As the others might not see them, I described continuously where the sparrows were. Wolfram’s spell didn’t seem to work, and they just sat down on the edge of the tower roof. When Wolfram repeated, “O Tiri, let your light shine the way for the lost souls and guide them onwards,” the sparrows vanished.

The moon shone far stronger than the new moon should be able to, which Wolfram counted as a blessing, Tiri being the moon goddess. I told him a spirit horse was approaching, and he made it vanish. Kraa didn’t seem affected by the summoning spell, and just flew around, until it sat down on the roof, where the sparrows had been.

As we hadn’t seen any signs of the wraith, Wolfram wondered if he should increase the strength of the summoning ritual. He reminded me to watch the ground, for he suspected the wraith would emerge from below. I didn’t spot the wraith, but I did notice another spirit bird coming our way. I asked Wolfram if it cost him anything to banish the spirits, if it was exhausting, but he said it didn’t. He was just about to begin to strengthen his ritual, when I alerted everyone to the wraith coming up from the floor.

[coronatiger]

Grogg dropped the spear so he could wield his club in both hands. Xipil stood up from where he had been meditating, and I drew my melee knives, moving towards the wraith. It shrieked and tried to slam into me, but I dodged. Grogg gave the wraith an overhand blow, but the maul just passed through the spirit.

I turned, ready to attack if the wraith approached me again, but it pulled back through the wall. Wolfram informed us that his spell required it to touch the totem pole before it could leave again. He was transforming into his bear shape, so his last words were barely comprehensible. Grogg asked me to move, as I stood where he wanted to attack when the wraith reappeared, so I moved towards the totem pole in the middle of the room.

The wraith, being clever, didn’t appear where Grogg expected it, and picked up the spear that the troll had dropped. Grogg tried to hit the spear with his maul to disarm the wraith, but the spirit pulled the spear away. Xipil cast a spell.

When I looked at the wraith now, I recognized it. His name was Kuflib, and I had killed him before, in a temple garden on Amrosh territory. I approached him and asked if he remembered me. “Here’s my revenge,” he said and stabbed at me with the spear, but I dodged so elegantly that he dropped the weapon. Grogg immediately put a giant foot on it, and Xipil ran over and took hold of the weapon, asking Grogg to remove his foot.

I ran up to Kuflib and tried to pierce him with my knives, but he pulled back, before darting forward again. I didn’t let him touch me. Wolfram made a multi-attack, swiping wildly with his bear paws. His first and third strike connected, and the wraith disappeared.

Nujan peeked inside and asked if everything was all right; I replied that it was. Nujan thought we should scarper before the guards came to check on the commotion. Wolfram changed back to his human form, and we took off back towards the fort, circling around in case there were guards headed our way.

We reached the fort, and it seemed the guards hadn’t noticed our little altercation with the wraith. They said nothing when we passed them on our way in. Xipil asked what I meant when I asked if the wraith remembered me, and I told him in a whisper how the two of us had met before. I explained that he seemed to be like Irdol Larma, one who must be killed twice. I told everyone that this wasn’t a local wraith. Someone had brought him from Amrosh land. Tivito or Kabal, we couldn’t tell.

There was light coming from the council room, but we headed for Pak and Groman’s quarters, to see if Ebsalon was still there. It had obviously been him who “wasn’t visiting them”. I knocked on the door, but there was no reply. However, I could hear someone inside when I put my ear to the door. When I identified myself, Pak’s voice asked if there was anyone else outside. Wolfram, Grogg, Xipil and Nujan were acceptable, so Pak opened to let us in. Nujan wasn’t sure if he was welcome, but I pulled him after me.

I reported to Ebsalon that we had taken care of the wraith. It didn’t seem he had thought us capable of that feat, and looked at us in a new light. I asked if we should put Irdol Larma to rest, too. Ebsalon answered that he didn’t want any knowledge of such things, and “hoped” we went to bed. He warned us that other wraiths were likely to be more energetic than the one we had fought just now.

I suggested to Wolfram, Xipil and Grogg that we could go down to talk to Irdol and “discover” that he was dead. Xipil mentioned that Grogg wasn’t a good liar, but I said we just had to make sure he wasn’t the one to explain. I proposed to enter Irdol’s cell alone. Considering his earlier behavior, I expected him to be amenable. “I noticed you taunting Grogg earlier. If you’re really that tired of life, I can help you,” should do the trick.

There were six soldiers on guard at the barricade above the dungeon, and I directed them self-assuredly to let us by. One whispered something to another, and then they opened the barricade with a warning that they would close it behind us. I said we would identify ourselves when we returned. One of the guards whispered to me that I needed to watch out for myself down there. I smiled at him, displaying confidence.

In the dungeon, I pointed at Xipil and then at the lock to Irdol’s door. The lizardman picked the lock, and I entered. Irdol was sound asleep, so I simply prepared my syringe with venom while saying a silent prayer. I moved on stealthy feet across the small room, and injected the holy liquid into Irdol’s neck. I retreated carefully, but he never woke. I double-checked that he was dead, and then Xipil locked the door.

I opened the hatch and banged on the door while shouting Irdol’s name, for the benefit of the guards, in case they had sharp ears, then I dashed off up the stairs, leaving the ring with Xipil, so he could see the wraith if it appeared. The others waited below. I got the guards to open for me, and then I told them that it seemed Irdol Larma was dead. They needed to send someone for Keri so he could unlock the cell for me so that I could see if he really was dead, or help him if he was merely ill. They should also send for Ebsalon.

The sergeant in charge was adamant that there was nothing of interest in the dungeon, but he dispatched two runners. I ingratiated myself with the sergeant, and got him to admit that Ebsalon would likely be informed. The two runners seemed stressed when they returned, and the sergeant had them report, in low voices on the other side of the room so I couldn’t hear. The sergeant left with one of them.

I talked to the other guard, and learned that he was worried that he might be sent to the mainland to guard pigs, because he had recently gotten a girlfriend in the village here. I told him I was a hopeless romantic, and gave him a silver coin so he could buy her something nice.

The sergeant brought back Keri and Ebsalon, and followed the three of us down to the dungon. I explained to Keri that we knocked on the door and called Irdol’s name, but got no reply. Keri unlocked the cell and had me check on Irdol. I confirmed that he was dead. Keri swore, more perhaps because of everything that had been going on for the last few hours, than because he was sad for Irdol. He took the sergeant and left. The rest of us remained “in case Ebsalon needed anything”.

Wolfram and Grogg seemed to doubt my abilities, even when Ebsalon declared that it seemed we had “done it”. I offered to watch over the corpse during the critical twenty-four hours that Ebsalon had told us about earlier, if Xipil could share the watch with me. It was past midnight, and I doubted any one of us could stay awake for another full day.

Wolfram wanted to return to the Kabal temple, to dispatch the last, remaining spirits there, and left with Grogg on Ebsalon’s heels. Xipil was tired, and wanted me to take the first watch. I got the ring back and put it on.

Xipil asked me about Yana, and said that I had been distracted, lately. I assured him I had prayed to You about it, and everything was fine. Then he said, “If you’re going to mate with Yana, just get it over with. I hope you won’t get pregnant. But that requires a male, doesn’t it?” I snapped that he showed remarkable ignorance when it comes to mammals, but he got at least one thing right.

Nujan came down with food and drink after half an hour. We ate in silence, and then Xipil sent him to fetch a blanket. Nujan stayed for a while after Xipil went to bed on the table in the torture chamber, but Xipil had really ruined my mood, talking about Yana and mating that way. I stared at Irdol’s corpse through the hatch in the cell door, and Nujan eventually picked up that I didn’t want company, so he wished me good night and left. I determined to keep watch until Xipil woke naturally, to spend the night watching and praying.