"No, vaikka Geoffrey voinut pitää sinut pulasta. Miksi hän olisi yhtään paremmin päätellen merkkiä?"
The dwarf grumbles to himself briefly. It sounds like rocks grinding against each other. Then he shakes his head. Geoffrey is not a bad person. He just isn't the person you hoped he would be. Moreover, he isn't the person you are truly angry at. You are worried about Bjorkus. I know why he did what he did, but he jeopardized the mission. We wanted him to be purchased by Targ. We wanted an audience. We got both. Then Bjorkus tried to start a revolution at the wrong time. He knew I was working on a longer term solution. I told him about my plans with the healers. How many times has he heard me council patience? How much of my anger is about his rashness, his constant self-promotion, and how much is my anger at myself for choosing strategy and sound thought over the immediate safety of a friend? I hope he is okay, though I know there is no way he can be. I have never been so angry with a friend before. I've never been so angry with myself. . . .
"Geoffrey... asked for a pinata filled with... pasta? Is that a code?" Gabriel's tail flickers side to side again. It was so nice to see Toramin again, but the young tiefling was terribly tired after the fighting. He didn't have any injuries per say but he still -felt- like he had done all of that fighting, even if it didn't show save for a few new scars. Ontop of that, he also felt a bit empty, those this feeling wasn't exactly new. It happened whenever he spent all of his energy healing the other slaves.
"Nothing, my boy." Toramin replies more warmly. "Why don't you and . . . Edward, was it? Why don't you and Edward go have a warm bath and sleep. There will be time enough to tell each other of what has happened, make plans to rescue Bjorkus, and overthrow a tyrannical prince."
Gabriel nods slowly, "Already had to scrub down to not offend the fat one. Think I'll just sleep." Sleep was probably the best option. He turns to look around the room, then finds a corner. It was so much more comfortable then his cell despite the same lack of anything to sleep on. Gabriel wondered if that was largely due to the fact that it was his choice to sleep here. He wasn't exactly free, but he was much closer then he had been. He was out in a couple seconds. Time as a gladiator slave had taught him to find sleep when he could.
The knightly human hesitates, then extends a hand. "Sir Edward of Baerift. I suppose thanks are in order since I doubt being here is worse than under Targ. But if Gabriel trusts you so do I. Forgive me if I ask too much, but what is going on here?" He gently shakes his head at the offer of the bath. "With your permission I would simply spend some time in the backyard. It's been many weeks since I've been able to see the stars..."
Whose strings am I dancing on?
F@$& it. Killing him would make me feel better.
When the 'session' begins, Bjorkus finds himself in the past again.
For weeks and then months the rigging torments him. The pressure is mostly internal as the crew is too busy with their own day to day tasks to egg him on much but his failing eats away at the calf more and more. He can't let something as silly as some knotted rope get the better of him but there it is, an insurmountable obstacle. Soon his leg is well enough that he's able to walk on it unsupported but can't do it. Failure hurts too much.
"Don't worry, it's not permanent. I would never do such an evil thing to one of my patients. Here, let me show you." Suddenly a bright, blinding flash of light fills the room several seconds along with a deafening blast of nondescript noise. It's like being in the middle of a raging thunderstorm, but in slow motion. Three seconds of flashing, blinding lights with deafening noise, then intervals between one and ten seconds of utter supernatural darkness and silence.
Edward appears curious about the situation and wanting to help, but at the moment he seems to just want some alone time. He takes off into the backyard and can be easily seen from various windows. He lays on his back with knees up and hands behind his head, just staring up at the sky. His chest rises and falls slowly, but it's unclear if he's asleep or not.
About an hour after Dalton uses the ring to call Heff, the fairly loud sounds of somebody approaching the party's private room is heard. It's followed by a loud knocking and a slave calling inside "I am sorry master, I know you did not wish to be disturbed, but there is a visitor at the gate for you." Between the loud walking and knocking it's easy to tell the slave was purposefully making noise so the party could hear him well before he got close to the room; evidently he doesn't want the notion of eavesdropping to ever cross their minds.
Going downstairs and outside to the gate there is a tall elven man standing in wait. His voice is soft and gentle. "Ah, tis good to see you again my half-elf friend. I was not aware of your new living arrangements or I would have made an appointment. It would be kind of you to tell your slaves the truth of your shared interest in the beauty of gemstones."
Rilka passes on the meeting location and time to a halfling sitting at her table. ”Tell no one else.” She wants to tell all of them, but too many would be risky. As she returns to her chair, she sways a bit and asks a halfling servant to escort her to the chamber pot room. Along the way, she’ll whisper the information to that halfling as well, along with the warning not to tell anyone else.
~~~~~~
Rilka is surprised her companions know the gladiator. She smiles at the warm welcome Toramin and he give each other.
”You can call me Anafa for now,” she says offering her hand. ”My name is Rilka.”
"This is Gabriel, squire to Sir Geoffrey."
"By all means, you have the freedom of the compound and I will look into getting you a swift, safe exit from this city. Please, however, don't interact with the servants or make an escape that we haven't vetted. Discovery would be awkward and unpleasant for us."
When the flashing lights begin and the explosions of sound assault him, any hopes of coherent thought end. In a way the sensory assault was worse than physical torment as it keeps him from retreating into his own mind. He struggles to pick out the sound of his own voice – a constant among the maelstrom of deafening noise.
The wizard, while happy to see another piece in the puzzle arrive, was not in the mood for prattle. "I will not tarry with riddles after our harrowing time! What is your purpose here?"
"Our business is best discussed behind closed doors, would you mind to show me the way?"
"Gladly," replies Dalton, taking the guest to what would be assumed to be the most private place, motioning for the others to come.
Once inside a private room the elf morphs into the familiar form of Heff. "You called? Quite a show you've been putting on in the arena. Who's the new fellow, and where on bloody earth did you come from Gabriel? My last report had you heading west. Where's Bjorkus for that matter?"
Gabriel, despite the mans rather curious questions, resists answering by the simple virtue of being asleep. Whenever it was that he would awake he would feel rather horrid about having ignored the halfling, who seemed to be a new member of the group. But for now, he was being quite difficult, what with the light snoring in the corner.
"You know about as much of the new one as I do, and Gabriel will tell you his own story to avoid error, I'm sure. But there are a few developments you should know. Firstly, Targ has seized Bjorkus. We don't have the power to retrieve him, and if he goes, we have no chance of finishing this mission. Next, I've determined Targ's witch is powerful, likely the real power here, yet Gabriel's travels indicate potentially an even greater force."
"Lastly, how are you connected with the Whitecloaks?" Dalton spoke firmly but quickly. He didn't care for Heff.
"Let the boy sleep. He apparently tracked the anti-paladin to a desert locale where he encountered an evil that was beyond him. I suspect that there is some connection between the wizard, whatever her name is, and the anti-paladin, whatever his name is, because of their similar regenerative powers. Bjorkus spoke to that same wizard today and you saw her effect on Targ in the arena. Has Alia, the Wise, contacted you about the group with whom I'm working? Also, Bjorkus was taken by the head of the bro-mo brigade, whatever he is called, under less than ideal circumstances, and may need a rescue. Dalton has secured an audience with Targ."
After that long litany, Toramin takes a breath.
"Oh, He also transformed into some sort of wolf thing."
"Oh, He also transformed into some sort of wolf thing."
"Ah, that too. A lycanthrope by any definition, the man was in control of himself. The beast-people are not my specialty, but Commander Ulric could put up a fight with now-captured Bjorkus. Formidable. "
"What are the strengths and weaknesses of . . . ly-can-thropes?" The dwarf queries, sounding out the unfamiliar word. I've never heard of such people before.
Heff looks down at the sleeping form of Gabriel. "It sounds like the boy has been through a lot. What is this greater force you speak of Gabriel running into? Anything that is beyond the power of that antipaladin deeply concerns me. Unfortunately all reports of him have been purely destruction, we know little beyond that he fights with a greataxe and laughs during his slaughter. We have quite the reward on his head right now"
"Ah yes, Acera in the arena. I can't confirm this, but I believe she was suggesting a course of action to him, not controlling him. Manipulation it could easily be, but not complete control judging by how he stormed out of there."
He frowns. "Bjorkus was taken by Targ? That's bad, especially after his display today. I'm fairly certain he won't be outright killed, but in a few days he may wish that he had been." Heff pulls at his goatee, arm folded over his chest with the other elbow resting on it. "You should take advantage of the chance to meet with Targ, but leaving Bjorkus in his control could seriously damage the bull. I mean mentally. But breaking him out would be extremely suspicious."
"Oh, Raul Ulric? I despise that man, he's a massive pain. Yes he's a natural born werewolf, purposefully bred that way to hunt intelligent undead. Were creatures are people who can shift to become part animal, granting them power and defenses. But he has an angry, tormented soul. Much has been taken from him, leaving him a pain filled bitter man. I'd weep for him if he wasn't such an ass. If you intend to cross blades with him you need to know three things. One, silver helps enormously to kill werewolves. Naome should be able to help with that. Two, a natural werewolf's bite can afflict you with the curse of lycanthropy. It's hard to resist and very difficult to cure. And three, do not underestimate him. He's abnormally wise and cruel and will single out your weaknesses to destroy you. He won't sit in front trying to scrape through Toramin's armor or cross blades with Bjorkus, he'll leap to the back and attack the easy targets."
"Gabriel said it was an overwhelming aura of evil. To me that suggests a supernatural form of evil. This is purely speculation, but when we encountered that puppet witch it mentioned an old goddess of spiders. The wizard has a spider amulet and also regenerative powers. Gods have the greatest powers over the forces of life of which I'm aware. Could a fallen god be handing out boons in a quest for ascension? Like I said, pure speculation, but it is troubling. I agree. I doubt she is literally controlling him. I also don't care if it is suspicious. Can you help us break him out without getting caught?"
"Overwhelming? That's far beyond what we're dealing with. Ah yes, Lolth, I remember Naome's report about that. I highly doubt there is an actual god amongst us, they have a little more class than that. And if so there's little we could do about stopping direct divine power."
Heff takes a seat, leaning back. "I'm sure I could arrange an escape. Without getting caught, most likely. But still, how many suspects do you think would be drawn up for a well known and valuable slave who was just forcefully taken from you?"
All the talking, right bloody next to Gabriel, has the young man stirring. As tired as he was sleeping lightly was key to not getting whipped in the morning. He looked around the room with some confusion as his eyes opened, but his mind quickly came back to him. "Suppose... it's my fault for not finding another room..."
Gabriel, who hadn't exactly heard any of what was said, starts to get up and walk to the door, only stopping to politely wave to Rilka. "Sorry, not trying to be rude. It was a pleasure meeting you." If no one stops him, Gabe would head right out the door.
"Perhaps my ears are failing me in my age, but - again - what is your connection with the Whitecloaks, Heff?"
"With the Aussirian Legion? I know they're a royal pain to get a spy into. I tend to just avoid them. They keep within Akropash and only cause local trouble. Why do you ask?"
"Because if you didn't have enough knowledge about them, they apparently communicate using some device, seemingly a ring. Were you to acquire one, I imagine you might hear a lot of interesting news."
"Unless someone has a better idea, I'm keen to take you up on your offer of an escape with Bjorkus; I don't see this ending well for any of us otherwise."
As Gabriel gets up to leave Heff gently puts a hand on his shoulder. "I know you've had a rough time recently, but I need to know what's been going on."
Heff looks at Dalton with a bit of genuine surprise. "Rings of messenger. So simple, so brilliant. So exploitable." He smiles and laughs, clapping Dalton on the shoulder. "You'll be a master at espionage yet!"
"Ok, I'll start looking into an escape plan for Bjorkus if you believe it to be the best course of action. It should take me long enough that you should be able to get in your meeting with Targ."
"Suspicion is different than proof. Especially, if he were to re-emerge as part of a slave uprising which we obviously had nothing to do with. Do you have any contacts amongst the 'Lightning Lords' get them to take credit for rescuing Ares the Honorable, defier of Targ."
"Very well. Ulric did not specify a time, but if you happen to nab one of those devices, I'm sure you will hear of it. I am off to lay down." The large meal did not mix will with his age for alertness, it seemed.
Gabriel tilts his head to the side and looks at Heff, then to the others. They said he wasn't to be trusted, but they were speaking openly enough from what he had gathered during his few moments of being awake. "Sure... sure. If you're someone that can get a message to Geoffrey, or anybody capable of dealing with powerful magic users really, then I need to speak to you anyway."
"Hmm, misdirection. Good idea Toramin. Yes I have somebody I can talk to in the Lightning Lords, but that's a big favor to pull and they're not particularly in debt to me."
Heff looks at Gabriel with amusement. "Ah, you haven't been filled in yet. Feel free to do so when we're done here. Yes, I can easily get a message to Geoffrey, as can you."
"As for dealing with magic users, the Aestheric army is ready. We're not as large as many other forces, but our members are well trained. Krokar and Älia will be present as well. Krokar has the best mind for strategy and leads the forces, but Älia seems to have taken this mission rather personally. Odd for her considering how she is normally an emotionless rock."
Gabriel had no idea who those people were. "I have no idea who those people are."
The lad never claimed to be particularly complex. "But I managed to track down the anti-paladin. We headed west... I think. I know we ended up moving through a forest and into a series of rolling hills. I found him, along with several odd monster like things, inside one of those hills in what appeared to be an underground base carved from stone. After fighting through the beasts I found the room he was in... waiting for me right alongside his master. The man... a tiefling... He spoke of plans. And he definitely had the Aasimar on a leash. The tiefling was... amused by my task..."
Gabriel grimaces as the memory of that day enters his mind and he opens his shirt, as fancy as it was, to reveal the scar he had earned that day. It was probably a match for the Aasimars scar, running across his chest. It hadn't healed particularly well either and even now it sometimes pained him with phantom sensations, the dark energy that had been suffused in the attack seemingly clinging to it and his memory of it. "The tiefling let me fight the Aasimar one on one. I... can't describe exactly what happened next. I just... knew it was time. I struck, calling upon the energy to... er... smite him. He struck back and dealt a vicious blow. He knew I was tired from fighting his minions, but the good gods were on my side. I dealt a blow even more horrendous then the one he dealt me, strong enough to even melt my sword to the hilt... I think I cut him in two, or nearly, and yet he survived. And the tiefling..."
Gabriel takes a breath, shakes his head and closes his shirt again. "He was still alive. He had enough strength to swing right back at me. I would have died if it were not for his boss. The man blocked the attack with magic, then dumped me through a hole in the world, some sort of circular doorway, and I fell into the sands of this desert. Whoever he is, I think he has the anti-paladin on a leash. The Aasimar treated him with disrespect, but never too much, and he listened to this other being. And when I was outside... I saw them. HIM. He was the greater of two evils by an order of magnitude. And he said, right before hurling me into the desert, that my death would not suit his plans. He didn't just let me live because it amused him. He wants me alive."
"Hmm, you must have been approaching the western mountains. An underground base..."
"A tiefling who controlled that antipaladin? Off the top of my head I have no idea who that might be. But with such a strong aura of evil...and with such strong magic at his disposal."
Heff muses silently over what Gabriel has said, then speaks up quietly. "And you're sure that actually happened...it sounds ominous, and if what you say is true than his spellcasting abilities might match some of our strongest casters, even rivaling Tiasar or Älia." He loses himself in thought for another moment. "I'll begin looking into it. Powerful spellcasters who are smart enough to make long term plans always cause trouble. The undying people on top of that aren't helping."
"Acera the witch survived being cut in twain by Targ. And Calios the anti-paladin survived being cut in twain by me. If there isn't a connection there, then someone is handing out god like regenerative powers to mortals for fun. They're connected... and if it's as I fear, Acera is merely another pawn seeking to bring yet more war to this world. Why? Why would they revel in so much chaos? The Aasimar I can understand but war is naturally hard to control. What sort of plans does this tiefling have?"
Gabriel hadn't realized it, but he had not mentioned that Aasimars name, had not spoken it even once since he had heard it. Doing so now brought back a flood of memories and for a brief moment his eyes flashed with prismatic colors, switching from blue to green to red to yellow, then back to blue, then to yellow, then to pink. The inner light danced with seemingly no order, but watching long enough, one as clever as Heff might see a pattern, one so complex it hurt one's head to follow too long. "Calios. That is the name the Aasimar claimed. The man who killed my mother and aided the king of Xilres in his atrocities... and there was someone else along side me. Snicks and Freya. Snicks was a half-elf who helped me track him down and Freya was his wolf companion. They both lived in a small village along the path where the anti-paladin attacked. Do you have anyone near there that can see if they're alright? They're the only reason I found the Anti-paladin, or any of this information, in the first place. And he was a good man."
"It also helps their cause. They are freedom fighters, yes? Ares the Honorable is the talk of the town. He defied Targ in his place of power. Don't ask them for a favor. Do the work: get him rescued. Then offer to let them take credit. Make them think that they are both in charge and getting in to something big for them. Sell it, Heff. I'm sure you have it in you."
Gabriel looks at Toramin, and then back to Heff. "Not to mention I think he's extremely interested in helping the slaves fight. Imagine what a valuable asset a former captain of a ship and its men and such a powerful warrior would be too them. What sort of motivation he'd bring to defy Targ and then -escape- of all things.
Heff looks up at Gabriel. "So, two powerful spellcasters who are both surrounded by extremely powerful regenerative abilities. I believe you're right in seeing a connection. Perhaps the path to learn more about this tiefling is through Acera..."
He gives a sympathetic look to Gabriel. "It must have been hard to confront him. On the bright side at least you have the chance to kill him multiple times!" He chuckles despite the darkness of the joke. "I intend to have the area searched, I'll have my people keep an ear out for this Snicks and Freya."
Heff looks back at Toramin. "I'm sure they'd like to have him free, but them taking credit puts them in danger from the white cloaks. Perhaps we could just make it appear as if the Lightning Lords did it without telling them..."
"Yes, if this turns to all out war then we'll need Bjorkus to lead the slaves."
Gabriel shakes his head slowly, "I had plenty of time to think about how to take him down. If I can't kill him, I'll just bury him in pieces across the land, and keep the head somewhere locked away."
Gabriel pauses, then speaks up a bit more loudly. "It needs to be more then war. It needs to be a revolution brought on by the slaves, the merchants and authority. It needs to be a defiance of all that is savage, not something that gives into it and that baser nature that the pits are supposed to be filled with. His name was Ares' the Honorable, not Ares the Warmonger. Use it."
Heff laughs, taking a moment to recover. "Oh, that's brilliant! I've never heard of that solution before, most people usually go for volcano or bottom of the ocean."
"The Aestherics do not march to kill tyrants, the Aestherics march to give hope and power to those who need it." He smiles. "Tyrant casualties are common in our line of work though."
"Do you have any other questions for me, Heff? There are other matters that I need to deal with this evening. Also, I will volunteer Ymir's services as a messenger if you need to coordinate with Bjorkus for his rescue."
This man understands nothing about how to build coalitions of the willing.
"Hope is what this desert needs. Do not march at all. Give them to the tools to change it from within. This isn't Xilres, where we have elements of upper class interested in the less insane methods of ruling. This is a barbaric land that needs to change for the better, or its only going to stay as it was in the pits... men turning on men at the earliest opportunity." Gabriel looks to the dwarf to see if the man agree's, then frowns as he realizes Heff was laughing at him.
"If I do that, there's no guarantee he won't eventually crawl out. I heard the stories. Even Lava didn't stop him for long. And there's someone capable of transporting people over vast distances. If the limbs and other pieces of his body are protected and watched over it won't matter if he's still alive. If some are hidden, buried and lost, it won't matter if some pieces are found."
"Ah yes, Ymir. Useful ally you picked up. I have nothing else if you don't, and yes I have my own business to attend to."
Toramin heads out to the temple in disguise!
"No offense Gabriel, but the slaves do not have the might to take on their slavers head on. There is the seed of rebellion in them and the will to fight, but rising without help would only end in a slaughter. If this does end in rebellion, we will not instigate it, but we will fight with them. They will be the heart of the fight, we will be the backbone. And you lot will be the spear point."