"I can't see anything else we can do but rest and prepare." Locke strokes his chin thoughtfully, "If only these books had survived, I would have loved a chance at insight."
Before resting up, the friends complete their exploration of the ancient temple... moving along from the looted library, the group discover a flight of steps that heads downward, but comes to a halt as a cave-in completely blocks further progress.
...and then, finally exploring the double stone doors standing partially open where the lupine beasts came from, to this room, they find a long, rectangular chamber which carries the heavy musk of large animals cut with a peculiar scent of chemicals. The floor is swept clear of debris, save for the crumbled remains of ancient furniture shoved to the walls, each piece seemingly ready to collapse into dust. Gnawed bones strewn about the floor seem far more recent, however, and two troughs, each large enough for a horse, stand at the north end of the chamber.
Finally concluding that Lomrick has stripped the building clean of any valuables, the group set about securing the building and, having eaten, set up a watch as night falls...
Dawn comes the next morning with a glorious sunrise... and, from beyond the rock formations around the temple, the sound of approaching hooves...
"Let's get on the road. This place has been cleaned out, and we don't want to be here when trouble returns."
Drancis nods in agreement as he prepares to depart. "I like that idea, Rikkan. Baeden," he turns to face the newest member of their party. "Do you think that would be your brother's caravan?"
...or is it Lomrick returning to cover up his tracks?
"It might be best to find somewhere to view those who come secretly. If it is Lomrick we don't want to be here, but at least we would know where he is." Locke suggests.
Zoreck wakes feeling refreshed. Gearing up for the day, he holsters his unloaded pistol, patting it wistfully. "Soon..."
After breakfast, he loads his crossbow. "Let get moving!"
Leaving the grand doors to the temple slightly ajar, the friends... Baeden and an increasingly sickly looking Andretta following behind... move to a position, halfway up a rocky outcrop, from where they can observe whatever is approaching whilst reducing the likelihood of being seen themselves. All the while, Baeden murmurs that it is likely Caeftin returned with supplies... and that, as far as he is aware, the location of the temple is an absolute secret - known only to Lomrick, Baeden and his brother plus the Klaven who are subservient to Lomrick...
Irrespective of Baeden's confidence, the friends stay alert until three wagons - each pulled by two vaguely equine creatures - pull up into the open space at the front of the temple. A portly fellow climbs down from the lead wagon... Baeden whispers to the friends, "That's Caeftin... and...", breathing an audible sigh of relief, "...there doesn't appear to be a klaven presence".
Baeden, seeing his brother, makes a move to call out to Caeftin...
Perception
"Baeden, there's something moving underneath the tarps on your brother's wagons. And I didn't think to move the klaven corpses, did anyone do that? I've got a bad feeling about this."
Illonna will move to join Baeden in greeting his brother, but is stopped by Rikkans words. She looks to Baeden for an explanation.
Drancis looks at the corpses of the Klaven with a distasteful look. "Let me get these corpses out of here." He then levitates all of the corpses using his mind and deposits them in the chamber with the vats, cramming them inside the klaven birthing area vats.
Once finished with that grisly task, he notes Andretta looking more pale than usual and decides to give her a look over. Concern for her health causes him to draw upon his wellspring of power for inspiration...
Drancis motions for Baeden to be quiet, hissing softly "This smells of a trap..."
Andretta, who had started to perspire quite severely in the warmth of the rising sun, is soothed by Drancis' healing. Weakly, she smiles, "Thank You..."
Baeden, who was right on the cusp of calling out to his brother, ducks down behind the rock when Drancis hisses to him to be quiet...
Down in front of the temple, Caeftin gathers a cloak around himself and, looking back at the wagons, move towards the doors. Tentative, he calls out, "MAULVORGE!!! MAULVORGE... Are you there?" When there is no response, he shrugs - pulls a dagger from a boot - and ventures into the temple. Caeftin is gone for about ten minutes before he rushes from the opened doors... rushing to the wagons, he pulls the tarpaulins clear revealing a pair of cloaked humans in each.
As they climb from their hiding places, Caeftin shouts out into the clearing, "BAEDEN!!! BAEDEN!!!"
...and, turning to the friends in their hiding place, Baeden whispers, "That's lads from the Dorgelf Coterie... they wouldn't be allied to Lomrick!!! Caeftin must have enlisted help... it's okay, I think it's going to be okay".
"Go to your brother, then. We will wait here until you've informed him of the situation."
"If something is wrong, do we want to have him go down there by himself? We are too far away to help him from up here."
"I'll walk with Baeden, we don't want to scare them into doing something stupid, so the rest of you try and get into a position to be helpful if things go south." Locke stands up and nods to Baeden to lead the way.
Clambering down the rockface with Locke following closely behind, Baeden calls out to the group below, ”CAEFTIN!!! Up Here!!! It’s safe… tell your lads that all is okay”.
Turning and seeing Baeden climbing down towards the temple, Caeftin – the family resemblance is obvious now – laughs out aloud, ”Oh Baeden!!! It is good to see you!!!! I thought the worst when I found the temple abandoned… how did you get out? And, who is this? I thought the location of the temple was known to no one other than Lomrick and ourselves?”
…puffing and panting as he reaches ground level, Baeden explains – as much as he can – that Locke (and the other friends now making the descent towards Caeftin’s caravan) came through the gate, that they defeated Maulvorge and the klaven stationed here and that, having rested overnight, they are headed to Zel-Argose. After listening to the story, Caeftin goes around the group of friends and makes a point of shaking everyone’s hands, ”You have my undying gratitude… I had fully expected that I would need to fight for Baeden’s liberation – hence my reinforcements from the Dorgelf coterie – but you have already rescued my brother”, Caeftin smiles and hugs his brother once more…
As the men from the Dorgelf Coterie clamber back into the wagons, basking in the sun that is warming the air as it climbs into the sky, Caeftin grins, ”So… it seems that I have a few more passengers to take back to Zel-Argose then? We can get you past the city gates… but after that, I think Baeden and myself need to make ourselves scarce for a while. Lomrick isn’t the most forgiving of employers”.
"Well, I love a family reunion and all, but I don't want to get on the wrong side of Lomrick, either. Let's get those carts moving away from here."
Drancis nods in agreement. "Let's get moving here. We do not want to cross paths with Lomrick now, but at some point we will need to confront him. As for how our paths crossed, it is a long story..."
Locke is cordial with the new arrivals, "Thank you for allowing us to join you on the return journey. It's nice to see that no matter you end up there are good people to be found."
Andretta's worsening condition appears, in some respects, to be respiratory in nature... her breathing has become, over the last twelve hours or so, increasingly raspy. As Drancis examines her, she puts a hand on his wrist, "Thankyou for caring... and for getting us out of that place. To see the sun, even if it is not my own, warms my heart..."
As the friends introduce themselves and clamber into the wagons, the sky above seems to become even brighter than before... the brightness from the sun, aloft and alone in a cloudless sky, is now accompanied by a distinct ray of brightly white light shining from one horizon to the other…
…and with Caeftin driving one of the wagons and Baeden another, the caravan is turned around within the clearing and, kicking up dust as they go, the equine-like beasts pulling the wagons break into a canter…
Drancis can only nod in reply as Andretta takes his wrist, her touch sending a warm sensation throughout his body. "Don't worry Andretta. We will figure out what is wrong with you and I...we will get you all better!" He gently lays her back in the wagon and covers her up to shield her from the sun as best he can.
When she touched me...wow...I...I think I...care for her...could I be in love with her? I...I don't know...
Once she is asleep, he turns his attentions to his fellow travelers. "I...I think Andretta may be dying here..."
Illonna, less observant of personal cues, blinks in surprise.
"What makes you think that?"
Caeftin driving the beasts onwards towards a much wider track, turns to look at Andretta when Drancis speaks, "Your friend, she doesn't look at all well... it might be Argosa, not everyone can deal with the air here... there may be someone at Zel-Argose who can help her. We will get there as fast as we can... it's fifty miles or so, hopefully she can hang on until tomorrow".
Focussing on the road again, "So... when you get to Zel-Argose, what do you plan on doing?"
"Well, Zoreck wants to see if anyone sells bullets. I think we should work on trying to find a way home. Oh, and avoid Lomrick if at all possible,"Rikkan ticks off on his fingers. "And we need to heal the girl. She been helpful and we need to get her back in tip top shape."
Drancis shakes his head helplessly. "I...I know know Illonna. She does not appear to be diseased, so like Caeftin says she may not be able to breath this air here. As for Lomrick..." he clenches his fist in anger. "That bastard is the one who brought us here, at great personal expense AND risk to himself. I want to know WHY!" He exclaims.
"Got a gun, have you feller?", Caeftin smiles towards Zoreck, "You'll struggle to get ammunition out here... far as I know, Lomrick only equipped his klaven with spur rifles. Zel-Argose though, it's a city of trade, you'll find guns, bullets, powder and more besides".
...and then when the conversation turns to finding a way home, "Well, there's plenty of gates in the city... maybe one of those will take you back to wherever it is you folks call home. Mind you, each of the gates is managed by one of the Coteries, powerful organisations here in Argosa... all movement through the gates is controlled by them and it doesn't come cheap. Having a gate means having power... and the Coteries know it".
Rikkan and Drancis seem to have differing views on Lomrick, and that confuses Caeftin a little, "So... you want to avoid Lomrick... but you", looking towards Drancis, "You want to find out what he was up to? Well, beyond the fact that he was keeping the presence of the temple, and the gate within it, an absolute secret there's little that Baeden or I were ever told. And as for tracking Lomrick down if that's what you choose to do, he joined another group of klaven stationed in Zel-Argose after I took him back to the city, but I have no idea what became of him after we parted ways - he said that he'd send a message for me if he needed my assistance again... but never let on how he would do that. 'Course, he probably already knows that Baeden has been freed... and that Maulvorge is dead... if Lomrick wants to contact me now, it would only be to arrange my untimely death", Caeftin laughs garrulously, "Hence me and Baeden will be keeping a low profile for now".
Locke whispers to Drancis as the younger man expresses worry for Andretta, "We'll find her help kid, don't you worry. I've seen how you look at her." At the last he winks at Drancis, trying to cheer him with a bit of teasing.
On the talk of finding a way home, "I will gladly help you find a way home friends. I am not sure if I can or will join you myself. I think this life of exploring distant planets suits me well enough." He thinks of the lack of ache in his cursed body almost fondly.
Locke's face twists into an ugly sneer very much unlike his usual self at the speak of Lomrick, "The things Lomrick is involved in, I don't just want to find him or avoid him. I want to end his disgusting experiments and stop whatever plans he and those like him have for our world. If we need to kill him to do so... I will gladly hold the blade that does so."
Zoreck pats his firearm at Caeftin's comment. "That's good to hear, friend! I'm a pretty good shot, but I'm out of ammo."
The Kellid's face turns grim and he nods at Locke's pronouncement. "Yeah... we can't go home until we put an end to the threat. Whatever it takes."
The trail from the temple eventually leads the caravan out of the maze of rocky outcrops and onto a vast plain that stretches out towards the horizons... Caeftin points towards the west, where a much larger trail it runs alongside the foothills of a snow-topped mountain range. There are a few clouds of dust that seem to come from things - animals, wagons or vehicles - moving in the distance. "Zel-Argose, and Lomrick, lies a day's travel in that direction... when we get there, Baeden and I will get you past the city walls... after that, you're on your own. Baeden and myself are going to operate out of Dae-Argose for a while... it's a week's trek inland, and far from Lomrick".
After an hour or two of travel, with the ray of light in the sky becoming increasingly intense, a second celestial body moves above the horizon... far smaller than the rather 'normal' sun which is already nearing a midday position, it is as black as the void with an intensely white penumbra - streams of light pour from it in opposite directions... almost as if it had been speared by a shaft of heavenly light.
Drancis points his finger at the strange celestial body that is passing over head. "What...what is that?" He asks in a voice tinged with wonder.
Caeftin squints as he looks at the new arrival in the sky, "That is Palomb, ancient writing describe it as “The Interloper” or “The Intruder,” blaming the star for tricking Becedar - our first sun - into sharing the system with it, and creating planetary cataclysms and near-extinction events in the process. Palomb, I am sad to say, often serves as an ill omen".
...and then, moving his finger towards the normal sun, "Becedar is our benevolent protector, keeping us safe against the treachery and chaos of Palomb... I think the name Becedar means “The Witness” or “The Learner”..."
"We certainly aren't home anymore, are we? This is quite the strange place,"
"I shouldn't worry about it... you'll fit right in around Zel-Argose... City on the Crossroads they call it", passing the reins over to one of the men who had been hiding within the wagon when it first arrived at the temple, Caeftin clambers into the rear of the wagon with the friends, "Off-worlders come and go from this planet on a regular basis as Zel-Argose has twelve major gates - apparently that's a near unheard of number across the universe - and they all lead to inhabited worlds. There probably ain't that many folk living in the city who were born on Argosa... let alone Zel-Argose itself".
"It certainly sounds like a good place to gather the information we need." Locke comments.
As they ride along, Illonna is suddenly struck by just how far away from home she was. No doubt she was used to unusual situations - her faith was not as widespread as others, and ever her body drew more than one worried gaze in her lifetime. Now, though, she felt more alone and alienated then ever before in her life.
Along the alien road, the Shieldmaiden draws her arm around her legs and becomes silent while her companions talk.
Over the afternoon and evening hours until both suns have sunk to the horizon, the beasts haul the wagons of the caravan for a good thirty miles or so. The crunching of gravel beneath the hooves of the beasts and the large metal wheels of each wagon becomes strangely soporific as the caravan drives slowly to the west… every so often, the three wagons pass travellers coming in the opposite direction, the largest group being a ten wagon caravan bedecked in colourful flags and driven by robed folk – in some contrast to Caeftin’s caravan, this larger collection of vehicles is being pulled by horse-sized reptiles… their peculiar, low slung gait full of power as they drag much larger wagons than Caeftin’s own. The robed folk, indeed all of the travellers that the friends encounter, wave in acknowledgement of their shared journeys… and call out, ”Eronenem bless your passage… may it be ever-profitable”… Caeftin and Baeden, to all of the travellers that they pass, reply in kind…
Eventually, as the light starts to dim, Caeftin calls out to Baeden and the other wagon driver… and, veering off of the trail to a grassy bank next to a slow-moving stream, camp is made. As the wagons are pulled into a loose triangle, a fire is lit and various hampers of food unloaded, Caeftin reassures the friends, ”It’s another three hours before we get close to Zel-Argose… too far to make it before the only light is from the stars but close enough that we are safe from bandits and the like. Tomorrow morning, we will get you to the city… and you can get your friend some help”. Bedrolls, a strange stringed instrument (not totally unlike a harp) and a few flasks of a clear liquid are brought out and a watch established… and then, as meat cooks over the fire and a haunting tune comes from the instrument, Caeftin asks the friends about their homeworld…
As Caeftin mentions the companions home world Drancis is struck by a wave of homesickness, a feeling he had not time to work through ever since he had woken up in that strange tube inside the Garsilt ex-research facility.
Will I ever see my Mom and Dad again? I know they did not understand what I have become, but I know they still love me and miss me...right?
"Well, I am no expert about what makes my...our world so special but I can tell you it is called Golarion. It has vast oceans and mountains just like other planets right...just one sun and moon though...and I really have trouble trying to explain how...STRANGE this is to me! Two months ago I had not even left Riddleport!"
"He's right. One sun, one moon. Lots of water in the oceans, lots of solid earthen ground, mountains, and forests to explore. There are many different races there, as you can tell by looking at me..."
"There are many beauties and many evils to behold on Golarion. It is a place where many an adventurer finds his or her beginning and end. Still, from what we have seen so far I can't help but feel our world may have been a simple one." Locke props himself up by his elbows and hums along to the melody.
The man sat at the harp continues to pluck out a gentle tune, and as it transitions from happiness to a melancholic sadness, Caeftin listens, "Golarion? I have never heard of such a place... maybe people in Zel-Argose will know of your home and of a way to return there. Some off-worlders I've met have spoken of worlds with a single sun and just one moon... maybe that was your Golarion?"
The conversation flows through the hours as dusk falls until tiredness settles in... and so, falling asleep in the soft amber glow of the fire, the friends spend their second night on Argosa. Waking in the coldness of the next morning, the friends find that the beasts of the caravan are already hitched to their wagons... Caeftin and Baeden, sitting next to the remnants of the fire and drinking steaming liquid from a mug, smile as they see the friends awake...
...but one of the bedrolls, between Drancis and the campfire, does not move...
...Andretta...
Drancis wakes from his sleep, rubbing his eyes from the grit that accumulated from the dusty air. He stretches and turns to awake Andretta shaking her gently, "Good morning Andretta, it is time to wa--" but on seeing her not responding he shakes her unresponsive body harder....
Locke kneels beside Drancis and Andretta, "What's the matter? Is she?..."
In the cold light of the morning, Drancis and Locke kneel over the bedroll where Andretta lies... her complexion is near colourless and she remains utterly still. Feeling for a pulse or some other sign of life, Drancis panics and starts to shake the unresponsive woman... until, just when it seems that all hope is lost, her eyes flicker open...
She whispers, "Drancis...", and then slips back into unconciousness...
It is clear, even without any knowledge of her biology, that she is clinging to life by the thinnest of threads....
"We need to get to the city and find a healer. That's her only hope..."
Drancis squeezes her hand tightly, a sense of relief filling his heart.
She's ALIVE...barely...I wish I knew what was wrong with her! The passage through the Gate must have affected her differently, I have no other explanation!
He nods quickly as his pulse continues to race. "Yes, yes we need to get moving NOW!" Turning to the brothers he asks in a pleading voice, "Do you know of a healer that could help her?"
Locke grips Drancis's shoulder for both of their comforts, "We have little time to find a healer ourselves, so if you know of one please tell us!"
Seeing that Andretta is in real trouble, Caeftin and Baeden hurriedly load the caravan and help the friends to get the unconscious woman into the lead wagon, "We can get you to a healer... let us pray that they can do something for her"... and, kicking up dust behind them, the equine beasts accelerate towards the west...
Soon enough, a strange city appears on the horizon, nestled in the foothills of a large mountain range. Even from this distance, the glimmer of a swift-flowing river runs through its center, swelled to capacity as a by-product of the nearby snow-covered peaks. The city itself displays a patchwork of differing architectural styles and incongruous structures. Colossal monuments, many defying description, tower over more modest construction, but no large wall surrounds this metropolis as it flows outward onto a vast plain of seasonal farmland.
Caeftin turns back towards the friends, "Zel-Argose..."
As they draw closer to the city, passing agricultural buildings formed of clay and a copper-like metal with an increased frequency, Caeftin – without looking backwards towards the friends in the wagon – whispers that they must hide beneath one of the many tarpaulins strewn between the barrels and crates that Caeftin will pretend to be bringing into the city for trade… And so it is that Lomrick’s captives, taken from a far-away world and now marooned in an alien culture, make their way into the city that may be their home for a long time to come. The noises of other wagons moving to and from the city, of beasts of burden straining against the heavy loads that they are hauling and of the many voices calling out to each other is dulled by thick tarpaulin but it becomes quite clear that, having only stopped once whilst Caeftin spoke to someone for a minute or so, they are now within the city…
As the sun beats down on the city, the temperature beneath the tarpaulin starts to become quite unbearable… and is surely not helping with Andretta’s condition… and so it is with great relief when the wagon comes to an abrupt halt that Caeftin calls out to the friends, ”It’s all clear… you can come out”. Emerging into the shade between a number of tall stone buildings, the friends realise that Caeftin has chosen a discrete alley, somewhere utterly unobserved, for the friends to disembark. Smiling, Caeftin helps the friends down on to the cobbled street, ”That was easier than I expected, Jahera’s enforcers were happy with my story that I had to return from a planned trip to Dae-Argose to reprovision… and the cost was less than ten primary coins… far less than it would have been if they knew I had brought unregistered off-worlders into the city. We’re a street away from Toiler’s Square here… and I am pretty sure that no-one saw us enter. Get yourself unloaded, help yourself to some of our provisions and then give me five minutes to be clear from this alley… I am going to meet Baeden outside of the city limits and stay away from Zel-Argose for a month or two. Take your friend”, Caeftin nods towards the unconscious Andretta, ”to Leticula’s place as soon as you can. She runs an infirmary on the far side of the square… you can’t miss it”.
Caeftin climbs back into the driver’s seat of his wagon and spurs the beasts forwards… he nods to the friends and with sincerity in his voice bids them farewell, ”May Ramezarn guide and protect you… and if you find Lomrick, tell him – before he dies – that he should never have double-crossed the Rhydorn brothers”.
…and as his wagon moves out into the streets, the friends are alone in Zel-Argose…
Drancis dusts off the dirt and grime from his clothes and grabs some of the offered provisions. He then looks down at Andretta who he has grown...attached. Realizing time is of the essence here, he gently lifts her up using the power of his mind. "I don't think we have any time to waste here. Let's find Leticula." He says to the others.
After also taking 5 days' worth of rations, Zoreck moves to hold up their unconscious friend. "Thanks, Drancis. I'll carry her to the healer's. I think that might draw less attention than you levitating her across the square. For now at least, we need to keep as low a profile as possible."
Drancis considers Zoreck's warning for a moment before nodding in agreement. "You are right Zoreck," he says as he lowers Andretta down into his arms. "No telling if Lomrick has any spies about watching for us."