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Cairee nodded sleepily at Zahra's suggestions. Once everything had been secured in the safe, she followed the others to their rooms. She was tempted to fall immediately into bed. But it seemed rude to put her filthy body into such fresh and soft sheets. So she accepted the offer of a bath and clean clothes.
Sleep was surprisingly slow to come as thoughts of the cruel wizard and the strange items they found in Ku'bara'sigi's tomb swirled in her mind. What were they to do? Surely they couldn't hand over the buckler. But not doing so would put Zahra's family in danger.
A voice popped into her head with an answer. It sounded suspiciously like Dounia. We lie.
Everyone eventually went up to the third floor passing the ball room on the second where lumber was set out and mirrors were being removed from the walls. In the centre of the ballroom was a large flat table covered in a dingy sheet. Wood shaving were on the floor.
As they topped the landing most noticed the front room on the right as the door closed slowly.
Still, there was a sense of safety. All was quiet. The beds were clean and new sheets were lain out but the musty smell was still there somewhere underneath. That too would fade in time. Some of the shutters needed repair so the constant daylight seeped through in long narrow beams, here and there.
As Dounia and Tymythy blacked out they could swear they heard a bump and a tiny "Ooomf" and a little swear in gnomish. Then sweet sleep.
A hammering could be heard coming up through the floor. It was annoying. And it had been going for hours testing the boarders of sleep. You started waking around the hour of ten and, considering sleep had only come at two, it was surprising that you all got up that early.
But then there was that hammer.
The first of you out of your room met with Sasithorn in the third floor hallway. She didn't like to speak. Her voice sounded from the back of her tongue and in made most people make faces while it showed off her deafness. However, she spoke low and with economy when she saw you. "The Lady is in the back parlour." Then she scuttled off to the servant's staircase at the back of the manor.
Dounia woke early - for her, it was very early. Her eyes felt gritty, and she had a headache. She rolled back over and buried her head in the pillows, but that hammer! It wouldn't stop! Groaning, she pushed herself out of bed. It was time for that promised bath.
Half an hour later, she felt significantly better. Zahra (spirits of the desert bless her!) had kindly magicked her clothes clean before heading to bed last night, and it was lovely to be sand-free. It was time to find something to drink (her head really was sore), and get to the bottom of the infernal racket!
Following her ears, Dounia went exploring, trying to see what had to be put together so early in the morning.
Dounia crept down the steps from the third floor to the second with the hammering getting louder. The ballroom where she once strutted in an altered Haseena gown had its' doors removed. Its' ceiling-high wall mirrors were half gone. Lumber was laid out. A, perhaps older than middle age, dwarven man leaned over a panel of wood in the centre of the room. He was pounding at it with hammer and chisel. Shavings littered the ballroom floor at his feet.
The man stood up and stretched his back. His front apron had different chisels tucked in. He wiped his brow and examined the wood like he was trying to read its' mind. The smell of something like mahogany was behind everything.
Even from a distance Dounia could see the wood face. All of the areas meant to be carved back were pounced with charcoal. It read in Aerthane:
Lady Harmattan's School for Mysticism and the Extraordinary Sciences
A young dwarf came from a hidden corner inside the old ballroom and knelt down to one of the hinge halves still in the door jam. He was round of body and his hair was stringy, black, and greasy. He had a reddish rash on the right side of his face. As he started to unscrew the plate he looked up and saw the young desert dweller and stood up quickly. "Ah!"
The older dwarf, "Common boy! Joost ahnootha two hers an yous can go work on ... oh, iss one a tha Laidy's guests." He noticed Dounia and took off his work cap making a little bow with his head. "Can ah help ya with somthang?"
Tymythy woke up slowly, drowsily, the sound of hammering comforting rather than disturbing as the clan holdings had ever been full of early risers and there was no sense in wasting daylight if there was work to do – and there always was something that needed seeing to by someone. As the built-up exhaustion of the long trek in a most unfamiliar terrain had hit him hard he woke up confused, rolled off what he took to be a blanket spread on ground… and fell from his bed onto the floor.
That woke him up right quickly. He sat up quickly, staring wildly around until the fog of deep sleep lifted and he recalled where he was. His room in Mistress Haseena’s mansion. Of course. He wondered what time it was – the unnatural daylight outside was of little help but he felt he had slept long. Well, late at the very least, for he felt surprisingly rested considering the late hour he had got to his bed. The thought left him a bit irritated at himself, for a warrior was supposed to rise with the sun, not lounge in bed until midday… although he doubted it was quite that late – surely there would be more noise outside than a lone craftsman’s hammer if that was the case?
Yawning, Tymythy stretched, forcing some life into stiff muscles. He had been too weary last night to properly see to the needs of his body and gear, as a full belly after the hard march in the heat had left no room for other considerations than rest. But that would not be a huge issue, as he hoped they were due to at least a short spell of calmer times. A few minutes and some groans of mixed pain and pleasure later he felt ready to face a new day. He put on the most presentable of his few outfits and ventured outside into the halls, following the sounds of hammering and quiet conversation downstairs.
Spying Dounia ahead, in a conversation with two dwarves – a master carpenter and apprentice, perhaps? – he made sure to make enough noise not to creep on them unawares. ”Good morning,” he said, stifling another yawn. ”Have to say, a soft bed after so many days of sleeping on those shifting dunes was a luxury I might learn to get used to.”
After a restless night, Cairee woke a little disoriented and confused. What had she been dreaming? Something about a hall with many doors and a knocking she couldn't locate. But the knocking had followed her out of the dream and into Haseema's home. Oh, of course, all of the construction.
In the desert Cairee's morning routine had always felt rushed. Not wanting to keep her friends waiting, she would do the bare minimum needed to restore her for the day. With the others still in bed and no immediate danger barring down on them, the cleric had been looking forward to a leisurely morning meditation to reconnect with Saiph. She left her room in search of a quiet balcony or room where she could settle in, putting as much distance between herself and the hammering as possible.
Later, when her friends were up and they were alone, Cairee shared her idea. "I think we're all in agreement that we don't want to give the wizard this special buckler. From all Haseema said it sounded like he wouldn't have been surprised if we failed our task. We certainly found many items of value that we thought could have been his 'package' before we came across the tomb. Perhaps we offer one of these as his prize. The coin in the cold room, or the broken scabbard? Or perhaps even the ring or spear taken from Ku'bara'sigi if we think it best to admit how far we made it into the cave. A lie is best believed when it is mostly truth." The old family saying rolled off her tongue a little too easily, and Cairee's fingers found the wing at her throat. Forgive me for such thoughts. Still, she continued. "Though we should properly inspect the ring before we hand it over - we don't understand it's true power. I've had a chance to prepare. May I see it again?"
Zahra handed Cairee the ring. She held it in the palm of her left hand, and passed her right over top. "Ciga Mtce Ted," she murmured. Reveal your secrets.
”We are pretty certain now the Warlock wants the wyrm’s scale, yes?” Tymythy asked. ”If so, why offering him anything else? If we give him something he will know came from the crypt, he will suspect it was not the only item we got, even if we cannot glean the truth from us. If we offer him the coin we found frozen on the pedestal… perhaps he could be led to believe we got no further, with the flinds and the dreadful cold assaulting us. But if we offer him the dead lord’s ring or spear, for example… more likely he knows we go them from his actual grave, and that that’s where he expected the scale to also be found. It is precious and rare, the scale, is it not? So it would have been kept at the furthest nook of the crypt, particularly if it held a great significance to the dead lord.”
”The mistress suspected we are beneath the Warlock’s notice, and thus direct reprisals… but it is possible, if he comes to suspect we are holding out on him, that he will take some steps. Perhaps send another group to the crypt, who can now verify the mystic lock on its door has been opened and some failback trap triggered to bury whatever it still holds? Or have an eye kept on us in case we show his watchers something else we would have got from the crypt, that we kept from him? The spear I traded the lord’s spirit for, for example, is hard not to notice, and a weapon is meant to be wielded, not locked away for safekeeping.”
... ”Good morning,” he said, stifling another yawn. ”Have to say, a soft bed after so many days of sleeping on those shifting dunes was a luxury I might learn to get used to.” ...
The older Dwarf reckoned on Tymythy, "Awl beds a' soft after a good dais work. Agiarayth bho Ciallach a Briodair. Thas as me son Braudar. Well Son! Say ellow."
The boy was looking at Tymythy's feet, "Hello."
Agiarayth looked back to his carving, "Ah thank the Laidy iss doon in tha parla wit tha two garls."
Dounia's annoyance vanished when she saw the panel. "Are you carving that?" She moved forward to take a look. [b]"It's very pretty. That looks like a lot of work. You'd think that somebody at "Lady Harmattan's School for Mysticism and the Extraordinary Sciences" could magic up a sign. It would be faster."
***
Dounia clutched the medallion inside her pocket. She was not giving it to Mr Meany Pants. "Why don't we tell him about the gnolls, and the we ran away from them? We can say we saw them fiddling around with the door. But say there were 20 or something. And we ran away. Then if he goes and finds it collapsed, he'll think it was them that did it."
She paused, then added, "Or will Mr Limpyfoot tell people what we have? We told him everything."
"It's very pretty. That looks like a lot of work. You'd think that somebody ... could magic up a sign. It would be faster."
Agiarayth didn't look up from his sign, "Aye, I'm sure my son coul' whip op a sayn, an' it would be all metal an' wheelz, an' it would sing ya' iz naym. Bu' thas no' what the Laidy asked fer." The old dwarf stopped for a moment and became still. HE tried to sound wram, "Alrigh' boy. Go aheed. Go ta class an' join tha' ewthars/"
The young Braudar rushed to put his fathers tools away and then bolted down the steps before minds were changed.
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"I'm fairly certain The Wizard knew that 'the object' was The Scale of Silimiel. But he didn't tell us that. The place was falling down around our ears. It would be reasonable to say that we grabbed a few things before we had to run, and didn't notice anything else. It's true enough, there were several rooms we didn't investigate. Dounia, we could say we hadn't even made it into the first room, but then Tymythy would need to conceal the spear - it will be hard to explain that. I suggest we present the ring and the spear as what we found. Hopefully he won't be interested in either. If he does send anyone to corroborate our story, they'll find a destroyed cave."
She thought about Dounia's other question. "I don't think Friar Ldanfoat will betray our secret, but we could ask him to keep our confidence."
She turned to Zahra. "Ultimately it's up to you. All of the items we've acquired were on your quest and are at your disposal. How would you like to use them?"
”It will be a shame, but you are right – it is wise to leave the spear here, until it is needed,” Tymythy admitted grudgingly. A warrior – young one more than an experienced one – didn’t easily shelve a powerful blade that had he had come to wield. He hadn’t even had a chance to use it once! ”It will mean I will have to go shopping for a new spear sooner rather than later – who knows how soon I’ll need a weapon.”
... "Though we should properly inspect the ring before we hand it over - we don't understand it's true power. I've had a chance to prepare. May I see it again?"
Zahra handed Cairee the ring. She held it in the palm of her left hand, and passed her right over top. "Ciga Mtce Ted," she murmured. Reveal your secrets. ...
Cairee sensed that the ring was not powerful, when she focused on it she felt a faint aura, hmmm, of universal magic. But the enchantment was of a complicated sort and she couldn't get it to reveal what it knew.
Cairee had looked about but she was on the floor with the sleeping quarters. She accidentally opened the door to one bedroom that, though empty, was now being used. It was hard to look away. Paper lay over the floor and the bed and a little writing table. Scribbles were all over the papers and were mostly non-sense. A few of the scribbles seemed like abstract monster shapes. Not given to intruding on the privacy of others, she pulled away and headed down the hall where she found a simple door to a spiral stair. It led up through the fourth floor that held Haseena's rooms and into the fifth floor attic space.
The stair continued up to a widow's walk but there the noise of the city was too great. She decided to meditate in the attics with old dusty but well upholstered chairs, sewing forms, and old chests. She recognized some of the chests as the gown storage that they once picked through be for the Opera.
Here there was enough peace to call to Saiph.
-----
Zahra had been the last to wake so it was in the room that Dounia, Zahra, and Cairee shared that they found themselves in for a quiet talk. That is, once Tymythy and Dounia had parted from the Carpenter making noise a floor beneath.
Zahra, "I've been hiding what I can do for a long time now. I can hide things if I have to. But I don't know about lying to the Mean, All-Knowing, All-Arrogant Master of the Servants of the ... I'm tired just trying to get through that title. Is there anyone we can ask for help? Dounia, do you know people in either side of the city? Maybe not 'know' but have you heard of anyone?"
Cairee sensed that the ring was not powerful, when she focused on it she felt a faint aura, hmmm, of universal magic. But the enchantment was of a complicated sort and she couldn't get it to reveal what it knew.
She turned to Zahra. "Is there somewhere nearby we could take this to have it identified?"
Something occurred to Cairee, and she thought back to when they all tried on the ring. A single image had appeared very quickly for Zahra and Dounia. Cairee had been worried about her family, and the ring had reflected that internal struggle by showing The Beheader, before transforming into the wing. Tymythy had seemed uninterested in the ring, and it had taken a while to reveal anything. "I wonder if the ring reflects our thoughts about ourself? I'd like to try something."
The cleric closed her eyes and cleared her mind, taking some long, deep breaths. She brought forth a single memory - working in the garden at the Order of Saiph. She remembered the feel of her hands in the soil, the dirt under her fingernails, carefully digging out deep weeds. She remembered revelling in the solitude and comfort, wondering if this simple garden held her future. Holding that thought in her mind, she slipped on the ring.
The ring went blank and then a rune appeared. It was in Emeilu, the lost language that conveyed the ideas of the gods. Cairee was pretty certain it was the symbol for solitude.
Dounia turned her mind to the contacts she and Cyra had made, and if any of them could possibly be helpful against Lord Stinky.
Zahra, "I've been hiding what I can do for a long time now. I can hide things if I have to. But I don't know about lying to the Mean, All-Knowing, All-Arrogant Master of the Servants of the ... I'm tired just trying to get through that title. Is there anyone we can ask for help? Dounia, do you know people in either side of the city? Maybe not 'know' but have you heard of anyone?"
"There are those who can use magic to read thoughts and I'm not confident enough that I would be able to fool him with another tale, even though I hate the thought of him having a piece of my ancestor. I think it's too risky to all of us if we don't hand over the buckler. I think we either give him the buckler or nothing and claim failure. But then he'll say we didn't complete his task and that he doesn't have to keep his word. The only way we can keep the buckler is if we run, leave the city, and never return." The look on Zahra's face told the others that she didn't like that option either.
She turned to Zahra. "Is there somewhere nearby we could take this to have it identified?"
Zahra nodded slowly, "I know there are places in the bazaar but Haseena would know better than me which ones are genuine and hopefully one that would be discreet. We should talk to her before we leave to deal with some of our found items anyways."
Zahra nodded slowly, "I know there are places in the bazaar but Haseena would know better than me ..."
Dounia muttered to herself as she counted on her fingers the people she might be able to go to for information.
"Dirk the fence, he's in town. No, Cyra always contacted him, I don't know how. Elania Speakstwice? She's happy to be owed a favour. Wait, Cyra said she was missing last month. I wonder if she turned up again. The Anger? Ugh, that dwarf is too dangerous for something like this, and probably still fighting histurf war."
She bit her lip, thinking. "The Ghoul of Alshafaq? Jumanah vouched for him, said he could get his hands on all kinds of strange items. but didn't I hear that he...it?...is currently in alKubiri? Too bad Mr. Wonders got pinned down, he knows everybody. Why are all these shady folk on the Alshafaq side? Haha! Shady!" Dounia snorted laughter.
"Damn. I'm going to have to go directly to the guilds." Raising her voice and speaking to the others, Dounia said, "There's two places I can think of to try to get info. I can try the Fifth Guard. They do low-level crime on this side of the city. I'll have to troll the greater and lesser marketplace for contacts. Or, if we go to the dark side, we could try the Najima Chamber. They do more high-level crime. If I can talk my way in, though, the information will come with a fee or a favour."
***
Dounia stared at the ring as it changed yet again. Grinning, she said, "It responds to thoughts? But what's with that bird on mine? What did you call it, an obspay? I wasn't thinking about birds. But anyway, let me try again."
She screwed up her face, thinking hard about a pile of treasure, and put the ring on.
She screwed up her face, thinking hard about a pile of treasure, and put the ring on.
Dounia's imagination taxed the ring and a complex image of a hoard of treasure tried to form but couldn't quite. Finally, the ring created the image of a treasure chest. The detail on the ring seemed to have its' limits.
Lunch would be served soon.
Everyone headed downstairs and to the back parlour that was usually Haseena's sitting room for special guests in hopes of getting a few bits of information. From outside the door you could hear a terrible commotion. Things were breaking and the old mentor was calling out, though it was difficult to make out through the door and the chaos.
Dounia stared at the ring as it changed yet again. Grinning, she said, "It responds to thoughts? But what's with that bird on mine? What did you call it, an obspay? I wasn't thinking about birds. But anyway, let me try again."
Tymythy subjected the ring to a look full of suspicion, as if it owed him money and had just told it was planning a long sea voyage. ”I still think the thing is uncanny,” he said, recalling the strange feeling he had had when it had been his turn to try it out.
”About that…” he turned to Zahra, considering. ”You and your mother were skilled seamstresses, yes? I had been considering the strange knotted pattern the ring chose to show me… it felt like an ill omen to me, and if my feelings were right, there is only one thing to do with omens – turn them by embracing them. I’d like to commission a standard decorated with that pattern, to attach to my spear. Would you or your mother have time to help me with that?”
Hearing Haseena’s voice berating someone, Tymythy shared a look with the ladies and hurried to the door. The mistress’ voice hadn’t sounded threatened, but perhaps help would still be welcome.
Tymythy slipped into the parlour with trained quickness to see the lounge chair toppled, the end table overturned, two lamps destroyed, and books scattered about the floor. In one of the carpets was a long melted scar. Haseena was standing imperial by the french doors that led to the solarium. A young woman was was clutching her knees in the corner muttering, "I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to." The little gnome girl was by the door to the trophy room. Her body gave out a little gnome flatulent sound and she turned into smoke again.
In the centre of the room was a spectral human skeleton thrashing about. The entire skeleton oozed with spectral blood. Though it was semi-translucent, it seemed to be effecting its' environment just fine.
Haseena, "Oh, Master Tymythy, just in time. I tried to wreck the thing but all I did was ruin the carpet. Would you mind giving a hand. Jayida has only ever been able to sustain a manifestation for a few seconds but this one seems to be a bit stubborn."
"Pull back?" Dounia questioned what she'd heard. But she wasn't about to let Tymythy have all the fun. She dashed after him, then skidded to a stop at the doorway to the parlor.
"Sand in my eyes!" Dounia swore in surprise. Was that a...skeleton? In the parlour? She had a moment to realize it didn't even scare her, she was just startled. What a month I've had!
Drawing her dagger, she prepared to help.
Moving carefully, she tried to give the skeleton a wide berth, and come upon it from the opposite side. She and Tymythy worked well together when flanking, so might as well start with that.
The sorceress watched in fascination as the ring changed hands and changed its sigil based on thoughts. "We need to take the book to the colleges in Alshafaq anyways so we could probably find someone there as well to tell us more about the ring."
When Tymythy asked about a standard to be made for his new weapon, Zahra smiled, "Of course! Between myself and my mother, we will make that happen for you."
-----
Zahra gasped, eyes wide as she took in the scene before her. Since when was a bloody skeleton not a big deal?
Almost without thinking, Zahra called forth a dart of force which she directed at the skeleton with her finger. Shortly after the one dart took flight, another followed it.
Cairee entered the back parlour after her meditation, looking forward to a leisurely lunch. As she stepped in Tymythy through her a look and rushed into another room. Zahra and Dounia did the same. Not knowing what was going on, Cairee followed, swallowing a sigh. Can nothing be simple? Not even lunch?
The spectral skeleton in the parlour was a surprise, though certainly not the strangest thing Cairee had seen in the last few weeks. As the others advanced, Cairee studied it, trying to determine what it was and how they could best remove it from Haseema's home.
Haseena, "Oh, Master Tymythy, just in time. I tried to wreck the thing but all I did was ruin the carpet. Would you mind giving a hand. Jayida has only ever been able to sustain a manifestation for a few seconds but this one seems to be a bit stubborn."
Tymythy couldn’t help it – he gawked at the strange sight, not quite knowing how to feel. A skeleton covered in some ethereal ichor like the memory of blood was struggling amidst the wreckage of furniture. Despite what seemed to him a clear and present threat, Mistress Haseena was regarding the spectacle as a minor irritation. A younger woman was murmuring a litany of denials, tucked away as far from the skeletal beast as she could while still being inside the room. And the strange gnomish girl made another disappearing trick the moment he laid his eyes on her. He was wondering if she was fearful of him – or them – in particular, or just monumentally shy.
There was no question about obeying Haseena’s request, but her nonchalant attitude was making him wonder just how he should expect the skeleton to respond to efforts of putting it down. Were they even meant to destroy it, or just occupy its attention until one of the magically gifted ladies bound the spirit to their will. What was the thing even? Skeletal, but translucent like a mirage. Would his blades be of any use against such a thing? There would be little to cut, at any rate, and his heavier weapon, the magical spear, was far from his hand.
Tymythy’s eyes settled on one of the more intact but displaced chairs. Perhaps a blunt instrument would be more suitable to crush bones…
Cairee and Zahra went to Tymythy's right and left as he grabbed a tipped chair. The chair fell apart in his hands leaving him with a long back leg that bent slightly to form part of the chair's back rest .
Silver darts issued from Zahra's hands and blew a large section of the creature's ribcage apart. Shards fell to the floor.
Cairee studied the creature and was able to shout out what she could remember.
Dounia lept forward and although there was room to maneuver around the skeleton she did a tidy tuck-and-roll under its' arm to get herself behind it. She crouched up from the floor to find herself covered in rib bits. Her form was a burry image through the skeleton's dripping body like being seen through a warped piece of glass.
In just a few seconds the four had entered the room, taken in the scene, and surrounded the creature, wounding it even.
Then they watched as one of the dislodged ribs wriggled on the floor and flung up to land back in its' old position. The break sealed seamlessly. The oozing creature stepped forward and raked at Tymythy with both of its' claws. The first was easily ducked but the second made deep contact with his throat!
The fog that was the little gnome drifted about as the girl in the corner repeated again and again, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"
Tymythy gasped in pain as claws - all too solid despite their nebulous appearance - closed around his neck, choking him even as the sharp tips of the bony fingers cut into the sides of his neck. But if the enemy had to focus on someone, he preferred it to be him in any case. Shame that it had moved faster than he had expected and actually connected rather than just trying to!
Pushing aside the pain for the moment, his left hand took hold of the arm grasping him and, to lock its wrist in place and prevent the shock of his own attack from ripping the claws away from his neck and cutting deeper into his flesh in the process while his right arm brought down his improvised club on the skeleton's elbow.
Dounia shouts in surprise when the bony intruder lashes out at Tymythy. The blood suddenly makes it very real. The skeleton is bigger up close, and bonier. And not looking particularly stabbable. Dounia eyes up her dagger, and suddenly wishes she also had a chair leg.
What's the worst that can happen? I get a bit stabbed, and Cairee heals me. Or Haseema. Or both. I'll be fine. Dounia launches herself at the skeleton, slashing with her inadequate blade, hoping for the best.
Edit:Sneak attack damage? Just in case.
Tymythy and Dounia attacked the skeleton. Cairee watched as one of the dislodged ribs started to move on its own and reattach itself. "This creature was summoned," she told her friends, remembering a lesson from Tal. "It's called a 'bloody skeleton'. Though it shouldn't last this long. Something must've gone wrong in the casting. It's immune to cold, and can best be damaged by bludgeoning it. But the only way to destroy it completely is..."
Cairee trailed off, resistant to finishing the sentence. The only way to destroy it was to expose it to positive energy. That's why Tal had taught her about the creatures. Her connection with Saiph made her the best weapon against it.
She had only used her healing powers as a weapon once before. Only a few days previously, in the caves. That hadn't gone so well. The guardians had fought back, and part of her connection to Saiph had been cut off. What if it happened again?
The cleric was afraid. But that wouldn't stop her from helping her friends. She brought both hands to her winged pendant, palms in. In a quick gesture she pushed her hands out, palms facing the creature. "Ygren Elenn Anc!"
It was surgical the way the four worked together. Zahra blasted the skeleton's ribcage, Tymythy shattered it's skull ... Dounia? ... Dounia stabbed the creature's spine, parting it so that its' upper body fell into the lower. The skeleton disassembled and fell into a heap upon the floor. Still the bones wriggled and began to move towards each other slowly to reassemble. That's when Cairee replaced all of the light in the room with her light, with Saiph's light. Everyone could feel the energy pushing out from the cleric.
The bones burst into a strange blue flame and reduced to cinders, then ash, then nothingness. The flames did not harm the carpet.
The light retreated and everyone could feel a gravitational pull towards its' creator.
Then quiet.
Haseena turned to the girl in the corner as the fog on the other side of the room coalesced into the tiny gnome, "Well, that was very exciting wasn't it." She spoke like you'd all just put away the dishes.
The girl stood up awkwardly. She was the the one Zahra noticed in the front window. Light brown brown skin and curly chestnut hair. She seemed to be wearing some sort of back brace or long corset under her rather plain clothes. Her eyes welled and red. "I don't know what happened teacher. I did what you said. I made the image solid but it wouldn't do what I told it to and then it wouldn't go away."
Haseena, "A freak accident, an anomaly of the skill. Don't worry. It won't happen again. I promise. It would be like lightning striking a nail in the bottom of a well and then doing it again. Now go see Sasathorn and she'll get you some hot tea. Just the thing to get the shakes out. But first don't forget to introduce yourself and thank our friends."
Zahra couldn't help remembering how reassuring the usually stern Haseena could be.
The young girl, a human of maybe fourteen, turned to you all, "I'm Jayida. I'm a new student of Lady Harmatan's. Thank you for helping us."
The little gnome ran over to Dounia. Her voice was a mouse's voice and it squeeked as she spoke. "How did you do that rolling thing! Wow! And, what was that light. It felt all warm ... not warm exactly. Cozy! You cut it right in half!!! That was amazing! My name is U'reeka but you can call me Reeka or Eek. Some call me Wreek but I don't like that. What kinda knife is that?! Who's she? Who's he? He beat on that skeller with a chair!!!" She was obviously overstimulated.
The young girl, a human of maybe fourteen, turned to you all, "I'm Jayida. I'm a new student of Lady Harmatan's. Thank you for helping us."
Tymythy dropped what was left of his makeshift weapon and pressed one open palm against the wounds on his neck, hoping he wouldn’t add to Mistress Haseena’s worries by dripping blood all over whatever intact pieces of decoration remained in the battleground. And trying to follow the gnomish girl’s gushing words. Well, it was certainly an improvement over vanishing into thin air the moment she spied any of them.
”Jayida. I will remember that. You must be greatly beloved by the spirits to have such power so young,” he went on, smoothly ignoring the fact that a bare handful of years likely separated him and her. ”I am Tymythy, son of Stywyrt, son of Lywys, of the Bastarnae clan, and I have known shamans three times your age who never showed such power.”
Perhaps, he left unsaid, because such self-serving displays of power where one was not needed for the benefit of the clan were more than frowned upon – anyone trusted to wield magic was expected to first know when not to use it. That would be a lesson for another time, though, and not his to give. But he had seen this young woman curled in a corner, muttering a words of guilt and regret. No, he thought reassurance and forgiveness was the lesson needed here, and as the only one injured by her creation, he felt it was for him to voice the words.
”Heed well your lessons, though – power, like a blade, can be a weapon, and weapons should be wielded responsibly,” he went on, giving Jayida a half bow accompanied with a complicated hand gesture, a ritual sign of respect to a clan shaman, caster of bones, speaker for the spirits. ”And next time, wait for me to go get my spear before conjuring another foe to test our mettle, eh?” he said with a conspiratorial wink.
Cairee took a few slow breaths, steadying herself. She was okay. Saiph was still with her.
She returned her attention to the room and saw Tymythy trying not to bleed on the carpet while reassuring the young girl. She called upon Saiph again to heal her friend.
Zahra was already on her way over to Jayida as the girl got to her feet. Zahra remembered how scary it was when your talents started to manifest and how guilty one could feel when things didn't go well as you learned to control the bursts of power.
She threw her arm around the girl's shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "That was quite impressive. We all have our little hiccups along the way. I once turned Haseena's, excuse me, Lady Harmattan's entire parlor into an icebox when I couldn't control my power. It took a few days for the room to thaw. The important thing is that we try to understand what happened and listen to Lady Harmattan's wisdom and then learn for next time...and that you keep trying. This is a safe place. My name is Zahra, by the way, and if Lady Harmattan could teach me then she can teach anyone."
The sorceress looked over to Haseena, "Would you like me to start on mending your carpet and chair? Or were you planning on redecorating anyways? And maybe when the lesson is finished, may we have a word?"
Jayida looked partially assured but still had this glumness about her like there was a big stain on her clothes and everyone in the room was pretending it wasn't there.
Haseena, "And take U'reeka with you. Don't look sad U'reeka. There might be warm chocolate if you ask Sasithorn nicely and you can interrogate our friends later."
The two girls left with a barrage of 'bye's from Eek.
The side door to the parlour opened and Braudar, the young dwarf entered with Othman. Braudar was carrying a kit of fine tools and a statue of a raven in perhaps iron. He looked at the mess of the room, questions obviously forming in his mind, and left for the solarium before he could be asked to help straighten up. Othman waited just inside the door. He was holding four letters and a little tube.
Haseena, "Please Zahra, if you would attend to the carpet. I would like to discuss a few things and you have business to plan." Through the parlour window that looked into the solarium you could all see Braudar working on his iron raven diligently, lost to all other stimuli.
After a few moments passed where Haseena seemed to be waiting for privacy, "Jayida is a seer. She manifests through automatic writing and through visions of the dead. It will take some time before she opens up but I suspect she sees the ghosts of creatures all about her. I am trying to teach her to be able to call them forth and control them and she has had some success at this."
She sat down on a bit of undamaged footstool, "This will be a setback. She was getting quite brave. It was probably a freak accident but I also suspect we need to buy protection for the house. If I had to make a guess, and I should, I would say, against the Order of the Cold Flame. Really! A bloody skeleton. Did they have to sign it." She nodded to Othman who made a mental note of where to do his shopping today.
Haseena looked tired and a little isolated.
"Well, I assume you have come for some advice, and I'd like to know what your plans are. That is, if you don't mind. You also have some correspondence." Othman handed four letters to Zahra and a little wooden tube not much larger than a straw to Tymythy.
All pain and sign of any wound upon Tymythy's throat faded and was gone. Haseena seemed placid but you could tell she was impressed by the quick teamwork and Cairee's awesome power to both purge the room of evil and to heal.
"Well, I assume you have come for some advice, and I'd like to know what your plans are. That is, if you don't mind. You also have some correspondence." Othman handed four letters to Zahra and a little wooden tube not much larger than a straw to Tymythy.
Tymythy accepted the little tube with a perplexed frown, unsure what the mistress was implying, but figured out how to open it after only a single false start and ended up with the small slip of paper in his hands. A letter! This was the first time he had ever received a written correspondence from anyone, for any reason. He unfolded the message carefully, frowning at the hastily scrawled, half-illegible words therein.
”But… how could he know?” he asked, genuinely at a loss. ”This… is a message from Haytham Arnaout. A friend – a traveling merchant who visited the clans every so often, bringing in news and wares from outside our lands. I believe I mentioned him to you when we first exchanged stories? He joined me when I left my home on my vision quest, since as an outsider he was not bound to our customs. I lost him in the grasslands, untold miles from here when we disturbed and drew the ire of some local godling. I was sent to the deserts outside this city, and Haytham… somewhere else? Yet… he writes that he is still far, trying to hasten his journey… but he knows I am here. How could he? How could he have managed to send questions this far, this quickly, get an answer back to him? And then have time to have this message reach me here? As far as I know, he possesses no great powers – he certainly never implied he did, beyond a quick hand with a dagger. He fought well enough to keep the bears and wolves from bothering the beasts drawing his wagon but other than that…” The young hunter was clearly struggling to make sense of this recent development.
”I can’t make sense of everything he writes – the little there is on the paper – but there is a warning. The Alchemist. Not to trust whoever that is… What even is an “alchemist”? A magus of some sort?” he asked aloud, not considering for a moment to keep the words written on the piece of paper to himself – a friend was sending him a warning, no matter how unbelievable the method. It only made sense to inform his other friends of the potential danger.
With the topic of the message put aside for the moment, Tymythy tried to center his mind to get back to the topic at hand, to Mistress Haseena’s question.
”I think the fate of the scale should be for Zahra to decide,” Tymythy expressed his opinion. ”We first sought out the Warlock in the hopes he could discourage the hounds snapping at your heels. But now, it seems you would lose either way. The scale was from an ancestor of yours, a dragon,” still a marvelous a notion enough to beggar belief to Tymythy, ”whose blood you share? And a foe to the Warlock, from what little I understood of his words in the house of music. So… the scale is an heirloom of your family, and an item of power? You have a right to it if any man or woman does. So. If we give it to the Warlock he will stop the people pursuing you – at least to some degree. He now seems to me a person who would hold to the words of an agreement even if it butchered its spirit. Perhaps his protection would only extend to you, and those people could still try to reach you through others you care for.”
”And if we keep the scale? Mistress Haseena believes we are too far beneath the Warlock’s notice for him to smite us personally, but he might be willing to do something less direct to make it known breaking a deal with him is not to be considered. At least we’d have to keep dealing with that society seeking to capture you, but at least that is now an enemy we know.”
”Then the question would be whether to openly declare our agreement null and void, or try to lead the Warlock to believe we never retrieved his treasure in the first place. I think trying to trick a man like that would be risky – he was a powerful wielder of magic, so he might be able to glean truth from our words, and if he were to ask pointed and precise questions, we might find it difficult to give satisfactory answers while avoiding outright lies.”
"... If we give it to the Warlock he will stop the people pursuing you ..."
"... He now seems to me a person who would hold to the words of an agreement even if it butchered its spirit...”
”... Mistress Haseena believes we are too far beneath the Warlock’s notice for him to smite us personally..."
Haseena looked to be trying to find the perfect words, "I'm sorry Master Tymythy, but I must contradict you. Kamzar will not stop the Fida Hurras from looking for Zahra. You must all stay vigilant against them. At least the Fida Hurras do not seem to have any designs on Zahra's family. It was, after all, Kamzar's cult that broke into Zahra's home. We must find out who they are and what they want. But you are right, the other magical societies will keep clear of Zahra for fear of having to tangle with The Servants. It is why she no longer has to hide her power and why I can open this little school."
"Also, he has broken his word when it suits him. He is a cheat and a liar and cannot be trusted, excepting in one respect. He cannot, above all things, appear weak. All of the other societies would jump on a sign of weakness."
"To strike you all down without reason would make you seem like you were trouble and that would make him seem small. Does a mountain cringe at the swing of a pick? But defying him by not giving him what you promised, that to would make him seem weak. He would have no choice but to destroy you. His pride is all, do you see? If we have any advantage at all it is that he is the most arrogant being on the face of Ærde. It was how I tricked him in the opera."
Dounia was still staring at the spot where the bloody skeleton had been when she was practically pounced upon by a gnome...that can turn into smoke?? Her enthusiastic tumble of words had Dounia laughing -she couldn't help but relate. "It was cool, wasn't it! Nice to meet you, Eek, I'm Dounia. And this is Cairee. Yes, her light is very cozy, isn't it. It's from her god, called Saiph. And I can show you how to tumble like that when you have time!"
Dounia stared at the little tube in curiosity. "How did that even get here? And how did you know it was for Tymythy? There's no room on that thing for a name, much less an address. Did it arrive by magic, just poofing into existance?!"
"I'm sorry Master Tymythy, but I must contradict you. Kamzar will not stop the Fida Hurras from looking for Zahra. You must all stay vigilant against them. At least the Fida Hurras do not seem to have any designs on Zahra's family. It was, after all, Kamzar's cult that broke into Zahra's home. We must find out who they are and what they want. But you are right, the other magical societies will keep clear of Zahra for fear of having to tangle with The Servants. It is why she no longer has to hide her power and why I can open this little school."
Dounia frowned, her forehead creasing. She had forgotten the whole reason they were working for Senor Psychopath in the first place. "Wait, which on is which? Why does everybody have a hard-to-remember name?" She shook her head as the others threw her looks of annoyance. "Never mind. What if we give it to him, then steal it back later?"
... And I can show you how to tumble like that when you have time!"[/b]
When the two girls left everyone could hear a loud series of bumps and knocks and a little "Ouch". Jayida's voice sounded from the hallway and everyone could just make out "Eek, she said she would teach you later."
Dounia stared at the little tube in curiosity. "How did that even get here? And how did you know it was for Tymythy? There's no room on that thing for a name, much less an address. Did it arrive by magic, just poofing into existance?!"
Haseena, "The tube was brought by pigeon from somewhere just west of Issmenadore. There was a piece of paper wrapped around the outside that said To Master Tymythy, care of Lady Haseena Harmattan, and my address. How they know you are in my house, Master Tymythy, I am very curious."
"We are certainly being watched."
"Never mind. What if we give it to him, then steal it back later?"
Haseena, "That would be very dangerous. He is one of the most powerful forces alive. But if it could be done it would infuriate him to no end ... if done well he might be too embarrassed to admit it was stolen."
As Zahra listened to Haseena about Jayida, she knelt on the carpet by where it had been wrecked and began to quietly speak arcane words over it making it as good as new.
She had just finished when Haseena mentioned correspondence. Zahra's head snapped up in surprise and she quickly got to her feet. Who would have written her? Most everyone she knew was in this room with her.
She gathered the envelopes from Othman and plunked herself down in one of the undamaged chairs. She ripped open the first envelope and skimmed the letter. Her eyes widened in surprise, "It's an invitation to a diner party with someone I'm supposed to remember from the Opera." Her brow furrowed, "Gamila? I don't rememb...Oh yes, she was part of that horrid group of young people who were quite rude to Tymythy and myself. Why would she have invited me? No matter, it was a few days ago. Saves me from having to decline."
Zahra moved to the next one. Her face lit up, "Another invitation! This time to a birthday party, how lovely. Five hundred and twelfth birthday?!?" She looked at Haseena, "Who is this Exalted Proficient, Raya Iew Hullwnim?"
The letter inside the third envelope garnered a huge smile from Zahra. "This one is from Samreen! She's at The Towers, a monastery. She sounds as busy as ever. I hope we'll be able to see each other again but she says she's going to visit the Nadighaba forest to look in on the creatures there. There probably won't be time for awhile. I'll need to write her back so that we keep in touch." She looked again to Haseena, "If I give a letter to Othman, can he have it delivered?"
The last letter looked quite official-like. She carefully opened it and read it out loud to Haseena, "To Zahra Asmar,
We would like you to come in for an interview within the next ten days. Please make an appointment through the Academy for Invocation, Royal Alchemist's Order, Central city.
With our appreciation,
Adonivar Hast
Sub-alchemist for city affairs in Daw'alnahar
15th day of Karru"
Zahra looked at a loss as to what to think. "That's dated three days ago. That leaves only seven more days to make any kind of decision. I don't even know if I want to do the interview. Do I have a choice? If I go for this interview, does that mean I have to go to school or something? I was never very good at book learning. And then there's Tymythy's warning about the Alchemist. Are they the same or is that warning only for him?" With every word, Zahra's voice sounded more and more panicked and she looked at Haseena with wide eyes, "What do I do?"
Zahra appreciated Tymythy saying that she should make the decision about Silimiel's scale but she also found it distressing because she wasn't good at making such important decisions. "Haseena, do you know why Kamzar wants this buckler? Is it just to keep as a trophy of some sort or does he plan to do something bad with it?"
As much as I want to keep the scale that belonged to Silimiel, keeping the people I care about safe is more important to me. I can't risk Kamzar taking his anger out on anyone because his pride has been bruised by us defying him." Zahra's eyes were downcast and there was true grief in her voice at the thought of Kamzar having a piece of her ancestor.
"Never mind. What if we give it to him, then steal it back later?"
Zahra's head snapped up and there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes at Dounia's suggestion and Haseena's answer. "Do you think that is really possible? If we could get it back and do it in a way so he wouldn't want to admit it was taken, that would be a perfect solution. But we would have to keep it hidden away in a place he would never think to look. Chances are he would suspect us all."