Chapter 14, The Night The Sky Lit Up

Back in the city! With the returning of Mittens, it seems that the only thing left to do is report the status of the mission. It seems like ages since we were gone, and at one point, I may never have been able to come back. The sound of the carts, and the hawkers peddling wares. The citizens going about daily tasks, and town criers announcing the news of the city. More carts than usual were in the city, and announcements of the Harvest festival explain why the city seems more busy. It may have also been the fact that we were away, and in such a small group for a couple weeks, but I really notice just how many people are here. I may have never been able to see all this again, and now with this Mark on my chest, I am not entirely sure what these visions mean. I will have to make a time to talk to High priestess Hearthforge, let her examine the mark, see if there are any answers she can give me. She is the leader of the temple to Daja right? She should be able to decipher the cryptic messages I have gotten so far. The festival may not start yet for another day, but already ale and food carts are selling their specialties, making what profit they can. As we weave through the city to the Cerulean Sanctum, Marda mentions that she wants to find someone selling Pumpkin ale, so I guess I better start looking. There are so many carts, one of them has to be selling it. Closer to the Sanctum we find a cart that seems to be less busy, and we pause for the moment needed to get the desired beverage. This close to the sanctum I start to notice more and more of the monks from the sanctum are out around the grounds, acting a security. Every year, people try to get onto the Sanctum Grounds, and every year the monks have to keep them away, not really interested in festival goers.
As we approach the gates, I can see some of the monks noticing us, rolling their eyes and sighing. I swear, you come up covered in grim and gore once, and they don't take you seriously anymore. Good grief. We are ushered in, and to the office of the Marquee, where the door stands open. Instead of waiting for someone to show us in, Melfina just continues in, and the rest of us follow.
Priestess Hearthforge and Priestess Diligence are also sitting inside the Marquee's office, and apparently they had been together to discuss if there was any news of us. Now that we are here, we can tell them all ourselves. Acknowledging our presence, they inquire about our travels, and about the Hydra. As we produce the blood and teeth from the slain Hydra, they both ask about buying the harvested parts. Melfina with reasonably part with 5 teeth, (at 50 gold each!) but she is not willing to give up any of the blood. After that deal was made, we tell them of Odathwyrm, and the mysterious shapeshifter, of which we were not able to recover anything from the bodies. I can sense some disappointment from that last fact, Although I'm not sure if it comes from my companions, the people we report to, or from myself. The marquee mentions something of a reward, and as they go to fetch it, I politely ask High priestess Umbra if I could talk to her before we all go our own ways. The Marquee brings in a small chest, and we are given a Platinum piece, a diamond we are told is worth about 300 gold, and one much larger. And wrapped in paper, away from the other things, is a vial of black and yellow liquid, which has separated. We are told that these have been recovered, and tested, and that if we were to shake the vial, then trow it, the mixture will explode if exposed to air. We all look at each other, and promptly decide not to give it to Rorin. He may have given some halfhearted protests, but I am already thinking of several alchemists we could talk to, and possibly recreate this potion if we needed to. I can see that Aurane is also going over contacts in his head, and without saying anything, a simple eye contact is all we need to be on the same page.
With nothing else needed to talk about, I ask Umbra to a corner of the room, and ask her to look at the Brand that has shown up on my Chest. I have a feeling that Daja is wanting something more of me, but I don't understand what it could be. I wanted to know if Umbra has seen any markings similar to mine, as she is after all the one who is supposed to be in charge of the temple, and the one who speaks for Daja. Running her fingers over the brand, and clutching her holy symbol, she mutters something, but evidently whatever she was trying didn't work, as a crease appeared upon her brow, and she asks me to come by the temple, and see her in the office tomorrow morning for a ritual at first light. I can over hear Aurane talking the Diligence, inquiring if an acolyte was able to do their duties, and she responded yes, they were. So, Elon's body is still secure.
As we divvy up who will carry what reward, With Aurane and Melfina getting a diamond, Marda getting the potion, and Rorin the platinum, we are told that there will be a ceremony for Holden, as he will be taking over the inventors guild, and then there will be a very public funeral for Elon tusk. Walking out of the office, I wonder what will come of the plans that Aurane has for the body if there is a funeral. As we go out the doors of the sanctum, there seems to be a small fracas coming from the grounds as some vendors have been trying to set up on sanctum grounds, and the guards are trying to get them to leave. We all decide to head to our respective homes, and I ask Melfina if she would like to come talk to Max about her custom Knife. We head out the front gate, and the ladies are given something from the gatekeepers. Must be some sort of pass to get back onto sanctum grounds freely during the festival. As the guards are out in full force, it would just make things easier.
More carts full of food and wares are out, people who have been gathering merchandise for this have come out in full force, Most if not all completely oblivious to how dangerous it was just over 2 weeks ago. Had we not caught those responsible for the kidnappings the surge of people would have provided many more people to take. Just like fishing, they would have simply had to wait in an alley somewhere. Well. At least we stopped them.
Out near where our regular cart sits, with cinnamon roles and cool tea, I see a strange wagon, not nearly as large as Holden's mobile cottage, but still something large enough that people would live in this wagon, or more properly out of. A sign, bearing the name Madame Xaroni's Fortune telling. Wishing more than anything to see Max and Leona, I turn into the open doors of the shop, and put the wagon out of my mind for now.
The smell of the forge, which has been growing steadily now, over takes any of the good odors from the food vendors. Home. Order. That is what it smells like. Black soot, matted in fur, rubbed into scales and covering handles of tools is the proper decoration for me, not blood. One is the stuff of creation, of remaking, of progress, and is easily cleaned off. The other, the stuff of Chaos. Loss. Pain. Destruction. And while it can be cleaned, cannot be removed. It stains whatever it touches.
Max and Leona are both there, to my delight, and they both give me a greeting. I set the glaive down in the corner, and take off my axes, then walk over to each of them, and give them a Big hug in turn. It seems to surprise them both, and While Max takes it gracefully, I can sense that Leona is a bit embarrassed about it. Not wanting to show anything on her face, she takes the time to fetch a large sack. Setting it on the table on top of all the tools, it jingles slightly as she opens it, and she proudly displays all the nails she has made. I pat her on the shoulder and tell her they it is a fine job, and her pride shows on her face. Max asks me about his blanket, and Laughing, I thank him for it, and offer it back. He declines, and says I can keep it for a bit, just in case I need it. I hope that I will not, but it is better to keep the blade sharp and not cut anything with it, than let it rust and need to use it. He tells me that the shop had been very busy in the time I have been gone, several commissions have been ordered, most of which I need to work on, but a good amount of the orders are from the festival activities.
I tell Max that I have something for him, and I grab the glaive out of the corner. He looks at it for a second, looking at the craftsmanship, then suddenly the recognition of the work, the blade. He notices that it is his work, and says that he can fix it up, and asks where I found it. Telling him that I found it on a gnoll, he is understandably not happy about it. Asking about the rest of the trip, I tell him about the destruction we found at the camp, but I keep the shapeshifter and Odathwyrm out of it. And I tell him that I died. That sorta killed the mood real fast. A look of concern and confusion came upon Leona's face, Max's unreadable. I didn't want to go into a lot of detail, but I tell them of the first battle with the Hydra, and the fact that Melfina was somehow able to bring me back. I leave out Daja, as I am still unsure as to how that is working for me. I tell them of the killing of the Hydra at it's lair under the mountain, and How Melfina has acquired some of the teeth, and what projects we could work on that with. I gesture to Melfina, who up until this point has been standing awkwardly in the shadows. As Max and I talk with Melfina, we start getting into the design of the project. For this I would make a weapon. Someone Who I know would use that weapon for good, and if need be, I could take that weapon away if they started using it the wrong way. Or at least I can try.
We really get into talking about a design, and what I have thought up. Max wants to use a stronger metal than what we have readily available. Something from the moon metal that falls from the heavens above. I would have been perfectly happy with using regular metal, but he will be the one making it, and he always wants the best for projects he gets into. Before Melfina leaves, I offer to quickly look over her gear, but she says nothing is amiss, so when she takes her leave, I quickly put away my gear and get to work.
I get absorbed into working the metal, shaping it both hot and cold. Leona is able to Hold the larger pieces for me, and it allows me to explain my workings. She has heard most of it before, but I find it soothing to talk through my regular workings. When not helping me, she is working the bellows for Max. We get back into the rhythm of working together easily, and it really shows how much Leona has absorbed. Even our various ticks we have, she will adjust grip on tools when we do, turn metal before we ask, and seemingly read our minds when we need a different hammer. Any time she would want to start her own commissions, I would happily approve. She just needs the confidence to ask. I go to bed tired and sore, but it is a familiar welcome pain.
In the morning, I head to the temple before dawn, the predawn glow illuminating the sky and the city in ways I don't normally see. At this time I would be getting breakfast ready, or still asleep. Arriving at the temple, I can hear the workings going on even at this time, but not with the fervor I normally would hear at a later time. I wonder if these workings are from the previous night, or someone getting up even earlier than me. An acolyte meets me in the main hall, and takes me to Umbra's office, which has been rearranged. The furniture is all pushed against the walls, and dwarven runes have been marked onto the floor. Telling me to sit in the runic circle, she told to be ready to ask three questions of Daja. Absolutely flummoxed at her instructions, I wasn't sure what to say. After a few minutes of quick, nervous, panicking contemplation, I told her I was ready. With a quick snap of her fingers, the incense around the circle flared to life. Pouring water onto the ground, she quickly chants in dwarven, and gestures for me to ask my questions. I speak out into the smoke.
“Do you have a higher purpose for me?” An anvil rings out across my mind, and something in me tells me that is a positive answer. “will I grow stronger with your help?” another Anvil ring, another positive answer. “Is the Undertow growing corrupt?” This time, a dull thunk, more of a bad strike, or metal too hot. No.
Umbra murmurs that she finds the answers interesting, and that she hasn't heard the name of the Undertow for a long time. It only occurs to me then that she was the conduit for that. Maybe I should have worded the questions a bit different. No matter. She was the one who sent me on this mission in the first place. She gets up off the floor, and tells me to help her out all of her furniture back. After her office is cleaned and put back the way she likes it, I am dismissed. I feel somewhat foolish I didn't think of better questions. Something that could have really helped me. Caught off guard like that, I asked what came to mind first. Shaking my head, I make my way back to the shop, planning on making breakfast for the others, and looking forward to spending time with them today. I need to get some work done too.
Breakfast of eggs and sausages followed by a day of solid working. Festival goers come into the shop, some asking fro proper work, and some not sure what a proper custom piece is worth. Someone tried to offer me 5 gold for a months worth of work, and only after the smoke started rising from my nostrils did Max shoo him away. A couple hours into the afternoon, I let Leona go to enjoy the festival, telling her to come back at dinner time, and we can all get something together. I get more work done on my projects, and Melfina comes over to tell us that the others want to have a meeting at the estate later tonight, and I tell her I will be there.
One of the customers we had today was just finishing up some sort of fried stick of meat, and after telling Leona about it, we all wish to find this strange delicacy so we head out into the festival on the way to Rorin's estate. More meat carts than I remember line each road. Ale wagons, trinkets, baubles, and all sorts of knickknacks are being sold, and Leona's curiosity makes it so she wants to see them all. Max stops for a moment, and finds a book of Mazes that he gets really excited about. Like, happier than I have seen him in a while.
While we have been distracted a little, it was really nice to enjoy the day working then with my odd little family. But because of our detours, it seems that the rest of the group have found the Fried meat sticks already. Marda may even be on her third. I notice Rorin finishing one, and the stick that was in his hand vanishes. I may never know how he does that. Max instantly buys four of them, and thinking he got some for Leona, I watch in amazement how he eats two of them before I can blink. They are pretty good.
Not wanting them to be bored while we talk, I tell Max and Leona to walk around and enjoy themselves for a bit. Sending Garfield away for the night, we all gather in a sitting room to talk. Melfina says that she has been going around the city, and has noticed more than normal foot traffic coming from the Babblebrook inn, and how Marda has a match coming up in the fighting tourney. I try to speak of the additional traffic at the inn, but no sounds come out. In fact, I can't hear any sound at all. I look to the others, and with a slight grin on his face, Rorin wiggles his fingers, and darkness envelops everything. Not being able to see anything, or shout an alarm, I try to get up and navigate my way out. Blindly searching for the door, I run my knee painfully into a hard object. Running my hands over it, I find it to be a table. Picking it up and throwing it out of my way in pain fueled anger, I have no idea where it hit. I slowly find my way out of the room, feeling past furniture and into the hallway when suddenly the Darkness vanishes into brilliant light, and I blink a few times looking around. Rorin, leaving the sitting room, completely naked, and very hairy, cheerfully tells me he is going to bed, and leaves us for the night. I go back in and finish my thought, reminding every one that the owner of the Babblebrook is part of the undertow, and they may just have a wealth of information with the city jam packed with everyone here. A whisper goes through my mind, and I think of Dani playing to this huge crowd, how she would probably enjoy that, and we all decide to send a message, by way of Melfina and Marda, to see what is happening there. Max and Leona come to get me, and we all head out to enjoy the festival together. We find out that Dani is not playing tonight, but I may be able to see her tomorrow night if I can find the time.
In the morning I awake, not as early as the previous day, but still up To hear a Loud explosion go off in the direction of the square. The concussion hard enough to shake the large wooden doors of the shop, it wakes the other up, and I tell Max to get the gear out in case we need it, and I go to find out what happened. A small cloud of dust still hangs in the air around an area where people have gathered. I certainly wasn't the first one to get here, and Healers are already on the scene making sure no one has any lasting injuries. I see that Aurane has already arrived, and I go over to greet him. It seems that some of the fireworks for tonight have had a mishap, and that no one was hurt. I ask If this is a common thing, and they reasure me that everything is going fine. As the rest of the group shows up, we swiftly head back, tell Max that everything is fine, and we head to the fighting pits to see Marda's first fight.
Marda is joined in the pit with a human member of the city guard, Cassandra Bitterspire. Wielding a great axe, Cassandra and Marda meet up in the center of the ring, and Marda is first to hit. She goes in for a quick tripping attack, hooking the sword behind the leg of her opponent, and pulling the leg from under her. As she falls two swipes from the swords lick in to the guard, and she tries to dance away, but a wild swing from her prone opponent hits her in the side. The metal dance continues, Marda's swiftness too much for the guard's large axe. The skill of both fighters is incredible, and the weapon knowledge they each possess allows them to block abnormal techniques, But Marda's Unique swords, and the way she uses the hooks on the end, she is able to take her opponent down. Healers rush in to make sure there is not lasting damage, and the first fight is done and over with. I take my leave, and go back to do some work in the shop before the next bout.
Although not fighting myself, I rush back to the arena after working for an hour and a half. I want to cheer on Marda for her next fight. It turns out that her next opponent is a Woodelf named Guinevere L'ora. With another greataxe. Once again, Marda tries to use speed to her advantage, but something is different about this fighter. After taking two hits, they give off no reaction, and this may have thrown Marda off, as she misses the third swing. Then it is their turn. With a mighty swing of the great axe, I can now see Why the attacks didn't seem to phase Marda's opponent. They simply didn't feel it. A berserker, I have seen these type fight once or twice before, and they were a fright to behold. Not caring for pain, or even feeling most of it, they will take blow after blow, and be able to give it right back and then some. I'm sure Marda sees this, and she is trying to dance her way around this woodelf, but eventually the blows from that greataxe are just too much. To our dismay, she goes down, and the Clerics rush in to heal the damage.
We all go and get fry pies of various filing to lift our spirits, and go to find the games section of the festival. Marda, Aurane and I go to a people tossing game, and While we get Marda pretty far, we don't do well enough to win an prize. The annual Arm wrestling tournament is on, and While I can't use my right arm, (they don't find that joke funny anymore) I can still use the left, Rorin and Aurane also get into the contest, and the First round I go in against Rorin. I guess Something has happened, maybe I'm just too tired from work yesterday and today, but Rorin pins my arm after a long bout, and he advances to the next round.
Rorin goes out in the next round, but Aurane keeps going and going, and eventually he gets to the final round. He gets second doing very well all around, and he gets a voucher to the Aftermath cafe, where we all go to get some drinks. While not being able to do everything I had wanted today, it just feels like time flew by while we were having fun and enjoying our time together. Joking in between rounds, exploring various mystery foods, drinking ales, and enjoying the street performers, juggling swords, breathing fire, and doing slight of hand tricks. Maybe I should become a performer. I can do all of that too right?
We sit at the bar of the cafe for a few hours, and I am content enough to just enjoy it. While out on the trail, you have to worry about wild beast, or ambushes from those wanting to take our things. Now, with every one enjoying the festival, it is nice to just sit back and relax with people you have fought with, traveled with, and kept watch together. We stay at the cafe long enough for the fireworks to start, we start hearing explosions, and waiting to see the fireworks, but instead of the large colorful flowers normally expected, we see a Large image of a dragon, a bright crimson against the night sky, and my heart starts beating a bit faster. That symbol is known to be that of a group of mage hunters who were disbanded from the cruel deeds they did to those who could cast spells. As the image fades from the sky, everyone standing around looking at the sky, drak dots start flying through the air, and people cry out just in time for some to take shelter from the rain of arrows falling from the sky. We are able to take cover, but other are pierced through by the shafts, and as we run out to help them we find notes rolled around the arrows. Taking one of the notes, Rorin reads allowed, “You traitorous bastards! How could you let the bards come into our city, while we fought and died for you!”