Session 8: What am I doing?

There was an explosion outside our new tavern and "home."
 
I raced out among the rest of the party, and my eyes fell shocked to the scorched red hair of the boy whose father I called...no, there isn't time for sentiment! I raced to Renaer Neverember, only to be shocked further as he simply stabilized after Nomad laid his healing hands upon him. Regulus, in all his might and call-to-action, scooped him up and raced to the interior of the tavern. I immediately followed and ushered Regulus to go to help the others. There were the sounds of screams, arrows flying... I saw one hit Orion in the sky from the window.
 
Am I really doing this? Am I really about to abandon the mission? THE mission? I thought. Gritting my teeth, I threw up a nearby table on its side against the wall and pulled Renaer's stabilized, yet unconscious body behind its cover across the room. I asked Lif, that friendly ghost, to hasten and search for ANY potions that might have been left there. He found one, and color seeped back into Renaer's face a bit as I administered it to him softly. After, I swiftly coaxed Briggs, Illidrex's hound, to the tableside in the hopes that he would protect him somewhat as I knew I wouldn't be there. After a quick, tender gaze down at what it could mean to leave him behind, I turned and darted out of the tavern and into the chaos.
 
There was an enormous hole in the building beside me, but I didn't enter through it as I saw what appeared to be branches from a tree peering out from the hole and into the building. There was no time to investigate THAT, so I ran in the door to see Illidrex at the foot of the stairs within the tree's branches inside, flexibly holding himself and weapon. He waved at me, his hand covered in fresh blood. I immediately looked around and saw the victim, who apparently was not innocent in his own intentions as he had a weapon on him. There was a commotion and fury of steps on the level above and suddenly a body flew down onto the stairwell, of which Illidrex made quick work. After his ascent to the next level, I carefully followed to see my friends Nomad and Illidrex over the body of a knoll.
 
Nomad broke through the bay window and hoisted himself upon the roof. Illidrex asked if I was okay, and I said that I was fine until I heard--or we heard--the cracking of what sounded like stone and a surprised gasp from Nomad. I darted to the window, and asked, "Nomad! What is it? Do you need help?"
 
"It's a gargoyle. And yes, I just might!"
 
"Where is it?!" I asked not wanting to peer out, but an idea starting to come to mind.
 
"To the left!" came his response. There was not a lot of feet to the left. I had it. I climbed out the bay window and caught myself on the upper ledge, nearly missing the first time, and allowed myself to dangle by my right hand. I inhaled deeply, remembering what Mamnen had told me about the limitations--or lack of limitation--of my abilities. I visualized what I wanted to do to this thing as it was breaking out of its "shell" and emit a thick, fiery cone from my left hand meaning to engulf it in flames. It worked and didn't take it down. But it's attention was now on me.
 
Arrows from other buildings did fly by but seemed to miss for now, the gargoyle's slashing and biting I somehow dodged initially... until Illidrex used my hips as a training pole or something. He swung from me and attempted to finish the gargoyle off, but ended up dismounting and near the opening with the tree on the ground. "Illidrex! I guess I'll just have to do this on my own, eh?" I visualized a sword of fire now, knowing my sheathed great sword was too heavy with one hand. I connected with the creature enough times to kill it, and he with me to make me bleed somewhat. After his demise, I dropped to the ground, and found myself exhausted and weaker than I've been in awhile.
 
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nomad, Sadachbia, and far ahead of them Regulus rushing off in an opposite direction. "Illidrex, where are they going? What's going on? Is Renaer with them?"
 
"I don't know. Nobody tells me anything," is what I think I heard him say.
 
I heard a voice say that Orion was in the house with him, and I immediately cried out, "That's WORSE!" I rushed back into the house, arrows pelting me through my armor and by the time I got into the house, I heard Orion say something about following the party for the stone and next I noticed he was gone. I pried myself over to Renaer and Briggs to see that they both had remained in the same conditions. I propped up against the wall to rest, stroking Briggs down his head and back, and Renaer's shoulder-length red hair on the floor to stay grounded.
 
Not before long, Angus appeared. My breath caught in my throat as he walked directly through the house and out the back. Figuring I'd be needed, as I sensed Angus' concern, I pulled myself up and followed him. And just like that, I exited the house only to find myself back IN the house and bumping directly over Angus, who was also in the tavern... I turned to see everyone was here, in varying degrees of wellness, plus someone more--a young woman with horns similar to mine. She and Nomad were arguing. My gods, I thought, could this be she who I remind him of???
 
We woke Renaer up. Questioning ensued of which I can't remember much...until the two--Renaer and Zora, I guess her name is--were asked about the explosion. "We this," "we that," "so-and-so in a hood" everytime they said something, someone asked a question or someone else would get terse, and yes, once or twice it was me.
 
"Can you describe the hood?" Honorine asked.
 
"Black... All I know is that he had a metal hand."
 
Zora spoke through my exhaustion, my mental fog, my pain, and my unclarity. "Metal hand? No, no, no!" I said... Someone asked if I knew him.
 
"Is it who I am thinking of?" Nomad asked hesitantly.
 
"No," I said immediately, then couldn't remember what I had told him all in our history. "Maybe. I don't know. Who are you thinking of?"
 
"Well, you told us of Ire or Mamnen--"
 
"No, it's not who you're thinking of." I explained to him, loopily, the Ring of Dex, the Ring Master, and then immediately asked Zora what he had to do with wanting the stone, which is what they got apparently, and also reminded Renaer that he was GOING back to Neverwinter.
 
Through the questioning and putting our heads together. My Ring Master is Nomad's secret Black Network leader is Zora's awareness of Manchoon (SP?). And the stone was found in Victoro something's house, where there is DEVIL summoning going on, which was the name Nomad heard in a battle he was in before all appeared in the tavern.
 
The two--Renaer and Zora--go to rest and we stay up. Sadachbia retires, Regulus leaves the premises, Honorine seeks him out, and Nomad talks with many of the others... And Angus and Lif nurse me to "health" with food and liquor.
 
Time passes and I feel a strong shift in the light energy. Regulus appears out of sorts as I place hands on my stomach to feel the sickness growing with me from it. I challenge him to a keg-pressing contest. I pound one five times. He does three, then struggles at four and five, almost deceptively. I call out to him "How come I won?" but there was no answer.
 
I return to drinking and watch as bizarre behavior unfolds around this..."stone." People who seem to talk about it, take it absentmindedly and won't return it. It's probably some devil-shit. Orion suggests Nomad tune into it, whatever that entails... And all I know is that the face Nomad made is a very similar face to the last one my mother made when she realize Ire was taking her "home."