The Journey of the Legend part 6

The Marquis, and a few monks, lead us through the hallways into a Large, private chamber, and asks us Why were brought all these people here. Before anyone can say anything, I tell him that we need food, water and medical aid for all of these people. He summons some monks, and the captives are separated into smaller groups, and a monk drags Caleb into the room. Our good ole buddy Caleb! I was wondering what had happened to him. Apparently his whole crew was caught as they were skulking around the sanctum. Well. That's once loose end, we are asked if we had something to do with a small beating the boy had received, which was when We captured him first. The Marquis dismisses them, saying they are going to hold his crew for a while. As they lead Caleb away we notice they are trying to take Lenoa from me, and Kel from Aurane. Ha! I tell the Marquis that we needed to bring these people to a safe, close place, that is aware of what is going on in town, a place we can trust, and that we will be leaving with our apprentices. Apparently we have to persuade these people that we will be able to take care of them when we leave, and The Marquis goes over to his desk and pulls out some files. I can see that he has files on everyone of our group, but he looks at ,y file, and Aurane's. He has it all, or most of it. At some point someone considered me a war Hero. Must have been from that battle with the Army and the time when the Gnolls and the Bugbears joined up and tried to attack that village. all we did was hold them at the pass. Wasn't that hard, our gear was in great shape. We had a good armorer. It also had the information on the shaman who was able to make my arm, much much later. I wonder if they still had information on them now. Aurane's file says he wis Much higher in the church than I had thought. I guess he really likes to work, because according to the snippets I could see, He should have had to do much work, if any. Well. I'll have to treat him with a bit more respect from now on.
 
An allowance is made to let Aurane talk to his assistant in a side room, and while he does, I take Leona into a corner and tell her she will be alright, and I will not be leaving here without her. I want to make sure she knows she is safe. When Aurane leaves the side room with Kel, I decide I need to ask her what happened to her at the shop, so I take her in, close the door, and ask her. She says that she felt tired after she ate, but wasn't out like Max was. When she smelled someone in the shop, and realized it wasn't me she got mad. Damn. She took a good swipe at one of them, then fell asleep all the sudden. When she woke up, she was in silver chains. This complicates things. Damn! I mad e a promise to Garfield, and I need to see how far this got. I'll put that aside for now though. can't do anything about it here now. Our assistants are taken away with the others, and we are brought some food. Aurane tells us that Kel got a good look at one of the guys who took her, and he was casting some spells, and was a White Dragonborn! One of My own. This cannot be tolerated. It is hard enough standing out everyday, everywhere I go. I had gotten comfortable enough here in the city, and Max and some other friends had eased that, but one of My Own committing these acts, damages the honor of the Race. Damn. I should have stayed in my shop. nothing to do but hunt this guy down. Melfina says she may be able to do something about that, and I hope it isn't the same thing she did with the blood earlier.... today... has this all happened today? I suddenly feel very weary, sitting there in a place where I shouldn't have been, among several very powerful people in this city. After we eat, our assistants are returned, and we get up to leave, and realize that we are all still covered in blood, sweat, and in my case, viscera. Melfina isn't really bothered by this, but Marda prods her to take a bath, and we all go to clean off. Our assistants seem very tired when they are returned, and I am a little worried about that. Recanting something traumatic can be very drained on one's mentality, but.. so can spells. What did they learn from Leona? More problems. Even with their fatigue, Leona and Kel go with Marda and Melfina, and Rorin, Aurane and I all go the bathe, I remove my arm to make sure nothing got into it. I'll have to oil it well again next time I can, but Gods be Damned, this water feels good.
 
After we Bathed, and get dressed up again, we head out. we have decided to go pick up Max, let Kel get her cat, and take everyone to the Estate where we can hunker down a bit safer. When we get over to the shop Max answers the Door in his full Suit. Yikes. Living with the guy, I had always noticed he took good care of his old gear, and never modified it, just kept it oiled, and out, as if a Display to show our customers what we could do. But I had not seen him put on his Armor since... since that battle in the pass where our platoon held off those Bugbears... that was his last battle. Sure we have been training the cub, but that was always with sparring armor, padded and bulky. He still looked as good as he did the last time he wore that armor, and I heard Kel let out a small gasp. He had his long handled axe, wicked half moon blade, resting next to the door. With the large metal ball on the other end of the haft, so it acted as a counterweight to the long handle and axe head. He could swing the blade with great speed, and even better reach, with the cost of added weight to the whole weapon. But as strong as he was, that was Not a problem. When he saw Leona, he took her in a great huge hug that lifted her off the ground by almost a foot, and her fur stood out, as if she was embarrassed. heh. Max then said he had her armor ready. Good. It was about time she got to putt it all on. She had tried various pieces of it all on as we made it, but had never had it all on at once. We had made it a Lamellar armor, with strips flexible enough to allow for movement, and segmented in 4 pieces that were all bound together in a spiral, with straps and special stitching that if she got bigger, which she might, would still allow for full protection and movement. The stitching would have to be redone, but that was easy. She retrieved her spear and shield, and Max and I got our traveling tools. With these tools, if something happened to our shop, we could maintain most many armor, to a degree, and remake any tools we needed, or lost. With the Three of us in Full battle rattle, and the others with their weapons We turned a good amount of heads and attracted our attention as we headed over to get Kel's cat, then to Rorin's estate.
 
When we get over to the Estate, Garfield opens the door dressed in... Well, I'm not really sure. I can tell that the outfit is loose enough to allow for freedom of movement. baggy trousers, tied near the feet, and a sash around the waist. A loose vest on the torso, and wraps around his arms. look as if he was about to bare knuckle box someone, but the costume would allow for more than just punching. He too takes Leona up in a great big bear hug, maybe not as big as Max's, but Her Fur bristles in slight embarrassment. Heh, like she didn't have people worried about her. We get everyone inside, and set a room for everyone, and we all prepare to rest for the night.
 
In the morning, some of us are a little chipper than others. Melfina in particular seems to try socializing with us all, something she hasn't really done with us before, and as far as I can tell, with Anyone for that matter. She seems to be talking to the assistants mostly, and With Kel is almost Short with her, Leona makes little talk, being polite enough to seem like she is interested in conversation. We decided that the assistants and Max would be safe here where they could all look out for each other. Once we all assemble, Melfina decides to try the same thing she used to track the kidnappers... yesterday. Again, it feels like so long ago, that we hunted them down. Melfina once again smears her face with the blood she had collected, and Murmurs some unknown language (by me at least)and her Eyes once again glow. We had prepared Rorin's carriage before Melfina had done her ritual, so we all climbed aboard, I myself squeezed inside. As Aurane drove, Melfina was guided by whatever Mystical force she was using, and the cart was driven spasmodically through the streets, as if Aurane was trying to figure out how to drive through the buildings, and realizing that wouldn't work at the last moment. Melfina seemed to be navigating like a dog would, and without the flexibility of walking, it was a rough ride for those inside the carriage. I lost track of where we were going about half way through the ride, concentrating on anything else besides the image of my breakfast coming back up, and as the carriage came to an abrupt halt, I did just that, leaning out the side window. I could hear Rorin doing the same. Good. Glad I wasn't the only one. Next time I drive.
 
We Climbed out of the carriage, Carefully, and looking up, were surprised when we found ourselves outside Locomotion. Elon's Place. Melfina turns to us and says there is something wrong. A very Bad, Wrong feeling coming from inside. As I study her, I see that the blood in not in fact being absorbed into her, but is simply flaking off. I guess the first time I had been so shocked by it that I simply didn't notice. Easy to do with those unnerving eyes, Glowing the way they do. With Melfina's warning, we all become a bit more wary, as Elon said he was going to be very busy for a few more days, and was supposed to be working on his invention, maybe even deploying it out of town. So what could have happened here? We leave the carriage on the side of the street, and head inside, not sure what we needed to be prepared for. The front office has been ransacked, and no one is there. as we go into Elon's office, we stack up, Melfina in front, followed by Marda, Me, Aurane, and Rorin in the back. We see taht his office is in more disarray than usual, and that the massive water tank in the back has been shattered, and there lying in a pool of water and blood, is the body of Elon Tusk. Damn. I had liked him, even though I hadn't known him all that well. he seemed like a likable guy. Not to mention wicked smart. Pusking the feelings of sorrow away, We examine the body. Brutal weapon marks. defensive wounds. Beaten, and repeatedly stabbed, but some wounds seem to be after his death, when he was laying on the ground. A nearby wrench would have been his defensive weapon, one of opportunity, instead of one of choice. the wrench has blood on it, and hasn't been touched by the water, and Melfina takes interest in it. After seeing enough death for one lifetime, I can safely say his was not an easy death. I do not share this with my comrades, as I am sure some of them already know this fact. Melfina starts her grim business of collecting blood. And Aurane tends to the body. He may be a cleric of the city, but that doesn't mean he can't care for the dead. I start searching through the notes, and I find a few notes of his, and what appears to be a schematic of a boat with no sails, or rather, one large odd sail held above somehow. I can understand some, but most is beyond me. What I don't find is all the notes that were supposed to have been sent to him about what we have found. they all seem to be missing. Also, many of Elon's parts are still here for his machines, and while I know very little of what they do, I know they should have been where his machine was, certainly not here. puzzling over this, I turn, and am surprised when I see that Aurane has cast a spell over Elon's body, preserving it! He says it is called Gentle Repose, and he intends to keep this up until he can bring him back to life! We decide the body needs to be kept in a safe place, where Aurane can keep the spell going for a long time, and we decide to take it back to Rorin's cellar. We wrap up the body, careful to keep the coins on his eyes for the spell, and I lift it up into my arms. Carrying it out reverently, we climb back into the carriage and Head back to the estate. The ride is much more comfortable, as indeed, I am driving it back, slowly , and we are all quiet as we aren't really sure what to say to each other. As we pull up to the estate, Danerai is there, waiting near the front gate, and we wave her over to where we will pull the carriage in. Stopping the carriage, and calling Garfield over, we all disembark, and get Elon out of the inside. Upon seeing the body, and finding out who it, she grows alarmed and distressed. Saying that she has known Elon for a long time, and she steps to the side as she begins to cry. Wishing to comfort her, I hand the body to Garfield to be taken to the cellar, and I go over to comfort her however I can. After a quick embrace, I tell her that Aurane has already prayed over him, and has done some rites for him. She says she has her own rites she would like to do, and Aurane allows it, as long as the coins are not disturbed. Danerai, Melfina, Aurane and I go down to the wine cellar, where we have chosen to store the body for now, and Danerai pulls out some trinkets and Symbols for her own Ritual.
 
 
She Sings a song in the Most beautiful language I have ever heard, but I can't understand what is being said. Melfina seems to be somewhat surprised by the song, as if she could understand what the words are, then she seems to mentally be in another place while the song continues, and comes back to reality near the end of it. Leaving her own coin on the body, Danerai looks over to us, and Melfina addresses her, asking about her faith. Danerai responds in the same language, and they converse for a few seconds. The conversation apparently done, they both leave to go upstairs to the others. Glancing at the coin, I see in two languages, one, my own Draconic. A couple simple words. Safe Passage. Hmm. Aurane has checked to make sure his coinds were not disturbed by the ritual, and I follow him back upstairs, where a fight breaks out as to who is going to tell what governing body about Elon's death first.
 
Melfina and Marda want to tell the Cerulean Sanctum first, as they see they can trust them, rightly so. Rorin and Aurane wish to tell the constabulary of the city, Aurane's own superiors, first as we need to tell someone higher up what has happened. Aurane points out that Elon was our point of Contact, and he can just go talk to the people who sent him to Elon in the first place, Marda points out that we don't really know who we can trust in the city, as we have reason to think some higher-ups in the city may be part of all this. The ziggurats under the temples were a concern, but I point out they were probably just used as a base of opportunity, as no one was using them for a long time, and that we probably shouldn't worry about that. In the end, Rorin and Aurane go to the constabulary, and Melfina and Marda go to the Sanctum to inform the higher ups at the same time. I stay at the Estate, where I check on the apprentices and Max, and to inform Danerai of what has happened the last day with us, and to find out what the Bards may have found. She says that the bards went under the temple of Pudge, and found nothing. the area was unused and undisturbed. Seemingly hitting a dead end there, I take the time to ask her what her song meant, and to say it was a wonderful song, if sad. She said it was a song of remembrance, but didn't say where it came from. I ask her what sort of memories she had of Elon, and she shared stories, the others in the house coming in to hear as well, and we had a small wake in remembrance of the Man who was Elon. I started to feel closer to her, and see what her personality was like, and aspects of her life. By the time the others got back, I found that it was just her and I left in the room, and we had been talking for some time. The women came back first, relaying information to us. Elon was Not supposed to be in town. He was in fact supposed to be up at the assembly site, several days out of town, making his invention work. The Sanctum also thinks Harold Ravenwood seems to be a part of this, and that matches what we had gathered from other sources. But the sanctum wants everything to be on the up and up. Aurane and Rorin come back, with Vladamir the constabulary commissioner. A Large man, and oddly enough, a werewolf in a position of power. I remembered that he had been turned relatively recently. Relative to Max anyway. He is there to see the body, as whatever the men had said, Vlad wanted to do his own examination of the body. Going down to the basement, he came up only moments later, somewhat stunned, saying that yes, yes indeed Elon had been brutally murdered. Thanks Vlad. As the werewolf leaves, we all look at each other, trying to figure what to do next.