Chronicles of the Lonewolf: Welcome to Vaysoom

I woke late the next day due to a combination of more legwork than I was used to the last couple of days, relearning how to work certain muscles that hadn't needed as much attention since I retired from service, and still recovering from sheer terror. Whatever you might think, coming face to face with real, malevolent undead isn't cool or sexy. It is truly horrifying. Add to that shorter days and nights on this world, I think sleeping in is understandable, don't you?

Anyway, I found myself in a rush as the sun had already been up a while and the clocks here start at dawn. I had just enough time to get my gear on, grab my pack, and head out the door. I wish I'd had time to grab some breakfast, but I still had the report to drop off and a meeting to get to. That was when I remembered the muffins and was very pleased to find that they were, indeed, as fresh and warm as when they'd been handed to me. My stomach was particularly grateful as we reached the local precinct and I was able to drop the scroll case off without a conversation. That gave me just enough time to polish off a second muffin before I reached the gazebo on the docks.

"You are late," Nykoal said as I stepped through the door. She tilted her head and looked at me oddly and I realized that I had looked at my watch out of force of habit. "The constable was just here asking about my report," she said, instead, clearly annoyed.

Seeing as how my watch was no use here, especially with it claiming that it was nine-thirty on the analog and fifteen ninety-seven on the digital, I wondered why I was even still wearing it. Even the compass just spun in circles on it. I nodded apologetically and said, "I just dropped it off now." I pulled out my notes and explained, "I was double checking the timeline against a few things last night after my little detour." I saw her eyes narrow as she looked around for anyone in ear shot. "Did you know about the trouble over in the Dark Doorway District?"

She blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting the conversation to go that direction. "There were rumors," she said. "Lots of speculation as to what animal may have slipped through the wall somehow. The Druettis Contract makes sure that the Fae keep to their side, so unless someone was foolish enough to cross them, they would not risk an incursion."

It was my turn to blink. The Fae were real? More than that, they were here, right alongside mortals? I shook my head to get back on subject. "It turned out to be an undead situation." She laughed until she saw my face. "No, really," I said. "It's what earned me the badge and sent me here, but that isn't the point. That trouble started at roughly the same time as the first of the thefts."

She thought this over and asked, "How would those events connect to these? Other than ingredients going missing, nothing on that side of town has been affected, shipment wise."

"You'd know better than I would," I said. "Could anyone be digging up into the warehouses from below?"

"Directly into the riverbank," she scoffed. "It would flood any tunnel immediately and drown anyone before they could cut through the floor."

I nodded, "That's what I was thinking, too. Also why you never suggested it during our walk through, isn't it?"

"Indeed," she replied. "We still have not found any sign of how they enter or leave and," she pauses, looking around, before continuing, "My informants have not been able to determine an arcane means that is not very rare."

I nodded my understanding. "I did notice a pattern, though," I told her and that got her attention. "There are two ships coming in that were delayed this past week. One from Ravenfell and one from Wooden Planks," I paused, unable to help myself. "Why is it called Wooden Planks with the By The Sea part in parentheses?"

She laughed, "Yes, that is definitely a Ravensedge addition. Centuries ago, Wooden Planks was just a very small fishing village and trading post founded at the mouth of the Ustapi River to the east. Back then, it was truly only some wooden planks and tents. Over the generations it grew into a major shipping port for the Ravensedge Barony, but never lost its name." She smiled, "It seems only those who learned Ravensedge history more than the rest of the world remembers the full name."

"Huh," I said, not knowing what else to say and finding the history lesson interesting. "Well, I don't know what's on those ships, but someone seems to be quite interested in one of them," I continued. "Is there any way to find out what's on the manifests for either or both of them?" I thought a moment, then added, "And how do you stay so well informed about delays from ships still in transit?"

"The whisperrings," she said, absently. "As for the manifests, that depends entirely on the ship and its cargo. Diplomatic items or individuals are allowed a certain leeway in terms of privacy, though if you suspect contraband, there are some who may be able to look into it quietly."

I showed her on the schedule which two ships seemed to correspond with the thefts. "I see that both are expected again tonight." I leaned heavily on one arm, finding myself tired and dizzy from some of the new knowledge that forced me to rethink everything I thought I'd learned about this world. "If it's alright, I'd like to get a few things taken care of and lend a hand tonight, should that be the case."

She gave me a concerned look, but left it alone. Instead, she said, "Mayborn will be working, but he is competent, even if he is a pompous ass. I will leave word as well as what you have discovered." She smiled, "Perhaps he will be less confrontational, at the very least."

"I appreciate that," I said. "It's been a weird week, but I'll do what I can to help see this through."

"Thank you," she said, sincerely. "Mayborn may not understand, but even this fresh perspective may help us stop this from continuing."

I gave a slight bow with my head and went back to my room. My mind was spinning and I was having trouble grasping the larger picture. "Where the hell are you, Max," I muttered to myself as I reached the Cauldron. Once in my room, I considered going over the scrolls again, but couldn't take the disappointment if they all turned out to be just lists of supplies and refugees. I sat on the end of my bed and pulled my boots off, wondering if I should try reading through the books again, but the memory of the headache made me rethink that plan. I needed a clear head to keep working late hours, so I went ahead and took a nap.

--------------------------------------------------------------

My dreams were disjointed and confused and I woke up feeling only slightly steadier than when I laid down. The rest of me, however, felt strangely rested and the aches and soreness had gone. I enjoyed it as I couldn't remember a time when something didn't hurt. The sun had nearly set by the time I had all my gear together and I headed downstairs to see if I could grab a quick bite before heading out to the docks. Flayrian had some guests in from one of the places far west of here and had a menu ready for them, which I was also given to sample. The stir fry dish reminded me strangely of mu shu pork, but without the rice pancakes and I definitely recognize an egg roll when I see one. When Flay brought my second helping, I asked if he had any of those muffins of his left.

"Sadly, I do not," he said. "I can make some up for you in the morning, if you'd like." He paused, noting my odd hours and corrected, "Or when you happen to rise tomorrow, that is."

I thanked him, glad that he understood and I finished my plate quickly. Dusk was rapidly deepening to night by the time I reached the docks and I took a moment to don my helmet before advancing further. If this was the night that brought trouble, I was going to be ready for it. I knocked on the jamb of the gazebo door and said, "Mayborn, it's Karl. Have those ships arrived yet?"

A human stepped into sight, and I noticed he was an older gentleman who kept his uniform crisp but seemed to have set aside some of the attitude of the previous night. "They have not, but are due any moment. Good work on the pattern," he conceded, though reluctantly.

"Just trying to help," I said. "Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know when those bandits attacked the caravan on the road?"

"The one from Ravenfell," he asked, but continued before I could reply. "The day after the Sunforge warehouse was burglarized," he said. He stepped out of the gazebo at the sound of a whistle by the water. "Seems at least one of the ships has just arrived."

I followed Mayborn to the river where the nightwatch had begun to offload the packages for Fairwater. I noticed the crates and bundles being moved to a nearby building that I assumed was for customs or something similar. I turned back and noticed that Mayborn stayed beside me and I assumed it was to lend some authority should I need it. I got the captain's attention and asked, "Do you happen to have any arms or armor listed among your manifest?"

"No, sir," the weathered turtlefolk answered. "The Sunforges are who people usually go to around here."

I nodded, trying to figure out just what the connection was, when I saw someone on the far side of Mayborn slowly trying to disappear into the mist. "Mayborn," I began. "When your crew offloads a ship, they take it to that building for holding first, right?"

"Yes," he nodded. "We always check the towns regular shipments for contraband."

I pointed toward the far warehouse where the figure was just barely visible as a silhouette. "Then, what are they doing?"

He looked and then called after the figure. While they immediately bolted, as Mayborn and I had both expected, we weren't prepared for them to turn toward the nearest warehouse and kick open what was a clearly unlocked door. I was a step ahead of him, but he called, "I'm the official, here, stay behind me." I skidded to allow him the lead and I'm sure he regretted that decision more than me. A moment later, he was gasping and choking, his hands clutched at his throat where the fletchings of a crossbow bolt protruded from between his fingers. Blood poured down and he fell backwards into the river.

I felt myself go cold, like always happened when I'd been out on maneuvers. I pulled my bow from my back and nocked an arrow before slipping into the warehouse in a low crouch. I caught sight of light in the far corner just before it blinked out. I called back over my shoulder to any of the nightwatch within hearing and shouted, "Mayborn's been shot! Get the constable. I'm going after them." Without checking to see if anyone was listening, let alone doing as ordered, I set my bow down just long enough to get my lamp lit before rearming and charging for the corner. I found it empty, in fact, it looked as if something had been bodily shoved away from the corner. I crouched down, opening the hood on my lantern as wide as I could and looked closely. Like with Max's cart, there was a nearly hairline crack outlining a hatch or trapdoor of some kind. "So much for flooding riverbanks," I muttered to myself as I pried the stone cover off to find a ladder and a tunnel below. My shoulders slumped, remember how this went last time I delved beneath Fairwater, but it couldn't be helped. I sat with my feet in the opening, sighed deeply, and dropped into the unknown.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I found myself in another of those strange stonework tunnels and I thought, that explains why it didn't flood. I was near what looked to be a pair of intersections and I realized that I was in some kind of system like the one beneath the graveyard. I could faintly hear running feet to my right and I ran toward the corner to see if I could spot anything. The new tunnel went left and right, but I could see some faint light at the corner to my right and I bolted for it. Peeking around the corner, I saw light from a lantern far ahead down a long, dark corridor.

I quickly lowered the hood on my own lantern to allow me to keep an eye on my footing, and moved quickly after the dwindling light. I'd only gone a few yards, when something to my left let out a faint shhh in the dark. It was so sudden and unexpected that I spun, bow drawn in the turn and I had to jerk my arm up so as not to hit the child my lantern had revealed when the arrow loosed.

The little boy's eyes were shining as if with excitement rather than fear and his young age made it difficult to place whether human or one of the little people like the gnomes and the like. The ears hinted at points but not enough to know one way or the other, which was interesting in a passing sort of way. He smiled at me and whispered, "Listen."

I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing down hear when my ears caught it. There were gaps in the sound of running feet. I couldn't tell if the person was stopping to glance back before running on, but it didn't sound right for that. Jumping, maybe? "How did you know," I asked instead. His answering smile was maddening and I asked the first question I'd thought of. "What are you doing down here," I whispered.

"It's strange, Karl," he answered. "You aren't supposed to be here, yet you are right where you need to be." Before I could respond with anything but wide eyed shock, he said. "You can't do it alone, though. You need some help." His twinkling eyes turned his smile into something mischeivous, I might have even said malevolent, but it didn't feel directed at me. He reached up and pulled a leather thong from around his neck, a small, silver or pewter charm attached. He held it out to put it around my neck saying, "Here, a gift." Confused, I lowered my head to within his reach and he put it around my neck. I could see what looked to be the image of a wolf's head with large wings, but when the light hit it from a different angle, it appeared as some malevolent winged snake instead. Before I could ask about it, the boy touched his thumb to my forehead and it suddenly felt as if my skull was breaking in two.

The sensation lasted no more than thirty seconds, if even that, but felt like an eternity while it was happening. I put my hands to my forehead, part of me expecting to find a hole there, when it just stopped, abruptly. I opened my eyes, ready to yell at the boy, having completely forgotten where I was and what I was doing. I was alone and the sounds of running footsteps had all but vanished in the distance. For a long moment, I wondered if the boy had been some kind of magic security system, or even my own imagination getting the better of me, but the charm still hung against the split breastplate I wore.

I shook my head, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand and not to wonder why I keep being told I'm not supposed to be here by complete strangers. I moved quickly, but cautiously, watching for anything that might explain why someone would have to jump as they moved along the tunnel. I don't know what I was expecting, exactly, but I nearly didn't see the simple tripwire until I'd almost stepped on it. I took a moment to trace its length and found some rather nasty spikes set on a pole with a pivot point. I took that as the hint to move even more carefully despite the need for haste. At the third tripwire, I found a small, golden box let wide open and empty, but a small glass vial lay on the floor nearby and filled with some silvery liquid. I put the vial in the box and packed the box away before continuing down the hall where faint sounds could be heard, muffled by distance, earth, or both, I couldn't tell.

By the sixth tripwire, I was worried. By the time I reached the end of all of this, whoever it was could be long gone with whatever it was they stole. I was just wondering whether I should go back and report to the constable, when I came to the far end and another corner. I doused my lantern due to the light coming from around the bend, but I waited, listening carefully.

"I did my job," a voice was saying. "I did my job good. It was not my fault someone spotted me before I could get away clean." Not hearing any reply or even any other sounds, I peeked around the corner. A hooded figure sat with their back to me, apparently ranting to themselves. "I make it back here, and without a tail, but where is my backup if I had not lost them?"

Movement catches my eye and I duck back around the corner as a second voice comes from the chamber beyond. "What are you whining about this time?"

Ignoring the question, the first voice asks, "Where is everybody?"

"They had to meet the client, you know that," the other voice answered. "Did you get the package?"

"Yes, but I had to ditch the box they came in. I was spotted, but I did not see or hear a tail," the person replied. "The bolt I fired either hit its mark or scared them off."

"It hit its mark," I said, stepping into the chamber and finding myself in a decent sized cave with a tunnel leading somewhere beyond. The two figures just stared at me in shock as I finished, "But you didn't scare me off. Hand it over."