Rashemen Book 2

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"Good morning Jex. Yes, I did sleep well, thank you. I'm sure that Delphinae was right when she said that we should go east, though afterwards she said we should go west. But I don't have any particular plans. We've defeated that mind flayer, and haven't decided whose quest we should finish next. Let's see what the others think."

He ordered some sausages.

"I've been thinking about the question you asked after the last fight with demons. I'd never heard of Iuz, or Braxo... uh, whatever he was. But I remember one story Pa told about a job where he had to partner up with an elf named Drizzt, who was like you in many ways. He fought with two swords, and was pretty much undefeatable. I think in that job they had to bring a box to some city, and lots of people were always trying to get it from them. It was a pretty scary story, if I remember correctly."

 

Delinos slowly descended from the upper level, donning his mage robes this time. He sat down at a table beside Jex's and listened in.

Kelvados was still in his pajamas when he came down, rubbing his eyes. "Good morning!" He said to no one in particular, getting various replies here and there.

 

Ciana moved down the stairs and saw the 2 Drow sitting at a booth with a halfling and a half-elf; moving towards them she addressed the Drow. "You are the brothers Delinos and Kelvados, are you not ? Until a short while ago you were held by a strange mage who released you, he also held me prisoner and tortured me until I managed to escape recently. If it is your intent to seek revenge on him I would gladly lend my aid. I am somewhat skilled as a bard and sorcerer"

 

Delinos looked curiously at the somewhat attractive girl who was addressing them. "We may be, but I'll have to ask you a question. What was the name of our captor?" He smirked and took a loud sip of his drink.

 

Delinos looked curiously at the different girl who was addressing them. "We may be, but I'll have to ask you a question. What was the name of our captor?" He smirked and took a loud sip of his drink.

[ December 28, 2005, 02:54: Message edited by: Elwithral Irenicus ]

 

Atten did not like the village and never had. he much preferred the greenery and life of the nearby forest which was his home. It was there that he chose to spend the night, alone with the living force buzzing around him.

He awoke more refreshed than he had felt since, well, maybe ever.

He wondered what he should do now. The affairs of his travelling companions were not really any more of his business and mostly seemed to be self-centred. Should he continue to travel with them? Would that help maintain balance?

Surely he would be better off staying in the forest. But even if he stayed in the forest, there were always supplies that he could get from nowhere other than the village. With a sigh, he set off back into the town......

 

Ciana looked at Delinos a hard line to her mouth "I'll tell you what I know of our captor, he hails from the NetherIsles where he faced exile or death from his fellow wizards; they didn't like his 'perversions'. You see he has a fondness for causing pain to as he calls thems 'lesser animals' and seeing how much they can bear. Human females he finds particularly interesting they have an extremely threhold for pain he told me. You two were allowed to go since he had studied many drow already. His name is Caldar Thurwithel but he prefers the name Torturus, does that satisfy you ?"

 

Sepp tried to listen to this new person who was talking to them, he felt that she was going to be important to them in some way, but his mind kept getting pulled in to the gem on the ring that she wore.

At first, it was the crystal on his ring that made him aware of the pulling, as it actually moved a little in the direction of the gem, until he stopped it, but then the quiet beauty of the gem made itself known to him. As he approached the gem with his mind senses for a closer look, it pulled him in.

At first, he thought it would be like other gems and crystals, which were always interesting to examine on the itty-bitty level, but it wasn't like that at all. He was instantly put into all sorts of torments, at least in his mind. Were they memories of the senses felt during the torture this lady had endured? It was too much to handle at one time, he had to find a way out, but there seemed to be none.

Almost in a panic, he focused on the crystal on his ring that he knew he was wearing, and with that goal firmly in his mind, he made the jump back to it, and then into himself. Unfortunately, some of the memories of torment came with him. It was too much for his body to take.

"Aaaaayyyyeee!!!!" He fell off his chair onto the floor. Which was getting to be a habit in this tavern for him. But then the pain was gone.

"Sorry," he said, getting up again. "I guess I don't have quite the threshold for pain that human females do. I hope that that evil wizard isn't looking for any halflings to experiment on. Are you aware that much of your memories of torment have gotten lodged in the gem of your ring?"

 

Seeming to sprout from the wood itself, an arrow appeared in the table directly in front of Ciana. What had once been a commanding voice but was now shaken by tremors of fear called out from the top of the stairs, "Stand away from my friends, un-n-natural one; my next shot w-won't miss. And if it's m-me you've come for, you can tell her that I won't g-give up without a fight. Either way your ch-choice is simple, move or die!"

 

"Del, settle." Jex growled from his seat next to Sepp. "She poses no threat."

 

Ciana looked at the shadowy figure at the top of the stairs "Why do you call me unnatural ? Why do you suppose that I have come for you or anyone ? And who is this she you're talking about ? "

Turning back to the table Ciana addressed the halfling "What do you mean the gem has memories, it was a gift from a friend and its intent protection "

 

"She call you unnatural because she thinks everyone who isn't blatently human is unnatural. Part of her blessing and her curse of being raised by surface elves. You should've seen her reaction to me." Jex said as he took another small bite of fish.

"Del, she has come to talk to the brothers. Someone from their past. She is not a threat. But while your mentioning it. Who is this she and why does she cause your voice to quiver so?"

 

Sepp was curious about Del's behavior. He was sure it was connected to what she had said, and then denied, about their needing to go east, but she hadn't explained much last night, hopefully she would explain herself this morning.

Turning to the newcomer he said, "Most intelligent creatures find gems and diamonds and precious stones beautiful. The simpler ones because they are shiny or different colors than drabber rocks and stones. Greedy ones because they know they can be sold for lots of money. Some because with certain procedures they can be made to hold magical power or focus magical energies. But what few know, and I certainly wouldn't but for the teachings of my mother, who learned it from a gnome friend, is that they, the diamonds and gems, like us just as much."

"You missed the lesson on how all things are alive, in a way, if you're interested I'll tell you more about that later. But diamonds and gems are even more alive than rocks, or sand. A bunch of their itty-bitties got together and made a decision to be a certain way, and they are very determined to stay that way. That's why diamonds are so tough. They are very organized. Very systematic."

"When they are around a certain person for a long time, that is, they are 'owned' and worn by someone. You've had your ring for some time?" The stranger nodded. "Then they attune themselves to that person. Like they become part of that person's family. Very strong emotions emanating from that person are exciting to the gems, and they trap them in their structures. Was the ring not far from you when you were tortured?" Another nod. "Then much of your pain and anguish was captured by the gem. That's what I felt when I examined it. In fact, it pulled me in to it. I mean my mind, not my body. I'm glad I wasn't you. I bet my brother would be interested to talk to you about it though. He was tortured too."

 

"The captor's name is correct, and you were correct as well, as you might have guessed from our friends, that we are indeed Delinos and Kelvados DeVir. When were you released from Torturus?"

Kelvados got up to get another drink, and coughed a little ways from the table. He looked at the hand he had covered it with. He looked back at the others. No one was watching. He coughed a little more. More blood came out. He coughed two more times, this time the blood not stopping. He closed his mouth, but the blood came out of his nose.

He let out a cry of pain and then fell to the ground, unconcious.

 

Sepp rushed over to Kelvados, probing his body with his mind to find out why he was bleeding. He hadn't sustained any clear injury, yet he was rapidly losing a lot of blood.

"Delinos, do you have any idea what's happening to your brother? It would make it much easier to help him if we knew what was wrong."

 

Delphinae stood uncertainly as her friends defended the stranger with the wild aura, but when she saw Kelvados fall she abruptly snapped. Her voice climbed even higher to the point where it broke, as she yelled, "I warned you, sorcerer!" and let loose her arrow. Fortunately for Ciana, Del's limbs had begun to shake by this time, and her shot went wild. In a stroke of irony that went unnoticed by most, the arrow instead struck dead center in the dartboard on the wall.

Delphinae pulled out her claw and charged Ciana, but Jex smoothly stood up and pinned Del's arms behind her back. Her eyes wild with fear, she looked around at her companions, screaming, "Can't you see what she's doing? She's ensorcelled you all! Please, don't let her do it."

 

Ciana looked at Kelvados wishing she could help but whatever was causing the fear in this new stranger was too intense to ignore, coming to a decision she removed her weapons and baldric laying them down on a table; she then sat down and addressed the one they called Del directly "If'n it pleases you mistress, I will sit here and await your judgement after you tend your friend"

A calmness came over her at the rightness of this decision and with it the feeling that something important was happening here in this Inn.

 

Atten trudged reluctantly back into town. As he passed the tavern, he was tempted to pop and see whether his companions were there, but he decided against and headed for the market area.

 

"Do what Del. She came in and started talking to the brothers DeVir. No magic has occurred. He pulled up harder on Dels arm as she struggled to get free.

Pushing Del towards the door, he kept his eyes away from the bloody drow. Hopeing that the others would be able to help him.

As he shouldered through the door he released Del but stood blocking the entrance. "Now that we're away from her, tell me whats wrong."

 

"Can't you tell? She's a sorceress. They cast magic without source or warning; they've no deity or incantation that they draw from, yet they're capable of destructive magics. The last time I saw one..." Delphinae trailed off and shuddered involuntarily. "We can't be sure that she isn't here on some evil purpose; I can't even read her aura with my Claw. I can't even be sure that she hasn't cast a spell on you all."

Delphinae cast her gaze down to the street and continued in a more subdued voice, "I don't even know why I'm telling you all this if you could be under her power. I'm just so..." Again she grew quiet for a moment, and when she looked up again, Jex could see pleading in her eyes. "But I can't take the chance. Don't go with her...please."