For a time, they trudged back toward Grey House in silence. At last Omrixx said, "It is sad that Roach died, and I feel that it somehow was in retaliation for freeing me. While I had but one goal originally to enter the Temple, I now have two."
Laying Roach to rest seemed to have galvanized something in Finian.
"I agree and now is the time to strike," he growled through bared teeth. " I want to go back to get the stuff for Omrixx and get revenge and I do not think they will be expecting us again!"
"I have some research to which I need to attend," Kirnoth replied calmly. "I would prefer to do that rather than risk another trip into the sewers for Omrixx's book."
"You seem very driven in your quest to retrieve this book, Omrixx. But I do not want to be dragged from the sewers to lay at Nasser-Ubeen's feet twice in one week," Ledare added. "I think my time would be better spent recovering and making inquiries with the local midwives who might know something of the birth everyone seems to be anticipating. Hopefully that will give us some clue and help us to decide what we do next."
"That, Kitten, is an excellent idea," Ruze told her. "I seem to have missed the clues that point to babies being born. Beast and Beast's Twin, wasn't it?"
The Janissary nodded.
"Do we even know that they are human babies?" he asked. "How do we know they are being born here and not halfway around the world?"
"We don't," Ledare admitted. "But we have to start somewhere."
Ruze nodded.
"In that case, I do not think I'll be going back into the tunnels until we have a full party," the Battleguard said. "I believe I'll tag along with Ledare today on her investigation."
"FINE!" Omrixx exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I will say this: thank you all for freeing me from the Temple. I was surely to be sacrificed without even knowing. I'm just glad that the gods you each worship told you to rescue me. For if they didn't, none of you would have gone down there to get ME."
"We didn't go down there to rescue you and we didn't go because of the gods," Kirnoth said.
Ruze cleared his throat.
"I feel it is important that I inform you I have a mission from my Temple," he told them. "Remember when I smashed the Chaos alter? I need to return and perform a cleansing ritual upon the cursed ground to remove the Taint and stop the spread of Chaos."
"So why don't you want to go back?" Omrixx asked. "We could find my book and help you with your ritual at the same time."
"I can perform this myself," the Battleguard said with a shake of his head, "but I will need aid in one part of the Cleansing. Once I begin chanting, I cannot stop until the Ceremony is complete. If I fail or I am stopped the spread of Chaos will not only continue but will multiply in force and manner. For that reason, I think it is wiser to wait until we have a full party. I can't afford to have the ceremony interrupted."
Omrixx just quietly glowered at that.
"I am willing to go down there again," Finian assured the half-elf. "Even if it is just the two of us. We just have to be really careful and avoid a confrontation."
"Thank you, Finian," Omrixx said, touching the Archer's arm. "I'm glad I can count on you."
"I think you're both being rash," Ledare told them. "But I can't stop you if this is what you want to do."
"Let's stop back at Grey House first, gear up and grab those healing potions," Finian suggested.
The Grey House library yielded no good references to warpstone and with a purse full of platinum, Kirnoth set out for Mageholme in the afternoon. The streets of Barnacus were full of people in anticipation of the festival of Cyr on the 1st of Wealsun in two day's time. In addition to the increased number of strutting athletes and their entourage, the street was crowded with pedlars, entertainers, and beggars.
Kirnoth kept a hand on his purse as he picked his way westward up South Gate Road.
The gleaming gates of the wizard's guild were closed as always and the elf was obliged to approach the small gatehouse. As always, he was greeted by a bored apprentice who asked in his most put-upon tone, "Do you have an appointment?"
"No," Kirnoth replied. "But I've been here before."
The young man seemed unimpressed.
"Who was your previous guild contact?" he asked.
"Uh... I'm not sure..." Kirnoth wracked his brain. "He was a diviner. I remember that much."
The apprentice made a show of opening a large tome that lay in front of him within the booth. Then he pushed his spectacles up onto his nose and asked, "Your name?"
"Kirnoth Van Saltha," the elf replied.
"Affiliated with- Myth Drannor!? Is that right?" the youth asked looking a bit shocked when Kirnoth nodded. "Here it is. You were seen by Casca the Seer. Wait by the gate and he will be right with you."
Kirnoth walked up to the silvery gates and they parted as he approached. On the other side stood Casca the Seer, looking more like a swashbuckler than a guild mage. His blonde hair flowed to his shoulders and his smile glinted in the late day sun. He spread his arms and walked towards the elf. The glint in Casca's eyes told the elf that the Guilder smelled a sale.
"Greetings, Kirnoth Van Saltha!" he said enthusiastically. "It's great to see you again! Welcome back to Mageholme!"
"Thank you!" Kirnoth replied as Casca pumped his hand.
Still holding it, the diviner looked earnestly into Kirnoth's eyes and said, "You've reconsidered joining the guild."
The sentence hovered in the no-man's-land between statement and question.
"I have," Kirnoth answered, his response held no more conviction than Casca's had.
"Fabulous!" the man said and swept the elf up in a whirlwind of motion as he led him toward the front doors of the imposing guildhall. "We'll get the necessary papers signed and then I'll arrange for someone to take you on the official tour!"
"I'll have access to the guild's library?" Kirnoth asked as he was urged along.
"Of course! Of course!" Casca assured him. "You were getting the FULL membership, weren't you?"
Ledare and Ruze started their investigation at the Janissary guildhall. There, Ledare spoke with Imlia, the healer about midwives and the halfling gave her a short list of candidates. She then insisted on examining the Janissary's wounds and scolded her for being out of bed.
"I told her she should take it easy," Ruze agreed with a little shake of his head.
"She's very stubborn," the healer said.
According to Imlia, since the closing of Flor's Hospital, the most likely candidates for midwife duty were a group of women known collectively as The Sisters of Celias, a sect of Lisori's faithful who followed the teachings of Saint Celias. Ruze suggested that they eliminate them entirely since it seemed decidedly unlikely that the degenerate cultists of Aphyx would look for aid from the clerics of the Golden Goddess. Ledare had to agree.
Next on the list was a halfling herbalist named Sugo who operated a semi-permanent booth in the marketplace. He readily admitted to selling herbs to aid in childbirth. In fact, his business in healing herbs had improved greatly since the Crescent Street Hospital closed. He was of little help to their investigation, however, since Sugo didn't engage in any hands-on midwifery. He gave them the name of a woman who did and the Janissary thanked him and added the name to the bottom of Imlia's list.
The last of Imlia's suggested contacts, Meremae, was also a halfling. She and her family had a small trade in certain rare medicines out of a tiny compound located at the river's edge near the waterfront. Ledare and Ruze were obliged to descend to the dangerous jumble of rickety wooden wharves far from the main docks and pick her way along a narrow footpath cut into the edge of the shore in order to reach the compound. The smell and the collection of flotsam was less than pleasant, and the pair wasn't at all happy to be turned away at the gate in the thorny hedge. No one answered Ledare's call, and Ruze pointed out a small box set into a post beside the gate. The single word, 'ORDERS', was written on it in Common and there was a stick of charcoal and several sheets of cheap paper inside.
There were papers to sign. A lot of papers. Kirnoth put his signature to more parchment that afternoon than he had in all the prior years put together. Once he had finished, he received a silver brooch signifying his membership in the guild. Money then changed hands - 60 platinum Royals for the initiation fee and another six for the first month's dues - and then the tour started. Mageholme was an impressive building. The High Vestibule alone was a round chamber 90 feet across and 120 feet high with a free standing spiral staircase rising from the center of the chamber to the galleries above. Immense stone statues depicting all manner of magical beasts ringed the chamber, lit by brightly-colored light. But still, Kirnoth preferred the organic structures of Myth Drannor; even in ruins, the elven school of wizardry inspired more awe in Kirnoth's heart.
But it was the library that Kirnoth had come for. He'd heard rumors that it contained a great deal of mystic texts. He was no disappointed. The Grand Library contained a plethora of esoteric magical knowledge stored on heavy oaken shelves that rose to meet the 25-foot high ceiling. The guide explained that topics touched on almost anything magical, including: philosophies of arcane spellcasting; magical myths and facts concerning beasts, deities, and artifacts; myriad theories on the source of magic; tightly locked up books discussing the Dark Arts (for reference only); lists of theoretical alternate planes of existence; and a whole lot more.
Kirnoth thanked the tour guide and asked to be pointed toward the section pertaining to magical substances.
Frustrated and a little nauseated from the smell of dead fish, the Companions decided to try the last name on the list, the one that Sugo had given them - Neela. According to the herbalist, the woman operated a flower cart on Westbridge over the Twain and once the pair had made the trek across Newtown from the waterfront, the cart was easy to spot. There were a few other cart vendors operating across the expanse of the bridge, but no others that specialized in flowers and they approached the woman standing behind the cart with Ledare's story about a pregnant sister ready on their lips.
"Good day, good sir, good lady," the woman said and as Ledare got closer, she saw that 'girl' more closely described her. She looked to be about Gwaedry's age, with straight blonde hair falling nearly to her waist.
"Good day, my dear" Ruze replied with a polite little bow. "We've come in search of a midwife."
The girl looked pointedly at Ledare's flat stomach and arched her eyebrow.
"For my sister," the Janissary told her. "She's due soon and-"
"You want Neela," the girl told her and began searching the area nearby. "She's around here somewhere but I don't think that she'll be able to help you."
"Why not?" Ledare asked and quickly added. "We have money."
"No," the girl smirked. "It's not the money. She's retired from all that and- There she is!"
The girl pointed, and following her gesture, the half-elf spotted a middle-aged woman with silver hair and a broad smile coming toward the cart with an empty basket in her hands. She was well tanned and the hem of her simple blue frock was frayed and dirty. Her sandals showed signs of having been repaired several times. But for all that, she wore a crown of bright flowers woven into her hair and her eyes glittered like twin sapphires.
"Neela," the girl said once the woman was within earshot. "This pair's lookin' for a midwife."
Neela looked surprised as she ambled up and offered her callused hand first to Ledare and then to Ruze. She had a firm but gentle grip.
"And you came to me?" the older woman asked. She set her basket beside the cart and planted her fists on her matronly hips. "Why you're not even pregnant."
"It's for my sister," the Janissary lied.
"Is she also a half-elf?" the woman asked, and, thinking fast, Ledare nodded.
"That's good," the woman went on. "Full elven births can be tricky."
"Can you help me then?" Ledare asked but the woman shook her head.
"No," she told her with a little shake of her head. "I'm retired from midwifery. Like I told the last goodman that came around here asking for a midwife: The Sisters of Celias handle most of the deliveries in Barnacus. You should go to them."
"There's another birth coming up?" Ruze asked and Neela laughed.
"Of course, good sir!" she chuckled. "This is a big city. Many women are with child."
"Of course," Ledare replied, chuckling along with her. "So did this man take your advice about The Sisters of Celias?"
"No," Neela said and shook her head. "He kept going on about wanting a secular birth without all Lisori's ceremonial trappings. The birth was to be soon, and he wanted me to leave the city for half-a-week and I've got the cart to mind and Adine, here, to look out for."
She put her arm around the girl and gave her a squeeze. Adine grimaced and rolled her eyes.
"I pointed him toward Rherram, a healer in Strenchburg Junction who sometimes delivers babies," she said. "The Junction's but a day's ride south of Barnacus. That seemed to please him well enough, but I still think that The Sisters of Celias are a better choice."
Finian and Omrixx made their way back to the burnt out building across from the Siren's Call. The brothel, they saw, was doing a brisk business with all the out-of-towners in Barnacus for the upcoming festival of Kakadiador. No one paid them any attention as they crept down the alley and in through the ruin's back window. They then descended into the basement and through the breach in the wall.
All through the long crawl through the sewer pipes and conduits they expected to encounter opposition, but aside for the usual squeaking rats and hissing roaches, they encountered nothing. As they dropped down through the fissure into the disused sewer tunnels running beneath the current system, Finian gestured that they should be silent.
They crept forward toward the grate that covered the end of the tunnel and peered into the chamber beyond. It was empty except for the three weathered crates that they had seen there before. The hinged grate still hung unlocked and Finian checked it for traps before he raised it and dropped down into the former guardroom. Omrixx followed.
The door to the secret temple stood open about half a foot and, eyeing it Finian unslung his bow. He glanced at Omrixx, slipped on the Ring of Invisibility, and promptly vanished. Omrixx was only able to follow the Archer's movements based on the sounds of his footfalls as he crept forward and peered into the room beyond.
Finian saw that the bodies of the cultists that the group had earlier dispatched still lay on the floor. They had been dragged into a rough pile against the left-hand wall and they swarmed with large black beetles. The table and chairs had likewise been pushed to the side, but no effort had been made to right them. Grime-covered playing cards were scattered on the floor. Both the door to the utility closet and the one leading to the hallway stood open.
Finian pushed open the door and Omrixx took the action as his cue to creep forward. While he surveyed the room, Finian crossed to the hallway door and peered out.
It was empty in both directions. The torches that had been burning in sconces set infrequently along the walls had all gone out, and the corridor was dark. He stepped back into the room and removed the ring to talk with Omrixx.
"Which way?" he asked. "Toward the altar room or the way we didn't explore?"
Omrixx contemplated for a minute and then said, "Let's start at the altar room and branch out the search from there."
Finian nodded. It was as good a plan as any.
They headed into the hallway and padded left, around the horseshoe bend in the corridor, passed the now-empty room where they had seen the three meditating cultists, and finally to the area directly in front of the double doors leading to the temple proper. As they faced the doors, a corridor stretched off to their right, lined on one side with five doors, each set with a shuttered window at eye level. On their left were two iron bound doors - one open, the other closed.
Omrixx walked to the open door and peaked inside. Before he'd even had a chance to see anything, the wave of stench hit him in the face. The smell of dead and rotting flesh hung heavily in the room. He covered his mouth and nose and breathed through his hand.
The source of the stench was immediately obvious. The rotting corpses of many animals including cats, dogs, birds and rats, all crawling with maggots, had been nailed on the walls with climbing pitons, left there like twisted decorations. The stench of them was almost overpowering. On the floor lay a human corpse in leather armor, his limbs contorted into painful-looking positions, his lips pulled back from clenched teeth, and his eyes staring fearfully at the ceiling. A wooden medallion carved with the symbol of Aphyx hung around his neck. At his feet lay a closed footlocker. It was the only item in the room that hadn't been ransacked.
Omrixx pushed open the door and went to drag the footlocker out where the air was a little better. He checked it quickly for traps, but other than an obviously triggered needle trap in the lock, he could find none. Grabbing the handle set in the side, he pulled the footlocker out into the hall and closed the door, hoping to seal in the stench of death.
It didn't work, but it was better than it had been.
"Keep watch," Omrixx hissed to the invisible Finian and unsheathed his borrowed shortsword. The chamber flooded with light, and once his eyes were no longer dazzled, the half elf pulled out the lockpicks that he'd found among Roach's effects and went to work on the footlocker. It took two tries before he heard the rewarding CLICK of a sprung lock. Checking it one last time for traps, he lifted the lid.
The footlocker contained some well-used clothing, a ratty blanket, a bulging pouch and, most importantly, all of Omrixx's personal effects.
"I found it!" he said aloud and Finian turned in time to see the half-elf hauling a slim leather book out of the chest.
"I knew you'd come!" said a voice that Finian recognized. "The others left for the other temple, but I knew you'd be back."
The Archer turned and saw Nunzio standing, naked nearby, blocking the corridor that lead out of the temple complex. He was in his human form - big and very fat with greasy silver hair hanging in his face and passed his shoulders. Four enormous brown rats huddled at his feet and Rudivan, the blonde wererat stood behind him.
Nunzio sniffed at the air and grinned.
"I can smell you, half-elf. I know you're here," he said. "But I wish you'd brought the Janissary with you. I owe her for this."
He drew the long silver locks off his face and Finian could see that his left eye had been reduced to a pulpy, red mess of scar tissue that wept tears of puss.
"Warpstone is the raw stuff of Chaos - a form of matter dragged through into this world from another dimension by the violent application of Chaos Magic directly to the Weave. It is a powerful source of magic, and is greatly sought after by all followers of Chaos. A single piece of refined Warpstone is usually an irregularly shaped crystal about the length of a man's forearm. It emits a faint rosy light, which seems to dance with moving rainbows of brilliant color. In its raw form, Warpstone is very dangerous to all creatures, and prolonged exposure can cause severe mutation or death."
This book, entitled "A Grimoire on High Magic", said essentially the same thing that the three other books Kirnoth had consulted as well as Alenthe's sources had. Warpstone was a dangerous and unpredictable substance that had been highly prized before the elves brought humanity True Magic and the path of the Chaos Mage was lost to antiquity. Once refined, it was only dangerous if it were used to channel manna, but to destroy it, it had to be utterly disintegrated - dropped into a volcano or the like. Throwing it into the sea would get it out of land mages' hands, but what about mermen and-
"Hello cousin," a sultry female voice cooed.
Kirnoth turned and stared into the face of evil. The yellow-eyed drow sat beside him at the table, her murderer's grin gleaming whitely in her gray-black face. Her smile broadened and she said, "I've been looking everywhere for you."
Ledare and Ruze moved away from Westbridge with a little more knowledge. About whether it was useful knowledge, Ledare was dubious.
"Say, Ledare," Ruze asked. "Why exactly are we looking for midwives?"
The Janissary shot him a look that said, 'Are you serious?' and the Battleguard quickly went on.
"I mean, I know we are looking for the birth of a beast or beast's twin," he explained. "But how is it you knew to look for this? And what are we supposed to do once we find the birth?"
Ledare sighed, realizing that Ruze was just asking the same questions she'd been posing all along to herself.
"I didn't really know if anything about the midwives would be worth pursuing," she admitted. "I was really just looking for some sort of clue, and a better lead before we return to the sewers."
"And you think that this Rherram fellow is a possible clue?" Ruze asked and the Janissary shrugged.
"I'm not sure what we've found, really," she told him. "Maybe just a waste of two days' ride. But I think it would be wiser to check out this Strenchburg Junction before going back in the sewer."
"But I have to perform my ceremony," the Battleguard reminded her. "I say we go back in the sewers before you travel out to the midwives. If you are even good enough to travel."
"I'm fine, really," she said. "I'd be willing to set out for Strenchburg Junction tomorrow."
"I don't know," Ruze told her as they passed through Journeyman's Gate to the wharves of Old City. "You look a little tired and peaked. Let me check those bandages."
He made to reach for her and Ledare swept his hands away with a circular motion.
"I'm fine, Ruze," she said sternly. "Stop fussing. I'm fine."
The Battleguard looked a trifle hurt, but he relented.
"I still think we need to go back to the sewers before we go traipsing across the Realms in search of a midwife who may not even be any help to us," he said.
"And just what do we really hope to accomplish in the sewers?" the Janissary countered. "We have no plan!"
"I have a ceremony to perform," was the cleric's only answer.
Nunzio let his hair fall back across his face and snorted.
"But I guess I can always pay her back later for what she did," he said. "For now, I've got you. That will have to do."
He was shifting his head from side to side as his nose sampled the air, looking for the invisible Archer.
Finian stood very still near Omrixx and he heard his friend whisper, "Duate' all ess'lumber." Omrixx's hands made a few small gestures, and the Archer realized that he was casting a spell.
"Show yourself, coward!" Nunzio growled, still unable to pinpoint Finian's location. "Show yourself or this little one dies first!"
He pointed at Omrixx and at the same time Omrixx pointed back. The air around Nunzio, Rudivan and the four giant rats distorted and wavered as if it were all a mirage. The giant rats slumped immediately to their sides, tongues lolling. Rudivan and Nunzio staggered and looked as if they were going to swoon, but only Rudivan went down. The blond wererat fell unfeeling to the floor.
Nunzio blinked his one eye and glowered at Omrixx.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you even more than the mongrelman," the skaven said and his features began to change. Silver fur bristled from his pale flesh, a pink tail thrust itself from his hindquarters, and his ears began to grow very large.
"Stay beside me and pass when I say," Omrixx muttered to Finian. The half-elf pulled a sheet of vellum from the inside cover of his book and shoved the volume inside his shirt.
One of the rewards that Omrixx had gotten from the town of Shiningwater was a pair of scrolls. One contained a spell that he didn't know and therefore planned to transcribe into his spellbook. The other was one that he already possessed and at the time he'd gotten it, he'd been a little disappointed. He was glad for it now.
"A placidio spryatis!" he read from the scroll, activating the magical runes penned there by Sirgil the High Mage of Shiningwater. The vellum turned black and dissolved to ash in his hands once the magical spell stored on it was released.
At the same time, a sheet of flame erupted from the half-elf's hands, striking Nunzio squarely.
The wererat squealed in pain and leapt back, its fur burning with magical fire.
"Now, Finian!" Omrixx shouted as he got to his own feet and bolted for the corridor leading out. "NOW!"
The Companions beat feet for the exit, and although it was a fairly straight shot with little chance of losing their pursuer, Nunzio had apparently had enough for the time being. They encountered no resistance and no sign of pursuit.
Back on the surface, Finian removed his invisibility ring and the two leaned against the side of the burnt out building. They were both breathing heavily from the hurried escape from the sewers and from the excitement of their adventure.
"Good job, back there," Finian told Omrixx.
"Thanks. But lucky is more like it," Omrixx replied. "I think I may have rushed us both into a situation for which we were barely prepared."
"I really wish we'd had the full party," Finian mused. "It would have definitely made a huge difference. I am not pleased that they did not all come."
"It bugs me that they seemed to be stretching the healing process so much," Omrixx agreed. "Perhaps I was a little too overanxious but I tried to prod them and they still wouldn't budge."
"Yeah," the Archer nodded. "Let's get back to Grey House and tell them all what they missed."
They stepped out of the alley and headed down Crescent Street with the setting sun at their backs.
Kirnoth worked to get his emotions under control. He licked his lips and placed his hands in his lap, his fingers already curled into the first symbol of the Magic Missile spell.
"Well, here I am," he said evenly. With a sneer, he added, "Tell me, 'cousin', why have you been looking for me?"
"Just like that, hmmm?" Mice'talaburra purred. "No magic this time? No friends of yours to try killing me?"
"I don't need to kill you," Kirnoth replied smoothly. "And even if I wanted to, I wouldn't need any friends to do it."
His show of bravado elicited a peal of laughter from the half-drow. It was a wild and dangerous sound that brought several dozen angry shushings from amidst the library's stacks.
"You're a cool one, cousin," she hissed, drawing a knee up on which she rested her chin. She smiled at him like a cat with a mouse. "I was hoping that you'd try casting against me here. I do so love watching Mageholme's counterspells in action."
She sighed expansively then and made a quick gesture that caused Kirnoth to jump in spite of himself.
Mice'talaburra giggled again, but softer this time.
"Enough of this," she said suddenly, her face snapping closed in an eyeblink. "I was sent to Barnacus to get something from Grey House and you're going to help me get it"
Kirnoth crossed his arms and shook his head.
"Not likely," he replied, pointedly NOT thinking about Cynder or the warpstone rod.
Her yellow eyes stared deeply into his.
"I think you will," she cooed and unbuttoned her blouse. A pierced mithril coin hung between her breasts. "Unless you want me to come to Grey House one night and take it for myself."
Kirnoth recoiled from the drow's lewd display but said nothing.
"I need a book from the library, and with this mithril coin I can bypass all the guards and wards any time I wish," Mice'talaburra told him as she slowly did up her buttons. "Of course, if you make me do that, I won't be very happy. And I might just have to take it out on Abernathy or maybe his wife. Or his daughter, perhaps."
She smiled her butcher's smile again and despite himself, a cold chill passed up the fearie elf's spine. He didn't let it show.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Nothing that anyone will miss," she told him. "It's an old book of poetry."
"Poetry?" Kirnoth pretended not to suspect what book of poetry she was talking about.
"It's called the Tome of Brader," the drow said. "Give it to me and nothing ill need befall the members of The Grey. Try to thwart me and there will be blood spilled. I'll give you until tomorrow to decide which it is to be."
She stood then, rising to her feet with a panther's grace.
"In exchange for the Tome of Brader, I will give you the location of a certain temple that you're looking for," she said. "We will conduct our exchange under the watchful eyes of the priests of Waukeen. They will ensure that you do not try to double-cross me."
Now it was Kirnoth's turn to chuckle.
"You're a strange one to talk about a double-cross," he said and Mice'talaburra's smile widened.
"I'll contact you tomorrow. Meantimes, think on your decision, cousin," she told him. "Gain something you want in exchange for something you don't need, or suffer my wrath. The choice, as they say, is yours."
Saying that she turned and disappeared into the stacks. Once he was sure she was well out of sight, Kirnoth let a tremor of dread move through his body.
As Ledare and Ruze moved west up South Gate Road from Barter Street, they spotted Finian and Omrixx crossing toward Grey House from Festival Street. They called out to them and the two half-elves waited by the front gate for the pair to make their way to them.
"I see that you're both still in one piece," Ledare said and before Finian or Omrixx could reply, Kirnoth rushed up behind them with a look of fear in his eyes.
"Get inside!" he told them, urging them through the gate. "I've got something that we need to talk about."
"Mice'talaburra found me at Mageholme!" Kirnoth exclaimed as soon as the group was off the street and standing inside Grey House's walled courtyard.
"The drow?" Ledare asked, remembering well the evening when Afendemar and Cerakkean had disclosed the fact that the last apprentices to The Grey Company had all turned to evil. Mice'talaburra and Fendathiel had been two of the apprentices and it seemed likely that they had been behind the ambush on the Riverneck Path.
"She says she wants the Tome of Brader," Kirnoth went on. "I think it's the book that Ledare has been researching."
The Janissary nodded.
"I've been working on analyzing the poetry in this book," she said. "It deals with Aphyx and the last time she tried to seize power in the Realms. But I never got far enough or understood enough to give us a strong indication of what we should do."
"Why would drow want a book of poetry?" Ruze asked.
"I'm not sure!" Kirnoth replied. "But she says if I don't bring it to her, she'll get it herself. And she threatened members of Grey House."
"What?!" Finian exclaimed, his hand going instinctively to the hilt of his longsword. "We've got to warn them!"
"I thought we had the only representatives of Grey House in our party," Omrixx said. "Isn't that what Abernathy said before?"
"Actually, it was Abernathy that she threatened," Kirnoth explained. Turning to Finian he added, "And his family."
"We should warn them now!" Finian said, breaking suddenly into a jog. "Get them out of Grey House!!"
"Wait!" Ledare called and the Archer skidded to a stop halfway to the front door. "We should go over what we know so far. We can warn Abernathy after we've got a plan of action."
"We need to move as quickly as we possible can, though," Kirnoth cautioned. "I fear that Mice'talaburra is going to strike very soon."
In the Morning Room, they sat and exchanged information. Finian paced back and forth as twilight settled into full night and Ledare told them about Strenchburg Junction and the man, Rherram, who might even now be assisting one of the prophecied births.
"I know Rherram!" Finian said, sounding more than a little concerned. "He was a good man. He wouldn't be mixed up in anything to do with Aphyx!"
"Maybe not willingly..." Ledare suggested.
"I would very much like to hear what Finian and Omrixx found in the sewers because I would like to suggest that the entire party go down there immediately, this very night to allow Ruze to complete his ceremony."
"Hmmm," Ruze intoned. He had a glass of Fireamber and he swirled the liquid around in the glass. "I can clearly see that Chaos is seeping into this world like cream through coffee, which is why my Temple has sent me back to the sewers to destroy the altar in the first place."
"The spells that I was able to produce, taxed me to exhaustion. I will need to rest before going back down there," Omrixx confessed.
"Spells?" Kirnoth asked. "What happened down there?"
"We got the spell book and we were cornered by Nunzio!" Finian hurredly explained. "It was awful!"
"Finian agreed to go in to the sewers again with me and we did recover my stuff," said a little more calmly. "We encountered Nunzio and some of his vermin pets before we could do any clue searching beyond the original cells you encountered before. Whew what a stench!"
Omrixx waved his hand in front of his face as if he could still smell the rotting carcasses.
"You encountered Nunzio?" Ledare asked, leaning forward in her chair.
"Yeah!" the Archer told her. "The fat naked guy was busy sniffing and looking for me and talking of how he would kill us. Boy, he hates you Ledare! You messed him up bad."
"Wonderful..." the Janissary sighed.
"Also with him was that other wererat, Rudivan," Finian went on. "Omrixx put them to sleep then he burned Nunzio to a crisp. He will be mad as hell when he gets out."
"You didn't kill Nunzio?" Ledare asked and both Finian and Omrixx shook their heads. "Great. Now he's going to be really hot."
Ruze chuckled at Ledare's pun, but Finian launched right back into his story.
"We probably should have killed him there, but we just wanted to get out of there!" he said then he patted Omrixx's shoulder and added. "But, boy Omrixx is really a powerful mage. I have never seen anyone do stuff like that! Maybe if you were with us Kirnoth, you could have done something like that."
The elf looked somewhat annoyed by the comment.
"I was a little busy trying to find out how we mightt destroy the warpstone rod," he said coldly.
"The spells I cast were really just a last resort," Omrixx explained quickly. "I have not faced Nunzio in hand-to-hand combat and certainly didn't want to alone. I'm glad we made it out with our lives, thank you, Finian."
"I wish we could have finished him off..." Finian muttered.
"I want to make it clear that they are not dead but stunned," Omrixx added. "They WILL be there if and when we should return."
"We should return to the sewers tomorrow for Ruze to perform his duty," Ledare suggested. "Will that be soon enough, Ruze?"
He shrugged.
"I have no certain time frame to perform the ritual," the Battleguard said. "However, I sense I should do it soon before the opportunity passes. There are two ways I see to accomplish this: one, by stealth; or two, by force. If we go, just a few of us, in by stealth then we have less chance of being detected but we are obviously weaker in a fight. If we go by force we are strong but more detectable."
"Force!" Finian voted, slamming his fist into the palm of his other hand. "And right now!"
Ruze drained his glass and looked critically at the Archer.
"Finian, I do believe you should have some Mingha Tea," he said. "It will calm your nerves."
"It is not time for any of your damn tea!" Finian growled. "It's time to go in in and finish them off while they are down!"
"Have you been dipping in your stock of Huile herbs again?" Ruze asked, but the Archer just growled in reply.
"I agree that we need to go in right away and I don't think that stealth is an option," Kirnoth piped in. "I believe Ruze's mission needs to be our top priority."
"I do have to accomplish this mission for Shaharizod," Ruze told him. "However, I certainly do not wish to put anyone in danger due to me."
"I will assist you Ruze," Omrixx said with a nod. "You speak clearly of what you know and must do. I like that."
"Excellent," the Battleguard said with a smile.
"I know this Nunzio does not have a nice thing to say about any of you, or me now for that matter," Omrixx went on. "But he is ready for us."
"That's why we should strike now!" Finian asserted but Omrixx shook his head.
"I need rest before going back, but I am otherwise ready to go," he said.
"How about this," Kirnoth suggested. "While Ledare tries to get some help from the Janissaries, why don't Finiia and I talk to Abernathy in private and explain the situation with Mice'talaburra. I want to ask him if there's anything we can do to revoke her membership to The Grey Company."
"So that her mithril coin won't work for her to bypass the security?" Ledare asked and the elf nodded.
"I then want to look at that Tome of Brader and ask you to help me when you gets back," the mage directed his statement to Ledare. "Maybe we can translate as much of the poem as we can tonight and try to figure out why Mice'talaburra wants it so badly. And then let's all get a good night's sleep and start out first thing in the morning for the sewers."
"That sounds like a good use of our time," Ledare said.
Ruze agreed, and Finian grumbled but nodded his assent.
"I'll have some of that tea, Ruze. It will relax me so that I may get some rest," Omrixx said. "And Finian, may I try that harp that we grabbed from Roach's place?"
"Sure," Finian said sullenly. "I don't think I'll be using it."
"Did you figure out how to control it?" Omrixx asked and the Archer shook his head. "Well, it'll give me something to do before bed."
"You mean to tell me that those two... WOMEN have threatened Alyllyra and Gwaedry with bodily harm?!" Abernathy hissed through bared teeth. He said the word 'women' as if he really wanted to say something much more colorful that his gentile upbringing wouldn't allow. It was the first time Kirnoth had seen the manservant lose his cool.
"Actually, it was only Mice'telaburra," the mage told him.
"Bah!" Abernathy scoffed, his brows knit together and his eyes blazing. "If you saw the one, then the other can't be far behind! Those two lavished affection on each other in a most lacivious fashion!"
Finian remembered the man telling him that he had been an adventurer in his youth. Listening to the steel in Abernathy's words and seeing the anger in his eyes, the Archer at last began to believe him.
"We wanted to warn you," Finian said. "So that you could hide and be on alert."
"Thank you, Archer Talteppe," Abernathy said with uncharacteristic familiarity. He patted Finian absently on the back and started to walk away rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That's what I intend to do."
"Ledare has gone to the Janissary guildhall to get some extra protection for Grey House," Kirnoth told the man and Abernathy stopped.
Turning toward the two Companions he said, "Then they will be guarding an empty house. We're leaving tonight."
"What?" Finian asked, his jaw slack.
"The Grey Lords maintain several safe houses - towers really - throughout the Realms. There's one in the forest south of Barnacus," Abernathy said. "I'm taking my family there this very night. When the danger is passed, you can come and get us."
"But won't Mice'talaburra and Fendathiel know about the place?" Kirnoth cautioned. "It might not be safe there."
Abernathy shook his head.
"You two are the first initiates to hear of the towers," he said. "Don't make me regret telling you of them by blabbing about their existance to anyone outside the Company."
Finian and Kirnoth nodded and Abernathy started to turn away.
"The drow could follow you there!" Finian said quickly. "I think you're safer here."
"We'll take the emergency tunnel," the man replied.
Noting the blank expressions on their faces he huffed and shook his head.
"What sort of tour of Grey House did Etoewyn give you?" he grumbled. "There are tunnels beneath the house that run out under the city walls. We'll take them and exit well away from prying eyes."
"There's still a risk that Mice'talaburra may know of the tunnels and attack you by that route," the Archer worried.
"It's possible, assuming that Etoewyn wasn't drunk when he gave their tour as well. But, no matter. I can handle myself in the tunnels," Abernathy said. "And once we reach the tower we're safe from anything short of an archmage."
Finian still looked concerned.
"And we'll have the dog with us for protection," the manservent added. "If that's acceptable to you, or course."
Kirnoth left Finian to collect a map from Abernathy showing the location of the tower safe house and went to the library to take a look at the Tome of Brader. He found Ruze already there. The Battleguard was eating from a plate of sweetbreads and sipping at a cup of tea. He had his feet up on a chair and a napkin tucked into the collar of his shirt like a bib. His belly and chest were peppered with crumbs.
"Are you ready for your ceremony tomorrow?" Kirnoth asked by way of greeting.
"There is little that I can do to prepare," Ruze answered around a mouthful or pastry. "The hard part comes at the scene, so-to-say."
Kirnoth nodded and began shuffling through Ledare's notes, taking care not to upset their order. He hoped to be able to make some sense of things before the Janissary returned so that he'd be a help to her rather than a hinderance.
"Would you care for some tea, Kirnoth?" Ruze asked, droping his feet to the floor with a loud CLOMP! Crumbs rained down onto the carpet. "It's Mingha Tea. It will calm your nerves."
"My nerves are fine," the mage said, not looking up from the papers. "And I'll need a clear head if I'm to make any sense of this translation."
There was a moment of silence then as the elf shuffled parchment and Ruze chewed. At last, the Battleguard swallowed audibly and spoke.
"Hmm...," he intoned until Kirnoth looked up at him. "I have several questions, if I may so inquire?"
The mage put the stack of papers down and turned to face the cleric.
"What is it you wish to know?" the elf said with an edge of irritation in his voice.
"Well, I had wanted to ask Ledare as she seems to have her finger on the heart beat of what is going on here," Ruze began. "But I suppose you'll be able to answer me as well."
"I'll try," Kirnoth said. "What do you wish to know?"
"Well, I know that I am not part of The Grey Company and only have been attached to your group recently, but what exactly is going on here?" Ruze asked. "I have heard that your prior member, my Sister, had visions. Even for a cleric that is rare. You spoke of some kind of Rod and ran into a Drow. Who is Muddah? Why is Finian all excited? What seems to be these clues and signs we are looking for?"
Kirnoth shifted in his chair, craning his head to study the other tables in the room. Spying what he was looking for, he got to his feet and grabbed the few sheets of parchment he'd amassed in his clue hunt. Compared to the Tome of Brader, they were rather meager, but they yielded information about current events that the Tome did not.
"I think the best way to answer most of your questions is to let you examine the clues we've picked up so far," the elf said as he gathered the papers. "You can read over them and draw your own conclusions without your ideas being colored by my own take on them. Tomorrow, you can tell me what you think is going on and I'll share my opinions as well."
Ruze accepted the few scraps of paper. The one on top was partially chared as if someone had tried to dispose of it in a fire.
"Okay," the Battleguard said, sensing that he was being brushed off by the elf. He pulled his napkin from his shirt collar and swiped briefly at his lips before he stood. "I'll take a look and let you know what I think at breakfast."
By the time Ledare had returned from her excursion to get outside help, Kirnoth had begun to make sense of her notes and the various translation texts she was using as references. As he was looking through the actual Tome itself he saw that the couplets each rhymed, but he was mightily surprised to find that after they were translated into first High Speech and then Guttertongue, they still rhymed. There was clearly something unnatural about the book.
Working together until the wee hours of the night, the Janissary and the mage made some significant headway. At last, Ledare could keep her eyes open no longer and Kirnoth realized that if he didn't get some rest, his mind would be too cluttered to effectively tap The Weave. Working together, they had translated another nine couplets, and had finally made their way into the second half of the poem. There were still many pages left to translate, but, reading the last two rhyming pairs, the Companions began to suspect why it was that Mice'talaburra wanted the book in the first place.