Rashemen - Book 3

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Ciana finished munching her cake, "These are good Nakia, there's not a lot more to tell really. Once Del found out I was under a geas and knew where I could find either of them, she came with us. At the temple they carried on in the general direction of you, while I visited the old priest again. He gave me the scroll, and some answers. In the morning they teleported me to the rest and we caught up with you, the rest you know. May I have another of those cakes please?"

 

"So it was the scared Del that was certain that I was possessed back in Iceborn. I just thought that Del had slipped back into her untrusting ways." Jex spoke quietly from where he was standing over to prone Del. "She had me quite worried. Perhaps we should be on our way though. We have a socerer with evil intentions for three members of our group that we need to stop. I believe that Kongol can carry Del until he's tired and needs a rest."

An old spark seemed to have returned to Jex. All the talk of mages, and magics and evil twins, had bothered him. All Jex wanted to do was fight evil and Torturus to the best of the half drows knowledge was evil.

 

Nakia passed Ciana another cake. "Thanks, make em from a special recipe. Good sustaining food. Now Ciana and the Drow brothers know about this Torturus guy. We need to know as much as we can. It's dark now which is no problem for me, Jex,
Delvinos or Kelvados. I'd rather travel at night but not if it hampers the rest."

She looks at Del. "Elendia, Ciana do you know what Del will be like now? We need to be able to work together if we want to defeat this evil guy. It's important to know you can depend on your comrades. Jex, Delvinos, Kelvados and I have a special bond. Maron is sun to my night. Kongol is rock. Ciana I don't know so well but seems hokay. Elendia is new but Del I find a big question. She had problems before are they worse or better?"

She shakes her head and looks questionly at the others.

 

Ciana looked up from the cake she was eating, quickly swallowing she said "From what the priests told me and believed she would be cured, I don't know about problems from before.

"As for Torturus part of me wants nothing more to do with him, a part of me wants to stop him, so that he can hurt no-one else; but there is a part of me that wants to make him suffer for what he did to me. And it is that last part that truly worries me, for to do so I become like him. Besides until the geas is lifted at a temple by Maron where Del goes I go. I think I have about 4 months left before I have to return to the temple forever"

 

"Then prehaps we will have to wait until Del comes to. Will she want to help Delvinos and Kelvados? She often spoke her distrust of them simply because they are drow. I do not think it wise to take her with us unless we know we can depend on her when things get tough."

Nakia checks to see if anyone needs anything and calmly continues to refresh herself.

Looking carefully at her you will sense a change. She has always had the ability to blend with the shadows but now the shadows seem to reach out to blend with her. She is one with the world around her.

 

"Well, regardless of your company, although we appreciate it, we will be leaving soon."

 

"Ready whenever you are, me brothers." Nakia looked at Ciana, Del and Kongol and simply shurgged. The choice was theirs to make. She glanced over to where Jex blended with the shadows.

She gathered her things and joined the brothers. They were children of the shadows and could move as silently as a leaf borne on the wind. Again she glanced in Jex's direction.

 

"Don't worry about me Nakia. I'm bored of all the magics, evil twins, and geas. I'm worried about Sepp and I wonder where he ran off to but, perhaps this chase of vengeance will stir my passions." Jex said as he stepped out of the shadows. His strange red eyes had a small spark in them. "Do you really believe that the mottled group you have will be able to go against a mage and whatever followers he has as powerful as this Torturus has been described without your faithful swords. Don't worry about the wounds I suffered in the battle with The Bladesinger they are not a hinderance any longer and don't be concerned about what will happen to me in Waterdeep. I'm sure I've been long forgotten by those who I wronged."

Tossing his small pack over his shoulder and rearranging his cloak, the half drow let his hood drop to reveal his grey face, white mohawk and drow heritadge. It was the first time in a while that he had walked without the cover of his hood. "Let us be on our way, Waterdeep , Torturus and whatever else awaits, and we wouldn't want them to get impatiant now would we."

 

Ciana looked up after listening to Jex and pointed out "Most of his attendants are humans, some Orcs they are fighters only he allows no other power but his own there. He believes that the numbers he has about 30 will be enough to protect him, but he houses them in one barracks which has only one entrance and small windows that only a halfling could possibly get out of. It would be easy to block the entrance so that help could not come from that direction and attacking at 3 or 4 in the morning would be the time most of the guards and Torturus are sleeping then."

 

"I will follow you until Del awakens. At that point I will decide whether or not to follow you further." Elendia looked at Del's unconcious form leaning against the tree. "I know not the people in this group, and Del has asked for my help. Until I know she is ok I will not leave her side."

 

"As you know I have no choice but to go where Del goes until a temple is reached"

 

Kongol was quite confused at the event just past. Many thing past thru his mind, Maron song and the memories from his childhood, the departure of Sepp, plus other memories hunt him as well, but he did not wanted to worried about the past now.

Kongol gently picked up Del’s body and put him over his shoulder.

“Ok, Ciana? That is your name, right? Where to now, I guess we are not going to Nakia’s homeland anymore? I was looking forward to see her home, but I’ll be more than happy to assist you…so I’m ready when you are!!”

 

Gathering their things the group moved out, Kelvados and Delinos leading the way. Nakia loped along side Jex and using the link established when he died she mind spoke him (No one else in the group can hear this with the possible exception of the Drow brothers). Jex, do not worry about Sepp. He will be fine. How I know this is strange and hard to explain and must remain a secret especially from Sepp. Years ago in Athkatla I met his son, Scott. Sepp had sent him back from the future to save my life which he did.

Aloud she says, "We have faced powerful enemies before. We will miss Sepp and I wish Atten would join us but as a group we have many skills." She shrugs, "I knew the dangers when I took up adventuring. It's the in-between treking that bores me. Although with good comrads that can be bearable."

 

Delinos and Kelvados walked in silence, occasionally using their sign language to communicate of little things, sounds, and commotions around them.

Suddenly, Delinos grabbed his head and screamed in agony. He dropped to the ground, twisting and wriggling in the dirt.

YOU COME FOR ME, DROW. YOUR QUEST WILL END SOON. I WILL TORTURE YOUR FRIENDS AS YOU WATCH. I WILL KILL THEM AND DRAIN THEIR BLOOD AND BATHE YOU IN IT. THEN, THE SAME SHALL BE DONE TO YOU AND YOUR BROTHER. COME TO ME. COME TO ME IF YOU DARE.

Delinos twitched as the yelling stopped. He cracked his eyes open to see his companions crowded around him, Kelvados on his knees. Nakia, Jex, and Ciana rubbing their heads.

"He knows we're coming," Delinos states in a monotonous tone, "Torturus sees us. He wants us. He feels us." His voice trails off and a single tear goes down his face. He wipes it off with a shaking arm and looks down to see it was blood.

 

"I don't undertsand" said Ciana as she rubbed her temples wincing more at the memory of pain than the pain itself, "Why is he talking to you, does this mean he thinks he can't reach me, and if he does how can we exploit this to our advantage."

 

"Quick question. How did he get into my head. I've never had anything to do with him. Is this from what happened when I died." Jex muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose trying to get rid of the cobwebs.

 

With the natural halfling resilience Nakia recovered quickly.

"Could be. You, I, Delinos and Kelvados are all linked. We share now. This could be important. Elendia, Maron and Kongol were not affected. Del is still unconscious but I bet she wasn't either. Ciana, you seem to know the most about this guy. We need a plan. You be right how can we exploit this?"

 

"I'm not entirely sure, but if he can send and the brothers and you and Jex hear it because you're linked together, whereas I hear it because somehow I'm linked to him. More he isn't seeing us otherwise he would have spoken at me, he can't sense me which means... oh I'm saying this all upside back to front. Hold on a minute while I think"

Ciana sat there for a while thinking then she looked "Ok I think I've got it now, he can sense the brothers and their intent, but he can't actually see you otherwise he'd know I was here. Jex and Nakia heard the voice through your link, and I heard it cos I am linked to him through what he did. Now that means through my link with him I know where he is and some of what he's thinking if I try hard enough, but that may mean he notices me. What I suggest is we get there fast as we can, block the barracks and I surprise him at the opportune moment, the distraction should be enough to bring him down, do you understand?"

 

"I agree, but I'm not blocknig the barracks. I want to kill a few orcs. You guys fight the mage and I'll deal with the minions if you will." Jex said as his hands drifted towards his scimitars. He'd been itching for a fight, to test out his arms since he'd been freed from the tree after the encounter with the Bladesinger.

 

Elendia made a decision. She would help these people as much as she could. "Jex if you'll have me I will help you fend off the minions. My mace and my spells should help your blades."