Rashemen - Book 3

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Sometime around noon the day before, Elendia had passed the bodies of two massive creatures rotting in the heat. Something about the grisly scene made her think of her friends. She was getting used to that... calling them her friends.

Lost in her reverie she was caught by surprise when her spell ended. Her foot sank into the soft sand, throwing her flat on her face. She had been running pretty much non-stop for the last thirty-six hours. Her spell had been protecting her from the elements but now with the spell gone the sand was sticking to sweat and the sun was sapping her strength.
She prayed to Tyr again to protect her from the elements. As the globe expanded to surround her she used some water to the try to wash off some of the sand. She sat in the shade of a large boulder for several minutes before continuing towards Waterdeep.
The fact that she hadn't found the drow brothers yet concerned her. She knew they were accomplished enough with magic to withstand the elements and they were more than capable of taking care of any threats they came upon. Her true concern was that perhaps she had gotten turned around and wasn't actually going the right direction. She doubted that possible with her Ranger's experience but she'd never been in a desert before. Yet she couldn't help worry about the brothers.

 

Ciana looked at the turmoil written on Nakia's face and trying to reassure her said

"We should help Kongol Nakia, the threads of prophecy appear to be pulling us now; besides the brothers and Elendia haven't caught us yet, and when they do I think the scroll will have a surprise for us."

 

"Yes, let's help this Miranda girl. I think she sounds like a nice person. We should help her first." Sepp nodded emphatically. He wasn't really sure, but anything to delay a prophesized battle with a god was welcome. In a lot of Ma's stories, the hero had tragically died in a blaze of glory.

 

"While you decide what to do and prepare, I need a word with Sepp, alone" saying this she drew Sepp away from the group and then quietly spoke to him

"This prophecy will place quite a burden on your young shoulders Sepp, I am not sure who will or will not survive what is to come, except for you. In your case it becomes quite clear that you will become the guardian of the artefact after the battles are finished, it is your burden to either protect, hide or even destroy it. I felt that you should give some thought to that and keep those thoughts to yourself.

"The artefact has great power, and can be used for good or evil to devastating effect, it may be better for the world that it never sees the light of day again. I am sorry to place this charge upon you Sepp, but your decisions on this matter will carry signifigance for many peoples and Gods."

 

At Ciana's and Sepps words Nakia felt a sense of relief. She wanted to help Kongol just as she would have helped the Brothers if they had only been able to trust. She sighed sadly at the thought but smiled up at Kongol.

"Aye, we will help you, friend but pray tell us what you can so that we are prepared."

But as she spoke a wind blew up and sand began to swirl around them. She looked to the north and in the distance saw a cloud headed toward them.

"Ayee, sand storm. Atten, can tell if there be water, one of them oasis things nearby were we might find some shelter? That dust cloud looks bad to me."

 

Kelvados' head wobbled to side to side. His vision blurred and the world seemed multicoloured! He turned to his brother, oddly he seemed to be on fire.

"Hey, Delinos. Who set you on fire?" He inquired in a slow drawl. His knees felt wobbly, but suddenly it departed. He stood straight again, being a ranger, he had a resistance to many kinds of drugs. This one was potent. His brother was still wobbly, he put his arm around his shoulder, and headed off again. He could feel Viconia, and he knew he was going in the right direction. Him and his brother leaning against him, yet again, headed out into the desert sun, Delinos' spell wore off, the sand stung their shins and cheeks. The sun burnt their delicate skin, but yet they went on. One was innebriated by some fermented cactus juice, and the other was having visions and odd experiences, but yet they both headed for where, they believe, their sister is.

 

Elendia happened upon a small outcropping of rock. As she paused for a few moments she noticed several small funeral cairns. She assumed they were either children or even halflings. It suddenly struck her that those cairns could belong to Nakia and Sepp. Her need to catch up to her firends became overwhelming.
She dropped her weapons into her bag of holding and the rest of her armor. Anything that would slowher down went into the bag. She then took off towards Waterdeep at a dead run.
Before long yet another sand storm hit and she was blinded but still ran headlong through the storm.

 

Delinos blinked over and over, trying to rid himself of the magical fairy boys dancing around them. "The one called Beefy is looking at me funny." Delinos declared to his brother, receiving a smile and a roll of the eyes.

 

Elendia was concentrating on running, and thinking about her friends. She didn't even realize there were others around her until she almost ran into them. She stopped short and as she dropped to the ground a flick of her wrist dispeled the globe surrounding her. She had come out of the storm several hours ago but she could see another approaching from the north.
She heard a familiar voice, was it Nakia? It had to be she was shouting for Atten. Elendia stood and ran forward without thinking. As she ran towards the group several of her friends jumped ready to attack. With a large smile on her face she greeted her friends.
"Sepp!! Welcome back!" She was happy to see him again. All of them were here except the brothers. She assumed they were off hunting or scouting. She sat and drank heavily from her waterskin.

 

Kongol brighten up to see Elendia was finally with them and he smiled as he heard the positive answer from not only Nakia, but Sepp and Ciana as well.

“No need to seek for an oasis” Kongol replied, “I know where the shadow is heading, near here is a tunnel, a cave of sorts that will take us to where I believe Miranda is. Once we get to the cave I'll explain myself and who she”

Kongol took out his bag a small cloth long enough to cover some of his face from the incoming sandstorm; he knew that it would be in top of them in no time. Kongol then gently picked up both Nakia and Sepp, there steps were too short and the incoming storm wouldn't wait for no one. Seeing Elendia gasping for air “I'm sorry but we must hurry, you'll be able to rest as soon we reach safe place”

Kongol started to move as fast as he could towards the nearby mountain, as he did, he constantly look back to make sure that Elendia and the others were able to keep up and not get lost in the already imminent storm.

Once the reach the edge of the mountain, Kongol scanned the ridges until he found the entrance to the passageway. He looked back one last time to see his friends behind and entered. A few steps inside he put Nakia and Sepp down and waited for the others to get there.

 

"Thanks, Kongol. That sure beats walking on your own." Sepp looked around the passageway and started to get a feel for its stone. "Good to be underground again too, isn't it cousin?"

"Sure is," Nakia agreed.

 

Elendia walked into the cave two steps behind Kongol. Again she sat down and drank heavily from her waterskin. "Please tell me we aren't leaving for a while." She leaned her head back against the cave wall and closed her eyes. She figured she could at least rest until Kongol explained what was going on.

 

Jex came into the cave and tore the strip of cloth he had covering his mouth and pulled his hood back from his eyes.

"I hate this desert." He muttered brushing sand from his armor and beginning to take it off to get the more adventurous grains.

 

Nakia smiles at Sepp and Kongol, "Too bad Kongol can't carry us home but the way things are going he needs be free to fight."

She proceeds to lay out food and drink. "Tis nice to be out of that sand." She sits back munching on some goodies while waiting for Kongol's story.

 

Ciana stood at the entrance looking out at the storm, its outlying tendrils trying to find a purchase in the cave but only leaving swirling eddies that died and left soft small piles of sand.

"I worry about the Brothers if they are out in this storm they could easily miss us, or get lost, or worse, can any of you sense them? I feel certain they are somewhere out there, and I am more certain we will need them ere this adventure finishes"

She stood there at the entrance a worried look on her face.

 

"That's what's been bothering me!" Sepp said. Something had been nagging the back of his mind for awhile. Ciana's mentioning of the brothers brought it to the forefront. He walked to the cave entrance, then took a few steps out into the storm.

The fierce wind blowing wasn't his primary element, but the sand it blew was just small specks of earth. He let his senses be taken up into the storm, and searched for a connection with the brothers at the same time.

They were surprisingly not that far away, though they didn't seem to be doing too well. When he tried to make contact with them, some fuzzy entity hindered him. He scream thought to them anyway, hoping the message would make it through. "My brothers! Do not give up hope. A little more effort and you will be with me. Come to me!"

 

"How did I get here before them?" Elendia asked those around her with confusion. "I saw the clerics at the temple teleport them but I doubt I could have passed right by them in the storm without sensing them." Elendia felt a bit guilty for leaving them out in the storm, even though she knew they could take care of themselves.

 

"How come you never seem to run out of food, Nakia? You're like a walking tavern."

 

"Well, she knows how much I like to eat, so she stocked up well on vittles at the last town. Good thing too," Sepp said, munching on something dry and chewy.

 

"Shush, Sepp(laugh). Ah, Atten, that be a Hin secret and one reason why caravan masters hire us. We can keep them fed and provisioned when and where others can't."

Speaking loudly enough for all to hear her, "Don't worry about the Drow Brothers. They have power to take care of themselves." Then she frowns and her lips tighten, "They must choose their own way."

She looks at Jex, "Jex, you are most fortunate. You had good parents and where not raised in the ways of the Drow. I feel sad for them for they have no love and are taught to distrust others, even their own kin."

She slumps back against the wall her posture one of deep sadness and is that a tear rolling down her cheek?