Trademeet

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Tania stood held by the magic but then she reached deep into herself and realized that the magic held the human but not the silkie. The wizard had either not realized her dual nature or his magic was unable to touch the silkie. It didn't matter which.

She reached deep for the silkie magic. There was moisture here. Quite a bit. She called it to her until she was surrounded by water. She changed to the silkie and moving with the water she seized Vizgea with her teeth and threw him against the wall. He lay stunned but still concious. Everything was strange to her and she was uncertain what to do next. She did not know what this 'Book of Names" was or how to deal with it. Prehaps it could not touch her silkie side because so very few knew her silkie (and true) name.

She whirled and slapped the man with her tail throwing him against another wall. If she could not free them from the spell at least she could help keep the man from them.

 

Vizgea smacked against the wall, astounded by the transformation of the woman and his inability to command her.

"Help me!" he gasped.

"That sounds like an order," Galliel said. "Maybe you want me to help you get undressed, seeing as what you had in mind to do with me would necessitate that." Galliel found that she could move towards Vizgea, when she was thinking about undressing him.

Tania held his head against the wall, and Galliel quickly undressed the man, taking off his robes, some bracers, rings, and a necklace. She did leave his wrap around his waist, though she checked that he didn't have anything dangerous in it. He didn't.

"Release all of us, and we might let you live," Galliel said.

"I release you all," Vizgea squeaked.

Galliel gave him a quick knee to the groin, and he dropped on the floor, as her companions were released from their mental bonds.

 

"Good," Elwithral said, brushing himself off. He walked over to a table, examining the papers and small gadgets on it.

Dalamar coughed a bit, then looked up the stairway, keeping watch.

 

Tania released the silkie magic and returned to human form.

"Aye thank something that the magic didn't affect my silkie side. What is this "Book of Names" that it can catch us so? I know nothing of it."

She shivers and shakes herself then joins Dalamar keeping watch.

 

Kalab snarled as soon as the spell broke. Even though he fell awkwardly and landed with a thud he was on his feet in a few seconds. Grabbing Vizgea by the throat he lifted the man off the ground and punched him solidly in the face and dropped him back to the ground.

Walking to the window, Kalab stood staring outside. Allowing his emotion to regain control

 

Vizgea spit a mouthful of blood and a few teeth onto the floor.

"I told the Master for the longest time that it was just a legend, nothing of such power could truly exist, but after many years of toil, he found it. It has all the names of all the named beings in existence, and gives its bearer the power to summon and command them, or at least, so we think. But after that test of its power over you, I am beginning to believe in it. Do what you will with me, my place in eternity will be well rewarded."

He spat another mouthful of blood, this time aiming for Galliel's boots. Only a quick dance step kept them clean.

 

"Be quiet for a time," Elwithral said, spitting in the man's face, "I want to forget that you are even here."

Elwithral took out the familiar eagle figurine, and placed it on the table. He whispered a few words, and the figurine on the table grew to a normal-sized eagle. She let out a soft caw, and it jumped onto Elwithral's outstretched hand. He whispered something into it's ear, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Ellesime has gone to tell the Harpers of what we've learned, and maybe they can tell us something."

 

Tania turns and looks at Vizgea. "He knows I am a silkie. If this book has the names of all named creatures that is bad. We cannot let him go. Lethandar forgive me but I think we should send him to that great reward he expects. If we can keep his Master from knowing my dual nature that might be a secret weapon we may need."

 

Dalamar rubbed his hands together. "I will enjoy this." He took out his swords and pranced over to the man on the floor, giggling wildly. "Don't flinch." He steadied himself, then prepared to strike.

He sliced down the middle of the man's head, slicing the skull, then slid the other under his sternum into his heart. The invisible soul flowed through the blades into Dalamar, and he turned, looking refreshed.

 

"Well, that takes care of one problem. Maybe we should look around and see if there are any clues here."

She begins going through papers and other things.

 

Galliel looked at the strange machinery which Vizgea had been monitoring. There were many buttons with glyphs on them and a few lights flashing on an oddly shaped crystal ball. She randomly pushed some of the buttons, then the crystal ball flashed blue for a moment, then went dark. She knew she'd seen something similar to it before, but couldn't remember exactly where. She walked over to the wall, rubbing her chin.

"That's it!" She cried. "The little green guys in the round flying ship. They had some machines kind of like this one. It answered many of their questions. Maybe this one can answer ours if we can figure out how it works."

 

Tania came over to the machine. "Anyone know what those glyphs mean? how do you ask it questions?"

She walked around the machine not touching it.

 

"I remember that the green guys spoke to it, like it was an oracle or something, and sometimes they had to pet it with their hands or scratch it like a dog, it seemed." Galliel wasn't sure how much of her memories of that time were real, but some things were coming back.

 

Tania gingerly pokes at some of the buttons. The ball lights up.

"Ah, where did the wizard go?"

A rather perculiar voice answers, "Insufficient data."

 

"Interesting." Elwithral approached the machine. He attempted to ask it a question, "What are you?"

It beeped.

"Galliel, I have not much experience with machines, for I have been on the road for the last few centuries. Any idea how to work this?"

 

Elwithral played with some buttons on the machine, sometimes saying incantations to trick the machine. He was in the process of hitting it when there was a loud rumble and they heard an explosion from upstairs. Kalab peeked his head out of the cellar way and saw that many Sahuagin were entering the complex, an evil gleam in their eyes.

He ran down the stairs to the others. He told them what he saw, and they drew their weapons.

 

Galliel readied herself, as did Elwithral and Dalamar. Kalab drew his great sword, and Tania reverted to her normal form. They rushed upstairs and were instantly met by the blades of the Sahuagin.

The friends were holding them off well, but the Sahuagin were ruthless and undying, they were blocking every blow, and parrying every slash. Elwithral and Dalamar started to blast them with Light And Dark, and that seemed to be killing them well enough.

After all of the Sahuagin fell, an unearthly prescence filled the room. The combatants looked at each other and their fallen foes. The Sahuagin were twitching. The bodies started to deteriorate, until only the bones were left. And to their surprise, the skeletal fish men rose up and walked towards them!

Tania roared and incantation that made a holy circle around them, and the skeletal fish could not get in.

Elwithral yelled, "What do we do now?"

 

"Ah, do they count as un-dead? I got a turning spell. At least that would give us a chance to get out of here. But what was it caused them to rise?"

 

"I'm not sure, do you guys feel that?...

Try the spell!"

 

Tania cast the turning spell. It appeared to affect a lot ofthe skeletans and they started wandering around. The air felt prickly and dry to her making the hairs on her body stand on end as if electrically charged.