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Just Out For a Walk: Part Two


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#1 Guest_Reality-Helix_*

Posted 02 July 2005 - 04:47 AM

Have you looked at Xzar's stats? Dang...




“He wants us to do what?” Montaron asked again. “For who?”

“Aww, c’mon, Monty!” Xzar wheedled. “It isn’t that bad! All we have to do is talk to some wizards. And I’ll negotiate, you don’t even need to talk at all, if you don’t want to!”

He tugged on Montarons' shoulder, pleadingly. “Please? Just come with me, and make sure I don’t get gacked by some thug, okay? You know, I can’t defend my self without you!”

Montaron sighed. “Flattery, eh? And what d’ye mean by “Gacked”? Pick that up from one o’ them pirates on the docks?”

Xzar grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, well…I was down there for an awfully long time you know! Couldn’t leave you behind, now could I, me hearty?”

“Okay, first of all, never say that again.” Montaron said, securing his sword to his belt. “Second of all; did ye forget this?” The gruff halfling yanked the chain that hung about Xzar’s neck holding the pendant on the end just under the young man’s nose.

It depicted a black dragon clutching a gold disk in its claws. Emblazoned upon the disk was a jet-black scepter with green rays of light emanating from behind it. A design feared throughout the whole of northern Faerun. Symbol of the Zhentarim.

“I know!” Xzar snatched the pendant back and stuffed it under his collar. “But think of it this way; we have a chance to fall back upon our original mission! Our plans for Athkatla have been shot to the hells-the Harper presence here is way to powerful for a mere couple of freelance agents such as ourselves. We will, of course, have to send a report back to Manshoon. Not a prospect that thrills me either, Monty.”

The mage steepled his fingers pointing downwards, a sure sign that he was lucid and thinking completely clear.

“However, since we succeeded in defeating the Iron Throne, to the point that their numbers will be low for years, and we single-handedly opened up much of the Sword Coast for Zhentarim expansion-doesn’t that make you proud, Monty?-AND we now have one more opportunity to influence the Bhaalspawn of Candlekeep, I think his ire will be lessened.” He thought for a moment, then added, “If he even bothers to exert himself enough to expend any ire upon us. We aren’t very important, you know. That’s how we get away with so much.”

Xzar grinned again. “So let’s go! Time is of the essence, my friend.”

Montaron reached for his things. Damn yer grin, boy! Ain’t changed since ye were a toddler. Ah well. Couldn’t say “no” to ye then, can’t now either. Nevermind that all ye wanted then was a sweet and a word o’ praise for yer newest accomplishment. I weren’ no one special, just a messenger, but ye likely trusted me mor’n yer own mother…That horrid, disgustin’ excuse fer a-
Better not think too much on that.


“Monty?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

Xzar paused by the door and cast a quick spell. Montaron assumed that it was a ward to keep more intruders out of his house. Cleaning up the remains of his fake apprentices (disguised, low-powered simulacrums, both) had been a messy business.



Xzar walked through the upscale neighborhood, silent as a shadow. Montaron was pleased to know that the footpad skills he had taught the boy had stayed with him.

Too bad he was whistling a loud and jaunty tune while he walked, and spinning his staff about in the air.

Just like standard bearer in one o’ those bloody knight’s parades. Pretty to look at, and good with their hands, but about as much brains as a bag of particularly stupid rocks.

“Oh look, Monty! There he is!” Xzar pointed at a shifty fellow loitering just outside the Government building. The man noticed that he was being singled out and stared at Xzar, trying to see if he knew him. Xzar, however, had positioned himself in front of a street lamp. The man, probably one of their errant mages, could see no details, only that Xzar was tall, gangly, and wore a green robe.

“Yoo hoo! You there! Mercenary mage!” Xzar called. The mage began to edge away.

“Fool wizard!” Montaron hissed from his hiding place. “Ye’ll scare him off!”

But Xzar’s grin only brightened, his eyes widened. Either he was about to have one of his “episodes”, or…

He was doing it on purpose.

The mercenary mage tried to make a break for it, but Montaron had already gotten close enough to trip him. The black-robed man stumbled, delaying him long enough for Xzar to get over to him. Now desperate, the mage dashed past him, but Xzar had a one up on him. Using his staff as a vault, he flung himself over the retreating mages’ head and landed right in front of him. The black-robed stranger screeched to a halt, Xzar’s tattooed face mere inches from his own. Montaron poked the point of his blade into the small of the wizards’ back. He would not be moving backwards either.

Bloody show-off. And just how long has ‘e known how to do that? More likely that ‘e just don’t know that ‘e shouldn’t be able to.
“Now,” Xzar breathed. “Shall we talk?”

“What do you want?” The stranger demanded.
“Not a hospitable place for our kind, is Amn. Do you grow weary of running from everything that moves?”

“What?” The wizard demanded. “What is this? What do you want?”

“I make an offer.” Xzar continued. “The pay is good, the rewards for good service are better, and you need not worry about your fellows stabbing you in the back to fulfill their own petty ambitions.”

“You want me to join an organization? Then why all the threats? Why the sword in by back?” He asked.

“Well, I was trying to be friendly, but you tried to run.” Xzar told him. “You see? In your current occupation, you are so wary of everyone that a man cannot even say a simple hello to you without you seeing a death threat! Why settle for an existence on the run, constantly afraid of your own shadow?”

Xzar motioned for Montaron to lower his blade. The halfling was reluctant, but he sensed that his addled companion had some sort of plan. He did not sheath the sword, but he did move it away from the nervous wizards’ spine. The mage calmed visibly.

“Yeah, it gets tiring. So who are you, and what do you offer?”

Xzar backed up a step, giving the mage room to breathe. “I offer stability, good company, and the freedom to be what you are, and be held in high regard for it.” He pulled the pendant from his collar and presented it to the stranger. “I trust a perceptive man such as yourself recognizes this?”

The wizards’ eyes lit up. “They…You want me?”

“Of course.” Xzar assured. “Your talents have not gone unnoticed. Not only have your skills as a mage been recognized as superior, but your ability to ply your trade without incident, in a land that shuns our kind, has been found quite impressive.”

“What’s the catch?”

This fool can’t honestly be falling for this! Montaron thought.

“You must leave tonight. As soon as possible. We are in great need of new recruits, especially those with your exceptional skills. You must drop any prior engagements.”

“Can do.” The mage agreed. “So where do I go? Who do I say sent me?”
“Straight to Zhentil keep.” Xzar held out his hand. “Give me your hand.”

The man did, and Xzar whispered a word, with a small flash, an arcane symbol appeared on the mans' palm. “This will allow you passage by the front gate. It will also act as a map. Hurry now! I will meet you there.”

The man scurried off.

“Hmm.” Xzar observed. “They don’t make them too bright here, do they? I suppose that’s what forced conformism will do for you.” He dropped his hand to Montarons’ shoulder. “Baron Ployer.” He said in a firm voice.

The air shimmered around the two Zhents.

“Okay…” Montaron uneasily tried to brush the sparkles from his armor. “Mind telling me what that was?”

“The last step of the contingency I cast back at the house. You see, that man has every intent of betraying us, and Ployer as well. He is in the Cowled Wizards’ employ.”

“I’m not even going to ask how you know that…” Montaron began.

“One hears a lot of names on the docks of Athkatla. In any case, I have triggered a few spells to that mage himself. If he gets within ten feet of Mister Ployer, we will be teleported there as well. After all, Deshairmon asked us to head off the wizards AND help with Ployer. Having known that the first would fail from the get-go, I decided to plan ahead for the second.”

“Okay, fine. So, how long do we have before he gets close to Ployer?”

“Oh, I’d say…” Xzar stared up at the stars as if trying to get a bead on what time it was. “Now.”

The world seemed to drop out from under Montaron as the teleportation spell took effect.

“Blast ye wizard!” He shouted. “I hate when ye do tha-“




“-at!” Montaron materialized in the midst of a pitched battle. Wha? Right, the mages. Kill the mages! He swung at the closest one, but pulled back at the last moment. The only kind of wizard anywhere who would be wearing robes that red, would not be the sort one could hire as a mercenary. Hope he didn’t notice that.

The rest of Xzar’s contingency spells went off, and mayhem ensued.
One thing that every mage who had ever met Xzar could say about him was that he was very creative with his use of spell combinations Mostly because he was just crazy enough to try things that no one else thought would work. Montaron threw himself flat on the ground, and watched.

This was probably one of his finest creations. First, was the teleport spell. Then he had, to all appearances linked two sequencers together. In Montarons opinion, sequence spells were only half-spells, metamagical glue to hold two or three other spells together.

The results were quite spectacular. First, a spell for breaching magical protections rippled out, tearing down several of the glowing barriers erected between the mages and their enemies. Then a hold spell gripped the mage they had spoken with outside the Government building, the recipient of Xzar’s arcane mark.

The second sequencer let loose a spray of brilliant color, which nearly knocked one wizard right off his feet, and caused Ployer to shake his head in a vain effort to clear his eyes of the clashing display.

The last spell washed over Montaron, Invisible but immediate in its effect. Montaron leapt to his feet and dashed to the nearest wizard, the one dazed by the spray of bright color. Twice as fast as he could normally move, he slashed, jabbed and sliced. One wizard fell.

Deshairmon, who had just gotten over the initial shock, grinned a wide grin and galvanized his own companions into action.

“Whaddaya need? A sign from the gods? I think we just got it! Go on, Get ‘em!” He lunged at Ployer.

Xzar ignored the combat completely. His attention was focused on the held mage.

“Now, now.” He said, admiring the shine of his favorite knife. “Didn’t I say ‘all prior engagements’?” He purposefully cut the man’s tunic open from neck to waist.
“I’ve always wondered what sort of man could allow himself to become a slave to money. We are mages, you and I, are we not supposed to be above such things?”

He placed the tip of the blade against the man’s skin; smiling at the involuntary shiver that rippled through the stationary body. Then he shook his head slightly and moved the knife, as if trying to decide where to cut first. Then he looked the man squarely in the face and smiled in his most friendly fashion.
“Aw, who cares? No need to be precise with what I’ve got planned for you anyway!”

He stabbed the blade into the mans' belly up to the hilt and yanked it to the side. Then he twisted viciously and slashed upward, revealing to the rest of the world, just what a traitor mage was made of.

Aerie lost a spell, startled and disgusted as she was by the display, and Edwin had to swing his staff over her head to disrupt the remaining wizard’s spell.

“What is it this time?” He snarled, then followed her gaze. “Oh. Never mind.”

Without his arcane backup, Ployer fell quickly to Deshairmon’s furious attacks.
He fell upon the body, searching for anything that could be used as a curse focus. At last he found a tightly braided lock of ash-brown hair, tied in a loop. That had to be it!

He stuffed it into Jaheira’s hands and she subsequently snapped the loop in half. Color rushed back into her face.

“Thank you, I feel much better.” She coughed. “I should get some rest. First though…” She lunged at Xzar, bringing her oaken staff to bear.

Xzar leapt to his feet, the haste spell still in effect. “Corrosus!” He bellowed in a voice that was barely his own. Jaheira swung…and Xzar caught the staff in his bare hands. The wood began to rot.

“Ungrateful wench!” He shouted. “ We help save your miserable life, and you attempt to strike us down? Now wonder you Harpers aren’t popular at parties!”

“Silence you half-witted filth!” the druid screamed at him. “You were probably in on this from the beginning!”

“Hardly possible.” Xzar shot back venomously. “I happened to be dead at the time.”

“Jaheira, please!” Deshairmon broke in. “It’s my fault; I asked them to help.”

She glared at him. “Why? What could possible have possessed you to trust them with this? With my…With my life!”

“Don’t blame him for your intolerance, Jaheira.” Xzar said pulling her attention back to him. “He at least, was open-minded enough to see us as more than petty killers.”

Jaheira pointedly glanced at the held wizard’s empty carcass, then back to Xzar. He grinned almost sheepishly. “Well, I never said we weren’t killers, either. Just that we are more than that.” Seriousness returned. “We have never harmed you, Jaheira. You and Khalid were just another side of the coin.”

“Shut up!” She snarled. “You are not fit to speak that name!”

“And why not? I understand that things are hard without him, but-“

“You understand nothing!”

And that, as they say, was the last straw.

The staff snapped in Xzars' hands. He tossed both halves away, and with a sweep of his leg, took Jaheira off her feet.

“Hey!” Deshairmon cried. He started forward, but stopped abruptly when Montaron nonchalantly aimed his sword at his groin. “Let the boy talk.” He advised. “After all, we didn’t work so hard to save her only to undo it all by killin’ her, aye?”

Xzar grabbed Jaheira by the shoulders and shook her. “I understand a lot more than you give me credit for.” He explained, his voice angry, but his face calm. “I understand things that no mortal should, things that are even beyond the gods! Why do you think I am like this?” he cried. “For entertainment? When nearly everyone I’ve ever cared about lie dead and cold at my feet, what was left to laugh about? They had to tattoo a smile on my face, for I could no longer manage the expression! Do you assume that I have had no one to befriend in my life? Or that I am simply incapable of caring for another? What makes you so gods-damned much better than me that you can deny me the right to any emotion? Because of the tenants by which we live our lives? Irrelevant! I feel as much as you do, maybe more!”

By this time, the wild wizards’ voice had risen to a shriek, and tears rimmed his eyes.

“I miss them!” he switched suddenly to a harsh whisper. “I miss my mother and sister, I miss my friends! Hells, I even miss your husband, he was a good enough fellow.”

Montaron sighed. “He’s showin’ his age again”

“You can smile now.” Jaheira pointed out, She still sounded angry, but her voice had softened a little.

“I found something new to live for.” Xzar replied. “I never had anything against you lady Harper. It wasn’t really my job to cause you harm. Let it be as that broken weapon between us.” He released her and pointed to both halves of the staff. “Neither side able to harm the other. Or at least, don’t try to kill us on sight any more, agreed?”

“Fine.” She shoved him away. “Would you back off before I change my mind?”

Xzar dashed the tears away and tried to smile. “I like making friends.” He explained.

With that, he crossed the room, snatched up his staff from where he had dropped it and shoved it into her hands. Then he pushed a protesting Montaron out the door and exited himself.

“Uhm…”Aerie asked. “Who were they”

“I’ll…tell you later, child.” Jaheira promised, a little stunned. She pressed a small button on her new weapon, and a thin blade sprung from the top. “Huh.”



“Oi, wait up!” Deshairmon called, chasing the halfling and mage down. Xzar stopped in the middle of the street and hung his head dejectedly.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her…” he began.

“You didn’t.” Deshairmon assured him. “You just gave her an earful to think about, that’s all. Hells, I probably would have said it myself, but she still makes me feel like a little kid. She does tend to get a bit overzealous sometimes, but hey, we’ve all been through a lot, eh?”

“Ye wanted somethin’ Land Corsair?” Montaron asked with impatience.

“Oh, yeah! Neither of you have heard of a mage called Irenicus, have you?”

Both Zhents shook their heads and resumed walking. “Well, if you do, come tell me please. He’s got Imoen.”

Xzar stopped dead in his tracks. “What do you mean ‘got Imoen’?”

Well, what have we here? Deshairmon wondered. “I mean he has kidnapped her. Remember the big blow up at the Highroad Inn? That was Irenicus. He kidnapped Imoen and I. Those were vampires we were fighting, that’s why they kept getting back up.”

“I knew that.” Xzar said. “I am a necromancer, after all.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Deshairmon asked him. Xzar fixed him with a sarcastic glare.

“Sorry, I was in the middle of blowing myself and several of them to the Hells. Not much time to discuss the nature of our targets. By the way, did we lose anybody in that fight?”

“Well,” Deshairmon began quietly. “Eldoth and Skie both got torn up pretty bad. Safana too. I haven’t seen Branwen or Shar-teel since. Tiax either, though it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that he just danced away and escaped on pure luck. As far as I know Alora came back with the city guard in time to clean up the mess, and was subsequently arrested for trying to lift one of their purses. Kivan just disappeared as well. Xan too.”

A thought stuck him. “Wait. You banished yourself to the Hells? How d you get ba-“

“Don’t ask.” Both Zhents intoned wearily.

“Uh..sure. Well, we managed to escape once, but he took Imoen away with him. Or, rather, The Cowled Wizards did, but I don’t trust their ability to keep him contained. He was incredibly powerful. So if you hear anything please tell me. He’s the guy who killed Dynaheir and Khalid.”

“And he has Imoen.” Xzar confirmed. “If we hear anything, we will be sure to let you know. We’ll be in touch.” With that, the mismatched pair wandered away.

Deshairmon smiled slightly. Friends in the oddest places. He turned and rejoined his comrades.



“Hey, Monty?”

The halfling sighed in exasperation. “Aye, fine. We’ll start researchin’ where the Cowls keep their prisoners.”

“Monty?”

“What?”

“Am I doing the right thing?”

Montaron shook his head. “Followin' yer heart is always the right thing. Just remember what yer divinations told ye, and be ready for it. Don’t worry. Yer a good kid, just the world looks at the wrong part o’ ye, thas’ all.”

“Thanks Monty.”

#2 Guest_Wyvern_*

Posted 03 July 2005 - 05:01 PM

Quite the expansion on Xzar's character. I never thought of Montaron having known Xzar for so long, but it fits.

Jaheira's reaction was understandable. I can see her not liking the duo at all, though she may be friendlier the next time they meet.

#3 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 03 July 2005 - 07:31 PM

Have you looked at Xzar's stats? Dang...


You probably mean his 16 Wis... yeah, it's hard to believe. :)

Good story - though it makes me wonder how such nice fellows as your Xzar and Monty are, have gotten themselves involved with the Zhents in the first place... from the sentence where Monty curses Xzar's mother, I expect that she might have some involvement in that as well as in the condition of her son?

Yeah, Jaheira might seem a tad ungrateful here, but I imagine that it is really hard for her to accept that a Zhent would ever try and save her life. She'll probably be a bit more civil to them the next time. ;)

#4 Guest_Reality-Helix_*

Posted 03 July 2005 - 11:58 PM

Yeah, the 14 strength surprised me too. That's stronger than I am!

Xzar and Montaron are only nice to those they consider valuable. That and, Xzar genuinely likes Deshairmon, and has a thing for Imoen. Other than that, he can be pretty homicidal.

Yeah, Xzar's mother was Zhentarim, of the old school, before Chembryl took over , and yes, she laid the foundation for what he has become. Life is hard in Zhentil Keep, but it seemed that Xzar was cursed with the worst kind of luck from the very beginning.

But that's another story.




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