Jump to content


Photo

Part Three - First Steps


  • Please log in to reply
No replies to this topic

#1 Anaviel

Posted 30 November 2002 - 11:22 PM

The sky was dark as Yoshimo walked towards the Blushing Mermaid Inn. The bounty notice could wait until morning. Distributing it would be an easy task, hardly one worthy of his skill. He considered collecting it himself, but decided it would be best if he stayed in the city for the time being. He did not want to be away from his current target, as that task had more than gold at stake. His employer, Irenicus, put him under a geas to find Sarevok, and bring him to his lair beneath Athkatla, city of coin. At the time, he did not care about the geas. It seemed like a simple task. How hard could it be to capture a man?

Tamoko loved Sarevok, but he was certain that relationship could only end in disaster. He would have to convince her to leave Sarevok before he carried out his mission. She would never understand. It had been years since he left Kozakura, but Tamoko had been gone for longer. He had spent his first few weeks in the west, searching for her. Eventually he gave up and became a bounty hunter. There were less honorable ways to make a living, he was sure.

 

Looking up he spotted a seagull overhead, and watched it fly past. It had been on a night like this that had met Irenicus. As he walked through the slums of Athkatla one night, a woman with dark hair and pale skin approached him. “I have heard of you Yoshimo,” she said, “you are quite talented. I know someone who could use you, if you are interested.”

“So you’ve heard of me,” he said. A grin appeared on his face. “Do tell me where I can find this someone. I am always interested in potential employer.”

She nodded. “Good. My brother will be pleased. I shall take now if you wish.” She took him to the Promenade and then into a strange dungeon. It was there that he met Irenicus.

The man was powerful wizard that wore a mask that seemed to be made from living flesh. “Yoshimo, it is fortunate that you have come,” Irenicus said, “I have a task for you, one that I doubt you shall object to doing.”

“What is this task you speak of?” Yoshimo asked. He did not trust the man, but the same could have been said for many of his other employers. Still, there was something about the wizard that made his hairs stand.

The wizard stared at him with a chilling gaze. “It is something that I believe shall be mutually beneficial. You have a sister who has been missing for some time.” Yoshimo’s eyes widened. How could this man know about that? “Don’t look so surprised Yoshimo. You see your sister is involved with a man that I have interest in.”

“If she is happy with this man, than why should I to interfere?”

“This man, Sarevok, is a child of Bhaal and I have uses for him that are beyond your understanding. If you care about Tamoko’s honor, or that of your family, you will do this task for me. I can tell you now that she will likely die if she stays with him.”

“And you want me to kill this man?”

Irenicus shook his head. “No, Yoshimo. I want you to capture him and bring him. I have uses for him that are beyond your comprehension. You can either do this task willingly or otherwise I shall force you to do it. The choice is yours, though I think it would be to your benefit if you performed this task willingly…it would be less painful.”

It was clear that he had no choice. “Willingly, then.”

 

The sun shined in Katora’s eyes. She stared up at, and blinked. For a moment she wondered what she was doing outside instead of curled up on her bed. She smacked her head on a branch as she attempted to sit up. Not only was outside, she was no longer even in the walls of Candlekeep. As she went to sit up, her arm crumpled beneath her. She pulled it free, shifting her wait to the other arm. It was red and swollen. On her forearm was a patch charred flesh. A shame she had used the potion Firebead gave her after her fight with the assassin.

For a moment she wondered where Gorion was. The she remembered. Dead. The armored figure plunged his sword into his chest and she saw the body fall to the ground. She felt a tears swell in the corner of her eyes and blinked. No, it was useless crying. She would turn around and head back towards Candlekeep. They had to let her in, even without a tome. She lived there since before she could remember, as Gorion’s ward. But Gorion was dead. His body lay on the cold dirt in the middle of nowhere. The monks would never let her in without him. Not that it mattered anymore. Gorion was gone, what was left in Candlekeep for her now? It did not seem fair. But life is not fair, at least Gorion would have said.

If she remembered correctly, they had not gone off the road, and that had to lead to somewhere. She stood, using the tree for balance. Who would have thought a night sleeping on the ground would make her muscles ache so much? She glanced back. There was no telling if the armored figure, whoever he was, still stalked the woods looking for her. She missed Gorion, but did not want to join him anytime soon.

Katora jumped as she felt a tap her on the shoulder. “Relax Kat, it’s just me,” came a familiar, yet shaken voice. Imoen? What was she doing out here? “Are you alright? I saw Gorion and I thought you…” said Imoen. “I thought you were dead.”

“Imoen..I…What are you doing here? You should be safe back in Candlekeep with the monks. Not out here with me.” Katora could feel the tears swelling up again, but held them back. No, she wouldn’t cry. There would be time for that later.

“I couldn’t let you go alone now, could I? Kat, I knew something bad was going to happen out here. Please don’t be mad Kat. After reading that letter I had to follow you.” Mad at Imoen? No, it was just a shame Imoen brought herself into this. At she wouldn’t be alone; safety in numbers, even if that number was only two.

Imoen looked down. “Gorion might still have the letter. On his body I mean.” The letter? She had completely forgotten about it.

“We should see if he has…I mean see if it’s on his body.” Imoen nodded. Maybe it would tell her why this happened, why Gorion was killed, why she was here in the middle of who knows where. She couldn’t even go back to Candlekeep. The road was her home now.

They approached Gorion’s body. His robes were covered in dried blood. She stepped closer and kneeled down next to him. The armored figure, whoever he was, would pay for this. “I can’t do it, Imm. You see if he has the letter. I can’t.”

“But, Kat, I…”

She looked up at Imoen. “Please?”

“Alright, I suppose one of us has to look for it.” Imoen searched Gorion’s pockets and pulled a crinkled and blood stained letter. Imoen looked at it, then handed it to Katora.

It read:

My friend Gorion,

Please forgive the abruptness with which I now write, but time is short and there is much to be done. What we have long feared may soon come to pass, though not in the manner foretold, and certainly not in the proper time frame. As we both know, forecasting these events has proved increasingly difficult, leaving little option other than a leap of faith. We have done what we can for those in thy care, but the time nears when we must step back and let matters take what course they will. We have, perhaps, been a touch too sheltering to this point.

Despite my desire to remain neutral in this matter, I could not, in good conscience, let events proceed without some measure of warning. The other side will move very soon, and I urge thee to leave Candlekeep this very night, if possible. The darkness may seem equally threatening, but a moving target is much harder to hit, regardless of how sparse the cover. A fighting chance is all that can be asked for at this point

Should anything go awry, do not hesitate to seek aid from travelers along the way. I do not need to remind thee that it is a dangerous land, even without our current concerns, and a party is stronger than an individual in all respects. Should additional assistance be required, I understand that Jaheira and Khalid are currently at the Friendly Arm Inn. They know little of what has passed, but they are ever thy friends and will no doubt help however they can.

Luck be with us all.
I'm getting too old for this.


E


The letter explained nothing. It only confirmed her fear that this was all her fault. Gorion took her away from Candlekeep to protect her. His murder was after her. “Hand over your ward,” he had said. Perhaps she would have understood what he wanted with her, if Gorion had only given her an explanation. Whoever his murdered was, she would find him and she would slay him. But first, she needed an explanation. She needed to know why this happened. At least the letter gave her an idea on where to go next. Khalid and Jaheira, Gorion mentioned them when they were leaving Candlekeep. Perhaps it would be best to go to the Friendly Arm Inn and meet them there. Maybe they could explain why all this was happening.

They left Gorion’s body and headed back towards the road. Katora was thankful that Imoen had brought healing potions along. Her wound disappeared the moment she drank one. As they came near the road they met a stranger who was kind enough to point the way to the Friendly Arm Inn. The followed the road north and they had only turned a corner when they saw two more strangers. One was a mage with dark green robes who had tattoos on his face that reminded her of a clown. He muttered to himself as they walked closer. Next to him was a halfling in leather armor. Dirt was caked to face and he smelt as though he had spent many nights infront of a campfire.

“Two children wandering the wilderness. Surely you must be none to bright to be traveling these roads.” He looked as though he was trying to be serious, and was failing badly at it.

“Ye look a bit scuffed up too. A fine pair of troubles all you own,” said the halfling who seemed to find something amusing, though Katora could not tell what.

“Indeed. I can offer you healing potions, if you wish, as a token of good will.” The mage said as he reached in his pack.

“No thank you. I’m fine.”

The halfling raised his eyebrows. “Oh ye could’ve fooled me. Ye look as though you’ve been dragged through a ditch.” He was right. Her clothes and face were covered in dirt, and her snarled hair was tied back in a messy braid. And she was certain she didn’t smell any better than she looked.

The wizards voice was a falsetto. “I don’t think she trusts us Monty.”

The halfling grunted. “Xzar, I’ll not be insulted by this whelp.”

The expression on the wizards face went from flighty to serious. “Now Montaron, had I just been attacked I might be leery as well. So be it, I shall not heal you.” Imoen nudged her in the side and gave her a sharp glance.

Montaron shrugged, “Refuse, if ye wish.”

The wizard pursed his lips together and smiled, “Neither shall I hold you to a debt of honor for…slighting my good intentions, though your conscience may.” Katora wondered how she slighted his good intentions. She had not intended to. There was something strange about them, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Just like all good people,” said the halfling.

“Perhaps as payment you would accompany us to Nashkel. It is a troubled area and my associate and I would like to investigate some disturbing rumors about the local mine. Some acquaintances of ours are very concerned about the iron shortage. Specifically where to lay blame to matter.” Even in Candlekeep there had been rumors of the iron shortage. She even remembered Hull complaining about how he had to by a new sword.

“We could always use another blade,” said the halfling. The men in front her seemed strange, but if they opposed the iron shortage then they couldn’t be all that bad.

“You would be useful, though I'll not hold you to it. We are to meet the mayor of the town, a man named Berrun Ghastkill, I believe.”

It wasn’t as though she had anything else to do. And the iron shortage intrigued her. What could cause iron to become so brittle and why anyone would want to cause an iron shortage in the first place? Imoen nudged her again and gave her a look that made it clear her sister did not want to travel with these two. “I’d go with you, but there is someone we need to meet first. Would you mind taking a side trip to the Friendly Armed Inn?”

“We’ve precious little time, but it is best to travel accompanied,”

“Aye, we’ll go wit ye. Ye owe us for our time though.”




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

Skin Designed By Evanescence at IBSkin.com