Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 2.39.

Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 2.39.

High Watcher Oisig rises from his seat in agitation, seeing the four of us entering the Temple Of Helm.

“Your return was foreseen, though the news you bring are not known. Is this cult to be believed?” he asks Keldorn, ignoring the rest of us.

“High Watcher, my duty is to report that it was a beholder cult,” Keldorn speaks, “we have destroyed it and with that ended the existence of this evil cult.”

“A beholder cult in the very heart of Helm’s sight? It seems like you have done an excellent job! We will send down clergy to remove all taint of its presence,” Oisig says, relieved.

“And I will instruct the Lathanderites to take care of the unfortunate followers of the cult and of course Sassar’s group,” Keldorn remarks.

“Err… a job well done deserves a…” Oisig does not allow me to finish though…

“Yes, Helm has measured your accomplishment and judges these trinkets alongside three thousands in gold coins as a worthy reward,” he says and an acolyte hands me a plate with the gold and a fancy looking mace on it. I throw the mace over to Viconia and she fluently catches it in the flight.

“Eh, I must apologize for asking, but you see… I am looking to raise a lot of money to rescue my sister who has been imprisoned by the Cowled Wizards. We are still short by some two thousands… can’t Helm reconsider and be a little more generous?” I ask pleadingly, without much hope though.

“Helm does not make decisions that require reconsideration,” Oisig replies coldly, “but I think that Guardian Telwyn here has a work for a mercenary group such as yours.”

“Thank you, High Watcher…” I reply sourly, “I think we will need a bit of relaxation after spending a whole day in the sewers… whatever Guardian Telwyn’s problems are, they will have to wait.”

“Well, considering that the mighty Unseeing Eye was actually an upstart impostor, this is not a bad reward at all,” Viconia remarks, “That just confirms how stupid the surface dwellers really are… I wonder what’s next – a cult of Illithid worshipers?”

There is nothing more to be said as we leave the temple. Once outside, Jaheira and I slump downwards on the tiled floor and remain sitting, waiting for Jan’s return. Keldorn chooses to remain standing - sitting in front of the temple must feel humiliating for a paladin. Viconia mutters something about foolish rivvil and informs us that she will take a walk around the district. Seems like she has forgotten her unpleasant experience with the Beshabans, but I am fairly confident that she can take care of herself.

I see that Jaheira is slightly disappointed about the insufficient reward, but she decides to keep silent about it as strange as it may be… Instead, she asks Keldorn, “So, paladin… what are your plans, does the Order asks you to further keep an eye on Theodur?”

“I think that I can report back to the Order that this young man does not require the scrutiny and observation some of the Order members call for,” Keldorn replies politely, “and I think that he is in very… ah… competent hands… wouldn’t you agree, Lady Jaheira?”

Jaheira’s cheeks turn slightly crimson as Keldorn continues, “as for my future…” He looks up skywards, taking a deep breath as if making a very important decision. “I have been considering retirement for some time now… I have neglected my family for too long, Lady Maria and my two precious daughters, Vesper and Leona, I have not seen them for a couple of months…”

“And recently I received a very effective reminder on what exactly I have been missing by staying separated from my wife for so long…” Keldorn smiles sheepishly, “I… I suppose I should thank you both for bringing me back to my senses…”

Jaheira pretends to be studying ants crawling around on the tiled floor, while I am struggling with a nasty cough that has hit me unexpectedly… “Oh, think nothing of it, Keldorn… it was our pleasure…” I mutter, but seeing Keldorn blushing, I realize that it was not the wisest thing to say and Jaheira’s whack on my head confirms that…

“Well, I will be taking my leave then,” Keldorn stammers, “good luck to you in finding your sister, may Torm watch over you, young people… ah, Lady Maria will be pleasantly surprised seeing my return, indeed…”

“Wait, Keldorn,” I speak as he is about to leave, “you deserve a share of the reward, that would be six hundreds…”

“Leave it, lad,” Keldorn smiles, “I am no poor man and you need the money. I know it will serve a worthy cause… once again, Torm’s blessing on you, lad.”

And with these words he leaves to return to his family… it is hard for me to admit, but I like the man and I think he would have made an excellent companion. But family matters are more important and I feel I have no right to ask him to accompany me and forget his wife and daughters.

“Well, he is the first paladin-voyeur I have ever met and hopefully the last as well,” Jaheira snorts, amused at the whole situation…

 

Viconia returns to join us as the first and immediately starts cursing about the humiliating situation of having to wait for a gnome.

“If he is not back soon, then I will put my new mace to work,” she promises, “a lowly slave - making me wait, the shear indignity!”

Luckily for Jan, he appears in sight shortly afterwards, carrying a very stuffed backpack, it seems to be larger than the gnome himself.

“Some of these trinkets might be worth something,” Jan chortles, “I guess we will be heading to that Ribald fellow first, yes? I wasn’t able to identify some of these things, I’m sure that Ribald will be able to help with that…”

“We will not be spending money for simple identification,” Jaheira snaps, “you are going to learn identifying spells all night if that’s what it takes.”

“Oh, well said, Jaheira,” Viconia laughs, forgetting that she should disagree with Jaheira, “we should not be spending money to cover for the failures of a slave.”

“By the way, Theo, where is Keldy?” Jan asks, not perplexed by this double-attack, “I remembered just the right story for him – a romantic encounter between a paladin and a Flesh Golem… Just the sort of thing he needed to get in the right mood – too uptight, that poor man. Oh, drowsy, you would love that story as well, you can appreciate a good romance, of that I am sure… Hey, why don’t I tell you the story now?”

“AARGH!” Viconia yells, “Can I kill him now? Let us buy a new and better gnome tomorrow.”

“Now, Vic, I already explained why we have to endure him…” I try to calm down the drow, “and Jan – Keldy, I mean, Keldorn left to retire from the Order and to return home to his wife and family. So there is no need for your frivolous and vulgar story…”

“Besides, Keldorn already got all the inspiration he needed…” I chuckle quietly, looking at Jaheira. Seeing the lethal glare she shoots in my direction makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside… That’s the woman I fell in love with and slowly she is on the way to full recovery.

“Well, why are you all traipsing around, let’s get back to the inn,” she speaks, slightly irate, “the first thing I’m going to do is to take a bath…”

“Yuck, I am still covered with pieces of beholder flesh and blood, poor Oisig was wincing the whole time we spoke… now they can safely say that the Temple of Helm stinks. And I’ll gladly join you in the bath as well…” I remark innocently.

“Count me in as well,” Viconia adds absentmindedly, probably too tired to think straight…

“Oh, I think you better wait your turn, Vic. It’s not like we don’t like you,” I chuckle, “but we would like to keep our privacy.”

“What? Fool! You would think that I would lower myself to… arggggh… never!” Viconia is incensed and refuses to talk with anyone all the way back to the Mithrest Inn.