We quickly found Grendel and Bal Vyr. The Drow was disguised as a woman when we met up. We mentioned how we hadn’t been able to find any reasonably priced silver to which Grendel and Bal Vyr pulled out their silvered weapons. The priests from St. Cuthbert apparently bestowed upon them silvered weapons to aid them in the fight against the vampires. Too bad they didn’t think to grab something for Cloudbreaker and myself, but whatever.
We were about to go off to fight some vampires while we had daylight on our side, but I reminded them that we hadn’t found Trickfoot. Grendel could care less about the Gnome, saying he’s of no benefit to us and a liability. I could agree to that since he was small, but I figured a quick search wouldn’t do us any harm and would make my conscience feel better knowing I had tried. Bal Vyr mentioned that the a Gnome he met at a brothel hadn’t heard anything about another Gnome in town.
Grendel marched off, clearly having no tolerance for discussing whether or not to search for Trickfoot. The rest of us ducked into a few other Inns and discovered that indeed he was at an Inn that was particular to Fishermen. With it being mid day, we then took our search to the docks to see if any one there had seen Trickfoot the previous night.
After going to the docks and asking around some more, one said that they saw Trickfoot leave with some men after they scared him. He wasn’t sure who the men were though he said they quite possibly could have been some guards.
“I think he knows,” Cloudbreaker stated as the fisherman went back to fixing his net.
“You could break his legs,” Bal Vyr encouraged.
“There’s no need for violence,” I stated. If Cloudbreaker even considered it, then I was certain we’d find ourselves in trouble.
“You see Araja, there you go again being all passive. Hence why I can’t rely on you in a fight,” Bal Vyr shot at me. We bickered some about how ‘violence solves everything’ and ‘it ends with people dead or yourself in trouble.’
“I could threaten to break his legs,” Cloudbreaker mused.
Oh great.
Cloudbreaker looked back and after a moment changed his mind. He then flagged down some guards and asked them if they had seen a gnome. They joked, asking if he had looked down. Once more I was reminded about my distaste for them. Cloudbreaker demanded respect and asked whom they answered to. They then told us that they responded to the Western Gate.
We made our way to the bridge the Western Gate was located at. It was the very bridge Cloudbreaker and I had visited when seeking out Bakabba.
Cloudbreaker began to chat with Lieutenant Mathison, the guard whom we met yesterday when we first entered and told us about the undead and vampire bounty. He was cordial at first, seeming interested in what we needed. However when Cloudbreaker asked him about Trickfoot, he stuttered a bit and said he knew nothing. Cloudbreaker called him out for lying to which Mathison went red.
When the Lieutenant refused to tell us where Trickfoot really was, Cloudbreaker began to threaten him. Mathison then clipped out that he couldn’t explain anything to which he headed back into the guard posts. We all pursued.
Three other guards were in the guard post to which Mathison could be seen shutting his office door behind him. Cloudbreaker started off on the same threat stating, “have you heard of the guard with the broken legs that was thrown into the lake with his armor on?” The guards gave each other confused looks before asking us to leave. Bal Vyr left while Cloudbreaker wouldn’t budge. We were then given a final warning to leave or be arrested.
I grabbed Cloudbreaker by the arm to get him moving, stating that we needed to go figure out a new strategy. Cloudbreaker, who stood his ground, looked me in the eyes with such intensity, a mixture of nervousness and butterflies swept through me. He reiterated how Mathison was lying and though I tried to argue how we’d be useless to Trickfoot if we were in jail, the final words he said to me pierced my resolve to flee.
“Araja, I look after my own.”
He was right. Trickfoot was one of us and Cloudbreaker was determined to find him- protect him. Though I still felt uncomfortable about the idea of being taken hostage for Cloudbreaker’s tactless rescue plan, I had made a decision to follow him, to protect him. So I stood my ground.
Something else to note about the three guards. Granted Cloudbreaker had threatened them, they were the ones to draw their weapons with the promise to attack. When they brought out the manacles, I willingly let them handcuff me. If anything, I was innocent and had no reason to be held. Cloudbreaker however refused to have the manacle be placed upon him. The guards then attacked him.
I was useless to fight, so I figured I’d check on Mathison and see if I could get anywhere with him. I managed to open the door while the guards swarmed Cloudbreaker. I slipped in and shut the door to hopefully get a few moments alone with the Lieutenant. I turned around and found the room empty, the lone window open.
“CLOUDBREAKER! MATHISON IS GONE!!” I shouted, hoping he’d hear me. I then went to open the door again and in the process slipped on the knob which my right hand slipped out. I chuckled to myself as I relished in my freedom.
I pulled my other hand free and opened the door right as Cloudbreaker ran out of the guard house. The three guards took no notice to me. Still, I retreated back into the office and went to the window. I caught sight of Mathison climbing ashore just as a crashing sound pulled my attention to the west bridge. The Goliath had jumped over the bridge and right onto Bakabba’s hut. He then leaped into the lake and proceeded to swim away.
With a flap of my wings, glided down to the shore closest to me and quickly ran to a dock. On my way I could hear guards calling out that there was a fugitive. I shook my head. It was too much of a fiasco really.
As I got to the end of the dock, I noticed a boat had gone out to where Cloudbreaker was. The Goliath looked like he was about to get into the boat, but suddenly ducked down back into the water. I wasn’t sure if I really had witnessed someone swinging a sword at Cloudbreaker, but I readied a spell. In fact, a new spell came to mind, to which I charged a ball of light in my hand. I held onto it, ready to let it loose if I saw the armored man try to strike Cloudbreaker again.
With Cloudbreaker trying to get into the boat and some kind of dispute taking place, the boat flipped. Both Cloudbreaker and the two men disappeared under the water. After a few moments, the dock I was on beginning to get crowded, the boat flipped back over and the man, who was steering the boat, climbed back in. He then sailed away from the spot. I wanted to shout out to him, to chastise him for sailing away when there were still two men somewhere in the water, but words failed me as I watched for Cloudbreaker. I began to count since it had already seemed too long to have not seen him. If I got to 30... well, I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do.
Thankfully Cloudbreaker surfaced after 18 seconds, struggling to hold onto to the other person.
“Grendel! Stop fighting me!” I caught Cloudbreaker shouting before Grendel pushed away and sank under the water. Cloudbreaker dived after him.
I shook my head. Why are you saving him? Let him drown, I thought. I began to count again.
As I neared 24 seconds, a great burst of darkness shot up and out of the lake where Cloudbreaker and Grendel were last seen. I looked on, wide eyed and concerned for the Goliath. I then looked at all the guards and people standing around me and along the shore.
“Someone help! There are two men out there drowning!” There were murmurs of ‘did you not see that burst of darkness?’ I looked around and was pleased to find a row boat a few feet away. I hopped in it, not caring about the fact it wasn’t mine. No one resisted me either.
As I got close to the spot I last saw Cloudbreaker, I heard my name called out by a familiar voice. I called back to the Goliath who then swam toward me. He lugged Grendel’s unconscious body into the boat before climbing in himself.
Grendel’s face was swollen and bruised. Cloudbreaker was bleeding quite a bit himself and was panting great breaths as he rested. I began to row back to shore, slowly.
“Is he dead?”
Cloudbreaker barely moved a finger to Grendel’s neck and gave a nod.
“What was that dark blast out there?” I then asked.
“Whatever it was, it wasn’t from me,” the Goliath responded.
“Can Grendel cast magic?” I asked. Cloudbreaker shrugged.
“Araja,” Cloudbreaker panted as the dock came within 20 feet, “I’ll go peaceable, but only to the Captain of the Guards.” I gave a nod of my head.
“Any other requests before we dock?”
“No manacles. I will not be placed in chains and if they respect that, I will go peaceable to the Captain of the Guards.” Cloudbreaker closed his eyes.
Once the boat was roughly 10 feet from the dock, I stopped rowing. I called out explaining to the guards we’d come peaceable as long as we were taken to the Captain of the Guards and as long as the Goliath received no manacles, adding on that he’d be carrying the unconscious man. The guards honored our request and took us immediately to the Guard Captain.
On the way, we had to walk through the substantial crowd that had generated. Whisperings were heard all around. I heard a child call out, “Look mommy! An Angelic!” The innocents of her voice was endearing but her mother thought otherwise, “No, that there is a demon.” I bit my lip as I was once more reminded of my fall and the mark I bore.
Once at the Guard Captain, we saw Bal Vyr there in the human disguise he first had when we came to Lake Town. He muttered something about bribing guards and what not which explained some of their reasonableness with our requests.
Once we got an audience with the Captain, Cloudbreaker explained what had happened, about how we were searching for our friend Trickfoot. The Captain informed us that it was under investigation, but wouldn’t tell us any details. Then he said something that didn’t settle with me, “You may keep searching for your friend, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the guards and their investigation.”
The Captain of the Guards clearly knew something.
However, before dismissing us, the only other thing he mentioned was that fighting with weapons in city was against the law. I asked him what other laws might there be that we ought to be aware of. That questioned stemmed from Sardik’s Dukedom and how resurrection was deemed as forbidden magic under Pendral’s rule. The Captain informed me I could educate myself on the laws at the town hall.
Before leaving, Cloudbreaker asked if the Guard would oblige him with a letter for Grendel explaining he no longer was fugitive of the law. The Captain smirked and said to have his clerk do it. Something about how he said it had me convinced that the letter wasn’t going to be taken seriously.
We went downstairs and gave the clerk Cloudbreaker’s request for a pardon. I noticed a sour expression pass from the clerk to Cloudbreaker. He disappeared upstairs briefly, before returning and scribbling away on a piece of paper. When he finished, he handed the paper to Cloudbreaker, telling him to go get the Captain’s stamp of approval. I was about to snatch the paper, hoping to read it on the way up, when Cloudbreaker spoke.
“Wait, you want me to take it up, or will you?”
“We can do it!” I said too eagerly. The damage was done, for the clerk looked at me and said that he’d be right back. I face palmed myself.
“What’s wrong Araja?” Cloudbreaker asked.
“I was hoping to read the letter to make sure he was accurate in describing your request before giving it to Grendel.”
“We ought to try to trust that the Guard Captain wouldn’t want Grendel fighting in his town.”
Right. Because Grendel isn’t self serving.
We soon took off with the sealed letter and went to St. Pelor to get Grendel revived. Cloudbreaker said it was a flight of stairs the Crusader had fallen down. The Priest also pointed out that Grendel and Cloudbreaker had been attacked by dark energy. Shortly both were healed, Grendel waking in a fitful rage.
“Grendel, you need to calm down and listen,” I said sternly.
“Silence demon!” he spat at me. I curled my lips back, but held my tongue. “Brother, that there is a fugitive of the law!” Grendel said pointing at Cloudbreaker.
“No Grendel,” Cloudbreaker said firmly, He then passed the letter to the Priest who stated it had the Guard Captain’s seal upon it. He then passed it to Grendel. I watched him read the letter and looked for any signs of calm, but the Crusader kept his lips pursed and his eyes hard.
When Grendel finished he placed the letter into his armor and asked for his helmet. Cloudbreaker confirmed it was at the bottom of the lake. He then asked for a sword. I was certain there was something amiss. Why would he ask for a sword when he had a perfectly usable silvered mace at his side?
“Why do you need the sword Grendel?” I asked accusingly.
“Because I want a sword,” he clipped out. I eyed him as the priest took him down stairs into their armory.
“So, do you think that’s it?” Cloudbreaker asked. I shook my head slowly.
“I’m almost certain that he’ll attack you again.,” I said gravely.
“But the letter-,” Cloudbreaker began.
“It’s Grendel!” I seethed, “You and I both know he has his own sense of Justice and for all I know he may very well ignore the guy who’s considered the ‘Law.’”
Cloudbreaker’s eyes hooded over in thought. “Then I must not let him catch me off guard..” He then unsheathed his sword.
“Put that away!” I hissed. Cloudbreaker simply placed his sword in front of him and braced his hands on the pommel. Very much non threatening, but a clear statement that he would not be taken off guard.
A few minutes later Grendel returned, a new helmet adorning his head and a sword at his side. He barely looked our way before heading out the door. Cloudbreaker recommended that Bal Vyr and I go next, perhaps talking some sense into Grendel. There was no way I would be able to talk sense into Grendel. I only had venom to spew at him. I also knew my words meant nothing to him after that terrible debate three days ago.
Grendel lead us over to the cemetery. However, night was about to be upon us in a matter of minutes. Bal Vyr also pointed out how none of us had potions, Cloudbreaker saying his healing belt needed to charge too. So the vampires were postponed another night.
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