\u201cSo, you need to travel, do you?\u201d\u00a0 Kineta asked politely.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I paused for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYes,\u201d I pulled a small scroll from my side pouch.\u00a0 \u201cThese are the sigils on the receiving pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She took the small scroll from me gingerly.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have components, or will you require them?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI have some here, I believe they should be sufficient.\u201d\u00a0 I handed her a small bag containing the energized dust.\u00a0 Probably scraped off the ass of a faerie, but I wasn\u2019t going to be argumentative about its source when I bought it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen would you like to travel?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cPreferably this morning,\u201d I replied.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have time for a multi-day contract? I\u2019d like to be able to return in a few days on my own schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will cost more, of course,\u201d she said with her head tilted to one side.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cAssume four days\u2019 total time, is that possible?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cAll things are possible, what matters is whether they are probable.\u201d\u00a0 She hefted the bag in her hand.\u00a0 \u201cThis is enough to run the ritual both ways, and I think I can arrange for my availability.\u00a0 What is the nature of the place to which we are traveling?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cA town, there is lodging, if that\u2019s what you\u2019re asking.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u00a0 Have you any objection to accompaniment?\u00a0 I don\u2019t travel alone, particularly with strangers.\u201d\u00a0 This last with a barely perceptible wink.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose not, though I won\u2019t be paying their lodging.\u201d\u00a0 I grinned at my own private joke.\u00a0 Since I own the inn, I never had to pay.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cFair enough.\u00a0 Fifty crowns a day should be sufficient, and three hundred flat fee for the ritual castings, inclusive of both.\u00a0 Total five hundred.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Madam Garandes cleared her throat behind me.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd fifty to cover the brokerage fee,\u201d Kineta amended.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat is acceptable, if steep.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She held up her hands at her sides in a soft gesture of helplessness.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I sat down and pulled my haversack from my bags, and from within it extracted a cash pouch.\u00a0 Shaking out the coins, the small rectangles of platinum I counted out felt heavy, and cool to the touch.\u00a0 I handed her fifty, and then five more which she passed directly to Madam Garandes, who bowed her head slightly with eyes lidded.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kineta put the coins away in an interior pocket somewhere, then looked back to me.\u00a0 \u201cIs this all the things you will be bringing along?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cExcellent.\u00a0 Then come with me, we can retrieve my bodyguards and be on our way.\u201d\u00a0 She led the way out into the Market street.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You know, you could do a lot worse for yourself, grandchild. <\/em>Voedle\u2019s voice, which had been silent much this time, spoke up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I didn\u2019t speak, but instead thought \u2018loudly,\u2019 Do I have to talk with my voice for you to hear me?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n No, we can converse this way just as easily.\u00a0 Perhaps more so, since I can see and feel much of what you do.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Then is it possible for you to disengage and isolate yourself from me and my senses when I want you to?<\/em> I asked him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course, I\u2019ve been exploring where I can go to get a sleep when I need it and you\u2019re wandering around doing something.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n I paused.\u00a0 Good.\u00a0 I appreciate the suggestion.\u00a0 I might just follow up on it.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We walked down the street, and I offered to buy food at a caf\u00e9 we passed.\u00a0 She accepted.\u00a0 While we picked out some smoked ham and a thick dark coffee, she looked around at the crowd.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re going to your town, are we?\u00a0 Any chance of running in to whoever it is you\u2019re keeping your name from?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s called Al\u2019Veydra.\u00a0 And no, I\u2019d think not.\u00a0 I was seen in Vor Kragal only three or four days back, and we\u2019re a month\u2019s travel at least from there.\u201d\u00a0 I bit into a slice of ham and started chewing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot traveling my way we aren\u2019t,\u201d she grinned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGranted,\u201d I agreed.\u00a0 \u201cStill, I haven\u2019t spent a great deal of time there lately, and we won\u2019t be there long enough to attract attention.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I looked around a bit.\u00a0 \u201cDo you mind if I ask you a personal question?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cGo ahead, I\u2019ll tell you if I mind when I hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you\u2026involved with anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She gazed at me levelly.\u00a0 \u201cHmm.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mind you asking.\u201d\u00a0 She grinned at her own answer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u00a0 Any psychotic relatives in the family?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looked up at my horns.\u00a0 \u201cI think that would be my line, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust looking for common ground, that\u2019s all,\u201d it was my turn to grin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNone.\u00a0 Yet.\u201d\u00a0 She finished the ham, and placed her drained cup on the table beside the counter.\u00a0 \u201cShall we go?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I downed the last of my coffee and nodded. \u201cYes, let\u2019s.\u00a0 How far?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot very, they\u2019re up the street a little ways.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We walked up in the direction she indicated, and around a corner to find her three companions from last night playing cards at a small table.\u00a0 \u201cKineta!\u00a0 And Azrael, what are you doing here?\u201d\u00a0 Nemmy burst out when he saw me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s my customer, that\u2019s what.\u201d\u00a0 Kineta answered before I could.\u00a0 \u201cNow behave properly, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lotonna stood, and greeted me in the fashion of his species \u2013 he gripped my forearms and slammed his head into mine.\u00a0 Gently, which was fortunate for me.\u00a0 Our horns actually made a respectable cracking sound that made Nemmy wince.\u00a0 \u201cIt is good to see you again, Shadrim,\u201d he intoned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe always says that about someone who buys him beer,\u201d the Halfling added.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to the town of Al\u2019Veydra,\u201d Kineta said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s there?\u201d Nemmy asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0 Horace alsoseemed quizzical.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy distillery is there,\u201d I responded casually.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLike I said, when do we leave?\u201d Horace stood quickly and walked over.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m ready!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We were all set in only a few minutes.\u00a0 When things were calm and before she began performing the ritual, I caught Kineta\u2019s attention for a moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou have a way to return here when we\u2019re done?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, there\u2019s a receiving circle here, very close to the Overspill border.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFantastic.\u00a0 Is it possible to make this portal big?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow big?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSmall wagon?\u00a0 Maybe seven or eight feet wide, ten or twelve long, plus a horse.\u201d I gestured with my hands by way of demonstrating the size I was thinking of.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure, shouldn\u2019t be a problem if you have the thing ready to roll as soon as the portal opens.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cExcellent.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust make sure it can cross the threshold in fifteen seconds.\u00a0 Sometimes these gates don\u2019t last long.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We pulled aside a few tables, and she used a small iron spike to trace a circle pattern into the dust of the ground before us.\u00a0 She used my notations to decorate the edges in the North-South-East-West points.\u00a0 Moments later she began to chant a rhythmic sound, which could have been operatic had it been considerably louder.\u00a0 A bubble rose up out of the ground in the center of the circle, its rim first dragging at the center before it filled out and began to expand.\u00a0 Before long, the rim was pushing its way out towards the edges of the circle and the center was blooming up, like a huge soap-bubble.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When it reached about head-height, the expansion slowed, and dark, shadowed clouds billowed up from the bottom, as though it were full of water and a discoloration had suddenly been dropped into it from below.\u00a0 The coloration grew deeper and more full, and eventually filled the emerging sphere to the point where it was somewhere between midnight blue and black.\u00a0 Then, with an audible snap, the sphere stopped expanding at perhaps nine feet in height.\u00a0 Its sides resonated with the sound, reverberating across the surface.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The darkness cleared, revealing a foggy but recognizable view.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zenith\u2019s old quarters.\u00a0 He had created a receiving portal some while back in his personal quarters, and we \u2013 Fellbane, that is \u2013 had never used his rooms for anything else since his departure.\u00a0 The portal, being inside the castle, was just too useful.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll aboard,\u201d Kineta said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We five stepped through into the image of Shard Keep.\u00a0 My ears popped as soon as I stepped through, the stale smell of the dusty apartment filling my nose as soon as I took a breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll here?\u201d\u00a0 I looked about.\u00a0 The others were standing expectantly around me, looking alternately at me and at the room around us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan you turn that off?\u201d I hooked a thumb at the gate, whose surface showed the canyon floor which we had just departed, as well as several people passing through.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt should close in a few minutes, if you can wait.\u201d\u00a0 Kineta wandered around the room while Horace and Lotonna walked to the window.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou live here?\u201d\u00a0 Kineta asked, running her hands down a tapestry on the wall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot really, no.\u00a0 Not in these rooms, at least.\u00a0 A former member of our company did.\u201d\u00a0 I had never really looked much at Zenith\u2019s place.\u00a0 Austere, even sterile, was the impression of it.\u00a0 \u201cHe was something of a strange fellow.\u00a0 Gith, kept to himself a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat happned to him?\u00a0 Why\u2019d he leave?\u201d\u00a0 Nemmy was sitting on a stool beside the bed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2026became something.\u00a0 They\u2019re called the Shrouded Sages, they study knowledge, something like a monastery.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSounds boring. Where is this monastery?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nemmy\u2019s eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cSo he\u2019s dead then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, the monastery is actually in<\/em> a nightmare.\u00a0 I think so they can get hold of people while they sleep, and pull the knowledge from them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2026doesn\u2019t sound very nice.\u201d\u00a0 Nemmy finally said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cStrange friends you keep,\u201d Horace added.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou should see my enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lotonna stood up straight.\u00a0 Which is impressive even for short minotaurs, which he wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 I was a little worried that he\u2019d actually stick his horns into the ceiling and get stuck like a dart, but he seemed aware of his extents.\u00a0 \u201cSo you have been to the lands of Taer Dian Loresh?\u00a0 We have many legends of the Waking Nightmare among my people.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe ventured there once, yes, in an attempt to free someone from service to its lord.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow did you escape?\u00a0 It is said that none leave there, yet you walk free.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I held out my right hand, to show the silver ring on my little finger.\u00a0 \u201cI bargained for the life we were sent to retrieve.\u00a0 Zenith, the one who used to live here, stayed behind, and I accepted an exchange of service.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lotonna looked at the small insignia on the ring, and backed away a little.\u00a0 I felt a bit strange, I had no desire to make this a show-and-tell affair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat service?\u201d the minotaur had lowered his horns slightly.\u00a0 I think unconsciously.\u00a0 I hope unconsciously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am the emissary of that land\u2019s lord.\u00a0 I acquire\u2026materials\u2026for him from time to time, and I gain power in the exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kineta put a hand on Lotonna\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps it is enough to know he walks and breathes like we do, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The minotaur took a deep breath, calming himself.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 Yes it is.\u00a0 Nightmares don\u2019t buy drinks.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned at that thought.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cUnless it\u2019s a really long nightmare, and it wants to put you at ease first in order to savor a greater terror later on!\u201d\u00a0 Nemmy burst out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRodent!\u201d\u00a0 Lotonna turned on the Halfling, picking him up by his lapels and shaking him mock-harshly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The gate vanished with a loud POP.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nemmy crashed to the floor in a heap, and Horace jumped probably three feet into the air.\u00a0 Lotonna\u2019s horns were pointed straight at the circle, and his hand was on his weapon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEasy, boys,\u201d Kineta said soothingly.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t we go outside now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood idea,\u201d I concurred.\u00a0 Spending more time in close quarters with a jittery minotaur wasn\u2019t my idea of the safest choice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I led everyone downstairs and out into the courtyard.\u00a0 While heading down, I had one of the servants fetch me some paper and ink.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When we got to the entry hall, I penned off a quick note to J\u2019Tiel, then took Kineta and her friends over to the Inn.\u00a0 The town was busy, but quiet, and in the sun I wished I was intending to stay longer.\u00a0 We entered the common room, which had cleared of most of the breakfasters.\u00a0 A young girl was wiping down all the tables \u2013 I think I recognized her from Tarsis \u2013 and Duchan was fixing a chair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDuchan, ho!\u00a0 Good to\u00a0 see you, old man!\u201d\u00a0 I called as we came in.\u00a0 \u201cGot some new trinkets for you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He stood up with a hand on his back.\u00a0 \u201cMaster Azrael, fine day to you, sir!\u00a0 Welcome home!\u00a0 Will you be staying with us?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOnly a few days, Duchan, came to pick up a couple barrels from the distillery, then I\u2019m off again.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust deliveries, then?\u00a0 Only business?\u00a0 No great exploits tackling monsters and saving the world this time?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I drew out my satchel and the haversack.\u00a0 \u201cDidn\u2019t quite say that now, did I?\u201d\u00a0 I grinned at him.\u00a0 \u201cHave a look at these,\u201d I drew out the giant scales from the bulette, laying them out on the table before us both.\u00a0 \u201cNice, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He whistled appreciatively.\u00a0 \u201cTook down a landshark myself, once, and got a nasty scar for my troubles, but he was nowhere near the size of this!\u00a0 Where are the others?\u00a0 It didn\u2019t\u2026\u201d He pointed slowly at the scales.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, to my knowledge they\u2019re fine, we went separate ways for a little while.\u00a0 I\u2019ll meet up with them sometime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lotonna, who with Horace had been looking over the various pieces on the wall, looked back over at me.\u00a0 Then down at the scales.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Duchan stood up a little straighter.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean you were alone when you\u2026?\u201d\u00a0 He tapped the scale before him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t say that either, but I was alone when I was done.\u00a0 Thought they\u2019d make nice serving trays, what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked me up and down.\u00a0 \u201cAye, they would, or with a bit of good polish they\u2019ll make a fine mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I pulled out another bundle.\u00a0 \u201cThis, I think, would be particularly nice next to Nala, hmm?\u201d\u00a0 I nodded over to the hearth where the petrified head of the medusa stared sightlessly over the room.\u00a0 I unwrapped it to reveal the flame-cleansed skull of the abyssal ghoul I\u2019d killed in the Hastwith.\u00a0 Even (fully) dead, its extended jaw with all those needle teeth looked menacing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe not such a good plan where people will be eating, sir.\u00a0 Might do a sight better in the men\u2019s privy, you know, to speed things up a little, have them pay a little more attention to what they\u2019re aiming at.\u201d\u00a0 He chuckled heavily while he was saying this.\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind my asking, what\u2019s happened to your eyes?\u00a0 You look\u2026different.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, just a bit of\u2026scarring, I guess you could call it.\u00a0 My vision\u2019s good as ever.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some would say better,<\/em> Voedle\u2019s voice echoed clearly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I drew out a few more souvenirs I\u2019d collected for him, and finally reached the last one.\u00a0 \u201cThis one I thought would come in especially handy, for when we drag in the really big game.\u201d\u00a0 I offered him the paired cookbooks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, now that\u2019s some fine thinking!\u00a0 I\u2019ll talk to Ysolde too, maybe she can think of ways to pair up her booze with my lady\u2019s cooking.\u00a0 She\u2019ll be thrilled to death with these.\u201d\u00a0 He set them on the bar.\u00a0 \u201cWill you be staying in the keep, master Az, or shall I have rooms readied for you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRooms, please.\u00a0 One for me, and for each of my guests.\u201d I motioned to each of them in turn.\u00a0 \u201cLotonna, Nemmy, Horace, and Kineta, this is Duchan.\u00a0 He runs the place for me, with his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Duchan went around to each of them.\u00a0 \u201cPleasure to meet you all.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have you set up in no time.\u00a0 Any special\u2026er\u2026needs\u2026\u201d he looked up at Lotonna in particular as he said this, \u201c\u2026just let us know and I\u2019ll see what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cKim, please take these in back and have Caleb wash them up,\u201d he pointed the girl at the pile of trophies.\u00a0 She grabbed a handful and headed into the back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I grinned.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 What say I take you all on a tour of the distillery while Duchan\u2019s folks get your rooms ready?\u00a0 Just leave your stuff here, they\u2019ll take care of it.\u201d\u00a0 By means of example, I laid my bag on the table and walked to the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We walked outside, and I paused to get a good eyeful.\u00a0 It\u2019s amazing to me how pretty the place can be.\u00a0 The river flowing by really adds to the picture.\u00a0 Even Mahar\u2019s Shadowspire gave the landscape an aspect of uncommon beauty.\u00a0 Downslope a little bit from town were a series of tents, and smoke rose from a great many chimneys.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I stopped a passer-by, \u201cExcuse me, but why all the tents?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She looked a little surprised.\u00a0 \u201cRefugees, sir.\u00a0 Escaped from Tarsis,\u201d she frowned as she said this.\u00a0 \u201cBrought their curse with them, too, the lowlifes.\u201d\u00a0 She spat on the ground and walked on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I frowned.\u00a0 What could that have been about?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We walked up to the distillery, and I saw smoke rising from its chimneys as we approached.\u00a0 Ysolde was probably mashing something, this time of year.\u00a0 Quite a few hands were working the yard, and as we approached I angled straight for the still room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We opened on a scene of reverence that reminded me of a cathedral.\u00a0 Two of the four big alembics were running, fires burning slowly beneath them.\u00a0 I could smell the alcohol in the air.\u00a0 Ysolde and three apprentices were attending them, the long copper coils steadily dripping into large glass bottles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ysolde, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve mentioned, is my still-master (or is that still-mistress?).\u00a0 She probably knows more about whiskey and other spirits than you or I could drink<\/em> in our lifetimes.\u00a0 I have never been able to get much from her about where she learned it all, but her sense of flavor and her ability to anticipate the effects on a brew are almost supernatural.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She\u2019s about thirty, blonde as a northern barbarian (she might be one, for all I can tell), and speaks with no accent whatsoever.\u00a0 She\u2019s somewhere north of a dwur\u2019s height, while still managing to be well under normal for a human, and she could chew off the tail of a minotaur without breaking a sweat.\u00a0 She generally walks around with a stirring spoon made of copper and boasting a leather handle, and wearing an aged leather apron.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She has a smell about her all the time \u2013 some mix of hops and oak.\u00a0 Speculation has it (and it is never<\/em> discussed near her) that she\u2019s half-dwur.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When we entered, she was in the middle of testing some of the output from one of the stills, pouring a small amount into a glass beaker of some kind and mixing it with some kind of powder.\u00a0 She muttered a few things to the three apprentices while she did, and waited until she was answered by at least two of them before turning to face us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was wondering when you were going to show up,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to contract out for some new equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She motioned over to one of the stills.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve had pre-orders from this year\u2019s stock, and while I don\u2019t mind making simple firewater, to be done up properly takes time and aging.\u00a0 There\u2019s a cooper in Mooristown who has access to beech and stout-oak, I\u2019m going to need to set up a supply with him.\u00a0 As well, the vintners west of banner make a good sherry and port, I want to buy their discards.\u00a0 Plus, I need another room like this one.\u00a0 Four more stills, and probably four more of these useless lumps.\u201d\u00a0 She gestured over her shoulder at the apprentices, who immediately made themselves look busy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that going to cost?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe building will be cheap, about three hundred crowns \u2013 I need good bricks, though.\u00a0 Stills about two hundred each, enchantment for the fires about two hundred each, barrels total about fifty a year.\u00a0 Samuel counts that we can buy the barrels out of our normal supply line money, but that will bring us close on margins until the new building starts producing.\u201d\u00a0 She ran through the figures in her head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll also have to expand the caves a bit to fit the new storage needs, but that won\u2019t happen for another year, after the building is done and in operation.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlright, I\u2019ll arrange funds before I go.\u00a0 Anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, that should about do it.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think you came for that, though.\u201d\u00a0 She tapped her foot expectantly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cQuite right, no I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 I need a barrel and two casks of Winter\u2019s Fall.\u00a0 Best one we have for the Barrel.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Exasperation spread across her face like spilled water.\u00a0 \u201cYou want my left boob while you\u2019re at it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe whiskey will do, thanks,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, not so fast\u2026\u201d Nemmy never finished the sentence, as Kineta\u2019s foot swung around and found his midsection.\u00a0 Whatever word was next came out as \u201cthooof!\u201d before he raised his hands in supplication, stepping back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a few left in the East stores.\u00a0 Little Jimmy can set you up, he\u2019s sweeping in there now.\u00a0 You\u2019ve never taken this much, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t an emergency, I wouldn\u2019t take it at all.\u00a0 Besides, I\u2019m not going to mess up the books, I\u2019ll buy it from stock.\u201d\u00a0 I patted my belt pouch twice in emphasis.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll right, that\u2019s fine then.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t all for you, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, I\u2019ve taken up pickling devils as a new hobby.\u201d I winked at her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSometimes I wonder whether you\u2019re being serious with me.\u00a0 Anyhow, you could choose a different fixative, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWouldn\u2019t taste nearly as good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo who are your friends here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nemmy jumped forward.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re the Lion\u2019s Lunge.\u00a0 I\u2019m Nemmy, this is Horace, that\u2019s Lotonna, and she\u2019s Kineta.\u00a0 I\u2019m Nemmy.\u201d\u00a0 He held out his hand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ysolde grinned.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you said that already.\u00a0 Nice to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI brought them for a tour, they\u2019re visiting with me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, we\u2019ve got another couple hours before the stills will be done, and what they need is to be left alone, so why don\u2019t I have these fellows give them the tour?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat sounds great.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She turned and issued a few orders, which the apprentices listened to quietly before bustling over and introducing themselves.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to check a few things out, Azrael, will you excuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course, and thanks.\u00a0 I\u2019ll see to it that Samuel gets the money you need.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u00a0 Oh, and one more thing,\u201d she turned back to us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I waited with the question on my face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour friend Mahar was here, he\u2019s bought up the last of the wine.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhich wine?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAll of it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All of it?\u00a0 \u201cHas he really?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, he\u2019d been steady on a case a month, but three weeks ago he cleaned us out.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDid you reserve enough stock to keep the inn going till the next season?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, Duchan\u2019s already got that in storage over there.\u00a0 But our other buyers will be disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I thought about that for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI see.\u00a0 All right, offer my sincerest apologies to them, give them five percent off the top on any beers and distillates they buy now, and ten percent off any preorders of wine they\u2019d like to buy, they can put fifteen percent down.\u00a0 Will that do?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYah, pretty much what I\u2019d been thinking, just wanted to make sure you were okay with it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am, thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She waved and walked out.\u00a0 As soon as she\u2019d gone, Lotonna looked down at Horace, and held out his hand.\u00a0 In his deep chuffing voice, he said to him, \u201cHi, I\u2019m Nemmy.\u00a0 Did I mention, I\u2019m Nemmy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShut it, rug,\u201d the Halfling sulked from behind.\u00a0 One of the apprentices snickered, and immediately apologized.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, kid,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cIt was pretty funny.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kineta chuckled quietly as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n Several hours later, we had retired to the inn, and I had made arrangements to purchase a small wagon from one of Duchan\u2019s suppliers.\u00a0 We\u2019d just finished our evening meal, and the beer was flowing freely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo do we leave in the morning?\u201d Horace asked around a mouthful of turkey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think morning, but perhaps the afternoon.\u00a0 I have to speak with a friend before we go, and we have to take the wagon up to the distillery to pick up the whiskey anyway.\u00a0 We\u2019ll stay here tonight, and I\u2019ll go speak with him after breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho is this you\u2019re speaking to?\u201d\u00a0 Kineta asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAn old war comrade.\u00a0 He was my commanding officer a long while back, now he runs a mercenary troupe.\u00a0 That\u2019s his tower over on the other side of the river, he uses Al\u2019Veydra as a headquarters since I moved here.\u201d\u00a0 I scooped a pile of peas onto some mashed potatoes and started chewing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat mercenaries?\u00a0 Maybe we\u2019ve heard of them.\u201d\u00a0 Nemmy said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDevil\u2019s Due<\/em> is what they\u2019re called.\u00a0 Mahar used to be in the\u2026what?\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0 The table had fallen silent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve heard of them,\u201d Lotonna muttered quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHave we ever,\u201d Horace added with a little more anger than I expected.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, that doesn\u2019t sound so good.\u00a0 May I ask for the story?\u201d\u00a0 I washed the mouthful down with a deep brown ale that Ysolde had put up with some advice from Duchan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kineta nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWe were traveling in the Lordonweld a while back, and got between the elvish and human skirmishers there.\u00a0 The humans had contracted a small force of Devil\u2019s Due to augment their army, and the elves had hired us.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI take it things weren\u2019t exactly friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, not at all.\u00a0 They knew we were working for the elves, and ambushed us while we were encamped.\u00a0 The four of us escaped, barely.\u00a0 One of us didn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 She looked straight at me while she said this, but no emotion crossed her face.\u00a0 \u201cKuellan fell while covering our escape.\u00a0 We never found the body, our camp was destroyed when we returned the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cKuellan was\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nemmy continued for her.\u00a0 \u201cHe was an elf, a ranger.\u00a0 We were working for his people there, he\u2019d brought us the job.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry for your loss.\u00a0 If it helps at all, I\u2019ve fought them as well \u2013 twice.\u00a0 Once in the underdeeps while traveling to Ihnbharan, a while back now.\u00a0 We lost Nix, our wizard, in that fight.\u00a0 We fought them a second time in an arena battle in the city some days later.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd you call this Mahar a friend?\u201d Lotonna asked.\u00a0 He seemed genuinely curious, the anger was edged away a bit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAt least an associate.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to say what that relationship is.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a long time.\u201d\u00a0 I looked them over.\u00a0 \u201cThey are mercenaries, after all.\u00a0 I suspect with the right bargaining, they\u2019d fight us \u2013 Fellbane, that is \u2013 again.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d be right,\u201d came a voice from behind me.\u00a0 \u201cWe would.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I stood up and turned.\u00a0 Mahar was in the door, his grin the same as usual \u2013 lopsided.\u00a0 \u201cGoing to invite me in?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I looked around at the others at the table.\u00a0 Lotonna I couldn\u2019t read.\u00a0 Nemmy looked a little startled.\u00a0 Kineta frowned a bit, while Horace shrugged.\u00a0 I turned back to my old commander.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFor a bit,\u201d\u00a0 I waved at the rest.\u00a0 \u201cThis is Lion\u2019s Lunge \u2013 Lotonna, Kineta, Horace, and Nemmy.\u00a0 All, this is Mahar.\u00a0 For the sake of formality, you are all guests under this roof, please comport yourselves appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mahar nodded.\u00a0 He knew what my point was.\u00a0 The others either didn\u2019t quite get it, or didn\u2019t give any indication that they had.\u00a0 Mahar drew up a chair, and sat himself down.\u00a0 A few minutes later a server came out with a large goblet of wine for him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI heard you were back in town.\u00a0 I like the ghoul skull.\u201d\u00a0 He said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks. Got it down near Tarsis.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHeard that that fell.\u00a0 That\u2019s a mess and a half, there.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned forward.\u00a0 \u201cSo you all are Lion\u2019s Lunge.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t know you\u2019d come this far north.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe get around,\u201d Nemmy replied angrily.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Shadrim raised his hands openly.\u00a0 \u201cNothing material, little master.\u00a0 Just like to keep an ear on the ground for old adversaries.\u00a0 I can see you may be taking your brush with my team a little personally.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou tried to kill us!\u201d\u00a0 Nemmy almost shouted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, yes, they very probably did.\u00a0 Were you expecting different behavior from mercenaries working for the opposition in a war?\u201d\u00a0 He sat back and sipped his wine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t make any diff\u2026\u201d the halfwise was cut off in midsentence by Horace.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, master Mahar, we wouldn\u2019t have expected any different.\u00a0 Please excuse us though, if we do take it a little personally.\u00a0 We lost a good man to that battle.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I carefully stayed out of the discussion.\u00a0 Though I agreed with Mahar, I didn\u2019t want to take a side in this.\u00a0 Better to be the defuser of the argument if it came to one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd had you lost him to an owlbear or a dragon, would you feel the same about me then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Horace said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only a small jump to realized that we were just on opposite sides in a conflict.\u00a0 In the end, we\u2019re all pieces on a board,\u201d this last he said while turning his gaze on me.\u00a0 \u201cWhat in the nine happened to your eyes?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you later,\u201d I replied quietly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Horace sat quietly.\u00a0 Mahar continued.\u00a0 \u201cHad the elves hired my team first, we\u2019d have fought side by side.\u00a0 It\u2019s business, and it\u2019s professional.\u00a0 It\u2019s not personal.\u00a0 Believe me that I sympathize with the loss of your friend.\u00a0 I\u2019m saddened to hear it\u2019s a burden on you all still.\u00a0 But it happens.\u00a0 You fight in war, people die.\u00a0 How they die is just a matter of timing and circumstance.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lotonna\u2019s voice was low, but not angry.\u00a0 \u201cIt will be a while yet before we can see across the table as comrades, sir.\u00a0 That fight is still a bit raw for us.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd bravo to you, sir, for the mastery of your passionate nature.\u00a0 I understand my presence causes you some additional discomfort.\u00a0 I\u2019ve actually come to speak to your employer, so if I can prize him away from you for a little while\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n General assent was silently offered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cExcellent.\u00a0 Az?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We stood and walked around to a private room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWelcome back, by the way.\u201d\u00a0 He said as soon as we were out of earshot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThanks, I\u2019m not staying long.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmm?\u201d\u00a0 I cocked my head at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThis town isn\u2019t safe for you.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had offers.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOffers?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t accepted.\u00a0 Yet.\u00a0 Understand?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u00a0 Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t thank me, the price just wasn\u2019t right.\u00a0 I take it you\u2019ve been there, then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe Pool.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u00a0 Hmm.\u00a0 Let\u2019s say I said no to that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen when I\u2019m asked I won\u2019t have solid information to reveal.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad we see things on the same level still.\u201d\u00a0 We tinked glasses.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cStill, someday I\u2019d like to hear the story.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen can I trust you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He mulled that over.\u00a0 \u201cNow that\u2019s a tougher question to answer than I would like it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I nodded my head.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, I could use a good army, and the victory, when it happens, will be big<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know that\u2019s really long odds, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that we\u2019re having this conversation is long odds.\u00a0 It was long odds than an angel would turn on a god, and not turn the Astral Sea inside-out doing so.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lot of long odds stuff going on around us right now.\u201d\u00a0 I gestured with my cup while I iterated through all of these things.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He watched me.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got the tongue for it, and you\u2019re a hell of a lot more frightening than you used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take that as a compliment.\u00a0 Think about it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to take money.\u00a0 Or some hefty promises.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll need dukes and generals when I\u2019m done, because I won\u2019t stop there.\u00a0 The Abyss grows.\u00a0 We all know it, but no one does anything about it.\u00a0 The gods are still frightened after the Dawn War, and it\u2019s so far off in the future that this becomes a hazard that they aren\u2019t doing anything about it.\u00a0 I will.\u00a0 And there are thrones to entire worlds<\/em> waiting to satiate the avarice of my chosen.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked down at the floor for a little while.\u00a0 It was obvious he wasn\u2019t going to answer me this evening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I clinked cups again.\u00a0 \u201cThink about it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He nodded.\u00a0 Looking up, he drew a deep breath.\u00a0 \u201cYou have guests.\u00a0 Remember my warning \u2013 you really should be out of here, fast.\u00a0 Even if you haven\u2019t been seen yet, it\u2019s only a matter of time.\u00a0 And I like this place.\u00a0 It would be a shame to see it burnt down because you got caught in a battle here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAgreed.\u00a0 And thanks.\u00a0 Do you think I have the night?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf you cut twenty-five percent off two full barrels of the next batch of Winter\u2019s Fall<\/em>, I\u2019ll see to it that a squad keeps an eye on the place until noon tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s going to be ten years before it\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn case you didn\u2019t know, I have a lot of time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOkay, done.\u00a0 Thanks again.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my job.\u201d\u00a0 We shook hands.\u00a0 He turned to go, but pulled up short.\u00a0 \u201cOh, and Az?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmm?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTheir friend, the elf.\u00a0 Kuellan.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat about him?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not dead.\u00a0 We captured him, didn\u2019t kill him.\u00a0 Signed him for three years\u2019 service to Devil\u2019s Due<\/em> as repayment for his life.\u00a0 He\u2019s pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t they know?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, we didn\u2019t let him send messages for the first six months, we were still treating him under P.O.W. rules and assigned him to a different unit.\u00a0 After that, hell, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Maybe he likes working with us more.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019s afraid they\u2019ll consider his surrender cowardly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAre you telling me this so I can tell them?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m telling you because I like posing moral dilemmas.\u00a0 Of course, you thick bastard.\u00a0 Tell them.\u201d\u00a0 He tail-waved over his shoulder as he walked away down the hall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I turned back to the room.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This <\/em>was going to be an interesting conversation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cSo, you need to travel, do you?\u201d\u00a0 Kineta asked politely. I paused for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYes,\u201d I pulled a small scroll from my side pouch.\u00a0 \u201cThese are the sigils on the receiving pattern.\u201d She took the small scroll … Continue reading