Each hero was quiet aboard the Cloudswimmer as they sailed through the air back to Eldolan. Nildalru quietly offered to continue her surveillance of Kalee to see if it gets any more information on the “other Idris” in Eldolan. Idris nodded without saying anything else…he was thinking of his former Mistress, the Diabolist and how this was just the kind of game she liked to play…
Waurren was thinking of the Diabolist as well, or, demons, anyway; he knew Othorion wanted Waurren to bring this powerful group on board to be a hellhole squad, and the sooner the better. Their lives were SO complicated though…much more than the ones of the other heroes he had journeyed with. Not for the first time, he wondered about them again…
Puki had been trying to figure out just how big the treasure from the map he bought would be before he remembered he never actually bought it himself…or did he? And did it matter? Treasure was treasure, after all…
Legion brought the ship in easily enough, then turned to his comrades. “Before we part ways for our own affairs in town, there’s something we should all think about over the next few days. It is obvious that the Three‘s plan to free the White and, presumably, the Green did not die with the Stone Thief. They intend to reclaim the White at any rate; that much was obvious from the ritual. The question I’d like us all to consider is… should we be trying to stop them? Removing the White from the Lich King‘s forces would be a huge blow to him; yes, it would strengthen the Three, but technically, the Blue has Imperial authority in Drakenhall. She is, bizarre as it sounds, a servant of the Emperor,” – he held his hands up defensively – “Yes, technically, and no one would say it out loud near her, but… definitely not the enemy the Lich King is. It’s something we should all at least consider.”
As the last of his companions disembarked the ship and set off into the city, Legion descended below deck and away from the mid-day sun. In the darkness, he slumped hard against the wall of the ship, his eyes closed and brow furrowed, breathing heavily. … so tired … he thought to himself. … it’s getting worse… Setting down his staff, he opened his eyes again and focused, his fingers pinched in the air before him. Drawing them slowly downward, the reclaimed shard appeared from the folded space Legion created for it. The long, broken crystal reflected only a little the light peeking in through the floorboards above, but it was what was inside that Legion focused on. Minutes passed, but a fleeting glimpse was all the assurance he needed – yes, she was still there. Wrapping his weary hand around the crystal, it seemed to Legion to be warmer than usual to his cold and clammy touch. Just 1 more… Legion whispered to himself… well, maybe not just to himself. Returning to the moment, Legion held the crystal upright and drew his fingers back upwards in front of it, concealing it again to all eyes but his.
From the folds of his robe, Legion retrieved the parchment scroll that Merian had called ‘eerie’. Written in silver ink, it contained the invitation to visit the Lich King on the Necropolis to discuss matters of state pertaining to the ‘Undying Peerage’ – “The bearer of the invitation may visit the Necropolis freely without hindrance or fear of attack.” still scrawled almost illegibly at the end of the parchment. Noting again that there was nothing about leaving again, Legion wondered to himself if this could now be of some use.
Slowly standing again, Legion groaned with the effort. Standing finally with his staff to support him, Legion called his conjured Shadow to hold open the door as he ascened the short stairs back up to the deck of Cloudswimmer. It wasn’t just his imagination, surely, that made Legion think the shade had intelligence enough to notice how he struggled. Speaking aloud to himself as much as in answer to his minion’s unspoken question, “Yes… I’m getting worse. As my magic grows in this place, my body weakens. If I cannot decipher the incantation to leave soon, I will have to find someone who can…”
Legion‘s thoughts raced as his words trailed off.
Disembarking Cloudswimmer, Legion looked to the harbor tower and gestured for the lookout there to send someone to him on the dock. As the lookout disappeared briefly to find someone, Legion looked at his minion and as he waved to dismiss the shade before entering the city, he said quietly, “Your service to me will be complete before my time here ends.” And it was gone.
Now… to see about who was on guard when Cloudwkimmer was searched…
