Idris Looks for Answers


The question you had been pondering, How is the Blue able to track us? had an obvious answer: Because she’s the Blue, Queen of Sorcery! Duh! It could really be that simple, but…you weren’t so sure. If it had been the Archmage tracking you, fine. Wizardry is a bit different from Sorcery, though, and scrying, illusions, and overall utility magic are firmly in the former and not the latter. If the phenomenon was a powerful vortex to another plane spontaneously opening up, sure, sorcery. But this level of pinpoint scrying…?

But it was the Blue. And maybe that was enough…maybe.

Just to work it through your own head, you went over what you knew about scrying (not a whole lot) and figure out what it might be that the Blue was zeroing in on:

– The ichor from Stoneroost. Blood from one of the most ancient creatures would be something to magically focused-on, certainly.

– Your Golden Blade of Light. An artifact dedicated to a rival Icon might be something to focus on.

Legion. Legion was an anomaly in the Dragon Empire, coming from another dimension (or whatever) and likely acted as a sort of magical beacon to arcane-savvy icons, and the Blue was definitely that.

(So was the Lich King, and Idris kept waiting for *that *shoe to drop, but that was a thought for another time).
*
Suddenly, you thought of something else the Blue might be focusing on…or rather, someone:*

YOU.

Former soldier serving the Three, traitor, and now servant to the Great Gold Wyrm…yes. It made sense too.

Of course, it could be a combination of all those things…or none of them.

Sigh.

Time for a nap.

Lighting the incense, candles, and setting up other paraphernalia, you laid down and entered the Dreamscape, hoping to focus on the Soul of a Hero…one of the ingredients for the weapon to be forged (by someone. Not sure who that was yet).

You were wandering a familiar hallway, your blade giving light to see by. You walked underneath a huge bell made of bone; you were tempted to ring it…then realized where you were, and decided against it. You walked purposefully to a particular area but then got confused…it was no different than any other area in these catacombs. There was supposed to be something here, but…it was empty. A pit started in your stomach…you felt…lured here.

Steeling yourself, you proceeded through the catacombs, making sure to avoid certain rooms. A…presence seemed to be accompanying you, but whenever you turned your head, there was nothing there. You were sure you weren’t alone, though. You were being watched…but from how far, you weren’t sure.

Pressure started to push down on your chest, your breathing a bit laboured, as you ran faster through the catacombs. A mocking singing began echoing through the hallways; you weren’t panicked yet, but the sensation was a horrible one. You ran faster.

Finally, you ended up in front of two shrine doors. You didn’t recognize the deity symbol fully, but it seemed like a benevolent god. You tried to enter, but the doors were locked. The singing picked up. You tried again, forcing the door, but there was no such luck. Shades started approaching from behind you…you knew who it was, even as you couldn’t say their name. You began banging on the door, pleading to be let in, knowing that if you turned your head, your pursuer(s) would be looking right at you…

Awake. Cold sweat covered your body, despite the heat in the room. Tried as you could, you couldn’t remember if the doors actually opened before you woke up.

Author: Eric