Part VI: Friend or Foe?


“Amazing!” Valthrun exclaims as he leads Legion and Morpheus up the stairs of his tower. This is of course, not the first time he has uttered the phrase to them. “Did you come across the Astral Plane? Do you have an astral ship? What about the githzerai? Did you travel with them? I… I don’t know where to start!”

“No,” Morpheus, begins to answer, “no ship.” He goes to say more but suddenly his leg gives out beneath him and he stumbles on the stairs, only to be caught by Legion behind him. The shadar-kai, shakes his head to clear the sudden fog that almost caused him to faint. Valthrun notices nothing, and continues to lead them into his study. He spends a large amount of time clearing off two seats before he moves around behind his desk, cluttered with open books and scrolls.

Morpheus sits heavily, suddenly looking exhausted, and Legion drops his hood and turns to the sage. Valthrun, having lowered himself into his seat, finally looks up, but when he gazes upon Legion, he immediately leaps back from his chair and stumbles into a heap behind his desk.

“Gods!” Valthrun exclaims, as he struggles to rise again. Legion cocks an eyebrow at Morpheus who rises slowly, and steadies himself on the edge of the desk.

“Please!” Morpheus says, “He won’t hurt you. It’s not what you think.”

“How can it not be?!?” The sage cries out, “You’ve brought a shade into my tower!”

“Yes,” Morpheus sighs heavily, sinking into the chair once again, when it becomes plain that Valthrun won’t run. The sage for his part gains his feet and stays with his back against the far wall, staring at the shade. Legion remains motionless.

Legion is a shade,” the monk continues, as Legion takes more interest in the books around them, then he does of the conversation about him, “But he will not harm you. He and I are working together.” Morpheus struggles with the word together but again, Valthrun fails to notice.

“Please,” the monk explains, “we are strangers here and lost. You may be our only hope. We’ve traveled across worlds to achieve one simple thing.”

“Something evil, no doubt!” Valthrun spits.

“No!” Morpheus says, “Nothing of the sort. We are here to save my sister.”

Author: Neil