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Brimelle stood up from the cobblestone of the docks, looking around confused. The roads were busy with merchants and knights of Neraka patrolling, while in the distance the party could hear a band playing folk melodies. The sun was shining high in the sky and the air was hot and had a salted scent due to the proximity of the sea. The centauress shook off the dust that covered her mantle, blinking a few times towards the rest of the group, still astonished for what had happened before.
"Ruru!" Shouted Aliranne, extremely surprised.
"Yes, that's my name!" The kender smiled in a joyful grin. "Have you lot missed me?"
"Of course we did, thou scoundrel!" Brimelle bent down, going to hug the little creature. "Where have thou been?! Leaving us like that in the middle of Tarsis without notice! We thought thou were gone for good, being a kender and all."
Vorador dusted his robe while checking the leather straps of his chestplate before adding:
"We thought you might have been waiting for us in Thoradin, since it was the last thing we talked about before you, well, disappeared."
"Oh, but I WAS waiting in Thoradin! ...sort of..."
"Ruru," muttered Kon es Kaz, sighing. "care to explain what actually happened when we got separated?"
"And where are the fragments of the Graygem?" asked Brimelle.
The kender started to look extremely embarrassed.
"Uhm, well, you must know that I wasn't really IN Thorbardin, but I was going to get there with a caravan.. The only problem is that I met this wom-" he stopped abruptly, looking at the sky pondering."... I don't even know if I should call -it- a woman..." He spoke to himself.
"Ruru, go on!" Fostered Kon.
"Oh, yes yes! Sorry! Sooo I met this person.. and let's say it was a woman and I gave her aaall the fragments!"
Brimelle, Aliranne, Vorador and Kon es Kaz stared at Ruru in disbelief. The only one who seemed not to care too much was Saphanael as he had no idea of what the others were talking about.
"Thou did WHAT?!" The bard exclaimed.
"I just gave her the gems, it was the right thing to do I swear!" He raised his hands in a defensive stance. "And she helped me reach you! See? It was a good thing, no?" He stopped. "Although, now the people in the caravan have to go to Thorbardin by themselves... which is not that bad since maps do exist! They will miss out on my great personality, though!"
"I am going to murder thou with these hands!" Shouted Brimelle as she tried to grab the kender's neck. Fortunately, Ruru was way quicker than the centauress and, with a quick jump, was safe and sound away from her grip.
"They were only fragments of a gem, not a big deal!"
"Not a big deal? Those are part of the reason why Chaos is back on Krynn!" The bard growled out.
"Brim, it's useless to get angry at this point." Murmured Aliranne, shoulders slumping down. "We should just look at the library to find some knowledge about what can contain the damage."
"Listen to the mage." Nodded Ruru, hiding behind Aliranne's skirt. "They're usually wise."
"What does that -usually- imply?" asked the white robe raising an eyebrow.
"Guys please." The whole racket was ushered by Vorador who stepped in with a firm stare. "As Chaos is back on Krynn and the Graygem is the only hope to stop it, I suggest you go to the library as soon as possible and seek out as much knowledge as you can on how to use such a power of the fragments to imprison Chaos once more. The library of Palanthas is renown for its many books, although it is always possible not to find what you are looking for. In that case, I advise you to continue your journey through Ansalon in search of other libraries or every piece of information that can bring you to the optimal result."
The party stood silent for a moment, taking in what the mystic had just said. Kon es Kaz raised his armored head.
"Why are you talking about us in the second person plural? Are you not coming with us?"
Vorador smiled slightly, passing a hand over his new found robes.
"My newly discovered powers need practice and study. Such are the things I would not be allowed to do were I to continue this journey with the lots of you. I'll stay here instead." He turned his back to the party, looking over the city. "I've heard good things about the temple of Mishakal of Palanthas. I think I'll start my training there." He slightly turned around to face the others again, hinting a gentle grin. "I'm not leaving you forever. We might as well meet again in the future, once I become fully acquainted with my new role in this world."
Aliranne smiled back.
"Ok, be safe Vorador. May your studies be guided by all that's good and fair in this world."
"I won't forget you." The mystic uttered before finally walking away from the party, in the direction of the temple of Mishakal. The others just stood there for half a minute before the kender re-emerged from the folds of Aliranne's skirt.
"Soooo... are we goin' to the library?"
"Yes." Nodded Brimelle. "Yes, we are."
The centauress then proceeded to trot away, followed by the other four adventurers, towards the library of Astinus.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" Brimelle shouted after pulling the string connected to a bell placed next to the doors of the library?
"Yes?" A masculine voice came from the other side of the entrance. A small window was open in the middle of it and the group could see a pair of eyes gazing calmly at them.
"We were just wondering if we had the permission to visit the library, sir." Continued the bard in a honey-coated tone.
"Certainly yes!" Replied the man. A few moments later, the door started to open slowly, giving way to the entrance hall of the library. In front of the five heroes, stood a man dressed in red and pink robes with the symbol of Branchala sewn onto it.
"This way, please." He added, pointing inside with the palm of his hand.
The companions moved slowly inside the lobby, looking around intrigued.
"In front of you is the internal courtyard of the library. The main hall is right beyond that row of columns, hidden by that big door in the middle of the wall." The man went on explaining as he guided the five through the building. "You will find everything you need, but please do not wander off too much and keep your voice down: our scholars are studying an important document at the moment and would rather like not to be interrupted."
As he finished his monologue, he opened the other door, letting the companions gasp in awe at the sight of the internal part of the library. The room was completely lit by numerous wax candles which flames flickered in the air current coming from the now open door. The walls were covered in bookshelves and scroll holders: there were so many books that it was almost impossible to see the stone behind them. Right in the middle, stood a giant pedestal with a huge book on top. It was so big that five scholars were able to be laying and writing on its open pages at the same time. Aliranne and Brimelle looked around with a smile on their lips: there must have been an answer to their questions in such a place!
"I suppose I can leave you to the library now." The man concluded with a small bow.
"Yes, thank thou for thy help." Replied Brimelle, noticing how the kender was creepily staring intensely at the shadow of their guide. The man, though, took no notice an started walking away, leaving the others all alone aside for the other scholars and the old dusty tomes.
"If you don't need me," came the voice of Saphanael, "I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of the library."
"Suit yourself." Murmured Kon es Kaz, starting to walk towards the books.
As the elf walked back towards the entrance, Aliranne separated herself from the group, diving in between the various bookshelves, trying to find the right knowledge about the Herald and the Graygem. This left, of course, Brimelle and Ruru all alone near the main door of the hall.
"Thou better not go off like last time." Scolded him Brimelle.
"You don't have to worry, equine lady!" The kender grinned widely. "If anything happens, the Guardians will aid me!"
"The.. Guardians?" She raised one eyebrow.
"Oh, right, you cannot see them, I'm sorry!" Ruru apologized with an innocent tone in his words.
"Right... forget that I have asked that... "
An awkward lull followed the scene. Just about when Brimelle was considering the idea to leave the kender wander off and give a hand to Aliranne, Ruru broke the silence.
"I like your boyfriend."
Brimelle stopped in her place, stiffening.
"...what did thou say?!"
"Oh, well, he is a nice lad! It was fun talking to him, he's a really nice fella!"
Brimelle's blood froze in her vein and she could feel her whole body turning to stone while her heartbeat accelerated incredibly.
"T-thou met... Narchsissus..."
"Yes, and not only him! Your father was very welcoming too!" He kept smiling innocently.
The centauress felt like an arrow had pierced through her chest, which was now moving spasmodically, trying to keep up with her increased pace of breathing.
"And they also liked your letter."Ruru nodded.
"M-my... lett-" she stopped mid-sentence. "That cannot be! I have destroyed it!!"
"Oh, I made a copy of it! One night... that you weren't watching..." He confessed with a guilty look in his eyes. "It was such a beautiful letter! I wondered why you wouldn't share it with them! After all, it should have been sent to Narchsissus and Crhysantium, shouldn't it?"
"NO! THOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THOU HAVE DONE!" Brimelle shouted, attracting the attention of both her companions and the scholars. The latter just proceeded in raising a finger to their lips, making a "sssh" sound.
"Brimelle, I thought I made you a favour, I assure you that your family is saf-"
"NOT ANOTHER WORD!"
Brimelle felt tired and confused. Her head was spinning and her breath was still accelerating. She was inhaling and exhaling so fast that she could no longer speak anymore. She started to sweat profusely, glancing around dazed. In a spark of madness, she turned around, galopping through the hall, passing the inner courtyard and exiting the library as quick as a bullet, almost scaring Saphanael who was peacefully reading a book at the stairs near the entrance.
"Ruru, what happened?!" Kon es Kaz ran back towards the kender, staring in the direction where the centauress had run away.
"I swear, I did nothing!" The kender raised his hands, defeated.
"I saw Brimelle running away after screaming at you." Came Aliranne who was nearing the two with a quick pace. "What in the name of Solinari did you tell her?!"
"I just told her about her family! She should have been happy about it, I don't understand why she was so angry!"
Aliranne kneeled down to be at his eye level.
"Ruru, sometimes people don't like to talk about their past, you should know it."
The kender nodded afflicted.
"Where did she run away anyway?" Asked the minotaur, still looking towards the exit. "She seemed to be in a hurry."
"I have no idea!" Replied Ruru. "But she did not look like she was in the right state of mind to make conscious decisions.."
Aliranne paled out.
"Do you mean... that she could be going to..." She mimicked her throat being sliced up.
The kender opened his eyes widely in astonishment at the possibility, but then relaxed.
"Naaaah, she's not the kind of person...erm, centauress to do such a thing."
"I'll go looking for her, then." Concluded Kon es Kaz, nearing quickly, almost running, the entrance of the library.
"Be safe!" Aliranne shouted in his directions, concluding when he was already out of sight. "Both of you..."
Kon reached the entrance where the Silvanesti was still reading peacefully, as if nothing had happened.
"Saphanael." The minotaur called out, trying to get his attention.
The elf looked up from the pages, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.
"Have you seen the direction in which Brimelle has run away?"
Saphanael raised his right arm, pointing towards the crowded streets of the city.
"I saw her running away in that direction. Are you looking for her?"
The minotaur nodded, nearing the horse he had bought back in Solanthus and which had been brought there with them thanks to the teleportation spell.
"Do you need a hand in the search?" Asked Saphanael.
"No need. It won't be difficult to find a centaur in a city this north on Ansalon. If I were to lose her traces, I'll just ask the people walking on the streets."
"Understood. I'll just stay here then."
Kon es Kaz nodded towards him before giving a good shake to the reins and a kick in the sides of his mount.
"GO!"
He shouted, spurring the horse gait to a gallop, disappearing from the Silvanesti's sight into the busy streets of the mercantile city. He kept on riding until he was no longer sure of which direction he was going in, so he stopped more than once to ask the oblivious people of Palanthas if they had seen a white centauress running down the streets and if they could tell him which way she had taken. It didn't take him long to finally see the familiar figure of Brimelle running right in front of him. The hooves of his horse and of the centauress echoed on the cobblestone pavement, rhythmically. He thrust his horse into an even more unbridled run, reaching the right side of the bard and starting to finally go side by side with her.
"Brimelle!" He shouted. "Stop this non-sense NOW!"
Brimelle didn't even turn to look at him. Unresponsive, she kept staring forward, her face as pale as her coat and eyes wide open. Kon es Kaz tried to reach for her arm, but failed as the centauress retracted it just in time.
"Please, Brimelle, I'm just trying to help!" Kon shouted desperate.
The bard still kept running, manoeuvring through the various turns. But she was running short on breath. This gave the perfect opportunity to Kon es Kaz to reach for her arm once more, this time succeeding in the endeavour.
"I told you to stop! Please!!" He pulled her arm towards him, putting her escape to an halt.
Once they had finally stopped, Kon es Kaz brought her to a more private part of the city streets, away from the daily racket.
"Brimelle, can you tell me what happened? Did it have to do with what Ruru has said? What is wrong with you and your family?" The voice of the minotaur was firm yet somehow warm enough to inspire compassion.
"I... I am sorry if I ran away in such a way... I just... could not take it..." The centauress's answers came out broken both for the agitation than for the panting due to the "race".
"If it's something regarding Ruru, you can just try to talk to him in order to get it over with." He was still keeping his grip over her arm, not letting her go.
"I.. I suppose so.."
"But first tell me: what did he do?"
Brimelle lowered her eyes.
"Can we please not talk about it?"
"No." Kon tightened his grip. "Not if it can cause you to run away again."
She sighed, defeated.
"It was about my family... I did not choose to go on this adventure for pure whim.."
"So you ran away from home!" He nodded.
"Not exactly" She replied. "My father knew I was going to leave.."
"Then why was it?" He asked, his head slightly askew.
"It was... due to... something else..." She dared not continue and, in that same moment, Kon es Kaz knew very well that there was nothing more he could have spilled from her. He removed his hand from her arm, turning his horse back towards where they came from.
"The others are waiting for us at the library. We should go back." He paused. He clearly wanted to know more, but the knowledge bestowed upon him was most sufficient for the time. "Are you feeling ok, now?"
"Yes..." She lowered her head in apology. "I am utterly sorry.."
"Yeah, yeah, just try to talk things out with Ruru when we get there." He spurred the horse to a trot, starting the journey back to the library of Astinus. Brimelle followed him shortly after. She reached him at an intersection between the various streets: the way was blocked by a handful of armored men surrounding in a protective manner what looked like a Silvanesti. They were strolling through the city, as if patrolling like the Knights of Neraka. Kon es Kaz and Brimelle gave the lot a confused look, but did not give too much weight to their presence within the walls of Palanthas. When they were gone and had freed the road, the armored minotaur and the centauress were once again back on their tracks to reach the city library.
"Back already?" Saphanael looked up from his book to the two party members, as he was still sitting on the staircase to the entrance of the building.
"Yes, we are." Kon dismounted, taking his horse by the reins.
"So.. what now?" Asked Brimelle, moving some uncertain steps towards the library.
"Go on inside." Replied the minotaur. "Try to find Ruru. And get Aliranne too. We should be leaving, we have wasted enough time in this city already." He then glanced towards the elf. "I'll wait here with Saphanael."
The bard nodded before proceeding towards the stairs. Her path was briefly interrupted by Kon es Kaz's voice.
"Brimelle, remember what I told you about what you should do with the kender."
"I will speak to him, do not fret." The centauress reassured the warrior before finally proceeding towards the candle-lit hall of the library, leaving Kon es Kaz and saphanael behind.
Once she was inside, she could clearly see the white robe of the mage shuffling around between the bookshelves and the tea lights. She trotted towards her, attracting her attention with a small tap on her shoulder. The mage jumped slightly as she did not expect that, being so much concentrated in what she was reading.
"Oh! Brim, I did not see you coming! Is everything alright now?"
Brimelle nodded.
"They are waiting for thou outside, Kon and Saphanael." She looked around. "Where is Ruru?"
"Right here!" The high-pitched squeaky voice came from beneath a pile of toppled books. A few moments later, the pile started moving and the kender popped out from underneath like a flower growing from the ground.
"Are you...still angry at me?" His ears slightly moved backwards.
Brimelle shook her head before giving him her back and following Aliranne out of the library.
"No. Just do not bring the topic of my family up ever again."
"Got it!" Ruru yelled before running out of the pile of books and following the two female party members through the inner courtyard.
As they reached outside, Kon was already getting back onto his horse. Saphanael had closed his book and looked expectantly at the trio which was now coming down from the stairs.
"Have you found anything relevant?" Asked the minotaur, fixing his helm over his head.
Aliranne shook her head. "Nothing that we didn't know already... maybe we're looking in the wrong direction?"
"It can be a possibility." The warrior murmured, pondering.
"May I ask what all the fuss is about? I understand it has something to do with chaos?"
The four party members all turned around towards Saphanael. Oh right, he knows nothing about it, was the thought which ran through their minds.
"We'll.. explain it to you as we walk." Kon es Kaz cut the discussion short, glancing around, aware of any Knight of Neraka near them.
The whole party fell silent and so it remained until they reached the outer walls of the city and were, once again, on their way to Solanthus.
"...and that is how we freed Chaos on Krynn!" Ruru smiled as he finished narrating the story.
"Why did the kender have to tell the story?" Asked Aliranne. "Don't we have a bard for that?"
"Yeah, but our bard tends to exaggerate the state of things," replied Kon. "right Brimelle?"
The centauress did not answer but limited herself to make an imitation of Kon es Kaz voice, moving her right hand like a mouth.
"Well, what counts is that I finally understood what happened, isn't it?" Saphanael raised one eyebrow, trying to brighten the mood.
"I suppose so." Nodded the mage to herself. "Anyway, what a glorious day, isn't it?"
"Oh yes, you're completely right!" Ruru started jumping up and down the path, using his hoopak to keep his balance between each acrobatic step. "The sun is shining, not a cloud in sight! And don't forget the usual sounds of the forest! Birds chirping... leaves waving... breeze flowing..."
"HELP!"
"...women in peril asking for help..."
"WAIT WHAT?!" Kon pulled the reins of his horse abruptly.
He dismounted and unsheathed his sword so quickly that one could have sworn that he was never riding on that horse to begin with. Now the whole party was staring in the direction where that scream had come, weapon at the ready. The sound of running footsteps could be heard shortly after and the leaves of the bushes quickly gave way to a slender figure of an elven woman dressed like a vagabond. When she spoke, her voice was dry as the desert and cracked with every vowel.
"I need water... please..."
She kneeled down in front of the group with a desperate look on her face. Without hesitating, Kon went to grab his water flask, wanting to offer it to the poor woman.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Came the innocent voice of Ruru from behind the group.
Kon stopped abruptly, turning his head towards the kender.
"What do you mean? She clearly needs our help."
Ruru shook his head.
"She's not to be trusted."
As the kender spoke, a creepy smile opened over the lips of the tramp. She stood back up while the minotaur was still looking back at the kender. Her posture was firm and proud, like an oxymoron for such a person. Her voice changed too, becoming more calm and tidy.
"My, that little kender sure is quick to understand where the truth lies..."
Kon es Kaz turned around quickly, jumping back getting some distance between him and the woman. He unsheathed his sword once again.
"Who are you!?" He shouted as all the other party members had their weapons at the ready too.
The woman did not answer. She simply stared at Kon, her smile becoming more and more patronizing.
"You're ever so mature, Kon. I like the way you've grown from the start of your journey..."
"Quit talking in riddles and explain yourself!" Kon was having none of it. "Who are you!?!"
The female elf kept smiling widely. As she did so, her external appearance changed under the eyes of the onlookers, becoming the one of a middle-aged male elf. Then, it changed again, turning into a grown man, still grinning at the group.
"I can be whatever I wish... but I have a name by which I'm called..."
"The Herald..." Aliranne whispered between her teeth.
"One point to the white robed mage!" The Herald clapped his hands together in mockery, almost jumping in place in faked excitement. "But I guess it was practically obvious at this point, wasn't it?"
"What do thou want from us? Why are thou prosecuting us!? What are you!?!" Shouted Brimelle, angry as ever.
"I want nothing and everything. I thought I had told you by now that I am not what you think I am, but I am also what you think I am."
"Your words make no damn sense!" Kon was ready to charge the man.
The tension was tangible. Every party member was shouting towards the Herald which, in turn, did nothing but look at the group with his ever patronizing glance. Then, from the overwhelming confusion, Ruru shouted:
"It was you who took the fragments from me!"
The group reorganized itself as the words of the kender still echoed in the afternoon air.
"Are thou sure?" Asked the centauress with her head turned towards Ruru.
"Yes!" He replied firmly. "The one who got my fragments was able to transform like the Herald just did!"
The party was incredibly confused, but there was no time to waste. Kon es Kaz took a firm grip over the handle of his sword, putting forward his shield.
"Give us the fragments back!" He yelled as an order.
"My, give me some rest..." the Herald sighed. "I do not deny having the fragments... but it's better if they stay in my possession."
"You're a force of evil!" Came once again the voice of the minotaur. "How can we trust you?! After all you've put us through!"
"Do I have to repeat myself?" The voice of the supernatural being was now sounding slightly annoyed. "I told you I am not what you think I am, but I also am what you think I am. What I do cannot be comprehended by your poor mortal minds. I'm honestly doing you a favour."
"You monster!" Yelled Aliranne as she prepared to cast a spell.
"Aliranne, stop!" Ruru ran next to her, grabbing and pulling her robes. "We shouldn't fight him.. or her.. he's not really bad, he's right in what he's saying!"
The mage turned to look at the kender in the eyes. She noticed he had a tranquil expression, almost cheerful.
"And what makes you think so?!"
"Just trust me? I have a hunch! I know what I'm saying!" This being said, he smiled waving at the Herald. "Please excuse my friends, they're new!"
The Herald smile transmuted into a laugh. Slowly, he raised his left hand and snapped his fingers accompanied by the words:
"You should be listening more to that little friend of yours." He grinned. "Kenders are way better than anyone of you."
As he finished that sentence, the five adventurers discovered that each one of them appeared to the eyes of the others as a kender.
"What have you done to us?!" Asked Saphanael, elven sword at the ready.
"Oh, do not worry, it's only a temporary illusion... but now, it's time that -I- ask you a question..." He kept his left arm raised and, with a sharp motion of his hand, he commanded something from the woods to come closer to his position.
He was joined shortly after by the corpse of an elven woman which resembled the first form he had taken when he met the group of adventurers. The lifeless body just stood by his right, floating in mid-air, with a ragdoll expression on its face. The Herald smile grew wider and wider.
"Can anybody tell me what happens when somebody dies after a betrayal of love?" He asked in his mocking tone.
Brimelle shivered. The words escaped her mouth so slowly that it seemed like time itself had slowed down.
"They... become... a Banshee."
"Right guess!" He grinned satisfied. "And do you happen to also know what happens when somebody dies due to an overzealous passion of love?" He moved his hands once more, this time being joined by the corpse of a male elf.
The party remained silent.
"So? No one knows? Ah well, I guess I'll have to give you a practical demonstration.."
The Herald closed his hands and disappeared. His words echoed through the air as he completely vanished from the sight of the onlookers.
"Enjoy..."
As the last echo died, the two corpses, still suspended mid-air, started moving strangely. The female decayed completely, releasing a green mist from which arose a ghost-like creature with the lineaments of the dead elf: the Banshee was on the loose. The other corpse, instead, sunk into the ground and, from there, another monstruous creature had birth: it was an ill green monster with long slimy limbs and putrid skin.
The two undead forces immediately went towards the group and started attacking it, the Banshee with her screams and the monster with his hits.
"I'll attack the monster, you try to keep the Banshee down!" Yelled Kon es Kaz in the direction of the elf before charging the green creature.
Saphanael nodded and quickly ran towards the Banshee, sword drawn. The Banshee turned her head towards him, showing him her face: it was a twisted mix of confusion, pain, despair and betrayal. The elf shook his head, diverting his eyes from such a view before trying to strike her with his weapon. Unfortunately for him, the Banshee had foreseen such an attack and answered before he could even move a muscle: she screamed from the bottom of her lungs, sending a wave of fear through the bones of everyone involved in the fight. All the adventurers were able to sustain the psychological damage. All of them except Saphanael who was overwhelmed by fear and ran away, leaving the others to their fate.
Kon es Kaz, who was still battling with the green monster aided by the spells of Aliranne and the songs of Brimelle, gave the fleeing elf a glare of reprehension. He shoved the monster back with a kick to have enough time to shout his new directives to the others.
"Aliranne, keep helping me with this guy here! Brimelle, don't stop singing! Ruru, try to distract the Banshee until I'm done!"
"Aye, aye, captain!" The kender was already on it.
Ruru ran towards the Banshee who was directing herself towards the fighting minotaur. He placed himself between her and the warrior, arms open wide, smile on his lips.
"Hullo m'lady! I'm Ruru Rovospino, the Great Kender Hero! Never heard of me? Don't worry, not everyone has had the pleasure to know of my greatness. Nor to be made conscious of my incredible feats and deeds! If you could just give me a minute, I could introduce you to my figure. By the way, you do really have a lovely figure! Do you exercise? My great-great-great-uncle used to exercise. Before he was killed by a swarm of bees, he was allergic, the poor fella! Aren't bees incredible? They make honey from flowers, it's incredible! Much like cows produce milk and..."
The Kender kept babbling and babbling. Incredibly, this technique worked: the Banshee stared at him confused, unsure on what to do next. Unfortunately, this state of mind of the undead did not last long enough to let Kon es Kaz finish off the other monster and the Banshee was once again back on the loose. The warrior was now caught between two fires and could no longer hope to defeat both of them at the same time. But Ruru did not lose his hope. With an acrobatic sprint, he reached Kon es Kaz and made it so that he was visible from both the Banshee and the green undead. He brought both of his hands to his face, covering it, before opening them wide and screaming.
"BOOH!!"
The two undead froze for half a second. They stared at the kender but this time fear was in their eyes. The ran away as fast as they could, disappearing into the nearby forest. Ruru looked at them satisfied, in a conceited manner, while the others surrounded him.
"That was amazing Ruru! Where did you learn to do that?" Asked Aliranne.
"Oh, I've been practicing!" He grinned happily.
At that same moment, Saphanael returned to the group. Kon es Kaz gave him once more a scolding look.
"Why in the Abyss did you run away?" he asked.
"Well, as you may know, the scream of a Banshee can have this effect..." replied the elf, trying to cut the conversation short.
"Don't worry," came the squeaky voice of Ruru. "everyone can be scared sometimes! Aside me... so not really everyone.. but oh well! What matters is that we did it!"
"You did it indeed."
The voice who spoke was, once again, the one of the Herald who magically reappeared in front of them.
"I see that the illusion spell has worn off... what a pity, I really liked you best in your kenderified appearance..."
"Quit your stupid babbling and give us back the fragments of the Graygem!" Demanded Kon es Kaz.
"My, no even "please"? You should revise your manner, my dear horned friend." He neared the group. "And I really would have wished that you didn't have a shield spell up, Aliranne. The attacks of my monsters would have been more... efficient that way.."
"You sick bastard. I had that shield up, problems?" Aliranne closed her hands into fists, glaring at him.
"Oh, none at all, for now... I guess I'll leave you to the rest of your journey. You'll need the rest of your energies for what awaits you."
"We won't do your dirty work for you!" Shouted Saphanael with anger.
"How can you not understand? You're playing my game already." He gave the group his back, starting to walk away. "But, after all, it's better if you don't know what you're going against. You'll discover it later on, I suppose. Now it's not the time."
"I'll put an end to your life right now if you don't give us an answer!!" Kon es Kaz charged towards the Herald, sword in hand. Before he could reach him, he had disappeared again. His last words echoed through the forest.
"Keep going... everything will become clear... once you'll be ready to comprehend..."
The warrior sheathed his sword. Saphanael neared him, starting to walk at the lead of the group.
"There's no time to fiddle with such an individual... we should just keep going towards Solanthus, if that's where we're directed."
Kon nodded.
"Let us not waste any more time, for it is precious."
The five adventurers kept walking alongside the path in the forest until the sun had set beyond the mountains. They found a small clearing near the road and decided to set camp in there, resting and waiting for the next day of walking.
The group was now resting around the campfire they had lit a few moments before. Kon was already asleep alongside Saphanael. Aliranne was finishing retouching her spellbook while Brimelle checked the strings of her harp. Ruru neared the mage with a half worried expression on his face. He sat next to her, waiting for the right moment to speak.
"What is it, Ruru?" Asked Aliranne as she noticed the small presence sitting near her bedroll.
"I was wondering, Aliranne... what do you know about Chaos?"
The question came out so sudden that the mage did not know what to answer.
"Uhm, well, Ruru, those are stuff you can read in books and everything... you can check the library of Solanthus once we get there, if you so wish.."
"OR thou can ask the bard since, friendly reminder, she is right here." uttered Brimelle from the other side of the campfire with a cynical look.
"Oh, right, sorry!" Ruru jumped back on his feet and went towards the centauress. "Sooo... what do YOU know about Chaos?"
Brimelle sighed and looked down at her book of ballads, passing through the pages, absent-minded.
"Chaos is the father of all of the Gods on Krynn. He was once encased into the Graygem by Reorx but was able to escape due to the foolishness of the Irda. Thankfully, he was shortly after imprisoned once again inside the gem, but the world had already taken its toll. He is a very destructive force which must be stopped at all costs and that is what we should try to do."
Ruru remained silent for a moment, taking in the information. Then he asked timidly.
"What if... what if there was a weapon... able to destroy Chaos?"
The eyes of Brimelle opened wide. She grabbed the shoulders of the kender, excited.
"A weapon?! Thou know of something as such!?"
"Y-yes, sort of!" Ruru tried to talk while she shook him excitedly. "I should have told you before, but the old sages in Thorbardin told me that I have something to do with a profecy and that to fulfill my destiny I will have to destroy Chaos, so..."
Brimelle stopped shaking him. She stared at him intensely for a few moments.
"Thou are saying... that the fate of the world.. is in the hands of a kender?"
The centauress was so taken into her considerations that she did not even notice the four kingfishers which had arrived from north and had landed over the shoulders of the various adventurers.
"I... suppose so? My brother, which I discovered is not my brother, explained the situation better, but it's still rather confusing!" Ruru continued.
The bard started talking between herself, letting go of the kender. A kender as a saviour... can this be? Well, Tasslehoff sure saved the world more than once.. and kenders are an interesting and important race... maybe... maybe it's feasible...
"Brimelle!"
The centauress shook her head as she had spaced out.
"I was asking you a question!" Ruru continued, tucking on her hair.
"What is it." Muttered Brimelle.
"Are you still angry at me?" His tone was sincere.
Brimelle stared into his green eyes, sighing. She glanced at Aliranne noticing how she had joined the other two party members into the realm of dreams. Then, she turned her head back at the kender.
"No.. but I hope thou know what thou are doing."
"Oh, I sure do! I brought Narchsissus and Chrysantium in Thoradin so that they are waiting for you right there!"
She shivered.
"And what about... thou know... Jaxhint?"
"Psssh, you shouldn't worry about him!" Ruru exclaimed. "I've sent some dwarves as body guard for your family, there won't be any problem from that crazy magician."
Brimelle looked at him. You know only part of the story, Ruru... she thought to herself. But she could not bring herself to explain to him the whole situation. She patted his head, gently.
"Thank thou, Ruru. I appreciate what thou have done for my family... now, let us go to sleep.."
"Hmm!" Ruru nodded.
As those last words were pronounced, the four kingfishers took flight and disappeared between the woods. Brimelle and Ruru stared at them with an eyebrow raised but considered that it might have been a good omen as such a bird was renown for being the symbol of Paladine. The two slipped inside their respective bedrolls and started sleeping a peaceful sleep, waiting for the next morning to come.
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Brimelle stood up from the cobblestone of the docks, looking around confused. The roads were busy with merchants and knights of Neraka patrolling, while in the distance the party could hear a band playing folk melodies. The sun was shining high in the sky and the air was hot and had a salted scent due to the proximity of the sea. The centauress shook off the dust that covered her mantle, blinking a few times towards the rest of the group, still astonished for what had happened before.
"Ruru!" Shouted Aliranne, extremely surprised.
"Yes, that's my name!" The kender smiled in a joyful grin. "Have you lot missed me?"
"Of course we did, thou scoundrel!" Brimelle bent down, going to hug the little creature. "Where have thou been?! Leaving us like that in the middle of Tarsis without notice! We thought thou were gone for good, being a kender and all."
Vorador dusted his robe while checking the leather straps of his chestplate before adding:
"We thought you might have been waiting for us in Thoradin, since it was the last thing we talked about before you, well, disappeared."
"Oh, but I WAS waiting in Thoradin! ...sort of..."
"Ruru," muttered Kon es Kaz, sighing. "care to explain what actually happened when we got separated?"
"And where are the fragments of the Graygem?" asked Brimelle.
The kender started to look extremely embarrassed.
"Uhm, well, you must know that I wasn't really IN Thorbardin, but I was going to get there with a caravan.. The only problem is that I met this wom-" he stopped abruptly, looking at the sky pondering."... I don't even know if I should call -it- a woman..." He spoke to himself.
"Ruru, go on!" Fostered Kon.
"Oh, yes yes! Sorry! Sooo I met this person.. and let's say it was a woman and I gave her aaall the fragments!"
Brimelle, Aliranne, Vorador and Kon es Kaz stared at Ruru in disbelief. The only one who seemed not to care too much was Saphanael as he had no idea of what the others were talking about.
"Thou did WHAT?!" The bard exclaimed.
"I just gave her the gems, it was the right thing to do I swear!" He raised his hands in a defensive stance. "And she helped me reach you! See? It was a good thing, no?" He stopped. "Although, now the people in the caravan have to go to Thorbardin by themselves... which is not that bad since maps do exist! They will miss out on my great personality, though!"
"I am going to murder thou with these hands!" Shouted Brimelle as she tried to grab the kender's neck. Fortunately, Ruru was way quicker than the centauress and, with a quick jump, was safe and sound away from her grip.
"They were only fragments of a gem, not a big deal!"
"Not a big deal? Those are part of the reason why Chaos is back on Krynn!" The bard growled out.
"Brim, it's useless to get angry at this point." Murmured Aliranne, shoulders slumping down. "We should just look at the library to find some knowledge about what can contain the damage."
"Listen to the mage." Nodded Ruru, hiding behind Aliranne's skirt. "They're usually wise."
"What does that -usually- imply?" asked the white robe raising an eyebrow.
"Guys please." The whole racket was ushered by Vorador who stepped in with a firm stare. "As Chaos is back on Krynn and the Graygem is the only hope to stop it, I suggest you go to the library as soon as possible and seek out as much knowledge as you can on how to use such a power of the fragments to imprison Chaos once more. The library of Palanthas is renown for its many books, although it is always possible not to find what you are looking for. In that case, I advise you to continue your journey through Ansalon in search of other libraries or every piece of information that can bring you to the optimal result."
The party stood silent for a moment, taking in what the mystic had just said. Kon es Kaz raised his armored head.
"Why are you talking about us in the second person plural? Are you not coming with us?"
Vorador smiled slightly, passing a hand over his new found robes.
"My newly discovered powers need practice and study. Such are the things I would not be allowed to do were I to continue this journey with the lots of you. I'll stay here instead." He turned his back to the party, looking over the city. "I've heard good things about the temple of Mishakal of Palanthas. I think I'll start my training there." He slightly turned around to face the others again, hinting a gentle grin. "I'm not leaving you forever. We might as well meet again in the future, once I become fully acquainted with my new role in this world."
Aliranne smiled back.
"Ok, be safe Vorador. May your studies be guided by all that's good and fair in this world."
"I won't forget you." The mystic uttered before finally walking away from the party, in the direction of the temple of Mishakal. The others just stood there for half a minute before the kender re-emerged from the folds of Aliranne's skirt.
"Soooo... are we goin' to the library?"
"Yes." Nodded Brimelle. "Yes, we are."
The centauress then proceeded to trot away, followed by the other four adventurers, towards the library of Astinus.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" Brimelle shouted after pulling the string connected to a bell placed next to the doors of the library?
"Yes?" A masculine voice came from the other side of the entrance. A small window was open in the middle of it and the group could see a pair of eyes gazing calmly at them.
"We were just wondering if we had the permission to visit the library, sir." Continued the bard in a honey-coated tone.
"Certainly yes!" Replied the man. A few moments later, the door started to open slowly, giving way to the entrance hall of the library. In front of the five heroes, stood a man dressed in red and pink robes with the symbol of Branchala sewn onto it.
"This way, please." He added, pointing inside with the palm of his hand.
The companions moved slowly inside the lobby, looking around intrigued.
"In front of you is the internal courtyard of the library. The main hall is right beyond that row of columns, hidden by that big door in the middle of the wall." The man went on explaining as he guided the five through the building. "You will find everything you need, but please do not wander off too much and keep your voice down: our scholars are studying an important document at the moment and would rather like not to be interrupted."
As he finished his monologue, he opened the other door, letting the companions gasp in awe at the sight of the internal part of the library. The room was completely lit by numerous wax candles which flames flickered in the air current coming from the now open door. The walls were covered in bookshelves and scroll holders: there were so many books that it was almost impossible to see the stone behind them. Right in the middle, stood a giant pedestal with a huge book on top. It was so big that five scholars were able to be laying and writing on its open pages at the same time. Aliranne and Brimelle looked around with a smile on their lips: there must have been an answer to their questions in such a place!
"I suppose I can leave you to the library now." The man concluded with a small bow.
"Yes, thank thou for thy help." Replied Brimelle, noticing how the kender was creepily staring intensely at the shadow of their guide. The man, though, took no notice an started walking away, leaving the others all alone aside for the other scholars and the old dusty tomes.
"If you don't need me," came the voice of Saphanael, "I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of the library."
"Suit yourself." Murmured Kon es Kaz, starting to walk towards the books.
As the elf walked back towards the entrance, Aliranne separated herself from the group, diving in between the various bookshelves, trying to find the right knowledge about the Herald and the Graygem. This left, of course, Brimelle and Ruru all alone near the main door of the hall.
"Thou better not go off like last time." Scolded him Brimelle.
"You don't have to worry, equine lady!" The kender grinned widely. "If anything happens, the Guardians will aid me!"
"The.. Guardians?" She raised one eyebrow.
"Oh, right, you cannot see them, I'm sorry!" Ruru apologized with an innocent tone in his words.
"Right... forget that I have asked that... "
An awkward lull followed the scene. Just about when Brimelle was considering the idea to leave the kender wander off and give a hand to Aliranne, Ruru broke the silence.
"I like your boyfriend."
Brimelle stopped in her place, stiffening.
"...what did thou say?!"
"Oh, well, he is a nice lad! It was fun talking to him, he's a really nice fella!"
Brimelle's blood froze in her vein and she could feel her whole body turning to stone while her heartbeat accelerated incredibly.
"T-thou met... Narchsissus..."
"Yes, and not only him! Your father was very welcoming too!" He kept smiling innocently.
The centauress felt like an arrow had pierced through her chest, which was now moving spasmodically, trying to keep up with her increased pace of breathing.
"And they also liked your letter."Ruru nodded.
"M-my... lett-" she stopped mid-sentence. "That cannot be! I have destroyed it!!"
"Oh, I made a copy of it! One night... that you weren't watching..." He confessed with a guilty look in his eyes. "It was such a beautiful letter! I wondered why you wouldn't share it with them! After all, it should have been sent to Narchsissus and Crhysantium, shouldn't it?"
"NO! THOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THOU HAVE DONE!" Brimelle shouted, attracting the attention of both her companions and the scholars. The latter just proceeded in raising a finger to their lips, making a "sssh" sound.
"Brimelle, I thought I made you a favour, I assure you that your family is saf-"
"NOT ANOTHER WORD!"
Brimelle felt tired and confused. Her head was spinning and her breath was still accelerating. She was inhaling and exhaling so fast that she could no longer speak anymore. She started to sweat profusely, glancing around dazed. In a spark of madness, she turned around, galopping through the hall, passing the inner courtyard and exiting the library as quick as a bullet, almost scaring Saphanael who was peacefully reading a book at the stairs near the entrance.
"Ruru, what happened?!" Kon es Kaz ran back towards the kender, staring in the direction where the centauress had run away.
"I swear, I did nothing!" The kender raised his hands, defeated.
"I saw Brimelle running away after screaming at you." Came Aliranne who was nearing the two with a quick pace. "What in the name of Solinari did you tell her?!"
"I just told her about her family! She should have been happy about it, I don't understand why she was so angry!"
Aliranne kneeled down to be at his eye level.
"Ruru, sometimes people don't like to talk about their past, you should know it."
The kender nodded afflicted.
"Where did she run away anyway?" Asked the minotaur, still looking towards the exit. "She seemed to be in a hurry."
"I have no idea!" Replied Ruru. "But she did not look like she was in the right state of mind to make conscious decisions.."
Aliranne paled out.
"Do you mean... that she could be going to..." She mimicked her throat being sliced up.
The kender opened his eyes widely in astonishment at the possibility, but then relaxed.
"Naaaah, she's not the kind of person...erm, centauress to do such a thing."
"I'll go looking for her, then." Concluded Kon es Kaz, nearing quickly, almost running, the entrance of the library.
"Be safe!" Aliranne shouted in his directions, concluding when he was already out of sight. "Both of you..."
Kon reached the entrance where the Silvanesti was still reading peacefully, as if nothing had happened.
"Saphanael." The minotaur called out, trying to get his attention.
The elf looked up from the pages, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.
"Have you seen the direction in which Brimelle has run away?"
Saphanael raised his right arm, pointing towards the crowded streets of the city.
"I saw her running away in that direction. Are you looking for her?"
The minotaur nodded, nearing the horse he had bought back in Solanthus and which had been brought there with them thanks to the teleportation spell.
"Do you need a hand in the search?" Asked Saphanael.
"No need. It won't be difficult to find a centaur in a city this north on Ansalon. If I were to lose her traces, I'll just ask the people walking on the streets."
"Understood. I'll just stay here then."
Kon es Kaz nodded towards him before giving a good shake to the reins and a kick in the sides of his mount.
"GO!"
He shouted, spurring the horse gait to a gallop, disappearing from the Silvanesti's sight into the busy streets of the mercantile city. He kept on riding until he was no longer sure of which direction he was going in, so he stopped more than once to ask the oblivious people of Palanthas if they had seen a white centauress running down the streets and if they could tell him which way she had taken. It didn't take him long to finally see the familiar figure of Brimelle running right in front of him. The hooves of his horse and of the centauress echoed on the cobblestone pavement, rhythmically. He thrust his horse into an even more unbridled run, reaching the right side of the bard and starting to finally go side by side with her.
"Brimelle!" He shouted. "Stop this non-sense NOW!"
Brimelle didn't even turn to look at him. Unresponsive, she kept staring forward, her face as pale as her coat and eyes wide open. Kon es Kaz tried to reach for her arm, but failed as the centauress retracted it just in time.
"Please, Brimelle, I'm just trying to help!" Kon shouted desperate.
The bard still kept running, manoeuvring through the various turns. But she was running short on breath. This gave the perfect opportunity to Kon es Kaz to reach for her arm once more, this time succeeding in the endeavour.
"I told you to stop! Please!!" He pulled her arm towards him, putting her escape to an halt.
Once they had finally stopped, Kon es Kaz brought her to a more private part of the city streets, away from the daily racket.
"Brimelle, can you tell me what happened? Did it have to do with what Ruru has said? What is wrong with you and your family?" The voice of the minotaur was firm yet somehow warm enough to inspire compassion.
"I... I am sorry if I ran away in such a way... I just... could not take it..." The centauress's answers came out broken both for the agitation than for the panting due to the "race".
"If it's something regarding Ruru, you can just try to talk to him in order to get it over with." He was still keeping his grip over her arm, not letting her go.
"I.. I suppose so.."
"But first tell me: what did he do?"
Brimelle lowered her eyes.
"Can we please not talk about it?"
"No." Kon tightened his grip. "Not if it can cause you to run away again."
She sighed, defeated.
"It was about my family... I did not choose to go on this adventure for pure whim.."
"So you ran away from home!" He nodded.
"Not exactly" She replied. "My father knew I was going to leave.."
"Then why was it?" He asked, his head slightly askew.
"It was... due to... something else..." She dared not continue and, in that same moment, Kon es Kaz knew very well that there was nothing more he could have spilled from her. He removed his hand from her arm, turning his horse back towards where they came from.
"The others are waiting for us at the library. We should go back." He paused. He clearly wanted to know more, but the knowledge bestowed upon him was most sufficient for the time. "Are you feeling ok, now?"
"Yes..." She lowered her head in apology. "I am utterly sorry.."
"Yeah, yeah, just try to talk things out with Ruru when we get there." He spurred the horse to a trot, starting the journey back to the library of Astinus. Brimelle followed him shortly after. She reached him at an intersection between the various streets: the way was blocked by a handful of armored men surrounding in a protective manner what looked like a Silvanesti. They were strolling through the city, as if patrolling like the Knights of Neraka. Kon es Kaz and Brimelle gave the lot a confused look, but did not give too much weight to their presence within the walls of Palanthas. When they were gone and had freed the road, the armored minotaur and the centauress were once again back on their tracks to reach the city library.
"Back already?" Saphanael looked up from his book to the two party members, as he was still sitting on the staircase to the entrance of the building.
"Yes, we are." Kon dismounted, taking his horse by the reins.
"So.. what now?" Asked Brimelle, moving some uncertain steps towards the library.
"Go on inside." Replied the minotaur. "Try to find Ruru. And get Aliranne too. We should be leaving, we have wasted enough time in this city already." He then glanced towards the elf. "I'll wait here with Saphanael."
The bard nodded before proceeding towards the stairs. Her path was briefly interrupted by Kon es Kaz's voice.
"Brimelle, remember what I told you about what you should do with the kender."
"I will speak to him, do not fret." The centauress reassured the warrior before finally proceeding towards the candle-lit hall of the library, leaving Kon es Kaz and saphanael behind.
Once she was inside, she could clearly see the white robe of the mage shuffling around between the bookshelves and the tea lights. She trotted towards her, attracting her attention with a small tap on her shoulder. The mage jumped slightly as she did not expect that, being so much concentrated in what she was reading.
"Oh! Brim, I did not see you coming! Is everything alright now?"
Brimelle nodded.
"They are waiting for thou outside, Kon and Saphanael." She looked around. "Where is Ruru?"
"Right here!" The high-pitched squeaky voice came from beneath a pile of toppled books. A few moments later, the pile started moving and the kender popped out from underneath like a flower growing from the ground.
"Are you...still angry at me?" His ears slightly moved backwards.
Brimelle shook her head before giving him her back and following Aliranne out of the library.
"No. Just do not bring the topic of my family up ever again."
"Got it!" Ruru yelled before running out of the pile of books and following the two female party members through the inner courtyard.
As they reached outside, Kon was already getting back onto his horse. Saphanael had closed his book and looked expectantly at the trio which was now coming down from the stairs.
"Have you found anything relevant?" Asked the minotaur, fixing his helm over his head.
Aliranne shook her head. "Nothing that we didn't know already... maybe we're looking in the wrong direction?"
"It can be a possibility." The warrior murmured, pondering.
"May I ask what all the fuss is about? I understand it has something to do with chaos?"
The four party members all turned around towards Saphanael. Oh right, he knows nothing about it, was the thought which ran through their minds.
"We'll.. explain it to you as we walk." Kon es Kaz cut the discussion short, glancing around, aware of any Knight of Neraka near them.
The whole party fell silent and so it remained until they reached the outer walls of the city and were, once again, on their way to Solanthus.
"...and that is how we freed Chaos on Krynn!" Ruru smiled as he finished narrating the story.
"Why did the kender have to tell the story?" Asked Aliranne. "Don't we have a bard for that?"
"Yeah, but our bard tends to exaggerate the state of things," replied Kon. "right Brimelle?"
The centauress did not answer but limited herself to make an imitation of Kon es Kaz voice, moving her right hand like a mouth.
"Well, what counts is that I finally understood what happened, isn't it?" Saphanael raised one eyebrow, trying to brighten the mood.
"I suppose so." Nodded the mage to herself. "Anyway, what a glorious day, isn't it?"
"Oh yes, you're completely right!" Ruru started jumping up and down the path, using his hoopak to keep his balance between each acrobatic step. "The sun is shining, not a cloud in sight! And don't forget the usual sounds of the forest! Birds chirping... leaves waving... breeze flowing..."
"HELP!"
"...women in peril asking for help..."
"WAIT WHAT?!" Kon pulled the reins of his horse abruptly.
He dismounted and unsheathed his sword so quickly that one could have sworn that he was never riding on that horse to begin with. Now the whole party was staring in the direction where that scream had come, weapon at the ready. The sound of running footsteps could be heard shortly after and the leaves of the bushes quickly gave way to a slender figure of an elven woman dressed like a vagabond. When she spoke, her voice was dry as the desert and cracked with every vowel.
"I need water... please..."
She kneeled down in front of the group with a desperate look on her face. Without hesitating, Kon went to grab his water flask, wanting to offer it to the poor woman.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Came the innocent voice of Ruru from behind the group.
Kon stopped abruptly, turning his head towards the kender.
"What do you mean? She clearly needs our help."
Ruru shook his head.
"She's not to be trusted."
As the kender spoke, a creepy smile opened over the lips of the tramp. She stood back up while the minotaur was still looking back at the kender. Her posture was firm and proud, like an oxymoron for such a person. Her voice changed too, becoming more calm and tidy.
"My, that little kender sure is quick to understand where the truth lies..."
Kon es Kaz turned around quickly, jumping back getting some distance between him and the woman. He unsheathed his sword once again.
"Who are you!?" He shouted as all the other party members had their weapons at the ready too.
The woman did not answer. She simply stared at Kon, her smile becoming more and more patronizing.
"You're ever so mature, Kon. I like the way you've grown from the start of your journey..."
"Quit talking in riddles and explain yourself!" Kon was having none of it. "Who are you!?!"
The female elf kept smiling widely. As she did so, her external appearance changed under the eyes of the onlookers, becoming the one of a middle-aged male elf. Then, it changed again, turning into a grown man, still grinning at the group.
"I can be whatever I wish... but I have a name by which I'm called..."
"The Herald..." Aliranne whispered between her teeth.
"One point to the white robed mage!" The Herald clapped his hands together in mockery, almost jumping in place in faked excitement. "But I guess it was practically obvious at this point, wasn't it?"
"What do thou want from us? Why are thou prosecuting us!? What are you!?!" Shouted Brimelle, angry as ever.
"I want nothing and everything. I thought I had told you by now that I am not what you think I am, but I am also what you think I am."
"Your words make no damn sense!" Kon was ready to charge the man.
The tension was tangible. Every party member was shouting towards the Herald which, in turn, did nothing but look at the group with his ever patronizing glance. Then, from the overwhelming confusion, Ruru shouted:
"It was you who took the fragments from me!"
The group reorganized itself as the words of the kender still echoed in the afternoon air.
"Are thou sure?" Asked the centauress with her head turned towards Ruru.
"Yes!" He replied firmly. "The one who got my fragments was able to transform like the Herald just did!"
The party was incredibly confused, but there was no time to waste. Kon es Kaz took a firm grip over the handle of his sword, putting forward his shield.
"Give us the fragments back!" He yelled as an order.
"My, give me some rest..." the Herald sighed. "I do not deny having the fragments... but it's better if they stay in my possession."
"You're a force of evil!" Came once again the voice of the minotaur. "How can we trust you?! After all you've put us through!"
"Do I have to repeat myself?" The voice of the supernatural being was now sounding slightly annoyed. "I told you I am not what you think I am, but I also am what you think I am. What I do cannot be comprehended by your poor mortal minds. I'm honestly doing you a favour."
"You monster!" Yelled Aliranne as she prepared to cast a spell.
"Aliranne, stop!" Ruru ran next to her, grabbing and pulling her robes. "We shouldn't fight him.. or her.. he's not really bad, he's right in what he's saying!"
The mage turned to look at the kender in the eyes. She noticed he had a tranquil expression, almost cheerful.
"And what makes you think so?!"
"Just trust me? I have a hunch! I know what I'm saying!" This being said, he smiled waving at the Herald. "Please excuse my friends, they're new!"
The Herald smile transmuted into a laugh. Slowly, he raised his left hand and snapped his fingers accompanied by the words:
"You should be listening more to that little friend of yours." He grinned. "Kenders are way better than anyone of you."
As he finished that sentence, the five adventurers discovered that each one of them appeared to the eyes of the others as a kender.
"What have you done to us?!" Asked Saphanael, elven sword at the ready.
"Oh, do not worry, it's only a temporary illusion... but now, it's time that -I- ask you a question..." He kept his left arm raised and, with a sharp motion of his hand, he commanded something from the woods to come closer to his position.
He was joined shortly after by the corpse of an elven woman which resembled the first form he had taken when he met the group of adventurers. The lifeless body just stood by his right, floating in mid-air, with a ragdoll expression on its face. The Herald smile grew wider and wider.
"Can anybody tell me what happens when somebody dies after a betrayal of love?" He asked in his mocking tone.
Brimelle shivered. The words escaped her mouth so slowly that it seemed like time itself had slowed down.
"They... become... a Banshee."
"Right guess!" He grinned satisfied. "And do you happen to also know what happens when somebody dies due to an overzealous passion of love?" He moved his hands once more, this time being joined by the corpse of a male elf.
The party remained silent.
"So? No one knows? Ah well, I guess I'll have to give you a practical demonstration.."
The Herald closed his hands and disappeared. His words echoed through the air as he completely vanished from the sight of the onlookers.
"Enjoy..."
As the last echo died, the two corpses, still suspended mid-air, started moving strangely. The female decayed completely, releasing a green mist from which arose a ghost-like creature with the lineaments of the dead elf: the Banshee was on the loose. The other corpse, instead, sunk into the ground and, from there, another monstruous creature had birth: it was an ill green monster with long slimy limbs and putrid skin.
The two undead forces immediately went towards the group and started attacking it, the Banshee with her screams and the monster with his hits.
"I'll attack the monster, you try to keep the Banshee down!" Yelled Kon es Kaz in the direction of the elf before charging the green creature.
Saphanael nodded and quickly ran towards the Banshee, sword drawn. The Banshee turned her head towards him, showing him her face: it was a twisted mix of confusion, pain, despair and betrayal. The elf shook his head, diverting his eyes from such a view before trying to strike her with his weapon. Unfortunately for him, the Banshee had foreseen such an attack and answered before he could even move a muscle: she screamed from the bottom of her lungs, sending a wave of fear through the bones of everyone involved in the fight. All the adventurers were able to sustain the psychological damage. All of them except Saphanael who was overwhelmed by fear and ran away, leaving the others to their fate.
Kon es Kaz, who was still battling with the green monster aided by the spells of Aliranne and the songs of Brimelle, gave the fleeing elf a glare of reprehension. He shoved the monster back with a kick to have enough time to shout his new directives to the others.
"Aliranne, keep helping me with this guy here! Brimelle, don't stop singing! Ruru, try to distract the Banshee until I'm done!"
"Aye, aye, captain!" The kender was already on it.
Ruru ran towards the Banshee who was directing herself towards the fighting minotaur. He placed himself between her and the warrior, arms open wide, smile on his lips.
"Hullo m'lady! I'm Ruru Rovospino, the Great Kender Hero! Never heard of me? Don't worry, not everyone has had the pleasure to know of my greatness. Nor to be made conscious of my incredible feats and deeds! If you could just give me a minute, I could introduce you to my figure. By the way, you do really have a lovely figure! Do you exercise? My great-great-great-uncle used to exercise. Before he was killed by a swarm of bees, he was allergic, the poor fella! Aren't bees incredible? They make honey from flowers, it's incredible! Much like cows produce milk and..."
The Kender kept babbling and babbling. Incredibly, this technique worked: the Banshee stared at him confused, unsure on what to do next. Unfortunately, this state of mind of the undead did not last long enough to let Kon es Kaz finish off the other monster and the Banshee was once again back on the loose. The warrior was now caught between two fires and could no longer hope to defeat both of them at the same time. But Ruru did not lose his hope. With an acrobatic sprint, he reached Kon es Kaz and made it so that he was visible from both the Banshee and the green undead. He brought both of his hands to his face, covering it, before opening them wide and screaming.
"BOOH!!"
The two undead froze for half a second. They stared at the kender but this time fear was in their eyes. The ran away as fast as they could, disappearing into the nearby forest. Ruru looked at them satisfied, in a conceited manner, while the others surrounded him.
"That was amazing Ruru! Where did you learn to do that?" Asked Aliranne.
"Oh, I've been practicing!" He grinned happily.
At that same moment, Saphanael returned to the group. Kon es Kaz gave him once more a scolding look.
"Why in the Abyss did you run away?" he asked.
"Well, as you may know, the scream of a Banshee can have this effect..." replied the elf, trying to cut the conversation short.
"Don't worry," came the squeaky voice of Ruru. "everyone can be scared sometimes! Aside me... so not really everyone.. but oh well! What matters is that we did it!"
"You did it indeed."
The voice who spoke was, once again, the one of the Herald who magically reappeared in front of them.
"I see that the illusion spell has worn off... what a pity, I really liked you best in your kenderified appearance..."
"Quit your stupid babbling and give us back the fragments of the Graygem!" Demanded Kon es Kaz.
"My, no even "please"? You should revise your manner, my dear horned friend." He neared the group. "And I really would have wished that you didn't have a shield spell up, Aliranne. The attacks of my monsters would have been more... efficient that way.."
"You sick bastard. I had that shield up, problems?" Aliranne closed her hands into fists, glaring at him.
"Oh, none at all, for now... I guess I'll leave you to the rest of your journey. You'll need the rest of your energies for what awaits you."
"We won't do your dirty work for you!" Shouted Saphanael with anger.
"How can you not understand? You're playing my game already." He gave the group his back, starting to walk away. "But, after all, it's better if you don't know what you're going against. You'll discover it later on, I suppose. Now it's not the time."
"I'll put an end to your life right now if you don't give us an answer!!" Kon es Kaz charged towards the Herald, sword in hand. Before he could reach him, he had disappeared again. His last words echoed through the forest.
"Keep going... everything will become clear... once you'll be ready to comprehend..."
The warrior sheathed his sword. Saphanael neared him, starting to walk at the lead of the group.
"There's no time to fiddle with such an individual... we should just keep going towards Solanthus, if that's where we're directed."
Kon nodded.
"Let us not waste any more time, for it is precious."
The five adventurers kept walking alongside the path in the forest until the sun had set beyond the mountains. They found a small clearing near the road and decided to set camp in there, resting and waiting for the next day of walking.
The group was now resting around the campfire they had lit a few moments before. Kon was already asleep alongside Saphanael. Aliranne was finishing retouching her spellbook while Brimelle checked the strings of her harp. Ruru neared the mage with a half worried expression on his face. He sat next to her, waiting for the right moment to speak.
"What is it, Ruru?" Asked Aliranne as she noticed the small presence sitting near her bedroll.
"I was wondering, Aliranne... what do you know about Chaos?"
The question came out so sudden that the mage did not know what to answer.
"Uhm, well, Ruru, those are stuff you can read in books and everything... you can check the library of Solanthus once we get there, if you so wish.."
"OR thou can ask the bard since, friendly reminder, she is right here." uttered Brimelle from the other side of the campfire with a cynical look.
"Oh, right, sorry!" Ruru jumped back on his feet and went towards the centauress. "Sooo... what do YOU know about Chaos?"
Brimelle sighed and looked down at her book of ballads, passing through the pages, absent-minded.
"Chaos is the father of all of the Gods on Krynn. He was once encased into the Graygem by Reorx but was able to escape due to the foolishness of the Irda. Thankfully, he was shortly after imprisoned once again inside the gem, but the world had already taken its toll. He is a very destructive force which must be stopped at all costs and that is what we should try to do."
Ruru remained silent for a moment, taking in the information. Then he asked timidly.
"What if... what if there was a weapon... able to destroy Chaos?"
The eyes of Brimelle opened wide. She grabbed the shoulders of the kender, excited.
"A weapon?! Thou know of something as such!?"
"Y-yes, sort of!" Ruru tried to talk while she shook him excitedly. "I should have told you before, but the old sages in Thorbardin told me that I have something to do with a profecy and that to fulfill my destiny I will have to destroy Chaos, so..."
Brimelle stopped shaking him. She stared at him intensely for a few moments.
"Thou are saying... that the fate of the world.. is in the hands of a kender?"
The centauress was so taken into her considerations that she did not even notice the four kingfishers which had arrived from north and had landed over the shoulders of the various adventurers.
"I... suppose so? My brother, which I discovered is not my brother, explained the situation better, but it's still rather confusing!" Ruru continued.
The bard started talking between herself, letting go of the kender. A kender as a saviour... can this be? Well, Tasslehoff sure saved the world more than once.. and kenders are an interesting and important race... maybe... maybe it's feasible...
"Brimelle!"
The centauress shook her head as she had spaced out.
"I was asking you a question!" Ruru continued, tucking on her hair.
"What is it." Muttered Brimelle.
"Are you still angry at me?" His tone was sincere.
Brimelle stared into his green eyes, sighing. She glanced at Aliranne noticing how she had joined the other two party members into the realm of dreams. Then, she turned her head back at the kender.
"No.. but I hope thou know what thou are doing."
"Oh, I sure do! I brought Narchsissus and Chrysantium in Thoradin so that they are waiting for you right there!"
She shivered.
"And what about... thou know... Jaxhint?"
"Psssh, you shouldn't worry about him!" Ruru exclaimed. "I've sent some dwarves as body guard for your family, there won't be any problem from that crazy magician."
Brimelle looked at him. You know only part of the story, Ruru... she thought to herself. But she could not bring herself to explain to him the whole situation. She patted his head, gently.
"Thank thou, Ruru. I appreciate what thou have done for my family... now, let us go to sleep.."
"Hmm!" Ruru nodded.
As those last words were pronounced, the four kingfishers took flight and disappeared between the woods. Brimelle and Ruru stared at them with an eyebrow raised but considered that it might have been a good omen as such a bird was renown for being the symbol of Paladine. The two slipped inside their respective bedrolls and started sleeping a peaceful sleep, waiting for the next morning to come.
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Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
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