Fountain

Glass and Roses, Chapter 13

Laurence put his hands on his hips and beamed a smile at the rooftops peering over the horizon. “There's Abertswyth, the greatest city in the kingdom!” he said.

“Does Luck have any strictures against boasting?” Valdimer teased.

“Not a one!” Laurence said with a laugh. “She's the patron of gamblers, after all. It's why I believe your father was a very forward thinker to create an actual church for her. She's the only greater god who didn't already have one.”

“I always thought she didn't want one,” Berit said. She sat in the back of the wagon, balancing a dagger on her index finger as the wheels rolled over dents and lumps in the road. They had joined a small caravan as they got closer to the city, and the number of travelers had deterred bandits and raiders. Berit threw the dagger and caught it on another finger. “The Wandering Goddess, they call her. She doesn't want her followers to settle down, so having a church for them seems a little...”

“...Counter-intuitive,” Valdimer finished.

Laurence shrugged. “We do not function as a home so much as a consistent waypoint for travelers. Those of us who are actually clergy are always expected to leave the headquarters before staying too long. That is how we find pleasant surprises like you!”

“Except the high priestess,” Berit said. “You mentioned we can find her at the headquarters, so she must always stay there.”

“Well, yes,” Laurence said. “Someone must.”

Berit sheathed her dagger as the caravan approached the city gate. “Still seems a bit odd to me.”

Abertswyth was small for a city, but thrived on the trade brought in from travelers who came for the bath houses. The city was home to several natural hot springs that the citizens used as attractions for visitors. People from all across the kingdom heard of the soothing waters of Abertswyth, and the city raked in plenty of revenue from tourism. Laurence brought their wagon to a stop in front of a building that looked like one of the bath houses. “Welcome to the Abertswyth Temple of Luck!” he said.

Sure enough, when they entered, Berit, Valdimer, and Dror saw that the back of the cella was a bubbling pool. Instead of tourists relaxing in it, the occupants of the pool were robed worshipers of Luck, praying and making offerings to the halfling goddess. One of the worshipers turned when she heard the group approaching, and smiled at them. She stepped out of the water, removed her wet robe, dried herself off, and moved to greet them. “Rest, weary travelers,” she said. “I am Melantha, High Priestess of the Church of Generous Luck. Feel free to use our spring or worship in any other way you feel comfortable.” She gestured grandly around as she spoke, maintaining a smile on her round face. “We have clean robes if you wish them, but do not feel the need to change your clothes. Luck favors the road-weary, and will tend to your spiritual needs no matter your garments. And welcome back, Laurence,” she said, turning to him. “I trust your deliveries were successful?”

“They were, High Priestess.” Laurence indicated the other three with an outstretched arm. “On my travels, I encountered these three adventurers.”

“We're not really adv-oof!” Valdimer said before Dror elbowed him.

“They made fantastic companions, but you'll be interested in meeting the half-elves specifically. May I introduce Valdimer and Berit Rhosynglas.” Melantha's eyebrows rose, and Laurence nodded. “Madoc's children.”

“Indeed!” Melantha said. “I take it you are not here for worship, then.”

Valdimer flashed a thin smile. “Why would you say that? Our father founded this church. Aren't we likely to follow his religion?”

Melantha motioned for the group to follow her, and walked to a side passage that led to the back rooms of the temple. “Madoc and I are old friends, and while it was his idea to start the church, I am as close to the co-founder as you can get. He told me a lot about his life, even some that he kept secret from everyone else. I have heard much about you two, though in the stories you were both much younger.”

“Dad talked about us?” Berit said. “But he was never at home. We haven't even seen him since we were kids. That's why we sought you out. We hope you can tell us where he is.” She put a hand on Melantha's shoulder. “We just want to see our dad again.”

Melantha sighed and moved so that Berit's hand fell from her shoulder. “I wish I could help, my children, but I too lost contact with Madoc after he arrived in Velsea. I will reach out to my contacts and see what I can find, though. You are welcome to stay here for the night.”

She showed them to rooms in temple with small cots they could sleep on. Berit, Valdimer, and Dror thanked Melantha and bid farewell to Laurence, who returned to his own quarters on the other side of the temple. Valdimer started to unpack, but stopped before he had finished and repacked his bag.

Berit appeared in the doorway later that night to find Valdimer writing more of his memoir. He glanced up at her. “Can't sleep either?” he said.

“Something about all this still doesn't seem right,” she said. “I know it's been decades since we saw Dad, but he was never the kind of man who cared much about the gods. He always seemed to just think about himself.”

“Maybe he had an epiphany,” Valdimer said, but he didn't sound too convinced. He stopped writing and scratched out a line.

“I suppose it's possible.” Berit looked out the small window at the moon. “But then why wouldn't he come back to us and ask for forgiveness? We weren't the ones in hiding.” She sighed. “I just feel like he must have had a selfish reason for doing this. He only ever cared about himself and I can't see him changing enough to found a church without reconciling with his own children.”

Valdimer closed his notebook and put it back in his bag. “I noticed as we were being led here that there were no doors around the back of the cella.”

“That's because the hot spring was there,” Berit said.

Valdimer shook his head. “The wall that the pool was against didn't go back far enough to compensate for the extra room in the hallway on the other side. There's another room there with no entrance.”

“I wonder if they're hiding anything there.”

“There's one way to find out,” Valdimer said. “Let's do a little investigation.”

Berit cracked a grin. “You're suggesting we snoop around a temple in the dead of the night?”

“Well, when you put it that way...”

“I like it,” Berit said. “Let's get Dror and go back to the main chamber.”

Dror was asleep, but when they told him they wanted to see if the high priestess was hiding something, he quickly got up and agreed to help. “Never met a priest I trusted,” he said. “Unless you count Zhihao as a priest. Does that make you a priest if you have a god inside you?” They went back to the cella, now empty and silent except for the quite gurgling of the hot spring. They examined the statuary and potted plants that lined the walls, but found nothing unusual. Valdimer sat down next to the water, then stood back up suddenly.

“There's something down there,” he said.

“Something alive?” Dror asked, gripping his sword.

“No,” Valdimer said, adjusting his glasses. “Some sort of valve. Why would a natural hot spring need a control?”

Berit waved him forward. “Well, go on. Val, valve. It was meant to be you.”

Valdimer frowned. “I hate swimming, you know that.”

“I'll do it!” Dror said, rolling his eyes. He waded into the pool, creating small waves that lapped against his maroon skin. He had to dive under to reach the depth where Valdimer saw the valve. He turned it, and the fountains stopped refilling the pool. A stone segment of the wall on the other side of the pool shifted, revealing a doorway to a dark stairway leading down. Dror swam back to the surface and caught his breath. “Did it work?” he said.

They crept down the staircase, holding their breath against the silence. As they got deeper, the quiet was slowly replaced with a deep hum. They finally reached the bottom to find a room that had been carved out of a cavern, where the spring that fed the pool in the temple had also created a small pool in the center of the room. Hovering above the water was a glowing node of energy.

“What is it?” Dror said, slowly approaching. Valdimer grabbed his arm.

“Careful,” he said. “It could be dangerous. It appears to be some sort of portal.” There was the sound of lightning as if from far away, and the portal flickered.

“This must be what they're hiding,” Berit said. “But why? What does it do?”

“The better question would be, where does it lead?” Valdimer said.

“That is a question you will never have answered,” they heard from behind them. They turned to see Melantha standing at the bottom of the staircase with armed paladins moving in front of her. They pointed their swords at the three travelers. “I knew you would not be satisfied with my answer, but I wish you had not been so nosy. Children of Madoc or not, you cannot be allowed to leave here with knowledge of the Fountain.”

Dror drew his sword, Berit pulled out her dagger and crossbow, and Valdimer readied his rod, but he hesitated. The paladins weren't making the first move. He still wasn't sure if their intentions were pure or selfish, and he didn't want to fight anyone with the favor of a powerful god if he could avoid it. He darted his eyes around the room, looking for another exit, but the staircase was the only one.

Suddenly, they heard another voice on the stairs. “What's going on here?”

Melantha turned to see Laurence standing behind her. He looked like he had just discovered that his parents had been the ones sneaking candies under his pillow, not the magical gift faerie like they had told him. “Where did this room come from?” he said, then saw the portal. “And what is that? Why haven't you told us about this?”

Melantha stammered. “Laurence, you were not ready for this knowledge,” she said. The paladins guarding Melantha shifted, unsure whom they should be guarding her from. “It's all part of Luck's design for us.”

“Luck doesn't have a design!” Laurence said, drawing his warhammer. “If the church keeps secrets, how can I know what I'm really fighting for?”

Melantha started to respond, but Dror tackled one of the other paladins. Berit and Valdimer rushed by in the sudden confusion. Dror quickly followed as the paladins scrambled to stop him. Laurence stepped in between them and allowed them to run up the staircase.

“Quick!” Berit shouted. “There are more paladins on their way!”

They burst out of the temple and ran until they were out of the city entirely. They stopped at the side of the road to catch their breath, but then heard heavy, metallic footsteps drawing nearer. They hid among the trees, but saw it was Laurence who was following them. Valdimer stepped out of hiding and clapped him on the shoulder.

“I don't know what was going on there, I swear,” Laurence said. “They were keeping that thing a secret from me just as much as you. You have to believe me.”

“We do,” Valdimer said. “She called it the Fountain, but I've never heard of it. We're going to find our father and make him tell us.” They traveled a bit farther from the city before setting up camp to get what little sleep was left in the night. In the morning, they would head for Velsea, the city Melantha had mentioned was the last place where Madoc was known to be.

<< Chapter 12, Impressive

Impressive

Glass and Roses, Chapter 12

Berit woke up to the sound of hissing and chanting. She groaned and tried to move, but her hands were tied to a pole. She was hanging from her hands and legs, being carried by two figures. One turned when he heard her awaken. He had the body of a man, but the head of a snake. He hissed and bared his fangs, then turned back to the path. Berit craned her neck to see Valdimer, Dror, and Laurence also captured.

They reached a large clearing in the jungle. Berit wondered how long it had been since they were ambushed. She barely recalled something jumping out of the bushes at her back on the road. How would they figure out how to get back? Berit shook her head, reminding herself that they needed to escape before they could worry about being lost. The snake people had stopped walking when they reached the center of the clearing, in which there was a circular pool of water about twenty-five feet across.

Great, Berit thought. We're being fed to the crocodiles. How typical. She looked over to see that Valdimer and Laurence were also awake and trying to analyze their situation. Dror was still dangling limply. He did always like to sleep in.

The snake people began a ritualistic song, and placed the poles so that the four victims were dangling fifteen feet above the surface of the water. "Okay, now would be a good time for a plan," she said, now that there were no spears being held to her throat. "Got any spells prepared, Val?"

"Yes, but I can't cast anything with my hands tied," he said.

"I've been praying since I woke up," Laurence said, "but Luck is a fickle goddess. I believe she will come through for us in the end, but it may not be as soon as we'd like."

The water stirred as the chanting grew more fevered. "We'd better come up with something soon," Valdimer said. "Before they serve the main course."

Berit wiggled her hand until it was straining against the binds, but pointed in the right direction. She then flicked her wrist in a way that unsheathed the dagger that was hidden there, and starting using it to cut through the ropes. "I'll be free soon, if they don't notice. Stall the crocs while I work."

"And then what?" Laurence asked.

"We'll figure that out when we get there."

She heard the surface of the water part below her. She started sawing faster, not looking down. It would only make her lose her focus. "Um," Valdimer said. "That's not a crocodile."

"I don't care about the difference between crocs and alligators," Berit said.

"That's not what I meant."

Berit sighed and looked down. Rising out of the water were four heads of an enormous hydra. It had glistening green scales and webbed spines, and four sets of long, pointy teeth. "I knew I shouldn't have looked!" Berit shouted, turning back to her binding.

"This is a good thing!" Laurence said.

"Are you mad?!" Valdimer shouted.

"No, listen, hydras like to play with their food! We have extra time!"

"THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING!" Valdimer said as one of the heads starting nudging him, drool dripping back into the water.

Berit freed her hand and her head fell backwards, as she was only suspended at her knees now. The snake people started hissing with displeasure, but they could not reach the victims now, and they did not want to throw spears for risk of hitting the hydra. Or maybe it was some part of the ritual that they couldn't interfere with the feeding, Berit didn't know. She tucked her body up, barely missing being chomped by the hydra, and fully unsheathed her dagger. She cut her final bonds with one slice, and stood atop the pole.

Three of the hydra's heads were focused on her now. She jumped from her pole as one shot up and bit down on it, splintering it in half. She balanced on Laurence's pole, and he shook his head. "Don't cut me, I'm still wearing my armor! I can't swim!"

"And I can't balance like that, I'd fall right into its mouth! Er, mouths," Valdimer said.

"What am I supposed to do alone?!" Berit shouted. She looked over at Dror, still somehow unconscious. She saw that his sword was still strapped to his back. She also heard an ululation from the side and quickly dodged a spear that was thrown at her.

Berit jumped onto Valdimer's pole, then Dror's, and swung down to dangle next to him. The hydra's eight eyes were all focused on her, ready to lash out. She grabbed the pommel of Dror's sword and yanked it out of its sheath. The hydra stretched up to gobble her down. She let go of the pole and dropped into the midst of its necks. She splashed to the water, and all four heads recoiled down to follow her.

There was a moment of thrashing in the water, and then silence. Then, Berit resurfaced, and three severed hydra heads bobbed up around her.

"That was very impressive!" Valdimer shouted. "Now what are we going to do about them!" The snake people were getting ready to slay the sacrifices themselves.

Berit grinned and rose from the water, her feet pushing open the last hydra's mouth as it tried to consume her. It moved higher, allowing her to jump off and land in the crowd of snake people. She brandished Dror's sword.

Dror eventually moaned and opened his eyes. He was sitting on the ground under the shade of a tree. He looked around to see that the clearing was covered with the bodies of snake people. Valdimer and Laurence were nearby, rubbing their wrists. “I knew Luck would come through for us,” Laurence said with a grin. Valdimer rolled his eyes.

"What happened?" Dror asked.

Berit smiled and handed him his sword. "Let's figure out where we are, and then I'll tell you."

<< Chapter 11, Road
Chapter 13, Fountain >>

Road

Glass and Roses, Chapter 11

Valdimer looked up from his desk when he heard a knock on the door. He put down his quill next to his magic rod and stood up to open the door. Hannah greeted him with a smile and a plate of warm bread, butter, and slices of ham. "Mum thought you'd be awake!" Hannah said. "She sees the light under your door before sunrise every morning. She thought you could use a proper breakfast for once!"

Valdimer chuckled. "Thank you! I sometimes forget to eat while I'm writing."

"There's more downstairs if you want it," Hannah said, and headed back down to the inn's kitchen. Valdimer started to close the door, but paused and changed his mind. He left his room and walked over to the next door. He knocked once, waited a few moments, then knocked again harder.

"Hey, it's time for breakfast! How late did you stay up?" he shouted through the door. He heard a low grumble from the other side, then heavy footsteps, before the door cracked open and Dror stuck a horn out. Valdimer gave him a goofy smile, and Dror rolled his eyes. "We haven't spent a proper day together in a while. Come on!"

"Let me get dressed at least," he said, closing the door again. Valdimer heard rustling and a swear, then the door opened fully. Dror blinked in the sunlight from the window at the end of the hall, but he had a small smile on his face. "Well, come on, get moving. Don't want it to get cold."

They arrived in the dining room. The inn was small compared to those they had stayed at in the past, but it was a small town that didn't see many passers-through, and so most of the rooms were usually empty. Hannah's parents had refused to allow the twins and Dror to pay for their rooms, saying that saving their daughters life gave them a lifetime stay if they wished. Valdimer still snuck coins into their chest whenever he could.

Dror sat down at one of the two tables and started gobbling down the ham, his face growing less drowsy-looking with every bite. "Say, where's Berit?" he asked through a mouthful of meat. "She's usually here in the morning."

"She's usually back by the time you normally wake up," Valdimer said. "Which would be in...almost two hours. But in the morning she likes to go to the archery range and practice. I don't think she's missed the bullseye even once, but she still seems to think there's room for improvement." He spread a large slab of butter on a slice of bread and took a bite.

"She probably just wants to stay in shape," Dror said. "I can understand that. You do the same thing, in your own way. But while she keeps her body in good condition, you focus on your brain." He tapped Valdimer on the head, and Valdimer laughed and pretended to shoo Dror away. "How's the memoir going, anyway?" Dror added.

"I'm trying to put as much detail in it as I can," Valdimer said. "Remembering the details of our battle with Mephutozim is challenging, however. Zhihao kept it from escaping while Hannah recited the binding ritual, and we protected them both from the lesser demons, but it's mostly just a blur. I was acting on reflex, since I thought we were as good as dead. But, if there's one thing I've learned on this journey, it's that a well documented history of your life can mean all the difference in the future."

Dror rolled his eyes and let out a bark. "That's your lesson? Not, I dunno, don't mess with demons?"

Valdimer smirked. "Our mother was able to use Folami's family history to find Hannah and manipulate her. If we had known more about our mother, we could have stopped her sooner. I suppose this information could be dangerous in the wrong hands, but it's better than letting anyone in the future be ignorant. There's just one thing I still can't figure out."

"Whuff dat?" Dror said, two pieces of bread in his mouth.

"She never explained what spell she needed from Mephutozim, or why she needed it. It must have been something powerful, if a demon was the only way to gain quick access to it. Summoning demons isn't easy, yet it was still easier than actually learning the spell she wanted. And she was afraid we would be mad if we found out. I'm just wondering if it had something to do with-"

The front door burst open, and Valdimer and Dror looked up to see Berit standing at the entrance, eyes wide as if she had just seen a ghost. "You need to come and see this, Val," she said.

He stood up. "What's going on? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, sorry, there's no danger," she said, looking over her shoulder. "It's just...someone just came down the road, and he's wearing the blue rose. Our family's crest."

Valdimer's brow clenched in confusion, and he quickly followed Berit out of the inn. Dror took a few more pieces of bread and ran to catch up. They walked to the stable, where a man in full plate armor was tying up his chestnut horse. He turned around when he heard them approaching. Emblazoned on the front of his armor was not just any blue rose, but the same symbol that hung from Berit's neck. His black hair was starting to grow gray around his ears. He gave the half-elves and devilborn nearing him a questioning look.

“Who do you work for?” Berit demanded. “Why do you bear that crest?”

“I'm sorry, I don't understand-” the man began, but Berit unclasped her brooch and thrust it towards his face. His eyes focused on the symbol it bore, the same one he had on his armor. He looked back up at them, more curious now than before. “My name is Laurence. I am a paladin of the Church of Generous Luck. We are a small, young order, but this is the symbol that represents us.”

“That is the symbol of our family, from our father's side,” Valdimer said. “But we haven't seen him since we were young. We are Valdimer and Berit Rhosynglas. Does that name sound familiar to you?”

“Yes,” Laurence said. “Madoc Rhosynglas, the founder of our order. So then, you are...”

“His children, yes,” Berit said. She looked at Valdimer. “I know you've been wondering the same thing I have. What was the spell Mom wanted from Mephutozim? Maybe Dad has the answer.”

“He abandoned us in the most vulnerable time in our lives,” Valdimer said. “Do you really think he'd care to help us now?”

Berit shrugged. “It's worth a try. Besides, knowing where he might have gone makes me want to find him even more. I have a few choice words to tell him.”

“Fair enough,” Valdimer said with a smirk. He turned back to the paladin. “Laurence, do you think you could take us to your headquarters? We would love to be...reintroduced to Madoc.”

“I would be honored to escort you,” Laurence said. “Madoc was an upstanding envoy of Luck, and if he wronged you in the past, I am sworn to make it up to you on his behalf. Unfortunately, you won't find him at our headquarters. I don't know where he has been for a couple years now. The high priestess might have answers for you, though.”

“Then lead the way.” Berit turned to Dror. “What about you, Dev? You're welcome to join us, but I won't blame you if you want to stay here where there's always fresh food and free rooms.”

“That there is,” Dror said. “But this place doesn't have anything to fight! I want to head out onto the road again.”

“The temple is in Abertswyth, a three weeks' journey from here,” Laurence said. “I just need to make another delivery in the next village over, and then we can head back.”

“Thank you,” Valdimer said. “Although I personally hope we don't come across any fights along the way."

Laurence chuckled for the first time since they met him. “Then you're hoping for a different road, my friend!”

<< Chapter 10, Sacrifice
Chapter 12, Impressive >>