Scry

Glass and Roses, Chapter 3

"Your move," Dror said. He shifted in his chair, his chin in his hand and his brow furrowed with concentration. Berit smirked and waved her hand over the game board on the table between them, teasing him while she pretended to think about her next maneuver. She let a finger land on one piece, but then her hand danced over to another, then another. Dror frowned. "You're doing this on purpose."

"You think so?" Berit chirped. "I just want to savor my victory."

"You haven't won yet."

Berit swiftly moved one of the wooden blocks forward to another space. She leaned back in her chair. "Three points for area control, and your ambassadors are locked in place. You have no possible response to cancel my lead, and so I claim victory."

Dror pounded the table with a meaty fist, sending the pieces clattering onto their sides, but a smile spread across his face. "Damn. I lasted longer that time, at least."

"You want a real challenge?" Berit said. "Val can beat me with his eyes closed. Val, come show Dror those fancy Negotiations strategies you know!"

Valdimer was pacing back and forth at the front of the tavern, peering out the windows. He glanced over at their table when he heard his name. "I haven't played that in years," he said. "We don't have time to waste on games anyway. We should be figuring out where we're going to go next. We're losing the trail."

"Come on, relax for a bit," Berit said. "It's been five years since we even thought about this business last, it can wait a few more days."

"Tell that to the people who died in Ravenhill," Valdimer said.

Dror crossed his arms. "I know you told me we're chasing down some sort of magical murderer," he said, "but I'm not blind. I know you held back something. When am I going to be filled in?"

Valdimer sighed. "I'm glad you've stuck with us this long, Dror, but you've still only been paid for a temporary contract. We don't want any unnecessary information about our affairs getting ahead of us if you decide to leave our service. Another reason we should be planning, not lazying about!"

Dror shrugged, and Berit stood up. "I don't know about you, but I can't keep wandering around without taking some time to relax. The stress is going to kill me!"

"We can't afford personal time!" Valdimer yelled. "Our funds are dwindling, the witness who saw our...target seems to have been wrong, because nobody has seen anyone matching her description in this town, and there are four others that we need to visit in case she went to one of them. If we choose poorly, we could lose the trail entirely!"

"There are no choices," a voice said. Valdimer and Berit looked over at the bundled figure sitting alone at another table. Dror turned around in his seat to look as well. The young woman was wearing a heavy robe with a cloak over it, but the hood was down and her thin hands were lightly clutching a mug of water. She was gazing at the ripples in her drink. "There is one shrouded path disguised as many."

"Excuse me," Berit said. "We don't appreciate eavesdroppers."

“Understandable,” the woman said as she stood up and approached their table. “Yet I have information that can help you on your quest.”

“You do?” Valdimer said. He pushed Berit aside. “Tell us immediately!”

“There is a magical grove near this village, known for giving answers.” She paused. “Although it has not responded to any questions in many years. Perhaps it is no longer inhabited by anything.”

Valdimer sighed. “It's just a useless superstition.”

Berit put her hand on Valdimer's shoulder. “Maybe it is, but we have nothing to lose for trying. Why would she have mentioned that it hasn't been working if she only believed a superstition?”

“I suppose.” Valdimer stared back at the strange woman. “Take us there.”

“Please,” Berit added.

It wasn't long before the woman had guided them through the forest to a small pond at the edge of a short cliff. The sun was setting in the distance above the trees. The woman pulled her robes closer to her chalky skin, then stepped back, ceasing to speak. Valdimer and Berit approached the pool.

Dror stood next to the woman several paces back. “I'll let you two figure this out. I don't want to mess with superstitions.”

“The scrying pool is not dangerous,” the woman said, staring at the clear water. “Supposedly.”

Valdimer crouched at the edge of the water and examined it. “So...what are we supposed to do?”

“Ask it your question,” the woman said. “Then you must wait.”

Berit cleared her throat. “Where must we go next to find our mother?”

Dror shifted, startled not only that he had learned who they sought, but that they had said it in front of him. It was then silent as the twins stared into the water, wondering what they were waiting for. Minutes passed, and the sun sank below the horizon. Valdimer finally stood up.

“That's it, we're getting nowhere with this-”

It was then that the first star appeared in the sky.

Ripples spread across the surface of the pond, and shapes suddenly rose out of the water. There were trees moving, or being passed as if someone were riding a horse at top speed. Then the trees fell away, and there were people running. The shapes were precise enough that Berit could see looks of terror on their faces. One large, winged shape rose above the others, but then all fell back to the water, and they were replaced by lines. A map. Then more people rose, and they saw that it was the two of them. They both jumped when their own voices echoed out from the shapes.

“It could be our chance to get her back!” the watery Berit said.

“Not at this cost!” the shape of Valdimer shouted back. “It makes us no better than the demons!”

Then their clones moved, and were calm, and a third appeared, that of an old but healthy man. He smiled and said, “Welcome to Nangarth.”

Then the water was suddenly still again.

Valdimer turned back to the two standing farther from the pool. They were both wide-eyed. So it had been visible to them too. Berit was still staring open-mouthed at the pond. Valdimer tapped a hand on her shoulder. “Now we have a lead,” he said with a grin. He then turned to the robed woman. “Thank you for your help.”

“Take me with you,” she said.

Valdimer gaped for a moment, and Berit strode forward. “We're not looking for tag-alongs.”

“Your quest seems similar to my own,” the woman said. “And I have skills that you might find useful.” She waved her hands, and both began to glow with soft yellow light. “Any demons that we face would find my touch to be...disturbing.”

Valdimer and Berit exchanged a glance, and it was Valdimer who nodded first. He looked back at her. “What is your name?”

“Zhihao,” she replied.

“Let's head back to town and get some rest,” Valdimer said. Berit snorted a laugh. He continued, “But we leave first thing in the morning. So make whatever preparations you need, Zhihao. It's going to be a long road to Nangarth.”

<< Chapter 2, Frostbite
Chapter 4, Possession >>

Frostbite

Glass and Roses, Chapter 2

Valdimer collapsed onto the floor of the cave. He shivered as Berit fired bolt after bolt from her crossbow around the cave's entrance. He went to grab a potion from his belt, but found that they had frozen over from the cold. They had wandered too high into the mountains. He heard the goblins that were chasing them holler as they retreated.

Berit turned to the rest of the small band, shooting them a poisonous look. "You stupid brutes! They've got us surrounded." The twins had hired five mercenaries to protect them and carry their supplies on their journey north. Three remained.

One of the hirelings, a tall and muscular devilborn, stood up. His golden eyes seemed oddly relaxed compared to the danger that lurked just outside the cave. He folded his maroon arms. "We're safe in here. The cave mouth forms a bottleneck. We can pick off any goblins that try to come through at range."

"Safe?!" Berit howled over the snowstorm that blew by outside. "You were supposed to find a safe trail through the mountains, but you found one infested with goblins! You were supposed to keep us safe from attacks, but we've lost two good fighters in as many minutes! Tell me how I'm supposed to feel safe, Dror!"

Valdimer wiped the frost from his face and tried to stand up. His feet were too numb, however, and he slumped back down. "I don't enjoy agreeing with my sister, but we can't leave the cave without getting slaughtered, and staying here won't help. We have to see if there's another way out."

Berit ignored his advice and turned on him. "And you! You're the one who said we should try to conserve coin by hiring cheaper help. Look where that got us!" She thrashed her arm towards the three mercenaries. Pantar furrowed her brow and glared back at Berit, but Dror shook his head and grinned, his horns nearly scraping the cavern ceiling. Nathen, the third hireling, didn't respond. He had sat down against the wall of the cave, clutching his side. Valdimer's gut sank when he realized Nathen had stopped shivering.

Pantar noticed at the same time, and scrambled to Nathen's side. "Nathen, no! Wake up, we must keep going."

"I can't...feel..." Nathan muttered. Pantar removed his hand from his side to find a bloody wound, with a goblin arrow embedded deep in his flesh. Nathen's eyelids fluttered. "It's better than freezing..." he whispered. Pantar attempted to pour a bloodroot potion down his throat, then checked his pulse. Her head fell and she muttered a dwarven curse.

Berit returned her glare to Dror. "We won't be taking any more of your advice," she said. "You will protect us through the rest of this cave, and when we reach the next point of civilization-"

"If we do," Valdimer groaned.

"When," Berit said firmly. "Then you will leave our services."

Dror wrinkled his nose and nodded. "Not a problem. Boss," he added with contempt.

Pantar helped Valdimer to his feet and checked him for wounds. There were none, but the half-elf seemed to be on the verge of frostbite. He dug in his herb pouch, his numb fingers clutching at the various pockets and spilling their contents around the bottom of the bag. He made a mental note to clean it up later, but in the meantime, he found a hearthleaf and began to chew on it. It would keep him warm enough to walk, for at least another hour.

Berit led the small group deeper into the narrow cave, while Pantar kept watch at the back for any goblins that tried to follow them. Valdimer flinched every time he heard her crossbow fire, knowing her dwarven darkvision had spotted another malformed silhouette sneaking towards them. Dror held his longsword in both hands. Valdimer kept an eye on him whenever he seemed to be getting closer to Berit.

They followed the course of a frozen stream that ran through the caverns, hoping to find where it exited the mountain. Valdimer's steps were slowing, and he felt the cold creeping back into his legs. Pantar gave him a shoulder to lean on, but Berit would not slow down. She was ahead by a dozen paces when Dror suddenly started running towards her with his sword still drawn.

Valdimer drew his rod, but his reflexes were slowed by the cold. Before he could charge a spell, Dror had tackled Berit. Then there was dust, and rocks were falling from the ceiling. Valdimer charged ahead and stumbled into a wall of debris. “Berit! Stay off her!” The dust covered his glasses, and he couldn't see.

“I just saved her, idiot,” he heard Dror's voice say. Berit coughed and added, “I'm fine.” Valdimer blinked and tried to figure out what to do next, but Pantar interrupted him.

“We have company!” she said. Valdimer turned and heard the chittering of goblins drawing closer from the tunnel they came from. He realized that they were trapped against the wall of rubble, and without Berit and Dror's bows, they would not be able to hold them all off. He patted himself down to find a solution and pulled out a small metal package from a pocket.

“I can take out some of them before they get to us, and then maybe we can cut down some more before one of us is knocked out,” Pantar was saying. “It doesn't look good for us, but if we hug the wall there's a slim chance we might-”

“We need to charge at them,” Valdimer said.

Pantar looked at him like he had sprouted faerie wings. “You've lost your mind. Now I'm definitely going to die because you won't help.”

“No, I have a plan.” Valdimer put the metal package down on the wall of rubble. “We don't shoot any, and as soon as they're just there,” he pointed to a spot on the ground three feet ahead of them, “we dash through them as quickly as possible.”

“They'll kill us.”

“Not right away.” Valdimer twisted a mechanism on the package. “Even goblins can be surprised.” Pantar frowned and her eyes were wide, but she nodded. “Berit! Step away from the debris!”

Eyes appeared around the bend, and the miniscule humanoids were suddenly upon them. Pantar and Valdimer ran into the horde, deflecting their swords and spears as much as possible. Valdimer took a scratch in the side, but most of the goblins had so much momentum that they ran right past him and Pantar and had to stop at the cave-in.

Perfect.

The metal package exploded, shattering the rubble wall and vaporizing all the goblins who had gotten too close to it. Valdimer and Pantar themselves were thrown forward by the blast. A goblin landed next to Pantar, and she stabbed her dagger into it, then used that to get back to her feet. The remaining goblins scattered into the crevasses of the cave.

Valdimer, now far from numb, returned to where the cave had collapsed. He saw Dror clearing the remnants of the rubble while Berit stood behind and adjusted her dusty vest. She looked up at Valdimer for a brief second, then at Dror. “Good work, all of you. Dror, I trust you can find a way out of here now?”

Dror smirked. “You can count on me.”

<< Chapter 1, Twins
Chapter 3, Scry >>

Twins

Glass and Roses, Chapter 1

The comfortable silence of Berit's drawing room was demolished by the slam of the door and two of her guards carrying in the struggling body of a man she recognized. A man she hadn't seen in almost five years.

"We caught him trying to break in through the side door," the half-ogre guard said. "He was using this," he added, tossing a thick wooden rod onto the table that crowded the center of the confined room. It had gems encrusted into its shaft, and silver handles at each end, clearly enchanted. "Some sort of lock-canceller."

The other guard, a burly dwarf, held a muddy hand firmly over their captive's mouth. The captive's face was mostly concealed by the hooded cloak he was wearing, but Berit still recognized him from his frame, even as it was hoisted by the two strongmen. She stood up, her decorative coattails lazily slipping from her chair to dangle behind her knees. She held a hand briefly to the brooch that hung around her neck, emblazoned with a blue rose. "Let him go," she said. "I doubt he wants to kill me. I know he couldn't if he tried. And if he does, you have my permission to swiftly and lethally intercept him."

The guards released their grip, but kept their weapons drawn, a sleek and sinister scimitar for the half-ogre and a loaded crossbow for the dwarf. The man made no sudden movements on the ground, only stood slowly up, brushed off his cloak, and chuckled. He looked up at her through wire-framed spectacles. "You wouldn't have your own brother killed in front of you, would you?"

Berit sneered, glaring straight ahead into her brother's blue eyes. "Is that what you think, Valdimer? That I still value our relationship?"

"You still wear our family's signet, so I thought it was only logical to assume," Valdimer said with a smirk.

Berit pointed at the brooch. "It is not 'ours,' only mine now. All in the city know that the sign of the blue rose signifies my handiwork."

"Yes, I've heard of them being left on the dead nobles you assassinate," Valdimer said. He lifted his hands, and felt the crossbow suddenly shoved into his back. "Relax," he said, "I'm only removing my hood." He pulled back the hood to reveal his tapered ears, the only other physical similarity he shared with his sister, other than their height.

"I don't want you casting any spells in here," the dwarf grumbled.

Valdimer's smile grew an inch. "So, you've talked about me before?"

"I may have mentioned my no-good, artificer of a brother," Berit said with a frown. "You're lucky I didn't tell them your description, otherwise they would have known to bleed you in the street instead of bringing you to me." She held up a hand as Valdimer opened his mouth. "Now before you continue trying to start a verbal sparring match with me, I demand to know why you sought me out after all this time. I would have thought your trinket shop were keeping you busy."

"I deal with exotic magical items, far more than trinkets," Valdimer said, "but I didn't come to brag. And I'm not here to ask for your help with anything either, so you can keep whatever scathing rebuttal I'm sure you've prepared to yourself. I'm only here with information."

"I never asked you for any information."

"No, but..." Valdimer twirled his fingers in awkward hesitation. "You don't keep an ear to the same channels of information I do, and if it were anything useful I wouldn't bother to relay it to you. But this is the one thing that you have to know. It's only right."

"Well, spit it out then."

"See for yourself." Valdimer made sure the guards saw he had no tricks in his pocket, then pulled out a small scroll. He placed it down on the table and rolled it out, so that Berit could read it. As she scanned it, Valdimer watched her face carefully. She reached the bottom, but continued staring at the parchment. "Do you realize what this means? She's back."

"It could be a coincidence," Berit said, but she could feel the hurricane in her stomach that told her that was a lie.

"There is no other explanation," Valdimer said. "So, there, I have told you because you ought to know, and now I must take my leave. I have preparations to make."

Berit stepped forward and grabbed Valdimer's arm before he could turn around. The guards swapped confused glances, as they had only seen their boss touch someone before if it was in order to get them into a position where her dagger could reach their neck. Now, however, Berit's green eyes were wide, searching Valdimer's face for answers. "You're going to try to find her?"

"Yes. Knowing what we know," he said, eying the guards, "I cannot in good conscience stay here where I am safe. This lead is small, but it has to be her. And that means I'm the only one who can stop her."

Berit scoffed. "What can you do alone? You're too weak."

"I don't need your advice, thanks. I will hire help."

"If you tell them to follow your orders, which I know you will, then you still won't succeed. You hesitate too much." Berit released Valdimer's arm and turned to a large, ornate chest on the floor. She moved aside the books and maps that were piled on top of it, and took a set of keys out of a pouch on her vest for the three locks that kept the chest closed. "I'm coming with you," she declared.

"No. You can go on your own, which would be futile, but you are not following me. You are far too impulsive to trust with this mission."

"Ha!" Berit laughed. "'Mission.' Like you're still pretending to be a royal agent like when we were kids." She popped the last lock and lifted the lid of the chest. She began to remove daggers, lockpicks, and small bottles of violet liquid and securing them to her clothes. "Your toys will get you nowhere once you actually get into a fight. I know how to handle her, remember? Besides, I could use a reason to get out of the city for a while."

"My answer is final. This visit is purely formal, I have no desire to renew contact with you, and you-" Valdimer stopped as Berit stood up, still seeming to be lightly encumbered while he knew she had all sorts of tools and tricks tucked into her pockets and pouches.

She looked at him with a frozen glare. "I don't like you either, Val," she said. "But this is something we have to do together, or not at all."

Valdimer clenched and unclenched his jaw. He took the rod from the table and put it back into the recesses of his robe. "I have one more stop to make in the marketplace before we leave. I will meet you at the north gate in the morning, at the edge of dawn."

Berit raised an eyebrow. "The marketplace is closed for the night. What could you possibly be doing there?"

Valdimer allowed himself a smirk. "You're not the only one with work to be done under the cover of darkness." He turned and the guards instinctively stepped aside to let him pass. "Remember, dawn at the north gate. You always forget these sorts of specifics."

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Berit said as Valdimer stalked away. She then looked up at the guards. "Follow me, you two. I will need your help with some preparations of my own tonight." She strode forward down the same hallway, with the mercenaries at her heels. The scroll still lay open on the table. It was a town crier's missive, from a distant town at the border of the kingdom. Most of the news was a recounting of those who had died, an unusually high number for a small town, but the first sentence explained why.

DEMONIC ASSAULT LEAVES DOZEN DEAD, MAD SUMMONER AT LARGE

Berit reached the street and looked down at her brother walking towards the town center. He glanced over his shoulder and caught her eye, then nodded and returned his gaze to his destination. She waved for the guards to follow and headed in the other direction, toward the seedier part of town. The half-elven siblings had a long road ahead of them.

And at the end of that road, they hoped to find and kill their mother.

Chapter 2, Frostbite >>