Briefing at Drak's

The last of the foul creatures fell to the street as black ichor from a gaping wound spilled to the ground pooling beside it. Aegis kicked it once for good measure, spit on it and mumbled a tribal curse. Aegis’ eyes had a haunted look, once again he had had been to the edge of oblivion and had been pulled back into the world of the living. Nibbs’ and Emok exchanged a worried look but it seemed as if there companion Aegis wasn’t much worse for wear.

Nez wiped the blood from her halberd; the crooked smile on her lips belayed the panic and fear in her eyes. “That was quite interesting… “she panted, “I wouldn’t mind using my blade on a real person sometime soon though.”

The awoken song blade gracefully bent to his knees next to one of the abominations and with the tip of his sword he poked at some blackened chains which turned into fine black ash. The song blade took some between his fingers, gingerly rubbed some of the dust between them, tasted it and spat on the ground. “Anghtaka.” He spat. Then looking at the others,“Infernals.” Emok and Nibbs both made the Halfling sign to ward off evil spirits, each clutching to their implements of faith. “Come on,” Nez said, her voice too chipper and full of nervous energy. “Let’s go have a chat with our benefactor.”

“Come,” Emok chirped. “Tyr once was my home, a long time ago. I know the ways.” Nibbs and Aegis immediately set out after the feral halfling as he began to move quickly into the streets. Nez took a look at the mysterious song blade, saluted and chased after them. The song blade stood, closed his eyes as if in deep concentration trying to bring forth an old memory. A moment later he shook his head as it didn’t surface and went after his most unlikely of comrades.

· * * * *

The trip back to Drak’s estate was uneventful. News had travelled fast that the Circle of The People’s Arcana had asked for, and had been given, full power of martial law over the citizens. Many of the vendors throughout all of the economic districts of the city had shut down, very few citizens were on the streets, even the indigent found other places to go. Fortunately the swath that the city felt was coming; large press gangs of Templars looking for dissidents, had not yet started to form. When the group was blocks away from Drak’s estate a young dirty street urchin jumped out in front, startling Emok. Emok had an arrow cocked and pointed at the boy before he realized what had happened. “Easy there my brave hunter,” Nez laughed, fully for the first time since the running battles with the abominations. “I’m sure there is no threat here.”

The boy, still wide eyed and staring into the wide crazy eyes of the painted halfling cannibal, shook his head feverishly. “Yes ma’am! Master Drak sent me… he told you to follow me… come come!” Nibbs put his hands on Emok’s, and Emok, reluctantly, lowered his weapon. The boy dashed to an alley way and waited for the group who followed. The boy then dashed through an open crumbly stone door and vanished, the words “come, come” echoing behind him.

Aegis stepped forward both his swords drawn, his magical sword pulsing in his right hand demanding to feed. He saw seated at a table going through some scrolls was Drak. It was apparent that Drak had been packing. There were numerous chests, some filled to the brink with precious gold and jewels the others filled with books and scrolls. The two servants in the room with Drak were flustered and anxious. The older man shrieked upon the groups entrance and dropped same expensive ceramic pottery shattering it. Drak dismissed his servants and smiled as the rest of the group entered. “Ah! My formidable retainers! Well done! I should be able to evade notice leaving the city now…”he smiled ear to ear and patted the older servant on the back. “My servant Decklan thanks you as well, a true force he called you!”

Aegis walked menacingly up to the noble… “You had us act as a diversion;” his hand had unconsciously drifted down to the magical long sword on his left side. “I… we… could have been killed.”

Drak waved Aegis off nonchalantly; “And that’s why I hired you instead of some women and children. Now onto what you will be doing next…”

“Next?” Nez laughed incredulously, “I’ve been in your employee for less then a few days and I;ve already seen more than my fair share of demons.” She stopped suppressing a small shudder. “What happened to the Circle? I’ve seen them on occasion and I know that their magic is supposed to be protective. What happened?”

Drak paused for a moment, measuring the group and then turned his beaming smile upon the young mercenary. “When you look out upon the desert what do you see young lady?”

Nez rolled her eyes but slightly smiled; “Why sand of course.”

“And you,” Drak asked pointed to the ranger. “What do you see?”

Aegis looked uncomfortably… he was not one to mince words, his blades usually did all of his talking. “Well that depends. The desert is a bit more complicated than that; there are the rolling silt plains close to Balic, the rocky badlands between Tyr and Urik, the sand dunes between Draj and Ra’am and the great Ivory Wastes.”

Drak clasped his hands together excitedly, “Bravo ranger! Bravo!” He turned smiling towards Nez, “And that young lady is the way of magic as well, while essentially the ways of the Arcane are in essence similar they are like the eternal deserts of Athas; shifting, dangerous and no two aspects are the same. Within each individual who practices the Arcane arts lay a choice at every application; a choice to heal or a choice to pillage.” Drak put a small plant on the table and started chanting under his breath. The leaves of the plant began to vibrate and even hum and all the group could feel the subtle energies being worked in the room. Drak finished his spell and a small bloom opened on the plant displaying a marvelous silvery blossom. Drak turned towards Nez; “The answer to your question is simple my lady. The People of the Circle’s Arcana started to use defiling magic because they could get away with it, and thought that it was necessary, this may be hard to…”

“They must have enimies.” Aegis interrupted gruffly. “Can’t they help?”

Drak smiled crookedly; “The founder of the Circle of the People’s Arcana was a wily one. She and some of her acquaintances split the magical talent they recruited. The Alliance still flourishes in the shadows of the city and are ready to stand against any new Tyrant that may rise in these turbulent times.”

Nez crossed her brow thoughtfully her mask of cheeriness replaced by a shrewd intelligence. “Surely the new midget elves will help. Wouldn’t their forest be at risk with a turning to defiling magic?”

“That forest isn’t right.” Nibbs chirped in. “The spirits there are crazy! Non stop talking all the time… fire this, death magic that, screaming for blood.” He shook his head sadly. “Yet even crazy spirits must be protected.”

“Quite right, “ Drak agreed. “But defiling is, strangely, the second issue. My major concern is the recent appearance of multiple demons and Infernals. Usually only a sorcerer king would have the audacity to reach past the Grey and the Black to summon these abominations. We need to figure how the Circle of the People’s Arcana are summoning these things and put a stop to it.”

“Where do we start?” Asked Emok, silent the entire time just listening to the conversation.

“There are two starting points and each has their own problems. The first is in the hub of the Circle of the People’s Arcana. See if one of their wizards have unlocked some hidden relic. The other is an ancient temple within the Ringing Mountains. My research has pointed to this temple being to a being of utter darkness and it may hold the answers to source of new found power. Please discuss amongst yourselves and we can start to make some preparations. And speaking of which I need to make some preparations of my own.”

Gailin stood up quickly as Drak was leaving. “A quick word, if you have the time.” Galin looked to the others with, disdain, distrust? In his eyes, “in private.”

“Of course sir this way.”

The two left the room leaving the rest for a period of open conversation to decide on the next course of action.