Chapter 250: Return to Telha

Ginger was in bad shape, but at least the artificial clouds faded with the death of the gnoll mage. She was so upset she wouldn’t even take an offered apple. While Maveith stood watch, I calmed her and talked to her as I used healing salve to close nine puncture wounds. “Don’t worry, Ginger. Revenge is coming.”

I checked her over one more time, wiping the blood away to make sure I didn’t miss anything. The deep punctures would require a healing potion, but I didn’t think Ginger would consume the orc Pathfinder brew, so I gave her one of my few Hound lesser healing potions. She still didn’t like it, foaming more than swallowing, but I think she got most of it down.

“Maveith, how are you doing?” I asked, Ginger finally appearing recovered. I relaxed. At least her appetite was back, as she ate three apples noisily from my hand.

“It is difficult fighting in the dark,” he complained in a flat tone. “I have some abdominal pain, but I think it is from the orc potions and not a lingering injury.” Maveith released a sharp flatulence, and then another, his digestive system agreeing with his assessment. “Yes. That helped relieve some of the cramping.” Maveith was completely serious and not making a fart joke, but I laughed anyway. After the night’s ordeal, I needed the laugh.

I turned inward toward my aether core to try to feel out the change. I channeled aether through the new spell form and my vision sharpened again. It was a weak spell form, and I guessed it must be my illusion affinity. Night vision had not been in the spell form book I had studied, so it was a mild surprise, but it made sense. The night vision was significantly weaker than the Hound goggles, lacking color, but it compensated for a weakness. The spell form also felt more primal than the other intricate spell forms I had learned. The only time I could recall studying night vision spell forms was when I briefly examined the night vision goggles with my earth speak.

This was actually the second time I had imprinted a spell form through willpower and need. The first time was when I created a spell form to pull as much out of an essence as possible. I was in Legion training and had just won my first essence from placing in the spear competition.

I patted Ginger reassuringly and retrieved the collector. Under the light of my last glowstone, Ginger and Maveith followed me to the gnoll mage. The other glowstones were darkened and useless. Whatever the gnoll mage had done to them had destroyed their ability to absorb aether and give off light. The fact that he did that from over fifty feet away was impressive and indicated he had been powerful.

Under the glowstone, the gnoll mage had wrinkled skin and bristly, thin white fur. He—no, it was a she—appeared ancient and had loops of bone necklaces hanging around her body. Maveith grunted, “A soothsayer.”

“A what?” I asked as I placed the collector over the strangely citrus-smelling body.

“A soothsayer. The bone necklaces are for divining the future. A soothsayer would cut the thread, toss the bones, and then read them. I have never heard of a gnoll being a soothsayer before, though. I wonder who trained it,” Maveith said, intrigued. Thick aetheric smoke was drawn into the collector. A major essence quickly formed, but I thought enough smoke had been drawn to form an apex, from my experience. I had never seen a clairvoyance/divination essence before. The sphere appeared oily as I turned it, and images in the oil came and went before I could focus on them.

I moved to her two guards next and then the rest of the gnolls. The collector formed two minor quickness essences, two minor dexterity essences, and one major strength essence. The strength essence was from the largest gnoll who had led the rushing group. Maveith had put one of his large arrows near its heart, and it bled out from the injury.

“Do you want the major strength essence or the four minor essences?” I asked Maveith as I stood from the last young gnoll, who had yielded nothing. The morning sky was graying, and I was eager to track down the rest of the gnolls.

Maveith was cleaning his retrieved arrows with leaves. He looked up and considered. “The quickness essences are good enough for me.” I deposited all four minor essences into his hand and consumed the strength essence myself. I didn’t even ask if he wanted the soothsayer’s essence; it would improve my ability to maximize gains from essences.

“The gnolls are heading west. I want to try and hunt them down,” I stated while rubbing Ginger’s neck.

Maveith sucked his teeth. “Shouldn’t we continue? We will lose a day hunting down the gnolls.” He indicated the eight dead gnolls around the structure in which we had camped. “We killed their best hunters and their powerful soothsayer. If we were to remain in the Empire, I would agree it is in our best interest to hunt them, but we are leaving, are we not?” Maveith stressed the last a little.

I could hear the underlying urgency to get to his sister in his voice. I pulled out Ginger’s grooming kit to remove the dried blood and sighed. “Okay, I agree. We will continue on to the capital. We will cross the river tomorrow and approach on the far shore.” Maveith nodded in appreciation that his advice was taken.

We moved at a fast pace up the old trade road for the rest of the day as we closed in on Telha. We crossed the river as planned. I put everything I could in storage and Maveith and I swam across in our underclothes while Ginger made her way across with me holding her lead line. She was actually pretty excited to swim and danced around on the opposite shore, excitedly shaking the water off. My horse liked swimming and wanted to go back in.

We dried off in the spring sun and then dressed. After last night, I was tempted to don armor for protection. It could have blocked those two ice arrows, and not wearing a helm meant I was one lucky blow from being knocked out or killed. The aether shield was a remarkable artifact, but it only worked once before requiring a short cooldown, and needed to be fed aether to recharge.

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As we walked through the woods on the opposite shore, I informed Maveith of my plan. “Maveith, you are going to take Ginger north to the coast. I will charter a ship from the Adventurers Guild and we will pick you up.”

Maveith didn’t like my plan. “I don’t think we should separate, Eryk.”

“Goliaths are rare. If I am seen with you, it will be easy to figure out that I am alive.” I rubbed Ginger’s neck, “Ginger would also be seized for the war effort.” Maveith grunted unhappily but didn’t offer an alternate plan.

We found more signs of gnolls, goblins, and something that looked like the tracks of a troll to me, but they were weeks old. There were more than a few boot prints as well, belonging to a civilized race. It looked like the rain had been sparse the last week, leaving old tracks intact. When we reached the location of the Gnoll Garden, the tower where the Mage College trained their mages and where the Hounds used to train, I scouted ahead alone.

The tower was abandoned, with no fresh tracks nearby. Still, being cautious, I led Maveith and Ginger on a wide loop around it. After traveling a few miles north, I stopped us. “Maveith, continue northeast from here.” I handed him Corvus’s Hound medallion from my hand. “If you get in trouble with someone who isn't a Hound, tell them you are on Hound’s business. Don’t show that to a Hound, as the man it belonged to is now dead.”

Maveith took the amulet. “I don’t like being separated. How long will you be?”

I had to consider the question. “Don’t wait longer than a week. If I can't get a ship in two days, I will join you here. Watch for a ship flying the Adventurers Guild flag near shore. You see that, then show yourself. This is an artificed spyglass.” I handed him my Hound spyglass. “Just channel aether into it; turn these to change the magnification. I will be on the bow.” I then asked a difficult question. “Do you want to give a blood sample?” I had explained the blood compass to him but hadn’t broached the subject. It would make it easier to find him.

“I think that is wise.” He tore a scrap of cloth, cut his arm unflinchingly, soaked the cloth, and handed it to me. I nodded at his trust and sent it to my space.

Maveith played with the spyglass while I pulled out his pack and prepared supplies for him and Ginger. When we parted, I was optimistic. Even if I couldn’t charter a ship for us, I hoped to learn enough in the Adventurers Guild Hall about how we could safely enter the Boutan Caliphate.

I moved through the night, practicing with my new spell form. Seeing everything in grayscale was disappointing, but it was better than not having the ability to see in the dark. I pulsed earth speak as I moved along the river. I arrived at a fishing village a few miles upriver of the capital. It was dangerous living on this side of the river, but I guessed it was also much cheaper for the people. Most of the houses looked like they were of rough construction, and I guessed that fewer than a hundred people lived there.

When the sun rose, I walked with a limp into the town. Only a single watchman was on the wooden palisade. It didn’t take long to barter for passage across the river for five large coppers. The old man and his grandson happily paddled me to the docks of the capital. The old man politely answered my questions during the entire two-hour trip to the capital. He didn’t ask me questions in return, which I appreciated.

He didn’t know much about the war other than that barges loaded with men and supplies frequently went upriver. He delivered fish every other day to the docks in Telha and usually made half a silver for the effort. Taking half the day to bring me to the capital for five large coppers was a welcome break from casting nets all day.

When we reached the dock, I tipped him a dirty, small silver and stepped off. The lower docks smelled like a mix of salt water, fish, and unwashed bodies. I was happy to note that a ship flying the Adventurers Guild crest was in the larger docks. It had the same symbol as my guild medallion: a tree with leaf-covered branches and mirroring roots. I just had to hope they were not still locked down and could sail.

There was a lot of activity as laborers rushed about the small watercraft. The village I had come from was not the only fishing village that supplied the capital. A city guardsman intercepted me before I took three hobbled steps. “Name and business in Telha,” he rasped with a dry throat and foul breath.

“Lucien Beatrix. Just doing some shopping for the family.” My disguise had rough clothes and a worn cloak. My hair and beard had streaks of gray, and I walked with a heavy limp and a slightly hunched back.

The guardsman seemed to consider me for a long moment. “The cost to enter the city is a large copper.” I didn’t actually know if that was true or not. I had never had to pay as a legionnaire before. Instead of arguing, I angrily dug into my pockets and produced a large, dirty copper.

Maveith had cleaned the coins, but it was hard to erase the length of time it had been buried. The guardsman studied the foreign dark elf coin for a long time before pocketing it and walking away. Dozens of different coins passed through the city. Sometimes a vendor would refuse one, but it was not overly suspicious to pay with foreign coins or dungeon coins. The coins would eventually find themselves melted down and stamped into proper Telhian coins.

I walked through the city, maintaining my limp and looking longingly at the bathhouses I passed. When I reached the thoroughfare, I gazed right for a long time. That way led to the Mage College, where Renna should be. I was tempted to confirm her health and perhaps convince her to come with me and desert the Empire. Eventually, I walked to the Adventurers Guild, not risking a visit.

Entering, there were a lot fewer people here than the last time. The air smelled of stale beer and sweat. I assumed the diminished population was due to the war. Seated at a table were five people playing cards. I recognized Guildmaster Icarus smiling and playing cards. He looked up at me, interested in my entrance, but didn’t move. Desdemona had her back to me but I recognized her dark, sun-beaten black hair. She was talking animatedly to someone, accusing them of cheating in a friendly tone.

I hobbled to the table, drawing everyone’s attention. Desdemona craned her neck, but no look of recognition flashed on her face. Guildmaster Icarus spoiled my disguise. “What brings you back to our Guild Hall, legionnaire?” Desdemona squinted her eyes a few times before recognition finally flashed on her face. She didn’t look happy to see me, so this might be harder than I had planned.

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