“I’m in,” Alister said. “This is going to make one hell of a story.”
“You all would be lost without me.” Terry said with a smile, “I can’t leave you alone, not now, not ever. This is wrong. We all understand this. But we can’t change your mind, so the least we can do is make sure you do it right, if such a thing is possible.”
“Pack your things,” Obidaan said, “and meet here in the morning. Say your final farewells. For the next time we enter this kingdom it will not be as heroes but as conquerors.”
The next day they were ready to go, including the excess treasure they received from Lucinda. They also noticed something different about Obidaan. On his shiny armor, over his heart was painted a black heart. They stared at it for a moment and Obidaan noticed. “I have a dark heart now. I am no longer Obidaan Grailann but Obidaan the Black—Hearted.” On the way out of the kingdom, Obidaan made one final stop.
Tomas continued to protest, unaware of the truth. “Look!” He showed Obidaan his prowess with the knife. “I can take care of myself. Please! Let me come with you!” he was tearing up, as was Obidaan to some extent. Obidaan didn’t realize how hard it was to say goodbye to all the orphans. Meanwhile, Relina relayed to Marsha the real story.
“By the gods! You have got to be kidding!” she couldn’t believe what Relina had just told her.
“No, I’m afraid it’s true. Obidaan has snapped. He’s lost all sense of himself. I hope we can find him again, and then one day find our children,” Relina was holding Marsha’s hands tightly as she spoke. It was all she could do to hold herself together.
“May the gods… ” Marsha cried and held Relina.
“Stop whining, boy!” Obidaan commanded. He was trying to be strong for Tomas. “Now is the time to be strong. You can’t come, we won’t be coming back.”
“I don’t care,” Tomas was drying his eyes but the tears continued to fall, “I would follow you anywhere.” Tomas replied.
Taking Tomas into his arms he hugged the young man, letting his charm and sense of ease flow over the young man. He held him as though he were holding his children. In Tomas he felt Haden, and Kat, and Kate. Through Tomas, he was briefly connected to his children. He didn’t want the feeling to end but he had to let go of Tomas. “We are going to the edge of oblivion, son, and then we are going to jump off.” He couldn’t tell Tomas the truth, no matter what. He wanted Tomas to remember him the way he was, not what he was going to become. “You’re the man again. You can handle it. And remember, you’re a member of the Vanguard.” With that he reached into his pouch and presented Tomas a pin. It was a V with a sword making up one side, a wand making up the other, and an eye at the base. It had no magic or true significance; it was just a piece of stamped metal. However, to Tomas, it represented the world.
Tomas hugged Obidaan one last time, after Obidaan pinned it on him, “Thank you!” he said. He went to show Marsha. “Look mom, I’m an official member of The Vanguard now!”
Marsha put on a false smile, “That’s great sweetheart. (ping) Thank you Obidaan.” Marsha and Relina got up, “They have to be going now dear, let me say my final goodbyes, run off and check on the others.”
“Ok,” he said.
Marsha couldn’t help herself, she slapped Obidaan in the face once Tomas was out of range. “Are you out of your mind? Relina told me what y’all are up to. You’re insane!”
“Quite right.” Obidaan didn’t retaliate or even feel his cheek, “That’s part of why I’m leaving. It’s also, why I made Tomas an official member of the group. I registered him this morning at the Adventure’s Guild. Someone needs to maintain our good name around here, better him than me. I have a feeling when you hear the bard’s tales that our name will not be seen in a good light. Tomas’ innocence shall keep things straight inside these walls, but not outside.”
“For an insane man, you sound pretty calm. Sure you haven’t reconsidered?” Marsha asked.
“Don’t let my calmness fool you. My rage is unbounded. Say the wrong words and I could kill you without a second thought.” A shudder when through Martha when he said that. “It is only the fact that I love this place and have so many cherished memories that I am able to maintain my calm. The first place we go shall feel my wrath like no other. A king who has previously disrespected me, he shall now learn the error of his ways.”
Marsha continued to cry as Obidaan spoke. She then hugged him and gave him a goodbye kiss. Normally she kisses him on the cheek but this time she kissed him on the lips.
Saying their final goodbyes, they were off.
Obidaan loathed walking through the town. He could see the effects of the money he gave not only to the church, but also to the city. The newness of many of the buildings, the cleanliness of the streets, the new uniforms, armor and weapons for the local guard, all of it given freely by him, now slapping him in the face.
“Where to now?” Terry asked.
“Qualtar,” Obidaan said directly. “If we’re going to start this fiasco, I might as well start at the beginning, so to speak. My first real mission for the King. Just remember, just before sundown to continue in the same direction for an hour.” Everyone knew what that meant. “We’re going to have to be able to sleep in peace, and this is the only way.”
“But no one knows what we’re even doing now,” Alister said, while he enjoyed very much staying in the paladin fortress, he loved towns and wanted to keep his skills honed. Many a lady would be waiting for him and he didn’t want to disappoint them.
“Sorry, brother,” Relina said, “but you’ll just have to sing for the celestials for a while. I have to agree with Obidaan,” she couldn’t believe what she had just said.
They continued in silence. Alister, getting tired of the silence, began to play his lute. He played the gambit from soothing to stirring. This helped calm everyone down. Soon it was sunset, and as they continued to walk, the Hall of Paladins appeared and they all entered.
On the walls were head paintings of all of the paladins, good on one side, evil on the other. Obidaan’s picture was next to Gheriballi’s. However, when he looked on the other side, he could have sworn he also saw his next to Lucinda’s. A second glance reviled it not to be the case. He looked back on the good side and there was his painting, still next to Gheriballi’s. As they continued in, paintings on the wall depicted the recent events of Lucinda and The Vanguard on one side, and the fight Obidaan and Relina had with Mordechi on the other. There was one picture in particular that caught everyone’s eye. It was the picture of Obidaan being struck by lightning.
In it, he is walking next to Relina and a bolt of lightning come through swirling black clouds, hitting him. Above the cloud stands several gods, including Lord and Lady Seer. The gods appear angry at Lord and Lady Seer. Lord Seer is clearly the one who generates the bolt. Inside the cloud, the bolt diffuses. Above the arguing gods stands another, the leader, who holds an open hand toward Lord and Lady Seer as if to approve of what they did while hold his other hand, palm up, facing the other gods indicating stop. Everyone stared at it for several minutes. Then the figures in the painting began to move. The other gods departed, the main god came down to the Seers and looked at them with sad eyes. They seemed to be talking but no one could hear them or read their lips. Then nods and he was off. Lord and Lady Seer now stand alone in the painting, looking outward, looking at Obidaan and smiling at him.
“Ok,” Alister said, “That was weird, even for me.”
“I think,” Don started, “there was a fight over you and your gods won.”
“So it seems,” Obidaan said. “We are able to get in, so I am still a paladin.”
The stable hands came and took their horses and carts. They walked to the reception desk where the desk clerk met them in his usual efficient humorless manner.
“Greetings Mr. Grailann, Mrs. Grailann, welcome back. Mr. Alister, Miss Waystar, Mr. St
raif, always good to see you again. Here are the keys to your room.” He reached down, took out the book of escorts and handed it Alister, even before he asked, “here are your vouchers…”
“Vouchers?” Obidaan asked.
“Yes,” He began again, “for the treasure you brought in. It will be quite burdensome to carry all of that around with you. We can keep it here, in our bank and give you vouchers for the full amount of the treasure. You write out who you are paying, how much, the date, and sign it. The payee then takes that to their local bank where they can get funds and we will deduct it from the treasure. They are 100% secure, can not be lost, stolen or forged.” Everyone proceeded to put the vouchers into their pouch.
“Now, if you will excuse me, we must be off. If you need anything, please ring the bell,” he began to turn away.
“Why the rush?” Obidaan asked.
“Cecilia wishes to talk to you, we promised her privacy. She will be here any moment,” he replied.
“Couldn’t it wait till we got to our rooms?” Obidaan inquired.
“Apparently not, sir.”
No sooner than he disappeared, Cecelia came busting through the door. “Obidaan! Relina!” she screamed and then jumped into Obidaan’s arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. She began kissing him and crying. “My poor baby,” she said, “I’m so sorry about what happened. I can’t believe you were betrayed like that. Those poor children! I miss them so much,” she squeezed Obidaan tightly. “I loved holding them, they would just coo in my arms.” She kissed him one more time then moved over to Relina and hugged her tightly. “I’m truly and deeply sorry. I wish there was something I could do.” Unlike Obidaan, when she hugged Relina, all of her troubles began to melt away and pure love was all she was feeling while being held. She hugged Cecilia back, closing her eyes and tearing up slightly. Finally, Cecilia released her, and she let her go.
Cecilia looked at the others, giving each of them a long hug before continuing, “Please, Obidaan, don’t do this. Don’t make me write what you’re going to do! It pained me enough to write about the loss of the children, don’t make me write your downfall. I’m begging you, find another way.”
Relina was still under the effects of the hug, “Is there another way darling?” she asked.
“No,” Obidaan said, “Too bad I’m immune to your charms, otherwise I would quit. But I do have a question.”
“If it’s about the children, I know as much as you do.”
“It’s not that. What did the picture on the wall mean? The one with the lightning.”
“Ah, that I can answer,” she said enthusiastically. “See, you were supposed to be stripped as a paladin and left in a smoldering heap of flesh screaming for your life. But Lord and Lady Seer intervened on your behalf. That angered the other gods. More of that political stuff that got you here in the first place. The All—Powerful sided with the Seers. The other gods had no choice but to back down. He then went to them and told them that if things didn’t work out, they would no longer be gods. They said they did not fear the future. Basically, you’re still a paladin and their betting their god status on you.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” he said.
“It’s not about sense,” she retorted. “It’s about outcomes.”
“Outcomes?”
“Yes. They bet is you will fulfill whatever destiny you’re supposed to, either for better or for worse. I don’t know I’m not privileged to that level of information.”
“So they’re betting I’ll fix the world?”
“No, their betting you’ll fulfill your destiny.”
“Which is?”
“I don’t know. But they’re betting you’ll do it.”
“What if I destroy the world?”
“If that is the destiny you’re supposed to fulfill, then they will have succeeded.”
“And if I save the world?”
“Again, if that is your destiny and you do it they will succeed.”
“Why do I feel like I’m going around in circles?”
“Because you’re thinking too literal. You have a destiny. They have put up their god status, and your paladin status that you will fulfill it. If you do, whatever it is, they stay gods; you stay a paladin. If you don’t, you will know what oblivion feels like. And you’ll have company.”
“Then what I don’t understand.” Alister said after listening to everything, “is why they’re defending him.”
“Because it wasn’t his fault,” Cecilia replied. “Mordechi said it himself, Obidaan did nothing wrong, but was punished. The gods felt removing his status is punishing the wrong person. The problem is they really can’t punish Mordechi either because he did what he thought was right. Mordechi will receive some form of punishment, and no, I don’t know what it is.”
“But that poor man,” Relina thought back to the suicidal man.
“Ah, here’s the twist on that, why Obidaan was able to get away with it: He wasn’t a true innocent.”
“What do you mean?” Relina asked.
“He was the test. Had you just randomly killed someone on the street, unprovoked, we wouldn’t be standing here talking. But you took the life of someone who was trying to take their own life. Suicide isn’t looked upon favorably by any god. Since you judged him a fool and sentenced him, the Seers had a loophole. A delicate one mind you, but it was enough.”
“I thought they didn’t like it when we helped suicides either.”
“They don’t but since you in effect held a trial, it was the loophole they needed.”
“I see. So,” Obidaan wanted to go in a circle one more time, “What if I listen to you, go back and I’m wrong and don’t fulfill my destiny.”
“Then you and The Seers will be in oblivion and I will probably cease to exist. Here’s the thing. You have to do what you feel is best. I can’t guide you, no one can. I’m not going to stop loving you now, no matter what you do. That’s how I’m wired. Mortals get the option, we don’t. I will always love you, now and forever.” She looked at Don for a moment and smiled at him as well.
“Nice to know I’ll always have someone in my corner,” he said with a smile.
“Hey, it’s why we’re here. Even when things are at their worst, there is always someone who loves you and can show you the love of gods.”
“And we’re always in your corner too,” Terry said hugging Obidaan. Relina hugged and kissed him while the others patted him on the back.
“One last question,” Obidaan said, “Mordechi mentioned we can not speak directly with the gods yet divine magic still works, are you still in contact with them?”
“Thaaaat’s a tricky situation and I’d rather not answer that.”
“Why not?”
“I’d rather not answer that question either. Some things we just can’t explain to you no matter what.”
“Ok,” Obidaan said.
“Remember,” Cecilia said, “It’s always good to be loved,” she went up to him and kissed him, “It’s getting late, I’m sure you all need your rest.” As she turned, she grabbed Don’s hand, “Didn’t think I forgot our date did you?”
“Date?” he inquired.
She laughed and dragged him to his room. The others left. Opening the book, Alister looked through it, pointed to a name and said, “Meet me in my room.”
“Very good,” she replied.
Soon, they arrived at Qualtar. The guards were surprised to see him. “Good afternoon, sir. How may we help you?”
“Open the gates,” Obidaan said curtly.
“Yes, sir,” one of them said. “If I can get your name and n..”
“Do you know how to obey orders of your superiors?” Obidaan asked.
“Yes sir,” he replied.
“Then why haven’t you obeyed mine?” Obidaan looked directly at him, sending a shiver d
own his spine.
“I—I—I I have. I just have these rules…”
He was stopped abruptly when Obidaan grabbed him by the throat and began to lift him. “Rules? Rules? Let me tell you something about rules, boy. I do not obey your rules, you obey mine. I am a lawgiver! I tell you what the rules are! Got it?”
A squeaky “yes” came through him.
“Now,” Obidaan continued, and he looked at the second guard as well. “I am going to put you down. You are going to open the gate. You are not going to question me, or any member of my party. If I find out you have informed anyone of my presence, I will kill you. Got it, Fauntleroy?”
“Yes,” he again squeaked out and was equally surprised to hear his name.
“Good.” Obidaan dropped him and he landed on his rear with a resounding thud. Without hesitation, he opened the gate. They continued toward the keep when Obidaan noticed a tavern along the way. “Thirsty? He looked back. Anyone thirsty or hungry? I am. Let’s stop for a meal.”
“Obidaan, don’t,” Relina protested. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“Don’t what?” he pretended to not know what she was talking about. “I’m just going to stop for a meal. I’m going to pay for it,” he said.
“Please,” she attempted to plead with him one more time.
Obidaan was angry now, “I said we’re going to eat! Now get off of those horses and get in there.”
They walked in the small tavern. There were a few people hanging about but the place was fairly quite. One could easily guess that the lunch crowd had recently cleared out. They found a nice table and took a seat. A moment later the waitress came over to their table. “What can I get for you all today?” She said.
Obidaan pulled out a gold coin and tossed it to her, “Please, fine lady. I’d like five of your finest meals and the best wine you have. And you can keep the change.”
Her eyes grew wide when she saw the money. Even at their best a meal was less than two silver; the tip was more than five times what all the meals would cost. She slipped the coin into her blouse and was off to the kitchen. In a moment, she brought out a bottle of sparkling wine and poured each of them a glass. While she was pouring, the chef came out with five dishes of prime rib, potatoes, asparagus, salad, soup, bread, and pie. “Please, enjoy,” he said, “if you want seconds, just ask.”
No Good Deed Page 30
