by F. P. Spirit
Still, ya obviously put a lot of thought into that one, and yer cause is just. So, I will grant ya a boon. Not the one ya asked for, but a boon nonetheless.
Aksel’s hopes rose—at least he had not completely failed. He waited in silence for his goddess to tell him what this boon might be.
While I cannot grant ya the power to cure the poison, that is still well beyond ya, lad, I will grant ya the spell to halt its progress now, instead of on the morrow.
Aksel felt both disappointed and relieved. It may not be what he originally asked for, but it would certainly help. Otherwise, Ruka might not survive until the morning. He had already lost too many people from his life—his parents, his grandparents, all his aunts and uncles—he was not about to lose another person. At least with this spell, Ruka would be immune to the poison. It would remain in her system, but she would take no further damage from it. Still, they would need an actual cure to restore her to full health.
Aksel took a deep breath, and thanked his deity for the boon she had granted him. Thank you, Soldenar, Goddess of all Gnomes. Your wisdom is only surpassed by your kindness.
Yar welcome, lad. Now go heal the wee dragon lassie.
Aksel’s eyes snapped open. He rose to his feet, and rushed across the chamber with new hope for his ailing friend.
Elistra knelt between Donnie and Ruka, a hand over each of their hearts. Her breathing slowed as if she were deep in meditation, her brow knitted with concentration. A purple glow formed around her heart, then spread out across her torso, through her arms, all the way down to her hands. The light flowed out of her palms and into Donnie’s and Ruka’s chests.
Glo, Lloyd, Elladan, and Alana all watched in silence as the seeress linked together the fates of the dragon girl and the slight elf. As time went on, Ruka’s breathing became more regular, the color returning to her face. At the same time, Donnie’s complexion grew more and more pale. The exchange of life force went on for a little while longer, then finally the purple glow faded. Elistra opened her eyes and sat back, her voice quite soft. “It is done.”
Ruka now appeared to be resting comfortably in Elladan’s lap, looking far better than she had before. Donnie, on the other hand, looked more than a bit haggard. Yet, he completely ignored his own plight, his main concern still being Ruka. His eyes shifted to Elistra, his voice sounding rather weary. “How... how is she?”
Elistra returned the slight elf’s gaze with a fondness in her eyes that had not been there before. “Much better… your life force has strengthened hers immensely...”
She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. Glo thought perhaps it better that way, but Donnie apparently wanted it spelled out. He continued to stare at the seeress, his eyes narrowing. “Where’s the ‘but’?”
Elistra’s face fell, a deep sadness in her voice as she answered. “But, as I warned you before, it won’t stop the poison from still hurting her... and now you.”
Silence pervaded the little group. Glo strode up behind Elistra, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. She tilted her head up toward him, and responded with a wan smile. He could feel the tension in her shoulders—this had been a difficult thing for her to do. She had bought the young teen a bit more time, but at what cost to their elven friend?
Donnie broke the silence once more. “How much time?”
Elistra shifted her eyes to the slight elf, her expression pained as she slowly shook her head. “It is not clear to me right now…”
“I think I can help with that.”
Glo looked up to see Aksel rushing toward them. The little cleric hurried over and knelt down at Ruka’s side.
“Did it work?” Alana asked, sudden hope in the lady knight’s voice.
Aksel stretched his hands over the young teen as he answered. “Somewhat. I cannot cure the poison, but I can make her immune to its effects...”
Donnie tilted his head and eyed the little cleric curiously. “Which means what exactly?”
Aksel had begun to move his hands in a pattern, but paused, not taking his eyes off Ruka. “It means, she will not get any sicker, but she will not get any better either—at least not until we find a cure for the poison in her system.”
Donnie’s face brightened significantly, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you, Aksel.”
Aksel merely nodded, and once again started to weave an intricate pattern over their ailing friend. It only took a few moments, the little cleric finally finishing with two soft words, “Mora Detegere.”
The magic released from Aksel’s hands and a pale green light enveloped Ruka’s body. The glow lasted for a few scant seconds, then appeared to dissolve into her skin, finally disappearing altogether. When it was done, Aksel sat back and took a deep breath.
Donnie sat there, still holding Ruka’s hand, staring at the little cleric impatiently. “Well?”
Aksel’s eyes shifted to the slight elf, a thin smile spreading across his mouth. “It worked. She’s now immune to the poison in her system.”
As if on cue, Ruka’s eyes fluttered open.
“Ruka!” Donnie cried in excitement, his haggard face lighting up once more.
The young teen lifted herself up onto her elbows, her eyes sweeping around the hovering companions. A familiar smirk spread across her lips. “What’s everybody staring at?”
Elladan’s half-smile returned to his lips for the first time in quite awhile. “Oh, she’s definitely better.”
There were a few subdued chuckles around the group. Donnie, however, did not laugh, instead leaning forward and grasping the young teen in a tight embrace. “You had us worried sick!”
Ruka flushed furiously. She pushed Donnie away and stammered, “I’m... fine. Really.”
Aksel folded his arms across his chest, and stared at her with a stern expression. “No, you’re not.”
Ruka turned to face him, her head tilted quizzically to one side. Aksel explained to her about the poison and how it was still in her system. When he was done, Ruka sat up and stretched out her arms. “But I don’t feel any different.”
Aksel tilted his head to once side, his expression dour as he eyed the young teen. “You’ll find your strength is not quite what it was before.”
Ruka stared back at him, her own expression rather skeptical. “If you say so.”
Elistra placed a hand on Ruka’s shoulder. “There’s one more thing you should know.”
Ruka spun toward the seeress, her brows knitting together as she saw the serious expression on Elistra’s face. “And what’s that?”
Ruka’s eyes went wide as Elistra described the fate link she had imposed between her and Donatello, and the consequences it further entailed. When she finished, Ruka bowed her head, her face paling as she sat there quietly.
“Donnie...” she choked out his name, her voice thick with emotion.
The slight elf sat forward and placed a hand under her chin, lifting up her face, and flashing her a pearly smile. “I promised you that you would be alright, and I always keep my promises. Or at least I try to,” he added softly.
“Well then, are you done talking the poor girl’s ear off?” Elladan interrupted. All eyes turned toward the bard. Elladan stared at Donnie with that all-too-familiar half-smile. “I thought you wanted to bring her downstairs once she was feeling better?”
Ruka shifted her eyes from Elladan back to Donnie. “Downstairs?”
Donnie looked at her with a sheepish grin. “I almost forgot. There was another stairwell hidden under the colossus’s foot. It leads to what appears to be living quarters. There’s a couch down there and everything.”
Ruka yawned at the mention of the couch. “That sounds... very comfortable...”
The young teen yawned once more. Alana bent down and grabbed Ruka behind the back and under her legs. She lifted her up, and nodded to Don
nie. “I’ll carry her. You lead the way.”
“I’m not... a baby...” Ruka started to protest, but her complaints swiftly subsided as her head came to rest on the lady knight’s shoulder. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but after a few moments, she gave up and kept them closed.
Donnie gave Aksel an anxious glance. “Is she alright?”
“She’ll be fine,” Aksel assured him. “She’s been through a lot. She just needs to rest now.”
“I’m... fine...” Ruka said sleepily, still nestled comfortably in Alana’s arms. “Couch...” she added before drifting off once again.
Alana gazed fondly down at the young teen, a serene expression on the lady knight’s face, and Donnie practically beamed as his eyes swept over the duo. The slight elf gazed at them for a few more moments, then strode out ahead of everyone, motioning for them to fall in behind. “Okay everyone, follow me.”
The Golem Master’s Secret
The translucent crystal-blue statue began to move
Donnie led the way down the spiral staircase, Glo and Elistra right behind. Alana came next, carrying Ruka, immediately followed by Elladan and Aksel. Lloyd came last, bringing up the rear. The stairwell, well-lit by those strange glowing tiles, ended another fifty steps down, opening up to a wide circular room. More glowing tiles stretched across the ceiling, every ten feet or so, illuminating the rounded chamber.
A fine rug lay on the floor before them, and a number of high-quality chairs were spread about. A very comfortable-looking couch sat in front of a small fireplace, which just happened to be lit. There was no wood in the fireplace—the fire must have been a permanent magical effect. Next to the hearth stood a translucent crystal-blue statue of an elven woman, holding a silver tray in her hands. At the other end of the room were three closed doors.
Elladan gazed around the room with an approving nod and smile. “Larketh sure knew how to live in style.”
Donnie gave the bard a knowing grin. “You think?”
As the companions spread out into the room, the translucent crystal-blue statue began to move. Lloyd stepped forward, his hands on his blade hilts, but Donnie put an arm out in front of him. “It’s okay Lloyd—watch this.”
Donnie strode up to the statue, and said, “I’m hungry.”
The statue responded to him in the Common tongue. “Would you like something to eat, Master?”
The tray in the statue’s hand began to glow. The light swiftly faded, slices of bread, cheese, and a silver goblet appearing on the platter. The food smelled fresh and the goblet held a clear liquid. Donnie picked up a piece of cheese and popped it in his mouth. “Mmm… good.” He spun around to face the others, and ushered them toward the tray. “You should really try some.”
Lloyd’s stomach grumbled loudly as he stared at the tray full of food. Ruka popped her head up for a moment, the young teen mumbling a single word. “Food…”
Donnie immediately responded by grabbing some bread and cheese off the plate, and rushing it over to the half-asleep teen. Ruka’s eyes popped open and she grabbed the bread from him, laying back and munching on the piece of loaf, as she lay comfortably in Alana’s arms. Donnie stepped back and smiled at the young teen until Elladan smacked him in the arm. Donnie spun around and gave the bard a questioning stare. “What was that for?”
“You’ve been holding out on us,” Elladan said in a mock serious tone.
Donnie placed his hands on his hips and glared at the bard with fake defiance. “I had more important things on my mind than feeding you.”
Their pretend face-off was interrupted by Lloyd. The young man stood in front of the elven “maid” statue, stuffing his mouth with as many delectables as he could at once. “Yu tu shud rally stop arg-u-ing, n’ try al’ dis’ de-lic-tus fud.”
Donnie and Elladan shifted their gaze toward Lloyd, and suddenly burst into laughter. The two elves threw an arm around each other’s shoulders, and strode over to join the starving young man. Alana watched them with a raised eyebrow, then shifted her gaze to Elistra. “What is it with men and food?”
Elistra, standing back and watching with Glo and Aksel, wore an amused expression. “They have always been that way… as far back as I can remember.”
Glo gave the seeress a sidelong glance. He silently wondered just how far back the seeress really could remember. Alana shook her head, then went to lay Ruka on the couch next to the warm fire. Donnie managed to tear himself away from the food tray, and found a blanket to cover the young teen with. Meanwhile, Elladan took a sip from the silver goblet and made a face.
Aksel eyed the bard with concern. “Is there something wrong with your drink?”
Elladan turned to little cleric and shook his head. “Oh, sorry. No its fine. It’s just water is all. I was just hoping for something a bit stronger—after all, Larketh was a dwarf.”
Elladan finished his assertion with a wink, causing the group in general to laugh. It was a great tension breaker after all they’d been through this day. Everyone grabbed some food, and took a seat, Alana and Donnie taking turns bringing more to Ruka. The amount of food available was never ending—whenever the tray or goblet emptied, either would automatically refill with bread, cheese and water. Soon, everyone had eaten their fill.
Once their appetites were sated, Aksel reminded them it was not time to rest just yet. He nodded toward the three doorways at the other end of the room. “We should probably check out where those lead.”
Alana sat down on the couch next to Ruka. “You all go. I’ll stay and keep an eye on Ruka.”
Aksel gave her a brief smile, then turned to Donnie and ushered him forward. “Donnie, if you please.”
Donatello carefully examined the three doorways and the floor around them for trip wires, pressure plates and the like, but there were none to be found. Neither were the doors locked. One door led to a bed chamber, one to a library area, and the last to a study—this was indeed Larketh’s living quarters, or at least one of them. The companions explored the rooms in depth, starting first with the bedroom.
This was another circular room, though smaller than the main living area. The highlight of this room was an elaborate, cherry wood poster bed, draped on three sides with sheer material that reached from its canvas covered top, down to the floor. A matching nightstand stood next to the bed, and along the walls were two cherry wood dressers, one with a large mirror, the other a tall wardrobe.
Elladan eyed the bed with clear interest. “Now that looks inviting.” The bard strode over to it, pushed the sheer curtains aside and plopped himself down. A look of sheer delight crossed his face. “This is cushy!” Elladan threw out his arms and fell back onto the bed, sinking deep into the plush mattress. “Ahhhh... call me in the morning.”
While Elladan enjoyed himself, Donnie began a thorough sweep of the room. At the base of the wardrobe, the slight elf found a secret panel. Inside that panel lay a locked chest. Donnie deftly picked the lock, and threw open the lid.
Glo half expected to hear the words, “child’s play.” The elven wizard let out a small sigh, sorely missing their cynical friend. He briefly wondered where Seth was, and sincerely hoped the halfling was alright.
His concern for their missing friend was cut short as Aksel waved him over to the chest. Glo peered inside and saw that the interior was lined with gold pieces. On top of those rested a silver crown with an opal inlay, a large silver brooch, and three ivory scroll cases. Glo examined each item thoroughly. The crown turned out to be non-magical, but the brooch definitely had magical properties, and the cases each contained scrolls with high-level spells in them.
“What’s this for?” Elladan’s voice came from behind the bed curtains.
Without warning, a section of wall beside the bed slid open. Lloyd and Donnie moved in front of the others, and drew their weapons. Elladan leapt through the curtains, a
nd rushed to stand with Aksel, Glo, and Elistra. Behind this new door was a small, dark closet. As the companions peered anxiously inside, a familiar figure abruptly emerged. It was another translucent crystal-blue elven woman, similar to the serving statue in the “living room.” This construct, however, wore a very skimpy outfit. She sauntered up to the astonished companions and said, “How can I serve you today, Master?”
Lloyd took a step back, blushing furiously at the sight of the scantily-clad blue woman. Glo spiked an eyebrow—Larketh was indeed a master of all forms of golems, but he was also obviously quite... decadent. Donnie and Elladan exchanged a glance, the former lowering his sword. The duo slowly approached the blue woman, eying her carefully up and down. The blue elf eyed both of them back, a flirtatious look upon her face.
“This Larketh did seem to have interesting tastes,” Donnie noted wryly.
Elladan nodded, his brow furrowed. “Indeed.”
Before anyone else could comment, Elistra strode up to the blue elven woman, a finger on her chin as she circled all around her. Donnie and Elladan politely moved out of the seeress’ way. Elistra made a full circle, the blue elf watching her as well. “She’s got curves in all the right places, but I don’t imagine that she is as soft or warm as a real woman.”
A seductive smile crossed the blue woman’s face as she gazed alluringly back at Elistra. “I am built for the comfort of my master… or mistress.”
Elistra shifted her gaze toward Glo, a single eyebrow raised. She folded her arms across her chest, and slowly backed away from the blue woman. “Thanks… but no thanks.”
The blue elf then spun her head toward both Donnie and Elladan. “May I please either of you masters, then?”
Donnie raised both hands in front of him and backed away as well. “Maybe another time—things are a bit too complicated at the moment.”
