Endine the theif

[Remus]

Endine awoke freezing on a frozen bed of half decayed leaves, months after falling.

She pulled ice from of her eyelashes, clenching cold fingers to her chest while tucking in her chin attempting to stimulate warmth.

Squinting, she focused her teary eyes on a canopy of blue furs two hundred feet high, drooping heavily with snow. Standing like an enclosing wall of nature’s gods; all blurred together with rays of light peeking through the few visible spaces of sky they allowed.

The treetops were creaking dangerously. Assaulted by a persistent furious wind. The thick enveloping roof filtered the cold air to reach the ground as a mere cold breeze, which even tamed, brushed with a bite.

Upon rising, her hair caked in mud, muddy leaves a few fingers thick clung and fell off her frozen clothing which made cracking noises as she bent awkwardly kicking out her legs to give her flat frozen skirt some shape.

With no cloak, only decent trail boots, growing soggy since the water proofing seal was wearing off, she marched, pine crunching under her feet.

A miracle that she was alive; but looking around, nothing but blue pine trees bear to the top canopy were her company. She was neither grateful, nor warm… but she was not dead.

A lower branch waved as something jumped ahead of her on a younger tree trying to grow among the giants, breaking free snow particles; sparkling as they crossed a ray of light. Endine’s ongoing curses would make a pirate blush; lingering heavily in the air as if the winter breath from her mouth was really sourced from a burning forge.

Suddenly, Endine tripped, a faint odor of onion soup, long traveled and thin, startling her, her spirit lifted by a scented trail to civilization. The smell of pine almost over powered the onion so she ran desperately afraid it would fade away.

The sun was creeping away dimming what little light reached the forest floor. The yellow pine needles were more golden under the small patches of setting red rays that managed to squeeze through.

Endine spotted a white horizon in the distance, curious and desperate to be free of the omnipotent approaching darkness she started running. It turned out to be cliff that went on and on.

Endine kicked a tree in frustration; the onion soup lingered for a few more second abandoning her to somewhere above, probably homed on the breath of some lucky warm soul.

Looking up the cliff she considered her options. The wind howling above was blocked by the tree tops for a good part of the climb.

Whomever had dumped her here had left her weaponless and she wasn’t about to strangle wild life for food or crafting hunting tools with her fingernails with sticky pine branches that bend too easily. She was not her father she was a city girl.

[Remus]

Endine stared climbing glistened from sweat she reached the treetops in no time which presented moments of rest and leverage. The unrelenting wind was free to taunt her as her head emerged above of the treetops to a dark night.

Clouds bullied together blocking stars and moon grumbling to the whistling wind, boosting they showed up just to dampen Endine’ mood declaring that she would be buried by their mighty pummeling snows.

The remainder of cliff was twice the height of what she had just climbed, but she had confidence, her adrenalin preventing her body from registering just how cold she really was.

Satisfied with her easy progress so far at this high elevation, ignoring a cliff edge that may have permitted sleep for a few blissful minutes, she did not pause to wonder how she ended up waking up in the forest and she tossed in her sleep, if she dreamed of falling it might just be while she really was.


Her reaching arm finally thumped on a flat surface.

She cried out in happiness and almost let go to jump up and down, so pleased to find that the flat ledge did not lead to more cliffs.

Eyes wide, bent over the cliff edge, a low growl and shinning hungry eyes made her freeze. She did not have the strength to cling further down the cliff edge to outwait the skinny wolf, drooling at Endine.

She ever so carefully raised her leg over the edge, determined that if she was going to die it would be after conquering this cliff, but her leg was so cold that it flopped back down. Clawing at the edge in a desperate attempt to secure herself, her jerking instigated the wolf to attack.

Endine screamed, finally expressing fear now that her predicament was snapping past her calm determined point.

The full eye of the moon cleared the clouds to watch Endine be devoured. Half way short of a leap the wolf skidded to a stop.

Endine could smell its breath as she held her own waiting for those hungry teeth to snap. It was so close to her face that she could see moonlight shinning on its teeth, the moisture of its gums dripping drool on her hands.

[Remus]

The wolf snapped up its head to smell the air then broke off running, spraying a very shocked Endine in the face with snow.

Endine now being still for a few minutes, started shivering, feeling the cold penetrate her body. In spite of realized aching muscles, that close call made her wide awake.

Its paw mark, where it had rested its foot while deciding which part of her it wanted to taste first, was bigger than her hand.

A growl Endine swore was a winter cat since the noise was identical to one of her father’s mimicked animal noises, which he had said came from the famous and rare snow cat.

So rare she had only read of them in books, Endine recalled they roamed around Stormreach which did not make her entirely happy since she just might be where that was.

The snow cat leapt gracefully from the bush landing in the snow then pouncing again bearing teeth longer than her hand. Endine had never imagined them to be so big.

Three other females followed in fast pursuit of the wolf. Kicking up snow enhanced their beauty as the mighty killers passed her by, jaws sneering, focused hunger in their eyes, beautiful in a wild might!

Now she knew why her father worshiped the wilderness, it was far more vicious than the city where it was kill or be killed, but nothing she had ever seen anyone doing or did herself, in order to survive, ‘she always told herself,’ had left her shaking this much, ferocious beasts demonstrating just how fragile she really was… The wilderness was raw ferocity.

Breaking branches made her look in the direction of the chase. Concealed by darkness and bush, the cats caught up to the wolf, the struggle lasting a few seconds. Trees rustling as if being climbed and jumped from as leverage, followed finally by growls, winning, whimpering and the snapping of bones that she was certain were not twigs breaking. She was positive that if she were within ear shot, the sudden silence of after struggle would be filled by the cats feeding.

She knew by her fathers warning that the smell of blood would draw more predators so with piercing pain she pulled herself fully over the edge. Despite all need for survival, she could not move yet.

[Remus]

Teetering on the very edge of the cliff she laid sideways, her head facing away from the cliff drop. Her back beaten by the wind, hairs were itching her nose as the wind swung them all about her face. The back of her head was surprisingly warm from the mud caked in her hair. It was more nerve-racking to lie above it helpless than to climb it, her mind comprehending how far the drop was.

Slowly rolling, especially careful not to fall, struggling to a sitting position with freezing fingers she rubbed her legs until she had some circulation, repeatedly since once she had circulation in one leg the other froze up again.

She bent her back and her knees, which hurt in the joints and was finally able to crawl, but she buckled. Lying still on the ground her face warmed down the side she realized it was the taste of blood passing her lips.

Dizzy and blind due to a pitch black night as the clouds blocked the moon once again and began their onslaught. Falling snow filled her eyes now that she lay in it again. All that struggle only to end up in the same dilemma.

She longed to pass out, but something invaded her, possessed her, keeping her awake like the affects of strong dwarf coffee. It was not her will to live, though that was strong, it was an invading entity. Something foreign inserted a sensation worse than hunger at the point of starvation; an overwhelming craving sent through her desires, that she could not put a name to, but somehow knew what she wanted.

Endine could not rise and snow was coming down heavier. All her energy bursts spent trying to get up, or even move her toes. Her soul looked through the eyes of her body, her eyes refusing to slumber. This could actually kill her faster than freezing to death. Worry distracted a good thief.

[Remus]

Endine accidentally squeezed a ring that she hadn’t noticed she’d been wearing, and cursed when Wolves howled in the distance.

Like clouds crossing the sky under heavy wind a mist moved across her, thickening slowly as it settled to engulf her, disorienting her with magical sparks igniting slowly as if it were going to stay, but dimming after a few moments.

Great wolves emerged from the surrounding forest; their distinctive markings were from three different packs.

Great wolves hated magic. Mages were hired on occasion when a pack hunted too close to farming areas. a powerful mage could capture or destroy wolves without even leaving his study. Her father had described it as, ‘They can smell magic better than blood.’

They pawed the thickening mist, prancing restlessly between and around one another, the pups barking in their puppy high pitched bark, youthful excitement, watching and learning from their parents which were growling, noses low to the ground eyes trying to focus on Endine blurred by the mist. Endine knew their hesitation would not last long, one would charge and all would follow.

Just as the mist thickened so that she could not see beyond her hand from only a few feet away she saw one charge. The mist was drowning out their sounds. She fell back crawling desperately, blindly, dragging herself breaking into a thin layer of ice covering a soft trickle of icy water, to avoid the attack that never came. Her breath evened out as she calmed herself, the disorienting magic overwhelming her nerves.

The mist disintegrated after long moments clinging to the shallow stream, that trickled across a rarely traveled road to reveal beyond the edges snow over hills, and fur trees.

The snap of a whip introduced a quietly creaking shabby cart drawn by an old pony.

[Remus]

She screamed when a donkey tried to graze on her hair holding on stubbornly when she tried to pry it loose, “Let go you mangy beast!”

The old man in the cart was fast asleep. Endine managed to grab a rock and knocked his hat off hitting his cheek just beside his nose, he reached back and caught his had in midair while rubbing his nose with his other hand.

“Get your mangy beast off my hair!”

The old man looked around the pony only to see Endine on her knees trying to pry her hair from the stubborn pony’s mouth, “Miss… miss relax. He’ll let go. Stop breathing so hard and looking so mean. He understands that look all too well. You might say ponies invented it. Just scratch him under the chin.”

“Why don’t you come here and do that!”

"If I come down with you like that he’ll buck to protect me. You haven’t been around wolves lately have you? The smell drives him crazy."

Endine scratched the pony’s bearded chin; the fuzz ball was kind of cute. It calmed down, blinking contently, dropping her hair, now covered in pony saliva mixed with chewed carrot bits, to turn its head bearing his teeth in a comical pony smile insisting she scratch his cheek.

Spotting the stream he went for it with unexpected energy, his shoulder knocking Endine back again on her ass.

“Easy there.” The man warned, waving his hands frantically, “He can turn real quick so come over to the other side of the cart. I can give you a ride somewhere. I have an extra coat. Your amour looks awful cold.

Endine touched the light chain mail, it was made from mithral and was quieter than her leather amour, but it was cold.

“Don’t mind my pony. His belly comes first. Makes it awful hard to deliver cargo on time, but he works hard and trudges through any weather, doesn’t bat an eyelash to lightning. Guess saving my skin so many times has earned him some tolerance. I let him sour and complain and now I guess I don’t punish him for chewing pretty girl’s hair.”

That softened Endine up, “How far to Stormreach?”

“All that’s out here is bush that turns into a pine forest and this road leads to Stormreach.

[Remus]

He raised his eyebrows, “Snows deeper than your height, risky even with snowshoes. I’m heading near there.”

“Endine got up on the cart but he continued talking without interruption, “I have a daughter in Stormreach. Bought her too many modern things I guess and she ran off to where she could be surrounded by them.”

Endine thought of her father, “Does she ever send word?”

“Short notes. She never liked the country, doesn’t want to hear about my simple life and I can’t wrap my mind around her city ways. It’d be sure nice… awe never mind.”

“What…”

“When she was young, pleasing her was easy; modern hair brushes, bath tubs, fancy combs, their extinct out here. I brought her anything and her arm were open wide with an, ‘Oh Daddy.’ But there’s plenty of that stuff in the city.

“She’s getting married soon and I want to buy her a present to bring back that ‘Oh Daddy.’ I thought since your going to Stormreach you might spy on her a bit, find out what she might like for a wedding present.

“Stormreach is crawling with every kind of creature and has dragon marked houses, of which she said she’d bring prestige to our name if she could win their eye. But she’s marrying a carpenter like her father, (whoo ha ha ha), but I didn’t tease her that she found the country in the city.”

Endine didn’t say anything for a minute.

He sounded less like a bear that her father was. Her father hadn’t given her trinkets, only bigger knives as she got older, but the, ‘oh daddy’ was the same.

The gift he had last given her was the illusion belt whip, long, deadly and uninteresting to attract the weary eye as it sat on the waist.

“You don’t look too good.”

Endine had to curl up on what little room the cart seat granted. The man in the cart traveled for a few hours concerned for his passenger when he crossed paths with an adventuring party heading to Stormreach.

[Remus]

“What’s that black haired thing caked in mud?”

‘Was that blue?” Endine could not move, she tried to say his name but only a slow scratchy whistle came from her throat.

Slanted blue eyes peeking out over an exquisite scarf stitched with gold lines under a leather hood lined in a bear fur that her father had once identified to her. A headache was forming from the cold and the species of bear slipped her mind.

A hand warmed her forehead with bliss. She longed for a fire, “Her eyes are following me, but she needs a fire immediately. The road winds around for an hour yet we can carry her through the smaller hill trails she can reach warmth much faster.”

The cart man tipped his hat, “I’d be much obliged if you did sir thank you.”

Endine couldn’t feel where the arms where that lifted her up. Her face half dangled over a big arm. Low to the ground, those around her carrier were much taller. ‘Was it Blue?' Or did all dwarfs remind her of him? She couldn’t smell his usual odor her nose was so cold, but it must be rubbing into her cloths, ‘stupid dwarf!’

Endine lay awake on a roughly constructed stretcher rocking with the irregular footfalls of those carrying the litter, barely able to breathe under a thick cloak that only exposed her eyes. She looked up at the sky. The fur trees up here were much younger; their bristles still touched the ground and were waxy.

[Remus]

Sitting up, her painted lips embossed the pillow, her waist long hair a mass of knots, drinking made her forget to braid her hair the night before. Rubbing her eyes, Endine slowly came awake, scratching her sweaty scalp irritated by feather ends. She felt disgusting; the mountain of blankets that kept away hypothermia had made her sweat all night.

An Elvin cleric confirmed her insomnia would not subside by inducing a drunken sleep, but waking up once in a blue moon made her feel normal again, despite the hangover.

She had to learn to meditate as the elves did or face going mad, or make peace with whomever she had wronged in order to have this rare curse removed, but thinking back on everything she had ever stolen not one job made her feel guilty, so it couldn't have been wrong...

The shutters rattled as the wind whistled between the inner wall spaces, very disorienting for newcomers trying to recall where the outside walls stood. Embers glowed with the brush of a draft, not that a fire here in Stormreach could be felt.

In the peek of winter, at any time of day, snow could pile to the tops of the inner city building walls in less than an hour. At night, the snow piling would freeze a foot deep; hours could pass before dwarfs managed to chip into it.

Stopping briefly in the main room of the inn, the warmest place she had discovered so far, she shoved dried travel seeds into her mouth, dropping half due to bare shivering fingers and darted into the alleyways. She waited for the seeds in her mouth to defrost. Finally the oil of the nuts released some weak flavor and she longed for spring.

Midway between two sheltering buildings, she stopped, shifting her legs, the cold penetrating her boots piercing her toes resulting in a light ache.

[Remus]

She detoured into an amour shop and stood shivering beside the smelting hearth, the smith paid her no mind, and this was a regular occurrence.

Like a soft slow exhale the smith repeatedly fanned a fire. An axe hissed as it was cooled in water. A light mummer of early patrons within shadow or lit by fire reflection was well dressed under heavy opened cloaks.

Endine's roaming eyes fell on an Elvin dagger, crested with a royal signal shaped like a dragon unlike any of the dragon marked houses in the North end of Stormreach. Fine work, but a waste of money, Endine replaced daggers consistently, the edges could be sharpened only for so long and the cold made them wear faster unless they were enchanted. Her fingers itched to have it, but the crest was deeply engraved. Even if she did file it off, it would be unbalanced and obvious that something had been removed.

The royal signal itself could be a spell. Some were know to fall sick if the wrong person forged one. Others stories were too far fetched to be believable, but the taboo against counterfeit dragon marks was wise to stay away from.

“Endine…” said a deep voice. Creaky armor and an increase in pace of loud footsteps announced a very angry dwarf… angry at Endine… heading for Endine. Despite the leather and satin under layers, the only crazy one that would wear armor at this drop of temperature was… well only what a dwarf would do. Endine could not hold her daggers with precision since she was still shivering, but to cover oneself in metal…

“I saw you there last night!”

She tensed. 'Did he see?' What was the problem, he knew she was a thief. They had gone on adventures together.

Only an elf archer with his keen observing sight for slight movement practiced by watching blurry leaves sway back and forth in the wind. His arrow notched, the buck grazing lazily, his head stirring into sight as he raised his head to look around. Endine heard slight wiz of a sound followed by a squeal, then a thud and a final whiff though nostrils.

What she didn’t hear was the archer approach. She flinched as he was all of a sudden there, stopped looking directly at her hiding in the bush, moving on without a worry.

The only indication that the archer had ever been there was a slight splutter of blood on grass ends and an indent in the grass. Only an elf like that noticed Endine, not a dwarf.

She looked at the dwarf’s relaxed face, quick to anger not observe.

[Remus]

“You wouldn’t talk to me. All dressed up and snubbed me thinking ye we’re too good to talk to a dwarf. I just come over to see if you were feeling better. Well your roaming around you must be.”

“Blue…” but he stormed away stopping for a brief second, “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Annoyed that her whereabouts could be noted she darted back into the cold alley. The city was built for defense not comfort.

Against a hostile ice cutting wind she pushed open the heavy oak library doors almost falling on the icy porch that needed to be salted. She rummaged though the library regularly to find some clue as to what forces could be so dark and bidding at the same time. She managed to close the doors and got freight when she was face to face with a child hood comrade, Selenthia, whom gave her a smirk and walked past her out the door with more ease than she, ‘Bloody fighters were strong!’

Endine’s feet hurt so badly that she hopped to the first table she could balance herself on not concerned if she left a muddy snow trail.

Nadius could recognize Endine even under the mountain of furs that she wore outside, some dangling with their heads still attached, “The lovely Endine graces the library again. Don’t mind Selenthia. She is with Galadon now. She picked up the pieces of his heart that you left all over the battle field.”

Endine pushed back her hood and her beauty caused the circle of priestesses surrounding Nadius, overlooking fragile scrolls, to silence.
Priestesses were not allowed to deem judgment, but their bodies betrayed the action, expressing hostile cold glares.

Endine licked her teeth nervously checking for seed pieces between her teeth. Two priestesses exhaled annoyingly and left the table, another checked her own appearance in a knife and the final two moved closer to Nadius.

Nadius knew what Endine was, but never did anything about it. Baffled that Endine was able to get hold of magical devices without alerting the one it was attuned to; that she could hold and secure an item that should explode if removed from its owner, and handled scrolls which ought to erase them upon her medaling. All went into her pocket undamaged then was sold for coin.

[Remus]

As Nadius hovered about Endine she could do nothing about him. He was the highest connected dog in the fortress, only allowed to fetch and think for the priests, while believing he was enhancing his own life.

Conceivably he was curious in someone that did not bow and scrape or flirt with him and tell him how great his accomplishments were or mention that only he received certain ingredients while others waited. His meals arrived precisely as he liked and no matter where he went there was always someone around he knew that asked how he was doing or if he needed anything or if he was happy with the ingredients and if it had arrived fast enough for him.

The librarian was among those whom received her at the city, sympathetic to her imposed insomnia he let her linger in the library after closing throughout the night hoping it would bestow her a little peace. Endine sat down with a book not look under subjects with any similarities. She remembered its details since it was her third time reading it. She already knew most of what she read, but she had picked up a few bits here and there, she had read through the whole library three times.

Nadius sat down beside her looking down at her book. He hovered around her so much of late she could recognize his breathing before she saw his face. He suspected that she didn’t know what she was looking for, which was the case. But he forgot that train of thought as his eyes ran along, ‘The complex negotiation tactics between dragons and elementals. Chapter one: Specific rituals must be preformed with different levels of delegated honors depending on whose plain both parties meet closer too. The nearer to the dragon’s home you are more honor must be given to the elemental's and vice versa for the dragons. Do not be afraid, these laws were negotiated by dragons and elementals long ago and have been and still are accepted throughout their generations…’

Endine was at her wits end. She had to do something now, “Nadius, Is there anywhere information isn’t as available to the public?”

Nadius turned green.

“I've looked everywhere! I’ve broken into every temple,” then she realized she hadn’t broken into his, “I've read into wizard's secret manuscript and all the hidden dragon histories!” She looked strait at him. No deception, no hidden meanings, no complements, her bluntness unsettling him, but Endine had looked at him blankly as she slipped her hands into a pocket as if to say, ‘if you’re not going to blow the whistle why do you bother watching.’

“Nadius!” Endine snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, “Do you want me to ask differently? Can you or can’t you? I’ll find it with or without you, but I’ve already stepped on so many toes and it’s not worth it if I don’t try to search with some caution… I suppose.”

Why did she make him feel useless? He gently replied, “I can.”

“Good lets go!”

“Now?”

“You’ve been following me around the library for a week now. It’s not like your exampling a busy schedule. So I’m putting you to use.” She smiled

“I can’t go with you I can only tell you how to get there.”

“Well you can talk and guide me to the entrance can’t you? We can’t talk in a library.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Any more risky than going crazy from not sleeping?”

What could he say to that…?

Endine pulled up her fur hood and they slipped out as someone was coming in and had already wrestled with the doors.

[Remus]

The old librarian nodded to a figure who emerged from the shadow. The librarian himself felt younger standing close to the powerful Halfling cleric.

“I spoke with them. They were most unhappy to come through…” he cleared his throat, “unbidden.” The librarian shivered recalling the spirit, holes all throughout its spirit force, the dark plain the ghost had to cross fogging behind and through the holes in its aura. No one believed just how bad it was for them until they were visited, “The assemblage of the group has begins with that child Endine. They told me Endine would pull who ‘they’ need toward her."

The Halfling reached into the air and pulled out his staff, "That boy seems to have become involved.”

Both old men sat down behind the library checkout desk and glanced around watchful while the librarian was filling glasses low behind sight of the desktop. The librarian whispered looking into his glass, “It will be difficult to wrench the boy free of the priest’s grasp. Even if we try a potion, teleportation or any sort of entrapment spell he can resist.”

“I know who he is. Nadius’ artifacts traveled beyond Stormreach, quite an accomplished young man.” The Halfling chuckled, “We should jump him and tie him up with plain rope. It would just be like my earliest adventuring days. You would not believe some of the situations we got ourselves into. A cleric can follow the most peculiar groups.”

The librarian recalled his brother, a woodworker, the sibling influence was reflected in all the beautiful wood shelving about the library he had commissioned of his brother at his own expense, “By the way that Nadius looked at Endine, I don’t think it will come to that. The boy will follow her where ever she goes. Who placed that horrible curse on that poor girl?”

“I cannot divulge that my old friend.”

The librarian grew worried remembering who he was talking too, “I apologize, great healer. I ask out of line.”

“No that’s not the case my old friend. I enjoy that we speak freely on more than business. It is a rare treat for me... you have no idea. But you have served House Jorasco well my friend, you will be compensated.”

The librarian’s face reddened from the flattery, “Ah, no bother my friend. Send some of your brother’s concoctions, not that healer sterilizing alcohol bull dung either, the other kind.” Wink, “Pickings are thin this winter. The taverns get all the best. Brewers don't glance at the library.”

“Done, and I’ll send over those new enchanted thermal blankets for all your staff, or sell them. I know how you Stormreach folk love to haggle here.”

Whaa ha “You know me too well. It’s the bidding auctions. Even me, I’m always cautioning the adventurers, but those auctions get me buying stuff I don’t need.”

The library grew quiet and their now warm rosy cheeks grew redder oblivious to the priest agents sneering at the two old men behind the desk.

“I can be of more help to house Jorasco, healer, if I knew what ‘they’ were looking for; I would offer my connections to help. The spirits won't tell me. I know house Jorasco have the greatest connections serving every town and city, but I can assist more than you think… Every little hand helps.”

[Remus]

The Halfling smiled, “You’ve heard the Halflings saying.”

“The drink does loosen you up a bit.”

“I trust you librarian.” He waved his hand and the redness vanished from his cheeks, another gesture and they could not be heard, the cleric's face dead serious, “The spirits feel that the artifact is in Stormreach so she does not have far to travel, but she has to dig deep to find it. That could be metaphorical or it could be blunt, you know how the spirits communicate. We will know if those the spirits fear find it before Endine. We will know for nightmares will spread across Stormreach and that will only be the beginning."

[Remus]

“We have to go through the temple. We’re lucky though, the priests are all at a sacred ritual.”

They entered the front plain doors painted yellow in the interior. The walls towered a hundred feet high with giant two dimensional men painted between the pillars on old yellowing plaster backgrounds, all in repeating poses. Some so ancient they were faded.

Nadius noticed her staring, “Those are paintings of the high priests of the past.”

“Why didn’t I ever think to look in here?”

“The church is charmed. Not just against thieves, but guards as well. Noise can be silenced against the outside as well. Some of their meetings get loud.”

“If I had a charm to make people look away I could take…”

“Endine please hurry along, if we run into anyone… It’s down this hall.”

The hall was lined with immense disturbingly detailed stone statuary, crafted to look like half their body was on the other side of the wall. Some half blinking as if it had not settled before turning back into stone.

“The artists that made these were genius. Or are these traps?”

“Traps…" Nadius laughed, "Their gargoyles. If you were an elf you would be shaking by what you sensed. Weapons are pretty useless on them. Once their stone they can heal faster than what damage an experienced damage dealer like you can inflict. Their easy to control if you have a lot of power to charm them, they are very susceptible. But I haven’t told the priests that. Some in the upper authorities know this, but keep it to themselves. Could you imagine if an enemy came in here with that information? They could set them all off then charm them to turn on the priests. Don’t look at me like that… Ok … ok I thought about doing this myself, but then you came along to commit trouble with so I haven’t gotten around to it.” He hee.

“So many… Do they all wake up at the same time?”

“No they wake up as you go along the hall… if you’re not with me. We’re heading towards the deepest secrets in Stormreach, Endine. We can’t depend on men to guard us from you,” (smirk), “I mean thieves.”

“Every house has the deepest secrets in Stormreach. You all just don’t tell each other.”

They turned at the end of the hall into a cavern entrance in a round room with an oval ceiling covered in ancient letters all painted deep black, some had been retouched. Comfortable red chairs gilded in gold lined the circular walls with nasty small demon figurines between each chair. Nadius cautioned, “Don’t touch those things. Their tiny, but tapped with godly powers.”

“There’s a cave in the church?”

[Remus]

“You should see the catacombs underneath.”

“We will if this doesn’t work out.”

Nadius’ face went white.

Along the cave, huge ancient paintings of shadow dragons lined its walls, as if frozen in time. One with half a wind expanded and the other bend in as if turning in flight. Its tail curled beneath as if wrapped around a boulder or being tossed about by wind, his legs curled in as if he was turning in flight. The next standing with mouth agape about to spray some unknown substance down on nothing as if he had been snatched in mid-action and placed within the rock wall, or the artist had not finished. Another had its wings spanned its head turned to the right roaring, its claws gripping a landing spot that had not been filed in beneath it. Another had its head arched back, its long neck resting its head on its back leg, his features demonstrating intense pain gripping a spear in its chest that was not there. Another with its wings bent, its arms resting with the rest of its body down as if it had been climbing out of a hole. Its head bent to look over the edge of something. and finally two dragons intertwined upside-down as if they were fighting while plummeting to the earth, their mouths biting into the others neck, their wings retracted guided by claws that were tangled in their struggle.

Endine touched the rock, it was rough. It felt warm, “How did they paint these on such a surface?”

“They didn’t. Their really in there.”

“Dragons in Stormreach! But they must be a hundred feet long, their ancient. You’ve only been making the scrolls within your lifetime. If they ever get free won't they be angry at being trapped. Aren't your priests worried?”

“I’m reincarnated Endine, made to serve over and over. They take my discoveries and strip the memory from my mind. I remember the feeling of awe during my discoveries. I guess I know what I’m capable of doing and it gives me confidence.”

“The feeling of wisdom without the wisdom, that’s great Nadius.” Nadius felt that mental punch, “So how many lives have you lived?”

“Around three hundred or so. I don’t always come back the same, so the life spans vary. I’m human this time the shortest life span so far, probably why they haven’t bothered teaching me the usual stuff.”

“And what’s that?”

“You have your secrets Endine. But let’s just say I’ve a stash from past lives that I’ve been able to learn from. So they don’t know I know it all.”

“They consider this life time of yours too short to bother nurturing! That’s horrible. You’re being used disgustingly.”

“I realized that a long time ago. It’s why I use them back.”

“Guess you have some wisdom.”

Endine and Nadius rounded a final corner, “It’s just beyond this bend, Endine.”

“Wait! Something’s ahead. Can’t you hear that?”

Nadius stood silently with her, but could near nothing.
Endine kept to the bending cavern wall, her fingers brushing cool smooth curvy rock, but only darkness lay ahead to a strange dim ruin lit old doorway.

“That’s that entrance?”

[Remus]

“You’re very good at stating the obvious!" This doesn’t feel right. Something is nearby.” Endine put her head to the wall.

“Do the rocks talk to you or something?”

“No. Someone is chipping at the other side of this wall. You can’t hear that?” Endine listened to the wall again, “There almost through. We can wait up there to see how many there are.”

Nadius looked doubtful; concerned her insomnia must be making her batty. He shuffled around trying to get comfortable on the ledge finding this all a waste of time, not yet accustomed to getting dirty on adventures.

“Shhh, their almost through!” she shoved his face right into the dirt, watching the wall intently, “Duck a little lower.”

The wall shuddered after one final hit. Nadius felt that, his eyes open wide in disbelief. One final strike and a section of wall fell away, small enough for a goblin shaman to stand in and look around the cavern.

“Goblins! They can’t be allowed through here! Dangerous secrets are behind that door."

Nadius felt Endine shift with lightning speed then he was eating dirt when she shoved his head back down roughly, “Duck all the way down Nadius!”

“I thought we were counting?”

“Goblin mining parties never bring shamans. They must be here for your door. I want to go browse those scrolls without worrying about enemies at my back. It’s just you and me in here. Besides bloody shamans are pains in…” Again she moved with lightning speed, another shaman fell atop the previous, but this time there was a grumble down the goblin carved tunnel. A clanking of weapons and donning of amour, the goblins were readying for battle. They knew something was amiss.

“This is our chance. We have to kill them as they come through that tunnel before they outnumber us. Do you have a sword?” Endine was whipping knives now. Goblins falling in rapid succession were piling up quickly, the mouth of the tunnel filling rapidly with the dead and dieing.

Goblins still coming were being forced to climb over their own dead, causing the ones in front to just want to escape, yet the inexorable numbers behind were driving them relentlessly forward, wouldn’t allow the torrent to end.

[Remus]

“No. I can do other stuff.”

“Oh Nadius, I’m sure you can, but I have nothing to keep the priests from sensing your magic in here. Can you use a crossbow?”

“I’m better with a short bow.”

“Good here. Stay up here and take out as many as you can, but if you see any more shamans take them out first. Here are some arrows.”

“How do you conceal all this stuff?”

“Very funny.”

Endine jumped down without a sound, only the rubbing of her leather amour made slight noises.

She ran along the shadows tossing daggers, never from the same place, to disorient those coming out of the tunnel, tricking them that more than one person was chucking knives at them.

Nadius was amazed, forgetting to shoot form time to time, mesmerized by her skill.

A flying axe whipped by Endine’s neck, its trailing wind blowing in her ear sending shivers down her spine.

She was out of daggers so she grabbed her chemical darts, smiling and wincing, they were fun… but expensive.

Exploding darts lit the tunnel as body parts flew all about the cavern hitting both Endine and the goblins.

The goblins looked at one another.

Something in the tunnel was concealed by a blurring spell, yelling at the startled shaking goblins to take back up arms.

Endine didn’t mind as she took out dazed goblins with a short sword.

One tried to run away wiping entrails of another goblin’s hand that wouldn’t let go of his amour, the fingers stuck amongst the chain mail. The shaman in the tunnel blasted him, clearing the rest of the tunnel of goblin remains at the same time.

The shaman came out and dodged a dud dart that only sparked harmlessly against the wall which gave the shaman and Endine a clear view of one another and neither was happy about it.

The shaman backed away as Endine became engaged with two other goblins, “Bloody hell. Nadius get that shaman! He’ll just raise the dead!”

Endine jumped to avoid a well thrown spear. It must have been enchanted because it stuck a good foot into solid rock as its shaft wobbled from the impact. Endine spent a second contemplating what that bloody thing could have done to her. Both her shins and knees were bruised.

Endine tossed a dart marked with a red dot without thinking, but then it dawned on her, “Nadius cover your ears!” Flames assaulted four upper bodies of goblins as it passed along them landing harmlessly and exploded against the wall bringing rock crashing to the floor crushing flat a few goblins. Endine bit her lip. It wasn’t a total loss, but she could have caved in that goblin dug tunnel with that dart.

[Remus]

An enchanted voice spoke into her hears, “You give your location away every time you talk to me. I can see what’s happening from above better than you on the ground. Don’t worry, I have you covered. Learn to trust me Endine.”

A shock spell knocked Endine down, hitting her abdomen, her leather deflecting most of it. She bounced back on both feet, but a solid strike to her leg tripped her again and she stumbled trying to get back up.

Goblins were swarming her, inches away, and she could see Nadius’ arrows overhead raining down around her as he tried to give her aid, realizing that he really was good with a bow.

All Nadius could see around Endine was a circle of light as darts with different chemicals exploded or froze the bodies of goblins trying to strike a hit on the fallen Endine. Her onslaught hit many venerable gobbling organs; burning goblin flesh assaulted her nose.

She rolled to avoid a teetering half frozen goblin, laughing at two other legs still standing up, shaking without the upper half body that had frozen and shattered apart. ‘That must have been a powerful dart.’

Those left standing were spitting up blood and she was finally able to get up and finished them off with one of their own axes since she had lost her short sword somewhere among the dead. But during her defense a fresh number of goblins had entered the cleared tunnel.

The shaman missed Endine with a poorly placed blast, but the light of the spell lit the shaman up as a clear target and finally Nadius got a good shot with his last arrow, “I’m out Endine!”

“There’s too many. I’ll take care of these, you run for the door!”

“I can’t go in there.”

“Your precious priests would never build anything to put you in...” Endine ducked an arrow, “Bloody hell, archers are coming through! Nadius door now!”

“Endine pulled out a curved sword and her whip.”

Nadius almost laughed running for the door. He should be scared, but he was more curious as to how she hid all those weapons. The sound of an arrow landing way too close made him run faster though.

Endine was half way to the door, goblins charging behind her only a few feet behind when she saw a dark dressed human come down the tunnel talking with a shaman, not waking up any dragons, “That ones mine.”

“I’ve seen that look…”

“Would you get out of my ear! How can you see my look?” Adrenalin was making Endine exited, “Why don’t the dragons attack the goblins?”

Nadius was silent.

[Remus]

“Someone has betrayed you. Have any trinkets I can alert you with to open the door?” Endine began tossing her last few darts as Nadius handed her a ring as she finally caught up to him.”

“Just press on that three times.”

Endine shoved Nadius into the door and shut it behind him. Nadius looked about reliving the same moment as he had during his discoveries.
The feeling of discovering was always there among flashes of a blurred tree embedded in a wall. He’d never gone beyond this room. The clerics always made the scrolls then Nadius’ memory was erased and he was tossed back into the temple like a…

He was treated pretty badly when he thought about it. They weren’t even kind or thankful.

He’d indirectly drilled priests of their knowledge a hundred times to figure out why they thought they were so much better than him to be trusted with such dangerous items, but they always failed him and he always failed himself by continuing to go along with the scroll making.

He was continuously at the end of the adventures too. Young and powerful, he should be out adventuring himself. But the treasure hunter and his party would come to sell artifacts after the adventure and then the items would be given to Nadius.

Endine was bringing him on her adventure, she needed him.
Somehow in his gut he felt it was time to leave his sanctuary and go where Endine went... It just felt right.

the ring alerted him that Endine needed in dissolved his thoughts. He opened the door Endine pushed it open faster.

For a brief second Nadius was blinded by bright lights and deep growls and roaring dragons extending their great wings and she shut the door hard, all the noise silenced, leaning against it sliding down, heart racing, to a sitting potion. The rush of all the commotion looked to please Endine a little too much which intimidated Nadius. How much commotion could this girl handle?

“What happened?”

Endine laughed, “It was easy. I robbed that human who betrayed your temple of every artifact he owned and the whole hall came alive. Apparently what ever protection he was wearing did not make him invisible, but it kept the trigger for all those things in the hall way from activate. With his protection gone they were ****ed from the violation of his passing. When I took his protection away… they all came at once.” She grabbed his arm, “Nadius some of them looked right at me, but they went after him. I locked eyes with a shadow dragon. It detailed its face miraculously as if that’s what happens when it focuses. Their eyes had no color, but you could feel the entity within them directly on me. I was in a room of gods. But I didn’t bet on sticking around as dessert so I thought I should hightailed it out of there.”

“Endine shadow dragons are very empathic. I bet every shadow dragon on this plane of existence just saw and now know your face.”

He thought that would disturb her but she smiled bigger thinking how ecstatic her father will be if she ever sees him again to tell this tale, “From what I heard of their discussion, they were definitely here for your door, but not in any connection to my task. I’m not sure what guild or cult he belonged too, but he wanted to hurt house Jorasco for becoming involved in stopping something. He said this would hurt them.”