Chapter Text
“Dragons? Splendid things, lad – so long as ye look upon them only in tapestries, or in the masks worn at revels, or from about three realms off.”
Astragarl Hornwood, Mage of Elembar
Third Lady's Day of Mortis, 126 HR
Yelmalis leaned against the rough stone wall of the room and watched as the members of the other group sat down to take a rest. Dilae had cast some healing spells, and a few hours of sleep would probably do the rest. Nevertheless, as the wizard's eyes wandered from one to the other, he noticed their exhaustion and the last traces of the recent battle. Naghûl sat down on one of the chairs, his staff within reach, while Jana huddled up on a blanket in a corner, carefully stretching out her injured ankle. Sgillin lay down on one of the cots, while Lereia curled up in her tiger form, her burned paws carefully drawn towards her. The dragon-blooded Kiyoshi had taken off his armor and chose the second cot, but only after Naghûl had assured him that he actually preferred to doze in a sitting position. While Garush remained standing in the middle of the room, alertly watching the door, Sekhemkare and Tarik pulled two chairs to the fireplace. However, they had decided not to light a fire, as it was already very warm in the catacombs. Dilae climbed onto the chest next to the fireplace, sat down cross-legged, and began to braid thin tresses into her white hair.
When everyone had found a place and it was clear that there would actually be a moment of peace, Yelmalis decided to seize the opportunity. He wanted to transfer a spell into his spellbook, which he had purchased at the market in the form of a scroll. So he pulled the last chair to the rickety table and took his grimoire out of his backpack. The book was a small work of art, bound in soft, bluish leather that felt like a cool breeze. The corners were decorated with silver fittings depicting delicate wind patterns, and the cover was embossed with a complex mandala that subtly represented the various aspects of air magic. When he opened the book, a light breeze blew across the pages, as if the grimoire itself were breathing. The parchment pages were of the highest quality, thin and smooth, but durable enough to preserve the magical energies of the spells. Yelmalis took his writing set out of a side pocket of his backpack. It consisted of a pegasus feather quill with a starsilver-reinforced nib and a crystal inkwell containing a shimmering, silvery-blue ink made from rare ethereal essences. The spell that Yelmalis now began to transfer into his spellbook was called wind cloak . It would enable him to surround himself and others with a swirling barrier of air that could deflect projectiles and accelerate the movements of those enchanted. With a steady hand and a focused gaze, the air genasi began to draw the complex arcane symbols on the page. The ink seemed to dance on the parchment, forming swirling patterns and delicate runes. Every stroke was precise and deliberate, for he knew that even the smallest mistake could alter or nullify the spell's effect. As he wrote, Yelmalis quietly murmured the incantation to weave the magic into the writing. A gentle breeze surrounded him, causing his hair to flutter slightly and the pages to rustle - a sign that the spell was taking shape. As he completed the last stroke, the symbols glowed briefly in a silver-blue light before imprinting themselves on the page. Yelmalis smiled contentedly. The wind cloak was now part of his arcane repertoire, ready to be summoned in times of need.
As he was putting his tools away, the air genasi noticed Kiyoshi twitching in his sleep and tossing and turning restlessly. At first, he thought it was just dreams or the aftereffects of the fight. But then something unexpected happened. Kiyoshi's body seemed to pulsate as if an inner force were pressing against his skin. Yelmalis' eyes widened as he saw the soldier's back arch and contort. Then - with a soft, tearing sound - two leathery wings suddenly broke through his shirt. They unfolded slowly, trembling in the dusty air of the catacombs. At the same time, a growth formed on the lower back of the sleeping man, quickly developing into a dragon's tail. The scales shimmered in a rich brassy color. Yelmalis was frightened, but equally fascinated by the transformation. As a wizard, he had seen many strange and wonderful things, but the spontaneous manifestation of dragon-like features in a sleeping person was new even to him. He watched as Kiyoshi's features relaxed in his sleep, as if the transformation had released some inner tension. Amazingly, the young soldier seemed unaware of any of this. He continued to sleep, now more peacefully, his new wings wrapped around his body like a protective blanket, his tail twitching slightly in time with his breathing.
Yelmalis glanced at his companions. Garush had also noticed the change and was eyeing Kiyoshi skeptically, while Dilae looked over at the young man with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Tarik and Sekhemkare exchanged a long look, the tiefling rather surprised, the yuan-ti clearly fascinated. Despite their amazement at Kiyoshi's unexpected transformation, they decided not to wake him or the others. The catacombs were a dangerous environment and they all needed to be at full strength, so it would not have been wise to disturb the other group's brief slumber. Thus, a relative peace returned to the room, Yelmalis’ group remaining alert while the others rested. After about an hour, Naghûl began to stir. The tiefling stretched, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light as he reached for his staff, which was leaning against the wall next to him. Almost simultaneously, Lereia awoke. She blinked a few times, then rose and stretched her limbs, licking her right forepaw a few times and then examining her paws, which, thanks to her therianthropic regeneration, appeared to have healed well. Shortly thereafter, Jana awoke. The Athar sat up and felt her ankle before casting a watchful glance around the room. Sgillin rubbed his eyes, yawning, and muttered quietly to himself as he tried to wipe dust and dried blood from the now-healed spider bites off his face. Kiyoshi was the last to wake up. As he moved, there was an unfamiliar rustling sound. Confused, he blinked and tried to sit up, but was held back by the weight of his new wings. The others in his group stared at him with a mixture of astonishment and concern.
Naghûl was the first to break the silence. “Kiyoshi, your transformation is progressing rapidly,” he remarked.
“Um ...” Tarik cleared his throat. “But he's alright, yes?”
Sgillin looked at Kiyoshi, blatantly examining him. “I think so. He's ... changing.”
Dilae climbed down from the chest and eyed Kiyoshi curiously, while Naghûl nodded to the Signer. “We have known about his dragon blood for some time. It is beginning to show more and more.”
“Forgive my ignorance,” Kiyoshi said, confused. “But what exactly do you mean?”
Lereia looked at the young soldier. “The wings ...”
“Wings?” He tried to turn around to see.
“You have ... well, exactly … wings,” Jana said awkwardly. “And a ... tail?”
Yelmalis stepped forward to support the sorceress. “It seems your dragon blood transformation has taken another step forward while you were asleep,” he explained calmly. “How do you feel?”
Kiyoshi needed a moment to answer, examining his new body parts. “I ... I feel good. Stronger, even.” He tried to move his wings, which he managed to do after a few awkward attempts.
“That will certainly make you stronger in battle,” Garush stated matter-of-factly. “Very good.”
Sekhemkare nodded. “Looks good. Especially the tail.”
“That figures, Sek,” Dilae replied with a grin.
Lereia examined Kiyoshi intently with her turquoise eyes. “The heritage seems to be strong.”
“Can you fly with those?” Jana tried to grab one of the wings, actually managed to get hold of it, and pulled a little.
“Eh.” Kiyoshi turned around quickly and reflexively struck out at the sorceress.
Fortunately, Jana had been on her guard and was able to jump back in time so that the young soldier did not hit her.
When he narrowly missed her, a look of shock crossed Kiyoshi's face. “I'm sorry!” he said immediately. “I didn't mean to.”
“One doesn’t pull a warrior by the wing from behind,” Garush stated dryly. “So don't apologize.”
“That's true.” Jana smiled conciliatorily. “I provoked it.” Then she took a few cautious steps back.
Although Garush was certainly right that one shouldn't pull a fighter from behind, neither by the wing nor by anything else, Kiyoshi's reaction had nevertheless astonished Yelmalis. He had always perceived the Harmonium soldier as very controlled and downright overly correct – and he thought so as a Guvner. The sudden, uncontrolled blow in Jana's direction, which had apparently surprised even himself, somehow did not fit in with Kiyoshi. Perhaps a temporary side effect of the dragon blood transformation, Yelmalis thought to himself. He hoped that it was indeed only temporary. The group slowly gathered, but everyone kept casting curious glances at Kiyoshi.
The young man tried to put on a stoic expression again and wanted to put on his armor - only to find that he couldn't wear it anymore because of his wings and dragon tail. With a sigh, he attached it to his backpack and then turned to the others. “I think it would be wise not to stay here any longer than necessary.”
Sgillin nodded. “That's true.”
Garush drew her axe as if in response. “Yes, we should focus on how to proceed from here. We still have a mission to fulfill.”
So Naghûl, Jana and Yelmalis cast a few protective spells and Dilae summoned her moonlike light again to illuminate the corridors. They turned to the first of the two locked rooms Lereia had mentioned. Sgillin picked the lock on the door without much trouble, and they entered a large, circular room with walls of smooth black stone. At regular intervals, niches were recessed into the walls, each illuminated by a flickering greenish flame. In the center of the room stood a large, round table made of dark wood, and around it seven magnificent chairs, each decorated with a different demonic symbol. A large map lay on the table, depicting various layers of the Abyss. From the ceiling hung a huge chandelier made of intertwined bones and metal. However, the candles in it were not burning. In one of the wall niches stood a life-size statue of a demon lord whom Yelmalis believed to be Pazuzu. The eyes of the statue seemed to glow and watch the room. But apart from that, everything was deserted and empty, and the thick layer of dust on the table and the map suggested that there had not been a gathering here for a long time. Yelmalis and Naghûl glanced briefly at the map, but could not glean any important information from it. Meanwhile, Sgillin and Sekhemkare searched the room for hidden secret doors, but found nothing.
They therefore decided to turn their attention to the second locked room, hoping to find a way deeper into the catacombs there. The lock here held a trap, which Sgillin fortunately discovered and disarmed. It also seemed to be more complicated, as the half-elf needed several attempts and a handful of lock picks to open it. That might be a good sign, because behind such a well-secured door there was certainly something important ... or dangerous. Garush seemed to have the same thoughts, because she entered the room with appropriate vigilance and caution. Once she had made sure that there was no one inside who might attack them, she let Sgillin go ahead again to look for more traps. But apparently no more were to be found, because the half-elf gave the all-clear signal with one hand, and so the others entered the room. The air here was cooler than in the rest of the catacombs and filled with a faint, barely perceptible hum that made Yelmalis' hair stand on end. Massive pillars decorated with Abyssal runes and demonic faces supported the high, vaulted ceiling. The room was bathed in an eerie red light emanating from several floating crystals. The walls were lined with shelves and cabinets crammed with old tomes, strange artifacts and containers with unidentifiable substances. A large workbench was littered with alchemical equipment, parchments and the bones of various creatures. There was also a small black wooden box on top of it. Naghûl opened it and looked inside cautiously.
Even in her tiger form, Lereia looked disgusted. “I suspect that experiments on living beings were carried out here, or something like that.” She looked at Naghûl. “Is there anything in the box?”
“A ruby, an emerald and diamond dust,” replied the tiefling. “But I didn't touch anything. They have a slight magical aura, and I don't want to risk taking a cursed item.”
Sgillin and Sekhemkare sighed almost simultaneously, which in turn elicited a brief grin from the others. Meanwhile, Yelmalis walked around the circular basin in the middle of the room. It was filled with a dark, oily liquid that occasionally bubbled, and alchemical symbols were carved into the floor around it, glowing faintly. The air felt heavy and stifling in his lungs, filled with the smells of sulfur, acid and liquid tar. There was an atmosphere of unholy science and forbidden experiments in this room.
Jana had turned to one of the shelves, where she was now rummaging around. “So, here's a skull,” she remarked matter-of-factly.
Tarik sighed. “There are skulls everywhere.” He didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about it.
The air genasi couldn't blame him and gave him an encouraging smile. The Signer returned it - briefly, almost shyly. Then he quickly looked away and Yelmalis cleared his throat a little. He was still unsure how to interpret Tarik's behavior. They had already been out to eat together a few times, mostly at lunchtime, when Yelmalis was bringing on a case in the City Court and Tarik was taking the minutes at a meeting in the Hall of Speakers. It was completely casual, of course, just a way to talk outside of their missions related to the Prophecy. To do something normal together, like friends did. They just got along well, and Yelmalis liked Tarik. Actually, he had to admit that “like” wasn't quite the right word. But how could he tell the tiefling? Was there even room for something like that between all the crazy events that were now part of their lives? On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice to have someone who understood all this? But he just wasn't good at these things. He was afraid of ruining everything if he told Tarik about his feelings. Of destroying their friendship and, as a result, the now smoother dynamic of the whole group. Was it worth it? Probably not, and even less so if Tarik didn't reciprocate his feelings. But what if he did? Dilae seemed to suspect something. She was good at these things. But as straightforward as she usually was, she hadn't asked him about it directly, and he was deeply grateful for that. In any case, this was not the right moment to ponder such things. They were in the Abyss, after all, and their mission was to find a mystical sword and get out of Broken Reach alive.
So Yelmalis pushed the annoying thoughts aside and looked at the other half of the room. Two things caught his eye: in one corner stood a massive cage, large enough to hold a humanoid creature. It was empty, but traces of dried blood on the bars testified to its gruesome use. And then there was the portal ... A massive stone arch, about three paces high and two paces wide, rose on a circular pedestal of dark, polished marble. The arch itself was covered with carvings depicting Abyssal battle scenes, and around the inner edge were pulsating runes, glowing in a green-yellow light. Inside the arch floated a shimmering purple energy field. It flickered and swirled like a living mist, occasionally pierced by flashes of lightning. Shadows seemed to move within. A soft hum emanated from the portal, accompanied by occasional crackling and hissing. Naghûl also took a closer look, while Jana remained at a distance.
“Through this portal, we could end up who knows where ...” she murmured.
“At the moment, I don't see any reason to pass it,” the Sensate explained reassuringly.
“Thanks,” Garush said promptly. “Me neither.”
“Thanks?” Naghûl frowned. “Well, for whatever. You're welcome, anyway.”
“Thank you for your reason,” the amazon replied. “That's what I meant.”
“We Sensates are always reasonable,” the tiefling joked in a self-mocking tone.
Garush just waved it off, but she bared her tusks with a slight grin.
The newly transformed Kiyoshi moved his wings up and down almost unconsciously as he examined the portal. “If it leads to another layer or plane, we definitely shouldn't pass it. Isn't the blade supposed to be in this layer?”
Tarik nodded. “Yes, according to our information, the sword should be on Pazunia.”
But something about the portal was strange ... Yelmalis stepped closer, his eyes focused on the shimmering surface. He felt his arcane senses sharpen as he examined the magical energies around him. The portal's signature felt ... wrong. Where he would have expected the familiar, pulsing power of a connection between planes, he sensed only a superficial imitation. It was like looking at a painting of a storm instead of feeling the raging wind and rain on the skin. Yelmalis closed his eyes briefly to focus better on the arcane structures, and in his mind's eye, the magical weave of the portal unfolded. Instead of the complex, interwoven threads of a real planar gateway, he saw a much simpler pattern - the unmistakable signature of an illusion spell.
“It's not real,” the wizard explained. “The energy signature is inconsistent, and the arcane structure ... it's clearly an illusion, albeit a very skillful one. Whoever created this didn't want anyone to discover the true entrance. In any case, there's no active portal.“
Sekhemkare tilted his head in a reptilian manner when Yelmalis finished his explanation. ”You're right,“ he said. ”I sense a subtle change in the air currents here. A hidden room or corridor behind this portal could explain that.”
“That means we could just walk through the archway?” asked Lereia.
As if to confirm this, Jana stepped up to one of the tables and took a heavy stone pestle from one of the mortars there. Then she threw it resolutely through the supposed portal. It flew right through and landed with a dull thud on the floor behind it. Sgillin nodded contentedly and was about to go through, but Garush, suspicious as always, held him back. Then she cautiously approached the stone arch and slowly reached out her hand. Her fingers slid effortlessly through the surface without any resistance or effect. She nodded slightly – then she stepped through.
“All right,” Yelmalis heard her voice immediately from the other side, much to his relief. “You can pass through unharmed. But be careful, there's a staircase leading down just behind the archway.”
They followed the amazon cautiously, one after the other, and found themselves at the foot of the steps down to a circular room. It was easily fifteen paces in diameter, spanned by a high, dome-like ceiling. The black stone walls were streaked with fine, silvery veins that pulsed faintly as if energy were flowing through them. In the center of the room stood a massive golem made of black steel, ten feet tall and menacing in appearance, with sharp edges and demonic features. However, it was completely motionless, surrounded by five gleaming rays of light that formed a kind of cage around it. A few steps away from the construct they discovered a stone pedestal surrounded by five large runes on the floor. Each glowed in a different color - red, blue, green, yellow and purple. On top of the pedestal, a single flame burned in a deep, hypnotic blue. Around the central platform stood four lower pillars, each about three feet high. Flames also burned at the top of those pillars, one red, one green, one yellow and one purple. The air in the room was filled with a palpable, magical tension, a soft hum that seemed to emanate from the runes and rays of light.
Tarik eyed the golem with a certain skepticism. “Is it guarding something?” he wondered.
“Quite possible,” Garush growled. “We should be careful what we do here.”
“Especially with the pedestal,” Naghûl agreed. “I could well imagine that it's connected to the golem.”
Jana kept a demonstrative distance from the construct. “So, if the theory is that the runes control the golem or something like that ... why don't we just leave them alone?”
The amazon nodded. “I think we should take a look around first. There are two more doors.”
She pointed to a massive metal door decorated with a large skull and a smaller, open passageway behind which seemed to be a smaller chamber. They decided to take a look at the room behind the archway first. It was significantly smaller, square and had a lower ceiling. The floor was covered with dark marble, into which subtle, swirling patterns had been carved. In the middle of the room, on a low, circular platform, stood an imposing statue. It was a figure wrapped in a black robe, about seven feet high. Although the robe was carved from stone, it looked so realistic that it seemed to move in the slight breeze that Yelmalis brought into the room. The hood of the robe was pulled down so far that the figure's facial features were not visible. The statue's hands, protruding from the wide sleeves, held a large, heavy book. The cover appeared to be made of ancient, weathered leather with metal fittings at the corners. However, it was impossible to spot any more details, like a title, as the book was open. Yelmalis' eyes were inevitably drawn to it. The tome radiated an almost tangible aura of power and forbidden knowledge, seeming to whisper secrets beyond mortal comprehension. The air genasi tried to read what was written on the pages, but the writing was very small and it was difficult to make out anything ... besides, the letters kept blurring before his eyes ... They twisted as if they didn't want to be read.
Yelmalis blinked briefly and rubbed his eyes. “The book is protected by magic,” he explained. “A spell that makes it impossible to read.”
“Do you think there's something important in it?” Garush asked skeptically.
The wizard smiled. “Since someone took the trouble to cast such a protective spell, probably yes.”
“Always this arcane stuff.” The amazon growled discontentedly. “Too highbrow for me. I'll guard the door while you magic whizzes try to read it. But don't dawdle, I have a feeling we shouldn't stay here any longer than absolutely necessary.”
Yelmalis couldn't suppress a smile. Yes, Garush wasn't very fond of the arcane and always made that quite clear. She walked briskly to the open passageway and took up her position there, and Sgillin and Lereia joined her. Kiyoshi, on the other hand, who was actually predestined to stand guard with the half-orc, stayed near the book, examining it closely. He seemed to be concentrating on something, but Yelmalis couldn't figure out on what. Just as he was about to address the young soldier, the latter suddenly shouted something, a word in a strange language completely unknown to the air genasi, concise, almost like a command. It sounded like Vistambhayisu!, but strangely, Yelmalis was unable to remember the word. At the same time, it was as if a gust of wind had unexpectedly swept through the room, hot and energetic ... It tugged at Yelmalis' body, but also at his mind and soul. The pages of the book began to turn frantically, as if someone were flipping through them incredibly fast. Faster and faster - forward, then back again ... almost as if the book were fighting back ... Then suddenly it stopped, the tome remained open ... and the writing was suddenly clear. Yelmalis and the others looked at Kiyoshi in amazement. Had that been the Old Tongue, his gift? Had he broken the spell on the book? Or simply commanded it to let itself be read? It seemed so.
But as surprised as the others were, the young soldier remained calm. “Here, please,” he said matter-of-factly. “You can read it now.”
“Well, that was unexpected,” Sekhemkare remarked. “But your timing is perfect.”
Yelmalis nodded gently, then approached the old book. It was written in Common, but obviously an incredibly old alphabet had been used here. And it was also a very early variant of Common. On the two open pages, he recognized intricate runes arranged in a pattern reminiscent of a key or code. Some of the runes resembled those they had seen in the room with the golem, but he couldn't assign them to any system he knew. Cautiously, he reached out to turn the page.
“Be careful!” Dilae's voice to his right made him flinch. “Don't let it poison you ... or bite you.”
The dark elf must have stepped quietly beside him while he had been examining the book. Naghûl was standing to his left, but Yelmalis hadn't noticed him approaching either, had been focused only on the ancient tome.
The wizard glanced briefly at Dilae. “Well, we have a cleric with us, just in case,” he remarked with a smile.
“Well, you’re funny.” She grinned briefly, then looked back at the tome, but like Naghûl, she made no move to leaf through it.
Yelmalis shrugged slightly. There was always a certain risk with books like this, that was just the way it was. But the great wizards of the planes would certainly not have earned their reputation and knowledge if they had allowed themselves to be deterred by such things. So he boldly reached out and turned the page – to his relief, without any immediate consequences. On the next two pages was a map showing different layers of the Abyss, with lines and symbols that seemed to indicate portals and important paths. Broken Reach was marked on it and appeared to be a kind of hub.
Yelmalis stared at the book. “Unbelievable ...”
“Why?” Jana now came closer. “What does it say?”
“It's a very old form of Common,” Yelmalis explained. “It would certainly take me a while to decipher everything, but ...” He leafed further, to a page with descriptions of various demons and what appeared to be their weaknesses, including some species Yelmalis had never heard of. Another page seemed to list a series of alchemical formulas for potions and elixirs with unusual and potentially dangerous effects.
“Yeah?” Dilae pressed, as he was about to lose himself in the book again.
“Excuse me.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, there could be incredibly valuable knowledge hidden in this book and ...” He faltered as he turned another page. “By the powers ...” Yelmalis felt both horror and joyful excitement shoot through him, as he managed to decipher a few of the words written there.
“What is it?” Jana also sounded impatient now, and Sekhemkare hissed in annoyance.
Slowly, the wizard lowered his hand and turned to the others. “It appears that part of the ancient text in this book is about the Deus Machina ...”
Naghûl raised his eyebrows in alarm. “Oh dear. Should we perhaps tear out the pages and take them with us and destroy the rest of the book?”
“The book has many more pages that are certainly important,” Lereia interjected from behind.
“Exactly!” Yelmalis replied vehemently. He felt how Naghûl's suggestion agitated him. “We can't just destroy a work like this ... even if we were able to.”
He saw Garush grinning broadly. “Yelmalis and books ... careful.”
“Alright,” Naghûl reassured him. “I'm just considering the fact that a succubus over two thousand years old is sitting a few floors above us, and we might now have given her the chance for an enjoyable reading experience.”
“Unless she enchanted the book herself,” Tarik interjected.
To Yelmalis' surprise, Kiyoshi also seemed to have reservations about Naghûl's suggestion. “These are powers we don't understand,” he said seriously. “Are you sure you would only destroy the book and not all of us along with it?”
“Exactly!” The air genasi, still stirred up, pointed at Kiyoshi. “You said it!”
“However, we may not have time to explore it fully,” Lereia cautioned. “It would be important to know if there is also a passage about the sword.”
“I have to study this!” Yelmalis declared emphatically. He felt the butterflies that always surrounded him fluttering faster and more frantically. “As long as possible! I mean, what do we know about the Deus Machina so far?”
Naghûl conceded defeat. “Fine, but then we'll have to split up. We can't all stay here, especially since most of us can't decipher the writing.”
“I'd like to stay here with the book too,” said Jana. “I've read some old texts during my alchemy studies. Maybe that will help.”
Sgillin and Lereia remained standing in the passageway, as if to demonstrate that they would help explore the catacombs.
“Then let's go,” said Kiyoshi, making a move to leave the room.
Yelmalis saw Garush bare her tusks. “Hello, Hardhead? My group hasn't decided yet who's staying here and who's going to explore further. I don't know what you heroes of the Harmonium learn about tactics and strategy, but maybe we should discuss this before you leave.”
The soldier looked at the amazon with a stony expression. “Have you ever heard of a declaration of intent? That's what this was. Nothing more, nothing less. But I know that you jailers of the Red Death are not concerned with laws, only punishment.”
Despite his impassive features, there was a certain irritation in Kiyoshi's tone. Having always perceived the Harmonium soldier as extremely controlled, Yelmalis now turned away from the book and looked at the young man in astonishment.
Sekhemkare's reptilian eyes narrowed slightly. “A declaration of intent is a declaration of will between negotiating partners to express an interest in concluding a contract. To say ‘Let's go’ and walk to the door is an announcement of an action. Well, Hardheads ...”
The yuan-ti's reply made Yelmalis smile. Apart from himself, Sekhemkare was definitely the one who knew the laws of Sigil best, which was certainly due to his affiliation with the Fated.
Kiyoshi, on the other hand, didn't seem to find the retort very funny, because he swung his naginata in a wide arc and only stopped when the blade was just inches from Sekhemkare's throat. “Please, insult my faction one more time ...” he snapped at the yuan-ti.
Yelmalis flinched, and he noticed that the others were also astonished, even terrified. This reaction was anything but typical of Kiyoshi. What was going on here?
Garush reacted with her usual confidence and quick thinking, grabbing the young man's weapon by the shaft faster than he could pull it back. “Your chatter has little to do with the law either,” she growled. “But if you're implying that I don't abide by the law, we'll settle this here and now.”
“Stop putting words in my mouth,” Kiyoshi replied angrily, and Yelmalis noticed with horror that his teeth had become significantly longer and sharper.
If Garush was equally surprised, she hid it well, ever the warrior. “Then choose your phrasing carefully so that no one can put words in your mouth,” she replied, dangerously quietly. “You're such a master of words, after all, aren't you?”
Sekhemkare had taken two steps back from the tip of the naginata, but seemed quite calm since Garush had grabbed the weapon. Dilae and Tarik had remained at Yelmalis’ side, keeping their distance from Kiyoshi and the amazon.
While Jana, Lereia and Sgillin still looked at their companion in disbelief, Naghûl regained his composure. “Damn it, what is this?” he snapped at the two arguing fighters. “Calm down!”
Kiyoshi's head jerked toward the tiefling. “What!?” His teeth had now grown into real dragon teeth, and spikes were growing out of his neck ... His dragon blood seemed to be breaking through even stronger.
“I won't stand for such nonsense,” Garush replied grimly, without taking her eyes off the Harmonium soldier. “Even if we're all mentioned a hundred times in that stupid Prophecy.”
“Garush, please ...” Tarik began unhappily, but then fell silent and looked at Dilae for help. He knew that in situations like this, the only other woman in their group could approach the amazon best.
“That ...” The dark elf cleared her throat. “Well, I also don't think that this is a good development ...”
Kiyoshi turned back to the half-orc. “Then stop insulting me!” he shouted – and deep in his throat, Yelmalis could actually see a glow. Could that be fire breath breaking through thanks to his dragon heritage?
But Garush was not impressed. “Ahh, we're getting irritable,” she remarked instead, her calmness in stark contrast to Kiyoshi's anger and possibly deliberately displayed to provoke him.
Yelmalis suspected that the amazon saw an advantage in the young soldier acting uncontrollably and therefore unwisely, but he was not comfortable with it.
“What's wrong with you lawful ones?” Naghûl interjected again. “It beggars description! We are already in hell. Don't make it worse.”
“Do not insult my alignment!” Kiyoshi snapped at the Sensate, his voice now deep and throaty, more of a growl.
Garush jutted her chin forward, her orcish tusks in her lower jaw, which otherwise protruded only slightly from her lower lip, becoming more prominent. She signaled to Sekhemkare to step aside, and the yuan-ti gained a few steps of distance, retreating towards Yelmalis, Tarik and Dilae. “Hey, Hardhead,” Garush then turned to Kiyoshi. “I'm here. Settle your dispute with me first.”
Now the young man let go of the naginata and wanted to jump at the amazon's throat. His fingernails grew into brass-colored claws.
“Stop!” Lereia shouted from behind. “You're endangering us all!”
Garush had also let go of the naginata, which now fell to the ground with a clatter. She caught Kiyoshi's hands and held them tight. “Stop it,” she growled warningly. “Don't get yourself into more trouble than you can handle.”
But the transformed soldier didn’t listen anymore and spat flames. The reddish glow in his throat had indeed been a harbinger of a fire breath. Yelmalis cried out Garush's name in alarm, but at that moment her gift seemed to activate, for she moved so quickly that he had trouble even recognizing what she was doing. She ducked under the flames and the fire breath missed her, leaving only a soot stain on the opposite wall, barely visible on the black stone.
“Hey!” Dilae cried indignantly. “Are you barmy? That's typical of your faction! Tyrannizing anyone who doesn't suit you, right?” Although the dark elf was usually calm and friendly, a heated anger now broke through, certainly due to the animosity that had been smoldering between the Free League and the Harmonium for a long time.
Kiyoshi immediately let go of Garush and wanted to lunge at Dilae, but luckily the amazon still had a firm grip on his hands. The dark elf jumped back in fright, and Yelmalis also felt his heart skip a beat.
“Stop it!” he shouted. “She didn't attack you!”
At that moment, Naghûl apparently decided that it was time to intervene more actively and cast a spell. Yelmalis breathed a sigh of relief. He preferred that the Sensate did it, who knew Kiyoshi better, rather than having to do it himself. Garush had grabbed the young soldier by the throat at the same moment he had turned towards Dilae, but let go when Naghûl's spell hit him. A glowing green hand appeared around him, holding him in a firm grip. Kiyoshi no longer spoke, but only growled angrily like a mindless beast. He tensed his muscles and fought a futile battle against the powerful spell.
“How brave,” Garush said contemptuously while eying Kiyoshi. “Attacking an unarmed priestess with dragon claws. Lunging at a woman who didn't raise a hand against you. And you are serving Sarin?” She spat on the floor.
“I know that was messy,” Sgillin admitted. “But that's his dragon blood. He can't control it.”
As if to emphasize the half-elf's words, Kiyoshi continued to thrash wildly in the magical hand, even though movement was nearly impossible.
Naghûl took a deep breath, visibly struggling to maintain his composure. “So, can everyone except our own group leave the room? We need to somehow calm down our comrade.”
As much as Yelmalis understood the Sensate's request, he was reluctant to leave the old tome at that moment. Garush seemed to understand his brief glance at the statue immediately.
“I don't want to leave the book unguarded right now,” she explained.
Sekhemkare nodded in agreement. “Not that he gets the idea that it insulted him and wants to burn it ...” he explained sarcastically.
Despite all his rage, Kiyoshi still seemed to understand what was being said, because he yelled at the yuan-ti uncontrollably at these words. Sekhemkare hissed softly - a kind of laugh as Yelmalis had learned by now.
“I won't destroy it,” Naghûl promised. “I agreed that some of us would stay here to get hopefully important information from it. But now, please, everyone try to gather what little sanity we have left in this hellhole. Let me try to calm Kiyoshi. None of our factols would be happy about a bloody conflict between us. Right?“
Sekhemkare shook his head thoughtfully, but Garush nodded briefly. ”Make sure that he calms down, otherwise our joint mission is over. I wasn't aware that you were dragging people into the Abyss who have so little control over themselves.”
As she turned towards the door, Kiyoshi yelled at her, his voice losing all humanity. All that could be heard was the dragon. Dilae quickly darted to Garush's side.
“Yeah, because it was my choice who is a Chosen,” the Sensate grumbled.
“Touché,” the amazon admitted. “You have my sympathy.”
Yelmalis followed Garush, Dilae and Sekhemkare to the door with a sigh, but Tarik hesitated. He looked at the raging and roaring Kiyoshi, then at Naghûl. “Um, if I may say something ...”
“Yes?” The Sensate looked tense, but obviously not because of the Signer, but because of the situation as a whole.
Tarik's orange-red eyes glowed in the dim room, but despite this visible sign of his fiendish heritage, he radiated warmth even here. “Are you able to calm him down in his condition? Reliably, I mean?”
“Reliably?” Naghûl sighed. “I can't say. I'll do everything in my power. But I definitely won't let anything happen to him.”
“None of us want that,” Tarik replied seriously. “If you'll allow me ... I could help.” He tapped his temple lightly. “I know a little about the mortal mind.”
The Sensate thought for a moment, then nodded. “I trust you Signers. Try it. I would have started singing him beautiful songs to calm him down.”
Tarik smiled. “Not that I doubt your art of singing ...” He looked at Kiyoshi, who was still raging.
Despite the unpleasant situation, Naghûl smirked a little and made an inviting gesture. “Please.”
Yelmalis was about to hold Tarik back or at least call out a warning. But he contained himself. He didn't want his concern to give the impression that he thought the Signer was incompetent or so weak that he needed protection. He knew Tarik's abilities well enough to know that this was not the case. As friendly and modest as the tiefling was, his psionic powers were not to be trifled with. Besides, Kiyoshi was still firmly in the grip of the green hand that Naghûl had summoned. Tarik walked over to him and sat down cross-legged, regardless of the dusty floor. He studied Kiyoshi closely, and his red eyes began to glow with a bluish light, a sign of active psionic powers. And indeed ... the young soldier's brazen claws retracted, and he slowly calmed down. Then Kiyoshi's eyes also took on a bluish glow as he came under Tarik's psionic influence. Yelmalis nodded gently. Seeing that the Signer's plan was working, he turned and followed Garush, Dilae and Sekhemkare outside into the larger room with the golem and the pedestal. They kept a good distance from the passageway so as not to distract Tarik.
Lereia and Sgillin followed them, and when Dilae gave them a questioning look, the half-elf raised his hands. “There's nothing we can do in there right now anyway.”
Lereia nodded. “Better not disturb them.”
Jana stood hesitantly in the doorway, but then decided to join the others. Only Naghûl stayed in the smaller room together with Tarik and Kiyoshi to maintain the spell that kept the Harmonium soldiers at bay. Garush stood vigilantly between her group and the passageway, her eyes darting back and forth between the door to the book room and the other exits. Her tense posture made it clear that she was ready to respond to any threat. Dilae, on the other hand, withdrew to a quiet corner and seemed to be meditating or praying quietly, probably asking Eilistraee for help. Sekhemkare, meanwhile, examined the runes around the golem with fascination, but was careful not to touch anything. No one said a word, probably in unspoken agreement that they did not want to disturb Tarik in what he was doing. But the silence made the tension all the more palpable.
Lereia, still in her tiger form, wandered slowly around the room, while Sgillin leaned against a wall and adjusted the feathers on his arrows. Jana had settled down on the floor, a small book on her knees, in which she was writing something, perhaps notes about everything they had seen and experienced so far. Yelmalis’ gaze kept wandering to the passageway behind which he knew the frenzied Harmonium soldier as well as the mysterious book. He was concerned about Kiyoshi's loss of control and hoped that Tarik's psionic abilities could help. He found it difficult to assess what this incident and the soldier's condition might mean for their mission and the dynamics between the two groups. But it was a more than unfortunate situation in the middle of the Abyss, that much was clear. At the same time, Yelmalis' curiosity about the book gnawed at him. He wished he could have continued studying it right away, but at the same time, he was aware of the danger that such powerful knowledge could pose. He tried desperately to remember everything he had seen on the pages, wondering how it could help them. Was there any information in the book about the black golem and the pedestal with the flames and runes in this room? Was there anything about the sword Hope? And above all, could the book provide them with insights into the Deus Machina, as the few words he had been able to decipher suggested?
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as everyone waited for Tarik to bring Kiyoshi back to his senses. The tension in the room was almost palpable, and everyone seemed to be dealing in their own way with the uncertainty and potential danger arising from Kiyoshi's unstable state. Finally, they heard soft voices coming from the room with the book, and Yelmalis noticed the arcane signature of the green hand disappearing. Naghûl must have ended the spell. Then all three stepped through the door, Naghûl and Tarik first, Kiyoshi a few steps behind them. The young man now seemed much calmer - perhaps a little shaken and confused, but clearly no longer aggressive. Dilae and Sekhemkare moved closer to Garush again, while Jana put her book away and went over to Lereia and Sgillin. Naghûl joined them, while Tarik stepped next to Yelmalis. Responding to a questioning glance from the air genasi, he nodded with a smile. Obviously, he had been successful. Kiyoshi now approached Yelmalis and the others with slow, measured steps, took the naginata in both hands and laid it on the floor in front of the group. Then he knelt down and touched the ground with his forehead. This behavior was in such stark contrast to his previous frenzy that Yelmalis found it difficult to hide his confusion. However, a sideways glance at Garush told him that she was even less successful, as she stared at Kiyoshi as if he were a particularly curious creation of Limbo.
“Honorable Chosen of the Prophecy,” said the young soldier. “I beg you, hear me out.”
“This is going to be fun,” hissed Sekhemkare.
Tarik nudged him lightly and gave him a reproachful look. “Shh.”
“Moderation, please,” Naghûl said to the yuan-ti with a sharp glance. “Let him speak first.”
Dilae frowned and crossed her arms, but said nothing. The others also turned their attention to Kiyoshi.
“My behavior was absolutely unforgivable,” the young man explained seriously. “It is inexcusable, be it by the special circumstances of this plane or by any other means. I allowed my suddenly and unexpectedly strengthened dragon blood to gain the upper hand and thereby I threatened you. Even if you had insulted my honor and that of my faction, the proper response would have been to challenge you to fight or to bring this before a court.”
“Well, we would have a lot to deal with in Sigil then,” Yelmalis interjected, but then immediately made an apologetic gesture and fell silent again.
“I have brought great shame upon myself,” Kiyoshi continued. “I have lost my face and endangered this mission. I therefore offer you my weapon, the only means of defending myself. Do with it as you see fit. Nothing will ever make up for this transgression, and I want you to know that I take full responsibility for what has just happened. I should not have allowed the dragon blood to be in control, even if it is stronger than me.”
Garush looked at Kiyoshi with a mixture of incomprehension and appreciation, then slowly shook her head. “You're killing me. First that performance, and now this? It's like we were in Xaos ...”
Dilae grinned slightly and Naghûl raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You have been in Xaos?”
“Thank the Lady, just at its gates,” the amazon snorted. “But that's how I imagine it.”
Yelmalis, who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the whole situation, cleared his throat. “Well, I think, considering the fact that he wasn't ... in control of himself ...”
“Considering such a fact, it's better not to pick up a weapon,” Garush interjected. At a reproachful glance from Yelmalis, she waved it off. “But who am I to reject a sincere apology?” She took two steps toward Kiyoshi. “Please stand up.” When the young man complied and rose, she bent down and picked up his weapon. “Listen. I'm not as clever as Yelmalis, nor as eloquent as Dilae. I'm not as diplomatic as Tarik, and I'm not very good at intrigue either.“ She glanced briefly at Sekhemkare. ”I usually say what I think, and most of the time I say it quite loudly.“
Tarik suppressed a laugh. ”You might say that ...”
“Shut up, Signer,” growled the amazon before turning back to Kiyoshi. “So, I'll tell you straight how I see it: I believe you that your outburst happened due to your dragon blood. That's why I don't question your honor. But I do question your sanity, until I have a plausible reason to believe otherwise. You are with the Harmonium, I am with the Mercykillers. Our factions should work together, we should work together. If I wanted something else, we wouldn't have ventured forth together in the first place. And I think I speak for the others here as well.“
She looked around briefly and Yelmalis nodded matter-of-factly.
”That's true,” Tarik confirmed.
Dilae also made an approving gesture. “Yes, you could say that.”
Sekhemkare remained silent, which elicited a brief grin from Garush. “Well, Sek always speaks for himself.” Then she handed Kiyoshi his naginata. “I see that making you angry is not a good idea. The same goes for me. Make sure you point your weapon at our enemies in future. I would hate to have to cut off your head.”
The young soldier nodded seriously and took the weapon. “Thank you. Your generosity reaches to the stars and shames me. I will prove myself worthy of your trust.”
“Ha.” The amazon laughed raucously. “My generosity reaches at least to the boundaries of this Prophecy. And I don't know whether to honor or to curse it. By the way, I apologize for calling you Hardhead. I know you don't like it, but I think the nickname has a certain charm.”
Yelmalis was relieved at the turn of events and heard Tarik breathe a sigh of relief at his side. Everyone else seemed glad as well that the incident had not ended in more animosity or even violence.
Kiyoshi bowed his head to Garush. “I'm glad this problem has been resolved.”
“Me too,” said Naghûl. “By the way, we agree on one thing, Garush: the Prophecy. Although I'm slowly starting to think it's a curse.”
The amazon snorted in agreement. “I just wanted to carry out my duty with the Red Death, hunt down child killers and have a child myself before I die. And now this mess. Well, hard luck.”
“After some initial reservations, I started to deem the Prophecy quite appealing,” Yelmalis said with a sigh. “I'll think about it.”
Dilae shook her head. “You're a bit barmy, Yel.”
“Hey.” But he had to laugh at her remark, and she grinned.
“Alright, very clever and barmy. But all of you Guvners are nuts.”
Naghûl raised his index finger with a wink. “Negative emotions, be careful. They're amplified in the Abyss.”
“I've got something for that if necessary,” Tarik explained with a smile, whereupon Garush bared her tusks.
“You're staying out of our heads,” she said, half in jest.
Naghûl smiled, looked around, and took a deep breath. “Oh well ... There are experiences that you're only glad about much later.”
Yelmalis raised an eyebrow and looked at Dilae. “Who's barmy here now?”
“When in doubt, always the Sensate,” Sgillin interjected with a grin.
The dark elf laughed. “I think the mission might not be as bad as we first thought.”
Naghûl nodded to her cheerfully, but then became serious again. “Good, shall we split the two groups?”
“I'd like to stay here and translate the book,” Yelmalis explained quickly, so that there could be no doubt which task he wanted to take on.
“Wonderful, I don't,” the Sensate replied promptly, eliciting a smile from the wizard.
“I'll follow the honorable Naghûl-san,” declared Kiyoshi.
Lereia twitched her ears a little. “Unfortunately, I don't understand anything about arcane matters,” she stated. “So I think it makes more sense for me to go downstairs too.”
“Same here,” said Sgillin. “I think I'll join the group descent.”
“Then I'll stay up here and try to help Yelmalis translate the ancient text.” Jana took her little book and charcoal pencil out of her bag again. “I can take notes.”
Garush nodded contentedly. “Good, I'll go down too.”
Sekhemkare stepped next to Yelmalis. “I'll stay up here.”
The wizard was not surprised. The yuan-ti was obviously just as interested in the book as he was. And perhaps Sekhemkare's gift would prove useful with the tome; perhaps a helpful soul shred would reveal itself.
Tarik, however, seemed less happy with the Taker's decision. “I think, someone of us should go down with Garush,” he remarked.
“Go ahead,” Sekhemkare replied, unperturbed. “Feel free.”
Tarik looked at Dilae for help, who looked back just as helplessly.
“What do you think, Garush?” the dark elf then turned to the amazon.
“I think maybe I shouldn't take any of you down with me,” the half-orc replied in her direct manner. “Because I have this stupid feeling that it's going to be more dangerous down there than up here. And I don't want to lose any of you.”
Naghûl raised his eyebrows. “Very diplomatically put ...”
“I told you, I'm not very good with words,” the amazon replied gruffly.
“But you can't always fight alone,” Dilae objected. “That's not fair, and it's too dangerous.”
Garush bared her tusks once more. “But maybe that's my purpose.”
“The Huntress, of course.” The dark elf sighed audibly. “I'm going down with you.”
That left only Tarik to decide whether to stay upstairs or go downstairs. He seemed uncertain, so Yelmalis decided to help him make up his mind.
“I'd prefer if Tarik stayed upstairs,” he explained. “In case this book tries to do something to us, we might need his psionic abilities.”
The tiefling looked at him, perhaps surprised, perhaps relieved, or perhaps both. Yelmalis nodded slightly. Although the suggestion had the pleasant side effect of keeping Tarik close by, the wizard knew that it also made sense strategically.
Garush seemed to agree and nodded. “Yes, that makes sense.”
“Good,” Yelmalis replied. “I think with Jana's and my spells, Tarik's psionic powers, and Sekhemkare's abilities, we're pretty well prepared.”
“They are able to take care of themselves,” said Dilae. “I can confirm that.”
Naghûl smiled. “I have no doubt about that.”
“All right.” Garush looked around. “Dilae, Naghûl, Kiyoshi, Lereia, Sgillin and I will go down. Tarik, Yelmalis, Sekhemkare and Jana will stay up here.”
And so it was decided.