Of Ruminski and Krimp....
Having fled the city of Old Timiro, Ruminski and Krimp travel cross country towards the Old Kingdom Mountains. Behind they leave Nestor and Devin to their fate at the hands of Old Timiro's authorities.
They successful avoid any large towns and military outposts until they reach the foothills of the Old Kingdom Mountains. Krimp's years as a hunter for the Eastern Arm tribe makes him invaluable to his domestic Kobald companion. After weeks of travel they find a shallow cave on the edge of the mountains that seems safe to occupy.
Krimp does most of the hunting during the next few weeks, while Ruminski visits the local trade routes in hopes of gathering any information that may tell them the condition of their friends left in Old Timiro.
Ruminski does hear some news from the traders moving through the Timiro Kingdom. He hears a few bardic songs that have come out of the ancient city. The first one spoke of a werewolf in Old Timiro that killed a bar maid and a dozen honest local working class men. Though the story is embellished there is enough info in the song to be sure it is about Nestor and his fight with the slavers. At the end of the song the brave city guard is said to have slew the beast. So whether Nestor is a live is still uncertain.
The second poem comes down the trade road months later. It tells of a brave band of adventures that recently went into the Old Kingdom Mountains and saved the world from an evil death cult. The poem centers on Sir Landon, an elf of great skill with a long bow. Ruminski is not familiar with any elven knights but realizes that the death cult must have been the same one that the snake woman spoke of back in the sewers of Old Timiro. When Ruminski relays this story to Krimp is shocked to hear that Landon was an old traveling companion of Krimp, Devin, and Nestor.
After a routine hunting trip, Krimp returns to the cave limping. Ruminski fears the worse but Krimp assures him it is only a sprained ankle. Ruminski would not normally ask for a miracle for such a minor injury however out here in the wild, a minor injury can be detrimental to survival. The pious Kobald leans over Krimp and begs Kormath to heal him. Ruminski quickly discovers that his connection to Kormath has been severed. Not knowing the source of Kormath’s displeasure Ruminski begins a strict regiment of prayer, fasting, and penance.
Months later…. Ruminski still has had no communication with Kormath. Krimp has had to rescue his Priest friend twice from severe asceticism and almost force feed him to keep him alive. Finally after months of hiding in the wild, the young kobald cleric, now in a malnourish and sleep deprived state, stands and announces they must return to Old Timiro, to the Temple of Dragonwright, and try to find their friends Devin and Nestor.
Of Devin...
Devin is taken to the Tower of the Warlock’s Guild. Since warlocks consider one another kin it is customary in Old Timiro to allow the Warlock’s Guild to manage any warlock that has committed a crime. The Guild Master is a rugged half-Ogre Earth Warlock. He stands just outside the open door way to Devin’s anti-magic cell. “Not wise to lie to the Sheriff. They say he can smell you sweat and hear your heart beat faster when you lie. Well, what’s done is done. The city judge will try you in three days. Your friend, the wolfen, will probably be executed and you will have an extensive sentence of servitude. Goodnight, brother.”
Devin went before the Judge. The Judge was a bent and angry old human who had a hard and unforgiving face. They didn’t even ask him any questions. The sheriff brought in witnesses to recreate the events. Then he gave his synopsis of what really happened. Devin thought it was extremely accurate considering he wasn’t there.
Devin pleaded for the release of his friend Nestor and offered banishment as a perfectly acceptable punishment. The judge only responded with “Guard! Restrain the prisoner." The judge sentenced Devin, due to his magical abilities, to city labor, repairing roads, buildings, and other city projects, for undisclosed amount of time.
Suddenly a representative from the Warlock’s Guild stood up to address the court, Devin’s heart lifted. He thought “what will his fellow warlocks say in his defense, how lucky was he that the warlock’s guild was so benevolent, how much pull did they have with the judge, and could they save Nestor too?”
He hears the warlock say, “Your honor, this elf is a powerful warlock of the earth and now a dangerous criminal involved in a multiple homicide. You can not leave him in the hands of the city guard. The warlock’s guild will be willing to offer a hand full of warlocks powerful enough to ensure this elf’s cooperation… at a nominal cost to the city.” With the pound of a gavial the deal was done. Devin was carted off to his anti-magic cell, still stunned at the fact that the warlock’s guild had used his misfortune to pad their treasury.
Months later… Another morning, Devin is escorted from his cell to the room of summoning. The minor fire elemental is brought forth into the material realm. The four Fire warlocks that act as Devin’s guards entertain themselves through out the day with “fire” humor. The elemental looks bored and a little irritable. Devin begins his day exhausting himself by magically repairing the city.
The months have gone by and he has heard nothing of Nestor except the sad dirge about the Werewolf of Old Timiro. The song is an embellishment on Nestor and his fight with the slavers. Devin is a little disappointed that he and his contribution to that deadly brawl were not found song worthy, “Oh well…”
That night he is returned to his anti-magic cell. Devin marvels at how quickly he has become accustomed to being used as a tool that at the end of the day is placed back in it’s shed.
Of Nestor...
There is no day or night here... The darkness and the silence.... Still his hands are bound behind his back… Still the mussel is on his mouth.... Still the shackles are on his feet… It has been weeks.
The only measure of time is once every twelve or fifteen hours the opening of the flap at the base of the door and pouring of gruel into his bowl. A single bowl of gruel… at first he didn’t want to eat it… then when he got hungry enough ….he couldn’t move to the bowl fast enough… not as fast as the rats or the bugs… now he is proficient… and sometimes has his gruel with a side of rat.
Months later…. In and out of consciousness... “It took weeks to get over that fever… not as long as the last one”, he thinks. He dreams of the Great Northern Wilderness… He wakes to night terrors of undead lurking in the shadows of his cell… More gruel…
Weeks later… The door is opening. The light is bright from the torch. An elf? Is it Devin?
“Oh man! Look at you, Nestor!” the voice is familiar but it couldn’t be… “It’s me, Landon! Your old brawling buddy! I’m a knight of the realm now! Rich too! I bought that bar where you killed that lady! I wanted you to come work for me, as a bouncer for my bar! But I got a bit of a reputation because of my dueling so they won’t release you to me. I made provisions for you to be released. You won’t be free but you won’t be in here. They will come for you in four days.” He bangs on the door, “Guard! Let me out he is trying to eat me! Ha, Ha, Ha, Just kidding! Good bye, ole friend.”
A dream… it must have been a dream….
To be continued…
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