The temple was near the center of the city, just off the main street, a building of myriad colors and architectural styles ant to reference all of the different gods and goddesses. There were dos of blue, columns of deep burgundy, and rich green walls interspersed with murals of the gods and their servants performing heroic acts. The entire building was surrounded by a garden of old growth trees that looked to be older than the city itself. It was toward those trees that Kyren walked.
"I had assud you’d want to worship at Sidi’s shrine inside?" I asked her.
"Sidi’s shrine is the trees, Sevald. She’s the goddess of what is ancient and wise. They represent both of those aspects of her, so they act as her shrine here."
"Ah," I said, escorting her to the edge of the treeline. A small group of older won tended to the trees with occasional bows of their heads. A few sat in a circle holding hands and humming softly.
"Is it normal for the priests of Sidi to be so...aged?" I whispered.
Kyren laughed. "It is. Most of her worshippers are converts from other patrons or those who found faith later in life. I’m the youngest of her worshippers that I’ve ever t."
We walked a short way farther into the garden before an old woman, senior even to the others in the shrine, gestured at Kyren.
"Ah, that’s Mother Suthben. She doesn’t like to talk to people who aren’t within the faith. How about you go on to the shrine of Dur and we’ll et back up at the tavern."
"Works for . Have a nice visit."
She smiled. "Thank you, Sevald. You, too."
I made my way into the temple proper. I passed Jeiri worshippers in the corner playing dice, a young man laying out flowers for Nevier, the god of love, and two young won making offerings of blood at the altar of Krish, the war goddess. Eventually, I ca upon the most orderly shrine, that of Dur.
It took up an entire corner of the temple. Colored light from a stained-glass image of a scale fell over orderly rows of pews in which sat rchants, businessn, and those who worked in law. They spoke, made deals, and settled differences in this holy place ant to represent fairness and justice. Dur’s worshippers tended to believe themselves people of good judgnt and reason. This, of course, was often not the case at all. Based on the mories I had of religion, people typically chose their gods based on what they wanted to be or appear as rather than what they actually were.
I approached the altar at the end of the shrine. It was manned by a single diator, as the priests of Dur called themselves. I approached it as Sevald would have and kneeled, placing a single hand on the symbol of a scale carved into it. I then waited what seed the appropriate amount of ti to offer a silent prayer before standing.
"Would you care for a blessing?" asked the diator.
"Yes, thank you," I said, defaulting with the choice that seed the most normal to make.
The diator held out a hand. I regarded it for a mont before he coughed. I handed him a gold piece, and it quickly vanished into his robes. He then closed his eyes and placed a single hand on my right pauldron. He began muttering under his breath, and his hand glowed.
It…burned. I had to restrain myself from squirming or striking the diator out of reflex. After a few monts, he removed his hand, leaving feeling singed where it had been.
"There you go. May you walk tall in the light of Lord Dur… Tips are not necessary, though they are appreciated."
I regarded him with a passive look from my faceplate, wishing I was capable of scowling. Then I brushed past him and headed back toward the shrine of Sidi to check in with Kyren.
Holy energies hard . I’d always assud they were dangerous; it was the only type my master had avoided, after all, but I’d never experienced them myself. It felt similar to the damage I’d sustained fighting the goblin leader. The pain was the sa, but it had a different flavor to it.
I entered Sidi’s garden but could see no sign of Kyren. One of the shrine attendants approached .
"Are you Sevald?" she asked. I nodded. "Kyren is engaging in a purification ritual. She received so unpleasant news and is seeking to remove the miasma it brought her."
"What happened?"
"It’s not my place to say. She told to tell you she would et you at the Flagon."
"Well, thank you."
I left the garden and started making my way through the streets in what I believed was the direction of the harbor. After so ti passed without recognizing a single landmark, I realized I was lost. My only experience navigating had been the confines of a dungeon and a village that my first al had been raised in his entire life. I had absolutely no idea of how to navigate in a city.
I picked a direction, deciding that if I just walked straight long enough, I’d eventually find the outer wall and could follow it to the docks.
After a fourth turn down an alley, I sensed sothing. Farther along, behind two barrels, were two n lying in wait, clubs ready in their hands to brain an unwary passerby. I could easily dispatch them, but I had a better solution.
"I think we’re lost, Byn." I used Sevald’s voice.
"No, we’re not. We just have to go down a little ways farther," I answered in Byn’s voice.
"Will we even get there in ti?" Syven’s this ti.
"We will. They’ll wait on our bounty. We slew three trolls for them, after all. It should be obvious that missing our eting would be hazardous to their health." Pebble’s now.
"That’s true. I still can’t believe you managed to cleave the big one’s head off in one strike, Syven." Sevald’s.
"Ah, it’s a gift. Besides, the way you fired that arrow through the second one's head…now that was truly masterful." Syven’s.
"Ah, thank you. Let's be honest, though. Byn and Pebble ripping off the last one’s arm and beating him to death with it, now that was truly impressive." Sevald’s again.
With that last colorful statent, I sensed the muggers making a hasty but quiet retreat. That would save a scuffle and possibly save them their lives.
* * *
It was night by the ti I reached the docks. They were crawling with sailors looking to spend their pay on food, ale, and company. Quite a boisterous crowd, but they gave a wide berth as I worked my way through them.
The Carp’s Flagon was in a seedy area of an already seedy part of the city. Wharf rats scurried about, and old beggars slept dangerously close to the water. The Flagon itself was lit, and sounds of revelry could be heard even at a distance. The tavern’s sign was of a bright red fish whose head was completely inside a silver flagon. It wasn’t as clever as the sign for The Thirsty Tree, but with the crowd it attracted, simplicity was likely key. I imagined Kyren and Stone were already well into their cups and Hrig might be, as well, though I doubted they had a serviceable wine.
I entered the tavern and took a mont to adjust to the sights and sounds of it. There were n playing cards in one corner, so singing a particularly bawdy song about a rmaid with a fish head and a woman’s legs at the bar, and a boisterous crowd at a center table that seed incapable of speaking at a volu lower than that of a screaming seabird. What wasn’t there were my companions. I approached the bar.
"What’ll you have?" asked the bartender, a greasy-looking man with narrow features.
"Well, actually, I was looking for my frien—"
"I only help paying custors."
"I’ll have an ale, then."
"One gold, please."
"A gold? You charge a gold piece for a mug of ale here?"
"Only for people who have questions."
I mimicked a sigh and handed him a piece. I shouldn’t have questioned it to begin with; it was not like I needed money. Stone must’ve been rubbing off on . The bartender filled a mug with ale and handed it to . It tasted watered down, but I feigned a hefty sip to help get his guard down. Kyren had told once that bartenders didn’t trust people that don’t drink.
"Yer friends, what do they look like?"
"One is small and wears simple white clothes, with a plain face and dark hair. Her ears are slightly pointed. The other woman is larger than most n, muscular, with blond braids and a nose that’s been broken at least once. The last is a dwarf with a mix of grey and white hair. He would have made a point to argue what you charge for drinks here."
"Ah, I rember them. You’ll want to speak with that gentleman over there." He pointed at a man sitting at the corner of the bar.
"Can’t you just tell where they went?"
The bartender shook his head and pointed again at the man at the corner.
I approached him and sat in a stool to his right. He turned around and regarded with a warm smile. He was tall, a head taller than Hrig at least, and lean. He had rust-colored hair and wore a scarlet tunic with black pants and boots. His hair was tied back in a queue, and he wore spectacles with darkened lenses.
"Hello, Sevald. How are you?" His voice was deep but had a kind of raspy quality to it.
"I’m fine, ser. I’m afraid you have at a disadvantage?" I held out my hand for him to shake. He ignored it.
"Well, that’s excellent. I prefer to et people that way." The corner of his mouth twisted upward. "My na is Talen. I’m a friend of Stone."
"Ah, well, it’s nice to et you." I retrieved my hand. "How do you know Stone?"
"We used to work together. I got him out of so trouble awhile back."
"Do you know where he is?"
"I do, but it may be easier to discuss if it was sowhat quieter."
"Should we go outside?"
"That won’t be necessary."
Talen snapped his fingers. The noise in the room imdiately stopped. The singing ceased, the card players dropped their hands, and the boisterous group in the center went silent. The entire tavern then quietly left the room. The bartender placed a bottle of gin on the table along with an empty glass in front of Talen. Talen grabbed his hand and muttered sothing I couldn't quite make out, but the words “playing gas within mine” and “your family” had enough emphasis on them that I got the idea. The color drained from the bartender, and before he left, he slid my gold piece back to with a trembling hand. Talen's genial expression never shifted during the exchange.
"That’s better, isn’t it?"
Even with my limited understanding, I could tell that the tone of the eting had shifted considerably.
"My friends, where are they?"
"They’re my guests, and it’s my preference that you join them."
"Have you taken them prisoner?"
"In a taphorical sense, yes."
"And in a literal sense?"
"Also yes."
"What do you want?"
His smile widened at the question. "Money, power, and loyalty. Just those three things."
"I an, what do you want with my friends?" My tone slipped into sothing more aggressive. I could tell this was a man who enjoyed his own cleverness, but I didn’t have the patience to indulge him.
"I want to use them to make a bit more money and accrue a bit more power. I want to use you, too. That’s why I decided to et with you personally. Though initially, you were ant to be brought to by a couple of my n. They seed to have lost their nerve, though."
"Go on," I said, wishing he would get to his point. Talen’s manner of speaking reminded an unfortunate amount of my master.
"Stone owes for the jam I got him out of a few years ago. He owes his life, in fact. This is his opportunity to repay that debt."
"Why not simply ask him? Why all this skullduggery?"
"Because this is how I prefer to do business, and I wanted to make sure he understood the stakes. I wanted to make sure all of you did."
"How is he going to repay you?"
"By convincing you and your friend Hrig to fight in a little illicit tournant I’m putting together. While you and she do that, he and your other companion will be helping to put an end to my last competitor here in Cirros."
I didn’t hesitate to answer. "I’ll do it. I’m sure my companions have already agreed, as well. I also assu that if any of us refuse, you’ll likely have us killed."
I could likely fight my way out of the city alone, but I had no idea where my companions were and whether or not they had knives at their throats.
"Oh, yes, it would be quite likely, I think."
"I have a final question, though."
"Go ahead."
"Why et with alone? Couldn’t you have just t with the rest of my companions?"
"I suppose I could have, but I wanted to et you after I had my people dig into Stone’s little party’s background. You seed... interesting." He gave another wide smile. A chill ran through my essence as he did. "Anyway, let's return you to your friends, shall we?"
He poured himself so gin and gestured with the glass toward the door.
Outside the Flagon was a simple black carriage. I climbed in, and Talen waved it on. Before I lost sight of him, I watched another man erge from a nearby alley to stand at his side. He was gigantic, taller than Talen and even more heavily muscled than Hrig. He wore a black cloth over his eyes and simple dark gray clothes otherwise.
I lost sight of them when the carriage rounded a corner. I settled in, grateful that at least this ti, my companions and I would be prisoners together.
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