Hello, Everyone!
I hope you're doing well! Thank you for the lovely comments on my previous post! I am really, really thankful to have you reading and liking our D&D adventures!
It's time to continue Mary's story. In the latest chapter, our heroes finally finished all their work in Pamagos. They even met--and subsequently saved the life of--the country’s ruler Dynatos Perres. Now, they’re finally ready to go to Myth Adofhaer to investigate the mysterious undead attacks happening all over Eastern Erathos. Unless... something else happens first.
It was morning in Pamagos. The weather was beginning to get colder and colder as winter was approaching, and people were preparing for the change of seasons. Carts delivering tree logs crisscrossed the streets, warmer clothing perched on the shop windows, and all around, last-minute repairs were taking place before the first snow fell.
Mary had her nose stuck in a book in the common room of the tavern. Ever since her Patron gave her Dark vision and the ability to never sleep, she was able to get so much reading done! Currently, she was on a fascinating story about a collection of magical swords called 'The Teeth of the Dragon'.
Bruno and Aurum came down from their room and settled around the table, ordering some breakfast. They started talking about random nonsense and Mary quickly lost interest. Her book was way more interesting than the new mechanical toy Bruno was devising or the cute person Aurum had his eyes on.
“I’ve been thinking about that thieving bastard Jared,” Bruno said after a while, which attracted her attention. “He left very abruptly the morning before we got to his sister.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Paulina’s group went out in a hurry that same morning, too. What if they’re the ones Jared was with? What if he’s their new ‘employer’?”
“Oooh!” Mary gasped. “I hadn’t thought of that! Now that you’re saying it, it makes a lot of sense!”
“Let’s check,” Bruno said.
He went quiet and Mary recognized his Sending spell being cast. After a few moments he shook his head and laughed grimly.
“Yep. They’re together,” he said. “That piece of crap!”
“Ooh, can’t you tell Paulina to keep an eye on him?” Mary said.
"I will," Bruno said. "But she might not do what I say. Says he's paying them pretty well." He grumbled as everyone knew where those money came from. "You know what? I've got an idea."
He sniggered and motioned to send another message.
“That’ll teach him. I’m going to send him threats every day. And if I miss a day, I’ll apologize on the next and keep getting in his head.”
“Oh, yeah,” Aurum said. “That was quite annoying when you did it to me.”
“You ran away. You deserved it.”
“Plus, it wasn’t threats,” Mary said. “We were just worried about you.”
She went back to her book and her cup of tea.
A stranger’s voice took her out of her concentration and made her raise her head. The sound was grating and unsettling, like nails scratching on a closed door.
“Good morning,” it croaked. “May I join you?”
A man had approached their table. He was covered in a long dark cloak and his head seemed strangely bulged to one side. When he turned towards them, Mary gasped. His face… Half of it was just of a normal person, but the other was covered with shiny black scales. Among them, an eye was glimmering – bright green and terrifying. An eye just like that--but a lot bigger--had plagued Mary’s nightmares before she’d stopped sleeping. The man removed his hood and revealed a single black horn sticking out of the side of his head.
Mary’s head began to ring with the realization who this person might be working for. Her breathing quickened and she gripped her book so tight that her knuckles went white.
“Hello,” Aurum said calmly. "Who might you be?"
“Kalien, at your services,” the man said. “I’m glad to find you here. The Mistress is very happy with you.”
He reached into his cloak with an arm covered in black scales and ending with long yellow claws, pulled out a box and slid it on the table. Bruno was the one to open it. A huge diamond, the size of a walnut, lay there, reflecting the sunlight in a few glimmering specks on the nearest wall.
“Nurvureem is glad that you managed to keep your promise,” the man continued, pressing his monster and human hands together and smiling with a crooked, half-dragon smile. “Thanks to the success of your book, her influence has grown immensely. She’s much more powerful and fearsome now.”
He raised his hands into a gesture that looked almost like praying.
“She would like to meet you once more, to thank you in person… and discuss another book. This time just for her.”
Mary felt sick. Anger rose in her stomach and pounded in her head.
“No!” she almost yelled. “We won’t be taking this and we won’t be meeting her. There will never be another book about Nurvureem. Ever.”
“Ooh, erm,” Bruno cut her off before she could say anything more. “Forgive my friend Mary. It’s very early in the morning, she must be confused. We’ll take the diamond, thank you very much, and we’ll think about your mistress’ offer. Where might we find her if we decide to accept her invitation?”
“After Miss Windfiddle’s book made the Lady famous, we ended our… relations… with the duergar, and moved to a better location,” Kalien said. “Nurvureem’s currently residing in the foot of the Teeth. She’d be very happy to see you there. You can find her in the mountain swamp, just a day’s travel from Meraket.”
“We will not be going,” Mary said again.
“We’ll think about it,” Bruno stressed. “Thank you for your offer.”
“No, thank you,” Kalien said and went out of the tavern, just as creepily as he’d appeared.
“We won’t be going, Bruno!” Mary said with a voice trembling with anger. “We won’t give her that satisfaction! Why did you have to take that diamond?!”
“Well, you could have abstained from telling all that to the creepy guy,” Bruno said. “Don’t you get it? A diamond from a monster is still a diamond. We can utilize it for something beneficial to us. Do you want Nurvureem to use that thing for something nasty instead?”
Mary didn’t answer. She took her cup with hands still shaking from the encounter and took a long sip from her tea. She needed to calm down!
Oh, my! So much angst! Our dear Mary is adamant that she'll never have to face Nurvureem ever again. But I wouldn’t bet on it :D Our DM is sure to think of some way to include our favourite villain in the story again.
By the way, I love how the drawing of Kalien turned out. It’s just the right amount of creepy!
Hope you like it! Have a wonderful day! See you in the next episode.
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide and the Glossary for the series. You're welcome!)