Moonday before dawn, Fireseek 3, 591 Common Year

That evening as Rain comes in to the guard post, the other squad members hail her as the reigning champion. She says to Sgt. Apone, “So, you still think I skipped by on luck?”

Sgt. Apone gives her an appraising look but can’t help grinning at her in the end. “You did good Rain. You did really good! Made us all proud! When it comes to knife fighting you are one clever little bitch.”

Once the watch is properly turned over, Sgt. Apone splits everyone up into patrols. Dale, Ferro, and Noch stay behind in the guard post for the first two hours. Rain, Aramek, and Kash are to go with him; while Vaskez, Drake, Frost, Hadsyn, and Hex make up the other patrol team.

“Okay Kash, take the lantern.”

“Aw sarge, why do I have to carry the lantern? Isn’t it Aramek’s turn?”

“Shut your pie hole Kash. Aramek needs his hands free for spell working, I shouldn’t have to tell you that again; and Rain deserves a break after her performance today. That means you’re on lantern duty.”

Kash grumbles but does as he’s told and gets the lantern lit and ready to go. Sgt. Apone checks on the others. Rain takes the opportunity, while the others are distracted, to whisper to Aramek, “So I am still looking into some suitable people to go with us. Fingol and Gar might be good; I wanted to see what you thought about letting them in on it. Also, I think I have found a way to slip out of the city unnoticed. But I need more time.”

As they patrol the cool foggy streets of Westkeep, Sgt. Apone and Kash continue to banter back and forth, as Rain and Aramek walk behind them.

Aramek whispers to Rain, when he’s certain no one else is paying attention, “Hmm, Fingol seems like a good choice, I agree. I still don’t trust that Gar, but I get the impression he and Fingol are a matched set.” Aramek smiles, saying, “I’ll trust your judgment on this, Rain. But be careful about this sneaking out of the city bit. I don’t want you getting into trouble.”

Kash looks back at Rain and Aramek whispering together and teases, “Hey, what are you two lovebirds going on about?”

Before either Rain or Aramek can retort, the sound of someone ringing a hand bell can be heard from a block away. It is either someone sounding an alarm, or a magical alarm going off. Sgt. Apone yells, “That way, hurry!” And it is then that Aramek and Rain realize that it is coming from the direction of Master Parwyn’s shop. Indeed, when the four of them turn the corner they can see and hear that it is indeed from the top floor of Master Parwyn’s shop that the alarm is coming from. They hear shouts from inside. “Bows at the ready!” shouts Sgt. Apone who then uses his tin whistle to call for the other watch patrol.

Aramek swiftly casts mage armor on himself. Aramek’s blood runs cold and the adrenalin hits him like a bolt of lightning. Readying a magic missile, he yells to no one in particular, “Master Parwyn’s storeroom alarm! We’ve got to help Master Parwyn!” Heedless of his own safety he rushes towards the door, yelling, “We’re coming Master, don’t worry. We’re coming.”

“Get back here you idiot! Have you forgotten your training?” yells Sgt. Apone futilely as Aramek races ahead of him and Kash towards the door to Parwyn’s shop and home. Kash raises the hooded lantern up high as they approach the door. The lantern casts shadowy light whereby they see that Parwyn’s shop door is already open.

Rain has her bow at the ready, arrow nocked, searching for a target to point out. As she was trained, she slips into an alley across the street with a view of the building so she can cover the others and spot anyone who might be trying to get away. Well ain’t this a pickle. You would think that Lady Sedara would have picked better burglars. Well, nothing I can do about that.

Sure enough, just before Aramek reaches the door, shouts from Master Parwyn (presumably) are heard from the loft over head and the blinds covering the loft window explode outward as a figure covered head to toe in black, except for a strip around the eyes, hurtles out of it and lands on the building opposite, clinging to the cornice. The black clad figure begins making mystic signs with its free right hand and recites words of power in a hollow sexless and ageless voice, even as it clings to the cornice with its left hand and its feet hold firm to the sides of the building. It is rapidly engulfed in a thick curtain of fog and disappears from view.

Aramek releases a magic missile at the figure. The bolt of crackling magical force disappears into the fog with a meaty thump, but it cannot be seen whether it actually hit the figure or did any substantial harm to it.

Rain fires her arrow then nocks another. Her arrow disappears into the fog and strikes the side of the building by the sound of it. The sound of hollow laughter echoes from all around. In just a few moments the fog thins again, and by the light of Kash’s torch, the squad sees that the figure is gone. Rain’s arrow had struck the wooden planking of the wall right where it had been. Rain moves out from cover to have a better view of the sides of the building that the figure jumped over to, hoping to find the target again. There is neither sight nor sound of it once the fog and laughter fade away.

Aramek does not hesitate but rushes in, calling the names of Master Parwyn and his wife.

Sgt. Apone shouts over to Rain, “Get under cover girl! Wait for the other patrol and make sure no one else enters or leaves this building!”

In response to Apone’s order Rain shouts, “On It!” and moves back to cover the building while waiting for the second patrol to arrive. She finds herself waiting outside alone in the dark of the night in the shadows of the alley across from Master Parwyn’s for several long minutes.

As Aramek races up to the second floor he sees that the hall is already lit up, someone has uncovered the everburning torches in the hallway and on the landing of the stairway leading up to the loft. The doors on the second floor are closed except for the door to Master Parwyn’s parents’ room, which is open just a crack. The older apprentice, Latih, is peeking out into the hall from that door, and Aramek can hear the younger Charl crying behind him. “Who’s there?” cries the fearful voice of Parwyn’s mother from within the room. From the loft he hears the faint crying of a woman, perhaps Gwen.

Aramek, running up the hall, calls out loudly to Latih and the others, “It’s me, Aramek, with the patrol. Shut the door and stay in there. I’m going up to the loft.” Then he calls out ahead up the stairway, “Mistress Gwen, Master! It’s Aramek! I’m coming with the patrol! Hold on!”

Aramek finally reaches the loft and to his great relief he sees Master Parwyn alive and well. He’s holding a frightened Gwen in his arms, trying to calm her down. The room is a mess. Aramek’s cot has been upturned, books lay scattered on the floor, Reece’s trunk has been opened and his clothes are also strewn about. The shutters are broken and their shattered remains are knocking against the window frame. The locked storage room is still locked, and the alarm spell has finally faded. Aramek notices that right by it a wand lies on the floor.

Aramek, gasping from his headlong rush up the stairs, rasps out, “Master! Mistress Gwen! Are you alright? Are you unhurt? What’s happened here? Don’t worry! Sgt. Apone and the rest of my team are coming now.”

As he realizes that his Master and Gwen are seemingly alright, he takes in the devastation of his room, noting the wand on the floor among the other detritus. He knows enough, even though his first thought is to pick up the wand, to wait for his fellow guards to come up the stairs. He thinks, Sgt. Apone is the experienced one among us and he will know what to do and how to go about getting some answers.

Sgt. Apone and Kash come bustling up the stairs, Sgt. Apone saying, “Alright, what’s going on here?” He gives Aramek a hard look, as though to say, ‘You should know better than to charge ahead like that!’ but all he says is, “We’ll talk later, you and I.”

Master Parwyn looks up and says to Sgt. Apone, “I think everything is okay. It seems a burglar broke into the shop downstairs and then came up here looking for more loot.” He spies the wand upon the floor and walks and scoops it up, then chuckles wryly. “It will take me awhile to cast a spell to identify this, and I’m too tired tonight, but I will not be surprised if this is a wand for detecting magic. Thieves sometimes use these to find things worth stealing, even though a proper wizard or sorcerer wouldn’t need a wand for such a cantrip. Apparently the wand led him up here to the storeroom, but he didn’t have the skill to bypass the alarm spell. I ran up here and scared him off, but he dropped this in his haste. Funny thing, actually, this is probably worth more by itself than anything he might have stolen from us since all the truly valuable items are in the storeroom.”

“You fool!” says Gwen snuffling. “That robber might have killed you! And what makes you think he won’t come back for that!”

Parwyn seems a bit sobered by that observation, but says, “Well, he didn’t anyway. With the good sergeant’s permission I’ll lock this up in the storeroom and figure out what it is tomorrow. I’m sorry about your room Aramek.”

Sgt. Apone’s eyes go wide a bit at this. “I see, so this is your room then? Of course. Kash, go on down and tell the others it’s all over. Search the shop below and make sure that the burglar didn’t leave anything else behind. If it’s any comfort to you, Master Parwyn, I’ll leave Aramek and a couple of the others here to clean up this mess and make sure the burglar doesn’t come back. Aramek, come here.”

Sgt. Apone pulls Aramek aside, and says to him, “Don’t you ever run off like that again. I know you were worried about Master Parwyn, but you could have gotten yourself killed, and you exposed the rest of us to danger. Your job is magical back-up, not point man. You provide long distance cover for the rest of us, and in turn we keep the bad guys off of you. Remember your training and listen to orders next time, or you’ll be earning a few stripes on your back. We’ll beat some sense into you if we have to. You got it?”

Aramek is truly chagrined. Especially since he knew better, but he’s never encountered this kind of thing before and he really was scared for Master Parwyn and his new family. Aramek responds, “I’m really sorry and I know you’re right. These people are like my family and I was just so scared for them that I forgot myself. I guess I really am pretty new at this ‘guard patrol’ stuff but I promise I won’t let it happen again.”

“See that you don’t,” says Sgt. Apone. “Now look around up here and see if you can find anything else the burglar may have left behind or anything else he may have taken. I’m going downstairs to find a couple of others to stay here and guard the place until the morning.” Sgt. Apone heads downstairs after Kash.

Parwyn and Gwen come over to Aramek. “You probably saved my life Aramek,” says Parwyn. “I heard the alarm and rushed upstairs as fast as I could, and the burglar was fumbling at the latch on the shutters. I thought he was going to leap at me when I came into the room, but then your whistles started blowing from the street. Whoever it was took a running start and then just leaped through the window. I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t come along when you did. We owe you much Aramek.”

“Yes Aramek, you are a blessing to this house,” says Gwen.

“Well, we’d better get downstairs and calm my parents and the apprentices down,” says Parwyn. Then Parwyn and his wife head downstairs. Aramek finds he is alone for the moment, in the shambles of the loft. After a quick search he finds that the statue and Reece’s journal are both gone.

Back out in the street, Rain hears the other patrol coming towards her, their lantern bobbing in the mist. Vaskez, Drake, Frost, Hadsyn, and Hex come into view. “Hey, what’s going on? Who’s there?” challenges Hex as the light of the lamp Drake carries reaches her position. “Oh, it’s you Rain. What’s this all about?”

Rain steps out of the alley in response to Hex’s hail and waves her free hand. As soon as she is sure that they see her she moves back into position to cover the building and responds, “We heard an audible alarm coming from Master Parwyn’s house there”, she points to the house, “and hurried over. Just as we got here a figure dressed all in black blasted out the upstairs shutters and jumped across the street to the rooftops above me. He then cast an arcane mist of some sort and disappeared within. Sgt. Apone, Aramek, and Kash went inside to investigate. Nothing has exited the building since. I am covering the building from here.”

Hex, and the others rush over to Parwyn’s shop and home, but before they can enter, Sgt. Apone walks out, with Kash, and motions for everyone to come over. Everburning torches are being lit up behind them in the shop. “All’s clear,” says Sgt. Apone. “It seems to have been a simple breaking and entering in the course of a burglary. The alarm and Master Parwyn scared the burglar off. No one was hurt, and the burglar got away. Whoever it was took a few poultices and tinctures from the shop level, then ransacked the loft, but doesn’t appear to have gotten away with anything too valuable.” He lowers his voice, “In fact, he left behind a wand of some sort, that Master Parwyn is going to keep for all his troubles – lucky for him; unlucky for the burglar, heh. Anyway, this is where Aramek lives, so I’m going to leave him and a couple more of you here to guard the shop in case the burglar comes back to fetch his wand, though I doubt that will happen. Do I have any volunteers to stay here and guard the shop with Aramek?”

Rain is absolutely mesmerized by the eloquence of Lady Sedara’s work. She even left behind payment for the damage done! Brilliant! Managing to keep a grin from showing on her face she responds to Sgt. Apone, “Yah, I’ll stay.”

Rain hears several titters behind her from the other squad members. When she turns to look, Hadsyn and Drake are grinning at her and Vaskez is glaring at them. Hex and Frost are pointedly ignoring the others. Rain fixes Hadsyn and Drake with the deadliest stare she can muster. They both shut up and quickly look away. Hex says, “I’ll stay with them.” Vaskez volunteers as well.

“Very well, the rest of you, we have a patrol to finish. Keep your eyes out for burglars. Let’s go.” With that, Sgt. Apone and the others head back out into the dark, now hopefully empty streets.

“Go on and check on Aramek, Rain. Vaskez and I will keep watch down here in the shop,” says Hex.

“Yes sir,” responds Rain, who then moves up to the loft to check on Aramek. On the way up she sees that the everburning torches have all been uncovered throughout the house. Through the open door of one of the rooms on the second floor, Rain sees that Parwyn, his wife, his elderly parents, and two young apprentices are inside talking and comforting one another.

In the loft she finds Aramek surveying the damage. Rain enters quietly and asks softly, “Is everybody ok?”

Aramek is both panicked and excited and urgently motions to Rain, softly telling her, “They’re gone. The thief took both Reece’s journal and the statue. This is serious and I’m even more convinced that we need to get out into the swamp to find out what happened to him!”

“Do you think that was his target? If so, you may be right; but still, I don’t see how we can slip away for at least a few days. I’m still working on the plan to get us out of the city cleanly”

Aramek takes a breath and smiles. “Of course, you’re right. I’m just upset about this. Please do what you can to help move this forward. Do you think it would help to have a talk with Master Parwyn?”

Rain smiles back, “That would probably be a good idea. Maybe he can shed some more light on the mystery of that statue and what is in the journal. I think it is time to come clean with your plan. Do you want to introduce me to them as well?”

As Rain responds to him, Aramek gets a serious look and then says, “Absolutely! You’re my friend, Rain, and I trust you. I want the master to know that as well. I want him to understand that, even though I have never met Reece, I’ve had a good opportunity to see into his heart. He’s a good man and someone I would be proud to have as a friend. I really want Master Parwyn to know that. I really want to find Reece and barring that, to at least find out what happened to him. Master Parwyn and Mistress Gwen deserve to know.”

Rain is deeply concerned about her friend’s seemingly blind faith in a man she has never met. This Reece guy could be a follower of some demon god for all we know. She tries to keep her worries from showing on her face and just smiles softly to Aramek and says, “Thanks Aramek, I appreciate that. And I am sure you are right. They deserve to know what has happened to their son.”

Aramek immediately says, “Let’s go see how things are. I want, at least, to introduce you to Master Parwyn and the rest of the family. If we can, we’ll let him know we’d like to speak with him privately at his earliest possible convenience.”

Going down to the second floor living quarters they find that Parwyn is closing the door to his parents’ room, while Gwen ushers the apprentices back to their own room.

Aramek walks up to Master Parwyn, with Rain in tow, and says, “Master, are you sure you’re alright? I know this has been a very upsetting incident for everyone. I would like to introduce you to my friend Rain.” Aramek gets a devilish smile and then says, “As you can see, she’s a member of the guard and befriended Snoop (who squeaks from Aramek’s pocket and sticks his head out) so it left me little choice but to also become friends with her.”

Aramek’s attempt at humor seems to put Master Parwyn somewhat at ease, as was Aramek’s intent. Parwyn says, “It is a pleasure to meet you Rain.

Rain steps forward slightly and responds, “And you as well milord Parwyn.”

“I think Sgt. Apone said that more of the Guard are downstairs as well,” continues Parwyn.

“Aye, the others downstairs are Hex and Vaskez,” Rain confirms.

Aramek then says, “Both Rain and I would like to speak to you in private about some things that I believe are important and connected to what just happened upstairs in my loft.” Then softly he says, “I believe it’s connected to your son’s disappearance.”

“If you wish to talk, I suppose now is as good a time as any. Let’s head back upstairs.” He calls after his wife, “Gwen, I’ll be back in a moment. I’m going upstairs to talk to Aramek and his friend from the watch.”

When Aramek and Rain get back up to the loft, a solemn expression comes over Aramek as he asks Master Parwyn to have a seat on his cot.

“Master, you remember when you told me that it was alright for me to look through Reece’s things?

“Sure,” replies Parwyn uncertainly, wondering where this is leading.

“I did so. And what I found leads me to believe that your son may still be alive.”

“What’s this you say!” exclaims the astonished Parwyn.

“From his journal I found out how terribly your family and all the other citizens of Westkeep suffered during the occupation by the Scarlet Brotherhood. It was terrible! Anyway, in the journal he mentioned an artist friend of his named Relikez, who apparently escaped during the surrender of Westkeep and then snuck back in to tell Reece that he had found a small outpost or shrine in the Hool Marshes and believed there may be a larger lost city in there. Master, your son didn’t just disappear. He and this Relikez intentionally left Westkeep for the swamp to find some power they could use to destroy the Scarlet Brotherhood. That was his last journal entry. However, I also found a small statue in the trunk. It was a small wooden statue wrapped in parchment of a skeletal being in a cowl and cloak holding a scythe. It looked as if it might have been a representation of Nerull, the ancient Flan god of death. And there was writing on the parchment as well, which I believe was also in Reece’s handwriting, saying that he believed the statue was Thanatos god of Thracia and wondering whether it was the power he was seeking so that he could call upon it from within one of his ancient shrines. His deepest wish was to overthrow the Scarlet Brotherhood.”

Parwyn does not at all seem happy to hear the name Relikez mentioned, but he listens in stunned silence.

“Master, the thief who broke in here was not looking for potions or anything else. I believe he got what he was after. Reece’s journal, the statue, and the parchment are all gone. Stolen! Those items are the only things missing from the break-in.”

Parwyn interrupts to say, “That is not entirely true. While you were up here with your friend, I went downstairs with Sgt. Apone and checked out the shop. Many tinctures and poultices were taken from there. And if my guess is correct, and that wand is for the detection of magic, then the thief simply grabbed anything that had an aura of magic. And remember, it was the arcane marks that drew your own attention to the journal and that trunk. You might be making more of this than is warranted. Still…” He ponders this new angle.

“Master, you and Mistress Gwen have really made me feel like part of the family and after reading Reece’s journal and seeing how he rose to the occasion, wanting to do something to save Westkeep – to save you all and drive out the Scarlet Brotherhood, I gained such great respect for him. I want to do something to find him. I just know I can and Rain is willing to help with the search. But I can’t do it without your blessing. Please allow me to do this for you and the mistress and your parents. I believe that Reece went into the Hool Marshes. With your help, we would have a legitimate reason to leave Westkeep and go there, ostensibly on an herb and flora gathering expedition. Please, Master Parwyn. Let us do this for you and for Reece.”

Parwyn stands up abruptly, a fierce look on his face. “Absolutely not! Not on your life – and have no doubt that it would mean your life. I always feared that wastrel Relikez would lead my Reece to his doom! And that is exactly what he did. My son may have had noble motives for once in his miserable life, but traipsing out into the Hool Marshes with that fool Relikez to seek the aid of a Flan death god…” He shakes his head in disgust. “My son is either dead, damned, or both! And I will not have you two innocents throw your lives away looking for him. Let this alone. Just let it alone. I thank you for your concern and your intentions are noble, but… Just leave it be. We will discuss this no more.” Parwyn heads swiftly to the stair, pauses to look back to say, “Again, a pleasure meeting you Rain.” Still speaking to her, he points to Aramek, “Keep this one safe and out of trouble.” Then, before another word can be spoken he heads down the stairs.

During Aramek’s summary, Rain had been quiet and listening until this point, not exactly standing at attention but semi-tense, ready to spring into action if the need required. She had also been periodically looking over towards the broken shuttered window as if daring another assailant to arrive. This of course was a total mockery since she was all too aware of who the assailant was and knew that she was long gone having served her purpose here. Yet, appearances need to be kept, she thought to herself with an inner smile. At Parwyn’s last comment directed to her she responds “Of course.” and offers a small smile. At least this sage makes sense, she continues her inner monologue. I really am not sure where Aramek got the idea these Reece and Relikez characters were just waiting out in the swamp to be rescued. Aramek may need more looking out for than I thought.

Aramek is completely stunned and unable to believe the depth of anger that has just welled up from Master Parwyn. He turns his stunned look to Rain and says, “Gods, what have I done, Rain? Am I crazy to think the break-in is somehow related to Reece’s going into the marsh? And who is this guy Relikez? Master Parwyn really reacted with anger when I mentioned Relikez. I know he wants me to drop this whole business and now we’ve lost him as a reason for going into the marshes, but I just know in my gut that Reece is out there. I want to find out more about this Relikez. There’s more going on here than the fact that Master Parwyn thinks this guy was just a reprobate and bad influence on Reece. Master has really deep anger about him and I want to find out what this guy Relikez was all about. What do you think, Rain? Am I crazy?”

Rain pauses for just a moment then responds, “Well, honestly, I think his anger is mostly out of concern for you. True, it certainly sounds like he is not exactly a supporter of Reece’s choice in friends though. I am sure there is much more to find out about Relikez, but the two of us marching out into the marshes with a few friends may not be exactly the way to solve it.” She pauses again for a few moments.

“Don’t take his anger too hard, Aramek. He seems an honorable man and is only showing his love for you. I think we should lay low for a little while before we continue this. Maybe you can find some more information about this Relikez guy. I would think there would be some kind of records about him, especially if he needed to sneak out of the city to begin with.”

Aramek looks at Rain and says, “Yeah, I believe you’re right. He really does treat me like I was his own kid sometimes. OK, let’s see what we can find out about this guy, Relikez.”

The rest of the night is spent uneventfully, Rain helping Aramek clean up the mess in the loft, and occasionally checking in on Hex and Vaskez or else the latter two checking in on them. Parwyn and his family have all returned to their rooms, perhaps to sleep, but the everburning torches are left uncovered throughout the shop and house until the morning.

The next morning, before turning in for some much needed rest, Rain is able to stop by the keep’s weapon-smith. There she picks up three extra daggers: two more for her belt and one for a pocket in her cloak. While crossing back over to the barracks she is intercepted by Lady Sedara in her guise as the lady-in-waiting named Lassi.

“Oh Rain, I’m so happy to have run into you,” Lassi says with a smile. “If you’re heading to the barracks I’ll walk with you a bit. I’m heading over that way to pick up the laundry.” Without turning her head she looks around to make sure no one is nearby to hear. “You did well last night. Everything went as planned. You and your friend Aramek are quite a team. I have bruises along my thigh here where his magic missile hit me. And if I hadn’t moved when I did, I’d still be pinned to that wall by your arrow. Either you forgot that it might be me or mine out there, or you trusted in our skills and wanted to make it look as real as possible with your shot. If it was the former you deserve a reprimand, if it was the latter I commend you.”

Rain merely smiles, by way of saying, ‘yah, I planned that.’

“Anyway, we have the journal and the statue. I think we had better discuss this later tonight with some of the other interested parties. Sometime after dinner I am going to send Sir Bodwyn around to find some volunteers to stand watch in the palace. Make sure you are there and that you are one of the volunteers. I believe that Aramek will also be sent for. We’re not letting him in on our arrangement just yet, but we do want him close by. Ah look, here we are. I’ll see you tonight.”

Rain responds offhand as she would to anybody she considers equal, “Ok, see ya later Lassi,” and enters the barracks.

Rain sticks to the barracks till her shift later that evening, playing the flute and just hanging out with anybody else there. She makes sure she is available later on to volunteer for Sir Bodwyn.