Nautkia, and the South

[Graybeard]

Leofric didn't have time to answer before the other man in the room took action. "FORCE BOLT!"

A beam of green magical energy shot out from the man's outstretched fingers and engulfed the mad dog in mid-stride. When the bolt cleared, only a scorched spot on the path remained. The thunderclap left the people in the cottage stunned for a moment, but it passed quickly.

Leofric let out air like a leaking dirigible. "Well done, Ledos," he breathed to the younger man, who was now puffing heavily. "Go lie down. You've earned it." Ledos nodded and staggered to the back of the cottage, followed by Antoni, who was sobbing.

The complex of emotions playing across Leofric's face as he turned to address Lillith almost defied description, but none of them were good. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I should have told you that things were ... awkward ... with Antoni. We picked him up at home, when we first opened a greenhouse there, very much like this one. As you can see, he has certain ... aberrant ... features. One of them is that he can cause fatal illness with a touch. It only affects animals, not plants, and it's not communicable, at least not directly, although it still would have been very bad if that dog bit anyone. This little 'skill' turns out to be useful in our business as a result; we just let him walk around in the greenhouse after closing time, and we don't have to worry about insect pests in our plants. But sometimes he forgets himself. Poor thing; he means well, truly he does. Ledos has been very good with him. They've been together ever since we met them. He has his own ... oddities, but nothing we can't deal with."

He paused, noticing the look on Lillith's face. "So ... are you still sure you want to help us?"

[Drannin]

Argus just stared. Now there was no panther. With a snarl, Argus hurled the wooden spear through a nearby tree. Let travelers figure THAT one out. Well... he'd probably just wind up using the wood, anyway.

"Harker, we need to hurry up; I think that cat might have teleported out somehow. We need to finish what we're doing and be as far away from this hellhole as possible by nightfall. I'm damn sick of smugglers."

Harker nodded. "Interior's as good as it needs to be, and there's no reason to go overboard on the exterior. Might as well just finish things up, boss." Mage and familiar set to work, not noticing a small insect crawling on the very tree trunk Argus had just speared. About one centimeter away from said spear, in fact. And said insect happened to look rather horrified at what had almost happened.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Nice catch. That was exactly what was intended.]

The Egbert-yellowjacket hurtled through the woods, heading back where he had come from.

"Wonder what that was about?" Brother Miguel asked as he waited for the big cat to return.

Sister Rose thought about it for a minute. "Shrewd tactics, actually. Cats move stealthily, and nothing around here is going to mess with a panther. He's probably as secure in that form as in any he could manage. Think about it: would you want to tangle with a predator like that?"

"Point." Miguel resumed the vigil, but only a few minutes later, he and Rose were startled, as the unseen yellowjacket landed at the door to the underground passage and turned back into a very fatigued Father Egbert.

"Where did he come from?" Rose marveled. "I didn't know he had teleportation skills. Anyway, we don't have time to waste. Let's get -- what?"

In fact, they didn't have time, period. Egbert wrenched the door open and staggered into the passage. The door slammed behind him.

"Well, damn," Miguel said glumly. "Looks like we're going to have to go in after him..."

[Sareth]

He's an errant, he's an errant, he's an errant... The chorus beat through Lillith's mind. It was a song of terror and fear, and resigned sadness. Errants were why half-elves were hunted, they were the curse that hung over the entire race like a storm cloud.

A small, dark part of Lillith's soul whispered "Get out. Get out and let the elf have them."

"Y... Yes..." she whispered. "I'll still... Does his touch effect people?" She stared after the simple man whom fate had dealt such a cruel fortune.

[Graybeard]

"We don't know," Leofric answered. "It doesn't affect Ledos, at least. As for the rest of us ... well, we just don't let him touch us." He paused for a moment and let Lillith consider the implications of a man whom no one but his partner would touch, then relented. "Come on, people. Let's get gathered up."

----------

"This is probably the best chance to reach him that we'll have," Sister Rose opined, moving out of concealment. "He's pretty worn out, shouldn't be capable of any more spellcraft for a while. Let's go."

Brother Miguel looked dubious. "From what we've heard, he might have that kill-with-a-word power that the Hamael boy had. Are you sure you want to do this?"

That hauled her up short. "Point," Rose said. "I don't think he'd use it on us ... but I would never have thought he'd go AWOL, either. Thing is, what can we do about it?"

Miguel thought, thought some more. "I don't like any of the answers I'm coming up with. It might be something that he can't do until he recovers some energy, but I wouldn't want to stake our lives on it... Okay, let's do this. Let's put every Protection and Warding spell we can think of on that door, then wait for him. Maybe if we even Ward the door, he'll have to spend some energy getting rid of the Ward so he can open it. And then ... talk to him, I guess."

Rose grimaced, but nodded her head. "I haven't had any better ideas. Let's get at it." They walked carefully and quietly over to the concealed entrance and started to cast.

"One thing," Miguel panted when they were done. "I really hate to say this, but ... Egbert knows you a lot better than he knows me. Would it be ... unchivalrous ... of me to suggest that you, not I, should be the first person that he sees when this door opens? I really don't think he'd use this power, if he has it, on you; me, I'm not so sure about."

He's scared, Rose thought, quite accurately. But he's also right. Egbert and I have been through a lot together, more than he and Egbert have. And besides ... Miguel has Marilyn to go back to. I ... don't have Kenny. "It's a deal," she said, "but you're going to owe me a good dinner for this, if we get out of it alive." She smiled weakly as they settled in to wait.

[Viking-Sensei]

Sasha was staring down the barrel (so to speak) of the magical elven sword drawn on her, in a bit of a classic three-way "Southern Continent Standoff". She had the fairy, whatever it was, in smooshing range, although she suspected it probably wouldn't be that simple... the elf wanted her dead, but wanted the fairy safe, and the fairy presumably wanted Sasha for something and not to be smooshed... stalemate. Any one of them makes a move, the other's got a perfectly good counter.

"It's a draw. You back off a couple feet, I'll let go of the sprite."

"Let go of the sprite and I'll back up a couple feet. That sounds fair."

They both slowly started to back off, and after a couple false starts, they eventually wound up on either side of the tree. Sasha released Compassion, who hovered indignantly and smoothed out her dress and hair. "Elf, I order you to leave this half-elf alone."

The elf squinted, looking at Compassion now that she was released. "Yeah, like I'm taking orders from you." The elf drew her sword. "See, I got the call from another Elf working this area that there was a major cluster of Errants on the move and have just sprinted across half of Veracia to get here... and not only do I find a half-elf asleep under a tree, but now you... a Paedagogusi, back after all this time. Not everyone took so kindly to your departure, you know. The Elves have been through so much without you around to guide us... and there's a lot of people back home who'd love to ask you some very... pointed... questions. People who are less than impressed."

"Leave the fluttery thing alone." Sasha said stepping forward. "If you've got business with anyone, it's me."

"And thank you for reminding me." The elf said, taking a full swing at Sasha with the magical glowing sword... as it came down on her shoulder, all the magic drained out of it, leaving a fragile crystal wand that she caught handily and snapped.

"Oh, by the way... those don't work on me." Sasha said, dropping down and planting both feet into the elf's chest. Before the elf woman could get up and unsheath her backup weapon, Sasha was on top of her, bringing the jagged sharp edge of the broken magical crystal sword dangerously close to the elf's eyes. "And I should probably mention that I've trained with elves, learned how they fight."

Compassion buzzed around Sasha's head. "Yes! Do it! Kill the elf, fulfill your destiny, complete the circle! Take from them what they took from you and so many others!"

Both Sasha and the unnamed Elf looked at Compassion. "You're... really a crappy fairy, aren't you? Is 'Compassion' supposed to be some sort of ironic thing?"

"I... never met the Paedagogusi..." the elf said, struggling under Sasha. "But from the records, I don't think you're-"

Compassion dove-bombed the elf, landing a punch to the face that looked (and sounded) like it hit a lot harder than any micro-sized creature like her should have been able to deliver. The elf's head hit the ground with a resounding whack, and her eyes rolled back into her head.

"Did... did you kill her?" Sasha asked, looking down at the prone figure under her. "I wasn't... I mean..."

"Don't worry, she's just knocked out. Any elf can heal from that. In fact, if we don't act quick, she'll probably be up and after you again in a couple of minutes... and now that she knows you're immune to the duras-style weapons, next it'll be the decidedly sharp real swords that she uses. I think I can slow her down, though... can you help me drag her to the bushes?"

Sasha taking one arm and Compassion taking the other, the two of them pulled the elf off into the greenery alongside the road. Compassion was, as Sasha suspected, proving to be decidedly more sturdy and stronger than her size would give away. "What are you going to do, exactly?"

Compassion landed on the elf's face and kissed her on the lips... granted, the elf could easily have bit Compassion's head off, given the size difference, but still... a white aura became visible around the elf, glowing faintly, becoming more pronounced as it siphoned off into Compassion's tiny body. After a few long seconds, she broke the embrace, and both of them stopped glowing.

"What the hell was that?"

Compassion buzzed up to Sasha's level. "I just took some of her excess elven magical energy. She'll regenerate it, over time, but for right now she's de-powered... so no magic... no automatic healing... no immortality..."

"What was that last part?"

"It's not important. What is is that we need to get going... now. I've got an important celestial occurance to see to, and you've got a destiny to fufill... your friends are nearby, and in grave danger. Again."

[Graybeard]

"Come on, people, let's move," Leofric said, impatience growing in his voice. "From what Lillith tells us, that boat is due in about an hour and a half, and it'll take us an hour to get there." He turned back to Lillith. "There's a very well hidden, and very indirect, cart path down to Smuggler's Cove that your wagon should be able to take. However, we have to go a long way away from town and the temple to get to that path. We'll show you how to get there."

Lillith was about to respond when Antoni staggered back into the living room. "I-I-I have d-d-decided not to g-g-go," he said, pain in his face mixed with determination. "I'm n-n-nothing but trouble. L-l-let me cover your escape. If the elf gets me, then at least I won't make anything sick any more." His stammer subsided as he became more forceful about what he was saying, Lillith noted, but the pain looked worse and worse...

Leofric shook his head. "Not an option. We're all in this together." Ledos, who'd joined them looking absolutely horrified, nodded gravely at this declaration. Leofric continued, "Now get packed and we'll hit the road. And Antoni, you are definitely coming with us ... aren't you?" But his voice tailed off from his usual commanding presence as he said the last part, and he was looking at Lillith out of the corner of his eye.

[Sareth]

Lillith sucked in her breath. She didn't notice that she was being watched, or even really that Leofric's voice had trailed off in a questioning manner. Her attention was on Antoni. And his offer.

He's an errant. He's dangerous. He could kill us all. And here he is asking to stay, to leave us, to not burden us.

He'll distract the elf. She'll find him, and prevent him from causing any further harm. While she's doing that, we can slip away and escape. He'll buy us time while ridding us of the risk he represents. It would be a noble sacrifice. Everyone would benefit, even the elf who would be able to gloat at ridding the world of another half elf.

Say no say no say no saynosaynosaynosayno...

"The Goddess loves you like any other of her children," Lillith said. "Would you throw away the breath of life she breathed into you in your mother's womb? Would you toss that aside to satisfy the lust for blood of someone who doesn't appreciate that each and every one of us is precious?" Lillith shook her head. "Come, get in the cart, and embrace the life She has given you."

[Graybeard]

Leofric nodded gravely. "You are your mother's daughter," he said, "and that is high praise. Come, let's get on the road. Travel light; our belongings can follow us later. And Antoni ... remember to wear your gloves this time."

--------

"I hope Argus is all right," Sister Rose said. "We haven't heard from him for long enough that I'm getting worried."

"Want me to check on him?" Brother Miguel asked. "If I have my times right, it's about an hour and a half until the boat is due. I don't think Egbert will be going anywhere soon."

Rose considered. "Might be a good idea. But hurry. We need to be ready when Egbert does wake up and come out."

Miguel followed the path the panther had taken not long before, as Rose sank back into hiding, with a clear view of the door to the tunnel. He had just reached the edge of the forest when there was an exultant shout from somewhere within, in a voice he'd come to recognize.

Well, either Argus just finished the decoy, or there was a nubile young woman in this forest that he's been having his way with ... no, get that out of your mind and back to business, he thought.

---------

"Message for Captain Kankaniel," a uniformed figure from the Lorenzel Harbor Authority shouted as he arrived at the fast boat.

Lucy Kankaniel paused in her final preparations to sail. What's going on here? She'd carefully paid off a certain highly-placed figure in the Harbor Authority so that they wouldn't look too closely at her timetables, and anyway, as far as the Lorenzelites were concerned, hers was a perfectly legitimate shipping operation that specialized in exotic native arts and crafts, with the shipping certificates to prove it.

The really profitable stuff, of course, was all handled downstream, well away from Lorenzelites' prying eyes.

Puzzled, she took the envelope, remembering to tip the man; she could afford it, and it never hurt to keep good relations with those people. The letter within was on Harbor Authority stationery ... but there was certainly nothing official about the contents.

You are in danger. When you arrive at your next stop, DO NOT head directly into shore as you had planned. Instead, stand off at least a quarter mile from shore for exactly one half hour, or until the ship that looks like yours is sunk, whichever is later. Then you may enter and transact your business. Don't ask questions; all will become obvious in due time.

Your brother's life, and your own, may depend on your compliance with this message. Don't ask where it came from; we are your friends, and are trying to prevent a most unfortunate death -- several of them, in fact. As compensation, your next voyage may be considerably more lucrative than you had planned on. We will explain when you make landfall -- thirty minutes late.

Egbert sends his regards.

[Drannin]

"Finally!"

Argus wiped his brow and looked over the mock vessel with a bit of pride. It was a rush job, but a damn fine work if he did say so himself. Now to get the damned thing to the river unseen...

"Alright, Harker, this is going to be difficult, but I should be able to pull it off." The familiar just nodded, and tossed down a ladder to Argus, who climbed onboard the ship.

Right. I'll put this thing in position, and then head over to the ledge. Hmm. Going to be tight, but I can just about pull it off. Argus' ruminations were disturbed by the sound of someone coming through the foliage. Not again... knew I should have made those wards stronger!

So it was that Brother Miguel came into the clearing... and face-to-face with about a dozen wooden spears leveled at him. He blinked. Argus blinked, and quickly willed aside his weapons. "Er... sorry. Thought you might be... something... else."

Oops.