Episode 52 – The Journey Home
| The Assassins |
Azareth - Wizard 4th Level LE (PC) Creighton - Fighter 4th Level LE (PC) Craven - Fighter / Rogue 3rd/3rd CE (LE suppressed) (PC) Keldirk - Rogue 5th level NE (PC) |
| Locale | Outside a cave, fifty or so yards into the rift canyon. |
| Date | 12th Flocktime 582 CY |
| Time | Several hours after midnight. |
Keldirk did not like the direction the conversation had taken one little bit. "We need to talk," Craven had said, and with those three words Craven began to masterly diffuse a situation fueled by weeks of distrust, anger and frustration.
Keldirk was adamant he would not be swayed so easily by Craven's cool demeanor and conciliatory words. What frustrated him was how readily the others had fallen to Craven's silver tongue. Azareth and Creighton were already planning for the future while Keldirk's mind screamed "What about the past?" It seemed that he alone could see the insanity that lurked beneath Craven's calm exterior. Azareth and Creighton seemed all too willing to forget that Craven had only moments ago sucked the very life out of a human being. No. As far as Keldirk was concerned Craven had forgone his humanity and lost any right to sympathy or forgiveness.
Keldirk needed to get away. As Craven's biased dissertation continued Keldirk found it increasingly difficult to suppress his contempt. Not wanting to precipitate a confrontation at this point in time, Keldirk excused himself and stepped away. If the conversation continued along its current course Keldirk had no doubt that Azareth and Creighton would soon support Craven's redemption. Keldirk knew that without the aid of the others he would never be in a position to physically challenge Craven. And it was becoming all too apparent that he would have to rely on guile and political manipulation to bring about Craven's demise.
Timing was crucial in any assassination - character or otherwise.
While the others continued their conversation amid the gorged, satiated wolves, Keldirk returned to the cave and searched the bodies of the six dead antagonists. He carefully picked through the pouches and pockets of the fallen and planned the downfall of his former companion.
What was obvious to Keldirk, if not his colleagues, was that Craven was still the same bloodthirsty, traitorous monster he was when he cut down Azareth. Despite the fact that Azareth had miraculously survived Craven's attack, Keldirk swore he would not allow the vampire-duellist to escape justice. For now Keldirk intended to go along with Craven and pretend that all was forgiven. But as soon as they entered Del Mord, Keldirk planned to seek out their Vesper and inform him of Craven's betrayal and monstrous transformation. The young assassin had no doubt that The Family would take an appropriate course of action and discipline Craven - permanently.
Outside the cave the discussion turned to other matters. Creighton had lit a small fire, wrapped a blanket over Azareth's shoulders and the three assassins continued to talk quietly amongst themselves.
| Craven | So, who were the men who attacked you? |
| Creighton | (still repulsed by Craven's bloodied appearance) Your guess is as good as ours. What we do know is that they knew our names and what we were doing here. |
| Azareth | They asked about Finn Thrommel's crypt and his sword. That leads me to believe that perhaps Creighton's friends from the Green Dragon sold them the same map that they sold us. |
| Creighton | (nods) That makes sense. When we get back to Del Mord remind me to have a quiet chat to those boys. |
| Craven | (wiping the remaining traces of blood from his face) Be sure to take me with you Creighton, I'd like a word with them too. |
| Creighton | (looks at Craven, distrust in his eyes) I take it from that comment that you plan to return with us? |
| Craven | (bemused) Of course. Why wouldn't I? |
| Creighton | I just figured... |
| Craven | What? |
| Creighton | Well, I just presumed you'd want to go your own way. Considering your, um, current situation. I mean, you have your wolves. You can hardly bring them with you. |
| Craven | They're only wolves. I have no intention of living the rest of my days out here with them. |
| Creighton | I see. (coughs uncomfortably) What about your, um, problem? The Family wouldn't want you hanging around looking the way you do. (shrugs) You can hardly remain inconspicuous looking like that. |
| Craven | (rubs his tongue over his fangs self-consciously) Perhaps. |
| Creighton | (tentatively) So it is true, then? |
| Craven | (calmly) What? |
| Creighton | You're a vampire. |
| Craven | (quietly) I don't know what I am. |
| Azareth | Perhaps now would be an opportune time to ask what you intend to do about your condition? |
| Craven | What do you mean? |
| Azareth | Despite your gory appearance you seem lucid and in control but, as I know all too well, you are prone to episodes of unrestrained rage and irrational thought. (rubs his forehead wearily and sighs) To be honest I don't know whether I should try to help you or run from you. |
| Craven | I'd appreciate any help you can offer. I don't want to live like this. I know that now. |
| Azareth | Well if you want my help, Craven, you shall get it. But I will need something in return. |
| Craven | (raises an eyebrow) And that is? |
| Azareth | Your solemn vow. You must promise me, promise us all, that you let us take care of you. And that means you have to trust us. |
| Craven | You're willing to help me after what I did to you? (eyes narrow) What's the catch? |
| Azareth | No catch. But, like I said, you will need to trust us implicitly. You have to tether your rage and that could be a very difficult thing for you to do. I'm serious Craven. I've seen you change in an instant. You have the capacity for great acts of violence and I suspect that neither friendship nor Family loyalties will shield us from your fury. |
| Craven | (nods solemnly) |
| Azareth | For instance, in order for us to feel safe around you, you will be required to relinquish your weapons, send your wolves away and permit us to bind your hands. |
| Craven | Impossible! |
| Azareth | Think about it. How can we travel with you knowing what you are capable of? |
| Craven | Then I won't travel with you. It's simple. I'll meet you back in Del Mord and you can help me then. |
| Azareth | (thinks) That troubles me. |
| Craven | Why? It means you can travel during the daylight hours and I won't be around to hurt anyone. I can use the wolves to track your journey back so getting lost isn't a concern. |
| Azareth | No, it troubles me in that you are in a period of confusion and the last thing you need is to be in the company of beasts. You are on the verge of losing your very humanity and I think that you need to be around people right now. |
| Craven | (looks toward the cave) What about Keldirk? Will he go along with this? |
| Azareth | Yes. I am sure he will. |
| Creighton | (unconvinced but remains silent) |
| Craven | I need more than that, Azareth. I need your word that you will protect me from him. I've seen the way he looks at me. He hates me. I'm no fool and I will not surrender myself to you unless I have your word that you will prevent him from doing me harm. |
| Azareth | You have my word. |
| Creighton | And mine. |
| Azareth | We want to help you, Craven. You must know that. |
| Craven | (nods) I will do as you ask. (swallows hard) I want nothing more than to be rid of this curse and if you can help me achieve that I will be forever in your debt. |
| Azareth | Then help us by describing how you started this journey towards vampirism. |
| Keldirk | (returns from searching the bodies of the fallen, a roll of parchment in one hand and a sack of valuables in the other) |
| Craven | There's not much to tell, really. Madame Fifi, a whore I was seeing for a while, sent me to a friend of hers who was supposed to take care of me and give me what I needed. This woman, Natasha, is obviously more than she seems. She has a mystical quality that draws me to her and has powers that, even now, are difficult to articulate. (closes his eyes and remembers) Natasha is the most desirable creature alive. No man could resist her charms. But what is strange is that after I leave her I can't remember anything that transpired other than a growing desire to return. |
| Azareth | And you suspect that this Natasha is behind your transformation? |
| Craven | I'm sure of it. My recent troubles can be directly attributed to my visits with her. (shakes his head) After visiting the priest Maritai I felt as though I had regained some semblance of control. But soon her call consumed me and I had to obey. Even now I sense her gentle invitation to return. |
| Azareth | How many times have you visited her? |
| Craven | Twice. |
| Azareth | I suggest that we do everything in our power to prevent you from seeing her a third time. |
| Craven | That is easier said than done, I'm afraid. Right now I can resist her call but eventually I will have no choice but to surrender to her charms. |
| Azareth | I don't know the answers right now. But I have the Academy's library at my disposal and for as long as you can resist there is hope. |
| Creighton | We can always kill the bitch. (looks at the others faces) Well, can't we? |
| Azareth | Perhaps. (looks to Craven) |
| Craven | At this moment I'm not against the idea. But who knows how I'll feel when I see her again. |
| Keldirk | (to Azareth) You're not serious. You intend to fight a vampire in the hope to save him? (shakes his head) Fools. Count me out. |
| Creighton | Well count me in. I'll help you, Azareth, whatever you decide is best. |
| Azareth | (smiles) Very well. (indicates the parchment in Keldirk's hand) What have you got there? |
| Keldirk | A map. (hands it to Azareth) It's a copy of the map we bought off Shayne, Macca and Calahan. Remind me to have a chat with those friends of yours, Creighton. |
| Creighton | You'll have to wait in line. |
Next evening the four assassins began the journey home. In accordance with their agreement, Craven sent the wolves away and allowed himself to be disarmed and bound. It was difficult for Craven to surrender his freedom but, as time wore on, he began to feel less threatened. Being parted from the wolf-pack added to his initial anxiety but, unbeknownst to the others, Craven could sense that One-ear was near.
The group reached the road without incident and everyone was relieved to leave the rolling scrubland behind. The week of travel had given rise to a comfortable routine. Each night, shortly before dawn, Craven would sense the impending sunrise and the group would immediately search for suitable cover where Craven could sleep, shielded from the painful rays of the sun. The others were sustained by bland trail rations while, thankfully, Craven's hunger had not returned.
The miles rolled by and soon the village of Donnington Hollow was behind them. When they entered Del Forest they knew that Del Mord was only a matter of days away. One day, during Azareth's watch, a contingent of militia passed by their camp and informed the mage that the peasant uprising had come to a sudden, if not harmonious, end. The sergeant warned Azareth to take care on the road as several disillusioned peasants had chosen a life of banditry after the failed rebellion.
The following evening brought rain; a light yet steady drizzle, that soon had the travellers thoroughly drenched. The twin moons were hidden behind thick clouds and, with the exception of Craven, the assassins found it difficult to follow the path beneath the thick Del Forest canopy. At Azareth's insistence they resisted the urge to light a lantern. The mage warned that their oil reservoirs were all but spent and what little there was left would be best saved for an emergency.
A few hours past midnight sharp images flashed in Craven's mind shattering the drudgery of his march.
| One-ear | Danger! Humans hide ahead. |
| Craven | (peers into the forest, catching a glimpse of One-ear's form) Where? |
| One-ear | Ahead. Close. Danger! |
| Craven | There are men hiding in the forest ahead. |
| Azareth | Are you sure? |
| Craven | Yes. |
| Creighton | How many? |
| Craven | How many men? |
| One-ear | more than you, less than pack |
| Craven | I'm not sure. At least five. |
| Keldirk | How do you know? |
| Craven | I can sense them. |
| Azareth | What do we do? |
| Keldirk | You guys wait here, I'll check it out. (to Craven) How far away are they? |
| Craven | I'm not sure. Not too far. |
Without further word, Keldirk pulled his cloak over his head and disappeared silently into the shadows. Craven tracked Keldirk's careful progress through the trees for some distance before losing him behind the shrubs and trunks of oak.
| Craven | (to One-ear) Follow my human. Remain hidden (to Azareth) Untie me. |
| Azareth | No. This is the first test, Craven. You must trust us to take care of things. Keldirk will return with better intelligence and we will reassess the situation. |
| Craven | If there are large numbers or Keldirk fails to come back? |
| Azareth | If that happens of course we will let you free. But, for now, you must trust in our ability. |
Keldirk's progress was slow. The rain effectively masked what little sound the lithe assassin made as he picked his way through the trees. His eyes were already well accustomed to the darkness and despite the poor visibility he soon found what he was after.
Leaning casually against a towering oak, a lone sentry shook water from his drenched cloak and resumed his vigil. The man was obviously an amateur; even from this distance Keldirk could smell the man's cigarette smoke. Drawing Dhak Foq Shickal, the prized dagger of the gnolls, Keldirk inched forward. The sentry made no sound as Keldirk covered the man's mouth with one hand and buried the blade deep into his back with the other. Letting the man fall softly to the sodden earth, Keldirk moved on.
Some thirty yards ahead Keldirk spied the bandit's camp. Why they would setup camp so near their ambush site was anyone's guess and Keldirk again marvelled at the stupidity of common folk. Three canvas tarpaulins were strung between trees and served as shelter for the bandits' bedrolls and equipment. Keldirk counted six empty bedrolls and two sleeping forms beside a small, struggling campfire.
Keldirk revelled in the irony of the situation. The hunters were now the hunted, and the young assassin could barely suppress a smile as he sent another unsuspecting bandit to a silent death. Creeping around the campsite, wary of twigs and branches that might alert the sleeping bandits of his presence, Keldirk took a moment to warm himself by the dying embers. Once his fingers were sufficiently warmed he stepped lightly towards the bodies and dispatched them with practised ease. Wiping the dagger on a dead man's blanket, Keldirk left the camp and returned to the others.
| Creighton | Well? |
| Keldirk | There's four left. |
| Creighton | Are you sure? |
| Keldirk | (nods) It wouldn't matter if there were a dozen of them, they're amateurs. Let's go - they shouldn't pose a problem. I've killed the four I saw on this side of the road and I suspect that others are on the other side. |
| Creighton | (slides his swords quietly from his scabbards) Let's go then. Az? |
| Azareth | I'll stay here. |
| Craven | Untie me! |
| Azareth | Why? They pose no threat. I am sure Keldirk and Creighton have the situation under control. |
| Craven | (itching) I... I need to fight. |
| Azareth | I don't think that would be wise. |
| Craven | Please. I haven't eaten in a week. I'm starved. |
| Azareth | I am sure Keldirk and Creighton will save one for you, if that is all you require. |
| Craven | It's not the same. I need to hunt. I need to kill. |
| Azareth | (to Creighton and Keldirk) What do you say? |
| Creighton | (shrugs) Fine by me. More the merrier. |
| Keldirk | If he goes then I wait here. |
| Craven | How about it, Azareth? |
| Azareth | Very well. (unties Craven's bonds) Do not betray my faith in you. |
The combat was short and bloody.
The four remaining bandits stood no chance against the two trained swordsman. The peasants offered no resistance and Craven began to feed on the last man before he hit the ground. Only when he began to drink did Craven fully appreciate the extent of his hunger. As the dying man's blood flowed down Craven's throat his supernatural strength returned and he felt revitalised. Images of Natasha flew through his mind and tempted him with a future of power, luxury and unrestrained pleasure. Craven turned to face Creighton who looked on in disgusted fascination. The warrior's familiar face was the catalyst Craven needed to break free of the seductress' spell.
| Creighton | Coming? |
| Craven | You go ahead. I need to clean up. |
| Creighton | Take your time. I'll wait. |
An hour later the assassins were again on their way. Keldirk had searched the bodies and taken what few valuables the peasant-bandits had procured. Craven's hands were bound once more but this time the bonds seemed less oppressive. Craven dwelled on his newfound sense of well being and, after careful consideration decided to free One-ear.
| Craven | Leave me. |
| One-ear | Never. We are pack. |
| Craven | Go! Return to your family. You don't belong with me |
| One-ear | I shall never- |
| Craven | Go! Leave me! |
| One-ear | (hesitates) |
| Craven | Now! |
| One-ear | (turns and flees, bounding through the trees and back to his pack) |
| Craven | We'll meet again. |
| Creighton | What? |
| Craven | Nothing. |
The rain continued for the remainder of the night and well into the next day. A few hours before dawn they entered the outlying farms of Del Mord. They could see the glow of the city in the distance and they stepped up the pace.
Keldirk's spirits soared as the assassins entered the outer districts of Del Mord. He longed to once again immerse himself in the alleys, politics and dangers of the city. As he thought about Del Mord he was overcome with a strange feeling of belonging. As if, for the first time in his troubled life, Keldirk had a place he could call home.
The trek to Finn Thrommel's tomb had been an abject failure. Not only had they failed to retrieve Thrommel's magical sword but Craven had succumbed to his primal urges, becoming more monster than man. Azareth had all but recovered from Craven's brutal attack and, for the first time in over three weeks, was capable of walking unassisted. In some respects the mage's survival weakened Keldirk's case against Craven but, despite that, he was confident that The Family would heed his request to have the swordsman removed. The young assassin allowed a wry smile to pass across his lips; as soon as they were in town he would go to Vesper and demand Craven's replacement. At long last Craven would be out of the picture.
After parting with a small quantity of gold, the assassins bribed their way through the closed gates of Del Mord. They were all weary from their weeks of travel and even the substandard lodgings of the River Snag hostel seemed somehow luxurious compared to the cold, wet earth.
Keldirk woke at midday, left his companions to their slumber and ventured to Saradock's home in the Artisan's Quarter. The instant Caruthers opened the door, Keldirk knew something was wrong. The manservant's customarily calm face was streaked with sweat and the bags under his eyes spoke of several nights' unrest.
| Caruthers | Master Valrorn! I am so glad to see you. Come in, come in. Let me tell you of the tragedy that has befallen us all. |
Keldirk followed Caruthers into the living room and waited while the butler poured himself a glass of brandy.
| Keldirk | What's all this about? |
| Caruthers | (his hands shaking) Master Saradock has been kidnapped! (passes a piece of paper to Keldirk) This is the ransom note I received five days ago. |
| Keldirk | (takes the parchment and begins to read) |
We have Saradock. If you want to see him alive bring one thousand gold pieces to warehouse seventeen Bridge Road, River Quarter, midnight on the twenty-eighth day of Flocktime. Do not contact the authorities. If you involve the militia Saradock will suffer the same fate as the others. Come alone Caruthers. We will be watching.
| Keldirk | What's the date today? |
| Caruthers | The twenty-seventh of Flocktime. |
| Keldirk | Damn! That doesn't give us much time. Do you have the money? |
| Caruthers | (cups his head in his hands and sobs) No. All the master's money is tied up in wares. What little he did have in reserve he sent away to his relatives. (sniffs) I could never raise that much money in such a short time. |
| Keldirk | You haven't approached the authorities have you? |
| Caruthers | No, I have been looking for you four ever since I received the note. Thank goodness you have returned. |
| Keldirk | (tucks the note into his belt pouch) Don't worry about a thing. We'll take care of it. |
| Caruthers | (obviously relieved) I knew you would. What do you want me to do? |
| Keldirk | Go about your daily affairs. We'll have Saradock home safe soon enough. |
| Caruthers | What are you going to do? |
| Keldirk | The less you know the better. |
| Normal Text | Character's words or descriptive text if part of a paragraph |
| Italic Text | Character's thoughts or actions if surrounded by parenthesis |
| Bold Text | Character is shouting. |