With the birth of the Bone Dragon, the winged Dragons were horrified and unwilling to play any further part in the campaign. With the loss of one of their number, they felt the first pangs of fear from newfound mortality. The dragons left the mortal short-lived races to their fate and flew back across the ocean to their high mountain homes. With their departure, the war began to grow into a grinding stalemate.
- On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC.
The sharp call of a morning bird rang through the forest, loud and shrill, piercing the veil of dreams and waking me from my slumber. Groggily, I shook myself awake, brushing aside the cobwebs in my mind. Aside from the forest noises, the first thing I noticed upon waking was the delicious smell of something roasting on the fire. Getting to my feet, I sat down beside my companions, who were cooking a meal that looked suspiciously like gigantic insects on thin sticks. Sadly, I noticed that the pair had eaten all of the remaining sweet Snap-Honey heads.
“Good morning to you,” Elwin greeted cheerfully.
I took one of the insect-sticks he offered me. Not wishing to be rude, I nodded in feigned gratitude.
“Much obliged,” I remarked, waiting for the Rogue to eat a piece of his.
Elwin and Kidu both began to dig in as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Closing my eyes firmly, I hesitantly took a bite. If I could eat freshly killed amphibious fish, the Bibsis, then this should be easy.
The shell was crispy, and the white flesh was soft and tender. The taste was similar to that of freshwater shellfish. Not bad, I realized, but it could do with a little seasoning. I finished the rest of my meal slower than my companions did theirs. Seeing my companions eat all the insect things, I decided to follow suit. I pretended I was simply eating soft-shell crab as I crunched into the head of the oversized bug on a stick. Calories were calories.
“Do you like them?” Kidu inquired in a voice that couldn’t help but rumble.
“Could do with a little more punch, perhaps a little salt?” I said with a ghost of a smile, “But this is the first breakfast I have had as a free man, and it tastes better than any meal at a king’s banquet!”
“I’ll drink to that,” added Elwin, lifting an imaginary cup in the air.
“Here, here!” I played along. “What was that I just ate?” I inquired, curiously.
“A Rockcrab. A bit different from the ones in the North. North Rockcrab is better eating,” Kidu informed, in a matter-of-factly tone, “These still not bad. Eating this reminds me of hunting with my clan.”
“The same ones that came with you from the North?” I said carefully, afraid that this might be a sore spot for him.
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Kidu grew taciturn and withdrawn before he answered, “Yes, those same who came with me, not long ago. If I can, I wish to find them and release them from their bondage. Work and pay their brand price if necessary. Or have their masters pay the blood price, if I cannot. Their families deserve to be told of their fates. But most all, my soul seeks vengeance!” saying the last, almost growling.
New Quest: Discover the Fate of Kidu’s Companions
Both Elwin and I raised imaginary cups again as if to toast his last vow, but I had no true intention of helping an NPC in a quest that could potentially take years. How could I help others when I was struggling to just stay afloat? I had to be in a position to help myself first. Then there was the matter of who or what was giving out these ‘Quests’. Was it the fickle gods of this world? I had a feeling that this ‘quest system’ was a way for the divine forces of this world to control my actions.
Also, without knowing the parameters for the quest, dismissing it was the only choice. It sounded complicated; a mission of this nature was simply too much of a commitment. This was simply the stark reality of my situation.
I swore to myself that I would only accept quests that were in line with my own goals. I would not be led around by the nose. This was my game, and I would play as I liked.
Truth be told, I just did not care enough about Kidu’s grievances. The man was still loyal for the time being, and his strength and skill could be keys to my survival; I needed to keep him close. As this final thought crossed my mind, I swore I could see a darkness at the edge of my vision, quivering with delight.
“Oh, Gil, since we are on the topic of freeing friends and so forth, what are you going to do about these?” Elwin said, pointing to his collar, and bringing me back to the present. He had tried to say it as casually as possible, but he couldn’t quite hide the eagerness in his voice.
“Right… I’ll get right on it,” I answered, giving the Rogue a mocking salute and raising a hand, as if to cast a spell in his direction.
Casting Rust had now become a lot easier, though I still had to consciously rein in its power. I began to go through the motions of casting the spell, my tongue now more practiced in saying the eldritch words, and my gestures were more precise and fluid. I noticed, to my amusement, that Elwin still flinched at each utterance I made. Black lightning flowed from my hands to his collar. The whispers, these uninvited companions, echoed in my mind, as they always did, as the magic surged. The energies visibly ate into the metal, corroding it wherever the lightning touched. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the searing heat he thought was to come. Yet, unbeknownst to him, I had only cast the level one version of the spell.
Looking closely at Elwin’s collar, I was pleased with my handiwork. I did not need to use Identify to check the durability. I could see that the orange and red splotches, indicative of oxidization, had grown considerably and was its own testament to the effect of the spell. I turned to Kidu now and nodded at him, a gesture which he returned. He accepted the spell much more stoically than Elwin, his trust in me absolute.
“How many times do you have to do that, before you know...?” Elwin inquired.
“Honestly, I do not know. Casting this spell without causing harm to you is not easy. I do know that this spell significantly weakens the durability of the collar. I will continue to cast it as often as I can, whenever I can, until all of us are truly free,” I said flatly. The apathy in my tone was reminiscent to that of my father.
The Rogue shrugged before adding with a smile, “Can you do it again then...?”