Missteps

Chapter 61 – Errands

When Lia woke up the next morning, she felt unusually refreshed. As she laid on the padded mattress in the brewery dormitory, she felt more at peace than she had in weeks. She'd grown so used to meditating, that actually coming off sleep made her head all fuzzy. With some reluctance she threw back the comforter and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

The elf dressed quickly for the day. She was a little bemused at the thought of who had taken the time to change her out of her garb from yesterday. Her memories of the night before were all hazy near the end of the night. Not too long ago she'd been able to hold her liquor, but it seems that that skill went away with the sleepless nights.

There was a knock on the door, and Kerri poked her head in.

"Good you're awake." She said as she walked in. "If you weren't I was debating on just tossing your ass on the floor." She laughed and leaned against the wall.

Lia laughed. "Am I the last one?"

The bard nodded. "You seemed to be getting some actual rest, so we let you sleep. It's nearly noon though, and you guys need to get over to Bymer's."

"Your mind is still made up to leave?" Lia asked as she headed for the door.

Kerri nodded and stepped aside. "My bags are packed and waiting downstairs." The two women left the room and quickly descended the stairs to the floor below.

The rest of the team all sat around the kitchen table.

"Good afternoon sleeping beauty." Iados hopped off the table and met Lia at the bottom of the stairs. He gave her a quick kiss. "How'd you sleep?" He asked as he guided her to the table.

"Pretty well actually." Lia answered as she sat down. Next to her Kerri took a seat as well next to Carric.

"You look it." Ander commented. "You hungry?" Lia nodded aggressively and he pulled a bowl of stew out of the oven and placed it in front of her. The elf hungrily began to eat.

Jun leaned back in his chair. "Once you finish eating, we'll escort Kerri out of the city, then loop back towards Bymer."

Kerri shook her head. "You guys should go straight to Bymer's, I don't want to risk you being late."

"I still think you should wait till after we finish up with Bymer's, so we can grab lunch and then you can go." Carric grumbled.

The bard smiled and leaned onto his shoulder. "As much as I'd like that, we can't stall forever. Eventually I will have to leave, and I'd rather do it before you guys start something new."

Elaine rolled her eyes. "You're the only one saying you have to leave. Do you even have a plan?"

Kerri chuckled as she sat back up. "I do actually. I'm going to spend some time in Lorebridge with the troupe's records. Now that I have a better idea of what I'm looking for, I stand a better chance of finding my answers."

"Good to hear." Jun reached over and clapped Elaine on the shoulder. "Will you stop worrying now?" The berserker had a large bruise over his right eye as a memento from last night.

"I'm still going to ask Vowil to look over you." The dark-skinned woman took a large gulp from the cup in front of her. Kerri smiled broadly.

All too soon, Lia finished her food. Jun insisted on carrying Kerri's pack as they all headed towards the main road.

"We've got a present for you." Ander took a large bundle of papers, wrapped in leather and tied with a piece of twine, out of his bag and handed them to the bard once they'd reached the road. "We all wrote down letters of introduction, and the names and places to find some of our acquaintances. Mine are mostly all in Pryria, and Jun's are in Nydag."

Kerri wordlessly took the bundle with wide eyes. Hastily etched into the leather was a crude 'M.A.', and seven small stars underneath it. "I don't know what to say." She finally gasped.

Jun reached up and scratched the back of his head. "It was Ander's idea."

Kerri knelt down and gave the halfling a huge hug. He seemed a little surprised at first, but eventually returned it. She went around the group and gave everyone a final hug, including Shomma. The little weasel tried to climb into her pack, and for a moment Kerri almost let her, but she eventually handed the animal to Carric.

Elaine was the last to receive her hug.

"If you get in trouble, get yourself to a church and get word to me." The cleric whispered in her friend's ear. Kerri nodded as she let go.

Finally, the young bard shouldered her pack. She drew her lute, and as she backpedaled down the street away from her group of friends, she strummed a familiar jaunty tune and sang one last song for them.

"Hey there friends,

Come and see us!

We travel the world

And have adventures.

You want our name?

I guess we must,

We're Mellow Andromeda

Look us up."

When her performance was done, she took a bow, then turned and ran off down the road as quickly as she could. Her former party members watched her until she faded from sight.

"Well, that's that." Iados reached up and looped both of his hands behind his head. He turned on his heel and headed towards the Circle Chapter House. The rest of M.A. followed his cue. Within a few minutes the morose group arrived and knocked on the door.

The teenager from the previous day answered after only one knock and ushered the group in. After they again deposited their items on the hall table, the apprentice led them into a dining room on the first floor, with a long oak table that was set for eight, before he disappeared down the hall. Master Bymer sat at the head of the table, while Ms. E sat on his right.

"Sit down so that we can discuss what comes next for you all." Bymer's eyes twinkled as he gestured towards the empty seats. Down the middle of the table, an array of smoked meats, vegetables, and plump yeast rolls sat on large platters. From the remnants on their plates, the hosts hadn't bothered to wait for their guests.

"Did Kerri leave alright?" Ms. E towered over Bymer in her seat, and in the soft light from the candle chandelier above, her skin tone seemed to be more green than gray today.

Elaine nodded. "She did, thanks for asking." She watched as Iados slipped into the chair next to Bymer and directly across from Ms. E. At the opposite end across from Bymer, Jun held out the chair and gestured for Lia to sit down. He then sat next to her on her right. Ander scrambled into the chair on Lia's left. Carric sat between Iados and Jun, while Elaine settled into the chair between Ander and Ms. E.

"Yesterday you said that we were being given a second-chance," Lia stated as her companions began to fill their plates with food. "Care to tell us more?"

"It's really not that big of a deal." Bymer leaned forward on his elbows. "It's an opportunity for you to prove to me that despite your showings yesterday, you can still be an adventuring party." He chuckled. "It's a fact of this profession that not all of the members of a team are going to pull their weight. Therefore, it's up to the team as a whole to cover those deficiencies."

"Are you going to throw us all into a shared nightmare?" Iados asked around a mouthful of meat. Ander's eyes widened at the prospect.

The master enchanter shook his head. "As marvelous as that kind of magic would be, I have something much more practical in mind."

"We're sending you to the Star Sisters." Ms. E announced. She pulled a rolled piece of parchment out of her apron pocket. "It's a basic recovery job. You go to their tower, meet with them, get a book that Bymer lent them, and bring the book back here in one piece. No mess, no fuss. When you get back, we'll trade the book for the artifact you need to find the Manor House." Carric reached over and took the parchment from Ms. E.

Iados hung his head. "Let me get this straight, our second-chance to prove ourselves, is to pick up a delivery?"

Bymer nodded as he picked up a roll and began to pick at it.

"I thought the sisters were dead?" Carric commented as he unrolled the scroll and perused the simple map that was marked on it.

Bymer waved off the suggestion. "No, they just retired. Their tower is now a kind of passion project for them."

Jun raised an eyebrow. "Which passion? If I remember right the two of them were weapon merchants."

"When I met them they were hawking imported ropes and fabrics in Osthom." Elaine mentioned. The enchanter and Ms. E both shared a chuckle. "My grandparents were saddened when the sisters went out of business."

Ms. E smiled. "They just realized that they weren't as young as they used to be, and decided to settle down in their old age." She nodded down at the map. "It'll take you a few days to reach the tower, since there's no road. I don't suspect you'll be able to get your cart through the woods."

"No problem," Carric rolled up the map again. "I've passed through that area a few times already. Thankfully it's pretty clear of any trouble."

"Probably have the sisters to thank for that." Jun suggested around a mouth of food.

Bymer nodded as he drank heavily from a tankard. "It's best to start out first thing in the morning, so take the rest of the day to gather any supplies you might need."

"Does the Chapter House have any potions or items for sale?" Ander asked.

Ms. E nodded. "We'll go ahead and provide your group with three healing potions. Anything else we might have for sale or trade is currently locked up while we do the cleaning. You can peruse them when you come back." The large woman stood up, gathered hers and Bymer's empty plates, and then left the room.

Bymer leaned back in his chair. "Now, I should warn you, that this task is to be more of a physical nature. I've seen into your minds already, so there's really no need for me to test your mettle. No, I need to test your endurance, strength, and constitution. So eat up, get a good night's sleep, and I'll see you in about a week." The old wizard's eyes shone as he stood up, gave a little bow, and left the room. A few minutes later Ms. E walked in and deposited three small vials of red healing potion on the table, and then she left as well.

"So, what all do we need before we head out?" Jun inquired as soon as they were alone.

"The Tower needs to be stocked with food." Ander said around a mouthful of bread.

Elaine raised up her fork. "I have to stop by the local church and pick up a new holy symbol."

"Mind if I come with you?" Iados asked.

The cleric shook her head. "I don't mind. Anyone else?" No one else asked.

After they finished their meal, the group separated. Elaine and Iados headed towards the Church of Vowil, while the other four headed to what they believed to be the market district.

As they soon found out, there wasn't really a central area that could be called a market in this town. Since so much of the town was already segregated, a lot of the local brewery and winery's had their own little shops. The four of them took the rest of the afternoon to peruse the town. As winter had laid in heavily, it was difficult to locate fresh produce, much to Lia's displeasure. Yes she ate meat, but she'd grown up in a heavy produce culture. Meat was saved for special occasions and holidays. Thankfully they found a small supplier who had carrots, kale, and red cabbage.

Ander also took the opportunity to load up on baking supplies, spices, and a proper kitchen knife. He was determined to use their kitchen to its full extent. One of the shops they stopped in was a small apothecary.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"I think Elaine would like this place." Carric commented as he perused the small baskets full of dried herbs that lined the shelves. Small vials full of more viscous liquids were placed around the baskets, the majority of them labeled. The more common of the remedies he recognized, such as for joint pain or fever, but a few of them eluded him.

Jun stuck to the front of the shop, for fear of knocking into the narrow aisles. To the left of the entrance, along the wall, was a small wooden altar. Upon it, was a stone statue of a woman in a simple wheelchair. In her lap laid a bowl of petals and leaves, while in her hands she held a long curved vial. At the base of the statue were two bowls, each with a mixture of coins thrown in.

"Her name is Erexeb." A voice said from just behind the large berserker. He turned and found a small female. The woman was young, with a slightly larger head than her body proportions demanded. A large, leather messenger bag was slung over her shoulder, and on her feet were curious contraptions on wheels. The girl skated up next to him. "She's basically the patron god of all apothecaries."

He grinned. "Hence why her alter is in an apothecary shop."

The girl nodded. "Perhaps you can help me, I'm actually looking for Jun Ling, and was told I could find him here."

The grin dropped from his face. "Why do you need him?"

She shrugged. "I'm with the mail carriers, and I've got some letters for him."

"Oh, well you've found him." He held out his hand.

The girl shook her head. "Rules say that I need some identification first. That's how my cousin got fired last week."

Jun dug into a hidden pocket in the front of his clothes, and pulled out his papers from the Circle. The mail carrier took a moment to peruse them, before she nodded in satisfaction.

"Checks out, give me a moment." The girl dropped her bag on the ground and flipped over the flap. Inside was an inky darkness like Jun had seen in Ander's and Elaine's bag they'd taken from the Palace. She dipped a small hand inside, and brought out a wooden clipboard with several sheets of paper on it. For the next few minutes the girl brought out five different envelopes. Before she would hand them over to Jun, he had to sign for every one of them.

Ander wandered over. "What's going on?"

"I've got mail." Jun answered as he scribbled his signature.

"Oh, have I got any?" The halfling asked. "Names Ander Tealeaf."

The girl checked her list. "Oh well, what you know you're on my list of deliveries." She grinned as she began pulling out the envelopes. "I tell you what, one of these days I will have to find out how this whole system works."

"It's just magic." Carric commented. They all turned and saw him standing a few feet away. Behind him they could see Lia at the counter making a purchase from the middle-aged shop keep. "You might as well check your list for anything for Carric, Lia, Elaine, or Iados."

The girl nodded. As soon as she'd checked Ander's papers and had him sign for his four mail pieces, she quickly scanned her list. "Nope, nothing for any of those names. I do have a notation here that you guys are all part of a group. Is there a Kerri around?"

Ander chuckled as he stowed his letters away. "She left town a few hours ago, headed for Lorbridge."

The small mail carrier grumbled and made a notation on her clipboard. "Thank you, and now I have to get going." With a small grunt, the bag was once again lifted onto her shoulder, and she skated past them out into the street.

Lia rejoined the group. "Who was that?"

"Mail girl, apparently Jun and Ander got something." He pointed over to the two recipients. That was when they noticed how rigid Jun's posture had become, his eyes frozen over two of the letters in his hands.

Lia walked over to him. "Jun, what's wrong?"

"These two are letters I sent to Kai, my daughter." Jun's voice was soft as he showed them to Lia. Stamped onto the front of them was 'UNDELIVERABLE' in large block letters.

"Does it say why?" Ander strained onto his tiptoes in an attempt to see the envelopes.

The berserker shook his head.

"Maybe the answer is in the other letters." Carric suggested as he pointed to the thick envelopes underneath the returned ones.

Lia laid a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go back to the dormitory before you read them. That way you can have some privacy if need be." Reluctantly the human nodded, and together the group headed out of the shop.

Across town, Elaine and Iados were on their errand. Since the sun was out, it was relatively easy for the two of them to enter the gates to the Church grounds. A young acolyte escorted them down the cobblestone path towards the large sanctuary. Inside, they were introduced to the Head Priest, Delphim.

"Welcome to Aleton," Delphim said as the two of them approached. The middle-aged male was dressed in a long pale yellow robe. To Iados, the color did nothing to flatter the slight-greenish tinge of his complexion.

Elaine smiled. "Thank you. I'm actually here to ask for your help."

Delphim tipped their head to the side in curiosity. "Oh? What kind of help are you in need of?"

"I seem to have misplaced my holy symbol, and am in need of a new one." She showed the priest her bare wrist.

Delphim's eyes narrowed. "It is generally frowned upon for one to 'misplace' a holy symbol. Do you have any proof that you are one of our order?"

Elaine nodded and pulled out her small leather bundle that held the Vowilian crest on the cover. She handed it to the priest.

Delphim undid the strap and spent a few minutes perusing the documents inside. Iados grinned as he saw the tall, gangly man tilt the pages this way and that in the sun. Finally, he nodded, and tucked the pages back inside. "All seems to be in order. Please stay here until I return." The head priest turned on his heel, and walked quickly out a side door, Elaine's papers still in his hands.

"Are you on some watch list we don't know about?" The akudaem muttered to Elaine as they watched the door shut behind the priest.

Elaine shook her head. "He probably just has to record my request, and wants to make sure he can spell my name right." With a heavy sigh she collapsed back into one of the pews. "So, why did you want to come with me?"

Iados ran a hand through his hair. "I was kind of hoping to pay respect to my dead crewmates." He looked towards the front of the sanctuary, where the stylized sun of Vowil was etched into the wall, and then filled with gold. "After all the shit that went down, I focused on survival. Wasn't till after Bymer's little thought experiment that I realized I never took the time to really grieve."

"Vowil doesn't focus on their death." Elaine stood up, and gestured for Iados to follow her to small table against a far wall. "Vowil celebrates their life, and helps the soul's transition to the waiting halls of Anawallane, so their stories can be recorded for all time." The table itself was littered with candles (both lit and unlit), as well as the remains of burned paper. Elaine gathered a piece of parchment off the table, and handed it and a charcoal pencil to the former pirate. "Write the names of your crewmates on this. When you are done, we will burn it, to release their memories into the air, and free them from the confines of your grief."

Iados took the parchment and sat on the rough stone ground. He hesitated. "How can you be so sure that they made it to the other side? What if their souls are still trapped with that woman under the sea?" A shiver went up his spine as that woman's face crept into his mind.

Elaine lit a long taper. "We're not sure, but we'll include a prayer to Vowil, to send her nephew Meglin, the God of the Journey, after any wayward souls."

He sighed. "Why can't she just do it?"

The cleric laughed as she lit a candle. "Not even Vowil can do everything. From what I've learned, there are some areas where a god's influence is even more restricted than a mortal's."

"Then why bother worshipping them?" The akudaem asked. "Gods are supposed to be able to do anything, that's why people worship them."

Elaine shook her head as she lit another candle. "Mortals don't need to worship gods for their wishes to be answered. If that's all they want, then it's not hard to find a magic-user to grant their wish." She set down the taper and turned to look at him. "Mortals worship gods because we need to believe in something larger than ourselves. We need to believe that all the craziness of the universe, all the frustrations and disappointments in life, are governed by some sort of laws. In a world of chaos, we strive for order, of any sort. So we turn to those born out of the chaos, to show us the meaning through all the heartbreak and despair. To give us a path when we have none. A goal or purpose in life that reminds us that in the grand scheme of the universe, we matter. We have a role."

She knelt down in front of the akudaem and tapped the still blank piece of parchment. "To reassure us that there is something else after we die. To alleviate the fear that after our time on this world is over, there is more than the primordial ooze to look forward to. The gods bring to our life stability. We worship the same gods that our ancestors did, and the same ones that our descendants will. No matter how much the world may change, the gods will always be the same."

Iados still didn't look convinced. "It's still just a lot of faith, right? I mean I've prayed to a god or two in my time, but I've never really seen their work until I met you. You wield the power of a god."

Elaine rolled her eyes. "I don't wield the power of a god, I wield the power of a mortal. Vowil may have unlocked it, and strengthened it, yes, and in return I serve her. In the end, my power is my faith. I have faith that the goddess I've aligned myself with is indeed Vowil. I have faith that I am following the right path in my life by abiding by her teachings. For me, I don't have to see Vowil in action to believe she is with me." With a grin, she reached out and put a hand on the akudaem's shoulder. "However, for those of the general populace who need to see to believe, then myself, along with the other clerics and paladins, stand as examples of her power and ideals."

She reached out and gave another tap to the still blank piece of parchment. "Even if you don't follow her, your prayers will still reach her. Vowil cares for all mortals, and doesn't demand fealty in return for aid such as this." Elaine watched as Priest Delphim walked back into the sanctuary with a wooden box tucked under his arm. "Finish writing down the names, and when I come back I'll help you with the prayer." Iados nodded as she stood up.

Delphim inclined his heads towards the akudaem. "Anything I can assist with?"

Elaine gave a heavy sigh. "His friends died gruesome deaths, and he's afraid that their souls haven't crossed over. He's looking for reassurances."

The priest pursed their lips and nodded. "I may be able to assist in that actually. We have an artifact that can detect the presence of a soul on our plane."

The cleric's eyes widened. "That would be perfect actually. Do you mind fetching it? I'll happily pay the cost for its use."

Delphim waved her off. "Do not worry about the cost. It's something I don't get much practice with, so you'll actually be helping me." He handed her the wooden box (her papers stacked on top). "Go ahead and choose a new symbol out of the box, and I'll get the preparations under way for the ritual." The priest disappeared back through the door, where Elaine heard him call out for his various acolytes.

An hour later, the stage was set. On the front dais, a long golden tray with silver etching had been set up on a long table. Floating along the length of the tray, were around twenty unlit pure white candles, each an inch tall and two inches wide. Priest Delphim had changed into a golden silk robe, with white trappings. A large pendant version of Vowil's symbol hung around his neck. Iados and Elaine (dressed in a borrowed gold silk robe and sporting a new, much smaller, pendant necklace as her holy symbol) knelt in front of the table.

As the acolytes had set up the table, Delphim had explained how the artifact worked. When the name was read aloud, if the soul was no longer present on the mortal plane, then the candle would be extinguished. The priest assumed that the soul was in Anawallane's realm, but could make no promises, to Iados's annoyance. As Elaine pointed out, it would at least mean that the soul wasn't stuck in the mortal plane.

With the preparations completed, the Head Priest took his position behind the table, and began to chant in a language that neither Elaine nor Iados understood. Elaine recognized it as celestial, the language of the gods.

The chant was smooth, and soon both Iados and Elaine could feel their hearts begin to beat in the same rhythm. From beside the tray, Delphim pulled out a thin golden rod, and one by one lit each candle as it floated in the air. Then, he placed Iados's list on the tray underneath the candles, and set it ablaze. As the parchment burned, tendrils of smoke rose to each of the candles and quickly inscribed a name upon it. Once he was finished, he returned the rod to its former place. As the smoke tendrils disappeared, a new list appeared on the tray, written in the ashes.

"Henrid Marelline," The smooth voice of Delphim called out as he read. A candle near the middle of the pack extinguished itself in a puff of smoke.

Unbidden, Iados reached out and took Elaine's hand as he listened.

"Timo Do'onge," A candle on the end blew out.

"Legon Elbes," Another candle extinguished. And so Delphim went down the list, calling out each name with the greatest reverence. Finally, he reached the final three names.

"Shydia Hallin," The candle stayed lit. Iados gasped in surprise, the grasp on the cleric's hand tightening.

"Vino Lemar," No candle extinguished itself.

Everyone's eyes were on the last candle, as Delphim read the name out. "Bronte Schmell."

The candle stayed lit.

"What the hell?" Iados cried as he got to his feet, dropping Elaine's hand. "What does that mean?"

Delphim frowned. "It means that the souls of these three individuals still exist on the mortal plane." The priest reached out and attempted to grasp one of the candles. Before he could, the wax candles melted and dripped onto the plate. The wax filled in the names of the three still left, as the ash that made up the other names rose and dissipated in the air.

Iados bounded up the dais. Before anyone could stop him, he reached across the table and grasped the wax tablet that had Shydia's name on it. Along the back of it, was inscribed a series of numbers. When the other name tablets were examined, they also had a similar series of numbers.

Elaine peered over Iados's shoulder. "What are those?"

"Coordinates." The akudaem's voice was breathless as he stared at the numbers. He looked at Elaine with wide eyes. "These are map coordinates! Does this mean they're alive?"

The cleric blinked and looked over at Delphim.

The priest shrugged. "I wasn't aware that the tray could locate anyone. It seems that Vowil has taken this opportunity to show us something new."

"Do you know where these coordinates lead to?" Elaine asked the excited akudaem.

He shook his head. "Navigation wasn't my strong suit, but I bet if I can get this to Jahill he'll be able to decipher it." The former pirate was nearly shaking at the prospect. "We have to take this to him now!"

"Iados, we can't. We're leaving for the Star Sisters tower tomorrow." Elaine reminded him.

He groaned. "Elaine, this is a chance to save my crew, I can't ignore this."

The cleric rested a hand on his shoulder. "Even if you do figure out where these coordinates go, you can't follow them. Have you forgotten your little issue with the ocean?" Her eyes softened as she watched the akudaem visibly deflate. "I'm sorry. We can still find a way to send the coordinates to Jahill, but I don't see how you or they can act upon it right now."

Delphim cleared his throat. "For now, tell me where this Jahill is, and I'll send an acolyte immediately to deliver the news. Even if you can't act upon it, it's no reason to not research it."

Elaine raised an eyebrow. "We appreciate the offer, but I'm little surprised by it."

The priest bristled. "Obviously the goddess means for me to be involved in this matter." He summoned an acolyte over and instructed that a map of the region be brought out.

Reluctantly, Iados showed the priest where the new encampment was, and handed back over the wax tablets. He did take a rubbing of both sides of each for his own use. After that, he and Elaine were ushered out of the church. Night was beginning to set and the visitors had to leave before the curfew kicked in.

The walk back to the dormitory was silent as they each mulled over what this latest development could possibly mean. Not even the merrymaking in the streets could distract them. When they reached their destination, they were finally stopped in their tracks.

In the small courtyard between the three buildings, Jun was on a rampage. All around him were the shattered remnants of wooden boxes and crates. From the side, they watched as Ander shoved another crate towards him. Jun didn't acknowledge the newcomers as he gave an animal growl and attacked the crate with his warhammer. The berserker's face was twisted with rage as he attacked the stationary objects.

Elaine and Iados quickly made their way into the dormitory, where Lia and Carric sat at the table reading through a few letters.

"What is going on out there?" Iados asked as he sat down next to Lia.

She handed him one of the letters. "A mail carrier finally caught with Jun, and didn't bring good news." She sighed heavily. "It seems that his daughter went missing a few months ago. He got letters about it from a friend of his in the military, a Madame Nina who worked with Kai's mother, and an official notice from a guard unit in Nydag."

Elaine sat down in shock. "What happened?"

Carric shook his head. "It seems that some woman walked into town and persuaded Kai's mom to sell the child to her. Then they disappeared seemingly into thin air." He pointed outside with his head. "The news sent him into a Verta Kochen spiral. Ander's just trying to tire him out at this point."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Iados asked.

Lia frowned. "Not unless you can divine Kai's location."

The pirate and Elaine locked gazes as the same idea came to them.

"Actually, we might be able to." Elaine admitted, and she quickly recounted to the two of them what had transpired at the church.