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Chapter III

The Storm over Byheath

As the band of fighters approached Bimor on their now well-known route, Ki strayed from the others. She approached a currently empty farmland and began searching. She happened across a collection of tools and took hold of a large scythe, muttering under her breath "The last one, I promise." "You do know you won't be using it, right?" Vehznous questioned her teasingly. "If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right." She replied before returning to her allies. "Look at the bright side." Commented Jammy while they passed into the city walls. "Now we have a collar to keep you from wandering off!" He stood on his hind legs and tugged at Tolvain's chain with his claw, causing it to tighten for a moment. "Very funny." He responded with anger in his voice. "Let's just hurry up and get this damn thing off. You said we needed a cleric or priest, Turbo?" "I know where a church is!" chimed Ki, much to the surprise of her friends. "Yeah, there's a church of Poseidon kind of close to the docks, and I talked with the priest before. I can show you where it is."

The church was largely unoccupied, save for the head priest and a few scattered fishermen and travelers. The priest wore his ceremonial robes that complimented his spectacles and lengthy white beard, bringing an air of wisdom and sophistication as he studied his holy texts. He raised his head as the great doors were pushed open. "Ah, I remember you, black dragonling. Have you come seeking more knowledge?" he spoke cheerfully. "Actually, we need your help with a cursed item. We tried removing it ourselves, but it's kind of clingy. Do you think you can help, sir?" "Actually, I believe we may have use of knowledge as well." Added Turbo. The older man stepped from behind his pedestal and approached the party as Tolvain took a step forward to meet him, holding the amulet out towards him. The priest inspected the metal for a moment before closing his eyes and chanting in a low and subtle voice. Suddenly he gave a tug to the chain, only for it to tighten as it always had when tampered with. Seeing the negative reaction, he quickly released it for it to return to normal. "I see. I'm afraid this is beyond my abilities to disenchant." Tolvain remained silent, his brow lowered in concern and deep thought. "Do you at least know someone who can get this off? It's not something I can just live with in my line of work." The elder pondered this for a moment. "There is a nearby city to the northwest called Byheath. It is quite renowned for the almost encouraged study and practice of arcane arts. If you are not able to find one capable of removing this curse there, it is also a hub of trade and commerce, and a solution will more than likely appear shortly." Korvas searched his pack and removed his map of the continent, scanning it for potential routes. "Byheath you said? Hmm." "Indeed." The priest replied. "You also requested my knowledge on another subject, yes?" he said as he turned towards the cheetah man. "Indeed, holy one." Turbo confirmed. "How much do you know of the creation of the world? Where it came from and how it was molded into what we know this day?" The man let out a long breath. "Sadly my texts do not provide great detail on that subject. There are many different tales and theories, some allegorical and some literal. The Olympic Pantheon's teachings do not have much detail, merely that there was a chaos and then out of that chaos appeared the first beings. If you're heading to Byheath anyways, you will probably be able to find information as well." "We will travel there right away then. Thank you for your assistance, honored one." Turbo said as he turned to his group and left the church. "Please feel free to visit if you need further help! And may Lord Poseidon protect you in your travels!" the man called out after them.

"It seems like we have two options for getting to Byheath. We can either walk directly northwest, which would take us either through the Riven Jungle, or if we go around it through the bottom of someplace called the Deadfen Marsh, and I don't like the sound of weeks of travel through either place." Korvas explained to the others. "The second route...we just pay for a boat ride straight there. Downside for that is the cost depends on how much the captain wants for a party of 6 to stay on the boat for a few days. Personally, I have money to spare for everyone if needed. I say boat. "Boat" The others claimed, all in turn. "Definitely the boat." Said Vehznous last, causing the others to react in shock and fear at hearing his ghastly voice for the first time. He merely chuckled in return. "Since when can he speak?" questioned Turbo after breaking out of his surprise. "Always." The ghost responded simply. "It's just recently through Ki you can hear me. The reason why is far too complicated to explain, especially to you all. Let's just say you'll be seeing a lot more of me." He taunted before wandering towards the dock.

A quick discussion with the dock master told them where to find a vessel that shared their destination. The captain and owner of the vessel witnessed the strange group of heavily armed, and nervously turned his back to them. "Ahoy, sir!" called out Tolvain. "We hear that you are heading towards Byheath. We need to get there, and were wondering if we could go with you." The captain continued to face away as he spoke. "A-Aye. We'll be leaving soon. Feel free to c-come aboard." He choked out loud enough to be heard. Tolvain shared confused looks with his partners before resuming. "Will any payment be needed?" he asked while cautiously approaching the boarding plank. "No! I mean, it won't be needed. We'll be leaving right away." Tolvain once again looked to his allies for assistance, but Korvas merely gave a shrug and headed on board. The travelling took several days due to the not entirely favorable wind. On the third day, Turbo approached Tolvain. "This crew is quite peculiar I have noticed. They all seem to hide themselves and grow silent when one of our group is nearby. I feel they are hiding something from us, and as there is no chance of assistance in open waters, I am keeping myself alert." "I know what you mean. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong here, but they seem more scared of us than anything, so I'm not sure they'll actually do anything to threaten us. We should probably just lay low below decks and everything will be fine" Tolvain replied. Turbo nonverbally agreed on this before pulling out his pipe. He drew a deep breath, but soon began coughing. "I really don't think that's a good idea for you to do. It was bad enough before, but ever since you got that chest wound, you seem to have a hard enough time just breathing normally." Turbo recovered from his fit and resumed his smoking. "Trained monks are capable of wondrous things. Some masters have skin as hard as diamonds, some can kill with a simple touch, and there are even those who have reached immortality through force of will. I believe a far greater force would be required to defeat one even of my training." Turbo answered simply. Tolvain was unable to formulate a valid counter point, though remained concerned over the cheetah's health.

A few more days passed before the city appeared over the horizon. Tolvain walked behind the captain as he stared in anticipation at his arrival, though the captain broke his usual silence. "We'll be arriving in a few hours. There be a storm brewing, though it won't be more than rain when we be docking." "Good to hear." Commented Tolvain. "This has been a lot better than my last boat trip. Less yelling, less fighting, more skilled crew." "Aye" agreed the captain. "Twas not long ago when I had me own ship stolen, but me and me crew got it back." "Wait a second." Tolvain started as he grabbed the captain by the shoulder. "You! I knew something was suspicious here!" The man urged the dragonling to quiet down before he threw his arm around his armored shoulders and pulled Tolvain aside. "Aye, pipe down a bit, will ya? After ye threw me and me crew in jail, we made a deal with the guard captain. We saved our necks from the noose in exchange for working for Bimor." He explained. "So...you're legitimate now?" Tolvain questioned in return. "Aye. So no hard feelings between our parties, eh? We'll be dropping you off and exchanging our goods as soon as we hit shore. Savvy?" "Not a problem! Glad to see you turned your life around!" The dragonling declared gleefully as he ran downstairs to tell his allies. Upon receiving the news, Ki spoke first. "I still really don't trust that guard guy. He makes deals too easily." "But a lot of good did come from it. We saved the world from whatever Gnome was trying to summon, these pirates became official transporters." Jammy added.

The rain poured down on the adventurers as they hurried towards the nearest tavern. The patrons paid no mind to the rather odd group entering the room, and a quick look around showed they were quite varied themselves. A hauflin bard, a half elven barkeeper, anthropomorphic customers, and humans all littered the room. "I can now rest assured that soaking wet bear fur is a smell I would have been happy going my whole life without being next to. Cheetah isn't much better." Commented Korvas. "Yeah, probably would have been a good idea to buy some cloaks. We were bound to run into rain at some point." Added Jammy before shaking his fur dry. Turbo silently moved towards the lit fireplace in the corner of the building and sat in front of it. Several chairs sat around him, though only one was occupied, by a very drunk elven woman at that. Their eyes met and the woman tried to process what she was seeing before simply muttering "Kitty." Turbo gave a slightly devious grin in return before crawling over to her on all fours, forcing himself to purr as she reached down and pet him. The rest of the party found an unused table, and not an instant had passed before the hauflin appeared to them and introduced himself. "Hello Hello! Darmin the Well-Rounded, musician, artisan, handy man, dandy man, and mercenary for the right price. Mayhaps you gents and lady would like to purchase my serviced this evening?" Jammy nudged Korvas. "Maybe we could add him to the group? Have somebody to fight Gnome on his own level." The pair shared a chuckle, but Tolvain held his interest to the man for hire. "You said you played music, right?" The hauflin responded by circling the lute strapped to his back around and giving a quick strum. "Indeed I did, do you have a request?" "Yes, actually. Do you know any dragonling songs?" Tolvain questioned eagerly as he handed the short man some coins. Darmin gladly took these coins and pondered for a moment. "I think I may know one or two. Let's see, how did that one go?" he asked himself before humming a vague tune and readying his fingers on his lute. Soon he started playing, and Tolvain listened to every note and lyric with great interest. The others took in the décor and patrons of the tavern. Though all of the patrons had their own unique and unusual aspects, one in particular caught Yum's interest. A woman dressed in particularly expensive looking finery was in the middle of a heated argument with a man who kept his face hidden under his dark cloak. Eventually the male resigned himself to defeat and stormed out of the tavern, leaving the woman by herself.

The adventurers enjoyed the period of relaxation. Having been travelling and fighting for several days straight tired the warriors, and they were relieved to finally be in a place of safety, save for Tolvain's continued concern over his cursed neck chain. Their rest would be shortlived however, as several cloaked figures entered the tavern. The figures positioned themselves around the table occupied by the strange party of heroes, despite having only half their number. Tolvain, becoming concerned over the obvious tactical positioning, addressed the hooded men. "Hello, may we assist you in some way?" he questioned them, his tone of voice indicating his willingness to defend himself if needed. "Yes, we need to speak with you over something. Something we like to call a distraction! So if you don't mind, we'd like to get started." He stated in an oddly pleasant and straight-forward tone. As he finished explaining, he reached within his robe and produced a blackened metal rod, as did his allies. He brought the rod down upon the table, and though he struck with moderate force, the wood splintered and broke as if it had been crushed with a tool a hundred times heavier than the one wielded. The furred and scaled adventures stumbled out of their chairs in surprise before drawing their weapons. The bystanders in the area quickly either fled or hid, and for a few moments all was silent save for the crackling of the fire, the patter of the rain, and the strange noise emanating from the aggressors' tools reminiscent of an intense howling wind. As the combat began, the cheetah used his location away from his allies to his advantage, leaping up from the ground and attacking the man who first spoke from behind. Tolvain battled against another thug, though every strike from his enemy clashed against his shield with the strength of a hurricane and would have knocked him on his back had he not been clad in heavy scaled armor. Klaax was much less fortunate against his opponent, however. As the bull raised his great hammer with a yell, the hooded man seized the moment to strike against his chest, launching his bulk backwards into the wall of the building. Suddenly, the woman who had been resting by the fireplace stood high upon her chair and unsheathed her sword before issuing forth a loud, yet somewhat slurred speech. "Sssstand down you heathens! For I am Sylph! Captain off By....heath-Woah!" She suddenly toppled onto the ground as the chair tipped over underneath her.

Despite the powerful magics they wielded, the cloaked men were soon overcome by greater numbers. The first fell fighting between Tolvain and Korvas, while the second was defeated by the combined tactics of Ki, Turbo, and Jammy. The third one, seeing his allies fall in battle and realizing the obvious outcome, quickly darted out of the rear entrance out into the storm with little resistance. The party gathered together and discussed what had happened. "So that was a thing that happened." Started Jammy. "Actually, didn't they say something about a distraction?" As they searched around the room for any possible explanation to this, they saw the wealthy woman being pulled out of the tavern with a wire wrapped around her neck and a hand clasped over her mouth. The adventurers swiftly followed after her and confronted the man in the alley. "Hold right there! Not a step closer! We need her, but not so badly that I won't kill her!" the man threatened and his tightened the wire on her neck. The group held back to not risk angering the hooded man as he slowly backed away from them. With one hand, he reached into a pouch on his belt and drew a small spherical object which he proceeded to throw to the ground. The object created a dark cloud that completely obscured any site of the pair and would have easily allowed his escape had Vehznous not interfered. Before the man could move with haste, the ghostly reptile's cold fangs grabbed on to his leg through the ground, effectively pinning him in place. The woman felt the assaulter's grip loosen in his confusion and she struck him before dropping down and crawling to safety. Upon seeing her safe, Turbo ran forth and delivered a devastating kick to the man, sending him tumbling out of the cloud. With his mission failed, he scrambled to his feet and broke into a run into the shrouded streets of the city. The cheetah did not pursue, instead checking on the rattled woman. "Are you harmed?" Turbo questioned as he knelt by her, his companions approaching soon after. The woman swallowed hardly and rose with Turbo's help as she breathed heavily. "I believe so, yes." She took a few moments to calm herself and straighten her clothes before she spoke again. "I am Eryeth, one of the premier merchants of Byheath. I thank you all so very much for helping me. Please, let us talk inside." She motioned to the warm light coming from the still open door.

The heroes walked back into the bar to be greeted by cheers and applause. The half elven barkeeper approached them with a cheerful smile on her face. "That was amazing! This will make quite a story to tell to travelers here." "I'm already thinking of rhymes to tell this tale!" chimed in the musician from earlier. Turbo blushed underneath his fur as he spoke "This is nothing special really. We do this for a living, and it would be cruel to not help." "Yeah, this was actually pretty tame compared to some of the other stuff we've done." Added Jammy. "Speak for yourself. You didn't get hit by one of those tornado sticks." Said Klaax as he rubbed his sore torso. "Either way, you can feel free to stay here tonight, free of charge. It's the least I could do honestly." Continued the owner of the building.

Eryeth pulled some of the group members aside to talk in private. "I know I'm already in your debt, and I'm in no position to rightfully ask this of you, but could you do me a favor?" she asked politely. "It depends on what you need, but we'll try our best!" replied Tolvain with his usual eagerness towards helping others. "It may have to wait though, I still have this problem I have to deal with." He remarked after a moment's thought. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I don't quite feel safe going through the streets alone, considering all that happened. I would be very grateful if you and your friends could perhaps escort me back to my home. I would gladly reward you once we're there too, for both saving me and for the protection." She offered, and the group readily accepted. As the majority prepared themselves for a quick trek through the weather, Korvas looked across the room to see Jammy still conversing with the Hauflin. "Hey Jammy, we're about to go now. You coming?" he called out as the bear lumbered towards him. "Actually, I was talking with Darmin. We were talking about the kind of stuff we do all the time, and he wanted to try that out for himself rather than hanging around for people to come by a tavern. I think I'm going to start travelling with him from now on." Tolvain grew concerned at this. "Are you sure? I mean, we can't keep you with us if you don't want to." He said, a bit at a loss for words. "Yeah, the little guy needs my help. Bear and Bard, heading out on adventures and all that." After heartfelt goodbyes, the group left the tavern and their friend.

The rain had picked up over the course of the night and now pounded on the adventurers as they escorted their new acquaintance to her home. The buildings became larger and more elaborate the further from the docks they travelled. Most were dark, as most citizens had resigned to sleep hours ago, however a single lit building in the distance signaled their destination. The woman quickened her pace and she approached her extravagant home, though the reality of what had happened in her absence soon became apparent. The door lie in a broken heap in the middle of the room, which itself was in a chaotic disarray. Eryeth gazed in shock as she processed what was before her. Her house staff lay scattered around the floor, either unconscious or dead. One stood out from the rest; a hyena man slumped against a cracked wall bleeding from his head. The adventurers caught up to the merchant and stood back in bewilderment, save for Ki and Yum, who quickly started to tend to the wounded. The hyena soon awoke and rubbed at his head to find it bandaged. "Gnyrn! What happened!?" questioned the woman in desperation. Gnyrn grabbed the battleax next to him and used it to prop himself up. "Some hooded punks broke in. Used storm magic. Took the kid." "They took Aren!?" She screamed in surprise. "Yup. Going to go kill them now." Stated Gnyrn coldly as he walked towards the door. "Hold up there big guy. You're hurt and we don't even know where these guys are. The rain would have washed away any trail, so we need time to think about this." Ordered Korvas as he extended his arm to block Gnyrn, only to realize he stood at least seven feet tall even with his hunched hyena neck. The man merely grunted in return. "Let's think about this. Do we have any idea who would want to do something like this? We overheard you having an argument with someone back at the inn; is there any chance he might have a motive?" questioned Tolvain. "Certainly not." Claimed Eryeth with mild insult in her tone. "Stiner is a very dear friend of mine and one of my most successful suppliers. Our argument happened because I refused to purchase a particularly dangerous item from him, though it seems just being seen talking to him was enough reason for them to target me." Unknown to the others, Vehznous searched around the ground. His ghastly reptile voice sent a chill down the spines of all who could hear him. "I found something. There are small bits of mud in the carpet, therefore they were near sand, and the salty smell verifies that. They're hiding near the docks, probably underneath and right by the ocean. How's that for no tracks, Red?" he chided. Eryeth addressed the pack of fighters in front of her as she spoke. "I'm sorry I have to ask this of you, but I am in desperate need. I need you to bring back my son at all costs. He means everything to me! I know I promised a reward for you all, but please, I need to ask this one more task!"

Rain sleeted down onto the backs of heroes as they followed their newest companion towards the docks. The streets stretched eerily around them, completely devoid of living souls at this late hour. Tolvain started conversation in hopes of distracting his mind from thoughts of what might happen to the young man should they arrive too late. "I noticed you don't wear armor, Gnyrn. Do you think that is wise? Even Ki wears some toughened leather in case a stray arrow hits her." The hyena man didn't draw his eyes from his goal and answered simply. "My faith in my god keeps me safe." "Not to question the strength of your-" "Actually, I've heard about these guys." Yum interrupted Tolvain. "Oh?" "Yeah, highly trained followers of the god of magic. They literally have protection from their god around them at all times, some kind of barrier spell. He's probably harder to cut through than you! Not to mention they can pack a pretty hard punch. Or axe in this case." "Hmm. I wonder what kind of abilities the dragon gods reward their followers." Pondered Tolvain aloud. "Is your god where you get your strength as well, Turbo?" "No no, my friend. I was trained in a monastery, yes, but Sekhmet values proving one's own strength. My power comes from turning strength of mind into strength of body. I one day wish to master the flow of water with my will alone." Their arrival at the docks yielded no further leads towards the whereabouts of the kidnapping thugs as the piers and water showed only as much activity as the streets behind them. The searching party spread out to investigate closer, sweeping across the shoreline and peering down at the muddy borders for anything unusual. As despair began to set in for the others, Turbo sent a signal that he had discovered something. With his predator eyes, and soon confirmed by Gnyrn, he spotted the fain glow of torch light almost blocked entirely by the sheet like waterfall of rain over a dock ledge. Tolvain, having his share of battles in low lit conditions, soon acknowledged the sight as well. "Yeah, I can see it too. Looks like they have a couple guards standing at either side of the entrance."

"As much as I would love to run in screaming and swinging, I have an idea. We don't know how many are in there, or if the kid is even in there, so how about we do some scouting for once? Hey, Ki, Vehznous is like a ghost right? Can't he just float over there and poke his head through the floor and take a look around?" Korvas suggested as he calculated out a battle plan. "I could..." Started Vehznous, his voice almost sounding like it came from the splatter of raindrops around them. "...but I won't." "Why not!?" yelled Ki'eruu in answer, knowing already his answer would be asinine and childish. "The biggest reason is I don't feel like it." He smiled his ghastly reptilian grin as he paused. "But I also don't take orders from that guy." "You know I can un-summon you so you can't walk around, right?" she threatened. "Oh, yes, please, make it so only you can hear me. That will do wonders for your sanity." The spirit taunted back at her. Ki merely let a frustrated groan escape and turned back towards the dock. "Still, I think we should send someone to scout ahead." Claimed Korvas as he tried to organize his raid. "Hey guys? Gnyrn's already down there." Chimed in Klaax, pointing towards the angry holy man marching his way through the thick mud of the shoreline. The others soon made their way down behind him, trying to use the low light to hide their numbers. "Hey, you! You can't be here, just go back up there and we won't have any trouble!" shouted one of the two hooded men standing in front of the falling water. Gnyrn said nothing, though Korvas had come up behind him. "Look. It's late, we're tired, wet, and a bit pissed from a fight earlier. You guys are probably doing something we won't like in there and we're most likely going to have to crack some heads. You guys get a pass on that if you just walk away and let us in." The two men shared a look with the other. "I don't get paid enough to care. Come on. Have fun, guy!" said one as they walked away to go about their own business. "See? Sometimes it works." taunted Korvas as he turned his head towards his allies, only to be knocked to his feet by an unseen force. Two figures emerged from behind the water flow, one wielding a pole that hummed with a similar energy to the weapons wielded by the foes in their previous encounter while the other held a metal chain that crackled with electricity. Gnyrn blocked a swing of the chain with the pole of his ax in an attempt to wrestle the weapon away. The others in the group rushed the rod wielder only to be blown back when struck, save for Turbo who took the opportunity to rush into the room hidden behind the curtain of water. The room itself functioned as a pathway for drainage from the city to escape back into the ocean, forming a small but rushing stream of rain water that echoed against the stone tiled walls. A hooded figure turned to look at the intruder, though a white mask decorated with curved patterns of red and green obscured their face. The cheetah leapt over the pseudo-river with his paw ready to strike, but when he swung his blow, it only connected with the fabric of his enemy's cloak as it moved with unnatural swiftness. He landed on his hands and feet, quickly throwing out his leg and sweeping it across the slick ground, but once again failed to connect as the would be victim took to the air and hung in place as a bird does when facing a strong head wind. With one final glance, the masked figure studied the attacker before summoning forth a rush of air to carry their body upwards through a grate in the ceiling. Turbo wasted no time in pondering the actions or motives of the kidnapper as he began to untie the ropes binding the young lad to his chair. "Have they harmed you? What have they done to you here?" he questioned while working. Aren spoke slowly as one does when forced awake in the midst of a heavy slumber. "They...wanted to know something. I told them...all I knew...I think they wanted my mother...but it was so warm and...safe..." he trailed off as Turbo helped him up, though the lad did not have the strength to stand and needed his savior's shoulder to lean on. Turbo's sensitive nose took notice of a peculiar scent, reminiscent of a flowery field in spring with just a touch of alcohol.

The duo emerged from the falling water to see the battle outside coming to its conclusion. The one who directed whirlwinds lie as a heap in the course sand of the shore whilst his companion struggled with his chest beneath Gnyrn's foot and his head beneath the waves until finally the stream of bubbles from his mouth ceased, leaving his body limp. Tolvain and the rest of his friends swiftly approached the Cheetah. "Is he okay?" "He seems to be physically unharmed, though I noticed a strange scent on him when I untied him. I believe he may have been forced to speak by some chemical." Aren shook his head to clear his clouded mind before he looked up to see Gnyrn approaching. He left his savior's shoulder and wrapped his arm around his familiar friend who simply pat the lad's head and smiled. After a quick catching up, the group agreed the job they had been hired for was completed before heading back to the merchant's residence. With a quick climb up the pebble covered slope, Aren being assisted by Gnyrn, they reached the paved streets once more and returned down the same road they had come.

Turbo explained the details of what happened during his time away from the others while they travelled. Their footsteps splashed in the thin streams of water running in between the stones of the road as they approached the home. Aren saw the glowing light flowing from the open doorway and broke away from the others into a run. When the main party arrived at the doorway, they found Aren in his mother's embrace, safe with eachother despite the broken household around them. Eventually Aren left upstairs to sleep away the dramatic events of that night, followed shortly afterwards by Gnyrn who was still plagued by a nagging headache. Eryeth finally addressed the heroes, saying "You have helped me so much in just this one night, I can't possibly thank you enough! If it would please you, I can offer you anything I have in my stock. I have a lot of connections too, I might be able to get you some services you might need." "Services, huh?" replied Korvas with a snide grin and no attempt to hide his thoughts. Eryeth merely glared at him while Turbo slapped the back of his head. "I believe we need to speak over when those remarks are appropriate. Saving hostages are not those times." The cat scolded his reptilian friend. "Actually, there is something I was looking for." Started Tolvain. "I had some bad luck and came across a cursed necklace. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone who can get this damn thing off, do you?" "Actually, there's a cathedral about a half a day's walk out of town to the north. They do healing and curse removals, that kind of thing as a way of helping society, they should be able to get that off no problem. But please, your armor and weapons are all worn, and it doesn't look like you have any cloaks for the weather, I can set you up with the finest gear, some with minor enchantments!" The merchant replied before leading the group off to her storage room.

After choosing their pick of equipment and exchanging pleasant goodbyes, the heroes walked the streets once again on their way back to the inn. Yum in particular sported a finely crafted war hammer, having traded his previous and more primitive weapon. The half breed bar keeper greeted the patrons with a smile as they entered. "Nice to see you again! Everything go well in getting our local lady merchant home I take it?" she asked while eyeing their new appearances. A quick glance around the room showed that Jammy and his new companion had either already left or went to sleep. "It's a long story, but everything turned out well in the end. But it's been a busy night, so I'll tell you about it in the morning." Replied Tolvain. "Understandable. Your rooms are at the ends of the hall upstairs, free of charge of course." She answered cheerfully. As they filled upstairs, Yum stopped and noticed the broken pieces of the table they sat at earlier swept into a pile. "Hold on, I can fix this. Going to go all Elric brothers on this." The barkeeper raised an eyebrow at him as he reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out an ink well that he dipped his fingers into. He proceeded to draw runes in a circle around the pile of useless splinters before sitting down in meditation. Soon the wood bathed in a holy light as it lifted off the ground and fit together as if it had never been separated. The runes on the ground faded into nothingness and the once again whole table slowly rested back onto the floor, erasing any evidence of the earlier brawl and saving the owner the cost of replacing it. "You certainly are the most amazing travelers who have stayed here." stated the woman in awe. Yum merely chuckled to himself and blushed underneath his fur as he followed his friends up the stairs and to his room for a well-deserved night of rest.

The sound of knocking on wood roused the group from their sleep, and upon opening the door, the barkeeper stood with a look of urgency. "I'm sorry to disturb you all, but you have someone looking for you downstairs. I did not wish to wake you, but it seems rather important." As they were lead down stairs, they saw three formally dressed city guards awaiting them, one of whom holding a higher rank than the others. Upon seeing her lengthy green hair, Turbo instantly recognized her as the woman he had flirted with the night before. "Ah, I recognize you. I do not believe we were properly introduced." he greeted her with a smile. The elf replied "I admit, I thought you were just a hallucination brought on by some powerful wine, but the reports from last night told me otherwise. I am Sylph, captain of the city guard. I'm here to talk to you all about the events from last night, particularly those involving the hooded men who attempted to kidnap Lady Eryeth." "Sure thing, but we have some business to take care of today, so is there any chance we can hurry through this or do it later?" Tolvain questioned as he adjusted his necklace. The tavern owner brought forth several plates of food to feed her guests as they spoke. "It won't take long, I just need to have a few words with you." Sylph stated as she pulled up her own chair and motioned for her companions to guard the entrances. "While I am very grateful you handled the situation while I was...incapacitated, I must request you cease any further interactions with these cultists." "What, you're on their side?" accused Yum between bites. "Certainly not! I don't mean to defend them, I mean to caution you. They call themselves The First Storm, as you can tell by their penchant for wind and lightning weapons. They have a large following in this city, and it has been an ongoing task of mine for many years to weed them out. They tend to come out whenever the weather gets like this, and there's a massive storm coming tonight. You've already angered them, so please, let the city guards handle this and go about your business as quickly as possible." "These cultists are dangerous, but we have faced many dangers in our travel. We will defend ourselves when necessary, but we have our own goals. We will be staying until we free our friend of his curse, then we will leave back to Bimor." Turbo stated calmly. "That would be for the best. Again, I'm sorry you all got wrapped up in this...but...I" she trailed off as her skin became as pale as snow with her body turning just as cold. Frost began to form on her by the time her body fell rigidly from the chair. Turbo had barely seen her look of shock before he launched from the table towards a hooded man in the corner of the room emanating a chilling wind from his outstretched hand. Before he could land a blow, the cheetah was forced back by a gust of icy wind, and while the others had risen to help, a harsh heat suddenly forced them back. Two men stood ready to face the animalistic gathering, one wearing a blue colored mask resembling an Oni, and the other wearing a red counterpart. "Looks like we get two birds with one stone today, eh?" mocked Blue. "Two birds? We've got a whole flock ready for beating!" remarked Red beneath his emotionless mask. As the larger group rushed forth, the two men held their hands near the other's, both sending out gusts that quickly combined and spiraled into tornadoes powerful enough to throw the furniture and rip the wood from the ground. The ensuing flurry of splinters struck the group, unfortunately causing Tolvain to succumb to the chain on his neck and drop to his knees. The others spread out, hoping to divert their powers and get in close. The tavern became unrecognizable as the room became absolutely destroyed by the winds with strength to match a hurricane. Finally, Turbo weaved his way closer to the blue face one, and in his wildly enraged state, grabbed the man and forced him to the ground on top of a stray piece of sharpened wood pointed towards the ceiling, causing the makeshift weapon to pierce through the murderer's torso. The red faced man backed himself into a corner, but could not hold back his enemies for long before Korvas ran forth and slew him with his blade. The door to the tavern pounded as it had been for the past few minutes, large pieces of furniture acting as a barricade, before it was finally forced open by the guards outside. The duo stood in amazement at what had transpired in their short absence, the most important being the man kneeling over the corpse of their commanding officer. After a quick and morose recap of what had happened, the guards carried away Sylph's already cold corpse. Klaax silently began drawing his runes upon the floor again, though this time in a far larger circle. His enchanted words, though the same spoken the night before, held a mournful tone as he called upon his god. The room swirled with debris as it placed itself by an unseen force back into its original form, erasing all evidence that a brawl had taken place. The owner gave a quick thanks, prompting Yum to reply "Yeah. It's the least I could do after everything. Sorry we've been so much trouble." The door opened as he spoke and a tall creature entered, revealing himself to be Gnyrn. "I need your help with something. No time to explain, just follow me."

Gnyrn hurried towards his goal without so much as a glace backwards to ensure his allies were keeping pace. Turbo wore a downtrodden expression as he walked, drawing the attention of Tolvain. "You okay Turbo?" "I feel bad over Sylph. I was trying to bed her and made her a target in doing so. She did not deserve what happened." The cat replied in a weak voice. "She said she was leading the investigation into the cult. They were probably after her long before we got here." Turbo did not respond aside from a grunt of acknowledgement. "Besides, chances are the situation here involves the same group. Knocking some heads around should help you feel a bit better." The dragonling continued. Gnyrn rounded the street corner, then swiftly motioned the others to stop. "We're close. Stay quiet and be careful, we can take them by surprise if they don't know we're coming." The group slowly approached a small house with the front door open and two figures standing inside, though with their backs turned. Gnyrn continued "I thought I would check on Stiner after what happened last night. His house was already raided by the time I got there, and I can't get them all without risking his life. I figured I would even the odds a little. You all ready?" "Hold on, I have a better idea." Cut in Korvas. "Let's sit and listen in for a moment. I still think he might be working with the cult, and either way we can probably jump in through the windows to avoid them holding up inside." Gnyrn contemplated this for a moment before nodding his approval. He, Korvas, and Tolvain would approach from the front while Turbo, Ki, and Klaax sneak around to the alley on the side of the house where they could observe the situation and interfere if needed. Peeking through the window panes as they moved, the split group could see the hooded man they now knew as Stiner talking with one of the cultists who dressed in a slightly more regal robe than the others. Though they could not hear specifics, they could tell Stiner raised his voice when speaking while the cultist responded in a calm tone as if in a normal conversation. Most concerning was the aggressive stance Stiner took as he wielded a gold colored spear tipped with a point resembling a lightning bolt. Tension filled the air as the onlookers watched the scene play out, seeing the cult leader try to approach the man, only to be threatened and stand back once again. The cult leader appeared to finally show some anger in response, and the other robed men in the room pulled weapons from their sleeves, the same metal rods common among their number. Before they could advance and overwhelm the lone man, Klaax burst through the glass window with his horns, his arms already pulled back to deliver a blow to the robed man now beside him. His hammer delivered its first blow by crushing the man's chest between the weighted head and the wall. Turbo burst in shortly afterwards while Ki stayed safely outside, having Vehznous phase through the wall in her place. The cultists succumbed quickly between the sudden assault from the side and the brute force pushing through the back. Soon only their leader remained, stunned from the shock of what had happened so suddenly, only to be called back to reality by the crackling sound emanating from the spear. With a fierce look across his face, Stiner commanded the staff to send forth a bolt of lightning that instantly slayed the man who had crossed him.

Korvas strolled into the building, unscathed and unwinded with a look of accomplishment on his face at the successful plan. Stiner still held his weapon pointed towards the new intruders until Gnyrn showed himself. "Gnyrn! Thank the gods, I thought a band of thieves was coming after me too. What are you doing here?" "Lady Eryeth had some trouble with these guys last night, figured they would try to come after you too. We should head back there, it's a lot easier to fortify and we have more security." The hyena replied in his usual direct tone. "Yeah, and we have our own thing to deal with. I don't want this damn thing on me another minute!" Tolvain added. "Before you go, here." Stiner offered his weapon to the group, which Yum eagerly took into his own possession. "That thing has caused me more trouble than it's worth, and I can't get rid of it for the life of me. You guys seem good enough at handling these lunatics, but I wish you the best of luck with that thing." The man commented before standing beside his friend. "Didn't you just get a new weapon?" scolded Korvas. "Yeah, but this one is bigger." He replied quickly as he examined the staff. With pleasant goodbyes, the two groups separated, one heading to the safety of a large home, and the other out of town.

The road to the cathedral was bathed in silence as even the birds sensed the oncoming storm and abandoned their trees for a safer location. Dark clouds lay to the north and the wind blew strongly in their faces as the adventurers strove towards their destination and the relief of Tolvain of his cursed item. The skies began to turn shades of red in the dying light of dusk when the cathedral came into their sight. With each step closer, a potential problem grew more and more apparent. Two armed and armored guards stood at either side of the double doors leading into the worshiping center of the structure. Their helmets obscured their features, only showing that they were either human or elf by the eyes that peered through the open slot. "Are you guys getting Deja' Vu? I get the feeling we did this before." Yum stated as the guards stepped in front of the doors and became rigid in their attention. "We're sorry to disturb you, but we come asking a humble request. We have come across a cursed item of sorts and we need the curse removed. Please, let us in, and we would be gladly on our way, even pay for services if needed." Pleaded Tolvain, though his words were not enough to persuade the two authority figures. "This is a holy week for our order. We are to let nobody inside while the ceremonies are taking place. You will have to come back at a later date, however we cannot guarantee you can be allowed in then either." The left one replied in a stern and well-rehearsed voice. The group then erupted in voices arguing their cases to be given exemption to this rule, and while the guards stood undeterred, Ki placed her hands on Tolvain and Turbo's shoulders. "If they don't want to let us in, we can't force them. Let's just come back later." She said calmly while pulling them away. Soon they were travelling back the road they had just come from, defeated and shunned, though Ki held a look of determination on her face. "I do not know what customs other beliefs may have, but in my homeland we welcomed all visitors of all faiths to join our celebrations. It is quite rude to turn away pilgrims." Turbo vented while walking, very much at his limit with all that had transpired that day. "And I am _not_waiting another week to get this damn thing off." Tolvain protested. "Exactly. That's why we're not going back to town. We're going to get out of sight, then sneak in through the back when it's dark." Ki said simply.

Small candles guided the trespassers as they moved through the foliage near the road, hoping the small light would not be seen as they once again approached the cathedral. "Hey, maybe there's a graveyard there and we can find some more animal spirits." Vehznous joked at Ki. "I hope there's one too. That way I can bury you." She retorted quietly as they passed around the building. "We both know that won't work. I can walk through walls." He taunted back, his reptilian face spreading into a ghastly grin. "We can try cremation; that worked a little the first time." She retaliated, leaving Vehznous speechless and his jaw hanging slightly while the others passed him. "Do we have to force the door open? I believe that may alert guards to our presence." Turbo cautioned, only to see Ki open the unlocked door without issue, forcing his embarrassment at forgetting that it being already open was a possibility. Ki cautiously peeked around, but found only a few doors leading alongside the building, and one to the main worshipping area. A quick consensus was held and it was decided checking the surrounding rooms would be safest. The black dragonling lead the others through each room, finding areas for meditation, resting, healing, and one leading downward to a morgue, though this caused Turbo to imagine Sylph's body there. Finally, after circling around through each room, they entered the main hall and found it just as empty as the others, though candles and torches showed it had been recently occupied. "Not much of a celebration going on, huh?" the bull commented looking around the large, vacant room. "Yeah, pretty suspicious. I guess now we start working our way up the floors?" replied Korvas as the abnormality of the situation put him on edge. Ki lead the others to the front of the cathedral, and the group split as they ascended the twin spiral stairs to the next floor. This level was much smaller, only going half as far down the length of the building as the ground floor, and only held a few more room, all of which were very spartan living quarters for the holy men. Rain had once again began to fall while they were exploring the seemingly abandoned building, though now it hammered against the windows with the full force of the storm around them. With no other leads left, they all traversed the final staircase that spiraled upward into the belltower, and though it stood tall at the top of the cathedral, it was itself still quite a large room. Over their footsteps and the frequent thunder outside, a voice slowly grew louder as they ascended. It was a woman's voice, singing in a happy and melodic tone and amplified by the design of the room above.

Ki entered the room first, followed closely by the others. Several guards stood at attention in a ceremonial formation while a woman with her back turned continued her singing, seemingly unaware of the intruders. Most concerning, however, was the lengthy green colored hair that ran down her back. "Sylph!?" cried out Turbo in disbelief. The woman slowly turned around, a snide smile displayed proudly on her face. "I was hoping my little display earlier would discourage you from chasing after my cult." She said before taking notice of the weapon Klaax held. "Though I suppose you have made yourselves useful after all. If you please, give me the staff. It is rightfully ours anyways, and I would be oh so grateful." She continued, maintaining her almost sinister expression. "Well, uh, it was given as a gift, so like, I think I own it now." Stated Yum nervously as he gripped the shaft. With a disgusted grunt, Sylph made a motion with her arm, summoning up a gust of wind that ripped the golden weapon from Yum's grasp and carried it over to her. "Why? Why would you lead us on like this? We have never wronged you!" screamed Turbo, his fur standing on end and his clenched fist shaking in his mixture of emotions. Sylph laughed in response, the echoing thunder outside almost mimicking her. "I honestly wouldn't have cared if you left town that night. But you stuck around, and ever since you've been a minor annoyance. Besides, I figure at this point I might as well do a favor for a friend of mine. You know him: Kind of short, red hair, likes alliteration." While the others were indeed surprised by this revelation, it merely added to Turbo's anger, which he expressed with a threat that immediately drew the sneer from Sylph's face and caused his allies to question his sanity. The guards in the rooms turned their attention to the fighters, who prepared themselves in retaliation. A bolt of lightning struck nearby, instantly sending a thunderous force that shook the building and caused the stained glass windows to shatter, only for the shards to be carried on the winds into a vortex surrounding Sylph, though she remained unscathed by the blade-like shards. The two groups began clashing, save for Turbo who rushed through the fray to enact his vengeance directly. Korvas locked blades against one guard and noticed his helmet was opened, unlike the guards at the front, and the face he saw seemed old and wrinkled. "Guys! I think they're the priests! Just try to knock them out!" Turbo tried to engage in combat with Sylph, though the glass shards swirling around her prevent him from getting within striking range. Tolvain pressed through the puppeted guards and approached the manipulative elf, his armor and raised shield protecting him from the larger shards, until a smaller fragment managed to scrape the scales on his neck. Blood seeped into the chainlink around his neck, activating its curse and choking Tolvain, but the valiant soldier pressed through the pain until he closed the gap with his target. Bringing back his shield, he then swung with his full strength and crushed the large chunk of metal against her unprotected body and forced her to the ground. Though her protective tornado of glass had fallen along with her, Sylph rose once more, though with blood on her nose and lip. "I have what I wanted. It's more important than you are, and I'm not going to waste any more time here." She spat before rising off of the ground as she did in the drainage sewer the night before. The wind carried her towards the shattered window, but Turbo became determined not to let her slip through his grasp again. He rushed after her with his claws extended and ready to grapple her back down to the fray, and his paw swung within just an inch of the vile woman. Sylph spun in an instant and her eyes met Turbo's with a glare, followed by a motion of her hand to call forth a powerful gust. She pulled away from the building and into certain escape as the wind blew her, subsequently lifting Turbo over the threshold of the jagged remains of the glass and into the air. Still swiping in a desperate attempt at either salvation or a final act of vengeance, Turbo could not reach the elf and began to plummet back down to the wet ground below. He did not scream, nor cry out, and Tolvain could not cry out after him. Only the constant drone of rainfall could be heard as the hero collided with the earth and Sylph glided on the winds to her freedom. Tolvain stared in shock as he looked down the front of the cathedral at the gruesome sight below. Turbo was dead.