Delmechia
"Let's meet with the council," you say. "Whatever's on your mind, it'll stay between us. You sure you don't want to tell me?"
Murlough shakes his head. And the dark curves of his crimson face sink down in a frown.
"No," he says. "I'll keep it to myself for now. But you're probably right; the council should know. I'll meet you at The Boss's temple in a couple minutes."
You nod to him and step out of the tent. Outside the rain is still coming down heavy, but campfires are still blazing all around with elemental warriors standing about them. The fire elementals are closest to the flames, and a select few are even standing on top of the burning logs like statues to mark the gates of some Hell.
As you walk down the dirt path toward the Temple, some of the fighters nod at you in respect and you nod back as you pass them. The path curves away from the camp and you continue down it until the fires are tiny sparks in the distance and the only noise is the rain and thunder and the sound of your footfalls.
You pass through a thicket of ancient trees before they thin out and you emerge in a field where a large stone structure stands dark and unmoving in the downpour upon a wide platform. The Temple of Elements. Built with the help of elves and dwarves nearly a century ago to house the elemental warriors that defended the city.
A bolt of lightning cuts through the sky, illuminating and defining the structure as you approach it. You walk up a set up steps to the black rock pillars that mark the entrance and come to a set of oak doors that are about twice as tall as you are and several times as wide.
When you knock, your nerves buzz slightly. Over the hundred years you've lived, you've trained yourself to remain as calm as a boulder in even the most bloody of battles. But this place... it has something about it which transcends all your training and even your will itself. As if the Temple is rife with a great truth which lies outside the realm of attainable knowledge.
And The Boss... is almost the same way.
Suddenly there's the sound of large bolts being released then the two large doors swing slowly outward upon the plaza with a great rumbling. You step inside and onto a bright red rug that leads up a set of stone steps lined with torches. At the top of the steps is The Boss himself. Sitting in a large throne with his immense gray body partially covered in shadow and smoking a long wooden pipe.
As you look at him, it occurs to you that to someone who didn't know him, he would almost seem like a slow old being; once strong and fast, but now too weary to move. But you know that it is not so. You've seen The Boss in battle a few times over your long life -- and only a few -- but those times were enough to convince you that nobody alive is more deadly than he.
"I was wondering whether or not you'd come," he says from his throne. His voice is mild, yet somehow commanding and intelligent.
"You expected me?"
"Can't say that I did, son. Given your history, I think it's safe to say that I actually wasn't expecting you. I just knew there was a chance you might want to see me is all. You're making sure to keep a low profile in Expuridius Ea Tarador?"
Your nerves twinge wildly again, and in your surprise, you feel almost threatened. So The Boss knew where you were going on your nightly trips. You never told anyone, but somehow he still knew.
"Of course, Boss," you say, trying to keep your voice as level as possible. "But that's partly why I'm here; something happened tonight and we need to hold council with the other Lords."
His eyes suddenly widen and somehow seem to become more dangerous and searching.
"A council?" he asks. "What happened?"
"There was a shooting at Stellwetter's Bar," you say. "I heard a gunshot right after I left and I went back. Some guy was dead; apparently someone in a mask shot him."
The Boss puffs on his pipe a little more and scratches his chin.
"There's more to it," he says.
"Yeah, the guy that got shot. He kept looking at me in the bar. I didn't think about it until I left."
He takes the pipe out of his mouth and blows a smoke ring that glides out and floats up into the opposite wall before disappearing. Then he just thinks for a moment.
Finally, he stands up out of his chair and comes down the stone steps.
"I'll light the beacons," he says, as he passes you. "We'll meet in the main chamber in ten minutes. Until then, you can either get some food from the dining area or I have some tobacco in one of the cupboards, there. This is going to be a long night."
"Alright, but I need to ask something."
"What is it?"
"Do you think this is related to her at all?"
He shakes his head.
"I don't know."
You nod.
He studies you for a second and you can almost swear that you see some kind of pity on his face.
"Thank-you for coming to me with this," he says and then he vanishes around the corner, leaving you alone in the wide entrance room.
Murlough shakes his head. And the dark curves of his crimson face sink down in a frown.
"No," he says. "I'll keep it to myself for now. But you're probably right; the council should know. I'll meet you at The Boss's temple in a couple minutes."
You nod to him and step out of the tent. Outside the rain is still coming down heavy, but campfires are still blazing all around with elemental warriors standing about them. The fire elementals are closest to the flames, and a select few are even standing on top of the burning logs like statues to mark the gates of some Hell.
As you walk down the dirt path toward the Temple, some of the fighters nod at you in respect and you nod back as you pass them. The path curves away from the camp and you continue down it until the fires are tiny sparks in the distance and the only noise is the rain and thunder and the sound of your footfalls.
You pass through a thicket of ancient trees before they thin out and you emerge in a field where a large stone structure stands dark and unmoving in the downpour upon a wide platform. The Temple of Elements. Built with the help of elves and dwarves nearly a century ago to house the elemental warriors that defended the city.
A bolt of lightning cuts through the sky, illuminating and defining the structure as you approach it. You walk up a set up steps to the black rock pillars that mark the entrance and come to a set of oak doors that are about twice as tall as you are and several times as wide.
When you knock, your nerves buzz slightly. Over the hundred years you've lived, you've trained yourself to remain as calm as a boulder in even the most bloody of battles. But this place... it has something about it which transcends all your training and even your will itself. As if the Temple is rife with a great truth which lies outside the realm of attainable knowledge.
And The Boss... is almost the same way.
Suddenly there's the sound of large bolts being released then the two large doors swing slowly outward upon the plaza with a great rumbling. You step inside and onto a bright red rug that leads up a set of stone steps lined with torches. At the top of the steps is The Boss himself. Sitting in a large throne with his immense gray body partially covered in shadow and smoking a long wooden pipe.
As you look at him, it occurs to you that to someone who didn't know him, he would almost seem like a slow old being; once strong and fast, but now too weary to move. But you know that it is not so. You've seen The Boss in battle a few times over your long life -- and only a few -- but those times were enough to convince you that nobody alive is more deadly than he.
"I was wondering whether or not you'd come," he says from his throne. His voice is mild, yet somehow commanding and intelligent.
"You expected me?"
"Can't say that I did, son. Given your history, I think it's safe to say that I actually wasn't expecting you. I just knew there was a chance you might want to see me is all. You're making sure to keep a low profile in Expuridius Ea Tarador?"
Your nerves twinge wildly again, and in your surprise, you feel almost threatened. So The Boss knew where you were going on your nightly trips. You never told anyone, but somehow he still knew.
"Of course, Boss," you say, trying to keep your voice as level as possible. "But that's partly why I'm here; something happened tonight and we need to hold council with the other Lords."
His eyes suddenly widen and somehow seem to become more dangerous and searching.
"A council?" he asks. "What happened?"
"There was a shooting at Stellwetter's Bar," you say. "I heard a gunshot right after I left and I went back. Some guy was dead; apparently someone in a mask shot him."
The Boss puffs on his pipe a little more and scratches his chin.
"There's more to it," he says.
"Yeah, the guy that got shot. He kept looking at me in the bar. I didn't think about it until I left."
He takes the pipe out of his mouth and blows a smoke ring that glides out and floats up into the opposite wall before disappearing. Then he just thinks for a moment.
Finally, he stands up out of his chair and comes down the stone steps.
"I'll light the beacons," he says, as he passes you. "We'll meet in the main chamber in ten minutes. Until then, you can either get some food from the dining area or I have some tobacco in one of the cupboards, there. This is going to be a long night."
"Alright, but I need to ask something."
"What is it?"
"Do you think this is related to her at all?"
He shakes his head.
"I don't know."
You nod.
He studies you for a second and you can almost swear that you see some kind of pity on his face.
"Thank-you for coming to me with this," he says and then he vanishes around the corner, leaving you alone in the wide entrance room.