by Ian Rodgers
To his befuddlement, Dora just laughed. “It’s fine! He’s not a threat! Come here, little guy!”
With a happy hiss, the Serpent of Aril Dora had befriended slithered over to her, wrapping around her arm contentedly.
“You tamed a Serpent of Aril?” Grub asked in shocked.
“Sort of. I ran into him in the Sprawling Jungle on the way here, and we sort of clicked,” Dora said, happily petting the pinkish-red snake’s head. “Animals and I have always been on good terms. I’ll tell you, it’s really helped me take care of some of the more violent critters the Menagerie would transport.”
“That is un-freaking-believable,” Grub said in awe as Dora and the Serpent of Aril played with each other. “You actually made a friend with one of the most dangerous creatures around!”
“It wasn’t much,” Dora said with a sheepish chuckle.
“Beautiful, skilled with magic, and able to soothe savage beasts? Lady, yer a real gem!” Grub praised. Dora giggled at that. She spent a few more minutes chatting with the half-elf before bidding him farewell.
“Goodbye, Grub! I’ll probably see you tomorrow,” she said with a wave as she left. He waved back, a grin on his face.
∞.∞.∞
“I’ve been lenient with you, Miss Halfmoon. Far too much so, as it turns out. I warned you that I would stop being so passive if I caught you sneaking into the compound again.”
Savaros Tyne stared down at Dora, who despite being forced onto her knees in front of him, glared back.
“I need to find the Avatar of Kuronos! You know something about his identity and location, and I will have it!” she declared fiercely.
The half-elf commander of the Unchained Legion sighed at her unwavering dedication.
“This is the fifth time my men have captured you. Five times now you’ve tried to steal Legion secrets.” Savaros let out a heavy groan. “I cannot have that. As such, I must show you the repercussions of your actions.”
He got up from behind his desk and walked over to her. He waved off the two guards who had been holding her down. As soon as they released her, she jumped to her feet, scowling at the Legion’s General.
“I need to save my family! I won’t stop until I have what I need!” she declared.
“An admirable sentiment, if somewhat marred by the fact your so-called ‘family’ is a band of slavers,” Savaros Tyne said with pity in his eyes. Then, without another word or chance to act from Dora, he lashed out and drove his right fist into her stomach. She coughed out in shock and pain, and a pair of gasps escaped the legionnaires in the room. Savaros ignored them all and lashed out with his left fist, striking her in the face.
Dora fell backwards onto the hardwood floor, gasping in pain as the General cracked his knuckles.
“I warned you, Halfmoon. I’d permit force to be used against you if you tried to sneak in here again. This is the price of your actions.” He then kicked her in the ribs while she was down on the floor.
Dora cried out and tried to call forth her magic, but another blow from Savaros disrupted her concentration, her mana slipping away from her.
Again and again he struck her, making sure she couldn’t cast a spell at all the entire time. Eventually, the pain and blood loss got to her, and her vision flickered. The cruel yet emotionless General noticed this and leaned down to look her in the eyes.
“This is your last warning, girl. Come here again, and I will kill you.” He then stomped on her head with his blood encrusted boot, and she blacked out.
∞.∞.∞
Everything hurt. Her body quaked with agony as consciousness returned to her. Despite the pain, Dora struggled with herself and forced her mind to wake up faster.
“Dora!” someone cried out as she stirred. A hand was placed on her shoulder, keeping her from thrashing about as she moved around.
“Ain?” she choked out.
“Yes, that’s me!” the Grand Elf called out, his features swimming into focus.
“I need to stop blacking out all the time. It’s pretty tiresome to have to wake up to your face every time it happens,” Dora said with a weak smile. Ain chuckled humorlessly at her poor attempt at humor. His expression then turned serious.
“Do you remember what happened?”
“It was the Legion,” Dora reluctantly admitted. “They caught me, and Savaros Tyne beat me.”
“Damn it!” Ain swore, muttering under his breath. “I knew we shouldn’t have let you keep going there alone!”
“I wanted to do so, you couldn’t have stopped me,” Dora said. She looked around the room, recognizing it as the one she was renting from the Crab Shack. “How did I get here?”
“A smelly vagabond appeared in the lobby, carrying you in his arms,” the Spellsword explained. “At first, Enrai thought he was the reason why you were so badly hurt, but he convinced us otherwise. Your pet Serpent of Aril helped with that, actually. It slithered in front of Enrai, protecting the vagabond from his aggression.”
“Grub saved me?” Dora inquired as she sat up.
“If you mean the half-elf, yes, he was the one who brought you to us,” Ain stated.
“Where is he now?”
“Outside, with Enrai.”
“Can I see them?” Dora all but begged.
“I don’t know if you should. You’re still hurt,” Ain replied hesitantly. In response to that, Dora grabbed ahold of her magic and let it flow through her, healing her aches and pains. In seconds, the obvious signs of damage faded.
“Fine, you’ve made your point,” the Grand Elf sighed, before getting up and fetching the others.
He left her room and returned with both Enrai and Grub. Both of them let out sighs of relief upon seeing her healed figure.
“I was worried,” Enrai admitted.
“It looked worse than it actually was,” Dora claimed, but none of them believed her. Not even the Serpent of Aril who was curled up around Grub’s shoulders. He hissed at her, the tone somehow carrying traces of disbelief. The Serpent of Aril then shot off of the half-elf’s shoulders and squirmed over to rest at the foot of Dora’s bed now that she was safe and healed.
“I found you a few blocks away from the Unchained Legion’s compound,” Grub revealed. “I hurried you back here as fast as I could!”
“Thank you for that,” Dora said gratefully, until a thought arose in her mind and she frowned, confused. “Wait, how did you know where I was staying? I don’t recall mentioning this place to you.”
The grungy half-elf fidgeted, nervously playing with his disgusting hat. “Well, um, you see… ah, screw it.”
Grub sighed before sitting down on the floor. “I’m not really just a hobo. I’m a lot more than that. Have you ever heard of a Divine Avatar?”
Dora’s jaw dropped open, and Ain and Enrai both swore loudly to themselves. Misinterpreting their expressions of shock, he continued.
“I know, I know, it seems crazy and all that, but I am what I am. A living embodiment of a god. The God of the Hunt, to be precise.”
“That’s… what? How?” Dora stammered, confused. The beggar shrugged his shoulders.
“I can’t claim to know that answer myself, lady. Ever since I was born, I was always able to hear Kuronos’ voice,” Grub revealed. “His miracles came to my aid whenever I needed them, and the Divine spells I could cast were stronger than anything a Paladin or Cleric could call forth. And my skills with archery? Well, they were sublime. I was an S-ranked adventurer thanks to all of that.”
Grub’s smile faded, and a melancholic expression took over his face. “I did live in a fancy mansion, you know, back in Esmerelda. But I began to feel… restless. Cooped up. All my wealth, power, and fame had brought me was loneliness and fair-weather friends. All except one. A fellow half-elf adventurer named Savaros Tyne.”
Dora stiffened upon hearing that name, and Grub smiled sadly at her. “He was a different man back when he was younger. More idealistic. He knew I was an Avatar but didn’t let it chan
ge the way he acted with me. He wasn’t above smacking me upside the head when I did something stupid, and he was happy to laugh at my jokes! Until one day, on a quest, he disappeared in the Cracked Land. It was only later I learned he’d been captured and enslaved. He was freed and saved, but the years in captivity changed him. He joined the Unchained Legion, hunted down slavers, and became cold and distant.”
“As for me? Well, I wanted to help my friend recover, so I tracked Savaros down, and joined up with the Legion as well. For a few years it went well, but I began to have doubts about Savaros’ goals. He was becoming more militant, and had begun using my connection to Kuronos to perform raids on the Cracked Land. And not just on slavers, but anyone who lived there! Innocent people, cut down by his thirst for vengeance.” Grub shook his head. “I didn’t want to use my powers to kill innocents, so I quit. When we returned to Argyne after one of his raids, I quietly disappeared, becoming just another filthy hobo.”
“And that’s my story. I used the blessings Kuronos gave me to track down where you’d been staying, and delivered you to your friends.”
Dora stared at Grub, unable to decide if she should laugh or cry. In the end, she settled for both, tears of mirth mingling with tears of frustration.
“Ah… Oh gods! Why are you crying?!” Grub exclaimed, confused and concerned about her sudden outburst.
“Y-you’re the one… I’ve been looking for… this whole time!” Dora sobbed, wiping her eyes with the back of her left hand.
“What?” Grub uttered, confused. It took Dora a few moments to calm down so she could speak coherently.
“I told you my family was taken from me, right? What I didn’t tell you is that they were taken to another realm outside of Erafore. They’re held captive in the Lost City of Targua! And I was told the only way I’d be able to get there in order to rescue them was to find the Avatar of Kuronos!” Dora explained. “I tried to ask the Legion for help, but they turned me away! So I started sneaking into their compound in an attempt to find you, because I was told the Avatar was working with them!”
She then laughed coldly. “And look at where that got me. Savaros Tyne beat me for trying to save my family.”
Grub stared at her. She stared back. Then, he leaned back and began to howl with disbelieving laughter. There was shame and regret in it, though, and he stopped as abruptly as he started.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked solemnly.
“Help me save my family,” Dora replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know they’re not good people. I know they’ve done terrible things to others. But, I still love them.”
Grub stared at her for a long time before nodding slowly.
“Rest, for now. Tomorrow, I will come back here, and perform the Ritual of the Questing Arrow, which will take you to the Lost City of Targua. Be prepared for anything and everything.”
With that, he stood up and left, exiting the room quickly. Left on their own, Ain and Enrai shared looks with each other, then with Dora.
“I’ll go tell Mister Belro we’re leaving tomorrow,” the Monk said at last. “He’ll be sad his best two workers are quitting, no doubt.”
“You and Ain are only the best because you’re both strong and fairly exotic eye candy for the tourists,” Dora pointed out.
“A win is a win,” Enrai said with a shrug.
“I’ll be double-checking our supplies,” Ain announced. “Dora, can you make some potions before we leave? Maybe whip up some holy water to repel the demons we’re likely to encounter? And do your best to rest and recover to full health. Enrai and I don’t want you going into a dangerous area at less than full power.”
“Can do!” she said, snapping off a mock salute. She deflated somewhat once her two friends exited her room. Dora lay back on the bed with a groan. All that trouble and pain, for nothing!
‘It’s not Grub’s fault,’ she scolded herself. ‘He didn’t know, and I didn’t even think a hobo could be a living conduit for a god. Though, now that I think about it, that makes it the perfect kind of defense. Plus, it explains his massive mana reserves.’
Sensing her discomfort, her pet snake crawled up to lie beside the half-orc. Dora smiled warmly at the comradery and concern it had for her. The smile then took on a tinge of sorrow.
“I don’t think you should come with me tomorrow.”
It hissed at her in a way that simulated confusion. Dora chuckled at how intelligent the magical reptile was.
“What I mean is that Targua won’t be safe. More than likely, it’ll be infested by demons. And you won’t be able to protect me,” Dora stated. It hissed again and bared its fangs. Rather than feel threatened, Dora felt only sadness as she shook her head.
“Your venom might be the most dangerous substance for living creatures, but demons are not made of flesh and blood. They’re Dark magic given form, hatred and chaos made manifest. How can madness harm that which is already insane?”
The Serpent of Aril quivered indignantly, confident in its potent insanity sauce hidden within its sharp fangs, but Dora shook her head.
“No, I won’t take you with me. I don’t want to risk it.” She then stroked its head. “Why not stay here with Grub? You seemed to get along with him.”
The pinkish-red snake hissed weakly in begrudging agreement. Dora wasn’t going to budge on the issue, and the snake couldn’t bring itself to disappoint her. It would miss her kindness and understanding, as well as the heady floral aroma that clung to the half-orc’s very existence. But it knew she only wanted it to be safe.
Satisfied that her snake friend would follow her instructions, she closed her eyes and began to circulate Healing magic through her body to fix the more ingrained damages she’d suffered at the fists and boots of Savaros. Silence charged with anticipation for the next day filled the room.
Chapter 21: The edge of the Void
“What else do you need for this ritual?” Dora asked as she watched Grub set up a number of materials on the floor of her room.
Three arrows, arranged in a triangle. A piece of fur from a wolf wrapped around a shard of horn from a deer, placed in the center of the triangle. A second splinter of deer antler piercing six dried leaves she vaguely recognized as a herb used for making hallucinogenic smoke. There were other, more esoteric and less identifiable items strewn around the crude Magical Array, which Grub was taking precise care to place.
“The last item I need is something that has a strong connection to one of the people you want to find,” Grub explained. “The older and more used by them, the better.”
Dora rooted around in her pack and withdrew several items Rindel had packed for her: an old boot Scarrot had once worn. One of Reesh’s throwing knives. Holt’s favorite moustache comb. A book of poetry Uldo had used to teach himself how to read and write. There were a few other items, but these were the most important and intact Rindel had been able to recover from the ruins of the Menagerie’s camp.
Grub frowned as he ran a glowing hand over the items. “Hmm. While there is a decent connection to their owners, I’m not sure it would be strong enough to punch through the walls of reality and deposit you in the Aether, let alone Targua.”
“Couldn’t you use all the items together and boost the connection that way?” Ain suggested as he looked over the primitive looking Magical Array.
“The conflicting signals could cause the spell to go out of control,” Grub said after a moment of thinking the idea over. “I wouldn’t risk it. The Ritual of the Questing Arrow is designed to locate anyone anywhere and bring a number of people to their location. Note how I said ‘anyone.’ If too many items with too many different connections exist, even if they’re all in the same location, it could do something strange, like send you back in time to a point where they did exist altogether, or forcibly merge the pursuers – that’s you three – with the targets, causing death and possible possession.”
“I wouldn’t say no to going back in time,” Dora admitted. “Maybe I co
uld save them from being kidnapped in the first place!”
“That would cause a time paradox, and besides dooming an Undead infested city to not being saved by you, there are quite a few entities in the Aether who do not look kindly upon individuals trying to change the timeline,” Grub warned.
“Well, what can Dora do to provide a deeper connection for the ritual?” Enrai asked, getting back to the main problem.
Grub opened his mouth to say something but froze. Instead of responding, his eyes glazed over and for a moment, they looked like the eyes of a wolf, rather than a half-elf. He blinked, and the image was gone.
“Argh, I hate it when he does that without warning,” Grub grumbled, rubbing his temples.
“Did you just receive a revelation from Kuronos?” Dora asked in awe. The grubby half-elf nodded.
“Yeah, he did. Told me that the best way to resolve the connection issue would be to find someone who shares blood with one of the missing people. Do you know if any of the Menagerie have living family members? Preferably parents or children?”
Dora grimaced. Reesh had been a slave, so who knew where his family was, if he even had any. Uldo was often mute on the subject of family, but if did have any, they’d be among the other Amazons in Val’Narash. So, not feasible, either. Holt had the same problem Reesh did, and he didn’t have any kids that she knew of. All that left was Scarrot…
She smiled faintly and held out her left hand to Grub. “Use my blood. Scarrot is my father.”
Everyone stared at her in shock.
“Are you sure?” Enrai asked, surprised. “I mean, Ain and I suspected that was the case, but we’d had no idea you’d also assumed the same.”
“I’m sure,” Dora said firmly. “I’ve known he was my father for a while, I just didn’t want to believe it.”
Grub nodded solemnly and removed a fourth arrow from the pile of materials. He then pricked the palm of Dora’s outstretched hand and let her blood coat the arrowhead and then the fletching. Once that was done, he carefully laid the arrow down in the middle of the three other arrows.