by Kate Novak
It's a shame that it's cursed, Emilo thought. He pulled back his arm to pitch the stone downhill, but he couldn't bring himself to release it. Even though he'd taken it for a good reason, it was still Joel's property. It didn't feel right to cast it away.
Surely, the kender thought, it will be enough to hide it from Joel so he can't use it. Once we find Sirrion's entrance to Beshaba's realm, we'll be safe. Then I can give it back to Joel.
The kender tucked the stone into his knapsack, feeling a little less uneasy about the compromise he'd made.
OFFSTAGE
Somewhere in the Prime Material Plane on the world known as Toril in Realmspace, Amberlee Wyvernspur watched from an upper window as her two younger brothers joined the flock of cousins in the courtyard. They were up to some mischief, led, no doubt, by Aunt Julia's twin sons, Tavan and Toran Sudacar. Uncle Giogi's son, Gory, and Amberlee's brothers, Lumen and Ferrin, followed them like moths to the flame.
As the oldest and most mature at nine years old, Amberlee generally made an effort to ignore her cousins' antics, but today the youngest cousins, Uncle Giogi's daughter, Olivia, and Aunt Julia's daughter, Heather, and even Amberlee's littlest brother, Pars, were part of the flock. Tavan and Toran were not responsible enough to keep the little ones safe. All the adults but Uncle Steele and their great-grandaunt, Aunt Dorath, had gone to a wedding at one of the nearby farms. Amberlee realized it would be up to her to find out what the older children were up to and discourage them from including Heather, Olivia, and Pars.
As the Wyvernspur and Sudacar brood disappeared into the stables, Amberlee raced down the stairs of the castle out into the courtyard and hurried after her younger kinfolk. Just outside the stable, Gory sat upon his own pony. Olivia, Heather, and Pars were waiting in Olivia's pony cart. Inside the stable, Tavan, Toran, Ferrin, and Lumen were saddling up their own ponies. After hitching up the coaches for the adults to attend the wedding, all the stablehands had taken the rest of the day off.
"And just where do all of you think you're going?" Amberlee asked Gory. He had the most sense of all the boys, and she could usually get him to come clean.
"Don't tell her, Gory," his sister Olivia whispered. "She'll only go running to Aunt Dorath."
"No, she won't," Cory said, giving Amberlee his most charming smile. "She'll come with us. I've already saddled her pony."
"That's very presumptuous of you, Cory Wyvernspur," Amberlee retorted with a sniff.
"We all have to go," Cory said.
"Go where?" Amberlee demanded.
'To the family crypt to meet the guardian."
Amberlee gasped. The guardian was the spirit of a fierce wyvern who guarded the family's underground burial chamber. The girl's alarm was replaced a moment later by reason. "You can't do that," she said. "The crypt is locked."
From the back of the cart, Heather held up a silver key on a chain.
"Where did you get that?" Amberlee whispered anxiously.
"I took it from Uncle Steele's sock drawer when he was sleeping," Heather said with a giggle.
Uncle Steele referred to his nieces and nephew as a pestilence of brats and barred them from his quarters completely. Whenever he had too much to drink, however, he showed a partiality to Heather, whom he mistook for his little sister Julia, although Julia was now a matron. At such times Heather was able to coax coins and candy from her uncle and was allowed to rummage through his old toys, which he still hoarded in chests beneath his bed.
"When Uncle Steele finds out, you're going to be in a lot of trouble," Amberlee said.
"We'll return it before he notices," Cory said.
"Only if you're very lucky," Amberlee replied.
"That's the beauty of it," Cory said. "We are very lucky, I heard Mother Lleddew tell Father last night that Tymora's power is leaking. Anyone who calls upon her gets scads of luck. This morning we each tossed a toy in the well as an offering to Lady Luck. We should have more good fortune than we need."
"That's how I managed to get into Uncle Steele's room without Aunt Dorath noticing and without Uncle Steele waking up," Heather explained.
"Cory, the crypt opens onto the catacombs, and the catacombs are filled with evil monsters," Amberlee said. "You can't go down there, especially not with the little children."
"We are not little children," Olivia snapped.
"I want to go," Pars shouted and began blubbering like the four-year-old that he was.
"We aren't going into the catacombs," Cory insisted, "just the crypt. We have to talk to the guardian and find out who's her favorite of the cousins so we know which one can use the wyvern's spur."
A horrible suspicion seized Amberlee. "Cory Wyvernspur, you didn't steal the wyvern's spur from your father, did you?"
With an unashamed grin, Cory held up the mummified piece of wyvern's foot that enabled the guardian's favorites to turn into a wyvern at will. "I took it out of his pocket."
"You can't do this," Amberlee insisted, stomping her foot on the ground. "It's too dangerous."
"We'll be too lucky to get hurt," Tavan said as he led his pony from the stable. Toran, Lumen, and Ferrin followed with Amberlee's and their own ponies in tow.
"Lumen and Ferrin and Pars, as your older sister, I forbid you to go," Amberlee said imperiously.
Lumen and Ferrin laughed and mounted their ponies.
"I want to go," Pars screeched.
"I'm going to tell Aunt Dorath," Amberlee declared.
Tavan grabbed Amberlee's arm. Although a year younger, Tavan was taller and far stronger than Amberlee. 'You don't want to do that, Lady Amber," Tavan said with menace.
"And why not, Tavan Sudacar?" Amberlee asked.
"Because while you're telling Aunt Dorath, well go off without you. Aunt Dorath won't be able to catch us, and she'll spend the whole day fretting. Probably die of worry. And then we'll all be in the crypt for her funeral. And it will be your fault."
"Tavan, that wasn't very nice," Cory reprimanded.
"But probably true," Tavan's twin, Toran, said darkly.
"Aunt Dorath will send Uncle Steele after you."
"He's probably drunk half a flask of brandy by this time of the day. He'll be sleeping till supper," Tavan said.
"Please, Amberlee," Gory asked again. "We could use your help and advice."
Amberlee glared at her charming cousin, knowing full well his flattery could lead her to her doom. She looked back at Redstone Castle uncertainly. Tavan was right about Uncle Steele. Aunt Dorath was probably snoozing over her knitting as well. There was no one she could rely on. It was up to her. "All right, I'll go," Amberlee announced, "but only to keep you all out of trouble."
ACT TWO SCENE 5
Joel awoke with a start, feeling alarmed. He'd been having a nightmare. He lay very still, trying to piece together the dream. He'd been traveling with a group of children riding ponies, and they'd ridden into a graveyard. The children dismounted and took him into a large family tomb. It was dark and chill in the tomb, and Joel wanted to leave, but he was afraid to say so because then he would be left behind and the children would be alone. Ordinarily crypts held no fear for Joel. He could, after all, turn the undead and lay them to rest, but in this dream, he sensed he couldn't do that.
More disturbing than the feeling of dread was the sense that he knew the children in the dream. While traveling to Finder's temple in the Lost Vale, Joel had passed through Immersea in Cormyr and been welcomed into the home of Giogi Wyvernspur, a descendant of Finder's brother, Gerrin. Two of the children in the dream had been Giogi's son and daughter.
Joel wondered if the dream had any meaning. Perhaps he'd dreamed of children in crypts because he and Jas and Emilo were like children to the gods venturing in this deadly realm. He may only have dreamed of Giogi Wyvernspur's children because they'd been the last human children he'd seen in the Realms. On the other hand, there was the troubling possibility that he had dreamed of them because Tymora's troubles had directly affected them in some way.
'There, see," Emilo called out excitedly.
"Yes. I see them," Jas replied.
The bard rolled over. Emilo and Jas stood outside the tarp. Joel yawned and crawled out to see what they were looking at. They were camped on a little hillock at the foot of a cliff. A talus field, left over from yesterday's earthquake, surrounded the hill. A mild breeze had dispersed most of the fog. The sky far overhead was once again full of black clouds and sheet lightning.
Joel rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What's up?" he asked.
"See the bats fluttering around down there?" Emilo whispered excitedly, pointing downhill. "It must mean there's a cave nearby. It could be the entrance to Beshaba's realm. We should go look."
Joel and Jas agreed it would be worth checking out after breakfast. Jas returned to the tarp and began rummaging through Winnie's knapsack for breakfast. They split a loaf of bread and downed some more magical berries.
They washed breakfast down with water, leaving the second water flask half empty. Realizing he'd probably have to magically create more water soon, Joel began singing a soft prayer to Finder to grant him the spells he would need. He felt curiously empty as he did so. It was then he realized that perhaps he should be holding his power key while he prayed.
When he couldn't find the stone in his rolled-up shirt, Joel searched beneath the tarp. Then he began unpacking the backpacks. His searching grew more frantic. He began searching up and down the slope, fearing the stone had rolled downhill in the mist.
Jas joined the search, going through the backpacks again, more carefully this time. She felt in every fold of the tarp and crawled around among the boulders that held the tarp line, in case the stone had become lodged beneath one of them.
Emilo pretended he was joining in the search, but he felt too foolish.
"Why don't we check out the cave?" he asked.
Joel glared at the kender and continued to stalk about the campsite.
"You don't really need the stone now, do you?" Emilo asked. Joel whirled about, barely concealing his panic and anger. The kender's earnest expression softened him somewhat. He proceeded to explain patiently. "Emilo, the power key is a link to Finder's heart. I can't just leave it lying around on a mountainside in the Abyss. You heard Selune. It could be used against Finder. And it wouldn't be the first time, either. I would have failed him after all the trust he's placed in me."
"I don't think anything like that will happen," Emilo said calmly.
"How would you know?" Joel snapped angrily.
It was Jas who suddenly gained insight into Emilo's strange statement. "Emilo, do you know where the stone is?" the winged woman asked.
Emilo looked down at the ground, then at the humans, then back down at the ground. Slowly he pulled the stone from his knapsack.
A tiny sob escaped Joel's lips and he sighed with relief. He snatched the stone from the kender's hands.
"I'm sorry," the kender said. "I tried to explain to Sirrion how important it was to you, but he said it was cursed. I was only trying to protect you." The kender's voice cracked with emotion. "I'm really sorry," he added.
Joel slid the finder's stone into his shirt and pressed the cool crystal into the flesh over his heart. He began breathing more deeply, and his pulse slowed to normal.
"Who the heck is Sirrion?" Jas asked.
"He's a god on Krynn. Lord of the Flowing Flame. He said I should take the finder's stone because it was cursed. He's a god, so I thought he must be right."
"He said the stone was cursed? When?" Jas asked. "When did Sirrion say this?"
"Before you woke up," Emilo explained. "He appeared as a flame not far from here and told me about the cave. He said you wouldn't need the finder's stone, and I should take it so it didn't lead us to our doom."
"Why would a god from another world…" Jas started to ask. "You don't think it was her, do you?" she asked, referring obliquely to Beshaba. "An illusion she sent?"
Joel shook his head. "If she's noticed us, she could, and probably would, crush us like fruit flies. Maybe it's some other evil creature causing mischief."
"No," Emilo insisted. "It felt like a god. It was Sirrion. I'm sure. The flame was very beautiful, and it felt…" The kender struggled to find the words to describe his awe and excitement upon speaking with the flame. "It felt godlike," he concluded.
"So what sort of god is this Sirrion?" Jas asked.
"He controls fire so that it's useful and beautiful, not destructive," Emilo explained. "He said he came to be sure I was safe."
Joel looked up at the sky in disbelief.
"Why don't you pray for your spells," Jas said, "while Emilo and I pack up the gear?"
Joel knelt beside the boulder and sang a prayer to his god. With the finder's stone once again in his possession, the prayer left him feeling strong and certain that his spells would be granted.
"Are we going to look for the cave where the bats went?" Emilo asked anxiously. "Sirrion said it was the way into Beshaba's realm."
Joel and Jas exchanged glances, not certain they trusted Emilo's vision.
"We may as well see what's there," Jas said.
Joel nodded. If there wasn't a cave, or it didn't lead to Beshaba's realm, at least then Emilo would realize he'd been duped.
There was indeed a cave. The opening was at the base of the hillock where they had camped. Overhanging rock had sheltered the cave entrance so it hadn't been blocked by the avalanche. The entrance was wide but very low. Jas and Joel had to duck to enter. They could hear water dripping, and deeper within the cave a shallow pool glittered, reflecting back the light from the cave entrance.
Jas touched Joel's arm and pointed. A human figure sat half hidden in the shadows of the cave, staring into the pool of water. Suddenly the shadowy figure rose, shape-changed into the form of a human man wearing armor and wielding a sword, and dived into the water, disappearing completely from sight.
"It's times like this when I really miss Holly," Jas whispered. "With her paladin ability to detect evil, she could warn us whether or not we should get any closer to that creature, whatever it is."
"In a place like this where everything is evil, Holly would have a ringing headache by now," Joel countered.
Seemingly unconcerned with the possible dangers, Emilo walked into the cave and approached the pool of water.
"Emilo," Jas called out in a warning tone.
"I can see him," the kender said excitedly. "This pool must be a portal to another place. He's in another room, fighting another man." The kender gave a little gasp. "No, wait. He's fighting himself."
Joel and Jas moved deeper into the cave. The limestone ceiling and walls glistened with water, and tiny crystals glittered all along the floor, crunching under their boots. Jas and Joel found they could stand up, though Joel's head brushed the cave roof in spots. Farther back in the shadows, they could see about twenty small, furry bats hanging from the ceiling.
Joel and Jas joined Emilo beside the pool of water. On the opposite side of the water's surface were two identical men, dressed in identical armor, fighting with identical swords. The adventurers couldn't hear the combat, but they could see that one man was gaining the upper hand in the duel. The room surrounding the men was a gaudily decorated bedroom. Joel would have guessed it was a visitor's room in a festhall, but where in all the worlds the room was, he had no way of knowing.
The bard knew what it was he was seeing, however. "A fetch," he whispered.
"A what?" Jas asked.
"It's an evil creature that dwells in the Abyss," the bard explained. "There's a creepy Turmish song about fetch that explains why Turmish law prohibits large mirrors. Fetch attack through portals that lead to mirrors in the Prime Material Plane, taking on the forms of their intended victims. Their attacks drain the life energy from their victims. Then the victim is dragged back to the Abyss, where he becomes another fetch. There's one thing that bothers me, though. Fetch are supposed to be invisible to all but their victims."
"That could be," Joel agreed. He pulled out the finder's stone to illuminate the rest of the cave. The cavern didn't appear to extend back into the mountainside more than ten yards. Joel saw no evidence of passages that went any deeper. Sirrion's "passage" was a dead end.
The bard glanced back into pool. On the opposite side of the portal, four more armed men came running through a door into the room where the two fetch fought. Although they couldn't see the fetch, the armed men surrounded the fetch's victim, presumably their companion, with a circle of swords.
Joel whirled around. "We've got to get out of here before the fetch flees back through the portal," the bard insisted.
Joel's warning came in time for Jas and Emilo to retreat to the entrance, but the fetch reared out of the watery portal and splashed to the shore between Joel and his avenue of escape.
Upon spying the bard, the monster smiled coldly. Suddenly Joel found he was looking at himself. The fetch had assumed the bard's form and raised a sword identical to the one Finder had given to Joel. He retreated back several steps and drew his own weapon. It was unnerving enough knowing the fetch would be draining his life energy if it struck him; having to attack his twin made it worse. On top of all that, fetch were said to be excellent fighters.
The fetch had received some injuries from his last opponent. He was bleeding from a slash on his leg and a superficial stab in his gut. It wasn't enough of a handicap as far as Joel was concerned. The bard took a completely defensive stance, blocking the first strike with his sword and retreating from the second. He was now cornered in the back of the cave.
It was Jas who dealt the first blow to the creature, a deep cut to the shoulder. She followed it up quickly with a slice to the creature's ribs. The fetch whirled and hissed. This time it didn't bother to shapeshift again, but targeted the winged woman still wearing Joel's form. Its first blow glanced off Jas's shoulder guard, but the second drew blood, slicing through her leather wrist guard and penetrating the flesh beneath.