Guild Wars_ Ghosts of Ascalon - Matt Forbeck [126]
He poured the remaining potion down the charr’s throat, and Ember let out a long coughing jag, then rolled over and vomited bits of her own flesh. She touched the skin beneath her slashed belly armor to make sure her flesh was solid.
“The traitor …” spat Ember.
“Dead,” said Dougal, and looked over at the pit. “I’m going to need a new sword. Again.”
Ember growled and nodded, then said, “What about you, Dougal Keane?”
“What about me?” Despite the potion, Dougal ached, and knew that, if it came to it, he could not fight a charr one-on-one.
“Are you going to return with me to the Vigil, and give the Claw of the Khan-Ur to Almorra Soulkeeper?” The charr’s words sounded hostile but she looked concerned.
Dougal could not guess what the charr was thinking but slowly nodded. “I’d like to do that.”
A toothy smile spread over Ember’s face. “Good. Even with your kindness of a healing draught, I am in no shape to fight you.”
“So you do want to go back …” said Dougal.
“Of course,” said Ember. “I do not think I could face my grandmother empty-handed.”
“Grandmother?” Dougal was startled. “Almorra is …”
“I have her eyes,” said Ember, smiling weakly. “Though my mother was Ash Legion. Don’t tell me that that is not obvious even to a human?”
There was a great shout from the far side of the courtyard, and both man and charr looked up, surprised. Gullik staggered into view.
“I don’t believe it,” muttered Ember.
“I do,” said Dougal.
The norn was pale, his massive form almost drained of life. Not an inch of his outfit was not shredded, and not an inch of his exposed flesh was not bleeding. His warrior’s braid was burned off to a charcoaled stump, and he was—as they were—covered with a thin coating of pulverized bone. But he was alive.
“By the Bear!” shouted the norn. “Did you kill them all without me? The asura did a wonderful thing, for his device gave me wings. I awoke in the remains of one of the houses and tried to find you.” He paused a moment, then admitted with a shrug, “I am afraid I got lost. I wasn’t paying much attention on the way in.”
Dougal wanted to hug the norn and lumbered forward, but Ember beat him to it, embracing the norn and slapping his back. Gullik winced but got his vengeance slapping the charr on the back as well.
“Where is he ?” said Gullik. “Where is that powerful asura?”
Dougal’s face fell, and Ember said, “He’s dead. Kranxx died defeating Adelbern.”
Gullik grew somber immediately. “I see. Did he die well?”
Dougal said, “It was a death worth a legendary tale.”
“One I would like very much to hear,” said Gullik softly. “And Riona?”
Dougal and Ember looked at each other, then Ember said, “She’s gone as well.”
Gullik lowered himself onto the ground. “I am afraid,” he said, “that I have to find less fragile friends.”
The three were silent for a moment in the heart of the dead city.
“Do you still have your satchel, norn?” asked Ember.
“Of course,” said Gullik, and shuffled the pack off one shoulder.
“We need to put something away,” said the charr, and Dougal hefted the Claw.
Gullik raised an eyebrow. “So this is what all the fuss was about? Was it worth the deaths of friends?”
“Nothing ever is,” said Dougal, “but since you have space in your satchel, there is a bag filled with platinum coins halfway down that pit, and more in a treasure room beyond. But we’d best be quick, before Adelbern re-forms his ghostly body and marshals his troops.”
Gullik rose to his feet. “Let him!” he snorted. “I will take out my rage against him in Kranxx’s name! Still”—and a smile played over his face—“the only thing better than returning from a city of the dead is to return from a city of the dead bearing great treasures. Down here, you say?” He walked to the edge of the pit.
Dougal laid the Claw in Gullik’s satchel. There was more than enough room for several more sacks. And he would have to scare up another sword as well. To Ember, he said, “He’s right, you know. It