Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [40]
Can you guess the goal within her bodice?
Those words, written by the drow bard Valeska Ko'Ragur, had haunted Pierce for years with their constant references. He had always liked her poetry but didn't tell Draque that. It occurred to him then that Draque also must have hidden his own preference for Valeska's poetry from him somehow. Annoyed by that fact and overwhelmed by fear of the sword, he grabbed the slumbering elf by the collar and hauled him out of the room.
Draque choked out a curse as he awoke in mid-drag and pulled himself to his feet. "What's wrong? Is the place burning down?"
"No! I-" Pierce stopped and slammed the door shut to block the invading evil mind. "What is that thing in there?" he demanded.
"Chev's sword? I fixed it," Draque crossed his arms and levelled his eyes at Pierce like a stern father. "Explain."
Taking a breath, Pierce pulled up a stool. "I've been looking for you all morning and then when my father said you were working on that sword-"
"And your foresight told you something?"
"Well, no-"
"Then it was your imagination running off on the loose. Even you can't get through the protections on that door-" Draque stopped abruptly in his speech and looked at the open door in awe. "How in Mystra did you open that door?"
Pierce pointed to the fire faerie.
"Oh, of course! It figures that the little bugger would retain that knowledge! Probably can pick a lock better than I can! Anyway, as I was saying! That door, and the chamber itself bears the first copy of my Insignia of Protection. Nothing short of a god could get through it without knowing how." The elf paused to glare at the fire faerie who had flown back to its alcove to eat more wax.
"Its a good thing I can read your mind then," the Doctor replied. "Now I'll be able to bypass the Insignia, although I'll need one of your magical scrolls just to be able to cast that spell."
"No doubt," Draque snorted. "You're one of the few fighters who will ever learn even a smidging of magic and that makes you blessed in a very small way. If I ever tweaked your power, I'd say you'd have the magical might to cast a fireball if only you knew how."
"I have watched you a fair bit and my foresight helps!"
"Ah, but you still don't understand fully! When I first taught you how to light a candle, you lit the candlestick and we ended up with the tablecloth starting on fire!"
Pierce stood and clapped his friend on the back. "Which reminds me! I'm famished and after toiling away on that stupid blade you should be hungry too!"
Draque nodded and motioned the fire faerie to lock the door behind them. "I'm going to have to teach the little fellow more respect. Maybe if I stop buying such expensive waxes for him to eat he'll get the hint."
"I doubt that. If he's like his creator, which he's supposed to be, he'll probably rebel and eat the wax off your scroll seals and then you'll have a problem identifying them all. Best not to anger him, but simply motivate him." The fighter smiled lewdly. "Maybe you should get a female apprentise and teach her the spell? That would certainly motivate him to be more of a gentleman."
"Aye, but then I'd have to clean the place! Couldn't let one of these Waterdeep upstarts think that I can't even clean a room without some magic."
Chev's arrival in Waterdeep just after the sun had reached its peak for the day, was marked by his overwhelming feeling that this was indeed the first time he had seen the place in over a hundred and fifty winters. There was no doubt in his mind, that he was beginning anew in a way he could begin to comprehend. He felt very alive.
There was also an incredible sense of deja vu. He had done this before a hundred and fifty three years ago and still it felt a lot like yesterday.
Before entering however, he was stopped by the guards at the city gate and asked his business.
"Sword juggler," he replied simply. No one doubted his claim, but Chev knew it had very little to do with his reply. Rather, it was because of the solid line up of people and caravans that needed inside the city. They