Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [61]
The empty sheath landed with a clunk and the warrior looked down at a finely crafted dwarven crossbow. Hooking it with his toe, he tossed it into the air towards Valeska. "Here we part Ko'Ragur!"
The bard looked up and had to drop the baubles in order to catch the crossbow. For a moment she was awestruck by its craftsmanship but the moment passed and she looked up to say thanks.
Chev was gone and she could hear heavy boots coming down the hallway.
"Time for a teleport spell," she murmured, hoping that since the doors were open that they would no longer interfere with the spell. She closed her eyes and wondered where to go. Old Betsy's Tavern, Valeska's booth. She just hoped there was no one already sitting in it. Speaking the words, the bard ignored the strange feeling like she was floating in syrup and reopened them to the strong smells of a tavern.
"Well, gods bless me fat cheeks! Girl, what in tarnation are you doing popping up like that and startling me!"
Valeska looked at the table before her with a smile and back up elderly woman. "I was in a hurry for some of your cooking of course!" she said quickly as she set the crossbow down on the seat beside her. "Bring me some hot cider and don't let anybody sit down across from me. I've had problems enough with men lately."
"Okay," the old woman shrugged and hurried off to warm some cider.
Valeska breathed out a sigh of relief and hoped that was the last of her adventures for awhile. Or at very least the last time she'd see Chev.
Chapter 10
Pierce kicked the coins across the vault and looked at Marque Draque for an answer. The elf only shrugged and looked to the heavy vault doors. "There's only about twelve thieves in the city that could have gotten past all of those traps," the Doctor began.
"And Valeska isn't supposed to be one of them," Draque finished for him. "She either got lucky or is better than any of us thought. That door takes me half a hour to pick and even then I can't bypass the last trap. The mechanism is too heavy to move with normal picks and too complicated to get at with anything else other than the proper key. Even if you do move it, you end up getting poisoned when a needle pops out.
"Perhaps it did work, and she's just resisting the poison?"
"Not likely. Its a rare fungus that's part magical. Normal antidotes and magical cures don't work. Unless Valeska has skin stronger than steel, she should be dead-"
"Leather stronger than steel," Pierce growled. "Chev's leather has been enchanted so it is stronger than steel," he said slowly, looking up at Draque with a half-amazed expression.
Draque pursed his lips. "Well, in that case all he would have to do is-"
"Stick his finger in it," Pierce muttered. He sat down on tired legs and half-cried, half-laughed.
Draque didn't think it was so funny.
It had been many years since Sharkslayer had been out of its sheath and already it was beginning to earn a new name: Lethal. So sharp and precise, its keen edge could cut through both steel and stone, and that was just the beginning. In Chev's hands the weapon knew no mercy and the gods above quickly became aware of this paramount of mortal fighters that now roamed Waterdeep's darkened alleys and strode confidentally in broad daylight.
Without pause and without fear, Chev entered a noble estate with both swords at the ready. He slew the guards without pause and walked up to the grand oak doors and promptly kicked them down. The elderly retainer standing in the foyer was crushed under the door and died in silence as his heart refused to pound any more.
The servants fled to safety, some out through the kitchen, some going down to the wine cellar and only a few seeking the protection of their lord. Lord Kyron however, a local noble, past adventurer and long time