Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [65]
And so it was that overnight Chev's fame spread across the realms. He told a story of a man caught between death, love and loyalty. A story that spanned a hundred and sixty years of Waterdeep and ended with one man's vengeance. When the first rays of dawn peaked over the cliffs to the east and shone down on the vast, sprawling City of Splendors, it showed a city that was abuzz with historians young and old, digging out ancient tomes and records and fleshing out more details of what could only be defined as a born again legend.
Sitting at outdoor cafes and indoor pubs, at the bars and in the back rooms of taverns, aspiring bards scribbled away hastily at ballads, poems and stories. By noon, there was a thousand variations of Chev's story, each distorting the truth and claiming to be the only true version.
Alone in her darkened booth, Valeska bit her lip to keep from laughing at the bard currently trying to convey Chev's real story. He portrayed the warrior as a romantic gallant with a heart of gold who had singlehanded sought out his fair lady and saved her from the grip of his enemies only to be betrayed by her father. Finally, the bard held aloft a sword.
"This is Chev's sword!" the bard declared to his small, yet attentive audience. He brandished the rapier in the air. "He gave it to me after he fought with Doctor Pierce. The good Doctor is great indeed but he was no match for Chev's superior skill and loving strength-"
The drow bard started to laugh hysterically and the story was cut short as the audience turned to face the darkly cloaked stranger. Trying to control her laughter, Valeska stood and shook her cowl back from her face, revealing her half-elven features. She took a deep breath and used her years of experience to control her face as she smiled at the bard. "Your story is so far from the truth, I'd swear you were talking about a paladin and not the treacherous Chev," she said, her well chosen words coming naturally.
"Treacherous?" squeaked the bard. "Are you calling Chev a villain?"
"He was a bodyguard belonging to one of Waterdeep's most ruthless family of villains. He is not only treacherous, he is conniving, greedy, vengeful, and without pity. He backstabs, betrays, and blackmails."
The bard's face turned beet red and he lowered his rapier at Valeska. The woman only smile and twirled on one toe, her adamantite-toed boot connecting with the bard's ribcage and knocking the air out of him. The man collapsed to the floor beside his fallen rapier and clutched his broken ribs.
Looking about at the shocked crowd, Valeska sat down and told her own story, despite the fact that her version would never be accepted. The truth must be known however, and she was determined that this might be her chance to gauge how well people accept her words when she told them something they did not want to hear.
Some of the people left, but those who stayed learned the truth and understood how the truth is so easily lost. The drow-bard saw this in their now knowing eyes, and wondered how many stories she'd have to tell before her own people saw the truth behind Lloth's lies.
The liquor flowed from the bottle in bubbly glops. Martinez tilted the bottle upright and stoppered it with a twist of his wrist. Taking the wine glass, the bald Harper swirled the red liquid and breathed in the smell.
Pierce grunted and split another log under his axe.
"You know, it's really kind of you to let me have access to your wine cellar, although I must admit the selection is far from complete," Martinez said before taking a sip. "The Fifty-Eight Dessarin correct?"
"That was an interesting year." The Doctor rested for a second before swinging once more.
"Indeed. The Time of Troubles left many a brew touched by magic that year."
"I must say that it was also my favourite year. Adventurers were in demand that year and the pay was sky high."
"Don't tell me ye stock this stuff just because of the year?"
"No, I stock it cuz I like it," Pierce drawled.
"You're definitely no wine connoisseur."
"I never wanted to be one. I still don't know