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‘I COULDN’T HELP BUT notice you admiring my automaton there,’ the firbolg said as he descended the steps. ‘You have impeccable taste.’ His smile never faltered as he joined us. ‘Now what do I owe the pleasure of your visitation?’
But the group said nothing, Tarasque produced a scroll from her pack and handed it over. The man untied the ribbon and read the parchment silently to himself, bobbing his head along as he did.
‘I see,’ he said and scrunched up the page. ‘Then there really isn’t a moment to lose. Cogsworth.’ He clicked his fingers and the automaton dropped his work and hurried to his side. The pair disappeared out the open door, leaving us to wonder why.
Tarasque sucked in her breath and marched out after him. The rest of us followed, yet when we stepped outside, we were no longer greeted by the derelict structures. In their place stood five towering gates, each with its own unique design. My fingers twitched at my sides, they weren’t just gates but portals to other realms. I knew the magic was possible but it was forbidden. I didn’t trust the firbolg.
Luckily our leader stepped ahead, ‘What the hell is going on here?’ she demanded.
‘Ser Raexius de Lovras,’ he replied.
Tarasque glared at him, her hand rested on the hilt of her blade, ‘What?’
‘My name,’ he said, ‘Grand Sorcerer of the Arcane, my title and the pleasure is yours.’ And true to his name, he produced flames from his gloves, the energy swirled and formed into four orbs. He sent each one to a gate each, lighting the torches that rested in the structures. Only the gate that was positioned in the centre of the curve was the only one not to be lit.
Mitztail rolled his eyes and whispered to me, ‘Great, a firbolg with a God complex.’
I laughed at his admission but my eyes fell upon our tiefling comrade. Barcius seemed to be the only one of our group that ate up his spectacle.
Tarasque furrowed her brow and asked, ‘Why did you send for the Ashen Order?’
The Ashen Order? We’d a group name and no one told me about it.
‘Indeed. Come let us discuss,’ the Sorcerer said, a grin plastered across his face as he threw his arms out wide. He’d evaded the question entirely, yet at least we knew he sent the bill.
A surge of magical energy pulled us in like an invisible lasso wrapped around our middles and hauled us before the firbolg. We stood before him, unable to move with our own free will. Raexius flicked his wrist and dropped the enchantment, and allowed us to move once more.
His automaton stood by his side, I could make out the design better now in the afternoon sun. Its body reminded me of an armadillo, just with a longer plated tail and rabbit-like ears, both of which were decorated with a bulb at the tips. On its back sat a tiny pair of wings, though I wasn’t convinced he could fly.
‘Why did you send for the Ashen Order?’ Tarasque repeated her question once more. The tips of her ombre tresses lit. Her patience was running thin.
Raexius stroked his salt and pepper beard and said, ‘You seemed like the right adventurers for the job, though I am sorry to hear of your healer’s passing. Cecilia, was it?’
Mitztail hissed but our paladin held a hand to stop him, ‘We came here to complete a job, not reminisce of old times,’ Tarasque replied. ‘Name the details or we walk.’
The Sorcerer tutted, ‘If it must be that way, then fine,’ his smile faded. ‘Inside each of these gates, you’ll find yourselves amongst a trial, one set up by the Gods themselves. Each gate houses a sacred relic that I require-.’
‘Why?’ the word slipped out before I’d considered the consequences.
Raexius’s grey brow knitted together. He hadn’t taken kindly to my interruption, yet he cleared his throat and continued his speech. ‘The details are not important. You only need to secure the relics and return them to me. Your entire party will be rewarded handsomely, should you succeed of course.’
Tarasque glared at the sorcerer and said, ‘Do you doubt our ability?’ I noted the flames ignited in her tresses and her fingers danced on the hilt of her blade.
Raexius gave a weak smile, ‘Of course not, but many adventurers given this opportunity have not been successful,’ he replied, ‘I’ve heard many tales of your harrowing adventures, I only hope I could interest you in one final run.’
‘What do you say?’ the fire genasi turned back to us.
It was then I understood the dynamic of the group and how important their friendship was to each of them. They’d lost someone dear to them, yet despite the risks were still willing to risk it all to protect their friend’s legacy. I felt a surge of pride warm my heart, I was happy to be in their presence.
Mitztail tipped his hardee to the leader in a sign of agreement and Barcius gave a short nod of his head, but when I felt her golden eyes on me, my words were caught like a lump in my throat.
I turned to the firbolg and asked, ‘What about me?’
‘You?’ He replied, turning up his nose at my presence. ‘I know everything in this realm, I make it my business to ensure I’ve researched my employees thoroughly, but you,’ he said, his words almost venomous, ‘I never sent for you. May your return home be pleasant.’
Tarasque shook her head, ‘Deal’s off.’
‘What?’ Raexius asked, his expression perplexed.
I’d not considered the possibility that the rest of the group wouldn’t take the bill if I’d not been included, after all they hardly knew me or what I was capable of. I could be a liability, just as I was to my Tribe. What if they were hurt by my power? Just like Nolas had been. I didn’t want to consider that to be a possibility.
‘As you’re familiar with each of us, as you claim, you’d known of our new alliance after the recent passing of Cecilia, we were in need of a new healer,’ Tarasque added. By this point the entire party had begun walking away from the eccentric sorcerer.
Raexius drew in a breath and rubbed his temples, ‘Fine, fine. Have it your way, the satyr child can stay,’ he called out after us.
I caught sight of the smile that curled on our leader’s lips, ‘Excellent,’ she said, ‘Now will there be anything else?’
Now the sorcerer smirked and replied, ‘Enter one gate at a time, complete the trial and you’ll be rewarded with the sacred relic I seek. After you have acquired four, only then will the final gate unlock. I’ll be awaiting your presence in the Sky City of Essenths, now don’t dawdle. The clock is ticking.’
He moved his hands in a sequence of moments I couldn’t recall and launched an orb out to the horizon. In a flash, a rift was carved into the sky. But before Raeixus stepped inside, he turned back to the party and said, ‘Be dears and take care of little Cogsworth for me,’ he nudged the copper automaton forward, ‘Off you pop now. Good luck.’
‘Wait, that wasn’t-’ Tarasque called out after him, but he was gone before she finished her sentence. ‘Part of the deal.’ She cursed under her breath and kicked the ground.
Barcius knelt before the automaton, admiring its details once more. The creature didn’t utter a sound, yet the clogs still clicked to inform us it was functioning. ‘Wonder why he left it in our care?’ he asked, directing his question to no one in particular. ‘Perhaps it serves a higher purpose.’
‘Meaning?’ Tarasque glanced over her shoulder and asked.
Mitztail skipped around the automaton, checking it over for himself, ‘Don’t mew think it’s odd that he left a prized pawsession of his in our care?’ Barcius merely shrugged.
I stood in the centre of the clearing and stared up at the middle gate. A set of double doors with golden handles, framed with the same white stone and ivy structures we’d seen when we first arrived, greeted me. I placed my hand against the wood, closed my eyes and listened for voices. During my travels since my banishment, I’d discovered more about my power, including the way I was able to freely commune with the earth itself. It’d given reason for my previous title as Tribe Seer, a sacred art only they could wield. It was this power that had saved me countless times from unsavoury characters and had led me to forming an alliance with the band of adventurers that stood behind me. The same ones that’d fought for my place on this quest.
But there were no voices that laid beyond this gate, or none that wanted to commune with me. I withdrew my hand from the grain and turned back to rejoin the group. Together they were discussing our next move.
‘Four gates, four of us. Can’t be a coincidence, surely?’ Barcius said, looking as if he was going to interrupt into another one of his theories. ‘Especially when your consider-’
‘Please don’t speak her name,’ Tarasque cut his words short. ‘Let’s focus on the task.’
The tiefling reconsidered his words, ‘I’ve deduced the possibility that these so-called trials may in fact be related to us all, with the exception of Saria that is,’ He said and glanced at me, ‘No offence.’
I waved him off, ‘None taken. Though I think your hypothesis might be correct.’
Tarasque narrowed her brow, ‘Keep talking, satyr.’
‘Each one of you was hand selected by Ser Raexius for this quest, he made a point of saying so. What if it is how Barcius says; these trials could in fact be related to you all?’
‘I guess there’s only one way we can be sure,’ Tarasque said, her golden orbs set on the further gate away from us. ‘I want each of you to investigate, uncover anything of interest so we can determine what we might be up against. That includes you too.’
The tiefling and tabaxi left their new copper friend and walked in separate directions. I joined them in the search, I closed my eyes and listened to the earth, searching for something that felt familiar. Something that felt like home. But nothing came to me.
There is no trial gate for me, I wasn’t meant to be on this journey.
I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and decided to aid my colleagues instead.
Barcius was glancing over an obsidian door, decorated with amethyst eyes, ‘Interesting,’ he muttered to himself and swept his hand over the decor, the eye blinking as he did. ‘Very interesting indeed.’ A smile curled at the corner of his lips, and I left him to his admiration.
I wandered over to where Mitztail stood, growling at his assigned gate. His soft ginger paws rested against the wood grain, which was stained in places and gave off an odd smell of sweat and ale. I observed my tabaxi colleague, his expression grew perplexed and his furry ginger ears pinned back against his hardee. I could’ve sworn he bared his tiny fangs at the door on more than one occasion.
‘Impawsible,’ I heard him mutter to himself.
‘Everything okay?’ I asked and placed a hand softly on his shoulder.
Mitztail jumped away hissing, he drew his paw to his hip and withdrew his rapier. It took him a minute to realise I was friend not foe and sheathed the blade.
‘Apawologies,’ he said sheepishly, ‘Something about these gates seems off, but I can’t quite put my paw on it.’
‘Maybe Barcius has a hypothesis.’
The tabaxi groaned, ‘Like we all need to be bored to death.’
I left him to continue his investigation and went to assist Tarasque when I heard a faint voice call out to me. I passed the only gate that’d not yet been claimed. A gate I could only assume was meant for Cecilia. But a voice reached out to me, a faint whisper on the breeze, yet the language was foreign to me. I glanced at the gate, a simple wooden frame, almost hidden by growing ivies and blossoming flora. Something tugged in the back of my mind, like I should’ve recognised the structure or the markings carved into the grain, yet I felt nothing.
Tarasque’s fingers traced the markings that lie within the stonework of her chosen gate. A craggy rock formation with veins of lava running through the structure, it mirrored the fire genasi’s skin. I couldn’t help but wonder if this trial gate was meant for her. Her expression changed when she saw me approach; from gritted teeth to a slight smile.
‘Can you gather the others?’ she asked.
I nodded to confirm her order and hurried off to collect both Barcius and Mitztail from their respective investigations. When we arrived the fire genasi looked as if she’d seen a ghost.
Tarasque slumped down beside the last gate she’d inspected and asked ‘Has no one felt anything familiar? Naught that remotely resembles your homeland or anything significant from your past?’ We all shook our heads in unison. ‘Another one of his tricks then?’
Barcius took a seat beside her and said, ‘It appears my hypothesis may have been incorrect.’
‘Well isn’t this something?’ Mitztail mocked, ‘The scholar finally admits he doesn’t know everything. Who’d thought?’ The tiefling merely glared in his direction and the tabaxi held up his paws in defence.
‘Doesn’t matter, we need to begin this quest or we’re never getting paid,’ Tarasque said, pushing herself up off the ground and glancing at each gate in turn. ‘Follow me.’ She walked over to the crag gate and placed her hand against the surface, her other rested on the hilt of her sword.
A lock unbolted itself with a click, a mechanism threw the doors open wide and allowed us to peer inside where a flame-wreathed rift awaited. The portal invited us in with a stench of ash and pyres that couldn’t be ignored. A familiar surge of energy escaped from the rift, fiery tendrils wrapped around the adventurer’s wrists and hauled them into the void, leaving me behind on the cliffside.
‘Not like this,’ I said and dove into the flames after my new found friends.
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