Once Around the Realms

Chapter 27

Kirk had retired a matter of days ago and Duke was already missing his old friend. Stewart, Kirk's replacement, was a nice enough fellow, but a bit too much of a talker, which was a real problem since he also had a tendency to stutter. Duke had seen it take him close to a half hour to tell a passing traveler that it was necessary for him to register at the gate before entering the city due to another one of Vangerdahast's meetings of the War Wizards. Kirk might have been a bit pugnacious at times, but at least he got the job done quickly and efficiently.

"St-t-t-t-t-t-t-top! St-t-t-t-t-t-top!"

"What is he up to now"? Duke thought, getting up from his seniority-has-its-privileges chair in the watch station in just enough time to see four riders race through the gate.

"Whoa!" the leader stopped the steeds.

Duke recognized him as the legendary Volo, whom he had first met back when Kirk was assigned to the gate.

"Khelben," Volo puffed. "Where is he?"

"Probably at the Dragon's Jaws Inn," Duke replied, "raising a tankard or two with Vangerdahast. The Council of Mages doesn't meet again until tomorrow, and old Vangerdahast likes to take the occasional visiting dignitary out to the local hot spots."

"Thanks," Volo replied. "We'll register later."

"No problem," Duke answered, thinking, Fame has its privileges.

Stewart had just caught up to the horsemen, as Duke signaled for them to go.

"B-b-b-b-b-u-u-u-t, Duke," the junior geriatric Purple Dragon stuttered. "They didn't sign in."

"Don't worry about it," Duke replied, and resumed his place of seniority in the watch station while Stewart turned his attentions to an new group of arrivals.

Khelben was feeling very uncomfortable as he and Vangerdahast arrived at the doorstep of the Dragon's Jaws Inn.

"Honestly," the ramrod-straight mage with the distinctive streak of gray in his beard said to the older mage, "do we really have to make an appearance here?"

"Yes," Vangerdahast replied. "The citizens of Suzail enjoy it. It is but a small sacrifice of our time in the larger scheme of things."

"Speaking of time," Khelben remarked, "I really feel that we are spending too much time in meetings. I've lost count of the amount of times in the past year that you've called a gathering of the War Wizards. Sometimes I feel like I'm spending more time in Suzail than I am in Waterdeep."

"Well," Vangerdahast replied, "having spent so much time in our fair city, it is only proper that you take advantage of this opportunity to dine at the Dragon's Jaws Inn, the one tavern that any visitor to Cormyr shouldn't miss."

The two mages opened the door and stepped inside and were immediately greeted by the always-on-the-spot Milo Dudley.

"Mister Vangerdahast, you honor our establishment, and Mister Arunsun, I'm glad you decided to pay us another visit. As I said to you before, though, had you given me a little notice I could have arranged something special for you, but I guess we will have to make due with our typically exceptional service."

"I beg your pardon," Khelben interrupted, somewhat confused. "What did you just say?"

"Our typically exceptional service?" Milo repeated with a touch of uncertainty in his voice.

"No, before that."

"Oh, about the last time you were here," the majordomo replied.

"But I've never been here before," Khelben corrected.

Milo was puzzled. He never forgot a face, particularly one as famous as the Lord Mage of Water-deep himself. I know, the dwarf concluded, he doesn't want Vangerdahast to know that he's been here before. That must be it. I wonder why? Oh, but wizards are a strange sort anyway.

"I'm sorry Mister Arunsun," Milo replied with a sly wink. "I must have been mistaken."

Khelben was now even more confused by the majordomo's subtle wink, but decided to let it pass.

"Gentlemen," Milo announced, "your table awaits." He proceeded to hustle through the crowd to one of the prime tables that were always reserved for VIPs.

"First time, eh?" Vangerdahast whispered to his companion, having also caught Milo's subtle wink.

Khelben just harumphed a response.

The two mages were quietly enjoying the dwarf-tossing festivities over two tankards of ale, an elven ranger who did not seem to know his own strength had just sent a particularly rotund dwarf sailing out of the playing area, through the kitchen door, and out of the kitchen window into the backyard compost heap. Suddenly a great commotion ensued at the door.

"Khelben! Vangerdahast! Are they here?"

Milo was once again on the spot, greeting his rather boisterous and demanding, but also very important guests at the door.

"Mister Volo," the dwarf attended, "it is wonderful to see you again, but please calm down and observe the simple rules of common courtesy. This is a respectable establishment, after all."

"Khelben and Vangerdahast," the master traveler repeated, this time as a demand. "Are they here?"

"They are at one of our special tables in the back," Milo replied, studiously controlling his temper, as a good host is expected to. "Would you like me to see if they will permit you to join them?"

Having received the answer to his question, Volo and his companions barged across the tavern floor toward the table where the two mages were sitting, despite the audible protestations from Milo whom they had left standing in their wake.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Vangerdahast demanded, both he and Khelben standing up as the four travelers approached.

"Sorry for the intrusion, your eminence," Volo apologized, "but there is a grave matter we must discuss with you immediately."

"You're Volo," Khelben interrupted, "that guide book author."

"At your service, Lord Arunsun," the master traveler replied with a bow, "but there is a great deal of urgency to the matters at hand. A dark conspiracy is underfoot. It is based in your own Waterdeep, and it threatens the stability of all Toril."

Khelben began to finger his beard, which Volo immediately realized meant that he was giving the matter serious consideration.

"Well, then," the Lord Mage of Waterdeep replied, "why don't you and your friends pull up a few chairs, and tell us just what seems to be going on?"

Volo immediately sat down and began to relate their story.

"My friend Passepout and I were having a good time here at the Dragon's Jaws Inn when a fellow who looked exactly like yourself accosted us…"

Volo told the tale as swiftly and efficiently as possible, with Curtis and Shurleen chiming in at various points in the story to allow the master traveler to catch his breath. No one noticed when Passepout withdrew from the table for a moment to pass a piece of paper to a messenger who was waiting by the bar.

"Get this to Lord Bleth immediately," the thespian instructed.

The messenger left, and Passepout rejoined the group just in time to wrap up the tale of their adventure. "… so they busted me out of the jail at Baldur's Gate, which was for minor previous offenses for which I am truly sorry," the master thespian rambled, "and we hightailed our way here."

"We have been aware of the insidious group known as the Unseen for quite a while," Khelben said, "but we were unaware that their influence was spreading and that their powers were on the rise."

"If they succeed with their plans to establish teleporting gates throughout Toril, there will be no way to control their insidious infection of our social structure. You won't know whom to trust. Anyone, even yourself, Lord Mage, could be a doppelganger," Volo concluded.

"Quite," Khelben replied.

Vangerdahast put out his hand toward Passepout.

"I need one of these necromancer's gems so that I can neutralize the whole lot of them," the mage said. "Please hand one to me."

Passepout reached into his pouch and felt nothing but air.

"Oh, no," the thespian said. "I must have dropped the last one on the way in here. What will we do?"

"I must have one of the gems in order to counteract the influence of the others," the mage insisted. "Without it, we are powerless."

Shurleen reached into a hidden pocket in her belt.

"Here," she said, passing a red gem to Vangerdahast, and then turning to the others in the group, added, "I just thought I would keep a souvenir. I didn't mean anything by it. I guess we're lucky I did."

Vangerdahast examined the red gem carefully, holding it up to the light.

"This isn't just any necromancer gem," the mage announced. "This is one of the legendary jewels of Verne. With just this one stone, I should be able to scry the locations of all the others."

The mage stared into the facets of the red stone.

"I see a desert, a roadway, an ocean, Storm Silverhand's farm, some place very hot…"

"That's probably the volcano on Chult," Passepout explained.

"That will do," the mage announced, and taking Khelben's hand for added strength and magical support, he concentrated with great intensity, and squeezed the gem with all his might.

When he reopened his hand, the gem had disappeared.

"Now all of the gems will act as gates to that volcanic location on Chult," he replied. "It won't affect their locations on Hlaavin's map, though. He won't discover what we have done until he tries it out himself."

A faint trace of a smile appeared on Khelben's lips. "It will serve him right," the Lord Mage of Waterdeep replied.

"Oh, and by the way," Vangerdahast added, "the magic that had bound the two of you together and restricted your movements has been removed, as has the buffer that has restricted your magical abilities, Volo."

"Wonderful!" Passepout replied.

"Agreed," said Volo, adding, "not that I didn't enjoy your company and all."

"I'm afraid that I won't be good company for much longer," the thespian replied. "Now that the crisis is over, I have sworn to turn myself in."

"I don't think there will be any need for that," Khelben volunteered. "I have a few friends in the Baldur's Gate hierarchy. I think an amnesty is in order in lieu of the service you have provided for the security of all Faerun."

"Wonderful!" the chubby thespian replied, for once without a trace of sarcasm.

"I'm sure that I can also arrange the release of your parents as well. It sounds like they've served their time."

Turning to Volo, the thespian whispered, "You know, I'm beginning to like some of these wizards."

Volo just smiled.

Slam!

A messenger barged into the inn and made an announcement.

"I have here a message from Lord Gruen Bleth," he proclaimed.

"Read it," Passepout said thinking, Reward money, here I come!

The messenger read: "Lord Bleth is pleased to hear of the rescue of Miss Shurleen Laduce, but feels that there is no need for a reward since a replacement for her services has already been secured."

"A replacement for his daughter?" Passepout sputtered in disbelief.

"No," confessed Shurleen, "for his daughter's dresser. His daughter had already been ransomed home before I was traded to the other tribe."

The messenger continued reading: "Lord Bleth also wishes to assure Miss Laduce that he will he providing her with a most favorable recommendation when she seeks employment elsewhere."

"So you're not an heiress?" Curtis asked.

"No," Shurleen replied, with a quiver in her voice, "just an heiress's dresser."

Shurleen looked at the young beachcomber with tears in her eyes. Before this trip, her sole desire was to marry money, she only hoped that he did not share the same ambitions.

"Well, it doesn't matter to me that you're not an heiress," Curtis replied. "I still want you to be my wife."

"Oh, Curtis," she replied, giving him a big kiss, "for richer, for poorer, till death do us part."

A cheer went up through the tavern and much merrymaking commenced, which didn't finish till the dawn's early light.

"Three cheers for Curtis and Shurleen," Volo shouted.

Hip, hip, hooray!

"Three cheers for Volo, the true master traveler of all Toril!" Passepout added.

Hip, hip, hooray!

"And three cheers for Passepout, son of Catinflas and Idle, famed thespian and part-time hero," Volo shouted.

Hip, hip, hooray!