Fatima's Diary

reflections for the lost

42. Chemelosian

I kept my mouth closed during this, respecting her views on the world.

Thea came back and explained that neither Brigitta nor Lugh have the host of their gods within their walls. We waited inside our Inn rooms until nightfall.

When night fell, all the townspeople disappeared. We watched them mill about in their dazed state until there were only a few on the streets, hurrying in their blank way to wherever they were about, and then there were none. I opened the window of our room, borrowed Whit's ring, and became a breeze upon the night.

I quickly soared above the city. From there, it was clear to see that the city, though roughly circular, had three main sections: the primary temple; the travelers and trader's quarter, where we were staying at the Inn; and, a residential section that included the House Abrantier Manor house, a smallish structure with two floors, and one night black tower.

Without the aid of starlight, I might have crashed into the tower itself.

I swooped low into the residential section. There were things moving about in the shadows, almost panther-like in their swiftness. They never fully came into the bare starlight, and there were no street torches or lanterns lit anywhere in Telyth.

From above, I could clearly see that two of the Temples and the Manor House butted up next to the wall that surrounded the city. As the wind whipped around me, I flew closer to the Manor house. All the windows were carefully latched closed. I timed my dexterous fingers to unlatch a window as the wind took a powerful gust, and it banged open, revealing a red carpeted hallway inside. I wonder still what would have happened if I had entered that empty hallway. After about half a minute of indecision, something wtthin me bid to look about. I looked up, and I could see a flying figure approaching, it's wings beating slowly, unperturbed by the wind. I took the next gust of wind to shut the window, and leaving it unlatched, I sped up and away before the Gargoyle took its perch by on the windowsill I had just occupied.

I brought all this information back to my companions, and a swift plan was begun.

Whit, Thea and I were to creep into the Temple of Lugh and look about, perhaps to find the evidence that Tolmadrin had charged us with gathering. Entering the Temple was easy. It was only patrolled on the outside by three guards who were hardly attentive in their blank-eyed state. The obvious inhabitants of the Temple were also in their deep trance sleep. In order to keep them like that, I unstoppered a bottle of sleep gas under each one's noses. Dunwallis, the supposed priest of Lugh, was found to have a symbol of Chemelosian in his personal belongings. He was nowhere to be found yet. We found a small note also in his desk with the inscription "Abrantier is Law."

After Thea discovered a small trapdoor next to the alter of Lugh in the first floor, we suspected as to the whereabouts of the false priest Dunwallis.

I went to fetch our companions, and Malakon and I spirited our brothers and sisters to the site of the false temple. Ashrem, Alial and Bramblebeard were all to stay topside as the rest of us went as a strike force into the Temple underground. I cast a spell of Spider Climbing on Lobar, the first magical enchantment I have ever cast on another being.

It took well to him, and he grinned his huge, toothy, dangerous grin as we ran about the walls to acclimate to his new power. Whit spoke the name Chemelosian and the magical trap faded away on the trapdoor, and he threw it open. I flitted down into the pit first, casting my eyes about, seeing the shadowy motions in the deep blackness, watching the vile priest with his back turned to me, silhouetted by the purple and burgundy flashes that were arising from the dark altar before him.

Lobar ran down the shaft as I flew along the ceiling, somersaulting in front of Dunwallis, and sinking my sister-gifted rapier into his flesh.

The rest of my companions dropped down behind me and swiftly I heard the trapdoor drop shut. By then there was already plenty of noise below.

The shadowy forms leapt from the darkness and struck, tricking the eye and darting about in plentiful shadows. The blow the most painfully dealt us was their baying howl. I stayed myself as I was sternly instructed so long ao in my training, "Stand Ready." I saw the blood drain from Lobar's face as fear took his body, mind, and soul.

As some of us fought on, Whit and Lobar fled into the shadows, away from the hounds, but also away from aiding us. It wasn't long afterwards that I, standing on the altar of Chemelosian, sunk my silvered rapier into the black heart of the foul priest. Even as Sanantha drew her holy circle and consecrated the altar she said that Lugh was somehow elsewhere, distant from her. Above Ashrem and Bowcaster slew the three guards who came to investigate.

Bramblebeard told me a tale of Ashrem silently striding on the pew tops toward his foe.